EchoVOLUME 78 - ISSUE 3Jan. 12, 2012

AVON HIGH SCHOOL 7575 EAST 150 SOUTH AVON, INDIANA

InsideAvon students create new clubs

National debt reaches $15 trillion

Foreign exchange students refl ect on Avon

Students prepare for Scene Night, Talent Show

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Indy adapts for Super Bowl XLVISuper Bowl XLVISuper Bowl XLVISuper Bowl preparations include new J.W. Marriott hotel, Georgia Street renovations

By David Allspaw It began on May 20, 2008. NFL owners

selected Indianapolis as the host city for the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI. Coming off its rejected proposal for Super Bowl XLV, Indianapolis beat three other cities for the right to host the 46th edition of the world’s most-watched American football game.

“[The announcement] was very exciting because I love football, and I think [the Super Bowl] is something that will bring a lot of attention and money to this state,” social studies teacher Erin Garland said. “But it was also worrying because it could potentially cost the state a lot of money to prepare for the Super Bowl.” See SUPER BOWL, Page 7

2 January 2012NewsGovernment offers student aidAvon students apply for fi nancial aid toward higher education

News BriefsDecibel Concert

Avon High School’s local rock band Decibel will be performing on Friday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. at the Serendipity venue located above Cold Stone Creamery in Metropolis.

Four-Day Weekend

There will be no school on Friday, Jan. 13, for a Teacher Record Day or on Monday, Jan. 16, for Martin Luther King, Jr. day.

New Semester

The second semester starts on Jan. 17.

Yearbooks

The last day to buy a yearbook is Jan. 23. Go to yearbookordercenter.com or call 1-866-287-3096 to order. Refer to order #3010 when ordering. Books cost $55. No books will be sold after Jan. 23, so make sure to order one soon.Yearbooks are delivered in mid-May and cannot be ordered in May.

Valentine’s Day Bears

The FCCLA will be selling teddy bears the week of Valentine’s Day. They will be sold in both cafeterias for $2. All proceeds will benefi t the March of Dimes Foundation.

By Maria KhanOn Jan. 1, students wanting fi nancial aid for post-

secondary schooling can fi ll out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application is used to apply for federal, state and regional student aid programs that cover expenses like tuition, room and board, supplies and transportation.

“Most [colleges and universities] require that the student submit the FAFSA to be considered for institutional aid,” guidance counselor Linda Christy said. “Students [should] complete the FAFSA even if they think they won’t qualify for need-based aid.”

There are three basic types of aid given as a result of FAFSA: grants, loans and work-study.

Grants, or gift aids, do not have to be paid back. Generally, only undergraduate students receive grants, and the amount is based on fi nancial need.

By fi lling out the FAFSA, Avon alumnus and current Butler University student Thomas Hostetler received a grant from Butler to help pay for his school tuition.

“It’s a wonderful thing for people that need help paying for college,” Hostetler said.

Loans allow students to borrow money that must be paid back with interest. Loan amounts vary with the student’s grade, tuition costs and other aid given.

The last type of aid, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, allows students to earn money by working part-time jobs while attending school. Students can work on or off campus. The money earned from FWS generally has federal and state income tax applied, but it is not accountable for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes (taxes to collect Social Security benefi ts) as long as the student is enrolled in full-time school and working less than half-time.

FAFSA forms can be found in the guidance offi ce or online. Students must submit a new application every year, although renewal forms are available. While the FAFSA’s deadline is March 10, it is best to get it submitted as soon as possible after the student’s family has completed taxes.

If students need assistance fi lling out the FAFSA, they can attend Avon’s Financial Aid Night for seniors and their parents on Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the AHS auditorium.

Federal aid is not the only way to receive money for post-secondary education. There are various scholarships offered, from scholarships for left-handed people to tall people. Also, many colleges award students merit scholarships—these are based on the student’s GPA and test scores.

“It’s a lot of work, but it pays to fi ll out scholarships, so apply for as many as you can,” Hostetler said.

The Reserve Offi cer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship also helps students pay for college. ROTC is one of the three programs through which the U.S. military commissions offi cers.

Avon alumnus Ahmed Khan is currently in the Navy ROTC (NROTC) program at Purdue University.

“Do not apply for ROTC just for the scholarship,” Khan said. “At the end of the college career, a ROTC cadet/midshipman does become an offi cer in the military, and that requires a lot of commitment, motivation and leadership abilities.”

The application process and monetary value of the ROTC scholarship varies from branch to branch. For example, the NROTC program requires a technical major, great grades, an interview by an offi cer in the Navy and recommendation letters in order to be eligible for the scholarship. NROTC awards up to $180,000 for tuition and fees and a living stipend that grows from freshmen to senior year. The program emphasizes physical activity throughout the school year and requires four weeks of active duty in actual military bases during the summer. Students must remember ROTC requires commitment after college.

If a student is interested in fi nding more scholarships, there are several websites like Fastweb, and Scholarships.com that help ease this process.

When conducting scholarship searches, beware of scams. Sometimes, “services” promise scholarships, but in reality they can be quite costly and provide almost no assistance.

“The assistance which they are providing is available to you through the federal government and the college or university you will be attending,” Christy said. “Before fi nancially committing to any such scholarship search program, contact your counselor at the Guidance Offi ce.”

Fill out FASFA to receive fi nancial aidSubmit FAFSA by March 10 to receive government money for college

Every college student is eligible for federal fi nancial aid from the United States government.SThe form is on the FASFA website, and applicants must have their tax forms (or their parents’ tax forms) to complete it.S

Each year of college, students must fi ll out FAFSA again. It is free to fi ll out FAFSA.S

The words “you” and “your” refer to the student applicant, not the parents of the student. S

Use legal names as they appear on legal documents, such as a Social Security card or a driver’s license.S

Make a copy of the form, or print it out if it is online, before mailing it in.S

Missing state, federal or college deadlines will result in a possible loss of fi nancial aid.S

Sources: “Info Please” Online, “Federal Student Aid” Online Krystal Andry

The Student Aid Report summarizes FAFSA information and must be correct before fi nancial aid is awarded.S

Page Design : Ben Brown, Tasha Rollings & Tristan Fitzpatrick News

After school groups incorporate academic, cultural themes into extracurricular oppurtunities for students

Several new clubs have started this year. These clubs bring together students with common interests, from building robots to playing in a fantasy world.

In Robotics Club, students build and enter robots into competitions. It is a “huge” commitment, according to teacher Chris Hill. Both he and engineer Tim Engelhardt collaborated to start the club.

“[We started it because] there is not a lot of challenging math and science applied in extracurricular activities,” Hill said.

Robotics Club will be entering Logo Motion, a robotics competition that will be at Purdue University from Mar. 15 to 17. The competition began with a challenge that was given on Jan. 7. The 42 participating schools divided up into 14 groups. The 14 groups consist of three schools, each of whom will build their own robot. The robot should be completed by the end of February.

“We could spend 15 to 20 hours a week during the build season, since we have a set amount of time to build the robot,” Hill said.

Many members of the Robotics Club have never built a robot before. Hill has made one robot before, but not “as large as this one.” The Robotics Club is currently trying to fi gure out how to use Lab View, the program they are going to use to operate and run the robot. Lab View is “simpler” than the program they were going to use, called C++, according to junior Ian Kuzma.

The club has started fundraising for parts, trying to get grants and sponsors to pay for their equipment.

South Asian Club is also new to Avon, and its main goal is to help disadvantaged South Asian schools.

The club’s money goal is to raise $100-$1000 this year. The club plans on making things like henna and getting involved in “big” events and festivals to help with fundraising. All their merchandise and events will celebrate South Asian culture.

The club’s plan is to expose others to South Asian culture and to “help” them understand “a little more” about the countries before they travel there, according to sophomore Pri Srinivasan.

“I want to educate people to make them understand that we’re not all terrorists,”sophomore Israt Khan said.

The club came out of a “random” idea, according to Srinivasan, from the club’s four founders: sophomores Maria Khan, Sonali Mali, Israt, and Srinivasan. The club now has 32 members of many different cultural backgrounds.

The club does various activities, from playing South Asian games like carrom to watching popular South Asian, or Bollywood, movies. They also write in South Asian languages like Tamil, Urdu, and Gujarati and show a variety of different South Asian clothes during their meetings.

South Asian Club also gives washable henna tattoos during their meetings. Henna is a paste made from a mixture of herbs. The user can make their own designs with it, but, just like normal tattoos, there is a risk that the chemicals could seep into the skin.

Teacher Catherine Trinkle hosts another new club, Book Club. Book Club centers on reading and discussing books that the club decides to read. Assistant Principal Kellie Rodkey asked Trinkle to start the club last spring. The club has an affi liation with Student Government, who purchased the club’s

By Tiffany Lanteigne second book, “An Abundance of Katherines,” by Indiana author John Green.

Book Club’s meetings follow a pattern. At one meeting they get their book, and at the next meeting they discuss the book and generate ideas for the next one. Sophomore Amanda Farmer shows the club a list of books she thinks they should read next.

The club’s fi rst book, “The Perks of Being a Wallfl ower,” is a personal favorite of Trinkle’s. Another book the group is planning to read is called “Ashfall.” The author, Mike Mullin, is an Indiana native. The book won awards like the Top Choice Awards and the Gold Star Award.

“I thought this was a good book to read since people love apocalyptic books,” Trinkle said.

Dungeons & Dragons Club is a new club where members play Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) in which a Dungeon Master sets up and narrates a story for the players.

“[The characters] are sent to hunt down this lich [in Dungeons & Dragons],” senior Douglas Fullen said.

The new DECA Club, which stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America, revolves around business and marketing situations.

The club plans on competing in events that feature careers in marketing, hospitality, tourism, fi nancing and business. The competitions are role-plays or situations where teams are given a specifi c challenge. The club’s 45 members are attending the District competition this January at Brownsburg.

“This is a great opportunity for students to use business skills in a competitive enviroment,” DECA club’s sponsor Troy Drosche said.

The DECA Club plans to bring a spirit store to Avon.

New clubs diversify Avon extracurriculars

3

Senior Nic Friedman instructs Dungeons & Dragons Club members as they begin to play their fi rst game on Dec. 13. “Dungeons & Dragons is a good way to break out of your shell, try something new and make friends who share a common interest,” Friedman said.

Alexa Adamson

Source: Interview 2011 Art and Information: Kaylie McCoy

What is it? A role-playing fantasy game. Each player assumes a different persona with different attributes and skills, except for the Dungeon Master.

How do you play? The Dragon Master sets up a quest for players to complete. Players fi ght monsters and nonplayable characters and complete sub-quests. For example, players may fi ght a dragon to rescue a princess from an enemy wizard. Players roll dice to attack foes and defend themselves.

Why join? It is for students who use imagination, enjoy fantasy and appreciate friendly competition.

Who do you contact? Contact sponsor Micah Borcherding or club president Doug Fullen for further details.

Popular game gets club at AvonDungeons & Dragons

4 January 2012NewsAmerican soldiers return home

On Oct. 21, President Barack Obama announced that he would bring all U.S. troops back from Iraq by the end of 2011, ending the war that began on March 19, 2003, during President George W. Bush’s fi rst term. White House offi cials made this decision after long talks and negotiations between Iraq and the U.S. Early plans to withdraw the troops and end the war began with Bush in 2008, but this fi nal decision occurred after Obama spoke with Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in 2011.

The decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq stemmed from tensions between the two countries over the legal status and immunity of U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Teacher Cynthia Whyde, whose son served in Afghanistan, where Obama is also reducing troop numbers, is confl icted about the decision to bring troops home from Iraq.

“Of course I’m glad [soldiers] will be reunited with their families,” Whyde said. “My concern would be whether or not things are stable enough [in Iraq] to ensure the safety of the people there. I think we got things started. I just hope [we did] enough that they can maintain [stability].”

Senior Jess Mathieu, whose dad serves in the military and was deployed to Iraq when she was in eighth grade, shares similar thoughts about withdrawing troops.

“They are doing a lot of good over there, but it is also hard when a family member is over there,” Mathieu said. “You don’t know what is going on. You don’t get a lot of contact.”

The end of combat operations was announced on Aug. 31, 2010, and by Dec. 18, 2011, Obama’s administration had completed the fi nal withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, pulling about 140,000 troops. Some troops remain in Iraq to continue training Iraqi forces. The end to combat operations means that the U.S. objective in Iraq has shifted from directly battling al-Qaeda and Taliban forces to training and preparing Iraqi forces to take over day-to-day operations and eventually full command and responsibility of their country. The U.S. military also turned over hundreds of vehicles and many military bases to Iraqi forces as a fi nal gesture of good will.

Obama criticized the Iraq War during his senatorial term and presidential campaign, making a campaign promise to end the war as President. Since his election, he has been working to withdraw all U.S. Troops from Iraq. According to a Gallup Poll, his decision has attracted public support, with about 75 percent of Americans supporting the troop withdrawals. However, despite fulfi lling his campaign promise and having public support of the move, many of the Republican presidential candidates have criticized Obama’s decision to remove all troops from Iraq and end the war. Texas governor Rick Perry accused Obama of bringing the troops home as a political decision to help him get re-elected and said Obama did not consider all the consequences to national defense. Despite the political controversy surrounding Obama’s decision to bring the troops

By Ben Brown

Students, staff express opinions of Obama’s troop withdrawalPolitical

Updatewith Rachel Fischer

United States poverty levels on the rise

According to “CNN” Online, 2011 was meant to be a “year of recovery” for the United States economy. But with the way the economy is turning, economists are unsure if there will be a “double-dip” recession. A double-dip recession is when a country starts to climb out of a recession but then falls back into a downturn without reaching its economic high point. According to “CNN” Online, the poverty level is a reason the economy might not be expanding as well as it should.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, about 46.2 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, live in poverty. The Census Bureau defi nes an individual as “poor” if they made less than $11,139 in 2011; the dollar amount rises for every member added to the household. For example, a family of four is considered poor if it earns less than $22,314 yearly.

According to “NY Times” Online, President Barack Obama called the economic situation “an emergency” in October 2011, and he attacked Congressional Republicans for opposing his jobs bill, which included tax cuts that raise take-home pay. Princeton Economics professor Harry Farber found that people who lost jobs in the recession and later found work again made an average of 17.5 percent less than they earned in their old jobs. According to “NY Times” Online, for individuals who did not graduate high school, their average income declined by 7.9 percent, and for those with a bachelor’s degree or more, income declined by 6.8 percent in 2009.

On Sept. 8, 2011, Obama announced his plan to boost the economy and lower the poverty level. Obama plans to apply $447 billion in tax cuts and to increase government spending to boost the nation’s lagging economic recovery. He is calling on lawmakers to work together to solve the job crisis.

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home, senior Cody Romero is happy to know his two brothers, who have both served in Iraq, will not be sent there again.

“Every time they are overseas I am worried that they might not come back,” Romero said.

Despite the debate between presidential hopefuls on whether or not the decision to end the war was a good one, thousands of troops have returned to the U.S. Some of these soldiers will be ending their careers in the military and looking for new employment in an economy where businesses are reluctant to hire.

“[Soldiers] will probably have a hard time with jobs, especially with the economy right now,” Romero said. “Every family is happy to [have their relatives] home, but they will still have to assimilate.”

Whyde believes the stress that soldiers and families experienced during soldiers’ deployment will impact their lives when the soldiers return home.

“The transition is always different because [the soldiers experienced] a lot of stress while [in Iraq],” Whyde said. “Even talking to students [with parents returning from Iraq], it’s defi nitely stressful to establish a routine again with [their parents], but I think the government does a good job of assisting families to make the transition smoother.”

Students can help soldiers by volunteering with the United Service Organizations (USO) or other groups.

Not all the soldiers have had smooth transitions, but Whyde says we can help by showing our appreciation.

“I think we should just appreciate what soldiers and sailors do,” Whyde said. “[We should] appreciate that we have [them]. When you see someone in uniform, just thank them for their service. It is amazing to see their face when someone does that.”

Troops come home from IraqObama orders troop withdrawalHow:On Dec. 18, 2011, the remaining soldiers left Iraq, ending the war between the U.S. and Iraq. The goal is to have only 200 soldiers remain behind to help protect the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.When:President Obama met his goal of having the troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011. After nine years, the war in Iraq is over.

Source: “MSNBC” Online, BBC Online Belle LeBeau

5Page Design: Belle LeBeau & Anna Wray News

On Nov. 16, the United States’ National Debt passed

This is over $48,000 of debt per citizenHistory of the nation’s debt Student and staff opinions

Shalina Austin, 12“It’s outrageous that our national debt has reached $15 trillion. We’re in huge danger, and no matter how high the price, the debt will rise. It will still seem invisible to some people. People don’t think of it. They don’t see it.”

David Ball, Government teacher“Everybody is responsible for paying off our National

Debt. Politicians are going to make the decision. Citizens elect them, so it’s up to us through voting

decisions. We’ll be able to do less in the future. We’ll have to pay off the money we spent in the past.”

Wanda Elyea, 11“[The debt] seems a bit excessive and not necessary. We will pay it off through tax increases. It means my children’s children will be paying off this debt, too.”

Fast facts about our debt

Page design: Belle LeBeau;Sources: “Marktaw” Online, “Billing” Online

Congress limits the National Debt. There are three ways to measure government spending. First, by looking at the dollar amount. This method does not take infl ation or the economy as a whole into account. Looking at nominal amounts or adjusted infl ation are also forms of measurement. The National Debt is the total amount of money our nation owes. However, the federal budget defi cit is the yearly amount by which spending exceeds revenue, the money our nation makes.

The United States fi rst went into debt in 1790 because of Revolutionary War debts. By the end of that year, the public debt was estimated to be over $75 million. For a short period in the mid-1830s, the public debt was zero. During 1917, when the U.S. entered World War I, the public debt was $1 billion. It peaked at $26 billion in 1919 in order to fi nance the war. Afterward, the debt declined throughout the next decade. During the Great Depression, the debt increased from $16 billion to $42 billion. When World War II began, the public debt rose to $279 billion. For nearly two decades, the public debt grew gradually. During the the Vietnam War, the debt increased by $146 billion.

The debt is always rising, but some days it fl uctuates, causing the debt to go down for a day or two. The long-term averages of the National Debt show it continuously grows higher. If concerned, write or call U.S. Senators or Representatives to voice concerns about the National Debt and ask what they are doing to reduce both the defi cit and the debt. The Concord Coalition is a group dedicated to eliminating the federal budget defi cits and to asking questions.

6 January 2012Sports

Avon marching band plays in Rose Bowl Parade

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On Dec. 29, 270 Avon marching band students piled into an airplane to travel to Pasadena, Calif. For the fi rst time in Avon history, they performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 2, drawing spectators’ eyes to the Avon Marching Black and Gold. Avon was able to march in the parade by winning the Bands of America (BOA) championship in 2010.

“[BOA] set up a situation with the Rose Parade committee to automatically award a bid to the winning band,” band director Jay Webb said. “It is something they have never done in their 120-year history.”

The band accepted the invitation to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade, but the band will not be able to attend the parade again for another fi ve years due to the committee’s rules.

“This is a once in a career type of event,” Webb said. “Traveling at this level is really exciting.”

Traveling was a challenge due to expenses.“The last time we traveled, not everybody could go,”

Webb said. “It was not representative of Avon.”Despite past fi nancial diffi culties, the Avon band

raised enough money to accommodate all its members.

“We have done some special fundraisers,” Webb said. “We did Arts in the Park in May, we did a big fundraiser here at the high school in August, and we’ve done parades and performances. We have also gotten corporate sponsorships. We have done a variety of things, and the community has been very supportive.”

To prepare for the parade, the Avon band practiced once a week for fi ve weeks.

“It [was] weird to still be working on the show since Bands of America was over,” junior Lynette Hoke said.

The Avon band continued to work on its fi eld show, but it also had to practice for the parade, a fi ve-and-a-half mile march.

“It’s not that diffi cult physically, as much as it is mentally,” Hoke said. “Nobody [wanted] to keep practicing.”

While in California for the parade, the Avon band participated in Band Fest, where they and other high school bands performed their fi eld show.

“Band Fest was really fun,” senior Jordan Ghaim said. “We saw this really cool Japanese band that did stuff that I know we could never do because it was too crazy.”

The band members also had their picture taken at the Tournament of Roses, went to Disneyland, spent

Avon Marching Black and Gold travels to California to march in parade, participate in Band Fest By Megan Medellin time on the beach and went to the Knott’s Berry Farm

amusement park.“It was fun to hang out with everybody,” Hoke said.

“Disneyland was really awesome because we got to get on a lot of rides. Everybody liked Disneyland best. It’s Disneyland, and you can’t beat that.”

The band members also spent New Year’s Eve at their hotel in California.

“We were all kind of surprised in a bad way,” Hoke said. “We celebrated at 9 o’clock California time, so it didn’t really feel like New Year’s Eve. Webb was talking to us about procedure for the parade until there were 30 seconds left. We had to go straight to bed right after. It was kind of disappointing.”

Some of the band members thought of their trip to California as both a vacation and a performance.

“You don’t understand about how much people appreciate what you do until you’re around everyone and they don’t care about how good it is, just that you’re there,” Ghaim said.

The band returned from the trip on Jan. 3. “I don’t know if they’ll remember what place we

came in at semi-state or any other contest years from now, but they’ll always remember that they marched in the [Tournament of Roses Parade],” Webb said.

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The city has seen many additions and improvements during the 43 months that have passed since the announcement. In just three and a half years, citizens have seen a new hotel complex, an expanded convention center and a transformed Georgia Street.

“[The additions and improvements] make the city more accessible, not only for the Super Bowl, but for future athletic events and conventions as well,” Garland said.

On Feb. 5, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion will compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Lucas Oil Stadium. For one week, hundreds of thousands of celebrities, fans and media members will cram into downtown Indy, with many paying thousands of dollars for hotel rooms, meals and tickets to the game.

“There will be a huge amount of outside capital fl owing into the city during Super Bowl week,” economics teacher Phil Schmidt said. “Since there will be more people in town, [the Super Bowl] will create short-term jobs at conventions, restaurants and shops. It will be a huge boost for the city’s economy.”

Indianapolis has hosted several big-name conventions, numerous Final Fours and most recently the Big Ten Football Championship Game. However, it has never hosted the Super Bowl.

“The Super Bowl is at another level in a lot of ways,” Schmidt said. “It brings in visitors from throughout the country, not to mention people who are watching across the globe.”

As is the case with every Super Bowl, the week leading up to the game will feature many attractions for fans. According to “Indianapolis” Online, Georgia Street, which now features a “safe, pedestrian-accessible” road and a pedestrian mall in the median, will turn into a Super Bowl village. The urban center

will span three blocks and will feature zip-line rides, a turf fi eld and two concert stages, according to “Indy Star” Online. The “NFL Experience” will take place inside the Indiana Convention Center and encompass 800,000 square-feet of football-related activities for up to 200,000 fans. For the fi rst time in history, 5,000 tickets will be sold to the general public for the annual Super Bowl Media Day. The tickets cost $25 each and have been on sale since Dec. 7, according to “WTHR Online.”

“[The Super Bowl village] is a place for you to come and cheer on your team and be around other people,” Senior Vice President of Hospitality Services and Events Susan Baughman said in an interview with WTHR. “You can come in, come with your buddies, bring your family and be able to participate in a lot of activities without ever going to the game.”

The Super Bowl committee selected 1980s pop singer Madonna to perform at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Rumors of the selection circulated online for weeks, but the offi cial announcement did not come until Dec. 4 during a live broadcast on NBC.

“I wish someone who is popular now was selected [to perform during halftime],” junior Jeff Gerstenberger said. “The Black Eyed Peas performed last year, but they weren’t really that good. [For this year’s show] they should have selected someone who can actually perform.”

The only question that remains to be answered: which two teams will represent the AFC and the NFC in the big game?

Gerstenberger said he expects the NFC’s Green Bay Packers to repeat as Super Bowl champions. He believes they will beat the New England Patriots with a fi nal score of 35-24.

Senior Michael Apolaya agreed with Gerstenberger’s choice of victor. However, he believes the Packers will defeat the Broncos rather than the Patriots.

“[The Packers] have been great all season,” Apolaya said. “They have not had many injuries, and [quarterback] Aaron Rodgers consistently performs well.”

Apolaya discussed some possible teams that the defending champs may face in the fi nal game.

“[Broncos quarterback] Tim Tebow is clearly the most clutch quarterback in the league,” Apolaya said. “The Broncos and the Texans are both really underestimated teams, so they defi nitely have a chance of making it to the Super Bowl. The Ravens are wishy-washy from week to week, and the Patriots’ defense is very suspect.”

By David Allspaw

Grace KellyGrace Kelly

IND

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Changes make city suitable for Super Bowl

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1 01 01 0Georgia Street has two-lane traffi c, and a boardwalk runs through the center of the roadway.

Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008 and replaced the RCA Dome.

The new building and attractions around the city, called “Legacy Projects,” are worth $10 million.

J.W. Marriott Hotel, built in 2010, is connected to the convention center. The project cost was$450 million.30 30 30

Grace KellySource: “WTHR” Online

Super BowlContinued from page 1

2012 Superbowl improvements in Indianapolis

The city of Indianapolis built the new J.W. Marriott hotel with Super Bowl XLVI in mind. Indiana students have contributed drawings and writing of their favorite things about Indiana on 18,000 welcome cards. The hotel will display these welcome cards, which are a part of a project called “Super Kids, Super Welcome in rooms to welcome guests in honor of the Super Bowl.

Mandy Packnett

By Shelby BrownEmpty bleachers and low fan attendance are often

characteristics of JV games.“There’s not a really big crowd for JV; it’s mostly

family of the players,” JV football player, sophomore Shawn Manchester, said.

According to former JV basketball player Danielle Joyce, there are several reasons students might not attend JV games.

“People don’t come just because it’s JV,” Joyce said. “[They think] that they don’t win, that JV doesn’t matter. Varsity are the winners, and JV is just a stepping stone to get to varsity. We do all the work and get nothing in return.”

According to wrestling coach Israel Blevins, many factors determine which team a student is placed on.

“[The players] wrestle each other for the position,” Blevins said. “It also depends on the wrestler’s age, strength and experience. Sometimes it’s just the different styles of wrestling. You don’t want someone who’s going to go out on the mat and get pinned.”

Freshman Trevor Semakula recently finished his season with the JV boys’ soccer team.

“I could see where I was at skill-wise and compete against players older than me,” Semakula said.

Semakula compared playing on a varsity team to playing on a JV one.

“The varsity team’s record is the one that really matters,” Semakula said. “They get to compete in tournaments and sectionals at the end of the season, but once the JV season is over, it’s over.”

Varsity and JV teams usually attend the same practices and run the same drills.

“You practice the same and you do the same workouts,” Manchester said. “The only real difference is that we play on Monday nights, and [the varsity] plays on Friday nights. We play against the varsity during practice, and we help them get better.”

Sophomore JV athlete Levi Bailey listed activities JV players are not included in.

“We don’t get the same privileges [as the varsity],” Bailey said. “We don’t get to go to team breakfast, and we don’t get to watch films of the games.

Joyce quit basketball after playing for 10 years, two years on the JV team.

“[I quit basketball because] it took up a lot of time, and I suspected that I would never make varsity,” Joyce said. “I didn’t want to spend all my time if I wasn’t going to get anything from it. [JV] does all the hard work without getting anything.”

Some other athletes use being on JV as motivation to improve.

“[The JV team] is the driving force for me to get better and become a starter,” Manchester said.

Junior varsity athletes work for varsity spotsLower-level athletes play in front of smaller crowds, lack varsity privileges, practice, work out with varsity teams

By Bryan Ball

Wrestlers face mental, physical challengesAthletes compete in lesser-known point-based sport, use various moves to score, defeat opponents

8 January 2012Sports

Many people have an understanding of high school sports nowadays, but one that still tends to confuse people is the sport of wrestling.

Wrestling first became a sport in Greece during the Olympic Games. It was known for its brutality and exceding difficulty.

In wrestling, two competitors try to pin the shoulders of each other to the ground in a series of grapples. Grapples are a series of moves where you try to throw your opponent off balance. Many moves and techniques used back in ancient times are still used in the sport today.

In high schools, many students practice this sport to perfect their bodies and mental confidence. Wrestlers go through constant conditioning to improve their strength and stamina for the mat.

“You will always need conditioning, but live wrestling with someone is great for skill and experience,” sophomore Matthew Sidor, who has wrestled for five years, said. “My favorite move is probably the high C.”

Wrestlers have to deal with different challenges, from trying to break free from holds to conserving energy for the next round.

“Getting on the mat makes me nervous, but it feels good to go and put everything you’ve learned on the mat,” Sidor said.

There are three ways to score in wrestling.

One is a takedown, pinning your opponent to the mat. Takedowns are worth two points each. Another is a get-up, where one escapes a takedown. Get-ups are worth a single point each. The final way of scoring is an official pin. This is where both of the opponents’ shoulders touch the ground. This is an automatic win.

Individual wrestlers are placed in separate divisions based on their weight. They range anywhere from the 106 pound division to the 285 pound division.

Certain wrestlers prefer to wrestle in either smaller or larger weight divisions, depending on their body type and style of wrestling, so wrestlers often have to watch their diet.

If key wrestlers get sick or have not met their weight division, others from varsity or junior varsity will try to lose or gain weight to fill in the others’ spots.

Head coach Israel Blevins has “high hopes for his new team.”

“We have an extremely young team this year, so getting experience and learning from the season is a goal for us,” Blevins said.

Last year his team lost in regionals. “We are hoping to win sectionals this season and

head to the state tournament,” Blevins said. To get to his goal of reaching sectionals, however,

the wrestling team will have to beat last year’s champions, Perry Meridian High School.

“Along with state, our main goal is to get better as a team and get more experience,” Blevins said.

Sophomore James Mayberry runs down the court during a game against Carmel on Dec. 28. “We get treated harsher in practice,” Mayberry said. “We have more pressure because we have to make the varsity team better.”

Shelby Brown

Junior Jonah Zorniger and sophomore Noah Zorniger perfect their techniques during wrestling practice. Jonah has been wrestling for six years. “[Wrestling] is both a mental and physical challenge,” Jonah said.

Anna Wray

Page Design : David Allspaw and Shelby Brown 9Sports

Athletes of the IssueElisa Krebs, 10What do you like most about cheerleading?My favorite part of cheerleading would probably be the feeling you get when you fi nally hit a hard tumbling pass or stunt that you’ve been working on for a long time.What makes a good cheerleader?A good cheerleader is someone who is very school spirited and optimistic, a hard worker and a team player.Do you get nervous?I always get nervous before I cheer, especially at competitions.

Sean Taylor, 11How does it feel to be a wrestler for Avon High School?Being part of a team and striving for success is one of the best feelings.What is your favorite memory during wrestling?My favorite memory is going to the AAU National Scholastic Duals at the ESPN Sports Complex in Disney.What would be your ultimate achievement?[My ultimate achievement would be] winning an individual and team State championship.

Upcoming GamesJan. 13: Boys’ Basketball vs. NoblesvilleJan. 14: Wrestling vs. Ben DavisJan. 14: Girls’ Basketball vs. NoblesvilleJan. 17: Girls’ Swimming vs. ChatardJan. 19: Girls’ Basketball vs. Ben DavisJan. 20: Boys’ Basketball vs. Hamilton SE

Score Board7-3Boys’

Basketball

5-8Girls’

Basketball

4-1Boys’

Swimming

5-1Girls’

Swimming

10-8 Wrestling

Olivia Price

Olivia Price

Megan Medellin

Anna Wray

Megan Medellin Rachel Fischer

By Jennifer HallerStudents from around the world have packed their

bags and brought their studies to a foreign place: Avon, Ind. Foreign exchange student programs allow them to experience a new culture and new way of life.

“Life in America is very similar to life in Germany, but there are many small differences,” German foreign exchange student Katja Horstmann said.

The students must face the differences that distinguish the American way of life from their native way of life. For example, the foreign exchange students have to speak a language that was once spoken only in a classroom setting.

“I don’t like English because it’s hard for me,” Korean foreign exchange student Bom Lee said. “In Korea, they just teach us the basics, just a little English.”

While Lee fi nds speaking English to be diffi cult, Horstmann has had six years of English classes and is “comfortable” with speaking the language.

“I have studied English in school since third grade,” Horstmann said. “[German schools] teach English to all students once you reach third grade.”

“I used to be able to go anywhere I wanted using public transportation [in Spain]. Now I sit [at home] like ‘what can I do now?’”

Noam Calvache, 11

Spanish foreign exchange student and junior Noam Calvache wants to improve his English. He decided that studying in America would be a good chance to do so.

“English is one of the easiest languages to learn, but I still would like to improve it,” Calvache said.

According to Horstmann, while she has things in common with American students, she does notice differences in social aspects of life here in America.

“I think people are more open here,” Horstmann said. “Americans change their friendships more often.”

According to the foreign exchange students, the American food industry is different from that of their home countries.

“[In America], you get a lot more food for a smaller price,” Horstmann said.

Lee misses the complexity of her traditional Korean meals.

“In Korea, we eat large meals with many different types of food,” Lee said. “Here, a meal is just a simple sandwich.”

Home life in America is also different for Lee.

“Not all houses in Korea have beds,” Lee said. “I don’t have a bed in my house in Korea, but I have one here. I really like it.”

Lee also fi nds school in America to be a change. “School [in Korea] starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 9

p.m.,” Lee said. “We go to school six days a week, but Saturdays are shorter. Koreans like to study.”

“I didn’t know you had to go slow on some roads. In Germany we have the Autoban, and I thought it was like your highways here. In Germany, you can go as fast as you want, but here you still have limits.”Fabienne Hermanns, 11

“In Korea we eat big meals with many different types of food. In America it’s just simple, like a sandwich. Not all houses in Korea have beds. I didn’t have a bed at home. I like having a bed here.”Bom Lee, 11

“I don’t like the public transportation [in America] because, for example, when you have buses [in Germany], you can go anywhere you want. I always have to ask my parents to drive me places here.”Veronika Mareckova, 11

Katie Brewer

First impressions of America Foreign exchange students’ home locationsStudents from all over the world attend school at Avon

Belle LeBeauSources: Interviews, November 2011

Veronika Mareckova, 11

Germany

Katja Horstmann, 11

Germany

Noam Calvache, 11

Spain

Avon, IndianaBom Lee, 11Korea

Fabienne Hermanns, 11

Germany

Foreign exchange students share thoughts

Source: Interviews, December 2011

In Spain, the levels of school are referred to as “fi rst, secondary and baccalaureate” when translated to English. Just like in America, school starts with elementary through high school, then onto college.

“I want to stay here my senior year,” Calvache said. “I would like to play college football here.”

German schools are organized so that students receive a schedule of the classes they will attend the next day. They receive a notice on this schedule if one of their teachers will be absent the next day.

“If our teacher is sick, and it is a fi rst or last class of the day, then we don’t have to go to that class,” Horstmann said.

There are also fi nancial differences between American schools and schools in Germany.

“It costs around $200 [for books], when the price was only around $70 in Germany,” Horstmann said.

According to Calvache and Horstmann, transportation in America is “limited.”

“I used to be able to go anywhere I wanted using the public transportation [in Spain],” Calvache said. “Now I just sit in the house like ‘what can I do now?’”

The foreign exchange students are fi nding their American adventure to be “educational” and “worth the trip,” but they are still waiting to return.

“I miss my friends, family and my country’s food,” Lee said. “I will be happy to see everyone when I come home.”

Calvache, Horstmann and Lee want to return to America for education or leisurely purposes. They all agreed that America is a “beautiful” country that they would “like to return to in the future.”

Foreign exchange students discuss their feelings of Avon, their home countries, adapting to American lifestyle

12 January 2012FeatureInternational students discover American culture, differences

Page Design : Krystal Andry & Tiffany Lanteigne 13Feature

In 2005, a 28-year-old South Korean man collapsed in an Internet café after an over 50 hour marathon of “Starcraft.” Since his death, various news outlets have run feature and news articles covering a video game-related death epidemic. Some, like game designer James Portnow, say that this is just “media hype” and that the actual number of deaths is so low that it should not be as big of an issue.

“In the U.S., more people have died from water intoxication in the past decade than from game addiction,” Portnow said. “It’s been said before, but high school sports hospitalize more than 30,000 kids in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, but that’s not considered an epidemic.”

Portnow prefers to use the word “compulsion” instead of “addiction” when describing the issue.

“Gaming is not addictive,” Portnow said. “Addiction refers to the fundamental altering of brain chemistry, something that games have never been shown to do. Gaming is compelling. This may seem like a semantic point, but it fundamentally changes how we think about game compulsion and how we address it.”

Senior Kylie Lowe’s brother, Avon alumnus Josh Lowe, has had diffi culties with video games for fi ve years. The problem began his freshman year in high school, and he is now in college. His family is concerned that he spends too much of his money on video games and not enough on gas or food.

“Watching my brother deal with fi nancial troubles is bad enough,” Kylie said. “Add an unending impulse to own and beat the latest and greatest game, and you

fi nd a college student calling home, begging for some extra cash to pay for gas and food for the month.”

Junior Andrew Soliven has a different view on gaming addiction and compulsion. He has been playing “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” “Gears

of War 3” and other games for as long as possible every day. He says that “the adrenaline from playing [games]” keeps him coming back for more, and that “it’s the game’s fault for being so interesting.” However, he does not view his habits as an addiction.

“It’s not an addiction,” Soliven said. “It’s a passion.”

Some say that the line between addiction and a simple love can be diffi cult to navigate. Many have a different defi nition of where “game enthusiast” ends and “game addict” or, in Portnow’s and other’s cases, “compulsive gamer,” ends.

In his high school years, Portnow said he struggled with game compulsion. For years, he was “obsessed” with “Everquest Online” and “missed out on so many things” because he would rather spend his

time playing games.“People ask, ‘What makes games addictive?’

rather than, ‘What void do they fi ll?’ That’s when the conversation goes wrong,” Portnow said. “Nobody heads [towards compulsion] because their life is perfect. No one picks up a game and becomes an addict. . . I’ve watched smart, capable people submerge their lives behind the safe unreality of games when the real world tells them that what they consider good about themselves isn’t worthwhile.”

Students’ favorite video gamesAvon students vote on most popular video games

Other

Call of Duty

Skyrim

Gears of War

Halo

Battlefi eld 3Pokem

onGrand Theft Auto

Angry Birds

45%

25%

12%

4%

4%3%

3% 2% 2%

Source: Survey of 200 Avon students Bryan Ball

“People ask, ‘What makes video games addictive?’ rather than, ‘What void do they fi ll?’ That’s when the conversation goes wrong.”

James Portnow, video game designer

Portnow overcame his compulsion with the help of his girlfriend. He still plays video games every day as part of his job, but “never to the extent I used to.” Still, his time with “Everquest” has had a permanent effect on him.

“I still treat each moment like I did when I was playing ‘Everquest,’ [as a] challenge to be fought through rigor and application,” Portnow said. “I still pick a desired goal and fi gure out how to end up there. . . but for all [the game’s] lessons, I paid a dire price to end up there.”

Portnow now tries to help those with gaming compulsion online through forums and other means. He wrote an episode about it for his online video series “Extra Credits.”

“Life always welcomes you back,” Portnow said. “You just can’t run too soon.

Video game compulsion, addiction impact students’ lives

Carrie Riley, English Teacher

Anna Wray

Student and Staff Profi les

Gamers talk about causes, conditions, consequences of online, offl ine video gaming communitiesBy Jordan Coffman

What is the weirdest thing you do in class?I make grown kids sit in imaginary boats in class and make them do ridiculous dances.How do you make class fun?Duh! I go off on random tangents.What’s the most annoying thing kids do in class?Sucking snot up in their throat. It drives me insane. It’s disgusting!

What’s your biggest fear?Clowns. They are nasty, creepy and smell bad.What’s the weirdest thing you can do with your body?I can pop my thumb in and out of place. It’s pretty gross.If you could be a fruit, what would you be?Defi nitely a pineapple because they are from Hawaii.

Casey Robinson, 10

Why did you want to be a teacher?Honestly, I wanted to have the whole summer off. I really like that no two periods are alike, though.

If you could be a girl for a day, what would you do fi rst?I would probably go shopping all day long or brush my hair.

14 January 2012Feature

“When he was seven months old, he started to have seizures,” Cupp said. “He never had a full-blown [tonic-clonic], but he had clusters of hundreds of head drop seizures a day.”

A head drop seizure is when the victim’s head drops when he or she has a seizure. It does not cause as much physical trauma as a tonic-clonic, but it occurs more often. Cupp’s son has had two surgeries and taken several medications to control his seizures. He is now four years old and has not had a seizure since Aug. 31, 2011, when he had his second surgery. Cupp said that his son’s brain malformation and seizures have impacted his life in many ways.

“It’s affected every aspect of my life,” Cupp said. “It caused me to resign from coaching [girls’ basketball] at Decatur Central. I didn’t know what the surgery was going to entail, I wanted to spend more time with my son, and I didn’t want to cheat the girls [at Decatur] either. But more than anything, it has strengthened my faith. It showed me that we are not in control. I had to just throw my hands up and give control to God, give Noah up to God.”

Senior Justin Powers also has seizures, but his doctors believe his began due to a high fever he had when he was fi ve years old. Powers said that his seizures make him think about his actions.

“Sometimes I don’t have any worries of having seizures, but sometimes at special events I am worried I might have one,” Powers said. “Sometimes I have to avoid getting overheated. I have to limit some activities I really like.”

While scientists are working to fi nd a cure for epilepsy and other disorders that cause seizures, it is possible to administer fi rst aid to seizure victims. According to “Discovery Health” Online, if someone is experiencing a seizure, one should put that person on his or her side and remove any objects that may hit or injure the person. Do not restrain people that are seizing or put fi ngers or objects in their mouth, as they may injure themselves or someone else. If the seizure is especially severe, call emergency medical personnel or 911. Fekete said the fi rst and most important thing to do when someone has a seizure is to protect his or her head.

By Ben Brown

Epilepsy affects Avon teachers, students Students, staff share experiences with seizures, fi rst aid procedures, how epilepsy affects lives

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are more than 30 different types of seizures, and about two million Americans (or one in 100) have experienced an isolated seizure or have been diagnosed with epilepsy. According to the Dana Foundation, an organization that issues grants to support neuroscientifi c research, 125,000 to 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with epilepsy each year.

“When we think about seizures, we think about tonic-clonics, the severe seizures where the victim is physically seizing,” nurse Linda Fekete said. “Many students have different seizures, and we don’t notice them. They may stare off, and it looks like they are daydreaming, but they are actually having a seizure. There have been maybe half a dozen tonic-clonics [this year], but if we count the smaller seizures, then there have been hundreds.”

According to the NIH, epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes abnormal neuronal signaling. The body moves when signals are sent from the brain. When that signaling becomes abnormal, it can result in convulsions or seizures where neurons may fi re up to 500 times a second. These episodes can happen anywhere from very rarely to more than once a day.

There is currently no cure for epilepsy or seizures, though organizations such as the NIH and the Dana Foundation have helped fund and lead research to discover medications to control seizures. The main goal is summed up in the treatment motto “no seizures, no side effects.” This is a far cry from original treatments before proper research was conducted, when doctors might have performed lobotomies, or brain surgeries in which parts of the brain were severed from the rest of the brain, as well as electroshock therapy.

Scientists attribute seizures to an abnormal amount of neurotransmitters (chemicals used in nerve signaling), which can cause the brain and neurons to become too active and lead to seizures. Other people may experience seizures due to a physical malformation. History teacher David Cupp’s son, Noah, has seizures due to a malformation in his brain that developed at birth.

“During a seizure, [the victim] may fall and hit their head or bang their head on the fl oor,” Fekete said. “[You should] move things so they don’t hit their head, or roll up a jacket and put it under their head.”

According to the NIH, epilepsy usually does not cause any brain damage or mental impairment unless it is especially severe. In fact, many intellectuals, scientists and leaders, such as Socrates, Alexander the Great, US President James Monroe, Napoleon Bonaparte and Alfred Nobel, were able to function and succeed with epilepsy. “Epilepsy has not changed [my son’s] life; it’s his reality,” Cupp said. “He has just learned to adjust.”

Hours of Operation:Mon-Thurs: 10:30-9:30Fri & Sat: 10:30-10:30Sun: 11:00-9:30

Lunch Bu� etMonday-Thursday11:00-1:30

Located at the corner of Sta� ord Rd. and 267

STILL THE ORIGINAL!

In Case of Emergency DO DO NOT

Stay with the person.

What to do in case of a seizure

Source: “Epilepsy Action” Online

Time the seizure with a stop watch; if it lasts more than fi ve minutes, call an ambulance.

Put a pillow under the person’s head to prop them up

Look for a form of emergency contact information.

Move the person unless they vomit; then move the individual on his or her side into the rescue position.

Give the person water, pills or food until he or she is fully alert.

Try to give the person mouth to mouth resuscitation

Shelby Brown

Try to restrain the person.

At fi rst glance, senior Mike Harnish appears to be just like other Avon students. He hangs out with friends after school, takes AP classes and enjoys going to concerts. However, in January of 2000, Mike was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

“At the time that Mike was diagnosed, we didn’t know how long he would live, and we didn’t know if Mike would even reach adulthood because then [the expected] lifespan was only a little over 18 years old,” Melissa Harnish, Mike’s mother, said. “We didn’t even know if he’d live through school.”

A defective gene causes CF, which causes the body to create abnormally thick and sticky fl uid. This fl uid builds up in the breathing passages of the lungs and in the pancreas, the organ that helps to break down and absorb food. Life-threatening lung infections and serious digestion problems result from this collected respiratory fl uid. CF is the most common deadly inherited disease affecting Caucasians in the United States. According to “Cystic Fibrosis Foundation” Online, the average age of survival of a person with CF is now in the mid-30s. Although CF is not curable, there is treatment available to prolong life and decrease severe symptoms. To combat CF, Mike takes about 15 pills and does roughly 45 minutes of breathing exercises daily.

“[Mike’s] CF messes him up sometimes because he can get sick, but he just sucks it up and deals with it,” senior Drew Didelot said. “I help him deal with some of the [inconveniences] he has to go through with [CF].”

Despite having this deadly disease, Mike does not let CF control how he lives his life or affect the passions he pursues. Mike is an employee at the Crag Indoor Climbing Gym.

“One thing CF does for me that kind of carries over into rock climbing is [it makes me] live each day to the fullest,” Mike said. “Don’t worry about what might happen tomorrow; just do what you can today. With the CF, it makes you realize that you’re not here forever. The climbing is sort of a dangerous thing to do, but just do it and live on the edge a little bit.”

Mike does not expect to limit his interest in rock climbing to the local indoor gym. He plans on climbing at larger locations, some within the United States and some international.

“I want to continue going down to Red River Gorge,” Mike said. “I would also like to go out and climb El Cap in Yosemite National Park and then base jump off of the top of it. I would also love to climb in some places in Europe.”

Melissa is “often asked how she can live with her son having a disease as serious as CF,” and she responds with an answer that some may not expect.

“The biggest thing that [CF] has done for us is we don’t put off doing things with Mike,” Melissa said. “We live for the here and now; that’s probably the biggest blessing that’s come out of this. [Another blessing is] the fact that we’ve gotten to know a lot of other families who have persevered through this.”

Mike has spoken about CF in Washington D.C. and talked to Indiana Senator Lugar about his disease.

He has also met several other families that CF has directly affected. However, Mike’s health differs from many with CF due to his love of and involvement in rock climbing. The health benefi ts from rock climbing alone have helped Mike to decrease the severity of his disease.

“[Rock climbing] actually helps keep me really healthy,” Mike said. “The exercise works your lungs and tends to clear them out. My doctors are actually really glad I do that. Since I’ve started climbing, I haven’t been to the hospital at all, which is rare.”

Mike inspires his mother with how he can be strong through life with “having a sense of humor.”

“One thing that has been very important to Mike is that people see him for who he is as a person and not see him as sick or just a CF kid,” Melissa said. “He always said, ‘CF is just a small part of me, like my blue eyes or blonde hair. [CF] doesn’t defi ne me.’ That outlook has always been so inspirational to me.”

When the doctors fi rst informed Melissa of her son’s disease, she was not sure if he could achieve future goals like graduating high school. However, due to Mike’s health, he sets goals that he plans on achieving in the future, such as earning degrees and possibly moving outside the United States.

“I plan on getting a PhD in biological research and then starting to do genetic research for various drug companies,” Mike said. “I’d like to end up living somewhere in Colorado or England.”

By Mandy Packnett

Avon senior perseveres despite deadly disease

fi ghts through

Mandy Packnett

Cystic Fibrosis

Mike HarnishRock climber

“Don’t worry about what might happen tomorrow; just do what you can today.”

Mike Harnish, 12

Page Design : Megan Medellin & Olivia Price 15Feature

16 January 2012A&E

In 2009, the website reported, the Swedish fi lm adaptation made a total of $104 million worldwide on a production budget of $13 million. “Reuters” Online speculated why the American adaptation of the book has turned in fewer box offi ce profi ts than the Swedish fi lm version. Some reasons include a rush of fi lms released due to an intense holiday box offi ce season, an R-rated rating that prohibited children younger than 17 from seeing the fi lm unless accompained with someone 17 and older, and a wariness among fans of the original book who had seen the Swedish fi lm version.

“I’ve read all three of the books,” sophomore Pri Srinivasan said. “It’ll be interesting to see the differences, but it’ll probably be the same, just in a different language. The movie looks a bit dark, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting, especially with the actors and the plot.”

Hollywood releases old fi lms to new audiencesDirectors, producers digitally remaster, remake classic movies, re-release in high defi nition, 3-D

Hollywood is currently producing a string of remakes and re-releases.

According to “Movies” online, movie studios are planning to produce several remakes soon, ranging from titles like “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids,” to “Poltergeist” and “The NeverEnding Story.”

In addition to these remakes, fi lm studios are also re-releasing fi lms that were previously seen in theaters. “The Los Angeles Times” Online reported that Walt Disney Pictures will be re-releasing a few of its previously successful fi lms, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters Inc.” and “The Little Mermaid,” in 3-D over the next two years.

“I think if [the producers] did it right the fi rst time, they should leave it alone,” teacher Kyle Meunier said. “If [the movie] bombed the fi rst time, remake it and see if it makes some money. Otherwise, don’t do it.”

Walt Disney Pictures also recently re-released its animated fi lm “The Lion King” in 3-D. According to “Box Offi ce Mojo” Online, the fi lm grossed over $94 million in theaters across the country.

“Some movies, I think, are just remade because they think they’re going to make money,” teacher Jennifer Eckert said. “If it’s well-done, I think it can be fun. People enjoy it, and it’s nostalgic for a lot of people.”

While Walt Disney Pictures turned a profi t with its “The Lion King” re-release, sometimes remaking or re-releasing fi lms can lead to lower box offi ce returns. According to “The Toronto Sun” Online, the remake of the action-adventure fl ick “Conan the Barbarian” had a production budget of $90 million but made only a total of $48.8 million at the worldwide box offi ce this past year.

However, according to “Box Offi ce Mojo” Online, remakes took in a solid chunk of the box offi ce this year. The Adam Sandler comedy “Just Go With It” earned over $100 million, the animated comedy “The Smurfs” made roughly $142 million and science fi ction thriller “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” brought in $176 million.

According to the “The Los Angeles Times” Online, director Tim Burton’s remake “Alice in Wonderland,” which was released last year, made a total of $334.1 million worldwide and was the second-highest grossing movie of 2010.

In addition, the overall profi ts of “Alice in Wonderland” led Warner Brothers studio executives to pursue a total of two different movie projects that aim to remake the fi lm classic “The Wizard of Oz,” which MGM released in cinemas around the country in 1938.

“I think some remakes are good, but most are just over-done,” sophomore Shelby Tiffany said. “I think Hollywood should be doing more original content, but [the producers] probably get more money from doing

remakes and sequels and such, and everything just has to be about money.”

According to the “The Huffi ngton Post” Online, there are a total of 30 remakes of movies released in the 1980s currently in production. The online newspaper also reported that six of the top ten fi lms of the year in 2010 were remakes, prequels or

sequels. “I’ve

never been a fan of remakes, mainly because a lot of the detail and hard work that was put into the original is often removed,” junior Olivia Benge said. “What happens a lot of the time, I feel, is that when remakes come out, people go to see them and only feel disappointed. It really doesn’t inspire me to see something that’s already been done before.”

Recently, according to “Reuters” Online, Sony Pictures released an American adaptation of the best-selling Swedish crime novel “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” which had been adapted as a Swedish fi lm in the year 2009. Despite earning a total of $72 million worldwide compared to its $90 million budget since its Dec. 20 release, Sony Pictures already approved production on a sequel titled “The Girl Who Played With Fire” that is targeted for a late 2013 release date.

By Tristan Fitzpatrick

Titanic: April 6, 2012

Monsters Inc.: Jan. 13, 2013Monsters Inc.: Jan. 13, 2013

Finding Nemo: Sept. 14, 2013

The Little Mermaid: September 2013

Classics to come back to big screens in 3-D

2012-2013 movie remakes, re-releases

Source: “Forbes” Online, “Huffi ngton Post” Online Kenzi Barnes

Beauty and the Beast: Jan. 13, 2012

7565 E US 36next to Subway in the Harlan Center

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“If [the movie] is well-done, I think it can be fun. People enjoy it, and it’s nostalgic for a lot of people.”Jennifer Eckert, teacher

Page Design : Jordan Coffman & Maria Khan 17A&E

By Olivia PriceScene Night has been a three-night Avon tradition

for the past 24 years. Avon Center Stage Performers’ (ACSP) juniors and seniors direct, and students from all grades act in a variety of sketches.

“Scene Night is the epitome of comedy in theatre,” ACSP president Rob Ellis said. “Avon High School rarely ever puts on a comedy show, so [theater teacher Lori] Riley allows seniors and juniors to write and direct scenes for Avon’s very own ‘Saturday Night Live’ of sorts. Not one scene is directed or written by a teacher, so the entire show is student-driven.”

Directors gave proposed scenes to a committee of alumni, who chose 20 scenes to be performed. The actors did not know the scenes until the first meeting.

“I do [know this year’s scenes],” Ellis said before the directors announced their scenes. “I submitted a few myself, and I may have peeked at a couple scenes, but I’ll never tell.”

Scene Night is especially important for seniors.“This year is the big one for a couple of us,” Ellis

said. “[The seniors] will be graduating this year, so this is our last big shabang . . . You know that feeling you get when you’re in a car or on a rollercoaster and you go down a big hill? [Scene Night is] like that, with five pounds of makeup, 12 changes of clothes and a short period of time to change them for three days and four hours each day.”

According to sophomore Josh Kruze, this year is different from last year.

“This year, I feel, has a lot more original content than last year, which is excellent, in my opinion,” Kruze said.

ACSP sponsor Lori Riley said each student who was interested in participating had to prepare and deliver a short monologue. The directors called back students in their scene.

This is Riley’s 26th year of directing at Avon.“I love seeing the students be in charge of the entire

process and seeing them work collaboratively on projects without much adult direction,” Riley said.

Kruze enjoyed Scene Night last year and will be participating in it again this year.

“I had a lot of fun last year, and I met some fantastic people,” Kruze said. “I had really good roles, and it was a challenge that I enjoyed.”

Riley said that she wants to encourage the students to explore their singing, dancing and acting abilities by participating in Scene Night.

“I want to give the students of theatre an opportunity to select, cast and direct,” Riley said. “I want them to have the opportunity to partake in all sides of production and performance before they graduate. Theatre is our art. To honor our craft, we need to learn about all aspects of theatre and become accomplished in the art of them.”

Avon drama club prepares 26th Scene NightCenter Stage Performers write, direct, practice for the annual variety, comedy show on Feb. 23-26

By Kenzi Barnes

Students gear up for, anticipate Talent ShowTalent Show on Jan. 31 to have many returning, new students performing unique acts to impress

Students can be involved in a variety of fine arts programs at Avon. They can join band, orchestra or a variety of other groups, but there is another chance for students to show off their talents: the Talent Show.

The School Talent show allows students to come together and express themselves. Acts can vary from clog dancing to singing. Student Government spends many months preparing for the Talent Show.

“We bring up the topic of the Talent Show during the summer and continuously talk about it afterwards,” Student Government sponsor Adam Poliskie said.

After discussing the topic, Student Government starts organizing the show, which is a “major time commitment,” according to Poliskie.

“There is about a month total set aside for auditions and rehearsals,” Poliskie said.

Auditions will be held Jan. 17 for those who wish to take a part in the show. This year, the tickets will go on pre-sale one week before the Talent Show. Avon will be holding the Talent Show on Jan. 31 in the auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m.

Some who participated in the Talent Show last year will be coming back and performing again. One of the returning groups is the Neon Tees, consisting of sophomore Mark Bode and juniors Aaron Bode, Drew Ober and Ashar Hussain. Last year, the Neon Tees danced to the song “Bye, Bye, Bye” by NSYNC.

“When we signed up to do the Talent Show, many of our friends and colleagues didn’t believe that we would actually go on stage and dance to a boy band song,” Mark said. “They laughed at the idea. We proved them wrong, going up and performing well.”

To show that the Neon Tees were taking the Talent Show seriously, they took time after school to work on their dance.

“We practiced the dance for about one to two hours a day and met three or four times,” Aaron said.

Another group that is coming back to perform is AB2CI, consisting of seniors Dondre Marble, Sean Cook, Kam Holding and Josh Short (who replaced Avon alumnus Drew Garnes). They won the Talent Show two years ago.

“Our main purpose for performing is to show that band and drum line can be interesting and fun instead of being boring like most people think,” Marble said.

They add dance, rap and beats to make their performance “more enjoyable.”

“When we get together, we put our ideas out there and try to include some of the techniques we learned while in band or drum line,” Marble said.

Cook and the rest of the group practice after school for a few hours, applying what they learned to what they want to put into the performance at the show. This year they will be playing to an instrumental song.

“It is nice to see the creativity that students come up with to show other people,” Aaron said.

Scene Night procedures

Alexa AdamsonSource: Interview, November 2011

Talent Show Important Talent Show dates

Auditions: Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m. Rehearsal: Jan. 23, 6:30-8 p.m. Talent Show: Jan. 31, 6:00 p.m.

Grace KellySource: “Avon Agenda”

Student directors use this process to create Scene Night

Nov. 30: Write and submit scenes to theater teacher Lori Riley and Avon alumna Vanessa Belcher for review and approval

Dec. 8:Audition Drama Club members for roles

Jan. 2: Practices begin Jan. 9: Hold “Preview Night” to

make sure everyone is on track Feb. 21: Dress rehearsal Feb. 23, 24 and 26: Performances

18 January 2012Opinion

Rotating ReviewWith Katie Brewer

The Recruiter

As Seen on TVA photograph is

the simplest way to show someone something; that visual image always speaks louder than what one can express through words.

Photography gives me endless opportunities, especially when Photoshop is involved. It is one art that has always captured me and is the best way to show someone a place, person or idea.

With a camera in my hands, I always set out with a feeling of confi dence. The click of the shutter urges me forward and sets me at ease when I take the fi nal photo. Opening photos on the computer always brings me excitement the fi rst time I view them.

There is always the right moment for a photographer to take a photo; the sun may be setting, or a child may be laughing. With a camera in your hands, you can capture the world around you and bring it into focus.

Photoshop transforms a simple image into a more colorful, complex photo, which is one of my favorite things about it. Everything is more brilliant when editing is involved; the sky is bluer and the grass greener. With Photoshop, there is endless opportunity to create fantastic pictures to behold and cherish for many years.

For simple editing, Photoshop is a fantastic tool to have in your arsenal, but using the program is a skill that is sometimes diffi cult to learn. It may take time to master, but I loved teaching myself how to use this wonderful program. I would always encourage those interested in using it.

However, there are too many opportunities to make someone’s skin an unnatural color or to make the sky purple and red. Keeping a level head with this program open is the best way to prevent going overboard. Small changes go further than a hundred layers do.

While I love the editing process, I do not rely on it as a photographer. Photoshop is a wonderful tool to use, especially when it comes to photography, but there are boundaries. Though it is easy to do, withstand the temptation to go overboard with layers, masks and other edits.

Sometimes all a photograph needs is to be printed out and framed.

With Tristan Fitzpatrick

Uncovering ArtWith Krystal Andry

For exclusive web content, check out the Echo’s Facebook page

In a perfect world of college athletics, conferences would be fair and balanced. They would all have an equal number of teams and confi ne themselves to a small geographic area. College football’s most established rivalries would continue from year to year, and each conference would have an equal shot to put one of its teams in a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game.

Obviously, conference commissioners and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will never achieve this sports utopia. However, recent conference realignments have pushed college athletics even farther from it.

Conference realignments have led to some confusing conference titles. This summer, the Big Ten conference added Nebraska as its 12th school, but stuck with the old name. The Big 12 conference recently lost four teams but added two more for a new total of 10 teams. Essentially, the Big 10 is the Big 12 and the Big 12 is the Big 10.

Conference swaps have also ended football rivalries. This year, traditional century-old Thanksgiving weekend matchups like the “Backyard Brawl” (Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia), the “Border Showdown” (Kansas vs. Missouri) and the “Longhorn Shootout” (Texas vs. Texas A&M) each had their fi nal games. Since these are all in-conference rivalries, it will be diffi cult for the teams to get these games back on their schedules.

It seems as if some conference commissioners need a geography lesson from Mr. Poliskie. The Big 12 conference successfully recruited West Virginia for next season. Big East conference offi cials convinced teams from California, Florida, Idaho and Texas to join their conference. The Southeastern Conference added the University of Missouri, and the Atlantic Coast Conference welcomed Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Conference realignment is senseless. Rather than trying to make sense numerically, competitively or geographically, conference offi cials realign only for economic benefi t, the impetus for nearly all of their decisions.

And fans are starting to get tired of it.

With David Allspaw

America loves a good fashion show.

Sadly, this is what I realized when I sat down to watch “Toddlers and Tiaras,” the controversial reality series where children compete in beauty pageants across the nation.

In the show, the intense world of children’s beauty pageants is put on display for the whole world to see. Week after week, parents cake their children in makeup and parade them around stages like circus animals.

Before a pageant even starts, little girls wear sunglasses, show off fl irty smiles and storm up and down hotel hallways with an attitude fi ercer than Simon Cowell’s. This may sound like a fantasy stolen straight from Paris Hilton’s diary, but on “Toddlers and Tiaras,” it is just a part of these families’ ordinary lives.

I have two questions: number one, why was I not given the opportunity to star in pageants and wear the best dress in the department store? Number two, why would anyone want to watch this series?

It is scary to see how intense these girls can get. From spreading gossip to dolling themselves up like modeling professionals, these girls could probably kill me with their willpower alone.

One part of me kept thinking, “What are these parents doing to their poor children?” When I think about my childhood, I remember watching “Cinderella” all the time. When did it become acceptable for parents to bully children into doing something they do not even want to do, like wear outfi ts stranger than Lady Gaga’s or do their best Marilyn Monroe impressions? It puzzles me.

Some of the kids enjoy feeling better than everybody else just because they smile and wave. It’s a weird sight, children thinking they are great because of their looks, but today, anyone with some confi dence can do whatever they want to.

Bottom line: watch “Toddlers and Tiaras” only if you cannot fi nd anything else while channel-surfi ng.

Unedited,

Photographical World

Conference realignment’s

effects on college football

The CrazyWorld of

“Toddlers”When the show

“Glee” began, I did not like it at all. It was all about sex and teenage relationships, which does not make an interesting show to me. Episode after episode featured the same boring sexual innuendo—up until the sixth episode of season three, “I Kissed a Girl.”

This was the fi rst episode of “Glee” ever to make me cry because of the strong sense of unity and emotion the characters expressed. One of the themes of the show is that it is okay to be yourself because you are not alone, and when I watched the latest episode, it really inspired me to be more comfortable with myself. The show helped me embrace my fl aws and opened up my perspective to how unique people can be.

One of the main characters on “Glee,” Santana, just came out as a lesbian and now struggles to accept herself. The members of the glee club sang songs by women, for women, to inspire Santana to be strong in her struggles. This was a beautiful moment in the show. They wanted her to know that she is not alone and that she has people who will support and stand by her no matter what.

While the glee club and Santana’s parents accepted her, her grandmother did not. I cried when Santana’s grandmother fl at-out rejected her for loving girls, and it was heartbreaking to watch.

As teens, we have all gone through the horrors of harassment, judgment and exclusion, and we have all, like Santana, been rejected by people for being different, so this episode was poignant for me and many other teens. It saddens me to say that this was an incredibly realistic portrayal of how today’s society handles people who are different than the status quo. However, the show also gives hope to teens, and with acceptance comes love and understanding.

Today our society faces a big problem with self acceptance, and teenagers have the hardest time with this. Accepting oneself makes the world a more optimistic place to live. One of the main goals of this television show is to spread the idea of self-acceptance.

Glee did an amazing job of really opening Santana up to the world and letting her tell teens everywhere that it is okay to be you, because accepting and loving yourself is such a beautiful thing.

g ee teaches acceptance

Page Design : Miriam Thomas & Katie Brewer 19Opinion

Letter to the

Editor As the 2012 election cycle gets under way, I would encourage all Avon students and staff to keep an eye on the candidates and the current events surrounding the process. Even if one isn’t old enough to vote yet, he or she would still be well served to pay attention, considering what’s at stake. With politicians and parties splitting further away from each other on hot-button issues, an economy threatening to go into another recession, and governments crumbling in the Middle East, American politics is at a critical juncture. Our next president will be charged with the seemingly impossible task of bringing back the American Dream that was lost during the financial crisis of 2008. Finding the right candidate will be difficult in such tumultuous times. From the Democrats, current President Barack Obama must try and reclaim support after what has been widely considered a disappointing first term. The Republican side is less clear: only Mitt Romney’s popularity has remained near the top, with the other candidates’ popularity waxing and waning throughout. As the race heats up and the top candidates do battle, America and the world will be watching. I hope Avon will do the same.

-Mark Bode, 10

Editorial: First aid training necessary at AvonSchool should prepare students, staff to act in emergencies

The Echo exists as an open forum through which its readers can express concern and gain insight into local, national and international issues as they relate to Avon High School students or teens in general and as a place for student journalists to work in a professional environment. The Echo holds the viewpoint that no subject is too sensitive to discuss if done so in a responsible manner. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. The Echo recognizes that with this freedom comes responsibility. Journalistically, this means accurate, fair and objective coverage.A.) The purpose of the Echo is to inform, to entertain, to create interest and to evaluate.B.) The Echo does not express the views of the administration, faculty members, or the like, except in quotations or letters to the editor. The views of the Echo are not necessarily those of Avon High School students, parents, administrators or staff.C.) The Echo does not condone censorship or any policy of prior review.D.) The Echo will respond to complaints about accuracy, fairness and completeness of copy. When a report is found to be wrong or misleading, a correction will appear in the next issue of the Echo.E.) Letters to the editor are welcome provided they are signed. Under special circumstances, the Echo will withhold the names. However, the Echo will not protect the identity of the writer should a lawsuit occur. The Echo reserves the right to edit letters for libel and defamation, obscenity and copyright. The editor may also edit for length and correction of expression.F.) The Echo will be distributed in a manner to be determined by the editorial team. The Echo student subscription price will be included in book rental. G.) In the occurrence of a death of a student, faculty member or school staff personnel, a standard size obituary will run. It will be a short feature and include a photograph, if one is available. Cause of death will not be reported.

EchoEditorial staff

About the Echo

AdviserSusan Hoffman

Editor-in-chiefBelle LeBeau

Managing EditorRachel Fischer

Design/Photo EditorMandy Packnett

Copy Editor Copy EditorMiriam Thomas Jordan Coffman

Staff membersAlexa Adamson, David Allspaw, Krystal Andry, Katie Brewer, Bryan Ball, Kenzi

Barnes, Ben Brown, Shelby Brown, Tristan Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Haller, Grace Kelly, Maria Khan, Tiffany Lanteigne, Kaylie McCoy, Megan Medellin, Olivia Price,

Tasha Rollings, Anna Wray

Student safety is incredibly important. According to “Data First” Online, feeling safe at school actually improves academic performance. Avon has done a good job of creating an atmosphere of safety through the new ID policy, the police stationed throughout the school and the dedicated team of school nurses. However, Avon’s curriculum does not prepare students to react to medical emergencies. The Echo staff feels that all students and teachers should be trained regularly in basic first aid, like CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and the proper action in case of a seizure. This year, there have been nine seizures serious enough to require a nurse. There have also been 20 to 25 other incidents, like vomiting, that have required the nurses’ attention. Although the thought is frightening, accidents happen. Students and teachers should be prepared to respond in the event of a rare emergency. Teachers receive a handout at the beginning of the year with basic information about first aid and can receive training to manage hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, seizures and severe allergic reactions, but this is not enough to prepare them well to respond in a real emergency. Basic things, like CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, are left out, and students do not get any training whatsoever. ALC teachers especially need extra first aid training, since the nurses’ office is on the other side of the building. First aid skills training would not help students only while they are on school property. Students could have to deal with emergency situations while outside school. Students should also be prepared to deal with emergencies because first aid is a skill that could help later in life. When many Avon students were in elementary school, they participated in the Red Cross’s Basic Aid Training (BAT) Program, where they had the opportunity to practice first aid on dummies. It has been a long time since students participated in this first aid training program, and most of the student body has probably forgotten what they learned as fourth graders. Most students would not be able to deal with a medical emergency should one arise.

One way the school could deal with this lack of knowledge is to bring first aid training to SRTs. Nurses, volunteers from local hospitals or the representatives from the Red Cross could train students in CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and seizure response techniques.The nurses are also available to answer students’ and teachers’ questions about potential emergencies. Even a convocation promoting awareness could make great strides toward a safer and more informed campus. The school already takes the time to encourage students with motivational speakers like country singer Michael Peterson. It seems appropriate that if the school cares enough about students’ mental well-being to hire a professional speaker for a day that they can spend time protecting students’ physical well-being by bringing in the Red Cross as well. Avon should take steps to increase first aid awareness and train students and staff to respond to emergencies because a few hours of medical training could save a life.

Senior Kishan Sangani and sophomore Luke Brown wait for Brain Game host Chris Wright to read the opening question during taping on Dec. 7. The Brain Game aired on channel 13 on Dec. 31. “I think it felt rewarding,” Brown said. “It felt like it brought together all the hard work I’ve put into my education.”

Recycle meOr pass me to a friend

Math teacher Jeff Osterman bakes a variety of cookies and treats for his students every school year before Winter Break. Junior Bridget Curtin said she waits for Osterman’s baked goods every year. “I feel it is a tradition to Avon because it wouldn’t be an Avon Christmas [without his baked goods],” Curtin said. “He brings the true spirit of Christmas. My favorites are the holiday hash and reindeer antlers.”

Cover & back page design: Mandy Packnett Cover photos: Mandy Packnett Cover story: David Allspaw Back page photos: Tasha Rollings, Jennifer Haller, Miriam Thomas, Photo Provided, Anna Wray

Broadcasting teacher Greg Young records senior Kashaun Mason during his interview with Staff Sergeant Steven Andrews. “Part of the fun of broadcasting is we get to interview people from all walks of life,” Young said.

Holiday-themed light displays awe visitors at Christmas at the Indianapolis Zoo. “I really liked how they had lights synchronized to music in different areas around [the zoo],” Avon alumnus Cameron Gretzinger said.

Junior Joel Najman watched “Minute to Win It” at a church winter retreat at 5 Stones Camp over Winter Break. 5 Stones Camp offers activities such as paintball, rock climbing, board games, and movies, along with worship services. “All the lessons were about worldliness,” Najman said.