Issue 6

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trojaneer trojaneer Center Grove High School Vol. XLX, Issue 6 12.22.10 byKristenSouthern NewsWriter Boys basketball prepares for Holiday Tournament (page 8) -Indoor percussion drums up excitement (page 5) -Riley Soup dinner another success (page 2) On Jan. 4, when Center Grove students return from break, close to 300 students will not be allowed to return if they do not turn in their immunization reports. The new school require- ments were made to help ensure that students are healthy and in-school. “We sent out 300 plus letters and notifica- tions this past week,” Center Grove nurse Ruth Ann Everetts said. “We had some responses.” “Students are able to come to school if they have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for vaccinations; however, the date of the ap- pointment must be filed in the office or you will be unable to attend school,” Everetts said. “Records must be turned in 24 hours after the immunizations.” Unless the local health department or physi- cian determines that the student’s immuniza- tions need to be delayed due to an extreme circumstance, the parent must provide written confirmation to the school from the physician. Students are also exempt if there is a medical or religious reason on file for the school year. There are several new vaccinations for this year. “Students need two doses of the chicken pox vaccine and/or history of the disease. Students also need meningitis and the TDap vaccines,” Everetts said. Students in grades 6-12 actually need 21 vaccinations on file. This includes 5 doses of the TDaP vaccine before the fourth birthday, 4 doses of the IPV or OPV vaccination by age six, 3 doses of the Hepititus B vaccine by 24 weeks of age, 2 doses of the measles vaccine on or after the first birthday, 2 doses of the mumps vaccine on or after the first birthday, and one dose of the ru- bella vaccine on or after the first birthday. Also, 2 doses of the chicken pox vaccine after the first birthday, with age appropriate renewals unless written proof of disease history, one dose of the Tdap vaccine on or after the tenth birthday, and one dose of the meningitis vaccine. If the school is not allowing students to at- tend school, due to the fact that their immuni- zation records are not up-to-date, the schools rating will be affected. “The schools dour-star rating is based on at- tendance,” Everetts said. “The original deadline for records was Sep- tember 22,” Everetts said. “However, some people’s appointments are not until March, so they are still able to come to school.” The current deadline for records or confirma- tion of an appointment is December 22. This year, Indiana has had the largest number of whooping cough cases at 489. This illness can be prevented with a vaccine. There are many diseases that can cause death in schools that can be prevented by vaccinations, such as, measles, mumps, diphtheria, meningitis, and chicken pox. “Taking something from someone else and using it themselves counts as cheating,” Ruben DeLuna Dean of Students, said. At Center Grove High School, cheating is not tolerated. Statisti- cally, 95 percent of students have never gotten caught while cheating, 67 percent have copied someone else’s homework, and 40 percent have cheated on a quiz or test. “Using materials or information for the assign- ment is taking something from someone else,” DeLuna said. Many different ways of cheating involve copying someones homework, copying a test, using a calculator to plug in anwsers, and utilizing technologies. According to DeLuna, cheating is a form of desperation, and many times results out of lazi- ness. Other times students allow there work to be copied in an attempt be friendly or helpful, and end up getting in trouble themselves. “I cheated off of some- one to get a good grade, because I did not study the night before,” anony- mous student saId. Stu- dents feed off each other for help, instead of ask- ing teachers or their par- ents. Instead, they find it easier to copying off ea- chother to get homework done, or perhaps get a better test grade. “Cheating is using in- appropiate methods to get answers, and using tools that are not permitted,” said Wes Dodson math teacher. According to Dodson, students will have a review packet out on the test. The Center Grove student handbook, it states, that: cheating is the deceitful or fraudulent stor- age, retrieval or use of information in prepara- tion for or during any assignment or assessment. It includes, but is not limited to, the wrongful giving, taking or presenting any information or material by a student with the intent of aid- ing himself/herself or another on any academic work which is considered in any way in the de- termination of the final grade. The first Offense: Fail the assignment, and the teacher will handle the discipline and report it to the Dean and parents. Second Offense: Fail for the nine weeks grading period, and the teacher will report the offense to the Dean and parents. Third Offense: Fail the course for the semester. The punishment is the same for plaguarism. Dodson’s philosophy on tests is the same as many in the school. If caught cheating, a student fails the test. Catching a person who cheats, is not easy. Dodson usually catches one or two students a year. The mishaps of cheating, will result in a students lower self re- spect, and cannot be proud of anything summited if its not their own. Many students believe uti- lizing other students hard work is not a big deal, or copying one’s homework is not considered cheating. “Cheating benefits them at the time but is at a disadvantage when they are tested over it and cannot cheat during the test,” an anonymous student said. Students are not caught easily, but when caught the consequences are severe. Many Center Grove students cheat, whether it is on a paper, homework assignment, quiz, or even a test. Cheating is contagious. But many Center Grove students struggle to to follow the handbook’s definition, holding their own personal beliefs as their standard. A recent event brought to light such ideal- ogy. A few weeks ago, stu- dents in John Moore’s A.P. Microeconomics class were forced to retake a test after Moore discovered that students had used tests from previous years to prepare for the exam. “Over half of the class was in- volved and had seen at least one test or quiz,” an anonymous stu- dent in the class said. “I didn’t think it was cheating, I was using resources that were available,” the student said. Many students follow the belief that if the teacher does not make the de- cision to adjust or make a new test, then an old exam is fair game. In- stances such as this represent nu- merous cases where teachers and student draw contrasting lines on what is and isn’t cheating. Mr. Gaff is among the teachers who draw a dif- ferent line. “It’s the students responsibility to study for the exam without using other people’s materials,” Gaff said. “They gave you a review packet they gave you notes that’s all you should need.” Students behind on immunizations threatened with expulsion byTrishaBarton Entertainment Editor “It’s not a huge deal but it’s definitely apparent. I know a bunch of people who cheat, it’s com- mon” Parker Radecki ‘12 “It happens each and every class and it’s something that’s going to happen no matter what” Austin Hillman ‘11 “I think it’s a ram- pant problem. Stu- dents don’t view it as wrong because ‘winning at all costs is okay’” Adam Gaff Cheating Cheating has become a staple for many students in Center Grove. But what exactly is cheating? “I didn’t think it was cheating, I was us- ing resources that were available.” -Anonymous photo illustration by Craig Lotz

description

Issue 6- December 22, 2010

Transcript of Issue 6

trojaneertrojaneerCenter Grove High School Vol. XLX, Issue 612.22.10

byKristenSouthernNewsWriter

Boys basketball prepares for Holiday Tournament (page 8)

-Indoor percussion drums up excitement(page 5)

-Riley Soup dinner another success (page 2)

On Jan. 4, when Center Grove students return from break, close to 300 students will not be allowed to return if they do not turn in their immunization reports. The new school require-ments were made to help ensure that students are healthy and in-school. “We sent out 300 plus letters and notifica-tions this past week,” Center Grove nurse Ruth Ann Everetts said. “We had some responses.” “Students are able to come to school if they have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for vaccinations; however, the date of the ap-pointment must be filed in the office or you will be unable to attend school,” Everetts said. “Records must be turned in 24 hours after the immunizations.” Unless the local health department or physi-cian determines that the student’s immuniza-tions need to be delayed due to an extreme circumstance, the parent must provide written confirmation to the school from the physician. Students are also exempt if there is a medical or religious reason on file for the school year. There are several new vaccinations for this year. “Students need two doses of the chicken pox vaccine and/or history of the disease. Students also need meningitis and the TDap vaccines,” Everetts said. Students in grades 6-12 actually need 21 vaccinations on file. This includes 5 doses of the TDaP vaccine before the fourth birthday, 4 doses of the IPV or OPV vaccination by age six, 3 doses of the Hepititus B vaccine by 24 weeks of age, 2 doses of the measles vaccine on or after the first birthday, 2 doses of the mumps vaccine on or after the first birthday, and one dose of the ru-bella vaccine on or after the first birthday. Also, 2 doses of the chicken pox vaccine after the first birthday, with age appropriate renewals unless written proof of disease history, one dose of the Tdap vaccine on or after the tenth birthday, and one dose of the meningitis vaccine. If the school is not allowing students to at-tend school, due to the fact that their immuni-zation records are not up-to-date, the schools rating will be affected. “The schools dour-star rating is based on at-tendance,” Everetts said. “The original deadline for records was Sep-tember 22,” Everetts said. “However, some people’s appointments are not until March, so they are still able to come to school.” The current deadline for records or confirma-tion of an appointment is December 22. This year, Indiana has had the largest number of whooping cough cases at 489. This illness can be prevented with a vaccine. There are many diseases that can cause death in schools that can be prevented by vaccinations, such as, measles, mumps, diphtheria, meningitis, and chicken pox.

“Taking something from someone else and using it themselves counts as cheating,” Ruben DeLuna Dean of Students, said. At Center Grove High School, cheating is not tolerated. Statisti-cally, 95 percent of students have never gotten caught while cheating, 67 percent have copied someone else’s homework, and 40 percent have cheated on a quiz or test. “Using materials or information for the assign-ment is taking something from someone else,” DeLuna said. Many different ways of cheating involve copying someones homework, copying a test, using a calculator to plug in anwsers, and utilizing technologies. According to DeLuna, cheating is a form of desperation, and many times results out of lazi-ness. Other times students allow there work to be copied in an attempt be friendly or helpful, and end up getting in trouble themselves. “I cheated off of some-one to get a good grade, because I did not study the night before,” anony-mous student saId. Stu-dents feed off each other for help, instead of ask-ing teachers or their par-ents. Instead, they find it easier to copying off ea-chother to get homework done, or perhaps get a better test grade. “Cheating is using in-appropiate methods to get answers, and using tools that are not permitted,” said Wes Dodson math teacher. According to Dodson, students will have a review packet out on the test. The Center Grove student handbook, it states, that: cheating is the deceitful or fraudulent stor-age, retrieval or use of information in prepara-tion for or during any assignment or assessment. It includes, but is not limited to, the wrongful giving, taking or presenting any information or material by a student with the intent of aid-ing himself/herself or another on any academic work which is considered in any way in the de-termination of the final grade. The first Offense: Fail the assignment, and the teacher will handle the discipline and report it to the Dean and parents. Second Offense: Fail for the nine weeks grading period, and the teacher will report the offense to the Dean and parents. Third Offense: Fail the course for the semester. The punishment is the same for plaguarism. Dodson’s philosophy on tests is the same as

many in the school. If caught cheating, a student fails the test. Catching a person who cheats, is not easy. Dodson usually catches one or two students a year. The mishaps of cheating, will result in a students lower self re-spect, and cannot be proud of anything summited if its not their own. Many students believe uti-lizing other students hard work is not a big deal, or copying one’s homework is not considered cheating. “Cheating benefits them at the time but is at a disadvantage when they are tested over it and cannot cheat during the test,” an anonymous student said. Students are not caught easily, but when caught the consequences are severe. Many Center Grove students cheat, whether it is on a paper, homework assignment, quiz, or even a test. Cheating is contagious.

But many Center Grove s t u d e n t s struggle to to follow the h a n d b o o k ’ s d e f i n i t i o n , holding their own personal beliefs as their standard. A recent event brought to light such ideal-ogy. A few weeks ago, stu-dents in John Moore’s A.P. Microeconomics class were forced to retake a test after

Moore discovered that students had used tests from previous years to prepare for the exam. “Over half of the class was in-volved and had seen at least one test or quiz,” an anonymous stu-dent in the class said. “I didn’t think it was cheating, I was using resources that were available,” the student said. Many students follow the belief that if the teacher does not make the de-cision to adjust or make a new test, then an old exam is fair game. In-stances such as this represent nu-merous cases where teachers and student draw contrasting lines on what is and isn’t cheating. Mr. Gaff is among the teachers who draw a dif-ferent line.“It’s the students responsibility to study for the exam without using other people’s materials,” Gaff said. “They gave you a review packet they gave you notes that’s all you should need.”

Students behind on

immunizations threatened with

expulsion

byTrishaBartonEntertainment Editor

“It’s not a huge deal but it’s definitely apparent. I know a bunch of people who cheat, it’s com-mon”Parker Radecki ‘12

“It happens each and every class and it’s something that’s going to happen no matter what”Austin Hillman ‘11

“I think it’s a ram-pant problem. Stu-dents don’t view it as wrong because ‘winning at all costs is okay’”Adam Gaff

C h e a t i n gCheating has become a staple for many students

in Center Grove. But what exactly is cheating?

“I didn’t think it was cheating, I was us-ing resources that were available.”

-Anonymous

photo illustration by Craig Lotz

2NewsNews the trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

byTylerSykesNews Writer

New musical club draws large crowd

In the late 18th century, Italian musician Gaetano Vinaccia invented a 6 stringed instrument that resonated sound in a hollow box. This musical contraption was named the “guitar.” Since that fateful day, the popularity of the guitar has risen to an extraordinary length. In order to keep up with such popularity, Center Grove has created “Guitar Club.” Led by math teacher Mr. Baumgart, the guitar club cre-ates an outlet for twenty-five students to gather and share in musical harmony. “When the idea for the club first came up, I expected only ten kids or so to want to join. But I was thrilled when over twenty showed up,” said Mr. Baumgart. This overwhelming number has led Mr. Baumgart to create two separate meeting days. “We meet every other Monday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in order to keep the groups at a maintainable number,” said Baumgart. But Mr. Baumgart isn’t just any club representative. His musical expertise has been honed over sixteen years of play and even a collegiate degree in classical gui-tar performance. Baumgart provides the club members with thorough teaching and inspiring motivation. Evan Floyd, a junior at Center Grove, is an avid member in guitar club. “I always look forward to guitar club meetings,” said Floyd. When asked about a normal meeting, Evan said, “people who come bring in their own tabs and spend time mastering a song. And every person gets bout ten minutes of one-on-one time with Mr. Baumgart.” A “tab” is slang for guitar tablature, a way to read guitar music in numbers versus the conventional notes. “Guitar Club is a lot like guitar lessons in a larger group. Members have time to

“Lights, camera, action!” For years the CG Theatre depart-ment has been one of the best. Putting together classics like Singing in the Rain and Peter Pan, many in the community await the fall and spring produc-tions. Unfortunately, with recent cuts, the theatre department is a group that knows too well the difficulties of a low budget, hav-ing started the year with only $400 in the account. “Funds have easily been our biggest challenge. Our world is in recession, and it makes for steep competition when there are 30 or more organizations all trying to get money,” Director Danielle Myers said. Before this year, Center Grove used to support the theatre mon-

Drama over budget cutbacksbyRonniMeier News Writer

etarily with Coke funds. How-ever, this year, Drama Club and the fall production, Unhealthy to be Unpleasant, were all self-funded. “Fundraising brought in about $3,300, and UTBU ticket sales earned about $2,900. Including an estimate of DVD sales and Patron Donors, we have about $8,500 in our account, which is enough to do a small musical next spring,” Myers said. However, with the referendum not passing, cuts may be made. One of those cuts would the as-sistant director position, which former student and star on CG’s stage, Nick Pierson, holds. And given the strain on resources, the theatre department may not be able to afford two shows.

“It is really a shame. A lot of kids will miss out on great op-portunities. The theatre depart-ment is an outlet for my creative talent. It has helped me build so much confidence in myself, and it broadened my experience with different types of plays,” Connor Fak, President of Drama Club, said. Ms. Myers has directed under Mrs. Kersey for the past couple years, and now taking up the ropes, she certainly has a bumpy road ahead. “As of right now, the theatre department exists. I am dedi-cated to continuing the success of the theatre program, but we certainly have some unique ob-stacles ahead.” Myers said.

Senior Drama Club President Connor Fak performs in this year’s fall production. Budget cuts will most likely force the club to scale back on this year’s spring play.

The Riley Soup Dinner has be-come a highlight for our school for the past few years. The Riley committee is new to the STUGO world but has hit the ground running with this year’s soup dinner. Many people have vol-unteered to bring in crock-pots full of delicious soup for the families of CG to come and have a nice dinner. Deserts are also being made and brought for the dinner. The committee has orga-nized entertainers for the night from singing, to instruments. It will be a night full of festivities. Sydney Clute is one the Riley Committee chairs. “We started planning for this event at the beginning of Oc-tober, right after golf season ended for me,” Clute said. “The most stressful thing has been getting last minute things done and making sure that everything comes together.” “The Riley Committee itself was broken into four separate com-mittees for the dinner: Decora-

tions, Food Donations, Adver-tisement, and Entertainment,” Clute said. The committee has been working hard for many months to make this dinner the best it can be. “I am the Entertainment Chair for the dinner. My committee and I are basically in charge of organizing all the performances while the dinner takes place,” sophomore, Hollis VanFossen said. “The hardest part for my com-mittee has been the crunch time this past week. The pressure is on,” VanFossen said. Many find it exciting to par-ticipate in a dinner that goes to help needy f a m i l i e s at Riley and raise money for those chil-dren that are so sick. “The thing I am l o o k i n g forward to the most is just seeing the event finally come together after 3 months of hard work. I am also excited for the Riley patients from the high school who are speaking at the dinner. All in all thought I am excited to see the event bring the community to-gether,” Clute said. “I cannot wait for the dinner

to come. We have been plan-ning for quite some time and I am looking forward to seeing the end result come together,” Van-Fossen said. Each year the bar is raised in every aspect of the dinner, from entertainment to the money raised. “We are hoping to top last year, which was $2,000,” Clute said. “The best part of being on the Riley Committee is knowing that even though it has taken a while to plan everything and organize donations, decorations, enter-tainment, and volunteers it is going to be well worth it knowing that as a school we have pulled

together to support the children at Riley,” Van-Fossen said. There have been major responsibili-ties given to each mem-ber of the Riley com-

mittee to make this dinner the best if can be. “Making sure that I delegate all the tasks to the committees and making sure that everything gets done has been my major respon-sibility. It is my responsibility to make sure that everything gets done down to the very last de-tail,” Clute said.

Annual charity event raisesmoney for children’s hospital

byAbbiStiffyNews Writer

STUGO volunteers oversee the soup table at this year’s Riley Soup Dinner (above). Various musical groups performed (right), while visitors ate and conversed. This now CG staple brings together the community for a night to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital. photos by Lucas Matney

independently play, but also get valuable help in case they get stuck,” said Mr. Baum-gart. Players prac-tice a wide range of music, from classical, pop, and metal. Members use both acoustic and electrics guitars at meet-ings. “What’s great about guitar club is the di-versity. Every-one is unique; playing unique instruments and music to their tastes,” said Baumgart. With enough support and members in the future, guitar club is expected to flourish in years to come.

The case for

It’s re-

ally not that we don’t

love America, its just that after watch-

ing “National Treasure” and reading conspiracy theories

galore, we convince ourselves that the United States government holds the

keys to the kingdom.

3 OpinionOpinionthe trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

byAlecDietzOpinion Writer

trojaneerContact InformationMailing Address: 2717 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood, IN 46143

Phone: (317) 881-0581, Ext. 4175

E-mail: Staff members of the Trojaneer may be contacted by using their first name_last name and appending @cgstudent.epals.com. For example Lucas Matney will recieve email at [email protected].

Responding to the Trojaneer [[email protected]] Letters to the Editors will be accepted for the Dec. 17 edition of the Trojaneer until December 25. Letters may be turned in to adviser Melissa Warner or Editors-in-Chief Craig Lotz and Ben Whitehead. All letters must be signed and include contact information for the writer. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters may not contain personal attacks against individuals or any libelous material. The Trojaneer staff regards the right to edit letters for grammatical mis-takes and length. Writers should strive to keep letters to less than 250 words.

PurposeThe Trojaneer is a student-run publication distributed to faculty and staff at Center Grove High School with a press run of 2,400 copies. The Trojaneer strives to provide the Center Grove community with timely, factual, entertaining, and relevant information in an unbiased fashion, The paper serves as a public forum. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necesarily those of Center Grove High School nor the Center Grove Community School Corporation’s faculty, staff or administration.

CredentialsThe Trojaneer is a member of the Indiana High School Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

AdvertisingBusinesses may advertise in the Trojaneer if their advertise-ments adhere to the newspaper’s guidelines. All ads must be tastefully designed, while containing no libelous material. Advertisements of alcohol and tobacco is strictly prohibited. A full copy of the newspaper’s advertising policy is available upon request in Room 175 at Center Grove High School.

Editors in Chief:

Managing Editor

Page Editors:

Photo EditorBusiness MgrWebsite Mgr

Photographers:

Staff Writers:

Craig LotzBen WhiteheadLindsey Winneroski

Ben BaconLucas MatneyBecky Miller

Hannah FurrowShawna MillerJulie Joson

Rileigh CoxHannah Duke

Mackenzie DeanElaina MellotChris CollinsKeaton WrightMatt SaundersAlec DietzVincent WilliamsAllison ChamberlainJake ThompsonMackenzie ThompsonSavannah Lorentzen

Trish BartonMariah Hester

Jessica EdelmanZach Whitehead

Jessica GottliebTyler SykesHannah MorganRonni MeierAlex JabreNick MarleyDelaney BurnettAbbi StiffeyScott SuttonKristen Southern

byMackenzieThompsonOpinion Writer

The future is now

The desire to travel is a thought that seems to peck at the brains of teenagers and adults alike. The desire to be somewhere other than where you are is prevalent in everyone’s life. Amer-

ica’s constant pursuit of something better than what they have drives this desire. But when asked where CG students wanted to travel to the most, responses were similar and reasoning was alike. What are the reasons and underlining meanings of these choices made by CG students and staff? The appeal of the crisp air of the mountains, the soft sand of the beaches, and the sunsets of a foreign land, beckons at the heart of many. People are never con-tent with what they currently have; and are constantly searching for something seemingly better. This constant pursuit of happiness drives our daily lives giving us a goal for our futures, something to drive towards so an ultimate happiness will one day be felt. At a young age these plans of leaving and traveling are usually trivial, based only on the ideas we have conjured about others cultures and their attributes. While once reaching adult-hood, plans begin to solidify as hours and years have been on formulating plans. These plans include sites to see, shops to hit, people to visit, cafes to munch at, and experiences wanted. The years spent on develop-ing these plans will make for a better use of travel time and on overall better experience. It is sometimes better for the young not to out to action all of their ideas at a young age, because these actions have not yet been fully developed, purely due to lack of time. Juniors Hannah Thielmeyer, Tyler Donaldson, and

Go to preschool so you can become prepared for elementary school. Get good grades and behave yourself in elementary school so you can do well in middle school. Learn how to

use a locker, manage passing periods, and of course get good grades in middle school so you will be prepared for high school. Go to high school where they tell you that the next four years will determine your future, they tell you that getting good grades really matters now be-cause that determines what college you will attend. Get into college and get good grades so you can prepare for adulthood and a career, this is what is most important. After college you’re supposed get a job and live in the real world which prepares you for the day when you can retire. The American Dream. In elementary school I remember that everyone raised their hands with enthusiasm when a teacher asked the class a question. I even remember students asking the teacher if she would give us homework. Over the course of a few years it’s funny to think how attitudes change completely. By the time you get into middle school the system begins to segregate the smart from the average. We invented “honors” classes so the smart kids could interact with each other, and learn that they were different (better) from the average. The system seems to understand which students will be “successful” when they grow up, and who will be the grunts at a very early age. By the time high school rolls around the group of students who take their education very seriously have formed. These students who take pride in filling their schedules with honors and AP classes, joining National Honors Society, and slaving over their grades in the hope that colleges will take notice. After taking a few honors and AP classes I have come in close contact with these students only to discover that they are not extremely intelligent, only dedicated. Math and science classes are commonly taken by these students because these courses don’t involve much thinking, only memo-rization. English and art classes prove difficult for many top students simply because there isn’t a right or wrong answer. There isn’t just a formula to memorize, but instead the student is asked to think on their own which is often very difficult. Even though these students are at the top of their class, I seriously wonder if they have ever truly learned anything. Another note: no student cheats more than an honors student. On the other side of the spectrum is the majority. In high school, students really begin to decide whether they care or not about grades. The answer for many is no, simply because it’s easier not to care. A common thing phrase I hear is “I’m smart, but I just don’t try.” Are people really supposed to be impressed? I mean it’s not hard to get decent grades especially now that Center Grove standards are low. I do understand the loss of motivation and the laziness that students feel because I live it, but you at least have to do something. In the beginning our teachers told us that we could be anything we wanted in life as long as we gave it our best. Now they tell us that we can be anything we want to be as long as we don’t compete with students from China and India. The education experience has changed because the students have changed. In the end, we are going to care about education just as much as our par-ents did. If they went to college you are probably going to end up going to college just like them. The idea that each grade is just preparing you for the next is false. Quit always looking toward the future because you’ll miss something in the present.

Abby Torrison all chose cities in Europe as their most desired location to travel to. When asked which spe-cial places they would visit during their experience, Thielmeyer and Torrison, they surprisingly had no response to the question. It is peculiar that all three re-sponses included a location in Europe. What is the ap-peal of Europe to Americans? Is it the change in culture, the arts, or the people? I think that Europe offers new scenery for the traveler, something new and impres-sive to see that is out of the ordinary from a common American sight. Plans on how to attain these goals of traveling were met with responses of when they would be traveling, not how they would obtain the funds or means to travel. This shows the overall common lack of planning found in youth.In contrast to their responses teacher Mr. Daniels responded with an answer that went into more depth about the topic, and showed his though on the topic, although his top travel location was still in Europe.“Europe for the “Band of Brothers” tour based in the US invasion during WWII, starting in France and ending in Hitler’s eagle nest.” Daniels listed multiple specific locations for his trip, including the beaches of Normandy, and plans of sav-ing for his travels, proving the point that age allows a person more time to develop their traveling plans. Traveling to other cultures is a life changing experi-ence that if one is lucky enough to experience should be taken full advantage of. The opportunity to learn from others in the world and experience their life is spectacu-lar. The way in which you view the world will be altered,

Though Julian Assange is probably currently only one spot under Osama Bin Laden on America’s most wanted list, and is in danger of being indicted under the Espionage Act; he has

not blown up any buildings lately or killed any Ameri-can citizens, at most he has led, in essence, a journal-istic terrorist attack on the United States government’s diplomatic relations through his website Wikileaks. Wikileaks is a website that facilitates the release of con-fidential leaks coming from within the US government. At most his latest attacks have been merely embar-rassing for the government, but the shear potential repercussions of confidential US documents finding an outlet to the public is frightening to those who confine that information to themselves. Assange’s unpopularity with the US govern-ment and other foreign governments has translated into global stardom for the Australian journalist, who has garnered the support of the usually-uninspired internet community in a war against big government which has enthralled skilled hackers, anarchists, and everyday in-ternet users in the arsenal to fend off an apparent attack on free speech. Through DDoS (Denial of Service) attacks, internet users have levied major attacks on corporations which have sought to block all traffic to the sites by clogging the company’s servers. To these Inter-net using hippies, Assange has become a Guy Fawkes-like figure who symbolizes how information should be as free as their love. “Free Julian Assange” t-shirts have been created to express the global support for the one who just does not seem to understand that the govern-ment is above us. While the cause of Wikileaks is a potentially revolu-tionary one, in reality the ideals are being held back by the revolutionary who instated the site. The attention seems to have shifted from the thousands of sensitive documents released to Assange himself. This very well may be a ploy set forth by the government to alter the media presentation of Wikileaks from the leaks them-selves to the ego of its founder. Julian Assange is currently striving to reach a deal to pay bail after tuning himself into Swedish authorities for “unrelated charges”, which mysteriously gathered a strong emphasis after his deeply critical editorial connected to the releasing of thousands of documents. Assange maintains that if he or Wikileaks is harmed in

any way, he will release the “Poison Pill” which is a col-lection of documents containing information about Abu Ghraib, the BP oil spill, and other sensitive issue. This bot of insurance has already been downloaded by many internet users who merely await the presentation of the 256-character password, which according to govern-ment officials would take decades to crack. What makes the story of Assange such an appealing one to the American people is that Americans secretly think that they hate the government in terms of their own personal feelings of true independence, but feel the need to support it so that, for example, they can argue

about the expiration of the Bush tax cuts with their liberal son/daughter/uncle/servant/grandma over

the weekends. Americans don’t really want a big government at all, many just want to be patri-

otic at, for instance, say 7:35 every morning and feel like Uncle Sam-loving Ameri-

cans. They want to have firefighters out there to save their cats, but they want

the men at the CIA to cough up information on area 51 for their

enjoyment. They feel as though they deserve the privileges of

an expansive government while getting anything

they desire in the form of honesty or straightforwardness.

Then again, they really do like the idea of a silent Big Brother who watches (out for) them, but are unwilling to acknowledge that he is actually looking. Assange, on the other hand, announces that the government is looking, because Assange is simply trying to stare Big Brother down face-to-face. He may not suc-ceed in his quest of delivering a significant blow to the United States, but he has planted the youthful seeds of rebellion through free-speech expression. That is why in the upcoming few months we will see an outpouring of support for Assange, that is of course until the US government convicts him under the Espionage Act and we force ourselves to agree with their decision. It’s really not that we don’t love America, its just that after watching “National Treasure” and reading conspiracy theories galore, we convince ourselves that the United States government holds the keys to the kingdom. Sooner or later we will realize that they are just trying to look out for themselves, and hopefully, us. But until then, you can visit 213.251.145.96/, the cur-rent web address of the people, by the people, and for the people.

and your knowledge of the outside world will expand with each trip you venture on. By traveling with an open mind and eyes, the full experience and boundless amounts of knowledge will ascend upon the traveler. “A life changing traveling experience would be going somewhere you have always wanted to go, and then it not turning out as what you had always expected it to be.” Donaldson said.The constant urge for something better is what drives our society; it puts competition in the markets, and encourages change. Traveling is one way to satisfy this urge, and is at the same time beneficial to the future of the traveler. The mind of the traveler will be expanded by the experiences found in another culture, experi-ences that will affect the later future of the traveler. This constant pursuit for something batter drives our daily lives, forcing change and making setting a goal for our futures a social normalcy.

byLucasMatneyOpinion Editor WikiLeaks

Cynicism Speaks:

4FeaturesFeatures the trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Center Grove senior Heather LoTempio will be among the few to graduate early from the high school this winter. While most students stay in school for all four years, she decided to graduate a semester early to be able to work full-time and earn money for college. When first learning about this opportunity from her friend 2011 early graduate Karli Kopetsky, Heather knew she wanted to strive to graduate early. “I thought it would be more productive for me to leave early and save money for col-lege,” LoTempio said. After getting the details about how to do this she realized it would not be that difficult for her. She had to make sure to have all the core credits and elective credits, which

meant taking a few extra classes during her senior year, along with passing all of her classes. “Early graduation isn’t for everyone,” LoTempio said,

“you need to have a goal that semester, a car, and a job, or you might as well just stay in high school.” Her goals when out of school are fairly

simple, earning the money for college and filling out forms for scholarships. Earlier in the year, she was accepted into the Art Institute, where she hopes to

study media

arts and animation. Throughout school, LoTempio has been a student at C-9 for art. After graduation, she will still need to con-tinue classes in C-9, but she still feels it will give her the time to achieve her goal by next year. At first, she chose C-9 because she thought it would help give her a small break in her days to learn and have fun with it, but now, it has helped her in more ways than she expected. “I adore the class; I’m so glad I chose to go there,” she said when reflecting on her time in the cours-es. “I learned how to make T-shirts, and I learned about more opportunities in art. “ Unlike school, LoTempio appreciated the attitude in C-9 from the teachers and students. “Instead of just being a student, they treat us like young adults and workers-in-training,” she said. Outside of school, LoTempio is like any normal teen, working and hanging

out with friends. Unlike most, though,

she is a wrestling manager and enjoys bowling. This is her first year as a man-ager for wrestling, but she already enjoys it. Also, for two years, she was on the bowling team. Heather LoTempio is an active student and hard working, which helps in her goal for early graduation.

A step aheadGraduating early provides an extra opportunity to prepare for college

“I thought it would be more productive for me to leave early and save money for

college.”--Heather LoTempio

Graduating at the end of first semester gives Heather LoTempio time to earn money for col-lege.

Everyone makes mistakes and some bad decisions, some more than others. Nevertheless, we all hope that we can learn from them. Center Grove High School is filled with 2,500 students at the age that experts and doctors say is the most difficult. When students break the rules, they wind up in room 284, greeted by Mr. Grizzle, the ISS supervi-sor. “The first thing I do when a student enters ISS is greet them with a hand-shake,” Mr. Grizzle said. From that handshake, Mr. Grizzle learns a little bit about that person’s confidence and poise. A student serving detention would then make their way to a desk to work on school work for the rest of the time spend in ISS. “In here, we work from the beginning of the period till the bell,” Grizzle said. Students work on school related topics for the majority of the time, yet they leave with a lesson learned that is different from anything they could have attained in a classroom. “I help with subjects like math and science, but character is the main thing we work on,” Grizzle said. “It is what I teach.” Character, attitude, confidence and re-spect are carried with a person through-out their whole life. They cannot be

easily forgotten and make an impact every day. “I tell the fellas how to treat the

ladies and explain why the ladies should act like young women because it is respectful and the ethical way to be,” Grizzle said. The relationships that are built are out of Grizzle’s love for a purpose. He wants the students to learn from their mistakes no mat-ter what they were, and he hopes they can grow from them. “I handle all matters with love, and there are two kinds of love,” Grizzle said. “Hugs and shoe shines.” “Mr. Grizzle’s love is shown through his respect for the students and wanting them to become better as people. Even though students are there to be disciplined, Grizzle still shows them compas-sion and humor. “Everyone here is like my child,” Grizzle said. “It’s like I have 2,500 sons and daughters.” Mr. Grizzle never

planned to become an ISS supervisor, but he feels that he was led to Center Grove. He is satisfied and finds his job fulfilling because he always keeps his purpose in mind. “I came here to help folks grow,” Grizzle said. Growth is the most rewarding thing to see in the students. If it takes months, years, or one day, seeing a person change for the better is the ISS supervi-sor’s favorite aspect of his occupation. “The best part of this is when some-one finally gets it, straightens p and starts acting like a man or woman,” Grizzle said. Two years around Center Grove has kept the passion for strengthening

others burning. Grizzle has a vision of forming a program to reach out to students who do not have a mentor in their lives. “I want the people who don’t have a role model in their lives to have one and I want to be there for them,” Grizzle said. When someone has a person to look up to, they see and learn good ethics, manners and morals. People exposed to a good example become a positive influ-ence to others in their communities. “I am the rabid dog who chases rab-bits,” Grizzle said.

Tough loveISS supervisor teaches lessons that extend beyond the classroom

byMackenzieDeanFeatures Writer

ISS Supervisor Mr. Grizzle can teach subjects like math and English, but focuses on instructing his students in character and responsibility. Giving students a role model to look up to is one of his many goals for CGHS. Photo by Zach Whitehead

The game of Ping Pong has long captivated Americans. Atari’s Pong, released in 1972, was unarguably the first successful video game. Pong may not be students’ video game of choice nowa-days, but the not-so computerized sport itself is popular. Center Grove’s Ping Pong club came about three years ago when Janit Pan-dya, a keystone student of Mrs. Teevan’s, came to her and inquired about starting the club. She explained that he would need to write up a proposal and find a sponsor. “He’s really good and I’m glad he helped get the club started,” Junior Trevor Cobb said. Cobb has been to every Tuesday meet-ing this year and considers Janit one of the best players. “There are a few of the guys who are

pretty good,” Cobb said. “I would say the top four are Janit, Avery, Travis, and Brice.” Teevan is the club’s spon-sor. They meet on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 in the Hall of Excellence, but members are

free to come and go as they please. “You can show up, play, and leave whenever you want,” Senir Benji Evans

said. “It’s relaxed and you can just talk with friends and play ping pong.” Evans recently began going to Ping Pong Club a few weeks ago, but hasn’t missed a Tuesday yet! “Brice Laigel told me about it,” Evans said. “And since Mrs. Teevan is awe-some, I decided to try it out.” It’s never too late to join the club. New players commonly show up. “Our numbers have been growing,” Teevan said. “We have around 30-plus kids.” The club is very laid-back, and there is a wide range of table tennis talent. “We take out the tables and usually the better players play in the HOE, and the less experienced in the cafeteria area,” Evans said. “And the winner stays at his table.”

Evans claims to be able to crush any opponent. “I can’t be beat, so if there is any competition out there: show up and I’ll kill you,” Evans said. “But I want to give a shout out to Teevan, because she is a beast at ping pong.” Cobb can confirm Teevan’s skills. “I started playing her once. It was toward the end of the club, but I think we were tied,” Cobb said. “She’s pretty good.” Unfortunately, if anyone is willing to take on Evans, Teevan, or any other player, they may not get the chance this year. “Generally we go from Fall Break until Christmas,” Teevan said. “It may be extended a little bit.” Time is running out for CG students to enjoy the Tuesday table tennis, but the club has been going strong for three years and growing in popularity. When Fall Break rolls around next year, don’t forget to check out the Ping Pong Club!

Eat, sleep, pongMore and more CG students perfect their backhand in new club

byHannahMorganFeatures Writer

Ping Pong Club members have been growing in number the past 3 years.

byElainaMellottFeatures Writer

5 EntertainmentEntertainmentthe trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Center Grove choirs CG Singers and Counterpoints held their annual Madrigal Dinner on Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4. The Dinner was $25 to attend, all funds going to the choral department. The Hall of Excel-

lence was transformed into the banquet hall of a medieval castle. The singers entertained the guests with a lively performance. Guests were awed by everything from the impressive sets and costumes to the performance itself. Along with the performance, guests received a nice steak dinner, courtesy of Venture Catering of Indianapolis. The dinner is a renaissance themed show. The songs performed are songs that were popular in that time period. “Madrigal” is a kind of vocal music from the renaissance, hence the name of the show. The performers dress up in renaissance and medieval themed attire to get into the spirit for the event. Due to the price of the event, the audience is not typically as big as the other performances hosted by the Center Grove choral depart-ment, although there was still quite an impressive turnout. There were enough people to fill the Hall of Excellence. “There were a lot of family and friends, and even a lot of outside spectators,” said Center Grove Senior, Sam Paddack. CG Singers and Counterpoints began their rigorous rehearsals in October, in order to prepare for such a demanding event. The performers sang almost 20 songs. With the dinner break, the show lasted just over an hour and a half. Lots of time and effort went into the show, both by the singers and the stage crew, as well as parents

and other helpers. The performers were satisfied with the performance, and had a lot of fun with it. Guests left pleased with the event, and many will return next year. “It turned out really well,” said Paddack. “Our shows are always fun, but there was something special about this one. Maybe it was how goofy we were all dressed, or all the joking around, but we had a great time.” Sam also said that singing in the madrigal style was fun and inter-esting. “The songs were structured differently that what we usually sing and they sound different from most modern vocal arrange-ments and choral pieces. I guess that’s what they liked back then. All the same, it was a fun night,” he said. Sam said the whole night was fun, and the event was really a blast, but his favorite part had to be “dressing up as a flamboyantly met-rosexual knight in bedazzled armour.” Indeed, a lot of performers enjoyed the renaissance attire, and it added to the performance and the show. Now that the castle set in the Hall of Excellence is put away, and the CG Singers and Counterpoints are back to dressing normally, it is easy to look back and see what a success the Madrigal Dinner was. A renaissance themed choral performance, complemented by a nice steak dinner was indeed a great way to spend the evening. Many are waiting in anticipation for next year’s Madrigal Dinner, judging by this year and years past, no one will want to miss it.

CG madrigal dinner

by ChrisCollinsEntertainmentWriter

Whether you are an athlete or partake in other after school activities, there is one sound that is easily rec-ognizable. It serves as the unofficial background music for Center Grove during the summer and fall. It is the familiar, organized beat of a variety of drums. It is the Center Grove Percussion Ensemble The Percussion Ensemble should not be categorized as an “off season filler”. The group uses it’s own specific instruments not belonging to the marching band. Nei-ther is it a group for novices. Students wanting to par-ticipate should have some experience with percussion instruments. “You’re expected to know a lot as soon as you start”, said Senior Jason Schladweiler, also a mem-ber of the Center Grove Marching Trojans and who has been playing for 8 years. “It’s hard to get into, but I’d definitely recommend it”, Schladweiler continued. On the 15th, Mr. Torres and the CG Percussion Ensemble will be heading to Chicago, Illinois. For the first time they have been invited to Midwest, a critique, where they will perform in front of other band and music directors from all over the world. The opportu-nity to perform at Midwest is something to be proud of. “It’s the highest level of performance for a High School percussion ensemble“, explained Junior Emily Wright. Just the process of applying to Midwest is complicat-ed. There is a lengthy application to complete, required recommendations from college instructors, and sample music to send. Then the Midwest’s Board of Directors evaluates everything. However, Mr. Torres was not surprised his group received the invitation. “When I started working five years ago I knew it would take time to build the program up. But it was obvi-ous from the beginning that this group; that are now seniors, were going to achieve great things”. Although most of us affiliate huge competitions with band and orchestra related events, Midwest is not a competition at all and is usually compiled of only a few selected groups. To put the invitation in perspective the only other high school performances are another percussion ensemble from Washington and an orches-tral band from Dallas, Texas. Mr. Torres attributes the invite to work ethic. “I think its important to note how hard these students worked, with all the marching band responsibilities, we had to try to fit in rehearsals and practice. “ The most interesting aspect of Midwest is that the

main point of which it is based off of does not revolve around the students performing, but rather the musical educators attending. “Professors talk about how to improve your conduct-ing techniques, you watch performances from selected groups…it’s a really nice way for band and orchestra directors to relax in Chicago and learn the latest trends in music education and to be inspired” said Torres, who himself has attended the Midwest since his days in high school and knows how privileged this opportunity is. “It’s a definite highlight in a music educators career. “ he said. But that’s not to say that the students will not benefit from it. Both on the 16th and 17th the students will be watching other performances. “I’m excited because they’re going to be able to watch some of the best bands and orchestras from around the world, it’s a very important opportunity for them”, said

Torres. Wright gives the credit to good teaching. “I feel like Mr. Torres could teach anyone the differ-ent techniques to playing all sorts of different instru-ments”. Like any good teacher Mr. Torres made sure his students were prepared. “We’ve had a lot of outside help, we brought in college instructors from Indiana University, Indiana State Uni-versity, Florida State, and the University of North Texas to work with the kids in preparation for Midwest”. Also like a good teacher, Mr. Torres has attempted to prepare his students mentally. “I know it’s going to be stressful because of high ex-pectations, the professors and instructors are expecting to see the best of the best, and [from attending before] I know you’re not always going to get what you antici-pated, all I told them was to do their best”.

Onto the midwestby JakeThompsonEntertainmentWriter

photo by Rileigh Coxgraphic by Julie Joson

6AdvertisingAdvertising the trojaneer

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7 SportsSportsthe trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 cott’s port pot

byScottSuttonSports Columnist

SLast call goes out to save the student section

Center Grove student section and fans are highlighted and defined, including the good and the bad within the fan world

Cheerleaders Obviously, these girls stand in front of everyone with pom poms that scream over the mass chaos of the crowd. They come to the games for a game of their own: yell, chant, flip, and dance. Some-times, the have the most morale out of anyone. When Center Grove is down by a land-slide, they still have enough faith to chant in front of everyone “Take that ball away Trojans.” Despite what some people say, cheerleaders can be some of the most dedicated fans.

Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders’ CheerleaderCheerleaders’ Cheerleader This group of students tends to come to the games to cheer on the cheerleaders. Someone has to do it right? At the foot-ball games, this group of fans, mainly all boys, is normally in the front row of the student section. Many times, they can be heard at the games chanting the cheer-leaders’ names. Sometimes, they even like to pretend they are the cheerleaders and start their own cheers. “Give me a T. Give me an R…” Well, you know where it goes from there.

Everyone notices this kid because he makes sure he sticks out like a sore thumb. Whether he knew who the opposing team was or not when he showed up is debatable, but he definitely didn’t miss the memo on the theme night. He spends the entire week planning his outfit for the week’s theme and ventures to Goodwill to find anything that he needs to perfect his costume. The people at Goodwill know him on a first name basis by his senior year.

Theme NightGuyTheme NightGuy

The ones that don’t dress up for the theme nights are the “street clothes kids.” There are two different types of street clothes kids. One is normally dragged to the game/student section by their friends and feels they are too cool to show any emotion or participation throughout the entire game. They hate the team, hate the sport, hate the crowd, and just want to go home. The other has fun while they are at the game, they just either A) thought the theme was lame or B) didn’t have time to change. Either way, they join in all the chants and mo-tions led by the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders’ cheerleaders. They have a good time at the game and can normally tell you what the score was at the end of it, even if they don’t remember the details in between.

Street Clothes KidStreet Clothes Kid

This group compromises a large ma-jority of the student section. Basically, they’re the second kind of street clothes kid, except they dress for the theme night. Although they dress up, they are not to be confused with the theme night kid. The average student wears the basic costume. They do not go all out like the theme night kid and treat the football games like a runway.

Average StudentAverage Student

For the life of me, I still can’t figure out why these kids even bother to show up. Instead of sitting in the stu-dent section, this group hangs out in some random area where they can’t even see the game and socializes. In a nutshell, they pay five dollars to come talk to their friends when they could have

stayed home and done the same thing for free.

Clueless GroupClueless Group

byJessicaGottliebSports Writer

From attending many Center Grove home sporting events, I’ve realized there are many different types of students that show up for the games. Every high schooler that even shows up to Cen-ter Grove sporting event falls into one category or another of high school sports

fans.

After attending a handful of basketball games this year, I have noticed some-thing. If some of my most dear, and faithful readers recall my column con-cerning the need for a fan section, I have noticed that the school as a whole has disregarded my plea. Basketball games are a chance for everyone; CG students, staff members, parents and alumni alike to be with friends and enjoy watching a great sport. But above the rest, I believe the seniors enjoy the basketball games the most because it gives them the chance to lead the student section in chants, planning themes, etc. So here’s my debacle with the student section, exempting the first three or four rows who are usually pretty involved. First off, they don’t participate in chants. Sure the chants are usually slightly absurd, and many times make no sense, but they are fun. You feel a common bond with your fellow students when attempting to demoralize the op-posing team. Second, they don’t dress in themes. Not sure if it is that we have been lulled into the idea that the social norm is high school students are supposed to be cool or if it is simply, but very less likely, that majority of the students just don’t have any theme based clothes. Regardless, neither are excuses to not want to par-ticipate in themes. In summation, I once again ask the students of this fine learning institu-tion. If you plan on attending basketball games or any other sporting event with a large cheering section, be dressed in ap-propriate, themed attire and be ready to join in cheers. If your intentions are not that then, I think I speak on behalf of the entire senior class when I say I recom-mend sitting with your parents.

E x t r e m e

On the mat, alone, wrestlers have six minutes or less to prove themselves. And with varsity’s 11-3 and Junior Varsity’s 8-3 record and their 12th place ranking, Center Grove’s wrestling team is sure to bring the heat this year. Like swimming, individual events score points that add up to a team’s value. Wrestlers can win points for their individual score by escaping (1 point), takedowns (2 points), reversals (2 points), near falls (2-3 points), and pin-ning. A pin is worth six points for a team score and brings an automatic end to the match. If a wrestler wins by 15 points or more, the team is awarded five points, and any win under that is worth 3 points to the overall team score. Two weekends ago, the varsity boys went undefeated in their tourney against Martinsville, Bloomington South, Bloom-ington North, and Lawrence Central. JV faced off against New Palestine, Ben Davis, and #1 ranked Perry Meridian, and came in second to Perry. And last weekend the boys placed third in their tourney to #15 Carmel and #16 Evans-ville Wrights. Overall, the wrestlers are feeling good about their season. “The season going pretty well so far. We’ve lost a couple close matches. Perry was the biggest match we have had, but we beat #6 ranked Bloomington South by 5 points, so that was huge.” Varsity wrestler and Senior Justin Meredith said. “I have been very pleased by the at-titudes of everyone on the team. It is encouraging and exciting to be around,” Coach Hoover said. Last Monday, JV faced off against Plainfield and won 47-18, with four pins by John Dunaway, Josh Kuechler, Scott Musgrave, and Saúl Fisher. “When I pin my opponent, I feel like I’ve really worked hard because a pin is the last thing that should happen in wresting. Our season, as a whole, is bet-ter this year. The intensity in the room is at a higher level,” Saul Fisher said. On December 29 and 30, the boys will go to Mishawaka to face off in a 32-team tourney. Their season goes through February. “I am really looking forward to seeing how far each individual can make it in state finals. The beginning is not as memorable as the end, and each guy is capable ending the season well,” Hoover said.

Wrestling team brings intensity to the matbyRonniMeierSports Writer

We all had a creative imagination when we were little. Being Hoosiers, we were

all born with a genetic obsession with basketball. In Indiana our white and red blood cells are actually cream and crimson. We dribbled around in our driveways pretending that someday we would be on the next Reggie Miller or Rik Smits. There was something beauti-ful about that blissful time we all had when anything seemed possible, but for most of us we’ve given up our dreams of professional basketball. But some of us never lost our love for the game. Every time we lace up our sneakers and step on the hardwood, that dream of glory is reborn in our hearts. Only a handful of students are talented enough to be members of the high school basketball team, so that leaves masses of less skilled yet passionate basketball lov-ers. For those not fortunate enough to play with the big boys, there is the Mount Pleasant Basketball League. Located in Mount Pleasant Christian Church’s “Field of Dreams”, the Com-munity Life Center is host to a league of dreams, as this is the last time local students can live out their basketball

League of DreamsHoosier Hysteria is reborn in Mount Pleasant Church Basketball

fantasies. Just like in the movie Field of Dreams, we’re living a dream until we step off the court, then we resume our average lives. The MPBBL is no slouch of a league. The skill level is somewhere between Upward and the Olympics. Teams only practice once a week, and sometimes players stop in the middle of the game only to realize that the whistle they heard was on the other court, but the competi-tion is legit. “I like the competitiveness of the league which makes winning more rewarding,” said junior Kent Kraus, a veteran of the MPBBL.

Technically the league is recreational, and the most important thing is to have fun and make new friends. But as Kent said, teams are there to win. Any given Sunday you can walk into the CLC and you will see mesh reversible jersey-clad high schoolers giving their blood, sweat, and tears for their love of the game. Another feature of the league is its bowl game-style playoff system. If you’re a fan of the BCS and you think the regular season should be the playoffs, then the Mount Pleasant Basketball League is for you. At the end of each grueling 6-game season, teams are paired based on their

byMattSaundersSports Writer

records, and the game between the top two squads is the hypothetical champi-onship. One unique characteristic of the league is the respect people have for each other. Everyone is there for the same reason, and that creates a sense of brother-hood among the players. Each practice includes a 10-minute devotion in which a lesson such as sportsmanship or integrity is discussed. Coaches encourage players to respect referees, and technical fouls are extremely rare. If you are like most people and the odds of you playing in the NBA are slim to none, that doesn’t mean your dreams are extinguished. The MPBBL is the place where you can take your dreams and for two 20-minute halves at a time they’ll come true. Jimmy V told us that we should follow our dreams and “never give up”. Listen to Jimmy V. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

SportsSports the trojaneer

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

While many are celebrating their Christmas presents and preparing for the coming of the New Year, the Center Grove boys basketball team will be playing in the prestigious Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle High School. This invitational is a collection of some of the best teams in the state playing in the world’s largest high school gym. The gym can hold as many as 10,000 fans. Center Grove, Bloomington South, Washington, and Warsaw were all in-vited to play. Center Grove takes on Washington first with future 6’11 Indiana Hoosier Cody Zeller. Warsaw and Bloomington South play each other first. Winners will play winners and losers will play losers. Bloomington South has Indiana Hoosier Recruit Spencer Turner and Xavier recruit Dee Davis. Warsaw has their own “Jonny” with 5’10 170 pound guard, Nic Moore who is committed to Illinois State. This tournament is a display of Division 1 talent from every squad. “This is definitely a big honor to be invited into this tournament,” said junior forward Joe Reed. Reed will have to take on the tall task of slowing down Zeller, a celebrated fundamental big man. “I’m not nervous but it’s definitely a big challenge. I’ll be able to see what areas I need to improve at to play with the best,” said Reed. Zeller is one of the highest recruited players in the 2011 class. His older sib-lings Luke and Tyler played respectively at Notre Dame and North Carolina. Tyler and Cody have the most upside and have NBA potential. “These are four great teams, and we’re lucky enough to be in it. We don’t want to just participate in it, we want to win it,” said Reed. Point guard Jonny Marlin also has tough assignments as Warsaw and Bloomington South boast Division-One point guards in their line-up as well.

Ballin’ at the HallCG’s boys basketball team looks ahead to 2010 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic

“We’re the first team in Center Grove history to be invited,” Marlin said. “It’s a great honor that people think we’re a great team. It’ll be fun to watch.” Center Grove may have their best talent since…well ever. They have the potential to do very well this year, depending on how well they can flow as a unit. They are probably not the favorite to take home the championship, but that doesn’t stop them from thinking they’re able. “I’ve never gone into a game thinking my team would lose, even if we aren’t as talented,” Marlin said. For coach Cliff Hawkins, the Hall of Fame will not be a new experience. At his previous head coaching position, DeKalb High School, Hawkins took two teams to the tournament, one that featured Indiana star Luke Recker. Although Hawkins was unable to win the tourney with Mr. Basketball, he did return years later to avenge the loss and take home the championship. The team is hoping that many Trojan fans make the trip over to the tourney to support them. “It would be really cool to see that gym filled with fans, especially Trojan fans,” senior John Degenhardt said. In defense of the fan, it is a far drive. But, in defense of the team, this is an opportunity, “an honor” as Reed called it, that doesn’t present itself often. And in a venue like New Castle, where Steve Alford used to sell games out to 10,000 fans, the program cannot waste this opportunity. Plus, Center Grove is the closest to New Castle of any team in the tournament, so excuses about distance are petty. “It would be the best opportunity to see the state’s best basketball talent all in one place,” Marlin said. There are 10,000 seats to be filled: 10,000 fans screaming for their team. How many of those yells will be for the Trojans? You decide.

Head Coach: Cliff HawkinsCurrent Record: 5-2Conference: Metropolitan Class: 4ANickname: TrojansKey Players: -PG Jonny Marlin: Marlin is the stereotypical Indiana high school point guard plus some -SF Andy Smeathers: He can kill you from the outside and put it down in traffic. Brad Stevens is happy to have him. -PF Joe Reed: Reed is the most physical on the team. He’ll defend, rebound, and can score inside.

Head Coach: J.R. HolmesCurrent Record: 7-0Conference: Conference IndianaClass: 4ANickname: PanthersKey Players: -PG Darwin Davis: “Dee” will be playing ball at Xavier next year, and for good reason. He’s quick, and will eat you up with defense and blow by you on offense. -SG Spencer Turner: He is, argu-ably, the best set-shooter from long range in the state. He’s recently worked on adding more dimensions. But don’t be fooled: its going up.

Head Coach: Doug OgleCurrent Record: 6-0Conference: Northern LakesClass: 4ANickname: TigersKey Players: -PG Nic Moore: Like Marlin of CG, he’s an undersized guard. But, his skills make up the difference. Next year, Moore will be at Illinois State. This year, though, he’s out to make a statement. He dropped 50 on Ft. Wayne South earlier on Decem-ber 3. Don’t be surprised if he puts up more big numbers in the holoday clash

Head Coach: Gene MiillerCurrent Record: 5-2Conference: Big EightClass: 3ANickname: HatchetsKey Players: -C Cody Zeller: It’s all about the big man on this team. He’s the third seven footer from the Zeller home to play for the Hatchets. His findamentals are unmatched by any big in the state, maybe even nation. He can score with his back to the basket, rebound, defend, block shots, hit a mid-range jumper. He’s the real deal.

Center Grove Bloomington South Warsaw Washington

Top 5 Reasons to go to New CastleYou get an up-close look at some of the best talent in the state of Indiana. From Zeller to Davis, Smeathers to Moore, and even Marlin toTurner you’ll be a witness to some of the best basketball of the year. And you’ll never get another chance to see high school talent like this.1

2You get to experience Indiana high school basketball the way it was meant to be. Here, class doesn’t matter, just talent and toughness. The New Castle Fieldhouse has housed some of the greatest games and players in the state’s history. It’s a reminder of what was once the greatest tournament on Earth.

3It’s just an hour away. It may seem far, but Center Grove is the closest to New Castle of the four schools in the Classic. How embarassing it would be if Washington’s fans, who have to travel three hours, outnumbered us. Just hop on 465 to 70 and drive a bit. Before you know it, you’ll be eating popcorn and watching some basketball

It’s December 30, the perfect day to take an all-day trip. You’ll be tired of sitting around at home, but ready to show off the new Christmas jeans and shirt. What better place to do it than at a basketball game? Although New Year’s Eve is the next day, the timing is perfect. You’ll get home from the classic worn out and tired, thus causing you to sleep in until noon the next day. You’ll be peaking right as the ball drops at midnight

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Your high school basketball team is playing! And they’re not just playing the MIC teams you’ve been used to seeing all your life. Theyre matched up against teams from the northern and southern parts of the state. The out-come of this four team miniature tournament holds great bearing on the polls that next monday. Also, its on a neutral court, so whichever team has the most fans, will feel the most at home. That’s got to be the Trojans.

The 2010 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic features four of the best teams in the state, and your team is one of them. So on December 30, come out and show your support at the world’s largest high school gym

byKeatonWrightSports Writer

byBenWhiteheadEditor-in-Chief&