Carmel High School newspaper earns top rating from Quill & Scroll
August 31, 2010
Quill & Scroll, the international honorary society for high school journalists, recently recognized the 2009-10 Carmel High School student newspaper with one of that organization’s highest awards. The HiLite earned an International First Place Award for superior achievement. Newspapers scoring between 900 and 1,000 total points in the evaluation earn that distinction. Carmel’s paper earned 914 points out of 1,000 and additionally earned superior achievements in four of the organization’s five individual categories – policy guidelines, coverage, display and design, and business practices.
In his critique comments, the anonymous judge called the HiLite “a professional looking publication.” Additionally, he said the newspaper’s design was “among the best I’ve seen among your peer group.”
Michelle Hu (Harvard University) was last year’s editor in chief. Rosemary Boeglin (Oberlin College) and Sarah Sheafer (College of Charleston) were last year’s managing editors.
Jim Streisel advises the HiLite.
School Board and Carmel Clay Education Association reach contract agreement
August 16, 2010
The Carmel Clay School Board of Trustees and the Carmel Clay Education Association reached a contract agreement on Aug. 12.
According to Superintendent Jeff Swensson via e-mail, a genuine effort was present on both sides to reach a responsive decision.
“The major outcome from the settlement between our school district and our teachers association is that we have come to a mutual agreement about important issues related to both salary and benefits over four years,” Swensson said.
CCEA President Sherri Pankratz said that everyone was ready to change how they approached the problem.
The issue has been over salary since the teachers have not received a new contract since July of 2008. Up to this agreement, teachers have been given a salary at the 2007-2008 school year level. There will be a 0.5 percent raise in the 2008-2009 school year, a one percent raise in the 2009-2010 school year, a 2.5 percent raise in the 2010-2011 school year, and a one percent raise in the 2011-2012 school year.
According to Pankratz, another factor towards the agreement was the increased cost of health care since last year. The agreement also includes two new health insurance plans for a total of four tiers of insurance that depend on the size of the family.
For students, teachers can be more occupied with planning lessons and class time. According to Swensson, the agreement will provide better learning experiences for students across the district.
Swensson said, “The benefit to one and all is that our school district’s mission is the sole focus of one and all.” By Steven Chen <stevenchen@hilite.org>
The New and Improved Carmel
August 10, 2010
The Carmel City Center transforms local economy, downtown scene
By Mackenzie Madison
<mmadison@hilite.org>
Some could be put off by the $300 million price tag and what it means for taxpayers, others by its possible threat to locally owned businesses; nevertheless, according to Mayor Jim Brainard, the Carmel City Center project forecasts a great stimulant in the local economy.
According to stats.indiana.edu, a website that publishes tax rates and other public information, taxes in Carmel have actually dropped over the last few years in which the project has taken place, and, according to Brainard, those $300 million have already been invested back into the area.
“When there’s public money involved, there’s questions, as there should be,” Brainard said. “But this is a very positive thing in attracting investment to an area that wasn’t getting any. And that’s our goal for the public-private partnership.”
Senior Lauren Wiegand whose mother previously owned the Simply Sweet Shoppe on Main Street is one of those who expresses concern with the Carmel City Center project.
“There is always a fear that something will happen to your family business, especially when you have so much of your life invested in it,” Wiegand said. “However, that threat is always a possibility, especially when chain stores are able to sell products cheaper and in larger volume than other smaller retailers.”
Brainard, on the other hand, looks at this competition as a positive.
“(Small and large businesses) can thrive together; the country’s all about competition and how competition makes all businesses better with the recognition that some will fail and others will succeed,” Brainard said.
Senior Andrew Aisen says he agrees with the mayor and that he also has high hopes for the project in his search for a job.
“I look forward to the opening of the Carmel City Center chiefly because it will give people, including myself, an opportunity to work and earn money,” Aisen said. “In my view, whether a business is big or small is irrelevant, it’s the growth in competition and the job market that is important to the economy and myself.”
Luckily for Aisen, Brainard says that the Carmel City Center will be employing over 2,000 people directly or indirectly.
Even though Wiegand said she has her concerns about the Carmel City Center, she said she does think that this could benefit Carmel’s downtown.
“I think that it will bring new people to the downtown Carmel area and increase support of all businesses nearby,” Wiegand said.
“The close proximity to the Arts District can be looked at as a positive aspect. Despite the concerns that the new Carmel City Center will draw people away from Main Street, I think that eventually we will see more people shopping locally in both locations.”
Brainard said that this symbiotic relationship was no coincidence.
“We want people to walk into the City Center and walk into Old Town, but maybe in the middle there could be a restaurant or two for people to live in the area. But it’s about trying to work with the private sector and to create special places that make Carmel more competitive.”
This is actually all part of Brainard’s plan to implement new urbanism in Carmel. According to Brainard this is a concept that combines living space, work and play without extensive use of transportation.
“The key parts to new urbanism, sometimes we call it traditional neighborhood design, is a city before cars,” Brainard said. “People had to walk to places. It’s mixed use. It’s corner stores. It’s retail in the same building as houses or apartments above it. But at the same time, it’s not skyscrapers like in New York City. It’s urbanism prior to the three dimensional structural steel in the late 1800s. It’s generally no more than eight or nine stories. And so it’s built on a human scale and focuses on street life. It focuses on walkability, public parks.”
Although Carmel has grown exponentially over the last decade, Brainard said that even after this project is finalized, there is still more that can be done.
“Cities,” he said, “are never finished.”
Palladium gains new cultural significance
August 10, 2010
By Tracy Sun
<tsun@hilite.org>
As hype builds for the Center for the Performing Arts opening in January 2011, junior Roohi Ahuja said she hopes the Palladium will not only bring business to Carmel but also new cultural significance.
“I’ve seen the building before,” Ahuja said. “But I didn’t know what it was until about four months ago.”
Many other residents of Carmel are also noticing the architectural and structural changes in the city, specifically the Palladium. The 1,600 seat concert hall plans to attract musical and artistic acts from around the state and country.
Steve Libman, executive director of the Palladium, said he suspects the venue will bring attention to Carmel’s value to the arts.
He said, “The Center is not only an investment in the arts but the city’s quality of life. The long-term economic growth of Carmel is influenced by the work we are doing today. Our opening in January will begin welcoming the world to our city.”
Ahuja said she even considers performing on the stage of the Palladium one day.
“I would be interested in dancing with my group,” she said. “We perform classical Indian dance and could open the audience to more variety.”
According to Libman, this peaked interest in the arts will benefit younger generations as well.
“I believe you are going to see more high school students taking an interest in the arts, both from the standpoint as a patron and a performer. The Palladium will rank among the world’s greatest music venues, rivaling those in Vienna, Amsterdam, Boston and New York City,” he said. “That alone means more exposure to great artists, fostering a life-long love affair with the arts. The educational outreach plans at the Center include regular programs geared especially for high school students.”
However, with the introduction of The Center for Performing Arts came some criticism due to financing the project. But Mayor Jim Brainard said the public ultimately decided what would happen.
“I think the 2003 elections were really about whether we wanted an ice hockey stadium or a concert hall and the public anchored for the city center project and decisively came down in favor of the concert hall,” Brainard said. “And really the only criticism we hear from are the same people who didn’t want it to begin with. There’s just a small minority.”
Regardless, Ahuja said she thinks the structure is a positive addition to the city.
“We have places to perform but not as big or good quality,” she said. “I think the Palladium gives people a chance to show off their talent and could even bring people closer together.
Tackling a New Grading System
August 10, 2010
Transition to nine-week grading period changes how students approach schoolwork
By Patrick Bryant
<pbryant@hilite.org>
For senior Elise Ruff, the end of her high school career begins with a new format for grading periods. This change will alter not only the length of grading periods from six six-week periods to four nine-week periods, but also the formula for determining how each grading period will affect her overall semester grade.
CHS posts Week 1 schedule for 2010-11 school year
May 27, 2010
Tuesday, Aug. 10 (Blue Day)
7:50 to 8: 20 a.m. – SRT (schedule distribution and announcements)
8:30 to 9:40 a.m. – Period 1
9:50 to 11:03 a.m. – Period 2 (brief announcements)
11:03 a.m. to 1:23 p.m. Period 3 +lunch (Teachers will have lunch schedules.)
1:33 to 3:05 p.m. – Period 4 (announcements)
Wednesday, Aug. 11 (Gold Day)
7:40 to 8:20 a.m. – PLC meetings for teachers, late start day for students
8:30 to 10 a.m. – Period 5
10:10 to 11:03 a.m. – SRT (10:10 to 10:30 a.m.: Freshman, sophomore class meetings; 10:40 to 11:03 a.m.: Junior, senior class meetings)
11:13 a.m. to 1:23 p.m. – Period 7
1:33 to 3:05 p.m. – Period 8
Thursday, Aug. 12 (Blue Day)
Students follow the regular Blue Day schedule.
Friday, Aug. 13 (Gold Day)
7:50 to 9:20 a.m. – Period 5
9:30 to 11:03 a.m. – SRT (Students dismissed at 10 a.m. for an all-school convocation)
11:13 a.m. to 1:23 p.m. – Period 7 + lunch
1:33 to 3:05 p.m. – Period 8
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