School board referendum up for vote on May 4
March 4, 2010
By Grayson Harbour
<gharbour@hilite.org>
According to the Pew Research center, a non-partisan public research organization, education is ranked fifth in the public’s priorities for 2010. Ahead of education are the economy, jobs, terrorism, and social security in that order.
According to freshman Cameron Prill, that order is in need of rearrangement. “I believe that education is of the highest importance, most of the students, all of us, will one day be the working class America, and there are new jobs sprouting up all the time. A basic education is necessary for many jobs that hold importance in our society,” he said. “In my social circles, I have seen that students don’t like to simply settle for a basic education; many want to pursue branching career opportunities, like those that are introduced through electives, which are not necessarily considered by government financial advisors.”
Currently, the Carmel Clay school district is facing serious financial difficulties due to recent state and district cuts. The general budget for the school system is now reliant on sales tax alone, rather than pooling money derived from both sales and property tax. Because of the recession, the number of items purchased, which contributes to sales tax, has been scientifically decreased. This, in turn, means that because sales tax is now the only source for funds, funds for the general budget have considerably decreased.
The state proposed a 3.2 million dollar cut to the overall education budget in October of last year. However, in January, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels released the final 3.8 million dollar cut. The current referendum, in which voters voluntarily raised 2 million dollars for education through tax increases, expires at the beginning of next year. Additionally, the district accounts for a 2.6 million dollar deficit due to increasing costs of operation, if current standards of education were to persist.
Tricia Hackett, vice president of the school board, said, “Originally, $315,200 was cut from the general fund budget during the 2008-09 school year, $1.5 million in 2009, and $3 million is proposed this year. In 2008 no one realized the full impact of this recession. To continually reduce the district’s budget is one option, but certainly not ideal for the education and well-being of our youth.”
With a total of sum of 11.6 million dollars in total deficit, a referendum for 12 million dollars, granted annually over the next 12 years, will be placed on the ballot for voters in the May 4 elections.
Hackett also said, “If this referendum passes, many of the proposed reductions will not be necessary. Since 93% of our general fund is dedicated to salaries and benefits, teaching staff will be among the first items that will be addressed. Therefore, the referendum will help protect class size and teaching jobs.”
Sophomore Mark Ostermeyer said, “First of all, I believe education is extremely important, and it is not fair for the state to cut the budget. Also, I believe it is not fair for the state to award more money to some schools and less money to other schools. I believe there should be a set average based on money awarded per student.”
According to the CCS district website, the average homeowner increase in property taxes would be about 55 cents per day. The referendum informational Power Point, which can be found on the district website under “Referendum Information” reads, “Without this referendum, there will be a dramatic increase in class size, a catastrophic loss in programs and services for students, and a significant loss of jobs.”
Tracing Their Traits
February 25, 2010
Whether you are the oldest, youngest or in between,
birth order plays a powerful role in determining your personality
By Nina Underman
<nunderman@hilite.org>
There are many issues twins and juniors Kelsey and Kirby Lynch don’t agree on. However, when it comes to their little sister, freshman Melanie Lynch, they are both on the same page.
“Melanie is the most attention-seeking person in the family,” Kelsey said. “She always overreacts, just to get the attention.”
For her part though, Melanie has a different point of view. “I like being the youngest in my family, but all my sisters pick on me,” she said.
Kelsey, Kirby and Melanie, whose older sister Natalie Lynch was a senior at this school last year and is currently a college freshman, are not alone. Recent research has shown that, in every family, each sibling has distinct personality characteristics that were determined simply by the order in which he was born.
There are many aspects of life that can be controlled, but the order in which we popped out of the womb is not one of them. As Lila Torp, Human Development and Family Wellness teacher, put it, “To think that you could grow up with siblings and they would not affect your development makes no sense. They’re going to have some impact on your life, not as much as a parent, but certainly more than the neighbors would have.”
Though every family is different, trends have consistently shown certain stereotypes in each birth order.
For example, a 2007 study of 250,000 people by Norwegian epidemiologists showed a negative correlation between IQ and birth order: the more older siblings one has, the lower one’s IQ. Additionally, a survey of 9,236 British mothers published in 2009 for the NetMums Web site found that 77 percent believe birth order has an effect on their children. The survey found the majority of parents feel they identify most with their oldest child and believe their youngest will be happiest in life.
According to Torp, “First-borns tend to be more expected to achieve. Parents are new to parenting and don’t want to mess up. Rules are stricter for the first-born, but everything from their first step to their first spelling test is a cause for celebration. Younger siblings may feel left out.”
Torp said middle children have to do the most adapting because they have played the roles of both the younger and older sibling.
“(Middle children) start out as the baby of the family, and when a younger sibling is born, they have to adjust to no longer being the youngest,” she said. “They have to learn to compromise with both of those people so they learn more flexibility than the other birth orders.”
Last-born children, according to Torp, are often considered the babies of the family and usually live up to this role. At times, it is difficult for the last-born child to find his place in the family because the first and middle children have already left huge footprints in which to follow. Because of this, most last-borns will seek attention any way they can, usually
through humor. Torp, who is the second of two children, said part of the reason she is a teacher is because she likes the attention.
“I get up in front of the class and everyone looks at me all day,” Torp said. “Not knowingly, my birth order influenced my career choice.”
In the Lynch family’s case, these birth order roles seem consistent with the girls’ personalities.
“Natalie was the first one (in the family) to turn 16,” Kirby said. “It was a big deal. She searched for her dream car and she found this one in Ohio, so she begged our parents to buy it. They agreed, even though it was over the budget they gave her and they had to drive to Ohio just to get her dream car.”
“When our 16th birthday came and it was time for us to get a car, our parents said, ‘We learned from our mistake and you’re not getting the car you want and you’ll get whatever we give you,’” Kelsey said. “I mean, I understand where they’re coming from, but it still seemed unfair.”
In addition to being the middle children in their family, Kelsey and Kirby are also fraternal twins. According to Torp, each set of twins has a “leader” and a “follower.” The leader twin usually resembles the first-born in being opinionated and loud, while the follower is more quiet.
“Kelsey is usually louder than me, but I get pretty competitive,” Kirby, the younger twin, said. “I’m not competitive about everything but in certain things like sports, I definitely am.”
Melanie, the youngest Lynch child, said she doesn’t look for attention but likes it. “I wouldn’t want to be the oldest or in the middle,” she said. “Being the youngest is fun.” However, Kelsey and Kirby said they think Melanie can sometimes be manipulative, a characteristic of the last-born.
“She always thinks she’s sick,” Kirby said. “When one of us is actually sick, she’ll say she is too, just to get the attention.”
“Melanie always takes my clothes,” Kelsey said. “She steals my clothes, and then, when I ask her if she took them, she tells me that she doesn’t have them.”
In the classroom, Torp said that, after she gets to know her students, she is close in guessing their birth order. “I can tell because the babies tend to like attention,” Torp said. “The first-borns tend to be more responsible and get their assignments in on time and if they don’t, they feel guilty about it and they talk to me about it. They are perhaps more mature in the way they ask questions. The middle children seem to be able to get along with a lot of different people. They seem to be more adaptable.”
Whether you are the oldest, youngest, or in between, there’s no denying that your birth order affects who you are. “Everyone has been cast in a birth order role since day one,” Torp said. “Our personalities reflect this, whether we realize it or not, because that’s the role we’ve grown up with and are most comfortable in.”
Invisible Children to host benefit concert March 19
February 25, 2010
By Sarah Yun
<syun@hilite.org>
Invisible Children plans to host a benefit concert on March 19 in the Freshman Cafeteria. The free concert will start around 6 p.m. and end around 10 p.m.
According to Juliana Hughey, Invisible Children member and sophomore, Invisible Children members will sell baked goods and T-shirts during the concert. They will also carry around buckets for donations; all proceeds will benefit building a school in Uganda.
POSTERS FOR UGANDA: Invisible Children members create a poster for the benefit concert the club is hosting on March 19. All proceeds from this event, which will feature local bands from the school, will go toward building a school in Uganda. PRIYA PATEL / PHOTO
“I think that the concert will be a great way to help spread the awareness that children in Uganda need help,” Hughey said.
According to InvisibleChildren.com, the Ugandan Civil War is the longest running conflict on the African continent, and some soldiers are children abducted from their homes and forced to fight. Invisible Children is a worldwide movement seeking to end the conflict and bring the children back home. The organization also raises money to rebuild schools, educate future leaders and provide jobs in Northern Uganda.
The local chapter of Invisible Children was started at CHS three years ago. “I decided to be the sponsor for the club because I thought it was a good cause and I had respect for the kids who wanted to create this club,” sponsor Alicia Noneman said.
Member and senior Cassandra “Cassie” Wild said, “I traveled to Uganda the summer before my freshman year and I was able to see for myself the suffering of the children in Uganda. What I experienced there really came close to my heart and I really care about this cause.”
Wild said she joined Invisible Children because she understood that the children in Uganda were desperately in need of help.
According to Hughey, local bands at this school that would like to perform during the concert should contact one of the Invisible Children members at one of the club meetings. Invisible Children will have an audition to choose five or six bands.
Wild said, “All the money raised from the benefit concert will help give kids our age a chance to have a good future and an education that they haven’t been able to have before. The children there are definitely a lot less fortunate than we are.”
Technology changes face of relief efforts
February 25, 2010
Project Haiti just one group here to use new communications methods to make a difference
By Priya Patel and Hope Boyer
<ppatel@hilite.org, hboyer@hilite.org>
It was after she saw the wreckage in Haiti on TV that Kathleen Hayes, creator of the Project Haiti Club and junior, said she wanted to help make a difference. “Right after that, we talked to (English teacher Jerry) Brickley about having him sponsor a club that would help us raise money for the people in Haiti. Seeing all of the news coverage really inspired us to step up,” she said.
The Jan. 12 earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti, was devastating for the Haitians. The extent of this natural disaster was widely broadcast by cable networks, resulting in a pervasive outpouring of relief. But what’s unique is, as students like Hayes feel the need to aid victims of the earthquake, they find the Web and other forms of technology can help them with fundraising efforts within their clubs.
SENDING AID: Isabelle Dakkins, French Club member and senior, helps prepare that the French Club sold to raise money for Haitian relief efforts. GABRIELLE BOWERS / PHOTO
One of those clubs is Project Haiti, which is scheduled to host fundraisers today at Maggie Moo’s and Cool River Pizza in Carmel.
Hayes said she is trying to get as many students involved in the club as possible to make the largest possible effect and said using different modes of communication have been extremely beneficial.
“We started a Facebook club so that kids at Carmel can see what’s really going on in Haiti,” she said. “It’s useful that we can get the info out there technologically. Even just doing the TV announcements during SRT helps a lot. The news on the TV really affected us when we saw the damage. After just seeing a small bit of what the Haitians were being put through inspired me to help.”
Brickley said, “(The club members) are making good use of the technology available to them. It’s the reality of today. If you don’t use the technology, then you won’t be able to get the message out. It is there to stay connected, get organized, get more information, and most importantly, get the message out.”
FUNDRAISING FOR HAITI: UNICEF members sell baked goods to raise money for Haiti. Different clubs are finding ways to help aid the people of Haiti. GABRIELLE BOWERS / PHOTO
The evolution of donations through text messages and other phone services has also created a drastic change in how awareness and relief funds can be raised. According to the Red Cross Web site, the latest innovation is free applications created for iPhone and Blackberry users which allow them to access real-time news feeds from the Red Cross about what is happening in Haiti.
But potentially The Red Cross’s most widely recognized initiative is the “text for relief” program created shortly after the earthquake. According to its Web site, the Red Cross teamed up with Mobile Accord and the mGive Foundation to allow customers of participating wireless carriers to text message “Haiti” to 90999 to make a donation of $10 that would be taken from the customer’s next phone bill.
Junior Taylor Imus is one of many students here who have donated using this service. She said she donated $20 through the Red Cross texting program.
“I love the idea of donating through texts. I’ve donated to a few other charities, and it’s harder because you have to wait for them to send you the envelope and then mail it back. This was easy—one simple transaction,” Imus said. “I also think it encouraged people to donate because it was so easy.”
With the efforts of students and citizens around the world such as Hayes and Imus the Red Cross was able to raise $7 million through text messages alone within two days of the earthquake, according to CNNMoney.com.
Hayes said, “I think it’s a great way to reach out to a wide range of people. Texting is so convenient and with one click you’re already helping.”
Carmel Green Initiative students work to make city eco-friendly
February 25, 2010
Local environmental awareness club awarded $10,000 grant, uses money to finance green projects
By Priya Patel
<ppatel@hilite.org>
Freshman Lauren Gibson is saving the world, quite literally. Gibson is the founder of local environmental awareness group, Carmel Area Roots and Shoots (CAR&S).
GRANTS GO GREEN: Freshman Lauren Gibson and her mother, Margot Gibson, speak with Mayor Jim Brainard during the Fall Awards Grant Ceremony. LAUREN GIBSON / SUBMITTED PHOTO
Roots and Shoots is a global organization originally founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991. Since then, the organization has fostered the creation of local groups in countries all over the world. According to the Roots and Shoots Web site, www.rootsandshoots.org, their mission is “to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.”
Naturally, hearing of such an opportunity, Gibson decided to create the Carmel Area Roots and Shoots organization and submitted a grant proposal to the Green Works Green Heroes Grant Program, which is run by the eco-friendly cleaner company Green Works. This program offers teenagers around the country the opportunity to win up to $10,000 if they could come up with the most unique ideas to help their communities become more environmentally friendly.
GRANTS GO GREEN: Freshman Emily Roberts speaks on behalf of Carmel Green Initiative at the ceremony. LAUREN GIBSON / SUBMITTED PHOTO
Last year, CAR&S was awarded one of the $10,000 grants by the Green Works Green Heroes grant program. CAR&S submitted the idea of giving their money to 22 youth-driven, action-based environmental projects, according to Gibson.
“(To qualify for the money), we ask the groups to fill out an application that includes their plan of action, and then us four girls and a supervising group of adults will look over and decide on which idea would serve our purpose best,” Gibson said.
Groups that win the money from CAR&S will receive anywhere from $250 to $1000. In November of last year, at the Fall Grant Award Ceremony, the members of CAR&S awarded $2,950 of their $10,000 to five local youth groups that submitted local, eco-friendly volunteer projects; one of these groups was one of the Cub Scouts troops.
“What makes the program so unique and unusual, is that they worked really hard to win, but they are giving away the money to help other youth build initiatives to help the environment,” Gibson’s mother Margot Gibson said.
Though the group is entirely youth-formulated and driven, Gibson does receive some guidance from her mother and three other adults on the committee.
“Lauren and the other girls realized that being teenagers responsible for giving away $10,000 was a big initiative and so they came to me as one of their adult supervisors. The other women are able to use their expertise in certain areas to help advise the girls on things they are trying to accomplish. It is a really nice balance of adults and teens that care about the environment,” Mrs. Gibson said.
Though this is only the beginning, Gibson said she intends to continue making Carmel more eco-friendly throughout high school.
Gibson said, “I would love to continue with the Carmel Green Teen program, but we only have $10,000. However, I will continue doing my best to help encourage other teens to make the community a greener place throughout high school and possibly my career.”
Despite perceptions of fake responses, drug surveys prove to be insightful
February 25, 2010
By Monica Cheng
<mcheng@hilite.org>
In the middle of filling out the annual drug survey sponsored by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center (IPRC) as a freshman last year, sophomore Raven Peterson said she had a thought cross her mind; the drug survey was exceedingly long and repetitive, with its seemingly endless list of multiple-choice questions asking her whether she had ever used drugs or smoked a cigarette.
As a healthy 15-year-old with no inclination to try drugs of any sort in the near future, Peterson said she felt that the drug surveys were getting nowhere by continuing to ask variants of what seemed to be the same or very similar questions.
But that, according to CHS social worker Jane Wildman, who helps administer the surveys, is somewhat by design. Although some have questioned the legitimacy of drug surveys due to the possibility that not all students may answer the questions truthfully, Wildman said she is confident that the surveys are accurate.
“The IPRC knows how to put together a survey that asks a question in a certain way or in a different way twice,” Wildman said, “so they can see if there’s a consistency in the results. The computer will kick out the extremes when they feel that someone is lying.”
According to Wildman, these anonymous, multiple-choice surveys are offered to selected schools around the state every year to determine whether students have been involved with drugs. This year, the surveys will be handed out to students to take on Feb. 25 during the first session of SRT.
“In our district, (drug surveys) are used to help write grants for funding, which goes to any sort of prevention of at-risk behaviors, mainly drugs and alcohol,” Wildman said.
Although it may be easy to put off drug surveys as something rather insignificant, Peterson said she realizes the importance of drug surveys and also believes honesty is an important factor to any effective survey.
Austin Rader, LifeLines president and senior, has similar views as Peterson and said drug surveys play an important role in the school and community in helping them become aware of the choices their students are making.
“Drug surveys help the school and community realize what kind of priorities they need to be making in their programs,” Rader said. “They also give students a chance to realize and to see all that they’ve done. Sometimes, (students) may not realize the choices that they’re making until they see it on paper.”
Still, according to Rader, despite of the good intentions and anonymous aspect of the drug survey, however, some students may still feel the need to lie, perhaps to protect their identity from the school or police.
Peterson said, “I know a lot of people who lie (on the drug survey) and say they do drugs so they can skew the results and make the school look bad.Basically, they’re just trying to be funny, but there’s really nothing all that funny about lying.”
However, large-scale misrepresentation may backfire on students. For example, if the drug surveys were to show an overwhelming number of drug participants, Wildman said, health classes may be instructed to focus more on alcohol and other abusive substances.
“In the past, for example, juniors have had a speaker come in to talk about alcohol and drunk driving as well as their effects,” Wildman said.
The speaker this year purposely wore shorts and a tank top so the students could see that one of her arms were amputated and the rest of her body was covered in scars from the car accident.
“Obviously, there’s going to be a margin of error (on the drug surveys) but for the most part, you can still use them to have an accurate look at the school,” Peterson said.
Wildman said, “They’ve gotten it down to a fine science, though, so it doesn’t really make a difference if people lie or not. But we want the truth because it’s very important for us to know what’s going on (around the school).”
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