The Alternate Approach: Sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez spent her freshman year
February 25, 2010
By Henry Zhu
hzhu@hilite.org
Waking up at 5 every morning in order to participate in hours of grueling, military-style physical training before hours of difficult classes in the afternoon and going to bed at 8 every night is not something every teenager can imagine themselves doing. However, for sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez, this was the basic pattern of her life from last January to June. Rather than spend her freshman year at a public or private school, Ramirez took part in a five-month long Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy (HYCA) program in Edinburgh where she devoted more time to doing push-ups than cracking open books.
“We would wake up at 5 and spend the better part of the morning doing obstacle courses and exercises before lunch,” Ramirez said. “Since it was sponsored by the National Guard, it was basically living the life of a soldier.”
Ramirez is one of a small but significant and growing number of students who, while still planning to go to college, have looked into programs other than this school’s standard curriculum. Other alternative options include the J. Everett Light Career Center and the Carmel Learning Center, both of which are half-day programs where the students spend half the day here and the other half at the center.
“J. Everett Light is for students who are interested in a career that is not part of the school’s curriculum,” David Mikesell, J. Everett Light coordinator and counselor, said. “The classes there range from dental assisting to fire fighting to law enforcement. Many of the classes can also be taken for dual credit at nearby colleges, including Ivy Tech and Purdue.”
Aside from J. Everett Light, the Carmel Learning Center is another option for students interested in alternatives to the normal schedule. The center focuses on students who may be struggling with their required academic classes and is designed to serve their needs.
“It’s more technology-based and the classes are smaller, so students are more likely to get the help they need,” Mikesell said.
The six-month program that Ramirez attended, while mostly focusing on physical training and community service, also included a variety of academic classes.
“We would take classes for three or four hours after lunch.” Ramirez said. “The main focus of the program was more to help us figure out what to do with our lives.”
J. Everett Light, through its many classes, also helps students decide if they would want to pursue their interests further into college or as a career.
“Both J. Everett Light and the Carmel Learning Center are options to students who seek an alternative to the standard program,” Mikesell said. “The number of students attending J. Everett Light has been increasing over the last several years and there are more students in the program than ever before this year.”
Though she was one of the few to complete the National Guard program (only 10 of the original 22 girls graduated), Ramirez said she has no plans to join the army in the near future. Instead, she plans to go to a four-year college.
“(The challenge) really helped me develop a routine and organize my life. It also helped me at a time when I wasn’t really sure where my life was going,” Ramirez said. “I thought it was a great experience.”
OTHER OPTIONS: Counselor David Mikesell works in his office. According to Mikesell, other schooling was a good choice for Ramirez and may be for other students with different goals. STUART JACKSON / PHOTO
Guest Column: More than Recognition
January 29, 2010
By Ansel Nalin
The National Honor Society of Secondary Schools (NHS) was established in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. “The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership and to develop character in the students of secondary schools” (NHS Constitution: Article I, Section 2). The NHS mission preaches the four pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, and character, inspiring all members to live according to these values.
Every spring a select group of juniors are inducted into this school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. While many believe that such recognition is best utilized as an enhancement of one’s college application, membership in the National Honor Society is an esteemed privilege.
Not every student can apply for membership, and only those who demonstrate a commitment to scholarship, service, leadership and character will be inducted. For nearly 90 years, thousands of students have upheld the NHS mission: students from all over the country who have gone on to become politicians, writers, musicians and professional athletes.
One of our upcoming events is Carnation Sales. Because most of the NHS events are service projects, this is one of our only fundraising events. We will be selling carnations Feb. 2 through Feb. 9 during all lunch periods in both Main Cafeteria and Greyhound Station. At $1.50 apiece or $15.00 per dozen, carnations make thoughtful gifts. Choose from four colors: red (love), white (friendship), yellow (thank you), and pink (secret admirer). Carnations will be delivered to SRTs Friday, Feb. 12.
All NHS members are recognized as student leaders and role models. Yet, those selected to represent this school, a school already synonymous with success, are certainly the best and the brightest. Carmel High School provides so many opportunities for its students. We are fortunate to attend a school with the best teachers, classes, and resources. This school has prepared us for our futures, whether in higher education, the armed forces, or the workforce. Considering all that we have been given, this is the time, as leaders of the school, for a chance to give back.
As we become “second semester seniors,” let us reflect on and be thankful for our opportunities at this school. Although many of us are ready to move on, we can still maximize our final months here. Before we embark on our separate journeys, let us strive to make a positive impact on Carmel High School.
A (Not So) Easy ‘A’: Freshman Sarah Wilber got more than she bargained for when she undertook a difficult elective
January 29, 2010
By Rachel Boyd
rboyd@hilite.org
Sarah Wilber’s eyes scanned the freshly printed report card feverishly as she assessed her success. Satisfaction swept over her as she took note of her hard earned grades, but her stomach hit the floor with disappointment when she noticed her slightly lower grade in her Nutrition and Wellness class.
“I chose to take the class because my friends were taking it, and I just wanted to bake during school and eat. I thought it would be easy, like an easy A, and maybe it would help my GPA,” Wilber said. “I didn’t realize how hard it would be.”
Wilber is far from alone. Many students slip a few seemingly easy classes into their schedule to improve their overall GPA and give them a break from the rigor of their other courses.
“Blow off” electives such as theater, art, computer and family consumer sciences classes fill up quickly because students expect to have fun in the class and automatically receive an A, but those enrolled are often unpleasantly surprised by the amount of work and dedication involved in the class.
Ann Beelke, teacher of various art classes, said students often choose her classes and end up being upset about their grades and the level of difficulty associated with the work.
“That’s the bad thing about certain electives. People just assume that it will be easy and it won’t take a lot of time to do, but it does if you want good results,” she said.
As a typical high school freshman, Wilber was required to take classes such as biology, English, pre-algebra and geography, but she was free to choose whichever electives interested her. Unfortunately, she got more than she bargained for when she chose to take Nutrition and Wellness: Orientation to Foods and Nutrition.
“All the memorization is really hard. You have to learn all the vitamins and different types of foods and that kind of stuff, and it’s just really difficult,” Wilber explained.
Brenda Lester, a Family Consumer Science teacher, said that this type of situation happens frequently with students in the classes she teaches. “Students perceive Foods (Nutrition and Wellness: Orientation to Foods and Nutrition) as an easy class because we have daily exposure to the content. The class applies many of the other content areas, so in reality you are taking a class that is actually science, English, math, human relations as well as others. Some students find it fun to see it all pulled together into a neat package, others might struggle,” Lester said via e-mail.
Although this is her first year of high school, Wilber said this situation has helped her to learn a valuable lesson. “I won’t take classes just because I think they’ll be easy or to be with my friends,” she said. “I would rather take classes I’m actually interested in that will help me on in life.”
A CUT ABOVE: Freshman Sarah Wilber works with supplies in one of the Nutrition and Wellness classrooms. According to Wilber, while she took the class to get an “easy A,” she ended up learning an important life lesson about challenging herself, and when scheduling for future classes, she will look to courses that interest her personally. SHOKHI GOEL / PHOTOS
Lends a Helping Hand: Every issue, the HiLite features a random student. This time, it’s sophomore Eric Lawler, who fundraises for a school in Liberia
December 14, 2009
By Priya Patel
helping hands: Sophomore Eric Lawler works on a problem in class. Lawler began rasing money to build a school in Liberia after hearing about the project from a friend.
ppatel@hilite.org
Ever since his friend, sophomore Allissa “Alli” Kizer, asked him this summer to help her out, sophomore Eric Lawler has been really excited to get to work helping her fundraise to build a school in Liberia.
“I asked Eric to help because we both had the same pictures and goals in our heads- of helping those who need it most; and for both of us, Africa has been the place that has drawn our interest. I know it is something that he really cares about and someplace where he really wants to make a difference, just like me,” Kizer said.
Kizer’s family friend wanted to create an organization to build a Christian college in Liberia. However, it was not to be just another Christian college in Liberia, it was going to be different.
The Liberia International Christian College (LICC) aims to “offer a breadth of opportunities which are uncommon among Christian colleges in Liberia; including accessibility, affordable tuition and fees, and work study programs.”
“The main cause is to help train Christian leaders in Liberia and since education is such a rare thing over there, it’s something I feel like it is an awesome concept being done for a great reason; this school is really going to help Liberia,” Lawler said. With Lawler and Kizer’s help, their friend is now well on his way to successfully building a school.
According to the LICC website, the college began its first full semester of classes in March of 2009, offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Pastoral Studies, Theology, Christian Education, Business Management, and Missions. The website also said that the school plans to offer classes in technical skills for students who choose not to enter in the college-level program.
“So far, the first floor of a three-story building is finished, but the building isn’t nearly close to completed with supplies,” Lawler said.
They are going to work to raise money to focus on one aspect of the school’s needs, and then move on to other needs as they are completed then more come.
Lawler said that as far as fundraisers go, they have hosted specific fundraisers to raise money, but are also brainstorming new ideas that may help bring in some more money.
“The first thing we did was raise thousands of dollars by attending a walk in Indianapolis for the cause, and we got many sponsors and walked along the canal in a 5k walkathon. We’ve also been thinking of bake sales, benefit concerts, and the like to help raise money if different ways,” Lawler said.
Lawler believes he could confidently say he is a changed man because of this project. He said he never really paid attention to Africa, but now that he’s helping, he’s fallen in love with it.
This introduction to a whole different world has inspired Lawler to incorporate helping people and traveling to Africa into his future plans and goals.
He said, “Helping out has made me want to, someday, go to Africa and help out directly with the project; it has made me want to do something that will not only benefit me, but help others as well.”
Guest Column: I’ll get up, just give me a second
December 14, 2009
By Bethany Arrington
I have yet to fall off Carmel High School’s auditorium stage and am proud of it. However, I have fallen off the stage in the studio theater, tripped on a rug during a Comedy Sportz match, gotten my hair caught on a wire that hoisted me to fly on the auditorium stage and completely wiped out trying to get my folder in a slot during choir freshmen year. I would not consider myself an incredibly clumsy person, although it’s embarrassing, considering the fact that I take dance classes and run in my free time that I cannot seem to stay upright while performing or practicing.
I do think my mishaps make a great analogy of life in general. You just keep getting back up again and continue no matter how hard the fall. I have bounced back from every fall and mishap. Maybe not in the most graceful way or even that fast, but I’ve done it and will continue to do so.
I have also tripped over many a root on the cross-country trail and have come back from the warm-up; yes I hadn’t even attempted the workout yet,–with dirt covering my body and leaves in my hair. Although it hurt, I took the time to clean myself up and get back to what I was doing and finished the practice.
I think both sports and the performing arts here truly teach some life lessons as well as skills we can take with us when we graduate. I have learned a lot while on a sports team and within the performing arts department and I am only halfway through my schooling here. In the performing arts department, I have learned that you don’t touch Director Jim Peterson’s computer unless you want to cry, and you always make sure mime makeup will come off before the next period, otherwise people stare at you or that you can never have enough sequins on a choir outfit for “Holiday Spectacular.”
Now maybe these aren’t the most important lessons, but I have also learned that you cannot do things by yourself and need to trust your fellow performers or teammates, that it’s not always going to be about you when you’re on stage or on the field; sometimes you need to play backup or pull a teammate through a race and you have to sing your loudest and be willing to mess up so you can identify what needs to be fixed.
Life lessons can be taught anywhere, whether on the field, on stage or in the classroom, it is just the matter of learning from them and getting back up again.
A Long-Distance Family: Senior Hannah Lencheck’s parents live in separate states due to job placements
November 20, 2009
SPLIT DECISION: Senior Hannah Lencheck talks to her father over the phone. Lencheck’s parents made the decision to live in separate states after a job change. KATE GRUMME / PHOTO
By Celina Wu
cwu@hilite.org
Senior Hannah Lencheck said she can still remember the day last November when she found out the news that her father had to relocate for his job. She said she was the last one to return home and her whole family was already gathered around the kitchen table.
“When I saw my whole family there, including all three of my older sisters who were home from college, I knew we were going to have a serious family meeting,” Lencheck said. “It was one of those times when you know something upsetting was going to happen. It was unbelievable at first, and then everyone started reacting and sort of freaked out.”
That day, Lencheck’s father announced to the family that the company he works for, Behr Paint, was requiring him to move to California. Lencheck said the reason for the company necessitating her dad’s move was due mainly to the recession. Lencheck and her family are among the numerous families nationwide who have been directly affected by job situations because of the recession.
“For the most part, the decision for my dad to move was made for us by the company. There was no question of my dad moving out there. Move it or lose it. Initially too, my mom ad I were obligated to go out there; they didn’t want my dad being distracted by travelling back and forth,” Lencheck said. “I thought I was moving for sure at the end of junior year. We’re talking boxes packed, house a month away from being put on the market, Dad already living out there as of January; it was crazy. Later though, the company decided that my mom and I didn’t need to move out there.”
Lencheck said after the company decided she and her mother could stay behind, her family still had a hard time making a decision about the moving arrangements. She said, “Anything that splits up a family is going to be a tough decision. As far as alternatives go, my dad looked into a few other companies, but staying with Behr was the best option.”
Lencheck said her dad’s move to California mostly changed the family dynamic. “I still talk to him on the phone, and he comes home about once a month, give or take, depending on when it is convenient for everybody’s schedules,” she said.
Social worker Jane Wildman said she has seen situations similar to that of Lencheck and her family several times over. According to her, a family that is split up because of job relocation sees changes in communication from face-to-face to over the phone or electronic communication.
Wildman also said the parent who stays with the child in this situation has to take on a physical role similar to that of a single parent. In Lencheck’s case, “The mother will have to take all the responsibility for running the household. Also, while the father will help with the decision-making, the mom will be making most all the day-to-day decisions. Overall, the parents will have to adapt their roles to the situation they are in.”
Lencheck said her parents’ roles are pretty similar to how they were before. “My parents consult over the phone about most decisions, and they come to a conclusion together.”
Lencheck said, “At first, it was really difficult to deal with, but now we’ve all pretty much adjusted. Even though the situation is definitely not the most pleasant, I know it was the best decision that could have been made.”
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