New superintendent to be appointed
December 16, 2009
The search for a new superintendent has come to an end with the appointment of Stuart (Jeff) Swensson. The school board plans to appoint him at a special meeting on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.
BWP & Associates, an outside consulting firm, assisted the board with the extensive search process, which began last summer. According to Ron Barnes, consultant with the firm, there were about 30 applications submitted from 13 different states.
From the 30 applicants, six individuals were chosen for an interview. The applicants were then narrowed down to three, and experienced a more extensive interview process that involved a tour of the community and schools and a public meet-and-greet session.
After this process, Swensson was chosen as the new superintendent. He has already been a part of the Carmel Clay School system, serving as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.
Current Superintendent Barb Underwood plans to retire at the end of December. She said she is proud to have been a superintendent of this school system. She said, “I really think we have a culture here where we can always try to get better. This is a great place to be superintendent. Despite the challenges, I’ll take away a great sense of pride.” By Sarah Sheafer <ssheafer@hilite.org>
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: What’s Inside Diet Coke
December 16, 2009
[embeded: src="http://hilite.org/flash/chen.dietcoke.swf" allowfullscreen="true" width="600" height="440"]
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Q & A WITH CHEMISTRY TEACHER DEBORAH HAIRE
Compiled By Steven Chen
<stevenchen@hilite.org>
Why is sugar harmful?
Sugar suppresses the immune system.
How do soft drinks deplete calcium?
The acid causes the calcium to leech from the bones into the blood system.
What about artificial sugars?
The sad part about those is the fact that the body can’t tell the difference between artificial sweeteners and real sugar so it continues to secrete insulin into the bloodstream. This causes confusion for the pancreas, which secretes the insulin.
What are substitutes to soft drinks?
Good old fashioned water. But of course people won’t do that. If you want a soft drink, then drink a vitamin-enriched water product.
How much sugar would you recommend?
I’d say very little sugar if any. As far as young people go, moderation is the key. But as you age, sugar is detrimental to one’s overall health and may lead to cancer, arthritis, dementia, and type-2 diabetes.
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NUTRITION FACTS OF DIET COKE
Serving size: 8 fl oz.
Calories: 1.0
Carbohydrates: 0.1 grams
Sodium: 28 mg
Potassium: 12 mg
Phosphorous: 18 mg
Caffeine: 31 mg
Aspartame: 125 mg
COCA-COLA / SOURCE
…Holiday Music and Movies
December 14, 2009
HiLite reporters Yameen Hameed and Mitch Ringenberg review the top 10 holiday movies ranked by Fandango.com
1. “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” – It’s a shame that no film adaptation has ever done this classic Dr. Seuss tale justice. The 2000 Ron Howard/Jim Carrey vehicle was overwrought and unfunny, completely failing to reach its potential. The 1966 TV cartoon is decent but compared to the classic story, it falls flat. Maybe in time Hollywood can do this great Christmas tale some justice, but until then the cartoon version will just have to suffice.
2. “Home Alone” – Oh, Macaulay Culkin, what happened? One minute you’ve hit box-office gold with this movie, and the next you’re in court for having some questionable slumber parties with Michael Jackson. Anyways, this movie was essentially a landmark in my childhood, but watching it now, as a (hopefully) more mature young adult, it’s hard to enjoy it in the same way. However, if the idea of watching two thieves getting outsmarted by a ten-year-old and subsequently maimed for an hour and a half sounds good to you, then by all means, enjoy.
3. “Elf” – As juvenile as some of the humor is, I can’t help but be entertained by “Elf.” I guess that has something to do with the casting of Will Ferrell. Yes, he plays the same characters in every movie, and yes, he’s got a one-note shtick, but who cares? That guy could film himself reading the phone book for two hours and it would probably be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to deny this movie’s awesomeness.
4. “Miracle On 34th Street” – When it comes to ‘40s Christmas films, “Miracle on 34th Street” is still unique and worthwhile in its own right. A mall Santa Claus who claims to be the real deal is institutionalized until a younger lawyer defends him as the “real” Santa Claus. It may be typical Christmas heartwarming fare, but what else would you want in a holiday movie? Warning: Avoid the watered-down mess that is the 1994 remake.
5. “A Christmas Story” – Possibly the funniest holiday film ever made, “A Christmas Story” is one of the most popular and oft-quoted Christmas movies. Constant TV airings have lessened its impact, however, the fact remains that it’s a classic. It’s hard to imagine anyone who hasn’t seen this film at least six times, so there’s not much point in discussing plot details, but if you happen to be among those rare, unfortunate souls, immediate viewing is required.
6. “The Polar Express”- I love how ridiculous and over the top this movie is, but I find a lot of the “heartwarming” depth to be cheesy and trite. As for the visuals, I don’t like how the characters themselves look, but the angles of motion are well done.
7. “The Santa Clause”- I don’t understand why this movie is so well known and loved. The story is somewhat original, but it’s weighed down by mostly bad acting and unrealistic characters. Although the majority of the humor is meant for kids, there are a lot of jokes kids wouldn’t understand but adults wouldn’t find funny.
8. “It’s a Wonderful Life”– If you were expecting me to use the word “wonderful,” be disappointed. But still, this is a great classic and one of those movies everyone must see. The acting is above average and the story has some nice lessons that can be easily learned due to the realistic characters.
9. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”– A nice, lighthearted comedy without much else to it. It’s definitely fun to watch and see how some jokes recur, but it doesn’t make a lasting impression as a comedy movie I would necessarily recommend.
10. “Tim Burton’s the Night Before Christmas” – The originality in this film is remarkable. Just the concept of holiday worlds alone is great, but a lot of Halloween town’s interpretations of Christmas really stick out to me, like the musicians playing “Jingle Bells” in a minor key. The sound track and visuals also make this a movie to remember.
The top new release holiday albums as ranked by Billboard music
1. My Christmas- Andrea Bocell
2. Peace on Earth- Casting Crows
3.The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection- Taylor Swift
4. Noel- Josh Groban
5. Andrea Bocelli- My Christmas
6. Christmas: 25th Anniversary- Mannheim Steamroller
7. Gold And Green- Sugarland
8. Christmas From the Heart- David Archuleta
9.Making Merry- Various Artists
10. Let It Snow!- Michael Buble
Top 10… Most popular gifts this holiday season
December 14, 2009
Still looking for that great gift idea? How about holiday music of the perfect seasonal movie night? The Hilite’s got you covered with these lists
Compiled by Audrey Bailey
1. Wii Balance Board and Wii Fit Plus Game Bundle
Like last holiday season, the Wii is back and is now offering other features like the balance board that allows students to do various exercises and track fitness progress. It is the most popular gift of the holiday season.
Price: Around $300
Where: Best Buy, Game Stop Read more
Semester 1 Final Exams
December 14, 2009
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16
- 7:50 to 9:20 am — Per. 5 Final
- 9:30 to 11:03 am — Per. 7 Final
- 11:13 am to 1:23 pm — Lunch
- 1:33 to 3:05 pm — Per. 8 Final
THURSDAY, DEC. 17
- 7:50 to 9:30 am — Per. 1 Final
- 9:45 to 11:30 am — Per. 2 Final
FRIDAY, DEC. 18
- 7:50 to 9:30 am — Per. 3 Final
- 9:45 to 11:30 am — Per. 4 Final
Additionally, the first day back from winter vacation, Jan. 4, is a PLC Late Start. Students are to meet in their SRTS at 8:30 am.
New policy regarding snow days could result in addition of days to school year
December 14, 2009
By Kendall Harshberger
<kharshberger@hilite.org>
This year, if winter weather causes schools to close, the school will no longer have multiple flex days to make up for it. Instead, there is only one flex day on May 4. If there is more than one snow day, students will have to remain in school after the last day of school.
In the past, two half days could be combined to form one full day. Since CHS planned for the last two days of finals to be half days, this allowed the school to have two full flex days, a day where school is not in session unless it is needed as a make-up day for inclement weather.
According to Superintendent Barbara Underwood, this policy is no longer in place.
“State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Tony Bennett, changed the rules for this year,” Underwood said. “No longer can two half days be added together to equal one full day.”
At the May 18 school board meeting, Steve Dillon, Director of Student Services, presented the new 2009-2010 calendar which included the changes for how snow days would affect the school calendar.
According to Underwood, CHS is in session for 180 full days and four half days this year.
Due to the recent change in half days policy, CHS will need to make up any days missed due to snow days by adding on days after school is technically supposed to be finished.
Sophomore Kelly Clark said she thinks this is a fair rule but doesn’t want to be in school longer than necessary.
“It’s fair because teachers need to teach their whole curriculum, and we need to make up for the things we missed, but we didn’t cause the weather change,” Clark said. “It’s not our fault that it snowed or it’s icy; it seems kind of unfair in that aspect.”
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