trojaneertrojaneerCenter Grove High School Vol. XLX, Issue 512.03.10

byVincentWilliamsNewsWriter

Swimming stars nab college scholarhips (page 8)

-Teachers experience black friday frenzy (page 5)

-Students befriend American soldiers (page 2)

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for 16-20 year olds. Adults have always considered teenagers to be among the worst of drivers. Whether it’s their lack of experience, loud passengers, or texting while driving, these stereotypes seem to be correct from this point of view. But are they really true? “I think that high school kids are by far the worst drivers,” junior Ryan Scheele said. Kids are always the ones who will be going 90 miles per hour on those country roads that are scarcely patrolled by local police. Studies have shown two thirds of teens will actually admit to traveling 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Center Grove High School seems to be no different. Students have been involved in car crashes that have damaged or totaled their cars. The parking lot is dangerous to students walking to their cars as well as students driving their cars. Students have all seen the wrecks right after school when people are apparently in a hurry to get home as fast as they can. The Center Grove Police Department will show up and block the entrance to the parking lot, which will cause all cars to back up, and no one will be able to get home. “I remember not being able to get home until 10 minutes later than normal because there was a car crash right in front of me,” junior Connor Whiteside said. Not to mention the cost of these accidents, which nationwide totals over 34 billion dollars (including damage costs and medical expenses) for teenage drivers. Teenage drivers account for 20 percent of all accidents in the US even though they only represent 10 percent of American drivers. Statistics show that teens are four times more likely to be involved in a car crash than other, more experienced drivers.

Center Grove Parents for Stability and Transparency is a group of concerned citizens who feel the school board is taking the school system in the wrong direc-tion. “Parents for Stability and Transparency is a group of parents, grandparents and citizens in Center Grove who are worried about the direction the school board is taking the school sys-tem,” Anna Lovell said. Lovell is one of the people who help run Parents for Stability and Transparency. “We originally started to petition the board to not termi-nate administrators, such as high school principal Matt Shockley and Assistant Superintendent Janet Boyle,” Lovell said. The group researched the potential non-renewal of con-tracts and found that the school board was disregarding by-laws. “The Center Grove Community School Corporation school board was not following the by-laws and code of ethics, as well as the Indiana School Board Association code of ethics,” Lovell said. All school board members are required to be a member of the Indiana School Board Association, and are required to agree to follow the code of ethics set up by the association. Parents for Stability and Transparency are hoping to bring a stable environment for

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, junior Haley Townsend swerved off the road on her way to morning swim practice and rolled her car. Townsend is just one of a number of Center Grove students who have been involved in car wrecks already this school year. photo submitted

Junior Jensen Grimmer was recently involved in a car accident while on her way to babysit. “You just always assume it’s never going to happen to you and then it does and you realize how dangerous driving really can be,” Grimmer said. Junior Jake Hage is one student involved in an altercation in the parking lot. “I had just parked my car and had started walking inside when someone randomly hit my car in the parking lot,” Hage said.

His car wasn’t even moving and another student still hit it. Some students will take a different approach to crashes, such as not being afraid of being in an accident. “I’m not afraid to get in a wreck because I’m a really good driver and I’m careful. I also try to pay attention in case there is one of those bad drivers by me,” Scheele said. Teenage driving has resulted in a dangerous public climate that threatens all morotorists. The last words of advice from Grimmer were, “Wear your seatbelt!”

Center Grove experiences recent rise in car wrecks both on and off campus

Center Grove schools, as well as transparency from the school board. They are asking the school board to post audio files, agendas and minutes of all meetings be posted on the Center Grove School Corporation website to maintain transparency in all activities.

Parents for Stability and Transparency also want the school board to hold quarterly meetings with the group, and to use the schools automatic

phone system to alert community members to board meetings one week in advance.

“We are requesting stability and transparency from the school board,” Lovell said. “This includes all actions of the school board as well as bringing the function of the school board back to the most important code of ethic- to put the children and their education first.” “We are also asking that they make all decisions through the lens of ‘How will this affect our students’,” Lovell said. In a statement released on November 20, the group asks that the school board update corporation by-laws, and ad-

here to those changes. They also ask that the school board hold a public review of the code of ethics. Another request is for

an annual review of the by-laws, and if no changes are made to document that the meeting took place.

“Parents for Stability and Transparency will continue to watch and follow the activities of current and future school boards to ensure the com-

pliance with all rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and their commitment to put the children first,” Lovell said.

Parent group seeks change in corporationbyKristenSouthernNewsWriter

“The Center

Grove Community School Corporation school board was not following the

by-laws and code of ethics, as well as the Indiana School Board Association code of

ethics.”-Anna Lovell

82 20 77Percent of teen drivers who use a cell phone while driving

Percent of teen crashes that occur between 9 p.m. and midnight

Percent of teens who admit they have felt unsafe with an-other teen’s driving

2NewsNews the trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010

Did you know that all U.S. Army soldiers sent into combat are sta-tioned only a few miles away be-fore they depart? Most people in our community are unaware that Camp Atterbury is the last place other than an airport where a soldier can interact with Ameri-can civilians before he or she is deployed. The Center Grove Students Supporting Troops of America (SSTA) recently spent a Satur-day at Atterbury serving pies to soldiers at the camp’s USO building. This is the place at the camp where soldiers can come and hang out, eat, and play some Black Ops. There was plenty of pie to go around, and the men and wom-en were extremely thankful that we were there to support them. This was humbling coming from people who are about to risk their lives for their country. Some soldiers in the lounge area were playing Xbox and they were friendly enough to ask me to join them for some Black Ops multiplayer. Honestly my Call of Duty skills are not very impres-sive, but I accepted the invita-tion. I won’t mention the score of the game, but let’s just say that

I learned a lot in 10 minutes. All of the students and staff involved in the trip had a great time interacting with the soldiers for the afternoon, but the more important thing was that the soldiers enjoyed the experience. With the public support for the war continuing to decline, it is great for them to get some en-couragement before they leave. Civilians can visit soldiers at the USO just to hang out and interact with the soldiers, but eventually the time comes for their unit to leave the country. Civilians are also invited to this event, which is also organized by the USO. My family and I recently traveled to the camp to experience this. When we arrived the soldiers had all of their equipment ready and were awaiting the buses that would take them away. This is when civilians can talk with the soldiers and wish them luck, tell them thank you, or let them know that their safety will be prayed for. Personally, I was deeply moved while talking to the soldiers. The more you talk to each individual man or woman, the more you re-alize that they are a normal per-

son just like you. This inspires me to be more appreciative of their service because I could be in their shoes. Once the buses arrive, civilians wait outside of the doors and give each soldier a handshake or hug and some final words or en-couragement. I didn’t recognize any of the soldiers while doing this until one said, “You’d bet-ter work on you xbox skills.” So I told him I would be up for the challenge when he came back, and with a smile he said, “well, you have a long way to go.” As the buses drove by, we waved goodbye for the last time, and the soldiers waved back. It is a sad experience, but at the same time everyone is cheerful because the soldiers’ moral is high, and they are leaving with a feeling of support from the peo-ple they are fighting for. You may not support the war these men and women are fight-ing, and that is respectable. But the soldiers themselves don’t decide who or where they fight. So please give them the respect they deserve, and feel free to support them personally. It’s only a 30-minute drive down the street.

byMattSaundersNewsWriter

Center Grove High School has faced many obstacles throughout the years. The newest is recent referendum not passing during the November elections. Many students already know that the referendum didn’t pass this past November. With this came multiple issues, such as how the school will get money to support teachers and students. As advisers began to analyze the school’s budget, they tried to find expensive things that could be cut easily. One of these expensive items in the school budget is the drug testing at the school. The drug testing at Center Grove, while effective at catching drug users, is a money spender. Students have been overhear-ing rumors that this costly test

could be one possible cut. High schoolers have different points of view on this topic and on the problems it could present if it gets cut. “I don’t really mind the drug testing getting cut because I think that its losses out weigh its gains. It is just too expensive for the school right now in this tight economic time,” senior Jenna Burnett said. Others are worried that the school could lose an important component to its security.“I think that students will feel less secure in the school because no one will be getting tested. While students are being tested, I think we have less drugs in the school,“ sophomore Ellen Vorhies said.

Looking for a way to write, without the teacher’s essay top-ic? Then check out the Creative Writing Club. Led by Mr. Daugherty, the cre-ative writing club is meant for all creative, open-minded types. In the previous years, the Creative Writing Club has been known as Periphery, a student published magazine where students sub-mitted work to be placed. “I wanted students to focus more on writing as a group and be able to hone their own per-sonal writing skills. This way, students can get more feedback,” Daugherty said. The club meets every first, third, and fifth Monday of each month. There are only 2 more meetings this semester (Decem-ber 6 and 20), so get your writing fix in! The group meets in room

217 from 3:00-4:00. Students are encouraged to bring some of their own pieces of writing so that they can receive feedback. Those of you who have tried isolated writing will know that feedback is the springboard to ideas. At the first meeting, 6 people came, however Mr. Daugherty is hoping more people will be in at-tendance. Future author, Freshman Al-yssa Fain was one of the six in attendance. “I have loved to write ever since I learned the alphabet. While there have only been two meet-ings so far, I feel like I will ben-efit from the group because my inspiration usually comes from others.” Similar to Fain, Mr. Daugherty uses his personal love for writing and helps other students find its virtues. “Writing is just something I

have always done. I love when kids are willing to do something creative. I wanted to give the kids a positive environment where they can write what they want, and not feel like it is homework. When kids can write for fun, it adds a lot of value to the experi-ence.” Mr. Daugherty said. Along with teaching English, Mr. Daugherty says that he also does some writing in his spare time. “I really like to write poetry. However, I do write both prose and poetry. I had some papers published in college; however, I would like to see a bigger piece of mine print. That is always any authors dream,” Daugherty said. If you are looking for people to bounce ideas off of or just like write, check out the new Cre-ative Writing Club. The pencils are sharpened, and the papers are ready. All they need is your thoughts.

Whether students feel posi-tively or negatively about this change, it may be only the first of the cuts to come. Students recognize that the high school will have a lot of hard decisions to make in the near future. “I’m a junior and I’ve never been drug tested, but I know people who are sophomores and have been drug tested eight times,” junior Katie Mitchell said. “I don’t use drugs, so it doesn’t really affect me.” Sophomore Miranda Gladish hopes CG will look for other ways to save money. “If someone is doing drugs at school they won’t care as much because they will know they can’t be drug tested,” Gladish said.

byRonniMeierNewsWriter

Budget cuts flow

Club gives students creative outlet

Freshman Allysa Fain writes in her journal at Center Grove’s creative writing club. Fain aspires to be an author. photo by Jessica Edelman

byDelaineyBurnettNewsWriter

A small sacrifice goes a long way

photo by Hannah Duke

(Top) Special Services aide Meresa Girdley prepares plates of Thanksgiving dessert for soldiers. (Bottom)The SSTA group gathers around the food they prepared for the soldiers. SSTA gives back to the soldiers before they are deployed. photos courtesy of SSTA

3 OpinionOpinionthe trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 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 lucas_matney@cgstudent.epals.com.

Responding to the Trojaneer [editor@trojaneer.com] Letters to the Editors will be accepted for the Dec. 14 edition of the Trojaneer until December 22. 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.

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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 idea of dreams containing meaning is a psychological theory that has been both accepted and denied in today’s society. Beginning back with Freud in 1899 who described dreams as “the royal road to the unconscious” Freud’s work expressed the idea that dreams are “prompted by our conscious behavior to satisfy our unconscious urges.” I believe that dreams can be interpreted as having significant meaning relating to events that could happen in the dreamer’s future. The creation of dream directories, that explain what specific occurrences in ones dreams mean, have been used in the work of many dream analyzers. These dream analyzers, along with myself, believe that the occurrence of dreams is not purely coincidental. Dreams are not just strangely conjured occurrences that hold no meaning; they are significant to our life and through close inspection have meaning swirling through them. The veil to the unconscious world is a barrier that all persons with a slightly imaginative mind can break. Each person’s dreams can be interpreted in relation to their actual life, because each event that occurs in their dreams have a meaning pertaining to your life. Really I think that even the most common day man, can spin some type of meaning into their dreams, but that is the fun of it. Thinking one can predict what is going to happen to you in the future is what drives the business of psychics, genies, and palm readers. Some may be superstitious to these bizarre persons, but in reality everyone is looking for the purpose of life. In some peoples mind interpretation of dreams and thoughts is a way to finding this purpose. Neurologists

all around the globe have debated the meaning and purpose of dreaming, and opinions vary between each scientist. The logic of some dreams at times can seem irrational, exemplified by the absurd creations that plague most of my dreams. But as Roman philosopher Cicero said, “There is no imaginable thing too absurd, too involved, or too abnormal for us to dream about.” Dreams are an endless possibility for the creator to truly go crazy in; they are an open field that your mind can run wild in. Dreams allow your mind to freely express itself. And through interpretation we can get a better look into our conscious, a task that would otherwise be seemingly impossible. The use of dream interpretations helps explain ones deepest desires, desires not even fully understood by the dreamer. “I think it is impossible for the human mind to comprehend nothing, so it has to make something. I think dreams are a product of subconscious desires or fears,” Junior Charles Patterson said.

Whole magazine and newspaper pages have been dedicated to displaying weekly horoscopes that allow the readers to feel good about their future. Similar to the positive little fortune cookies found in “authentic” Chinese restaurants, with the stereotypical telling of good fortune to come. These predictions seem hoax filled at first, but think back to one of your past horoscopes, did some of the information not come true?

The hidden language in

Senior citizens could be one of the most inter-esting specimens on Earth. In many cultures they are revered as wise elders or leaders, but

in America the feeling is often times the opposite. There is no denying a certain feeling of incompetence when it comes to older people, the idea that the ma-jority of seniors are out of the loop and should not be taken seriously. Interesting stereotypes about senior citizens have been developed over the years includ-ing bad driving skills, hard-core republican beliefs, and the inability to adapt to the current trends or technological advances. There also always seems to be strife between senior citizens and younger genera-tions as well; what fuels this? Lets start with the most important aspect when it comes to the topic of senior citizens known as Florida. Florida has become a walking cemetery, the magical land where America goes to die. People work hard their whole lives in the hope of retiring to an old folk’s community by the beach to play golf and shuffle board with plenty of other senior citizens. Think about when the 75 million Americans known as the baby boomers reach old age, who will pay their social security checks while their wrinkles grow tan? That’s us. Mr. Frank even made the note one day in AP US history that it is of the upmost importance that when our generation grows up that we get high paying jobs, just for the reason that we will be able to support him and his baby boomer friends. Everyone at some point in their life has heard an

old person complain about the young people. The classic “when I was your age I walked to school with no shoes on in the winter, and even “when I was your age ice cream wasn’t even invented yet.”

Senior citizens seem to believe that each generation is increasingly growing worse and worse. Nobody seems to understand that the role of the teenager hasn’t changed over the course of history. They have always been wild, selfish, rule breakers, and I know that one day when our generation grows old we too will complain about the youth and their risqué ways. So what does the future hold then? With increas-ing age of the baby boomers; retirement homes,

hearing aid companies, wheelchair dealers, hospitals, pharmaceuti-cal companies, and churches (many wait until the last minute) are going to make bank. One

thing that’s certain is our generation is going to have to pay a lot of taxes to provide the baby boomers with their social security checks. But that isn’t all bad, because I know as the baby boomers continue to retire (physically and literally), America’s job market will open up and provide us disrespectful young people with plenty of the paying jobs they have been hoarding all these years. After all these years of play-ing monopoly with your grandparents and hearing senior citizens complain about how back in the day everything was better will soon pay off. God Bless America.

dreamsCynicism Speaks:

True Senioritis

byMattSaundersSports Writer

Center Grove is a good school. Almost 90 percent of our students graduate, our sports are suc-cessful, and we average only about one cafeteria

fight per month. Not bad. But why are we not a great school? Why don’t 100% of our students graduate? Why do we care more about MIC Championships than SAT scores? One reason we under-achieve academically is laziness. I’ll be the first person to admit that I could get all A’s every semester, but I haven’t worked hard enough. Studying is obviously not the most enjoyable activ-ity, so we choose to do other things instead. This problem is one that can’t be fixed by policy or smaller class sizes. The solution has to come from within each student. Sometimes teachers contribute to the atmosphere of laziness. The priority of each teacher should be the knowledge of students. But some teachers are confused and think school is about them. Well…it’s about us. Another problem is a system that favors teachers over students. If a principal tries to fire an ineffective

teacher, the teacher’s union won’t allow it. The easiest way to solve this problem would be to shut down the unions, but that will most likely not happen. Instead, teachers should just do what they’re paid to do: teach. The biggest problem in our education system is sadly the students themselves. Honestly, we have the ability

to educate ourselves. Bad teachers and their unions can never stop us from learning about the world we live in and succeeding in it. The problems with our education are evident every day, so what can you do to stop them? The truth is that your education is there for the taking. If you have a great

teacher, take advantage of the opportunity you have to learn from them. Let them know that you appreciate their commitment to you and your peers. If you have a bad teacher, you still have a textbook. In the end our education system needs to be fixed, but what we have right now is what we’ll have to make due with, referendum or no referendum. So educate yourself.

Settling for “Good”CG’s focus on sports puts academics in second place

Interesting stereotypes about senior citizens have been developed over the years including bad driving skills, hard-core republican beliefs, and the inability to adapt to the current trends or technological advances.

Think about when the 75 million Americans known as the baby boomers reach old age, who will pay their social security checks while their wrinkles grow tan? That’s us.

Dream Dictionary: example meanings

Flying: To dream that you are flying, signifies a sense of freedom where you had initially felt restricted and limited.

Birds: To see birds in your dream, symbolizes your goals, aspirations and hopes.

Swimming: To dream that you are swimming, sug-gests that you are exploring aspects of your unconscious mind and emotions.

4FeaturesFeatures the trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010

It’s tough for a mother to please 2 or 3 hungry children. It’s even tougher to please 2300 – especially when those hungry children are hungry teenagers. Only an elite assembly of women can tackle the job, and we call those women the lunch ladies. The kitchen is a busy place, and the ladies begin their job at the high school before some students have risen from

their beds. “We start preparing the lunches between 6:30 and 7 in

the morning,” Manager of food service Cherrie Agan said. “It’s a daily thing.” Agan’s job in particular is very detailed. She ensures that all the stock is in. She is similar to a restaurant manager, but she considers her job a better one. “The hours are better, because food is only served from 11:12-1:12!” Agan said. This marks Agan’s third year as the manager of food service, but she has worked in the school cafeteria since 1993. Several of the lunch ladies have remained loyal to Center Grove through-out their careers. “When this school year ends, I’ll have been here 20 years,” Sherry Henderson, who bakes breads, cookies, and deserts, said. A person must enjoy their job to hold the same position for so long. “I enjoy my job most of the time,” Hen-derson said. “If everyone liked their job 100% of the time I’d be concerned.” Henderson has a brutally honest sense of humor, but she and Agan agree that the best part of the job is the people. “My favorite part of the job is my staff and the kids – being with the students,” Agan said. Whether the lunch ladies are aware of it, their love for the students is not unrequited. “I love all the lunch ladies. They are really nice, even when you forget your lunch money and aren’t supposed to be able to turn it in,” Junior Brandon Cothron said. “Most of the time they’ll

let you.” The lunch ladies’ hospitality is wit-nessed throughout the student body. “Betty in the grab n’ go line is my fave, because on Tuesdays she always gives me the most buffalo chicken poppers she can,” Senior Grant Schwarz said. “I love Betty!” Their generosity and grace is only exceeded by the deliciousness of their creations. “I love the quesadilla because it looks like it’s pizza…but it’s not,” Senior Brandt Smith said. Perhaps the most challenging part of Agan’s job is creating the menu and discovering what the students like best. Surprisingly, the ladies’ tastes aren’t too different from the student’s. “I like the salads a lot. I also like the chicken smackers,” Agan said. “The crispy chicken sand-wich is good. It’s almost like Chick-Fil-A.” Twenty cases of crispy chicken sandwiches were sold on Thursday, November 18. That’s proof that the students approve of the lunches, but it’s the ladies’ love for the students that earn the students’ love in return. “I can taste our lunch ladies’ love in every bite I take,” Senior Jon Claw-son said.

Line of dutyCafeteria ladies work hard to make lunch a tasty experience

byHannahMorganFeaturesWriter

Before football games every Thursday night, you may find the boys football team praying. The leader of this prayer is Kyle Mason, a Center Grove custodian for eleven years and a man devoted to God.

Graduating from Martinsville High School, Mason said he did many odd jobs in construction

before working in Center Grove. After he quit, Brenda, his mother, told him about working at the high school, where he soon grew a love for the school. “I love the kids, teachers, and staff here. I’m not envious, but I appreciate the learning opportunities they offer here that I didn’t have in high school,” Mason said. “My favorite thing about the school is the relationships built with the staff and kids. It’s great to see old students come back and remember you.” During a lunch break in 2008, Coach Moore had talked to Mason about starting a prayer before one of the football games. Mason, devoted to the church for about three years, wanted to take part. “I thought it’d just a one-time-deal, but it turned into every week,” said Ma-son. Every week, the boys would ask him to lead the prayer, and that same year, the football team won state. “It’s an honor God blessed me to do that,” said Mason. “It’s humbling; it’s all about God, not you.” Outside of Center Grove, Mason enjoys sports, playing guitar, and vol-

unteering at Trianth Church. “I love sports, watching them or playing them,” Mason said.

“I also like to watch NASCAR racing.” At his church, Ma-son recently became a pastoral assistant, where his duties cov-er almost anything to do with the church, including speaking a few Wednesdays and even some Sunday mornings. He also started a hobby club for children from ages four to seven, while also work-ing in the children’s ministry. “It’s great because you get to really know the kids,” said Mason. Mason also plays guitar and sings for the church, and when the kids can talk him into it, he is involved in the plays. Not only is he devoted to his church, but his family, too. After high school, Mason married his high school sweetheart, Heidi, and they have been married for fourteen years. They have two children, Kaden James

and Calista Monet, and he loves spend-ing time with them.

CG custodian gives back to the community in several different ways

Staff Spotlight: Kyle MasonStaff Spotlight: Kyle MasonbyElainaMellottFeaturesWriter

Kyle Mason has worked at Center Grove for 11 years. Photos by Hannah Furrow

Mason is also involved in the football program and his church, Trianth Church. Photos by Hannah Furrow

The library is lined with aisles of shelves stuffed with books. Much of the faculty and students would not know where to start searching for something in specific. Teachers and students look to the librar-ians for help and favors every day. Even when the librarians need guidance they look to the person who knows the school library inside out, Mrs. Ball, who has been the head librarian at Center Grove for 31 years. “I wanted to be a social studies teacher, but at that time, men who could coach a sport were typically chosen for the job,” Ball said. “I chose to be a school librar-ian because I wanted a job that involved education.” Mrs. Ball definitely ended up in a suit-able working environment for her. The

library supplies a place for her passion for education and ample resources for students to use to the fullest every day. “I have to know what is being

taught in the school to know what to select to complement the curriculum,” Ball said. The idea of the school library is to sup-port the set of courses being taught in the school. With this important factor in mind, Mrs. Ball selects what books and pieces of literature are placed onto the shelves into the library. “I organize the collection of books inside the library,” Ball said. “I have to read many book reviews before choosing and buying books.” On top of keeping things organized, Mrs. Ball is a huge help to anyone who comes with questions or in search of a knowledgeable resource. Every morning before school students file through the doors frantically asking for passes, trying to check out or return books. “She allows me to come in during study hall, which gives me a quiet place to

focus on my work,” Sophomore Jacob Cushing said. “With students, I help with work cited a lot and recommend books,” Ball said. Mrs. Ball also lends a hand to any teacher who needs help finding what they need for their classes. In this way, Mrs. Ball gets to work with multiple educa-tional aspects in which she enjoys. Serving as a head librarian has numer-ous responsibilities. Many would find this unpredictable job stressful and out of control, nonetheless, Mrs. Ball finds this as one of her favorite aspects of the job. “No day is like any other day,” Ball Said. Many have seen Mrs. Ball and respect her for all she does. Even her co-workers that work at her side in the library speak highly of her. They see her working with students and realize how smart she is. “She is just a wealth of information and a mentor for students,” Colleague Beth Stapleton said. All of Mrs. Ball’s fellow librarians not only have unending respect for her but

also enjoy her welcoming personality. “She is a great fun boss and has a good sense of humor,” Stapleton said. Beyond her job at Center Grove high School, many would not know that Mrs. Ball loves her cats, reading, and travel. “I love my cats, they are like children to me,” Ball said. At school, her office walls are filled with posters from different places she has visited. She has been all around the world, her favorite place being Tahiti. Interestingly, Ball has a pen pal that she has kept since 6th grade who lives in England. They keep in touch often and have met each other in person. “We send each other postcards from places we travel to and email frequently,” Ball said. Throughout her many years serv-ing as a librarian at Center Grove High School, students, teachers and faculty have all come to appreciate Mrs. Ball for all the resourceful help she supplies for everyone.

Head librarian keeps media center running smoothly

byMackenzieDeanFeaturesWriter

Ball keeps library up-to-date and relevant

Lunch ladies offer students’ favorite snacks with a smile. Photos by Hannah Furrow Preparing lunch starts at 6:30 am. Photos by Hannah Furrow

The cafeteria ladies love working with CG students. Photos by Hannah Furrow

Modern TV degrades teenage generation

5 EntertainmentEntertainmentthe trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010

by JakeThompsonEntertaintmentWriter

When a business is doing well financially; the ac-counting term is “in the Black” because financial

statements that are positive are re-corded in black and those that are low or negative are in red. Black Friday was created for stores in order for them to sell as much inventory before the end of the fiscal period. “This is by far one of the most important days for any store, Black Friday and the holiday season in general, has a significant impact on an-nual sells” explained Kohl’s floor man-ager Miranda Wilson. To those shopping it’s almost a com-petition to see who is the craziest on Black Friday. People brag about how early they’re waking up or if they’re planning to sleep at all depending on when particular stores open. Everyone aches with anticipation of the amazing sales and unfathomable discounts. “My favorite thing about [Black Friday] is how people sprint around the stores, like somehow if they don’t run they won’t get what they want. If you’re here at three in the morning you’re going to get what you came for”, said Christine Tally. Which is precisely why people go out of their way to claim their stake in line at two in the morning. Besides the cold and crowd, shoppers patiently await the opening of the doors in an attempt to guarantee themselves the pur-chases they had been dreaming of for weeks. “It’s crazy, we all know it is, but it’s also a lot of fun. It’s so early in the morning people dress in the stupidest stuff, no one cares” said Amanda Feddrick. Members of the Center Grove staff even participated in Black Friday. “I never knew what Black Friday was until I married Mrs. Sheely” said Coach Sheely, who this year sent a spreadsheet naming various stores and their dis-counts to multiple teachers via e-mail. “ She created a monster, she would tell you if you asked her” Sheely con-tinued. When asked about the spreadsheet he replied“ I love helping people find things”. Coach Sheely was not the only staff member to shop early Friday morning. Miss Rickmon could be seen at seven in morning roaming the aisle for a digital cam-era. “There were a ton of carts in the aisles…my cart got connected to some old women’s and she started moving down the aisle dragging my cart along with her. When I asked her to hold on so I could disconnect us she re-plied,” I guess you’re going with me” said Rickmon. But an awkward experience with an elderly woman didn’t ruin Miss Rickmon’s Black Friday. “ It’s one of my favor-ite days of the year, it’s a lot of fun, I love getting up and shopping with people”. Is Black Friday as important to people as portrayed? “Economically yes, you can get great deals and it has so-cial importance, being able to go out and buy the things you want makes people feel better about the recession” said Rickmon. However, Sheely didn’t concur. “No, with websites and everything, Black Friday isn’t as impor-tant”. Multiple people pointed out that people maybe more anxious about Black Friday than Thanksgiving. In his

by AlexJabreEntertainmentWriter

It’s easier to graduate high school than to make a good show about teenagers. Adolescence is usually the most turbulent time in a young person’s life, and it’s unfortunate that not too many shows are able to accurately depict the awkward,

heartbreaking, and often embarrassing era known as our wonder years. I find it sad that lot of current shows tend to treat young people like juvenile idiots; whether it’s “Glee” with its shameless commercialism or “Jersey Shore” teaching us valuable les-sons like “say no to hoes.” But don’t lose faith in your boob tube. Believe it or not, there are plenty of teen-age shows blessed with thoughtful characters, realistic situations, and smart writing simply waiting to be found. Now granted, I don’t think that any series could exactly replicate what it’s like to go through high school, but the shows I’ve selected to write about come pretty close. They’re unconventional, unpredictable, and most of all, they allude to the inner adolescent inside of us still trying to survive our own personal teenage wasteland. First, there’s “Daria,” a brutally funny satire on post-90’s teenage culture, centering on Beavis and Butt-head’s former counterpart Daria Morgendorffer. She’s a sharp-tongued, monotone voiced, and comically cynical teenager who masters the art of sarcasm like an Olympic sport. With only her artistic (and wonderfully named) pal Jane Lane by her side, the show wittily illustrates her attempts to trudge through the misery of high school, stuck-up jocks, hyperactive parents, awkward social confronta-tions, and her own popularity-crazed sister, whom George Harrison might have described as: “Although you’re mind’s opaque, try thinking more if just for your own sake.”The humor is deliciously dark and wickedly hilarious, although what surprised me most about “Daria” is how effortlessly it touches on deep themes and how sneakily touching it is. We realize that we’re not just watching an articulate youth verbally shoot down her peers, but actually a teenage girl who – slowly but surely – learns to open up to the world around her and find her own sense of identity. “Daria” is not

only MTV’s magnum opus, but it’s also one of my all-time favorite shows as well. “Freaks and Geeks,” spawned by creator Judd Apatow (“The 40-Year Old Virgin”) is a surprisingly sweet and wonderfully original series, filled with tremendous writing that never provides obvious answers and always pulls a few tricks up its sleeve. Set in the early 80’s, the show focuses on a sister named Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and a brother named Sam (John Francis Daley) as they navigate two very different but equally unpopular groups, the “freaks” and the “geeks,” while trying to survive hippie guidance counselors, drug abuse, and navigating their way through young adulthood.

In a fit of genius casting, the show features a handful of terrific actors such as Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel among others.

Another solid show worth looking for is “My So-Called Life,” an hon-est and thought-provoking drama series with a fantastic performance

by Claire Danes as an expressive teenager constantly struggling with peer pressure and self-acceptance. Although at times it can be difficult to stomach the cheesy xylophone score and the cringe-inducing 90’s outfits, the show helms strong writing and beautifully deals with a lot of hotly-debated issues. It also con-tains the greatest quote about high school ever conceived: “My parents keep asking how school was. It’s like saying, ‘How was

that drive-by shooting?’ You don’t care how it was, you’re lucky to get out alive.”

Looking at this list, you might notice a few things: sharp scripts, strong acting, provocative themes, and most of all, a lack of stereotypes.

Teenage girls in particular are often the casualties of second-tier writing, but in these shows they are presented as strong protagonists that blissfully avoid being typecast. It’s refreshing to see any kind of entertainment that truly feels genuine, and it’s a shame that some of these shows were unfairly canceled after just one season. You may have to dig to find these shows on DVD, iTunes, or Hulu, but believe me when I say that they’re totally worth digging for. You deserve better than sub-par junk that masquerades as entertainment, and if you look for what else is out there, you can find it. Start digging.

Please visit www.trojaneer.com for Quidditch Club by Chris Collins, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 review and spoilers by Trish Barton.

photos by Hannah Furrow

“Sharp scripts, strong

acting, provocative themes, and most of

all, a lack of stereotypes.”

album, Anticipa-tion, comedian Lewis Black throws jokes to point out the irony of people being more excited about Black Friday than the actual Thanksgiving holiday. “Back when I was a kid, Thanksgiving was Thanksgiving, but now it isn’t Thanks-giving anymore, so lets just call it for what it really is, Christmas halftime…and nobody woke you up in the morning and said, “Lets go shopping”. Lewis Black It’s easy to see Black’s point of view. Black Friday is always a dominating topic at the Thanksgiving dinner table and commercials for Black Friday discounts seem to start the day after Halloween. But is it all worth it? When a business is doing well financially; the account-ing term is “in the Black” because financial statements that are positive are recorded in black and those that are low or negative are in red. Black Friday was created for stores in order for them to sell as much inventory before the end of the fiscal period. “This is by far one of the most important days for any store, Black Friday and the holi-day season in general, has a significant impact on annual

sells” explained Kohl’s floor manager Miranda Wilson.

black friday statistics212million shoppers visited stores.

107million shopped online.

7million plan to shop online by smartphone.

6AdvertisingAdvertising the trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010

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7 SportsSportsthe trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010 cott’s port pot

byScottSuttonSports Columnist

A look into the powerhouse players representing the Center Grove Boys Basketball Team Dressed in pilgrim attire, I watched as our very own Center Grove Boys Basket-ball team laid the proverbial wood upon Franklin Community last Wednesday. Nothing but pure excitement and joy filled my heart and I thought to myself, “You know, ‘ol Clifford may have some elements of a winning team here.” Let us look more in depth at the dominance of this team. Let us start from the top of the key. Jonny “Vertigo” Marlin, our starting point guard, a man of dizzying handles and physical prowess, has always been a presence on the court despite his smaller stature. Marlin will continue to dominate pathetic excuses of so called “defenses” with his shredding ball handling skills, long range shooting ability and finesse moves. Now we turn to our other guard, Ben “Shadow” Whitehead. Emerging from Chris Kramer’s womb, messy- haired, hard-working Whitehead is the quintes-sential team player, always looking to feed his teammates with dazzling passes. But he also just as easily can go around you, through you, over you, under you, steal your girl, eat your lunch, and kiss your shoes all at the same time with his extensive ball handling skills and then, to top it all off, will pull up and drain one right in your face. Andrew “Bulldawg” Smeathers, our “small” forward is anything but. After gracing Center Grove with his presence freshman year, he has blessed the court with his ability to stroke the long ball as well as his gravity defying, acrobatic dunks. Defenders are known to shake in their boots whenever Smeathers goes hard in the paint, which is not a rare oc-currence these days. Joe “Blow” Reed, our power forward, is notorious for his athletic rebounding skills. Reed can pull it down over just about anyone in the state, and put it right back in the bucket for two. Not only that, Reed can dribble with the best of them, despite being an inside man. Not to be overlooked is how well he can stroke inside shots and his overall basketball savvy. Our last starter but certainly not the least our big man, John “Dougie” Degen-hardt. Degenhardt, born from a mixture of Hercules and Sandy Allen, brings an unstoppable force of pure brute strength, but at the same time a certain finesse, to the hardwood. Degenhardt also can knock down 15-footers like there is no tomorrow, which is rare for a big man. I know some people may not be con-vinced after a heartbreaking 2-point loss at the hands of Franklin Central, but never fear this team is certain to bounce back. Although history is not in their favor, with these 5 starters as well as a strong bench including Mark Kwiatkowski, Tyler Gliesman, Davis Wentland and Isaac Wright I have full confidence in a state-bound team this season.

Two years ago, a group of four Center Grove boys decided to go to an Indiana Ice game just for fun. Little did seniors Jon Clawson, Cory Dawson, Mark Dunham, and Nathan Cook know that they would soon make a habit of being the Indiana Ice’s number one fans in the stands. “All of us like hockey, the games aren’t expensive to go to, the team is pretty decent, and it’s just a fun place to go and hang out with friends,” Jon Clawson said. The group of students chose the right season to start watch-ing the team, because that season was a huge one for the Indiana Ice. “We started watching the games the same season that the Indiana Ice won the Clark Cup,” Clawson said. For those who do not know what the Clark Cup is, the Clark Cup is equiva-lence of the Stanley Cup for the United States Hockey League (USHL). This was the first season ever that the Clark Cup belonged to Indiana, before the Green Bay Gamblers took it home the follow-

Indiana Ice Enthusiasts

A group of Center Grove students become devoted fans to the underated and overlooked Indiana Hockey Team, The Indiana Ice

ing season. Although the team could not clinch a two-year streak, which has only been done three times in the USHL his-tory, the boys were hooked on the team and still returned to watch many more games. It was not just the team that kept the boys interested in the Indiana Ice games. From the first game the boys went to, they made a new friend at the rink: the team mascot. “When we were at our first Ice Game, we suddenly fell in love with Big-E-Foot.

byJessicaGottliebSports Writer

History teacher Todd Sheely has made quite an impact on people’s lives. Not only has he had a successful soccer career, but also a successful teaching career. He has motivated students to work to their greatest potential and achieve academic success. He has also coached several CG players who now participate in college sports. “When I was a player at Center Grove, our biggest rival was Pike. My biggest accomplishment during my high school soccer career was beating the number one Pike team as a Junior. I learned about leadership and hard work from playing here,” said Sheely. Sheely applied for IUPUI his senior year and was accepted later that year. “My soccer season at IUPUI was defi-nitely successful. For four years I was on an average division one-soccer team. Our biggest rival to play was Oakland University. I have several memories from college but the one that stands out the most was when we were the first team

byAllisonChamberlainSports Writer

in school history to win Conference. From playing here, I learned more about integrity.” After college, he went straight to CG to begin the rest of his life. “I came back to Center Grove to be a History teacher and because I like to be close to home.” “As a coach from Center Grove, I have multiple memories. The first memory I have is losing to Lauren Chamberlain and Lacey Hershman in soccer tennis. I must say I have never lost to anyone in that game. Also, in 2006 we were stated the Indiana All Stars. And lastly, in 2007 I coached a team that won semi-state and placed 3rd in State. I am very proud of my coaching career here and hope to advance even more in my future years. What makes him stand out from the rest is his dedication to his students and his job as a teacher and as a coach. “Ex soccer player Lauren Chamberlain said, ”Sheely was an inspiration to me because he always had the best interest for his players, and always put the team

Todd Sheely stands out among teachers and coaches alike for his dedication and excellence in both

Eventually, we started up the infamous Big-E-Foot fan club,” Clawson said. Between Big-E-Foot and the action on the ice, the boys were hooked. They currently make it to about five or six of the team’s home games each season to show their support for the team. “Since our first game, we have made numerous appear-ances to season openers, pack the house nights, and regular games,” Clawson said. For the most part, the group that attends the games is

what Clawson refers to as the “original four” but there have been times that others have joined them. “We used to have a few other people that would come to the games with us occasionally, but they graduated. We are willing to accept new people if any wants to go with us,” Clawson said. Whether anyone joins the group or just goes to the game on their own, they can be sure to see the crew at the next Indiana Ice game.

before himself.” Like most sports do, soccer inadver-tently has been a key factor in shaping Sheelys life. “I have two soccer role models in my life. The first one is Frank Dixon from Carmel, Indiana. Frank was the head girls’ soccer coach at Carmel High School for 20 years. He has a record of 387 wins in those years. He has won 9 state cham-pionships and has been in 13 final fours. He is the ISCA girl’s coach of the year. He is also a member in the Hall of Fame.My second role model is Steve Frank-lin from IUPUI. Franklin has coached IUPUI players for 16 seasons. He is recognizable for bringing the soccer team from division 2 to a division 1 team,”said Sheely. Modeling himself after these two gentlemen has certainly paid off as he has proved to be an important role model himself in many students lives.

Tipping off the season

1.Senior Melody Doss wins the tip in the first round of the John-son County Girls Basketball Tournament against Edinburgh2. Doss looks for the open man as she’s double-teamed 3. Doss dribbles past opponents 4. Sophmore Shelby Shaffer defends on the ball

1

2 3

4

photos by Hannah Furrow

“I am very proud of my coaching career here and hope to advance even more in my future years”

S

SportsSports the trojaneer

Friday, December 3, 2010

Swimmers! Take your mark! Bang! As the gun claps into action, Center Grove swimmers start their way into the 2010-2011 season. The team officially started mandatory practices on November 8,

and the girls kicked off their season on November 16 with a win against Bloomington South. The boys and girls both competed against Plainfield on November 23 and won that meet as well. For those of you who are lost when it comes to the swimming and diving world, where athletes are shaved, tapered and suited for meets, here are the basics. Like track, swimming is about racing opponents in attempt to get the best time. The term ‘shaved’ means that a swimmer will shave his or her body to break down on resistance in the water. ‘Tapered’ is when a swimmer is completely physically and mentally prepared for a specific meet, and ‘suited’ references a high–tech suit. High school scoring is governed by a rule book that is published by the National Federation of State High School Associations. In individual races, the top 5 swimmers place and get 6, 4, 3, 2, or 1 points based on their placement. In relays the top three place and the points are as follows: 8, 4, 2. Diving is judged by two different elements: the judges’ scores and the degree of dif-ficulty. Divers start from a flexible springboard or concrete platforms and they have four possible positions during their dive: free, straight, pike, or tuck. In free, the diver is usually twisting and their legs must be kept together, toes pointed. In straight, the diver does not bend either the hips or knees. In pike, the body is bent forward and the knees are held straight out, nearly parallel. In tuck, the diver almost looks like a cannonball dive, as divers must grab their legs on the shin as they somersault through

the air. Last year, the boys swim team finished with its 25th sectional win and the girls placed 2nd in state. “The team did really well. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t improvements that can be made. This year we lost some really strong swimmers like Regina Perez, Lindsey Gasiorowski, and Alexander Nunnelly,” Coach Todd said. The swimming team captains include Taylor Davis and Allie Day, for the girls, and Joe Godfrey, Ross Hummel, and Grant Schwarz, for the guys. The captain for the div-ing team is Dakota Johnson. Having gained about 9 new swimmers this year, the swim team consists of 23 girls and 25 boys, all with incredible potential. “I’ve never been on a team with this much potential and talent. It’s great to race each other in practice and I am really looking forward in taking on our competition with these guys.” Senior Grant Schwarz said. The swimming and diving teams have some tough duel meets early on with #1 ranked Carmel on November 30, #9 ranked Hamilton Southeastern on December 7, and #5 ranked North Central on senior night, on January 18. County, Conference, Sectionals, and State are obviously big as well. “I am very excited to see the large time drops we will have this year from our team. I am very confident with our dedication and coach has put a lot of inspiration in us this year. We are dedicating this season to Pam Todd.” Senior Allie Day said. Center Grove, go get your swim gear and head out to the splash zone to cheer on your Swimming and Diving team. It is sure to be a great season.

Team looks to build on last year’s success

Best memory: “The greatest memories I have from high school swimming are finishing 11th at state as a team my sophomore year and winning our 25th straight sec-tional title last year. The sectional meet last year was really special because at the beginning of the season everyone, including coach Todd, was saying that would be the year the streak would end. But we came together and trained hard and won the meet in the end.”

What will you miss most: “The thing I’ll miss the most is the team. Anyone who has come through this program will understand what I am talking about. During season, you spend at least 5 hours a day with your teammates. They become your family. And it’s always sad to leave your family behind.”

What are you looking forward to next year: “Swimming in college will be an accomplished goal for me. I am most looking forward to my new team. It will be a new family to be close to and the atmosphere the team has created is great. But I am excited to swim for coach Linn. He is a really well respected coach throughout the nation and has turned good swimmers into great swimmers.”

*Grant is a senior, and is planning to attend Eastern Michigan on a swimming scholarship.

byRonniMeierNewsWriter

Question and Answer:Allie Day and Grant Schwartz and Coach Jim Todd

Grant Schwartz

Best memory: “My greatest memories throughout my career at Center Grove were the night the girls team got runner up at state in 2010 and we all threw coach Todd in the pool. Another great memory was swimming in the Olympic Trials in 2008.”

What will you miss most: “The one thing I will miss the most will be Coach Todd. He has always been like a second father to me and always kept swimming entertaining for me. I will also miss my team very much as well. We all love to have fun and push each other.”

What are you looking forward to next year: “I am most excited for my time improvements for next year at Indiana. I have great confidence in my coaches next year and I believe they will work with me well. I also am excited for the team atmosphere. It will be a change from high school but I think it will be great.”

*Alli, a senior, plans to head south to Bloomington on scholarship to Indiana University.

Alli Day

What does Grant Schwartz bring to the team: “He is the team capatin. He is our team leader and on of the strongest swimmers.”

What does Alli Day bring to the team: “The same things that Grant does.”

What are your expectations and goals for this season: “To win county, sectionals and place as high as we can at state and I expected everyone to swim fast.”

What are your team’s strengths this year: “For the girls we have some pretty good front run-ners, ranked high at the state meet. The boys team has a lot of depth.”

What will be the biggest challenge you face this year: “We have already faced it for the girls, Haley Townsend’s accident. For the boys, it is staying healthy.”

*Coach Todd coaches both the girls and boys teams, and has been all four years Grant and Alli have been in high school.

Coach Jim Todd