*November 21, 2014 | Volume 43, Issue III

the Columbus East’sStudent Newspaper

fruit of our labor

Teenagers in school often talk back to their teachers in class and think it is okay. When our parents were in school they would have been sent down to the principal and paddled for their behavior. Many people from the older gener-ations believe that the young adults and kids from this era are lacking manners and respect. Maybe they’re right; maybe they’re wrong. This generation definitely does not know how to say, “Yes ma’am” or “Yes sir” like they did in the 1900s, or even 25 years ago. Children should be taught from a young age to show respect to their elders. Kids should not talk back or treat adults the way it is stereotypically depicted. Some say this disrespect is a result of this generation’s “we rule the world” attitude. News flash, they don’t. Some say discipline and manners are the key that should be enforced enough that we listen to adults and treat them with respect. If we do not show respect and manners, then how can we expect the next and future generations to? We can’t.

If teenagers argue or lie to adults or any-one in general how can we except them to treat us with respect? Many adults believe we need to set the example and somehow get manners back into our lives. Phrases such as please, thank you, you’re welcome and actions such as holding the door open for girls and elderly people can go a long way. Sim-ple elementary rules we all learned years ago can help us make friends and brighten someone’s day without us even noticing. I believe in the rule, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at

all.” This rule would save so many feelings from being hurt. Instead of arguing and making both parties upset, if one person stays quiet then nothing that can be argued. The golden rule is kill them with kindness. If a person is nice most of the time, when something bad is said about them no one can believe it because they are always so nice to them. If a new student arrives to school and they are polite and respectful they will get more people to pay attention to them and people will have good things to say to them. When a person goes to a drive-thru or a restaurant, they should be polite. The workers are working to give that person the food they ordered. They could spit in their food or use an unclean knife or old food. Everything a person does has a reaction; whether it is good or not is up to that person. Smiling, using manners and being respectful will get a person so much farther in life.

* The Oracleu uPage 2 November 21, 2014

Editorial

Bryn EudyMary GilhamKenzie HammersMichaela Landis

Austin LewisBree LykinsSam NewellCorbin Parmer

Managing Editor, ContentBriana Hale

Adviser: Scott Duncan

Staff

Jonah Fields (Digital Content Coordinator)

Managing Editor, DesignRebecca Smith

oracle* the With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many are taking the time to reflect on their accomplishments from this past year. In this issue, we decided to congratu-late the plethora of hard workers and their successes here at Columbus East. While some may seem larger than others, we believe that every accomplishment is some-

thing worth celebrating. This issue is full of stories complimenting students on their achievements, looking back at the steps they took to achieve their goal, and looking forward to future hopes and dreams. If you have any ideas for an article or for an issue theme, talk to us in room C257. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Opinion

Bree Lykins

Contact The OracleDo you have a story idea? Do you want to submit a letter to the editors? Contact The Oracle at duncans@bcsc.k12.in.us or talk to one of us in C257.

On the Cover: Photo by Rebecca Smith

Emily SteinrockFolger’s Four Seasons Floral Service

4710 W. Carlos Folger Road(812) 342-4112 Read The Oracle online!

Minding your manners: are teens being polite?

The fruit of our labor at Columbus East

The holidays are here, and the annual fad of volunteering has arrived. Everyone has heard all about how much you can impact others with volunteer service, but what does the person serving get out of it? If so many people are involved in vol-unteer service, there has to be a benefit, so what is it? According to the US Department of Labor, 48.8 percent of adults in America are engaged in some form of volunteer service, but only 20 percent of teens volunteer. To put that 20 percent of teens into perspective, 51.2 percent of teens have a paying job. If 20 percent of teenagers are sacri-ficing their time to volunteer, is that going to add to their stress level? “[Volunteer service] just relieves a lot of stress,” said National Honor Society sponsor Anthony Pottorff. “When you serve, there’s no rubric; you aren’t being graded. You get to just work for someone else’s benefit with no expectations.” According to Pottorff, volunteer service can alleviate much of the stress a student endures. Pottorff and Spanish National Honor Society sponsor Brittany Sullivan agree that there is also a feeling of satisfaction associated with gving back to society and helping others in need. “Giving back to the community leaves you with a sense of satisfaction and the knowledge that you’ve done something good,” Sullivan said. Many seniors have juxtaposed this possibly relaxing activity with a known

cause of the stressful condition of senioritis: Senior Project. Senior Casey Johnson’s project was a benefit concert that raised money to update the set in the East television studio. Johnson said that while it may seem like an additional chore to fashion a Senior Proj-ect around providing a service for others, it has a way of mak-ing the ordeal less stressful. “Knowing that all the stress and all of the work would come back to benefit something I’m passionate about made it easier to han-dle,” Johnson said. Relieving stress seems to be a common factor in how volunteer service can benefit the volunteer. Another way service can ease students’ tensions is knowing they have a leg up on the college appli-cation process. Students who have a history of volunteer service are often more heavily consid-ered for admission and scholarships from college counselors. “It depends on the college [students] apply to,” guidance director Rochelle House said. “If it’s a highly competitive college…they’re going to look more at transcripts and test scores. However, many colleges look for leadership that students have learned from volunteerism.” Another huge benefit of having a history volunteer service is that many scholarship committees look for service in prospective students. “If you get into the scholarship

pool…they start to look beyond the tran-scripts, beyond the test scores,” House said. Having this peace of mind is yet an-other way volunteer service can be used to treat senioritis. The common theme is that volun-teering reduces stress. In some cases, it is the peace of mind in the scholarship ap-plication process; in others, it is knowing there is a point to a Senior Project. While it seems the predominant benefit offered by service is treatment of junioritis and senioritis, the fruit is worth the labor to most volunteers.

*The Oracleu u Page 3November 21, 2014

Relieving stress through beneficial volunteering

Teens with paying jobs (51.9%)

Teens that volunteer (20%)

Information from the U.S. Department of LaborInfographic by Jonah Fields

Sophomore Jonathan Clayton volunteers at Twelve Stones on November 8. | photo by Briana Hale

Teens with paying jobs (51.9%)

Teens that volunteer (20%)

by Jonah Fields

*The Oracleu u Page 5November 21, 2014

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The sport of soccer is growing in Indiana. Coaches and coordinators have been working tirelessly to instill soccer as a prime sport for the state’s youth. As a result, a professional soccer team called Indy Eleven has been created in Indianapo-lis. Indy Eleven president Peter Wilt sum-marizes the work required to even start Indy Eleven in describing the planning and processes involved. Wilt said that it took, “18 months of planning, 3 months of research and 15 months of foundation building.” He also describes how the team made “good use of social media,” which helped start the team. The name was chosen because of the name of the city and the number of soccer players on a field from each team. The number eleven was also inspired by Indiana’s 11th Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. This season is the first that Indy Eleven has played. The team, which plays in the North American Soccer League finished ninth out of ten teams in the league. In their first season, Indy Eleven had a record of 6-9-12 and scored 35 goals. Eight of those goals were scored by José Kléberson, a for-mer Brazilian National Team player and Manchester United midfielder. A huge part of creating this team has been the Brickyard Battalion, a fan group that both attends games and was instrumental to bringing profes-sional soccer to Indianapolis. “The Brickyard Battalion was crit-ical in the team’s founding, growth and sustainability,” Wilt said. “They create an atmosphere at games that is not only important for its members, but also for fans throughout the stadium.” Head coach Juergen Sommer has strong ties to Indiana, as he grew up playing for Culver Academy in Indiana and then later walked on as a goal-keeper for Indiana University’s men’s soccer team. Indy Eleven is a product of the hard work of coaches and coordi-nators in the attempt to bolster the

sport of soccer in Indiana. “Indy Eleven’s success wouldn’t be possible with the size and depth of soccer passionate community five years ago,” Wilt said. “There’s now a critical mass of millenials, suburban soccer families and new Americans who all love soccer” Most soccer fans agree that Indy Eleven will have a positive impact on soc-cer community in Indiana. One of these fans, East junior Levi Copas, said, “I think that it will give Hoo-

siers a professional club to support rather than having to drive to Chicago or Co-lumbus (Ohio) to get behind a higher level team. I think that it has and will continue to spark a larger youth soccer community in Indiana.” According to Wilt, future goals for the team include getting their own stadi-um, winning championships, and making “Indiana a better place to live, work and play.”

Indianapolis pro-soccer team sparks interest in young Columbus playersby Sam Newell

The Oracleu uPage 4 November 21, 2014*

What: “The Anatomy of Gray”When: Today at 7p.m.;

Tomorrow at 7 p.m.;Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Where: Clarence E. Robbins Auditorium

Drama department produces ‘The Anatomy of Gray’

Above: Senior Nick Angle, a member of the tech crew, assembles a back drop for “The Anatomy of Gray”. | Photo by Briana Hale

by Briana Hale

Will their hard work pay off? Seniors and their Projectsby Corbin Parmer

When one attends a play at Columbus East High School, the playgoer expects to see students reciting lines and interacting among each other to convey a story. In this case, the drama students break the fourth wall and tell the audience the story of Gray, a modest little town in southern Indiana where “noth-ing really ever happens.” While the stars are undoubtedly important when it comes to making the scenes come alive, those not seen on stage are equally vital to the production. Se-nior Nick Angle, technical director of the tech team, explained how the crew prepares for the play and what they contribute as a whole. “As soon we got the script, we started design-ing the show…and right now, we’re in the process of building [the set], and when we get closer to the show, we’ll start working with the actors to actually run the show and get ready for the show day,” said Angle, whose primary roles are keeping everybody on track for the day and deciding what needs to be done and when. Due to the many challenging visuals needed for the production, the tech crew has spent many hours discussing how to pull everything together. “Well, for this play specifically, we’re taking a lot of flats and we’re making them to look like grass, because a lot of it is outside…[and] because it’s set on the Ohio…we have a river flowing through the stage that we have to create,” sophomore Lauren Schumacher said. The crew, as a whole, also has a daunting task of trying to figure out how to make a balloon crash on the stage, or, at the very least, provide the illusion. The team provides the lights, sounds and sets for the whole show, allowing the actors to truly bring the story to life and aid the audience at the same time. Schumacher said, “We really make the setting visual…. You don’t have to use your imagination quite as much.”

Through their labor, the tech crew produces an exciting and fulfilling performance. Angle confirmed that their effort is all worth it. “There are…two [fruits of our labor],” Angle said. “One is seeing the set and lights and sound all come together, and anoth-er is seeing it on show day and seeing it go well. Both of those are kind of points where you’re like “Wow, we did this.” Schumacher agreed, saying, “…it’s really satisfy-ing when you see a house come up on set and you’re like ‘I made that.’”

Name: Tessa HironsProject: Sewing Pillow Dresses Tessa Hirons is sewing dresses out of pillowcases. Hirons will be sending these dresses to Koutiala Children and Women’s Hospital in Mali, Africa. She chose this as her senior project because she loves sewing and making clothes, and she said her second cousin founded the hospital. The dresses will be for the children and women at the hospital. Hi-rons says her minimum goal is to make and deliver 30 dresses, but she hopes to make more.

Name: Spencer Darringer Project: Building Motorcycle for Charity Spencer Darringer will be building a motorcycle for a military charity called Wish for Our Heroes. The motorcycle will be at the Grand Prix in Indy, the Indy 500, and the Brickyard 400. In addition, it will be raffled off at the Moto GP in Indy. Darringer chose to do this because the charity has given him and his family opportunities to go to profes-sional sports outings, and this is his way of giving back to them.

Name: Nathan HuberProject: Restoring Drum Set Nathan Huber will be purchasing an old, used drum set in poor condition, then restoring it. He plans to find a ran-dom set on EBay. Huber says he will pay for the drum set and all the new parts needed to repair it out of pocket. The project is planned to take approximately 30 hours, and to be finished by February. When the drum set is fully restored, he will donate it to East for the jazz or pep band to use.

The Oracle will be highlighting a few senior projects every issue. Are you interested in a spotlight? Contact us at duncans@bcsc.k12.in.us or visit room C257.

The Oracleu uPage 6 November 21, 2014* *The Oracleu u Page 7November 21, 2014

Corn’s use in IndianaThe ‘new age’ of fast food: Is McDonald’s out?by Corbin Parmer

by Bree Lykins

Newer, classier, “fast casual” fast food restaurants are on the rise, sprouting up in Columbus and letting their roots grow deep. Chipotle, Noodles & Company and Qdoba have opened locally and brought influences into the community. These new eateries claim to have healthier and fresher choices, which are bringing in a huge crowd to be served. Many consumers are trying new dishes with ingredients different than the stereotypical fast food meal of a burger and fries. Places such as Chipotle, Qdoba and Noo-dles & Company started this new age of fast food. All three have fresh choices of meat and veggies, exotic and exciting flavors, and a simple system of creation, all the while still uphold-ing the speed and simplicity of older fast food joints. Each restaurant brings new and modern surroundings into town. Chipotle, for example, uses simple supplies to construct their buildings. They have a deep tone, and a newer, indie style. A present-day playlist also plays through some speakers. When compared to McDonalds’ decora-tion and style, Chipotle is original and interest-ing. McDonald’s is bright yellow and red, with a clown. Chipotle is grey and auburn, with burri-tos. Chipotle is a more comfortable and relaxing setting. Each with their own unique twist, these restaurants claim to bring exhilarating flavors from different countries to the table. At Chipotle, one can walk in the door and smell all kinds of meats and spices. The way of ordering is somewhat like in Subway, with a bar stretched in front of you and a few employees building parts of your entrée. After choosing a burrito, burrito bowl, salad or tacos, the choices lead to beans, meat and rice. Then, Chipotle presents a selection of salsas, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and guacamo-le. Inside Qdoba, it feels very similar to Chipotle, until one sees the menu. It is larger than Chipotle’s, offering more items and unique flavors. Items such as Mexican gumbo, nachos, grilled quesadillas and chips with queso dip add to the variety. Breakfast is even served in the morning, and specials promote very exclusive ingredients.

Featured at Noodles & Company is a list of choices of noodles and pasta. The styles of the dishes come from practically everywhere. Items such as Bangkok Curry, Steak Stro-ganoff, Pad Thai and simple Wisconsin Mac & Cheese are only some of the choices, proving the wide diversity stated in their motto cor-rect. In the recent past, these restaurants have been spreading rapidly. Chipotle has over 1,600 total locations, Qdoba has over 600 and Noo-dles & Company has over 400. The new era of food is such a hit because of a combination of simplicity, a feel of modern touches and great taste. Also, the restaurants claim to be much healthier. Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle, uses the motto: “food with integrity.” On the Chipotle website, the company defines this as “finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the

animals, the environment and the farmers.” Jack in The Box owns Qdoba, and they also preach fresh ingredients. Although not as in depth as Steve Ells’ Chipotle, Qdoba still says their meat is raised with a natural diet. Noodles & Company uses real plates instead of plastic to reduce waste. They use cage-free eggs and invest in organic items like tofu and milk. Discussions on these new trends are spik-ing up all over. According to Slate, an Internet magazine, in the past few years, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola products are having fewer sales on products. In the article, it says, “Fast-food restaurants are being upstaged by fast-casual, slightly more upscale rivals like Chipotle.” People of all kinds are beginning to fall in love with the “fast casual” style. The franchises are spreading rapidly and they are even starting

to compete with classic fast food like McDon-ald’s and Burger King. A few students from East compared the classic fast food and new, fast-casual food places. Senior Nic Angle said he prefers places like Chipotle and Qdoba because he can choose the exact ingredients he wants. “Also,” he said “ its Mexican food, so it’s better.” Trevor Jones and Kyle Frost both agreed they are cool restaurants. They said they’re all three popular places to go and hangout. “Every-one goes there, so they must be pretty cool,” said Frost. Now, fresh and organic benefits, along with speed, are a very loved idea. “Fast casual” restaurants are taking over quickly in Columbus, and this may have a strong effect on older fast food restaurants in town, and community mem-bers themselves.

Above left: A lunch customer at McDonald’s orders a meal on November 13. | Photo by Michalea LandisAbove right: Maelyn Kiser enjoys Japanese Pan Noodles at Noodles & Company on November 10. | Photo by Rebecca Smith

Few know how important corn is to life everyday life in Indiana. Around this time of year, farmers are harvesting their crops, and Indiana farmers especially are known for their massive production of corn and soybeans. The corn mostly seen growing in the fields is not sweet corn, but is grown to feed pigs, cows and chickens. Livestock, poultry, and dairy farmers are corn producers’ biggest customers, using almost six million bushels every day. Additionally, corn is the main ingredient in dry dog food. “My family buys sweet feed for our farm animals. The feed we buy is almost all corn; it has few minerals and some molasses in it, also, to give them a better diet,” said junior Malia Shoaf, who has been an active mem-ber of Future Farmers of America for five years. While feeding animals is one of corn’s main uses, popcorn is also in high demand. The state of Indiana ranks second in the United States in popcorn production, producing more than 20 percent of the supply, which is around 269 million pounds every year. Though Indiana’s corn production has had a high yield this year, US exportation numbers have not changed this season. As the United States depends highly on corn exportation to boosts the agricultural economy, the exportation numbers are causing some experts to worry. One of the reasons Indiana is able to produce such high yields of corn is its location in the ‘Corn Belt’. This region includes many Midwest-ern states, stretching over Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky. The ‘Corn Belt’ is home to many large-scale commercial and mecha-nized farms and is blessed with fertile soil and mild summers. This allows farms in the ‘Corn Belt’ to contribute heavily to the national yield. Indiana is home to 61,000 farms stretched over 14.7 million acres of land- the average farm is 242 acres. Corn is Indiana’s most produced crop, with soybeans, hogs, and dairy following close behind.

Infographic by Jonah Fields

CORNWhere does it go?

29%: Ethanol Production12% Food & Industrial Uses

8% Consumed by Distillers

8% Exported

5% Carried Over as Surplus

38% Used Feeds Livestock

Information from ScienceKids

*The Oracleu u Page 9November 21, 2014

The basic questions many students ask themselves when searching for uni-versities are the hows and whys. Students have concerns about the time that must be sacrificed to find a school that fits their specific needs. Ultimately, the goal for most students is to find a good fit to obtain the best experience possible. Many students find that by the end of their junior year, the pressure of being accepted to a college is extreme. The stress put on these students is increasing now more than ever. “Now, students are extremely stressed out when it comes to the ap-plication process. Many students make a minimal effort because it is so strenuous and time-consuming,” senior Wyatt Miller said. Cost becomes a limiting factor when searching for colleges, but alternatives exist for pricing. Scholarships, filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and talking to financial aid offices help stu-dents afford the college of their choice.

“At this point, I am considering taking a year off and trying to find alternatives for finances. After that, I will definitely continue my college search,” Miller said. East guidance counselor Kristen Schuetz, when asked what she believes the most helpful resource is when looking for potential colleges, said, “Take advantage of close opportunities. Go to College Fair Day, talk to state university representa-tives and use key websites given to you.” Schuetz recommends Naviance, College Board and My Big Future as websites to use when searching for a college. If a student cannot physically go to a campus, they can try the university’s website and often times can take a virtual tour. On occasion, students do not under-stand all of the options available to them.Sofie Schmidt, a senior at Columbus East, explained this issue. “It is hard to find guidance on our college search. Sure, guidance counselors will help as much as possible if ap-proached, but many times students do not

realize that is an option available to them. At times, I feel like my fellow peers do not realize that they need to work to find a suitable school,” Schmidt said. Molly Connor, a senior, provided cru-cial advice to students visiting a university. “I would advise students to trust that feeling they get when they step onto a college campus. It may sound cliché, but you will know it in your gut whether or not a school is right for you,” said Connor, who has this feeling about the University of Kentucky, her school of choice. Another difficult step is competing with fellow classmates to be accepted to a school. “I think that now, more than ever, the competitive nature of college applications is a major stressor to students applying,” Schmidt said. The importance of knowing a college is a right fit is imperative. Even if doubts are prevalent about a school, it is better to be skeptical but open minded than miss a great opportunity.

The best college experience includes finding a second homeby Kenzie Hammers

How much is too much? Are teens receiving too much homework?by Austin Lewis “I’m exhausted.” High school students know the short two-word phrase frequently rolls off the tongue and is prefaced by a long and deep sigh. Throughout the epic four year trek of high school, sleep is placed at a lower priority while sports, jobs and homework are placed on the highest pedestal. Freshman Eli Newell said he spent up to one to two hours on homework a night. While Freshman Roman Cyliax only had half an hour to forty five minutes of homework a night, keep in mind this in-cludes homework done in class, resource and spare pockets of time. Both Newell and Cyliax thought they had the right amount of homework each night. Sophomore Tim Rix had a mere thirty minutes of homework each night, but Sophomore Kennedi Satterfeld had an average two and a half hours a night. Rix did not think that his tiny homework load was getting him ready for college. Satterfield thought her homework could be a bit excessive but was readying

her for her future. Rix and Satterfield said sports and other school activities got in the way of schoolwork being completed. Satterfield said, “[Adults] always tell you to put yourself out there and be involved because that’s what colleges look for, but they fail to realize that being involved and the workload together can

be too much to handle.” Junior Ben Holl had one to two hours of homework each night while Junior Shaunak Deshmukh had around two and a half hours, and they agreed that their amount of homework was at the same rigor level they anticipate for college. Holl said, “I want to be in the military, and the stuff we have to do will help me get into the military, it won’t be as applicable in service, but will be in college after. But it is high school, and [teachers] are going to have to teach certain things; it is not always their choice.” Deshmukh said sports and other distractions such as television got in the way of him completing homework. Deshmukh said, “[The work] does pay off because I learn other skills like time management.” Jesse Shoaf, math and social studies teacher, said, “All of your effort and work in high school give you the opportunity for success in the future, but it does not guarantee it because sometimes life just

Junior Elyse Babb works on home-work in resource on Wednesday. | photo by Emily Steinrock

One in eight women is diagnosed with invasive breast

cancer in her lifetime.

85 percent of women are diagnosed without having a family history of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most survivable female cancer, with a 41% survival rate.

Infographic by Rebecca Smith Information from the American Cancer Society

40,000projected number of deaths from

breast cancer in 2014

One in one-thousand men will be diagnosed with breast

cancer in their lifetime in the United States.

Cancer* The Oracleu uPage 8 November 21, 2014

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among females, with one out of eight women being diagnosed with it in her lifetime. Each October, the most popular color is pink. Pink brace-lets, pink banners, pink professional sport uniforms and pink tee shirts dominate day-to-day life. The cause for all this pink? Breast cancer awareness. However, hundreds of other causes exist that receive little to no publicity. Domestic violence, Downs Syndrome, blindness and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome also have October as an awareness month. Most are not aware of these other causes fighting for atten-tion. The Susan G Komen foundation is the largest and most successful breast cancer charity in the United States, and raised $29,244,925 last year according to their financial statements. The most successful domestic violence charity, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, raised a mere $439,150. While the publicity breast cancer receives produces funding and awareness, the ‘pinkifying’ of breast cancer takes away from the publicity of other, deadlier types of cancer. When asked about the ‘pinkifying’ of breast cancer, Anna Guse, a senior whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, said “I don’t mind. I think people mean well. Raising awareness is great, but [seeing pink everywhere] is kind of a painful memory.” A few of these under publicized cancers include bone and lung cancer, occurring in a total of 3,020 and 224,210 people every year. One person afflicted with both cancers was Tayler Chandler’s mother, Chena, who passed away on July 21st of this year. As a way of honoring Chena, the East volleyball team, on which both Tayler and her sister, McKenna play, had “Always in our Hearts” printed on their warm-ups, in memory of Chena Chandler. Although this publicity isn’t akin to the numerous commercials ran in support of breast cancer, this act supported Chena and the Chandler family. Tayler Chandler recognizes the publicity of breast cancer tak-ing away support from other cancers. “Breast cancer shouldn’t be the only cancer noticed or publi-cized,” the senior said. Other common cancers among women include skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and uterine cancer. These cancers are deadlier than breast cancer, but receive far less publicity. As a part of her senior project, Chandler is organizing a run in support of the Inheritance of Hope Foundation, which gives support to families affected by all terminal illnesses, not just breast cancer. The Inheritance of Hope Foundation is a not-for profit orga-nization whose mission is “To inspire young families facing the loss of a parent”. The foundation provides scholarships to children who have lost a parent to terminal illness. The Inheritance of Hope Foun-dation also provides trips for families affected by terminal illness.

‘Pinkifying’ of breast cancer takes away from other causesby Bryn Eudy

*The Oracleu u Page 11November 21, 2014

Girls’ BasketballLast year’s record: 10-10

Key Losses: Ally Bunch, Courtney Hunter & Molly MacyCoach: Danny Brown

Boys’ BasketballLast year’s record: 17-5

Key Losses: Peyton Grey, Jordan Foster& Bryce Lienhoop

Coach: Brent Chitty

Girls’ Swimming and DivingLast year’s record: 4-2

Key Losses: Gayatri Mazgoankar, Olivia Gilmore & Kendra Arnholt

Coach: Jill Arnholt

Boys’ Swimming and DivingLast year’s record: 3-3

Key losses: Seth Frownfelter, Grant Huffman & Isaac Walling

Coach: Dave Fribley

WrestlingKey losses: Jimmy Fisher, Logan Doyle

& Dalton NoblittCoach: Chris Cooper

GymnasticsKey loss: Sam Rose

Coach: Nancy Kirshman

2014-15 Winter Sports Preview

“Our whole team is excited

for the upcoming season. We’ve been

working hard all off-season and can’t wait to see all the hard work pay off.”

-Senior Nate Nolting

“I’m excited

to be back with these guys again. We

have our eyes on a few records. Our senior class

needs to step up, and the underclassmen are going to

have to have a bigger role and score some points. I anticipate us to get a few big conference

wins.”-Senior Sam Lewis

“I think the season is go-ing to go really well. The team is overall really good. We are going to try our best.”-Senior Olivia Frownfelter

“We are going to be playing more of an upbeat style than we have in the last couple of years. We have a good mix of experience as well as some youth coming in. We are going to press and run. It’s going to be fun.”-Coach Danny Brown

Movie Reviewby Michaela Landis

Thanksgiving night, everyone gathers around the television with full stomachs ready to watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”. The classic movie first aired on Nov. 20, 1973. Charlie Brown has the vision of the perfect Thanksgiving meal, but everything does not go according to plan. Ever notice that in the first scene, Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie and that she does not appear for the rest of the movie? Also, in a bit of humorous role reversal, Snoopy prepares, fixes, and serves the meal. So next time you sit down after your perfect Thanksgiving meal to watch Charlie Brown and his gang have theirs, remember to be thankful.

“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” The Oracle chose to highlight “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” becasue of its sentimen-tal value. Many students have deemed this a clas-sic holiday movie, and it takes one right back to their childhood.

* The Oracleu uPage10 November 21, 2014

Athletes working hard in the off-seasonby Sam Newell

“One game tournament. No do overs.” That’s what Bob Gaddis, head coach of the Columbus East football team, tells his team during the postseason.According to Gaddis, the Olympians pre-pare like they prepare for any other game. “We do what we do,” Gaddis said. Last Friday in the regional champion-ship, East faced Evansville Reitz and won 42-14. The East football team will be facing New Palestine tonight in the semistate championship at New Palestine at 7 p.m. They will be playing for the chance to play in the Class 4A State Championship for the second year in a row. In preparation for the semistate championship game, senior defensive lineman Connor Roberts said that the intensity is kicked up every week during postseason. The only difference in the postseason is “the stakes are higher,” according to Roberts. During the third quarter of the Southern Dearborn game in the sectional semifinals, Roberts got injured when he dislocated his left knee and tore his me-dial collateral ligament, also known as the

MCL. Roberts was unable to play for two weeks. “The whole experience was terrible. You never want to sit out a game, especially your senior year,” said Roberts. According to Roberts, being able to be a part of the team again and play in the regional championship was memorable. Postseason is when the team plays the best football, according to sophomore linebacker T.C. O’Neal.

“It’s exciting, any game could be your last,” O’Neal said. O’Neal and Roberts seem not to be worried about anything this post season; they just want the team to do well. Mostly, preparations do not change during the postseason. However, one minor change to the team happens when freshmen move up to the varsity team beginning with the sectional games. As freshmen, O’Neal and Roberts were bumped up to varsity after their freshmen seasons ended. Younger players not only contribute during practices, but also during a game. IHSAA rules state that only 75 play-ers can dress during a game. Gaddis has 74 players who already dress during the regular season. However, not all of those individuals can dress because of injuries or other reasons. These circumstances allow the younger players, some of whom are freshmen, to get bumped up and have the opportunity to dress varsity on Friday nights. Gaddis said, “Every team has the same potential as [2013 Championship] team as long as they stay healthy and play their best in November.”

During the sports season, an athlete’s schedule is simple: school, practice, eat, homework, sleep. However, once the sea-son ends, said student now has a seeming-ly unlimited amount of free time. Many athletes choose to further in-vest their time into their sport by training during the off-season. There is a growing trend of coaches developing off-season practices and training programs for their players in order to get ahead. These days, more and more athletes are specializing in a single sport instead of participating in multiple sports at the high school level. The result of this single sport specialization is more team and individual off-season training. When asked about off-season soccer-workouts overseen by East fitness coach

Buster Copas, junior Ian Pittman said, “I really enjoy going to Buster’s winter workouts because I think it helps improve our strength, balance and agility and we get to play soccer at the end.” Students also have pride in their dedication, as evi-dent by junior swimmer Kameron Sutton’s statement: “We have year-round passion.” Despite the positive results of off-season work, this raises questions as to whether it is right for coaches to plan off-season workouts in today’s society, where students are often forced to bal-ance school, work, athletics, and college applications. To combat this, coaches often make off-season trainings optional, with little effect on playing time or team place-ment because they understand the rigors of modern life to the teenager.

IHSAA rules dictate the guidelines for off-season programs in sports. These guidelines state multiple things, one of which is that participation has to be optional for off-season training. Another guideline is that the training must be open to all that attend that school. With these guidelines in mind, off-season training certainly makes it easier for someone new or joining the team to integrate more smoothly. With a combination of IHSAA guide-lines, personal time sacrificed in order to improve, and coaches who set up off-sea-son worouts, high school athletes today unquestionably have the option to see the results of their hard work in the off-sea-son during the main season.

Olympians ‘do what we do’ in semistate preparationsby Michaela Landis

Tight end Karson Kammon dives for extra yardage against Bloomington North. | photo by Rebecca Smith

Compiled by Emily Steinrock

* The Oracleu November 21, 2014uPage 12

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Harsh winter predicted by Almanac for Indiana

Winter arrived early this year, with the first snowfall on November 13. As predicted by the Old Farmer’s Almanac, this year’s harsh temperatures have set in early and will last a while. | photo by Emily Steinrock

by Mary Gilham Weather is often the most neutral conversational topic known to man. Often, it is regarded as the one aspect of life that is completely con-tinuous and cannot be controlled, so when people look to the sky, they see possibly the largest human mystery. Americans are loyal to the Weather Channel. Each morning, many Americans post themselves in front of the television looking for the informa-tion they need to get dressed in the morning. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which is North America’s oldest continuously published periodical, sets a standard for weather prediction. The scientists involved in this weather prediction use a strict formula for weather prediction that is kept at its headquarters in New Hampshire. Weather predictions are made by reviewing historical weather patterns and by looking at projected solar patterns for the upcoming year. In an interview with Columbus East’s own weather guru, science teacher Derek Chastain, he discusses the validity of this long-term weather prediction. “I think [the almanac] just goes off of probability and statistics, and in that sense it’s valid, but it goes too far in advance to predict the entire year, which is really difficult to do,” Chastain said. Instead of using a long-term pub-lication for weather, Chastain advises using the National Weather Service for a daily source of weather updates. “The National Weather Ser-vice uses current data and statistics from the last month to predict the weather… the Farmer’s Almanac was written more than a year ago; you take statistics and roll a die or toss a coin,” Chastain said. The accuracy of long-term weath-er prediction is impossible without knowing what weather streaks are occurring for that year. Each region of America is dif-ferent. As for Indiana, based on the Farmer’s Almanac, the state is headed for an extremely cold winter, with

temperatures averaging five degrees below zero last winter. Snow and rain are expected within the forecast, with the coldest and snowiest periods com-ing in mid-December to early January. We are headed for another ice filled season. East student and aspiring meteo-rologist Ray Harper, who has read the Farmer’s Almanac winter weather pre-dictions, said “I expect it to be much like last winter, I would expect snowy days and extremely cold tempera-tures.”