Please don’t pass the salt
November 14, 2007
By: Maria Lamagna <mlamagna@hilite.org>
As the holiday season comes around again, freshman Nathan “Paco” Krieger prepares his taste buds. Krieger said that his whole family helps to prepare the meals they have for Thanksgiving and Christmas and some of his favorite dishes include turkey, smoked ham and taco rolls.
While traditional and delicious, Krieger admitted that his favorite dishes probably are not the healthiest. “They’re unbelievably fattening,” he said. “Somehow I keep myself thin.”
But Krieger said he doesn’t worry about an extremely unhealthy ingredient that all of his favorite dishes have in common. While he thinks about the fat and the calories they contain, he said he never considers the large amount of sodium in all of them.
“Unless something tastes salty, I don’t think about how much salt it has in it. It seems like no one worries about (salt in food) except super health freaks,” he said.
Krieger may be right. According to the article “Do You Salt Before You Taste Your Food?” from Itsasurvey.com, a recent survey conducted by the Mrs. Dash company indicated surprising results. The company found out that 47 percent of Americans are unaware of the daily recommended sodium intake and 37 percent of Americans automatically salt their food before they even taste it.
According to Nancy Hatch, family and consumer science teacher, who teaches classes such as Orientation to Nutrition and Wellness, over-salting can have harmful results. “Too much sodium can result in high blood pressure. You should consume less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day, which is about one teaspoon,” Hatch said.
The article said that consuming too much salt can have other harmful effects. Some of them are even cosmetic. In addition to contributing to high blood pressure, high sodium can lead to dehydration, which can cause people to be bloated and have a “puffy” look.
Hatch said that in addition to high blood pressure, health experts have linked high salt consumption to other dangerous long-term effects. Some of these, due to sodium-related complications, include asthma, heartburn, osteoporosis and edema.
Still, many people consume foods without realizing the high salt content. Hatch said that some especially salty foods people consume include processed foods, canned soups, soda and ketchup. She also said that some foods are surprisingly salty, such as McDonald’s milkshakes which contain more salt than their French fries.
Some other hidden dangers are foods which are advertised as healthy but overcompensate for the reduced calories with large doses of salt. For example, Lean Cuisine meals, Ramen noodles and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese are quick to make and relatively low in fat and calories. However, each of these dishes contains well over 25 percent of the recommended sodium intake for the day.
Hatch said she believes there are several reasons why people focus on cutting fat and calories but don’t always think about the huge amounts of salt.
“First, I think there’s more advertising and media hype about fat and calories,” she said. “Also, fat and calories show up as extra pounds and you can physically see that, whereas too much sodium results in high blood pressure which you can’t see.”
Hatch said there are several alternatives to sodium. “Salt adds flavor to food. In order to still have flavor without the sodium, you can try adding fresh herbs or spices to your dishes,” she said. The article from Itsasurvey.com also suggested substituting salt with acids like vinegar and lemon juice and buying natural ingredients and adding your own seasoning as healthy options.
With the holidays approaching, Hatch said people should be especially careful about how much salt they consume.
“Holidays are tough times to be careful of what you’re eating,” she said. “Read labels to know what you’re consuming and maybe prepare home-cooked food so you can control the amount of salt going into your food.”
Krieger said he would be willing to try some healthy alternatives to sodium during the holidays, but it will be tough. “All I focus on,” he said, “is eating what I want when I want.”
Roman Art exhibit draws tours
November 14, 2007
By: Michael Wang <mwang@hilite.org>
Ancient Greek and Latin students here plan to visit an exhibition called “Roman Art from the Louvre” in the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), sometime during this November or December.
Junior Cassie Xu, Classics Club president and Latin III student, said, “We are kind of excited about this (trip), because it is a rare opportunity to see artwork that we could not have seen without traveling far away.”
The exhibit that is displaying Roman art from the Musée du Louvre in Paris will be open to the public up until Jan. 6, 2008, according to the IMA’s web site, www.ima-art.org. The exhibit will feature a total of 184 art works including mosaics, frescoes, terracotta statuettes, monumental sculptures, marble reliefs and glass and metal vessels.
According to Caren Rickett, Latin and Ancient Greek teacher and Classics Club sponsor, Indianapolis is the first stop on the three-city tour for the exhibit.
“Basically the exhibit originated in Paris, France. (The art works) are taken from the Louvre, and they are sent here to Indianapolis, and so the (IMA) unpacks them and displays them,” she said. “(They) will pack everything back up and send it to Seattle, and Seattle will send it to the next city, and then it will go back to France.”
This trip is inclusive to any Latin or Ancient Greek students here. As of right now, Rickett said she signed up for two different tour dates, one in November and one in December, but she is having trouble getting information from the museum and an exact date on when they will visit the Louvre exhibit. She said, “They haven’t gotten back to me on officially when we have permission to come.”
The actual trip though will take place during the afternoon. “What (we) will do is we will spend the afternoon at the exhibit, and we are having some (Classics) professors from Ball State (University) take us through,” she said. “(The) classics professors will elaborate more on the different items in the exhibition and kind of teach us a little bit more about the Romans using the art.”
Rickett will act as a chaperone and a teacher. She said that she is going let the classics faculty from Ball State do most of the teaching, but it will be more of a collaborative effort between the professors and her.
“There is no admission fee to the museum,” Rickett said. “If we go as a school tour, then the exhibit is also free, but if you go just as a regular person, then there is a fee.” If they do not go as a school tour, adult tickets will cost $12, senior tickets will cost $10, student tickets will cost $6 and children’s tickets will be free.
According to Rickett, she expects around 75 Latin and Ancient Greek students to visit this Louvre exhibit. However, for the trip to occur, at least 25 students must go. As for the actual tour, the museum requires that for every 10 students there has to be at least one chaperone.
The purpose of the trip, Rickett said, is to show students how the classical empires still influence the world today.
“I know a lot of students enjoy art so that kind of gives them more insight into classical art, so it is helpful in a lot of different ways. I think it gives you a good perspective on what the Romans were like and what they were all about.”
Xu said, “I’m really excited about this trip because during spring break I got a chance to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York to see some Roman and Greek art work,” Xu said. “The art work was everything I thought it would be, which was really cool in my opinion. I feel that this trip will allow me to compare and contrast the art from the MET to the ones at the Louvre exhibit.”
Time restrictions to ensure safety
November 14, 2007
By: Tim Chai <tchai@hilite.org>
Sitting on top of the auditorium stairs, sophomore Blake Gray’s sudden laughter pierces through the silence of the nearly empty building. Lying next to her, Gray’s best friend, sophomore Hannah Lencheck, covered her face with her red hair, trying to stifle her giggles.
“We probably hang out once a week or once very two weeks. We just hang out at the school and sometimes go down to the arts district to get smoothies,” Gray said. “It’s a good way to unwind especially after a really stressful day.”
However, a new school rule may make these future get-togethers impossible. According to Athletics Director Jim Inskeep, the school encourages students who aren’t involved in an extra or cocurricular activity or club with a staff member to leave the school by 3:30 p.m.
Gray said, “We actually haven’t heard anything about the new policy,” Gray said. “We’ve never been told to leave.”
However, according to Inskeep, certain administrators are asking people to leave after school.
Inskeep said, “It’s my understanding that the deans and school police are walking through the school halls at the end of the day. They’re telling students to leave.”
Inskeep said that the new rule was enacted as part of a larger set of measures to ensure the safety of the school and students.
“Security is always something that we’re reviewing and updating if it is possible,” he said. “We have a responsibility to our staff and students to maintain a safe school environment.” However, Gray said she remains skeptical.
“I think the new regulation is ridiculous. I can understand it if they didn’t want random students or people here. But, as students of this school, I think that we have a right to hang out after school.”
According to Inskeep, another reason the school considered the new rule was because of mischevious student behavior after school.
“There are certain students who stay after school who have nothing to do in particular. Some of these students find ways to mess around, like finding unlocked doors and unlocking or locking doors.”
Although the administration does not know the exact dates, Inskeep said that they will pass information regarding the new rule during announcements.
“I sent an e-mail to our coaches, club sponsors and other teachers working with extracurriculars,” Inskeep said. “We just wanted them to know to tell their students to leave the school after their club meeting or practice is over.”
According to Gray, Lencheck and she will continue to stay after school despite the restrictions.
“We’ll probably continue to stay after school. Unless there is action, we’re not going to leave. So far, we haven’t seen direct action aimed at us.”
“However, if we were asked to leave, we’d probably go down to the arts district more often. We can get smoothies and go shopping. We go down there anyways.”
Marching onward…to Hawaii
November 14, 2007
By: Nancy Tan <ntan@hilite.org>
According to band director Andrew Cook, the marching band originally planned to travel to California to participate in the Hollywood Christmas Day parade, which occurs over Thanksgiving. The parade, however, was cancelled due to a lack of funds. Although the marching band’s initial plans to go to Hollywood fell through, members of the Marching Greyhounds now have the opportunity to journey further westward.
On Thanksgiving morning, 130 marching band members and 50 adult chaperons will leave for Hawaii. Senior Alexandra Bellis, who plays piccolo in the marching band, said that she is excited about the band’s upcoming five-day trip to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. According to Bellis, the trip, which costs $2,000 per student, will occur over Thanksgiving break and will last almost a full week.
“We are traveling to Pearl Harbor on Thanksgiving Day and (we are) spending our entire time traveling and exploring Oahu,” she said.
Junior Hannah Chiasson, a third-year member of the color guard, said that she is looking forward to the trip to Hawaii.
“I have never been there before, so I’m excited for all the historical (sites) and the beach,” she said. “We only go on a trip every four years, so it’s kind of a big deal. It should be a fun trip.”
Even though the students going on the trip will be missing three school days, the trip itself will not be all fun and games. The main purpose of the trip is to perform at Pearl Harbor and at the Waikiki Shell with the Royal Hawaiian Band. Cook said that the marching band is playing twice for varying crowds. According to him, the band plans to play a selection of patriotic songs including “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “God Bless America.”
“It will be music that people will recognize and enjoy,” Cook said.
“Our first performance will be at the U.S.S. Missouri, which is where they signed the peace treaty for World War II. That (performance) is for anyone at Pearl Harbor,” Cook said. According to Cook, the second performance is with the Royal Hawaiian Band. “It’s basically like in a central park. Every Sunday, (the Royal Hawaiian Band) do a performance, so we’ll be joining them in their afternoon performance,” he said.
Chiasson said that the color guard will also participate in the performances.
“I know the band is going to be playing a couple of songs. The (color) guard is going to have a flag routine to it and march with the band,” she said.
The marching band members are gearing up for these performances with extra rehearsals. “We are preparing during as many SRTs as possible. We practice (during) both sessions,” Bellis said.
According to Chiasson, the color guard will have a lighter rehearsal schedule.
“It’s easier for us,” she said. “The routine we’re learning is going to be really easy. (We’ll) be just doing spins and flourishes, so we don’t have to practice really intensely.”
The band has also scheduled chances to go sightseeing into its agenda. Bellis said that students going on the trip will have plenty of time to go explore and that the band is taking a bus tour.
“First day we’ll take a bus tour of Waikiki up through the island,” Cook said. “We’ll go to the beach, where we’ll have a cookout and a dance. They can go kayaking and swimming. The second day we perform. We’ll also have a dinner cruise. We’ll be in the bay where we can see Honolulu and Diamond Head.”
In addition, Chiasson said she thinks the students are going to be seeing some volcanoes.
“I know we’re going to have some free days where we chill at the beach and some days when we can go shopping. (On some days), the band’s going to be practicing and the (color) guard won’t have to practice,” she said.
Performances and tours, however, are not the only reason that brings the band members to Pearl Harbor. “We are raising money for the restoration of Pearl Harbor,” Bellis said.
The band is currently raising funds through “Pennies for Pearl Harbor.” Bellis said that the band hopes to present them with a check.
“We’re trying to collect pennies,” Chiasson said. “Then we’re going to put it all together and give it as a gift from Carmel marching band. I think we’re getting ‘Carmel marching band’ engraved into a brick or something.”
The band’s financial contributions will prove to be a help to the restoration effort. According to Pearlharbormemorial.com, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum suffers serious structural damages. To date, this facility, which floats over the remnants of the U.S.S. Arizona, has sunk over 30 inches into Pearl Harbor.
Other aspects of the trip will help to enhance students’ knowledge of U.S. history.
“(On) the Monday before we leave, we’re having one of the survivors from the Pearl Harbor bombing talk to the kids, and they can talk to him via satellite,” Cook said. “When we get to (Hawaii), he’s going to give us a tour of what happened that day. It’s kind of a fun, educational (experience).”
The underlining reason for this trip to Hawaii is to provide another platform for the marching band and for the students to become more seasoned musicians. Cook said, “It’s not anything other than a chance for the kids to perform.”
Lifelines conducts Pre-Break Awareness Week
November 14, 2007
By: Min Qiao <mqiao@hilite.org>
As the holidays roll around, along with all the parties and socializing, Lifelines club wants to remind all students of the importance of staying safe.
According to Lifelines sponsor Rebekah Overbey, two weeks before winter break, Lifelines club will be organizing a week full of activities to promote good decision-making in the student body over winter break.
“(Over winter break) you have the holidays and within the holidays, you have New Year’s Eve where a lot of people would get together and have a party,” Overbey said. “We want students to make good choices. Don’t choose to drink. Don’t choose to do drugs. Don’t do things that could cause harm or jeopardize your future.”
Alison “Ally” Klein, one of the vice-presidents of Lifelines club and senior, is in charge of organizing Pre-Break Awareness week this year.
“(Pre-Break Awareness) is not necessarily just about drugs and alcohol, but we just like to put out a good message before break about making good choices,” Klein said “We just want people to be open-minded to making good choices and know that there are consequences.”
Pre-Break Awareness also tries to promote awareness about recklessness. Overbey said that there has been lots of accidents with lack of seat belt, and even more so with students driving too fast, not paying attention to the road.
“In the news, there have been cases of accidents involving cell phones and text messaging and that does increase the accident rates,” Overbey said. “Just making good choices in general. We tried to hit the whole spectrum (of awareness promotion) around break time.”
Klein also said that in the past, Lifelines has done things like showing movies during SRT, organizing trivia contests among SRTs, putting up banners that promote awareness and making announcements about the importance of awareness.
“We’re still not sure on the specific activities that we are going to do this year, but I’m sure that there will be some kind of SRT competition because we tend to do that a lot.” Klein said.
“This year, we are looking to coordinate more with House,” Overbey said. “We want to support Care to Share but, at the same time, we want to make sure that students are not overextended (with all of these activities).
In past years, Lifelines has also promoted anti-smoking during Pre-Break Awareness week. Overbey said that they used to do the Great Amount Smoke-Out, which was not only aimed at anti-smoking for individuals, but also at restaurants to ban smoking. She said that most restaurants in Carmel do not allow smoking now.
Klein said she thinks that Pre-Break Awareness activities will prove to be effective for some students, but there are always going to those students that still choose to make bad or harmful decisions. Klein said, “At least we are getting the word out and letting people be aware of the choices that they should make.”
Men’s team looks to success
November 14, 2007
By: Mitch Ringenberg <mringenberg@hilite.org>
After finishing in fourth place at last year’s State meet, the men’s swimming team hope to break the top 3 this season. Swimmer and senior Matthew Segar said, “I want everyone to be making the top 16 this season, and we should be cracking the top 3, if not top 2.”
“We did (well) last season but this year we can do even better,” Segar said on last year’s season. Swimmer and sophomore Nikolas Astashinsky said, “The team really did well for themselves last season and we tried our best. But this year, we have really practiced hard, and I know if we give it our all, we can no doubt do much, much better.”
According to Segar, one of the main goals for the swim team this season is to have an even better State meet. “Our team has been improving and we have some very good representation.” Astashinsky said, “I think that the whole team has been making a steady progress throughout last season, so we can only get better.”
When it comes to how the team will improve Astashinsky said, “We’re getting some new additions to the team this year and we expect that the new swimmers perform well.”
Swimmer and senior Adam Twer said, “We have some younger guys on the team who should help us out.”
The season will officially kick off on Nov. 27, when the men’s team competes at Center Grove starting at 6 p.m. Astashinsky said, “(The Center Grove meet) will be very important for the team. We need to get off on the right foot.” After that, the team competes here in the Natatorium at 5:30 p.m.
In order to have its best season, Twer said the team has been practicing 10 times a week.
With the State meets all the way in February, this will give the men’s swimming team plenty of time to practice and improve their technique. Astashinsky said, “If everything goes like it should, and we try our best, then this should be one of the best seasons our team has had yet.”
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