Student dies in tragic accident, school offers counseling services
December 17, 2007
By: Jaclyn Chen <jchen@hilite.org>
Freshman Shaail Abbas died Saturday night in a traffic accident in
Principal John Williams said that the school will offer counseling services for all students and faculty who need them. Students who wish to talk with counselors may request passes from their teachers, according to Williams. Counselors will also be present during Abbas’s classes Monday and Tuesday and will meet with the students who rode her bus.
“People handle (tragedies) in all sorts of different ways,” Williams said. “What’s important for everyone to know is that there is someone to talk to.”
Williams said that the school’s crisis response team met Monday morning to enact its plan. He made the announcement to the entire school this morning.
“We’re going to continue to offer resources, as far as being there for folks,” Williams said. “When someone is missing (the school’s) family, especially in a way as tragic and as final as death, everyone feels it.”
The school’s crisis response team has laid out plans to deal with a variety of circumstances such as this one. The team meets annually to update and review each plan.
According to the Indianapolis Star, funeral services will be held in
CHS Angels Club prepares for gift wrapping benefit project
December 14, 2007
By: Meagan McNulty <mmcnulty@hilite.org>
On Dec. 22 members of the CHS Angels Club will wrap gifts at Castleton Square Mall. Kati Feller, CHS Angels Club co-president and sophomore, said the money raised from this project will go towards the making of fleece tie blankets, which CHS Angels Club members will construct afterwards.
Members will then donate these blankets to the Julian center, which Feller said “is a center for women who have been in abusive households.”
After the CHS Angels Club raises money by wrapping gifts, club members will purchase supplies to help construct the blankets.
Feller said that she hopes the women of the center will feel comforted when they receive the fleece blankets, knowing that others care about them during a hard time in their lives.
Police to enforce “no parking” fire lanes with ticketing
December 14, 2007
By: Jaclyn Chen <jchen@hilite.org>
A painted yellow curb has always meant no parking, but now with the newly-painted fire lanes on the front circle and near the natatorium, parking in those areas will equal a ticket and a $150 fine.
Per the phone message sent out last Monday to all students’ homes, Principal John Williams said the primary reason for the new measure is to make way for rescue vehicles in case of emergency.
Officer Gene Stilts, who will administer the tickets, said that because the areas weren’t clearly marked as fire lanes before, the fine was a $5 fine for a City Ordinance violation.
Now with the new lines and the newly enforced measures, a state traffic ticket will cost $150. Once a driver leaves the vehicle, the car is considered parked, according to Stilts.
He said that the measure is aimed at clearing the illegally parked cars during basketball games and other events, so parents may still pick up and drop off students as usual.
Carmel Clay Parks will commence teen council to plan events
December 14, 2007
By: Amy Flis <aflis@hilite.org>
Starting next calendar year, Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation (CCPR) will have a group of high schoolers put together to brainstorm and organize events and programs for CCPR.
“Any suggestions that (the members of this council) have we’ll take into consideration and hopefully offer in the next brochure,” Lindsay Holajter, marketing coordinator for CCPR, said.
Freshman Vanessa Roy, who said she goes to the Monon Center all the time, said that it could have a positive outcome.
“(The council members will) be able to pick programs that they and others their age will be excited about,” Roy said.
According to Holajter, the teen council will probably meet once a month. She said CCPR wants “to get them involved and show them that we care about their opinions in what we offer.” If interested, students can contact Billie Carder at 573-5247 for applications and additional information on getting involved.
Roy said, “I think that a teen council will make teenagers more excited about exercising and staying healthy.”
Jazz ensemble season begins, practices for spring events
December 14, 2007
By: Nancy Tan <ntan@hilite.org>
Senior Jon Bates, who plays the vibraphone, said that he has been in jazz ensemble for all four years of his high school career. “I was in freshman jazz ensemble, Jazz 4 and Jazz 2,” he said.
According to Michael Pote, associate director of bands, the season for all the jazz ensembles started this week.
Bates said that the jazz ensemble members practice every Monday through Friday from 7 to 7:40 a.m.
According to Pote, the members practice to prepare for jazz ensemble events in the second semester. Pote said that Jazz a la Mode will be held in the band room on March 18, 19 and 20 from 6:30 p.m.
On May 1, jazz ensemble members will perform in Jazz at the Roof, which will be held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
Bates said that he found jazz ensemble fun and educational. “I’ve learned a lot more about music and jazz,” he said. “It’s a different musical experience.”
Students incorporate new styles into their own choreography
December 14, 2007
By: Rosemary Boeglin <rboeglin@hilite.org>
Rebecca Petersen, a member of Charisma and Coquettes and sophomore, is truly a dance enthusiast in all aspects of the word.
“I have taken dance classes for about seven and a half years at Performer’s Edge Dance Theater,” Petersen said.
Petersen is an active member of the Performer’s Edge competition team as well.
In addition to participating in all of these groups, Petersen enjoys watching others do all the work.
“I consistently watch ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and sometimes I watch ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” Petersen said.
Sarah Wolff, coach of Coquettes and Charisma, watches both “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Wolff said that she is an advocate of having the girls on the team watch those shows. “They have good ideas and we are always looking for new ideas. Styles, too, we’re always looking for that,” Wolff said.
Petersen traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, to see the season three tour of “So You Think You Can Dance” as a birthday gift to Jennifer Maurer, her friend, fellow dancer and sophomore, and her parents. “My favorite part about the show is watching the different dances that are choreographed for the dancers,” Petersen said.
Mikayla Mandell, member of both Charisma and Coquettes and junior, said that she is one of the lead choreographers of both teams. In addition, she is a competitive dancer and a member of the American International Dance Team.
“We as a team step up to the plate to choreograph then we all decide who will choreograph each dance. It’s a whole effort from everyone,” Mandell said.
Wolff said, “The kids on the team (choreograph the dances). They do all of it, we don’t pay anybody.” She also said that incorporating different styles of dance into the routines gives more variety to the dances and it helps for things to not get boring to the audience.
Seeing the different styles of dance gives the girls valuable, usable ideas according to Wolff. “I think it’s hard (to come up with new ideas). It’s easy to stagnate. You can take ideas and concepts for something new.”
Mandell said that she also thinks that dance shows are a good source of inspiration. “I actually will go online to look at hip-hop routines from years past and steal the choreography,” Mandell said.
“I definitely think the shows have spread a big awareness of how difficult dance is. You need a great memory, physical awareness, and it takes a lot of training to do,” Wolff said. In addition, Wolff said she definitely thinks that the shows have made people more interested in taking dance.
“So You Think You Can Dance” has pronounced its season three winner to be Sabra Johnson, who started dancing at high school age. Host Cat Deeley joins judges Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe, Shane Sparks and Mia Michaels in making the show that, according to Lythgoe and Fox, grew to become one of the most watched shows on television.
Likewise, “Dancing With the Stars” has come to an end pronouncing Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough the new winners of season five. Judges include Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli alongside hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris.
Inaba and Tonioli will debut their new show “Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” on Jan. 7.
“From watching the show, actually, I want to try ballroom, but so far I haven’t been able to,” Petersen said.
According to Wolff the Coquettes and Charisma dance teams perform here, at Girls’ and Boys’ basketball games and from now until the end of January.
Wolff does think that these shows have spread the popularity of dance. She said, “I definitely know people they have sparked interest in.”
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