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New year brings new club opportunities

By Tian Yang <tyang@hilite.org>

Senior Mike Bestvina started the “24” Club last year with fellow “24” admirer Adam Gunnell ’07. This year, he’s not so sure about it anymore.

“I think I’m doing Euchre Club with my friend Gordon,” he said.

The past school year, Bestvina and Gunnell had started the “24” Club and soon became known for their creative “24” Club raps on the video announcements. According to Bestvina, the club meeting turnouts were numerous at first but after “the club changed its name to √576 Club, the numbers became smaller.”

Athletic Director Jim Inskeep, who now handles overseeing clubs, said he attributes the decline of a club to the narrowness of its view.

“Those groups tend to die off sometimes because it’s so narrow in scope or focus of what its interest is,” he said. “Whether that’s related to a TV show that maybe goes off the air, or maybe it’s just related to the fact that there’s not a large interest for it (clubs) in our school population.”

Bestvina and Gunnell started the ”24” club because they both had a common interest “24”.

Bestvina said, “We were just trying to start a club. (Gunnell) had always been into “24,” and I watched all the seasons over winter break last year, so I got really into it too.”

At “24” Club meetings, Bestvina said the club watched “24” every week. Then when the club changed its name to √576 Club, instead of just watching “24”, the club watched a different show every week. He said that the raps that they did on the announcements every week only helped to a certain extent, but no more than any other club making an announcement.

“You don’t have to do anything special,” Bestvina said.

Yet, Inskeep said he thinks that clubs who are on video announcements are probably the most active.

“It’s hard for me to say, not knowing the inner workings of every club. Just watching the video announcements I think kind of gives you a good idea of the kids that are doing the most, whether that is the Pro-Wrestling Club or “24” Club,” Inskeep said. “I have found that the ones that publicize the most probably have the most active groups (clubs) out of all of them. Video announcements (are) a great place to publicize them.”

Inskeep said that the types of clubs that he sees last the longest tend to be somewhat philanthropic in nature, like Key Club or CHS Angels. He said this is due to the fact that these clubs attract a broad base of the same student types, so they are able to have a lot of members each year.

“When you get seniors, juniors and sophomores, and maybe even a couple freshmen each year in a group like CHS Angels, the kids feel good about what they’re doing.” Inskeep said, “They’re making a difference but also they’re continuing on each year because of that large following.”

At the same time though, he said that the same thing applies to other clubs that advertise themselves. But the major factor in why those clubs that are more charity based have such a big turnout is due to attraction.

Inskeep said, “I think in our school community because we’ve pushed so much towards giving back to others and community service. I think that is what does draw a lot of students to those types of groups, and when you put that component into NHS, where they have to get hours, that’s what also helps out some those philanthropic groups.”

For Tianyi Zhang, Key Club president and junior, she said she joined Key Club because she really wanted to help out the community and because a lot of her friends were in the club. She said that being in charge of Key Club is a big responsibility but she will receive a lot of help from her board members.

As for why she thinks Key Club is so big here, Zhang said, “I think Key Club has done so much community service for really good causes, that’s why it’s stayed really prominent.”

But in Bestvina’s view, he said that clubs like Key Club are more “official” clubs with an established organization backing them and are different from student created clubs. He said that interest clubs similar to his like Film Club have similar turnouts to what Gunnell and he experienced at “24” Club. Bestvina said that there will always be small clubs like “24” Club or Film Club because there will be students who want are interested and want to have fun.

Inskeep had similar sentiments. He likens it to the fact that, for example, there will always be students who join interest clubs, like Pro-Wrestling Club or Video Game Club, because there will always be students who like pro-wrestling and who want to watch it.

“I think it just comes down to numbers more than anything else,” he said. “I think the best correlation you can draw to the longevity and success of the 100 plus clubs here is similar to TV shows. Your survivors have been there for a long time on the ratings.”

He said that similar to TV shows, the clubs that are just starting might be canceled if a lack of interest is shown.

“Some of them flourish because it continues to be interesting to people. That’s the best correlation that I can make. Because the reality is that a lot of shows that are in the top of the Nielson rating are not in their first year, very few are. A lot of those have been on five plus years,” he said.

Though there are positives to having so many varieties of clubs, big or small. Inskeep said that he thinks that pushing students to get more involved and to try to start new things if they’ve got common interest with other students are good things.

“I think that not limiting the number of clubs here is a good thing for us,” he said. “And we need to continue to promote that. In a school of our size we need to have opportunity there for kids. This is one way we provide that service to our students.”

And whether there will be a √576 Club this year, Bestvina said he doesn’t know.

“Probably not,” Bestvina said. “If someone were going to start it again, it’d be someone who went to the club but not many people went to the club, so I don’t think anyone would start it up again.”

Yogokiss simple, refreshing

By: John Shi <jshi@hilite.org>

Yogokiss is in every way a gastronomic experience in modernism. As I walk through the door, magazines arranged in a checkered pattern (with selections from Time to Glamour) hang on the wall to the left, and tiny hourglass-shaped stools in sets of three surround similarly small circular tables. In fact, circles seem to be the theme at Yogokiss; a series of circular mirrors adorns the top of the far wall, and a hanging display of round links is positioned across from the counter. What all of this modern decor creates is an environment unique to its location and a sense of minimalism that is often missing in today’s heavily decorated suburban restaurants and cafes.

And the minimalist theme of Yogokiss extends to its food offerings as well; besides vitamin water, Yogokiss offers only nonfat frozen yogurt, and in only one flavor. After picking a size, there are a variety of toppings that can be added, ranging from blueberries to chocolate chips to Korean rice cakes. It’s an easy formula for a light and healthy fix that’s pleasingly elegant in its simplicity. Yogurt + Topping. No blending, no mixing, no flavor shots and no sweet additives. Simple.

As for the yogurt itself, I found the texture to be a little too grainy for my taste; but it’s not like it’s advertised as gourmet or anything, and I’ve never found frozen yogurt to be as palatable as ice cream, so I’m probably unfairly biased in that judgment.

I decided to add blueberries, kiwi and pineapple to my yogurt, and it ended up tasting like yogurt with blueberries, kiwi and pineapple. Predictable, yes. And you know what? I liked it.

So if you’re looking for a healthy snack and/or can appreciate a colorful modernist setting, Yogokiss is a pretty cool place with both those things. It’s that simple.

Students find help from peers at Student Tutor Connections

By: Lexi Muir <lmuir@hilite.org>

Sometimes, all anyone needs is a little help from their friends. Students can find that at Student Tutor Connections. This club offers help from students for any students who need it. Student Tutor Connections is completely free and happens during school, so students don’t need to find any extra time for it.

Kris Hartman, sponsor of the club and counselor, said this is a much-needed club here. “It gives help to students who can’t find it anywhere else,” she said.

This school year, the club will start up as soon as possible. Flyers will be put up around the school and students will be on announcements letting everyone know when the first meeting will occur. The meetings will most likely occur in room A210 on the first SRT of every week. Students can see their counselor about attending the meetings to get a pass.

Junior Kelsey Lawrence, who was in the club last year and plans to stay in it throughout her high school career, said the club is a great experience for students. She said she hopes more people will join the club this year. “We usually have enough tutors, but hopefully more people will come to actually get tutored,” she said.

“The students who run the club are great and very organized, and they really care about the service,” said Hartman. “It’s such a good group. I just hope more people will choose to get involved.”

Model U.N. callout upcoming, Club considering new events

By: Andrew Browning <abrowning@hilite.org>

The Model U.N. call-out meeting will occur near the end of September or early October, according to club sponsor Tracy Hadden. Flyers will be passed out and announcements will be made to inform students of the exact date of the callout, which could be an introduction to Model U.N.’s biggest year ever.

“We may consider entering additional competitions,” Hadden said. “One is at Earlham College and one is in Chicago.”

Hadden said what could prevent the club from making additional trips is the price. “I’ll check into those,” Hadden said. “They are kind of costly, so I don’t know how feasible it is to go.”

Hadden said the application process this year will be the same as last year’s, assuming the Indianapolis Model U.N. does not change any policies. Each student must fill out an application, and Hadden accepts the maximum number of 72 students into the club, based primarily on seniority.

Junior Sarah Turner, who represented Germany as a sophomore, said she encourages any students with an interest in global politics to consider joining Model U.N. “Students that are interested in international affairs should come out,” she said.

Hadden said that students can gain valuable skills by joining Model U.N.

“Anybody who’s interested in international relations or world issues should consider joining,” Hadden said. “You learn skills like public speaking, debate and political persuasion.”

Younger students take advantage of college visits

By: Shireen Korkzan<skorkzan@hilite.org>

Senior Alexandra Bellis so far has visited five college campuses, including Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Indiana University in Bloomington, Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois in Champagne/Urbana. She said she visited all of these campuses in November of her junior year and might visit DePauw University in Greencastle and Pennsylvania State University in the near future. She also said she believes that the earlier students start researching for college the better, with visiting colleges being the last step in the process before making any final decisions.

“I think that the earlier you can start looking at colleges the better it will be because you can gather more information and be prepared to ask the right questions and see the right things when you visit the campuses,” Bellis said. “I believe that visiting college campuses are a later stage in the process of selecting colleges. Junior year is a good year to visit as long as you are prepared to ask the right questions.”

Students apply to about three to five schools a year, according to guidance counselor Shelly Rubinstein. But she said that one year she had a student apply to 11 schools. On average, it costs about $35 to $50 to apply per school. About 50 percent of students get into the college of their choice. Because of high prices and rigorous requirements in applying per school, she said she and the other guidance counselors here try and have students focus on being more diverse in their electives so that they can have an idea of what they want to do after high school. With this said in mind, students can have a more clear focus on what school to look for and what campuses they would like to visit.

“I try and help students pick electives and classes that pertain to what they want to pursue,” Rubinstein said. “Most kids do have an idea of what they want to pursue in the future. I always try to prepare them for the fact that they may change their minds so they should keep an open mind.”

On the other hand, senior David Pison said he believes that the decision regarding when to visit college campuses is solely up to the student.

“I personally didn’t (start visiting college campuses freshmen or sophomore year) but I understand that since colleges are getting more competitive it’s a good idea to start searching early,” Pison said. “I started (visiting college campuses) my junior year and that has worked for me. But some people like to search earlier and some people like to search later.” So far, Pison has visited the University of South Carolina, the University of North Carolina, Duke University in Durham, N.C. and Xavier University in Cincinnati. He said he plans on majoring in pre-medicine, biology or chemistry.

Rubinstein said that if any student needs help in looking into various colleges, there’s a college and career center in the guidance office that has many colleges for students to look in and suggests for students and parents to come to any college information night. Bellis said she used the information given on the colleges’ web sites to find information regarding campus visitations and made reservations to visit the campuses online.

At Ball State University, September and October are the months when most seniors come to visit its campus, which varies from about 400 to 500 people, according to the Ball State University Admissions Office. About 400 freshmen, sophomores and juniors visit the most during the months of March, April and May. There, they have special campus visits called Cardinal Preview Days, which are days when high school students from around the country can come and visit the campus. Cardinal Preview Days are particularly helpful to high school students who are undecided about a major or have multiple academic interests. Last year, Ball State University held four Cardinal Preview Days. Among them, two of the days were focused primarily to sophomores and juniors. Called Sophomore/Junior days, these days were focused to help these students learn more about Ball State University as they begin college searching.

Bellis, Pison and Rubinstein all said they believe that no matter what grade a student is in, colleges will take them seriously when they visit their campus.

“Colleges will take every student seriously,” Bellis said. “Even though (colleges) focus mainly on juniors, they will look at anybody for possible admittance into their college.”

Rubinstein said, “I think that colleges still take every student seriously because they take into account that not everybody knows what they want to study; however, it’s never too early to begin researching.”

Graduation takes toll on State champs

By: Corey Bright <cbright@hilite.org>

Senior Daniel Moore was one of two juniors that started on the State Championship soccer team last year. The team, which won the first ever men’s soccer State title for the Hounds, graduated 13 seniors in the Class of ’07.

Moore said it was a great opportunity to play with such a strong group of athletes last year. “They were just so talented that everyone wanted to follow their lead,” he said. “It was great because I got the chance to be on a team where I just provided a role; our seniors were so great, that they did all the work really.”

It is the plight of high school athletic teams that they experience unpredictable and sometimes dramatic changes every year. One class graduates, and at the same time a whole slew of new freshmen look forward to its first chance at high school sports.

Former Head Coach Dan Kapsalis said last year was one of the largest senior classes ever in the soccer program. “Strong senior leadership is a must,” he said. “(Last) year’s team was one of the best ever in that category and a major reason why we did so well. The leadership helps develop the team chemistry and without it, the team would have struggled.”

Senior Charlie Painchaud said last season was surprisingly “not all that challenging” because a senior had taken his spot as center back on varsity and he didn’t get as much playing time as he expected. Josh Schlake ’07 had been a goalkeeper until last year, when he switched to playing defense and eventually took Painchaud’s spot. “I was like, ‘Wow I’m watching from the side.’ It was sort of a shock, but it made me work harder in the season. It’s good motivation to kick butt this year,” Painchaud said.

He added, “It’s going to be fun to see how we develop with a younger team. A lot of sophomores from last year will be movin’ up.”

The men’s soccer team will surely look dramatically different from last year’s team. Concerning this year’s season, Moore said, “We had six seniors that are going on to play college soccer. The talent at those six positions will be hard to fill.” Moore and others will have to learn how to recover and rebuild the team.

Kapsalis said the team had worked to develop underclassmen while still pulling off the State title last year because “underclassmen are the future.” He said the team tried to get them involved in the process by blending them with the seniors.

Kapasalis said, “The underclassmen must look up to the senior leaders for guidance and support since they are the most experienced in the program.” He said that even junior varsity and freshmen players are a very important part of this process.

Moore said he felt that the State Championship experience would motivate players this year to be as good as last year and end up in a successful season. Kapsalis said, “The incoming players understand the history and success of the program and we simply try to keep building the tradition with new players.”

He added that as a coach it is always fun for him to start out the season with such a different line-up. “You never know how it will shape up before you start, but once we do it starts to take form…there will be many changes, but we have great kids returning and we are excited to see them perform.”

As far as specifically rebuilding the team, Kapsalis said that it is important for the team not to compare itself to teams in the past. He said this will be a team with it’s own new identity. “(We will train) the same way we always have. By working hard, focusing on performance in training, playing the toughest schedule and executing during games.”

As for the new senior leaders, the coach said he would look for kids who want to take charge and give those players responsibilities early in the season. He said, “We always look for players who lead by example both on the field and in the classroom. Those are the players we count on the most.”

“I’m excited for leadership possibilities (this) year,” Painchaud said. He said he planned to help the younger players adjust to the fast pace of playing on varsity. “I’ll be hard on them, but always positive,” he said. “It’ll be fun to see how far we can make it (in the state tournament).”

Painchaud said that the players’ attitudes would be the most important contributor to success. He said, “You’ve got to have fun, play well, and most of all enjoy it.”

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Cross Country State Meet - VICTORIOUS RUN: In Head Coach Chuck Koeppen's final season, the men's and women's cross-country capture both State titles, sending him off as a winner. NICK JOHNSON / PHOTOS

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