Men’s lacrosse team heads into Semistate
May 22, 2008
By: Andrew Browning <abrowning@hilite.org>
Tomorrow the Carmel men’s lacrosse team takes on Saint Joseph’s in the Semistate championship game at IUPUI at 8 p.m. Should the Hounds win, they would face the winner of Culver and Cathedral in the State Final on Saturday at IUPUI at 8 p.m.
Michael Petersen, varsity captain, midfielder and senior, said that although Carmel lacrosse has produced consistently strong teams in the past, no group has ever won a State championship. For this team to do it, he said, would cap an impressive season.
“I think it would be amazing (to win a State championship),” Petersen said. “We’ve been very close in years past. The history of Carmel lacrosse is amazing, and I think to be able to win a State championship would be a great finish (for the seniors).”
At this point in the playoffs, Petersen said that teams are so equally matched that games can be won and lost based on which team has a better handle on the ball.
“Being able to clear the ball (is a deciding factor). That and ground balls will be key,” Petersen said. “Most likely whoever gets the most ground balls and gets the ball down to the attack will win the game.”
Petersen said that one problem the team has had this year is playing poorly during the beginning of games. “We need to play well early,” he said. “Every game we’ve lost and all our close games we’ve let them get up on us, and then we’re playing catch-up. We need to just come out early and hit the ground running.”
Assistant Coach David Schwartz said that mental preparation is also going to be crucial for the team during the remainder of State.
“(The deciding factor in playoff games) is a combination of execution and desire and focus. Whichever team executes, stays focused and plays with desire is going to win,” Schwartz said. “We’ve played all these teams before and we’ve won some and lost some, but I think if we get focused and execute then we can beat any one of them.”
Schwartz said that this season has proven to him that all the Hounds have the ability to stay focused and perform on the field, regardless of age or grade level.
“I think they’ve really showed (everyone can play at a high level) the last several games,” Schwartz said. “After spring break we had to reorganize and refocus a little bit, and against Brebeuf they really convinced us, even beyond what the score shows, that we have freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors who can all step up and really contribute.”
Petersen also said that a strong performance from every player is more important than the actions of a few senior captains.
“Not just seniors (need to be leaders), but everyone on the team needs to step up and be an example for everyone else,” Petersen said. “This year we’ve stressed that it’s not just the seniors who need to play their hearts out.”
Petersen said if the Hounds can work out some minor kinks then they have a strong chance to bring home the championship.
“This is a great group of guys, and we’re more deep than we’ve ever been,” Petersen said. “We’ve just got to bring some things together (during the playoffs) and I think we’ve got a good shot.”
Playing in a relaxing atmosphere
May 22, 2008
By: Lily Zhao <lzhao@hilite.org>
Dribbling the soccer ball, senior Peter Haigh aims and scores a goal, while his dad, Head Coach Steve Haigh, watches on. Although their Carmel Dad’s Club (CDC) Coeducational Spring Soccer League has already started its season, this league coincides with the fall league as well, so students who are interested are welcome to join one or both of the leagues, Mr. Haigh said.
“Our team is all about fun. You don’t have to know how to play soccer,” he said. “It’s just fun because you can be on a team with all your friends and enjoy playing soccer at the same time.”
According to Mr. Haigh, who coaches the team with John Warne and Aaron Stout, students who want to sign up for the upcoming fall season can either sign up online at the CDC Web site or visit their offices to fill up a form. The fee is around $60 for the whole season. This year, he said that there are 18 coed teams playing and games are usually played on both Saturdays and Sundays down on Shelbourne Field. Peter’s team, the Spartans (its unofficial name), practices once a week on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the Forest Dale Elementary soccer fields and he said it’s such a stress-free environment that missing one practice is no big deal.
“We’re not a strict league or team, but you will find some fierce competition,” Mr. Haigh said. “Because everyone wants to be here because of either friends or their love for soccer, we don’t penalize someone for not showing up for practice.”
For his team right now, Peter said that they are in first place among the league and said that he feels confident that the Spartans will come out on top this year. The league starts tournament play the weekend of June 7 and treats it like a round robin tournament. As of now, Mr. Haigh said, 19 kids are on his roster with the first 11 kids starting—it’s first come, first serve. Also, he said that each student gets equal playing time—a rule implemented around the league—and each half is a good 40 to 45 minutes, so all the students get a fair amount of playing time.
Peter said that the best part of playing CDC soccer was making the number of friends that he now has. Because most students love it so much, they tend to stick around together and stay on the same team throughout their high school career, he said.
“I’ve played for so long and I’ve only missed one season (my eighth grade year),” Peter said. “Now, my senior year, it’s never been more fun.”
New program may be more appropriate for large student body
May 22, 2008
By: Amy Flis <aflis@hilite.org>
Prior to the spring musical, the backstage area is filled with back-less wood houses, half-painted trees and buckets of various colors of paint. Among all this scenery paraphernalia, junior Andrew Paramore spends hours painting and putting together sets. Paramore said that during production season, his involvement in technical theater (tech crew) overshadows the rest of his activities.
“Instead of finding time to do (tech crew), you find time to do other stuff,” Paramore said.
Besides tech crew, Paramore said he is involved in other performing arts, including choir and drama, and said that his involvement could earn him enough points to become a Distinguished Graduate but that he honestly isn’t sure.
Despite the confusion and, at times, resistance that the new program has met this year, senior Hena Ahmed said that she looks at the program, not as a
replacement for valedictorian, but as a way to be fair to the students of a school with such a large student body.
“I feel like it’s just a different way of recognizing students,” Ahmed said. “It’s not a replacement of the valedictorian system. It’s a way to recognize more people within a school this big. I can understand with a smaller school, there would be one student that was really great and really involved in everything, but in just our Senior Class there are nearly a thousand kids; I could name 25 people off the top of my head who I’m inspired by and who are amazing.”
According to Assistant Principal Amy Skeens-Benton, the purpose of the program is “to honor and distinguish our top students.” In addition, the program stresses the importance of a “well-rounded” student who focuses not just on academics but is also involved in extracurricular activities.
“I think the students that focus solely on academics are missing out on such opportunities and a chance to learn in other ways, and maybe this will push them out of their comfort zone and let them experience the rest that Carmel
High School has to offer,” Skeens-Benton said.
The program recognizes participation in a wide variety of activities; however, it does not require a specific type of student. “I think (the program) does
encourage (more participation in school), but honestly, I think it’s more of a reward for participating in these,” Skeens-Benton said.
Ahmed, who said she is a commended graduate this year, said she agrees with Skeens-Benton that the program recognizes students already involved.
“If you are a student who could be a potential Distinguished Grad, you are probably doing everything right to begin with,” Ahmed said. “I feel like the Distinguished Grad program doesn’t make you have to conform to anything.”
Despite this variety, some clubs or groups may argue that they are under-counted. However, Skeens-Benton said that the committee that created the rubric tried to be fair.
“A committee met, made up of parents, teachers, administrators and students, and came up with what we thought was a fair, across-the-board rubric for points,” Skeens-Benton said. “And we wanted to again focus mainly on academics because that is the number-one goal but then to balance the other things with that.”
The committee met again after this first year with the program to discuss necessary changes to the rubric and made adjustments based on various recommendations. “We had to make sure that we’re fair and balanced, but we did make adjustments based on those suggestions,” Skeens-Benton said.
Ahmed was one student who met with members of the committee and made suggestions for adjustments to the rubric for next year. She said she answered
questions about each portion of the rubric as to the fairness and general opinion of each portion of the rubric.
“They definitely listened to what I had to say,” Ahmed said. “I was basically there to express the ideas of a lot of different students; it wasn’t much of my own views.”
Despite these efforts, Paramore said that complete balance and fairness is impossible.
“I don’t think it could be completely fair because different people put different value on activities,” Paramore said. “Whether they realize it or not,
there’s going to be a bias. I mean, performing arts is great, but then we just won (a) State football (championship).”
The list of recognized clubs is one example of something that some people may want to change. Ahmed said, “There’s so many clubs that do a lot of work, and I
feel like (the administrators) might need to add them to the list. Just because you aren’t a writer for yearbook or HiLite doesn’t mean you don’t work hard.”
Skeens-Benton said, “(The program) will always be adaptable.” According to Skeens-Benton, the committee will meet again after next year’s Distinguished
Graduates are selected and will make further adjustments. Skeens-Benton said, “It’s a constant work.”
Besides these minor changes, Ahmed said that she does like the program in general. “I honestly think it’s a fair way to recognize the seniors and all their accomplishments, just because there are so many students in our grade and they’re all so great at so many different things,” she said. “So I feel like it’s so hard to pick one specific person, and overall, I think it’s a really
good idea to look at everything someone has done and recognize a lot of students at once.”
Student Venture to attend Myrtle Beach Conference
May 22, 2008
By: Sherry Lu <slu@hilite.org>
While most clubs are wrapping up the year, Student Venture still has one last big event planned for its members: the annual summer retreat to Myrtle Beach.
This is a conference that brings together Student Venture members from all over the Midwest. Events planned this year include games on the beach, worship and several speakers. The trip will be from June 8 to 13 and costs $365. This cost includes hotel fees, transportation and other expenses.
According to Student Venture leader Brian Clark, official sign up has ended, but students can still sign up by talking to him and paying a late fee.
Senior Yue Jiang said that he has never participated before. “I am looking forward to my inaugural Myrtle Beach trip. It seems like a great way to both have fun and grow in your relationship with Christ,” he said.
No more magic for my mind
May 22, 2008
By: Rosemary Boeglin <Rboeglin@hilite.org>
I’m in a cloud right now. Literally. And although it is fantastic in theory, I wish the magic of certain things, like being in a cloud, was still fantastic to me.
As I look out of my 12” x 16” window, smudged with sticky, almost slimy goo left from a passenger before me, all I see is white. Which is enchanting, I guess. But one cannot talk herself into being enchanted, so in reality, it’s just sort of monotonous.
My sadness about not being charmed by the cloud stems from the five-or-so year old girl sitting directly behind me.
I’m not going to lie and say her preciousness or naivety inspired me. Because it didn’t. What got me about her was that, after getting my attention by repeatedly kicking the back of my chair, she looked out of the window and fussed about being in a cloud.
She even squealed, much to my chagrin, that she was going to tell so-and-so about floating in a cloud when she got home. Her mom was pleased, of course, because all parents think their own kids are cute.
She did make me think, though, about how I’m growing up and how science class has made me into a probably more boring person.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the Scientific Revolution and all (otherwise I would have to be writing on paper with a pen—way tough), but explanations make for less magic. And less magic makes for a more boring life.
It’s like Santa Claus. If you calculate the travel time, it’s just not possible. But, if you don’t know how to do that, or don’t have a calculator, it’s a pretty rad deal. Most (Christian) kids just accept it as a fact of life: they take naps after Kinder-Care, if they cut something the other person gets to pick the first piece and Santa’s reindeers fly him around the world in one night to deliver presents to every kid by means of descending through chimneys.
I know we’re not actually sitting on a cloud along with the rest of the Care-Bear gang, but the girl behind me doesn’t. And I’m jealous.
I learned in eighth grade science with Ms. Wiist (shout out) that clouds are water droplets, and we, therefore, cannot sit on them. There goes my plane-ride fun.
The bigger picture, it seems, is that superhuman explanations are more exciting than scientific ones. For example, religion.
A big puppet master in the sky is basically silly, but 86 percent of all people in this world are religious, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia.
Just as I’m jealous of the girl sitting behind me, I’m envious of people who are sure of their faith. It must be fantastic to think that all of us are just passing through, and Heaven is merely a few big clouds away.
But my scientific education does not permit me to accept ideas so readily. Where’s the proof? Where are the statistics? How do you know?
Religion doesn’t exactly follow the scientific method. My hypothesis is never paired with a conclusion gathered from data, which, to someone educated in the modern scientific era, would mean that a conclusion could not be drawn.
Honestly, it would never be acceptable to write “faith” as your evidence on a lab report, turn it in and expect a good grade.
Although this is all true, there is a sort of magic about knowing that this isn’t it. All of this isn’t your only shot to do anything useful, love or be happy. It’s just a precursor to a supernatural existence with the puppet master up in the sky.
Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is not boring.
But since I was scientifically educated, I am boring because I cannot accept “faith” as an appropriate answer to the biggest question of life. I blame the public education system for that, by the way. Rosemary Boeglin is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at rboeglin@hilite.org.
Class Day needs time, support to become part of tradition
May 22, 2008
By: HiLite Staff
Along with every other “tradition” added this year as part of the Distinguished Graduate/weighted grades program, the administration has added the first annual Class Day to graduation activities. It will replace Senior Skip Day and include a symbolic “changing of the seats” in which the Junior Class will take the seats of the Senior Class in the stadium. It is new and unprecedented, and it is a positive change, but one that will take time to be fully integrated into the body of this school’s many traditions. Read more
Multimedia/Links »
Video
Get the Flash Player to see this player.Photo of the Day
Photo Essays
Advertisement
Events in Carmel
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Current Survey
Polls
Loading ...Recent Comments
Recent Comments
- Evan Dossey on Recovering from ‘The Dark Knight’
- cece on “Twilight” movie a disappointment to even the most devout fans
- Amazing Weight Loss Story on Dieting, weight loss views clash
- luk on “Twilight” movie a disappointment to even the most devout fans
- Kaity Just on 4-H involvement here not typical for students