Females take risks in sports, too
May 6, 2008
By: Stephanie Hodgin <shodgin@hilite.org>
As she packs up her equipment, sophomore Jamelynn “Jaymo” Callahan remembers that day’s practice. Practice not for gymnastics, volleyball, or even cheerleading, but for football. Currently she is the varsity football manager and said she believes that even girls can become a part of the football family here. She even wants to try out for the football team her senior year and hopes to play if her coaches let her.
“I was welcomed instantly as a freshman girl being a part of the team,” she said about becoming manager. She also said she believes that girls can take risks in sports as well, and that if is not just a masculine trait. According to the Web site oxfordjournal.org, females take just as many risks in sports as males do, the only difference being females asses risk in sports more accurately.
According to the site, “girls may be more accurate than boys in assessing risk in sport. Additionally, it may be socially desirable to perceive less risk in sport, in accordance with the prevailing masculine stereotype for boys in sports.”
The web site also states that another reason for this difference could be because of how females grow up learning to play sports. “Parents and coaches have traditionally socialized female sport participants away from the aggressiveness, physical contact and risks that are considered necessary in contact sports,” it states.
Callahan said she believes that all players form any sports should take risks if the need arises.
“Yeah, definitely they should (take risks) because your whole team is out there for you and putting in their whole effort for you. You should do the same for them,” Callahan said.
Megan Renninger, tennis player and junior, said that she believes that risk-taking is understandable for the most part.
“Risk-taking is understandable to an extent because all athletes want to help their team, but you also don’t want to ruin your career (with an injury),” Renninger said.
Callahan said one risk females take is choosing to play more masculine sports, such as football.
“(The players) accept you really fast with open arms. I started (being a part of the team) freshman year and I was welcome instantly,” she said.
She said that it didn’t matter that she was a girl, either.
“I love everything about the sport now, from the bonds made to being part of a team and feeling like you’re meant for something,” Callahan said.
Renninger said that she believes that girls can play the sports that they are able to play.
“Girls can play all sports if they are physically capable to competing with either gender in that sport,” Renninger said. Some people have criticized IndyCar driver Danica Patrick of this up until her first win at the Indy 300 Japan race. But according to cbssports.org article by National Sports Columnist Mike Freeman, Patrick believes that racers are racers, no matter their gender.
“What you really need is endurance. And some tests have shown that women have more endurance than men. But that’s not the point. I’m not trying to establish the superiority of one sex over another. I’m a good driver, but I’m no superwoman. What I’m trying to emphasize is that a driver is primarily a person, not a man or a woman, and that is a great deal of driving is mental,” Patrick said according to the article.
According to a 2006 ABC News article titled “You Go, Girl–to Football Camp” by Blair Soden, more and more females are deciding to take that risk and play football. According to this Web site, women have been playing organized football since the 1950s. The Independent Women’s Football League currently boasts a roster of 35 all-female teams.
Callahan said, “(Football is a masculine sport) because they think that guys can hit a whole lot harder than girls can. If I am a guy I can prove how tough I am by hitting a person as hard as I can. If a girl wants to play, it should be her decision.”
Going, Going, Gone…
May 6, 2008
By: Tommy Sneider <tsneider@hilite.org>
How did you start go-carting?
My dad is an IndyCar engineer and he’s with Andretti Green Racing.
Have you been in any competitions?
Yeah, I had a competition two Sundays ago. It was my first Senior Class race, and Thomas Scheckter was in that race and he qualified third, and I qualified second so that was pretty cool.
Have you placed in the races.
That was my first race of the 2008 season, but last year I went to Daytona and I qualified 14th and finished 12th.
What kinds of awards have you won from racing?
In 2006 I got my first win in TAG Junior Class. All you have to do is touch the car and it starts. In 2007 I won the Yamaha Junior Can. I won two races at Newcastle and Motor Sports Park and that’s where I do most of my racing. In 2007 I came in third place out of 24 in my class, so that was pretty big.
What’s the most challenging part about the sport?
Probably just staying consistent and getting the cart set up right. The track is always changing and you have to adapt to the track. Since there’s sprint races, it’s pretty important to qualify really well. You want to qualify in the front row to have a chance to win.
Do you have your own cart?
Yeah, I actually have two. I use one for the TAG class, and I have another class called the HPV cart and that’s just so I can get on the track.
How do you help in maintaining and keeping it running to its potential?
We send our engine to an engine builder, so you just bolt it in and go. For the cart, there’s a lot of grease involved, so after everyone season you have to clean off the cart. Also, between races you have to make changes to the cart. The way the cart is altered makes a big change.
When was your first race?
My first national race was in South Bend, but it was more of a regional race. My first big national race was in Daytona. I also raced at Charlotte, but I do most of the racing at Newcastle Motorsports Park. It’s one of the best in the U.S. You’ll see a lot of IndyCar racers out there. There’s a lot of top-notch competition.
What is your favorite place where you competed?
Probably Shawano, WI, just because the track has so many different elevation changes and it’s a big track with a lot of fast runs.
Have you had any bad crashes or injuries from racing?
I broke my thumb. What happened was there was a cart spun out in front of me and I T-bonded him and I got my finger stuck in the steering wheel and I fractured it. Another time I got loose and another cart drove over the side of my body.
What do you want to achieve in your racing career?
I just want to keep going as long as I can. Just see what opens up ahead. I would love to do some open wheel.
Describe your most exciting moment.
Probably my first big race a day after my birthday. It was a great feeling of accomplishment finally getting my first win and fighting for the next one.
What kinds of speed do you race at?
In the TAG cart you can get up to 70 plus miles per hour, and that’s about as fast as you’ll find me on any track. In the year before this, it was 65.
What racer do you idolize and why?
Marco Andretti just because he’s accomplished so much and he’s only 21 years old. He races flat out, no matter how the cart handles, he just drives.
How do you balance school and practicing for races?
The races are normally on weekends, and we’ll go occasionally to the track to practice. There’s a lot of down time on the track, so when other classes are racing I’ll do my homework then.
What do your practices usually consist of?
We test to see how the cart feels based on the changes we make to the cart. We’ll just test different components of the chassis, and we’ll test a qualifying run and try to cut down time making little changes. A race is only 12 laps, so sometimes we do 12-lap runs to see if the cart continually handles right.
What’s the most difficult part while racing?
Probably staying focused and making sure you do every corner completely right and hit your apex completely right and get on the gas completely right. Also, knowing what is going on around you.
Do you think you’ll continue racing later on in life?
Yeah, I would really love to. But if it’s not an option, then no; I just want to see how far it will take me and go through the different formulas and hopefully reach IndyCar open wheel or NASCAR, whatever presents itself.
Belt It Out
April 3, 2008
By: Tommy Sneider <tsneider@hilite.org>
How did you get interested in taekwondo?
I just kind of heard about it. Some of my family members were doing it, and I was doing karate in Kentucky where I lived. One of my family members started doing it, and I got interested in it and started doing it.
How many years ago did you start?
I started three years ago.
What was the most difficult thing for you at the beginning?
Remembering everything, like the techniques and stuff. The different kicks, blocks, punches and that kind of stuff.
What are the different belt levels?
White, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red, junior black and junior black star belt. Then it goes to black belt first degree, and there’s 10 degrees. It takes about 60 years to get all ten degrees, it’s just a hard process to get 10th degree.
Where do you practice?
Carmel Taekwondo at 14931 Greyhound Court.
You recently got your black belt along with your mom. What was that like?
It’s kind of interesting because we’re at the same level, but I started going further, so I can help her out now since I started competing.
Did you two start practicing together, or how did she get interested in it?
She started doing a taekwondo fitness program, and I heard about it and was interested, so I started doing it, too, like the kicking and stuff.
How hard was the whole process of getting this far?
It’s a lot of tough work, depending on what you want to do, like I’m competing. It depends on what you want to work on. Like me competing, I work more on endurance and the punches and kicks.
How has taking taekwondo helped you in your life?
It’s helped my self-discipline and how I focus so I can remember more stuff now because I have to remember a lot of stuff for it like the forms, poomsae, which is like self defense form. It’s almost like a certain routine, and you have to remember the order and that stuff. I have to remember eight of them for black belt.
Describe some of the exercises or ways to practice when not at the dojo.
For, like, things to do, we do a lot of stretching to kick higher. For sparring, we do strength and endurance so that we can kick and last longer.
What have you learned from taking taekwondo?
Probably self-discipline. I have to be disciplined to be focused during the class and practice on my own so I won’t forget it during the test. This way, I can go further in it.
What’s your favorite thing to do in the class?
Kicking, I like kicking and using power to do things. It’s kind of a challenge for me to see how fast or high I can kick.
What goal have you set for yourself?
I want to become at least a master, which is a fourth degree black belt. But I want to be a second degree black belt before I graduate from high school.
What can you do after you get a black belt since it’s the highest belt?
Starting from black belt we have to learn sword techniques and nunchucks, and the poomsaes get harder. There’s also advanced kicking and punching and that kind of stuff.
How can others get interested in taekwondo?
They can just go online and find information on it and go to pretty much any taekwondo school and just start learning.
Live Strong
March 17, 2008
15 Minutes of Fame Interview with Dale Yessak
By: Tommy Sneider <tsneider@hilite.org>
Why did you start riding your bike to school?
My wife bought me a bike as a birthday present, January two years ago, and I started riding to work every day shortly after that, because it seemed like a good way to combine a workout with my commute.
How does weather affect you when riding to school?
I don’t ride the bike in the morning if there’s water falling from the sky, but I don’t mind riding in snow. I have a bike that’s set up just for sloppy weather. Other than that, I ride every day I can up until the temperature gets into single digits.
Describe the route that you take to get to school. About how long does it take you?
I take various routes from Broad Ripple, usually about 12 and one-half miles one way; I like to do 25 miles a day if I can.
What’s the strangest thing that you’ve seen happen coming to or from school?
Once I had a big deer jump right out in front of me on the stretch of the Monon Trail between 96th and 106th Street. It was about 6:30 a.m. and dark, so all she looked like until my lights hit her was a big black blob in the middle of the path. I think it scared me more than the deer.
How long have you been riding?
As I said, just over two years now. I never had time for a hobby like this when I was in my earlier career, the Army; I used to run or swim for fitness instead. But my ankles are so busted up from my former career that running is no longer an option. Cycling gives me a good alternative workout and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can manage.
What do you think about students driving their own cars to school instead of riding the bus?
A lot of them see driving a car to school as a right instead of the privilege that it is. When I was in high school we had to earn the privilege by keeping our grades at a certain level, and we had stickers on our windshield identifying us as students. Any car with a student sticker or no sticker was towed if it was parked in the main school lot. Many of our students abuse the driving privilege and park in areas that cause problems for teachers and staff, and that’s the only concern I have about it. There’s nothing wrong with taking a car to school, so long as the students follow the guidelines and don’t take up spaces near the building that are reserved for staff. Of course I’d love to see more people riding bikes to work or to school because it’s more environmentally sound and it’s great exercise, too. For it to work, though, you really have to have a bike-friendly and bike-aware community. Carmel has come a long way and has some great bike paths and designated bike lanes, but a lot more could be done to encourage folks to ride rather than drive.
What’s the most fun part about it?
The most fun part of riding for me is the feeling you get, that it’s you that’s propelling you forward, not the machine. When you’re in the groove and hitting a good fast cadence, it’s almost like you’re not touching the road anymore, just skimming along the surface. There are other times that you can slow it way down to slower than a walk and have time to take in what’s around you, check out the wildlife or the scenery around you. In the spring, when everything is just turning that wonderful, fresh green, you have time to look at the foliage and the wildlife in the morning. In the fall there’s the wonderful autumn colors, and ducks and geese flying south, and a whole different world to look at.
How has riding helped you?
Well, I sure don’t spend a lot on gas anymore. And the fitness aspect of it is undeniable, of course. It used to take me 20 minutes to drive to work each way, and I’d do a half hour workout in the morning and evening. Now I do a forty-five to fifty-five minute workout twice a day and get to work at the same time.
What comments do you get from other people?
The funniest comments come from my students. They see my bike parked in my classroom day after day and some of them assume my license has been revoked or that my car is in the garage being repaired. It never occurs to some of them that anyone would want to ride a bike voluntarily if they have a car and a valid license.
Do you ride to condition yourself for other sports?
No. I just ride because I like to ride.
Many students, teachers alike find environment worth preserving
March 17, 2008
By: Stephanie Hodgin <shodgin@hilite.org>
For Kelli Rogers, math teacher and eco-friendly advocate, helping the environment has become a way of life. She and her husband do not buy water bottles, CDs or books, and even own their own grocery bags just to help out the environment any way they can. She said that a trip to Japan in June opened up her eyes to the condition that the United States is in.
“When I went to Japan, I was amazed at how eco-friendly they were. Even the McDonalds were (eco-friendly). There was a separate place for your straws, a place for your lid and a place for trash, and everyone carried their own bags to the grocery store. That is when I asked myself, ‘What can I do?’” Rogers said.
Rogers also said that even small changes, like bringing a reusable water bottle to school, can make a big difference in the long run. According to money.msn.com, every year there are 89 billion liters of water bottled, which ends up using 1.5 million tons of plastic.
According to George Ohmer, The Healthy Environment (T.H.E.) Club sponsor and AP Environmental Science teacher, it is important for people to be eco-friendly to lessen the impact that students have on the earth.
“For a species that has been self-proclaimed ‘wise mankind’ we certainly have a long way to go to show our intelligence regarding the effects that we are having on the earth,” he said via e-mail.
Bethany Stewart, member of T.H.E. Club and senior, said via e-mail that she has been raised to be an environmentally-friendly person.
“I grew up in a household where protecting the environment was important. Even as an elementary school student, my dad would take me around my neighborhood and I would help clean up trash. I have simply grown up with the attitude of taking care of the earth,” Stewart said. Rogers said that she believes that being environmentally friendly is important and that “we are doing a lot of harm to our environment with our carelessness.”
While Rogers traveled out of the country to realize the importance of being environmentally friendly, Stewart said she started learning about it in school.
“In school I learned about the cutting down of rainforests and baby seals being killed by oil spills. These things had serious impacts on me and I wanted to do everything I could to prevent them from happening. The earth provides so much for people: food, water, forms of shelter and so much beauty to behold. Since I have been given so much, I feel like it’s my place to take care of what I have,” Stewart said.
There are many types of movies, Web sites, books and television shows devoted to informing people of the environment and teaching ways to “go green.” Rogers said she was influenced by books such as The Green Book and movies like “An Inconvenient Truth.”
“‘An Inconvenient Truth’ by Al Gore really opened my eyes to what is happening in the world. Also, once I watched the ‘Planet Earth’ series, it changed my perspective; I can’t imagine not wanting to help the environment,” she said. Rogers also said that books like The Green Book offer ways to be environmentally friendly at work, at school and more.
While at school, Rogers said that she recycles all of the paper and makes sure to turn off the lights when not in her room. She also brings her own water bottle to school with her to reduce the amount of plastic she uses. Stewart says she also takes her recycling habits to school with her.
“At school, I buy notebooks and paper that are printed from already recycled paper. Many times I also take home my plastic water bottles so I can recycle them at home, along with recycling paper, plastic and aluminum,” Stewart said. She also said that, along with recycling, she cuts down on shower time and does not leave the water on while brushing her teeth.
“I also use the windows for light as much as possible instead of those fake lamps. I like sunshine better anyway,” Stewart said.
Recently, T.H.E. Club started taking over the paper-recycling program that the Recycling Club initiated a few years ago, according to Ohmer. He encourages everyone to place all paper in the paper recycling containers in their classrooms.
Stewart said, “As humans, I believe that part of our purpose on the earth is to take care of it. Everything will simply continue to get worse if people don’t take a stand and change.”
*Exclusively Online* Interview with Dale Yessak
March 13, 2008
Why did you start riding your bike to school?
My wife bought me a bike as a birthday present, January two years ago, and I started riding to work every day shortly after that because it seemed like a good way to combine a workout with my commute.
How does weather affect you when riding to school?
I don’t ride the bike in the morning if there’s water falling from the sky, but I don’t mind riding in snow. I have a bike that’s set up just for sloppy weather. Other than that, I ride every day I can up until the temperature gets into single digits.
Describe the route that you take to get to school. About how long does it take you?
I take various routes from Broad Ripple, usually about 12 and one-half miles one way; I like to do 25 miles a day if I can.
What’s the strangest thing that you’ve seen happen coming to or from school?
Once I had a big deer jump right out in front of me on the stretch of the Monon Trail between 96th and 106th Street. It was about 6:30 a.m. and dark, so all she looked like until my lights hit her was a big black blob in the middle of the path. I think it scared me more than the deer.
How long have you been riding?
As I said, just over two years now. I never had time for a hobby like this when I was in my earlier career, the Army; I used to run or swim for fitness instead. But my ankles are so busted up from my former career that running is no longer an option. Cycling gives me a good alternative workout and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can manage.
What do you think about students riding their own cars to school instead of riding the bus?
A lot of them see driving a car to school as a right instead of the privilege that it is. When I was in high school we had to earn the privilege by keeping our grades at a certain level, and we had stickers on our windshield identifying us as students. Any car with a student sticker or no sticker was towed if it was parked in the main school lot. Many of our students abuse the driving privilege and park in areas that cause problems for teachers and staff, and that’s the only concern I have about it. There’s nothing wrong with taking a car to school, so long as the students follow the guidelines and don’t take up spaces near the building that are reserved for staff. Of course I’d love to see more people riding bikes to work or to school because it’s more environmentally sound and it’s great exercise, too. For it to work, though, you really have to have a bike-friendly and bike-aware community. Carmel has come a long way and has some great bike paths and designated bike lanes, but a lot more could be done to encourage folks to ride rather than drive.
What’s the most fun part about it?
The most fun part of riding for me is the feeling you get that it’s you that’s propelling you forward, not the machine; when you’re in the groove and hitting a good fast cadence it’s almost like you’re not touching the road anymore, just skimming along the surface. There are other times that you can slow it way down to slower than a walk and have time to take in what’s around you, check out the wildlife or the scenery around you. In the spring, when everything is just turning that wonderful, fresh green, you have time to look at the foliage and the wildlife in the morning. In the fall there’s the wonderful autumn colors, and ducks and geese flying south, and a whole different world to look at.
How has riding helped you in your life?
Well, I sure don’t spend a lot on gas anymore. And the fitness aspect of it is undeniable, of course. It used to take me 20 minutes to drive to work each way, and I’d do a half hour workout in the morning and evening. Now I do a forty-five to fifty-five minute workout twice a day and get to work at the same time.
What do you do when it snows a lot and the street conditions are less than average?
If the snow is too deep I have to bow to the inevitable and drive, but if it’s just an inch or two, or just slushy, I still ride; I have bikes that are built for bad weather. One is a cyclocross bike—a lower geared road bike with wider, knobby tires and more powerful cantilever brakes—and the other is a single-speed fixed gear bike with a low enough gear ratio and knobby enough tires to get me through most conditions. Either bike will do in sloppy weather, but I like the ‘cross bike better for the snow because it’s geared lower. I find myself riding the fixed gear bike more in the fall and the spring. My “fair-weather” bike is an old Bridgestone road bike I’ve rebuilt as a general-purpose commuter.
Do you ride to condition yourself for other sports?
No. I just ride because I like to ride. I don’t even compete in cycling events; I just commute and ride for pleasure.
Don’t you think it could be dangerous for you or for other cars?
Not usually; I’m lit up like a Christmas tree in the dark, and I try to stay on bike paths and sidewalks for most of the ride. Still, it can be dangerous and you’ve always got to be careful; I was hit by a car once last summer on West Carmel Drive when I was crossing the road – in a crosswalk, with the green light, and doing everything right from my point of view. Thankfully, I was going very slow to cross at the light and I wasn’t hurt and my bike wasn’t even damaged beyond a bent pedal. I ended up somersaulting over the handlebars onto the car’s hood, so it was a good thing I was wearing a helmet. The woman driving the car was making a right turn on the red light and never even looked to her right before she hit the gas. It scared the heck out of both of us, probably her more than me because I saw it coming and at least had time to hit both brakes hard. Her first hint was the thump of the impact and then me looking at her from on top of her hood. The lesson there is that if you’re on a bike you have to be on the defensive at all times whenever your path and that of a motor vehicle intersect. I should have made eye-to-eye contact with her before moving across the road, even though I had right of way. Lesson learned.
What comments do you get from other people?
The funniest comments come from my students. They see my bike parked in my classroom day after day and some of them assume my license has been revoked or that my car is in the garage being repaired. It never occurs to some of them that anyone would want to ride a bike voluntarily if they have a car and a valid license.
What do you do in the hotter months when it’s really humid and warm outside?
Well, that’s the best time to ride because you have an automatic 10-15 mph fan at all times, just by keeping up the pace. Like any other workout in summer months, of course, you have to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.
Have you had any near accidents or anything bad happen while you were riding?
Besides the deer and the accident I mentioned before, I’ve dumped the bike at least once a year since I’ve been riding. I hit some loose gravel in a turn back when they were doing so much road repair on 116th Street and got all skinned up on my arm and leg when I went down. And early last winter I hit a deep pothole on the way home from work after dark in the rain on Broad Ripple Avenue. I was on my fixed gear bike – no coasting on those – and went right over the handlebars. Again, I can’t emphasize the importance of wearing a helmet. Both times I went down were when I let my attention get fixed on something way ahead down the road instead of paying attention to what was right in front of me, so there’s a lesson to be learned there as well; even though you need to be aware of what’s going on 360 degrees around you when you’re on a bike, you can’t let your attention stray too long from what’s right in front of the front tire.
What’s been the best moment?
Zooming down the bike path on a wonderful spring morning last year and having a big hawk swoop in front of me and match me for speed for what seemed like minutes on end. It was probably only for ten seconds, but it was like we were both flying in formation forever through the woods. Then she landed on a fence post and watched me speed on by. She didn’t look impressed, but I sure was. That’s a moment in time that just would never happen in a car on the way to work.
And the worst?
The worst was having about six flats in a two-week period during all of the aforementioned construction, once flatting-out TWICE in one day. I became a master flat fixer during that stretch of time, I can tell you. I can even change a flat in the dark after that, and I had to.
What’s the farthest you’ve ever biked before and why did you do it?
The farthest in one trip was fifty miles, when I was thirteen, and I was working to get my Boy Scout cycling merit badge. I’ve made longer trips after that, but never in one stretch like that one.
What suggestions or tips do you have for other people to do before deciding to bike to school?
Educate yourself. Learn how to bike safely. Get a good helmet and wear it whenever you’re on a bike. Learn how to fix a flat. Learn to work on your bike. Ensure that your bike is in good working order and that you have a proper tool kit to fix anything that might go wrong on a commute. Check out the Internet for websites that are devoted to bike commuting because there are a lot of good information and recommendations out there. Check out some sites like fixedgeargallery.com or bikecommute.com to see what other cyclists do to optimize their bikes for commuting. A little bit of reading up will prepare you for any commute you need or want to do and educate you about cycling in general. But above all, have fun! Get a decent bike that fits you and take the time to ensure that it’s set up properly for you, and you’ll enjoy cycling more because it’ll be fun. There’s no need to do it if you’re not going to have fun doing it.
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