Flying High
May 1, 2008
By: Mallory St. Claire <mstclaire@hilite.org>
How long have you been flying?
I have been flying for a long time, but I really got into it about three years ago.
What got you started?
I loved flying to vacations and thought it was always a thrill. That always made me happy. One day my mom and my sister went on a cruise, and my dad asked me what I wanted to do and I said, “let’s go flying”. It was kind of like a discovery flight. I was 14 years old. For my 16th birthday party, we rented three planes that day and just flew around.
When do you get your pilot’s license?
I am an hour or two away of getting it. I will need to do seven more landings at night and do a cross-country and I am done. The average amount of time is 60 hours. I have about 40, so I’ll be doing it really quickly compared to most people.
At what age can you get a pilot’s license?
Seventeen is the youngest. That is the age that is recommended.
Where do you fly?
I take lessons at Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport. Indianapolis Aviation is the company. The airstrip is on 96th and Allisonville.
What kind of planes do you fly?
The plane I am currently flying in is a Diamond 20, and it is one of the newer airplanes. They are really enjoyable to fly.
What is your favorite part about flying?
Once you get out of the air spaces, you pretty much have free reign in the air. The speed limit is around 280 miles per hour. You can see great views. I like to fly over Geist or Morse Reservoirs; those are pretty in the summer. Night flying is also fun because it is great to see all the lights from above.
What is your least favorite part about flying?
You have to know all the rules by heart. You have to make sure the plane is ready to fly. In driving school, you are supposed to check the mirrors and tires but in an airplane you actually have to do it. It is just a hassle to get to the airport early just to get the plane ready. There is also sometimes crummy weather that keeps you on the ground.
Where have you flown?
I fly over the South Bend area. I fly to Purdue all the time. One of my favorite flights was a night flight over Richmond and then over to the international airport.
What is a cross-country flight?
A cross-country flight is just to fly 50 miles from your take-off point. For example, from here to Lafayette. To get your license, you have to do two: one with one leg and then one with two legs.
Do you have any tips for students interested in flying?
It’s a rather expensive hobby, and obviously if you are going to get into it, you want to make sure you have a lot of money put aside. The average price to get a pilot’s license is about $6000 to $7000. It is pretty expensive. Another big thing I’d say is get it done as quickly as possible because I have spread it out over two years, and I have been through three flight instructors. Each flight instructor teaches differently, so you’ll learn something with one and then another one will ask you to do something different.
Do you plan to fly in the future?
When I am older, I’d love to fly for FedEx and UPS. With FedEx and UPS, you see places around the world. I hope I can fly internationally, not just within the U.S. With commercial pilots, they will stick with a route.
Driving from a racer’s perspective
May 1, 2008
By: Mary Queisser <mqueisser@hilite.org>
Chris Wilner, race car driver and sophomore, has been driving on the road for one year. But before that he had five years of race car driving experience. “(Race car driving) really helps a bunch (with driving),” Wilner said. “Especially when you first get behind the wheel, because you know how to control a moving thing.”
According to Mike Slabaugh, AA driver education teacher, recreational driving experiences, such as go-carting and race car driving may or may not help prepare students for driving on the road because it provides them with prior experience.
“Anything that you can do that is related to driving is good. Even if you’re just learning to ride a bike, you’re learning how to negotiate traffic and things of that nature. Riding a bike, driving a boat, driving a lawn mower, anything like that is beneficial for learning how to drive,” he said.
For example, Wilner said he felt he had an edge over other students in driver education due to his experience as a race car driver. “My instructor even skipped me a couple steps because it was so easy for me but I passed with flying colors,” he said. Though Slabaugh has never had any race car or go-cart drivers in his classes, he has had students who drive jet-skis and motorcycles. He said that they have done well in class, like Wilner. “As much experience that you can get will help,” Slabaugh said.
Colin Swingler, go-cart driver and junior, said driving go-carts helped him as well. “It teaches you to be more aware of your surroundings,” he said.
Swingler said that recreational driving does not fully prepare students. “It teaches you what not to do on the road,” he said.
For safety’s sake, Swingler said he tries to avoid driving a car like he would a go-cart. “You’re more reckless (when you’re driving a go-cart) because you’re competing on the track,” he said. “When you’re driving in a car your main goal is to be safe and not have an accident. You try to do that on the track too, but you’re also trying to go as fast as you can go. You’re pushing it a lot more.”
Slabaugh said if a student wants to get anything out of go-carting, in terms of driving on the road, they need to do it in a controlled way. “I don’t recommend anyone get in a go-cart and tear up someone’s backyard,” he said.
Though Swingler said he also performed well in driver education, he said he felt driving go-carts did not give him an advantage like Wilner. “It’s pretty different,” he said. “I felt comfortable driving a car but it’s really not the same if you think about it.”
He said go-carts have more responsive steer and are more light-weight, while cars are heavier. The rest he said he couldn’t describe. “It just feels different,” Swingler said.
Whether or not, driving go-carts or race cars prepare students on the road, it can provide a necessary sense of confidence. Though new drivers need experience, coordination, patience and an understanding of the rules, Slabaugh said that the ability to remain calm is the most important quality a student can have. “They have to be relaxed. That’s probably the most important thing: being relaxed,” he said.
Wilner said, “I know a lot of people who’ve never driven before and think it’s really scary.”
In Search of Harmony
April 3, 2008
Source: http://www.fengshui.about.com/
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The staircase The position and layout of the stairs is another important feng shui detail. With a straight run stair close to the front door, the chi energy every person brings into the house will run upstairs. To slow this energy down, a u-shaped or split stair at right angles to the front door is preferable. |
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The bathroom The bathroom represents the homeowner’s finances. It should be clean, well lit and well ventilated. Proper ventilation allows the negative sha energy to be relieved quickly. The toilet should be hidden, if possible in a separate room and not be placed central to the home because it could “flush away” opportunity. |
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The bedroom The bedroom should reflect love and relaxation. The bed should be approachable from both sides and have two bedside tables. The foot of the bed should not face the door because this is how the Chinese line up coffins for burial. Some part of the bed should be touching a wall, otherwise people will feel unstable. |
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Plants Do not place thorny plants inside your home. However, they can be placed outside the home because they form a protective shield. If you are a married couple and want children, avoid putting flowers in the bedroom. Put fruit instead because it represents fertility. |
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The dining room The dining room should be in the corner of a home to promote the gathering of chi. Round tables are the best choice. A round table is preferable because it symbolizes stability. When arranging furniture in the dining room, ensure that chairs do not restrict doorways to allow ample space for guests to walk. |
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Lighting Lights represent the sun. It brings positive chi into the house. However, avoid fluorescent lighting. The constant flickering and noise disrupts the flow of chi. When you burn out a light bulb, replace it immediately with incandescence. To do otherwise depresses positive chi and puts your health, wealth and career at risk. |
Triathlete finds enjoyment, lifelong hobby in event
April 3, 2008
By: Rosemary Boeglin <rboeglin@hilite.org>
What inspired you to start running triathlons?
Last summer I actually decided to stop playing all the other sports I had been involved with but I still wanted something to do to stay in shape. I had heard about a triathlon training group at Lifetime Fitness. I began it then and have been hooked since.
What kind of training goes into this?
For the first triathlon that I did, I trained with a group at Lifetime Fitness. We would meet once a week and have to work on our own in between training sessions. We would generally swim for 30 minutes, bike for 30 and run for another 20 or 30 minutes. Each time we would set different goals for that amount of time and vary the intensity. We ended up training for about 12 weeks.
What gear do you need?
As far as beginners go, all you need is a bike that works, a helmet, a swimsuit, good running shoes and clothes to throw on over your suit to begin the biking and running portion of the event. As people get more into the events, though there are special biking shoes, biking gloves and specific triathlon outfits. I just try to keep it simple.
What do you like about triathlons?
I like the finish. The running is all right, the biking is okay and the swimming can be fun but nothing beats the feeling of running across that finish line, knowing what you have just accomplished. Also knowing that you can rest at that point is pretty nice too. Also, I am a very competitive person, so I really like it when I pass people during the race, knowing that I am just that much faster.
What does it take mentally to compete?
Mentally, it just takes the will to finish. When you are at that point of exhaustion and you just want to stop, you just have to remind yourself how big of an accomplishment you are making. I think that alone always keeps me going.
What triathlons have you done and what do you plan on doing in the future?
I have participated in the Mighty Mississinewa Triathlon, as well as the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon. This upcoming triathlon season I hope to participate in the Carmel Triathlon, as well as a few down at Eagle Creek.
How has it affected your future?
It is one of those life-long sports that I can keep with me and help me stay healthy at any age.
Feng shui and yoga have Eastern roots, but have become popular practices to gain greater harmony and relaxation in the West
April 3, 2008
By: Hera Ashraf <hashraf@hilite.org>
Every Saturday morning, sophomore Katherine “Katie” Hutchins heads out to her coach’s studio called Core Pilates and Fitness to practice yoga. Hutchins is one of many students and teachers that have started to include this Eastern workout into their daily lives.
Likewise, feng shui is an Eastern Asian practice that originates from China. According to interior design teacher Jill Birk, who practices feng shui, it is an arrangement of a room to appeal to the senses and balances the yin and yang in the room. It is incorporated in homes and used when designing.
Birk said, “It is a way of decorating so that it is influencing how you feel, your mood, your ability to concentrate, relax or whatever the function of the space is for you to be able to do that better.” Yoga and feng shui both originate from Eastern Asia and are becoming more popular in today’s society. In fact, they are starting to become more mainstream, even in Indiana. According to an ABC news report about the increasing popularity of yoga, it originates from the Hindu religion in India. Its original goal is to build up self-awareness and discover divinity inside one’s self. It stretches muscles, helps relieve stress and leads to finding balance in one’s life.
It started with soccer
For Hutchins, she was first introduced to yoga when she played soccer her freshman year. “Our coach told us to do it and the whole team would practice yoga and Pilates,” Hutchins said. Both yoga and feng shui have the same purpose: to relieve and relax. Yoga uses physical poses and stretches to relieve your body, while feng shui uses colors and arrangement to relieve the senses. Hutchins said that she continues to practice yoga because it allows her to have less stress and she recommends other students to do it. “It makes you feel really good about yourself,” Hutchins said. “Its also makes you a lot stronger and more fit.”
Stress relief found through eastern practices
Crystal Brim, yoga practicer and Spanish teacher, has been practicing yoga for five years at Peak Performance gym in Indianapolis. She started in graduate school when she took a yoga class at Indiana University and said that yoga makes her feel stronger and more flexible.
Brim said, “I practice different breathing techniques which help me to discipline my thoughts and it also slows my heart rate and oxygenates my organs.”
Brim also said that yoga has many aspects to it and someone should choose an aspect of yoga that is appropriate to his or her lifestyle. “For instance, I do not subscribe to any religious belief concerning yoga. I choose to practice the physical aspect of yoga only – this discipline within yoga is called Hatha,” Brim said. “The breathing techniques, stretching and strengthening movements of Hatha yoga do relieve stress as (any) quality form of exercise will achieve.”
But yoga is not the only East Asian practice recommended to help relieve stress. Birk said that feng shui is like a continuous stress reliever because a person walks through his or her house every day. She also said that feng shui is used everywhere, including public places, to create a certain feel.
“Your homes or public places and businesses have done research for whatever the function of the space is to achieve a certain mood for people to feel in a certain space,” Birk said. “Whether we realize or not, things (in a room) have been done intentionally for a certain purpose, for example in hospitals, or places with a lot of anxiety, or spas where (designers) focus of bringing a calm and comforting feel,” Birk said that she practices feng shui in her home and tries to create a particular feel in her home. “I use certain colors in certain areas, aromatherapy and different fabrics to generate a mood around the house,” she said.
Yoga and feng shui now popular western fads
The increasing popularity of both yoga and feng shui can be sensed throughout society today. In Hutchins’ opinion, she said she thinks it is because of the desire to become healthy. “I think people are trying to find ways to make themselves healthier and so this is one of the ways they can (become healthier),” Hutchins said. “It’s refreshing and really helps me relieve stress. You feel a lot better once you have done it than when you start.”
Birk said she thinks that Eastern Asian culture has become more popular now than it was before because people are starting to find different ways to do things.
“I don’t think it’s anything new, but (feng shui) was not a word we were using or a way of decorating as it has become in recent years. It has just become popular and now the average person is trying to implement the practice to their everyday living, whether in their office space or in their homes,” Birk said.
Brim, who practices yoga several times a week, said that although yoga is becoming more popular, there is a lot more to it that people don’t know about.
“There are many more disciplines of yoga than just the movements that we, in the U.S., associate with that word. If I am stressed out or parts of my body hold tension, then I will do certain movements and breathing exercises that I know will release muscles in my body,” Brim said. “Finally, I have appropriated these movements and breathing patterns in my prayer life as I worship God.”
(exclusively online) Full version of Q&A with triathlete Julie Troyer
April 3, 2008
1. What inspired you to start running triathlons?
Last summer I actually decided to stop playing all the other sports I had been involved with and still wanted something to do to stay in shape. I had heard about a triathalon training group at Lifetime Fitness, where I work out, and thought that’s it, that’ what I am going to do. I began it then and have been hooked since.
2. Do other people in your family run triathlons, as well?
No, I am the only one so far, but I am hoping to encourage them to at least try one out.
3. What kind of training goes into this?
For the first triatholon that I did, I trained with a group at Lifetime Fitness. We would meet once a week and have to work on our own in between training sessions. When we were all together we would generally swim for 30 minutes, bike for 30, and run for another 20 or 30 minutes. Each time we would set different goals for that amount of time and vary the intensity. In between meetings, we were expected to do each of these activites on our own time. We ended up training for 12 weeks.
4. What gear do you need in order to compete in a triathlon?
Well, as far as beginners go, all you need is a bike that works, a helmet, a swimsuit, good running shoes, and clothes to thrown on over your suit to begin the biking and running portion of the event. As people get more into the events though, there are special biking shoes, biking gloves, and specific triathalon outfits. Also, there are really nice bikes and upgrades for all of the equiptment. For me though, I just kept it simple.
5. What sports do you do at school and how does affect your performance, good or bad, in triathlons?
I use to play volleyball, softball, and tennis, but I actually stopped these and decided to take up triathlons instead. I would think that the sports would only help with the triathalons though, simply by building up endurance and keeping fit.
6. What have you participated in and what do you plan on in the future?
I have participated in The Mighty Mississinewa Triathalon, as well as the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathalon. This upcoming triathalon season I hope to participate in the Carmel Triathalon, as well as a few down at Eagle Creek.
7. What, mentally, does it take to compete?
Mentally, it just takes the will to finish. When you are at that point of exaustion and you just want to stop, you just have to remind yourself how big of an accomplishment you are making for yourself. I think that alone always keeps me going.
8. What type of people do you think would enjoy doing these events?
I think really anyone could do triathalons. I think everyone gets the idea in there head that they are these huge, really difficult events. I’m not saying they are really easy or anything, but with a little effort anyone could do it. People who are willing to work and like to be active would probably be best qualified, but i honestly believe that anyone do it.
9. How has doing triathlons affected the rest of your life?
Well, I think it is one of those life-long sports that I can keep with me at any age. It will be a nice way of staying healthy for the rest of my life.
10. What is it about triathlons that you like?
I like the finish. The running is alright, the biking is okay, and the swimming can be fun, but nothing beats the feeling of running across that finish line, knowing what you have just accopmlished. Also knowing that you can rest at that point is pretty nice too. Also, I am a very competitive person, so I really like it when I pass people during the race, knowing that I am just that much faster.
11. What is a triathlon?
A triathalon is a race of swimming, biking, and running in that order.
12. Do you have any sort of mantra for before a race? Or something you use for good luck?
Well, I do actually have a lucky penny that I stick in my back pocket. I like to think it helps.
13. Anything you would like to say that you think readers should know?
The first triathalon I ran was a 500m swim, a 16.5 mile bike, and a 4 mile run. Also, I recieved a plaque for placing second at my first one.
Also, I participate in the Sprint triathalons, which are generally shorter and quicker ones, unlike the Ironman’s and Olympic level triathalons.
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