WL Prepares for Upcoming Flu Season BY, MOLLIE WESTBROOK

westbrookm.scarlette@gmail.com

CARLETTEStheTHE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WEST LAFAYETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009VOLUME 67, ISSUE 1

NEWS 1

OPINIONS 3

FEATURES 5

A&E 9

SPORTS 10

STUDENT LIFE 12

With the fl u season rapidly approach-ing, West Lafayette High School is tak-ing new precautions to try and prevent the spread of germs and the H1N1 virus (informaly known as the swine fl u). “We basically are just trying to prepare [for the virus] because the health department is asking us to do so,” said WLHS nurse, Carol Deno. Steps have already been taken to promote a healthy and hygienic school environment; hand sanitizing stations and informational posters have been placed around the school to help prevent the spread of germs and educate students about what they should be do-ing to prevent sickness. Another step school health offi cials are taking to prepare is making sure they can potentially provide vaccinations to students. “The health department is po-tentially thinking of coming to schools

to give out vaccinations if an H1N1 vaccine comes out,” said Deno. According to the Center for Disease Control, children ages 6 months to 18 years are at high risk of con-tracting the virus because they are in close contact with each other in school or day care, which increases the likelihood that the disease will spread. Forms were sent home to parents by the WLCSC to get permission to administer vaccinations to students at school if they became available. Deno also described new health pro-tocol that should be followed when a student is sick. According to Deno, a fever is equal to a temperature of 100 degrees, and a student must remain at home for at least 24 hours without a fever (without the supplemental use of medication) before returning to school.

Parents are encouraged to describe the sick student’s symptoms when report-ing their child’s absence so the schoolcan be informed about what illnesses the students may potentially have,whether the H1N1 virus or not. “Thehealth department wants schools to beinformed,” said Deno. “We’re just tryingto stay ahead of the game as much as wecan.”

Salisbury Street Construction Falls Behind Schedule

For many West Side students, leaving home a couple of minutes earlier than usual to drive to school has become a standard practice. The reason: for the past few months, Salisbury Street, a major traffi c artery on the route to West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School, has been littered with orange traffi c cones and faced with 20 mph speed limits as West Lafayette’s Engineering Depart-ment implements Phase Two of the Salisbury Street Safety Improvement Project. According to the city’s web-site, the project is designed to improve safety for vehicles, cyclists, and pe-destrians, as well as making Salisbury Street ADA (Americans With Dis-abilities Act) accessible. The project includes the relocation of existing util-ity poles and the replacement of many curbs, drives, and sidewalks along

Salisbury Street. However, a number of things have interfered and pushed it behind sched-ule. One culprit was the record June rains that delayed many construction projects in the Lafayette area. Because construction workers often can’t go back to work until everything has dried out, signifi cant progress was practically impossible to maintain. Another problem has been the prompt delivery of necessary materials. For ex-

ample, the August 2009 Engineering Department Monthly Report said thatdespite the fact that all concrete driveaprons and sidewalks were completed, signal installation has been delayeddue to new poles not being delivered. The result of the prolonged construc-tion has been heavier traffi c, which at decreased speeds, causes more strife for students. Senior Ellie Broughton citesthe construction project as “annoyingand inconvenient” for student drivers,a sentiment echoed by senior Lisa Cat-lin, who says that, “while it doesn’t af-fect me very much, it is slightly annoy-ing when you’re driving through it.” So how much longer will SalisburyStreet be garbed in fl uorescent orange? While it’s impossible to give a fi nite deadline, city offi cials are optimisticthat, withstanding no more signifi cant delays, the project will have a signifi -cant chance of moving to its fi nal phase this fall.

BY MARISSA KOORSkoorsm.scarlette@gmail.com

SQUEAKY CLEAN: Students use hand saniti zers to fi ght the spread of germs at WLHS.Photo by Alyeesha Puri

WHEN WILL IT END? Drivers are thankful when they fi nally reach this sign. Photo by Andrew Sokolchik

Battle of the Sexes: Two Scarlette report-

ers share their views on “Summer Lovin’”

(page 5)

How much state funding does WLCSC

deserve? Read the debate on page 4.

Fall Sports Previews: Boys tennis, girl’s

soccer, and more! (page 10)

Check Out What’s Inside:

NEWS SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 2

A new tardy policy has been put into effect at West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School for the 2009 – 2010 school year. From this year onward, unexcused tardies are counted by the semester, rather than by each nine week period. This means that at the end of the nine weeks, the unexcused tardy count will not be reset as it was in previous years.

New Tardy Policy for West SideBY ANJONA GHOSHghosha.scarlette@gmail.com

The rest of the system remains the same; a stu-dent is allowed up to three unexcused tardies in one class and after the third tardy, parents are noti-fi ed; after the fourth unexcused tardy, disciplinary measures are taken. The change was made because of the hassle the reset of the tardies created. “Before, we had to call Harmony at the end of every nine weeks to reset the number of tardies. Sometimes it happened, and sometimes it didn’t.” said assistant principal, Dan Walbaum. He doesn’t

expect there to be any major problems with this change, as students should already be getting to class on time. “The people who were abusing the old policy are mad; the other people don’t really care,” says Junior, Anne Tally. Freshman Emily Yoo disagrees, saying, “It’s a little bit harsh, and it doesn’t give students the opportunities to retrieve forgotten textbooks.”

WLCSC Acquires New Food ProviderBY ZARINA MADANmadanz.scarlette@gmail.com

This school year, the students may have noticed the change concerning the food of the school. Behind the scenes, the school corporation created a new branch to be responsible for providing food to all three schools. Last year the company Sodexho was hired to provide the food and the workers for the cafeteria. Now the change has brought in a new food director, Jim Tyner. “The main goal for this year is to provide more food choices to the students,” says Tyner. Another objective is to increase the quality of products, ultimately trying to get more people to buy lunch in the cafeteria. The food is now cooked right in the cafeteria, using improved and fresher products. Jim Tyner conducted several surveys at school

registration to fi nd out what students would most like to eat for lunch. A popular change has been the new Papa John’s Pizza, which ran out the fi rst Friday of the school year, the day the pizza was offered for the fi rst time. The creation meals have more variety now, with a different one every week such as chicken wraps or chocolate waffl es. The cost of certain items has also changed. For example, the french fries now come with any sandwich, not with just a burger or cheeseburger. In addition, the cafeteria now serves food on new plastic trays that are washed every day to replace the styrofoam trays from last year. However, students may ask for a non-plastic tray if the food should be taken out of the cafeteria. Another major change this year was the addition of the breakfast cart. This attempt to have students eat healthier in the mornings began after Labor Day weekend. The cart is available from 7:15 to 8:00 am in the high school locker bay. Breakfast foods such as fruit, yogurts, pastries, and coffee are available for students to purchase with their lunch account. In correlation with the presence of the cart and the concern of the administration for students’ well-being, vending machines are closed before school, encouraging students to eat healthy foods

provided by thebreakfast cart. “I don’t usually buyfood at school” says Junior Beatrice Masters; However, Senior Matt Millspoints out that “ifyou are running lateto catch the bus and miss breakfast, it is a good opportunity to not go hungry theentire morning.” With today endingthe fi rst week for

the breakfast cart, JimTyner says, “So far so

good!” People are catching onto the idea of buyingfood in the morning, with coffee and muffi ns beingthe most popular. Already, the cart was restockedin just the fi rst two days. As sophomore RowanThompson exclaimed as she purchased her coffeefrom the cart, “This is the best idea ever!”

GOOD MORNING: The new breakfast kiosk opens on September 8. Photo by Connie Yang

THE DAILY GRIND: Students pati ently queue up to receive sustenance. Picture by Connie Yang

Changes and Constants in the Food Program

Staff of The Scarlette

News EditorMollie Westbrook

Opinions EditorAnne McDougall

Features EditorAndrew Burchill

A&E / Student Life EditorZarina Madan

Sports EditorYi Yang

ReportersAngel GruzeNicole WeckerlinMarie ZhangMollie WestbrookVictor GutweinZarina MadanMarissa KoorsAnne McDougallYi YangAndrew SokolchikAlyeesha PuriShravani MerugureddyWanyoung KimAndrew BurchillZach BurchillWill DeBoerAnjona Ghosh

Artists / PhotographersGayatri NarayananLindsay GrimleyShriya ManianMi YunConnie YangHana Park

Page DesignersConnie YangZarina MadanAnjona GhoshAndrew BurchillMollie WestbrookAlyeesha PuriNicole WeckerlinAnne McDougall

Mission: The Scarlette strives to create a publication that is informative, en-tertaining, accurate, and professional. The mission of the Scarlette is to accurately, truthfully, and professionally report on events and is-sues that are of interest to the student body, entertain readers, and serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school.

The Scarlette Editorial Policy Scarlette provides a limited forum for reader expression. Letters to the editor must be received seven days prior to publication date in the box provided in the offi ce. Letters should be 250 words or less. Longer submissions may be considered as a guest column. All are subject to editing for content and length. Personal attacks and unfair attacks on businesses or unsigned letters will not be published. The editorial represents the views of majority of the staff. Views printed do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the faculty, staff, or administration of the WLCSC.

Editors-in-ChiefShalu MittalMargaret Duvall

OPINIONSSEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009 PAGE 3Staff Editorial

Change. We’re all afraid of it. Here at the Scarlette, however, we’re like the president; change is our middle name. Every year, with the graduation of seniors, a new group of individuals take the Scarlette staff by storm and make it their own. This year is no exception. Shalu Mittal and Margaret Duvall, the new editors-in-chief, are committed to making the Scarlette better than last year (no offense to Augusto). The staff, though mostly composed of seniors, has accepted and adhered to these new changes, as of yet, and looks forward to bringing you hard-hitting news every third Friday. With a new production cycle behind the scenes, higher standards of writing, and an emphasis

on graphics and general page layout, we start this year with the intent not only to entertain, but also to inform in equal proportion. Contrary to popular belief, this publication is not just a representation of a group of 30 select individuals, but a representation of you. If you don’t like the image our paper presents, tell us about it. Write an email, stage a protest, get involved! Not only will you get to see your name in prin t, but in addition, you will gain the respect of your peers and possibly be skyrocketed to stardom (relatively speaking). We hope to show you throughout the year that we are serious about implementing these changes. Maybe you won’t specifi cally notice a well-written article or a visually appealing page layout, but we do hope that you notice that the quality of the paper is

simply and inherently better.

Change is ComingRDTV Lacks Purpose

For most of us here at West Side, RDTV has been an integral, if not always completely entertaining part of our high school careers. From its humble beginnings, RDTV grew into an intensive operation complete with sound effects, special effects, and convoluted plots. This year has seen a major alteration in our mornings, with RDTV being limited to Mondays only. Without a doubt, many people have many views on this subject, but let’s look at the facts. First period used to have three extra

minutes. Not only did this allow for an accumulation of time to be used for half days, but it also gave fi rst period teachers three minutes to watch the announcements without cutting into class time. Since Indiana has rescinded half days (another opinion-ridden subject, I’m sure), the three minutes from fi rst period have been cut. Why then, is RDTV still aired? True, it provides comedy to some, but it also takes up a ridiculous amount of time to say basically nothing. Some teachers choose not to watch it, and simply read the announcements, but those who don’t subject their students to fi ve minutes

of scripted banter that, more often than not, has little to do with club meetings, sporting events, or even the school in general. I’m not saying RDTV is worthless or that it should be totally banned, but I do think that the students and teachers should be spending valuable class time teaching and learning. RDTV has the potential to be a vehicle for learning by providing announcements tempered slightly with comedy, but as it is, RDTV simply focuses on the wrong things and wastes the time of students and faculty alike.

BY MARGARET DUVALLmargaret.scarlette@gmail.com

GOOD MORNING WEST SIDE: Local celebriti es Joe Brennan and Will Deboer greet West Side High School every Monday on RDTV. Capture provided by Shalu Mitt al

Percentage of Time Spent Broadcasting Elements of RDTV

OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 4

Over the past two years, the West Lafayette School Corporation funding situation has been the subject of many conversations. Some people have commented that other schools need money more just because they have lower attendance rates and lower ISTEP and SAT scores than West Lafayette schools. I strongly disagree. West Lafayette students and teachers should not be punished for exceeding the state’s performance expectations. Instead they should be rewarded by the state. The lack of funding has already had an impact on the schools. Several teachers have been dismissed. Due to the pay scale not being raised this year, many of the most experienced teachers are actually making less, according to an article in the Journal and Courier this September 3. Also, the lack of funding has affected the amount of money allotted to each department. Teachers are having

BY ANNE MCDOUGALLmcdougalla.scarlette@gmail.com

BY SHRAVANI MERUGUREDDYmerugureddys.scarlette@gmail.com

Many people in our community have protested the change to Indiana’s method of allocating funds to schools, which decreased the amount given to West Lafayette School Corporation. I don’t blame our administrators for protesting; it’s their job to represent our interests. In an ideal world, every school would have as much money as it felt it needed. However, the govern-ment has a fi nite budget and has to make some diffi cult decisions. State education policies must be based on the general good. It’s not that West Lafayette schools deserve less money-just that other schools need it more. Let’s face it-we are relatively privi-leged. Thanks to West Lafayette’s affl uence, students mostly take our lab equipment and new computers for granted. Many schools across the nation struggle to afford textbooks. According to a 2008 Newsweek article, only 16% of classrooms-in both pri-vate and public schools-in the U.S. have interactive whiteboards, which cost about $3000 each. West Lafay-ette High School has a SMART board in every room, and some teachers hardly ever use them. It’s extremely unfortunate that the sudden cuts have caused teacher re-dundancies and some larger classes. The SOS fundraiser, which raised enough money to save several teach-ers’ jobs, is obviously not a long-term solution, but it at least demonstrates that the community of West Lafay-ette is at least better able to cope with this than many others would be. In the long term, hopefully the corpora-tion can adjust its budget to maintain the educational essential and fairly compensate teachers while lowering overall costs. A phrase that has often come up in this debate is “punishing us for being better.” What about “punishing oth-ers for being poor”? Currently, school

We Deserve To Be Rewarded Other Schools Are In More Need

Point-Counterpoint: School Funding

funding is based on student poverty levels and distributed by the state. It used to be drawn from local prop-erty taxes. Communities that valued education, the argument runs, could agree to pay higher taxes, and those that didn’t would get the schools they deserved. And as for the com-munities that couldn’t afford it-well, their school systems would just have to get by somehow. No doubt there were some relative-ly wealthy communities that voted on the side of lower taxes. But for the most part the older policy reinforcesthe link between wealth and edu-cation, contributing to the cycle of poverty and social injustice. It makes no sense to give the least money to schools facing the most problems. The whole concept of public educa-tion is founded on the ideal of egali-tarianism-all children, regardless of their background, have the right to a good education. Indiana’s new school funding system attempts to make that ideal a little closer to reality. It’s impossible to tell at this pointhow effective the new policy will be or what the long-term fi nancial fu-ture for West Lafayette schools will look like. Needless to say, budgetsize has a huge impact on the school corporation. But ultimately, West Side’s excellence doesn’t come from money. Our dedication, passion, and ambition aren’t under attack. We can use these resources to make our way through our current predicament.DRASTIC MEASURES: West Side is dealing with a substanti ally lower budget. Graphic by Gayatri Narayanan

State education policies

must be based on the general

good.

diffi culty buying the most basic supplies and materials, like dry-erase board markers. However, because of the many donations made by generous parents, the SOS fundraiser has raised enough money to save a few teachers’ jobs for this year. But let’s shoot ahead a few years: where would the money come from then? Would parents still be willing to pledge a few hundred dollars each year in hopes that it would help better their children’s education? The money from the SOS fundraiser is limited, and it is not enough to cover the lack of funding. Therefore, the state should consider rewarding schools like those of the West Lafayette School Corporation for their test scores and attendance rates. This would be the perfect solution to the problem of schools not getting enough funding because of state requirements. This would allow West Lafayette to fl ourish and remain one of the top school corporations in the state of Indiana.

FEATURESSEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009 PAGE 5

I realize that many of you attended this school in seventh and eighth grade. You may believe that by attending classes in the same building as the high school students, you have become privy to the ins and outs of high school life. But as someone who has already run the guantlet, let me dispel any such silly beliefs. By the time you fi nish reading this article, I hope that you will be more prepared for the rigors of secondary education. If you managed to string all my little pearls of wisdom end-to-end, you’d wind up with the most emaciated pearl necklace ever seen. However, the advice I offer isn’t the same genre as what teachers and guidance counselors insist are important. I guess it boils down to this: you’ll only ever spend four years

Ever since Grease came out with that catchy song,

summer lovin’ has been the groovy thing to do. As soon as

the mercury rises, school lets out, and car windows roll

down, guys and girls start…talking. Maybe it’s because

teens fi nally have time for socializing with more than

just Webassign, or because they have a job that comes

with money that’s dying to be spent on an overpriced

movie ticket, but romance levels defi nitely seemed to be

on the rise this summer, joining the Dow Jones.

Now, I’m pretty sure that Obama’s Super-Saver

Stimulus Package wasn’t meant to improve your

love life, unlike similar-sounding things we see on

TV commercials, but maybe it has. Although teen

employment has declined since its peak in the ‘70s, those

who did have a job saw a steep increase in payroll in

2009, thanks to the minimum wage hike. Whether or not

the measure is good for the economy remains debatable,

but it certainly could help with those mysterious things

called “dates.”

Coming from the female perspective, you might

expect me to say something along the lines of “summer

relationships can last!” Perhaps you could try and stretch

out the extent of the relationship into the fall, but it’s

going to snap eventually. Just like the hair band you’ve

looped around your ponytail far too many times.

Face it, once the summer is over and the trees begin

to shed their leaves you, two will most likely change

and become emotionally distant. Not to mention you’ll

be back in school, where it’s easy to get caught in the

hustle and bustle of homework assignments and run-ins

with the boys you found attractive last year. Then a text

message from Summer-Boy rudely awakens you to the

fact that you’re no longer single.

Take Danny (John Travolta) in Grease. Did he want

Sandy after they left the beach and returned to school?

No, not really, until summer began again the following

year. The truth is, you should just keep the relationship

what it was meant to be from the get-go: a three month

long fl ing.

Dear Freshmen: Senior Imparts Advice

Speaking of “dates,” students’ options also improved

over the summer. Instead of going “all-in” on the possibly

unoriginal but classy and traditional movie theatre

rendezvous, one could have a picnic under a friggin

enormous tree in the park (girls love a good red maple,

trust me), tee up 18 holes of miniature golf (miniature

golf does not equal miniature love; it’s more of an inverse

proportion) or splash around in fun at the city pool

(Only one bounce on the diving board, please).

Even if the love is just temporary, that doesn’t

mean the memories are. You may often fi nd yourself

daydreaming of the mysterious, sexy girl you hung out

with this summer, but don’t drift too far. You’ve got your

academics to think about now, and colleges don’t ask

for number or level of romances on their applications.

So, get out your comb, slick back your black, shiny hair,

and study until Good Weather Promotion Week begins

another season of summer love.

of your life in high school, so spend them well. You won’t be able to audition for the school musical when you’re thirty-four; at age seventy-two you can’t go back and take that class you always dreamed of being in. Do everything you can do: high school is time set aside for you to try new things. Don’t let rumors that a teacher assigns too much homework stop you from learning about whatever subjects interest you. Like journalism? Join the Scarlette staff. Have courage and take risks: in four years, you’ll never again see those people who laughed at your failed pottery attempt in ceramics class. Listen to what I say, new ninth-graders; it took me until about now to realize these things. Don’t waste these four years staying in your comfort zone. High school should be the environment in which we step past that line and sample the unfamiliar.

BY ANDREW BURCHILLburchilla.scarlette@gmail.com

Summer Lovin’BY VICTOR GUTWEIN BY ANGEL GRUZE

1. Join a real sport and endure two-a-days with your fellow athletes.2. Become active in at least one school club.3. Enroll in a minimum of one fi ne arts class (band and orchestra not included).4. Periodically ride the bus when you become a senior, if only to see how short those 7th graders are getting.5. Land your self a “golden ticket” to the 7 a.m. tour of Mr. Pusey’s classroom.6. Start planning your senior prank. Now.7. And guys? Never take the vacant urinal next to an upperclassman.

Essentials for the Full High School Experience

gruzea.scarlette@gmail.comgutweinv.scarlette@gmail.com

FEATURES SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 6 FEATURESSEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009 PAGE 7

Teaches: German II Hails from: Frederic, Wisconsin (small, northwestern town)Family: Wife, son, and daughterTeaching experience: German at Central Catholic High School, and collegesLikes best about teaching: “It is joyful to watch students learn.” Will stay: 1 yearInteresting fact about self: “That is for others to fi nd out and answer.”Pastimes: Singing in German, Norwegian, and English; fi shing; working in gardenHas traveled: Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Wales, Spain, Italy, France, and other European countriesFavorite Music: ClassicalTasty Food: Bratwurst with sauerkraut TV: Watching the Green Bay Packers and Indiana PacersFashion no-no: Long, baggy pantsLikes best about West Side: “The cultural diversity, valuing of academics, and school spirit”

West Side Welcomes New Foreign Language TeachersBY WANYOUNG KIMkimw.scarlette@gmail.com

After the departures of Frau Reigle and Señorita Khazal, West Side heartily welcomes Herr Petersen and Señor Price, and shed the spotlight on them. Most responses are translated.

Teaches: Spanish IHails from: Canby, Oregon (also a small, northwestern town)Family: Wife and two boysTeaching experience: 2 years at Purdue, 1 year in Tacoma, WashingtonLikes best about teaching: “Teaching and learning about new culture, people, and ideas”Will stay: As long as he is ableInteresting fact about self: Repaired a 1965 Mustang in high schoolPastimes: Camping, working in garden, running with wifeHas Traveled: Mexico, where he lived for 2 yearsFavorite Music: Country, classic rock (Beatles, Cat Stevens)Tasty Food: Menudo (Mexican cow stomach soup)TV: Watches 24 with wifeFashion no-no: Any kind of boots, particularly rubber boots in winterLikes best about West Side: Teaching students

BY MARGARET DUVALL BY SHALU MITTAL PHOTOS BY SHRIYA MANIANmargaret.scarlette@gmail.com shalu.scarlette@gmail.com manians.scarlette@gmail.com

Questions1. If you could pick two words to describe yourself, what would they be?A. life-long learnerB. silly, but committedC. perfectionistic, compassion-ateD. egotistical, phenomenalE. neurotic, caringF. fun-loving

2. After a long day of school, you blow off steam by...A. walking the dogsB. watching Project Runway (or Top Chef) while on the treadmillC. driving homeD. riding your bikeE. watching silly TV shows, such as Royal PainsF. doing geometric proofs

3. What is your favorite movie of all time?A. not a movie-watcherB. HoosiersC. 2001: A Space OdysseyD. Dirty DancingE. CasablancaF. A Beautiful Mind

4. What is your favorite extra-curricular activity?A. math countsB. academic teamC. bandD. volleyballE. science clubF. football

5. It’s Friday night. What are your plans?A. go to the football game and cheer on the teamB. hang out with your familyC. curl up with a good bookD. stay at homeE. prepare for the weekendF. go out to eat, go to Walmart, watch a movie at home

6. How do you do your home-work?A. between 10 PM and 2 AMB. always on time, no matter whatC. very carefullyD. most time-consuming to least time-consumingE. study hallF. on the bus on the way to school the next day

7. What animal is your per-sonality most like?A. dogB. kittenC. turtleD. monkeyE. goose

8. What is your signature catch phrase?A. “Are you serious?”B. “Actually”C. “As is goes through”D. “Tant pis” (too bad)E. “Listen up!”F. “How much is enough, how much is too much?”

9. What is your dream vaca-tion?A. New ZealandB. bike riding from Seattle to San DiegoC. anywhere with my signifi -cant otherD. Grand Teton National ParkE. any tropical islandF. Hawaii

10. If you could drive any kind of car, what car would you want to drive the most?A. the cheapest one, in order to get a really cool bikeB. not much of a car personC. a black BMWD. Chevy CamaroE. vintage Dodge Ram Prospec-torF. Mr. Ho’s car

ScoringTally up your points by using the guide below (each answer is worth a different amount):

1. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4, E-5, F-62. A-5, B-3, C-6, D-2, E-1, F-43. A-5, B-6, C-1, D-3, E-2, F-44. A-4, B-2, C-3, D-5, E-1, F-65. A-5, B-6, C-1, D-2, E-4, F-36. A-3, B-5, C-6, D-1, E-4, F-27. A-3, B-2, C-3, D-4, E-58. A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2, E-5, F-69. A-6, B-2, C-3, D-5, E-4, F-110. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3, E-6, F-5

Are You Most Like?

Which Teacher fr om Once in a while, a typical West Side student will run into a teacher outside of school. The experience is strange, unnerving, and just slightly awkward; the boldest student will wave and smile, but most of us just pretend like we don’t see the offending authority fi gure. Believe it or not, our teachers have lives outside the building, just like we students do. In fact, once upon a time, they were pupils themselves, with the same study habits, extracurriculars, and dreams. Take this quiz and see how much like them you really are. You may be surprised.

10-17: Mr. Watson

18-26: M. Ohlhaut

27-35: Mrs. Helton

36-44: Mr. Ho

45-53: Mrs. Feldman

54-60: Mr. Mullis

Reuben Petersen

Jonathan Price

FEATURES SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 8

Most of us here at West Side are used to being able to name the current President, point to Madagascar on a map, or sit next to students who are foreign not because they are from another state, but because they are from another country. We are so used to seeing students from every corner of the world that we may not notice the opportunities to make new friends. If you ever take a break from sprinting to your next period class (because you are still not used to the modifi ed tardy policy) you might notice that new faces have in fact appeared since the last

There’s More Than Corn in IndianaBY ANDREW SOKOLCHIKsokolchika.scarlette@gmail.com

school year. New students from as far as Columbia, Turkey, Germany, and Poland have arrived to this fresh and enchanting world known to outsiders as the United States. Each of them has a different story and is going through various changes in order to get accustomed to the new life here in good old West Lafayette. Natalia García, a senior from Colombia, is just one of the new people you might run into. Although she has only been here for a month, she has already adapted to life here in our own little melting pot of Indiana, making many new friends—whether she wanted to or not—along the way. She likes all of the nice, helpful, and supportive people at school. She also enjoys partaking in one of West Side’s favorite traditions: going to the football games, hanging out with friends, and cheering for the team wearing the red jerseys (while not actually paying any attention to the score). Even though leaving behind her family, old friends, and cat was hard, she says that the best thing about being here is all the new friends she’s made in such a short amount of time. If you’re into entertainment or perhaps a night on the town, then you should probably talk to Michal Bogdan. Michal came here from Poland with his family for one semester and has already settled in to the fast-paced life here at West Side. Although he says that West Lafayette does not

measure up to the excitement and liveliness of a big city, he enjoys the comfort and easy accessthat West Lafayette’s size provides. The parks and the school are nice and the people are friendly and welcoming. “West Lafayette is the most diverse city that I have seen. There are many different people from different nationalities all contributing to the townand offering their opinions,” says Michael. These two students, however, aren’t the only new people walking around the school, correcting your AP language teachers, or beating you on math tests this year. In fact, there are many more. All youhave to do is stop obsessing over a Spanish paper,quit competing for the highest Tetris score on your TI-89 calculator, and walk up to the new people at school and say hello. They won’t bite.

What would inspire seemingly normal people, at the utterance of a simple, two-word phrase, to ram their fi ngers (index, middle, ring and pinky have all been spotted) at high velocity towards their nasal extremity, occasionally missing and causing slight pain to the aforementioned area? And what causes that person—upon being the last one in a group to reach his/her nose with a dig-it—to feel such embarrassment and subservience that he/she does whatever the “utterer” refrained from doing in the fi rst place? This is the mystery of the common school selective activity known as “Nose Goes” (as you can see, the catchiness of this phenomenon is partly derived from the lyrical quality of its name). Many people in this high school have fallen vic-tim to this movement, the author included. How-

ever, nearly just as many have been the instigators of it as well, launching these unfair and vehemently embarrassing ac-tions. Some of the menial tasks that inspire a “Nose Goes” include, but are not limited to: fetching something (textbooks, art supplies, spare tires and kimchi), being the “volunteer” for something (getting Kleenex from the offi ce, being the scribe in a group, leading troops through a mine-fi eld), trying something new (“I wonder if that po-rous, teal-colored stuff from the cafeteria is any good?”), and making important executive decisions (Obama: “Now, who should we get for my Vice-President?” Clinton: “Nose Goes!” Obama: “Looks like you’re too slow, Joe. Welcome aboard!”). While there is technically no way to enforce this process, the few who claim not to participate in

such activities are often scolded, beaten, and left for a welfare state to take care of, which effectively makes participation mandatory. Is it fair? Well, Hammurabi said, “An eye for an eye, an ear for an ear,” but, surprisingly, never mentioned that piece of cartilage dangling from the middle of your face. Henceforth, it probably isn’t fair, but it does take less time than eeny-meeny-miney-moe. So, fornow, it looks like “Nose Goes” is here to stay.

The Nose: Don’t Pick, Just PokeBY VICTOR GUTWEINgutweinv.scarlette@gmail.com

OH, THE HUMANITY: “Noes Goes” is oft en used to humiliate others. Drawing by Lindsay Grimley

MAKING FRIENDS: Natalia Garcia (right) hangs with Melanie Cope-land in the locker bay. Photo by Hana Park

HARD AT WORK: Michal Bogdan researches in the media center. Photo by Hana Park

A&ESEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009 PAGE 9

There is a saying that bad things come in threes, but this summer they came by the dozen. The summer of 2009 will forever be known as the summer of celebrity deaths. M. J. was the most important. Everybody knows Michael Jackson jokes, like how he is basically made out of plastic or how he dangled a baby named “Blanket” from a window. But those who know anything about pop culture also know the dance from “Thriller” and the moonwalk. The album Thriller broke world records in sales. He was called the “King of Pop” for a reason. Though the people who had previously made fun of him fl ocked to show their support, if you ask me, the moonwalk alone was enough to redeem him. Other than Mi-chael Jackson, the celebrity I knew best was Billy Mays. As a child, I was haunted by this crazy yelling Beard Man, who would pop up between shows, screaming inanely about things like “Oxyclean” and “hedge-trimmers.” As

I grew older, however, I learned that he wasn’t yelling because he was a loose cannon who had decided that the world had pushed him around for the last time, but because he was scared. Yelling was his way of dealing with his own demons… or so I have surmised. I don’t think many people currently in high school really knew who Farrah Fawcett was before she lost her long battle to cancer, but by the way Baby Boomers go on about things, I think most of us can now recite her entire life story. Sure, she was hot, but she was no Megan Fox. Her signature hairstyle, voluminous and fl ippy, may be laughed at by mall rats across America, but there was a time where it was quite hip. Other than her hair and being one of Charlie’s Angels, she was famous because of a beach photo

shoot. In an attempt to do the least amount of work and still fulfi ll my journalistic responsibili-ties, I decided that I would only need to ask one person about the subject. The day after I got the assignment, I asked James Harned, a senior at West Side, which famous person who had recently died was his favor-ite. Knowing James’ radical ideologies, I was expect-ing him to say, “America’s freedom” or “our way of life,” but he said Walter Cronkite. I guess that’s just the way it

is. (For those who don’t know about Walter Cronkite, he was

“the most trusted man in America” as a news anchor for CBS. His tagline was “and that’s the way it is.” Get it? I said, “that’s just the way it

is” too. As a joke. Trust me, it would have been funnier if you had known who he was.) John Hughes, the guy who directed classic teen comedies such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club also died. Honestly, I have never watched either of those movies in their entirety, but I have heard they were really good. From what people have told me, I think they would recommend watching them. You’ll have to take their word for it.

They Finally“Beat It”BY ZACH BURCHILLburchillz.scarlette@gmail.com

Photos edited by Shalu Mittal

MICHAEL JACKSON: 1958-2009

JOHN HUGHES: 1950-2009

FARRAH FAWCETT: 1947-2009

BILLY MAYS: 1958-2009

WALTER CRONKITE: 1916-2009

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 10

The new face of the West Lafayette high school boys’ soccer team is certainly young and fresh: there are only three re-turning varsity starters this year. Varsity Coach Bryan Clouse notes the inexperi-ence of the players, saying, “It may be a little bit of a rollercoaster ride at fi rst, but if they can come together, mature, and develop, we’ll have a great chance at sec-tionals and regionals.” He praises many of new athletes as “very talented” and mentions that they are “really hungry” to succeed this year. The players aren’t the only new ele-ments to this year’s team: Coach Clouse intends to change the alignment of the team to “focus on offensive play.” “We have a young, good core of center-midfi elders,” Clouse remarks, expecting to concentrate more on scoring. Senior Varsity forward Sang Young Jung hopes to see another change as well. “Home team fans are really important,” he says after witnessing the impressive student fan base of Pike High School. “People need to come watch and support the boys’ soccer team.” Returning Varsity starters include Tola Adeola, Brian Anderson, and Drew Som-mer.

The West Lafayette boys’ tennis team starts the Fall 2009 season ranked #3 in class 3A. Senior Joey Frank is currently ranked #1 in singles, and junior partners Rhett Berry and Jake Weiss are ranked #1 in doubles. The coaches are Tim Wright and Robert Spencer, along with assistant coach Kyle O’Keefe. When asked how he felt about the team this season varsity player and senior Ni-tesh Bajaj said, “ I feel like we’re strong and we have potential to go places... but we miss Victor Gutwein.” The next home match will be on September 17th against

Zionsville.

After losing many of its top runners, it’s easy to imagine the Red Devil Cross Country team having an off year. Noth-ing could be further from the truth, ex-plains longtime coach Steve Lewark. “There’s a possibility the boys can make top 10 in the state,” explains Lewark. Commenting on the team’s outlook for the rest of the season, Lewark, now in his 15th year coaching the boys and 11th year with the girls, says, “We’re going in the right direction; if we stay away from inju-ries, we have a real chance at the top ten. “The girls have some more work to do,” Lewark adds, “but they also have the po-tential to get back to state.” When asked about Coach Lewark’s coaching methods and how they help the team, senior Andrea Deranek and junior Taylor Jones excitedly express their ap-proval. “He’s like a grandpa; he’s always there for us,” Deranek explains. “He’s awesome.” “He’s one of the best coaches in the state,” explains Senior Ben Ooms. Soph-omore Kelly Swift adds, “He really knows what he’s doing.” The team, led by veterans Ooms, Deranek, Jones, Ju-lian Jimenez-Cor-ridor, Sam Erdman, Joe Thomaz, Zane Cooperider, Kaisa Goodman, and newcomers Cailey Daluga and Bobbie Burgess, has already defeated two Top 20 teams, Westfi eld and Perry Meridian. They will look to overcome many op-ponents this season, all leading up to the state meet in Terre Haute on the after-noon of October 31.

Boys’

Fall Sports Preview

SoccerBy Andrew Burchillburchilla.scarlette@gmail.com

Boys’TennisBy Angel Gruzegruzea.scarlette@gmail.com

Cross CountryBy Will DeBoerdeboerw.scarlette@gmail.com

Heading into the season with a fresh team, the West Lafayette Girl’s Golf team is fl ying like an eagle. Though the team this year must adjust to the loss of several inte-gral members, the girls’ spirit is as high as ever. The team sees fi ve returning golfers and are welcoming four new members. Junior Liz Majewski says of the team this season, “We have a lot of new players which is good because we’ve usually been a family sport.” With the nature of the sport and mix of talent comes a unique team dynamic. Whether seen clad in their signature team shirts or walking around with arguably the best treat bags of all the athletes, the Girls’ Golf team maintains a very close-knit rela-tionship among fellow teammates. Speak-ing of her teammates, Majewski says, “We are nice to each other and we try to do things together.” According to the girls, John Levy, the team coach, brings much to the team dy-namic. Having the expertise of an experi-enced coach, he provides excellent guid-ance and fl air to the sport. According to Majewski, “Mr. Levy is funny. His favorite quality in a golfer is sarcasm.” To see the Girls’ Golf team in action, tread over to the greens tomorrow, Satur-day 12.

Girls’GolfBy Yi Yangyangy.scarlette@gmail.com

Girls’

When many of us are soaking in the relaxing days of summer, the Girls’ Soc-cer team is busy preparing for their up-coming season. Making every season the best has been the team’s philosophy for a while, and with a great mixture of talent this year, the team is ready to dominate. Having graduated several heavy-hitters, most notably Jessica Gwin, the team is in no dwindling spirit. Coach James Hunt-er, commenting on the season so far, says,“It’s been a great season. We are reallyhappy with the freshman. We are miss-ing some talents, but we are trying to ad-just.” Senior Brittany Letcher adds, “We are a very athletic team. We have a lot ofspeed coming from the underclassmen, and a lot of strength from the upper.” This is Hunter’s third season with West Lafayette Girl’s Soccer. Previously, he has coached club soccer for nine years.Speaking of the coach, Letcher says, “We have a good relationship with our coach.We have been playing for him for a long time.” The Girls’ team holds a win-loss record of 4:1. The next home game is on Septem-ber 14th. The team appreciates all sup-ports from the fans, as Hunter says, “We really feed off that energy.”

SoccerBy Yi Yangyangy.scarlette@gmail.com

STRETCH: Joey Frank exerts himself in order to return the ball dur-ing a tennis match. Photo by Angel Gruze

BATTLE: Shelby Ratcliff (right) gathers herself aft er a kick upfi eld. Photo by Gayatri Narayanan

SPORTSSEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009 PAGE 11

Friday night, August 28. Twenty seconds left in the game. West Lafayette trails Lewis Cass by four. The Red Devils line up on the two yard line. Senior quarterback Daniel Wodicka drops back to pass. Senior wide receiver Andrew Pekny runs a route to the right. Wodicka launches the ball towards his top receiver. “[Daniel] knows the receiver position and he knows where to throw it,” Pekny explains. “I’ve been a receiver with him for a few years and we have great chemistry.” Wodicka adds, “Since Junior High, we’ve kind of had a spark; when he’s running a route, I know exactly when and where he’s going to be.” Chemistry with his gunslinger is one of the many reasons Pekny has fl ourished in his career as a West Lafayette receiver. Another is his more than exceptional work ethic, Coach Marshall Overley

explains. “[Andrew] is a consistent worker who does everything that needs to be done. He truly understands the cost of preparation it takes to succeed and excel.” Chemistry and work ethic

substantially contribute to Pekny’s great success; however, it doesn’t hurt to have the kind of talent Pekny possesses as well. “There are lots of different aspects to the receiver position,” Overley comments, “but it

all comes down to catching balls in the air, and when the ball gets near him, he catches it.” That ability to catch balls in the air has helped Pekny become WestSide’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions. It has also enabled him to impact numerous big wins for theScarlet and Gray, including last year’s legendary 37-7 triumph over Sheridan, his favorite football moment. Pekny refl ects, “It was awesome when we won Hoosier Conference and the fansrushed the fi eld.” When he’s not on the gridiron,Pekny enjoys what he describes with a smile as “normal teen stuff: watching movies, hanging out with friends, and listening to Lil’ Wayne.” Wodicka launches the ball towardshis top receiver. Pekny catches, wheels around, and reaches for thepylon. Touchdown. West Lafayette wins. It’s a big victory for the RedDevils, but it’s business as usual for Andrew Pekny.

Andrew Pekny Achieves Excellence Through WorkBY WILL DEBOERdeboerw.scarlette@gmail.com

Not only a talented member of this year’s varsity volleyball team, but an all around positive spirit, Judie Keen is the defi nition of an athlete. Playing right side attacker, Judie’s been in volleyball for the last seven years. “I love setting Judie up for the kill, “ says teammate senior Olivia Lockwood. “She’s just amazing.” Some of Judie’s accomplishments in volleyball over the past few years include winning last year’s all-conference, and last year’s most improved. “She is very enthusiastic, a great teammate and always works hard. She always knows how to make you smile,” says sophomore teammate, Annie Dooley. Judie’s goals for the

season are “to win conference and sectionals”. Volleyball, however, is not her only sport. Judie has also played tennis for two years. When she is not on the court, Judie enjoys talking to people and hanging out with friends. She also likes to rap in her spare time. As far as college goes, she does not know what she will major in yet, but she guesses it will be something math-related. Judie hopes to attend Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, though she has not decided if she will continue to play volleyball through college. “She’s always working really hard and you can always hear her in the gym. She’s very loud and enthusiastic,” says her sister, sophomore Christin Keen. “She’s the whole reason I ever even started playing volleyball. She’s

a great role model and I really look up to her a lot.” Judie’s own role models include Jesus, Mr. Mullis, Morgan McLuckey, Stephanie Lynch, and Judie’s sister Kati.

Judie Keen Spikes to SuccessBY ANJONA GHOSHghosha.scarlette@gmail.com

SPEED OF LIGHT: Andrew Pekny races down the fi eld. Photo by Will DeBoer

SERVE IT UP: Judie Keen mentally prepares herself during practi ce. Photo by Mollie Westbrook

When asked about her personal advice, Judie says, “Be confi dent in your skills and work hard in practices. Keep a positive attitude all the time!”

STUDENT LIFE SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009PAGE 12

“Eventful,” and “ethnic explosion” are a few phrases that describe this issue’s featured senior. Of course, there is more to her than her curly hair and multi-racial background. In fact, there are many sides to Brittany Letcher. Although a bit reluctant when she found out she fi rst was chosen as Featured Senior, when she was approached for her interview, Brittany, also known as Britt, said of the prestige, “I am so deeply honored.” In school, Brittany is associated with many activities including SHO, soccer, track, and fencing, to name a few. Though she participates in numerous activities, Brittany’s priority is music. She is an important part of the music department at West Lafayette High School as she is involved in orchestra, percussion ensemble, symphony orchestra, and also “helps the babies,” in other words, assistant teaches the fourth grade orchestra at Happy Hollow Middle School. Not only limited to high school, Brittany hopes to go to St. Olaf College and major in music with aspiration of becoming

a music teacher in the future. If for some reason music doesn’t work out, Brittany has an alternate plan. “I want to fi nd a Norse Prince and build a boat.” Though it seems like there is a lot on

Brittany Letcher Astounds With Diverse TalentsBY MARIE ZHANGzhangm.scarlette@gmail.com

Seriously Speaking: “If you had to have a body part removed, what would it be and why?”

“My nose, because I don’t want boogers.”

-Bobbie Burgess, Freshman

“My arm, because it’s broken.”

-Nathan Gimble, Sopho-more

“A body part??? Why would I remove a body part???”

-Morgan McLuckey, Junior

“My uvula...because it’s a fun word!”

-Mr. Warner

her plate with such a busy schedule, Brittany has many interests outside of school including playing the viola, playing soccer, ripstiking, fl ying kites, cleaning, and baking, to which she adds, “I can make a mean Funfetti cake.” Not only limited to her musical side, it also appears that Brittany has quite of an adventurous side. Senior Samantha Akridge notes an anecdote about Brittany from a trip to Walt Disney World: “She drank water from the Small World ride.” Brittany adds, “I kept coughing and choking after that.” Some other escapades Brittany has taken part in include playing unicycle hockey, sleeping outside on her front lawn, and calling in her Filipino neighbor for America’s Most Wanted. When asked why she is fun to be around, junior Morgan Mcluckey says, “Because you can’t believe most things she says,” while senior Elena Hogenesch bluntly says, “She is really weird.” From music to ripstiking to baking to drinking water at the Small World ride, it’s no wonder Brittany’s personality is composed of not one, but many distinct qualities that equally make her a notable individual.

VIVA LA VIOLA: Britt any Letcher (left ) plays her viola alongside Pip Joseph. Photo by Alyeesha Puri

“My nose because no one would know that I’m Jew-

ish.”

-Akiva Sanders, Senior

Favorite Color: RedFavorite Music: Weezer, Brams, Violent FemmesFavorite Movie: The Halloween TreeFavorite Food: Tofu DogsFavorite TV Show: 30 RockFavorite Actor: Ash KetchemFavorite Place to Hang Out: Grey-houseFavorite Subjects: Orchestra, Per-cussion, AP EnglishFavorite Teacher: Carol (Mrs. Letcher) “If I said anything else, I wouldn’t get dinner”Hidden Talent: Making people feel uncomfortableChosen Superpower: The ability to fl yGreatest Achievements: Driving to school without getting in an accidentNotable Catch Phrases: Freaky deaky, adding “McG” to everything