EchoVOLUME 78 - ISSUE 2Nov. 21, 2011

AVON HIGH SCHOOL 7575 EAST 150 SOUTH AVON, INDIANA

InsideACSC adopts balanced schedule

Lockout jeopardizes NBA season

Principal Adcock to retire this December

Seniors audition to performing arts programs

2 71516

Tattoos become new art formStudents discuss unique reasons for getting tattoos

By Jennifer HallerYears ago, stereotypes were an inevitable part

of getting a tattoo. Today, tattoos are becoming more socially accepted, and some even have positive purposes. Tattoos can serve medical, cultural, personal or simply aesthetic purposes.

Senior Taylor Stevenson got a tattoo this past summer that may one day save her life. Stevenson had the word “diabetic” tattooed on her wrist.

“I got my tattoo because I have type 1 diabetes,” Stevenson said. “It acts as a medical alert, so if there is an emergency, people will know that I am a diabetic.”

Stevenson decided to get her tattoo when she realized that it would be easier than remembering to wear a diabetic necklace or bracelet every day.

See TATTOOS, Page 12

2 November 2011 NewsNew calendar brings change

How traditional, balanced calenders workExamining differences between new, old calenders

Traditional Schedule (2011-2012) Balanced Schedule (2012-2013)

Fall break: Oct. 20-23•Final exams after winter break•Winter break: Dec. 19-Jan. 1•Spring break: Mar. 30-Apr. 6•Summer break preceding school year: •June 1-Aug. 18

Fall break: Oct 15-26•Final exams before winter break •Winter break: Dec. 24-Jan. 4•Spring break: Mar. 25-Apr. 5•Summer break preceding school •year: June 1 -July 31One extra week to prepare for •AP tests

Tiffany LanteigneSource: “Avon Community School Corporation” Online

Avon adopts balanced year calendar, adds longer breaks to yearNews Briefs

Holiday Connection

Holiday Connection is a community service project sponsored by Avon Center Stage Performers. Groups of school students adopt a family and raise money to buy Christmas presents for the families. Contact Lori Riley to help adopt a family.

Orchestra Concert

The Avon orchestra will perform its winter concert on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

New Clubs

Student Government recently voted to add South Asia Club, DECA, Dungeons and Dragons Club and Robotics Club to the extracurricular activities offered at Avon.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break will begin on Nov. 24, and school will resume on Nov. 28.

Project Angel

Key Club will be sponsoring Project Angel starting in December. All ACSC students can donate canned foods to help feed underprivileged families over the holidays.

By Kenzi BarnesWith Avon’s neighboring school district, Wayne

Township, switching to a balanced year, Avon school officials are putting the new balanced calendar into effect. On Oct. 13, the school board passed the new balanced calendar for the 2012-2013 school year. A balanced calendar is a schedule with a shortened summer where days are taken from summer and added onto spring and fall breaks.

Many students in favor of the new calendar do not mind that they will have a shorter summer because those two weeks will be added to spring and fall breaks.

“Two more weeks of breaks would help break the school year up more, and it gives us all time to relax and relieve some of our stress,” junior Tanner Crawford said.

However, other students, like junior Chasity Chapman, think the calendar “takes away from our time to spend with friends and family in the summer.”

Some students think the balanced schedule is the same as a year-round calendar. However, year-round schools have 45 instructional days and then 15 days of break. With any schedule, there is a consistent number of instructional days.

“Both the traditional calendar and the balanced calendar have 180 educational days, which means there isn’t any lost time when it comes to being in the classroom or having one-on-one with an instructor,” associate principal Michael Swank said.

A balanced calendar has nine weeks of instruction and two or three weeks of vacation between learning sessions. Each of Avon’s grading periods will end before fall, spring, winter and summer breaks. The breaks “provide teachers with time to look for new and innovative ways to increase their students’ academic achievements, seek different ways to raise test scores, and see how a student body is doing as a whole when it comes to academic scoring,” according to “Georgia Southern University” Online.

The main reason Avon is switching is to match calendars with other Wayne Township schools. Avon students attend classes such as law enforcement, fire sciences, cosmetology, auto mechanics and landscaping at Ben Davis’ Area 31 Career Center. The new schedule will also allow exams to be before winter break.

With the balanced schedule, some students expressed their concern about their test schedule.

“I’m worried that review time for our Advanced Placement (AP) exams could be cut or interrupted, potentially lowering scores,” sophomore Matt Sidor said.

However, according to Swank, this should not concern students. Swank said students will have time to prepare for the AP tests: “The change doesn’t appear to be negative for AP exams or classes in general. There will be the same amount of instructional days, so everything should be fine.”

AP classes are not the only area of concern for students. Students and coaching staff are also looking at how the change is going to affect the fall and spring sports’ schedules.

“In the past, the [football] team has had a team live-in camp, where the players and coaches live at the school for four days,” head football coach Mark Bless said. “We accomplish many team-building aspects during that time together and get more practice time in. With that being said, we will lose most of our two-a-day practices.”

The football program will have to re-evaluate during the off-season the summer workout months and pre-season

practices to become more efficient at the beginning of the season and to work around the changes Avon has made.

“The last area of concern would be the two weeks of fall break,” Bless said. “Our football coaching staff would need to plan accordingly because that period of time is during the IHSAA playoffs.”

Students, teachers, teams and activities will all have to make adjustments with the new schedule coming into effect for the 2012-2013 school year. As the school prepares for the new changes Avon is making to the school’s schedule, Swank said he is “anxious to see the students’ reactions.”

“Two more weeks of breaks would help break the school year up more, and it gives us all time to relax and relieve some of our stress.”

Tanner Crawford, 11

Page Design : Alexa Adamson & Olivia Price 3News

Ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement spreads from New York to Indianapolis, around country

On Sept. 17 in New York City’s Liberty Square, protestors gathered for the protest dubbed “Occupy Wall Street.” Though the protestor’s goals varied, they had one thing in common: they considered themselves the “99 percent,” or the majority in the United States.

Wall Street is the financial district of New York City and also controls the New York Stock Exchange and Stock Broker Exchange. It also harbors several major banks and investors. According to economics teacher David Ball, the term “Wall Street” refers to the businesses of America and the people who invest in them.

“About 60 percent to 70 percent of Americans have money invested in the stock market, mostly through their retirement funds or their pension plans,” Ball said. “When the stock market does well, it affects more than half of Americans, and when it does not do well, it affects them negatively.”

There is no one goal stated in the protest; the goals all vary upon the different protestors attending the events.

“I’ve heard protestors say they want higher taxes for the rich,” Ball said. “I’ve heard protestors say they want student loans forgiven. I’ve heard protestors say they are upset that they do not have a job. I’ve heard protestors say they want more rules for Wall Street.”

According to “Occupy Wall Street” Online, protestors believe the investors on Wall Street are responsible for an “economic collapse” and the “greatest recession in generations.”

“I think [the protest] is a great idea,” junior Sam Zinski said. “It is a way for the world to come together in a way that unites them against a common enemy. I too believe that big businesses have too much power in government.”

Zinski and most protestors believe the “common enemy” is the one percent, or the rich investors who control Wall Street.

Occupy Wall Street expanded nationally, inspiring protests in cities across the United States, such as Occupy Los Angeles, Occupy Florida, Occupy Chicago and the local protest of Occupy Indy.

On Oct. 8 and Oct.9, the Occupy Indy protests took place at the Veteran’s Memorial Plaza in

downtown Indianapolis. Some protestors stayed at the Plaza, while others marched to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

“I would like to see the middle class receive more recognition for all their hard work,” junior Eva Kanyuh, who attended the event, said.

She felt she helped make a difference just by witnessing “the historic actions people are taking to make a change.”

By Grace Kelly The protestors who stayed behind at the Plaza formed small groups, which they called “committees” or “working groups.” In these committees, protestors brainstormed ideas they wanted addressed. Protestors expressed these ideas to the General Assembly, the protestors as a whole.

“At the meeting, I listened to others’ views on our nation’s government,” Kanyuh said. “I witnessed many outspoken people with controversial signs.”

Protestors were unable to camp overnight on the property, in respect to the veterans’ monument. There was also a dress code of business casual in order to “cast a positive image” to the media and to put the protestors’ “best foot forward.” Protestors were also advised to present a good image by walking in groups of four or five when marching to prevent disturbing traffic downtown.

“I want businesses and corporations to stay out of political affairs and the government to lay off of the little guys,” Zinski said.

Some, including Zinski and Ball, believe that the effectiveness of the protests is poor due to the lack of one change protestors want to see fulfilled.

“I do not even know how we would decide if they are effective because there is not something that they say they want specifically,” Ball said.

Occupy Wall Street is ongoing, and the leaders constantly post information on the protests on their website. They have added information on how to start local protests across the nation.

“I think these protests are happening for a reason, and they should be recognized,” Kanyuh said.

Occupy Wall Street explained

The main protests are against social and economic inequality, corporate greed and the influence lobbyists have on the government.

“We are the 99 percent” is a reference to the large wealth gap between the bottom 99 percent and top one percent of earners.

Protests started in New York but have now spread to 70 major cities in the United States and 900 cities worldwide.

Protesters fight for social, economic equality

Sources: “Huffington Post” Online, “Occupy Wall Street” Online, “The Guardian” Online Belle LeBeau

Protestors seek equal opportunities, wages

“I think these protests are happening for a reason, and they should be recognized.”

Eva Kanyuh, 11

A speaker for Occupy Indy rallies the crowd for the march from the Veterans’ Memorial Plaza to Monument Circle at the Statehouse on Oct. 8. About 1,000 people united to protest what they believe is an “unfair” and “flawed” distribution of wealth in the U.S. “We’re like a family here,” the speaker said. “I will protect you as if I am your brother, father or son.”

Alexa Adamson

4 November 2011 NewsIssues sway voters’ decisions

On Nov. 8, Indianapolis citizens elected Republican incumbent, Mayor Greg Ballard, over his Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy to continue his time as mayor of Indianapolis.

During the months and weeks leading up to the election, both candidates professed their intentions to maintain and improve the city’s economy, keep low taxes, improve education and address the city’s crime issues. In his acceptance speech, Ballard attributed his re-election to his “solid record of achievement,” citing his “fiscal responsibility, safer streets, good jobs and stronger neighborhoods.”

During both candidates’ campaigns, Ballard, 48th mayor of Indianapolis, cited his success at maintaining and improving the city’s economy, while Kennedy criticized the city’s educational troubles and crime rate under Ballard. Kennedy’s criticisms of Ballard’s city crime record and the plans she outlined for reform won her the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Despite the many issues of the election, the economic health of the city put the economy at the forefront of the election. The candidates attributed their mayor eligibility to their ability to create jobs and bring business to the city. According to Kennedy’s campaign website, “as Deputy Mayor for economic development, Kennedy brought thousands of jobs to the city.” Ballard’s campaign website credited his administration to “be a faithful steward of the taxpayer’s money…and honestly balanced the city’s budget two years in a row.”

With the country’s economic troubles and government deficits since the recession in 2008, many states and cities are suffering revenue and deficit problems and have enacted budget cuts and austerity measures. Even the federal government was forced to take a look at its budget, nearly leading to a government shut-down as Democrats and Republicans could not agree on a plan to cut programs. Though Indianapolis’s financial troubles are not as large as Harrisburg, Pa., which, according to “Reuters” Online, recently filed for bankruptcy due to large city deficits, the city will still have to make some budget cuts.

“Ironically, neither candidate had a really specific message [on the economy] because cuts will be needed, and that doesn’t get one elected,” economics teacher Andrew Johnson said.

The Indianapolis economy is a concern not only for Indianapolis citizens, but it is also a major concern for Avon and Hendricks County citizens.

“We are a suburb of Indianapolis, and the economic prosperity of Indianapolis impacts Avon,” government teacher David Ball said. “Many citizens of Avon and Hendricks County work in Indianapolis, so the economy of the city strongly impacts them.”

Even the fight against crime is connected to the economy. The police and fire departments are two services that may have to make cuts, depending on the state of the city’s finances.

“There has been a big emphasis on the police and fire services,” Johnson said. “There can be a

By Ben Brown cascade effect where the police serve to create a safe environment, so economic activity will increase in the city. However, if there are cuts to the police department, it will hurt the city economically.”

Senior Daniel Hoover also considers public safety an important issue and hoped that whoever was elected would increase the pay and benefits of the Indianapolis police.

“[I followed the election] because I wanted to make sure that whoever was elected benefits the police,” Hoover said. “I’d like a greater salary cap for the security forces [because] they have an important role in the city.”

Education was also an issue, especially for Kennedy, who criticized Ballard’s record on the city’s public education. According to Kennedy’s campaign website, one in five students at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) does not graduate on time, and six IPS high schools have been labeled as “drop-out factories,” with total IPS graduation rates at 50 percent. Senior William Brown also said education would be an important issue, especially for the city of Indianapolis.

“I certainly consider education an important issue, especially at IPS,” Brown said. “They need a lot of attention, and that brings up taxes, too, because public schools are funded by taxes.”

Despite Ballard’s victory in the mayoral election, political battles could make his second term more difficult than the first as he now faces a Democrat-controlled city council, with 16 Democrats and 13 Republicans, compared to a Republican-led council during his first term as mayor.

Crime, economy, education determine mayor election resultsPolitical

Updatewith Rachel Fischer

Dream Act advocates attempt to pass legislation

Over three million students will go to college next fall, but about 65,000 children of illegal immigrants are unable to go, according to “CNN” Online. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the Dream Act, would allow illegal immigrants who graduate high school to obtain a higher education. The Dream Act officially passed in California on Oct. 5, but proponents of the act are trying to pass it in other states with high immigration rates.

Dream Act advocates want to give illegal immigrant high school graduates the chance to go to college or enlist in the military. Any person who wants to benefit from the Dream Act must live in the U.S. before turning 16, live in the U.S. for five years, graduate from high school or obtain a GED, and be between the ages of 12 and 35 when they apply. All immigrants who meet these qualifications have to go through an application process before they are accepted into the program. When applicants are accepted, they will be granted Conditional Permanent Residency (CPR), which will give them U.S. residency for a short time. After they obtain CPR, they must immediately enroll in an institute of higher education to pursue at least a bachelor’s degree or enlist in the military. After they enroll or enlist, the CPR expires and they can be eligible for permanent residency in their home state.

The Dream Act does not provide tuition, but it allows illegal immigrants to be eligible for in-state tuition if they plan on attending a school that is in their home state.

According to “Dream Act” Online, California is currently the only state to pass the full act, but Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Utah and Washington are allowing the students of illegal immigrants to apply for in-state tuition. Proponents of the Dream Act are still working on obtaining more state approval to help the immigrants. States can pass the full act or only parts of the Dream Act. According to “Dream Act” Online, parts that are typically passed by state legislators are the immigrants’ eligibility to apply for, and obtain, in-state tuition. Advocates of the Dream Act are attempting to get all 50 states to either partially pass the act or to pass the full act so all immigrants can have “equal opportunity.”

2011 Election Candidates

Source: “Indylp” Online Grace Kelly

Greg BallardRepublican

Melina KennedyDemocrat

Chris BowenLibertarian

Other

Election Date: Nov. 8 Candidates:

5Page Design: David Allspaw & Shelby Brown NewsAvon organizations reach out to community

With the holidays approaching, charitable works are happening at Avon High School. There have been benefit concerts for the Avon Outdoor Learning Center, canned food drives for Project Angel and a carnival to benefit Active:Water.

“Charity is something that has to come from the heart,” junior Danielle Joyce said. “Charity should be a choice that is made by the person who is giving, not forced.”

Joyce is currently in her first year of National Honor Society. National Honor Society is one of the many clubs doing community service for the upcoming holidays. Their toy drive will benefit kids who might not wake up to any other surprises under their tree on Christmas morning.

“We are collecting gently used toys and nonperishable items for Sheltering Wings and The Julian Center through Dec. 1,” junior Kristen Peed said. “I like that we are collecting donations for less fortunate people, and I’m glad that we are going to be able to make kids happy for Christmas.”

The Avon Center Stage Performers are hosting Holiday Connection. They gather information about families in need from the administration and connect those needy families with groups of people willing to sponsor them and provide “under-the-tree gifts” for them.

“We go caroling, collect presents and then load them up on buses,” sophomore Shawn Manchester said. “It’s all for charity, but it’s a really fun event. Anyone can come: just join drama club.”

Theater teacher Lori Riley has sponsored Holiday Connection for the last 25 years.

“Every year, when we are standing at someone’s door singing a beautiful, peaceful song, I purposefully take the time to slowly look at the faces of all the kids caroling and then the faces of the people we are caroling to, and I take it all in as a memory to cherish forever,” Riley said. “I do this same thing right before the custodial staff comes and takes the bags of gifts away. We have bags upon bags of gifts,

By Shelby Brown and each bag is going to some little one. Some child who isn’t expecting anything under the tree will wake up and find so many beautifully wrapped gifts just for him or her. It’s amazing the amount of people who help and who receive help. It’s a lot to take in. It melts my heart and lifts my spirits.”

There are several ways for Avon students to get involved without even leaving the school’s grounds.

“Here at our high school, we have so many clubs that have a service aspect to them or are completely dedicated to service causes,” National Honor Society

sponsor Dawn Fable said. “[One of these is] Project SOS. We changed the name from Project AZLL. Our whole purpose is just to gather school supplies for students who need them.”

Fable advised students on how to get involved with a charitable organization: “You could even find a club that’s close to something you feel strongly about. Then you could get involved with that and do a lot of community service. Even if there isn’t something here at our school, the nice thing is that

a student can propose a club and get one started. If there’s a national organization, there’d be the chance of maybe starting a local chapter.”

Kyle Beimfohr, the technology integration specialist at Avon, has become involved in a charity in his own way. He has begun raising money for Active:Water.

“I lead an active lifestyle and found that partnering with Active:Water was a way to move beyond myself. Showing compassion to others around the world is a passion of mine,” Beimfohr said.

Clubs such as National Honor Society, Key Club, ACSP give back, help out for the holidays

Ways to help charity organizationsOpportunities arise for students to assist

Source: Interview with Dawn Fable, October 2011 Tristan Fitzpatrick

• Join a service-oriented club, such as Project SOS or Key Club • Watch the news for chances to help • If you are passionate about a national organization, start a local chapter • Most service-oriented charities have websites that offer tips and information on helping their cause • Find a charity that promotes a cause you feel strongly about

“Every time one does something good...he or she becomes a better person on the inside.”

Lori Riley,Theater Teacher

Beimfohr is participating in a biking challenge to raise money for Active:Water, which provides clean water to people in countries that do not have easy access to clean drinking water.

“The challenge I took on was to raise money for Active:Water by biking across the state of Indiana in one day,” Beimfohr said. “I’ve raised $851 so far, and my goal is $1000. Every athlete has a page where people can support their effort. ”

Avon’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is doing its part to support Active:Water. FCA will host a carnival on Dec. 11. Profits from the carnival will go to Active:Water.

According to Riley, charity and volunteer work like that done by the clubs at Avon are important not only to the community or the charity benefited but also to the people participating in the community service.

“Every time one does something good for someone else, without an audience, he or she becomes a better person on the inside,” Riley said. “The fibers of the fabric of their souls become stronger. To quote Albert Pike, ‘What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.’”

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6 November 2011 Sports

Winter Sports ConditioningAthletic conditioning begins long

before season startsMens’ Basketball:Conditioning: Early OctoberSeason starts: Nov. 7Womens’ Basketball:Conditioning: End of SeptemberSeason starts: Oct. 23Wrestling:Conditioning: Middle of SeptemberSeason starts: Nov. 1Swimming:Conditioning: SeptemberSeason starts: Oct. 24Source: Interviews, October 2011 Belle LeBeau

Avon athletes push themselves through conditioningConditioning prepares athletes for upcoming winter seasonsBy Anna Wray

Athletes work out, run and lift weights to build up their muscles during Advanced Physical Conditioning (APC). Physical conditioning is a normal part of an athlete’s life and is required by many team sports.

“[Conditioning] gets you physically prepared for your games,” junior Justin Dunham, who is on the baseball team, said. “You cannot just go straight into a competition without physically preparing yourself. Just like studying for a test, if you do not study, then you will fail.”

One misconception about conditioning is it happens only right before the season starts. Dunham said that for baseball, conditioning starts in the winter and continues through the season and even after the season is over. Dunham goes to all the optional work outs he can, and his own personal training.

Sophomore Myranda Coler, a swimmer, also participates in pre-season conditioning.

“Conditioning helps you get ready for the actual season,” Coler said. “[It] helps you gain the muscles you need and get use to the intensity of the sport.”

According to head football coach Mark Bless, conditioning has many benefits: it prepares athletes for their season, strengthens the team, and decreases player injuries. During conditioning, athletes work out, partake in muscle-building and bone-strengthening activities, and play team-building games. Athletes are expected to train and work out after school on set days during the week.

For athletes who want an extra push, APC is also available. APC is an optional one semester class offered to athletes for additional training.

“We work on a lot of hitting exercises, as well as strength building activities [during APC],” Dunham said.

According to Bless, the physical benefits of conditioning assist the athletes throughout the season, giving them the endurance to participate through the whole season and minimizing the amount of injuries they receive. Without sports conditioning, players would perform without warming up their muscles, which could lead to serious damage.

According to “Conditioning” Online, athletic training and conditioning also reduces the amount of soreness that athletes experience during the season.

“I have seen so many kids come in to get physicals after being off for a year. Then they break a leg or tear something because they have not practiced at all,” Dr. Baron Kidd, a pediatrician at Kidd Pediatrics, said. “Conditioning is a great thing for athletes, and it cuts down the amount of injuries that players get during the season.”

According to Dunham, there are many hardships associated with sports conditioning, including the need for motivation.

“You just have to push yourself physically and mentally,” Dunham said. “It is so easy to quit, so you have to push yourself if you want to get better.”

According to Dunham, athletes are not forced to participate in conditioning, but they do it because they want to make themselves better. Athletes, such as Dunham and Coler, said this is when mental preparedness comes into play.

“Yes, the workout is a hardship, but the hardest aspect for me to do is trying to make myself keep going when my body is ready to give up,” Dunham said.

Even though there are hardships that correlate with pre-season conditioning, athletes agreed that it aids them in being ready for the games and practices of their sport.

“Conditioning” Online said that these practice sessions are sometimes more important than the actual contests and games themselves.

“Developing lifelong habits to improve or maintain cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance and flexibility is an important goal for anyone involved in [an] athletic program,” according to “Conditioning” Online.

According to Bless, sports conditioning is a good thing for athletes because they get the chance to get ready for the season, but they also create relationships with the coaches.

“When all of the athletes know they have worked hard together, they start believing in themselves and their teammates that they have paid the price to be successful,” Bless said.

Winter Sports ConditioningSport conditioning, season start dates

Mens’ Basketball:Conditioning: Early OctoberSeason starts: Nov. 7Womens’ Basketball:Conditoning: End of SeptemberSeason starts: Oct. 23Wrestling:Conditoning: Middle of SeptemberSeason starts: Nov. 1

Swimming:Conditoning: SeptemberSeason starts: Oct. 24

Source: Interviews, October 2011 Belle LeBeau

Kaylie McCoy

Sophomore Tarence French runs a mile for wrestling before he begins more strenuous conditioning. “If you don’t do conditioning, you won’t have the cardio or the endurance, and you’re going to get winded faster,” French said.

Kaylie McCoy

Sophomore Zach Lowery does push-ups during wrestling conditioning. Wrestling conditioning is required for all wrestlers if they want to compete and begins in October and continues until the beginning of the regular wrestling season.“I like that [conditioning] makes you stronger with all the push-ups and stuff like that,” Lowery said. “[I don’t like] all the running. We ran for about four miles with no breaks once.”

Page Design : Kaylie McCoy & Anna Wray 7Sports

By David Allspaw

Avon basketball teams work toward successful seasonCoaches, players discuss path to number one, future goals for team, favorite parts of season

After finishing 20-3 and breaking the school’s wins record last season, the Avon boys’ varsity basketball team is hoping to better a deep tourney run that ended with a loss in last year’s sectional championship game.

However, improving upon last season will be more “difficult” than in other years, according to boys’ varsity head coach Jason Young.

“We graduated eight seniors last year, and we are getting lots of sophomores and juniors ready to compete at the varsity level,” Young said. “[Last year’s seniors] worked hard every day and did the little things necessary for us to win games.”

Varsity forward, senior Brian Decker, said the team is working on its endurance.

“We need to be in better shape so we can win long-lasting games,” Decker said. “We also need to work on our defense so we can win games when our shots aren’t falling. We have been working during the offseason to get in better shape, and everyone is committed to working hard.”

Boys’ junior varsity (JV) head coach Corey Ebert explained his team’s role in the varsity team’s success.

“The JV team’s responsibility is to work daily to improve while preparing the varsity squad in practice for their games,” Ebert said.

Ebert said he is most looking forward to the Dec. 16 home matchup against Brownsburg.

“The JV season is tough because you do not have a conference, county or state championship to play for, so you must be disciplined enough to know

that your role in the program is to get better and challenge the varsity team. I would be lying as an Avon graduate if I did not say that I am looking forward to playing Brownsburg.”

On the girls’ side, Avon athletic directors brought in new varsity head coach David Cupp to help turn around a team that finished next to last in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference with a 7-13 record last season.

Cupp said the team sticks to its motto, “play hard, defend and rebound,” during practices and games.

“We aren’t trying to make a comparison to any other team, and we aren’t concerned about what happened with teams in the past,” Cupp said. “We just strive to be the best team we can be.”

Senior Jill Steinmetz, who plays on the varsity team, listed adjustments the team is making from last year.

“We’re learning to play the new style of offense and incorporating younger players into positions where they can be effective,” Steinmetz said. “We are also working to improve our physical strength through use of the weight room and outdoor conditioning.”

Steinmetz discussed some of last year’s seniors.“We lost a key outside shooting guard in Haley

Austin, who was a big part of our offense, as well as Jackie Kurbursky,” Steinmetz said.

Steinmetz said Cupp is trying to get a feel for the players and the entire girls’ basketball program.

“Obviously we want to do well and get better as the season continues on, but [Coach Cupp] believes it needs to be both a fun and enjoyable atmosphere,” Steinmetz said.

NBA players, owners negotiate to prevent further lockoutStudents, teachers question reasons for lockout, believe it will hurt NBA’s seasonal earningsBy David Allspaw

On Oct. 10, National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner David Stern cancelled the opening month of the 2011-2012 season due to a lockout between the league’s players and team owners.

A lockout occurs when an employer closes a business establishment in order to negotiate with employees. According to The Wall Street Journal, the issue in the NBA’s lockout is how to divide $4 billion in league income among owners and players. Owners are trying to shrink the players’ cut of revenue from 57 percent to 50 percent. However, players are fighting to keep their share at or above 52 percent, which has resulted in a labor feud that began on June 30.

Math teacher Doug Bouchie said he does not agree with either the players’ or the owners’ demands.

“I understand that both sides want to make their fair share of the money, but there must be a season, and the sides may have to compromise,” Bouchie said.

If the two parties cannot accept a new collective bargaining agreement soon, the commissioner may cancel the entire season. The lockout is causing some fans, such as senior Joel Kugelman, to worry about the league’s long-term viability.

“There would be economic consequences since cities would lose millions of dollars,” Kugelman said. “There could also be a waning of fan interest.”

During the lockout, the NBA has banned teams from using team-owned facilities, signing contracts, buying free agents, trading for players and discussing the lockout’s policy to the media.

Kugelman explained how the lack of activity would affect rookies’ first-year performances.

“They would miss out on gaining vital experience at the NBA level before being thrown into games and being expected to perform,” Kugelman said. “Also, the rookies would lose out on the money that they thought they were going to earn.”

Battles over league revenues have become an aspect of professional sports over the past two decades. For instance, Major League Baseball (MLB) cancelled the entire 1994 postseason, including the World Series, after the MLB Players’ Association led an ongoing strike against the league’s team owners. The NBA shortened its 1998-1999 season to 50 games due to a lockout, and a lockout in 2005 forced the National Hockey League to cancel its season entirely. Incidents like these lead fans to question whether players and owners have legitimate reasons for entering a lockout.

“They should lock themselves in the room until they agree,” marketing teacher Troy Drosche said. “My kids want to see people jumping off trampolines and dunking during timeouts—and the Pacers, too.”

Reasons for lockout The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Basketball Player’s Union cannot agree on: Salary Contracts Player’sbenefits The NBA wants to pay the players less, and the union wants the players to receive more money.

What will happen The season was not be able to start on time because players cannot play without knowing how much they are going to be paid. This is the second time the season did not start on time in the last 13 years.

NBA lockout breakdownExplaining the lockout, effects it will have

Source: “Washington Post” Online Belle LeBeau

Steinmetz described this team’s chances for success.“With the combination of a new coaching staff,

the talent and hard work of the underclassmen and the leadership from our four seniors, we have a good chance of being successful this year,” Steinmetz said.

Junior Jordan Rhoades prepares to shoot while trying out for the basketball team on Nov. 7 in the main gym. “We’ve had a really good off-season, and we’re looking forward to the year,” Rhoades said. “We’ve got a lot of people who have stepped up, and I think we’re going to have a great year.”

Megan Medellin

8 November 2011 Sports

Girls’ XC

146-23

13th at State Championship

1st at BenDavis Regional

Boys’ Soccer

16-3-4Semi-State Runners-up

RegionalChamps

Football10-2

Sectional Runners-up

Boys’ XC

121-37

10th at Semi-State

1st at Sectionals

Girls’ Golf

4-7

7th inConference

4th atSectionals

Girls SoccerSectional Champions

14-1-5

9-6

Best recordin four years

Finished in Top Half ofConference

Boys’ Tennis

Volleyball

39-1

#1 Rank in class 4A,IndianaState Runners-upRanked#3 inNation

Fa__ Sports

Wrapup

Photos by: Grace Kelly, Anna Wray, Mandy Packnett, Kenzi Barnes, Katie Brewer, Megan Medellin, Whitney Hill

Page Design : Ben Brown & Maria Khan 9Sports

Athletes of the IssueCaiti Needy, 10What athlete do you look up to?Hope Solo, because she’s a really awesome soccer player. She keeps playing well even when she’s injured and hurting. What got you into playing soccer?I watched the movie “Kicking and Screaming,” and I laughed so hard that it actually made me want to start playing soccer.What is the best part of teamwork?Working with others who know what they’re doing and learning from them is the best part.

Calvin Wieczorek, 12Who encouraged you to join the cross country team?My brother was in track in seventh grade and said it was fun, so I joined the next season when I was in eighth grade.Would you encourage others to join the team?Yeah, it’s a rewarding experience, but it’s something where you either like it or hate it.Have you always enjoyed the sport?I’ve really always liked being on the team. It’s not the running that’s fun, though; it’s the reward at the end.

Upcoming GamesNov. 26: Girls’ Basketball vs. FishersNov. 29: Wrestling vs. Hamilton SEDec. 1: Swimming vs. PlainfieldDec. 2: Boys’ Basketball vs. DanvilleDec. 3: Girls’ Basketball vs. ZionsvilleDec. 8: Swimming vs. GreenwoodDec. 8: Wrestling vs. BrownsburgDec. 10: Boys’ Basketball vs. Warren CentralDec. 13: Swimming vs. Center Grove

Season Preview

Olivia Price

Jennifer Haller

Ben Brown Ben Brown

“We’re very young and inexperienced, but we have a lot of height and a lot of talent.” -girls’ basketball coach David Cupp

“We have good leadership, and I think we are going to do pretty well.” -swimming coach Jon Karr

“Our goals are to defend our county championship and compete for a conference and sectional championship this season.” -boys’ basketball coach Jason Young

“Overall, the team is young...the beginning of the season will be rough, but as we progress, we should be pretty competitive.” -wrestling coach Israel Blevins

Kenzi Barnes

Mandy Packnett Olivia Price

Shelby Brown

TattoosContinued from page 1

Krystal Andry

Junior Cierra Gold shows off her first tattoo that she got when she turned 17. Gold now has four tattoos. “This [tattoo] hurt the worst out of all of them,” Gold said.

“I never wore my medical I.D. bracelet because I didn’t like it, and it was so scratched up that you couldn’t even read it anyway,” Stevenson said.

Although Stevenson got her tattoo for a medical reason, others may get them for religious or cultural reasons. One of the most well-known forms of cultural body art is henna, or Mehndi. According to “Henna Body Art” Online, the tradition of henna dates back to ancient Egypt. The art form slightly varies from region to region. For example, Arabic designs are more floral, while Indian designs blend fine lines together.

“I started doing my own henna when I was around 12 years old, but my sister or mom would put it on for me before then,” sophomore Israt Khan, who is originally from Bangladesh, said.

Although henna is not permanent, it allows people to portray their culture or religion on their body.

“I like henna because it really gives me the feeling of celebration and holidays,” Khan said. “It also reminds me of my country, my family and my roots.”

Traditional ink tattoos are still not completely socially accepted. Tattoo artist Kimberly Cochran acknowledged the negative stigma of tattoos.

“People at banks or doctor’s offices can be rude,” Cochran said. “People at pricey restaurants have been rude and given me poor service. Buying a home and cars can be difficult. I am often not the girl that a parent wants their son to show up with.”

While Cochran has experienced this stigma, she believes that the stereotypes may sometimes be fitting.

“All stereotypes exist for a reason,” Cochran said. “There is always someone who fits [the stereotype].” Cochran recalls that these stereotypes are not new. In fact, they have existed for many years.

“Today, more and more tattoo artists have art degrees and come from classical art backgrounds.”

Kimberly Cochran,Tattoo Artist

317-538-7548

S caggsCleaning

New ConstructionBusiness/Office

Residential

“A lot of our stereotypes come from a long time ago, when only bikers and sailors got tattoos,” Cochran said. “Today, things are different.”

Cochran disagrees with the perception that tattoo artists are criminals or unskilled.

“Some people believe that tattoo artists do this job because we are too stupid or lazy to get a real job,” Cochran said. “I chose this. I graduated high school with honors and have a college degree with honors. I had a respectable job at a university in medical

school and made good money, had benefits and a steady schedule. I am very capable of doing anything I choose, and I chose to be a tattoo artist.”

Cochran believes while tattooing was once just following a pattern or design, it is now more complex.

“Today, more and more tattoo artists have art degrees and come from serious classical art backgrounds,” Cochran said. “The pieces that are done now can be anything from custom designs to reproductions of classic art. I, myself, have tattooed Botticelli’s ‘Venus’ and classic statues such as ‘Laocoön’ and ‘Nike of Samothrace.’ It’s very gratifying to replicate these great masters’ works on skin.”

Tattoos have yet to be viewed by many as acceptable. It may never be possible to get rid of the stereotypes completely.

What was started years ago has negatively affected our generations and will be passed down for years to come. People must consider these stereotypes before deciding to get a tattoo that may change how they will be viewed.While tattoos may bring stereotypes, they let people express themselves. Tattoos give people the ability to show inner emotion or beliefs outwardly.

“While your body may be a temple, how long can you live there without redecorating?” Cochran said.

Mandy Packnett

How getting a tattoo works

Source: “Discovery Health” Online

Tattoo machine inserts ink into dermis to create skin artwork.Tattoo artists inject ink using an electronically-powered tattoo machine that moves the needle up and down.

The needle penetrates the skin by a millimeter, and the needle places a drop of insoluable ink into the skin each time.

When viewing the tattoo, you are seeing the ink through the outer layer of skin, also known as the epidermis.

The needle punctures the second layer of skin, or the dermis, to place the ink.

Tattoo ink is insoluable because the cells of the dermis are more stable than the cells of the epidermis.

New Skin Layer

SebaceousGland

HairErectorMuscle

SweatGland

Dermis

Epide

rmis

Mandy Packnett

12 November 2011 Feature

Page Design : Grace Kelly & Jennifer Haller 13Feature

High school students do not have to rely on allowances or fast food jobs for income. Some students at Avon use their talents to make products to sell to others.

Freshman Trevor Bernhardt knits scarves and sells them for $5 each. Bernhardt makes many kinds of scarves, from traditional to decorative. Bernhardt picked up knitting from his mother when she taught him after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Bernhardt said he dedicates much of his free time to making these scarves for others.

“I really enjoy making scarves,” Bernhardt said. “A scarf can take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on what the person is looking for in the scarf and the design they want.”

Through knitting for students and others, Bernhardt is able to make a profit.

“It’s an oddball process, but I can make anywhere from $30 to $60 a month,” Bernhardt said.

Knitting is not the only way that Bernhardt makes money. His father taught him how to do other crafts.

“I also make pens, carvings and woodwork,” Bernhardt said.

Avon alumnus Anthony DiPalmo started earning money by designing websites in his sophomore year.

“In October of my senior year, my website sold for $4,000, which was a huge achievement for a 16 to 17-year-old boy,” DiPalmo said.

However, DiPalmo does not use his websites only to make money.

“I have helped Mr. Blevins update his wrestling page just for a letter of recommendation,” DiPalmo said.

DiPalmo also helped develop the Echo’s website and makes a variety of different websites, sometimes just for fun.

“I made a website in my senior year called AvonPicks; it let students post pictures and vote on the best picture,” DiPalmo said.

DiPalmo taught himself to design web pages.“I learned all my website knowledge by myself,

but Mrs. [Suzy] Lebo’s class had a huge impact on my website building, and I would highly recommend taking it,” DiPalmo said. By creating websites,

DiPalmo is able not only to make money but also to do work he enjoys. He hopes to own his own company in the computer industry.

Some people make items for profit; others make items to help others.

Junior Nick Balkevicius makes bracelets to raise money for Invisible Children, an organization that rescues children from civil war

and poverty in Africa. He makes homemade bead bracelets and sells them at school.

“I make anywhere from $30 to $50 in a month for the organization,” Balkevicius said. “All the money I make from the bracelets goes toward the children.”

Balkevicius is committed to keep raising money for Invisible Children, even in the future.

“Even after high school, I hope to make bracelets and sell them to help Invisible Children,” Balkevicius said.

These ways of earning money all stem from hobbies and interests the student entrepreneurs have, whether the interests be crafting items from yarn or wood, creating websites for multiple purposes, or raising money to help others.

Bernhardt and Balkevicius may not make careers out of their passions, but DiPalmo hopes to use his interests to lead him in his career path as he starts his college education.

“It’s just a passion I have,” DiPalmo said. “It takes time out of my day, and I learn more and more by just practicing and making more websites.”

“I made a website in my senior year called AvonPicks; it let students post pictures and vote on the best pictures.”

Anthony DiPalmo,Avon Alumnus

Avon entrepreneurs reap financial gains

Shelby Hoke, 12Adam Poliskie, History Teacher

Megan Medellin

Student and Staff Profiles

Avon students find financial success in self-employment By Bryan Ball

What does your grandmother call you?Shelbywoo. Not too sure how that got started.

What’s your favorite pick-up line?“How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice. Hi, I’m Adam.”Do you talk to yourself?I have been known to sing to myself. I sing in the car to myself: gangster rap.If you had a million of one item, what would it be?I would want a million rolls of duct tape because duct tape solves all problems.

What’s your best dance move?Teach me how to Dougie. No really, teach me because I can’t do it.Do you become a rockstar in the shower?Yes, I am actually Taylor Swift in the shower.Do you have Bieber fever?I am a Belieber!

Freshman Trevor Bernhardt shows off his merchandise on Nov. 1. Bernhardt’s favorite project was a statue of an owl; he also knits scarves and does wood-working as a hobby and a way to make money. “[Making art to sell] gives me something to do in my free time,” Bernhardt said.

Tiffany Lanteigne

14 November 2011 Feature

Most Americans know the story of Thanksgiving’s origins. The Native Americans helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter by providing food and protection. According to U.S. history teacher Brandon Wagler, without the Native Americans’ help, the Pilgrims would not have survived. Nowadays, Americans follow in the Pilgrims’ and Native Americans’ footsteps by coming together and celebrating that same feeling of togetherness, especially with their families.

Senior Adriel Vansant and her family will go to her cousin’s house this year for Thanksgiving for some traditions unique to her family. Vansant “loves” not having to worry about anything having to do with schoolwork when she is together with her family. Quality time brings about sentimental emotions for Vansant.

“Thanksgiving is when you should spend time with your family and be thankful you have them in your life,” Vansant said. “It is a time when you do not have to worry about anything else and can get away from everything and just spend time with them.”

On Thanksgiving, Vansant and her family watch Filipino movies to spend time together. They also eat food like sweet rice, a “gooey” dessert known as a raspberry slice, and pancit, a Filipino noodle dish. Together the family plays games like Egyptian Wars, a type of card game, and they play marble games as well.

“Thanksgiving is really important to me [because] I can get closer to my family, even though times are rough,” Vansant said.

Junior Lara Hunt agreed that Thanksgiving is for spending time with the family. Every year, Hunt and her family go to her aunt’s house in Wisconsin. Hunt enjoys the opportunity to see her extended family. Together, they make food like smoked potato pie, pumpkin pie and turkey from scratch, which, according to Hunt, is “much tastier” than any pies or turkey from the grocery store.

When it is nice outside, Hunt spends Thanksgiving Day outside. Hunt’s family either plays basketball or builds things together. One Thanksgiving, her uncle, a mechanical engineer, taught her cousins and her how to make a hovercraft using common household items such as a leaf blower, a trash bag, plywood and duct tape.

“[The hovercraft] hovered only about as high as a hockey puck, but it was fun to ride,” Hunt said.

Another year, Hunt’s uncle taught her how to build a rocket. They used some pipes, a tire pump and a two liter filled with water to build it. When they set it off, it went as high as a “two story building.”

By Tiffany Lanteigne Besides family time, students also have traditions regarding shopping on Black Friday to take advantage of sales.

One of Vansant’s Black Friday traditions was sending her brothers to the store for the family. Her brothers have bought things like the Wii and a flat screen television on discount in the past. Now that all her brothers are in the army, it is her turn to experience Black Friday shopping. She plans on going to either Blockbuster or Walmart. Vansant has memories of her Black Friday visit to Walgreens with her sister.

“[One year] at Walgreens, I tried to squeeze through a lot of people to get a pillow pet, and somebody pushed my sister into a box,” Vansant said.

Junior Ian Kuzma does not like going Black Friday shopping because he dislikes the madness associated with the day. He orders everything he wants online to avoid the violence that can result on this day. Most of his family is “sickened” by the way sale prices and consumer goods turn shoppers into “malicious animals.” However, Kuzma’s younger brother went shopping on Black Friday and saved about $150 on a “giant” guitar amplifier, which he has gotten his worth out of.

“It’s brand new, and he uses it very often,” Kuzma said. “He’s very satisfied with it.”

Hunt said Thanksgiving break is a “nice break.” Hunt likes that the break is not long enough to make students forget everything they have learned thus far in the semester. Kuzma believes there should be more vacation time but said that it’s a good-sized break.

However, Vansant said it “goes quickly” and that the break should be lengthened.

“When school is in the way, you cannot spend time with your family as much,” Vansant said.

However, Vansant feels much better when she is on Thanksgiving break because she can relax at home, away from school, and enjoy the time she has with her family, who is “always going to be there” for her. Vansant most values spending time with family on her break.

“[Thanksgiving] not only teaches us to grow, but it also teaches kids to be more respectful and thankful for what they have,” Vansant said.

Thanksgiving brings unity through traditionStudents to visit variety of places, enjoy many different types of foods, spend time with family

“Thanksgiving is when you should spend time with your family and be thankful you have them in your life.”

Adriel Vansant, 12

Shoppers trampled a Toys ‘R Us worker in New York in 2008.

Black Friday Casualties

At a Walmart in Secaucus, N.J., a woman repeatedly stabbed a man with a knife taken from the housewares section to prevent him from buying the last Xbox 360.

In a Toys ‘R Us in Tucker, Ga., one woman bludgeoned another to death with a baseball bat over an American Girl doll.

Shoppers overturned and set cars on fire in Chicago because of a DVD player priced at $17.95.

In Columbus, Ohio, a shortage of Star Wars toys had shoppers “at wit’s end” when someone yelled, “They’ve got some over here!” In a stampede, the crowd trampled four people.

An “angry mob” beat a security guard to death in Sheboygan, Wis., for an Xbox 360.

Sources: “Uncoveor” Online, ”Time Magazine” Online

Incidences of violence arise on day after Thanksgiving

Alexa Adamson

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When students return from winter break, current Associate Principal Michael Swank will be the principal, and Principal Rick Adcock will have retired. Adcock said he will miss his job, but he is happy to retire.

“It’s a mixed emotion because I love this place, I love the community and I love the kids,” Adcock said. “The mixed emotion is that [Avon High School] is the best place I could be. There is no other job I’d want to have. At the same time, I look forward to new opportunities in retirement that my wife and I will have with our grandkids. It will be a sad time, but it will be a happy time. It’s not that I don’t want to be here, but I’m looking forward to playing more golf, traveling and spending time with the kids.”

Adcock first worked at Lincoln Middle School in Pike Township and then at Ben Davis High School. He moved to Avon eight years ago. His days are not much different than they were when he first arrived.

“Mr. Swank won’t let [me stop working],” Adcock said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. There’s a lot to do. I’m certainly not in the mode of leaving it for somebody else to do. My days really haven’t changed at all. I take a different perspective on each day, knowing that I’m getting a day closer to retirement, so I see a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s pretty much the same today as it was seven or eight years ago, just lots of meetings.”

According to Adcock, he has been part of hiring over 70 members of the staff at the Avon High School.

“[Adcock] and I hired half of my [science department] staff,” science department head Amy Keller said.

Keller was here for Adcock’s hiring and will now see him retire.

“It’s bittersweet,” Keller said. “I became department head under [Adcock], and he’s taught me most of what I know. We have very capable administrators to take over, but I will miss him for sure.”

Adcock and the administration have been preparing for his retirement for the past two years.

“Two years ago, we hired Mr. Swank as an associate principal, the second in command, and a position we’ve never had before,” Adcock said. “It’s different from an assistant principal. We hired him with the idea that some time in the near future, I would be retiring, and there would be a natural progression of the change in leadership within the school so things would continue on pretty seamlessly.”

Adcock said there were two reasons that weighed “heavily” on his decision to retire.

“First, my wife, after 38 years in education, retired in June,” Adcock said. “You talk about things you want to do when you’re retired, but it’s kind of hard to do things when one of you is still working. Second, there are a lot of changes taking place in education. There are a lot of legislative changes along with accountability standards that are coming up. I had to make a choice and decide whether I was going to stay another two years through the changes or whether now was a good time to retire. Mr. Swank will do a great job leading the school through those changes. In about

July or so, I came to the conclusion that now would be a good time. Once the school board approved it, I publicly said the end is near.”

According to Keller, Adcock brought a new attitude of cooperation with him when he was hired to Avon High School.

“[The staff] became more collaborative as a staff,” Keller said. “Before he came, we were very individualized. He brought a new collaborative attitude.”

Adcock said he will miss the students the most.“I love going to high school events, which I’ll still do. I

don’t care whether it’s music, plays or athletics,” Adcock said. “I just really enjoy seeing kids perform because it’s pure. They put a lot of time and effort into it and do such a great job.”

Senior Cole Davis attends the same church as Adcock.“We are part of the same church body,” Davis said.

“Both of our families are members of Light and Life and have attended for years. I have liked his administration’s determination. When Mr. Adcock is around, goals are achieved. Mr. Adcock is a leader: he has the will of an ox and the determination of a race horse. I will greatly miss these attributes that enabled him to lead in this school corporation.”

Adcock’s secretary Trish Rediske will continue to work at the front office with Swank in January. She said she will “miss Adcock very much.”

“[I will miss] his calm demeanor and ability to provide answers for any situation,” Rediske said.

Keller will also miss Adcock’s leadership, as well as his humor.

“He has a dry sense of humor in meetings,” Keller said. “I will miss that, but he has brought the majority of staff out of their comfort zone, so we’ve grown as a staff to be better leaders because of his leadership.”

By Tasha Rollings

Adcock prepares for quality time with wife, grandchildren

to Principal

“I take a different perspective on each day, knowing that I’m getting a day closer to retirement.”

Rick Adcock, Principal

Maria Khan

Avon says goodbye

Rick Adcock

Page Design : Kenzi Barnes & Tasha Rollings 15Feature

16 November 2011 A&ESeniors audition for collegesStudents hope to obtain acceptance into collegiate-level performing artsBy Rachel Fischer

Every year thousands of students audition to a performing arts program at a college or university, according to “University of California Los Angeles” Online. Students can audition for programs in dance, music performance and acting in hopes of majoring in that subject or participating in a specific school’s extracurricular program. Avon seniors are setting up and participating in auditions.

Senior Grace Fillip is a part of Avon’s Chamber Singers and plans on auditioning for vocal performance at Indiana State University School of Music and Indiana University’s Jakob’s School of Music.

“Both schools [I’m auditioning for] have very prestigious music programs,” Fillip said. “I was able to spend a week at Indiana State University during their Summer Honors program for Music Business in 2010, and I really enjoyed my time there. I have also visited and researched Indiana University for some time, and I am very impressed by the music programs they offer there.”

Fillip wants to major in Music Education, rather than Vocal Performance, but she hopes that she will still receive scholarships for participating in her school’s music program.

“Scholarships are definitely a big part of the audition process,” Fillip said. “Both schools will give out scholarships of different amounts based on your talent during the audition and your academic achievements. Experience is a benefit for me because with every audition, I am learning from my accomplishments and mistakes, allowing me to make the next audition even better.”

Like Fillip, senior Sean Cook is also auditioning to Indiana State University School of Music. Cook is a member of the drumming group AB2CI and the Avon Marching Black and Gold.

“Indiana State University is a pretty big campus,” Cook said. “It has about 12,000 students, so I’ll still get the experience of a big college, but the class sizes aren’t 300 or 400 kids. The classes average out to be about 30 [students each], which is good for more one-on-one time with the teacher so I can do well in my classes. It’s also a great music school; they have a great Music and Music Business program.”

Cook plans on majoring in Music Performance with minors in Music Business and Music Education. Cook believes music is what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

“My passion is music,” Cook said. “It’s around me all the time, and I never want that to change. I love music and would love to do it for a living. We go to college not just for education, but to help us jump start what we want to do in life. Well, I want to do anything involving music for the rest of my life.”

Senior Deanna Fuller has been in the Avon Marching Black and Gold for four years and wants to continue playing in college. Fuller is undecided on what she wants to major in, but she is auditioning for Clarinet Performance with hopes of receiving scholarships.

“Playing clarinet is one of my passions,” Fuller said. “I have played for years, and I could never quit. I’m auditioning for scholarships, so I’m hoping to get that benefit. I also want the experience of working with world-class professors and professional clarinetists.”

Senior Andrew Dimmick is also in Avon Marching Black and Gold where he plays trumpet, and he plans on continuing with music in college. Dimmick wants to major in Music Performance at Brigham Young University, University of Texas or Indiana University.

“I chose these schools for the intent of giving myself the best music education I could provide for myself,” Dimmick said. “I looked into schools that appealed to me not only in the manner of campus life, but where I could receive superior trumpet instruction.”

As a four-year letterman of Avon’s Gold Dance Team, senior Allison Alexander plans on majoring in Dance in college.

“I expect to get a broader knowledge of my body and what it can do with dance,” Alexander said. “A lot of the more advanced programs have the students design their own major to develop more career options. It will be interesting to see what I can do with my specialized major.”

Avon Gold Dance Team instructor Jennifer Hinshaw majored in Dance Education at the University of Greensburo and believes that even though getting into performing arts in college is hard, it is “worth it.”

“I think that it is the responsibility of those programs to set the bar high so that [students] get a taste of what it is really like,” Hinshaw said. “In fact, I think that many of the programs should require more from those who are auditioning.”

Hinshaw believes that there are many factors that go into a decision like getting accepted into a program.

“I believe that if the student has worked hard enough, will continue to have the drive and work ethic, had enough training and is informed about what career opportunities there are, then [they are okay to be accepted],” Hinshaw said. “It is also very important that the [person auditioning] is realistic about his or her abilities and what the expectations are for the program.”

Even though Alexander has performed at state competitions and in front of the student body, when she had her first dance audition at Ohio State University, she was “nervous” and had “mixed emotions.”

“I was surprised to find that the actual dance portion of the audition was only an hour and a half,” Alexander said. “Ohio State was more concerned with the interview and experience you have had in all dance genres. I tried not to let the fact that Ohio State had one of the most recognizable dance programs in the country intimidate me when I luckily was one of the few interviewed by the chairman of the entire department. I left Ohio State feeling confident but unsure whether I made it in or not. Like with any program, they are looking for different things. If I am myself and if they don’t take me, then I know it wasn’t right for me.”

Allison AlexanderTalent: DanceMajor: Dance

Grace FillipTalent: SingingMajor: Music Education

Andrew DimmickTalent: Trumpet

Major: Music Performance

Deanna FullerTalent: Clarinet

Major: Undecided

Sean CookTalent: DrumsMajor: Music Performance

Photos: Katie BrewerDesign: Rachel Fischer

Page Design : Jordan Coffman & Katie Brewer 17A&E

The Avon Choir Department performed the first Indiana high school production of “The Phantom of the Opera” from Nov. 17 to 19. It starred senior Josh Maldonado as the Phantom and junior Meghan Gamble as Christine. It also featured senior Dane Van Paris as Raoul and senior Chase Stephen as Carlotta.

“I have been preparing for this role [as the Phantom] for two years,” Maldonado said. “When I saw the show for the first time, I started learning the songs, and I felt for the character. After reading the book, I understand his insanity and the extremes to which he was going for his love. I knew that I wanted the part very much, and I knew I needed to work hard to get it.”

Gaston Leroux wrote the original “Phantom of the Opera” book in 1909. According to “Phantom of the Opera” Online, the book did poorly when it first came out, going out of print several times in the 1900s. However, in 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber turned the little-known story into a musical. The musical was an instant success, winning an Oliver Award for Best New Musical and a Tony Award for Best Musical. The story’s popularity only escalated when Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum starred in the 2004 film of the musical, making the movie an adaptation of an adaptation.

“Usually, we choose musicals that we personally like, or we think are good for the students to learn,” singing instructor Roger Dreher said. “We’ve done that for the past two years. We lost money, so every now and then we have to choose a show that will sell tickets. [‘The Phantom of the Opera’] is one of those shows.”

The story takes place in a theater in 1881 Paris. While Carlotta, the main actress of the opera, is practicing, a backdrop crashes down. Carlotta, believing that this is the work of the Phantom of the Opera, refuses to perform. Desperate, the theater’s

new owners audition a young, newly-orphaned daughter of a prominent violinist, Christine Daaé. Christine is a beautiful singer and gets the role.

“Christine is the princess of the fairy tale,” Gamble said. “She’s the girl that every girl wants to be.”

Christine confesses to her best friend Meg that an “angel of music” has taught her how to sing—this “angel” turns out to be the Phantom.

“The Phantom is a reclusive genius with an amazing musical talent but a hideous deformity,” Maldonado said. “He loves Christine to a point of obsession, and he will do anything to keep her love. He uses her belief that he is the ‘angel of music’ that her father sent down from heaven to keep her in his grasp.”

A story of love and intrigue ensues, as the Phantom’s love for Christine comes into conflict with Christine’s love for Raoul, a noble.

“[Raoul] is very rich,” Van Paris, who played the character, said. “He has an air about him. He’s madly in love with Christine, but he’s kind of quiet and keeps to himself. He goes for Christine, and he pays for the theater. He’s powerful, in that sense. He’s kind of a lady’s man.”

Having “Phantom” top off the seniors’ final year of performing in high school plays was “awesome,” according to Maldonado.

By Jordan Coffman

“It’s awesome to do a Broadway legend your senior year, as soon as it’s available for high schools to do, and to be the first Phantom in a high school in this area,” Maldonado said.

Dreher said that there is some pressure to performing such a well-known production.

“We’re the first high school in Indiana to do this musical,” Dreher said. “That’s going to attract a lot of people. I’m pretty sure that there will be people from other schools, and people who wouldn’t normally come to this sort of thing.”

The production included an intricate set design. The stage could rotate for quick scene changes.

“[The set] is one of the largest stages I’ve ever seen,” Dreher said. “They basically built a stage on a stage.”

Choir performs classic ‘Phantom of the Opera’

Rachel Fischer

‘Phantom of the Opera’ senior lead charactersSenior lead actors in musical describe their character, favorite part of show

Chase Stephen, 12as Carlotta Giudicelli

“Carlotta is a diva, everything but plain and simple. She loves what

she does and hates when something is taken from her,

especially her voice. I love playing this character because everything about

her, inside and out, is over the top. There is no reservation whatsoever.”

Josh Maldonado, 12as Phantom

“My character is awesome.He pretty

much runs the theater behind the

scenes and kills people when they don’t listen to him.

My kind of guy. I am honored to play him.”

Devin Nibbs, 12as Piangi

“[Piangi] is a very cocky individual, and

he plays alongside Carlotta, who is the

same way. My favorite part of the musical is working with Chase

Stephen, these characters and belting

very high notes.”

“Raoul is the ladies man in the show. I fall in love with Christine

and have to fight the Phantom for her, metaphorically and literally!

I’m the ‘good guy,’ and who doesn’t like the hero? My favorite part of the show has to be the end, when Christine, Phantom and I are all in the Phantom’s lair singing a trio of different songs from the show. It’s one big, epic moment that will rock

the audience and end the show with a bang!”

Dane Van Paris, 12as Raoul

Source: Interviews, October 2011

Avon becomes first Indiana high school to do musical

The cast of “Phantom of the Opera” performs “Masquerade” at dress rehearsal on Nov. 14. “It is really neat having this be a family thing because my dad is directing and my brother is also in it,” junior Meghan Gamble said.

Shelby Brown

18 November 2011 Opinion

Rotating ReviewSome people

think ghost movies are just for thrills, but I believe in everything ghostly. The “Paranormal Activity” series has taken my fear to a whole new level. “Paranormal Activity 3” was by far the scariest of the three. I was literally crying by the end credits.

The movies are different from normal horror movies because instead of telling the story chronologically, they start at the end and work their way backward. They are also filmed with a home movie camera instead of a professional one. In the first movie, a young couple, Katie and Micah, move into a new house they soon realize already has an owner, a ghost who does not want them around. The paranormal activity starts small, with things moving around the house, and escalates, with a demon possessing Katie.

“Paranormal Activity 2” was surprising for me because instead of continuing Katie’s story, it backtracks to a few months before, centering on Katie’s sister Kristi and her family. This movie was even scarier than the first.

“Paranormal Activity 3” was the scariest movie I have ever seen. Beginning to end, it was suspenseful throughout the whole film: it had scenes that made me jump, and I cried several times and screamed at various moments. This movie grabbed my fear of ghosts and did not let go until the lights came on and the audience started leaving.

I could not believe how terrifying this horror movie was. In fact, since I have seen “Paranormal Activity 3,” I have not been able to sleep with the lights off in fear that Toby will be in my room waiting to torture me.

If you like being scared to the point where you don’t want to be alone at night or during day, this movie is perfect. I enjoyed it so much, I will be going to see it at least three more times in theater, and then I will buy it when it comes out. It also came out at the perfect time, right before Halloween.

If you have not seen this series of movies, I recommend you go rent the first two and then go to the movie theater and get a ticket for the third. You will be anything but disappointed.

With Anna WrayFlick Fights

The Disney “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies give the impression that a pirate can do just about whatever he wants. In history, it is not quite the same, but pirates’ fighting methods show they did whatever they could to survive.

When people think of today’s martial arts, they think about people dressed in a gi uniform, deep in stance, throwing fists on an instructor’s count. Pirates had no training. Originally, pirates were hired under restrictions. Then the pirates realized they could make more money for themselves by taking everybody’s gold. Their lifestyle changed to one with no rules.

When fighting, the pirates often used a cutlass to slash and swing. Few pirates used stabbing techniques because it took a lot of training to be successful in combat. Disney adds unrealistic magic and excitement in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

What I like in these movies is the lack of stabbing. When Captain Jack Sparrow is fighting the English soldiers, he swings his sword around wildly. Though it may have been just for humor, it was a really good way to make the point that a pirate didn’t really know what he was doing when he was in combat. Since pirates did not have formal training, they just threw their sword around until they hit their opponent. The English Navy, on the other hand, would have sword training. In the movie, though, they mostly used guns, which the English definitely took advantage of during this time since they had advanced guns. However, the movie’s naval officers used the bayonet to fight, overlooking the obvious advantage of the gun.

Pirates win battles in this movie because they are the heroes and they have more fans. Their brute tactics might win against trained forces if they are in close combat, like in guerrilla warfare, but the training gave the English a huge advantage. I like the way that this movie proves a person can survive without being in a martial art all his or her life. A pirate’s life shows that one can survive by using whatever knowledge one has, whether that knowledge is from a martial arts instructor or is just pure survival instincts.

Video games have always perplexed me. I never understood the appeal of virtually beating up one’s friends. I prefer to engage in more wholesome activities, like picnicking, watching VeggieTales and baking cookies.

At least I used to, until one of my friends invited me over to play video games. In hope of experiencing new things my senior year, I agreed.

I became a little apprehensive as he set the game up. The cover of “Soul Calibur IV” depicted two menacing characters who looked like they were about to burst out of the picture and murder me. For some reason, Yoda also graced the cover with his Jedi presence.

The wait also gave me time to think about my last video game experience, which was short-lived and traumatic. It involved killing my best friend in “Halo” in fifth grade. Afterwards, I was inconsolable. I was sure this time would be much better. After all, I have matured since fifth grade.

However, the apprehension returned as soon as my friend handed me the controller. He shook his head while I learned the first rule of playing video games: do not hold the controller upside down.

The rest of the game was a whirl of battle ax and lightsaber duels. To be honest, I just remember a lot of shrieking as Lizardman tried to take out Siegfried, an intimidating warrior with too-straight blond hair.

I always thought causing someone else pain, even virtually, was a despicable idea. I still do—I will not be dedicating my life to video game mastery in the near future.

In spite of my horror, I discovered that the adrenaline accompanying smashing a fictional warrior with a battle ax is invigorating, albeit terrifying. Video games are a lot of fun, even if I just play them once in a while as a guilty pleasure.

And so I discovered the age-old adage: you should never judge a book, or a video game, by its cover.

To see Miriam’s video game attempt, check out “Miriam Plays Soul Calibur 4” on YouTube.

With Miriam Thomas

The Bucket ListCritical Hit“The Elder Scrolls

V: Skyrim” is not just a big game. It is the Vast Game, The All-Father of Gaming and the Game Only Slightly Smaller than Your Mother. If every hour of content “Skyrim” could offer were a word in this column, the words would run off the page, spill out onto the table and then rush to the floor like a waterfall. I really cannot overemphasize just how much of “Skyrim” I have yet to experience, and I say that after 24 hours of play over three days. If you can buy only one game for Christmas—or even the whole year— make it “Skyrim.”

The game’s story is very straightforward: dragons have returned to the land of Skyrim, a strange place equal parts Scottish Highlands and Alaskan forests, and you are the only one who can stop them from lighting the place up like the Fourth of July. At least, that is the goal. In reality, you will probably spend the majority of your stay in Skyrim delving into decrepit dungeons, bravely battling bandits and stealing stupid citizens’ shirts.

“Skyrim” has one of the most comprehensive and clever leveling systems I have ever seen. The idea is simple: what you naturally use often, you get better at. If you are good at casting fire spells, you cast fire spells more effectively. If you swing a broadsword often, you learn to swing it faster and harder. Unfortunately, if you love to kick chickens, there is no chicken-kicking skill to level up. A missed opportunity in my books.

I have always seen video games as art. For example, “Portal” would be “Mona Lisa,” “Braid” would be “The Persistence of Memory” and the “Call of Duty” series would be a smudged kindergartener’s finger painting that even his mother would not display on the fridge. Every aspect of “Skyrim,” from the hand-crafted environments to the masterfully-executed soundtrack, creates a game that is most comparable to “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte.” It is a painting made up of hundreds of tiny dots, just as hundreds of tiny, beautiful moments make up “Skyrim.”

With Jordan Coffman

For exclusive web content, check out avonecho.com

With Tasha Rollings

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Soul Calibur IV

The Elder Scrolls VSkyrim

Page Design : Mandy Packnett & Tiffany Lanteigne 19Opinion

Letter to the

EditorThere is definitely benefit in educational apps,

but how many teenagers would choose something educational over a fun game they can play in the middle of class? A small lot. And getting smaller. I have yet to see a kid get excited over Webster’s Word of the Day (no matter how many syllables that word may contain). Instead, I see them pulling pranks with the fart button. That is great use of a dollar. Angry Birds is another example of a concept gone too far. Now, I have nothing against the game itself, just the $20 collectable plushies and T-shirts that come along with it. Did you know people actually waste their money on that stuff?

Apps have their dark side; they even have cookies, but you can’t eat them. They can potentially lead society backwards, to the days when we were amused by whoopie cushions and slicing fruit with a machete, only nowadays, this all happens behind a touch screen. It is up to society to use the gift of technology responsibly. Let’s not get too “appy.”

-Sam St. Clair, 12

is more time, and the balanced calendar gives plenty of that.

There are concerns that this relatively sudden switch in calendar will cause families who have already planned their summer and winter vacations for next year some stress. Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid this. However, no one said there would not be growing pains in this transition. This is the only way we can move toward a system that benefits everyone in the long run.

Admittedly, athletes will get the short end of the stick on this new deal. Athletes practice over every break, and we risk wearing out our athletes when they practice more over a break. The Echo believes that Avon’s coaches are reasonable and able to plan their new practice times to the benefit of their players. If anything, a balanced calendar opens up new practicing opportunities that could give Avon a competitive edge over other schools.

We must look past a year of inconveniences to see what lies ahead in the future of the school system. Ben Davis, the school we send our Area 31 students to, is switching to this calendar, so our choices are limited. The best we can do is adapt to this transition, and become a leader in education.

Starting in 2012, Avon will be moving to a balanced calendar. This means that there will be two months of summer vacation and two-week breaks in the fall, winter and spring. This will not change the total number of days in the school year, but it will shorten summer vacation in favor of longer fall and spring breaks. The Echo staff realizes that many students oppose this change, but we feel it is a change that will benefit the school system in the long run.

The very first, but most prominent criticism is that if the system is not inherently broken, we should not try to fix it. However, the current calendar is a detriment. Everyone knows the frustration of forgetting everything over the summer, and this change seeks to fix this problem.

The idea of a long summer vacation first came about when the majority of the population worked in agriculture. Parents needed their children at home during the summer to help on the family farm. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, less than 1 percent of the U.S. population farms for a living today. We no longer need a school schedule that caters specifically to farmers and instead need to focus on a school schedule that maximizes students’ ability to learn and retain information over a long period of time. The balanced calendar is a step in that direction.

Some say that changing the calendar puts undue stress on teachers who have to reschedule their curriculum. However, teachers plan their curriculum in days, not weeks—in fact, the year-round schedule may be easier, as teachers will not have to worry about arbitrary three and four-day weeks. Students and teachers can also relax knowing that their mid-term exams happen before fall and spring break, and students take finals before winter break. AP classes also have more time to prepare for AP exams with the balanced calendar because, while the test dates are not moving, school starts earlier, so there are more preparation days.

The new calendar is not just a benefit for the top students. At Indiana Public Schools, during their breaks, students who need extra help can come to remedial “inter-sessions,” completely voluntarily. If there is one thing struggling students need, it

Editorial: Balanced calendar helps studentsNew calendar incorporates longer breaks into 2012-2013 school year

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EchoEditorial staff

About the Echo

AdviserSusan Hoffman

Editor-in-chiefBelle LeBeau

Managing EditorRachel Fischer

Design/Photo EditorMandy Packnett

Copy Editor Copy EditorMiriam Thomas Jordan Coffman

Staff membersAlexa Adamson, David Allspaw, Krystal Andry, Katie Brewer, Bryan Ball, Kenzi

Barnes, Ben Brown, Shelby Brown, Tristan Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Haller, Grace Kelly, Maria Khan, Tiffany Lanteigne, Kaylie McCoy, Megan Medellin, Olivia Price,

Tasha Rollings, Anna Wray

Employees at Teppanyaki Boy prepare sushi at the sushi bar outside the kitchen. Sophomore Kali Smitley enjoys watching the cooks prepare her food at Japanese restaurants. “When they make your food in front of you, they do really awesome tricks,” Smitley said.

Recycle meOr pass me to a friend

Freshman Grace Sutton ties a sash on her dress backstage at the Fall Fling choir concert on Oct. 18. Sutton said that she likes the thrill of perfoming on stage. “I like hearing the variety of voices in the class,” Sutton said. “Each person has a unique voice.”

Sophomore Austin Long and senior Rob Ellis sit around a campfire at the Avon Center Stage Performers’ Spooky Story Night. “I think we did a good job raising money for the Outdoor Learning Center,” Long said. “[Spooky Story Night] got better each night as we adapted to how you had to work in the Outdoor Learning Center.”

Calculus teacher Anthony Record received new technology this year, including TI-NSPIRE CX calculators with colored screens that he purchased with grant money he received. “The screens are much brighter and clearer than the calculators from last year,” senior Chey Colip said.

Cover & back page design: Krystal Andry Cover photos: Krystal Andry Back page photos: Olivia Price, Kaylie McCoy, Tasha Rollings, Mandy Packnett

Senior Alex Rivers climbs a rock wall at the Crag Indoor Rock Climbing Gym in Brownsburg on Oct. 19. Rivers, along with other Avon students, is part of a recreational rock climbing league. “Rock climbing is a great way to challenge yourself both mentally and physically,” Rivers said. “Plus, it’s really fun.”