“I think that it’s wrong that Indiana University was censored. As a school and newspaper, students should have the right to say what they want in their paper,”
-Rhyan Colvin (9)
Volume 60, Issue 3
Winter 2026
Lake Central High School
St. John, Indiana
On the cover, Rhyan Colvin (9) and Brooke Cable (9) pose with newspapers in a muted tone to represent how Indiana University’s newspaper was recently censored in one of their issues this school year. The two students were in the journalism writing class, where they learned about the controversy behind censorship. The actual newspaper used in the picture is Purdue’s Exponent, who played an important and positive role in the story. Read more to find out.
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS
Zainab Mohiuddin & Katie Poncin
MEDIA CHIEF
Madelynne Bush
PHOTO EDITORS
Abigael Brennan
Ivan Carey
DESIGN EDITORS
Sky Simmons
Mia Legaspi
COPY
EDITORS
Izabel Ontiveros
Madeline Ross
Josina Nye
ADVISER
STAFFERS
Josephine Amenta
Jocelyn Dunkerley
Isabella Magallanes
Lillian Hobbins
Claire Madon
Aubrey Walker
Sophie Lapointe
Piotr Zarozny
Jessica Salerno
Elaina Gromala
Carrie Wadycki-Cruz
Hey LC! Welcome back to the third and winter issue of Comet Magazine. This has definitely been a cold season, but something that got us through are the amazing movies and shows out recently such as the “Wicked: For Good” movie which is featured in the “Return to Oz” page. We also really enjoyed watching the final season of “Stranger Things” that we discuss in the “2025 in Review” page. Speaking of recaps, we also explained the recent government shutdown and what is going on in politics recently. Now, regarding the state government there have been changes to graduation requirements at a statewide level which is covered in “Out With the Old, In With the New.” Another topic being brought up around the school is the strong career and technical education (CTE) courses being offered which is showcased in “Blueprints to Success.” Another important area we address in this issue are women in male-dominated sports.
Learn more about this topic and athletes’ opinions on the situation in “Against All Odds.” Speaking of athletes, several share their experiences with being burnt out during sports seasons and how they face the issue. Now, lastly, in this magazine we discuss how Indiana University’s newspaper, Indiana Daily Student, was actually censored this school year. Read more to find out information from a professor at IU’s Media School. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for next time.
Sincerely,
Katie Poncin & Zainab Mohiuddin
As times change and evolve, so does the learning environment. In Indiana, the diploma requirements are changing, shaking up the learning environment with it.
“I view [the diploma changes] positively overall. It offers students flexibility and real world relevance through its adaptability and work based learning. However, I do think it will affect staffing and hiring at some point,” Mr. Jeff Sandor (Physical Edication Head) said.
Though not having classes to teach, Mr. Sandor, who regualtes the PE courses offered at Lake Central, had to change the current schedule to accommodate the new diploma.
“PE/health is now two credits (1 PE, 1 Health & Wellness) under the new plan, which is a reduction from before. Also, PE and pool are now a hybrid course. We feel that we will be
able to increase physical education elective classes with the diploma to offer more opportunities,” Mr. Sandor said.
Smashing the two PE classes does open up periods, but it isn’t the only class with changes to its curriculum.
“They added Principles of Computer Science, as a required class now. Students have a new computer science class that takes place at the middle schools. They must pass it at the eighth grade level, and if they don’t, then they have to take it here. That’s not one that gets them the credit though, that’s just a requirement for their diploma. Mrs. [Danielle] Carr [Business], is a very big part of the curriculum and everything,” Mr. Todd Iwema (Business) said.
Another class added to graduation requirements was Preparing for College and Careers.
“The course helps prepare students for their post-secondary plans, whether that is college, career, military or the workforce. In the course students explore their hobbies and interests and see how they align with different post-secondary options,” Mrs. Ashley Kline (Guidence Head) said.
The new diploma fixes some issues seen in the current diploma, but brings up others such as math requirements.
“One think I wish I chould change in the new diploma is the fact that I would like to see prerequisites for each level of math. Math builds from one class to another, and if a student has not passed Algebra 1, the rest of math in high school will be an uphill and sometimes insurmountable task.,” Mrs. Valerie Gardner (Math) said. “I’m also concerned that some students will not challenge themselves as much as they used to with the new diploma and possibly regret that when going to college. I believe other students will benefit from some of the new seals. Not everyone is going to go to college and we need to make sure they are receiving a quality education that fits their needs. I believe the new diploma is headed in that direction.”
One of the largest differences is the types of diplomas offered with the new curriculum. Instead of the Core 40, Honors and Technical Diplomas, students can now get Enrollment, Enlistment or Employment seals.
“Here at Lake Central I believe the Enrollment seal will be the most chosen. Many Lake Central students continue on to college and this will not change. Also, in my opinion, if you work towards the Enrollment seal it just gives you the most options. You can never go wrong by striving for more and I personally like to see students be successful and graduate from LC being able to follow whatever path they want,” Mrs. Gardner said.
English classes are chosen for students, except for senior year
Students take algebra I, algebra II and geometry
Students take biology, chemistry or physics along with two other science credits
U.S. Government, U.S. History, Economics, Geography and Civilization
Physical education, pool and health
Six elective credits
the main differences between the Core 40 diploma and new diploma
Except for English 9, students choose all of their English classes
Students are required to take only algebra I and personal finance along with four more math credits
Students only need biology, computer science, two additional science credits and two STEM credits
Students take U.S. history, U.S. government and world perspectives
Physical education/pool and health
Students need 12 elective credits
New college and career class
Many students take common classes with book-heavy materials, but some prefer courses with a more handson approach. Career Technical Education (CTE) classes include topics such as Auto Technology, Nutrition and Wellness, Engineering and printing onto 2D and 3D spaces, using hands-on projects to illustrate the practicality of the knowledge. These classes may very well create a path to a student’s future career and living.
“I like how flexible and easy it is to understand what’s going on in the class. I want to go into the Engineering field, so I think CTE is a perfect fit for me,” Anthony Greer (11) said.
CTE classes are not only useful for finding an immediate job, but also for finding one’s own interests. The many different subjects in this range of classes create endless possibilities.
“I took automatic [auto shop] class last year. I currently take a baking class, usually I take a baking class or cooking class of some sort every year,” Jose Magallanes (12) said.
Since a career is a large and important choice that could potentially change a lifestyle, CTE classes help make the decision seem less stressful, even if that is showing someone what they don’t want to go into.
“My future career isn’t going to be any of these. I’d consider it, but it’s just not me. I needed to take the class to graduate but it’s also fun. In the future I’m looking forward to going into business. I would do sales, finance, or be a financial analyst,”
Aiden Ramos (12) said.
Skills play a huge role in how much one may enjoy the class. If a student is not good at something, they may not have the satisfaction of enjoyment.
“Analysis skills [play a role in the class]. Being able to work with complicated ideas and formulas sets the general bases of the fundamentals that we need to already know before we get into any of the class work,” Greer said.
These skills can help lead students towards success, not
only in the class but in general. Skills allow to push forward, learning and becoming better at something.
“You want to be able to communicate well with others because you work in groups with other people. We do forensics in class, so you can also do investigation type skills and other stuff related to that,” Magallanes said. Some students take the CTE classes for fun, while others take them based on their aspirations for their future careers.
“I thought it was good to have basic knowledge of how to work on my own car, do oil changes. And changing tires and stuff like that. I really liked working on cars, so I continued to do it,” Elizabeth Birlson (12) said.
Teachers often prove the greatest resource of a class. They thoroughly help out their students with understanding principles of a skill and how to complete a project.
“Mr. [Jereme] Rainwater [(CTE)], is really good with all of the programs and printers. If you don’t know how to print something then he’ll help you. When we have jobs he tells us what to do. I’ve asked so many questions and he knows what to do and how to help me,” Isabelle Barnard (11) said.
A student’s work ethic does not only depend on the student themselves but also their teacher. The tone and accommodations a teacher sets can shape the way students approach their work.
“[Mr. Rainwater] helps out, but at the same time he’s really critical. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything which is good because he’s honest,” Ramos said.
The skills found and developed in all CTE classes are very applicable to real-world careers. They prepare students for excellence outside of high school.
¨I think the programs would likely be used [in college]; there’s Photoshop and Adobe, a lot of people use them. They’re widely used programs,” Barnard said.
Students within the program were asked whether the curriculum was more geared towards creative or technical interests
“It definitely takes more technical skills; you can’t get really far with creativity especially working with electricity,” Anthony Greer (11) said.
“You can be as creative as you want but you don’t want to overdo it with the design, you’d want to keep it simplistic but eye-catching. For the machines you’d want to be more technical with it though,” Aiden Ramos (12) said.
“It takes more technicality because it has to do with biomedical procedures. You have to use more prior knowledge than creativity. You also have to be more precise with it too,” Jose Magallanes (12) said.
go smoothly and labels would not have to be removed from the slimy surface.
and
12-13: Return to oz 14-15: 2025 in review
During these last two months, “Wicked” movie fans, including Miriam Lung (12) and Benjamin Fisher (12), have been enjoying the second film of the series called “Wicked: For Good”. This franchise had a long history dating back to the hit musical “Wicked the Musical” that hit the stage in 2003. “In the movie, they added a few new scenes compared to the play. In the second movie, there was a couple new songs, too. I like the movie version better because I really like Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s acting. I’m a big Ethan Slater fan too,” Lung said.
After the release of “Wicked: for Good”, opinions began to fly
“There were some major surprises. I’ve never seen the show on Broadway, so I was shocked to find out that Elphaba was still alive after Dorothy threw the water on her. I was also super sad when her and Glinda had to separate. Overall though, I thought it was amazing, and I’m ready to see it on Broadway,” Sophia Truong (9) said.
“I feel like the plot was interesting and a bit surprising because there was so much going on. However, I do think the first movie was better, it just wasn’t as serious. Don’t get me wrong though, still enjoyed ‘Wicked: For Good’,” Savannah Szymanski (9) said.
“I really liked ‘Wicked: For Good’ almost more than the first one. I was crying and laughing the whole entire time and it was almost like an experience. don’t think that I could have spent my day better. I loved ‘The Girl in the Bubble’. It hit really hard and close to home and it was really cute,” Amber Wysocki (10) said.
“My favorite part of the movie was probably ‘No Good Deed’ because I really liked Cynthia’s version of it. feel like it mostly met my expectations, but some parts of it were kind of slow and some parts weren’t in the original Broadway musical, but I think it was really good,” Eden Czarnik (9) said.
Students discuss their favorite songs showcased in the “Wicked” franchise soundtrack
“I loved the ‘Wicked: For Good’ movie. I love Ariana Grande, and seeing her as Glinda again was like my two worlds colliding. Genuinely, it was one of the best movies I have ever seen, and will definitely be rewatching it many more times,” Benjamin Fisher (12) said.
Almost exactly a year after the release of the first movie, “Wicked: For Good” provides a conclusion to Elphaba and Glinda’s story Opinion by: Maddie Bush & Mady Ross
After 364 days of waiting, fans finally received the second, and final, installment of “Wicked”. Entitled “Wicked: For Good”, the film portrays act two of the original Broadway musical, which depicts the events of “The Wizard of Oz” and explains the ultimate outcomes of the characters involved.
“I really like ‘For Good’. This is going to sound really sad, but my mom loves that song and she wants it to be played at her funeral, so hearing it makes me think of her. I also love how the original Broadway cast performs the song, so I’m a bit nervous to hear it in the movie, but I hope Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande do it justice,” Lillian Tomei (12) said.
“My favorite song is ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ because it is a great way to open the show and it is just a banger,” Samantha Stauffer (11) said.
“My favorite song is ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ because it is one of the best musical theater duets of all time,” Stephen Schranz (12) said.
“’Defying Gravity’ is my favorite. The end, like the famous battle cry, is powerful and it inspires me. That song is my favorite,” Achari Person (12) said.
“My favorite song is ‘No Good Deed’ because it’s just a banger and it always hits,” Bayless Neth (12) said.
“My favorite song is ‘March of the Witch Hunters’. I don’t want to spoil the second movie, but it is just a really good song,” Miriam Lung (12) said.
The first movie, which was released on Nov. 22, 2024, quickly became the highest-grossing movie musical adaptation on its opening weekend, earning around $112.5 million within North America, and $165 million globally. However, “Wicked: For Good” shattered this record, grossing around $150 million domestically and $226 million globally, drawing in around 10 million people in the United States and Canada alone during its opening weekend. As always, mixed opinions are inevitable when talking about newly released movies, so, in our opinion, does the film truly deserve all its success?
Well, for starters, after the first movie was released, we instantly fell in love with the franchise. Once we rewatched the original film multiple times, we started memorizing song lyrics and buying “Wicked” merchandise, but most importantly, we started planning a trip to the movies with our friend group almost a year in advance to ensure that we were among the first to see the second movie. Our plan turned out to be a success. We saw the movie on opening day in a theater full of other fans, so here are our final thoughts: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are obviously amazing actors and singers who beautifully portrayed their characters, however, “Wicked: For Good” had an overall darker and sadder atmosphere, keeping our hearts with the first movie.
Though we prefer the original movie, we must
impressive is the fact that certain actors sang live on set, meaning that a good portion of the vocals in the movie are completely raw. No matter what your opinion might be regarding the movie itself, it is hard to deny the fact that the actors have an immense amount of talent.
Turning back to the movie though, from the first second to the closing credits, the entire film has a dark feeling, revolving around broken friendships, societal outcasts, selfishness and standing up for what you believe in even if it hurts others. This may sound pessimistic, but there really are not any truly good characters in the film, despite the fact that Glinda literally had the word “good” in her name. Everyone only looked out for themselves. From Nessa Rose turning Boq into the tin man out of jealousy to Elphaba and Fyiero betraying Glinda, not one single person can be described as “good.” That is probably why we prefer the first movie, it is much more lighthearted. From the tone of the songs to the color of the set, most things are just happier in the first act.
Another thing that probably accounted for part of the movie’s success was the constant promotion of the film. From “Wicked Night” on “Dancing With the Stars” to Glinda and Elphaba inspired lemonades at Chili’s, “Wicked: For Good” seemed inescapable. Second movies in franchises rarely do better in the box office than the original, so the promotion likely had a significant part in the movie’s total grossings. With that being said, we still enjoyed “Wicked: For Good”. The movie was beautifully made and did a great job at telling the story of the characters. Despite some of the film’s dark tendencies, there were still happy moments
67th Grammys (Feb. 2nd)
On Jan. 19, 2025, TikTok is shut down by the government for 14 hours. There were concerns and controversy about the company’s ability to spy on Americans, and TikTok became unavailable from the app store for just under a month. The app returned on Feb. 13, 2025. “When TikTok got banned, I deleted the app because I thought it was going to be gone forever. Then, 14 hours later, it came back, but I couldn’t get the app back. Later on, I did get it back though. [People] were scared that Chinese people were spying on us so they wanted to ban it, or America had to buy it,” Emiline Nye (9) said.
Leaving in 2024, Crew-9 Astronauts come back after nine months in space. (March 18th)
On June 5, 2025, Sabrina Carpenter’s single “Manchild” enters the Billboard Hot 100 just after being published, reaching number one. The song debuted with over 27 million streams and 20,000 sales in its first week. “When I saw Sabrina’s Instagram post on June 3 saying she was releasing her song ‘Manchild’, I was very excited. It was a quick release after her album ‘Short n’ Sweet’. My opinion on ‘Manchild’ was pure satisfaction, it’s a very relatable song. The ‘Man’s Best Friend’ album was the icing on the cake. Sabrina released this at the perfect time,” Amber Wysocki (10) said.
No Kings Protest (June 14th)
77th met gala (May 5th)
At the 59th annual halftime show on Feb. 9, 2025, Kendrick Lamar performs in front of over 65,000 people. Lamar performed a total of 10 songs, which included his viral hit “Not Like Us”, and later brought out SZA to join him in the performance.
24th Coachella (April 11th-13th & 18th-20th)
In March of 2025, Owalas begin to regain popularity in schools. Though first released in March 2020, there was a heavy rise in Owala sales, which grew in by around 15-20% annually. “I think they became such a popular item because there are so many color combinations and different options you can pick from. I chose an Owala because if you want to drink out of a straw you can, or if you want to just drink it you also can,” Caidance Fowler (10) said.
Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois opened on July 31, 2025, marking the beginning of the four-day music festival. More than 100,000 people attended each day of the festival with over 400,000 attending over the course of all four days. “The most unforgettable moment was being in a crowd of tens of thousands of people while everyone was singing and dancing. 2025 was such a huge year for Lollapalooza with a lot of popular artists and record breaking crowds,” Josephine Jagadich (10) said.
Volume one of season five of “Stranger Things” releases on Nov. 26 2025, while volume two comes out on Christmas day. The two-volume season served as a finale after 10 years of anticipation. “[In the finale] I expected more people to die, they really only killed Vecna and Kali. I really expected there to be more lore, they left a lot of plot holes in everything basically, and there’s no secret episode,” Rhiannon Abrams (9) said.
Releasing on Aug. 6, 2025, the show “Wednesday” returns with a second season nearly three years after the first. The series was a spin-off of the “Addams Family”, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday in a dark fantasy murder mystery. “[Wednesday season one] was good. I honestly watched season two after everything was out, so I didn’t feel much. I thought it was okay, I thought the first season was better than the second one. There was a lot going on in season two, it was a little hard to follow. I would rate it maybe three and a half out of five,” Cianne Bluethmann (11) said.
After over 200 years, the penny is discontinued by President Donald Trump on Nov. 12, 2025. The coin’s production ended because it cost more to produce than it was worth. “[I don’t like that they got rid of the penny] because now we can’t be exact in change,” Noah Fray (11) said.
Anticipation grows in September as Taylor Swift announces her twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”. Following its release, the album faced significant backlash from fans.
On Oct. 1, 2025, the United States government shuts down due to Congress’ inability to agree on a budget. The government reopened on Nov. 12, 2025, which ended the record-breaking 43-day shutdown. “I think that the government shutdown was a really important event of the year, especially to show our generation the importance of staying informed in politics even if you can’t vote. I think it also really opened up our generation’s eyes and made them question the support they have for elected officials and their policies,” John Mucharski (12) said. Side note: “Learn more about SNAP and the government shutdown on pages 26-27”
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Against all expectations
Pushing to play
On the ice, Logan Anderson (12) gets ready to start playing. She was the only girl on the Lake Central hockey team this past season. “I started playing hockey for Lake Central this year because I wanted to be a part of my school for my senior year. I thought it would be exciting to play for the school,” Anderson said.
Female athletes highlight the impact and importance of women in male dominated sports
Page by: Sky Simmons & Mia Legaspi
Design by: Sky Simmons & Mia Legaspi
From golf to wrestling to hockey, female athletes across several sports have expressed their concern and frustration with the way society pushes expectations onto them and the struggles that come with it. As the next generation of female athletes arises, they form their opinions on why fairness and representation matters so much for women, especially for women playing traditionally male dominated sports.
“I feel like for guys, they definitely feel pressure that they have to push through every little injury. I’ve talked to my friends and they’ve definitely told me that they pushed through things that I say ‘My coach would’ve told me to sit out’. Then there are other things that only girls have to go through, like wrestling on your period with extreme pains. You would still have to push through that, but obviously it’s not the same expectation for a guy,” Caitlin Bice (12) said.
Along with the many expectations that women athletes face, they also have to prove to society that they can play their sport to the same level of a man.
stand out,” Quinn Shank (9) said.
From the perspective of the audience, young female athletes acknowledge the lack of good female representation in sports. Yet, with social media becoming more prominent more role models have come into play.
“I think that for me growing up, there weren’t a lot of female role models in sports, but now, as a teenager in these sports, I think there has become a lot more, like Caitlin Clark. I think social media has also brought in new role models for women in sports, which I think is a great thing,” McCall said.
With not as many female role models, female athletes find their expectations to be a little harder.
I feel like when I was little, there weren’t a lot of [female role models in sports], but now, Caitlin Clark has come into play where she is showing younger girls that you can do this if you put in the work and really try,” Quinn Shank (9) said.
“I think female athletes feel a lot more pressure to prove themselves because a lot of viewers think a female in a sport can’t be as entertaining as a male, which I think is totally wrong. They’re playing the same sport and they’re at the same level, so I think they’re the same amount of entertainment for the viewers,” Cora McCall (11) said.
Hard work and persistence heavily plays a role in performance and engagement, however, female athletes tend to feel more pressure when trying to go professional in their sport.
“I feel like girls have to do so much more to get into their sport and have people actually watch them. With men, they just do it and everybody’s like ‘They’re really good’, but for women, they have to figure out how to be good enough to
“From my experience in wrestling, I feel like the pressure is definitely put on me a lot more because early on in middle school I had to prove myself to keep my spot and prove that I should be on the team and should continue this sport. That has now pushed me to build better habits going on to my senior year,” Bice said.
Despite these issues being assumed to only impact major league sports, it can start at high school. A girl on Lake Central’s hockey team faces some of the same struggles.
“Some struggles are definitely not having something of my own. The boys get a big locker room, but us girls have to get dressed in a closet or something else compared to them,”
Logan Anderson (12) said.
Even though it can feel isolating, many women encounter the same issues. Despite this, female athletes still find the good in their situation.
“It’s just really fun to be a part of something,” Anderson said, “I also think the boys can have my back whenever it comes to it. My favorite thing about hockey has been the friendships that I’ve been making along the way.”
Q. How long have you been playing hockey?
A. I’ve been playing hockey since seventh grade.
Q. What inspired you to play hockey?
A. My older brother played hockey and I really like the community and the organization, so I wanted to be a part of something as well.
Q. How long have you been wrestling?
A. I have been wrestling since eighth grade.
Q? What inspired you to join wrestling?
A. I got into wrestling because of doing MMA since I was six years old. I moved to Indiana in eighth grade I wanted to try something new within that MMA realm and wrestling just seemed like the right fit.
Behind the highlight reels, more students in athletics are struggling to keep up with pressure to perform
Pressure can be felt everywhere for students, caused by grades, parents and even friends. However, pressure can feel different for the school’s athletes who push themselves to do their ulimate best every day in their sport.
From all of their effort, these athletes can hit their limits and experience burnout from their sport and their other activities.
“I have played through a burnout before. During morning practice we wake up at 4 a.m. and we practice until 6:30 which makes me extremely tired. To get myself through a burnout, I think about going home and doing other things that make me happy,” Deon Stafford (10) said.
While working through a burnout or injury, athletes can feel pressure to continue playing, or even guilt for not playing to their best ability.
“I have been injured while playing and when I did I just tried to forget about it because of the pressure of my team. I don’t want to sit and watch everyone play because I’m happy when I am playing and I didn’t want to let my team down,”
Alexandra Myszak (12) said.
Stretching is very important for students as it helps the body to relax and prepare itself for the hardship of sports.
Stretching is also a common measure taken to prevent injury.
“Stretching helps increase flexibility and blood flow to the muscles, preparing the body for more intense movement. It can also improve performance and reduce the risk of strains or other soft-tissue injuries,” Mr. Chris Hall (Athletic Trainer) said.
It is important for players to take rest days, to avoid
burnout, injury or becoming overworked. They know that paying attention to their body is important so they don’t cause irreparable damage.
“My injury has improved my mentality and my leg is stronger since I had to work on it for a while. I prevent burnout by taking as many breaks as I can and listening to what my body needs, and since I had my ACL tear I had nine to 10 months to take a break,” Summer Grimler (12) said.
Working on other things can also help athletes learn about the other parts of their bodies to prevent themselves from overworking their most important muscles. Different althetes rely on different limbs and muscles to play their best.
“Throughout the season we did cross training so swimming definitely helped to not overwork my legs throughout the week and our coach labored us to get more mileage on but still slowly enough to build up more stamina,” Macey Thompson (11) said.
Communication matters, in order to prevent burnout and maintain a mentality where students can keep on performing well and enjoy the sport that they are playing. Setting practical expectations keeps a healthy balance for the body and mind.
“Students can prevent burnout by balancing their training with proper rest, sleep and time for non-sport activities. Setting realistic goals and communicating openly with coaches about stress levels can also help maintain motivation and enjoyment,” Mr. Hall said.
42% of high school athletes say they have played through an injury
Exploring common injuries and how to navigate recovery
Tennis or also known as golfer’s elbow is usually seen by athletes who perform with a repetitive action in the tendons of the forearm and become inflamed which may make any wrist or hand motions extremely painful. Symptoms may include lack of grip strength and pain in the arms. Rest is required and icing the inflamed area is advised. Doctors may prescribe antiflammatory medication or even a brace which will break down stiffness.
Shin splits are most often found in athletes who run a lot such as track or soccer. Those who get shin splints are most likely diagnosed earlier in the season as their activity or mileage increases. Symptoms include lower leg bone pain such as the shin. This can be prevented and/or treated with resting for a while, ice on the injury and purchasing shoes with a good arch support.
A concussion is an injury to the brain due to a blow to the head where it could be jarred or shaken. Symptoms can include headaches, a confused state, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, slurred speech, sensitivity to light and delayed responses to questions. This can be treated with rest and reduced activity.
An ACL Tear or Strain, anterior cruciate ligament, is a major stabilizing ligament of the knee. One of the most common causes for an ACL strain is slowing down when running while trying to cut or change directions. Symptoms can consist of unstable walking or increased swelling in the knee. Treatment without injury consists of rest and ice while a complete ACL tear requires surgery with a few months of recovery and physical therapy.
“Burnout can reduce a student’s focus, energy and enthusiasm, leading to poorer performance on the field. It may also decrease motivation to practice, which can affect long-term skill development. Recovery involves allowing adequate physical and mental rest, gradually returning to activity and seeking support from coaches, trainers or counselors. Rebuilding confidence and setting small, achievable goals can help students regain strength and motivation,” Mr.
Chris Hall (Athletic Trainer) said.
On a trip to Target for the Angel Tree Fundraiser, members from Student Council participate in buying gifts for children. The officers went on Dec. 11 and delivered all the toys to Salvation Army in Munster. “Iv’e been doing something similar to this for years around Christmas time, and I like giving back to the less fortunate. I also helped out last year for Angel Tree. I really liked picking out legos for kids nine to twelve, and we also got clothes for the older kids as well,” Trevor Walsh (10) said.
In a country dependent on the power of the First Amendment, confidence and stability within the freedom of the press has faltered.
“[Freedom of the Press] means that the media, whether that be a newspaper, online article or magazine, can print whatever they want without government interference. People think that you can say anything without any consequences. Freedom of speech just means that you can say things without the government retaliating,” Mr. Josh Clark (Social Studies) said.
Indiana University began to censor their studentrun newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student (IDS) in October 2025. Student media director Jim Rodenbush was fired for refusing to censor an article, and the publication was later cancelled -- meaning all future editions of the IDS would not be published.
Teresa White (IU Media Director) says, “7:21 that same evening, I got an email from the dean that said ‘As of today, and right now, IDS will no longer print anything,’. We were like, ‘Where is this coming from, what is going on’ and our phones were all blowing up. Since then, the chancellor has received lots of pressure letters from faculty, public letters from our faculty members, public letters from alumni, public letters from the whole media school family and donors canceling over a million dollars of donations in a couple weeks. Lots of public pressure. The chancellor kind of rescinded that and said, ‘Okay, you can keep printing through this year, but you’ve got to have a new plan,’.”
they’re going to keep following where the questions and answers lead them and if that makes somebody look bad or cast a certain political party in a bad light then so be it,” White said.
While journalism may not be something most think about everyday, there are many aspects of journalism that surround everyday life.
“Journalism is important, in my opinion, because it allows you to express yourself and helps you share information about your environment and culture. There are so many ways to share it too; such as broadcasting and newspapers,” Madison Such (11) said.
Digital media has made a noteworthy uprising in how fast and accessible that news can be, however it has brought more downsides.
“It’s hard to know what to trust. It is hard to sift through what is fake news and what’s real. The algorithms that social media uses has messed up the trust in the news, you click on a few links on a topic, watch a few videos and all of a sudden that’s all you are getting and it’s so misleading. You are only being exposed to one side of a story. It’s a slanted story,” Mr. Clark said.
The journalism community is currently in crisis with many issues of bankruptcy, news deserts, bias, censorship and many other problems that are arising in the era of capitalism and digital media.
In the world of journalism, the articles written affect more than just the writer, but also those who are written about and those who read them.
“There are consequences, whether they are legal consequences or society shunning, you’re crossing some line ethically, so you’re no longer considered professional in your behavior. [Journalists are] often not even as loyal to their bosses as some people might think. They’re loyal to the truth; if they start asking questions then
“The downside here is that so many newspapers have closed. They’re in these news deserts where only news they get might be from a local city in their region. There won’t be many people reporting on what’s going on in their community, where they get a lot of national news,”
White said.
Just because the censorship of the IDS newspaper went viral, does not mean it is the only censorship happening.
“This kind of thing happens and I think people need to be aware about it. It can have an impact basically forever,” Such said.
Congress shall make no law resPeCting an establishment of religion, or Prohibiting the free exerCise thereof; or abridging the freedom of sPeeCh, or of the Press; or the right of the PeoPle PeaCeably to assemble, and to Petition the government for a redress of grievanCes. The
Oct. 24th, 2024
After a few years of meetings, a plan is put in place from the meetings the staff had to discuss about the million dollar debt they had racked up and how to pull them out of that debt to keep publishing.
Two newspapers were published during September that did not follow the plan and began to spark the fire of the main conflict about their special edition issues September 2025
Oct. 14th, 2025
The Homecoming issue of the IDS is rescinded and James Rodenbush, the student media director, is fired. The dean announces that the IDS will no longer be producing print news.
October 2025
Indiana University receives lots of public backlash and outrage at the situation and the chancellor rescinded his previous statement and allowed the IDS to continue printing throughout the year until they have a new plan to handle the debt. Then, Purdue’s newspaper, the Exponent, actually released 3,000 free issues across Indiana University’s campus discussing the importance of student journalists sticking together.
ith the chaos of news on television nowadays, we often get confused about events happening in our world. Things such as the government shutdown can be incredibly confusing to hear about if you don’t understand what it is. On Oct. 1, the national government entered into a shutdown under the second presidency of Donald J. Trump. The shutdown lasted for 43 days, making it the longest in the history of the United States, and with it carried vast outcomes.
A government shutdown is when Congress doesn’t pass a federal budget before their deadline. This causes nonessential government services to close or reduce. However, things that are essential like national security stay open and funded.
“During government shutdowns, a lot of the essential things will still be taking place, but many of the non-essential things like air travel and certain benefits may not be directly sent to the American people or may have an impact on them in a negative way,” Mr. Brian McNamara (Social Studies) said.
A shutdown ends when Congress is able to finally pass the budget and the president signs off on it. After that point, all of the non-essential services can open back up again. However, just because the shutdown ends, doesn’t mean that its effects go away.
“This year, they were voting on a budget for the year 2026, they have a deadline every year. When they don’t reach that deadline because they don’t have the money allocated for the coming year to run the government, they are supposed to shut the government down until they come to an actual agreement on how they’re going to fund it,” Mr. McNamara said.
That was reducing the amount of air travel for consumers in the United States. It made it difficult for people to travel. It made longer lines in TSA,” Mr. McNamara said.
One of the most significantly affected programs that has struggled through the government shutdown was SNAP – the most influential anti-hunger program in America. SNAP’s benefits were restricted and now are being modified. When the government couldn’t use the money that the agreement deadline on the shutdown affected, it caused a “funding freeze” for SNAP. Although SNAP benefits have been reinstated, the future of the program is still faulty due to new restrictions.
SNAP stands for “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”. SNAP provides monthly funds to low-income families so that they can purchase groceries and encourages healthy eating habits for all American citizens. It is the largest anti-hunger program in America.
The program helps people with low incomes be able to feed them and their families.
SNAP reduces food insecurity by boosting households’ non-food spendings.
SNAP is one of the fastest-responding federal programs.
In the history of all government shutdowns, the one that citizens of the U.S. have witnessed this year is on record the longest and most destructive shutdown in the history of the nation. Many other highly dependent systems have also been affected by this like airports for example.
“One of the things that we saw that happened because of how long this government shutdown went, many members of TSA were no longer coming to work because they were no longer being paid. They were being placed on what’s called furlough, so they weren’t going to be paid.
A shutdown happens when Congress and the President aren’t able to enact funding legislation, which causes non-essential agencies to stop operations and supsend government workers from their employment.
The United States government recently just had its longest government shutdown in the country’s history, lasting 43 days.
According to an article by ABC on the effects of SNAP during the government shutdown, “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been directing states to implement new guidance as part of President Donald Trump’s megabill signed into law in July, which will include new work requirements, decreased eligibility for refugees and states shouldering some of the cost of the program.”
Through the experience of the world’s longest government shutdown on record, we are able to learn from the events that we saw occur during these confusing and impactful times. We see how although the shutdown was only 43 days, it will impact people for longer than that. There were so many programs and people that were lacking funds throughout that time during the shutdown and it even impacted people who weren’t working for the government or using government funded programs. According to Brookings.com, although these types of times are stressful and full of biased media, it is good to be educated in these types of situations no matter how it affects you.
