Vol. 60 - Issue 4 - March 2026

C MET

Magazine

“I’ve

-Cianne Bluethmann (11)

C Ntents

Around the School Entertainment Sports Lifestyle

8-9 14-15

On the cover, Molly Fennema (11) and Cianne Bluethmann (11) pose with their own self portraits they completed as a form of self expression. The Fine Arts program allows students to explore their interests throughout several classes including ceramics, 2D Art, 3D Art and more. Read pages 26-27 to learn more.

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

STAFFERS

Josephine Amenta

Jocelyn Dunkerley

Isabella Magallanes

Lillian Hobbins

Kayla Blackman

Aubrey Walker

Sophie Lapointe

Piotr Zarozny

Jessica Salerno

Elaina Gromala C

Josina Nye

ADVISER

Carrie Wadycki-Cruz

Hey LC! Welcome back to the fourth Comet Magazine. This was a very busy month for all of the students, but we managed to fit Valentine’s Day celebration in. Yet, this year we decided to look at the holiday in a different light. Learn more in the “Is this Love?” story. Speaking of perspectives, we also focused on the unique art program offered at the high school and even featured some students’ art work. Check it out on the “Hidden Treasures” page. There are also many clubs offered after school that benefit students for the future including Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and Business Professionals of America (BPA) that we feature in “Classrooms to Careers.” Good luck at the state competition BPA! Now, on a more serious note we also discuss recent events in our students’ futures regarding limitations on

federal student loans which can affect high school students going to college in the future. Now, another impressive program at the school are the Centralettes who just won Nationals, and we discuss their long legacy in “Dancing Through the Decades” Congrats girls! Now, we also are still celebrating the Indiana University Football win in “Midwest Legacy.” We also discuss the potential of the Chicago Bears, so check that out too. In the midst of all of this celebration, we also reflected on the Grammy Awards and discuss students’ opinions on who won and their performances. Another major event in pop culture that everyone is discussing is the the premire of “Wuthering Heights”, and we talk about more book to movie adaptions in “Books on the Big Screen.” One more quarter LC, keep going!

Katie Poncin & Zainab Mohiuddin

aR Und THE School

New student loan limits affect how students plan for the future

Funding Future the

With the new student loan limits and reclassification of “unprofessional degrees” created under president Donald Trump’s second administration in the One Big Beautiful Bill, many students are thinking about how these changes may impact how they approach college and how they plan to pursue future careers.

Passed in July of last year, numerous changes regarding federal student aid under the One Big Beautiful Bill will be put into place, starting on July 1, 2026. According to Harvard University Student Financial Services, graduate students’ eligibility for Grad PLUS loans will depend on whether a degree is considered “professional” or simply a regular “graduate” degree. Graduate students pursuing “professional” degrees can qualify for up to $50,000 every year, or a $200,000 lifetime borrowing limit, whereas going for a “graduate” degree only authorizes up to $20,500 every year, or a $100,000 lifetime borrowing limit. The new loan limits and reclassification of particular degrees as “professional” or “graduate” has provoked anxiety among students as they consider their plans for the future.

“I was upset about the new relabeling, but also, it’s not necessarily that these degrees are actually unprofessional. It’s just a renaming of the education that is required to get these degrees. It just makes getting the degrees harder, but I don’t think that it will necessarily discourage me or make me want to go into something else,” Salma Jimenez (11) said.

Because “professionalism” of jobs is continuing to change, students are beginning to seek out careers that feel more secure. Having a backup plan in case something does not work out is crucial to success in the workforce.

“I think with everything going on right now, I would definitely pick a ‘safe’ route, so if something were cut, like how nurses are no longer a ‘professional job’. If I wanted to be a nurse, I would find something that could be similar,” Faith Harrison (12) said.

Being able to pay off student loans remains a concern for students planning to go away after high school. Students are urged to be careful and think about how the debt could impact their future before taking out loans.

“I have been steering students away from taking out student loans altogether. My professional advice has been: If absolutely necessary, take out the student loans, but you have to be so incredibly careful and read all the fine print before putting down your John Hancock. There are many stipulations to the loans and the interest rates are crazy astronomical,” Ms. Elizabeth Kirn (Social Studies) said. With STEM careers often being considered the “best” or “most practical” choice, students may feel like their choice is not good enough.

“This definitely sends a message that some degrees are less respected, especially in a world where a lot of STEM degrees are highly valued. With some peo- ple saying that you shouldn’t go to college unless you want a STEM degree, I think it is very discouraging and could make students feel less valued, I would say,” Jimenez said. Many students feel pressure to choose something that will not leave them in debt, rather than following their dreams, however it is important for students to consider all factors to make their future bright.

“I think there is pressure [to pick something that feels “practical” or financially safe]. There comes a time when you have

Page by: Izabel Ontiveros & Mia Legaspi Design by: Mia Legaspi & Sky Simmons

to be reasonable and be realistic, so it’s always important to find something that’s plausible but also you can see yourself not having to suffer through it, you don’t want to be miserable in the field that you choose. You also want to pick something that you know won’t put you into debt,” Harrison said.

With the concern about finances when deciding on a major, there are other ways to assist in balancing passion and debt.

“Another thing to think about, is to choose a major that has better potential for job opportunities. If there is something that you really like and enjoy, but may not pay the bills, double major or minor in it. That way, you will have options in the future, since the future is not written anything is possible,”

Ms. Kirn said.

Facts for the Future

In recent years, graduate students’ loans have taken out more than half all new federal student loans, which make up about half of the $1.7 trillion total federal student loan portfolio.

The agency’s committee has proposed a consensus definition that designates Medicine (M.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S./D.M.D.), Law (L.L.B./ J.D.), and other high-cost programs as eligible for a $200,000 borrowing limit, while other graduate or doctoral programs would be limited to $100,000.

A “professional degree” is an internal department classification used to distinguish programs that qualify for higher loan limits. It is not a value judgement about the importance of programs or if it is professional in nature.

An Interview with

How can students balance choosing a major they’re passionate about with concerns about future debt and job prospects?

Even with all the new changes to federal student aid, it is important to not be discouraged.

“I have told students to continue to rise above, plus rules and regulations. change so frequently. In my experience, most of the changes arise due to changes in partisan politics,” Ms. Elizabeth Kirn (Social Studies) said.

“The pendulum swings both ways. Oftentimes, it will swing back, just how long it takes is the question. The biggest point to remember is that there are so many opportunities out there, research and hard work does pay off. Ask questions and use all possible tools to reach your goals and dreams,” Ms. Kirn said.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires the agency to identify which “professional degree” programs will be eligible for higher federal lending limits.

In The Classroom

“Obviously when you are thinking about college and careers, you want to make sure that it is something that you do like and have passion for. There is also always the questions: How am going to afford my lifestyle? How am I going to afford all those things that come with a job? When you think about the workforce in general, you are going to spend a lot of time at work, so you do have to find something that has a balance of liking what you do. I think now students know a lot more, so you do have to think about if you go for a major but you know you may not make that much coming out of that major, you have to think about the debt that you would incur getting that degree.”

What is one misconception about college, majors or student loans that you wish every high school student understood before applying?

“I guess the one thing is you do have to kind of caution yourself a little bit is sometimes there’s certain majors that are going to dictate aspects of your education. Whether you want to be a doctor or a psychologist or a therapist, you have to get a master’s degree or a doctorate. There’s going to be longer school, which could obviously be more debt. You can’t do those jobs without college, so you have to kind of think, maybe I can try to be more cost effective with my undergrad, but then when have to go to graduate school, that’s when I’m going to have to take out some more of a loan. That’s the kind of stuff that I think some kids maybe don’t think about automatically. They are just like, “I don’t want debt,” but if you really want to be a therapist or a doctor or even a school counselor like myself, you will have to get a master’s degree. At some point, you are probably going to have to be okay with incurring a little bit of debt.”

Degrees that NO LONGER Qualify for Higher Federal Loan

From Classroom to Careers

Various clubs act as easy insight into students’ ambitious aspirations. However, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and Business Professionals of America’s (BPA) visibility lies on the stage of academic opportunity across a wide region and into profession.

“BPA is important because it helps with your skills, such as communication, and it gets you interacting with people around you. You get to meet different people from all around the county such as [people from] Crown Point and Portage,” Yianni Boufis (10) said.

Some members of each team are eager to make their mark in this year’s chapter of the group and for years to come.

“I’m most looking forward to going to our conference and hopefully, placing high and showing the rest of the club [FCCLA] that I’m as equally as important as the rest of them,” Caitlin Stefanko (10) said.

These students travel far and wide within their clubs to find professional advice which will most certainly help their ability to complete future goals in a professional world.

“[The Organizers of the FCCLA competitions] also brought Purdue, which I thought was cool, and they were talking about

farming and the soil. It was in Indiana, a little bit north of Indianapolis. It was a two to two and a half hour drive,” Kayleigh Zlotkowski (11) said.

FCCLA’s involvement with Lake Central goes beyond the classroom. It helps students adopt a more efficient work ethic and learn to make a bigger impact on the people around them and the world.

“I think it’s very important, because we do a lot of fundraisers: we get money for the school, we get money for communities; we [also] went to a nursing home. [FCCLA] is really helpful for the community. There are a lot of opportunities that you get to improve and gain leadership abilities so that could really help. It’s also service hours for many people. If you’re in clubs that need that, it could also help with them,” Giada Cook (10) said.

FCCLA’s projects revolve around giving presentations about information on a given career, such as in safety, cooking or farming. The sponsor is very thorough in her support of the students at every turn of creating a presentation.

“At the meetings [for FCCLA], we normally talk about our projects. Ms. [Jennifer] Schmidt [Family & Consumer Science] will help us at meetings, if we have any questions. We let her know what we’re going to do. She gives us input, helps us; she’ll explain the rubrics to us and how to achieve good scores,” Zlotkowski said.

BPA’s projects vary more greatly than FCCLA’s: from tests, to presentations to physical projects or submissions before a competition.

“I think people should join BPA because it forces you to get out of your comfort zone. I don’t want to say it makes you professional, but it puts you in a professional setting that you really haven’t been in before. There’s so many things that you can do. You can do anything that you are interested in. There are tests over anything under the sun. There are projects over absolutely anything. Anyone can join it and it will benefit everyone and anyone [specifically related to business tasks],” Sienna Swanson (11) said.

Participant students learn to calm their nerves by memorizing material and practicing skills, as well as following the advice from adults involved.

“Definitely be prepared time-wise, and then for the presentation, just go over the presentation multiple times, and then make sure that you’re comfortable talking in front of people and talking to these judges. Make sure you realize that they’re just people at the end of the day. You’re just talking to a random person. Also, you have to be professional, but also comfortable in your own skin at the same time. So, it’s both of that, but definitely time and then just repeat your lines over and over again for the presentation,” Swanson said.

FCCLA Q&A

How does FCCLA prepare you for the future?

“FCCLA prepares me for the future by just helping me be a stronger individual and [learning how to] speak my mind, because I want to be a pharmacist and to be a pharmacist, I’m gonna have to speak my mind. I can’t just sit behind doing whatever the whole time. I need to say what I need to say,” Kayleigh Zlotkowski (11) said.

BPA Q&A

How do you prepare for your competition?

“I just prepared my mental, like; what to say in front of the judges, how I’m going to answer their questions, and how I’m just going to perform,” Yianni Boufis (10) said.

“I gather resources and write down stuff that I know. If I don’t know something I’ll go back to it. [To prepare,] you should go over the stuff you made, your note cards, and rehearse with your partner,” Isabella Mansour (10) said.

“It’s important for the future by learning examples of how I need to be organized and on top of my stuff, and just have the confidence to be a leader instead of a follower,” Isabella Mansour (10) said.

BPA Excellence

Students recognized for outstanding competitive performance

1st Place

3rd Place

1st Place

On opening night, Feb. 26, the theater cast performs “Strike That, Reverse It!” during “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.” This book to play adaptation ran from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28.

“It was such a phemonal experience working with these people for the past four years now. It really has been a gift being a part of this program. Everyone’s put so much effort into it and has made it such a

experience. I’m so glad that this is a

note I can end my sneior year on,” Stephen Schranz (12) said.

The latest of two movies based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novels, “Regretting You” starring Mason Thames and Mckenna Grace and releases in October of 2025. The movie was met with mostly negative reviews, despite being considered a box office success. “I thought they were pretty good in general. I do like the books better because I feel like the wording in the book is definitely better and I think you learn more from the book than you do from the movie,”

Books

big Screen

Laci Church (12) said.

Recently, “Wuthering Heights” came out in theaters on Feb. 13. The film generated immense controversy within pop culture due to its differences from the classic novel. “From what I’ve seen it looks like it’s not going to be very accurate to the book. I know they really want to depict the passion of Heathcliff and Catherine, but I think they’re going to focus more on ‘school inappropriate physical intimacy’ than anything else,”

Cadence Beller (11) said.

An unexpected but welcomed adaptation, “The Odyssey”, directed by Christopher Nolan, is set to be released on July 17, 2026. The film followed Odysseus’ decade-long journal back to Ithaca, where he encountered various obstacles. “I think ‘The Odyssey’ sounds good, and I might still go see Wuthering Heights anyway,”

Cailin Delaney (10) said.

When people look at movies that have come out this year, a handful of them have been adaptations of famous and popular books. While “Wuthering Heights and “The Odyssey” have yet to release, many of author Colleen Hoover’s romance novels have gotten equally popular movies. Hoover’s novels “It Ends With Us” and “Regretting You” were met with mixed reviews, but performed well at the box office, but people are hopeful for other upcoming adaptations.

“I think one of the best adaptations is probably ‘Lord of the Rings’, but sometimes they get stuff wrong for certain movies or for certain books. I feel like it’s kind of like 50/50 on whether it’s a good adaptation or bad adaptation,” Sydney Garrett (11) said.

Each form of media has its own strengths and weaknesses, and books in particular provide readers with the ability to imagine the story in their own way.

“It depends, because I normally like it to be pretty accurate, unless they do something different that is good. Normally, I like to be pretty accurate to the book, so most times I’m picky about the differences between the book and the movie,” Cailin Delaney (10) said.

Adaptations often become popular for varying reasons, with fans often returning to see their favorite books in film format.

“It’s because since it’s a book first, you usually have someone putting more time and effort into it and then the movie guys have a full story already, and with stuff like The Housemaid people were excited because they had read the book already,” Kacey Leonard (12) said.

Each form of media has its own strengths and weaknesses, and books in particular provide readers with the ability to imagine the story in their own way.

“I like being able to have my own thoughts on a book and how I see the characters, and I also just enjoy reading. When I see stuff on TV, it’s not really what I was envisioning, so that’s why I like that everybody can have their own ideas of how a character looks or how they are just from reading a book,” Laci Church (12) said. Ultimately, it’s up to an individual to decide what they prefer, whether it be to watch or read. For some, the writing takes priority over the plot.

“Books and comics and stuff have better artistic styles, unless you have an animated movie. Animated movies from back in the day were fabulous. The one thing that carries a good book and a good movie is good writing. If you have bad writing, your art doesn’t matter because people are just going to think, ‘Oh yeah there was that thing with the good art, but the story sucked though,’” Leland Abel (11) said.

Nominees, hot takes and student debates

Award Winning GRAMMY And the

The Grammys are music’s biggest night of the year, and 2026 marks the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 1. The first Grammys were held on May 4, 1959, and have always been a formal event for music creators and enthusiasts. Categories that were presented 68 years ago are still being presented, along with an additional diverse array of newer categories now. As time went on, more categories were added, more people attended and the number of global viewers of the spectacular event increased.

BAD BUNNY

Album of the Year winning artist Bad Bunny gives a speech after winning his first out of three Grammys in 2026. With 114.1M monthly listeners and many fans who rooted for a Grammy win, after his Super Bowl performance he gained a bigger fanbase and more popularity. “I think Bad Bunny is going to win the Grammys because he has a big fan base especially with him performing at the Super Bowl. I think he’ll gain more listeners. I listen to Bad Bunny a lot too, so I kinda want him to win,” Belen Carranza (10) said.

Favorite Grammy Performance Favorite Grammy Performance

‘‘

and Best New Artist. Some students believe quality matters over quantity, however others disagree.

“Grammy votes aren’t based on majority public votes. It’s mainly people within the music industry. I think music taste affects votes based on every generation’s taste, each one is different,” Nikola Nonkovic (12) said.

“100% popularity matters more when it comes to awards. I feel like it should be more based on quality, though. I think that it also depends on whatever category the award is,” Johnson said.

My favorite grammy performance was Tyler, The Creator because he had so much to offer. As a theater kid, I was very impressed with the set design, the lighting, and techincal aspects of the show,

-Tristyn Wadycki-Milby (12) said.

”

OLIVIA DEAN

The Grammys has been known as a formal event since the beginning. Some of the nominees, about 68 years ago, included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Gene Autry, Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini and André Previn. However, because of advanced broadcasting technology at the time, the Grammys were pre-taped and aired a month or two after the awards were actually presented. It wasn’t until 1971 that the Grammys were finally live on television, which helped increase their popularity and views. Though today, many keep up with the awards via social media, rather than watching it live.

“I don’t watch the Grammys myself, but I hear about it on social media which is how I find out about who won. I think social media is quick with posting about stuff like that,” Jordan Johnson (10) said.

This year, the Grammys was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah followed by performances by various artists such as Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Katseye, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams and Sabrina Carpenter. The 2026 Grammys had over 80 different categories such as Record Of The Year, The Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year

Best New Artist Olivia Dean showcases her music live for her fans. Dean performed for the first time at the Grammys with her most popular song, “Man I Need” with 787,289,517 listens since 2025. “When Olivia Dean won best new artist at the Grammys I was really happy for her. She is a really good singer and you can just tell that she likes performing which I feel is important. I think she definitely deserved it but there were a lot of amazing people in the category so I understand why some people don’t love that she won,” Aila Drude (11) said

Even though the Grammys are meant to be a night of celebrity interactions and a presentation of awards, the night of musical influence typically harbors some interesting debates and moments of suspense that keep viewers on their feet. Whether it is iconic speeches made by winners or unexpected results, the Grammys create an environment of fun and anticipation for everyone watching, even if it is only being viewed for the drama.

“I wouldn’t say the Grammys are important, but they’re definitely entertaining. You don’t know who’s going to win so it leaves you feeling suspenseful. There’s a lot of categories for the artists to win so it can keep you guessing who will win,” Belen Carranza (10) said.

A night full of conversations, acknowledgement and influence, the Grammys will forever remain a staple of American musical and television culture that has enticed viewers all across the country. Whether the event brings debate or consolation amongst fans and boosts or diminishes the reputation of niche or popular music artists, the Grammys are responsible for empowering musical talent and providing entertainment that brings together fans and supporters for a night of suspense and enjoyment.

When selecting a nominee, does the quality or popularity of their music matter more?

‘‘

My favorite performance was the Marías because they are one of my favorite bands. I enjoyed the performance and their song ‘No One Noticed’ because it was a softer one instead of loud. I liked that it sounded different than a lot of the other performances there,

-Ava Ontiveros (11) said.

‘‘

My favorite performance was Sabrina Carpenter’s. She is one of my favorite artists and I really liked the style of the performance. My favorite Sabrina Carpenter song is ‘Sugar Talking’ from her new album,

-Kailynn Lawson (9) said.

28 28

Popularity Popularity

SP rts

18-19: Dancing through the decades

20-21: midwest legacy

In the gym, the varsity Centralettes perform their jazz routine at the annual Lake Central Dance Invitational. Students from all over the state competed at the LCDI, with over 200 routines performing. “We got a 90 in the jazz category, which is really good. It made everyone feel really confident for going into Nationals,” Brynn Berwanger (12) said.

the week before Nationals, the Centralettes perform at the Lake Central Dance Inivtational. At Nationals, the girls won first in the Medium Varsity Pom catergory, second in the Medium Varsity Jazz category and third in Medium Varsity Hip Hop. “Winning Nationals was the most indescribable feeling. It is something that we had worked so hard for, but didn’t know if it would happen. Hearing them call our name made every long practice worth it. We put our everything on that stage, and to see it pay off is something I’ll never forget,” Abigail Simaga (12) said.

Dancing Through the Decades

With every passing season, the Centralettes add achievements to their already impressive legacy

Page by: Maddie Bush & Madeline Ross

Design by: Katie Poncin & Zainab Mohiuddin

When a student enters the Lake Central’s main gym for the first time, they are immediately swarmed with banners and posters of all sizes detailing the great amount of success LC sports teams have had. However, hanging in the corner, three flags with 30 years on them show one particular team’s achievements — the Centralettes.

“There is a huge legacy behind the dance program here at Lake Central. We have 50+ state championships and around 20 national championships. We carry a lot of pride in those numbers and try to uphold that reputation at every competition,” Hailey Danielson (10) said.

The modern Centralette program has been building their resume since 1995, meaning many dancers have participated on the team, with several going on to dance professionally.

“A lot of former Centralettes dance in college or become professional dancers. I think that is one of the most amazing parts of the team and great for them, but it also represents us as a program. It shows what hard work can do,” Peyton Halajcsik (10) said.

With such success behind the team, every routine helps build an already extensive history.

“Every time we go out to perform, we know that there are three decades of women that have come before us that have done so much work to get us the reputation that we have today. We have to uphold that reputation every single time to do them justice,” Abigail Simaga (12) said.

Given that Lake Central is one of the largest schools in the region with one of the most decorated dance teams, it is not surprising that other schools have preconceived notions about the Centralettes.

“Other teams absolutely have opinions about us and what we are like. I don’t necessarily think that it is a bad thing, everyone will have their own thoughts, but

those opinions are definitely present. It depends on the team of what those thoughts are, and sometimes they can be a little bit mean. We are a group of nice girls and I don’t think that anyone should be afraid of us just because of our legacy. Most people are nice to us, but there are still some rivalries,” Halajcsik said.

As the years go on and the team changes, some things stay pretty consistent.

Collectively, the Centralettes have certain traditions that help build their overall dynamic.

“We have this little birthday song, like a weird chant right after every birthday. We sing it for everybody and all the freshmen have to learn it when they join the team.

Another thing we do is the day before state we all go to Chick-fil-a and get food together,” Hailey McCoy (12) said.

While some traditions are purely for enjoyment, others are more serious, specifically focusing on mentorship and comfortability on the team.

“We have this tradition that is called sisters, meaning the freshman and sophomores get paired with an ‘older sister’, which are the juniors and seniors. We have had this tradition for a while because it gives younger girls someone to look up to and feel comfortable with,” Gabrielle Eggert (10) said. With every passing season, the Centralettes seem to add more state and national championships to those three banners in the gym. Though they appear to just be numbers to most students, to the team they represent an entire year of hard work and memories.

“Since I’ve been on the team, we’ve won state more than once. One of the things I am most proud of though was when our pom routine won at nationals sophomore year. It was a really big deal and we are really proud of it. We didn’t think we were going to win first, but then we went to the competition and won. It was a great feeling,” McCoy said.

Midwest Legacy

The Indiana Hoosiers and Chicago Bears have recently taken the football world by storm with constant wins

On Jan. 19, the Indiana Hoosiers successfully won the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes, ending with a score of 27-21. This marks their first time ever earning the National Championship title.

“My first thought was that we came a long way. Last year, we lost to Oregon and Ohio, which was really bad, but we had a great run. This year, we went all the way and we dominated. I went to watch every game and analyzed the film. I made a couple bets even because it was a crazy game,”

Jayden Blackman (11) said.

Throughout the season, longtime Hoosier fans’ faith never wavered.

“There was no time I felt any doubt. I believed in the team the entire time. I just always saw the closeness of the team and how they always went into the games with a not arrogant mindset. They always were humble and had one goal which was to win. I just thought that was really cool,” Tessa Murzyn (11) said.

leading the team to victory by executing a touchdown in the fourth quarter, gaining admiration from fans.

“My favorite part of the game was the end for sure.

I love the part where they interview Mendoza, it was just so cute. I love Mendoza as a player, and I love him as a person, so seeing the interviews with him was just great. I also loved the interviews with the coach too,”

Cora McCall (11) said.

IU football isn’t the only midwest team with a surprise this season; the Chicago Bears went 11-6 this season and won the NFC North division title, their first since 2018. After seeing how the season played out, some Chicago Bears fans think they could just be getting started.

“I think after this season they could definitely make it this far again, if not further because the team is young and they can progress a lot,” Blake Paulauski (11) said.

Recently, on Feb. 26

there was a bill passed called Senate Bill 27 that gives the authority for Indiana to offically build a stadium in Northwest Indiana which passed the Senate by a 45-4 vote according to USA Today. The stadium will most likely be in Hammond, Indiana.

Fernando Mendoza, IU’s Quarterback, took part in

Road to National Championship

College football playoffs route to the final championship along with scores of each game

LIFESTYLE

How teens perceive the concept of love and how their opinions on it differ

Love? Is This

From family members to best friends to partners, all teenagers have had different experiences with the concept of love. Despite the popular opinion that all relationships have to be two people dating, love can also be a strong friendship. While many teenagers only see love as romantic, the platonic connections are often just as important.

“I think [platonic love] is definitely more important than romance. Platonic love is caring deeply about your friends and wanting to be around them. It’s more important than romantic love because romantic love is more fragile and you can break up with a significant other easier than you can lose a good friend,” Reyah Fredrickson (11) said.

Whether you pursue platonic love or being romantically involved with someone, both

Love

& Lingo

Students define the new dating terms of their generation

“I think love is when you absolutely adore someone for who they are as a whole. Flaws and everything,” Abigail Stugis (10) said.

can still be impactful.

“[My girlfriend and I] care about each other more than we care about others’ opinions. I think it’s pretty cool that she and I have an absurd amount of things in common and we both put so much effort into our relationship,” Jame Steele (10) said.

Even though teenagers believe a lot in love, these emotions change throughout age.

“Teen love seems to be considered less real by older people because of how they grew up. Many adults weren’t allowed to date until they were a bit older, and traditions are different now. That could definitely influence their opinions, while I personally don’t agree with this,” Abigail Stugis (10) said.

Yet, relationships can have a major influence on one’s high school experience, causing obsession.

“I think what causes our generation to obsess over love is the need for understanding and connection. People want to find a person they connect with and can spend time with and not worry about being judged,” Maxx Wheeler (11) said.

While many crave that connection, there are many interpretations of what that connection entails.

“I think love is when you absolutely adore someone for who they are as a whole. Flaws and everything,” Stugis said.

Students share their own definition of love

Is...“Always being there for the person that you love or like the companion you’re with, and always like helping each other out when times are getting tough,” Mitar Konjevic (10) said.

“Where you can actually laugh and joke around with someone, but also being able to have a serious conversation with them and understand where they’re coming,” Teegan Chalmers (10) said.

“Feeling safe with people you can trust. When you feel like you can be 100% yourself with people. Love is when you care enough about someone that you are willing to sacrifice what you have with them to keep them safe or do what is best in their best interest despite how it may affect you personally, or if it can cause the end of that relationship,” Kelsie Dewitt (10) said.

“Love is being able to trust without having to think twice,” Qiano Radaza (10) said.

“Talking Stage” “Soft Launch” “Ghosting” “Lovebombing” “Red Flag”

“When you’re talking to someone you like, or likes you, to get to know them better,” Wiktoria Komperda (11) said.

“The term ‘soft launching’ to me means publicly posting or sharing any photo or text of you and your loved one on social media, claiming to be in a relationship,” Miliani Delgado (9) said.

“I’d say ghosting is when you just stop replying or opening up people’s messages for whatever reason,” Sofie Spitler (9) said.

“When someone bombards you with compliments, positivity and affection, but in a stressful or unhealthy way,” Abigail Decamotan (10) said.

“When another person says or does something you don’t agree with. Such as things that could be harmful, immoral, or against your beliefs,” Jaeden Czajka (11) said.

“I believe art is beneficial to students because it’s important to be able to think critically and whether you want to study art in the future or go into another career choice. You are able to think about things in your own way and you are able to have your own thoughts instead of using something else to think for you, like AI. You are going to be in a better position if you are able to use artistic skills,” Ms. Abigail Drzewiecki (Art) said.

Hidden treasures

Aspiring artists who try to keep their art noticed where it is overlooked

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n a world where people have always felt the desire to create art, many talented artists are often overlooked, and being recognized can often prove challenging.

Even though technology brings light to so many things, gaining attention on social media can be very difficult.

Embroidering Interests

Embroidering her jeans, Avery Knight (11) focuses on sewing in the bats. Knight chose 2D Art so she could practice her interests in school. “I chose to embroider bats and vampire teeth because we just learned how to embroider through a skill builder and it’s become a new thing that I’ve picked up. I like how repetitive the motions are and how calming it is to do. I planned it out by sketching the pattern on the pants with a white colored pencil and then I just followed the pattern with a thread and needle,” Knight said.

Painting a window frame, Cianne Bluethmann (11) carefully makes sure the design is perfect. Bluethmann chose 2D Art because she believed the class would be relaxing and a great creative outlet. “We are doing a project where we have to use anything but a canvas so I’m using a window frame. First I painted it all white, then I decided to do orange squiggles because of my favorite character. I’m actually getting a mirror piece too and I’m going to put the mirror in the window frame,” Bluethmann said.

Working on the pinch pot project, Maria Karabatsos (10) makes sure the pinch pot is the correct size and shape in order for it to fire in the kiln correctly. Karabatsos chose to take Ceramics I in order to gain an art credit, but learned to appreciate the technique of ceramics. “In order to make a pinch pot you have to mold the clay into a mold, then you have to thin out the bottom in order for it to stand up. It’s important to make sure that your pot isn’t too thin. Lastly, you have to make sure that the rim of the pot is roughly the size of your pinky,” Karabatsos said.

“I think sometimes [artists do not get recognition], especially artists that are doing something new. It takes time, almost years or decades, to reflect on the innovation and the theory and the uniqueness of their work as we look back in time, especially with writers and painters. It takes time to kind of reflect back on those decades and see why that work was meaningful or groundbreaking. Or you know, new and interesting and unique at the time,” Ms. Elizabeth Wright (English) said.

Back in the days before the internet, many artists had a very difficult time being acknowledged properly for their work. Some only became famous after their deaths. The internet has helped artists in a variety of ways, especially in the area of boosting their work to a broader audience.

“I think nowadays with social media and their algorithms I feel like it might be more luck than talent. When people are making reels they get more into marketing as well as art so they can put their art out there and people can actually see it,” Isabelle Barnard (11) said.

With more artists gaining acknowledgment for their work through the internet, it makes pursuing art as a career a more available option. However, the industry does still come with most of the same setbacks, even before the internet. With technology becoming more

advanced in the instance of artificial intelligence, this has proven a massive setback for artists and the art world.

“One of the things definitely that could be impacting [artists] right now is AI. AI cannot replace real people, because real people put more of themselves into their work. AI just steals random stuff on the internet. It’s soulless slop. With music too, you can produce music with AI. Companies are just lazy, when they want to put profits over people then they’ll choose AI,” Anna Girman (12) said.

With the world becoming more hostile to creativity and artists, it is important to support artists as a way to keep both expression and creativity in the world.

“[We can support artists] by funding programs for young people and young beginning artists. Just so that they can continue their work until they make that big break. You know it’s always important, funding for artists. You know, theater, writers, artists or whatever it is, I think that can be important,” Ms. Wright said. Humanity’s desire to create has always been buried in human instincts and seen time and time again since we walked this planet and while the way we express changes with each and every day across every culture, we still see that same bit of humanity in each person.

“Could you imagine a world without art? That would be so boring. I look around my classroom, and I see all the outfits that people are wearing, the water bottles and the backpacks, all of that is a way for you to express yourselves. Art gives us this way to express ourselves and to be unique, and it’s beautiful,” Ms. Liz Cowan (Art) said.

Art Outreaches

Nearby spaces that are welcomiNg towards youNg artists

South Shore Teen Arts Board (Munster)

A free advanced extra-curricular art enrichment program with collaboration and creative culture where teens can advance their resume and art portfolio.

Promise You Art House (Highland)

A performance academy for students ages nine through 12 where they can practice their acting skills surrounded by a group of people who support their interests along with a variety of extracurriculars.

Hammond Arts & Performance Academy (Hammond)

A community-built art display home to get art noticed by others. It is a very welcoming space where artists can show off their greatest pieces.