The Bagpiper wants to know…
How would you reform education in Indiana? (Save money, improve test scores, etc.)
Email your opinion to bagpipernews@gmail.com to get a chance to have it published in The Bagpiper or The Bagpiper Online!
Make sure to include your first and last name and grade.
Eric Ordonez
Staff reporter
Senior Hannah Keehn, varsity cross country runner, and exceptional student in the classroom, sat down with the Bagpiper to discuss her personal success and devotion to running.
Bagpiper: How has this season gone for you thus far?
HK: “So far, I am the number two runner on the team. My races haven’t been as good as they have been in the past. Alyssa Moore is a sophomore and is currently the number one runner. She’s amazing.”
Bagpiper: How long have you been interested in running?
HK: “I started in fourth grade because both my mom and dad ran in high school. My mom even held records, but it was a small school so I don’t know if that counts. I also ran in AAU and I liked my coach Clyde Miller. He inspired me to keep running.”
Bagpiper: What is the best thing about running?
HK: “The people, definitely. I keep doing it for my friends, they just keep me going and going. It is a combination of the atmosphere, the friends, and the feeling of the runner’s high that you get.”
Bagpiper: How do you get prepared for a meet?
HK: “For races, a lot of times I listen to songs to pump me up. Every meet I listen to Angels and Airways’ song “Secret Crowds.” I always use prayer to prepare myself too. I just try to block everything out on the bus by listening to music. Then, as a team we do a one mile warm up and strides, which is when you stretch out your leg as far as you can while running. And before the meet actually starts we circle up, do a slow clap, and scream ‘FCCC!'”
Bagpiper: In one sentence, can you explain what running means to you?
HK: “Wow. Okay, without running, I wouldn’t be who I am. It has shaped so many of my friends and my strength. Physically and mentally. It’s not my life. Just half of it.”
John Caswell
Staff reporter
Red Ribbon Week occurs Oct. 25-29 and is devoted to showing teenagers the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
During the week the Red Ribbon Committee, made up of students from all grades, will work to show students the consequences of drug and alcohol usage through various activities. The selected activities for the week aim to do this in a fun way, while still showing how dangerous drugs are.
One example of an activity showing the dangers of alcohol is the fatal vision test drive. During this activity students will take a set of goggles and decorate them in a way that renders them unusable. The student will then drive around the gym on a tricycle. The first time the students will drive regularly, the second they will have the goggles on. With the goggles on it will be similar to driving while under the influence of alcohol, thus showing students why drunk driving is dangerous.
“We hope maybe students will remember this if they are ever in a situation where alcohol is present,” said senior Payton Rice, president of the Red Ribbon Week Committee.
Local organizations and groups are a key part of the event, and have donated pumpkins, television sets and everything in between. The pumpkins were supplied by Huber’s for a pumpkin decorating contest, the decorated pumpkins are then used to scare away drugs. The televisions are used in prize baskets which feature a wide variety of prizes, such as electronics, gas cards, and gift cards. These prizes will go to the winners of a drawing that anyone can enter.
“Basically, we have something for everybody,” said Rice.
Other activities throughout the week include an after school, movie showing, scavenger hunt, and a door decorating contest where the winners prize is a pizza party. One of the more somber events though is the visit from the grim reaper. During one school day a bell will go off every 30 minutes. Every time it does the Grim Reaper will go to a student and mark them as dead. That student is not allowed to speak for the remainder of the day. This activity is supposed to show how many Americans die to drunk driving every year.
“Something like one person dies every 30 seconds in the U.S. because of drunk driving. If you reduce that down to the population of the school, you get one person every 30 minutes. This makes drunk driving appear more real to students,” said Rice.
Rice said all students are welcome to participate later this month; it is a free and fun way to remember that drugs and alcohol are a danger to everyone.
Regan Bartley
Forum Co-Editor
Love invokes curiosity
Ever since I was a young girl, I always dreamed of growing up and living my life like a fairy tale. My perfect life would be snuggled up next to my husband in our log cabin, cozied up next to the crackling fire, and sharing our dreams and aspirations.
When I was in fourth grade however, I witnessed my family split apart due to a bitter divorce. My parents told me just because my dad was moving out of our house did not mean he loved me any less, and it was not my fault. They said everything would work out and would be okay, but they did not mention that our loving family was now destroyed.
Since then, I have always been skeptical of the meaning of true love and never understood the purpose of vowing to love and cherish, ’til death do us part if it is possible to break the promise. This is when I began to wonder if it is possible to be completely happy with one person and stay in love together for a lifetime. Does a special person like this really exist? Is there such thing as a soulmate? I have understood a soulmate to be the one and only person in the world to fit perfectly with another individual.
A soulmate is the one person who can help us see our dreams and hope they come true just as much as we do. I see a soulmate as someone to share our passions with and make us happy for the rest of our lives by being our other half. As I got older and began to dabble in the world of relationships, I have learned there are several important relationships I share with people that grow every day. These are with my friends, family, God, teachers, co-workers, and the everyday stranger, yet I am staggered by the on going curiosity of the ideal mate. I started to believe a soulmate to be not just our one true love, but a person you can feel a soul connection with. I feel that you can have a connection with anyone, whether it is during a passing conversation with a stranger at your local coffee shop, or the feeling of falling in love.
As I have learned more about other beliefs of a soulmate and experienced many myself, I decided a soulmate can be any of these examples. I think we can have many soul connections with people through out our lives. If we feel loved and comfortable to be our complete selves around another being then we have a soul connection. If we can express ourself and show unconditional love towards them. I feel that is the epitome of a soulmate.
We all have the intrinsic desire to connect to another being in such a way, but the journey is made when searching for who it will be. When you find them, you will know. It is just two halves looking to be made a whole.
“Couture in the country” with Alexandra Clark
Staff reporter
My best friend has this weird mentality that every situation is awkward. Literally, every situation even if it is not awkward, she will make it that way. She would rather die than introduce herself to someone she does not know, or even just ask for directions. The most menial things embarrass her so much that in fact, she will just abruptly walk away from a position that makes her un-comfortable. She is what I would call a wall-flower. She does not speak unless spoken to, is observant, and un-confrontational. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. I stick up for things I believe in, I call it how I see it, and I can talk to anyone. I am the definition of an extrovert while she is an introvert. So naturally, I decided that I should write a column on awkward situations that can provide an insight to those whether they prefer to conquer awkwardness head-on, or sit back and watch the collision from a safe distance.
A confusing combination
The sitch: you spot your friend’s dad at a nice restaurant. You have known him for years; he might as well be like an uncle. He appears to be wearing a dress shirt and tie, and is out for lunch with some friends. You approach him, and as he stands to greet you he evidently could not choose what to wear today because along with his nice top half his bottom half looks like it has been severed from another person’s body and sewn onto his. He is wearing jeans. Now this is an awkward situation for two reasons: one, you do not know whether to fist bump (he is in jeans), or shake his hand (he is in a dress shirt and tie). Two, you just made it double-awkward with that perplexed face you made at his inconsistent garb.
The way out: smile and make eye-contact quickly to reassure that no, you were not just internally gagging at his party-like- its -1999 jeans. At least he was not wearing mandals, but I digress. Anyways, the best way to tell whether he would like to be treated like a frat boy or a business proprietor is to take a quick peek at his shoes. If he is wearing dress shoes, shake his hand. If he is wearing sneakers, mentally say a prayer for this poor fashion-blinded soul, and go forth with the fist bump.
Name, name go away
The sitch: there is always that one person you see every day at school, work, church etc. that you can never remember their name for one reason or another. There is also going to be the inevitable awkward situation where you are forced to converse with this person. They approach, and time seems to be sloth-like. You are just staring into that familiar strangers face and see a big, question mark. The train has left the station, and it is not coming back. In fact, I think it decided to pick up the entire continent of China, so you better get pre-occupied, and fast. They are probably a foot away now, and you are looking for something, anything, to get you away from this confrontation. Of course, there are none of your friends in sight, so my friend, this is where you grin and bear it.
The way out: the most obvious thing to do would be to whip out your mental file of generic names. Personally, I am just weird, so I like to use duder, fooler, or I just say “yo-yo yiggity- yo”. That does not necessarily mean I have forgotten your name either, I just enjoy saying that. Guys like to say “brah” which is just confusing on the whole, and I prefer to just skip that entirely because frankly, why would anyone refer to anyone else as lingerie? However, this may not be someone you can just be informal with on the spot. It could be a boss, a mentor, a distant relative, or to underclassmen, a senior. To this I say simply say hello and immediately bring up something that is visible on them. Whether that is a nice blouse, killer Steve Maddens, or an interesting piece of jewelry.
First date fate
The sitch: you except an invitation to a date with someone who seems cool, you just are not too sure about. As the date progresses, things are going in a sketchy direction. They avoid eye contact at all costs, and even whip out a picture of their pet guinea pig that is wearing a sweater. If it were me, that would be a deal breaker but for some, this might be the beginning. After awhile they start squealing, burping, screaming, crying, and chant the 10 commandments. This is where you might want to consider leaving, and quickly. With a scene this obscene, even Reno 911 would have trouble putting it on the air. You grab your belongings, and as just as you are about to escape, a beverage knocks over into your lap, spilling its contents like an over-active bladder.
The way out: First of all, I hope you have previously invested in a Tide To Go Pen. Girl, guy, sloth, whatever you are-you need one. It is so small it can fit inside almost any purse, knap-sack, or pocket. It can be taken anywhere and is a savior in situations like these. Not only does it allow for a speedy-recovery with its quick dry abilities, it lasts a good amount of time, unless you are a danger prone Daphne. A Tide To Go Pen may not be able to sop up Niagra Falls obviously, but is still useful for other smaller slips and spills. Anyways, if you have a jacket I would tie that around your waist for the time being, so that people do not think you pulled a Fergie. If a jacket is not available, I would assume space behind someone else exiting the building so that on-lookers have a hard time seeing your spill. It is a temporary fix, and if you have time you could even go to the bathroom to use the hand drier, but I am assuming you are trying to get out of their using cheetah-like speed.
With any awkward situation, there is a less awkward way out. Hopefully you will remember these tips to beat the awkward and topple it with confidence.
