trojaneertrojaneerCenter Grove High School Vol. XLX, Issue 92.25.11

CG students receive national honor

byAbbiStiffeyNewsWriter

byRonniMeierNewsWriter

-CG runners prepare for indoor track season. (page 7)

-Texting in class: a constant debate (page 2)

-Boys basketball hopes to break sctional drought (page 8)

Hasn’t it seemed like the con-struction on 135 has been going on forever now? Many students would agree that

this “quick fix” is taking way too long to be completed. The traffic going out of school down 135 is continuously backed up and the potholes make this a dangerous drive to and from school. “The construction needs to get done! It has just been sitting there and there are a lot of potholes,” junior Tyler Rich said. The narrow roads have been a hazard for many as they try to commute down 135. Many people have stopped taking 135 all together and changing their routes. “I switched to Morgantown R. from 135 because the conditions were so bad. Driv-

ing down 135 is a pain in the butt,” Senior Thomas Hueb-ner said. I have person-ally switched my route to take Fairview to Morgantown because of how bad 135 has gotten. Yes, the

weather has been quite unpredictable this winter, but every time I drive past, I see no one working. Students are not the only ones experiencing the stress and pain of the construction; teachers are as well. “I don’t drive on 135 between the hours of 4:30 to 7:00 intentionally,” Social Stud-ies teacher Eric Howe said. Some teachers choose to not drive on the road no matter what.

“I avoid 135 at all costs,” Spanish teacher Adam Gaff said. “ I think it will be a long time until it is finished.” When all is said and done this fixing up of 135 will be a definite plus for transpor-tation from Greenwood to Bargersville. “Even though the construction and driv-ing is bad right now, the outcome will be much better. There will be less traffic with the wider lanes,” Senior Austin Astrike said. “Even though 135 is annoying right now, the pay off will be worth it,” English teach-er Ms. Katie Rice said. Gaff has a slightly

more sarcastic outlook on the situation. ‘When it is finished, one day in 2020, it will be worth it,” Gaff said. Many of us agree that construction, the pot holes, and dangers on 135 is a hassle, but we are also hoping that the new and improved road will create smoother traf-fic flow and help with school traffic. 135 is a majorly used road in our community and with most of it torn up, many people are not happy. Maybe, just maybe before this year’s freshman class graduates, it will be completed.

They have poured over books and dedicated the hours. Now these two CG students are receiving an early payoff. The National Merit Board recently notified Nick Roeder and Sam Hine that they were National Merit finalists. To be eligible for this prestigious award, the NMB looks mainly at PSAT scores. Since their scores were high enough, Roeder and Hine became semi-finalists. They then proceeded to the essay and application process. Now, they wait. By default, they automatically re-ceive $2,500. If Hine or Roeder are one of the winners, however, they receive money from either the college they plan to attend or through a company grant. “This award is another way to provide the means for college. Free money is always good,” Hine said. Both of these students are, not only extremely committed to their work, but also highly involved in extracurricular activities. Nick is a part of the Academic Team and the Brain Game, as well as a captain for the robotics team. Sam participates in fencing. “Nick has always been a mainstay. He wears his intelligence well, and is extremely loyal and humble about his academic achievements,” AP English 12 teacher, Jerry Maguire said. Maguire has gotten the chance to work closely with both Roeder and Hine, and had nothing but positive things to say about the two. “Sam is a deep thinker. He has a gentle soul, and would never fight with a pointed

blade. He likes to know things and learn things,” Maguire continued. Next year, Hine plans to attend Indiana Uni-versity and major in Microbiology. Roeder will rival him, as he plans to attend Purdue Univer-sity and major in Engineering.

Though the award will benefit the two, the school benefits in reputation. “Having two National Merit Fi-nalists is a great compliment to the entire school corporation. It shows that these students have great academic promise and gives a good indicator that they will succeed in post-secondary schooling,” Shockley said. While many would base their success on their own efforts,

Roeder recognizes other sources. “Center Grove does a great job preparing its students for standardized testing, like the PSAT. All that remains is for the students to do their beset and score well,” Roeder said. Roeder and Hine certainly have scored well. Hopefully in the next couple months, they will find out their academic accomplishments have paid off even more.

photos by Hannah Furrow

Roeder and Hine strike classic philosopher poses outside their Honors Calculus class

“Having two Nation-al Merit Finalists is a great compliment to the entire school

corporation.”-Principal Matt

Shockley

The seemingly endless construction on 135 has brought traffic and turmoil for many in

the CG community

“I switched to Mor-gantown Road from

135 because the conditions were so bad. Driving down 135 is a pain in the

butt.”-SeniorThomas

Huebner

135 causes flat tireOn Saturday February 5th, Seniors Sarah Francis and Rebecca Miller were travel-ing north on 135 when Fran-cis struck an inevitable pot hole near Marsh. Within mo-ments the two realized that Francis’ tire had been blown out by the impact. Francis and Miller were forced to pull over into Olive Branch Manor and await the arrival of Fran-cis’ father. “It was basically impossible to avoid oncoming traffic and all the potholes,” Francis said. The entire or-deal cost Francis emotional strain, and a new tire.

2NewsNews the trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011

byTylerSykesNewsWriter

byAbbiStiffeyNewsWriter

The moment has come for all to discover their future soul mate. Yes, Center Grove, Data Match is finally here. After having filled out a ques-tionnaire in STAR, each per-son will be matched to others throughout ones grade as well as the entire student body based on compatibility. Results will be sold during lunch periods within the next couple weeks. Junior class officers are in charge of the romantic festivi-ties. Profits will go towards this year’s prom at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Lucas Matney, junior class

president, expresses his thoughts on the fundraiser. “Data Match is a great way to see what similarities you share with other students at CG. You might not get an engagement ring, but you could find your companion for future long walks on the beach,” Matney said. After participating in the Data Match frenzy in years past, some anxiously await their moment of truth. Junior Presleigh Hobbs plans on participating in Data Match this spring. “It is just a fun activity and the money goes to a great cause. It’s fun to see who you’re paired up with,” Hobbs said. Although some students are

byLindseyWinneroskiNewsWriter

“These walls were not meant to shut out problems. You have to face them. You have to live the life you were born to live.” This quote from the renowned play The Sound of Music exem-plifies the goals and aspirations of every Center Grove drama cast member performing this spring. For drama and arts ap-preciators, the CG theatre will be producing and performing the Howard Lindsay great, The Sound of Music. Science teacher Danielle My-ers, Nick Person, and Shaun Mcilquham are in charge of the upcoming play. “The Sound of Music is an clas-sic American pastime. With the incredible cast we have here, there is no doubt we will put on a pleasing performance,” Mcilquham said.

All three directors have con-ducted numerous successful productions in the past and are hoping to do the same for The Sound of Music. Playing the lead role of Maria, senior Gretchen Mann has high hopes for the upcoming play. “It’s a lot of pressure playing such an important role. Julie Andrews did an outstanding job in the original musical. I have such big shoes to fill but I will do my best,” Mann said. In cahoots with Mann, senior Brandt Smith will perform as Captain Von Trapp, the leading male role. “The whole cast has been work-ing so hard. With our great di-rectors and hardworking cast, the play will be amazing. Ev-eryone should come watch it,” Smith said. Another production contribu-tor, senior Andrew Gudeman,

provided some insight about the play’s process. “It’s been a thrill working with such a great staff and wonder-ful performing core. Expect big things from the CG Drama Department,” Gudeman said. Gudeman, a virgin performer, feels that this form of expression trumps all others. “I can be myself without fear of harassment from my peers when I’m up on the stage. I’m so free,” Gudeman said. For those who have never wit-nessed the musical greatness known as The Sound of Music, it is a musical accounting the story of a nun-in-training (Ma-ria) living with a wealthy family in 1930’s Austria. Maria must endure seven children who are rather mischievous in nature. But the children and the govern-ess eventually develop a strong loving bond.

Seniors Gretchen Mann (left) and Brandt Smith (above) will being playing the lead roles in this years spring production. The Center Grove Theatre Department will be putting on The Sound of Music the first weekend in May. photo by Jes-sica Edelman

The halls are alive with the sound of music

curious as to their results, others are not sold on the idea of stan-dardized love tests so to speak. “I already have a boyfriend,” senior Carly Morris said. “There is no real point to it. I don’t think these tests actually work.” For some, high school crushes and cafeteria romance have not made the cut. “I am on the fast track out of high school. I sincerely doubt my love connection is here at Cen-ter Grove High School,” Senior Tabitha Bolen said. Only when the results envelope is opened will one see their fate. For some, the stars may align. For the rest, there is always Data Match next year.

Return of Data Match kindles romance at Center Grove

“When students are texting, they’re probably not paying at-tention or participating in what’s going on in class,” teacher John Frank said. High school students these days are much more connected to their cell phones compared to even one year ago. They are of-ten times too involved, and they bring their texting habits to the classroom. “It shows disrespect towards the teacher, “ senior Thomas Huebner said. No wonder respect was one of the key points during last year’s RSVP meetings. Maybe it’s for the fun or the adrenaline rush while trying to avoid detection by the teacher. Students at Center Grove use a variety of different tactics in or-der to text during class. Whether it’s hiding their phones in their pockets or openly texting in front of an unconcerned teacher. A student shares his advice on how not to get caught. “I usually have my phone at the side of my leg,” junior Ryan Kin-naird said, explaining how he gets away with it. Other students said that they keep their phones in their purse or right under their desk. Many Center Grove students have noticed that recently, there has been an increase in cell cov-erage at the school. Students can now send texts in many parts of the basement and rooms where they previously could not. “We get more service compared to last year,” sophomore Abby Long said. Although students rarely get caught; when they do, it is usual-ly an embarrassing experience. “It was really embarrassing, and I’m really careful in that class now,” an anonymous stu-dent said when recalling their experience of getting caught in class. “Teachers will stare you down until you put it away,” Huebner said. “Students have to make up ex-cuses to get away with it when

the teacher asks,” junior Scott Musgrave said. Once the teacher has caught a student, their face will turn bright red and they will begin stuttering while answer-ing the teacher’s questions about why they were texting in class in-stead of paying attention. A great deal of effort is put into texting during class. One might be able to argue that some (not all) students actually try harder to text than they do at home-work. The amount of time teens spend in front of a two-inch screen is many times more than the time they spend studying. “A high school student prob-ably has around 10 or 11 hours a day to text, so when they’re at school, they can be spending that time putting forth effort,” Frank said. American teens send 1 billion text messages per day (accord-ing to a 2008 study), and its no wonder many of those are sent during school. The effects of this generation’s texting habits are yet to be seen, but many “ex-perts” will say the future is not going to be pretty. To curve this decline in aca-demics and rise in texting, Frank proposed a 12-step addiction recovery program that would be similar to an alcoholic’s anony-mous course. That might sound extreme but it would be better than another great depression in America’s future. Sometimes though, as many students have noticed, teacher’s themselves will join in the tex-ting fun during class time such as when students are taking a test or during STAR. “My teacher texts all the time in my STAR class, and he doesn’t care at all,” another anonymous student said. Well if that doesn’t say any-thing about the corruption in the school when it comes to the tex-ting rules, then what will? The bottom line is the major-ity of students text in class and that’s not going to stop any time soon. Oh well, maybe the joy of texting is worth it.

VincentWilliamsNewsWriter

“The redesign committee was formed because we cannot have a building addition and changes need to be made to keep the school functioning as it grows,” principal secretary Amy Warner said. Warner is one of the many people on the committee. “It is group of Center Grove teachers and support staff,” Warner said. “There is also a group of students who made a list of what they thought could be improved around the school.” The students then gave their list to the group of faculty. “After the students made their list, the group of faculty mem-bers met and made a list of what we thought could be changed,” Warner said. “The main thing is the cafeteria.” The designs call for many changes to the cafeteria where Center Grove students eat every day.

“The kitchen will stay in the same spot,” Warner said. “We will get new fridges and freez-ers, which needed to be replaced and other kitchen equipment.” Currently, the Center Grove cafeteria has five lines and a lunch kiosk. “We will go to seven lunch lines and the tray return will be moved more to the center of the cafeteria,” Warner said. The tray return is currently next to the Hall of Excellence, and the Sweet Shop. The cafete-ria has two microwaves, which are used fairly often. “We would get more micro-waves,” Warner said. While the cafeteria is the main concern, it was not the only change proposed. “Some of the other things that were proposed are painting around the school, like murals,” Warner said. “Also re-carpeting, getting more white boards, and re-lighting some classrooms.”

The referendum failing last year will not have a huge impact on the financial aspect of the project. “The money is coming from the New Tech fund, since we didn’t do New Tech, we have some extra money,” Warner said. “Some of the other money is coming from our capital fund.” The capital fund is one of the six funds the state sets up for schools. “The state has six different funds for schools,” Warner said. “Schools cannot take money from one fund and put it an-other, it is against state law.” While the referendum failed, the other funds still have money we can use. “The capital fund is for build-ing projects,” Warner said.

Committee draws prints for a better CG

Inbox Overload:photo by Jenna Verite

3 OpinionOpinionthe trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011

byAlecDietzOpinion Writer

trojaneerContact InformationMailing Address: 2717 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood, IN 46143

Phone: (317) 881-0581, Ext. 4175

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PurposeThe Trojaneer is a student-run publication distributed to faculty and staff at Center Grove High School with a press run of 2,400 copies. The Trojaneer strives to provide the Center Grove community with timely, factual, entertaining, and relevant information in an unbiased fashion, The paper serves as a public forum. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necesarily those of Center Grove High School nor the Center Grove Community School Corporation’s faculty, staff or administration.

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Editors in Chief:

Managing Editor

Page Editors:

Photo EditorBusiness MgrWebsite Mgr

Photographers:

Staff Writers:

Craig LotzBen WhiteheadLindsey Winneroski

Ben BaconLucas MatneyBecky Miller

Hannah FurrowShawna MillerJulie Joson

Rileigh CoxHannah Duke

Mackenzie DeanElaina MellotChris CollinsKeaton WrightMatt SaundersAlec DietzVincent WilliamsAllison ChamberlainLuke CalvertMackenzie ThompsonSavannah Lorentzen

Trish BartonMariah Hester

Jessica EdelmanZach Whitehead

Jessica GottliebTyler SykesHannah MorganRonni MeierAlex JabreNick MarleyDelaney BurnettAbbi StiffeyScott SuttonKristen Southern

byMattSaundersOpinion Writer

This summer I climbed a 14,200 ft mountain, “jeeped” in the desert, pooped in the woods, watched the sunrise in the desert, slept under the stars 14 days in a row, rarely showered,

swam in the Colorado river, understood what John Denver meant by Rocky Mountain high, yelled into a canyon, slid down a glacier, camped in the backwoods, chilled with Mr. Scanlan, wandered around Boulder, looked at bear scat, felt like Kerouac, and experienced beauty and tranquility in nature that is indescribable on the Rocky Mountain Trojan Trip. Completely worth the price of admission were the western stars. At night you take your sleeping bag and lay out beneath the Milky Way, I’m talking hundreds and hundreds of stars. Every two minutes you see a shooting star blaze across the sky. The whole scene in front of you is surreal. Everything out west feels bet-ter. The air and water taste and feel cleaner. Even the people who live out west seem to have a simpler and happier outlook on life, and are all connected to nature. You wake up in the morning with the feeling that you are going to see and experience something amazing that day. Everyday is a new location, park, campsite, climate, elevation, town, and experience. It was prob-ably the high elevation but there always seemed to be a feeling of relaxation and ecstasy. Everything seemed right. I didn’t have a phone, TV, or computer, and it was liberating. I had no contact with my old life and I didn’t care. Nature and hiking are a huge part of this trip, but often times even bigger was the students and teachers who went on the trip. Twenty students and six teach-ers; people with different personalities, interests, and backgrounds all came together to form a family. I went into this trip knowing only a few people but everyone seemed to come together and offer something uniquely different. Space Camp and Washington D.C always come to mind when talking about a school trip. But RMT was a completely different mindset. What comes to mind when you think of a school trip will never be

the same after RMT. When I got back from the Rocky Mountain Trip there was this lingering feeling that didn’t go away for a long time. The first night home I went outside and looked up at the five stars and twenty airplanes Indiana’s sky has to offer and sighed. If you have ever had the classic teenage notion that you are living in the wrong place, you are correct. Which asks the even bigger question how could anyone who grew up in Center Grove stay in Center Grove? The point is that everyone needs to travel and experi-ence something differ-ent besides Greenwood. All I want to say this that I had a blast on the Rocky Mountain Trojan Trip and that everyone needs to travel out west.

Cynicism Speaks:

Here in “the land of the free”, it’s easy to go about our day without any awareness of what is happening outside of our borders. But the recent protests and revolutions in

the Middle East and North Africa are captivating us all. In the last few months, two dictators have been overthrown, hundreds of protestors have been killed, a revolutionary movement is building momentum… and it all started with one man. On December 17, a Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi was publicly humiliated when city officials beat him and took all of his earnings. Bouazizi went straight to the governor’s office to complain, but they refused to hear him. So he went outside the build-ing, covered himself in gasoline, and set himself on fire. He died in a hospital eighteen days later. Not surprisingly, people were angered by this event. Protestors took to the streets, and violence quickly spread throughout the country fueled by anger towards the corrupt government. On January 14, President Ben Ali fled Tunisia, ending his twenty-three-year dictator-ship. The following week, Egyptians followed suit by starting protests of their own in many cities. In only a few days, millions of people were flooding the streets of Cairo and the government was forced to react. President Hosni Mubarak fired many of his officials, but protests only grew and he was forced to resign. Now the military controls the country and has promised open elections by the end of the year.Tunisia and Egypt are heading in the right direction, but both nations are extremely unstable. They are the first two to have regime changes so far, and others are following. The most violent of the movements is taking place in Libya. There, protesters have taken over the

second-largest city and are resisting the brutal tactics used by dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. Many govern-ment officials and military personnel have defected to the anti-government side of the fight, and Gaddafi’s thirty-year reign is on the brink of ending. Demonstrations also continue against oppressive governments in Yemen, Iran, Syria, Morocco, Bahrain, Algeria and elsewhere. All across the region, public anger is turning into action. People in these countries are tired of dictatorship, and they demand change. In each protest, people are calling for the leader to step down so a new constitution can be adopted and free elections established. Americans should support these movements. After all, we had a similar experience here in 1776. These protests are ongo-ing, and many more revolu-tionary changes are bound to happen in the coming weeks. But much can be learned from the events we have already wit-nessed. Cer-tainly we can

learn from Mohamed Bouazizi and other martyrs who have sacrificed their lives to take down dictators and bring their people closer to democracy. We should see the desperation of people like Bouazizi and realize how lucky we are to be born into a free country. One man’s action sparked this entire movement, but how far can it go? Will all of the protests be as successful as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, or will the people be si-lenced? The world is watch-

ing and hoping that one day the Arab world

will be free.

A NEW DAWNDemocracy on the horizon in the Arab world

4FeaturesFeatures the trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011

It’s hard to miss that colossal red Tahoe in the parking lot. Unless they’ve seen the sticker on the back window, kids might expect some burly farm boy to hop out of that truck. The sticker isn’t a foot-ball helmet though. It’s a megaphone, and it reads: Chelsea Smith. Why would this oh-so petite blonde cheerleader need such horsepower? The answer is simple. She has plenty to haul

around. Smith cheers for Center Grove’s Var-sity squad during the football and the basketball season, cheers competitively at Perfect 10, and if it weren’t for the loss of CG’s Gymnastics program, she’d be doing that as well (This is the first year that she has not done gymnastics since she was six years old). What most people don’t know is that

in addition to all that tumbling, she shows horses at the Johnson County Fair. “This past sum-mer she did horse stuff, but she never really talks about it,” junior Hope Dahl said. Smith has been involved in 4-H for nine years, gaining inter-est due to her brother’s involve-ment. “My brother was doing 4-H and was

showing a cow and I love animals,” Smith said. “I always wanted to show. My grandma has always had horses.” The horse that Smith shows is her own, but stays at her grandmother’s barn. “She’s got a register name that is a little racey,” Smith said. “It’s One Hot Mistress, but we call her Tess.” Tess is a seven year-old quarter horse. The Smith family considers Tess’s hair to be black, but say that it appears brown in the sunshine. “She is fairly versatile,” Smith said. “I used to ride only Western but this past year was my first year doing English.” Western and English are two different styles of riding. English is a more proper style, and the saddles, tack, and outfits

are also different. Smith has not always shown horses. In second grade, she was in mini 4-H and showed a pig. She made posters of animals also. “The summer before my 6th grade year I did pumpkin muffins and gift-wrapping,” Smith said. “I had to have someone else exhibit the two goats I was supposed to show, but

unfortunately I was in the hospital with appendicitis.” Despite the demands of juggling cheerleading and 4-H, Smith is an excellent student. In fact, she’s one of the newest members of National Honor Society. “Chelsea is a very hard working student and always tries to do her best,” Dahl said. Dahl and Smith have

known each other since elementary school, but have become close friends this year, spending more time together at school and youth group. “We’ve gotten closer because my sister left for college this year and she’s been a sister to me,” Dahl said. As friends, Smith and Dahl have helped each other grow spiritually. Smith always strives for good grades. And with her hard work, she’s growing to be a better athlete with each practice. But Smith won’t stop there; her latest goal is to teach herself and her horse how to jump. It’s a lot of work, but she’s always striving to better herself.

byHannahMorganFeatures Writer

Chelsea has been involved in 4-H for 9 years. Photos courtesy of the Smith family

Chelsea is a fall and winter varsity cheer-leader.

With so many different options of extracurricular activities at Center Grove, many students find their own niche and discover an activity that fits them. Some compete in sports, perform in choir or band, or find art as their gift. Rarely will you find someone like junior Taylor Shireman who is talented in athletics as well as the arts.

“For three years I have been playing varsity softball at Center Grove and I am the pitcher,” Shireman said. Competitive softball has been a major part of Shireman’s life. Much time and effort has been poured into her passion for softball. It has taken her around the United States and possibly made her eligible for a college scholarship. “I play for a travel team that is in Ken-tucky so I travel a lot,” Shireman said. After many years of practice and

time spent playing the sport, Shireman has con-cluded that pitcher is her favorite and most suitable position. “I like playing pitcher because it is exciting and it’s always

in the action,” Shireman

said. Besides fulfilling her love of action and sport, softball has opened doors to meet-ing new people. “My favorite part of softball has been making friends on my teams and enjoy-ing the game,” Shireman said. Like many student athletes, Taylor spends her time off the field getting her school work done, maintaining good grades and socializing with friends. If there is any time left after these activi-ties, Taylor sometimes finds time for her other area of talent – art. “I draw and paint, but, my favorite type of art is painting landscapes,” Shireman said. “If you make a mistake, all you have to do is paint over it,” Shireman said. In her life, art is a hobby that provides a complimentary contrast to her athletic aptitude. “The best thing about art is that it is really relaxing,” Shireman said. During school, art class has been a comforting way to get away from a hectic day. “The environment is relaxed, we get to talk and there is always music playing,” Shireman said. She found this relaxing hobby when she joined art club in fifth grade.

“I got good at art after I joined art club; before then I actually wasn’t that great, Shireman said. Shireman has come a long way since the art club where she discovered her hobby. She has one honorable mention as well as placing in the highly com-petitive art show at Center Grove. Her well-rounded talents in both softball and art have attracted many colleges to Shireman. “I am pretty positive that I want to play softball in college and minor in art,” said Shireman. She is working hard and contacting college coaches to achieve this great goal. By minoring in art she hopes to keep her hobby present in her life. However, Shireman’s long-term ambition is some-thing different than softball or art. “I have always been interested in and wanted to become a dentist,” Shireman said. Commitment and dedication has led Shireman to success in many different aspects in life. There are many decisions to be made about her future but for now she is focused on the present. “For now I am deciding what college I want to go to and seeing where my inter-ests lead me,”Shireman said.

Varsity athlete expresses creative side in drawing and painting

byMackenzieDeanFeatures Writer

This drawing was made for Taylor’s Advanced Drawing class with Mr. Jones. Photo by Tommy Payne, Former Photo Editor

“I’ve always had a love for theater,” said Danielle Meyers biology teacher, new drama club instructor, and director of Center Grove upcoming musical The Sound of Music. Though she has only started being the head-director this year, Meyers has had plenty of experience in theater from classes to even help-ing former director Kathleen Kersey in productions. Before being the director for the two plays this year, Unhealthy to be Unpleasant and The Sound of Music, Meyers had helped productions of You Can’t Take it With You, Singing in the Rain, and Joseph and the Amazing Tech-nicolor Dreamcoat. She has not had any training prior to these produc-tions, but has enrolled in classes for directing this year. Much of Meyers’ knowledge in theater comes from her personal

enjoyment of performance. “I enjoy any type of live performance from music, to theater, to comedy,” Mey-ers said. She also performed, herself, in high school. “I enjoyed acting, but I was always terri-fied to sing alone, which was why I liked being a part of the chorus,” Meyers said. Though starting out as a new director after the success of past Center Grove plays might be stressful, students find her to be productive and a great director. “She had big shoes to fill,” said senior Luke McNamee, “and she filled them

well.” Though her

techniques are a different ap-

proach from their past di-rector, she works well with the students in motivat-

ing them to prepare for

the plays. One challenge

Meyers has faced is finances for the production. She has overcome this obstacle through fund-raising with the Drama Club. “A lot of our fund-raising was hit hard last semester through dine-to-donate, car washes, and other things like that,” Meyers said. “Also, the candy sales have been going really well. We’ll defi-nitely do that again next year.” When choosing a musical for Center Grove, Meyers was searching for a play that could fit the school well. “I wanted to find a show with a big cast,” Meyers said. “I wanted it to be recognizable, fun, and energetic. The Sound of Music seems best to fit because it’s got a little bit of everything; it’s fun, has drama, and intensity. Plus, it doesn’t require a choreographer, which helps with the budget.” The musical is very well-known, making it difficult to portray in a high school setting. However, Meyers plans on keeping the basic story of the play and not change it too much. “I want to keep it pretty traditional. It’s a historical musical on the Von Trapp family and their life, so it can’t

be changed too much,” Meyers said. “I think I can speak truly in calling it an American classic, and it’ll be good clean fun for families.”

“[Meyers] has big shoes to fill, and she filled

them well.”--Senior Luke McNamee

New theatrical director steps up to the plate with “The Sound of Music”byElainaMellottFeatures Writer

Meyers has always enjoyed live per-formance. Photo by Jessie Edelman

are. “This show was much more polished at the end. The end seemed a lot smoother and classy looking than be-fore. The dancing seemed sharper, clearer and stron-ger,” Ronna Flynn, parent of Joel Flynn (Sound System) said. For the seniors in Sound System, they will be missed dearly. As they will miss show choir too. Many of them spent their years in high school being apart of such an ex-cellent group. Making most of their friends from there. Yet when they come back for the shows, they can see how each year the show grows. “Best of the Midwest is always fun for all of us because we all love to perform and we wouldn’t be in choir if we didn’t love to perform. And right when you go on stage, all the other choirs that competed that day are in the au-ditorium cheering for us, and it makes us want to per-form that much better,” Stanish said. “I will miss hosting choirs from all over Indiana, and having fun with my friends. Best of the Midwest is the best way to get to know other people and get closer with your friends. I will truely miss it when I move on with my life,” Mann said. The biggest fundraiser of the year for the choral de-partment passed this weekend. Each New Year seems to bring a bigger, better, more interesting show than the last. Each choir always brings it.

5 EntertainmentEntertainmentthe trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011

BEST OF THE MIDWESTWith the first show starting at 7:45, SuSo, the Best of the Midwest, BOMW, competition begins. SuSo is CG’s jv small mixed choir. They perform at 3 different competitions during the year, and also shows put on by CG itself. With the first show of the day being SuSo, you saw many other parents in the audience waiting to see their kids before. “SuSo was really entertaining. They could have been louder though. Their costumes were beautiful. Jake Clark was exceptional, people like him are the people who make the choir stand out,” Jennifer Johnson, Mooresville parent said. Choreographed by Andy Haines, directed by Jennifer Dice and Christopher Pratt one of the finest, trend set-ting, highest achieving women’s group comes the DEBT-ONES (Make this pop out or sparkle). “I think it went very well. They are talented great young ladies. I also think they adapted very well to the last minute changes,” Andy Haines, Choreographer said. Students from higher choirs such as Sound System even thought they did an incredible job. “The Debtones always do their best when they perform. They are so clean all the time, and they work very hard to get their show close to perfect. I feel like the Debs al-ways have a fantastic show every single time,” Gretchen Mann, Senior, Sound System said. Then there is always the memories of the past Debt-ones, who watch the show to see how they do. “The Debtones always have a great performance. I was in Debtones the previous 2 years and was dance captain last year. Being in Debtones was so fun, and it’s always good to watch them perform because they really know how to bring it,” Mariel Stanish, Senior, Sound System said. Even Debtones members thought pretty highly of them-selves with this performance. “I thought we did good, even though we were nervous. Our choreographer we in the audience and judging,” Courtney Clemments, Debtones, Sophmore said. “We had made a lot of last minute changes before to-night. I thought we did well for changing things yester-day,” Ashley Goye, Debtones, Junior said.PRESENTING: CG SOUND SYSTEM The group everyone comes to see would be CG Sound System. This group is well-known nationally for always knowing how to bring it. For as much as they rocked the stage, the past week was full of different changes in the show. They even learned a new ballad, because the other one just wasn’t working.

“I thought the performance went very well. The past week, during Andy week, we changed so much of our show. I was scared that the group would not have re-membered any of the changes, but it was successful,” Mann said. Other students from different groups also thought highly of Sound System. “I thought Sound System did a wonderful job perform-ing. I know that they also changed a lot this week, and I think that the changes they made a huge difference. I think that all of the choirs did fantastic jobs,” Jillian Fledderman, Debtones, Freshman said. Best of the Midwest has been going on for 23 years now, and each year alumni come back to see it get better and better. “I was in Sound System for the first Best of the Midwest. Back then it was completely different than it is now. I was impressed with their vocal quality while putting on such an amazing show. It was excellent. It brings back a lot of good memories,” Andrie Hine, CG Alumni said. With every choir, comes the “choir parents.” These women and men are what make a show go on. Even if they aren’t as involved as some, these parents show up for every show and drive them to rehearsal and perfor-mances. These are the important people of show choir, they are what make it really happen. With every choir kid, come the parents that are just as dedicated as they

The Center Grove Pep Band recently enjoyed another great season. Meet-ing for their first practice on November 23, this group of 80 or so students began working on songs for this year. They learn about 20 songs per sea-son, with about 5 rotating into and out of the collection each year. They played at 10 home basketball games this year, performing during both the boys and girls games. They play primarily before the game and during halftime. They also perform during timeouts and at the end of the game. The Pep Band premiered their talent this year when the Lady Trojans faced the Terre Haute North Patriots. This was a successful performance, as the band enjoyed playing and impressed the crowd. Typically, the Pep Band would play at least 15 or so of their songs per game, although they often played all 20. During closer games like Carmel or Lawrence North, the band was kept busy what with all the timeouts near the end. They pulled out everything in their arsenal. In contrast, the band was not overly busy during games that were not so close in score. In blow out games, such as the game against Mooresville, there were hardly any timeouts called in the second half, so they seldom played. Having only 6 practices for a total of 10 performances, the band is capable of performing quite an impressive spread of music. They play everything from the school song to Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.” Always a crowd favorite, they also perform Journey’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin’.” When the Pep Band is not busy playing entertaining music, they are often one of the loudest cheering sections in the stands. They support their fellow students on the court and enjoy being a part of the crowd. Upper-classmen in the band traditionally lead cheers. Most notably leading the cheering for this year’s pep band were seniors Blake Wilde and Hope Tambala. Blake Wilde, senior and 4-year member of the Pep Band, says that he likes being a part of Pep Band because “we get to watch the basketball games, and the music that we play is really enjoyable, and we all know each other well so we get to socialize and hang out.” Wilde enjoys leading the Pep Band cheers, boasting his loud vocals. “I like cheering for the team, and just having team spirit.” Pep Band director Lapka says that one of the best parts of the Pep Band is that it is completely voluntary, so everyone who shows up wants to be there and wants to have fun. He says that it makes it fun to be with people who enjoy playing and who are there to have a good time. The Pep Band entertained the crowd at 10 different basketball games this

year, cheered loudly for their teams, and had a great time.

by SavannahLorentzenEntertainmentWriter

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” No, it’s not Christmas – it’s Oscar season, and quite a season it has been. Until the 83rd annual Academy Awards finally airs, here are my predictions as to who and what will walk away with an

Oscar on February 27th. Let’s see if any of you can outguess me... Best Actor: Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”Colin Firth has always been a fine actor, but this year he’s really taken a victory lap with his magnificent performance in “The King’s Speech.” The

unstoppable front-runner for the category – which also includes terrific work from Jeff Bridges (“True Grit”) and Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Net-

work”) – he richly deserves the coveted Oscar. Although it would be really ironic if he gave a beautiful acceptance speech, considering how his charac-ter in the film has a crippling fear of public speaking. Possible Upset: Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network”

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale – “The Fighter”Christian Bale has always been known to throw caution to the wind for every one of his roles, and he gives a very good performance as the crack-headed

has-been boxer Dicky Eklund in “The Fighter.” While not as masterful or subtly touching as Geoffrey Rush’s work in “The King’s Speech,” it is as-

tonishing to see how much Bale nailed the part when the film shows the real-life Eklund during the end credits. As a side note, it’s really nice to see underrated character actors like Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are

All Right”) and John Hawkes (“Winter’s Bone”) finally getting some recognition in this category. Possible Upset: Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech” Best Actress: Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”Natalie Portman’s performance in “Black Swan” is the achievement

of 2010 – it’s not only the most physically and emotionally demanding of the bunch, but it’s also as flawless, gorgeous, terrifying, and exhilarating as the film itself. It’s one of those mad genius types of performances that the Academy usually loves and it would be an absolute disgrace if they handed the Oscar to anyone else. Possible Upset: Annette Bening – “The Kids Are All Right” Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”Best Supporting Actress is inarguably the weakest of the acting categories – always has been, always will be – since usually the nominated performances are good but really not that amazing. Case in point: this year’s front-runner Melissa Leo for playing Mark Wahlberg’s belligerent mother in “The Fighter.” While it’s solid work, it really isn’t that remarkable when you consider the other nominees, including her co-star Amy Adams’ much more nuanced and complete performance. But she certainly has the (somewhat undeserved) accolades to back up an Oscar win. Possible Upset: Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit” Best Animated Feature: “Toy Story 3”The third animated film to ever receive a Best Picture nomination, “Toy Story 3” is an eye-popping delight from beginning to end and easily stands as one of the great family films of recent years. To ask if it deserves to win Best Animated Feature is like wondering if the sky is blue. Possible Upset: “How to Train Your Dragon”Best Director: David Fincher - “The Social Network”Despite the notable (and outrageous!) omission of Christopher Nolan for “Inception,” this year’s Best Director nominees are very strong indeed. Tom Hooper of “The King’s Speech” may swipe the prize riding off of his recent Directors Guild of America win, but I’ve still got my money on David Fincher for “The Social Network.” Masterfully directed and meticulously composed, “Network” showcases Fincher as a filmmaking force to be reckoned with and a truly compelling artist. Pos-sible Upset: “The King’s Speech” Best Picture: “The Social Network”The showdown for the top prize invariably comes down to two cinematic heavyweights and this year it all boils down to “The Social Network” vs. “The King’s Speech.” Examining the two of them is like comparing apples to apples; they’re both excellent films and are equally worthy of the title. “The King’s Speech” could very well win, as it is probably more of the classic and distinguishable type of film the Academy usually hands the Oscar to. Still, I’m going with “The Social Network,” a brilliant work of art that is without a doubt the most celebrated film of the year and truly de-serves to win the gold. But if I had my vote, I’d go with “Black Swan” – the best film of 2010 and an unforgettably haunting tour de force. Possible Upsets: “The King’s Speech,” “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “True Grit”

Pep Band performs at basketball games

by ChrisCollinsEntertainmentWriter

photo by Hannah Furrow

photo by Jessie Edelman

Who takes the gold?by AlexJabreEntertainmentWriter

Pep Band performs in the West Gym during the boys basketball game.

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7 SportsSportsthe trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011 cott’s port pot

byScottSuttonSports Columnist

S

They hit the mats hard this season and not one ounce of sweat was wasted as the CG Wrestlers ended their season with an incredible 21-3. Going into semi-state, at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, a record of nine guys competed: Michael Thomas, Anthony Schoettle, Nathan Carmichael, Dalton Wheeler, Zach Hayes, Spencer Hays, Sean Mappes, Brock Warner, and Chris Collins. Unfortunately, the dream ended there. “We had nine guys go to semi-state, the most in team history, but un-fortunately, no one made it to state. It was re-ally disappoint-ing, especially for the seniors, since we were expecting at least five to go to state,” Senior Spencer Hays said. In a weight class, a wrestler finds himself driving for top four. If a wrestler ranks top four at sectionals, he advances to regionals. Place top for at regionals and he will move on to Semi-State. If he

byRonniMeierSports Writer

A Disappointing End to an Otherwise Great Season for CG Wrestlers

places top four in semi-state, he advances to state. “Obviously we are all disappoint-ed. The biggest thing to focus on is continuing to improve and not dwelling on the past. We will have 12 returning start-

ers next season, so we have a lot to build on,” Coach Hoover said. Anthony Schoettle, a county and regional cham-pion in the 112-weight class, didn’t even get to compete because of a concussion. “It was really disappoint-ing to work hard all year and not get to compete at semi-state,” Schoettle said.

Even though the season ended with a sense of disenchantment, all of the wres-tlers worked hard and performed well for an overall great season, and the impact won’t be forgotten for many. “A lot of the people on the outside felt

that this would be a rebuilding season, but we finished with the highest ranking in the polls the wrestling team has ever had. That shows a lot about these boys char-acter,” Hoover said. Certainly, the

team rose above what was expected of them and the turnout of their season. The individuals on the team had to step up their game and never give up in order to achieve the success that they did. “Wresting has impacted my life far greater than anything else has. It’s by far the toughest sport to endure and the lessons learned won’t be forgotten. It’s made me tougher, and I can guarantee I’ll never quit anything because of it. Af-ter wrestling, everything in life is easier,” Hayes said. Although none of the wrestlers that went to semi-state made it to state, there was no shame to be found in the success of the team.

Everyone knows that kid in his or her class with the horrendously cut bleach blonde hair, smelling of chlorine. Of course I am referring to the fine young men and women of the swim team, a squad that has always produced a strong season, and receives little credit from their peers. I have great respect for swimmers because believe it or not, I have strapped on a Speedo and hit the swim lanes hop-ing this was my calling. As you can guess I was not meant for the pool, but I can attest to the amount of hard work and dedication necessary to become a great swimmer, and can only imagine that the workload increases as the caliber rises. I decided to attend the Girls State Swimming Finals a few weekends back, I thought simply to support a friend who was competing. But what I came to find was wasting $8 on a whole seat when all I truly needed was the edge. The inten-sity and excitement that come with 100-yard races is surprisingly intoxicating. Although Center Grove was not able to thieve the team state title from Carmel, the 25-time defending state champions, it was a valiant effort and made me re-spect the sport even more. As a side note, going to this event only made me realize how deeply and passionately I loathe Carmel. Not only do I appreciate the simple bliss that a thrilling race brings, but the winning tradition of the swim team is extremely impressive. A noteworthy achievement for the boys team are 26 consecutive sectional titles, including Grant Schwarz who won three different events at sectional. The boys team are sending four swimmers: Schwarz, Steven Godfrey, Rawley Davis, and Daniel O’Brien for individual events as well as three relay teams including. The team is also sending senior Dakoda Johnson to the Diving State Champion-ships. The girls have won numerous con-secutive Sectional championships, and swimmers Allie Day, Taylor Davis Emma Schoettmer, Haley Townsend, and Kris-ten Nunnelly and also diver Beth Haug all advanced to the state finals meet and all had strong finishes. With a school that brings in 2,000+ fans to watch a basketball team that has not won a sectional in over 15 years, I feel like we need to support such a strong program like this in seasons to come. No hard feelings to the basketball team, just trying to prove my point. In summation, swimming deserves much more credit than it is given at this school. I would easily say swimming is one of the top three most difficult sports ever, and a strong fan base is a necessity.

Showing Support for our Swimmers

Monday Feb. 14 is the official start of the 2011 indoor track season. Last year the Trojans placed 6 out of 8 at the Indoor Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) and this year they are hoping for 4 or better. The Lady Trojans placed 4 out of 8 at the meet and are hoping to repeat or place even better. At the Indoor State Meet Nick Stoner represented Center Grove by placing second in the boys’ 55-meter sprint with a time of 6.52 seconds, just .03 seconds off the winner. The Trojans placed sixth in the 4x400 and eighth in the 4x800. Senior Austin Mudd ran in both the 4x800 and 800 last at the MIC meet. He

placed fourth individually in the 800 and the team placed fifth in the 4x800. Based on last years performances, this season should be a success. The runners should do exceptionally well and prog-ress throughout the season. “I am looking forward to the indoor MIC and State Meets. They are each very competitive and prove to be an early test to our training. I would like to get PRs and help the team place as high as pos-sible,” Mudd Said. Tori Schoettmer placed fourth in the girls 800. Ariel Knafel and Jillian Reis-inger (both graduated) placed eleventh and thirteenth in the girls’ 55-meter sprint. Mackenzie Kitchel placed first in the Girls High Jump with a jump of 5 feet and 7 inches. Sydney Cute placed ninth in Girls Pole Vault with a height of 10 feet 6 inches.

Needless to say, the expectations for the season are nothing short of great.Junior, Parker Settler, is setting his goals high this track season. “This indoor season I am looking forward to asserting myself early as a competitive 800 runner. I am looking forward to the Indoor State Meet the most, specifically the 4x800 because we are hoping to win state. As an individual I would like to be 10th in the state and our team should definitely compete well this indoor season,” Settle said. In past years, the 4x800 has been the most competitive mid-distance race in track. At the MIC meet the Trojans placed fifth and this year they are hoping to place fourth or better. Senior Ryan Meyer is hoping to drop time to help the team reach the state meet. “This year I am looking forward to In-

Center Grove Indoor Track Season Prepares to Kick Off with High Expecations

door MIC and the 4x800. I am hoping to run a 2:04 800 and as a team I could see us being very competitive,” Meyer. Everyone seems to have high hopes for the season, but only time will tell how well the team does. However, setting the bar so high could leave the runners feeling a lot of pressure. Hopefully all that pressure will push them to put in all the time and hard work necessary to place well in competition. Surely, all the preparation that has went into the season will pay off and be recongnized at the MIC as well. “This year as a team I am wanting us to place 4 or better at indoor MIC. At Indoor State we are hoping to win the 4x800. That race is just so competitive that you can never know what is going to happen,” Distance Track Coach Howard Harrell said.

byNickMarleySports Writer

Girls Swimming Team Closes out the Season After a Great Performance at State While the Boys Team Prepares for State

The Center Grove Swimmers also known as “The Blondies” competed in the state swimming tournaments these past two weeks. The girls team moved past sectionals with ease and Center Grove High School had swimmers place in 11 state meet events. Senior Allie Day placed 3rd in the 200 Individual Medley, Kristen Nun-nelly placed 4th in the 500 free, Allie Day, Emma Schoettmer, Taylor Davis, and Haley Townsend placed 3rd in the 200 Medley Relay, and Emma Schoettmer placed 2nd in the 100 Breaststroke. The girls finished 3rd in the state finals as a team after last year’s 2nd place finish. ALthough they did not win state, many individuals on the team did extremely well in their events and made Center

Grove Swimming a force to be reckoned with. Carmel Girls team one state again for the 25th consecutive year. The Cen-ter Grove Men’s Swim team won sectionals for the 26th straight year, which is a state re-cord. Daniel O’Brien, Grant Schwarz, Rawley Davis, and Austin Dunn placed 1st in the 200 Medley Relay. Grant Schwarz also placed first in the 200 Individual Medley and in the 100 Breaststroke. Dakoda Johnson placed

first in diving. Rawley Davis and Daniel O’’Brien are freshmen who placed 1st in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke.

The Trojans who won their events in the sectional will compete in the state meet on Saturday, Febru-ary 26th at the famous IUPUI Natatorium. The trials will take place at 9 in the morning and then the

swimmers will race officially at 1 in the afternoon the same day. In order to win, it is imperative that people come out and support the Trojans this Saturday.

byKeatonWrightSports Writer

“And here are your CENTER GROVE TROJANS!” This is the first thing heard after stepping out of the locker room for the varsity basketball team. Although, not too many know of

what all goes on before they make their appearance on the hardwood floor. With school ending at 2:50, the seven seniors consisting of Andy Smeathers, Ben Whitehead, Davis Wentland, John Degenhardt, Jonny Marlin, Mark Kwiatkowski, and Tyler Gliesmann, and then a junior Joe Reed of the basketball team head to the locker room around three to change. Although, not changing for the game, but changing to do an abdominal workout to physically and mentally prepare themselves before the big night. After heading home for about an hour, most of the team heads to subway or another healthy restaurant to get some energy before the game and then returns to the high school. In case nobody ever knew, there is a varsity room inside the locker room which is only allowed to be used by the seniors and Joe and contains lockers and chairs for each player. Everyone then gets ready to go out on the floor for shoot around. Shoot around is a part of the pregame schedule used mainly for pumping up the team and intimidating the incoming team.As the song Black and Yellow blares over the speakers in the Vandy Gym, the players start to shoot around, or, as Smeathers, Reed and Gliesmann would call it, dunk around. While everyone else walks out shooting around with long-sleeved shirts on and their practice jerseys,

Marlin shoots around with just his practice jersey and shorts. Marlin, Whitehead and Kwiat-kowski do their usual guard moves and thirty-foot shots. Smeathers, Reed and Gliesmann use their athleticism and height and do different dunks to get mentally prepared, while Degen-hardt and Wentland attempt to dunk. Although, every move, shot or dunk Gliesmann does appears as if he does not care or wonders why in the world he is here. As the junior varsity game is ending, the elite eight start to focus in the locker room, with the music turned off once they are dressed and ready with their warm-ups on. While they are get-ting dressed, everyone does whatever their pregame routine may be. As for Marlin, he is the first one always dressed and sits in his chair focused with his hands folded staring at the floor. For the others, it goes from creating a clever handshake during starting lineups to not saying a word to anyone until it is time to take the floor. After the varsity team has taken the floor once, they all enter the locker room one last time before the start of the game to hear what Coach Hawkins has to say to prepare the team for what they are about to go up against. Nobody ever knows what Hawkins may say, that is if he says anything at all. Usually, the pre-game speech consists of a word about what the team has to do to get the job done and a short speech to get the team wound up but also alert. After Coach Hawkins says what he needed to say, the team breaks it down in a huddle, and then has a short prayer lead by Whitehead. Next thing heard, “and here are your CENTER GROVE TROJANS!”

Behind the scences with boys basketballbyZachWhiteheadSportsWriter

SportsSports the trojaneer

Friday, February 25, 2011

Tournament Time:

Record: 17-4Key Wins: Washington, Bloomington South, Law-rence NorthBad Losses: Terre Haute SouthKey Players: PG Jonny Marlin, SF Andy Smeathers, PF Joe Reed, F Tyler Glies-man, F/C John DegenhardtOutlook: According to most, CG is the favorite to win the sectional, but they need to overcome a history of falling short of expectations.

Center GroveRecord: 2-17Key Wins: HauserBad Losses: Seymour, In-dian CreekKey Players: G Scott Wood, G Anthony Long Outlook: It’s been a long season for coach Dave Clark and the Grizzly Cubs. While they hope to start something fresh on Tuesday, they’re going to have to face a 17-4 Trojan team who beat them with a drum by 40 plus in November.

FranklinRecord: 6-13Key Wins: WhitelandBad Losses: Columbus EastKey Players: F Josh Smith, F Cody Myrick, F Brett BuschmanOutlook: The Woodmen are carrying the underdog role into their first game against Perry Meridian, but with a game plan, could have a chance to shut down Landis, which means shutting down the Falcons. Without holding Landis to nothing, good luck.

GreenwoodRecord: 4-14Key Wins: Brownsburg, ManuelBad Losses: Whiteland, MartinsvilleKey Players: G Max LandisOutlook: Perry is consid-ered fourth best among its sectional opponents, giv-ing them the edge over first round opponent, Green-wood. Then, the Falcons would most likely face Cen-ter Grove, a team they nearly upended in January.

Perry Meridian

Record: 8-11Key Wins: Perry MeridianBad Losses: Indian Creek, GreenwoodKey Players: SG Taylor Ro-bards Outlook: Whiteland has the toughest draw of any school, only because they have to play host Franklin Central in the first game. If they can get past the Flashes, though, they could have a chance to upset Southport and show up to play for a championship.

WhitelandRecord: 15-4Key Wins: Center Grove, Pike, Lawrence CentralBad Losses: Warren CentralKey Players: PG Jason Riley, SG Kyle James, F John Goodlow Outlook: The Flashes have quite a bit going for them: homecourt, a second round match-up against a team with no sectional games played, and one of the best coaches in the state. Logic has them fac-ing the Trojans in the final.

Franklin CentralRecord: 8-10Key Wins: Bloomington NorthBad Losses: None Key Players: PG Kellen Thomas, SG Michael Ramey Outlook: They’ve got the bye, which can be either great or catastrophic. They would be considered the third best team in the sectional, but a win against the host Flashes would land them in a rematch of last year’s first round thrill-er against Center Grove.

Southport

Greenwood

Franklin Central

Southport

Franklin Community

Center Grove

Whiteland

Perry Meridian

In professional sports, there are many traditions that have become iconic. In golf, the winner of

the Master’s tournament receives a green jacket. In football, the winners of the Su-per Bowl claim they are going to Disney World on a cheesy commercial for all of America to see. In hockey, players grow out “playoff beards” for good luck. Center Grove athletes, just like the pros, also are a part of their own tradi-tions that are known throughout the community. Some of these traditions are fun and lighthearted while others are tied to a spirit of competition and honor. No matter what the tradition is or why it came about, every tradition is highly anticipated by each team member. “It’s tradition. You don’t question tradition,” junior swimmer Steve Godfrey said. The most obvious tradition can be seen every winter right before swimming sectionals. Each member of the boys swim team bleaches their hair a few weeks before sectionals. Then, they shave designs into their hair and display their new “haircuts” at school the entire week. After this, they shave off the rest of their hair and gear up for the beginning of the state tournament.

“We’re already a tight team, so by doing this we all pump each other up for sectionals,” Godfrey said.

The swimmers are in control of the de-signs they shave on their head, and some of them show off their great creativity. “My favorites of all time are Brennan Gilpatrick’s (Sophomore) question mark and Zach Lee’s (Center Grove alumni) rat tail and mullet,” Godfrey said. The girls’ soccer team also has their own tradition before sectionals. Every year, the day of sectionals, all of the girls soccer play-ers wear ugly skirts to pump them up for what they hope will be a long tournament. “We all go to Goodwill to try on ugly skirts and

pick the best one. It’s kind of embar-rassing, but it’s fun,” junior soccer player Abby McClintock said. “The next morning, we have breakfast as a team and take pictures.” Unlike any other sport at the school, the football team has a tradi-tion that would not exist without the presence of another team: archrival Carmel Greyhounds. Much like the

Sports: a culture with traditionbyJessGottliebSportsWriter

Despite some of the records, this sectional has the potential to be very competetive, and even pull some upset victories. For the Tro-jans, we look forward, hoping that this team will defy the past 16 years of Center Grove basketball, and bring home a championship

Tourney Outlook

Championship GameSaturday 7:30 pm

Round 2Friday 7:30 pm

Round 2Friday 6:00 pm

Round 1Tuesday 7:00 pm

Round 1Wednesday 6:00 pm

Round 1Wednesday 7:30 pm

The Center Grove boys basketball team heads into their sectional tournament next week with high expectations, but they know they will face a great challenge.

What if...Should the Trojans win their respective sectional title, the road to Conseco Fieldhouse doesn’t get any easier in their regional. Games are as follows; projected winners are shownGame 1: Winner at Noblesville (Hamilton Southeastern) vs. Win-ner at Franklin Central (Center Grove) 12pm Game 2: Winner at Decatur Central (Pike) vs. Winner at India-napolis Broad Ripple (North Central) 10amChampionship: Winners of the morning games: 8pm

Old Oaken Bucket that Purdue and IU battle for annu-ally, Center Grove and Carmel compete for the Copper Kettle. Each season when the two teams face each other, the team that triumphs over the other receives the coveted Copper Kettle and a year’s worth of bragging rights. “Everyone gets pumped the entire week. We really want to win every year because it’s Carmel,” junior foot-ball player Tyler Mills said. Even when Carmel holds the Copper Kettle, Center Grove plays each game against Carmel with high hopes for bringing the Kettle back home.

“It’s always a close game. Every year we study their plays and put extra effort in at practice because we really want to win,” Mills said. Every tradition created by the athletes at Center Grove has brought them closer as a team. Though new faces come and go, tradi-tions last a lifetime.

(Top left) Senior Joe Godfrey shows off his haircut similar to the famous blue arrow from the TV show “Ava-tar.” (Bottom left) Junior Stephen Godfrey sports an intricate design on top of his head