Issue10

OracleThe

Columbus East High School 230 S. Marr Rd. Columbus, IN 47201 Phone: (812) 376-4335 E-Mail: [email protected] Newspaper

SpotlightEngagements: many East students have been taking the next step in their rela-tionships

Features Junior skate-boarder plans to go pro

NewsThe construction around the school takes its toll

pg. 5 pg. 4&5

NewsProm 2010. Where and WHY.

pg. 6

Issue 10 Volume 38

pg. 3

6 April 2010

INS

IDE

Jnnior Brandon Miller lands a Nollie Flip .

2 Ads

News 3

Prom; the excuse for girls to spend oodles of money on a great dress, hair, make-up and for guys sweat it out as to who they will be asking to be their date. As Winter rolls into Spring, juniors and seniors have the annual event looming in their minds along with the typical questions of “What kind of dress do I want this year”, or “Who should I ask to prom?” However, this year there was one question on the prom committees mind that didn’t involve a date and dress conundrum. The real question was, here is prom even going to be held this year?

Prom has typically been held at the Commons, but due to the reconstruction of the downtown building, prom has been relocated to the Factory 12 Event Loft for the past two years. However, this year the prom committee found the unfortunate news that the loft was not going to be available for this years prom. “The Factory 12 Event Loft did not renew their contract with the owner of the lower portion of the space (didn’t find this out until late last year),” Monica Anderson, counselor and prom committee leader said. Without the bottom of the loft, there was no way there could be enough capacity for prom to be a comfortable, feasible event. “We started our ‘hunt’ for a new space at the beginning of this year,” Anderson said.

The search for a location wasn’t without its struggles. “Some of the issues have been with the number of students we have

attend prom verses the space available at some of venues in Columbus,” Anderson said, “Every alternative we came up with was not an option due to capacity issues.” The prom committee searched unique venues such as the Columbus airport hangar and The Learning Center. Hotel Indigo and the Holiday Inn were also options that were looked at.

Despite all the struggles to find the right place for Prom, the prom committee has found the official location for prom 2010. “Prom will be held at Central this year,” Anderson said. Changing the location could potentially cause a loss of students that want to come to the event. “I hope that’s not the case; the committee is working really hard to make it a very special prom,” Anderson said. The prom committee plans to work hard on creating great decorations and helping students to overcome the apprehension about the location. “We are specifically working on decorations to help students focus more on the event and less on the location,” Anderson said.

With only one month left until the glitz and glamour of prom, the prom committee hopes that everyone can take time to look past the changes, and be excited for the must-go social event of high school. While the space may be different, the hard work and effort going into making the event special won’t change.

n Ali Sullivan

First there was American Idol, a show in which talent ranged from jaw-dropping to pathetic. Contestants from all around the country tried out in hopes of continually moving on and winning the title of “American Idol.” For as much as America has fallen for this show, Columbus is hoping for a great success with its own Columbus Idol.

Coming to Columbus is the official singing contest “Columbus Idol” brought to you by the Best Buddies Chapters from East and North. Besides the great talent and entertainment that will come from this event, there is a much deeper story behind it. Danny Altmiller was a transition student at East and was in his third year of Best Buddies. “He brought joy and laughter to every life he touched,” Special Ed teacher Peggy Myers said. “He changed lives one friendship at a time.” However, on December 23, 2009, Altmiller passed away.

After his death, Altmiller’s parents, Bill and Jeanne, wanted to do something special to honor Danny. “Jeanne and Bill Altmiller came up with the idea of Columbus Idol as a way to raise funds necessary for the endowment of a Heritage Fund Scholarship in their son Danny’s memory,” Myers said. “It will go to a senior from East or North who intends to major in special education or possibly pediatric occupational or physical therapy,” Myers said. This scholarship will go on the Heritage Fund application for next year. This is where Columbus Idol comes in; the Altmillers knew they would need something big to draw in enough money for the memorial scholarship. “Jeanne, who has many awesome ideas, thought Columbus Idol would be just the event to raise necessary

funds,” Myers said. Columbus Idol will be held on

Saturday, May 15t. Entrants must be between the ages of 12 to 55 and they must be ready to sing a capella in auditions. Tickets will be sold to all rounds of judging to watch the show for those who know singing isn’t their thing. For the first round of judging, a team of judges will decide who moves on to a smaller group. “A certain number shall be chosen by the judges from the auditions to move on to round two. Those people will need a sound track ready to perform to,” Myers said. In the second round of judging, the celebrity judges will be making the cuts. A smaller group narrowed down from the second round of judging will comprise the third and final round of the show. For the main show, viewers’ votes decide the ultimate winner. The winner will end up with a cash prize, however, if the winner is under 18, their prize money will be a cash scholarship. The winner will also receive a prize package on top of the cash winnings.

As May 15 approaches, whip out the catchy soundtracks and warm up your voices, because any one could be the next Columbus Idol. Whether you want to sing or just watch, you are honoring and carrying on the spirit of the beloved Olympian, Danny Altmiller.

n Ali Sullivan

Columbus Idol

Danny Altmiller will always be a remem-bered Olympian.

Prom location troubles are solved

4 Spotlight 5

When senior Katie Taulman first met her fiancé, senior Leighton Howe, in May of 2009, she wasn’t interested in being his girlfriend. “Actually, I wanted nothing to do with him. I was just his girlfriend’s best friend,” she explained. “He had to work really hard to get my attention.”

Luckily for the couple, Howe eventually got it. “The first time I met his family, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Taulman said. “They are so much like my own.”

He proposed on February 5, 2010 at Taulman’s dad’s farm. The couple went out to see a new calf. As Taulman climbed on the stall fence, Howe tapped her on the shoulder. “When I turned around he was down on one knee,” Taulman said. “I literally lunged from the top of

the fence to him.” “I said yes before he even asked me. It was perfect!”Taulman explained that being engaged isn’t much

different than before. “The only difference is that anywhere I go, I get asked to see the ring!” But, Howe and Taulman now have to deal with judgmental peers. “Every one of our friends think that we are dumb or that I am pregnant,” Taulman said. “Which is not true!”

“We don’t care though,” she added. “We know that we love each other and no matter what anyone says he and I are going to be strong.” Taulman said that their parents could not be happier for them.

The couple have now set a date: August 28th, 2010. Wedding planning is already underway with the help of both mothers. “We are trying to go for a traditional country charm theme,” she said. It will be at a winery in Seymour, and the colors are yellow, orange and pink. “It is so beautiful,” Taulman said.

After the wedding, the couple plans to move into one of Taulman’s dad’s rental homes in order to save money to build their own home. “I plan on staying here in town to go to IUPUC for my first year, most likely for teaching,” Taulman said. Howe wants to farm and will continue to work on Taulman’s dad’s farm and work for his cousins during harvest season. Taulman said that they are not planning on having kids anytime soon. “We don’t want to take that giant step until he and I are financially able to provide for them and give them everything they need,” she said. “Besides, he and I are still kids ourselves!”

Though Taulman added that she and Howe “still have growing up to do,” they both realize that they will grow together in the future. “Leighton and I are so comfortable with each other. It’s like we have known each other our entire lives. That’s why we decided we

were meant to be.”

It seems that senior Mackenzie Daily and her fiancé Ryan Crase, an East graduate, were meant to be together. After all, their grandfathers have been friends for almost forty years, so it came as no surprise that Daily and Crase were friends for a year before they started dating.

Daily and Crase had been dating for two and a half years when Crase proposed on December 5th, 2009. “It was the absolute happiest night of my life,” Daily said. After a romantic date which included dinner at BJs in Greenwood (their favorite restaurant), a walk through the Indianapolis Zoo and a carriage ride through downtown Indianapolis, Crase proposed at Monument Circle. “I was trying to read what the monument said. When I turned around Ryan was dropped down on one knee,” Daily said. “I was like, “’Oh my god.’”

“He told me that he loved me so much, and asked me if I would marry him and be his wife.”

Daily and Crase originally planned on getting married

September 4, 2010, but they have recently decided to have it sooner. “We want our wedding to be simple, but elegant,” Daily said. The color scheme includes champagne and purple. “My mom especially loved going wedding dress shopping,” Daily said. “Almost every time she’s out in town she comes home with a new bridal magazine.”

Daily added that her best friends Tori Pace and Sarah Bowling have been very helpful with the wedding planning as well. “They are amazing,” she explained. In fact, after Daily called them with the news of her engagement, they both began to cry. “You know someone’s a great friend when they are so happy for you that they start bawling,” she said.

Though Daily’s close friends and family “have been so supportive,” she said that her and Crase’s parents were a little concerned at first. “They want us to be happy, and make sure that we go after the things we really want.” Daily is sure that she can do that with Crase. “There are so many things we want to do together. We want to help each other achieve our goals and dreams,” she explained. “I know there will be ups and downs. There are going to be great times and some hard times, but I know it’s going to be great.”

Will you marry me?

Seniors Leighton Howe and Katie Taulman got engaged on February 5 (Photo by Annie Chap-man).

People find love in the most unexpected places. For senior Ashley Whitehead and her fiancé Moses Manuel, it was at church camp. The two met one summer while attending their summer camp. ‘We’ve been dating since July, 2005,” Whitehead said. “It was right after seventh grade.”

“Everyone had a crush on him,” she added. “I just went up to him and asked him what his name was.”

Fast forward to January 9, 2010, the date that Manuel proposed. “He already had my ring, but it was spontaneous,” she said. “We went to Mark Pi’s and we were talking and he just popped the question.”

“We don’t have a date set yet,” she explained. “Probably sometime within the next year, though.”

Though the date isn’t set, Whitehead has an idea of her dream wedding. For dresses, “I like simple,” she said. “[The colors are] yellow and red.”

Their wedding colors are bright, and their future together looks brighter “I have direct admittance to the Kelley Business School of Indianapolis,” Whitehead said. “[Manuel is] a supervisor of his family’s saw mill company.”

Whitehead is excited to be entering the next stage of her life with Manuel by her side.

She added of Manuel, “He’s my best friend.”

Engagements compiled by Evie Shultz

Bringing down the house

The buzz of construction has been filling the halls within the past weeks. Ladders and construction workers now occupy the halls while students bustle to every class. East students are seeing the changes in their early stages.

By summer 2012 East will be transformed and the remodeling finished. The new design includes new classrooms, reconfigured resource floor and library, enlarged Science and Health Occupations labs, re-located Art and F.A.C.S. labs, a new main entrance, additional parking, wrestling and weight room addi-tion, relocated Administration area, and a new swim-ming pool. The destruction of the courtyard for the new Administration area is now taking place, which forces students to exit through the A doors to get to the South parking lot and to the gymnasium. Some students dislike altering their usual route. “It’s incon-venient walking around the courtyard,” sophomore Serena Kelley said.

Now that construction has officially begun, students must now cooperate and adapt with the remodeling. The remodeling is scheduled to be finished when the freshmen enrolled now are seniors. Upperclassmen will mostly likely not see the final result, but will get glimpses of the alterations. “It sucks [that] we’ll be here and experiencing [the construction] and we won’t get to see the final product,” Kelley said.

Not only has construction affected the students, construction has affected the TV productions studio. According to Don Baker, the TV productions advisor, something was left open in the office above them and when the office received lots of water, the water began to leak down into the ceiling tiles and walls. “The wa-ter was raining down on the audio board,” Baker said.

The audio board was then covered in plastic, and the equipment turned on for four days. They placed large

fans into the room to dry the equipment, then had professionals come in to turn on the audio board. Although the construction has given setbacks to the department, Baker said he feels the construc-tion will be beneficial “for the whole high school.”

He just hopes the construction will go “smoother for the rest of the school.”

Another change that is taking place currently is the destruction of the courtyard for the new of-fices. Guidance secretary, Katie Vandergriff, gives her opinion on the office relocation. “I feel like it’s time for an update,” Vandergriff said. “It’ll be good for the whole school.”

The office will have a new layout and will be more “people-friendly,” according to Vandergriff. “It’s time [for East] to become more modernized.”

An additional department that is affected is the Art department. The new rooms will be located where the offices are now. The new art rooms will be twice the size and offer much more space. “It’s

hard to put thirty-four kids in a small room,” 3D Art teacher Jim Ponsford said.

“3D Art is much more hands on,” he said, which re-quires more space. “It’ll be great to have approximately double the space.”

The room will offer about sixteen new potter’s wheels, compared to the four wheels the art room contains now. Also, safety will be improved. “As far as the safety aspect, the kiln will be in a separate room. [Students] will no longer be tripping over people,” Ponsford said.

The art rooms will also contain a bigger storage area, and possibly a display room. Ponsford said another bonus is the art rooms will be near the new main en-trance to the school, so they’ll be displayed for visitors, faculty, and students walking past.

“It can’t be anything but better,” Ponsford said. “It’ll be a whole new way of teaching, a whole new learning experience for students.”

Despite the fact that the remodeling for the new rooms won’t be done at least until next spring, there are changes being made now. “As far as [the construc-tion] affecting us now, it’s a little bit of noise, but bring it on. We’re ready,” Ponsford stated.

Anticipation for the final product is not only limited to these departments, but to teachers throughout the school. Some teachers express their hope for the new school. “[Resource] computers are an abomination. I hope it’s one of the things they’re changing in the con-struction,” said Linda Young, math teacher.

Although the outcome of all these changes may not be present until 2012, students can start to see every-thing coming together. Without question, anticipation and the hope for a better facility is in the air.

n Shelby Woodard

photo by Kailey Smith

4 Spotlight 5It seems that senior Mackenzie Daily and her fiancé Ryan Crase,

an East graduate, were meant to be together. After all, their grandfathers have been friends for almost forty years, so it came as no surprise that Daily and Crase were friends for a year before they started dating.

Daily and Crase had been dating for two and a half years when Crase proposed on December 5th, 2009. “It was the absolute happiest night of my life,” Daily said. After a romantic date which included dinner at BJs in Greenwood (their favorite restaurant), a walk through the Indianapolis Zoo and a carriage ride through downtown Indianapolis, Crase proposed at Monument Circle. “I was trying to read what the monument said. When I turned around Ryan was dropped down on one knee,” Daily said. “I was like, “’Oh my god.’”

“He told me that he loved me so much, and asked me if I would marry him and be his wife.”

Daily and Crase originally planned on getting married

September 4, 2010, but they have recently decided to have it sooner. “We want our wedding to be simple, but elegant,” Daily said. The color scheme includes champagne and purple. “My mom especially loved going wedding dress shopping,” Daily said. “Almost every time she’s out in town she comes home with a new bridal magazine.”

Daily added that her best friends Tori Pace and Sarah Bowling have been very helpful with the wedding planning as well. “They are amazing,” she explained. In fact, after Daily called them with the news of her engagement, they both began to cry. “You know someone’s a great friend when they are so happy for you that they start bawling,” she said.

Though Daily’s close friends and family “have been so supportive,” she said that her and Crase’s parents were a little concerned at first. “They want us to be happy, and make sure that we go after the things we really want.” Daily is sure that she can do that with Crase. “There are so many things we want to do together. We want to help each other achieve our goals and dreams,” she explained. “I know there will be ups and downs. There are going to be great times and some hard times, but I know it’s going to be great.”

People find love in the most unexpected places. For senior Ashley Whitehead and her fiancé Moses Manuel, it was at church camp. The two met one summer while attending their summer camp. ‘We’ve been dating since July, 2005,” Whitehead said. “It was right after seventh grade.”

“Everyone had a crush on him,” she added. “I just went up to him and asked him what his name was.”

Fast forward to January 9, 2010, the date that Manuel proposed. “He already had my ring, but it was spontaneous,” she said. “We went to Mark Pi’s and we were talking and he just popped the question.”

“We don’t have a date set yet,” she explained. “Probably sometime within the next year, though.”

Though the date isn’t set, Whitehead has an idea of her dream wedding. For dresses, “I like simple,” she said. “[The colors are] yellow and red.”

Their wedding colors are bright, and their future together looks brighter “I have direct admittance to the Kelley Business School of Indianapolis,” Whitehead said. “[Manuel is] a supervisor of his family’s saw mill company.”

Whitehead is excited to be entering the next stage of her life with Manuel by her side.

She added of Manuel, “He’s my best friend.”

Engagements compiled by Evie Shultz

Junior Brandon Miller’s dream is to become a profes-sional skateboarder. Miller is working hard to get enough credits to graduate early. Af-ter his graduation, he plans on moving to Arizona to get filmed to take the next step into skateboarding.

Skateboarders are found all over the world and come together in multiple compe-titions. Throughout all these skaters’ careers they have been creating new moves and participating in one of the greatest competitions ever, the X Games. Miller com-menting on the x games said, “Well I don’t know about all that, I mean I would love to some day be on that level to compete in them, but that is a long way away.”

Miller has been skating for five years and has been in a few competitions. His very first competition was when he was twelve years old. This competition was put on by Ul-traviolet. His next two com-petitions were put on by his sponsor, Boardroom. These competitions took place when Miller was fifteen and sixteen.

Miller was only sponsored for one year. He lost his sponsorship when his spon-sor, Boardroom, went out of business. As a sponsor skat-ers are basically signed up to skate for that company. They do films and that involve the skater and the other spon-sored riders. They also hold competitions that their riders

and other riders compete in. Miller has been in one video so far. The video was filmed by his friend Curry and it is called “Here’s What’s Left”. Now Miller gets filmed when he skates with his friends. Miller said, “I still film sometimes, but it is hard being towns away and with school. I also don’t have a job.”

Miller’s favorite skateboarder is Brian Herman. Herman began skat-ing at the age of eleven. Both Herman and Miller’s brothers got them to pick up a board. Miller has been influenced by a lot of people, too. “My influences are my brother, Jared Pardue, and anyone else who is better than me,” Miller said. “My greatest influence is my friend Brent Pirtle. I really look up to him.” Miller has wanted to be a professional skateboarder since he was seven years old.

Sophomore Jasmine Santos said, “I think that Brandon is very deter-mined. I say that because if he is already good and wanting to go pro, then he will do it with no question if he has the opportunity.” Santos thinks that even with determination people still need a lot of support to get where they want. “Not enough support goes to achieving goals. I believe that Brandon is supported some, but more is needed.”

“I am pretty determined,” Miller said. “I really just love skateboard-ing and love progressing, getting better all the time.”

Millers goals for reaching his dream is to graduate from high school early and to move to a place where it is easier to get noticed. Miller said, “I want to graduate next December, so I can get out of here.” He would then be interested in moving as soon as possible. “I either want to try to get on Reliance in Michigan or go to Arizona,” Miller said.

“I want to go to Arizona because it is warm there all year so it gives me more time to skate and it has a lot better spots to skate.” Miller is going to Arizona with his friend and filmer Curry, Matt Rome, and Stuart King.

Chasing his dream since even before he started skating Miller thinks he is still a long ways away before he reaches his goal of becoming a professional. Miller said, “I think that the greatest thing about becom-ing a pro for me is that it would be my dream come true.” Miller does a lot of skating in Greenwood and various spots around here. His favor-ite spot to skate is called Joely Crider Museum. Miller has been around a lot of encouragement and has had no one stopping him from achiev-ing his dream. He normally skates with his Greenwood friends, Tracy Scott, and John Menvill. He also skates with Brent Pirtle when he is around.

Miller believes that his competition in Columbus is Brent Pirtle. Santos said, “Tracy Scott, he is very good at skating as well. I am not sure if he is better than Miller, but he is some competition for him.”

Santos said, “I have known Brandon for almost a year and I think he is almost good enough to reach his dream. I think with a little more practice he will be ready.” Santos thinks Miller could reach his dream faster by focusing on the amount of time he skateboards and by learn-ing some new tricks. “I do not think he is real close to achieving his dream because he is only a junior in high school,” Santos said. “I think he needs to focus on his grades and schooling for now. After school, he should practice as much as possible to get where he needs in order to reach his dreams.”

Miller said, “I skate everyday I can. That is whenever my board is not broken.”

With skateboarding comes many risks. Miller has done a lot of crazy things in his skateboarding career. “I think the craziest thing I have ever done happened at Kittle’s Furniture Store,” Miller said. “I did a varial kick flip over nine stairs.” With all the risks taken by skateboard-ers, not everything turns out for the best. Miller has broken his ankle and his foot skateboarding.

Miller said, “ What I like about skateboarding the most is every-thing. I just love it.” Right now, he is focusing on graduating, which he hopes to achieve by next December. Miller believes he is a long long ways away from becoming a pro, but Santos believes with support and dedication he can reach his goal. Miller becoming a professional skate-boarder would be his dream come true. He is currently taking steps to prepare himself to take that jump into the pros. “The steps I have taken so far are just skating everyday, progressing and filming,” Miller said. “Once I become a pro I will continue to get better, and I will never quit.”

n Ben Brown

Top: Brandon Miller gets some air at the skate park. Bottom: Miller jumps over a ramp doing a Melon Grap. (Photos by Annie Chapman)

6 Feature

Sk8r Boi

Opinion 7Opinions expressed in columns or editorials may or may not be those of The Oracle staff or fac-ulty of the Columbus school com-munity. Letters to the editor are encouraged. However, any letter submitted must be verifiable and the name will be published. The editors reserve the right to edit the letters for length, grammar, inva-sion of privacy, obscenity or po-tential libel. Letters or ideas may be sent by E-mail to either Lydia Vieth or Tristen Dull at [email protected] or [email protected], respectively.

Editorial Policy Seniors beware

Co Editors in Chief:Tristen DullLydia ViethStaff Writers:Ben BrownEvie ShultzAli SullivanShelby WoodardPhotographers:Annie ChapmanCourtney CozadBetsy MyersNatalie PegramAds Staff:Colton LewisAdviser:Megan Whitehead

Oracle Staff:

The first time I heard the term senioritis, I was a sophomore. I thought it was just a term seniors made up to get away with laziness. It annoyed me that they got to use that excuse and that the teachers always seemed to joke about it with them, but didn’t actually care. During my junior year, when I knew more seniors, I heard the term even more. Because I was closer to being a senior myself, I wasn’t so annoyed, but I did think it would never happen to me. I never be-lieved senioritis was a real thing. Fast forward one year, and here I am living the nightmare that is senioritis. To say the last semester grades of senior year won’t really matter once you have already been accepted to college is like putting an ice cube on a burnt tongue. It relieves the burn temporarily, but it will never last. Because when I’m honest with myself, I know that these grades still matter. Why, then, is it so hard for me to apply myself when it once came so easily? I have fallen victim to senioritis, and while I have a mere two months of high school left, my mind is constantly torment-ed: do my work or not? When I choose to slack, it is never the relief it should be. I still have it on my mind, and it causes me stress, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to do it. It is scary for me, a student who once was terrified of turning in a late assignment, to suddenly become so apathetic about getting my homework turned in. I can only hope that my old study habits return to me next year when I tackle my first year of college. I know I am not alone in this seemingly inevitable ailment. It is rare, if ever, that I find someone who is not suffering through the same lack of interest and concern. It would seem that having this in common with others would make me feel better about it, but it doesn’t. It just makes me feel more comfortable with it, which makes it seem more acceptable. Though I wish senior project was the only thing I had left to worry about, it’s not. I need to keep my GPA in the front of my mind, and remember the reasons I got the scholarships I did. I want to stay worthy of my achievements, and I have to stop senioritis getting in the way of that. It would be so nice to cruise through the end of senior year, but that reality is impossible. Instead, I’m going to have to get my act together and get motivated, because graduation is looking far too exciting and it’s closer than ever. n Tristen Dull

Kara Pattersonsenior

Rebekah Noltingfreshman

Aaron Riderjunior

my boyfriend

nobody

get good grades

My favorite thing about Spring is...

If I could take anyone to prom, I’d take...

I owe ________ an apology...

Before I gradu-ate, I want to...

the warm weather

Zac Efron

my parents

make a difference in the school

the color coming back

my mom

go on a road trip or something

Culture Grid

I don’t even want to go.

that it’s warm

8 Entertainment

Marisa Buitron’s senior project, the Family Fun Festival was held at the Fairoaks Mall

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