Christopher

Park wins

Keller, again

West Side alum Mohit

Agrawal wins Rhodes

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A&E,

PAGE 6

The Lafayette Art Museum

is just around the cornerCatwalk

to Class:

Teacher

edition!

Go to scarletteonline.com or scan

this barcode with your smartphone

(download the app RedLaser).

Retirement incentive

set to lure teachers.

On November 19th, 2011,

2007 West Lafayette graduate

Mohit Agrawal received the

news that he was among the

year’s recipients of the pres-

tigious Rhodes scholarship.

At the time he was in Ireland,

where he is studying on the

Mitchell scholarship. Last

year, Agrawal was a fi nal-

ist for both the Rhodes and

Mitchell, but turned down

his Rhodes interview as it

confl icted with his interview

for the Mitchell. He couldn’t

pass up the opportunity again

this year.

The Rhodes will allow

Agrawal to study for a year at

Oxford University, where he

plans to further his studies in

economics.

Although Agrawal’s Princ-

eton degree, internship in the

US Department of Defense,

and semester abroad at the

National University of Singa-

pore contributed to his suc-

cess, he credits much of his

foundation to his formative

years at West Side.

“I think I was one of the best

prepared students at Princeton

when I got there,” he said. “For

example, in my freshman year

honors science lab, a lot of stu-

dents struggled at fi rst to write a

good lab report, but when you’ve

been taught by Mr. Overley, writ-

ing lab reports is a breeze.”

“Mohit was one of the few

students who had long enough

titles on his tables and lab re-

ports from the very beginning,”

said Mr. Overley, whom Agrawal

invited to attend the reception

for the Indiana Academic All-

Stars award as his faculty men-

tor. “I’m very proud of him.”

In addition to distinguishing

himself academically at school,

Agrawal took advantage of

Purdue’s close proximity by tak-

ing several classes there during

his junior and senior years. He

still made time for a myriad of

extracurriculars including robot-

ics, debate, orchestra, student

council, and writing for “The

Scarlette.”

Agrawal continued his high

level of involvement in college.

“West Side gave me a broad

enough background that I

was able to jump into a vari-

ety of things at Princeton.”

One of these was the

Princeton chapter of En-

gineers Without Borders, a

non-profi t with the aim of

helping disadvantaged com-

munities through engineering

solutions. “EWB may seem

to be outside of my expertise,

but it really builds on my ex-

perience in robotics and de-

bate,” he says. Robotics taught

Agrawal about engineering,

BY NEHA RAMANI

“Having strong

goals makes

making hard

decisions easier.”

- Mohit Agrawal

Last month the stage of the

Long Center was lit for the An-

nual Keller Concert, showcasing

three youth musicians. Among

these was West Side’s very own

Christopher Park.

The Keller Competition is a

competition in which students

up to twenty-two years of age

prepare a concerto that they

play in front of a panel of three

judges who choose the three

best performers out of the lot.

Performers are given the op-

portunity to perform with the

Lafayette Symphony Orchestra,

the professional orchestra in the

area.

Having wont the Keller once

before two years ago on the

piano, Christopher is a veteran

to the concert. “It was differ-

ent because I was on a differ-

ent instrument, but I wasn’t as

nervous,” he says. However, like

most musicians, he does have

trouble with nerves. “In general

I’m really nervous trying not to

think about [performing], but

the moment I walk on the stage

Departure

time

BY MALENA DE LA FUENTE

Many students were shocked

when they came back to school

this year and found nine new

teachers. Some of these new

positions were due to retire-

ments, and others because the

school is offering some new

classes and needed teachers

for those spots. With so many

new teachers, it seems as if the

school will not need to hire any

more for at least a couple of

years. That is, if it weren’t for

the retirement incentive.

The retirement incentive is a

plan that was proposed by last

year’s negotiators of the teach-

ers’ contract, which included

Superintendent Dr. Rocky

Killion, Chief Negotiator Mr.

Warner, and members of the

School Board.

After the plan was proposed,

both the administrators of all

“We will continue to

keep the school’s

tradition of excel-

lence in academics.”

- Mr. Shriner

Jessica Talbert

lights up West

Side’s hallways

BY BRIAGHA MCTAVISH

A&E, PAGE 6

PEOPLE, PAGE 8

CONGRATULATIONS, CHRIS:

Christopher talks to his audience

after the Keller Concert.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHRISTOPHER PARK

continued on page 2continued on page 2

continued on page 2

is calming.”

Christopher has been raised

musically, starting the piano in

the fi rst grade and violin in the

second grade. In the sixth grade,

he joined the Wabash Valley

GOING FOR THE TOUCHDOWN: Phillip Bower (number 45) and Ryan Brophy (number 55) give it

their all in the semi-state game against St. Joseph’s High School.

PHOTO BY BRADY BLACK

FOR FULL ARTICLE SEE SPORTS, PAGE 3

while he learned about what

problems there were in the

world through debate.

He spent a summer in

Ghana with EWB, helping to

three schools and the West La-

fayette Education Association,

which consists of the majority

of teachers in the corporation,

voted and put the plan into ef-

fect. Specifi cally, the plan con-

sists of bonuses for 13 teachers

who have chosen to retire either

this year or next.

Why was this plan construct-

ed? “Teachers that have been

here the longest have the high-

est salaries,” says Mr. Shriner.

“Since salary is partly based on

years of experience, if people at

the top of the pay scale retire,

it will enable the school to hire

teachers with less experience

and allow the school to save

money in order to be able to

hire more teachers and fund

other projects.”

ers will be able to cover

some of these costs, giv-

ing them “the chance they

deserve,” Mr. Shriner says,

“to enjoy

life.”

This

is not the

only way

the school

c o r p o r a -

tion is

s a v i n g

money to stay within the

ever-shrinking budget.

Department budgets are

being cut, as well as the

corporation’s contribution

to health insurance costs.

Everyone in the corpora-

tion has been making sacri-

fi ces, because, as Mr. Pugh

said, “We don’t want to see

the corporation in fi nancial

diffi culty. Hopefully the

retirement incentive will be

a win-win situation.”

Paige Jackson says, “I use

the machine two to three

times a week, or when-

ever I have spare money.”

PAGE 2 News DECEMBER 14, 2011

West Side

BY ROSEANNE PAGE

OH SNAP!: A West Side student excitedly purchases a

bottle of Snapple during the lunch hour.

PHOTO BY ROSEANNE PAGE

The new Snap-

ple machine in the caf-

eteria has prompted

many West Side stu-

dents to stop and stare

in amazement. “[It’s]

defi nitely a good idea,”

says junior Charles

Hanson, who says he

likes the new machine

and buys drinks from

it often. Credit for the

new addition to the

school cafeteria goes to

Mr. Jim Tyner, the head

of West Side’s cafeteria

staff.

The machine

was installed not to

replace sugary drinks,

such as Gatorade, but to

give students a healthier

option. All of the drinks

in the new machine are

healthy diet drinks.

S o p h o m o r e

Cafeteria personnel report

that it seems as though the

junior high students use

the Snapple machine more

Snapple Machine Excites All

“... Added together, all those

teachers have hundreds of

years of experience!”

than high school stu-

dents. Overall, though,

everyone seems to be

happy with the new ad-

dition.

English teacher

and lunchroom super-

visor Ms. Dixon recalls,

“While on lunch duty

on the fi rst day that the

Snapple machine was

there, I actually saw

someone run up and

hug it!”

The new addi-

tion adds to the grow-

ing number of options

available for students

to purchase during the

lunch hour. The con-

siderably large Snapple

bottles are priced at

$1.25, which is com-

parable to other drink

options already existing

around the building.

West Side Alum Mohit

Agrawal wins Rhodescontinued from page 1

Christopher Park

wins Keller, againcontinued from page 1

Departure Timecontinued from page 1

SUCCESS STORY: Mohit with his twin sister Namita at his graduation from Princeton.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MOHIT AGRAWAL

Youth Symphony and

became one of the co-

concertmasters last year.

This year, Christopher

is concertmaster for the

second year in a row of

the All-State Orchestra, a

group made up of many

of the best players around

the state. As a freshman,

Christopher was given

the opportunity to play in

Carnegie Hall after placing

in the World Piano Com-

petition. Throughout his

school years, he has been

active in the orchestra pro-

gram and is a member of

the West Side’s string quar-

tet.

For the Keller Con-

cert, Christopher played

the third movement of

Beethoven’s violin concer-

to. “It wasn’t particularly

diffi cult because it’s pat-

terned, since it was written

at the end of the classical

period,” he explains. He

also says that it was not

too stressful because the

conductor, Dr. Palmer, “is

very systematic and thor-

ough” and “it’s always a

pleasure working with pro-

fessionals.”

Christopher balances

his busy schedule by prac-

ticing his two instruments

alternately through the

week and then both on the

weekends, and gives back

in the community by play-

ing at nursing homes and

other charitable events.

So what’s next on the

musician’s list? “I want to

learn guitar really badly.”

build a library. He says

the experience will in-

form his perspective

while studying economic

policy at Oxford.

While the Rhodes may

be the most well-known

and prestigious, it will

join a list of many awards

and honors Mohit has

received. “I’ve been suc-

cessful in certain ways,

particularly academically,

other projects.”

Both Mr. Shriner and

Mr. Pugh, teacher and co-

president of the WLEA,

c o m m e n t e d

that it will

be sad to see

teachers who

have been

here for many

decades go.

“When you

think about it,

added together, all those

teachers have hundreds

of years of experience,”

said Mr. Pugh. However,

though a loss of expe-

rienced teachers seems

problematic, Mr. Pugh also

stated that “there’s a per-

ceived trade-off between

energy and new ideas, and

experience and knowledge.

What we lose in one we

gain in the other.” Mr.

Shriner also promised that

though the school will lose

some established teachers,

“we will continue to keep

the school’s tradition of

excellence in academics.”

The incentive will also

allow teachers to retire ear-

lier than they would have

planned. Though retire-

ment is possible as soon as

the sum of a teacher’s years

of experience and their age

reaches 85, most teachers

choose to stay on, as Social

Security and Medicare are

not available until reaching

65 years of age. With the

incentive, however, teach-

Alle

gro V

iolin

Shop

Rentals,

Repairs,

and

Sales

765-420-9744

but certainly not in oth-

ers,” he says. “Going to

Princeton or winning the

Rhodes does not matter

if somebody wants to act

or perform; going to NYU

or a conservatory might be

better”.

Agrawal advices that

students fi gure out for

themselves what they want

to excel in and then set the

goals needed to achieve

it. “Find people who

inspire you,” he adds.

“Read about them, fi g-

ure out their path. Can

you see yourself doing

what they do? If so, fi g-

ure out how you can get

there yourself.”

More information on

Agrawal can be found

on his blog www.mohi-

tagrawal.wordpress.com.

Mr. Pugh

PAGE 3SportsWest Side

DECEMBER 14, 2011

BY GUEST WRITERS RYAN SCHMIERER AND DREW RUDMAN

PHOTO BY BRADY BLACK

OH SNAP! Quarterback Sean Busch waits for the center to snap the ball.

Girls Cross Country

-Most Valuable Player: Bobbie Burgess, junior

-Mental Attitude: Cailey Daluga, junior

-Most Improved: Kelly Swift, senior

Boys Cross Country

-Most Valuable Player: Andrew Cartwright, senior

-Mental Attitude: Bryce Wang, senior

-Most Improved: Aaron Brehm, sophmore

Girls Soccer

-Most Valuable Player: Jessica Bernard, senior

-Mental Attitude: Erin Brophy, sophmore

-Most Improved: Laurel Fricker, junior

Boys Soccer

-Most Valuable Player: Marcus Siegmund, senior

-Offensive MVP: Brian Anderson, senior

-Defensive MVP: Austin Bates, junior

-Mental Attitude:Jack Erdman, junior

-Most Improved: Jay Chapman, junior

-Rookie of the Year: Free Burton, freshman

Girls Golf

-Most Valuable Player: Rachel Ho, sophmore

-Mental Attitude: Esther Yoon, sophomore

-Most Improved: Molly Towns, sophomore

Boys Tennis

-Most Valuable Player: David Hollis, senior

-Mental Attitude: Jake Weiss, senior

-Most Improved: Allen Min, sophomore

Volleyball

-Most Valuable Player: Katy Brose, junior

-Mental Attitude: Sarah Collicott, junior

-RDP Award: Tasha Baker, junior

-Most Improved: Grace Malone, sophomore

Fall sports

awardsCOLLECTED BY ABBY BIEN

To senior Drake

Danford, basketball was

a sport that came natu-

rally. Having played bas-

ketball almost his entire

life. Although he played

football and baseball un-

til junior high, basketball

is the sport that stuck.

His ability to create of-

fense and his competi-

tive nature makes him

a threat on the court,

while his fun-loving at-

titude makes him some-

one everybody wants to

be around.

Growing up around

basketball has had a

great impact on Drake’s

life. Both his dad and

uncle played basketball

in high school and his

dad coached him at a

young age, since Drake

began playing when he

was three years old. He

says, “I grew up around

the game and it comes

easy to me. I like to

compete against other

people.” Spending most

of his time in the sport

since then, along with

playing AAU basketball

in the off season, has

made him the player he

is today.

When Drake trans-

ferred from Twin Lakes

last year, everyone knew

he’d be a great addition to

the basketball team. Coach

Wood said, “He’s the most

skilled guard I’ve had in

18 years.” This year he is

the starting point guard.

Although his superb ball-

handling and quick feet

make him hard to defend,

Drake’s ability to create of-

fense for both himself and

others really sets him apart

and makes him a fun and

exciting player to watch.

Drake is also a very

competitive player. “Drake

is the funniest kid I know,

but when he steps onto

the court he’s doing ev-

erything to make sure the

team wins,” explains senior

Parker Rhoads. Coach

Wood says his competi-

tiveness can be good and

bad, but he always “wants

desperately to win.” He ex-

pects Drake to be a leader

through his playing for the

rest of the season.

The team has hopes of

winning sectionals and go-

ing as far in the state tour-

nament as they can; their

goal is to dominate every

team they play. As for

the future, Drake plans on

continuing to play basket-

ball in college, but is unde-

cided at this point.

Get the scoop on Drake Danford

BY GRACE PALMIERI

Red Devils go out ighting hard

As the West Lafayette

football team arrived in

South Bend on Friday,

November 18th, emotions

were running high for a

primetime matchup against

the Indians of South Bend

St. Joe’s.

“Great atmosphere,

this should be an awesome

game”, said student Parker

Rhoads. Injured player

Brian Bangs expressed

his thoughts about the

big semi-state game when

saying, “This is the big-

gest game of the year, I

have lots of emotions go-

ing through my head right

now”.

The fi rst play of the

game was a hand off up

the middle to senior run-

ning back Amen Galley,

but what happened next

would set the tone for the

rest of the game.

A hard hit to Galley let

everyone know that this

was going to be a physical

matchup. Both teams trad-

ed possessions throughout

the fi rst quarter but late

in the fi rst, Sean Busch’s

pass was intercepted by a

St. Joe’s cornerback and

returned for a touchdown.

The point after attempt

was blocked, but West

Side was fl agged for run-

ning into the kicker. The

retry of the point after

sailed through the uprights

and the score after the 1st

quarter was 7-0 Indians.

As the prolifi c Red

Devil offense continued to

try and even out the score,

the St. Joe’s defense denied

them time and time again.

In hopes to get the defense

off balance, West Lafay-

ette brought in sophomore

quarterback Parker Ron-

chetto. Ronchetto is more

of a running quarterback

who can slice up defenses

with his quick feet. But

the St. Joe’s defense stayed

strong and withheld West

Lafayette’s attack. Driv-

ing late at the end of the

fi rst half, the Indians ran a

hook and ladder that went

for 36 yards and their sec-

ond touchdown with 29

seconds left.

The Red Devils were

down 14-0 going into the

locker room and facing

their biggest challenge of

the year. Superfan captain

Jake Weiss commented,

“Joe’s is more physical,

our defense is playing well.

We’ve given up some un-

lucky scores so far.”

On the fi rst play of the

second half, West Lafayette

received the big break they

needed to get back in the

ball game. On a handoff,

St Joe’s running back fum-

bled and West Lafayette re-

covered at St. Joe’s 24 yard

line. Unfortunately, the

Red Devils were stopped

on 4th and goal from the 4

yard line later in that same

drive. After a three and

out from St. Joe’s deep in

their own territory, West

Lafayette got great fi eld

position after the Indians

punted the ball away.

However, the Red Dev-

ils came up short once

again as the St. Joe’s de-

fense stopped WL’s Mau-

rice Woodard on the one

yard line on 4th and goal.

After a turnover on downs,

it wasn’t long before the

Red Devils got the ball

back as senior cornerback

Ben Waters picked off the

Indian’s third down pass

attempt The Red Devils

again had an opportunity

to score after they were

deep in Joe’s territory, re-

sulting from a half back

pass, which Galley through

to Ben Thomas. The Indi-

an’s cornerbacks came up

huge once again with an-

other Busch interception,

this time in the end zone.

West Lafayette was desper-

ate to gain some momen-

tum back and got the spark

they needed when Phillip

Bower intercepted a St.

Joe’s pass over the middle.

On the next play, Maurice

Woodard ran 12 yards up

the gut for a Red Devil

touchdown. The point

after attempt was no good

making the score, 14-6.

Another score by St. Joe’s

left the Red Devils down

21-6 in the fourth quar-

ter. After converting a 4th

and 1 to keep a drive alive,

Busch went to Ben Waters

for an 18-yard touchdown.

Brody Forbes’ onside kick

was nearly recovered by

the Red Devils but St. Joe’s

made the recovery on their

own 48. After converting

a 4th and 2, the Indians ran

out the clock ending the

season for the Red Devils.

The fi nal score was Indians

21- Red Devils 13.

It was a tough end to

an amazing season for the

Red Devils, but all fans

there would agree that the

Red Devils played a hard

fought game.

PHOTO BY GRACE PALMIERI

The Scoop: Drake Danford drives to the hoop.

Drake Danford talks about his life as a basketball player.

Quick Facts:

- Favorite player: Kobe Bryant

- Favorite team: Los Angeles Lakers

- Other Activities: AAU basketball, hanging

out with friends, and going on campus runs

-Nickname: “Scoop”

PAGE 4 Features DEcEmEbEr 14, 2011

West Side

By Briagha Mctavish

“thirty days and nights of literary abandon!” is the motto for writers ev-erywhere in November. From the 1st to the 30th, aspiring authors every-where hunker over their computers to try to meet the challenge of writing 50,000 words in thirty days. NaNoWriMo, or National Write a Novel Month, is a chance for as-piring writers of any age to let their imagination run rampant. any genre is accepted and no novel is too silly or horrible to be accepted--all that really matters is the word count.

Many West siders ac-cepted the challenge that NaNoWriMo set before them this November. But why would they choose to spend the little free time they already had to be-come a recluse, spending every free moment devel-oping carpal tunnel and speaking only to fictional characters? “i always liked to write but I never fin-ished anything. so i was going to try,” explained sophomore Carolyn Plite. Connecting with some-one who shares the same interests, lives in the same state, or is writing in the

ready, set, write!West Side students practiced their writing skills during November, National Write a Novel Monthby kathrine schulze

same genre is made easy with simply navigated fo-

LoGo coutEsy of NANowrimo.orG

Write ‘til you drop: Nanowrimo’s logo displays the key tools that’re neces-

sary when writing.

rums. in forums, a person can connect with any writer in the world. Even those who don’t live in the United states enter NaNoWriMo to challenge themselves and their writing abilities. in addition, letters from famous authors and writ-ing guides are posted on the official website to help the struggling writer to get started or push through the dreaded writers block throughout the month. Many West siders weren’t able to reach their word count, saying that school got too busy for them to continue writing as well

as finish their homework. amy he was one of the few who did reach her goal of 50,000 words. When asked how she managed it she said, “i did it instead of homework. i tried to write everyday and played catch-up on the weekends.” NaNoWriMo attracts

nanoWriMo info:Official Website: www.nanowrimo.orgTotal word count for 2011: 3,074,276,063Popular Genres for West Side: Fantasy and Romance

all types of writers from around the world and unites them under the common goal of writ-ing a novel in just one month. Many don’t finish, but everyone takes away a sense of accomplish-ment for taking on a feat many wouldn’t dare try.

by alyse allred

Dr. Ryan B. Helms, DDS, MSD

is very hard for many reasons like knowing how much to spend. it’s even a more considerable feat if you haven’t been dating for very long; so let me outline a few “don’t”s. 1) Don’t get her something with a heart on it. i know you’re thinking, “No, Briagha, girls love this crap.” Well i hate to break it to you, but i’m a girl and i hate hearts. she will still smile and tell you she loves the gift. But, in the back of her mind, she will wish that you would’ve chosen something more personal. 2) Don’t get her something cliche like a box of choco-lates. that’s okay for valentine’s day or for fun, but the holidays is the big-time. get her something that reminds you of her. Maybe it’s getting her a funny gift about an inside joke, or an item centering around something she loves. as long as she understands it, she’ll love it.

in this issue i am going to discuss a subject that is difficult, even for me; the art of gift-giving. Buying a holiday gift for your significant other

squeaking hallways. holiday music between classes. a holly, jolly at-mosphere mingled with the “get us the heck out of here” aura. all the signs are pointing to one thing: Christmas Break.it’s that wonderful time of year when we finally have time to do all the nothing that we’ve missed out on. the possibili-ties are practically endless. however, just be-cause you can do some-thing, doesn’t mean you should. and nothing puts a damper on the holiday spirit like getting the fam-ily together for a good, old-fashioned funeral.Which brings me to today’s topic: how not to die this holiday.Probably the first road-blocks to overcome are the finals that loom be-fore us. these, of course,

pose a serious threat to our health; unfortunately, there really is no solution for this problem, which means that the only thing you can really do is buckle down and get through it, because dying = no credit. After surviving the finals you may think that you’re home free, but this is not the case. in fact, there are dangers at every corner. The first thing to watch for is the last-minute holi-day shopping rush, which is almost as dangerous as Black Friday. Even inno-cent bystanders run the risk of being trampled underfoot by the hordes of desperate parents. should you ever end up locked in combat with one of these parents over some gadget that’s on your wish list, simply hand the item over and back away slowly, without breaking

eye contact. your life is probably worth more than your new Zhu Zhu Pet. another thing to watch for is our fellow teenage idiots. to anybody with a lick of sense, warnings about black ice should re-sult in slower, more cau-tious driving. But heck, we’re teenagers, so by na-ture we’re contrary. in our minds “warning” means “go faster.” Even if you’re not at fault, that doesn’t keep you safe, so avoid danger areas such as park-ing lots with the telltale do-nuts of teenaged stupidity. so, enjoy the holi-day season, because be-fore you know it, you’ll be back in school, slav-ing away once more. Just try to make it back with most of your ap-pendages still in place.

How to survive this

winter break

3) NO giFt CarDs; they’re a cop out. they tell your girlfriend that you’re too lazy to pick out an actual gift, and laziness is not a good quality in a boyfriend. 4) Don’t ask her what she wants. if she tells you something and you get it for her, where’s the surprise? she wants you to pick something out for her. 5) Don’t try and set a price range. You can figure it out for yourself. the thought is what counts. typi-cally she’ll prefer a gift with a low price. Buying a ri-diculously expensive gift is over the top, and it puts her in an awkward position. Leave the expensive stuff for when you have a wife, or you’ve been dating someone a long time. Just remember as long as the gift’s from the heart, she will love it.

PAGE 5FeaturesDECEMBER 14, 2011

West Side

Younger sister or cousin

For the little sister or cousin who

is crazy about, pink, sparkles,

and Justin Bieber:

Justice Lotion and Shower

Gel sets-$10-$20

Justin Bieber, Under the

Mistletoe-$9.99 at www.

Amazon.com

Justin Bieber Someday per-

fume-$38 at Macy’s

•

•

•

Older sister or cousin

For the older sister or

cousin who can not afford

anything but food because

she’s living on a college

budget, pamper her a little

bit with:

Gift sets from Bath

and Body Works rang-

ing from $15-$35

Marc Jacobs Fragranc-

es: Roller ball Trio-$38

at www.couture.zappos.com

Teen Vogue one year subscription at a special holiday price of

$10 at www.teenvogue.com

•

•

•

Parents

Parents love anything

that is homemade and

comes from the heart.

It’s nice because gifts

for them are easy to

make and they are usually cheap or even free. Try giving them

something like:

A coupon book fi lled with coupons promising them things like

a free snow shovel or a whole week of emptying the dish-

washer without complaining. Parents would also love if you

promised to stay in one weekend night and play a board game

or watch a favorite movie.

Go to All Fired Up and make them a coffee mug or a picture

frame. Making the present is fun and inexpensive and your

parents will love it even if it is ugly.

•

•

Grandparents

Most grandparents enjoy cheesy

gifts and they like to show you off

to their friends. Some things that

would fi t this subject are:

Giving them a piece of school

art work or a framed picture of

you playing a sport or perform-

ing would be perfect. But some

other ideas are,

“World’s Best Grandma” or “#1 Grandma” apparel-around

$35 at www.personalizedpresents.com

•

•

Younger Brothers

For the little ones, I would suggest:

Nerf Gun-$15-$25 at Target

Lego sets like a Spongebob Squarepants one-$15 at Walmart.

com

Mario Kart $30-$50(depending on which system it’s for) at

Walmart.com

•

•

•

Older Brothers

For the boys who can handle a little more blood, sweat, and tears,

they love games like:

Modern Warfare 3-

$50 at Amazon.com

But if you don’t

know anything about

video games, ask

them what game

they want, and if

they don’t know just

head to Game Stop

on the Levee and

pick them up a gift card.

Sports Illustrated subscription-28 issues for $24 at www.maga-

zines.com

•

•

•

Boyfriends and girlfriends

Boyfriends or girlfriends can be hard to shop for (see Dating for

Dumbos) but some safe bets are:

A movie gift card and letting your date pick the movie-$25

A mixed CD fi lled with songs on it that remind you of each

other or things you’ve done together.

For girls, jewelry is always a good choice. Give them anything

sparkly and they will be satisfi ed. Try the local jewelry store,

Vierks Fine Jewelry for a wide selection.

For boys, think about buying them tickets to see their favorite

sports team play. On ticketmaster.com, you can usually fi ne a

wide selection of teams tickets at a good price.

If his team is far away or the tickets are too expensive, get

them a jersey or hat from the team. Head to the teams website

and you will fi nd memorabilia ranging from about $15-$50.

•

•

•

•

•

Anyone

If none of these ideas fi t the person you are shopping for, there

is one gift that anyone will love. Money. Whether it is in the form

of cash, check, or gift card, it’s a safe bet for any of your family

members or friends.

West Side is rich in traditions

Streets everywhere are being

fl ooded with bright Christmas

lights, the Black Friday rush has

come and gone, and fi nals are

fast approaching. Add in the fi rst

layer of snow a few weeks ago,

and many West Siders are full into

the holiday spirit. Traditions are a

big part of any holiday, and sev-

eral students have favorite things

they do at this time of the year.

New pajamas and writing

letters to Santa on Christmas

Eve are popular, along with

decorating the Christmas tree

and going ice skating. Sopho-

more Joseph Monroe explained

the Catholic tradition of Saint

Nicholas Day, saying parents fi ll

children’s stockings with small

toys and candy, on Decem-

ber fi fth and Christmas Eve.

“It’s more of a European thing

but still pretty cool.” He said.

Also regarding gifts, fresh-

man Abby Burchill smiled when

she talked about how her family

chooses the order. “We hide a

pickle ornament on our tree and

then whichever kid fi nds it fi rst

gets to open the fi rst present.

Not every family can say they

put a pickle on their tree.”

Victoria Glotzbach cites

her favorite tradition. “We lis-

ten to the NSYNC Christ-

mas album on repeat when we

decorate the tree on Christmas

Eve and on Christmas Day.”

The McKay sisters, sopho-

more Susan and 2010 alum Cat,

leave a bowl outside for the fi rst

snowfall and make snow ice

cream by mixing in sugar, milk

and vanilla. Southern native

sophomore Maggie Hodges is all

about the food. “ If I’m in Lou-

siana we basically cook for three

days straight. Shrimp, crab, and

crayfi sh the day before Christ-

mas, turkey, ham and pie on

Christmas, and then leftovers.”

Sophomore Daniel Rollock

was excited about the deals. “We

go shopping at midnight the day

after Christmas. Last year I got a

red Wii for a hundred and fi fty!”

Whether you’re into the holi-

days for the music, the presents,

the food, or just an excuse to

be off school for three days,

priceless, quirky family tradi-

tions are sure to make them

that much more memorable.

BY EMILY MACK

The gift of givingBY ABBY BIEN

“We hide a pickle ornament on our tree and

then whichever kid fi nds it fi rst gets to open

the fi rst present.”

- Abby Burchill

“The Teeki Hut: Where

Your T-Shirt Dreams

Come True!” looks

more like it’s home to

surf boards and wet suits

than customized t-shirts.

But don’t be fooled by

the surfboard logo- the

Teeki Hut sells shirts

for any season. T-shirts

with phrases like “Never

Forget Dinosaurs” and

“I don’t have ADHD I

just, Do you like waffl es?”

cover the walls of this less

than conventional cloth-

ing store.

Whether its your own

artwork, inside joke, or

logo the Teeki Hut will

print it for you. From t-

shirts to sweatpants to

dog outfi ts the Teeki Hut

has customizable cloth-

ing in every size and color

that you could possibly

imagine. They will even

customize a t-shirt you

bring in yourself for a re-

duced rate.

How they print their

designs on clothing is a

trade secret, but it only

takes 5-10 minutes for a

design to be completely

printed. While you wait

you can head next door

to Silver Dipper for some

ice cream or do some

shopping.

If art isn’t your thing

and you have nothing

clever to pick, they have

over 1,000 designs to

choose from. If it’s rock

stars, obscure 80s movies,

or sports icons that suit

your fancy the Teeki Hut

probably has a design just

for you.

Can’t get to the store?

Log on to www.teekihut.

com and use their De-

signer program to make

your very own t-shirt and

e-mail it to the store.

So if you’re looking for

a gift for that hard-to-

fi gure-out relative try the

Teeki Hut for a t-shirt

that will be as unique as

the wearer.

Location: 112 South

River Road (Next to

Silver Dipper)

Price of t-shirt

custom ization: $22.95

Customization of your

own t-shirt: $15

Hours:

Monday-Friday, 11am-

7pm

Saturday, 12-5

BY KATHRINE SHULZE

Students can get

their fi x of weird

t-shirts at the levee’s

“Teeki Hut”

Anthropologie, citing their

unique styles as pluses. She

is ready with style advice

for “Esh wannabes,” ad-

vocating stores like Ameri-

can Eagle and J.Crew over

places like Hollister and

Abercrombie and Fitch for

more classic and school

appropriate attire at simi-

Arts and En! r" inment DECEMBER 14, 2011PAGE 6

West Side

The Union’s Flatbreads provides a vast array of

foods to satisfy your taste buds.

BY ELENA SPARGER

Anthropologie, citing their

unique styles as pluses. She

is ready with style advice

for “Esh wannabes,” ad-

vocating stores like Ameri-

can Eagle and J.Crew over

places like Hollister and

Abercrombie and Fitch for

more classic and school

appropriate attire at simi-

Catwalk to Class

Location: Purdue Me-

morial Union, 101 N.

Grant St.

Distance from School:

0.9 mi.

Price/Person: $6+

The search for new

and different places to eat

resumes, and this time it

took me to Flatbreads. Be-

ing a high school student,

I don’t eat in the Purdue

Memorial Union very of-

ten. But having never been

to Flatbreads, I decided

to try to blend in with the

college student crowd and

review it.

During our late high

school lunch period, the

restaurant was pretty busy,

which was a good sign,

since most of the Pur-

due students I know eat

lunch as early as possible.

Displayed in the entrance

was Flatbreads’s surpris-

ingly varied menu, which

includes pizza, sandwiches,

soups, salads, and break-

fast items. I decided on the

chicken cordon bleu sand-

wich and got in line.

They were pretty slow

making it, but when I tasted

my sandwich I understood

why. It cost a little over fi ve

dollars, and was well worth

it. The sandwich was huge,

hot and heavenly. I also

tried the corn chowder

(you can get a combina-

tion of half a sandwich

and soup for just a dollar

extra), which was equally

delicious. Their Parmesan

cheesy bread was also very

tasty. Overall, the food was

well-made and more than

satisfactory.

The ambiance was just

as fetching as the food,

with a brick stove in the

corner where the pizzas

are cooked. Flatbreads also

had a dessert display--in-

cluding Oreo and M&M

brownies, cookies as big as

my head, and fruit parfaits-

-which all looked worthy

of the running I would

have to do to burn off all

those calories.

Although it was a little

pricey, if you have the

money, it’s worth every

penny. I would defi nitely

recommend Flatbreads-

-especially if you can get

one of your richer friends

to pay for you.

Unique traits mark teacher style.

BY NEHA RAMANI

Lafayette, Indiana—Just

across the Wabash River,

hidden among the South

Ninth Street clamor, sits

the Art Museum of Great-

er Lafayette. The building

is unassuming, outfi tted

with a vandalized sign and

hidden parking lot; how-

ever, this is a misleading

cover to a museum with

over a hundred years of

history.

Founded in 1909, the

museum is more than a

privately-owned studio,

but the only nationally ac-

credited museum in north-

ern Indiana.

Through the years, they

have hosted exhibitions

of various styles and art-

ists: their current display

shows the work of the nun

and nurse-turned-painter,

Sister Rufi na, and her stu-

dents.

Members of their per-

manent exhibit also show

an unusual range for such

a small museum. Hung

across the walls of this

exhibit are works from

home-grown Indiana art-

ists all the way to European

Impressionists. Works are

not limited to paintings ei-

ther, as a number of sculp-

tures—from realistic to

abstract—sit on display. In

100 years of history on display at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette

BY ALYSE ALLRED

the words of Claire Smith,

a student intern working

in the museum, it’s a “nice

collection of things you

AN ART-LOVER’S DREAM: Many different medias of art

are on display at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.

Seen here are sculptures and paintings created by various

artists.

PHOTO BY ALYSE ALLRED

Most style icons have a

signature piece that defi nes

their look. Oftentimes,

the item and the icon be-

come synonymous with

each other. Coco Chanel

had her little black dress.

Audrey Hepburn had her

pearls. Mr. Aufderhe-

ide has his sweater vests.

Beloved by his students,

“Aufdie’s” wide selection

of sweater-vests are ex-

pected as almost a daily

occurrence during the

winter months. Students

Teachers have a repu-

tation of being predict-

able. Year after year, the

personalities, the cur-

riculum, and the tests

rarely deviate from the

established standard.

Teacher style tends to be

among these constants,

and is hardly noticed by

students. Certain teach-

ers, however, are known

and revered throughout

school for their style

choices.

Ms. Eshelman

schools in style Most teenagers get

their fi rst exposure to real

fashion through movies,

magazines, and celebri-

ties. For some junior

high students, this fi rst

look at fashion comes

during Ms. Eshelman’s

English class. Every

day, Ms. Esh is dressed

to impress in clothes

that students describe as

“classy,” “daring,” and

“colorful.” She describes

her own style as “classi-

cal, whimsy, and versa-

tile.” Ms. Esh frequents

stores such as J.Crew and

lar prices. “She inspires me

to dress better,” says ju-

nior Polina Alekseenko, a

former Eshelman English

student.

Mr. Aufderheide

in“vest”s in style

new to his class come in

looking forward to seeing

all the different combina-

tions he can make. “The

sweater-vests are just like

a part of him now,” says

Kelsey Patton, a junior in

Mr. Auferderheide’s class.

“Everyone loves it.”

Mrs. Helton takes

length in style A lot of things have

changed in Mrs. Helton’s

life since high school.

One thing that hasn’t,

however, is the length

of her hair. “I fi rst

started growing it out

when I was nine years

old,” she says. She cut it

to near shoulder length

in high school, but de-

scribes the experience

as “traumatic.” Since

then, she has maintained

her un-treated, glossy,

honey-colored mane at a

waist-length. Mrs. Hel-

ton acknowledges that

for both those in and

out of her class, her hair

has become her defi n-

ing characteristic. “It’s

a way that I can let stu-

dents know that I accept

them the way they are,”

she says. “You should

be who you are and do

what you like.” Will

Rankin, a senior in Mrs.

Helton’s AP English

class, says, “Her hair is

pretty cool. Sometimes

I just like to stare at it.”

Style is probably the

least important qual-

ity when it comes to a

teacher. Still, it makes

class a whole lot more

colorful, fun, and inter-

esting.

ON THE CATWALK:Together, Mr. Aufderheide, Ms. Es-

helman and Mrs. Helton, are the fashionable faces of West

Side’s faculty.

PHOTOS BY NEHA RAMANI, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELENA SPARGER

wouldn’t think we had.”

Local artists have a

place in the museum as

well, selling their works

through the gift shop.

This part of the museum

offers the same variety that

characterizes other parts:

paintings, sculptures, pot-

tery, and other uncommon

pieces for the passerby’s

collection.

The art museum of-

fers art classes to the gen-

eral public, which range

broadly over the artistic

disciplines. In fact, have

just concluded a special

holiday workshop in which

children were taught ba-

sic holiday arts and crafts,

and then given a tour of

the museum. Aside from

this, the only class cur-

rently running is a work-

shop on felting; however,

more classes are expected

to start soon.

Despite the museum’s

history, things are always

subject to change. Recent-

ly, the museum announced

that they are now open all

seven days of the week,

from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m,

and is free to the public.

Exhibitions are rotated on

a regular basis, while new

artists are always offer-

ing their works for sale in

the gift shop. With such

changes in the future, make

sure to keep an eye out for

this unusual museum.

BY ALYSE ALLRED

OpinionsWest Side

PAGE 7DECEMBER 14, 2011

The Staff of the ScarletteEditors-in-ChiefMalena de la Fuentemdelafuente@scarletteonline.com

Harini Sureshhsuresh@scarletteonline.com

News EditorNeha Ramaninramani@scarletteonline.com

A&E EditorElena Spargeresparger@scarletteonline.com

Opinions EditorAlyse Allredaallred@scarletteonline.com

Features EditorsAbby Bienabien@scarletteonline.com

Grace Palmierigpalmieri@scarletteonline.com

Sports EditorKathrine Schulzekschulze@scarletteonline.com

People EditorEmily Mackemack@scarletteonline.com

Photo EditorsBriagha McTavishbmctavish@scarletteonline.com

Roseanne Pagerpage@scarletteonline.com

Mission: The Scarlette strives to create a publication that is informative, entertaining, accurate, and professional. Our mission is to serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school .

The Scarlette Editorial Policy: The Scarlette provides a limited forum for reader ex-pression. Letters to the editor must be received seven days prior to publication date in the box provided in the offi ce. All are subject to editing for content and length. Personal attacks and unfair attacks on business-es or unsigned letters will not be published. The edito-rial represents the views of the majority of the staff. Views printed do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the faculty, staff, or administration of the WLCSC.A full version of our editorial policy can be found at www. scarletteonline.com Special thanks to the Journal and Courier for sponsor-ing the Scarlette.

Tomorrow, the man who

proposed all the education

reforms your teachers hate

is visiting our school. And

no, I don’t mean Mitch

Daniels. On December

15th, Tony Bennett will

be at our school. “Who is

Tony Bennett?” you may

ask, “an old singer my

grandma listens to?” Well,

yes. Unfortunately we get

the other one.

You may have heard of

Tony Bennett from your

teachers griping in class, or

maybe you haven’t heard

of him at all. But what re-

forms did he propose? Ba-

sically, he came up with an

incentive-based program in

which teachers are evalu-

ated on how their students

improve and receive raises

based on their students’

progress. However, there

are some big issues with

Bennett’s proposal, which

cause the tempers of many

parents and teachers to

fl are.

One issue is that teach-

ers will be evaluated based

on how students improve

on standardized test scores.

This gives the teacher in-

centive to do well, but not

the student. The students

must only pass the test.

There is no motivation for

students to work for more

than just a passing grade.

When I asked Mr. Col-

lins what he thinks about

the program, he said, “I

have mixed feelings. I

think some of the things

they’re pushing have not

been well thought out. It’s

kind of half-baked.” And

while Bennett’s intentions

are obviously good, Mr.

Col l ins’

s t a t e -

m e n t

r i n g s

true.

Some

of Bennett and Daniels’

reforms can be better

understood by the argu-

ments made against them

on the page of Facebook

group Parents & Educa-

tors Against the Daniels &

Bennett Educational Re-

form. “We are against the

idea that Indiana teachers

are paid too much. We be-

lieve that with the proper

resources, every public

school could perform

above the public’s expecta-

tions. We are against pitting

teachers against teachers.”

The second

statement is

in response

to Bennett’s

plan to take

m o n e y

from public schools’ bud-

gets and instead sending it

to private schools. And by

money, I don’t mean just

any old money. With Ben-

nett and Daniels’ reforms

in place, taxpayer dollars

will go to private schools

instead of public schools

like our own.

Bennett also plans on

eliminating pay incen-

tives to teachers who have

earned advanced degrees.

With this reform, Bennett

undermines his own goals.

While Bennett aspires to

improve the education of

Indiana students, this bill

undermines those with the

highest levels of educa-

tion.

Bennett’s visit tomorrow

will be a great opportunity

for students and teachers

to ask questions, and they

are encouraged to do so.

Education reform, wheth-

er you’re a freshman or a

senior, affects all of us and

students should be aware

of the major changes Tony

Bennett has planned for us

in the coming years.

“Some of the things

they’re pushing have not

been well thought out.”

Mr. Collins

Tony Bennett is coming soon to a school near you

ONLINE POLL

A. Hmm...sleep...sleep...and more sleep. What

else is there?

B. Food and family. But mostly the food.

C. Presents! I mean, giving to others.

D. No homework. If you need me, I’ll be coma-

tose after the fi nals.

We want to hear your opinion!

Go online to www.scarletteonline.com to vote!

Results from Last Issue’s QuestionWill our football team make it to state??

If the team keeps working their

hardest, I think they’ve got a fi ghting

chance!

There’s no question! We’re going all

the way this year! RDP!!!

Only if they’ve got luck. A lot of it.

Not happening.

Q: What’re you looking forward to most

this holiday?

STAFF EDITORIAL

Most West Siders are well aware that this school is dif-

ferent than most. We have diversity and opportunity that

a lot of schools don’t, we have the Junior High and high

school in the same building and we have a lot of free-

doms other schools don’t. The biggest of these free-

doms is namely open campus lunch. We all love open

lunch and we all want to keep it.

For many reasons, we see the open campus lunch

in a positive light. It’s a chance to see your friends you

might not have any classes with and a nice break to go

somewhere besides school. Many students go home for

lunch, go out to one of many restaurants on campus,

or just head outside. Since so many people leave, there’s

less crowding--which is important, since the cafeteria

doesn’t even come close to holding everyone and the

locker bay is crowded enough as it is. Also, by going out

for lunch we’re helping to keep local places in business.

During the weekday lunch hours, the swarm of people

at eateries like Jimmy John’s and Subway are almost ex-

clusively West Side kids.

In addition to having an open campus, we also have

an unusually long lunch hour with 50 minutes. This

time is opportune for things like meeting with teachers,

clubs activities and just relaxing. Without the long lunch

hour, clubs would be before and after school, which

would mean anyone involved in sports would have to

drop them. When asked, school principal, Ron Shriner

agrees, saying part of the reason for a long lunch hour is

due to lack of an activity period like some schools.

Shriner went on to say his biggest concern is safety,

with people driving around, walking in the road, getting

back late, and potentially getting into dangers like smok-

ing and drinking. He then added that we seem to have

less problems with the addition of a safety offi cer.

“I’m not saying these things don’t happen and I know

the safety offi cer can’t see everything, but I think some

people might have the mindset of ‘oh I shouldn’t do

that because I might get caught.’ Occasionally you’ll see

someone coming back late, but I think that’s the excep-

tion and not the rule. All in all we give our kids a lot

of freedom and trust them to make good decisions and

they handle it very responsibly.”

We agree with Shriner, and think if everyone contin-

ues to handle open lunch responsibly by coming back

on time, being respectful of neighbors and other classes,

and not taking advantage of our freedoms, open lunch

is here to stay.

Is open lunch in

jeopardy?

BY ELENA SPARGER

CHANGES ARE ON THEIR WAY: Whether they’re for better or for worse, Bennett’s re-

forms are almost guaranteed to stir things up.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PAGE 8FeaturesFEBRUARY 14, 2012

West Side

Valentine’s Day woes

BY BRIAGHA

M�TAVISH

Here it is, Valentine’s

Day, the so-called big time

of your blossoming rela-

tionship. But before you

start freaking out about

buying the perfect fl owers

and superfl uously expen-

sive jewelry for your sweet-

heart, let’s take some time

to fully understand this an-

cient holiday.

Valentine’s Day has

become one of America’s

most celebrated holidays,

but why? Girls have this

idealized view of having a

day in which they have your

full attention and get free

stuff. Here’s some advice

for this tricky situation.

If your girlfriend says,

“We don’t have to do any-

thing for Valentines Day...”

DO NOT listen to her.

As Admiral Ackbar of

the rebel alliance says, it’s

a trap. She expects you to

prepare something to do,

and she’ll probably be an-

noyed and slightly upset if

you don’t do something.

Many guys wonder to

what lengths their Valen-

tine activities should go. It

pretty much depends on

how long you’ve been in

the relationship. If you’ve

been dating for a long

time, I’m going to go out

on a limb here and guess

that you can fi gure out for

yourself what to do. If you

can’t, fi rstly that’s pretty

pathetic, and second, just

think of what you know

she’ll like. And if you don’t

know what she likes, you

should take some time to

contemplate this thing you

call a relationship.

If your relationship is

still in the baby phase, here

are some tips. Don’t go

all out with all the fl ow-

ers and cards and love

poems and all that other

stuff that Hallmark has

made you believe is con-

ventional. Frankly, if you

do these things, she’s sure

to be creeped out and feel

super uncomfortable. In

this stage, keeping it cool

is the best option. Take her

out to one of those sappy

chick fl icks that you hate,

or take her to a nice din-

ner.

Just no declarations of

your undying love for her...

You’ll embarrass yourself.

1. First Day of My Life Bright EyesThis song is great. It’s low-key feel and meandering

melody are perfect for just hanging out. The lyr-

ics also aren’t cliche, which makes it mean so much

more. Plus, check out the music video, it’s adorable.

VALENTINE’S DAY ISSUE

2. The Bird and the Worm

Owl CityThere may be a stigma out there about Owl City

sucking, but this song certainly has a lack of suck.

This song is probably the cutest thing I have ever

listened to. The witty lyrics make it even more enjoy-

able.

3. Crash the Party

Ok GoOftentimes people only listen to sappy love songs on

V-Day, but this song breaks from the homogenous

mixture of sap. This song is basically about throwing

usual dating customs and stereotypes out the door

and just having fun with your signifi cant other.

4. Home Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic ZeroesThis song’s Johnny Cash throwback vibe is only part

of what makes it so great. The lyrics are so amazingly

sincere and heartwarming I can’t help but feel my

eyes get moist each time I give it a listen. The bridge

section is also very funny, so make sure to give it a

listen.

5. How in the World

Family Force FiveThis song probably falls into the more cliche part of

this list, but give it a chance. The melody is strong

and will defi nitely make you think of your signifi cant

other. Also, the song has a different feel because of

it’s techno aspects.

6. Losing Streak

The EelsDon’t let the title fool you--this is, in fact, a very

happy song. All in all, this is a feel good song with an

admirably quirky feel. Enjoy!

Perfect songs for a perfect nightBY BRIAGHA McTAVISH