Baseball Preview by Jordan Swoape

Coaching- The Owls brought back head coach Ed Jones and added assistant Tim Tarplee and also added former players Derek Sprunger and Bryce Rector. Tarplee brings the Owls playing experience in college and promotes good work ethic in practice.  Rector said, “We lost a lot of players from last year and the team won’t have as much depth as before, but if our team leaders can contribute each day I think we will be in a position to win and compete.”

Players- The Owls will return only three seniors this year, but all will need to perform in order for any success. The Owls have always lacked in numbers but even more so this year as they are expecting to depend on the younger class to contribute to the team this year. Rector said, “We have to look towards each player to do well in order for us to win, but especially Burris Sophomore Caleb Pine who will catch this year, a lot of a team’s success depends on their catcher so we need him to step up.”

Pitching- The Owls are depending on their senior captains Connor McGee and Jordan Swoape to lead the rotation, but also look for team newcomers Austin Quinn and Lucas Parsons to close the games for the Owls. Sophomore Travis Warner will also be key for the Owls in their pitching staff.

Hitting- In the past, the Owls have been thin on hitting, but from watching only a few practices so far Ed Jones expects each player to bring confidence to the plate this year.

Fielding- The baseball team has always stressed repetition when it comes to fielding spending their practice time with board mitts and effective ways to approach a ball. The coaches expect that the team should retain this knowledge and apply it to their games. The Owls infield should be strong this year with a mostly senior class, but the younger less experienced kids will fill the outfield this year. 

Limitless topping box office charts by Jordan Swoape

The movie that topped the box office this past weekend was Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, one of the stars from the comedy hit The Hangover. Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a smart individual who lacks the drive to fill his potential until he runs into an old friend who provides him with an opportunity to reach that potential. Eddie Morra is offered a pill that will allow him to have no limits or bounds keeping him from reaching his potential. Eddie Morra takes this pill that allows him to access every memory with relative  ease. And where would this movie be without a antagonist trying to get the pill NZT for himself. The person who goes against Bradley Cooper is played by Robert De Niro who goes after Cooper for the entirety of the movie.

Overall this movie is a thriller that will keep you off your seat for the entire movie, and Bradley Cooper does not disappoint as Eddie Morra in the movie. The only con to the movie was how the plot struggled to entertain for the whole movie. It seemed like the movie dragged on as the plot fell apart towards the end. I would recommend this movie to a friend to go and see sometime.

Shards of Hate by Sydny Bohuk Academy Junior

Sounds, Letters, Words
This is what they are, to them.
Pain, Cuts, Screams
This is what they are, to me.
Judged, Stares, Jokes
They never get enough.
The thirst that is never quenched
Like blood’s flow.
They need it to survive.
Every breath a sound,
Sounds to words,
Words of hurt.
It’s not what they say,
It’s why they say it.
I’m different from them,
I’m not good enough for them.
My life is a waste,
My ears filled with distaste.
Their words turned sour,
More sour with hate.
I see my life through these eyes,
I never had it right.
I don’t deserve life,
Bury me alive.
Below the dirt, to them I belong,
Where the worst go.
I’ve shown nothing,
I was never something.
Here I lay,
Under the ground.
The impact of those words,
Put me in the dirt.
Look what you have done,
Can you claim to be someone?
Here I lay,
Beneath the sky.
I have lost my life,
Like a dagger,
A shard of glass.
You cut me deep,
So deep in fact,
That my heart bled,
And now I lay,
For none to mourn.

Envirothon Triumphs!

Congratulations to the Indiana Academy Envirothon Team who finished second at the South Central Regional competition on March 17th. Teammates Barbara DeLarm, Kayla Gurganus, Grace Casimer, Jon Hilsmier, Haley Waldkoetter and Jamie Trost participated in the competition sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA at the Wayne Co. fairgrounds. They were tested over information they studied on Forestry, Soils, Aquatic Biology, Wildlife Biology and the current issue on Presettlement Indiana, finishing second regionally and will go on to compete at the State tournament on April 20th. “We’re super excited to go to State. It was so much fun!” says DeLarm. “Wait… We have to leave at 4???”

Academy Brain Bee Champion

Congratulations to Ms Emily Zhang of the Academy’s Brain Bee study group. Emily competed at the National Brain Bee, held at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD. The Indiana Academy and our local region were represented by Emily, who advanced to Nationals after winning the regional competition in February. The competition consisted of fives sections; human neuroanatomy practical, oral questioning, patient diagnosis, neurohistology and ten rounds of oral questions. Ms. Zhang finished in Second Place nationally. Locally the Brain Bee is sponsored by the IU Medical School, Ball Memorial/Clarian Health Hospital and our local chapter of the Society for Neurological Science. Congratulations are due to Ms. Emily Zhang for all her hard work and effort. It is a truly impressive feat.

Spring Has Sprung: Spring Break 2011!

Pack your bags and temporarily throw away your schoolbooks: It’s Spring Break! Students filed out of the Academy and loaded into cars, ready for the 10-day relief from homework, teachers, and stress. Whether they took vacations to Florida or spent their time relaxing nicely at home, there is no doubt Spring Break provided a perfect time for kids to trade their Parkas for their tank tops, their snowsuits for their shorts.

Relief came to the teachers and faculty, too, many of whom stripped off their educational duties to spend time with family and enjoy the weather. Mr. Richard Willis, a literature instructor at the Academy, had a chance to escape to one of his favorite historical sites: Elsinore Castle, supposed home of Hamlet the Dane. Holding an immense interest in everything Shakespearean, Mr. Willis commented on the commonalities between the historical site and the ‘fictional’ account of Hamlet’s castle. “There was an arras in Hamlet’s mothers room, just like the one Polonius hid behind!”

Overall, Spring Break fulfilled all of its intended functions and more. A break from school, a time to reenergize after Midterms, an opportunity to escape to interesting places, and a window in which Academy students could visit friends and family at home, Spring Break turned out well for everyone.

Now turn your thinking caps back on, Kids! The end of the semester is in sight! Enjoy the warm weather, get ready for Mayterm, and take advantage of the sun!

America's Next Top Model

In its 16th season, America's Next Top Model continues to get the attention of countless viewers, especially those in high school.

Tyra Banks created the show in 2003 and since then, the show has been a hit. Banks was also the host of her talk show "Tyra" until its final season aired in 2010. The show was created to discover everyday girls that aspire to be models but never had the change. Many times throughout her career Banks describes her desire to help young women and this only helps reach her goal.

The contestants fill out a survey where they are required to be over 5'7" and be registered as either a normal or plus sized model. They then wait to be contacted by Top Model. The models then attend a tryout and nearly 30 girls are chosen to continue. The filming begins after the top 30 are chosen. Half of the models are then kicked off after one photo shoot that is judged and the remaining 15 stay on the show and live with the other 14 contestants.

The show becomes more personal for these models. They are constantly interviewed on happenings in the house and how they feel about a certain photo shoot. Viewers often pick their favorites based on the attitude of the models. "This season there's a girl (Alexandria) I can't stand just because she has a terrible attitude. She is all about herself and it's annoying to watch her, but at the same time it keeps the show interesting," said Burris senior Jennifer Watkins. Watkins has been watching the show since it has began. "I missed a few seasons in the middle but I missed it too much, now I can hardly wait until the next episode!"

The other models agree with Watkins' perception of Alexandria. They believe that she is possibly "bipolar" and "too controlling". Alexandria is a model who believes she knows what she is talking about. Banks threatened her that if her attitude didn't improve she would be sent home.

Every week there is a challenge and a photo shoot. The challenges usually consist of a fashion show or acting lessons. The model who stands out most to the photographer or designer wins prizes, usually a piece from the collection or a nice dinner where the model can choose a few friends to join. The photo shoots have evolved over time and there is never a repeat. "I am amazed at all the types of shoots they have," said Burris senior Kelsey Carr. "They are always so different, and sometimes kind of weird and crazy." Like Watkins, Carr has been watching the show for a very long time.

The show concludes with the models attending the judges panel where they are evaluated on their 'best photo'. The judges are very critical with the photos because they are looking for a top model. The prizes include a contract with IMG Models, a contract with Cover Girl, a spread in Italian Vogue and a cover and spread of Beauty in Vogue. These prizes were recently changed from a cover and spread in Seventeen Magazine and a contract with both Cover Girl and Willimena Models. The stakes are higher considering the better prizes and the models have to work a lot harder.

This week, model Dalya was sent home. The judges believed that she was performing like a remedial model and she was failing to stand out against the other models. Who will go nest week? Tune in to The CW at 8:00 pm next Wednesday 3/30 to find out.