Once every four years the American people elect a new president as well as many other positions. November 3, 2020 was the official day of the election. However, due to COVID-19, early voting and mail-in voting were expanded and conducted all throughout the month of October up until November 2. Hoosiers in Warrick County got to vote for many different positions ranging from as local as county clerk to as high as the presidency. However, 2020 was not a year for a senate race in Indiana, as the next one is in 2022. President: The presidential election was mainly between current president and republican Donald J. Trump and former vice president and democrat Joseph R. Biden. There were several noted 3rd party candidates such as Jo Jorgenson of the Libertarian Party, Howie Hawkins of the Green Party, and Kanye West of the Birthday Party. Joe Biden won the popular vote and the electoral college. Governor: The Indiana race for governor was between incumbent and republican Eric Holcomb, democrat Woody Myers, and libertarian Donald Rainwater. There was early talk that Rainwater would do very well as many Indiana republicans were reportedly discontent with Governor Holcomb’s mask mandate, according to the Associated Press. However Holcomb walked away with 66% of the vote giving him another four years as governor. State House District 75: The state house race was another landslide with republican candidate Cindy Ledbetter getting 61% of the vote. US House District 8: Republican candidate Larry Buschon won in the race. He beat the Democratic Party candidate Thomasina Marisili and libertarian candidate James Rodenberger. Attorney General: Republican Todd Rokita beat democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel with 58% of the vote. Neither men are the incumbent. Circuit Court Clerk: County clerk was another republican victory. Patty Perry won her race against democrat Barton Heath. County Council At-Large: Republicans won all three positions up for grabs. Ron Bacon, Bradley Overton, and Ted W. Metzger are the three winners. School Board: School board is a partyless race so it was neither a democrat nor republican victory. The winners of the race were Tim Moseby, Brenda Metzger, and Lynda G. Glover. Warrick County was a landslide victory for republicans and the whole state in general went red giving its 11 electoral votes to President Donald Trump. Indiana is keeping its republican governor and the state house is still majority republican. From election history this is very common and expected from this state, according to 270toWin.com. The next major elections for Indiana will be the 2022 midterms where the people will elect a new senator and the 2024 elections, which will have votes for president, senate, governor, and every other position. Congratulations to all the candidates who won their individual races. Elliott Kieffer
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On Friday, November 6, Castle High School’s We The People team competed in an online regional competition. We The People consists of six units (groups) and will be continuing on to State in December. Out of the six units, Unit 1, consisting of Dillon Haynes, Laith Koleilat, Evelynne Spencer, and Shelby Stevens, won the “Best Unit” of the class award. And while we congratulate the team on their accomplishments, many people don’t exactly know what We The People is.
“We The People is essentially a constitutional law class and the competition format is like a congressional hearing.” says senior Olivia Anderson. “The members are tested on their knowledge of the constitution, supreme court cases, acts of legislation, and even more.” Simply, it’s taking the Constitution and applying to real life. “Typically, you’ll meet with your unit and make sure the statements are memorized and you’re prepared for any follow up questions the judges may have for you.” Laith Koleilat adds on, describing how they prepare for a competition. “Team coordination, equal participation, and overall unit cohesion are big parts of what goes into the competition and it’s something the judges will score you on.” We The People offers lots of opportunities for students wanting to go into law, government, politics, and much more. And on top of the educational benefits of the class, there’s a great feeling of camaraderie and unity within each group. “My favorite part of We The People is working with my teammates and getting to know them!” says Koleilat, talking about his favorite parts of the class. “I would say getting to spend time with my unit has been a very fun part of the class.” “The team aspect of We The People is awesome.” Anderson agrees, “And, I, personally, want to be a lawyer in the future so I like learning about how the Constitution applies to everyone, all the time.” There are many different aspects of the class and how it can benefit students. Simply put, “Just do it.” Both Anderson and Koleilat said they’d encourage anyone wanting to join. And we wish them the best of luck at State in December! Every year, Castle High School helps to donate canned food and other items to families in the community in need. The upcoming holidays can be hard for many, so Castle stepped up to make a difference.
This year’s canned food drive is different than one’s in the past. With the current conditions, many families are in more need than ever. This food drive is an awesome way for the kids at Castle High School to get involved and impact the people in their community. One of the organizers for this event, Mallory Hood, had a lot to say about her excitement involving the food drive. She commented that it is “wonderful to see the school come together and contribute to a cause that will directly impact the lives of our own students and their families.” She realizes that this event allows the students involved to look beyond themselves and be a part of a greater cause. The event is primarily taking place on the eleventh and twelfth of November. The eleventh was held to assemble the boxes with all items and the twelfth was the delivery date. Prior to these dates, Castle students and teachers collected items such as ramen noodles, cans, and other non perishable items. Another special gift for the families was a fifteen dollar gift card to Walmart. This money was given to buy a turkey or ham for their Thanksgiving meal. The organizers and helpers thought long about how to help these families to the best of their ability. Another student helping with the canned food drive is Jentry Gottfried. Her role for this year was to collect cans and organize boxes. Both Jentry and Olivia Patton, president of the junior class, delivered to two houses on Thursday the twelfth. Gottfried loved how she and others were able to take the stress away of having to provide groceries throughout the hectic holiday season. She said “the fact that we’re able to make a difference in the lives of people I go to school with warmed my heart.” In reality, holidays are hard for many people; however, this canned food drive provides a way for families to enjoy them without worrying about the food on their table. As students and staff, we should all be thankful for the families and things we have. We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving break! On Friday, November 6, the Castle Knights football team defeated Bloomington North 35-24 to win the Sectional Championship. While they still have more to win, this sectional victory meant a lot to the players. After a loss in this exact place last year to Bloomington South, Castle’s players were ready to do better. “It was really tough to lose sectionals last year,” says Adam Watson, a junior player for Castle. “But it meant a lot to come back even better and get the win this time around.” The team may be excited and celebrating their victory, but they still have more to accomplish. With regionals approaching this coming Friday on November 13, the Knights have to prepare quickly. “We haven’t won regionals since 2015,” says Evan Reff, a junior defensive back for the Knights. “We’re all hungry for the chance to do it again.” At regionals, Castle will face a formidable opponent in Jeffersonville, but the players are dialed in on preparing to win. “Winning sectionals is nice and all,” says Watson, “but our goal this year is to win much more than that. Sectionals is just a step, so we’re focused entirely on Jeffersonville now.” Castle’s game against Jeffersonville kicks off at 7:00 pm on November 13. Gavin Wood Castle’s girls basketball team finally hits the court this winter. Having no senior players, the team is relying heavily on their junior class. Luckily, their season is looking bright.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many sports teams have been limited this fall. However, girls basketball was able to get back to their usual training and game schedule. They have many goals set and are looking forward to a full season. In order to meet their goals for the rest of this winter, the girls hold each other accountable during practice. Monday through Thursday they put in effort after school in order to improve their game. Megan Kain, a Castle varsity player, says they usually focus on “shooting, passing, ball handling, [and] defense” while training. The Lady Knights’ first game was this past Saturday. Together they fought the Jeffersonville Devils. With a final score of 58-38, Castle came out victorious. In order to prepare for their game against Jeffersonville, the Lady Knights did more than just their usual training. Together they studied different plays and simulated their opponents' defense using their Junior Varsity teammates. Not only that, but many individually went over Jeffersonvilles’ games during the 2019-2020 season. Throughout the game, Castle’s Varsity and Junior Varsity teams had major highlights. Megan Kain and Natalie Niehaus, both Varsity members, scored double digits for the Lady Knights during their game. Additionally, we saw great plays by both freshman Kiersten Niehaus and Aleyna Quinn. Both Castle’s defense and offense had an overall great performance. Excited about their first win of the season, Campbell Mcbride, a junior at Castle, says the team “felt really good and got [their] confidence up for the rest of the season.” The Lady Knights have a positive winter ahead of them. Starting off with a win has excited not only the teammates but Castle fans as well. Go Knights! |