Issue 3 Volume 14 by Intermission @ Northwest School of the Arts

Northwest attracts students worldwide

Sophomore Matilda Leonarz and junior Julian Lauten-Weiss discuss their experiences at Northwest as they take photos for their photography project.

intermission

Northwest School of the Arts 1415 Beatties Ford Rd. Charlotte, NC 28216 March 15, 2011 Volume XIV Issue 3

School News Features Opinion

2-3 4-6 7-8

Photo by Allison Webber

from Cologne, a city in the west of Germany close to the Belgian border. “I stayed in Florence, South Carolina at Wilson High School [for the first semester],” he said. “I had a great time and really good friends [at Wilson],” said Lauten-Weiss. He said it was very different than his hometown in Germany. Senior Julian Lauten-Weiss arrived at Northwest late in the year because his exchange organization suggested that he should move because of difficulties with his past host family, but he’s glad to be staying here with junior Jackson Morton’s family. Although he hasn’t been here long, Lauten-Weiss is already enjoying Northwest. “The students and teachers here are so friendly and open, which is really nice,” he said. “It also offers way more classes and clubs.” The United States was easy for him to adapt to. “It is funny because a lot of things are exactly like the movies,” he said. According to Lauten-Weiss, high

schools and school systems are different than the movies, but the whole culture is similar, so it wasn’t too hard for him too adjust. Lauten-Weiss said that he is very glad to be at a really nice school with lots of friendly people. While Lauten-Weiss has had plenty of time to adjust to being in America, Matilda Leonarz of Zurich, Switzerland has just arrived. She is already enjoying herself at Northwest. Leonarz loves the difference seen in the students. “All the students look so interesting and different, and I like that,” Leonarz said. She is currently staying with freshman Guthrie Howard’s family, who are family friends. Leonarz said that her father sat next to her host mother in a class during his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and stayed friends. According to Leonarz, Charlotte is very different than Zurich, just like our transportation system. “We don’t even have a car,” she said. “Our houses are much shorter and we have lots

of old houses in the city…We have a beautiful lake and a river where you can go swimming,” she said. After going to England for a month in the fall with her school, she chose to come to the states. She does like it here, especially all of the open fields and tall buildings. “I like having a different life for a while,” Leonarz said. Her school in Switzerland is “very boring and we don’t really have talented kids,” she said. Everybody kind of blends in, and she said everyone looks the same, which “kind of annoys her.” That adds to why she loves Northwest so much. Leonarz thinks it’s a very “cool school, and the people are so friendly and sociable.” Lauten-Weiss and Leonarz are being welcomed into the Northwest family. They are ready to study their arts and make new friends. Although they’re arriving so late in the school year, they’re enjoying the new incorporation of arts and school into their life.

At the end of the spring musical, the audience gave the cast a standing ovation, but only a select few truly understood the sacrifices the actors had to make for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “I not only had to juggle school work and the show, but I also was a leading role in Sweeny Todd at CPCC. Both shows (Music Man and Sweeny Todd) started rehearsal the exact same day,” said junior Ashton Guthrie who played Harold Hill in Music Man. This year about 100 students auditioned for a part in the Music Man, but only about 40 students received a part in the cast. They auditioned to experience this

classic Broadway musical; they got in, and as a result, the cast members had to endure 90minute before school rehearsals and two-hour after school rehearsals every day. “I have given up almost every weekend for the past two months due to all day Saturday rehearsals. [On] Sundays, I recover from the week and prepare for the next week ahead,” said senior Noelle Mapstead, who played Marian Paroo in Music Man. During the week before the show, all performers had to go through the exhausting tech week where they leave school early, and miss classes for rehearsals at the Booth Playhouse, where the show takes place. When it comes to tech week, each teacher has his or her own opinion about it.

“Teachers are never happy about us missing class, but knowing it’s for the arts and that we receive this amazing opportunity, some are more understanding,” said Guthrie. This year’s production was very different from years past. Innovative technological effects were used; projections replaced certain set pieces and part of the show was filmed and presented on an old time movie screen to give the audience the true sense of Music Man. “Getting to shoot with a professional film crew was a blast,” said Mapstead. “Even though this is a stage production, I think we all got a little lesson in the patience required for film making. We all had so much fun and the end result was stellar.”

Although students had to endure stressful and timeconsuming rehearsals and have lost sight of their social lives in the process, nobody in the Music Man cast can deny that it was all worth it. “This show is the definition of a classic, heartfelt, old Broadway musical. There are many compelling aspects to the scrip that make this show an interesting piece to perform,” said Mapstead. “This cast encompasses everything that this show was intended to be, and I am honored to be a tiny fraction of the formula required for making this beautiful piece of theatre come to life.”

In this issue

T.V. Shows portray a variety of relationshipsPage 5

Northwest welcomes two new European students from Germany and Switzerland Allison Webber Layout Editor Northwest students were amazed at the beginning of this year to meet the new German exchange student, Fabian Liebig. Now that excitement comes again from the arrival of two more exchange students at the beginning of January. Senior Julian Lauten-Weiss and sophomore Matilda Leonarz come from two different places in the world to America to experience education at Northwest School of the Arts. Lauten-Weiss originally came

Students tackle the Music Man Samantha Sabin Editor-in-Chief

Get to know designer Kilee Price- Page 3

CMS Sex Education questioned- Page 7

How are students taking the new stair directions?Page 8

Page 2

March 22, 2011

NEWS

Thinking outside of the box Kayleigh Mahn’s Box project recieves it’s debut as a broken box outside the D building Sarah Bryan Staff Writer Walking around the school, many Northwest students have seen a giant box just outside of the B-building that has adorned our campus almost from the start of this school year. Students questioned why it was there, what it was and whose it was, or they were just too busy laughing at fellow students who were vandalizing it. “The first time I saw it, I was walking and stopped in my tracks. I wanted to know what it was, but I couldn’t think of any purposes for a large box in the courtyard,” said sophomore Josh Kaplan. The box belongs to senior Kayleigh Mahn, and, as the sign that was posted on it for a few days said, it is her art project; rather it was her art project. She decided to stop working on it, because it turned out to be nothing but

a waste of time and money. As soon as it landed on campus, students started vandalizing it. Ironically, the project was meant to be shared with the students of Northwest upon completion, but it was students that ruined it to the point of no return. “It upsets me to think that kids here, an art school of all places, would be so disrespectful to a student’s artwork,” said senior Bailey Stowe. At one point the project was meant to be more than just a big box. It was supposed to be a medicine spot, which is a calm place for meditation. Mahn said she learned about this last summer at a therapeutic wilderness camp called SUWS of the Carolinas. Every day at camp, they would have to find a secluded place in the woods to sit and meditate for an hour. The project was going to be a simulation of that, with leaves, branches, dirt, and other woods-related items. “My concentration from last year was a series of work symbolizing my addictions and hardcomings… this box was supposed to be a close to my concentration… my recovery,” said Mahn. Mahn had been working on the project since the beginning of the school year, with hopes of finishing it, but stopped about two weeks after she brought

Photo by Kayla Jackson

Kayleigh Mahn’s Box Project sits outside the D-building before its destruction. Over the course of its stay it was used by students for skipping class and vandalism.

it to school because it started to broadcast the carelessness of some Northwest students. “Somebody messed up the door to the point I had to tear it off, I left some paints in there and students have splattered them and painted on the walls inside,” Mahn said.

Mahn said even looking at it makes her feel bad so she doesn’t want to touch it, but she’s considering destroying it and forgetting about it. “It was really funny until I learned she was actually going to do something with it,” said Kaplan.

“This project meant a lot to me and I wanted to share what I learned at camp with the world, or at least my classmates, but now I feel like nobody cares,” Mahn said.

Poetry meets art in Northwest classes Poet Laureate Bowers inspires Northwest students to express themselves Alice Wilder Copy Editor Many students at Northwest intend on being professional artists, but after North Carolina Poet Laureate Cathy Lee Bowers’ visit, many might also dream of being a professional poet. On November 19, lucky Northwest students got the opportunity to do something they may have never done before:

write poetry. Sophomore Emily Mason had an eye opening experience. “We all express our art in different ways, but I’ve never expressed my art in that way, and now that I have, it made me want to learn more,” Mason said. Students also had the unique experience of writing and learning in small, focused classes. The event was organized by Northwest parent Jean Coco and the English department. Like many students, the class changed Mason’s perception on poetry. “Before, I had the typical teenager view of poetry, that it was boring, but it wasn’t just a description of a pretty field of flowers, it was her life and emotions being expressed,” said Mason. Sophomore Patrick Hoffman was grateful for the experience. “I really enjoyed it…

seeing how people professionally write poems,” Hoffman said. The class inspired English teacher Melissa Hefner as well. “I found it truly inspiring; I wish I could teach poetry like that,” Hefner said. At the start of the class, each student was asked, “do you love language?” After they nervously responded “yes” Bowers smiled and said, “then you can stay.” Bowers grew up in South Carolina, and now lives in Tryon, North Carolina. Bowers is no stranger to teaching young people; she worked as a high school English teacher, and at Queens University. The classes listened to Bowers read one of her poems, and then analyzed it as a group, discussing how it made them feel, and what they thought it was about. The class focused on the

process of writing rather than the product. “I learned that every piece of writing is a process…something as short as a poem takes a lot of work,” said Hoffman. In the class, students learned about two essential parts of Bowers’ process, the abiding image and the hunk of stone. Sophomore Katherine Walker enjoyed the new writing process. “I like how we talked about the abiding image, which is something that sticks with her, something she wants to explore,” said Walker. After the class came up with their abiding images, they drafted in complete silence, creating a “hunk of stone” a stream of unedited writing, which students would later “sculpt.” On February 25th, Bowers returned, and students shared their first drafts,

March 2011 1

Photo courtesy of Laureate Bowers

April 2011 3

MS NCTC MS NCTC play play 3:00 7:00PM PM and 7:00 PM 6

and critiqued each other’s work. During her visit, Bowers surely inspired some future poets, “the experience was inspiring, it made me want to write poetry,” said Mason.

Music Man 7:30 PM

Music Man 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM 19

Spring Dance Spring Dance Spring Dance Performance Performance Performance 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM

1 Teacher Workday 8

20 SPRING BREAK

Michael A. Washington Piano Benefit Concert 3:00PM

Orchestra recital seminar 7:00PM

HS Choral Concert 7:00PM

HS Band & Pops Piano Orchestra Recital Concert 7:00PM 7:00PM

HS Musical Theatre Revue 7pm

Alice in

HS Musical Theatre Revue 2PM & Wonderland 7PM

March 22, 2011

Page 3

NEWS

Student by day, designer by night Junior Kilee Price has been working behind the scenes of many Northwest productions since her freshman year Naja Richburg Layout Staff Unlike other public schools, Northwest is lucky to have a costume department that can customize their own costumes. Talented designers can be found in the costume design and apparel classes who complete this arduous task. Among these students is junior Kilee Price, who has worked on numerous shows since her freshman year and continues to contribute to the beautiful garments in our shows. 1. What inspired you to start designing? “My peers inspired me, and I’ve always done art. I saw something in fifth grade, and it inspired me to draw a dress, and I’ve been doing it ever since.” 2. How long have you been creating costumes? “Since [my] freshman year when I started working on the show Aida.” 3. Did you originally come to NWSA for costume design? “I originally came here for musical theatre and visual arts, but I knew there was an apparel class, and I liked to design clothes, and I could sew a little bit, so I took

Kilee Price sets to work on one of her new garments.

apparel 1.” 4. You have created costumes for how many shows? “Oh wow. I’m not really sure. Let’s see: I’ve done Aida, Seussical, [Thoroughly Modern] Millie, Wedding Singer, Fiddler on the Roof, Music Man and most [other shows] since 2009.” 5. What designing work have you done outside of school?

“I have an internship with a local fashion designer Lore Emelio, so I’m working on designs with her.” 6. How hard does your job become while juggling academic work? “It’s very difficult but being able to drive makes it easier. It gets very challenging, and I have to sacrifice my social life. It’s very

Photo by Naja Richburg

stressful.” 7. Which costume was your favorite to design? “I designed a dress for the Aida fashion show, and it was my first big piece. I felt honored as a freshman. It was a blue ball gown that we turned into a flower dress. It was fun to design.” 8. Describe the process of designing a garment.

“First something needs to inspire you, then you get background on whatever inspired you, [and] then you draw it out. You find a pattern that matches that design but often times I find a way to alter the pattern, like I will add a pocket or do something with the strap. Then I just start cutting [it] out and sewing it.” 9. How do you think you’ve grown as a costumer over the years? “I have a lot more skills than I did in ninth grade, and I follow directions better. I’ve gained a sense of urgency which took a while to achieve, and I’m a lot more dedicated now.” 10. What is a goal that you wish to accomplish before you graduate? “I want to have an ultimate piece in a show. I want for someone to be like, ‘Oh do you remember that dress from Music Man? Yeah, Kilee Price made it!’” 11. What costuming work do you see in your future? “I don’t see myself as a costumer in the future because fashion design is what I truly want to do, but costuming is always a back up.”

Steps to running a student directed production Students get the chance to be directors, playwrights, and actors all in one show Joneka Percentie and Samantha Sabin Copy Editor and Editor-in-Chief For the third time in Northwest history, students, friends, and family poured into the Charles LaBorde Theatre to see the Dionysia. While many enjoyed the food, plays and entertainment, few realized the work done to bring the Dionysia to life. If interested in creating an awesome student-run production, follow these steps. Step 1: Find Talented Writers Possibly the most important part in creating an awesome student-run production is to get original plays from students. The playwrighting class was required to submit their original play for Dionysia. However, entering a play into the festival is not limited to the playwrighting class, as all Northwest students can submit their own work.

“More students should submit their plays for the festival. There is so much talent at Northwest and the Dionysia is a great way to show it,” said freshman Guthrie Howard, a playwright and actor for the show. After discussion by the entire playwrighting class, four plays were chosen; Gods and Glasses by Lexis Hooton, Fish by Colin Moore, Layla by Megan Datta, and Maintenance Required by Guthrie Howard. Step 2: Pick Directors Once the plays are chosen, it’s time to get directors. Each directing student that showed interest in Dionysia had to submit a treatment, or a written explanation of their ideas on the play, to directing teacher Bonnie Fraker “I was really excited to direct Lexis’s play; when I was reading it, it was like a sitcom in my head. And I thought ‘this is cool, I want

to direct her play,’” said junior Regina Grier on writing the treatment for Gods and Glasses. Fraker reviewed the treatments and chose students that had “given the best thought to the process.” Step 3- Overcome obstacles and piece it all together Remember to expect the unexpected! When Charlotte was pummeled with snow, the entire Dionysia was pushed back about three weeks. Traditionally, Dionysia is a very quick process, and the students were forced to pull off a show in an extremely short time. “I feel like with the snow days, it’s extended our time which in many cases is helpful, but it’s not the same,” said junior Hannah Risser, stage manager for Gods and Glasses. Step 4-Find Talented Actors Find skilled actors. Directors had to pick a few actors out of

approximately 100 students and only about 15 people were selected. However, this year casting wasn’t over after the lists went up. With the unexpected snow days, several actors were lost due to schedule conflicts. In this situation, immediate recasting should happen. “When the snow days came, I lost my lead [character]. I was upset about that but I got a great replacement and ended up with a great cast,” said Grier. Step 5- Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse Put it all together. Although they had more rehearsal time, coordinating those times proved to be more difficult than expected. “The new show times meant that we had to rehearse around other events that were previously scheduled to take place and in the end we still got the same amount of rehearsal time,” said junior Eliyas Azizy, production

manager for Dionysia. Students rehearsed for three weeks before school, learning lines, and putting together the shows. Step 6- Show off! When the show comes around, don’t forget personality! Without it, the audience will be pulling their own hair out for two hours anxiously awaiting the end of the show. The students in the Dionysia were sure not to forget it. Between shows, the audience played a game of “Where’s Eli,” and during the show, the writer’s personality shined brightly thanks to the actors that brought their characters to life. “This year there was a more festive atmosphere honoring the hard work of the playwrights, and the visual representation of it by the directors and conveyed by the actors,” said Azizy. “We also used awesome special effects.”

Congrats Sterling!

Boys with dresses and talent and olives, oh my! Former Mr. Irresistible Kevin Caldwell joins the 2011 contestants in a dance for the pageant. Caldwell brings back memories of last year’s show by letting his cowboy outfit make a revival in this year’s performance while the contestants sported their togas in light of the Olympics theme. Photo by Kyle Caldwell

On March 17, eight male students embarked on a journey that they’ll never forget. Mr. Irresistible, NWSA’s male pageant, included a talent competition, a question and answer session and an evening gown section. The contestants included: • Rashad Worthy • Jacob Reagan • Brian Washburn

• Ryan Clawson • Nick Delgadillo • Robert Briner • Sterling Frierson • Evan Morales Clawson placed third, and Reagan placed second with a jar of olives as his prize. Ultimately, Frierson won the title of Mr. Irresistible. He won a $15 iTunes giftcard.

Page 4

FEATURES

Why don’t students stand for what this nation stands for? People are becoming less nationalistic everyday and the nation’s pride is not what it once was.

March 22, 2011

Jewish students embrace their religion here at Northwest

Hayley Spitz tells us what it is like to be a Jew. She shares her beliefs and customs and gives insight on her religion. Cameron John Layout Staff Northwest is home to a wide variety of ethnicities, styles and personalities; however, the diversity at this school also comes in the form of culture and religion. One of the more prominent of these is Judaism. Judaism is the largest non-Christian religion in the world and makes up about 1.7 percent of the world population, roughly 102 million people. Here at Northwest, Jewish people are accepted like everyone else. Well, what’s the difference? When asked what she believes in, freshman Hayley Spitz said “We have only one god and that’s who we pray to. His name is God,

obviously.” Jewish people believe that every person is equal and has the freewill to make their own decisions. Some Jewish people don’t even believe in God, but they follow the traditions and agree with some of the beliefs. One of the main differences between Judaism and Christianity is the belief of the messiah, Jesus Christ. Jews believe that Jesus was not a messiah but a simple Jewish man posing as a prophet. Jews attend their services at synagogues, or temples. “It’s a lot like a regular Christian church except we pray in Hebrew and have a few different traditions” said Spitz. Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah, are celebrated on a

different day each year because of the difference between the Jewish and standard calendars. Chanukah is an eight day holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. Each night, a candle is lit on the Menorah, a candleholder with 7 to 9 prongs, as they recite the blessings. Some of the activities include eating latkes (potato pancakes), other fried foods, and the spinning of a dreidel, a small clay top with four sides. Commonly known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is taken to look back on the mistakes of the past year and plan to change in the New Year. Whether its great fried food, or different traditions, Judaism is another great religion.

Leadership’s hard work destroyed Leadership trys to spice up our campus, but ungrateful students ruin the beauty. veteransaffairs.delaware.gov Since 1892 the meaning of the pledge of allegiance has changed drastically resulting in numerous court cases about the topic.

Chartu Lopez-White Photo Staff Whether it is school districts attempting to require students to recite it or simply the phrase “under God,” the pledge of allegiance has always been a subject of controversy. The pledge of allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy. The first time it was recited in schools was that same year in honor of Columbus Day. Congress officially recognized the pledge 50 years later in 1942. The phrase “under God” was added in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower and his administration. Recently school districts have been creating their own policies on whether reciting the pledge should be mandatory in schools. School districts have either allowed some students to opt out or disallowed the pledge all together. Schools in Texas, TN, IL, MD and MA require students to recite the pledge. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools still require the pledge to be said during the school day, but they allow students to opt out because of personal beliefs; for example Jehovah’s Witnesses will not say the pledge because of religious beliefs of disallowing them to pledge their allegiance to an object. There are also students who choose not to say the pledge based on their political beliefs, perhaps not agreeing with the policies of the president or the state of the country. Other students may not feel comfortable pledging their allegiance to an object such as a flag “You’re pledging your loyalty to a flag and that’s just an inanimate object, I am loyal to my country not a flag,” said Junior

Evan Morales. Some people take issue with giving up their loyalty. “I wasn’t born in this country but I live here now, so I don’t necessarily feel loyal to this country or the country of my birth,” said sophomore Michelle Segovia. Throughout the years numerous court cases have risen regarding the constitutionality of the pledge. One of the most prominent was Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. In the Newdow case a student’s father discovered that the school his daughter attended started the day with a voluntary recitation of the pledge of allegiance. Newdow felt that even hearing the phrase “under God” violated the establishment clause of the United States Constitution. After numerous lawsuits the court established that the purpose of the pledge was “to unite our nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideas upon which our republic was founded.” A growing problem among the student body is that though most students understand the importance of the pledge, they lack the motivation to recite it. “My dad is in the military, but I am just really lazy and don’t want to stand up in the middle of the day,” said senior Danielle Marotta. Other students still remain positive about the pledge. Despite different view and beliefs toward the pledge, it still remains an integral part of most schools. “I feel like the pledge builds patriotism and hope when times seem the most turbulent” said senior Chermaine Johnson.

Photo by Allison Webber

The once beautiful courtyard now lies dead at the feet of negligent students

Sarah Bryan Staff Writer In the heart of the Northwest campus, adorned with the creative, student-fabricated windmill sculpture, is the garden. Every school year and over the summer break, student leadership works hard to maintain the garden so the campus looks better. Despite the effort of leadership, Northwest students always seem to succeed in tearing it up and, in some cases, completely destroying it. “It was aggravating seeing how few students cared about the garden that we worked so hard over,” said Anna Marshall, Northwest alumna and former member of leadership. Many signs have been posted around campus in hopes to prevent students from tearing up the garden, though some students say the signs are not very effective.

“If leadership doesn’t want it destroyed, they need to make better borders for the flowers and make the bricks more solidly placed,” said junior Aubrey Vinson. Judging by the current state of the garden, a person might think that not much has been done recently to help the appearance of it. That isn’t to say that the garden has never been cared for. “Even over the summer, we planted the monkey grass that used to wrap around the edge of the garden, re-laid the gravel in the pathways, spent days weeding, and planted several new plants that were advertised as ‘tough’,” said Marshall. “We knew what a tough job caring for the garden would be, but we tried to keep up with it as best as we could. All in all we wanted to do anything we could to make the school a more attractive and welcoming place.” Because the garden is at the

very center of our campus, it should be a top priority to keep it looking beautiful for the sake of visitors and for ourselves. Leadership may be the ones in charge of its upkeep, but there are simple, everyday actions that every Northwest student can take to help enhance its appeal. Things such as picking up garbage, not throwing garbage in the garden, not walking over the plants or in other places that are not meant for walking can be done to improve the garden. Students should try to see it not for what it is, an abused garden, but for what it could be, a beautiful garden at the heart of Northwest. “The garden is a beautiful addition to Northwest and people should have more respect for the hard work that leadership puts in,” said Demetra Drayton, another Northwest alumna and former member of leadership.

FEATURES

March 22, 2011

Page 5

Walking to find a cure to Multiple Sclerosis Sophomore walks 50 miles of the South Carolina coast for charity Justina Hauss Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy of Alec Fairbaugh

Sophomore Alec Fairbaugh (above) walks with his family in preparation for the event.

When a person sees a problem that needs to change, it takes more than words and opinions to make the change occur; it also takes action. Sophomore Alec Fairbaugh is doing just that. Earlier this month, Fairbaugh took action and participated in the 2011 Carolinas Challenge Walk MS sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Fairbaugh and his team walked 50 miles over the course of three days set on the South Carolina coast. The walk from Historic Charleston to the Isle of Palms truly makes an impact in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects 400,000 people in the U.S. according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Multiple Sclerosis is an inflammatory disease that affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. Symptoms can range from numbness to paralysis to blindness. In order to even participate

Has television become accepting of different lifestyles? Television shows begin to bring awareness to sexuality issues Gabrielle Ross Layout Staff

Shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Glee, and Modern Family are setting the precedent for other television shows to emphasis acceptance of homosexual relationships.

Pretty Little Liars, Glee, and Modern Family: these shows have one thing in common, they include gay characters. Whether it is Pretty Little Liars’, Emily Fields, Glee’s Kurt or Modern Family’s Mitchell and Cameron, gays are more apparent in the media than they have ever been. Although the gay community has struggled with prejudice, being featured in television shows is another step towards equality. Emily Fields, played by Shay Mitchell, on the outside has the picture perfect family. Everyday, however Emily struggles with her sexuality, without a safe haven. Emily finally accepts herself and her sexuality, although coming out to her family wasn’t easy for her. After accepting herself she becomes more confident and embraces her sexuality as she defends herself and her girlfriend Maya against the prejudice of her mother. Though Shay Mitchell’s character is gay, she and Bianca Lawson (Maya St.Germain) are not. Chris Colfer, or Kurt Hummel, as one may recognize him from Glee, is not ashamed of who he is. It is not a secret that Kurt is gay. He embraces his sexuality with open arms, whether it is in Glee or in the real world.

He is constantly bullied and he hates it, which leads him to transfer out of McKinley High School to Dalton Academy and leave the constant harassment behind. At Dalton Academy, Kurt meets Blaine Anderson, or teen heartthrob Darren Criss. However Criss is not gay, and this proves that someone does not have to be gay to play a gay role. Criss is attractive to both male and female fans, and his relationship with Kurt Hummel on Glee has both sexes eager for their relationship to grow. This relationship is shown as normal; they’re two normal guys in love. The love is treated the same as a relationship with a man and woman, maybe with even more enthusiasm. Jesse Ferguson and Erik Stonestreet, play Mitchell and Cameron in Modern Family. Mitchell and Cameron are partners and have an adopted daughter, Lily. They are openly gay parents and their love does not stop them from having a normal life. They go through the same issues as other parents. Jesse Ferguson like Chris Colfer, is also gay outside of the studio, while Erik Stonestreet is not. One doesn’t have to be gay to like these shows or enjoy these characters. Each character has their own appeal. Emily’s fight for love has people cheering her

on. Kurt’s fierceness and refusal to conform gained him respect from their viewers. Mitchell and Cameron are happy gay couples that leave smiles on their viewers’ faces. All in all these characters dynamic personalities have everyone’s attention.

in the walk, each person must raise a minimum of $1,500 in addition to the registration fee. Participants walk not only to raise money and awareness but also to show familial support. Fairbaugh’s aunt Paige was diagnosed with MS in 1998, and he walks for her along with his family. Last year alone Team Fairbaugh raised a total of $5,356 with Alec raising $2,804 alone. This was Fairbaugh’s second year participating in the event in Charlotte and his father’s tenth year. His father has walked in the event all over the country and last June was able to complete his 700 Mile Walk for MS. Although the 2011 Carolinas Challenge Walk MS is over, interested people can still donate to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to fuel the fight against the disease. For more information on MS, visit www. nmss.org or be updated on 2012 Challenge Walk website at www.challnerms.org for details.

Visit us online! Intemrission has gone virtual. Be sure to visit www.intermissiononline.com to read online exclusive stories. Like us on Facebook: NWSA’s Intermission Online Read our tweets: @NWSA_ News Follow our blogs: www. intermissiononline.tumblr.com AND www.intermissionbookblog.blogspot.com

Don’t forget to buy your yearbook! Modern Family features many different family types including Jesse Ferguson and Erik Stonestreet, partners who have adopted a daughter.

Visit Mr. George’s room for your order form.

$65

Jazz Band shows a little holiday spirit Na’chelle Fullins – Lovell Staff Writer Before the New Year arrived, Northwest musicians prepared for a awesome performance. “The Jazz Band Christmas Concert was indeed a success” said senior Will Smith. The Christmas concert proved to be a big test to prepare for future events in 2011. The concert

was took place at Harvey Gantt Center where Northwest’s dancers and Chamber Choir also performed. “I feel that was an amazing performance because it not only shows that Northwest is full of talent, but we are diverse as well. The song I felt the most comfortable singing was “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” because it had a type of

legato, bouncy, cheerful sound” said junior Timothy Moore who is in Chamber Chorus. Preparing to perform is no easy task for all musicians and performers; there is tuning that has to be done, music sheets that have to be prepared and set up, and also microphone checks every other minute. “The night of the performance I had played two songs on the

sax which were ‘This Christmas’ by Donny Hathaway and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ by Judy Garland. I felt that ‘This Christmas’ was one of the best songs I performed because it is a very popular and it was also the closing song for the night. Hearing the audience sing a long while I played was so hot” said Will Smith. Myel Byrd a junior whose

in Chamber Chorus and the Jazz Band, also performed at this event. “I feel that this was very beneficial towards the 2011 school year because as a vocalist and musician it prepares more difficult pieces to work on this year. For performers at Northwest, the bar is being raised for more advanced work with determination all performers can achieve greatness” said Byrd.

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FEATURES

March 22, 2011

To study or not to study How do your study habits affect your grade? Is there a right way to study?

Photo by Samantha Sabin

Juniors Talia Brown (left) and Kathleen O’brien (right) intensely study for their upcoming exams.

Joneka Percentie Copy Editor There are myriads of courses students can take in their lifetime. They can be as standard as Chemistry and World Literature, or as specialized as Gastrointestinal Physiology and Babylonian Mathematics.

However, there is one course that will never show up on a transcript—How to Study. Studying may have been on many students’ minds during midterms. With up to eight exams to take, it’s a big problem if one doesn’t know how to study and prepare. “I just look in the textbook,”

said seventh grader Rosa Silva when asked what she does to prepare for a test. By following the latest educational trends, students may have heard these tips on studying: keep a clean work space, stick to a schedule and set goals. However, psychologists have recently discovered that these typical

studying tips are not the best. And the effectiveness of these tips is found in what matters the most: how much a student learns from studying. “We have known these principles for some time, and it’s intriguing that schools don’t pick them up, or that people don’t learn them by trial and error,” said Robert A. Bjork, a psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles in a recent New York Times article. Several studies have confirmed that the most hallowed advice on studying is just flat wrong. The studies showed that reviewing different material in one sitting, instead of focusing on one topic, has a deeper impression on the brain due to recalling the information. It was also shown that changing the studying environment helps to secure the work into the brain. None of these techniques— changing location, switching material, or recalling information—however, will turn a slacker into a straight-A student unless there is motivation. Some students feel that there is no need for studying. They can still

maintain good grades without ever cracking open a book outside of the classroom. “I don’t study. I still get A’s and B’s; I just pay attention in class,” said freshman AdriAnn Dobie. Teachers may find that they have a classroom full of these types of students. Yet for the information covered in class to be completely absorbed, it has to be given attention outside of school. The concern of many teachers is to cover the curriculum. Once taught, it’s the students’ responsibility to do something with what they have been taught. With the right doses of motivation, determination, and effective tips, any student can figure out the secrets to successful studying. And while there may never be a course on how to study, in a recent report Ronald C. Blue, an educator at the University of Oregon said that having the proper studying tools “will optimize your chances of success.”

Cambridge Education analyzes the school’s quality Northwest gets an evaluation from School Quality Review Krystin Skinner Business Staff It is not what students are being taught that is catching education reviewers’ attention; it is what the students are actually learning. Unlike other reviews where teachers are evaluated for their lesson plans and teaching methods a School Quality Review is an evaluation of what students are actually learning. In October 2010 Northwest School of the Arts was given a School Quality Review by representatives from Cambridge Education. The process was completed over a two day period in which the performance of Northwest was evaluated through documentation, interviews of the students, staff and parents and observation of the classes in session. The goal was document the school’s strengths and weakness’ to decide whether or not NWSA is a proficient school. Before the review took place, the staff was given an overview of the schedule, teachers created a lesson plan available to the board, and a self-evaluation form was completed by select staff members. “We need to improve

in areas of middle school math and reading. Additionally, our data indicates that at a high school level, Algebra II shows need for improvement,” said one staff member through the anonymous CMS issued evaluation. Selected staff members were to rate the school on a four point scale in each area in question, one was considered undeveloped and four was high quality. The majority of the areas were given a three by teachers, but when asked about leadership and management, as

well as partnerships with parents, other schools and the community, participants gave Northwest a four. “It is crucial to understand that we are not a traditional school. We are the only full arts magnet school for grades 6-12 in CMS,” said another staff member. The results came back and were generally conclusive with the teacher evaluation. Overall, Northwest was considered proficient by Cambridge officials.

“Ensure the monitoring of learning focuses on the learning of individuals and the schools subgroups,” was one of the bullets under ‘what the school needed to improve on’ in the official SQR report; “Improve the use of assessment to promote more targeted learning,” was another. It was agreed that math is an area in need of improvement in all grades. On the other hand, the school was considered to have “a very broad ranging and stimulating arts

curriculum” as well as “highly skilled teachers of the arts.” Under what the school does well, it said that “students with a wide variety of artistic talent flourish through the opportunities and the atmosphere the school provides.” For more elaborate results and information on Northwest School Quality Review, or to view other schools results visit www. CharlotteObserver.com.

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OPINIONS

March 22, 2011

While in health classes, students are limited to an abstinence-only education. Very few students understand the concept of contraception.

Photo by Samantha Sabin

CMS leaves sex education on the back burner Abstinence-only education does not get the job done Alice Wilder Copy Editor It took both Copy Editors to carry all of the health textbooks upstairs. We sat on the floor and flipped through all five, through the sex-ed chapters, index and glossary. Only one had the word “contraception” in it. The one textbook that does include information about “safe” sex has only two pages on contraception, with nine on abstinence; one of which is an abstinence pledge for students to sign. This might be the reason why so many students I interviewed responded to questions with, “what’s contraception?” Freshman Lauren Miller said that her class “hasn’t learned anything about condoms.” In a time where teen pregnancy earns girls a tabloid cover and casual sex is portrayed as normal

on TV, North Carolina’s health education still requires schools to “stress” abstinence in their health classes. This “stress” sounds fine in theory, but it inevitably denies students the information they have a right to: how to keep themselves safe. While many students, like sophomore Danielle Hopkins practice abstinence “because it’s the most logical thing to do to protect my heart, mind, and body,” this isn’t a nationwide trend. In a survey conducted by National Survey of Family Growth, 95 percent of Americans reported having sex before marriage. So let’s just get over the fantasy that given the right amount of Disney Channel, pictures of STDs and serious talks about morals, all teens will remain abstinent until they’re 27, the average age of marriage in the US according to the

United States Census. Abstinence is fine, and whether people choose it for religious, moral or safety reasons is irrelevant; it’s a personal choice, a personal commitment that will take strong convictions to maintain. But it’s just unrealistic to expect over 1,000 teenagers to have the same strong convictions. So if putting all the emphasis on abstinence doesn’t work, what does? Why not open up a dialogue? It makes much more sense to have a class discussion about when it’s appropriate to have sex, and see what the students have to say. The students I talked to had mature and legitimate answers. I’m sure if a teacher would listen to their answers and give them the tools to make informed choices, everyone would benefit. Maybe the phrase, “TEEN MOM” would finally leave newsstands and television screens.

The data for the pie graph above was collected by copy editor Alice Wilder. She randomly selected 26 students and asked “Do you plan on remaining abstinent until marriage?” These are her results.

Standardized testing limits students The typical scantrons and fill-in-the-blank questions stress students out on test day Samantha Sabin Editor-in-Chief When the scantrons and the 100-question multiple choice tests were passed out, everybody in the room shared the same facial expression—they were deer caught in the headlights. It’s test day, and no matter how much I prepare for the exam the required stress still sneaks up on me. Ever test goes by the same way; they are all standardized and grade us on how much we memorized the facts, not on how much we learned and understood the given information (although there are exceptions to this claim). Since when do teachers have to test their students based on a standard? Why can we not

learn at our own pace? Let’s face it, some students pick up the information faster than others while other students are simply the opposite. Both the students who learn faster and the ones who learn at a slower pace suffer because teachers have to teach based on the state given standards. Test-driven accountability is now the norm in public schools, a result of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which is the product of 15 years of standardsbased reform. This heavy reliance on standardized tests has created a constant testing environment which extinguishes the development of abstract thinking skills in students. Federal funding for many

public schools, including Northwest, is based on reading and math scores, the two subjects that are required to be tested by NCLB. If public schools wish to receive the maximum amount of funding possible, they must meet the Adequate Yearly Progress quota. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which is a part of the NCLB Act, measures the yearly progress for each of 10 NCLBdefined student groups toward the NCLB goal of all students being at or above grade level (proficient) in reading and math by the end of the 2013-14 school year. The federal NCLB was passed by Congress and signed into law on Jan. 8, 2001 by President Bush.

The goal of the law is to ensure all students, regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic status, meet the same basic education standards. While most believe the intention behind the law is good, it remains controversial in practice. Many educators and students argue that the law has created a constant test prep environment in classrooms, which stifles creativity and higher level thinking skills. According to the Center of Education Policy, public schools are focusing more of their energy on English and math, sometimes at the expense of subjects not tested. To find additional time for these subjects, 71 percent of school districts are reducing time spent on other subjects in

elementary schools—at least to some degree. NCLB is known to label schools as failures even when they are making broad gains, according to The Washington Post. Parents, teachers, and lawmakers want a system that measures not just an arbitrary level of proficiency, but student growth and student progress in ways that better reflect the impact of a school and its teachers on student learning. In a country known as the “Melting Pot,” come test day, all students are expected to have a uniform retention of the facts given to them.

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March 22, 2011

OPINIONS

Photo by Allison Webber

Have you gone up the down stairs? Some students enjoy the new stairwell rules, while others dislike it Alice Wilder Copy Editor The stairs of Northwest have recently turned into a battlefield. A recent administrative decision has caused an uproar among students. Luckily for them, they don’t have to rush to class several times a day, like the students of Northwest. The main complaint among students is a risk of being tardy. Assistant Student Administrator Mark Plant said he has seen a noticeable change. “This has definitely changed things, I have a lot of new faces,” said Plant. Some students have even received in school suspension, just for walking in the wrong direction. Students who, under the old policy, arrived to class on time, are now late due to the change. Previously, I left the B-Building, and climbed one staircase, which lead me right to biology class.

Now I am forced to walk around the C-building, up three flights of stairs, and through winding halls packed with students, to collapse into my seat, a second before the bell. The situation during lunch is even more ludicrous. Like many students, sophomore Michelle Segovia can’t take a staircase that will lead her directly to the cafeteria, even though all the students are heading in the same direction. “It’s ridiculous” Segovia said. They have to walk around the building to a separate one, entering the room only to find enormous lunch lines. What’s the danger in letting them take whatever staircase is most convenient, if they’re all heading in the same direction? This new decision seems more like a show of administrative power than a change for the good of the students. If the administration is going to put incredible amounts of effort

into a change, why not make it something that will improve our educations, like better discipline and materials, instead of telling us where to walk, which won’t change anyone’s IQ. The administration defends the change, by saying that it makes students safer, because there won’t be as much pushing and shoving on the stairs. Students can all agree that the hallways were crowded, but the majority of students learned how to navigate them, and arrive in class on time as a result. These halls are almost as dangerous, with students rushing to get to class on time. “They’re still cramped and crowded, nothing is any better” said Segovia. However, some brave students continue to take the fast route, regardless of the paper taped to the wall.

intermission 2010-2011 staff

Editor-in-Chief Samantha Sabin Business Manager Rene Vanek Layout Editor Allison Webber Photo Editor Kyle Caldwell Layout Staff Saeshan Carter Kayla Jackson Cameron John Naja Richburg Gabrielle Ross

Business Staff Ian Fermy Krystin Skinner Copy Editors Joneka Percentie Alice Wilder Adviser Tommy Phillips

Staff Writers Sarah Bryan Tara Calhoun Lincoln Frye Nachelle Fullins-Lovell Teya Knapp Chartu Lopez-White Reagan Parker

The opinions expressed in Intermission do not necessarily represent those of the school’s faculty or administration, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board or its administration. Intermission is a public forum for student expression.

Contributors Justina Hauss Lexis Hooton Barbara Wesselman

In compliance with federal law, CharlotteMecklenburg Schools administers all education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.

Lincoln Frye Staff Writer The time has come for our school to restore peace to our hallways and the administration has answered our cries for peace. The halls of our school are filled to the absolute maximum with students pushing and shoving trying to get to class on time. “It’s so crowded sometimes that I feel like I’m suffocating,” said seventh grade student Kathy Black. On January 25, signs started appearing around the school saying “up staircase” and “down staircase”. At first students ignored the signs, and staircases continued to be over crowded; but shortly after teachers began to stand near stairwells directing traffic and pulling aside students that broke the new rule. When students learned that the signs were being enforced, chaos of an even greater extent than before reigned down upon them. Tardies rose and a few brave students began to rebel and use the wrong staircase on purpose. Thankfully teachers found these rebellious students and set them on the right path. The tardy people soon grew used to the new rule and altered there path to class so that they arrived on time. “Students will even get [to class] faster because now the

staircases are going one direction and they no longer had to fight to get to class” said Gary Sweet, one of our schools assistant principals. Sadly, many students disagree enforcing this new rule despite Northwest’s desperate situation. “I don’t think that we should bring back this rule because it would be really confusing and no one would know(s) what was happening,” said sophomore Sally Niven. But just how confusing is it? Signs, located near each staircase, telling students where each set of stairs go, teachers are always standing around, and there are always plenty of alternate routes in this tightly nit school if the staircase rule affects your route to class. Some people also argue that Northwest has changed since the rule last reign in 1995 to 2002. Back then, the B building opened up to the outside and the current gym building was nonexistent. So how exactly do these minor changes affect up and down stairs? The answer is simple: it doesn’t. Northwest has done itself a grand favor by enforcing up and down stair cases. Why would anyone not want Northwest to enforce this rule and to restore peace to its hallways? The halls are filled with people pushing and shoving and sooner or later someone will get hurt. Without this rule in place, our school would have to focus on traffic and not arts and academics, which would ensure our demise. Northwest has done not only its students a favor, but also have saved the school by enforcing this rule.