March 2021

FOUND It’s been a year since Covid-19 shut down schools.

It’s easy to focus on what we’ve lost, but instead, what if we focused on what we found?

Portage Northern High School

1000 Idaho Ave. Portage, MI 49024

volume 51 issue 1

www.portagenorthernlight.com

Table of Contents

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You shouldn’t need to be forced to wear a mask

On the Cover Illustration by Kylie Clifton

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Empowered club hosts BHM Assemnly

Policies at the Northern Light The Northern Light in print and online is the

of journalistic integrity. Photos, art, and other vi-

student-produced newspaper for Portage North-

sual elements are created by Northern Light staff,

The cover depicts the center focus of this

ern HS. It is an open, designated public forum for

formally designated for free use, or part of the

month’s edition: Found. Stemming from a long and

student expression, and the newspaper provides

public domain. In rare circumstances, we may use

widespread feeling of loss and disappointment, this

staff members with independent reporting op-

other media with the owner’s written permission.

edition chooses good, choosing to celebrate what

portunities and individual evaluation. Writing is

It is our desire that our readers join the dis-

has been found in this last year. Students and fac-

based on a wide variety of research for a broad

cussion on our published work. We welcome

ultly alike haven’t just survived, but come together

and diverse audience and topics of coverage are

letters to the editor and guest contributions, and

when it’s needed most.

decided by the staff and editorial board with con-

the Northern Light will publish online all pieces

sideration to what is timely, relevant, compelling,

received provided that they include the author’s

educational, and important to the student body.

full name and are appropriate for publication in

@portage.northern.light @Portage Northern Light

@pnlight

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In accordance with best practice for student

a school setting. Letters to the editor are limited

media, the Northern Light is not prior reviewed

to 150 words in length and guest contributions

by administration. Building and district admin-

are limited to 350 words in length. Pieces can

istration do, however, reserve the right to oversee

be delivered to Amanda Thorpe’s room, 3.129,

the paper if necessary to ensure that the mission

emailed to pnhsNorthernLight@gmail.com, or

and vision of Portage Public Schools and the safe-

mailed ATTN: Portage Northern Light to Portage

ty of students and staff are maintained.

Northern High School, 1000 Idaho Avenue, Por-

As a MIPA, JEA, and NSPA publication, the Northern Light adheres to the highest standards

Portage Northern Light

tage, MI 49024.

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Flippin Out: senior Molly Freeman advances in gymnastics

NL Staff

Dear Readers

Editoral Board

Hello Readers!

Kylie Clifton, Liam Fagan - Co Editors in Chief

It is bizarre and so unexpected

it was time however to return to

Katie Knight - Creative Editor

that we’re publishing our first edition

our roots. We found what was lost,

Kellie Miles - Photographer

of the entire school year in march.

our print publication and our love

Natalie Grinder - Digital Media Manager

Usually we hit the ground running

for designing our work. This edition

Arushi Mithal - Feature Editor

prepping our first September edition,

is incrredibly special, one of our most

Cerena Read - Entertainment Editor

this year was very different though.

unique one of a kind editions we’ve

Maya Daniels - Opinion Editior

Prior to the publishing of this edition,

ever published. We focused on the

Astrid Code - News Editor

we spent every month, week, and day,

work of our individual designers, this

Jackson Barnard - Sports Editor

focusing on our digital publications.

is our first edition in which each page

We’re so incredibly proud of our on-

could be from it’s own entire edition.

line content this year, we wanted to do

The style and elements are coehsive

the articles the justice of being pub-

yet all their own. Thank you so much

lished in print.

readers for supporting in this incred-

Staff Writers Lucy Madelung

Sloan Markin

Aailya Motiwala

Matti Endres

Avery Bogemann

Libby Ertl

Chloe Malik

Ari Coleman

Olivia Coughlin

much growth and opportunity. We’ve

Gavin Garner

Allie Miller

Lizzie Sheldon

explored new levels of design, on

Kylie Clifton

Ryan McCune

Kai Pennington

Chloe Clark-Phillip

social media, multimeida elements,

Editor in Chief

Mariah Gresham

Bryana Quick

Gavin Bartlam

video, and so much more. We knew

Miles Slocum

Emily Macaulay

It’s been a long year, but one of so

ibly troubling year.

March 2021

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NEWS

Empowered Club hosts virtual Bla know that they cared, from the T-shirts, profile pictures, dozens of email teachers have sent me about the show, and the Black book author door covers in the English hallway. I was very impressed with the turnout of Black history month this year and I hope it continues on.”

One of the teachers who took their own initiative to participate in Black History Month was math teacher Nikki Callen, who did her own daily facts for her classes. “As a teacher, I view my role as helping students become a productive and positive member of their world. So if this is something other than math that needs to be talked about, it will,” she said. “I think sharing a fact each day helps students understand that I see the importance of celebrating Black History Month. And that it’s not something that should just be

that they would need for the IB exam,” said history teacher Lucas Rewa. Modern American History classes looked at the accomplishments of different Black servicemen and units in WWII such as Doris Miller, Tuskegee Airmen, and the 92nd Infantry Division. “In Sociology, we looked at the accomplishments of some Black sociologists.

The topic of race is very relevant in that class and we will be studying aspects of it all semester long,” said “2020 wasn’t just a crazy year to Rewa. be alive, it was a tragic and empowThe Empowered Club wrapped ering year to be Black. Today we up Black History Month with a virhonor and celebrate that,” said setual assembly on February 25 during nior Makayla Bolton at PN’s Black 2nd hour. The assembly opened with History Month assembly. The as“My History,” a spoken word poem sembly, led by seniors Jamillah originally written by Daniela GonClark, Maya Daniels, and Bolton, yoe performed by Anaya Fernando who were recently awarded the City and Alanna Harris. The poem exof Kalamazoo Lewis Walker Social pressed the struggles of teaching an Justice Award, was the culminaoften incomplete version of Black tion of months of work by history. “My history isn’t just Empowered Club, and it fol- “My history isn’t just some lesson. It some lesson. It isn’t just some lowed several other events, isn’t just some curriculum. My hist- curriculum. My history is a including daily facts in the sculpture that created me,” ory is a sculpture that created me.” announcements, a showing said Harris. Fernando con- Alanna Harris of Jason Reynolds’ “Dear tinued: “You only show me Dreamer / For Everyone,” when I’m in chains. You don’t weekly profile pictures, and teachers set aside for one classroom, or one show the beauty of my motherland. making efforts to include Black his- class period to talk about.”

You don’t show the richness in my tory into their lessons.

History classes went further than skin. You show the pain.”

Empowered Club leader Jamillah daily facts to include Black history Producing the 50-minute video Clark especially noticed the effort in their lessons and assignments. took an immense amount of work from teachers this year. “In the past For example, IB 20th Century His- that started early in the school year. few years, I think I’ve talked about tory learned about Jesse Owens’ role “Empowered Club planning the Black history in my classes maybe in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. “In Black History Month assembly was twice and one of the times that we choosing to focus our BHM activi- a long process. We knew since the did it was optional. So personally, ties around Owens’ story we were show was going to be different this I didn’t think too many teachers at also learning more about the class year we needed to start earlier than Northern cared about Black history curriculum: political ideologies and what we usually do, so we started and the work we did in Empowered authoritarian states. The assignment planning in early – mid September.

Club,” said Clark. “But this year, also gave students an opportunity Things really didn’t start fully comI was extremely happy to see and to practice document analysis skills ing together until January, but we

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Portage Northern Light

ack History Month assembly

Design By

Astrid Code

By Astrid Code got it done in time,” said Clark.

Other events in the assembly included a “Remembering the Past” slideshow, a segment on microaggressions, and spoken word poems exploring “All Lives Matter” and being a Black teenager in America. Again, the spoken word piece

by Bolton, Daniels, Harris, and Clark stressed the lack of an in-depth education on Black history. “Most things I know about my history that are about empowerment and not oppression, I have to teach myself or learn from a family member,” said Harris. “The Black history they teach us in school is softened so our white peers don’t feel uncomfortable, but what they need to know is that it wasn’t as easy as we were taught,” continued Daniels. Amya Newson, Nariah Sampson, Dra’Noscha Jett, and Aniyah Kent sang “2020 Riots: How Many More Times” by Trey Songz. Andrew Wright performed the poem “Standing in My Blackness” by Maia Raine, and the assembly finished off with the recording of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb.”

Chris Harris, PPS’ newly-appointed district coordinator for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, also spoke at the assembly. He stressed the assembly theme: remembering the past, educating the present, and celebrating the future.

“That is a task that is bestowed upon all of you, every single person around here.

That’s not only the theme that we’re going with but it’s also a task. And your ability, our ability, my ability, to remember, to educate and to celebrate is literally the difference between life and death.

It is the death of hope. It is the death of dreams […] it is death to honesty and death to healing,” said Harris. “As young men and women in Portage, you have a responsibility, you have a job to do. You have to shed light. You have to change

lives. You have to build community. You have to speak truth. Remember, educate, and celebrate.”

Throughout the month, it was clear that there was a call for Black history to be taught in a more comprehensive way, not just in February but throughout the entire year. “I think that teaching black history in a “complete” way is something that is impossible. We could focus entirely on the experience of black people in this country for an entire year and still not tell enough of the story,” said Rewa. “So that leaves us to just do the best we can with the time we have . . . I think one of the biggest challenges of teaching history in general is that every year there is more of it. Events of the last year are going to be ones that need to be taught. How do we do that when we are already struggling to get through the material we have?” said Rewa. “The current approach is to fit in examples and stories of the black experience where they fit with the curriculum. Is that enough? Probably not.”

Bolton echoed Clark’s earlier sentiment about participation. “We had people asking questions about our fact of the day and a lot of positive reactions from students staff and the community about the actual show itself, so I think we did everything we sent out to do this year and the engagement was perfect,” she said. “All that’s next is for those people who are engaging with us this year to join us next year and help continue the work that we are trying to do.”

BHM leaders L to R: back row: Maya Daniels, Makayla Bolton, front row: Alanna Harris, Jamillah Clark wrap up filming the assembly on the stairs leading to the lower level commons. Photo courtesy of Jamillah Clark.

ESL teacher Lori Frisinger decorated her door in honor of Black History Month. “I decorated my door because I wanted to celebrate [PN’s] diversity,” she said. “I wanted our African American students to know that I see them, I appreciate them and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with them.” Photo

by Amanda Thorpe.

March 2021

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NEWS

Article and Design By

Astrid Code

From left, Clark, Daniels, and Bolton were presented with the Lewis Walker Social Justice Award during the virtual city council meeting. (Screenshot)

PN seniors win City of Kalamazoo social justice award

T

hroughout the past year, the ongoing fight for social and racial justice has been brought to national and international attention. Recently, Governor Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed January 19 as the National Day of Racial Healing in Michigan, and more locally, the Kalamazoo City Commission met on January 19 to award several Youth Social Justice Awards. Seniors Makayla Bolton, Jamillah Clark, and Maya Daniels received one of the highest honors, the Dr. Lewis Walker Youth Social Justice Award, in recognition of their leadership of the Empowered Club, creating PPS diversity training videos, and more.

“As part of recognizing Dr. King, the City of Kalamazoo recognizes outstanding youth that are truly living his values, and inspiring our community. Despite the pandemic, we are proud to continue that tradition,” said Mayor David Anderson.

“This has been a year like no other, and the Dr. Lewis Walker Social Justice Youth Award this year is just that, like no other,” said Dr. Lewis Walker. “These ladies have demonstrated exemplary community and civic engagement as students at Portage Northern High School.”

Bolton, Clark, and Daniels have been members of the Empowered Club and Black History Month assembly cast for four years, serving in various leadership roles to honor Black excellence and make the school a more inclusive place for stu-

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dents of all backgrounds. “I hope [the Empowered Club] continues to create change, that’s what we always have been and always will be about, being a non-toxic accepting place for all,” said Makayla Bolton. “None of us would be the people we are without this club or Ms. Thorpe and for that, I will be forever grateful.”

In June, Bolton, Clark, and Daniels coordinated and hosted the now annual Juneteenth celebration and Black Lives Matter event for the first time. They also worked over the summer to create two training videos for PPS staff on diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity in the classroom. “I hope to see more diversity in the staff and admin at PN also in the things and people we learn about. In addition to that when learning about POC or events centered around them, the narrative tends to be monochromatic and only look at things at the surface level,” said Daniels.

They were nominated by Dr. Amanda Thorpe, Justin Sims, Chris Jones, Dr. James Houston, and the PNHS administrative team, who said they “are a trio of fierce social justice advocates and bold leaders. They have left a legacy of hope, and created a path toward a future of change.” Maya Daniels was also nominated by Mount Zion’s youth director, Morris Brooks. “The nomination echoes the accolades already presented, characterizing Maya as a harmonizing specialist, key leader, and model teenager with strong

Portage Northern Light

character,” said Walker.

“I want to take a moment just to be humbled, and to recognize that here we are this evening, when we’ve had adults who have been not demonstrating adult behavior in this country, and young people that are showing us how we should treat each other, and what we should aspire to,” said Anderson. “So the tables have turned, and tonight we are recognizing young people, and that does indeed give me hope for our future together. Thank you young people, for the lives that you are leading and what you are showing to us and the rest of us this evening.”

“Just like those who came before us, it is our duty to protect the children of this country and maintain communities in which they will all be given the opportunity to succeed,” said Vice Mayor Patrese Griffin in a proclamation on the National Day of Racial Healing. “[Social justice is] important because it can be a matter of life or death sometimes, so any move we make can help change that and make life easier for everyone,” said Bolton. Daniels agreed. “Martin Luther King Jr. fought in hopes for a better nation for his kids and we are doing the same for our families. These are issues that affect everyone in some capacity and hold us back as a society and as people,” she said. “As long as you are willing to take the initiative to better yourself and your community you are headed on the right track.”

STAFF FEATURE ED

Design By Katie Maya Knight Daniels

You shouldn’t need to be forced to wear a mask

By The Staff

N

o Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. This is one example of the many rules that we have all abided by for the past century. It’s common sense that in order to be accepted in public locations, there are certain rules that can’t be avoided. If you can understand that clothes are necessary to go to the grocery store, then why is it so hard to obey the rule that says masks are required in public places?

As members of a society, we benefit from that society, whether it be going to school, having our roads plowed, or borrowing flour from a neighbor. This means that, as members of society, we have obligations: following the law, paying taxes, or even just respecting people’s space.

Even if it’s not required or enforced, it’s our obligation to not put other members of society in danger, specifically by spreading a deadly virus. The police aren’t going to come to your house and force you to social distance and wear masks with the friends you’re hanging out with. But you shouldn’t need to be forced to have basic human decency, stay home, wear a mask, and keep your distance from everyone.

This pandemic affects everyone, not just those within your small bubble. At Meijer or Walmart, there are still people walking around carelessly with no mask on. When a

worker asks them politely to put on a mask, they simply don’t acknowledge it or just take the mask right back off afterwards. Many people don’t realize that wearing a mask is not just for your safety, it’s for everyone’s safety. There is a world outside the small bubble that you reside in, and many people fail to see that. This is a problem.

Masks are not being enforced in the same way that most laws are enforced. In fact, masks should not even have to be enforced, it should

just be common sense. But many laws are common sense, and enforcing them just adds an extra precaution so they are followed. It needs to be engraved in people’s brains that while wearing a mask may not seem important to you (although it should be), it’s important to respect the people around you and wear a mask.

Wearing a mask is not a rule that should have to be so drastically enforced. It should be common law by now that if you’re around people

you have to stay 6-12 feet apart as best you can and you wear a mask.

We’re trying to end the pandemic, not go for Round 2.

It’s hypocritical to complain that the pandemic hasn’t lessened in severity while simultaneously putting minimal effort towards fighting it. We must work harder by doing more than the bare minimum. It’s an even responsibility for everybody, which means that utmost precautions need to be taken. When gathering with others, whether in our homes or in public, we should wear a mask at the very least — which is barely an unreasonable favor, seeing as its best to abstain from seeing other people anyway.

Yes, there may be circumstances where we absolutely have to meet somebody or do something in person, but that does not mean the pandemic is over. The lifting of certain restrictions is not reflective on the state of the virus: restaurants may be open, as opposed to a total shutdown early on in the quarantine period, but total cases are on their greatest rise yet.

We shouldn’t be looking for ways to get around the rules, we should be making a personal effort to do everything possible to prevent the spread of this virus, and only going into public when it’s necessary.

March 2021

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OPINION

33 LITTLE LITTLE W I MISS YOU

By Sloan Markin

Friends, school, concerts, even something as simple as a smile; the world is reeling in things they didn’t appreciate before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Before the pandemic hit, we were living our best lives, planning future plans, and readying ourselves for spring break photos we would never get to take. On March 13th, 2020 all of our lives shut down, supposedly for just three short weeks.

Since the pandemic hit our country in full force, we were in lockdown for a bit longer than three weeks, even throughout summer, and everything still isn’t open. Before quarantine, I took everything for granted. I hated going to the grocery store with my mom and having to go with my dad to get his oil changed, but now I am willing to go anywhere with anyone to get out of my house.

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Portage Northern Light

Now that we have been in this pandemic for so long, I am coming to realize how much I miss. I miss going to figure skating practice even if I am bone tired. I miss going to school.

I miss seeing people smile at a joke I probably stole from Instagram. I miss seeing my cousins at Thanksgiving. I know I can’t be the only one to miss all of these things, but because of our own decisions, we are still suffering at the hand of this virus.

We need to remember to wear a mask. We need to remember to stay six feet apart even from the people we love.

We need to remember to never take the simple things and little moments for granted. If everything ever goes back to normal, I will know not to take anything for granted ever again, because right now all I can say is I miss you.

Design By Katie

WORDS WORDS

Knight

GOT YOUR BACK

By Libby Ertl

The feeling of an arm around your shoulders. A place to rest your head. A listening ear. A partner in crime. Someone to laugh with.

There’s really nothing like the feeling of a true friend. The feeling of someone just being there for you and making sure you know that you matter. What better way to tell someone you’ll always be there for them than by having their back at all times?

real ride-or-die friend.

That gut feeling is called trust and for some reason it is a rare luxury in this world. It feels like in the few past years that everyone has trust issues and no one can really lean on anyone else. We try to let ourselves believe our back is protected but there’s always an odd sense of distrust that keeps everyone from feeling truly safe. The world has become such a stressful place that we It’s not just the feeling of being can’t even trust each other to lay our loved, but also the feeling of be- head on another’s shoulder. ing protected and safe. Anyone can profess their love for another perTrue friends are so hard to find, son, but it’s the real friends and sig- but right now we all just need to nificant others who make a person have each other’s backs. No one feel like they are always safe. Just has to suffer or feel unprotected if the same, anyone can say, “Got your we all just take care of the people back,” but there’s a strange sense of around us. Let’s all be each other’s awareness when you really feel like true friend and look out for one anyour back is guarded. It’s like a gut other. I’ve got your back and hopefeeling when we know we’ve made a fully you’ve got mine.

March 2021

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FEATURE

2020: What we l

Introduction

J

ust days before March 13, 2020, the date had no significance. However, now it is a date no one will forget. It’s been over a year since the last day of full in-person school.

From the COVID-19 pan-

demic to Black Lives Matter protests to the election, the events of that year have been tragic, overwhelming, and too much to summarize in one article without leaving out many important things. Instead,

this article focuses on student’s perspectives and reactions, from dealing with quarantine to opinions on the different modes of school. It may be different for everyone, but dealing with school during the

pandemic is an experience PN students all share. It’s a way to find shared humanity and reminisce on the different perspectives of our shared experience, the year that’s passed since March 13, 2020.

Senior Searchers

Photo courtesy of Colin Carroll

Colin Carroll: At the start of the pandemic, I had found myself to be very negative and very sad about what was going on in the world. However, when posed with the question, “What did you find in 2020?”, I have realized that 2020 was honestly the best year of my life! As I had a numerous amount of time to myself and with my family, I really started to realize how grateful I am for not only the health of myself, but also the health of my family. I not only found gratitude for my health, but gratitude for myself. I feel as though that 2020 was the year that I have truly felt comfortable with who I am, while also finding my self worth.

Victoria Tabor: Excluding other factors. My mental health actually

Photo courtesy of Victoria Tabor

was calmer, because I didn’t have to perform everyday. When you’re around people it’s natural to want to be likeable. It was nice to get a break from that. I personally used that time [quarantine] to work on my responsibilities. Since I couldn’t do much other than school or going to work, I tried to make a routine or a list so I have other things to accomplish. Such as cooking a meal everyday, cleaning my room or car, doing laundry etc.

Jason Koch: At first, I was disappointed that I wasn’t going

Photo courtesy of Jason Koch

“ I feel as though that 2020 was the year that I have truly felt comfortable with who I am, while also finding my self worth. ” -Colin Carroll

to get a normal end to highschool. The senior class last year had a big presentation because they didn’t go to Prom, but I was upset because I didn’t get an SAT. Now, my thoughts have changed, because I consider myself much more lucky to be able to have the opportunities that in-person college provides. I would rather have a virtual end to highschool, rather than a slow, unmotivated beginning of a new part of my life”

Lydia Miller: In 2020, I was able to recognize my priorities and what was truly important to me.

Through quarantine I found that when I took more time for myself I was happier and healthier mentally and physically. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was able to take some time and realize everything that my family and I had and how lucky we are. Essentially, within 2020 I was able to reflect on myself and really realize what is really important in life and appreciate everything that I am fortunate enough to have.

Photo courtesy of Lydia Miller

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Portage Northern Light

Design By Katie

e lost

Knight

Pursuing Perspective

By Avery Bogemann

We had a half day, and as the bus drove away from the school, I had a feeling I was never going back. It was a weird feeling, as if something had shifted and a new chapter in my story was about to unfold.

I had gotten glasses that day, and I remember being excited about that.

I was even more excited to go see my friend. We decided that since we weren’t going to be able to see each other for a while, we would have a sleepover.

We walked around Target, joking about the lack of toilet paper and all the empty shelves. We thought it was insane that this was happening, but it would only be a couple of weeks before everything went back to normal.

As the quarantine progressed, my mental state plummeted. Being alone for so long, it felt as if I had no one.

Every day felt the same and it was as if I couldn’t escape it. As one day turned into another, I had to deal with the

I posted some of my writing online, and reading the comments and seeing the hits on my story go up and up was like the sun breaking through the clouds. In those moments, I wasn’t just getting by: I was overjoyed. I practiced everyday so that I could get better and hopefully more people would enjoy my writing.

As summer ended and school began, but we still weren’t back fully face to face and it wasn’t the same.

There were very few students in the building, and we all sat in a big room and weren’t allowed to talk. It was lonely, and eventually I couldn’t do it anymore. I stopped coming into the building so that I could have more freedom in how I did school and so I could ask questions freely. I’m not sure if that was the right or wrong decision. I hate virtual learning, but it was better than the alternative.

One year later, things still aren’t normal, but they’re getting there. I hope it goes back soon, but just as long as it’s safe. I’m okay with wearing a mask until it’s perfectly safe for everyone, no matter if it isn’t like how it used to be. Half a million people have died. Our country is irreversibly different. I am irreversibly different.

Despite this, things are looking up, and I can’t wait to see where we are a year from now.

“I had a sense that school would close for more than two weeks but I made it a joke that I didn't know what to do that day.

Unfortunately, I also had no idea I wouldn't know what to do for the next year.“

Junior Kyla Wightman

“Virtual school has honestly been better for me. You can work from a comfortable spot and there hasn’t been any expectations that I’d have to live up Freshman Levi to by fellow peers.”

Miller

“Keeping my-

self busy during the beginning of quarantine was my main goal. I started with cleaning, then moved outside once it was warmer and I metal detected in the yard.”

March 2021

Junior Maggie Gross

Photo courtesy of Maggie Gross

I had a good day. I was happy to have an extra-long spring break and then get back to school to see my friends. I never imagined that I wouldn’t step back into a school building for an entire year, and that that one single day, March 13, would be the beginning of when I changed as a person.

fact that I wasn’t going to get out anytime soon, so I needed to begin finding new things to do. I began writing as a way to cope, and I fell in love.

Photo courtesy of Kyla Wightman

March 13th, 2020 is a date etched into the back of my mind, unforgettable, as if it happened yesterday.

A Year of COVID

Photo courtesy of Levi Miller

Finding myself through writing

11k

SPORTS

FLIPPIN OUT

By Melissah Morris-Adkins

C

ovid-19 had the capacity to disrupt the fall sports season, but many student athletes refused to let it impact their futures. For one Portage Northern student this was especially the case: senior Molly Freeman participated in fall’s first national signing day, which was for all fall sports except football. Molly celebrates signing day with her parents. (Courtesy of Molly Freeman) Freeman will be furthering her gymnastics career at Western Michigan University. “I chose WMU to continue my gymnastics and academic career because it had the major I wanted to pursue, I had an opportunity to compete on

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Portage Northern Light

the gymnastics team and do what I love, and I have always been a Bronco fan ever since I was little,” says Freeman. She was also happy that she could have family with her when she was signing amid tightening Covid-19 restrictions. “I was just glad my parents and grandparents could come and watch,” says Freeman, who has been tumbling since she was 8. Her parents tried to get her into other sports, but it never really worked. “ We

Design By

Kylie Clifton

tried to introduce her to other best friend,” she shares. “It was both sports as well, but she was always of ours first time qualifying and we upside down and on her hands more had so much fun.” than her feet,” says Molly’s mother, Since then, the pandemic has had Carolyn Freeman. a significant impact on Freeman’s Freeman practices in the gym. training. “For months, my gym was (Courtesy of Molclosed. Inly Freeman) stead we Her passion was “ Molly’s signing day was turned to not without sacripractice on a day that me and Molfice. Freeman has Zoom evly’s dad and her siblings had to give up on ery day,” some of the things she could see her rewarded that most high explains. for years and years of schoolers love to I n t h e do, such as going meantime, hard work and is one to football games she is mostep toward her goal, ” and school dances, tivated by but for her, it was hope for worth it. “I can her next - Carolyn Freeman honestly say Molsteps, inly never comcluding plained about missing these competing for WMU. activities or about going “It [sighing] was super exciting, to practice. Gymnas- and I am so honored to have a place tics was and is her pas- on the amazing team!” she shares. sion and she had a goal Not only was the day exciting for her, to compete in college but it was also a happy day for her a n d was willing to do what family, who had watched how hard it takes without regret,” her mother she had worked continue at the colsays. legiate level. “Molly’s signing day was Along the way, Freeman replaced a day that me and Molly’s dad and memories of traditional high school her siblings could see her rewarded events with gymnastics ones. “My for years and years of hard work most significant memory would and is one step toward her goal,” her have to be qualifying to level 9 mother says.

Eastern Nationals in 2019 with my

March 2021

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THANK YOU The 2020-2021 school year has been one like no other. Thank you to the following supporters who have helped keep the NL alive during these unprecedented times.

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PROGRAM SPONSORS Annette Balis Becky Conces Brad Galin Brenda Marsh Chad Sheldon Christina Woytal Cristina Babaris Dennis Coughlin Douglas Sheldon

Dustin Sheldon Erik Brewer Heather Christy Jason Coughlin Joey Wood Kathryn Jepson Kristen Getting Kristin Zimmerman Margaret Coughlin

Mary Todas Patricia Magers Renee VanderWeg Rindy Handy Rose Evans Shay Evans Sonya Hollins Merze Tate Explorers Stephen Covell

Terri McDonald The Carlisle Family The Clifton Family The Ertl Family The Fagan Family The Gaynor Family The Knight Family The Motiwala Family The Sheldon Family

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