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Northwest Guilford High School

Greensboro, NC

Volume 53, Issue 3, March 2017

WHAT’S INSIDE

Wrestlers cut weight to compete

Fitness and health tips

Sweet tea versus unsweet tea

How much do you spend on prom?

NORTHWEST HORIZONS STAFF

EF Tours take Northwest students around Europe

Editor-in-chief Shalini Sharma

Entertainment Editor Jenny Blackburn

News editor Faith Rickerts

Managing Editor Alexis Marvin

Op/Ed editor William Royal

Graphics Editor Tai Van Dyke

Contributing Writers Anna Yang Titus Kilpatrick

Spread Editor Alexis Marvin

Public Relations Manager Zoe Stuckey

Contributing Photographer Catherine Gray

Sports Editor Montana Murphy

Webmaster Aidan Bennett

Adviser Melanie Huynh-Duc

Arts & Culture Editor Maddie Lawson

Staﬀ Writers Alex Cake Angela Seo Emma Fagerberg Caroline Buaron

Principal Ralph Kitley

Features Editor Stephanie Mayer

Logan James Menna Ibrahim Ragad Alsaid Katie Lee Parrish

Find us online: @NWHorizons

6 Statement of Policy Serving as a primary printed and online forum for student opinion, Northwest Horizons publishes four issues each year by the staff at Northwest Guilford High School. The paper is supported through community advertisers. Staff Editorials are unsigned. The stance of each editorial is voted upon in staff meetings, but requires the approval of the majority of the editorial board. All members of the school community are encouraged to express their views. Letters to the editor must be signed when submitted. Visit our website: www.northwesthorizons.com

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March 2017

FRONT PAGE FEED

What is Earth Day?

Students admit Earth Day is not as effective as it should be

Photo by Catherine Gray

From left to right, seniors Bailey Davison, Ryan Rivera and Haleigh Cadd hold their hands together in support of the planet. When asked, most students didn’t know when Earth Day was or what to do to celebrate it.

Maddie Lawson arts & culture editor

arth Day is celebrated April 22 to bring awareness to environmental issues and push for more activism for the planet. Those words roll fairly easily off the tongue or onto paper, but it seems much harder to put this cause into action and get people to take it seriously. “I’d say [the purpose of Earth Day is] sustainability awareness, so making sure people know what kind of problems we see on Earth today and how we can ﬁx them,” AP environmental science teacher and enrionmental club adviser Chelsea

March 2017

Joyce said. There are religious holidays and national holidays, all with a clearly deﬁned purpose. There’s usually an event or communal gathering to celebrate it. But what about Earth Day? What does it mean? What are people supposed to do? What are we celebrating? “It’s not really federally mandated, so that’s probably why nobody celebrates it,” sophomore Madison Williams said. Earth Day, according to the EPA, was created in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson. The creation of Earth Day inadvertently led to the creation of the EPA that same year. But as most students have agreed, after elementary school, no one ever hears about Earth Day. “I really have no idea what day Earth Day is; the last time I celebrated Earth Day was probably in the ﬁfth grade,” junior Sarah Simaan said. “That sounds really terrible.” After 40 years of existence, anyone

would think that a holiday would at least start pushing its way into what can only be called the “holiday mainstream.” Earth Day, contrary to this idea, has not. It has stayed ﬁrmly on the periphery. “I don’t know much about Earth Day, except that some people might plant trees,” junior Zach Cox said. Earth Day is supposed to be a day of celebration about the Earth, but few people take part in any kind of tradition. Some people see Earth Day as a way to celebrate the natural world. Others see it as a day to think about their impact on the planet or resolve to change it. Many tune it out completely because of the harsh reminder that they aren’t as green as they should be or don’t recycle enough. “A good way to celebrate is to plant a tree; just planting a tree is the easiest thing you can do,” Joyce said. In this day and age, every tree makes a difference due to the immense amount of deforestation and other factors that come with industrialization. If every person on Earth planted a tree every Earth Day, we would need more room for trees, and that’s a good thing. Locally, however, there is an Earth festival in honor of Earth Day every year at Northwest. “The environmental club does an Earth festival where we go over the topics that are going on around us and maybe even worldwide, and see what solutions there are,” Joyce said. “It’s pretty much just promoting the awareness that Earth Day is supposed to be about. It’s after school, generally on a Friday; we are trying to work with the art department this year to make it kind of like an exhibit with activities.” Earth Day should celebrate what humans do right, as well as push citizens to improve their ways. The usual “reduce, reuse, recycle” tag line should actually be put into effect. Earth Day needs more publicity: yes, it is a hard holiday to celebrate, but with enough persuasion and activism, Earth Day could have a purpose--one that people understand and are resolute about following. Opinions expressed by Maddie Lawson Graphic by Tai Van Dyke

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NEWS

Northwest’s principals: Past and present Logan James staff writer

areas.” (Quotation from the 1965 yearbook)

Years as principal: 1980-1994 Biggest Challenge: “The hardest thing to manage was maintaining good test scores, [and] trying to promote [Northwest’s] sports teams,” Nelson said. Where he is now: Retired Inspiration: Athletics Legacy: “Roger Nelson was a man tailormade for educational leadership. He was a no-nonsense principal, direct and had the highest expectations for students at NW. He rarely missed a football or basketball game, and was respected by the community as he was by NW teachers and students,” social studies teacher Phil Coley said. The New Gym is named in his honor.

s you walk down the English hallway, you might have noticed five framed pictures of people next to corresponding yearbooks. Many students have wondered, “Who are those faces?” These portraits honor to the former principals of Northwest High School. Since 1962, Northwest has had six total principals, which is considerably fewer than the administrative turnover at other schools in the county. Northwest Horizons decided to dig through the archives to learn more about each person who has served at the helm of this school.

R.L. Billings (1)

Years as principal: 1962-1980 Note: Passed Away Biggest Challenge: Arguably overseeing the school’s desegregation, which was mandated in Guilford County by Federal Court order in 1971. Legacy: “Mr. Billings [was] a most competent administrator and educator…under his leadership and foresight, Northwest reflect[ed] the favorable image of being a school with the highest standard in all its

Roger Nelson (2)

Anne Murr (3)

Years as principal: 1994-2004 Biggest Challenge: Construction. “I saw the school’s population double in size during my time as principal,” Murr said. “The New Building was built while I was there.” Where she is now: After serving as an educational consultant for 10 years, she is now retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Legacy: “[Murr] had high standards for her teachers and her students at Northwest High School,” math teacher Rhonda Hud-

son said. “She set the tone for excellence, expecting the best from everyone around her. I am very grateful that she allowed me to be a part of such a great school.”

Dr. Wanda Legrand (4)

Years as Principal: 2004-2006 Note: Could not be reached Biggest Challenge: To encourage students to take AP classes and maintain their attendance, according to a previous statement Where she is now: After working at Northwest, she temporarily left education and worked at American Express. She is now the Deputy Superintendent for Academics of Indianapolis Public Schools Legacy: “[Dr. Legrand] was a very intelligent leader,” social studies teacher Scott Bennett said. “She was encouraging, creative, curious [and she had] lots of new ideas, but she was only here for a short period of time.”

Angelo Kidd (5)

Years as Principal: 2006-2009 Biggest Challenge: “Before I became principal, there were some racial issues, [and those] came out shortly after I [became principal],” Kidd said. “Trying to take care of that was definitely one of the challenges that I faced as principal.” Where he is now: After seeking a place on the GCS School Board and serving as Guilford County’s Western Region Superin-

tendent for several years, he is now retired. Inspiration: Went to college studying social studies, then became interested in literature and began teaching English. He served as principal at Northeast High School before coming to Northwest. Legacy: “[Mr. Kidd] was always very supportive and embraced trying new things in the classroom if they could help students,” math teacher Catherine Ann Brown said

Ralph Kitley (6)

Years as principal: 2009-present Biggest Challenge: “The hardest thing to do is trying to make everyone happy. [Among] teachers, parents and kids, it’s hard to please everyone.” Future Plan: “I haven’t started thinking about it. I turn 50 this year, so I need to start thinking about what I will do in the future,” Kitley said. Inspiration: “I do all of this for the kids. I love working with [and] being around them,” Kitley said. Legacy: “I appreciate him--the most for his understanding and willingness to work with us when circumstances arise,” English teacher Andrea Julian said. “If there is an emergency [or] we need help, he is there for us.” His daughter Elizabeth is also a sophomore and starter on the Varsity girls’ basketball team.

Photos gathered by Logan James and Emma Fagerberg

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March 2017

NEWS

Teachers bringing the world to Northwest

Photos contributed by English teacher Alexander Wertz and senior Anna Claire Willey

English teacher Alexander Wertz and students who joined him on his EF and Explorica tour pose in front of multiple famous spots in England, France and Ireland. Education first, or EF tours, allow students to travel the world who might not be able to otherwise. Dozens of students from Northwest take these trips each year due to how affordable they are and the worthwhile experiences they offer. Emma Fagerberg staff writer

urope, though across the sea, is all around us all the time. We see posters promoting trips in schools, we watch movies showcasing some of Europe’s most popular countries

and some of us dream of going one day. One way students are able to travel during spring break and throughout the summer is through EF tour trips. EF, or Education First, has been helping students visit other countries since its creation more than 50 years ago. Since 1965, it has been “a company built on experiential learning, cultural immersion

and authentic connections.” Today, along with the promise of cultural immersion, the company also promotes 21st century learning, which involves learning to be a global citizen. “We are living in a global society, and perspective is everything,” English teacher Alexander Wertz said. Part of learning to live in a global soci-

ety and as a global citizen is learning to see things from the eyes of other people and experience their ways of life. “I think [seeing other cultures] is important because it’s good to see other cultures and experience other beliefs besides the ones we see every day,” sophomore Michael Langston said. Langston is one of many students who plan to travel with EF in 2018. Each year, dozens of Northwest students, much like Langston, are fortunate enough to be able to travel to countries beyond the United States’ borders, including places all over Europe, South America and the occasional trip to Asia. One trip being conducted during spring break 2017 is a trip to Ireland that will be led by Wertz. Though Wertz has travelled to Ireland in the past, this will be his first trip conducted with Explorica rather than EF. One benefit of travelling through Explorica rather than EF is the customizability that it offers. “I’m very happy with the service I’ve received from Explorica,” Wertz said. “They offer the opportunity to build fully customized tours and make any changes in regards to meals, hotels, etc.” However, whether trips are taken through Explorica or EF, they are both opportunities for students to travel. “These trips are very important for students because in order for them to grow up to be a world citizen, they have to know about other cultures and customs,” Spanish teacher Gwen Stencler said. “It all boils down to being able to see the world through the eyes of others.”

Getting a bit fit: Fitbits challenge

teachers to work closer together

Katie Lee Parrish staff writer

eachers strive to mold the minds of students five days a week, but did you know that a small handful of teachers at Northwest are also striving for another goal, as well? A select number of teachers partake in a Fitbit challenge every week. “There is a core group of staff members who have been doing it for a little more than a year, and it started last fall,” English teacher Alexander Wertz said. “And then over the course of the year, more teachers got Fitbits and were added into it.” These teachers are not only working to educate students, but they are also walking to earn the highest number of steps during the week and on weekends. “You accept the challenge each week, and it’s called Work Week Hustle,” English teacher Jennifer Doner said. “It’s whoever gets the most steps throughout the week. Sometimes we do Weekend Warrior, which is whoever gets the most steps throughout

March 2017

the weekend.” As the teachers partake in the Fitbit challenge each week, their activity levels are enhanced. The chall e n g e combines friendly competition and exercise to encourage a healthier lifestyle. “The competition give you that incentive and encouragement to reach your step goal every day,” Wertz said. “And it’s fun to see who can win and who’s walking

and who’s not.” However, the Fitbit challenge represents much more than an exercise competition; it also serves as a vessel for these teachers to create a bond. “We’ll say stuff to each other like, ‘oh man you must have been on the treadmill last night’ or ‘you’re killing me,’” early childhood development teacher Kara Winicki said. “And I’ve actually spoken

to teachers that I had not really spoken to before.” The challenge sparks conversations within the group of participants, bringing them together. Due to the myriad of teachers involved, bonds are created between the participants who might not have normally interacted. “Sometimes we’ll says things to each other when we’re walking down the hall, and we wouldn’t have normally spoken,” Wertz said. “And so we’ll say something or challenge someone, so it does bring us closer together.” Though there are typically prizes involved in competitions, the Fitbit competition prize consists of bragging rights, a healthier lifestyle and long-lasting bonds. Photo by Katie Lee Parrish

Pictured from left to right are teachers Lora Medley, Kara Winicki and Jennifer Doner standing in a competitive stance, getting ready to compete in their “Workweek Hustle.” Many teachers at Northwest compete for the most steps counted by their Fitbits.

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NEWS

Sitting for what you believe in:

Students express political opinions through subtle protest Aidan Bennett web-master

ecent years have been full of protests by all types of groups– Black Lives Matter, the March for Life, participants in the Women’s March and many others. Though movements from all political leanings have continued to grow in size, some people, particularly high school students, feel left out of the action. Therefore, students have devised a simple solution to speak their minds politically while at

school. In order to express political dissent, it has become a trend to refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. “Around junior year, I started to realize a lot more stuff going on politically, more injustices,” senior Echo McLachlan said. “I don’t want to stand for something that doesn’t support people that need help.” The idea behind sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance has a long history in the United States, particularly in public schools. Instances of similar protests have been recorded before the start of the civil rights era. In more recent days, NFL 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick brought attention to the concept through his protests of the national anthem by kneeling before football games. Though he did receive a great deal of criticism, Kaepernick certainly added to the frenzy of po-

litical action that surrounded last year. “When I first started watching people like this, like Kaepernick, there was a tremendous amount of people who viewed this as a sign of disrespect,” social studies teacher Elizabeth Russell said. “Once it spread, I started recognizing it as symptomatic of something bigger. By the time people started doing it in school, I recognized it as a sign of solidarity for people that are not being treated well by the country.” Still, each student who makes this decision has his or her own reason for protesting. Some have reasons that are purely political, some want to express individuality and some simply don’t want to stand. “It’s more of a personal thing, a moral thing, for me,” McLachlan said. As is to be expected, any political movement comes with its share of dissidence. Free speech is almost always accompanied by a similar exercise of rights on the opposite side, and this topic is not exempt. Most of the controversy around this particular issue is the implications of the act and what it says to those around you. “I think it all depends on the message that you’re trying to send, but I think it shows that you don’t like your

country,” junior Connor Shattuck said. While some view the act as disrespectful, proponents believe it to be all the more American. “It’s not because I’m against the country; I don’t think I should have to show my support if [the country] is not benefiting everyone,” McLachlan said. Conflict has also arisen in regards to the validity of the act itself as a form of protest. Contrary to other acts of protest throughout history, refusal to stand for the pledge of allegiance is a fairly simple act, one that is performed without the involvement of great masses of people. Opponents believe this devalues the intent of the act. “Going to an event to protest is one thing, but not standing for the flag is another,” Shattuck said. The question also remains as to

whether or not these protests are effective. This may be impossible to ever prove, due to the localized nature of the demonstrations. Still, students who feel as if they need to send a political message might find that refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance is the best way for them to make their own voice heard. Teachers often encourage students to make their personalities and opinions known, and this is one way of doing so for those who deem it necessary. “At some times, not speaking out is a sign of compliance, of tacit agreement,” Russell said.

Photo by Aidan Bennett

Juniors Landon Brown and Adam Marshall stand during the Pledge of Allegiance while senior Echo McLachlan exercises her First Amendment right to sit. Some students prefer to sit during the daily morning recitation of the Pledge as a means of demonstrating peaceful protest.

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March 2017

EDITORIAL

staff editorial

‘Alternative facts’ create a false reality

e live in a time of vastly different political opinions. The recent election has brought out the best and worst in people. Ideas were exchanged; important issues were brought up. Still, even the most scholarly debates seemed to devolve into petty partisan squabbles. The amount of “fake news” propagated by completely unverified sources or “news” organizations has skyrocketed, especially on social media. Though a Pew study in 2016 found that 88 percent of Americans believe that fake news has caused at least some degree of confusion about basic facts, 23 percent admit to having shared fake stories online. Social media is often the breeding grounds for these falsified facts, but 62 percent of Americans receive news from sites like Facebook and Twitter. Social media, if read carefully, may be a valid source for up-to-date news; however, a frighteningly large number of people believe the first things that they see. Ironically enough, this trust for information does not extend to trustworthy and reliable sources. All of this confusion and fact-distortion has led to distrust of media, no matter how reliable the source. In 2016, a Gallup poll found that media perception was the lowest ever, with only 32 percent of Americans stating that they have a great deal or even fair amount of trust for the media. It has also resulted in a constantly widening divide between citizens. Without faith in media for reliable news, conversations turn into unfounded slap-fights, with both sides afraid to present any real evidence for fear of being accused of speaking falsehoods, only to be met with lies from the other side.

Graphic by Tai Van Dyke

Person in disbelief stares at fake news headlines on his phone. Like many in the United States, many people have a hard time deciding what is actually credible news.

This is only a partisan issue in the sense that it affects both parties. A joint paper between NYU and Stanford in 2017 found that Democrats and Republicans were just as likely to spread and believe fake news

Testing the tests: ACT vs. SAT Anna Yang contributing writer

hen it comes to college prep testing, juniors are faced with a problem: should they focus on the ACT, SAT or both? Previously, the SAT and ACT differed in several areas, but since the revised SAT came out in the spring of 2016, the format of the tests have become relatively similar. “The SAT used to be considered more of an aptitude test, whereas the ACT was considered an achievement test,” guidance counselor Stacy Garner said. “Now they both test content that students should know, including how to analyze reading passages.” Among their similarities are an optional essay, multiple reading passages and possible submission into merit-based scholarships. However, the ACT includes a science section and a math section with complete access to a calculator. In regards to the school, Northwest offers all juniors the opportunity to take the ACT free of charge due to North Carolina state funding. Consequently, free testing has led some students to take only the ACT. This year’s test took place Feb. 28. “Now that we offer the ACT for free, some students choose not to take the SAT at

all if their ACT score is good,” Garner said. The extra opportunity has also given students a chance to explore the format with which they are most comfortable. “It’s really a great opportunity to have the ACT offered through the school because I probably wouldn’t take it otherwise,” junior Addie Magyar said. While some students choose their ACT scores because they have an extra chance provided to them to take the test, other students choose to use their SAT scores when applying for college. “I’m probably going to use my SAT score,” junior Kelly Apple said. “But I would consider using my ACT score if it is really good.” Still some other students use both scores in their application. “I used both because I wasn’t sure which school preferred which score,” senior Kalista Mccoy said. Regardless of personal preferences, there is a consensus that colleges do not view one score as more signiﬁcant than the other. “The ACT and SAT are both accepted by all the schools that our students apply to,” curriculum facilitator Susan Orr said. “People may choose the SAT because they are more informed about it since in the most recent history, the SAT is the test most eastern schools accepted while the ACT was not part of the protocol.”

that favored their side, shattering the myth that only one side is involved in this kind of dishonesty. It also pointed out the fact that if precaution is not taken, each person is as likely to be fooled as the last.

Reminiscent of totalitarian Europe in the mid 20th century, faux news has the unfortunate effect of devaluing what is truthful and unbiased. When no one trusts the news, the truth itself become irrelevant, a mere obstacle between one party and another. Propaganda campaigns of the past have been structured with the same intentions. “When you look at history, the ﬁrst thing that dictators do is shut down the press,” Republican senator John McCain said in an interview on “Meet the Press” from Feb. 18. “If you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free-- and many times adversarial-- press.” When no news sources are trusted, anything snatched up and paraded around as fact becomes entirely believable, even if it has no basis in reality. Propaganda applies in particular to the negative fake stories that surrounded this recent election cycle. Society as a whole has descended into disbelief, and this fact is the reason that the media is now more important than ever. If sources of genuine, reliable facts are not encouraged to present the truth at all times, then there is no stopping the alternative fact from replacing the true one. Likewise, if the discerning citizen does not care to only absorb reliable information, then this kind of Orwellian society is an imminent possibility. “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter,” Thomas Jefferson once famously said. As a society, we must abandon our party differences in the interest of the truth.

letter to the editor

Dear Editor, Because Northwest Horizons is a news organization, I personally feel it should spread information more than it should focus on how many viewers will like the news. America has become a sheltered country in which a majority of the people do not know much about the outside world. I am writing to see if I can inform you to run a piece on things like the oppression of religion in Tibet; the bombing of hospitals in places like Syria; the use of chemical weapons on men, women and children; the rape of young women in Africa. I adamantly believe [these things] should be something that the majority of American people/students know about. Approximately one million Tibetan people have died under the occupation of China. This has gotten so bad that the Tibetan people have become a minority in their own country. The sheer mention of the Dalai Lama can be reason for torture, imprisonment and even worse. Men, women and children have lit themselves on ﬁre, and with their ﬁnal breaths have said the name of the Dalai Lama. [This] deserves to be covered. Secondly, the bombing of places such as hospitals in areas of the Middle East is something that every human being should feel ashamed of. If a government, ruler or dictator does these sorts of crimes against its own people, then it should be considered a violation of human rights. Third, the use of chemical weapons during warfare has been listed as a war crime. It causes suffering that is not needed. People are sociable creatures; it’s built into our survival and evolution. Forget about the “liberal bias” of the news and listen to what is happening in the world. War crimes should not go unnoticed. Fourthly, the use of old traditions and lack of education of the people gives reasoning behind the rape of young children. The rape of any person, male or female, is never okay. As a journalist, you are supposed to be unbiased, but when it comes to the reporting of stories such as this, your humanity decides to make itself present. It is something that idly standing by and being ignorant of is not an excuse. In conclusion, I feel that the news in America has become far too saturated with sheltered information and needs to be reformed. Please do what is needed to inform the student population of important things happening outside of the United States. Sincerely, Binay Rijal (10th grade)

March 2017

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OP/ED

H-2-H: Northwest tea party spills the tea Iced Tea vs. Hot Tea

Alexis Marvin spread & managing editor

“C

an I get a sweet tea, no lemon?” How many times have we all heard this when going out to eat at a restaurant or pulling through the drive-thru of a fast food place? Sweet tea is a must-have in this great state, as well as in many other states in the south. It’s cold, refreshing, and sweet. You couldn’t ask for anything more. “I like hot tea, and when I get it cold and sweet, it makes it even better,” senior Marissa Calcaterra said. Many people prefer sweet tea over unsweet tea because of the sugar and the overall difference in taste. “It’s better than unsweet tea because it’s already done for you. There’s no work involved in trying to make it sweeter,” Calcaterra said. According to the Tea Association of the USA, on any given day, more than 158 million Americans are drinking tea, whether it be hot or iced. “I’m from Florida originally, so I’ve always liked sweet tea,” Calcaterra said. “Every time we go out, we al-

ways get it.” Some people have been introduced to sweet tea only by moving down south. “I got into drinking sweet tea from exposure living here in the South,” English teacher Andrea Julian said. “My father was in the military and we moved around a lot, so it wasn’t like sweet tea wasn’t something we drank a lot of. Then, when we came here, it was always something that was offered to us.” Still others grew up in the South and can’t remember a time when sweet tea wasn’t a part of their lives. “I’m from Texas, and everyone in my family makes tea and has it around the house,” junior Ty King said. Many people cannot even stand to drink unsweet tea after becoming so used to having their tea full of sweet, sugary goodness. “When you go to a restaurant and you take a sip of your drink and it’s not sweet tea, you recognize why,” Julian said. “It has ﬂavor.” While sweet tea may not be the ﬁrst thing on some people’s minds when they go to a restaurant, even the mention of it can be appealing. “We’re more soda people. On occasion, though, when you hear someone order sweet tea, you have to get it, too,” Julian said. The question of lemon or no lemon is easy to solve for some people. “I prefer mine without a lemon because the seeds could possibly get into your drink,” Julian said. Whether you’ve grown up with sweet tea or been introduced to it only by residing in the South, everyone can enjoy the beverage at any time of year.

Menna Ibrahim staff writer

he stereotypical southerner is known to embody terms like “y’all” and “bless your heart.” The stereotypical southerner is very family oriented, always ready to go muddin’, wears boots year-round and would never turn down an offer for sweet tea. While these seem to ring true for many Northwest students, for some these are fabricated ideologies that they choose to keep at bay. Skipping the peaceful protests, violent drama and family feuds, these students fulﬁll their act of rebellion in small doses and steam by turning to hot tea as an alternative. “I guess I’m just a really bad southerner,” junior Caroline Mast said. “At least that’s what my mom said when I told her I didn’t like sweet tea.” Those who prefer hot tea to sweet or iced tea, despite being a rarity, have a multitude of reasons and experiences to solidify their beliefs. In a poll of 50 students, only 13 claimed preference to hot tea, but despite their rarity, it seems as though those 13 follow the trend paved by the rest of the world rather than the region in which they reside. For over 1,800 years all over the globe, tea has been a part of every culture and every country’s history leading up to today. Prior to their evolution into a beverage, tea leaves were used strictly for their medicinal purposes and many still use it that way. “Whenever I got sick as a kid, my mom would give me tea so I could get better faster. I guess it just kind of grew on me,”

junior Addie Magyar said. Like Magyar, many that prefer hot tea attribute it to the variety of options and health component in comparison to iced and sweet teas. “There are so many ﬂavors and types. If you don’t like one, I bet there’s another kind for you,” senior Amber Long said. With more than 3,000 varieties—including black with milk, oolong and herbal—tea has been known to come in all different forms from different civilizations all over the world for centuries. “I’ve been trying to cut out sugar, so I’ve been drinking a lot of mint tea lately. It’s really good for the body and it tastes pretty good too,” social studies teacher Jim Thompson said. Thompson credited a radio talk show duo who spend an hour a day talking about different types of teas add their beneﬁts and downsides to the body. “Sweet’s just too sweet,” Magyar said. “I only drink water at school because it’s easier and healthier, so it’s calming to go home and just drink some tea.”

The evolution of teaching evolution

Emma Fagerberg staff writer

hange. We see it all of the time. Things change, people change and relationships change. Change, at times, can be the only constant thing. We all change, we grow and we evolve. So why is teaching evolution in high school science classes such a sensitive subject? Though Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection was introduced and widely accepted by many scientists in the mid-19th century, it has been a struggle to put into the curricula of public schools for a long time. One of the attempts to bar the teaching of evolution came from the 1967 Supreme Court case of Epperson v. Arkansas. Because of this trial, it was deemed that no scientiﬁc theory should be prohibited to teach solely on the basis of opposing religious beliefs. Twenty years later, in the case of Edwards v. Aguillard, this statement was only reinforced, but still, public schools only inched towards further expansion on scientiﬁc topics. “I think [evolution] should be taught in biology because it is such a big part of learning about the process of science,” biology teacher Mary Rosa said.

Graphic by Stephanie Mayer

Though there are critics of the teaching of evolution, there is administrative support at Northwest. The scientiﬁc principle is evidenced by centuries of research.

Science, to its core, involves changes. The change of seasons, the change of weather and the change of the methods which we use in experimentation. However, science is also consistent in that one thing stays the same--the logic behind it all. Everything is always backed by logic, fact and research. “I do believe in evolution because I am strongly in favor of evidence,” senior Nathan Adams said. “I go by facts and logic. In my opinion, logic is the most accurate way of addressing most situations and facts are what logic is based on.” Although evolution is not a proven fact--

8 www.northwesthorizons.com

it is, at the moment, considered a scientiﬁc theory--it has been backed by logical evidence for more than a century, such as with DNA and proteins. One common argument for the teaching of evolution is that of religious beliefs that go against the science, speciﬁcally, of human evolution. Some denominations of Christianity, for example, hold a belief in creationism, that God created everyone in His image and thatwe did not evolve from apes or monkeys. While this may be a commonly held belief, the belief in Christianity and the belief in human evolution are not disjoint events.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII directly addressed this issue in his papal letter, Humani Generis. There he stated that there lies no great conflict between Christianity and the theory of evolution given that Christians believe the soul of a person is the creation of God rather than the outer appearance. Though this shows that there is some overlap, some still cling to their ideas rooted in creationism and would prefer not to learn about evolution. “A lot of people, especially down here in the Bible Belt, don’t believe in human evolution,” junior Jinna Sakkijha said. “But, that’s their right, and it doesn’t really bother me.” Despite the arguments against teaching evolution, it is easily seen that there are many benefits that come when it is taught. “[Evolution] shows the relationship between organisms and shows that we are all connected,” biology teacher Jennifer Linden said. In order for students to truly understand common biological concepts, such as common ancestry and natural selection, it is necessary that evolution be taught and talked about in the classroom. Overall, though the teaching of evolution may be frowned upon by some because of religious beliefs, or any other reason, it is well-backed scientific theory that deserves to be taught in high schools all over the country.

March 2017

OP/ED

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How will his presidency weather?

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William Royal op/ed editor

s his presidency settles into the normal swing of progress, Donald Trump has surpassed several boundaries that once kept businessmen and outsiders from leadership in recent years. After a controversial and wild campaign in the fall of 2016, Trump slugged it out against a corporate-backed and powerhungry competitor Hillary Clinton. He defeated her Nov. 8, securing his ascension to the presidency and all of the luster and nobility that it brings. “It sure seems like, in the first [few weeks], Trump is at least going to try to build a wall,” senior Josh Schneider said. “Whether it will be done or not by the end of his four years, I’m not sure, because it’s a big project.” Trump’s fight to get to where he is now has certainly been met with backlash from the entire political establishment, Democrats, the major Wall Street banks and foreign donors who backed Clinton and the mainstream media. His first 3 months have been quite successful, fulfilling far more legislative goals and economic deals than his predecessors ever did. Be it organizing Obamacare’s demise, the furthering of Supreme Court appointments, the strike-down of nearly every one of his predecessor Obama’s executive orders or helping bring companies’ manufacturing power back to the United States, Trump has spun around what the word “president” means in the 21st century. Additionally, Trump has managed to

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Graphic by Ryan Rivera

Above is a possible forecast for Donald Trump’s ﬁrst term as president. Though his presidency may be riddled with controversy and strife, Trump has a bright future ahead of him, given that he can satisfy the needs of his ofﬁce.

scrap the Trans-Paciﬁc Partnership, a deal which was decried by then-candidate Trump on the campaign trail as an example of what he describes as anti-American globalism. In the future, Trump has a lot to live up to. On the campaign trail, he made many promises like appointing conservative, textualist judges to the Supreme Court, building a massive border wall on our southern border with Mexico and otherwise cutting taxes across the board for all Americans. To maintain a progressive outlook, Trump must fulﬁll all of these promises. Stopping illegal immigration is an issue that the majority of Americans are concerned about, and a border wall with Mexico could solve this problem in one fell swoop. In order to build this wall, Trump’s con-

struction savvy will be put to the test. He will have to negotiate and work with independent contractors to ﬁnd the best deal possible. A border wall along our southern border will undoubtedly be the largest construction project Trump has ever overseen, even with his days of real estate development behind him. Further, a trade deal where the United States penalizes or enacts tariffs on Mexican goods will have to be realized, in order to secure funding and to fulﬁll his “Mexico will pay” campaign promise. “The way that Trump wants Mexico to pay for this wall is through high tariffs on the goods coming in from Mexico,” Schneider said. “I think that, if he really wants Mexico to pay for the wall, that’s the most logical and reasonable way to do it.”

Meanwhile, originalist judges, like Neil Gorsuch, could potentially review landmark cases like Roe v. Wade and the marriage equality ruling, possibly overturning such decisions for a more strict interpretation of the Constitution. Such cases were activist in nature, meaning that the judges who decided on these took a new viewpoint and interpreted the Constitution instead of following strictly what it says. While Trump has some rough edges, the same goes for his challengers, which are around equal with the population that voted for him. In order to have the president be mindful of issues as they arise, a mature, rational discussion must be had. Both sides, liberal and conservative, left and right, need to act in a manner that ﬁts the best country on Earth.

Walking into 1962: Northwest teaches in an older environment Caroline Buaron staff writer

alking into the dubbed ‘Old Building’ of Northwest Guilford High School, one can immediately notice the dim hallways, outdated bathrooms and low ceilings. But regardless of the school’s structure, the success of Northwest’s students ultimately outshines Northwest’s outdated facility. Principal of Northwest High School, Ralph Kitley, explains the history of the school, and the renovations it has undergone. “The cafeteria used to be just that ﬁrst section with the columns,” Kitley said. “And rooms 101 to 104 all used to be the media center, but then they built a bigger media center across the hall.” Prior to this renovation, in 2001, Northwest had around 50 mobile units, which have been reduced down to its current number of around 20. “During construction, we had about six of them in the upper parking lot; you can still see the footings in the asphalt,” Kitley said. “We had them all the way down to the middle school and even behind the football stadium. They were all over the place.” Northwest students have criticized the trailers in the past, with some wishing for a more updated facility.

March 2017

Photo by Menna Ibrahim

Known throughout Guilford County for its academic excellence, Northwest High School has served students since 1962. To many, this history shows on Northwest’s exterior.

“I’m not bothered by our school’s structural integrity, as long as the buildings are safe,” senior Abby Boggins said. “But the trailers were intended to be temporary classrooms, and they’ve been here for years.” These renovations, along with the construction of the ‘New Building,’ all occurred 16 years ago. Any renovations in the near future are unlikely. “There was talk a few years ago about building an airport-area High School,” Kit-

ley said. “It was going to take about 800 or 1,000 students from here.” But there was no demand for airport -area High School, and so the buildings were never built. “People are happy at Northwest,” Kitley said. “People don’t want to leave because we achieve at such a high level. So where is the demand for a new facility, if everybody is happy here?” And students are indeed happy and suc-

ceeding at Northwest. Students achieve over 90 percent proﬁciency on end-of-course tests, and under the new state accountability model, Northwest Guilford High School is the only traditional high school to be an A+ school (prior to last year, where Northern Guilford High School achieved the same rank). So even though Northwest’s aesthetic may not be up-to-date, the buildings itself clearly do not hinder students’ ability to succeed. “Even if the school improved its looks, it would still be competitive and maybe even more competitive,” sophomore Camille Dunkirk said. Competition at Northwest has always been a large motivational factor for students to succeed, but it has also become somewhat of a hysteria. “At our school, it has become quite irrational,” Boggins said. “Students are often focused on being in the top 20, getting on the wall or taking as many AP classes as possible, in hopes of appearing dedicated and worthy for college admission.” Northwest has always held the reputation of being a competitive school. But whether or not the school will undergo any renovations, the nature of the school and of the students will probably not change. “I don’t think the physical state of Northwest’s buildings is signiﬁcant,” Boggins said.

www.northwesthorizons.com 9

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Wearing their hear

Two juniors share storie Tai Van Dyke & Faith Rickerts graphics editor & news editor

t’s a muscle we sometimes take for granted; the small object in our chest that keeps our blood pumping. The constant rhythm it beats out often goes unnoticed until it is working in overdrive, or until the consistency becomes disrupted. Sidney Branham and Lindsey Nelson, both juniors at Northwest, have experienced heart troubles from a young age. Here are their stories of when they had to undergo open heart surgery. Sidney Branham: For Branham, her heart problems started when she was very young. “It all started because I slept a lot as a baby,” Branham said. “Everyone was always like ‘your child is so good, she sleeps all the time,’ and my mom was like, ‘Yeah, it’s a little weird because she doesn’t cry,’ but it was because I was in heart distress.” Doctors had previously detected that Branham had a heart murmur during her two-week check up in 1999. When she was one-month old, she had an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist at Baptist Hospital. “I had hours and hours of ultrasounds, and they found two holes in my heart,” Branham said. The doctors diagnosed her with primary pulmonary hypertension, meaning that she

had high blood pressure in her heart-to-lung tines are in different places; they still are to had to continuously have her blood press system. This causes oxygen-rich blood to be de- this day, but they function just fine. So going monitored. During her sophomore year, livered to the heart while oxygen-poor blood is through doing the heart catheter, obviously needed to have her stint ballooned due her artery narrowing again. As a result, delivered to the lungs. If left untreated, pulmo- my intestines were kind of jacked up.” nary hypertension is often fatal. Once open heart surgery was complete, had another heart catheter last summer. “I remember going into the doctor’s “The doctors said that if it was the condi- the holes in Branham’s heart were successtion in and of itself, and they believed that it fully closed. Branham lived with virtually no fice and them telling me that they notic my artery narrowing again, and I was l was, that it would lead to my death as a baby,” other complications for years. Branham said. “I honestly didn’t have any problems [as ‘you have got to be kidding me,’” Branh In those difficult times, faith was crucial in a child] being active or hanging out with my said. Despite this, Branham was not disco giving Branham’s parents hope. friends,” Branham said. “I couldn’t do as “I had a preacher at the time who came to much as other kids could, but I still wasn’t aged for long. Just like her parents, her fa helped to make persevering through her the hospital and was like, ‘I know what these limited at all.” uation easier. doctors are saying, that she’s go“It was frustrating ing to die, but God’s telling me first, but I had a lot something else,’” Branham said. faith in God that eve “That was really comforting for thing would be oka my family.” Branham said. “I h As doctors continued to check gone through it so ma up on Branham for the next few times and obviously days, they discovered that one of had protected me whe the holes in her heart had gotten was that young, so I re bigger. The day after Thanksdidn’t have to worry ab giving, doctors had to perform anything at this age.” heart catheterization surgery, or a Branham now has heart catheter on her. This would see a cardiologist ev allow them to examine how well year and is on high blo her heart was working and would pressure medicine. help them plan out the next steps “My last proced for open heart surgery. that I had, last year, th “Although [the surgery] went told me that everyth well, they had a hard time insertwas good, and that th ing the catheter,” Branham said. don’t think that the “It was in my leg and a baby’s leg ever have to do it agai is so small.” Graphic by Tai Van Dyke Branham said. “I hav However, Branham would The heart, as pictured above, is very complex, and so are the surgeries lot of faith that I wo not be able to have open heart associated with it. Juniors Lindsey Nelson and Sidney Branham both went have to do it again.” surgery for about another week. When she had the heart cath- through open heart surgery, one of the most common heart procedures. Lindsey Nelson: eterization, the doctor accidentally Nelson had no idea that there was som punctured part of her colon, causing her to When Branham was in the third grade, have surgery to remove the damaged part of her her blood pressure began increasing abnor- thing wrong with her heart when she tagg along to the doctor’s office as a 4-year-old colon. She then had to rest and heal before she mally. “I had actually gone for my sister’s could have the open heart surgery. Upon having “I had extremely high blood pressure for part of her colon removed, the doctors diag- an 8-year-old,” Branham said. “The doctors pointment,” Nelson said. “I had an ear inf nosed Branham with more conditions. were always like ‘Sidney is definitely not the tion at her appointment, and when the d tor checked it, he found a heart murmur.” “After part of my colon was removed, they textbook case. This is just crazy.’” The murmur indicated a bigger proble discovered I had a condition called heterotaxy Her troubles didn’t stop there; in the syndrome, which is where the organs are abnor- sixth grade, Branham had to get yet another Nelson’s heart had been leaking blood i mally arranged in the chest and the abdomen,” heart catheter due to her arteries narrowing. her lungs. In order for the doctors to fix t Branham said. “I also have polysplenia, which is Doctors had to implant a stint to expand she would have to undergo open heart s kind of like [heterotaxy syndrome]. So my intes- her artery and to increase blood flow. She gery.

To begin the surgery, a doctor will make an incision in the patient’s breastbone, giving him or her access to the heart by moving the muscles apart.

The patient will be hooked to a machine that pushes blood throughout the body so that the patient’s heart may be stopped to perform the surgery.

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Nelson’s surgery took place Jan. 5, 2005, when she was 4 years old. “I just remember crying and asking my parents what I did to deserve having to get this and why it was me,” Nelson said. However, Nelson was not scared of the actual procedure at all. “Since I was so young, I don’t really [remember how I felt before going into surgery],” Nelson said. “From what my mom has told me, I had lots of energy and was dancing in the waiting room before having it.” The surgery was a success, and life following the procedure was hardly different for her. “It didn’t really [affect me],” Nelson said. “I just couldn’t do as much in the first two months [after surgery] and had to wear a pillow on my chest for the first month of going back to kindergarten, to keep from harming the stitches in my chest.” Now, Nelson is healthy and happy, free from any heart troubles. “I live like a normal teenager,” Nelson said. “I do have to go see a cardiologist about every three to five years to make sure all is well with my health.” She does not expect any further procedures on her heart in the near future, and she is grateful for the time she has now. “[Having open heart surgery has] taught me to just embrace every day I have,” Nelson said. “Birthdays are a big deal in my family to my parents, since it’s one more year of life that we have lived healthily.” Despite having gone through major surgeries at young ages, both students have kept hope and have grown to appreciate every day. “I’m really lucky to be alive,” Branham said.

The breastbone will be closed by the surgeon after the surgery and electrical shocks will be used to restart the patient’s heart.

Photos by Faith Rickerts

Juniors Sidney Branham (left) and Lindsey Nelson (right) share the common bond of having open heart surgery as young children. Today they both credit their doctors and supportive families for being alive.

The patient will be in the ICU for a few days after surgery. After that, it typically takes about six to eight weeks to recover.

Information compiled by Alexis Marvin, graphics by Tai Van Dyke

SPORTS

Pay to play: How much do sports cost?

Jenny Blackburn entertainment editor

ha-ching. Mula. Paper. Dough. Money. Cash. With a large portion of Northwest’s population involved in some type of sport, some students assume a large sum of the school's funds goes to the athletic department. Roughly $120,000 is spent annually on sports. “Guilford County Schools provide approximately $140,000 for coaching salaries, and [they] also provide a yearly stipend of $18,000 for our athletic programs,” athletic

director John Hughes said. Hughes’ job is to work with each varsity coach, as well as the booster clubs, to determine what each sport has and needs, concerning funding. “The school athletic program provides for all of the basic equipment needs of each sport, transportation and officials fees,” Hughes said. Northwest’s athletic program is supported through individual booster clubs associated with each sport. “Nine percent of the schools, at least in this state, have one booster club,” Principal Ralph Kitley said. Therefore, Northwest has a unique ath-

WRESTLING Uniform $85 Warm-ups $175 Mats $10,000-$12,000 SWIMMING Competition suit $475 Practice suit $85 Goggles $20 Swim bag $70

letic foundation. The booster clubs raise their own funds, usually through different fundraising efforts and have more parent participation since they know that their money is going directly towards their kid. “The other way, the big umbrella may do some fundraising stuff, but that money might not go directly to the sports team your child is from,” Kitley said, “A lot of [other] schools run a rotating basis where a basketball team might get a new set of uniforms every four years or the same thing with football might get this, every so many years.” Northwest’s program is more effective from the prospective of the parents know-

ing that their time, effort and money is directly benefiting their student’s athletic team and the students are receiving newer gear and equipment. “As principal, I don’t really have control over a lot of it because the booster clubs are totally separate from me. The separate booster clubs are parent-run organizations. They decided what they’re going to do, where the money is going to go within each sport,” Kitley said. The expenses the school has are offset by revenue of ticket sales at the games. Each sport varies in yearly expenses. Here is a list of sports broken down by how much it will cost the sports team:

FIELD HOCKEY

Uniform $150 Goalie gear $1,000

SOFTBALL Pants $30 Jersey $25 Helmet $35 BASKETBALL Uniforms $1,200-$1,500 (team set) Graphics by Tai Van Dyke

Wrestlers struggle with weight to meet weight class requirements Titus Kilpatrick contributing writer

he sport of wrestling has dominated the realm of combat sports for more than 15,000 years, with its competitors constantly being considered some of the most athletic individuals in the realm of athletic competition. From the aged mats in local high schools to the fresh rubber in the center of the Olympic Games, wrestling has become one of the most entertaining and intensive combat sports. What people don’t usually hear about, however, is what wrestlers must go through when they aren’t clad in their infamous singlets. Wrestlers on a team are divided into specific weight classes and strictly compete against other wrestlers within their class to maintain fair competition. Wrestlers can, however, choose to compete in other weight classes, as long as they are capable of reaching a weight that falls within the parameters of their desired class. While most non-grapplers would find that it’s easy to put on weight, wrestlers tend to shift more towards cutting weight for competition. The process of cutting weight for a combat sport is one of the most rigorous and challenging tasks that an individual

Photo by Catherine Gray

Two Northwest wrestlers compete against one another during practice. Wrestlers are often forced to cut weight in order to wrestle in a certain weight class.

can face. One former Northwest wrestler (who wishes to remain anonymous) spoke on how he went about cutting weight: “I’ve had to cut weight plenty of times,” he said. “The most I’ve had to cut on short

12 www.northwesthorizons.com

notice was seven pounds, but the most weight I’ve had to cut overall was 20 pounds prior to the start of the season. In order to cut weight, I would wear layers of clothes and do a lot of cardio.”

Senior Jacob Fields and Junior George Cooke, two current wrestlers for Northwest’s team, also shared their experiences in trying to meet weight requirements. “I usually wear sweatshirts and run so I can sweat more,” Cooke said. “Sure, I feel tired and hungry throughout the process, but that makes winning worth it.” Fields said he didn’t have to cut weight in high school, but remembers doing it for middle school wrestling. “I usually just eat less and wore more layers in practice,” Fields said. While many people on the outside of the wrestling community might see the process of cutting weight as dangerous to health, it is what makes the sport unique in that it places a new level of commitment on its competitors that just isn’t seen in other well-known sports. The two wrestling coaches, Paul Egleston and Ron Bare, however, respectfully declined to comment for this story. The amount of discipline that wrestlers must have to stick to such a rigorous regimen of physical fitness and restrictive dieting is immensely overlooked. From the common practice of exercising in incredible heat to skipping meals for the sake of competition, for the wrestler, it “sure makes winning worth it.”

March 2017

SPORTS baseball; they got jammed when a groundball came off the ground. I broke a wrist jumping over a tire and I broke a rib at baseball practice last year. I was hitting and I had a stress fracture, and when I swung the muscle in my neck ripped the bone.” James is not the only athlete at Northwest to have been through several broken bones. “I’ve broken seven bones all from soccer,” freshman Carly Maness said. “I’ve broken my right ankle twice, and I’ve broken my left ankle. I’ve broken both of my wrists playing goalie and going in for tackles.” Northwest quarterback and basketball player junior Jacob Leonard has dealt with injuries throughout his athletic career. “I broke my wrist playing basketball in the seventh grade,” Leonard said. “I took a charge and tried to break my fall with my hands, and my wrist just kind of snapped. It was a freak accident, and I had to have surgery [to treat] my wrist.” The break of a bone is not the only injury with which athletes are faced. Concussions are perhaps the most prevalent sports injury in today’s era of sports. Junior Emma Acree suffered through numerous concussions from playing both field hockey and lacrosse, which eventually resulted in the diagnosis of a brain tissue condition called Chiari.

Athletes battle with

injuries: the dangers of plAYING

SPORTS

Montana Murphy sports editor

he crowd hushes. Trainers rush out onto the field as players take a knee. A player is injured. This is a scene all too common within sports. Being involved in sports comes with risks. Each year, millions of athletes across the world experience sports-related injuries. Injuries vary from torn muscles and ligaments, concussions,

stress fract u r e s and broken bones. Northwest athletes are no stranger to such injuries. “I have broken nine bones,” sophomore Logan James said. “I broke two thumbs the same way. I’m a catcher in baseball, and when the ball came in, it hit my thumb and bent it back. I broke my middle finger and my ring finger playing

“I got hit in the head with a stick during lacrosse,” Acree said. “I’ve also been hit in the head with field hockey sticks and field hockey balls.” Concussions are mainly seen in contact sports such as football and wrestling. “I got a concussion playing football this past year,” Leonard said. “It’s just the nature of my position to take a lot of hits and unfortunately one of those ended with my head hitting the ground first.” Concussions are the primary focus of many new sports regulations and guidelines by organizations such as the National Federation of State High School Associations and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coaches and trainers must follow strict procedures when a concussion is diagnosed, and recovering from such a diagnosis can be long and difficult for athletes. “I did a series of memorization tests [to recover] and then I had to sit in a dark room for a whole day until my symptoms went away,” Leonard said. Though injuries are a huge part of playing sports, athletes find many pros to outweigh the risks. “I find sports fun, and even though there’s a risk, there’s a risk in everything,” James said. “I’d rather be moving and doing things throughout the year than just sitting around and not doing much.” Passion for a sport can be unmatched and athletes use their love for their sports to continue playing, even following repeated injuries. “Breaking bones isn’t that bad,” said Maness. “I like soccer so much that it doesn’t compare to breaking a bone.” Athletes often feel that the dangers of playing sports are outweighed by the benefits that only athletes can reap. “I love competing and nothing gives me the feeling that sports does,” Leonard said. Graphic by Montana Murphy

X-rays demonstrate the various injuries that Northwest students have gotten through sports. Various Northwest athletes submitted their x-rays, showing the severity of their injuries received through sports.

Statistics: How the numbers impact sports Alex Cake staff writer

ociety is becoming increasingly driven by technology. Technology has been used to improve education as well as athletics. Statistics have been tremendously affected by the growth of technology, and analyzing sporting events has become more efficient. Specifically, stats have been an important aspect of sporting events and keeping track of high performing players. Coaches can quickly assess a player’s strengths and weaknesses based on training or how they perform during games. Technology has also been able to quickly determine multiple types of stats in sports, such as three-point shooting percentages in basketball and pass completion rates in football. Because of slow motion replay, officials can analyze decisions in a timely manner. However, some sports do not benefit from technology advancements. “I think slow motion has destroyed football,” junior Noah Lohr said. “I’m glad it’s not in [other sports].” Athletes aspire to play sports at the highest possible level; in doing so, players will

March 2017

look to boost their stats in order get noticed. If players tend to have average games, they have a smaller chance of getting recruited. “Players need to make a name for themselves,” sophomore Chandler Whitson said. “You need to make the team better [first].” As important as stats are for players, coaches are looking for good academics and how players are as a person outside of competition. Lohr co-captained the boys’ soccer team and has played against quality opponents. Players with better stats are usually one of the major threats or playmakers for teams. Lohr always knows to be attentive towards those players. “I will be more aware of [dangerous players],” Lohr said. As the price of

college is continually increasing, scholarships are limited. Sometimes players are out for their own success rather than the team. “I feel like it depends on the player,” Lohr said. “It also depends on how they are personally. If they are selfcentered [ t h e y are m o r e inclined to play more for themselves].” Stats are not the basis for selecting a starting squad. Multiple variables influence a coach’s decision on who is performing well in practice as well, as in games. “It’s a combination of both,” boys’ basketball coach Lee Reavis said. “Whoever is working hard in practice, who shows up to practice, and who does something in games will get played.” Online stats are

becoming more popular as it is easier and more efficient. Teams do not have to watch their own film multiple times to record stats for every player. “We use [a website called] Crossover. We can upload our film, and in 24 hours, they have the stats already completed,” Reavis said. “We are able to break down the percentages of how our team shoots.” Early on in their season, the basketball team faced rival Northern Guilford in a 75-48 win. Northern guard, junior Andy Pack, was expected to cause problems for the Vikings and Reavis did not want Pack to be a threat. “Andy is a very good player. We were [always] aware of where he was,” Reavis said. “We didn’t want him to touch the ball.” Improvements in technology help trainers and coaches become more efficient by planning practices based on a team’s style of play or basing diets on what a player needs. “Because of [improvements in technology], players’ shooting percentages increase because of the amount of practice they get,” Whitson said. Photo contributed by Noah Lohr

Junior Noah Lohr takes the ball from a Ragsdale attacker. Lohr received multiple awards for his contribution to the team.

www.northwesthorizons.com 13

ARTS & CULTURE Tips for camping like a true nature lover Alexis Marvin Spread & managing editor

amping is something that people either love or hate. Often times, the threats of nature keep people from enjoying camping. However, with proper preparation, anyone can learn to love sitting by the campfire and perhaps even enjoy the company of a couple of mosquitoes. 1.) Make sure to pick a campsite where you are close to a bathroom. If this isn’t possible, bring a trowel! 2.) Lay out a tarp underneath your tent to ensure that morning dew or rain does not ruin your tent. 3.) Hang up your food in a tree, just in case critters come out for a midnight snack. 4.) Ensure that there will be somewhere you can purchase wood that is dry. Often, people will go camping thinking that they can gather wood and end up unable to find any wood that is not wet. 5.) To make starting a fire easier, make your own “fire starter.” Gather lint from your dryer for a few weeks before you go camping. This way, the fire will start very quickly. 6.) Go camping at a time when the nights are not too extremely cold or too uncomfortably hot. 7.) Watch the weather and make sure that rain or storms will not prevent you from having a good time. 8.) Stay organized. Going camping means things will be spread out all over the campsite, but if you know where everything is and nothing is too messy, it makes cleanup a lot easier. 9.) Bring lots of lanterns and flashlights in case your group wants to stay awake a little bit longer for a game of Scrabble. 10.) Don’t forget a good book, coffee (made over the campfire) or other things to occupy your time when you’re not hiking. 11.) Don’t forget the s’mores!

TWIRP Feedback: The women are required to slay Zoe Stuckey public relations

t’s that time of year again: picking out the right dress to match with your date, sweating puddles and masking it with cologne to hide the scent of regret and waiting anxiously for your crush to ask you out. Prom? No—a new dance sponsored by the student council called “TWIRP.” TWIRP took place Feb. 11, which flipped the proverbial script of school dances. Instead of girls waiting on guys to ask in a creative way, at TWIRP, “The Woman is Requested to Pay.” “It was quite simple asking a guy to a dance; I don’t see why they make it a big deal sometimes,” sophomore Brooke Toffel said. In lieu of the homecoming dance, which

traditionally takes place in October, TWIRP provided an opportunity for the underclassmen to have a dance. “This dance is pretty much for the underclassmen since the underclassmen can’t go to prom,” freshman Kema Leonard said. Another thing about TWIRP that set it apart from other Northwest dances is that it was semi-formal. Girls wore less formal dresses; guys donned suits and ties instead of renting tuxes. “We did all the decorations in about four hours, and it looked really clean and nice,” Leonard said. While TWIRP was considered a success by administrators, it had to adhere to a tight budget, costing about $4,500. The Student Council found ways of alleviating the cost with fundraisers and advertisement. “We didn’t have the money to make a de-

posit on the building,” English teacher and student council adviser Alexander Wertz said. “We sold candy to raise a base amount, then we solicited area businesses for sponsorships and we were able to get sponsors. They were printed on the back of the TWIRP tickets if they contributed, so the sponsors ended up paying our deposit on the building, and the ticket sales funded the DJ, the security, refreshments and decorations.” With a chance for students to show off their dates and dance moves, TWIRP was a new experience for Northwest. “I thought Wertz did an outstanding job in leading the effort to put the dance together, and I really liked how the first TWIRP in a few years got all classes involved in terms of mixing everyone freshman to senior,” senior Alex Holmes said. “It was a great function and hopefully a lasting tradition.”

Photo by Zoe Stuckey

Northwest students enjoy ‘breaking it down’ at TWIRP. The dance, Feb. 11, was attended by approximately 400 students.

Rising Star: Freshman guitarist gets his start on YouTube Faith Rickerts news editor

veryone successful has started his or her journey to greatness somewhere. Singer Taylor Swift sang the National Anthem at a local basketball game at age 12, actress Charlize Theron got discovered at a bank while she was arguing with a teller and even recent Grammy winner The Weeknd got his start posting videos on YouTube. Freshman Chad Harrell has recently been featured singing and playing guitar in two videos his cousin posted on his YouTube channel. Harrell hopes to follow a career in the music industry after high school. “My goal for the future is anything that has to do with music,” Harrell said. “That’s my main thing. Maybe go to school with a music scholarship--I don’t know.” Harrell has been singing alongside his twin brother for as long as he can remember, but only recently started playing guitar. “From a young age, we’ve always sang in our church, at home, everywhere,” Harrell said. “I was at a summer camp one time, and I heard my counselor playing guitar, and I [thought], ‘Hey, I want to do that.’”

Committed to learning the instrument, Harrell has spent the past two years teaching himself how to play the guitar. He has also never had a formal vocal lesson privately, or at school. He doesn’t plan on investing in lessons, either, but letting the music guide him. “I’ve taken orchestra before, and I think with something like that, you have to do it by the book, and that’s not how I see music,” Harrell said. “Music has got to be something that you personally have to feel to get into. You don’t go in there, jump in front of a bunch of people and start singing; you have to work yourself into the mindset of being calm, and everything working itself out.” Along with singing and playing guitar, Harrell would also like to learn how to play the drums and bass. Harrell’s cousin, who helped record and post the YouTube videos, has his own band, but Harrell doesn’t believe he’ll join. “I’m probably going to see if I can’t make something happen here [to form a band],” Harrell said. “I’ve got friends that play instruments, so maybe we can work something out.” So far, Harrell has created a band with his friends and has an Instagram page to promote their music, which can be found

14 www.northwesthorizons.com

@Thelimitlessproject. Harrell has many friends and family members who support his endeavors in singing and music. “My family is very supportive when it comes to [my music],” Harrell said. “They’re the kind of people who will do anything as far as me and music goes. My dad was the one to get me to go over to my cousin’s house and get this whole thing set up. He’s probably one of the biggest supporters I have right now.” Harrell also credits David Bunn, a family friend, as one of his greatest influences. Harrell’s videos have a combined 190 views on YouTube, which is substantial considering the 800 million-plus hours of video that are currently uploaded to the website. “The thing with starting on YouTube is that anyone can do it,” Harrell said. “You see people going on TV shows, going on The Voice, or something all the time, because they can do it. There’s just a very, very big audience for it. It’s an extremely long shot, but where are you going to end up if you don’t take it? You always have to take that first step.” You can watch Harrell’s covers of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and Howie Days’ “Collide” on Todd Hedrick’s YouTube channel.

“I’m just somebody with a guitar trying to do something,” Harrell said. “It would be great if I could make it in the music industry, but I know it’s a long shot. Anything from this point on is icing on the cake.”

Photo contributed by Chad Harrell

Freshman Chad Harrell is working on his music career by posting videos on YouTube. He has also created a band with some of his friends.

March 2017

ARTS & CULTURE

Never Have I Ever: Gone No-Poo

ed a way to pour it onto my roots. A salt shaker seemed appropriate, so that’s what I used. But what I didn’t know was that the shaker I had chosen was broken (probably why it wasn’t being used already). When I proceeded to try and pour a little bit out, it all came out, in a great cloud of white. Little did I know I would start my day with both white hair and a white face. Day 10: Today’s experience sticks out from the other various times I’ve used my homemade products since the eighth day. I was going about my usual business; scrub, rinse, repeat and so forth, until I realized I had run out of my “shampoo”. There was nothing left. At this point, my shower was fully under way, and I wasn’t getting out to go make more. So, I do what any person in my shoes would: I just washed with water. I mean, it’s what cave men did, isn’t it? Well, I don’t know how cave men survived because the next day my hair was disgusting, and I promptly put it up into a bun to deal with it later.

Maddie Lawson arts & culture editor he phenomenon of people who don’t wash their hair is called “No-Poo.” Instead of using conventional shampoo and conditioner, these people use a mixture of household products to clean their hair with the attitude that it’s more natural and less harsh on hair strands. Commercial shampoos strip hair of its natural oils and cause the hair follicles to produce excess oil in an effort to counterbalance them. That’s the reason so many people are forced to wash their hair every day, or close to it. Never have I ever tried the nopoo method…until now.

Day 1: All I can say is that my bathroom looks really sketchy. I started the process by making my “shampoo and conditioner.” For shampoo, I made a baking soda wash and for conditioner, a vinegar rinse. I put these two mixtures in a water bottle and spray bottle. After making my new, “faux” products, I cleaned out my shower so no pesky fragrant shampoos would be temptations. Now, with a stark shower and my new products, I went about washing my hair. It was strange, weird and everything in between, but honestly not that bad. I started with my “shampoo” and poured that near my roots on the top of my head. It doesn’t lather, so it’s a strange feeling. I knew there was something in my hair besides water, but it definitely wasn’t normal shampoo. It was almost slimy because it was so slick. I quickly washed this out, making my hair squeak between my fingers. Squeaky clean? I guess we’ll go with that. Then I sprayed in my vinegar rinse, concentrating at the ends. It smelled like salad dressing and was really

Photo by Maddie Lawson

Above are the supplies used for alternative shampooing. The recipe for the baking soda wash is one tablespoon of baking soda mixed with one cup of water and for the vinegar rinse, its two tablespoons of vinegar with one cup of water.

cold. I left that in for a good five minutes and then washed it out. I dried off and put some coconut oil and lavender essential oil on my ends. I let my hair air dry and it felt just like normal (especially since it didn’t smell like vinegar). Day 4: I went three days without washing and only wanted to wash it because it was in a bun and sticking out all over the place, which is normal for me. The second time I

washed my hair, it was the same process, just a little faster because I knew how to do it. The only difference I have noticed after going No-Poo is that my hair has more volume and feels thicker. Day 8: I tried to use dry shampoo today…that was an experience. Instead of using normal dry shampoo in a spray can, I was only allowed to use corn starch. In order to go about putting corn starch in my hair, I need-

Day 14: The whole no-poo thing seems to be working. It’s really not as gross as it sounds, and my hair always feels clean (unless I just use water, which actually is gross). I’ve been at it for two weeks. My hair, for the most part, feels the same, the only difference might be that it feels thicker, but I have naturally wavy hair, and it could just be the recent humidity. The no-poo method is definitely worth it if you’re trying to save money or just don’t want to give into the fascist idea of shampoo. But for the most part, my hair feels and looks the same. Maybe a prolonged trial would show different results, but I think today will be the last day of weird smelling spray bottles sitting on my shower ledge.

Cool Cubing: Rubik’s cubes make a comeback at Northwest Logan James staff writer

March 2017

egarded as impossible by many, the Rubik’s Cube is a challenging puzzle that has been proven to stimulate the brain. Students at Northwest have been playing with them in classes recently, even forming a Rubik’s Cube club. “I enjoy cubing, and I sometimes do it in class,” junior Steven Chen said. “But I think it shouldn’t be done in class because it’s distracting for yourself and others.” The club meets on Fridays after school in math teacher Joe Hamilton’s room, number 418. According to junior Daniel Jameson, around five students come weekly to the club meetings, but depending on the week, sometimes more are in attendance. “We solve and race against other people,” Jameson said. “If beginners are there, we’ll teach them how to solve.” Jameson has a self-proclaimed 33-second average in solving the traditional three-by-three Rubik’s Cube. While this sounds impressive, he says there are members of the club who can solve the cube in 20 seconds or less. Jameson is currently learning a blindfolded method to solve the cube without sight. “There’s an organization, the WCA (the World Cubing Association), and they hold a competition for certain Rubik’s cube events,” Jameson said. These events include three-by-three; three-by-three blindfolded; three-by-three one handed; three-by-three with feet, and more.

“I haven’t gone to a competition,” Jameson said. “There was one in Charlotte at the beginning of January, but by the time I got fast enough, I missed it. However, next year, I’ll go, and I imagine at least two of the other people in Cube Club will go.” But should students use class time to practice their solving skills? Their academic origin points to yes. Rubik’s Cubes were designed by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian professor of architecture, to help his students understand the complexity of 3D space better than by reading about it in a textbook. “I think that [Rubik’s Cubes] are fine to use in school,” sophomore Franklin Wei said. “As long as you don’t play with it when you should be doing work or when the teacher is talking, then I don’t see any problem with it.” The craze at Northwest has reintroduced them to the classroom atmosphere. Some teachers, however, find them as inappropriate during class as the use of a smart phone. “I think that [Rubik’s Cubes] are toys and shouldn’t be used in the classroom,” science teacher Terrence Murphy said. “They are just a distraction from the lesson plan.” As Rubik’s Cubes are becoming more popular with students, the administration may need to weigh in on their use during class. “Depending on how fast you go and the type of cube you have, it can be super distracting,” Jameson said. “If a student is going to do it, in between classes is best.”

Photos by Maddie Lawson

Junior Daniel Jameson (left) can solve a Rubik’s cube in 33 seconds. Many students have taken up cubing as a hobby.

www.northwesthorizons.com 15

FEATURES From red to crimson: Northwest student is Harvard-bound

Shalini Sharma editor-in-chief magine being told that you’ll never be able to make it as a doctor or a surgeon, or achieve everything that you aspired to become in life just because you’re disabled. And then, imagine defying all of those who said you couldn’t do it. Imagine fulfilling the goals you’ve had since you were a child and making the vision your parents had for you a reality. For senior Jisoo Kim, joining Harvard University’s Class of 2021 was something she had been working toward for a long time. So, when she finally applied, it was more than nerve-racking. “Waiting for them to respond was torture because I looked through my application about a hundred times and picked out any little aspect of it that could be wrong or get me rejected,” Kim said. “I tried so hard not to get my hopes up about anything. And I prayed--a lot.” But after months of waiting, she finally had her answer. Accepted. “I started crying, and I yelled down for my parents to come upstairs,” Kim said. “My mom started crying, and both she and my dad were proud of me. My mom told me

all my life that the reason she came to America [from Korea] was to send me to Harvard, and that was a lot of pressure.” However, her family members weren’t the only ones proud of her. Though there have been hardships in her life--such as being permanently paralyzed from a skiing accident--they have only pushed Kim to work harder. And her teachers, friends, classmates and administrators have taken notice. “If you ask her to write five sentences, she’ll give you two paragraphs,” English teacher Andrea Julian said. “She always goes beyond that expectation, and she’s constantly working towards where she wants to be. That’s why she is such a brilliant young lady.” For Kim though, her hard work hasn’t paid off yet. In fact, it’s only the start of something new. “I’m majoring in neurobiology, and I’ve known that I’ve wanted to do this for a while now,” Kim said. “If you go to the hospital or anywhere and ask about neurological injuries, all they can say is, ‘Your neural cells can’t be regenerated or, ‘You have a fracture in your spine.’ But I want to know exactly what happens, why it’s not able to be regenerated and I want to be able to research how to make that possible.” Kim’s childhood dream came true, but

Northwest Taekwondo Club is fighting its way into the school Ragad Alsaid & Anna Yang staff writer & contributing writer

New age of technology changes the nature of making friends Alexis Marvin spread and managing editor riends are what make the world go around. They provide us with entertainment, companionship and plenty of love. We can make friends in many different ways: at camps, in clubs or just around school. With the dawn of technology, however, there has emerged a new method of making friends: the internet. With social media sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, we can meet people we have things in common with who live on the opposite side of the world. “I met my online friends through Tumblr and chat rooms,” senior Lexi Beck said. “We originally got along because we were into the same things, like art and TV shows.” While there are many people who are opposed to the idea of technology, others think that meeting people online is a good gateway to other opportunities in life. “I think it’s important to meet people in this day and age through technology,” junior Brenna Williams said. “It’s a good skill to have, to be able to meet people everywhere.” According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of teens have made friends online. It is an easy way to link up with people who have similar interests to you, with whom you immediately know you will get along. “I think it’s really interesting because ever since I was young, I’ve been on the internet,” Williams said. “I guess it’s just our generation. I’ve met around 50 people on the internet, and they’re some of my closest friends.” Meeting people in other countries is a great way to learn more about culture and to better understand the way other people think and behave. “I have friends in Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and the U.K.,” Williams said. “The weirdest place I’ve had a friend from is Japan. The time difference is so interesting because you learn so much about other cultures.” There are some precautions teens and people in general must take when meeting

his year, a Taekwondo club has kicked its way through Northwest. The club is coached by the media specialist Natalie Strange and senior Titus Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick began doing martial arts at a very young age under the influence of his father, who has a black belt. Kilpatrick knows Hapkido, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, achieving the high honor of first degree black belt, which is recognized by the United Martial Arts Federation. He urges everyone to learn the basics of self-defense. “Too many individuals are unaware of just how vulnerable they are. I didn’t realize how easy it is for a trained person to inflict damage on others until I started wrestling,” Kilpatrick said. Kilpatrick was first introduced to the club when his physics teacher, Rice Strange, informed him that his wife was interested in starting a martial arts club at the school. Kilpatrick hopes that he can give people a sense of safety by training them. “It’s comforting knowing that I’m capable of taking care of myself if I was ever in conflict.” Kilpatrick said. “If I can pass that feeling onto others through the club, that’d be amazing,” Natalie Strange began her career in Taekwondo in 2013. She agrees with Kilpatrick that martial arts is a good skill to have. “All the different types of martial arts are a good way to learn more about yourself, about control and about building strength and confidence,” Strange said. Strange hopes that more students will consider joining the club. “For seniors going to college, it is important that they have some awareness and know some immediate responses if they were to be in a situation of danger,” Strange

she’s never going to stop working towards fulfilling her other goals and ambitions. She just has one piece of advice that has and will motivate her to keep learning. “Anyone who doesn’t give up on what they’re curious about is an inspiration to me,” Kim said. “I hate when people say, ‘This is too hard for me, so I’m just going to give up and accept things for how they are.’ If you don’t have any curiosity, then what are you livPhoto by Shalini Sharma ing for? There’s nothing left to Senior Jisoo Kim displays her school spirit by showing off her Harvard discover in life.” sweatshirt. Kim was accepted to Harvard earlier this year.

Photo by Anna Yang

Media specialist Natalie Strange and senior Titus Kilpatrick demonstrate a move during Taekwondo Club. Taekwondo club began as a way to help students protect themselves.

said. Current members of the martial arts club have also felt that participation in the club has improved their skills. “It has helped me physically become better at controlling my movements and kept me physically strong and healthy,” senior Christian Pierce said. Members say that the creation of the club has also given them a chance to train with professionals. “I didn’t have any formal training until a few weeks ago when I started to learn from [the club],” Piece said. “I get to learn from actual real life rather than watch videos.”

16 www.northwesthorizons.com

people online. The danger of “catfishing” always needs to be made known. “You can definitely tell when somebody is creepy or weird,” Williams said. “You just have to remember that they’re not physically here and they can’t come to your house as long as you don’t tell them that information. Never share your personal information. You can never be too cautious.” However, the possibility of encountering a “catfish” can come with friendships and not just romantic relationships. “One of [my online friends] turned out to be an older lady who was lying about how old she was, which was weird,” Beck said. An easy way to find out if someone is telling the truth about who he or she is may be by asking him or her to video chat. If they come up with some sort of excuse, such as “my webcam is broken” or “I don’t have a Skype account,” that is an immediate red flag. It is important not to scare people away from the internet, though. “I definitely think it’s better for people to tell kids how to be safe on the internet rather than scaring them away from it,” Williams said. Very often, when a person makes his or her interests clear and reaches out to other people, it is easy for them to make friends online. “I have one online friend who I still keep up with. She lives in Louisiana, and we’re still really good friends,” Beck said. While it may be difficult not being able to see a friend or hang out with them in person, friendships that were made to last do exactly that. “[My online friend] had to move back to Sweden, and it’s been difficult keeping up with the distance, but we do it, even though whenever I’m awake, she’s usually asleep,” Moore said. In the age of technology, a phone call or a text goes a long way to keep up a friendship and ensure that everything is going smoothly. “It sucked not being able to see them, but we could still text every day. It was easy to maintain the friendship like that,” Beck said.

March 2017

Prom’s cost: Jenny Blackburn entertainment editor

rom. A wistful, magical, perfect night; well, that is what the movies dramatize. Girls are taught that this is the night to make others look at them differently; flashing their fancy dresses can cause them to actually

High school’s biggest dance comes at a price

be noticed for once. Guys have enormous pressure put on them to ask a girl to the dance, but the movies taught them to seal the deal by performing a huge romantic gesture in order to get her to say yes. However, the movies leave out one important detail: price. Here is a list of estimated prices associated with getting ready and going to prom.

Hair- $40 Makeup- $50 Jewelry- $80

Boutonniere- $25

Suit- $150

Corsage- $30

Nails- $30 Dress- $200

Shoes- $150

Girl- $575 [dress, boutonniere, extras]

Guy- $180 [suit, corsage]

Couple- $200 or $215 + tip (limo) [tickets, dinner, transportation] Dinner (for two)- $55

Tickets- $35 per person

Transportation (car)- $75 Transportation (limo)- $90 + tip

The average price of attending prom is $955 or $970 + tip (limo). Graphics by Stephanie Mayer

March 2017

FEATURES

Veggie Tales: Northwest vegetarians, vegans explain their special diets Stephanie Mayer features editor

ith the bounty of foods found in the grocery store, a restaurant or even someone’s pantry, most people don’t bat an eye at the ingredients in the food they’re eating and from where they are derived. However, for some, monitoring what goes into or, in some cases, even what touches their food is a high priority. One of the many categories of these mindful eaters is the vegetarian. This diet consists of eating foods that neither are nor contain animal flesh or other body parts, instead opting to get protein and needed vitamins and minerals from beans, nuts, seeds, grains, soy and greens. Oftentimes, this diet is taken on for moral, environmental, religious or health reasons. “I wanted to become a vegetarian because today’s commercial farming industries disgust me, and I wanted a leaner diet, too,” senior Peyton Tipton said. “It wasn’t difficult to cut meat out of my diet because I was sure I wanted to do it.” Tipton has been a vegetarian for two years. According to her, cooking is key to a pleasing vegetarian experience. “If you want to change your diet and become vegetarian, you need to know how to cook,” Tipton said. “I love cooking, but I imagine it would be difficult to be a satisfied vegetarian if I didn’t, especially since my parents still eat meat.” Another branch of vegetarianism is veganism, a diet in which one doesn’t eat any animal products, like eggs and milk, as well as meat. Junior Emma Montgomery began following this diet about a year ago. “I went vegan mostly because I opened myself up to looking into what went on behind the closed doors of a slaughter house,” Montgomery said. “I had seen articles and videos on the internet, and one day, out of interest, I clicked on one. After looking more into it, I had never heard one good reason on why not to go vegan, so I just woke up one day and told myself, ‘No more meat or dairy.’” For Tipton and Montgomery, people sometimes don’t understand or have questions about eating vegetarian or vegan. “I think the number one question [I get asked] is ‘where do you get your protein or calcium from?’” Montgomery said. “I then list off a whole big list of vegetables, legumes and beans.” Some questions have to do with how certain dietary requirements are met for nutrients typically associated with meat. While most typically rely on animal products for these things, they can also be found in all sorts of other foods, and vegans and vegetarians look to those other options to satisfy their needs. Some questions simply deal with avoiding meat altogether, which some people find difficult to fathom. “People always ask me why I’m vegetarian,” Tipton said. “Most of the time, they can’t perceive a lifestyle without burgers and hotdogs. For me, it’s easy, and since the change [in diet], some of my friends have become vegetarians.” Despite having a wide array of food they don’t choose to eat, Tipton and Montgomery have found that eating out is not as challenging as one might think. “It’s not difficult at all to eat out,” Tipton said. “Every restaurant has vegetarian options, more than just your ordinary salad.” According to Montgomery, being vegan has broadened her horizons rather than narrowed them. “At most restaurants you can veganize meals just by asking them to leave off or add certain ingredients,” Montgomery said. “I used to be a very picky eater, but going vegan has forced me to try new things, and now I’m in love with sushi or anything with mushrooms on it.” With growing accommodations for all different diets, society seems to be moving in a more inclusive direction for all eaters to live comfortably.

www.northwesthorizons.com 17

ENTERTAINMENT

Northwest’s celebrity look-alikes Angela Seo staff writer

Patrick Abrams

Meredith Groce senior

junior

Ashley Young 12th grade administrator

Celebrity look-alike: actress Mila Kunis “I’ve deﬁnitely [been told I look like Mila Kunis] before. It probably started when [That ‘70s Show] got popular. My friends used to call me Mila.”

Celebrity look-alike: actor Ansel Elgort “I’ve been told I look like [Ansel Elgort], and [English teacher] Ms. Scott calls me Ansel. It probably started two years ago.”

Lisa Holler AP biology and forensics teacher

Celebrity look-alike: actress Ellen Pompeo “I don’t know who she is, but if I look like any celebrity, then I’m ﬂattered.”

Celebrity look-alike: actress Judy Garland “I saw a picture of [Judy Garland] when she was in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and that looked like a picture of me that I took a while back. So, I posted it on Instagram and all my friends [agreed].” Taken and complied by Angela Seo

What to do during Spring Break in “Greensboring” Tai Van Dyke graphics editor

pring break. For many, these two words probably evoke images of tropical paradises, breathtaking mountains and the excitement of foreign lands. For others, “spring break” illicts the images of never leaving the state or home or even the couch. The freedom of having time off sometimes leads to not knowing what to do, especially when living in a town nicknamed “Greensboring.” However, Greensboro does have its share of interesting locations for spring break, if one knows where to look. For an experience exclusive to the area, downtown Greensboro is the place to be. “Downtown is fun to stroll around in,” sophomore Maddie Fasnacht said. “I just like walking places and being with friends.” Downtown Greensboro is known for its many local businesses, performing arts and public artwork. “I love the variety of life you run into, and the creative local shops,” senior Bailey Davidson said. “Dolce Aroma is a cute, quaint coffee bar, glitters is a really interesting store with all sorts of knickknacks and t-shirts, Terra Blue offers creative jewelry and incense

Harmless but hilarious April Fool’s Pranks Logan James & Aidan Bennett staff writer & web master

and Natty Greene’s is a staple of the city.” For those with a bit of extra cash in their pockets, there’s always the Four Seasons mall. “There are so many stores and there’s a variety of places to go, like clothing stores and game stores, and then there’s a movie theater right across the street from it,” junior Landon Brown said. The Four Seasons mall has provided Greensboro with a medley of stores. “I would recommend Request Boutique, H&M and Pacsun,” Brown said. “They [also] have a pizza place there and they have a really nice Chinese place there.” A suitable place for science and nature lovers would be the Greensboro Science Center. First opened in 1957, the Science Center provides various interactive exhibits, including Health Quest, a herpetology lab and an aquarium. The Science Center also hosts Skywild, which is a zip line obstacle course, and a zoo with a diverse range of animals. “My favorite memory [of the Science Center] was observing this baby gibbon as it grew up,” senior Mary Frank said. “Her name is Lela and she is the cutest little gibbon you will ever see.” Visitors to the Science Center are also able to give back to the community and to the planet.

“The Office” Fans of “The Office” will be familiar with this one. Prank your friends by putting some of their school supplies, such as pencils and rulers, into a block of jello and leaving it out for them to find.

18 www.northwesthorizons.com

“They raise money for endangered species and follow national guidelines on how to preserve them,” Frank said. “They’re implementing a new program where a portion of every entry ticket sold is donated to the program of choice by each guest. Overall, Greensboro might not be Vegas or Disney. However, for those who know the area, it’s a ﬁne place to stay for spring break. “I think if one is willing to go on an adventure, search for a new place to eat or meet new people, [then] Greensboro is a wonderful city,” Frank said. “It is ﬁlled with culture, lively souls and beautiful parks and trails. The community here is vibrant, open and loving, and if you choose to see the good in the city, you will be awarded with the satisfaction of being proud of where you live.”

The Nic Cage surprise Glue pictures of famous people behind your friends toilet seats so that when they go to the restroom, they will be in for a surprise. Nic Cage is a great option, but this is ultimately a personal preference.

Graphic by Tai Van Dyke

In this graphic, the Nathaniel Greene statue is depicted in front of the beach. These items exhibit that there is much more to do in Greensboro than some might think.

April blues When your friend isn’t paying attention in the school parking lot, duct tape a few harmonicas to the front of their car. As they drive away, they’ll hear a strange sound, but they will have no idea what is making it.

March 2017

ENTERTAINMENT Healthy habits: A beginner’s guide to a healthier lifestyle Shalini Sharma editor-in-chief

hether you’re trying to get a beach body for the spring and summer or just trying to be healthier, exercise and a balanced diet are essential parts to being strong lifelong. So, take a look at the exercises and recipes below for tips on starting a ﬁtness routine and adjust accordingly to your current pace and stamina. When you’re ready, you can join a gym to include weights with your workouts. For each exercise, it’s crucial that you take a 30-second break in between each set to allow your muscles time to recover and grow.

Abs

Starfish crunches Lie on your back with arms and legs spread flat on the floor in a star formation. Bring your right arm up at the same time as your left leg and touch your hand to your foot. That’s one rep. Then, lower both your right arm and left leg and this time, bring your left arm up and right foot. That’s another rep. Continue to do three sets of 20 repetitions.

Quadriceps/Hamstrings

Jump squats Start in a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart, lowering yourself back and down like you’re sitting in an imaginary chair, keeping your thighs parallel to the ﬂoor. Then, jump up explosively. When you touch the ground, get back into squat position. Repeat. Do three sets of 10 repetitions.

Calves

Calf raises Stand on a stair (preferably the last step in case you fall) and put only half of your foot on the step so that your heels hang off the edge. Raise yourself up using just your heels and calves and bring yourself back down. Do two sets of 30 repetitions. If this is too easy, try single leg calf raises.

Arms/Back/Shoulders Wall push-ups Stand arm-length away from a wall, hands placed at shoulder height, shoulder-width apart ﬁrmly in front of you--keep your elbows straight, but don’t lock them. Lean into the wall, bending your elbows as you go, and then lift yourself back up to the starting position using your upper body. That’s one rep. Do four sets of 15 slow repetitions, and eventually work your way to a ﬂoor push-up when you feel you’re ready.

Glutes

Glute kickbacks Grab a mat and place your hands and knees on the ground while keeping your back straight. Slowly extend one leg behind you without changing the angle of your knee. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement. Bring it down to starting position or pulse for an extra challenge. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.

Wholesome snacks that still taste good •

Peanut butter crackers

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Apples and peanut butter

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Red pepper hummus and carrots

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Wheat Thins and cheese spread

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Greek yogurt parfaits with real fruit and oats

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Trail mix with raisins, nuts, and a grain like quinoa or granola

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Honey Nut Cheerios with a honey drizzle

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Edamame

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Homemade guacamole on a sandwich instead of ketchup or mayonnaise

Spinach and Artichoke Alfredo Pasta Ingredients 12 oz. of fettuccine 3 tbsp. of butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 tbsp. of flour 1 3/4 c. of milk (perferably whole) 1/2 c. of chicken broth 2 tbsp. of cream cheese, softened 1 c. of shredded mozzarella Juice of one lemon 1 (14 oz.) can of artichoke hearts 2 c. of baby spinach Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. of chopped parsley Pinch of red pepper flakes Directions 1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Once completely cooked, drain. 2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk the flour into the butter and garlic and cook until the mixture is bubbling and golden, then cook one minute more. Gradually pour in the milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a simmer then stir in the cream cheese and mozzarella. Let simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about two to three minutes. 3. Fold in artichoke hearts and spinach and toss until the spinach is wilted. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and toss until fully combined. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Photos by Shalini Sharma

Add yourself inconspicuously to their wallpaper Wallpapers are both what we see the most and to what we pay the least attention. If you add yourself to someone’s wallpaper without them noticing, this prank may last for weeks, even months, if you have some good Photoshop skills.

Get up and go

Gather a large group of friends and select a target. Wait until the friend falls asleep, then instruct everyone to begin shouting things like “Let’s go,” or “Come on!” The friend will awaken with a start. Begin to hand the friend random items, like remotes and couch cushions, then take off running. Confused, the friend will follow for a short distance before they realize what they’re doing.

Tropical paradise

Mac n’ cheese orange juice

Putting pink yard flamingos is a classic prank that should ring a bell with most. Simply put tons of the plastic flamingos in their yard to surprise them when they go out. Flamingoes are less damaging to yards than forks, and significantly funnier.

Make “orange juice” for the target, but add some mac n’ cheese to the mix. Be sure to get your camera ready to video tape their reaction when they take a sip, but be sure to be discrete! Your friends will be in for a cheesy surprise! Graphics by Stephanie Mayer

March 2017

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