Senior Edition: May 2019

FREE

Seniors serve: Seniors enter the armed forces after graduation, page 2

Northwest Guilford High School

Greensboro, NC

Volume 55, Issue 4

May 2019

FRONT PAGE FEED

WHAT’S INSIDE

News 3-5 Op-Ed 6-9 Senior Destinations 10-11, 14-15

Spread 12-13 Sports 16-18 Features 19-21 Arts & Entertainment 22-23

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19 8

What’s the best bakery in the ‘Boro?

Seniors take gap years

18 Sports scholarships aid students

16 22

Behind the scenes of The Addams Family

Seniors on staff reflect on the past

Students pursue careers in the military Sarah Teague features editor

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fter high school, most students pursue normal jobs. Doctor, lawyer, teacher, manager. But some students seek out a more adventurous and spontaneous life, obtaining full-ride scholarships in exchange for military service in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard. “[Westpoint has] a lot of special opportunities and internships, you can go to posts around the world and shadow active officers in the army. You can also go to specialized where you have more opportunities. ” senior Zach Hines said.

Through ROTC, Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, programs found at many colleges and United States Naval Academy, students can earn a college with a full ride. In the Naval Academy, all midshipmen receive the following: $1,087.80 per month, which covers the cost of laundry, barber, cobbler, activity fees, yearbook and other services; $100 in cash per

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month; and a guaranteed job upon graduation in exchange for five years of service in the Marines or Navy. Students attend the academy for four years, graduating with bachelor of science degrees and commissions as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps.

“I hope my students gained a better understanding of what it takes to be a leader and a follower; I really like to think my program helped them achieve success in the Army, and they in turn passed on these lessons and helped other people and units achieve success,” former educator and father of freshmen Jacob Teague, Michael Teague said.

ROTC programs, implemented with the National Defense Act of 1916, promise four year scholarships to high school students joining, which provides skills needed in order to succeed in future careers; however, students must agree to long-term service commitments with military branches, which range from three to 12 years, depending on scholarship accep-

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tance, career choices and the types of degrees students pursue.

“I hope to get stationed in a couple unique areas overseas. My dream come true would be to go into the Space Force. It’d be awesome to be one of the pioneers with the program,” senior Wyatt Coon said.

Teachers and trainers are military officers with the experience and knowledge to guide students into their best past, giving insight into the many jobs that are offered after graduation.

“My goals as an instructor was to help and support these young people become the best leaders of character they could be; my view is it doesn’t matter if they stay in the Army or not, America could always use better leadership; therefore, the more successful my students are in life, the more successful we will be as a society,” Teague said Educators help students pass and overcome fitness tests, maintain the 2.5 GPA needed to stay in the program and make sure they have to commitment and drive needed for the field.

“My job as an ROTC instructor was to teach, coach, train and mentor college students in developing these good leadership traits; I specifically worked on character (specifically integrity and moral courage), general domain knowledge, critical thinking, interpersonal skills and communication (written and verbal),” Teague said.

“I provided them the opportunity to build these traits within themselves in a controlled environment (where they were allowed to make mistakes) and provide constant oversight and feedback to ensure this development occurred in a consistent way.”

The military provides students with a college degree and career training that can be beneficial in many jobs outside of years of service needed in order to join ROTC programs. However, many find fulfillment in the service they provide for their country.

I just want to be able to serve others and the military is a great opportunity and career path for me to be able to do that,” Coon said.

Front page photo by Madison Ayres

May 2019

NEWS

School report card reveals priorities Students aren’t the only ones with grades; statistics about schools, like technology and subject exam performance, are collected and studied Nathan Vescio, Sydney Thomspon webmaster, arts & entertainment editor

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s summer is on the horizon, students stress about their report cards from last semester and the quickly approaching end to the final quarter. The students are not the only ones receiving report cards, however.

The state of North Carolina collects and reports various statistics about public schools via the NC Report Card program, with the most recent being the one from the 2016-2017 school year.

This report card includes the average scores on the biology, English 10 and Math I exams.

It also shows the percentage of careers pursued by students after their experience at Northwest.

These statistics add up to create a picture; the biology exam has the highest percentage of passing and above-average scores total, with about 32 percent of students in the highest level of proficiency. Teachers like biology teacher Jessica Tidmore work hard to make this possible.

“In the biology department, we talk every week about how we’re going to prepare our students for the EOC,” Tidmore said. “I prepare my students by talking about the EOC from day one.”

Biology is used as an End-ofCourse exam because the class is a good starting place for students interested in science.

“Honors and CP biology are kind of starting points, so that students can then decide, ‘Oh, I like ecology; I want to go into environmental science,’ or ‘Oh, I like chemistry and want to go into that,’” Tidmore said.

This view of teaching biology has caused an increase in students who take more than the required three sciences: biology, earth science and a physical science. According to Tidmore, however, the changes have not been made to accommodate the interest of the student body.

May 2019

“Lots of students decide that they want to take more classes beyond just the required three (sciences), and that’s great,” Tidmore said. “Our teacher allotment wasn’t increased with that, so that means that class sizes are bigger, and we have to prioritize subjects. The funding does not reflect the student interest.”

While biology had the highest number of top scorers, English 10 had the lowest, with 10 percent of students in the highest proficiency level. Creative writing teacher Abby Turner does not believe that this reflects a lack of interest.

“It’s not so much a lack of focus on English as a matter of the county not giving us the teacher numbers that we need,” Turner said. “That leads to a change in how many English or English-based elective classes students can take, which changes enrollment and class sizes.”

Some would argue that the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) fields are more relevant to students today, but English 10 teacher Scott Walker disagrees.

“English teaches communication, and communication is an art,” Walker said. “An art requires that you find a problem and solve it, and that’s something everyone will have to do. Everyone has to be able to communicate and argue, even if it’s not (in the form of) writing an essay.”

NC Report Card also allows for comparison to other schools. While Northwest tended to average better than the state and district results, there were two numbers that did not reflect this trend.

The first of these was the number of book titles per student.

Northwest has about seven titles per student, while the average

school in the state has about 18.

Media specialist Natalie Strange speculates, however, that this number might not hold much meaning.

“A lot of schools have antique collections that are not being used in the curriculum,” Strange said.

Additionally, Strange commented that the figure does not account for Northwest’s collection of ebooks, which could raise the number.

The other number that Northwest was rated significantly below average on was the number of students per internet device. Northwest had about three-and-a-half students per one internet device, but across the rest of the state, the average school had about a oneto-one ratio of students to internet accessible devices.

Strange explains that part of the reason the number is this way is because the entire student population does not need to use computers at the same time. “(The total number of internet devices) includes the computers in the CTE labs, which serve a very small part of our student population,” Strange said.

Northwest may be lacking in certain areas, but the school is still doing better when compared to others academically. While the NC Report Card may not be a perfect indicator of Northwest’s priorities, it at least reflects the well-rounded education students seek to attain and teachers seek to provide.

“The value is in educating the student in every way, making them more wellrounded,” Turner said. “Math will teach them problem solving skills, science teaches them about the scientific method and English teaches them how to express themselves. All of it is important.”

Graphics from North Carolina School Report Cards

Northwest High School underperforms on book titles per student and on students per internet device. Being an overcrowded school, Northwest is unable to adequately provide for all its students.

Important upcoming dates May 20: Chorus Concert, 6:30 p.m.

May 20-22: Graduation Walks May 21: Spring Orchestra Festival May 23: Band Concert, 6:30 p.m.

May 24: Senior Awards Day, Picnic, Yearbook Distribution June 6: Graduation Practice, 12-2 p.m.

June 7: Graduation, 11:30 a.m.

www.northwesthorizons.com

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NEWS

CollegeBoard changes curriculum for 2019-2020 school year Kimberly Brown staff writer

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s students prepared for class registration, teachers prepared for curriculum changes in a variety of classes. In the 2019-2020 school year, there are going to be changes in the curriculum of Advanced Placement (AP) classes; AP world history, AP environmental science and AP English language and composition. The changes in these courses will mean that teachers will have to adapt to cover content for the exam.

AP World History

In the 2019-2020 school year, AP world history will be split into two separate courses: AP world history: ancient and AP world history: modern. In past years, many students have felt that learning more than 10,000 years of world history was a challenge. In the 2019-2020 school year, AP world history: ancient will cover content from 8000 BCE to 1200 CE and AP world history: modern will study history from 1200 CE to present.

Guilford County will offer AP world history: modern in the 20192020 school year; however, it is still undecided as to whether or not they will offer AP world history: ancient. This is because CollegeBoard, the organization in charge of AP courses, will charge a $10 fee per student who decides to take this course.

AP world history teacher Elizabeth Russell has a positive outlook on the curriculum changes for this course.

“The heavy lifting my students have traditionally done at the start of the school year will diminish considerably,” Russell said. “I will still be teaching some of the material from before 1200 CE, such as the world religions because that information will be necessary for context and measuring change and continuity.”

Russell feels more confident that she will be able to cover content from 1200 CE to present more in-depth with the curriculum changes planned for next school

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year. She also plans to review material that her students would not be learning because of the changes.

She mentions that these changes mean she only has to “hit the highlights” instead of having students read 20 pages of a textbook.

This course change comes with numerous changes on Russell’s end, especially with the material she has been teaching for years.

“I’ve got quite a bit to redo since I had grown accustomed to teaching certain skills at certain points in the course, and I need to put those skills into later units than I’ve been doing,” Russell said.

“However, CollegeBoard is partnering with Khan Academy to create a host of new resources to help students learn the material and a huge database of test questions that students can use to improve their understanding and skill level.

I’m looking forward to working with those resources and incorporating them throughout the year.”

The changes to AP world history have not come without controversy. Russell says on the AP teachers Facebook page, these changes have been debated.

“Originally, CollegeBoard was going to split the course at 1450,” Russell said. “There was an outcry from many teachers that the course would basically become European history, that the stories of people from the Americas, Africa and Asia would become the history of Europeans in those areas. CollegeBoard then decided to start the course at 1200 instead, and I agree with that decision. I think once everyone gets used to the changes, they will be seen on balance as beneficial.”

AP Environmental Science

AP environmental science (APES) is often perceived as one

of the easier AP science courses at Northwest. Usually the first AP for sophomore students, this course is focused on learning about the natural world and ways to examine alternate solutions for environmental problems.

In the 2019-2020 school year, APES is changing to have a more structured curriculum. This means that teachers will have a set guideline they can follow to prepare students for the AP exam in May. “Right now, (CollegeBoard) doesn’t give the best overview or be specific about what you need to cover,” AP environmental science teacher Taryn Vanderpoel said. “(CollegeBoard) gives you a little outline, and then you work with that. So now, they have it where it is laid out and you know what you need to cover.”

Next year, CollegeBoard will provide unit tests for each unit of the APES curriculum. This allows students to have more practice with AP style questions.

In addition to changing the curriculum for this course, the AP exam will also be changed.

“Currently, (the exam has) 100 questions, but it’s going to drop to 80 multiple choice,” Vanderpoel said.

The FRQs (Free Response Questions) will also change. Instead of four FRQs, there will only be three.

CollegeBoard is also changing to be more specific about the material each FRQ will cover.

Finally, math on the exam is also going to change.

“Right now, they can’t use a calculator,” Vanderpoel said. “They will be able to next year.”

Vanderpoel is excited about changes to the course.

“I think overall it should hopefully make things a bit easier,”

Photo by Emma Welsh

A stack of textbooks that will soon no longer apply to their corresponding classes. Because of the curriculum change, teachers will be challenged with restructuring their lesson plans.

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Vanderpoel said. “Because right now, there is just so much information that everyone that teaches it does it a bit different and some might cover or spend more time on one thing versus another. We don’t get time in class to go over it, because you have to kind of pick and choose what you think is going to be the most important. (Changes) should hopefully cut that down a bit.”

AP English Language and Composition

For the 2019-2020 school year, there will also be a change to AP English language and composition.

CollegeBoard will remove material they deem outside of the scope for students to learn in this course and the exam has been updated to show more balance between reading and composition.

According to CollegeBoard, changes will include “nine units centered around rhetorical analysis, argumentation and synthesis.”

Despite the changes made by CollegeBoard to the exam and the structure of the course, AP English teacher Scott Walker doesn’t believe this will change the curriculum very drastically.

“CollegeBoard doesn’t really define the curriculum, it defines the learning of it,” Walker said. “Then the teacher creates the curriculum.”

According to the CollegeBoard website, teachers will be the ones who decide how these changes are implemented. CollegeBoard will provide a Course and Exam Description (CED) for teachers to follow. This will help students and teachers alike know how to better prepare for the exam. The CED will organize the course in to the nine units and will coincide with the sequence of units commonly found in college textbooks. There will also be customizable binders for teachers to order from CollegeBoard starting in June 2019.

“You can choose to follow this suggestion for how content can be sequenced and paced,” CollegeBoard said. “As always, you’ll have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.”

However, Walker is supportive of a curriculum change and soon adopting a new textbook.

May 2019

NEWS

Beth Herrick announced 2019 Teacher of the Year Madison Ayres and Emma Fagerberg graphics editor and editor in chief

Additionally, she works to help her students outside of the classroom.

“She cares a lot about her students,” junior yearbook student Zoe Simon said. “Even outside of school, she has to make sure you’re okay and that everything is fine.”

During the school day, Herrick teaches photo design, honors proficient art, yearbook, AP studio: 2D design and AP studio: 3D design.

“It’s never boring,” Herrick said.

She went on to describe how her classes are never doing the same thing. For example, her AP 3D class has worked with a pottery wheel as an introduction to pottery. Most of Herrick’s classes are hands-on, allowing the students to interact with new materials and learn new techniques they can carry with them.

“She strives to connect with every student to foster a love of art that will continue to flourish once they leave her,” her nominator said.

With these same sentiments, Herrick encourages all of her students to find what what they love and do it.

“Do something with your future that makes you happy,” Herrick said.

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rt teacher Beth Herrick has worked at Northwest for 19 years and was recently awarded with the title of 2019 Teacher of the Year.

“I was elated,” Herrick said. “I couldn’t believe it because all of the other teachers in the school are great. I was shocked, but I was so honored.”

Herrick’s commitment to Northwest expands further than being an art teacher as she also advises the yearbook and has positions on both the School-Based Leadership Team (SBLT) and the Climate Committee.

Her dedication was reflected in her Teacher of the Year nomination.

“Beth works tirelessly for the art program and the yearbook that she miraculously produces each year,” her nominator said. “The art department’s contributions to homecoming this year were a delightful addition to a week filled with fostering school spirit.”

Exam Calendar

German teacher wins teaching award Sydney Thompson arts & entertainment editor

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Sydney Thompson arts & entertainment editor

Wednesday, May 29

Thursday, May 30

First Period Exam

Second Period Exam

Friday, May 31

Monday, June 3

Third Period Exam

Fourth Period Exam

May 2019

Photo by Madison Ayres

Art teacher Beth Herrick greets inductees at the National Art Honor Society induction. NAHS has been one of Herrick’s responsibilities for years.

Tuesday, June 4

Wednesday, June 5

Fifth Period Exam

Sixth Period Exam

These were the exam dates as of press day, Wednesday, May 8.

n Saturday, March 23, German teacher Lisa Worthington-Groce was declared the National Language Teacher of the Year. According to the Southern Conference On Language Teaching’s website, the award is meant to recognize the best teachers in the field of languages to help bring awareness to the unique struggles of teaching languages.

“I am elated to serve as an advocate for teaching and learning of all world languages,” Worthington-Groce said. “I have already been invited to give professional development and to speak at the Virginia Governor’s World Language Academies this summer.”

Her students are also excited for her and agree that she deserved the award.

“Frau W. (Worthington-Groce) is an excellent teacher,” senior Ian Adams said. “I have had her for three years and she has always encouraged me and made me excited for learning German.”

Worthington-Groce celebrated her award by shag-dancing in Myrtle Beach with her husband. She also celebrated with a post on Facebook by her husband.

Worthington-Groce credits her win to her thorough preparation.

“I felt well-prepared for my interview with the selection committee and gave a detailed but humorous mock speech,” Worthington-Groce said.

Worthington-Groce is excited for how she can use this award to further her advocacy of world languages.

“I am a strong proponent of world languages at all stages of life and have participated in lots of activities through my 16-year teaching career to support language learning,” WorthingtonGroce said.

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OPINION

B a t t l e o f t h e b a ke r i e s Autumn Dixon op/ed editor

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n Greensboro, three bakeries --Cheesecake by Alex, Maxie B’s and Amoroso’s Bakery--are widely popular among people. In candid battle, the bakeries were ranked based on customer service, price, wait time, atmosphere and location on a scale of one to 10--10 being the best and one being the worst--to discover which bakery in Greensboro is truly the best.

Cheesecake by Alex Customer service: 8 Price: 7 Wait time: 7 Atmosphere: 7 Location: 10 Cheesecake

by Alex, located in downtown Greensboro,

The Seven Up cupcake, Chocolate Sin cake and Oreo cheesecake are just a few of the many items offered at Maxie B’s in Greensboro.

The bakery offered a varitey of items, from cupcakes to cookies.

Photos by Autumn Dixon

was overall the best bakery in Greensboro. The bakery’s location is excellent and it is close to other local restaurants, parks and stores, but parking is limited, especially on busy weekends. The bakery has an industrial atmosphere carried throughout and with plenty of indoor seating, the location is almost perfect for a study session, but the location is very noisy.

On top of having a variety of baked goods, mostly cheesecakes, the location also offers ice cream and coffee.

The creme brulee cheesecake was outstanding; it was moist but not soggy. The flavors were distinct and sweet, but not overwhelming.

The black forest cake was also good; there was a good balance between the dark chocolate and raspberry, but the icing was overwhelmingly sweet. The cake was not dry, and it was incredibly rich.

All things considered, Cheesecake by Alex is the best bakery in Greensboro.

Maxie B’s Customer service: 8 Price: 5 Wait time: 5 Atmosphere: 10 Location: 7 Maxie B’s, a very popular location in Greensboro, was above average, but not outstanding.

The bakery has a fair location, located on Battleground Avenue close to many other restaurants and stores, but the parking lot was very difficult to get into. The line was very long; it took about 10 minutes in line just to get to order, but the server was kind and quick.

Inside the restaurant, prices

weren’t shown, leaving you wonCheesecake by Alex, rated best dering how much a slice of cake in Greensboro, has many options but mostly chessecake. The creme cost, and it turned out Maxie B’s brulee cheesecake was the most expensive. With was a vanilla bean many different options, the locake, with a graham cation has samples available to cracker crust, topped with cartry while waiting in line, but melized sugar there were no apparent trash cans. The location had many different seating options, inside and out, so it would be a great place for a study session.

With great portion sizes, Maxie B’s has some of the best cake, and presentation of their deserts.

The Seven Up cupcake was absolutely amazing. The icing was thick, sweet and fresh.

The cake was moist, and fit the lemon lime description perfectly.

The Chocolate Sin cake was the perfect balance between almond Amoroso’s and chocolate. The icing was bakery, a slow sweet, and the cake was a paced bakery, has many cupcake little dry. options. The cannoli The Oreo cheesecake was consisted of a not very good, it was bland and cupcake vanilla cake, cream cheese frosting and had no flavor; it just tasted like choclate chips. cream cheese. It was also wet, almost slimey.

The inside of the bakery was While Maxie B’s has good cake, quiet; however, it did not have a it was not as good as Cheesecake distinct theme. There was indoor

by Alex. and outdoor seating. Overall, it was quite standoffish, but very Amoroso’s Bakery quiet, making it a good place to study.

The location had the least Customer service: 9 amount of options, but had good Price: 9 prices.

Wait time: 10 The cannoli cupcake was tasty, Atmosphere: 5 but it had been sitting out for Location: 5 awhile. The cake was sweet and Amoroso’s Bakery was average moist. The icing was really good, compared to the other bakeries and the presentation of the cupcake sampled. The Greensboro location was distinct. wasn’t great; there wasn’t much The red velvet strawberry surrounding it--there is more surcheesecake was okay, it was dry rounding their High Point location. and didn’t have a distinct flavor.

However there was no wait for our Overall, the bakery was average, food and the server was fast. but not bad.

NORTHWEST HORIZONS STAFF Editor in Chief Emma Fagerberg

Managing Editor Emma Welsh

Adviser Melanie Huynh-Duc

News Editor Emma Welsh

Graphics Editor Madison Ayres

Principal Ralph Kitley

Op/Ed Editor Autumn Dixon

Webmaster Nathan Vescio

Spread Editor Angela Seo

Features Editor Sarah Teague

Staff Writers Thomas Altmann, Kaylen Ayres, Kimberly Brown, Catherine Harris, Christy Ma, Madison Magyar, Mackenzie Milani-Kaufman, Ed Peña, Adam Sasser, Amara Titus Franklin Wei

Arts & Entertainment Editor Sydney Thompson

Contributing Writer Erin Kohn

Sports Editor Megan Harkey

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Northwest Horizons

@nwhorizons

@nwhorizons

Statement of Policy Serving as a primary printed and online forum for student opinion, Northwest Horizons publishes four times each year published by the staff at Northwest Guilford High School. The paper is supported through community advisers.

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.

May 2019

HEAD TO HEAD

Should students declare a major before going into college?

NO: It’s not a major problem YES: It will cost the student Christy Ma staff writer

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ollege acceptance letters roll in, and with it comes an arbitrary decision: when and if you should declare your major.

Should you write down your vague guess on a career you might like, or should you leave the line blank?

Should you declare your major?

Does it even matter?

What does declaring your major even do?

“Depending on the school, declaring your major can mean different things,” school counselor Aaron Murphy said. “Some schools put you in the (declared) program straight (away), so you start taking classes that get you to that major.

Others use it to keep tallies about where you plan to go. The first two years for a lot of schools, especially liberal arts (colleges), are just general-ed.”

Some seniors already have a future planned out--they can already picture their one-way ticket to becoming a renowned nuclear engineer or a professional sleeper--in which case, declaring a major can be beneficial, especially if the university offers a competitive concentration.

However, for those who are on the fence about their major or only have a rough outline of enjoyable pastimes they want to professionally pursue, declaring a major too early can cause more stress than it is worth.

Some argue that going in with an undeclared major can result in spending more time in college; however, it is better to spend more time picking a major you feel comfortable with after being able to sample various classes than to take a fast-track to an unfulfilling degree. Surveying your choices can be beneficial when deciding a major, especially as many high-school students have not experienced a college course in their decided fields yet.

Furthermore, in college, flexibility is important, and declaring a major early on can rid students of that sense of flexibility.

“Sometimes people think that

May 2019

(declaring a major) is the end-all be-all,” Murphy said. “(They think) that’s what (they are) going to do for the rest of (their) lives, and that’s not necessarily the case.

Majors change, people change and minds change.”

According to “The Undecided College Student” by Virginia Gordon, roughly 75 percent of college students switch majors before graduation. It is expected to have a fickle mind, especially when tasked with such a paramount decision at such a young age.

“I don’t think (declaring a major) is that big of a deal,” school counselor Michael Marshall said. “The idea that at 17 or 18 you’ll know what you’re going to do with the rest of your life is unlikely. Most people are going to change their minds, and that’s okay.”

Even if you go into college with a declared major, and you are dead-set upon a specific or niche degree, it is important to keep an open mind.

“You shouldn’t box yourself in,” Murphy said. “You should definitely take your time; that’s what school is for.”

Not declaring your major early can give students more freedom to decide. In the end, it is always best to analyze your choices and decide what is best for you as an individual and not worry about what other students are doing.

“Don’t put the extra stress on yourself,” Murphy said. “A lot of people pressure themselves because all of their friends say they know what they want to do. Just take your time if you’re undeclared.”

For those who fall into the trap of filling out the major box just to fill it out and soon finding themselves riddled with undesired classes, it is important to know it’s okay to change. While it is always best to change early, for some colleges, you can change any year.

Even if it feels like a waste of your hard work and time to change majors halfway through college, fighting through essay after essay only to find a sense of emptiness when accepting a hard-earned degree is even worse.

“I’d rather spend time figuring out what I’m truly passionate about than worrying about a major I have no drive for,” senior Erin James said.

Graphics by Christy Ma

Ed Peña staff writer

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eciding one’s college major is no easy decision, but deciding too late is a decision that will cost the student greatly in terms of time, money and courseload.

Going into college with a decided major makes the process of selecting a school substantially easier, allowing the student to look for schools that are strong in their intended field of study.

“Some schools are better for certain majors than others,”

Latin teacher Kathryn Beach said. “When I went to college, I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but (I) changed my mind which changed my major. The major that I had chosen my school based on was great. But the major that I ended up doing wasn’t as great at that school.”

For students like senior Karun Prasanna, this couldn’t be any closer to the truth. Prasanna, was undecided in terms of what school to pursue, is almost completely basing that decision on his decided major.

“I’m almost totally basing my college choice from my intended major,” Prasanna said. “Entering with a decided major would make it easier to choose a school because the student can base his/her decision based off of the strengths and weaknesses of potential universities with respect to the intended course of study.”

Going into college with a decided major could also save the student lots of time in the long run by allowing him or her to work on their intended field of study from the

very start and spread out their courseloads.

Along with this, since the process of choosing a major has already been dealt with prior to beginning college, students will be able to keep their minds focused on their studies and choose the classes they want to take before availability for those classes runs out.

“Going into college with a decided major would benefit the student by allowing them to pursue opportunities related to their intended field of study from day one,” Prasanna said.

“Entering with a decided major would also allow the student to distribute the requirements for the major over a longer period of time which may prevent the student from being overwhelmed later on.”

Beach agrees that by going into college with a decided major, time will be saved and stress level will be decreased in the long run.

“If you want to go to med school and get a chemistry degree, you need to be taking multiple chemistry classes and you can’t just take them all at once,” Beach said. “You need to have your sequence planned out.

If you don’t start until your sophomore or junior year when you figure out what you want to major in, you could find yourself becoming a supersenior.”

However, going into college with a decided major isn’t the only option. Students can still apply undecided and be just as successful regardless of the fallbacks to this strategy.

“If you aren’t decided, that’s okay,” Beach said. “But if that’s the case, you need to go to a school that has a lot of different majors that you’re interested in and be prepared to transfer if you decide to study something that isn’t strong at that school.”

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SENIOR REFLECTIONS Erin Kohn

Franklin Wei

Emma Fagerberg

Madison Ayres

Thomas Altmann

Angela Seo

Sydney Thompson

Emma Welsh

Erin Kohn

Franklin Wei

Emma Fagerberg

Even as I sit here writing this, I don’t think it has truly registered yet. The idea that I am leaving this family I have spent two years building has yet to sink in and it most likely won’t for another few weeks. Not until I stand within these halls on my final day of high school will it hit me. But it will hit hard.

I will forever be thankful for the opportunity that the Northwest Horizons has given me.

Because of this chance I took, I am no longer the hesitant, passive person I was before. I’ve met so many new people and I hope I have done their stories justice.

These last two years, I have taken major leaps and bounds that have led me to pursuing journalism as an actual career--something I never would have considered my freshman year. More than writing and editing skills, this class has given me a place to blossom and flourish. There is no way I could return such a favor.

For one hour every morning, room 102 is bustling with activity and life. I have come to love these people even as they come and go. The sounds of reporting have become the soundtrack to sleepy mornings and I’m not sure what I’ll do with the silence. This class has given me so much, and I hope that as I stand in the hallway and hand this paper to you, you’ll like what you read.

Four years seems like a lifetime ago, but it also flew by in the blink of an eye. As a freshman, I dreamed of what it would be like to finally be a senior, and let’s be honest, it was nothing as I imagined. I thought I would have my life planned out by now, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. High school was fun, but I definitely would not want to do it again. From the friends I’ve kept to the ones I’ve made, I will forever be grateful to them for pushing me to my full potential.

Trying to encourage myself to develop as a writer, I took journalism to help me become more confident in my writing style.

Taking upon a role as a contributing writer, I definitely kept up on all the latest school drama with each article being churned out, but the most enjoyable part of journalism has been telling the intriguing stories of the people around me.

I’ve only met a fraction of the interesting students and teachers at this school, but I hope to continue to discover unique people. I didn’t mind waking up early and getting to school when the parking lot was empty, but I did miss getting breakfast on late start and hanging out with friends before school. But, I genuinely enjoyed writing for the newspaper. While my time on the Northwest Horizons staff of one year has been short and sweet, it was not short of amazing.

Emma Welsh

8

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I’m going to be perfectly honest here. I chose to join journalism entirely on a whim--and it turned out to be one of the best impulsive decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of it--every assignment that’s pushed me beyond my comfort zone and every deadline that I’ve procrastinated over and then rushed to meet at the very last minute--with the notable exception of those times when zero period has already started and I’ve been stuck at the traffic light at 68 and Alcorn for half an eternity (I’ll be filing a complaint with NCDOT about that one, I swear--it’s actually terrible).

My whole high school career, in fact, has been built around random whims--running cross country (do it!), founding a club (do it!), joining robotics (do it!) and choosing to bite the bullet and take physics as a sophomore (do it!). And I think that’s how it should be--it’s not like any of us walked in these doors the first day of freshman year and thought, “I know exactly what I’m going to do, every minute of every hour of the more than seven hundred days I’ll spend here.” It simply doesn’t happen.

High school has been one wild joyride, winding randomly around the doldrums of world history, through the frenzied rapids of Friday-night football games and the sweltering afternoons of cross country practice. And I’ve loved it all.

For the first time in my years on the staff of Northwest Horizons, I am at a complete loss for words. As a student journalist, I understand how powerful our words are, yet it seems impossible to express how greatly I have been affected by and how deeply grateful I am for being a part of journalism.

When I joined staff as a sophomore, I felt that I would never have any true impact on this publication, but looking back, I am proud to say that I was wrong. This year, as editor in chief, my incredible staff and I were able to produce an awardwinning newspaper that placed Best in State.

Much greater than my impact on the paper is the impact it has had on me. Writing the stories of others has allowed me to see the world through so many different perspectives, and thus become more open-minded and accepting of the world around me, a quality I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life.

Before I conclude, I have to thank my amazing adviser, Mrs. HuynhDuc. She has taught me for my entire high school experience, guided me through the roughest patches and shown me what it means to be an extraordinary woman. Overall, without Northwest Horizons, I would be a very different person in a very different place in my life. Thank you to all the staffs I have had the pleasure to work alongside, and good luck to the future of this life-changing publication.

May 2019

OPINION

SENIOR REFLECTIONS CONTINUED Madison Ayres

So this is it. After all of the stories written, pictures taken and newspapers distributed, this is it.

I can’t believe my senior year is wrapping up. Journalism has had a significant impact on me; it helped guide me toward what I want to do with my future. I have met some of the most amazing people through this course, and I couldn’t be more grateful for some of the lifelong friends I have made. My high school experience has been nonstop volleyball, lacrosse and journalism, along with countless nights staying up studying or hanging out with friends. I’m lucky to have had my dad at Northwest for the past four years, and my sister for the past two. Not only do I have my actual family at school, but I have the families made from playing sports for the past four years.

Journalism has taught me valuable lessons, like to never use the Oxford comma. Journalism was my introduction to sports photography, which led to me taking photography to the next level. I hope that this year’s senior class has left a legacy for the underclassmen; I can’t wait to see the bright future of Northwest Horizons.

Thomas Altmann

Unfortunately, my time on the staff of Northwest Horizons has been too brief. I joined my senior year, which has come to a close almost as soon as it bugun.

Initially, I was motivated to join, because I had Mrs. Huynh-Duc as my 11th grade English teacher, and I couldn’t bear not having her as a teacher for another year, but my inspiration changed into me realizing an enjoyment of journalism.

Over the year, I was able to share many stories with the other staff on journalism, and I have learned a great many of things that will be especially important for the coming collegiate years. Interviewing and writing are essential skills that everyone must hone, to which I am thankful for journalism helping me. The actual experience started strong with hurricanes sweeping the Carolinas and interviewing people’s personal experiences was insightful. However, most of the year things were controversial with Juuling and Trump being the highlights. Overall, I am thankful for everyone on staff and Mrs. Huynh-Duc for a fun first and last year of being on staff at Northwest Horizons.

Defining Northwest: W

May 2019

Time has flown by so quickly.

It seems like just yesterday, I was a freshman getting lost in these hallways. Now here I am, more effectively finding my way around the school but still quite not sure of where all the classrooms are. When I look back on my high school years, I think about field hockey, lacrosse, Key Club, student council and the hundreds of other activities I did.

But, there is nothing else I would’ve wanted to fill my mornings with but journalism. Seriously, even when there were days we didn’t have journalism, I found myself wandering around the school an hour before school started. I think it’s been conditioned in me to come to school that early every day.

I learned how to write in AP style, use Photoshop and InDesign, found how fast I could speed walk to try to get to class on time and lastly, I met some amazing people. I’m so glad I decided to take this class my sophomore year. I’ve had the best adviser and fellow staff members, and I’m so grateful for this class and the experiences it has given me.

Sydney Thompson

Two years ago, I made the choice to apply to become a member of Northwest Horizons.

Determined to hone my skills and grow beyond essays and cheesy fanfiction, I spent the best two years of my life (so far) with this newspaper.

I was thrust immediately into news stories about all of the happenings of this world, in a fast-paced world of online and print publications side-by-side.

The work was challenging, pushing me to grow in more than just writing skills, but in my ability to network, interview others and make connections. The work was fast-paced and stories were falling out of the sky like rain. I loved every second of it.

I’m devastated to say goodbye to Northwest Horizons, but I am leaving it in good hands. I will miss this paper more than I can say, but I am thankful for all it has given me.

To paraphrase the famous “Dirty Dancing” anthem: I’ve had the time of my life, and I owe it all to Northwest Horizons.

How recent events have shaped the culture of Northwest

tion at our school, and that’s how they identify us.”

Junior Kema Leonard shares similar thoughts. hat is our image? That is “I think a lot of times, these a question many students ask them- stereotypes come from schools that selves; what is the image of Northdon’t really know us and haven’t west as a school, and how does that tried to get to know us,” Leonard translate into how we see ourselves? said. “People call us ‘white bread’ at “Physically, our buildings are this school.” not in the best condition, but it’s This stereotype becomes a probbecause our school is pretty old,” lem for many students at Northwest junior Shelby Lester said. “I know because the student body is actupeople (whose) grandparents went ally very diverse, judging the entire here. I think our school could defischool by a small percentage is not nitely use a facelift.” representative of the school as a However, Northwest’s image goes whole. far beyond just the physical charac“We’ve had some controversy in teristics of our school. According to the past,” Lester said. “I think as a Lester, different people see Northwhole we’re very welcoming and not west in different ways. exclusive. We’re also very competi“I think it depends on who you tive and smart, and try very hard in are talking to,” Lester said. “If you school.” were talking to an adult, I think Specifically, the racist video they would say that our school from two students in November has excels in academics and sports, and subjected Northwest and students to we’re very well known for that. If be ridiculed by students from other you asked students from another schools. school, they would probably be like, “I think (the video) negatively ‘Oh that’s the redneck school, the affected how people see our school,” country school.’”

Lester said. “All they associate Lester is unsure as to why other with us is the video. But I think students view Northwest as ‘redour school has done a good job to neck’ and ‘country.’ come back from that because we’ve “I guess it’s because we are in formed different clubs, like the the country,” Lester said. “We have United Youth of Excellence club.” kids from Stokesdale and Oak Ridge Indeed, the United Youth of Exand Summerfield who come to our cellence club created by junior Jaelen school. I feel like (students from Clarke last fall, has been dedicated other schools) focus their attention to talking about the differences of on a small percentage of the popula- students at Northwest and bringing Kimberly Brown staff writer

Angela Seo

the student body and the community together. This club has grown to more than 40 members who come together monthly to discuss key issues in an effort to build community at Northwest.

“We’ve had either four or five meetings about really controversial topics, like abortion and cultural appropriation, and we have more to come,” Leonard said. “Our goal is to talk about these issues to unite the youth, say, ‘I know we’re all different, but we can all agree that we’re human, and we can all live together and have our own opinions.’ We can develop solutions to problems that we all have and know exist. We’ve also connected with NCCJ (National Conference of Community and Justice), an organization that does Anytown and the Youth Leadership Conference.”

The United Youth of Excellence club has also reached out to the community.

“We presented our club to 200 students from schools all around Guilford Country,” Leonard continued. “We’re establishing connections with one of the students from North Carolina A&T State University to get clubs like this in all schools and potentially connect for a summit next year.”

Leonard says he has seen change in the students who attend the club meetings and in students around the school.

“I’ve seen growth in people being comfortable with people who aren’t

like them,” Leonard said. “Beforehand, people would just stay in their groups and not move from there. Now you’re seeing if someone were to move groups, that person wouldn’t be shunned as much as they would have nine months ago. I think there’s a growth in community and acceptance. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Leonard encourages students to make themselves more understanding to different opinions and listening to other students.

“We need to be saying, ‘I don’t like this person. Why don’t I like this person?’” Leonard said. “Is it because of who they are? Is it because of their beliefs? Can I tolerate this person despite all that? Can I recognize we are all humans, and we need to come together to build a community?’ We need to build a strong community and a strong connection with these people, despite our differences. I think if every person were to do that and have that mental check on a daily basis, our school would be so much better.”

Leonard calls on every student at Northwest to come together to create a stronger community.

“Don’t frown upon the small movements because enough small movements can make a big difference,” Leonard said. “If we can be solution-oriented when we see problems instead of just complaining about them, we can reach new heights at Northwest, in our community and around the world.”

www.northwesthorizons.com

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SENIORS 2019

Class of 2019:

Where will your friends be next year?

Abaka-Mensah, Laurene Naa Wingate Campbell, Carson William UNCW Abrams, Allison Margaret George Washington Campbell, Gabrielle May NCSU Adams, Ian Matthew App Campbell, Hannah Grace UGA Adams, William Seth UNCG Canard, Camille Alexandra ECU Alderfer, Garrett Dylan NCSU Cao, Tim Kang NCSU Alexander, Mary Kathryn Crews GTCC Cardwell, Peaches Deshawnna WSSU Allen, Alexis Marie Embry-Riddle Carr, Nolan Hunter NCSU Altmann, Christopher Thomas UNCC Cecil, Alex Jeffrey Iowa State Anderson, Brenden Scott UNCG Chandekar, Niharika Amit UNCC Anderson, Emalee Katherine BYU Chavis, McKensey Eliana ECU Anderson, Josie Kaitlyn Liberty Chavis, Shane Joseph ECU Askew, Zachary Michael WCU Chen, Yuting NCSU Atkins, Courtney Paige GTCC Churchill, Hillary Senam WSSU Austin, Jessica Kaitlyn NCSU Clary, Landon Alexander Syracuse Ayres, Madison Margaret University of Lynchburg Claybrooks, Tyshawn Andre undecided Balton, Kendall Paige UNCW Clayton, Aaron Phillip Liberty Barbagallo, Michael Salvatore GTCC Clevenger, Andrew Daniel ECU Barham, William Stewart GTCC Cloud, Cameron Nebraska University of Richmond Barker, Haley Nicole UNC-CH Cogdill, Zachary Daniel GTCC Baroody-Crenshaw, Adelyn ECU Combs, J Levi GTCC Barton, Alexis Chandler UNCG Conder, Alexandria Leon’s Beauty School Behel, Marcus Griffin Alsandair NCSU Cook, Emma Claire DCCC Bell, Zachary Thomas App Cooke, David Hamilton University of Mississippi Bellenkes, Grey Richardson CFCC Coon, Wyatt James Naval Academy Bellenkes, Virginia Myers UNC-CH Cordts, Maddilyn AnnaGail UNCG Bennett, Cameron Joseph A&T Cornelius, Stanley David WCU Berry, James Michael Joshua undecided* Cossaart, Spencer Dean UT Bickar, Mackenzie Ryan UNCG Cotton, Alexander Riley UNCW Bikdash, Rami Adam MIT Craddock, Morgan Taylor UNCG Biller de Andrade, Brunno GTCC Craft, Adam Christopher Elon Billips, Karly Suzanne App Creed, Payton Camille WCU Bishoff, Cohlman Emmanuel work Crews, Kaitlyn Renea UNCG Blackwell, Alyssa Dawn ECU Crockett, Aerin Nora UNCW Blanchard, Ethan Matthew Navy Crockett, Bailey Ruth App Blasingame, Payton Elizabeth UNCW Crow, Rachel Michelle undecided Blatchley, Dayahna Zoe GTCC Cruz, Evan Robert GTCC Bobetich, Brooke Elise NCSU Cullinan, Alex David NCSU Boris, Saygun Matthias ECPI Cunningham, Tess Viola Earlham College Bowyer, Nicholas Edwin GTCC Dabbs, Tyler Michael UNCC Bradford, Ruby Claire ECU DaCosta, Andre Melo NCSU Brame, Hunter David UNCC Dauler, Brandon Christopher Catawba Brandt, Garrett Templeton App Davidson, Johnie James UNCG Brewbaker, Matthew Jon William UNC-CH Davis, Ava Noelle App Briley, Olivia Anne UNCC Davis, Cassidy Makin Michigan State Brooks, Robert Jarrod RCC Davis, Timothy James undecided Brown, Kayla Nicole GTCC Davis, Tyler Java A&T Bruggeman, Maycie Skye GTCC Dawkins, Sarah Michelle UNCG Brumley, Matthew Thomas GTCC Deardorff, Dominic Aaron Iowa State Bryant, Kerrick JVon A&T Debi, Promiti University of Pittsburgh Buck, Natalie Reagan WCU Decker, Christopher Alan Marines Buck, Verona Sarian A&T Decker, Nicholas Alan UNCG Bunn, Kameran Susan undecided Demers, Drew Thomas UNCC Buntin, Heather Lynn GTCC Demirci, Ayse Gardner-Webb Burch, Robert Bradford UNCG Devaney, Madelyn Breanna unknown** Burcham, Grace Anne NCSU Dhlamini, Kudzaishe David A&T Burkhalter, Sara Elisabeth GTCC DiStefano, George David GTCC Burns, Luke Preston GTCC Dix, Robert Sherwood Greensboro College Byrd, Austin Lee UNCG Dixon, Christian Donte GTCC Byrd, Caleb Matthew NCSU Donnell, Andre GTCC Cabrera-Padilla, Gabriela Michelle undecided Doss, Samantha Eve GTCC Cadd, Ragan Henley App Dowdy, Cody Andrew UNCSA Cahill, Seth Tristen App Dowdy, Spencer UNCSA Calhoun, Ashley Nicole NCSU Drake, Rebekah Lauren Texas A&M Callas, Abigail Rose UNCG Drysdale, Samantha Renee UNCW Camilo de la Cruz, Wendy Osiris UNCG Ducat, Grace Sylvia Notre Dame

10 www.northwesthorizons.com

May 2019

SENIORS 2019

Dunkirk, Camille Lynn undecided Harris, Jacob Christian UNCW Dunn, Braydon Scott work Hartle, Gabriel Scott ECU Eastham, Ian James unknown Hash, Mallory Diane UNCG Echevarria, Taylor Nicole UNCC Hassan, Yusuf Raf’e undecided Edwards, Andrew Brian ECU Headen, Madison Olivia UNC-CH Edwards, Danielle Abena unknown Heflin, Lauren Elizabeth UNC-CH Edwards, Michael Verner UNC-CH Helton, Abigail Elizabeth UNCW Egna, Jessica Faith undecided Henderson, Alexander Mariano GTCC Eiben, Justin Todd NCSU Hennigan, John Petersen undecided Eichlin, Kevin James undecided Heras, Brandon App Ellis, Shayla Ashtyn ECU Herbst, Amber GTCC

Ellison, Pierce Achilles The Citadel Hernandez Martinez, Yazmin Berenice GTCC

Englishman, Damon Alex UTI-Mooresville Herndon, Gracie Dell App

Enholm, Signe Matisse UNCG Herrington, Madison Leigh WCU

Esquivel Rodriguez, Cielo Guadalupe GTCC Hicks, Alivia Blake UNCG

Ettorchi, Rania Nora GTCC Hicks, Hunter Lee Langford GTCC

Evans, David Winchester unknown Hill, Christian Matthew UNCG

Fagerberg, Emma Grace UNC-CH Hill, Haley Nicole WCU

Farrelly, Logan Meredith Queen’s Hines, Zachary Curtis West Point

Fasnacht, Madelyn Elizabeth App Holbrook, Cameron David Southeastern University

Felder, Isabella Marie NCSU Holland, Tyler James Catawba

Fetters, Parker Thomas gap year Honeycutt, Lukas Kade GTCC

Finnerty, Alexander James undecided Hopkins, Peyton Andrew NCSU

Finnerty, Averi Elise UNCW Houghtby, Mason John NCSU

Fitzpatrick, Erik John UNCC Houlden, Braxton William NCSU

Forsell, Kaylee Faith GTCC Howard, Justin Michael UNCC

Foster, Beck Michael UNCG Howard, Lauren Madelyne Duke

Foster, Danielle Marie UNCW Hudson, Sarah Fatima Mark UNCG

Freshwater, Jordan Britton Barton College Huffines, Hannah Mckenzie UNCG

Fuchs, Justin Isaac WCU Huffman, Jason Alexander work

Galloway, Kendra Monique GTCC Hughes, Jared Andrew UNC-Asheville

Ganim, Leila Nan UNCG Hughes, Jesse Lynden work

Garcia, Giselle Andrea GTCC Humayun, Qainaat GTCC

Gardella, Hannah Elizabeth undecided Humayun, Sahar UNCG

Garner, Gwenneth Grace App Ike, Ezenwa Temitope Joshua UNCG

Garrison, Christopher Donovan NCSU Iqbal, Mohammad Mohsin undecided

Gillespie, Isabella Elizabeth UNCG Irvine, Camden Joel GTCC

Gilliam, Andrew James CFCC Jahangir, Hamza undecided

Gilliam, Kylar Alan work James, Erin Nicole SCAD

Gillis, Madeline King Washington University James, Logan Timothy UT-Dallas

Gillis, Samantha King Notre Dame Janowsky, Jackson Matthew UNCG

Godfrey, Ethan Mack ECU Jhingree, Anjali Julia undecided

Godino, Henry Miles Army Johnson, Alec Donald UNC-CH

Gonzalez, Franque Valentino UNCG Johnson, Brandon Lee GTCC

Goodman, Mikenna Leigh ECU Johnson, Jacob Samuel UNCC

Gossett, Solomon James ECU Johnson, Kayla Jamaya unknown

Goudy, Garett Clay GTCC Johnson, Makayla Grace NCSU

Gray, Audrey Nicole undecided Johnston, Leah Jennette ECU

Gray, David Stafford Liberty Johnstun, Shaylee Michelle undecided

Gray, Jessica Elizabeth PIU Jones, McKena Faith-Anne UNCG

Gray, Madison Elizabeth App Joplin, Witten Leonard UNCW

Gray, Nicholas Andrew NCSU Joyner, Clayton Weeks ECU

Greene, William Ryan CFCC Kapoor, Mehak Kaur UNC-CH

Greenly, Richard Benjamin NCSU Katowitz, Nolan Preston App

Gregory, Samantha Lynn UNCC Kawalec, William Joseph UNCG

Greiwe, John Spencer undecided KC, Diva Wellesley College

Grigg, Caleb Alexander undecided Kennedy, Megan Elizabeth UNCC

Grose, Casey Ray work Keshavarz, Fatemeh GTCC

Grubbs, Gavin Edward UNCC Keshavarz, Maryam GTCC

Grube, Kyle Mitchell App Kesler, Anna Grace ECU

Gustafson, Jessica Danielle undecided Kharabi, Jazmine Toscano GTCC

Gutierrez, Hillary Betsabe GTCC Kharabi, Rossana Toscano undecided

Hairston, Jordan ECU Kilmartin, Grace Fiona App

Hairston, Joshua Isaiah App King, Cayla Nicole VA-Tech

Hall, Abigail Ruth USC-Columbia King, Dontrey Rachad ECU

Halstead, Allison Nicole GTCC Kinter, Ethan Drew undecided

Halterman, Clinton Oliver UNCC Kitley, Elizabeth Ann VA-Tech

Hampton, William Joseph NCSU Kline, Peter DeArmon undecided

Hannon, Joshua Taylor UNCC Kloiber, Nathan Tyler gap year

Hardy, Jacob Franklin Methodist University Kodra, Madison Elizabeth UNCG

Harper, Lindsey Elizabeth gap year Kohn, Erin Quinn NCSU

Harrell, Collin Taylor GTCC Kostyrka, John Louis Army

Harris, Amber Leigh UNC-CH Lahr, Mitchell Reese NCSU

*Undecided means student had not reached a decision by press-time. **Unknown means student could not be reached for a response.

May 2019

Continued on page 14

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11

SPREAD

throwin’ it back to the ‘00: what teachers were doing during the years seniors were born Autumn Dixon, Sarah Teague op/ed editor, features editor

school nurse Livi Shepherd Gray

German teacher Oliver Ham “I had just finished high school and was still living in Germany. I was doing social service over there. Every male after high school has to do one year of service, be it for the military or be it for anything else. I chose to be an ambulance driver, so in the year 2000, I was doing three months of training and then nine months of service. The next year, I moved to America to start college, so 2000 was actually my last year in Germany.”

“In 2001, I was a school nurse working with students at General Greene Elementary. We were in the calendar for the Health Department that year.”

marketing teacher Brenda Cullinan

12

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“My life was very different [in the year 2000] because I was working in the business world for AT&T, and I had one child. My second child was born 2000. I then decided to take an early retirement package to stay home with the kids. At that time, I was a Systems Analyst for AT&T. I left in 2001 to be a stay-athome mom.”

SPREAD

AP psychology teacher Phillip Coley

“It was a different era; it was politically a Bill-Clinton era. Terrorism wasn’t something we ever considered; we were still in a new pattern which we were unilaterally, as a country, top-dog in the world and spreading ourselves very thin. Personally speaking, I’d only been teaching here for about five years. So I was still kind of the low man on the totem pole. I was teaching a lot of civics and economics classes. These trailers were new-- only about five years old.”

English teacher Melanie HuynhDuc “I was a freshman in college at UNC-Chapel Hill during 2000-2001. I was toying between a major in English or elementary education. I danced the lead role in a local production of ‘The Nutcracker,’ and I had fun singing karaoke on weekends with my friends.”

German teacher Lisa Worthington-Groce “From 2000-2001 I was studying at the University in Wuerzburg, Germany for Davidson College’s Junior Year Abroad...one of the best years of my life!”

Photos contributed by teachers and yearbook

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SENIORS 2019

Senior Destinations Continued from page 11

Landreth-Carter, Daniel James GTCC Nguyen, Nicholas Andrew Wingate Langston, Michael Robert UNC-CH Nowlin, Emma Elaine UNCW Lawhorne, Robert Anthony UNCC O’Hal, Tyler Lane OTIS Inst. of Art + Design Lawson, Briana Elisabeth undecided Oliver, Jenna Louise ECU Learn, Megan Elizabeth App Ordonez, Alexander GTCC Lee, Daniel Euisoo UNCG Osafo, Kwadjo Asamani UNCC LeGall, Aidene Guillaume GTCC Overman, Jake Dawson Butler University Leggemann, Sarah Katherine ECU Owen, Amy Elizabeth undecided Leib, Brandon David NCSU Pagano, John Thomas St. John Fisher College Leib, Diana Lynn UNCW Pan, Richard UNC-CH Leonard, Brice Cameron UNCC Parker, Davis Gray NCSU Leonard, Courtlyn Elise undecided Parker, Jeffrey Fulford UNC-CH Leonard, Matthew Hardin GTCC Parsons, Madison Grace undecided Lewis, Terrence Chandler A&T Parsons, Thomas Hill NCSU Lim, Jiwon UNCC Peaslee, Curtis Philip UNCC Linden, William Jeffrey Florida State Pendleton, Adam Charles GTCC Lindsay, Aaron Tye Howard Perry, Noah James GTCC Lira, Ramon Army Peterson, John Alan GTCC Liska, Charles Alexander UNCC Petty, Rylee Logan UNCC Logan, Austin Drake GTCC Phillips, Ali Justine WCU Long, Miranda Rose undecided Phillips, Luke William App Long, Sarah Catherine UNCC Phillips, Melissa Eileen App Lovett, Nathan Paul Forsyth Tech Phipps, Blake Cameron UNCG Lynch, Ryan Christofer UNCG Pickford, Gage Blevins Notre Dame Mabe, Chloe Blake GTCC Pilcher, Allison Riley ECU Mahoney, Seth Alexander GTCC Plaster, Cole Mitchell Forsyth Tech Mai, Shane Van NCSU Polakovic, John Martin GTCC Maille, Kathrine Elizabeth undecided Pool, Brittany Renee GTCC Mamane Souley, Mourdjanatou GTCC Potter, Shyvonne Kathryn Brevard College Mann, Korey McKissick GTCC Powell, Gretchen Christensen UNCC Manry, Robert Andrew WCU Powell, Jerome Shiheim ECPI Mantle, Brandon Scott NASCAR Tech Prandota, Jakub Robert UNC-CH Manzi, Katelyn Elizabeth Liberty Prasanna, Karun UNC-CH Marble, Zoe Grace UNCG Prendergast, Aiden John-Paul Army Margulies, Avery Blake GTCC Proper, Matthew Donald GTCC Martin, Phoebe Elizabeth NCSU Queen, William Finnegan Belmont Abbey Martin, Zachary Thomas GTCC Quick, Elonie Sinclair App Mayers, Imani Naomi undecided Quigley, Nicholas Lawrence unknown Maynard, Brennan Mackenzie UNC-CH Quirion, Christopher James work Maynard, Vivian Dorothy ECU Raguthu, Lasya UNCC McCain, Jasmen Nizeyah-Asheylin gap year Rajan, Vainavi NCSU McCoy, Joel David undecided Ramkumar, Rohit Peruvemba UNCC McCray, Asia Re’L unknown Ramsey, James Walker App McGee, Robert Parker UNCC Ranson, Savannah Narie Wingate McGuire, Duncan Grey undecided Ratterree, Brittany Elizabeth ECU McLamb, Dalton Joe NASCAR Tech Ray, Hannah Elizabeth Campbell McPherson, Charles John UNCC Reed, Michael Gene undecided Melton, Chase Stafford UNCG Reeder, Grayson Robert UNCG Meyer, Emily Susan UNCG Reth, Ryan Lee UNCC Meyer, Jeremy Henry App Rhyne, Tyler Joseph NCSU Migliaccio, Jillian Alyssa NCSU Riccio, Alexis Nikol CFCC Miles, Charde Devon Wingate Richards, Michael Henry undecided Miller, Brandon James SWU Richardson, Justin Patrick undecided Miller, Kayla Marie GTCC Riddles, Nicholas Raider UNC-CH Miller, Sydney Michelle GTCC Riffle, Claire Olivia ECU Moran, Nicholas John unknown Rijal, Binay Prabhat VA-Tech Morgan, Jared Cole App Ring, Benjamin Thomas UNCW Morris, Zachary Scott undecided Robinson, Alexzandra Starr CFCC Morton, Madison Leigh UNCG Rodriguez, Alexsandra UNCG Motsinger, Brandon Wayne GTCC Roney, Cameron Tyler App Mueller, Maximilian Wesley UNC-Asheville Rose, Miranda Claire Franciscan University Muire, Eric Nicholas NCSU Roy, Alana Sue ECU Murray, Seth David NCSU Ruiz Santos, Yuine Carolina GTCC Myers, Britney Alyssa unknown Russom, Hattie Anne App Nadelson, Ethan Cole undecided Sadhu, Dhruv UNCC Nag, Shivneet Singh NCSU Saliga, Stephanie Jane undecided Nance, Tyler Tai GTCC Sambucci-Brown, Dymond Marie Rowan Nawrocki, Jaylynn Nicole-Rose UNCC Sanchez, Gabriel John University of Dublin Neal, Olivia Rae GTCC Sanchez, Matthew Luke Nellas UNCC Nefe, Nicholas Ryan NCSU Sarkisian, Emma Grace UNCW Nelson, Hailee Elizabeth UNCG Sawyer, Lauren Mary UNC-CH

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May 2019

SENIORS 2019

Sawyer, Travis Jackson GTCC Weiss, Christina Blair Pittsburgh Scheponik, Jacob Matthew Case Western Reserve Wells, Shane Gregory undecided Scherf Bordon, Ana Carolina UNC-CH Welsh, Emma Corrine UNC-CH Schill, Sydney Anne GTCC West, Noah Christopher Elon

Schmid, Jessica Haley App Westfall, Allison Rene ECU

Scott, Maya Reign ECU Wheeler, Melody Ernestine UNCSA

Seo, Angela UNC-CH/gap year Whitacre, Zachary Holt NCSU

Sharples, Samantha Shirley UNC-CH White, Cage Harold GTCC

Shepard, Hannah Louise undecided White, Joshua James A&T

Shin, Dong Joon UNC-CH Whitehead, Dylan Thomas UNCG

Shoemaker, Madison Leigh GTCC Whitson, Chandler Davis UNCC

Shouse, Daygan Marie WCU Whyatt, Dylan Walter UNCG

Siebold, Haley Grace UNCW Wierwille, Joy Christine Leona NCSU

Sigmon, William Grant Grand Canyon University Willey, Matthew Creed GTCC

Simpson, Peter Joseph Wake Tech Williams, Jalisa Ananda UNCC

Sinkler, Meredith Beattie Meredith College Williams, Madison Kate UNC-CH

Skeehan, Jacob Gardner UNCG Williamson, Elliot Jack University of Mississippi

Skinkle, Sean Padraig undecided Wilson, Jazmyn Elizabeth Renee GTCC

Slack, Lauren Marie NCSU Wilson, Jeremiah Elijah Israel GTCC

Slakter, Lauren Aliyah NCSU Winder, Asantae’ Tourell Keith undecided

Sloan, Keshaun Javonte’ GTCC Wiseman, Grace Mackenzie undecided

Smith, Allison Brooke gap year Wommack, Spencer Thomas Air Force

Smith, Jenna Peyton Mars Hill Wooten, Brianna Machelle CFCC

Smith, Mathew James NCSU Wright, Elizabeth Wynn UNCC

Smith, Matthew Stephen GTCC Wright, Lewis George gap year

Smith, Savannah Renee App Wyscarver, Averey Claire University of Lynchburg

Sneed, Denise Gale gap year Yates, Trevor Wilson Living Arts College

Southard, Kemp Burton work Yim, Daniel Jiwoo Johns Hopkins

Southerland, Tavion Leon unknown Yocum, David Scott UNCW

Spears, Brett Sean ECU Young, Christopher Morgan ECU

Spears, Sutton William UNCC Young, Kyle Patrick ECU

Spivey, Lucas William NCSU Young, Richard Thomas UNCG

Sprague, Preston Cole GTCC Zeyfang, Anna Lillie NCSU

Springs, Noah Thomas Greensboro College Zimmerman, Jordan Chandler GTCC

Stasch, David Anthony ECU Zinn, Gabrielle Amber undecided

Stewart, Danell Edward VA-Tech

Stokley, Ryan Suthard NCSU

Stoner, Jacob Rhys gap year

Sumner, Samuel Middleton UNCG

Sutton, Morgan Elizabeth FIT

Sweeney, Gavin James Colorado University

GTCC Tamborino, Frank Anthony University of Mississippi

UNCG Tastet, Collin Matthew WCU

NCSU Testerman, Tia Sierra UNCG

Thompson, Logan Macade UNCW UNCC

Thompson, Logan Michael Catawba

ECU Thompson, Naudia Jo WSSU

App Thompson, Nicholas Lee App

UNC-CH Thompson, Sydney Anne UNCG

Tillman, Jona Makenzie NYU UNCW

Tippett, Mckenzie Bailey undecided

WCU Tippetts, Rebekah Brianne Greensboro College

gap year Toffel, Brooke Alexis GTCC

work Toler, Joshua Bounous ECU

Tolley, Gavin Mitchell undecided

military

Tomaszewski, Jason Elliot NCSU

A&T Torres, Haydn Frances UNCG

CFCC Trevisan, Joao Hecke work

VA-Tech Truchinski-Doran, Piper Rose UNCG

Tucker, Conner Elizabeth UNC-CH

Turcola, Grace Anne NCSU

Turnmire, Gavin Parker gap year

Tuttle, Madeline Rose CPCC

Underwood, Brandon Joseph GTCC

Urquhart, Nathan Alexander UNCC

Vivolo, Lauren Rae undecided

Volinski, Brianna Jordan UNCW

Waldron, Cameron Abbott VA-Tech

Walters, Bevan Alexander App

Ward, Kamron Bryce Barton College

Washington, Victor Joshua ECU

Information compiled by Thomas Altmann, infographic by Franklin Wei Waterfield, Emily Elizabeth UNC-CH

The above graph represents the break down of the most popular destinations for Watkins, Benjamin Thomas UNCG

Northwest’s 2019 seniors. As in previous years, the top college of choice is GTCC, Wei, Franklin Duke followed by UNCG and NC State.

Top destinations for Class of ‘19:

May 2019

www.northwesthorizons.com

15

SPORTS

The reality of referees: Athletes, referees should give and get more respect

Megan Harkey, Madison Magyar

E

sports editor, staff writer

ver since sports have had referees, there have been unforgiving calls, angry parents and livid coaches. Whether it’s a foul, an ejection or even a simple boundary call, spectators, athletes and coaches always seem to rebuttal.

Although there are many different sports with their own unique set of rules and regulations, referees have a set of rules that are universal for any sport. These include basic people skills like be adaptable, be respectful, be consistent, control the situation, don’t respond to rebuttals and hustle.

“They tend to follow most of (the rules),” junior Drew Sizemore said.

Trying to maintain a friendly atmosphere can be difficult at times during intense games and competitions. The main issue that seems to be a recurring problem tends to be with the referees and coaches.

“Referees tend to yell at parents and coaches a lot more,” Sizemore said.

Sometimes coaches and parents can get caught up in the emotions of the game and forget how to act respectfully. Referees try to be understanding and act as appropriately as possible.

“Coaches get into the game, and referees won’t bark back at them,” senior Ayse Demirci said.

Coach involvement seems to be a situation referees don’t universally agree on. Respect toward coaches tends to depend on the referee present at the game and their ability to deal with similar situations.

“I’ve seen lack of respect toward the coaches when they are yelling at each other,” Demirci said.

Indeed, referees do not shy away from dealing with parents if the situation requires their attention and immediate action.

“A parent at one of the lacrosse games was saying some vulgar and inappropriate things, and the referee ended up ejecting them,” Sizemore said.

Even though the ejections are sometimes harsh, they might be necessary so that the issue expressed does not escalate to a dangerous level.

“It was a good call because they refused to stop,” Sizemore said.

However, player ejections are a last resort, for a referee’s main job is to let the athletes play.

Some calls made by the referees are understandable, although there have been an abundant amount of calls that are difficult for the players to take in and keep on going with the game.

“Against West Forsyth, I fouled a girl, and (the ref) called me over and started yelling at me,” Demirci said.

The referee then threatened a red card for her multiple fouls but did not call fouls that were inflicted on Demirci. Along with this situation, the referee ended the game before the buzzer, causing the Viking varsity girls’ soccer team to lose 0-1.

“The ball wasn’t even out of play; it was during the game,” Demirci said. “Overall, he was very rude.”

Sometimes it is just a game

Senior Sports Profiles Madison Magyar, Kaylen Ayres staff writers

Joshua Hairston (below) Sport: Track and Field Position: 1000-meter, 800-meter and 400-meter dash Hype song: “Nonstop” by Drake Pre-game ritual: I watch this specific scene from “The Flash” After game: I catch my breath and thank my teammates for hyping me up during my race.

16

of luck to see whether or not the referee assigned to the game will be honest and trustworthy. Often, students are able to tell after a couple of minutes if the referee there is good or bad. “(Bad referees are ones) who don’t run or follow the play and just call whatever they assume,” Demirci said.

Unjustified calls made by the referees not only hurt the team the call was made on, but it assists the opponents.

“I get frustrated because I’m so into the game, and you just want to win,” Demirci said. “It can make the team frustrated and bring your game down.”

Referee experiences differ from person to person. These differences could be due to the sport and the referee’s familiarity with it along

Photo by Madison Ayres

A referee watches a lacrosse game from the sidelines. Referees and athletes are often disrespectful toward each other in games.

Photos contributed by Joshua Hairston, taken by Madison Ayres and Annette Ayres

Hannah Huffines (below) Sport: Varsity Softball Position: Outfield Hype song: “Put a Date On It” by Yo Gotti Pre-game ritual: I go eat with (senior) Madison Shoemaker and (sophomore) M’kenzie Davis.

After game: I drag the field with Shoemaker and talk about the game with her.

Senior Aaron Clayton (above) Sport: Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Position: Midfield Hype song: “The Ringer” by Eminem Pre-game ritual: I say a prayer before the National Anthem.

After game: Talk to the team about our performance to see what I could improve upon.

www.northwesthorizons.com

with many other factors.

“I haven’t experienced a lot of unfair treatment,” Sizemore said.

Even though referees seem to always have a negative reputation, they are only human. Those who are new to the scene, those who are overworked from multiplegame days or those who just make mistakes can only do their best.

However, it is important for referees to put just as much effort and focus into the game as the athletes do. When respect from either side cannot be maintained, it is bound to be a long and frustrating event.

“You just have to ignore it and go on with the game,” Sizemore said.

Savannah Ranson (above) Sport: Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Position: Goalie Hype song: “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap Pre-game ritual: I joke around with my coach, and I don’t tie my shoes.

After game: I eat a big meal with my family and friends.

May 2019

Athletes take it to the next level

Madison Ayres graphics editor

D

eciding to play sports at the next level is a big step in a student’s life. Several Northwest students have decided to pursue their sport at the collegiate level, ranging from Division I to Division III. Playing in high school paves a way for athletes to be recruited and compete in college, while also enjoying the time spent with teammates.

“High school soccer allows me to have fun with my friends, which makes me more passionate about soccer,” senior Payton Creed said.

Creed will be attending Western Carolina University in the fall to play soccer.

The bonds between teammates on high school teams is typically strong. Most of the players have been playing together for years, either through club sports or by playing together when they were younger.

These athletes have dedicated most of their lives playing sports, so being able to continue their passion is significant.

“Playing sports for me is a big part of my life,” senior Johnny Pagano said. “I’ve been playing football since I was four years old

(and throughout) high school.”

Pagano has committed to play football at St. John Fisher College, which is a DIII liberal arts school in Pittsford, New York. The school is about seven miles from Roches-

Being able to fit into the college’s community is also an important aspect during the recruiting process.

“Notre Dame offered me the opportunity to continue (diving) competitively while receiving a great education,” senior Samantha Gillis said. “The atmosphere and community spirit of the school is unparalleled.”

Student athletes have a specialexperience when they go to college, getting to travel to different games and forming lasting bonds with their teammates and coaches.

“I am (the) most excited to be a part of the school as more than just a student and to be able to represent my school as a student athlete,” Gillis said.

Photos by Madison Ayres

ter.

“I loved the coaches and the campus,” Pagano said.

Seniors Payton Creed (top left), Johnny Pagano (right) and Samantha Gillis (bottom) will play their sport at the collegiate level. They are confident in their abilities to compete at the next level.

ing records.

“This year, (the boys’ soccer team) completed our goal of securing the number one seed going into the state playoffs,” senior Rami Bikdash said. “I had about 10 goals this season. I achieved what I was hoping to achieve.”

Bikdash had witnessed broken records himself in his junior year, when the team broke records for goalscoring and most wins in a season. Accomplishments like these don’t come easily.

“For the first couple years that I was on varsity, I was really focused on trying to find my place in the system of the team,” Bikdash said. “It’s really gratifying to see your hard work and all the time and effort you put into improving the team.”

When playing a team sport, an athlete can find some of the strongest motivation in their teammates.

It’s reassuring to know that your peers have your back and will push you to succeed. For non-team sports, on the other hand, it is a different case.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a diving program built because we don’t have any coaches for Guilford County right now,” senior Samantha Gillis said. “Nobody really recognizes diving as a sport; it’s not one that you think of people participating in.”

Gillis, committed to Notre Dame, placed second in the state for diving, even though Northwest does not have a program for her to join. Other athletes have had equally successful seasons.

For example, senior Jalisa Williams was captain of the cheer team and was part of the first team to win the state championship.

“It was something I was really proud to do,” senior Jalisa Williams said. “(The cheerleading squad) had never won states before, and it’s something that I’m really happy that I could do before my high school career ended.”

Seniors leave legacies for their teams

Emma Welsh, Kaylen Ayres news editor, staff writer

M

any students will graduate this year wondering if they’ve left an impact at Northwest. Regarding sports, some already have; the memories of championships and tournaments resonate within the teams. It’s no secret that there are many talented athletes at Northwest, but what some students may not know is just how talented they are.

Seniors Cayla King and Elizabeth Kitley, both committed to playing basketball at Virginia Tech, know a thing or two about winning and breaking records. They are members of the varsity girls’ basketball team who’ve won two back-to-back state championships--something very few can say they’ve accomplished.

“We got to the state championship for the first time our freshman year, then we won our sophomore year and again our junior year,” Kitley said.

Having played basketball for four years, attaining so many points can be expected. However, to be two of eight students to have achieved as many as 1,000 is significant. Kitley and King’s names will go down in the record books, leaving their name and presence remembered.

Meanwhile, other students aim for personal goals instead of break-

May 2019

SPORTS

What team has the highest GPA? Amara Titus staff writer

L

isted below are the unweighted grade point averages of upperclassmen on Varsity sport teams.

3.89 Girls’ basketball 3.59 Boys’ Soccer 3.56 Girls’ Soccer 3.47 Field Hockey

3.27 Boys’ Basketball 3.26 Cheerleading 3.19 Wrestling 3.15 Softball 3.09 Boys’ Lacrosse 3.06 Baseball Even though their seasons and high school careers have ended, these athletes will carry the memories they’ve made here for the rest of their lives. Their legacies at Northwest will impact the future teams and younger players for years to come.

Photo contributed by Samantha Gillis

Senior Samantha Gillis high dives at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. She placed second in states and is committed to Notre Dame.

www.northwesthorizons.com

17

SPORTS

Playing a sport in college: student athletes work for financial aid

Megan Harkey sports editor

P

A few businesses would also help by donating to the team for advertising banners on their field.

However, for the NCAA tournament his freshmen year, the school paid for their plane tickets and hotels to compete in Arizona.

Principal Ralph Kitley played collegiate level basketball at Wake Forest University with a full ride.

“I was able to go to a private school and graduate with zero debt,”

land a spot on a European team in Germany for a year. He even got to meet NBA star Michael Jordan while there.

“In basketball in general, I got to meet a lot of athletes and coaches and (I was able to) form relationships,” Kitley said.

A spot on your dream college team not only enables you to compete with other higher-level athletes, but it also allows you to work for an education and a future.

Student athletes who can use this to their advantage are put on a platform above others who apply to the same college or university.

“If it wasn’t for softball, I would not be the person I am today,” Johnson said.

Photo by Madison Ayres

Senior Grace Johnson flexes with a softball and her mitt. She is one of the select few high school athletes who has received an athletic scholarship from a Divison I school.

Sport Scholarship Stats • Only 2 percent of high Kitley said.

Just like today’s experience, meals, athletic wear and travel expenses were fully paid for.

“It didn’t put a lot of money in my pocket right away, but nowadays, athletes get cost of attendance,” Kitley said.

Cost of attendance gives extra money for traveling from school to home and other basic needs. It is not provided in every school, but Division I and II schools with more money are able to provide this supplement.

Although NCAA schools were still not able to travel overseas at Kitley’s time, he got to play across the United States. Some places include Arizona, New Mexico, California and Wisconsin. Playing at Wake Forest also helped Kitley

NO’S BAKE DI

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laying a sport in college takes a tremendous burden off students’ backs financially, in Division I and II sports, athletes can have a large sum of their tuition paid for.

Some students rely on sports to go to college, since a higher education is not always affordable. Here at Northwest, numerous seniors were able to take advantage of this opportunity.

“It creates an opportunity for me to go to a college that I might not have been able to afford if I had not received a scholarship,” senior Grace Johnson said.

Johnson will be attending North Carolina State University this fall and will play on the women’s softball team. She was originally committed to St. Francis University in November 2017, but when the coaches moved to NC State, she was able to follow the program there.

“I’m going from being eight hours away from home to an hour and a half,” Johnson said. “And it’s a better school.”

Senior Landon Clary will be attending Syracuse University in New York this fall to play men’s lacrosse.

“It was always my dream to play lacrosse in the ACC, so it’s really helped me reach my goal,” Clary said.

Both athletes are ecstatic to have the opportunity to play at Division I ACC schools and to use their financial benefits.

“Not only are they paving a way for me to have a better career in the future, but they are also giving me a platform to play at a very high level and live the dream that I’ve had since I was 10 years old,” Johnson said.

Of course, as an athlete, clothing and equipment is required.

Most of the time the athletic sponsor of the school (Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, etc.) will pay for all uniforms, practice gear and certain sport equipment under their contract with the school.

“Before I had even gotten my official visit, they sent out the list of things that we need to put our sizes in for,” Johnson said. “I’m the next class in, and they are going to have my stuff ready for me when I get there.”

This can be a major relief, since sports like lacrosse and softball have high prices on equipment.

A lacrosse stick alone can cost an upwards of $100, and a complete adult softball uniform, including clothing, shoes, helmet and gloves, can cost anywhere from $200$600.

“I’ll get multiple pairs of (Nike) shoes, sweats and pretty much everything I could want,” Clary said.

Schools will also pay for team meals, a nutritionist and an athletic trainer, travel expenses and other needs for specific sports.

Additionally, the school pays for textbooks, tutors and a percentage of tuition as well as room and board.

Some teachers and staff at Northwest have experienced college sports. AP environmental science teacher Terrernce Murphy played club men’s soccer at Auburn University and was even a part of a team that made it to the NCAA tournament. Although Murphy did not play with a scholarship, the school still assisted him financially through academics.

“I did get financial assistance through academic scholarships, and I was able to (receive) in-state tuition,” Murphy said.

The soccer team was not Division I, so it did not get heavy funding from the school like other sports.

Instead, they were fundraised by 50 to 60 sorority girls who, for service hours, raised money with activities like car washes. They paid for trips, team vans, gas money, uniforms and equipment.

“It wasn’t above and beyond; it was what we needed,” Murphy said.

•

school athletes receive athletic scholarships.

NCAA Division I and II schools provide more than in athletic scholarships annually to more than 150,000 student-athletes.

There are about high school student athletes in the USA and only 495,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools.

Student athletes graduate at a higher rate than their student peers.

billion •

•

$2.9

8 million

Statistics by Megan Harkey

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www.northwesthorizons.com

May 2019

FEATURES

Twinning: Thomas Altman staff writer

How being a twin has affected high school life

Virginia and Grey Bellenkes

How do you think high school differed since you have had a twin?

“I think we have gotten even closer since we have the same group of friends. It’s made high school fun because we hang out together a lot.”

What are some of your favorite memories together in high school?

“My favorite memories with my brother during high school are probably going to games, vacations, hanging out with friends and working together.”

What are teachers’ reactions, when they find out you are twins?

“When teachers find out that we’re twins or that I have a twin, they’re surprised most of the time but think that it’s cool and ask if we’re close.”

What colleges will you be attending?

Grey is going to Cape Fear, and Virginia am going to the Chapel Hill.

Samantha and Maddie Gillis

How do you think high school differed since you have had a twin?

“We are built-in study partners, which makes school much easier. We already knew each other going in. Another really good friend.”

What are some of your favorite memories together in high school?

“One of my favorite memories is watching Maddie get into college, not really any specifics but a good overall experience.”

What are teachers’ reactions, when they find out you are twins?

“They get really confused and can’t tell us apart because we have a lot of the same classes together.”

What colleges will you be attending?

“Samathana is going to Notre Dame, and Maddie is going to the University of Washington.

Diana and Brandon Leib

How do you think high school differed since you have a twin?

“We never have to experience things alone and have always been able to have someone to ask questions and rely on throughout high school.”

What are some of your favorite memories together in high school?

“Competing in track together and being there for each other’s meets/games.”

What are teachers’ reactions, when they find out you are twins?

“They typically think we’re just brother and sister because of our last name but are surprised to know that we’re twins.”

What colleges will you be attending?

Brandon is going to NCSU and Diana is going to UNCW.

Photos contributed by the twins

Students embark on their gap year journey Angela Seo spread editor

F

or most seniors, next year is about starting a new life away from home in college. However, that is not the case for everyone at Northwest. From going on mission trips to working to save money, some seniors have decided to slow things down by taking what’s called a gap year.

Senior Gavin Turnmire knew since he was a kid that he wanted to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

“I’m planning on serving a two-year mission, Turnmire said. “I will be sent somewhere in the world by my church and spend two years spreading the word and bring others into Christ.”

Since he has always known that he wanted to do this, it has been a much easier for Turnmire to declare his choice. He also hopes that the mission will help him as a person and student in the future.

“The mission will make me more disciplined and give me many experiences to help during school and later in life,” Turnmire said.

Turnmire must go through a

19

ent reasons. He process of simply wants paperwork and a break from training before school. he can go on “I’m tired of his mission or school, and I feel know where he like taking a year will be sent. off will give me “I have the opportunity to put in my to go ahead with papers and a fresh start and wait for my a fresh attitude,” mission, then Fetters said. “I I will be sent have gone hard to the Missionat school since I ary Training was in elemenCenter where tary school, and I will learn a I’m kinda burnt new language out and really if my mission need a break.” requires it,” Photo contributed by Karly Billips Fetters is Turnmire said. Senior Karly Billips is pictured with a member from Daraja, her church choir. For six planning on “I will also Billips will be travelling down the working and savlearn various months, East Coast with this group performing for ing up money for important churches in the area. college during skills to use on his gap year. Afterwards, he plans to my mission.” go to college.

After his two years serving on “I plan on going into engineering the mission field, Turnmire hopes school either at NC State or someto apply to college for the spring where fairly close by,” Fetters said. semester and get his master’s in Senior Karly Billips is taking business. advantage of her gap year to do Senior Parker Fetters has also something she really loves. chosen a gap year, but for differ-

www.northwesthorizons.com

“I am going to work with an African children’s choir called Daraja, which means ‘bridge’ in Swahili,” Billips said.

The choir consists of about 18 kids ages nine to 13. The group will travel down the east coast for six months and perform for churches.

They will have two African teachers, one music leader and a group of interns in the group as well.

“For six months, I will be with these children taking care, preparing, loving, pouring into them and relying on people to open up their homes for us to stay,” Billips said.

Billips decided to take on this opportunity two years ago when the group first visited her church.

“I’m taking a gap year because I feel like it will be an amazing opportunity to do something I love on my own before I head off to college and just take a break to be able to grow myself as a person,” Billips said.

After Billips returns from her gap year, she will attend Appalachian State University in the fall of 2020.

Although these students may be in the minority in their decisions, their year off will help to give them a fresh start and new experiences.

May 2019

Where?

Why?

Students on their college choice

How ard

Lauren Howard: Duke University Alex Cecil: Iowa State Rami Bikdash: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Daniel Yim: Johns Hopkins University

ren

Where are you going next year?

Lau

Franklin Wei staff writer

When?

FEATURES

When did you receive your decision?

Ale

Lauren Howard: March 2019 (I received an early notification telling me I was a scholarship finalist) Alex Cecil: June 2018 Rami Bikdash: December 2018 Daniel Yim: December 2018

l das h

Dan iel Yim

What advice would you give to younger students?

i Bik

Lauren Howard: Getting the Trinity scholarship (a full-ride merit scholarship) made it an easy decision to choose Duke, but it was one of my top choices even before that. Duke has an unique combination of topnotch academics and a crazy amount of school spirit that really drew me in.

Alex Cecil: The environment and the setup of the campus were appealing to me.

Rami Bikdash: MIT is an excellent school in a beautiful and lively area.

The city is teeming with bright, young minds, all eager to make their mark on the world.

Daniel Yim: JHU is close to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, so I’ll be able to access their immense resources, from internships to great food.

eci

What made you choose your school?

Ram

Lauren Howard: It’s close to home, it’s filled with people from all over the world who have diverse interests and who have done amazing things. I think the community there will inspire me to achieve my full potential.

Alex Cecil: The class opportunities offered at Iowa will allow to me to pursue my career goals.

Rami Bikdash: I will be stepping closer to my dream of becoming a doctor, and I will be continuing my soccer career with MIT’s varsity soccer team.

Daniel Yim: Johns Hopkins’ heavy focus on research will allow me to work with high-minded peers to make a difference in the world.

xC

What excites you about your school?

Lauren Howard: Do what you’re passionate about. That’s what will shine through on college applications. Also, try to find a school where you fell like you’d fit in and feel at home.

Alex Cecil: Even if something might seem like a bad idea at first, don’t be afraid to test it and see if it works.

Rami Bikdash: Find what is meant for you and pursue it with great tenacity, yet flexibility. Never fear failure and appreciate the moment.

Photos by Franklin Wei Daniel Yim: Even though grades are important, don’t forget to have fun. Sometimes your friends are more important than a grade. www.northwesthorizons.com May 2019

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FEATURES

History electives become history:

Northwest’s lost classes

Christy Ma staff writer

W

ith graduation approaching, seniors are getting ready to leave the doors of Northwest for the last time. With them they take newearned wisdom, potentially-lasting friendships and the last remaining memories of classes now gone.

Speech and debate, leadership and We the People are all social studies electives that were once offered at Northwest, but have all been lost due to budget cuts.

“The allotment of teachers did not equal the number of sections we needed to have all those classes,” school counselor Stacy Garner said. “Especially with those classes being in our social studies department, and (because) students need histories to graduate, we’ve always had to offer quite a few history classes. So to make sure we have enough staffing for those classes, (we had to cut down on some electives).”

Speech and debate was one of the notable classes that have been dropped due to budget restraints.

While the class has been gone for three years, it still has an active after-school club; however, the adviser says that the time allotted after-school is not enough for preparations. “(While) we have a strong leadership core that works hard to maintain the integrity and structure of our team,” speech and debate adviser Scott Bennett said, “(the loss of the class) has definitely had an impact on the communication of our team.

The class was kind of the heart and soul of the team; our leaders came out of that class. Even though we (still) practice, I find that the intense coaching practices I could do on a daily basis are now gone.”

Furthermore, the lack of a speech and debate class leaves less time for team bonding and relaxation, which can hurt the holistic experience. The current co-captain of the speech and debate team, senior Alana Roy, is one of the last students still at Northwest to have taken the speech and debate class, and her experiences highlights how a certain spark was lost once speech and debate became solely extracurricular. “(The class had) a certain sense of community,” Roy said. “That class was my ‘chill class,’ and with such a busy schedule, having a little break in the middle of the day allowed me to decompress. The fun skits, plays and structured curriculum (did not transfer as well into the club). I built a lot (more) friendships (in the class) as seeing them every day allowed me to appreciate them as people more.”

21

Leadership was a service-learning based social studies class that used to be offered at Northwest.

They would help with pep rallies, powderpuff games, raising money for charities, beautifying the school and

creating memorials.

The community has felt a loss since the class’s departure as school spirit has gone down, according to some.

“We looked out for the community,” former leadership teacher Paul Egleston said. “I think there was a degree of school pride that was hit when the class was gone. Students felt like they had ownership of things a little less. There’s always a part (that) has been lost.”

Finally, We the People was a class centered around learning about The Constitution; students would train for the We the People competition, and Northwest was a nationally recognized school--so much so that the school became the home team, and the competition moved from Duke University to High Point University to accomodate for distance. However, the Northwest team only competed a few times at High Point before the class had to be dropped due to budget cuts.

“We were top 10 in the nation three times,” former We the People teacher Ray Parrish said. “We were Southeast regional champs four times, and won two unit awards.

(This made it) seem like this was something that would be around forever, so when it was cut, I remember thinking ‘this can’t be true.’”

The loss of a class can be felt not only by students, but by the teachers

www.northwesthorizons.com

as well. While the teachers all understood and accepted the circumstances, there is still a sense of pain that comes with losing something they put so much effort into maintaining.

“I wonder about it almost every day,” Parrish said.

“I accept the loss, because if it was not meant to be, it was not meant to be, but I still think about it.

Why did it go down without much fight? It was incredibly disappointing, losing such a close family. We would always cry when we were leaving competitions, and then (we left for good).

I don’t think it will come back, so I just have to look back on the good years when it happened. That’s just the way it is. It’s slightly (bittersweet and poetic) that our history class became a part of Northwest history itself.”

There is an idea of “AP culture” at Northwest, and the lack of AP credit could contribute to the loss of CP or even honors classes.

“If (We the People) was offered as an AP government class, roughly 60 students would be interested,” Parrish said. “However, if it was not an AP class, we only had roughly 16 students who were interested. Northwest (has) very smart (students), but it is also a grade-oriented (school).”

Even as converting a class into honors or AP could incentivise more students to join, some believe that keeping an elective a CP class attracts those who truly care about the subject.

“It (created) a different kind of class,” Bennett said. “They weren’t caught up in the grade; they were caught up in practice, in growth, in learning how to speak better, learning how to research and learning how to argue. That’s why it was such a loss.”

The heavy emphasis parents and students place on GPA can lead to a lack of diversification in an individual’s schedule. Regarding classes outside of core classes, some may not find an incentive, especially since

students are only given two elective periods each year. While it is understandable that in such a competitive environment students sometimes sacrifice desired classes for highGPA classes, there is still a benefit in broadening class choices.

“The whole purpose of high school is that it’s a laboratory,” Bennett said. “It’s (not just about) getting basic skills, like what (the core classes offer), but it’s also about exploring what’s out there in the world that might inspire you to want to go and seek a cause somewhere, a vocation, a calling. I’ve known people to come out of speech and debate as lawyers, people who come out of journalism to become journalists, people who come out of band as professional musicians. These classes are integral in giving young people an opportunity to sample to world, and to get this big menu so they know what they might want to be now.”

However, there is a hopeful future for classes offered at Northwest. Rather than having to remove classes due to unfortunate budget cuts, the faculty is trying to broaden elective choices for the upcoming school years.

“We’re trying to add (new classes),” Garner said. “We’ve added AP computer science principles, honors 20th century civil rights, honors Sports Marketing 2 (and) we are trying to fill up AP European history, so hopefully that will come back, too.”

Other classes, such as French, have since left due to other reasons. “(French) was not cut,” Garner said, “(but rather) there weren’t enough students signing up. (The other language classes) are very big, so we didn’t have enough (students) to have French anymore.”

Thus, registration selections play an active role in keeping classes.

“I hope that students take time to select what they want to take,” Garner said, “so we have an accurate idea of how many kids want to take these classes.”

Even with the hopeful horizons regarding electives, the last few student memories of the now-gone classes leave Northwest with this senior class.

“It’s just really sad losing the class and now kind of losing the team because (this is my last year),” Roy said. “It really hurts for it to be gone; I will always miss it.”

Photo by Christy Ma

We the People, a class offered at Northwest High School for 24 years, was a competition centered around learning the Constitution. Northwest placed top ten in the nation three times, and the location was moved to High Point to accomadate the team. However, the class was cut ftwo years ago due to budget restraints.

May 2019

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The production behind the production: Behind the scenes of “The Addams Family” Emma Welsh and Emma Fagerberg news editor and editor-in-chief

Photos by Angela Seo

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“The Addams Family” was performed April 11, 12 and 13 by the Northwest Drama Make Believers. A school musical is a large artistic collaboration in the school and it happens every other year.

very other year, the Northwest Drama Make-Believers put on a musical for the school; this year’s is ‘The Addams Family.’

Though many students, staff and others from the community will come to watch the production, few will know what goes on behind the curtains.

There is more to every production than what the audience sees on stage. Technical theatre includes everything--from building the set, to running the light and sound board to creating an actor’s costume and makeup design.

“It’s interesting to look at (the musical) from a different perspective,” senior stage manager Emily Myer said. “I’ve been in all the after-school shows, and I’m a senior, so this is the first one I haven’t been in. It’s interesting to step back and look at it from (a behind-thescenes) perspective.”

Furthermore, in an actor’s shoes, the requirements set forth by certain productions extend far beyond memorizing lines. Senior Elonie Quick, who played the role of Morticia Addams, studied the many portrayals of her character.

“Most people know the movie,

a couple older generations know the (television) show and then there’s a comic book so there’s lots of inspiration to take from,” Quick said. “I watched two of the movies and then I looked up some videos of the (television) show. All of the Morticias in them are really different.”

While the main characters stand out to the audience, it is the ensemble that establishes the mood of each scene through singing and dancing. Freshman Sophie Carson was an ensemble member and also had some dance solos in the musical.

“‘The Addams Family’ is different than some of the other musicals done at Northwest because it’s very dance heavy,” Carson said.

“We have to learn music, blocking and choreography in such a small amount of time.”

Rehearsals include a combination of choreography, working in the music and blocking, which is the specific placing of actors on the stage. Outside of rehearsal time, members of the stage production are building the set--a full Victorian mansion--and making costumes.

“I don’t think people realize that this isn’t something that you can just put together immediately,” Quick said. “It takes a lot of people and a lot of time. It takes every single person involved--whether it be directing, set building, stage management, acting, singing or dancing--to actually care about it.

If you don’t, then the audience will be able to tell and it won’t go as good as it can.”

Musicals, involve many groups of the arts.

“I love to see the community that comes from the environment of kids that are in orchestra, band, theatre, chorus or none of those classes coming together (to create something),” theatre teacher Abby Turner said.

Senior Quiz: What high school Students find cheap college snacks stereotype are you?

Adam Sasser

staff writer

Ed Peña staff writer

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or many people, college is the first place where you have full control of your wallet. However, between school supplies, having fun with friends and other living expenses, that money can disappear quickly. One of the main culprits behind this phenomenon is food.

Food is something that everyone needs to survive, which also makes it one of many constant investments that have the ability to eat up your wallet. Fortunately, there is an array of cheap food that you can purchase to counteract this problem.

“For the first year I was in college, my parents sent me with a bunch of food, so I didn’t have to buy anything,” honors chemistry teacher Katie Pidsosny said. “But when they started making me buy my own food, I bought a lot of tuna because I read somewhere that it would make me smarter. So tuna, crackers and cereal were my go-to foods back then.”

The recent development of Pop-Tart Bites has provided a new, iteresting way to combat the usual expensive cost of food. The bites are cheaper than the actual-sized PopPhoto by Ed Peña

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Snacks sit on a counter, ready to be consumed. These foods are cheaper for college students and easy to find.

www.northwesthorizons.com

Tarts and in each box, the buyer receives five packs of miniature pop tarts that have been fairly well received by the public thus far.

“At the end of the day, I would get the Pop-Tart Bites because they’re cheaper, newer and cooler,” Honor biology teacher Jessica Tidmore said. “They’d fit better in my backpack without getting crushed and are just more convenient.

They’re pretty full of the filling and have quite a bit of the frosting on them, so it’s like all the best part but in bite-size form.”

But when it comes down to purchasing food, there is always one other alternative that would save the most amount of money possible every time- and that’s the free alternative.

“Before anything else, we always checked to see if we could find free food anywhere,” Pidsosny said.

“I don’t even remember how many bad lectures I sat through just to get their free food at the end. You do what you can to survive essentially, and free food helps with that a lot.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Students rate college swag Mackenzie Milani-Kaufman staff writer

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araphernalia is one of the most popular ways to show your association with something.

Just like other popular fandoms, college merchandise, or ‘swag,’ is a popular item among college attendees and those who plan to go to those colleges. Many people get college merchandise to show their affiliation with a school, to fit in with a certain style or to show their pride in a college team.

The Northwest Horizons staff polled 76 students across grade levels to find favorites.

Hoodies and sweatshirts are the most popular choice of college wear. At Northwest, you can see people wearing sweatshirts and hoodies during nearly every month of the school year. 28.6 percent of students at Northwest own a sweatshirt or a hoodie that represents a college. “(My Alabama sweatshirt) is one of the comfiest shirts I have,” sophomore Skye Handley said. “It’s

Photo by Sydney Thompson

A backpack is filled with college paraphenalia. College swag or paraphernalia is a way for students to declare which colllege they are going to.

nice and warm. When I feel too hot, I can take it off and have a t-shirt underneath. If I get cold after that, then I put it back on and then boom, I’m warm again.”

Handley said that while she doesn’t plan on going to Alabama, she wears her sweatshirt to show her support for Alabama in the college’s football endeavors.

While sweatshirts are considered the most popular, t-shirts that sport a college emblem on them are just as popular at Northwest, with the same amount of 28.6 percent of students owning a college-themed t-shirt.

“I own a lot of Clemson t-shirts,” freshman Eric Kan said. “They’re a good team and a good school.”

While most college apparel is popular with students, hats, on the other hand, aren’t as common as a shirt or a hoodie. Only 7.1 percent of students at Northwest say they own a hat representing a college.

Like the relationship of sweatshirts and t-shirts, the same amount of people at Northwest, 7.1 percent, own water bottles and bags from colleges.

Most students agree: owning college merchandise, like a hoodie, t-shirt or even just a water bottle, makes them feel more confident in themselves.

“Even though I don’t actually have a college that I’m going to,” Handley said, “I like wearing my fan gear because I’ll see people that also have Alabama stuff on and it’s like I have a lot of friends.”

Artist profiles: Seniors display art projects

Erin Kohn contributing writer

Q:

Sarah How will you Dawkins: continue pursuing Digital Artart after senior year?

Dorm crafts: How to make a stellar sign Madison Ayres graphics editor

Materials: You’ll need a wooden sign, acrylic paint and stickers with your initials. Feel free to add other stickers that fit your taste. In this demonstation are wooden letters.

Step 1. Paint the sign with the first layer of color. Leave to dry for an hour.

Step 2. Add the new pattern with paint on the top. Leave to dry for another hour.

Step 3. Add a layer of Modge Podge to make the paint shiny and to keep it in good condition.

Step 4. Add stickers, like your initials, and stick them down. Make sure to keep them smooth so that they stay on. Use wood glue if you use wooden letters.

Now you have a stellar sign to hang in your dormitory!

Photos by Madison Ayres

Erin James: Self portrait

Q: How have Q: How have you developed your you developed Artwork provided by Sarah Dawkins, Brooke style? your style?

Bobetich, Erin James and Noah West.

A: I’m going to UNCG A: I’ve developed through A: I just keep drawfor art. I plan to get Photoshop. You can take ing and drawing to my BFA in new meshadows and highlights make something dia and design. and make them comunique. pletely different colors.

Q: What is Q: How will your inspiration you continue behind this piece? pursuing art after A: It’s a modern take senior year?

A: I’m going to the Saon pop art. I’m really Q: What is vannah College of Art inspired by Andy Noah West: and Design to get an your inspiration Warhol. illustration degree. behind this piece?

A: I had to look inside myself for inspiration and figure out the Q: How have Q: How will you key aspects of my Q: What is your you developed your continue pursuing art personality. inspiration behind Brooke style? after senior year? this piece?

Bobetich: A: I looked into color- A: I want to continue A: With urban sprawl, ing books and I made more as a hobby, Acrylic my we see a lot of wildlife own style inspired maybe like an Etsy declining and birds by “color by numshop. are some of the most bers.” widely affected.

Q: What is Q: How will Q: How have your inspiration you continue puryou developed your behind this piece? style?

A: My rabbit, Marshall. suing art after senior year?

A: I have gotten a lot He has a vibrant personalmore detailed, and I’ve ity, and the colors repre- A: I want to eventually fill up my house begun to use a much sent different aspects with paintings. finer point. of him.

Stippling

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May 2019