October Issue by Melanie Huynh-Duc

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Northwest Guilford High School

Greensboro, NC

The battle Of her life

Read about one studentâ€™s fight against lymphoma, page 2

Volume 55, Issue 1 October 2018

FRONT PAGE FEED

WHAT’S INSIDE

News Op-Ed Spread

3-5 6-9 10-11

Sports 12-14 Features 15-17 Arts & Entertainment 18-19

19 15

Popularity’s effect on hoco court

Behind the band performance

Senior adapts to motherhood Is Northwest’s water safe to drink?

Sophomore setters take on the court

Student battles Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis Erin Kohn contributing writer

fter years of hard work in school and beginning to take steps toward college, 17-year-old Northwest senior Karly Billips was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, bringing much of her transitioning process to a halt. Billips first noticed symptoms after Mother’s Day of 2018. Full of joy and laughter, she spent the day playing volleyball at the park with lots of friends and family. “The next day (after the game), I woke up with a knot in my neck and I thought it was just a pulled muscle,” Billips said. Persisting for about three weeks, the “knot” stopped hurting but still had not gone away. She asked both an athletic trainer and a nurse to feel the mysterious lump to see if they could tell what it was. Neither of them were quite sure and recommended that she visit her pediatrician. From the pediatrician, Billips was sent to have an ultrasound on her

neck. After several tests, her mom received an alarming phone call during Karly’s final EOC of the year. “I was able to get ahold of the attendance office and get permission for Karly to leave, and then was able to email the teacher the words I wanted her to use to not alarm Karly,” Karly’s mom Suzanne Billips said. Following this interruption, the two met up with her dad, Mike, and headed to the ENT (ears, nose and throat doctor). The doctor felt Karly’s neck and suggested they come back for a needle biopsy. Knowing that the results would determine if Karly would be able to travel to Africa on a mission trip over the summer, the family anxiously awaited the critical call from the ENT. “I couldn’t believe something so scary was happening. It was the last thing I would expect to see my friend go through,” senior Hattie Russom said. On June 18, Suzanne got the longawaited call while Karly was at school. There was a clear diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, cancelling

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her trip to Africa. “I paid all my money four days before I found out I had cancer, and they told me there was no possibility of me going,” Karly said. “It was a blessing in disguise, though, because I gave that spot up to a guy who wanted to go but wasn’t able to get all the money, so I gave my trip to him.” Although this news was devastating for Karly, she still finds ways to be positive. When in the hospital receiving treatment, she enjoys spending time with the kids on her floor, painting, playing on the playground and racing bikes in the hallway. “I love the kids on my floor,” Karly said. “A lot of them are younger and if they see you struggling, they won’t want to be positive either. I know I have to be a good example.” There is more to cancer than meets the eye, however. Even with her wonderful, optimistic spirit, a combination of chemo, steroids and unexpected infections have left her feeling under the weather. “People write books about how awful steroids are, if that says anyFront page photo by Madison Ayres

thing,” Karly said. “A few days after chemo is when the pain really sets in. My whole body hurts; it starts in my toes and moves up. My legs feel like when you fall and get the wind knocked out of you. It gets to the point where I can’t even walk on my own. Right now, I’ve had a migraine for a week and a day.” Cancer has also proven itself to be unkind with the emotional rollercoaster it creates for its patients. Her family and friends are an enormous support, but they are unable tov guide her through much of the pain she feels. “I know I’m going to have to experience things that are scary, but nobody else is experiencing it with me,” Karly said. “I’m sitting in my bed, trying to describe something to my parents that they will never understand. It’s like being alone in a haunted house.” Despite the pain, Karly still tries to stay on top of her school work. Nearing the end of the 2018 school year, she wanted to take college classes at GTCC, but upon her diagnosis, she discovered she couldn’t cont. on page 15

October 2018

NEWS

Something in the water:

Students investigate water quality at Northwest

Rumors circulate the school about cloudy, lead-contaminated water running through the school’s pipes, but do they hold any truth? Madison Magyar, Sydney Thompson, Emma Welsh staff writer, arts & entertainment editor, news and managing editor

hen parents received an email on Aug. 24 welcoming their children to a new school year, they weren’t expecting the information that followed. “We are taking additional steps to make sure that our students and staff have access to safe drinking water in our schools,” Superintendent Sharon Contreras said in the email. While parents may have been confused by this note, students were less surprised. Rumors of lead in the school’s water have not been uncommon. Some students are even advised not to drink it at all. The accusations beg the question: Is the water safe? According to senior Josh Hairston, no. “The water is white; for it to turn clear, you have to shake up your water bottle,” Hairston said. “It also has a metallic aftertaste.” However, according to science teacher Steve Russillo, the water at the school is perfectly safe to drink. “I drink out of all the water fountains, even the ones the students say are ‘cloudy,’” Russillo said. “I happen to know from my own personal tests that the water is cloudy because of air bubbles in the water, not any impurities.” Students are not as convinced. In February 2018, the Guilford County School District had the water tested from 99 schools, including Northwest high school. The results returned this past summer may change their minds. “The initiative was a proactive, precautionary measure to ensure that drinking water is safe for students and employees,” program administrator Tina Firesheets said in a GCS press release. Guilford County volunteered to be tested, though there is nothing requiring the school’s water to be tested for quality. The levels of lead found inside Northwest’s water were four parts per billion, while the legal limit is 20. Other schools found more troubling results: the amount of lead in the water from Southeast Middle School, Allen Jay Elementary and Frazier Elementary

October 2018

were found to have exceeded the safety limit. “Steps were taken according to EPA guidelines,” Firesheets said, “which included replacing the faucets and resampling the water.” In the future, the water will be tested regularly in Guilford County Schools to ensure students’ safety. As an extra precaution, all schools in Guilford County are required to flush faucets associated with drinking and food preparation every morning before school. “We run the water fountains for thirty seconds in the morning to get the water moving,” custodian Don Vasses said. “It makes the water safer and gets the lead filtered out.” As the water sits for long hours after school, it can become contaminated by the system of our 56 year old facility. Once moving again in the morning, it is much safer. “The water is only dangerous if you’ve been drinking water that’s been sitting in the pipes overnight,” science teacher Terrence Murphy said. “When it’s aerated, it no longer has lead just sitting in it.” Throughout the water testing process, the students have not been given any information concerning its quality or safety. Some students have formed their own opinions based off of assumptions and their prior experiences with the school’s water fountains. Even if it is safe, there are other concerns that cause students to debate whether or not to use water from the school. “The water might be fine but the taps are so old they are probably rusted,” junior Krystyna Derezinska-Choo said. Students who do trust the school’s system tend to have picked favorite fountains and faucets

within the buildings. Based on temperature and pressure, two water fountains next to each other can appear to have two different qualities of water. “I bring a refillable water bottle from home every day,” junior Turner Johnson said. “ If I have to refill it, I go to the trailers where it is usually colder and tastes better.” Others argue the opposite. Some students claim that there are issues with the water specifically in the trailers. “In most of the mobiles there isn’t enough water pressure,” Hairston said. Regardless of preference, there are things that every student can do to protect themselves and make sure the system lasts as long as possible. “A person who is drinking out of the water fountain should make sure that their mouth does not touch the spicket,” Vasses said. “Students also shouldn’t dump food or other liquids down the fountain. Some of the student athletes like to dump their proteins shakes down the drain; it clogs up the whole system.” In conclusion, as long as the pipes are actively flowing, the water at Northwest is perfectly safe to drink. “If supposedly potable water comes from a non-potable source, the government has to warn people about it,” Russillo said. “If the government does not do this, that is illegal.” As of Oct. 9, FOX8 reported that Guilford County will be outsourcing aid in replacing water fountains after finding high levels of lead at some schools in the county. Photo by Emma Fagerberg

A water sample is taken for the water in the two-story building. Rumors of metals such as lead and copper are spread throughout the school.

Important upcoming dates Oct. 27: Band Fall Festival Oct. 31: First Quarter Ends Nov. 1: Makeup Day for Hurricane Florence Nov. 4: Daylight Saving Time Ends Nov. 12: No School; Veteran’s Day Nov. 21-23: Thanksgiving Break

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NEWS

Republicans and Democrats prepare for the midterm elections With the Nov. 6 election approaching, tensions rise within both parties Thomas Altmann staff writer

war is raging. Democrats and Republicans are already battling for what many consider a monumental election this November that could have massive influence on the future of America. Social studies teacher Scott Bennett explained the election’s importance. “It’s an important election from a U.S. congress perspective,” Bennett said. “The (House of Representatives) is up for grabs, and the Senate may be up for grabs. I recently saw that it might be a closer outcome than last year. Also, the Democrats have raised more than $1 billion from all contributions.” This election may prove to be especially important for North Carolina, as well. “We will likely see an increase of participation because of the five referendums on the ballot,” Bennett said. “Those will pique the interest of conservatives who want to see them passed.”

AP government and politics teacher James Thompson had his own predictions for the potential outcomes in N.C.’s General Assembly. “The status quo will prevail,” Thompson said. “The Democrats might pick up a couple of seats, but the Republicans will probably keep their supermajority, which means the governor will still be mostly just a figurehead because everything can be overridden by the General Assembly.” Both Thompson and Bennett attributed some of the potential outcomes to gerrymandering, the practice of politicians drawing voting districts in a way to favor one political party over the other. “I just don’t see the Democrats taking the House of Representatives and Senate back because of gerrymandering,” Thompson said. “When the economy is doing well, the status quo, more often than not, seems to prevail.” Furthermore, the election might have huge impacts on the national level. Bennett explained what might happen if the Democrats

Flu season brings h e a l t h c o nve r s a t i o n

were to win the House. “(The election) may temper the president, or it could potentially embolden the Trump administration,” Bennett said. “If the president feels that he still has enough backing by his base, then he won’t back down. We’ll also have to see how this shakes out for our Supreme Court nominee.” Bennett also explained how the concept of a pendulum, where the pendulum represents the control of one political party, might lead to the Democrats winning one chamber of Congress. “Even with Republicans and Democrats going head to head we still have a pendulum,” Bennett said. “When we see it swing widely one way, we’ll see some amount of swinging back the other way,” Bennett said. The pendulum swing refers to when the Republicans picked up control over the House and Senate in 2016. However, Thompson explained how some recurring issues might prevent huge changes. “People don’t vote; you’re look-

Photo by Emma Fagerberg

Media center specialist Natalie Strange receives a flu shot. Influenza vaccinations are given to the Northwest High and Middle School faculty for free each year with insurance.

flu-like symptoms after getting vaccinated, it isn’t necessarily the flu, but another respiratory infection. This flu imposter is called Rhinoviruses (common cold), and it has the same symptoms and a similar active season to the flu. The most common side effect from a flu vaccine is soreness and redness near the injection site. Because the Influenza virus is always changing, it is hard to create an effective vaccine. The most common way vaccines are created is the egg

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Graphic by Adam Sasser

A ballot is being placed into the voting box. As the midterm election approaches, students see the effects of political campaigning all around them.

With the return of the influenza virus, students debate whether the vaccine would do more harm than good

Catherine Harris staff writer

ive to 20 percent of the US population had the flu last year. This highly contagious virus killed 180 kids in the U.S.; the highest recent death rate since the swine flu outbreak in 2009. Now once again flu season is upon us, but what exactly is the flu? Should you get vaccinated? What is the difference between the injected vaccine and the nasal spray vaccine? What precautions does Northwest take to keep students and staff safety? Influenza is a virus that wreaks havoc on a person’s body. Its deceiving tactics of pretending to be just a cold causes a lot of people to ignore it until they have to go to the emergency room. It spreads through the moisture in the air, so you can get it just by standing near an infected person. If it isn’t treated within the first few days, it can lead to complications or secondary infections like bronchitis, pneumonia and heart problems. “Everybody in my family who has gotten the flu vaccination seems to get the flu,” sophomore Rachel Clanton said, who doesn’t get vaccinated. “I’ve never gotten the flu.” According to the CDC, if you show

ing at far less than 50 percent of the (electorate) voting,” Thompson said. “The people who do vote are usually older Americans, and they tend to be more conservative.” This election could have huge impacts on both N.C. and the national stage, especially for the Trump administration. For these reasons, many Americans will eagerly await the election results come this November.

method. Scientist inject flu strains into chicken eggs to allow the virus to multiply. From those chicken eggs, they remove the flu virus and put it in vaccines. In some cases, like last year with H3N2 flu virus, the viruses grew poorly in the eggs causing it to not be as effective. The average effectiveness of a flu shot is 40-60 percent, last year’s vaccine was 13-30 percent effective, which is why so many people got the flu.

We know about the injected vaccine, but what about the new nose spray? According to the Center for Disease Control and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the nasal spray has almost the same effectiveness as the vaccine. Even though the nasal spray has active flu viruses in it, they have been weakened and will not give a person the flu: however, there are more side effects associated with this method. If you have asthma, egg allergies, a chronic disease or live with someone who is immunocompromised, you should not use this method of vaccinating. “You absolutely have to vaccinate,” parent Lindsey Milani said. “In our personal situation, my daughter is on immunosuppressant medicine because she had a kidney transplant, and she can catch a common cold or the flu. If you’re going to send your kids to school or you’re going to be out in the general population, it is very ignorant and irresponsible to not vaccinate your children.” About 10 million people in the U.S. are immunocompromised and they rely on other people being vaccinated. While they can also receive the vaccine, it doesn’t always protect them. “Anyone who chooses to not vaccinate their child is basically harboring a tiny biological weapon,” sophomore Sawyer Rhoney said. “They’re an issue of public health.”

October 2018

NEWS

teachers N o r t h w e s t t a k e s New on staff a stand on safety Kimberly Brown, Angela Seo, Sarah Teague staff writer, spread editor, features editor

While tragedies across the country are publicized, a new fear weighs heavily on students’ and teachers’ minds all times. With multiple unlocked doors to both buildings, it seems as though anyone can enter if they so wished. “(Some) of the school is outside hen a new school year in trailers,” senior Jacob Skeehan begins, everyone is worried about said. “(They’re) not secure by any something. Whether it’s the immeans.” pending workload, having classes The most pressing concern about with friends, or something else security seems to be the trailers, entirely, everyone can relate to this where the social studies departfeeling of pressure. ment is housed. These structures One thing students haven’t had weren’t meant to be used as long to stress about before is their own as they have been, and some show safety. However, due to national signs of deterioration; any natunews sensationalism, threats to ral disaster like a hurricane or a their safety linger in the back of tornado could possibly destroy their minds. these facilities. Throughout other “No one ever expects something seasons however, most teachers bad to happen to them,” social leave their doors unlocked during studies teacher class, even open Nicole Smith said. on a particularly “That’s the issue.” nice day. The The county is exposure here working to alis quite evident, leviate this doubt no matter the and reassure the weather. student body. “I don’t Over the summer, think that we’re returning stuin the best situdent drivers have ation, especially noticed the large being out in the increase in parktrailers,” Smith ing pass payment, said. and their irrita Students PTSO president Kelly tion is evident. aren’t the only “The county set ones concerned Parsons the new price,” about their secuassistant princirity. Members of pal Tanya Hiller said. “The positive the PTSO formed a subcommittee is that we get a portion of that to to help identify security deficiencies spend on school safety in our build- at the school, and they have been ing.” more vocal about school safety Before this year, the $5 paid by than ever before. students went directly to Guilford “It’s not as though we can just County. Now, our school is set to buy a lock and lock the place receive a percent of the payment ourselves,” PTSO president Kelly to spend on cameras, the addition Parsons said. “We have to really of key fobs to doors or even the work within the guidelines that are maintenance of first-aid kits. One outlined by the county and what of the most notable changes the precautions they want to put in payment increase has caused is the place.” installation of a buzzer system at Their largest hurdle has been the school’s main entrance. addressing the county about the “Most schools in the county have condition of Northwest and consome sort of system,” Hiller said. vincing them to delegate money for “It has decreased traffic coming in its improvement. There are ways the front door; students are using for students to get involved as well. the student drop-off line more.” “We are in desperate need of Many students may not agree having students, parents, everywith the value of this new impleone who’s part of the Northwest mentation. community, go out and speak with “They’re very adamant about not the Board of Education about our letting (people) in,” senior Leila concerns,” PTSO president Kelly Ganim said. Ganim was asked to Parsons said, “because we don’t sign in at the office, even though want a lot of time to lapse between she was re-entering the school to when this funding is (being) disget to the cafeteria for lunch. persed and when we can expect to It can be argued that one buzzer see security improvements in our isn’t enough to protect students at school.”

Name: Jeannine Kivi Position: Math II and III teacher Past Experience: 25 years of teaching Hobbies: Traveling

Emma Welsh news and managing editor

“

It’s not as though we can just buy a lock and lock the place ourselves.

Name: Kate Pidsosny Position: Honors Chemistry teacher Past Experience: Taught math at Southern Guilford for six years and taught math and chemistry at High Point Central for three years Hobbies: Reading, hiking, hanging out with friends

Name: Angela Hamilton Position: Nursing Fundamentals/ Health Science II with Internship teacher Past Experience: Cardiac Nurse for 24 years, taught at Southern Guilford, 12 years of teaching Hobbies: Playing with triplet grandbabies, travelling, riding motorcycles

Name: Jennifer Goldin Position: Foundations of Math I and II, Discrete Math teacher Past Experience: Nine years in New York, 10 years in North Carolina teaching fifth and AG at Oak Ridge and three years at Our Lady of Grace Catholic school Hobbies: Reading, traveling, watching football and hockey

Name: Grace Wheeler Position: EC assistant Past Experience: Brother with Down Syndrome made her want to teach kids with disabilities Hobbies: Longboarding, working with the nonprofit, “Caroline’s Promise”

Name: Caroline Hess Position: Physics teacher Past Experience: Taught high school and community college in California and North Carolina, taught at Northern Guilford for the last five years Hobbies: Reading, cooking, hiking

Name: Ethan Smith Position: Honors and CP English I teacher Past Experience: Worked at McMichael High School and worked at Greensboro College Hobbies: Coaching football, camping, hiking, kayaking, fishing

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“

EDITORIAL

Homecoming rebrand deemed a success STAFF EDITORIAL In previous years, Northwest’s Homecoming has been just another Friday night football game. There used to be a pep rally by the football field that, due to its low levels of “pep,” was canceled last year. Additionally, for the past several years, the Homecoming dance has been canceled because of poor attendance. As a consolation, TWIRP was added in January. But this year, nearly every Northwest student and faculty member will attest that the Homecoming festivities were robust and joyful. The banners, the bonfire, the parade, Spirit Week, the football game and the dance had everyone excited and proud to be a part of the Viking Nation. Northwest parent Erika Berry is credited for mobilizing the Northwest PTSO to rebrand Homecoming. Having experienced a large Homecoming at her alma mater in Michigan, she was inspired to espouse more school spirit when she and her family transferred to Northwest. “I think (Homecoming) is hugely important. It’s really about bringing kids together to form better relationships and connect,” Berry said. The Student Council was responsible for planning the Spirit Week days, preparing a theme for the dance, making the floats for the parade and ushering at the pep rally. “We put a lot of work into preparing for Homecoming—especially the Student Council float—but everything paid off because it was

a lot of fun,” senior class secretary Angela Seo said. The parade on Northwest School Road Friday, Oct. 5 was a firsttime experience in Northwest’s history. Each grade level prepared a float, the members of the Homecoming court were chauffeured in community-donated convertibles, the Northwest Viking Marching band led the way with its spirited drum line and many clubs also participated-- including speech and debate, the cycling club and the Ragnarök yearbook. Friday night, the football game was well attended, with Northwest defeating High Point Central 44-23. This year, the Homecoming committee awarded both a King and Queen during halftime; in past years, only a female student was recognized. The 2018 King and Queen are seniors Josh Hairston and Claire Riffle. “What an unbelievable night! Thank you to everyone who congratulated me,” Riffle said on her Facebook page. The Homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 6, was held in Northwest’s gym and was also well attended, with approximately 700 tickets sold. Student council adviser Alex Wertz said more than $7,000 was raised from the dance alone, which might allow for the dance to happen off campus next year. All in all, Northwest’s spirit is heightened thanks to the Homecoming week, and we commend all the efforts put in to make it memorable.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR School Spirit. It's not really something I should be criticizing as I too am a part of the problem. That’s just the simple answer, it's not one small thing we can pinpoint instead it’s a bunch of issues put together. I mean, I only attended my second ever football game last week during the Northern game. That’s a problem. Without a doubt. But the simple fact is, I just didn’t want to go. There’s a difference between going to a game to socialize with your friends and going to the game because you have pride in your team and want to support them. Sure, we can blame it on the fact that we lost, but how can we as a team be expected to win when the student section is about as dead as well… a Northwest student section. The student section has evolved past its original purpose, I’d say. The purpose was to have a loud, proud, group that would be constantly supporting our team while they toil on the field. Now? Now the student section is one person standing to see the game better and the rest following suit because they can’t see the field anymore. That’s an issue. If the parent with a cowbell is louder than the student section, that’s an issue. If our chants die out three seconds into them, there’s an issue. If we have to ask the students during a pep rally to “please get hyped,” there’s most definitely an issue. But what can we do? How can we fix that? Well, there are a few things we could do. We could subsidize school pep. Yes, I think the school could devote about half as much money to helping out pep as it does in providing better, newer textbooks; that is to say around 300 dollars or so. If students had access to noisemakersjust something to bring about excitement, then perhaps we would see a shift.

Another slight issue I personally saw at the game was the lack of “freedom” to rile up the student section. It was either chanting the Vikings fight song or some arenafriendly anthems but that was it. I’m not saying we let the student section yell profanities at the opposing team but not allowing them to *ahem* express how they feel about a referee’s call is a bit too stifling of their spirit. They’re getting paid to be there! I’ve heard far worse working as a cashier and I still haven’t quit. The seniors most definitely should not be the only ones leading this revolution of sorts. If that occurs, then what will happen next year? If the general trend continues then we’re headed towards about two whole seconds of pep mixed in everything thirty minutes. To be entirely honest, that’s more an insult to the team than anything else. This school needs a systematic re-hyping if you will. My most definit, totally honest suggestion is that we devote whole minutes of homeroom, where the teachers themselves will be able to teach us to get “lit” as us youngsters say it. Wouldn’t that motivate the students? Ask yourselves here, do you really want the teachers coming into the student section and doing Fortnite dances? C’mon now. But without contest, a systematic school-wide approach would be the absolute best way to revitalize our school spirit. As we get to hear from the student body, we should make decisions regarding what sort of theme we have or what sort of chants we all chant. You absolutely cannot have school spirit without involving the entirety of the school in the discussion. But above all, let’s just not ever utter the phrase, “Please get hyped.” Binay Rijal, senior

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

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.

October 2018

HEAD TO HEAD

Tardy, attendance policies fall short Franklin Wei staff writer

he unthinkable has happened– you've overslept. Your bedside clock reads 8:45, and you know there's no way you'll beat that tardy bell. Wishing for teleportation, you speed towards school. Your heart pounds as you sprint through the deserted halls. The tardy bell rings, and now you've done it: this is your second accrued tardy. You trudge on to the attendance office, meeting the other stragglers who share your fate. You have jumped headfirst into the jaws of the monster that is Northwest's tardy policy. Before long, you'll become intimately familiar with its details: your first tardy every year results in a warning, and subsequent tardies incur progressively harsher penalties, starting with hour-long after-school detention (ASD) on your second tardy. All tardies past your fifth will result in day-long in-school suspension (ISS), and tardies are tracked on a yearly basis. Media specialist Natalie Strange said that the policy is a result of multiple tardies in past years, especially to first period. These tended to be “fast-food tardies,” Strange said, as students would stop at McDonald's or Bojangles’ on the way, thinking their time plentiful. You begrudgingly serve your ASD and get on with your life. But then, a friend approaches you in the hall, sporting a mischievous grin. “You know,” your friend says with a wink, “you didn't have to serve ISS. In fact, you could've gotten out of your tardy.” “How?” you ask, skeptical. Too good to be true, right? “It's simple,” they say, ever the economist. “The school's attendance policy specifies no punishment for your first five absences – and that resets each quarter. From there it's obvious – whereas the cost of you showing up tardy, even by seconds, is a whole hour in ISS, if you had just not shown up, there would've been no punishment – none at all.” You find this hard to believe – that's just illogical – but there it is, in black and white on the school website. “Accrued absences (excused and/ or unexcused) that exceed five in number per period per quarter are considered excessive,” the policy reads. Class absences beyond five result in the student's grade in that class being changed to a 59/F – which can be avoided by either making up time or obtaining a special waiver – but nowhere is there a mention of a penalty for five or fewer absences each quarter. Principal Ralph Kitley, however, warns of the non-administrative consequences of skipping class. “A student who chooses an absence to avoid detention or ISS due to tardies is punishing himself,” Kitley said. “Choosing to miss a class ends up

Junior Declan Feeley, senior Gabe Norman, sophomore Mary Moore and sophomore Briggs Spatafora stand in the attendance office waiting to get their tardy slips for first period. For the second month of school first period had the most class tardies with a total of 276 and sixth period had the least with 65 tardies. Photo by Franklin Wei

punishing you (the student) way more unexcused. A student's fifth tardy, per than anything we could do to you.” class, per year, results in ISS while Assistant principal Donnie Watkins there is currently no penalty at all agrees with Kitley, warning students for a student being absent up to five to carefully consider the long-term times every quarter. consequences of skipping school, If anything, tardies – which might by pointing out the lost class time, result in missing just a fraction of which, he said, could hurt academic class – ought to be penalized less performance and degrade work ethic. harshly than absences, which result “Students need to be in school to in missing an entire hour-long class – learn,” Watkins said. not more. According The curto Watkins, rent tardy the tardy and policy attendance creates all policies are the wrong intended to incentives. 225 maximize Students attendance who are 179 167 and prepare just secstudents 140 140 onds late for life after to class high school. are being “The penalized purpose of with ASD school is and even to prepare ISS, while students for students a job,” Watwho are kins said. “If Mon. Tue. Wed. Thur. Fri. chroniyou have a Graphic by Franklin Wei cally job, and you absent for consistently show up late, or just don't no good reason are able to get of scotshow up at all, what do you think's free, as long as they remember to limgoing to happen?” it their absences to five a quarter – or Watkins also calls on students to up to 20 a school year. Although high take responsibility for their actions. school students should, in theory, be Students are near-adults, he said, and mature enough to weigh the conse“should be able to do what’s right.” quences of their own actions, at the The point of the tardy policy, he conend of the day, all people – whether tinued, is to “instill a sense of responyoung or old – will respond to the sibility in students.” incentives put in front of them. That's true – to an extent. Tardies Thus, the role of attendance and surely cannot go completely unpuntardy policies should be to encourage ished. However, it's clear that the students to be in class, but the current penalties for tardies are disproporpolicies do the exact opposite: they tionately harsher than the penalties create a system where the punishfor absences, whether excused or ment – possibly hours of ASD or ISS –

Tardies Mon.-Fri. for the first month of school (2018)

is wildly mismatched with the “crime” – showing up just a few seconds late to class. What is needed is a combined tardy and attendance policy that properly incentivizes class attendance. The two policies should work in concert to maximize a student's class time; no longer should a tardy for unavoidable reasons – traffic or car issues – be penalized more harshly than an unexcused absence with no good justification. Students should be granted more warnings or tardies should reset quarterly, giving students a “clean slate,” like absences do now. The penalties for absences should shift from a quarterly to yearly basis, which would discourage excessive absenteeism. However, a more stringent attendance policy could bring some unintended consequences if not implemented with care. Students who are absent for a legitimate reasonsuch as injury or chronic illness-face enough challenges already. School policies should not add to these challenges by forcing students to either obtain a special waiver to avoid failing their classes, or serve time– a punishment that is eerily reminiscent of our criminal justice system. Therefore, the distinction between excused and unexcused absences should be reinstated. Doing so would clear the way for harsher penalties for unexcused absences. Northwest's current attendance and policies combine to create a discordant system that fails to accomplish its goals. These incompatible policies fall short of what Watkins called Northwest's number one priority – “providing a great education” – and are in dire need of reform if our school is to continue being the focal point of excellence that we all know it to be.

northwesthorizons.com

OPINION

Head2Head

The effects of

VAPING VAPING Photo by Lindsay Fox, reprinted with permission

Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking Thomas Altmann staff writer

he vaping scene is buzzed right now--buzzed with controversy, especially since the addition of the Juul device to the vaping scene. Opponents to vaping have been quick to label Jull Labs, the creators of the Juul, a monster that markets a harmful product to children and adults. However, several medical studies clearly show the massive unprecedented benefits of “Juuling” instead of smoking cigarettes for adults (while Juul’s are helpful for adults, that does not mean a person under 21 should start vaping). Many people claim that vaping is highly addictive and would lead to dependence on nicotine; however, when compared to cigarettes, a comprehensive study done by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found otherwise. “There is moderate evidence the risk and severity of dependence are lower for e-cigarettes than combustible tobacco cigarettes,” the study concluded. Further studies make it clear that the main advantage of vaping is its health benefits over smoking. One study published in the Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology Journal compared the contents of vaping devices and cigarettes and found huge comparative benefits for vaping. “Nicotine for the e-cigarette samples was 85 percent lower than nicotine yield for the conventional

cigarettes,” the study said. “ Analysis of the smoke from conventional cigarettes showed that the mainstream cigarette smoke delivered approximately 1,500 times more harmful and potentially harmful constituents tested when compared to ecigarette aerosol.” The study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also found that many health concerns people have aren’t relevant to vaping devices. "There is insufficient evidence that e-cigarette use is associated with long-term changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac geometry and function." The original function of vaping devices was to help smokers quit smoking, and devices such as the Juul are still overwhelmingly succeeding at that goal, according to yet another study published in the Tobacco Control Journal. Furthermore, this study even found that vaping devices are more successful at getting smokers to quit smoking than other methods (nicotine patches, etc.). “The use of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid surpassed that of FDA-approved pharmacotherapy," the study said. This coborrates what one anonymous junior Northwest said. “I was led to Juuling because of an addiction to cigarettes, and I heard it was a better alternative,” the junior said. “(Juuling) was definitely helpful for me to stop using cigarettes.” Before making assumptions about juuling and vaping, consider that for many smokers who want to quit, vaping provides a safer and more effective way to stop smoking.

www.northwesthorizons.com

Vaping targets teens, is harmful to health

Amara Titus staff writer

uuls are currently the most popular type of e-cigarettes that convert liquid pods into vapor, which you inhale. Though they are only intended for 21-year-olds and older, Juuls have become widely popular among teenagers as young as middle school. The National Youth Tobacco association conducted a study that found 81.5 percent of underage e-cigarette users are attracted to Juuls because of the flavors, which include mango, cool mint and many others. While schools prohibit any type of tobacco on campus, Juuls come in a compact shape that can be mistaken for a flash drive, making it easy for students to hide. “I really don’t see the point or benefit of it; I think it’s a lame attempt to try to be cool,” English teacher Jason Allred said. “The students do it in the bathroom, (and) I constantly smell it when walking in the hall. Smoking anything is a disgusting habit, and waste of time and money.” On average, a Juul costs $35, while a four-pack of pods costs around $15. The product contains nicotine, which is highly addictive, and can keep people hooked for life. Therefore, a onetime user could turn into a lifetime customer. Just one Juul cartridge contains the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes or 200 puffs. Inhaling that much nicotine as a youth can have serious long-term effects on brain development. In addition, many students believe since there is no burning, no smoke aftermath and no secondhand smoke,

they are safe. However, several studies have concluded that Juuling does worsen the indoor air quality, and some students don’t like having to smell other people’s Juuls. “No one likes a smoking sister. There are serious health issues involved with it,” sophomore Evan Edwards said. An anonymous source stated that he could hardly make it into the bathroom without being assaulted by the smell of Juul flavors, while the Juulers “barricaded the urinals.” “I constantly see people Juuling in the hallways, the bathroom, even my class,” sophomore Paige Moore said. “They hit their Juul and then hide it under their jackets or blow it into a bag. The smell is just so annoying.” Principal Ralph Kitley is aware of the problem and acknolwedged because of Juuls’ compact size, they are harder to detect. “The Juul policy is the same as the cigarette policy. Tobacco is prohibited on campus,” Kitley said. Unfortunately, many stores don’t follow the age restrictions and sell to minors, which is how students are getting their hands on them in the first place. Another way teens get Juuls is through an older friend or family member, and a small percentage said they get theirs online. “I’ve been asked (by others to Juul) but not pressured,” Moore said. “I just turn them down.” While Juuls’ intended purpose is to help adult smokers quit, the different flavors, sleek design and eye-catching ads appeal to underage users. Students can easily get addicted and start to smoke as they continue to vape. Juuling may seem “cool” as a teenager, but can lead to a lifetime addiction. So next time you see someone about to use their Juul, or you are about to use it yourself, ask, “Is this really worth it?”

October 2018

OPINION

Muzumi Sushi is o-fish-ally the best in town makes dining more personal,” server Sara Wallis said. Tatamii, however, is unavailable for lunch, opening at 5 p.m., so I was unable to experience traditional seating. For lunch, especially on the week lthough you might walk right past it on State Street, Mizumi ends, it is a little pricey, considering the lunch menu is only available Hibachi and Sushi may be the Monday through Friday. On weekmost memorable Japanese days, lunch specials range from restaurant in Greensboro. $5.75 to $16.95, offering a range of With a combination of traditional Japanese-style seat- options. “There is a large variety of things ing known as Tatamii in addition to table seating, Mizumi you can try and many authentic serves as the perfect introduction Japanese dishes,” senior Elizabeth Kitley said. to Japanese culture. From agedashi The regular menu is a little more deep fried tofu to sliced octopus, many expensive. I ordered the “Mizumi classic Japanese options are available to Box,” consisting of shrimp tempura, customers. rainbow roll, gyoza (a Japanese “(In traditional seating), you sit on the dumpling) and seaweed salad, totalfloor on pillows with lower tables, which ing to a cost of $15.50. This is defiPhoto by Erin Kohn nitely one of the best values on the The “Mizumi Box,” is a meal consisting of eight pieces of sushi, menu, considering the assortment two pieces of shrimp tempura, a rainbow roll, two gyoza (a of items included, and both the fish Japanese dumpling) and a seaweed salad. The sushi was and the vegetables were fresh and crafted to perfection with quality ingredients. flavorful. Erin Kohn contributing writer

Homecoming Court: Autumm Dixon op/ed editor

omecoming court, an election among students, is a tradition that is intended to show off the students who possess the best positive qualities in each grade level. However it is also widely seen as a popularity contest among the school’s students. The competition for court begins with students nominating other students for the court during lunches. From there, student council counts the nominations. Students with the most nominations are put on a ballot, and then students vote in their English classes on a boy and a girl for the court. The nominated students have no requirements to be on the court, so any student can be nominated. “The quieter people are not going to nominate people; the popular kids have their friend groups who nominate them. It’s a cycle; it’s stuck,” junior Ava Berry

said. Without requirements, the most popular students with the largest friend groups are nominated. The students don’t have to possess good qualities to make it onto the court ballot, just lots of votes. Nominated students may strive to be in front of the school and win the competition without any real intentions to make a difference among school through their position. “I think when people nominate, they should have better reason, instead of ‘they are my friend,’” Berry said. “(It should be more) like ‘they’re such a nice person’.” Students have other reasons to disagree with the court’s competition. “The same people are on it every year, which (I find) concerning,” junior Shelby Lester said. Previously, students could be

Mizumi also provides a diverse palate with new flavors that aren’t presented in ordinary restaurants. “My favorite thing was the eel avocado roll,” Kitley said. In addition, they offer all-you-caneat sushi every day of the week for $23.99 on weekdays and $25.99 on weekends. There is one catch—anything left uneaten is added to the bill at the end. Another thing to keep in mind is that this restaurant does not take reservations for parties fewer three people. Waiting room was very limited also, except for a few chairs right in front of the door, which makes sitting in the waiting area not the most comfortable. “I would love to come back, not only for the food, but also for the experience,” Kitley said. While I recommend visiting Mizumi for dinner rather than lunch, either way it is a great spot to enjoy some adventurous foods and good company of family and friends no matter when you go.

Many students decry Homecoming for being just a popularity contest

on homecoming court and winter court year after year without restictions, especially when having many friends to nominate them. In hopes of improving the potentially biased race, the homecoming court committee has acted to improve the voting process going forward. There are now restrictions on the number of times students can be on court, which can be two times at most. Girls will no longer have escorts, and boys are now voted upon. Underclassmen will have one boy and girl, a prince and a princess for each grade, instead of the many pairings. Seniors will have five pairings; one guy and girl will be voted for king and queen. With all the changes, homecoming court still appears to be a competition only among the most popular students. “I don’t think you can (change the popularity contest aspect); that’s just how it is and how it will always be,” senior Sarah Long said.

Photos by Sierra Dixon (Left) Seniors Andre Donnell and McKensey Chavis wave during the Homecoming Parade. (Top to bottom) The Homecoming Court poses for pictures before the football game. Many people feel that Homecoming is merely a popularity contest rather than a selection of deserving students.

October 2018

www.northwesthorizons.com

SPREAD

Students, staff stand out in

metal & ink

Kimberly Brown, Emma Fagerberg, Emma Welsh

staff writer, editor in chief, news and managing editor

elf-expression is one of the purest ways in which we show who we are to one another. The music we listen to, the clothes we wear and the literature we read can all expose so much about a person’s inner self and lifestyle. In a more permanent (and somewhat controversial) way, we can choose to alter the way we appear to others through tattoos and piercings. Tattoos: People have been decorating their bodies with ink for thousands of years. In fact, there is evidence of tattoos dating as far back as 4ooo BCE in places like Egypt. With such a long history, tattoos have become a longstanding tradition in many cultures; however, there still remains a sort of stigma surrounding tattoos today. “There’s still this persona of being a rebel or an outlier in society (for having tattoos), but more and more you’re seeing tattoos being accepted and people are a little more apt to accept the artwork and the fact that people have ink, which is pretty cool,” social studies teacher Will Satterfield said. Though disputable, many people consider tattoos a form of art. This belief is the reason several people choose to get tattoos, while other motives may be to commemorate the past, to remind them of something or to just have fun. Usually, tattoos do hold a deeper mean-

ing to those who have them. “When I got (my tattoo) I was originally going to get a rose, but instead I got a moon,” senior Chloe Mabe said. “My grandfather from Italy calls me Bella Luna, which means beautiful moon, and my mom and I always say ‘I love you to the moon.’” Mabe serves as an example of someone who has received negative comments for her tattoo, which sits on her forearm. She got her first tattoo at 16, in Virginia, where it is legal for minors age 16 to get tattoos with parental consent. Since being tattooed, Mabe claims to have received odd looks and comments from teachers and other students. “Whenever I get hate for (my tattoo), I always tell people it’s my decision, it’s my body and I should be able to control it however I want to,” Mabe said. Piercings: Piercings bring up a separate but equally dividing conversation. Often considered less permanent than ink, it’s very common for young people, especially girls, to get piercings in their earlobes. The history is much broader than that. Body piercing

originated in tribes across the globe for spiritual purposes. While earlobe stretching is still common through gauges, people also will pierce their lips, nose or eyebrow as a show of individuality. “The reason I wanted to (get piercings) was because I liked the way that it looked,” Mabe said. “Most people I know want to do it for the pain or the thrill, but I just like the way it looks.” Depending on the placement, body piercing can vary in intensity. Earlobes are nearly painless, and some parents will even have their infant’s done. Others, however, can cause significant pain. “For (the industrial), I was pretty scared because everyone said it’s really painful, but the (piercer) reassured me,” junior Kylie Desilvey said. “Afterwards, I felt a little woozy, but I got over it.” Most people are pierced professionally, either in parlors or simple jewelry stores. Others will have theirs done by friends or family whether because of the cost, or for other reasons. As long as they’re cared for and cleaned, there is little difference in the healing process. “People would come to me and ask if I could (pierce them) because

they wanted it done but their parents wouldn’t necessarily let them have it done,” Mabe said. Although sometimes less obvious, people with piercings still face stigma against them. Many people will stereotype piercings and will base their assumptions on others solely because of body jewelry. “If you have piercings, some people can see you as unprofessional, or don’t want to talk to you because you seem intimidating,” Desilvey said. “Get (piercings) if you want and don’t worry about the pain or what people think of you because it’s for yourself.” Tattoos and piercings have evolved from simply spiritual and superstitious rituals and traditions to a form of individualization. In today’s society, they are becoming more common as a way of expression. Tattoos and piercings serve as interesting conversation starters, express one’s beliefs and can boost self-esteem. Although perspectives on tattoos and piercings differ, almost everyone can agree that they are a great way to tell one’s story. “I think tattoos are a representation of something bigger than oneself, and I think they allow us to remember events in our lives that have meaning, whether positive or negative, in an artistic way,” Satterfield said.

Photos by Madison Ayres and Angela Seo

(Left) Madison Parsons’ piercings on her right year include her first and second lobe, double helix and industrial with a bar. Many students have gotten piercings as a form of selfexpression. (Right) Senior Morgan Sutton’s sun tattoo represents her sister and the moon tattoo represents herself. Sutton decided to get these tattoos to match with her father and sister. (Far right) The tattoos on Will Satterfield’s legs are only a few of the many he has. The tattoos he has have had a lot of meaning in his life.

www.northwesthorizons.com

SPORTS

Homecoming brings school spirit home S

tudents at Northwest have come to know “Homecoming” as just another football game. While the football game continues to be a focal point of Northwest’s Homecoming celebration, this year’s Homecoming week included much more than it has in recent years. Powder Puff, a bonfire, a parade and a school-wide dance were all a part of the week’s schedule. With so many new additions to Homecoming week, there was much potential for change school-wide. “The 2018 Homecoming was by far the best one I’ve seen at Northwest,” senior class vice president Matthew Brewbaker said. “Seeing everyone involved in the festivities and participating in the theme days really showed a school with developing pride.”

Photos by Emma Fagerberg and Megan Harkey

NO’S BAKE DI

(Left to right, row by row) The Northwest Viking jv and varsity cheerleaders hype up the students at the pep rally and the Homecoming game. Northwest Senior Miranda Rose spreads her wings to “fly” during the half-time show. She and other color guard participants used wings of fabric to mimic birds. The Northwest Viking Marching Band performs their “Voices of the Amazon” half-time show. 2017 Homecoming queen Sidney Branham crowns 2018 queen Claire Riffle. The new queen is traditionally crowned by the one before her. The Vikings and the High Point Central Bulldogs get ready to start the next play. Northwest won the game 44 to 23.

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October 2018

Athletes play the system: Megan Harkey, Nathan Vescio sports editor, webmaster

he ball is thrown from the 20 yard line by the quarterback; it’s a perfect spiral as it lands into the receiver’s hand. The receiver fakes left, then right, and he sprints into the endzone. The game-winning touchdown belongs to the home team. The crowd, the parents and the players scream and cheer. But that quarterback should not be in the game. Whenever rules are made, there are always people who will try to break them, and high school athletics are no exception. On occasion, athletes will fabricate where they live in the county so they can play their sport at a different school. “We can make all the rules we want, but people with resources can get around the rules,” Northwest athletic director John Hughes said. Hughes knows about athletes lying to get the coach or winning team that they want in high school, but he also knows it is not allowed under North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) rules. When athletes turn in their physical and concussion form in the beginning of the season, they also have to turn in a proof of residency, like a power bill or a lease. This proves that the athlete lives in the school’s district and is allowed to participate in academics and athletics at that school. Sometimes, though, this information is falsified to get athletes into another school to play their sport. “Unfortunately when people have a mindset that they need to do something because they think it is in the best interest of their child, they will make decisions that sometimes aren’t the best,” Guilford county athletic director Leigh Heb-

bard said. For example, say a student lives in the district for Northwest, but their grandparents live in Southwest’s district. If this student wanted to play football at Southwest instead of Northwest, they could submit their grandparents’ house deed as proof of residency and “live” with their grandparents in order to play and attend at Southwest. This activity is illegal, and has consequences if discovered. “The bottom line is if someone has provided false information to establish athletic eligibility, (that athlete) can lose eligibility in Guilford County for up to 365 days,” Hebbard said. The policy governing these rules is created and enforced by a committee made up of Hebbard and other members of Guilford County’s athletics department, although they haven’t made any major changes in almost a decade. “For the most part, rules aren’t made every year,” Hebbard said. “Occasionally we will make a tweak in the process, but the rules have been there since 2009.” The lack of major changes to the rules hasn’t altered their effectiveness, though. Hebbard is confident that the rules have improved the situation and prevented people from cheating the system. “We’re in a much better place than we were 10 years ago,” Hebbard said. Now, an athlete may love the school they are attending and would love to play for their team, as well. However, as an eighth grader they may not be ready for a varsity level sport. This leads to ‘red-shirts’, athletes that reclass in their final year of middle school to build themselves up for the upcoming freshman season. To accomplish this, parents put their students in private or charter schools to reclass since it is easier

SPORTS

Student-athletes reclass grade level or fabricate residencies to play their sport

and there are new classes for their child. Then, in high school, the student athlete will go back to their districted school to play for the athletic team. “Three of my friends have transferred to High Point Christian to play basketball and football as eighth graders there,” freshman Jack Hughes said. This is not so much a legal problem as it is a setback for the student athlete. Academically, they are a year behind where they were, and will no longer be in the same class as their friends. “Sometimes I regret rePhotos by Megan Harkey classing because I wanted Freshman Xavier Simmons (bottom) sprints with to be with my friends,” freshman John Dale Stan- the ball in hand to the endzone. Freshman Bryan Webb (top) hands the ball off in an offensive play. ley said. These jv football players both reclassed their eighth Stanley reclassed last year to play basketball as grade year. a question of fairness, but from an eighth grader at Summerfield the student perspective, it seems Charter. Even though he sometimes widespread enough that this isn’t a regrets doing so, Stanley considers major concern. reclassing to be a positive influence “In the past five years it’s become a on his athletic career, a thought that trend,” Jack said. “With the amount is echoed by other student athletes. of people doing it, it’s fair.” “They get a year up on everybody Even though a system exists else,” Jack said. “You start in middle to limit athletes’ abilities to play school and you play until you’re a outside of their school, students senior, that’s seven years, but if you do the reclassing thing, that’s eight.” have been finding ways around it for years. The rules may be there to Outside of the athletic benefits, keep things fair, but they may limit some reclassified students also see athletes’ long-term potential. Reit as an opportunity to grow up and gardless, circumstances are unlikely mature before starting high school. to change any time soon, so ath“(Reclassing) was good because it gave me an extra year to get stuff to- letes will continue to get on as they always have. gether and mature,” Stanley said. “People are learning the rules and The reason this can be a controversial decision from the game perspec- they’re getting around them because sports are no different than any part tive is that teams can have players of our society,” John said. that are athletically stronger than anyone who doesn’t reclass should be expected to achieve. This creates

Run, Paris, Run! Top female runner dominates the cross-country season Madison Magyar staff writer

fter a long second day of school, the Northwest cross-country team prepares for the Guilford County championship race to begin. Having already been delayed due to heat, the girls are finally warmed up and ready to go. Runners set? The gun sounds, the girls take off in a full sprint. One Northwest jersey is spotted at the very front as the pace quickens. Twenty minutes and 33 seconds later, Northwest junior Paris Stankewich takes the second-place win. Great in size and skill, the Northwest cross-country team’s presence is often known. Practicing five days a week is necessary to prepare for the races ahead. Head coach Paul Egleston works with assistant

coaches Anne Popek and Tim Beitz to train the runners to the best of their ability, pushing them to go farther, faster. The top seven boys and the top seven girls are awarded with red jerseys that they strive to keep every time they compete. “There is more pressure on you when you have a red jersey,” Stankewich said. “You do feel more connected to the other people who are experiencing the same things you are.” Stankewich is the number one red jersey for the girls’ team. “She trains really hard and is very dedicated,” red jersey runner and junior Sidney Tsui said. “She’s always in the front of the pack.” Training hard is necessary for a sport like cross-country. The runners train and practice together as

a team; when they compete, they run alone. Not only does Stankewich work hard in her training, she also makes it a point to keep up with her school work. She is currently taking four AP courses and is vice president of the Spanish club and an officer of the Interact club. “The hardest part of running is keeping a good mentality,” Stankewich said. “In other sports there are other things to focus on; when you run, it’s just you in your own thoughts.” For new runners, the intense training sessions and pressure to do well can be a learning curve. Runners like Stankewich help inspire and motivate the slower or new runners to do the best that they can. “Paris is very supportive and al-

ways tells people they are doing great,” freshman runner Ava Overmyer said. Even though the sport can be difficult, teammates like Stankewich work to make the practices more tolerable and the team stronger. “Stay positive and enjoy yourself when you’re running,” Stankewich said. “It’s not always about getting the best time.” Stankewich runs at a meet. She is the top female runner on the Northwest cross country team. Photo by Madison Magyar

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SPORTS

Setters command the court Madison Ayres graphics editor

“Being a setter, you’re supposed to call all the plays and lead by example,” Hammond said. Hammond is a co-captain of the team, picked by teammates and coaches because of valuable leadership traits she possesses. As captain, Hammond attends the captain’s meeting to decide which team will serve first. She

etting. It’s a skill in volleyball that takes years of training to develop because the setter plays a key role on the team. The setter is similar to the quarterback of the volleyball team; they set up plays for the hitters with the goal of winning the point. Sophomores Avery Dole and Grace Hammond are setters for the varsity volleyball team; they have rotational positions this Photo by Kaylen Ayres season as well as last Grace Hammond (left) sets the ball and season. Setters have a Dole (above) sets for sophomore Amelia Hammond. Setters play an important leadchallenging position ership role in volleyball. that requires a lot of hard work. “The hardest thing also acts as floor captain, her role about being a setter being to speak with the referee ofis leading the team, being ficiating that match. a leader on the court and “I really try to stay positive on taking criticism from my coach,” the court and be more vocal,” Dole said. Hamond said. “Connecting with Setters must adjust to different all the girls and getting to know passes, whether good or bad, to their strengths and weaknesses is try to create a play for the hitters. important.” “Working with the passes is a lot Dole has a major leadership role of running and chaos when you’re on the team as well, which comes a setter,” Hammond said. with the setter position. Setters are put under a lot of “I have to be a leader, be loud pressure during the game since and run the court,” Dole said. they are being relied on to make a Volleyball has exciting moments good play. throughout the game, helping en“It’s a lot of pressure when I’m ergy levels to stay up and keeping playing defense and when I have a steady momentum. Setters and to make a decision on who to set hitters spend a lot of time practicin a close game,” Dole said. ing on timing and connecting, so Leadership is an important seeing that work pay off in a game aspect of any sport; these leadbrings the team together. ers are role models for the rest of “One of the most satisfying the team and influence the team’s things is when you get a great set energy. and a great kill,” Dole said.

Sports Profiles Autumn Dixon, Angela Seo op/ed editor, spread editor

Name: Morgan Sutton Grade: 12 Sport: varsity field hockey Position: goalie Hype song: “Year 3000” by The Jonas Brothers Pre-game ritual:“I wear the same hoodie before and after games.”

Name: Agustin Orozco Grade: 10 Sport: varsity soccer Position: winger Hype song: “Born Ready” by John Wolf Pre-game ritual: “Before every game, I step on the field, touch the sideline and do the Sign of the Cross.”

Diabetics in athletics:

How students maintain a healthy lifestyle on and off the field

Kaylen Ayres staff writer

best friend and knows what to do in case of an emergency. “I did a lot of diabetic research,” Stalling said. “(It’s important to) eing a student athlete has have your friends knowledgeable many difficulties: keeping up with about your diabetes.” homework and grades, having a With diabetes, a person must practice or maintain a game every healthy diet day after and lifestyle. school and Exercise and maintaining diet are very a healthy lifeimportant style. For two to maintain field hockey one’s sugar players, level. Aththough, add letes lean toanother thing wards eating to the list: foods to best type 1 diabenefit their betes. Junior bodies, but Val Orozco with diabeand freshman Photo by Kaylen Ayres tes, it’s also Anna Sechrist Orozco dribbles the ball down the field during a necessary to are both type lacrosse game. She does not let type 1 diabetes watch the stop her from playing the sport she loves. 1 diabetics type of foods who play you eat. field hockey Orozco is to keep active. a co-captain of the junior varType 1 diabetes is a disease that sity team and a starter at center causes the pancreas to dramatidefense. Sechrist is also a starter cally decrease insulin production. at outside midfield and also plays This causes the affected person’s center midfield. bodily sugar levels to fluctuate “I completely fell in love with the unhealthily. sport,” Orozco said. “The team is “A lot of people will think of amazing.” diabetes as type 2, which is just There are moments during a based on dieting and how well practice or game when their blood you’re eating,” Orozco said. “They sugar can drastically drop. If that don’t really overlap that much, but happens, they need to bring their people think they do.” sugar up, or they will start to feel Orozco and Sechrist joined the sick. However, the girls feel the junior varsity field hockey team to need to stay in the game and not try something new. Through their get a substitute. special connection, they have a “I didn’t know if I could get a sub support system within each other. during the game,” Sechrist said. “I “I haven’t had many diabetic was worried that something could friends,” Sechrist said. “We can happen.” relate and help each other.” Even though they have an extra Orozco’s best friend, junior Chan- responsibility, they both remain tal Stalling, also plays field hockey. positive and have a good attitude They joined the team together last towards their diabetes. year. Not every pair of best friends “I’m not letting it define my gets to be on the same sports whole life,” Orozco said. “I’m proud teams. Stalling keeps tabs on her of myself for that.”

Name: Turner Johnson Grade: 11 Sport: cross country Position: runner Hype song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Pre-race ritual: “I listen to country music.”

Name: Alli Stoval (bottom) Grade: 10 Sport: junior varsity cheerleading Position: Base Hype song: Any old Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber song Pre-game ritual: “We all huddle up and then someone stands in the middle and dances to hype us up.”

Photos by Madison Ayres and contributed by athletes

www.northwesthorizons.com

October 2018

Teenage Pregnancy:

FEATURES

How one student manages school, work and motherhood

Angela Seo spread editor

alancing school and work can be hard enough, but one student does it all while being a mother. Senior Allison Smith discovered she was pregnant with her boyfriend’s (Jonah Voorheis) baby at the end of her sophomore year. “It was a wave of emotions. You’re scared, you’re worried, you’re thinking about your future and how it’s going to affect you and everybody around you,” Smith said. “I remember sitting in the car with Jonah and crying on him because it was so overwhelming to think that I, being a sophomore at the time, was having a child. It didn’t seem ideal at all.” Her friends were all shocked when they heard the news and were skeptical at first on how Smith would figure out how to balance her schedule. “At first, I was scared for her because I didn’t know how she would handle school, work, her boyfriend and life,” senior Hailee Nelson said. “I didn’t know if she would be able to come back to school or go to college.” At 16, Smith had to make a decision with what to do with her pregnancy after she found out. She turned to her close friend senior Hannah Campbell for support and advice during this time. “I didn’t want her to be pressured with her decisions,” Campbell said. “I didn’t want a ton of people to be like ‘you need to do this.’ I wanted her to do her own thing.” Soon, reality set in, and Smith made peace with the fact that she was pregnant and started to become excited that she was going to be a mother. “It started to sink in that it’s okay and it’s more accepted today than (before), and it’s more about the fact of having to work out our schedules around it, having to work harder than usual, and having to mature faster,” Smith said. While most sophomores worry about a grade they got or what they are going to wear to the next football game, Smith was focused on dealing with her morning sickness during classes. “Sitting in class and feeling nauseous is the worst feeling in the world. Especially when you don’t want anyone around you to know it yet,” Smith said. Then, the next school year meant that Smith had to face going to classes with a baby bump. “When I started showing at school, I kept looking through my closet for things that would fit me a little looser so that I wouldn’t be like a balloon under my shirt, but there was nothing my closet that would fit me like that,” Smith said.

Photos contributed by Allison Smith

Reese Smith was born Jan. 9, 2018 in the middle of Allison’s junior year at Northwest. Adjusting to being a mom and a student was difficult, but her support system has made it possible.

“So I said, ‘I’m just going to go to school and what happens happens.’” The first day back her junior year was full of stares, but soon students became used to the fact that there was a pregnant girl at their school. One of the most important things for Smith during her pregnancy was her support system, especially from her teachers. “All of my teachers were very supportive, especially Mrs. Bost,” Smith said. “She still is very supportive of me.” Overall, Smith says her pregnancy was healthy with the exception of going through morning sickness until the third trimester. However, going into labor was a different experience. “I wasn’t expecting to go into labor that night, and I did,” Smith said. The nurses had told her that she was going to go into labor the next morning after her second induction. “I kept feeling like I had to pee really bad and I remember having to get up 10 to 15 times in an hour,” Smith said. “The last time I went to the bathroom, I thought that I was peeing but my water broke and I didn’t know that.” The nurses thought that Smith wasn’t having any contractions and faking pain, when really her monitors on her stomach weren’t on properly, so they couldn’t pick up anything. Smith was in delivery for 45 min-

utes, and on Jan. 9, baby Reese was born. The life of a teenage mom is drastically different than that of a typical teenage student. “Once you have a baby, it literally changes your life so much where you’re not a carefree teen anymore; you’re an adult at that point,” Smith said. Smith attributes Voorheis for being there for her at hard times. “Jonah is my rock, and I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Smith said. “I told him that I know this is hard and I know that this isn’t ideal for us but I know that our love can get through anything.” For her senior year, Smith is currently taking four classes so that she can leave when she needs to. “Principal (Ralph) Kitley knows that I have a lot going on and he told me himself that he was very proud of me and happy to have me as a student and to have me at this school,” Smith said. “It made me very happy because you don’t get a lot of that support sometimes.” Being a student, part-time worker and a full-time mother can be a lot, which is why Smith relies on being flexible. “School, work and taking care of Reese go day-by-day,” Smith said. “It’s a lot to take on as a senior, but I can do it.”

Lymphoma, cont. from pg. 2 take these college classes and instead, takes four classes at Northwest. Because she was out of school from Sept. 7 to mid-October, she missed much of the year. “I really do try to get my work done. Am I always successful? No,” Karly said. Thanks to her loving family and friends, Karly was able to have her work delivered to her while she was in the hospital. “My family as a whole has done a great job making this the easiest it can be,” Karly said. “They go out of their way to make me happy.” She even described how her brother walked all the way to the grocery store to get her pickles because that’s all she wanted to eat. As of Oct. 15, Karly announced she had completed Chemo. She says she missed the structure and routine of school and her friends. “I missed going to school a lot sometimes, especially in those first few weeks,” Karly said. With a positive outlook and comfort of family and friends, Karly has made the best of her situation. For more information on ways to help Karly, please visit her GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme. com/5u9i4ds.

www.northwesthorizons.com

FEATURES

Teaching together forms friendships around Northwest

Though students may not think it, teachers have lives outside of school, too. Sometimes, those personal lives make an appearance at school when teachers become friends. Here are a few examples of “teacher BFFs” at Northwest. Emma Fagerberg editor in chief

Hamilton believes teachthe same has lead to them

cience teachers Amy Hamilton and Jennifer Linden met six years ago when Linden began working at Northwest. “I had not taught biology before (working at Northwest), and she helped me with everything,” Linden said. Linden’s statement once again promotes the idea that a strong bond between teachers can lead to better teaching for one or both parties involved. Hamilton concurs. “We’re always talking about how to solve problems with teaching, and we’re always bouncing ideas off of each other,” Hamilton said.

ocial studies teachers Scott Bennett and Jim Thompson have been working side-by-side for 12 years now. The case of Bennett and Thompson is similar to that of Kieffer and Stencler in that they also avidly support one another in their teaching. “Working with (Bennett) has made me a better educator, in every conceivable way,” Thompson said. “He is the best educator I’ve ever met.” Thompson began working at Northwest in 2006, with Bennett assisting him as his teaching mentor. Despite being a teacher for a longer period of time, Bennett also agrees that he has developed as a teacher because of the friendship. “(Thompson) and I have always challenged each other,” Bennett said. “He’s definitely made me a better teacher.” The duo’s bond has even impacted their respective families. “(My family has) been close to (Thomp-

panish teachers Amy Kieffer and Gwen Stencler have been working together for 13 years. Their friendship quickly started to grow when they began working across the hallway from each other.. “(Our friendship developed) through us supporting one another,” Kieffer said. The duo frequently works together on developing curriculum that hones students’ abilities in Spanish. “Since we have such a close relationship, we’re able to share ideas, and we’re quite honest with each other,” Stencler said. Furthermore, they are able to support one another with more than just lesson planning. “It’s really helpful (to work with a friend),” Kieffer said. “We can support one another, encourage one another, lament to one another. It’s really nice

northwesthorizons.com

also them ing subject

becoming even closer. “Since we teach the same subject, we have a lot of the same interests,” Hamilton said. Linden went on to say that, at the time she began working at Northwest, she shared further similarities with Hamilton, like a son interested in playing football. “Our paths were running parallel in a lot of ways,” Linden said. Overall, Hamilton and Linden both expressed the enjoyment in having a coworker who is also a close friend. “We help each other through the day, and we talk about any problems that we’re having,” Linden said. “It’s just nice to have a friend as well as a coworker.” Photo by Kaylen Ayres

son’s) famnow; I’ve (Thompter) grow little kid young

ily for over 10 years seen Lilac Rain son’s daughup, from a to a grown lady,” Bennett said. While the two are close

on and off campus, Thompson claims there to be a division between the dynamics of the friendship in different situations. “When we get out of here I try to make sure we don’t ‘talk shop,’” Thompson said. “We just try to enjoy each other (as people).” But overall, it is clear Bennett and Thompson enjoy each other’s company at school and home. “I love teaching and I love hanging out with my students, but when you are friends with your colleagues and can share life’s ups and downs and share your joys, struggles and challenges, it’s good,” Bennett said. “It makes work all that more enjoyable.”

Photo by Kaylen Ayres

to work with somebody that’s your friend and can help you.” In addition to life at school, the two also hang out outside of Northwest. For example, Stencler talked about how Kieffer often comes over during fam-

ily dinners, and how the two have travelled together to Spain multiple times in the past. “We’re very close,” Stencler said. “We work together; we spend time outside of school together and we travel together.” Kieffer and Stencler even have a running joke with one another which involves convincing their respective students that they are siblings because their bond is so close. “She really is like a sister to me,” Stencler said. “(Kieffer) is the sister I never had.”

(Top to Bottom): Science teachers Amy Hamilton and Jennifer Linden, social studies teachers Scott Bennett and Jim Thompson and Spanish teachers Amy Kieffer and Gwen Stencler demonstrate their affection for each other. Many members of Northwest’s faculty have developed strong friendships throughout the years. Photo by Emma Fagerberg

FEATURES

Students balance heavy courseloads Franklin Wei staff writer

here seems to be a recurring question among upperclassmen each year during course selection: “How many AP courses should I take?” For some, the answer seems to be “as many as possible” – and that has consequences. For senior Logan James, that’s meant dropping courses he enjoys in favor of AP courses, which carry a higher GPA value. Advanced Placement (AP) courses allow students the chance to earn college credit and are worth one GPA point more than College Preparatory (CP) courses. James took CP German his freshman and sophomore years, and journalism his sophomore and junior years, but he now regrets the effect those classes have had on his GPA. “(They) brought my GPA down so much,” James said of these non-AP courses. He’s now enrolled in six APs for the purpose of boosting his GPA. “I’m taking so many APs. It leaves no room in my schedule for things that are actually fun.” James said that although the inclass portion of his AP classes were “not that challenging,” the homework they bring, along with cross country, has kept him up as late as 2 a.m. Senior Emily Waterfeld is also taking six APs this year. “One of the biggest reasons was for the GPA boost,” Waterfeld said. What her heavy courseload has forced her to sacrifice most is sleep. She said that she usually sleeps

Photo by Franklin Wei

Senior Clint Halterman studies over binders for his four AP classes. Many Northwest students overwhelm themselves by taking heavy courseloads.

around 12:30 or 1 a.m. on school nights and wakes up around 6:45, but that she has sometimes had to stay up as late as 4 a.m. due to afterschool clubs and extracurriculars. “I’m used to it,” Waterfeld said. “I drink a lot of coffee.” The consequences of an AP-heavy courseload can also have serious mental and physical health effects, some of which are visible to teachers. “Teachers can tell when you guys are not yourself,” social studies teacher Kimberly Deyton said, referring to her students. Deyton said that juniors are “excited” and “smiling” the first few

days of school each August: “They’re awake. They’re not exhausted yet.” But by October, she said, things have taken a turn for the worse. “You can see people’s eyes – they’re red. Some of them are bloodshot. Some students, you can tell they cry, because they’re, so stressed out. Or they’re so tired and you can just tell – there’s no excitement about coming to school,” Deyton said. Deyton recommended a limit to the number of APs students take. “So many students think that they have to take five APs to be competitive, and that’s not the truth. If students take five AP classes and

they do horribly in them, they end up hurting themselves in the long run,” she said. Social studies teacher Scott Bennett shares Deyton’s opinion, saying that universities would prefer that students focus on doing well in a limited number of subjects, rather than choosing a “shotgun approach” of taking a heavy load. Such a courseload, Bennett said, reflecting on his economics background, forces students to make trade-offs, often sacrificing their sleep, social lives and family time in exchange for grades. Bennett cautioned, however, that each student’s situation is unique, and some students are able to successfully balance heavy courseloads with extracurriculars and other activities. Universities seem to be the driving force behind students taking heavy courseloads, often with deleterious effects, according to social studies teacher Jim Thompson. “Students think they’ll be unsuccessful in life if they don’t get into a particular school when they get out of high school. Or it’s some sort of measurement of how valuable they are as a human being,” Thompson said. “None of that’s true.” Instead, Thompson said, students should focus more on doing well in college and pursuing a master’s degree, which is a “much larger factor in (adult income) and financial success.” “(Students should) calm down a little bit,” Thompson said. “If you’re stressed about AP classes, take less of them.”

Foreign students encounter culture shock at Northwest Christy Ma staff writer

ome people were born and raised in the United States. They can recall every apple-pie Fourth of July, they bond over cafeteria food and they debate about American politics. However, other people move to this new and foreign country later in their lives, like my family. We have to learn to adapt and to deal with intense culture shocks. “The transition has been very hard,” sophomore Zihan Tang said. “Language has been the hardest culture shock to overcome.” Tang is a new student to Northwest; she moved from Shanghai on June 30. She is among a handful of students who have come to Northwest from another country. Her family moved because her mom is a visiting professor at UNCG. “If I like it here, I will stay and go to college here,” Tang said. Thitiphurin “Kew” Phienprasop is a foreign exchange student from Thailand. He came to Greensboro Aug. 23 and currently lives in the Malley residence. “The first two weeks were so shocking,” Phienprasop said. “I was so blown away by the differences in culture and food, especially by ‘taco art’ here.” Junior Jaden Malley, Phienprasop’s host sister, explained what it was like to have a foreign exchange student. “It has been so fun,” Malley said. “I love learning about his culture, but it has been a little hard because my siblings and I have so much homework that we haven’t had much time to do things

together.” Phienprasop is in a few clubs and is hoping to do track as he was an avid cross country member in Thailand. “I came because I want to travel the world,” Phienprasop said. “I thought I would start with America.” Senior Cielo Esquivel is no longer a new student, but she still remembers what it was like to be new. She moved three years ago from Mexico and is now a senior at Northwest. She came to Greensboro because her father’s job was transferred. “The environment of Northwest is good,” Esquivel said. “The teachers really do try to help the students, but classes can be hard because the language is still new. There are different pronunciations, and some teachers mumble. Still, the people are nice so it was easy to get along.” Esquivel has noticed many differences between American and Mexican schools. Even minor details such as class seating varies greatly. “In Mexico, the people in class do not move but rather the teachers get up between each class,” Esquivel said. “So you sit with the same students year-round. The schools are smaller in Mexico, and there are uniforms. They also sell more food in the cafeteria in Mexico.” Food and holidays also contrast greatly. “There are Mexican restaurants here but they are inauthentic,” Esquivel said. “But my mom cooks for me, so happy belly. We also don’t have a food holiday like Thanksgiving.” Junior Teresa Pan came to America from Shenzhen, China in sixth grade. In contrast to some other people, she did not experience as

much culture shock. “I came here every summer,” Pan said. “And my brother and I were born here, so while the transition was not easy, it wasn’t bad either.” My own family remembers their experiences moving from China to America. Traffic was different and individualism is prized more in the States. People viewed us as foreign, but we were the same. We viewed the new world as foreign, but America was the same. Sometimes these drastic changes can be overwhelming and isolating, but the friendly people and the new opportunities can be worth it.

Photo by Christy Ma

Thitiphurin “Kew” Phienprasop (right) has lived with the family of junior Jaden Malley (left). Phienprasop, who is an exchange student from Thailand, wants to travel the world.

www.northwesthorizons.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Homecoming shows off Northwest girls’ style What fright should you be on Halloween night? Sydney Thompson arts & entertainment editor

omecoming comes with several new festivities from its new management. One of the classic forms of entertainment is the homecoming dance. Students like sophomore Caitlin Ahern took full advantage of the new dance to show off her style. “I got this really nice two-piece dress for some formal events I have coming up,” Ahern said. “Homecoming was one of them, so I wanted to make sure I had a nice dress for homecoming.” Ahern’s dress is a two-piece dark blue lacy number, meant to accent her eyes and contrast with her skin tone. Like several other dresses that Macy’s Department Store offers, the dress has a short skirt length and shows off her arms. “I’d definitely say that twopiece dresses are in-style,” Ahern said. “I also think that the colors blue, purple, green and red will be in style, because I saw that a lot.” One look into the dress section of department stores such as Macy’s and Belk’s confirms it. Shorter skirts, no sleeves and two-piece dresses are the first styles shoppers will see. Black and blue are predominant, with accenting colors of red, pink and green. Glitter is crucial,

according to sales associates at Macy’s. The gauzy skirts shower glitter everywhere, and the trend continues into matching items. The jewelry is layered and full of sparkling rhinestones. The shoes are either lacy or glittery. They have in common high heels and open toes, and they are designed to match the other items for social events. Sometimes, shopping in a store can be a hassle. Certain students, like senior Meme Kapoor, chose to order their dresses online to save time and try on the dress in the comfort of their own home. “It’s black, with a short skirt and a beautiful lacy back,” Kapoor said. “It was actually my second dress. I didn’t like the first one I ordered, so I sent it back and got this one instead.” Kapoor speaks to an important part of choosing a dress. It can be a highly selective process. Sometimes the color is right, but the cut is not, or vice-versa. Ahern, however, had shopping advice for the next formal dance. “Dress for you, not your mom and not your date,” Ahern said. “Wear what makes you comfortable and confident.” Photo contributed by Caitlin Ahern

Sophomore Caitlin Ahern poses in her homecoming dress. Ahern is one of many Northwest girls who used the homecoming dance as an occasion to express themselves.

Adam Sasser staff Whatwriter costume are you? Quiz by Adam Sasser (Art and Entertainment) Do you enjoy Halloween?

No Do you prefer fact or fiction?

Yes

Fiction

Fact Do you have any historical figures that you admire? No

Which is better? Horror movies or Comedies. Horror

Yes

Comedies Go as that Historical figure.

Do you like the darker side of history? (EX: The Black Death or the dark ages)

Yes

Which do you like more? TV Shows or Movies Which do you think is scarier? Dracula or Jason Voorhees TV Shows

Movies Jason

Dracula No

What do you like more: superhero movies, Disney movies or stupidly funny movies?

Go as something from a horror movie

Go as a scary thing from history like a plague doctor, the real life Dracula, an ancient mummy, etc.

Go as a character from your favorite TV show

Disney Stupidly funny

Superhero

Go as a character from your favorite Disney Movie

Go as something from a comedy like, Dumb and Dumber, Ted, Napoleon Dynamite, etc.

Go as a famous dead person like, Elvis, Albert Einstein, Princess Diana, etc.

Go as a superhero or supervillain

Why are you taking this quiz? You’re probably going to go as nothing

Cutting corners by cutting art: Northwest reduces arts budget

Mackenzie Milani-Kaufman staff writer

Photo by Mackenzie Milani-Kaufman

A marker, scissors, a colored pencil and other art supplies lay broken on a desk. The arts department at Northwest received a budget cut that prevented the arts teachers from replacing their supplies.

orthwest is a school filled with creativity. From the students to the hallways, the influence of art can easily be found, except for inside of the arts classrooms. This year, as in previous years, the arts classes were given no money to buy supplies for classes like AP studio art, photography and other beginning-level art classes that many students in Northwest take. Even the performing arts feel the budget pinch more than usual. “(If we had more funding) I think we could do a lot more stuff,” sophomore Emma Evans said. Evans has been doing marching band, a performing art, for three years. “It feels like we get nothing. We have so many fundraisers that we do to get money for marching band and color guard,” Evans said. “We sell everything from fruits to mattresses. I feel like we should get a little money from the school.” Like many other school-affiliated activities and electives, however, marching band must generate

its own funding. All classes are strained for money year after year. “Nobody’s getting anything,” principal Ralph Kitley said. “Sixty percent (of our budget) is spent on paper.” Unfortunately, the visual art classes at Northwest struggle without proper funding. “(We want) more technology,” Bryant said. Looking inside of a visual art classroom, you can see an old projector hanging from the ceiling and possibly a couple of computers. If the visual arts could raise enough money, they could buy newer technology to improve teaching quality, as well as getting more up-to-date equipment for the students to use. “I hear Mr. Kitley has very low funds in comparison to other years, and I hear that no one is getting anything. So I would say that we all have a level playing field,” Bryant said. With any money left over at the end of the year, Kitley says he gives it to the science and art depart-

ments. “In the spring, I usually give what’s left to science and art because they use consumables,” Kitley said. Meanwhile, common core classes are just as underfunded as the arts. In many subject areas, textbooks haven’t been updated since 2005, and technology is even more obsolete with many classrooms sporting overhead projectors from the 1970s. Therefore, due to the school’s slim budget, every class must make do with what little funding the school has. “Our budget is so tight—with the arts, we do what we can,” Kitley said. “There’s not much to work with.” As of right now on the Northwest Visual Arts webpage, they are asking for donations of supplies such as tracing paper, thumb tacks and Kleenex. “I don’t see the (funding) situation changing anytime soon,” Bryant said.

www.northwesthorizons.com

October 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Behind the scenes of marching band’s “Voices of the Amazon” 2018 production Ed Peña staff writer

he Amazon jungle is probably one of the last places you would expect to be transported to on a Friday night, but this season, that is exactly where the Northwest Viking Marching Band takes the audience during their halftime and competition performance. The marching band’s show this season is entitled “Voices of the Amazon” and is designed to take viewers on a wild journey through the Amazon. The show consists of four movements with references to jaguars, macaw birds and the Indigenous tribal people of the Amazon. “In a season, I can estimate 4,500 hours (of work) at least (go into the show on my part),” band director Brian McMath said. Over the course of a season, McMath works to make the show a great production so that both he and the band can be proud of it. “I want us to be further along than we’ve ever been in how we perform, how we play, how we carry ourselves (and how we) produce our shows,” McMath said. To achieve McMath’s goal, the band has undergone some changes since last season to help push it to the next level. One change since last season is going from two drum majors to three. Senior Dominic Deardorff is one of the drum majors for the 2018 season, alongside senior

Conner Tucker and junior Grady Gonzalez. “It’s one of the greatest feelings that there is in marching band,” Deardorff said. “Leading 150 people in our band was one of the things I looked up for when I was a freshman.” Recently, Northwest sent drum majors to a camp in Muncie, Indiana in order to prepare them for their roles and responsibilities. “I want to be the one they can look up to,” Deardorff said. “I’m always going to push anyone to be their best and push past their best to give the best performance they could ever havwe.” In addition to McMath’s guidance and the leadership of the drum majors, there are 151 musicians on the field this year, 30 of whom are middle schoolers. “We had to do multiple practices that involved meeting the kids and getting them involved with the program before the season even started,” senior trumpet player and section leader Rebekah Tippetts said. “Then, we had three weeks of band camp (where) we spent eight hours a day learning basics.” Tippetts says she enjoys the comradery associated with being in the marching band. “It is rewarding to work with people that you’ve grown with to think of like a family and be able to work together, stride together, win together and just do everything with the people that you’ve learned

Photo contributed by Kevin Greene

Band members perform their show for the school during halftime and at competitions. Northwest’s marching band has worked many hours to create an award-winning show.

to love through band,” Tippetts said. Finally, the color guard consists of 35 members who dance and spin flags, rifles and sabers adding flair to the production. “The color guard’s job is to always interpret the music of the band and give it life,” sophomore Abby Englishman said. In this year’s production, the guard embodies the natural environment of the Amazon jungle.

The color guard has rehearsed for this year’s production since May, joining the band later in August for three weeks of band camp. During rehearsals, the guard worked on technique, dance and basic skills required for the season. “We have such a strong bond with each other because we’ve been with a lot of these people for such a long time,” Englishman said. “I love the family the band has, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”

Askew said. sense of humor to A meme is based make a really good on current events, meme because I so during the 2016 don’t think (memes) election, there were come out of a sane of memes about person’s head,” Donald Trump and senior Maycie BrugHillary Clinton. geman said. Even a picture of Certain social mesomeone making dia platforms have a funny face will a reputation for go viral, and it will good memes. These soon be captioned include iFunny, Insinto a meme. tagram, Twitter and Graphic by Jessica Harkey The art of the even Pinterest. With meme has come a long way so many ways to see over the years. They began when them, students easily get addicted the internet got into the hands to scrolling through them. of younger generations. Though “They’re so distracting from memes can be made by anyone, everything else, you can sit there Askew disagrees. “I don’t know (the art of a meme) for hours and not realize it’s been hours because there’s just one after because nobody does, I leave (the the other,” Bruggeman said. making of memes) to the profesInstead of a distraction, stusionals,” Askew said. dents can use memes as an outlet Askew is referring to those who from school and stress. When have meme accounts with thouassignments and tests pile up, sands of followers. These accounts students could use a laugh from a on social media have piqued intergood meme. est in memes because the internet “They make fun of people, but makes memes quick and easy to they’re not super serious; it’s kind share, so new trends are always of light hearted,” Askew said. coming out. Memes die just like any other “You have to have a really bad trend that hits the internet. Al-

though some memes are missed, Askew and Bruggeman believe that all good things should come to an end. “At some point it needs to end (and get) to the next trend,” Askew said. Northwest teachers are using memes to their advantage to make their classrooms a friendly environment for the students. AP United States history teacher, Julia Skaggs uses her meme wall to show the rules of her classroom. “Rather than having a list (that says) ‘these are the rules’, I felt like theses memes covered it in a way that students would get.” Skaggs said. Skaggs says she mostly has them because they can make the students laugh even in a challenging AP level course. The art of the meme is different for everyone; it depends on what makes one roll on the ground laughing or what makes one stop and scroll for hours. Either way, memes give students and teachers a way to connect through a simple picture with a caption. “(Memes) say what we’re often thinking even when it’s not appropriate to say,” Skaggs said.

What do you meme?: Northwest students surround themselves in meme culture Megan Harkey

sports editor

ike any day in 2018, people are scrolling through posts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook that include anything from the news to a cat video. It’s no different at Northwest, students are constantly scrolling through the latest information. Most parents and teachers believe students are simply looking at fail videos for entertainment, but they are missing out on the whole other world of memes. A meme is usually a picture, or a moving picture, called a GIF, captioned with a relatable joke or scenario. These pictures are recaptioned over and over again while they are viral until another comes about. “Whatever’s popular seems to be top notch level; it’s whatever funny happens during (that) time,” junior Ryan Pepe the frog shows Viking pride. Pepe has stood the test of time, as he has been a popular mem for years. Illustration by Christy Ma

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