J-MAG FALL 2015
Table Of Contents Student Life Liberty North Relationships.......................4 Freshmen Adjusting....................................5 Seniors Graduating Early............................6 Balancing Busy Schedules...........................7 Kathleen Harner, Garbiella Heiser, Kortney Carder, Emily Windsor
Features Evan Widener..............................................8 Emma Haley................................................9 Thadeus Acha..............................................10 Varsity Scholar Bowl...................................11
Olicia Kopala, Miranda Pendleton, Delani Seymour, Kailee Shewell
In DepthISIS........................................12-13 Senioritis...............................14-15 Bri Clark, Raley Anzelone, Tyra Gentry, Courtney Haigney
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Opinion Female Stereotypes in Sports.............18 Jewelry Completes Outfits..................19 Standards Based Grading...................20 Safety in Schools.................................21 Fragile iPhones...................................21 Kaylen Aldridge, Rebecca Clancy, Moriah Costa, Daly McKay, David Overby, Nishat Shah
Sports Men’s Basketball...............................22 Swim and Dive..................................23 Wrestling...........................................24 Women’s Basketball..........................25 Hunter Malott, Blake Baldwin, Miles Dorsey, Riley Wolff
Photographers
Editors Kaylen Aldridge Nishat Shah
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Brandon Vasquez Kari Tott
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High School Relationships Written by: Kathleen Harner Photos by: Kari Tott There are many couples at Liberty North. “I don’t care about relationships; it’s their business but the worst thing in a relationship is if you become jealous of what the other person is doing,” freshmen Harrison Frawley said. There are several problems that could also arise if a person becomes too clingy. “The worst thing in a relationship is when someone thinks that one person is their everything,” freshmen Hayli Nagiewicz said. Also,sometimes high school relationships aren’t worth all the stress. “High school relationships are stupid because people are immature and there’s too much focus on the other person when they should be focused on the future. On top of that, relationship drama is the worst because it ruins everyone’s mood,” senior Dru Mcfarland said. On the flip side, there could be many good things in a high school relationship. These things may differ or be the same depending on the person. “Communication is the best thing in a relationship because it builds trust in your relationship so they
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won’t be suspicious,” Nagiewicz said. If trust is there, then relationships could go a long away. This may eventually captivate the attention of people around school. “I don’t mind high school relationships because everybody looks so happy and if someone makes them happy, it’s always great to see them around school,” freshmen Alision Gatzemeyer said. Gatzemeyer has been in a relationship for almost four months and seems to have learned some in the process. “My advice to people who aren’t in a relationship is if they don’t make you happy, don’t date them; it’s not worth the heartbreak,” Gatzemeyer said. If people in a high school relationship are happy, then they could stay together for a long time. However, sometimes this doesn’t always work out. “Most high school relationships don’t last very long and it’s sad to see when people lose some happiness because someone they cared for left them,” Gatzemeyer said.
“I don’t mind highschool relationships because everybody looks so happy and if someone makes them happy, it’s always great to see them around school.” Alison Gatzemeyer said.
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Adjustment Period Freshman adjust to the demands of high school Written By Gabriela Heiser; Photos by Kari Tott
Freshmen Shelby Sloan reads for her Communication Arts class.“It can be very stressful at times but I still think it’s fun,” said Freshman Jasmine Betts.
Video Feature: For more on this subject, check out this video by Beginning Broadcast students:
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People can adjust to high school in different ways. Middle school and high school are different, and can be hard for freshman to adjust. High schoolers may still be holding on to their middle school ways. “I’m adjusting alright. Theres are a lot more to take in. In high school you have bigger responsibilities, but more freedom which is really fun. I like high school,” Freshman Madeline Keller said. One way that’s hard to adjust is about the classes. “I wish I would’ve known more about my classes going into them,” Freshman Katlyn Kyriazis said. Often times high school transitions may be hard due to a lack of knowledge. “I think the building was pretty easy to adjust to. It’s big, but it’s kind of a similar size to middle school. It’s just split into levels,” Freshman Alex Bayless said. The amount of homework can be very stressful on some people. Which is what some
students have learned as the year has gone by. “The hardest thing to adjust to was probably the amount of homework we got. There’s a lot but that’s okay,” Keller said. Some do prefer high school over middle school. “Yes I like high school better! Because you get more freetime and middle school was kinda boring,” Kyriazis said. Many students say they wish they were more prepared for high school or that the upperclassmen should have given some advice. “Some advice I wish I would’ve gotten is that there’s some people there that won’t like you,” Freshman Santana Cervantes said.
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Early Graduation For some seniors, graduation is coming earlier than others Written By: Kortney Carder Photos by: Kari Tott and Brandon Vasquez For some seniors there is still a semester left, but for some there is just a couple weeks left. After that, life will officially start for the lucky ones that will be graduating early. There are many different colleges to choose from and many different career paths to choose from as well. “I will be going to Maple Woods for two years for teaching/education, I have not planned ahead any further,” Senior Sam Barrett said. From December until the fall there is much time for extra activities and preparing. “I will be playing soccer and taking college visits to find a college that has a good soccer team.” Senior Sam Malone says. If Sports and working is not something that is appealing, then working on online classes is an option as well. “I will be studying for my ACT and taking an online math,” senior Maddie Mejia said. Also in preparing for the expenses of college students can work instead of going to school from December to May. “I will be raising my hours at work and saving more for college until I start college in August,” Barrett says. The thought of graduating may come during freshman, sophomore, junior or even senior year.
“I did not think about graduating early until this year,” Barrett said. Grade point average does not have to be perfect, as long as the amount of credits needed are met then graduating early is doable. “My GPA right now is a 3.1,” Malone said. Failing a class does not mean there is not a chance to graduate at semester. “I had failed zoology class my sophomore year but I am still able to graduate at semester,” Malone said.
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Malone plans on graduating early. “My GPA is a 3.1,” Malone said.
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Balancing a Busy Schedule It can be hard to balance the life of busy high school Written by: Emily Windsor Photo by: Brandon Vasquez
“I’m perpetually tired so on practice nights I sometimes don’t do my homework, I just go to sleep,” sophomore Nina Yavicoli said.
High school can be tough; with everything expected of students it’s hard to find time to do everything. Several sophomores have learned to manage their time to settle into good habits. “I am often unable to finish all of my homework due to the fact if I did take the time to do it, I wouldn’t get enough sleep and struggle to get through the next school day,” sophomore Cole Neer said.“I have to spend time during school to complete homework I wasn’t able to do the night before, which puts even more pressure on me because I’m unable to focus on the classes I’m in because I’m doing work for a different class, which almost creates a cycle of playing “catch up” on all of my classes.” Neer shows a constant struggle dealing with all the homework dealt from each class, and the struggle to get everything thing done isn’t just with him. Whether practicing for the musical or for Color Guard, it can be hard for others to get enough sleep but still being able to do things they’re passionate about. “Teachers are honestly giving too much work, and they fail to
realize that our lives do not just consist of school work and that it does not benefit my learning to get so much work because then I just cram it in last minute and don’t learn a thing,” sophomore Nina Yavicoli said, “I’m perpetually tired so on practice nights I sometimes don’t do my homework, I just go to sleep.” Yavicoli is fighting to get everything done but is too tired to do so, unlike Emily Caywood who will sacrifice sleep time to stay caught up with school. “I would stay up late to finish homework, or would try and finish it up during my classes throughout the day to keep my grades up,” sophomore Emily Caywood said. Both Caywood and Neer show similar struggle to get all their homework done to keep up their grades by working on it throughout the day. Even though it can be hard balancing school and the musical it can be worth it all. “It was a wonderful experience and I wouldn’t trade it” Caywood said.
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For more on this subject, check out this video by Beginning Broadcast students:
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Recovering from an unexpected injury Written By:Miranda Pendleton Photos By:Kari Tott
Throughout time, history has proven that sports and injuries do not mix. Take the legendary Raiders running back and Royals outfielder, Bo Jackson. He was one of the most aspiring athletes of his time, but one injury changed it all. Also Jamaal Charles, the Chief’s running back who was taken out for the season due to a torn ACL. Unfortunately, a student did break their ankle during football season this year. His name is Evan Widener. “It was during the beginning of football season and I jumped to catch the ball, but I was pushed and stepped back into a hole in the ground,” Widener said. For days Widener didn’t go to the hospital because the trainer told him that he only had an ankle sprain, which proved to be wrong. “I started hoping that I could still play and praying it wasn’t that bad, but I knew it was just by how much pain I was in,” Widener said. The doctor said that he broke part of his ankle and had to have surgery. Widener took all of football season to recover just in time for basketball tryouts the next week. “I noticed that he was still limping during basketball tryouts but he was giving it all he had to make the team,” Henderson said.
“ Widener is very hardworking and dedicated to what he does,” Henderson said.
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“Widener has improved a lot since his injury and has really shown what he can do in tryouts, ” Holden said. Widener showed how possible it is to come back from a serious injury, no matter how difficult it seems.
“I am very thankful for my recovery and glad it was not as bad as it could have been,” Widener said.
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A Unique Artist Sophmore Emma Haley shares her love of drawing Written by and Photos by Delani Seymour
16 year old Emma Haley loves to draw, but instead
of the usual painting and realistic drawings, Haley draws anime. “I guess you can call me a weeaboo, I like to draw a lot of anime and some cartoons,” Haley said. Haley’s favorite thing to draw is anime characters and characters from her favorite video games including Undertail, Danganronpa, Off, Death Note, and Tokyo Ghoul. Her favorite characters to draw the main character from Undertail, Frisk, the Greater dog, and Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul. Haley uses pencils, colored pencils, and ink pens when drawing. “6th grade I was a huge fan of anime that time but I couldn’t draw that well so it was all disproportionate,” Haley said. Haley started drawing when she was in sixth grade. Haley says she was not a good drawer and that all her drawings were out of place, but practice makes perfect. “A lot of friends say I’m good and it makes me happy,” Haley said. Haley draws whenever she can to practice which is mainly on the weekends due to homework during the school week. “ I do compare my artwork to other people’s artwork way too often. I sometimes put myself down, but other people encourage me and say that I have talent,” Haley said.
Haley wants to continue her artistic career through digital design and is hoping to start soon. She wants to go to an art school for graphic design, but she does not know where. “It seems like an interesting thing to have a career in,” Haley said.
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Haley loves drawing anime characters “Drawing is my favorite thing to do,” Haley said.
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Soaring Like an Eagle
Joseph and The Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat was a standing ovation. Written by Olivia Kopala; Photos by Kenzie McNeill The Liberty North musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” was on November 20-22. Being the main character in a school musical is a big deal and a big plate on someone’s table to handle, but for sophmore Thadeus Ache, having the role of Joseph was an easy obstacle course for him to get through. “It has been really fun being Joseph. It is stressful, but you have a lot of support with the cast members, the directors and family, so it’s not so bad,” Ache said. Freshmen Ryan DeCamp thinks that Ache is a great leader and is a very kind person. “Thadeus is a very good leader, because he helps everybody with their parts if they’re having trouble and he is very kind to everyone,” DeCamp said. Freshman Colt Duncan, which helped with spotlight in the play thinks that Ache is a helpful hand when it comes down to theatre and learning their roles. “If there’s a part and someone’s having trouble he’ll give a helpful hand cause he knows a lot of theatre and he is very good with theatre,” Duncan said. Duncan described Ache as a helpful hand and is mainly always there for anyone that needs help with anything. “Friendly, because he is nice to everybody and he will talk to you if you need help with anything, he is also humble,” Duncan said. Ache had brought many smiles and laughter with having the role of Joseph in the musical.
“Thadeus is the perfect person to play Joseph, because he has a wonderful singing voice and is an extremely great actor and person,” DeCamp said. Ache had to give up playing sports, because he was a very important part in the play and had to take in practice time after school. “This musical is more fun than any other I have ever done so far, so I wouldn’t want to do another sport,” Ache said.
The musical was performed in November. “I thought it was really fun because it was summed up so that none of the parts in the play were slow and it was just fast paced really well,” Garrett Williams said.
“I think that the musical was a really good learning experience and it also was extremely fun,” Ryan DeCamp said.
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Varsity Scholar Bowl Scholar Bowl competes in trivia competitions Written By: Kailee Shewell Photo by: Brandon Vasquez Some people are smart, but others are really smart.. and just so happen to be apart of Liberty North High School’s Varsity Scholar Bowl. “There are 25 students who regularly attend practices every week, and some also attend tournaments on the weekends,” Science teacher and Scholar Bowl Coach Mary Coogan said. Coogan has been coaching Scholar Bowl since 2010 when Liberty North opened, and she was helping coach at Liberty High School before that. “I look forward to learning more and going to tournaments on the weekends,” Freshman Anna Haynes said. Scholar Bowl tournaments can be fun, and the coaches encourage new people to join every year. It’s not just a one grade thing, it’s open to all grades. “Practice usually consists of an activity related to content and a practice game. The games at the tournaments are not all structured the same way, so we practice for the specific upcoming tournament Some tournaments include a worksheet round, others just toss-up questions and toss-up questions with bonus questions,” Coogan said Scholar Bowl practices take place every week, once a week on Tuesdays after school in Room 317 from 3:20 to about 4:30. “I learned about Scholar Bowl and really got interested in it and joined it because my brother was in it when he was at Liberty North,” Haynes said Coogan said she enjoys coaching Scholar Bowl. “I enjoy working with the students to hone buzzer skills and pracScholar Bowl meets after school. “There are tice with questions. It is fun to see the students succeed in a tour25 students who regularly attend practices.” nament and also fun to watch their skills increase over the years,” Coogan Coogan said. The Scholar Bowl season began in October and lasts through May.
Video Feature:
For more on this subject, check out this video by Beginning Broadcast students: http://tinyurl.com/Jmagstories
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Syrian Refugee Crisis Isis threats and attacks drives syrian refugees into America. Written by: Bri Clark and Raley Anzelone November 13, 2015 in a northern suburb of Paris, France, tragedy happened. Isis launched three suicide bombers that struck near the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, followed by another suicide bombing, and a series of mass shootings at five locations in Paris. The attackers killed 130 people, including 89 at the Bataclan theater, where they took hostages before engaging in a stand-off with police. 368 people were injured, 80–99 seriously. Seven of the attackers also died, while authorities continued to search for accomplices. “The situation was crazy. The news was all around school and everybody was talking about it. I heard about it in every class,” Senior Jillian Valadez said. But the question is, why did this happen? The simple answer is that no one knows why Paris was targeted. What we do know is that this is what global jihadists do, they want chaos and they want people to be afraid of them. The Thursday after the attack on Paris, Isis released
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a video of a new threat. This video stated that they were going to attack the US. ISIS’s reasoning for wanting to attack Americans (and Europeans) is they deserve blame and will pay a great price. “Most people don’t even know why this happened and why Isis feels this way about us. Most people have no part in this,” Valadez said. Surprisingly or not, there are actually ISIS people in our country. They stay here to investigate our motives and to decide how they want to move forward with their planned attacks. Another reason they might decide to be here in the US is because some of them are suicide bombers, so after they bomb a certain place, they go down too. Some people want to let Syrian refugees in our country, some don’t. More than half of US governors have said that they pose a threat to national security. Some people think that they would overrun our country, and some think that it would cause a paris-style attack. A “The same regulations and background checks that are applied to all refugees
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should be applied to refugees from Syria. These checks and regulations are already the most strict of all of the ways to get into the country, and refugees have been shown by multiple studies to not be dangerous,” Senior Rachel Shepard said. In an anonymous survey, people around all the same age groups, all have their own opinions and reasons as to why Syrian refugees should be allowed or not allowed in the US. “Because it’s just too risky, we need to take care of our families above all else and sorry if that means that other people can’t be helped,” Senior Rachel Shepard said. If Syrian refugees were treated the same way as any other refugees and had background checks, then there would be less likely chances for them to pose as threats themselves. Some feel it is not our problem that their country is in trouble, that we have our own priorities and sometimes people don’t want to take the risks it takes to help other people. “We shouldn’t just give them everything. They still need to work and earn a living at some point even if it is not right at the beginning. They need to contribute to society and follow our laws that we have set up and have some kind of developmental class where they learn to adapt to how things work to help them get good jobs and be able to support themselves. They don’t need to be come us, just learn how to survive in our society because of how different it is here,” Senior Mychaela Stuart said. It’s not that people want to make Syrian refugees feel
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bad or have to pay for living here, but the process has negative and positive reinforcements. Negatives such as the refugees not being fully trusted and having to find work. Positives such as getting lead into a more safe country, having a higher population of workers, etc. “I think our country could make a bigger and better place if everyone wasn’t so biased and looked at things from different points of views,” Stuart said.
Video Feature
For more on this subject, check out this video by Beginning Broadcast students: http://tinyurl.com/Jmagstories
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Senioritis: It’s real A “real” illness for some, senioritis has hit many seniors Written by Tyra Gentry & Courtney Haigney; Photos by Brandon Vasquez Senioritis: what is thought to be as a cliche saying, for seventeen and eighteen year olds to use as a reason for their lack of motivation at the end of their last school year. For some, senioritis sets in during August and September, but for others senioritis doesn't come into full effect until April or May. But every senior is almost guaranteed to be diagnosed with senioritis at least once through their high school career. “I've been in school for 12 years now so basically senioritis is in full effect for me right now. I struggle to turn in commarts assignments on time just because I have a lack of motivation at this time in the semester,” Senior Sam Malone said. Senioritis is very real and causes most seniors to turn in late assignments, show up late frequently, have a poor choice of clothing (sweat pants and t-shirts), and lowering grades. With senioritis most of the reasons they just stop caring is because they are graduating soon. Liberty North Alumni claim that they wish they wouldn't have slacked off so much during their senioritis period because some of their grades have suffered because of it. “Senioritis has a big effect on me because it’s hard knowing that graduation is so close but I still have to do so much work. Like I want to be relaxed because I'm almost done but I have a lot of work to do,” Senior Mychaela Stuart said. Procrastination is the main side effect of senioritis, causing students to not work on a paper or assignment until it is due in an hour. They sometimes make up things and hope that is sounds decent, all because on Monday night, they would
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have rather took that 4 hour nap then bite the bullet and finish the assignment. “I have senioritis because this high school doesn't offer as much opportunities and time to finish work in my opinion. And I'm anxious to be onto better things once I graduate,” senior Rodney Hinton said.
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“I feel like I need to get the heck out of here! I want to do what I need and get out,” Sierra Robinson
“It kinda affects my school work ethic, I did all my hard classes my Junior year so I’m not as stressed out,” Alice Mahinda
It does for some people, to me ‘Senioritis’ seems like a mental challenge,” Michael Baker
Video Feature:
For more on this subject, check out this video by Beginning Broadcast students: http://tinyurl.com/Jmagstories
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Opinion Columns Starbucks, scarves, leggings, Converse, Victoria’s Secret and PINK! These are all things that are used to describe the typical “white girl”. But I however think that this stereotype is very offensive and judgmental towards girls. Just because girls like a certain brand or feel that something is more comfortable doesn’t mean that people should be putting her down. I feel as though the label “white girl” is a way to generalize all girls and take away their individuality. Boys don’t get judged for wearing cargo shorts and polo shirts everyday because it’s seen as okay in everyday life. Some people would argue that it’s okay to use this label because it’s a way for more people to see themselves fit in and be comfortable. However, even when these labels are used to describe a “white girl”, not every white girl fits into this category. I for one do not like drinking Starbucks all the time; I think it is overpriced. I enjoy wearing jeans instead of leggings everyday. I think that if we want girls to feel comfortable in everyday life and to be less insecure, we need to let them wear what makes them feel comfortable and eat or drink whatever makes them happy, and that we need to encourage individuality instead of focusing on labeling a group of people as a whole.
Written by: Rebecca Clancy
Written by: Kaylen Aldridge
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When you hear the word ‘sports’, what do you think of? Sweaty guys in football uniforms? Boys dunking a basketball? For most people, a female doing either of these things wouldn’t come to mind. That’s because in our society today, men are glorified for sports and being tough while women are supposed to be busy with school or some kind of housework. In our school system alone, males and females aren’t equal in sports. When I played basketball in middle school, the girl’s team was given far less attention than the boy’s. The boys always had more people at games, cooler sweatshirts and t-shirts, and even personalized socks! This isn’t just an issue in Liberty. How many female sports do you watch on T.V? Have you ever been to a professional female sporting event? Have you ever seen a stadium as nice as the Kauffman built for a female sporting event? Probably not because our society glorifies men for athletics. If a men’s sports team was seen as a rock, a women’s team would be nothing more than a pebble, stuck in the rock’s shadow. Of course there’s the male’s opinion about how they ‘have to play sports to fit in’, but still, what about the women? Some women don’t fit into the typical ‘female’ category and turn to sports as something that interests them. Even if a girl is really good at a sport (which many are) they are seen as a tomboy or as just trying to impress men. There’s no real way to fix this issue because people will always have their opinions and that’s okay. But, if women were given just a fraction of the attention males get in sports, it would still be an improvement.
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Opinion Columns
I think to complete a overall look of an outfit, some type of jewelry makes it look 100% better and tops it all off. You can wear jewelry with any outfit no matter if you are going for a fancy dinner look, a laid back comfortable look, even a workout look. There are so many types of jewelry that can help you dress it up or dress it down. When most girls hear the word jewelry, the first thing that comes to mind is big earrings, gaudy necklaces, and big diamond rings but that is not always the case. In fact I always just have simple stud earrings and a couple of bracelets on even when i’m wearing sweats and a hoodie. Stud earrings are my best friends. You are never too young or old for jewelry either. Babies get their ears pierced, and there are women who are buried with their best jewelry. Jewelry is something that is worn worldwide and is seen in many magazines, photos, and runway shows. There are so many stores that specifically only sell jewelry with wide price ranges from really cheap to really expensive. So depending on your income, you can get jewelry no matter rich or poor. Also When selecting an outfit.you can find almost every color of jewelry to match it. Jewelry is a Big way America makes money. Wearing jewelry makes my outfits look complete and gives it more variety of colors. Jewelry will continue to be an everyday accessory for me.
Written by Mariah Costa
Written by: Nishat Shah
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“To my friends in New York I say hello...all the right friends in all the right places...said no more counting dollars we’ll be counting stars...it’s too late to apologize…” you might have heard these songs at one time or another. But what a lot of people don’t pay attention to is the artist! These songs are the works of the band OneRepublic. This band seems to remain quite underground for a band that has had so many hits on the radio. They’ve been a decade defining band in the 2010s, from the song Apologize back in 2007 to I Lived in 2015. The band has had multiple hit singles from all three of their albums, Dreaming Out Loud, Waking Up, and Native, and are currently working on their next album, coming out in 2016. What I love so much about them is how their music manages to cross the pop and alternative genres with multiple songs, which is something not a lot of bands can do. The singer of the band, Ryan Tedder, is also an excellent songwriter, and he’s written many songs for pop artists such as Adele, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. Another great thing they do is incorporate stringed orchestral instruments like the violin and cello. Even if you don’t know their songs, I bet you would be able to recognize significant parts of them, like the cello in Secrets. They’re also great at performing live, it’s almost as if they were better live than the actual studio recordings of their songs! My favorite song by them is All The Right Moves. So next time you happen to come across a song by OneRepublic, take a moment to listen to some of their others.
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Opinion Column Everyone wishes they could be an ambivert, a person who has an even mix of introverted and extroverted qualities. It takes skills that most people don’t have to be one. Personally, I’m an introvert. I am naturally awkward around people that I’m not close to, and it’s generally fatiguing for me to make friends or to get myself to the point of wanting to be friends with someone. When in crowds, I tend to have anxiety attacks. Some time recently, I was at a parade, and surrounded by mass quantities of people. Something inside of me felt like I needed to throw up and I ended up crying, resulting in me having to be taken into a less crowded area. After periods of time where I am forced to socialize, I need to be alone for some time. The reason for my inability to socialize might be because I’m a twin. It’s not necessary for me to socialize because I already have that one set friend that will never leave me - even if we’re not siamese. Maybe I’m just an introvert becuase I’m naturally wired that way. Whatever the reason, so many others and I just aren’t able to talk to others easily. It annoys me when people tell me I need to socialize with other people. Sure, I may look uncomfortable clinging to the walls, and you may feel like it is best fo me, but I know that talking to people will make me feel even more uncomfortable. To be honest, I believe most of the reason why I can’t cope well with people is because I’m a lazy person. It just seems like too much effort to try to get up and talk to someone. So please, whatever you do, do not ask me to socialize.
Written by: Daly McKay
Staff Ed: Standards Based Grading When grading work, there are some teachers who use the traditional grading scale, and then there are some who use standards based grading. In schooling, the Journalism I class thinks it is necessary that all educators eliminate standards based grading from their classes. Standards based grading focuses more on mastering each section of the curriculum by using a one through four grading scale, one being a failing grade, three being proficient, and four being mastery of the subject. This might sound like an easy way to grade things, and it might be for the teachers, but we believe that it is not giving students the feedback they need to learn the subject properly. The grading scale is too broad. When using the traditional grading system, the grade that students get is from one to one hundred, therefore making the grading system more precise and on point with what the student earned. Standards based grading is more based on the teacher’s opinion on how well the student did on the test. We believe that grades are supposed to be statistics (numbers), not the teacher’s opinion. Also, the students who actually study aren’t getting the credit that they deserve. Getting a three is the equivalent on getting a 90 on something. This means that if a student were to get all of the questions correct on a test, but the teacher believed that it was only “proficient”, then they get a three, an A minus, unlike if a teacher were to use traditional grading, the student would get the score of a one hundred. If you think about the math involved with this, standards based grading just doesn’t add up correctly. The way to an easier, more efficient grading system is simple: use traditional grading instead of standards based grading.
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Opinion Column iPhones are pretty cool. I use to have an Android and I know a lot of people that go from Androids to iPhones and like the iPhone a lot better. I’m about the same. I like the organization, it’s pretty reliable for the most part, and it feels like 2/3rds of people with phones have them. However, my favorite part is how they look. They look really nice without cases. But that’s the bad part about them. Without a case. If you know anything about iPhones you probably know how fragile they are compared to a lot of other phones. You can drop it once and the whole thing will end up shattered. I’ve had the same iPhone for about a year, and I’ve dropped it a lot. And I’ve never had a case on it. It never has broken but I still know a lot of people that have shattered their iPhone’s dropping it only once. They should make iPhones more like mine. I consider it an iPhone mutant since I really have dropped it at least 10 times on the pavement. I think everyone knows that iPhones are some of the nicest looking phones so being able to not have to have a bulky case on your new already kind of too big iPhone 6s it would be really nice. I don’t know if it is a conspiracy to make us have to pay for new after new iPhones because we keep breaking them or a conspiracy with buying the cases, but I hate cases. Currently I still don’t have a case and I don’t plan on conforming to society by getting one. However, I don’t want to have to panic whenever I drop my phone next that the 32nd time will be the time it shatters. Written by: David Overby
Staff Editorial Safety in school. It’s usually a pretty common thing to correspond together. School is generally a safe place and we frequently practice drills to keep up on our safety handling skills. However this year the school has a whole new addition. The new wing, which is all together at least nice looking, may not serve as the most helpful or useful place during safety problems. There is only one real main exit out of the back and only one other exit, which is in the corner of a science lab room. For fire drills or most other safety drills besides tornadoes this could get very crowded and chaotic. Then there is the big issue that people have with the fact that all the doors are glass. The problem students and teachers have brought up with this is incase of an intruder. However, it doesn’t has to be such a big deal. The truth is sadly, that if a shooter were to be in the building it would most likely be another student. That being said, their objective would be to harm as many students as possible; and trying this during class would never happen since most students are vulnerable during passing period or lunch. However for just a random intruder yes, the glass doors would be very problematic. The entrances are a bit of a distance from the new wing so possibly evacuating as many as possible before having to hide might have to happen. We think there are still easy solutions to this problem though, and I think there are some precautions in place to still prevent this from getting too far. For one, a staircase upstairs with an outside exit would be easy. Or another exit door downstairs would be another easy fix as well.
Dec. 2015
21
Heart Doesn’t Measure Age
Liberty North is focused on winning a state basketball title with their young talent Written by: Blake Baldwin Photos by: Brandon Vasquez and Kari Tott Basketball may just be a sport, but for Liberty North High School, it’s family. “I absolutely love the men’s basketball program here at North. We have good players, good role models and great coaches. That’s why North basketball is so sucessful,” Sophomore Robbie Hansen said. It would be a big accomplishment to play at the varsity level, but starting in a sport is an even bigger accomplishment. “Getting my first start on varsity was one of the most exciting nights of my life and it is something that I will never forget,” Junior Dominic Fragola said. Playing a sport for a long time allows a player to gain more experience and have a better chance of playing at the next level. This is the case for Robbie Hanson and his skills on the hardwood. “I have been playing basketball since I was in 1st grade,” Hans0n said. As a sophomore, playing against juniors and seniors might get difficult every now and then. “It is hard playing against older kids especially because they are stronger than me. It can be hard when I go up to get a rebound because they are taller and stronger than I am,”Hanson said Many players aspire to be a varsity starter. “I love playing varsity high school basketball. It’s a fun time and it’s super exciting. It’s definately been a great time and it’s one of the greatest experiences I have had throughout my life,” Fragola said. Working up to varsity is a goal of some. “My biggest expectation for the upcoming season is to get better and to work my way up to varsity. I am currently on junior varsity so that is my bigget priority is to find a way to get moved up,” Junior Nick Coleman said.
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Varsity basketball currently has a 4-1 record and won the Liberty North Invitational. “Getting my first start on Varsity was one of the most exciting nights ever, and it was something I will never forget,” junior Dominic Fragola said.
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Dec. 2015
22
Dive deep and swim fast
The women’s swim and dive team is looking to having a successful season
writen by senior Miles Dorsey Photos by: Kari Tott
The 2015 season is about to be underway for the Liberty North swim and Dive team and the swimmers of the 2015 season believe it’s going to be a great season, “It’s going to be a really successful season because we have a tight bond between the freshman and the seniors, “Freshman Kari Tott said. This season for the women’s swim and dive team, the connection and bond between everybody is key for being successful. “It’s gonna be a really good year because we have a great varsity group”,Freshman Ashlyn Pop said. Consistency is believed to be a big factor when it comes to the team. “We are trying our best at every meet, working hard and having fun, “Madeleine Sevier said. The girls have opinion on whether a different stroke calls for a different competitiveness. “It’s gonna be very competitive but a good season and the goal is to get to state for the 400 free, 200 free and 200 medley,”Senior Sarah Philpot said. This year they are striving to become state champs and doing whatever they can to get there. “Because all the hard work we are doing in practice will eventually pay off,” Melissa Hagan said. The freshman that are coming are planning to make a impact and give the team a shot at the state title. “It’s going to be a really good year because we have good freshman and they are Maddie Sevier, Melissa Hagan and Ashlyn Pope,” Junior Jaclyn Edlin said. Technique and form is very important to the team and their efforts because they want to get the best out of their practices and perform at the bests level they can. “Sprints and distances, Being consistent is important for us to have a shot at being state champs,”Junior Caroline Adams said.
The water is calm before swim practice starts. “We have a really dedicated team, we have a lot of people that love the sport and are passionate about it, “ Freshman Kari Tott said.
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Dec. 2015
23
The Not So New Freshman
Achievements can come from young wrestlers also Written by Hunter Malott; Photos by Brandon Vasquez Some freshmen wrestlers aren’t so new to the sport. “I have been wrestling for 9 years,” freshman Kolin Thee said. Many freshman wrestlers have been only wrestling 1-3 years. “I got into wrestling in the second grade when me and my friend wanted to try it out and I just kept with it,” Thee said. Most of the freshman wrestlers are on the junior varsity or exibition squad but Thee made varsity this year. “When we had our first challenge matches to see who is varsity and JV, I was nervous but I just gave it my best and got the varsity spot,” Thee said. The first meet of the season was against Staley and St.Joseph Central. “When we got to Staley, I was a little nervous because it was my first varsity match ever . But when I got onto the mat my mind cleared and I went my hardest and pinned him in 32 seconds,” Thee said. Another freshman wrestler is Isaiah Stenner. “I have been wrestling for 11 years. I got into wrestling because my brother wrestled. I had wrestled with the highs chool team before, so I knew what I would have to do to make varsity. So when challenge matches came around , I took the varsity spot at the 132 weight class,” Stenner said. Stenner says he’s plans on wrestling for all 4 years of high school. Another freshman wrestler is Matthew Hertz. “I have been wrestling for 3 years. I started in 8th grade and wrestled for eagle wrestling club after the regular season,” Hertz said.
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Dec. 2015
Kolin Thee is 14-2 right now, and is looking for more wins in his freshman season. “I’m going to try my hardest and keep working on my technique throughout the season,” Thee said.
Con
Isaiah Stenner has placed at all the tournaments he has gone to in the past. “I just have to keep on working on my technique and quickness and I will be alright,” Stenner said.
Making
Improvements
Girls basketball starts to prepare for the uncoming season as winter sports begin. Written by Riley Wolff Photos by Brandon Vasquez With winter sports just beginning, thoughts of the upcoming season are starting to take over. As the girls basketball team prepare for what lies ahead, the ladies have mixed emotions. “I have a lot of mixed emotions about the season starting back up. This year is going to be a lot different I feel like,” Junior Katlyn Boman said. A few girls have decided after last years season not to play. With the loss of players, comes even more change. Not only the transition from previous fall sports ending, but also new people and leadership roles that are causing huge change in the life of these eagle athletes. “Being a senior, I now have a lot more pressure on me this season. I’m one of the few girls that stuck with the team rather than quitting, so the coaches look to me for input and so do the new, younger athletes,” Senior Brooklyn Barnett said. After a previous 10-15 season, the girls are now looking towards big improvements. A main goal of the team is to function more like a unit and treat one another like family. “We’re really trying to bond and be a lot closer this year. The coaches have sat some of us upperclassmen down and talked to us about what we want the year to look like. We all agreed on wanting a better record and improving the way we treat one another both in and out of practice,” Junior Destiny Ojigoh said. As the basketball girls prepare to take the court, leadership plays a big role in making a change in the season. “A majority of the girls playing varsity this year haven’t played a minute of varsity time before. Showing them the ropes and using positive enforcement to teach them what is necessary to play on this level are the major contributing factors to being closer to the best team we can be,” Barnett said.
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Liberty North Girls Basketball played in the Liberty Invitational this week. “Each players drive to be better on and off of the court has increased significantly since last year,” Senior Brooklyn Barnett said.
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Dec. 2015
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