The Northwood Howler Volume XXIV, Issue IV: December 9, 2022

FIRST TIME EVER: Football to state finals

By Rhea Gupta Staff Writer

The Northwood varsity football team claimed a 10-7 victory against Robert F. Kennedy High School on Dec. 2 in the CIF Southern California Regional Championships, achieving a record 14 wins this season and ad vancing to state finals. According to the OC Register, this is the first time any IUSD football team has advanced to state finals in the 50-year district history.

Northwood started the game strong, holding a lead of 10-0 into halftime. Northwood’s defense pro ceeded to effectively counter Kenne dy’s high-powered offense, all while running back senior Adam Harper scored the game’s first touchdown.

Going into the fourth and final quarter however, confidence within the team started to waver after Ken nedy had possession of the ball with two minutes left in the game. But Northwood’s defense came in clutch and running back Harper was able to run out the clock for a Northwood win.

“Right now, we are in unchart ed territory,” Harper said. “A lot of teams don’t ever go this far and we don’t want to take this opportunity for granted.”

Coming into the season, North wood was projected to finish last in the Pacific Coast League. However, with impressive commitment and effort from the team in combination

with the outstanding leadership from second-year head coach J.C. Clarke, offensive coordinator Mike Stewart, defensive coordinator Dean Toohey and assistant coaches Dave Harper and Mickey Dickson, they surpassed this expectation.

Since Northwood’s win in Di vision 11 last year, the team won the CIF Division 8 championship on Nov. 26 in their third CIF champion ship appearance.

“The team, especially the se niors, worked hard over the summer and in the off-season so that we could make it to the CIF finals again, and it paid off,” quarterback senior Eugene Miyata said. “I think some of the guys, especially the young ones, were nervous but we have a lot of seniors who played in the Championships last year, so we were comfortable playing at this level.”

Northwood now moves on to

play The Escalon Cougars, a North ern California team, at State Cham pionships held on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. To follow along, check out the North wood Athletics Instagram page (@ twolvesathletics).

“Some people don’t even get to CIF Championships and we have won two in the past two years,” de fensive end sophomore Joseph Harp er said. “These are definitely memo ries I’ll cherish forever because not

only did I get to play with my brother, but Northwood football definitely has become like a family to me. Last year we won by heart, this year we won by heart.”

Expectations are high for tomor row’s game, but the team is confident in their abilities.

“I definitely think we can win State,” Miyata said. “If we play at the level we’ve been playing at, I’m confident that we can go all the way.”

Performing arts musicians shine at thaw-dropping winter concerts

By Megha Kishore Staff Writer

The theater echoed with the magical sound of cheerful carols with a packed audience filling up every seat in the room, cherishing the fes tive music each band, orchestra and choir had prepared. Northwood’s choral and instrumental musicians performed seasonal pieces during their winter showcases on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 respectively.

Choir Winterlight

All levels of choir performed multiple selections which displayed their vocal talents through high notes and harmonious chorus, while other songs parodied traditional holiday repertoire showcasing that each choir had a diverse range of skill.

Classic holiday songs like “Jin gle Bells” were adapted into “Jumble Bells,” where Chamber Singers sang it “jumbled” and out of order, while Bass Clef’s “Twelve Days After

Christmas” cleverly changed the lyr ics for the song to be from the man’s perspective rather than the official “Twelve Days of Christmas” which is sung from a woman’s perspective.

“The holiday season is a time for love, happiness, and remember ing those who are dear to us,” choral director Zach Halop said. “Laughter is a tie that binds us all which is why I included the humorous elements to the songs.”

Treble Clef and Viva Cantar performed “Choralography,” which are sets of choreographed dances ex ecuted while they sing. Treble Clef used gift bags as props while sing ing “Christmas Rush,” a song about shopping during the holiday season.

Viva Cantar performed “Down Down the Chimney” utilizing the full stage for formations as performers moved from sitting on the edge of the stage to surrounding the corners.

Instrumental Winter Concert

The Instrumental Winter Con

cert displayed a variety of holiday music ranging from upbeat to om inous, celebrating a diverse range of winter holidays—“Chanukah: The Festival of Lights Overture” about Hanukkah, “Feliz Navidad” and “Gleeful Christmas” celebrating

Christmas, “Winter Solstice” cele brating the titular holiday as well as winter- themed pieces like “Polar Express” and “Winter Wonderland.”

The winter concert featured perfor mances by Concert Band and Orches tra, Symphonic Band and Orchestra,

Wind Ensemble and String Orchestra.

Embracing the holiday spirit, players and their instruments donned a sea of Santa hats to accompany the festive music.

Percussion instruments like the chimes and sleigh bells added a live ly element by providing an accompa nying sound that emphasized distinct melodies. Unique instruments like the electric guitar were also included in the Symphonic Orchestra perfor mance of “Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24,” creating a modern sound.

“The nature of this song com bines elements of traditional orches tra with rock and roll,” Instrumental Music director Ben Case said. “Pick ing something different provided a set of challenges, but we were able to rise up to it.”

Check out all vocal programs along with Wind Symphony, Jazz I and Philharmonic Orchestra at the Winter Gala tonight for $10 for stu dents and $15 for others at the front of the theater.

Music Theory

A&E

The MBTI Myth

Viewpoint

One in a Million Shot

Sports

Photo Provided by One in a Million Shot

TWO-TIME CIF CHAMPIONS: Running back senior Adam Harper clinches the championship plaque as the team excitedly rallies him on.

Check

Ellie Chan The Northwood Howler

TREBLE MAKERS: Viva Cantar seniors Catie Jamieson and Aditi Kurup dance their hearts out to “Down, Down the Chimney.”

Including all spectrums of ability in Irvine playground

By Shreya Aithal Staff Writer

Irvine was awarded a $2.8 mil lion grant on Oct. 25 to develop a universally accessible playground in Sweet Shade Neighborhood Park by California Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and will now undergo significant renovations.

The Sweet Shade community, which houses the city’s Disability Services program, was chosen par ticularly as the location for the ac cessible playground so that residents could have a centralized location for recreational activity, accommodation, resources and more.

Playgrounds like this create more opportunities for children to experience playgrounds regardless of ability, since they are equipped with specialized sensory gardens, adjust able swings and more.

“Inclusion is something anyone can practice,” Northwood education specialist Katherine Gorin said. “This is a really great idea for kids to see and practice inclusivity at an early age.”

Petrie-Norris, who secured and awarded the grant to Irvine, has also promoted this cause through play grounds in Laguna Beach, according to the OC Register. Orange County has also introduced a multitude of accessible parks and playgrounds with the help of these grants, such as Courtney’s Sandcastle and Max Berg Plaza Park in San Clemente, along with Columbus Tustin Park in Tustin.

These parks aim to increase in clusivity among users and follow re quirements dictated by the guidelines

from the American Disability Act of 1990, which include an accessible path to and from the play structure to the building and parking as well as easy access to play sets with mobility devices.

Irvine’s other 40 parks have served communities with standard ized layouts and amenities, including play structures equipped with slides and monkey bars, as well as basket ball courts and sand pits, creating lo cal essentials.

The introduction of newer parks such as the one in Sweet Shade strive to make play structures wheelchair accessible and to create transfer sta

tions for parents and two separate play areas with features such as rub berized surfaces and sand.

These additions hope to include children across the spectrum of ability and create experiences that appeal to

every child.

With increasing numbers of resources such as the Disability Ser vices program, which has operated since 2019, cities are working to pro vide community members and their

families with additional services and support in regard to their disabilities, extracurriculars and referrals.

The City has received the final construction contract, and construc tion will commence in spring 2023, setting the playground opening date for spring 2024.

Having playgrounds in Irvine more accessi ble makes it easier for adults to model to youth on learning how to be inclusive of people who don’t look, act or play like us.

—education specialist Katherine Gorin

“ “

“Kids often look at adults to learn how their role models interact with unfamiliar and new experiences in life,” Gorin said. “Having play grounds in Irvine more accessible makes it easier for adults to model to youth on learning how to be inclusive of people who don’t look, act or play like us.”

State-wide housing crisis affects residents close to home

By Ally Venezia Staff Writer

California is currently experi encing a state-wide shortage of af fordable housing due to a lack of land and exorbitant prices leading to an in crease in homelessness and relocation to other U.S. states.

The cost of homes in Irvine has been on the uptrend for months, with the new median list price of $935,000 in comparison to the $835,000 aver age of last year, New University re ports.

ago, you could rent a house for that price.”

Experts say that the housing affordability crisis was caused by an increase in unemployment rates throughout the pandemic, and this combined with the rising housing prices has led to the homeless popu lation in California steadily increas ing. CalMatters reports that in the past three years, the number of people without stable housing has increased from over 22,500 people to 173,800.

California’s rising cost of liv ing has also caused a lack of housing for teachers. Teachers throughout the state have had to leave their district in search of more affordable housing.

The cost of homes in Irvine has been on the uptrend for months, with the new median list price of $935,000 in comparison to the $835,000 average of last year, New Uni versity reports.

The Golden State’s lack of af fordable housing has been an issue since 1970, with California cities occupying five of the top 10 lowest home-owning cities in America.

This mass crisis has been a result of California’s lack of available land to build upon, according to La Jolla News. To accommodate the influx of immigrants to California, the state should be building around 180,000 new houses per year. But in the past 10 years, only half of that yearly quo

ta has been met.

“When governor Gavin Newsom first ran for office in 2017, he ran on a campaign of installing 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. How ever, since his election, Newsom has only succeeded in building around 452,000—less than what he had origi nally promised to build in one year— according to CalMatters.

Still, Newsom has boosted pro duction more than any governor in re cent years, due to his signing in Sep tember of AB 2011 which dedicated one billion dollars to creating over 2,700 new homes.

“The Governor’s signature on AB 2011 marks a turning point for California’s housing production needs,” California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said in a press release on Sept. 28. “No longer will lack of land

be an issue. No longer will there be a lack of incentive for workers to join the construction workforce. And, no longer will red tape and bureaucracy prohibit us from building housing in the right locations to address our cli mate crisis.”

Not only is California lacking in

skyrocketed. The state median price has more than doubled the national average due to increased population growth, restrictive building policies and environmental laws.

“I was shocked to see a one-bed room apartment being rented in my neighborhood for $2,900 per month,”

I was shocked to see a one-bedroom apartment being rented in my neighbor hood for $2,900 per month.

—English teacher Christina Banagas-Engelerdt

““ “ “ “

the amount of houses available for cit izens, the prices of houses have also

Northwood English teacher Christina Banagas-Engelerdt said. “A few years

The Milpitas Unified School District in San Francisco asked par ents to let teachers move into their residences in a desperate attempt to keep qualified teachers in their area. Schools all across California are now fighting to convert unused property into housing for teachers in bill AB 2295 that is currently sitting on New som’s desk.

“Teacher quality has the greatest impact on student achievement, and support staff are essential to the prop er functioning of schools,” California School Boards Association President Susan Heredia said. “So, it’s essential that we pursue measures to retain a high-quality education workforce.”

With his recent re-election, New som hopes to streamline the approval for new build sites in order to create more affordable houses on the market. Newsom has since sent out the last of $36 million as a part of developing Project Homekey, a statewide effort created in 2020 to provide sustainable housing.

“The success of Homekey proves what is possible when you are willing to challenge the status quo and try a new, outside of the box approach,” Newsom said in a press release.

Tyler Truong The Northwood Howler

WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER: Children get creative while climbing on a rope play structure, enjoying their youth at Sweet Shade.

Neil Godse The Northwood Howler

RAISING THE ROOF: Home construction begins on Fresco, completing the final neighborhood of Eastwood Village.

Darn! Don’t miss unraveling these yarn adventures

By Olivia Cai Staff Writer

As the chill of winter approach es, students keep warm and unwind by knitting. The hobby is picking up popularity around campus for being inexpensive and providing a mental health boost, despite some stigma for being a traditionally feminine activ ity.

Students enjoy knitting for var ious reasons, whether it be the tran quility of creating something with your hands, giving back to the community, or the social aspect of the traditional knit-and-chat, the lat ter of which can be found in a club on Northwood’s campus.

At North wood club Knit-

Work, board members walk around and survey the room for anyone who needs help while everyone else practices stitches and talks to their friends. This helps relax the students as knitting is said to have a medita tive effect, keeping the hands busy while also being productive. The re petitive movement of knotting loops of yarn takes the mind away from the stress of approaching exams and deadlines.

“I was surprised at how simple yet complex it is,” Knit-Work pub licist sophomore Matthew Kim said. “It helps with my mental health be cause I can re lax and knit

with my friends.”

Aside from being a tool to un wind and socialize, knitting yields fruitful results as well. The possibil ities are endless: blankets, scarves, sweaters, mittens and more. The yarn stretches as far as your imagination can take you, and isn’t limited to just wearable items either.

“My favorite thing that I have created was actually crocheted,” se nior June Lee said. “It’s this really cute possum, and I got to make its little feet and ears and I just had a re ally fun time doing it.”

Knitting involves looping yarn with two needles, while

crocheting uses a single hook, mak ing it easier for the average person to learn. Knit items usually end up be ing thinner and lighter, while crochet uses a heavier stitch.

feminine pastime. The revitalization of retro fashion has younger genera tions picking up needles in hopes of creating '70s-inspired knit cardigans or colorful Y2K two-piece sets.

Crochet tops have been really trendy lately, so it’s cool that I’m able to make them myself instead of buying them.

—senior

Anna Hong

“ ““Crochet tops have been really trendy lately, so it’s cool that I’m able to make them myself instead of buy ing them,” senior Anna Hong said.

The sentimental value of being lovingly handmade makes knit pieces great gifts for friends and family and also a fun way to perform community service.

Salus Hospice in Irvine is look ing for volunteers to knit or crochet blankets in red, white and blue to donate to veterans in need, even supplying the yarn. Irvine Animal Rescue accepts donations of festive crocheted bird warmers, spreading holiday cheer to furry and feathered friends as well.

For anyone interested in adopt ing a new hobby, Knit-Work en courages students of all levels to join them in Room 1228 every other Monday. Beginners can learn basic stitches and more experienced students can hone their skills, but all knitters will leave the meeting with a handmade knitted item to show for their work.

“I think that’s the fun of knit ting.” Knit-Work president soph omore Saya Ryu said.

“Gradually seeing your self make something beautiful.”

Cram for exams with this 'gram-worthy drink programme

By Ally Venezia Staff Writer

If you’re stressed about finals coming up then you’re in good com pany. But look no further for a foolproof way to destress and focus on your exams. These beverages are sure to clear your mind to make cer tain that you earn that A+.

Spike Your Senses Spiced Cider

To thoroughly wake up the mind, look no further than this spiced cider for a splash of bold flavors.

This recipe is perfect for when you have hundreds of pages to reach for history and your eyes are going to glaze over if you have to read the words "laissez-faire economics" one more time.

I’d recom

mend pouring this drink into a cup that says “It’s Fall Y’all” in order to enjoy the last remnants of fall, or any other favorite mug.

You can follow the recipe over at Pick Up Limes for the complete details.

Brain Defog Unclog Eggnog

Still, if spiced cider feels a little too last month, try some homemade eggnog to unclog your brain of AP Biology notes and prepare for the most wonderful time of the year.

If you’re looking for the best homemade eggnog of the season, fol low the recipe from Food Network’s "Chopped" host Alton Brown (you just know it’s gotta be good if it’s coming from a food critic).

As a secret just between you and me, if you garnish your beverage with whipped cream and cinnamon, you will have the most eggs-cel lent drink of winter!

Chai Clari-tea

If eggnog isn’t your forte, then this tea from Mom’s Kitchen Hand book is the perfect drink for any sea son with the added warmth of spices.

This chai is the perfect drink for when you have too many trigonome try identities in your head and can’t separate fact from sin2x + cos2x = 1. You can enjoy the mixture warmed over the stove or chilled to really clear the mind.

Finals are always a stressful time of year, but sipping on these drinks near a roaring fire place—even if it’s just a YouTube video of a fake fire—is sure to put you in the right mood for the hol idays and for acing all of your exams.

COMMITTING TO KNITTING: During one of Knit-Work Club’s lunch meetings, sophomore Saya Ryu guides junior David Grannis-Vu in creating his first row of knit stitches.

Aya Takase-Songui TheNorthwoodHowler

Sophia Ho TheNorthwoodHowler

Oceane Hall

A Northwood senior makes big waves in the art scene

By Kaylie Wang Staff Writer

Even on a rainy day, Oceane Hall can be seen walking around campus with half-completed paintings in her hand. As this AP Studio Art senior fo cuses on painting intricate details, a story unfolds from each brushstroke. You can’t help but wonder what it takes to become an artist like her.

In October, Hall opened her on line shop and started selling copies of her creations, and she is constantly seeking new ways to expose her art to a broader audience: for example, displaying sketchbook updates and photos of her works in progress on her Instagram account. Hall’s art has also been displayed in the Las Lagu

na Art Gallery, Artist Talk Magazine and Irvine City Hall.

“Art is kind of the way I express myself,” Hall said. “I’m usually more of a closed-off, shyer person so it’s re ally nice being able to spend so much time working on a specific thing and then see it grow and evolve.”

Since Hall was young, she made DIY crafts and sparked her affinity for art. In middle school, Hall com mitted to drawing every day and was self-taught until her junior year where she entered her first art portfo lio prep class.

“I got a lot of feedback from my teachers and from students,” Hall said. “Right now for AP Art, some times we’ll stop what we’re doing, walk around the class and look at oth

er peoples’ artwork.”

Through her art, Hall has experi mented with many different mediums like watercolor, sketching, mixed me dia, digital and even ceramics. How ever, charcoal and oil painting remain her favorites as she explores new methods in AP Studio Art this year.

“Golden Red” (bottom right) was displayed at the Las Laguna Art Gallery in 2021.

“I mostly wanted to practice painting hair because I wasn’t good at it at the time, as well as skin tones,” Hall said. “I experimented a bit with the gold earring and the background.”

“A Moment in Time” (top mid dle) was featured in the Artist Talk Magazine in 2021 and the City Hall

Expo in 2022. This painting is one of her favorites because it was her most successful and is the only original piece she has sold up to date.

“This oil painting depicts the simple joys of life,” Hall said in the magazine. “The beautiful realization that every living soul has a vivid and complex life. And yet all come to gether in these simple moments. The ones where we share our culture, time and happiness.”

“Paper Boat” (bottom middle) is an oil painting that was the first piece that she made for her AP Studio Art class.

“I wanted to explore age regres sion through this painting and how some people may revert to a younger state of mind to cope,” Hall said on

Instagram. “I wanted to use the boat as a symbol of something that is help ing her ‘float’ and a representation of childhood.”

It’s clear that as accomplished as she currently is, Hall is only getting started with her art career. To stay updated on her future endeavors and purchase art prints from her, visit Hall’s Instagram @oceanehall and website www.oceanehall.com. Her advice to aspiring artists is to contin ue practicing.

“I’ve been drawing for a really long time but when I’m looking back at my old drawings, even from just one or two years ago, I can see the growth,” Hall said. “When you’re in it, you don’t realize how much you’re growing.”

The Analysis of Intervals: Music theory with Ben Case

By rHea gupta Staff Writer

Behind any beautiful work of literature or art, there lies a layer of complexity with a deeper meaning. Music is no exception. Understanding and learning the intricacies of music allows musicians to better understand their instruments and experience music more profoundly.

Taught by Northwood Instrumental Music Di rector Ben Case, who was re cently named a California Teacher of the Year,

AP Music Theory studies all the dif ferent components of music, from how compositions are crafted to how composers utilize various styles, notations, tempos, articulations and instrumentations to create unique works of music.

“Music theory is essentially mu sical engineering, where you are learning how every aspect of an en semble works together and how it all works to create a cohesive melody,” Case said. “You learn why composi tional devices are used by composers to elicit certain elements of their story,

making the performance more au thentic to the intent of the composer.”

Music theory is how you analyze music from a perspective other than how it sounds. So rather than listen ing to music like you usually do, you look at music, write music and con template it. Learning music theory is similar to learning the intricacies of a foreign language. In the ensem bles, you learn how to play (“how to speak”) and in Music Theory, you

were which on a sheet of music,” sophomore Aarya Raghavasugosh said. “Through Music Theory, I’ve been able to make connections be tween my ensemble class and Music Theory which has really made me grow more as a musician as a whole. Mr. Case makes his theory lessons engaging and tries to connect them with real-life examples in order to to make the lessons more relatable and easy to understand.”

Music theory is essentially music engi neering, where you are learning how every aspect of an ensemble works to create a cohesive melody.

learn how to read it and how to write it.

“Prior to this class, my knowl edge of music and music the ory was mainly based on my percussion ex perience and I could identify which notes

The notion of knowing the “why” in music theory has prevailed among all of the students over the past 15 years that Case has taught the course.

Ultimately, the goal in Music The ory is for all students to create and perform their own compositions, and to be able to understand how each line of music interacts with others in order to tell a story. And Case hopes to use this story to help guide students to discovering their love for music.

OCEANE’S BIG SPLASH: Pictured are some of Hall’s most publicized paintings, such as “A Moment in Time” (top middle), “Paper Boat” (bottom left) and “Golden Red” (bottom right).

artWorK provided By oceane Hall

ellie cHan The Northwood Howler

CASE COUNTS: California Teacher of the Year Ben Case describes the different types of cadences to his class.

Madeleine pHaM The

—Music Theory teacher Ben Case

Times Have Changed: Daylight savings’ future

By Jaycee Hendrickson Staff Writer

Daylight Saving Time is a bi-yearly change that nearly all Americans expe rience: enjoying the extra hour of sleep in November and feeling de prived when it’s one hour less in March. However, pol iticians and citizens alike have contin ually dis cussed the necessity of the practice and if there are any true benefits.

Intro duced during the peak of World War I in 1916, DST was originally created to maximize resource use during daytime hours. Germa ny was the first country to officiate the time change, with the rest of the world soon following in pursuit as increased productivity stimulated national economies. It was formally adopted by the United States in 1918.

Despite the longtime practice, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 earlier this year, which is a motion to make Day

light Saving Time permanent for the United States. The bill is currently waiting for approval from the U.S. House of

ment between keeping and removing DST is safety versus health benefits, each with strong support.

Pros: Longer daylight hours would reduce car accident rates and lower the risk of pedestrian fatalities, overall boosting safety within Amer ican communities. Businesses would see economic benefits with more hours to serve cus tomers (honestly, shopping during the day is far more attractive than nighttime hours). Extending the day would also relieve the streets of petty crimes and robber ies; as discovered by econ omists Jennifer Doleac and Nicholas Sanders, a rough 27% decrease in evening-time robberies occurs after spring forward. Cons: One of the prominent refutations for adopting a year-long standard time comes from sleep experts, who argue that the DST is not com patible with a human’s innate circa dian rhythm. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep

Medicine at Northwestern Univer sity, found that our circadian system not only controls when we eat, exer cise and work, but also has an effect on our blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels. Altering our natural pattern with a shift to later daylight hours is arguably detrimental to hu man health.

An interesting aspect to consid er is whether these harmful effects would continue with the permanence of DST or if they would diminish as our bodies adjust to the time. While the thought of eradicating DST may sound new to residents in California, it has been in practice for Hawaii and Arizona since 1967 and 1968 respec tively, with very little issues and op position.

Between the success in these states and the wide range of benefits stretching from economic growth to legitimate safety hazards, the Sun shine Protection Act shapes up to be a well thought-out and necessary change for the United States. Honest ly, who needs to spring forward when you can eliminate the stress of time change?

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The Northwood Howler is pub lished by Northwood High School as an open forum for exchange of news and ideas. Views expressed in The Northwood Howler do not necessarily represent opinions of the NHS administration or the Irvine Unified School District.

Signed letters to the Editor are welcomed and encouraged. They can be placed in Adviser Marina Alburger’s mailbox or delivered to Room 1102. The Northwood Howler reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and clarity. Advertisements do not necessarily represent the opinion of the newspaper.

Mission Statement: To serve as a medium for school news and the expression of student ideas while adhering to the highest standards of journalistic integrity.

resentatives and then a final signature from President Joe Biden. If passed, all 50 states will participate and fol low a cohesive year-round clock.

As the United States considers the Sunshine Protection Act, it is im portant to note both the positive and negative effects. The primary argu

While the thought of eradicating DST may sound new to residents in California, it has been in practice for Hawaii and Arizona since 1967 and 1968 respectively, with very little issues and opposition.

Personality tests fail to get personal

By Lucy kim Staff Writer

Are you the human embodiment of a golden retriever with the atten tion span of a goldfish? Your MBTI type is ENFP! Would you rather spend time with your computers and robots than socialize? You’re an INTP. Angelic mom-friend with an inability to say no? A classic ISFJ— all according to stereotypes, that is.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, more commonly known as MBTI, is a method of psychological typology developed by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung in 1921 and popularized by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Essen tially, it’s a personality test backed by psychological research—however, there are only so many ways to sort the 8 billion people on Earth into cat egories before becoming constrictive.

The method types people into 16 different archetypes based on their direction of energy (introversion vs. extroversion), ways of perceiving information (senses vs. intuition), de cision making (thinking vs. feeling) and structure (perceiving vs. judg ing). The combination of these four preferences make a four-letter code. For example, someone who is extro verted and tends to sense, feel and perceive can consider themselves to be an ESFP type.

“For my practice as an educa tional consultant, the way that we use the MBTI is to better understand the student,” certified MBTI prac titioner and college consulting of fice president Jenny Wheatley said. “When we’re coaching the student, it’s aligned to something that they’re feeling comfortable about.”

The MBTI has also taken the internet by storm. Memes about the dynamics between certain types of personalities and fans’ analyses of their favorite characters and celeb rities’ MBTI types have been liked

thousands of times.

However, in its rise in popu larity, it has also fallen victim to the human tendency to categorize people into boxes.

“I think that’s the wrong way of looking at MBTI,” Wheatley said. “I think in any sort of instrument, there is definite room for people to misin terpret. You’ll witness that because the MBTI only has 16 types, and be cause you are kind of forced into one of those 16 types, people take it and misinterpret it and create stereotypes around certain types of MBTI.”

Simplified online versions of the official MBTI instrument such as the 16Personalities questionnaire have widely led to misinterpretations

of MBTI types and Jung’s theory. In fact, even though it uses the same four-letter sorting system, 16Person alities calls their test the NERIS Type Explorer due to copyright issues.

“I didn’t know that 16Personali ties isn’t actually MBTI,” sophomore Fatima Alkhafaf said. “It’s always the first website that pops when you search for MBTI tests. And they make it super easy and quick, even though it’s not accurate.”

In addition, most online tests are self-administered, but the official Myers & Briggs Foundation states that the official MBTI assessment should be administered “most often through a certified individual who has met certain professional require

ments for interpreting the results of the instrument.” Without the objec tive eyes of an expert, results can get swayed by an endless number of out side factors, such as misinterpretation of the questions, bias or mood.

Rather than online personali ty tests that are more than likely to give mistyped responses, the original Myers-Briggs model and Jung’s the ory should be popularized. Knowing your correct MBTI type, and the rea soning behind it, can help personal growth without stereotyping others or getting stereotyped—you’ll be able to pull out an explanation why being introverted does NOT mean you don’t want to get invited places, thank you very much.

aBBy Warnock The Northwood Howler

isaBeLLa TorraLes The Northwood Howler

WHAT PERSONALITY TYPE ARE YOU?: Despite their popularity, four letters are not the end all be all.

For the Fall: Northwood wrestling leaves it all on the mat

By Megha Kishore Staff Writer

Two players dodge one another, circling amidst the tense air, anxious to see who’s going to slip or step off the mat first. In an instant, one pounc es on the other, the crowd roars and a winner is declared. While wrestling may seem like a simple sport, each player’s efforts represent the most important aspect of the sport: hard work. Wrestlers rely on their bodies and need training, conditioning and passion to succeed.

The wrestling season began in November, starting with their first match on Nov. 19 where three wres tlers—juniors David Grannis-Vu and James Armstrong, along with senior Aiden Tak—placed fifth, seventh and third respectively in their first tourna ment against 29 other schools.

“Wrestling is the sport where anyone who puts the work in can get good at it,” Tak said. “You wrestle people around your size, so it’s down to skill, athleticism, etc., and that comes from hard work.”

As the new season begins, the team has been working to achieve and surpass their successes in CIF last year.

“Right now, I’m aiming to be CIF champion in my division,” Gran

nis-Vu said. “I want to place at mas ters and hopefully qualify for State.”

Last year, four wrestlers includ ing Tak, Grannis-Vu and Armstrong qualified for CIF. From this experi ence, each of these players were able to grow by exercising and training their bodies to become stronger, as well as practicing situational wres tling to prepare for tournaments. These efforts allowed the players to challenge themselves by competing against players with different skills and techniques.

The individual goals of each wrestling team member vary, with some hoping to become CIF cham pions and others wanting to qualify for CIF. Northwood’s new wrestling coach, Kyle Ennis, began coach ing this year and hopes that every wrestler will feel confident enough to compete at least once for the ex perience. He hopes to build an atmo sphere where players are able to grow and learn from one another to better themselves as wrestlers and achieve their goals.

“My mantra for the team is to believe, and I’m starting to see them believe in themselves, in the team, in their abilities,” Ennis said. “It’s satis fying to see.”

As a new coach, Ennis has been allowing wrestlers more time for rest

and recovery through shorter prac tices that focus more time on weight room and conditioning skills. The team also has dedicated film days where they study their past matches, fostering a comfortable environment where everybody can learn from their mistakes.

Ennis’ changes stem from his own 12-year experience as a jiu-jitsu black belt and grappler, a form of martial arts with hand-to-hand com bat. He has competed globally, fight ing world champions on the mat.

“It’s hard coming in and being

the new guy, but I feel as we spend more time together it becomes easi er,” Ennis said. “Everybody gets in the rhythm and understands the theme I’m trying to build for the team.”

As the team continues season, there is only one major concern: pro gram size. While the team is growing in strength and determination, they hope that more players, especially girls and those in lower weight class es, will join to make the team even stronger.

“Coming off of COVID it’s been hard to get people interested,” Gran

nis-Vu said. “I mainly hope that we rebuild the team.”

Despite this challenge, the team has continued to participate in com petitions and CIF with the hope that others will be inspired to join. Even tually, the team hopes to expand with a self-sustaining girls team and have wrestlers competing in every weight category.

“We’re trying to be headstrong wrestlers and go until the wheels fall off but also rest,” Ennis said. “We’re just going to keep competing and wrestling and hope for the best.”

Flash! Alexei Tolkachev, one in a million (shot)

By Shreya Aithal Staff Writer

The roar of the student section, cheerleaders announcing the score, the bustle of players as they celebrate a win: These are Friday night staples for sports photographer Alexei Tol kachev as he captures Northwood athletes’ most triumphant moments.

Tolkachev, a former sports re porter in Russia and founder of One in A Million Shot, developed an in terest in photography from his father and has been capturing moments around him since he was a teen ager. Through interviewing Russian athletes such as tennis player Maria Sharapova and hockey player Sergei Federov, Tolkachev took pictures that would help readers interpret the athletes’ performances, mark ing the start of his sports photogra phy career.

“I always want ed to add to the words I was collecting,” Tol kachev said. “Those photos weren’t very good but I still like to look back

When his two daughters got involved in sports, Tolkachev began photographing their journey, slowly building his collection of equipment and making it more of a priority. After nearly seven years of pho tographing his children, Tolkachev was asked by Northwood to pho tograph the football team, before slowly spreading into various other sports, including swim, soccer and lacrosse. He is always looking to ex pand his reach in photography, how ever, and this year, Tolkachev photo graphed tennis for the first time.

“Each sport is always a new challenge,” Tolkachev said. “But it’s also exciting since all the photos look

Action shots are a significant component of capturing sports and are an art form when executed flaw lessly. Understanding the sport is a necessary aspect of sports photog raphy and its importance increases multifold when dealing with action

shots. Plays, positions and distribu tion of players are a few of many factors which influence shots and the success of each photo.

The numerous settings on to day’s cameras also influence each shot. Tolkachev uses 1/1000s shutter speed to capture shots quickly and with clarity along with auto white balance and ISO, although these

and stadium to keep his photography upbeat and fresh while maintaining the integrity of the sport.

“I try to anticipate what the plays are going to be and what I can photograph,” Tolkachev said. “I al ways try to think of good composi tion and a photo that will tell a story.”

As Tolkachev transitions into the winter season, he prepares to cap

afraid to ask questions,” Tolkachev said. “It helps after a few games with a team since you know the strong players and how the play develops.”

Football, which has occupied Tolkachev’s attention over the fall season, is an example of how chal lenging sports photography can be. With his attention split between stu dents, players, the marching band and the cheerleaders, Tolkachev attempts to make the most of every moment, engaging with the attendees through candid shots and capturing each play er at their finest moments. Constantly walking up and down the field, Tol kachev critically observes each move on the field, each cheerful moment in the stands and each new backdrop

his website, https://www.oneinamil lionshot where they can be down loaded.

As aspiring photographers pop up throughout Northwood, Tolkachev hopes they can find their role models and perfect their art through growth and advice. Understanding photogra phy means understanding the behind the scenes of every moment—from lighting to movement—but also the energy of the moment, and Tolkachev hopes each aspiring photographer can capture what they love.

“Photography is like a triangle,” Tolkachev said. “Learn, try and share. Realize that photography is a life-long learning endeavor. Believe in yourself and enjoy the journey.”

Tyler Truong The Northwood Howler

COUNT THE PINS: Senior Aiden Tak holds his opponent during a match at the Lancer Open.

Aryav Nagar The Northwood Howler

Photo provided by Alexei Tolkachev

A PHOTO IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: Alexei Tolkachev transforms moments into tangible memories through photography.

We’ve

Glove

by JAycee Hendrickson Staff Writer

You Covered: Totally un-abominable alternatives to snow

Beach Sand

An endless summer filled with palm trees and Ray Bans and warm sun shine. The glorification of living in Southern Califor nia hits an all-time high once the clocks turn back, marking the official step ping stone into winter.

But despite the mar vel of being able to wear a tank top in Decem ber, there is one thing that most people miss dearly in SoCal: snow.

So let’s be real. The long drives to Big Bear and Lake Tahoe for real snow are a drag and fake snow is lame. Just take the bubbles from last year’s magical snow fall at Northwood as an example. Seriously… we can do better than that.

It might sound cra zy, but surf’s up bro. If you haven’t surfed (or at least experienced a pain fully slow conversa tion with a random surfer guy in Hun tington Beach), then are you really living the California life? Gaze at the blanket of boun tiful particles to capture the essence of surf cul ture and winter wonder land all in one. Plus, it’s resourceful. The beach sand supply is endless here in Orange County.

Eraser Shavings from Calculus Midterms

With confidence levels shot and days ruined, those covet ed Hi-Polymer erasers are immediately shav en down to half of their original size. To all my calc students: We sin

Interview with a regifted gift

by kAylie WAng

PCC: I just couldn’t believe my luck—I was actually going home this holiday season! I lat er found out that I was gifted to newspaper adviser Marina Al burger.

TH: What happened after that?

cerely forecast your final exam to bring heavy pre cipitation (in the form of both snow and tears). Ev

Timby’s Dandruff

We all know that Tim by has some cleanliness issues, hence the recent

with parts of our beloved Timberwolf’s unfortunate encounter with lice scat tered around campus… What an incredible way to build a heart-warm ing and genuine connec tion this winter season.

Ashes of the Class of

The Class of 2020 de serves their redemption arc after leaving zero trace of their presence on campus. The prom that they never had could be themed “Winter Wonder land.” Scattering the ash es of their lost dreams across campus is essen tially the same thing as letting them walk across the stage: It’s on dis play for all the teachers and would certainly gain the attention of North wood students. I couldn’t think of a better way to honor the fallen class.

Have you ever wondered what happened after you re gifted your distant relative’s cookbook last week? Well, The Howler’s star staff writer Rap ping Paype R. sat down with a neglected candle to bring ex clusive insight on abandonment syndrome.

The Howler: Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Pine Cedar Cinnamon: My name is Pine Cedar Cinnamon Candle, item number 928934. I was born at Bath and Body Works.

TH: What’s your backstory?

PCC: I’m part of an exclusive holiday collection, and unlike other gifts, I only have one shot at freedom.

TH: Describe the moment you realized you were going to be chosen.

PCC: At first, I had no suspi cions. In fact, I was hopeful that this was my final home when she said, “This is perfect!” Lit tle did I know, she meant as her contribution to their family’s an nual White Elephant. Her young niece and nephew threw a fit when they were stuck with me, and now I’m sitting in the back of a cabinet; the only thing be ing lit is my loneliness.

TH: What would you say to gifts who are anxiously prepar ing for this holiday season?

PCC: Find joy within your self, and know that being kept doesn’t define your worth. Also, make sure to savor moments be fore they become memories, be cause you may be revenge-gift ed to your aunt for sending dish soap every year.

TH: What message would you want to give shoppers?

PCC: As exciting as it is to re ceive a wrapped gift, consider baking goods or scrapbooking. Experiences and quality time won’t be found under an over priced tree. Together, we can break this cycle because no gift deserves to be regifted. #no presentlikethepresent

OH DEER: No time like the present to appreciate gifts, regifted or not.

neil godse The Northwood Howler

Essential Emoji makeovers for NHS students

by elenA HigucHi Staff Writer

Violently bawling:

Timby emoji:

Fluoride stare:

Your English teacher is making symbolic connec tions between a paperclip and the meaning of life. After the first five minutes, you’ve started to dissoci ate and stare at your teach er with a fluoride stare (to create the illusion of paying attention). Send this as a quick update to your bestie while in your literary haze.

Pre-mental breakdown:

Have your group project members been ignoring your messages to finish their portion of the project? This is the perfect emoji to add along to your FOURTH reminder—at this point some passive aggression is needed! Pair with a nice ‘lol’

You realized that you have tests every single day of the week, an English es say due, and a final proj ect worth 200 points due on Wednesday. You’ll use this emoji in your courte ous email to your teacher at 11:58 p.m. begging for an extension on the Canvas assignments due at 11:59. DISCLAIMER: The Howl er is not responsible for any missing assignments or points lost. This emoji is not intended to substi tute actually completing your work on time. Pro ceed with extreme caution

Have a crush on that kid who carries your group on all the math team tests? Or are you panicked that Win ter Formal is in a few weeks and you need to post an aesthetic Instagram story with your date? The Timby emoji is extremely versatile and can be used to express affection towards both friends and family, or even our own school. Whenever you need to let someone know how you feel, this is the perfect emoji to show them your love and ap preciation! Anyone would be happy to receive it. <3

by lucy kiM Staff Writer

Thank you for being a wonderful teacher Ms. BananaClawsClaus! As a side note: Remem ber that anchor that you said you would grade over break? I hope these chocolates will cheer you up for a great session of anchor-grading! By the way, my anchor starts with a Spiderman quote about responsibility. Not that it would matter since my lovely anchor, which I turned in on time and made sure fit the page limit, is genius-ly titled “Fall Anchor: The Holocaust during World War II.” What was I saying? Oh right. Happy holidays!

Heyy Mr. Winter! NGL, Christmas is really hitting different this year. You were giving main character energy throughout this entire semester, no cap. Your classroom playlists al ways slap, so I’m always vibing when we do self-pace. It’s the impeccable taste for me. Anyways, I’m about to gaslight the Big Boss Claus (wink wink, my parents) into clearing my Christmas list—if the plan tanks, I’ll LYK. I hope you have a wonderful time with your fam ily and remember to sleigh the holidays away!

sAbA nAbAeigHAHroudi The Northwood Howler