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northview high school · Volume 12 · issue 9
essenger
[masthead] Editor-in-Chief: Sam Quinn Managing Editor: Nancy Coleman News Editor: Meredith McBee Sports Editor: Noah Gray Features Editor: Marri Kang Opinions Editor: Rachel Williams Photo Editor: Hui Lin Business Manager: Meredith Keisler Faculty Adviser: Chris Yarbrough Staff Writers: Shelby Bradley, milika dhru, Andrew Gottlieb, Sneha Gubbala, Meredith Keisler, Nabila Khan, Bryan Liang, Hui Lin, Jessica Ma, Lindsey Moon, Brittney Neser, Annie Pennington, Nik Radtke, Tarun Ramesh, Hend Rasheed, Ryan Siatkowski, Andrew Teodorescu, Maggie Xia, Sophia Choi, Tiffany Xu, Connie Xu Cover Design: connie xu Email: nhsmessenger@gmail.com Phone: (770) 497-3828 ext. 176 Website: nhsmessenger.com Address: 10625 Parsons Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097 The Messenger is a student publication published for and distributed to students, faculty, staff, and the Northview community to promote readership of the students ’ current events and issues. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Northview High School, its students, faculty, staff, or administration. Content is controlled and edited by staff editors, with a high-priority on celebrating the achievements of its readers as well as events occurring within the circulation. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity, and the invasion of privacy. Photo credits in this issue : page 6: adam bock / special page 7: hui lin and hend rasheed / staff page 9: hui lin / staff page 12-15: hui lin, britTney Neser, tiffany xu / staff page 29: vogue.co.uk / special page 30 & 31: hui lin and tiffany xu / staff
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table of
[ contents ]
2 masthead 5 editor’s letter 6 news 12 sports 16 cover story 20 features 23 opinions 25 staff editorial 26 face-off 28 staff columns
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[articles] 6 Techno Titans robotics team travels to st. Louis for international competition /Maggie xia 7 NEw classes added to northview next year / milika dhru 9 principal brannon will not be returning next year /maggie xia 11 northview community fundraises to support blanchard family / rachel williams 12 spring sports recap / the messenger staff 16 Cover story: class of 2014 / the messenger staff 20 summer entertainment preview / sneha gubbala 23 acceptance rates put unnecessary pressure on students / tarun ramesh 25 staff edITORIAL /the messenger staff 26 face-off: does the cost of college detract from the benefits? /Sophia choi and andrew teodorescu 28 media and fashion columns /ryan siatkowski and connie xu 29 comments / andrew teodorescu 30 senior advice / the messenger staff seniors
| the messenger | 3
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Supervisor: Dr. Cheng Doctorate in English, Emory University Member of Modern Language Association A professional English teacher with 20 years of college English teaching experience and 10+ years of SAT English tutoring experience 9810 Medlock Bridge Road Johns Creek, GA 30097 Building A, Suite 203
- Read critically and contextually - Write clear, effective and accurate English - Achieve unity, coherence and clarity in essay writing
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Email: zcheng@bellsouth.net
letter from the
EDITOR
—and that’s a wrap As Vonnegut once said, “start as close to the end as possible.” SAM QUINN, Editor-in-Chief Let’s face it—we have an unshakable obsession with endings. We so preoccupy ourselves with closure, I think, that it sometimes feels as though that’s all there ever was—closure, an end to things. The subtleties of stories are often blotted out in the shadow of their own endings, obscured by the very devices intended to supply a measure of perspective. And after all, everything conceivable—everything that ever was and everything that ever will be—is a story. A mortal life, a mess of graffiti scrawled on the highway wall, some occurrence of historical magnitude—they’re all stories in their own ways, written in relationships, spray-paint and the acumen of vandals, rhetoric and human blood. Yeah, some stories are more interesting than others. I can’t say my own life has been all that interesting up to this point. But I give myself too little credit. We all tend toward minimizing our own emotional excitement, and betraying to myself or others that I’ve internalized a modicum of delight in the goings-on of my own life seems like blasphemy. I’ve been to cities that my dad has yet to visit, seen vistas that others so yearn to see. There is tragedy to be found in that, but I suppose there’s tragedy to be found in anything if you search hard enough. Tragedy in that I would voluntarily understate something which not only elated me, but which would elate someone else who longs for that experience. Maybe it’s some form of mutilated modesty—I don’t know. What I do know is that my story doesn’t end here. High school is like a subplot in the larger work of life—a mere chapter that encompasses the end of a few (or maybe more than a few) character arcs. And that’s all probably part of book one in a 32 book series. Or something. Though I try to avoid rampant optimism. I think it’s a disease, a sort of self-deception in which the dreamer finds repose in that which he knows—deep down— cannot be. I think it’s foolish, and sometimes even dangerous, to hope in lavish excess of reason. But of course we’re young, and—oh!—would that pop culture didn’t think that such a liberating thing. I often feel that, when my thoughts stray toward words as these, I’m being a sour old man. Look—an end once more: a sour old man. Maybe it’s just me, but the more I find myself examining my future, the more I am blinded by my desire for the proper ending. In a sense, the desire to become, say, a doctor or a lawyer is an ending—an ending to grad school, and maybe to a lack of money if that’s your chief concern. We think in terms of eventualities—finalities that bend in deference to their circumstances. What I mean is this: any desire to effect a future is defined by the auxiliary desires that assume its consequences. Yeah, that totally clears it up, right? Say you do in fact want to pursue med school. The reason for that desire—for that future—is predicated on some other desire or set of desires—the need to placate your parents, placate yourself, placate your wallet, whatever. These are endings—futures—and it is only natural that our ambitions govern a mindset in whose influence we care less about the journey and more about the product. But that’s wrong. That’s not how it should be. That’s the problem—the tragedy of sorts.
Ambition, which—like pride—can be condemned or encouraged, depending on the circumstances, seems to impede our derivation of whatever can be derived from the journey—wisdom? Where is wisdom? Can you point to it? I can’t. It’s probably harder to find today anyway, but I guess ambition has always been around. So perhaps it’s not the culprit. What is, then? Perhaps that intangible, ethereal blessing of wisdom will one day happen upon me (or better, everyone) and bestow the answer. But that’s for another day—a day in that burgeoning future. For today, there is still the problem of endings—like the ending of a life. Mortality is perplexing. But to each is his own experience, and my ramblings wouldn’t offer much in this arena. But the story—history, the story of the world—rages on, and we’re left in the midst of it all wondering about the implications of things. I think that’s in our nature. It’s certainly in mine—the lust to comprehend implication and with it make some sense of the world, that we might plan and, again, effect for ourselves a fitting end. And some ends seem fated so. Like that of poet Alan Seeger, who “had a rendezvous with death at some disputed barricade” (and he to his pledged word was true; he did not fail that rendezvous). Alan Seeger died July 4, 1916, fighting alongside French forces at the Battle of the Somme, much as his poem had predicted. When Steve Jobs died back in 2011, I know I was crushed. Of his passing, I once read something along the lines of “the larger you live your life, the more people you’ll hurt when you pass on.” It took a few seconds to really sink in. And then it did: you can’t win. But is that overly defeatist? I wish it were. But though it seems to be the reality of it all, everything is a matter of perspective. Jobs was called a “visionary,” and perhaps more aptly, a “futurist.” He was the architect of not only his future, but the future of the world. And in a climate of technological enthusiasm, there’s simply no way a man of Jobs’ caliber would have let so defeatist a thought rend his perceptions. So the challenge is a game of fine lines and moderations. We needn’t be overly optimistic, nor pessimistic or defeatist. As Kipling wrote, “If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim.” That whole poem is in fact a roadmap—a game of fine lines—albeit one which is realistically impossible to traverse. I should stop now. By all rights, I should have stopped a long time ago. But all stories have twists, howsoever small, and sometimes you find yourself in surroundings very different from those in which you’d intended to find yourself. Intention— that’s a symptom of ambition. Through it, horizons await, of whose names I am not yet certain. But they’re still horizons—ends—and the vanguards of unknown lands. Unknown lands bringing unbridled opportunity. And opportunity—that’s usually a good thing.
Sam Quinn, Editor-in-Chief | the messenger | 5
NEWS
TECHNO TITANS TAKE ON THE WORLD
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Regional champions Techno Titans advance to robotics internationals
orthview’s robotics team, the Techno Titans, won the FIRST Robotics Regionals Competition, advancing to the Championship held in St. Louis for the first time in four years. The robotics team started out the season with a clear goal in mind: to win the regional competition and move on to the championships. Their mission was to build a robot that would be able to stand out amongst the other competing teams’ robots, and to have their team be part of the top eight after the qualification matches. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) announced the game for the season early January, and the team began brainstorming. “With this year’s game, we knew that we wanted to make a robot that could do multiple parts of the game, cooperates easily with other robots, and be a strong offense player that could also play defense,” said junior Victor Chen, co-president of the team. The team began designing prototypes for each system, and were soon able to visualize a clearer image of what the final robot would look like. After six weeks, the robot was finished. “Our final robot has what we call a Ball Acquisition Device (BAD) on the back that extends and intakes the ball when we drive into it. The ball then immediately comes to rest in our shooter mechanism, which is tensioned by surgical tubing and held in place with a mechanical latching device,” said Chen. Toward the end of the six weeks allotted for building the robot, the team had to place the robot in a package, and were prohibited from opening it until the day of the competition. However, the rules stated that the team could keep 45 pounds of the robot out for further improvements, and the subteams got to work on final preparations. “This year we got a lot more sponsorship money than we did in the past, so we had the ability to build part of a second robot. We kept some of the stuff off of the first robot after we had to bag everything up. We had a second base laying around that we attached it to, so we could complete a lot of testing after we were supposed to stop working on the robot,” said junior Valerie Avva, the other co-president of the team and leader of the programming subteam. The robotics team faced some challenges along the way. Since only six weeks were given to them to design the robot, the snow weeks disturbed their schedule. “We lost essentially two weeks of work, which is a big deal because six weeks is barely enough to start off with. We ended up working in a team member’s basement, but we didn’t have access to all the power tools and a place where we could
6 | news
test the robot, which really set us back,” said Avva. The team also ran into problems dealing with the build of the robot, but with the team’s mentors, professional engineers who volunteered to help, they were able to resolve the issues. Going into regionals, the team felt confident. However, they soon ran into problems. During the first day, the team had many technical issues regarding the robot, and had some trouble passing inspection, where the robot was reviewed to check if it met all the rules and guidelines. Busy with the robot, the team only had a small amount of time to practice before matches began. At first, the results were discouraging, as the team lost the first three matches, but gradually the robot’s performance began to improve and the team’s overall ranking rose. Soon, they were being acknowledged by competing teams for their impressive defensive strategy. At the end of the qualification matches, the ranking rose from 62 out of a total 64 teams to 24. The next step of the competition were the alliance selections, where the 8 best teams each chose 2 teams to join them in the elimination rounds. The Techno Titans as their 3rd alliance partner. As elimination rounds began, the team won their quarterfinals 2 to 1 and continued to win in the semifinals with 2 games against the 7th seeded team. The finals put the Techno Titans against the 5th seed, and with the score tied, the last game would decide the winner. Though lagging behind at the beginning of the last match by a large margin, the score changed to favor the Techno Titans during the last 30 seconds due to a foul on the part of the opposing team. The Techno Titans had won. The team was extremely happy to have won regionals. “I’m really proud of the entire team for working so hard for over six weeks and winning the Regionals and I’m really excited to get the chance to go to the Internationals another time,” said Chen. “This was a really big deal for us, especially since none of us were expecting to make it to St. Louis,” said Avva. Although the team was not able to make it to the elimination rounds at the Championship, they broke new ground. “We started off doing fairly well. We were 8th seed for a little while, something that has never happened to us before,” said senior programmer Michael Liang. As for what the future holds, the team is optimistic. “I hope we can continue to recruit enthusiastic and dedicated members and make the Techno Titans more well known in the community. I also really hope that we can go to more than one regional competition next year, possibly win another, and go to Internationals again,” said Chen.
news
NEW
CLASSES AT NORTHVIEW MILIKA DHRU, Staff Writer
Introduction to Healthcare Science This class will provide students with the foundations of healthcare science skills and attitudes. Introduction to Healthcare Science introduces the concepts of health, wellness, preventative care, cultural diversity, medical terminology, and leadership activities that are prominent in the healthcare industry. The student organization HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) is an extension of this class, and allows students to further develop their knowledge in this field. Introduction to Healthcare Science is a year-long elective, and will count for one credit. This healthcare science course will be the first course in a new career tech pathway. Although the teacher is still undecided, Northview will be partnering with Emory Johns Creek for course instruction.
US History in Film This course allows students to experience the entirety of US film history and the influences from within the US and abroad that affect it. US History in Film incorporates elements of World History, US History, and English, providing students with the opportunity to analyze films stylistically, historically, aesthetically, and culturally. Students will use a variety of tools to demonstrate the transition of films throughout different time periods. Mr. Brown will be instructing this class when it begins in the fall.
news | the messenger | 7
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NEWS
BRANNON BIDS FAREWELL
Principal Paul Brannon becomes Assistant Superintendant in NC
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MAGGIE XIA, Staff Writer
fter three years of being Northview’s principal, Paul Brannon will leave behind a legacy of excellence. Brannon will be moving to Lexington, North Carolina, where he will oversee approximately 20,000 students in about 35 schools as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Instruction for Davidson County Schools. Brannon had a tough time deciding on whether or not to take the job. A position in North Carolina, his home state, was a very appealing offer. However, the desire to continue the work that he has accomplished thus far at Northview made the decision much harder. “I think the one thing, if I had to hang my hat on something, would be the fact that we came in and it seems like we’ve brought things together and we actually are truly living that mission of excellence in athletics, in academics, and the arts,” said Brannon. The deciding factor was his belief that he would be leaving Northview a better high school that it was three years ago when he first started. “Each year that I’ve been here, academically we continue to get better, athletically we continue to get better, and we continue to get better in the arts. I mean everything has gotten stronger. So I think that’s it. My goal was to leave it [Northview] a little better, and I think that I’ve accomplished that,” said Brannon. Brannon is extremely proud of the progress that Northview has made during his time as principal. “When I did my first interview, one of the things I said was that I wanted Northview to become the number one school in the state of Georgia, and I said after we do that we’ll become the number one school in the country,” said Brannon. Northview High School is now ranked first in Georgia, and according to the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report, is ranked 154th nationally. Brannon’s desire for Northview’s continued success and improvement is on its way to a reality. His hard work and vision has brought it to new heights. “Being the principal during this time means he is guiding the school and setting forth the pattern for everyone else to follow, so that is a huge accomplishment,” said language arts teacher Ashley Ulrich. Brannon fondly reflects on the students, as he finds great satisfaction in watching the growth of each individual student.
“I’ve only had this year’s senior class for three years, but watching these students grow for the last three years, become the young men and women that they’ve become and had accomplished the things that they have accomplished athletically, academically, and artistically; it’s a proud moment,” said Brannon. Brannon believes that the success that Northview has seen over the years has been in part because of the staff and because of the support that the community offers. He hopes that both the faculty and staff and the overall community have been affected by his presence as much as they have affected him with their presence. For the individuals at Northview, he has certainly made a positive impression. “He encourages teachers to be creative and to try moving outside of the box if it will help support kids’ education. We’ve seen improvement in teacher and student morale, so overall he has just been a really positive force for everything that happens here in this building,” said Ulrich, “As hard as it is to lose a great principal, it is also exciting to see Dr. Brannon having the opportunity to get this wonderful new job back in his home county. I wish him all the luck in the world, and we are definitely going to miss him.” With an open mind and great enthusiasm regarding students’ education and school programs and activities, Brannon has allowed Northview to move in a new direction. “He has been open minded to breaking away from the traditional classes that all schools have to offer. I think as a result we have seen not just new courses but new electives being offered and new successes with athletics,” said Ulrich. Indeed, Brannon has been the catalyst for the adoption of a charter system and the inclusion of electives such as the health sciences, to give students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and have more opportunities. Brannon hopes that Northview will continue to strive for greater excellence in the years to come. “I would love to see Northview stay on the same path that we currently are on, just doing different things, continuing to be the pacesetter, and creating the paths for future students that come through the system,” said Brannon. “Northview is the flagship school for Fulton County, and it will continue to be that way for many years.”
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NEWS
TRIVIA FOR A CAUSE Northview teachers join in trivia tournament to fundraise for Angela Blanchard’s family
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RACHEL WILLIAMS, Opinions Editor
orthview’s teachers are coming together through a trivia tournament in order to raise money for front office worker Angela Blanchard’s family. Blanchard’s son Hayden, a graduate of Fulton County Schools and the University of Georgia, was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer a little over two years ago. On April 7, Hayden passed away, survived by his wife, Shelly, and a four-month old son, Thomas Hayden Blanchard, II. “Hayden and his wife Shelly had been married for a very short time when we were told the shocking news. Previous contributions enabled us to continue to fight this disease in order to save our Hayden. After two years, we lost our battle,” said Blanchard. “However, something good did come out of this nightmare. Shelly and Hayden were blessed with a miracle baby boy born [in November].” These previous contributions included several from the Northview community, including one in which teacher Ray Brown shaved his head. Brown also organized the trivia tournament in order to help pay off the Blanchard family’s lasting debt from Hayden’s medical treatments. “Ms. Blanchard...[is] such an amazing person, and two years ago, Coach [Mike] Dixon came and gave us the opportunity to help fundraise for the cause. Her son is my age, [...] and as a cancer survivor, I know what that’s like, to hear those words...I just wanted to help out in any way I possibly could,” said Brown. Brown and Dixon came up with the idea for a trivia tournament from their own love of trivia, and thought that the tournament could work as a fundraiser. “One of [Dixon’s] ideas was to do trivia for the kids and have a trivia night for kids for a fundraiser for something. He thought it was a good fundraiser idea, and as a trivia fanatic I agreed with him. We play trivia every week together...[A]s we were sitting at trivia one night, there was Ms. [Elizabeth] Lake who is in Language Arts, and we’re from Social Studies and we sort of started trash-talking, which made it pop into my mind: ‘why don’t I get all the departments together on this?’” said Brown. They approached Blanchard with the idea, who was extremely appreciative of their efforts to help her son. “[Dixon and Brown] approached me to begin a fundraiser for medical bills...The Northview staff and parents have been my source of strength. Their kindness is overwhelming,” said Blanchard. The teachers will be competing against each other in a tournament bracket, split by the locations of the departments. Science, math, and social studies are on one side of the bracket, while language arts, foreign language, and electives are on the other. Since the bracket can only have four
slots, the departments are raising money before the tournament begins. Whichever department receives the most money on its side of the bracket will have a bye into the second round. The final round of the tournament will take place on Wednesday, May 21, the first day of final exams. Brown has set a $6,000 goal for the school overall. This will go to pay off leftover medical bills, begin a college fund for Thomas Hayden, and help to support the family. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how much money we can all raise and come together as a Northview family. Above anything else, the end goal is to meet the goal I have set for the school, which is $6,000,” said Brown. The student body has come together to help reach Brown’s $6,000 goal for the school by donating to their preferred department. Teachers have placed collection buckets in their classrooms asking for donations; the language arts department in particular raised money during the Advanced Production performance on May 2. “We do a lot of fundraisers at the school, but this one’s actually going to make a direct impact on a family, and we get to see them go through it and pay off their loans. For most of the other charities, we donate books but we don’t actually get to see the kids read them, or we donate money and we don’t actually get to see where the money’s going. But this is a family that we’re close to and a part of. I know that I donated about $85 from spare change I found around the house,” said junior Taylor Spuhler, a student in Brown’s class. Questions for the tournament are being written by the Academic Bowl team, of which Brown is a sponsor. “I approached the academic team first to see if I could get them on board because I really wanted to play. They agreed to help write the questions; they jumped on board, they were really excited,” he said. The students are not the only ones excited for the competition; the faculty has also jumped on board in order to assist the Blanchard family. “I was more worried about the teachers than about the student body. I could probably get the student body riled up, but the teachers I was worried about. I am amazed at the response I got so far. The teachers are really getting into it; teachers I would never expect to get into stuff like this are getting all riled up and are starting to talk trash...I keep having to remind them: remember to fundraise, remember to fundraise,” said Brown. In addition to Northview’s fundraiser, there are funds online raising money for the Blanchards. One is for medical bills, while the other is for a college fund for Hayden’s son.
“The Northview staff and
parents have been my source of strength. Their kindness is overwhelming.” - Angela Blanchard
news | the messenger | 11
men’s lacrosse A
SPORTS
fter finishing a strong regular season with a 17-1 record, the Northview Varsity men’s lacrosse team kicked off its playoff run with a victory against Benedictine Military School on April 7. This win by a score of 19-8 provided the team with a solid start to the road to the state championship. With a team stacked full of talent and revenge in sight, a bid for the state championship is expected. The first round playoff game marked senior midfielder and captain Andrew Berry’s first game back after recovering from an ankle injury early in the season. “It feels great to get back out there with the boys. I don’t know how many games I have left, but playoffs are where it matters,” said Berry. Berry’s comeback could not come at a better time as an extra talented senior on the field will likely give the team a boost during the tournament. As the team prepares for its second round game against Allatoona, it will be led by Georgia’s 1A-5A Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Year, junior mid-fielder Matty Biondich. “It was a surprise, but it was not the goal for the year. The goal for the year is to win the state championship,” said Biondich. This achievement is just one of many for the West Point lacrosse commit. Northview hopes to face Westminster in the championship game for a rematch of last season’s state finals. This hope for revenge drives the team to play at their best. “Everyone is pumped and excited, and every win feels like we’ll definitely be able to make a run. Once we get there, everyone will want revenge,” said Biondich. Like in past years, this team hopes to achieve more than last year’s, and winning the state championship would do just that.
women’s lacrosse
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he Northview women’s lacrosse team has once again finished the season with a shot at a state championship. The Lady Titans ended the regular season with an impressive record of 13-5. The team will now head into the second round of the playoffs in a game against Kell, after defeating Lakeside-Evans. “In the regular season we play around a lot more than during the playoffs, where we are one-hundred percent focused on the game, and all-around play better as a team,” said senior Ally Shaw. Like any team in the playoffs, they must increase their intensity in order to succeed. The women’s lacrosse team has been led by head coach Karen Allen, who has motivated the girls to play their best in pursuit of their championship aspirations. “Coach has definitely done a lot to help us prepare for playoffs by bringing us closer in general as a team.”, said Shaw. Even though coaches do not play, they can help win games. In order to make it far in the playoffs, seniors such as Alexa Rivard, Ally Shaw, Ashley Lock, and Shreya Ganeshan will have to step up their play to the best of their abilities. As the team goes further into the playoffs each game will require a team effort to pull out a win.
12 | sports
spring sports recap As the spring sports season winds down, here’s what Titan teams have done
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he Northview men’s track and field team has been headed by long distance runners Josh Salter and Jamie Cunningham throughout the season, both of whom are seniors who will continue their athletic careers next year in college. Salter will run for Samford University in Alabama while Cunningham recently signed his letter of commitment to The Citadel in South Carolina on April 7. The state tournament for men’s track and field, which occurred on April 8, saw both Cunningham and Salter lead Northview as the only Titan men’s competitors in the tournament. Salter placed third overall in the 1600 meter race with a time of 4:21, a school record, while Cunningham placed eighth with a time of 4:27. Salter will also
men’s track and field
compete in the 3200 meter discipline to be held at a later date. Although only these two competed in the state tournament, a number of other athletes had successful seasons. Junior Darius Chinoy performed well in the 200 and 400 meter races throughout the year while junior Nate Phillips and senior Justin Ho provided strong representation in the 100 meter race. Seniors Kendrick Cole and Hayden Cox also had successful seasons in the high jump and 800 meter race, respectively. “This has probably been our best season in a while,” said senior Michael Chen who was plagued by injury throughout the season. “Unfortunately, a lot of us had off days at sectionals.” nhs
women’s track and fielD C
oming off a successful cross country season, the girls’ track and field distance runners, led by sophomores Lindsay Billings and Anna Barefield, continued their success by sending several runners to compete in the state tournament on April 1-3. Meanwhile, senior sprinter Dollitia Thomas led the short distance scene for the women. Both Barefield and Billings headed the ladies in the 1600 and 3200 meter races. Billings won the 3200 meter race by nearly 30 seconds and set a state record, while winning an individual state championship, and took a close second in the 1600 with times of 10:49.28 and 5:06.31, respectively. Barefield also placed towards the top in both races. “I felt tired. I had a tough loss the day before in the 1600, and so it felt good to come back and win,” said Billings who also won a cross country individual state championship last fall. Thomas, who has set numerous school records throughout her career at Northview, placed fourth and third, respectively, in the 300 meter hurdles and the 400 meter dash, rounding off an overall successful season for the girls as a whole. nhs
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women’s soccer
W
ith an 11-2-3 overall record and a 9-1 conference record, the Northview Varsity girls’ soccer team has had a successful season, to say the least. Throughout the course of the season, the team beat a number of tough teams, including Sprayberry and South Forsyth, while dominating the majority of its other opponents. The Lady Titans were lead by four senior captains, Alexa Sather, Avery Sather, Sara Calzone, and Jordan Salvador, who provided both leadership and talent. Many underclassmen also contributed to the team’s success. By creating a comfortable atmosphere and a close team relationship, the Lady Titans charged through the season winning every region game until the last one where they narrowly fell in penalty kicks to Pope. The team clinched its playoff berth early against Sequoyah and came into the playoffs pumping on all cylinders.
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“They don’t stop fighting,” said head coach Jennifer Barr. So far, the Titans have made it through the postseason unscathed, defeating Villa Rica in the first round 5-1 and North Atlanta in the second round by a score of 2-1. Against North Atlanta, Northview was down a goal at halftime but ended up rallying back and winning as senior captain Alexa Sather scored the winning goal with just 43 seconds left in the game. “In the second half, we pushed up and started to attack,” said Barr. “I mean, they just don’t give up.” In the playoffs, a game-by-game mentality persists for the Titans. However, the possibility of bringing home the state title is becoming much more apparent with each victory. The team is currently in the Elite Eight.
men’s golf women’s golf
he men’s golf team officially concluded its season on April 21 in its region match at Eagles Landing Country Club where it finished fifth. The Titans finished with an overall record of 7-5 during the regular season. “We did pretty well this season,” said junior Abraham Kim. The top performers were Kim, who shot an average of 83.4 on the 18-hole course, and fellow junior Walker Oskin, who shot an average of 42.8 on the 9-hole course. According to Coach Olney, the most improved player this season was freshman Charlie Zhu who was shooting in the mid-50s in the beginning of the season and ended his past few matches in the mid-40s on the 9-hole course. “He probably did the best as far as during the season,” said Olney. Olney is looking forward to a better golf season next year. The team is only graduating three seniors in Parker Template, Ryan Lech, and Zach Galbert, and will have six current juniors returning next season to lead the team.
14 | sports
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he women’s golf team completed its season at sectionals where it placed ninth out of 16 teams from around the state of Georgia. The team, scoring a total of 327 shots, fell just three strokes short of making the state tournament where the top eight teams make the state playoffs. However, Nicole Kim and Alice Xu both qualified for the state tournament as individual low medalists The Lady Titans played in their region match before sectionals and placed fourth in the region. Nicole Kim placed in the top ten out of 37 total golfers in the low medalist category by scoring a 87. “To place in the top ten is an awesome accomplishment,” said head coach Cindy Brogdon. The team finished with a total of five wins and four losses throughout the course of the regular season. “Our record should have more wins. The ones we lost were very close scores in which we could have won,” said Brogdon.
A
Men’s Tennis
fter months of hard work, the Northview men’s Varsity tennis team has made another deep run into the state tournament, coming off of a successful season last year. The team advanced to the state championship match in the AAAAA classification after defeating Lakeside-Evans High School on April 6 in the state semifinals. Major contributions were made by seniors Ashwin Ragde and Avi Singh in this match as well as throughout the course of the season. “We’ve done so well this year because our team has so much skill and depth. Our freshmen can easily beat upperclassman on other teams,” said Ragde. With many players and tons of different skills, the team is able to switch players in and out easily. “When you can put anyone in the lineup and still be in a position to win every match, you know you have a special team,” said Ragde. This is one of the many times Northview men’s tennis has made it to the state championship match, as they won four consecutive state titles between 2006 and 2009, but this team has a certain chemistry that has lead to its success. “We do little things outside of the matches to come together as a team. We play basketball or football games sometimes after matches or go get a team dinner after a big win,” said junior Bryan White. The team has worked together to pull out some amazing wins against teams from all over the state and is on its way to making history again.
A
women’s tennis
fter a devastating loss to Starr’s Mill High School, the Northview women’s tennis team was knocked out of the playoff bracket in the state semifinal on April 6, ending what had been a successful season. Making it to the Final Four of the state tournament, the team had played many intense matches throughout the season, with many skilled players who play competitively outside of the high school circuit providing skilled play and contributing to important Titan victories. “I think we’ve done so we’ll this year because all the players on the team are awesome tennis players. The way we work together as a team also definitely contributes to how well we’ve done,” said senior Juline Limyadi. The Lady Titans ended the season with an overall record of 15-4 and an undefeated 11-0 region record. “We have done so well because we have really strong players and great leadership,” said junior Rachel Smith. The team defeated Rome High School, Lakeside High School, and Alatoona High School on the road to semifinals. “I love being apart of a team that is in the playoffs. It’s an incredible feeling to know that your team is good,” said Smith. Although the team competed hard, the loss in the state tournament has left a disappointing mark on an otherwise successful season.
sports | the messenger | 15
SENIOR COLLEGES 2014 ALABAMA
AUBURN UNIVERSITY Parker Cutler Joon Hong Ryan Lech Alexa Rivard Nathan Sims Cora Smith Lindsey Whitesides Leah Williams SAMFORD UNIVERSITY Ryan Cliff Josh Salter UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Asha Fuller Hannah Hathorn Nicole Lane Yasmine Nana-Yeboah
ALASKA
ALASKA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Amanda Liew
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Sarang Mittal UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY David Chen Avi Singh UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES Michelle Chen UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Nicole Gilbertson Cynthia Liang Alice Xu STANFORD UNIVERSITY Elizabeth Trinh David Xing
COLORADO
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY Arah Kang UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER Madison Roberts
FLORIDA
STETSON UNIVERSITY Sara Blackwelder FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Merisa Garman UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA A.J. Montero UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI Natalie Muniz UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Danielle Isaacs Damir Markotic VALENCIA COLLEGE Mariana Segura
GEORGIA
COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY Rachel Jeon EMORY UNIVERSITY Matthew Chang Sharon Kim
16 | features
EMORY UNIVERSITY AT OXFORD Alex Adeseye Sarika Sachdeva GEORGIA COLLEGE AND STATE UNIVERSITY Steffan Becker Will Borgononi Amanda Etter Ben Fleck Zack Galberd Eoin Green Emer Killian Mackenzie Light Cavan Miller Asia Mitchell Brendan Morton Parker Moss Andrew Newmark Max Ovrick Annie Pennington Nick Wiedemann Griffin Wilkens GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE Tommy Bilkey Toni Brantley Nick Brown Nathan Byrd Brandon Deane Whitaker Finks Alexis Foster Makenzie Koon Cody Madison Jessie Marion Jade Perry Brittney Wiggins GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Samar Abdelmageed Preben Are Valerie Avva Roshan Balakrishnan Michael Cao Joseph Carreon Yash Chandramouli Michael Chen Eunice Choi Peter Chung Carina Claassen Manasi Deshpande Olivia Duan Joshua Everett Jerry Fang Sruti Guhathakurta Brandon Hattrick Amey Houde Gavin Jean-Pierre Apurva Kasam Eunice Lee Matthew Lemons Nick Liu Simrun Mannan Rahul Maran Pranav Marathe Jamie McAreavey Arsh Momin
Priunsh Nagru Tu Nguyen Erica Park Matthew Park Steven Park Keshav Parwal Malavika Rao Parth Sanghvi Matthew Schulz Rishi Singh Blane Solomon Ana Supariwala Jack Thomson Adam Treaster Vooha Vellanki Parth Viswanathan George Wang Joe Wang E.J. Zhang GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE Anthony Bello Tony Casanave Christian Comer Tatiana Contreras Emma Daklouche Christina Ferrer Kevin Hazrati Arian Heydari Alex Hyde Myles Johnson Christina Kim Christina Suh GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY Anvesh Cheemakurthy David Chyan Sri Rasmita Jalla Kavin Vrid GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY Simone Barbour Andrew Berry Hank Clayman Matthew Clover Angela DiPietro Haley Dixon Reid Ferguson Rosalie Fragnito Brooke Larson Montanna Lins Max Lovingood Matthew Onorato Krystina Pizzurro Keith Power Jon Robertson Michael Sanders Connor Segraves Ally Shaw Alysia Van Beverhoudt Akshaya Vijaykumar Kelsey Waller Tess Whitridge GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY Hailey Ahn Samee Ali
Ravneet Chadha Daniel Chinta William Chiu Jinnah Choi Sammy Chun Timothy Chung Alex Clark Kendrick Cole India Cunningham Feindy Darji Amar Dhada Grant Harzog Gisell Giraldo Justin Ho Varsha Iyer Joseph James Changu Kang Seong Gu Kang Ari Kazemi Pooja Khanduri Alex Kim Blake Kole Sabrina Liew Suzy Lim Tiffany Ma Jennifer Maharath Neelam Maredia Ryan McDaniel Jasmine Na Serena Pankhania Kristy Park Priya Patel Sam Payne Mohammad Rasheed Ford Reese Katie Scholl Jon Starling Daniella Stucchi Annette Sujo Lindsey Tan Amyre Taylor Lauren Wilson Josiah Wong Kaylin Yang Samuel Yi GWINNETT TECHNICAL COLLEGE Fabian Park Alisha Robinson Lauren Ward KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY Grant Alexander Justin Anthony Ethan Barrentine Nate Boone Brin Bowers Stephen Comer Justin Clark Kristen Decker Jessica Frost Tasha Garret Junior George Jordan Harris Jacob Hibbert Hayden Hintz James Hooper Jordan Horton Brian Jackson Ana Kazemi
Juline Limyadi Ashley Lock Shelly Lu Kirklyn Malone Chantasia Manuel Konner Mattison Trevor Morrison Wesley Ohnstad Reese Prater Nik Radtke Grant Ramage Scott Seo Joshua Simon Peter Smith Josselyn Thornton Sara Yeh LAGRANGE COLLEGE Jake Brown Ryan Macchio MERCER UNIVERSITY Tasneem Huda Sanya Nijhara Yael Tessler Steffie Yip MOREHOUSE COLLEGE Duncan Jones OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY Alyssa Paduano PIEDMONT COLLEGE Katie Malloy SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN Shayla Chanavier Ryan Hopkinson SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Olivia Rois Ryan Siatkowski UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Patrick Ban Madeline Bourdeau John Caras Bidushi Chandra Alex Chang Amaan Charaniya Arnav Cherian Andy Chow Lauren Collins King David Jason DeLong Daniel Epstein Kate Finn Ankit Garla Shreya Ganeshan Tori Hiten Julie Hong Alex Horn Connie Huang Gina Huang Tommy Jang Samantha Jayasundera Shubham Kadam Nicole Kim Alekhya Korrapati Sasi Kota Frankie Ku Nathan Li Harold Liu Harsh Malik Namita Mathew
Lisa Matsumura Christine McAreavey Austin Min Sage Moffitt Namita Money Yong Morris Rohit Munagala Lucas Murray Brittany Onwualu Kelly Pagano Michael Park Philip Park Sean Park Manasa Peddineni Ashwin Ragde Ashwin Ramanathan Jack Ryan Alexa Sather Avery Sather Vishal Shah Adam Shindler Anish Shivkumar Laura Sierra Otalvaro Japnit Singh Ashley Smith Kavitha Srinimukesh Jackson Stair Andrew Suh Shelley Tau Karishma Vyas Logan Wade Andrew Walck Colin Walsh Lily Wang Richard Wang Lauren Widman Tracy Wong Michael Wyatt Allen Yao Polina Yakovleva Ashley Youngman Issac Zhang Jerry Zhen Zelia Zhou UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA Morgan Christopher Daham Eom Brittany Gaskins Carly Gordon Sae Im Eric Kim Sara Kim Kendall Maze Jake Marques Andrew Sohn Madeleine Wagner UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIAGAINESVILLE Ji Lee UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA Carson Sedberry Katie Stout Kennedy Wages VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY Erin Cole Ivona Hendricks Colin Meyer Brock Stephens
features | the messenger | 17
ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Benjamin Moy UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Sophia Chen Anna Li Matthew Wei
INDIANA
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY Conor Korbisch PURDUE UNIVERSITY Neil Adi UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Melissa Riordan
KANSAS
KANSAS UNIVERSITY Isaac Hart
KENTUCKY
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Madeleine Caron David Eads Julia Harold Kaylee McCullion
MARYLAND
SALISBURY UNIVERSITY Connor Redmond
MASSACHUSETTS
BOSTON UNIVERSITY Ravi Singh NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Liz Sohn
MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Ethan Jin Alex Cheng
MISSISSIPPI
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Andy Pellegrino UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Amanda Keskonis
MINNESOTA
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES Bryce Li
NEW JERSEY
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Eddie Wang Rohan Doshi
NEW YORK
CLARKSON UNIVERSITY Amoge Okolie COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Sam Quinn NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Kevin Chaey Michael Hou Peter Kim Hoon Lee Jerry Lee Lindsay Park Karthik Rajashekar Ashton Williams Saemin Yoon ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY
18 | features
Jewel Bell WEST POINT Seong Su Kim
NORTH CAROLINA
DUKE UNIVERSITY Katherine Ahn Matthew Do Noah Gray QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE Dollitia Thomas UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAGREENSBORO Jordan Salvador UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAWILMINGTON Rachel Williams WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY Jaymi Lyn Catalfano Jordan Dower Kevin Mahan
PENNSYLVANIA
MESSIAH COLLEGE Anjelica Tyrell CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Michael Liang TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Dylan Causwell
RHODE ISLAND
BRYANT UNIVERSITY Jalen Archie-Davis RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN Ha Kyung Jeong
SOUTH CAROLINA
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Eric Hagenstad Andrew Koster COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON Brett Tighe FURMAN UNIVERSITY Hayden Cox PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE Emily Napier THE CITADEL Jamie Cunningham UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Alex Bolhous Lacey Brown Cameron Butcher Sara Calzone Abbey Hudes Amy Moore Cal Nugent Parker Templet WOFFORD COLLEGE David Ehmen
TENNESSEE
BELMONT UNIVERSITY Madison Barefield VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY Nicole Kim Grace Wie
TEXAS
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Meredith McBee
VIRGINIA
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Austin Antwine UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Rebecca Burkley Ben Canty VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY Neal Patel Rachel Sable
WASHINGTON, D.C.
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Obai Alabyad HOWARD UNIVERSITY Kiana Chambers
WEST VIRGINIA
UNIVERSITY OF WEST VIRGINIA Justin Williams
INTERNATIONAL CANADA
MCGILL UNIVERSITY Justin Jones
ENGLAND
RICHMOND AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Isiah Rose
SWITZERLAND
ECOLE HOTELIERE DE LAUSANNE Calvin Wang
MILITARY NAVY Kamal Green James Potts MARINES Kent Wien
NOT ATTENDING Brianna Crystal Kevin Kennedy Anna Lam Connor Prater Bristol Tandy Ben Wang Lauren Watkins
IN-STATE/ OUT OF STATE
FIRST CHOICE?
300
AMOUNT SPENT ON APPLICATIONS
250
FREQUENCY
200 150 100 50
YES NO Undecided 42.80%
=10 PEOPLE
0
Art
5.30%
0-300
300-600
600-900
900-1200
1200-1500
AMOUNT SPENT (usd)
Science
Business
Education
Engineering
15.47%
16.95%
MAJORS Law
.64%
HEALTHCARE 9.96%
2.33%
6.57%
features | the messenger | 19
features
Summer? WHAT SHOULD I DO THIS
SNEHA GUBBALA, Staff Writer
20 | features
= CONCERT
morrisey the fault in our stars 22 jump street Elvis costello paul mccartney snowpiercer katy perry
july S 6 13 20 27
6/4 6/6 6/13 6/19 6/21 6/27 6/28
S
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W
Th
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1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
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7/4
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
7/10 7/12 7/17 7/24 7/25 7/30
S guardians of the galaxy james taylor teenage mutant ninja turtles LUCY the giver the expendables 3 motley crue
8/1 8/5 8/8 8/8 8/15 8/15 8/19
june
= MOVIE
3 10 17 24 31
M 4 11 18 25
how to train your dragon 2 transformers: age of extinction the beach boys dawn of the planet of the apes vans warped tour jupiter ascending fall out boy & paramore
august
T 5 12 19 26
W 6 13 20 27
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7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
features | the messenger | 21
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essenger ONLINE
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opinion
THECOMMON
APPLICATION R E J E C TION Decreasing acceptance rates puts unnecessary stress on students to excel
TARUN RAMESH, Staff Writer
O
Students are often faced with the question, “What happens if I don’t get accepted into my dream school?” The low acceptance rates in modern times help kindle this nightmare. The steadily decreasing rate shows how students’ dreams have plummeted due to the increase competition over the few spots a top college has. Ivy League colleges have drastically decreased their acceptance rate with Harvard leading the pack at 6.9%. This rate has been established through the highly selective application process. These schools use the low acceptance rate to bolster the prestige of the school, but instead the Ivy Leagues just eliminate a majority of the population who have unique talents and skills that can bring a new side to these all academic schools. Low acceptance rates just increase competition between students which elevates the risk of suicide or teen depression while hurting colleges by reducing the amount of people who can aid and bring a new set of skills. Both the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech have decreased acceptance rates dramatically since 2012. Georgia Tech acceptance rates have dropped three points in the last two years. This trend has been reflected throughout the country as colleges are significantly dropping their acceptance rates to become more prestigious and highly select. This decreasing rate can have a negative impact upon the country as a whole. Fewer students will be able to receive a college degree education and thus fewer will be able to have a job that can support themselves and their families. This will detrimentally impact the economy. Colleges should have acceptance rates based on the meeting of certain criteria instead of acceptance rates based on the increasing prestige of a college.
nce college applications are sent the most stressful time of a student’s life begins. First comes the acceptance letter. The words “congratulations” or “we regret to inform you” can permanently shape a student’s future. These words depend on the average acceptance rates of many colleges’, while some pride themselves on being selective, even more tend to accept most applicants. Unfortunately that trend is shifting as more schools have decided to increase competition among applicants by decreasing acceptance rates. In 2012, the University of Georgia had an acceptance rate of 56.1% while in 2013, UGA had an acceptance rate of 54%. This drop in acceptance rate is startling especially since that accumulates to over 1,500 students who are not accepted into UGA. Admission experts say that the reason why colleges are decreasing acceptance rates is due to the large number of people applying for the same number of spots. This means that while the University has the same number of available openings the influx of applicants significantly drops the percentage rate of those accepted. Even if this is true the colleges should be obliged to create new available openings to compensate for the increase of applicants. Colleges are dependent on students; without students there would be no reason for college. The low acceptance rates stresses students too much and can lead to psychiatric disorders like depression or unnecessary anxiety. College suicides are often caused by increased stress and competition among students fueled by colleges who want to gather the brightest students that they can. This attempt by colleges to increase competition hurts both the college and the student. The low rates also deprive colleges of viable candidates who show potential and can improve the college as a whole.
253,472
TOP 5 US COLLEGES REJECTION RATES BY YEAR MIT Stanford Princeton Yale Harvard
94%
TOTAL APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS
2014 GA COLLEGES REJECTION RATES
91%
88%
GEORGIA TECH
UGA
GEORGIA STATE
85%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
✓ High School
College
Career
Dreams
After high school... What’s next for you? At Gwinnett Tech, anything is possible. We offer more than 50 program options that can lead to your dream job – in healthcare, business, education and computer sciences, plus hands-on or creative career programs ranging from culinary arts to automotive technology. With a degree, diploma or certificate program, you’ll finish in two years or less and be ready to enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills that come from real world training with the latest technology. If you’re not sure what to pursue, we provide a range of assessments that can help match you with a career suited for your personality and skills. Gwinnett Tech also offers the HOPE Scholarship and Grant, scores of online courses, and a wide range of classes guaranteed to transfer to any Georgia college. Get started now! Call 779-962-8580 or visit www.Gwinnett Tech.edu.
5150 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville GA 30043 770.962.7580 | www.GwinnettTech.edu A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia Equal Opportunity Institution
staff editorial teem of high-achieving students plummets, not to mention their chances of being admitted or earning scholarships to top universities. If a school still ranks, the college is required to look at that rank as a part of the admission process. There is not any “omit” option if the number is not ideal. A top 50 percent student is stuck with that label, despite the possibility of being a top 25 student at a different school. These percentages seem insignificant in the eyes of some colleges, but at others, the scholarship-worthy status of a student is determined primarily by this rank. Even if a student surpasses the required ACT or SAT score and GPA, the class rank could still set them back and prevent them from receiving this scholarship. It seems silly that financial aid or admission could be determined by how a student competes with the other kids around him. There are parent complaints and conferences regarding the removal of this system, and maybe it will be gone for the class of 2015. But for now, our futures are stuck in the hands of our peers. It feels impossible to be great when classmates are aiming to be even greater.
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s the class of 2014 prepares to graduate and face the challenges that come with college, the junior class has begun to prepare for an entirely new set of challenges that comes with being a senior. The final year of high school is not all senior treats and field trips; thus far in Northview’s history, every senior class has had to deal with the competition and worries that surround class rank. These issues, however, should not have to plague the future Northview classes anymore. Northview’s average students’ levels of achievement are anomalous in the midst of other Georgian, not to mention American, schools. Most high schools have students with around a 3.6 GPA or higher in their top 10 percent. At Northview, a student with a 3.6 is lucky to make the top 25 percent. Whether the abnormal excellence of our students is a location thing, a competitive thing, or just something in the water, it is definitely a good thing--unless, of course, already excellent students are fighting to be considered “more excellent” by their high school or college. When Northview students are pitted against each other, the self-es-
opinions | the messenger | 25
Opinions
FACE-OFF According to Bloomberg, the average cost of a college tuition has increased by over 500 percent since 1985. This dramatic growth strains students to pay for college by working part-time jobs, taking out student loans, and even going to colleges of a lower academic standard than they are capable of achieving for the sake of having less to pay in order to receive an education. Even after graduating from college and landing a job, adults struggle to pay off their debts incurred from student loans.
Does the drastically rising cost of receiving a college education outweigh its benefits? 26 | opinions
YES:
SOPHIA CHOI, Staff Writer
A
s the era of further education advances, the number of high school graduates who go on to take classes at college is climbing towards a brighter future. On average, 97% of Northview students decide to go to college. However, to accommodate new students enrolling, colleges are increasingly raising their tuition fees. Still, these rising costs should not deter students from attending the school for which their skills are best suited. Although the price of a college education has increased in the past few decades, the precise numbers only seem so drastic when the change in the value of money is accounted for. The value of money has decreased throughout the years, meaning that what seems like a large sum of money now buys the same value of a seemingly smaller sum of money from the decades of our parents or even our grandparents. Though it can be argued that even after the recalculation of the value of money in the past and in the present, the price of college can discourage a potential student from enrolling, it must be remembered that with a college degree, a person’s pool of occupations to choose from enlarges because, thanks to the specialized
courses he has taken, his knowledge is more extensive and more detailed than that of the average person who does not go to college. He also is more likely to earn more than the average person who never went on to college. Additionally, solving a personal financial with a college degree is better than to be solving one without a college degree. If two people, a college graduate and a high school graduate, are in debt, the person who has the college degree is most likely to be favored over the person who never went on to achieve a further education. It is easier to pay off debt from student loans with a college degree because the degree enables the person to get a job of higher socioeconomic status and even advance in ranks of the business for which he works for a higher salary, making chance of paying off student debt easier than someone with no college degree struggling to balance multiple part-time jobs just to pay the rent. Despite the fact that the cost of receiving a college education is hiking alarmingly, the financial and educational benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree outshine the possible struggles from having to pay a larger student debt.
no:
ANDREW TEODORESCU, Staff Writer
E
xperience overpowers education. In the high demands of our competitive job market, many freshly-graduated college students are stuck in a paradox: they need experience to get a job but they do not have a job so they do not have experience. With so many students emerging from college into the job market each year, it takes a lot to distinguish one inexperienced graduate from another. Internships, college GPA, and volunteer work may be useful characteristics to take into consideration. However, pervious experience is possibly the most attractive trait to have when seeking a job. Spending several years and several hundred thousand dollars on a higher education is not necessarily the best option. Seeking specialized internship in directly after high school allows students to jump straight into the job market and learn in the best way possible: experience. High school is often credited for forcibly supplementing students with subjects that they may not ever use. College is advertised to only teach student what they want to learn, but it is not entirely true. The first two years of college are often used by students to learn general subjects that are not related to one’s major. That equates to two years of incredible amounts of money and time that are wasted by not focusing on majors. Two
years is plenty of time to get involved with internship programs and job opportunities. Not everyone can be an excellent student in high school. Not everyone can get supplementary of scholarships. Not everyone can pay off student loans. The cost of higher education is enough to drown a person in student loans for life. Even if one’s education leads them to a career, they will still have to pay off student loans for years, if not decades. Not only does the cost of college overpower its benefits, the time investment that a college education requires is also not worth it. The most logical approach to take to the job market is to reap both experience and education at the same time, but that is not possible in most situations. College courses, homework, and study routines take up most of a student’s time and energy during the school year, leaving no schedule room for extraneous work. Summer internships can be beneficial, but they are only temporary and do not provide enough experience. When viewing the options, both will require the same amount of time commitment, but going to college requires indefinitely more money and resources.
opinions | the messenger | 27
MEDIA
COLUMNS
tech wars
RYAN SIATKOWSKI, Staff Writer
T
echnology is constantly changing and that is what keeps the best technology emerging. In this Darwinist world, every computer, smartphone, and social network has its lifespan. Some last for years, some last a week, but the point is any device or service that is successful will always be phased out by the next cutting edge product. This is certainly the case for cable and satellite television. Cable has dominated the home entertainment industry for decades. The idea that one can have access to shows, movies, and news twentyfour hours a day changed the world. Even with on demand and recording services, cable television providers cannot compete with the vast and virtually unlimited amount of data that is accessible on the internet. However, the internet alone is not enough to cause the decline in television subscribers that has been occurring. This is where streaming services come into play. The question, “Do you have Netflix?” has become more than just small talk. The answer to this simple question tells so much about a person’s daily activities. Having a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime gives the viewer an entirely new entertainment experience. Netflix lets subscribers access thousands of movies and entire TV series. Hulu gives the ability to watch new episodes days after they come out. This not only changes where people get their entertainment, but how they watch it as well. Binge watching or Netflix marathons make it possible to watch television shows episode after episode. Viewers endlessly take advantage of the massive library. The hours and hours of content on streaming services blow cable’s 800 channels out of the water. This is due to several reasons. According to the Wall Street Journal, Time Warner Cable lost 833,000 customers last year, and 532,000 the year before. This may be attributed to more than just the services. Comcast’s starting price for digital television is $44.99, and this price usually increases after a couple months which adds up on the bill. Netflix’s standard price is $7.99 monthly for streaming and another $7.99 for disc service. With this price difference, cable providers cannot compete. Statistics prove that consumers are “cutting the cable cord” more than ever. Cable and satellite companies are not entirely to blame for these steady declines in revenue. Products like Google’s Chromecast and Apple TV that facilitate streaming to televisions are becoming more affordable and offering more features. Now that these libraries are available in the living room the combination of convenience and variety makes streaming the most logical option. Although the declines are not that noticeable, they give an insight into the future of cable and satellite TV providers. It probably will not happen overnight, but the disappearance of these companies might happen in decades to come. Every piece of technology has its prime, but it must also have its death in order to make room for the most innovative thing. In Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address, he said, “Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”
28 | opinions
FASHION
CONNIE XU, Staff Writer
T
he Fall 2014 runway shows of Chanel and Moschino sparked a lot of discussion. Chanel chose an interesting and unlikely venue for their show : a supermarket. Models were seen with shopping baskets and classic Chanel handbags wrapped in meat packaging. The set of the show itself entailed a lot of details, with hundreds of grocery items specially labeled with their brand, not to mention the clothing. Jeremy Scott, known for his rebellious and outlandish designs, debuted his first collection with Moschino; it displayed pieces clearly alluding to McDonalds and Spongebob, as well as his integration of food products into exquisite gowns. It’s interesting that two of the biggest and most luxurious fashion houses chose to include everyday items and settings into their designs and presentations. It destroys the stereotype that fashion is a luxurious, superficial, and unattainable thing, and instead shows that it is something that is inevitably incorporated in everyday life and culture. No longer are garments and accessories released only by the biggest brands called “fashion”, but anything and everything can be fashion (as things are more attainable and we continue to broaden our horizons).
COLUMNS
comments: senior skip year Making the least of the high school experience
A
ANDREW TEODORESCU, Columnist
s the school year comes to a close, senioritis is reaching its final stages among the graduating class. After three long years of sleepless nights, hundreds of dollars spent on caffeine, and thousands of last-minute cramming sessions, seniors are tired of high-school level academics. Seniors want summer, college, and freedom. With all of the possible paths that one can take after high school, senior year needs to be an optional affair. Many seniors know what college they would like to go to or what career field they would like to pursue; there is no reason to delay their plans for an additional year. There are two main paths that are typically taken by seniors: packing in tough courses or having a relatively easy academic schedule. The dual nature of senior year creates a mixed environment within the graduating class—half of the class is in for a smooth ride with on-level while the other half is struggling to fit in another AP course. The main reason why students do not graduate early is because of a lack of credits. Georgia public school systems require twenty-four course credits in order to graduate. The average student gets six course credits each year simply because that is all that most schools will allow to take on campus each year. As of now, the most efficient ways to graduate after junior year is by taking online credits or through dual enrollment. Although it is completely plausible to have a certain requirement for graduation credits, the last six credits should be able to be waiv-
ered if the student meets a certain numerical grade point average. This average should be reasonable—not too high or too low. The problem with these programs is that they are usually only accessible for exceptional students who show mastery of every subject. It is rare, almost unheard of for a student with average grades to graduate early. Early graduation should be an option for every student, not just those who are the top of their classes. Successful people have paths. It is unfair for a person to be restricted to taking a predetermined path just because it works well for others. In competitive school environments, like Northview, personal ambition and motivation cannot be expressed simply through class rank. This option could lead to a diversification of the job market. Early graduation presents many options for prospective students. Students who already plan on attending graduate school can start their journey through higher education a year earlier. Curious students can use this as an extra year to travel around the world. The role of this program is to work with student schedule flexibly rather than confine students to rigid schedules. Senior year is essentially definition of red tape for American public school systems. By this point in a student’s life, he knows whether or not if he is capable of early graduation. It is not to say that education is a waste of time, but senior year is not as universally beneficial as other years. Our public education system desperately needs extensive reforms, but this is one small step in the right direction.
opinions | the messenger | 29
SENIOR
ADVICE
30 |
sam quinn “Don't be complacent. Seriously, complacency—in anything—will only ruin your aspirations. Think for yourself. Don't hesitate to fashion your own opinion—as long as it's justified. And broaden your horizons as much as you can. Always.”
noah gray
nik radtke
“You may not be the most talented, but you can always be the hardest worker. There is no substitute for effort.”
“Everyone complains about how hard senior year is, but as long as you keep your priorities straight, just live it up and it will be a year that you will never forget.”
meredith mcbee “Listen ten times more than you talk. Don't try to fix people that don't want to be fixed. After-school naps are gifts from God; homework is not meant to be started until midnight anyways. Get involved; it will make school less monotonous. Have more than one lunch table. Don't fill all your conversations with your problems. And lastly, stay in school.”
andrew gottlieb
annie pennington
“Don't worry about a number you get on a piece of paper. Try to get involved with as much as you can before you leave high school, to make this society a better place.”
“Don't blame yourself for other people's actions; it's your life and what you make of it. Your life is a series of rooms filled with people; how you deal with those people is how you deal with life.”
ryan siatkowski “If a friend holds you back from doing what makes you happy, they aren't really your friend. Always do your homework even if you don't do it at home. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the ride, because one day you have to get off.”
the messenger | 31
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