the
essenger
Northview high school Volume 13 | Issue 9 | MAY 2015
in this issue annual college list p. 30 Summer entertainment p. 36 The messenger’s senior advice p. 40
| the messenger | 1
masthead Email: nhsmessenger@gmail.com Phone: (770) 497-3828 ext. 176 Website: nhsmessenger.com Address: 10625 Parsons Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097 PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION 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. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Messenger staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, libel, obscenity, and invasion of privacy. ADVERTISING The Messenger publishes advertisements with signed contracts provided that they are deemed appropriate by the staff for the intended audience. For more information about advertising with The Messenger, please contact the business manager, Meredith Keisler, and assistant business manager, Tarun Ramesh, at nhsmessenger@ gmail.com. IN THIS ISSUE Cover design: Jessica Ma Page 17-29 photos: Hui Lin, Tiffany Xu Page 40-41 photos: Hui Lin
EDITORS-In-CHIEF Marri Kang Jessica Ma MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Coleman NEWS EDITOR Rachel Williams SPORTS EDITORS Maggie Brenan Rameen Forghani FEATURES EDITOR Sneha Gubbala OPINIONS EDITOR Andrew Teodorescu PHOTO EDITOR Hui Lin DESIGN EDITOR Connie Xu ONLINE EDITOR Bryan Liang COPY EDITOR Maggie Xia BUSINESS MANAGER Meredith Keisler ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER Tarun Ramesh STAFF WRITERS Shelby Bradley Tommy Bui Manasa Chimpiri Megan Cistulli Sophia Choi Ryan Daigle Milika Dhru Sarah Jang Chad Johnson Annie Kong Jooeun Lee Justin Leung Tanisa Mahalingam Austin Meng Lindsey Moon Sally Pan Caroline Pennington Parnia Vaghef Eashaa Velamuri Justin Westbrook Sabrina Wilson Connie Xiao PHOTOGRAPHERS Nabila Khan Tiffany Xu
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table of
contents 2 masthead 5 Editor’s Letter 6 news 12 sports 17 cover story 17 features 38 opinions 38 FACEOFF 45 staff columns
17
Hui Lin/STAFF
articles 6 Avossa leaves for Florida / RACHEL WILLIAMS 8 End-of-the-year Q&A with Principal Downey / SALLY PAN 11 Bourne prepares to leave Northview / MANASA CHIMPIRI 12 Northview’s sports teams wrap up the 2015 season / STAFF 17 COVER STORY: The Class Act/ STAFF 30 Class of 2015 Seniors move beyond Northview / STAFF 36 Summer entertainment preview / SNEHA GUBBALA 38 Face-off: Should college freshmen room with their friends? / NANCY COLEMAN and PARNIA VAGHEF 40 Sage advice from the Class of 2015’s wisest, and humblest, members / THE MESSENGER SENIORS 43 2014-2015 in pictures / STAFF 45 Music column / EASHAA VELAMURI 46 Fashion column / CONNIE XU 47 Comments / ANDREW TEODORESCU | the messenger | 3
l e t t e r
S
f r o m
t h e
e d i t o r
A final farewell
ome say that the four years spent in high school can be some of the best years of our lives. To that, I can respond with a resounding “eh”. Maybe years from now I’ll take a look over my shoulder through rose tinted glasses into the past and think of it differently. But as for now, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to be getting out of here. Make no mistake, I’ve had some great times at Northview. There’s nothing quite like bonding with classmates over an all nighters doing an assignment that was assigned months prior or coming up with nerdy inside jokes that persist until graduation. And, for a while, I wasn’t willing to let go of these times. It was weird to me that the people I had befriended - some that I have practically grown up with - were going to transition from some of my closest companions to nothing more than fond memories. But I’m tired of waiting. Change was once a daunting task for me, yes, but I’ve learned a lot from all the people I’ve met and I’m coming out of these past four years a much different (and, in my opinion, a much better) person than I was coming in. I’ve learned what I could and, now that I’m done, I can’t shake this feeling that I need to keep going. And for those still uncertain about going off alone, I’ll offer a thought that helped me get over my complex. Despite the fact that we will be parting ways, there’s no such thing as completely forgetting a person. Sure, maybe their name or voice or even face will start to grow hazy, but there’s no taking back the influence that they had. No matter
how miniscule the relationship between two people is, even the slightest contact can change a person - even if they don’t realize it. So even when we branch off into our own separate lives, we are not alone; we live with the marks of those we knew still firmly planted on our backs. It just gets hard to see them sometimes. That’s not to say that any of this will be easy, though. Whether it be an overly rigorous academic schedule or separation anxiety, we’ll all have to face some sort of issue at some point. The key is to not to let these problems become the end. It’s a hard thing to do, and not everyone can do it on their own, and it doesn’t make anyone any less of a person if they can’t. But life only marches on as long as one allows it to and I know that, personally, I’m going to do all I can to keep it going. But hey, maybe this is all too sappy and optimistic and all that gooey gross stuff that we’ve all heard a thousand times before. I’m not even that qualified to be talking about the future considering the fact that I know just as much about mine as the next guy does his. So I’ll start talking in certainties now. I can say, without a doubt, that this has been a valuable experience for me. But, I can also say that I am one hundred percent done with all the college applications and AP testing. Bittersweet and all that. It’s been a wild ride through these past four years but we’re just about nearing the end. I’m satisfied with all that I’ve done here and I leave with a fond, yet vaguely passive aggressive, farewell. It’s been good, Northview. Thanks for having me.
Marri Kang, Editor-in-Chief
| the messenger | 5
NEWS
STEPPING OUT
Fulton County Superintendent Robert Avossa leaves for position in Florida schools
O
RACHEL WILLIAMS, News Editor
n Apr 16, current Fulton County superintendent Robert vision was, so he knows the work that needs to be done. I think Avossa announced that he will not be returning to the he’s going to step right into his role and kind of just continue position next year, instead choosing to take a superin- on with that work,” Downey said. tendent position in Palm Beach, Florida, where he first began Avossa also expects the interim superintendent to easily teaching. continue the work he had started. “Many factors contributed to my decision but ultimately it “While we’re in the middle of our five-year strategic plan, we was really a matter of opportunity. Nevertheless, mostly with have built a framework that will transition well for Mr. Zeff and the my family being in Florida and the fact that I spent 10 years as a school board to continue the great work that has occurred,” he said. teacher and principal there, and that I attended the University of In Avossa’s new position in Florida, he hopes to continue pracSouth Florida, made the decision a bit easier,” he said. tices he started in Fulton. While he looks forward to his new position in Florida, he “Public education is my passion. My life has been dedicated also regrets leaving Fulton County. to the pursuit of ensuring that every child is given an educa “Leaving Fulton is certainly bittion that will provide them the optersweet. During my time, I’ve had portunity to succeed in college and the chance to work with so many in the career of their choice. Just as greater teachers, parents, commuin Fulton, my primary focus as the nity members, and administrators Palm Beach County Superintendent who are committed to improving will be to continue on this mission the outcomes for our students. I’ve and to improve the outcomes for all also had the benefit of working with students,” he said. a strong school board whose lead While leaving may be bitterership has enabled the district to sweet, Avossa has left a lasting immove forward on our strategic plan pression on the school system. Brian Downey “He gave the entire district a and charter system status,” he said. While shifting superintendents unified focus. We have three goals could cause trouble within the school system, Northview’s Principal that we’re all trying to achieve that are centered around graduaBrian Downey expects the transition to pass easily for the school. tion rates, closing our achievement gaps amongst our subgroups, “I think Dr. Avossa and our school board have planned for and preparing our kids for college. He got 100 schools in a very this to happen and they have have a transition plan in place and diverse area all working in the same direction...before him we that plan is essentially to carry on the work we’re already doing. were a fractured district,” Downey said. So I don’t think there’s going to be really any impact on [North- Avossa remains certain that most of his success lies with the view],” he said. strong team behind him. On Apr 23, Fulton County named Kenneth Zeff as the in- “My experience at Fulton have taught me the importance of terim superintendent, beginning June 2. He has been working in building a strong team that is committed to improving the outthe school district since 2012, overseeing major projects like the comes for students...the strong leadership of our school board, execution of the strategic plan and the implementation of the our schools and our central office is why we succeeded. Togethcharter system model. er we created a forward-thinking strategic plan that is working “Ken Zeff has been working in the county and he has actu- and is delivering measurable, positive results. It was created by ally been leading a lot of the work that represents what Avossa’s all of us a team, not just one person,” he said.
“[Avossa] gave the entire district a unified focus [...] before him we were a fractured district.”
6 | news
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(Owner, 2-time Forsyth County Counselor of the Year, HECA Member) news | the messenger | 7
NEWS
A year in review Brian Downey reflects on his first year as principal SALLY PAN, Staff Writer
Hui Lin/STAFF
Q: What’s your impression of your first year as principal of Northview? A: My first impression is that the principal position is very different than the assistant principal position. The assistant principal title is a bit of a misnomer because it has that word” principal” in it, and the job descriptions are vastly different. In the assistant principal position, you’re very much stuck in the day-to-day grind of the school. […] When you step up into the principal position, you step out of that day-to-day stuff, and you spend your time thinking and planning long-term. Most of my conversations are already about next year. I’m not spending too much time dealing with what’s happening today, or what’s happening next week. I’m spending time mapping out next year, and the next three years of what’s going to happen at Northview. So that is very different. That’s something that I have had to adjust to. So there’s a little bit of a disconnect that happens when you do that, you know one of the best parts about working at Northview is the student body, because the student body here is phenomenal- the kids are phenomenal. […] The principal is supposed to know all and do all. Well, that just ain’t true. I don’t know everything, I can’t do everything, but people come to me expecting me to either have the time to do it or know how to do it. They put a lot of demands on your time that are hard to meet. 8 | news
Q: Do you feel that students’ attitudes towards you have changed since you switched from assistant principal to principal? A: When I was named to the position, I knew, as a generalization, what the student body’s view of me was, which was- you knowas assistant principal, I was kind of the lead disciplinary in the school. The kids probably had some choice words to describe me with- a bit of a hard-ass, kind of aggressive in terms of discipline. I knew the perception was not an overwhelming positive one. And then to confirm that, Twitter blew up with a whole bunch of negative stuff about, “Uh oh, Downey’s the principalwe’re screwed.” So I knew that going into the job. A big part of what I tried to do was change that perception that once I could step out of that disciplinarian role, my personality could change. You know, I can take a different approach, because I don’t have to deal with that stuff as much anymore. Sometimes I still do, sometimes I get sucked back into it, but I don’t need to, so that allows me to take on a different relationship with the kids, because I’m not the one giving detention or suspending them. As principal, it became my job to be your cheerleader and your supporter and that person who’s going to remove those obstacles to allow you to be successful. I pulled a bunch of kids together
LEFT: Principal Brian Downey and math teacher Jennifer Niehaus attend a meeting with Northvew teachers and administrators in September.
work here. […] There’s no doubt that people here on staff have been very supportive, and very helpful. One of the pros of having been promoted within the building is that I already had some pretty good relationships with the other staff here and they’ve been very helpful and supportive. So that when I said earlier that I don’t know how to do something, there’s somebody on staff that does know how, and I just need to reach out to them and say, “hey, here you go, it’s yours now,” and they’ve all stepped up and handled it .
in the summer, and I was like, “Alright guys, I’m your principal now, what do we need to change? What needs to have happen?” Knowing full well that that perception was going to be a negative one, and what can I do to let the kids know that hey, I’m Q: Is there anything you feel you could have done here to help you guys and to support you guys, and the biggest thing that came out of that meeting was the community nights. better this year? A: It’s my first year. Part of this That was a student idea; I think I year had just been learning. There’s said that you guys weren’t asking for been a lot of first time I had to do enough, I think the kids wanted one X, first time I had to do Y. Because night a semester- that was the initial of that, my communication hasn’t thought!- and I was like “shoot for “I definitely like this year been as good as it should be, and the moon! Ask for more! Let me be better than last year that’s true of just about any level, the one to say no” and turn it down. from the parents to the teachers We had a great conversation and because we had a lot of to the students. What I’m working settled on that once-a-month idea. good decisions like [...] no on right now is my communication So I knew that perception coming with our teachers on what our iniinto the job, and I’ll wait to see what homework nights.” tiative is, on what direction are we the data says at the end of the year, MARI JAKCOBSON, 10 moving in, and I’ve got to make it but I think I changed that percepa concise, simple message, and then tion. You know, I hope I have, a I’ve got to repeat that message over little bit. “He’s a really good principal and over and over again until quite [...] He really cares about frankly the teachers are either sick Q: What are some of of hearing it, or they have embraced the students and he actually your plans for next year? it so much that it’s a part of their knows what’s going on.” everyday language, that you knowA: Right now, the bulk of the plan if I bring it up, they’re going to say that I’m working on is the teaching SUSMITHA ANTHALE, 10 “we already know that.” And that’s and learning that’s happening and when I’ll know that we’re going in how we’re going to get better at that. the right direction. I don’t think I We are creating a different type of professional learning community, a PLC. Our teachers to a great did a good enough job that coming into my first year, kind of job of collaborating and working together within their own depart- communicating out my vision, so that’s one of my focuses for ments and their own content areas […] What we do a poor job of next year, just being more clear in my vision. is getting outside of our departments, and what I’m going to be creating next year are teams of teachers that work outside their own departments. We have so many outstanding teachers spread out in Q: What are some obstacles that you have faced this building that never see each other and that never see what goes this year? on in each other’s classrooms.[…] So, we’ll be sending around our PLCs next year. So you’re gonna hear that mantra over and over The biggest obstacle is just the “I don’t know what I don’t know” idea. There’s been a bunch of things that as I’m dealing with and over again next year. them, it’s my first time dealing with them, so there’s that learning curve. I have had to take time to make phone calls or emails Q: Who has helped you along the way this year? to say “how do I get this done?” And that just takes up some A: Certainly Rob Anderson, who is the area superintendent- he’s my of your day that could be better served elsewhere. So there’s boss. He’s been very helpful, very supportive. It’s his job to supervise just that learning curve obstacle. Beyond that is learning how to and evaluate me, but he has coached me more than anything else, so navigate through this county. Education isn’t just centered here he’s been a great resource for me. The other high school principals in at Northview, we have this Fulton County that we are all a part the area have been very helpful, along with all the high school princi- of, so sometimes getting things done just takes knowing who pals in the county, you know- we have a good network amongst our- to call, knowing what paperwork to submit, knowing the right selves, so that literally, anybody is a phone call or an email away. So as language to use when you submit it, to make sure it gets done I dealt with situations or new things have popped up or I was unsure and gets done right, and that just takes time. I’m getting better of what to do, I just reached out to the Chattahoochee, Johns Creek, at knowing who to pick, which person to get on the other end of and Centennial principals […] If they’re already handling situations the phone, to get the right job done. So it’s all just that learning a certain way and it’s wowrking, then steal it, take it, and make it curve piece that has been the biggest obstacle. news | the messenger | 9
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THE BOURNE RETIREMENT
NEWS
Northview says goodbye to Jeff Bourne after 11 years of teaching
J
MANASA CHIMPIRI, Staff Writer
eff Bourne, longtime physical science and physics teacher at Northview, will retire this year. Bourne went to college to become an accountant, before switching to teaching, his true passion. “I went to college thinking I want to be a teacher. I love teaching. I feel like I was called to be a teacher,” Bourne said. Bourne became a full-time teacher at the age of 25 and has been working for 30 years; 11 of those have been at Northview. “From [kindergarten] on, I’ve always been in school for the last 50 years,” Bourne said. According to Bourne, teaching has changed over the years. He believes that teachers must fight for the attention of students more than they used to, thanks to increased distractions available to students in the form of electronic devices and social media. Despite these challenges, Bourne has continued to love his job, and his students have continued to appreciate him. “He’s a great teacher. He’s always there for you and the way he taught made me feel really comfortable,” junior Sheetal Jena, a student in Bourne’s Physics C class, said. Science teacher Chris Kemp, Bourne’s colleague and longtime friend, has witnessed Bourne’s many contributions to learning inside and outside the classroom through their years teaching together at Northview. “He is a man of high moral character and has been an example for both his students and colleagues,” Kemp said. After retiring, Bourne plans to continue teaching in a part-time position at nearby William & Reed Academy. He may teach multiple science subjects to both middle and high school students. “I might retire into more work. I think it’s going to be a lot of work, especially this next year, just to prepare,” Bourne said. Bourne is looking forward to the new experience of teaching at William and Reed Academy, especially since several other former Northview teachers now work there. In recent years, Bourne has struggled to cope with his wife’s bile duct cancer, which she fought for 16 months before passing away in March 2013. “That’s the reason I am retiring too [...] things are different. I don’t know if I could have retired if she was still around,” Bourne said. Northview students and staff coordinated a fundraiser following Bourne’s loss, collecting a total of about $1200. “Northview did a good job of being there when I needed something. So I always appreciate that, “ Bourne said. Bourne has three children, two of whom have graduated from Northview. Andrew, his eldest son, is a chemical engineer. His daughter, Becky, is finishing up nursing school, and his youngest son, Jason, is currently in college. Bourne looks forward to his daughter’s wedding in the coming year. Teaching was not Bourne’s only connection to Northview. He has coached both boys’ basketball and girls’ soccer in past years,
Hui Lin/STAFF In his garage-turned workshop, Bourne works on creating a new headboard for his daughter’s dorm.
and he is the assistant coach for varsity girls’ soccer this year. As a younger coach, he was able to interact well with students, but Bourne believes that he has lost some of that ability in recent years. “I’ve lost that identity. I think a major change for me is I’m no longer a coach,” Bourne said. Bourne enjoys keeping in touch with former students with whom he became close at Northview. According to Bourne, a former student recently reached out to him on Facebook to tell him how much he meant to her. “I actually had a nice letter from a young lady who I taught twenty years ago. And she told me how much I meant to her […] that was good to hear,” Bourne said. Bourne regrets that he is not as involved in his students’ lives as he once was, but he appreciates and commends teachers at Northview who are. “I feel bad sometimes that we’re forced to deal so much with the academics,” Bourne said. In his free time, Bourne enjoys woodworking in his workshop, which he fashioned out of a garage. He has previously painted houses for a part-time job and enjoys the sense accomplishment of completing a task; Bourne loves both the creative process and the finished fruits of his labor. According to Bourne, his woodworking hobby differs greatly from his passion, which is teaching. “The thing about teaching is you are never done,” Bourne said. “There is never a ‘done’ moment in teaching.” news | the messenger | 11
SPORTS in Brief
Northview teams’ spring season reaches an end MEGAN CISTULLI, RYAN DAIGLE, CHAD JOHNSON, LINDSEY MOON, JUSTIN WESTBROOK, Staff Writers
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Tiffany Xu/STAFF
T
he boys lacrosse team played a great season, ending 13-4. Their last regular season game was against Grayson High School, outscoring their opponent 17-3. The team was led by three captains. Justin Westbrook, Matty Biondich, and Sam Lee stepped up this year to help guide the team towards success. The boys struggled at the beginning of the season, but the captains helped lead the team to success. They began to play as a team, and then they started winning many more games. Senior Matt Reny felt proud of his teammates, particularly the captains. Reny enjoyed his last season as a Titan. He felt it was bittersweet when it was senior night because he finally realized his senior season was almost over. It was a great season for the boys, and as they wind down the year, Coach Westbrook commented while looking back on the seniors of the team. They are a talented group of athletes and all have made a contribution to the team. Chad Johnson lead the team in 35 scored goals in spite of missing five games due to injury and only playing a small amount of time in two other games. Jack Kenyon and Sam Lee both started in 10 games on defense. Westbrook and Biondich are leading the midfielders in scoring with 32 goals and 20 assists for Justin and 35 goals and 37 assists for Biondich. Overall, it was a phenomenal season, and Coach Westbrook was extremely proud of all his players.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
T
he women’s varsity lacrosse team has enjoyed a second straight year of success. This year’s team is the best girl’s lacrosse team that Northview has seen in the last four years.The team’s record is 103-1, qualifying for the playoffs in one of the strongest regions in the state. Their impressive record can be attributed to strong teamwork, as many of the girls have been playing together for many years and have built a strong rapport, which many other teams lack. “This team has really come together and it might be one of the strongest teams that I have played on. We have each other’s backs on the field. After a loss, we come together and figure out what we need to work on to make ourselves better and make sure we win the next one,” senior Jessie Kallish said. The girls are second in their region after losing to crosstown rival Chattahoochee High School. The Northview team is sitting just outside of the top-ten in Georgia, as per computer rankings provided by LaxPower. Ranked just above the Lady Titans in statistical metrics, region rivals Chattahoochee and West Forsyth fill the seventh and tenth spots on the ranking, compared to Northview at eleven. They still have three more games to play in the regular season before entering postseason play. “I think we are looking pretty good going into playoffs. If we keep playing how well we are playing now, then we will go pretty far,” Kallish said. Even though the regular season is ending soon, the girls’ have high hopes of playing many more games. 12 | sports
Hui Lin/STAFF FAR ABOVE LEFT: Senior Myles Litt rushes towards the goal in a game against Alpharetta High School. ABOVE: Senior Carly Connors goes for the goal and scores against Centennial High School, leading a successful senior night.
SPORTS
TRACK
C
oming into the 2015 season, the Northview track and field team was faced with the challenge of moving up in classifications. They were able to surpass their expectations thanks to a couple of phenomenal giorls’ long distance runners, and a stout boys relay team. The two girls that headline the long distance are Lindsay Billings and Anna Barfield. The men’s 4x100 meter relay team is composed of keith Chi, Nate Phillips, Jair Anderson, and Dairus Chinoy. They places second at regions and hope to contiue theuir success at sectionals, and eventually at state. Several Northview runners qualified for sectionals, including Hannah Babadele for the triple jump, Sophia Hamill for the 300 meter hurdles, and Barfield and Billings for the 1600 and 3200 meter run. As for the boys, Garrett Stewart for the high jump, AndersonHawkins, Chi, and Phillips for the 4x100 relay. As well as being on the relay team, Chinoy also qualified for the 200 and 400 meter runs. Lindsey Billings has continuously broken records during her career at Northview. Running the second fastest 3200 meter in Georgia state history places her as the clear frontrunner to win the contest at state. Billings, who won the 3200 at state last year, outpaced her opponents by over 29 seconds in the race. “The season has gone great,” track coach Meredith Meaders said. “We’ve had several gifts individually medal and we have won a couple of meets as a team. Every single one of our athletes that competed at the regional track meet set a new personal record and we have two girls competing at sectionals this weekend. We are still pushing for the state meet.”
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Tiffany Xu/STAFF Senior Madeline Muzi displays their teamwork by swiftly passing to her fellow teammates.
Lindsey Moon/STAFF
Tiffany Xu/STAFF
Senior Darius Chinoy sprints ahead in his relay event with his baton in hand.
T
he Lady Titans soccer team have made the playoffs for yet another year, but this year they will be the fourth seed underdogs in the region. The girls have a record of nine wins and five losses. They just suffered a heart breaker loss in a game against crosstown rival Johns Creek, a win at which would have given them the number two seed in the playoffs. “We have been working hard all season to get to playoffs, and now that we are finally here, I know everyone give one hundred percent into every game and practice,” sophomore Taylor Mitchell said. In their first playoff game, the girls played Lassiter on April 28th who had a 15-1 record, 8-0 in region, scored 46 goals for the season, and were crowned region champs. The girls were very optimistic about the game, because they felt like they were being overlooked. “With Lassiter being region champs and a one seed, I feel like they are overlooking us. As long as we know we are not a true four seed then I believe we have the advantage,” coach Josh Jordan said. The girls played their hearts out, but Lassiter was able to tie it up at 1-1 by the end of regulation, which forced the game into overtime. After a defensive battle the score remained tied at the end of overtime, which force the game into penalty kicks. Penalty kicks were tied 4-4 after five rounds, the girls ended up going to the 9th round tied 8-8, but lost in the 10th round 9-8. This dropped the Titans from playoff contention. “We played the best game we played all season, unfortunately it wasn’t enough,” coach Josh Jordan said. The Titans look forward to next season and look to do big things. sports | the messenger | 13
SPORTS by the NUMBERS
“
I think our biggest strength is probably just the desire that a lot of the kids play with. There was a lot of talent in our region, but our kids played tough and weren’t intimidated by that.” Baseball Coach Aaron Wilkens
”
“The most positive thing coming out of this season was the competitive nature of the team. Next year we plan to do more offseason conditioning to get everyone ready for a better season. Boys’ Soccer Coach Nathan Harrell
“
We had a great season. The girls had a lot of fun, and they played very well. For next season, I hope the team comradery continues, and it is always important we try to win.” Girls’ Tennis Coach Donna McCarthy
Records
12-13 baseball 9-5 11-5-1 4-7 girls’ lacrosse girls’ soccer girls’ tennis 14-4 13-2 4-9-2 boys’ lacrosse boys’ soccer boys’ tennis 14 | sports
SPORTS
BOYS’ TENNIS
Hui Lin/STAFF
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he boys’ varsity tennis team coached by Tracy Ramage is having an impressive season, amassing a 10-2 record in their regular season and 13-2 overall. There have been no significant losses so far. “Our region is one of the toughest in the state of Georgia,” Ramage said. Although this boys’ team is doing well, they have struggled. “It hasn’t been quite as good as last years since obviously we have moved up to 6A,” sophomore Will Claussen said. However the lack of strength has not detrimentally impacted the team. “We are mostly sophomores, but we are having a really good season [...]. We have great team spirit just not the strength that we need,” Ramage said. Going up against the team’s fierce rival Johns Creek in the state tournament was one of its biggest challenges so far. The boys managed to pull out a win, and now, they made it to the state semi finals. Ms. Ramage feels that that was their fiercest competition, and the team can take on any other team that faces them. They will not stop until they reach greatness. Even though this season has been more of a challenge than last year, the team is heading off to the state playoffs. Last year, the captain graduated and so the team has struggled to find a person who can fill that leadership role. “We haven’t had someone who has been a central person,” Claussen said. There are two star players driving their season, Jeremy Yuan and Matthew Terry. They play line one and line two singles. “We can always rely on Matt who is always consistently winning for us,” Claussen said. The team expects to get far in the state tournament, and hopefully make it to the state finals. This team has had to overcome the lack of a true leader for the team on top of moving up to a different division and having many younger classmen on the team. Optimistically, these young athletes will grow into great players for future seasons at Northview. The team recently beat Etowah High School, a second seed team, in the state playoffs, which was an amazing win for them. “We beat them this year, and it was a shock [to Etowah],” Ramage said. The boys have made it past the first round of the state tournament, and now they hope to go far and win it all. They have done a great job of having a successful season, and hopefully, the make it far in the state finals where Northview can get a victory.
Hui Lin/STAFF ABOVE: Junior Sanjit Kumar returns a shot in a state playoff match against Johns Creek on April 30, 2015. BELOW: Junior Nicholas Manning hits a tight backhand against the same opponent in his doubles match.
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F E A T U RE S
CL A SS A CTS As the 2014-2015 school year draws to a close, the time comes for seniors to reflect upon their experiences of the past four years and the roles they have played in the expansive web of Northview’s student life. The following stories focus on ten members of the class of 2015, representing six different high school archetypes. Their accomplishments and ambitions, however, extend far beyond the narrow definitions assigned to stereotypical students and reveal the diverse array of talents and interests flourishing at Northview.
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A M B ER SC A LES
THE A LL - A ROU N D
CO N N IE X I A O // ST A FF WRITER
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o senior Amber Scales, the central tenet of high school is Scales entered Mock Trial in freshman year, competing in to get involved. the Witness position. She proceeded to win the Outstanding “There is really no reason to just play one sport, or Witness award in every round and at the state championships. just do one activity,” Scales said. “High school is really Portraying a witness requires a thorough knowledge of the about [...] finding yourself, because we are teenagers try- character’s background and the ability to act it out. The ability to ing to see who we are, and what we like.” adapt to sudden change was essential to Scales’ success. Throughout her four years at Northview, Scales has juggled “When you’re a witness, things don’t always go to plan. participation in theatre, mock trial, and lacrosse. The activities’ [With theatre], then we know how to react to it,” Scales said. peak seasons fall conveniently at different times in the year, al- In her junior year, Scales filled in for a teammate as an atlowing her to focus fully on the one at a time. torney and remained in that role ever since. This year, as co Scales primarily performs with the Northview Theatre president, defense captain, and one of the lead attorneys, Scales Company in the fall. When she entered high school, she had not has helped organize Northview’s Mock Trial team and lead them taken any formal singing, dancing, or acting lessons, but she had to state, where they won the Giant Gavel for the first time in three years of experience with the River Trail Middle School school history. Scales also won the Outstanding Attorney award drama program. in every round of the competition. “In terms of training, Mr. McClain has provided a lot of that “Had she not [won Outstanding Attorney], we probably through the classes at school,” Scales said. “I took Acting 1 and might not have won state,” Elizabeth Lake, Mock Trial’s spon2 and Advanced Production, which is great for basic training.” sor, said. Scales soon began taking on roles in the theatre produc- Because the Mock Trial team advanced to state competitions tions. Before the first rehearsal of each show, she extensively re- this year, Scales became busy juggling Mock Trial with lacrosse searched her role. In her junior year, when the seasons overlapped. in preparation for the part of Kath Scales has played lacrosse since erine, a woman afflicted with amyosixth grade, and some of her first trophic lateral sclerosis in 33 Variateammates still play with her on the tions, Scales studied how the body varsity women’s team at Northview. would degrade as the disease pro “Lacrosse is kind of like a fun, fastgressed, and she sought to reflect it paced version of soccer,” Scales said. in her acting. Once rehearsals began, “[Scales and her teammates] all sort of Scales experimented with the role, switched to lacrosse together. We’ve trying interpretations that worked played together seven years now.” against her initial instincts and seek Scales plays as a defensive miding the one that could bring out each fielder. Due to her busy schedule, she moment fully. could not attend pre-season condi “She doesn’t waste the time of tioning and instead exercised on her PAUL MCCLAIN other folks,” Paul McClain, Northown. Scales was determined to play view’s theatre director, said. “She’s lacrosse all through high school. not waiting around to be told what to “It’s always been something I’ve do. She’ll try all kinds of things that wanted to stick with,” Scales said. fit within the frame, and that is huge “We lost a lot of girls this year befor a student her age.” cause we switched coaches, and se The summer after she performed in 33 Variations, Scales nior year there are a lot of things to do besides go to practice continued to develop her dramatic skills at the Georgia Gover- for two hours. I just kept thinking how sad it would be if I never nor’s Honors Program of 2015. got to have a senior night. I really do enjoy playing the sport, “McClain nominated me to go because he thought I was and when we’re out there, on game day, it’s a great feeling.” talented in [Acting 1], but the biggest thing was that he knew Just as Scales could not attend lacrosse conditioning, she how much time I spent doing outside activities during theatre also could not perform in certain plays. She has never had a role season,” Scales said. “Getting to spend six weeks talking about in Northview’s annual Dessert Theatre or any other spring show. nothing but theatre and theatre techniques, clowning, and just “There’s no way to do it all. One of the biggest problems at different aspects allowed me to grow as performer.” Northview is that people spread themselves out so thin that they Scales’ growth was evident at the Georgia Thespian Confer- become a jack of all trades and master of none,” McClain said. ence this year. After a 90-second audition, she received callbacks “[Scales] is very wise to portion out her time so she commits to from nearly all of the theatre institutions and conservatories things. She’s managed to be a master of pretty much everything present, the first time that such has occurred to a Northview she’s decided to do.” student. To balance her schedule, Scales takes advantage of every mo Scales’ theatre experience has also helped her succeed in ment, completing homework in the few free minutes she has at Mock Trial, which begins halfway through theatre season. the end of class or at lunch. Over the years, she has learned how “A lot of people think about mock trial and think about long she needs to complete different assignments and takes that something analytical and very fact driven, which is very true,” into consideration when distributing her time among activities. Scales said. “But a great deal of Mock Trial is presentation, is “[Scales] schedules well. She has that calendar on her phone making a group of people believe you and like you.” that she uses every day. It’s amazing,” senior Kellyn Archam features | the messenger | 19
“She’s managed to be a master of pretty much everything she’s decided to do.”
beau, Scales’ close friend, said. Scales makes sure to leave time for her friends as well, attending swim meets or football games to support them. She reserves Friday nights for trips to Chipotle or Brusters with her closest friends. “We go out to eat a ton,” Archambeau said. “We don’t do much, but we have a good time.” In addition to her three main time commitments, Scales also volunteers at the Fulton County courthouse and babysits for her neighbors. Despite her busy schedule, Scales does not regret how she has spent her time in high school. “Theatre has made me in tune to not only how I’m presenting myself, but how that presentation is seen from other people. Mock trial has made me a better thinker, able to think in a manner applicable to real life,” Scales said. “I think that you really do have time to do it all, if you make time and prioritize correctly and do a bit of preplanning [...] it can be done.”
ABOVE: Senior Amber Scales charges forward with the ball towards the goal against Centennial High School, helping her teammates score another point. LEFT: Scales passionately displays her theatrical side in her Wax Museum performance.
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R A CHEL K EIPPER
THE POLITICI A N M A GGIE X I A // COP Y EDITOR
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uring last year’s student representative election cycle, senior Rachel Keipper was elected student body president, becoming the first female to fill the position since Northview’s inception. When Keipper found out she was elected as the president, she was both surprised and excited. “The fact that I was the first female made it a huge honor. It also made me feel as though I had something to prove since it had never been done before, but I was up for the challenge,” Keipper said. Keipper did not have any thoughts or ambitions of fulfilling such a role going into high school, but after serving in Junior Class Council, she realized that the position was one that she fit well in and enjoyed, especially planning the behind the scenes aspects of school events. During her time on Class Council, Keipper decided to put her plans into action by adding the Sadie Hawkin’s school dance. She worked hard to make the dance a reality and thoroughly enjoyed the process. By the time that elections for the 2014-2015 school year arrived, Keipper had already decided that she would run again, but was unsure of what position to run for. Although she initially hesitated between the options of Senior Class President and Student Council representative, teachers and friends told Keipper to consider running for Student Council President instead. “It was a lot to take in at the time, but I considered it for about two weeks and decided to go for it. It seemed like a good fit at the time, and nothing has changed. It’s the end of the school year and it’s still amazing,” Keipper said. Keipper strove to work her best with the rest of the leadership in order to make the student body happy. She aimed to make every event that she planned memorable and fun for as many people as possible. “When you’re in an organization like Student Council, it’s not about you anymore. It’s about the student body and what they want and if they’re the ones having fun. You’re giving your time up so others can enjoy themselves, and in a way, it makes you feel the best,” Keipper said. Keipper feels that the most rewarding part of the job is to know that after hours and hours of planning and hard work, she can see the fruits
of her labor in the reactions of the students. Being able to experience the events and knowing how much work went into turning it into a reality have made Keipper realize that although being able to participate was amazing, being part of the planning crew an even more enjoyable experience. Keipper received a great deal of support from Brian Rawlin, the yearbook and student council advisor. “He has been such a huge impact on my student council experience, and I don’t think he understands how great that impact was,” Keipper said. According to Keipper, their similar personalities and work ethic allowed the two to work well together. Whenever Keipper reached an obstacle, Rawlin guided her in the right direction. “[Keipper] has been one of the most responsible students that we have had as president of Student Council,” Rawlin said. “I can tell her to do something one time, and it gets done. Anything that any club or any organization needs, she handles it for them and she is very reliable, which is not something you can say about a lot of high school students.” Keipper’s fellow council members share a similar regard for her. “Rachel is a great role model and knows how to lead the student council to a better Northview,” sophomore Michelle Cho, a representative on Student Council, said. Keipper does not take credit for this year’s accomplishments, however. Instead, she believes that a team effort by the whole council was responsible for every successful event throughout the year. “In my opinion, we, as a student council, set the bar pretty high for whoever will be taking over next year,” Keipper said. “I think it’d be cool if I could say I personally ‘opened the doors’ or ‘set the tone for anyone running for the position,’ but I really do think it’s the council as a whole.” Still, Keipper’s role in organizing activities and leading the student body has earned her the respect of her peers. “Rachel Keipper is probably one of the greatest leaders that Northview has ever seen,” junior Shriya Sharma said. “She’s so dedicated to the different activities that go on here and she’s probably one of the people that lives here more than she does at home, and we’re lucky to have her.” features | the messenger | 21
SUMIT SOH A N I
THE BRAIN
S A B RI N A WILSO N // ST A FF WRITER
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uggling a substantial academic workload with time- and science are kind of my thing and knowing that I could do consuming extracurriculars, senior Sumit Sohani has well in those classes gave me the confidence to take them.” worked hard to push himself to the top as the valedic- His AP classes, studying techniques, and time managetorian of Northview’s class of 2015. ment skills earned Sohani a spot at Brown University, where “[Sohani] is very mature and personable. He’s very he will major in computer science and economics in the hopes bright and always does what he says he’ll do,” HOSA sponsor of learning the real-world applications of subjects he enjoys. Laurel Rogers said. “He definitely deserves this.” Sohani chose Brown because of its less competitive, more re “Being valedictorian is so rewarding because it’s all four laxed pace when compared to other schools of similar rankyears of high school, all the classes you’ve taken, showing that ing. you’ve put in the most effort and gotten the most out of it,” “They have this policy called the ‘open curriculum,’ so baSohani said. sically I can take any class I want and make it pass-fail. The “It captures the work and the effort […] and the intel- really cool part about that is that instead of strategically taking lectual capacity of the student to come out on top,” language classes to get good grades like I did in high school, I can take arts teacher Tania Pope said. “When I taught [Sohani] in tenth classes just because I want to in college,” Sohani said. grade, you could really tell that he was a star in the making.” Along with his academic achievements, Sohani thinks that According to his teachers, Sohani has demonstrated aca- extracurricular activities played an important part in his high demic excellence from the beginning of his high school years. school success. “As a freshman, Sumit was “I’ve been playing chess for a bright and motivated. He excelled long time, and I go to a lot of tourin English, even at that age, and naments that take up entire weekwas very academically focused,” ends that I usually use to catch up, Ashley Ulrich, Sohani’s ninth grade study, and get ahead. Learning how English teacher, said. to balance that with other activities Despite having the highest has been really important,” Sohani grades amongst his peers, Sohani said. “Plus, it doesn’t look bad on firmly believes that grades are just your application.” a number and that doing the best in In spite of a busy academic and class is not just about studying, but extracurricular schedule, Sohani still about truly learning, which he realmakes time for friends like fellow ized while studying for an AP World senior Amit Dommeti. History test in his sophomore year. “He’s not just focused on aca “I was putting so much time demics: he’s focused on his social and effort into something that I relife; he’s focused on everything ally didn’t want to do; I didn’t even else,” Dommeti said. “Even though SUMIT SOHANI like AP World at all. It was then he has good grades, I look at him when I realized that grades only more for the things and jokes that mean so much,” Sohani said. “In he says.” the end, all that matters is what you Sohani believes that the comlearn and what you make of it, not petitive atmosphere of the school the outcome of one test.” system was responsible for culti Spending less time focusing vating this determination, starting on grades allowed Sohani to figure out more effective study- with the experience of TAG classes in middle school and coning techniques. Over the years, Sohani discovered that better tinuing into high school. studying habits lead to better grades in the long run. “A lot of people have painted the Northview community “I’ve tried to cut down on studying time because it forces in a negative light by saying it’s too competitive,” Sohani said. you to prioritize what you study and makes it more efficient,” “But for me, being around so many smart, hard-working peoSohani said. “Instead of trying to memorize a bunch of ran- ple has motivated me to keep trying and do better. I wanted to dom facts, I now know exactly what to look for, so I can prove to myself that if I worked hard enough, I could come spend less time studying.” out on top.” Achieving high grades gave Sohani the opportunity to take The high-stakes world of Northview can be overwhelming to higher-level AP classes that interested him, but in order to do some, but for Sohani, that perspective makes all the difference. so he had to sacrifice some classes that he truly enjoyed. “It depends on what you make of it,” Sohani said. “If “I’ve played trumpet in band since fourth grade, but com- you view it as something toxic, where you’re constantly trying into sophomore year, I ended up taking AP Computer Sci- ing to catch up to other people, the competition becomes a ence instead of band just because it was an AP class,” Sohani bad thing. If you use it as a tool for personal motivation, like said. “But it hasn’t all been negative. In my junior year, I was studying when other kids are studying, it can be a good thing able to take a lot of math and science classes. Personally, math that helps set you on the right path.”
“Being around so many smart, hardworking people has motivated me to keep trying and do better.”
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A M Y YA N G
THE ATHLETE
M A GGIE B RE N A N // SPORTS EDITOR
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enior Amy Yang has been playing tennis since the age of five, but she has come a long way from toddler-sized tennis rackets. Yang has committed to join the class of 2019 and the Division I tennis team of Yale University. Yale was not Yang’s only college option; she also made both official and unofficial visits to Rice University, Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Princeton University. With three of the eight Ivy League institutions and two other prestigious universities looking to recruit her, Yang made the decision to commit to Yale because she felt most comfortable there. “I decided I liked Yale best because of the atmosphere of the school,” Yang said. “I knew there wasn’t really a wrong choice, but I wanted to go to the school where I felt like I fit in most, and I really loved the Yale tennis team and that they were really welcoming.” Yang wanted to attend an Ivy League school because she did not want to sacrifice academic rigor for a good tennis team. She does not aspire to play professional tennis after college, instead hoping to focus on other non-athletic pathways in her four years at Yale. Though she has not yet selected her major, Yang has a strong interest in math and economics. She also hopes to pursue philanthropy through one of the clubs or organizations established at Yale. “Because Yale is located in New Haven, which [...] is a relatively poor city, there’s this really cool project where there are people in a club dedicated to helping the homeless people there, so I want to volunteer for that,” Yang said. Yang chose not to play on the Northview tennis team this year due to a time conflict. Instead, she practices regularly outside of school with a private coach. Yang has dedicated more than a decade to playing tennis, with the full support of family Amy Yang/SPECIAL and friends. “I know they all want the best for me. I don’t get a scholarship when I go to Yale, so I don’t have money; my parents have to pay for that,” Yang said. “So they’re going to support me financially, which I’m really thankful for.” Yang’s parents are not only extremely supportive of her, but also played an influential role in her college decision pro- demic schedule with rigor, including seven AP classes over four cess. Her mother accompanied Yang to all of her college visits, years, to ensure that she would not have to rely on athletics to and although the former preferred attend a top tier school. Princeton to Yale, Yang’s enthusiasm “It was tough the first two years, about Yale was enough to convince as I was trying to take all the AP her mother. classes possible,” Yang said. “During “Amy fell in love with Yale at her junior and senior year though, I didn’t first visit. She went to a few classes take as many AP classes as my peers and stayed at a residential college because that is when the recruiting with a tennis teammate,” Shirley process for tennis really begins, and Yang, Amy’s mother, said. “She loves I wanted to make sure I was in good both the school and the tennis team.” shape for that.” Yang has devoted the majority of Yang’s friends have witnessed her her life to playing the sport she loves hard work and passion firsthand and and has gained a great deal of experihave high hopes for her success in AMY YANG ence over the years. the future. “Amy is passionate about tennis “With her intense practice and [...] the sport taught her lots about heavy school work load, she somediscipline and persistence,” Shirley how manages to finish everything Yang said. in half the time a normal person Yang is passionate about not only tennis, but also about fur- would,” senior Jenny Zhao, Yang’s close friend, said. “Yale is thering her education at a higher level. She has filled her aca- lucky to have Amy.” features | the messenger | 25
“I really loved the Yale tennis team and that they were really welcoming.”
R YA N K IL
THE E N TERTA I N ER
T A RU N R A MESH // ST A FF WRITER
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Senior Ryan Kil leads Quake Crew onstage at International Night 2015, one of his last performances at Northview.
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fter four years of dancing as the founder and leader of Quake Crew, senior Ryan Kil has decided to take a four-year break before college to enlist in the United States Air Force. Even though he has been accepted into multiple colleges, Kil hopes to uphold a tradition that has remained in his family for generations. Kil began to consider a future in the military after his uncle first suggested the idea to him. “My uncle enlisted, his father enlisted. I think it would be a great fit for me,” Kil said. Although he is unsure of where he will be stationed, Kil is excited for the future and hopes that his experience in the Air Force will make him a unique candidate when he once again undergoes the college application process four years later. “When I’m 22, my service duty will be over and I can apply to college; hopefully my work in the Air Force will give me an advantage so that I will be accepted into top-tier universities,” Kil said. The Air Force provides many services and benefits to give Kil an additional competitive edge. General education classes are offered to satisfy college credits, while his paycheck can help Kil pay for college and beyond, including his plans to enter the entertainment industry. “He has the right type of personality [for the military]. He will encounter obstacles, but he can easily overcome them. He has the persistent drive needed to reach his goals,” language arts teacher Tania Pope said. While Kil’s teachers have shown strong support of his decision to join the military, senior Patrick Luu, Kil’s friend and a fellow member of Quake Crew, was initially skeptical about the idea. “I was against his idea of joining the military […] but eventually I was convinced that his military route is the best choice for him and that he has the passion and determination to be someone great,” Luu said. As a child, Kil idolized the Korean rappers B.I and Bobby, who embodied all of his goals in the entertainment industry. “They work in the same company I want to work for. They rap, dance, and beatbox; that is exactly what I do,” Kil said. Kil founded Quake Crew soon after he watched a YouTube video about the fame of dance crews. Three Northview Talent Show wins lat-
Hui Lin/STAFF
er, Quake Crew has become a symbol of talent and diversity in a school known primarily for its academic rankings. However, the now award-winning crew had a rough introduction to the performing arts. “I still remember. It was our freshman year and we didn’t even make the Northview Talent Show tryouts. We sucked,” Kil said. Now, however, Quake Crew has reached over 800 views on a variety of dance videos posted on YouTube. While many of Quake Crew’s founding members will graduate this year, Kil hopes that the underclassmen in the group will be able to take the reins and lead the group in following years. “I do all the choreography and teach most of the dance moves, so it’s going to be hard for someone to take my place, but I want to make a lasting impact on this school,” Kil said. “And with Quake, my legacy lives on.” Dancing has not deterred Kil from his academic pursuits, however. Kil’s performance in classes has constantly impressed his teachers. “Ryan is so talented. It is nice to see how a student can balance both academics and his passion. He is so involved in everything he does,” Pope said. Since Pope first taught Kil in his 10th grade Literature class, the two have grown closer. Kil considers Pope to be one of his strongest supporters in school. “She’s always there for me at International Night [and] at the Talent Show. She treats me like a celebrity, and that means so much,” Kil said. Even though the military differs greatly from the world of performance that Kil hopes to enter, Kil is ready to put a hold on his dreams to serve his country. After college, Kil plans to return to the entertainment industry with new experience and a new outlook on life. Having learned most of his dance skills from YouTube videos, Kil believes that a professional teaching environment will allow him to embrace his passion and truly excel. “My mom always said to do what you are good at, and I am a natural at dance. I just need a professional to guide me through complicated procedures to really maximize my ability,” Kil said. “My advice for all you aspiring dancers: just do you.” features | the messenger | 27
T h e o d o r e Y u n , Sa i K o nka l a , Ma r c u s Wei, Joseph An, & Ben Self
THE SQUAD
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itans boast a diversity of talents—artists, scientists, danc- change, while not disagreeable, was difficult to adapt to. ers, writers, can all call Northview home, as can a successful “Mr. Lee was more broadcast-oriented with news and jourBroadcast-Video Production (BVP) team that, come gradu- nalism. The thing with Carroll now is a lot more film-oriented, ation, will be losing five of its most influential members. which I like. He also wants you to be more independent. So we Seniors Joseph An, Sai Konkala, Ben Self, Marcus Wei, get a lot more freedom with what work we have but that also and Theodore Yun compose a tight-knit group of passionate comes at the cost of motivation,” Konkala said. “But it’s good filmmakers who seek to pursue film as their careers. Although because it actually helps you make time for yourself [...] you the five have been seemingly inseparable since they came to- need to know how to budget your time for these films and they gether, each followed a different path to land him on the road to take a long time.” filmmaking. Wei and Self ’s initial involvement in BVP was more The change in advisers allowed the five to gain different perspontaneous, without any basis in a pre-existing interest. spectives about working with various types of people. “My parents told me to sign up for it in eighth grade because “He’s supportive in areas we wouldn’t necessarily get from I was always on the more techy-side, so they told me to give it Mr. Lee. [Lee has] a kind of broad spectrum in terms of teacha try,” Self said. ing a class [...] But Carroll is very one-on-one,” Yun said, “He An, Konkala, and Yun, however, nurtured an underlying in- gives you feedback. He’s honest. He’s blunt, in a way that I can terest in film and broadcast early on. take very well.” “I always had a peak interest in filmmaking. I always ad- While Carroll helped the five in several ways, the five simimired the idea of storytelling in genlarly returned the favor , especially in eral and film has been the one focus getting Carroll accustomed to a new that I thought truly embodied that environment. and it’s always been the path that I’ve “I can’t stress enough how lucky wanted to take,” Yun said. I was to walk into this group. It An held similar sentiments, seemade my job easy. This is my first ing BVP as a medium through which time teaching and they made my job he could express his interests in easy. They helped me,” Carroll said. making videos, while Konkala’s in Sharing the same passion for terest was sparked by his involvefilmmaking throughout all of high ment in WWPK, the broadcast anschool, the five seniors unknowingly nouncement program at River Trail gained a reputation in Northview Middle School. that acknowledges their dedication Regardless of their varied orito BVP. gins, the five have all been members “They’ve all been such a big inof BVP for four years, growing as fluence on the BVP program. I’ve artists and as friends, largely under learned so much from them, watchthe influence of Josh Lee, the previing them film and edit, and so have ous advisor for BVP. a lot of other kids in BVP,” junior “When [Lee] started [becoming Sranee Bayapureddy, Executive ProJOSEPH AN more involved], I became more inducer of BVP, said. “They have revolved, [An and Self] became more ally carried this program. They all involved. He really focused on peotaught us so much, and most of us ple that he saw were really passionate have done so many projects with about this field and the video productions. He took those people them. Honestly, they are a great group of really talented and and gave them work-job experiences outside of school, filming really amazing guys.” live events, stuff like that,” Wei said. “He gave us the oppor- The five have spent years together as a team, honing inditunity to use our creative visions and make them into realities vidual strengths and growing in skill as a group. outside of the classroom.” “Those guys are just a dream team as far as the quality of The five saw Lee less as a teacher, and more as a mentor or work they produce.” Carroll said. brotherly figure, who pushed them to work their hardest and All five of the seniors will be pursuing film after they graduproduce quality work while still remaining available to provide ate, and plan to attend college in the upcoming fall. The group criticism and advice. will be heading off in different directions, with Konkala and Wei “It was really important for us to have that relationship be- attending NYU, An and Yun attending SCAD, and Self attendcause, I’m pretty sure none of us would be here now without ing Georgia Perimeter College with plans to transfer to SCAD Mr. Lee’s guidance. He was the glue that stuck us together. I’m after two years. The five plan to keep their strong bond intact really grateful for him,” An said. throughout college. A few weeks into the 2014-2015 school year, Lee accepted “These guys are my brothers, and I’ve gone through pains and a promotion to the position of Fulton County Schools TV digi- happiness and tears with them, and it’s an inseparable bond,” An tal video specialist and station manager, and was subsequently said. “It’s going to be difficult because we’re going to be apart from replaced by Ian Carroll. According to the five senior boys, the each other, but there’s always going to be that relationship.”
“These guys are my brothers, and I’ve gone through pains and happiness and tears with them, and it’s an inseparable bond.”
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CLASS OF 2015 COLLEGES Where are Northview seniors headed next year?
ALABAMA
COLORADO
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY Tadesse Mekonnen
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Kendall Baker Jordan Mangat
CONNECTICUT
AUBURN UNIVERSITY SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
Natalia Gonzalez Ramirez
Morgan Brathwaite
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Josette LoScalzo
YALE UNIVERSITY
TROY UNIVERSITY
Rachel Williams
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Amy Yang
Knox Auerbach Kendall Baker Steven Braynard Alex Edwards Jack Morgan Ava Percynski Amber Scales Emma Wagner Libby Williams
ARKANSAS ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY DJ Pearson
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features | the messenger | 33
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SUMMER
E N TERTA I N ME N T
CALENDAR Movies, TV shows, concerts, and albums coming up this summer SNEHA GUBBALA, Features Editor
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SHOULD FRIE N DS ROOM TOGETHER I N COLLEGE ? As college approaches, seniors face the dilemma of choosing roommates.
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OPINIONS
Y ES :
Parnia Vaghef, Staff Writer
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s graduation day approaches quickly, we seniors find ourselves contemplating the loss of many of our close friends and teachers that we have grown close to over the past several years. Soon, the Class of 2015 will be bombarded into the “real world” as we go off to our respective colleges, pursuing our own interests, and meeting new people. The thought of starting a whole new life with complete strangers can be extremely overwhelming, so it is comforting to have a familiar face around to endure all the new and intimidating experiences. The system used in most universities to match students up consists of a survey that contains broad and insignificant questions that could pertain to many different people. These do not usually focus on the important aspects of a roommate, such as personality traits or values, and mostly focus on questions that could be quite misleading, such as whether or not the student stays up really late. This could either mean the roommate is a studious individual that stays up late to cram more studying in be-
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fore the exam tomorrow or it could mean the roommate attends many parties, which may be problematic. By avoiding the random housing lottery altogether, there is no need to worry about compromising some things to meet the preferences of a stranger, making it easier to decide who is bringing what items to the dorm or apartment. Rooming with someone familiar also means that you have established common ground, so you can skip the awkward period because they already know each other’s quirks and preferences. Most people want a roommate who will respect their social, sleeping, study, and cleaning habits. Unfortunately, a random lottery system may pair two students with entirely contrasting lifestyles. Rooming with known and trusted friends makes it significantly easier to accommodate each other’s wants and needs because of known similar interests and habits. For friends attending the same college, especially at in-state schools, it is not only preferable, but also sensible to room together.
NANCY COLEMAN, Managing Editor
aking the transition from high school to college comes with plenty of fears-- surviving that first semester without gaining the “Freshman 15” is frightening enough without having to worry about having an axe murderer for a roommate. Luckily for modern incoming freshmen, at least one of these worries can be put to rest. Random selection, while still a perfectly valid method of securing a roommate, has become a thing of the past. Rooming with someone new and unknown used to be a gamble. With the rise of social media over the past decade, Facebook groups for rising college freshmen have become easily accessible forums for possible roommate candidates and their interests. Facebook is just one of many social media platforms used to meet other students--the mobile app “Quad” also allows students to join groups based on their college in a group message setting. Many colleges provide a survey to determine which roommate may be right for each student. More often than not, they even group roommates based on their major.
Roommates, if not found over social media, are rarely completely random anymore. While rooming with a friend from high school provides a familiar face to have close by on campus, rooming with someone new is an instant way to meet and get to know more people. College campuses can be terrifyingly huge compared to high school, and meeting new people in such a larger setting can be difficult. Starting off with a new face to know on campus makes the process much less daunting. Rooming with an old friend can also be risky for the friendship. Living with someone is a very different experience than being friends with that person; spending nearly every waking hour with someone can be taxing on any relationship. College is the perfect opportunity to meet new people from all over the country--even all over the world--and rooming with someone new is the best way to take advantage of that opportunity. opinions | the messenger | 39
1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 520 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 s ’ 5 er g 1 20 Advice fstaromffTmembers he Messen N
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HNSON JO A bad grade isn’t the end of the world—you can work hard to make up for it. Enjoy the time you have in high school; it goes by faster than you’d think.
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There are so many things out there waiting for you. Don’t be so confined to the small world presented here at Northview. Take the time to connect with anybody or anything because even the smallest thing can make a difference in your life. Befriend a tree if you must.
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Don’t care about what others think of you. If they don’t like you, it’s their loss.
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The days are long, but the years are short. Your time in high school will go by so very quickly. Try to find joy in every single day.
Do what you love to do, regardless of how it will look on a college application. Your high school experience should be defined by your passions.
RYAN
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Be yourself. Do what you think is right. You are smarter than you give yourself credit for.
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Honestly, don’t ask me. I don’t know how I made it this far.
LIN Take care of your health, mental and physical. You wouldn’t keep walking on a broken leg, so don’t push yourself at school. Chances are that test is of minimal importance in the long run, and no assessment is worth your well-being.
0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 520 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 15 Jessica Ma/STAFF
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JUSTIN WE S
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ILLIAMS Don’t spend all of your time doing things to please other people. Do more things that make you happy, and your life will be so much better.
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Try not to over think everything; though high school is an important experience, it is definitely not the end.
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There will be times where you feel down, but don’t let those moments define you. How you rise from them should be what defines you.
Try to fill your belly with as much delicious food as you possibly can, every single day of the year. Especially ice cream. Lots of it.
| the messenger | 41
A YEAR IN PHOTOS
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1. Sophomore Leilani Tian poses onstage at International Night. 2. The Turbanators perform an energy-filled dance at International Night. 3. The Jasmine Flowers dance team performs a traditional Chinese fan dance at International Night. 4. Freshman Caroline Kim performs a traditional Korean fan dance at International Night. 5. Senior Doris Kung portrays Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” at the Advanced Drama class’s Wax Museum. 6. Senior Liz Morgan reflects on her acting career. 7. Seniors Kevin Yeo (left) and David Lee (right) pose in the Mr. NHS fashion show. 8. Senior Peyton Ericson (33) runs against Milton in a playoff game. 9. Junior Garrett Stewart (12) goes up for a layup against West Forsyth. 10. The girls’ varsity basketball team huddles together before a game against Johns Creek. 11. Seniors Liesl Engelbrecht (behind) and Taylor Spuhler go up for a block in a game against Creekview.
| the messenger | 43
MUSIC EASHAA VELAMURI, Media Columnist
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hispers II is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Passenger. The album is unique in that all the profits from the album will go towards UNICEF’s initiative in Liberia. The singer better known for his hit “Let Her Go”, uses the same traditional folk style as usual. He adds various instruments to his signature acoustic guitar and vocals. This album does not steer far from his previous music, but it is still a good listen.
Black Crow/ SPECIAL
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he music video for “Unbreakable Smile” off of Tori Kelly’s debut album of the same name released April 27th. The album also features the single “Nobody Love”. Kelly who got her start on YouTube after being rejected on American Idol is featured as a writer on every song on her album. The song features R&B stylistic elements and backing beats. Kelly shows off her unwavering confidence in the song and the video.
I
nfinity” by Mariah Carey, the only new single off Carey’s new album #1 to Infinity, released on April 27th, 2015. This will be Carey’s third compilation album. It is a collection of eighteen of her number one hits. This is also her first album on her new record label, Epic Records. “Infinity”, a break up song is in the style of old-school Mariah and features some of her signature high notes.
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Capitol/ SPECIAL
Interscope Records/ SPECIAL
POP
EPIC Records/ SPECIAL
ELECTRONIC
isclosure, and electronic music duo comprising of two brothers from Surrey, England released “Bang That” on May 1st. The group is known for their song with Sam Smith, “Latch”. The energetic song is a deep house song. It sounds similar to their debut album “Settle”, but it is not a single off their current album. Not everyone’s taste of music but something to listen to if into electronic music.
SUMMER TUNES June 1, 2015—Florence + The Machine
the
essenger ONLINE
@NHSMessenger Like us on Facebook Visit nhsmessenger.com
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Genre: Indie Pop
June 8, 2015—Muse Drone Genre: Alternative Rock June 9, 2015—Of Monsters and Men Beneath the Skin
Genre: Indie Pop
June 23, 2015—Tori Kelly Unbreakable Smile Genre: Pop
July 2015- Frank Ocean Boys Don’t Cry Genre: R&B
44 | opinions
FASHION F CONNIE XU, Design Editor
01. THRIFTED TEE, THRIFTED JEANS // 02. VINTAGE TEE THRIFTED PANTS// 03. VIN-
ashion in the 70s, with its iconic true-blue denim, athletic-inspired pieces, suede, paisley print, and A-line skirts, is perfect for the summer evoking images of lazy, sunny days. 70s style absorbs that of the European style from the previous decade and combines it with flourishes of American culture, making it the epitome of American style. Vintage-inspired pieces are not difficult to find in stores, as the 70s trend is making its way into mainstream fashion; or opt for thrifting and digging through your parents’ closets.
01.
02.
TAGE SWEATER, AMERICAN APPAREL SOCKS, SADDLE SHOES
04. THRIFTED SHIRT, H&M SKIRT // 05. THRIFTED SHIRT,
//
VINTAGE DRESS, THRIFTED CLOGS
03.
04.
05.
opinions | the messenger | 45
46 | opinions
OPINIONS
Comments: excuse Me? How a strict absence excusal policy reflects distrust among students and parents ANDREW TEODORESCU, Columnist
A
s students, we are expected to come to school ready and eager to learn 180 days a year. We are expected to have a positive attitude in the hallways, show enthusiasm towards our class subjects, participate fully in all periods, and attend school each and every day on time. On days that we do not meet all of these expectations, we are punished and patronized. Although the a detention or a suspension are usually well-deserved, unexcused absences are not. The Northview Student Handbook makes its attendance policy exceptionally direct by dedicating three full pages to the matter. These pages discuss what types of absences are excused and what types are not, checking in to school and checking out, and even tardy and class cut penalties. After all, the most essential part of the learning process is being at school. For a school, especially a public high school, it is undoubtedly important to punish students who are late or skipping class for unknown or unworthy reasons. It is crucial for counselors or Social Workers to meet with students who are constantly tardy or absent. However, meeting perfect attendance requirements means putting a student’s life on hold. Sometimes, things are unplanned. A student’s parent may have the day off from work and decide to take their child to a museum or a place of historical significance. A student may want to stay home from school one day to study for an AP exam or a final. Occasionally, a heavy workload can tire a student out and cause fatigue if not treated with rest. Again, these situations are usually unplanned, without the three-day advance notice that a pre-approval request prompts. A punishing policy that is intentionally suspicious of students is one that spawns distrust and bitterness among
students. Students wrongfully begin to blame the attendance office or the higher-level administration that tries to rightfully maximize daily attendance. The true faith is the community-wide attitude that nothing productive is accomplished outside of school and that every absence is unnecessary. It is undebatable that the safest and most productive environment for a student to be in is at school. But we often fail to view students on an individual level. We forget that, sometimes, their time may be better spent with their parents an educational vacation or at home studying and resting. For the most part, Northview’s attendance policy is accepting and understanding. The counseling department is helpful and supportive in helping students returning from medical leave or extended vacations or family issues. The attendance policy is accommodating for unusual or complicated circumstances. However, teachers and administrators often spur a strong sense of disapproval in excusing nonhealth-related absences. If a student has parent approval of his or her absence, what other information is necessary? For a society that values confidentiality and disclosure, our schools sure do prod at us for absence excusals. At some schools, maintaining sufficient attendance rates through strict disciplinary warnings is absolutely necessary. At Northview, a school that averages a 95 percent daily attendance rating, it is absolutely not. While the policy does not call for such measures, the community response is often cynical. All pre-approved absences should be excused. School yields to the greater workings of our lives, not the other way around.
opinions | the messenger | 47
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