Vol. 20, Issue 3

Senior

ISSUE

CONTACT US

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PUBLICATION

The Messenger is a student publica tion published for and distributed to the Northview community. The statements and opinions expressed in this publica tion are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Northview High School, its students, faculty, staff, or administration. Content is edited and controlled by staff editors. 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, gram mar, libel, obscenity, and invasion of privacy.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Cover design: Grace Peng

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Melissa Liu Grace Peng

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Manasa Premanand

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Krystal Wu

STAFF

Bedansh Pandey Megan Serfontein

COPY EDITORS Ria Dubey NEWS EDITOR

Aditi Bhati Cameron Chappell Gavin Chen Reagan Horne Elizabeth Leffew Suhani Mahajan Sydney Mulford McKenna Ryan Kush Santosh Delisa Troupe Brandon Tung Mekayla Upton Carter Willis Casey Wong Kevin Xiang

SPORTS EDITOR

Nikki Skyer

OPINIONS EDITOR

Disha Kumar FEATURES EDITOR Anshi Vajpayee

ADVISER

Meredith Evans

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Part of the Problem

Over the past four years, I’ve noticed that I don’t know a single Northview teacher whom I haven’t heard students hurl in sults against. Sometimes, I even get the impres sion that students simply enjoy hating on the teachers whose classes they are unable to perform well in, especially Honors Chemistry or AP Mi croeconomics, to make themselves feel better.

Instead of focusing solely on the negative, we (myself included) should acknowledge that even the “worst” teachers have their strengths—a teacher who doesn’t manage their class time prop erly may be willing to stay after school to explain concepts or review commonly-missed exam ques tions, while a teacher whose lectures put you to sleep may create detailed powerpoints and work sheets to help students prepare for exams. Though easier said than done, it’s more productive to cri tique teachers in the areas where they need im provement rather than insulting everything about them and completely disregarding their efforts.

After all, (most) teachers are here because they enjoy teaching.

Similarly, I often hear students complaining about how the environment at Northview is over ly competitive. Yet, the same complainers often exacerbate the situation by cheating, which puts pressure on other students who want to keep up to do the same. If you loathe the competition, at least try not to be one of the students fueling it. And if you find everyone around you cut-throat, maybe it’s time to surround yourself with new friends—most of the students I’ve met are fine, despite the complaints about ruthless competi tion. At the end of the day, Northview is what you make of it. Whether or not your peers are toxic is entirely up to you.

Even if you find it difficult to identify any thing positive about Northview’s teachers and students, at least be grateful that you could take advantage of this year’s late policy and attendance policy (or lack thereof). I certainly am.

Melissa Liu, Editor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Fleeting Moments

It’s Monday, May 2, when I type these words. The day after National College Commit ment Day, the First Day of AP Exams, the day of Deadline Night to put this very senior issue together - I’m in my final stretch of that typical Northview stress phase when Ms. Rogman pulls me out of second period AP Biology to deliver the news.

Yet another one of my peers will never make it to graduation.

This feeling - an ugly mixture of numbness, grief, shock, and disbelief - is something I never thought I’d have to feel twice within the span of four months. But today, it’s with me again, and I am no better prepared to say goodbye to two faces that I once saw every day. One student, who we all watched on the football field and sat across from me in Chemistry class. The other student, who we all watched on the theater stage and sat next to me in kindergarten. In the hours after each of them passed, I scoured the depths of my memory for every moment in which we interacted, for every remark we exchanged. Could I have said another word? Or could I have been a better friend?

There’s this one line from “WandaVision” that sticks in my memory: “What is grief, if not love persevering?” It’s a particular genius moment of screenwriting, when an imaginary Vision com forts his wife, Wanda Maximoff, and encourages her to move on from his real-life death. Although our world remains a stretch from the lights and superpowers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this line is particularly relevant to our community today. The grief we feel - whether it be from our selves or our peers - represents the extent of our power to love, no matter how small or big that amount of love may be - a kind of love that stems from the sense of community we have fostered.

Today, as I wear the shirt that constitutes the next four years of my life, I reflect on what this year has taught me. To grind, of course, but more importantly - to savor the moments we have alive with the people around us. My class and I will never be in the same building ever again, and we will miss each other just as much as those who have left us too early. As I conclude my final epi sode of editorial expression, I will never forget the community, love, and strength that Northviewand the Messenger family - has instilled in me.

Signing off for now.

Grace Peng, Editor-in-Chief

homecoming

Northview hosted its first homecoming dance in two years on Oct. 2, 2021. In the two weeks leading up to the dance, students dressed up according to daily themes to demonstrate their school spirit. The homecoming football game on Oct. 1 resulted in a 52-21 victory against Dru ids Hill High School. Unlike previous years, when the home coming dance was hosted in the school building, Northview held the dance in the football stadium due to concerns about COVID-19 transmission. The turnout was high, and many stu dents spent time with friends for the first time since quarantine.

“Being back at school for homecoming as a senior felt nostalgic, knowing that I was a sophomore the last time I was there,” senior Alex Cho, a member of the homecmoing court, said. “I felt grateful to be part of hoco court and so happy to see everyone together. It was definitely bittersweet as my last year here, but I’ll always look back at it with a smile.”

“Spiderman: no way home” released

On Dec. 17, 2021, the long-awaited movie, “Spider-man: No Way Home,” was finally released in theaters. Cap turing the events of Peter Parker’s life after its predeces sor, “Spider-man: Far From Home”, the movie was a super hit. It grossed a total of $1.89 billion worldwide, with $804.2 million of the total being from North America alone. It eventually came to be the sixth highest-grossing film of all time as well as the first film to surpass $1 billion during the pandemic. With a rating of 8.4 on IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Spider-man: No Way Home” was well-received.

INTERNATIONAL NIGHT

Northview held International Night on March 30, 2022. As indicated by the competitive ticket sales, International Night is a highly-anticipated event, with talented student performers showcasing cultures and food from all over the world. Mem bers of the Kaleidoscope Club decorated the windows of the courtyard with cultural representations. On the day of the event, Northview played international songs between classes, and students dressed in cultural attire. In the evening, students returned with friends and family to watch the performers and sample the food.

“Standing in the auditorium the night of, hearing all the loud cheers [and] standing ovations made the entire aura of In ternational Night come to life,” Shruthi Balachander, Kaleido scope president, said. “It truly embraced the spirit and diver sity of what Northview really missed over the last two years.”

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Renee Zhu sings at Internatonal Night.

Zendaya and Tom Holland star as MJ and Spideman in “Spiderman: No Way Home.” MATT KENNEDY, SONY PICTURES

Students enjoy the Homecoming festivities. BRANDON TUNG, STAFF WRITER

YEAR-IN-REVIEW THE MESSENGER’S

Russia invades ukraine

On Feb. 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, a neighboring country. The invasion occurred amid Ukraine’s attempt to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Russia saw this as a threat to its sovereign ty. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia were already bubbling prior to 2022, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukrainian territory in 2014, under the guise of ensuring that the people of Crimea could express themselves freely. Since then, the two countries have butted heads on territorial disputes, alliances, and treaties that their respective countries engage in.

Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed

On Feb. 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson as the replacement for longtime Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Bryer. After a long and grueling trial, the Senate confirmed Jackson as the new associate justice on April 7. Jackson made history as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

TITANFEST

On April 1, 2022, Northview held its first TitanFest celebration in over two years. School clubs hosted stands scattered throughout the football stadium, with activities and interactive games. The school also brought in food trucks for students to enjoy free of charge; a highlight being a miniature petting zoo. For seniors, because the last time they participated in TitanFest was their sophomore year, the event was also a nostalgic look back at their initial years in high school.

“For me, it was really just great to be a part of the club stands. I remember as a freshman when the leadership of clubs were asked to do it, and it’s crazy to think that I’m now stand ing where the seniors from my freshman year were,” senior Pranay Ippagunta said.

A man sits outside his destroyed building after Russian bombings that hit the eastern Ukrainian town Chuhuiv.

ARIS MESSINIS, AFP

Jackson testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing on March 22. MANDEL NGAN, GETTY IMAGES

Sophomore Julia Pearson gets henna at TitanFest. GAVIN CHEN, STAAFF WRTIER

Signing day

Senior athletes finalize their plans for the future

NIKKI SKYER, SPORTS EDITOR PHOTOS: KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

As the school year comes to a close, seniors are confirming their plans for the future. Student-athletes are no different, completing contracts with colleges and universities to continue their careers after high school. At signing day this spring, Northview watches as nine different seniors celebrate their accomplishments with friends and family.

Softball captain Kelsea Moody chose to continue her career as a panther at LaGrange College here in Georgia. Moody entered the softball world around 14 years ago, and ever since the first time she hit a home run, she was committed to playing the sport for as long as she possibly could. Although Moody is sad to be leaving the program she called home for four years, there is no doubt that she will thrive on her new team.

“I chose LaGrange because of how com fortable and at-home I felt while touring the campus and meeting with the coach,” Moody said. “I learned about the school’s emphasis on athletics and really just appreci ated all that they had to offer.”

Upon visiting Oakton Community College in late February this year, baseball player Michael Kecseti antici pates his future at the number three national ly-ranked school. He began playing the sport at just seven years old and quickly developed a passion for it. Kecseti does not remember a time when he did not see himself continuing the sport after high school. Despite the chal lenges of COVID-19 and its impact on all senior athletes’ recruiting years, Kecseti was still able to find a school and coach that he sees as the next step in his baseball career.

“After talking to the coach, my mom and I knew we could trust him and that it was time to commit,” Kecseti said. “Hopefully, this will prepare me to transfer out after a year or two and play some Power 5 baseball.”

After a long and stressful recruiting process, Holyn Trautwein made her decision to continue playing la crosse at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. Trautwein is a captain for Northview’s varsity team, contributing in the midfield primari ly as an attacker. Playing the sport since she was six years old and growing up in a strong, athletic family, Trautwein had dreams of fol lowing in her mother’s footsteps, who also played lacrosse at the collegiate level. Several schools took an interest in her throughout the recruiting process, but the decision came down to Winthrop University, UC Davis, and Rollins College.

“I ultimately decided on Rollins because of the atmosphere built by the coaches and players. From the first time I spoke on the phone with the coaches, I was confident that I would be cared for at Rollins, both as a play er and a student,” Trautwein said.

Tennis captain Eshaan Dani will join the athletic community at Emory University next year. Dani is leaving behind a huge impact on Northview’s tennis community, with younger teammates recog nizing his strong work ethic and leadership skills. Dani is looking ahead at a bright fu ture, and his talent and drive will surely ac company him as he joins a team that is brand new to him.

In March, running back Dylan Bell announced his commitment to The Catholic University of America football program in March 2022. Heading to Wash ington, Bell will be a running back for the Cardinals. In addition to playing football, he also has experience running track for North view, another contributing factor to his ath leticism. After a long recruiting process with offers from Methodist University and Con cordia University Chicago, Bell is excited to finally be visualizing all that is in store for him at The Catholic University.

Parker Gonzalez will join Moody at LaGrange as a member of the school’s basketball team. Gonzalez started playing basketball in elementary school and was a part of Northview’s basketball team since his freshman year. His decision to com mit came just days before he signed.

“I knew I wanted to play at the next level, so I had to jump at this opportunity,” Gon zalez said. “Lagrange also offers a great aca demic program for me, so it just made sense all-around.”

Northview football captain Patrick Hester will continue his foot ball career at the collegiate lev el, playing for Army West Point next year. Throughout his time at NorthvWiew, Hester has received many awards and recognitions, including being named first-team all-region tight end for the 5-5A region.

Angelo Thompson signed his commit ment to Brevard College in Brevard, N.C. Thompson is a senior and a hard-working member of Northview’s foot ball program and will soon find his place on a new team.

Lacrosse player and captain Grace Kim announced her verbal commitment to Washington and Lee University during the summer of 2021.

sportsinREview

Northview athletics enjoys a successful year

CARTER WILLIS, STAFF WRITER MEKAYLA UPTON, STAFF WRITER

FOOTBALL

At the beginning of the year, Northview football started with a new head coach looking to build off wins from the previ ous year. This year, the coach, Scott Schwarzer, spent a majority of his time figuring out what worked for his team, including moving players into different positions. With a new coaching style this year, a new culture developed.

“It will be a big family, and I got relation ships [this year] on the football team that I’ve experienced before on middle school football teams,” sophomore player Abdulai Jallow said. “It was like the teams were different my first year. The intensity from freshman year was way different because of the coach, and chang ing the approach made a big difference.”

CHEER

The cheer team is sophomore-heavy, so it was able to grow as a program. Being able to see each other in school this year, team mates grew closer to each other and learned how to cheer more effectively. This year, se niors were able to guide the underclassmen to lead the program into a great next year.

“This year, our team has been a lot closer,” senior Selena DiBiase said. “The previous year, my junior year, there was such a new amount

of people that came in. We came in this year, and we all knew each other and just became better friends and closer as a team.”

to achieve even better results next year after only losing two region games. The volleyball team also believes that with the number of un derclassmen it has, it will be able to now make a run at the playoffs after qualifying. All eyes in the volleyball program are looking toward the next season.

“Let’s get hyped for next season—I’m go ing to be getting ready for it,” sophomore Lil lian Pendergrass said. “I will be practicing with my team to prepare. Last season, we did not have as many fans as we would have liked to. We need to change that next year and getmore people to come to the home volleyball games.”

SOFTBALL

The softball team placed fourth in the re gion and made the playoffs this year before losing to Blessed Trinity High School. The players plan to work together over the summer

FLAG FOOTBALL

Northview ventured into a new sport this year with its first girls’ flag football team. Coach Tom Kratowicz coached the var sity team that played six games against other schools that were also new to playing flag foot ball. Although the team did not get any wins this year, the flag football team is looking to build off of the interest in the program that it had among junior varsity team members who will fill the spots of leaving varsity players.

“I do know Coach Kratowicz wants to work with the girls to do a little more prepa ration for the next season,” senior and varsity flag football player Leah Ray said. “Consid ering this was our first season and seeing the outcome and the results that we didn’t do su per well, I think [Kratowicz] definitely wants to get everyone in the gym and on the field a little bit sooner.”

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team made it to state for the second year in a row. Finishing third in the region this year, the volleyball team hopes

by playing in recreational leagues. Looking to make a further run in the playoffs next year, the team is already focusing on the challenges that lie ahead.

“I know that we start summer workouts toward the end of May,” junior Janiya Sigler said. “I think we’re just going to keep trying to build our team as we’re losing five of our seniors, and we’re just trying to build back our team to win.”

Freshman Adrian Greene makes his way to the endzone.

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

Senior Kelsea Moody hits the ball. KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Olivia Gowdy cheers on the Titans football team. KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

BASEBALL

The baseball team started the season with hopes of finishing in the top three of the region after placing fourth last year. A large number of younger players had the op portunity to play at the varsity level after a few seniors graduated last year. Having a young team last year led to struggles throughout the season, but the players were able to play their first playoff game in four years. Now, the team is looking toward a playoff win with a younger team that has grown more into playing varsity.

“Last season, I would kind of consider it like a rebuilding kind of year in which we had a lot of time to get used to varsity,” junior Luke Marshall said. “So, we really had a good opportunity to use the last year to build into this year. I think we’re kind of seeing the fruits of that with definitely more success than last year.”

BOYS’ TENNIS

Starting the season with the goal of win ning a state championship, the dream of the boy’s tennis team is currently a possi bility as the players head into the state playoffs. The team is led by Coach Mike Dixon and co-captains Eshaan Dani and Paul Philip. One of the biggest parts of the team’s success was figuring out who played in each match, which the captains sorted out with Coach Dixon. Each match was split between three singles players and two pairs of doubles players.

“We had to determine who was going to play singles and doubles [matches],” Philip said. “Everybody has some level of ability at singles, but what we had to determine was that maybe someone has a good game on the base line, so then they would play singles.”

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Undefeated, the girls’ tennis team won the region. Expectations were high coming into the season, especially with the suc cess of past teams. This was no problem for the team’s heightened morale and newfound success. This year, seniors have led the team to an undefeated season. The team members bonded in person after not being able to see each other as much last year, and they often made team TikTok videos.

“So, last year was really tough because we didn’t have any sort of community on the team because of COVID-19,” senior Eliza beth Ziabtchenko said. “It was very much like ‘we’re playing our sport and that’s it this year, and now I get to see my teammates in the hallways and make it a better experience.’ For me, it’s a little bit different too, because I’m kind of reflective. I’m a senior, so it’s my last year, and I made sure it was going to count.”

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

year when we did a lot more plays,” senior player Parker Gonzalez said. “Our offense was a lot more tailored rather than a recurring sys tem like we had in years past.”

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

The girls’ team went through several coach es in past years. Nonetheless, they earned a non-region win against Clarkston High School this season, sealing the final minutes by a close four points. Now, the team is focused on recruitments and offseason workouts.

“We are going to have a summer camp for middle school kids who are incoming fresh men,” varsity player Chadai Jones said. “[The incoming freshmen] will come in to learn bas ketball or just play and get a feel of what it will feel like to be on a Northview basketball team. I know we’re having a lot of offseason practice workouts to gain muscle and better skills be fore the next season starts.”

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

With a new coach this year, the basketball team made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round to Decatur High School by eight points. It was Coach Greg Shirley and Associate Head Coach Vince Carter’s first year coaching at Northview; however, Coach Shir ley will not coach next year, and Coach Carter will become the new head coach. Although the coaching will be different, the players will still continue with the style of play that they used during this past season because Coach Carter was part of the game strategy as associate head coach.

“I think our practices were a lot different; there was a lot more skill work instead of last

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF

Senior Alek Watson makes his way to the goal line.

Senior Sebastian Rogers aims to hit the baseball.

Senior Naziah Grandberry goes to score a goal.

WRITER

Senior Naman Solan goes for a backhand shot by the net. GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

BOYS’ LACROSSE

The boys’ lacrosse team worked with many new players this year. There are few veteran members, so those players help the newer players. For most of the season, the team got used to the sport and learned how to improve. One strength they found is during transitions.

“We play how we’re supposed to when it’s chaotic, and it’s good for us,” lacrosse player Dylan Sulka said. “We don’t have people that have been playing for 15 years, like some of the other schools do. But, we do have more athletic people than most other schools. So, in transition, we’re stronger and faster, and it’s easier for us to score.”

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Coming from an impressive season last year, the girls’ lacrosse team looked to improve this year. The team has done just that, only losing one region game so far.

Since only a few seniors are leaving this year, the team will not have to make up for as much talent as years before. The lacrosse team also has the potential to go all the way to the finals this year.

“We hope to do well in the region tourna ment,” senior Sophie Deyoung said. “You start off with 32 teams in the region. Then, you play one team in your region bracket until you get to the final two teams. We made it all the way until the final four last year and hope to do something similar this year.”

BOYS’ SOCCER

The boys’ soccer team won the first playoff game in a decade with a record of 2-1 at home. Finishing third in the region, and with nine wins overall, the team was successful this year and made it to the round of 16. The 11 seniors on the team were the core North view soccer and were a big part of making it that far.

we are still going to hang out, and we’ve gotten really close this season, more so than with a club.”

GOLF

The girls’ golf team has fared well compet ing in several matches and tournaments so far this year, but they struggled with just five people on the team. Yet, the players used this as a strength because they are very famil iar with each other’s styles, and they help each other practice in a one-on-one setting with drills rather than with a huge team.

“This year was different with less people, but we were more comfortable with each oth er,” Yavonna Wu said, “Looking towards next season, our coach may have us practice more and play more courses to prepare for next sea son.”

Placing fifth in the region this year, the boys’ golf team came into the season with a fresh start. Varsity golf only had two returning players after four graduated last year. Since the team was not as experienced as last year they had learning curves during the season

“We kind of had a different strategy just last year, by knowing our players,” senior cap tain Jack Lazewski said. “Our coach knew how everyone scored and how they played. And this year he had to like work with all the newer kids and kind of get everyone’s mind right for tournaments. Also, I would like come up with drills [as captain ]to help people with their swings and as well.”

SWIM

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

“Last year was weird coming off the year we had our season canceled,” soccer play er Aryan Praveen said. “We were a lot more connected, and the chemistry was better this year, and I think that showed in our record.”

GIRLS’ SOCCER

The girls’ soccer team was able to compete in region and non-region plays this year.

All three of the team’s wins came off of re gion wins. After finishing sixth in the region last year, the team came in fifth place this year. Though this was an improvement, the team did not qualify for playoffs.

“Our season ended with us not making the playoffs, but we did win our last game against Chamblee High School,” varsity player Dara Hanano said. “The team is disappointed, but

Having members compete at state, and a swimmer, William Gavin, being named the state champion, the boys’ swim team had a successful year. Most swimmers on the team will continue to swim during the offsea

Senior Will Kuhlke dodges an opponent.

Sophomore Jodie Kim catches the stickball.

KUSH SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

The Northview Swim Team competes in the State championship.

MEGHANN GAVIN, SPECIAL

Senior Sohum Rane blocks a goal from the opponent.

son at Life Time Fitness to stay in shape for the next season. A big accomplishment in swimming is cutting down their time in tour naments, and that is what the team focused on during competitions.

“We always celebrate anyone whose time drops,” senior Vallen Huang said. “I feel like celebrating each other is what high school swim is all about. Whether it is a win, a time drop, or anything, we try to represent North view and have team spirit.”

Going to state as well, the girls’ team had a successful season. Similar to the boys’ team, the girls’ team was always focusing on cuts. At every competition, the goal was to cut off at least a second of time. With this in mind, the team pushed for this goal to be met during competitions to win and be successful.

“In general, I feel like we did really well this season with people going to state and making cuts [during competition] and just with the environment and how everyone treat ed each other,” swimmer Sasara Crowley said. “I felt like it was really encouraging and [what we’re looking for next year.]”

together for a while,” cross country runner Jack Davis said. “We push the freshmen [to be their best], and we have some pretty good freshmen this year that have a lot of poten tial and are looking good for future years.”

the state. Their other spring season team, the Mario Kart team, ended up ranking ninth.

“All of us plan to return next year and win state,” junior Benjamin Schmid said. “I am super grateful to not only my team members from Smash and Mario Kart but from the oth er games too.”

During this offseason, they look to prac tice their games, whether alone or in other tournaments in hopes of winning it all next season.

TRACK

This year, the track team was quite success ful, with many runners finishing first in their respective competitions and compet ing in sectionals. After making state last year, the team’s goals remain the same for the rest of the year.

“I love track because it’s a great way to meet new people,” sophomore Paul Sandoval said. “I enjoy the team and having the chance to spend almost everyday with my teammates.”

KUSH

WRESTLING

The wrestling team did not have a season last year, and this has been its first season since 2020. With this time off, the plays were constantly thinking about how they could best their opponents. This year, the team placed an emphasis on staying healthy and be ing in shape in order to last longer during a match.

“The practices are held way differently than before,” Aryan Praveen, a player on the team, said. “We do a lot of conditioning, which, in other sports, doesn’t occur during the offsea son. Every Monday and Wednesday at prac tice, we run three miles to stay conditioned.”

MCDANIEL,

CROSS COUNTRY

Overall, the cross country team has been successful this past year, finishing the season after competing at state. The team included many seniors this year which allowed them to be so successful. This year marked the last time the seniors ran together, with many of them having run since their freshman year. Looking toward next year, many of the under classmen and rising seniors will step into the roles of top runners that were held by seniors this year.

“Our senior leaders have been running

The team is losing all of its captains but stays encouraged by the number of underclass men who are competitive and ready to run in future years. Though the future is not certain, this year, the team competed at state and had success with its varsity runners.

“We competed at the state cross country meet, and we did well overall as a team,” fresh man runner Kat Warner said. “Even though the season ended, we still run together in the winter, and most of us run track during the spring.”

ESPORTS

During both seasons, esports made it to the playoffs. In the fall season, they ranked fifth in the state. Then during the spring season, one of their teams finished fifteenth in

The team ranks lower in the state than in previous years due to the increase in newer runners. Due to the timing of the season, track is many athletes’ offseason sport.

“I really like track,” sophomore James Byun said. “It helps me train for my fall sport [crosscountry].”

Like Byun, many other members of the track team plan to participate in sports such as football and cross-country during this offsea son. As a team, the athletes all hope to improve in their categories.

Senior Joseph Cunningham makes his way to the finish line.

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Drew Flanary defeats his opponent.

SCOTTY

SPECIAL

Senior Anjali Smith competes for first place.

SANTOSH, STAFF WRITER

I’d like to thank my friends, family, and teachers just for being so awesome all the time!! I want to give a special shout-out to Ms. Niehaus for mak ing fun of Hana’s zombie apocalypse kit with me and for always being so supportive when I reach a three-day streak of not skipping school. :) I love you, Northview!

Thanks to everyone for voting me for this superla tive, it means the world to have such a great com munity that I can lean on. Just to humble myself, here is a list of things I am bad at: swimming, braiding hair, speaking French, being psycholog ically healthy, torch flaming a crème brûlée, and dressing myself.

Jessica Luu Holyn Trautwein

best all-around class couple

Suvam is amazing, and his sense of fashion validated that statement when he showed up to school in the same shirt as me. A women’s nike shirt. I’ll miss walking the halls with this fashion ista. Also, thank you Ms.Hart for letting us sit in your classroom before first period everyday. <3

On our first date, I took her to a amusement park. Unfortunately, she was too short to go on any of the rides.

best bromance

Look at idani man, so inspirational.

Look at Edani man, so inspirational.

Alex Cho

Suvam Khadka

Eshaan Dani Ishaan Goswami

Oh, dang. I didn’t expect to end up in this one. I really hope you guys end up jinxing me haha. Shoutout to Samay for predicting I’d be the clum sy dude who won this! Hope you all have a great fall (semester) for college this year.

Thank you to my friends and family for this honor.

Timotheus James Nikki Skyer

Kanye was awarded most likely to fail and worst dressed. He now runs a multi-billion dollar fashion and music empire. In movies, a zombie apocalypse starts due to an insatiable hunger for progress, that goes too far. This award means I have this insatiable hunger for progress. I believe this superlative means I am destined for both greatness and to change the world.

Rohit Menon Viraj Vaghela

Since the day I turned 18, I have delved into the heinous world of gambling, but between my forget fulness and disorganization, losing my ticket is just bound to happen. I haven’t won any big money yet, but hopefully one day you will see me on the news with this headline. Wish me luck, y’all!

“Don’t Worry Guys... If I won the lottery, I would make sure I cash it in the day before it expires.”

When one of my friends accidently told me I was nominated for one of the superlatives, I got pretty excited. Then I found out what it was. Nah just kidding, love you guys!

I wore sweatpants and a t-shirt most of the time throughout highschool, so I honestly don’t know how I got here.

I think Vedu was accidentally told he won the class clown superlative..There must be some big mistake here…Anyways, I’d like to dedicate this to my dearest friends who have supported me throughout High school. JessicaLuu, Timotheous, Sunny, hana, Samay, Dillon :), Randy, Leon, and many more: Thanks for being my very best friends. You too, Rohan and Vedu.

Mackenzie Imberman June Kang

most likely to trip at graduation most likely to cause a zombie apocalypse most likely to win the lottery & lose the ticket most likely to be on the cover of Vogue

Wtm w zombies tho fr.

Aaliyah Guthrie Vinh Phung

This award is the reason I started playing soccer 15 years ago. Thank you class of 2022, friends, family, and teachers this is for you. Go titans.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank my mother for all the sacrifices that she has had make for me to be where I am at now. Thank you to my teammates and coaches for pushing me to my limits and to try new things that led me to become the man I am today. Thank you to everyone who voted for me to win this selection I truly do appreciate each and everyone of y’all. Going from losing my sophomore track season, to tearing my knee and not being able to finish the end of my junior football season and my junior track season. To comeback to open arms and to later find out that I’ve been selected for “Most Athletic.” Best year so far. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Marcus Godbey Maria Kemp

First off I’d like to thank y’all for voting me. I honestly ap preciate it! My relationship with NV was similar to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s relationship. Tumultuous and poopy. Despite this, a select few of the teachers, coaches, and friends made high school actually worthwhile and I ap preciate them SO much for it, so thank y’all. Anyway, Let’s go in the back in the VIP room, Let’s flip up the check, huh, let’s go to the moon!!!

Alayna and I have been doing art together since elementary school. I want to thank really myself because art is hard and time consuming, and I can’t believe I kept it up for 17 years because I happened to be good at it. So glad all my hard work got me this award. It’s all I think ever wanted.

Alayna Brown Leela Sydow

Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn’t win. I guess we’ll never know.

most athletic most artistic best aesthetic class clown

I’d like to thank all my friends and family who have seen my style evolution, to my mother for taking me on weekly trips to ulta and for my tiny closet which holds all my clothes, without you guys it wouldn’t be possible to wear all my sort of scary outfits :D ! I love you guys<3

To my family, teachers, and friends: thanks. I’ve spent a lot of time in high school talking to in credible people and kidding around and laughing. I’ll hold on to those fond memories forever — or at least until late August and then again when it’s time for our class reunion. Go Titans!

“Why so Serious?”

Alejandra Vidales

Vedu Arya Anthony Wang

Alana McLaughlin

Dear lord, I really hope I never become as unfunny as Jimmy Kimmel...

I’ve always been in love with speaking to an audience and making people laugh so I guess this superlative fits more than I thought. Thank you Northview for the opportunities I have been given these past four years, I am beyond grateful. It’s safe to say I’m ready to see what else lies ahead of high school. Take care, Titans.

Ryan Li Caleb Smith

future late-night host future president

I’m about as likely to win president as I am to get a random security check at TSA. I’m feeling really good about the odds.

I’m incredibly grateful to the senior class for voting me for this superlative. I’ve been blessed to have a very presidential name. Now I just need that presidential skin tone.

Bedansh Pandey Paul Philip

In accordance with his superlative, senior Naeem Himani failed to submit a quote to be featured.

First and foremost, it is only apt of me to thank my school bus driver who ran me over and kept me in the hospital for a month. I would like to thank my high-key therapists Rawlin, Wilson, Rogman, and Niehaus (yes it took a splendid team of four), along with my beloved classmates for dubbing me “Regina George”. While my severe concussion, broken limbs, and consequential absenteeism turned my life upside down, it couldn’t have been a funnier journey as “Part-Time Student” without the Northview community. What’s your excuse, Naeem?

Naeem Himani Naimi Kodali

part-time student most changed since freshman year

It’s been an interesting four years, I must say. Not only have I changed physically through working out over the last two years, but I’ve also changed mentally. To achieve change in life, you must focus on your mentality. You must improve or strengthen that because, if you don’t, you’ll never change and mature. You’ll forever be the same inside, no matter the physical changes.

Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round Merry-go-round and round

Zachary Harney Jack Zollmann

PHOTOS: GRACE PENG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

The only person that you can depend and rely on is yourself! Stay on your own path to success and take time to appreciate things you love. Senior year can get stressful, but if you keep your priorities straight, you get to reap the benefits in the end.

Aditi Bhati Reagan Horne

Don’t hold regrets. Do everything you want to do, make time for your interests outside of school, and make the most of your time in general. It’s easy to fall into procrastination which leads to being stressed about grades 24/7 but setting pri orities, not just academically but in every aspect of your high school experience, and following them can really make your time here meaningful.

Take care of yourself and be cautious of who you surround yourself with in the upcoming years. You need to know that no matter what, you are loved and your future matters.

The Messenger’s seniors offer parting words of wisdom

Cameron Chappell

Be kind, try things that scare you, and, whatever you do, be confident while doing it.

Live, laugh, love and all that. No matter what, at least high school doesn’t last forever <3

P.S. Don’t outright listen to Melissa… do what makes you happy :)

Bedansh Pandey

Be honest with yourself. Manage your own expectations because you can be either your biggest fan or biggest oppo nent depending on your mindset

Mental health is just as important if not more important than physical health. Try to live a balanced life.

Brandon Tung

Prioritize what’s really important and trust me, grades aren’t worth sacrificing your health and relationships for. I learned this the hard way so you wouldn’t have to.

Don’t join Beta or national honor societies. Join The Messenger.

Grace Peng

Good luck. You’ll need that.

Oh, and join The Messenger.

Nikki Skyer

These years are what you make of them. Don’t find yourself at the end wishing they had gone differently.

Anshi Vajpayee

Don’t take Honors Chem or AP Econ

Suhani Mahajan

Kush Santosh

Melissa Liu

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

SYDNEY MULFORD, STAFF WRITER DELISA TROUPE, STAFF WRITER

PHOTO:

Senior Holyn Trautwein loves lacrosse, a sport that has been part of her family’s legacy for years. She enjoys traveling with her family and friends, and the beach is her favorite vacation spot. However, despite Trautwein’s seemingly ideal circumstances, her life is not always perfect. As her senior year comes to an end, Trautwein must part with her friends and teachers at Northview and prepare herself for adulthood.

Trautwein will miss her friends who have supported her, the teachers who have encour aged her, and even the trivial aspects of high school, like the football games and dances. This year, she has signed onto Rollins College in Florida as a student-athlete for lacrosse and psychology major and will be moving to a completely new state, far away from those she is close to.

“I don’t have any family that lives in Flor ida,” Trautwein said. “It’s only a seven-hour drive, but that’s gonna be the biggest change for me- being in a new environment with no one around.”

Trautwein’s mother and her mother’s three sisters are all extremely talented lacrosse play ers, with two who played at the University of Virginia and two who played at Penn State University. One played for a World Cup, and one has played for the USA team. Lacrosse has been in her blood for generations. When she played in the fall after taking a break from la crosse in the summer, she realized how much she missed it. Rather than being an insane commitment that consumed her life, it could be something fun and exciting. Despite her love for the sport, lacrosse has been a major stressor in Trautwein’s life, forcing her to take a break from it during the summer of 2021.

“The stress that you go through [doesn’t get recognized],” Trautwein said. “When I go to sleep I’m stressing about like, ‘When am I gonna work out? How am I gonna plan my day for this?’ It’s a lot of extra time to put in. In the sports world, no one cares until you’re great.”

Though it may seem that Trautwein has her life figured out, she struggled immensely with the college application process. She could not decide what major she wanted to pursue or what college to go to. Even after commit ting to Rollins College, Trautwein grappled with deciding what she wanted to pursue be cause she has too many passions, ranging from music to lacrosse. However, though Trautwein cannot pursue all of her interests as a career, that does not mean they cannot be a part of her life.

“I can see her doing literally anything,” Michael Trautwein, her older brother, said. “She’s one of those people who has so many talents. She’s got her sports, her musical inter ests, and her real-life interests. She wants to deal with people and make the world a better place.”

When Trautwein graduates from North view, one of the biggest aspects of her life she will miss are her friends. She has always cher ished her bond with them and is reluctant to separate from them. She and her friend love to go on adventures, ranging from swimming in lakes to driving around to new places. Ala na McLaughlin, a senior and friend of Traut wein’s, has always looked up to her since they were younger. To her, Trautwein is someone who radiates loving energy and is talented, supportive, and understanding.

“She’s like, ‘I want to learn how to play the piano’ and then literally can play a song the next day,” McLaughlin said. “Then I remem ber when we were in middle school and she had never played volleyball before and I had been playing for a few years. We went to a vol leyball camp and she was better than me and everybody there.”

As president of the Will to Live club, Ho lyn Trautwein has worked to expand its reach and importance. This year, the amount of support the club received shocked her. She is hoping to start a new chapter of it at Rollins College in the fall.

“We planned the 5k which was like a big learning experience for everyone,” Holyn said. “People see the fun events, but they don’t see the work that goes into it. This year, people who are in the club saw that and it made them care about it so much more.”

As Tratuwein prepares for a new chap ter in her life, she aspires to find success and fulfillment. To her, this means settling down and starting a family, which she considers be ing one of the greatest things in the world. Though she may not become famous or wellknown, she still hopes to keep changing the lives of those around her in a special way.

“Holyn is one of the people you meet in your life and you don’t really forget,” Michael Trautwein said. “She’s always able to make an impact on people. She’s so nice, so caring, and so genuinely excited to meet people and get to know people. It’s something I look up to her about, and I wish that everyone in the world had a little bit of Holyn Trautwein in them.”

Trautwein smiles for photos in the home stands. GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Vedansh, “Vedu,” Arya has fully focused on going through the year keeping things lively and fun. In the fall, he hoped to go through his senior year just relax ing and enjoying it, and his mindset has not changed much.

For the past couple of years, many seniors, including Arya, have focused on getting desir able grades and building a strong college ap plication. During his junior year, he found a middle ground between getting school work done and enjoying life by spending time with friends.

“[During] my freshman and sophomore years, I really took school too seriously,” Arya said. “Now, I think I found a good balance of getting my school work done but also enjoying life at the same time.”

While having this mindset of slowing things down had an impact on his own life, it also impacted those of others around him. He al ways tries to bring out the best in his friends and lift the mood. He also lessens his friends’ stress whenever they are worried about tests or upcoming assignments, from making people laugh by cracking jokes to pushing people to do their best.

“I think he has a lot of ability to do some thing that makes an impact on people because

of how outspoken and enthusiastic he is about his work and any extracurricular,” Tara Ra mesh, a close friend of Arya, said. “I learned a lot [from him] about how much hard work pays off but also that always having a smile on your face could be the best.”

Arya and Ramesh have been friends since middle school, and they have grown closer over their common interest in dance. They both performed at Northview’s International Night and at the Georgia Beta Convention, where Arya took a central role, organizing many practices and assuming the role of the leader.

“For a part of the dance, we were partners, and we would always have so much fun on stage or during practice, just trying to figure out what to do and not missing the timing,” Ramesh said. “It was always so much fun.”

Arya has also positively influenced Sohum Rane, one of his close friends. Rane has known Arya since the beginning of elementary school, and their bond grew through dance as they practiced together. He and Arya have taught dance groups how to become better as a whole.

“He supported me and [the] other guys by saying ‘You know, we got this. We can become good dancers through hard work,’” Rane said. “It turned out great because of Vedu being

there throughout the whole experience, just making it feel all light like there’s no pressure.”

Now, as a graduating senior, Arya plans to attend Oxford University in England to major in Quantum Computing. Before that, he hopes for a carefree, relaxed summer with his friends. This summer, he will spend time getting away from the stress of dealing with school.

“[My friends and I] are going on a senior trip,” Arya said. “We’re just going to chill for summer because I don’t think I’ve had a single high school summer where I just chilled out. I have always had some type of work and done something, but this is probably my first sum mer in a long time in which I don’t have to do anything. I’ll just enjoy that.”

After summer, when school starts, his friends know he will go on to do great, big things in the future. Throughout his high school career, he became an amicable person with a humor ous personality, having a positive impact on everyone he meets.

“He will definitely do big things—he’s des tined for greatness,” Rane said. “Wherever he goes, people like him. He has the social skills to succeed anywhere. He’ll grow tremendous ly, and the sky’s the limit for him. He’s incred ible.”

Arya poses in his last trip to the stands.

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Art and sports are often viewed as op posite ends of the spectrum, or on different spectrums altogether. When they come together, however, they comple ment each other in unique ways. These two conflicting interests—art and sports—are dominating elements in Alayna Brown’s life. Though she has drawings all over the margins of her schoolwork and brings a sketchbook ev ery time she goes out, she is an avid basketball player as well.

From an early age, she could not sit still, and basketball became the perfect outlet for her energy, allowing her to stay focused in school. However, it was not until high school, when she was introduced to like-minded, driv en people such as Ashley Austin and Markie ma Lancaster, that her love for basketball was solidified. She traversed from a meek freshman to the captain of the girl’s varsity basketball team during her senior year.

“I would love to talk to people when I shouldn’t be,” Brown said. “I wanted to get up out of my seat and just scream or run around. Basketball was my outlet to get all that energy out and exert myself to the point where I get in class and I’m a good student.”

Even if Brown chooses to not play basket ball in the future, she has other passions she hopes to pursue. Media like Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon shaped her artistic style and developed her love for ani mation. Unlike basketball, art is her expressive outlet and is therapeutic by nature. Basket ball is filled with pure emotion—frustration, stress, anger— that she can embody. Art, on the other hand, helps Brown embody herself in a way that no one else can understand.

“I use art as a way to get out my ideas that are different from other people. I can just be myself and not feel like I’m being outcasted

from my ideas or how I feel,” Brown said. “If I want to draw a smiley face instead of a sad face, I won’t have to hear somebody’s mouth about it being like, ‘You should draw this or you should draw that.’ I get a chance to draw whatever I want without anybody having a say.”

Dwayna Brown, Alayna’s sister, under stands her feelings firsthand. Although Alay na Brown may seem reserved at first, Dwayna Brown believes that she is a humorous and caring individual. Above all, Alayna Brown is extremely compassionate towards others.

“In my senior year, we had a lot of fresh men, and there were a lot of people who had already been on the [basketball] team, so we were already close. Alayna was one of the first people to go to the freshmen and sophomores to try to include them,” Dwayna Brown said.

Jeannette Clawson, an art teacher at North view High School, is someone who showed genuine care for and who truly believes in Alayna Brown’s talents. Alayna Brown was her student for Advanced Placement 2D Design Portfolio last year, and Clawson encouraged her through her journey to complete her port folio. In her art portfolio, Alayna Brown ex pressed the nature of trying to stay motivated and connected to people and work in a timely manner during the COVID-19 crisis.

“When you’re in the room, there’s an ener gy amongst the students and between the stu dents and myself that increases the quality of the work,” Clawson said. “While many artists like to work alone, that’s a different scenario than when you’re trying to learn new things.”

Throughout her junior year, Alayna Brown struggled to stay motivated and finish her work due to the pandemic. With school be ing online, it was difficult for students to stay engaged and learn. This meant that Alayna Brown scrambled to take the SAT and apply

for college all while balancing online school. With her peers being accepted into Ivy League schools such as Harvard or Yale, Alayna Brown wrestled with the idea of not going to college at all. She still wants to further her education, however. Even if college may not be the right choice for her now, she has plenty of time left to complete her goals.

“There’s a lot of times where I get negative thoughts because of that dip [in motivation], but sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m literally like 17 years old. I could honestly make it work if I just stay on track and not get distracted,’” Alayna Brown said.

Through art, she is able to create a space uniquely her own and through basketball, she is able to expel all her negative feelings. Alay na Brown hopes to leave behind a legacy that shows her impact in both basketball and art. Two things that are quite the opposite blend uniquely together just for her.

Brown is apperactive of how she has been able to grow at Northview and the Johns Creek community. Through this exposure of different cultures she was able her form her own identity.

As her senior year wraps up, Alayna Brown plans on taking a gap year. School has never been her top priority, and she has various plans for the future. Whether it be an animator at somewhere like Pixel or Disney, or being part of the Women’s National Basketball League, she wants to keep her goals and aspirations in mind and become the best version of herself.

“I’m trying to achieve higher confidence, be at peace with myself, and accept who I am,” Alayna Brown said. “I’m not going to be Leb ron James. Lebron James is Lebron James, but I am Alayna Brown, and I’m gonna be who Alayna Brown is supposed to be.”

Brown overlooks Northview field.

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Senior messages

Congratulations on your achievements, and I wish you the best as you make choices and shape your futures in this next phase of your lives. Enjoy the adventure, and keep reading and writing!

Reagan: “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.” Be brave Northview Titans. Many will challenge your ideas, and hardships will challenge your compassion. Be brave, compassionate, idea-making change-makers.

To 3DE students: I’m so proud of every single one of you for all of the hard work you’ve put into the program. It has been a pleasure getting to work closely with each of you the past four years. It has certainly been a unique experience. I’m excited to see where you go from here!

Tania Pope

Success is a journey; not a destination. Take time to enjoy each step along the way.

Platt

Ashley Ulrich

Tanner Wesley

Paul

John F. Kennedy

Make lots of changes…. I wish you all the very best always, Stephanie McCall

Congratulations! I’m so proud of you and will miss you.

To quote Mary Schmich, “Wear sunscreen.”

Jonathan Waters

To 3DE students: From before I even stepped on campus in August, you were welcoming me to Northview. This year you’ve answered my questions, let me test theories, taught me how to Instagram, and imparted wisdom that could have only been learned by choosing an untraveled path. Four years ago you took a chance and signed up for a program no one knew anything about, and you’ve thrived. You have the tools and experiences to approach your futures with confidence. I’m proud of what you’ve done, and can’t wait to see what’s next!

Crystal Milian

Elizabeth Lake

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

BOBA REVIEW

Tea time never tasted so good

SUHANI MAHAJAN, STAFF WRITER PHOTOS: MELISSA LIU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

TEA CAFE

Surrounded by an abundance of succulents and vines creeping around the walls, I felt like I’d stepped foot into an enchanted forest instead of Tea Cafe. The next thing I saw was their sign outlining dis counts for customers who brought their own cups or other reusables. So of course, I had to get my drinks in their glass cups - which were so cute and honestly looked just as aesthetic as the cutests boba cups!

GREATEA

Green, pink, and highlights of gold complete Greatea’s new chic in terior which was remodeled last year to be more pandemic-friend ly. Soft, unique seating arranged in various layouts creates an even more comfortable atmosphere; whether you sit alone, in a large group, or as a couple, Greatea welcomes you.

The first thing I tried was their special: the Greatea milk tea. Hav ing walked to Greatea after school, this drink was a great way to cool down. Their signature yellow custard cream paired beautifully with the bitterness of the black tea, and their classic black boba was sweet with just the right amount of chewiness. This drink was a delight - though it did fill me up fast; half an hour into sipping the medium-sized drink and I was struggling to finish it! (7/10)

To balance out my milk tea experience, I also tried the peach and melon fruit tea. It is one of the prettiest fruit drinks I have ever seen. My eyes followed the bright yellow at the top of the cup as it faded into a deep pink at the bottom. The fruit at the bottom at the cup, peach and watermelon, fit right in with the rainbow jelly, which I later found out to be just the right texture accompaniment to the smooth fruit tea. The drink was fresh and eye opening, citrusy with a pleasant aftertaste of peach that lingered until my next, slightly-sour sip. I’d never tried anything like it, but I look forward to getting this again. (8/10)

First, I tried their kumquat lemon tea with mango popping boba. I anticipated the tanginess of both fruits, but was not ready to also taste the sweetness that you usually get after that initial bite into a kumquat. The sweetness of the boba also eased the sourness of the tea, but not so much that it diluted the flavor. It’s definitely a drink that wakes you up - and I look forward to getting it again! (9/10)

I also ordered a peach crimson berry tisane with lychee jelly. My fa vorite part of this drink was that I could taste. Each. And. Every. Flavor. I’m not going to attempt to describe the flavor of the crimson berry, but say that I highly recommend it to everyone - it’s fruity but subtle enough to be mistaken as an aftertaste. Lychee jelly, as always, is chewy and super sweet and a delight in any fruit tea - though it’s also quite overwhelming; I may do without it next time. In cotrast to the other drink, this tasted like a relaxing afternoon. (9/10)

Tea Cafe’s kumquat lemon tea and peach crimson berry tisane.

Greatea’s peach and melon fruit tea (left) and the Greatea milk tea (right).

*This article is not sponsored by Greatea, Tea Cafe, Ding, or Pearl’s Tea.

Of course, I had to stop by my regular: Ding Tea. I doubt there’s any Northview student who hasn’t wandered in at one point or another, so I’ll skip setting the scene and dive right into my favorite drink of all time.

Passionfruit green tea with lychee jelly, a.k.a. the literal love of my life. It’s my go-to for a reason; it’s a sweet tooth’s heaven. The tea is light and fresh and the jelly is dense and chewy; combined, they create the perfect boba drinking experience. And the extra jelly left at the bottom of the cup at the end is always a bonus treat. (11/10)

As a lover of fruit teas, I also got the strawberry green tea with pop ping boba. It’d been a while since I’d had popping boba, so I’d forgotten how surprising it is at first to bite down on it and have it explode in my mouth. But it’s a fun experience and the boba is so flavorful; I highly recommend trying popping boba if you haven’t before. When I drank this super pink drink, I genuinely felt like I was drinking straight straw berries. I liked how the green tea -- harmonized with the flavor of the fruit, delivering the sweetness and tartness of strawberries in the most refreshing way. (9/10)

Beloved by many, I also finally tried the monster boba latte. The drink is very pretty and fun to hold (and shake vigorously!) and I really looked forward to the coffee-and-boba flavor. The drink tasted mostly like a regular milk tea with hints of coffee mixed in with the brown sug ar boba. Though I ordered a small, the dense drink filled me up quickly. I must admit, this is not my favorite drink at Ding, but I understand the appeal. (5/10)

PEARL’S TEA

DING TEA

Ifinally went to Pearl’s Tea for the first time for this review, and let me just say: when I walked in, I regret not going there sooner. As soon as you walk in, there’s an open seating area with a comfy blue couch (I am such a sucker for colorful furniture) and bookshelves filled with books and games. Their cute little logo is everywhere - from the door, to the neon sign above the open seating, to the cups themselves - adding cute ness to the cozy atmosphere of the place.

Since Pearl’s Tea is known for their creamy, organic teas, I tried the salted caramel with their unique cheesecake cream and some coffee jelly in addition to the normal brown sugar boba. As someone who prefers the sweeter things in life, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the black tea base of this drink. It paired well with the super sweet boba, which was firmer and chewier than I’ve ever had. In contrast to the bo ba’s chewiness (which I really liked) the coffee jelly was soft and literally melted on my tongue. To be honest, I could not really taste the coffee, but that’s likely due to how strong the other flavors present in the drink. Speaking of flavors, the cheesecake cream was not sweet, but mixed in with everything else, it balanced out well. Overall, this wasn’t my favor ite of the day since it was quite dense and heavy on my tongue, but this is also coming from the perspective of a person who prefers fruit teas over milk teas. (7/10)

I also tried their strawberry matcha latte with cherry blossom boba. Pink on top and dark green at the bottom, there was no mistaking the flavors of this drink. And for this, I’ll start at the second most satisfying part of this drink: mixing the colors and watching them combine. My favorite part? Drinking it! Usually, matcha has a bit of an overwhelming flavor, but paired with strawberry, the two strong flavors balanced each other out well. I’d never had cherry blossom flavored anything, but this boba was the best introduction I could’ve asked for. Bright pink and on the harder, chewier side of boba, the only way I can describe the boba is: the smell of spring as a flavor. All in all, I look forward to getting this drink (and trying out the rest of Pearl Tea’s menu) in the future! (9/10)

Ding Tea’s monster wboba latte, strawberry green tea, and passionfruit green tea.

Pearl Tea’s strawberry matcha latte and salted caramel and cream tea.

gallery

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Senior Jasmine Mistry paints sophomore Rianna Bayliss’ face at the Food 2 Kids booth during TitanFest.

Senior Grace Hernandez and junior Grace Chawla play Carrie and Margaret White in “Carrie.”

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Seniors Rohan Prabhuram and Hannah Yi dance during International Night.

Sophomore Cortnhe Hamilton and Senior Antonia Akoto-Yeboah improvise a conversation in “Theater Sports XVI.”

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

GAVIN CHEN, STAFF WRITER

Senior Rachel Jin plays Operation at the Young Physicians Initiative booth during TitanFest.

Senior Dhruv Singh adjusts his camera settings to film a Northview Bolt episode.

MELISSA LIU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Senior Induja Sivakumar holds a rabbit in the TitanFest petting zoo.

Seniors Lasya Sarraff and Pooja Pawar perform the Bolly wood fusion dance “Way 2 Desi” during International Night.

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