Volume 13, Issue 1 - Sept. 2014

PTSA: FINDING THE BALANCE

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the

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N o r t h v i e w H i g h S c h o o l Volume 13 路 issue 1 路 september 2014

THE END Of CLASS RANK

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varsit y girls ' v olle y ball

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DOWNEY:

the dawn of a new era

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[masthead] Editors-in-Chief: Marri kang, jessica ma Managing Editor: Nancy Coleman News Editor: Rachel Williams Features Editor: Sneha Gubbala Opinions Editor: Andrew Teodorescu Photo Editor: Hui Lin Design Editor: Connie Xu Copy Editor: Maggie Xia Online Editor: Bryan Liang Business Manager: Meredith Keisler Assistant Business Manager: Tarun Ramesh Faculty Adviser: Chris Yarbrough Staff Writers: Gabby Abreu, Shelby Bradley, Maggie Brenan, Tommy Bui, Manasa Chimpiri, Megan Cistulli, Sophia Choi, Ryan Daigle, Milika Dhru, Rameen Forghani, Chad Johnson, Annie Kong, Jooeun Lee, Justin Leung, Tanisa Mahalingam, Austin Meng, Lindsey Moon, Sally Pan, Jane Park, Caroline Pennington, Sumit Sohani, Parnia Vaghef, Eashaa Velamuri, Justin Westbrook, Sabrina Wilson, Connie Xiao Staff photographers: Nabila Khan, Brittney Neser, Tiffany Xu Cover Design: jessica ma, connie xu Cover photo: Hui Lin Email: nhsmessenger @gmail.com Phone: (770) 497-3828 ext. 176 Website: nhsmessenger.com Address: 10625 Parsons Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097

The Messenger is a student publication published for and distributed to students, faculty, staff, and the Northview community to promote readership of the students ’ current events and issues. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Northview High School, its students, faculty, staff, or administration. Content is controlled and edited by staff editors, with a high-priority on celebrating the achievements of its readers as well as events occurring within the circulation. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity, and the invasion of privacy.

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table of

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2 masthead 5 editor’s letter 8 news 12 sports 16 cover story 20 features 26 opinions 27 staff editorial 28 face-off 30 staff columns

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Hui Lin/STAFF

[articles] 8 Northview eradicates class rank/Sophia choi 9 Northview certamen team wins national championship / Austin meng 10 football field gets a makeover /sumit sohani 12 lady titans volleyball team starts the season strong/ sneha gubbala, jessica ma, and tarun ramesh 14 coaching changes come to softball/ justin westbrook 16 Cover story: Downey settles in as new principal / maggie xia 20 junior amarah shakur travels to europe / rachel williams 21 sharknado 2: the second one / andrew teoderescu 22 Where are they now: NOrthview Edition /nancy coleman and annie kong 24 students strive to balance schoolwork and extracurriculars /Tanisa mahalingam and Tarun Ramesh 26 healthy choices join northview lunch menu /sarah Jang 27 Staff editorial / The MEssenger Staff 28 face-off: Should MARTA expand? /Shelby Bradley and Bryan Liang 30 Music and fashion columns /eashaa velamuri and connie xu 31 comments / andrew teoderescu

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l e t t e r

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Meeting the man behind the curtain

never thought I would see myself on national television.

This summer, I competed with 24 other girls from my dance academy as the group Jasmine Flower in Season Nine of America’s Got Talent. To make a long story short, we passed the first two rounds and reached the quarterfinals at Radio City Music Hall, where our journey ended and where we went out with a bang — literally. Confetti cannons and fog machines were involved.

It is remarkable — and sad — to see how quickly vivid memories fade to hazy impressions. Little more than a month has passed since my friends and I returned home from New York City for the last time, but even such a brief period has already erased from my mind details of our time on AGT. My recollections feel so vague and surreal that I sometimes wonder whether the entire experience was only a dream.

Or, perhaps, a nightmare. From start to finish, America’s Got Talent was a physical and emotional roller coaster, and at times I wished we had never auditioned for the show. To be sure, we all understood that participating in such a highly publicized and competitive show would require long hours of training, but no one was prepared for the levels of stress and exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm us, especially as we advanced further in the competition. Case in point: only a few days after we arrived in New York to prepare for our live quarterfinal performance at Radio City, the team collapsed under the pressure of the upcoming show and the weariness from daily nine-to-five rehearsals.

What began as a calm pep talk became an uncontrollable, collective crying spree of 25 teenage girls. The obvious discomfort and silent judgment of the other contestants in the holding area seems comical in retrospect, but at the time I was teetering on the end of the emotional spectrum opposite of laughter.

Equally distressing was our exposure to the reality of reality television. Granted, even the least cynical individual would most likely understand that reality TV is not as genuine a portrayal of typical lifestyle and behavior as its name would suggest, but experiencing this misrepresentation firsthand, from the other side of the monitor, was unpleasantly eye-opening. Interviewers dictated lines for me to parrot on multiple occasions. Our social

media activity was monitored, scheduled, and formulated. The producers deliberately arranged and filmed interactions between contestants. Their motives were understandable, of course — after all, their show must appeal to viewers — but understanding their reasons did not make the situation any less disconcerting.

Pressure and occasional uneasiness aside, participating in America’s Got Talent with my dance team was still an enjoyable experience, to say the least. The show gave us an unprecedented opportunity to meet talented artists from across the nation, and we befriended our fellow contestants and even some crew members. I was just as enamored with the fast-paced, colorful, dynamic lifestyle that seemed to permeate New York City as I was with the (however misguided) feeling of fame and importance that resulted from rehearsing in the Rockettes’ practice room and performing at Radio City Music Hall, a stage usually reserved for only the biggest names in the performing arts. A particularly gratifying moment arose after rehearsal one day, when several strangers recognized and complimented us as we waited at a street corner. As ordinary high school students who had never experienced repute beyond occasional mentions in small local newspapers, even the tiniest acknowledgment and the most modest praise made the team confident and proud — perhaps even a bit arrogant.

Which is why, after our final performance, returning to “normal life” — which some of my teammates presumed to belittle after our stay in New York City — came as a relief to me. The attention of the cameras, the crew, and the gawking audience members, as well as the wealth and splendor that surrounded us, gave us all a sense of self-importance and entitlement that threatened to explode out of control. In the end, we arrived home very much the same little girls we were before we entered America’s Got Talent — still naive, still innocent, still fragile. In fact, in some ways, our participation in the show only affirmed that callowness by exposing our emotional instability and our weakness for attention and publicity.

I’ve had enough publicity for a lifetime, thank you very much.

Jessica Ma, Editor-In-Chief

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6| Brittney Neser/STAFF

WINDING UP Junior Makenzie Flynt, 1, pitches against Habersham Central on August 21, 2014 as junior Melissa Muench, 00, guards second base. The Lady Titans won 4-3.

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NEWS NEWS

the end of class ranking at northview

Starting this year, Northview will no longer report students’ class ranks SOPHIA CHOI, Staff Writer

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he Northview High School graduating class of 2015 will be the first class to graduate without its students being ranked out of their hundreds of other classmates.

The idea to remove class ranking began in the school governance council, a board of two parents, two teachers, two students, two community members, and the principal that makes decision that are in the best interests of Northview High School and its students.

In September of 2013, the council began weighing the pros and cons of class rank. After this research, the council sent out an email to the community as a part of an environmental scan to tell everybody that the school governance council was considering removing class rank. There was also a night where the public was invited to voice its opinions on the matter.

“We took feedback from everybody who was associated with Northview High School,” Principal Brian Downey said. “We took feedback from the students, from the teachers, from the parents, from the administrators, from the community members, from business members, basically anybody who ever touched Northview High School. Out of that feedback came a lot of information. The idea of stress was loud and clear in the feedback that we got. Our students are high achieving students but they’re also under a lot of stress.”

The students and parents who responded to the school governance council’s scan indicated that the class ranking, in particular, brought about a lot of unhealthy competition. Based on the comments that the council received, the board agreed that the class rank encouraged unnecessarily aggressive behavior.

“It just became an impossible race of ‘I need to be better than the person next to me,’ even though both of them were getting hundreds,” Downey said.

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Many students of Northview agreed that the removal of class ranking will be beneficial in eliminating a cause of stress.

“It adds more unity with all of our students,” senior Simran Mehrota said.

“Being a Northview student, that’s going to be way positive for me.

Even with a high B average I would be under the 50th percentile,” senior Adam Bock said.

However, many students and parents were concerned that the removal of class rank could possible be a disservice to their college applications, since many students depended on reporting their grade point averages and class ranks in order to be seen as a high-achieving student. Because of this concern, Northview High School will continue to recognize its top two students, the valedictorian and the salutatorian. Northview will also begin to place more emphasis on the merit of the Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude distinctions, which recognize students with exceptionally high grade point averages. Additionally, at the end of the junior year, the top five percent of juniors based on grade point average are invited to participate in the graduation ceremony with the seniors as Junior Marshals.

“That seemed to make everyone satisfied,” Downey said.

As to whether other schools should keep the class ranking, Mehrota said that she believes other school should follow suit and discontinue class ranking.

“There’s so much competition that the students forget to work together and we’re all just working against one another,” Mehrota said.

Downey, however, thought otherwise.

“It depends on the unique nature of the school,” said Downey.

“Some schools may benefit from it, because they might need that competition, they might need their kids to strive for more. That’s just not a problem at Northview. Our kids achieve greatness day to day.”

NHS CERTAMEN WINS NATIONALS

NEWS

Four students lead Northview to be the first Georgia victory in over 40 years The Northview intermediate team competes in the final round. Raahul Acharya, Vinu Eranezhath, Bryan Wu and Daniel Xu smile after a score check.

Bryan Liang/STAFF

AUSTIN MENG, Staff Writer

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his summer, while thousands of teenagers all across the country were just waking up from the previous night of violent video games and PG-13 blockbusters with remnants of junk food lying around their rooms, approximately teenage Latin enthusiasts were scrambling about at Emory University for the National Junior Classical League national convention in Atlanta, Georgia to get ready for their competitions and events. Approximately 1,800 students from across the globe convened from their respective Junior Classical League chapters from California, Ontario, and of course, the Georgia Junior Classical League.

“The Junior Classical League is a conglomeration of high school Latin clubs that study the ancient civilizations, language, law, customs, and arts,” senior Vinu Eranezhath said. Eranezhath attended and competed in the national convention this summer from July 28th to August 2nd. He is one of the four selected members of Northview’s intermediate Certamen team that competed at the national convention.

The intermediate Certamen team, consisting of Eranezhath, junior Raahul Acharya, sophomore Bryan Wu, and junior Daniel Xu, prepared throughout the year as they constantly attended and competed at prestigious tournaments.

These four members were chosen during day camps that took place over this summer in which there was intense competition and long nights of strenuous studying and memorization. The head coach for the intermediate team is Neal David, assisted by Ann Graham of Webb Bridge Middle School and Alan Farnsworth of Walton High School.

From then on, under their expertise, the intermediate Certamen team practices occurred once a week at school on a normal basis, with additional practices and preparation if a big tournament was on the rise.

However, certamen did not stop there; it continued on as the team went home to study, memorize, and prepare for the year-round quiz bowl style competition.

“Competing teams are made up of a maximum of four players who often specialize in an area of study, such as language, grammar, Roman history, culture, and Latin literature,” Ishan Deulkar said. Deulkar is the president of the Northview Junior Classical League.

After months of routine preparation, the Northview intermediate Certamen team competed and progressed through four different rounds at the national convention before arriving at the final championship round.

“We pretty much knew that we were going to win,” Eranezhath said.

The intermediate team did just that. Through months of intense preparation, both collectively and individually, the team triumphed with a national championship and is the first high school certamen team in Georgia to win one in over forty years.

In addition to being an integral part of the championship Certamen team, Eranezhath was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP). This is the second year in a row that he has received this honor, winning it last year as a member of the Novice Certamen Team. This prestigious award is presented to one member of a Championship match team. The MVP award is made to recognize the highest achieving Certamen player throughout the tournament, who was able to propel his team into victory.

“It may seem really serious and tough, which it is, but it can also be really fun, especially when you’re winning like we do. But in all seriousness, so I’ve made so many of my best Latin friends through competing with them in Certamen. It really is one of the best things JCL has to offer,” Deulkar said.

On their journey to a championship title, the Northview intermediate Certamen team has learned teamwork, perseverance, and dedication, and through the long haul, this spectacular group of intellectuals is truly second to none.

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NEWS

A groundbreAKing chAnge Northview’s track and field updated with a fresh look SUMIT SOHANI, Staff Writer

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soccer player may tire out over the course of a game––a similar phenomenon paralleled in the playing surface itself, which gradually experiences its own share of wear and tear.

Northview completely renovated its football field and track over the summer. Fulton County guidelines stipulate routine check-ups with athletic infrastructure, and the previous aging facilities were deemed a potential safety hazard for players and coaches alike. Construction began and continued throughout the summer.

Both the track and field had been in place for ten years, while the estimated life span for the infrastructure was only eight. Drastic changes were made––each piece had to be rebuilt from the ground up, a rather strenuous process. The first step involved digging up the old turf and asphalt and remaking the underlying surface––essentially, carving out 1-2 acres of dirt and gravel. Successive layers then had to be carefully laid one at a time. Detail work on the field included a custom crafting process for numbers and hashmarks, both of which had to be completed well in advance of the actual track.

Much of the new track is composed of a cement-dirt base, covered in a layer of cured asphalt and the actual track surface on top.

There was more to the renovation than merely replicating the past–– Principal Brian Downey took the opportunity to modernize the Titan logo on the field, which had previously been an outdated block-letter N. Downey was not involved directly in the architecture and construction process as principal, but he had to coordinate construction according to a timetable, along with managing the logistics of the operation and ensuring that no roadblocks impeded progress.

“It was actually fun to see them go through the whole process and how intricate and detailed the work is,” Downey said.

The field itself is an update in quality as a fourth or fifth generation model. The two-inch layer of rubber pellets set in the field will provide a burst of energy to players. The track will also be in better shape after a water-damaged foundation was replaced. Underlying problems had actually worsened the track surface to the point of danger.

The football field was completed on August 25, the Monday before the Titans’ home opener. Varsity football Head Coach and Athletic Director Chad Davenport was optimistic about the new field and the culture it would bring to Northview.

“It’s a lot nicer than we had.

It’s exciting for us,” Davenport said. “I think there’s the pride factor in it being a brand new field— it looks really good, it’s in great shape, and everyone wants to keep it looking good.”

The asphalt on the track will be laid September 8, and Principal Downey is optimistic about a finished product to be realized three weeks later.

“We’re looking at, if everything goes well, the end of September to have everything ready to rock and roll,” Downey said.

Unfortunately, the late September goal has cut into the practice time for Cross Country runners who are lacking a track well into the school year. A new track, though worth its weight in gold in terms of promoting team health, may outlive its promise if not delivered on time. While the runners are excited about a newer, safer surface, the delay may not be worth it to some.

“We need a track to practice on […] and now it’s halfway done into the heart of our season,” junior Cole Matthews said.

Ensuring that the new field and track stands the test of time will be an important communal Northview goal moving forward, according to Downey.

“If we can get everyone to take a little bit of ownership into protecting it, we can extend [the lifespan] past eight years,” Downey said.

“I think there’s the pride factor in it being a brand new field—it looks really good, it’s in great shape, and everyone wants to keep it looking good.”

- Chad Davenport

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OPINION From the field New turf can help players improve their game, and their health JUSTIN WESTBROOK, Staff Writer

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Hui Lin/STAFF

Workers survey the new “N” on the field before the first home game of the season. The game on August 29 against Duluth High School was the first game on the new field.

Coach Davenport believes that the solution lies in restricting the access to the newly forged crown jewel. Though the field provides an excellent venue for student events and clubs like Ultimate Frisbee, tradeoffs will have to be made between allowing complete public access and only permitting school-affiliated activities (like football) to use the space. Davenport firmly supports the latter, and anticipates more stringent regulations for the future.

“We’re not going to allow outside groups [on the field] because we’ve spent a lot of money down there...so we’re going to try to keep it as new as possible. We’re going to enforce rules [and] be more ahead of the curve this time than we were last time,” said Davenport.

For now, the new infrastructure just may be the Titans’ home-field advantage due to a completely new track that may lack the “worn” feel and texture, and the unusually high sponginess of new rubber pellets in the turf, a condition that the Titan football team will be used to in practice––though Principal Downey hopes that any such assistance will only supplement stellar Titan play.

aving played the past three years on ten-year-old turf, it felt more like concrete.

I was beyond excited about getting the new field. The difference is night and day. The old turf was sharp and hard, like falling on nails. The new turf is soft — players can fall without bleeding.

The outdated worn-down turf presented a real hazard to those practicing and playing on it. Every time a player made a sharp cut, they were at a great risk to slip due to the lack of traction. Not only could this slip cause an injury directly to the body, but the impact of hitting the ground resulted in immediate scrapes and wounds to the skin. The turf was as hard as concrete. The new turf surface makes cuts and brakes easier due to its traction, and provides a cushioned fall.

A major problem with turf is that over time, if it is not taken care of, it will flatten out. Once it flattens, it makes it more difficult to make cuts. Another major problem with flat turf is that it gives a ball little resistance to stop rolling. The new turf gives the ball resistance, as if it were regular grass. This slows the game down to how it should be played. ​ The new turf installed this summer is not only more appealing to the eye, but is also much higher in quality. Instead of the old carpet-like surface Northview had since the school opened, we are now able to practice on seemingly real grass.

The new turf will be the catalyst for dominant sports teams to pass through Northview, now that the athletes will be able to maximize their skills.

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SPORTS

Junior Milandi Bezuidenhout prepares to spike the ball during an afternoon practice.

Tommy Bui/STAFF

OVERCOMING the ODDS Lady Titans crush Creekview and prepare for a difficult season SNEHA GUBBALA, Features Editor, JESSICA MA, Editor-in-Chief, and TARUN RAMESH, Staff Writer

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he Northview varsity girls’ volleyball team defeated Creekview High School in the first home game of the season on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

“Every aspect of the game was really clicking for us,” Coach Daniel Kearney said. “Serving, passing, really good saving... and our hitters were putting the balls away.”

The Northview girls won three straight sets against Creekview (25-17, 25-17, 25-11). Senior Liesl Engelbrecht dominated the offense, making 13 attack kills and three serving aces. Fellow senior Kaitlyn Dachs led the defense with eight defensive digs.

Junior fan Mary Kate Korbisch believed that the win marked a great start to the school year and brought Northview’s student body closer than ever.

“We all played super hard and worked really well together as a team,” junior Hannah Wiedemann said. “The crowd support really helped.”

Northview students dressed in white at the game in honor

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GAME BY THE

NUMBERS

24 18 4 6 29

1 25-17 2 25-17 3 25-11 Blocks

attack kills

Defensive Digs

serving aces

assists

of Abbey Rice, a member of the varsity girls’ volleyball team who passed away this summer in a vehicle accident. The crowd played an important part in bringing the team together and supporting the players in light of the tragedy.

“If we won or lost, it doesn’t matter – we feel like a team. We feel really supported right now, with lots of the school coming,” senior Taylor Spuhler said. “Also, we’ve received a lot of support from[… ] the teams around us.”

According to Spuhler, rival volleyball teams including St. Pius, Johns Creek, and Chattahoochee reached out to the Northview team after the accident. The loss of a teammate has brought the girls closer together and will continue to motivate them throughout the season to come.

“After [the accident] happened, it brought us a lot down, but it just made us stronger,” senior Lauren Spuhler said. “We’ve just been bonding all together[…]doing what we should be doing.”

Although the team has struggled to cope with the loss, the girls have continued to train in preparation for the upcoming season.

“It’s been a tough road, with everything that’s happened,” Kearney said. “But the girls come to practice and I think they’re trying to put together a positive atmosphere in practice, which carries over into games.”

The girls aim to follow Rice’s example of bringing a positive, caring, and loving attitude onto the court.

“We’re all trying to work harder now, just for her,” Lauren said. “We dedicate our season to her.”

According to Kearney, Northview’s recent shift from region AAAAA to region AAAAAA of the Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA) will make the upcoming season a challenge for the varsity girls’ volleyball team. Still, Kearney and the team have high hopes for the season.

“We’re in a very tough region, and we’re playing against some really good teams,” Kearney said.

“Definitely, playoffs are always on our minds.”

The team hopes to win the region playoffs and continue as far - Taylor Spuhler, 12 as possible in the state championships, which will culminate in the finals on Nov. 1 at Marietta High School. The girls plan for intensive physical training in order to meet their goals, even as they continue to struggle emotionally with the loss of their teammate.

“We definitely miss Abbey... She’s always going to be in our hearts and our minds,” Kearney said. “It’s definitely been tough. I just want [the team] to have a positive, fun year, and that’s what’s really going to help this team move forward.”

WE WON OR LOST, “ITWHETHER DOESN’T MATTER — WE FEEL LIKE A TEAM. We feel really supported right now, with lots of the school coming.

”

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SPORTS

Welcome to the coaching carousel Lady Titans band together to endure numerous changes JUSTIN WESTBROOK, Staff Writer

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or the past two years, the Northview softball team has been revolving on a coaching carousel. During these two years, the Northview softball program has seen four coaches come and go.

“It is kind of difficult getting used to the personalities and coaching that each coach has, but it has worked out to an extent,” junior Makenzie Flynt said. Flynt has had a different coach each year that she has played softball for Northview.

Coach Andrea Payne, who coached the Northview team from 2011 to 2012, left after the 2012 season because her husband accepted a job in Sweden. For the 2013 season, varsity baseball coach Aaron Wilkens stepped in. Coach Wilkens only stayed one year with the program and then stepped down. Coach Jeff Olney followed Wilkens and stayed only two weeks before accepting a new teaching position at South Forsyth High School.

Laura Ashby, counselor at Northview High School, then came into play. This is Ashby’s first head coaching job, but she is no stranger to softball. Ashby played softball during her college years at Louisiana Tech. Following her playing years, Ashby taught at a private school in Texas, where she was an assistant coach for the softball team.

Throughout this turmoil, only the players have remained constant in the Northview softball program. Their hard work and commitment has led to a successful start this season.

“The girls are all really great and they work very hard,” Ashby said.

The Lady Titans currently sit in the fifth spot in Region AAAAAA, with a win over cross-town rival Chattahoochee. They also have wins against Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Centennial and Habersham Central.

Making the jump to AAAAAA without the consistency in a coaching staff makes it much harder, even with the players to compete.

“It has been really difficult, especially having a new coach every year because he or she has to learn everyone’s playing styles,” junior Lexa Muench said.

Despite the numerous changes, the players have remained upbeat.

“It has taught me multiple coaching styles and how to communicate differently with all of them,” Flynt said.

Having upperclassmen leadership helps to bring consistency to the program. Many players have been on the team for three to four years.

“I think it really helps us connect because we are the only stable part of the team,” senior Rachel Smith said.

This year, the team is going to use their consistency of players to hopefully achieve their goal of a region championship. Achieving the goal of a region championship is one of the hardest tasks that the Lady Titans may face, but it is one they have fully accepted.

Northview softball has never won a region championship. Under Ashby, they look to do so and also clinch a playoff spot. The Lady Titans have not made the playoffs since the 2011 season, when they were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. Making the playoffs in their first year returning to AAAAAA would be an enormous accomplishment.

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Junior Lizzy Ehmen makes a catch at first base.

Brittney Neser/STAFF

TEAM LEADERS

.541 14 batting avg. runs scored Melissa Muench

Lexa Muench

Makenzie Flynt

Makenzie Flynt

13 3.16 runs scored ERA

the

essenger ONLINE

@NHSMessenger Like us on Facebook Visit nhsmessenger.com

sports | the messenger | 15

FEATURES

16 | FEATURES

DOWNEY Brian Downey steps into the role of Principal after four years as Assistant Principal.

MAGGIE XIA, Copy Editor

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A

fter four years as assistant principal, Brian Downey has stepped up to become the current principal of Northview High School.

While attending Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, Downey became the teaching assistant for a biology lab that convened weekly, a teaching experience that lasted two years and gave him a lasting impression that influenced his decision to take a career in education. He graduated from Providence College with an undergraduate degree in Biology, and at that point, had to make a decision on what path he wanted to go down, whether it was to seek a career in medicine or the seek a career in teaching. Downey chose teaching.

“I decided to pursue teaching, based on that experience [in the biology lab] I had in college, and along with that my mom, uncle, three aunts, and four cousins are also teachers, so it was kind of ingrained in the family as I was growing up, so that’s what lead me to go into education,” Downey said.

He began his teaching career in the city of Andover, Massachusetts, teaching Biology and Life Sciences for eight years before being offered the position of Dean of Students at a high school there, a position equivalent of an assistant principal position, which gave him the chance to influence students to a greater degree. During his time as the Dean of Students, Downey returned to school to obtain his Masters in Educational Leadership at Fitchburg State University, thus allowing him to achieve the certification required to become an administrator.

His personal life developed as he was working in Massachusetts. While living in Providence, Downey married and had a daughter, a life event that led to the move down to Georgia.

“

“My family’s from New Jersey, my wife’s family is from Sandy Springs, and we wanted to move near family to have some support,” Downey said.

His job search led to an interview for the assistant principal position at Northview, and after finding out he had been appointed the position, he began working at Northview in the summer of 2010.

While working as the assistant principal for the past four years, Downey still had goals for his career. He recognized that each step up, each new opportunity, gave him the chance to impact more and more people, and on a deeper level.

“Coming to Fulton County as the assistant principal I knew that somewhere down the line principal would be something that I would want to be. As I go through education, I realize that when I teach, I can directly impact, hopefully in a positive way, 125 kids a year, but when I step up into administration, I realize I can now impact maybe an entire class, maybe I can impact four or five hundred kids a year.

I get some experience and some confidence in doing that, and I realize, if I take the next step, I can positively impact two thousand students every year,” Downey said.

As Downey went through his career, each time he became competent in his skill and position, he seized the next, bigger challenge, in order to have the opportunity to make a greater impact.

Former Northview principal Dr. Paul Brannon helped to push Downey in the right direction.

“I learned a tremendous amount from him. He was instrumental in me becoming a principal. He showed me that I could handle the position... working side by side with him, it gave me the confidence, gave me the push, to tell myself, ‘Yup, you can step up and handle this,’” Downey said.

Downey had to go through a long process in order for Fulton County to confirm him as a strong candidate for principal. He first had to travel

I’m lucky that I get to come in here every day and be a part of the school on a day-to-day basis.

18 | features

to downtown Atlanta for a seven hour interview conducted by a leadership team from the county. Passing the interview, he then became part of a group of applicants who were considered good candidates to be potential new principals. Downey was instructed to apply to and interview at several schools. Coincidentally, one school was Northview. He then went through a second interview with a group of twelve people, made up of students, teachers, parents, community leaders, and central office personnel, an hour long interview that was specifically Northview orientated. Downey was offered the job. It was not until after interviewing a third time with Dr. Robert Avossa, the superintendent of Fulton County Schools, and receiving his approval, and finally, receiving the School Board’s approval of Avossa’s recommendation, that he was officially appointed the position of principal.

Downey recognizes that with the advancement in his career, comes the responsibilities that he has in regards to his new position.

“I think that it is our job as the teachers and administrators and my job as the principal to be narrow minded in our focus, meaning that we are focused on our students and the success of our students, and we can define success in many, many different ways. It’s going to really be defined on an individual basis...We have to be aware of that and make sure we support all the students that we have here at Northview,” Downey said.

The teachers at Northview find Downey to be a respectable principal.

“He knows the school, he knows the students, and he knows the community, so there won’t be any issues with misrepresentation. He knows how to work well with us and we work well with him. In terms of working with him as a principal, he’s very flexible, he treats us with respect and he doesn’t Hui Lin/STAFF micro manage what we do. He lets us do our jobs,” Brian Pidgeon, math teacher, said. “He makes decisions with the best interest of the students in mind,” Jennifer Niehaus, the math department chair, said.

As part of his agenda, Downey is looking forward to making some changes.

Though he believes that Northview is already exceptional in many aspects, he sees it as his duty to identify the areas in which there is still room for improvement. There is one area that he wants the school as a whole to focus on this school year: for the students to be able to find a healthy balance between academics and their lives outside of school.

“I think that the students and the staff are all high achievers, and that’s why we’re so successful, but I want to make sure that the students and the staff find time to take care of themselves, to spend time with their family and friends, and to make sure they are involved in other activities besides their academic activities, just so that we’re all more balanced and well rounded,” Downey said.

Going along with the idea of balance, Downey coordinated with members of the BETA Club during the summer to come up with the idea of setting aside a day every month to allow students and staff to take a break from the school work that night, instead spending the night stress free on an activity of their choosing, whether it be spending time with the community, family, or friends.

Northview students enjoy working with Downey and look forward to a school year under his leadership.

“I know him through Student Leadership Johns Creek [...] he was always very helpful and very kind,” junior Ritika Kumar said. “He’s been at

Principal Downey attends a meeting with Northview administrators.

this school for a long time [and] he’s also a very nice person.”

Downey sees himself as highly fortunate to be working with the administrators, teachers, and students that make up Northview High School.

The staff at Northview holds the same regard toward him.

“We’re very fortunate to have Mr. Downey named as the new principal. He’s a pleasure to work with because he listens first and decides later; he wants everyone to be a part of the process. It’s not like he’s my principal, he’s my colleague,” Dr. Vijay Purugulla, assistant principal, said.

“I say every day that I am lucky to work at Northview and I’m lucky to work at Northview because of the student body that we have. We have wonderful students, we have the best students in the state of Georgia, we have the best students in just about the whole country. What I look forward to most on a day to day basis is literally walking in to this building. Northview is such a unique and wonderful place that every single day I’m walking in with a smile cause I get to hang out with the best kids in the state of Georgia, and get to work with some of the best teachers and administrators in the state of Georgia. I’m lucky that I get to come in here everyday and be a part of the school on a day-to-day basis. I look forward to seeing what the kids do and how they do it,” Downey said.

features | the messenger | 19

FEATURES

amarah shakur: World Traveler

Junior Amarah Shakur travels to Europe for a student ambassador program RACHEL WILLIAMS, News Editor

W

hile other students were at the beach or finishing up summer homework this past summer, junior Amarah Shakur was traveling throughout Europe on the People to People student ambassador trip.

In June, Shakur left the comfort of Johns Creek for a new experience in Europe, where she would spend the month with 40 other students from all over the United States.

“I went on the European Heritage trip. It takes you to Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, and Belgium…I’m the only Northview person that went. There was a range of grades in high school that go,” Shakur said.

According to the program’s website, the student ambassador program provides students with global awareness, a trait that will improve cultural intelligence and allow students to be more accepting of different people and cultures.

Students chosen for the People to People program are expected to raise their own funds through fund raising events and jobs.

“During the school year of my sophomore year, I got a letter in the mail saying that I was nominated…you raise money throughout the year, and then in the summer…you go to whichever trip they choose for you,” Shakur said. “I tried to raise the money with a GoFundMe account, but I only raised about half the money that way, so my parents paid for the rest.”

As she traveled in Europe, Shakur had difficulties acclimating to a different culture.

“I found it hard to communicate with people in another language…most people there did know English, but currency-wise, if you’re trying to barter things, they do trade over there unlike America,” she said.

The program planned for each country visited, such as visits to museums and famous sites, and one of the activities involved a home stay with a German family.

“My favorite part was probably the home stay they had set up for Germany. When we arrived we got to go with a random family they selected that had a child around our age, and you go to school with them for three days and you do all their daily life things. It was just a really cool to experience another high school in another country,” Shakur said.

The program provides one elective high school semester credit as well as ten service learning hours. In order to receive this credit, the student ambassadors were required to write a journal every day.

“You were expected to every day, after you did your daily tasks they had set up, you had to come back to your room and journal what you did that day. Then, when we got back to America, [we turned] in those journals. That was [the] requirement,” Shakur said.

The program not only allowed Shakur to visit countries many only dream of seeing, it allowed her to learn more about how other people live around the world.

“I realized that even if you don’t speak the same language as someone you can still communicate with them in different ways, and I just learned more about different cultures and countries,” she said.

20 | features

Photos by: Amarah Shakur/ SPECIAL

FEATURES

Shark happens...

I

ANDREW TEODORESCU, Opinions Editor n the midst of Sharknado 2’s atrocious special effects, cliched heroic lines, and ill-fitting celebrity features is a glint of familiarity. As Americans, we are used to the overuse of CGI effects that create fake explosions, fake monsters, fake gore. With its super-sized budget, Sharknado 2 succeeds in making a movie so American that it almost hurts.

The entire plot of the movie can be summed up by the movie’s corny subtitle, “Shark Happens.” In less than 90 minutes, the main character, played

by Ian Ziering, lands a crashing plane, slingshots bombs into a tornado, chain saws a flying shark in half, electrocutes the Empire State Building, freezes a tornado, gets swallowed by a shark while in free fall, rides a flying shark to safety, and ultimately rescues New York City from complete destruction.

Coincidentally, or not, more than half of these events are repetitions of the movie’s predecessor, Sharknado. The plot is almost exactly mirrored; while Sharknado’s setting is Los Angeles, Sharknado 2’s setting is New York City.

The characters in the made-for-television movie even acknowledge the flaunting similarities in their absurd dialogue. However, the movie’s true hilarity does not lie in its plot progression.

Sharknado 2 looks and sounds like a 90 minute commercial for a summer blockbuster action movie. The quality of the special effects are on par with a YouTube video made by a preadolescent Michael Bay on a sugar rush. Despite their clear flaws, the painfully terrible effects are what initially attract viewers’ attention, making Sharknado 2 a “so bad it’s funny” movie.

It is plainly obvious that Sharknado 2’s budget was blown on celebrity features rather than developing sophisticated, realistic effects. Admittedly, there are few things funnier than watching Billy Ray Cyrus act as an emergency doctor. The rest of the celebrity cast includes the likes of Andy Dick, Perez Hilton, Robert Klein, Matt Lauer, Biz Markie, Al Roker, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan. Although much of the cast is rather insignificant in the celebrity world, the dialogue is enhanced by their almost-relevant-but-not-really D-List statuses. The only explanation for the generous increase in celebrity actors between Sharknado and its sequel is a budget boost.

The massive social media stir created by the original Sharknado was one of unprecedented proportions. After just two airings on SyFy, Sharknado became the Most Watched Original Movie in the channel’s history; nearly all of this fame can be attributed to it’s trending status on Twitter. With a bold attempt to repeat this phenomenon, Syfy targeted Twitter in its advertising, hyping up the release of movies months in advance. It worked.

Attracting an audience of 3.9 million viewers upon release, Sharknado 2 took the throne as SyFy’s Most Watched Original Movie Release.

As predicted from the aggressive success of its prequel, Sharknado 2 deservedly has earned its spot in Shark Week. Yet another addition to the series, Sharknado 3, has already been planned with a July 2015 release date.

Of course, it is absolutely necessary to continue the legacy of Sharknado.

Sharknado 2 is the rich uncle of Sharknado, taking advantage of its inflated budget... More money. More sharks. More explosions. More chain saws. More blood. More celebrities. More American. Twice the amount of sharknadoes. Enough said.

features | the messenger | 21

FEATURES

Where are th

Liz MORGAN

Tiffany Xu/STAFF

ANNIE KONG, Staff Writer

s

enior Liz Morgan hit the big screen for the first time this month in horror film The Remaining.

The Messenger featured Northview student Morgan in April of 2013 when she initially landed the role. After almost two years of production, the movie finally hit theaters.

The film, which premiered September 5, focuses on a group of friends trying to survive during the biblical end of the world. Morgan played an unlikely addition to the group, surly teenager Sam. “She has this dark side to her, which I really like and it’s really fun,” said Morgan. “She’s an introvert; she doesn’t know how to function with people. She’s really smart...she really, really loves books and reading and she’s always been kind of on her own. She’s had a good family, but she’s never really had any friends.”

Morgan has appeared in multiple Northview theatre productions, such as A Christmas Carol and Macbeth last year. The Remaining is Morgan’s first film role--and while the movie was made to scare audiences, Liz was initially frightened for a completely different reason.

“It was scary, but not because it was ‘scary.’ It was terrifying because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have any experience with film,” said Morgan.

After starting the filming process, however, Morgan found similarities between her previous acting work at Northview and The Remaining.

“I was actually surprised by how comfortable I felt with acting in the movie--it honestly didn’t feel any different than acting at school, and it’s weird because that was just acting,” Morgan said. “For this movie, I was expecting it to be more glamorous

22 | features

and ‘Hollywood,’ but it was all really just down-to-earth and the crew was down-toearth too. I wasn’t overwhelmed by it at all.”

During the month-long filming process in March of 2013, Morgan formed relationships with many of her fellow cast mates.

“I love all of them and they’re amazing. They were all really really nice and I wasn’t expecting that--I was expecting them to be all kind of snobby, but they were the complete opposite. They were really welcoming and they helped me through the process.”

Liz befriended some crew members during filming as well.

“The crew is so great. I made a lot of good friends with the crew. There’s this one guy who works at base camp, which is where all the trailers are, and we just talked about Calvin and Hobbes for like an hour straight. It was so great; everything was amazing and I made friends with everyone,” Morgan said.

Even while filming more serious scenes, Morgan and the cast still found ways to keep the mood light on set.

“I remember there’s this guy [who played] a shadow of a demon,” Morgan said.

“And he had this really scary, awesome costume and on break, I remember I was eating breakfast and this guy would just walk up and he’d go ‘Sup’ and it was so funny.”

Since the film’s premiere, Morgan has gained fans through Twitter and Instagram. She also hopes that the movie will help her further her budding film career.

“That’s what it is--it’s people knowing people and connections. When this movie comes out, hopefully, a director or a casting director will be like ‘I want to see you for a part!’”

they now?

The Messenger catches up with two previously featured Northview artists

dan Sam Quinn/STAFF

Brickle NANCY COLEMAN, Managing Editor

N

orthview custodian Dan Brickle left his job this semester after four years of working at the school.

The Messenger featured Brickle last October after his performance at the Willstock music festival left the audience on their feet and pleading for an encore. His musical presence at the school grew with his subsequent performances at the SEWA Coffeehouse and Black History Month Assembly in December and February, respectively. Brickle was a favorite among students for his talents both instrumentally and vocally as well as his kind personality, but he felt it was the right time to depart.

“The reason I wanted to leave when I did was because I was starting to grow tired of coming to the same place every day. The duties are repetitive and hard on the body,” Brickle said. “Think about how hard some mothers have to work to keep the house clean with a few kids. After four years, I felt it was time to move on.”

At the time of his interview last fall, Brickle had written over 100 songs, some of which were performed at Northview events like Willstock. While Brickle will most likely not be seen on the Northview stage any time soon, he still plans to continue writing new music.

“I always want to write another song and I always have a reason to,” Brickle said. “I love writing things that are very personal. It’s hard for people to open up to each other, but it is a beautiful thing when it happens. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes it sounds great and gets stuck

in your head. I try and remain aware that the ideals expressed by someone affect others.”

Brickle hopes to master song writing by learning more about the origins of music and how music can affect people. His main goal after leaving the school, however, is to focus on himself.

“I want to maintain the source of happiness I found in myself,” said Brickle. “I love sharing my gifts with people and I hope to extinguish my personal anxieties.

I don’t like to look too far ahead, but I hope to start playing a lot of shows soon.”

He performed recently at Alanfest, a music festival to honor late University of Georgia alum David Alan Lewis, who was a friend of Brickle’s.

“His love for music and desire to play with me inspired me so much,” Brickle said. “Share, share, share. Music is about sharing.”

Brickle finds meaning in his life primarily through his music. Reflecting upon his past four years at Northview, he discovered that he had found meaning in his work as well.

“It started as a way to make money and that was it. It turned into something amazing,” he said. “After my second year, I realized I was watching all of the students grow up. Some I really connected with. I know things are difficult when growing up, but I usually saw [them] all so happy. Seeing all of [them] laugh and smile really touched my soul. I saw my friends and myself in those moments. I realized we are all just really children, and how more often than not, adults forget that we are always learning. [Students] have so many choices ahead of [them], and it is beautiful.”

features | the messenger | 23

THE BATTLE FOR

BALANCE Illustrations by Bryan Liang/STAFF

Beta Club organizes Northview’s first Stress-Awareness Week TANISA MAHALINGAM, Staff Writer

B

eta Club hopes to impact stressed-out students in a positive way by presenting Northview’s first ever stress-free week, which will be during the last week of September.

“The idea of stress-free week emerged from hearing a lot of students complain about the stress that they were under because of the heavy workload and standard of excellence that is expected at Northview. We hoped that this week would be a temporary break from it all,” junior Joanne Zheng, secretary of Beta club said.

An American Psychological Association survey (2014), of 1,000 teenagers and 2,000 adults, discovered that 27% of the teens felt that they are under “extreme” stress during the school year and 34% of the teenagers expected stress to increase within the next school year.

According to the American Psychological Association, teens who mimic adults’ high-stress lives set themselves up for a future of chronic stress and illness.

“At the beginning of the year, [Megan Hart, Beta club sponsor] went to a meeting and they discussed how stress is a big deal in Fulton County schools. So basically, that was the very first premise of how stress-free week came about. Northview is

stress awareness

WEEK

such a rigorous and academic school and a lot of students experience a lot of stress.

Our goal was to make a week for stress awareness: give students an opportunity for a relaxed and fun week and also learn how to manage stress,” co-president of Beta club along with senior Tarun Khasnavis., senior Amit Dommeti said.

The officers of Beta club, along with Hart, started planning stress-free week at the beginning of summer, and then sent Principal Brian Downey an email listing the specifics of their proposal.

“He was really enthusiastic about the idea. Mr. Downey really liked our nohomework day, and so now there is actually going to be a no-homework day once a month. The Tuesday of stress-free week is the first of many no-homework days in our school,” Dommeti said.

Officers and members of Beta club have planned exciting activities each day of the week that are specifically designed to alleviate stress. Monday, September 29, Beta club is selling stickers for pajamas and hats that can be worn the following Monday. Tuesday, September 30, will be Community Night (the first No Homework Day).Wednesday, October 1, will be Yoga Day. Yoga sessions will held dur-

MONDAY

tuesday

September 29 Pajama Day

September 30 No Homework Day Community Night

ing both lunches in the gym. Thursday, October 2, will be Bubble Tea Day. Friday, October 3, will be Music Day; the officers decided to have a musically themed day because it is scientifically known that music relieves stress.

Beta club intends to make Stress-free week an annual event at Northview High School. They expect that students will enjoy the exciting and creative activities and more importantly the club hopes to

spread awareness of how to combat stress on personal and broader levels.

This month, the student body will experience Beta club’s attempt to get a possible win against the battle of stress that all students are fighting everyday.

FEATURES

School sponsors monthly no-homework days to help alleviate student workload TARUN RAMESH, Staff Writer

N

orthview’s new no-homework days promise to relieve the pressure on an academically focused high school.

“Balance is this year’s theme,” Principal Brian Downey said.

“Northview needs a break… we just need to have moment and take a breath.”

The administration intends to use the no-homework days as a relaxation period where no graded assignments can be due the next day.

“Stress and academic pressure build up before a test or quiz, homework grades from other classes just add to it,” sophomore Richard Jeng said.

The intense stress zones fueled by academic competition in Northview creates an environment where grades come first and family second. The academic drive that many Northview students have can detrimentally affect their social lives.

“During finals week I don’t see my friends outside of school... it is too stressful, I don’t have time to think about anything other than getting good grades,” Jeng said.

There will be a no-homework day within Beta’s stress awareness week.

This will be the trial for the administration to decide if the no-homework days will actually help reduce pressure. The administration will gather a group of students and listen to their feedback about the no-homework days. Language Arts teacher Jordan Kohanim is optimistic about the no-homework days.

“I think that there is a sense of balance that can be thrown if the academic pressure becomes a crucible… the days are a great fix to help both the students and the teachers,” Kohanim said.

Many students, however, believe that the no-homework day does not serve a real purpose. Hypothetically, the no-homework days will allow students to relax. “[In reality] the extra day will be used to procrastinate which will increase the students case load the next day… there is an inherent problem with the academic pressure placed on us. A couple of no-homework days won’t help

in the long run,” Jeng said. Teachers also have the ability to bypass these nohomework days with easy loopholes.

“Teachers may not give you ‘homework’ on that day but you can still have long term homework. Like if Thursday is a no-homework day, they'll give you homework on Wednesday,” junior Shivali Pandya said.

Frequency is another controversial issue associated with the no-homework days. Teachers clamor for a minimum while students want to maximize their new found freedom.

“I wouldn’t even say one day a month; I would say one day a semester where we take a moment and reflect upon what is important in life,” Kohanim said. Administrators are trying to find the perfect balance between productivity and relaxation.

“That is why these focus groups are so key,” Downey said. “So we can see what the school’s best option is.”

Students want to push for more no-homework days but realize the limits.

“While more than one day is obviously better, realistically it is not feasible,” Jeng said.

“The academic pressure is too high here,” Downey said.

Every student needs to create balance in their life and the administration, partnering with Beta Club, hopes that the no-homework days will help provide balance to an academically aligned community.

“The current Northview academic schedule is very rigorous, these special days will help alleviate the stresses,” Jeng said.

Although many treat the new no-homework days will skepticism, Downey hopes that there is a long road ahead for these days. With academic pressure taking its toll on every student, in the words of principal Downey, “[We must take] a Titan time out.”

wednesday

THURSDAY

friday

October 1 Boba Tea Day

October 2 Yoga Day

October 3 Karaoke

OPINIONS

New School Lunch Obama’s new policy is reaching schools across the nation, including Northview

NEW SCHOOL LUNCH

SARAH JANG, Staff Writer Every student knows Einstein, Edison, and Eisenhower, but what about Emerson, Eggleston, and Eugene?

T

here are always a few surprises waiting around the bend with the start of each school year; an incoming principal and new flooring are some with the arrival SARAH Staff Writer of fall 2014.JANG, At a closer glance, there may be an even bigger eye-opener, or rather, mouth-tester which awaits the student body. In what seemsCeramics. forever aFundamentals wait, the first of lunch bell makes culpture.

Theatre.

Music way about the halls, followed by packs and hungry Appreciation.

AP Studio Art.ofAPrelieved Drawing Portfolio. students flocking towards the cafeteria.

Contrary to popular belief, high schools offer their However, rather theiscrowdfairsomething share of seemed art classes.

Butamiss howamong common it for ed lunch lines and chattering rows of tables. used to people to have heard of—let aloneWhat take—one or be twoa tray stocked full of nuggets french fries areshowing finding of these classes?

I’vechicken definitely never and heard of a student its substitutes with theDesign debutPortfolio. of whole-wheat biscuits and anynew desire to take AP 2-D mandarin oranges.

The entire carte section removed from It is not uncommon for aà la student to excelis in high school the menus, anda even soldforinfour the years. vending without taking singlesnacks art class Artmachines is simplymay not be in for ainchange. a priority our current education system. It is highly likely that

This new change of Fulton new obart could be dying outisofthe theresult American publicCounty’s school curricular ligation forfrom all schools to meet the standards USDA’s fedpool. And a statistical standpoint, it makesofsense. eral Smart Snacks Foods rich whole-grain with side In 2012, the program. average income for in people with majors in vegetables and fruits will now be $43,100. a requisite, along withthe limited Liberal Arts was approximately Logistically, arts sodium, sugar, and fat levels. to Onhuman the brighter side, pizzaand is concontribute nearly nothing productivity adsidered a vegetable fora its nutritional intake of not two production. tablespoons vancement; they are means of expression, of tomato sauce.

Many parents encourage their children to major in one of

Needless to say, foodtechnology, is an essential basis on and all standthe STEM fields: science, engineering, mathpoints of our lives, and many of us are occasionally guilty

S

26 | OPINIONS

for exaggerating these very words through our actions. Varying in priority and preference from person to person, what we eat greatly defines and affects us both in and outside of school. It is not necessary for others to take up concerns regarding our health and the way we make such choices in life. If school objectives include the careers. need to There educate us about ematics—because they are high-pay is certainly nutrition and eating healthily, I suppose so it didthat its job - that something satisfying about producing work contribis, if actual these efforts do nottowards start resulting in the but accumulated utes advancement these fields, it is not feeding of the trash enough.

Without ourcans.

Van Goghs and Mozarts and Twains, Acan fewthe weeks into race the school year, I took a day off time to abanhow human be described in different pedon myGeorge loadedOrwell’s lunch boxes drinksthe to riods?

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If students not of learn the cheese importance shredded lettuce andoftomatoes, withabout a bagitof over-baked most will not go out their wayalong to learn alone.

Art is a chips. Ongrowing, my way loud out, apart lunch a Granny Smith into moving, of lady our plopped society and, by ignoring it in my tray.art A skeptical into myinpizza, a cautious gnawshould on my school, is bound nibble to deteriorate the future.

Students salad.

Butthe I was not someofculinary critic; Itowas simply another be taught significance art in relation its time period and student it through the rest of the day. And soon its lastingtrying effecttoonmake society. thecountries nibbles and gnaws became satisfying chompsisand chews.

In where art education in high school mandatory— But as for sure,Hungary, the bag of was more filling thanand thescience rest of namely Japan, andchips the Netherlands—math the scores lunch, tend probably that lunch trayart too. test to beincluding higher. Understanding not only inspires A meal withoutana artistic full stomach a meal not worth eating, students to pursue hobby,isbut it shapes students into because a mealoutgoing, is nothingand without a fullpeople. stomach. more creative, confident

OPINIONS

s t a f f

O

e d i t o r i a l

“Like a girl”

ver the last century, human rights have expanded exponentially through new laws protecting and granting rights to all people, regardless of race, gender, and sexuality.

The 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920. In 1972, Title IX passed, leveling the playing field for aspiring female collegiate athletes.

Now, in Georgia, equality in high school sports has evolved so that females can now play sports, such as football, that have no female equivalent.

According to GHSA rules, “Girls may participate on boys’ teams when there is no girls’ team offered in that sport by the school. Boys are not allowed to play on girls’ teams even when there is no corresponding boys’ sport.

A student’s gender is determined by the gender noted on his/her certificate at birth.”

Females who want to play football can play football.

Females who want to wrestle can wrestle. It is finally becoming a fair place to live, regardless of gender.

Recently, during the Little League World Series, a young girl made a splash as a pitcher for a Philadel-

phia team after she pitched a two-hit shutout. There was very little negative feedback towards Mo’ne Davis, and if anything, this has actually helped the stereotype of “throwing like a girl.”

Mo’ne Davis may never become an MLB pitcher; however, she could be a catalyst for young girls who want to play a typically male-only sport, such as baseball and football. Davis has brought a whole new definition to throwing like a girl.

The brand Always recently released a video, showing what people think it means to throw or run like a girl. The teenage girls, as expected, threw with limp arms and ran awkwardly and worried about their hair. Pre-pubescent girls were asked the same question, and the difference was amazing. The little girls throw with all their might and run as fast as their legs will take them.

Although society has evolved into a much more understanding and accepting world, it is still not perfect.

As the years go on, and awareness is raised for women’s sports, equality for females will be attainable, especially for athletics.

opinions | the messenger | 27

SHOULD MARTA BE EX PA N D ED? MARTA already brings passengers as North as North Springs and as South as the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The company discussed expanding into Cobb in the future and possibly to other counties as well. Should the Atlanta transportation system expand to Johns Creek?

28 | opinions

YES:

SHELBY BRADLEY, Staff Writer

E

xpanding MARTA will provide the people of Atlanta with a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to individual transportation.

Funding the expansion for MARTA will cost millions of dollars but since it will obtain more customers, MARTA can quickly pay off its debt and earn a profit. MARTA already provides fast, traffic-free transportation to over half a million people every day, equating to almost two hundred thousand cars off the road each day. If MARTA expands, its new train or bus stations will bring in more potential customers because of its more convenient locations. Not only will this cut the morning commute to work, but it will also take more cars off the road in the process.

Since Northview is a charter school, some of Northview’s students have to travel farther using different forms of transportation just to get to school on time every day. These students could take advantage of the closer stations to reduce their travel time. Closer stations would help cut down on their commute, allowing them more time to sleep or work on homework.

According to MARTA’s website, taking MARTA is 91% safer than riding in a car. On the train, on the bus, or at the station, MARTA provides its passengers with several ways of connecting with police officers in case of an emergency. Unlike cars on the road, it would be nearly impossible for a MARTA train to crash into another vehicle. MARTA has also created a list of rules to help keep their passengers safe as an ultimate statement of dedication to safety.

OPINIONS MARTA, in essence, acts like a giant car-pooling community, decreasing the amount of fuel consumption and benefiting the environment. By taking MARTA rather than driving, passengers cut down on emissions and pollution. Since MARTA’s expansion will allow more people to use its buses and trains, less people will drive their cars, thus removing extra carbon dioxide that comes from each car on the road.

MARTA is also moving towards a greener form of transportation by finding alternative energy sources. MARTA installed solar panels, generating 1.2 megawatts of green power to power its facilities. In its bathrooms, paper towels were replaced with hand dryers, cutting down on paper waste. Furthermore, MARTA’s buses use natural gas and LED lights. Each station provides recycling and waste baskets for the passengers. They even have water filling stations for their employees to use, thus cutting the amount of plastic water bottles wasted.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, MARTA currently provides jobs to over thirty thousand people, so with the expansion, more job opportunities will arise. Seven percent of people in Georgia are unemployed.

Creating the extra jobs will help bring that percentage go down, giving jobs to those who need them.

Expanding MARTA will help workers commute, the unemployed find work, students go to school, and anyone else traveling through Atlanta. It would bring communities in Georgia closer together by giving them easy access to each other.

?

NO: BRYAN LIANG, Online Editor

C

urrently, many metropolitan cities around the country maintain rail networks that service city-dwellers and tourists moving around from place to place. These rail networks have been successful, providing a clean, efficient method of transportation. As more and more families settle in pockets of suburbs and commute to the city to work, an expansion to the already sufficient rail networks is unnecessary.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rail Transportation Authority, or MARTA for short, runs the rail network specifically for Atlanta. MARTA currently has four rail networks running back and forth across Atlanta, reaching to the perimeter of Georgia Interstate 285. Beyond that lies a barren, MARTA-less, train-less landscape of hopeless workers stuck to commuting in pollution-causing, atmosphere-killing cars.

Although many outside-the-perimeter, colloquially known as OTP, residents have voiced their concerns for a rail extension, little to none has been done. Maybe it should stay this way.

Expanding high-speed rail systems is costly and expensive. Atlanta is already struggling with maintaining infrastructure, so expanding it will not help so much

either. Instead of allotting money to build additional miles of track, money can be used to support education, build public facilities, and even buying more snow trucks.

Motor vehicles have always been the most popular mode of transportation, and will continue to be in the future as well. Practically all suburban homes have cars, so it’s practical that you would use them as transport between home and work.

Most importantly, MARTA already provides services to transport people to their rail lines. Bus stops are scattered across suburbs around the Metro-Atlanta area.

There is no point in investing in additional infrastructure when we already got existing services. Regardless of cost, building more lines of rail—while buses service the same areas—is illogical and irrational.

Although OTP commuters constantly complain about having to commute through the busy traffic every morning and afternoon, it is just unfeasible to build additional miles of rail. Communities are too far apart to lay down that much track. We already have existing services.

Rather than using the money to invest in more public transportation infrastructure, we can instead allot the money for more useful purposes like improving education and decreasing poverty in Atlanta.

opinions | the messenger | 29

MUSIC

EASHAA VELAMURI, Staff Writer

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ong of the Month: On August 3, Beyoncé did it yet again. This time it was not a surprise album she released, but a surprise remix. Beyoncé teamed up with Nicki Minaj to create the “Flawless Remix.” The upload crashed her website, had people talking all around the world, once again putting her at the top of the music industry.

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lbum of the Month: The Kooks’ new album Listen dropped on September 8. It features a mix of upbeat and slow indie rock.

The album includes much more percussion and rhythms than The Kooks have ever used before. The songs are perfect for driving around aimlessly or just trying to let out some teenage angst. Songs to keep an ear out for are “Around the Town” and “Backstabber.”

FASHION

CONNIE XU, Design Editor

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he vibrant and innovative fashion of the sixties and the seventies is unforgettable. The sixties were a decade of firsts for popular culture and art. For the first time in history, teen culture, rock and roll, and modern art were being accepted and popularized. The same thing happened in fashion: short a-line skirts, doll-like makeup, slim suits, and outrageous patterns violated the dress code of the conservative fifties. Fashion houses have paid homage to the revolutionary style of the sixties brought by basing entire collections on it, such as Karen Walker’s Fall 2011 collection, based on London’s Northern Soul movement, and Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2013 collection à la Mod. Miu Miu and Saint Laurent have a reputation of continuously drawing inspiration from the era. Affordable stores like Forever 21, Banana Republic, and H&M also sport enough collared shirts and lace dresses to feed a vintage dressing obsession.

While it is important to note the retro influences implemented in today’s fashion, let’s not forget to look to its original source for inspiration. The especially unique and extreme are the subcultures of London: the mods, the psychedelic musicians, and the garage bands remain as some of my favorites. Their more mainstream and everyday fashion is still outrageous in comparison to the often bland fashion of today.

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usic Video of the Month: The new Nicki Minaj video broke the previous record for most views in 24 hours at 19.6 million views. The previous record was held by Miley Cyrus for her song, “Wrecking Ball.” “Anaconda” celebrates women with body types that fall out of society’s norms, especially in the music industry.

THROWBACK 1.

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Elvis Presley releases his famous song “Jailhouse Rock” on September 24, 1957. Genre: Rock & Roll The Beatles release the classic album Abbey Road on September 26, 1969. Genre: Rock, Pop Michael Jackson releases song “Bad” on September 7, 1987.

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Genre: Pop, R&B, funk, disco-tech Britney Spears releases teen favorite “...Baby One More Time” on September 30, 1998. Genre: Pop The Black Eyed Peas release the catchy song “My Humps” on September 20, 2005. Genre: Hip Hop, Dance

30 | opinions

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OPINIONS

comments: pressured to perform Merit-based pay throws the stability of educators into jeopardy ANDREW TEODORESCU, Opinions Editor

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s a result of the convoluted mess of the No Child Left Behind Act, American public school teachers will now be paid on a basis of merit. Years of talk within the higher ranks of the public education system hinted at the implementation of this policy for years, but it was unsuspected to actually be put in place.

The policy, currently in its first year in effect, caused a stir among teachers, many of them bewildered by the fact that they receive either compensation or punishment on the debatable trivial outcome of others. Although effective teaching and successful standardized test scores can often be statistically correlated, it is inherently unfair to judge a teacher’s merit, and therefore determine any reasonable salary number, off of the performance of students.

Teachers in underprivileged areas will be hit the hardest by the new policy. With an unfortunate predisposition to outside influences--financial struggles, racial discrimination, gang violence--students in impoverished areas can be pressured to disregard school as a priority in the face of real, much more immediate issues. Although it is optimistic to believe that the connection between the student and teacher triumphs all, it is absurdly unjust to assume that the teacher can overcome the external struggles of his students. A failure to do this, under the performance-based pay policy, would result in a strike against a teacher’s annual salary.

In more prosperous areas, it may be difficult for teachers to make any marginal increase over the test scores of their students. After all, the policy does allot pay based on the linear increases of student test scores; an increase in test scores roughly equates to a pay increase while a decrease in test scores roughly equates to a decrease in pay.

There are several other factors that come into play, however, such as student evaluations of teachers.

Measuring the linear improvements in students’ standardized test scores is myopic; test scores are just one dimension in the multi-dimensional makeup of a “good” teacher. It is impossible for a teacher to replicate results of improvement each year because the performances between classes fluctuates randomly between classes. However slight or broad the interval, granting pay based on the increases and decreases in performances that naturally fluctuate is disrespectful to any profession.

Of course, the new policies hold some validity. Money is an undeniable motivator for many careers. Merit-based pay holds teachers more accountable of their actions, drives them to focus on each and every child, and solidifies a much more real threat of failing students.

However, the recent system changes strip away the passion from teaching. Once a teacher sees a student as a source of their income, the moral principles of teaching are broken.

Rather than being viewed as an art, teaching will be viewed as a business; if the system can be played correctly, teachers can benefit.

Admittedly, this would only be true in a hypothetical world. Most teachers do not go into the profession to make any significant profit.

Good teachers teach because they love educating students. The removal of a steady salary puts even the most passionate teachers at risk of salary cuts.

Perhaps the overall effect that the new policy creates is added pressure on teachers. Although it tries to simplify the education system by focusing on the connection between student and teacher, the new legislature complicates the role of teachers nationwide. Teachers are now indirectly held responsible for motivating students, teaching students effectively, and ensuring that students can perform at a “proficient” level. By putting the teachers under a critical spotlight, the administration of schools can catch a teacher on a “bad” year and expose poor performance, using this argument to either fire the teacher or send him to another school. Students may even write unfair evaluations of strict teachers and cost them salary cuts, regardless of their actual performance levels.

The policy changes to our education system are yet another example that Americans assign blame to forces which they claim no control over-- in this instance, we are rejecting the importance of a well-structured education bureaucracy and motivated student in lieu of an emphasized stress on able teachers. Not to mention, teacher unions make up some of the most influential labor groups in our nation. Angering the very people who educate and mentor the future leaders of our economy, society, and political body is probably not the best idea. The recent legislative changes have created inequitable standards which teachers may not be able to live up to.

opinions | the messenger | 31

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