Northwood April 2015

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April 2015

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Points of Interest

Adrianne Cleven/The Omniscient

Does NHS need a crosswalk? Students who cross the street to visit Bojangles’ may be in danger. pg 3

Photo courtesy of Justin Bartholomew

TEACHER OF THE YEAR LESLIE BURWELL poses with principal Justin Bartholomew after winning the award.

Sawyer Davis/The Omniscient

Northwood’s Gay-Straight Alliance, PRIDE, is gaining steam. pg 9

Art teacher Leslie Burwell was named Northwood’s 2015-2016 Teacher of the Year March 17. To select the Teacher of the Year, teachers nominate candidates and vote on their choices. After 13 years at Northwood, many attribute Burwell’s win to her extensive commitment to the school.

“I think she was chosen because she’s one of the teachers that has her hand in so many different groups at the school,” dance teacher Leah Wilhelm said. “She’s not just a teacher; she’s a mentor, she helps with our ASW (Analysis of Student Work), she helps with National Board [and] she’s on all these different committees. She does everything, and she does it so well, and I think that finally people saw how much she contributes to Northwood.”

- THE NORTHWOOD -

O M N IS C IE N T EDITORS Frances Beroset Editor-in-Chief John Dunning Layout Editor Photo courtesy of Kierra Robertson

Some students and teachers keep unusual pets, like stingrays, pigs and voles. pg 13

Chloe Gruesbeck Layout Editor Becca Heilman Online Editor

Adrianne Cleven Photo & Opinion Editor Skyler Waugh Social Media Editor STAFF WRITERS Sawyer Davis Sara Heilman Elizabeth Her

Jailen Leach Emma Reinberg Katie Robbins Jacob Sipe ADVISER Neal Morgan nmorgan@chatham.k12.nc.us

The Northwood Omniscient is published by journalism students at Northwood High School. It aims to present accurate coverage of events of interest to our readers, as well as provide an open forum for the opinions of students, faculty and the community.

We welcome letters to the editor, which can be delivered to the advisor in Room 607 or sent to the school’s address. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to reject any letter containing libelous statements, to edit for length and to ascertain the truthfulness of the content.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors.

Katie Robbins/The Omniscient

Katie Robbins reviews various hiking locations in Chatham County. pg 21

Cover: Students move through the bus lobby in high volumes during class changes.

Photo Credit: Frances Beroset

Correction:

The photos on page 26 of Issue 2 were incorrectly credited. The photos were taken by senior Kyndal Hutchinson. The Omniscient regrets the error.

April 2015

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Bo-Time becomes dangerous: Student pedestrians face challenges crossing 15-501

By Adrianne Cleven Opinion & Photo Editor “We started walking across the street because there was a green light and a truck just kind of pulled up and decided, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be a jerk’ and pulled forward and almost ran us over,” freshman Justin Meeker said.

Freshman Josh Hoffman tells a similar story about a time a car that “looked kind of like an Oldsmobile” almost hit him while he walked across the road.

“The cars would almost start driving and then they’d be like, ‘Wait, I can’t drive because there are kids here,’” said freshman NatAdrianne Cleven/The Omniscient alie Fragnito, a friend of Meeker Freshmen Edvin Rivera and Kevin Maldonado cross and Hoffman.

Highway 15-501 after school to get to Bojangles’.

What do these three accounts have in common? They are all stretch of road. In this case, that the traffic are student drivers and close calls that occurred on the party is North Carolina’s DOT. licensees as young as 16 years same stretch of road: the intersec“[Highway] 15-501 falls under old. A safety organization called tion of highway 15-501 that sepathe authority of the North Carolina “Teens in the Driver’s Seat” exrates Northwood’s campus and Department of Transportation,” plained the risk that young drivers the nearby Bojangles’ restaurant.

Gruesbeck said. “They have full create, noting that more than 3,000 Students walk across the highway, authority for everything from top teens die from car accidents in the which has no crosswalk and a to bottom: what kind of construcU.S. each year.

55 mph speed limit, before and tion takes place and when, what “That’s the equivalent of a comafter school. Meeker, for instance, sort of improvements are made to mercial jet loaded with teenagers has crossed the street to get to it, what sort of safety measures are crashing once every other week Bojangles’ most afternoons since taken…” for an entire year,” the group’s school began in August.

Ginny Inman works with website said.

School Resource Officer Herbie North Carolina’s Department of One of Farrow’s customers also Stubbs agrees that the conditions Transportation Communications noticed the danger to students. are dangerous, but acknowledges department. She spoke about the “There was one guy, he came that he cannot control where stupossibility of a crosswalk. through the drive thru and he was dents go after school, and whether “NC DOT has met with telling us that we need to have they walk to those areas or not. operations for Chatham County somebody out there telling the Nevertheless, he says he has tried Schools, but at this time [DOT kids they can’t cross the street to keep the passage safe. and Chatham County Schools] did because it’s not safe,” Farrow said.

“I’ve actually assisted students not want to pursue putting up a The National Highway Traffic to cross the road by pulling my car crosswalk at the school area,” InSafety Administration reported into the middle of the intersection man said. “So we do not have any that, in 2012, close to 5,000 with the blue light to get them plans for a study in the area for a pedestrians were killed in traffic across the road, so they wouldn’t crosswalk to my knowledge.” accidents. Students who walk get hit,” Stubbs said.

Bojangles’ employee Edward from Northwood to Bojangles’ He sees a possible solution to Farrow noticed that students cross know the risks of crossing a busy the problem. the four-lane intersection in groups highway such as 15-501.

“Hopefully [the Department ranging from three to six mem“You could get hit, die,” Fragof Transportation (DOT)] will bers. He says they are attracted to nito said. put a crosswalk out there with a the restaurant because it is cheap Farrow gave his advice to button that you see sometimes in and close to the campus. student pedestrians. downtown areas, but I’m afraid “It’s putting [the pedestrians] at “Just catch a ride, because if it’s going to take something bad risk, and it’s putting [Bojangles’] you get hit out there, there’s little happening before that happens,” at risk because it makes us look chance you’re going to survive.

Stubbs said. bad because we’re not preventing People are [driving] 50, 60 miles Bryan Gruesbeck, town manthe kids from crossing the street,” an hour,” Farrow said. ager of Pittsboro, has kept the Farrow said.

Stubbs summed up the gravity local police department up to date As Northwood’s student popuof the issue. about the intersection. Accordlation grows, so does the amount “Somebody at some point in ing to Gruesbeck, the first step to of traffic entering and leaving time is going to get struck by a veget a crosswalk in place is to find Northwood on weekday mornhicle out there,” Stubbs said. “It’s out who has jurisdiction over the ings and afternoons. Included in going to be a sad situation.”

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April 2015

Chloe Gruesbeck/The Omniscient

By Chloe Gruesbeck Layout Editor Senior Brandon Kelly says that most mornings, his alarm rouses him around 5 a.m. so he can go for a run before his day starts.

“Then I stay here until 3:10, of course, and then some days I have work until 6 o’clock. Other days I’m here until five for various clubs,” Kelly said.

“When I get home, I generally do a little bit of homework, then sometimes I have another meeting for a personal co-curricular like Boy Scouts, then come back home and do more homework and go to bed around 1 a.m.”

While some teenagers can benefit substantially from partaking in extracurricular activities, experts warn that being involved in too many can be unhealthy for adolescents.

“Doing too much can take a physical toll,” said Dr. Susan Newman, parenting expert and author of Don’t be S.A.D.: A Teenage Guide to Handling Stress, Anxiety & Depression. “Exhaustion, not getting sufficient sleep and not taking the time for nutritious eating can have negative effects and reduce success and feelings of accomplishment.”

According to the Public Agenda Press Release, 79 percent of America’s middle and high school students regularly participate in activities both after school and on weekends and 57 percent have some kind of nonschool activity nearly every day.

With the number of students involved in clubs and sports on the rise, properly managing the effects is becoming more important. Newman suggests that students limit their involvement to only clubs they have a passion for instead of joining numerous activities that do not interest them.

“Admissions officers look for concentrated effort and a clear sense of goals or direction from a student’s application,” Newman said. “That does not come across if you have spread yourself too thin in clubs that don’t interest you.”

Distance Learning Instructor Shannon Wolfgang also believes in the quality over quantity approach with club involvement. Wolfgang has previously worked at the University of Michigan and Duke University as an admission counselor and recruiter.

“They are looking for kind of a long-term commitment to an activity where the student has grown within the activity, maybe a leadership position or having won awards because of their involvement in the activity,” Wolfgang said. “Everyone thinks they need to get involved in a million different things and that’s going make them more attractive, but really a sustained effort is more appealing.“ Wolfgang says colleges favor some activities over others.

“There are some things that take a little extra effort to be involved with that require applying and competing with other students,” Wolfgang said.

“Things like the Governor’s School and activities like that are favorable. Unfortunately, colleges see

students playing sports everyday, that kind of stuff all the time, so that’s pretty standard. It’s what you do within that activity that really matters.”

Senior Nolan Brown is involved in various clubs like DECA, Student Council and SADD and is also the vice president of Nuthouse. Brown recognizes the major reason he is involved in extracurriculars is because it is attractive to colleges.

“I wouldn’t probably [be as involved if colleges didn’t like it]; I would be in most of them but not all of them, because it’s not something I necessarily always enjoy,” Brown said. “It is something I do because I want those leadership roles to look good for colleges.”

Senior John Atwater says that being over-involved can also affect a student’s productivity.

“You shouldn’t be involved to the point where you’re not effective in the areas you’re involved in,” Atwater said. “If you are involved in everything, you’re not giving 100 percent to one thing. When you go to get involved, you should do things that you know you are going to love and you should do it based on what your schedule is. There has to be an even distribution.”

Guidance counselor Sonia Logan sees overwhelmed students in her office every day.

“I see students stretching themselves way too thin,” Logan said. “I worry about them. Just the stress of school itself is a lot and trying to just be involved in so much. You’ve got to rest sometimes and let your body and your brain just calm down.”

For teens, taking part in too many after school activities often cuts into precious hours of sleep. A study conducted by scientists at the National Sleep Foundation in 2004 found that teens need about eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. However, most teens do not get this recommended amount—the same study found that only 15 percent reported sleeping eight and a half hours on school nights.

While being part of numerous extracurriculars can have its drawbacks, there are positive aspects as well.

“Most people do it for college applications, but I also think it’s good for meeting other people with similar interests; I feel like I am a kindred spirit with a lot of the people I’m in stuff with,” junior Kirby Morris said.

In addition to meeting new people, Atwater believes his level of involvement will provide more opportunities in the future.

“I feel like if I establish myself as a leader right now, then in the future it won’t be something new to me and it won’t be something I have to adjust to when I’m going for job applications or doing college interviews,” Atwater said.

Atwater also mentions that getting involved is a way to make connections that could be useful later on.

For Brandon Kelly, his advice for those looking to get involved is simple.

“Find something you love,” Kelly said. “Get involved in a club or sport that isn’t so stressful; have it be a kind of emotional and physical release. It’s never work if you enjoy it.”

April 2015

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KATHY GREENLEE reigns in her English III class of 37 as she begins explaining the week’s vocabulary terms.

Skyler Waugh/The Omniscient

Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Large classes may be hurting the learning process

By John Dunning Layout Editor “You’re not asking all the questions you want to ask, more of your friends are in there and you can get distracted pretty easily,” senior Imoh Udoh said. “If you’re someone who isn’t driven, stay away from the larger classes.”

What one may consider a “large class” is relative to a few variables: the subject, the grade level and how many pupils the student and teacher are accustomed to.

At Northwood, of the three classes listed on the school report cards (Biology, Math I and English II), the average size of the classes was above both the district and state averages.

“I’m used to classes in the mid to upper 20s,” Udoh said. “But to me I would say about 20 kids [is the ideal class size], that way, you have enough to collaborate, but at the same time, you don’t have so many you’ll get distracted by all the other people.”

Udoh was part of an AP Calculus class with 34 students first semester of this year and explained how it affected learning for his peers and himself.

“I saw a lot of kids get distracted, but it’s not really their fault; whenever all their friends are in there, it’s going to happen. The teacher just can’t pay them as much attention; there’s just so many kids to tend to,” Udoh said. “But at the same time, that’s not an excuse because you can come before school, after school, whenever you have time to get extra help, so really it’s on you. You’re the only one who can stop yourself from learning.”

Some teachers feel college preparatory (CP) classes are harder to manage in the classroom at larger

numbers opposed to Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

“Right now I have two classes of 33 freshman, and they’re CP and Inclusion, which means there are kids in there that have special needs along with some higher level kids too though,” English teacher Justice Mansour said. “The problem with 33 students is I feel like it’s hard for me to get around the room and meet everybody’s needs.”

Mansour feels that large class sizes may affect English more than other subjects based on the type of work students are required to complete.

“It’s an English class, and with writing, I’d like to give specific feedback to each student, but when I think about having 33 essays to grade, I can’t give as much feedback as I’d like to, and I think because of that, teachers don’t give as many assignments as they’d like to either,” Mansour said.

Besides assigned writing and worksheets, another important component of English class is open discussion.

“The larger classes affect discussions too; we can’t have discussions where everyone gets to participate and share their perspective, so I have to call on certain people, and that gets some students involved, but not the amount I’d want to,” Mansour said.

Discussion and questioning, though central to English, are also essential to classrooms in most other subjects as well.

“Student participation, a lot of times, can depend on being able to build a relationship with that student and creating a more comfortable and safe environment, whereas in a class of 34, it’s hard to create that environment where students are willing to ask the questions

they really need to and get involved in discussion,” Chemistry teacher Aaron Freeman said.

Jill Bone, also an English teacher, expressed concern over the limits on discussion and assignments that large classes can impose.

“I’m a firm believer in practice being the best method to improve, and in these larger classes students don’t get as much practice,” Bone said. “I think that students don’t get the individualized attention obviously, but they also don’t get the number and caliber of assignments because it’s simply not feasible to grade them all.”

Certain science classes such as chemistry, which sometimes requires the use of fire, chemicals, and other potentially dangerous activities, can create safety concerns for teachers in larger classes.

“As a chemistry teacher, I’m looking at flame test labs which use open flames, and you have such a large class with not a lot of space to move around, so it can generate a safety issue,” Freeman said.

High school classes in the past had caps, which varied but did limit the number of students any single class could have. These caps on class sizes “went with the crash of the economy five or six years ago,” according to principal Justin Bartholomew.

“Now there is no cap in high school, you’ll get some districts with extraordinarily high numbers that have up to 45 in a class,” Bartholomew said. “What we [the administration] recognize and what we know is that there are some types of classes where you can get away with that and others where you can’t.”

An issue the administration faces when choosing which courses to offer is finding a way to allow variety but still maintain reasonable and consistently sized

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individual classes. Electives like Yearbook (12 students), Journalism (13 students), AP Spanish (four to six students) and Nursing fundamentals (two to six students) are all small classes that take up a block of time that the teachers could be assigned an extra class in their core subjects.

This causes debate over how that block of class time is best used.

“For next year what are we going to value?

We could put a quota at 20 and say that if a class doesn’t get at least 20 students it doesn’t make the final course offerings,” Bartholomew said. “In doing that, the danger is you cut out the variety of courses students can take, but the upside is that classes will be smaller, but still not drastically smaller, so you have to ask which is worth it?”

This is not an issue that is going away any time in the near future. With the new additions of Chatham Park, Northwood can expect to continue to see record-breaking freshman classes.

The last three years’ freshman classes have been the biggest in school history with another record-breaking class expected in fall 2016.

“We know we are going to get more students next year than we had this year, which will mean more teachers as well,” Bartholomew said. “But we are running up against the building’s current physical limits if no changes are made.”

One idea that has been brought up is the consideration of building a fourth high school in

Chatham County which would effectively solve class size and overcrowding issues at Northwood.

However, Bartholomew feels this is not very likely to happen.

“If you build another school you’ll have about four schools with around 600-700 kids in each school,” Bartholomew said. “As soon as you do that, if you plan to massively fund four schools, you’ll have to find the money in taxes on businesses or something, and that’s just a thing that 99 percent of local governments are not willing to do or people are willing to put up with.”

If funding were available, Bartholomew said a new school, despite its price tag, might be worth it.

“Personally, I think that would make an educational mecca, but it’s extraordinarily expensive and not a realistic approach to take at the moment,” Bartholomew said.

The issue of large classes is a concern of the local school board and the Northwood administration and alternative solutions are being considered.

“There are already discussions in place about increasing the capacity of the building, and I’m sure we’ll hear soon from Chatham County with plans to do something with the building itself,” Bartholomew said. “I think the realistic, at least short term approach to the issue is that, when you look at Northwood and you look at the class sizes, you just have to be smart about where you’re allocating your personnel.”

Graphic courtesy of PiktoChart

0-5

11-15 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35

36+

Number of Students in that Class *This data is based on class size information from before the drop-add period.

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Frances Beroset/The Omniscient

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS may ask for the applicant’s race to be considered in admissions decisions.

“They accepted you because you’re black” Should race be a factor in college admissions?

By Frances Beroset Editor-in-Chief Last April, the Supreme Court upheld a Michigan law banning the use of racial criteria in college admissions.

This decision was a landmark in an unfolding national political battle over affirmative action, which is defined by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights as a practice that allows the consideration of race, national origin, sex or disability along with other criteria to provide opportunities to qualified groups of people who have been denied opportunities in the past and to prevent discrimination in the future.

An anonymous white sophomore, who we’ll call James Smith, said he believes his mother was passed over for a job in favor of a less-qualified African-American woman, and that he may face similar obstacles when applying for college or jobs.

“It’s unfair, because if you’re a minority, then you have a better chance of obtaining something for having less of an education,” Smith said. “I know that that’s the reason my mom didn’t get the job, and that actually really upsets me because if I, being a white boy… have a great education and affirmative action comes along, I have a disadvantage that plays something I can’t control.”

Affirmative action may have unintended impacts on people of color, particularly high-achieving students. One such student is senior John Atwater, a finalist for the prestigious Morehead-Cain scholarship.

“When I was nominated for the Morehead, I got a lot of, ‘Oh, you were nominated because you’re black,’” Atwater said. “When I got accepted into Carolina, ‘Oh, they accepted you because you’re black.’ When I was just thinking about going to Carolina last year, they were like, ‘Oh, you’ll get in because you’re black.’ My Caucasian friends are like, ‘Yeah, you’ll get in because you’re black, we actually have to work.’ All the awards, all the notoriety that I’ve gotten because of my academics, my scholarship—it just feels like people are saying, ‘You’re only this far because you’re an African American male and that’s it.’ They’re trying to say that if I was Caucasian, then

I wouldn’t be in the situation I am today.”

The term “affirmative action” was originally introduced by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and is intended as a means to “level out the playing field” for minorities. In the 1970s the policy faced backlash, and there was a Supreme Court Case claiming “reverse discrimination” against white people that lead to the outlawing of racial “quotas” by employers or colleges. Other Supreme Court cases since then have upheld affirmative action in its current incarnation.

Affirmative action has increased the number of minority students applying to college, and those who are able to graduate from college earn a much higher salary than high school graduates.

Some students object to affirmative action on the grounds that it is unfair to white applicants for jobs and colleges. Perspectives on affirmative action depend largely on individual interpretations of the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment.

Shannon Wolfgang, a Northwood faculty member, former admissions counselor for the University of Michigan and application reader for Duke University, said that affirmative action helps a school or employer meet its goals.

“There are many different factors that go into making a decision, and race is indeed one of them at certain universities,” Wolfgang said. “[Those universities] believe that the best kind of learning environment is that of a diverse one, and that means including people of all races, religions, etc. So it’s not necessarily designed to exclude people or include people who aren’t qualified to be at that school; it’s used as a tool to create an environment that that school philosophically thinks is the best environment for their students in which they can learn.”

Senior Jawuanna McAllister said that affirmative action is put in place by colleges to make them look better, and not necessarily to benefit students of color like herself. “[Schools use affirmative action policies] to give their school a better reputation, plain and simple,” McAllister said. “You know there are colleges out there that say, ‘We want to broaden our perspectives’ and genuinely want

to include people of all races. But I think it really comes down to the reputation aspect.”

Beyond improving the status of minority groups, affirmative action may have positive impacts on institutions themselves.

“More diversity creates sparks, discussions, creates relationships,” Atwater said. “You get to meet a whole bunch of new people, and I just feel like there’s more opportunities when there’s more diversity.”

McAllister said that despite the advantage of affirmative action, minorities are still at a disadvantage in the United States.

“Even if African Americans and minorities in general are given advantages when it comes to college and their education, in the long run we are still going to be disadvantaged,” McAllister said. “So, for me and my parents, even though maybe they did benefit from affirmative action, they still have trouble getting jobs.”

Some experts argue that in the modern age, affirmative action should be “race-blind” and focus more on socioeconomic inequality. McAllister said that socioeconomicbased affirmative action would lead to the same consequences as race-based affirmative action.

“A lot of your poor and lower class citizens are minorities,” McAllister said. “That kind of eliminates the discrimination factor, but you’ll still have people coming at you in a way, people will still … say, ‘Oh but you have a better chance of getting in because you’re poor,’ instead of saying, ‘Oh, it’s because you’re black.”

The complexities of affirmative action make it difficult for individuals to fully support or reject it.

“People feel like college shouldn’t be based on race, it should be based on academic performance, extracurriculars, SAT scores, ACT scores,” Atwater said. “On the other side, I feel like minorities are still at a disadvantage in today’s society. You look at the statistics: more minorities are in lower socioeconomic classes, generations before us still have the side effects of the Depression and oppression in the 1960s and 1950s from the Civil Rights Movement, and so I see both sides, and if you go toward one side, the other side’s just gonna raise Cain… it’s hard to balance.”

April 2015

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By Skyler Waugh Social Media Editor

coming out process because of all the support there.”

There are 2.7 million young adults identifyEvery Friday afternoon, you can hear the ing as on the LGBT+ spectrum and the number echoes of many voices, see large rainbow flags is increasing. A recent survey created by the draped over the door and feel the electric atmoHuman Rights Campaign found that four in 10 sphere coming from the 500 hall. Northwood LGBT+ youth say that the community they are students have recently created a LGBT+ club living in does not accept who they are. They that is the first of its kind at Northwood named also found that 26 percent of LGBT+ adolesPRIDE: People Rallying in Defense of Equality. cents say that they are having issues in school “A lot of students deal with serious things and that the prevalent issues they experience in their home life, especially LGBT+ students,” are not being accepted by family. Social worker junior Eliza Griffin said. “A lot have difficulties and adviser to the club Rachel Norris believes with their sexuality and gender and don’t have that feeling accepted is a large factor in student good home lives because their parents don’t growth. know how to deal with it. They need some“I think the more the kids can see that there where at school to figure it are other kids having the all out.” same questions or going “It was really nice to There are many identithe same thing, you actually be supported in through ties included on the scale, do feel more accepted and a space at school. It has connected to your school,” but the most talked about are LGBTQIA, which are really helped in the com- Norris said. “That’s one of defined as lesbian, gay, the biggest predictors if a bisexual, transgender, queer ing out process because student is going to graduate and questioning, intersex of all the support there.” high school; it’s a protecand asexual. The club tive factor and it is really — Jean Berry, junior centers around spreading important.” awareness of gender difPRIDE meets twice a ferences and supporting equality. Students find week: Mondays during Plus 1 and Fridays after support and comfort that they may not always school. Students who are looking for advice feel outside of the club. and support can attend the Monday meetings “There is a large population at Northwood during Plus 1. On Fridays, the group meets to that experiences conflicts,” junior Coltrane discuss potential issues in the LGBT+ comPschorr said. “Not everyone needs help, but a munity and have a period of time to talk within lot of people actually do and, at the very least, smaller groups about their lives. They have need a place where they can be with people like made posters that will inform Northwood about them. Northwood needs this club for it to be a the club and the purpose of it. Many believe safe place for people experiencing some sort of educating their peers creates a safer and more harassment.” accepting environment.

Junior Jean Berry came out this semester as “I think that as the generations are changtransgender and feels like the club helped him ing, [people] are more tolerant,” Norris said. through the process.

“People are realizing there are many types “Before I came out, that was the only place of people that make up this earth. There are that people didn’t misgender me,” Berry said. all shades of grey. We really need a club “It was really nice to actually be supported in that speaks to issues surrounding the LGBT a space at school. It has really helped in the community.”

Skyler Waugh/The Omniscient

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Becca Heilman/The Omniscient

HAND WASHING is a common compulsion associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

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OCD:

Living with the hidden disorder B y B ecca H eilman O nline E ditor “You feel like the world is about to end if you don’t brush your teeth with like seven strokes in the right direction, and that’s insane,” said junior Laura Smith, which is not her real name.

Smith is referring to one of the symptoms of her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is a disorder of the brain and behavior that causes severe anxiety. It involves obsessions and compulsions that can be time consuming and distressful, getting in the way of daily life. The frequent upsetting thoughts, images or impulses associated with the disorder are called obsessions, which are often accompanied by uncomfortable feelings of fear, doubt or disgust. Common obsessions include fear of germs, losing control, self-harm and perfectionism.

A person with OCD will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions to try to control these obsessions. According to Dr. Reid Wilson, a licensed psychologist, author and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, compulsions are the only thing that many people with OCD have figured out to quiet these obsessions down.

“You have people who are washers and cleaners; that’s about contamination,” Wilson said. “You have people that are checkers, who are afraid the door is unlocked or the window is unlocked…[They’re thinking], ‘If I leave that window open, someone could break in, hurt my family, steal all my things.’ It’s that little thing when you go on vacation and your

mother says, ‘Did I turn the iron off? I can’t quite remember,’ but it’s [more extreme than] that. There are repeaters who think, ‘If I walk through that door and have a bad thought, Dad’s going to get cancer.’ They would have to walk out that door and walk through it again as many times as necessary until they have a neutral thought or a positive thought that gets rid of the negatives.”

People with OCD practice these repetitive behaviors or thoughts with the intention of neutralizing, counteracting or making their obsessions go away. According to the International OCD Foundation, 500,000 children and teens in the United States have OCD. An anonymous junior, who we will call Taylor Green, is one of them.

“Counting is a big one; I count steps,” Green said. “There is also the paranoia of everybody looking at me or people thinking I’m weird or dumb. I’ve gotten my symptoms under control, but when it first happened, the oven was a big thing for me. I always thought the oven was on, and I’d have to go turn it off.

I thought the house was going to burn down.

Hand washing is a really classic one, but mine is whole body washing. If I’m feeling really anxious that day, I’ll take like three showers. I don’t like to feel dirty; oil on skin and in hair drive me crazy.”

Smith also suffers from several aspects of OCD. “I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and several OCD compulsions like organizing, repeating steps, [doing things in] sets of the numbers 11, 12 and 13, repeating certain bedtime routines and stirring my coffee a certain number of times,” Smith said.

According to Wilson, Cognitive Behav-

April 2015 ioral Therapy (CBT) is the “gold standard” in terms of treatment for these debilitating obsessions and compulsions.

“The first thing to do, as far as I’m concerned, is to help people understand that the content of what they worry about is irrelevant,” Wilson said. “[OCD] is going to grab your attention with something that is personal to you, but the treatment has nothing to do with the content. [The patient needs to] externalize and personify their OCD…. This has nothing to do with contamination, nothing to do with leaving doors unlocked; what it has to do with is, ‘I’m vulnerable to uncertainty and distress.

I, as somebody with OCD, cannot tolerate doubt or the distress that comes with the doubt.’ The key to treatment is to understand that, and then find some ways to tolerate not knowing if the door is locked.”

Sufferers of the disorder often use medication.

Specifically, a class of medications called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) works best.

“I have a whole smorgasbord of pills to take twice a day,” Green said. “I kind of feel a little lobotomized because I know it’s a part of who I am, but I have to function. I would like to be off medication once I graduate college unless I really need it.”

Although researchers are unsure of the exact cause of OCD, it is likely that differences in the brain and genes may play a role. Research suggests that OCD involves communication problems between the front part of the brain and deeper structures of the brain. Some experts think that genes may play a larger role in OCD that begins in childhood compared to when it starts in adulthood. OCD can be terrifying for those who develop symptoms during their teen years.

The Omniscient “OCD tends to start in the teen years, and what is so troubling is that when it suddenly hits, you don’t understand what in the world is going on,” Wilson said. “What some teenagers do when it first starts is they don’t tell anybody because it’s so shameful….

That initial stuff is so upsetting to people.”

Some people make a joke out of OCD, which can downplay the disorder for those with a clinical diagnosis.

“If you have a broken leg, everyone knows that your leg is broken, and it’s understandable that you can’t walk.

When you have something that is completely inside of your head, people often don’t validate that and don’t see it as a real thing.”

“I hate when people say, ‘I’m being so OCD; I take such good notes,’” Green said. “I’m like, ‘Do you want my OCD? You can have it.’ A lot of people trivialize it, which is upsetting because it’s a real thing that I struggle with every day.”

Smith agreed.

“It’s not fair because it really takes over your whole life and pretty much ruins you,” Smith said.

“It’s not cute, it’s not cool and it’s not funny.”

OCD can have a large impact on a person’s ev-

Page 11 eryday life. What may seem like a simple task for some can take hours for a person with OCD. “I’m definitely a really anxious person, and it really reduces efficiency because it takes up so much time to take part in all of these behaviors,” Smith said. “You really just aren’t as efficient as a person, and you have a lot more responsibilities in your brain.”

Smith says the disorder also impacts how she interacts with other people.

“My biggest struggle has probably been [with] my social skills, since I spent so much of my developmental years being really inside my own head. I’m really reclusive and really involved in meticulous counting and sorting, and I’m not very good around people.”

Some students are forced to justify their disorder to others.

“A lot of people think I use it as an excuse; because they can’t see it, they don’t believe it,” Green said. “I kind of understand, but at the same time, it’s really frustrating. If you have a broken leg, everyone knows that your leg is broken, and it’s understandable that you can’t walk. When you have something that is completely inside of your head, people often don’t validate that and don’t see it as a real thing.”

Despite the setbacks that OCD has presented her with, Green is continually improving and learning to control her disorder.

“In DBT, which is Dialectal Behavior Therapy, you have to teach yourself to recite this inner monologue and tell yourself it’s fine,” Green said. “[You have to say to yourself], ‘I will survive if my name is not written perfectly or if there’s oil on my skin. I will be fine.’ It’s a long process.”

12 Entertainment

By Sawyer Davis Staff Writer

Overlooking the Thieves of Music

Senior Noah Jones, which is not his real name, sits in the media center, listening to his library of 1,600+ songs on shuffle. How can he afford to buy each and every single one of these songs? According to Jones, he cannot.

“I don’t like paying for things; I’m cheap, kind of poor,” Jones said.

Illegally downloading music is a common practice among high school students, and even more prevalent in recent years than it has been in years past.

“It takes a toll on their profit from their music, but at the same time it’s there, so why not?” Jones said.

In the years since music downloading sites such as Napster were introduced, album sales have decreased 53 percent, according to the Recording Industry Association of America website. A recent survey of Northwood students revealed that 86 out of 100 randomly selected students admitted to il-

legally downloading items off the Internet.

“I think [illegally downloading music] is morally wrong and I don’t think people should do it,” junior Calvin To said. “It’s the same thing as stealing and it’s a dishonest action.”

While some students may oppose the idea of illegal downloading, some artists actually support the practice.

“I like what’s going on [file sharing] because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music,” Colombian star Shakira told Dailymail in 2009. “It’s the democratization of music in a way.

And music is a gift. That’s what it should be, a gift.”

However one may feel about illegally downloading music, the consequences are one of the few things that are concrete about the practice. The act of illegally downloading music falls under the Copyright Act of 1976. Under this law, an indi-

When Albums Die, Singles Rise “I can’t have only a few songs off of an album, I have to have all of them,” senior Ethan Taylor said.

Taylor said that his love for an artist makes it hard for him to buy just a single song. This is a sentiment that not many people share. In 2013 alone, album sales dipped 3.3 percent while music streaming went up 24 percent according to music sales tracking system Nielsen SoundScan. Singles, on the other hand, are still doing well. This has some interesting implications and has sent the music industry scrambling for answers.

“It kind of discourages artists from making full albums and just releasing a bunch of [singles] instead,” junior Anne Barone said.

In 2010, Flo Rida’s “Club Can’t Even Handle Me” single sold 2 million units, but when his eight song EP came out, it only moved 11,000 units

in the first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This is not a problem specific to Flo Rida. Many other artists like Cobra Starship, Mumford & Sons and Phoenix have all struggled to move albums as well.

While the music industry in general may be headed towards a singlecentered market, some music fans stay adamant in their love for full albums.

“I feel like you need to hear the whole collective album at least once to truly appreciate what this artist is trying to say,” junior Cameron Underwood said.

Underwood believes in buying full albums to support artists, a common sentiment among diehard music fans.

“A lot of times, albums as a whole are a story,” Underwood said. “If you’re missing some of the songs then you’re missing the whole point of the album.”

vidual may have to pay $750 to $30,000 per song obtained illegally. These facts often do little to deter students from pirating music.

“I don’t really see how they would like find out that I’m [illegally] downloading music,” an anonymous senior said.

“When I go on 8tracks and make a playlist and it’s like ‘did you legally acquire all this music?’ I…just check the yes button and change the titles and they wouldn’t know otherwise.”

The general attitude shared among high school students can perhaps be summed up by a comment by an anonymous junior: “Why would you buy music? It’s free.”

Taylor Swift Puts Spotify in her Blank Space “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable.

Valuable things should be paid for,” Taylor Swift wrote in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal July 4, 2014. Four months later, Swift pulled all her music from popular streaming site Spotify.

Swift is not the first artist to make this move; in fact, Radiohead and Atoms for Peace front man Thom Yorke expressed his distaste of the music streaming business in early 2013 by removing two of his albums from Spotify.

“These people get involved, [like] Spotify, who try to be…gatekeepers of this whole process, when we do not need to do that. No artist needs that, we can do all that ourselves,” Yorke told Spanish news outlet Sopitas.com.

While Swift may not have been the first to make a move, her public statements have spurred other artists to be

more openly skeptical of the streaming industry. Swift’s comments spurred other artists Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore and Jason Aldean to remove their music from Spotify.

Some students find these efforts fruitless in the face of technological advances.

“If somebody wanted to listen to her music, they could just go on YouTube and listen to it anywhere,” an anonymous senior said.

“I don’t see a point in her taking her stuff off of Spotify.”

Still, Swift maintains her position on this topic, and other students, while they may not agree with her, say they understand what she is trying to do.

“I think she was making more of statement than anything,” senior Greg Zakaria said. “I don’t think it was all about [Spotify] as much as it was just the idea of streaming music. Most kids illegally download her music anyway, so what’s the point?”

ALBUMS VS. SINGLES

Sawyer Davis/The Omniscient

Sawyer Davis/The Omniscient

April 2015

The Omniscient

Stingrays and Pigs and Ducks, Oh My!

By Elizabeth Her Staff Writer

Spotlights gleamed around the ring. People cheered as the show opened with bursts of trumpets and pounding drums. Newman, a long-time circus pig, unrolled the red carpet for the show to begin. Little did he know that his show days were coming to an end. From New York, the Big Apple, to forested areas of North Carolina, Newman will become a pet.

Newman is a retiring circus pig who will be living with freshman Skyler Herrick and her family. Having a father as a part-time circus musician allowed Herrick to negotiate for ownership of Newman.

“We lived in a trailer for a while back in New York,” Herrick said. “[We] usually helped care for the animals and Newman was one of them. We heard of his retirement from the circus and we thought ‘Why not get him?’”

Pets are animals that physically and emotionally help others through the love they spread. They build companionship and support for all diverse individuals, young or old. The most popular pets are the classic cat or dog, but Northwood has students and teachers that care for unique companions.

Some students, like Tristan Cochran, have pets that live on a farm. Livestock, like cows, are not considered pets, but Cochran had a companion that was more than part of the farm.

When Cochran was younger, he was given a duckling to care for on his farmhouse. The duck, Jared, was Cochran’s pet for four years. Spending time outside with Jared was Cochran’s favorite pastime.

He would go on walks with Jared following him.

“She would take walks through the woods and fields with me because I would get bored,” Cochran said. “I lived on a farm and we didn’t have much technology, so I spent most of my time outside.”

Cochran shared stories about the winters and outdoor walks he shared with Jared. The duck was much like a “dog,” according to Cochran.

“They’re actually incredibly loyal,” Cochran said.

“It would follow me around everywhere. Wherever I was, that duck was there.”

Ducks and pigs are not every student’s first pet choice. Many kids may get simple pets such as fish.

Science teacher Phillip Cox owned a small stingray as a class pet. Over 20 years ago, he recieved a stingray from the now-closed Raleigh Coastal Celebration, an event where fishers displayed creatures of the sea. “[The stingray] just happened,” Cox said. ”The

Photo courtesy of Lindy McDonnell

ANA THE FERRET AND LINDY MCDONNELL cuddle for a picture.

people from the coast brought it up and thought it would be better to give it to me. I would bring my bucket with me at dawn to collect the fish.”

The stingray was a part of the class aquarium Cox had in his previous years. He cared for several other kinds of unique fish throughout his life.

“I enjoy [fish],” Cox said. “They were fun and I just love them. Fish are so cool because it’s just their own little world that you can stick them in.”

Cox says that after having fish for several years, he would release them back into the ocean.

“With a ray, you can take it back down to the coast, toss him in. Everything’s cool,” Cox said. “If you have a tiger, you can’t just toss him. A lot of people don’t do the background research on their pets. Then they’re stuck. Depending on the pet, you really have to think twice.”

Some pet owners don’t have proper knowledge of the pets they live with, but senior Kierra Robertson understands the vicious little creatures that she and her father care for. Robertson has a hamster-like animal called a vole that she named Reaver. Though Riever is a part of her father’s scientific research on voles, she cares for Reaver as her own pet. Robertson has to take some extra precautions when handling her feisty pet.

“She bites,” Robertson said. “Every time I open her cage I have to wear a sock [on my hand].”

Though voles are small rodents, domestication is not part of their natural cycle. Voles are known to attack the roots of trees and small plants, making them detrimental to the environment.

“They’re just like hamsters, but they probably shouldn’t [become pets],” Robertson said. “I have them because of my dad’s research, but they shouldn’t be raised as pets.”

Though voles aren’t compatible domestic pets, ferrets are close relatives that are well trained for households. Freshman Lindy McDonnell had a white-headed male ferret named Ana, which McDonnell said was “crazy.” She would leash Ana and give him regular walks around her neighborhood, much like a dog.

“They are awesome and fun and they always want to play,” McDonnell said.

Ferrets are only a small portion of the diverse pets that could become a long lasting friend.

Whatever form or kind of animal a pet is, the love and experiences shared with them are universal.

“If you have the space, why not get [a pet]?”

Herrick said. “I’ll probably have more work to do [with Newman], but it shouldn’t be too bad.”

Photo courtesy of Skyler Herrick

SKYLER HERRICK helps give other circus animals a walk.

Photo courtesy of Skyler Herrick

NEWMAN THE CIRCUS PIG practices rolling out the carpet.

Page 13

ART

SPOTLIGHT

Band

Dance Frances Beroset/The Omniscient

JUNIOR CASSANDRA NAVARRO, JUNIOR HUDSON MOORE and SENIOR ELI EMERICK prepare for rehearsal with the rest of the cast.

Photo courtesy of Gina Harrison

DANCE TEACHER KRISTEN NORWOOD choreographs a dance number with the cast.

In this edition of Art Spotlight, The Omniscient highlights each branch of the arts department and its involvement in Northwood’s production of

Vocals

Art

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Katie Robbins/The Omniscient

SOPHOMORE AUSTIN KORYNTA rehearses his solo during dress rehearsal.

— Compiled by Katie Robbins

Photo courtesy of Gina Harrison

SENIOR BAILEY REVELS helps paint the set.

Theatre Tech

Frances Beroset/The Omniscient

SOPHOMORE NICHOLAS SCHWANKL makes sure the microphones are working.

Photo courtesy of Gina Harrison

SENIOR SEAN THOMPSON rehearses a scene.

April 2015

The Omniscient

Page 15

REVIEWS American Sniper For:

Chris Kyle was a true American hero. Kyle, a native of Allen, Texas, was the most lethal sniper in American history with 160 confirmed kills.

Kyle’s life was recently portrayed in the film American Sniper. American Sniper, while widely popular, also attracted criticism. Many called Kyle a “psycho” and “hate-filled.”

Kyle was a part of SEAL Team 3 and did four tours of duty in the Iraq war. Many people criticize his first shot in the movie, where Kyle shoots a mother and a boy holding a hand grenade approaching a tank with U.S. soldiers. During that scene in the movie, Kyle is visibly upset, but what else could he have done? Should he have not shot? Should he have not killed the woman who had the hand grenade approaching the American tank? Kyle shot to protect his men who would have been killed if not for his action.

During the Iraq war, the U.S. went in to stop Saddam Hussein, then president of Iraq. Iraq was thought to have had weapons of mass destruction and was thought to be supporting al-Qaida, the terror group behind the September 11th attacks. If you disagree with Kyle killing Iraqis closely involved with alQaida, are you okay with more terror

attacks? Kyle went to stop terrorists in Iraq who threaten our well-being in the U.S. Kyle has been criticized for “killing innocent Iraqi civilians,” but what civilian carries a hand grenade? Kyle stated that every single shot that he ever took had one single purpose: to protect his men.

Kyle saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives with his sniping. Kyle tried to protect our freedom one shot at a time. He is honored for his bravery and service to our country through Chris Kyle Day, a holiday in Kyle’s home state of Texas. Kyle was, and always will be, a true American hero.

During Kyle’s service time, he was faced with this conflict: to kill Iraqis or have Americans killed by Iraqis.

It’s sad to think that an American hero who risked his life and defended our country is called a “psycho.” If he was a “psycho,” you better be glad because if he didn’t stop those men he killed over there, they may be over here threatening your life.

Chris Kyle should always be remembered for his bravery, valor and service. He helped to keep America the land of the free.

— By Jacob Sipe

Big Sean’s new hip hop album has certainly come far from his sophomore album. A perfect mix of R&B samples, mature rap lyrics, and invigorating beats, Dark Sky Paradise is a new frontier for Big Sean’s career. The first half of the album is full of energizing upbeat rhythms, while the second half becomes darker and gloomy, much like his older albums. Overall, Big Sean has become, intentionally, more musical with both his lyrics and beats.

— By Emma Reinberg

Against:

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Going into American Sniper, I was hoping for better than I had heard about through friends. I was hoping to see a thought-provoking narrative that started a conversation about America’s involvement in the Middle East. Instead, I saw a narrative more interested in hyper-masculinity and patriotism than one that accurately portrayed our involvement in Iraq.

Sniper presented a watered-down version of what was happening in the Middle East in the late 1990s and onward. Audiences are led to believe that the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the Kenya Embassy bombings of 1998 and the tragedy of September 11, 2001, can all be connected to the war in Iraq. I do understand that it is difficult to translate real life into film, but it is also imperative for the film to provide background. Many of the attacks on American soil and American embassies can actually be connected to our military presence in Saudi Arabia.

Historical inaccuracies aside, I also took issue with the glorification of Kyle’s moral standings. Kyle was certainly a hero, but it is hard to be appreciative of his accomplishments when he refers to the Iraqi people as “savages” both in the film and in real life.

“I hate the [expletive] savages,” he writes. “I couldn’t give a flying [expletive] about the Iraqis.”

The DUFF centers around high school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman), who discovers that, among her group of friends, she is the DUFF: the Designated Ugly Fat Friend. From the start of the film, the premise is clear: high school is somehow different now than it was in the classic days of Mean Girls: that the generations of Jocks, Plastics and Artsy types are long gone, but that discomfort is still running rampant for those who do not “fit in.” A large part of the movie features Bianca’s attempts to escape her DUFF label. She enlists her childhood friend (Robbie Amell) in her pursuits: practicing dating and trying on hordes of new clothes. I kept waiting for the moment when she discovers that real self worth is not found in other people’s approval, but there was no such occasion.

Sure, the film offers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a feelgood vibe, but The DUFF clearly demonstrates that, though high school may be different now, movies geared to its students are not.

— By Adrianne Cleven

The problem with this movie as a whole, I think, is that there are more Chris Kyles out there. There are more people who equate Islam with terrorism, as the murder of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill in early February proves. The evidence is overwhelming: the brutal attack of a pregnant Muslim woman in Paris last June, the increase of Islamophobic comments on social media following the release of American Sniper and then again after the Charlie Hebdo Massacre and the throwing of firebombs and pig heads into mosques after that same attack.

These incidents are not isolated, and making a movie that very openly makes a statement about America being the good guy and anyone who practices Islam as being the bad guy is all in all pretty frightening.

I do understand that the movie was meant to illustrate the modern veteran’s struggles connecting with those around them after going to war, but the topic could have been handled far better. To be clear, I am not condemning the actions of every soldier in Iraq, I am not saying that their sacrifices are meaningless and I am in no way trying to say that if you liked the film you are a terrible person. I am saying that the film American Sniper further perpetuates Islamophobia and oversimplifies a very complicated topic.

— By Sawyer Davis

Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is an intense, experimental, 80-minute album released on March 16th. Butterfly takes on a cinematic quality as it narrates black oppression and personal insecurity. He includes N.C. rapper Rapsody on the anti-colorism “Complexion,” and in “Mortal Man,” stages a conversation between himself and 2Pac, who comments “it’s gonna be like Nat Turner 1831.” Lamar incorporates jazz, most notably on “For Sale?”— and funk, which makes for a more interesting, complicated sound than other recent rap releases—I’m looking at you, Chris Brown and Drake.

Lamar’s pro-black message in Butterfly is both timeless and immediate, and with Butterfly, Lamar is poised to take his place as one of the most influential rappers of the century.

— By Frances Beroset

The Omniscient

Page 16

April 2015

Drama Queens (and Kings): A closer look at Acting Ensemble

By Sara Heilman Staff Writer

“You learn even though you’re playing, which is why I love theatre so much. Have you heard the expression, ‘If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life’?” junior Jordan Pollard said.

Pollard is referring to Acting Ensemble, one of Northwood’s lesser-known classes. Students say that because of its lack of publicity, the class currently has only eight students.

“I think a lot of people are interested in theatre, but they don’t know about it,” sophomore Austin Korynta said.

In order to take Acting Ensemble, students must audition and complete the prerequisite Theatre Arts I, also known as Introduction to Theatre. According to the students who take the class, it’s worth it.

“It’s very fun and rewarding because we do a variety of cool activities that build our skills,” junior Cameron Underwood said.

The group can be found having dance-offs to all genres of music, acting out scenes based on paintings, creating their own raps or making sock puppet plays based on Greek myths. According to students, skills learned from these games and activities can be beneficial later in life.

“You kind of get what you put into it,” said Chelsea Korynta, a Northwood graduate and former ensemble member. “That’s with a lot of the arts classes, especially at Northwood. The teachers aren’t there to hold your hand; they’re there to show it to you, and you really have to take what you want from it. It really prepares you for being in front of people, which is something you’re going to have to do for the rest of your life, and kind of eliminates some of that awkwardness.”

Structurally, the class lets the students have more freedom to explore their skills and talents.

“In ensemble, it’s very much, ‘Here’s the concept; let’s do the concept together,’” Acting Ensemble teacher Kayla Sharp said. “It’s much more organic than the structured class of Introduction to Theatre.”

Some of the students had their doubts before auditioning for the class, but now feel comfortable in the classroom and on stage.

“It’s not as intimidating or difficult as you might imagine it to be,” senior Ethan Taylor said. “Once

Sara Heilman/The Omniscient

MEREDITH AVISON, JORDAN POLLARD and ETHAN TAYLOR rehearse a scene as a part of Acting Ensemble. you’re in there you have a ton of support from the other people because they’re in the exact same boat as you.”

The ensemble encourages more students to take the leap and participate.

“They need to come with a really open spirit; open and accepting and willing,” Sharp said. “It only goes bad when someone’s being combative or negative.”

According to students, the program has shown to be beneficial to the overall high school experiences of the members.

“I felt more accepted because the program was something that was cool to be in,” Chelsea Korynta said. “It was really good for my confidence. After I did Acting Ensemble, I thought that was what I wanted to do with my life. It didn’t really work out, but it really gave me new perspective on what [acting] was all about, whereas before I didn’t think I could really do anything with it.”

Students say that Acting Ensemble provides them with a safe place to express themselves.

“It’s also just fun to be someone else for a little bit; it’s fun to practice that,” Chelsea Korynta said. “If you’re not happy with the life you have now or if something’s going wrong, it’s kind of an escape from that.”

Scan the QR Code to watch footage of Acting Ensemble playing an improvisation game.

Sara Heilman/The Omniscient

MEREDITH AVISON, KENDRA MOON, AUSTIN KORYNTA, ETHAN TAYLOR, CAMERON UNDERWOOD, ELIZABETH McKNIGHT, and KATIE ROBBINS take a bow as a part of Acting Ensemble.

April 2015

Page 17

The Omniscient

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18

Opinion

“Animal Crossing” is taking over my life

Sawyer Davis Don’t play a game called Animal Crossing: New Leaf. You will fall behind in school, you will lose touch with the outside world, you will lose contact with your friends, your social life will deteriorate. And you will love it.

Instead of doing my homework, I spend my time doing mundane tasks for my villagers such as getting fruit from a tree or delivering packages from one anthropomorphic life-sucker to the next.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf was released for the 3DS in June of 2013, and it was the only reason I even bought a 3DS. I spent about three months from the beginning of June until the end of August playing the game religiously. And then I lost the cartridge.

It was a tragedy, except maybe it wasn’t.

I spent the rest of my summer doing more productive and grown-up things like taking out the garbage and growing a beard.

I found it again after cleaning out my hands you the title. There is no refusing. You room in April. I took a look under the long- are the mayor now and you will like it. forgotten underside of my bed and there it Being the mayor of a town full of lazy was, in all of its glory: the game that ruined animals who can’t seem to shake a fruit tree my life. I picked it up and stared at it for a to save their lives comes with many responfew seconds. My grown-up self had left, sibilities, including raising the funds for and all I could think was, “Oh no, here town improvement projects on your own. we go again” and To fundraise, “Clear my schedule, you have to Barbara, I’ve got catch beetles important business on the newly to attend to.” introduced It was 11 p.m. on tropical island. a Sunday; there was This would be loads of homework relatively easy piled up next to my if it weren’t for computer, I had yet the fact that to eat dinner and these beetles are the phone had been equipped with ringing for like an state of the art hour, but I didn’t motion sensors care. I was playing (and probably Screenshot courtesy of animal Crossing Animal Crossing.

THE REWARD SYSTEM in Animal Cross- laser eyes) and Now for those ing: New Leaf is highly motivating. will fly away if who have never you try to get played this game, it begins with you becom- anywhere in their vicinity while walking ing the mayor of a town you’ve just arrived any faster than two steps per minute. in. A charming dog named Isabelle greets Oh, you were running and you didn’t see you as soon as you step off your train and that beetle until it flew away? Too bad, it’s

gone and you’ve just lost 12,000 bells and most likely your firstborn child.

The problem with this game is that it’s fun even when you don’t have any money. Your villagers don’t care if you’re broke; all they care about is if you have the fruit they asked you for.

The villagers will invite you over and even invite themselves over to your house at all hours. Your villagers don’t care that you’ve got soccer practice in 10 minutes, all they care about is making sure that you have as little time as possible to do anything but talk to them.

I often find myself saying things like, “No, I can’t empty the dishwasher, Molly just invited me over to her house and I can’t just leave her alone like this, Mom,” or “I’ve been underwater for 20 seconds chasing this lobster, Mom, I’m not giving up now.”

On top of all this, the villagers even have the gall to ask if you’re okay if you’ve been playing for “too long.”

Am I okay? Am I okay? I’ve been playing this game for two hours, I’ve caught 300,000 bells worth of beetles, paid off two of my mortgages and you’re asking me if I’m “okay?”

The answer is always yes.

every day, and a lot of the time I just go over vocabulary once; there’s not a whole lot of activity going on there,” Cantin said.

Though he says that his Mandarin teacher helps him with pronunciation, he agrees that online class instructors serve primarily as technical support.

“The lead instructors just set up the website and just have you go at it. I would definitely not say that they are teachers,” Cantin said.

Many students engage in online instruction because they hope to skip past lower level classes when they get to college. But planning ahead gets more complicated when one reads the fine print. Multiple, separate organizations, like CCCC and NCVPS run the online classes, and each organization is governed by different rules and expectations about transferring credits. One online class may transfer to a certain four-year university, whereas another does not. Students of all grades and abilities seem to have difficulty finding out the specifics of each class’s transfer potential, and have trouble planning their high school schedules accordingly.

As with the lion’s share of issues such as these, there are a few positive points that should not be neglected. Online programs mimic the college schedule and are largely self-led. This gives students a leg up in their

at Northwood have a lack of rigor and interaction and are thus not conductive to optimal learning.

Online Classes Don’t Measure Up to Expectations

Staff Editorial

Teens lounge on cozy couches while tapping away at their cell phones, chatting and online shopping. No, these are not kids idling at home during snow days or a summer vacation. They are students currently taking online classes: and the relaxed scene is not rare in the corner of the library where they work—some for multiple class periods each day.

One explanation for the laziness is that the online classes do not challenge students enough and, in fact, elicit boredom. Many online classes are given an “honors” weighting, but they do not reflect the honors-level work expected in conventional classrooms.

Numerous tests in online classes are openbook and open-note, and students can attempt tests multiple times to improve their grade. With little in the way of accountability, students look up answers to assignments on the internet instead of applying their own brainpower. Teachers serve as little more than “tech support,” and there is hardly any interaction—not to mention collaboration— among students taking the classes from behind separate screens.

Nicholas Cantin takes online Mandarin II. He thinks the standards are lower in that class than others.

“In this [class] we’re barely doing work

preparedness for college life and studies.

Also, North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) correspondence courses are indubitably more challenging than most online courses, and should not be measured with the same stick as their community college and NCVPS (North Carolina Virtual Public Schools) counterparts.

We are not suggesting that online classes have no merit, but rather that students should lower their expectations when they sign up for such classes. In other words, don’t expect that you will master Mandarin with a semester of online study, or that your credits will easily transfer to your chosen college when the semester comes to a close.

The editorial board of The Omniscient agrees that most online classes offered

— By Natalie Fragnito

April 2015

The Omniscient

Keeping the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro: Student shares concerns

Becca Heilman Recently, more questions have been raised concerning the future of the Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro’s historic music venue.

With increasing talk of redevelopment near the downtown Carrboro shopping center that currently houses the Cradle, concerns have arisen regarding whether or not the proposed Carrboro Arts and Innovation Center (CAIC) will include the venue. With all of this uncertainty, I think it is important to acknowledge how much of a tragedy it would be for Carrboro and its surrounding areas to lose such a vital part of the arts and business community.

The venue has become extremely important to me in the past years. I went to my first small-venue concert at the Cradle in December 2012 to see All Time Low and Divided By Friday. The experience was unlike anything I had ever imagined and helped me to understand how truly beneficial it can be to experience and support live music. It sounds cliché, but the Cat’s Cradle is easily one of the places I’m most at home, and I’m sure there are many others who feel the same way. The unique atmosphere and excellent artists have continually kept me coming back. Personally, it would be devastating for me to lose the Cat’s Cradle to the new development.

The proposed development project, first brought to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen in 2004, includes a $12 million, 55,000-square-foot building slated to house The ArtsCenter and Chapel Hill’s Kidzu Children’s Museum. The original plans

Jacob Sipe Ever since kindergarten, it has been a daily routine to hear announcements and say the Pledge of Allegiance along with the person on the PA system. This wasn’t really a big deal to me. Everyone stood; it was a way to pay our respects to our country and our freedom. Often, there was a moment of silence to say a prayer, reflect on your day or otherwise.

Today, the majority of students sit during the pledge; some even play on their phones or listen to music during the pledge. Daily, in my Plus One class, I see four to six people stand for the pledge. Four to six people out of 27 stand to pay respect to our country and our freedom. According to a school-wide survey

Am I Normal?

Page 19

Little differences diversify our human family

approved in 2008 included the Cat’s Cradle, but as the project has grown and changed, this inclusion has become questionable.

Proponents of the new building say that the additions will improve traffic problems, tourism and the local economy. While this is in no way an argument against the building that could bring those benefits, developers need to recognize the importance of preserving the Cat’s Cradle.

It would be harmful for Carrboro and beyond to lose the venue. The Cradle has been a part of the community for over 40 years, hosting a wide range of events at multiple venues around the Triangle and even as far away as Charlotte. It consistently puts on 300 shows per year and, according to a statement by owner Frank Heath, has raised over $60,000 for local charitable organizations in the past six months alone. According to Heath’s statement, the venue has hosted 21 of the top 100 worldwide touring artists on Pollstar Magazine’s “Top 100 Grossing Worldwide Bands” list. This is unique for a venue in a town as small as Carrboro.

However, the Cat’s Cradle has been requesting a larger space for years. A new, larger space like the CAIC would attract larger acts and more patrons and keep them coming back to the Triangle, benefiting both the venue and community as a whole. In short, I ask the developers and proponents of the CAIC to fully consider the Cat’s Cradle’s utmost importance to the community. According to Indy Week, the deal doesn’t appear to be an immediate threat to the Cradle. There are still many difficult questions surrounding the project, including whether the developers’ $4.5 million request from the town will be fulfilled. Although the future of the Cat’s Cradle is undetermined, one thing is certain: the venue deserves to be accommodated.

For as long as I can remember, I have eaten cereal without milk. No matter whether it’s Cheerios or Froot Loops, Captain Crunch or Raisin Bran, I eat it dry.

And I love to smell books—I don’t just like the smell of books, but sticking my nose in one and audibly taking a huge whiff of that papery, inky scent as soon as I crack it open.

When I study for tests, I pace around the room with pop music blaring through my headphones, muttering the main points under my breath and waving my hands around in elaborate gestures that make sense only in my mind.

Often, as fate would have it, my sister comes downstairs while I’m studying, and bluntly asks me if I’m talking to myself—again. The expression on her face tells me that my study habits are clearly not normal.

At one point or another, all of us have stopped to ask ourselves if our behavior is “normal.” We wonder: would some of our daily patterns, quirks and hang-ups seem bizarre if everyone else could peek into our lives? Since Americans have the wherewithal to put a man on the moon and invent the corn dog, by now we should have made some sort of comprehensive guide for how to live a normal life. But alas, there’s not even a YouTube series on the subject. And, though Pretty Little Liars seems sufficiently life-like, I’ll

have to disqualify it because nobody can run in heels that high.

I really could have used that hypothetical guide the other day, when my friend mentioned that she had never eaten raw cookie dough—not once in her entire childhood. She says it always seemed unnatural. “Insanity!” I thought to myself. “That’s the stuff of fiction!”

What kid could go through their young years and not partake in that sweet, gooey goodness, the thrill intensified by the ever-present risk of raw-egg-borne illnesses? Was my friend even human?

My epiphany came hours later. I realized that I had been judging my friend’s food choices—and, by extension, lifestyle—as I would never want to be judged. In all honesty, I just want to be left alone to wave my arms and smell my books and eat my milkless Frosted Flakes. If my friend never wants to try raw cookie dough in her entire life, that’s her prerogative.

It seems safe to say that American society in general has issues with people who behave a little bit differently. If our culture can’t handle inconsistencies within people’s daily routines, what about those of different races?

Genders? Ethnicities?

The crux of the matter is that nobody is normal. So let’s get over our differences and get on with our lives: there’s a lot of collaboration waiting to happen, a lot of learning to be done. And for our communities—large and small—the collective benefits will be multiplied by each strange habit, weird taste and even funky study routine. In this global new world, we are all more connected than before. And we can’t afford to leave anyone behind.

conducted by The Omniscient, out of 17 Plus One classes, 52 percent of students stood for the pledge. Many reasons may be attributed to a lack of standing for the pledge such as laziness, busyness, not wanting to be associated with the country and not wanting to say the phrase “under God.” Personally, I have many family members who fought overseas, such as my late great uncle who fought in World War II. Everyday when the pledge comes on, it is a reminder of our freedom and the price people have paid for those freedoms. Are you still going to sit there out of laziness and busyness rather than stand for those who fought for our freedom? There are many brave men and women fighting overseas to protect our freedom. As an American, you can stand for an average 10 seconds in honor of their bravery and patriotism. Ten seconds is all it takes to pay your respects to those who gave their life for your freedom.

People also argue that they don’t want to

pledge allegiance to the flag because they don’t agree with some of the decisions the leaders of our country make. To that I say: Do you enjoy freedom? Is your freedom protected? If you answer yes, then you’ve answered correctly. Our leaders haven’t done anything to restrict our freedoms as Americans. If you enjoy your liberty, please join with me and stand for the pledge to pay respects to those who protect our freedom.

The West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette case of 1943 allows students to “sit out from the pledge for any reason.”

This case was brought to light because the pledge contains the phrase “one nation under God.” By saying the pledge, people automatically associate with certain monotheistic religions in which some don’t believe. When you stand for the pledge, you are standing because you respect this country and the freedoms it grants you. One of these freedoms is religion. If you want to continue to have this freedom of religion or

the lack thereof, stand for the pledge. Standing for the pledge is a simple act to pay respect to the ones who fight for our freedom.

You don’t have to say “under God” if you don’t want to. However, you stand quietly in memory of those who risk their lives to protect your freedom.

If you don’t stand for the pledge, your inaction states that you don’t respect this country’s freedoms. If you don’t appreciate this freedom, why do you live in this country? If you don’t want to stand on behalf of the troops who protect our freedom every day, feel free to stand in front of them.

Next time when the pledge comes on, think about America and all the freedoms it affords you and those who fight to protect it. Stand for the pledge because freedom isn’t truly free. Ten seconds is all it takes to honor those who have died to protect your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Adrianne Cleven

10 Seconds for Our Freedom

20

S ports

Running Man: Tristan Cochran

By Jacob Sipe Staff Writer

Jacob Sipe/The Omniscient

TRISTAN COCHRAN runs in a practice.

Jacob Sipe/The Omniscient Graphic courtesy of Piktochart

If you’ve been around Northwood, you are bound to see one man running — rain, sleet or snow. That man’s name is Tristan Cochran. Cochran is a senior who started running his freshman year per the suggestion of his close friend, senior Noble LaRocco-Masi.

“I talked to Coach (Ronald Horton at the time) and told him that Tristan was coming out to run,” LaRoccoMasi said. “Tristan could hardly run a mile to start out.”

Now, Cochran trains 11 months out of the year for six days a week, running from four to 10 miles each day. This may seem very painful and difficult to some, but that is what Cochran thrives on.

“Long distance running tears you down to your most basic existence,” Cochran said.“The feeling of overcoming that pain and agony makes you think you can do anything in life.”

Cochran grew up in the Crescent Mountains of Pennsylvania. He was home schooled all of his life until he moved to North Carolina. Cochran had a couple issues with public school and adjusting to life after he moved.

“When I first came to North Carolina and went to Horton Middle School, I was very socially awkward because I grew up around adults,” Cochran said. “When I got to middle school I didn’t even know what rap was.”

In Pennsylvania, Cochran took many years of mixed martial arts. During martial arts he frequently trained by sprinting short distances. This sprinting translated into Cochran’s running at Northwood.

“When I first saw Tristan, I immediately noticed his leg speed,” head coach Richard McDonald said.

Cochran started running long distance in crosscountry his freshman year. He says he placed in the back of the pack during his first meet. Since then, he has become a top-tier runner, scoring fourth in this year’s regional meet. He ran the meet in 16 minutes, a whole minute faster than his previous record.

“Cochran is a very hard worker and is willing to

conquer any challenge,” McDonald said.

Cochran enjoys cross-country and track equally, as both are long distance. He says there are key differences between them though.

“Cross-country is more strategic; you need to know when to move forward and when to expend your energy,” Cochran said. “Track is all about energy economy: if you get out of breath, you won’t have a burst at the end; if you fall behind you won’t have a chance to regain the distance.”

Cochran is dedicated to the lifestyle of running, from the shoes to the eating habits.

“Tristan won’t even eat a doughnut if I offer him one,” LaRocco-Masi said. “He tries to detox his body for running.” [See Cochran’s diet in the sidebar] Cochran says he is so dedicated to running because he is used to it and it allows him to clear his mind.

Many younger runners look up to Cochran.

“Tristan is a strong leader; he taught us if you work hard you will win,” said freshman cross-country runner Colton Lineman.

Cochran qualified for the state meet in cross country this year; however, he didn’t do as well as he wanted to due to conditions out of his control.

“States was probably the most miserable experience of my running career,” Cochran said. “It was windy, rainy, below freezing and very muddy. I wasn’t at all happy with that race.”

Despite his experience at States, Cochran is still looking to have a good track season and potentially to run for a college team. He is looking into running at some smaller Division I schools such as UNC-Charlotte. Whether he runs for a team or not, he plans to always run in the future and one day hopes to compete in an Ultra Marathon (preferably 100-300 miles).

According to McDonald, Cochran has made his mark on the Northwood cross-country and track teams.

He has helped set the program up for success.

“He has been a real blessing to our program,” McDonald said. “We wouldn’t be as good of a program without him.”

Jacob Sipe/The Omniscient Graphic courtesy of Piktochart

April 2015

Page 21

The Omniscient

Into the Woods:

A guide to exploring the Chatham outdoors

By Katie Robbins Staff Writer

Map Key

Northwood High School

Lower Haw River Trail (Northern Trailhead)

Lower Haw River Trail (Southern Trailhead)

Bynum Beach Canoe Access

Jordan Lake Educational State Forest

New Hope Overlook at Jordan Lake Graphic courtesy of Google Maps

Lower Haw River Trail

If you’re looking for a longer trail that provides a scenic river-side route, this is the hike to take.

With two trailheads off of 15-501 and 64, it’s easily accessible and adjustable to what kind of hike you’re looking for. Those interested in a longer hike should take the Northern Trailhead right off of 15-501, only about two minutes from Northwood by the dam in the Haw River. This is a 4.3 mile hike combined with the southern leg of the trail. Starting at the Southern Trailhead would make for a shorter and more moderate hike. Both options include great access spots for wading in the water and resting on rocks, and the trail provides great opportunities to photograph wildlife, especially along the water.

Jordan Lake Educational State Forest The Jordan Lake Educational State Forest has four trails between 0.5 and two miles long.

A highlight is definitely the Talking Tree Trail, which is 0.5 miles and features many “Talking Trees” who emit a recorded message that educate the listener about the forest and the types of trees that call it home. The Jordan Lake Educational State Forest is a perfect place to bring children because of its interactive and easy to moderate trails, a picnic area and a forestry center. Jordan Lake is also home to a large variety of wildlife.

Bynum Beach Canoe Access The Haw River provides great opportunities for paddling and tubing access. A popular paddling route begins at the Bynum Canoe Access Area, located only seconds from the Northern Trailhead of the Lower Haw River Trail off of 15-501. The run is about 3.6 miles and runs right to US 64. A popular tubing route starts from the Northern Trailhead of the Lower Haw River Trail and runs for about 1 mile. There, tubers can walk the hiking trail back to the trailhead. All in all, the Lower Haw River Natural Area has recreational opportunities for all ages and experience levels.

New Hope Overlook at Jordan Lake The New Hope Overlook at Jordan Lake has two great hikes that can be adjusted to a length that is comfortable for any age or experience level. The Blue Trail is a moderate trail that is about 2.7 miles, while the Red Trail combines with the Blue Trail for a total of 5.4 miles. Both hikes stick close to the water and offer beautiful views of the lake. Close water views provide perfect spots for birdwatching and wildlife photography. The New Hope Overlook is located only about 10 minutes away from 64 and seven minutes from US 1.

Page 22

The Omniscient

April 2015

Is Orange the new JM? Discussing rivalries at Northwood

By Jailen Leach Staff Writer When students hear “rivalry week” at Northwood, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Jordan-Matthews.

JM has always been a major rival for Northwood, but with the switch to the 3A Big Eight athletic conference from the 2A Carolina 12 conference, new rivalries have been found. For many of the spring sports at Northwood, the new rival is Orange High School.

“We look to crush Orange every time we play them,” junior baseball player Conner Leinbach said.

Before Northwood joined the Big Eight, the only sport that had Orange on its schedule was lacrosse. This game was not initially a rivalry, but it has now emerged into the most anticipated game of the year for lacrosse fans and players.

“The games against Orange have gotten easier because we have gotten better, and I believe we have figured out how to prepare for them,” junior lacrosse player Eric Franklin said.

When Orange is on the schedule, it usually means more than just a win is at stake. These games are traditionally for better seeding come playoff time.

“The Orange game means more

to us for the simple fact that the final playoff spot is usually on the line,” Franklin said.

The Orange game seems to get the players more animated and ready for game time.

“We get extra hyped and work harder in practice when we see Orange coming up,” senior lacrosse player Jacob Orbich said.

Lacrosse is not the only Northwood sport affected by Orange. Orange also affects baseball and softball. This may be partially due to the massive Twitter arguments leading up to game time.

“There is a lot of trash talking on Twitter, mainly because we know a lot of their guys and it’s just fun to pick at each other,” senior baseball player Peyton Skyler Waugh/The Omniscient Walker said.

JUNIOR COLE WALKER stands over a fallen Orange player. Walker reThe teams like to boast and brag about cieved a penalty for taunting. what they can do on the field, and it has added a whole new aspect to the rivalry. with them,” Walker said. “Knowing that softball player Kayli Blankenship said.

“The trash talk on Twitter has added an it is a big week for us, we like to do “The Orange game increases the level ‘eat your words’ aspect to the game; you scouting reports on their pitchers and of focus within our players; we try to don’t want to lose after you talk trash,” practice against their pitches.” clean everything up and work on our Leinbach said.

The Orange game in softball is also mentality going into the game.”

When a game against Orange is comimportant for playoff seedings. This Whether it is the old rivalry of ing up, players often seem to do extra makes the game more significant.

Northwood and JM or the new riwork and go the extra mile in practice.

“We are the two strongest teams in valry of Northwood and Orange, the “They always have tough competiour conference; this game makes or intensity will always be at its peak for tion, and we always compete really well breaks our conference rankings,” junior rivalry week.

April 2015

Page 23

The Omniscient

Spring Sports Previews Soccer

The girls’ soccer team looks to keep the winning tradition alive after going 14-7 last year. The Chargers look to add new faces coupled with veteran leadership in order to be successful.

The Chargers will have to weather a difficult schedule this year, especially in conference, where they face Cardinal Gibbons and defending state champion Chapel Hill.

Northwood will be led by seniors Kellsie Weiss, Sophia Pearce and Jamie Palermo, an Appalachian State commit.

The Chargers are very optimistic to start out the season and are poised to make a run in the playoffs this year.

“We’ve only been to the third round since I’ve been here- I hope we can make it farther this year,” Palermo said. “This is my senior year, and even though I’m going to play in college, I want to make this season one to remember.”

Track and Field

Northwood’s track and field team is looking to step up their game and improve throughout the season. Promising athletes on the team (both discus throwers and runners) include Tristan Cochran, Max Kerscher, Cris Kessler, Imoh Udoh, Jack Maynard, Nitrel Evans, Noble LaRocco Masi and Armani Baldwin.

The track team looks to improve daily in order to reach their goals and conquer teams previously mentioned.

Last year, the team’s 4 x 800-meter relay group performed exceptionally well and even managed to compete at the state level.

Baseball

Northwood’s baseball team is looking to improve on its 11-11 record from last year.

The team has seven starters returning, and they are confident and eager for a conference title.

The Chargers are looking to replace a large number of hits from recent graduate Trevor Hackney and many innings pitched from recent graduate Garrett Scott. Northwood is also looking for leaders to step up.

“The seniors need to step up and lead this team because there are not as many of us as past years,” senior Peyton Walker said.

The Chargers have a tough schedule this year, especially in conference, where they look to avenge losses from last season against Chapel Hill, Cardinal Gibbons and Conference champion Orange.

Golf

The Northwood golf team is looking to improve on last year’s season.

The Chargers have a tough conference schedule this year. The players look forward to being competitive in conference, but they know a championship is not realistic.

“If we take care of business with the conference matches against the lower tier teams, I feel like we could compete well

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with Chapel Hill and Cardinal Gibbons,” junior Coleman Brann said.

The seasoned veterans on the golf team know what it will take for this season to go as planned.

“Everyone on this team needs to be focused in practices,” Brann said.

Softball

Northwood softball enters the 2015 season with plenty of veteran experience; notably, the Chargers return five all-state players including senior Alexa Bernard, juniors Anna Jasper and Mckenzie Allgood and sophomores Carson Shaner and Ally McKee. Having the same group as last year, the Chargers look to make strides. According to junior Kayli Blankenship, the group looks to have improved mental approaches to the game.

“We will be a much better team because everyone has another year of experience under their belt,” Blankenship said.

In order to make a deep run, Northwood will have to make it through Orange. In most years, the Orange game determines who will be conference champions.

Lacrosse

After an 8-8 season last year, the lacrosse team looks to continue its recent success.

The Chargers set a record for wins last year with eight. If the Chargers are going to win this year, they have to replace Wesley Meyer, who was a big part of the Chargers’

offense last season.

Juniors Cole Walker and Jacob Bass look to replace the scoring that left with Meyer.

“Everyone has to step up, but most importantly attackers Cole Walker and Jacob Bass,” senior James Emmerling said.

Despite an inexperienced offensive group, the Chargers return all but one starter on defense. The Chargers’ defense looks to anchor the team until the offense gets on track.

“We only lost one defender who started last year in Jack Teague, so we should be strong,” sophomore Wesley Roberson said.

Tennis

Northwood boys’ tennis looks to improve on last year’s 7-8 record. Tennis finished 6th in the conference last year. The Chargers have to replace Zafer Estill, who was all conference last year. The Chargers have a fresh start with a few returning players and new coach, John Delafield.

“He cares a lot and is very intense,” junior Sean King said. “He focuses more on strength and conditioning.”

According to many players, last years’ team lacked a balance between work and play.

“We need to be more serious this year and know when to have fun and when it is time to work hard,” King said.

— Compiled by Adrianne Cleven, Jailen Leach and Jacob Sipe

SUPER

CHARGED

The student athletes shown below have exhibited traits that earned the recognitions of their coaches for exemplary athletic accomplishments.

Frances Beroset/The Omniscient

Grant Whitaker

Seth Clark

“Grant is a leader on the team and is very dedicated.”

— Darius Cole

Jailen Leach/The Omniscient

“Seth is a great player and even better role model because of his dedication and commitment.”

— Davis Wells

Rachel Stoner

Photo Courtesy of Kyndal Hutchinson

“Rachel keeps our team together with her calm and collected attitude.”

— Jamie Palermo

Featured Athlete: Alex Council

Jessica Kolomichuk/The Omniscient

Bobby Gordon

“Bobby is a hard worker, great leader and always helps his teamates out.”

— Jordan Dalton

Jacob Sipe/The Omniscient

Anna Jasper

“She is a leader on our team and always steps up in tough situations.”

— Ally McKee

Senior Alex Council is a respected track star at Northwood. Council has many accomplishments to her name, the most important being the back-to-back indoor 55-meter state championships she won in 2014 and 2015.

Prior to the 2015 state championship race, Council was determined not to let her nerves get the best of her. She made it a personal goal to beat the 4A runners.

“I was very nervous going into the race, but I was also confident,” Council said. “The 4A runners are fast, and their times are always near mine.”

Council was elated once she crossed the finish line because her dream became reality.

“It felt great after I looked at the times and I realized that all of the training and my hard work paid off,” Council said.

Council is a track athlete that trains diligently in the off-season. She starts her training two weeks after her summer National meet. The training consists of three days of lifting and running six 150-meter dashes every day.

Council plans to attend UNC-Charlotte on a track scholarship and is looking to continue her success as a track athlete at the collegiate level.

— By Jailen Leach

Frances Beroset/The Omniscient

Brandon Kelly

“Brandon puts in a lot of time, he works really hard and is devoted to the team.”

— Arlo Estill

Jailen Leach/The Omniscient

Patrick Scyzpinski

“He has a great attitude for the game and he plays the game with passion that is rarely seen.”

— Matt Oldham