The Omniscient Volume 15 Issue 3 April 2022
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The Omniscient
April 2022
POINTS OF INTEREST
Page 3- The varsity GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM took home the 3A state championship title this season.
Page 8- Northwood PROM is right around the corner, and it’s the first one since 2019. We answer your questions about the evening’s festivities. CRAVING MORE? The Omniscient publishes news stories each week on our website. Go to nhsomniscient.com for articles, videos, photos and podcasts on everything from sports, entertainment, arts and top news events happening at Northwood and in the larger community.
THE NORTHWOOD Page 5- BUS ROUTES have been a challenge this year. County officials explain when Northwood students can expect that to change.
OMNISCIENT
EDITORS
STAFF WRITERS
Grace Leonard Editor-In-Chief
Liam Sovereign
Lily Kate Witcher Assistant Editor-In-Chief Page 6 - Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tells us all about his LAND CONSERVANCY efforts in Chatham County.
Mae Conners
Ethan Westmoreland Multimedia Editor
Matthew Sullivan
ADVISOR
Mud Schwankl
Ms. Eliza Brinkley ebrinkley@chatham.k12.nc.us
Page 7 - VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) is finding its way into entertainment, exercise and now, schooling. NHS staff discuss the potential of VR to change education.
Hannah Barnes
Rosalie Denieul
Hunter Ligel
Website: nhsomniscient.com Instagram: @nhsomniscient Twitter: @nhsomniscient TikTok: @nhsomniscient Spotify: The Northwood Omniscient
April 2022
A WIN FOR THE AGES The Omniscient
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Girls’ Basketball wins state championship title
BY MATTHEW SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
eron] Vernon,” Snipes said. “I played on the basketball team [at Northwood] for all four years when I was a student…We had good runs After almost 50 years of sheer dedication in the playoffs, but we ended up losing before and hard work, Northwood can finally add a the championship game.” team’s state championship to the trophy case. Northwood finished the 21-22 season with a Despite many individual and relay champions 30-1 record, losing their sole game to Millbrook throughout the years, Northwood history has High School of Wake County. never included a state championship team At the Winter Sports Banquet on March 20, until now. Snipes paid tribute to the season, giving speOn March 12, the Northwood women’s cial appreciation to the coaching staff, parents, basketball team traveled to the William Neal Northwood’s student section, athletic trainer Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh to play their Jackie Harpham, athletic director Cameron final game of the season against Enka High School of Buncombe County. Dominating the Vernon, team managers and, most of all, the game from the start, Northwood’s victory was players that made this season a success. Snipes also announced end-of-season one for the history books, with a final score of awards. 70-42. Northwood finished first in the conference “It was a really exciting day knowing that for the regular season and won the conference we were going to be able to compete in the state championship game, which is something tournament. Northwood’s starting lineup – Skylar Adams, Te’Keyah Bland, Natalie Bell, Myla that I had [never] been a part of,” first-year Marve and Olivia Porter – were all named allhead coach Kerri Snipes said. “Obviously we wanted to win, so [we were] just trying to make conference athletes. Senior Olivia Porter was also named the conference player of the year. sure we were prepared, staying focused and “I was definitely looking for a large outremembering that we were there to come back come this season,” Porter said. “I knew that we victorious for our school, our team and our had talented players and all it was going to take community.” was us playing cohesively together and believSnipes, who graduated from Northwood, has a personal connection to the team, one that ing in each other. That’s exactly what happened and we became state champions as a result of many other coaches are not blessed to have. “I have helped with the team for four years, it.” so I was an assistant coach with Coach [Cam-
Snipes also presented team awards at this time. Natalie Bell received the Impact Player Award, Gianna McManaman received the Coach’s Award and Olivia Porter received the Most Outstanding Player Award. The girls’ team has since celebrated their victory both as a team and individually. Junior Gianna McManaman has specifically enjoyed some of the post-game traditions that have brought the team closer together. “Without a doubt, I’ll be missing our tradition after every away game win,” McManaman said. “It started when we had the [Junior Varsity boys’ team] riding with us home, but carried out to the final state game with our cheerleaders. Right before we get back to Northwood, we like to play ‘Stay’ by Rihanna on our speaker and absolutely butcher the lyrics. Everyone is out of breath by the end of the song and I’m sure our coaches are grateful we’re athletes and not singers.” Snipes is appreciative of the team that she has worked with over this season and is excited to see their collective growth in the future. “They came to work every day at practice, and worked hard, they made sacrifices…They trusted each other, they believed in each other and themselves,” Snipes said. “I’ve been so blessed to have this group as my first year. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of young ladies to be able to coach.”
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The Omniscient
My College Experience BY GRACE LEONARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Université au Lycée
the class to speak and listen to French consistently. The group conversations embraced error, allowing for the classroom to be a 9:05: I take my seat in French 203, feeling learning sanctuary. The best way that I could pleased with myself. My mom just dropped me describe the learning environment would be off on South Road, Chapel Hill so that I could stimulating, motivational and safe. My profeswalk to my UNC class. A seventeen-year-old sor genuinely cared for the class and enjoyed high school senior, seated amongst college teaching; her focus was on making the matesophomores, juniors and seniors–I’ve never felt rial easy to digest and enjoy in the forms of so young or so accomplished. songs, games and group work. I can assure Over the course of my semester at UNC, I you that I gained a great deal of knowledge realized that I appeared to be any other college and continue to use my higher level French student. As a matter of fact, I made a handful every day–I owe quite a bit of thanks to this of friends in my class who believed me to be course. a college sophomore; I explained to them that Being able to take this college class has I was actually in a dual enrollment program, been the most rewarding experience for me in and they were taken aback. Another instance of terms of education and I have already recommy age being mistaken is when I was walking mended exploring options like this to a few of to class one day and a TA stopped me to ask my dedicated peers. where the staff lounge was; he also inquired I did not select a UNC class on a whim, what subject I taught. While I was viewed as but rather ran out of other options. I had taken older, I still had the strange feeling of being the all levels of French offered at Northwood by baby on the campus. Despite these odd age asthe end of my first semester junior year and sumptions, I had a wonderful experience every had no intention of stopping there. Central Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the small Carolina Community College did not offer classroom in Dey Hall. the next level I needed, so my only option I assumed that taking an intermediate to continue was to dual enroll at the nearest college-level language class would be a siguniversity: UNC. nificant amount of work and one of the most While the course was costly, I believe it challenging classes I had ever taken: that was was worth every penny. I’ve gained more than not the case. The three-day-a-week course gave fluency in French from my time there and will three hours’ worth of homework a week–exforever treasure the privilege to have been a cluding the three one-page essays as the only student at UNC. other homework assigned the entire semester. Listening and participating in class discus~ sions was all I needed to do to understand the course content, making the handful of quizzes Update: After writing this piece, the author and single speaking test much easier. Overall, made the decision to continue her studies at the workload and number of assessments were UNC as an undergraduate beginning in the considerably less than any Northwood class fall of 2022. I’ve ever taken. Middle and high school teachers preach that college professors are strict and unforgiving; my French instructor was anything but. She didn’t believe in late work–as in, she didn’t believe that homework was ever late if it was turned in. She was more than willing to provide extensions and help you out if you missed class. She wanted class to be fun and it absolutely was. The only thing that I found odd was her belief that we should be graded on our participation, and when it came to participation grades, she was on the stricter side. Her adamance about participation, however, ended up being very helpful as it encouraged
April 2022
April 2022
The Omniscient
NORTHWOOD BUS ROUTES EXPERIENCE CHANGE, PROBLEMS BY HUNTER LIEGL STAFF WRITER
School buses and bus routes are integral to the school system as they are the only way for some students to get to school and back. Some student bus riders may have noticed that this year, it’s taking longer to get home. Sophomore Clara Talton says it “feels kind of strange because [the bus] turn[s] on a road that’s right near [her] house” well before she is dropped off at her stop. “I would like to know more about why the bus routes are the way that they are,” Talton said. “[Bus rides] can be pretty long and uncomfortable,” sophomore Justin Clark said. “But in all honesty, it gets us home safely, it gets us to school safely and I believe not many changes can be made [based on current circumstances].” In the fall, the bus routes were changed to add Seaforth High School to the schedule. This is currently the only school with which Northwood shares bus routes.
“We share seven buses with [Seaforth],” Assistant Principal Adam Lutterloh said. “We have seven Northwood buses that begin their route here at Northwood and then go to Seaforth and pick up more students, and then Seaforth has two buses that start at Seaforth and then come to Northwood.” Chatham County Director of Transportation Joel Caviness cited the reason for the mixed bus routes being Seaforth’s smaller number of students. “Because Seaforth was not open for all students during the start of school, we were forced to use the existing Northwood district to accommodate the 11th and 12th graders remaining at Northwood,” Caviness told The Omniscient. “Seaforth was opened for freshman and sophomores during the first year and will enroll 11th graders next year and 12th graders the following year. When Seaforth has all grades 9 through 12 enrolled during the 2023-24 school year, the routes will be separated into each school’s district, and shared buses will no longer be needed.”
Caviness also spoke about the impact of fewer available bus drivers on school bus routes as part of the fall-out from COVID-19. “Most of our schools in Chatham have experienced staffing shortages the past two years because of the COVID Pandemic, and [this] has become a nationwide issue for most school districts,” said Caviness. “Everyone in transportation, from passenger carriers to freight haulers, are struggling to find commercial drivers at this time.” Beginning in the fall of 2023, Caviness stated that some of Northwood’s buses will be moved to Seaforth in order to accommodate the larger number of students. “Buses will be assigned to each district and not overlap as they are at this time,” Caviness said. “[...]Northwood buses will no longer be traveling to the Northeast corner of the county on the Durham County, Wake County and Harnett County line to the Southeast.”
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April 2022
The Omniscient
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EPIC GAMES CEO TIM SWEENEY’S
EPIC BATTLE FOR CHATHAM PRESERVATION BY MAE CONNERS STAFF WRITER
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is on a mission to buy and conserve an abundance of Chatham County land in order to protect it from being developed. His latest purchase was in Dec. 2021, when Sweeney bought roughly 227 acres of land southeast of Siler City for over $1 million. Sweeney founded Epic Games, which would go on to create Fortnite and the Gears of War franchise, in 1991. Epic moved headquarters from Sweeney’s family home in Potomac, Maryland to Cary, North Carolina in 1999, where he would eventually get involved in conservation efforts.
“I see beautiful land, I want to preserve it,” Sweeney told The Omniscient. The goal of Sweeney’s land conservation project is a long-term one; he aims to conserve over 16,000 acres of land along the Rocky River, as well as some in the Bennett Flatwoods
of North Carolina–a wild area where buffalo and mountain lions lived until the early 1800’s. He began the endeavor in 2007, almost 15 years ago, when a chunk of hilltop land became available for purchase in Siler City. Since then, he has been expanding his land ownership rapidly, and he now owns approximately 56,000 acres of land throughout North Carolina, making him the largest private landowner in the state. Much of this land has been donated to conservation groups already, including the Conservation Fund of North Carolina and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. “When I was growing up in Maryland, the forests I loved exploring were bulldozed to make room for houses and golf courses,” Sweeney said. “I hope to prevent that from happening to some of North Carolina’s best [natural] land.” Sweeney’s Chatham-based land purchases may seem most relevant to Northwood due to close proximity; however, purchases farther from campus are just as important. He is focused on three major areas; the Rocky River, the Roan Highlands and the foothills of McDowell County in Western North Carolina. These areas are known as conservation corridors, which are uninterrupted stretches of forests—and other habitats—high in biodiversity and vital to the survival of certain organisms. Sweeney told The Omniscient that the preservation of habitats like these comes as a “basic instinct,” rather than a responsibility. He intends to make sure that future generations can enjoy the beauty the Earth has to offer, just as he has. Obviously, this plan is not cheap. According to Sweeney, land prices around the Rocky River are reasonable, at an average of $6,000 an acre, but land in larger cities–like Cary and Chapel Hill–can be ten to 100 times more expensive. These costs add up quickly, totalling in hundreds of millions of dollars when taking the varying prices into consideration.
As the owner of multiple established game franchises, Sweeney’s influence may inspire those in his audience to take similar—though less drastic—steps in order to protect and care for their community. Sweeney encourages young people to educate themselves and do what they can to better the planet they call home.
STA YO
FF! PRO TEC LA N TED D
“Everyone should help to improve the world in their own way,” Sweeney said. “I encourage learning the fields you’re interested in rigorously, because there’s often a disconnect between what’s popular, and what’s really effective in improving the world.”
The Omniscient
April 2022
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VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM Teachers Voice Opinion on VR integrating with curriculum
BY LIAM SOVERIGN STAFF WRITER
Virtual Reality (VR) is a new concept in the technology world, slowly blooming into its own industry. The biggest use of VR today has been gaming, with new technology expanding into different uses and occupations. Surgeons have used VR to perform mock surgeries by mapping out the patient’s organs to help plan out a surgery. Meta, who recently changed their company goal to create a ‘metaverse’, a digital world much like our own where we could live out a second life, has announced plans for Horizon. Horizon is a virtual environment where people can go to virtual concerts, work, hang out with their friends and more, all from the comfort of their own home. The Foo Fighters, an American rock band based out of Seattle, recently had an entire virtual concert on the Horizon platform after the superbowl. Horizon is also planning to create a virtual classroom. There is a growing trend of schools purchasing VR goggles to allow students to “visit” various destinations and alternate realities in their own classroom. “I would want to introduce VR elements into my classroom because as a CTE, Business, Finance and Marketing teacher, I cover global issues in the curriculum and VR will go beyond just academics as well to include cultural competence, the ability to understand another person’s culture and values which is a important skill in today’s interconnected, global society,” CTE Teacher Manfred Makor said. “VR in the classroom also helps students struggling to understand difficult academic concepts as well as help to motivate students to explore new academic interests. I would like for VR to be integrated into the school system, but effectively, where appropriate within the curriculum and with a structured plan to maximize the use of VR within lesson plans and then guide the students along.”
VR in education is an avenue that schools are starting to explore. In VR, going to look on the streets in European countries for geography can help a student get a visual on how a country looks and how it differs from their own. Science classes get to look at in-depth experiments, risk-free. Concerns about VR and education integrating include the potential for distracting from other school work, health concerns with disorientation and nausea, and contributing to an increase in lack of socialization between peers. The focal point of school is education and if VR is implemented it could become overused and diminish some of the other avenues of learning such as literature and imagination.
“Back in January, I helped my son Braiden with a project on the Great Wall of China using Google Earth,” Orphal said. “Being able to see real images from the Wall, being able to ‘walk’ into the buildings and look out every window helped make the experience far more interesting that just reading about the Wall and seeing a single picture or drawing. I can imagine leading students through VR field trips not just to the Great Wall as it is today, but through a program that lets us experience the building of the Wall as we understand how it happened in the past.” There are potential downsides to having a VR environment. “I think that [VR in classrooms] would be cool–like the next-level Magic School Bus!” Orphal said. “On the other hand, VR could bring problems to a classroom. I can imagine a student being triggered by being in a battle that looks too real. I can also imagine students becoming violently nauseous from a VR experience, and I definitely do not want History teacher David Orphal shared his to clean up vomit in my classroom.” view on VR and how it could be used in the VR is a large industry in which companies school environment. and the masses share an interest in investing in “I think VR, like any new and disruptive the future. Education isn’t the only way VR can technology, can be both helpful and detrimental expand, but for students, it is a new potential to classrooms,” Orphal said. “On the one hand, avenue for their learning. VR could allow students in chemistry class conduct experiments in complete safety, using resources that a typical public school could never afford in real life. Can you imagine The first mention of the being in a virtual lab that is fully equipped with term, “The Metaverse,” the latest and greatest tools that, right now, was in the 1992 book Snow only top universities and government labs have Crash. This term has been access to? That could be really cool. I think turned into a platofrm that VR could be a real asset to a history class as the company, Meta, is uswell.” ing for the future of online Orphal talked about some possible interactions. experiences on a VR field trip that allows the student to be in a movie-like experience of the Battle of Yorktown and allows the viewer to watch Corwallis surrender to Washington, or go to Inpendence Hall.
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The Omniscient
RUSTIC ROMANCE
April 2022
Northwood’s First Prom in Two Years
BY ALIANA ROBLES-MORENO STAFF WRITER
On April 30, Northwood will hold its first prom in three years at the Chatham County Agricultural Center. Prom committee members are excited for prom this time around and want to make it a memorable night. “This prom, I think, will be a lot more special to our class and to the juniors. We haven’t really been able to hang out with anybody… So prom will be a really good way to just come together,” senior Myla Marve, a member of Northwood’s Prom Committee, said. “It’s gonna be really exciting.” Prom is special for some people, and for others it isn’t that big of a deal. Whether it’s just a big party to them, or the most important night of their lives, prom can mean different things for everyone. “It’s special to me because it’s a once-in-alifetime experience that you only get to have in high school and I think it’s really special,” senior Alanna Soto said.
“I think it’s absolutely worth it to have a prom, cause we get to have the whole highschool experience… [it’s] almost like a high school tradition to have prom,” senior Makayla Pask said. “It feels kinda weird to not have one.” Prom committee adviser Sherri Stubbs believes that prom has always played an important part in students’ time at Northwood. “I feel like prom does play a big role and students enjoy the aspect of seeing their peers outside of school in a whole other type of atmosphere, along with making memories,” Stubbs said. Since Northwood did not hold a prom last year, students are more excited to attend this year’s prom. Senior prom committee member Daian Patino said the goal is to “get that high school experience.” “The main goal for us is for students to have a positive experience with prom… since we have not had prom in two years,” Prom Committee member Julie Fogle said. “So this will be a little bit more of a return to semi-normal.”
Excited for prom? Check out the FAQs below to Q: How much are the tickets? When can we make sure you’re prepared for the big night. buy them? A: Tickets cost $25 per person and you can buy Q: What is the theme of this year’s prom? them at NHS school cash. You can find the link A: The theme is Rustic Romance. on the Northwood homepage website Q: Will masks be required? A: Yes, masks will be required. Q: When and where will it be held? A: Prom will be held Saturday, Apr.30, from 7-11 p.m. in the Chatham County Agricultural Center.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it all come together and spending a night with my friends as we celebrate our senior year,” senior prom committee member Nicole Hamilton said.
Q: What kinds of decorations will they have? A: The decorations will be “whimsical and romantic.” There will be fairy lights, ivy and wooden centerpieces.
Q: What kind of music will there be? Q: What kind of food will there be? A: A DJ has been hired and the music will be A: The food will be catered by Angelina’s Kitchen and they will have all sorts of appetiz- upbeat and popular songs. ers/desserts. There will be vegetarian, vegan and gluten options for students as well.
The Omniscient
April 2022
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OPINION: Is High School Better in France or the U.S.?
BY ROSALIE DENIEUL STAFF WRITER As a French exchange student at Northwood, I have found there are positive and negative aspects to both American and French high schools. In an American high school, you can choose some of the courses you want to study, including electives. In France, students don’t have as much say in what classes they take. In America, you also have a lot of activities you can do after school. You can be a part of a club, play sports or do other activities that interest you. In France, classes end around 5:30, but in America, you have time for clubs or sports after school because school finishes earlier. Even if you don’t play a sport, you can still support your high school team by attending games. In France, classrooms are not decorated. The decorations in American classrooms contribute to a supportive learning environment. In American classrooms, students sometimes create posters for the walls. It can be helpful for students to make these posters because it helps them reinforce a skill. In American high schools, there are a variety of dances including homecomings and proms. The dances are an opportunity to spend time with your friends and think about things other than classes. While there are positive aspects of American schools, there are also some things that could be improved. The food in the cafeteria in an American high school is very limited; you can only drink milk for free and if you want other drinks, you have to buy them. The food is also not as healthy as it could be. In France you have three different courses during lunch with different choice: one for the beginning of the meal ( in French, we call this an “entrée”), a main dish and then you end with dessert. Also, if you want to go to a private school in the U.S. it’s very expensive; you have to be smart and submit a really good application. In American high schools you also don’t have a lot of breaks during your day or for holidays. I have also observed that a lot of the curriculum in American schools is dominated by politics.
Although in France you can’t choose your classes, you can still learn a lot of things. Generally in high school in France, you start at 8:30 AM and you finish at 5:30 PM. The day is really long, but after 2 hours of class you always have a break for 15 minutes. In France, you also have more vacations of at least 2 weeks each. In France, you have 8 classes that last 55 minutes each day. There are no clubs, sports, dance, or activities you can do at your high school; you just come to school, work and leave. Sometimes you can travel for 1-2 weeks but it is only allowed 1-3 times during your time in school. The difference between the teachers and the students in France is also more emphasized. You must address the teacher using a more formal pronoun for “you.” In America, teachers are more supportive of students outside of just their academic success. In France, you have to carry a lot of books and textbooks and you don’t have a computer; you have to write on sheets of paper. The dress code in France is also very strict, so you can’t go to school with sweatpants, jeans with holes in them, pajamas or sportswear; you have to wear an appropriate outfit all day that covers most parts of the body. FINAL VERDICT Overall, I think American high schools are better because you have more freedom and opportunities to learn about things that interest you. In addition, I think the relationship between students and teachers allows students to be more comfortable at school.
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The Omniscient
April 2022
OPINION: Chatham Park Development Endagers Wildlife, Promotes Deforestation BY MUD SCHWANKLE STAFF WRITER
Pittsboro is a small community in Chatham County that has an abundance of forests and wildlife. Currently there are many building projects that are affecting the living creatures and plants. Many students who go to Northwood live in or nearby the forests. One of these people is sophomore Vivian O’Bryan, who lives in Chatham Forest. “I think [deforestation in Chatham] is definitely affecting the local wildlife in a major way,” O’Bryan said. “Recently we’ve seen a lot more deer, and even animals like foxes, which we never saw when I was little, that are suddenly a lot closer to the neighborhood. They wouldn’t be there if their homes weren’t completely destroyed.” Chatham County has had lots of wildlife for decades. Chatham County citizens continue to create groups to preserve the wildlife and forest.
The Chatham Conservation Partnership (CCP) is a group that builds awareness, protection and support for Chatham County’s natural resources. Chatham Park, a major building project in Pittsboro, has been building on the more forested areas in Chatham. Positive aspects of the development include that more people will be able to enjoy Chatham and there will be more resources open, such as malls and stores that were normally far away. Across from Northwood there are some new businesses such as Marco’s Pizza, Jersey Mike’s and a new gas station. But there are significant environmental downsides to the development, too, including the removal of trees on the property which can result in the further endangerment of wildlife species, such as the Chatham Rabbit. According to Our State, the Chatham Rabbit is not a typical bunny. It is larger, more like an Australian jackrabbit. “The Nature of Things” website states that rabbits are
becoming endangered due to deforestation. It also says that some rabbits are unable to live anywhere but their native environment, which can become a problem if their homes–the forests–are destroyed. Due to trees being the air source for living beings, deforestation can put people, animals, and plants in danger. “I think [deforestation] has been a real issue lately and I can’t understand why the big companies that are doing it can’t see how harmful that is,” freshman Sabrina Wright said. “If they burn the trees, it’s gonna mess up the atmosphere.” Preserving the environment and the living creatures in it benefits life for humans and animals alike. It becomes a retreat for forest lovers and a calm place that people can come to when things get too overwhelming. The old forests that surround the people of Chatham all have their own stories–ones that should be preserved if possible.
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The Northwood Omniscient is an award-winning student magazine. In 2021, the publication received the Tar Heel Award for its website from the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association (NCSMA) along with recognititon for many individual students’ pieces. If you are interested in journalism, current events, writing or graphic design, then The Northwood Omniscient is for you. As a journalism student, you will practice your writing, editing and creative skills while working with other student journalists. To become a staff member for The Northwood Omniscient, join Journalism Club or apply for the Journalism class. To learn more about both the club and class, please contact Ms. Eliza Brinkley at ebrinkley@chatham.k12.nc.us.