Omniscient January 2017

Points of Interest

Hannah Gail Shepherd/The Omniscient

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS discuss the overall effectiveness of in-school punishment. pg 6

Jessica Kolomichuk/The Omniscient

Jessica Kolomichuk/The Omniscient

STUDENTS’ abuse of prescription drugs has grown more prevalent. pg 8

Many students begin and end their dance careers in high school. Students have limited opportunities to showcase what they’ve learned, as there are only two dance concerts per year. However, this semester included a special addition for the dance students: a concert featuring student choreography.

The dance concert was held Jan. 5 at 7 p.m., showcasing group pieces and solos choreographed by the students themselves. There were 10 pieces in the concert brought to life by the students, choreographers and dancers alike. Though no admissions were charged, donations were collected for Pitch Please A Capella to assist in funding their trip to Carnegie Hall, New York City in the Spring.

- THE NORTHWOOD -

O M N IS C IE N T

EDITORS Sara Heilman & Jessica Kolomichuk Editors-in-Chief Leah Kallam Opinion Editor Photo courtesy of Leanna Sartwell

LEANNA SARTWELL (right) wears a recycled fashion trend. pg 15

Riley Wolfgang Social Media Editor STAFF WRITERS Tanner Althoff Meredith Avison Whitney Bennett

Harper Bone Zach Brackett Madison Clark Joshua Eisner Vanessa Gonzalez-Saavedra Jala Gunn Connor Lewis Jeffrey Marcin Holden Meachem Davis Palermo Parker Pschorr Emma Quasny

Chantal Shine Hannah Gail Shepherd Sarah Helen Shepherd Briana Stone Emma Taylor Julia Wieland Zoe Willard Courtney Wolfe Natalie Womble

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.

Natalie Womble/The Omniscient

THE ULTIMATE FRISBEE TEAM won the N.C. High School Frisbee Championship 2007-2008. pg 23

Page 2, The Omniscient, January 2017

Front Cover: A couple goes on an old-school movie date.

Photo Credit: Jessica Kolomichuk

It’s Schemmer Time: Why we love Blake Schemmer

Blake Schemmer is a senior, 2016 homecoming king, and an active manager for the boys’ baseball and basketball teams. Many classmates and teachers treasure him for his eager personality and positive attitude.

“First off, Blake is the man. If I’m having a bad day, he just comes up to me and gives me a hug and asks me what is wrong. He is very genuine, and in this day and age, that is something that is undervalued. Blake is everything that you would want to have in a friend. I believe that he is what brings the [baseball] team together. The baseball team is friends, but when we’re with Blake, he just meshes us together and allows us to be a cohesive unit.”

— Matt Oldham, senior BLAKE SCHEMMER calls Coach Alex Hart’s name.

BLAKE SCHEMMER flaunts his homecoming sash.

“Blake and I met freshman year and we’ve been friends all of these four years. He is really sweet; he always comes up and kisses me and hugs me. He has something different about him; he has such a charismatic soul and that’s what I really noticed about him. He really doesn’t judge people; he takes everyone for who they are and he never is mean to anyone. If someone is mean to him, he doesn’t get mad at them; he takes it as ‘Okay, I’m still going to forgive you,’ because he just has a really good heart.”

— Maya Laurel, senior

“Blake just has this positive vibe to him and he brings a contagious smile into the room. He’s really funny; he has a great sense of humor. He is also a great basketball manager; he is very helpful and he cheers us on and he’s like a part of the team.”

— Christian Farrell, senior “We’ve always got to start with Schemmer time. As soon as he walks through the door, you already know what time it is. Blake attacks a day with an enthusiasm that is unbeknownst to mankind. I’ve never seen anybody attack any job, whether you think it’s the most important job or the most menial task, with more ferocity than Blake. He’s got a relentless sense of positivity and one of the things we like to talk about is how full is your passion bucket, and Blake’s passion bucket is overflowing. As a student, he is always the first person I speak to in the morning. When Blake arrives, he is not a knock on the door kind of guy, he’s a knock over your door kind of guy, and I can tell when Blake is walking down the stairs before he has even turned towards my office because I immediately hear a loud scream and he goes, ‘HAAART.’ His spirit is what makes him one of the most special kids here.”

— Alex Hart, physical education teacher

“[Being positive] is just in my system. I want to do it; you keep your bad things at the house and bring your good things here. I don’t want to be negative; it is the worst thing you could ever think of. I make everybody’s day; it’s just a good feeling, to make other people happy. I’ve seen so many students in the past year killing themselves or having suicidal thoughts; I don’t want that. This is a good year to be yourself; I don’t want anybody to feel bad. People should be a good role model to other students. This is going to be my fourth year helping with baseball.

If they need my help, I’ll get them pumped up and BLAKE SCHEMMER sits happily with a furry friend. get them hype and loud.”

— Blake Schemmer

“When you know you’ve got good friends and people that actually enjoy you, it’s like a day to remember.

I never thought that I was going to be in homecoming court or that I would even be homecoming king. It’s just a good honor to keep as you have more friends, that you know, which is a good thing. Some people have called me their role model and said they want to be like me but I say, ‘You can’t be like me; be your own self. Do what you love to do.’”

— Blake Schemmer

BLAKE SCHEMMER stands ready to throw a pitch.

— Compiled by Briana Stone January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 3

DONALD TRUMP was sworn into office as the 45th president Jan. 20.

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

What’s Next?

A look into Donald Trump’s first 100 days of presidency

By Zoe W illard S taff Writer

working closely alongside him. The majority of these members hold a steady trend of Republican-affiliated backgrounds. Priebus was appointed the Republican “Nov. 8, Americans will be voting for this 100- National Party Chairman, and joined Trump’s team day plan to restore prosperity to our country, secure shortly after his election was announced, and Banour communities and honesty to our government. This non was previously executive chair of Breitbart News, is my pledge to you. And if we follow these steps, which he left to become Chief Strategist of Presidentwe will once more have a government of, by and for elect Trump’s campaign in August 2016. the people. And importantly, Republicans also held onto their we will make America great majorities in the House of Repreagain. Believe me.” sentatives and Senate. After capturThis is a piece of the speech ing the White House, the RepubPresident-elect Donald Trump lican Party now has a significant presented to the people of Getamount of control over lawmaking. tysburg, Pennsylvania Oct. 22, Along with this, the Supreme Court 2016. Trump, the Republican currently holds a vacant seat, which nominee, made history by bemeans Trump will have the duty of ing one of six presidents to win appointing a new justice. Presently, the election despite losing the the Court holds a left leaning popupopular vote. Although most lation, but the election of Trump polls pointed to a separate diwill most likely point favor back in rection, Trump surprised the the Republican direction. Any addiworld in the early hours of Nov. tional vacancies that present them9 when the presidential results selves during the four-year term announced him as the next resiwill also have fillers set by Trump. dent of the White House.

“This election will give our “This election wasn’t about national government a unified govwho was best qualified, or ernment for the first time in a good who was a bigot or criminal, it while,” AP Government teacher Information courtesy of cnn.com Skip Thibault said. “It happens wasn’t even about money,” senior Emerson Batsche said. “It was about doing away sometimes; it happened with the Obama Administrawith political correctness and changing up the status tion, it happened for a couple years with George W. quo to see what would happen.”

Bush’s Administration, so occasionally it happens.

Over the weeks following the election, Trump ap- It’s important because the Republicans will be able to pointed members of his cabinet, including his close push through fairly easily some of the basic conservacircle of Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff, tive agenda items, like cutting corporate income taxes.

Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist, Rex Tillerson as People won’t complain about things not getting done Secretary of State, and other members that will be because [the government] will be agreeing on stuff.”

Page 4, The Omniscient, January 2017

An important aspect of campaigning for presidency is creating a 100-day plan of action. Within this, the candidates explain the most crucial items to execute during their first months of presidency.

President-elect Trump mentioned intentions to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), deport illegal immigrants, increase border safety, withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, cut funding to U.N. climate change, repeal Obamacare and put the Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act into place, among other goals and plans.

“Trump is obviously a very strong-willed man, and I do believe he will be able to accomplish most of the things he hopes to,” senior Matt Forbes said.

“However, this stuff does take time and he is only one person. One hundred days isn’t a great amount of time, but I do believe he can create a lot of change.”

Trump’s decision to run for office sparked controversy due to his lack of government or military experience, as he first made a name for himself as a multi-millionaire businessman, owning multiple hotels, casinos and business towers nationwide.

“I [don’t believe] Trump will follow through with his plans,” junior Mallory Storrie said. “If you read or watch anything, and I don’t mean a twitter video or rumor, something like CNN Money [will] show you side-by-side his ideas versus what’s realistic. He’s just not qualified.”

Despite the election results and what they mean for our future, students agree that in the presidential race, actions speak louder than words.

“People will always criticize anything,” Forbes said. “Especially in a nation with 300 million plus people, someone will be unhappy. If Trump can make [change] happen for the better, I think everyone will be at peace and hopefully as a nation we can all join together.”

JIllustration by essica Kolomichuk/The Omniscient

ACCORDING TO VERDANT LABS, with campaign contribution data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), there are 87 Democratic high school teachers for every 13 Republican teachers.

The Elephant (or Donkey) in the Room: Do teachers’ political views belong in the classroom?

By Sara Heilman & Jessica Kolomichuk Editors-In-Chief In the history halls of Northwood, controversial topics are discussed daily. It may be antiquated issues such as slavery or suffrage, or new issues like police brutality, legalization of marijuana or abortion. Most recently, the main topic up for debate has been this year’s presidential election. With emotions running high, teachers must decide how necessary it is to keep their political opinions hidden.

According to history teacher Sara Keever, it can be more difficult for certain teachers to remain neutral when discussing politics, as the subject matter is already so integral to the class.

“It’s harder [as a social studies teacher],” Keever said. “I mean, it’s harder to hide yourself and your own beliefs because sometimes it just comes out in the way you talk about things and the information you are emphasizing or want [your students] to know.”

After the outcome of November’s election was announced, teachers and administration had to decide how to handle students’ reactions.

“We were pretty much told by administration that if anybody’s going to talk politics with the kids, it’s the social studies department, so they kind of left it up to us to handle it,” American History teacher Melissa Hayden said.

Sophomore Meera Butalia noticed that it was difficult for some of her teachers to conceal their emotions after the election.

“I had, at least the day after the election, two teachers cry in front of me,” Butalia said. “I feel like in the places that it happened, it was like, ‘I’m sorry for the people who are going to be negatively impacted, and I want them to know as a teacher that this is still a safe space.’ It wasn’t really like anyone was made to feel singled out [for supporting Trump].”

Teachers such as Keever felt like hiding their opinion about the outcome was harder this year than others.

“It was a lot harder to hide how you felt as a teacher [after the election],” Keever said. “Usually, it’s okay. It’s just two different opinions and different ways of doing things, and this time it was a lot harder

to hide how you felt.”

Other teachers, such as history teacher Andrew Sandel, who chooses to never share his political affiliations with students, did not find it difficult to hide his personal views.

“For me it was business as usual: try to stick to the curriculum and if they have questions about how things work for certain policies we can talk about it, but I really try to stay middle of the road so they can have an open mind and come up with their own opinions,” Sandel said.

Some students felt that teachers voicing their political opinions would not be the best choice for the student body.

“I feel like [teachers] putting their political beliefs in before the election and doing it in a very formal matter is fine,” senior Hannah Urbas said. “But I think after the election, just saying your opinions can cause strife between students and cause even more separation in the school.”

Other students, such as junior Mariah Shobande, do not see a problem with teachers discussing their political beliefs.

“The difference between a teacher bringing in a political view and a student bringing in a political view is [nothing],” Shobande said. “They have their own beliefs too, and we shouldn’t be like, ‘No you can’t discuss this.’ As long as they aren’t saying anything derogatory to a certain party, it’s fine.”

Senior Cameron Bernstein agrees that as long as teachers remain respectful, they should be able to freely express their beliefs.

“I believe that it should be talked about,” Bernstein said. “You can’t just pretend that politics don’t exist for the sake of not arguing. We’re allowed to have civil debates, as long as it’s not insulting.”

Joseph Kiertekles is a history teacher who believes teachers can share their opinions as long as they are not pressuring students to align with their beliefs.

“I think I shared [my political affiliation] after I taught the class, not during,” Kiertekles said. “I want to be able to play devil’s advocate, share both sides of the story and let students make up their own opinions and minds, rather than forcing or pushing beliefs onto students.”

Sandel believes it is not his place to reveal his political opinions to students.

“I don’t think it’s my place to give them an answer,” Sandel said. “I don’t know, I just feel like I try to remain as neutral as possible, to talk about the facts and if we did talk about the candidates, then I let the kids run the discussion.”

Urbas understands that teachers have their own political affiliations, but believes students can feel out-numbered when a teacher chooses a side.

“I feel like if there’s a student in a certain classroom and a teacher has a different argument than them, and the teacher gives that argument, and the entire class joins in with them, I feel like that student would feel very ganged up on,” Urbas said. “So I feel like someone saying their political belief, if it is a teacher, should not do it in a biased way, so students can learn from it but not feel targeted if they’re in the minority.”

Junior Joseph Crawford also believes that teachers can make students feel singled out by sharing their views.

“A lot of teachers praise certain views and kind of tell people off for just random views that aren’t really hateful,” Crawford said. “[Students] aren’t really rude to a certain minority or anything, they’re just stating, ‘I believe that we should do this instead of this.’ Teachers should kind of stay away from talking about politics unless it’s in their job description.”

Kiertekles agrees that teachers should focus more on the course than their own personal opinions.

“If you like a teacher they could be influential in your life, but I shouldn’t push politics as being influential,” Kiertekles said. “I should push maybe liking the subject of political science and government rather than a particular political party.”

Either way, Hayden believes that the subject matter should be treated with care.

“I know I was not prepared for the bombardment of tears and I had no idea that this is how the kids would take [the election], so it prompted me to definitely stay a lot more neutral, and we were not talking about anything too harmful,” Hayden said. “This isn’t your favorite football team winning or losing. This is people’s lives.”

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 5

ISS it Working?: Students and staff discuss ISS and OSS

By Hannah Gail Shepherd Staff Writer

In our society people are taught that if they do not follow the rules, there is a punishment; this ideology is prevalent in our public education system. There is a code of conduct and if the rules are broken, a suggested consequence is given.

However, the true effectiveness of these consequences and the fairness at which they are given to each student are highly debated questions across America.

According to the Civil Rights Data Collection, at Northwood in 2013, African-American students were 3.3 times more likely to be suspended than Caucasian students. At the national level, African-American students are 2.6 times more likely to be suspended than Caucasian students.

Social worker Preston Ferguson believes that racial bias in our school system exists and thinks that African-American students are targeted more.

“I think [racial bias] exists in every system that there is race,” Ferguson said. “In terms of statistics, I think that African Americans are targeted more. If you look historically, slavery, civil rights, Jim Crow, African Americans and Latinos, any minority groups have been racially biased against and have been suffering discrimination, prejudice, since civilization started. So in terms of these statistics, I think that African Americans are targeted more….

For example, let’s say you have an African-American student, a white student and a Latino student, and the African-American student has a history of suspensions, they have a history of doing things in school that they aren’t supposed to do, then I think that it is used against them for their next suspension. So I definitely think there is a racial bias within the school system.”

Junior Corey Smith feels like there might be a racial bias when teachers decide to punish certain students over other students for the same crime.

“Well, when I’m talking and a white person is talking, [the teacher] just decides to come at me,” Smith said. “It makes me mad because we both are doing the same thing; we should both get the same punishment.”

Assistant principal Janice Giles is aware of the statistics that show that African-American students are being suspended at higher proportions, yet she feels that Northwood is unbiased when suspending students.

“I think we need to look at the underlying issues of why are these students being suspended more often,” Giles said.

“I think we are very consistent with our student code of conduct… and the suggested consequences outlined in the Board of Policy. Administrators here are consistent with, if a white student skips school, they are going to get two days of Out of School Suspension (OSS), and if a black student skips school, they are going to get the two days of OSS. So there might be infractions where black students are committing more crimes, so they are getting suspended at a higher rate.”

Ferguson believes that students’ lower socioeconomic status plays a major part in their behavior at school.

“I think, generally, minorities are on the lower spectrum in terms of their socioeconomic status, and if you look at society, people who are on the lower spectrum of social class

School Enrollment

All compiled statistics concern school-wide data from the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Page 6, The Omniscient, January 2017

Hannah Gail Shepherd/The Omniscient

AFRICAN AMERICANS are 3.3 times more likely to be suspended at Northwood than Caucasian students. commit more crimes,” Ferguson said. “If you apply that to the school setting, you have people who don’t have access to resources, don’t have access to opportunities, don’t have the same experience to the people who do have access to those opportunities…. Crime doesn’t have race; I think that all people commit crime. However, I think that minorities are definitely targeted more.”

Principal Dr. Justin Bartholomew thinks that our schools systems have been set up historically for African-Americans to fail, and that fact is reflected in these statistics. He thinks that giving each student what they need is better than giving every student the same punishment.

“I don’t think [African Americans] are being suspended more than white students, but they are being suspended at a higher rate,” Bartholomew said. “If I provide a structure to someone who has historically not been successful in that structure, what kind of success is that person going to have? Not much. So how do you correct that…? We talk about equality and equity. People love equal, but I’m more about equity than I am about equality. Equity says I’m going to give [each student what they need]. But the Office of Civil Rights is not going to like that, because they are going to look at me and say, ‘You are being arbitrary in how you do that….’ The more detail [you add to the handbook], the more structure you’re going to have, and is that structure going to benefit or harm this group of people?”

While the increasing awareness of the racial gap in public school suspensions in our country is a highly discussed topic, Bartholomew thinks that the gender gap in public school suspensions is overlooked. According to U.S. Department of Education data, males receive 71 percent of school suspensions.

“If you want to talk about the biggest difference in suspensions… males to females,” Bartholomew said.

“The gap is extremely high…. I think the bigger underlying question is why are males being suspended more than females? The initial and obvious thing, like 150 years ago, is that the structure of whatever our public education system is not super compatible for male behavior

Am Indian: .3% In School Suspension Black: 16.2%

White: 66.8% Asian: 1.1%

Hispanic: 11.4% 2 or more: 4.2%

and not allowing for male behavior. If you ask someone, ‘Hey you need to sit there, be quiet and learn’…, who is more likely to get up and cause a stir around? A male. So when you have something like that, it isn’t very conducive to males.”

There are many different perspectives when questioning the effectiveness of ISS and OSS. Social worker Saundra Gardner thinks that ISS and OSS are effective to a certain degree, but making a child miss class is harmful to the student.

“I think that [ISS and OSS] are in place because of the behavioral issues that we face with our students, and there has to be some type of consequence,” Gardner said. “I think that ISS is good to a certain point. However, once you have been out so much that you have missed the classes that you are trying to pass, that’s not effective for me.”

Ferguson believes that we can make our school punishment more effective by combining discipline with “spiritual” outlets.

“Personally, from my standpoint, kids need more selfreflection,” Ferguson said. “They need more outlets and more enrichments; meditation, prayer or spiritual outlets could be infused with disciplinary actions. There are other alternatives for students besides suspension. When you suspend a child, they are not in the classroom. That is why we are all here, to make sure students are successful inside and outside the classroom. Students can’t get everything they need if they are being suspended. I’m not saying suspension is wrong and we shouldn’t suspend kids, but I think we need alternative methods for student success and there are other alternatives besides suspension.”

Bartholomew, who says he “hates” ISS, thinks community service would be a beneficial alternative to ISS and OSS because by doing something wrong, students then get to go make a positive impact in their community.

“To me, the community service piece is always a better option,” Bartholomew said. “If you’re doing community service, you are getting that person who has done something and now they are giving back and making up for what they have done.”

Black: 31.77%

Out-of-School Suspension

White: 41.06%

Hispanic: 19.18% Asian: 1.6%

2 or more: 6.19%

Black: 32.47% White: 49.35%

Hispanic: 12.99% 2 or more: 5.19% Hannah Gail Shepherd/The Omniscient

Dating Through the Decades: The evolution of hookup culture

By Tanner Althoff Staff Writer The difference between our generation and that of our parents is apparent in many ways. One of the strongest differences is our values and ideals when it comes to relationships when you are young. Nowadays the definition of a relationship is changing and it is more common to see kids having casual sexual relationships or “hooking up.” “[Back in my day] nobody just hooked up,” chemistry teacher Aaron Freeman said, “And if you did, you told no one.”

In a study done by the Archive for Sexual Behavior, Baby Boomers had the same amount of sexual partners as Millennials. Baby Boomers had an average 11.68 sexual partners while Millennials have just 8.26. However, this only means that the amount of sex was similar, not who they are having sex with. In other words previous generations would see more long lasting relationships instead of the casual sexual relationships.

“Times have changed,” senior Caleb Stewart said. “People are more comfortable with each other now.”

In a study done by the University of Chicago, researchers studied people’s acceptance of sex before marriage. In the 1970’s the acceptance rate was 29 percent but then jumped to 42 percent in the 80’s. In 2008 the number breached the 50 percent threshold and is currently around percent.

Jane Hanna remembers how things were back in her high school days.

“Things just [went] at a slower pace,” said Hanna, who teaches family and consumer science. “You got to know [the person], you didn’t rush into all the intimacy, [you waited] until much later.”

Many students have an idea of why things have changed.

“Back in the day they had higher standards that people followed,” Stewart said. “Now people are generally more comfortable with different lifestyles.”

Some students attribute the change to the messages of current music.

“I think a lot of things are really sexualized now,” junior Ava Johnson said. “A lot of music talks about hooking up and having sex and not being in a serious relationship with that person.”

It can be generally assumed that the songs kids listen to is much more vulgar and sexual than the songs their parents listened to. For example, one of the most popular songs of 2016 was “Broccoli” by D.R.A.M ft. Lil Yachty. This song is about drugs, another topic that was not as common in previ-

Tanner Althoff/The Omniscient

A 1980’S COUPLE holds hands while sharing a milkshake. ous generations’ songs, however it has this lyric: “Said that I at all,” the anonymous senior said. “But if you are friends can get that [expletive] easily, said that I can hit that [exple- with the person, it should be fine.” tive] greasily.” A lyric like this would simply not be heard Other students believe that having a meaningful relafor a song on the radio just 30 years ago. In fact, 30 years tionship is much more beneficial. ago one of most popular songs was “How Will I Know” by “If you are just hooking up, it’s lust, not love,” junior Whitney Houston. The song is all about true love and its Morgan Simmons said. “[Sex] is not something that should meaning is perfectly displayed in this lyric: “I say a prayer just be shared with others. I think it is something special that with every heartbeat, I fall in love whenever we meet.” you should share with the true love of your life. I don’t beHouston conveys emotion and true love with her song while lieve it should be something you just casually do.”

D.R.A.M. expresses that he is only concerned with sex. This Some members of previous generations also do not is a common theme in songs nowadays, with conveying less agree with the way teenagers are acting and think they commitment to a person. should take a step back.

Others see this change in culture as a reflection of how “I think anything goes with teenagers today,” Hanna young people dress. said. “They don’t think about respecting themselves or the “Girls tend to wear less than they used to,” junior person they’re involved with. They don’t think about where Hayden Rapsky said. “You can look at a picture from the they are and how the situation could affect other people.

1950’s and clearly see that the fashion was much different.” They need to slow down, take time to get to know each othSome teachers believe that the way kids dress is much er, and respect each other.” more sexualized.

“Girls respected themselves and other people by not showing everything,” Hanna said. “In my opinion it’s better to leave it for the imagination.”

Another possibility to the change in culture is kids’ openness with sex rather than it being deemed more taboo to high schoolers in the past. Often in the halls of Northwood there will be couples “making out” in front of everyone.

1970’s “[Making out in the halls] is disgusting,” Freeman said.

“I would have never done that as a high schooler. There was Accepting- 29% none of that happening in the hallway when I was growing Opposed- 71% up. If you did, everyone would know and it would come with a certain reputation. The extent of public displays of affection was holding hands and potentially a peck. [People who make out in the halls] have no personal boundaries.”

One student sees the benefits in both relationships and 1980’s just “hooking up.” She chooses to be in an open relationship.

Accepting- 42% An open relationship is when two people are together but agree that they can hook up with other people as well.

Opposed- 58% “My boyfriend is pansexual,” an anonymous senior said. “He has never had an experience with a boy before and I didn’t want to take away [his] experience with a boy. He then brought up the idea of having an open relationship. He [said] he would feel guilty if he did Today something with one of [my] male friends and [I] wasn’t allowed to do the same thing.”

Accepting- 55% There are many different opinions about just “hooking Opposed- 45% up” without maintaining an actual relationship. Some students feel that you shouldn’t hook up with anyone.

“I think it is kind of weird if you don’t know the person

Percentage of people who are accepting of pre-marital sex

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 7

The Prescription Epidemic: Teenage drug use is on the rise

By Riley Wolfgang Social Media Editor Drug culture has been evolving since its major kickoff in the 1900’s and is influenced by things such as societal norms and technological advances. Prescription drugs for teens have become more prevalent in the 2010’s than they have been in the past, and increasing environmental availability contributes to the use of prescription drugs by teens.

Prescription drugs are abused by teenagers for an array of reasons, while those participating often disregard the detrimental health effects that such would have on their bodies, as well as the legal repercussions that may follow.

“I can definitely say that the amount of [students getting caught abusing prescription drugs] has increased,” school nurse Melissa Lassen said. “I can definitely tell you that over the past 10 years in school, I have seen this increase.”

In a poll conducted by The Omniscient, 33 percent of juniors surveyed and 27 percent of seniors surveyed say they have abused a prescription drug that was not prescribed to them. Of those who have used prescription drugs, 53 percent claimed they did so rarely, eight percent claimed they did so multiple times a week and five percent claimed they did so once a week.

Experimentation with prescription drugs amongst teenagers can be accredited to many things, including influences like social and academic pressures inflicted upon teens by friends, family and teachers. The two most commonly abused prescription drug classes are stimulants, such as Adderall or Vyvanse, and opioids, such as Promethazine and OxyContin. Opioids are often abused for a relaxed high while stimulants are typically abused by teenagers for school related purposes, such as giving students the ability to stay up for night-long study sessions or for an extra focus-booster on things like the SAT or ACT. “I used to take Adderall every day, but I didn’t have a prescription; I would have to buy them,” an anonymous senior said. “[When on Adderall], I get all of my school work done. Adderall really just makes you focus in on things and you can get everything done.”

In reaction to students abusing stimulants for increased school performance, many professionals suggest a simple solution: keeping your body healthy.

“If you take care of your body the way you’re supposed to, you shouldn’t need to abuse [ADD and ADHD] medications,” Lassen said.

According to a 2015 study done by The Huffington Post, as many as 16 percent of children in North Carolina were diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which is commonly treated with the popularly abused drugs Adderall and Vyvanse. From 1990 to 2012, the amount of kids prescribed stimulants has risen from 600,000 to 3.5 million. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national ADHD diagnoses in kids has gone from between three and five percent to 11 percent from 1990 to 2013. In the same study, it was recorded that in 2012, 16 million Adderall prescriptions were written for adults ages 20-39.

Common side effects of stimulants that treat ADD and

Page 8, The Omniscient, January 2017

ADHD can include things such as restlessness, dry mouth and hip-hop music. Rappers popular amongst teens who and loss of appetite. Stimulant withdrawal can create depres- proudly advocate for Lean include people such as Future, sion, exhaustion, and sleeping problems.

Lil Wayne, and more. Future came out with an album in “I don’t like to take Adderall because of the way it January of 2016 titled Purple Reign which included songs makes me feel afterwards,” an anonymous junior said, such as Perkys Calling and Purple Reign.

“When you come down [from an Adderall high], you just Many people do not consider the adverse effects of feel depleted; you feel completely done and just want to lay Lean because it is made with painkillers, which calm the in your bed for 24 hours.” body, while some who do tend to igThe high rates of medicated nore the possibilities. teenagers and adults in the United “The first time I ‘Leaned,’ I was States makes these prescription at a party and someone had some drugs more available to those likeand asked if I wanted to try it, and I ly to abuse them. did,” said another anonymous junior.

“I broke my collarbone and got “When I tried it, I really enjoyed it… surgery,” said junior Dylan Hamer. everything felt a little bit slower and “I was prescribed OxyContin and I was really relaxed, and I’ve Leaned was on it for about three months. I about 15 times since.” was [asked to] sell my medication Like other prescription drugs, by pretty much all of my friends, but those who use Lean can build a deI never did.” pendence on it. Lean can cause withThose who are prescribed paindrawal symptoms after constant use killers like OxyContin can easily debecause it contains painkillers. velop a dependency on their medica“I’ve thought of the dangers,” the tions, even when they are taken at the student said. “I’ve noticed that someintended amounts. This is where adtimes when I’m not on Lean I feel difdiction can form, when it is not necferent, almost like withdrawals.” essarily the fault of the person taking Besides the highs, addictions, the medication. withdrawal symptoms and health “For the first month or so I effects, one thing that comes along could tell that I was definitely high with prescription drug abuse that when I took it, but after a month or users often do not think to consider two it felt normal,” Hamer said. “I are the legal repercussions of being built up a tolerance to the pills so caught in possession of a prescription that when I was taking them I would that is not yours. stop getting high and it would only “Any prescription medicine kill the pain. Once I stopped taking you have on your person that is the medication, I could tell that I was not yours is a felony,” Barrios said. going through withdrawals.”

“For a misdemeanor, the max senWithdrawals and the comedown tence is six months in jail and for from any prescription drug can be a felony, you’re looking at least a detrimental to one’s temporary and year plus.” long term health, and are practically While many prescription drug inevitable whenever someone is expossession charges are reduced perimenting with prescription drugs from a felony to a misdemeanor, not prescribed to said person. this still means that those charged “The most dangerous thing are put on probation, and Barrios [about prescription drugs] would be explained how this can open doors the side effects,” School Resource to future crimes.

Officer Raymond Barrios said.

“I was walking into the building Besides common prescription at [Jordan Matthews High School] pills, Lean is a drink that can be made and there was a boy handing another up of cough syrup and soda. Accordboy a pill right in front of me” Barrios ing to the Metropolitan Drug Comsaid. “That’s not smart. Both of these Riley Wolfgang/The Omniscient mission, 1 in 10 teens have consumed prescription boys were expelled, the boy who had cough syrup in such a fashion to get high. possession of the pill, a muscle relaxer from his sister, is in “Lean can be made out of a lot of different things, and prison now because he continued a life of crime.”

I had done a lot of painkillers before extracting one to turn While prescription medications seem safe to many into Lean,” the senior said. because they are distributed by doctors, “more teens die The spike in popularity of the drink Lean can be ac- from prescription drugs than heroin and cocaine comcredited to many things, a prominent one being rap culture bined,” according to absoluteadvocacy.org .

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FEMALE STUDENTS use an average of 240 tampons per year.

Red Alert: The school is out of tampons

By Meredith Avison Staff Writer

For most of Northwood’s history and as per the policy of Chatham County schools, when a girl needed a pad or a tampon during the day, they would go the nurse and get one.

“They were never purchased,” nurse Melissa Lassen said. “They were actually what we had received as free samples from feminine hygiene companies.”

Two years ago the school experimented with putting their stock of pads and tampons in the bathrooms to be used by students in need. According to Lassen, they had accumulated such a large amount of feminine products that they thought it would be easier for students to have direct access. However, the entire supply was quickly depleted.

“We never imagined that people would fill their backpacks and walk out of the bathroom with it,” Lassen said.

According to Lassen, it is very unusual to have sanitary supplies in high school bathrooms.

“No other high school in this county supplies that or even around us do they supply those kinds of products,” Lassen said. “Sure, they have some like we have some, on hand for emergencies.”

But many girls, like senior Elsbeth McGregor, were appreciative of the effort to make pads and tampons more easily available.

“I think it’s a really cool thing to do and it’s a really great thing that the school tried it out,” McGregor said.

“If there’s a way to have a better system where we don’t have the issue of people just taking them, we should definitely reintegrate it into the school because it helps a lot of the girls throughout the day.”

McGregor’s wish might become a reality. Since the loss of the backup supply, the nurse has had to personally purchase the tampons and pads for the school’s emergency supply. A few months ago, a group of women found out about this situation and it inspired them to start donating pads and tampons to the school.

One of these women is Dana Hughes, a parent in Chatham County.

“When we found out that they weren’t stocking them, we were mortified,” Hughes said. “And then with the nurse, that she has to buy them herself, that’s when we said, ‘That’s just ridiculous. We’ll all just buy some stuff and deliver it to the school.’ Every woman that I’ve spoken to has just been astounded, taken aback. When we were in school, there was a machine. If you needed one, you took one.”

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio recently signed legislation to approve a “mentrual equity”

Page 10, The Omniscient, January 2017

Meredith Avison/The Omniscient

bill, making feminine hygiene products free in schools, homeless shelters and prisons. DeBlasio aims to increase the reach of the movement across the nation.

In order for Northwood to supply one tampon for every girl per month, the school would have to pay a minimum of $1307 when a box of 20 tampons is four dollars. This is not part of the school budget. The group has thought of several ways to supply tampons and pads for the students, but these ideas will require time to work out. For now, the women have a loose plan for how to address the problem: they are buying tampons themselves and asking for contributions.

“As far as collecting money for donations, we have really just done it word of mouth through our group of friends,” Hughes said.

Hughes believes tampons and pads should be part of the budget, whether that be from the school or the county.

“I understand that schools can’t be responsible for meeting the every need of their students, but this is a basic life need,” Hughes said. “As a school or a county or a state or a country, if we can’t meet students’ needs that arise during the day in the classroom, then we are failing miserably.”

Lassen sees the situation differently. “[It’s] part of being prepared for the real world,” Lassen said. “Because if you went to a job or you went to a college, they would not supply that product for you.

And we’re trying to teach our students to be prepared for after high school.”

Some like senior Natalie Huggins also see drawbacks to this situation. “[Tampons/pads in bathrooms] would be a great thing to have but I don’t know if that’s the top thing we should be spending money on,” Huggins said. “I’m assuming they’re going to be more expensive than oneply toilet paper here at school.”

The idea of a tampon dispenser has been brought up several times as an idea from students. Principal Dr. Justin Bartholomew was open to the idea, but he had not thought about it much.

“I don’t know if we’d be allowed to do that but we could look into it,” Bartholomew said. “It’s about selling stuff during the school day, there’s board policies.”

In general, girls like McGregor appreciate the gesture of having easily obtainable feminine products, however they can be accessed.

“I feel like I’m in a good environment when I have that availability,” McGregor said. “Someone really cares [and is] putting in that extra thought. Like, ‘Oh, someone might need this.’ It makes my day to find that in the bathroom when I need it.”

By Leah Kallam Opinion Editor

Illustration courtesy of Leah Kallam/The Omniscient

Arrivals; a program she has to renew every two years to remain in the U.S. legally. Under DACA, the anonymous student is not eligible for in-state There are hundreds of colleges and universituition in North Carolina, which changes the maties out there, and there are thousands of students jority of her college options. working hard to get into the schools of their “I don’t really have a dream school,” Anonydreams. In-state or out-of-state, public or private, mous student said. “My situation is different than each student has a different goal and an individual many people’s situations. I have to see where I get plan for their education. the most financial aid and basically go there.”

Dream schools are the ideal school. They have There are different ways students can handle everything students want, from the campus to the the heavy costs of tuition. Senior Rose Krebs academic programs. Senior Tatyana Barrett hopes is considering a variety of schools, including to enroll at the University of Colorado Boulder and Johns Hopkins University, a private institution find a home away from home. in Baltimore.

“I want to go there because it would be awe“I’d definitely have to get a couple scholarsome to get out of North Carolina, one,” Barrett ships,” Krebs said. “I’d definitely have to rely on said. “Two, I want to go there because the campus my parents. I’d have to rely on my job; I obviously is absolutely to die for. Also, the environment don’t make enough to pay $60,000 a year. I’d have there, the people there, the attitudes there, I would to take out a loan or two, depending on how much say is a lot more like myself, and I think it’s just a my parents could cover, but other than that, it’s totally rad place to live.” still kind of up in the air.”

Going away from home is a hope for many If scholarships or financial aid are not available students, but there is a catch. Out-of-state tuition for some students, transferring to a community is often much higher than in-state tuition, and afcollege is always an alternative. fording higher costs is not “Public schools don’t always attainable. offer much financial aid,” “It costs $53,000 a year the anonymous student to go to the school as an said. “Right now, I feel out-of-state student, so I’m community college would probably going to have be the best option and then major student debt,” Barrett transferring to a four-year said. “That’s honestly the to save up money.” biggest setback.”

Senior Austin Barnes Out-of-state tuition can wants to attend either the Information courtesy of The Princeton Review be very high and can rival the University of North Carocosts of private institutions. Barrett says her best lina-Greensboro or Appalachian State Univeroption for affording the tuition is to apply for as sity. Along with attending community college, many scholarships as possible.

Barnes has created a new solution to afford his “I went to Boulder and I talked to the financial dream school. aid officer there,” Barrett said. “She suggested “Me and my friends, we want to go to the same that I make a calendar and put scholarships on school, so we’ll save money by living together,” every month and do them as they come.... I’m Barnes said. “By getting a couple of roommates currently filling out as many scholarships as postogether, we’ll save a lot. I plan to go to commusible to try and get there, and that’s definitely my nity college first and then do my last two years at a goal: to get there.” four-year college as a transfer. It’s a lot cheaper.”

According to Courtney Cabe, the branch Even if students can’t go to their dream schools, manager Vice President of the State Employee’s there is always a different option, or an alternative Credit Union (SECU) on Chatham Parkway, school they can make the best of. There are always interest rates are actually cheaper from the federal other schools and new opportunities elsewhere. government, rather than taking them out from “You really don’t know if the grass is that green SECU or other branches. Paying off loans is a on the other side, because that dream school may burden for many students, and the amount of time have not turned out the way you think it did,” it takes to pay them off ranges anywhere from Hunter said. “You never know what the future five to 10 years or longer, depending on how holds…. You have to remember there is a reality payments were made. Debt is a fear for many stu- side to it, and you have to understand that if you dents, especially for those attending out-of-state didn’t get in, or you can’t go, maybe that’s what or private institutions. was best. Maybe that’s not the plan that’s out there Affording high tuition costs is a challenge at for you. Maybe something else is going to open any school, out-of-state or in. An anonymous up at another school that you’ve never thought senior is under Deferred Action for Childhood about… because you just never know.”

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 11

12 Entertainment Madison Clark /The Omniscient

A GROUP OF ROUGES on its way to kill an Incarnum Dragon lurking beneath an unsuspecting town.

Dungeons and Dragons ’Till Daybreak:

What is the famous roleplaying game all about?

By Madison Clark Staff Writer

“I’ll make a heal check later. Right now, I’m vomiting spiders.”

To some students, a phrase like this doesn’t phase them while playing Dungeons and Dragons. First published in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), a personalized fantasy game played in a choose-your-own-adventure style, has given the masses a game where the story is made by the players. Typically, D&D is played using a board and dice, but can also be played online.

“Essentially it’s about getting together with a bunch of your geeky friends and creating your own characters with their own persona that’s completely different from your own,” sophomore Marcus Jackson said. “You can play a really light hearted game of D&D where you just get together with some friends and create a silly story and silly characters and embark on silly adventures together.”

Players make a character customized to their personal tastes, or the exact opposite of the player.

“You can easily customize your character to be exactly how you want,” Jackson said. “There are tons of races to choose from and so many classes to fit your play style or just whatever you think is cool. You get to design what your character looks like because you create the image that’s in your head. Once you create your characters, you and your friends embark on whatever journey you like. You can visit towns, fight ghouls, dragons, dwarves, venture out into some forest or visit cities.”

These characters are used throughout an adventure,

commonly known as a campaign.

“I enjoy D&D because it is liberating,” junior Emily Robertson said. “My character is a rogue, so basically my character just runs around stealing things and setting stuff on fire a lot. It’s kind of liberating because I can do whatever I want with no consequences for several hours.”

Campaigns are played in sessions for however long they are dragged out. Throughout a session, players are faced with monsters, dragons, mazes and puzzles that they have to overcome to move on.

“It’s team building,” sophomore Jessica Witcher said.

“I would love to set up a campaign with a sports team because it really brings people together. You have obstacles that you have to get past whether you’re fighting it, or maybe it’s a puzzle or a maze, but you have to work together and collaborate.”

Throughout a campaign, there is one person that runs the show called a Dungeon Master, like junior Jacob White. The Dungeon Master is in charge of creating the scenarios given to the characters while maintaining the realistic continuity of the game.

“I have to facilitate the game and make sure everyone is following the rules and I also have to write up the entire story,” White said. “What ends up happening is that I write this nice big story and I have to throw away half of it because nobody goes down the roads I want them to.”

Although the game is over 40 years old, the sudden popularization of the Netflix show: Stranger Things made viewers more aware of the D&D community. Yet, the community in Chatham County is smaller compared to communities out west.

“I think that if you enjoy video games, you should at

least try Dungeons and Dragons because in a way it was the first form of video games created,” Jackson said.

“Sure, it’s played using paper and dice, or some people play it online, but the point is that you get to create your own video game and play however you want without the limitations that video games bring today with stories and gameplay restricted to what the game designers wanted you to play. D&D is not only for hardcore geeks and introverts.”

Madison Clark/The Omniscient

MONSTERS stand in the way of players in D&D.

By Parker Pschorr Staff Writer Many people look forward to the magic of the holiday season. The light snow falling and bundling everything up, the anticipation of opening presents under the attentive eyes of parents waiting for a reaction and the warm glow of the television playing Die Hard on mute, or perhaps it’s been set to a fireplace screen saver for that extra comfiness. Most cherish these rare memories, but unfortunately, reality doesn’t always quite line up to expectations. Your dad’s car skids off the snowy driveway, your grandmother buys you a knockoff Game Boy, the Christmas tree falls on you, your cousin Rudolph gets indicted for fraud on Christmas or Mr. Little keeps insisting that Santa Claus isn’t real; all kinds of stuff can happen. It is a sad but all too often true tale—holidays can easily go from bad to worse.

Senior Cameron Wheeler “The most disastrous one I can think of is when I was eight. It was Christmas morning and I was excited because of Christmas. I rushed out to our living room, I saw our stocking, and I went for it first because it was huge and I was like, “There’s got to be something cool in there.” It was on the mantel and I was eight and not that tall, so I took it down as carefully as I could. I wasn’t that successful, and the stocking hanger fell and broke part of my foot. Three toes to be exact. I spent the rest of Christmas morning at the doctor’s office getting my toes taped up. Recently I was baking peppermint brownies and broke the exact same three toes.”

Science teacher Stephanie Cifers “I set myself on fire at Christmas. I had this really big sweater with really long sleeves on it, and I had this bowl shaped candle, and I was going to light the bowl shaped candle with another candle. I grabbed the candle and tipped it over because I thought the flame would tip over with it, but that’s not how fire works, so it stayed upright. It caught my sleeve on fire, and the flame just shot straight up my arm. So I was running around the house waving my arms like a chicken with one of them on fire until I was tackled by my brother with a blanket and he put it out. I didn’t get hurt from it, but it definitely ruined one of my favorite sweaters of all time, so that was kind of sad. Just a little bit of my pride, gone.”

Senior Dakota McLean “I was in sixth grade, and we have a white Christmas tree every single year. Well, my cats decided that it would be a perfect time to take down the Christmas tree and pee all over it to the point where it was basically a yellow Christmas tree…. I heard it crash, and I was just laying in my bed. I was like, ‘Well, it’s not too bad, it’s probably just the cats playing around.’ And this was the day before Christmas, so we didn’t have enough time to go out and buy another Christmas tree, and we were having family guests over. So we had to quickly get rid of the tree and come up with a story, saying, ‘Oh, we lost a few of the ornaments on the side, and the branches were being terrible and they were falling out, you know, it was a really low budget Christmas tree, and we really didn’t want to do it.’”

Senior Brennen McAllister “So it’s the week before Christmas, [seventh grade], and my Spanish teacher has us writing letters to people who we wanted to thank for allowing us to have a good year. So I decided to write this love letter to this girl I like, you know, just playing around. I said, ‘You’re beautiful, you should definitely date me, I have abs, I’m sexy.’ You know, all that teenager stuff. So I wrote two letters, one for my teacher, and the other one I just threw in the trash. I was just joking around—it was just rants and giggles. So, one of my friends took the letter out of the trash, put it in a pink envelope and wrote, ‘To my dear love.’ He gave it to the girl, and I had no idea. Later, when I would try to talk to her, she didn’t even want to talk to me, and I was just, like, ‘What’s happening?’ And later, one of her friends was like, ‘You’re a creep man, a true creep.

She has a boyfriend.’”

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 13

Page 14, The Omniscient, January 2017

By Whitney Bennett Staff Writer Overalls, chokers and high waisted jeans are just some of the trends walking through the halls of Northwood. For students the trends are new and exciting, but for teachers, the returning trends are a flashback to the past.

Dance teacher Kristen Oakes graduated from Northwood in 2006. In contrast to older generations, Oakes thinks that more recent generations strive for something different.

“It’s kind of crazy that now everyone is striving to look like a time period, but in that time period they were always trying to look like something new or different,” Oakes said.

Students and teachers offered a variety of reasons of why fashion trends have returned. English teacher Jill Jackl finds it humorous that generations think the current trend is original.

“Fashion is just like history: you wait long enough and it’s just going to return,” Jackl said. “I am humored that every generation thinks that the trend is uniquely theirs, and perhaps to a degree it is adopted with some differences and some nuances, but by and large it is the same thing, and some should be left in the past that have returned.”

Junior Caroline Lougee thinks that old trends have returned because this generation finds it trendy to wear what their parents wore.

“Some people [follow their parents’ trends] if they are following [current] trends, because a lot of the older trends of their parents are coming back, and also people are starting to shop at thrift shops more because it’s kind of cool to find clothes that other people don’t have,” Lougee said.

Despite where trends come from, both students and teachers agree that fashion is like a big recycling bin. Senior Kendra Moon thinks that we reuse styles and give them little tweaks to modernize them.

“We just reuse a lot of trends over and over and over again, because, I mean, what else are we supposed to do, and we just change them a little bit so that they are modern,” Moon said.

Jackl has noticed some trends that have returned, but the purpose for wearing them have changed.

“Short hair [has come back]. There was an ice skater who won the Olympics in 1976, her name was Dorothy Hamill, and she had this short haircut that was really new vogue and very avant garde,” Jackl said. “I think the young woman nowadays are wearing [short hair] more for a sense of androgyny rather than the avant garde, but I do think there’s still some forward thinking.”

Despite all the reused trends, Oakes feels that this generation has still made progress in fashion.

“Most of the fashion that we see now is some version of something that has happened in the past, even though there’s lots of new and creative things and we’ve made many advances like if you look back to the early 1900’s to now, clearly we have moved forward with fashion trends,” Oakes said.

Even with the past trends coming back, students think that there are still attributes of our generation’s style that are unique.

Senior Sarah Salzmann thinks that our generation has become more relaxed with their style. “[In history] people would dress really fancy in big ball-gown dresses, and they would get big hairdos just to go to the grocery store, but now people walk out in sweatpants and a T-shirt to go to the grocery store,” Salzmann said.

Junior Melinda Frazier thinks that the more relaxed style is what defines her generation, and some of the trends her generation has would be unacceptable to past generations.

“Our generation is really relaxed with their style, and everything that [our generation] wears [doesn’t have] very many limitations anymore,” Frazier said. “I think that we have new trends that are our own, because not all parents and people of different generations would accept what we wear.”

However, Salzmann thinks this generation’s relaxed style still has a certain cleanness to it. “[Our style is] a clean casual; people want to present themselves nicely, but they also want to be comfortable,” Salzmann said.

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January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 15

Unrapped: The New Ear Candy

By Davis Palermo Staff Writer

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www.severtsmiles.com Page 16, The Omniscient, January 2017

“Now I do what I want” blasts through the car radio, as the group of friends in the car recite the lyrics by memory at the top of their lungs. The lyrics are from a song entitled “Do What I Want” by Lil Uzi Vert. This particular song has been played 21.7 million times on the music streaming app Soundcloud and countless more on other apps like Spotify and iTunes. Lil Uzi is just one of many young, up and coming rappers who are taking rap and music culture by storm.

Of these new young rappers, students have different favorite artists they listen to the most.

“Lil Yachty [is my favorite],” junior Bayan Daddressan said. “I like him, his hair and his image. Lil Uzi is not bad either; I like the instrumental and beats he puts behind his music.”

Junior Hayden Rapsky believes that today’s rap is more popular because it’s so unfamiliar and different compared to earlier rap.

“They are so different than what we have been hearing for the last however many years Photo courtesy of Milo Lee Photography of rap,” Rapsky said. “It’s just something dif- Lil Yachty performs at a concert in Denver. ferent. People want different things, people give different things and people like differgames to act as an adrenaline boost. ent things. A lot of people, including me, enjoy “[The music] gets our mind right before the 21 Savage because he is different. He’s real, he’s game,” varsity football player and junior Dalton Roactually done crazy stuff, stuff other people have magnoli said. “It gets us in the right mental state. The not. He’s been shot in the neck and six other times. up-tempo beats get us hype and ready to go out there He’s done it all.” and play our best.”

Senior Matt Forbes agrees that people enjoy People have discovered these newer rapthese newer rappers and the music they create pers in many different ways, including word of because of how different it is from past rappers. mouth, social media and just looking through “I feel like they are changing up the rap music streaming apps. game a little bit,” Forbes said. “They are doing “[I found these rappers] through my friends and it different than previous popular rappers, like social media,” Daddressan said. “Just hearing it all Lil Wayne, Eminem and Jay-Z. Their style is around, hearing it in peoples’ cars when we are going different, their beats are different and what they for a drive.” rap about is different.”

One thing that has helped make these rappers beJunior Dylan Hamer believes that people listen to come so popular is social media, and their music is these new rappers because of how they portray them- easily attainable. selves and the lyrics in the songs they sing.

“A lot of the [rappers] are more accessible as ce“It’s out there, they talk about killing people and lebrity figures than it used to be,” junior Chloe Mayhood stuff,” Hamer said. “We don’t really get to live nard said. “For some famous people, it was hard to see that kind of life, so we want to hear about it.” their concerts because they were so expensive, and it Science teacher Leanna Sartwell believes that to- was hard to keep up with them because they were so day’s rap is too vulgar and inappropriate, and that ear- private. But a lot of new rappers are very open about lier rap was better and more appropriate to listen to. their lives. You can watch them on Snapchat and Ins“[In the 80s and early 90s] there wasn’t this tagram, and their tickets are cheaper.” overload of angry rap. Other than NWA, most of it These songs are also discovered and enjoyed due you could listen to on mainstream radio,” Sartwell to catchy lyrics or dances that go with the track. said. “… Sir Mix a lot’s “Baby got Back”, Young “I think that some rap music just gets popular MC’s “Bust a Move”, these were fun songs that ev- because somebody finds something clever that goes erybody could sing in front of their kids, in front with it,” Sartwell said. “If I had a dollar for every time of their friends, in front of their parents. I think I saw a kid do this ‘dabs,’ I could retire from teaching somewhere in the 2000s, rap became more under- right now.” ground, it became something kids could only listen Another reason these rappers have become such to through their headphones, and I think that says prominent figures in music in such a short amount of something about rap culture overall.” time is by being promoted by other big name rappers.

The music these rappers produce is mainly lis- They do features with established rappers to get notened to in an effort to bond with other people. ticed and make a name for themselves.

“This type of music is meant to be enjoyed loudly Overall, the new energetic rap and their parin a group of friends,” sophomore Carter Stallings ticular artists are discovered and become popusaid. “You can listen to it by yourself, but it’s mainly lar because of how well they relate to people. meant to be listened to with friends because people “They are young, wild and trendsetters,” can relate to it, get hype to it and rap along.” junior Adrian Page said. “These rappers show The rappers are also listened to before sports how people really feel.”

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Photo Illustration By Jessica Kolomichuk

Welcome to Connor’s Cosy Corner, where I, Connor Lewis, take a look at that chip on your shoulder and suggest what kind of dip would go well with it. It’s not always easy to ask for advice from a loved one, and there may be some bias, so I decided to start a completely objective advice column for real problems from real people. Keep in mind that I am a student just like you, so please take everything with a grain of salt, and don’t forget to think for yourself.

I want to become an artist, but because my older sister is also going into an art career and currently not doing well, my parents insist that I can’t. Art is my passion, and it’s unfair that they’re limiting me like this. Any advice??

Dear Aspiring Artist, With any big decision, it’s very important to take note of all the possible outcomes. Your parents want to protect you and make sure you’ll be safe after they are gone. They also don’t sound closed minded, considering they allowed your sister to pursue the same thing. Sadly, the misfortunes of your sister don’t seem to be helping your parents’ open minds. The best thing to do is drown them with plans and facts.

Show them that this is genuinely what you want to do for the rest of your life and you have a way of achieving it and making money. Find a way to separate yourself from your sister and tell them why you deserve to be an artist.

Hi Connor, I’m a girl at Northwood who really likes this boy. We’ve hooked up a few times so I think he likes me. But he’s embarrassed to tell anyone we are together.

Why do you think he doesn’t want to tell people about us? Should I be concerned?

Dear He’s Just Not That Into You, There are 1,400 people in Northwood High School alone. Please do yourself a favor and find someone else. A relationship is a two-person job, and it sounds like he’s not taking his shift. You should

never have someone feel embarrassed to be with you. Get someone who wants to rent out a billboard with your face on it that says, “I’m dating her!!!”

That may be a little extreme, but you know what I mean. Think about how he makes you feel, not just when hooking up, but afterwards. He should not make you think that you’re too embarrassing to be with, and he obviously has to figure things out for himself and how he treats people. So I’m asking you to please give yourself this gift: cut him out of your life and be comfortable in your newly found independence. You are strong and beautiful and deserve to find happiness. Love yourself.

What should I eat for lunch?

Dear Starved Student, Well, you haven’t given me any allergy information or if you’d have any preference for a vegetarian meal, so I’ll just tell you what I’d have. First, start with a little something light to delight the palate, maybe some bruschetta with tomato and basil, commonly described as “summer on toast.” Next I’d start by making a browned butter lime sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook this mixture, whisking constantly, until the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown—it should take about three minutes. Stir in garlic, honey and lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Next I’d get some freshly caught salmon straight from the market and gut and descale it—you must be heartless. Then drizzle the glaze on the plump meat for it to soak in.

Next place it into an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees, let cook for 8-10 minutes and enjoy!

Across

Down

3.This counselor was on 1. This teacher has 19 cat the cover of her school’s posters in their room. magazine in high school.

2. This teacher was in march5. This teacher moved 17 ing band for two years at Aptimes before they were 20. palachian State University.

8. This teacher was a Ger- 4. This teacher once didn’t man exchange student. wash their hair for six weeks.

11. This science teacher 6. This teacher can juggle fire. got their biology degree 7. This teacher’s nickname through studying bats. growing up was “Fuji.”

14. This teacher’s boyfriend 9. This teacher has been at broke up with her the day Northwood the longest. of college graduation.

10. This teacher collects 15. This teacher spent a turtles. year in India on sabbatical. 12. This teacher has a giant 16. This staff member pig statue in their classroom. spilled the beans on Santa 13. This teacher gave the when his daughter was “Omniscient” its name as only eight. a student.

— Compiled by Holden Meacham My best friend has been telling people she secretly hates me. I want to confront her but I am scared. Help me pls??!?!!

Dear Caesar, You have been stabbed in the back. The best thing to do is to not be confrontational; no one likes to be yelled at (even if they deserve it). It’s best to do it in person—I know it’s harder that way, but it’s for the best—so nothing is misinterpreted. People are generally more empathetic in real life. Don’t tip toe; ask confidently and precisely if what you have been hearing is true. Whatever the answer is, remain calm and remember to breathe. High school is a long four years, and in that time you will lose and gain people, and you have to roll with the punches. To quote Dita Von Teese, a famous actress and model, “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.”

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 17

O pinion 18

Party for One: How loneliness was key to my success Chantal Shine

Sixth grade—a pivotal year in almost every kid’s life. Guys’ voices start to sound deeper. Girls experiment with makeup. Cliques begin to solidify. The whole year is a scene out of a nature documentary as middle school students develop romantic relationships with one another and rivalries erupt.

Now, picture that one weird girl in the background. She eats lunch by herself most days. She always has a book in her hand when it’s time for recess. When the teacher announces for students to pair up, she is always the one left standing alone.

This girl may ring in a strong sense of nostalgia. She may be a goth who hates the world, for some. She may be a foreigner from another country who doesn’t know exactly how to fit in, for others. However, the girl I am describing is none of those characters. She is

a smiley young lady enthused about the world around her. She doesn’t mind being by herself. In fact, she prefers it over everything else. This girl is me.

During these middle school years, it always seemed like there was a secret code of conduct not found in the school handbook. Everyone knew that the more connections one made at school, the more success one achieved. For some people, the thought of being alone seems terrifying—no matter how old they get. However, it’s more common to be alone than one might think for the millennial generation.

According to One’s a Crowd, a sociological research paper about living alone written by Eric Klinenberg, more people live alone than at any other time in history. In prosperous American cities—Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Minneapolis—40 percent or more of all households contain a single occupant. In Manhattan and in Washington, nearly one in two households are occupied by a single person.

Instead of trying to weave my own web of relationships among my peers,

I focused my time and energy onto one person: myself. Most of my friends fit better under the definition of acquaintance, and the ones I had developed deep bonds with I hardly ever talked to in school. Through maintaining this sweet spot between friendships and personal development, I found success in my academic life.

One day during recess, conversations about who was taking who to the winter formal erupted. Everybody was obsessed. For girls, it was all about the dresses, makeup and what boy had asked to go with them. For boys, it was all about whose house they could go to afterwards with their dates. I found myself outside of the conversations, thinking about the science fair project due the following Monday.

My focus for that entire week was entirely set on earning an A on that project. I couldn’t hang out with anyone who didn’t share my goal. Does making my grades a top priority over socializing make me weird?

I don’t care what the answer is. I am a person who has learned to enjoy their

own company, and that has helped me achieve my own goals.

Instead of going to the Friday night football games, I was at home studying geometry. Instead of going to socials, I watched documentaries on Netflix.

Independent, stoic and sometimes awkward, these traits I can comfortably take pride in, because I know that they’re what got me to where I am today. As a senior, I maintain above average grades in all of my AP and honors courses. When I study, I focus on topics I have questions on rather than in a group setting where I have to suppress my own questions for that of the groups’.

I hope to attend a college with a small student population because I know it’s an environment where I prosper. I have had the experience of being alone in and out of school. I can only imagine my endless achievements when putting the two together as I begin my college years. I don’t mind being alone. I enjoy my own company. Solitude pushed me to succeed in my academic endeavors. Solitude was key to my success.

The Best of Both Worlds: My year in Germany

Meredith Avison I’ve never been particularly good at thinking up insightful answers to broad questions on the spot, a trait I share with many people my age. After going to study abroad in Berlin last year, people tend to ask me about it. One of the most frequently asked questions of this kind I receive is, “How was Germany?” It seems like a simple enough question, but you’d be surprised by how hard it is for me to answer. The only thing I ever say beyond “It was good” is “I miss the public transportation.” I don’t think I ever say what I am really thinking: I really miss the cheap, high-quality chocolate…

The second-most frequently asked question I get is, “How is Germany different from here?” Now this I actually was prepared for. When I was in Germany, I kept a list of things that I noticed that were different between

northern Germany and the U.S. I also talked with my American schoolmates in Berlin and my Canadian father about their observations. After talking about missing Cheetos and the variety of good peanut butters, we all came up with some key differences.

The first difference that stands out is the wait-staff at restaurants and store clerks in Germany vs. the United States.

In the U.S., they greet you with large smiles and ask you if you need help finding anything or they show you to your table with a huge smile. After living in Berlin, those kinds of welcomes are very overwhelming. Waiters in Berlin give you a quick smile, your food and the bill. Store clerks may give you the quick smile, but mostly they just ignore you.

Northern Germans do live up to their hostile reputation.

Another difference that I noticed is that in schools, students rarely use pencils. They use pens, and not just normal ballpoint—actual fountain pens. Everyone has their own and learns to write with it from a young age. Their stationary stores are a sight to behold, with ev-

ery kind of high-quality pen and paper invented. The best part is that a chain of these fancy stores is called “McPaper.”

One of the differences that surprises people the most about Germany, myself included, is the lack of free public restrooms and water fountains. Water fountains are not just not free—they are nonexistent. On top of that, restaurants don’t serve free water but at least the restrooms are free there. Because in other places, you have to pay to use them. In restrooms located in shopping centers and next to train stations, they have a small charge of 50 cents that you put into a machine before it lets you in. Other “Water Closets” have little old cleaning ladies that glare at you if you don’t put some money in their tip bowl.

The third most-frequently asked question I get is, “Do you miss Berlin?”

Yes, very much so. I miss the silence of the subways on the way to school and the disapproving looks my loud American friends would get on the way home.

I miss the bakeries at every intersection and flower shops at every train station. I miss the summers when the sun would

set at 10 p.m. and the winters when the moon would be full by the time I got home. I miss when everyone would lay out next to the river in the brief hour of sun in the cloudy season. I miss the old ladies who reminded me of hens with too much red lipstick speaking German.

I miss the small parks tucked away between buildings that you happen upon when trying a new route home and the big parks that took you away from the bustling of the city.

Now with all that you’re probably asking, “Meredith, why did you come back here?”

Well, dear reader, I’m pretty crazy about trains and buses and trams. But I’m also pretty crazy about weekly thunderstorms, downpours, swimming in the Haw River, the sound of the crickets in the summer and hushpuppies. Last year, I missed those things, along with overenthusiastic waiters, pencil sharpeners in every class and free public restrooms and water fountains. If there’s one thing that moving away from your home can do, it’s making you appreciate everything you took for granted for so long.

Why You Need to Have Your Heart Broken Briana Stone Heartbreak: an inevitable part of our lives that we can’t seem to run away from. It stings you, shakes up your whole being and leaves you reaching for anything that you can hold on to. It is a coming of age marker in your life that can either leave you broken or reborn.

At first, I focused on the bad. It was a fresh wound cut deep and I felt pain I had never quite experienced before. I felt numb; the people who I could always count on to make me laugh seemed to lose their essence, I couldn’t cry and no amount of chocolate ice cream in the world could suffice. It was almost as if I were a mindless, soulless shell of a human being, walking about just for the sole purpose of existing. But let me tell you: that horrible feeling in your chest? It goes away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what you do with it. After I truly learned that, everything changed.

During this period of sheer despair, there will be a time when you will look back and be thankful that certain people, opportunities and things were removed from your life because you would have never found yourself had you not lost them. Sometimes, we get so caught up worrying about what we lost, rather than realizing what we are gaining in its absence.

Heartbreak is like a wake-up call. You know when you are so dead in your sleep, that not even a thunderstorm can wake you?

Sometimes it takes somebody to physically shake you in order to wake you up. Well, meet heartbreak, your personal shaker-upper. For a while, you might be upset that it perturbed you, but ultimately, it is a good thing it woke you up, because that life storm was about to obliterate you while you slept.

A Silent Protest

Now, your eyes are open and you are aware of your surroundings. This would be a perfect moment take a good look around the room, because it might be time to do some rearranging.

Heartbreak is an opportunity. An opportunity for you to make some positive changes in your life and recognize that you still have a lot to learn about yourself.

Weak people will let it make them bitter and cynical, but those who are strong will break themselves down and then build themselves back up to be even better than they were before. You have to get into perspective and realize that some things end or fail so something bigger and better can begin.

We are young, we make mistakes, we get hurt and we hurt others. This is a convenient thing; sometimes it is good to get hurt.

In the end, emotions are palpable proof that we are living. You shouldn’t ask how or when the pain will end; instead, focus on what it is teaching you. Reevaluate what is truly important to you and move on. Will it be easy? No, but it will be so worth it. Ride the emotional roller coaster known as heartbreak, and revel in it, because you are in the process of growing into a better, stronger version of yourself.

Having had time to reflect and get over a hurting heart, I have realized that more good things came out of it than bad. My wounds made me wiser, and I realized that the best is yet to come; this is only a miniscule bump in the road. I also realized that it’s okay, actually impeccable, to set boundaries, and then say, ‘See ya later’ to anyone who doesn’t respect them—without apology.

I wouldn’t have admitted that having your heart broken is a good thing a year ago.

In fact, if someone were to tell me back then, “You will someday be grateful for your broken heart,” I would have released an ignorant laugh (or more likely cried) in their face. But I say it now: thank you, dear heart, for being strong enough to fall apart, and allowing me to grow in ways I never imagined.

I sat on the concrete steps in front of the Chapel Hill post office, surrounded by microphones, amps and liberals. My friend, who had organized the protest as a community get together to speak out against the wild political flurry of recent events, chatted to two news reporters with blue Christian Broadcasting Network coats on from across the gathering space, which was already filling up with people almost an hour before the protest was to begin. He finished with the interview and calmly walked through the cool night back toward me, instructing me to mingle with the other protesters. It was a strange request, as I had never been to a protest before, and I was far out of my comfort zone. What do you talk about at a protest? What if you disagree with someone? How am I to blend in at an event meant to make people stand out? I pondered these questions silently.

Throughout the night I was surprised by the lack of dialogue between people. Most protesters marched over the sidewalks chanting the same thing as those next to them, quieting down as the crowd around them did and shouting at the top of their lungs when in style. Apart from the protesters were the bystanders, watching from the sidelines not for the message of the people or their thoughts on any one thing, but for the spectacle, for something to capture on their phones.

Of course, while thinking about all this, I was no different than any other part of the crowd. I chanted, I marched, I cheered with the flow. Funnily enough, I did this more to disappear, and even funnier was the success I had in my deindividuation. But, rather conveniently, everyone has their lim-

its. There was a slight change of plans, and the crowd overwrote this change in favor of its own mind. The people marched onto the streets, blocking the traffic previously flowing throughout Chapel Hill and grabbing the town’s attention by force. More onlookers gathered; some were angry motorists throwing out retorts such as, “Go out and vote,” others were in the all-too wise police force who were redirecting all the cars they could. I silently stood on the sidewalk along with those who refused to go out into the road, the night’s chants being muttered under their breaths.

By that point, as my friend who had been leading the protest prior to the mutiny walked out once again to join the party, I could no longer call myself one with the crowd. Instead, I walked around the perimeter of the commandeered intersection, soaking in the fall atmosphere and finally mingling with those in the same position as I was. For the second time that night I was quite surprised by those around me.

The more people I chatted with, the more the image of a unified protest broke apart.

It seemed that, while they were all mostly liberal minded (and so was I), none of them could totally agree on anything. Of course, my views always seemed to align to theirs, no matter what they spoke of. “Oh yes, oh yes,” I’d say to them, not actually considering their words. Perhaps that cows-mind I had experienced earlier was nothing more than a façade, a costume to make the protest more easily palatable to those in it. This foreign attitude towards the nature of protests, seemed to be one of the few things shared with those I met, and that it was something to be enjoyed rather than to be endured. A community get-together, so to say. I ironically felt very apart from the community by the end of that night.

I would never have expected for my first protest to be an experience of listening rather than speaking.

However, N.C. General Law 115C-81 states that contraceptives shall not be made available or distributed on school property.

All kinds of questions and uncertainty can arise from such a notion, but the concept could be fairly simple—take first, for example, T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where the same issue was addressed. According to USA Today, the school system made the decision in 2010 to simply implement a teen wellness center inside of the school where students could access free contraceptives at any time. Within the first two years of implementation, the student pregnancies at the high school dropped from 50 to 20: over a 50 percent decrease.

Although pregnancies at Northwood are not as prevalent as this particular school, the tactic could prove to be successful. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement reading that “schools should

be considered suitable sites for condom distribution,” according to the November 2013 issue of Pediatrics.

So, how would it work at Northwood?

The editorial board of the Northwood Omniscient offers a solution: Using safe, nontamperable condom dispensers placed in all restrooms, available to all students, free of charge. It is our belief that machines such as these could help prevent pregnancy in high school age students, even if only on a local level. The dispensers, modeled after feminine hygiene dispensers found commonly in public restrooms, would be a safe and effective way to deliver condoms to students. Simply twist the knob, and a condom would be distributed to the student. The condoms themselves would ideally come from donations from local health clinics and other sponsors, ridding the cost for students and the school system. This would eliminate the awkward

face-to-face purchasing of birth control, the often infeasible trip to the health clinic and ideally, teen pregnancies.

For concerned parents who believe that free condom dispensers could normalize or even encourage sex, we hear you. School systems should educate students on the possible dangers of sex, but the fact of the matter is that kids are going to have sex anyway.

The Northwood Omniscient recognizes this, and we would like to make sure that all students are making safe and responsible decisions. According to the Guttmacher Institute, around 85 percent of couples who do not use birth control methods over the course of one year will experience a pregnancy. With almost half of all high school students participating in sexual intercourse, it’s easy to say this is a situation teachers, students and parents alike should not take lightly—and it is most certainly better to be safe than sorry.

Parker Pschorr

Supporting Safe Sex: Contraceptives should be provided in school

Staff Editorial

Let’s face it: teens are having sex. And consequently, everyday teens become parents. In fact, according to the Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, 47 percent of high school students were sexually active as of 2013. Of those aged 15-19 who were sexually active, around 450,000 became parents in their teens. It’s taught, talked and warned about in schools… but is enough being done to help prevent it?

Providing contraceptives to students in schools has been a controversial idea.

According to Advocates for Youth, three schools acted as trials for the concept—one in Baltimore, another in St. Paul and the final in Multnomah County, Oregon. Each school discretely provided students contraceptives, and each of these case studies resulted in a common theme—STDs or pregnancies in the respective school systems were decreased.

January 2017, The Omniscient, Page 19

20 Sports Athletes rush to prepare for practice after a late night out.

Jessica Kolomichuk/The Omniscient

To Party or To Play?: Athletes discuss drinking alcohol and using drugs

By Sarah Helen Shepherd Staff Writer It is a Friday night and an athlete is hanging out with his friends. His best friend offers him a drink, and he takes the drink willingly, even though it may affect his performance in the future.

The late nights out, drug use and ingestion of alcohol could have a negative effect on high school athletes’ ability to perform well, yet many athletes continue to engage in these habits outside of school.

According to a study conducted by the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan, high school athletes are more likely to drink alcohol than non-athlete high school students. The study also revealed that non-athletes are more likely to smoke and use drugs than athletes.

Northwood’s athletes have mixed feelings about whether doing drugs and drinking alcohol has severe negative impacts on performing well at games and practice.

Senior Tory Adams, whose name has been changed, says she has attended her travel soccer team’s practice multiple times either hungover or under the influence of drugs.

Adams has used a variety of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, Xanax and LSD. “It was not fun at all, and I did not want to be there, so I was not in a positive mindset,” Adams said. “I was not doing anything to improve my practice; I was just doing something to get through the practice. It was not an enjoyable experience and I don’t think my team improved from it and I didn’t improve from it; it was just kind of a waste of time.”

Senior Carson Shaner says she has remained loyal to her morals of staying sober throughout high school. Shaner has recently signed to play softball next fall at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

“It is just not good for you in any way and it does not enhance your performance,” Shaner said. “People might think that it is fun, but there are a lot of negative consequences that outweigh the positive.”

Senior Aaron Edwards, whose name has been changed, has been playing his sport for the past 14 years and has been smoking marijuana since seventh grade. Edwards does not believe that doing drugs and drinking alcohol influences how he performs.

“I do limit how much I do during the season, but I have never really noticed me playing worse after a party,” Edwards said. “I have gone out extremely late the night before a game but then I play pretty well the next day. So I have never thought that it is limiting me a lot.”

Senior Matt Oldham is hoping to play collegiate baseball next year. Oldham says he has refrained from doing drugs and drinking alcohol throughout high school.

“It is stupid to do drugs,” Oldham said. “Why would you do that to your body? And with alcohol, it is the same thing: Why would you want to hurt your body and prevent you from doing your best in your sport?”

Adams believes that her choice of attending practice under the influence of drugs affected her and her team’s ability to improve.

“I think it is definitely an irresponsible move on my part,” Adams said. “I am not able to put in 100 percent at practice and so my team is not able to get 100 percent out of me, so we are not able to work together and improve together because I am not all there and they are.”

Jackie Harpham has been a sports medicine teacher at Northwood for three years and attends between three and four Northwood sporting events each week.

“A lot of drugs and alcohol, if they are depressants, can slow your reaction time,” Harpham said. “So that would be dangerous during a sport because it could make

you more likely to get injured if you are not at your fullest and quickest reaction time to respond to a ball or a person coming your way or something that could cause an injury.”

Head baseball coach Rick Parks has told his players to make smart decisions when they are outside of Northwood.

“Obviously we don’t endorse that type of illegal or bad behavior,” Parks said. “To say that it does not happen at all with my kids or with any athletes at Northwood would be making a pretty bold prediction. We are just trying to make sure that they are aware of the dangers of it and try to help them make good decisions.”

Despite Edwards’ belief that doing drugs and drinking alcohol does not affect his ability to play well, he believes that he would stop his habits if he noticed it negatively impacting his performance.

“If my coach [found out] and were to ask me to stop, or if I noticed I was playing worse because I was going out and partying and drinking, then I would stop, but I have never noticed it really affecting me,” Edwards said.

Even though parties have a large impact on Adams’ life, she believes that there are other things to enjoy that are more beneficial than attending parties.

“I think partying is a big aspect of your life right now as a teenager in high school, but it is not as important later in life,” Adams said. “I think it is important to focus on what makes you happy and more positive things. You have to think about what you get out of each situation; what you get out of being drunk at practice, or just being drunk for an afternoon, or what you get out of improving with your team and the whole overall experience with the team. Sports can have a really positive impact on students’ and people’s lives and I think it is important to put that into perspective and value that over just the good feeling that you have for an hour because you are under the influence.”

College Athletics: Is it more than most can handle?

By Julia Wieland S taff Writer

every day because I wanted to win. There were points in time where I did want to give up, but those would just be on an off day and I would just Imagine this: wake up at 4:45 a.m, go to the remind myself why I’m playing, which was to be training room, then practice at 6 a.m, grab an en- successful and work for it.” ergy bar, go to a 9 a.m. class, study for that next Matt Oldham is a current Northwood basetest, go to the weight room at 2 p.m, go to an af- ball player who will attend a university in the ternoon team practice, go to your next class, do coming fall to further pursue his baseball career. your homework, try to find time to eat, workout Oldham believes that life is going to change once and go to an evening practice. This is an average he enters the next level of college baseball. day in the life of a student athlete playing at the “As far as the routine and amount of praccollegiate level. tice and homework that goes into being a colKerri Snipes, a former Northwood women’s legiate athlete, it will only intensify,” Oldham basketball player, attended Belmont Abbey College said. “I have a very similar workout program from 2013-2016 to continue her basketball career. and somewhat educational program; they will “One day I had a presentation in a business just get harder.” class, followed by a test in my next class,” Snipes Ciera Dixon, current Northwood guidance said. “Once class was over, [I had to] rush to the gym counselor and former women’s basketball playto do a shoot around/walk through in preparation for er at Queen’s University, believes playing cola game, then rush back to my last class, and then to lege sports takes more than most expect. the cafeteria immediately after to eat with my team “Not everyone is cut out to be a studentfor our pregame meal and finally loading my bags athlete.” Dixon said. “Just because everyone and hopping on the bus for an away game.” doesn’t want to put all the work in that’s reSnipes believes that college athletes face quired to play at the college level.” many challenges when trying to balance acaAccording to The New York Times, 15 perdemics and sports at the same time. cent of student athletes end up quitting due “I would say one of the restrictions you face to the amount of stress and pressure being a as a student-athlete is a limited amount of free collegiate athlete can cause. This happened to time,” Snipes said. “You don’t have the luxury be the case for Jay Williams. Williams played to do whatever you want whenever you want. football at Northwood and went on to You have to be able to manage your time play at North Carolina Wesleyan Colwisely because a majority of your time is lege, where he decided to take a break either on the court, in the weight room, in from his football career. study hall or doing team activities, so you “At the time, my love for the game have to make the most of the little amount was gone. I was trying to focus more on of free time you have.” my education and I felt football was Snipes said that time is a resource getting in the way of that,” Wilto be used wisely, especially when liams said. “My grandmother had faced with the demanding task of been diagnosed with breast cancer being a college athlete. during the season and my mom Much like Snipes, Riann was just coming off of a knee Daziel, former women’s lareplacement surgery. On the crosse player at the University other hand, my family really of Mount Olive who graduated needed me. Everything ended in 2016, struggled with the up working out; my granddemanding schedule being a mother is cancer free, my student athlete brings. mom is walking again “When I was in season, and I am getting back I had no social life besides on the football field with my teammates,” in January.”

Daziel said. “I was From personal with them from early experience, Dixon conditioning, mid-day knows that certain lifts and then practice on qualities must be the evenings every day. met to play a college sport and that Almost every weekend the life of a student athlete is much had games or practices.” more complex than most realize.

In the midst of being a college “You should be relentless and no athlete and a student, it can sometimes should never be an answer,” Dixon said. feel unbearable, and some say they have “I think that whatever you’re working thoughts about giving up because of the toward, whether it is to break a school pressure and stress it can bring. record or be the first in your school to “What motivated me was the become a Division I athlete, you have feeling of winning,” Daziel said, to be relentless in that goal and “I can be wicked competitive and never be satisfied in how you knowing that my team could win played the game before and just made me work harder and harder Julia Wieland/The Omniscient constantly push yourself.”

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Page 22, The Omniscient, January 2017

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The Ultimate Throwback: 2007-08 Ultimate Frisbee State Champions

By Natalie Womble Staff Writer Imagine your team is down at halftime against reigning champs, Chapel Hill, and your teammate, Alex Hart, stands up on the bench to give an inspirational speech. This is for all the marbles. As the final half begins, your teammates start going for long runs into the end zone, receive passes from nearly forty yards out and score. Nearing the end of the game, your team is up 12-11 and tensions are high. As the clock starts ticking, another teammate, Matthew Russell, stops with a defensive play, picks up the disk and spots teammate Brandon Fair sprinting toward the end zone. Russell flings the disc.

Two Chapel Hill players leap but Fair soars, grabs the disc with two hands and lands into the end zone. Your team has won the Ultimate Frisbee state championship.

Northwood’s only team state championship title is, in fact, from the 2007-08 Ultimate Frisbee club. Ultimate is a fast-paced game, requiring a high level of conditioning, communication and basic athletic skills. On the field, similar to a football field, one team of seven players throws the Frisbee to each other while avoiding a turnover to the other team. While in possession of the Frisbee, you cannot run but only throw it to your teammate.

In 2008, then-senior Alex Hart, who now teaches physical education and coaches boys’ basketball, along with teammates Hart Phillips and Russell, discovered Ultimate Frisbee at a cross country summer camp at North Carolina State University.

“We found ourselves throwing Frisbee every day after practice and we started thinking about how we would expand from just throwing after practice to something bigger,” Hart said.

After talking about it around school, the “founding faand blue, but when I think about the guys piling on each other thers” came upon social studies teacher Skip Thibault, who after winning the championship and seeing Thibault hoist that had played Ultimate in college. trophy up in the air, I can’t help but smile,” Russell said.

On the weekends the team would find a time and play at Along with the dog pile and accomplishment of winning either the Field of Dreams or the practice soccer field. They the championship, the team received a trophy and celebrated promoted themselves throughout the school through posters, with McDonald’s McFlurries.

T-shirts and humorous intercom announce“We took turns with the trophy and treated it like ments written by Hart or Phillips. The team it was the Stanley Cup,” Thibault said. “So I took name, Lunatic Fringe, is described as a term it home the first night and then Alex [Hart] took it used to characterize members of a political home, and then Hart Phillips took it home and each or social movement as extremists with ecof the guys took it home for a little while.” centric views and was given by Thibault.

The victory was very special and made an impact Although the team was agile, some on many of the players’ high school experiences. lacked the skills essential to the game and “It was one of the highlights for sure—it was the upcoming state tournament. basically another excuse to goof off with friends, say “We only had a few guys that could ridiculous things over the intercom and ultimately really handle the disc well and throw it beat a bunch of private school Gibbons snobs at their accurately. Nearly every player on every own game,” said Phillips in an email. team we faced during the tournament could However, Ultimate Frisbee is not sanctioned by Photo courtesy of accurately throw the disc using the forehand the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Alex Hart and backhand,” Russell said in an email. “We and the championship doesn’t really count. also didn’t really know all the rules. These other teams had Many factors contributed to the fall of the Ultimate club. been playing league games and tournaments throughout the The seniors graduated and the underclassman tried to conyear. There was a big learning curve for us during the course tinue, but although Thibault said he enjoyed the experience, of the tournament.” it was time for him to resign from the club.

At the state tournament the competition was intense.

“The next year people came up to me and said, ‘Okay, “It was so cutthroat that we needed an adult in charge if it what are we doing?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. Talk to somebody got ugly at times,” Thibault said. “Ultimate is a game where else,” Thibault said. “We had a lot of fun but I would never they don’t have officials and you make your own calls. I do it again; it was miserable just arguing with those adults.” didn’t have enough patience for that.”

Since 2008, the club has not returned, but it could be The tournament was a two-day event with non-stop a possibility. competition against some of the best teams.

“I don’t know where it stands now, but I joke with Coach “It drained me of all my energy, left me bloodied, black Hart that he should crank it up again,” Thibault said.

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SUPER

CHARGED

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

— Compiled by Davis Palermo

Joshua Eisner/The Omniscient

Kadie Snipes — Girls’ Basketball

“Kadie is a great teammate, and this season she has shown great leadership.”

— Allison Grant, senior

Featured Athlete: Hunter Queen Hunter Queen, captain of the Northwood wrestling team, has gotten off to a stellar start to this wrestling season. He is 12-0, and has won three wrestling tournaments so far at Orange High School, Bishop McGuinness High School and Riverside High School.

Queen described what sets him apart from other wrestlers around the state.

“I think it’s my mentality, outworking my opponent and just Hannah Gail Shepherd/The Omniscient being superior,” Queen said. “I’ve also been wrestling a lot throughout my life, which helps out too.”

Queen has also had people who have helped him along the way, including his older brother Michael, who won a state title last year.

“My brother has helped me a lot by giving me someone to drill with,” Queen said. “Doing club wrestling has helped me a lot. There’s a lot of people who have helped me, but most of all my family.”

Queen aims to win the state championship in February to cap off his senior year, after finishing second in the 160-pound division last year. Queen will wrestle at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill next year.

— By Jeffrey Marcin

Zach Brackett/The Omniscient

Birch Newell — Boys’ Basketball

“Birch is a great influence on the court and always stays positive and in control.”— Gordon Brann, senior Sarah Helen Shepherd — Swimming “Sarah Helen is not only extremely positive and encouraging to both new and old swimmers, she’s hilarious and dedicated.”

— Mary Wardrop, senior

Hannah Gail Shepherd/The Omniscient

Cheerleading — Carter Burleson “Carter is really hard working and always gives it her all.”

— Sophia Smith, sophomore

Photo courtesy of Nicole Webb