The Northwood
OMNISCIENT Volume 13
Issue 1
November 2019
Points of Interest Watershed Protection Map of Chatham County, North Carolina
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By Torin Priddle Staff Writer
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Disclaimer: Information contained herein is provided for informational purposed only. The County of Chatham provides geographic information systems (GIS) data, maps, and metadata with no claim as to the completeness, usefulness, or accuracy of its content , positional or otherwise.
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Photo Courtesy of Chatham County 17,000
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Prepared by the Chatham County Planning Division September 2010
CHEMICALS IN THE HAW RIVER concern Pittsboro residents and government officials pg. 2
Emma Pollard/The Omniscient
Torin Priddle/The Omniscient
POPULAR PITTSBORO FOOD TRUCK opens brick-and-mortar restaraunt pg. 3
Northwood’s Theatre Department presented their Fall play, “The Crucible,” Oct. 17-19. Starring Alyssa Krasovich, India Nykamp, Daniel Gallagher, Layla Ruppert, and Chase Miller, their production was theatre teacher Abigail Sabiston’s original adaptation of Arthur Miller’s famous allegorical play equating the Salem Witch Trials to the Red Scare. The setting was changed from the original 1600s Puritan settlement to a 1950s religious hospital, with drug abuse by candy stripers serving as the catalyst for the hysterical accusasions of witchcraft that ensue. This was the first production to be cast completely internally within the theatre ensemble class, and also the first production that Northwood has taken to compete at the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC). The conference was held Nov. 1, with the cast and crew taking home two awards, the first to Alyssa Krasovich for Excellence in Acting and the second to Oliver Poteete for Excellence in Stage Managing.
OmniscienT Photo Courtesy of TikTok
NORTHWOOD SENIOR CORY NIXON finds fame on the social media platform “TikTok” pg. 6
Chase Miller/The Omniscient
NEW FOOTBALL COACH Cullen Homolka gives his thoughts on his new position pg. 11
November 2019
Town taco truck becomes restaurant
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EDITORS PRINT EDITORS CC Kallam Chase Miller ONLINE EDITOR Emma Pollard DESIGN EDITOR Henry Taylor SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Georgia O’Reilly
STAFF WRITERS Ella Sullivan Ian Rivera Joshua Bollock Torrin Priddle Ethan Westmoreland
The owners of the Michoacán Tacos food truck opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Pittsboro Aug. 9. The restaurant is called Michoacán Mexican Grill, and it’s located on East Street, near the PTA thrift shop. Three-and-a-half years ago, they only had a food truck near the McDonald’s in Pittsboro but, according to owner Pablo Perez, they found immediate success. “From there, after one year, we opened a second location, which is in Durham, on Pittsboro Road, called Michoacán Mexican Restaurant,” Perez said. Perez credits their early success to their loyal customers and word of mouth. He says he decided to open the restaurant in Durham at the time they did because of the encouragement from their customers. “After a year, seeing how good our food was, people began talking about how much they liked it, so we decided to go further and further and open up a location in Durham,” Perez said. Perez started the restaurant with his sister and brotherin-law. They began the business because he believed that he had something to offer people that wasn’t already on the market. “I wanted to give people the taste that I get. This is the kind of food that comes from my mom,” Perez said. “The taste is something unique that I couldn’t find in other places.” Michoacán Grill is not the only Mexican restaurant in Pittsboro, as it competes with San Felipe, Mi Cancun and Compadres, although it is the newest on the scene. Perez says that people should come to his restaurant because of the quality of the food. “We make the food from zero to the top,” Perez said. “Others are chain restaurants, they just follow one recipe, and anyone can do that, you know?” Perez claims that because of their homestyle cooking, their food has an authentic, high-quality taste. One of Perez’s favorite menu items is the Piña Lopa, which he likes for the combination of the pineapple’s sweetness with a little bit of spice. He also enjoys the Molcajete because of the long tradition behind it. It was made by ancient South American tribes thousands of years ago.
ADVISER Eliza Brinkley ebrinkley@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 students, faculty and the community. We welcome letters to the editor, which can be delivered to the adviser 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.
Torrin Priddle/The Omniscient
MICHOACÁN OWNER PABLO PEREZ outside of his new restaurant location
Another one of his favorite dishes includes Ceviche, or fish that’s been cured in citrus and seasoned. He says that it’s “something you can barely find” in most Mexican restaurants in the U.S. Perez finds that some of his best-selling items include tortas, tacos and mixed plates, but believes that there’s more to personal success than just turning a profit. “People should always do what they love and enjoy,” Perez said. “Right here, I don’t see it as work. I love what I do, so it’s not like work for me. I love every moment of it.” Perez has some advice for those wanting to start their own business: “It’s not about business, it about how much you’re willing to do for work, how much effort you put into working. So it’s all dependent on you, how far you’re willing to go.” Michoacán Mexican Grill is open from 11 a.m to 10 p.m every day of the week and weekends. It is located at 440 East Street, Pittsboro. Patrons can call 919-704-8751 to make a reservation.
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The Omniscient
FAREWELL TO ARMS:
November 2019
The looming removal of Pittsboro’s controversial Confederate statue By Chase miller Print Editor Over the past century, few aspects of downtown Pittsboro have stayed the same. From the restaurants and street-side shops to even the Courthouse, the face of the town has been constantly changing. But one very real face has, through all that time, remained resolute, staring silently down at pedestrians and passing cars. To some, a beacon of Southern pride and a testament to their heritage; to others, an anachronistic remnant from a bygone era of bigotry. Pittsboro’s Confederate statue, unnamed, depicting no one in particular, has long been the subject of controversy and the object of protest in an otherwise peaceful community. And now, after more than a hundred years upon its pedestal, it appears to have overstayed its welcome. “The monument represents government speech that at one time was consistent with the ruling values of the county,” said Commissioner Jim Crawford during a heated town hall at the Chatham County Courthouse that would ultimately decide the statue’s fate. “Now its message is inconsistent with the ruling values of the county.” This decision comes on the heels of another local Confederate controversy: the toppling and subsequent formal removal of the Silent Sam statue outside UNC Chapel Hill. Silent Sam, like Pittsboro’s statue, is a fictional soldier, so named because he carries no ammunition and cannot fire his gun. However, despite his lacking both identity and artillery, he was far from a neutral symbol for many students on UNC’s campus. “We as a country have a lot of change and a lot of healing to do, and we are not going to get there putting racism on a pedestal,” said Andrew Skinner, a recent UNC Graduate.
“We have the power to be on the right side of history.” When Silent Sam fell, and the university decided against his reinstallment, it was a harbinger of a much wider social change. Confederate symbols have been contested since their inception, but have been slow to phase out in the modern-day South. According to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, at least 110 Confederate monuments have been removed in the United States over the past five years. But still, 139 remain in North Carolina alone—soon to be 138, which many celebrate. However, not everyone agrees with this negative view of Confederate monuments. Many see them as deeply rooted and culturally significant mementos of an event that forever changed the trajectory of America’s future, or symbols representing the sacrifice of the near 300,000 Southerners who fought and died during the Civil War. “It means different things to different people and that’s why it’s such a divisive issue,” Northwood history teacher Nicholas McAlister said. “If you look at it from an African- American perspective, those statues are like a symbol of racism—a reminder of the horrors of the past. Others see it more as a sign of Southern pride and Southern heritage and things of that nature. I think that’s why it’s such, like, a touchy subject.” As of now, based on growing discontent among the local population and an apparent shift in the political position of local government, eviction is imminent for Pittsboro’s Confederate statue, though it will presumably not come to such a violent end as that of its counterpart in Chapel Hill. As was decided at that fateful meeting in August, rather than being destroyed, it will be officially returned to its rightful owners, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, to do with what they wish.
November 2019
The Omniscient
Something in the Water By Ella Sullivan Staff Writer
PFAS in the Haw River
Pittsboro waters have been contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, since at least 2017. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS are synthetic chemicals that have been used in food packing and household products since the 1940s. PFAS were found in the Haw River when Heather Stapleton, a researcher at Duke University, was testing Robeson County waters for PFAS in 2017. Stapelton was using her home’s water, sourced from Jordan Lake, as a control for the experiment. Instead of a control, she found high levels of PFAS in her own home’s water. “I live in Cary and the source of my drinking water is Jordan Lake, which is impacted by PFAS contamination from the Haw River,” Stapleton said. “I was concerned about the levels of PFAS in my drinking water, which are lower than the levels found in Pittsboro’s drinking water.” The discovery of PFAS in the Haw River has not been as widely covered in the news as similar stories. GenX, a type of PFAS found in the Cape Fear River near Wilmington in 2017, was a major headline and was protested by those who were in the affected area. Stapelton’s report to receive funding for research claimed that PFAS levels in Pittsboro are similar to GenX levels in the Cape Fear River. The lack of public response to the contamination by Chatham County residents may be because of a lack of public knowledge. Pittsboro water users only received a notice that is short and lacks information including the full names of chemicals, specific possible health concerns, and potential solution plans being considered in their water bill for August 2019. No contact information is given in the notice; instead, it directs readers to the Town of Pittsboro’s website. “I have to admit that I’m disappointed in the lack of information provided,” Stapleton said. “While the notice is correct in stating that those four chemicals (1,4-Dioxane, Bromides, PFOS, and PFOA) are present in the Pittsboro drinking water, they have also left out some additional information. The Pittsboro drinking water is contaminated with multiple PFAS chemicals, not just PFOA and PFOS. In fact, the concentrations of the other PFAS chemicals in the drinking water are found at much higher concentrations than PFOA and PFOS. It’s likely that they only focused on PFOA and PFOS in this notification because currently, the EPA has established health advisories for those two PFAS chemicals and not others that are detectable in Pittsboro water.” People affected by the contamination feel that they have not been told adequate information about PFAS in the Haw River. “If this is truly the case, the public needs to be made aware in no uncertain terms, and the problem needs to be rectified immediately,” Northwood English teacher Kathleen Greenlee said. “Information about a potential health risk should never be kept from those in danger. Non-disclosure of something of this nature is unethical.” According to a poll of 128 students and staff at Northwood, 81.3% of the population was not aware of PFAS being in Pittsboro water even after the notices had been sent out to Pittsboro residents. Even with little public knowledge, the town is working to find a solution. According to North Carolina Health News, Pittsboro is currently using powdered-activated carbon to filter the town’s water for a partially effective short-term solution. Granular-activated carbon, a type of carbon used
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for adsorption, and reverse osmosis, a partially permeable membrane used to remove unwanted particles from water, are two possible long-term solutions, but Pittsboro has not decided which of these solutions they will use if any due to high costs. The problem would also be easier to solve if the source of the contamination was known. It has been determined that PFAS are entering the Haw River as liquid waste from unidentified wastewater treatment plants or stormwater runoff from fields. The North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) ordered wastewater treatment plants to begin monitoring their water for PFAS on July 1, 2019 in hopes of pinpointing where the contamination is coming from. If any plants are identified as causes of the contamination, the DWQ plans to help reduce PFAS contamination from the plant. “After only around 30 seconds of research, I found that these chemicals have been linked to increased risk for dozens of diseases and cancers,” an anonymous Northwood student said. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) claims that certain PFAS chemicals may lead to changes in infant and child development, the body’s natural hormones, and the immune system. The ATSDR also claims exposure to PFAS may lead to higher cholesterol levels, increased cancer risks, and lowered pregnancy chances. Stapleton plans to conduct further research in this area by testing Pittsboro resident blood samples and comparing them to water samples in order to find a correlation between the two. “My research team at Duke University is conducting a study to investigate the seasonal and spatial variation in PFAS levels along the Haw River as a first step in identifying possible sources of the contamination,” Stapleton said. “We also hope to understand how drinking water consumption relates to exposure by measuring PFAS in residents’ blood. This would help us understand how much of the PFAS chemicals are accumulating in our bodies and help us to understand if there are any health risks.” The lack of knowledge and publicity surrounding the PFAS in Pittsboro is very concerning to some, who feel like it should be addressed with more rigor. “This should be made public knowledge and the community should be more aware of this,” Northwood Spanish teacher Christoper Lupoli said. “This is a great opportunity for environmental education.” “It is a bummer that these substances are being found in the Haw River,” an anonymous student said. “A recreation site, like the Haw River, should be safe to swim, fish, and canoe in. We need to protect our rivers because they are a source of our water and possibly food.¨ “(The water contamination is) really concerning; however, I have a pitcher that filters my water at home that I almost exclusively drink out of, so hopefully it’ll be okay,” Northwood student Aiden Vingus said. “I’m honestly not surprised that there’s some contaminants in the water.” Stapelton believes her scientific research will prove what types of PFAS are present in the Haw River. This contamination continues to affect Pittsboro water and may have negative health effects for Pittsboro residents. Whatever the verdict is on the contamination of the river, it will directly affect Northwood students and staff.
The Omniscient
November 2019
6 Entertainment TikTok Takeover Takeover Norhtwood Senior Cory Nixon’s rise to Internet Fame By Georgia O’Reilly and Emma Pollard Social Media and Online Editors In August 2018, the internet was introduced to a new app that would change social media: TikTok. Though people originally started using it ironically, TikTok has become a very popular platform for teenagers. On the app, you can make 15 to 60-second videos, either with a song or simply your voice. Like most other social media platforms, you can follow other creators, as well as like and comment on people’s posts. Some users become viral, and this viral fame also leads to fame on other platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter or YouTube. For one Northwood student, they became viral almost overnight. Senior Cory Nixon started using TikTok as a joke. He never thought anyone besides his friends would see his videos. However, one day he decided to make a TikTok at his friend’s house, not expecting to get more than ten views from friends. Within a week, he had more than 1.5 million likes and 7.5 million views on the video and over 105,000 followers. “I started off by making stupid little videos I thought only my 12 friends would see,” Nixon said. “Then this one video got [more than] a million. That’s ridiculous and it just blows my mind. People will come up to me at school and be like ‘I saw your TikTok, I’m your biggest fan!’” Though it’s just an app, originally designed for enjoyment and entertainment, some TikTok users feel like they have to constantly be producing and publishing funny content. To some, this becomes a chore that is constantly on their mind. To others, their jobs and
schoolwork outweigh the TikTok pressure and they are able to find a good balance between their real life and their social media life. “There are definitely people who make funnier content than me,” Nixon said. “Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m funny enough to continue on with TikTok. I’ve made a few since the popular video because they’re just fun to make.” Nixon is one of the users that views TikTok as just a fun app to use when he is with friends where they can post whatever they want. “It’s fun to do something with your friends...it’s something that takes up time,” Nixon said. “I could care less what people think of my videos, they’re just funny little things to make.” Some people believe that TikTok is the new Vine, an app that swept social media in 2013. “TikTok reminds me a lot of Vine. I love just scrolling through it because it passes time,” senior Zoe Kolat said. “I just like to make them with my sister or friends and no one takes anyone seriously.” TikTok gives users more freedom than Vine did in terms of time limits. This allows people to tell stories, come up with dances and create trends that millions of people worldwide participate in. “[My favorite trends are the] ‘Why are you so obsessed with me?’ one and the cowboy boogie,” Nixon said. These trends are usually just a fun dance with a specific song, such as “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey. Most people follow the original dance, but some put their own spin on it. For most, TikTok is just a way to cure boredom, whether it’s from watching videos or creating them. On the other hand, some users receive viral fame from a simple 15-second video. Let’s see whether TikTok continues to gain popularity or if it eventually fades out.
November 2019
The Omniscient
Crafting A Comeback By Henry Taylor Design Editor For years, the popular video game “Minecraft” has captivated video game audiences of all ages. It is a survival sandbox game which uses blocks and pixel-based graphics to construct its world. In its most basic mode of gameplay, the player is given the objective of surviving within a randomly-generated environment by collecting food, crafting tools, mining materials, building shelters and fending off a variety of monsters. The game’s block-based system also lends itself to being a sandbox for creativity, as players can use creative mode to freely construct whatever they desire without any limits on in-game resources. This feature of the game has been compared by many to an online Lego set with unlimited pieces and space for building. Throughout the 2010s the game became one of the most successful pieces of media in history, before eventually fading slightly into obscurity. However, the game has recently made a comeback within popular culture, and there are many theories as to why. “Minecraft” was released in 2011 by the Swedish game development studio Mojang and was designed by Markus “Notch” Persson and Jens “Jeb” Bergensten. The game quickly rose in popularity following its launch, quickly taking the place of the second best selling videogame of all time. The title of first is held by “Tetris”, which had been the highest sold since 1984 according to IGN. A large part of “Minecraft”’s success had to do with its release during the internet era, as according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications, roughly one third of the game’s players initially found out about its existence from online videos. There are many theories as to why the game became so popular, with many pointing to its family-friendly nature being appealing to companies who pay for their ads to be played before YouTube videos. The game’s limitless possibilities also meant that online creators could regularly pump out videos featuring the game without the content becoming stale. However, like many trends, eventually “Minecraft”’s popularity subsided. The amount of “Minecraft”-related Google searches and YouTube videos decreased from 2014-2018. Google publishes the amount of searches they receive, with the general public being able to see how many times a certain word has been looked up. The website, called Google Trends, uses a 0-100 scale. A score of 0 represents a time where no searches occurred, and a 100 represents the peak of a trending search topic, which “Minecraft” reached in August of 2013. However, after this peak, searches steadily lowered from 100 to the 20s. By 2018, it was noticeably absent from YouTube’s recommended tab, and many popular creators, such as SkyDoesMinecraft, announced that they were moving on from the game. This did not mean the game was not successful during this time, as “Fortnite,” which dominated Twitch’s streaming numbers throughout 2018, still did not surpass “Minecraft”’s massive monthly player base. “Fortnite,” at the height of its popularity, pulled roughly 78 million monthly players, as compared to “Minecraft”’s 91 million at the same time. Despite this, the game was largely absent from the public consciousness; that is, until its recent resurgence. From April to August of 2019, “Minecraft” jumped from 28 to 66 on Google Trends, much closer to the previous score of 100, and the amount of “Minecraft”-related YouTube videos increased as well. Many attribute this to Felix Kjiellberg, aka PewDiePie, the single largest individual creator on YouTube, who recently passed 100 million subscribers. His series in which he plays the game has become incredibly successful, with most episodes receiving over 10 million views. At Northwood, the game has also increased in popularity. Senior Michael Zieger weighed in on the topic. “My friends showed me the game in fourth grade, and I thought
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it was awesome,” Zieger said. He had played “Minecraft” recently, and noted that “there is a lot of new stuff, and the game runs much better,” referring to the speed at which the game performs. Image courtesy by Pixabay “People are just looking for a fun game to play, and it’s very nostalgic,” Zieger noted of the game’s resurgence. Nostalgia is a feeling that many know well. According to an article by The Guardian analyzing the work of professor of social and personality psychology Constantine Sedikides, “nostalgia is a kind of inbuilt neurological defence mechanism.” Sedikides believes that retrospection and longing for the past is ultimately a good thing for our minds, as nostalgia often increases during times of stress and hardship, meaning that a revitalized interest in childhood media during a major life change would make sense. One common stressor that applies to high school students in particular is the looming life-changing development that is either college or transitioning out of high school and into the work force. For most, it is the first time that young students have lived apart from their parents, with many leaving their home towns or states and making the next step towards their future. It is only natural that at a time like this, nostalgia would kick in as a way for young people to cope with the “loss” of their childhood and the stress that comes with applying to schools. For Zieger, like many students, “Minecraft” provides that comforting feeling of familiarity and reminds him of childhood memories due to the time he spent playing it with friends throughout his youth. Senior Henry Myers also claimed that it was his friends who gave him a love for “Minecraft”. “When I was in fourth grade, all of my friends started playing it, so I wanted to start as well,” Myers said. “I loved being able to do whatever I wanted in the game.” “People miss the feeling of playing it as a kid, all the freedom that came with it,” Myers said in reference to the game’s comeback. “They probably want to experience that happiness again.” Junior Preston Aycock had a very similar experience to Myers. “I was at a friend’s house, and he had the game on his iPad,” Aycock said, “I think that there are a few reasons the game came back. A couple of major YouTubers have picked up on it, but I think there are a lot of nostalgic emotions attached to the game, and a lot of people enjoy that.” Other students have different theories surrounding the game’s comeback. Senior Gabe Koeb believes that a specific event led to the resurgence. “My belief is that the comeback can be attributed to the original ‘Revenge’ music video’s copyright strike being removed,” Koeb said. The video, which featured animation in “Minecraft”’s style, was posted by YouTube user CaptainSparkles in 2011. The song itself was a parody of Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” which took the basics of the original song but replaced the lyrics with “Minecraft” terms and content. The Revenge video eventually passed Usher’s in views, leading to a lawsuit over copyright which would eventually end in the music being removed from the video. However, this lawsuit was dropped and the original music returned. The song had a huge spike in popularity and even surpassed Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” on Genius’ Top Songs Chart, which could have led to a revitalized interest in the game. Whether “Minecraft”’s comeback can be attributed to old music videos, YouTube creators or simple nostalgia, the game is back for the foreseeable future. It has become somewhat of a gem in the realm of pop culture and does not show any signs of regressing back into obscurity for the time being. Northwood students and the internet at large are mining and crafting once again.
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The Omniscient
November 2019
The Omniscient
November 2019
Sports 9
Disney Plus or Disney Minus?
Q&A With New Football Coach Homolka —Compiled by CC Kallam New school year, new head coach! Cullen Homolka began his time at Northwood in the spring semester of 2019, but this year is his first year as the head coach of the Northwood Football team. Homolka talks with The Omniscient about his new position here at Northwood. The team also comments on their new experience with the new head coach. Why Northwood?:
By Ethan Westmoreland and Henry Taylor Staff Writers Announced earlier this year, Disney Plus is the new big video streaming platform. Disney has been tossing around the idea of starting their own streaming service for years, as they’ve experimented with similar formats of media distribution before. This included putting many of their iconic films and TV shows on Netflix and Hulu. Disney has also started Disney Movie Club, a service that allows fans to buy films at a discounted price. Disney Plus will launch November 12 of this year with the competitive price of 6.99 USD, nearly half of Netflix’s price (12.99 USD) and Hulu’s price (11.99 USD). Disney Plus’ inception has been met with excitement from fans and casuals alike. “It’s a good way to watch all of the old Disney movies and the Marvel movies,” junior Jake McCall said. Part of McCall’s reasoning for this was that using the service, specifically to watch Marvel films, would be cheaper than paying for each installment individually. In fact, he claimed that the service was “better than Netflix”. Disney Plus will allow users instant access to the entirety of the studio’s catalog, including all of their classic animated films. The service will also feature all Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Star Wars films alongside original series tied into each of these properties. According to Digital Trends, the service will launch with 5,000 television episodes and 400 to 500 movies to stream immediately. Because of this, many consumers are excited about the service. “They will be taking a lot of the business way from Hulu and Netflix, especially if the focus is on Disney movies.” Junior Caroline Scholer said. “You can get everything at once instead of having only some of the movies on Netflix and some of them on Hulu.”
This excitement may not be shared by much of Northwood, however, as according to a recent survey, only 23% of the 341 students and faculty surveyed plan on purchasing Disney Plus. “Considering their merchandising revenue and how much each of their movies make, I don’t think they need to make a separate paid streaming service,” senior Greyson Snyder said. “They want to segment off into their own lane within a market that already has too many players. This makes it so that in order to get all the content you would have gotten out of a TV subscription you have to pay for many different streaming services.” Netflix’s 12.99 USD price is significantly cheaper than a regular cable package, but as the amount of streaming services continues to increase, so does the amount the average consumer spends on entertainment if they want access to all available content. According to USA Today, the average monthly cost of cable is 85 USD,and if you were to combine the costs of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, CBS All Access and Disney Plus, the price would approach 66 USD, which doesn’t include nearly all the streaming options out there. There are also concerns that Disney Plus’ price will fluctuate or that certain content will be either hidden or locked behind a paywall. Websites such as CBR pose the theory that Disney could use a tier-based system, limiting content for certain people. “Will Disney Plus have paid tiers separating content?... when streaming video first took off post-YouTube, many sites adopted paid tiers of content,” Tom Speelman of CBR, an entertainment news site, wrote. “The most prominent example is Hulu —which Disney now owns a majority stake in due to their purchase of Fox—which has several tiers of content.” This theory is not completely unfounded, as streaming services are known for their frequent price fluctuations, and Disney in particular would have
ample reason to raise the price, considering the vast library of shows and movies they have at their disposal. Overall there is an air of uncertainty surrounding Disney Plus. The questions of how successful the service will be or how it will ultimately function will not be answered until its November 12th launch date. Until then people will have to weigh their options and make the decision that best suits themselves.
“I was able to compete against the 2017 team in the playoffs. I knew they had talent, so I highlighted it as a school I would love to be the head coach for. I saw the opportunity and put all my efforts into getting the job.” As a new coach at the school do you have any prior knowledge regarding Northwood’s teams?: “I followed them and was able to compete in the playoffs against them in 2017. I knew this could be a special place and I am happy to be here now!” Do you have previous coaching experience?: “I have coached all over the country as a high school and college coach. I have made stops at Marshall, Northern Illinois University, NC State University University of Charleston (WV), and Washburn University. I was also the Head Coach at Fairland High School in Ohio and Offensive Coordinator at Clayton High School.” What are your goals for the team?: “The goals I had were to get better at the little things; being on time, paying attention, going hard, and finishing. That went for school and athletics. I also start from the ground up with fundamentals. We focus a lot on blocking and tackling, which I feel is the foundation to playing good football. We also have put a lot of time into weight training, which has become a big part of the high school game. “
Do you feel like the football team has changed since Coach Homolka began coaching? How? “The team practices and plays with more intensity than it used to. We go hard on and off the field.” -William Lake “It is more of a brotherhood now that Coach Homolka is here.” -Anonymous “Things are much more structured now than they have been in the past. The coaches seem like they enjoy being here.” -Jake Mann How has Homolka affected the team on or off the field? “He has affected both; he encourages us in the classroom because he knows what we need to do in order to fulfill our dreams of college. He has been in our shoes and done what we are currently doing.” -Jalen McAfee Marion Has there been any change in the players? Did anyone leave or anyone new join? “We’ve had a couple new faces come to Northwood from all over and they have been making a good impact on the team.” -Anonymous “A few new people have joined us and have fit perfectly on the team. A lot of the returning players come back with a new approach, a new hope and a new drive. We all want to win, and I feel as if Coach Homolka is giving us the winning factor, the mentality we need.” -Jalen McAfee Marion
The Omniscient
November 2019
10 Opinion By Ella Sullivan Staff writer
Cultures, Not Costumes
Halloween is supposed to be a scary holiday, but you don’t want your costume to haunt you in the future. When choosing a costume it’s important to pick the right one, especially one that isn’t offensive to others. Throughout time, people have been dressing up in questionable outfits for Halloween. In today’s world, and really in any past world, it simply isn’t okay to wear a costume that will hurt or offend others. People may say 2019 is the year when no one can do anything without offending somebody. But in reality, people are just realizing where to draw the line in 2019. Some of these offensive outfit choices may stem from not knowing the history and culture behind the “costume.” For example, a recent photo of Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, came out with him attending an ¨Arabian Knights¨ party. Trudeau was dressed in a turban and robe. He was also in “brownface,” a term used when someone, usually a white person, tints their skin to look like a person with brown skin. Other similar terms are blackface and yellowface similar terms except referring to tinting one’s skin to look like a black person or Asian person. Brownface, blackface, and yellowface are not acceptable because of how offensive they are to people of color. They’re offensive because in the past white actors have used blackface, brownface, and yellowface to look like people of color while doing offensive and culturally insensitive performances. They’re also offensive because the people in blackface, brownface, or yellowface typically do not understand what people of color have had to struggle with and go through, especially in America. You should also avoid styling your hair in ways only for other races. For example, you shouldn’t wear braids of any type like box braids unless you are of African descent. To avoid this problem when thinking of your costume, simply don’t do blackface, brownface, yellowface, or change your hair to look like other races. It’s that simple. This doesn’t mean you can’t dress up like Beyonce. It means just don’t try and make your skin and hair look like Beyonce’s. Another major no-no on Halloween are culturally insensitive outfits.
This can mean a variety of things, but it’s a pretty simple rule to follow. When choosing your Halloween costume, you should avoid costumes that are obviously cultural wear. A common example of this is American Indian costumes. American Indian headpieces and traditional clothing are often worn on Halloween. This is insensitive because again the people dressing in these outfits will never be able to understand what American Indians have gone through. Other examples include the appropriation of Middle Eastern clothing like turbans or the appropriation of Chinese clothing and styles like hair sticks and traditional Chinese dresses. When thinking about avoiding this problem for your Halloween, you should consider if the costume you are considering is important to certain cultures. Research the costume and cultures to see if it is fine to wear for you personally. If you aren’t a member of the culture the costume represents, don’t wear the costume. Another type of costume to avoid on Halloween is one representing someone or something who did something bad to others. For example in 2005, Prince Harry wore a very offensive outfit to a ¨Colonials and Natives¨ themed party. Prince Harry wore a swastika on the sleeve of his shirt, exactly like the Nazis did during World War II. This type of costume is insensitive to those affected by the World War II especially those affected by the Holocaust. To avoid costumes that are insensitive and blatantly inappropriate, think about the historical context and how other people will react. An example very important to Chatham County today is dressing up as a Confederate soldier. You may not think this is offensive personally, but I assure you, some people will take offense to it. Even if you think this is the perfect time for this costume due to the controversy of the Confederate Monument in Pittsboro, it is not appropriate and will not do good for you in the future. All in all, it is generally a good idea to think twice about your Halloween costume before you decide what you want to be. Caricatured costumes, or extremely exaggerated costumes, are offensive to the cultures being portrayed. It is important to not only be considerate and respectful of others on Halloween, but also think about the impacts of a Halloween costume. In today’s world, what you wear matters and can come back in the future to give you a scare.
Going International: Why I want to go to college outside the USA By Emma Pollard Online Editor
My mom always told me she saw me moving to England when I was older. Whether I was 17 or 45, she felt like I would end up living there eventually. So, when I started looking exclusively at colleges in England, we realized that my move would happen much sooner rather than later. I decided to go to university in England for two reasons: I’m sick of America, and it’s so much cheaper than any of the colleges I was looking into in the States. I’m someone that likes changing life up drastically (for some reason) and I’m just bored of the people and lack of variety in America. I know some people have trouble leaving this area because they have lived here their entire lives, but because I’ve only lived here for six years, I feel like I need a scenery change. I’ve been going to England with my family for my entire life. I have relatives there, and my father is actually from there. It almost feels like a second home. Even with the whole Brexit mess right now, it would be nice to be in such close vicinity to
completely different countries and cultures. England is also a lot safer in terms of gun violence because of their very harsh gun restrictions, which is one of the most important issues to me. Plus, my top college, University for the Creative Arts, is located in such a crime-free town that there is no police station (there is one in the next town, though.) Other than being sick of America, colleges in England are far cheaper than the ones in the States. For example, my original first choice for college in the US was Savannah College of Art and Design. However, the tuition is about $45,000 a year. That’s $135,000 for all four years, which means I would have to pay off that money in student loans. However, the University for the Creative Arts’ tuition is about $20,000 USD a year. And, it’s only a three-year program. That means I am saving, like, $75,000 overall. Plus, I have English citizenship, so I don’t need a student visa. If you have the opportunity to go to school internationally, even if it’s just for a study abroad program for a school in the States, you will get to travel the world and not be stuck in the bubble that is North Carolina. Experience the world. Period.
November 2019
The Omniscient
Horror Renaissance By Henry Taylor Design Editor
For years, the film genre “horror” was seen within pop culture as being campy and shallow. Long-running series like “Friday The 13th,” “Halloween,” “Nightmare On Elm Street” and other slasher films skyrocketed in popularity but quickly declined in quality. From the late 70s to the early 2010s, horror movies terrified audiences while disappointing critics, and much of the artistic complexity that came from earlier films such as Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” was lost in the pursuit of setting up horror franchises to make as much money as possible. This concept of horror being an artless mode of cinema is ultimately unfounded and completely based on the negative image spurred by those aforementioned horror series of lesser quality. In reality, fear is one of the most essential human emotions, as it is directly related to the instinct to survive. Art that successfully plays off of this instinct can be incredibly strong, as every person experiences fear, often on a daily basis. This is why, for many fans of the genre, the lack of quality filmmaking was disappointing due to the amount of potential for truly terrifying films. However, this image of horror movies has changed recently, as a number of new directors have entered the field who are redefining the stories that keep us awake at night, causing what some have referred to as a “horror renaissance.” Jordan Peele, previously known as half of the sketch comedy duo “Key and Peele,” is one such filmmaker. His debut effort “Get Out,” released in 2017, was quickly met with critical praise and was hailed for its socially conscious themes regarding race. This kind of praise was rare for a horror movie, and quickly secured Jordan Peele’s position as a talented director, screenwriter and visionary. He even delivered on his next film “Us,” which is a notoriously difficult task.
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Another entertainer formerly known for comedy decided to try his hand at directing a horror movie the following year. John Krasinski, famous for his role as Jim on NBC’s “The Office,” directed “A Quiet Place.” The film features aliens who are hypersensitive to sound, meaning that the main characters must remain silent lest they fall victim to the deadly creatures. It was met with praise, much like “Get Out” had been the previous year. Audiences were floored by the performances of Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt, who served as the film’s two leads. This was another example of horror regaining its reputation. Ari Aster is another filmmaker who is changing the landscape of horror. His films “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” both featured occult imagery, complex plots and characters, and have been hailed as two of the scariest movies to be released in recent history. The word “classic” has been thrown around often when discussing the merits of the two films, showing that horror movies are finally being made that can stand toe-to-toe with other “classics” of past decades. Robert Eggers is, once again, a director who has been pushing the envelope of horror. His debut film “The Witch” was a well-crafted period piece regarding fears of witchcraft in 1600s New England, and his upcoming film “The Lighthouse” focuses on the mental states of two lighthouse keepers in the early 1900s. Both films have been met with critical acclaim, and are yet another example of promising horror directors. In fact, both Eggers and Aster’s work have been produced by a24, an independent film studio that has been sighted by many as being one of the driving forces behind the so-called “horror renaissance.” These directors and studios have been able to use their creativity and passion to take a somewhat stagnant genre in all new directions. As long as audiences still crave the thrill of being terrified and having their boundaries pushed, horror will continue to prosper as a respected and artful style of film.
Satire: All Work and No Play Makes Northwood a Dull Place By Torin Priddle Staff Writer
I think that many students can agree with me when I say that school is rough. Constant stress, incoming deadlines that we probably won’t meet, the pressure of having to have a social life, ennui, existential dread from the fact that the planet is literally dying, and the sinking feeling that maybe none of this really matters. Since school is such a major part of many teenagers’ lives, shouldn’t we be looking to the schools to help solve this mental health crisis? Luckily for them, I’ve come up with the perfect solution, and they don’t even have to pay that much in royalties to use it. Northwood should have recess. Now I know what you may be thinking: What the heck is he talking about? Surely the key to alleviating student stress in school involves restructuring our teaching curriculum to cater to more to student interests, or maybe reducing the amount of standardized testing that’s in school, so that students don’t stress over it? However, I’ve come up with a much better solution to all student’s problems, and that solution is recess. Engaging in recreational activities for just 30 minutes to one hour will boost our attention span and productivity. In fact, a study I conducted just now found that going outside boosts IQ. No, I can’t tell you the name of the study or whether it’s been peer-reviewed, but would I really lie to you? I can already see questions on the logistics of having recess
in highschool. The answer is to get rid of Plus One and replace it with recess. Let’s be honest, has anyone actually studied during Plus One? All anyone actually uses it for is to screw around, or to do homework that they should have done the previous night. Recess is already essentially a time to screw around, and those other kids will have to learn responsibility and do their homework at home! Also, we should get rid of Plus One because my teachers keep trying to get me to “finish missed tests” and “catch up on work you were absent for,” which is clearly a ridiculous way for them to force their “Academic Achievement” agenda on me. Of course, there are some legitimate worries about how a recess period would become a safe haven for such despicable acts such as jay-walking across 15-501 and break-dancing. We would need the close supervision of our SROs to help monitor these activities. They would also be able to aid in deterring students from doing their homework during recess. Those reprobates who would break our rules would be forced to go to a boring study hall period instead of recess. I have decided to term this study hall “Minus One” (get it?) Recess will rejuvenate the student body’s minds and ability to focus. By simply replacing an already useless period, we achieve actual results with a minimal amount of effort. Instead of having to fundamentally restructure the school day, or rethink some of the core values of school, we can instead do something that takes basically no effort. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
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November 2019
Zero Tolerance Policy Curtails Immigrants’ Dreams By Ian Rivera-Lopez Staff writer
I feel like crying every time I think about it, so I try to ignore it to manipulate my sadness into a neutral face. I learned a few years ago, in my Spanish one class at Northwood, that Mexican families are being separated when trying to cross the border. Mexican families try to escape Mexico because it is a dangerous place and there are very few jobs. A family had lost a kid; he was killed by a bunch of gang members. The police in Mexico are also corrupt, so they can’t be trusted. Jobs are rare and the paycheck they give to an employee is very little, making families poorer and less able to feed their children. Mexican families are trying hard to provide for their children and to find jobs to keep themselves afloat, so some families take a very risky and dangerous option: crossing the border. Once a family crosses the Mexican border, they have to be very lucky to not be separated from their child or be killed. Sometimes they are brought back, only for them to try again. Nearly 3,000 children were separated from their parents before President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 20 halting family separation. The order, however, stated that the “zero-tolerance” policy would continue. There are children crying themselves to sleep because they don’t know where their parents are. They are confused and don’t understand the situation they are in, begging to be with their parents. While the children whimper, their parents are being sent to federal prison, as if they committed a terrible crime. That is because when Mexican parents cross the border, they are flagged for fraud, communicable diseases (illnesses that result from the infection, presence and growth of pathogens) or past criminal history. The Trump administration family separation policy, also known as the ‘zero tolerance’ policy, was created in April 2018. The zero tolerance policy was intended to scare illegal immigrants. The zero
tolerance policy enforces the law of children being separated from parents or guardians when crossing the border illegally. Two months later, it was noticed that the policy did not have a way to reunite parents with their children. This created a ‘child migration crisis’. The child migration crisis was devastating for parents because the parents couldn’t find their children. They also failed to keep an accurate record of children, suggesting that there are more children separated than the 245 children on record. According to The New York Times, on March 15, a girl living in a foster care home after being separated from her mom at the border threatened to take own life and was then moved to a hospital. “Under the Same Moon” is a movie that shows how a child, Carlos Reyes, “Carlitos,” is separated from his mother and is living with his grandma. The mother lives in the United States (U.S.) and is working two jobs to make enough money to provide for herself and give some to her only son living in Mexico. The son misses his mom, but is willing to stay with his grandma. This movie shows how the mother is willing to give her child a better future, even if it means she does not get to see her child’s future. The mother makes more money and finds more jobs in the U.S. to provide for their children, something many Mexican wish to have. The story of the mother in “Under the Same Moon” is the same story of many Mexicans who choose to cross the border into the United States. Most Mexicans do it for the benefits of their children’s future, or to find work that offer more money to provide for themselves. Crossing the Mexican border is, for many, the fight for the safety of their futures and their families.
Staff Editorial: Inadequate Admissions By CC Kallam and Georgia O’reilly Print and Social Media Editors Recently, the news has been filled with stories of the richest people buying their children’s way into universities, some of which have single digit acceptance rates. The most notorious one so far this year has been nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues. Those involved included Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy. These parents either bribed colleges, paid people to take or change SAT scores, or lied about the extracurriculars their children were involved in. Prosecutors say Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 in total from 2016 to 2017 for someone to facilitate admission of their two daughters to USC as purported crew recruits; they essentially paid half a million dollars to pretend their daughters were on the row team at their high school. Huffman paid $15,000 to boost her daughter’s SAT score. After the ongoing college admission scandals, how can we really trust the college admissions process? Students now question whether or not colleges are accepting applicants truthfully. Now scandals within schools have been uncovered across the U.S. For example, in 2013, George Washington University was exposed for prioritizing wealthier applicants over the students applying who would require financial aid. Because of this revelation, there are likely over thousands of people who were denied their right to attend college at the George Washington University simply because they could not attend without financial aid. There have also been issues with affirmative action regarding race because schools typically strive to meet a certain quota. Although the school accepts groups who have been historically discriminated against, they only accept a certain amount to fit their quota. There is a Supreme Court precedent that allows race to be considered as one factor among many in admissions. A group challenged this by filing a lawsuit against Harvard. They argued that Harvard favored
Hispanic and black applicants over other minorities. Although a judge ruled that they hadn’t, this is still concerning for future students, and anyone involved in the college admissions process. On a more local scale, senior Jackson Davis had his own mini admissions scandal. “After [being rejected from ECU] I asked what [the admission counselor] saw as my scores. What she told me were not the scores I had sent or reported,” Davis said. “She explained to me the situation of how my test scores had gotten mixed up with someone else. I was thrilled to hear this, but this meant they looked at scores that they thought were mine and they went ahead and decided to reject me. My entire view of the college and a lot of other intuitions were changed.” Applying to college is far from easy. The Common App allows students to do most of the work only once and send it to several colleges. However, there is a lot more to it than answering a few questions and clicking “Submit.” Not only do most colleges require an essay, they also require short responses specific to that college, such as why you want to attend that particular school, as well as recommendations, test scores, etc. While this seems simple enough to do, the high stakes stress adds to students’ confusion and uncertainty around the whole application process. Not only that, but applying to college is a lot of money; most colleges require between a $50 and $85 application fee, as well as students being charged just to send their test scores to their desired schools. It’s frustrating to go through the whole process only to find out that if your parents are millionaires you wouldn’t have to do a thing.