May 2013

Northwood High School • Pittsboro, N.C.

www.nhsomniscient.com

OMNISCIENT

SE N IS IO IN SU R (om-nish-ent) adj.: having infinite knowledge and awareness SI E D May 29, 2013 • Volume 6 • Issue 6 E ­- THE NORTHWOOD -

What’s Inside...

Senior Story

As graduation draws near, the last edition of the senior story sees all three seniors heading off to college this fall.

Shakori Hills

Students enjoy biannual music festival

By Jessica C layton C o -Editor Some believe a threshold is crossed when you leave the real world and enter the world that is Shakori Hills, the grassroots festival of Silk Hope, NC. Students enjoy many festivities from dancing to eating. The festival is held twice a year for four days, most recently April 18-21.

“I try to experience everything, like every aspect of the festival: dancing, music, the drum circles and story telling,” said junior Jennifer Greenlee, who has attended the festival three times.

Shakori is a musical festival that features grassroots bands.

There is a mixture of local and international bands performing.

“You walk around and there is always music on. You fall asleep and there’s music, and you wake up and there’s music,” junior Allie Ray said.

Festivals like these can be perceived as an outlet for some students to forget about their problems.

“My perception of it is a giant music festival where you can just go and forget everything, especially since it was the weekend of the Boston bombing,” Ray said. “It was just nice to be able to close myself off from that and just become one with nature.”

Some people think that Shakori is a place for teenag-

ers to drink and take drugs, but multiple festivalgoers disagree.

“I wish people would not think of it as a giant drug festival because it’s more than that, and if they would go, they would actually realize that,” Ray said.

Sophomore Hannah Coffee agrees that Shakori’s reputation seems unfair.

“Hearing about [Shakori] at Northwood, it seems like it would be more drug related, but it’s really not,” Coffee said.

Although not everyone attends Shakori to participate in drug use, there are people who take part in the drug use.

Law enforcement officers attend every year and the festival does not support drug use or

underage drinking, but students say that it still occurs.

Drugs such as LSD, shrooms, acid and large doses of molly induce hallucinogen reactions, which may be popular because of the music, dancing and theme of the festival.

“You got some people who want to trip on LSD, shrooms and acid. It’s crazy out there, but that’s not me,” said an anonymous senior.

These drugs may be popular at this kind of festival because of its atmosphere and reputation.

“People think it’s a bad place when it’s just a place to have fun and enjoy the hippies.

I love the hippies,” an anonymous senior said.

Page # 3

Behind the Scenes The Omniscient takes a look behind the scenes of the play and the dance concert.

Page # 7

Fishing

With summer on its way, students and staff begin to break out the fishing gear.

Page # 10

SHAKORI HILLS is a music festival that happens twice a year in Silk Hope.

Photo courtesy of Kevin James

Religious diversity: Students discuss faith

By Quinn Kerscher Co -Editor

The world is full of countless religions with rich histories and devoted followers. Several interesting branches have a presence in the school.

Among them is Unitarian Universalism—which sounds a bit like something from science fiction. It is, in reality, a combination of two Christian religions.

“Over the past 50 or 60 years, [Unitarian Universalism] has really become separate from Christianity,” junior Carter Smith said. “So it’s kind of new and emerging... we have a pretty small population, but it has been growing a lot recently.”

The Association of Statistics of American Religious Bodies found that in 2000 to 2010, Unitarian Universalist numbers increased by 15.8 percent.

A lot of what Unitarian Universalists believe centers around the individual. Smith says that within the group “you

have to define for yourself what people do use that to pray,” church and it has completely your religion is” and “stick to Smith said. changed who I am,” Smith said. it.”

Unitarian Universalism is “My parents met at a Unitar“We don’t have a religious Smith’s “entire life.” ian Universalist church, so I text, or specific things we “It has given me so many would not be alive without this believe in, except we all agree opportunities in life. I’ve travreligion.” see RELIGION page 5 that people are really important eled so many places with my and [so is] individuality,” Smith said.

“And we believe in the democratic process and also that our faith should lead us to do good in the world.”

Unitarian Universalists, like Christians, meet on Sundays and have “worship.”

“We have hymns coming from various traditions and we have a sermon that talks about a specific religious belief or ideal… or some issue that’s going on in the world. Instead of having prayer, Quinn Kerscher and Tori Nothnagel/The Omniscient we have meditation STUDENTS at Northwood partake in many different religions such as Unitarian time—and some Universalism, Judaism and Mormonism.

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The Omniscient

Briefs

NCASA competition

Northwood placed in fourth in the state art showcase at the NCASA Scholastic Cup. Brandon Edwards’ poster design won a state championship title. Art students were given the prompt “Nature’s Bounty” and Brandon completed their artwork in 21 days. Edwards

Exam Schedule

Friday, May 31st 8:00-11:15 - Algebra I EOC & 1st Period CTE Post-Assessments 11:45-3:00 - Biology EOC & 2nd Period CTE Post-Assessments Monday, June 3rd 8:00-11:15- English II EOC & 3rd period CTE Post-Assessments

May 29, 2013

11:45-3:00- 4th Period CTE Post-Assessments, 4th Period Common Exams and 4th Period Teacher Made Exams Tuesday, June 4th 8:00-10:00- 1st Period Common Exams and 1st Period Teach Made Exams

10:15-12:15- 2nd Period Common Exams and 2nd Period Teacher Made Exams 1:00-3:00- 3rd Period Common Exams and 3rd Period teacher Made Exams Wednesday, June 5th 8:00-3:00- Exam Make-ups (all)

A Noble Adventure: Sophomore travels to Africa for mission trip

By D ana W alker S taff W riter While touching a live cheetah might be out of the norm for most people around the world, Noble LaRocco Masi had the experience of a lifetime during his recent mission trip to South Africa, which included being able to touch a tame cheetah.

Masi took part in the mission trip with Boy Scout troop 8880 of Chapel Hill, of which he has been a member since the sixth grade. Masi’s troop consists of 14 members, including adults, who all helped run a one-week camp that orphans, some of whom had AIDS, could attend instead of going to school for a week. Their goal in South Africa was to create an environment where these orphans could have fun together and learn about Christianity.

Masi and his troop went for 10 days and stayed in the capital, Pretoria, which is in the interior part of South Africa.

The area is very poor, isolated and has dilapidated shacks. The majority of the population was black South African, although there were some white South Africans. It was unlike anything Masi had ever seen before, and changed his perspective on the world, especially on South Africa.

“It had ghettos the size of states, spread out all over, and they didn’t like

the white people in the area,” Masi said.

A normal day for Masi, as well as for the kids in the camp, would start with waking up when the dawn light first came through the window. Next was taking a shower, which the kids had never experienced before. Then breakfast, chapel and solo time, which was individual Bible reading with the kids.

They attended four periods a day, like a school, as well as having a free period.

Masi was in charge of team building activities; they would end the day with evening chapel, dinner and cabin time.

“Taking care of the kids was a lot of fun. It was very demanding, but it was fun at the end of the day,” Masi said.

During his trip, Masi got to go on a safari, allowing him to see many of the exotic animals for which Africa is known. These animals included ostriches, antelope and zebras. Unfortunately, the safari was cut short because of rain.

Masi has many favorite memories from his trip.

One new food that Masi tried during his time overseas and enjoyed very much was pap. Pap is the staple food of the country and is similar to North Carolina’s grits. It is made out of corn that the people grow themselves. Masi also noted with surprise that South Africa has many different varieties of Coca-Cola, a wider selection than is available in the U.S. Lying outside in a hammock for the

night, known as hammocking, is very popular in South Africa. Masi got to experience this on his trip, with a surprise ending.

“We were sitting by the campfire talking about politics and we heard hippos in the bushes nearby, behind the fence,” Masi said. “Hippos are the most aggressive animal in Africa, and we were like, ‘Oh, it could break down the fence and kill us,’ and we all got really scared.”

Masi said that he and his troops were fearful of the hippos until they went and asked a local citizen, who told them that hippos only ran through the camps when there were no people around.

While Masi got to try new foods, see exotic animals and bring back exciting memories to share, he learned life lessons as well and returned a changed person.

Keith Brown, Masi’s Boy Scout troop leader, said of the orphans, “The kids there don’t have anything, yet they’re happier than you guys.”

Masi said that his mission trip made him appreciate what he has in America

more than he had before.

“I am very glad I went,” Masi said.

“It changed my life a little bit. You never get the feel for what it actually is until you go. I don’t think I could explain it to anybody properly.”

Photos courtesy of Noble LaRocco Masi Graphic by Steven Colley NOBLE LAROCCO MASI traveled to South Africa with his Boy Scout troop.

May 29, 2013

By Ally DeJong Co-Editor This year, The Omniscient has been following three seniors, Pedro Becquer-Ramos, Monté Smith and Diane Thompson, on their journey through senior year as they prepare to graduate Northwood and attend college.

This is part three of the three-part sequence.

To see the beginning of these students’ stories, go to www.nhsomniscient.com.

Diane Thompson Officially a Morehead-Cain scholar, Thompson has many decisions figured out.

She will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill with her full ride scholarship with hopes to study marketing or communications with a minor in education.

“At this point, my future is only a few months away. Now that college is so close, it’s hard for me to think beyond it because I’m sure that I’ll change as I experience all the things college has to offer me,” Thompson said.

Thompson’s decisions were mainly based on money and financial aid at first, but once she was awarded the full ride scholarship to UNC, she saw much more than just the financial aspect.

“Looking into everything that the beautiful Carolina campus has to offer, the biggest influence [in my decision] now is the opportunities that Carolina will provide for me beyond that unknown future after college,” she said. “The biggest weight ever was lifted off my shoulders when I made my decision. The bad part now is that I officially have ‘senioritis.’”

Thompson says that high school has made her more independent, and even though she is ready for the next chapter in her life to begin, there are many things she is going to miss.

“From when I first moved here in seventh grade, a lot of these people have been more like a family than just friends,” Thompson said. “Then there’s the people I don’t hang out with after school, but they still go out of their way to say hey in the hallway or give you a hug if you look like you’re having a bad day.

Some of those people, I’m not sure I’ll really see again and that’s who I will miss.”

Thompson advises underclassmen to get involved and have a passion for something, to not make school just a part of the “everyday routine.” She says that if she could sum up high school in one word it would be “opportunity.”

“If you take action and actually take advantage of everything it has to offer you, it has the ability to change your world and your perspective on life,” Thompson said. “But if you just come to school from 8 to 3, don’t get involved and don’t invest yourself in school, you’ve missed the big opportunity and one of the most important ones in your life.”

Monté Smith Smith has a complicated, but hopeful,

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The Omniscient

Coming to a Close: Graduation plan for his future. He was accepted into UNC-Charlotte, but because he waited too long to apply, he cannot attend UNC-Charlotte until the spring semester. So in the fall, Smith is going to attend UNC-Greensboro and workout and stay in shape so he will be able to play on UNC-Charlotte’s football team his sophomore year. Smith is undecided on what he wants to study, but he says he wants to be a physical therapist.

“At first I was depressed [when I found out about UNC-Charlotte], but then again on the bright side at least I have something to look forward to instead of not knowing at all if I was going to be able to play football,” Smith said. “I will have to go to the weight room a lot and run a lot. The coaches from UNC-Charlotte told me I’m going to have to bust my tail so I won’t get out of shape.”

Although Smith thinks everything happens for a reason, he still thinks back to what could have happened if he had not gotten injured in the beginning of the year.

“I think, of course I would be somewhere different right now if I didn’t injure my knee. I feel like the coaches would have taken a chance with me and I wouldn’t have setbacks,” Smith said. “I feel like my freshman year will be strictly school, but the next year it will be football and training and it will be good.”

Smith says that school and football have both heavily influenced his decision on where to attend college.

“Football has been a part of my life for so long, right now it doesn’t feel right not training for the next season,” Smith said. “I am training, but it’s for the year after next, so it feels kind of weird knowing you’re not going to be on the field next year. My academics are important because I need those to be able to play football, so they tie in together.”

Smith says that financial aid has helped a lot, and that he is working with counselors and his mom to be able to afford college.

He says he has taken out loans to help with the costs.

“The sky is the limit as long as I work hard in football and academics, whatever I choose to do, I’m not as stressed as I thought I would be.”

Smith says he is ready for the future, but he will miss parts of high school. “[I’m going to miss] Friday night lights, the band playing, the crowds, pre-game meals, jokes with Coach Hall; I’m going to miss it a lot,” Smith said.

“I went from thinking some stuff can be given to you to knowing now nothing is given to you. You have to earn everything you want. You have to work.”

Pedro Becquer-Ramos “Right now I know I have quite a few opportunities; I just want to expand and open them all up,” Becquer-Ramos said.

Becquer-Ramos has decided to attend N.C. State University for engineering. He

Ally DeJong/The Omniscient

SENIORS PEDRO BECQUER-RAMOS, DIANE THOMPSON and MONTÉ SMITH are coming to the end of their days at Northwood. says that Northwood has had a big impact on his decisions regarding his future.

“The courses I have taken here [helped make my decision] and what I have found an interest in, like math, science and physics. I think engineering would be a good fit for me,” he said. “When I think about engineering and all that in the future, I don’t have my mind set on it. I might find that I don’t like it, so I have a backup plan to go to natural resources. I have it planned out.”

Although Becquer-Ramos has a backup plan, at the moment he is pretty sure this is where his career will end up. “[In ten years] I hope to have a prosperous career as an engineer. I see myself tackling issues in engineering like making more efficient machines, maybe designing some,” he said.

Becquer-Ramos is optimistic about his future.

“I see everything, like completing high school and completing college, as a step toward the final goal, and I don’t really know what that is yet. It will be an adventure,” he said.

Becquer-Ramos leaves with some words of advice for underclassmen: setting your priorities.

“Try your best not to succumb to peer pressure and make dumb mistakes. The best way to push that aside is to focus on the right things and create good work habits,” he said. “One will see many doors that were closed before open up right in front of them. There is no better feeling than to know that you are not wasting your time.”

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The Omniscient

May 29, 2013

Northwood’s first AVID class graduating from college

By D ana W alker S taff W riter

AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) has been an ongoing program at Northwood, striving to help traditionally under-served students to graduate from high school and start their college careers. The first AVID class at Northwood was in 2006, and included 21 students, 19 of whom went on to fouryear colleges and universities. According to social studies teacher Skip Thibault, at least 10 of those students graduated this month from a four-year university, while two more will finish in the fall.

“Today, the four-year graduation rate isn’t that great; a lot of kids don’t graduate from college in four years,” said Thibault. “So to think that half of these guys not only got into college, but gradu-

ated in four years is pretty good.”

Thibault believes the successes of the program warrant the resources spent.

“We ask ourselves how many of these kids would not have made it into college without AVID, and every year we come up with a bunch. There are some of them every year and we say, ‘Yep, that kid really needed us, and we made a big difference for that kid. And so that makes it worth it.”

Thibault had been part of Northwood’s Drop Out Prevention program for three years, and was asked to be the head coordinator of AVID when it began. He continued in that role until the beginning of this year, when he stepped down and Spanish teacher Henry Foust took over.

Thibault still keeps in touch with his former students and believes that the

Photo courtesy of Skip Thibault

SKIP THIBAULT (far left) led the very first AVID class at Northwood High School.

This photo was taken in 2009, the year they graduated from high school.

first-year class of AVID was the most successful year of them all.

“I believe that AVID helped me in college by applying the useful advice, tips, help and opportunities that AVID offers and to not take them for granted,” said Damian Simmons, a graduate from UNC-Greensboro. “AVID helped me to realize the importance of time management and organization, two key components if you want to be successful in life, which are also the exact same ingredients that a person needs to be successful in college.”

When interviewing and talking to the former AVID students, they said that AVID was a successful program in helping them reach their education and life goals. Some of the colleges that these students graduated from include NC State, UNC-Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, UNC-Charlotte, ECU, Appalachian State, UNC-Pembroke and NC A&T State University.

“The AVID program taught me the values of hard work, organization, goal setting and time management,” said Melena Horton, who will graduate from N.C. State in the fall. “I think if I had not been a part of the program, I would have been less prepared for college life and academia.”

AVID is required every year, students must take a year long course, paired with one other class. The AVID elective class teaches students organization, study skills and time management.

“If I did not have AVID there as that extra push I may not have gotten into college the first semester because of my lack of knowledge of what is needed to become a college student,” said Bradley McKinney, who graduated from Winston-Salem State this month.

The Current Seniors

Kendrick Edwards

Eboné Rhodes

Tanishia Thomas

Attending UNCGreenshoro “If I hadn’t taken AVID, I would probably graduate from Northwood, but not be going to college.”

Attending UNCCharlotte “They taught us a lot of study skills and how to be prepared in a college classroom, and then with application waivers and SAT waivers. I couldn’t imagine myself not being in AVID.” Attending UNCCharlotte “I probably wouldn’t have taken as many honor classes, or any AP classes at all, I probably would not have known a lot about the application process when it comes to college.”

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Page 5

The Omniscient

Religion

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Junior James Calhoun is a Mormon.

His parents, who are also Mormon, introduced him to the religion, but he says he ultimately chose to follow it on his own.

“I looked into it and thought about it and prayed about it and I just think it’s true. I like what it’s done with my life and - James I believe in it,” Calhoun said.

He says Mormons are “Christians with some defining characteristics.”

“A key thing that, I would say, separates us from the Catholic Church and other [churches] is that we don’t believe

in the trinity: we believe that God, The Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are all separate,” Calhoun said.

There are also concepts that make Mormons distinct.

“We believe in modern day prophets, so we believe that the power of God is still on earth and can be Calhoun, Jr. revealed,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun has religious plans for when he graduates high school. There is a tradition (though not an expectation) in Mormonism that young men venture out into the world to promote the religion.

“I just think it’s true.

I like what it’s done with my life and I believe in it.”

This is what Calhoun plans to do.

“I’ll devote two years straight to telling people about the church—and I have to pay for that, so I’ll have to start earning money—and then you get assigned where you go. It’s a pretty big commitment; you can’t see your family,” Calhoun said.

He values what being a member of his religion says about him. “[Being Mormon] is one of my defining characteristics,” Calhoun said.

Sophomore Gabriella Cila practices Judaism.

“My mom’s side of the family is Jewish, but I kind of chose it myself,” Cila said. “My parents never put pressure on me to go to Hebrew school.”

In the sixth grade, Cila says she de-

cided that she did want to be Jewish. She started preparing for her Bat Mitzvah (a Jewish coming of age ceremony).

In Judaism, the term Mitzvah extends beyond coming of age ceremonies.

“We don’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah, so we do Mitzvahs to get the messiah to come—and Mitzvahs are good things,” Cila said. “All the holidays and all the prayers are considered Mitzvahs.”

Cila values her religion in the way it connects her to her ancestors.

“I like being Jewish. My mom’s side of the family came from Europe to be free Jews, so if they could be free Jews, I want to be,” Cila said. “I want to take advantage of what they provided for me. So that’s why I like practicing Judaism.”

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6

REVIEWS

Music

Artist: Lil Wayne Album: I Am Not A Human Being 2 Go Download: “Trippy ft 2 Chainz” Lil Wayne has fallen off his throne. Don’t get me wrong, he used to be my favorite rapper, but his new music is crap. All he talks about is drugs and sex, and it is getting very obscene. I was excited for his new album, I Am Not A Human Being 2. Honestly, it just sounds like repeats of his past two albums. I hated it to the point where some of his lyrics make me cringe. The only song I liked was “Trippy” featuring 2 Chainz.

Especially at his age and the fact that he has had a seizure recently should tell him to stop doing drugs and acting like a teenager.

— Jessica Clayton

Film

Entertainment

Beating the stereotype: Men in Dance

By Kasey Jenkins Staff Writer

In a class that most people think is for girls, a handful of Northwood boys are ignoring the allfemale stereotype and dancing along with the best.

Some people say that these guys are only taking the class because they get to be surrounded by approximately 30 girls for an hour and a half every day.

“If they are smart, they take it for the girls,” dance teacher Leah Smith said. “Truthfully, though that may be a big part of it, the boys do have other reasons.”

“I took the class to work on my flexibility and agility for football,” senior Melvis Alston said.

Many of the boys who dance are involved in sports and say they took dance for this reason. For some of them, it is another way to get a workout. “[I took dance] to get better footwork for sports, and I wanted to learn how to dance before I graduated,” senior Thaddeus Tallman said.

This class that some people think is “girly” can help the boys who take it athletically. With the guys, the dancers can perform lifts and various partner dances that the girls would not be able to do alone.

Some may think that other high school boys might look at the dancers differently or have a slightly changed opinion of them because the class is stereotypically a girl’s class. Some of these boys’ friends actually think more highly of them.

“They all think I’m a stud, nothing new,” senior Lane Springle said.

Lights, Camera, Starstruck: Meeting celebrities

online. He messaged them back and said if they needed a place to stay, then his apartment had room.

The next thing Smith knew, she Ever wondered what was packing up the car to drive to it would be like to meet a Atlanta for his show. famous celebrity? To take a After the show, Mayer went to picture with them and ask the grocery store with them to buy them questions like “What’s pizza and Peeps. Then they went your favorite color?” Some back to his apartment to hang out. students and teachers at Smith describes Mayer’s actions Northwood have gotten this as inappropriate. opportunity.

“He and his roommates played “It was really exciting. music and told stories and it turned When you get up to meet the out that [Mayer] was quite a bit of person you’re star struck,” a jerk,” Smith said. sophomore Karen VanderLater on while working at a ford said. “You hear the radio station, Smith invited Mayer music or you see them play to East Carolina University to on TV, but for them to be acperform at an annual festival they tually in front of you is like have every year. He opened up for an ‘oh my gosh’ moment, Biz Markie in front of only eight because you’re right next to Photos courtesy of Leah Smith and Gaby Cila people. them and so many people At the festival, Smith got to take Counter-clockwise from top: teacher Leah Smith with John Mayer; sophoknow who they are.” some photos with Mayer. mores Alli Harrington and Gaby Cila with Conor Maynard; sophomore Karen Sophomore Gaby Cila “While taking a picture, he Vanderford and Gaby Cila with Ed Sheeran. has met many celebrities, decided that he was going to pull he said ‘No, no, give me more time,’” Cila said. including singers Conor a jerk move and not be nice, and Her second favorite celebrity encounter Maynard, Cody Simpson and Ed Sheeran.

I disliked him even more than I already had,” was meeting Cody Simpson at a radio station.

Vanderford has met Cody Simpson and Ed Smith said. “I think everyone has seen through Vanderford was with her this time as well.

Sheeran with Cila; as well as meeting singers the media that he doesn’t necessarily know When meeting Simpson, Cila was dared by Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes and football player when to shut up and that was my experience Vanderford to ask Simpson: “If you were a chair, with him as well, but he is a very talented huHakeem Nicks. which celebrity would you want to sit on you?”

Cila’s favorite was meeting Sheeran with man being.”

After she asked the question, she thought the Vanderford.

Junior Tori Poole also had a negative run in question might have been too personal.

They met him through a last minute contest with a celebrity. Poole met actress and figure “I was like ‘oh God no, I shouldn’t have done that Cila had won. They went to Charlotte for skater Kristi Yamaguchi at a Carolina Hurrithat,’ but he thought it was hilarious,” Cila said. a private concert, which included roughly 40 cane’s hockey game when she was 12.

Simpson actually answered the question and people, and were able to come face to face with Poole went to go get a photo with the celebsaid that model Miranda Kerr would be his choice.

Sheeran at the meet and greet. rity and what happened next disappointed her.

Not all celebrity encounters are fairy tales and “I was really nervous and I didn’t really know “She was really stuck up and said ‘Make it can turn out to be quite the opposite. what to say,” Cila said. “He performed three quick.’ She was just really mean about it. So we Dance teacher Leah Smith was in her senior songs and one of them was my favorite, so I told took the picture and she wasn’t even smiling. It him ‘I’m so glad you performed “You Need Me, year of college when she met singer John Mayer. was pretty pointless and I hated it,” Poole said.

I Don’t Need You.” [Sheeran] said ‘Aw, thanks, I It started when she and some of her friends lisPoole has met the whole Carolina Hurtened to songs he had put up on a website before ricanes team, and got to meet her favorite did the extended version.’ I said ‘I know it’s my he was famous. favorite.’ I don’t remember the rest because it player, Eric Staal.

“I have never listened to another one of his was all a blur. I was so excited.”

Despite the Hurricanes loss that night, Staal songs or records because I was so upset and off In Cila’s opinion, Sheeran is the nicest celebwas still nice to Poole and was willing to take put by his behavior,” Smith said. rity that she has met. pictures with her.

They all thought his music was great and “He was really caring to the fans, especially “He was really cool,” Poole said. “Even since the radio station was rushing him a lot, and decided to write a message on his message board though they got massacred.”

By Lauren Merrill Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Wb.com

The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a blend of drama, scandals and tragedy, all remaining very true to the book. Leonardo DiCaprio played Gatsby so brilliantly that every time he flashed on screen I could feel my heart beat a little bit faster and my cheeks turn little bit redder. SPOILER ALERT! When Gatsby was killed I could have sworn I felt a piece of me die inside; even though I knew it was coming, I didn’t want it to be true! First the Titanic, and now this! Yes, although the movie in general and the other actors were very good, DiCaprio really sold it to me.

— Ally DeJong

TV

Doctor Who The wildly popular British science fiction television show returned a few weeks ago with the second half of its seventh season. Plenty of fans were dying to find out answers after a lengthy hiatus. Starting off with a bang, the show brings back an overarching storyline, a brand new companion, new locations and even a retooled theme song. The show does an above and beyond job of producing new interesting story-plots, intermixing science fiction and history; all while adding dramatic adventures and memorable characters. If you’re not an active watcher, find some time to lay back, relax, and catch-up on previous episodes before new ones air every weekend.

— Meredith Norman

With teenage boys, though, a little teasing may be expected.

“We would joke about it a little bit, but I wasn’t offended,” Alston said.

Many people forget about the physical demands of dance class.

Dance has not always been something that was considered to be just for women.

“If [people] look back in history, they’ll see that dance started all male. Every dancer was a male, but through time people have considered dance to be something that only girls can do. The males hold their own Photo courtesy of Kendall Atwater and kind of outshine the girls in a lot of different places because SENIOR LANE SPRINGLE lifts dancer KENDALL ATWAthey’re so athletic and graceful,” TER for practice before the concert.

Smith said. are ignoring the apparent stereotype and taking a Smith and fellow dance teacher Kristen Norclass that they want to take, regardless of others’ wood are very enthusiastic about having boys in opinions. their classes.

“I think the stereotype is a bunch of bologna,” “I love [having boys in the class], especially Alston said. “Dance is for anyone who is interested because they don’t really necessarily know what in taking it. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a boy or they’re getting into when they come in here,” Nor- girl, or your size. If it’s something you want to do wood said. “A lot of them are kind of shy at first or try and it’s available to you, you should do it.” and they’re not really sure. This semester we have Senior Abigail Waite agrees with Alston that one guy (Springle) who’s really enthusiastic about gender shouldn’t matter. it and he’s turned out to be one of the best dancers “I think it’s a good idea to have boys in dance we’ve had.” class,” Waite said. “Dance isn’t just for girls, it’s These boys may have encouraged other boys for everyone, and it’s not fair to exclude someone to take an interest in this class in the future. They based on gender.”

Northwood High School • Pittsboro, N.C.

www.nhsomniscient.com

OMNISCIENT ­- THE NORTHWOOD -

(om-nish-ent) adj.: having infinite knowledge and awareness

May 29, 2013 • Volume 6 • Senior Supplement

Congratulations Class of 2013 I, John Adams, being of a mind and some body, do hereby leave the following things to the following people. Cody Norris is getting my leadership role in GOJO already, but I guess this makes it official. I want Justin Elkins to punch any guys that may try to talk to my little sister while I am gone. Ryan Harridine gets… nothing because he is going to NCSSM next year. Enjoy being a Unicorn. I would offer Evan Darden swim trunks, but I don’t think he needs any. To Jacob Friedman, I leave an unquenchable American spirit and total disregard for all other commie countries. ‘Murica.

That’s all I can think of at the moment.

I, Jess Anderson, being of country mind and cheerleader body, do hereby leave all future cheerleaders my faith and best wishes. To the Northwood FFA, I leave my certainty that y’all will grow and bring about an even more wonderful program every year. Caitlin Murphy, Sierra and I leave you the spot of head flyer. I leave dear Grayson Bryant in peace now that he doesn’t have to listen to my nonsense. Tyler Distasio... I leave you with the strength to power through senior year. Lastly, I leave my baby brother, Ian (and my other “siblings” Joseph Harris, and Taylor and Parker Mason), all the love, encouragement, and fun moments I possibly can.

I, Kendall Atwater, being of artistic mind and dancing body, do hereby leave Palmer Bussey all the laughs and fun times in the outfield while shagging balls at softball practice. I leave Haley Phillips all of my craziness and my British accent, which is still a work in progress.

I leave Madison Cohen my sunflowerseed spittin’ skills and all of my passion in dance class. I leave Leah and Kayla Perry all of the music jams in art class.

I leave Hannah Holloway my ability to handle Shelby Kremer and all the art to be made in the Vestibule. And finally, to my best friend Shelby Kremer, I leave my unconditional love for art. I leave her

Last Will and Testament the kitchen to journal and paint and play our favorite music. I leave her Mrs. Burwell to laugh with and an officer position in art club. I also leave her with all my poor abilities to park a pickup truck and with the ability to get gas on her own after school after I am gone. I leave her a setting position on the volleyball court and I leave her with a future of being an Appalachian Mountaineer.

I, Sierra Johleen Atwater, being of intelligent mind and petite body, do hereby leave Madison Cohen the right to exert her “Senior Privileges” to gain whatever front parking spot she desires in the morning. I leave my brother, John, the sole right to the Atwater name since Kendall and I are now graduating and the key to open any door of opportunity at Northwood and throughout your future endeavors. To the cheerleaders, I leave them all of my hyper spirit and crazy tendencies; to varsity explicitly, I leave to you guys the loudest and most passionate “all-of-my-lives” and the most rhythmic “You don’t wanna mess with its” that have ever been produced. To John, Melanie, and Teagan, I leave you guys the title of “oldest in the neighborhood” (formally passed to me by Caroline Schneider). Since my spot at Carolina was passed down to me by Chelsea Garner, I now leave my spot at Duke University to Nija Burnette. I leave to Briana Green, my amazing adventures during all Stuco events being, Districts, States, or even Mars Hill, and the right to every disruption at the Monday night Stuco meetings with Foust. To Mr. Thibault, I leave the biggest hugs, best talks, and the best of luck with another really productive and awesome senior class. To Jacob Friedman, I leave my title as Senior Class President, good luck on everything! To Justus Thompson, I leave the right to chauffer the crew around until they in fact get licenses of their own. To Caitlin and Emma, I leave to you the best wishes in flying high

and safe at every game, and the scary flyer faces I make to the crowds when stunting. To Señor Foust, I leave you my amazing presence so that you don’t cry from missing me too much. Last but not least, I leave to the future classes of Northwood High School the right to be scholars, pursue whatever your interests are, and most importantly, the right to dance to your own beat and not be afraid to stand apart from the group. You will look back on high school one day as the best years of your life, so follow your heart, get involved with whatever you’re passionate about, and don’t forget to make amazing memories.

I, Dionna Bright, being of wild mind and wondrous body, do hereby leave to anyone who wants it my ability to get to school at 7:59 and somehow not be late to first period. I leave my volleyball memories of singing country songs in the locker room, cracking jokes, acting crazy on the bus, and those heartening team bonding huddles to Alexis Hollis, Payton Springle, and Palmer Bussey. I leave my treasured chorus memories to one of my best friends and the awesomest freshman I know, Kaitlyn Jones. I leave you all those times we would make up our own songs, by rhyming random words, never making any real sense, but outrageously laughing at our complete nonsense. I leave you my voice, even though yours is so beautiful that you don’t need it. I leave you my confidence to get on stage and the nervous butterflies I always get before singing. To my favorite American poser twins Leah and Kayla Perry, I leave our strange British conversations during class changes and my ability to speak fluent British... don’t hate. I leave Mark Tatro the after school moments of watching Ed, Edd and Eddy episodes on Youtube, and the sweet hellos we always exchanged in the hallways. To the four English teachers I’ve had at Northwood: Mrs. Greenlee, Ms. Mercer, Ms. Haddy and Ms. Faris, I just wanted say thanks

Special Senior Issue

for improving my English! I leave Carl (Joey) Woodruff, who just so happens to be the most devoted key club member I’ve ever met, my key club editor position. To the special Moli Eddins... haha you know what I leave you! I leave Gabi Miller those 2nd period days of sitting in the back of the room secluded and lonely, my motivation to graduate and keep from falling susceptible to senioritis. To my newly discovered twin that many people had mistaken me for, Raven Jordan, I leave my looks and sense of style! To all the underclassmen who I was able to spend my first airplane ride with, I leave my experiences in NY including the long museum moments, the interesting dinners, the Chinatown shopping, the subway rides and the awesome tours with Kamau! Thank You Mrs. Burwell! Last but not least to the future of A Capella and Mr. Hanson, I leave the awesome two day a week practices and awe-inspiring performances of sounding absolutely phenomenal. Carry on the dream! To everyone at Northwood I wish you good times, great memories and success throughout the rest of your highschool career. Stay true to Northwood’s motto, Students today, Leaders Tomorrow, Chargers Forever.

I, Lexy Brower, being of delightful mind and admirable body, do hereby leave my spot on the basketball court fully to my cousin Shontai Totten. Show them what you are truly made of with your next two years. I know it will be hard to put up with Coach Vernon, but you got it girl(laughs). I leave my leadership and respectable manner to Jazmine Atkins. Continue to be a leader on and off the basketball court. No matter what grade you are in, continue to give your great words of wisdom to others as you did to me. I leave my great laughs and sarcasm to Mariah Morrow who keeps me laughing always. Even times when I should be serious. I leave the fun memo-

see LAST WILL page 3

Inside: Senior Columns, p. 2 Who’s Changed the Most?, p. 5 Prophecies, p. 8

Page 2

May 29, 2013

The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Graduation Events Baccalaureate Ceremony: Sunday, June 2, 6:00 p.m.

The Baccalaureate ceremony will be held in the Northwood auditorium. Students should plan to arrive by 5:15. The dress code is the same as for graduation and graduates are required to wear their caps and gowns. Our speaker will be our North Carolina State Representative, Deb McManus. Due to the limited capacity of the Northwood auditorium, seating will be on a first come, first served basis.

Graduation Rehearsal: Friday, June 7, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Rehearsal for graduation will be held at Carmichael Auditorium on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. Bus transportation will be available from Northwood for those who need it. Buses will leave at 5:20 sharp. ATTENDANCE AT REHEARSAL IS REQUIRED. You will need prior permission from an administrator to miss rehearsal and still participate in the graduation ceremony. Students do not need to wear caps and gowns for rehearsal.

Graduation Ceremonies: Saturday, June 8, 11:00 a.m.

Once again, graduation ceremonies will be held at Carmichael Arena.

There is NO LIMIT on the number of guests that may attend graduation. Parking is available in several lots near the arena and signs will be posted around campus directing guests to parking areas. Graduates should arrive at the center at 10:00 a.m. so that we may begin organizing the procession. Driving directions will be provided.

Dress Code Dress code for graduation will be strictly enforced. Graduates are not allowed to decorate their mortarboards or to deviate from the dress code in any way. Individuals who do so will not be allowed to participate in Baccalaureate or Graduation. Caps are worn with the front point of the cap in the center of the forehead. They should be flat on top (the mortarboard) when sitting or standing erect. Tassels should be placed at the left front.

The world as I know it is about to change Kasey Jenkins

High school: the “best” four years of everyone’s life? I guess you could say that. High school is a time for a lot of change. You lose some old friends and gain a ton of new ones. Everyone starts to become their own person and we begin to go through that awkward maturing stage: Awkward, annoying freshman to laidback, slightly more mature senior.

As I look back through the past few years, I am so ridiculously glad that I am past the bulk of the teenage drama and issues. There won’t be so many issues about who stole whose

boyfriend or what this girl said about her “best” friend. There won’t be so much worrying about why this person doesn’t like you or what they said behind your back.

I’ll soon be off to college with a ton of people my age and older, who all have different views of the world. Frankly, I’m excited, yet terrified. The world as I know it is about to change.

I’m looking forward to being out of the house. I’m looking forward to making my own decisions.

But I think I can put off growing up for a little while longer.

My time in high school brought me out of my shell and, even with all the work that has been piled on, and though there are some things that I regret not doing, it has been the best time of my life so far. High school has made me ready for the college experience, and I think better times are still to come.

Snapshots Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook

Right: MADISON KING and THOMAS HAIRE.

DIONNA BRIGHT and NATHAN STEPHENSON.

Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook

Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook

From left to right: Seniors CASSIE MEYER, SIERRA ATWATER, MADISON SPINKS and KENAE JONES-CHAVIS.

May 29, 2013

The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Page 3

Last Will and Testament CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ries in dance class and great conversation to Maria Reichle. I leave my silliness to Kaitlin Dail, who always gives me a good laugh. I leave my playfulness to Eboni Watson. Continue to have a good time with life. Forget being serious! I leave my long lasting, tight hugs to my favorite freshman Darius Horton. I leave my confidence and great advice to Imoh Udoh. Stay confident with yourself!

Never let anyone bring you down in life. Last, but not least, I leave the good times, smiles, laughs, craziness, and long talks, to my best friend Tyeshia Baldwin.

Keep smiling and continue to walk with your head held high and with confidence.

I expect you to be the number one leader for the basketball team next year. Take care of my little sister Kristian Eanes as she enters Northwood in the fall. Make sure you always set a good example for her. Well, that’s all Northwood.....

I, Daniel Burwell, being of freed mind and mountaineer body, do hereby leave my passion for Duke to any of the Duke fans out there and anybody who hates Carolina. I leave my loyalty to Duke to the true Duke fans that fly their Duke flags before the UNC game, not after. I leave whoever happens to be in Ms. Freeman’s AP Chemistry class next year my ability to beat James Calhoun in any argument. I leave Josh Kaegi my ability to beat James at online pool and still take “detailed notes” in APES. To the Nuthouse or whatever is left of it, I leave my famous sayings and random outcries. If you do not remember, “Hey, Mr. Ref” is one and “Hey, Goldilocks” is another. I hereby give my DECA crew (James Calhoun and Jacob Friedman) the ability to go on adventures, whether if it is climbing a mountain or sneaking into the Disneyland Resort. I leave James Calhoun my beach volleyball skills and my ability to get all the “soft hugs” he can Mormonly get. I also leave them a case of Coke to shotgun and my portable stereo to fulfill my dream of doing the Harlem Shake with all of NC DECA and Twerk Team DECA. I hope that “Clarking” continues and that next year I will be getting many snapchats while I’m at Appalachian State. My ability for trading pins and hats will be given to anybody that qualifies for nationals. For my airsoft buddies, keep going hard. A shot to the eye is better than taking an arrow to the knee. I hereby leave my lax bro, James Emmerling, extra pads and my blond hair because the other team is always gunning for the ginger. I leave Wesley Meyer some of my aggressiveness, but not all of it, because you can’t be sending people to the hospital every game. I leave the Jailhouse basketball crew my ability to make crazy shots and shoot threes. I leave Cody (Fody) Farrell instructions to take my mom’s art class because of his natural talent, and I’m tired of seeing his drawings just on Instagram. I leave Matt Streets my talents in Halo, Worms and some subs so you can bump each morning like I do. I leave my dorm room open so that Matt Streets can come visit me, not his brother, up at Appalachian State. I leave anybody that goes to Cruizers after school my drink, which is cherry limeade and pink lemonade. My Uncle Ben once said that with great power comes great responsibility; that’s for all those seniors next year. I leave all the seniors the strength to last all year without senioritis, because it will happen. I think mine came sophomore year. I leave all of my thanks to all of my teachers who have shaped me and inspired me; it is to you I owe the most to. Last, I give all the students of Northwood High School my love of nature and travel so that they might leave their phones and drama behind to see the

beauty of the world.

I, Tia Cerdena, being of tired mind and exhausted body, do hereby leave my brother Bronson Cerdena my ability to run to class every morning at 7:58 a.m. without being tardy. I leave my sister Mia Cerdena my unfortunate gravel parking spot. To Samantha Droese, I leave you my Vera Bradley lunch box full of cuties. I leave all my memories, laughs, and smiles, to my wonderful mom Tammy.

I, Brittany Craven, being of sound mind and exhausting body, do hereby leave the 6:30 am alarm clock to my brother Christian Lassiter. The long line at McDonalds to get breakfast to Mariah Morrow and Shontai Totten. I leave the best of luck to whoever becomes Vernon managers. I leave Tyeshia Baldwin all the laughing, outstanding times and Colton Goodwin. I leave Ciara Parker my second mother Ms. Sculli. (You must be loud, funny, and very honest with her.) I leave my attitude and junk talking to Brianna Boyce. I leave my deep, deep kindness to Alexandria Burnette (good luck finding it). I leave plenty air fresheners to Chap in Sculli’s room. I leave Relay For Life to everyone that wants to give back and get community service hours. I leave Sculli all the memories we shared, all the tears I’ve cried and my thankfulness for being there every step of the way.

I, Blaire Easterling, being of exhausted mind and tired body, do hereby leave my ability to anyone who can leave at the very last minute and still make it to school on time. To Hannah Boaz, Courtney Wilson, and Briana Lashay I leave our Cruizer’s trips before football practice. To the dance team, I leave my passion for dance and the excitement of getting ready for Friday night football games. I also leave all of my procrastination skills to all the rising seniors.

I, Brandon Edwards, being of incapacitated mind and near-perfect body, do hereby leave anyone who procrastinates as badly as I do my ability to finish homework for each class in the period before it’s due. To Leah & Kayla Perry, I leave my impeccable taste in music, artclass procrastination, and most importantly, my non-basicness. To Emma Hollar and Hannah Coffee, I return to you the 1 million hellos you two gave me this year. To Shelby, I leave my arsenal of pretend darts…. Watch your neck, girl!

To Jeremiah Smith, I leave my solo… you better take care of my baby. To Kaitlyn Jones, I leave my snarky remarks and rude comments that are used to hide my love for you! To Chelsea Korynta, I leave my… how do you say… “Love for a capella?”... But no, really girl… you’ve been my rock this year and I love you too much. To Emma Korynta and Katie Robbins, I leave an endless supply of my awkward, one-armed hugs… you’ll miss them one day. To Moli Eddins, I leave my fishy-fishy, my British accent and lots and lots of MISHOOGUNA! To Jillian Novie & Jordan Tavana, I leave all of my burping abilities. To a capella as a whole, I leave my gratitude for helping me come out of my performance shell and my love for giving me sense of family that I had never expected from this club. And finally, to the rest of you left in this school… I leave you my congratulations on being the most basic creatures I have ever encountered. Stay classy Northwood.

I, Aysia Evans, being of courageous mind and chubby body, do hereby leave my cousin Nitrel Evans my charismatic yet mischevious ways. I shall leave my obsession with sweatpants and T-shirts to Briana Green. I shall leave my student council knowledge and leadership skills

to Nija Burnette and Emma Korynta.

And last but not least, I leave my witty and snarky remarks to Mariah Marrow.

I, Dan Gingerich, of warm mind and soft body, hereby leave my legend to Jerry Silvestri.

I, Forrest Glosson, being of senioritis-ridden mind and well-dressed body, do hereby leave my unstoppable spinning hook shot to Mark Adams to dominate in gym basketball. To Grant Whitaker and Rob Hamlet, I leave my leadership and drive. To Jesse Greenlee, I leave control of the secret island. To Ellie Frost, full control and guidance of my little sister, and to Jay Williams, permission to deal with any little boys I wouldn’t approve of. Finally, I leave Brett Svendsen all my hair gel… may it serve you well. To all else, good luck.

I, Alyssa Gordon, being of weary mind and sore body, do hereby leave my position as “head of backspot” to the lovely Kayla Perry. To the very sweet Cali Powell, I leave my cheery personality, you have it already, I’m just giving you a little more. To all of my NHS cheerleaders, I wish you the best of luck, also, thank you for making the past four years some to remember. To my little sister Emma Hollar I leave my spot in Dance Ensemble (Company), you earned your spot in that class. To the other ladies in ensemble and or company, you are all gorgeous, graceful dancers!

Make Smith and Norwood proud! To the one and only Hannah Boaz, I leave my absolute terrible parking skills as well as my horrific driving. We will get better...

Eventually! To Novak, Amy, and the rest of the gym department, I bid you all farewell. I think it is safe to say gym was not my best subject. And lastly, thank

you to the two beautiful, strong women who helped me realize my passion and what I want to study in college: Thank you Ms. Smith and Ms. Norwood for being such an influence. To all the people who have been in my life, thanks for the memories! Goodbye Northwood, Hello UNC-G! I, Donya Grissett, being of indolent mind and decrepit body, do hereby leave my spot in dance ensemble to Waverly Logan. I leave my captain position on dance team to Kirsten Coleman. I leave Taylor Mason all my snacks from fourth period. To Waverly Logan and Melanie Edwards I leave my awesomeness.

Lastly, to all the underclassmen, I leave the idea to “work smart, not hard,” and good luck to you with taking eight exams next year! Lastly, I leave my little sister Taylor Roberson all the strength and love to survive dance team next year! - Love, Donya I, Thomas Haire, being of simple mind and fragile body, do hereby leave to Austin Moody all of my pocket change, so that you may continue pelting children. To Austin Vohwinkel I leave my left foot, because I guess that’s a thing now. To Rory O’Dell I leave-Thoom! Ha, dart, finally got you! Also, I leave you my tool, because I could never find it and you alone know its location.

To The Crew, I leave my well wishes, the best of luck in romantic pursuits, my secret bottle beneath the janitor’s house, and CGW, so it may rise from its ashes like the beautiful phoenix it was always meant to be. And to Thornhill I leave all my yet unspoken complaints and my forever uneaten olives/pimentos.

I, Charles Hope, being of clear mind

see LAST WILL page 5

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John Gregory Adams Wesley Ryan Allen Melvis Romello Alston Coleton Scott Anderson Jessica Ann Anderson Daniel Arenas James Ashness Kendall Bailey Atwater Sierra Johleen Atwater Carlton Jason Austin Neethu Ann Babu Daniel K. Barker Barrett Scott Beasley Pedro Becquer-Ramos Caroline Sara Best Jourden Earl Blackmon Barrett Daniel Blackmon Myranda Nichole Blankenship Diana Leona Bourn Silvia Dalia Bourn Dionna Leshawn Bright Alexis Tionna Brower Brandon Darnell Brown James Austin Buntyn Chelsey Paige Burnette Walter Corey Burnette Daniel Givens Burwell David William Candelori Kiada Nachelle Capel Dalton James Carr Daniela Carrillo

Weston Gregory Castor Tia Cecilia Cerdena Alyssa Nichole Chaney Adam Neitz Coffee Christopher Thomas Cole Haylee Jenelle Coleman Ross Anderson Cooper Nathan Clark Cota Alexia S. Cotten Cory Clyde Crain Brittany Nicola Craven Justin Bernard Crump Jessica Jean Curtman Courtney Lea Daniel Laurence Byrnes Daw Logan Day Andrea Delgadillo Samantha Desiderio Christopher Edward Donnald Cortez Lymont Dowdy Alajah Monette Dudley Brett Alan Duvall Elizabeth Blaire Easterling Kendrick Dion Edwards Brandon Michael Edwards Aysia Shashauna Evans Rachel Evensen Edward Farrow Markerria Zhanaé French Agustin Gaytan Cornejo Daniel Carter Gingerich

2013

Laicee Michaela Johnson Abbey Lee Johnson Maxwell Damian Johnston Carson Elizabeth Jones Rebecca Layne Jones Allison Paige Jones Aretha Kenae Jones-Chavis Kela Ann Kane Isamu Kawakami Emily D. Kidd Wyatt Lloyd Kimmy Madison N. King Justin Thomas King Matthew Zane Klein Tyler Andrew Klund Madison Elizabeth Knoll Karen Steel Koch Codey Alan Kosut Laura Alice Kriegh Cameron Lorenzo Leftwich Allison Elizabeth Leight Adam Mitchell Leviner Kathryn Nicole Lloyd Gerardo Lopez Karen Alexis Lopez-Cisneros Adam C. Lowe Michael Anthony Lugo Davonté Déquan Machen Parrish Dominik Marrow Brenda Grisel Martinez Canchola Jesse Catherine Mathias

Class of

Hunter Daniel Glosson Brandon Paul Glosson Forrest Sullivan Glosson Chase Allan Golden Terrance Terrell Goldston Alyssa Jane Gordon Allison Rene Gould Tiffany Nicole Gray Maxwell Alexander Griffin Clay Dixon Griffin Donya Anstarie Grissett Joseph Steven Gutierrez Nayely Jolinne Guzman Ramirez Donald Thomasson Haire Nathan Daniel Harr Heath Allan Harvey Jazzlyn De’Shawn Headen John Dustin Heath Andrew Reese Hill Cody Hodges Baron Eliot Hoffman Jr Spencer Logan Holdaway Brian David Holder Blake Nelson Hollar Charles Lamont Hope Jr Whitney Elizabeth Howerton Bajha Felicia-Ginnel Huggins Ryan Michael Hughes Lauren Brooke Jackson Kasey Madison Jenkins Jacob William Johnson

Jordan Ashley Maynor Jordan Taylor McClamroch Alischa Rajan McCrimmon Madison Gabrielle McDiarmid Morgan Leigh McDonnell Jonathan Scott Mckee Mason Chandler Meacham Gabrielle Paz Mehringer Kaitlyn Brooke Mendenhall Cassie Lee Meyer Samantha Kristine Michels Colin James Murphy Reginald Colby Nance Quentin Andrew Northcutt Riley Pierce O’Dell Jordan Casey Ormond Foster Jericka Keissy Ortiz Christian Alexander Owens Domonique Antonio Partridge Cameron Mikel Partridge-Womble Taylor Middleton Pearse Michael Steele Pedersen Hampton Miles Perry II Tristan Tyler Perry Brittany Lynn Phillips Michael Dylan Phillips Adam Lucas Phillips Jeremy Michael Raisig Carmen Carter Reichle Brandon Tyler Rhodes Ebone’ Lashae Rhodes

Jordan Parker Riggsbee Gloria Abigail Rodriguez Carlee Lyn Romagnoli Julio Sesar Romero Edgar Jair Romero Cruz Sneha Rachel Sajan Leelinde Andre Sanders Breanna M Schumacher Clayton Patrick Scott Katlyn Ashley Selph Estefani Serrano Timothy Wade Sexton Jr Laura Marie Shachtman Grace Elizabeth Shackelford Matthew Lawrence Sirls Christopher Autrez Smith Derrion Monte Smith Victoria Brooke Smith Corey Maurice Smith Kerry Alexander Smith Madison Spinks Christopher Wayne Spivey Lane Gregory Springle Shayla Tyleshia-Nicole Spruiell Dylan Michael Stasko Nathan Lewis Stephenson Allison Brooke Stokely Robert Edward Straughn Philip Bray Straughn Clark Benjamin Streets Phillip Stephen Strong

Jonathan Lamar Stroud Tyler Matthew Syx Thaddeus Tallman Demetrius Montrel Taylor Ann Borden McIver Thomas Tanishia Christina Thomas Brandon R. Rodney Thomas Stephanie Renee Thompson Katelyn Amber Thompson Diane Nicole Thompson Travis Russell Thompson Christopher Eric Torres Ellen Erskine Turner Etop Utibe Udoh Steven Jay Urdahl Danielle Van der Lelie Maria Rose Vanderford Alex Nicole Vanhoy Kaitlyn Elizabeth Viera Cory Austin Volk Alexander Adolphus Waddell Abigail Waite Aumad Rashad Walker Cole Harrison Warrener Andrew Devin Webster Morgan Alexandra Welge Cortney Alexandria White Jesse Womble Janielle Caroline Woods Miyah Lebrea Worley Rachel Nicole Wynne

Page 4 The Omniscient: Senior Issue May 29, 2013

May 29, 2013

and humble body, do hereby leave my smile to my brother Imoh Udoh. I leave all my swag to my boy Jordan Tingen (keep it fresh). I leave my mischievous and wild ways to Darrin Dibenedetto. I leave all my courage and motivation and happiness with my little sister, Taylor Thomas! I leave all my dancing skills to my main man, Daniel Marro. I leave all my jokes and words of wisdom to Nathan Campbell. To Mark Stoneman, I leave all my craziness. I leave my stupid ways to my boy Ryan Thorne (A.K.A. Roy). I leave all my athletic talents to my boy Darius Horton. Last, but not least, I leave my crew love to Mark Stoneman, Jordan Tingen, Daniel Marro, Ryan Thorne, Jake Chavez, Darrin DiBenedetto, Joseph Womack and Taylor Thomas.

I, Kasey Jenkins, being of questionable mind and exhausted body, do hereby leave, to anyone who needs it, my ability to procrastinate and still get things done.

To the upcoming seniors, I leave a positive outlook for the future and a wish of good luck. To Jeremiah Hartsock, I leave my utter randomness (not that you need it). To Morgan and Sam, I leave my love of Disney music and the Phantom of the Opera, and my habit of bursting into random song. To Meredith, I leave my love of Niall and cherry danishes. And to everyone here who I love, I leave a fond farewell.

I, Abbey Johnson, being of ex-

Alischa McCrimmon

Page 5

The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Last Will and Testament CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

hausted mind and weak body, do hereby leave Emma Hollar my spot on varsity cheerleading. Please keep smiling and don’t let the drama of the sport get in the way of you having a good time and enjoy every second. I leave Cali Powell my position in all of the dance classes at Northwood and my spot in ensemble.

You are an incredible dancer and continue working hard. I love you both and will miss both of you like crazy. To the cheerleaders, I leave all my good times and laughs I experienced all four years.

Relish in the moment and have fun!! To all of the underclassmen, I leave my wisdom; figure out what is important what you need to truly concern yourself with.

Don’t waste time worrying about anything insignificant because it is pointless.

Please enjoy every second of high school because it flies by so fast, you may not believe me, but it really does. Have fun and don’t fret over the little things.

I, Michaela Johnson, being of forgetful mind and pixie body do hereby leave my truly psychotic friend, Jeremiah Smith, my knowledge of all musicals (One Day More) as well as my ability to quote at will and remember most of the lyrics. I also leave him my broken lunchbox full of all of our gross leftover crumbs and ghosts. I leave him our adventures through the hallways and our hysterical moments in psychology with Mr. Sandel. I leave him the solos that I never tried out for in A cappella,

and the promise that we will have our duet. I leave him the ability to make horrible puns with or without props and I leave him the rest of me so that we can never be separated. I leave Samantha and Morgan Yigdal our joint love of Merlin.

I leave them the gift to remember all of the happy moments rather than tragic ones. I leave Marlene Gutierrez, Saramama and Koko from the Ouija board in hope that they will go after her and not me. I also leave her “the problem” so that she may “see” it at will. I leave Quinn Kerscher all of the smiles she brought me and all of the hope for the future she brings. I leave her the ability to rock a short hair cut when she decides she wants it and I leave her all of the conspiracy theories she hasn’t heard from me yet. Lastly, I leave Nimmy Babu my ability to talk my way out of any problem!

I, Kenae Jones, being of sassy/sarcastic mind and amazing body, do hereby leave Kirsten Coleman my long legs so she can show off her extension in dance.

I leave Caitlin Murphy my sass; you got to work, girl! I leave Northwood High School varsity cheerleaders the best of luck, you may have some struggles throughout the year, but be strong. I also leave Caitlin Murphy my loud cheer voice and choreography skills, do not let the varsity cheerleading team fall apart.

Last, but definitely not least, Waverly Simone Logan is being left with all the

Look How They’ve

own

memories we have accumulated over the years. Although I won’t be here physically, you can always remember the good and bad we have been through. Memories never die, Wave. And to all the ladies of NHS, I leave you unripped jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts because nothing else is encouraged.

I, Madison Knoll, being of absent mind and indolent body, do hereby leave Evan Seagroves a dramatic wink and my immunity to senioritis. I have a feeling you’ll need that. To Frances Beroset I leave all of my love, even though you’ve never actually said you love me back.

To Jeremiah Hartsock I leave all of my ridiculousness because you are equally ridiculous. All of my marching skills go to Emma Reinberg, Aaron Barnes, Rachel Pedigo, and my little Anna Welsh.

To the Quiz Bowl team I leave all of my knowledge and encouragement and hope.

And finally, to Austin Vohwinkle, I leave my left foot.

I, Cameron Leftwich, being of vivid mind and blazing body, do hereby leave my skills of illegally parking for a year to anyone who needs them, my irresistible teacher charm to my boy Devin, and all of my good attributes to my little brother Ti, and to the rest of you I leave the lint between my toes...Have fun with it and use it wisely.

I, P-MONEY (Parrish Marrow), being of non bum mind and sizzling

see LAST WILL page 6

Carmen Reichle

gr

Clark Streets

Brandon Glosson

Jordyn Maynor

Cory Volk

Max Griffin

— Compiled by the NHS Yearbook Staff

Page 6

body, do hereby leave my brother with my non bum looks, and everybody else in Chatham toe nail clippings because I am awesome and not a bum and I’m from Wake County and it’s HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!!!

I, Jesse Mathias, being of ambivalent mind and resilient body, do hereby leave all of my Friday nights, full water bottles, and pre-game meal countdowns to all future trainers. I leave my megaphone to Kaitlin Dail. Use it wisely, Kitty. I leave my DECA blazer and endless stories to Ms. Clark and the DECA babies. I leave potlucks, secret Santa, and pep rallies to all future Ensemble classes. To all Northwood dancers, I leave the lights, the stage, and the best of luck. I leave my hilarious lunch conversations and YouTube surfing to Kristen Norwood. I leave my excuse to wear a tutu on any occasion, my type-A tendencies, and a million of my thanks to Leah Smith. I wouldn’t be the dancer or the person I am today without you. I leave all of my love and laughter to my mom.

I was so incredibly lucky to get to spend every day with my favorite person in the world. I leave my ability to stay calm (kind of) on the sidelines, and lots of love to Bill. Lastly, I leave my heart and gratitude to all of Northwood. I wouldn’t trade any of my time here for the world.

I, Madison G. McDiarmid, being of open mind and caring body, do hereby leave my love for the sciences to any underclassmen willing to take on my passion. I leave my bubbly and cheerful personality to my baby sister Catherine McDiarmid and my honorary sister, Palmer Bussey. To these two I also leave my parking spot next to the lamppost. To Jacqueline Helgans, Susan McKnight, Summer Gaskins, Logan McClamroch, Claire Dufour, Payton Springle and Lara Summers, I leave the fun memories of vocals class. To Jacqueline Helgans, Peyton Riggsbee, Katelyn Cohen and the rest of my dressing-room friends, I leave the fun memories of my first dance class.

To Mrs. Robertson, Dr. Raymond, Mr. Little, Mr. Hanson, Ms. Faris, Ms. Brickhouse, Ms. L. Smith, Mrs. Hunter, Mrs. Logan, and the much-loved Ms. Haddy, I leave my many thanks for the advice and positive impacts you had on me while at NHS. And to anyone else out there who wants it, I leave the advice that you love and accept yourself no matter what, and learn to forgive yourself for things in your past. Also, have fun, be smart, be weird, and make memories while you have the time, because it won’t last forever.

With love, Madison G. McDiarmid I, Morgan McDonnell, being of sound mind and exhausted body, do

The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Last Will and Testament

May 29, 2013

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

hereby leave “Meow-ridith” Lewis and Emma “Catrynta” my love of cats and all of our fun memories together, wishing them the most “purrrfect” senior year.

To Jennifer Greenlee I leave an infinite amount of laughter (followed by necessary awkward silence). To Talik Farrar I leave all of our wonderful times in art class. I wish you all the best in the rest of your years at Northwood; I’m so glad I had the pleasure of meeting you (and your beard)! To Zafer Estill I leave a lifetime supply of monogrammed sneakers, a new pair for each adventure we embark on (and there will be many). To Jacob Friedman I leave my vote in the 2036 presidential election, as well as my sense of humor and contagious senioritis (it’s unavoidable, Mr. President). To Stephanie Martinez I leave MY LOVE OF TEXTING YOU IN ALL CAPS and all the hilarious times we’ve shared.

To Cassidy Welge I leave my love and smiles; you are the sweetest! Finally, to all of Northwood I leave my experiences both good and bad, the laughter and the stress...it’s been the longest and shortest four years of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I, Mason Meacham, being of sound mind and exhausted body, do hereby leave to the student body of Northwood High School the ability to be straightforward and to stay grounded. A lot of times we, as people, lose touch of who we are and what is important to us. Before you seek acceptance from others, learn to accept yourself. On a final note, don’t let high school be your final destination; even if college is not for you, do something! Oh and to the class of 2013, it’s been real, and I’ll miss you guys! I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s time to GO! I, Gaby Mehringer, being of overwhelmed mind and bruised, athletic body, do hereby leave my soccer jersey to Dana Walker who is number 1 on the field and will always be number 1 in my heart. I leave my crazy imitations of Paige Marro’s laugh to her so that whenever she needs to laugh, she remembers me. I leave everything that I’ve learned from soccer to Jamie Palermo who has amazed me since day one and will continue to amaze the people that surround her. To the women’s basketball team, I wish you the best of luck in the new conference and have confidence that you will prove everyone wrong like we did this year. I specifically leave my ability to be patient with Vernon to Shontai Totten who will need it the most and will someday be playing in the WNBA. I leave Tyeshia Baldwin with the memory of her first rave and the ability to smile, no matter what. Last but not least, I leave my amazing experiences and op-

Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook

From left to right: Seniors Melvis Alston, Monte Smith, Chris Smith and Domonique Partridge. portunities at Northwood High School morning dreading their English class, to my younger siblings Noah Mehringer, my love of singing to Jeremiah Hartsock Elizabeth Thompson, and Sebastian (take good care of the vocals departMehringer. I wish you all the best of ment and that awesome a capella group luck, love you with all of heart, and only of yours), my love for a certain Britishhope that you amount to the things I Irish boyband to Meredith Norman (and believe you all are capable of. To all of Courtney Cleveland), my position as the underclassmen, I leave you with the English department T.A. to any brave understanding that you should appreciate soul who wants it (good luck my friend), your time at Northwood because it goes and my horrendous case of senioritis faster than you think. to no one (it is absolutely awful). To I, Riley O’Dell, being of sound mind Thomas Haire, Ms. Thornhill and I leave and tired body, do hereby leave all the some whine and cheese and some of the best of luck to our small yet mighty special olives that grow on the “pimento swimming and diving team, and I wish stuffed olive tree.” you to one day have one whole Yearbook I, Domonique Partridge, being of page to yourselves. Neigh! To Austin, I sound mind and tired body, do hereby faithfully leave my left foot, and to Max, leave everyone who knew me, full of the I leave the awesome position of stage laughter and all of the great time we had. manager. I hope that the two of you will Its been a long journey, but I can proudly take great care of these treasures. To say it was all worth it. I want to leave my Elisabeth, I leave fighting skills, because sister all my excitement and joyfulness I totally win every time. To Meredith, that I may leave. She’s a freshman, and my future mother-in-law, I leave a heart now she has to step up to the challenge. I so you will have one and will complete really don’t have much to say but as you your goal. To Sam, I leave all the mix can see I’m trying. Graduating was my CDs that I have yet to make, with all dream and now it has finally come and the hit-or-miss songs we debate over. To I’m sooooo excited! I also want to leave Amanda, I leave lessons on how to whisk my boys: Shaqwan, Michael my SHOE eggs and the epic lyrics: “Victor I love GAME. I told y’all to keep up! I love you…” And finally, to my darling sister y’all boys though! Keep the game going.

Rory, I leave: the gift of life (in relation The boys leave it to y’all; Domonique... to the Thomas’s dart), my old parking Etop...Ed...and Webster! spot, the song Holding on to You by I, Eboné Rhodes, being of a humble Twenty One Pilots (for it to be forever mind and confident body, do hereby stuck in your head), and all the laughs leave my dance team girls the fun times and Crunch Bars and movie nights I can at camp, practices, pre-game meals and give you. performances on the field. To all the I, Jordan Ormond Foster, being AVID classes, I leave the bonds you will of unsound mind and somewhat sound build with your AVID class and teachbody, do hereby leave my enthusiasm for ers. To the future dancers, I leave my literature to anyone who wakes up every see LAST WILL page 7

May 29, 2013

awesome dance teachers, Smith and Norwood. (They will get you through your high school highs and lows.) To Mr. Story I leave you my gratitude toward all you’ve done for me and our AVID class.

To Melanie Edwards I leave the job of keeping everyone with a smile on their faces. I also leave you my love. To Kirsten Coleman I leave you my grace on the stage and love. To Madeline Yentsch I leave my crazy moments at random times and my corner in the dressing rooms. (I leave you my love and rapping skills.) To Lindsay Sanders and Lane Poag I leave my sassiness and ability to “wurk.” To Holly Thomas I leave my humility and willingness to be the best at what you love. To Taylor Roberson I leave my love and awesome times at Pep Rally! (Enjoy.) To Nija Burnette I leave the crown of natural beauty to you. Wurk for us natural ladies! To every student at NHS I leave the good moments with your best friend, close friends and new ones. I also leave a slight feeling of “senioritis” toward the end of your senior year. Thanks NHS for making my high school experience worthy.

I, Laura Shachtman, being of open mind and tired body, do hereby leave my baby sister, Coley Shachtman, my ability to never do homework and somehow turn it in complete on time. I also leave you all my love and I am only a phone call away. To my best friend, Holly Thomas, I leave you with the memories from our crazy adventures and a stress free senior year. To all the varsity soccer babies, I leave you the best of luck in the 3A conference, horrible tan lines (Jamie Palermo) and memories with all the girls

The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Last Will and Testament CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

that will last you a lifetime. Lastly, William Cody Griffin I want to thank you for making my senior year of high school so special and how happy you’ve made me this year.

I, Brooke Smith, being of open mind and softball-beaten body, do hereby leave Mr. Story “My Favorite Teacher Award” to sit on the shelf with his Teacher of the Year award and I also leave him my ability to match my shirt to my pants on a daily basis. To Stubbs, I leave a bottle of self-tanner to help even out his raccoon eyes. To Mrs. Thornhill, I leave a “DENIED” stamp with which to turn away all requests for students to leave class. I leave my Supermanlike ability to jump over tall buildings to Briana Robinson to help with those overthrown softballs. To all the students remaining at NHS, I leave my amazing ability to magically transform a Subway sandwich into a “homemade sandwich” with only a little aluminum foil and a paper bag.

I, Nathan Stephenson, being of goot mind and goober body, do hereby leave Jerry Silvestri with many legends. To Coach Amy I leave my ripped body, to Ms. Clark I leave my Deca Dollars. To Novak I leave my workout routines, to Two-Ladderz I leave my ladderz. To Matt Streets I leave our friendship, to Paige Marro I leave all of our laughs and amazing times. To Marissa Stephenson I leave all of my best wishes throughout high school, to Jalen Smith and Ti Pinnix I leave those late nights at L in Jap. To BTK I leave our best friendship, to Ian Anderson I leave FBLA; to Pey Pey I leave my wisdom as a cousin. To Holly

Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook

From left to right: Haylee Coleman, Madison Knoll, Brooke Jackson, Michael Lugo and Kela Kane.

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Thomas I leave Lynnette, to Cody Farrell I leave Nate’s Warehouse. To Trent Cline I leave those crazy times at church and to Josh Kaegi I leave with you da man.

I, Clark Streets, being of chill mind and warm body, do hereby leave the ability to be a goob to all of those kids striving to be awesome, I leave the ability to find something funny in anything you want to everyone stuck in a boring class or an uncomfortable situation, I leave the ability to represent FBLA and run the streets to my brother Matthew, I leave the bullpen and its many sweet perks to Garrett, I leave my contributions to the Northwood bass fishing team to Donald, I leave Cody all of my chill vibes, every single legend I leave to Jerry, all of my hope for a rap career I leave to 2 laddazz, all of the heated moments in weightlifting I leave to Jordan, to my pretty much sister Marissa I leave the ability to wait after school for a ride and have the patience to not get angry, to Karen (BTK) I leave the goob life and the ability to be weird no matter whose around and embrace it, to D-Wells I leave the power to make FBLA the coolest club at Northwood, to Sean I leave a huge chest, to Castro and Will I leave all of the great times we had at soccer, to Joseph I leave the ability to take care of a bro no matter what the circumstances and to everyone at Northwood I leave the ability to enjoy every last second of it because it flies by.

I, Steven Strong, am just leaving.

I, Tanishia Thomas, being of awesome mind and foxy body, do hereby leave Wavery Logan my imaginary captainship and all of my love! I leave Madison Cohen my parking spot and your official, notarised statement of African-American-ism! I wish the varsity cheerleaders luck and patience. I leave Kirstan Coleman the Game, as it was once left to me! Use it wisely! To Dance Ensemble, I hope you find friendship and form many unbreakable bonds like I did in the magical dance room. I leave Kayla Perry all the ratchet parts of my favorite cheers. To Allie Ray I leave my ability to break the dress code almost every day and never get in trouble. And to my little cheer sister Tori, I leave my strength so you may survive high school. And finally, to all the girls of NHS, I leave these words: Life is too short to wonder, question, worry, cry, or hurt. Be proud of you, love yourself, and NEVER forget who you are.

I, Diane Thompson, being of presidential mind and Tar Heel body, do hereby leave Ally DeJong my optimism, in the hopes that it helps you remember it’s a rough day, not a rough life. I give my DECA babies, Moli and Holly, the skills needed to attend next years ICDC, and the ability to find Kerrie, wherever he may be wandering off to. Noah Mehringer, my unofficial little brother, I hereby leave you my road rage skills that were a necessity to get us to school on time. To baby Dana, I leave you my patience to handle tough situations, and I leave you the abilities to grunt and no longer squeal! To my little weirdos, Paige, Jamie, Hailey, and all the other varsity soccer players, I give you more “goob,” in hopes that you spread it to everyone that walks through the doors of Northwood. To my little sister, my soon to be high school freshman, I give you my amazing memories, knowing that you’re soon to come and make your own.

To my student council members, I leave you the energy required to come to Monday night meetings, and to Nija Burnette, I give you the ability to bang the gavel as hard as you can to restore order. To Emma Korynta, I give you my sarcastic remarks during our executive meetings, knowing that you’ll add your own as your senior year progresses. To all the

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teachers at Northwood, especially Señor Foust, I leave you with my thanks, as you truly are the reason I enjoyed school so much. Lastly, to the student body, I leave you with a challenge. A challenge to take advantage of all the opportunities that Northwood can provide, as it truly is a great school.

I, Stephanie Thompson, being of tired mind and Florida-bound body, do hereby leave my trainer babies, Kelsey and Kaitlin, our fun memories under the Friday night lights and the ability to put up with the smelly boys that fill the locker room after the games. To Elizabeth, I give you my morning trips to McDonald’s and some imaginary cash to fund the addiction. To Moli, I leave the tolerance to deal with the DECA boys and the energy to clean up the Coke from shot-gunning in the bathroom. To the underclassmen in my Sports 2 class, I leave Clarking and all the hard work and sweat that we dedicated to completing all of our “tasks.” To Hailey Pister, I leave you the tolerance to deal with the Lumina employees, and all the detergent necessary to wash out the popcorn stench from your shirts whenever you get off work. To Coach Harrington, I leave you with visits from more students looking for a math tutor, and our memories in fourth period where we discussed the dramas of life. To Mrs. Clark (AC Money), I hope you never find roommates as awesome as Gaby, Diane, Moli, and me.

I, Maria Vanderford, being of enthusiastic mind and lively body, do hereby leave my ability to get to school on time every morning to my little sister Karen, I also give her my best wishes throughout the rest of her high school career. To the Buff Hart and the rest of the varsity cross country ladies I leave you with the memory of my always inspiring chant of, “Chargers on Three!” To Erin Nelson I leave my spot at the front of the races and “team leader” status. To Matt Streets I leave all of our awkward hellos in the hallways. To Tyeshia and the rest of the basketball team, I leave the ability to put up with Vernon as well as the best of luck in the 2013-2014 season. To Miss Dana Walker I leave my gratitude for always listening to me, along with all the laughs and fun times spent together. To Paige Marro I leave all my awkward and crazy facial expressions, and to Kellsie Weiss, who always kept me entertained during soccer games, I leave my position on the bench. To the rest of Northwood, enjoy your time in high school, it’s as much fun as you make it and it’ll be over before you know it!

I, Alex Waddell, being of unbalanced mind and doughy body, do hereby leave Jared Worley, Jacob Friedman, and James Calhoun the ability to recruit a new member of the “Dream Team.” They must be someone whom can faithfully be lazy, never attempting any schoolwork lest he be removed from the fabled “Dream Team.” To my first semester Earth Science class with Mr. Cork, I leave the hope that they will never be trapped in a freshman class their senior year. To Ms. Bazzari, I leave my awesome sweater because you too are awesome.

I, Abigail Waite, being of ecstatic mind and tired body, hereby leave my ability to always get my homework done five minutes before it’s due to Kim. Use it well, Padiwan. To Jeremiah I leave my ability to wake up ten minutes late, but still get out the door on time. To all the juniors, I leave my ability to always get a first period in which I could sleep.

To all students without a license, I leave my gift of always being able to find a ride. Lastly, to all returning students I wish you good luck and a (mostly) fond farewell.

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John Adams will become the color commentator on the golf channel, where his dry and witty reposts will greatly amuse all six people who are watching.

Wesley Allen will sustain head trauma from hitting his head on a table whilst head banging to metal in his room, get temporary amnesia and become a L’Oreal model. Because he’s worth it.

Jimmy Ashness will run for president campaigning his love for ’MURICA, but will sadly lose. From there, he will be the men’s lacrosse coach for American University, deciding that that is the next best thing.

Kendall Atwater will move to New York City with Brandon Edwards. Both will become famous artists. She will dance on Broadway, spend all her money on the latest trendy clothes and sell her photography.

Pedro Bacquer-Ramos will graduate from NC State University with a degree in textiles and he and Dan Gingerich will go on to develop a top-selling line of soccer clothing.

Jourden Blackmon will play professional football for the Cowboys, but his recurring shoulder injury will bring an untimely end to his football career. He will then move to Vegas to join the Thunder from Down Under.

David Candelori will ride up to graduation in a fresh pair of shoes and some polo swag, because he always has to stay fresh.

His ambitions go sky high and he won’t let anything hold him back. You may or may not see him in 20 years on ESPN doing his favorite thing, broadcasting sports on T.V. instead of Twitter.

Daniela Carrillo will go on a humanitarian mission to Haiti, where she will establish an outreach program that will become the model for all. She will then marry the president of Haiti.

Tia Cerdena’s obsession with Scotty McCreery will lead to his issuing a restraining order against her. She will give up her position as the president of the Scotty McCreery Fan Club and then she will become president of the Harry Styles fan club, but Scotty will always be first place in her heart.

Alyssa Chaney will become a famous author and will be well known for her many novels. She will also become a lieutenant in the Marines.

Adam Coffee will open Adam’s Coffee, a soon-to-be very successful coffee shop chain in Indonesia, where he will have a peacock farm and mounted rhinoceros heads.

Prophecies: A look into the future The Omniscient: Senior Issue

Avid fisherman Cory Crain will set a new world record in catching the biggest great white shark in history. The largest great white ever caught was 20 feet in length, and Crain’s shark will be exactly 21 feet.

Laurence Daw will continue to sleep all the time. He will make a lot of money as a test subject for different sleep medications. When one medication makes him sleep for over a year, the company that gave him the medication will reimburse him with a million dollars.

Aysia Evans will become the President of the United States and will give her first speech in yoga pants. She will be regarded as the most successful president in American history—and also the loudest.

Rachel Evensen will move to England where she will become a famous theater actress and she will be known for her role as Wendy in Peter Pan. Dan “Wormy” Gingerich will become a spy for the government, constantly creeping on people through windows. He will fail at this and become recognized everywhere for being the biggest LAX stud. He will then become a DJ and create dubstep mix tapes.

Brandon Glosson will go to ECU, where he will discover a latent love for the ballet. He will then go on to become the dance critic for the New York Times, only to return home at the age of 85 to ride off into the sunset on his tractor.

Forrest Glosson will be the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, which hired him because he invented a drug to cure ugliness.

Hunter Glosson will become a famous voice actor and will star in every popular cartoon show. He will eventually get his own comedy skit show on Comedy Central and will either become the next Jeff Foxworthy or Larry the Cable Guy. After he gets bored with his show, he will go join the Duck Dynasty crew and become a younger version of Uncle Si. Chase Golden will grow five inches and be an unstoppable goalie on the men’s national team. He will become a successful businessman, wear bow ties everyday, marry a beautiful blonde and fish every day on his yacht.

Thomas Haire will continue being a hermit and live in his basement playing Pokémon and browsing Reddit all day. His bromantic partner, Christopher Cole, will develop an aversion to the sun, causing him to lose his glorious farmer’s tan, and move in with Thomas; they will spend the rest of their days in Thomas’ mother’s basement.

Nathan Harr will become the next sexy sax man.

Charles Hope will pull up to graduation speeding in the Corolla, bumping Mac Miller and flashing his goofy grin. He will go on to take on the world head on and make it a better place with that same goofy grin and positive, “I can do anything” attitude. He will change people’s lives.

Brooke Jackson will graduate from Appalachian at the top of her class. Walk the Moon will see the video for “This is What Makes Us Girls” that Dan and Phil played and ask Brooke to go on tour with them. Both Kevin Ray and Nicholas Pettrica will fall madly in love with her and she will be forced to choose.

Michaela Johnson will go to New York and

Photo courtesy of Northwood Yearbook

Boxing glove model CHRISTIAN OWENS (right) will show his hatred for plaid by punching L.L. Bean model ADAM LEVINER in the face.

May 29, 2013

Photo courtesy of Northwood Yearbook

FRESHMAN Caleb Lyman will use his stealth to become an extremely successful cat burglar and steal the Mona Lisa. Chill Riggs and A-Lowe, meanwhile, will become a top rap duo. audition for the revival of Peter Pan; she will be cast opposite Dan Gingerich and they will go on a world tour to rave reviews.

Max Johnston will become a successful chef, but his fascination with electrical appliances leads to a restaurant-destroying inferno.

He then returns to his job at McDonald’s.

Allison Jones will discover a cure for cancer. She will then spend her days dancing beautifully in all of her money.

Madison King will become a famous manga artist and move to Japan. Her art will allow her to meet Satoshi and she will go to jail for “glomping” him.

Kathryn Lloyd will graduate from college and move back to her homeland of Canada.

She will own lots of land to provide plenty of riding room for the collection of trucks she will own and eventually open a turtle rescue, which will become the biggest turtle rescue in the world.

Karen Lopez will become the lead weather girl on channel 11. She will be the most loved weather forecaster on TV due to her bubbly, ebullient personality.

Michael Lugo will graduate from ECU and will become a very sought after doctor. Later, he will star in a soap opera called Doctor Sexy.

Morgan McDonnell will find a man who loves cats as much as she does. When he leaves her because he spends too much time with her and not enough with his cats, she switches over and becomes a dog fanatic. It takes her nine years to get rid of all of her cat things.

Colin Murphy will marry Kela Kane and they will have two children. They will have a little girl that will be just like Colin and a little boy that will be just like Kela. Colin will be a stay-at-home dad, working from his home office as a computer engineer, while Kela will be Hawaii’s top surf instructor.

Jordan Ormond Foster will become a famous marine biologist and will be living in England, married to Harry Styles. She will have 20 adopted children because she doesn’t want any of her own and she will have one favorite daughter, named “Darcy.”

Michael Pedersen will be a very talented hacker and become the President of Anonymous.

Hampton Perry will become a motivational speaker, comedian, actor, poet, philanthropist and professor. He will later go on to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or have a lead spot on Saturday Night Live. We’re not sure which yet.

Tristan Perry will grow up and get a cubicle desk job. He will then live out the plot of the movie Office Space, actively doing no work and getting promotions and a hot girlfriend. He will later get his very own morning radio show and will become known as the “Voice of an Angel.”

Jeremy Raisig will design the next generation of NASCAR cars.

Eboné Rhodes will secure a position as the ambassador to Iran where she will negotiate peace among all of the warring factions in the Middle East.

Edgar Romero will become a famous lacrosse player and that will get him on Dancing with the Stars. He will be the most glorious dancer the judges have ever seen, and this will lead to him becoming a well-known, highly respected salsa instructor.

Leelinde Sanders will become a fashion model for Gap. Laura Shachtman will become a professional whale-noise-maker and get the head job at Sea World because she is the only human on planet Earth who can successfully communicate with whales.

Lane Springle’s semester in dance will inspire his love of dancing and will lead him to become a Chippendale’s dancer.

Allison Stokely will become a rich and famous artist, traveling all over the world to paint a beautiful scene. She will live at Myrtle Beach with a perfect tan and, as always, the perfect outfit!

Clark Streets will become a famous baseball player and will eventually win a Nobel Peace Prize just for being a nice guy.

Tyler Syx is going to get his own McDonald’s franchise in Bear Creek, which he will parlay into a billion-dollar enterprise by adding barbequed possum to the menu.

Thaddeus Tallman is going to become a back-up dancer for Lady Gaga, which will provide him with excellent training for his eventual career in WWE as Young Thad.

Tanishia Thomas will go on to become the world’s strongest woman and best cheerleader.

She will out-tumble anyone, including all JM cheerleaders, be best friends with Beyonce and become the next Sasha Fierce.

Diane Thompson will do big things. Period.

Stephanie Thompson will write a bestselling novel. While on a book tour, she will be reunited with Dan Gingerich. They will immediately realize that they are soul mates and elope to Vegas to get married by an Elvis impersonator.

Danielle Van der Lelie will become a successful pediatrician and open her own practice in Beverly Hills before tiring of the superficiality of the rich and famous. She will go with Doctors without Borders to Afghanistan, saving the lives of untold thousands of children.

Alex Waddell will graduate Phi Beta Kappa and will have a very successful career in politics.

He will become the governor of Alaska, beating Bristol Palin in a close, hotly disputed race.

Abigail Waite will go to school to become a teacher, but during her summers she will stalk the members of One Direction and Ed Sheeran.

Rachel Wynne will be the number one golf player on the LPGA tour. She will make history by being the youngest female golfer ever to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

May 29, 2013

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A look behind the curtain: Dance concert and the play

By Taylor Maloch Co-Editor

What goes on behind the curtain is completely different than what is happening in front of it.

As the audience watches a production, most are unaware of what is actually going on backstage and the months of preparation beforehand. On May 10-12, the dance department put on its spring dance concert and on May 17-18 the acting ensemble class put on the play “Museum.”

Spring Dance Concert: “I just remember hearing the rickety rickety of the curtain going up, all the deep intakes of breaths. I put myself in a little box [thinking], ‘We’re in class, just calm down,’” freshman Hunter Koch said. “I had a huge smile on my face because I realized all these people would see what we get to do and that’s what made me really happy.”

It’s opening night of the dance concert and the house is packed. Two hours before the curtain rises, dancers are in theatre teacher Lori Carlin’s room to prepare to go onstage. With each dancer performing at least two pieces, dancers have to put on their costumes as well as prepare their hair and makeup.

“There are tons of girls in various states of undress, there is makeup everywhere, mirrors everywhere; its kind of controlled chaos,” senior Rachel Evensen said.

Freshman Briana Smallwood, a first time dancer, agreed that backstage can be a little insane.

“There are girls running around everywhere doing I don’t even know what; there is makeup everywhere, clothes everywhere, it’s hectic,” Smallwood said.

It’s now 7:10 and the concert is ready to begin. While dancers are onstage performing, some dancers remain in Carlin’s room, but the next group is waiting in a room beside the stage. The room is dark and everyone has to be quiet, anxiously waiting for their turn. “[Before we went on stage] everyone was like, ‘shh, be quiet!’ My friend Natalie was holding me, and said, ‘Should we pray?’ because we’re both Christian, so we both prayed together and it just made me feel so much better,” Koch said.

Another new performer, sophomore Dominique Elliot, said that she felt nervous while she was waiting to go onstage.

“I was taking deep breaths and I just kept moving around trying to shake my nervousness off,” Elliot said.

A few minutes before the concert began, dancers, as well as dance teachers Kristen Norwood and Leah Smith, said a few encouraging words.

“I got with my whole dance team and we just talked and told each other that we were going to do great and we loved each other,” Smallwood said.

Taylor Maloch/The Omniscient

FRESHMAN HUNTER KOCH helps dancer KATHA RUDY with her hair for the dance concert.

Taylor Maloch/The Omniscient

JUNIOR EMMA KORYNTA applies makeup before going onstage.

Norwood also reassured her class before they went out to perform.

“Before we went onstage, Ms. Norwood said, ‘I love you guys, have fun, it’s okay if you mess up,’” Koch said.

After performing the piece dancers have rehearsed for months, some dancers agree that it was worth the wait.

“I felt great, I felt alive,” Elliot said. “It’s like no other experience being in front of all those people and hearing them clap for you.”

Spring Play: “It’s nice to not be yourself; when you’re someone else onstage, you can do whatever, because it’s not you. It’s really freeing,” senior Brooke Jackson said.

On May 17, the acting ensemble class performed the comedy “Museum,” by Tina Howe.

Although everyone in the class has performed in front of an audience at least once, some were still nervous about being onstage. “[I feel] a little tense…once I get onstage, all of that goes away, it’s like a little bottle getting ready to explode,” junior Jeremiah Hartsock said before performing opening night.

Junior Jennifer Greenlee was also a little nervous about performing.

“It feels rewarding to put all your hard work in front of an audience, but it’s also nerve racking because you don’t know how they will respond,” Greenlee said.

While preparing to go onstage, actors and actresses also got ready in Carlin’s room.

Similar to the dancers, the cast had to put on costumes and makeup, as well as fix their hair and perform a mic check. Less than an hour before the curtain rose, the cast was quickly trying to get ready to perform.

“Usually it’s like, ‘I cant find my dress!

Where’s this? Where’s that?’ [Everyone is] just scattering around trying to find everything; it’s pretty stressful, but it’s fun at the same time,” Greenlee said.

While the cast is getting ready, someone starts to play the piano in the costume room. As sophomore Kyndal Hutchinson, the assistant sound director for the show, plays, the cast dies down a little bit to listen.

“For the shows, it kind of just calms me down if I just go and play the piano for a little bit,” Hutchinson said. “During rehearsal, I’ll play that if it’s getting too crazy. Then the actors will come in and start singing, so it’s kind of a good bonding thing.”

When the costumes, hair and makeup are done, the cast tries to relax and get in “the zone” according to Jackson. Some read over lines one more time, listen to music or try to relax before the show starts.

“We play around most of the time; we dance, we scream at each other, we have fun,” Hartsock said.

From fiction to film: Favorite books becoming movies

By Meredith N orman S taff W riter

You are at the edge of your seat as you wait for the movie to begin. Ever since you read the book, you could not wait to see it make the journey from book to screen. Now that you are sitting here, you excitedly, and somewhat anxiously, start to wonder: Will they include your favorite scene from the book? Will the actors do your favorite characters justice? What scenes will be cut?

These are the all-too-real thoughts a fan will have when they learn the book they love is going to be adapted into a movie, especially if they are big fans of the book, leading to the question: Is it a good idea to make movie adaptations from books?

“It is a good idea for people to make movie adaptations out of books because there are a lot of people out there who do not like to read,” sophomore Jamie Nemec said. “Those people can still get a cool story out of it.”

Many book-to-movie adaptations will be coming out this year including: the second installment of The Hunger Games trilogy Catching Fire; The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, based on the popular novel by Cassandra Clare; and a film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, based off of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel. Other adaptations will include The Sea of Monsters, the

second book in the Percy Jackson and on it,” senior Abigail Waite said. “I althe Olympians series, Ender’s Game by most feel like it is respectful to read the Orson Scott Card and World War Z, a book and read the entire thing before you post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max see the movie.”

Brooks.

Sophomore Jasmine Burnette thinks it With is perfectly many books okay just this coming to see the year being movie. turned into “I will movies, read books people outside sound off of school on different sometimes if opinions.

I like them, Is it better but when or more it comes to rewarding seeing the to read the movie, I book first think just versus just seeing the seeing the movie is movie? Is enough. I it better do not need not to see all those adaptations extra details at all? to explain “I althe story to ways like me.” to read a When a book before book gets the movie ready to be because I made into a Meredith Norman/The Omniscient movie, lots feel like the author spent STUDENTS cannot wait to see their favorite books of elements all that time portrayed as movies. come into

play with the fans. A large part of this revolves around trying to cast characters each reader has their own image of.

“Most of the time if I read a book that I really love and they make a film out of it, I will not go to see the film,” English teacher Pat Thornhill said. “For example, I love a book called Cold Mountain, desperately. Not only did I not go see the movie, but what I saw of it enraged me; the casting was really bad, so it upset me a lot.”

Other people share different opinions on the casting of movies they like.

“When I saw Safe Haven, I thought they did an excellent job with casting,” senior Caroline Best said. “All the actors did a great job with their parts and they really brought the book that I loved to life on screen. That is always an amazing thing when someone can take something you have read and can bring it to life right in front of you. It makes it seem so much more real.”

While some fans dislike movie adaptations of the book, others do not always share this opinion. Many fans are happy with the fact the movie gives them another opportunity to experience a book they enjoy.

“I feel like some details can be better in movies, but movies are crammed into two hours, so you cannot get every detail in,” junior Katie Goodrich said. “As long as it is a faithful adaptation of the book, the movie will be good.”

8

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down Quick hits on important issues Staff Editorial

Thumbs up to social studies teacher Roddy Story for winning Chatham County Teacher of the Year and being a great teacher.

Good luck moving on to Regional Teacher of the Year. How could you not win? You’re the best.

Opinion

Why blame the victim?

Changing how we look at rape Meredith Norman

Thumbs down to Charger Challenge. Two words that Northwood students absolutely cannot stand to hear. Twenty hours of community service, essays to be written, as well as an eight-hour job shadowing that we are not given a school day for. One issue students feel strongly about is the time required out of their lives to meet the necessary requirements, as well as the mix up and changes made each year. If the Charger Challenge stayed consistent and did not change every year, as well as allowing those students who must job shadow an excused absence, students at Northwood would be much happier.

Thumbs up to the arts program for putting on a great show in the dance, theatre, visual arts and chorus department this semester. In the visual arts department, artists placed fourth in the state at the NCASA Scholastic Cup. Both the dance and chorus department received a new teacher this year, and the chorus department added an a capella club.

Thumbs down to moving up to 3A for athletics next year. This means harder competition and unfamiliar schools to play. It will be quite the adjustment but hopefully the Chargers can power through it and have successful seasons next year.

Thumbs up to the Class of 2016 who just completed their first year of high school. You no doubt had your fair share of worries and stress, memories and new experiences as you started a new school this year.

Keep up the good work, and here’s to three more great years.

Thumbs down to growing up and taking on responsibilities of the real world. To getting jobs and having to pay for things yourself. Having to follow all the rules and not being forgiven for mistakes that are often overlooked in teen years.

Editorial Cartoon

Gradually, more and more stories have begun to plague the news with rape and sexual violence at their center. There have been several instances as lately in which rape was the prevalent form of violence.

The definition of the term ‘rape culture’ is a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices and media normalize, excuse, tolerate or even condone rape. This is a term some people would use to describe the way our country currently handles rape. Now before you stop me, before you say that’s an unreasonable claim to make, let us look back.

Flashback: March 17th, in a trial that divided the football-crazed town of Steubenville, Ohio, two high school football players were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl while she was too drunk to consent, (the two boys also took compromising pictures, which were distributed throughout the school via text and email). Despite the guilty verdict, conversations regarding the case were far from over. Not only has Reno Saccoccia (the high school football coach, who allegedly tried to cover up the reports of sexual abuse) been offered a two-year contract re-securing his spot as coach, but also the female victim has suffered harassment and threats from classmates and members of the community.

Following the court’s ruling, tweets from all over the country poured in, from teenagers and parents alike, from numerous people who had no trouble placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of an unconscious girl.

In even more recent news, two

teenage girls from very different backgrounds, one a 15-year-old from California, and the other a 17-year-old from Canada, both committed suicide after photos and videos of their sexual assault were distributed throughout their schools and communities leading to constant bullying and harassment. In all three of these cases, large amounts of blame were placed on the girls, which leads us to wonder: When will we, as a society, stop placing the blame of the crime on the victim?

The change needs to come from the way we discuss and teach children about rape. For the longest time, we’ve defaulted to teaching how not to get raped. We girls (although guys can be an exception to this) are taught how to prevent putting ourselves in situations where we could be raped. Discussions consist of not drinking too much or not wearing revealing clothes that could be seen as “inviting.”

Let’s think about this though; men had no problem raping women back when women still wore woolen tights, long skirts, petticoats and during a time when it was seen as “scandalous” to show your ankles. The fact that a woman is walking around in say, a miniskirt, does not make her a target for rape. The crime has to do with the mindset of the attacker, not the decisions of the victim.

We, as a society, should be focused on teaching healthy, smart decisions such as not to rape, instead of how not to get raped. (You would think considering rape is such a violent, horrifying act, that no one would commit it. But that continues to prove not to be the case; keep in mind, according to studies from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network), every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.

Once we start trying to make a big point on just how morally unjust the crimes are, we can take a greater stance on dismantling our rape culture.

What good does an A do?: How to play the “system” Tyler White -Bailey Miller

- THE NORTHWOOD -

OMNISCIENT

- EDITORS Jessica Clayton Ally DeJong Quinn Kerscher Taylor Maloch Tori Nothnagel

The Northwood Omniscient is published monthly 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 - STAFF students, faculty and the community.

Becca Heilman We welcome letters to the editor, which can Kasey Jenkins be delivered to the advisor in Room 914 or sent to the school’s address. Letters must be signed, Lauren Merrill and the staff reserves the right to reject any Ryan Millis letter containing libelous statements, to edit Meredith Norman for length and to ascertain the truthfulness of Dana Walker the content. Letters should be limited to 250 Tyler White words.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority -ADVISORview of the editorial board. Columns, letNeal Morgan ters and cartoons represent the views of the nmorgan@chatham.k12.nc.us authors.

All throughout my years in school, I’ve followed the same routine in my classes. Learn the information, pass the test and forget the information that I’ve previously memorized in order to make room for new material. This routine has seldom done me wrong and, though I realize it may not be the best way to go about things, it sure does work.

In high school, I’m able to pass most classes with A’s and B’s while putting minimal effort into them. Learning how to pass classes is much easier than learning in order to pass classes. If I can cram a list of vocabulary into my head in first period, only an hour before a vocab quiz in second, why would I spend the days prior studying?

The same goes for tests. If I know how a certain teacher gives tests or quizzes, why study all of the material that I’m presented if I can just learn to pass

the tests? Once I become familiar with one teacher’s exams, I can use the familiarity to know what to learn. Learning how to pass quizzes and tests is much easier to me than having to actually learn the information.

When you don’t have to spend as much time on schoolwork, one is able to spend much more time doing things that appeal to them. I’ve been able to get a lot of work experience, as well as spend some time with my friends.

Maybe I’m just lazy, or maybe I don’t care enough, but I’m getting through high school MUCH easier than most of my fellow students. When their days are spent doing hours of homework a night and whole weeks are spent studying, I’m at home sleeping and browsing the Internet. Even if my system ends up failing once or twice in my high school career, the grades end up averaging out anyway.

All in all, I don’t think I’m hurting anyone by going through school this way. I could end up getting hurt in the long run when I can’t recall any of the information I learned in school, but I think I’ll be able to survive without some of those things.

May 29, 2013

Page 9

The Omniscient

Oh, the places you’ll go: Traveling How to get a puppy in six easy abroad opens new horizons (or not so easy) steps Dana Walker I love flying.

The feeling of anticipation that I get right before the plane takes off always gives me chills and a rush of exhilaration that doesn’t leave until we are safely soaring high above the clouds. Looking out the small window and seeing nothing but blue waves of water as you head overseas and leave your home country is one of the scariest, but most amazing, things one can experience.

I have been fortunate all my life in having been able to travel internationally and visit many different countries, meet new friends, try exotic foods and learn important life lessons along the way. Before having children, my parents both traveled the world doing anthropological research; they believe that experiencing other cultures is a great benefit and helps one go far in life.

While I understand that not everyone can just pick up their stuff and fly across the world and visit different countries, I encourage anyone and everyone to make plans to save up so that sometime you can go visit your dream country, or at least travel somewhere new outside of the United States. My family always travels on a budget, accumulating airline miles, staying in family hostels where breakfast is provided and we can cook our own supper, and generally going the economy route. We also stay with friends in other countries whenever we can. It isn’t just about saving money. My parents feel that living as closely as possible with the people of another country and with other international tourists in hostels is the only way to get to really know a place.

My international experiences began in the first grade, when I spent three weeks traveling with my family in the Caribbean, spending a week each on three different islands.

Even though I was young, I remember a lot because not only was I in a different country, but I was taking part in a whole other culture. In Trinidad, we were the only white family on a beach with people that were all of African or East Indian descent, so I found out for the first time what it feels like to be in the minority. It felt strange, but not scary, because people were friendly. From then on, I knew that traveling was something I loved to do and wanted to keep doing for the rest of my life.

Our next big international trip was a three-week tour of Great Britain and central Europe, where we rented cars and were able to see places that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise, even by train. This was followed by a Christmas in Iceland, where it was dark for almost 20 hours a day, but is now one of my favorite places in the world. I then had the wonderful experience of spending eight weeks by myself living with two different host families in Italy last summer.

Of course, waiting in long lines at the airport and going through security and customs is also part of the experience. In Trinidad and Tobago, none of my family’s luggage, except for mine, arrived with us at the airport. But because my dad had lived there before, it turned out he had known the man who was in charge of tracing lost luggage from 20 years earlier, and we all had our luggage the next day.

Whether you fly all the way around the world and land in Australia or just across to some tropical islands, getting out of your comfort zone and leaving your home country is a wonderful experience that I would advise anyone to undertake. Traveling experiences are ones you will never forget.

No Phone, No Problem:

5 months without a cell phone Taylor Maloch I went without my cell phone for five months.

I’m sure most of you cringed at that last sentence, and believe me, five months ago I would have done the same thing. I did not decide to go without my phone, but long story short, I had gotten into trouble and as a punishment, my parents took my phone away. I thought I couldn’t live without my iPhone, but since then I have realized there are more important things.

At first I was sort of numb about it, I didn’t really know what to do. I was so used to using social media or texting during my free time.

My laptop was also broken, so it suddenly felt like I didn’t have anything. Without my phone or my laptop, I was in “the real world” as you can say, without any technology. It’s crazy to feel so out of touch with the world because of a little device.

Living without a phone has definitely made some things harder and caused problems, especially when I am driving places and need to call someone or trying to get in touch with friends (I had to rely on the Internet to message someone on Facebook or use someone’s phone to make plans.) Especially in a world thriving on status updates, pictures and tweets, it was easy to feel “out of the loop” without access to mainstream social media.

While all of my friends were talking about who posted what on Instagram, I of course had no idea what they were talking about. Even when I met new people and they wanted to text me there was always that awkward “Well I don’t exactly have a phone right now so…”.

Pretty much every teenager I know has a cell

phone, so it really made me feel out of place.

Even though most teenagers would say that not having a phone for so long would kill them, after a while, I just accepted it. I focused more on school; I got better grades and paid more attention to the real world instead of new posts on Instagram. Being a junior and having to apply for colleges pretty soon, those grades are definitely going to help me.

I just recently got my phone back, and words cannot even describe how happy I was.

For the first few days, I hardly ever took my eyes off my phone, but I am trying not to get back into that habit. I think it’s okay to post, tweet or upload things about my life, but I don’t want that to take up all of my time. I have now learned that I am capable of achieving a goal if I stay focused on what I want. Students should try doing this too, because it’s not going to matter how many “followers” you have when applying for colleges.

This was definitely something new that I experienced, because I had never gone so long without my cell phone. It made me more mature and responsible, but I would never want to experience that again. Mostly because I need my phone to contact people and it was hard to do that without one. It’s good to take a break from staring at a screen, but I would never want to experience another five months without it.

Taylor Maloch/The Omniscient

matter. I just wanted to bring him home and finally call him mine. Every time I saw a dog or puppy I would scream out of excitement for my new puppy. It is like a trance of cuteness; you can’t get out until you realize what a pain in the you-knowwhat a puppy can be.

Daddy, please let me get one! I’ll take My puppy needs this and this and this and care of him and love him and keep him this, oooooh and this too. forever!

Step 4: Spend hundreds of dollars on unStep 1: Try to convince your parents necessary items for your puppy. that you are responsible enough to get a I spent numerous paychecks on my puppy. puppy before I even bought him. I bought It took four years him toys, food, of begging, pleadfancy bowls and ing and harassing collars. After I got to get my father to him I found out that consider letting me he was much, much get a puppy. I was happier playing with fed the same old a cardboard box and speech about how some string than it was a lot of work half the toys I got and I just didn’t him. It didn’t make understand what I a difference to him was getting myself if he was drinking into. Being the or eating out of a hard-headed, “I can plastic container or do anything and I’m the blue rhinestone always right” teenbowls. ager I am, it went in Today is the day I Jessica Clayton/The Omniscient bring my baby home! one ear and out the KODA the (cute) holy terror. other. I was posiStep 5: Acquire the tive I could handle puppy. it and I would do anything in the world to The joy of having the puppy and the get myself a puppy. pain of taking care of the puppy finally OMG look how cute this one is! Can I get meet. One moment he’s the cutest thing him?! Please, please, please! in the world and the next thing you know Step 2: Puppy shopping. I promise, you he’s peeing on your bed. This step is just a will fall in love with every puppy you set short step of realization of what you really your eyes on. got yourself into.

I was in love with the idea of havOh. My. God. I want to kill myself. ing a puppy. How cute it would be and Step 6: I guess my crazy father wasn’t so how much fun it would be, and that is crazy and dream crushing after all. all I could think about when I was puppy Don’t listen to what the commercials shopping. I overlooked how much work tell you, puppies are in no way, shape it would actually be because, like I said, I or form cute little puff balls of joy. No. fell in love with the idea of a fluffy little They are holy terrors that will wake up lap dog, instead of something that needed at all hours of the night and pee on your loads of attention and care. carpet and trip you every time you take a PUPPY FEVER! step. They bite and they bark. I thought Step 3: By now, the decision has been this was going to be an easy, fun experimade and you will be getting your puppy ence and boy was I in for a surprise. I’ve in the next couple weeks. realized at this point in my experience When my puppy fever struck, all I that my dad wasn’t the crazy, dreamcould think about for two weeks was the crushing adult I thought he was trying to day I could go pick up my puppy and take be. He was right, and now I have what him home. Nothing else mattered to me— is essentially equivalent to a toddler: a not school or work or anything for that puppy. Yay.

Jessica Clayton

Quinn is Leaving Fare thee well

Quinn Kerscher A few weeks ago, I received the wonderful news that I will be attending North Carolina School of the Arts for my last year of high school (as a part of their theater acting program). I heard this news after a series of interviews, auditions and tours that started at the beginning of this year. It is, honestly, a bit disorienting to have fulfilled this dream. Maybe it’s due to the oddness of leaving the lives of so many people (which is what, I’m sure, a lot of seniors are struggling with); or to how unfamiliar I am with living on my own. I keep telling people it hasn’t “hit” me yet, and I think this is because I’ve never had an experience like this before, and I don’t yet know what I’ve gotten myself into. Well, let me explain: I do know what I have signed up for—an intense artistic and academic program, my first Shakespeare play, great dance experience, living a few hours away from home.

What I don’t know is how it will all fit together—what my days will be like, how I will handle being away from my friends and family. And I think it is perfectly normal, too, not to know these things yet.

Because it’s currently hard for me to picture what my life will be like at NCSA next year, it’s hard for me to fully realize that I actually am leaving—and who I’m leaving. I am swiftly approaching my last ever days at Northwood High School and I still haven’t really said my goodbyes. This is something else I’m not really familiar with. I want to honor everyone I will miss in some meaningful and sincere way. But when I sense the time is right, I choke on my words. I can only hope that my friends/ compañeros won’t remember me by the botched goodbye speeches I will surely try to make in the next few days, but by the things I said to them in the clearer time, before I knew I was going away. Even though I dream of perfect, last minute heart-tohearts, I know that the real substance—the main events—in all of my friendships at Northwood have already passed away. This may be slightly sad, but it was all worth it.

Everything.

10

Sports Briefs

Baseball advances deep into playoffs The baseball team advanced to the fifth round with a 9-3 win over Carrboro last week. The game was tied 2-2 when Andrew Webster hit a grand slam that put NHS in the lead.

“We weren’t playing great and [the grand slam] turned it around.

It was a good team win. I wasn’t feeling too good [before the grand slam] because we didn’t execute.

But when he hit it, Coach Parks was excited so I got excited,” said Jonathan McKee. The three game Regional was played last weekend after The Omniscient went to press.

For updates visit www.nhsomniscient.com.

Girls’ soccer loses in 3rd round The girls’ soccer team’s season came to an end May 15 with a 2-0 loss to Roanoke Rapids. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime, but Roanoke Rapids took the third round playoff win.

“We played really well in the first half, and in the second half we played together as a team,” sophomore Jamie Palermo said.

“We didn’t break down and we didn’t give up, but they got a couple of lucky goals that ended up with us losing.”

The team advanced to the third round of playoffs with a 4-1 win against Bunn in the first round and a 2-0 win against Topsail in the second. NHS finished the season with an overall record of 12-8-1.

Tennis has 2 reach regionals The boys’ tennis team went 6-9 overall this season. Junior Zafer Estill and senior Chris Cole made it to the second round of Regionals as a doubles team.

“We had a decent year overall.

It was a little disappointing as far as the record. Beating Science and Math was a high point of the season,” coach Joseph Kiertekles said.

“I wish [Cole] and [Estill] would have made states again this year, but they ran into a tough team.”

Lacrosse finishes 3-12 The lacrosse team finished the season at 3-12, one win shy of last season’s record. Still, coach Kevin McDaniel saw improvement.

“If you look at how many points we put on the board form this season to last season, we nearly doubled or tripled that amount,” McDaniel said.

Team leaders in goals included Wesley Meyer, Corey Volk and Dan Gingerich. On defense, Jourden Blackmon led the team with 128 ground balls.

— Compiled by Lauren Merrill, Becca Heilman & Tyler White

Sports

Reeling it in: Students, teachers enjoy fishing

By R yan Millis S taff W riter

The water is still. A bird flies by overhead and the drone of an off board motor can be heard in the distance. Then your bobber sinks below the surface of the water. You twitch your rod and reel in the slightest bit. There’s a fish at the end of your line and all that is left is to reel it in.

Nine years ago junior Christian Quinlan would not have known what to do with that fish.

“I caught a catfish about a foot and a half long when I was eight. I thought it was a log and I was trying to hit the log with the hook and the next thing I knew a catfish bit the hook,” Quinlan said. “I pulled it up on the dock and I didn’t know what to do with it so I left it. I ran up to get my dad and he came back to the dock and unhooked it for me.”

Quinlan, who now fishes at least twice a week, has come a long way since then.

“My largest catch so far has

been a three foot sand shark off the coast. I’m always looking for something bigger,” Quinlan said.

Fishing isn’t just about catching food for the family anymore. It’s a sport, a stress reliever and a way to bond with new people.

“My dad took me fishing for the first time and I really liked it. It’s fun and relaxing and helps clear my mind,” freshman Tommy Reed said.

Other students find fishing relaxing as well.

Senior Barrett Blackmon finds it a good way to pass time with his dad.

“It keeps me at peace and it’s something to do. I just like spending time with my dad while we are fishing,” Blackmon said.

Most students at Northwood who fish began at a very young age.

“I first started fishing around three or four when my dad introduced me. [I continue fishing] for the challenge and the enjoyment of catching bigger and bigger fish,” junior Tyler Stone said.

As well as pier fishing off

“I was sick as a dog but we fished all day.

It was a great experience.”

— Bill Hall

Photo Courtesy of Christian Quinlan

CHRISTIAN QUINLAN shows off his catch. Quinlan, a junior, says he fishes at least twice a week. a dock and surf fishing off the shore of a beach, there is deepsea fishing where fishermen take a boat into the ocean.

“Deep-sea fishing is a lot more fun than pier fishing.

There’s a completely different landscape and the fish are a lot bigger,” Stone said.

Reed, who has also been deep-sea fishing, recalls an experience he had.

“One time I went deep-sea

fishing and someone caught a mackerel that almost bit someone’s hand off,” Reed said.

The main downside that deep-sea fishing has an ability to make people seasick. This did not stop football coach Bill Hall however, who has been deep-sea fishing before.

“It’s a totally different world. I was sick as a dog but we fished all day. It was a great experience,” Hall said.

we went to Brazil and did the Ironman with a bunch of my friends,” Parks said. “It was really fun; we stayed for a month and toured around the whole country.”

With running comes training.

Novak joined a team and worked with them a couple of times a week to do group runs and then, on off days, ran anywhere from two to 18 miles a day by himself.

Others, like senior Tyler Klund and Eddins, choose to train with Parks, working their way up to 13 miles. Science teacher Christine Schwichtenberg found a training plan for five days a week and then long runs on Saturdays, working up to 13 miles as well.

“I would like to say [training] gets easier over time, but as I get older, [marathons] actually get harder, more taxing on my body,” Novak said.

All the training comes together and the runners get ready at the start line.

“I’m really nervous because there’s so many people,” Klund

said. “Usually there’s about 5,000 people at the starting line so it’s really packed. I have butterflies every time.”

Novak thinks everybody should do at least one marathon.

“I think everybody should at least try one in their life. You can always walk it. It might take you several hours, but there’s only a certain percentage of the population that can say they’ve completed a race that is 26.2 miles.”

Most people just enjoy running marathons or half marathons and don’t really have a reason for doing them. They are just fun for the runners.

“I just enjoy doing [marathons],” Parks said. “Everybody that does it is a little bit crazy. There’s really no reason for it.”

Running the extra mile: marathon runners

B y T ori N othnagel Co -Editor

“The first 15 miles is always a blast because you can kind of push through those on training alone, but after about [mile] 15 or 26 [it] is nothing but mental ability to push through the pain and finish,” gym teacher Jason Novak said about running marathons.

Some people around Northwood, like Novak, have run full marathons. which are 26.2 miles long, but half-marathons seem to be more popular among students and teachers.

For whatever reason, people like to push through the pain of running the distance, long or short, and crossing the finish line.

“While running, the pain doesn’t really set in until about mile 16 or 17,” Novak said. “As long as you’re aware of your hydration you can keep it under control.”

“You feel really, really great and it’s just a sense of euphoria,” said junior Moli Eddins, who’s ran one half marathon.

“I think it builds a good endurance and it builds a good mindset for running because you have to keep the same mindset for running as you do

for a lot of daily activities.”

Most students who have run half marathons have only run one or two, but Novak and math teacher Jennifer Parks have run multiple half marathons and full

“Everybody that does it is a little bit crazy. There’s really no reason for it.”

— Jennifer Parks marathons. Novak and English teacher Phyllis Bazzari have run city marathons, with Novak running the Nashville and Chicago and Bazzari has run the New York marathon five times. Parks has also run 12 full marathons and close to 50 triathlons. Triathlons are three-part races with sequences from swimming, biking and running and can vary in length. Parks has also done the Ironman, which is a long distance triathalon with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike race and a 26.2 mile run.

“When I was in college,

May 29, 2013

Triple threats: Athletes who play 3 sports

By Becca Heilman Staff Writer

It’s Thursday night, and you get home late from your lacrosse game, again. You have tons of homework to finish and you haven’t gotten a chance to text your friend back about hanging out this weekend because you don’t know how busy you will be. It has been like this all year.

This is the life of a three-sport athlete.

Being a three-sport athlete can be hard.

Much of an athlete’s time is taken up by sports, and when they play them year-round, they may not have time for other things, such as spending time with friends. “[I don’t like] not being able to hang out on the weekends as much with all my friends,” said senior Jourden Blackmon, who plays lacrosse, football and wrestles. “It takes up most of my time, especially wrestling, because we have a tournament every Saturday.”

Having time to complete schoolwork may be an issue as well. Though the term is “student-athlete,” academics may not always come first.

“You don’t have much time to do all your work and complete all your assignments,” said

Jourden Blackmon, Sr.

Four years of football Four years of wrestling Three years of lacrosse

The Omniscient

Page 11

Jazmine Atkins, a freshman who plays basketball, volleyball and soccer.

Playing three sports and completing schoolwork requires an athlete to be accountable and organized.

“It takes a lot of responsibility because you have to know what you’re doing and you have to stay out of trouble,” Blackmon said. “If you get in trouble, you get kicked off the team, while if you get in trouble and you’re not in sports, it doesn’t really do anything to you.”

Responsibility isn’t the only quality that three-sport athletes need. Because playing three sports takes up a lot of time, people that play sports year-round need to know how to handle their time in an efficient manner. “[Playing three sports] is very time consuming; you have to manage your time really well,” Atkins said.

Time consumption can be a big turnoff for some. Junior Hannah Holloway stopped playing basketball and switched to playing only tennis and soccer so that she would have more time for other things.

“It’s a lot of work [to play three sports],” Holloway said. “Anyone who just plays one sport knows how much work it is, because you

have to take a lot of your time out of the day to go to practice and games. It takes away from homework and free time. I already feel like I have a lot with just two sports now, but three sports was just so much.”

Though there are obvious negatives to playing three sports, being a three-sport athlete has many positive aspects, like how it gives athletes something to do all the time.

“After school, if you just go home, even if you have homework, there can be a lot of down time, and it’s just simply boring,” said freshman John Dunning, who plays football, lacrosse and wrestles. “With sports, you have something to look forward to, something to practice. You get to hang out with all your friends and it gives you something to do after school.”

Many like being a three-sport athlete because it allows them to meet new people.

“You get to be a lot more social and you get to meet a lot of new people you wouldn’t have [normally met],” Dunning said. “I’ve made friends with a lot of upperclassmen and sophomores that I wouldn’t have even met had I not played sports.”

Being a three-sport athlete also allows

athletes to work out throughout the year.

“Physically, it’s healthy for you because it keeps you active and in shape, and it’s just a rewarding experience,” Dunning said.

The three-sport athletes are constantly in shape because the transition between sports happens almost immediately, but they don’t get much time to switch their mindset from one sport to the other. “[It is hard to transition] from cross country to basketball because basketball is a lot more fast running and cross country is a slow, pace-yourself kind of thing,” said Savannah Morris, a sophomore who plays basketball and runs cross country and track.

The transition is easier for others, depending on the athlete.

“It’s not really hard to transition because most of my sports fit in with each other pretty well and I go week after week and it just switches right into the next sport,” said junior Rob Hamlet, who wrestles, runs cross country and plays lacrosse.

Playing three sports can be a grueling feat, but many can agree to its numerous benefits in many different areas.

Two years of cross country

One year of football

Three years of cross country

Savannah Morris, So.

Two years of basketball Two years of track

John Dunning, Fr.

One year of wrestling One year of lacrosse

Rob Hamlet, Jr.

Three years of wrestling Three years of lacrosse

12

Student Showcase

Every month we’ll showcase an individual and his/her achievements from an ongoing sport. In order to qualify, one must be nominated by his/her coach for athletic ability, outstanding leadership, work ethic and sportsmanship.

Zafer Estill boys’ tennis

— Compiled by Taylor Maloch and Becca Heilman

Bill McPhilemy boys’ golf

Second round of regionals

“He really stood out because this is his first year playing for the team.

He made a lot of progress and put in a lot of time.”

—Jordan McClamroch, Sr.

“He’s very encouraging on the tennis court, he always encourages me to do my best.”

— Cody Norris, Jr.

Alex Council girls’ track

Tori Nothnagel/The Omniscient

100 m, 200 m, 4 x 100 relay, All -Conference “One of the first days at practice she didn’t even do my hurdles event...but she gave me tips and I appreciated that.”

— Savannah Castor, Jr.

Jourden Blackmon lacrosse

Ryan Millis /The Omniscient

Gaby Mehringer soccer

128 ground balls

“Gaby is a very motivational player that drives the team to do their best.”

—Hailey Pister, Jr.

“He’s a vacuum when it comes to ground balls.”

—Jimmy Ashness, Sr.

Imoh Udoh boys’ track

Justin King baseball

Fastest 200 meter runner “He’s really dedicated and easy to work with, [he taught me] how to start better.”

— Josh Flack, Fr.

Becca Heilman/The Omniscient

.462 average, 5 homeruns “He keeps the morale of the team up when we’re down...he always picks me up, so I look up to him.”

—Andrew Webster, Sr.

Spring Arts Meghan Mclawhorn

Chris Cole

Kendall Atwater

Jennifer Greenlee and Allory Bors

Karen Vanderford

Dionna Bright

Sam Michaels

Kayla Perry

Bailey Revels