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Table of Contents
Photo courtesy of John Atwater
Students struggle to live up to expectations set by their older siblings. pg 10&11
R O I N SE SUE IS IDE S N I
May 2014
News NHS Expands 3 Dropouts 4-5 Diabetes 6 Senior Letters 7 Transgender 8-9 Living Up to Siblings 10 Gay Prom Court 11 Entertainment Senior Pranks 12 Senior Issue Strange Addictions 13 Dog Shows 14 Junior YouTuber 15 Restaurant Reviews 16-17
John Dunning/The Omniscient
The Omniscient reviews lesser known restaurants in the Triangle. pg 16&17
Opinion 18-19 Sports 3A Recap 20-21 Gender Equality in Sports 22 Mudding 23 Super Charged 24
Tyler White/The Omniscient
Students describe their mudding experiences. pg 23
- THE NORTHWOOD -
OMNISCIENT - STAFF -
EDITORS Allison DeJong—Editor-in-Chief Jessica Clayton—Graphic Editor Taylor Maloch—Social Media Editor Lauren Merrill—Social Media Editor Tori Nothnagel— Photo Editor Tyler White—Online Editor STAFF WRITERS Byron Aguilar Frances Beroset Adrianne Cleven Ashlynn Davis John Dunning Arlo Estill Madison Fitts Katherine Goodrich Jasmine Harris
-ADVISOR-
Becca Heilman Emma Korynta Breanna Leach Kenya Lee Meredith Lewis Sara Lipofski Bill McPhilemy Meredith Norman Jamie Palermo Katie Robbins Rachel Sipe Jack Teague Dana Walker Skyler Waugh Greyson Willard Jay Williams Donald Yates
Neal Morgan nmorgan@chatham.k12.nc.us (919) 542-4181
The Northwood Omniscient is published by journalism students at Northwood High School. It aims to present accurate coverage of events of interest to our readers, as well as provide an open forum for the opinions of students, faculty and the community. We welcome letters to the editor, which can be delivered to the advisor in Room 607 or sent to the school’s address. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to reject any letter containing libelous statements, to edit for length and to ascertain the truthfulness of the content. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors.
May 2014
NHS E X PAN The Omniscient
By Adrianne Cleven Staff Writer
Bartholomew acknowledged the fact that there is simply not enough space in the central area of the campus. “The ‘core,’ so that’s our parking lots, our media Principal Justin Bartholomew sits at his desk, a center, our auditorium, those were all built for 800 drawing of the school’s floor plan in front of him. [people],” Bartholomew said. “The school can hold Dark ink circles indicate possible options for extra [up to] 1,200, and we’re just under that now. We’ll go classroom space. over that next year. Of course, we have the pods and “Here I am with my map of the school, trying to the trailers to support, but if you look at the growth, figure out where we can put folks,” Bartholomew said. it’s only getting bigger every single year.” “I’m guessing we’re going to add teachers because The school’s “growing” problem has attracted the we’re going to be gaining so many more students. We attention of Chatham County Schools’ central office. need to find a place to put those teachers that makes “I think the whole package needs expanding,” sense. The teacher’s lounge across from Coach K’s said Chris Blice, Chief Auxiliary Services Officer for room will end up becoming a classroom.” Chatham County Schools. “Sometime in the future Tracy Jessee instructs her 28 Earth Science students we will have to take a hard look at [growth] and make as normally as any other science classroom, but her plans.” room was a teacher’s lounge only a few months ago. In addition to a shortage of classrooms, the larger “We did that in December,” Bartholomew said. student population is putting more of a burden on “We turned that teacher’s lounge into a science room. Northwood’s limited parking spaces. One student It was great that folks and facilities were able to come confessed to parking at school this semester without a and help us out with that.” parking pass. Northwood’s student population has grown tremen“By the time I got my license, parking passes dously over the past few years. Enrollment numbers were all sold out,” an anonymous source said. “It was have exceeded the original classroom space, resulting roughly around the middle of the year, after the start of in unorthodox room placement and other small expanthe second semester.” sive measures. The student found a way around their dilemma. “When I first started at Northwood six or seven “I usually find a parking space by the tree line in years ago, the overall enrollment was right at 1,000, the back of the parking lot,” the source said, mentionand maybe even less than 1,000,” social studies ing the fact that their parking space does not boot teacher Roddy Story said. “Now we’re up to, I believe, another student out of their place. over 1,200 [current enrollment is 1,141], so you’ve “I think [the student parking at Northwood] is a seen over a 20 percent increase in students. I’ll teach little ridiculous because more and more kids get their over 200 students this year, and I think that number licenses every year, so I don’t understand why expandused to be closer to 140.” ing the parking lot would be such a hard idea,” the source said. “It’s always overcrowded and there are always other people besides me taking parking places up front in front of the school and the other places in the parking lot. Eventually both parking lots are full and everybody has to go and park elsewhere.” Other students have suffered more than minor inconveniences. Junior Madelynne Smith’s car has been damaged “several times.” “The first time somebody had backed into me because it’s very tight fitting,” Smith said. “The second time I backed into somebody else as they were driving by. It’s a really awkward situation because we’re all young adults and we’re all stuck NHS Opens: 1972 Math Pods Built: 2006-2007 in one place, and nobody can really drive very well.” Arts Wing Built: 2009 –Adrianne Cleven/The Omniscient Smith believed her
HOW HAS NORTHWOOD CHANGED?
DS
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accidents were caused, at least in part, by the crowded parking lot situation. “I feel like they should add another place where we can all park, just to expand,” Smith said. “There are so many students and it would make things so much easier.” Administrators say they are working to find a solution to Northwood’s crowded parking lot. After spring break, students were allowed to park in the gravel parking lot where teachers had previously parked. “The parking here is not anywhere near what we need it to be, particularly in the spring, because in the spring, everyone gets their license, and they’re all trying to park and there are no spots,” Bartholomew said. “It would be pretty nice to have the [expansion of the parking lot].” Northwood’s expansion also will come with updated technology. “We’re trying to get a new [announcement] board up, an electronic one, color LED preferably,” Bartholomew said. “We can recognize students, we can recognize programs, instead of just having one message up there that gets changed every so often.” Another upcoming change is the manner in which announcements will be made. “We’re getting big T.V.s put up in the cafeteria when you come in the main area and the bus lobby that will have announcements on them; it’s just another place for students to read them,” Bartholomew said. For now, Jessee’s students are content to learn in their creatively placed classroom, and students park cars that seem twice as big as the spaces they occupy. But as Northwood’s population grows larger, expansion will become an imperative goal and other, more drastic options may need to be evaluated. “We currently have three high schools in the county,” Blice said. “Two of [the county high schools] are close to capacity; that’s Northwood and J.M., and one of them is well below capacity; that’s Chatham Central. One of the things that obviously we would be considering sometime in the future is redistricting; moving students around the county so that we make use of available classroom space. Ultimately the school board makes all these decisions. That is a process and not an event. I don’t want people to think that there is some master plan, and we’re not telling anyone because we want to keep it a secret. It’s not like that. This would be a very transparent, open process.”
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U
DROPPING O
T John Dunning/The Omniscient
By Jessica Clayton Graphics Editor “I’m more motivated to get out of here and graduate early because I really want to move on with life, and I felt like three years of high school was enough,” said former Northwood student Peyton Hill. “I ultimately made the decision when I realized that I could probably not go through with another year of high school because of the anxiety it put on me. Different people have different high school experiences.” Many students have found alternatives to finishing high school at Northwood. Leaving school is a choice students make based on their personal needs and preferences. For the 2011-12 school year, 33 students dropped out of Northwood. In North Carolina in 2006, the graduation rate was 68 percent and it rose in 2013 to 82.5 percent. Megan Amberg, who would be a junior this year, dropped out at the end of September and will graduate with an adult high school diploma from Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) in June. “I dropped out because I started my classes late because my schedule was messed up, so I got into English late and I was failing that class two weeks into it. I needed a smaller setting where it was easier for me to learn,” Amberg said. “The teachers [I had] at Northwood don’t really
spend a lot of time with you.” Hill also planned to drop out and go to CCCC, but decided to take online classes through SAGE Academy to graduate early instead. “[Principal Justin Bartholomew] told me that [having a CCCC diploma] is not the same as a Chatham County diploma, and universities don’t like it when you don’t have a county diploma, so that changed my mind,” Hill said. Hill felt like she wasn’t getting the attention she needed from the teachers at Northwood. “After my freshman year, stuff started to go downhill because my grades started to drop,” Hill said. “I felt like teachers weren’t providing me with the necessary attention, and I got so stressed out that I didn’t have any time. I had to get a job, so I didn’t have time for anything; I didn’t have time for the homework.” For Amberg, taking classes through CCCC is very different from classes at Northwood and has changed her work ethic. “I’ve gotten better grades, really good grades. I just push myself more because I know I have to get certain stuff done to graduate early,” Amberg said. “I’ve done a lot more than I would [have done] at Northwood.” Leaving Northwood and graduating
early satisfied Hill’s desire for a fresh start. She felt that high school was not for her. “You think about your future, and you think about college and how you want to start over, meet new people. It just really motivates you to get out of here because sometimes the whole four-year experience is not for you,” Hill said. “When people say that high school should be the best four years of your life, that’s not true at all.” Ashley Perry, a former student of Northwood, dropped out and attended CCCC. “After dropping out, I went straight to CCCC in Pittsboro and registered to finish my high school diploma online. I [finished] after only three months and I received my adult high school diploma,” Perry said. Despite dropping out, Perry is getting ready to graduate from college and pursue a PhD. “Now I am on track to graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelors in psychology at the end of December, a semester earlier than I would have if I did not graduate early,” Perry said. “I am then applying to the clinical psychology graduate programs to receive my PhD.” Amberg believes that it is okay to drop out as long as you are doing something productive. She works five days a week and goes to school four days a week. “If you’re going to drop out and not do anything, then that’s a problem, because
Students who have dropped out talk about their reasoning and post high school experience. why would you just want to sit around all the time?” Amberg said. “So the way I see it, if you’re going to drop out, do something. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, just do something.” Dropping out is not for everybody. Although these students have shown success in their endeavors, according to dosomething.org, a high school dropout will earn $200,000 less than a high school graduate over a lifetime. “Staying in high school and earning your high school diploma gives you the best chance for your future,” said guidance counselor Telisa Hunter. “It gives you more options after high school, whether you want to go to a two year or four year college or if you want to go get a job. It makes you more competitive in the workforce.” It takes hard work and motivation to be able to do work on your own. Since Perry herself had success with dropping out, she offers advice to students considering the same path. “I would tell other people who were looking to drop out to be sure of their decision; you need to be very determined in what you want once you do,” Perry said. “There may be more than one way to success, but all take a tremendous amount of work. But if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything.”
May 2014
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180 Sanford Rd. Pittsboro, NC 27312 (919) 542-5891
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May 2014
The Omniscient
Diabetes: Living with chronic illness in high school By Frances Beroset Staff Writer
Most teenagers are able to take their health for granted. Young people are rarely concerned with what foods they should eat and how to maintain their health, but for students with type 1 diabetes (formerly known as juvenile diabetes), life is a balancing act of low and high blood sugars. “When your friends are sitting there at the table and you jab [a needle] into your arm, they’re like, ‘Why are you shooting up?’ and you’re like, ‘Because I’d die if I don’t,’ and then that’s a pretty good segue generally,” senior Cameron Bright said. Having the disease changes day-to-day life for students with type 1 diabetes. “Since your pancreas can’t sense or administer insulin, it’s just all based on what you’re giving yourself, so if you mess up, then your brain is completely incapacitated. It just doesn’t work,” Bright said. “You get really clammy, sweaty and paranoid. I assume it’s like being high. I don’t know; I don’t get high at all. It’s just really disconcerting.” Avoiding blood sugar spikes involves a complicated routine of administering insulin and eating the right amounts and types of foods. “You have to keep on top of it. You have to know what you’re doing at all times; you can’t ever relax. You can’t say, ‘I’m not going to check [my blood sugar] tonight’ because you could wake up in the morning and have a low blood sugar and then just feel god-awful,” Bright said. “A lot of your [blood glucose] numbers are really tied into your day-to-day life, so you can’t really ever just stop checking—you can’t ever stop being diabetic.” Diabetic junior Eli Emerick said that he finds it frustrating when peers offer advice about the disease. “They would say things like, ‘Are you sure you should be eating that?’ or ‘Is that really good for you?” Emerick said. “People tried to look out for me, but since they weren’t really knowledgeable on the subject itself, it just came across as kind of insulting.” The disease is not only mentally difficult; it can also be physically taxing. Some diabetics say that establishing a new eating schedule is more important than changing the types of foods consumed. “You have to snack more often, because at times,
Frances Beroset/The Omniscient
SENIOR CAMERON BRIGHT adjusts the dosage on his insulin pen. based on what your blood sugar is, you actually have to snack and sometimes you’re just hungry,” Bright said. “You have to be prepared and to keep [snacks] with you.” Emerick initially made a more drastic change to his diet, but found that it became difficult to stick with. “The first thing I did when I got home [from the hospital] was I made myself a salad, and I ate salads for like three or four days straight,” Emerick said. “But after a couple of months, I got really sick of it. I was like, ‘Why do I have to eat differently? Why do I have to change my lifestyle? I don’t want to be different.” In addition to being a practical burden, the disease can be socially isolating. “If someone is like, ‘Yeah, let’s get a cake,’ I can’t just be like, ‘Yeah, let’s get a cake!’ Emerick said. “But I mean, that’s what I would do. I’m not a great diabetic, so casual social interaction when food is
Diabetes Basics
• Diabetes is a chronic disease that results in a high concentration of glucose (sugar) in the body. Type 1 diabetes presents in childhood and means that the pancreas does not produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes presents later in life and is caused by the body not using insulin effectively. It is often caused by obesity and physical inactivity. • 8.3 percent of the United States population has diabetes, and approximately 5 percent of diabetics are type 1 diabetics (like the students featured in this story). • Type 1 diabetes can not be prevented or screened for, but type 2 diabetes may be prevented or delayed by maintaining a healthy body weight, eating healthy foods, avoiding smoking and being physically active. • Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, which may be administered via syringe, “pen” or pump. Sources: World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, and The NY Times
involved is difficult.” Diabetics can find it difficult to deprive themselves of certain foods in order to stay healthy. “I guess it doesn’t sound like it would be a big deal, but to not be able to enjoy something like an ice cream cone or a piece of cake is kind of a big deal after a while,” Emerick said. Like nearly all parents of teenagers, the parents of these students take an active role in their children’s lives. The difference is that, for their parents, nagging can make a serious difference in their children’s health. “[My parents are] a lot more uptight about diabetes and the [blood sugar] numbers than I am, so I get yelled at a lot when I don’t actually check my blood sugar enough or I have really bad numbers,” Bright said. “But that’s like with everything in my life, so is it really diabetes, or is it just my parents?” Though Emerick finds his parents to be helpful, especially when he was first diagnosed, he occasionally still finds it difficult to adjust. “Part of me possibly hasn’t 100 percent accepted the disease. I still want to act like a regular kid. It doesn’t help that I’ve got people all around me that are eating like teenagers,” Emerick said. “If I only ate with my father, who’s a type 2 diabetic, I’d probably eat a lot better.” Some diabetics try to take a laid-back approach to their condition. “I find it a bit of a hassle sometimes, but there’s not much I can do about it, so there’s not much point [in being angry],” freshman Kai McGregor said. Diabetes is one of many chronic health problems that can impact a teenager’s life. Diabetes can lead to serious complications like eye problems, foot and leg infections, nerve damage, heart disease and kidney failure. “There are many health issues, but if I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die,” Bright said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
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The Omniscient
Dear Future Me...
Buy, Sell, and Trade Rare, Used and Unusual Book, Vinyl and CD’s
By Emma Korynta & Donald Yates Staff Writers
it more seriously—I was 14 when I wrote it.” Edwards, like many others, did not realize the letter’s potential impact until after he received it senior year. She held the envelope. Her name and address “It’s important to be serious and take a second to were in her handwriting, but it was written her reflect, but we were all 14 and kind of immature,” freshman year. Senior Madison Cohen smiled—the Edwards said. envelope was much bigger than she remembered. When freshmen write the letters, they are enShe opened it to find pictures, notes, reminders and a couraged to take it as seriously as possible and to letter from herself. include specific details about their lives and goals. “[Opening the letter was like] a flashback— By doing this, they will be able to look back three remembering writing it, sticking “Everyone changes a lot years later and realize how far all the stuff inside,” Cohen said. they have come and how much throughout high school... they have changed. English teacher Kathy Greenlee has her freshman classes write it’s easier for other people Freshmen and seniors tend to letters to their future selves at the to notice, but when it’s your- have different views on the letters. end of their freshman English Freshmen see it as an assignment self, that’s a bigger thing.” they have to complete, while most class. These are delivered to their — Madison Cohen houses shortly after their graduaseniors look forward to reading it. tion, three years later. However, not all seniors want to Many seniors are excited to see how they have reflect on how they were as freshmen. changed since freshman year. The Omniscient arranged “I thought I’d look back on it and see how much for Cohen and a few other seniors to see their letters I’ve changed, and I’ve changed a lot,” senior Stephanie early. Other seniors can see this change soon when Martinez said. “I have an idea of what I wrote and now Greenlee sends out her annual freshman letters. I feel stupid. I said some pretty dumb things.” “As a teacher, since I teach freshmen and juniors, I With how busy high school is, seniors can forget definitely see a change in those two years,” Greenlee that they even wrote letters to themselves. Students said. “Senior year is obviously the biggest change typically do not know what to expect. because it’s over for them, and they’re about to enter “Everyone changes a lot throughout high school the real world.” and I feel like it’s easier for other people to notice, but Greenlee, who has upheld the letter tradition for five when it’s yourself, that’s a bigger thing,” Cohen said. years, believes this is a good opportunity for students If seniors do decide to read their letters, most apto see how they have changed throughout high school. preciate the detail they included. “The first time I did it, I didn’t feel like some of “It was really sweet. It was a good reflection on my them took it too seriously, but I told them to put in as freshman year,” Cohen said. “I thought it was really much as they could,” Greenlee said. “Some of them well-written for a freshman.” just put a slip of paper in the envelope and there probRegardless of whether or not they want to read their ably wasn’t much on it, but other kids just wrote and own letters, seniors generally speak highly of the letter wrote and wrote and put little trinkets in it.” assignment. Senior Jake Chavez was pleased with the assign“I think [Greenlee] should keep doing this, and I ment his freshman year. recommend it for other English teachers as well,” said “I thought it was really interesting, and it showed senior Moli Eddins. “I think it’s a really good reflecthat she actually cared about her students and our high tion and it’s something really special… and it’s a really school experiences,” Chavez said. sweet token.” When freshmen write their letters, they often don’t Edwards has a piece of advice for all freshmen writanticipate how much it can mean to them later in life. ing the letters and seniors looking forward to reading Some don’t realize the impact until they are beyond their own. high school. “You’re going to change more in high school “As a senior [in high school], I realized how special than you think you are. If you think you’re not it could’ve been; I guess I didn’t realize that as a freshchanging, you’re wrong,” Edwards said. “I’ve man,” said Brandon Edwards, a former Northwood changed from my senior year of high school into student and current N.C. State freshman. “I wish I took college even. I’ve evolved.”
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SENIOR MOLI EDDINS opens her letter early.
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LGB
Highlighting a transgender student By Ally DeJong Editor-in-Chief “Today, for example, is a day where I feel terrible about my body and how I look. My dad made me go out with him and my mom and it was really frustrating trying to get dressed because I couldn’t find any clothes that didn’t look very feminine. I just didn’t want to leave the house at all looking like this.” For most of the population, waking up and figuring out what to wear is debatably the easiest part of the day. But according to The Williams Institute, there are 700,000 self-identified transgender individuals in the United States who struggle with this and more as part of their daily routine. A transgender individual is a person who feels as if their gender identity is different from the sex that was assigned to them at birth. Transgender is often referred to as an “umbrella term” which means it covers a category of related subjects. “I don’t really like being considered female. I mean that’s hard at school because I don’t look any different. Some days it makes me uncomfortable and other days it’s better,” said sophomore Alex, which is not their real name. “With me not associating with anything it leaves me kind of as nothing.” Alex is biologically female, but prefers to either side with the male gender or does not associate with a gender at all. When interviewed, Alex preferred to be referred to by the pronoun “they” rather than the binary “she” or “he.” “I’m agender, which means I don’t associate with any gender. Recently I have been confused, so it isn’t to the point where I’m gender fluid (a dynamic mix between a male and female). For me it is never strongly either way,” Alex said. Alex first thought about gender identity in the summer of 2013 because a close friend was dealing with being transgender. “I started thinking about it because I never really considered it before. It never came across to me that I could identify with something else. Once the idea came up, I seriously considered it,” Alex said. “It was really gradual, but once the idea got planted in my head, it went from there.” Since summer, the idea of being a different gender or no gender at all “hasn’t wavered.” Alex is only out as transgender to a few close friends and not any family members. “I don’t think [my family] would treat me that badly, but I don’t think they would agree with it. It will be really hard,” Alex said. “Since I don’t really like being seen as a girl, I might want to pass as either [gender] so people don’t misgender me. I was talking about short haircuts to get, and when I mentioned it to my mom, she made a face and was like, ‘Ew.’” Alex says that their close friends are supportive, but they are worried about how people will react in the future if they decide to come out as trans. “I think the worst thing is if someone refuses to acknowledge what I identify as. That really hasn’t happened to me yet because not many people know,” Alex said. “It is kind of weird sometimes because more recently [the feeling has] started being stronger for me, feeling like I’m in the wrong body.” Alex has a blog to portray their feelings and frequently uses the internet to meet people. “[Being trans] affects how I present myself, especially in written word or online,” Alex said. “When I sign up for a website and there are just male or female [options], I just don’t know [what to click]. If I choose female, I feel kind of uncomfortable, but if I choose male, people see me and they will be like, ‘Oh you’re not really a boy, you’re faking it.’” Alex identifies their sexual orientation as pansexual, and finds that dating and being interested in people becomes complicated. “[Being pansexual] is when you like people regardless of what gender they
are. They could be any gender: male, female or somewhere in between, whatever it is,” Alex said. “I think that [dating] would be an issue because a lot of people aren’t that accepting as it is. I think that if it got to the point where I was passing as a boy and then they found out I was a girl, they might freak out. I can’t and wouldn’t date anyone I wasn’t really close to at this point.” Verbal abuse, physical abuse, employment discrimination and housing discrimination are all repercussions transgender people have faced for being perceived as different. Although Alex has never attempted or thought about suicide, according to The Los Angeles Times, 41 percent of transgender or gender-nonconforming people have attempted suicide. Alex says that they have considered the possibility of having a sex reassignment surgery, getting hormone supplements and changing their voice to be more masculine when they get older. “[The future] will be better because I feel like I can’t do a lot of things [right now] because my parents don’t know who I am,” Alex said. Alex continues to stay true to who they are and believes anyone else in their situation should do the same. “Don’t let anybody tell you that who you are isn’t valid. Your identity is valid; it is what you identify as. You can’t let people tell you you’re something else based on your appearance,” Alex said. “You have to stick with [your beliefs] and know that is who you are. Just do what you can to get where you want to be.”
“Don’t let anybody tell you that who you are isn’t valid. Your identity is valid; it is what you identify as.”
— Illustration courtesy of Jordan Pollard
May 2014
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eel free to customize: Facebook adds new gender options
Glossary
By Ashlynn Davis & Meredith Norman Staff Writers
Transgender (Trans): People whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Agender: Someone who defines their gender as ‘other’ or apart from existing genders Gender Identity: A person’s individual sense of being male, female or something else. Because it is internal, one’s gender identity is not necessarily visible to others. Gender fluid (Genderqueer): Someone who feels as a mix between the two traditional genders. Gender Non-conforming: A term for individuals whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender. Sex Reassignment Surgery: Surgical procedures that change one’s body to better reflect a person’s gender identity. Pansexual: not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity. Non-binary: Gender identities that don’t fit within the accepted binary of male and female. —National Center for Transgender Equality
Facebook is taking measures to be more socially conscious. It already changes its features constantly to try and keep up with user interest, but a timely change Facebook made to its infrastructure allows users to identify their gender as choices outside of the gender binary of male and female. “Facebook is a place where you tell about yourself, and I think it’s important, if you’re comfortable with it, to have the option to explain yourself accurately,” an anonymous senior said. “Often I’ll get to a pull-down menu on a website sign-up page or a survey for school that says ‘male’ or ‘female’ and that’s it. I don’t really know what to click. I mean, I know what gender I was born as, but it kind of hurts when I click just one, since I’m so much more than a single category.” Facebook now allows users to choose from over 50 gender options as of Feb. 13. This change also allows Facebook users to choose from “him,” “her” or “they” pronouns. This decision was prompted by a generation of younger transgender identifying people requesting that they be able to properly state their gender to avoid confusion and criticism by peers. Facebook software engineers were advised by GLAAD, an organization concerned with the promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the media, while developing the list of gender options. Amidst celebration over the addition of new gender options, some were outraged over the change, believing that gender is strictly divided between male and female without differentiation beyond that of biologically based gender identifications. “What if you identify as a pine cone or a chicken or a weed whacker? Facebook doesn’t offer those options. But they do allow users to be gender fluid. I’m not sure what that is–but you might want to have a roll of paper towels handy–just in case,” Fox News radio reporter Todd Starnes posted via Facebook. Despite this criticism, others are optimistic about what this change could mean for educating people about nonconforming genders. “This change is great; it allows people of all gender orientations to feel that they are recognized and accepted,” an anonymous sophomore said. “It’s really educational for those who are unaware that there are more than two genders. Gender is more than that– gender is a full spectrum.” As an increasing amount of people begin to embrace transgender identities, it becomes more likely that social media platforms will begin to adapt to better recognize gender identities outside of standard gender norms. “I just want people to know that I’m not a myth. I’m here, and there are others like me,” the anonymous senior said. “Gender identity is something less talked about than sexuality, but it is just as important. Ignoring our existence won’t make us stop existing.”
Do you know what agender means? 42% said yes
58% said no
Do you know what gender fluid means?
66% said no
Do you think that being agender is a legitimate way to identify? 59% said no
41% said yes
Do you think that being gender fluid is a legitimate way to identify?
34% said yes
67% said no Approximately 140 random Northwood students were polled regarding these questions.
33% said yes
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May 2014
Living Life in the Shadows: What it’s like to be a younger sibling By Dana Walker Staff Writer
—Illustration courtesy of Valentina Moreno
and help him progress through his life. “Trying to not be a disappointment is one of the biggest challenges; trying to be something “I want people to look at me as me, not just that is unique and not just a repeat of what as Sierra Atwater 2.0, because I’m not that,” she has done,” Vohwinkle said. “It’s trying to junior John Atwater said. “I want to be acceptcompete with them and not fade away.” ed for me, not just as someone else’s shadow.” Both my sister and I have competitive Those who have older siblings know the natures, and while we don’t want to make it a pressures that come along with being the competition between us, I often feel like I’m younger sibling and being expected to live up on the losing side. Throughout life, not just to a high standard. with school, I feel like I am always one step “You can never live up to expectations that behind Erin and can never step ahead. everyone has of you. Even if you try your hardWhen entering high school, one disadest, it’s not as good as what your older sibling vantage of being the younger sibling is that did,” Atwater said. “You still have that sense teachers have high expectations based on the that you didn’t accomplish what you really accomplishments of the previous sibling. needed to, even though you did your best, and “They have that image already engraved in that’s the hard part.” their head. If they saw For me, being a youngher as a good student, “You can never live up to then I should try and er sibling myself, the pressure to be as accomplished expectations that everyone mirror that and follow as my sister has always footsteps,” said has of you. Even if you try her been a presence in my Vohwinkle when describyour hardest, it’s not as life. My sister, Erin, is five ing how some teachers years older than I am and expect him to be. good as what your older graduated in the top 10 of In my case, on the sibling did.” her class. She was a part of first day of high school, — John Atwater teachers recognized my many honor societies and clubs, was a Moreheadlast name and automatiCain Scholar nominee, was cally made the connecawarded several scholartion that I was Erin’s ships and attended UNC-Chapel Hill. This relittle sister; therefore, I was expected to make cord has hung above my head throughout high high grades like she did and be like her. While school, and I’ve struggled to try and equal or I have always made good grades in school and better it. While I, too, have joined many clubs, continue to strive for the highest mark I can been accepted into honor societies, and was a get, Erin always seemed to outshine me. Morehead-Cain nominee, I am wait-listed at Vohwinkle takes a positive approach to livUNC-Chapel Hill, and will not graduate in the ing in the shadow of an older sibling and tries top 10 like she did. to ignore the negatives. Atwater’s older sister, Sierra, graduated in “Just as a person and how I go about life, 2013 as salutatorian with a 4.9 GPA. She was treating other people and responsibilities yes, senior class president, a cheerleading cap[I want to be like her] because I believe she tain and was awarded the Chancellor Science has been a pretty good role model,” Vohwinkle Scholarship to UNC-Chapel Hill. For Atwater, said. trying his best is not always good enough, and Unlike Atwater, Vohwinkle often wishes he he doesn’t feel that he lives up to her stanhad been the first child. dards. “Often, I wish I was the first child, more “[My parents] compare my grades to what just the experiences coming first, it’s exciting Sierra’s grades were and if they aren’t up to the to take all that in first,” Vohwinkle said. “But standards that she has for me, then they aren’t it’s also nice being the younger one because good enough,” Atwater said. “They expect me she can give me tips on what she’s done, and I to leave high school as salutatorian with a 4.9 can learn from either her successes or misGPA but we are two different people, so it’s takes.” hard.” Senior softball player Morgan Oldham Although being the younger sibling comes has dealt with high expectations throughout with a lot of pressure, Atwater is thankful to be her life. Her older sister became a Division I the younger one. athlete at Elon University for softball, and Old“I can learn from the mistakes she made, ham will do the same in the fall of 2014. and become a better person than she was, that’s “[My parents] expect me to be a lot like what it’s all about, just learning and moving her and do the same things as her; sometimes on,” Atwater said. “You can develop your own it’s difficult,” Oldham said. “She’s someone to personality, your own work ethic and find look up to, but I feel like I’m constantly being things that work for you and not always your compared to her. The decisions I make, they older sibling.” always compare to the type of decisions she Senior Austin Vohwinkle shares similar had made.” feelings when it comes to living in the shadow “I don’t like being compared because we of an older sibling. His sister is two years aren’t the same person, and people sometimes older, but she has always been there to guide don’t understand that,” Oldham said.
May 2014
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The Omniscient
Gay students win prom court By Frances Beroset Staff Writer
Prom has been an important rite of passage for public school teenagers since the beginning of the 20th century. Central to the event are the elections of Prom King and Prom Queen. This year, the prom court winners were Jeremiah Smith and Mason Crites, two openly gay seniors. “They always announce prom king first, because nobody cares about prom king; it’s prom queen they care about,” Smith said. “[After they called my name], it was really loud all of a sudden, everyone was [cheering].” Crites said that she initially hoped to compete for Prom King because she wanted to increase visibility for LGBT students. “I really wanted to be Prom King, and I got many people to nominate me for Prom King, but [science teacher Cari Christopherson] thought that it wouldn’t be fair for a female to win Prom King, and after hearing that, I agreed and I was fine with it,” Crites said. “But I still really wanted to be Prom King.” After Smith was presented the crown for Prom King and Crites was presented the tiara for Prom Queen, the pair did something unorthodox. “We took our crowns off and we switched. Everyone went crazy,” Crites said. “It felt great to be a part of that. It felt great to be able to make a change in the school, and it just seems like a step in the
right direction.” Smith and Crites said that they were surprised by the reactions of their peers after winning. “A lot of straight guys came up to me that I had never expected to congratulate me or even talk to me at all. They were like, ‘Congratulations, man,’ and [shook] my hand,” Smith said. Crites said that she felt as though winning prom court marked a change for the school. “After [winning prom court], people who I never thought had accepted me for who I am, after winning, came up to me and they were hugging me, saying ‘Congratulations, that was so amazing,’” Crites said. “I mean, people had tears in their eyes.” The win, for Smith, sets Northwood apart from other rural high schools. “I think it’s great that we were able to do that and didn’t think that we would get in trouble for it. I think it says that Northwood is a more open place for students. It’s more accepting here,” Smith said. “I know my situation could be a lot worse.” Crites said she believed two gay students could not have won Prom Court in past years at Northwood. “I’m extremely proud of Northwood. I never thought this would happen. I mean, just last semester, [I would walk] the halls getting called a faggot and a queer, and it boils my blood,” Crites said. “I am gay, and I am proud to be gay, and I’m terribly proud of Northwood for coming back and making this huge change.”
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o r S: Ni k n E S a
“A good senior prank would be something that kids are going to talk about for the next 10 years, that people are always going to try to one up and beat,” senior Manon MacAllister said. “[The] class of 2014 needs to go big or go home; we need to leave our mark on Northwood and leave the classes talking about it.” As the school year comes to a close, seniors count down to graduation. The idea of a senior prank has crossed the minds of past Northwood students and a few senior pranks at Northwood have been quite notorious. “Four students came in with rock climbing gear and scaled the building and put [traffic] cones in the courtyard,” testing coordinator and instructional coach Kim-Marie Hall said. “They had night vision goggles on, they were serious. There were probably 300 plus cones because they had been [hiding] them all year long.” Carpentry teacher Dave Pendergrast has also seen unforgettable senior pranks over the past 34 years of teaching. “One of the most memorable [pranks] was driving around the school and seeing the school bus in the middle of the driveway, and seeing all of the cafeteria tables stacked on top of the bus and on top of the school,” Pendergrast said. Head custodian James Harris recalls the same experience. “They were dressed up like little ninjas and they came over here with ropes,” Harris said. “They even set flowers on the [cafeteria] tables all the way from the bus lobby to the roof. That’s the most exciting prank that I’ve seen at this school.” Although senior pranks are usually created with
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good intentions, some do not always turn out that way. A few years ago, a water balloon fight started in the middle of the hallway during school. It was posted on YouTube and was in the News & Observer. This was one of the most famous pranks at Northwood. “The water balloon fight was dangerous. Kids had water balloons and started throwing them in the building. Things got crazy and out of hand; nobody got hurt, but a lot of people got mad,” Hall said. Seniors involved with the start of the water balloon fight had to do community service hours to be able to walk at graduation. Those who chose not to were not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony. Other pranks like this have had similar consequences. “We’ve had pranks before where nobody got hurt but it wasn’t fun,” assistant teacher and football coach Brian Harrington said. “They super glued the door locks. Kids could not get into the school so it cost the school a lot of money to fix all the locks…. There’s a difference between a prank and a crime.” After power washing the glue out of the locks, the seniors were caught and charged for defacing school property. The seniors had to do community service hours and pay to replace the locks. Seniors must be aware that school policies still apply for senior pranks. “If something is done, you have to be extremely careful that you’re not interfering with any day to day school operations, you’re not damaging any property, you’re not violating any fire codes, and to know if you’re doing that or not takes a tremendous amount of research,” principal Justin Bartholomew said. Harrington agrees that there is a fine line between making a joke and breaking the law. “As an employee of Chatham County Schools, I do not promote doing a senior prank. If [seniors] do one it should be tasteful,” Harrington said. “[Seniors] should remember safety first and that you’re supposed to get a laugh out of it.”
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Kenya Lee
A Senior Prank Can Not: • Interfere with the school day • Damage property • Violate fire codes • Put students or teachers in any harm Taylor Maloch/The Omniscient
PAST PRANKS have put seniors in jeopardy for graduation.
Taylor Maloch/The Omniscient
Class of 2014 Last Will and Testaments
I, Tyeshia Baldwin, being of sound mind and sexy body, do hereby leave Shontai Totten and Eboni Watson captains of the basketball team. Ball out, ball is life. Remember away games, warm-ups and home games, DRESS UP! Be leaders and lead the Lady Chargers to victory. To my little sister Kristain Eanes always be the $300 player and play your heart out every game. To my bench buddy/ Upward Bound buddy, Jazmine Atkins, I leave you all the funny moments and laughs we had and also the disputes we had. LOL. To Maya, my partner in crime, be strong and be smart, same to you Jasmyne. Make good decisions, girls. To the bae, I leave you my smiles and hugs. She knows who she is. I leave Imoh and Nitrel leaders of track and kick butt. I leave E dub my awesome lay-ups and my swag. I leave Ti Pinnix my defense. I leave the partying and the wild nights to Darius Horton, Hiquan Cole, Kadarus Rone, Elijah Washington, Cousin D Cole and Ti Pinnix. Y’all boys take care of my brother next year, if anything happens, I’m coming for heads. I, Allory Bors, being of a mind and a body hereby leave all my pink starbursts to Arlo Estill and the ability to escape encounters with snakes to Eric Franklin. I leave dope poetry powers to Brandon Kelly and all the lovely people of Creative Writing Club. I leave infinite amounts of Sour Patch Kids and conducting patterns to Hudson Moore. To Mr. Story I leave all the funny quotes from class. To Jeffery Duncan, my Gandhi, I leave the last Skittle in the pack. To you know who you are, I leave a glare. I’m watching, always watching. I leave my parking spot and all my love to Isabel Bors. And to Northwood I leave an open mind and hope that you will continue to grow into something even more beautiful than you already are. I, Sam Cahoon, being of sound mind and sound body, do hereby leave a message. Listen to what your teachers
say, and school will seem so much easier. Also, do your work always! I, James Calhoun, being of opinionated mind and beautiful (like stunning) body, do hereby leave my Northwoodly possessions and memories to those who deserve them. To Mark Almes, I leave my ability to shank any golf shot and my exquisite sense of humor and good looks. To Emma Hollar, the gift of singing one line loudly in class and my off-the-charts intelligence so you can get into a college. To Dylan Jarmon, my tremendous athletic ability and volleyball skills, along with luck so you can start doing well in your classes. Ms. Bazzari, I leave you the ability to recover after losing your favorite student. It will be hard, but I believe in you. To Coach Hall, I leave the knowledge that maybe, someday, a student with my prestigious strength will come along. I leave Ms. Clark my love for DECA and the ability to find a replacement for me. To Mrs. Freeman I leave my love for the environment and knowing that if you aren’t fracking, you’re slacking. To all future students of Northwood, I leave the awe-inspiring knowledge that James Calhoun once roamed these halls. I, Jessica Clayton, being of dope mind and Raleighbound body, leave thug life and ability to make good grades without even trying to Tayla T. I also give you the strength to make it through another crappy year at Northwood without me. Hurry up and graduate so you can be Raleigh bound too. To Mr. Morgan, I leave the hope that future classes will be as awesome as our seniors, but let’s face it, we’re irreplaceable. To Ms. Thornhill, I leave the ability to cope with annoying underclassmen and the ability to make her students appreciate literature as much as you made me enjoy it. To Northwood, goodbye and good riddance. I, Courtney Cleveland, being of hopeful mind and
Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook
tired body, do hereby leave those students who remain the ability to tolerate the scheduling system. I leave my title in the arts wing to Jordan, may she see many more days there. I leave Vanessa my “Lord of the Rings Fan” status and reputation. I leave the remaining members of color guard my talent, and with it, luck to find new members. To the marching band, I leave my memories of practice and competition, and memories and love for Joe. To future honors French students, I leave what luck and talent I’ve scraped up. Most of all, I leave Meredith my patience, encouragement, hope for the future of The Prince and his Cat and many, many drawings. I, Madison Cohen, being of withered mind and strong body, do hereby leave my ability to work, pass honors and AP classes, play school sports, go pee in every class, sleep and find a parking place right as the bell rings and make it to class on time to Katelyn Cohen. I leave the Cohen legacy at Northwood High School to DeLisa Cohen as I continue her legacy at UNC-W. I leave all of the Northwood cheerleaders the best of luck and patience, I’ll see you all at camp! I leave my spot on Varsity to Emma Hollar, Cali Powell, Tegan Williams, Allie Harrington, Claire Dufour and Marissa Stephenson. I leave all of my bows to Allie Harrington, and my “gym teacher” outfit to Emma Hollar. I leave my cartwheel-forward-roll to anyone who will take it! And my white girl cornrows and twerking ability to Marissa Stephenson. To all of the dancers, I leave you with all of the memories we have shared. Northwood weightlifting and my 200 lb. squat max is left to Shontai Totten, may you continuously out max me and keep weightlifting standards high! I leave overpriced bad movies and Linda at CPK to Nolan Brown, keep Linda in check! I leave all of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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May 2014
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
Senior Columns
Back to the Bottom of the Food Chain It’s been fun
Ally DeJong
When I moved here in sixth grade from Apex, I never realized how much I would grow to love the little town of Pittsboro. I was an angry little girl with a huge attitude problem that needed a reality check, and on occasion that little girl still shines through today. I attended Horton Middle School, but before I went, I “shadowed” a student for a day when I was in fifth grade. Little did I know this girl that I shadowed for a day would live just three minutes from my house and remain my best friend throughout the years. I’m pleased to say that she will be at Appalachian State University with me next fall. In seventh grade, I met a young boy who has had a strong, unforgettable impact on my life and has shaped me in multiple ways. He has shown me a lot and I know that our friendship won’t end in the halls of Northwood High School. One day we will look back and laugh at how dramatic we both were. But for now, thank you. Nothing has hit me to the point where this all seems real. I still haven’t grasped the idea that my days of playing club and high school soccer are over, that I won’t be living at home anymore and that my days in Mr. Morgan’s journalism class are numbered. I
have never wanted to hold on and let go of something at the same time so much. Taking journalism since sophomore year and becoming the Editor-in-Chief has helped me grow as a writer and an individual. When I cover sensitive topics like teenage pregnancy, someone battling an eating disorder or another person struggling with their sexual orientation, it makes me look at things in a different perspective. I have learned that you should treat everyone with kindness and have an open mind, because we all have our own problems and inner demons we deal with everyday. Northwood has many great teachers, but I’m very thankful to Mr. Morgan (Mo) for putting up with me and for everything he has done for me. Even though we have our differences and I make you pace a lot, I have enjoyed every second of your class and if it were anyone else, it wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable. I would like to say to all the underclassmen: you have to be here. Go ahead and stop complaining about it on the social media sites and stop dreading waking up the next morning. A lot of the little things we worry about won’t matter next month or even a week from now. You have to be here, so why not make the most of it? Yes, there will be plenty of things you don’t like and don’t want to do, but before you know it, you’re waking up for your graduation with a lot of things you wish you had done. I didn’t realize how true it was until now: Don’t blink, because you might miss it.
Ready to Move On
The adequate four years of my life Tori Nothnagel
They say high school is the best four years of your life. I sure hope not. While I’ve had fun in high school and senior year has been my best year of school yet, I would hope that this isn’t anyone’s best years of their lives. High school is the time where we grow the most, learn about ourselves and gain independence, but this is just a stepping stone, and we’re about to start our lives on our own in three months. We come into high school as scrawny little kids, thinking we’ll be friends with our friends from middle school forever. I can tell you I have about three of the same friends I have from middle school. And to be honest,
I think I’ll only stay in contact with about two people from high school, which is scary. The people in our class and at this school are the ones who have made us and shaped us into the people we are now. I’ve grown up with a lot of these people since I was five in pre-K at North Chatham, and I probably won’t see them again after I go to Appalachian. The only thing I regret about high school are the friendships I developed late in high school. I’ve made some great friends this year and I wish I had made these friendships earlier in high school. One thing I learned during high school is that all we are guaranteed is now. Don’t pass up opportunities, and learn to let things go. One thing that could ruin your experience in high school is holding grudges and realizing as you graduate that you didn’t really accomplish anything. Make the most of what you’re given here and soon you’ll be in my shoes.
College Experience on Hold
Starting off small before moving on to bigger and better things
Taylor Maloch
I never thought I would live to see the day: I’m finally a senior. After four years of making good memories, I also have regrets that I wish I had known the consequences. I didn’t take high school seriously until my junior year, when college was right around the corner. I worked as hard as I could, studying and trying to make straight A’s to get my GPA up. I figured out what I wanted to major in and dreamed about going to UNC-Wilmington. When the beginning of senior year rolled around, I applied, but did not get accepted. It was devastating because I wanted to go badly, but if I put as much effort in my junior year during all four years of high school, I might have been accepted. The choices you make starting from freshman year can affect the rest of your life. If I actually studied instead of doing whatever I wanted my first two years of high school, I could be attending UNC-W in the fall. I know school was the last thing
on my mind when I was a freshman, but if I could go back, I would definitely change that about myself. I ended up with one option if I still wanted to go to Wilmington. So I applied to Wake Tech and plan on attending for a year, then hopefully transferring to UNC-W my sophomore year. This means I will be at home for one more year. It’s good and bad because I can stay with my family and save a little bit of money, but I was ready to move away. Classmates talk about their roommates, their dorms and show off their new school colors. While most of my graduating class will be starting a new life and living in a new place, my new start will be on hold. Even though I am going to college next year, for me, community college is not as exciting as a university. My advice to everyone stuck at Northwood for the next few years: make sure you give 110 percent of your effort. I know it feels like the tests and projects and essays will never end, but do your best at everything. When your senior year comes and you truly did your best, you will get into that college you dreamed about. Everything will be worth it when you receive that acceptance letter, and aren’t stuck with one option.
Northwood to Raleigh I’m ready for a change
Jessica Clayton If you know me, it is not a secret that I am not the biggest fan of Northwood or the quaint town of Pittsboro; but it led me to become the person I am now, and I’m thankful for that. I am a product of the experiences and decisions I’ve made, especially throughout high school. High school is in fact a defining factor of your life and it is an important stage in your life. You meet people and you experience things, whether it be negative or positive, that affect you and shape who you are. You begin to learn about yourself and the world around you. You absorb information and build yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily believe that high school defines you and you stay the same person forever, but the four years you spend there plays a big part in self-discovery, likes, dislikes, what you want in life and the people who truly matter to you
versus the people who will do you harm. You learn a lot of information that is essential to living in the real world. My teachers, friends and my environment all have contributed to where I am going and who I am. I haven’t gotten along with every single teacher I’ve had or every single person I’ve met, but they have all influenced my journey in some way. I’ve learned so much along the way, and not just from the books. It hasn’t always been the easiest journey, and the road has been rocky, but I have honestly enjoyed every minute of it because I love the person I am now and it’s all thanks to where I have been. I’ve learned that I can appreciate the knowledge I’ve gained without loving every subject. I can appreciate places I’ve been and how they have shaped me without loving where I stay. I can appreciate people without loving everyone. Sometimes leaving places and people will make you respect them so much more, and I’m hoping that will happen to me. So, I thank you, Northwood, Pittsboro, and everyone for contributing to the person I am today; I couldn’t have done it without you.
May 2014
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
Carolina Struggle: Dreams Deferred Dana Walker
The first words I saw were “I’m sorry…” I had been deferred for early admission to UNC-Chapel Hill. Now I know it wasn’t a denial, but of course, it isn’t the answer anyone applying would want to hear. UNC was not my top choice until senior year. But when Northwood nominated me for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship, I realized that I had a chance of getting in, and that it actually was my “dream school.” I remember the day I found out. I was at home by myself lying on the couch, scrolling through my phone when I started to see the excited tweets and Instagram pictures showing acceptance letters from UNC. My heart was pounding, and I was sweating and becoming really nervous to check my email. I kept trying to log in and check my MyCarolina, but it wasn’t loading. Finally, after getting on my laptop, the website loaded and tears instantly flooded out after reading the decision. A deferred admissions decision means that the school needs more time and more information about the performance of the
student during the school year, and also needs to look at the regular admissions applicant pool in order to make the final decision. They told me that I would find out at the end of March, which was two months away. I’ve never had much patience and it’s hard for me to wait, especially when it’s about decisions that could affect my future, so finding out I would have to wait even longer was really difficult for me. I had gotten into N.C. State, UNCCharlotte and App State, so it was nice to know that I had choices; however, this year UNC really became the school I wanted and the place I wanted to begin my future. I told myself that it was beyond my control; the only thing I could do was to send in my fall semester grades and be optimistic, but realistic, as well. My older sister graduated from UNC last spring, and my family has a total of eight degrees from Carolina. I’ve lived in Chapel Hill all my life, and UNC’s campus is where I grew up, from summer camps to spending days with my mom at work. It was getting near the end of March, and I had heard rumors we would find out the decision on the 29th, which was prom, so I was praying we wouldn’t. This time I was at musical rehearsal on the Friday before prom when my phone started vibrating and my old roommate from a summer camp had texted me saying she was denied. I
didn’t want to check at that moment, but I let the pressure and anxiety get to me, and I checked my MyCarolina for the second time. This time, I was waitlisted. Finding out for the second time that I still had no final decision from my top choice of schools was so aggravating and upsetting that I can’t describe the emotion and struggle I felt. It wasn’t a denial though, and I was still in the running for being accepted. I was told that the latest I would find out is June 30, which is basically July and only a month before college move-in day in August. Now I had to wait even more while all of my friends were finding roommates and buying college apparel. When you’re waitlisted, there is no further information that you send in. The admissions committee waits until May 1 and the deadline for students to confirm whether they’re attending the school or not, and then the committee starts to look at all of the applications from the waitlist. You are asked to put a deposit down at another college in case you don’t get into UNC, which is a very likely scenario. At UNC, there is no ranking on the waitlist until after May 1, and how many people they let in changes every year, so I honestly have no idea of my chances. They did include a chart of statistics that showed over the past three years, the acceptance rates of North Carolina students on the waiting list, ranged
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from 13 percent to 39 percent. Being waitlisted caused me to think about all the situations I put myself in throughout high school where I could have worked a little harder. Instead of slacking off in some classes and going to hang out rather than staying in to study, I could have made a different decision and then be making higher grades. I could have joined more clubs and tried more. This experience has caused me to think more about everything I didn’t do and everything at which I didn’t succeed, rather than appreciating what I have achieved. I know that’s not the best way to think about it, and that I will get past it, but it is good to think about it in the sense of not repeating the same mistakes. One of the hardest parts is that I never thought that this is how my senior year would end up. I always thought I would find out in January and be committed to a school by second semester and be able to fully commit to the next chapter in my life. I’ve read that this year was the hardest application year throughout the U.S. for seniors. The top universities have been cutting their acceptance rates by large percentages because of how many students apply. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and whatever happens will be for the best no matter where I end up. I’ve had a successful and enjoyable high school career, and I look forward to starting my future wherever that may be.
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The Omniscient: Senior Issue CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
my gummy snacks and Barbie dolls to Kyndal Hutchinson. I leave Mr. Sandel all of the gifts I have given him during psychology. I leave all of the Northwood teachers my patience in dealing with freshmen; we could all use a little extra patience! And last, to all of the underclassmen I leave snow days! Have fun; I’ll be at the beach! I, Sage Corzine, being of crystalline mind and mummified body, do hereby leave Rachel Wood my lucky brain in the hope that she may live long and prosper. I leave Zoe all the power and the glory, and the kingdom so she can reign as a goddess of destruction. To the Northwood Quizbowl team I leave all my love. I leave Tristan a Korean calligraphy sylladex and my brother Giles my swag. I, Mikaela Crutchfield, being of stressed mind and exhausted body, do hereby leave my sincere regards to all the people I scared in the parking lot by turning my car on. Also, I’d like to say peace out! Ya girl is leaving! ‘Merica. I, Ally DeJong, being of ineffable mind and “cake” body, do hereby leave the soccer team with my dance moves, my mouth and my best of wishes. I leave my #7 Varsity soccer jersey to the one and only Jamie Palermo. I leave Jessica Kolomichuk all my optimism and excitement for the future. I leave my sarcastic remarks at student council meetings to Hannah Coffee, Emma Hollar and Ellie Frost. I leave my cake to Hunter (Cheeky) Queen and my speed on the road to Michael Queen because he won’t ever beat me in a race without it. I leave Arlo Estill all the delicious peppers, chocolate covered strawberries and
pancakes in the world, I’ll miss you. I leave my precious newspaper in the hands of the next Editor-in-Chief who tries to make an attempt to be better than I was. I leave Mr. Morgan my smiling face and humble attitude. (Thank you for everything.) I leave the sweet John Dunning with all the support he needs, whether it is in wrestling, football, the newspaper or anything he chooses to pursue. To the rest of the student body, I leave you with as great of a high school experience as I had. I, Samantha Droese, being of excited mind and tired body, do hereby leave all Northwood students the ability to stay awake all night doing homework, rush to school in the morning, get stuck at the traffic light and still get to class on time. To Buff Hart I leave my amazing dance abilities and the ability to find another hair stylist to work magic on your weave everyday. To Alexa Bernard I leave my senior captain spot on the softball team, and wish her the best of luck in her senior year of high school. To Mckenzie Allgood I leave my calmness in tricky situations. To Nadeem Sbaiti I leave the ability to be quiet and not talk reckless all the time. To the outfielders on the softball team I leave my dad and the ability to understand his not-so-funny jokes. To the whole softball team I leave the best of luck on a successful season and the crazy group messages. Lastly, I leave all the DECA kids all of the amazing memories, great opportunities and the best of luck in competitions. I, Jacob Friedman, being of patriotic mind and presidential body, do hereby leave the students of Northwood High School with guaranteed political offices in my 2036
May 2014 presidential cabinet. To all of my amazing DECA friends, I leave you the Federal Kerry-Finding Committee (FKFC). I also officially authorize all of those in DECA to call Mrs. Clark by the name AC$. I appoint TJ Oleson to The Man Committee (TMC), because he is the man. I appoint Eli Emerick as the head of the Patriotic Salute Committee (PSC) as well as the Hermann Appreciation Committee (HAC). To my numerous student council friends, I leave you all guaranteed spots in the Ice Breaker Committee (IBC). I appoint Mrs. Hayden to the head of the Alexander Hamilton Rap Committee (The AHRC is a top-priority committee). To Ms. Bazzari, I appoint you to the Rhetorical Analysis Committee (RAC) as well as the Chupacabra Hunting Committee (CHC). I appoint Josh Conger to the esteemed Honors Squad Committee (HSC). To my friends in Career Management, I leave you all guaranteed positions in the Career Management Committee (CMC), a committee in which you will needlessly ponder your career while technically already having a well-paid career. To the lacrosse team and the cross-country team, I leave you good luck for your next season. To Mr. Thompson, I leave you a world-class writing team, the Quill. To Kaitlyn Jones, I leave my prized job at American Eagle, the best eaglethemed retailer on the planet. To Jared Worley, I leave the legacy of “The Dream Team.” You must recruit new members immediately. To Ben Cross, I leave hangar space. To Nadeem Sbaiti, I leave you to inherit my DECA fortune, including all of my DECA dollars and my unbreakable bond with the state officers. To my political advisor Mr.
Look How They’ve Ryan Millis
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Zafer Estill
Manon MacAllister
Kim Crump
Cody Farrell
May 2014
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The Omniscient: Senior Issue
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
Thibault, I leave you one of my campaign posters to be placed on the wall of fame in your room (don’t sell it until it’s worth at least $10,000). To Mrs. Freeman, I leave you to your Russian Calendar or “Periodic Table,” as you like to call it. I leave Mrs. Schwichtenberg with the power of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Mrs. Pendergrast, I hope you get that ghost out of your truck. To Joe Friedman, I leave you the Friedman legacy and the best of luck as you move to your sophomore year of high school. I am confident you will do great things. Finally, to every single friend, student, teacher, coach, advisor, administrator and fellow American who has made my high school experience incredible, I say thank you. I truly believe that Northwood is a great school, not because of our laptops, not because of our football field, not because of our test scores, but because of the people. I, Katie Goodrich, being of insanely awesome mind and really rad body, do hereby leave Ashlynn Davis, Meredith Norman and Jordan Pollard my army of Lolais. And no chocolate. I, Jennifer Greenlee, being of burned-out mind and weary body, do hereby leave my talent of efficiently cutting the cross-country trail without getting caught to Buff Hart. To Maria Reichle I leave my parking lot deep conversations. To my little brother Jesse, I leave my mom, keep an eye on her bud! And finally to my loving mother, Mrs. Greenlee, I leave nothing but a sigh of relief and lack of teachers complaining about your daughter. I, Jasmine Courtney Nikole Harris, being of sound mind and healthy body, do hereby leave Alexis Hollis, Brittany Blake and Bryn Aydt my spot that I stand at everyday after the class period ends. To my Lady Chargers, I will miss each and every one of you girls. Eboni and Shontai, it’s your turn to lead the team, so girls listen to them. I leave my basketball jersey to Taylor Roberson, even though you told me that you were not playing again,
I’ve always wanted to leave my jersey to you. To Cameron Burnette, I leave my volleyball jersey. To the volleyball team I wish you guys the best of luck, as Coach Smith would say: (BUMP, SET, TERMINATE). I leave my captian spot to Alexa Bernard. To Kristan Eanes and Jazanae Billings, I leave all the gospel songs that we sung before and after every volleyball game. Ms. Smith and Ms. Norwood, thanks so much for teaching me how to dance, I will definitely miss getting a sticker every Friday after class. Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook I, Hannah Holloway, being of SENIORS Garret Cotten, Jose Hernandez, Gabriella Vasquez, Nija happy mind and ready-to-graduate Burnette, Tyeshia Baldwin, Leah Perry and Kayla Perry pose outside. body, do hereby leave my brother, room, and I know you will be an amazing leader for Art Sam Holloway, all the luck in the Club. To the Varsity Soccer team, I leave you a giant piece world throughout high school. I leave my parking spot to of cake, good luck next year! I leave my defending ability my sweet baboo, Cade MacAllister. To the Varsity Tennis to Ellie Saksa and Chloe Gruesbeck, I know you two will team, I leave you all the laughs we shared with Coach K make me proud! To Jamie Palermo, I leave my ability to during practice (HOO HA!) and wish you the best of luck next year! To Coach K, I leave you my ability to be kind to smile no matter what. To all my friends graduating with the class of 2014 this year, congratulations and come visit me freshman, don’t have too much fun without me next year! in Indiana! To Catherine McDiarmid, I leave my sense of humor and I, Lindsey Holloway, being of sound mind and exmy laugh. To Taylor Roberson, I leave you my dancing hausted body, do hereby leave all my wonderful memories ability, even though you should not accept this since you to every future Northwood student. The four, stressful are already such an amazing dancer. To my Dance I class, years fly by before you even realize what has happened. I leave you all the great memories we shared together, and Make the most of high school by surrounding yourself encourage you all to keep dancing. To Ian Webster, I leave with irreplaceable friends and finding a way to get through you my ability to pass all your classes your senior year. To the final months until summer. To Kat McDiarmid, I leave Nadeem Sbaiti, I leave you my work ethic in classes like Sports Marketing. To Elise Crawford, I leave you my ever- you the ability to make eye contact. To Allyson Blake, I leave you many sweatbands and jokes on the tennis courts. lasting love for cats and love for food. To Emma Caison, I Emma Hollar, I leave you the chemical formula for water, leave you with that time Coach K stuffed a cupcake in his face. To Hunter Koch, I leave all the art supplies in the art CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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Page 6
May 2014
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
Printer
101
Things to bring Clothes Hangers for
Flip Flops
for the shared showers.
Quarters for laundry.
Water Filter to clean the sink water.
— Compiled by Tori Nothnagel
Mini Fridge for all the snacks.
all the clothes you have to pack in.
Calendar or Clothes based Board to keep track on the weather
for where you’re going.
of your schedule.
Mattress Pad for those Power Strip uncomfortable college beds.
Ashley Clark Courtney Cleveland Kenya Craven Alisha Gardner Robert Gibson Kristen Goodwin Aaron Jones Wyatt Kellman Hailey Lawrence Teniger Lee Joshua Lyman Brittany McDaniel Morgan McIntosh Amanda Morris Erica Najera Blair Schemmer Destiny Scott
for the limited outlets.
Class of 2014
Victoria Christian Allison DeJong Gabriel Duff Robert Hamlet Zack Higgins Josh Kaegi Shelby Kremer Courtney Lineman Lauren Merrill Ryan Millis Tori Nothnagel Hailey Pister Dana Walker
Daniel Cotton Evan Darden Courtney Estes Jennifer Greenlee Chelsea Korynta Alex McLaurin Mariah Morrow Shelton Moser Morgan Nunn Kelsey O’Daniel Danielle Santos Jeremiah Smith
Kimberleigh Crump Marlene Gutierrez Allie Ray
Fernando Guzman Cody Norris Daisy Rodriguez Devonte Sellars
Jacob Marlowe Daniel Marro Mikayla Pendergraph Natashya Penley Jordyn Rennox
Jabari Dark Breanna Leach
Jake Chavez Garrett Cotton Melanie Edwards Jose Hernandez Yasmine Malik Stephanie Martinez Taylor Mason Lane Poag Tori Poole Evan Seagroves Valeria Villanueva
Cameron Bright Jessica Clayton Nicole Croutwater Waverly Logan James London Manon MacAllister Kayla Perry Tyler Stone Austin Vohwinkel Alex Watkins
Cody Farrell Clay Smith Mark Stoneman Christopher Thorne Jordan Tingen
Nathan Campbell Savannah Castor Madison Cohen Tyler Distasio Rebecca Gilbert Leah Perry Thomas Reynolds William Riggsbee
Kirsten Coleman Morgan Oldham
Allory Bors Jacob Friedman Alex Gorry Jeremiah Hartsock Lindsey Holloway Kenya Lee Madison Ponder Cameron Terrell
Nija Burnette Wesley Meyer Caitlin Murphy Erin Nelson Lindsay Sanders Jacob Smith Jack Teague Holly Thomas Gabriela Vasquez Tyler White
These are the top schools seniors reported to The Omniscient. Not everyone reported and not everyone is represented.
May 2014
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The Omniscient: Senior Issue
Advice for Incoming Freshmen
“Get to know your professors early because they possess endless connections that can help you at every stage of your college career!” — Sierra Atwater, Fr. at UNC-CH “My biggest advice would be to get involved! It allows you to meet people who have the same interests as you. Find new things to go beyond your comfort zone. When I was a senior, I sat down and had a conversation with Mr. Little [a former Northwood social studies teacher] and he told me that when I go to college, ‘Whatever is good for you now, will be good for you in college. On the other hand, whatever is bad for you now will be bad for you in college.’ That has stuck with me to this day and is some of the best advice I could’ve gotten going into college.” — Landis Barber, So. at UNC-C
“Getting involved really allows you to get involved with the college experience. Also you have a lot of freedom so you have to be proactive with your work. Enjoy it!” — Ebone Rhodes, Fr. at UNC-C “Learn time management and get used to finals! Also, go to class.” — Yancey Luft, So. at Appalachian State
“Stay balanced. College is fun for numerous reasons and they all deserve your time. Just as you shouldn’t work 24/7, you shouldn’t play 24/7 either. Study what you love but think about where you want to end up. Make your major work for you and plan for where you want to be! Get involved in your community. Take a dance class, volunteer or just get a job. You’ll understand the place much better. Don’t forget who’s helping you to have this amazing experience and say thank you by always doing your best. Saying thank you literally doesn’t hurt either.” — Lindsey Buckingham, 2002 NHS Alumni, 2014 UNC-CH Med. School graduate
“Find out about all the different organizations on campus. Colleges offer a lot of different extracurricular activities and clubs. As a freshman in a new place, not knowing anyone, I found that branching out and trying new things at various clubs really helped me connect with people. I attended a freshman orientation with an outdoors group at UNC-Asheville. Some of my best and dearest friends are people I met at that orientation. If I hadn’t branched out and tried new things, I wouldn’t have met any of them! It was intimidating at first, but I’m so glad I connected with that on-campus organization.” — Leslie Klein, NHS 2002 Alumni, 2006 UNC-A graduate
Dorm Room DIY Dry Erase Calendar Key Holder What you’ll need:
What you’ll need:
•Picture frame with glass (I used a 13x17 in. frame) •Paint samples (you’ll want different colors; I used four) •Tape
•A small wooden picture frame (mine was 6x8) •Three small screw-in hooks •Spray paint (optional)
*You may use a plain poster board as a background if you don’t want to put it directly on the backing of the frame.
What to do: •Measure out the dimensions of both the paint samples and the picture frame. •A regular calendar has 35 squares that are lined up seven squares by five squares, so I figured out what size the paint chips would have to be in order to fit into the frame (*They all need to be the same size*). •Next, I simply taped the pieces onto the back of the frame in the pattern I wanted. •Next, I just put the frame back together and voila! Now you have a dry erase calendar.
What to do:
•Determine where you will place your hooks on the frame. •Screw hooks into the wood. •If you want, spray paint the frame with whatever color/colors you desire.
— DIYs and pictures by Rachel Sipe
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Page 8
The Omniscient: Senior Issue CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
H2O, and my Carolina acceptance because I want to see you there next year! To Mathew Kremer, I leave the game of Pictionary. To Dylan Jarmon, I leave my calculator because you always lose yours. To Ms. Bazzari, I leave the joy of James Calhoun being gone. To Ms. Freeman, I leave my AP Chemistry grade and countless jokes and much laughter. I leave my teachers ridiculous amounts of homework, hard tests and my utmost gratitude for answering all my questions and supporting me. I leave lots of luck and many prayers so every student will be able to survive their four years at Northwood. I, Chelsea Korynta, being of bitter mind and very weary body, do hereby leave the NHS Marching Chargers an all-superior band season for many years to come. Don’t let me down, I’ll be around checking up on you! To Anne Barone, I leave a red cat, a yellow cat, a baguette and Jan. 19, 1992. I’ll be visiting you (obviously)—stay fantastic and sane without me. To the ladies of Pitch Please, I leave good luck, good memories and an in-tune next few years. To Kyndal Fire, I leave an equally awesome lab partner—good luck finding one! To Rhea Patterson, I leave my vocalist slot in the jazz band—and to Tyler Tyson, my alto sax slot. Play/sing well and don’t be afraid to make really loud mistakes! To my little bro Austin Korynta, I leave enough cynicism and a good head on your shoulders to survive the next three years of high school. You’ll do fine without me! To the NHS Acting Ensemble, I leave good times and stellar performances. To Ms. Gahagen, I leave an awesome future at Northwood High School and two students to annoy you as much as Jeremiah and I did. Finally, to the Inklings, I leave a lack of writer’s block and a surplus of inspiration and drive to keep writing fantastic words. I, Emma Nichole Korynta, being of curious mind and pretty weak body, do hereby leave my ideas for Pitch
Please songs to Katie Robbins, my undying stress and my enthusiasm during Student Council meetings to Frances Beroset, car rides full of Backstreet Boys and Passion Pit songs to Cassidy Welge, my overreactions and ugly snapchats to Ali Knowles, “dookie” to Kaitlyn Jones, as much milk as possible to Ellie Frost, my rants to Jacqueline Helgans, my great finds on the clearance rack to Gaby Cila, mix tapes and a maple syrup shot to Gabe Webb, the drum solo in “Se A Cabo” to Eli Emerick, every mix cd I’ve ever made to Lydia Farro, gummy bear astronauts and an obsession with clothes to Lea Zdanski, eating too much food in class and a pair of scissors to Mr. Thompson, the wig for the pig to Ms. Bazzari, all of the ‘dm dm’s, ‘jm jm’s, and ‘oos’ to Mr. Hanson, the song “Aqueous Transmission” and a mini Stonehenge to Ms. Gahagen (Breyonce), and all of my love and a sassy remark to Pitch Please. I, Shelby Kremer, being of sound mind and tired body, do hereby leave the volleyball team the best of luck for the future. To Elise Crawford, I leave the duty of helping Ms. Burwell survive the chaoses of Art Club. I leave Clarissa McCall and Evie Hoffman my expertise on bench-warming, and to Ian Webster I leave my ability to draw dogs. I leave Kyndal Hutchinson all of my hugs, since she claims I never give her any, and to Emma Hollar, I leave the capability of doing the Tina Turner in the middle of class. Lastly, to my brother Matthew, I leave my ability to stay partially sane throughout four years of high school. I, Anna Larocco Masi, being of tubular mind and Chinese food filled body, do hereby leave my ability to wear crocs to my brother Noble who I love a lot. I leave my status of awesome to his best friends who I love, Max and Tristan. I leave my fear of the cafeteria to Myracle, you great girl. To Meredith you can have dress code. I leave beeyahs and summonings to Austin Korynta. Steve Becker, I leave you my superb knowledge of movies. I leave Lara my extreme adorableness and Silas can have that too. To Tanya and Emma I leave my karate and my
May 2014 ability to face la booh. To Gabe, Cameron and Richy I leave my tallness, you guys are great and I love your sister Cameron. To Trent, yeah. To Jake Pettus, I leave my sweetness. To Travis Garrett, I leave my ability to sneak around. And lastly to Christopher, I leave my “love” for North Carolina. Goodbye forever N.C. I, Hailey Lawrence, being of stubborn mind and small body, do hereby leave my friend Joshua Glosson all the fun times helping out Coach Hall during football season. Watch out for the squeaky milk cart! To Joey Woodruff, I leave my parking spot. To Stefun Baldwin and Victor Arias, I leave all the jokes and trouble in Mrs. Hannah’s class. To Dominik Otero, I leave my mild case of senioritis. I, Breanna Leach, being of blissful mind and tired body, do hereby leave “The Corner” to Brittany Blake, Alexis Hollis and Bryn Aydt. I leave my last name to Jailen Leach and I leave him to park in the front of the school not the student parking lot. I leave all my sarcastic moments to Brittany Blake. I leave all my slow moments to Bryn Aydt. I leave all my craziness to Kristian Eanes. I leave all my laughter to Malik Hackney. I leave all my dramatic and sarcastic facial expression to Kelsey Eddins. I leave all my love to my teammates of the step team and the ability to do great things next year! I, Meredith Lewis, being of corrupt mind and flawless body, leave my ability to not care about what others think to Ali Knowles. I leave every bad joke I’ve ever said to Taylor Roberson and my intense dance moves to Maddie. To Holly Reil, I leave every night that was not expected, but turned out fantastic. I would like to thank Kaitlyn Jones for coming out tonight; it’s a great turn out. I leave my sparkling personality and constant liveliness to Ms. Thornhill. I leave every future acting ensemble member the love of performing and a wonderful teacher. To my dear Greyson Willard and Arlo Estill I leave nothing. At all.
May 2014 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 I, Courtney Lineman, being of optimistic mind and tired body, do hereby leave my brother Colton Lineman all the crazy and fun times at Northwood High School and to create wonderful memories of your own. I leave to Jamie Palermo all those wonderful soccer memories. I also will give you the middle of the soccer field, I know you can do it. I leave to the Women’s Varisity Soccer team all my blood, sweat and tears. You never know when you will play your last game, so play every minute to the fullest. I leave Ellie Saksa and Chloe Gruesbeck all my “words of wisdom.” You guys are going to need it. I leave Taylor Roberson the right to keep calling Smith “Jerkface!” Keep up the good work. I, Sara Lipofski, being of sound mind and tired body, do hereby leave Rachel Stanley the craziness of Northwood High School. I hereby promise Blair Schemmer that she will always be my best friend, no matter what. I leave my claustrophobia at Northwood, knowing that no matter what, you will never be able to walk through the hallways. I lastly hereby leave dress code behind knowing I will wear pajamas to school a lot in my college years. I, Taylor Maloch, being of exhausted mind and tall body, do hereby leave everyone running late to school an extra five minutes to find a parking spot. To my sister Savannah, I leave all of our crazy rants about our day and my ability to be organized, because I know you need it. To Josh Donnald, I leave all of our hilarious bus rides together and our ability to argue about anything, I’m really going to miss having both of you around next year. To Gaby Cila, I’m so happy that we became close this year. Your ability to be so nice but also sassy makes my day and I know I’ll see your name in lights soon! To all the journalism kids, I wish you good luck, make The Omniscient better every year and don’t be too hard on Mr. Morgan! Lastly to the best teacher Mr. Morgan, thank you for everything you have taught me and always keeping myself and the rest of the class laughing. Joining journalism was one of the best choices I have made in high school and I am so glad I spent three years in your class. I, Mariah Morrow, being of religious mind and holy body, do hereby leave my basketball skills to my best friend Shontai Totten. My meaness to my cousin Jasmyne Farrar. My sense of humor to Eboni Watson. My slow moments to Maya Alston. My mean crossover to Darius Cole. My realness to Jared Worley because he’s fake. My love to Kristian Eanes. My beautiful voice to Jaz Billards.
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
Page 9
The long bus rides home after a win to my Lady Chargers. I leave the strength to any future members of the basketball team to deal with Coach Vernon and his many mood swings. Last but not least I leave my legacy of being amazing to Northwood High School. I, Alexander McLaurin, being of brilliant mind and lazy body, do hereby leave my sense of humor to rising junior Tommy and my ability to get work done at the last minute to Emily. I leave my parking spot in front of the gym to Douglas. Lastly, I leave my enthusiasm for this past season to all of the Northwood Band members. I, Lauren Merrill, being of dazzling Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook mind and exercise crazed body, do hereby SENIORS Dimitri Nobles, Courtney Lineman, Wesley Meyer, leave Jeep Nation to Peyton Walker. Keep Cody Norris, Tyler Wall, Isabella Chevalier and Michael Williams. it alive. To Little Nick (Speils), I leave up with those Cardinal Gibbons girls! I also leave Ellie my awful carpentry skills, but grant you leadership of the team (and the job of stretching out the the ability to not chop off a finger. Remember don’t spill soccer team.) You all are great runners. I will miss it next the black paint. To the golf team I leave my captain status year! to the rising seniors of next year. Karen Vanderford and I, Tori Nothnagel, being of sarcastic mind and twerkKyndal Hutchinson, lead the team to States and make your ing body, do hereby leave Jamie Palermo my bag of soil, last season the best one yet. And last, but not least, to one Sandy, from APES and the soccer team. I leave Franof my best friends, Shannon Patterson, I leave my Shamuces Beroset my senior superlative because no one is as sized purple fish, and my closet. Use it wisely. sarcastic as her in the junior class and the student body. I I, Amanda Morris, being of creative mind and swagleave Ellie Frost my love and hugs because you give the tastic body, do hereby leave Mallory Mitchell my Editorbest hugs. I leave Maria Reichle that lunch table because in-Chief chair. I leave Ms. Faris, Mr. Whale and I trust that I said I would and all our crazy memories. To the soccer she will carry it with her always. Also, I leave Ms. Faris team, I leave you our crappy practice field, glorious soccer with Mallory and I wish her the best of luck. To my other tans and all the laughs and memories. Also, I leave Natalie cousins, I leave you the strength to get done and out of Haymann the soccer goal from one goalie to another, take high school. Thank you to all who made my high school good care of it. Lastly to Emma Hollar, I leave you all the experience absolutely wonderful. To the rest of you, I leave yelling that Mrs. Freeman has done toward me and you you my trail of dust because I am OUT OF HERE. can now have it. I leave you a slightly easier senior year, I, Erin Nelson, being of sound mind and fit body, do so maybe you can actually make plans with friends. I leave hereby leave dance ensemble my twerking and hip-hop you with the promise that I will be back to see you often skills along with all of my injuries during class. I leave and give you all the love and best of luck with senior year, Teagan the opportunity to find another ginger partner. To I love you. May you all be able to make it through high Taylor, I leave all the food I have taken out of George. school and move on to bigger and better things. With lots of love, I leave Leah my dancing and running I, Kelsey O’Daniel, being of exhausted mind and tired skills and the best of luck in everything you do. Keep body, do hereby leave my lovely (but frustrating) clarinet carrying on the Nelson legacy. I leave Grant all the laughs section to Emma Reinberg and Aaron Barnes. May you and good times and the responsibility to look out for Leah somehow stay on task and not make obnoxious caribou when I’m gone. To all of the cross-country girls I wish you sounds with your instruments. To Anna Welsh, I leave my good luck next year. I leave Tesa the number one spot, stay sincerest apology for causing you to break your wrist (but seriously though, it was your fault). To Kyndal Hutchinson, I leave all of our wonderful and crazy memories from the science classes we had together (Roooooooobert!). To Cameron Underwood, I leave my spot in Jazz Band. Be sure to always be on time to rehearsal! To Anne Barone, I leave my ability to survive high school. You will make it through and it will be over before you know it – junior year flies by the fastest! To Tommy Lorbacher, I leave some of my musical talent, but of course you don’t need it. You are a fantastic trumpet player and I hope you stick with music. To the entire Marching Chargers Band, I leave all of my love and best wishes. Thank you for being a family to me for the past four years. I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming season. And finally, to the poor students who choose to be in Jazz Band, Concert Band and the musical pit all at once, I leave my ability to be at school before 7 a.m. everyday for rehearsal without being late once. I, Morgan Oldham, being of a brilliant mind and a rockin’ body, do hereby leave my varsity softball captain spot to Mckenzie Allgood and all my sarcastic side comments in the dugout to Ally Mckee. I leave the ability to not feel pain to my sweet girl Kaitlin Dail and the fish
SENIOR BLACKOUT in the cafeteria during spirit week.
Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Page 10
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
May 2014
Where will you be in the future?: Senior Prophecies
Allory Bors will be the first woman president, and will ring in a new era of feminism. She will surprise everyone by marrying a tatted-up biker, but will not take office until after Jacob Friedman does so in 2036. James Calhoun will continue his journey at BYU where he will believe he is king and rule the school. After his two year mission trip, he will settle in Salt Lake City, Utah, designing his own line of men’s fashion, which will be European oriented. Jake Chavez will use his crafty mind to make millions. He will get his money in all cash and store it in his mansion. Yazie Malik will make it rain money while Jake dances the Nae-Nae under his millions. Victoria Christian will get her medical degree but soon grow tired of the hospital scene and move to the Colorado Mountains, where she will teach snowboarding lessons. She will fall in love with a dark haired, dark eyed, ski lift worker and spend the rest of her days wearing flannel and drinking hot chocolate by her fireplace. Courtney Cleveland will attend art school and experience various interesting experiences while there. Afterwards, she will become the creator of her very own anime—The Prince And His Cat. It will be a hit with girls and guys around the world. It will inspire her to create many more shows, and she will travel from convention to convention-spreading class wherever she goes. Kimberleigh Crump will travel the world as an R&B performer, singing along with the likes of Adele and Janelle Monaé. After touring the world for five years she will retire at her mansion in Atlanta. After retiring, she will appear on the cover of Ebony magazine and start her own talent search series. Ally DeJong will leave Boone and move down to Florida where she will coach soccer at a college and take them to a national championship and during that time will meet the man of her dreams who will turn out to be a wrestler that also does ballet. Zafer Estill will grow up to follow in his father’s footsteps. Biofuels, tree-hugging and general hippy things are going to become his entire life. A beard, or really any body hair, will continue to elude him. When he gets older, he will sell The Pup for much less than what he paid for it, no matter how collectable it is. Jacob Friedman will become the President of the United States. He’ll be elected on his hard-working nature and can-do attitude. His first act as President will be to make Patriotism the national religion. His cabinet will be made up entirely of former Northwood students. Taylor Gibson will create his own gaming company. After majoring in computer technology with a minor in communications, he will find a way to place people in their favorite games. After banking his millions, he will purchase half of Canada. Becky Gilbert will go off to college near the coast and in a dramatic fit, dye her hair dark brown since she is tired of blonde moments. She will major in marine biology and find a way for people to breathe underwater. She will receive many accolades for this discovery and build a fancy home in the Pacific Ocean. Tyler Glosson, or T Raw, will overdose on energy drinks and continue to live life on the edge. His beard will continue to outshine everyone he comes into contact with and he will refuse to ever shave it again. He will eventually become famous and break all his bones. Racked out in the hospital, he will be rapping while in a full body cast. Jennifer Greenlee will become a hippie and move out into the forest, spending her days in a hammock with no worries. She will meditate daily and radiate positive
vibes. Jennifer will become the most spiritually enlightened person on the whole planet and people will seek out her guidance to a happier life. Trevor Hackney will become a professional baseball player and grow the longest beard in the world. His beard eventually gets so long and thick that it trips him whenever he tries to run and his coach threatens to dye it blue if he doesn’t shave it. Trevor shaves the beard leaving a gnarly Mario mustache. He wakes up one morning to only half of it shaved off courtesy of his wife. Rob Hamlet will win People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” award for three straight years. After winning this award, his future wife, Mila Kunis, will see him in the magazine and ask Hamlet to marry her. Hannah Holloway will go on to win a prize for being the nicest person, but secretly be a rebel on the inside. She will also own a cat foundation and personally own 100 cats and get a cat tattoo to show off her rebel side. Josh Kaegi will continue on to become a famous lacrosse player, as well as a soccer dad with future wife Hannah Holloway. They will live in a big house with a picket fence, and have three kids. He will win a Noble Peace Prize for being the quietest, but also nicest guy around. Emma Korynta will become Leonardo Dicaprio’s personal assistant and publicist and will help him look fabulous at every red carpet event. Working with him she will finally meet Rupert Grint on a train, and they will fall in love and live happily ever after. She will travel the world with him and write stories about grizzly bears. Meredith Lewis and Josh Carver will have a TV show that will air on MTV right after Ridiculousness. Meredith will one day meet Donald Glover, and Josh will make a fortune by writing a world famous book series. Anna Larocco-Massi will end up as the first ever President of the World, and will declare Anna Month to be a National Holiday, which kids and families alike will cherish more than Christmas. Afterwards, she’ll paint the White House purple and Stephen Colbert will ask her to join him on the newly named “The Anna and Colbert Report.” Breanna Leach will get backstage passes to a Trey Songz concert, where they will finally meet and fall in love. He will write a new hit song about her and they will get married and have cute babies. Kenya Lee will become famous by her beautiful voice and hit multi-platinum on her first album. She will go into acting and will be on the cover of almost every magazine. She will also be known as the sweetest celebrity, because she is the nicest person you will ever meet. James London will establish the London Law Firm after topping his engineering class. His robotic minions that he builds will generate clients as well as be the lead voice for his infomercials. Manon MacAllister will get a new hedgehog along with several cats and dogs and will take frequent selfies with them that she won’t post anywhere. She’ll be the CEO of a company centered around stealing other people’s Netflix passwords. Taylor Maloch will own her own monogramming business where everything she touches will be monogrammed, even her toaster. She will live on the beach in Wilmington in a bright blue house with her initials monogrammed on the side and lie on her monogrammed towels on the beach every day. Taylor Mason will continue to be a southern belle and meet a southern gentleman and own a big white house with a wraparound porch. She will own a monogram store and go hunting on the weekends.
Bill McPhilemy will always be paraded around by people chanting his name—“BILLLLLLLLL!” Lauren Merrill will have three little baseball boys and live in a mansion in New York City. She will create genius beauty products that are a must have for all the celebrities. Wesley Meyer is going to buy lacrosse sticks, even after he quits playing lacrosse. He will also continue his quest to start an earthquake with the bass from his car. He’s going to buy an RV and replace everything but the driver’s seat with subwoofers. The vibrations will break every fragile thing within 10 miles. Amanda Morris will become known for her zombie survival skills and will create a class to teach others how to survive the apocalypse. She will make millions and even cast members from The Walking Dead will take her class. Mariah Morrow will still be on Twitter preaching to her followers about her opinions on things that are going on in the world. Tori Nothnagel will live her life to the fullest by quietly twerking in the corner, making sarcastic remarks. Kayla Perry will aspire to be the greatest artist to come out of Northwood. She will adorn herself with beautiful tattoos and a style all her own. Kayla will eventually own a tropical island where she will lay on the beach and produce the dopest art the world has ever seen. Hailey Pister’s love for food will only grow stronger day by day, until she opens up her own grocery store, as well as a restaurant. She will invent a new type of Cheetos, as well as marrying a beautiful foreign man; however, her man crush Monday will forever and always be a chubby hamster wearing a sombrero. Clay Smith will forever be the designated “throwback” DJ at every party he will ever attend. Jeremiah Smith will run his own restaurant in Pittsboro, where he will become locally famous for his humor and arrogance. He will manage the first successful Pittsboro theater group, and will never be able to get rid of the picture of him in a fat suit from Hairspray. In 10 years the zombie apocalypse will hit and Jack Teague will be one of the surviving few that is in his shelter. He will have stocked up on his 26-pound gummy bears and will live off of them. Dana Walker will live a life filled with travelling around the world. She will eventually settle somewhere in Italy and meet a wealthy, hunky Italian man who holds doors open for her, kisses her hand and buys her lots of clothes. Tyler White will hit the lottery and get 50 brand new shiny cars. Everyone who ever made fun of his car will be silenced and live with envy. Jay Williams from here on out will remain Fluffy for life. He will grow to be 6’3 and then become a professional football player in the NFL. He will soon grow tired of football and try to make a career as the next Rick Ross. Morgan Yigdal will dabble in no less than 100 different jobs before she finally settles down and continues her budding career as an author. Her novel, “Cake Language,” will quickly hit #1 on the New York Time’s best-seller list and she will have a devoted fanbase to keep up with her crazy author antics. She and her sister Sam will marry twin husbands, move into one big house, and each have their own set of twins. Sam Yigdal will go on with Courtney Cleveland to animate their very own anime. Afterwards, her art will be shown worldwide, and will receive favorable reviews from critics.
May 2014
Page 11
free mind and calm body, do hereby leave the crucial things in life that Northwood dances in the parking lot after softball games to Alexa Berneeds more than I. First and foremost, I nard. To Nolan Brown, I leave all my lost DECA dollars leave it to Aiden Williams and Colin Batand the snacks in my lunch box. To Matt Oldham, I leave tis to carry on the tradition of C., Think it the 30 second jam session and heart to hearts on the way to Over and the responsibility of helping the school, and the ability to leave at 7:50 and still manage to Quaker keep track of it. To Lara Sumfind a parking spot without going to the gravel lot. mers, I pass down a portion of my rad I, Kayla Perry, of a fabulous mind and body, leave my vegetarian, rainbow powers; I know you BFF and BAE Emma Hollar all of the good times we had don’t need it, but I trust it in your hands. together, our strange but hilarious texts/ Emoji convos, Adrianne, Gaby, Lucas and all future actmy captain position, B.A.I. and “The Winky.” ;-) Thanks ing ensemble members, my stage is now for being my BAE these past four years with many more your stage. Do with it what you will. To Photo courtesy of NHS Yearbook to come! To Jacob Fowler aka BA, I leave you with the the Inklings, I give you myself through SENIORS from left to right Bradley Lay, Cody Norris, Bill McPhile- my poetry. Let me be your inspiration 1,000 nicknames I’ve given you since sophomore year and half of the “E” to your BA. To John Atwater, I leave my, Josh Carver, Jack Teague, Wesley Myer, Nicole Croutwater, because I promise that you are mine. To all the honey buns I dropped back in Honors Spanish III. Holden Strong, Mikaela Crutchfield and Spencer Roberson. whomever may chose to accept it, I leave a good luck. To Breanne, I leave plenty of dark nail polish and my challenge. I’m known as “the girl with the I, Lane Poag, being of Pirate mind and cheerleader obsession with Lorde, because you are Queen B. To Lydia, lunch pail,” and this may be all you know me by. I ask you body, do hereby leave my girl, Buff Hart, my shadow on I leave my title as Swag Queen of NHS. To a very PYT, to find your legacy—no matter how small or ridiculous— stage to always laugh at; along with those early mornings Ellie Frost, I leave some VERY exciting news: I finally and own it. Being bravely absurd is always worthwhile. at Al’s. I leave Taylor Roberson with my brain and role as got my trooper back on its tires and running strong—By I, Jeremiah Smith, being of dull mind and averagecaptain. Continue to keep #teamtaylortuesday alive. Kynthe grace of God, it’s fixed!!!! :-) To Tyler and Grant, looking body, do hereby leave Kathleen Sara Robbins our dalfire, I leave you with the best of hugs. To Raven Jordan, Animal Cracker word-search in the sound booth, the hope I leave the twin legacy. To Trent and Jesse, I leave the I leave you with a new group of freshman and a new Link light-skin face and Black History Month pictures. To my that it will make her sad whenever she thinks of me and Leader partner. Continue to shine and brighten people’s brother Darius Cole, I leave Apple Bobblers to give you that we’ll never see each other again. To Lisette and Mary day! I leave SADD Club in the hands of Nolan Brown and Beth, I leave all the “good energy” I can muster and maybe that crunch. And to my gorgeous BFF and bright bundle Teagan Williams. I leave my strength and ability to make it one day you guys will win the lottery. To Kaitlyn Jones I of sunshine Hannah Coffee, I leave long after-school talks through senior year to Kaitlin Dail. I also leave you, along about life, fashion shows at lunch, bonding moments with leave Mary-Joy, take care of her. To Jacqueline Helgans, with Courtney Wilson and Briana Robinson, the parking Maria’s apple chips, “Hot Cheetos” and many other foods, I leave a mother’s love, and a mother’s hatred. To Jessica row. I leave Sara Buckley with my senior superlative and the adventures of Dirk and too many inside jokes with lots Puckett I leave my fat suit, I hope it treats you well. To sassy attitude. Don’t let anyone knock the crown off your of laughs. Love you always. Arlo Estill, I leave the lead tenor part in Pitch Please. It head princess. I leave Cailin Evensen with the pre-game I, Leah Perry, being of brilliant mind and gypsy body, may not be my spot to give, but who’s gonna stop me? meatball sub. Madeline Yentsch, I leave you with all the do hereby leave Hannah Coffee all of our talks, inside Tristan? Hahahaha. Ok. Back to business. Izzy Bors, I minions in the world. I leave Mckenzie Allgood with jokes, and memories made together. Thank you for being leave many, many, 30 Rock references and jokes. Lastly my monogram obsession and style. I leave my good hair my best friend. Next, I leave my little sisters, Kaitlin Dail to Kayla, I leave all of the memories, pleasant and not and days to Coach Amy and my funny facial expressions to and Maria Reichle, the best advice and lessons I learned the hope that one day I will be able to go to your wedding. Ms. Harpham. I leave my love and thanks to Smith and my senior year. I’m always here for you two and will Whether it be the first one, or any of the others. I leave the Norwood for being so inspirational. To all the freshmen, always be a phone call away! To Emma Hollar I leave knowledge that you have been one of my best friends and especially Carson Shaner and Carmyn Johnson, live the all my love. I’m going to miss our sleepovers and talks. I’m really glad we got to meet. Peace out. Gunshots heard next three years with no regrets because it flies by. Last but in the background. A woman screams. We hear a car crash You’re the best. To Ellie Frost, I leave VERY exciting not least, to my favorite guys, Nick Roberts and Ti Pinnix, news. Finally got my trooper back on its tires and runoutside and doors slam. People enter the room and we hear keep “grinding” until you get to the top. ning strong! To the OG, Lydia Farro, I leave all my street the ensuing struggle. This is the end of Jeremiah Dalton I, Allie Ray, being of late mind and absent body, do cred. Hold it down at the ‘wood for me. Jazmine Atkins, I Smith. hereby leave the rising seniors with false hope that your seleave my kindness and big hugs since I’m so nice to you. I I, Jack Teague, being of brilliant mind and perfectly nior year is exactly what everyone said it would be. I leave sculpted body, do hereby leave Ben Cross enough money love you! To John Atwater, I leave an unlimited supply of my ability to break dress code every day without getting honeybuns and the latest Frank Ocean album. To Darius to complete his My Little Pony figurine collection. To Arlo caught to Sara Buckley, it was left to me for my senior year Estill I leave my height so that he can finally reach the Horton, my best friend, I leave all the hugs I could ever and it has certainly served me well. I leave Taylor Robergive! To E-Dub I leave my senioritis, good luck! To Jacob kitchen counter. To Greyson Willard I leave an assortson with the memory of that final clap after her breathtakFowler, I leave my wisdom and grace. You are welcome! ment of hairsprays, so that his hair can maintain its perfect ing Ensemble class piece that will stay with her for the rest helmet look. To Tyler and Grant Whitaker, I leave the twin legacy. And I leave a shout out to the fam, Darius Cole and Cory Jones! of her life. I leave all of the new members of Ensemble and I, Holly Thomas, being of open mind and tired body, Company with the promise of a bright future with your Enjoy your time in high school while it’s here. So long do hereby leave my dance team girls our favorite memofellow classmates and teachers. You will all Northwood, keep it C14SSY! form a bond that you will soon learn is honI, Hailey Pister, of simple mind and body, leave my estly unbreakable, you will never trust anyone brother, Trevor Pister, my ability to wake up late and still more than those that you share the stage with. get to school with time to spare. To one of my favorites I leave Kelsi Roland with the hope that one of all time, Kellsie Weiss, I leave all my love and strength day she will have someone who is to her what to get through the next year. No matter where you are she is to me, whether it be completely random or where I am, I’m only a phone call away! To Briana (like ours) or totally planned, I hope you find Robinson, I leave the ability to let what people say go in someone just like you who will always be your one ear and out the other, never let anyone change who baby! And last but not least, I leave my very you are and good luck during your senior year! For Jalen best friend, Briana Robinson with all of my Smith, you gonna still be my bae in college…or nah? To love and support to make it through her senior Kyndal Hutchinson, I leave endless hugs in the hallway to year. I leave her with the strength and ability last you through next year! To Jamie Palermo, I leave our to do all that I know she is capable of. I leave weird jumping ritual with Ally before our games. I can’t her my senior superlative, because if anyone’s wait to be at Appalachian with you! Next, I leave Sophia missed first period as much as I have, it’s her. Pearce my soccer number #13, from my senior year. Wear But most of all, I leave her with my word that I it wisely and make me proud! And lastly, to all my soccer girls, I leave leadership, responsibility and the drive to win. will never be too far; I love you! I, Carter Susana Hodges Smith, being of To the rest of my favorites at Northwood, peace out and
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Page 12
The Omniscient: Senior Issue
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 ries and laughs we’ve shared over the years, plus the best of luck next year. To Dance Ensemble, I leave lots of fun and amazing dances, especially to kill it at pep rally. I leave Sara Buckley with crazy adventures and stress-free senior year. I leave my beautiful cousin, Payton Springle my love and the best of times her last two years in high school. I leave Buff Hart with wonderfully talented chassé skills in dance. To my gorgeous cousin, Taylor Thomas, I leave the happiest and most spontaneous senior year possible. I leave my senior-superlative of best hair to Hannah Coffee because hers is always so perfect. To anyone else I’m forgetting, I leave my love and best wishes. I, Dana Leah Walker, being of hipster mind and fashionable body, do hereby leave my varsity soccer babes a great and memory filled season next year with Tanzy, keep an eye on him. To my girl Jamie Palermo, I leave my captain spot and the best of luck next year. Be the leader you are, and I can’t wait to see what great things you accomplish at App. Jessica Kolomichuk, my future mini me, I leave you my ability to break a girl’s ankle as sweeper, and my title as most aggressive, you’ll learn to love the bruises. To my beautiful baby sisters Paige Marro, Marissa Stephenson and Emma Luft, I hope the next two years are filled with great times, drama free, and live it up; it will be over before you know it. John Atwater, I leave you my basement, and allow you to move into my house once I leave, as long as I get to take Brody. To my favorite girls Emma, Hannah, Ellie, Maria, Coley and Kaitlin I leave you all the great memories that filled my high school career, stay beautiful. To baby Em, I leave you my inner wild side, may you use it wisely. To Lea Zdanski, I leave you my senior superlative of best dressed. Nick Roberts, my future hubby, I leave you the emoji filled texts and all the wild memories we shared, and hope many more come your way. I leave you my wisdom about life, in hopes that you will use it wisely, I love you. To Trent, Jalen, Tyler, Grant, Jacob and Jesse, I leave you my thanks for all the great and crazy memories that came with my senior year, try to stay away from running in the woods, and I love you all so much. To Smith, I leave my gratitude. I would have not survived high school if it were not for you always being by my side. I am so lucky to have had you for all four years and love you more than anything. To Ms. Bazzari I
leave all the hobbit posters and great bus rides to UNC basketball games. You’re such an amazing teacher, whom I will miss dearly. To Mrs. Freeman and Schwichtenberg, I leave you with the patience to deal with students like me who always ask questions and always talk. Stay beautiful and young looking forever; I will miss both of you more than anything. Last but not least, I leave MO my love and thanks for everything. I would not be where I am, nor the person I am today without you. You’re such an inspiration and I will truly miss you more than you know next year, as I know you will miss me too even if you won’t admit it. I leave the journalism board in hopes that you will cherish it forever, and pictures of you, me and Ally will continue to be added. I also can’t wait for Maggianos and leave you the best of luck with journalism next year and the many years to come. To all the rest of the underclassmen, thank you for making my high school experience the best, and I leave you with the ability to live your life in high school and make the most of it, because it flies by, and before you know it, the end will be here. I, Tyler White, being of wise mind and stout body, do hereby leave the #1 reserve spot on the tennis team to Ben Cross. Keep the undefeated doubles record alive. To Joseph Harris, I leave my ability to survive and hope you have many more successful wrestling seasons. I, Julius Williams, being of loud mind and fluffy body, do hereby leave Jalen Smith my beard and captain spot, to take control and lead his team to the promise land. I leave Tyler Whitaker my strength, may you use it wisely. To Trent Cline, I leave my faith in becoming the best person he can be. To Jesse Greenlee I leave my studliness. To Grant Whitaker I leave my rack in the weight room and for him to run things around Northwood like I did. Jacob Fowler, I leave my skills in football, the ability not to run into anymore stop signs, and love, and most importantly, I leave you all my drama, may you use that to your advantage. To my God Brother Ace, I leave you my love bro and my senioritis with a large sweet tea. And to all my friends that I did not mention I leave the ability to chase your dreams. Love, Fluffy. I, Morgan Yigdal, being of overtaxed and androgynous body, do hereby leave all my love to those who are still struggling in their classes, it will get better. To every teacher who has had me in their class, I leave a warm
May 2014 hug and a magnifying glass, sorry I never gave you one when I was in your class. To Ms. K and Ms. Wolfgang I leave an endless supply of laughter and joy and know that I’ll always be a book nerd (promise you’ll read my novel when it gets published!). To Mr. Morgan, I leave an ink stained sized signature on the first addition of the news magazine, I will always support and love The Omniscient. To Meredith Norman, I leave all my references to superfamily, know stebe love you. To Jordan Pollard, the reunion will happen, she can’t keep our OTP apart! To Vanessa Jones, may the force be with you. To Ms. Smith, I love you and will follow everything you’ve taught me for the rest of my life. To Mr. Thompson, keep the Inklings alive and don’t forget to be awesome. To Ms. Burwell, I leave the hilarious memories of honors art and my diligence. I, Samantha Yigdal, being of creative mind and al dente noodle body, do hereby leave my habit of reading during class to any bookworm; use it wisely and don’t get in trouble. I leave my position as “cleaner of art rooms” to anyone who cares enough to want new supplies; yes, that means you, art students and club members. I gift my ability to burst into song when bored to to those entering or in vocals, as well as any musical majors. To Meredith Norman, I hereby dub thee Queen of webcomics, fandoms and pretty dresses (love you). To Jordan Pollard I leave a bucket of tears because your art is simply stunning. To Ms. K, I leave my passion for books and reading. Thank you for making the library such a calming environment and letting me eat in the back. To Mrs. Burwell, I leave my position as Historian and vice president of the NAHS-hopefully to be given to someone who loves art as much as myself. To Vanessa Jones, live long and prosper. To Ms. Smith, you taught me so much as a gym teacher and I’ll miss you so much. To all my teachers-thank you so much for teaching me. To Jennifer Gay, I leave you to take care of the theatre room. Thank you to all my friends for making high school bearable. I, Nathaniel Zanavich, being of fried mind and wornout body, do hereby leave Brandon Kelly my parking pass. May your mustang’s battery never run dry. To Alex Bortey I leave some hope for the future. Everything is going to be just fine, trust me. I hope you go see lots of movies on Friday nights. To Madelynne Smith, have fun next year in Auto Tech 2. I wish I could’ve taken it too.
In Loving Memory Nickolas Trey Wallace 1995-2012
Joseph Carlton Mann 1996-2013
May 2014
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The Omniscient
Bravo Academy of Dance
My Strange Addiction By Madison Fitts & Meredith Lewis Staff Writers “[My friends and family] are proud of me for following my passion,” social studies teacher Roddy Story said. Cheetos have been influencing Story’s life for many years. Although this problem is ongoing, Story speaks out about it and how he deals with the addiction. “The Cheetos problem has been plaguing me since my teenage years. It wasn’t as big of a problem in high school because I had a fast metabolism, but now every time I eat Cheetos, I get immediately fatter,” Story said. When Story was asked to describe his feelings for Cheetos in a song, his response was “Everlasting Love.” His addiction to Cheetos began when he was a young boy. “It was like the sun had shone for the first time,
I think I was seven. The sky got a little bit bluer, the sun got a little bit brighter. In fact, the Beatles song ‘Here Comes The Sun’ started playing. [I had the same feeling] when I got married and when [my son] Walker was born,” Story said. Story’s biggest problem is that Cheetos are considered to be socially unacceptable due to them being both fattening and messy. “I can’t eat them as much as I want to, so I save the empty bags and just sniff the Cheetos dust at the bottom for a quick fix,” Story said. As Story explained, some addictions are an everlasting love. Story mentioned that if there were ever to be a discontinuation of the Cheetos snack, he would do anything he could in order to get that last bag of Cheetos. “I would go get it, by any means possible. I would steal a car; murder. That bag is mine.”
I’m Addicted To... Briana Smallwood — Sophomore
Tyler Wall — Senior “[I use eye drops] about once every five minutes. Whenever I misplace [the eye drops] for a little bit, my eyes get really irritated. Last night I couldn’t find them, and my eyeball was irritated so much.”
Kaitlyn Jones — Sophomore “Webkinz is my life and controls my life. They’re my family.”
Cali Powell — Junior “I like to eat straight ketchup all the time. I keep [ketchup packets] in my car, and in my purse so if I get hungry and I have nothing else to eat or have no money then I’ll just eat the ketchup.”
“I like to eat ice and chew it. I take the ice out of the freezer, put it in my mouth, put it in the cup, pour the juice in the cup, eat the ice, then drink the juice.”
Governors Village Shopping Center 50170 Governors Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Contact: Paula Massengill, Owner info@bravoacademyofdance.com 919-929-0450
Designs Bere CUSTOM DRAPERY/BEDDING ROMAN SHADES/UPHOLSTERY CORNICE/HEADBOARDS/PILLOWS & MORE Sandra Ramirez (919) 444-1173
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May 2014
The Omniscient
Running the Ring:
Sophomore Emma Johnson Competes in Dog Shows By Lauren Merrill S ocial M edia Editor Wahoo’s Stormbreaker Yaxeka, Wahoo’s Tawsee Terra and Heuberg’s Light My Fire are the names of sophomore Emma Johnson’s three pugs and show dogs, but for short they are called Jax, TT and Ember. Johnson’s career with dog shows began four years ago with Jax, who wasn’t her dog at the time. “I had no clue what I was doing,” Johnson said. “I was in the ring with a bunch of other people and they all looked really nice and fancy and I was wearing jeans. I was meeting the dog for the very first time and I was so nervous. Jax and I had a really good connection; he watched me the whole time and it made everything better.” A friend of Johnson’s mom owned Jax Photo courtesy of Dean Lake Photography and invited Johnson to show him in the EMMA JOHNSON guides TT through weave poles in agility. ring. Jax became Johnson’s dog after that. “You co-own dogs in dog shows,” Johnson a lot. I learned so much from him and now I’m When you’re in conformation, they judge you said. “You will co-own it with the breeder and like a mini professional handler.” and your dog and it’s kind of [the judges’] you have an agreement where if you finish Johnson has been competing in conformapersonal opinion,” Johnson said. “If you go your dog, then they’ll breed to produce more tion shows where a judge evaluates each dog through a bad losing streak, you get down on champion babies. Jax is mine now because on how well it conforms to its “breed stanyourself. But then I found agility and I started we signed over the papers and took him home dard.” Johnson’s pugs have their own specific working with TT, and we started to win and it with us.” standards. made me feel better about myself. There is reAfter that first show, Johnson became “For pugs, they have to have a nice, big, ally no competition for agility; you’re kind of hooked on dog shows. Since then, Johnson square head that shows a lot of expression, like beating yourself and seeing how well trained has competed in around 100 shows and has a lot of wrinkles,” Johnson said. “They have to your dog is.” traveled as far as Kalamazoo, M.I. have a short back and short legs so that they’re There are multiple obstacles a dog must “I’ve always loved dogs. That’s the most ‘cobby,’ which is like the square shape, and maneuver through when competing in Jumpimportant thing to me; that I love them. I like you want to put a little more weight on them ers and Weaves. to be with them and I like to groom them, be“There are these weave poles, which are cause that’s really fun,” Johnson said. “[A dog so that they don’t have a waistline.” Before a dog show, the handler or the the hardest thing in the world to teach your show] is basically like a performance. I love breeder needs to prepare their dog by groomdog how to do,” Johnson said. “They are these when people watch me, so that’s why I do it. I ing it, which includes bathing, trimming, poles your dog has to go in and out of. It’s like to perform.” blow-drying and even adding color to the fur. aggravating to try and teach your dog how Johnson began going to show classes after “If [your dog] needs something on its face to do it, but TT just got it down, so we are her first show for specific training on how to like more blackness, you just put a little black, doing great. We are getting our weaves in. be a handler. and if your dog is white, you have to put white For Jumpers and Weaves [you] jump over “The first time I went [to class], I kind chalk on it,” Johnson said. “That’s not really different types of jumps; there are weave of thought I knew what I was doing. I went allowed, but you do it anyway−everyone does poles and there might be a tunnel. But for around the ring and I put my dog on the table it.” Standard, you have the big A-frame and tunand [the teacher] just laughed because I was so When being evaluated in the ring, the nels and [your dog] has to stay on a table, bad,” Johnson said. “He ended up helping me judges look for the dog that fits best to which is hard for TT because she doesn’t the breed standard, and that dog wins like to stay still. Then you have to jump Best in Show. through a tire, go up a catwalk then [walk “[The judges] examine the head and on] a teeter.” the body and make sure [the dog] has Johnson’s experience competing in muscle tone, because you don’t want shows with her dogs has influenced her a couch potato, so we have to exercise dream of becoming a vet. with our dog so they have muscle,” “Ever since I got my dogs, people have Johnson said. told me how caring I am and how nurturing Johnson has started competing in and motherly I am,” Johnson said. “I treat my agility because of the low-pressure dogs like they’re my own babies. They have environment. Agility is a dog competiinspired me to be a better person and be more tion where the handler guides their dog caring about others.” through a series of jumps and other Johnson’s favorite aspect about competobstacles in a race for time and acing is getting to work with her dogs. Photo courtesy of Emma Johnson curacy. Johnson recently won first place “[I enjoy] working with my dogs,” EMMA JOHNSON and Jax winning Best in agility with her dog TT. Johnson said. “Honestly, they’re my best Junior Showmanship. “There are a lot of ups and downs. friends.”
Doggy Diction
Teeter- Like a seesaw, the dog must go across the teeter, balancing itself.
A-frame- The dog must start on one side, run up that side, and then down the other.
Jump- The dog will jump over the bars in the middle, which can be set to different heights depending on the size of the dog.
Cat walk- Similar to the A-frame, the dog walks up one side, goes across the bridge and then down the other side.
May 2014
The Omniscient
LIKE,
COMMENT,
SUBSCRIBE.
Kyndal’s claim to fame
Katie Robbins/The Omniscient
By Katie Robbins Staff Writer More than 1 billion people visit YouTube per month, 100 hours of video are uploaded to it every minute and millions of subscriptions are made each day, according to YouTube statistics. About 500 of those subscriptions have gone to the YouTube channel of junior Kyndal Hutchinson. Hutchinson created her channel last May, and makes video blogs (vlogs) and skits about various topics. She tries to keep a variety of different videos on her YouTube channel. “I usually try to put short films in and just have a good mix of videos,” Hutchinson said. “I have two comedy films that are currently in progress.” Not only does Hutchinson create vlogs and comedic skits, but some serious videos as well. “I feel like if I put in a few more serious videos it will help me with filmmaking as a serious professional thing, but it also changes things up,” Hutchinson said. “Sometimes I like to be a little bit more serious with things so people can either relate or just watch.” Some of those serious videos are more personal, including “Stone Home,” a video posted in honor of her grandfather. “‘Stone Home’ was a really personal video about my grandpa passing, so being able to put his legacy into a video just made me more open,” Hutchinson said. Knowing that anyone around the world can see her videos has not been a problem for Hutchinson. “It’s weird, but kind of cool that people are willing to sit and watch me make a fool of myself or try to get people to laugh,” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson’s channel has grown from zero subscribers to over 500 within the year that she has started posting videos. “It’s been really interesting [to see my channel grow], because every video that I make, I can always make better the next time I upload, so I’m always learning with the channel,” Hutchinson said. She hopes for a bigger YouTube audience in the future to further spread her views and opinions over the Internet. “I just want to be able to help people get a good laugh for the day and open up their minds to different opinions,” Hutchinson said.
YouTube has grown substantially since its creation in 2005. Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube, according to YouTube’s statistics. “I think YouTube is one of the fastest growing Internet communities,” Hutchinson said. “A lot of people are willing to make a channel for the laughs, but a lot of people make channels just to get subscribers.” Hutchinson says she did not start posting on her channel just to get “YouTube famous.” “I don’t think people should create a channel just to be famous; I feel like they should do it for their own fun or to help them with their career or whatever they choose to do in life,” Hutchinson said. Most of Hutchinson’s editing and lighting skills have come from her Technical Theater classes at Northwood. “[Technical Theater] has taught me a lot with lighting and how to make a person look better on camera,” Hutchinson said. “I want to do cinematography and filmmaking, so hopefully YouTube will help me get a little bit further with that.” Editing the videos takes a lot of time and commitment to make them interesting and worth watching. “The editing process can go anywhere from two hours of peace and quiet to four hours of absolute craziness, but I do put a lot of time into editing them so they look cool,” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson gets a lot of support from her subscribers, but receives hateful comments on her videos occasionally. “I remember one really bad comment,” Hutchinson said. “It bugged me for 10 minutes, then I was just like, ‘It’s just a comment from a person I don’t even know, and there are so many more comments from the people that actually care.’” There are a few ways Hutchinson deals with negative comments. “I’ll usually ignore them, but sometimes I’ll be sassy,” Hutchinson said. “I can do whatever I want, and I’m just being myself. There’s a lot more love than there is hate.” Despite the few negative comments, Hutchinson is glad she started posting videos on YouTube. “This channel has had a big impact on my life,” Hutchinson said. “It’s made me become a lot more open minded. I make videos for my own fun.”
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Page 16
Fiesta Grill Quaint and unassuming, I entirely underestimated the experience I was about to enjoy. The Fiesta Grill in Chapel Hill was definitely a pleasant surprise. When I initially arrived, the tiny shack-like building surrounded by a gravel parking lot disappointed me. I had already struggled to find the place after the GPS app on my iPhone told me to turn right about a mile too early, instructing me to drive into the woods. At this point I was convinced that the drive out there was a waste of gas money, but I followed through, and I’m glad I did. As soon as I opened the door, the smell of fresh
Small B&B Cafe
Restaurant
May 2014
3307 NC Highway 54 W, Chapel Hill Mexican cuisine overwhelmed my nostrils and it was a matter of seconds before a pleasant waitress seated me. Attempting to get a feel for the place, I asked the waitress to guide me in ordering “a meal which represented the restaurant.” After approximately five minutes of helpful conversation, we decided chicken enchiladas covered in traditional home cooked molé sauce would be the best choice. The service was prompt and friendly throughout the dining experience. The food was out in less than 10 minutes. The meal was a shock; it definitely rivals the food of other local Mexican restaurants, Toreros and San Fe-
lipe. The particular meal I ordered was so outstanding that I plan on returning for that reason alone. The only drawback to this eatery is the size. This isn’t a place you would take your whole family or a large group of friends, but if you and a buddy are ever looking for somewhere new to eat, don’t hesitate to give the Fiesta Grill a shot. Large portions, fresh tastes and reasonable prices are three reasons I’d recommend this place to anyone and everyone who has a taste for food south of the border. — By John Dunning
219 East St, Pittsboro A pink fish, a blue fish and a green fish, all wooden, next to a large carved white giraffe with pink polka dots: the sign leading into the back entrance was not like any I had seen before. The courtyard was colorfully accented with the help of a large red and blue metal rooster, as well as flowers and other miscellaneous vegetation planted along the border. With hammocks and gardens, this place was definitely not your typical restaurant. Driving up to the Small B&B, it took me a second to realize the house on the left with an orange metal awning was actually the café. This isn’t the sort of place you see on the side of the road and recognize as a restaurant. However, this is the type of place I will be rewarding with repeat business. The café actually doubles as a bed and breakfast with a small house built roughly 20 yards behind the
patio where I sat, with green grass and trees filling the space between. The place definitely held a laid back, positive vibe. To place my order I had to approach a small window inside the restaurant, which looked into the kitchen. Behind this opening was a particularly colorful woman, both in character and appearance. She happily took my order, a BLT, potato soup and a sweet tea. She even joked lightly with me when I struggled to count the proper change and asked about the outdoor seating, which is a must on a sunny day. Up to this point I was skeptical of the carefree, non-traditional methods employed at the restaurant, but the friendly atmosphere kept me positive. When the food was brought out it did not disappoint. The bread was some delicious unknown variation toasted to a perfect golden brown, crunchy on the outside but soft on
the inside. The bacon was the best I’ve ever had and the tomatoes and lettuce were crisp and fresh. The soup was equally pleasing, hot and flavorful with a side of warm corn bread. I honestly cannot come up with one complaint regarding the service or the food, the only unfortunate thing concerning the restaurant would be the sparse hours— it is closed Monday and Tuesday and never open later than 2 p.m. On a warm summer morning, this café is the perfect place to take your empty stomach. — By John Dunning
May 2014
Reviews
Page 17
Crook’s Corner 610 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill
When I arrived at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, the outside of the restaurant caught my attention first. The exterior is decorated with tropical plants, blooming flowers and a variety of metal art pieces. This funky atmosphere completely set the tone for the rest of the night. My table was located on the outside patio; the chatter of fellow diners and the fantastic weather created a peaceful feeling. In the beginning the waitress was obviously very busy and she had multiple tables to attend to, but eventually it improved. The fresh bread provided was quite flaky, warm and soft. The food was fantastic and my meal (the shrimp and grits) was perfectly proportioned. A plethora of well-seasoned shrimp, mushrooms and onion greens rested upon a bed of cheesy grits and bacon pieces. The
Cajun spices of the shrimp accompanied by the fresh lemon juice left a pleasant sensation. A side of fries was provided that were gently salted and cooked to perfection. Though a little too greasy, the food was remarkable, but the atmosphere is what really grabbed me. Bamboo shoots, ceramic fountains and odd paintings surrounded me as I ate my meal. The chatter of people and the songs of the birds created a very peaceful environment. What I loved about this restaurant were the classics that they provide; shrimp and grits is a vintage southern dish, and Crook’s Corner simply took it up a notch and created a four-star meal. Overall my dining experience was extraordinary, and I would go there again in a heartbeat. — By Arlo Estill
The ambience of the Modern Life Deli, also known as The Mod, is quite interesting. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant more than anything. The clean, slick floors and the modern artwork create a very pleasant, pristine environment. My table was situated inside; I went to the front counter and ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and sat down again. Shortly after, the sandwich appeared under the heat lamp and was delivered to my table. The service was very good, but most of it was on me. The customer has to walk to the front counter to order anything at The Mod. This creates a very easy feeling; the
customer can get up and leave whenever they want. The Mod is definitely not a fine dining establishment. It could supply an easy snack on the way to something, but if you do not dine in, you do not get the full effect. Though the atmosphere was very nice and pleasant, the food was not. In my sandwich, the bacon tasted like it was microwaved, the lettuce was limp and the tomatoes were not fresh at all. The sandwich had a side of potato chips that had simply been thrown from a bag to my tray. I do not think this restaurant will go further than deli sandwiches. — By Arlo Estill
46 Sanford Rd, Pittsboro
THE MOD
18
O pinion Living Without My Hero Jamie Palermo
The spotless floor and the pure white walls still haunt me as I remember walking down the hospital hallway. Each door reminded me of someone hurting, and what hurt the most was realizing one of them was related to me. His frail body lying hopeless, not able to care for himself, not able to talk or even move. As I looked at him, I tried not to let my tears show. Even though he couldn’t see me, I knew he could feel my presence. I grew up going to my grandpa’s house almost every day. Being in his house still gives me such sweet memories of him. No matter how bad of a day I had or what kind of mood I was in, my grandpaalways knew how to make it better. The day he couldn’t predict how I was feeling was the day I started to know something was wrong. One day in the fall, I went to visit him to see how he was doing. I was with my
mom after soccer practice. We walked through the front door, and as soon as I stepped through, I saw a blank stare across his face. He looked at me like I was a stranger. I looked at my mom, who had a sad smile on her face. I watched her as she sat down quietly and spoke so softly to him I couldn’t hear. Tears started to stream down my face as I realized that my favorite person in the whole world, somebody who I had looked up to for so long, had no idea who I was. Every day after that, Photo courtesy of Jamie Palermo all I could think about JAMIE PALERMO and her grandfather on the sidewas that blank stare. How lines of a soccer game. could somebody just forget you? Did he remember understood me. Nobody could make me all the times we hung out just the two of feel better, and all I wanted was to be able us? Would he ever remember me? These to talk to him one more time. questions raced through my mind every After that, he got even sicker. His day, and they were driving me crazy. I had body started to shut down. When my so many scared, conflicted emotions, and I family would walk into the hospital, didn’t know how to handle them. Nobody the nurses would tell us a new thing
that was happening. He wasn’t the grandpa I knew. He wasn’t the one I had played with all my life. He couldn’t help me with my problems, and now he couldn’t even help himself. As I walked into the hospital room for what I didn’t know would be the last time, I went in with a smile on my face. I sat down on the side of his bed. His eyes were closed, his breathing slowing. I spoke to him softly, reminiscing on all the times we had together. I relived every happy moment I had with him, telling him I would never forget him. In my heart, I felt a tug and a pull because I knew he heard me. He was with me through my heart and soul, even if he wasn’t there physically. My grandpa died Dec. 15, 2010, the day my world turned upside down, and I realized I would never speak to him ever again. My last memory of him was me sitting by his bedside, letting his wonderful life slip away before me, but knowing he lived the best life he possibly could. He changed a lot of lives and helped a lot of people. I hope I changed his life as much as he changed mine.
No-jangles: Restrictions on food and drink Staff Editorial Food and Drink Policy: “A reminder that outside food and drink is not permitted in the building for consumption before school, during classes or between classes. This includes fast food bags, fast food cups and bottled soft drinks. Note: This does not apply to lunch! You may carry water with you, which must be in a see-through container.” Although this seems like a sin against the high school population, administration does have reasons for this sudden enforcement, despite the opinion of the public. Often times students will spill their drinks or leave their food trash around, which creates a sticky mess that draws ants and other bugs. It is also thought to be unfair by the administration if one student has food from home or fast food, while another student doesn’t. With less than a month of school left, administration began to enforce a policy that made life unhappy for students: outside food and drink is not permitted in the building before or after school, but only during lunch. Although this is not a new policy, it
Editorial Cartoon
— By Morgan Yigdal has just recently begun to be steadily enforced. When this policy was announced, there was a lot of confusion because students weren’t completely sure of what the rule was. The rules explanation varied from teacher to teacher,
so it really wasn’t taken seriously. To students, it seems more like a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” situation because food can simply be snuck in and some of the faculty allows it. Teens’ crucial need for coffee, caffeine and fast food during the final
stretch of school has been denied, and students are not happy about this change. For four years we are told that high school prepares you for college, but in college we are not going to be restricted to drinking water in clear plastic bottles like children restrained to sippy cups. Caffeine is essential to teenage success and without it, we can be expected to crash and just maybe fall asleep. And if being restricted on our consumption of food and drink wasn’t bad enough, we get to constantly witness teachers and other faculty members chowing down on their burgers and slurping their Bojangles sweet tea. Why should students be expected to follow rules that the staff does not? The worst part about this rule is all the confusion it has caused. The rule keeps changing and no one is clear of what is expected of them. On top of all this, cafeteria food is not the most appetizing meal. There aren’t very many options, and some kids just don’t like the food they serve, so it limits kids a lot, especially if they happen to forget their food because parents aren’t allowed to drop off fast food, or really any food.
May 2014
The Omniscient
Mental Healthcare for its Own Sake Frances Beroset
The day after the high school stabbing in Pennsylvania in April, one of my teachers announced that the student who stabbed 16 people at his high school in Pennsylvania was not a weird loner. She followed this by
saying that everyone needs to make sure they’re dealing with stress in a healthy way and are talking to their parents and counselors about problems. Even though she had good intentions, something about her announcement annoyed me a little. It seems like no one’s interested in having a conversation about mental health until a mentally ill person kills someone. The Pennsylvania stabbing wasn’t the only time I noticed that. After the Aurora shootings, the public’s focus shifted toward the shooter’s history of mental illness. We
heard more about schizophrenia in the weeks following that shooting than we had that entire year. A similar phenomenon occurred after the recent Fort Hood shooting and the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Mental health is incredibly important. I would argue that it is the most important contributor to a person’s wellbeing (or lack of it). However, only discussing the issue when a mentally ill person murders someone contributes to the stigma of mental illness. People begin to associate mental illness with violence, schizophrenia and
Finding Humility
Lessons learned in poverty-stricken Guatemala Byron Aguilar “Will you buy a walking stick? They are only 30 quetzals,” the shabbily dressed little girl said in Spanish to my father. She carried Carl Juste/Miami Herald/MCT a variety of sticks painted in exotic colors to OLGA MARLENE GONZALEZ, 8, match her poorly put together dress. and other children in Guatemala are My father bought a walking stick and we suffering from malnutrition. went on our way up the steep Pacaya volcano in Guatemala. I asked my father why would fruit, paint the sticks, bake the food or sell any he buy the walking stick? We certainly didn’t materialistic object of value to put beans, rice need one. “Find the answer yourself,” he and tortillas on the table. simply said. My father wouldn’t give money to those I didn’t find the answer that day, or week. who begged. He would give money to those I found the answer two weeks later while who took the time to stand outside and offer stopped at a red light headed to La Aurora the fruits of their labor. We bought beautiful, International Airport. colorful flowers from Mayans running a stand, A poorly dressed man walked up and down and a hand knitted pouch that wasn’t labeled the sidewalk shouting out the various fruits he “Made In China” from a young woman. I had in the basket on his head. By impulse my bought a little slingshot from a street vendor. father motioned the man over and bought a I bought their handcrafted artworks, but they bundle of Rambutans. He handed the man the sold me their experiences. amount requested and then the rest of his quetI’ve lived in the United States my whole zals. The man gratefully took the money and life. I will never know the environment 54 muttered a quick blessing. I realized I could percent of Guatemala’s population goes never be in their place. I could never experithrough every day. Most kids at Northwood, ence life from their standpoint. or in America, wouldn’t know the environThe little girl who would walk up to ment either. Fifteen percent of the population strangers in hopes of earning some money in the United States lives below the poverty was braver than me. While I could experience line. However, poverty in a developed nation the amusement parks, beaches and malls that cannot be compared to poverty in a developing Guatemala had to offer, she could not. She nation. In the United States, welfare programs would have to wake up early every morning, are available for those in need. In Guatemala, missing school, to feed her family. Fifty four everyone is on their own, which is why they percent of the population in Guatemala lives sell any object of value. Their work ethic and below the poverty line. Out of 215 countries, Guatemala ranks 174 in literacy rate. Kids can- dignity far surpass my own. I didn’t realize that until people in poverty showed me. not go to school when they are needed to put Every day I carry something from food on the table. Only 16 percent of the entire Guatemala to remind myself of my learning population uses the Internet. How would they experience. I look at it every single day, and be able to afford it if over half of the country it doesn’t fail to remind me of the cramped lives below poverty? I can wake up at any roads, putrid smells and the struggle people given time and access the laptop on my desk. face in a developing nation and the lesson The majority of the people living in Guatethey taught. mala wake up at a certain time to harvest the
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murder. Mental health should be a topic of discussion because people who are mentally ill are sick and need treatment, not because they are a menace to society. Taking care of mentally ill people is important because they are individuals, just like everyone else, who probably have something to offer to society. Mental illness should be treated because mentally ill people deserve to be healthy and happy, just like everyone else. Mentally ill people are not a problem, mental illness is.
Car Talk:
Adrianne hits the streets Adrianne Cleven Learning to drive a car is often called a “rite of passage,” a sign of growing up. I call it a major pain in the butt. Ever since my first experience behind the wheel, when, sitting on my dad’s lap, I steered the car off the driveway and into a ditch, I have considered driving nothing but a necessary evil. Years after that first ordeal, I signed up for a Driver’s Ed. class at Northwood. The classroom lessons weren’t so bad. I’ve always been more adept at memorizing correct answers on tests than trying to get a car to start by correctly turning the key in the ignition. But the actual driving component of Driver’s Ed felt like absolute torture. Aside from the aforementioned ignition issue, my steering skills were seriously debilitated. At one point, Mr. Blankenship, the instructor in the car, suggested that I “stay away from the white line before we all get killed!” After learning a little more about my personal life, Blankenship decided that my violin skills were to blame for the poor way in which I managed a steering wheel. The direction I had moved the violin bow all these years (upwards and to the left) meant that I moved the steering wheel the same way, which in turn meant that our white Ford Taurus strayed precariously toward incoming semi trucks on a regular basis. Whenever this happened, I would hear heavy breathing and occasional sobs emanating from the unlucky kid in the backseat. Driving in the city was even worse. The crowded traffic on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus is comparable to a summer afternoon in Disney World—except the mix of tourists is a large group of Prius hatchbacks and there are no underpaid college-age interns running around in car-
toon animal suits. It was in this jungle of modern education that I made the biggest mistake of my driving career. After dazing out for a few seconds, I found myself turning left—straight onto the wrong side of the road. I was headed straight toward the front grill of a small red car, the driver of which stared at me in fascinated fear. Mr. Blankenship reached over and wrenched the wheel from my hand, onto the right side of the road. It took him a good five seconds to recover from his shock at the public display of my idiocy, and then another hour of lecturing before he seemed to give up on my blossoming driving skills. Eventually, after three days of similar, yet not-as-severe mishaps, Mr. Blankenship passed me and I received my driver’s permit after an absurdly long wait at my local DMV. My extensive education in the field of vehicular science, though wonderful, has not left me immune to certain mishaps. I have unknowingly run a myriad of stop signs and forgotten to operate my turn signal more times than I can count. The worst casualty of my driving career was my brother’s bike, a mistake my brother has still not quite forgiven me for, and it would be best not to go into further detail regarding that situation. Suffice it to say that his bike was not operable after I was through backing over it. The moral to my little story? If you see a yellow Chevy Cobalt speeding down 15-501, just pull over. Take my word for it—the inconvenience will be in your best interest.
Photo courtesy of Madeline Cleven
BEWARE, Adrianne is driving.
20
Say “hey” to 3a
Sports
Wrapping up first season in new division By Jamie Palermo & Jay Williams Staff Writers “In 2A everybody knew that some teams were not going to be good and you could play bad and still win,” girls’ basketball coach Cameron Vernon said. “At the 3A level, if you have an off night, you are probably not coming home with a win.” This year, Northwood’s sports teams moved up to 3A after being in the 2A division for several years. Northwood switched to 3A because the size of the student body grew from approximately 900 students to 1,100 students. Schools change divisions because larger schools have a bigger selection pool for athletes, which corresponds with the level of play. Some athletes took the switch to 3A as a challenge instead of an intimidation. “It was easier than I thought it would be because everybody thought we were going to get dominated, but I just thought to myself, ‘we’re a 3A school too.’ We can compete with anybody,” junior football player Jacob Leviner said. After being in a 2A division for a while, athletes grew accustomed to the teams they played, and coaches knew the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, which gave Northwood a leg-up during preparation. One of the largest differences when switching from 2A to 3A was the change in opponents. “You don’t know how the teams are going to be, so you go into a game unaware,” said sophomore Katelyn Cohen, a basketball and soccer player. “I don’t feel like we were really prepared for how hard it was going to be. We were really good when we were 2A because there was less of a challenge.” With a change to 3A, people may assume that moving to a larger division would mean completely changing practice techniques, but athletic director Jason Amy feels that the current techniques only need a few minor tweaks. “Most teams prepared the same way they always have; now it’s just a matter of more of our student athletes realizing that we need to do some extra weight conditioning, some extra physical conditioning to prepare and be more ready for next season,” Amy said. Another challenge that came with the switch was the distance travelled to the new opponent schools. “The games were farther and it was harder to get home and do homework when you had to go all the way out to another school, play a late game and then come home,” Cohen said. Another disadvantage caused by the change in divisions is the fact that a certain level of experience can begin at a younger age. Many 3A schools have developed athletic programs at the middle school level. Physical education teacher and volleyball coach Lyn Smith believes that students should be able to prepare for 3A sports at a younger age. Chatham County Schools do not have volleyball, swimming, tennis or wrestling teams at the middle school level. “Our middle schools don’t have the same programs that the rest of the state has for middle schools,” Smith said. “I would love for us to get better as a 3A school; we
are going to have to take some of these [programs] into the middle schools for us to have a successful high school program. If we don’t, kids come in without that experience.” Nevertheless, Northwood sports teams held their own as a 3A school. Thirty three percent of the fall teams did better in the 3A conference than the 2A conference. “I think overall we did pretty good [in 3A] compared to 2A,” senior cross country runner and soccer player Erin Nelson said. “We are still winning a lot of games and I think some schools are impressed with how we are doing, because they haven’t really thought of us as much competition before.” Head assistant football and basketball coach Brian Harrington believes that experience is ultimately the best teacher. “There is a famous saying: actions speak louder than words. As a coach, I can tell my players that our opponent is good, but sometimes they have to see it for themselves,” Harrington said. “Let’s see if experience is truly a great teacher.”
“We’re a 3A school too. We can compete with anybody.” –Jacob Leviner, junior
Jay Williams/The Omniscient
JUNIOR NICK DEAN chases the ball in a varsity lacrosse game. Lacrosse finished 8-8 overall this season, an improvement from last year’s record of 3-13.
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May 2014
2A
Football: Volleyball: Boys’-soccer: Girls’-Soccer: Boys’-Tennis: Girls’-Tennis: Boys’-Basketball: Girls’-Basketball: Baseball: Softball: Lacrosse:
The Omniscient
Records
3A
VS Football: 6-5 3-7 13-7-2 10-7-1 6-9 12-5 15-9 20-4 19-5 14-6 3-13
Volleyball: Boys’-Soccer: Girls’-Soccer: Boys’-Tennis: Girls’-Tennis: Boys’-Basketball: Girls’-Basketball: Baseball: Softball: Lacrosse:
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8-4 4-10 11-8-1 13-6 7-8 6-8 8-16 16-9 10-11 20-1 8-8
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The Omniscient
May 2014
Making New Goals:
Striving for gender equality in sports By Becca Heilman Staff Writer Though women have made great strides toward equality in sports, there is still a long way to go. According to athletic director and wrestling coach Jason Amy, the turnout at Northwood’s gates often reflects that more people come out for male athletic events. Many question why this is. “I know that girls work just as hard as the guys do, but the guys get more recognition,” sophomore football player Carson Barker said. Some students and coaches believe that moneymaking potential plays a large role in which sports are paid the most attention. Male sports are the predominant money makers in the professional world, and this trickles down to the high school level. “Football and basketball are revenue generating sports, and most of the time, colleges and high schools are going to focus on sports that are going to make the most money,” junior diver Bailey Revels said. Volleyball coach and gym teacher Lyn Smith agreed. “I have been in athletics for a long time and it has always been that way; that the [boy] sports seem to have priority,” Smith said. “We keep trying to build the program and trying to keep up the girl scholarships. If it weren’t for Title IX, girls wouldn’t have as many scholarships as guys do, because they say that guys are the money makers and they bring money into the school.” Before Title IX—a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equality in every educational program that receives federal funding—only one in 27 high school girls played sports, and they were rarely given college scholarships for playing sports. Though women’s athletics has come a long way because of the law, according to Titleix.info, high schools are providing 1.3 million fewer chances for girls to play sports compared to boys. According to Amy, Northwood has 456 male athletes compared to only 236 female athletes.
75%
“I know that there is Title IX, and they have to keep everything equal so that one isn’t favored over the other, but I definitely think that one is favored over the other because one is revenue generating,” Revels said. Some say that they understand why male sports often overshadow female sports. “In my opinion, guys put more into their sport,” senior football player Dimitri Nobles said. “In the offseason we do fundraising and stuff. When you look at the other sports, the girls don’t really do offseason fundraisers for their sports. In reality, boys get their names out there more than girls.” The athleticism of participating athletes may play a part in the attention that a sport receives. “There is a stereotype that male [athletes] are more fun to watch because they are more athletic, and they might be faster and bigger,” junior baseball player Peyton Walker said. “They say that girl sports aren’t as much fun to watch. I think that the way the games are played is different because there are limitations [for girls]. When people come to watch a faster paced game, they might come to a [male] game. With the girls, it is more team-based.” Though males are typically faster and stronger because they can build more muscle mass, many say that the stereotype is unjustified. “Girls work just as hard and sometimes harder because our bodies don’t develop muscle at the same rate that boys do,” Revels said. “It’s sometimes frustrating for people not to recognize that.” Some blame society in general for the inequality. “In society, when it comes to jobs, the guy is always paid more [than the girl] for the same job,” Smith said. “I don’t think we’ve gotten to the level yet where girls are looked at as equal as guys, so I think it trickles down in the business world, the athletics world
and the community.” Amy agreed that society’s perceptions are often wrong. “I know for a fact that most of our female athletes and teams are equally as good, if not better than some of our male teams,” Amy said. “I think that it is a direct reflection of our society and the world that we live in, and we need to keep promoting all our sports to become equal.” Others blamed the professional world. “The professional world itself puts more emphasis on men,” junior Alex Bortey said. “There are women’s professional sports that are hardly ever put on TV, or if they are, they are put on hours that they know that nobody is going to watch.” Many feel that this emphasis is unjustified. “I feel that girls are just as rough and put just as much heart into a sport as boys do,” senior basketball player Mariah Morrow said. “I know a lot of girls [who] have just as much skill as any [boy], and they shouldn’t be belittled just because they are female.” There are many questions regarding if and how these stereotypes will change. “I think that everybody hopes for [equality between men and women], but the world’s not perfect, and I think that the large reason that guys [get] more attention is because of their physical condition; they can do more,” Revels said. “Stereotypes aren’t going to go away.” The one thing that many seem to agree on is that full equality between male and female sports will take time. “Let females continue to play sports, and time will change itself,” Morrow said. “It takes time to change society.”
Northwood has 456 male athletes compared to only 236 female athletes.
Would you rather attend a male or female sporting event?
say male
100 random students were polled.
Student Opinion “From a student perspective, boy sports are more competitive than girl sports. Boys are more capable and more athletic.” – Jalen Smith, junior “[Male sports] come across as being more aggressive and more entertaining.” – Jessie Craig, freshman “[The girls] are competing for the same reasons the guys want to: to win.” – Matt Oldham, freshman
25% say female
Title IX Quick Facts • • • •
The law was passed in 1972 to ban discrimination in federally funded educational programs on the basis of gender. It covers all areas of education, but is mainly known for its involvement in sports. Before Title IX, female college athletes received only two percent of overall athletic budgets. In 1971, only one in 27 girls participated in high school sports. In 2008, one in 2.4 participated. Women make up 54 percent of college students, but only 43 percent of college athletes. Female college athletes receive $183 million less than males in NCAA athletic scholarships.
Sources: Titleix.info, Feminist.org, The New York Times, Women’s Sports Foundation
May 2014
The Omniscient
Stuck In The Mud:
Page 23
Mudding becomes popular at Northwood
By Bill Mc Philemy & Greyson Willard S taff Writers
Tires buried in the mud, the wheels are spinning, but the truck does not move. The driver throws the truck into four-wheel drive, the tires catch and the truck slowly crawls out of the pit of mud. “I like to take four-wheelers and trucks out into big mud holes; I don’t know why it gives [me] pleasure,” junior Grayson Bryant said. Mudding is a sport that involves taking trucks and other off-road vehicles, like dirt bikes and four-wheelers, through pits or patches of mud, commonly referred to as “mud bogs.” “I don’t really know why running through mud is fun, it just is,” junior Aaron Roberson said. “It’s fun tearing stuff up.” Bryant considers mudding a practice of freedom and spirituality. “It’s really just more of the freedom, just going back in the woods and tearing up mud holes. It’s fun, and it has a sense of freedom because you go out there and you have fun and you do Photo courtesy of Pete Kemmer whatever you want out there because you’re in Mudding is a sport that students participate in using all types of vehicles. the woods,” Bryant said. “When you’re in the woods you become closer with yourself. It’s like ally impulse decisions, and since he usually drives LCMMC race wins $10,000. a spiritual enlightenment.” his Fusion, that is what he muds in. Another popular mudding location that allows Mudding can be dangerous if not practiced right. “I had all the guys in the back [of my Fusion]. mudders to enjoy themselves individually or in a Senior Bella Chevalier found this out firsthand. They were all telling me to hit the mud hole. I took group setting is the ATV park Busco Beach. Busco “If you’re not wearing the right protective off at the stoplight, hit the mud hole; mud is flying is over 2,000 acres and contains multiple ponds, [gear] like I wasn’t, you can obviously get hurt everywhere, slinging on the side of the Fusion,” mud pits and drag strips. pretty bad. I flipped a four-wheeler over myself Johnson said. “I get up on the highway and take Although there are many competitions and events twice, breaking [two] bones in my leg,” Chevalier off; the Fusion’s unstoppable.” for mudding, many people find themselves going said. Mudding isn’t always a solitary sport; there are anywhere they can find a lot of space. There are often close calls in mudding. many competitions every year. Lee County Mud “I really just look for a place with a lot of “I was on a dirt bike and I ran into a log and my Motor Sports Complex (LCMMC) is one popular woods, hopefully not on someone’s land. That’s dirt bike went sideways and fell on top of me. I allocal mud-racing track. The complex holds mud when people start to get a little twitchy, when most burned my leg on the tailpipe,” Roberson said. races every Saturday from March though November. you get on their land and start tearing mud holes Sometimes, mudding is not executed in an offRaces start at 8 a.m., with multiple classes of trucks up,” Bryant said. “Rule of the woods is to respect road vehicle. that can be raced. people’s boundaries and land. You also need to be “My Ford Fusion has even seen a mud hole or Mud racing is an off-road motorsport carried able to know where you are and how to get back, two,” junior Matt Johnson said. out in vehicles equipped to overcome harsh muddy that’s something you always need to look out for; Johnson said his mudding opportunities are usuterrains and mud pits. The winner of every monthly you don’t want to get lost out there.”
Vehicles used for mudding:
Trevor Hackney’s 1998 Jeep Cherokee
Cody Farrell’s 1990 Ford Bronco
John Burnette’s 1979 Chevy Silverado
Hunter Blackmon’s 2006 Jeep Rubicon
24
Sports
Every issue 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. — Compiled by Tori Nothnagel & Skyler Waugh
Paige Marro girls’ soccer
Zafer Estill boys’ tennis
She made allconference and all-region.
Wesley Meyer lacrosse “Wesley can create opportunities and make good things happen, giving us the momentum to win games. He’s the best player I’ve seen come through Northwood lacrosse.” —Coach Kevin McDaniel
“Zafer is very competitive. He took care of business, beat everyone in challenges and he made all conference.” —Coach Joseph Kiertekles
“Paige is a dedicated player on and off the field. She always works hard and never fails to have a good attitude.” —Chloe Gruesbeck, So.
charged shot Arlo Estill/The Omniscient
Becca Heilman/The Omniscient
Imoh Udoh boys’ track
Garrett Scott baseball
“Garrett is a winner on and off the field. When he gets on the mound, he always performs and shuts down the other teams. He leads by example for our young team.” —Connor Leinbach, So.
Samantha Droese softball
“She brought us closer and she was the person that kept us together through the whole season. We are very thankful for her. She made everyone feel at home on the team.” —Alexa Bernard, Jr.
He has the fastest time in the 200 meter dash.
Greyson Willard/The Omniscient
MCKENZIE ALLGOOD up to bat at a home game against Orange.
Daniel Wells boys’ golf
“Daniel is focused, intense and a quiet leader on the course. Off the course, he is likeable, willing to help other people and is conscious about his studies.” —Coach Preston Hardage
“He brings a lot of comic relief to the team, is very competitive and was a good leader.” —Grant Whitaker, Jr.
Jazanae Billings girls’ track “For a freshman, she anchors the relays and runs the 200 before the last relay. She is a lifesaver for the team as a freshman.” —Coach Richard McDonald