The Northridge Reporter February 2018 by Northridge Reporter

Northridge High School 2901 Northridge Road Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406

est. 2003

THE FEBRUARY 2018

NORTH RI D GE

www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com

REPORTER

The student est.voice 2003of Northridge High School

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

HIGH TIDE AT NORTHRIDGE Pipes burst, flood classrooms over winter break

VER THE WINTER BREAK, pipes connected to Northridge’s sprinkler system burst, covering a portion the campus. According to the Executive Director of Facilities for the Tuscaloosa City School System, Jeff Johnson, the flood was caused by a combination of weather conditions and poor maintenance. The cold winter temperatures ruptured the lining of the overhead sprinkler system, causing the pipes in the gym, auditorium, the upstairs classrooms, and the North wing of the school to burst. The damage was found on Jan. 2 by a contractor who was working with Harrison Construction; the company building the new gymnasium. Faculty were later alerted via email of the events that took place. Northridge’s Assistant Principal, Keith Jackson, was one of the first to know what happened after a teacher who had heard about the incident asked Jackson’s wife what they knew, assuming that they had been informed as well. “When we walked into the building, there was a waterfall coming off the upstairs in front of the lunch room,” Jackson said. “There was probably two or three inches of water on the floors downstairs.” One teacher who suffered significant damage to their work space was Kathleen Oatts, who is in charge of the school’s food lab. “There was water coming from the ceiling and down the walls,” Oatts said. “There was water in the ovens, water in the stoves, in the microwaves. Everything was sitting in water.” Like some teachers whose rooms were flooded, Oatts’s

food lab requires technology, like microwaves and ovens, plete their tasks as educators. With that in mind, the adto be replaced. The replacement of technology was an ob- ministration created a plan to keep classes functioning by vious procedure after the flood, but what may have taken moving teachers who were affected by the flood, to alterthe staff by surprise were the methods that were used to native classrooms while construction workers repaired the clean up classrooms. damaged rooms. “The initial thing is to get the water out of the build“[We had to make a plan for the teachers] that would ing,” Jackson said. “They had a company called ServePro minimize the stress for them,” Jackson said. “We put towhich is a company that does that type of work to come gether a good plan for the teachers that were affected in, and they pumped water out of the building, and by the flood. It’s one of those things you can’t plan once they got the majority of the water out, they put ahead for because you don’t know where it is going in blowers and exposed walls to dry out wood or to flood.” any other materials that could be dried out. ProbOver the course of six days, Northridge was reably three days of [cleaning the school] was getfurbished and almost completely recovered, but ting the water out of this building, so that was the costs could be drastic. the biggest part of the recovery.” “I would be scared to guess,” Jackson Once the water was cleaned from the said. “I would dare to say it’s going to be campus, Harrison Construction then hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you had to remove all of the walls and compared [the school] to a home, it’s ceilings that had been exposed to the so much bigger than a house. I don’t downpour. know if it will be a million dollars, “You could stand in Mrs. Lane’s but it’s going to be hundreds of classroom and see all the way down, thousands of dollars just based on through every room, all the way to the amount of work because you Mrs. Fuller’s classroom, because all had to hire a crew of painters to of the walls had to be ripped out; they come in, and it was a large crew to were soaked,” Jackson said. “They had get it done in the time that needed to KATHLEEN OATTS, to do an overhaul. [In the lobby outside occur. The state has good insurance for FACS TEACHER of my office] there was no ceiling. They had situations such as this; it’s not going to be to rip all that sheetrock out and replace it and a burden to the school system. When you’re paint it. They did all of that in a matter of about four not in a building for a period of time, and especially or five days, so [that was] pretty impressive.” during cold weather, the risk of this type of thing is high.” When school was back in session, some teachers’ rooms were not in a condition where they could properly com-

“

There was water in the ovens, water in the stoves, in the microwaves. EVERYTHING was sitting in water.

“

WILL MCLELLAND MANAGING EDITOR

Theater room, sets, costumes damaged by water

AT A GLANCE SPRING SPORTS: TRACK AND FIELD

sage spread the bad news. “I was like, ‘oh my God, not the costume room,” he said. But it wasn’t his first such call of disaster in the theater rooms. “It’s like the 15th time it got flooded,” he said. “We need some new pipes.” Before he’d had time to even dress, Green had contacted friend and fellow theater student Joseph Collins and was on his way to Northridge, along with around 10 others. “I called Jojo...and I pulled up in my 2000 Honda Accord, my PJ’s on, the heat off,” he said. “It’s worse than I thought. There was water everywhere. We had to wring it out, and it wet our hands, and it was so cold. I almost got frostbite that day.” The damages were “ten times worse” than what Green had imagined. “I was just expecting the room to be like a little bit wet, and maybe the clothes and stuff, but the water was shoe-high,” he said. Sophomore Joshua Deck and senior Sabrina Rue re-

REMEMBERING ARIEL

page 12

page 10

STRING QUARTETS

page 5

member the scene as “water everywhere.” Like Green, Deck “wasn’t really sure” what to expect. “I didn’t know if it would be standing water or what,” he said. “What ended up happening was that all the clothes were on a big pile out in the lobby. The room itself has a brand-new ceiling.” Recovery efforts continued throughout the day, with more helpers arriving later. Though a few pieces of clothing were salvaged, the “bulk” were “soaked.” “We were wringing them out, and the water looked like Kool-Aid because of all the dyes,” Deck said. What remained of the costume department was inventoried and delivered to the dry cleaner’s, from which the department still awaits an assessment. Students have thrown around a few ideas for possible fundraisers but are still waiting to evaluate the “extent of the damage.”

“

Don’t roll the dice and start putting stuff in your body that you don’t know what the implications are. KYLE FERGUSON, PRINCIPAL

“

REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ORTHRIDGE THEATER STUDENTS had their winter vacations interrupted by an urgent text from director Donna Wright. “Just got a call from Ferguson...the school has flooded,” the text read. “The costume room has standing water. Can you send an SOS to everyone to meet at the school tomorrow around 1:00 and see if we can salvage anything at all?” They arrived at school to that ghastly sight - costumes soaked, sets dripping, and water rising up to their ankles. Pipes above Northridge’s first floor had broken over the holiday break due to single-digit temperatures, resulting in multiple classrooms being flooded. Senior Kameron Green woke up early on the day when he found out about the damage through the students’ GroupMe chat, where the receivers of Wright’s first mes-

See story on PAGES 6-7

OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

OUR THOUGHTS

E-cigarette use poses real danger for students

tudents should evaluate the consequences of using new drugs before using them callously. It is easy to see how e-cigarettes and other novelty substances become alluring in the college town environment of Tuscaloosa, where university students carry a phone in one hand and a JUUL in the other. However, the fact remains that, electronic or not, vaporizers and similar devices still contain nicotine and other potentially harmful chemicals. Smokers seeking alternatives to cigarettes find vaporizers viable and preferable alternatives partly because of the doses of nicotine that are still found there. Thus, student users of e-cigs and JUULs are, in effect, developing nicotine habits of their own. Many harmful substances present in e-cigarettes are considered especially dangerous to one’s health and are present in secondhand smoke. Additionally, there

[

staff members...

AGREE.....8 DISAGREE.....0

[

exists no definitive long-term research on the effects of e-cigarettes, especially on adolescents. The risks associated should not be written off by students simply because they are less evident. Substance abuse is still substance abuse, no matter the device. Students who choose to vape should keep these considerations in mind. Particularly, our peers should think twice when adopting a trend when research on vaping is still in its infancy and has not produced definitive results, positive or negative. Students should think twice before putting anything into their bodies, especially one with the potential for cancerous diseases; the smart choice isn’t always the popular choice.

“

Students should think twice before putting anything into their bodies, especially one with the potential for cancerous diseases; the smart choice isn’t always the popular choice.

“

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DEAR EDITOR,

ver the last few months, an issue has been raised that was partly responsible for a government shutdown in January. The matter in question is the legitimacy of DACA recipients’ status in this country. For those who are not familiar, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA, was a rule set in place by the Obama Administration to keep children, who were brought to America illegally as children, from being deported. In September, President Trump ended this rule, and a six month clock for practically legal immigrants started to tick. The program is set to end on Mar. 5, if Congress does not create an alternative version which the president will sign. 800,000 people. That is the number of people who could be deported this year, not for committing a serious crime, quite the opposite; for being too innocent. These 800,000 people came to the United States because their parents brought them here as children. They are not dangerous, they are however dangerously unlucky. DREAMers are, for all intents and purposes, normal Americans. And they will likely be sent somewhere they won’t recognize. A common argument used to support the termination of DACA is that they are criminals, and they need to go back and come to America legally. The problem with this argument is that it’s quite over-simplistic. It takes years to gain citizenship in this country. 800,000 people who grew up here, consider this country their home, many of whom have

“

raised families and served this country, will be forced to leave the United States for a land that is not their home, and they might not be able to set foot in America again. These are good, kind people who were just born into a bad situation. Many of them are just like your classmates here, who just had the misfortune of not legally entering the county, with no choice in the matter. This country brought them a world of opportunity, and the same country might strip that opportunity from them in exchange for years of misery. I hope that this country will choose compassion over technicality, but I won’t hold my breath.

*The author of this piece wishes to remain anonymous.

[

Want to submit YOUR letter to the editor? Stop by room 109, or contact one of our editors or Mrs. Lane!

[

This country brought them a world of opportunity, and the same country might strip that opportunity from them in exchange for years of misery. I hope that this country will choose compassion over technicality, but I won’t hold my breath.

“

est. 2003

THE

NORTH RI D G E

REPORTER

The student voice of Northridge High School

est. 2003

Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 • (205) 759-3734 ext. 295 Managing Editor Will McLelland Feature Editor Rebecca Han Sports Editor Mayci Hartley News Editor Will McLelland

Entertainment Editor Sara Lang Opinion Editor Emily Matthews Copy Editors Reshu Chandra

Opinion disclaimer: The opinions in The Northridge Reporter are those of the students and not of the faculty or administration of Northridge High School or the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. Advertising and subscriptions: Contact The Northridge Reporter at (205) 759-3734 ext. 295 or rlane@tusc.k12. al.us to advertise in or subscribe to our paper.

Art Editor Rebecca Han Social Media Editor Mayci Hartley & Sara Lang

Letters to the editor: It is the policy of The Northridge Reporter to publish all non-obscene, non-libelous, signed letters to the editor, regardless of the opinion expressed in them. Submit letters to Rhonda Lane in room 109 or email to rlane@tusc.k12.al.us. The Northridge Reporter reserves the right to edit letters and verify allegations. The newspaper is distributed monthly.

Rhonda Lane, Adviser Rebecca Han, Editor-in-Chief Visit us online at northridgereporter.wordpress.com Follow us on Twitter @NHSReporter Follow us on Instagram @northridgereporter Visit our Facebook page, ‘The Northridge Reporter, 2015-16’ Check out our YouTube channel, ‘The Northridge Reporter’ See our paper ONLINE at issuu.com, ‘The Northridge Reporter’

OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

ADVISORY: WORK OR WASTE? Additional period potentially helpful but largely unnecessary evil for seniors

know I’m not the only one who shudders when I hear that we’re having advisory. Don’t get me wrong, I think advisory has the potential to be helpful, but as a graduating senior, I don’t really have an hour to waste twice a month in a class that offers nothing for me at all. Advisory, if executed properly, would be very useful, especially for underclassmen who need a plan to graduate and a mentor

plete waste of that precious time. I remember having advisory as a junior. We planned out our schedules and classes, and that was supposed

the most important time for most and the effect would be greater. Otherwise, it is a complete waste of time for everyone if overused. I think advisory is a great class and incredibly helpful for some. However, when students dread the word, there must be some problem. I am in no way blaming anyone but offering a student’s perspective on the matter. If our time was used wisely and advisory was properly executed, all would agree that it is helpful. Yet, at the moment, there is still progress that can be made.

“

If our time was used wisely and advisory was properly executed, to make sure everything went smoothly all would agree that in the fall. It did or at it is helpful. Yet, at least more smoothly than in past years. I feel as if important the moment, THERE things like that require advisory, but it honestIS STILL PROGly took my class only one or two periods out RESS that can be of the weeks we had. Maybe advisory could made. be had in strategic

Graphic by Emily Matthews

times, like late spring, and not as often. That way, it could be at

“

SARA LANG ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

to do so. However, from what I’ve heard, there’s not much of that going on. Apparently, underclassmen have been doing a little planning but not terribly much else. And for all of the time we’ve spent in advisory, one would think more could be accomplished. The same could be said for seniors. So far, I’ve done a crossword puzzle and a personality test. If all of the details such as logins and where students should go were worked out, I feel as if our time would be better spent. But so far, none of the logins have worked, and even if they did there’s nothing for me to do. I wouldn’t mind this, but some have a real class (like newspaper) during zero block that requires time and dedication. So having advisory every morning for a whole week, or even just twice a month, is a com-

New food delivery app quick and convenient

RENEE MOREMAN STAFF WRITER

atisfying your hunger just became easier with this app that allows you to order and receive meals without ever changing from your pajamas. Waitr is an app available on the App Store that caters to what you’re hungry for. There are many restaurants and food chains around Tuscaloosa, such as Urban Cookhouse and ChickFil-A, that uses Waitr. Using Waitr is

very simple. All you have to do is download the app, open it, and look at all the restaurants that will deliver to your area. The app also lets you know if the restaurant you are wanting to order from is open or not. With the Waitr app, there is no limit to how much you can order, meaning you can order just a drink or a whole meal. They also allow you to place group orders if you’re with your friends, so

AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD AND SUSHI 1402 UNIVERSITY BLVD. TUSCALOOSA, AL 35401

TEL: (205) 752-7970 FAX: (205) 752-7971

you can just pay one delivery charge. Along with no limit on your order and group orders, you can also place future orders ahead of time and set a certain time of when you want it delivered. This app has the option of delivery or carryout just in case you don’t want to spend the extra $5 for a delivery fee plus a tip for the driver. With either option of delivery or carryout, they make sure to either tell you when your food is ready for pickup or how long it will take to arrive if being delivered. Waitr customer service isn’t always the best. There have been multiple times where my food has arrived cold. When I try to call or message them in the app, it usually takes 20-30 minutes to get a response. While the wait time can be annoying, the representatives handle the situation fairly well. If your food arrives cold, they are able to see when it should have arrived and when your meal arrived, and assess the situation based on that. I have been refunded two orders including the delivery fee because of the delayed delivery. Using the Waitr app is very easy and can be very beneficial if you have a busy day or if you do not want to cook. While the delivery charge can make your meal more expensive, the carryout option is nice to have in case you do not want to spend that extra money. Overall, the Waitr app is a great app to have on your phone for those days you just do not want to get out or feel like cooking.

NEWS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

NEVER FORGET

Holocaust survivor speaks to history students

PERSONAL HISTORY Holocaust survivor Riva Hirsch, second from right, poses for a picture after delivering a moving speech about the horrors she saw and endured firsthand. “I had to march on bodies, children younger than me, a seven year old,” she said, emphasizing the necessity for future generations to remember the lessons learned and never repeat them. From left to right: Erin Darnell, Lisa Loyd, Nancy Reed, Riva Hirsch, and sophomore James Anderton. JAMES ANDERTON STAFF WRITER

t was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Northridge students. Riva Hirsch, Holocaust survivor, captivated the crowd of this semester’s history students with her riveting testimony of how she survived five gruesome years of the Holocaust. Hirsch’s story had captivated students before the event even began, with teachers having to turn away some students throughout the day. Nancy Reed, government and economics teacher, had to tell around 20 students that they could not attend. “I loved the enthusiasm of those wanting to go but couldn’t,” Reed said. “Some of them did get to go though, because some seats freed up with conflicts from other students.” Hirsch was originally scheduled to speak last semester, so students who had been looking forward to hearing her speak were let down when it was cancelled due to weather. “It was hardest to tell my students from

last semester that they couldn’t go because I knew how excited they were,” Reed said. Mallie Humber, history teacher, said that she also had to turn down students as well. “I think that the ones that were asking to go were people who really wanted to be there,” Humber said. “I don’t think it was people trying to get out of class.” Some students, like senior Nour Akl, had the opportunity to attend last semester but not this semester. “I walked into [Mrs. Reed’s room], and they automatically said no,” Akl said. “I wanted to go because it’s so rare to experience. It solidifies the importance of it when there is someone legitimately telling us about it.” Some students, like Hayden Calhoun, did have the opportunity to go even though they weren’t on the original list. “I really wanted to go because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to hear someone who actually went through [the Holocaust] speak,” Calhoun said. “It’s different than just reading or watching videos on it.” Hirsch’s story of survival began when she was seven years old, and 77 years later

she is still reliving the scenes as she shares her story with others. Hirsch’s pain and passion was evident to students like senior Shanna Loper. “Throughout her speech she would start yelling,” Loper said. “Like she wanted us to pay more attention to things, so she would would repeat and yell sentences to us.” With her vivid retelling, Hirsch brought history textbooks to life for students who had read of the Holocaust before. “I had to march on bodies, children younger than me, a seven year old—A SEVEN YEAR OLD,” Hirsch said. “When we got to the train, it wasn’t a train- it was pig cart, they would throw the bodies out and put us in. It smelled like death. One day a man picked me up and put me under the hay on a wagon. We were stopped by Nazis, but they didn’t check inside the hay. He took me to a convict where nuns took me in. They told me to go into a hole in the ground and that they would bring food every couple of days; I never ate the food. Every meal I had was lice. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner were lice. I was blind and could not speak when they pulled me out. They told me that I was liberated. I knew

what it meant but it didn’t process for me. They made us all go to one place for the Red Cross. I found my dad and brothers, but my brothers did not make it long.” Through her story of resilience, students learned more than imaginable from a textbook. “You could really tell she wanted us to take away how important it was for us to not think of the Holocaust passively, like the textbooks make it, but to realize how awful it really was,” Loper said. Kyle Ferguson, principal, had the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak about 15 years ago at Escambia High School. “I was so upset after because the students didn’t grasp what someone who went through such an awful part of history experienced,” Ferguson said. “I could not of been more proud of [Northridge] students because I couldn’t even hear a whisper. Our students gave their utmost respect and full attention.” Throughout the staff that attended the event there is a common agreement that the students were on their very best behavior. “I was so proud. They were phenomenal and engaged. I saw some people cry,” Reed said. “It was the best large group assembly I’ve been to.”

miss so much when you’re out.” With many students and teachers falling ill, Principal Kyle Ferguson has been consistently warning everyone about the flu through morning announcements. “That’s something we want to remind students of every day,” Ferguson said. “If you are sick or running a fever, stay home.” Moore also hopes this outbreak comes to an end quickly, expressing a similar warning. “Take care of yourself, and wash your hands,” Moore said. The Alabama Department recommends the following for people who do not have severe flu: “For people with mild to moderate flu or flu-like symptoms, please do not go to your doctor’s office without calling first and do not go to the emergency room. Please call your doctor to see if

you are eligible for antivirals without an appointment.” While antiviral medications can lessen the time that a person is sick with the flu by between one and two days, most people recover from the flu with no medical treatment. After the first 48 hours of symptoms, antivirals are of little use to healthy people will mild or moderate flu symptoms. The Centers for Control and Prevention suggest flu-infected people who do not need antivirals rest and drink plenty of water. Flu symptoms include fever, chills, runny nose, tiredness, body aches and sore throat. Not all people who get flu display all of the symptoms. These symptoms are similar to those of cold, but are typically more severe for people with flu. In addition, colds are less likely to cause fever and body aches.

The most important step that can be taken to avoid becoming ill with flu is getting a flu vaccine. It is best to get this vaccine by the beginning of November, but the vaccine will still help if a person gets it later. While the flu vaccine is not a guarantee against getting sick, it decreases the chance of getting flu and often makes flu less serious. A person is most often infected with flu by being near someone with flu and inhaling flu viruses after the infected person coughs or sneezes. People can also be infected if they touch a surface with the flu on it and then touch their mouth or nose. Thus, staying away from people with the flu and not touching one’s face are good ways to avoid getting the flu.

Flu outbreak impacts attendance ISAAC SMITH SPORTS EDITOR

February is most often the peak month of flu season, but this year’s flu seems to be hitting Alabama hard in January. At this point, most states, including Alabama report a high levels of flu activity. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared a state public health emergency as a result of the large number of flu cases. English teacher Chelsey Moore, along with many other teachers, are seeing the struggle first hand as empty desks have become the norm. “Several of mine have missed for a week at a time,” Moore said. “I think I have about seven out right now, and with block schedule it’s really difficult because you

NEWS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Junior’s artwork presented at State House PETRA ZLATKOVIC STAFF WRITER

LOCAL ART Junior Samantha Savage stands before her original artwork at the Superintendent’s Art Show, an annual citywide display of works by Tuscaloosa City School students. Savage’s work was selected with five others to be displayed at the Alabama State House to be part of a statewide art exhibition. Photo from Tuscaloosa City Schools

Students cheer on the Tide in Atlanta ISAAC SMITH SPORTS EDITOR

Several Northridge students, as well as history teacher Erin Darnell, attended the College Football National Championship on Jan. 8. They enjoyed the game and cited the final play, during which Alabama unexpectedly won the game with a 41 yard touchdown pass, as their favorite of the game. “At the very end when we had that touchdown...I went crazy, said Jackson Borak, junior. “I wasn’t expecting it. It came out of nowhere.” Alabama often easily defeats their opponents in football, but this game was an exception. Much of the championship was a nerve wracking experience for fans of the Crimson Tide. Georgia dominated Alabama in the first half and remained ahead for nearly the entire game. “The general feeling of the crowd was different, Darnell said. “You could tell the stakes were high. It was a National Championship.” Neither team scored for the first quarter, but in the second fifteen minutes, the Bulldogs kicked two field goals and scored a single touchdown, creating a 13-0 lead over Alabama. At this point Alabama fans were worried but still held on to hope. “I was hoping that we could come back,” said Darnell. “I thought it was possible. When they put in the new quarterback, you could tell that there was a change throughout the stadium and a different energy on the field.” For the second half, the Alabama backup quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, took the field,

revitalizing the Crimson Tide and their fans. Although Georgia never allowed Alabama to take the lead in the second half, the two teams finally ended up tied when time ran out. Alabama won the game unexpectedly on the first iteration of overtime, just after being sacked. Alabama won 26-23. The wait to get into the stadium contrasted sharply with the jubilation experienced by Borak and Darnell during the game. Security was tighter than usual at the championship; all attendees had to pass through a metal detector, which slowed fans entering the stadium. “It was raining, it was cold, and you had to just sit there, get through a metal detector, and wait for them to put all your stuff [through security],” Borak said. Fans attributed the extra precautions to the presence of President Donald Trump, who walked onto the field for the singing of the national anthem. “We did notice the extra security for the president,” Darnell said. “Several gates were really clogged up. [The security personnel] were dressed in full military uniforms.” If the wait to enter MercedesBenz Stadium was unpleasant, the stadium itself made up for it with high quality concessions. “They had concessions everywhere,” said Borak. “Usually when you go to a game the food is way overpriced. The food was actually reasonably priced and it was really good.”

very year, the Tuscaloosa City Schools System hosts the Annual Superintendent’s Art Show. It is a citywide art show for students from first to 12th grade. Each art teacher sends 10 to 12 pieces of work to be looked at by an outside judge, who chooses five pieces which get awarded. Those five pieces are later on sent to the State House and they become part of a state wide art exhibition. Over 120 student art pieces were showcased at the art show. It was hosted by the “Jim Harrison Galleries” in Tuscaloosa, and it is set up by teachers and artists themselves. Visual and 3D art teacher Suzette Puzinauskas was one of the teachers who helped set up the show. “I think it was a great opportunity for young artists and their families to get comfortable with an art gallery,” Puzinauskas said. The art show was open to all the artists with their friends and families, but also for people who simply appreciate art. “It is a big event for all art lovers, and it’s very important to us that people gather and enjoy this wonderful body of work our

students have produced,” Puzinauskas said. She was also the person to recommend the judge for the competition, Lee Busby, who is a local sculptor. “He accepted my request, and I was very grateful, because I think it was a great thing to have an artist from Tuscaloosa be the judge in this competition,” Puzinauskas said. One of the students from Northridge, senior Samantha Savage, was one of the chosen artists whose work was sent to the State House. “I was really excited because knowing that your work is appreciated is a great feeling,” Savage said. She is taking Puzinauskas’ class and is the only Northridge student whose work was featured in the exhibition. “Art is my way of relaxing and coping with things and Ms. P[uzinauskus] is a very inspirational person and I’m really glad she was there to support me,” Savage said.

PETRA ZLATKOVIC STAFF WRITER

interested in,” Charboneau said. This is the second tournament the debate team has competed in this year. The first one was held in October in Birmingham. “I think we did better this time because we had the advantage of living in Tuscaloosa, and that made us feel more comfortable,” Blake said. He also believes that working in a team helped him and made the whole experience more fulfilling. “Working with Conner was interesting, because I think that working in a team makes everything less stressful,” Blake said. While the team has only existed for a short period of time, the members expressed satisfaction with their showings at the state level against schools with established speech and debate programs. Students and undergraduate student coaches from the University of Alabama plan to increase outreach and expand the program in the coming years, with many posters advertising the program already decorating the walls.

Debate team competes at University tournament On Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, the debate team competed at the University of Alabama Speech and Debate Tournament. This is the second year that the team has been competing. The debate team competes in Public Forum debates, a much more accessible format for novices. A total of four students competed in the tournament, including sophomore Joshua Deck, a newcomer to both Northridge High school and debate. “This was my first ever debate tournament and it was both exciting and challenging at the same time,” Deck said. The debate team competed against numerous teams from Tuscaloosa and other cities in the state. “I enjoyed being able to compete with people from all over Alabama because it’s something I’ve never done before,” Deck said. Deck was teamed up with senior Rebecca Han, while freshman Blake Charboneau and Conner Uzelac were the other team. “I liked this competition mostly because I liked the topic. We argued about the independence of Catalonia, which I am very

Garbage truck accident results in torn awning

EMILY MATTHEWS OPINION EDITOR

The awning that was built near the new gym was torn down by the schools garbage service as students return from winter break. The new awning that now is over the bus area was not the original due to the height of the first one. “The awning they put up was not tall enough to clear the truck, and it tore it

down,” said Principal Kyle Ferguson. Buses had to pick students up and drop them off throughout the day by the jaguar out front. “It blocked the bus drive through, so we just had to send out a message to reroute traffic,” said Ferguson “The goal was to try to keep traffic all flowing in the same direction, so we would not have a big issue with parents and students around the school.”

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER FEBRUARY 2018

FEATURE

VAPING

*Names of students have been changed to ensure anonymity.

As e-cigarette use spikes around the country, Northridge students dabble in vaporizers and JUULs, to the chagrin of administrators. REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Student “Jim”

YOU SEE SOMEBODY JUULING AND...RELATE A LITTLE BIT TO THEM, AND IT ALL CONTRIBUTES TO THIS MASSIVE CULTURE. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW... IT’S TRAGIC TO WATCH THE LIGHT FADE OUT OF PEOPLE’S EYES WHEN THEY START DEVELOPING A DRUG HABIT. YOU MIGHT START WITH VAPING. Kyle Ferguson, Principal

LECTRONIC SMOKING HAS BECOME a popular activity throughout the United States, especially on college and high school campuses. E-smoking or vaping is a method of nicotine intake through electronic vaporizer kits, while smaller devices called JUULs, vaporizers that resemble USB drives and can be filled with JUUL pods or other substances. Here, the perspectives of both student users and Principal Kyle Ferguson are explored.

IM* FIRST DABBLED in e-cigarettes November of last year because “all my friends were doing it.” “I was hesitant at first because I thought it was stupid and a waste of money,” he said. “I didn’t wanna look like a sucker for peer pressure.” Later, though he figured “why not?” “It ended up being really fun,” he said. For him and many others, e-smoking/vaping is moreso a social activity than anything else; to see another person with a JUUL, he says, is to forge an unspoken bond. “You see a dude JUULing at a party, and you’re automatically friends,” he said. “I use it more as a social thing because it gives me something to do and show people at parties and stuff.” Beyond reality, e-smoking culture proliferates online and through social media outlets. Look to entertainment brand Old Row, which has amassed an Instagram following just shy of one million for its portrayals of Southern college life, and its Instagram page, chock full of JUUL and e-cigarette references. One is an image of a JUUL holder attached to the back of an iPhone. In fact, Jim* attributes much of vaping’s popularity to its “primary market of college kids,” especially considering their “huge social media presence.” While he participates in this culture, he’s careful to keep his vape use in check, not wanting to develop any habits. For one, he leaves his JUUL at home “most days” to avoid addiction. Rule of thumb, he says, is moderation. “I leave it home...so I don’t build a dependency on the nicotine,” he said. “I think it’s fine in moderation, just like everything.” Vaping in Tuscaloosa is far from a new phenomenon. In September of 2016, the University of Alabama’s student newspaper The Crimson White published a story about vaping culture at the University, describing, like Jim*,

the “positive community” that the interviewed individual felt with his friends who vaped as well. Policies like the University’s 2014 smoke-free campus which prohibits all “lighted tobacco products and electronic cigarettes” have not significantly stymied the booming popularity of e-cigarettes. A year prior to Alabama, Auburn University issued a similar campus-wide ban on tobacco products, and Troy University has been smoke-free since 2011. Like Jim*, Gary* cited the college town environment as a significant factor in his choice to first use an e-cig or JUUL. He’s been vaping since, having started “about six months ago.” “I was surrounded by it with my friends and at parties and stuff,” he said. “Plus, living in a college town, vaping is everywhere you go.” Many see vaping as relatively safer than cigarettes, a factor that Gary* thinks plays a tremendous role in its popularity. While science magazine, The Scientific American, says the list of dangerous chemicals in cigarettes compared to e-cigarettes makes vaping “almost certainly less dangerous to your health,” researchers at New York University detailed in a study, published at the end of January 2018, how e-cigarettes damaged DNA and lead to increased risk of cancer and heart disease in mice. Like many e-smokers, Brian* first began using e-cigs in lieu of cigarette smoking—and found his body to react significantly. He first began smoking in sixth grade, as his parents always “smoked on and off.” “I was on and off from sixth grade until 10th grade,” he said. In high school, though, as he began a few exercise regimens, he noticed that cigarette smoking was impairing his “stamina.” “I started noticing my breaks between sets at the gym became longer and longer,” he said. “Normally, I’d give myself 45-second rests between sets unless they were power sets. Forty-five seconds became 60, 60 became 90, and 90 became 120. I felt terrible leaving the gym when I used to feel great.” While he found himself to perform better when not smoking, Brian* found quitting “cold turkey” to be difficult. “So one day, I finally said I need to change, and bought a JUUL...I got it to help, and it’s a blessing,” he said. Since then, it’s been a whole different story. “Oh yeah, I feel so much better with vaping,” he said. “My stamina is so much better, and I feel healthier overall. My breathing is also so much better, and I get better quicker when I’m sick since I’ve made the switch.” Today, e-smoking is a necessary safeguard for Brian* from smoking. “I really just do it because it keeps me from

VAPING 16.2% The Numbers PERCENT WHO USE CIGARETTES

11.4%

12th Grade

PERCENT WHO USE E-CIGARETTES

many boys as girls 2X as use e-cigarettes

1 National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Teen use of e-cigarettes exceeds that of cigarettes.1

E-c

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER FEBRUARY 2018

FEATURE

smoking when others are around smoking,” he said. “HonT’S THE FIRST YEAR that administrators have seen estly, I didn’t really have a plan in mind when I bought the widespread e-smoking at Northridge, and while the JUUL, other than to stop smoking. My dad actually knows Code of Conduct includes no provisions on it, students that I have a JUUL, and he would rather me do that than caught e-smoking are being treated as if caught with a cigsmoke.” arette. Like for the other students, the college town environPrincipal Kyle Ferguson “knows it’s a problem;” he’s alment plays a significant role in Brian’s* continued use of ready confiscated a bagful of paraphernalia that includes e-cigs. some fairly expensive pieces and At university, he plans has walked into a few bathrooms to continue his use due shrouded in smoke clouds. to his plans to pledge to “Since I’ve been at Northridge a fraternity. “A lot of peo- this is my fourth year here), I ple JUUL in the frats,” may have smelled a cigarette he said. “But maybe afonce in a bathroom,” he said. ter college, I’ll drop the “Here, that’s just something we habit.” don’t have a lot of. I’ve smelled SARA LANG But college students ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR marijuana maybe once in a batharen’t the sole driving room, but it doesn’t take long for In 2013, three times the amount of teenagers who vaped us to figure out where it’s going factor behind e-smoking’s popularity, he said. would smoke. Now, it’s completely turned around. Twice on. Walk into a bathroom and Strong anti-cigarette the amount of teenagers vape rather than smoke, and this there’s a cloud, but it doesn’t smoking sentiments in has all changed in a span of a few short years. A study smell like smoke. We’ve conAmerica—which is not conducted by Monitoring the Future shows that 35.8 per- ducted some searches and found a “bad thing”—have also cent of teens in their last year of high school try vaping, vapes.” while only 26.6 percent try a cigarette. This number has driven many to e-cigs. Here, he pulled from a desk decreased since 1997, when 65.4 percent of highschoolers “There’s still plenty drawer a Ziploc bag of assorted said they smoked. of European countries devices. Vaping devices turn liquid flavorings laced with nicowhere they just take back tine or marijuana into a vapor. Throughout the US, they are “I’ve got 15 dollar ones and 70 smokes, like it’s 1960,” he largely unregulated, and while Congress passed a law to try dollar ones and 200 dollar ones,” said. “but America has to regulate them in 2009, it hasn’t been very effective. The he said, displaying one unusually been pushing no-smok- Food and Drug Administration also failed to issue regula- large device. ing for a while, and I tions to guide manufacturers, and doesn’t expect to do so Vaping, however, he said, isn’t think vaping is a way to until 2021. just confined to empty bathget almost the same feelStudies have shown that there are new risks associated rooms and after-hours parking ing as smoking without with vaping that cause almost as much concern as smok- lots. all the negative side ef- ing. Vaping inflame mouth cells that could promote gum “We’ve had kids vape in a fects...besides nicotine disease, immunity decreases, and “smokers cough” and classroom,” Ferguson said. “If bloody sores have begun to appear in teen vapors. addiction.” the teacher isn’t looking and has There are certain benefits to vaping. Some use it as a their head down, grading papers, He brings up European countries because, way to quit smoking. When one tries vaping instead of some people go ahead. If there insofar as he’s heard, “va- smoking, they don’t need as much nicotine because of the wasn’t an aroma to it, the teachpes aren’t very prevalent increase of vapor. They can decrease the nicotine level as ers might not even realize what there,” “whereas here, you they become less addicted, and when vaping, the less nico- it is. I’ve had to deal with those see someone vape almost tine you use, the better your liquid will taste. kids.” every day, and they’re Here, technology has played usually a former smok- Information from Vaping Daily and Science News for Stuan enormously helpful role. dents publication. er.” It’s even possible to “Everybody’s got a camera in smoke indoors on some their hand,” Ferguson said. “I’ve places in Europe, all of these factors which has led to “basi- gotten some pretty neat pictures of people vaping in class.” cally no social stigma despite the surgeon general warning JUULs, portable and easily concealable e-cigarettes, pose on the packs.” another problem. “But here, smoking is frowned upon and seen as a neg“Those little CO2 capsules, we don’t know a whole lot ative habit, whereas vaping is seen, by most people, as a about it yet,” he said. “I’m not even sure what kind of buzz happy alternative for former smokers,” he said. people get off it, but I’m assuming it’s like compressed air. For happy smokers yes; for kids on the path to becoming It never ceases to amaze me and really scare my hat off addicted, no. that there are people sitting around ingesting things in “Of course it’s better than smoking, but why become ad- their body. I mean, you have people eating Tide pods. Who dicted to nicotine in the first place?” Brian* said. “I think a thought that up? Who just wonders, ‘what would happen if lot of parents are open to their teens vaping because they I ate this?’” know their teens will be around smoking and maybe won’t It may be the first year that e-smoking has caught on at be as tempted with a vape. But they don’t realize that the Northridge, but for Principal Kyle Ferguson, it’s just a varivape juice their children have has nicotine in it.” ant of many such novelty drugs that he’s seen rise and fall in popularity over the years. Of those, synthetic marijuana (“spice”) counts as one of the more memorable. “When those first hit the market, they were selling over-the-counter, being advertised as incense,” he said. “Of course, though, everybody who purchased did so as something to smoke. For a couple of years there, nobody really knew what the health implications were, but it didn’t take long to find out that it was causing some serious health and 1 mental issues.” He saw those implications firsthand in students and friends—the horror stories are still fresh in his mind. “People were suffering from psychosis,” Ferguson said. “People died. I have a friend my age who used [spice], and he lost his eyesight. He’s blind today because it destroyed his optic nerve and did damage to his lung tissue as well.” Apart from friends, he also had indelible impressions from former students who adopted damaging drug habits. “I had a student in Thomasville who was an incredible athlete and a smart kid,” he said. “But he was smoking spice, and that kid went from being a really good athlete to having the cognitive capacity of about a five year old. He sits in a fast food restaurant all day long while his mother works. He can’t go out and work and be independent. I drove through town one day a couple of years ago, and he was in the median doing push-ups.” user Non-user Naturally, everything about e-smoking—its novelty, its lack of research, its booming and likely cyclical (based on

TEEN VAPING IN AMERICA

cig

Teens who start smoking within 6 months of use

8.1 %

30.7 %

Americans make switch from cigarettes to vaporizers and similar devices

precedent) popularity—raises his alarm bells. “I say that to say this: vaping is new,” he said. “People haven’t figured out what the health implications are gonna be because, you know, the juice they put in some of it has nicotine in it. Some people are using it to get off of cigarettes or to get high, but nothing that you intentionally inhale and fill your lungs with is good for you, other than oxygen.” Drug manufacturers, Ferguson warns, bypass federal regulations in dangerous ways, replacing illegal chemicals with legal ones in a rat race to afford users the best high. “Most of the vape juice has nicotine in it and people use it as a substitute or safer alternative to cigarettes,” he said. “But the research that I’ve done on it is that it’s kind of like spice, in that people think it’s legal.” Synthetic cannabis is illegal today in the United States, but producers often replace outlawed chemicals with compounds that have not yet been flagged by the FDA. It seems to be the common narrative, he said, with drugs and public perception. Availability over the counter or at a convenience store, Ferguson warns, does not equate to safety. “With spice, you can buy it in a convenience store and as long as you consume it in moderation, you’re fine, is what people thought,” Ferguson said. “What the manufacturers were doing with that is basically spraying herbs with different chemicals, and when the FDA would outlaw one, they’d change the chemical to something they hadn’t outlawed yet.” He likened the process to randomly ingesting harmfulchemicals and substances with little knowledge of what they consisted of. “It’s basically like grinding up that garbage bag and smoking it to see what happens,” Ferguson said. “I’m sure the perspective is that students think it’s safer and that it’s cool, but we don’t know just how bad it is yet.” This year has also seen the highest amount of drug cases at Northridge since Ferguson began his tenure three years ago. But the easiest way to locate drug use is to “look for it” in something as simple as student behavior. “If I see a student that appears to be under the influence, I’m gonna grab him,” he said. “That’s been our lead in nearly all of our drug cases, which we’ve had about 10 of this year. Most of the time, there’s been something that’s caught our attention and led us to search a vehicle or a bookbag and recover mostly marijuana. Still, you see a pretty direct correlation between drug issues and low achievement and discipline incidents.” And while Northridge has racked up accolades for its University of Alabama Early College achievement and been recognized as a top 30 school in the nation, it’s lost quite a few students by way of expulsion for drug related incidents and other infractions. Some students, Ferguson said, will have the opportunity to return to school next August, while others’ extensive disciplinary histories might prevent them from being able to. “We always hope to graduate every student,” he said. “We’re at 94 percent right now, but we can’t make all their decisions for them.” To students on the verge of those decisions, Ferguson wishes he could “let my friend come and speak to them,” speaking in reference to the aforementioned individual who lost his eyesight as a result of drug use. “He was an aircraft mechanic for the air force, a civilian contractor aircraft mechanic and was probably making six figures, and now he’s unemployed,” he said. The financial burden of his health condition was an additional hurdle. “He lost his retirement,” Ferguson said. “he lost his job because he pretty much had to use all his savings to pay for the health condition with his lungs and his drugs. He’s permanently disabled. He’s my age. He’s a smart guy, but his skill sets are pretty much unusable because he’s lost his eyesight.” E-smoking, Ferguson says, is a “little compromise,” and “they lead to bigger compromises.” “Don’t roll the dice and start putting stuff in your body that you don’t know what the implications are,” he said. “I’ve been an educator for 26 years, and I’ve watched drugs destroy a lot of lives and families and careers. There’s always something new around the corner, and it’s tragic to watch the light fade out of people’s eyes when they start developing a drug habit. You might start with vaping.”

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

VALENTINES DAY POLL BEST ROMANTIC MOVIES

BEST GIFTS

OTHER

LA LA LAND

FOOD

CHOCOLATE

CANDY

FLOWERS

TITANIC STAR WARS TWILIGHT

THE NOTEBOOK

A WALK TO REMEMBER

BEST LOVE SONGS SHAPE OF YOU by Ed Sheeran

LET ME LOVE YOU by Justin Bieber

LOVE STORY by Taylor Swift

WANNABE by The Spice Girls

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by Adele INTO YOU by Ariana Grande

Information compiled by Sara and Gracie Lang

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX? INFORMATION COMPILED BY RENEE MOREMAN

Exciting new movies and TV shows are coming to Netflix this February and March. Some of the highlights are listed below. February 14th: • Love Per Square Foot February 16th: • Everything Sucks!: Season 1 • Irreplaceable You February 20th: • Bates Motel: Season 5 February 21st: • The Bachelors • Forgotten • Lincoln February 23rd: • Mute

February 26th: • Seven Seconds: Season 1 • Ugly Delicious: Season 1 February 28th: • The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale March 8th: • Jessica Jones: Season 2 • Ladies First March 9th: • Love: Season 3 Information provided by Vulture.com and Cinemablend.com

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

BLAST INTO THE FUTURE

Newest installment of ‘Star Wars’ franchise stuns reviewer

PETRA ZLATKOVIC STAFF WRITER

“The Last Jedi,” the eighth movie in the “Star Wars” franchise, premiered on Dec 15. It was directed by Rian Johnson based on his screenplay. It is about the continued fight of the resistance against the empire in order to restore the republic. It follows Rey’s training to become a Jedi while also portraying Finn’s experiences in the resistance troops. Just as “The Force Awakens,” can be considered a reboot of “A New Hope,” “The Last Jedi” is the new “The Empire Strikes Back,” as it features and explores similar themes. Mark Hamill reprises his role as Luke Skywalker and is an excellent addition to the already great cast, including Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) and John Boyega (Finn). “The Last Jedi” introduces new ideas and theories through the connection formed between Kylo Ren and Rey. Although it is hard to stand out and be original in a franchise as long and as loved as “Star Wars,” this movie manages to bring something fresh while still keeping the

beloved aspects of the franchise. One of the highlights of the movie is the reappearance of Yoda, who gives Luke excellent advice, which is a crucial moment for the further development of the plot. As it is with most movies, “The Last Jedi” has its flaws. It introduced characters who were extremely insignificant to the story and whose arcs could’ve casually been replaced by the more interesting and important storylines. It also failed to provide solid character development for Snoke, the main villain in the movie, which would give the viewers reason to care about him. “The Last Jedi” also featured the last appearance of late Carrie Fisher as rebellion general princess Leia Organa, which leaves fans wondering what would happen to the character in the final installment of the franchise. The movie makers paid tribute to the late actress in the ending credits, reading “In memory of our late princess.” “The Last Jedi” provides its viewers with great entertainment, from beautiful direction to wonderfully shot lightsaber fight scenes. It gives the viewers a feeling of hope, especially in the end, and an overall impression that no matter the hardship, the light will dominate over the darkness.

Photo from starwars.com

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU Actress Daisey Ridley plays Rey, the female protagonist.

‘Black Mirror’ brings nothing new but remains entertaining Technology will either make us or break us. That’s the spirit of the fourth season of Charlie Brooker’s bleak Channel 4 anthology series “Black Mirror,” released on Netflix on Dec. 29. And while the novelty of Brooker’s now-tired bag of tricks has largely worn off, the season nonetheless remains one of the platform’s most entertaining binges. Brooker’s clearly seen the Internet commentary, inventing dastardly new technologies for his poor, encumbered heroes that are accessories to their own demons. He’s taken this motif that’s taken to an almost excessive extreme in this latest season, following without detours the template that “Black Mirror” has grown so notorious for by viewers and Twitter memes alike. Much of the episodes’ characters are headed for crash courses that can be spotted from miles away. But when the episodes don’t end on notes of numbing pessimism, they ambush viewers with plot twists or reveals that require some significant suspension of disbelief (SPOILER: most notably, the use of memory technology on the guinea pig at the conclusion of episode 2 “Crocodile” to nab the unsuspecting at her son’s play.) Like the predictable plots, there’s not much in the way of new tech either, with the only real novelties coming by way of the Arkangel child monitoring system in the eponymous episode. There’s also the same bag of themes and ethical dilemmas that the show always draws heavily on, including but not limited to the consequences and

responsibilities of creating consciences (see “U.S.S. Callister,” “Hang The DJ,” “Black Museum”), crime and punishment and the blurred lines between criminal and judge (“Black Museum”), and of course the old depravity of the human soul and its Fargo-esque snowball effect (“Crocodile”). Three episodes stood out to me among the newest crop. “U.S.S. Callister” begins as a fun parody of traditional Star Trek (or Star Fleet as in this universe) that soon becomes anything but. It’s today’s fandom culture taken to an extreme and a pretty-satisfying sci-fi tale of heroines and smirking villains. “Black Museum” is an increasingly grisly horror show that you can’t tear your eyes from, with its interweaving tales of an obsessive surgeon, a couple trying to raise their child after mom enters a coma (and is subsequently given new life by way of being implanted in her husband’s mind), and a falsely accused criminal culminating in a perversely satisfying revenge plot. It’s the season’s most ambitious and

“

gimmicky offering, calling back to the days of “White Christmas” in season 2, but also one of the more entertaining romps. “Hang the DJ” comes off as a pretty transparent effort to capitalize on the success of last season’s tearjerker “San Junipero,” following the romances of two characters in a mysterious world of extreme – Tinder. Citizens are matched and given expiration dates on those matches—one year, 12 hours, three months—by a faceless AI addressed as Coach. I enjoyed the remaining three episodes—”Arkangel,” “Crocodile,” and “Metalhead”—less. “Crocodile” revels in its own dreariness in typical “Black Mirror” fashion as viewers follow the journey of a woman who commits atrocity after atrocity to keep quiet a mistake made years ago. The tech here, a chip that displays the wearer’s memories on a screen and is used by insurance companies, is little more than a Stone Age version of the “cookie” from “White Christmas” or “grain” from season 1’s “The Entire History of You.” I’m still on the fence about “Metalhead,” a post-apocalyptic story where a woman escapes from a dog-like robot; it’s the one I was most excited for when the trailers were released, but the dog is minimally fearsome at most and laughable at least. I was the least impressed by the Jodie Foster-directed “Arkangel,” where new monitoring technologies allow a helicopter mother to keep tabs on her child in frightening ways. I have no qualms with the direction but plenty with the story. Surely we’ve known how this story will end since the release of the trailer; unfortunately, the episode takes the most uninspired route possible to its final destination. Even at its worst, “Black Mirror” is nothing if not wildly entertaining. It might not have the same creative spark that first landed it on the international map in earlier seasons, but there’s always something to keep you hooked. Maybe it’s the viewers that are Brooker’s true subjects—no matter how he puts us through the wringer, it’s impossible to tear your eyes away.

Brooker’s clearly seen the Internet commentary, inventing dastardly new technologies for his poor, encumbered heroes that are accessories to their own demons... Much of the episodes’ characters are headed for crash courses that can be spotted from miles away.

“

REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SPORTS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

Northridge succeeds at crowded track meet ISAAC SMITH SPORTS EDITOR

Photo by Mayci Hartley

TUSSLE Senior Jackson Wilkin grapples for the ball with an opposing player.

Varsity basketball rounds out unpredictable season REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Northridge girls and boys varsity teams enjoyed a season that had its “ups and downs” but was ultimately satisfying. Varsity boys coach Bob Brantley called the performance of the varsity boys’ team “inconsistent” due to a shortage of more experienced athletes. “The season was up and down,” he said. “We were just so young.” He described the season as a “rebuilding year,” in which the team relied largely on the talents of the three seniors, Stevan Fairburn, Jackson Wilkin, and Nick Hannah. “It’s kind of sad for them,” he said. “They’ve kind of held it all together.” Still, though, Brantley has plenty of hope for future teams and sees promise in many younger athletes, including freshman and JV team members. “Our younger teams are doing well,” he said. “This is a guess but we have about 24 freshman and sophomores in our program, I believe. The future is bright, and we’ve played some pretty good games. We just need to find that consistency.” On Feb. 2, Senior Night, the team played their last season home game against Sipsey Valley and started a true freshman at point guard. They lost against Sipsey Valley 6259. Northridge’s leading scorers at the game were Sedrick Pettway, who scored 15 points, and Micah Johnson, who scored 13. The boys team advances to the area tournament Feb. 8 Fairburn agreed that the season had its “ups and downs,” but said that overall it was going “pretty well.” “We like where we are right now,” he said. “It’s bittersweet to be a senior. It’s nice to have this leadership role, but it’s sad to be my last year to play.” He’s been a part of Northridge basketball for the entirety of his high school career, but has no plans currently to continue the sport in college. One of the difficulties of being a student athlete, he says, is the time management required to juggle sports with academics. He greatly appreciates the “camaraderie” and “coaching” on the team, and the memories made. “Beating County High was a good moment,” he said. The girls basketball team, coached by Ja-

son Bothwell, has a current record of 5-210, according to c2cschools, after a loss to Hillcrest High School on Feb. 6 of 69-21 in the Area 7 tournament semifinal game. They held their Senior Night on Feb. 2 and played Hillcrest. One of the leading scorers was senior guard Amerlee Harton, who accounted for nine points of Northridge’s final score. Like Fairburn, she has played basketball for Northridge for all four years now and began the sport when she was young. “I was little when I first started, so I really grew a passion for it,” Harton said. She finds each game to carry its own challenges and recalls once when she was extremely tired at a game and wanted to sit out but felt the piercing looks of her coach. “She wouldn’t take me out,” Harton said. “She gave me this look.” She also enjoys squaring off with other teams, including longtime Northridge rival Bryant High School. After high school, she plans to continue playing basketball.

Northridge competed at the Martin Lu- meets, with nearly 2,000 athletes from alther King Jr. Indoor Track Classic on Jan. most 70 teams competing on a single day. 15 in Birmingham with several top finish- “In years past we have split the meets into a es. 1A-5A and 6A-7A on two different days,” The team performed up to expectations said Sparks. “We’ve done that twice this according to track coach Jeff Sparks. “It year already. In this MLK [meet], there went really well,” Sparks said. “It went weren’t two days to do it, so everyone was hand in hand with our expectations. We on one day.” have been training hard and we had a really The indoor track team had already begun good meet.” looking forward to the next meet, which Zion Binion, sophomore, won the shot took place in January. “It’s your last chance put, throwing the 12 pound weight over to get a qualifying mark for the state meet,” 49 feet. DaSparks said. vid Herrod, “In order to junior, took compete in the third place state indoor in the trimeet, you have ple jump. to have a qualJade Johnifying mark in a son, senior, previous meet.” was fourth The AHSAA in the high Indoor Track jump and State Meet fifth in the occurred on 60 meter Feb. 2-3 at the hurdles. The Crossplex in Northridge Birmingham. boys team Northridge finished took fourth sixth overall, place overall at while the the state meet, girls team with several top finished finishers in30th. cluding John“We had son, who won a lot of seathe high jump son bests,” and Binion, said Sparks. who won the “Zion Binshot put. ion finished Many infirst in the door track athshot put. To letes, including have two Herrod also meets in a LAST CHANCE FOR STATE Vincent Taylor places first participate in row where in the triple jump at the Last Chance Invitational, qualifying outdoor track. he is the himself for state. Photo by Alabama Runner “[In outdoor number one track, I do the] thrower is pretty good. David Herrod has same events, and this year I might think been really really working hard. He jumped about sprinting,” said Herrod. Indoor and 44-3 and some change, which was a good outdoor track are similar, but some events mark for him. We are having a good season. are only offered at both types of meets. In We are pretty young and most of our ath- addition, indoor tracks are banked because letes will be back for next year.” the turns are sharper. The outdoor track The crowds were larger than at most season begins on Mar. 1.

1015 Skyland Blvd E. Tuscaloosa 4530 Rice Mine Rd NE. Tuscaloosa 5500 McFarland Blvd Northport 8720 Highway 69 S. Tuscaloosa

619 McFarland Blvd Northport 603 15th Street E. Tuscaloosa 125 Wildwood Pkwy Birmingham Corporate Office (205) 752-1000

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4

SPORTS

STRIKE!

Bowling team finishes satisfying season and learns new techniques

GRACIE LANG STAFF WRITER

easier and more focused on the techniques. For those first time bowlers, Coach Cooper The bowling team took on Regionals at taught them little details and techniques Leland Lanes on Jan. 22-23 after winning that could change the whole game, includtheir games on Jan. 11. The boys finished ing the Four Step approach. “It’s a four step approach to the foul line; it is one of the two the regular season 8-0 and became ways they teach us to bowl,” Boatright Regional Champs. The girls finished said. This technique was complicated 4-2 and were the Regional Runfor newer bowlers. ner-up. Both were “[The Four Step eliminated in the approach] is very Northern Regioncomplicated, but al tournament. soon enough, I’ll The snow days get it,” Boatright that the Tuscalosaid. Through the osa area had did use of this technot affect the boys nique, bowlers team, but it did hope to get a score impact the girls 100 team, cutting MARY GRACE BOATRIGHT, SENIOR, ON between and 150. “As THE FOUR STEP APPROACH practice days long as I get and delaying Regionals. “We were unable to practice and above a 100, I’m fine,” said senior Mary play a practice match before Regionals- it Evelyn Beavers. This mindset helped them could have been the difference in winning take on local teams like Holt, Holy Spirand losing,” senior Mary Grace Boatright it, Hillcrest and Bryant. “It’s important to said. The girl’s team did not make it to the win all three games in one day, so we can second day of Regionals, and while the go to Regionals,” Boatright said. The team boy’s team made it through the first day, made it to Regionals, losing to the only lothey lost their first match on the second cal team they hadn’t played yet. “We always won by a close margin, but we lost against day. Both teams had a few new bowlers, but The Capitol School by about 130 points,” the majority of the team was made up of Boatright said.

“

GIDDY UP! Whitmer competes in an over fences class during a competition in Florida.

Student moves to Florida to further equestrian career

Photo provided by Abbey Whitmer

RENEE MOREMAN STAFF REPORTER Ambitious is a trait that Abbey Whitmer exudes. Moving away during high school to pursue a dream is something many students wish to do, and that is exactly what Whitmer did. Whitmer has ridden and shown horses for most of her life, starting in the fourth grade. Whitmer moved to Florida by herself late December 2017 to further her training and to gain more experience for horse shows. “Moving to Florida without my family was exciting but very nerve-racking,” Whitmer said. “It was a huge adjustment. Although she is away from her family, she is living on the farm with other riders. “At times, it is nice being alone but sometimes I miss having my family or my pets every time I walk in the door,” Whitmer said. “I also had to drive eight and a half hours by myself, which is really hard because I was extremely bored.” She is able to come home whenever she wants as long as she is there in Florida to work off what she has agreed to do. Although she is living in another state, she is taking online classes through Northridge. Since she is considered enrolled in Northridge, she is able to attend things as a normal student could.

“Balancing school and riding isn’t bad when I’m at the farm because I have the evening to myself to work,” Whitmer said. “When I’m horse showing it is a little harder, so I try to get my work done before the weekend.” Although she is enjoying Florida, she still misses things here in Alabama such as having places to eat everywhere. In Florida, it is all farms where she lives. “Learning how to cook was the biggest problem I ran in to,” Whitmer said. “I also have to go grocery shopping by myself.” Whitmer has accomplished many things in her career, including winning and becoming leading seat rider at Nationals in 2017. She was first in state in 2017 and first in the zone in 2016. Although moving to Florida was a big change, she is adjusting well and is excited for what is in store for her future. She says she is blessed with this opportunity and is extremely grateful for the amount of support from her trainers, her friends, and her family. “Moving to Florida has provided so many amazing learning experiences,” Whitmer said. “At the same time, it has made me grow up and made me a lot more independent.”

It’s a four step approach to the foul line. It is one of the two ways they teach us to bowl. It’s very complicated, but soon enough, I’ll get it.

returning bowlers. This made the season

Despite small size, wrestling team makes big wins

MAYCI HARTLEY STAFF WRITER With the wrestling season coming to a close at sectionals on Feb. 10, members put in all their effort for their final practices and matches. While this season has been filled with changes, the team has made the most of their abilities. This season, the team consists of six high school level members, only one being a returning member. While the team is made up of new members, they are still placing highly at tournaments. “We’re doing decent for what we got,” Drake Cross, junior, said. “We can only do as well as the people on the team; luckily we’re all doing

well so we’re placing.” Throughout the season each member of the team has medaled, but the team has yet to take home a first place award. “Everyone has medaled and gotten first or second place,” Landon McCullough, senior, said. Each person is in their own weight class, so many of them can win individually but not as a whole team. “At the Hoover tournament, I came in fourth, Malachi Dubose placed second, and Lee Erich (eighth grader) placed first in his weight division. As a team, we won third,” Cross said. Due to McCullough being the

only returning senior, he has used his time to help other members. “I️ hope I️ do well to show others that time is short and make it worth it,” McCullough said. Other members have learned this lesson from the meets and practices. “You learn a lot from the matches you lose and gain confidence from the ones you win,” Cross said. “The practices are fun. They’re the ones that you feel bad when you miss because they aren’t just drills, they’re different and you’re always learning something new.”

PINNED DOWN Senior Landon McCullough pins his opponent for a victory.

Photo provided by Landon McCullough

WILL MCLELLAND MANAGING EDITOR On Jan. 27, friends of the late Ariel Backstrom, and other fellow Tuscaloosa City Schools students, participated in a 5k which raised money for two scholarships in her name. Ariel Backstrom was a sophomore at Northridge High School who passed away on Jan. 28, 2016. Ariel’s passing was a heartbreaking moment for the Northridge community and for her family. On the one year anniversary of her passing, the Backstrom family launched the first Ariel Backstrom Memorial 5k, benefitting two scholarships in Ariel’s name. Ariel’s parents, Stephanie and Ron Backstrom, felt that something needed to be done to remember their late daughter. “Ariel wanted to be an obstetrician,” Stephanie Backstrom said. “She loved babies, and she had many little cousins that she has taken care of. Since we don’t get to see her pursue her goals and pursue her dreams, I think we get satisfaction and happiness knowing that we can help somebody else. We knew immediately [that] we wanted to do some kind of scholarship in her name,” Stephanie Backstrom said.” The proceeds of the 5k go to two schol-

arships in memory of Ariel: the Sunshine Scholarship, and the HOSA Scholarship. The scholarship was the Backstrom’s first intent, and in the process, the idea of a 5k in Ariel’s name was presented by their family members. Ariel’s mother described the pain her daughter’s passing put on them, which she said was strengthened in part by the fact that Ariel was at an important point in her life, and that the 5k in her memory would help them find comfort. “Unfortunately, Ariel was just about to turn 16, and so [her passing] happened on a Thursday and the following Saturday was her birthday,” Stephanie Backstrom said. “So I think not only were we heartbroken, but a sweet sixteen, which is a milestone really touched us in a very hard way.” Stephanie Backstrom said that she knew that the only place she would want this 5k to be done was Kentuck Park. “At the funeral, the mayor of Northport came in and pronounced it ‘Ariel Backstrom Day’ on Feb. 6, and it also happened to be on her birthday,” Stephanie Backstrom said. “So right then and there, I wanted to do something in Northport, and what better place to do it than Kentuck. We had walked this trail with her dog, Layla, before. I knew it was

beautiful and this is where I wanted to be..” The first 5k on Jan. 28, 2017 was important to the Backstroms because it was the one year mark of her passing, and they said the gathering of people was very comforting. This year, on the final 5k the family is hosting, Ariel’s parents described the event as ‘special,’ because the majority of the participants were Ariel’s classmates. “This year, it was special because Ariel’s graduating class was here,” Stephanie Backstrom said. “To be able to see them was phenomenal.” “She was very close to a lot of people,” Ron Backstrom said. “When these people come around us, it’s sharing part of her with us, and it is comforting.” While this is the last year that the family will hold the race, they will continue to give the scholarship in Ariel’s honor. “It means a lot to us to continue her legacy,” Ron Backstrom said. “That will never go away for us. The mother of last year’s recipient was here, and talking to her meant a lot to us both - to know that our giving is not in vain, and it does help people.” Information on how to apply for the scholarships can be found on Alabamaready.com.

Phoot by Will McLelland

KENTUCK PARK 5K Stephanie and Ron Backstrom sharing their gratitiude for all the love and the support through the past years.

Annual 5k and scholarship held in honor of Ariel Backstrom

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER FEBRUARY 2018

12REMEMBERING AN ANGEL

BEAT

SEE PAGES 6-7

HOW VAPING HAS INFILTRATED STUDENT CULTURE AT NORTHRIDGE

est. 2003

REPORTER

E-CIGS AND YOU

THE

NORTH RI D G E

www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com

FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4