Northridge High School 2901 Northridge Road Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406
est. 2003
THE OCTOBER 31, 2016
NORTH RI D GE
www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com
REPORTER
The student est.voice 2003of Northridge High School
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2
Eight students selected as UA Early College Ambassadors REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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EARLY COLLEGE SCHOLARS From left to right, McKenna Marino, Sujitha Peramsetty, Lillian Woolf, Maya Campbell, Maggie Crow, and Terry Millsaps. Not Pictured: Reshma Chandra, Katie Tindol taken all of her prerequisite courses through early college. When asked what she hoped to achieve from the Ambassadors program, she said, “I want to encourage other people to do what I did and realize that AP classes are not your only option. I want to show them that Early College is not only online and people can take stuff on campus. It’s not just a computer class; the best part is getting to actually go to UA.” McKenna Marino decided to apply after receiving the email too. “It’s a cool way to represent something that’s really helpful to your high school and college career. I think everyone should know about it to get ahead as best as possible,” said Marino. “As ambassadors, we spread the word about Early College and help students get involved with it if they want to
AP CLASSES ARE NOT YOUR ONLY OPTION...EARLY COLLEGE IS NOT JUST A COMPUTER CLASS; THE BEST PART IS GETTING TO GO TO UA. KATIE TINDOL, SENIOR
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Photo from Tuscaloosa City Schools Twitter, @TCSBoardofEd
AT A GLANCE
get involved. If anyone wants to start, we can give them a slip to go start!” Marino has been taking college classes for about a year and half now and enjoys the flexibility that the program allows. “I like that it can be online, or during summer you can go to a campus. I can do it in the library or in the car on the way to Birmingham, at home, on the beach, wherever. You can experience what college is like before diving headfirst into it. I just hope that by being an ambassador, I can get more people to sign up.” Sujitha Peramsetty hopes that in the position, she can help other students to sign up and earn college credits in their high school careers. “I’ve taken a lot of classes through the program, and it’s been really fun. However, I know a lot of people might not be familiar with the program, and I want to let them know of the benefits of the program and all of the credits that you can get,” she said. UA Early College ambassadors were chosen from current early college students to represent the program within their schools and community. Any students or parents interested in taking Early College programs can contact their school’s ambassador(s), who will provide them information on registering for the pre-requisite Gateway course. To find out more information about UA Early College or registering for the pre-requisite Gateway course, contact any Northridge Early College Ambassador.
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LETTERS FROM FDNY
page 4 SWIMMING SENSATION
page 10
It doesn’t feel real to leave high school. It doesn’t feel like I’ve spent four years in this place. CAROLINE JESSUP, SENIOR
See story on PAGE 7
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IGHT NORTHRIDGE STUDENTS were selected to be ambassadors for the University of Alabama Early College program, where high school students can take classes for college credit. Seniors Maya Campbell, Maggie Crow, Terry Millsaps, Sujitha Peramsetty, Katie Tindol, and Lillian Woolf and juniors Reshma Chandra and McKenna Marino were chosen as a part of a group of elite students from across the country, from Alabama to Oklahoma. Ambassadors will also be attending events with UA Early College staff and holding events of their own, all convincing current high school student within their schools to register for the program. Current early college students were sent emails with the applications, including a list of responsibilities that includes standing with UA Early College at college fairs, tagging the program on social media platforms, sharing their experiences, and more. Katie Tindol made the decision to apply due to her great experience with Early College in general, in addition to how good it would look on a resume. She began taking college classes since her sophomore year in order to get a head start on college and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “I take most classes on campus, which is what I like the most, because I only have classes three days a week. The other two days I have like gaps, which is really nice,” Tindol said. She has only ever taken two online classes through the program and usually opts for the on-campus version of classes, which is her favorite aspect of UA Early College. “Probably my favorite class has been art history. I went to Paris right after taking that class, which was really cool!” Tindol said. Hoping to major in political science, she has already
10 OPINION
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
NFL protests not worth the time
EMILY MATTHEWS STAFF WRITER
As football season kicks off there is a new trend emerging among some of the NFL players. Colin Kaepernick took to sitting while the national anthem was being played before the San Francisco 49ers game. Kaepernick stated that he was doing so to protest social injustices. Since then, other NFL players have followed in Kaepernick’s lead. Erin Reed, former team member of Kaepernick’s, took a knee during the anthem at the Panthers
game. Antoine Bethea, safety, and Eli Barksdale and Chris Harrison did not take Harold, linebacker, raised their right fists a knee, they both held up their right fists. in protests. The question is, should this be After the Chargers game, Barksdale allowed? National football said, “Chris has two kids. I have one is broadcasted all over that’s on the way. You never want the U.S for families to bury your kids. It’s just our and for young children way of saying we still stand to see. Are these protest for the national anthem. helping anyone? Arian Foster, We’re happy to be in running back, who took a knee the country and all before the Dolphins v. Patriots that kind of thing. game, went so far to say, “It’s just But at the same time, so easy to hate. If you’re proclaiming things need to change.” to be a true American, freedom runs in I agree that things your bloodlines, right? It’s supposed to. should change- everyone If somebody is telling you they don’t feel should; however, the only free, why wouldn’t you listen to them?” thing that protesting will Is this the nation we want our children accomplish is drawing growing up in? A nation divided by a attention to themselves, ridiculous thing such as race. Racism is not their cause. a problem that the whole world needs Martin Luther King Jr. to diminish, but these protests will not marched peacefully under accomplish anything. All it is doing the United States flag. is disrespecting our country and our He never felt the need flag. to disrespect that flag To deal with this common nor the people who enemy we, as a nation, need fought to protect to work together with it. He did more the utmost respect for for civil rights one another. While Joe by his peaceful Photo courtesy of view.ceros.com
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Changes to telecommunications system unnecessary and excessive
DEAR EDITOR, Just recently a change was made to the school’s telecommunications system. In order to access an outside line, one must now dial a 7 whereas previously one would dial a 9 to gain access. We can now add this minor annoyance to our ever growing list of things to remember: Monday (and oft times Tuesday) faculty meetings, tech Thursdays, PD sessions, impromptu (often called “surprise”) PD sessions, RTI meetings, ASIP meetings, SERT
training, stuff about 5 th period, more stuff about 5 th period, athletic events, calling logs and parent conferences, things to vote for, people (who we probably don’t even know) to vote for, entering grades, Tasty Tuesdays, EDIVATE (???), bus changes, fire drills, Secretary’s Day (now called “Administrative Professional’s Day”), fall break, spring break, parent visitation day, IEPs, 504s, Spirit Night, exam dates, Mr. Nowell’s birthday, and yes – even more stuff about 5th period.
protests than any of the NFL players are doing by their actions. Another example is the Buffalo Soldiers, who were the first African-American military regiments that fought under the same flag. These NFL players are disrespecting the very people who fought so hard and diligently for civil rights. I personally prefer the way the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints handled the situation. All players from both teams respectfully stood for the national anthem. After the national anthem, both teams and their coaching staffs locked arms and stood in a large circle to signify their support for racial inequality awareness. Both organizations agreed to do this before the game. Mark Ingram, Saints running back, stated, “We just need that equality amongst everybody. It hurts my heart to see stuff going on, people get murdered, difficulty happening; protests happening, violent protests, that’s not the way to do things. We all need to come together, and until we all realize there is an issue and acknowledge there is an issue, nothing will be fixed.” Drawing attention to the issue is important, but I feel you are defeating the purpose when you are drawing more attention to yourself than your cause.
Want to submit YOUR letter to the editor? Stop by room 109, or contact one of our editors or Mrs. Lane!
Don’t get me wrong…I don’t mind the other stuff. It’s just this latest phone thing. Really? Dial a 7? You’ve got to be kidding me. Whose brain-child is this? How can you possibly expect me to drop what I’m doing to dial a 7 instead of a 9? The other day I accidently dialed a 9 and nothing happened. I must’ve spent at least 10 minutes just sitting there waiting for a dial tone. I don’t have time for this!
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FYI: Administrative Professional’s Day is 4/26/17. Mr. Nowell’s Birthday is 10/20. He will be 87.
SINCERELY,
MR. JOHNSON
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 Henson Feature Editor Rebecca Han Sports Editor Cedric Brown News Editor Will Henson
Entertainment Editor Fatema Dhondia Opinion Editor Will McLelland Copy Editors Will Henson & Will McLelland Asst. Copy Editor 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.
Art Editor Rebecca Han Social Media Editor Reshu Chandra Business Manager Mayci Hartley
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 OCTOBER 31, 2016
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Chaos and lies consume 2016 debates
Staff writer weighs in on the election controversies
JAMES ANDERTON STAFF WRITER If the 2016 presidential debates had any political significance, it was all lost when the leaked Access Hollywood video with Trump’s vulgar comments toward women. It was almost as if Trump just handed Clinton the election. The flood gates opened, and Clinton jumped to an 8 percent lead in most polls, and to date 12 women have come out with sexual assault claims against Trump. The debates were set up to have the candidates talk reasonably about the issues. Well, Trump and Clinton are essentially opposites, so there was just more interruptions and pre-rehearsed zingers than specific policy proposals. This wasn’t just the first debate-it was all of them. And more people paid attention to an audience member named Ken Bone after the second debate than anything that was actually mentioned. The first debate was a cruel reminder that the major parties had just given us the two most disliked nominees ever. The second debate wasn’t that much different other than the occasional audience question and the crowd laughing at Trump and Clinton as they tried to find something that they liked about each other. Since I had to take notes just in case one of them said something ridiculous, looking back on the notes, I continuously saw in all caps “STOP YELLING.” Trump and Clinton interrupted each other 68 times in the first debate, and for most of the time, it just seemed like nothing productive was being done. Clinton only won the first debate be-
cause Trump consistently lied through his teeth, and all Clinton had to do was tell him he was lying. In the first ever televised presidential debate, it was basically decided by how you looked on stage. Kennedy looked calm and cool, while Nixon looked sweaty and awkward. When looking back on that debate, most people said if you watched it, Kennedy won, but if you were listening on the radio, Nixon won. Body language played an unusually important role in the first debate. Trump was sniffling constantly throughout the first 20 minutes or so and also drank water a lot after he would speak for three or more minutes. If you watched the second debate, you could tell Trump was very fidgety, and Clinton just laid back and let Trump say ideas of his that would start to take off but would crash and burn almost instantly. He said stop and frisk was a good idea - a method used by police officers to stop someone if they were in their car or stood around and looked suspicious. Any of that could happen randomly, and it was found as unconstitutional because it was often used by white cops who thought that African-Americans who were just minding their own business were up to trouble. The only major highlight for Trump in the first debate was when he called for Clinton to release the 33,000 emails and in exchange would release his tax returns. In the second debate, Trump held almost nothing back in trying to tear through Clinton. Although he performed much better in the second debate, he fell short again, and after the leaked video, it almost seemed definite that Clinton would win. The second debate wasn’t that different than the first. Trump continually whined about the moderators interrupting him, while oddly swaying and looked as if he was stalking Clinton, but Trump again said something that made his surrogates scramble for an explanation. After the warning of a strict no laughter and no applause crowd throughout the debates, the audience gasped when Trump told Clinton that she should be put in jail. It doesn’t matter what you think about Clinton, whether you want her elected, or want her
dead, the thought of locking up your political opponent is textbook fascism. Locking up an opponent is traced back to the Soviet Union and still happens today in African countires. Just like when he complained about his microphone after the first debate, Trump complained about the moderators interrupting him in the second debate, even though he got more time to speak than Clinton did. But the second debate was nothing compared to the destruction
of the Trump campaign.Trump will not win. If anything could be said about the third debate, it was that Clinton topped off her performances with baiting Trump in the easiest ways. At one point, Trump even said he wasn’t sure if he’d accept the results of the election if Clinton were to win, and explained that he’d keep us in suspense. This gave Clinton just another easy way to combat him, how unstable and unproductive a potential president can be.
Photo courtesy of money.cnn.con
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NEWS
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
Zombie 5k returns to raise money for Children’s Hospital
NASA’s recent adventure could save us all WILL MCLELLAND OPINION EDITOR
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Image from NASA
sun. After one year of orbiting the sun, it will ‘sling shot’ past earth, meaning Earth will give the spacecraft a gravity assist which will boost its speed towards Bennu. According to Asteroidmission.org, a website dedicated to the OSIRIS-REx mission, “In August 2018, OSIRIS-REx’s approach to Bennu will begin. It will use an array of small rocket thrusters to match the velocity of Bennu and rendezvous with the asteroid. The spacecraft will begin a detailed survey of Bennu two months after slowing to encounter Bennu. The process will last over a year, and, as part of it, OSIRIS-REx will map potential sample sites. After the selection of the final site, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample. The sampling arm will make contact with the surface of Bennu for about five seconds, during which it will release a burst of nitrogen gas. The procedure will cause rocks and surface material to be stirred up and captured in the sampler head. The spacecraft has enough nitrogen to allow three sampling attempts, to collect between 60 and 2000 grams.”In 2021, the spacecraft will start the return mission home. Something that the public often worries about is the cost of these cosmic ventures. The cost of OSIRIS-REx totals to 983,500,000 dollars. While this number may sound high, it is just crumbs compared to what the United States spends annually. Taxpayers often complain about NASA and what good a multi-million dollar rocket will do to keep them alive. While NASA has done good for billions of people, this mission in particular will help astronomers track the orbits of asteroids, which would increase the accuracy of killer asteroid projections, like Bennu.
Photos of last year’s Zombie Run from al.com
PATRICK JOHNSON STAFF WRITER
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Students receive response from 9/11 firefighters SARA LANG STAFF WRITER
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tudents receive response from New York fire department On Sept. 11, math teacher Scott Johnson had his classes write letters to different New York City fire departments to express their gratitude and appreciation. Three students who wrote to Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 received not only a letter back, but the fire department t-shirt signed by some of the firefighters. Students Arushi Kotru, Carson Dockery, and Lucy Rogers were all pleased by the unexpected reply. “I was surprised they wrote back. I knew that they would receive the letters and appreciate them but I didn’t think they would write back, let alone send a signed t-shirt,” said Kotru, sophomore. “I feel like they appreciated my letter, obviously everyone appreciates them [the fire department] but not everyone will send them something saying that,” she said. Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 received one of the hardest hits during 9/11, with 15 of their firefighters killed. They were some of the first responders to arrive at the World Trade Center, and none of the ones who went remained alive. Their building is located in Times Square. The letter says, “Dear Northridge High School, We just recently received some letters from 3 of your students and on behalf of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 I would like to extend my appreciation to Carson, Lucy, and Arushi for thinking about us all the way up here in NYC on September 11th.” “I wasn’t expecting them to write. It felt amazing to be noticed and to receive feedback from people that I look up to and respect,” said Dockery, senior. The letter they sent said that if anyone happens to be in NYC they should stop by the firehouse to pay a visit. “I think it was great because I didn’t expect them to write me back especially with how busy they are, and it was interesting to see them actually care. We’re just high school students in Alabama; they’re all the way in New York. I thought it was cool that they sent a t-shirt and told us to come visit,” said Rogers, junior. Though no other students were sent a t-shirt, several others like Kailyn Rainer and Max French received letters from the fire stations they wrote to. “I thought it was awfully nice; I just expected letters,” said Johnson. This is the first time Johnson has had his classes write to New York City fire departments. The students were told to write and optionally decorate a kind letter showing their support and gratitude for any fire house in NYC, and Johnson recommended that the students find out more about the station that they chose to write to. Many students wrote to different stations, but some chose ones that involved greater losses, like Engine 54. “I’m proud of the kids for doing it and taking the time to learn about 9/11.They were all pretty young when it happened, and I hope they got something out of it,” Johnson said.
he Zombie 5k Fun Run will be hosted by the Division 9 Key Club on Oct. 29 at Sokol Park to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Arushi Kotru, sophomore member of the Northridge Key Club, is thrilled to take part in this exciting zombie run. “I am very pumped to be a part of the race,” said Kotru. “I cannot wait to dress up like a zombie and run in this exciting race benefiting Children’s Hospital.” Carol Johnson, junior, came up with the idea for the race and has planned it out. “I am the lieutenant governor for the Division 9 Key Club, and one of my duties is to raise money for Children’s Hospital of Alabama,” Johnson said. “I thought it would be a fantastic idea to have a zombie run.” Division 9 Key Club is asked to raise at least $3,000 for Children`s Hospital a year. “I am hoping we can raise more than $3,000 for our key club,” Johnson said. “My goal is at least $4,000, and I believe we can do it.” Northridge Key Club is helping in many ways. They are helping sell logos for the back of the zombie run shirts. They are advertising the run and getting people to sign up for it. They are also helping set up the event and running in the 5k as zombies. “Our school`s key club will be busy making sure the 5k is as good as it can be,” said Johnson. The goal for the Division 9 Key Club is for at least 200 runners to sign up. The cost per runner will be $25. “I am hoping for us to get as many runners as possible,” Johnson said. “To get around 200 would be great because that would be around $5000 for Children’s Hospital of Alabama.” The Zombie Run 5k has Northridge students eager to volunteer and help out. “I am extremely excited to be able to volunteer my time for this 5k,” said Tyler Salekin, junior. “It will give me a chance to help out with the community which is the best way I could spend my time.” The 5k will be great opportunity for our community to come together and help benefit Children’s Hospital. “Division 9 Key Club could not have thought of a better way to raise money,” said Johnson. “Not only will it raise a lot of money for Children’s Hospital, but it will also be a great way for our community to come together and celebrate Halloween.”
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Division 9 Key Club could not have thought of a better way to raise money.
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or the last four billion years, planet Earth has taken hits from the remains of our solar system’s formation. Geologists have plenty of experience analyzing fragments of asteroids that impacted earth hundreds, thousands, even millions of years ago, but no one has ever had the privilege to study even a fragment of an asteroid that came straight from the source. On Sept. 8, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer) launched from Cape Canaveral on a mission to reach Bennu, an asteroid rich with carbon and other natural resources. The mission objective is to capture a sample of the asteroid’s surface, and return it to earth. Just one small sample from Bennu’s surface could contain information that would allow scientists insight into the earliest moments of the creation of our solar system and life itself. And while NASA is excited that the mission has gotten off to a successful start, no one will be able to truly appreciate the benefits of the mission for seven years, as Bennu’s sample will return in 2023. As of now, OSIRIS-REx is orbiting the
NEWS
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
Poverty simulation gives insight to teachers Emily Matthews Staff Writer
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n Oct. 10, while students enjoyed the day off, Tuscaloosa City School teachers participated in a poverty simulation, one of which was held at Northridge High School. Principal Kyle Ferguson said that he hoped teachers gained some insight into the lives of some of their students, leading to better understanding and student-teacher interactions. “It’s important to understand to improve relationships and better the classroom,” Ferguson said. Students also participated in the simulation, volunteering to come in on their day off. “The students did a great job,” Ferguson said. “Daquacha Spencer stood up and shared her personal view with a group of 100 educators.” The simulation consisted of four 15 minute periods, each period representing one week. Each teacher was placed in a “family” and given a specific scenario including jobs, salaries, children, and unexpected hardships, reminding teachers that poverty isn’t the only obstacle some students face. “Students have normality in school and don’t see their parents behind closed doors,” Ferguson said. “It doesn’t have to be poverty; they can go home to cancer, alcoholism, or divorce. When they see their mom or dad stressed, they feel it.” Teachers rushed from “week to week” attending to their bills, jobs, school, and even visiting the pawn shop. Some teachers
moved quicker than others. “The most memorable was watching Dr. Pate sprint across the room; she was determined,” Ferguson said. Ashton Rigdon, English teacher, was one of many participating teachers who was affected by the simulation. “I think a lot of times teachers complain about how they don’t make a ton then they realize how a family is feeding five with $30,000. It makes you step back and think wow,” Rigdon said. Rigdon was assigned the role of an ADHD seven year old in the simulation. It opened her eyes to her own classroom and why some students may not be paying attention. She said she was impressed with how realistic the simulation was. While most students enjoyed the day off, a total of 12 students volunteered to participate. Those students, including Daniel Allen, junior, went through training for the simulation. “There was like a training day [that] we went for and [we] performed the stuff that we needed to do,” Allen said. While the simulation was for teachers, there was definitely some valuable lessons in it for the students who participated. “Be nice because you don’t know what everyone’s going through,” said Allen. “You gotta keep that in mind when you’re dealing with people.”
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Bama Sits
Alabama students sit during the national anthem
Photos Provided by Rebecca Griesbach
FATEMA DHONDIA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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n Oct.1 a group of 30 University of Alabama (UA) students sat down during the national anthem as an act of solidarity with other groups protesting racial inequality. One of the 30 students was former NHS student Rebecca Griesbach. “[Bama Sits] started out as a ‘GroupMe’ group,” Griesbach said. “It was started by a UA junior named Dwyer Freeman, and when I was added to the group it was already running.” The protests started when Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49’ers, took a knee during the national anthem. After this, many college students have been doing the same. Griesbach said that many of people misunderstood the reason of the protest. “There is a lot of patriotism in this country, and that isn’t bad but a lot of people don’t understand what the flag and the anthem stands for. We were standing up against the 3rd verse of the anthem which says: ‘No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the Star - Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.’ It basically says that this is not the land of the free yet and that it never has been,” Griesbach said. While some UA students protested, the groups in other colleges were a lot bigger. “In the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill there was a whole section sitting down,” Griesbach said. The whole process of getting to do the protest at the UAKentucky game was not all that smooth according to Griesbach. “We had a meeting once…but not a lot of people showed up,” Griesbach said. “There was also an issue with the tickets; not a lot of people could get them, and the freshmen had different packages. Most of
the freshmen seats were in the upper bowl, but the protest was taking place in the lower bowl,” she said. Despite the small turnout, the protestors sparked more reactions from the crowd and on social media than Griesbach thought they would. “What I learned from [the protest] was that no matter how small of an effort a group of people makes to stand up for something that challenges ‘popular’ belief, even if it’s only 30 kids sitting in a stadium, it’s still going to cause a reaction,” she said. Besides the students sitting down during the anthem in Bryant Denny Stadium, there was a group of students standing outside the stadium holding signs. “The students outside the stadium were holding up signs like ‘white silence is violence,’” Griesbach said The backlash to the movement was swift and harsh. “On Monday my phone was blowing up with messages and a lot of mean comments on twitter and Facebook,” Griesbach said. Griesbach said that many of the movement’s critics were being hypocritical. “Their main argument was that we are whining about nothing, but they are getting upset over nothing. There was a lot of hypocrisy,” Griesbach said. “Some people did come to us and said what we were doing was good, and some people said that they didn’t agree with it but that we had the right to do so,” she said. But the UA students were not the only one protesting against the racial inequality. During the Northridge vs. Bryant game sophomore, Tristan Abrams took a stand. “I sat down during the anthem because of the inequalities between the races,” Abrams said. However the reactions were different. “I didn’t get any comments from the students or parents,” Abrams said.
Photo by Emily Matthews
Tommy Roberts (205) 210-4036
tommy@TuscaloosaRemodeling.com
TuscaloosaRemodeling.com
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THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
FEATURE
The Senior
WHAT’S AFTER THE
Seniors hurry to meet looming
REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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s seniors look to the end of their high school lives, they begin new chapters, whether in college, the workforce, the military, or other fields. As the days inch closer and closer to the Common Application deadline, many are working diligently to complete the seemingly endless to-do list: get teacher applications, sort test scores, complete resumes, write essays, and much, much more. In addition, for those opting for Early Action Applications, the Nov. 1 deadline is just around the corner. Senior Sujitha Peramsetty is just one of the many juggling college applications along with challenging AP courses, hoping to go into biomedical engineering “I think it will really help me in my future endeavours in becoming a doctor,” she said. “It’s like, a lot to do for applying to college, but I’ll get through. The hardest part in the whole application process is writing the actual essays.” For Peramsetty, however, the already convoluted appli-
cation process was made even more difficult with the additional set of paperwork required for her. “The actual applications themselves weren’t bad, but I had to send in a bunch of extra papers because I’m not a U.S. citizen. It was also very confusing to keep up with the requirements of each college. I have to keep up with which ones would give me scholarships and which ones wouldn’t because of my citizenship issue,” she said. With the aid of her parents and acute organization, however, Peramsetty was able to keep track of the endless list of things to get done. The real difficulty, as she described, lies in the essays that colleges request applying students to write. In an increasingly competitive academic atmosphere, it is often difficult for students to compose essays that are rhetorically excellent and also stand out from the thousands of others application committees must sort through. In addition, the topics offered range from the deceptively simple to the mundane. “Writing essays is pretty stressful because all the colleges ask you to write about yourself and obstacles that you’ve faced. It’s hard writing about yourself instead of like an object or a reading passage. Some colleges give you random topics; like one of the topics that I’ve seen is “plastic”
and that’s all it said. It’s difficult because you have probably had the same experiences as so many other people. They probably get tens of thousands of people in a bunch of clubs with good grades, but you have to make your essay sound like you’re the most unique and special person, and the college would be lucky to have you,” she said. Like Peramsetty, fellow senior Caroline Jessup is also dealing with the stresses of her college applications,a process which she felt was much more difficult than believed. “I already had a bunch of stuff done, I just have to send my papers in and fine tune them. It’s a lot more stressful than I thought it was gonna be,” she said. Like many others as well, Jessup is unsure of what her future direction will be. All of her applications are on the Common Application, which she said helped streamline the process a bit. “It’s just hard knowing what each school wants, and some schools want different things,” she said of the process. “I’m sending two of my schools superscores, so I have to send multiple scores in. It’s also weird because there’s a whole section on the Common App that’s just about the ACT.” She does, however, have a clear vision of her ideal colleges.
The Few. The Proud. The Marines. Student discusses plans for the military after graduation WILL HENSON MANAGING EDITOR
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arker Green, senior, has known for a long time that he’d be going into the military. After he graduates, Green will be going into the Marine Corps and then on to college. “They have a program where you complete basic training before college and start school a semester late,” Green said. “Then I’ll go into the reserves while I’m in college, and active duty after that.” The Platoon Leaders Class -- the Marine Corps training program -- will allow Green to learn valuable leadership skills through officer training during the summers of college, then re-enlist as an officer after he graduates. “As long as I finish training, which I know I will, I’ll graduate as a Second Lieutenant.” Although he knows he’s going into the military, Green said it has been difficult to choose which branch. “I’m still on the fence about ROTC,” he said, “but right now it’s looking like I’ll go marines.”
Marines Program, Green has taken into account the type of people he would be leading. “I’d rather lead a group of dedicated Marines than someone who’s just doing it for their job. I have some friends going into the army, so no disrespect to them, but this is coming from family in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. Even my dad, who was in the Navy, says Marines are the most dedicated,” Green said. During his time in college Green will study Mechanical Engineering, courtesy of the United States Marine Corps. “[It’s] for when I get out,” he said. “I’ve seen that a lot of vets use the military as their out. They’ve got nothing after that. So I’ve got a backup plan with mechanical engineering.” Green has been surrounded by Veterans his whole life, but he still feels that this decision is his own. “No one person really inspired me [to join the Forces],” he said. “Every man should serve his country. There’s a lot less people who respect this country; a lot less people who serve in the military. I come from a military family, so I was just raised that way. I’ve always felt like I needed to serve.”
Every man should serve his country. There’s a lot less people who respect this country; a lot less people who serve in the military. I come from a military family, so I was just raised that way. I’ve always felt like I needed to serve. Parker Green, Senior
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“In the marines, I get paid while I’m in college. It’s really not about the money though. It’s just their attitudes and their ethics. Everybody in the Corps has certain values about them. Everything is earned. Nothing is given. It’s one of those branches that everyone is proud to be in.” Other than feeling like he lines up with the Marine way of thinking, Green considered the skills he would gain in the Marine’s Platoon Leaders Class versus ROTC -- The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. “I feel like you don’t get enough experience in ROTC,” said Green. “You don’t start from the bottom, and you need that feeling of being on the bottom to be able to lead.” Green said that while he initially was planning on going into the Army because he didn’t want to be a Marine grunt, he now feels like being a grunt will help him out in the long run. “I’ll be a grunt for four years while I’m in college, but then I’m going to be an officer. I want to lead. I don’t want to be a guy who gets ordered to step on a bomb. If that’s my job, I’m happy to do it, but I feel like this will make me a better leader in the end. Being a grunt in the reserves.” Beyond the leadership skills he would learn through the
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
FEATURE
7
Experience
E CAP AND GOWN?
g college application deadlines “My dream combination would be of Rhodes, Sewanee, and Wake Forest. I like that Rhodes is in a big city, I like was all in the details - the small things such as sending that Sewanee has the outdoors program, and I like the in transcripts, asking for recommendations (from a faculty Wake Forest athletics already swamped department. They’re a with recommenlittle bit more prestidation requests), gious too, I guess,” she completing aforesaid. mentioned essays, The most difficult sending grade repart of her application, ports, taking the like with Peramsetty, ACT and other were the dreaded college standardized tests application essays. - the list goes on “The hardest part was and on. definitely the essays. “It’s the things Also, thinking of activyou can’t control ities that I’ve done that make it diffiSUJITHA PERAMSETTY, SENIOR that would seem interesting, cult,” Jessup said. like I have eight right Senior Terry now, out of ten, but I reMillsaps, like many others, also juggles her array of extraally wanted to get the full ten!” she said while typing her curriculars and college deadlines. However, she has a vision applications out on the computer. of her future career going in more than one direction. Jessup’s application process began a while ago, however, “I don’t know what I’m going to major in! I’m going to as she wanted to get a head start on the process before college for sure. I’m admitted at UA, and I’m still applying the stresses of the school year began settling in. The devil to some other schools. I will either go pre-med to be an
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It’s weird to look back and think that I’ve done this in 9th grade. It’s like, whoa, 2013-2014. That’s a long time ago.
OB/GYN or PolySci/PR to work on political campaigns,” she said. “If I go pre-med, which is what I’m leaning towards, my dream school would be Vanderbilt because I love Nashville, and it’s still not too far from home.” She duly echoed the sentiments of her fellow seniors concerning the devilishly tricky essays to be written. “They all have the most vague and bizarre prompts, and a lot of small schools have really extensive applications. I guess just knowing that so little information is going to determine your future,” she said. For Sujitha Peramsetty, senior, concluding her four year high school career has been nice yet carries some sadness. “It’s bittersweet to be leaving high school,” she said. “It’s nice to start a new stage in life with a new setting, but it’s also sad to be leaving your friends, teachers, that you’ve known for so long.” “It doesn’t feel real to leave high school yet, to me at least. I don’t really feel like I’ve spent four years in this place, but I have. Moving out doesn’t feel real, like moving away. I won’t know anyone,” Jessup said. “It’s weird to look back and think that I’ve done this in 9th grade. It’s like, whoa, 2013-2014. That’s a long time ago,” Peramsetty said.”
ASPIRATIONS Senior looks to focus on other pursuits after graduation
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ouise Whiting is a senior in high school at sixteen years old. She skipped the second grade, and as a result, has been on the path to graduate two years younger than most people. While some might see this as an opportunity to graduate college early as well, Whiting has opted for a gap year. “I want to really take the time to focus on music,” she said. “So I’m taking at least one gap year directly after graduating. I want to focus on seeing shows and music that I’m a fan of, but also my own music.” Whiting said she tends to play “generic pop punk”, but is interested in a very wide variety of genres and styles. “I listen to a lot,” she said. “I know everyone says ‘I listen to everything’, but I do.” Whiting plays bass and guitar and said her writing style reflects that. “I only play two instruments, so the things I write focus on lyrics and bass and to a lesser extent guitar,” said Whiting. “I don’t have any delusions about how hard it is to
Whiting says that while she “probably at some point” will, she can’t be sure she’ll ever go to college. As of this moment she has no time frame in mind. She said that if she ever does go to college, she’d like to major in music theory and composition. “I would love to study art we’ve created more formally also, just not as an absurd concept of college a major,” she said. Whiting has several reasons being essential for bettering for taking a gap year, but the one’s self, and that’s both obmost important factor in her decision was mental health. noxiously untrue and incredi“I want to put my mental bly harmful. health and wellbeing before LOUISE WHITING, SENIOR the concept of attaining a higher degree. [When people don’t value their mental health above college] I think school. “I work [at Bojangles] currently, that’s absolutely their choice and I respect that, but I also but I hope to move at some point think we’ve created an absurd concept of college being essential for bettering one’s self, and that’s both obnoxiously after graduation,” she said. However, she hasn’t totally de- untrue and incredibly harmful,” she said. “No one should feel like they need to know what they want to do as soon cided on the where. “I’m hoping to share a place with as they graduate, regardless of how much college planning my friend Meg with a lease under or courses they’ve been doing. There’s no point in your life her name. I don’t know how long where you get too old to go to school, or too old to try before it’ll happen realistically, but something new, so you shouldn’t waste time stressing about it’s my plan right now. [We’re] having it figured out. There’s no ‘most important time of looking to move to the East Coast. your life’ contrary to what people advertising college planMeg likes Providence a lot, and I would love to be close to ning always say.” Massachusetts as that’s where my significant other lives,” said Whiting. Although she is a National Merit Scholar semifinalist, make a career out of music, but I would love to at least do it professionally, maybe along with something else to help support myself. I mean, if it’s something you love genuinely it’s worth pursuing regardless, right?” A short-term job is also in the plans for Whiting during I also think her year-long break from
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WILL HENSON MANAGING EDITOR
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ENTERTAINMENT
Nightmare at Mooyah MOLLY ELLIOTT STAFF WRITER
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or a restaurant that sells fast food, this experience was anything but “fast.” Mooyah is a new restaurant located on The Strip next to Bryant-Denny Stadium, and is well known for selling burgers, fries, and milkshakes. I somehow managed to come on the worst day possible. The first thing we noticed upon arriving was that the parking lot was packed with cars, no parking spot in sight. We drove around for a couple minutes until one opened up, then parked and went inside. My mom and I went in thinking that we could get in and out no problem, quick and easy. We were sorely mistaken. It was packed with people, most of them there because of a fundraiser that a sorority was having nearby. So there we were, standing in a sea of college-aged girls, wondering if this was even worth it. However, we decided to stick it through and wait in line. The line wrapped all the way around the restaurant, and we knew this would take much longer than expected. My mom timed it, and it took about two minutes to take every customer’s order. It took us over 45 minutes to get to the front, and it was then that we discovered the reason why it was taking so long. They were training new employees at the cash register. On one of their busiest days. Needless to say, we weren’t very happy about it. After we placed our order, we had to spend more time waiting for our food to be prepared. Eventually, my mom got so fed up that she left to go wait in the car. That left me alone in the restaurant, waiting for them to call my name. It felt like forever, but they finally did. I could finally leave! I was free! But I was wrong, yet again. They got our order completely wrong, but I can’t be too hard on them. It was very busy, they were training employees, and probably got some orders mixed up. We had ordered a burger with fries and a shake, along with some chicken fingers and fries for my brother. They only came up with the burger and the fries. After waiting for so long, this was very frustrating. In all, we ended up getting the right order, and everything was fine. We only had to wait an hour and 20 minutes. We got home, I sat at my desk, and looked down at my meal. I was so angry, I was thinking to myself, after waiting for that long, this burger better make me see Jesus. It didn’t, but despite that, it was a very good burger; it had a perfect amount of everything and the homemade buns made it even better. The hand-cut fries were excellent, just the right amount of crispy. However, due to the flurry of people, my milkshake wasn’t mixed completely and there were clumps of chocolate syrup every now and then, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Bottom line--I certainly do recommend it. Just try not to go on the busiest day possible, and your experience should be wonderful. I loved the food, and if I hadn’t gone on that particular day, I probably would’ve loved the service, too.
image from host.madison.com
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
NHS theatre lampoons electoral antics REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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he Northridge High School Theater hit another home run with its smart, sharp, and hilarious take on the electoral process in the satirical play “The Election,” written by Don Zolidis and performed Oct. 13 - 15. The production is especially relevant in the chaotic political atmosphere dominating the 2016 political election as it offers onthe-nose critiques of elections. Through vivid, passionate performances, brilliant and amusing sound effects, and creative sets, the production brought to life the tale of high school student Mark Davenport (senior Luke Seale), who decides to run for student body president of Presley High School. Initially believing himself to be the clear-cut winner after a brief conversation with his solitary opponent, nerdy and ditzy Christy Martin (senior Emily McGuire). However, a series of brutal ads and a dramatic makeover later, Mark realizes that he is up against no ordinary foe. As the election starts to get ugly, Mark is approached by a shady campaign manager who offers his enormous budget and supposedly “non-partisan political action committee.” The high school student must grapple with his own ethics and the current beating he takes in the campaign. Laughter ensues. Normal dialogues are punctuated here and there with exaggerated campaign ads and commercials; in clever twists, actors “watching” the ads on television or on their phones gaze off into the distance or at their devices, while the stage turns dark and the spotlight turns to actors on the far end in the commercial, as theatre director Donna Wright and sound technician Sani Ghulamani provide entertaining voiceovers. Though just a high school theater production, “The Election” brilliantly lampoons the antics of the real world war between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and the influence of super-PACs while managing to stay light-hearted and hilarious. Rather than focusing on policy, Dav-
enport and Martin resort to simple mudslinging, and the insults get increasingly ugly. Incidents from the candidates’ histories are brought up and capitalized on, no matter how small they may be; TV ads from “non-partisan political action committees” viciously attack Davenport’s apparent apathy towards his sister’s pet fish (drawing a parallel to his apathy towards the student body), while pouncing on a small but morbid error made in a Facebook Live ad. The cue card read “if you want to see these puppies live,” implying the meaning of live as “in person.” Out of Mark Davenport’s mouth, however, the words become mortifying threats, as he (accidentally) threatens in front of a live audience to kill puppies if they do not vote for him. Voter apathy and ignorance is also a theme heavily drawn on in the play through the characters of carefree and dismissive high school students. For much of the first act, Davenport is dogged by claims of his “points-redistribution plan” to take points away from the highest-scoring students and give them to the lowest scoring students. Of course, no such statements were actually made, but through ominous advertisements and Martin’s persistent egging on the issue, voters are infuriated. When Martin is rocked by a scandal that she was actually born in France, a livid group of protestors chases her off the stage while brandishing baguettes in the air. When interviewing groups of undecided voters, individuals who express ideas contrary to popular opinion are quickly peer pressured into submission. Attention is also drawn to the use of Super PACS, independent political action committees who may raise unlimited amounts of money from corporations and other entities in support of candidates, and the role that they play in American politics. From the get-go, Martin is seemingly armed with a shadow army of supporters and endless money, especially in the form of sketchy, non-partisan political action committee “Forward Presley.” Of course, Martin denies any relation to the group
and challenges Davenport to produce tangible evidence of any involvement. But Davenport is offered his own Rise Up Presley by campaign manager Gary McMaster (freshman Samuel Allen), a smartly dressed yet dubious salesman who seems to command unlimited sums of money. Davenport initially refuses the offer as he holds on to his moral compass, yet as the election goes increasingly into the mud, he cannot help but acquiesce, upon which McMaster laughs villainously. It’s a sharp look at what voters are truly voting for behind the candidates and the shadowy organizations which often have a large hand in determining governmental affairs. The performances in “The Election” are nothing short of stellar, with each actor masterfully bringing to life their sometimes outlandish roles. Mark Davenport quickly sets himself up as the hero of the play and elicits much empathy from the audience, while Emily McGuire as Christy Martin aptly plays the conniving Christy Martin. Samuel Allen shines as the sketchy Gary McMaster, while Justin Mucha paints a picture of Davenport’s friend Karl Merriweather as just a simple high school guy who wants a girlfriend. Riley Thomas is excellent as television host Kyli, and her bloodthirsty rant was vivid and genuine. From the smallest roles to the largest roles, every actor in “The Election” did a tremendous job of enhancing the play. With sharp humor and excellent criticisms, the production is one of Northridge’s finest to date.
picture taken by Beth McGuire
ENTERTAINMENT
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
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Reviewer finds new perspective in ‘Sully’ EMILY MATTHEWS STAFF WRITER “Sully”, a biographical drama about the 2009 emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River and proved to be captivating from beginning to end. On Jan. 15, 2009, flight 1549 was coming from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, NC when the engines were bombarded by a flock of geese, causing both to fail. Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenburger managed to land the hulking plane safely on the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers on board. He did this safely and only a few of the passengers suffered minor injuries, and only two required an
overnight hospital stay. Sully’s (Tom Hanks) heroic efforts saved all 155 souls, but was he the hero or a fraud? After the incident, he and his copilot Jeff Skies, (Aaron Eckhart) undergo an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB suggests that he could have safely landed the plane at a nearby airport. While Sully was regarded as a hero in the media, some believed the pilot put his passengers at an unnecessary risk. As result, is put through tremendous amounts of stress and inner conflict. As Sully is searching for answers after being told that he acted recklessly, he cannot help but question himself-was it his fault? Could he have prevented it?
After the 18 month investigation by the NTSB a court hearing was held. Could the human factor clear him from all the allegations or will his years of experience be for nothing? From the real life events, to the book, to the film, this heroic story finds a way to captivate everyone. For the most part this movie was spot on, very factual and intriguing. The director, Clint Eastwood, made every effort to portray all the events as accurately as possible from the uniforms, to the ID badges and even the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH).Sully himself was even on the set giving his recollection of events. “I want to be able to go to work after this film is over with”, he stated. This movie draws you and makes you
feel as if it is happening right in front of you. However, for those paying very close attention there were a couple of movie mistakes. For one, the birds causing all the problems were in fact Canadian Geese. The film gives insight into the personal story of the hero of “The Miracle on the Hudson” as well as the inner turmoil he went through with the investigation that followed. Informative and entertaining, it is something that I would enjoy seeing again. “Sully” gives a very detailed insight to minds of everyone on board that flight. Bringing history to life, it is not your traditional story of a hero. The acting was incredible, and perhaps there is another Oscar in the future for Tom Hanks. I highly recommend this movie for all to see.
Halloween traditions around the world SARA LANG STAFF WRITER
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n the U.S., Halloween has increasingly become a contemporary holiday. You dress up and go around to different houses collecting candy, you possibly carve a pumpkin, decorate your home, etc. But Halloween started out as a day remembering the dead, and that’s how many countries around the world honor it. Perhaps the most notable celebration is held in Mexico and Latin America. Known as Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, residents celebrate for three days straight, starting Oct. 31. There is a parade that’s held with dancing skeletons and a live person being carried in a coffin. Altars are made in people’s homes and are decorated with candles, flowers, and food (food is provided for the weary spirits). People also clean and decorate deceased loved ones’ graves. It is said that neglected spirits take revenge on those who have forgotten them, so almost everyone makes sure to participate! Ireland is where Halloween started, so naturally the Irish celebrate in many ways. The festival of Samhain (one of the original festivals behind modern day Halloween) is the most distinctive and literally means the end of summer. It’s observed from sunset on Oct. 31 to nightfall on Nov. 1. Bonfires are a large part of the celebration, along with dancing, costumes, and honoring the dead. It is said to be the time where the
veil between the dead and living grows very thin. China celebrates Halloween in their own way with Teng Chieh, also known as the Lantern Festival. Bonfires are lit and lanterns released to guide the spirits back to earth. Food and water are put in front of loved ones’ photographs. The Feast of Hungry Ghosts (Yue Lan) is observed in Hong Kong. Some burn pictures of fruit or money that they hope will make it to the spirit world. This is especially for those who did not get a proper burial. In Germany, citizens hide all the knives in their houses for fear of spirits harming themselves while Austria residents leave out bread and water and keep the lights on at night to welcome the dead. Belgium citizens light candles in memory of dead loved ones. In the Czech Republic, chairs are placed in front of the fire. There is one for each living member of the family and one for the spirits of each person. Although American traditions surrounding Halloween are lively and interactive, culturally they don’t mean as much as other celebrations do in different countries. Tuscaloosa has a lot of fun activities like the West Alabama Fair and Atrox factory that are popular but primarily for entertainment. And though it might not be how Halloween is traditionally celebrated, it’s still a fun holiday that many people enjoy.
image from plusquotes.com
Image from foxmovies.com
Peculiar children find their way to the big screen COLLEEN MCNORTON STAFF WRITER
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im Burton, director of well-known quirky gothic movies, such as “Beetlejuice” and “Edward Scissorhands,” has now directed the movie adaptation of the New York Times best seller “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs. It was an exciting movie with a good storyline but not executed at its full potential. The movie follows the story of 16-yearold Jacob Portman of Florida and how he discovers a time loop that sends him back to 1943, on an island off the coast of Wales, and the odd children who live there. The main character, Jacob, was difficult to relate to since the audience is given little of his backstory. He’s a loner from Florida who works at a drugstore and who has an interesting grandfather. His grandfather tells him stories of the peculiar children he grew up with during WWII. Later his grandfather dies under strange circumstances, and Jacob travels to the island that his grandfather grew up on where he then meets the children who are supposedly dead.
The plot throughout the movie is never on a set pace, being fast in the beginning, then slowing down to an almost boring pace in the middle then speeding up again. Another thing was that they gave no background information on any of the characters aside from Jacob or even a look into their personalities except for what their powers were. The book this movie was based off of is very different from the movie, as lots of things were changed for the film. But the movie was still good. Eva Green who played Miss Peregrine did an excellent job as the headmistress and, Samuel L. Jackson also did a fantastic job as a creepy and terrifying main antagonist. And aside from a few, the children’s peculiarities were very original in what they could do. Some could control basic thing like air or fire, but one boy had bees in his stomach and one little girl had an extra mouth on the back of her head. Unlike most of Tim Burton’s other films, instead of being dark and creepy this movie was very colorful and bright. Overall, it was a very whimsical movie with lots of adventure, but it was not done as well as it could have been.
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SPORTS
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
Senior Jewels Harris makes a splash at Olympic trials COURTESY OF BETH ALLAWAY
COLLEEN MCNORTON STAFF WRITER
Northridge excels in many sports, with swimming being just one of them. Senior Jewels Harris is one of the finest swimmers Northridge has to offer and proves this as she competes throughout the year in many different competitions. Harris qualified to go the Olympic trials for the 2020 Olympics games for team USA this past year. “For swimming you make a qualifying time to go to the Olympic trials every four years, and then once you make that time you go [to the Olympic trials] and compete and they take the top two from each event to be on the team,” Harris said. “ I made my cut ...so in four years from now I’ll go and compete to be on the team.” Harris excelled during these summer trials. “The first day was my best event; it was the two hundred fly and … I was sixth, and I had a big time
drop and made the Olympic qualifying time,” said Harris. With her summer performance under her belt, Harris was invited to swim nationally this upcoming winter. “I have nationals in December, and I think that will be a lot of college teams and a lot of the older swimmers so it will be a good college feel for next year,” said Harris. She does multiple events at meets. “I usually do one hundred and two hundred fly, one hundred and two hundred backstroke and four hundred I.M.,” said Harris. The one hundred and two hundred fly is also known as the butterfly. “Butterfly you have to have your feet together and then your arms are going over your shoulders at the same time so it’s kinda like an in and out sort of thing. One hundred fly is four laps and two hundred fly is eight laps.”
The backstroke is “... you’re just on your back and moving one arm at a time and kicking”. The four hundred IM also known as then Individual Medley is “four laps of each stroke.” Harris has also announced that she is going to swim for Auburn University. “I just verbally committed to Auburn so I’m going to swim there,” said Harris. “And I’ll sign early November.” Harris was young when she started swimming and has been competing for 11 years. “Well my mom just wanted me to do it kinda for safety reasons when I was little, so when I was two she put me in swim lessons at swim kids,” said Harris. Beth Allaway, swimming sponsor, knows Harris well. “Oh, she’s awesome! I’ve had her in the classroom and on swim team. She’s a fabulous teammate,” said Allaway.
Quidditch team soars into Northridge High School
MAGGIE SHEN STAFF WRITER
The Northridge Jaguars are introducing Quidditch from the “Harry Potter” series as a new sport. The coach of the new Quidditch team is going to be English teacher Chelsey Moore. “I wanted to coach the Quidditch team because I enjoy sports in general, and I am a Harry Potter fan, so when I was approached about sponsoring the team, I was thrilled. I have been interested in Muggle Quidditch since I saw it being played on the quad when I was a student at Alabama,” said Moore. The students who came up with the idea of a new Quidditch team were Anna Cain, Jaeden Joiner, and Hannah Urban. “Muggle Quidditch obviously has some adaptations to wizard Quidditch. Basically, everyone holds a broom in one hand as they attempt to score or prevent others from scoring. There is a lot of running involved. Dodgeballs are thrown to keep you from scoring. You can score by throwing a volleyball through one of three hoops and also
by catching the Snitch, which is a person dressed in yellow that runs around the field since we do not have a flying Snitch,” said Moore. Currently, the team does not have any plans to compete with other schools as it is the only one in the area. “As of this time, we are not planning to compete against other schools because there are no nearby schools with Quidditch teams. As it grows and we increase revenue for our teams, there is a chance we will travel for matches with other schools or invite them here to play at Northridge,” said Moore. While they are not formally competing, students must still try out to be on the team, and there are many positions that need to be filled. “There will be tryouts for Quidditch. There are multiple positions that need to be filled, and the only way we know who is best for what is if we have tryouts,” Moore said. “There are a lot of positions to be filled for the two to three teams we plan to have. We will also need a Snitch, two referees, a timekeeper, and a scorekeeper, in addition to team members. We are looking for people who are quick and agile, people who want to have fun, and people who
are interested in pioneering a new sport at NHS.” Even though there currently aren’t any other local schools with Quidditch teams to compete against, there will still be competition although Moore said that practices won’t be determined until after tryouts. “We intend to have at least two full teams to play each other, and there will be a faculty versus student Quidditch match as well,” she added. While the tryouts and competitions are important, students are mostly looking forward to the fun the new sport will bring, and anyone with a passion could be a great addition to the team. “I’d say a passion for “Harry Potter” and a willingness to give effort [would make a good team member],” said Anna Cain, junior. “It doesn’t matter if you’re good, just as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing.” In addition to passion, talents in other sports will certainly translate well to Quidditch. “I’m on the track team, so I’m pretty sure that would help me (to play Quidditch),” said Jenna Jackson, sophomore. Tryout dates have not been decided yet, but the sign up for interest has ended already.
“Happiest 5k on the Planet” returns to Tuscaloosa SARA LANG ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Color Run 5k, also known as “The Happiest 5k on the Planet,” was held in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 15. Many students from Northridge participated in the run. Founded in March 2011, the race is meant to “promote healthiness and happiness by bringing the community together…” It is now the single largest event series in the world, and is hosted in over 200 cities in 40 different countries. “I’ve done a number of other 5ks and all you do is run, so I think it’s fun that they’re incorporating colors and fun activities,” said Julie Jackson, sophomore and track athlete. Color runners start out wearing all white and are covered with a different color each kilometer. This year’s theme is
Tropicolor, which includes island themed music and colors along with inflatable palm trees and arches. At the end of the run is “Rainbow Beach,” where participants enjoy a concert and other festivities. “I’m most looking forward to seeing my friends’ faces when they get hit by the colors,” said Kaila Cox, freshmen. Producing happiness is one of the Color Run’s main goals. Their tag line “The Happiest 5K on the Planet” was created after seeing the expressions on peoples’ faces during the race. “I think what makes me happiest is the satisfaction that I ran the entire thing and finished…basically the feeling you get with all races,” Jackson said. Healthiness is another aspect promoted by the run. More than half of the participants are running a 5k for the first time, and a goal of the run is to help people live an
active lifestyle. The race isn’t timed and there are no official winners, so all types of athletes can participate, even if you aren’t one. “I think the end of the race will be happy, not sure about the middle,” said Jackson. For some, a 5K can sound challenging. There are two main views on the Color Run: some enjoy the fact that it’s not timed so that they can walk or jog and just have fun; however, others would like it to be taken more seriously, and they want to compete. Regardless, the Color Run is a popular event, encouraging participation from all, and it certainly tries to please everyone by providing a fun, friendly atmosphere, enabling runners to participate in a way that makes them feel comfortable.
SPORTS
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
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Stock #K3228. Plus dealer add ons. Dealer retains all rebates and incentives. With approved credit. Plus tax, tag, title and dealer admin fee. must qualify for college graduate program.
Includes: Oil Change, Tire Rotation, 121 Multi Point Inspection
29
$
99 .
Cannot be combined with other offers. Excludes diesels & synthetic oil.
The Principal Includes: Oil Change, Tire Rotation, 121 Multi Point Inspection, Alignment, Wash & Vacuum
99
$
99 .
Cannot be combined with other offers. Excludes diesels & synthetic oil.
Includes: Oil Change, Tire Rotation, 121 Multi Point Inspection, Fluid Top Off, Wiper Blade Inspection & Replacement, Filters: Inside & Outside, Spark Plug Inspection, Full Detail
Send your Senior off to College
$
The Jaguar
The Superintendent
SENIOR SPECIAL! in a Brand New KIA for only
SERVICE SPECIALS
8,000 with a Pre-Paid Four Year Lease!
Full warranty. Turn the car in at graduation. Example: 2016 KIA Soul $166 a Month / 48 Month Lease $2,999 Due at Lease Signing For Qualified Lessees. 225 capitalized cost reduction, $595 acquisition fee, plus tax, title, license & registration fees, dealer conveyance fee, processing fee or optional service fee & any emission testing charge. No security deposit required. Offer shown total lease payments are $8,264. Actual payments may vary. Purchase option at lease-end for offer shown of residual value of $9,490.00. Lessee is responsible for insurance, maintenance, repairs, $.20 per mile over 12,000 miles/year, excess wear, & a $400 termination fee.
$
449
Cannot be combined with other offers. Excludes diesels & synthetic oil.
4301 GREENSBORO AVE - TUSCALOOSA, AL 35405
KIA
888-928-0337
www.CarlockKia.com
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER OCTOBER 31, 2016
As the election comes closer and closer, many Americans still remain undecided as to whether they should cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. The last issue of The Northridge Reporter contained two opinion articles that articulated a great false equivalency between the two major party candidates. In other words, they created a dishonest idea that Clinton and Trump are equally unqualified to be Commander and Chief, when that is just flat out wrong. Ignoring these two candidates because “they both have flaws” is like being in the desert and refusing to drink the only two drinks you have. One of them is water but too warm for your taste, and the other is cyanide. Clinton is the warm water here. It might not be exactly what you want, but you’re not committing suicide. During her time as Secretary of State, Clinton used a private email account to manage both her work material and personal information. This is something that
WILL MCLELLAND OPINION EDITOR
actually is not illegal, but frowned upon. What she did that was not permitted, was use a private server to accompany her email account. The main reasons a government official should not use a private server is because through a private server, no one else in the government could have access to her emails should they need to, and it doesn’t have the same level of security that a government server is treated with. Legally, for her to be allowed to use the server, she had to have asked for permission from the State Department which not only did she not ask, but she told the media it was permitted. She also told reporters in March of 2015, that no classified information was sent or received at the time they were made classified, which is simply not true. According to the FBI, of the 30,000 emails sent to the State Department, 113 emails contained classified information at the time they were sent; however, only three of those 113 sent to Clinton were labeled classified, and not in the appropriate manner for sending classified information. The FBI added that Clinton’s staff was “extremely careless” but no evidence showed that she was deliberately trying to be disloyal to the United States, so prosecuting Clinton for a crime would be unreasonable. According to Politifact, “Clinton frequently dealt with sensitive and classified information as secretary of state, and the amount that the FBI found in her email server is miniscule in comparison. It appears that she generally dealt with classified information in an appropriate way.” While everyone must acknowledge that she didn’t tell the truth about her use of a private email server, we can’t disqualify her from
being president, especially this time around. Donald Trump is dangerous. This is a man who wants to build a wall on the Mexican border, proposed a temporary ban on Muslim immigration, bring back waterboarding for fun, kill the families of terrorists, and start a war with Iran if an Iranian flips off one of our boats. None of this is made up. He was a host of a reality show, and a very rich, but very unsuccessful businessman. He is a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, narcissistic liar. I cannot talk about all of it because there isn’t enough room on the page to explain even a little portion of it. What I will focus on are his lies. Trump said he was against the Iraq war, which has been debunked many times. He claims that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the founders of ISIS -they’re not. He said Hillary wants to repeal the second amendment -she doesn’t. He said that Hillary will release all violent criminals from jail, which is beyond wrong. He said “No one respects women more than me.” Two days before the second debate, a tape was released of him boasting about trying to sexually assault women. Additionally, on tapes from “The Howard Stern Show” he bragged about how he was able to see women naked at beauty pageants and allowed Howard Stern to call his daughter something on the radio that I cannot repeat. For those of you who say “Hillary Clinton is a liar too, she can’t be president” and instead vote for Donald Trump or write in something, you’re being ridiculous. Yes, Clinton is a cautious politician who carefully selects her words unnecessarily, Donald Trump is a lying monster. In the first debate, he made a lie on average every three minutes and fifteen seconds. These two are not the same kind of liars, one makes the occasional white lie, the other lives off of big fat orange lies.
Comparisons between Trump and Clinton unmerited
12
BEAT election 2016
THE
NORTH RI D G E
Pages 6-7
BOO!
est. 2003
REPORTER
www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com
OCTOBER 31, 2016 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2