Northridge Reporter September 2016

Northridge High School 2901 Northridge Road Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406

est. 2003

THE SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

NORTH RI D GE

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REPORTER

The student est.voice 2003of Northridge High School

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VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1

Not Late!

Yearbook deadline change sparks confusion in student body

The Northridge High School 2015-2016 yearbook did not come out at the end of last year, as most had expected it to, causing some to be upset.

Instead, the yearbook staff opted for a fall pickup instead of the spring pickup most people had grown accustomed to.

Many people were upset with the change, but the yearbook staff was sure that once these people got used to the new delivery date, they would change their minds.

“It’s taken [students] a while to understand [the new pickup date], but once they see the yearbook, they’ll be grateful. Hopefully,” said Julia Versace, senior.

Everyone who bought a yearbook at schedule pickup asked about [the new pickup date], but after we told them why, most of them were understanding, which was nice,” said Julia Versace, senior.

Emma Bradford, senior and editor of the yearbook, faced some criticism for the new deadline, but she was confident that it was for the best. Photo Courtesy of Mallie Humber “Yearbook is documentation of the “We understand everyone’s frustrations with this, but year.It’s important to have the entire year in it,”said Bradford. it’ll just take some time to adjust. It’s kind of like block The girls varsity soccer team’s advancement to the state schedule. This will be better in the long run,” said Bradford championship was considered one of these significant events.

The yearbooks took a little longer to deliver than planned, “Girls were second in state! That would never have as a result of the increased number of schools the year- been in the yearbook, would never have been mebook company Jostens had to print for, relative to previous years.

“This is what 90 percent of yearmorialized, with a spring deadline,” said Humber. books do. We were one of the only schools with a spring “If we didn’t include the girl’s soccer championship delivery, so this takes a little longer because they have game, people who weren’t on the team might not remore books to print,” said Mallie Humber, faculty spon- member that years down the line,” Bradford added on. sor of the yearbook. “I didn’t realize that at the time. They “Ragan Ferguson, the editor last year, and Ms. emailed, ‘you’re the only [school] with a spring delivery.’” Humber decided to make the yearbook a sumEven so, the new pickup is fairly early. mer/fall delivery to include graduation, senior Job 7861 Year 2016 Page 942 (714753274) 08/18/2016 3:13 PM

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banquet, prom, and spring sports,” said Versace.

Questions about graduated students getting the yearbooks after they started school were common.

“They’ll just pick them up at the later pickup or have a family member get it for them,” said Humber.

Mallie Humber was sure that the yearbook staff has tried to be as accommodating as possible for students who would otherwise be unable to get their copy.

“We’ve made arrangements for [the yearbook] to be mailed to them,” she said.

Liza Thornell, staff member, said that some people tried to blame the new pickup date on poor preparation.

“I think those people think we just procrastinated or something…that’s not what happened,” said Thornell.

“It’s not that we messed up and accidentally didn’t finish the yearbook. We chose to do this. We have to get caught up sometime and now is as good of a time as any. The yearbook is the best one we’ve done so far, and I think students will really be able to see that the wait was worth it when they get them,” said Bradford.

One reason students were disappointed in the change was because they couldn’t sign each other’s yearbooks.

Humber was doubtful that the tradition had ever been really been practiced at Northridge.

“Nobody has ever really done it in the past,” she said, “so I don’t see much of an issue [with students not being able to sign yearbooks].

They’ve had to come back after exams in the past anyways, so they never really had a chance to do it. Either way, we don’t leave any blank pages [for signatures].”

However, Humber was very open to the idea of other ways to commemorate graduated students’ time together.

“We could always look into doing an event in December when people are home for Christmas,” she said. If people were interested, we’d be happy to!”

Copyright © Jostens Inc, 2016

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“We’re still getting the yearbook sooner than a lot of fall publication books. Some others get them as late as October,” Humber said.

The yearbook staff chose this new deadline to include all the significant events that occurred in the spring.

Will Henson Managing Editor

THE YEARBOOK IS THE BEST ONE WE’VE DONE SO FAR, AND I THINK STUDENTS WILL REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THAT.

AT A GLANCE

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Photo Courtesy of The Verge

NEW TEACHERS STRANGER THINGS

page 2

page 6

It’s like playing by yourself rather than playing with an actual team.

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- Emma Bradford, Senior

ROBERT BENSON, SENIOR

See story on PAGE 5

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OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

OUR THOUGHTS

Candidates need a time-out

T

CEDRIC BROWN SPORTS EDITOR

his election alone has been one of the most controversial of them all.

The Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and the Rebublican nominee Donald Trump, have shared controversy as they both try to make their campaigns succeed.

Some of the more radical acts and comments have come from Donald Trump.

Trump has falsely stated how Clinton and Obama “founded ISIS” which the media and the American people took with criticism. Dozens of media outlets and other journalist have bashed Trump for making such comments.

Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton, released many commercials using some of these statements

against him.

Trump, however, had some things to say about his rival candidate as well.

In early March of 2015, an article came out exposing her for over thousands of private emails.

Trump took this to his advantage, giving her the nickname, “Crooked Hillary.” This scandal led to many Trump supporters calling her out every time she appears publicly.

A few months ago, Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, was exposed for using some of Michelle Obama’s lines in her speech at the Republican National Convention. Once again the media jumped on this, resulting in hours of criticicizm on cable news shows.

This election seems like a movie or a play, honestly. Everything in it seems scripted. It has been one of the worst elections in years, as both candidates are more focused on each other than the state of our nation.

Both candidates seem unfit to hold the position of president of the United States. Trump and Clinton have flaws but instead of revealing it to themselves and compare, they would rather just talk about each other like children on a playground.

[

Art by Louise Whiting

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

[

The candidates need to get a hold of themselves before it truly gets out of control. I can’t see this election going far if they can’t get their minds off each other and start acting like they can handle the job they are applying for Hillary needs to focus on getting her mind set on being president rather than worrying about her opponent. This sets her back because if she stays in the present, she won’t be able to handle the future.

As for Trump, his radical statements are causing him to lose voters drastically. Some of Trump’s fellow Republicans don’t even support his ideals and thoughts.

The United States needs to make the correct decision on who we want to run our country because we can easily make the wrong choice and be stuck with it.

Courtesy of inaugrual.obdurodon.org and peoriapublicradio.org

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.

Managing Editor Will Henson Feature Editor Rebecca Han & Fatema Dhondia 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.

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 Reshu Chandra

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, 2016-17’ Check out our YouTube channel, ‘The Northridge Reporter’ See our paper ONLINE at issuu.com, ‘The Northridge Reporter’

OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

3

No room for sexism in the olympics A

EMILY MATTHEWS STAFF WRITER s the quadrennial Olympics were occurring, numerous female athletes felt that many sexist remarks were made against them by comparing their stats to the males.

The women brought 61 medals home, and the men trail with 55.They brought home 27 of the 46 American gold.

NBC commentator Mike Tricico stated, “Simone Biles was so talented that she might go even higher than some

men.”

American gymnast Biles responded to Mike Tricico’s statement replying “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first me.”

Are the Olympics really sexist or is this all just a miscommunication? Former NYPD detective Bo Dietl debated this issue on Fox News about whether female athletes should wear makeup. Dietl said,“When you see an athlete, why should I have to look at some chick’s zits or some guy’s zits on his face? I like to see a person who wins that gold medal go up there and look beautiful.”

These Olympic athletes work hard to represent their country, training, winning gold and not applying makeup. Looks do not earn gold, silver or bronze medals, the talents and hard work given by these fantastic athletes do.

Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu, who beat the world record by two seconds, had her gold medal credited to her husband who is also her coach, Shane Tusup.” The man responsible for her success,” statedNBC commentator Dan Hicks. Tusup did not win that gold or beat that

record, she did.

Sanne Wevers a Dutch gymnast recently took home the gold for her work on the beam. After she performed her medal worthy routine, she then headed over to her bench to calculate the points she earned. NBC reporter Al Trautwig suspected Wevers of ” making a dear diary entry “Wevers trying to figure out her points earned in her notebook. Not only were the Olympic athletes targeted, but so were the reporters.

Justlike the way that BBC presenter Helen Skelton was singled out for wearing a dress to the Olympic pool.

Skelton was accused of wearing a too short, inappropriate dress. The Olympics bring countries together, but it also brings out sexist remarks that are irrelevant and stray away from the true meaning of the Olympics.

Courtesy of thedailypost.ng

Gary Johnson deserves more thought

T

he 2016 presidential election has Ross Perot in 1992. But in 2016, both major candibeen the most outrageous firestorm dates have the most unfavorable ratings of all time. It’s of any election we’ve ever seen. hard not to look away and check out another candidate.

Normally someone writing an artiGary Johnson is where to start. He had an impressive cle about the election would start complaining on the run as governor in New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. He candidates, but it’s easy to state the facts entered the race for president as a Libertarabout why both Clinton and Trump are ian at the start of 2016, and it’s hard to say so disliked. The Republicans are at loosehow far he will go. Libertarians tend to get ends with their party, and Democrats less attention because it’s both a Democratjust sit and ignore Clinton’s tireless flaws. ic and Republican platform with a differYou don’t even have to start at the emails that ent view of the government. Johnson’s best tore Clinton’s easy path to the presidency or known ideas are that the government should the racism that Trump brought into his party. be much smaller than it is and that marijuana We cannot deny the fact that Trump is racist. should be legal across the U.S. But a major It’s ridiculous to say that calling for a roadblock is always thrown in with any third ban on Muslims entering the United States party candidate. He or she needs at least 15 isn’t an easy example of racism. The definipercent in five reliable polls to be included in tion of racism is “prejudice, discrimination, the three presidential debates. It doesn’t seem or antagonism directed against someone like much, but because the Libertarian’s aren’t of a different race based on the belief that JAMES ANDERTON a big party, finishing with 15 percent in the one’s own race is superior.” It’s hard to say general election would be an all-time high STAFF WRITER that the things he has said haven’t been racfor them. Clinton and Trump have around ist. But again, you can’t go out and say that 40 percent of national support in all polls.

Clinton is better at every single thing that Trump isn’t Johnson is an easy choice if you want a big change in good at. Under her position as Secretary of State from politics. He has more potential than most think and is 2009 to 2013, she used a private email server instead of consistent with his views. Johnson has brought more atusing a government email. You might be sick of hear- tention to legalizing marijuana all over the U.S., and he ing about it, but it’s not a simple thing to just put aside. often connects it with how easy it is to get into legal This is where the constant hypothetical “where is troubles just by using a drug that has found to do less the third party at?” comes in. But you have to under- harm than smoking. Johnson commonly states that the stand that a third party candidate with political expe- increase of people in jail from a drug violation related to rience is hard to find. The last major third candidate marijuana has caused an increase in the national debt. to scramble an election and succeed was businessman He has also made civil rights a significant part of his cam-

paign. Specifically, advocating for LGBT rights to prevent attacks like the Pulse nightclub shooting in June of this year and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

For a third party candidate such as Johnson, winning any electoral votes seems almost impossible, not to mention winning an election. But a major hypothetical has been supported by Johnson; if he can win one state he’s a major contender in, assuming other circumstances, the vote would go to the House of Representatives.

Here’s how it would work: Johnson has the highest support for his campaign in New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah, at around 10-12 percent in state-wide polls. If Johnson can campaign strongly, as well as get into the presidential debates, he could possibly score one state during the election on Nov. 8. If Trump and Clinton secure as close to 270 electoral votes as possible, without winning, Gary Johnson would have stopped a president from being elected in the conventional way. Instead of votes from the public, it would be the House of Representatives that get to decide who will be he next president.

Although the House of Representatives is Republican controlled, how are we sure that key Republicans would still pick Donald Trump over a more experienced Gary Johnson? Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had a hard time agreeing with Trump throughout the campaign trail and only endorsed him in favor of party unity. John McCain had the same issue Ryan did but also endorsed Trump, even after Trump has said he prefers soldiers that weren’t captured, in reference to McCain as a prisoner of war in the Vietnam War. Although no predictions can be guaranteed, it’s going to be an interesting two months coming up. courtesy of krwg.org

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NEWS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Ashton Rigdon joins Northridge

Photo by Rebecca Han

REBECCA HAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

mong the influx of new teachers at Northridge this year is English teacher Ashton Rigdon, who previously interned in the same room in which she now teaches. Last fall, she was an intern under Mary Ruffin Moore, who has relocated to the science hall and now teaches biology.

Rigdon, a graduate from the University of Alabama, has been enjoying her first year so far at Northridge.

“It’s been going great! I love my students and they are all great,” Rigdon said. “Some are a bit lively, you know, and for some, English isn’t necessarily their favorite subject, but hopefully it will be.”

She teaches two blocks of regular English 11 and one block of Honors English 10.

English was not her first pursuit, however; she first became interested in communications and journalism.

“I started off in the college of communications because I wanted to be the next Erin Andrews,” Rigdon said. “I

guess I realized that that goal wasn’t realistic, and my mom sat me down and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said that I thought I probably wanted to be a teacher, and she was like, ‘are you sure?’, because she’s a teacher herself.”

She proceeded to attend the University of Alabama after graduating high school, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education English Language Arts.

She is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies.

For Rigdon, getting her first job at the school where she interned was a tremendous convenience.

“It’s been great! It was really convenient that I had my first job here,” she said, “and when I say I am not afraid to ask questions, I mean it. Here, there’s always someone I

know that I can ask who’s standing somewhere near.

It’s really great.”

Sophomore Alexandra Wright is in Rigdon’s Honors 10 class and enjoys her eagerness and teaching style.

“She’s a really good teacher. She’s good about asking questions and really starting class discussions,” Wright said.

When asked about her job, Rigdon said, “I love being a teacher. My favorite part is when you see it click, which makes the whole thing worth it.

Sometimes, there’s those students that you spend your whole day with, like, ‘what are we doing?’, and then one moment, when they suddenly understand it, you’re like, ‘oh my gosh, this is why I did it!’ It’s moments like those that reinforce why I became a teacher and why I love my job.” Rigdon added, “Oh, and go Jags!”

Photo by Patrick Johnson

TCT showcases new aquaculture system SAMUEL MARQUES STAFF WRITER

O

n Sep. 20 an open house was held at the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Center to showcase the new aquaculture system began by Carl Hughes agriculture teacher at TCTA. Aquaculture, also known as fish or shellfish farming, refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments.

The aquaponics system uses kale plants to filter the waste water from a tank of koi fish, leeching the nutrients beneficial to plant growth then returning the water to the fish tanks.

The class itself revolves around learning the principles of aquaculture and applying those skills to raise fish and plants.

“Students will learn how to manage our natural resources to maximize output through the sciences of hydroponics and aquacul-

ture,” said Hughes.

Maintenance and upkeep of the fish happens daily, the water is tested for contaminants, the fish are fed, and iron is added to the water as it is the only nutrient not naturally in the aquaponics system in some form.

Learning about waterborne life and supporting it was what interested some students in the class, but they will also learn and apply chemistry, biology, and animal science in a sustainable manner.

“I believe that we have the responsibility to use our natural resources that we’ve been entrusted with in a morally responsible way to ensure that they are available for the enjoyment and benefit of generations to come,” Hughes said Out of 400 koi fish that started the semester, 390 survived to be prepared to be sold for $7000 after the culmination of two year’s work by Carl Hughes and the Aquaculture class at TCT.

Most of the koi that died had jumped out of the tank; a net had to be installed to counteract their suicidal tendencies.

The koi were added to the tanks in Feb. 2016 and the kale in July, but the tanks are also capable of supporting tilapia and catfish with an eight thousand gallon limit.

This is all possible due to a generous donation of equipment by Gregory Whytis of Auburn University.

Whytis donated nearly $15,000 worth of aquaculture supplies including the tanks containing the koi and kale, grow lights, water pumps, filters, and reserve water tanks.

Photos by Sam Marques

SARA LANG STAFF WRITER The debate team has been practicing at the college level thanks to some local mentors.

This year, the team has partnered with The University of Alabama, both teams gaining valuable practice time in the process.

The university used to have one of the biggest debate teams in the country until students started participating in more individual debates. UA has recently been trying to increase the program size again, and part of that includes working with and coaching high school teams.

With the Northridge debate team’s first competition coming up, Captain Emma Bradford said that both teams travel to get in valuable practice time.

“Our goal is for the UA students to come to Northridge on Wednesdays to practice, and on Thursdays, we travel to the Reese Phifer building on campus and meet with Dr. Butler [UA coach] and the UA team for an hour and a half,” said Bradford.

Formed last year by former student Bert McLelland, the Northridge team had a rocky start, but is on its way to being a well-established program.

“Terry Millsaps and I tried to start it a few years ago, but it didn’t really work out,” said Bradford.

“When Bert started the team, we took a vote, and he was voted captain [last

year].”

However, Bradford admits that this year has not been without its challenges.

“It can be stressful,” said Bradford. “Especially with our first competition coming up in two weeks, and we’ve only practiced a few times. Getting everyone to practice at UA can be challenging, along with finding parking.”

Until recently, the team didn’t have an official coach for practices.

“We thought it was going to be a lot of work finding a coach since Bert had some trouble with it. But Will [Henson] emailed the head of [the] communications [department at UA], and they were very helpful,” said Bradford.

The team’s unity and dedication shines despite their humble beginnings. Katie Ray, member, agreed that being a part of the team has been about more than just debating.

“I think that the debate team brings us all together.

We’ve all grown to respect each other through our love for debating,” Ray said. “We have learned so much together and have come such a long way from our team’s start last year.”

Ray is optimistic about the team’s future success and growth.

“We compete for the first time in a couple of weeks,” said Ray. “We’re hoping to bring back a title this year, and I think the first competition will be great practice for us. Hopefully, we can expand our numbers and let more kids know about debate team.”

5

Juniors vs. Seniors FATEMA DHONDIA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

A

week before school started groups of seniors and juniors came to Northridge to uphold the yearly juniors vs. seniors tradition. In this tradition the juniors and seniors come to Northridge to paint on the windows of the school and each others’ cars.

Seniors Alice Beasley, Skylar Griffin and Lucy Barnett participated in the tradition.

“We wrote on the school, made a banner, and wrote on the cars the night after the first day of school,” Barnett said.

There were a lot of Photo by Will Henson things written on the school such as, Alm1gh7y and JAWS. The grass areas in the courtyard were also stabbed with plastic forks.

“The idea of the forks was Lee Thornton’s,” Beasley said. “We found a box of 600 forks in his house, and we thought it was funny to put them in the courtyard.”

A lot of juniors also wrote on the school. Mary Katherine Winfield was one of those juniors.

“We woke up on Friday at 5 am to write on all of the cars,” Winfield said. “We also erased some of the senior’s paintings on the glass and wrote something else instead,” she said.

Winfield was also one of the juniors whose car was painted on.

“They painted on my car and saran wrapped my friend’s cars,” Winfield said.

Even though teasing the juniors is part of the traditions, this year’s seniors think they were different than last year’s seniors.

“We were nicer than last year’s seniors,” Griffin said.

“

We were nicer than last year’s seniors

Photos by Patrick Johnson

Plato offers “stress-free learning” for students PATRICK JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

Students and teachers appreciate Plato as a stress-free way of learning and teaching.

Plato is an online course that allows students to have access to classes that a student could not take otherwise. Raquel Murphy, AHSGE teacher, said that Plato can offer flexibility to students who need it.

“Plato is a way for students in all different grade levels and all different learning styles to have access to courses they need or are interested in but would not fit in their schedule,” Murphy said. “Plato offers really great electives that our students would not otherwise have access to.”

Plato’s curriculum is made by its company, Edmentum, which pulls from our state standards to build courses. The software also allows the teachers to build their own classes.

“There are course materials already created that teachers can pull from to build their own custom class. They do not have to choose what is already built,” Murphy said.

In order for students to finish the class in time, Plato has set up a way for a student to view his/her progress.

“Every class has a grade book that is set up to weigh and scale the students work to calculate the student’s progress

“

in the class,” Murphy said.

Mayci Hartley, junior, also enjoys the ease of using Plato and being able to take advantage of the online courses Plato offers.

“I love Plato because it lets me do my work on my own time. It creates a stress-free environment,” Hartley said.

While many students and teachers have enjoyed the benefits of Plato, it is not a one size fits all.

“I do not feel that I am learning as much as I would with a normal class. Some of the people are also extremely distracting and keep you from doing your work,” Scarlett Maples, freshmen, said.

While some students feel distracted, many enjoy working at their own pace.

“Plato is easier than normal classes to me because it is online which means less partner work, and you do not have to present anything in front of the class. It also lets me work at my own pace which is very stress relieving, “ Hartley said.

Hartley would strongly recommend Plato because of the variety of classes and the ease of learning through the different programs offered.

“I would highly recommend Plato because it opens a variety of classes otherwise not offered at our school. I can also do my work on my own time, and it is also a great filler class,” Hartley said.

Plato is easier than normal classes to me

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Northridge debate team gains an ally

NEWS

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THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Special Thanks To

Dr. April Lane, Ricky Bush, Capstone Bank and The Guitar Gallery Photo from Panoramo, all rights reserved by Leigh Harell

We appreciate your support of the Northridge Reporter

6

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

FEATURE

REZONING

REALITY

Students survive and thrive in new schools REBECCA HAN & WILL HENSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR

A

fter seemingly no end of discussion, speculation, and even controversy, this school year, the Tuscaloosa City Schools system implemented its redistricting plan aimed to reduce overcrowding within Bryant, Central, and Northridge High Schools.

The initial announcement of the plan was one that brought on much press and spawned the creation of the Northidge Reporter student exchange program, in which students from Northridge, Central, and Bryant traveled to each other’s schoools for a week, breaking down walls and learning about each other at the same time.

In this feature, the Northridge Reporter explores how the rezoning plan has affected students on an individual basis, hearing the stories of multiple students who have left for Bryant or Central or arrived at Northridge from either school.

Photo Courtesy of @CHS_Tuscaloosa, Twitter

there’s

more black students.”

Prior to

bears a similar organization in the Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA), lead

by Career Preparedness teacher Brenda Gibson.

“My favorite thing about Central is FBLA because they have

THE CENTRAL PERSPECTIVE

F

or former Northridge student and current Central student Shakiera Steele, junior, the rezoning plan was one she initially viewed with apprehension.

“I felt like the schools were segregating whites and blacks,” she said of her first thoughts, a sentiment echoed through the community and student body upon the first reveal of the rezoning plan.

Central High School itself is no stranger to the shadow of racial segreation; in 2014, New York Times journalist Nikole-Hannah Jones wrote a piece titled “Segregation Now” investigating the racial segregation at Central High School. The student exchange was also inspired by this story.

Eye-opening and harsh as the story might have been, Central is still home to one of the most pivotal moments of integration in the South.

In 1979, Tuscaloosa’s primary two high schools, Tuscaloosa High School and Druid High School, were merged into one as the result of a federal desegregation order in a clumsy and disorganized move that residents at the time bore no love for. Still, the effects of the merger were immense and profound, and within a couple of years, Central High School had become a powerhouse, excelling in both academia and sports.

The idyll came to an end in 2000 when a federal judge determined that integration had been fulfilled within the Tuscaloosa City Schools and lifted the desegregation order. It was argued that Central had successfully achieved integration and could be trusted to move forward independently.

Central High School as it once was was split up and plans for three major city schools were developed: Northridge, situated in a predominantly white and affluent area, Bryant, and Central.

Flash forward to 2007, when the now recognizable redistricting plan was introduced and boundaries were drawn for students to attend the schools in their designated areas.

Despite some of the negative press that might have surrounded Central concerning segregation, Steele easily felt at home within a few weeks.

“I’m doing very good at Central. It’s a really good school,” she continued, “People perceive it as a bad school, but the people there are very welcoming and generous. It’s different from Northridge, because, of course,

the rezoning plan implemented the school year of 2016-17, Central’s student population was 99% African American.

For Steele herself, though, the transition was not a difficult one at all, as she found herself with a brand new set of opportunities in not only her academics, but also in extracurricular activities not found at Northridge.

One of those opportunities is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, whose counterpart is the Advanced Placement (AP) program Northridge students are accustomed to. Student-driven discussion and frequent consideration of the bigger educational and worldwide picture form the cornerstones of the program, while the AP curriculum tends to focus more on individual subjects rather than taking a holistic approach.

“The IB program can be challenging at times,” Steele said.

“It’s really about hard work, dedication, and self-determination. The courses are very different from AP, but I have never taken AP, so I don’t know what to say on that behalf.” Her schedule is filled to the brim - US history, biology, precalculus, language, theory of knowledge, and Spanish 3 - all IB. Steele’s favorite aspect of her new school, though, is the flourishing Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter found at Central. Northridge

an outstanding performance dealing with this organization. I’m treasurer now.”

Junior Kalayshia Spencer arrived at Central from Northridge after initially reacting to the news of rezoning with alarm. However, she said that, moving to Central High School was an inevitable development in her educational career.

“When I first heard about rezoning, I was shocked.

But personally, it did not affect my plans for junior and senior Year. I had plans to enroll in Central’s IB program back in 8th grade when I first heard about it.

Rezoning was just the confirmation,” Spencer said.

For her, the IB program was the key to a plethora of new opportunities and was something she became familiar with while attending a a week long boot camp this summer held at Central High.

“I enjoyed the program because it gave me a chance to see what my teachers expected out of me and vice ver-

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

FEATURE ticipating and assisting in runs that the Central’s FBLA chapter requires (in order to take part in trips), which in my opinion is a great thing because it encourages me to stay active in the chapter,” Spencer said.

Although many of her friends transferred over to Central with her, she still spoke of missing the bonds shared with old friends at Northridge.

“However, after I graduate high school there will once again be a split between my friends and I. We will have to adventure into our own workplaces, meet new people, and create new families. It is all a part of life,” she said.

IT’S A REALLY GOOD SCHOOL...

PEOPLE PERCEIVE IT AS A BAD SCHOOL, BUT THE PEOPLE THERE ARE VERY WELCOMING AND GENEROUS.

-Shakiera Steele, Junior

“

“

sa,” said Steele. “If I had the chance to discontinue my stay in the IB program and enroll into any city or county schools in the Tuscaloosa County area, I would not take that chance.”

Like Steele, Spencer felt that the IB program allowed for far more flexibility and creativity in the classroom, comparing it to college-level courses that she had taken before.

Her schedule is also filled to the brim with the demands of a IB curriculum as well, with all of her core classes of math, science (biology), history, and English being IB. It’s a program she is no stranger to either.

“I’m not new to IB. I started it at the Tuscaloosa Magnet Elementary School and continued {it} through middle school, and I enrolled at Northridge because the Magnet did not have a h i g h school and Central only con- sisted of 11th and 12th grade IB at the time,” Spencer said. “Also, I’ve never taken AP classes, although I have tak- en college courses.”

THE BRYANT PERSPECTIVE

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One o f Spencer’s favorite new courses was called IB theory of knowledge (TOK), described on the IB website as a class asking students to “reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know.”

“I enjoy that class because it gives me the opportunity to go into deep thought so that I can reach above the surface of a situation. It’s like a current event class where students are able to take issues that have been or are circulating throughout the world and can give their honest opinions with no penalties because every point of view is respected by the peers and instructors,” she described. The course is pivotal to the Diploma Programme, and asks students the primary question, “How do we know?”, different from the concrete essays and numbers that AP students are familiar with.

The most difficult thing to adjust to? Spencer’s hectic and demanding volunteering schedule required of the school’s FBLA chapter.

“The hardest thing for me so far would include the act of fundraising, helping out with UA, lending a hand to the amphitheater, volunteering at the soup bowl, also par-

he Northridge Reporter has extensively covered the rezoning of the Tuscaloosa City Schools.

Destiny Hodges, a former page editor and writer for the Northridge Reporter, was one of the students affected by the rezoning.

Hodges, junior, described the transition as “rocky.”

“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to Bryant or Northridge until maybe two weeks before school started. However, I was under the impression that I would be attending Northridge,” she said.

The two biggest factors in the transition for Hodges were “journalism and sports”.

“I was told that Bryant would be offering a journalism class and if I attended Northridge, I wouldn’t be able to play sports. Playing sports is kind of a big deal for me, so now I attend Paul W. Bryant high school. However, I still come to Northridge every Tuesday and Thursday morning first period for my calculus dual enrollment class,” she said.

Hodges uses these first two periods to catch up with friends from her former school.

“I see some of [my old classmates when I’m at Northridge on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

It’s definitely different and harder to see each other when we attend different schools though,” she said.

Although she misses Northridge, Hodges thought the Bryant principal, Dr. Linda Harper compared favorably to Northridge’s own Mr. Ferguson.

“Both schools have amazing principals,” she said.

“Mr. Ferguson and Dr. Harper both genuinely care about the students and their wellbeing. They do whatever they can to help students. Dr. Harper even gives out her phone number to just about any student.”

7

The intended purpose of the rezoning was to promote diversity in all schools, but Hodges was not convinced it had achieved this purpose.

“Northridge had a more diverse population of students. I say ‘had’ because I know that since rezoning, demographics have been tampered with. I would say that Bryant is a predominantly black school. That’s not a bad thing, but when you consider a school to be predominantly black, that carries a negative connotation,” Hodges said. “[Bryant] does not live up to the negative connotation that it carries. Bryant is a school, and school is school. We have teachers and learn just like any other school.The atmosphere is different though. As a former Northridge student, I still kind of feel like an outsider. I’m not accustomed to some of the things they do at Bryant, but that would be the same if I transferred to any other school. It would be different.”

Hodges had a lot of good things to say about Bryant, but in the end, she still missed her former high school.

“I don’t know if I would consider being transferred to Bryant the best thing. However, I can say that everything happens for a reason. I believe that I can help build Bryant up in all aspects. I’m hoping to make a difference and change the negative connotation and views that are tied to the school,” she said. “I’m trying to be involved.”

One of the ways Hodges plans to build Bryant up is by helping to found the journalism department there.

“There was one a long time ago,” she said, “but I’m not sure what happened. It kind of faded away I guess.

While Northridge halls have been remarkably empty this year, the Bryant halls are a different story.

“Everyone thinks Bryant is overcrowded, and I do too,” Hodges reports.

Hodges also commented on the way Bryant students view their new classmates.

“I mean at first the Bryant students that have been there felt like the students who transferred from Northridge were stuck-up and rude, but we’re all okay. Most of the people from Northridge knew people at Bryant, so it wasn’t like they were complete strangers,” she said.

This was not the case for her, though.

“I, however, was a complete stranger except for about five people that I knew,” said Hodges.

In the end, Hodges had a very positive outlook on the situation despite any original reservations.

“I do not want my last two years of high school to be boring and terrible. I might be at a new school, but I have made up my mind that I will make the best of it. Life is what you make it, so I’m not going to be a mope and have a bad attitude about it. I’m trying to be involved,” she said.

THE NORTHRIDGE PERSPECTIVE

M

any Northridge students are now attending Central and Bryant, just as there are students from those schools who now call Northridge their home.

The school’s layout is very similar to that of Bryant High School; visiting those halls, one almost feels a sense of disorientation in a place which seems almost a mirror image of Northridge.

Different from the layout of Northridge, however, is Central High School, the former home of Northridge football defensive end Robert Benson.

“I love Northridge very much,” he said.

“It’s a very different, but better environment.”

Amidst the differences betwen his current and former home was a major similarity of size.

“Both have lots of people,”he said.“Here, there’s more motivated kids and teammates to pick you up when you’re down.”

As such a prominent member of the football team,one thing stood out: Friday night lights would no doubt be different.

Benson would be going head to head against his own team.

“It feels like you’re playing by yourself rather than playing with an actual team.”

Although moving schools can be rough, these transferring students have made the best of their new homes.

Photos by Ellis Architects.

8

ENTERTAINMENT

Callback to ‘80s pop culture

standout star of “Stranger Things,” though is David Harbour as officer Jim Hopper, a renegade cop who doesn’t play by the rules.

The children show a lot of man July 15 Netflix released the turity in their performances, which new show “Stranger Things,” is worth noting because a trucreated by the Duffer Brothers, ly talented child actor is a rare thing. to seemingly instant success.

“Stranger Things” was more than just a For the past few years, people have television show in terms of cinematography. grown to expect quality content to The production quality could ricome directly from the streaming comval even long running HBO shows pany, but “Stranger Things” blew those like “Game of Thrones” or “The Wire.” expectations totally out of the water.

Throughout “Stranger Things” the There are many reasons why “Stranger viewer is treated to gorgeous camThings” was such a hit and why it was able era work that feels less like a television to appeal to such a wide variety of viewers. show and more like an extended movie.

The show primarily follows the story of Many people already prefer television to four children as they try to rescue their missfilm because television seems to be able to ing best friend from “the Upside-Down,” spend more time on characterization than but a great deal of focus is also given to the magnificent Winona Ryder as the dis- their big-screen counter parts, and it’s in traught mother of the missing child. The this way that “Stranger Things” takes the WILL HENSON MANAGING EDITOR

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

O

best qualities from both film and television.

The show focuses very heavily on its characters – which is an excellent thing, too, because the characters are fantastic, both in terms of writing and acting – and uses the episodic format to show genuine changes in the way these characters respond to different situations.

While the plot is investing and very enjoyable to watch, what really pulls in the viewer is the dynamic between the four kids and their adventures.

When the children -- Mike (Finn Wolfhard), ‘Eleven’ (Millie Bobby Brown), ‘Toothless’ (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) – are on the screen, viewers are reminded of scenes from the ‘80s classic, “The Goonies.”

In fact, many callbacks to famous 80s films are made throughout “Stranger Things,” which is anoth-

photo from www.wired.com

Larry Wilmore says goodbye WILL MCLELLAND OPINION EDITOR

F

or the last year and a half, Larry Wilmore, host of “The Nightly Show,” satirized the news to create a national dialogue on cultural issues and current events. From Bill Cosby to the Flint water crisis, to the 2016 election, he and his roundtable panel discussed it. And on Aug. 15, Comedy Central announced that “The Nightly Show” would be cancelled.

Following the beloved “Colbert Report,” Larry Wilmore - Senior Black Correspondent for “The Daily Show,” inherited a timeslot in 2015 that had an average viewership of 1.7 million people.

But this year, “The Nightly Show” average viewership dropped 776,000 people. But it wasn’t just the ratings that killed the show, it was the lack of resonance with millennials.

“Even though we’ve given it a year and a half, we’ve been hoping against hope that it would start to click with our audience, but it hasn’t happened, and we haven’t seen evidence of it happening,” said Comedy Central President Kent Alterman.

As “The Daily Show” does, Wilmore covered the 2016 election, or as the show called it, “Blacklash 2016: The Unblackening”.

With the show’s cancellation just twelve weeks before the election, Wilmore put out this statement, “I’m really grateful to Comedy Central, Jon Stewart and our fans to have had this opportunity… But I’m also saddened and surprised we won’t be covering this crazy election or ‘The Unblackening’ as we’ve coined it. And keeping it 100, I guess I hadn’t counted on ‘The Unblackening’ happening to my time slot as well.”

Wilmore’s final episode premiered

Aug. 18, and it was well worth watching.

Wilmore started the show by addressing an Ellen DeGeneres controversy on Twitter. The segment featured most of “The Nightly Show” contributors and a word of advice from the former host of “The Daily Show,”and executive producer of “The Nightly Show,” Jon Stewart.

The second and third segment of the show was dedicated to “The Nightly Show” contributors - Mike Yard, Holly Walker, Grace Parra, Robin Thede, Franchesca Ramsey, Ricky Velez and Jordan Carlos. Wilmore played some clips of the contributors’ best work and allowed them to share some stories over drinks.

The fourth and final segment was all Larry. Wilmore thanked everyone who could make the show possible, and he explained something that the audience at home has always been curious about.

“Now before each show, I have a Q&A with the audience, and the number one question I get is, why is your map upside down? And I always say, well I disagree with your premise. You see, upside down is an opinion. If you’re floating in space, the earth can take on any orientation.

But as a culture, we all agreed with the opinion that the world should be seen in a certain way. So at “The Nightly Show,” our chief mission was to disagree with that premise and to see the world in a way that may not make everybody comfortable.

And to present it with a cast of people who don’t always get to have a voice on that. So, on that front, I feel that we have been very successful, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished. So once again, thank you very much for letting me into your homes, and of course it’s the last episode, and I gotta keep it 100.

So I just want to say, I’m not done yet.”

er reason it appeals to so many people.

The setting is nostalgic to those who grew up or lived in the 1980s, and can be fun for anyone with an appreciation for movies or music from that time.

It’s clear that “Stranger Things” draws inspiration from such entertainment.

Many have said it’s like “The Goonies” meets “Alien” meets “The Thing” and endless combinations of other movies.

One of the most unique aspects of “Stranger Things” though is its ability to seamlessly mesh the fun, comedic parts with the serious, tense, and sometimes terrifying ones.

“Stranger Things” combines many different aspects of the history of film in the ‘80s into one comprehensive and entirely enjoyable TV show that illustrates how excellent television can be.

Magic returns with new Harry Potter play Iconic childhood figures return for another adventure COLLEEN MCNORTON STAFF WRITER

On July 31, J.K. Rowling, author of the original Harry Potter series, Jack Thorne, a screenwriter and playwright, and John Tiffany, award winning director, released “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

But this eighth installment of the “Harry Potter”series is a bit different from the others as it’s the script of a play as opposed to a book.

The play’s opening night was July 30 at West End Palace Theater in London.

This story follows Albus Potter,second born son to the famous Harry and Ginny Potter.

It starts where the epilogue in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” left off even repeating a few lines where Harry was talking to Albus about which house he would be put into.

Albus then ends up befriending Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy, on the train to Hogwarts.

This story was a bit difficult to read as it is written as a script and not like your traditional book, but after I got used to it I found it easier to digest.

This story had a good use of

suspense and drama when it came to the plot, but the pace of the story would speed up then slow down often.

Plus, we got to see some familiar friendly faces and some not so friendly faces from again.

This story was also accurate in how the characters from the past few books, such as the golden trio, Draco and McGonagall, were displayed although they did skip through Albus’ first three years at Hogwarts only showing select parts from them.

And they only mention Albus’ siblings, James and Lily, a few times along with Rose, Hermione and Ron’s daughter although she is shown more often than the others.

While the story was good, you can tell it’s not just J.K. Rowling. It’s not a “Harry Potter” novel; this is for the stage.

All around it’s a good book. While some Potter fans won’t be amazed with it, it does the original Harry Potter series justice.

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

9

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10 SPORTS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Photos by Emily Matthews

Football team united after rezoning of key players CEDRIC BROWN SPORTS EDITOR

T

he football team is embracing a new challenge, regrouping after the loss of many players due to rezoning.

In Feb. 2016 the Tuscaloosa City School board decided to re-arrange the zoning map of all city schools in the area.

This decision led to many wondering what would happen to the social climate and athletic aspects of all three schools.

For years, football has been one of the most anticipated seasons of all sports in the high school division.

With the board deciding to rezone students and many athletes, the

speculation of peers led to some thinking that the redistrubution of students would have a negative effect on some sports.

With the controversy, the Northridge football team banded together in spite of the loss of key players.

The team was determined to prove others wrong as they worked hard in summer training on different plays and improving their overall talent.

Friday, Aug. 19 was the day that they were going to show their true potential against their opponents, Theodore.

Coming out with the pride of the Jaguar Nation on their side they were ready to start off the season with a victory.

Throughout the tough fought game the Jaguars seemed that they were stable

enough to defeat the Bobcats.

Coming into the second half the Jaguars let the Bobcats slip from their grasp.

With the Jaguar Nation chanting “play for four, stay for four” they knew they had the fans back no matter how the season went.

In the end however, the Jaguars fell short against Theodore losing 30-6.

This did not define the football team although they were yet to be proven.

Throughout the weeks the Jaguars would have a rough time finding victory ,falling short to many key opponents.

After many weeks of losses, many thought that the football team had seen its better days.

The Jaguars were still committed to show everyone that they were not

defeated.

Then the Jags visited the Brookwood Panthers with one thing on their mind…. victory.

They came into the first quarter eyeing to defeat the Panthers and nothing less.

In the game, the Jaguars were dominating the Panthers as the Panthers struggled with scoring and completing drives down the feild.

The Jaguars trampled the Panthers with an astounding 30-17 victory.

This win gave the spirit and hype back to the Jaguar Nation as they rejoiced the win days after.

Can this win be a turnaround to a whole season?

Only time will tell if the team will continue to win after their triumphant victory over the Panthers.

SPORTS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

11

Kickin’ it with Reier Photos by Emily Matthews

Former kicker’s sister continues athletic legacy

LINDSEY ROBERTS STAFF WRITER

T

atum Reier, freshman, and former kicker Savannah Reier’s younger sister, aims to fill her big sister’s shoes by taking the kicking spot on the team.

The elder Reier was last year’s kicker for the varsity football team. She was the first female to play on Northridge’s football team in school history.

The younger Reier is currently on Northridge’s Junior Varsity football team, following into her sister’s footsteps into kicking.

“It runs in the family,” Reier said.

Tatum’s father and sister inspired her into doing what she is doing now--kicking.

It all started when one day Reier was playing soccer with her friends, and she kept kicking it over the goal. Her dad said she should start kicking for football and that’s when Tatum tried out for the school team.

Her dad has been one of her biggest supporters throughout it all. She already knew the steps by always watching her sister but still had a lot of work ahead of her and didn’t get everything correct on the first try.

“He took me out to kick and said to kick it like the way you think you can,” Reier said.

Tatum has been practicing with the football team since the middle of the summer. Since Tatum is on the junior varsity team for this year, she could possibly be on the varsity team next year.

She has been one of the eye-catchers throughout the summer as she is determined to win the starting spot.

Coach Jason Bothwell said that he was impressed with Reier’s work ethic and drive .

“She is a hard worker,” Bothwell said.

In addition to kicking, Tatum is also involved in four other sports: basketball, cross country, bowling, and she is also trying out for the soccer team. This time of the year especially, Reier is a very busy ath-

lete. At the moment she is practicing three different sports in one season: basketball, football, and cross country.

Next season, her eyes are set on bowling and possibly soccer.

On top of practicing these sports, she’s also battling with school.

Reier is not sure about how next year will go, or if she will be doing football in her sophomore year.

“I am thinking about not doing it next year. I do like it, but I do get tired of all the practicing,” said Reier. “I might want to do it just for fun, and not through the school football team.”

As the season progresses, Reier is still going to push for a better season, making a name for herself.

New softball coach finds home at Northridge SARA LANG STAFF WRITER

W

ith a new season of softball on the horizon, all eyes are on the softball team as a new

coach takes over.

Former Paul W. Bryant High School coach Brittany Hodge has taken the job after working three years for the Stampede.

Hodge attended Auburn University at Montgomery and graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M. Softball has always been a part of her life as she played throughout high school and college, naming it one of her passions.

Though she left Bryant behind, Hodge feels as though she has gained another family.

“I was part of a family [at Bryant] and I now have a new family that I’m getting used to,” Hodge said.

The new coach says that even though Northridge is very different from Bryant,

she’s excited to get to know everyone here and make history with her new team.

“There’s a very positive atmosphere here,” Hodge said.

One thing that Hodge values at a school is spirit. So far she can tell the Jaguars are very passionate as well.

“I love school spirit. I’m real big on it,” Hodge said.

Hodge first met her team over the summer break during workouts and started to get to know each player.

“We hit it off right then,” she said.

Softball player Natasha Szulczewski has been on the team since freshman year.

She has liked getting to know Hodge so far and has only good things to say about the new coach.

“I think she’s really planned a lot for the season, and she seems really nice and fun,” Szulczewski said. “I can tell she’s going to work really hard on us and the team. It seems like she has our best interest at heart.

I’m excited for the season and hopefully it will go well.”

In addition to softball, Hodge is a big

football fan and declared herself a sports fanatic.

She said that as a result of living in Alabama, one of her favorite teams is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

She enjoys football season like every other fan and is looking forward to another national championship.

When she’s not coaching, Hodge is located in the special education classroom in the freshman hall.

She would like to get a classroom pet, more specifically a turtle.

She wants the students to learn how to care for it and grow in the responsibility that having a pet comes with.

“I think it would be a great experience,” Hodge said.

As she continues to grow and expand with her new team, she looks forward to this upcoming season and any new challenges it may hold.

Photo Courtesy of Shoebat

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

In 2012, the country chose President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, to be the Democratic and Republican nominees for President of the United States. After dozens of campaign ads, three presidential debates, and weeks of traveling the country, asking for the votes of the people, President Obama was re-elected with 51.01% of the popular vote. And for the next couple of months, America will undergo this cycle once again.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will definitely have to pander harder to the American people this year, what with their favorability ratings lower than any two presidential nominees in history.

According to the United States Election Project, an organization that keeps track of American voting rates, the average percentage of Americans that have gone to the polls and voted in a general election since 1988 has been roughly 60 percent. Should that percentage stay the same for the upcoming election, it may very well affect both candidates in the popular vote. But there is something that voters might not think about when they cast their ballot the popular vote doesn’t always win you the presidency.

In 2000, the election was exceptionally close because there was a third party candidate, the nominee of the Green party, Ralph Nader and a far left candidate who took more than two million votes from the Democratic nominee, Al Gore. By the end of the election, George W. Bush was elected president, but Bush didn’t win the popular vote Al

WILL MCLELLAND COPY EDITOR

gore won by 540,520 votes. Originally, Florida had been called for Gore, but Florida’s Secretary of State called it for Bush. Gore demanded a recount by hand, as the voting ballots in Florida were somewhat complex, and the vote was within the margin of error.

But during the recount, the Supreme Court ordered it to stop, giving Bush the electoral votes he needed to win. To understand not only this election, but every election, we must first know what the Electoral College is.

When registered voters go to the polls on Nov 8, they will not actually be voting for a candidate, they will be voting on a group of electors who are very active within a certain political party in the voter’s state, and they are typically chosen by the candidates themselves. These electors make up an electoral college. Each state gets one elector for every member of congress that the state has.

For example, Alabama has two senators and seven members of the House of Representatives, so the state gets nine electoral votes. Each state varies in the number of electors they have, but the country in total has 538 electoral votes. Whichever candidate gets a majority of the votes, being 270 or more, will win the presidency. Most states have a “winner take all” approach to the election, meaning that state electors must vote in accordance to the majority of the population. Only two states do not take this approach, Nebraska and Maine.

So electors legally have to vote the way the rest of the state votes, right? Technically, no.

The way an elector is supposed to vote is by the majority of the popular vote, but according to the National Archives and Records Administration, “There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states.” So, if an elector felt like it, they could vote for whoever they want without having to obey by the will of the people. But, the NARA goes on to say that some states do have ways of making sure that an elector doesn’t Photo from IndustryRules.com

break the unwritten rules. Fortunately, there should be no strong precedent to worry because more than 99 percent of electors in the country›s history have never voted against the majority. Yes, in the 1960 election between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon, 15 “faithless electors” did vote against the Democratic and Republican nominees, but even if those were awarded to Nixon, Kennedy would still have been elected with 69 more electoral votes than Nixon.

However, Nixon won more states than Kennedy did, which begs the question, does the popular vote matter? The answer, yes.

Again, the electors are supposed to vote by the majority of the state, but what determines the actual votes is how many elected officials the state has. One could win the presidency with fewer states, just more electoral votes. It does not matter how many people show up to the polls, nine people will still vote on behalf of Alabama. However, the actual vote of the people does matter, because no matter how the people vote, the colleges must vote according to the majority of the popular vote. Only in rare cases does something like the election of 2000 occur. And yet many people still do not vote.

One of the most common excuses of people who choose not to vote is that the majority of the state does not speak for their views, and that if they tried to vote against them, it wouldn’t matter. Nonetheless, those who make that argument do not fully understand the election system. Yes, if you are a liberal in Alabama, a conservative in California, or an independent anywhere, chances are that your single vote will not affect the way the state traditionally votes. But if the party that makes up the minority of a state speaks up, they can definitely have some form of political influence, which would at least let those who want to seek office know that their state is more politically mixed than they would like to think. Which is why it is important that every American citizen knows how the electoral system works before they choose not to vote.

THE 8TH OF NOVEMBER

REMEMBER, REMEMBER

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