April 2019

heated

it’s getting hot, and that’s not cool p.16 1000 Idaho Ave. Portage, MI 49024

volume 49 issue 5

www.portagenorthernlight.com

C O N T E N T S 02 March 2019

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SPONSORS Sawall Health Foods Dement and Marquardt, PLC

Climate Change A big conversation for an even bigger issue. Our staff comes together to share how we can take action locally.

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A change in schooling The new potential school calendar for 2020 is full of problems.

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Fortnite vs. Apex Is the new, free, battle royale game better than Fortnite?

16 Sport’s minute with Malcolm Are turf fields more likely to cause injuries? Check in with Malcolm to see the statistics.

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New coach Spring is coming, meaning many sports are starting up.

Tennis is doing so with a new head coach.

MAKING OF THE COVER

After asking around all of Portage Northern, with the help of science teacher Daniall Poulsen we were able to metaphorically set the world on fire to show just how much climate change is affecting us as a whole.

Photo by Cameron Myers

DESIGN BY KEEGAN TENNEY

Letters

to the Editors I liked the feature article about tattoos because it was really neat to see different sides of something that we take for granted. It was interesting to think about how we express ourselves in different ways and the effects of it, mentally and physically. I personally related to the idea if inking your skin to clarify the lifestyle that you choose: I have planets on my ankle that express my adventurous side and knowing that there’s always stuff out there, more than you think there is. Maybe we can be more than we think we are, too.

Kasey Davila, Sophomore I really liked the last edition, but I think there should be more articles about the real world as well. If people are reading something for fun, they probably want to read exciting things or things that are interesting but that they wouldn’t be likely to read outside of school. These topics should also be things that all grades and types of students would be interested in, like where the best places to eat are and what the food is like there.

Logan Fairbotham, Sophomore I think that the article “Essential Expression” is very inspirational. More people should express who they really are. No one should conceal their insides and what their interests are. What I liked about this article was how the author described how the world is full of people that are unique and that you are able to walk down the street and admire what kinds of people there are. I think there should be more articles about this topic, and that more people should be more informed about this content so that we can all be more comfortable being ourselves and not worrying about what others think about us.

Benjamin Hendershot, Sophomore Everyone has airpods, but it would have been cool to compare them to Beats. I have wireless Beats and they are very easy to find and they sound better than Airpods. Airpods are very small and can be hard to find if you lose them, and they can also get stolen. I would also like to see more articles about Ariana Grande, because I love her.

Trevor Krawczyk, Sophomore portagenorthernlight.com Spotify Instagram Twitter

Editorial Board Snigda Narisetty

Malcolm Gaynor sports editor

Aleja Chambers illustrator

creative designer

Sheila Mwanda entertainment editor

Keegan Tenney editor in chief

Lexi Doll opinion editor

Gabbie Byers social media manager

Anai Freeman editor in chief

Komalpreet Kaur feature editor

Brianna Neuhouser web editor

Cameron Myers news editor/ photographer

Kylie Clifton business manager

Staff Writers

Gabe Flota Liam Fagan Arushi Mithal Cerena Read Abby Vanderberg

Trinity Woodruff Astrid Code Natalie Grinder Zach Quinn Rawan Alsaedi

Welcome back to our fifth edition of the Northern Light! Our staff has worked relentlessly to make this edition perfect before sharing it with all of you, and we want to thank you for reading! The topic we chose to focus on in this edition is something that we feel is relevant to the student body as a whole, and many other generations as well. We hope that our features help you take action against the one of the biggest harm in the world: climate change.

On that note, check out

our Staff Editorial for ways to take action! Hopefully something in this edition impacts you positively, and if it impacts you at all, please let us know at P N H S n or t h e r n l i g ht @ gmail.com. We would love to publish your comments online, so let us hear your voice!

We are very excited for this edition, as we are for many more to come. We are beyond happy to share these thoughts with you, and we look forward to making the paper better and better each edition as

The Northern Light in print and online is the student produced newspaper for Portage Northern HS. It is an open, designated public forum for student expression, and the newspaper provides staff members with independent reporting opportunities and individual evaluation Writing is based on a wide variety of research for a broad and diverse audience and topics of coverage are decided by the staff and editorial board with consideration to what is timely, relevant, compelling, educational, and important to the student body. In accordance with best practice for student media, the Northern Light is

we are continuing to grow and learn who you are as readers.

Happy reading, and never forget: cover your mouth when you cough, and always treat each other with kindness.

BY KEEGAN TENNEY & ANAI FREEMAN

Policies at the NL

not prior reviewed by administration. Building and district administration do, however, reserve the right to oversee the paper if necessary to ensure that the mission and vision of Portage Public Schools and the safety of students and staff are maintained. As a MIPA, JEA, and NSPA publication, the Northern Light adheres to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Photos, art, and other visual elements are created by Northern Light staff, formally designated for free use, or part of the public domain. In rare circumstances, we may use other media with the owner’s written permission.

It is our desire that our

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Dear Readers....

readers join the discussion on our published work. We welcome letters to the editor and guest contributions, and the Northern Light will publish online all pieces received provided that they include the author’s full name and are appropriate for publication in a school setting. Letters to the editor are limited to 150 words in length and guest contributions are limited to 350 words in length.

Pieces can be delivered to Amanda Thorpe’s room 3129, emailed to pnhsNorthernLight@gmail. com, or mailed ATTN: Portage Northern Light to Portage Northern High School, 1000 Idaho Avenue, Portage, MI 49024.

Portage Northern Light 03

Huskie Highlights

NEWS BRIEFS

Extended School Year PHOTO BY CAMERON MYERS

The district of Portage has applied for a voucher from the state that would allow Portage Public Schools (PPS) to start school a week before labor day for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Other KRESA schools within the area are also making this move, which will move spring break back a week, give a bigger snow day cushion, and put a week in between returning from spring break and taking the SAT exams. Visit our website to read the announcement that the district sent home to parents and students.

Whitmer Comes to Portage On March 25, Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited North Middle School for a town hall meeting to explain and answer questions about her new budget proposal that she calls “The Road to Opportunity.” Whitmer’s new budget plan has four main parts: roads, education, drinking water, and skills training. In order to improve all these areas, she plans to have a 45 cent per gallon gas tax in order to replace the $562 a year “road tax” that the average citizen pays for poor road condition-related repairs and collisions. The Road to Opportunity aims to boost funding in key areas, including $120 million for water, $2.5 billion for roads and bridges, and $500 million for education (PPS will receive a total increase of $282 per student). “What we’ve seen in Michigan for a long time, are politicians who are taking money out of schools to fill potholes,” explains Whitmer. “So when we actually fix the roads by a tax at the pump, all those dollars from the schools that have stolen can be put back where it’s supposed to go.” For more info, go to our online website to read more about her visit to Portage.

Husky Study Buddies

BY CAMERON MYERS, ASTRID CODE & ABIGAIL VANDERBERG Find junior Lena Lukowski through the hallways and ask how to get involved. Photo courtesy of Lena Lukowski.

04 April 2019

Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave a presentation infront of the town of Portage. Photo by Astrid Code.

DESIGN PACKAGE BY CAMERON MYERS

The Husky Study Club, started in the month of February, is a place for all grades to receive tutoring help by their National Honors Society peers. Junior Lena Lukowski started this club with the idea to help students in all grades be able to receive help: “I remember how helpful the Cocoa and Cram was my freshman year, and I wanted everyone to have that assistance and support on a daily basis,” she says.

This club is located in the media center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:40 to 3:30.

NEWS BRIEFS

What’s Trending Online Now?

1) Songleaders visit NYC

PHOTO COURTESY BY BRENDA MARSH

Over spring break, PN’s Songleaders went to New York City to preform “Mass in Blue” by Will Todd, a jazz rendition of a traditional latin chant. “This piece as a whole has been in the works for over two years, and over that time, I have grown attached to it,” says senior Maxwell Case. “Mass in Blue has become a part of my life, and I am forever grateful for that.” As well as performing at David Geffen Hall, the choir visited many NYC landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall, Wall Street, Times Square, and Central Park. “We had the privilege to be a part of something that happens once in a lifetime, and I am so glad that I could do it with this particular group of people,” Case says.

Forensics at Regionals On April 13, 2019 the Portage Northern Forensics team travelled to Holt, Michigan to compete in Regionals. The remaining members will go on to States. Abby Kamm, a freshman Storyteller, opened up about how forensics has helped her come into her own. “I am out of my seat excited for being chosen for this opportunity! While I am nervous of the pressure of the tournament, and doing well, I am way more excited of increasing my skills and making my team proud! I’ve been working very hard so I hope it will go well,” Kamm says. Kamm placed first in her event, along with 7 other competitors in their event on the Portage Northern team.

During the teams break time at the tournament, junior Jordan Bruner and fellow collegues helped build a throne out of paper boxes, just for the entertainment & for passing time before getting ready for their events. Photo courtesy

by Liam Fagan.

Hold and Touch the link to our website!!

Unafraid: band director Josh Bartz nagivates a serious illness using the power of faith

BY CAMERON MYERS

2)

Coming out

BY CERENA READ

3) March madness predictions

BY ZACH QUINN hijab is a form of freedom, not 4) My oppresion

BY RAWAN ALSAEDI

Portage Northern Light | 05

STAFF EDITORIAL

BY THE STAFF This is it. We are it. Planet Earth is spiraling into a pit of irreversible despair if this doesn’t stop now. If WE don’t stop it now. Global warming, the real issue that which is happening to our planet right now, at a rate faster than ever before.

There is nothing more motivating than fear. But the bigger question: what is there to be scared of?

Global warming has been mentioned for years now and it seems that we keep putting this issue on the back burners. How come?

Because most people don’t know that this issue is in effect, or they just completely don’t “believe” in global warming. Even though we’ve had heard 06 March 2019

It’s time to look climate change in the eye most of the facts about our world coming out of political leaders and celebrity faces, this issue doesn’t even go under the category of politics: this is an everyday -emergencysituation.

It’s not everyday where most teenagers tend to think about the words “global warming.” The idea behind the science and noticing the changes in our world isn’t always immediately apparent to our eyes, especially here in Portage, Michigan. Despite this, everyone who is living on this planet should start considering the facts and statistics that show that our world is increasing in temperature pretty quickly, yield-

ing potentially disastrous consequences.

Recently in Portage, Michigan, during the winter season, we had received a intense winter vortex, causing multiple schools in the area to be closed for an entire week.

What does this information have to do with global warming? Consider the facts that Portage Northern students have been affected by these extreme conditions, creating more stress for us being the fact that we have to catch up on a week workload. Our focus has been related to school work and not on the idea of climate change, when these conditions are completely abnormal to Michigan and

DESIGN BY KEEGAN TENNEY

caused by our changing environment.

Our generation is the future of this planet and right now, yet our focu is not on our impact to our environment. Even though we may not recognize that this is a serious issue, if we don’t start acting on to our actions, our world will continue to spiral down. Since our choices are the only way to save our planet, we can all take small step-by-step processes now. It’s not an option. It’s required. Our generation is the face of the future and we need to take action now. No more setting this issue aside: our actions could help improve-and even save- our world.

Prom: defending a tradition

OPINION

BY LEXI DOLL Prom: the most decorated event of high school right behind graduation, and the seniors’ last hurrah before walking across the stage into adulthood.

Though prom is such an anticipated event, there are still those people who think they are too edgy or cool to attend such a gathering. The people are missing out because prom is a night of memories that will last a lifetime.

Prom isn’t just a dance from 8-11 p.m., it is an all day event, and that is what makes it so much fun. From getting ready in the morning to going to dinner before to hanging out with your friends afterward, it is all an experience that must not be missed by anyone. “My fa-

vorite part about prom is just getting to spend time with all of my friends and just having a really good time all day and night,” says senior Katie Fleming.

Everyone likes to get dressed up and fancy at least every once and awhile, whether they want to admit it or not. Getting all dressed up with your friends is part of the fun. The pictures you take and the laughs you share will become stories you tell your children and grandchildren.

People often think prom is just for couples, but that is not true! You can go to prom with literally anyone and it is almost most more fun to just go with a group

of good friends. Hanging out with your friends and dancing all night will create amazing memories that you will talk about for a long time, don’t miss out on this b i g event because you might regret later.

We have a Prom-blem

BY LIAM FAGAN Look, I get it. People grow up seeing movies and TV shows that make prom seem like s o m e promi s e d l an d of the high school exp erience. I mean, who hasn’t heard some crazy story of wild times at proms gone by? But allow me to burst the bubble: prom isn’t

going to be that great. All the movies glorify prom, but what is really going to happen? It’s just going to be another dance, w i t h people crowding around in the center, or standing awkwardly at the outskirts.

But it’ll be different, right? I mean, it’s prom. But that’s all that prom is, a glorified excuse for people

DESIGN BY KYLIE CLIFTON

to get dressed up and spend money on a school dance just like all the rest. People think that prom is going to be some life-changing event that they will tell their kids about, but in reality, it isn’t going to be. According to Huffpost.com, only 2% of high school couples get married, so most likely, you’ll be telling your grandchildren about going to prom with some kid you haven’t seen in years, and whose name you can barely remember. People want to believe that prom will be a magical experience, but it won’t. So don’t waste your money, or your night.

Don’t go to prom. Trust me.

Portage Northern Light 07

OPINION

The pressures of choosing a math or science related career

BY ARUSHI MITHAL

We have come a long math and science subway in sixty years, not jects have because of it.

Many girls are told that only as a society but as a collection of indi- if they study science, viduals who are free to they are contributing to choose to do whatever the growing percentage they want, despite others telling them other- and therefore making wise. In the 1950’s, job society a better place. discrimination reigned This pressure is not alterribly in America, and ways good, especially if women were often told people are being forced that they were inca- to major in STEM relatpable of joining the work- Many people are forced force. But now, to study things they in 2019, a new problem is be- have no interest in due ing discussed: to the tremendous pay the heavy fo- amount and popularity cus of math math and science sub and science re- jects have because of it. lated subjects in education.

Many people are forced ed subjects when they to study things they could empower themhave no interest in due selves equally in other to the tremendous pay careers that they might amount and popularity enjoy more, even if they 08 April 2019

have a lower salary. The importance of choice in passion cannot be understated, which is why the overbearing abundance of STEM needs some reconsideration.

According to https:// www.idtech.com/blog/ stem-education-statistics, “out of one hundred stem jobs, 93% have wages above the national average.” Money is a big deal, especially if people come from families who face poverty, creating a higher likelihood for them to be pressured into choosing a career they do not like.

Our cultural movements which shape the future of our society, and focusing solely on STEM careers minimizes people who have a knack for artistic expression.

DESIGN BY KEEGAN TENNEY

OPINION

Unpopular Food Combinations

BY KOMALPREET KAUR AND TRINITY WOODRUFF

M

ilk, wonderful to pour on top of cereal, highly questionable to pour on top of hot Cheetos.

That’s just one of the many, and I mean many, unpopular food combinations that have been popping up across social media platforms everywhere. These unusual combinations are so popular, they have even earned their own worldwide Snapchat story.

While even the thought, let alone the sight, of some of these crazy creations are repulsive (peanut butter, pickles, bacon, and tomato), there are some that, despite their appearance, are quite tasty. For example, cheese and peanut butter, seems rather unpleasant at first thought, however, after reading several reviews, I’ve come to the conclusion that it, in fact, is not quite as abhorrent as first thought.

While due to health concerns, I would not recommend this snack for everyday consumption. Maybe, when you have absolutely nothing left in your pantry, and your fridge is as bare as can be, this is a perfect go to!

Some combinations strike me as so odd that the first thing to come to mind after hearing of them are the health concerns. For instance, there is no nutritional value to combinations such as fries and honey, and they sound like they could wreak havoc in your stomach. The combination of a sugar syrup with a fried potato just does not sound appealing. Yes, it could be

argued that the savoriness of the honey in opposition with the saltiness of the potato makes for a flavorful party in your mouth, but it just does not seem like those foods would do well in your stomach when they’re consumed as one.

However some combinations give just the opposite feeling; a combination that sounds like it couldn’t ever taste good at first, but then turns into a recipe that many people end up using. This is the case with avocado and chocolate.

Avocado is often used as a substitute paired with cocoa in baking recipes that are vegan or gluten-free, and so the combination of mixing chocolate with an avocado does not sound completely crazy. Moreover, some of these combinations work because some of the foods just don’t offer a very overpowering taste when eaten by themselves. Avocados have an indescribable taste, but it is agreeable that their taste is overall plain. Thus, when paired with something like chocolate, they work simply as enhancers to the overall dish.

Overall, it is up to the consumer’s preference if they feel a combination of food is to their liking or not. But as social media has been spreading around the world, there are some pretty strange ones out there. Enjoy eating what fancies you!

ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY RAWAN ALSAEDI

Portage Northern Light 09

OPINION

MUSIC FESTIVALS More high schoolers should attend music festivals

BY ARUSHI MITHAL AND GABBIE BYERS

Music is one of the only things in American society which has enough cultural variety and experimentation to bring millions of people together in honor of celebration. What better way to celebrate music than attend a music festival? Thousands of students attend events such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Pitchfork Music festival in order to experience new music they haven’t been exposed to along with enjoying mainstream pop artists.

Although tickets may be pricey, it is no doubt a magical experience for a high schooler to make memories with their friends and family at a diverse, fun filled music festival.

The lineup of Lollapalooza, set to be showcased on August 1st 2019 and lasting for four days, includes Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes, and many more. The music of these artists cannot only be characterized as fun and

10 April 2019

exciting, but engaging due to emphasis on social and political issues. In past years, attendees have noted that Lollapalooza is a great festival, and suits its name as “an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance”.

Coachella also took place April 12th to the 21st. One of the most anticipated artists was popular Korean girl group Blackpink, who have been gaining popularity and have headlined the festival on the first days. The following days of Coachella have been headlined by Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, who definitely created an uproar in the music industry. Coachella’s fun traditions of flower crowns and long flowy dresses only add to the excitement. Coachella is not only famous for its performances, but the experimentation in style and clothing.

Pitchfork Music Festival will be held in Chicago from July 19th to the 21st.

DESIGN BY RAWAN ALSAEDI

This will also take place in Chicago, so students in Portage will find it easier to attend since it is only a couple of hours away. Charli XCX, Clairo, and Pusha T are among the numerous artists scheduled to perform. The event showcases new and emerging artists, while tickets are significantly less expensive than other festivals. The festival works to support local businesses and music, and is overall an interesting experience.

No matter the festival you end up at, you are in for a good time. You should definitely consider attending a music festival this year if not the next. It is almost guaranteed that you will have a good time!

OPINION

The benefits of community college before university

BY LEXI DOLL

Barely adults, 3 months out of high school, moving away from home, spending thousands of dollars only to change their major two or three times and then go on to wait tables until they’re 30 trying to pay off their student debt. This is one of the most common outcomes of a college freshman going into a four year university not knowing what it really entails. Attending community college out of high school is much smarter than attending a big university right away.

Cost is the biggest factor when it comes to deciding between university and community college. “It’s cheaper and it gives me a chance to get my feet wet before I go onto a bigger university,” says senior Zach Quinn, who plans on going to Glen Oaks Community College next fall. On average, tuition at a community college is half that of a public university.

At KVCC it costs $107 per credit hour versus a large university like Michigan State which, as of 2016, costs arounds $468 per credit hour. Educationcorner.com says, “Public and private universities are much more expensive, lately the rise in tuition has a wide outplaced average inflation by margin. At a public university, tuition can be upwards of $8,000. It’s even higher at private universities.

Add on other living expenses and the overall cost, also known as the ‘sticker price’, averages over $20,000”.

Community college can also help you learn about who you are as a person and what you want to do with your life. Society expects 18 year olds right out of high school to know exactly what they want to do and go to a four year university away from home to pursue said career. “I think [community college] can get you even more prepared for university,” says senior Cam French.

Attending a state or community college for the first one or two years can prepare you for

what’s to come when/if you go onto a bigger university.

Going to a community college for your first couple years of college can also make it easier for you to get into the university you want. You are more likely to get into a university when you transfer as a junior because there are less applications for your class as well as having the chance to build a strong portfolio of college-level coursework. Big universities get thousands of freshman applications every year, when you apply as a junior, you will have a lot less competition to get in.

Unigo.com says, “Low high school grades or SAT or ACT scores will not carry as much weight when applying to a four-year university if you do well at community college.

Admissions counselors at four-year universities love to see that you are capable of overcoming obstacles and bettering yours e l f ”.

If you are not one for standardized tests and didn’t do well on your ACT or SAT going to community college might be your best option.

Overall, community college is a good way to get needed credits for less money and figure out what you might want to do as a career. You don’t need to spend thousands on thousands of dollars on an education when you can get it for much cheaper and a just as good of an education at a community college. Graduating high school doesn’t always mean your completely ready for the real world, but community college can help you get there.

lege l o C ty i n u Comm no debt and

d n a y sit r e v i bt Un e d g n o l e f i l

DESIGN BY SNIGDA NARISETTY

Portage Northern Light 11

OPINION

SMALL

CTIONS

V

BY SHEILA MWANDA

In order to slow down the effects of climate change, it is imperative that people take responsibility over how their actions have an effect on climate change.

While one person cannot single-handedly save the earth, c h o i c e s made on an individual basis are

e s sential to making a change.

One of the simplest things one can do in order to save the planet is recycling.

One of the benefits of recycling is the prevention of gas emissions. Trash that gets thrown away is either burned or sits in a landfill. Both of these options release gases such as carbon dioxide, ammonium and nitrogen oxide which warm the earth as they get trapped in the atmosphere.

12 April 2019

Conservation is another benefit of recycling. Using old cardboard and paper to make new products prevents the amount of new trees being used to make paper prod-

u c t s .

Choosing to recycle your empty cans, boxes and paper is not a daunting task: in fact the City of Portage has a free recycling program that is collected biweekly.

Reusing items is another small action that helps reduce waste. Opting to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle each day or washing out food

containers to use again are simple ways to lessen the amounts of unnecessary waste being produced. By repurposing items, less materials are produced in or-

flip a light switch, an action that can go a long way. Benefits of turning off the lights include reducing the amount of electricity used, saving money and making light bulbs last longer. People are encouraged to follow the 15 minute rule: if the light while not be used for more than 15

minutes, turn

der to meet the demands of what is needed. This leads to less material use and reduces the amount of trash in landfills.

Turning the lights off after you leave a room is another small way to help the environment. It only takes two seconds to

it off.

One last way to reduce our negative impact on the environment is minimize the amount of water wasted. Only three percent of the Earth’s water is fresh and usable for human consumption. Once this amount of water is used up, there will not be any more usable water to sus-

tain life for all living creatures on earth.

Water is an essential element in order for the earth’s most basic functions to occur and thus it is essential to be conscious of how it is used.

While one person alone cannot change the world, it is up to individuals to adapt

their lifestyles to benefit the environment. Several small actions combined are exponentially more beneficial than refusing to take action. Making small lifestyle changes is an essential to maintaining a stable living environment on Earth.

S

FEATURE OPINION

INACT ON

BY LIAM FAGAN AND KYLIE CLIFTON

Doing nothing for the planet, to almost anyone, is determined lazy, or a sign that someone refuses to acknowledge or care. This cannot always be the case: certainly a type of ignorance is natural in humans. People are labelled ignorant as if it is a defining factor of an individual, but ignorance just demonstrates a lack of understand of one idea. Simply because someone keeps the water running when they brush their teeth, or does not recycle as often as they should, do they deserve to be labeled ignorant, and be blamed for the human destruction of our planet? It’s ignorant within itself to hold such a high standard for the human race. What if there’s no change or effect humans can provoke to save the planet?

Inaction is not simply ignorance, but an allowance of growth and understand-

ing. Understanding and respecting those people their own decisions and needs might need to come before we can all take planet-saving actions.

Recycling everyday disposables allows people to feel like they’re doing something larger than themselves, but the impact is small. “8.3 billion metric tons that has been pro-

duced.

Of that, only nine percent has been recycled. The vast majority—79 percent— is accumulating in landfills or sloughing

off in the natural environment as litter,” says National Geographic. “Of the 250 million tons o f

trash generated in 2011, less than 35% of it was recycled.

Being that 65% of Americans don’t recycle,” says Heeral

Bhalala of Virginia Tech. It is evident that we are not recycling every piece of plastic can be reused, so why are so many shocked and disappointed to hear many people don’t recycle? It is not dangerously ignorant to be extremely environment a l ly unconscious, it is human nature.

Many don’t have access or unfortunately time to recycle or be ex-

tremely conscious of their own small actions.

Look, let’s be honest for once. People praise the benefits of small action, but in

the long run, it will not make a large difference. What we need is large change at the level of our highest institutions.

Instead of wasting time on things that will not make a difference, we need to spend time promoting change in the ways that our country as a whole uses energy, and how we reduce our carbon footprint so that we don’t suffer catastrophic change to the temperature of our planet. Eventually, we will pass the point of no return, and the Earth will never be the same.

Overall, the takeaway is: doing small things isn’t going to change anything in the long run.

We need bigger change at higher levels, and if we focus our time on orchestrating big change, instead of where we put our bottles, we can actually make a difference.

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OPINION

Apex Legends: The apex of battle royale games?

BY LIAM FAGAN

Apex Legends is a relative newcomer onto the battle royale scene, just being released on February 4, 2019. However, it already has a massive player base, and this is because of one simple thing: it is just better than all the other games out there. Apex features the ability to pick from different “Legends,” all with different abilities. Some of these Legends include: Lifeline, a healing-oriented character; Bangalore, a battle-hardened soldier; and Gibraltar, a tank character.

Every legend has a passive ability, and two special abilities that are triggered by pressing certain buttons or button combinations. These abilities keep the game fun and unpredictable, and each character’s abilities affect the game in different ways. This makes the

game especially fun because teams can strategize with their legend picks and play the game with different strategies based on the rest of their team’s picks.

Apex is also only playable in squads of three, which I think makes the game easier than Fortnite.

When you die, your teammates can revive you, and I like that the game encourages cooperation between teammates rather than a solitary playstyle.

In any given game, there will only be up to 60 people in the match, usually in 20 teams of three.

This leads to faster games than Fortnite due to having around 40 less people in the game every time.

I also enjoy the graphics in Apex.

In Fortnite, the graphics are more c a r -

but this island is full of high tech compounds, rivers, small villages, and lots of rocky cliffs. The terrain allows for lots of natural cover, making it possible to sneak around enemy teams, or if you are feeling more courageous, sneak up on teams to take them out.

The main difference is the loot system. There are no weapon rarities in the game, so your gun is just as good as a different player’s same gun. The game allows you to pick up guns and gun attachments.

These attachments do have rarities, including scopes, barrels, extended magazines, and stocks. These all help boost the accuracy or stability of your gun in battle. Play-

t o ony a n d colorful, but in Apex the graphics are grittier and more realistic, and I think it makes the game look and feel a lot cooler. The game is set on an island, like Fortnite, DESIGN BY GABE FLOTA

4.7m

hours of watch time on twitch.tv (from 4/19 - 4/25)

14 April 2019

27,948

average daily viewers on twitch.tv (as of 4/25)

2,592

avg. daily streamers on twitch.tv (as of 4/25)

ers can also pick up different rarities of body shields and helmets, which provide extra shield in battle.

I think that this system is great, because it provides balance to the guns themselves, but still allows players to get the edge through the attachments they pick up throughout the game.

Overall, I think that Apex is better than Fortnite because it allows for more balanced, faster, and fun games, and it is only going to get better in the future as it finds its stride. It was also announced that Apex will be releasing a battle pass, with new legends coming out, later in the year. It will also add new loot, making the game more competitive with the new guns and gear. Apex is really good now, and it will only continue to get better in the future.

OPINION

Fortnite’s still the freshest

BY KEEGAN TENNEY

From new seasons to endless upgrades, Fortnite stands out from other battle royale games, besting even those that are newer.

One of Fortnite’s more interesting aspects is that in order to successfully play the game, players have to utilize their building skills - mainly for protection and height advantage. This makes the game both simple and yet still challenging. “At the end of a long day, if you just want a simple way to relax and blow off steam, it works,” says PNHS track and cross country coach James Young. Along with the ability to build, Fortnite also allows users to destroy properties as well on their way to get more resources to build, which is oddly satisfying. Players in Fortnite are also limited to their inventory

of 5 items, and they have the freedom to use whatever weapons they can find.

This i s n o t the case in Apex, where players choose a specific character with a special ability, matching weapon, and inventory of just 2 items.

Fortnite is also very mainstream, so much so that videos have saturated the internet of people imitating the “emotes,” or dances that the Fortnite characters can do. This has attracted a lot of attention to Fortnite, whereas Apex has primarily gained popularity because it was a new, free game, not a pop culture phenomenon.

Fortnite’s upgrades are also usually traditional, although they

have added some items to expand some of their previous themes, s u c h as the boogie

Apex or even Call of Duty’s Blackout, is not strictly based on gunplay, but also allows players to be more relaxed and goofy in the game. It’s not meant to be an intense, first person shooter game: Fortnite is set in the third person, which can be a pro or con, depending on personal preference.

It’s easy to mess around on, and it’s a game that you can play alone or with friends, whereas the more intense battle royale game are always “squad” preferred.

Fortnite also changes with the seasons.

The game adds many challenges according t o the time of year or a nearby holiday.

The game also revolves

bomb, which makes a n other playe r

uncontrollably dance.

The game, apart from

around what the people want to see.

“It’s pretty cool how they continue adding new weapons to keep the game interesting and how each season comes with a new map,” says senior Connor Clemens. The Fortnite map was just recently entirely covered in snow, then as the new year passed, it slowly started becoming green again. On February 28th, season 8 of the game came out, which means that a new map was released to keep the game fun and interesting.

Overall, both games are fun, but Fortnite tops Apex. It has been out much longer, giving it a lot of time to improve itself, which it most definitely has.

It is also easier to play and not nearly as intense as Apex, which is nice after a long day.

DESIGN BY GABE FLOTA

25.4m hours of watch time on twitch.tv

(from 4/19 - 4/25)

151,487

10,939

average daily viewers on twitch.tv

avg. daily streamers on twitch.tv

(as of 4/25)

(as of 4/25)

Portage Northern Light 15

FEATURE

heated

it’s getting hot, and that’s not cool

16 April 2019

Every second, about 2.57 million pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere.

Along with other gases such as methane, water vapor, ozone, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), this is the main cause of our Earth’s biggest

problem: global warming. These gases, called greenhouse gases, create a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect, by absorbing the sun’s heat and trapping it in Earth’s atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise. Almost all greenhouse

gases (besides the man-made CFCs) are natural; the problem is that there is an unnatural amount of them in the atmosphere.

Although global warming likely began in the 1830s, carbon emissions have only been recorded

FEATURE

on a global scale since 1960. According to the Global Carbon Atlas, the world total back then was 9411 MtCO2 (Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent). Since then, global emissions have increased by over 3.8 times, most of that increase happening in the past few years.

Today, China and America alone emit over one and a half times what the entire world did in 1960. They hold the #1 and #2 spots of countries with the most carbon emissions, with China at 8502 MtCO2 and the US at 5701 MtCO2. While America is only one country, it produces 44% more greenhouse gases than the entire 28 European Union countries combined, and has the greatest amount of emissions for gas and oil. Senior Malin Rackles, who is an exchange student from Germany, has her own concerns regarding this aspect of climate change. She said, “The European Union and Germany are constantly working towards reducing their emissions and have many goals that the governments are bound to meet by 2025. All [European countries] make a constant effort and are very transparent about their goals and the reality. And in some of them, like Norway, these precautions have already paid off.” She went on to express her “frustration with the U.S. leaving the Paris Climate agreement” because, “no matter what Europe does, the US is still one of the biggest sources of emission and when they refuse to act, the whole world suffers.”

Many things contribute to these greenhouse gas emissions, including power plants, transportation, farming, fertilizers, deforestation, and drilling for fossil fuels. In addition, all of these factors contribute to the melting of the permafrost, which only causes more greenhouse gases to be released to the world, raising global temperatures in an endless cycle known as a positive feedback loop. “Fossil fuels like, coal, oil, and natural gas are sources of carbon dioxide. This carbon has been stashed away for millions of years and is now being released into Earth’s atmosphere at a staggering rate,” explains Earth Sci-

ence teacher Daniall Poulsen.

“There are natural and human causes to climate change...but it is difficult to ignore the greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans for the present warming as a major player in this recent trend,” Poulsen says. “While there is a shift into using more renewable energy resources, there is still a HEAVY reliance on fossil fuels to provide for our needs. There’s a long way to go.”

However, this heat is caused more than individuals. Corporations have caused more than 70% of the carbon emissions that have been trapped in the atmosphere. Yet, the only advertisements that try to make a difference target individuals and the way of life that society has created. Some try to say that veganism will solve the issues, because it will eliminate the need for cow farms and the methane emissions caused there, while some still try to target hairspray and other aerosol sprays for their effects on the ozone layer, which already has an ever growing hole from human activity. Regardless of if the emissions come from individuals and their cars or corporations and their factories, most, if not all, of this heating process has been caused by humans and the constant need to make things easier, despite the fact that it ruins the environment for the rest of time. The United Nations have done all they can to try and kick people into gear.

The UN, which have also created the “Doomsday Clock,” has repeatedly told the world that there are only twelve years until the inevitable demise of humanity. They say that the point of no return, in a heating way, is four degrees Celsius, or about thirty nine degrees Fahrenheit. The world has hit an increase of two degrees and has already seen innumerable changes, many of which can never be returned. The ice caps can’t just be refrozen. Many other countries have put in ordinances to attempt to control their citizens and lengthen that time period.

However, in the United States, President Trump, having gotten his start as a businessman, wants to boost the

nation’s economic progress and prosperity rather than focus on the ecological aspects of presidency. Usually, this wouldn’t be an issue. However, when the citizens are terrified and the apocalypse is just around the corner, it should no longer be partisan issue, an issue of opinion. It should be world wide panic.

According to National Geographic, the Trump Administration has impacted the environment in a multitude of ways.

From a simple signature for pipeline orders that would make it easier for companies to build more oil and gas pipelines, to opening untouched habitats such as that of a sage grouse’s, there has been more and more setbacks on combating climate change.

On the subject of climate change and global warming, there is usually a thick red line drawn between the sides. Some even believe that it doesn’t exist simply because it snowed this winter. How could the globe be warming if ice is in the sky? “When people confuse weather phenomenon (like the snow we just had this week...in April) with climate change phenomenon, it suddenly tests people’s ability to understand the trend the Earth is on,” explains Poulsen.

“Climate change data is averaged over 30-year time frames. Snow is weather and is influenced by local and smallscale short-term variables such as polar air masses coming into the area at that given time. Climate is beyond that.”

Others tend to stray more towards the fact that the ice caps are melting, the oceans are rising, and the world is ending. Despite the facts laid out before them, those who oppose the idea of climate change refuse to allow Congress to do anything to control big business or individuals’ carbon emissions, or greenhouse gas emissions. This is no longer a matter of opinion. This is life or death. It’s far time for the government to do something to, at least, attempt to get the heating under control.

We only have two more degrees before the world is changed and it cannot be taken back.

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION BY KEEGAN TENNEY

Portage Northern Light 17

FEATURE

Living with the guilt of surviving

BY ANAI FREEMAN

“You feel like the world is just spinning out of control and you’re going to get spun off if you don’t do something to grasp on,” Dr. and father Jeremy Richman states in an interview with CBS March 19th. Six days later, Richman was found dead from suicide seven years after the loss of his six-year old daughter in the Sandy Hook shooting. Within the same week, 19 year old Sydney Aiello, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, took her own life after watching classmates, and faculty viciously gunned down. Both were said to be suffering from survivors guilt, a mental condition in which survivors feel as if they did something wrong for continuing to live.

It doesn’t take a mass shooting to cause survivors guilt. It can also happen to those living with addiction when someone dies from an overdose. An article written by the Huffington

Post discussing Survivors Guilt states, “it can even occur when someone receives an organ transplant and questions, “did I deserve it?”

“You’re happy that you’re alive, but then again, you’re sad because you know certain people died,” said Eric Hunter, a witness of the Aurora Colorado shooting. “You know children died. You wish, you know, why not me instead of them? You just feel bad.” Guilt is one of the most common responses to grief, which is okay, but the longer the guilt lingers, the harder it becomes to live with it.

The US Department of Veteran Affairs states, “those who are most at risk for developing mental health problems fol-

“Grief after tragic events is essential in the process of recovery, but letting the grief turn into guilt can be deadly.”

18 April 2019

DESIGN BY BRIANNA NEUHOUSER

lowing mass violence are the people who were closest to the event. If you or a loved one were present during the mass violence, or knew any of the people who were killed, you may be at higher risk for more serious or longer lasting distress or trouble functioning. If you are distressed, or unable to function well, consider seeking help.

Even if you are a provider and know what to do during such events, talking to someone else can be especially helpful.” Grief after tragic events is essential in the process of recovery, but lett i n g the grief turn into guilt can be deadly.

Senior Dorah Stephen

Houston award winner, African immigrant, inspiration

BY SHEILA MWANDA

IB student, passionate leader and exceptional friend are all ways to describe senior Dorah Stephen. At school, she can often be found socializing with friends or participating in National Art Honors Society, track or Empowered Club. However, Northern High School is not where her story starts. Stephen’s story begins 17 years ago and 8,282 miles away in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Stephen’s road to adversity started when she was just two, when her father passed away. Shortly thereafter, Stephen was forced to adjust to more life changes: when she was four, her mom had the opportunity to move to the United States...alone. Her mother made the painful decision to leave Dorah behind while she prepared a new life for Courtesy of Dorah Stephen

Stephen chose to wear an African-print dress in her senior pictures to recognize her heritage as she plans her future.

[In addition] my accent combined with my dialect created a communication barrier.”

She was soon enrolled as a third grader at a local private school. “I was relearning everything [in third grade that] I learned in my second grade class in Tanzania. It felt like I was being held back,” she remembers. While she was an excellent student, getting used to a new school was difficult. “I spoke British English, adjusting to the U.S. dialect of English was At this point, she had come too far to allow this setback to get the best of her; she pushed herself and allowed her mother to push her even further.Through the academic challenges lessened over time, Stephen continued to push herself through high school by taking honors and IB classes. “She always pushes herself to engage with her peers and speak Spanish! [Additionally], she’s always so encouraging to her peers,” says Stephen’s IB Spanish teacher, Katie Paynich.

In college, she plans to double major in biology and psychology and later pursue a career in medicine.

Regardless of the hardships Stephen has faced, her determination has not gone unrecognized: On February 8th, Stephen received the Dr. Houston Award. Named after Empowered Club co-leader and PNHS staff member Dr. James Huston, it recognizes one senior student every year that has overcome extreme adversity and challenges. “It is important to recognize students to let them know that hard work and perseverance more times than not has their rewards,” says Houston about the award. While he does not decide the actual winner (Student Senate narrows teacher nominations down to four candidates, and then the whole staff votes after reading the students’ essays), Houston “very much agreed” with Stephen as the recipient, and he knows her well through through Empowered Club.

Stephen was in awe at receiving the award, which was presented in front of the whole school at the Winterfest pep assembly. “I was excited, emotional and speechless. I was very thankful for the award because I had the opportunity to tell some of my story and it was very meaningful to be recognized for my accomplishments,” she says. “Everything I do is to honor my dad by doing well in life regardless of the circumstances and challenges that come in my direction.”

them halfway across the world.

Her grandmother came to take care of her, and she maintained contact with her mother, but it was not the same as being together.

Once Stephen was seven, she and her grandmother moved to the U.S., reuniting their family.

I was excited, “[I was] ecstatic about seeing my emotional and mother after three years of being apart,” Stespeechless. phen remembers.

When they ar- - Stephen after rived at the Detroit airport, Stephen recognized her moth- winning the Houston er not by her face but by her Award visible mix of emotions.

Despite the joys of being with her family, Stephen faced several difficulties. “When I moved here, I spoke British English, so adjusting to the U.S. dialect of English was difficult.

19 April 2019 DESIGN BY RAWAN ALSAEDI

“

”

FEATURE

dis connected

the weight of the world is nothing compared to the weight of a cellphone

21 April 2019 20

ILLUSTRATION BY KEEGAN TENNEY

To plug, or to unplug

FEATURE

are we becoming less like ourselves now that we have technology surrouding us contstantly?

BY KOMALPREET KAUR AND SHEILA MWANDA

2.46 billion people worldwide are connected through social media, and the increase in technology has changed the high school experience drastically, mostly due to easy access to the Internet and use of social media. Researchers, parents and teachers continue to weigh the positive and negative consequences of teenage social media use. Due to the fast-paced nature of the digital world, it is difficult to understand the ins and outs and predict the long-lasting effects of social media platforms, even for the people most familiar with them: Gen Z. Connected There is no doubt about the positive aspects of social media. For example, social media gives students the opportunity to maintain contact with friends throughout the school and abroad. In a school the size of Northern, it is not guaranteed that students will share classes or have lunch with their friends. After a while, it is difficult to maintain a friendship without talking to each other. Instead of depending on face to face contact with a friend in order for the friendship to survive, social media allows these relationships to continue. Students also use social media as a way to make new friends. Teens today form lifelong companionships through platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Being connected to different people has an emotional benefit to teens. Social media allows teenagers to engage with people with varying backgrounds and opinions, and being exposed to different world-views allows them to broaden their ways of thinking, thus making teenagers more compassionate and well-informed.

Disconnected and Distracted With this accessible, vast mode of communication comes an unexpected disconnect from reality - and each other. The connectedness of the digital world offers a plethora of resources for students, adults, and anyone with access to find help for any problem they may have as well as support for situations where it is desired or needed. However, it is exactly this connection that creates a detachment from the real world.

Since there is always so much going on the little screens inside the pockets of almost all teenagers, there is a constant urge to stay caught up on whatever happens. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat send out consistent notifications all day, and that one vibration or noise can encapsulate one´s attention completely. This makes it so that there is

an imbalance between how much a person’s mind is focused on what is presently happening versus what is trending on social media.

The constant flow of information being fed to billions of people from several platforms becomes addicting, and as a result the technology that can be so helpful to everyday life can become harmful. A fear or even anxiety about missing out on anything that happens may develop, resulting in increased screen time and obsessions with all things online. The time adds up quickly: corporations such as Apple have introduced “screen times” in the settings of their products to allow users to see how much they actually utilize their devices and how they can cut this number down. Apps like Quality Time and Moment are designed to help as well. Between one and two hours of daily screen time is considered healthy, but recent studies by the CDC show that teens, on average, exceed this by between two and three times, checking their phones an average of 100 times per day.

It is important to ponder and personally assess how many moments are missed out on by looking down at the screen that feeds the addiction most people’s brains have developed.

It is important to reflect on how many genuine laughs or cries are missed while trying to open Snapchat to record a moment that was meant for realtime acknowledgement only. Even if it isn’t immediate, the effects on people’s social, emotional, mental, and physical health may be damaging because no matter how much the technological world advances, it cannot match up to what humans gain from real, face to face interaction.

This disconnect from reality can make a person accustomed to being only “half there” or absent minded in some type of way, and this can ruin the simplicity of the present moment.

Downfalls When crafting a social media post, people wonder how many likes their post will get or how juicy the tea is. For many people, the aim of social media is to be “authentic,” however, this creates a habit of being impulsive with what they’re posting.

Employers, acquaintances, and the entire world have access to social media accounts and one post, Tweet, or comment has the potential to have a long-lasting, detrimental effect on one’s life. For example, last spring, Roseanne Barr’s TV Show “Roseanne” got canceled by ABC after a racist Tweet by the

DESIGN BY KEEGAN TENNEY

Portage Northern Light 21

FEATURE

Students are always connected, as multiple apps allow notifications that constantly keep their users in the loop. Students compare the amount of notifications that have popped up on their screen during the hour.

actress. PewDiePie, Olivia Jade Kathy Griffin and Bette Midler have also all been under fire for social media misuse. These individuals and many more have faced canceled TV series, sponsorships and job terminations due to a lack of thought and caution on the internet.

It is evident that celebrities are responsible for their online presence, but to what extent should the everyday high schooler be held accountable for the content on their social media?

According to the PPS High School Student Handbook, the school maintains the right to give consequences for what students post on social media if: “it takes place on school property, at any school sponsored function, or in a school vehicle if it is considered to have a negative impact on the school environment.” However, there is more to the equation. “When students post things that are illegal, it doesn’t matter what the student handbook says, it matters what the law says,” explains school resource officer Nate Slavin.

The consequences of social media actions extend beyond school consequences. Colleges or potential employers search students’ internet presence as part of the recruiting process.

Slavin explained that even the Portage Police Department directly asks for and looks through the content of potential of22 April 2019

ficers’ social media.

While it is easy to get ahead of oneself and not think before sending a Tweet or comment, it is imperative that all people use better judgement with all actions on social media. Simple and careless actions -as minimal “When students post things as 280 finger taps- that are illegal, it doesn’t mat- now can cost you a ter what the student hand- lifetime of opportu- book says, it matters what the nities.

Though there law says,” has been an abun-Nate Slavin dance of research regarding the internet and social media, it is impossible to grasp and predict the consequences of internet activity. While it provides the opportunity to stay informed and connected, social media has the potential to create feelings of loneliness and have a permanent negative impact on lives. The all-consuming nature of the internet makes it difficult to disconnect with our phones and be engaged with what is happening in real life, and when these moments pass them by, we can never get them back.

DESIGN BY KEEGAN TENNEY

4

FEATURE

Student Businesses

BY SHEILA MWANDA AND KOMALPREET KAUR

Gabe Fields

Senior Gabe Fields created a business out of his love for woodshop. Through his business Forest Creations, he sells his pinecone pendants on his Instagram @ foresterscreations.

One of the most important parts of owning a business is finding a rhythm. In order to make his craft, the Forest Creations owner first orders everything he needs off Etsy. He then utilizes the woodworking tools here at school to shape his pendants. After decorating them, he sells them on his Instagram.

While his business is still on the small side, he hopes that his business continues to grow. “[After high school] I plan to buy the equipment I need and continue making them while I pay my way through college.”

Fields has found a fair amount of success from his hobby. As time goes on, he hopes that his business becomes profitable. “So far, I have put my [the money I make] back into buying stuff to make more pendants but soon I should have enough to make a profit.”

Turn on post notifications on the Forest Creations Instagram @foresterscreations to have the first grab at his new work!

Haily McCoy

“I’ve loved having the opportunity to capture special moments for special people,” says junior Haily McCoy on her photography business. For McCoy, photography has been a life-long passion however she decided to make a business out of it after being inspired by mentor Jenna Kutcher, Portage Northern science teacher Daniall Poulsen, and PN alumnus Cameryn Barringer.

“I’ve done a bit of everything,” she says describing her work. From senior pictures, family portraits and an upcoming wedding shoot, McCoy has not limited herself in the work she does.

In addition to serving as a creative outlet, her business has also benefited her financially. With the money she makes, she has been able to buy camera gear and save money for her future.

Even though she plans on pursuing a career in education, McCoy is in the world of business for the longhaul. “I plan on buying a nice camera, taking some college photography classes, and widening my client list.

I’d like to set up a website, start a blog or podcast, and meet new audiences in this way.”

To view her work or schedule a shoot, follow @hmccoyphotography on Instagram.

Annie Malek

Inspired by the advertisements she saw on Instagram itself, senior Annie Malek started her account @anniescharms to bake and sell polymer clay charms. Every few days, the senior posts the charms she has recently made. They range from little mockups of material items like succulent plants to charms of animals like bunnies and turtles. Her newest ones are of Portage Ski Bunnies that she made for the girls on her ski team that headed for regionals. She creates all of the charms by hands by herself. Her parents support her business by buying her all of the supplies she needs.

“Honestly it hasn’t helped me financially, but I don’t make them for that purpose. I want to continue it because it’s fun and relaxing and helps me destress,” Malek explains about the successes since starting the business.

DM @anniescharms to get her charms for an affordable price.

Sydney Kruggel

Inspired by her friend, senior Sydney Kruggel decided to create a recipe for homemade vegan, hypoallergenic bath bombs. “My friend Sierra is allergic to a lot of things, so I decided to make this for people like her,” Kruggel said.

Kruggel runs her business through an Etsy store where she sells bath bombs and crocheted items.

Along with the Etsy, her instagram, @fizziesbathco, has gained more popularity through satisfying videos of her showing her products dissolving in the water.

In terms of her parents, Kruggel says, “My mom is my biggest fan”, as she supports her fully, being one of the main people to test the bath bombs whenever Kruggel concocts something new. Currently, she is also working on a recipe for shower jelly to add a new product to her store and instagram page.

Kruggel explains her Etsy store has not gotten as much attention as her Instagram page yet, but that does not impact her much. “Success is not really what is important to me, it’s just fun to me, and I love sharing my creations.”

Be sure to follow her Instagram @fizziesbathco to be in the know with all her products.

DESIGN BY RAWAN ALSAEDI

Portage Northern Light |23

FEATURE

Frozen in

TIME

The Detrimental Effects of Snow Days

BY ARUSHI MITHAL, RAWAN ALSAEDI, AND SNIGDA NARISETTY The 2018-2019 school year has been unwillingly gifted a controversial ten snow days during the winter season.

This has not only frustrated parents, but caused an overwhelming amount of stress for students and faculty.

One group of kids that was significantly impacted were the seniors, who already have fewer days to finish learning their material than the rest of the student body. Biology teacher Jessica Clark says, “The IB Bio seniors were negatively impacted and will be responsible for learning some of the remaining content on their own.”

Senior Hanna Erhardt, an IB Biology student, while agreeing with Clark’s statement says, “ I think it’s important to learn independently, but the snow days have made it so that we had to learn independently quicker and coer more topics in a smaller amount of time, which was really difficult at times.”

Not only the seniors were affected by the snow days, as the entire student body became less focused after the 24 April 2019

long stretch of snow days. “Structure and consistency are extremely important for maintaining focus,” Clark says, “It was evident by the behaviors and lack of focus that the snowdays didn’t help our cause.”

After coming back from their mid exam break, students were also noticing their lack of motivation and focus.

“Being an IB diploma candidate, the snow days have definitely allowed me days to relax,” says junior Malia Sinkler. “However, having so many of them has made it difficult to stay on task, especially with immovable deadlines for big assignments.”

As a solution to the problems that the snow days have created, teachers have been trying to find creating ways to incorporate the material in the small time frame they have left.

“Teachers always have to be flexible with curriculum when losing days due to weather…It sometimes requires students to do more outside of class, as well, to be sure we can then discuss and process material in class,” DESIGN BY ASTRID CODE

says Social Studies teacher Kimberly Palmer, “It’s not always ideal but we always find ways to make it work and help students feel prepared for upcoming exams.”

Despite the teachers’ efforts to make sure all the material is covered, many of the students feel differently. “I feel like the teachers are rushing to get everything in and not taking time to make sure we understand it,” says senior Abbi Gaertner. “Conceptually, students aren’t gaining as much knowledge as they should be in IB classes.”

In addition to having to deal with being overworked during the school year, students are also worried about the school year cutting into their summertime. “It was great at first, all the relaxing and time away from school,”says freshman Abby Kamm, “but it made things more hectic when I got back, having to rush things and the possibility we’ll have to go into more of our summer time.”

FEATURE

Making an Impact

Environmental Club inspires PN students

BY CAMERON MYERS With all of these new changes in our environment, the temperatures are rising, snow is falling in mid-April and here, many things concerning to our world should be analyzed and mentioned in public by now. Here at Portage Northern, we are already getting a head start on fixing our past mistakes and focusing on the bigger picture in the after school club, Environmental Club.

The main goal of the club is to promote awareness among the students by providing the information to help everyone understand the fact that science shows the world is warming. When this club started back in 2017, their focus was on getting the members to know what is going on in our world.

“It’s a serious issue that no one seems to be addressing,” said senior Jillian Bright. “This club intended to improve our school’s environmental impact awareness, because not a lot of students participate in helping out our community.”

Most people in this world ignore the fact that our climate is changing, slowly but surely. For the staff supervision for the club, Daniall Poulsen, an earth science and astronomy teacher, guides her club members into the ways of her knowledge on global warming. “Students represent the next generation. They represent our next best defense for change, outside the box creative thinkers and problem solvers,” said Poulsen. With the new technology that keeps advancing, our next generation will be handed the tools to improve our changing world. With this reason, teachers are important because they are the ones teaching the upcoming generations to help our heating world. “Progress can only come from understanding, reflecting, and responding.

Which it’s important to show students what is happening to our world,” said Poulsen.

With everyone’s busy lives, not a lot of students tend to give thought that our world is at risk except for junior Benjamin Eiler. “Nobody voluntarily changes their life style unless they believe in the purpose so the first step towards change is education,” says Eiler, one of the leaders of the environmental club.

As a community, we can all help make a difference in our world by doing small actions to improve our world. Such actions we can all do is not using our automotives and consider walking, or riding bikes to desired location. Also, start picking up trash and recycle items to use less plastic production in our world. Even when people may not think these small actions will work, it may be right, but at least little actions could help our world.

Recycling Statistics:

67%

of Michiganders have access to recycling bins

From 1990 to 2016, Michigan was one of the top recyclers in the country, nowadays, it’s going down hill.

rate in 15.3% recycling Michigan which is an increase of 0.3% since 2013.

DESIGN BY CAMERON MYERS

Portage Northern Light 25

SPORTS

S

How do the new PN turf facilities contribute to injuries?

BY MALCOLM GAYNOR The building of Huskie Stadium and Huskie Field, the $144 million turf football and soccer fields, has given Portage Northern some of the best high school sports facilities in the area. However, there have been studies done tying turf fields to increased injury risks. While multiple studies have suggested that turf fields are just as safe as grass (John Brenkus, Sports Science), others have suggested that turf leads to higher risk of ankle and knee injuries (Justin Saginaw, US Soccer Federation). Specifically, these studies have shown that turf increases stress on the ACL joint by 45%, and, in the NFL, ACL sprains are 67% more likely to occur on turf than grass. With such mixed messages on the true effect of turf on injury risk, how has PN been affected by the transition to turf?

Junior Cam Adams, who plays both football and soccer on the new turf fields, tore his ACL and both menisci playing indoor soccer on a turf field. Adams, how-

“I think a lot of injuries happen more on TURF than GRASS,” -Zander Crooks ever, does not blame the turf for his injury. “I’ve played at soccerzone a thousand times and never got injured before this,” Adams said. “It was more of a weird play not so much the turf.” According to him, turf fields are actually safer than grass. “It [turf] helps with grip and will not slide like wet grass fields,” Adams explains.

The increases safety of Huskie Field as opposed to indoor soccer facilities may be due to the special safety precautions taken when the field was built.

According to athletic director Chris 26 April 2019

Riker, the idea that turf facilities are more dangerous than grass is due to old, antiquated turf technology such as Astroturf.

“Turf field are no more safe or dangerous than grass fields,” said Riker “it’s all about how the surface is cared for and maintained.” While the study showing that ACL injuries are 67% more likely to occur on turf playing fields in the NFL, where surface safety technology is most advanced, suggests that the idea that only early turf models can create injury risk, it is important to note that PN’s turf does include safety technology such as shock pads, which decrease the turf ’s g-max rating, leading to softer turf. This softer turf is recognized by athletes who play on the field, including Junior Jonah Pilnick of the soccer team, who said that PN’s turf is softer than most other turf fields.

While Pilnick does recognize how advanced the turf of Huskie Field is, he believes that the turf fields have caused more leg injuries in his teammates. “I don’t think that having more injuries this year and last is a coincidence,” Pilnick said. “I think this weak planting of each step has caused odd movements in other parts of the leg like the knee.” This claim that turf negatively affects knee health is supported by studies, most of which emphasize turf ’s affect on the ACL. Despite this perceived injury risk, Pilnick is happy to be playing on turf soccer fields. “The injuries are something to consider, but it doesn’t overtake the benefits we get in the game,” he said.

Freshman Zander Crooks, who has struggled with knee injuries through both the soccer and basketball season, also claims that turf increases injury risk.

“I think a lot of injuries happen more on turf than grass,” Crooks said. “You get an

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ts Minut r o e p

Wi th Malcolm

ankle sprain on grass, but on turf that can be ACL or MCL tear.” Despite this assertion that injuries can become worse on turf than grass, Crooks still enjoys playing on the turf of Huskie Field. “I think PN soccer field are great... but more injuries are prone to happen,” Crooks said.

“TURF fields are no more safe or dangerous than GRASS fields” -Chris Riker

Not only are the statistics about whether or not turf fields increase injury risk, so are the opinions of PN athletes. However, one thing is constant: the athletes enjoy playing more on the new turf facilities than grass. Also, turf facilities trump grass in terms of preparation, maintenance, and bad weather conditions. The possibility of turf ’s increased pressure on legs and knees cannot be ignored, and players and coaches must be careful to adjust between games on natural grass and PN turf. However, overall, this risk is not great enough to warrant any major worries.

Find more information about other unique health risks involved with turf on portagenorthernlight.com

SPORTS

Manny Machado- Dirty or Passionate?

Former teammate Adam Jones insists that if Machado were white his reputation would be different

BY MALCOLM GAYNOR

Star Diamondbacks center fielder Adam Jones recently made waves after stating that polarizing infielder Manny Machado’s reputation as a dirty player was “100%” due to his race, and

difficult. However, Machado’s actions clearly cross the line into the territory of dirty. For example, Machado has kicked opposing first basemen during routine groundouts and thrown his bat into the infield well after the pitch was already across home plate.

Despite these examples, Jones insists

“It’s a dirty play by a dirty player.”

-Christian Yelich

Manny Machado throws his bat at the Oakland Athletics pitcher after being hit by a pitch following a scuffle with third basebman Josh Donaldson. he would be considered “passionate” if he were white.

Determining how much of society’s perceptions are due to race or biases is

that white “players are called grinders” for the same reasons Machado is considered dirty.

Contrary to what Jones implies, white players are also considered dirty in the MLB. Chase Utley, who was also a Dodger playoff acquisition in the infield, was known as one of the dirtiest baseball players in modern baseball. Even before breaking Ruben Tejada’s leg in his infamous slide in the 2015 NLDS, Utley was known for sliding spikes-up and attempting to hurt opposing infielders. According to a 2011 list by Bleacher Report, Utley was the dirtiest MLB player at the time. However, contrary to what Jones implies, Utley is not simply written off as overly passionate player because he is white. He is clearly labelled as dirty.

Another problem with Jones’ statement is that one would have a hard time even labelling Machado as a passionate player at all. His two most infamous examples of dirty plays (kicking Jesús Aguilar and throwing his bat at Josh Donaldson) both occurred well

after the play was over and well after his emotion and passion could help his team win. Between the foul lines, however, Machado’s level of effort can be lacking. The superstar notoriously quipped that he is no “Johnny Hustle,” and couldn’t even be bothered to hustle out a fly ball off the wall in the World Series, settling instead for a single. Are those the actions of a passionate player? Is that something that Yasiel Puig, Bryce Harper, or Javier Baez would do? Players such as Puig, Harper, and Baez can occasionally blur the line between passionate and dirty as they look to do everything they can to help their team win. However, on the other hand, Machado lacks the passion of these players (and Hustle and Heart award nominee Jones), and his actions seem to indicate that he is more dirty than passionate.

Despite Jones not entirely hitting the mark with his comments about Machado’s race affecting his perception, it is true that baseball does have a problem with racism. Cubs pitcher Carl Edward Jr. recently has dealt with racist messages, and Jones himself has also been the target of fan racism in the p. Between players, Astros infielder Yuli Gurriel was suspended 5 games for making a racist gesture at Dodgers starter Yu Darvish in the 2017 World Series. However, despite this issue, Machado’s reputation as a dirty player has more to do with his play than his skin color.

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SPORTS

SPORTS

The 18th Hole After 14 years as coach of the golf team, Bobby Eustice is retiring

BY LEXI DOLL

Women’s varsity and men’s JV of collegiate level athletes he has golf coach Bobby Eustice is going formed, “I think he made a strong to take his final walk around the effort to recruit and get kids that course this year as a coach at Por- might have not played otherwise.” tage Northern. As well as one of Though Eustice is the varsity Northern’s math teachers, Eustice women’s coach, he often steps up is in the midst of his final season for the men when he is needed. as a coach before he retires and “In time of need, coach Eustice moves onto the rest of his life with stepped up and filled the role of a his family. leader when nobody was present,” Eustice has coached golf at Por- said senior Bobby Schaefer, “He’s tage Northern for 14 years and has an organized coach and influential loved every minute of it. “Each and had a good way of wording season brings new excitement,” things at the right time.” says EusCoach Eustice. And “This is the perfect time to tran- tice wasn’t only with this sition into a new season of life a coach to his being his players, he was for my wife and I.” last seaalso a role modson, Eusel. “He cares -Bobby Eustice tice hopes deeply about to make his players, not this the most exciting season yet. only as athletes but as people,” says Eustice’s successful career at Por- Riker, “He he has used the game tage Northern has led his team to of golf to build relationships with qualify for states for the past five kids and become better people reconsecutive seasons. “It’s awesome gardless if they won, lost, shot well, to see players competing, hitting or played poorly.” shots, making long putts, and most Eustice is ready for this transiof all having fun,” says Eustice. tion, saying he is ready to take on a Within his career, Eustice has new adventure with his family. “My had four girls go on to play golf youngest son will be attending a at the collegiate level: Laura Glass new college, my oldest son is gradat Bethel College, Morgan Janke- uating from Rhema Bible Training Wolff at GVSU, Grace Beam at College and doing missions work, Cleary University, and Erin Sex- and my daughter and son-in-law smith at Alderson Broaddus Uni- had our first grandchild,” says Euversity. Athletic director Chris stice, “This is the perfect time to Riker gives credit to his recruiting transition into a new season of life skills when it comes to the amount for my wife and I.”

Coach Eustice by the Numbers

golf 14 Years atcoaching PNHS

5

Total team state finals appearences

6

Individual state qualifiers

4

Collegiate athletes

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LA

SPORTS

marks the spot

BY CERENA REED Progressing into their season, the Portage Northern men’s lacrosse team is continuing their journey of improvement through hard work. Despite losing some players and one of their best players to injury, the boys still continue to step up their game. Excited for what the season has in store, the boys are improving through every game they play.

The team has welcomed in a handful of new players this season, one of those players being Alan Alvarez. He came into the sport through recommendations from his friends were recent“There is a great bond with who ly on the team. everyone on the team and “Joining the team has been a good we all have fun playing the experience for sport together.” - Alex Walker me to try a new sport and learn something new,” he says.

The team hosted their first ever Huskie Invite, which included six teams, on Saturday, April 13th. The Huskies de-

The Huskie lacrosse team huddles up to discuss strategy. Photo

by Ron Clifton

feated Grand Rapids Christian in two separate games and tied Portage Central 3-3 in their final game.After these two wins and tie, they are looking to take that momentum and carry it through the rest of the season.

Goalie Alex Walker has had a lot of fun being on the team for three years, especially the family-like bond with everyone on the team. “My favorite part of lacrosse is definitely the team atmosphere,” he says. “There is a great bond with everyone on the team and we all have fun playing the sport together.”

Coach Paul Waltke enjoys coaching the boys. “We’re building a better and stronger team each practice and game,” he says. Their development is easy to see: after victories against the Grandville Bulldogs on March 20th at home and Battle Creek Pennfield on April 18th, they have got things trending in the right direction.

Even though they’ve lost some key players, the lacrosse team continues to win games, have fun, and continues to improve each and every practice and game.

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29 April 2019

SPORTS

Spring Sports Preview

BY ZACH QUINN

Baseball

Portage Northern baseball is coming off of a deep postseason run last year after losing in the Regional Championship. This year is the second year of the team’s motto: Trust The Process. One big change this year will be the team size. Going from 25 players last year to 18 this year will make it easier to bond with teammates and help in the long run when team chemistry will matter. “Last year’s team everyone felt like brothers” said Junior Greg Lapetina. He also added that he wants to pick up where the seniors last year left off last season. “We want to continue the Portage Northern baseball culture the right way by welcoming all new players and working as hard as we can to win while gaining the respect of other teams.” The team will be led by four seniors, including Cam French and Tyler Helgeson, who have both played all four years on varsity.

Their experiences through good and bad seasons will help the team build a winning culture.

The Huskie baseball team looks to build off of last season’s success. The 2018 baseball team lost in the regional championship. Photo courtesy of Zack Quinn.

Senior Bobby Schaefer and company look to build off of a strong year for the Huskie golf team and hope to take his team to the state finals. Last year, seniors Schaefer and Sam Betts, along with sophomores Braden Falk, Connor Sullivan, and Gabe Rathburn all went to states, but didn’t place. This year, Schaefer is hoping to have himself and teammates place at states. “The team needs more structured practices and self discipline to move up in conference and place higher in the state final,” said Schaefer. “Our team has a lot of talent and depth, but if we don’t work hard at practice it won’t mean anything in the long run.” With Schaefer playing all 4 years of varsity golf, he is going to give pointers to his younger brother Andrew and younger sister Kit as they will both be joining him on varsity. It’s rare to see one family member on a team, but two is just unheard of. That being said, Kit is going to be the first ever girl to play men’s golf here at Portage Northern. She will be looking to achieve big things in the men’s program.

Men’s Golf

30 | March 2019

DESIGN BY SNIGDA NARISETTY

Bobby Schaefer playing at a game from last season. Photo courtesy of Bobby Schaefer.

SPORTS

Softball

As pictured above, this year’s softball team hopes to have a strong 2019 season following a tight 1-0 loss in the district semifinals to Portage Central last season. Photo courtesy of Portage Northern Softball Facebook.

Coming into this year, Senior Sarah Budnick has the role of being the leader of the team while helping integrate the younger players into the varsity atmosphere. This year’s team is very young, and she is going to have a tough time handling all of the pressure being the only senior on the team. “I can help the younger players ease into the season by helping them understand the dynamic of varsity softball,” said Budnick. “Overall just being there for them whatever they need help with.” Despite the team’s youth and inexperience, the team still has large goals and is looking forward to a successful season. “I believe some of the team goals are overall learning how to work with each other in order to improve, as well as preparing for the future and what’s to come for the program,” said Budnick. The team begins chasing these goals during their first home game against Plainwell on March 26th.

Women’s Soccer Last year’s women’s soccer team record was around .500. This year, they look to take a step forward with more expectations for all of the players. The Huskies have already began stepping up their game, having won both of their preseason scrimmages. “I think [the preseason wins] will be helpful starting off on a good note for the season and will help boost the team’s confidence,” said senior Justine Corda.

The team is also looking forward to the season because of the great chemistry and hard working culture the Huskie soccer team has created. “It’s safe to say everyone is ready to put in the time and effort needed to be the best team we can be this season,” said Corda. “There’s a lot of talent on the team this year and we all work really well together, which could give us the game advantage.”

The Huskie team prepares for a scrimmage against Zeeland on March 16th, which they won 3-1. Photo courtesy of Portage Northern Soccer Facebook

Portage Northern Light | 31

SPORTS

SMAC champions or bust

With spring sports off and running, Track is one of the most participated sports here at Portage Northern. This year the track team has around 110 people on the team this year and each and everyone of them expects to contribute. This year’s team is led by Seniors Max Rathburn and Luke Daniel who are both going to college for Cross Country and Track and Field, hopefully Connor Clemens as well. He is a leader and hoping to continue his career at Aquinas for cross country and track and field.

Max is going to Memphis University to continue running while Luke is going to Grand Valley State to continue his career. Both of these runners are extremely excited to go onto college and continue running, but first need to focus on this years track season. This years workouts have prepared senior Luke Daniel for a great season and get him ready for college as well. “Right now I run 58 miles a week and I will be at 60+ a week soon. This is going to help me since in college, I will be running 70+ miles a week,” said Daniel.

With the season just taking off, some might not be where they want to be with results and development. Junior Tyus Vang-Shonoiki is one of the best discus and shotput throwers around.

He helps other who are struggling with the start of the year by telling them “work on technique rather

BY ZACH QUINN than lifting”. Don’t worry about the beginning of the year, getting the rust off and getting back into the grind and preparing for meets at the end of the year is what matters most”, says Vang-Shonoiki. This years track team is pushing for as many kids as possible to make regionals and states, as well as the whole track team trying to win a Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC) Championship. Junior Joey Proos states, ”by working as hard as we can at practice and taking care of ourselves so we don’t get any injuries, we should be ready for the end of the year meets for us to have a strong performance for us to win the SMAC”.

The Portage Northern track team is ready to compete for a SMAC Championship this year and with more than one leader, they have a good shot at winning the SMAC.

The Huskie track team is always going to perform better when they work together as a Pack. ”Our goal as a team is always the same: win a SMAC Conference Title,” said Luke Daniel. Runners Max Rathburn, Luke Daniel, Connor Clemens, all start together during a race.

Photo Courtesy of Luke Daniel

32 March 2019

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SPORTS SPORTS

Tennis team looks to thrive under new coach Diana Smith Smith returns as PN tennis coach after 3 years away

BY SNIGDA NARISETTY After Cornelius Lee, the Portage Northern tennis coach for almost three years, was offered a coaching job at Ferris State University, the women’s tennis team anxiously awaited the arrival of the spring sports season to see who their new coach would be.

The new coach is one who is very familiar with the Huskie tennis culture.

Diana Smith, who coached the PN team for nearly ten years, has returned to her former role as head coach. “I was really worried about the new season already, but even more so because of an unfamiliar coach,” says junior Melissa McKenzie. “After meeting Coach Smith, all that worry is gone because

she’s not only the team’s coach, but the team’s mom.” In her first year back, Smith hopes to lead the women’s team to states. “I am so excited to be back at Portage Northern. I really missed the kids and teaching my love of the game,” says Smith, “This year’s team is a wonderful group of young ladies with a lot of talent and I am excited to see how far we can go this season.”

Although she absolutely loved coaching both the men’s and women’s tennis teams from 2006-2016, Smith had to quit as her youngest daughter was graduating and she was going to have three kids in college. “I am self employed as a real estate appraiser,

Smith talks to team seniors Francesa and Angelina Riehl about upcoming practice dates and games following her first tryouts back as head coach. Photo courtesy of Snigda Narisetty.

DESIGN BY MALCOLM GAYNOR

and I couldn’t afford the time off of work. My Mom also was diagnosed with colon cancer so I was traveling a lot out to California,” she says.

Smith has a lot of experience with tennis and has been playing for almost her entire life. “My mom and my grandmother grew up playing tennis so it was a family thing. Plus, the weather in San Diego allows you to play almost any day of the year outside,” says Smith who was also a ranked player in San Diego, “I played many junior tournaments and played number one all three years of high school.”

As tennis was almost a tradition in her family, Smith learned a lot about the sport from her mother. Even more so than the rules of the sport, she leaned about the importance of sportsmanship. “Tennis is a wonderful game, one which you can play as competitively as you want to until your in your 90s. My mom was nationally ranked in the women’s 85’s,” says Smith, “[she] was a wonderful inspiration to me and to have that experience with her was priceless.”

The team members are very excited to see how far their new coach will take them this season. “We are all so appreciative that Coach Smith is devoting her time to our team,” says senior Angelina Riehl, “I really believe her positive and encouraging attitude is going to greatly impact our team’s chance of going to states.”

Portage Northern Light 33

ENTERTAINMENT

“Isn’t it Romantic”: a step in the right direction

BY KYLIE CLIFTON

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros

“Isn’t it Romantic” is not simply a ro- opposition to the “anything can hapmantic comedy that fills a few hours pen” mentality often present in roof your time, but a lovable, light- mantic comedies. hearted, hour and a half, step in the In a high ranking position as a Lead right direction for that pokes fun at Architect of a hotel chain, Natalie isn’t romantic comedy. Featuring a inclu- overly positive or commanding in her sive cast and clever storyline, “Isn’t it work efforts, even being mistaken for Romantic” appeals to a wider audi- being in charge of coffee orders. This lack of purpose takes away from her ence than the traditional rom-com.

The main character, Natalie, was quality of life, despite her co-worker once fascinated with the likes of Julia Josh pushing her to work her hardRoberts and the glamorized nature est and impress her superiors with her work of life repr e s e n t e d “I would give ‘Isn’t it Romantic’ a four and (even going so far in romana half out of five stars. “ as to quite tic comedies, but has since chosen to work literally pushing her desk chair).. Josh hard and live life in a brutally hon- acts as a foil to Natalie in his positive est and realistic way. In doing so, outlook. the viewer can see she’s missing out Ironically, Natalie’s assistant Whitney on the enjoyable facets of life, even spends all of her time fawning over if the cost is the simplest of distrac- romantic comedies, using them as tions that are rom-coms. Metaphori- an escape from her day job. Already cally, this choice can be seen her opposite on outlooks, Natalie and ultra realism approach to life, which Whitney participate in a humorous overshadows her wonder and is in debate. Natalie pointing out all the 34 April 2019

DESIGN BY KYLIE CLIFTON

flaws of these unrealistic love stories, and Whitney fights for the merits of her adored escape. Natalie, a plus sized, hard working woman, complains that the world of the romantic comedy just doesn’t happen for people like her, but she soon gets a rude -and comedic- awakening.

After finding herself in a brawl at the hands of flirtatious admirer, she awakens to her worst fear: her life has turned into one big, messy, outrageous romantic comedy. With parallels to the Wizard of Oz, she meets bizarrely-stereotyped counterparts in her newly glamorized and perfect world as she works to find the perfect ending to her own romantic comedy.

I would give “Isn’t it Romantic” a four and a half out of five stars: it is a refreshing and exciting new step for the genre, and it is enjoyable for all audiences. Escaping many of the criticisms that plague rom-coms, this film is sure to become a Valentine’s Day staple.

THREE FAST REVIEWS Old Town Road

AFTER

BY ZACH QUINN

BY GABBIE BYERS

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X is currently one of the most well known songs of 2019. A new genre of music is emerging and this is only the start of something big. Following Kid Rock’s success with the hit “Cowboy”, Nelly and Tim McGraw followed in his Country Rap footsteps with the song “Over and Over Again” 6 years later. The remix of “Old Town Road” is the first Country Rap song to blow up and gain a following. “Old Town Road” is a song you can play anywhere anytime and instantly get you in a good mood. Lil Nas X tried something that hasn’t been done a lot in the past and with such a popular following of this song, expect more Country Rap in future by the Lil Nas X and other artists.

In 2014, Anna Todd wrote a New York Times best seller, After, on the free reading/writing app, Wattpad. The story is a fanfiction based off former one direction singer, Harry Styles.

When the book was discovered and published, the name was changed to Hardin Scott, a damaged boy who falls in love with a girl who is much too good for him. I was genuinely in love with the story, especially the romance, but going into the movie, I had no expectations. I went in with an open mind knowing that the book is always better and the movie can’t always be the same.

Leaving the movie, disappointed was an understatement. The movie shows a great romance, but does not do the story any justice: it completely changes the major plot at the end and it doesn’t have any of the same characters. If you’re looking for a chick-flick or something to get you in your romance feels, “After” is for you. If you are looking for a movie based off the book After, I would suggest that you keep looking.

OPINION

en Heav ALIE AT

BY N DER GRIN

Many people dream of going to heaven or are at least curious about what it would be like, and for a girl named Marley, that dream has become a reality. Marley lives in a town called Heaven, where she lives with her momma, pops, and her brother Butchy. She seems to have everything she could ever want, including an uncle that travels the world having adventures with his dog named Boy. That is until everything changes when she finds out that her parents are really her grandparents, and her real mother passed away. and she has to decide whether or not to retrust her “parents” or to make a relationship with her dad who she has never even met.

Portage Northern Light 35

DESIGN BY BRIANNA NEUHOUSER

ENTERTAINMENT

BY SHEILA MWANDA Plug in your headphones and turn up the volume because this episode of Sheila’s Showdown is all about podcasts! There thousands of podcasts out there ranging from lifestyle to business. But today, we’re going to find out which of two entertainment podcasts is the best!

Up first is Popcast, produced by the New York Times and hosted by Jon Caramanica. On this podcast, they discuss a variety of topics in music news from album reviews to award show recaps. It keeps up on current trends and takes the listener to the inside of the music industry.

Episodes typically range from 30 to 90 minutes and include in-depth research and qualified guests to give more information about that episode’s topic. New episodes are released 2 or 3 times per month.

One thing that makes Popcast stand out is that it provides an interesting view of the music industry. The historical and analytic approach expands the listener’s knowledge. However, its thorough

nature is sometimes unnecessary and the high amounts of detail sometimes goes over the heads of the average music listener. On that note, the length of each episode is another downside. On average, Popcast episodes are about an hour long which makes it hard to keep focused throughout the entire episode.

A recent episode published is “Listening to Pop Music’s Class of 2019”, where the Popcast team discusses what they are looking forward to this year in music. They highlight artists such as English Indie artist Rat Boy, Nakhane Touré, and Lauren Jenkins. Caramanica along with guest Jon Pareles discuss what sets the ten artists apart from other upcoming musical acts.

Next up on our list is Pop Culture Happy Hour, produced by NPR. This podcast covers all of the biggest news taking place in the entertainment world and keeps you up-to-date with entertainment happenings. Hosted by Linda Holmes,

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT

36 April 2019

this twice-weekly podcast is the place to go to stay up-to-date with all things pop culture. Each episode is about 15 to 30 minutes, which is perfect for dipping your toes into that episode’s topic.

One thing I enjoy about this podcast is that there is a panel of three to five people in each episode which creates a dialog of harmonious and contrasting opinions. One downside is that because they publish very frequently, it is difficult to stay up to date as new episodes are released.

My favorite Pop Culture Happy Hour series is the award show recaps. They both provide a deeper perspective of what happened while providing personal opinions. The team typically records these episodes right after the show is over, which shows true grit.

Pop Culture Happy Hour turns out to be the better podcast because of it covers the entire entertainment world and keeps the listener engaged.

Podcasts Worth a Listen

DESIGN BY SHEILA MWANDA

ENTERTAINMENT

TV Takes On

Tough Topics

BY SHEILA MWANDA

Entertainment and pop During its fifteen seasons, hysteria. However, the doctor culture have a great impact executive producer Shonda chose not to see beyond Dr. on our values and beliefs as a Rhimes insures to use her Bailey’s past struggles with society. It is essential for TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” in mental health, forcing her to shows to discuss current is- order to speak on important stand up for herself in a way sues as this creates a dialogue issues. This show used the many people don’t have the for important discussions. story line of Dr. Bailey’s heart experience doing.

Several shows that are cur- attack in order to talk about Using a large platform to rently on air use their plat- the unfair treatment of mi- promote change has not gone form in order to make diffi- norities in the health field. Dr. in vain. Following the aircult issues less taboo.

Bailey had previously battled ing of the “Grey’s Anatomy” In the workplace, women with obsessive compulsive episode “Silent All These face microaggressions among disorder and during her visit Years,”focused on sexual asother challenges. Gender disault, calls to the Rape, “Forms of entertainment vision and inequality is a Abuse & Incest National recurring theme in the Free- can be used to facilitate Network hotline for rape form TV show “Good Trou- a conversation on tough and sexual assault increased ble.” Mariana Adams Foster by 43%. Aired on March topics” graduated from MIT before 28,2019, the episode was moving to LA and joining viewed on live television by a startup as a software engi- to the emergency room, and 7.37 million people in the neer. While she is a more- her doctor refused to listen U.S. This is a prime example than-capable employee, her to her as she repeated that of the power the media has. boss underestimates her by she was having a heart attack.

As consumers, we control sticking her in data entry on As an accomplished surgeon, the content throughout the her first day. As the only fe- she served as chief resident entertainment industry. As male in her department, she and at the time was the chief people see their situation faces continuous problems, of surgery at the hospital portrayed in movies and TV such as being publicly humil- she worked at. With this list shows, these forms of enteriated and her boss refusing of qualifications, one would tainment among many othto pronounce her Hispanic think that she would be able ers can be used to facilitate a name correctly. to discern a heart attack from conversation on tough topics.

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ENTERTAINMENT

38 | April 2019

Portage Northern Light 39

Are you turning 65, or do you care about someone who is?

Do you have questions about Medicare options?

DESIGN BY LIAM FAGAN