April 2017

NL

VOLUME 47 ISSUE 5

Not one in one million but 19 in 1,380:

the personalties that finally get a spotlight

the northern light

Portage Portage Northern Northern High High School School 1000 1000 Idaho Idaho Ave, Ave, Portage Portage 49024 49024

www.portagenorthernlight.com

T

the

s te d ai t o fr s f editor in chief

Cortney Chow

chief designer Ben Lewis

website editor Megna Joshi

social media manager Lyndsey Case

feature editor

Allison Mckenzie

news editor Meredith Ablao

opinon editor

Abby Sebber

spotlight editor Lexi Gavlas

sports editor

Cater Landis

entertainment editor Lily Antor

copy editor

Megan Rinock

copy editor Lexi Kava

s ta f f w r i t e r s Demi Jensen Sal DelVecchio Mackenzie Brey Issra Said Keegan Tenney Matilda Buehler Anai Freeman Kylee Ewert

letter from the editor Dear PNHS, With the end of the year coming quickly to a close, how will you leave your mark? We often strive to be memorable to the student body, but the truth is that we’ve already left our imprint, usually without even trying.

This unconscious impact is what we're hoping to highlight in this edition of the newspaper: each member of the staff closed their eyes, pointed to a name on the enrollment list, and wrote a personality profile on that person, getting to know them and finding what makes them special.

This edition offers a random cross section of our student body, presenting individual stories based on many

interviews and in-depth research that culminates in the formation of a unique story. We often find ourselves walking down the same hallways with the same people, and we might think we know one another, but most times, we’ve only scratched the surface. In a sense, we’ve shaped this edition to be the microscope of the student body. I believe that the stories and thoughts of each individual should be heard, and randomly selecting students not only made this newspaper more diverse, but encouraged others to find stories that shape who we are as Huskies. What I want you to take from this edition is that everyone has a story that is worth telling. Whether it be comedic, inspiring, or just plain interesting,

the events behind the stories make us who we are, and every single student at PNHS is special, unique, and valuable. I only wish we had 1380 pages to get us all in, but this is a start.

The process of making this paper and learning about the student body was enlightening to the staff and has influenced us to not only look inside ourselves for the stories that define us, but to take a closer look at our classmates and try to see beyond the superficial and start to notice what drives, moves, and makes them as individual people. Will you do the same?

See ya, Cortney Chow, Editor-in-Chief

policies at the nl The Northern Light in print and online is the student-produced newspaper for Portage Northern HS. It is an open 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.

As a MIPA, JEA, and NSPA publica-

tion, 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 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, 3.129, emailed to pnhsNorthernLight@gmail.com, or mailed ATTN: Portage Northern Light to Portage Northern High School, 1000 Idaho Avenue, Portage, MI 49024.

@northern_ light_news

pnlight2016

photographer Cameron Schaefer

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April 13, 2017

@pnlight portagenorthernlight.com

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Sanah G / Carolyne L

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Mandy Kellogg

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Andrew Foltin

Andrew Martin

Alexander Hamilton

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Kristopher Kline

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Madison Bonnewell

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Ethan Smith

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Gabby Deluca

Micah Graff

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Jaume Pujol Cuadra

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April 23, 2017 CONTENTS

3

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Academic Awards

Photo captions/ credit

As the year comes to an end, NHS staff will recognize and celebrate student academic achievement at the annual awards assembly. Parents are invited to the event, which will be held in the auditorium on May 4th. Students will have the opportunity to be recognized on stage and receive a pin for Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors, depending on their GPA. The juniors will be recognized first at 8:42 am, sophomores will follow at 10:36, and freshman will be recognized at 1:09. Seniors will receive their awards in a separate ceremony at 6:30 that evening, also in the auditorium. Invitations have already been mailed to award winners.

4 NEWS April 13, 2017

News

BRIEFS anai freeman (10) || staff writer

Together for Tuleeni returns this year from April 24-28. Sponsored by the Interact Club, students will compete to bring in the most $2 donations in their 7th hour classes, with the proceeds going to benefit the orphanage in Tuleeni, Tanzania.

To date, the school has raised $38, 493, which has gone directly to supporting the education of Tuleeni’ students. The top class will receive a pizza party, while 2nd and 3rd place will receive other treats.

IB and AP exams start on April 28th. Visit pnexams.com for the full exam schedule, lists of who is taking what exam, and all the other important testing information.

For Seniors Grad Bash tickets will go on sale starting Monday, April 24th in the lower level commons. They cost $60. The event is currently still in need of chaperones and other volunteers; interested parents should email jayellw20001@yahoo.com for more information. Also, the deadline for senior slideshow photos is May 12. Photos must be submitted as a .jpg to meadowanna@gmail.com.

Brick Sale Alumni, students, and organizations have the opportunity to leave their legacy with PN forever by purchasing a brick to be placed in the new construction. The order deadlines for the first installation at the Huskie Soccer Complex is May 15, 2017. Bricks ordered after this initial deadline with be installed in biannual groups, starting in Spring 2018. Replica bricks are also for sale to take home for $50.00. Purchasers can choose to have their brick at the Soccer Complex or the Athletic Event Stadium. 4” x 8” bricks, which hold 3 lines and 20 characters per line, are $100. 8” x 8” bricks, which hold 5 lines and 20 characters per line, are $200. Bricks can be ordered online at pnbricksale.com.

portagenorthernlight.com

More

Day of Silence

NEWS

This year’s cabaret theme is destination and travel and performances will be Friday and Saturday, May 5th and 6th, at 7:00 pm and on Sunday, May 7th, at 2:00 pm. Stay tuned to announcements for more information.

The GSA hosted a Day of Silence on Friday, April 21st. Students took a one-day vow of silence to bring awareness of the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Supporters had ribbons, stickers, and info cards and each pledged one personal way that they would work to end the silence.

“It is to bring awareness to the struggles of LGBT people,” said GSA adviser Kaitie Paynitch. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go in terms of living in a safe space.

Pictured below are the information cards (printed in English and Spanish, ribbons for supporters, stickers for participants, and signs for supporters to declare how they personally will help end the silence.

Wes Hyames

Student Senate hosted a toy drive to benefit Mary Free Bed and Bronson Children’s Hospitals.

They raised over 180 toys for the organizations, with Nancy Nott’s seventh hour bringing in the most and winning the pizza party. In the above photo, Senate president Wes Hyames delivers half of the toys to Mary Free Bed. “they used most of the toys as gifts for the Children’s Easter baskets!” he said.

National Poetry Month In honor of National Poetry Month and the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival, Nancy Nott would like to invite anyone interested in poetry to stop by her room 3.121 to pick up a schedule of the many poetry events going on in the Kalamazoo area this month. Creative Writing students are especially encouraged to stop by.

Kylee Ewert

portagenorthernlight.com

Cabaret

ORANGE

OUT

FOR HAYLEE LEWIS On Friday, April 21st, students wore orange, the color of the leukemia awareness ribbon, to honor Haylee Lewis (11), who passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2017. Photos were taken at both lunches and students also collected donations and signed messages of support for the family on orange cardstock ribbons.

Everything will be presented to the family to show PN’s commitment to honoring Haylee.

April 13, 2017

NEWS 5

but 19 in 1,380 We all have a story, but how you capture it says who you are as a person. The staff decided to explore this idea by randomly selected students with their own angles. Although we may not have 1 million stories, we have 19 with just as much worth and content. Welcome to just a sample of the individuality at Northern.

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FEATURE

April 13, 2017

portagenorthernlight.com

With a sturdy mask and a spot welder in hand, Ethan feels in his element. This year, senior Ethan Smith found his passion in welding. Ethan thrives when he is able to work with his hands. The traditional learning environment posed difficulties for him and Ethan realized that any class where he could work with tangible materials is where he can excel.

“It’s more of a hands on class, which is definitely better for me.”

Ethan explains. Because of this class, Ethan has grown an appreciation for the trade and enjoys the relief it brings him.This newfound dedication to welding has brought him motivation to get up to go to school. First thing in the morning, Ethan goes to his E.F.E. class to weld whatever two metals are presented that day.

Ethan takes an Education for Employment class for Welding.

“This course is designed to develop the entry level job skills required for a welder.” states Cameron Buck, who oversees the Welding programs at KVCC, where the class is held.

Northern’s talented welder abby seeber (12) || opinion editor

Megan Hall, a teacher consultant here at Portage Northern has nothing, but praise for Ethan, saying: “I do believe that the E.F.E. program has benefited Ethan, he lights up when he talks about it and seems more confident.” Ethan hopes to continue his craft once he graduates on June 1st.

“My goal for about the last seven months is to just move out as soon as I can; move in with my girlfriend. From there I’d be trying to secure a job with a welding company,” explains Ethan.

One of his very close friends, Hunter Hatley (12) witnessed Ethan’s development in his education over the years, “He has definitely matured as a person and as a student.” Hatley explained that he hopes Ethan will continue with his welding and hopefully forge (pardon the pun) a career out of his abilities. “He is a really good worker. He really puts all of himself into it, when he cares. [When it comes to welding] he is actually really good. I hope that he continues that and takes that in his career path,” beams Hatley.

portagenorthernlight.com

Though a welder at heart, Ethan is a hard worker in everything he does, and he cares about everyone else in the process with him. “He is a team player, and respectful to me and his team members,” says Emily Anthony, his Foods Class Teacher. Ethan has a bright future in store for him, and he plans to jump in as soon as possible.

April 13, 2017

FEATURE

7

How Maddie Bonnewell uses music to relieve stress and to worship megna joshi (12) || website editor Madison Bonnewell is a junior who in her free time enjoys reading, singing and watching musical theatre.

Madison comes from a huge family of six siblings and is also mixed- half black and half white- and adopted. In addition to having a huge family, all of them are religious and involved in their faith - Christianity. Madison is the only one in her family that sings and is one of the main singers in her worship team at church.

Madison did not want to sing at first, but found her passion for it recently. She says, “I was kind of dragged into singing at my church, but then I realized how much I liked singing as I started doing it. Over time, I got really comfortable and now I love it.” Madison says the first time she sang she was extremely nervous and did not know what people around her would think. It took a long time for her to build up the courage to sing in front of an audience and

8

FEATURE

now she is so comfortable that she could sing on the spot. Madison says, “singing is a way that I let myself go and I am happy I was pushed into it because now I can’t live without it.” Madison also encourages others to try singing or playing an instrument by saying, “music helps stress more than you think, is something that everyone should try at least once in their life.”

Although Madison does not want to study music when she’s older, it is something that she loves to do and it helps her relieve stress.

Madison says, “singing is an outlet for me to release stress and I do not know what I would do without it.

Madison states that her passion for music has also lead her to join choir at Northern. One of her best friends, Lauren Chavis (11), says “I think her passion for singing is really strong. It’s what she loves to do, and I think she has a beautiful voice.”

Lauren and Madison have

April 13, 2017

been friends for a long time and share a strong bond with one another. Chavis adds by saying, “Maddie’s singing has influenced me to listen to more music because she will be singing a song in the car or at school and I always want to listen to whatever she is listening to because it is so good!”

Lastly, Madison’s interest in music has inspired her to participate in events outside of her church. For example, this past year she sang in the Black History Month assembly. Isaac Reid (11) is the main singer in male song leaders and also participated in the Black History Month assembly and says, “Madison is a very talented and hardworking friend who is always kind and looking to help on whatever she can!”

Madison is an amazing singer with a bright future, so keep the look out of Madison Bonnewell: she could be the next big thing.

Mattie Bonnewell Maddie singing with the worship team at church, which is one of her favorite places to exercise her love of music.

“If I had to describe how singing makes me feel in three words, they would be: happy, calm, and joyful.”

- Maddie Bonnewell portagenorthernlight.com

Check out Alex’s YouTube channel: Borderline Mediocre https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTNWeDm_RMy5J6CTjTtB1w]

Alex Hamilton:

up and coming film protégé keegan tenney (10) || staff writer Alexander Hamilton. No, not the Founding Father, but the next up and coming protégé in film making. Ever since he was young, he’s loved the craft of moviemaking. At a young age, using a cassette camera and being shown The Blues Brothers is what made him realize: this is what he wants to do. This is what he was made for.

It wasn’t a hard decision for Alex to pick up that cassette camera; the passion was burning bright ever since he was young: “Everything about it speaks to me. Writing scripts lights a fire in me, allowing me to express my creativity. Shooting with amazing people is a joy that I can’t even express through words,” he said. Alex has an unbelievable support system; everyone that knows him knows his high level of creativity.

His friends support him greatly, encouraging him to always do what he loves. It is evident that this is his calling, and his friends know it too. “It’s a thing that not a lot of teens could get down as well as he has,” said Grace Beam (11), one of Alex’s closest friends. His parents also knew this was everything he was meant to do.

“When he was really young, he would film the family and I always said he would be a director some day. We could never improvise in our lines even if we tried. He always told us what we were supposed to say,” said Heather Hamilton, Alex’s mother.

9 FEATURE

April 13, 2017

“Writing scripts lights a fire in me, allowing me to express my creativity. Shooting with amazing people is a joy that I can’t even express through words.”

- Alex Hamilton

Hamilton’s love for movies doesn’t just include making films, but watching them too. “My favorite movie of all time is Her. Second favorite is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Some other favorites include Boogie Nights, A Clockwork Orange, and Swiss Army Man. I’d love to make dramatic films that have a layer of surrealism to them. Lately Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies have really had an inspiration on that.

But I’m open to do anything really. I love crime

movies especially (I.E. Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time in America) and if given the opportunity I’d probably make one of those in an instant,” said Hamilton.

Until Alex makes it big, he practices making hobby and class projects. “When I had him in Honors 10, he made this really elaborate video with some classmates for an extra credit project that required a script and several hours of shooting and editing. His willingness to go above and beyond was really impressive,” shared English teacher Amanda Thorpe. Alex has also volunteered his time to do the videography for the Black History Month Assembly for the last two years, creating video documentation of the event for the school to keep and also allowing for each member of the cast to have a souvenir DVD to commemorate their experience. “Having him do this work for us has been really helpful, and his videos are always really professional and high-quality,” said Thorpe, who also advises the Black History Month Assembly.

He has a dream to go into film full time, even if he was just making small scale independent movies. Being able to work in a field where his passion is not only encouraged, but a necessity, is one of his major goals in life. Every finished project he has is motivation to keep making films and to pursue a career in filmmaking.

portagenorthernlight.com

Andrew Foltin: drawing a new path

Andrew practices his craft in the DLR. He tries to draw every day. “I would draw 24-7 if I could,” he says.

Lyndsey Case

lyndsey case (12) || social media manager

K alamazoo, to Tennessee, to

Kentucky, to Colorado: picture coming home from school only to find out it is time to pack your bags, leave your friends and new school behind, and head off to another state, again. The life of a military child is never easy: “you gotta leave behind a lot of people that you’ve spent four years with,” states Andrew Foltin (9). Andrew has been a military kid his whole life, moving to four elementary schools, two middle schools, and his final destination: Portage Northern, having to adapt and make new friends every move.

His military sergeant father has had a heavy influence on him.

“My dad is kind of uptight and strict, so it gets him riled up and excited when I decided to do something he wanted me to,” says Andrew. That something was wrestling, which his father encouraged him to start six years ago. Foltin has greatly enjoyed the sport, meeting friends Jaisen Craig (9) and Bradley Freemire (11). His coach, Chris Furlong, hopes that Andrew utilizes his full potential next season stating, “he has a ton of potential in the sport of wrestling, we hope

10

FEATURE

that he puts in a lot of work in the off season to make himself a starter next winter.” Though his father had an influence on encouraging him to join wrestling, Andrew does not plan to follow in his father’s military footsteps, but rather, draw a new path.

Rather than striving to be the high school sports superstar like his father, who participated in baseball, football, wrestling, and track, Andrew draws graphite Manga and realistic drawings, focusing on people and cartoons such as Dragonball Z. He jokingly says, “I draw in almost every class every day, that’s why I get bad grades at this school.” Though his drawings may not help him in solving algebraic equations, his art teacher, Sarah Nott adds, “he does all assignments for my art class but does tons of his own, independently driven artwork on top of that.”

Andrew was mainly influenced by one of his old middle school teachers, Benjamin Worrell, who creates his own comics called Sheath Comics. Worrell reflects on his comics, stating, “my comic book is a great opportunity to share my passion

April 13, 2017

for art with my students as well as my personal interest in superheroes and graphic novels.” Andrew plans to follow in his former teacher’s footsteps and write and draw his own Manga comics in the future; in fact, he has one that he’s already started now. Worrell is glad to know he is able to inspire students, stating, “I am glad to know that he is pursuing art and I hope he will continue to do so far into the future.”

With his talent for graphite drawing, though it is something that is a big part of his life, for college Andrew doesn’t necessarily want for drawing or design to be his main study.

Instead, he says, “ I would like to find a job that pays a lot.”

Though he is unsure of his future career, Nott states, “anime and manga style art seems to be his true passion in his life.”

Whether or not this job will include drawing or whether his illustrations will remain a hobby, Andrew is sure to be found with a pencil and paper in hand, creating his art.

A sketch of Kid Buu from Dragonball Z that Andrew drew for fun. “It took about 30 minutes to make,” he said.

portagenorthernlight.com

The Tape is Rolling Mandy Kellogg megan rinock (12) || staff writer

T

he director stares into the camera, eyes narrowed as she directs the students to their proper location. Then she gives a thumbs-up. The camera is rolling, and the actors begin. This director is Portage Northern’s very own Mandy Kellogg, an aspiring filmmaker who dreams of her hobby becoming her professional career.

“The thing about filming that I really enjoy is that my friends and I can get together, film something, and be able to edit it for a completed, polished product while having a good time,” says Mandy. “The moments between scenes and sometimes even during filming are always fun, and those times when you catch something hilarious on cam-

era can always be saved for a rainy day.” Filmmaking is, without a doubt, one of the hardest careers to pursue, and even harder when one is going solo.

Not only does Mandy have to film her projects, but she also must edit them as well. Despite that, Kellogg loves creating her projects and finds joy in her passion. “My number one priority is always to have fun with what I’m doing. If people decide to watch my videos, that’s great, but if I’m no longer enjoying what I’m doing then it’s no longer worth the effort. I mostly just want to goof off with my friends and create something that we can watch over and over again,” says Mandy.

portagenorthernlight.com

Mandy has been working on a script for her biggest project yet, and has plans to release it onto YouTube for others to enjoy. She has worked on the script and on research for a month and has just become ready to film the first episode of her series.

Mandy’s love of filming has been with her for a year now, ever since she got a camera for her sixteenth birthday. Yet, in one year, she has been so dedicated that her father Jim Kellogg says, “On the weekends she is free, she writes up scripts, researches for her videos, and occasionally organizes meetings with her casts of friends for sometimes hours a day. In the past month, she got together a cast of ten or eleven girls, bought them clothes and props for their parts, wrote their scripts, and even wrote music for her newest mini-series. She spends a lot of time on her projects and she seems to enjoy them and is always excited for the next shoot.” The amount of money, time and effort put into each of Mandy’s projects has shown the strength and belief of her passion.

If that

doesn’t scream determined, nothing does.

As her sister says, “Mandy is really determined. Whenever she gets stuck on what to make happen next, she talks with one of her friends, who helps her film, until she figures out what to do. Sometimes, she gets a random idea and just finds a scrap piece of paper to write it on until she can type it up.”

Currently going under the name of Elision on YouTube, Mandy has been working on and uploading her new mini-series. Mandy has been working for just under a year, but with the amount of effort she puts into each project, it’s sure to be a lifetime career that will spiral into something even greater.

April 13, 2017

SPOTLIGHT

5

The cookie girl demi jensen (11) || staff writer Everyone loves cookies, especially Carolyn Leslie, a sophomore here at Portage Northern. Carolyn makes upwards of 700 cookies a month for fellow students and teachers.

It’s not every day that a high school student is thoughtful enough to do something as kind and giving as handing out free cookies. “It started that I’d just make some cookies for like, my friends or my favorite teachers and things like that,” said Carolyn, “And then other people who I necessarily didn’t know very well would ask for cookies, and then I’d have to feel bad because I couldn’t give them one. So then I was like, ‘you know what? I’m just going to make everyone a cookie, and the world will be happy’.”

Carolyn makes every cookie by hand, made with love, and ready to be shared. Who knew the simple act of giving away cookies could be so meaningful?

The double minority Sanah Gibson

lily antor (11) || entertainment editor ecently having switched R schools, a younger Sanah Gibson (10) walked through

the halls of Portage North Middle School and sensed the eyes of her peers staring at her.

“I wanted a fresh start, and I thought PPS would be a better environment,” said Sanah, “but I could tell that they were treating me differently.” As a student at Kalamazoo Public Schools, Sanah was exposed to much more diversity and felt more accepted at KPS as a black lesbian. She came out in seventh grade, and at the time it wasn’t a big deal to any of her friends in Kalamazoo. However, it was a difficult experience as she transferred to Portage.

Sanah felt like the students in her new Portage school treated her differently, which made her feel even more isolated than she already did. “Everybody thought I was scary and that I would beat them up just because I’m black, even though they had never talked to me before,” Sanah said. Despite feeling like an outsider, Sanah

12 FEATURE

eventually assimilated into PNHS, earning solid grades, making friends, and playing JV basketball. Amber Dixon, an economics teacher here at Portage Northern, loves to have Sanah in her first hour. “She is a positive, hardworking student,” Dixon said, “She always seems to have a smile on her face.”

“Everybody thought I was scary and that I would beat them up just because I’m black.”

- Sanah Gibson Now a sophomore, Sanah continues to weave herself into the social fabric of the school.

While changing schools has, by now, become easier, she has never felt completely comfortable. Being a minority in one sense is one thing, but being a minority by both race and sexual orientation is another.

April 13, 2017

Sanah continued to feel ostracized by many of peers, and even her family. “The big thing is my dad, becauses he tries to be that supportive parent but he still is not okay with it and stuff.”

Feelings of isolation seemed to disintegrate when she met her girlfriend, Alanah Fuentes (11), her freshman year. “Alhanna has just been by my side and is there for me,” she said. Sanah met Fuentes through mutual friends, and they immediately hit it off. However, being an openly gay couple doesn’t come without judgement. “The looks don’t bother me,” said Fuentes, “as long as Sanah is still smiling through them.”

Despite being what her friends call a “double minority,” Sanah has learned by experience to not let the thoughts of others dictate how she lives her life.

“I’ve gotten some looks in public and at school, but it does not bother me because I’m finally happy.”

Carolyn amazingly gives these cookies away for free every month, using her own time and resources to make people happy. “I don’t make any money off of it,” said Carolyn. She gives these cookies away out of the kindness of her heart, not for money. She keeps every student in mind, giving thought to those who cannot spend money. “Some people don’t necessarily have a dollar, and then I’d feel bad, and then I’d give them a cookie anyway,” said Carolyn.

When it comes to being kind, Carolyn includes every stu-

dent here at PN. Not only does Carolyn give out cookies every month, but she’s also a kind person in general. “She’s really laid back,” said Carolyn’s good friend Annabelle Childers (11), “she’s nice to everyone. I don’t think she could be mean to anyone, even if she wanted to.” Kindness is an immensely important characteristic to possess, especially during someone’s high school years.

Not many people display their kindness through free cookies, but Carolyn has made an impact on her friends and peers through this little act of kindness. “I think that a lot of people appreciate it. Things like that for people who are going through a rough time or having a bad day, it’s really nice for them to just get a cookie, especially if it’s free,” said Childers. Carolyn is a kind face here at PN, and her cookies really do make a difference for her fellow students and friends.

Every school needs a bright personality and friendly face, and Carolyn is definitely one of of those students. Whether it be making an unreal amount of cookies every month for the student body, or simply being a kind person, Carolyn hits the nail on the head. Thank you to Carolyn for being the kind, compassionate, and cookie-loving person that she is.

Carolyn with her usual armload of cookies.

Photo by Abby Seeber

portagenorthernlight.com

Jessica Wittenburg

A

gallup poll estimated that 30% of teenagers in America will grow up and achieve their childhood goal, and around 43% of teenagers will go on to achieve their high school dream career. Everyday Portage Northern junior, Jessica Wittenberg, walks into school with the same routine as all the other students. Wake up go to school, sit through 7 classes, then go home, but she has a dream. That dream being to own and run her own hair salon someday in the future. “I want to do [cosmetology] for a living,” said Wittenberg.

“That’s my main goal, to open up my own hair salon. ” Jessica is a part of the cosmetology EFA (Education for the Arts). “She likes [cosmetology] a lot,

she’s really interested in it and she think’s it’s a lot of fun. She likes cutting hair, but she has also made a lot of friends in the program and they hang out inside and outside of class. She feels like she is always improving and getting better, and she’s really determined to be good at it. She is focused and she even goes in extra on days she doesn’t have to. She also talks about it a lot, so it’s obviously really important to her,” said friend, Kaitlyn Fredricks (11).

Cosmetology is an underestimated and difficult profession, starting a small business in the any industry is cutthroat and difficult to keep afloat at first, however, anyone with determination can

alexa kava(11) || staff writer

make it. The beauty business is most prominent in a state like California with all the job opportunities places like Hollywood have to offer. “[Hollywood] would be fun, but some celebrities are a little too crazy for me,” Jessica said “I’d like to stay here.”

There are many aspects to the cosmetic industry such as haircuts, dye jobs, nail painting, makeup, and more. Jessica said her favorite part of the beauty world is “The hair, the haircuts, and all the updos.” There are multiple kinds of updos hairstylists can do like braids, fishtails, twists, and more. “My favorite story that she had told me was when they were learning how to use hot combs and

she accidentally grabbed the wrong hot comb that was left in the heater for way too long and she went to use it and burned the hair off her mannequin and now there is a huge bald spot on it,” laughs Jessica’s friend, Kaylyn Koningsberg (11). cameron shaefer

It’s never an easy thing to make your dreams come true. To start your own business and make it last is a difficult task and takes hard work and determination.

“I think she will be a good cosmetologist because she has always enjoyed doing other people’s hair and she has a great personality to talk with clients and coworkers,” said Koningsberg. ben lewis

Alexander Placke sheila mwanda(10) || staff writer cameron shaefer

H

aving y o u r f a m ily standing in the crowd, cheering you on during one of the biggest moments of your life is an exceptional feeling.

In a sport like weightlifting, support is essential, especially for Alexander Placke(11). ben lewis

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With a deadlift record of 340 pounds, Alex has a strong work

ethic. Under the encouragement of Coach Pete Schermerhorn, Alex joined the powerlifting team. “I had Alex in Power Training class and he seemed to really enjoy it,” explained Schermerhorn.

Alex has made several memories; his favorite being his “last deadlift at States with my parents cheering me on.” Another accomplishment of his was getting medaled

varsity for first year lifting at the State competition this March.

Alex has overcome several setbacks including the sense of defeat and pressure. “As with anyone involved in strength training the majority of the challenges involve the personal drive to stay committed and to always strive to do more,” says Schermerhorn. Alexander chooses to rise above his challenges and learn

valuable lessons from them in order to better his future in weightlifting.

Coaches Furlong and Schermerhorn have helped him come as far as he has in his sport.

“As a coach, I continue to make sure that they are pushing themselves to get better and reach their goals,” explains Furlong.

“Alex works extremely hard and he has reached some personal goals that he has set for himself.”

April 13, 2017

FEATURE

13

carter landis (11) || sports editor Most people don’t know or have even the slightest general idea about computer programming.

The complexity of the different codes and programs isn’t easy to understand right away. Baraa Hegazy (10) knows a considerable amount about it. Baraa runs a program with his friends in which KAMSC students can check homework they’ve turned in and receive insight on assignments. It’s still in the works, but once it’s up and running it should be quite beneficial to the KAMSC students.

Cameron Myers

Baraa Hegazy: Computer Sciences Extraordinaire “There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it, then it’s completely straightforward from there.”

-Baraa Hegazy

14 FEATURE April 13, 2017

Baraa started to become interested in computer programming when he was younger, being inspired from playing video games and thinking he could create and design them as well. “I was like, ‘Hey, how do I create these video games myself?’ so I started getting into computer programming and then just build it up, build it up, until I got into other stuff, like web development, all that,” he says.

Cole Roush (10) expressed admiration for Baraa’s talent. “I think the man is very intelligent and his computer programming skills will bring him places in the future.”

His style when designing websites and things related tends to take a more classical approach. “I played a bunch of the old SEGA classics like House of the Dead, some racing games, a bunch of those, those are really my types of games,” he says. Classic SEGA games tend to inspire Baraa to create new ideas.

When Baraa is web programming, he uses Microsoft Visual Studio most of the time, or when he’s at KAMSC, he uses Mac computers so he is given XCode to work with.

To him, these systems aren’t difficult to understand. “There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it, then it’s completely straightforward from there.”

Baraa’s friend Colin Gilmour (10) says of his skills, “I think that it is the greatest skill he has and he is truly interested in what he does.

I wish that we had as strong of a computer science class here at PN as he takes at KAMSC.” Baraa had some words for the youth interested in a career in computer programming. “Computer sciences is the most useful class I’ve ever taken and I think every child should take it because of the way society is going.” With society moving towards a very technological future, Baraa Hegazy hopes his computer programming skills will help propel a career.

For Baraa, having an advantage with his vast knowledge of computer programming can set him ahead of his class because knowing all there is to know about computers can be advantageous when looking for a job in the future.

He says on a potential career, “I would want to be a computer programmer because it’s not limited to just web page designs. It’s more functional and practical versus the artistic side of web page design.

There’s probably a sub-category of computer science that relates to someone’s talents or hobbies.”

Having that mindset of being able to figure out all the different and complex parts of a computer and being able to design his own web pages is a special talent that not many possess, and Baraa has a real shot at becoming a professional.

portagenorthernlight.com

3 there is more than what it seems

1

moving on with support

Taryn and her teammates are being presented their awards at a meet.

The air was filled with white dust and sounds of feet hitting the mats. From all the chaos and sweat, a girl no younger than 10, stood among her teammates ready to stick a landing. There was no uncertainty in her execution on the high bars, so she mounted onto them using only chalk, not her hand grips. When she started to spin around the metal bar, she felt herself slipping. In a matter of seconds she slid into the air and her left arm took the fall. “I remember that I didn’t cry, and I was taken to Urgent Care right away,” Taryn Ross (9) claims.

She was then hurried into the ER, where it was announced that her arm was broken in two different spots along with a dislocated elbow. After a cast and physical therapy, her arm may have been healed, but her gymnastics career of nine years was over.

A friendly group photo with her teammates during gymnastics practice.

Taryn may not be going back to the gymnasium anytime soon because, as she says, “I don’t go back because in the end it started to feel like a job rather than a hobby.”

However, she has found aspirations since gymnastics. “I’m really into law so I’d like to do something in that field.” Yet, how can anybody be surprised with Taryn’s dream to impact the world with her compassionate nature? The effect that she has on her peers is only the beginning of what’s to come.

“My left arm was too weak to continue gymnastics.”

IN THE LIFE OF t a r y n r o s s 2

cortney chow (12) || editor-in-chief

more battles ahead

After that accident, “my left arm was too weak to continue gymnastics,” says Ross. Although she endured physical therapy for two months, it was not enough to regain her original strength.

“I would go three times a week after school, and they would just do exercises to stretch it out,” Taryn continues, “it’s not strong and it hasn’t been for a couple of years.” Due to Taryn’s accident, she was unable to continue her hobby and these injuries still affect her everyday routine.

As a freshman, she still has recurring pain in her left arm. However, having this condition has helped her form the sweet and Taryn feeling victorious after winning a gymnastics positive personality her friends speak fondly of. Grace Beam (11), a good friend of Taryn, spoke about her experiences and trophy.

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how her ability to stay positive made their bond even tighter.

Beam reflects on Taryn’s gymnastic history by saying, “Hours and hours in the gym, eating right, all that stuff. She still has to wear a brace or sling sometimes for her arm.” Beam continues, “she's pretty resistant against actually wearing it so I tend to get on her about it!” The reason why Beam has tendencies to nag her is because she sees Taryn as a little sister. Both met each other in a youth group and since then, they’ve been unstoppable. Beam elaborates, “I've seen her have the worst day ever and still ask me if I'm doing okay and help me if anything's wrong.” Another close friend, Grace Culp (9), shares the same experiences as Beam. Culp went to Taryn’s gymnastic meets and recalls that “her floor routines were always upbeat.”

April 13 , 2017

FEATURE

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Andrew Martin

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meredith ablao (11) ||news editor ou can change the smaller aspects to make a bigger impact.”

Trial and error, trial and error, trial and error. This is what Andrew Martin (10) does almost daily while teaching himself how to reassemble and take apart computers.

The Start One must start somewhere. For Andrew, his start was just as simple as, “when I got my first laptop, I started fiddling with it and downloading stuff.” His first laptop was a Samsung, bought in 2010, when Andrew was just 9 years old.

Over the years, Andrew’s fiddling turned into a passion. Currently, Andrew takes a computer applications

16 FEATURE April 13, 2017

class here at Portage Northern with Amy Meyers, who in fact, has him as a second semester student. “He has been a hard worker in my class,” she stated. He enjoys the work in this class not only during his 7th hour, but at home or with his friends, talking or using computers virtually whenever he can. While discussing what fascinates him most about a computer, Andrew says the most interesting thing is, “that you can tell it what to do.”

The Trouble Not only is Andrew a smart, technological genius, he is a jokester. “At my old school I used to get in trouble because I used to go into the wifi and I could play with other people’s computers, and put tons of stupid pictures on their computer and they didn’t know where it came from. I liked

that.” While Andrew has since tamed his technological wild side (at least at school), Andrew still likes more than just puzzles and identifying the problem and fixing it, he likes messing around with friends, and creating a reality more eclectic than the real world.

I have had would be figuring out how they work without having anybody teach me.” When Andrew was in middle school, he took two courses at Ferris State University during the summer, where he learned to design video games, and turn his reality into his own virtual fun.

The Education The coolest part is Andrew is the puzzle and creativity of his mind. To learn about computers, Andrew endures several hours teaching everything to himself. This is probably one of the hardest things to do considering that technology involves multiple complicated aspects and puzzles.

While sitting at home, Andrew finds himself fiddling with different parts and applications on his computer, and he states “the coolest experience

With dreams of attending Stanford to further his educational experiences, Andrew continues to experiment with computers until he solves the mystery of them. Even his father, Chuck, believes his son will pursue a career in technology and computers as he grows older. “Andrew will remain fascinated by technology and he will likely make this his college and career path,” he stated. Not only does his Dad think he is capable of this exciting future exploration, so does Andrew.

portagenorthernlight.com

PNHS Baseball Schedule

Max Beffel: back in the swing of things

April 25 @ St. Joseph May 2 v.

Niles May 4 @ K Central May 9 @ Lakeshore

Leslie Schreiber

mackenzie brey (11) || staff writer When anyone talks about the classic student athlete type, most people know the stereotype of an over-confident, cocky, and just an all-around loud mouth kind of a kid, but when it comes to Max Beffel (11), baseball player, that just simply is not the case.

forget about everything else outside of baseball,” which is why he gives it his all. Varsity coach Chris Andrews says that “as he develops better command of his pitches, he’s go-

“He’s a major competitor.”

Max has been playing baseball for 12 years for teams like the Portage Northern Baseball Team, the Maroons, and more, and continues to work harder every year. When he was asked about the reason for playing, Max said that “baseball helps my regular life by letting me

-Quinlan Lewis

portagenorthernlight.com

ing to be really, really good.”

Tre Walker (11), spoke of Max as “selfless on the field and on the court.” Walker, one of Max’s good friends, describes

Max as a “goal getter,” and another friend, Quinlan Lewis (11) also spoke to this, saying that “he’s a major competitor. Last year when we went to St. Joe for baseball, he came in during extra innings and bases loaded. He flipped a switch and struck all three kids out. Overall freak athlete and big competitor.”

As explained by his friends and teammates, Max is different from the regular student athlete stereotype. He even says that his “friends have had the greatest impact” and that “they are the reason I’m still playing.” It could come as a great surprise that Max also said that “[during my] freshman year, I thought that I was going to quit baseball for

good. Then I decided to play another year, and that year I met new people and made some friends who are some of my closest friends today.”

Max’s plans for college in general aren’t certain at this point.

While one of his dreams to play baseball on a collegiate level, he recognizes that he isn’t quite there yet. “I just need to practice more,” he said. “[Playing baseball in college is] one of those things you know you can accomplish if you really want it.”

May 16 v.

PC May 18 @ Mattawan May 20 @ Hackett

At the end of the day, as a good guy with a can-do attitude and a healthy helping of selflessness, there are obviously great things in store for Max Beffel.

April 13, 2017

FEATURE

17

The unexpected: Elise Taylor Pi = . . .

4 3.1

Women who practice in the science and mathematics should be valued.

A= 1/2 bh

The golden ratio states...

a^2 + b^2 =

c^2

issra said (11) || staff writer Less than thirty percent of all women in the U.S. pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or math fields (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Freshman Elise Taylor craves to go beyond what she believes is expected for women and indulge in the disciplines of mathematics in her future.

Math and science are subjects that Elise has always excelled in and she has no doubt that she will continue to enjoy them both. The hope she has in her promising future is the force that pushes her everyday.

Elise has always found herself curious regarding math. She recalls asking her teacher, in Young Fives, “when are we going to do ‘plus-ing’ and ‘minus-ing’?’” Elise’s attempt to put her best foot

18

FEATURE

forward and display to her teacher her eagerness to learn reflects the initiative that she still holds today.

Even her beloved 6th and 8th grade math teacher, Jennifer Bonner, notes that in class, “as soon as I would start a lesson, [Elise] would sit a little straighter, lean forward, smile, and nod.” This tenacious drive is what allows Elise to stand out from the crowd. She remains an eager student inside and outside the classroom.

Her current math teacher Cheryl McKenzie says, “I can tell that she enjoys math because she understands it and helps others in the classroom that do not.” Math and science both intertwine, especially when it comes to the subjects notorious for their difficulty: calculus and physics. Although Elise has yet to stumble upon

April 13, 2017

what happened in math; what the teacher said, what she learned, and how it was so fun for her.” Elise enjoys learning because she knows that there is a bigger purpose for the material and values making connections between her day-today life and the classroom. Elise claims that if students dig deeper into a subject, they will always find something to admire. calculus in her secondary education, she enjoys the math that leads up to this advanced reasoning nonetheless, including algebra. Her favorite aspect of subjects like

math are building the pieces to form concepts. Her mother and biggest supporter, Julie Taylor, said in middle school, “Elise would come home everyday and tell me, in detail,

The STEM field is not familiar to diversity.

With the majority of this field consisting of men, it is not common of women to pursue these fields. How-

ever, Elise pushes the fact that encouraging women to participate and strive for STEM careers will be beneficial to the field itself.

To her, women possess unique perspectives to men and new ideas to contribute to this discipline. She will partake in something that she says is “not expected for women” and provide her part in contributing to the world through a math-related career. Elise plans on sharing her intelligence with society as an accountant. Her love of numbers will finally be put to efficient use.

portagenorthernlight.com

Kristopher Kline

allison mckenzie (11) || feature editor

Racing through Separation

Imagine a typical freshman student: vivacious in nature and always ready to learn and grow. While some freshman do not have a clue in the world as to what they want to do when they get older or how they can even get there, this is not the case for freshman Kristopher Kline.

Kris is the oldest of six other siblings in his family.

He acts as a role model to them all and loves spending time with his large and loving family.“When we spend time together we play board games and hangout,” says Kline. He also acts as a father figure to his siblings as well since his parents are divorced. “My parents divorced seven months ago and it’s not too difficult to adapt to,” says Kline. He lives with his mom for the majority of the time now due to his father living farther away.

This separation of his parents and him from his father has caused an increase in his love for the art of mechanics. “Since he was 11 or 12 Kris gained his interest for cars. However, he has spent his whole life being raised around mechanics,” says Mrs. Kline, Kristopher’s mother. Kris described how his dad and him used to go out together and fix up cars regularly.

Having his father not as involved in his life anymore due to mainly living with his mother has caused Kris’s interest in cars to come to an all time high. This spiked a flame in him that is hard to put out. “Cars interest me. This is all I talk about with my family,” says Kline.

His dad is close to a mechanic and after he left, Kris still has the passion to work on cars. In fact, he already knows that he wants to become a mechanic and own his own shop when he gets older.

Kris uses his parents separation as a gateway to not only becoming closer to his family, but also to something that is completely fascinating to him. Having this experience allows Kristopher to grow and flourish in many ways that others will never achieve, which ultimately helps him to his goal of becoming a mechanic and following the footsteps of his father.

Taken by his mom, this picture shows Kristopherin his favorite pastime; working on cars.

portagenorthernlight.com

April 13, 2017

FEATURE 19

Yago: An active adventurer cameron schaefer (12) || photographer

A

pproximately 4,413 miles across the North Atlantic Ocean and off the East coast of Spain lies the island of Mallorca, one of the four major Balearic Islands in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and home to exchange student Jaume Pujol Cuadra, otherwise known as Yago. This sixteen year-old highflyer has had seldom trouble maintaining the active and adventurous lifestyle that his native culture has instilled in him. Host brother and Portage Northern sophomore, Colin Gilmour, expresses, “we enjoy going swimming and playing basketball” whenever the weather is nice, while at the same time “we often bike and ride skateboards together.” Moreover, to stay involved in the school setting, Yago played on the men’s junior varsity soccer team in the fall and swam for the men’s swimming and diving team during the winter.

At the young age of five, Yago began participating in what is considered to be a lifestyle rather than solely a sport in the country of Spain: the game of fútbol. Through playing the sport, Yago has not only had the opportunity to form lifelong friendships with his teammates, but he has also had the opportunity to develop into an “interesting and all around cool dude,” according to Portage Northern soccer teammate of Yago’s, Will Hovestadt (10).

Hovestadt recounts one of his fondest memories of sharing the field with Yago when Hovestadt “missed a shot by hitting the ball way over the goal” and Yago jokingly said, “Your ball went to the

moon!”

Ryan Gilmour

As far as the adventurous side of Yago goes, he exclaims, “I’m always moving. I can’t stay home.”

Around the island of Mallorca, there are many cliffs and small mountain sides that him and his friends enjoy climbing, especially after a day full of work at school. Due to the year-round tropical climates, Yago and his friends spend every possible day of the year being active outdoors and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. When host mother, Jennifer Gilmour, thinks of Yago, she vividly recalls the first time they met when her family travelled to Mallorca, Spain.

Gilmour recalls, “he was doing flips off of his dad’s boat in the Mediterranean.”

Above, Yago sits in the sand to watch the sun set below the horizon on Lido Beach in Sarasota, Florida during spring break vacation. Below right, re-positioning himself, Yago remains focused in a game as a member of the PNHS junior-varsity soccer team. Below left, the waters of Yago’s homeland of Mallorca glisten in the sun.

Since Yago’s first ever arrival to the United States in August of 2016, the game of fútbol and his active and adventurous tendencies have not escaped him, despite living over 4,000 miles away from home.

Ryan Gilmour

20 FEATURE April 13, 2017

Creative Commons

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Cameron Schaefer

Micah Graff: a future fashion prodigy salvador delvecchio (10) || staff writer

First it began as a hobby, then it turned into a dream with a goal in mind. Micah Graff (10) is not your average, typical guy.

He is quite tall (you can’t miss him) and has the fashion sense of a god.

“He is a super great person and is always positive about everything he does and is just enjoyable to talk to,” says Bennett Meeks, a good friend and clothing customer of Micah’s.

Micah has the lowdown on everything fashion, whether it be Supreme or Thrasher. Ever since he could remember, Mi-

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cah has always had an interest in the business and the design world.

But it wasn’t until he started high school that he began to make plans for the launch of his first business. “I started getting into clothing the beginning of freshman year,” says Micah.

At the beginning of his freshman year, Micah created the brand “Solace”. He created the logo and designed the t-shirts and hats which were put up for sale on his startup company’s website. You may have seen

some of these hats and shirts floating around the school, as Micah has already sold quite a few. “I think Micah’s brand is really groovy. It’s very minimal which I dig and I’m pretty stoked for him,” says Kalina Dusenbery (10). With Solace being such a success, Micah plans on starting a new business, one that is more fine tuned than his previous one. “I learned a lot from Solace and I want to put that into my new brand STF (Start The Fire),” says Micah.

up for his new business endeavor (featured in the upper left corner of this page) and hopes to soon get his business idea up and running come early summer time. With a new

business comes a new idea.

Micah has always been a skater and loves the world of film.

“I want to make it into a skate company and dive into the world of film while still making clothing,” says Micah. Micah has a brilliant mind for both business and clothing and may have just what it takes to make it big… who knows, he could be the next Kanye.

“I started small, but I did what I could and never gave up on what I knew I wanted to accomplish.”

-Micah Graff

Micah already has a logo lined

April 13, 2017

FEATURE

21

Avidity for the Arts:

Gabby DeLuca

Coming from a small school can have its benefits and its downfalls when it comes time to transition from a class of 23 to a class of around 400. For Gabby DeLuca (10), coming from Gagie to Portage Northern was a big step in her life. “There weren’t many people and I just felt like it restricted me from experiencing the world. So when I came here, it was a big change and there were a lot of different people from all aspects of life,” says Gabby. At the beginning of her freshman year, she struggled to open up to people. “I was pretty closed off my freshman year,” she claims. According to Gabby, all it takes is an open mindset to overcome the obstacle of a new school with all new people. “You have to have an open mindset on a lot of things, talk to as many people as you can and make sure you don’t close yourself off.”

One of the aspects in her life that also helped her through her transition into high school was her love for the arts. Kalina Dusenberry (10), raved about her talented best friend, whom she met towards the end of both of their freshman years. “A lot of people think that she just dances ballet and stuff like that, but this girl can really boogie, she can dance to anything,” she says. Gabby’s passion for dance is evident in every element of her life.

lexi gavlas (11) || spotlight editor

Though she is taking the year off of competing at West Michigan Dance Center, Gabby continues to challenge herself at the studio. “[Dancing is] cool because it’s both athletic and artistic so you get both angles,” says Gabby. “She has this drive to dance, which I think is pretty cool,” says Dusenberry.

Gabby’s love for the arts doesn’t end with dance. “Besides her dancing, she’s artistic. She has this wall in her room that she just doodles on with paint,” says Dusenberry. Her bedroom wall consists of a giant mural of faces, flowers, and whatever Gabby feels like painting that day. “I think drawing, painting, or whatever art style you prefer is a good way to externalize your energy and get [it out] in a productive and fun way,” she explains.

Her mural started one night when she began sketching on her wall out of boredom, “I knew I’d be able to erase it if my parent’s got mad but they ended up liking it so I kept going with it,” says Gabby. While many parents might not be on board with giving their teenagers free reign with paint in their bedrooms, Gabby’s mom, Marla, went along with it. “At first I thought, oh crap, but then it was cool. I thought I should be mad but it’s her room and [the mural] is beautiful,” she says.

22 FEATURE April 13, 2017

Ailina Plemmon Gabby posing for a photo at a studio downtown called “The Station” for a photoshoot with her neighbor Ailina Plemmon.

Gabby’s dancing has not just been a big part of her life; it has also inspired others around her.

“What makes Gabby stand out as a dancer is her determination, she may not always get the step but she always works her hardest,” says Belle Sroka, fellow dancer and friend of 5 years.

“She has really influenced me to become a better person on and off the dance floor, she’s taught me not to care about what others think about me and encourages me to live my life in a way that makes me happy,” says Sroka.

Not only are her friends inspired by her artistic abilities and good heart, but her mom explains what effect her dancing has had on her, too: “I feel so much joy whenever she makes art or dances because I know it makes her happy and it’s a good outlet for her. It makes my own heart happy,” she says.

Whether she’s dancing to her own beat by performing on stage or re-painting her room, Gabby DeLuca is an artistic spirit, undoubtedly loved by her friends and family who ultimately look to Gabby for inspiration in their own lives.

Gabby DeLuca Gabby’s mural on her bedroom wall where she paints and doodles whatever she feels like that day.

Ailina Plemmon This casual photoshoot with a friend was a perfect opportunity for Gabby to show off her modeling skills as she has always been kind of interested in modeling.

portagenorthernlight.com

Canny Child Care

W

matilda buehler (10) || staff writer

e all know little kids: they can be the super cute and nice, but also really annoying. Ella Trombley, a junior at Portage Northern, enjoys, unlike many other teenagers, to babysit and work with little children and their families.“I like to babysit because I love kids, I get really connected to the families I babysit for and I find that that makes the experience more fun.” Among all the other interests of hers, children play an astonishing important role in her life.

For Ella, babysitting was always fun but, as we all know, it definitely has its challenges. “I had just started babysitting these two kids, Sachin and Roshan. And the first night I started they locked themselves in the pantry for the whole night. They just wouldn’t come out,” she tells smiling, “finally I was able to “bribe” Roshan with games on my phone to come out. It worked.” The bond that is made by working with the children and their families is an important part of her work as a babysitter.

“ I like to babysit because I love kids, I

get really connected to the families I babysit for and I find that that makes the experience more fun.

Ella Trombley

“

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Ella also thinks about pursuing a career as a psychologist, specialized in children, an important job to help children overcome their personal problems. “Helping children deal with their problems and grow personally and academically is setting them up for success in their future but it also is helping to ensure that the world has a positive future as well,” states Lucas Rewa, a psychology teacher at Northern about the benefits of this work. This year, Ella is taking psychology in school and is planning to take the IB class next school year. Despite the fact she enjoys working with kids for a shorter period of time, her career plans aren’t settled yet. “I thought about working with kids but then I don’t know if I would be able to handle that every single day. They can be cute and easy to handle sometimes but the other times it’s quite difficult,” she says.

Her great attitude toward children and her ability to work with them makes her stand out from the usual student. But not only that, Ella is also passionate about graphic design and among a career in psychology she is also considering one in graphic or web page design.

April 13, 2017 FEATURE

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