December 2017 by Portage Northern Light

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TheNorthern Northern Light The Light volume 48 issue 2

pg. 12

Christmas: celebrated or con

sumed?

Portage Northern High School

1000 Idaho Ave Portage, MI 49024

www.portagenorthernlight.com

2 CUT PAGE / TOC

Nov. 2017 3

contents issue 2, volume 48

HIGHLIGHTS

musical recap

american awakening

pro/con: winter

the fall musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, impresses

FROM THE EDITOR DEAR READERS, I am, yet again, thrilled to present you with another edition of The Northern Light! As you can tell from the cover, we will be exploring the modern celebration of Christmas and the marketing of the holiday. We in no means intend to offend anyone, we just think this is an important issue to discuss. If you wish to write us your thoughts on these matters, we would love the input! All the information on how to contact us is written above under “Policies.” Additionally, we in no means intend to isolate students who do not celebrate Christmas. We just recognized that the holiday spirit extends past

the religious celebrations, and that the majority of our students celebrate or at least appreciate the holiday in one way or another. Speaking of which, I want to express on the behalf of the staff just how much we enjoy receiving your feedback. This paper is for you, Huskies: please help us make it better for you. A HUGE thank you to everyone who made this edition possible: our interviewees, teachers, parents, friends, and of course, Amanda Thorpe and The NL staff. Happy Holidays & a Merry New Year everyone! Continue to live right and read The Light!

- LILY ANTOR | editor-in-chief

sexual assualt discussion spreads locally & nationally

are Michigan winters more of a blessing or a curse?

‘17-’18 STAFF

sport wishlist

overview of 2017

what teams have been naughty or nice, Santa?

we present The NL’s best and worst list of 2017 LILY ANTOR

14 design by LILY ANTOR

home for the holidays class of 2017 graduate Grace Peguese discusses her first semester at the University of Chicago

LILY ANTOR editor-in-chief BEN LEWIS chief designer ISSRA SAID feature editor LEXI GAVLAS creative editor MEREDITH ABLAO news editor

POLICIES AT THE PN LIGHT 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 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 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.

CARTER LANDIS sports editor DEMI JENSEN opinion editor LEXI KAVA entertainment editor ALLISON MCKENZIE business manager MACKENZIE BREY media manager

staff writers: KEEGAN TENNEY SHEILA MWANDA ANAI FREEMAN MEGAN RINOCK KOMALPREET KAUR CAMERON MYERS MAX MAYWELL HON-MAN TSANG BRI NEUHOUSER LAURA KOSCINSKI

4 NEWS

Top left: Caught at a brief pause during a big dance number, senior McKenna Laabs dances on the stage in her last school musical.

Bottom right: Theater-seasoned junior Trinity Posey returns as Trix the Aviatrix in The Drowsy Chaperone.

At right: Junior Sydney Dudley makes her debut in this years musical as Mrs. Tottendale, the lady who owns the estate. Bottom: Senior Elliot Hoinville proves his acting chops by allowing the audience to see inside to a lonely man with a love for musical theater. Bottom center: Last year junior Rosie Coryell sand beautifully in Into The Woods as Cinderella, and this year she ‘shows off’ as a star turned fiancé.

What’s the buzz? The Drowsy Chaperone delights by KOMALPREET KAUR “There are so many elements that help hone a good comedy,” said English and Drama Teacher Celia Weeks, director of this year’s musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, which opened on Friday, December 1st. At just over 100 minutes long, the humorous tale-within-a-tale of misadventures narrated by a 1920s musical fan kept audiences engaged. “The musical was amazing and everyone was attentive the entire time,” Sophomore Taryn Ross said. In addition to a talented tech staff and supporting cast, the play was brought to life by the lead students: junior Sydney Dudley as Mrs. Tottendale, junior Rosie Coryell as Janet van de Graaf, senior Ryan Daniel as Robert Martin, senior Audrey Everett as the Drowsy Chaperone, and senior Isaac Reid as Aldolpho. As is the norm, a tremendous amount of work went into making this year’s play successful, including several hours of rehearsal per week. Tech Sunday, one of the most important rehearsals to ensure the play would run smoothly, lasted 9 hours long. “It is not easy managing the workload, [because] I have almost all IB classes, said Reid. “It helps that my teachers are lenient and give long deadlines.” The workload is also significant for Weeks, who has a year old and a 4 year old at home, but for her the ends outweigh the means. She said, “I am more about the process than the product with the goal that kids are learning how to work together [and] become better people as well as actors.” This year’s musical gave all students something to look forward to: a night of entertainment and watching their friends shine on stage.

design by MACKENZIE BREY

Nov. 2017 5

6 NEWS

Geeking Out! Science Olympiad prepares for their first competition by MANNY TSANG

All photos by JUSTIN OLSEN The overhead view of the commons during the Science Olympiad tournament. Olsen felt that “The tournament was a ton of fun. We loved hosting and all of the competitors helped to make it fun.”

Seniors Bharat Goel and Jeffrey Woodin working on questions in the event Dynamic Planet, an event focusing on the structure of the Earth. This event gave the duo some trouble. Goel said “[For Dyanamic Planet, it is] very hard to know everything when you have to study everything.”

When preparing for something competitive, many people feel anxious or worried about it. Members of the Science Olympiad team were no exception heading into their first competition on Saturday, December 9th. Science Olympiad is a science and technology based competition where students show their knowledge and skills about subjects such as genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology by answering questions, working on projects, and performing labs. It also requires teamwork and critical thinking in order to solve problems given to them. The team was in full preparation mode leading up to the event. For senior Morghan Hoose, preparation for her subject, Chem Lab, has been going well. Hoose said, “This is my third year. [Preparation has been] good. I’ve mainly been using my old notes from last year. It’s basically compiling a bunch of notes for a subject and I’m hoping it hasn’t changed a lot.” Science Olympiad usually changes the content of the various subjects year by year in order to reflect all of the advances in the scientific field and stay as modern as possible, but some events do repeat some questions from year to year.

Senior Alex Marquis and junior Ryan Clare in the Source Code event, where sutdents design and asnwer questions about a program. Marquis chose this event because “I have had an interest in programming and problem solving, and this is a new event which I felt would give me experience in coding.”

design by MANNY TSANG

For others, preparation was much more stressful. Sophomore Matthew Kerr said, “this is my 1st year. I wasn’t here for the entire time, so I picked my events one week before. I’m a little bit anxious, [and] a little bit happy. It’s my first tournament and I’ve heard cool things from my dad and other people I’ve talked to.” Overall, Northern performed very well. Mr Olsen, co-head of Northern’s Science Olympiad group, said that “I think it went really well. We had 27 teams from 15 schools, and while we didn’t place in the top six, we are still happy with our individual places.” Northern placed in 11th place, and had juniors Connor Piereson and Hunter McGillivray in first place in Game On, where students build an original computer game. Junior Emma Fischell and sophomore Aleja Chambers also earned first place in Ecology, which is the study of organisms in North America and their environments. Senior Zach Pierangeli and junior Thomas Leasure won second place in Herpetology, which is the study of reptiles and amphibians. Science Olympiad’s next tournament will be March 24, 2018, and team members feel ready. Hoose said ,“I feel we will be ready. [The competition] was definitely good practice for

Nov. 2017 7

Sexual Assault: by KEEGAN TENNEY

an issue nationally and also close to home

This map shows that Portage Northern is only twelve minutes away from where this recent sexual assault case took place.

Nationally, sexual assault has become more relevant and is seen in news more than ever before. Recently, it seems sexual assault is most prevalent in Hollywood, with many cases being talked about and many careers ended as a result. While some may be baseless accusations, most are proven to be legitimate, and the internet allows this information to unfold to the rest of the world, showing what an issue sexual harassment really is. Hollywood is only one area where sexual assault is becoming more well-known, but due to the prominence of these celebrities, across the United States sexual assault is quickly becoming more prominent each day. Locally, this is a problem as well, as the boundaries of our own town hold cases of people who are now being accused of the same cases. The Kalamazoo Police Department is currently investigating the reported November 29th assault of two middle school students who were walking down Konkle Street between Cork and Royce Street. The victims stated in the report that a bicyclist came up behind one student and when they got

over to let him pass, he reached out and grabbed the student. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety records indicate that a similar incident occurred on October 13 when a man on a bicycle reached out and grabbed a thirteen-year-old girl while he rode past intersection of West Maple Street and West Crosstown Parkway. Records released by the City of Portage show that last year, there were 31 reported incidents of rape and 57 incidents of assault. That is a rate of 63.9 per 100,000 people for rape and 117.4 per 100,000 people for assault. Those numbers are still lower than the state average, which is 117.4 for rape and 309.4 for assault. In an anonymous survey of nearly 100 PN freshman, 41% said they had witnessed something that they would call sexual harassment while hanging out with peers their own age either in school or out of school. “I think that it’s always been around, but people thought it to be a part of normal life, whereas now we have a way to define it now,” said freshman Kylie Clifton.

Check out www.portagenorthernlight.com in the Feature section for an infographic by Brianna Neuhouser explaining the difference between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct and where students can go if they need to report an incident.

design by KEEGAN TENNEY

8 OPINION

the sensitive

phone addicts by THE NL STAFF Our generation is incessantly criticized, whether it be for using our phones too often, being too sensitive, or caring too much about our appearances. We are condemned because our generation is ‘different.’ Older people like our parents and teachers don’t understand us because we have grown up in a world drastically different from the one in which they were raised. It is incredibly unfair, however, to dub this generation as “failed.” Every single generation varies in some degree from the previous one. As for us? We are the just the one some people cannot understand simply because they do not bother trying. Everyday we are reminded of the fact that adults think we don’t know how to communicate with others because we’re “always on our phones.” We are ridiculed because we “cannot get off our phones” or because we can’t look up for more than “two seconds.” The idea that we use technology too much is stupid. We don’t blame the previous generations for using the microwave or ball point pens too much. The use of technological devices is an inherent aspect of growing up in the twenty first century. There is nothing adults can do to change that. Not to mention that our parents seem to use technology just as much as we do. They shouldn’t act like they don’t buy their kids phones just to get them off their backs. Parents always seem to be tagging us in a new Facebook post whenever we leave the house. Rather than trying to break the stereotype that our generation is addicted to our phones, we should all accept that this is the age of technology for everyone. If you take a look

illustration by MEGAN RINOCK

Refuting the stereotypes of our generation around, you can see grandparents and parents glued to their phones: it’s not just us who struggle to look up sometimes. The invention and innovation of technology is good, as we are able to use it not only to communicate, but to learn in an educational environment that is extremely competitive. Yeah, there are a ton of kids who are rude about their cell phone use, but there are also those of us who like socializing with others and know how because we are, contrary to popular belief, functioning human beings. Adults seem to always remind us millenials that

“We are smart, we are hardworking, and we are capable of cleaning up this mess of a world that baby boomers have left for us.” we “don’t know real work” and that we’re “lazy.” What is real work and what makes ours any less important? We do not appreciate that our generation is labeled as lazy, sensitive and handed everything on a silver platter. Don’t assume that just because of the decade we were born in that we don’t have jobs. Plenty of us, in fact, manage part time jobs on top of all our school work and extracurriculars. People saying that this generation is full of “special snowflakes” is also idiotic. We should be happy that our society has advanced to the point where we feel comfortable to express who we are, rather

design by LILY ANTOR

than conforming to expectations of the past. We are smart, we are hardworking, and we are capable of cleaning up this mess of a world that baby boomers have left for us. If recognizing society’s weaknesses makes us “snowflakes” we are okay with that. Addressing mental health, minority struggles, and political issues does not make us weak. It makes us smart. Lastly, if we hear one more time that we are self-absorbed, we may just lose it. Yes, some teenagers are constantly posting pictures of themselves and spending hours getting ready in the morning. However, we give props to those people for having confidence in themselves! Liking how you look is a gift, why not flaunt it? Self love should not be seen by older generations as shallow, it should be observed as an achievement. It is something that us youngins have been forced to teach ourselves in a world that constantly labels us as dressing “inappropriately” just for trying to be comfortable in our own skin. Taking selfies? It’s not self-obsession. It’s not being fake. It’s being happy enough with yourself to say you love how you look on a certain day. Who is anyone to tear a person down for that? Yes, adults! We are the failed generation. We are addicted to our phones, we are way too privileged, and we are incredibly self-obsessed. But, older generations, take a second to recognize your own faults. You raised us, you created the environment and society in which we live. If you have complaints, file them to yourselves. We, on the other hand, will be working on building our brighter future. It’s your choice, adults, if you want to join us.

Nov. 2017

This weather is snow joke

A sneak peak into the mind of a boy regarding his choices in winter attire by MACKENZIE BREY Dear Journal, Everyone knows that during the winter, boys aren’t allowed to wear anything warm. We aren’t allowed to wear insulated coats, full-length pants, fur-lined winter boots (faux of course), or even those undeniably cute little mittens decorated with tribal patterns up and down each side with touch screen compatible fingertips. To avoid a long and drawn out complaint, I will simply say that I, for one, am sick of it! Why are my sweatpants off limits? Am I supposed to wear them during the summer?* It’s like boys are expected to show their defiance toward Michigan winter without being TOO out there. I mean, look around. NONE of us are dressed appropriately for the temperature! How am I supposed to blatantly ignore those parkas I see all of the girls wearing when I’m freezing in my t-shirt? I mean come on! They look not only stylish and warm, but also comfortable and practical…none of which I would consider myself to be while sporting about 40 percent of my skin and cringing as snow pierces my skin’s surface like each individual flake has an extremely

personal vendetta against me. I am really out here freezing! Just the other day, I was walking into school and I saw not one, not two, but six boys with icicles hanging from the bottoms of their Black Nike Dri-Fit Performance Shorts™ and nine with snow piled carefully on the tip of their Black Old Skool Canvas Sneaker Size 11 Vans™…Seriously™? I am not here to complain or anything... well… maybe I am...I definitely am... but I just want a coat! No man, woman, or child should have to go without this winter, and the guy-munity needs to come together to embrace the fact that we get cold, too! That’s a good start… Right? You know what, I’m just going to go buy a coat. Okay, maybe not a full on coat, but at least a sweatshirt. I’ll keep you posted, dearest journal….NOT diary! Signed, Literally Every Boy Ever *I would just like to note that I am, in fact, supposed to wear all of my warm clothes in the summer, but that’s a different story for a different time.

design by MACKNZIE BREY

10 OPINION

Nov. 2017

or a time of tears?

A time of cheers

Time

Chilly

by MEREDITH ABLAO Imagine eating a mouth-watering cookie and sipping steamy hot chocolate while sitting by a warm fire with fuzzy socks on and a good movie on the TV. This is a feeling that only occurs during the season of winter, and one of the reasons why wintertime is a great time. Although many people may disagree, I truly believe winter is the best season of them all because not only do we have cookies, hot chocolate, warm fireplaces and fuzzy socks...we have an aesthetic dream. Winter gives us a pretty valid excuse for staying indoors and snuggling up, spending hours at a time hitting the slopes, and let’s not forget about those glorious Michigan snow days. Oftentimes, I am not allowed to stay indoors during a nice weekend even when I need the rest. Anybody else understand my pain? Let’s think about this - does your mom ever make you go run errands with her or does your dad ever ask you to follow him in the car to the car shop? Well mine do, and it isn’t just a one time thing. With this being said, the season of winter allows me to stay inside because it’s more likely to bet’s too cold or too dangerous to drive. My parents slowly wind down with the questions and “favor asking” solely because they don’t want me on the roads. So they allow me to rest and get comfy all weekend long. If being lazy is something you want more time to do, start getting along with winter. When you and your friends tire of being “winter couch potatoes,” there are always fun opportunities to participate in. One of these opportunities is shredding the narr (skiing). Bittersweet and Timber Ridge both require nothing but some snow pants, skis/snowboards, and a good attitude. The slopes are fun and all, but the comfort of walking into the warm building after a couple of good runs is what it is all about. If hitting the slopes is your thing, or if you’re just looking for something thrilling to partake in with some friends, then befriend winter because it’s the only time of the year you can do this! “...due to inclement weather, all Portage Public Schools will be closed today.” Ahh, yes...we cannot forget how good this sounds at 6 am before letting our feet touch the floor. Michigan snow days are legendary, and we should be thankful that we get to witness them first-hand. Getting to sleep in all morning, eating a full breakfast, and watching Netflix all day beats going to school by 100000%. Nothing is more satisfying than getting to stay home with permission. If you like snow days, you must respect this chilly season at least a little bit for all the treats it has to offer. So before hating on the season of winter, remember how many things can be done, how many things someone can choose not to do, and how many things someone can be told not to do. However, if you’re still walking on thin ice and you find yourself “snowboard” on a snowy weekend, then go to google and type in- “50 Fun Things To Do in the Winter,” to find more opportunities to explore.

by ANAI FREEMAN

YES!

NO!

“Winter is definitely the most beautiful time of year, especially because snow makes it unique.” - Senior, Jillian Bowe

“Winter is cool for a month then I’m over it. It’s cold and I have to scrape off the ice on my car.” - Senior, Ashlyn Suloff

“I think there is a lot of fun stuff to do. You can go sledding, have a snowball fight, make hot coco and watch chirstmas movies.” -Junior, Gabbie Byers

“As a new driver, the winter is awful because you have to get up early to brush off your car and you have to drive even slower.” -Junior, Megan Pryor

“Winter scenery is very pretty to look at. That has to be one of my favorite things about winter.” -Junior, Connor Sorge

“Winter is the Ohio State equivalent to seasons.” -Senior, Brennan Mulhall

design by MEREDITH ABLAO, all photos by CAMERON MYERS

The first day of snow is truly exciting, as it means fuzzy blankets are acceptable, but in any other case whoever decided to say “let it snow” is clearly delusional considering winter is the worst season of them all. Disliking winter doesn’t make a person joyless; there is simply just a discomfort in “solidified” water. Remember back to playing on the playground in the snow, making snow angels and all you ended up with is a big ball of snow in your boot (uncomfortable right?), and a pathetic attempt at a snowman? The rest of the day you would have to walk around with either wet socks or no socks at all and ponder when your snowman will melt. As the snow starts to melt during the end of winter, the majority of the “snow” is mud. This results in mud tracked everywhere your foot has been. Finally, what about ice? This makes you socially uncomfortable when you slip, fall, or do that awkward stutter step to try to save yourself from the embarrassment falling in front of your peers. Finally, the hazard of driving. It is destined that any driver of any vehicle will slip during the winter, this is inevitable and no one could possibly enjoy that feeling of instant death when the car does a full 360 spin. Not to mention when school is cancelled but you can’t even get to your friend’s house due to the roads being too slippery, a snow day absolutely wasted. From a scientific/health perspective, snow is not good for you whatsoever due to the acidity found in snow. Acid rain is commonly known, but acid snow is a lot worse. This is because snow spends a lot more time in the atmosphere “marinating” in the polluted air. It changes the pH of the water in ponds or lakes resulting in death of the offspring and some adult organisms as well. According to the EPA Acid Rain Student Site, “This ground-level ozone causes respiratory problems, like pneumonia and bronchitis, and can even cause permanent lung damage. The health effects that people have to worry about are not caused by the acid rain, but are caused when people breathe in these tiny particles or ozone.” Winter can also affect not only your physical health but it also affects your mental health. This is commonly known as seasonal depression but the actual acronym is S.A.D seasonal affective disorder. This disorder can lead to social withdrawal, problems in school, and in extreme cases suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Symptoms to winter-onset SAD, may include, oversleeping, appetite changes (especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates), weight gain and tiredness or low energy. Don’t get me wrong you may experience these symptoms but don’t go around diagnosing yourself with depression these symptoms could still occur and you could be perfectly normal. Overall, what good does snow do? Is it a burden or joyous and are you really going to go outside and “play” in the snow as a teenager? If I was Elsa, I wouldn’t want to build a snowman either Anna, it’s way too cold for that.

design by MEREDITH ABLAO

FEATURE

Nov. 2017

celebrated or consumed? What do you want for Christmas?

by LILY ANTOR & SHEILA MWANDA

The Secular Season Cozy fires, warmed hearts, and scouring for Target coupons: just a few norms of the modern holiday season. “The Christmas holiday to me is the most joyous time of the year,” said senior Jonathan Wolf. Between Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, December is a month packed full of festivities. Despite the religious origins of these holidays, corporations have marketed the season supposedly about morals and renewed faith into an opportunity for capital growth, making Christmas less about Christianity and more about money. Wolf, a dedicated Catholic, celebrates the holiday with his family solely because of his religious beliefs. “Christmas is a Christian holiday that calls us to remember the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” added Wolf. “If this meaning is not behind the reason for someone to celebrate Christmas, then they should not be participating in the holiday at all.” Despite the religious origins of the holiday, people who do not practice Christianity commonly celebrate Christmas. “The way that I see it, people celebrate Christmas through traditions and a cultural celebration, but not really a religious celebration,” said senior Deborah Torres. That seems to be the case nationally: a 2015 study from the Pew Research Center indicates that 81%

of non-Christians in the U.S. still celebrate the holiday. “As far as religion is concerned, I don’t really see Christmas being celebrated as a religious holiday anymore by most people,” said Torres. Despite people knowing of her Jewish faith, Torres says that they assume she celebrates Christmas anyway. “They don’t put those two things together, which leads me to believe that some people just don’t associate Christmas with religion at all.” all.”

said Duncombe, “but the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ and stuff is kind of lost at this point because people only care about gifts.” A study by the National Retail Federation predicts that this holiday season, American consumers will spend $967 on average on decorations and gifts. For Wolf, the intense Christmas shopping season is disconcerting to his celebration of the holiday. “[It] is a practice that draws our attention away from the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ as well as the rebirth of our own faith,” he said. He and his family make conscious efforts to avoid the consumeristic side of the holiday. “We do our very best to keep Christ at the center of our giving as we participate in local angel trees and give internationally through World Vision,” said Wolf. “Each child in my family is limited to three gifts to represent the three gifts that Jesus received at his birth.” While the Wolf family may be dedicated to preserving the origins of the holiday, many students recognize the secular nature of the modern holiday season. “I don’t think that religion really has anything left to do with it anymore,” remarked Duncombe.

“[It] is a practice that draws our attention away from the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ as well as the rebirth of our own faith.” - Jonathan Wolf Consuming Christmas The secular prevalence Christmas celebrations may be due in part to the amount of consumerism ingrained into the modern practice of the holiday. “The holiday seasons are really crazy,” said senior Roland Duncombe, who works at Kohl’s. “I usually work a lot more hours.” Working a clothing store has given Duncombe the opportunity to see the retail insanity of the holiday season first hand. “In our society, chasing possessions is encouraged and ultimately is inevitable,”

design by BEN LEWIS

Toward a More Holistic Holiday Whether celebrated out of cultural or religious respects, students seem to be striving to identi-

fy the purpose of Christmas to be more than just receiving presents. From school clubs like Interact organizing charity events to students simply volunteering more of their time, a spirit of giving manages to endure in a world with an overriding desire to instantly receive. “Obviously I don’t get gifts within my family for Christmas since I don’t celebrate Christmas,” said Torres, who celebrates Hanukkah. The Christmas season can be a bit hard sometimes for people who do not partake in the holiday cheer. Torres says that she is often forgotten about in gift exchanges by her friends, further isolating her from the holiday so many of her friends celebrate. “If you’re familiar with ‘It’s Hard to be a Jew on Christmas’ from South Park, that sums up the feeling pretty well,” remarked Torres. For people who do not celebrate Christmas, the mainstream holiday’s intense presence in supermarkets seems to cast a shadow over their own religious and cultural celebrations: almost encouraging a lack of diversity. Even though Torres does not celebrate Christmas because of her religion, she has found that it allows her to appreciate the aspects of Christmas that do not involve materialistic gifts. “I really love Christmas lights, I think Christmas decorations are beautiful, I find candy cane lane downtown to be adorable, and Christmas cookies are absolutely delicious,” said Torres. “I really think that people get caught up in the gifts and forget other things that are going on, things that I can love even though I don’t celebrate Christmas.” Regardless of religious association, December is, as the song goes, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” What makes the holiday season magical, though, comes not from anything wrapped in tissue paper, but rather a kindred spirit of mankind: away from the stores, sales, and wishlists, people can discover the real magic of the holiday season in each other.

Paige Underwood (9)

Trenton Cable (10)

Materialistic:

“I would really like some socks.”

Non-Materialistic: “I really don’t know what I want for Christmas.”

“I want a new phone for Christmas.”

Non-Materialistic: “Driver’s training.”

Lillian Randal (11)

T’yonne Caper (12)

Materialistic:

“I want the Bladerunners 2049 movie.”

Non-Materialistic: “The non-material thing I want is world peace.”

“The only thing I really want is socks.”

Non-Materialistic: “My sanity is what I want.”

14 FEATURE

Grad Back

Northern graduate Grace Pegeuse discusses her first semester away from home graphic by MACKENZIE BREY

by MACKENZIE BREY How has your first semester away at college been? It’s been interesting! Adjusting to life in the city has been fairly easy, but the social environment at UChicago is different, to say the least. I’ve had plenty of crazy weird experiences and just as many crazy good ones. Do you think that living within driving distance of Portage makes visiting more or less difficult? I think the culture of UChicago makes it kind of difficult to feel like you can just take a break, but living so close to home definitely makes it easier. I can take the train, plane, or drive back home, so that’s really nice. Was it difficult leaving your family after Thanksgiving break? It was so hard, especially knowing I had to come back and take my finals starting the week I got back. It was almost rude getting that little break and then having to go back and getting bombarded with work. Is it comforting to know your family is two hours away? It is! Knowing that my friends and family are so close makes it really nice, because they can come and visit me really easily. What has your overall experience in college been like? Are any of these because of your choice in college, directly? It’s been a trip. I’ve been so lucky to have made some great friends; I’ve had so many opportunities to learn outside of the standard classroom setting. I’ve met people I’ve never anticipated meeting, like the German consul, the campaign spokesperson for Emmanuel Macron, and Donna Brazile. I wouldn’t have been able to have those experiences anywhere other than UChicago I think. Whats your favorite college experience thus far? Probably getting to go to some of the fellows seminars at my school’s Institute of Politics - I was able to learn so much from so many

cool professionals whilst also getting free food. Was your transition from high school to college more or less difficult than expected? How so? In terms of schoolwork, the transition wasn’t really that dramatic. However, the social environment is so different, so that took a lot of getting used to. It was so much easier to adjust to living in the city and taking public transportation everywhere than I anticipated. Has living in the city made it more or less difficult focusing on your studies? It’s a toss-up. It’s super nice to be able to go downtown or to some different neighborhoods to explore, but UChicago has a really pervasive “study or do nothing” culture. It can be difficult to get off campus sometimes, but it’s easy to do a bit of work while on the CTA when you’re travelling around the city. What is one thing about living on your own that you never expected would be as hard or as simple as it is? It’s so much easier to wake up on time than I thought! I think it’s because I live with a fear of waking up late and missing tests or something. In comparison to high school, what do you like about college? I love the freedom. It’s amazing to be able to manage your time how you want to, and to be able to go where you want to go when you want to go. What was it like coming back to Portage, at first? Not going to lie, it was a little bit heart wrenching. I missed the sirens and the skyline (I live right in front of a fire station, and my bedroom view is of the skyline). Even though I missed Chicago, I was 1000x more relaxed back here in Portage. Words of advice to high schoolers looking to attend college in an environment other than the classic “college town” setting?

design by MACKENZIE BREY

If you want to move to a large city, please please PLEASE make an effort to actually get to know the place! Explore, have an open mind, and always stay present. You definitely have to be more mindful when you’re living in a big city, but that certainly doesn’t mean you have to be frightened. When looking to break out of the “college town” prototype, you just have to think about what you most value when you’re looking at schools. Do you like being in a cultural and commercial hub? Do you want to know everyone around you? Know that you can have a balance of both worlds - my school has such a dedicated campus, and Hyde Park is so much like a traditional college town, but I also have easy access to the rest of Chicago. Don’t compromise - you don’t always have to give up one thing for another.

Grace is living her best life out at the University of Chicago. “I’m always surrounded by some of the most interesting people from all over the world.“

Nov. 2017 15

CuLture & society BLACKISH & RACE

Official Blackish instagram account Official Blackish instagram account Season 4 episode 1 “Juneteenth.” Dre watches his children’s school play about Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. Dre is disappointed by the historically inaccurate production.

Writer Kenya Barris’ television show Blackish is fun, quirky, and most significantly, socially conscious. The storyline follows father Dre Johnson and his family’s life in an upper-middle class community. Dre struggles with everyday situations in his community that challenge his family’s cultural identity, including cultural assimilation, racism, and other social problems. Because I initially did not recognize the true meaning of the show’s title (Blackish), I remained hesitant regarding the dignity of the show. I assumed that the show consisted of racial stereotypes; however, after watching my first episode, I immediately modified my outlook on the show’s message. In fact, I now admire the show’s branding. Barris explained to the Huffington Post that “[Dre is] raising kids...in a time where he looks around at his kids and he feels like their idea of being ‘black,’ from what he remembers growing up, is different from what it was for him.” Barris effectively illustrates the complex reality of racial identity in America in relation to the struggle to ‘fit’ into one’s racial category in a highly-racialized nation. This question of cultural identity drives the nature of the show. I find it refreshing to see a well-received show on television that captures creativity and exhibits social activism. Blackish does so by redefining the role of television as an art form. The purpose of the show is not only to entertain, but also to invoke an emotion or thought-pattern among the audience. Due to the educational quality of the television show, Blackish embodies the relationship between art and activism and demonstrates the impact that results from this relationship. From the concept of white flight in communities of color to specifics of Jim Crow law, I cannot begin to recall the amount of social and historical concepts that American public education failed to teach me that I have learned from watching Blackish. I am grateful to watch a show on television that informs me on the issues of contemporary society in a culturally-relevant way Blackish discusses race in a such a significant manner because Barris writes in a way that is loud and proud. The audience never needs to question Barris’ message in each of his episodes because the show’s conversations on topics of race and politics are explicit and essentially fearless. Blackish is not only loud and proud, but it is also black and proud. Barris has opened up doors for both television and the remainder of Hollywood alike to freely converse about race in America.

Official Blackish instagram account Season 4 episode 2 “Mother Nature.” Zoey confronts her younger sister, Diane.

design by ISSRA SAID

16 SPORTS

Dear Santa: A Sports Christmas Wishlist

by CARTER LANDIS

Atlanta Falcons: A new offensive coordinator What a nightmarish fall from grace it’s been for the NFC Champion Falcons since Kyle Shanahan’s departure from Atlanta for San Francisco. The Falcons averaged 34 points per game and gaining 6,653 yards of offense last season, the 8th best offense in NFL history. This year, however, the offense has sobered up and are only averaging 23 points a game, only good for 16th in the league right now.

Atlanta Hawks: For the tank to keep rolling A tank and a rebuild is much better than making the playoffs every year just to lose in the first round. General manager Travis Schlenk also managed to get another first round pick, bringing the total up to three for the 2018 draft. This could be the start of something great. I don’t need the Hawks players’ naivety getting in the way of the potential rebirth of the franchise.

all photos by LILY ANTOR

Michigan State Football: Continued growth Dear Santa, If there’s anything more gratifying than Michigan fans doing a 180 on the ‘Sparty’s dream run is over’ shtick, I can’t think of it. The unoriginal and not very creative 3-9 jokes are over, and the one bad season for Michigan State was nothing more than an anomaly. The Spartans, a very young team, are 9-3 and on the right track, steering the program in the right direction. Success for MSU in the future is my number one priority on this list: please make it happen, dude. Sincerely, Carter Landis design by CARTER LANDIS

Detroit Tigers: A quick and painless rebuild For Tigers fans who want to see a championship, watching baseball isn’t going to be fun for a while. Now that Al Avila moved a slew of big contracts and the Tigers have youth and financial flexibility, there will now be a price to pay: winning, although there hasn’t been much of that in the last few years.

Michigan State Bball: A national championship A good stocking stuffer would also be Miles Bridges winning National Player of the Year. When I talked to super freshman Jaren Jackson Jr, he said his biggest goal this year was to win the National Championship. I’m sure all the players agree. The Spartans are heavy national title favorites, and hopefully they can cash in.

Nov. 2017 17

PN players, national talent by CARTER LANDIS

varsity basketball players share traits with the pros

4 2

Professional basketball players may be far removed from us mere mortals, largely in part to their multiple TV appearances and lucrative contracts, but really does the apple fall THAT far from the tree? At Portage Northern, we’ve got talented basketball players who share some similar traits and playing styles with the heralded pros. (1)Kareem Williams is athletic

and a capable shooter. Williams resembles (2) Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, who is enjoying a resurgent season in Indiana that could result in him winning the Most Improved Player award. Oladipo is averaging 24.5 points per game and shooting 44% from three point range. Williams is looking to burst onto the scene with Oladipo-like performances night in and night out. (3) Devin

Marshall is a point guard who doesn’t lack confidence and isn’t afraid to show it. Marshall and (4) Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell share the nickname “DLoading.” Marshall continues to build on an impressive resume, and if he keeps up the good play, he could see himself playing collegiate ball very soon. (5) Cameron French is a big-bodied center who can

play in the post and can step beyond the three point arc and knock it down. French most resembles (6) Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. French is trying to provide some of that offensive fire for coach Neal during his junior season. Catch the varsity Huskies against Mattawan on January 5th putting their skills, talent, and hard work on display.

design by KEEGAN TENNEY

18 SPORTS

Nov. 2017

Representing PN: Behind the bench and

“BIG It is a

by CARTER LANDIS

responsibility

“

to take care of

the program.

all photos by CAMERON MEYERS Newly appointed basketball coach Ben Neal prepares for an exciting year with the basketball team. Neal believes the team this year will be fun to watch.

- Ben Neal by MAX MAYER

s the high school basketball season tips off, there will be many things that people will remember. The buzzer beaters, the layups, and the excitement. This year, though, there will be a familiar face returning to coach the basketball team. Portage Northern’s Mr. Ben Neal has decided to coach the varsity basketball team again. He had previously coached before, and is now back to lead PN’s program again. It has been six years since he has been the head coach for the team. So what caused him to come back? “Seeing the opportunity to impact the students and give them an opportunity to enjoy,” he said. After being out of coaching for over half a decade, things will be mixed for Mr. Neal and his team. “Returning as a head coach will be

very different,” he stated. “It is a big responsibility to take care of the program. A huge success for Portage Northern this year will be coming together and playing hard,” Neal said. But team character isn’t all of what Mr. Neal is bringing to the court. He is also looking to bring a new look to PN’s playbook. “We are looking to run an up tempo, fun to watch team that will be exciting,” he said about his game plan. This is a very similar offense that many colleges and pro basketball teams have been running and it has been a growing trend in basketball in recent years. Whether or not people are coming to see a new look to PN’s basketball team, or they are just there for fun, there will be a new age of Portage Northern basketball, and Mr. Neal will be leading the way.

design by BEN LEWIS

on the ice ports aren’t just a physical activity that pits talent and competitive spirit against one another. It’s also a way to unite different people, regardless of individual differences. It can even bring together two bitter rival fanbases. Senior Caleb Martin has been playing hockey for as long as he can remember. When he was just two years old, Martin was diagnosed with rotavirus, an infection in the intestines. During his time in the hospital, Martin’s uncle got him a small hockey set to help make him feel better. “I took it in the hall, my IV attached to my arm, and I was walking around with that, just playing mini hockey,” Martin said. Since a young age, hockey has been in Martin’s blood (no pun intended). When he was six, Martin played for his first organized team, a Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association team. “I did, like, learn to skate videos, I went to all sorts of hockey games with my uncle, and all that. I just wanted to play,” he said. He now plays right wing for the high school team. Martin’s mother, Jennifer, was also a big inspiration in his hockey life. “She always wanted me to [play]. She always found a way to get me involved with hockey.” But four years ago, Jennifer was diagnosed with cancer. For Martin, focusing on hockey wasn’t something easy. “It was hard, because everyday I would think about her, and how she’s feeling, then after practice, I would go see her in the hospital.” Jennifer Martin suffered from lung cancer along with some spots in her brain. “It had gotten to the point where she couldn’t really breathe,” Martin said. On December 10th, 2016, at the age of 38, Jennifer Martin passed away. While this was incredibly difficult for Caleb, he played in the game against Portage Central the next day. “My team, they all supported me, they all showed up for my mom’s memorial, but the day before the Classic, she had passed, I wasn’t even sure if I was gonna play.” Not only did he play in the game, in the first period, Martin scored a shorthanded goal. “I started crying,” Martin said about the goal, “Portage Central’s fan section was going crazy, Portage Northern’s fan section was going crazy, then my dad was crying, my brother was crying, just all sorts of emotions.” Portage Northern ultimately ended up losing the game, but it was anything but a loss for Martin. The Portage Central hockey team had crafted a large sign that read, “Portage Hockey Unites,” and also gifted Martin with flowers. Now, in the young new hockey season, Martin is confident in his team. “We’re gonna come back.” he said about the loss to Portage Central last season. Even with the loss of one of his biggest supporters, Caleb Martin’s love for hockey couldn’t be slowed.

design by BEN LEWIS

20 ENTERTAINMENT

A look into the lastest nerdy entertainment news by LEXI KAVA Nerd Alert is back for another edition! To begin this nerd fest, here is updated news about the highly-anticipated Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War. The first part is completely done filming and the first official trailer for this new Avengers movie was released on November 29th. In a recently-leaked photo, Marvel fans pick out a possible super hero pair up that might happen in the movie: a duo between Spiderman and Dr. Strange. It is an unexpected pairing, but many fans are very excited to see if it will actually happen. Part Two of Infinity War has started filming as well, and more details about that will be on the way. Moving into the TV side of things, there are two brand new and quite notable shows that seem to be taking over the world. Fox’s new series The Gifted is one of the most popular TV shows out right now. It takes place in the Marvel X-Men universe and is about two siblings, Andy and Lauren Strucker, who discover their mutant powers and join the fight between humans and mutants. Another incredibly popular show out right now is ABC’s new hospital drama The Good Doctor. Created by the makers of House MD, The Good Doctor tells the inspiring story of a young surgeon named Shaun Murphy, who is diagnosed with Autism and Savant Syndrome. It shows his struggle of being a near genius with the hardships of autism preventing that intelligence from showing and his battles against prejudice and ignorance in the hospital. The Good Doctor has been very successful since its debut, recently becoming the most watched show on television with a total of 18.3 million viewers, beating out both The Big Bang Theory and CSI. It also has been rated the number one drama on network TV, and the number one ABC television show. It is definitely a series that will have you hooked after the first episode. You can catch The Gifted Monday nights at 9pm on Fox and The Good Doctor Monday nights at 10pm on ABC. Well, that’s all for this round of Nerd Alert! Stay nerdy mis amigos.

design by LILY ANTOR & LEXI KAVA

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stop by our store at 1750 S. Drake Rd to sign up today!

Nov. 2017

The best & worst of 2017

21 by DEMI JENSEN

Movies

Albums

Events

Trends

People

BEST

Dunkirk

DAMN: Kendrick Lamar

Total solar eclipse

Dancing hotdog/bitmoji’s

Chrissy Teigen

Ctrl: SZA

Fenty by Rihanna

Buzzfeed Unsolved

Cardi B

Freudian: Daniel Caesar

Super Mario Odyssey release

“Open for a surprise”

Finn Wolfhard

WORST

The Snowman

Reputation: Taylor Swift

Vine being shut down

Boonk Gang

Bella Thorne

The Emoji Movie

Hopeless Fountain Kingdom: Halsey

Love Actually being taken off of Netflix

People dabbing and using fidget spinners

Jake Paul

Happy Death Day

There’s Really a Wolf: Russ

Michael Phelps’ ‘shark’ race

Cash me outside

Harvey Weinstein

A large amount of movies came out this past year, and there was a movie for every film-lover out there. Movies such as Dunkirk, Get Out, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi exceeded expectations and have become people’s favorite flicks. Not all movies are as incredible as the newest Star Wars, though. The Snowman, Happy Death Day, and The Emoji Movie (whose bright idea was that?) were all easily some of the worst movies of 2017. Overall, though, movie-goers and film critics alike agree 2017 was a solid year for film.

An unreal amount of albums came out this year, some astonishing and others difficult toeven hear. Kendrick Lamar, an already iconic artist, released DAMN and proved that he is truly magical with words. SZA and Daniel Caesar, lesser known artists prior to this year, also created beautiful albums worthy of playing on repeat. There were artists, however, that missed the opportunities to release great music. Reputation, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, and There’s Really a Wolf were among the albums that missed the mark, and quite honestly, are not enjoyable. As the year has progressed, these albums and their artists have become popular dislikes among the internet. As they deserve.

Let’s be honest, 2017 was a year to remember. A multitude of events occurred, including the total solar eclipse, and Millennials’ favorite app, Vine, getting shut down. Tears were shed, hearts were broken, and people are still recovering. Vine will always be in our hearts.

As millennials continue to take over social media, more and more trends become a part of our everyday lives. Some trends are obviously more entertaining and enjoyable than others, “Buzzfeed Unsolved” being one of them. Shane and Ryan have stolen the hearts of those who watch the internet series, and Shane’s anti-ghost comments have been made into Twitter memes. While a large amount of the trends are loveable and entertaining, some are just plain annoying. One of the more annoying trends being the infamous “Boonk Gang”. Not to sound like a middle aged adult, but this trend is simply rude. Moral of the story, be more like Shane and Ryan and not the person who is destructive.

2017 was a better year for some people than others. For Finn Wolfhard, Cardi B, and Chrissy Teigen, 2017 was a year of growth, success, and rising fame. Fortunately, the good people usually outweigh the bad. From Jake Paul becoming social media’s most hated internet celebrity to Harvey Weinstein’s career going downhill...many people showed their true colors in 2017. For Weinstein, you know it’s a bad year personally when 57 women accuse you of sexual misconduct. In that regard, it seems to be a ‘bad year’ for many.

Electronic Arts

Billboard

SIU

Billboard

Shutterstock

design by LILY ANTOR

Get Out Star Wars: The Last Jedi

22 ENTERTAINMENT

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Skiing and snowboarding are a must if you want to keep the winter blues at an all time low. Make sure to hit the slopes at least once this winter; we do live in Michigan for goodness sake, meaning we’re guaranteed at minimum 3 feet of snow at any given time, as long as we keep this climate change thing under control.

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How to have a poll-tastic holiday season

Whether you start listening to Christmas music in early November or you wait until after Thanksgiving (weirdo), we all have our favorite holiday tunes that seem to never die. Shout out Mariah Carey for this holiday banger that will probably NEVER not be played in Target after November 1.

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Let’s be real here, the fact that this movie’s plot surrounds an elf trying to navigate his way through New York City is what makes this such a classic. Did we mention that Elf is 30 something Will Ferrell? Wearing Yellow tights?

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Start off this holiday season bright, LITerally. The Tree Lighting Ceremony in Bronson Park is a must see event and the perfect opportunity to get together with your community and watch Kzoo instantly beautify.

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Nov. 2017

by LEXI GAVLAS AND ALLISON MCKENZIE Out of 52 votes, the students of The NL’s Twitter have decided on the best Holiday Movies, Local Events, Winter Activities, and Songs. Use this guide to make this holiday season that much merrier (From Left to Right: Movies, Events, Activities, Songs). Trust us, we know a thing or two about the holiday season. After all, we have been doing this for 17 years now. design by LEXI GAVLAS AND ALLISON MCKENZIE

design by LEXI GAVLAS AND ALLISON MCKENZIE

Happy Holidays, Huskies! LILY ANTOR

Juniors Ellie Antor and Megan Pryor of Interact Club wrap presents for adopted families.

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5228 Westnedge Ave Phone 226-2121

1319 Portage St. Phone 459-9250

5965 Sprinkle Rd Phone 459-9753

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