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February 13, 2014 • Volume 11 • Issue 5
Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, Al• 35406
Pipe rupture, sprinkler defect create flooding in science hall, gym
James Niiler Feature Editor
Photo by: Sophie Fairbairn
Busted: A pipe above science teacher Amy Ryan’s classroom burst on Jan. 8, causing ceiling tiles to fall out with insulation. “Frustrating. Overall, I think that word jus summarizes it well. It’s been frustrating for me and my students,” Ryan said. “I took my time (to get out), just to get wet,” he said. Although Hand said she left “half her stuff” in the room, good still came out of the damage. “We got free cake,” she said. “[Ryan’s] birthday was the day after the flood, and because we saved her classroom, we got a ‘Finding Nemo’ cake.” Hand and Matta said they are enjoying their temporary stay in the library. “I like it,” Hand said. “It’s a lot of fun; I feel like we can do more work.” “In the classroom you’re all cramped together, and here we have more room,” Matta said. Dr. Isaac Espy, principal, confirmed the damage was due to the unusually cold weather. “It was a combination of unprotected pipes, water and very cold temperatures,” he said. “Put those three together and you have problems.” Espy said that although the damage was on a large scale, the full extent is unknown. “Our gym floor may have some minor warping. We will have to see how bad it is
Problems within information database annoy teachers, students Renu Pandit Editor-in-Chief Information Now, commonly known as iNOW, has received negative reviews from teachers and students. iNOW is an information management service and is used extensively by administrators and teachers to keep track of students and their grades. Dr. Isaac Espy, principal, said iNOW replaced the former program, STI, about three years ago because the State of Alabama contracted with iNOW. “Schools in Alabama use iNOW, because it allows the state department of education to pull reports and data from all schools in a uniform manner. Even the Alabama High School Athletic Association pulls iNOW student data to generate eligibility reports,” Espy said. “Data management at this level has a high cost. I do not know the dollar amount, but it is high. Trust me.”
He said that there were some major issues with it early on, but he is satisfied with its performance for his purposes. “I use iNOW for essentially all student data entries and inquiries, including discipline, attendance, and contact information,” he said. “It is fairly easy to maneuver, but that may be because I am used to it. It is not inherently bad, but there may still be some bugs left to iron out.” Dr. Victoria Evans, physics teacher, said iNOW is “antiquated, unwieldy, glitchy, and extremely time-consuming.” “Using this nightmare program has literally cut my productivity as a teacher in half. If we were a for-profit private company, this would never be tolerated. However, the use of iNOW is mandated for all public school systems by the State of Alabama,” she said. Evans said the issues presented by iNOW include grades being randomly deleted or changed, grades being incorrectly averaged and system crashes.
See iNOW on page six
Thoughts on iNOW
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I don’t like it because it apparently cost 10 million dollars for the state, and there are better programs for free. Jacob Cowles, senior
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Christian Harless, senior
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I like it except for the fact that some teachers don’t update it as much. Once you’re marked as absent, you stay absent all day. Mary Claire Ray, sophomore
Harless
Ray
Information compiled by Sujitha Permasetty and Rebecca Griesbach. Photos by Sumona Gupta. Designed by Renu Pandit.
Soccer Page 7
Pageants Page 8
Cowles
I like that it lets you see your grades, but I don’t like how it costs the city.
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iNOW or ‘iNEVER’?
once it is totally dried out,” he said. “Mrs. Ryan’s room will need some sheet rock replacement and obviously repainting. [With] 10 to 15 ceiling tiles it should be as good as new.” Espy said that repairs are progressing, and estimated that Ryan’s classroom should be ready “in a week or so.” We have heaters and fans in the gym right now that will speed up the drying,” he said. “The air conditioning and heating system removes moisture from the air. As long as it is running, you won’t have accumulation of moisture.” Despite the problems with the gym floor, Espy said it is still “playable.” “We will finish basketball season,” he said. Espy said he didn’t know the financial cost of the damage. “We have in-house protection with our own labor force. We also have insurance, and we have local companies who contract with us. It looks like the cost will involve a good bit of labor, some ceiling tiles, three or four gallons of paint, some sheet rock work, and possibly a new gym floor. The last one is a pretty big ticket item,” he said.
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Ryan to get out of the rapidly flooding classroom, Hester said. “She didn’t have to ask me twice,” Hester said. “We just got our stuff and ran out of the room.” Hester said that the class still went in for belongings, even though many were “soaking wet.” She said many students were taking pictures and videos of the event. “It was kind of funny but kind of crazy at the same time,” she said. Like Ryan, Hester said the most difficult aspect of the flood was the loss of classroom materials and instruction, as she was anticipating doing labs in Ryan’s class. “We work better in the classroom,” she said. “Mostly everything is disorganized. Everything’s on carts, and we have to bring it on in [the library].” Seniors Mary Margret Hand and Jordan Matta were also in Ryan’s classroom during the flood. “It was just sudden. I was like ‘Oh my gosh,’” Matta said. Matta said he enjoyed the experience of getting soaked.
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Upon returning to school on Jan. 8, students were greeted with more than just the familiar faces of teachers and friends. A frozen pipe above the ceiling of science teacher Amy Ryan’s classroom ruptured, pouring water into her room and causing significant damage. The same morning, a sprinkler head in the gym malfunctioned, causing water to spread across the floor. Ryan was teaching her third period class when the flood occurred. “Initially, I thought it was just kind of like rain,” she said. “I put a garbage can under the leak...that lasted about 30 seconds. When the ceiling tile above the garbage can fell out, I knew we had to get out.” Ryan said she lost “nearly half her ceiling and a significant amount of insulation. She said her room was covered in five inches of standing water, and the workers responsible for the repairs had to cut out sheet rock from three feet below the floor. “[The damage] was pretty extensive,” she said. “On the bright side, my room will be very clean when [the workers] are done.” Ryan said she managed to save many of her possessions, although she will probably spend “months” trying to locate all of them. “I got out all the confidential student documents and electronics,” she said. “[My class] just started grabbing box after box of stuff and passing them to teachers in the hallway.” Ryan said the hardest part of losing her classroom will be the loss of lessons and instructional material. “Labs are definitely out,” she said. Ryan said that she will have to find new ways of teaching her classes, currently meeting in the library. “I’m adaptable; we can do it,” she said. Vantashia Hester, junior, was in Ryan’s third period class. “I was just sitting there,” she said. “The next thing I know I hear this noise, then water.” The class required little prompting from
The Wolf of Wallstreet Page 3
2 Opinion
The Northridge Reporter Febuary 13, 2014
Senior gladly eats school lunch
iNOW has problems that must be addressed
An information database, such as Information Now (iNOW), should be able to correctly process grades and student data without excessive hindrance. Teachers and students both agree that the software is problematic and inefficient. iNOW, although useful, has several technical glitches that need to be resolved. For instance, the program randomly shuts down, prohibiting teachers from inserting grades or attendance, and the complexity of the program has led to the miscalculation of some students’ grades. Teachers deserve a program that allows them to enter grades efficiently and productively, so they can focus less on technological issues and more on teaching. Students deserve a program that is reliable and does not miscalculate grades. Such errors lead to discrepancies in class rank or students not receiving the grade they deserve. We at The Northridge Reporter believe that this issue should be addressed at the state level and consideration for implementation of new information software should take place.
agree (11) disagree (0) Why do we have fire drills when it is so cold?
Lauren Curtner-Smith I am a soccer player and try Copy Editor to get the healthiest choices An important event that occurs provided for me at school. for me every single school day is I need to eat a good meal so I going through the lunch line to have the energy to perform well get my school lunch. in soccer practice. It is essential One of my biggest pet peeves for me to eat lunch, and I choose besides hearing people breath mith to eat school lunch rather S and chew while they erthan pack my own eat (which is called lunch. misophonia by the way) I am thankful that is when people criticize my school provides my school lunch. “Ew, me with the choice what IS that?” “You’re to eat at school actually going to eat that?” because often I am up “How can you even look at late at night studying for that?” are just some of the harsh my AP classes or frankly, just too questions I hear at least twice a tired to wake up early enough to week. pack a lunch. Yes, I understand you may think I know the lunch ladies work what I am about to eat is gross, hard to make nice lunches. Every but still, why do people feel the day Ms. Abby asks me how I am, need to tell me how gross the and I am glad to talk to her and food I am about to eat is, when to know one more staff member I still have to eat it and when the than some of my friends who food is just centimeters from my don’t eat school lunch. mouth? The lunch ladies provide kind Cur tn
Our Thoughts
smiles while providing hot meals. Seeing this gives me a real sense of knowing the school on a deeper level. I take pride in eating school lunches because my opinion is different from those of most of my friends. I enjoy eating school lunch. Pizza days and meatloaf days are my absolute favorite days to eat school lunches. In third grade, I accidentally mixed my peas into my mashed potatoes, and I’ve never stopped since, but the thing is, it only tastes right to me if it is school peas and mashed potatoes mixed together. I am asked some of the previously mentioned unkind questions by those who have never even tried school lunch. This irks me a little because they are always quick to judge the other food I eat, but still expect me to give them food from the lunchroom they deem “respectable,” for example tater tots or French fries on hamburger days.
Introverted columnist prefers quiet, solitude James Niiler Feature Editor
Nil le
I’ve been reading recently on the increasingly popular subject of introverts and introversion. For those who don’t know, introversion is the state of r mind in which one feels ‘recharged’ in solitude, as contrasted to extroversion, in which one is ‘recharged’ in the company of people. This does not mean that introverts are necessarily antisocial or shy. Rather, the vast majority of introverts are perfectly normal people who prefer a set of close friends, are generally quiet and contemplative, and most of all just want to be left alone. Introverts comprise about one-third of the population, so they’re quite common. Degrees of introversion vary, too, as no
two people are alike. Everyone probably has at least a few introverted friends. It should probably come as no shock to those of you who are reading this and know me that I—surprise!—am an introvert. People often tell me, “You’re so serious/quiet/not funny/without a social life!” All of these are quite true, in measure—such as when I feel like hiding in my room when the doorbell rings, when I don’t feel at all like joining in group activities that require speech, and when I’m asked the dreaded question, “Are you all right?” to which I respond, “Yes, I’m just thinking.” But my closest friends know that I do have a sense of humor
(albeit, a weird one), can talk a lot and quite obnoxiously, and although my social life is far from spectacular, I enjoy seeing people I know when I find them. It is also difficult to answer the other dreaded question posed by my extroverted friends: “So, what do you do in your spare time?” I usually reply with reading, running, and playing and listening to music, which are my favorite activities, but they just usually shake their heads sadly and probably wonder how I’m still alive. It is true I spend a lot of time by myself, think a lot, don’t speak as much as others, and do things most other people find quite dull. But I’m happy with the way I am, and wouldn’t want it any way else. Chances are, there’s someone in your life—perhaps even you— who feels exactly the same.
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Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 • (205) 759-3734 ext. 295 Editor-in-Chief *Renu Pandit Feature Editor James Niiler News Editor Rebecca Griesbach Opinion Editor KeamBria Washington
Entertainment Editor Sumona Gupta Sports Editor Camri Mason Beat Editor *Renu Pandit Business Manager Sumona Gupta
Editorial Policy: The opinions in The Northridge Reporter are those of the students and not of the faculty or administration of Northridge High School or the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. It is the policy of The Northridge Reporter to publish all non-obscene, non-libelous, signed letters to the editor, regardless of the opinion expressed in them. Letters must be submitted to Susan Newell in room 109 or emailed to northridgereporter@gmail.com.
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Grayson Lent, KeShaun Byrd, D’Aja Patrick
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Entertainment
The Northridge Reporter February 13, 2014
A night at the movies
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BIG BAD WOLF: Reviewer apalled by Scorsese’s risqué flick
Sophie Fairbairn Assistant Copy Editor
Putting a true name to the label ‘Restricted Movie’, The Wolf of Wall Street ended leaving me in utter shock and ethical confusion. This is not a family film. Containing consistent screenings of drug use, sexual encounters, and foul language, director Martin Scorsese pushes the moral boundaries of film making. The film bases its story off the fraudulent rise and fall of the infamous Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his lewd, yet humorous companion Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill. As I sat through the extensive three hour broadcasts of consistent nudity, inappropriate humor and unfathomable drug use, I found my womanly pride rising out of me. I was appalled at almost every scene, and I felt the awkward atmosphere increase as the film rolled on. The reoccurrence of nude women and disrespectful men was a bit overwhelming, and I felt as if the rest of my innocence was ripped out from under me. Granted, the film did have its moments. There were scenes in the film where I was consumed with uncontrollable laughter as DiCaprio and Hill experienced side effects of some highly intensified drugs and other scenes where I was trapped in concentrated silence as DiCaprio’s family troubles climaxed. And though these scenes were entertaining, they were simply not enough to take away from the disgustful sections throughout. Though the film’s useless length and repulsive behavior did not thrill me, it was the talented acting that enticed me into sitting through the entire film.
Photo from MCT Campus
Partners in Crime: Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio star in The Wolf of Wall Street, the vulgar account of Jordan Belfort, a corrupt stockbroker. If you are in hope of seeing yet another typical DiCaprio movie with charm, good looks and agreeable behavior, I suggest re-watching The Titanic for a fifth time because The Wolf on Wall Street is not your typical DiCaprio movie. Fully contradicting his recent role as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, Leonardo DiCaprio takes on his next role as an incriminating luxurious, drug handling, sex crazed, and potty-mouthed stock broker. Though I disagree with everything his character stands for, DiCaprio has stunned me yet again with another incredible performance. I was disappointed to see DiCaprio play the shockingly repulsive Belfort instead of another selflessly whole-hearted Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) or the mysteriously sexy Cobb (Inception). But I realized the disgust I felt for DiCaprio’s character was what made his performance so ingenuous.
DiCaprio has always been a skilled actor, but his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street really takes the cake. He was so invested in his character that he was clearly not afraid to offend. He was able to fool anyone into thinking he truly was as sleazy as Jordan Belfort himself. Dicaprio hasn’t given up on his Oscar just yet; he recently received his second Golden Globe for “Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy,” for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street on Jan. 12, 2014. Though Dicaprio was the center of the spotlight, he was not the only outstanding performer in the movie. In fact, Jonah Hill, playing Donnie Azoff, gave one of the biggest performances of his career. Hill has been known for taking roles consisting of dorky humor. He has been a fast rising star in movies such as 21 Jump Street, Superbad, Megamind and his one dramatic film, Moneyball. Hill’s role as Belfort’s partner-in-crime, as well as best friend, is the usual clumsy, humorously over confident, supporting role. And though Hill brought the usual comedic relief, he was able to express a deeper more powerful character, exposing his potential as an actor. I believe Hill’s performance in The Wolf of Wall Street will be his breakthrough role. If I just focus on its moral status, I consider Wolf on Wall Street to be a profane film that I do not recommend to anyone under the age of 17. Whereas, if I focus on the actor’s talents, I consider it to be an outstanding performance that I recommend only to the men, calling it “a real male crowd pleaser.” Though if one ever sees this movie with a boyfriend, girlfriend or just a friend, make sure to be comfortable witnessing anything with that person, because this is not a film for the innocent and pure.
Reviewer’s heart melted by Frozen; Disney’s love story redefined Rebecca Griesbach News Editor I am not ashamed to say that I did in fact tear up a couple—or maybe more than a couple—of times when watching Disney’s Frozen with friends on Jan. 4. We all have had the pleasure to grow up in the Disney era; Disney movies, songs, television productions, paraphernalia, and theme parks have been—and continue to be—a part of our lives through childhood and beyond. Because it is a billion dollar industry, Disney has the power to shape our society. And, since its main consumers are young and innocent, Disney movies are extremely influential. They uphold a responsibility like no other: to change and improve the mindsets of the next generation. Frozen was no exception. Through a heart-wrenching turn of events, the movie questioned typical Disney morals by delivering a powerful message about different forms of love. Frozen tells the story of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, and the journey that ultimately leads them to the recognition of the eternal
love they have for each other. This notion of love is uncharacteristic of Disney movies, and it is what essentially impressed me so much about the moral of the story. Normally, Disney movies— while they do have other important messages to send—have an overly conventional formula for love: princess + prince charming = happily ever after. Frozen, however, turned an entirely new leaf on the spectrum of love and what it truly is. As it panned over whistling men laboriously harvesting ice, the opening scene gave me a clear idea of the movie’s setting, which was quite frozen indeed. This, I would soon discover, became one of the many obstacles the main characters would have to overcome. Along with a strong message of the importance of family values, I interpreted the movie as a metaphor of society’s “frozen,” closed-minded tendency to judge others. Elsa, the older sister, spends her early years locked up in her room, prohibited to show the kingdom of Arendelle her ability to turn objects to ice. After things go terribly wrong at her royal coronation, Elsa
Photo from: MCT Campus
A Frozen Heart: Disney’s newest princess movie features two sisters, Anna and Elsa, who overcome the boundaries that kept them apart. becomes shunned and outcast from Arendelle, leaving it up to Anna and a cast of quirky characters to pick up the pieces. Olaf, a whimsical snowman brought to life by Elsa’s powers, was undoubtedly my favorite character. He acted as a comic relief, cracking jokes at every dire situation. I thoroughly enjoyed his debut of “In Summer,” a humorous, yet somewhat depressing song of a snowman enjoying tanning on the beach, gazing at clouds, and prancing through fields of flowers.
Idina Menzel, as Elsa, performed “Let it Go,” a dramatic, Broadwayworthy musical number. Coincidentally, Menzel is known on Broadway for her role as Elphaba in Wicked. The song, as well as Frozen itself, boasts a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. Not only is the film well-cast, but the animation is spot-on. Disney’s animation team truly captured the essence of Elsa’s magic. While Frozen definitely proved to be one of the most impressive
films of the winter, it did have its flaws. I felt as though some characters deserved more development, such as the trolls. They seemed a little irrelevant and random and could have been replaced with some other form of comic relief. As it was made by the same producers, the characters of Frozen closely resembled those of Tangled a little too much for my liking. But, all in all, the film received a fair amount of praise, and I believe it rightly deserves it.
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Feature
The Northridge Reporter February 13, 2014
Some seniors remain immobile Sophie Fairbairn Assistant Copy Editor
Driving on campus is a privilege that is offered to all seniors in high school, but not all seniors have the ability to take part in this privilege. Instead they have the option to ride the bus, carpool with friends or be driven by their parents. Jonathan Carlisle, senior, is one of the students who has never driven on campus. His sophomore year Carlisle rode the bus every other day, and presently, during his senior year, he either carpools with his parents or with a friend. “It’s really not a big deal being able to drive on campus,” Carlisle said. “I can usually find a friend if I ever need a ride.” Though Carlisle does not drive on campus, he said he has driven before but encountered a few problems. “The first time I drove, I had trouble starting the car; this was bad luck already,” Carlisle said. “When I was backing out, I forgot to make sure the garage door was open, and I ran right through the door. My bad luck only continued when I proceeded to run four stop signs due to forgetful braking and run over two mailboxes due to sharp turns. I didn’t drive again until like one month later, and it was at an abandoned road.” Carlisle dreams of having a Mercedes that would get him “from point A to point B on a consistent basis.” “Other than not having to pay for gas
the
CO$T of
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there really isn’t much you can enjoy about not driving,” Carlisle said. “I hate not being able to drive to places at my own time and having to wait on other people.” Carlisle said if he had a car and could drive on campus, he would use it to drive off campus. “I would get up every day at 7:20 and go to McDonalds or whatever place I felt like eating that morning. I wouldn’t care if I was late. During school hours, I would probably leave campus just to get lunch, and then after school I would come back for the football games and school events,” Carlisle said. Carlisle is not the only upperclassman that does not drive on campus. Savannah Morgan, senior, does not drive due to her lack of a license. “To not have a license can be an inconvenience,” Morgan said. “I am not able to go when and where I want, and I hate having to ask for rides.” Morgan planned to get her license as well as a car in January, but still does not have her license. “I don’t really care what kind of car I get, as long as it runs,” she said. During the week Morgan is dropped off before school by her father and picked up after school by her mother. “Some of my friends wait with me after school,” Morgan said, smiling. Sometimes Morgan is offered rides from her friends, but she rarely accepts. “My mother does not want to burden
Photo by: Jonathan Carlisle
Out of reach: Senior Jonathan Carlisle’s car, a 2008 Chevy Silverado, is shown in his garage. “(Driving) has been an extreme period of my life,” Carlisile said. others to take me home especially since it’s not a problem for her to pick me up,” Morgan said, “and my dad said he enjoys taking me to school in the morning because he considers it to be our ‘bonding time’.” Adriana Greene, senior, is one of the students who drives on campus and no longer needs the assistance of her parents for rides. “I drive because it’s easier for me to drive myself places than to have my parents drive me,” Greene said, “plus I enjoy driving and the freedoms that come with it.”
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Infographic designed by James Niiler and Renu Pandit Information compiled by James Niiler
3301 Highway 69 South Beside McDonald’s
Feature
The Nortridge Reporter February 13, 2014
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Texting while driving presents dangers Sumona Gupta Infographics Editor
Texting and driving presents a huge risk; this form of multitasking causes about 11 teen deaths every day. According to a study by the National Safety Council, texting is the cause of nearly 25% of all car accidents, about 1,600,000 per year. Studies show that texting makes the risk of crashing 23 times more likely. ] It takes only five seconds of distracted driving to cause an accident; if you were driving at 55 mph, five seconds would be equivalent to the length of a football field. Why do young drivers take such a huge risk so often? Erin Baggett, psychology teacher, said this could possibly be the fault of social
media. “Both teenagers and adults are impatient when it comes to using cell phones. They constantly want to check them, so they’ll know what’s going on. If they don’t, they feel like they’re left out,” Baggett said. Although some teenagers believe that they can handle texting at the wheel, not all feel this way. Amy Liu, senior, said phone use does pose a serious risk. “Even when I just grab my phone I start swerving. It is very dangerous,” she said. In Alabama, sixteen year-old drivers and seventeen year-old drivers who have held an intermediate license for fewer than six months are banned from all hand-held cell phone use. As of Aug. 1, 2012, texting while driving was banned. Primary enforcement is placed on
texting, while secondary is phone use by young drivers. As of 2013, forty-one states, including Alabama, have banned texting and driving. Twelve have banned cell-phone use altogether. A survey of nearly 1,000 drivers conducted by State Farm, however, stated that half of the respondents believed there was very little enforcement of phone use laws. Elizabeth Tiley, guidance counselor, said it is difficult to enforce texting and driving laws, but the consequences are appropriate. “It’s much more severe than if I accidentally hit someone while I was paying attention,” she said. Apps like Textecution, AT&T DriveMode, and DriveSafe.ly can be installed to prevent distractions while driving.
Car wrecks give students scary experiences James Niiler Feature Editor Car wrecks are a common form of trauma for all involved, and it’s no exception for students and teachers at our school. Freshman Hannah Patterson was riding home from school on Oct. 24 with sister Rachel, junior, friend Kristen Loper, freshman, and brother Nathan, age 13, when disaster struck. “My sister was taking a friend home, and she didn’t stop at a stop sign,” Patterson said. “There was a lady going over the speed limit, and she crashed into us.” Patterson said the experience was a scary one. “I was extremely scared because I looked over right as (the car) was about to hit us, and I was even more scared because I thought my sister was dead,” she said. Although her sister’s car was totaled, the injuries sustained by those in the wreck were not life-threatening, although Patterson received some minor trauma and her sister a concussion. “I got a seat belt burn, and I had to wear a foot brace. My hip hit the door,” causing her pain, she said. Although she can’t drive yet, Patterson said she learned important lessons from the incident. “I learned to always stop at stop signs, and never drive 60 [mph] in a 40 [mph zone], because the lady who hit us was going 60 [mph],” she said. Christian Sashington, freshman, was
Photo by: James Patterson
A big loss: Junior Rachel Patterson’s car is shown at Bambarger Wrecker Services in Tuscaloosa, following the wreck on Oct. 24 which totaled her car. a rider on Bus 52 the afternoon of Nov. 5 when it collided with a car outside the school causing the car to flip over. “(There) was a lot of screaming, and people were crying and stuff,” he said. “I felt like it was our bus driver’s fault because she was texting.” Sashington said he feared for the lives of the students in the car. “I thought (they) were dead,” he said. Although he wasn’t in the wreck, Shane Ashcraft, English teacher, was a first responder to the damage. “I was really just trying to see what happened. I was at soccer tryouts, and I saw a crowd gathering,” he said. Ashcraft said concern for the students’
safety prompted him to assist with the wreckage. “My initial response was ‘Oh, God, I hope everyone’s okay,’” he said. Ashcraft said the students within the car, both from American Christian Academy, were generally unharmed. “I remember seeing one passenger,” he said. “I checked to see if it was a student. She was a little scratched up, but she was okay.” Ashcraft said his principal responsibility as a first responder was “crowd control.” “I didn’t do anything to the girl in the car,” he said. “My main goal was to be sure everything was under control before an administrator got there.”
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News
The Northridge Reporter February 13, 2014
Snow Day
in brief
Early dismissal presents danger for some students, fun for others Lauren Curtner-Smith Copy Editor Dr. Isaac Espy made an announcement on Jan. 28 cancelling bonus, and then school, due to snowy weather. “When I heard bonus was cancelled I was extremely upset, as I’m sure everyone else was, because I just knew the announcement was going to be about early dismissal,” senior Adriana Green said. Riley Byars, freshman, said he knew why the administration cancelled bonus. “I immediately thought of two reasons that would happen, one being that they [the administrators] didn’t want us going through the court yard, and the second being school was out [soon],” Byars said. Byars said he was in Career Prep at the time, and his class went crazy. “I was so glad we got out because later that day I was supposed to write an essay for Ashcraft’s class, and I really didn’t want to write it. I was also excited because we really don’t get to see snow in Alabama a lot,” Byars said. Green checked out once she knew of early dismissal. “My dad was planning on checking me out of school regardless of when we were let out because I had to travel a long way to get home,” she said. Green’s father, a policeman, escorted her home through last year’s snow when school got out. “This year he had to get back to work and manage all the traffic and wrecks, so I had to travel alone,” Green said. Green said it was incredibly scary driving on the icy roads. “It took me about two and a half hours to get home. I’ve only driven in the snow once before. There were a lot of cars in front of me that were having trouble controlling their cars, and my car even got a little out of control at one point, but I managed to make it home safely. The most important trick is to drive slowly,” Green said. Annika Struthwolf, sophomore, lives
across the dam which was closed due to wrecks caused by ice. “After school was let out, my mother asked my sister and me to go to Publix. We stayed there when we figured out the dam was closed. It took us about three and a half hours to get home,” Struthwolf said. The snow affected Stuthwolf’s school and extracurricular activities. “[The snow caused me problems] because all the dates to turn in assignments were pushed back. Also soccer practice was cancelled for three days,” Struthwolf said. Struthwolf had fun with her family in the snow. “My brother and I played dodgeball with snowballs. My dog enjoyed the snow very much to the point of her eating it too. She wanted to run in it all day,” Struthwolf said. Byars normally car rides to and from school with his older brother during soccer season. “That day our parents didn’t let him drive because of the snow. We walked home because I live close to Verner’s Field of Dreams,” Byars said. Byars played in the snow with his neighborhood friends. “[We] threw snowballs and had a game of soccer in the snow. Then I went inside and played Mexican Trains, a domino game, with my family,” Byars said. Byars said his family
did not stock up on milk and bread. “Before the [snow] storm, I found that tradition senseless. My parents and I always joke about [buying milk and bread] whenever there is snow. Ironically, by the end of the week we ran low on milk,” Byars said. “I did enjoy drinking hot chocolate to keep warm.”
See additional story on the snow on the web site northridgereporter.wordpress.
Photos By: Davis Byars
Students voice opinions on graduation venue
D’Aja Patrick Photographer A new tradition has begun. The class of 2013 was the first high school class to graduate from the Coleman Coliseum. The high schools included were Northridge, Paul W. Bryant and Central. Destiny Peoples and Alexie Blunt, 12, said they are ready to graduate. Both said they are ready to move on and start a new chapter in their life. Peoples said she is excited to graduate. “I’m ready to graduate; I’m tired of seeing the same faces,” she said. Peoples does not like the idea of graduating from Coleman Coliseum. “I think we should graduate from the school we attended,” Peoples said. Blunt agreed. “I didn’t attend the UA, why should I graduate in their gym?” Blunt said. Leaving high school and transitioning to college is a big step.
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Let it Snow:
Powdery white snow turns Tuscaloosa into a winter wonderland. It blankets not only the ground, but accumulates in tree branches and fences as well.
I didn’t attend the UA, why should I graduate in their gym? Alexie Blunt, senior
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Both Peoples and Blunt plan to go to a four year college. Kelly Brown, 12th grade counselor, is in charge of graduation. “I make sure that our seniors are prepared and/or that they have a backup plan. I also plan the ceremony,” Brown said. This is Brown’s first time being in charge of graduation. “It’s a big responsibility; it’s a very rewarding experience to see achievements and successes,” she said. Brown said she is excited to celebrate with the class of 2014.
INOW
continued from page 1 “There is no way to scale grades in iNOW without adding points to every grade individually. Some teachers have more than 150 students, which makes this extremely inefficient. There is no way to designate an activity ‘excused’ for a student. Teachers just have to leave a grade blank if it is excused, or enter a zero if unexcused,” she said. “This leads to a lot of confusion when we are checking grades and trying to verify that every ‘blank’ is indeed an excused absence,”she said. Evans said the system is tedious to maneuver. “There is no way to easily toggle between a grade and an absence for a student. You have to go to completely different screens, and you cannot open multiple screens at one time,” Evans said. “To do something simple like printing a roster means going through multiple clicks and screens, maybe seven. If a student has been absent in a previous class, but present in my class, I cannot count them present. Literally, there is no way for me to correctly enter attendance at this time,” she said. She said iNOW is difficult to see on the computer, and that it is difficult to discern columns of cells from one another, “especially since you cannot see the top
heading as you scroll down to input grades Evans said. for students later in the alphabet.” “Everything in the extremely limited “All of the issues are pretty unbelievable iNOW takes literally five times longer than unless you try it,” she said. when I used Engrade. Even the way rosters She said this is a serious matter, as a are printed and grades are entered is awkward gradebook program should be primarily and prone to error in iNOW,” she said. a productivity tool for teachers and a If not Engrade, she said, then using “an feedback mechanism for students and Excel spreadsheet—even a version from parents concerning academic progress. 10 years ago—would be better than using “A gradebook program should be able to iNOW.” accurately keep grades and attendance with Michael Gamble, senior, said his physics minimum time and effort spent,” she said. grade got miscalculated due to a technical “A good gradebook program should offer error this past semester, which dropped his options for communication, scaling, graphs grade by a few points. for progress, multiple login and password access, etc.” ...it’s rare to actually hear She said she can think of anything good about options better than iNOW. “In the past I used the [iNOW] from teachers. world’s most popular gradebook program, Michael Gamble, senior Engrade, which is amazing, accurate, contemporary, and free—even winning awards for productivity,” Evans said. “As a student, I only use iNOW to check “Engrade has enhanced features such as my grades, but it’s rare to actually hear allowing parents, students and teachers to anything good about it from teachers,” he communicate about individual grades right said. in the program. It also allows students to He said that his class had to waste time turn in assignments and take quizzes which and calculate semester averages because of are entered directly into the gradebook,” what seems to be a programming error.
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“If it doesn’t mark my grade down by a full letter grade, I honestly couldn’t care less about it,” he said. “But when it makes a huge difference, and I don’t get an A that I worked hard to get, then it becomes an issue.” Nick Fairbairn, senior, said his grade was “mysteriously unaffected” while the rest of his physics class “suffered the detriments of the 2014 iNOW crisis.” “After doing extensive analytical error analysis, we revealed that my grades were accurate while the majority of other students’ grades in my physics class were approximately two points off,” he said. “After many days of deliberation, some faculty members discovered the problem: changing grade category weights between nine weeks resulted in a miscalculated first nine weeks grade.” Evans said she does not think anything can be done about it until it is addressed directly at the state level, and that it will take a critical mass of interested students and parents to make a change happen. “We routinely refer to the program as iNever,” she said. “Hey, a bit of humor always helps.”
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The Northridge Reporter February 13, 2014
Non-traveling team added to girls soccer Lauren Curtner-Smith Copy Editor
The girls soccer program has grown to include a non-traveling team. A girls soccer program has existed since the school’s inception in 2003. New girls coach Callie Pike was a part of the inaugural team her junior and senior year before playing soccer for the University of Alabama. Carter Hill, head soccer coach, said the first girls team was so small that the softball and soccer team often shared players. Shane Ashcraft, boys JV coach, said the growth of the program is large. “We have the most players since Hill and I have been here, which shows a growing interest in soccer,” he said. Many aspects of the non-traveling team are the same as the Varsity team, Hill said. “They will still be rostered and play in some home and away games. I care more about ability and helping us with matches,” he said. The team was created because Hill wanted to give developing players a chance to learn essential soccer skills. “It will be nice to have numbers in practice to run an eleven versus eleven scrimmage,” Hill said. The non-traveling team is not considered a JV team, Hill said. It does not have enough players. “It only has seven players... and that number will go down as I add some girls to the Varsity team. Also we will not play other JV girls teams because at this time there are no other schools in Tuscaloosa that have them,” Hill said. Hill said the reason more boys play school soccer than girls is because of communicative aspects.
“By the time boys and girls are juniors and seniors ... they play for social avenues and not for the actual sport. Photo by: Camri Mason Girls usually decide Kick it: Shelby there are other social Castellanos, sophoavenues other than more on new soccer soccer. Boys on the other hand strive team, practices after for something more school. competitive. It’s not always a social thing for boys. Some girls don’t need the competition,” Hill said. “I think both [programs] are competitive. Boys may have more numbers, but both have excellent coaches for their own teams. I’m in charge of both teams. I’ve never felt that I’ve given one team more attention than the other,” Hill said. “It will be nice to have players for the future who have already gone through the drills and practices, so they understand how we do things; it will improve our Varsity girls program over the next few years,” he said. “This will give us an opportunity to put our starters together to play as one unit rather than to split them up. Then we can rotate players, so they get used to playing with each other,” Ashcraft said. Lee Almond, junior midfielder, said she hopes the new team learns to better their soccer skills and work well on a team. “You have to work well together but also be dedicated; soccer is not always play time,” she said. Almond’s advice to those on the team is to stick with the program. “Even though the running is bad right now, it gets better. When you win games, it gives you a sense of pride,” Almond said.
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7 Wrestlers work to maintain weight Sports
Sophie Fairbairn Assistant Copy Editor
would begin wrestling in middle schools like American Christian Academy.” Coach Morgan and McCutchen on’t let the skin tight onesies and encourage anyone to join the team. the WWE mislead you. Wrestling Carlton Jones, junior and former is an official sport of strength, agility and wrestler, said he would have recruited strategy. when he moved from ACA if he hadn’t had “It’s a tainted sport,” assistant coach, knee surgery. Dooley McCutchen said. “It’s not wrastling, “I miss [wrestling] a lot because it was it’s wrestling,” he said forcefully. the only after school activity I liked doing,” Seventy-eight pounds of tactical force, Jones said, smiling halfheartedly. McCutchen, at 12 years old, began Ben Wright, junior wrestler, has been on wrestling in the seventh grade. He thought the team since he was recruited by recent himself too small for football or any one head wrestling coach Don McNabb his on one sport. freshman year. McCutchen said wrestling was a good “The team is like a family,” Ben said, fit for him because of its individual weight “we beat the crap out of each other every classes. Because of this weight separation, day, and we insult each other, but at the end each wrestler is in charge of gaining their of the day we pick each other up and fight own points in a match, which benefits the through a lot of stuff. It’s a close kind of entire team’s rank during a meet. friendship that you can only get by going “Everyone is depending on you as a team through hell together.” member to pull your own weight (literally),” In an environment of all males, one can McCutchen said. predict the attitude of McCutchen now, such boys. despite a blown “They all have a out knee, uses his cocky attitude,” Wright experience to assist the said, “some more than head wrestling coach others.” Michael Morgan and Wright said wrestling get the wrestling team attributes not only to her physically prepared. son’s small size, but to “You have to be very his “stubbornness and flexible,” McCutchen said, cocky attitude” as well. “if you don’t stretch, it can “One of Ben’s Photo by: Camri Mason tournaments I was even be a very painful situation.” He said wrestling is a 1,2,3,OUT: Corey Gayle, sopho- scared,” Wright said. more wrestles his opponent in In total body workout. this specific “It’s not about brute practice. tournament Ben had force like football,” exceeded his weight McCutchen said, “wrestling takes brains, class causing him to move up a class of flexibility, and strategy. There is a lot of opponents, meaning his opponents were muscle memory that goes into the sport.” much heavier than his usual weight class. Michael Morgan said wrestling can be “I thought Ben was going to pass out,” tough at times. Wright said gaspingly. “I mean [the “[Wrestling] is a great sport that has opponent] wore him down, but Ben was a very high intensity. It teaches self- too stubborn to give up, and ended up discipline and how to sacrifice your body getting 2nd place.” for the good of the team,” Morgan said. Wright said that its moments like McCutchen said not only can it be tough, these, that even though [the boys] put up but it can be fast as well. a front and act as though they are tough, “Wrestling is like playing chess; it’s so independent “men” with no need for fast you can’t believe it; it takes that much support, they secretly want their mother’s time,” he said snapping his fingers. there for encouragement. Donna Wright, mother of wrestler Ben Wright said she tries to attend all meets, Wright, said wrestling is a constant fight. even meets lasting more than a day. “Do you remember the Spider “Sometimes my husband even takes off Monkeys?” Wright said pointing towards work to see Ben wrestle,” Wright said. coach McCutchen for assurance. Being supportive and involved in “your Wright was referring to the smallest of children’s interests” is important to Wright. the wrestlers, the type of wrestlers that were Wright sometimes chauffeurs for meets. able to move swiftly around opponents due “I want to help the team any way I can,” to their puny size and weight. Wright said. “Oh yes!” Dooley said excitedly. “They Laughing and calling the team a “pack would climb on people like backpacks.” of teenage anorexics,” Wright said she has Dooley reached out with his hand making made sandwiches for the team. a suction noise as he “The wrestling team Keeping up grasped the empty air. is usually starving with the diet is “They can climb on because of their wrestlers like trees,” consistency to keep up the hardest part... Wright added. “The with their own weight smaller weight classes Sam Maughan, wrestler class,” Wright said. are usually more fun to watch.” Sam Maughan, junior and wrestler, said Wright explained, saying the smaller the keeping up with the diet is the hardest part weight class, the more technique, speed of wrestling for him. and agility the wrestlers are subject to. “I don’t like that I have to cut weight “[Sophomore] Marshall Brown is the because I am hungry all the time,” lightest wrestler at only 100 pounds and Maughan said. 6’2,” McCutchen said. “Not quite a spider Ben said, “The hardest part is the mental monkey, but close. If he stuck his tongue out, aspect. We run and lift just as much, if not he’d look like a zipper,” he said jokingly. more than any other sport, but we also In cases where a teammate is not able to have to maintain our weight, stay really match up with another opponent in the same hydrated, and workout on our own time weight class, the team must forfeit the match to be able to compete with the best in our and give up their point to the other team. weight classes.” “When our team has to forfeit, we’re Though the team must suffer through disappointed, but when the opposing team sacrifices such as these, Ben said has to forfeit, we celebrate,” McCutchen said. “[Wrestling] is not only a good stress relief, This is one reason McCutchen, Morgan but it keeps me in great shape and gives me and Wright want more players on the team. a lot of self-confidence.” “I wish more people knew about “Our team has a lot of talent,” Morgan said. wrestling and how it is such a good sport for “We are very proud of our 3rd place trophy smaller people,” Wright said. “I wish they at the ACA tournament,” McCutchen said.
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The Northridge Reporter February 13, 2014
THE CORONATION said they also get nervous while watching Procter on stage. “While we are used to performing ourselves, it is always more difficult to sit passively and watch your own child perform,” Doff said. Procter is able to support charitable organizations through her participation in pageants. “Holding the title Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen allows me to promote my personal platform, ‘Each One Reach One,’’ which reaches out to impoverished children through the donation of tangible goods; raise money and awareness for the national platform, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals; make appearances across the state at various venues like local pageants, ceremonies and nursing homes and be a positive role model to kids of all ages,” Procter said. Doff said he thinks Procter is an excellent leader, making her great for her position as Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen. “Her character and her drive to excel in everything she attempts [makes her great for this]. Almost more importantly, her faith gives her a moral compass that guides her and in turn gives her the ability to lead others,” Doff said. Procter’s most recent appearance was at the Miss America competition where she sang the National Anthem. She said she will give up her title of Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen and crown another girl in March. “After I give up my title in March, I will begin competing in Miss Alabama preliminary competitions starting in June. Hopefully, I will win a preliminary and go on to compete at Miss Alabama, and eventually compete at Miss America,” Procter said. Pageants allow Procter to do what she loves best. “I absolutely love being on stage and having a microphone in front of me, regardless of whether I’m singing into it or just speaking. By being [Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen] I am able to do both of these things quite often. I have enjoyed meeting so many new people and creating lasting friendships with girls all across America,” Procter said.
Procter brings back title and crown
Lauren Curtner-Smith Copy Editor
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essica Procter, senior, has a passion for pageants. She has competed in the Miss Tuscaloosa, Miss Jefferson County, Miss Alabama, and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageants. Procter said she first began competing in pageants because one of her best friends was starting to compete and told her about them. Procter’s beauty routine is usually independently done “unless it’s for a photoshoot.” “During competition, all the girls are required to do it all themselves. I drink lots of water because I’m convinced it helps make my skin glow,” she said. She said that competing in pageants is a great way to expand opportunities. “I did my first preliminary and was hooked on everything about [pageants]. Not only did I constantly make new, great friends, but I learned of all the possibilities to win scholarships and impact my future,” Procter said. Procter said the pageants have allowed her to make many new friends. “I made a best friend with Miss South Carolina’s Outstanding Teen. We still to this day talk multiple times weekly and are definitely going to be best friends for a long time,” Procter said. Procter said that because she’s a singer, she is “always so impressed by all the phenomenal dancers and pianists.” “I have really learned that these competitions are not all about the beauty and the sparkles, but each and every one of these girls is intelligent, hard-working, talented, and dedicated to making a difference in peoples’ lives and in their communities,” she said. Procter, whose own talent is classical singing, sang “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from the musical, Phantom of the Opera. “My parents are both professional opera singers, and they guide me in how to sing and perform my best,” Procter said. Procter’s parents, Laurel and Doff Procter,
Beat 8
Photo by: TomTaylor
A winner: Doff and Laurel Procter with Jessica Procter after she won the Evening Gown Preliminary Award at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant. “I also won the Preliminary the next night for Fitness,” she
Photo by: Kerri Ledford
Anthem: Jessica Procter introducing herself at Miss America in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where she sang the National Anthem. “I sang in front of 12,000 people on Sept. 11, so it was very meaningful.”
Photo by: Danny Barrett
Ahhhhh!: essica Procter’s initial reaction after hearing her name called at Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen Pageant in Sylacauga, Alabama. “I thought I was dreaming when they said my name,” she said.
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February 13, 2014 Volume 11 Issue 5
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