The Northridge Reporter May 2015

Northridge High School 2901 Northridge Road Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406

EST. 2003

THE MAY 1, 2015

NORTH RI D GE

www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com

REPORTER

The student voice of Northridge High School

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 8

Block scheduling registration causes confusion “A counselor [or] administrator reviewed each [registration] card,” she said. “Then we returned the cards to students to take home. Until we know how many egistration for next year’s classes, which occurred students want to take each class, we cannot determine [a] April 8, was “stressful and confusing,” Lillian Woolf, master schedule.”

Preparing the master schedule—the “overall map of sophomore, said.

“I had to think a lot more about the time frame because everything taught when it’s taught”—will begin at the end of my choice to do dual enrollment at the University of April, Kyle Ferguson, principal, said. [of Alabama]. With my schedule, it required a lot of “Our goal is to have the schedule ready by the end of the school year, and that’s a pretty planning,” Woolf said. “I feel that ambitious request,” he said. greatly affects the outcome of my The process for students success.” to change classes will be Woolf is currently taking art unaffected by the new block history through the University of schedule, Bradford said.

Alabama’s Early College program “We’ll definitely work on and plans to take chemistry and changing schedules,” she said.

Spanish courses through the “There’s definitely room to University of Alabama her junior KYLE FERGUSON, PRINCIPAL move things around.

When year. She is also planning to take the master schedule is made, it AP Language and Composition, will be made to benefit the most people possible.”

AP U.S. History and AP Statistics.

The fate of the ‘skinny period’—whether it will be filled “I feel that there’s been a lot of changes happening in the by an elective or core class—is still uncertain, Bradford said. school system recently, and this is just a part of it,” she said.

“It could be both,” she said.

“We don’t know what will “I feel administrators should learn more about our options, be scheduled at that time, [but] we’re going to get as much so that we’re not so confused about our choices for the out of the day that we can for students.” upcoming school year.”

Kathleen Bradford, guidance counselor, said there ACT prep classes tailored to students’ learning needs are “not a lot of answers” currently on the exact state of will “absolutely” be a part of the skinny period, Ferguson said, but there is still a “lot of work to do” in regards to the scheduling.

JAMES NIILER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Core 1 Core 2

Elective 1 JAG Block Elective 3

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TERM ONE

TERM TWO Core 3 Core 4

Elective 2 JAG Block Elective 4

AVERAGE SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE DTG PRODUCTIONS page 9

QUINCIAÑERA page 4

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Registration was actually an easy process if you got your parents to help beforehand. If you came in there not knowing what you were going to take, it would be a terrible time.”

CALEB TOSHCOFF, FRESHMAN

It was easy, but a little stressful because like I wanted to get classes with my friends, but I needed to get all my credits.”

NOUR AKL, FRESHMAN

[Registration] was pretty easy; easier because [the counselors] helped me figure out what to take.”

JESSIE CORY, SOPHOMORE

It was kind of stressful picking out classes for next year, since junior year is supposed to be hard.”

SKYLAR GRIFFIN, SOPHOMORE

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Infographic designed by James Niiler Information compiled by Kathryn Versace

With AP classes, there’s a lot of busy work that I would say is unnecessary. With early college, that’s all gone.

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Our goal is to have the schedule ready by the end of the school year, and that’s a pretty ambitious request.

new schedule.

“It’s taken incremental steps along the way with a lot of input from all three schools,” he said. “We won’t know all of the details until we get all the course requests in. We’ll know then what we need to schedule during the skinny [period]. Some of what we’ll be doing at [that time] will change every six to nine weeks.”

The course catalogue used for registration this year is the same as in past years, and all the classes listed have the potential to be taught, but not at every school, Bradford said.

“All three high schools in the Tuscaloosa City Schools use the same course catalogue,” she said. “So all of those courses will be offered at one of the high schools.”

Courses offered at each school would be limited only by student interest or lack of an appropriate teacher, Bradford said.

“It could be both: we don’t have the proper teacher for [the course], or students aren’t interested in that area,” she said.

The cards used to request courses this year are the same as they have been in previous years, despite the change to the block schedule, Bradford said.

“These are the same cards they use every single year. On the cards, students are just listing the classes they want,” she said. “We just have to go by what they write down.

Next year, I hope to see changes to these cards because they’re not as intuitive as they could be.”

LILLIAN WOOLF, SOPHOMORE

See story on the WEBSITE

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OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

OUR THOUGHTS Chaotic registraion leads to confusion

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arlier this year, The Northridge Reporter expressed its support for Principal Kyle Ferguson’s block scheduling plan. We still do, as we believe it will provide numerous benefits to students and teachers.

That being said, the implementation of the block schedule has been a logistical nightmare. The block schedule—a popular idea circulating since August with much knowledge about what it entailed—was approved at the board of education meeting on March 10.

Registration for classes was due to occur nearly a month later. With that much foreknowledge and preparation, one would think registration would be a true ‘piece of cake’ for students and teachers alike.

Unfortunately, it was not. Although the course catalogs were still up-to-date and the cards for registration were current, students and teachers were not aware of this, which caused a great deal of perplexity for everyone. No one knew quite what would happen in the ‘skinny period;’ no one is sure now. Countless questions were asked by confused students to their equally confused teachers. Students received different answers.

Even more perplexing was the fact that ‘registration’ was not really registration at all—it was more like a formal request for classes to be taught in the coming year. With this in mind, students are also upset they were not scheduled to have one-on-one meetings with a counselor—an action that would have doubtless made this process easier.

There is no prefect system for scheduling classes, and both the block and the seven-period have their pros and cons. Nevertheless, the school system should aim for a more professional registration process in the future, as well as seek to maintain a scheduling system that will not be subject to change every few years.

from MCT Campus

THOMAS MULLINS • STAFF WRITER

Technology can be great I

CARTER LOVE • STAFF WRITER

Allergies make spring a trial, still a good season S

pring has fantastic weather. The sun is shining, the grass is green, and there’s a nice occasional rain.

With all this nice weather there is, of course, a downside.

Allergies.

For many, going outside takes a toll on you after a while. If I go outside, I get itchy eyes and a stuffed-up nose from the pollen.

It sucks, but the pretty weather is worth being irritated for the rest of the day.

This spring, the pollen is worse than previous springs and pollen is everywhere.

Usually it is very overwhelming for about one or two weeks and then it dies down.

Taking Zyrtec or Claritin is a big factor of getting through it.

Without the medicine, seeing and talking without sneezing is not easy.

The pollen season has increased by four times in the past decade.

Thirty percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the U.S. are allergic to pollen.

With so many people allergic to it, it may be hard to want to go outside.

It is worth the allergies to enjoy the spring weather.

This type of weather only comes once a year, so allergies or not, it’s good to enjoy it.

est. 2003

THE NORTH RI D G E REPORTER

have a love/hate relationship with technology.

Before I’m written off as an old light, hear me out.

I love my iPhone 6. Every time I pull it out of my pocket, I’m reminded of how great this thing is. It wakes me up every morning, it tells me what the weather’s going to look like every day, it reminds me of appointments and birthdays, and it shows me how to do new things constantly.

But maybe that is what’s wrong here.

I’ve come to realize that the more convenient, new features that big phone companies add to their phones, the more dependent I become on my phone. Yeah, it’s nice to have a personal assistant in my pocket, but it seems like my phone is fighting harder to be a second brain than to be what it was created to be.

According to a report from IDC Research, 4 out of 5 smartphone users check their phones within the firsts 15 minutes of waking up, and 80% of those people say it’s the first thing they do in the morning.

In math class, people can’t add twelve plus fifteen without firing up their calculator app and letting a machine do it for them.

I know some people that won’t go running unless their health app tells them to.

Heck, there are even apps out there made to remind new mothers to feed their children.

Feed Baby, an app available on the Google Play Store, functions to remind parents to feed their baby, clean it up and put it to sleep—“all with the touch of a button!”

Does that not seem weird in the slightest sense? Can’t we just do this stuff by ourselves? I mean, we functioned perfectly fine without any help for hundreds of years before any of this technology was created.

I admit, I’m totally guilty of a lot of the very things I’m talking about, but nobody is really safe from this, and it needs to change.

I think people should return to some of the old methods of doing things.

I’m not saying throw away your phones—we all know that without modern technology we would be nowhere right now.

I just think there’s a much more human way to remember to feed your kids; you know, thinking with the brain in your head, not the one in your pocket.

Journalist of the Year 2013 • Bailey Thomson Award for Editorial Writing 2013 • Rick Bragg Feature Writing Award 2009 • Pacemaker Finalist 2014 • NSPA 6th Place Best of Show 2013 • NSPA 5th Place Best of Show 2012 • NSPA 1st Place Best of Show 2011 • NSPA 5th Place Best of Show 2008 • NSPA 8th Place Best of Show 2008 • NSPA 9th Place Best of Show 2006 • CSPA Gold Medalist 2005-2013 • SIPA All-Southern 2003, 2005–2012 • ASPA All-Alabama 2003–2013 • NSPA All-American 2004, 2008, 2011 • Best SIPA Newspaper in Alabama 2003–2007 • NSPA News Story of the Year 2005, 2014 • NSPA Cartoon of the Year 2014 • SIPA First Place News Story 2007• SIPA First Place Review 2009

The student voice of Northridge High School

Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 • (205) 759-3734 ext. 295 Editor-in-Chief *James Niiler Managing Editor *Rebecca Griesbach Feature Editor *Rebecca Griesbach News Editors *Destiny Hodges, *Mychi Tran

Opinion Editor *Bert McLelland Sports Editors *Camri Mason, *Jordan Hutchinson Asst. Sports Editor Nate Hester Entertainment Editor *Kathryn Versace

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. Submit letters

Copy Editor *Jacob Martin Asst. Copy Editor Sujitha Peramsetty Infographics Editor *Kathryn Versace Business Manager Sujitha Peramsetty

*Denotes state, regional and national award winners Art Editor *Mychi Tran Photographers *Camri Mason, Carter Love, * Jacob Martin Webmaster & Twitter Editor *James Niiler Assistant Webmaster Carter Love

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OPINION

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

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Art by Mychi Tran

Can I trust this website?

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JORDAN HUTCHINSON • ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Online prices a scam, some are just too good to be true

nline shopping is becoming the way of the future. However, it takes so much work, so many credibility checks to buy something online, that I might as well go to a store and buy it in person.

Sites such as aliexpress.com (do not ever shop there no matter how cheap it seems) have made me lose trust in the online shopping business. For those who are unaware, aliexpress is a website that offers products at a ridiculously low price compared to what regular retailers charge.

There is a catch, in that when you pay

those cheap prices, you may not get what you bought. Many reviews tell of scams that aliexpress has pulled on consumers who have been tricked by low prices.

Websites like these make me scared to shop online. It makes me paranoid about every website I use to shop. Before I do anything I have to do countless google searches that consist of “is this website credible,” or “can I trust this website.”

Why are people so desperate to get money that they will make a website just to scam people into buying their fake

JACOB MARTIN • COPY EDITOR

products?

The sad part is that I could just buy from the producer of the goods instead of going to some other site and risk my personal information. The reason why I have to go to those risky sites is because the producers (Nike, Adidas) charge astronomical prices for their products. I am not going to pay hundreds of dollars for a shoe that’s been out for a year. That just does not make good business sense.

Big corporations have indirectly caused this flood of online scams because

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scammers have figured out that if they reduce the prices a little bit on a product, they can get people to buy it, and then when the customer claims that they have not received the product, the website can claim that there was a shipping error, and the scammer will be off scott-free.

Online shopping has a long way to go before I am able to trust every site I go to.

However, if it is going to be corrected, it will have to start with corporations lowering their ridiculous prices so people can afford their products.

Why should students willingly

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exploit themselves to conform to this system

Pressures of school, university casue students to overwork themselves T oday, students are pushing themselves harder than ever. The top percent of the class is achieving more and extending themselves further.

These students, most often juniors, select the most challenging course loads, play varsity sports, are in all the honor societies, and do all the extracurriculars. Some of these students, however, are overextending themselves.

These students are and should be admired. They are fully committed to their academics, and they sacrifice free time in order to fulfill their commitment.

They have established effective habits that will make them successful in any given situation. Many of them will go on to do great things in life.

There is, however, something slightly disturbing about a segment of these high achievers.

In order to maintain their strenuous course load and array of extracurricular activities they sacrifice proper sleep and undergo excessive stress.

They actually begin to physically harm their health, with some of them turning to excessive caffeine consumption and even prescription stimulant abuse to give them every ounce of energy and focus they can get their hands on.

What drives students to do this? Aren’t teenagers lazy and irresponsible? Why do these students give so much care to academic activities when there seems to be no immediate benefits?

Well, for one, university acceptance rates have fallen while the cost of attending college has risen drastically.

The playing field for scholarships and even spots in the top tier of universities has become extremely competitive.

Stanford has always been a selective university, but in 2015 it had a 5% acceptance rate out of over 40,000 applicants, the largest number in the university’s history. High school students can no longer just be outstanding among their peers, but they must be outstanding amongst a pool of the most outstanding students in the United States.

What this creates is an unhealthy amount of stress for students who wish to enter the elite ranks of the most prestigious

universities.

This stress can cause students intense unhappiness. Sometimes it causes more than just emotional turbulence, and it leads to the development of psychiatric disorders such as depressive and anxiety disorders.

We live in one of the most vastly wealthy and developed societies, so why should we have a university system that generates such difficulty and unhappiness amongst some students, and why should these students willingly exploit themselves in order to conform to this system?

Students who enjoy pushing themselves academically should by no means stop doing so, but they certainly should not sacrifice their health for a potential university spot.

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NEWS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

in brief

Scholarships top $2 million MAYCI HARTLEY STAFF WRITER With graduation around the corner, seniors were honored at Honors Day on May 1.

Those who received a scholarship needed to turn in their scholarship letters

by April 27 to be recognized. Parents of students with scholarship letters were invited to Honors Day. Senior counselor, Kathleen Bradford, said the board wants the school to get more scholarships every year because the amount of scholarships received is compared yearly.

“We are the biggest school, so generally we have more [scholarship] money than smaller schools,” Bradford said.

John Austin Higginbotham, senior, turned in his scholarship.

“I got a presidential scholarship to The University of Alabama,” he said.

So far the seniors have turned in $2 million in scholarships.

Rezoning planned MAYCI HARTLEY STAFF WRITER

Kyle Ferguson, principal, said there is not a final plan yet for rezoning.

“There are lots of options, but four [options] where presented at the open discussion,” he said.

Lillian Woolf, sophomore, lives near Central.

“The people that designed the school rezoning plans didn’t take into account the desires of the community,” she said.

TCTA hair show held DESTINY HODGES NEWS EDITOR

TCTA’s Cosmetology class hosted their first hair show on April 24.

Krysta Collier, cosmetology teacher, said the purpose of the hair show was to give students a little more exposure.

“It’s to let the children display the things they learned throughout the year and to recruit new students,” Collier said.

Kiera Parker, cosmetology student, who participated in the hair show said, “all the students picked models and did their hair according to the themes.”

Collier said the themes were business, after five and circus.

“Business was for a professional look, circus was for fun and after five was to teach students how to dress appropriately for different occasions,” she said.

Collier said the judges looked for creativity, smoothness and overall look.

(See the web for an update.)

New emojis with update

DESTINY HODGES NEWS EDITOR

When Apple released the IOS 8.3 on April 8, it enabled Wi-Fi calling; however, its most popular addition is the new emojis.

Freshman Chelsie Elliott said the update gives different shades of emojis and allows more than one race to be shown.

“I feel like it helps people relate more to others in a way,” she said.

Brianna Chye, freshman, said she finds the new emojis useful.

“I find it ethnically diverse, and it shows that we as a human race have come a long way,” she said.

Ebone Tucker, junior, said she does not use or like the new emojis.

“I understand that [Apple] was trying to add more races, but I just think it was extra,” Tucker said.

Photo by Giovanni Costillo

CHEERS Alan Escobar, sophomore at Holt, Emmanuel Espionozo, freshman at Bryant, Francisco Martinez, sophomore, Luis Bocanegra, sophomore at Tuscaloosa County, Alexis Toboada, freshman, Abraham Moreno, freshman at Holy Spirit and Gutierrez, freshman, raise their glasses in celebration of Gutierrez’s Quinceanera.

Extravagant Quinceaneras celebrate coming of age MYCHI TRAN NEWS EDITOR

There are no half ways when it comes to a Quinceanera. It takes months or years to plan. The cost usually ranges in the thousands.

A Quinceanera is a Hispanic birthday party celebration for a girl turning 15.

Isabel Gutierrez, freshman, said she celebrated her Quinceanera on Nov. 22, surrounded by 320 friends and family.

“Quinceanera means ‘girl who is fifteen years old’ in Spanish,” she said. “The point of the party is to celebrate a girl’s transition into adulthood.”

Gutierrez said planning is the most grueling aspect.

“It takes approximately eight months to a year to plan a Quinceanera,” she said.

“You have to figure out what you want to have, decorations and what to wear. The list is endless.”

Gutierrez said the costs vary from one Quinceanera to another.

“I spent about $10,000 on my party,” she said. “Mine was a little cheaper than some others.”

Maria Gutierrez, Gutierrez’s mother, said they spent the most on the venue and the dress.

“The rest went into the food, cakes, DJ, mariachi band, waiters, decorations, limo

and church,” she said. her waltz with her father.”

The younger Gutierrez said she ordered The elder Gutierrez said the changing of her dress from Mexico. the shoes is an important ritual.

“It’s a pretty blue color that looks sort of “When the Quinceanera starts, the girl like a ball gown,” she said. arrives in some sort of flat shoes, and when Gutierrez said her Quinceanera started it’s time, the father takes the shoes off and early in the morning. changes them to heels,” she said. “This “Before the party, I went to my mom’s tradition represents the girl going into friend to get my makeup done and put on adulthood.” my dress. Then me and the chambelanes Francisco Martinez, sophomore, was a [the guys that are part of the Quinceanera’s chambelan at Gutierrez’s Quinceanera. court of honor] “The chambelanes got in the limo and dance with the went to the church Quinceanera. We have where we had the to be with her the whole traditional mass,” she day and help her with said. “Afterward, we her big dress,” he said. all headed toward the Martinez said he had Belk Activity Center to learn several dances where I would be for every Quinceanera he having my party.” attended as a chambelan.

Gutierrez’s mother He has been to a total of said the Quinceanera seven Quinceaneras.

ISABEL GUTIERREZ Photo by Giovanni Costillo and chambelanes have “[I had to do] about two or three dances to wait outside while the guests arrive by [at her party], and they’re usually about two the dozens. to three minutes each,” he said. “They are “They would sit while food is brought kind of boring.” to them. One or two hours later, the Gutierrez’s mother said a Quinceanera Quinceanera makes her grand entrance has similarities and differences to a Sweet and sits at the special table with her 16. chambelanes,” she said. “Then the dancing “They’re sort of the same, but a starts.Traditional stuff happens like Quinceanera costs more,” she said. “It’s also changing of the shoe, the coronation and more traditional.”

Sweet 16 birthday celebrations differ based on preferences

about $1200, but we spent maybe at the least $2000.”

Though they went over budget, mother A person’s 16th birthday is a milestone Victoria Lewis-Cox said they handmade often celebrated with the traditional Sweet many items.

16 party. While some have small, modest “Being that we are blessed with creativity parties, others go all out. and I love creating fabulous decorating Sophomore Olivia Cox said she spent items for a little of nothing, Olivia and I about a year “planning, budgeting, searching designed her unique decorations,” she said. and ordering things” for her nearly 80 party “[Olivia], her sister and cousins designed guests. the forks which had a glow to them as well.

“It was a glow-in-theShe and I both worked on dark themed [party]. I had her invitations for about extra black lights installed, a month. It was a creative so my food glowed in the labor of love for me.” dark. My punch glowed, Cox’s mother said her and I asked my guests daughter persuaded her to to wear white or neon throw the party. colors,” she said. “My mom “For my husband and decorated with glow-inI, the party symbolizes the-dark balloons and that our child is now glow-in-the-dark table transitioning from our Photo by Brittany Spencer little girl to a young lady. It cloths and glow jars with light up and strobe flashing sticks.” also symbolizes that we aren’t getting any Cox said she went over budget due to her younger,” she said. “Unfortunately, I did dress and decorations. not have a Sweet 16, so being able to give “I ordered a glow-in-the-dark dress from Olivia the party of her dreams was very China,” she said. “We had a set budget for special for me. I just wish that I had more SUJITHA PERAMSETTY ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR

photos of that night.”

Cox said the party symbolizes the transition into a new part of life. “[It represents] maturing into a young lady,” she said. “I feel more responsible.”

While Cox was planning her glowin-the-dark rave, sophomore Courtney Mobbs said she threw a party as an excuse to get together with friends.

“Me and five of my best friends drove to Birmingham to the Trussville Playstation where we roller-skated, played arcade games, raced go-carts and played laser tag,” she said. “Then, we went to a drive-in movie and watched Big Hero 6. Lastly, we went out to dinner.”

Mobbs said they spent around $200 or less, and it took only a couple of days to plan. “[It] took us longer to come up with the idea,” she said. “We had to organize transportation, check which movie was playing and call ahead to the Playstation.”

Mobbs said she wanted to have a party because 16 is an important age. “[The party] was about remembering my childhood and having fun with everyone without having to grow up,” she said.

NEWS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

LET’S DANCE

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New prom venue liked by most students MYCHI TRAN NEWS EDITOR

eat. There were fake flowers, paper clocks and paper cards. The music was mostly R&B and rap.”

The theme of this year’s prom was Raegan Nunley, sophomore, said she had Wonderland. It took place on Saturday, a great time.

April 18 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

“It was a fun day with all my friends,” Principal Kyle Ferguson said his first she said. “There wasn’t anything I didn’t prom at this school was a great one. like about it.”

“It was absolutely magnificent. Ms. Nunley said she prefers this venue in Oatts did a great job spearheading the comparison to the gym. whole thing,” he said. “The “[The gym] would have teachers were on schedule been fine, but I thought it and even stayed after their was better to dance on the shift. Everyone was dressed carpet,” she said. nicely, and the girls’ dresses Junior Cody Killian said were all beautiful. I only he enjoyed going out with had a problem with two his friends to eat before dresses, but I let it go since prom. there were no guidelines in “Me and my friends place this year.” ate dinner at NorthRiver Ferguson said the venue [Yacht Club],” he said. was nice.

Killian said he thought “It was very spacious, big the location was a good KYLE FERGUSON, dance floor, and food and one.

PRINCIPAL refreshments in another “I liked the cards and room,” he said. “There was lights,” he said. “There also an adjacent room [where students] were these columns that had lights at the could check in their coats and shoes.” bottom.”

Ferguson said he didn’t get home until Killian said the music was what you three in the morning. usually find at prom.

“The DJ had borrowed some equipment “It was your typical pop/rock songs,” he said. from another DJ, and he didn’t come to get Mya Montrella, senior, said she was his equipment until 2:30,” he said. excited about prom in general, but she was Ferguson said they had all type of food. a little worried about the new venue or the “There was Chick-fil-a, cookies and idea of carpet. sweets,” he said.

“It’s a sketchy part of town, and we were Simon Seitel, junior, came to prom driving at night [and] the carpet was okay,” around 8:45 and left at 10:00. He said the she said. place was nice.

Rabisa Khan, senior, said she liked the “There was a room where you can TCT building over the gym. dance,” he said. “There was another “I’m glad I went. This will be my first and room where you can take pictures and last prom,” Khan said.

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It was absolutely magnificent.

Photo by Destiny Hodges

IS IT TOO LATE Mike Lee asks Antoya Searcy to Prom during lunch. He sat a box of wings at her seat with a note that said, “I’ve never asked anyone to prom before, so I’m just going to wing it.” Lee said, “I felt like it was relief [when she said yes]. Being scared and nervous was worth it.”

Prom held at TCTA, promposals popular DESTINY HODGES NEWS EDITOR

A normal afternoon turned into a memorable day when Caroline Jessup, sophomore, got the proposal she had been waiting for.

“I had been sick all week,” Jessup said. “I was just lying on the couch, and my mom told me to get dressed and put on another shirt.”

Jessup was not sure why her mother had told her to change shirts.

“I came up with it on my own,” junior Ryan Stegall, Jessup’s boyfriend, said.

Stegall had planned a surprise that Jessup would never forget. “[Ryan] had already planned to come over that day,” Jessup said. “He texted me to come outside.”

Stegall and a few of his friends were waiting outside of Jessup’s house.

“I knew I was gonna get asked, but I didn’t know when or how,” Jessup said.

“Ryan got all of his friends to make a line of pickup trucks and to stand with signs that spelled prom. He also played ‘Sweet Caroline’.”

Stegall said he spent about a week planning the Prom proposal.

“I made a sign that said ‘I found the best

pickup line just for you Caroline’,” Stegall said. “I knew she was gonna say yes.”

Jessup said yes to her first Prom proposal.

“I was surprised,” Jessup said.

Prom was held April 18 at the Tuscaloosa Career & Technology Academy (TCTA) banquet hall.

Kyle Ferguson, principal, said it was held at TCTA because we got a new gym floor last year.

“Basketball coaches were worried about students scratching and denting the gym floor. [Having Prom at TCTA] also kept us from rendering our gym unusable for the week of Prom,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said Prom has the same guidelines as Homecoming.

“We want to be in good taste. We don’t want anything vulgar or nasty. We want to have a classy event, and we want everybody to have a good time, stay all night and party like rock stars,” Ferguson said. “Most of all, we want everybody to be safe and for everyone to make it home.”

Ferguson said he attended Prom at his high school for more than four years.

“I actually went before my freshman year because I went to other people’s Proms.

I went to Prom my freshman year with a senior. Yeah, I’ve always been a winner,” Ferguson said with a smirk.

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FEATURE

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2014

PRESIDENTIAL PUPIL Therrell’s fun facts start conversation NATE HESTER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR With the charisma of Kennedy, the stature of Lincoln, and the intelligence of Adams, Nick Therrell, junior, walks the halls with a swagger that cannot be matched.

“The first time I ever spoke to Nick Therrell, he walked up to me and said, “Hey Mullins.” I still don’t know how he knew my name,” Thomas Mullins, junior friend of Therrell, said as he remembers the first time he and Therrell met at the beginning of sophomore year.

Therrell then asked Mullins, “Who’s your favorite president?”

“Uh, I don’t really know man.

There aren’t many that really speak to me,” Mullins replied.

Nick continued to ask Thomas about who his favorite president was.

“Come on man. Who is your favorite president? Just give me one,” Therrell said.

“I don’t know man. I guess Ronald Reagan because he was an actor,” Mullins said.

“Oh, don’t get me started on Ronald Reagan,” Therrell said.

“I got Nick started on Ronald Reagan,” Mullins said as he laughed at his favorite memory of Nick.

Sitting in his desk, Therrell waits quietly f o r instruction from h i s

teachers. With thick blonde hair that people refer to as a “lion’s mane,” Nick taps his pencil on his desk with one leg crossed on his lap. Priding himself on his presidential and political knowledge, Nick confidently answers question after question with ease as other students try to stump him with trivia about varying topics all throughout the school day.

Will Tucker, junior, has been a friend of Therrell since last year when Nick moved to Alabama.

“Nick Therrell basically knows everything about history,” Tucker said.

“I remember last year when he and Ms. [Amy] Medlock got into an argument about some Indian Chief. He knew so much about every area of history,” Tucker said.

“He made every statement confidently believing it was right even if it wasn’t. After that day I thought he was really smart because he shut that teacher down,” Tucker said.

Sriram Dantaluri, another junior friend of Therrell, has been friends with Therrell since the beginning of this year.

“That guy knows everything about history,” Dantuluri said.

“One day we had to do an activity where we had to name one thing from history for each letter of the alphabet. Nick was in my group, and he knew so much. He knew middle names, last names, wars, historical events, everything,” Dantuluri said.

Brenton Sanders, junior, who is in Nick’s 6th period class, said Nick is educated on many different things.

“Like he knows every single United States President and the craziest facts about them,” Sanders said.

Therrell has to study up on

history to keep his knowledge where he wants it to be.

“Of course, I have to brush up on my facts,” Therrell said confidently as he relaxed in his chair.

Rebecca Brooking, Nick’s Spanish teacher, said Nick is a really great student.

“He is fearless when it comes to talking in Spanish in front of the class,” she said.

Savannah Bernal, a sophomore friend of Therrell thinks highly of Therrell.

“Nick is a Spanish Scholar,” Bernal said.

K.D. Smith, junior friend of Therrell, said that Therrell is not only smart, but he is funny too.

“He always has jokes,” Smith said.

“Oh, yeah. His puns are great,” Bernal said laughing as everyone in class said positive things about Therrell.

Christopher Canterbury, a friend of Therrell, said Nick always dresses well.

“He always wears a high quality watch and nice clothes,” Canterbury said.

Therrell has two younger brothers that he lives with along with his father and step mother.

Wynn, age 2, and Findley, who is six months old, are very important to Nick.

“I like to hang out with my brothers. They help me with chores, and I play blocks with them sometimes,” Nick said.

His step mother, Margaret Warner said Nick is a great role model for his brothers.

“He works really hard, and he is a good brother,” Warner said.

“I just do what I can to help out at home,” Therrell said.

“And I want people to remember me as the best person I can possibly be,” Therrell said.

Photo illustrations by Rebecca Griesbach Photos by Rebecca Griesbach, Mayci Hartley, Carter Love, and Destiny Hodges

Photo illustration by Rebecca Griesbach

Photo by Rebecca Griesbach

DOING IT

Photo by Rebecca G

FLAG GIRL Color guard member Liz Tucke her flag to the line’s field show routine.

FEATURE

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2014 Photo by Rabisa Khan Photo illustration by Rebecca Griesbach

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KHAN SPREADS PAKISTANI TRADITION KATHRYN VERSACE INFOGRAPHICS EDITOR

Northridge

of

D

resses with reds deep as rubies, yellows like ripe lemons, and pinks bright like coral flow on the dancefloor. Rabisa Khan dances along to the Bollywood (Hindi Hollywood) music in a shalwar kameez (a traditional Pakistani outfit) at her cousin’s wedding.

Khan is originally from New Jersey; she moved to Alabama her freshman year. Khan’s parents were born in Pakistan, and her older family members are originally from Pakistan.

“The way people talk and dress is really different [here than in New Jersey],” Khan said. “It was a culture shock. It’s hard to be away from family, but I have grown to love Alabama.”

Khan’s extended family lives back in New Jersey, where she visits regularly to see them.

“I have a huge family and over 40 first cousins,” she said. “We have many Pakistani weddings [in New Jersey] where we dress up in our traditional clothes and do rehearsed Bollywood dances.”

A wedding in traditional Pakistani culture is a three day long event; each day is filled with eating and dancing.

On the first night, henna is performed. Henna is temporary

dye made from the Henna plant “We go to Starbucks, go to painted usually in floral and Birmingham and go shopping,” geometric patterns on hands Montrella said. “We eat a lot, and arms for cosmetic purposes. too. She [has] dressed me up in a “Henna night” prepares the bride Pakistani wedding outfit, and we and groom for their marriage. [have] danced Bollywood style.”

The second day, the couple gets Khan knows three languages. formally married, and they sign She can read Arabic, as her holy the official documents. book is written in the language, Nimra Khan, sister to Rabisa, but cannot speak it. Khan speaks said it is “more emotional that day English as her first language, and [because] the girl is leaving [her talks in Urdu, the native language family].” of Pakistan, around her family She quickly added, “But, the and in her place of worship. guy’s side K h a n [of the teaches RABISA MEANS family] Montrella BRAVE IN URDU... is really and some IT’S FUNNY hyped for of her other BECAUSE SHE’S the girl to f r i e n d s SCARED EASILY. become common part of his phrases in NIMRA KHAN f a m i l y. ” Urdu.

JUNIOR The entire Montrella third day is k n o w s dedicated to the reception. enough Urdu to describe Khan.

Khan was intrigued by her “Rabisa, aap pyaari ho,” said aunts’ abilities to perform henna Montrella - which means while attending her family’s Rabisa, you are pretty. weddings. She wanted to learn Montrella said she enjoys learning how, so she taught herself and Pakistani traditions from Khan. followed her aunts’ designs.

“The culture is very different Khan said she enjoys sharing and very interesting. I like to her culture and traditions with dress up [in traditional clothes],” her friends. she said.

Mya Montrella met Khan Khan’s immediate family is very through a friend of a friend. They close. hung out after first meeting and “We eat dinner together every became best friends. night, which is really important

“

”

because we talk about our days,” Khan said.

Nimra said they shared a room when they were little.

“We would play with [our] cousins there and make up traditional dances with them,” Nimra said.

Nimra said Rabisa is easily frightened - the opposite of what her name means.

“Rabisa means brave in Urdu,” Nimra said. “It’s funny because she’s scared easily. She has a fear of scary movies and the darkness.”

Although Rabisa may be scared of a few simple things, she said she wants to become a doctor.

“I want to travel to third-world countries - like India and Pakistan - and help treat people in small villages and promote women empowerment in places… where women are treated unfairly,” Khan said.

Megan Liljenquist, science teacher, said Khan is a great student.

“She works with other students if she understands a topic. She explains it to them while I’m going over something with the class,” Liljenquist said. “She’d be very efficient [as a doctor]. She asks good questions; doctors are investigators and need to ask questions. She’s hard working which is the most important part of being a doctor.”

Marching band creative haven for Koch BRIANNA DUNN STAFF WRITER

Freshman clarinet player Rachel Koch has an unmistakable love for music and performing in the school’s band.

“I just found music and band as a way of expression,” Koch said.

Rachel said she sees band as a way to get away from everything and have some fun.

“You can enjoy what you do and not be criticized,” Rachel said. “People in the band are just super accepting, no matter what.”

Rachel said that for her, band is nothing like the rest of her classes.

“I’m struggling in some subjects, but I do actually try,” Koch said. “I work really hard, but I give up so easily.”

Rachel said in school she often she gets a few things wrong, and she completely gives up.

“It’s always been like that with pretty much everything,” Koch said. “But band is different.”

Rachel said nothing inspired her to join the band; it was just something she picked up.

“I just chose it as an elective and happened to really like it,” Koch said.

Rachel plans to stay in the band throughout high school and is

thinking about pursuing a career as a high school music teacher in the future.

“When I’m not at band practice or practicing at home, I like to play with my little brothers Tyler and Chris or talk to my friends from around the neighborhood.”

Rachel said she has a few close friends she can rely on.

“I’m a pretty shy person most of the time,” Koch said.

Colorguard Captain Jarkaria Rice said Koch is a very sweet girl.

“I’m usually to myself and quiet, but when I’m around my friends, other people think I’m crazy,” Koch said. “I just open up,

and I’m free because I know my friends won’t judge me.”

Close friend and band member Anna Cain said that she and Rachel have only just become friends this marching band season.

“I have not known her long, but she’s the type of friend that’s always there for you,” Cain said.

Anna said Rachel is just always there to listen.

“And she gives lots of hugs,” Cain said while smiling and giggling.

MARKING TIME Freshman Rachel Koch plays clarinet in the concert and marching band.

Photo by Rebecca Griesbach

ALL: Dancer, painter, runner embraces busy lifestyle REBECCA GRIESBACH, MANAGING EDITOR & AJ GRANT, STAFF WRITER

Prancing across the floor of the band room, color guard members sang, “It’s Liz’s dayyyy TOdayyy a day set asiiide for Lizzz!” “[Liz] was singing it, and the rest of us kind of joined in,” color guard captain JarKaria Rice said.

Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Tucker moved to Tuscaloosa from Chicago, Illinois, two years ago.

Driven by her love for dance, Tucker joined color guard her senior year.

“I be goin’ crazy in dem stands.

I be goin’ too crazy!” she said.

Rice said she likes to joke about Griesbach Liz’s dancing. r twirls “It’s horrible!” she said with a laugh.

Senior Zahara Deboise said Tucker’s “flamboyancy” was evident even in the beginning of their friendship.

“When I first moved here, we had a sleepover at her house, and she taught us how to dance,” Deboise said.

Rice said everything about Tucker (including her dancing) is “original.”

“Liz, oh Liz,” she said. “[She’s] never a dull person to be around. I love her with all my heart.”

Along with band, the “Jackie” of all trades said she keeps herself busy by aiming to “be as productive as [she] can be.”

“I have to move, and if I don’t move, I feel like I’m trapped,” she said. “I try to stay as active as I can.”

Tucker runs the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and triple jump.

She said she has been running track since 7th grade.

“I’ve always run. I run outside of school, I run at home...” she said. “It clears my mind.”

Painting is another one of Tucker’s pastimes. A hobby her stepmother and father introduced her to, Tucker said painting isn’t just about brushes, canvases and skill.

“You don’t need to focus on

making your painting perfect,” she said. “You need to focus on making yourself happy.”

Tucker said the model Winne Hartlow inspired this philosophy.

“I love me some Winnie, girl,” she said. “She has a skin disorder, but she found a way to use her biggest flaw as her greatest asset.

That’s tremendous. It makes me want to be a better person. ” With her eyes set on becoming a forensic psychologist, actress or model, Tucker said everyone around her helps her achieve her goals.

“When I see the things people do, I say, ‘I’ll do it better,’” she said.

“I’m a triple OG. I can do it better than the Original Gangsta.”

Tucker said she wouldn’t be where she is today without her family, who she formed a stronger bond with when her granddad died.

“That really took a toll on me.

From that point on I knew I had to be strong for my sisters and my mama. I loved my granddad more than anything in the world, so when he passed, I learned the toughest lesson of my life: Time stops for no one, and life goes on.

Time doesn’t slow for anybody. If things crumble, you better pick up the pieces and keep going.”

8

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

Photo by Kathryn Versace

ALL ABOUT THAT BASS Dr. Isaac Espy, Tuscaloosa Academy principal, and his students listen to Northridge’s drumline play some cadences while on a visit. The students and Espy visted because they are interested in starting a drumline at their school for performances at sporting events. Band director John Cain said the Tuscaloosa Academy students recorded the songs to practice later on.

TA students’ interests in percussion program leads to demonstration KATHRYN VERSACE INFOGRAPHICS EDITOR

A group of Tuscaloosa Academy (TA) students, accompanied by their Principal Dr. Isaac Espy, visited the Northridge band room on April 9. Espy, former Northridge principal, and the TA students are interested in creating a drumline for their school.

Band director John Cain said Espy contacted him “about six weeks ago” because “[Espy] said he had a group of kids that were interested in having a drumline at TA. He wants them to perform at different sporting events.”

Cain said Espy called him in order to know where to start to create a drumline.

“Right now we have several middle school students who have an interest in making noise with drums,” Espy said.

Espy said the reason why TA has decided to have a drumline is one of biased purposes.

“Drumlines sound like football season.

Football season makes people happy.

People that are happy are nice to be around.

If you connect those dots, you could probably describe it as a selfish personal motive in the final analysis. Which it is,” he said. “I have been around some amazing percussion sections in my career. I do miss that here at TA, especially around football season, which is a happy time for people.

I think I mentioned that. A number of people have expressed interest in a drum line or pep band at TA, and I agree that it would be energizing.”

During seventh period, Cain and students on Northridge’s drumline performed a few songs for the TA students.

“We [played] MOB, Speed and Ziggy.

They’re our cadences,” Karlton Doss, drumline captain, said. “They really loved [MOB.]” Cain said he believed the first instruction went well.

“We ended up talking about sending videos of cadences and of us playing [to TA students]. The videos are of basics that they

can work on,” he said. “I think it opened the eyes of the students to see what can be done. That should be a good start for them.”

Tyler Thoennes, junior, said he liked that the TA students came to observe the drumline play cadences.

“They were real attentive. They looked willing to learn,” Thoennes said.

Espy said he and his students enjoyed their visit.

“I would like to visit again. We had a good visit to Northridge for a demonstration.

There is a likelihood that I will lean on Mr. Cain again for his advice and expertise, as well as getting his drummers to show us how to light up drums. We all had a good time,” he said.

Doss said the next time Northridge works with TA, they will figure out what each of the students’ interests are, so they can find the right percussion instrument for them. He said in order for the TA students to have a successful drumline in the future they should keep practicing.

“Our students will need some practice as

well as lessons. We have some very talented musicians and percussionists at TA. I have no doubt that they are capable of getting ready by football season,” Espy said. “Our guys are going to start some practices before school is out, and I am sure during the summer also.”

Cain said he thinks TA will have a successful drumline in the future.

“It seems like these students are eager to learn - which is the key to success,” he said.

Espy said he does not see TA “building toward a marching band at this time.”

“If the interest is there, then we will continue to provide opportunities for growth in our Fine Arts offerings. If that is instrumental, then we will follow that interest. Most of our students are already very involved in a combination of athletics, drama and theater, dancing, music and community activities. These activities are in addition to very demanding academic expectations. They work hard and balance these things well, so they have that going for them - which is nice.”

SHOW REVIEW

Game of Thrones season five premiere a ‘resounding success’ due to ‘masterful’ acting

BERT McLELLAND OPINION EDITOR

*SPOILER ALERT* The great series has returned at last, and immediately Game of Thrones has shown itself to be everything fans knew and loved with one or two changes.

The story opens on the funeral of the formidable Tywin Lannister, patriarch of the incestuous house that has churned out the show’s antagonists (and its male lead) since season one.

The callous Hand of the King was murdered in the last moments of Season Four by his dwarf son Tyrion, who we find bearded and depressed, having been smuggled across the sea in a box by the eunuch Varis.

Varis, it transpires, wants to draw Tyrion into a conspiracy to back the restoration of everyone’s favorite dragon Queen Daenerys Targareon, who is half way across the world sorting out her freshly-freed, Egypt-analogous slave kingdom.

John Snow, meanwhile, is up the wall (as usual), and distinctly out of his comfort

zone in the cold politics of the would-be- didn’t get a mention at all). king Stanis Baratheon, who seeks to use Frustrating though it is, the scattered John as a pawn to secure the allegiance of story is the only flaw in an otherwise the imprisoned Wilding chieftain Mance stunning premiere.

Rayder.

Setting and cinematography meet Finally, we see Littlefinger and Sansa off all expectations; the scene in which the on their own in some far-flung fiefdom, Lannister twins meet around the embalmed embroiled in their strange and fascinating body of their father all takes place while new relationship but oddly unconnected to the painted eyes of Tywin stare wide and the rest of the story. unseeing, giving his If this sounds face the same look overwhelming, it of fierce anger it had is, which brings us in life and the scene unfortunately to the a striking, unsettling episode’s great flaw: ambiance. too many plotlines.

In acting too, the Ever since the show episode does not first aired, its eclectic disappoint. Tyrion is collection of main as delightfully based characters has been and enthralling as part of its charm. ever, John Snow Photo from MCT Campus But as season five maintains his KHALEESI opens, our heroes hardened heroism in have finally been spread far too thin, so that an unjust world, and Daenerys struggles there’s virtually no time to do more than visibly and beautifully to balance justice introduce each character before directors with pragmatic power politics. are forced to cut to another (and poor Arya Most stunning of all though, on this

occasion, was the masterful performance of Ciaran Hinds (Mance Rayder) in the tragic death scene of Mance Rayder.

Despite a net screen time of no more than ten minutes, the emotions Hinds projects in Rayder’s final scene (in which the man is burned alive) stand out more strongly than any other moment for their sheer honesty.

It’s worth noting too, that the screen writers seem to be gaining some measure of maturity.

It may just be the growing solemnity of the plot, but the entire episode contained only one explicit scene, and only twice did anyone even swear.

This is (I feel sure) a record for Game of Thrones, which for all its brilliance has well deserved its reputation for depravity.

All in all, the premiere of Season Five was a resounding success, and it has laid down the foundation of what promises to be as exciting a season as all that came before.

This taste of the story having wetted my tongue, I, for one, am ready for the rest.

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

9

Defend the Galaxy productions project started in middle school continues to record JACOB MARTIN COPY EDITOR Several students led by director Seth Cunningham, Tuscaloosa Academy student, have created a film productions project that has created several short films.

The project, called Defend the Galaxy productions, was created before the students entered high school.

“We started it a really long time ago when we were kids. We had just gotten back from watching the movie Super 8 where the kids film, and we thought we should do that,” Senior Davis Byars said.

Byars described the origin of the name.

“I had this little power rangers toy, and it had one function where you press one button, and it said ‘defend the galaxy.’

When we were thinking up [names] I said it, and it just stuck,” Byars said.

DtG productions originated as a very casual project but gradually evolved into something more refined.

“We started off with an iPod touch, and we would just do one take, you know really rough,” Byars said. “Now, we have a really

Photo by Seth Cunningham

ACTION Senior Davis Byars said DtG productions came up with the idea to film the series Names last year. “It took a really long time for us to get all the production going,” he said. The team has also shot similar short films starring other Northridge students. nice semi-pro camera.”

DtG productions draws most of its members from Northridge, with a few members from outside the school. Most of the students who collaborate with DtG work as actors.

Ladarius Robinson, junior, recently started

working with DtG productions.

“Well, I’ve known the director, Seth Cunningham, for a while, and I connected with him, talking about what type of movies and film we like, and he said, ‘hey wanna be in this short film,’ and then we collaborated,” Robinson said.

Robinson is continuing to act for DtG productions.

“Right now, we’re collaborating on a new short with two detectives that will be released this summer,” Robinson said.

Sophomore Shelton Johnson collaborated with DtG productions as a writer.

“I just make general ideas for the script,” Johnson said.

Sophomore Riley Byars said he has worked alongside his brother and other members.

“It’s kinda just us messing around. It’s just not that serious, but when we’re just messin’ around it’s a really good time,” Byars said.

The younger Byars said his favorite experience was a film “All Night.”

“We would film from 6 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. We would just film a bunch of random stuff. I started hallucinating. It was really funny,” he said.

Robinson said he has enjoyed acting for DtG productions.

“It’s definitely a great experience if you can act,” Robinson said. “I found out that I cannot act, but it doesn’t matter ‘cause you’re having fun with your friends.”

ALBUM REVIEW

Seventh Stevens album about hard childhood has great lyrics, vocals, instrumentation JACOB MARTIN COPY EDITOR

Sufjan Stevens’ seventh album, Carrie and Lowell, is truly one of his best.

Stevens has produced many excellent works throughout his career, including the nostalgic Michigan, the folkish Illinoise, and several multi-volume Christmas albums.

Released March 30 through the label Asthmatic Kitty, the album largely focuses on Stevens’ experiences with his mother

Carrie and his stepfather Lowell. Through masterfully written and descriptive lyrics, Stevens reveals childhood stories of family, grief and alienation.

Stevens grew up with his father and stepmother, only occasionally visiting his mother, a bipolar schizophrenic whose life was plagued by drug addiction and depression.

As Stevens progressed into adulthood, he attempted to repair relations with his mother, until her death in 2012.

Carrie and Lowell is not solely

a tribute to a lost parent; it is an exploration of Stevens’ mind in which the autobiographical lyrics divulge the inner, often religious, machinations of Stevens’ psyche. The complex, intricate and sometimes mysterious lyrics provide layers of meaning to interpret.

Although the subject matter of the album is dark at times, the sound is quite calming.

Stevens delivers his songs with spectacular yet soothing vocals. The songs often come to an atmospheric end, with

MADE FRESH DAILY.

the lyrics ending and Stevens humming along with his instrumentation.

Diverging from his past work, Stevens stripped down the instrumentation on Carrie and Lowell, it often relying on only the piano and Stevens’ signature banjo.

The production of the album is spoton, due to Stevens synthesizing of high lyrical quality, fantastic vocals and strategic instrumentation into one of the bestsounding and most meaningful albums of 2015.

(205) 759-1879/ 2300 University Blvd Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Mon-Thurs 11a-10p / Fri & Sat 11a-11p / Sun 11a-9p

SORRY ~ NO RESERVATIONS.

10

SPORTS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

Photo by Camri Mason

Brenton Sanders, junior, prepares to take batting practice on Wednesday, April 22 in preperation for the Second Round Play-off series with Pelham on April 24-25. Jackson Bowers, junior fan, said he is excited for the game. “I’m ready for us to beat some tail,” Bowers said.

Baseball makes school history, wins first round

JORDAN HUTCHINSON SPORTS EDITOR

The varsity baseball team has made it farther than ever before in the playoffs after beating Hueytown 8-2 and 11-2 on April 17.

Senior pitcher Alex London and sophomore third baseman Luke Coker stood out as London had 12 strike outs and Coker had three homeruns.

“Alex pitched really well, and it’s good to see him pitching so well,” junior left fielder Mason Elsberry said.

“It was good to see him [Coker] step up and hit well,” Elsberry said.

Coker knew he had a good day in the batter’s box.

“I felt really confident, like I could hit off anyone they put on the mound,” Coker said.

The team’s second round game against Pelham on April 24 was the farthest any baseball team had ever gone in the state playoffs.

“It feels good to go so far, but we do not need to get caught up in the hype,” Elsberry said.

“They [Pelham] have a couple of good arms, but if we play our game and play it well we can hopefully move on to the third round,” Coker said before the Pelham game.

The regular season ended with a record of 23-12. They are area champions and will be going to the playoffs.

Making Progress Softball strings together consecutive wins NATE HESTER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The softball team won two games in the City-County Tournament on April 10-12.

The team beat both Holy Spirit and Sipsey Valley before being eliminated by Brookwood in their semi-final game.

Their record stands at (10-16) as of April 22 including a 14-0 Senior Night win over Sipsey Valley. After the win, the team left for a tournament in Gulf Shores.

Hannah Brandon, junior outfielder, said the team has had somewhat of a struggle adjusting this season.

“We were left short-handed, so we have a lot of younger girls playing up. It

was hard because on the field we hadn’t had time to create good team chemistry,” Brandon said.

“We have made a lot of progress though.

We went from being 10 runned in the beginning of the season to only losing by one or two,” Brandon said.

Lindy Cheshire, freshman second baseman, is one of the younger girls who has had to step up to the plate this season. “[The season] started off slow, but we are improving,” Cheshire said.

“It has been fun because I get to play with a different group of people than I have played with in the past,” Cheshire said.

The three softball seniors are Jasmine Thompson, Kerri Irvin and Miller Fitts.

“Renewable waste to energy”

“We’ve worked hard all year long, and we had our sights on the playoffs since the beginning,” senior pitcher Davis Presley said.

“We have had a really tough schedule this year to prepare ourselves for playoffs,” Presley said.

This season’s schedule was changed because of the new classifications of sports teams in Alabama.

“It was different because we had to play a lot of new teams that we had never played before,” Presley said.

Defense was the main point in the 15-2 loss at Cullman High School on April 2.

“They were a very good team,” junior left fielder Mason Elsberry said.

However the toughest teams are yet to

come.

“Our toughest teams will come in the playoffs [with teams] like Vestavia and Hoover,” Elsberry said.

Baseball won their series against in city rivals Tuscaloosa County High 2-1 in very theatric fashion.

“The win on March 3 was the best because it went to the 11th inning,” Elsberry said.

“We won off of a walk off homerun,” Elsberry said.

The team lost to area rivals Brookwood on March 24 when they lost 1-2.

“It was a big area game, and we were at home, so we should have won,” Elsberry said.

Tournament Wins Baseball (4/17) Hueytown W 8-2, 11-2 (Playoffs) Softball (4/10) Holy Spirit W 2-1, Sipsey Valley W 11-2 (City-County)

Dr. Arti Pandey, MD Internist 4810 Harkey Lane Tuscaloosa, AL (behind McDonald’s on Rice Mine Rd., near Lake Tuscaloosa)

SPORTS

THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

11

Tennis team goes to state SUJITHA PERAMSETTY ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR Overcoming weather troubles, the girls and boys tennis teams both placed second at sectionals. The teams played at the state championships on April 23-24 in Mobile.

Coach Becci Hauser said she has high expectations for the teams.

“We go to win. We have a strong team, and they have the ability,” she said.

Hauser said the team experienced weather delays at the girls sectionals on April 14. “[The] courts were wet. Our parents and athletes worked over two hours to get the courts dry and in playable condition,” she said.

Though sectionals were supposed to be hosted by Northridge, freshman player India Woods said they had to relocate.

“We had to dry the courts with leaf blowers, towels and squeegees,” she said.

“We had to go to the Hillcrest courts to finish the matches. Then, it started raining there, and it was raining here, so we have to wait until Thursday [April 16] to finish the matches.”

Boys sectionals and the continuation of girls sectionals were held on April 16.

Due to the rain, Coach John Cain said they booked the University of Alabama indoor tennis courts.

“It turned out to be a big plus because it rained all day,” he said. “If it weren’t for that, we’d probably be playing on Saturday, on Prom day.”

Sophomore player Jack Gentry said the rain cancelled a lot of matches. “[The rain] has caused us to have less playing time,” he said.

Despite the weather issues, Woods said she “couldn’t be any prouder” of the team

because “they are playing really well.”

Woods and freshman player Isabelle Nolan are ranked 8th and 25th, respectively, in the girls 14 division. For this reason, they participated in the Alabama Junior Claycourt State Championship Open.

Nolan said it was a great opportunity.

“I got to play some really good players that are ranked top in the state. I’m proud of how I played, and I think I represented Tuscaloosa well,” she said.

Woods said they experienced weather issues at that event as well. “[It] also got rained out. It gets rained out every year, so it’s kind of a tradition,” she said. “It was hard playing and stopping and starting again because of the rain. We didn’t get to finish playing that either.”

Nolan said she is going to “put in the extra effort” in order to win because “state is going to be difficult.”

Gentry said there are some aspects he can improve before state.

“I will have to cut down on errors and just keep a cool head for state,” he said.

“We have to play hard and keep doing our thing.”

Cain said there are going to be 16 teams at the competition.

“I definitely think if we play well we can finish in the top half,” he said.

Woods said the team has a really good chance of winning.

“The team has to stay strong and not give up. Hopefully, this year we’ll come out with a bang,” she said.

(See the web and Facebook for an update on State)

Photo by Camri Mason

SPECIAL OLYMPICS The school hosted the Special Olympics Thursday, April 23 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. John Mark McCleland, junior, was the torch bearer and Lacordia Snider, junior, sang the National Anthem. Cheerleaders were there for support, and some members of the band played as well.

W ill May 5K Run sees changes The Will May 5K has taken place the last three years, but the 10k trails for tales was added this year. Will May who passed away in 2013 would be a sophomore.

Beverly May, Will May’s mom, ran in the race on Saturday, April 11.

May said there was a great turnout.

“Four hundred and twenty people ran the race and [we had] about 50 volunteers,” she said.

She said that she doesn’t know why the run does so well.

“I think we are very lucky because of Will. People want to support the dog park,” May said.

She said there are no words for all the support of people coming out.

“We feel very loved and honored. I know Will’s memory will stay alive,” she said.

The proceeds from the run go to The

Will May Foundation.

“The Will May Foundation goes to renovations for the dog park, scholarships for YMCA sports and field trips at Rock Quarry Middle,” May said.

Emma Fisher, freshman, ran the race to support the dog park.

“I wasn’t very close to him, but we were still friends,” Fisher said.

May said the race signifies “love, fellowship, community and support.”

Meg May, Will’s sister, said it’s nice having her friends come out.

“You could tell they actually wanted to be there, and they were having fun,” she said.

She said the race is a fun way to get people together and honor Will.

Gabbie Fernandez, freshmen, ran the race to honor Will.

“We played tennis together for a long time, and our families are really good friends,” Fernandez said

three red cards for Northridge.

Carter Hill, head coach, was ejected from the game.

“I do not condone my actions at all,” Hill said. “I allowed my emotions to get to me.”

Hill said that no parents had given him negative feedback on his ejection.

“They don’t support the fact that I got ejected, but considering that I didn’t use profanity, so far what I’ve heard from parents has been supportive,” Hill said.

Hill was defending a player.

After being ejected Hill said he watched the rest of the match from outside the fence.

John Andrew Chwe, player, was given two

thought it was funny without being disrespectful towards the referees.

Chwe received another yellow card later in the game.

“I went up for a ball that was thrown in, and the kid behind me fell, and they called a foul,” Chwe said.

John Austin Higginbotham was the other player to receive two yellows resulting in a red.

“I used bad language,” Higginbotham said.

Higginbotham said he thought the game was poorly called by the referees.

“My calls were kind of deserved, but overall the game was poorly called,” Higginbotham said.

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A GAME TO REMEMBER

ith orange shirts filling the stands, a boy and his family at midfield, the announcer’s voice echoing around the stadium, you could sense something extraordinary was about to happen.

The boy at midfield, Edward Lehman, a 10-year-old fourth grader at Verner Elementary, was diagnosed with leukemia in December. Leukemia, a cancer of the blood, is the most common form of childhood cancer.

Edward has Type ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, one of two types of leukemia.

Subtype T-Cell, one of four subtypes, is the rarest subtype, occurring in only about 15 percent of cases of leukemia, according to The American Cancer Society.

Riley Byars, sophomore, a long-time family friend of the Lehmans and JV soccer player, was surprised when he heard about Edward’s diagnosis.

“It was terrible when I heard the news. I was really shocked,” Byars said.

“But Edward is a strong kid, and I know that he will fight,” Byars said.

On Tuesday, April 7, both the boys and girls varsity soccer teams wore orange jerseys and orange socks in their Senior Night games against Bryant in honor of Edward.

The girls team defeated Bryant 16-0 in the first match of the Orange Out. The 16 goal win is their largest margin of victory this season.

Edward’s sister, Frances Lehman, freshman, is a player on the girls soccer team.

Lehman said that the Orange Out meant a lot to her and her family.

“It felt really good because I got to be playing soccer and see everyone wearing orange and then remember why. It was really cool to see how many people were supporting us,” Lehman said.

“It meant a lot that the seniors would wear Orange for their Senior Night,” Lehman said.

The boys team also defeated Bryant by a score of 10-0.

Walt Duckworth, junior soccer player, said he enjoyed the orange out.

W

NATE HESTER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

“It was really cool to participate in something to improve a child’s life. I will always remember that night,” Duckworth said.

Between the girls and boys games, Edward and his family kicked off the Senior Night festivities as they stood at midfield while the announcer read off that over $2,500 had already been raised for Edward’s ward of the UAB Hospital.

Edward was then presented with his very own orange Northridge soccer jersey.

Allison Lehman, Edward’s mother, said she was very grateful to Northridge and the community.

“It means a lot to Edward to see visually that other people care about him. We know that people are praying for him, but he isn’t always around to see that because he’s so sick.

This is a great experience for him to get to see

all of the orange,” Lehman said.

Carter Hill, head soccer coach, came up with the idea of the Orange Out. “I remembered when we used to wear pink at Shelton State for Breast Cancer,” Hill said.

All of the jerseys from the Orange Out were donated by University Medical Center.

“After the game the players can buy back the jersey they wore,” Hill said.

“All of the money will go to the Children’s Center at UAB to the ward where Edward goes to get his chemotherapy.”

In addition, the school sold Orange Out T-shirts. The proceeds from the shirts, along with money from ticket sales, also went towards that ward.

“I hope that it helps not only Edward but also his family. I want them to see that there are people who are supporting him. It is for all of them. The whole family,” Hill said.

GRATEFUL APPRECIATION Crawford Lehman, seventh grader at Rock Quarry Middle; Edward Lehman, fourth grader at Verner Elementary; Frances Lehman, freshman; Allison Lehman and Carter Hill, soccer coach react as Edward receives an orange jersey at halfime during the ‘Orange Out for Edward’ soccer game April 7.

Photo by Mayci Hartley

‘Orange Out’ soccer game played for young leukemia patient

12 BEAT THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTER MAY 1, 2015

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