northridgereporter.wordpress.com Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, Al• 35406
May 17, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 8
In the News
Anatomy students continue tradition
Seniors start new chapter of lives Rabisa Khan Copy Editor
Seniors are graduating and leaving the comfort of their high school to leap into the world of reality. College. Maddie Mayfield, senior, said she is “very ready” to leave high school. “High school is very tiring, and I can’t wait to leave,” Mayfield said. “However, the end of the year feels a lot shorter than the first half of the school year did.” Mayfield said she is “more excited than scared” about college. She committed to the University of Alabama. “It was relieving to pick a college, and plus, I plan on transferring after a year to somewhere in the North,” she said. Mayfield said she feels ready for the “big world.” “High school has made me very ready, and I can’t wait to go to college because it’s going to be easier,” she said. “I don’t have to wake up as early as in high school.” Dylan Smith, senior, said he is mostly happy to graduate, but “nervous about starting life fresh.”
“I don’t necessarily think high school alone has prepared me for college, but also all my other experiences during high school have too,” he said. Smith said he is planning on going to Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah to “major in political science and minor in law.” “It was really hard at first as a junior to pick a college out of all my options,” Smith said. “Once I narrowed it down and had help from my parents, it made my decision a lot easier.” He said life will be easier because they will “have more time to study and not feel crammed every day.” Brandon Robb, senior, said he is attending the University of Alabama. He said he does not think high school has prepared him for college. “High school has just made me hate it, but I’m just looking forward to getting out of high school,” he said. Robb said he probably will not miss anything about high school except “possibly some teachers.” “In college I will go by my own rules and get to do everything on campus,” he said. “I also won’t be going to school seven hours a day for five days.” Robb said college will give him more time, and it will be less stressful.
Strickland wins YoungLife’s Assassins contest Abby Allen Staff Writer Wesley Strickland, senior, was ultimately announced the YoungLife Assassins champion. “My strategy was just to lay low and only kill when I had to,” Strickland said. Strickland’s final target was Kelsey McNeil,
senior. He waited outside of her car on a Saturday night and when she got out of her car he was armed and ready. “I was very surprised, I literally had no idea what was going on,” McNeil said. “I was in shock.” McNeil said she did not expect to make it this far, and she is glad it is finally over.
“I guess I had it coming to me; I wasn’t careful in the game at all,” McNeil said. “But still, it went on forever.” Winning did not come exceedingly easy for Strickland; he still faced some tough trials. “Escaping Katherine Duckworth’s surprise attack was the hardest challenge,” Strickland said. “But I won. I knew I would win.”
Jakailah Cooper Staff Writer About 15 years ago science teacher Beth Allaway came up with the idea of her human anatomy classes creating and presenting children’s books. “I wanted to give my students a way to teach little children in a concise way and to use their creative writing skills and art,” Allaway said. “Also, when we read books to children, it gives them a different feel. I haven’t published, but I have four students who have,” she said. “This year, since we have short periods, my classes can only read to Verner Elementary [students]. Over the years, we read to Rock Quarry Elementary students [also],” Allaway said. She said she thinks her students like being creative and reading their books to the kids. “They get really nervous the day of, but afterwards they are glad they did it; they are fabulous,” Allaway said.
Dance line to fade out gradually; replaced by majorettes Jared Lotfi Copy Editor Synchronized swaying bodies have sashayed in the stands of home football games since the school’s first year. This is about to change. Coach John Cain, who is in his fifth year of directing the marching band, said he is interested in developing a strong majorettes program and fading out dance line, but will keep the group installed for the following two school years for the dancers who are now juniors and sophomores. “Majorettes are more of a visual unit
that allows for more creative outlets besides dance and subsequently produces a greater spectacle,” Cain said. “If you look at schools throughout the Southeast, most bands tend to have quite large majorette groups, and we haven’t really offered that yet.” Tryouts for the fall were held on March 21. Cain said he hopes to add incoming freshmen to the group as well. Shantel Blair, junior, said she has danced since middle school and is glad the dance line will not be immediately dissolved. “It’ll be my senior year, and it’d be great to finish high school doing what I’ve en-
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joyed doing. Just like basketball, different people have different talents, and you should be able to do what you’re good at. I don’t think it’s really fair; I grew to really enjoy it,” she said. Chemistry teacher Anna McEntire is the dance line coordinator and said the plan for dissolution was a result of stylistic tastes. “There was just a difference of opinions,” she said. “When we tried adjusting the aesthetics of our dance style there was some resistance. I wanted to put energy towards the field shows, and the girls wanted to concentrate on dances in the stands.”
Sashay Away: The dance line dances at the Northridge vs. Hillcrest game. They have been part of the band since the school opened.
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