Troll 2: “best” worst movie page 8
Courtyard pep rally disappoints
Reporter The Northridge
page 12
Pageant winner page 4
shines
Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406
September 21, 2010 • Volume 8, Issue 1
Ignition: JJ aguar JJumpstart in brief
New mentors welcome incoming freshmen New suspension
laine elliott beat editor
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lizabeth Tiley and Kathleen Oatts organized a mentor program for the upcoming freshmen that took place on Aug. 9 called the Jaguar Jumpstart. The program included 44 sophomores, juniors, and seniors as mentors who helped introduce the 220 freshman who attended to the school. “The day was intended to help entering freshmen become familiar with high school, introduce them to teachers, have fun, and to meet other students,” Tiley, 9th grade counselor, said. Jessica Procter, freshman, said, “I really enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends.” Hannah Bell, one of the mentors and junior, said the day was productive. “We showed them their classrooms and they met their teachers,” Bell said. “It
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Money crunch
3 photos by porfirio solaranzo
also helped them make the transition from middle school to high school.” The mentors went to the school for two days over the summer for 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. training sessions. They did activities including trust falls, confidence exercises and rope courses. “We wanted to make them feel more comfortable and give them something to remember for the rest of their high school careers,” Bell said. Tiley said the idea came from a program for which she got a grant. She said that college freshmen often do this when they are entering college, so she wanted to do the same for freshmen entering high school. Cammie Cook, junior and mentor, said she wish she had had Jaguar Jumpstart when she was a freshman. “Freshman year can be really confusing and I was glad I could help these new kids,” Cook said. 1) Kaitlyn Stuart, senior and mentor, and Anna Cassels, senior and mentor, lead their freshmen groups across the courtyard to go to lunch. 2) Grace Tant, senior and mentor, holds up team signs for freshmen at jaguar jumpstart on Aug. 9. “I really enjoyed working with the freshmen. It was a great opportunity for everyone, even the mentors,” Tant said. 3) Anna Cassels, mentor and senior, helps tie a bandana around Kayla Moore, freshman, during the ropes course.
Teachers suffer from lack of classroom supply money, room supplies alexandra stewart staff writer
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s the new school year began, our school as well as many other schools and businesses were affected by the economy. McCall Robinson, junior, like many other students noticed that some teachers asked for donations and things such as Kleenex and hand sanitizer. “For some teachers, I think it’s necessary because you don’t pay for their class, but some teachers that you do pay for, I don’t think it’s as necessary,” Robinson said. “I think it can be kind of aggravating not having enough money, if the teachers have lesson plans they can’t fulfill.” Since teachers have less money, some find it harder to provide the full enrichment they would like to provide. “Normally, teachers are given state funds to buy supplies, but this year as far as I know, we are not being given any state money,” Trina Busby, English teacher, said. “Students are being required to have more of their own materials and are asked to donate materials as well. If things get worse, it’s possible
that some projects students complete for supplies,” he said. enrichment will be eliminated because of a Along with donations from students, lack of money,” she said. many other efforts are being made to help Rumors have been going around as to with the loss of supply money. what has happened to the money and why “We try to use available local funds it is more of a problem, than years in including PTA and Adopt-A-School the past. partnerships to assist in providing Isaac Espy, principal, said, supplies. We have an awesome PTA, “With the recent economic and PTA President, Sena Stewart, downturn, tax revenues for education have helping us out this year, providing not been as robust as in previous years. teachers with $50,” Espy said. “It The two main tax sources for education are will just help us with basics such as sales tax and income tax. Teachers dry erase markers,” he said. are typically provided fee money which is about $400 per year for classroom supplies.” “Other areas that are funded include the library and $ professional development for $ teachers. In putting together $ $ a budget for education, $ $ lawmakers, working with AEA, must prioritize expenditures. $ $ Teacher positions are protected $ $ in the budget as a priority. This would account in part for the lack of funds in the state $ equals 5 compiled by anu pandit education budget for classroom 50 students polled
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Have you
policy implemented trent clanton art editor
Last year, the suspension policy landed someone with four suspensions in the superintendent’s office. If there was another suspension, the student would be referred to the city’s District Attorney, who had the power to punish parents as well. A new policy is now in place. Assistant Principal Andrew Maxey said last year’s policy did very well, but the school board felt that taking care of the problems earlier would be more successful. “Now, heavier consequences start at the second suspension,” Maxey said. Connor Fridley, senior, said the new policy is better than the old one because students have fewer chances, therefore discouraging bad behavior. SEE POLL ON PAGE 5, EDITORIAL ON PAGE 2
Hands-on experience inspires, educates renu pandit copy editor Students watch as Beth Allaway, biology teacher, yanks a carrot out of the ground. Allaway is growing biology gardens with her 2nd period class. She has been growing gardens with her students for about five years. “[It] shows students how difficult it is to grow food. We will also use measurement and graphing skills, study the flowers the plants grow before the vegetables and test the soil for nutrients,” she said. Kelly Burnham, freshman, is growing sunflowers, spearmint and cat grass. “We went online and figured out how to grow the seeds,” she said. Burnham said that they go outside and pull weeds. “It can be difficult in the heat,” she said. Allaway said that growing these gardens are a unique experience. “Out of a class of 36, only about three have ever grown anything,” Allaway said.
donated supplies
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to your classroom?
photo by beth allaway Anna Lee Petitt, freshman, and Colby Goldstein, freshman, plant seeds in their biology garden on Aug. 19.