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THE NORTHRIDGE
EST. 2003
The student voice of Northridge High SchoolMAY 1, 2015 VOLUME 12 ISSUE 8
REPORTERNorthridge High School2901 Northridge RoadTuscaloosa, Alabama 35406
www.northridgereporter.wordpress.com
Block scheduling registration causes confusion
AT A GLANCE
DTGPRODUCTIONS
QUINCIAÑERA
page 9page 4
Infographic designed by James NiilerInformation compiled by Kathryn Versace
““““
JAMES NIILEREDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Registration for next year’s classes, which occurred April 8, was “stressful and confusing,” Lillian Woolf,
sophomore, said. “I had to think a lot more about the time frame because of my choice to do dual enrollment at the University [of Alabama]. With my schedule, it required a lot of planning,” Woolf said. “I feel that greatly affects the outcome of my success.” Woolf is currently taking art history through the University of Alabama’s Early College program and plans to take chemistry and Spanish courses through the University of Alabama her junior year. She is also planning to take AP Language and Composition, AP U.S. History and AP Statistics. “I feel that there’s been a lot of changes happening in the school system recently, and this is just a part of it,” she said. “I feel administrators should learn more about our options, so that we’re not so confused about our choices for the upcoming school year.” Kathleen Bradford, guidance counselor, said there are “not a lot of answers” currently on the exact state of scheduling.
Our goal is to have the schedule ready by the end of the school year, and that’s a pretty ambitious request.KYLE FERGUSON, PRINCIPAL
“ “
“ “
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
“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 students want to take each class, we cannot determine [a] master schedule.” Preparing the master schedule—the “overall map of everything taught when it’s taught”—will begin at the end of April, Kyle Ferguson, principal, said. “Our goal is to have the schedule ready by the end of the
school year, and that’s a pretty ambitious request,” he said.
The process for students to change classes will be unaffected by the new block schedule, Bradford said.
“We’ll definitely work on changing schedules,” she said. “There’s definitely room to move things around. When the master schedule is made, it
will be made to benefit the most people possible.” The fate of the ‘skinny period’—whether it will be filled by an elective or core class—is still uncertain, Bradford said. “It could be both,” she said. “We don’t know what will be scheduled at that time, [but] we’re going to get as much out of the day that we can for students.” ACT prep classes tailored to students’ learning needs 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
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.”
With AP classes, there’s a lot of busy work that I would say is unnecessary. With early college, that’s all gone.LILLIAN WOOLF, SOPHOMORE
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THE REPORTERNORTHRIDGE
est. 2003
The student voice of Northridge High School
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OUR THOUGHTS
Chaotic registraion leads to confusion
2 THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015OPINION
Earlier 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 nu-merous benefits to students and teachers.
That being said, the implementation of the block schedule has been a logistical night-mare. 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 fore-knowledge 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-pe-riod 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.
Spring 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.
Allergies make spring a trial, still a good season
Technology can be greatI 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.
THOMAS MULLINS • STAFF WRITER
CARTER LOVE • STAFF WRITER
from MCT Campus
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015 3OPINION
Why should students willingly exploit themselves to conform to this
system“ “
JACOB MARTIN • COPY EDITOR
Pressures of school, university casue students to overwork themselvesToday, 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.
Online 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
Online prices a scam, some are just too good to be true
JORDAN HUTCHINSON • ASST. SPORTS 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
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.
Can I trust this website?““
Art by Mychi Tran
4 THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015NEWS
in brief
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.The younger Gutierrez said she ordered
her dress from Mexico.“It’s a pretty blue color that looks sort of
like a ball gown,” she said.Gutierrez said her Quinceanera started
early in the morning. “Before the party, I went to my mom’s
friend to get my makeup done and put on my dress. Then me and the chambelanes [the guys that are part of the Quinceanera’s court of honor] got in the limo and went to the church where we had the traditional mass,” she said. “Afterward, we all headed toward the Belk Activity Center where I would be having my party.”
Gutierrez’s mother said the Quinceanera and chambelanes have to wait outside while the guests arrive by the dozens.
“They would sit while food is brought to them. One or two hours later, the Quinceanera makes her grand entrance and sits at the special table with her chambelanes,” she said. “Then the dancing starts.Traditional stuff happens like changing of the shoe, the coronation and
her waltz with her father.”The elder Gutierrez said the changing of
the shoes is an important ritual.“When the Quinceanera starts, the girl
arrives in some sort of flat shoes, and when it’s time, the father takes the shoes off and changes them to heels,” she said. “This tradition represents the girl going into adulthood.”
Francisco Martinez, sophomore, was a chambelan at Gutierrez’s Quinceanera.
“The chambelanes dance with the Quinceanera. We have to be with her the whole day and help her with her big dress,” he said.
Martinez said he had to learn several dances for every Quinceanera he attended as a chambelan. He has been to a total of seven Quinceaneras.
“[I had to do] about two or three dances [at her party], and they’re usually about two to three minutes each,” he said. “They are kind of boring.”
Gutierrez’s mother said a Quinceanera has similarities and differences to a Sweet 16.
“They’re sort of the same, but a Quinceanera costs more,” she said. “It’s also more traditional.”
SUJITHA PERAMSETTY ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR
A person’s 16th birthday is a milestone often celebrated with the traditional Sweet 16 party. While some have small, modest parties, others go all out.
Sophomore Olivia Cox said she spent about a year “planning, budgeting, searching and ordering things” for her nearly 80 party guests.
“It was a glow-in-the-dark themed [party]. I had extra black lights installed, so my food glowed in the dark. My punch glowed, and I asked my guests to wear white or neon colors,” she said. “My mom decorated with glow-in-the-dark balloons and glow-in-the-dark table cloths and glow jars with light up and strobe flashing sticks.”
Cox said she went over budget due to her dress and decorations.
“I ordered a glow-in-the-dark dress from China,” she said. “We had a set budget for
about $1200, but we spent maybe at the least $2000.”
Though they went over budget, mother Victoria Lewis-Cox said they handmade many items.
“Being that we are blessed with creativity and I love creating fabulous decorating items for a little of nothing, Olivia and I designed her unique decorations,” she said. “[Olivia], her sister and cousins designed the forks which had a glow to them as well.
She and I both worked on her invitations for about a month. It was a creative labor of love for me.”
Cox’s mother said her daughter persuaded her to throw the party.
“For my husband and I, the party symbolizes that our child is now transitioning from our little girl to a young lady. It
also symbolizes that we aren’t getting any younger,” she said. “Unfortunately, I did not have a Sweet 16, so being able to give Olivia the party of her dreams was very special for me. I just wish that I had more
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 glow-
in-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.
Extravagant Quinceaneras celebrate coming of age
DESTINY HODGESNEWS 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.
MAYCI HARTLEYSTAFF 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.
S c h o l a r s h i p s top $2 million
New emojis with update
Photo by Giovanni Costillo
Sweet 16 birthday celebrations differ based on preferences
ISABEL GUTIERREZ Photo by Giovanni Costillo
Photo by Brittany Spencer
DESTINY HODGESNEWS 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.
CHEERS Alan Escobar, sophomore at Holt, Emmanuel Espionozo, freshman at Bryant, Francisco Martinez, sophomore, Luis Bocanegra, soph-omore at Tuscaloosa County, Alexis Toboada, freshman, Abraham Moreno, freshman at Holy Spirit and Gutierrez, freshman, raise their glasses in celebration of Gutierrez’s Quinceanera.
TCTA hair show held
MAYCI HARTLEYSTAFF 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.
Rezoning planned
(See the web for an update.)
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015 5NEWS
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DESTINY HODGESNEWS 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.
Prom held at TCTA, promposals popular
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.”
Photo by Destiny Hodges
MYCHI TRANNEWS EDITOR
The theme of this year’s prom was Wonderland. It took place on Saturday, April 18 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Principal Kyle Ferguson said his first prom at this school was a great one.
“It was absolutely magnificent. Ms. Oatts did a great job spearheading the whole thing,” he said. “The teachers were on schedule and even stayed after their shift. Everyone was dressed nicely, and the girls’ dresses were all beautiful. I only had a problem with two dresses, but I let it go since there were no guidelines in place this year.”
Ferguson said the venue was nice.
“It was very spacious, big dance floor, and food and refreshments in another room,” he said. “There was also an adjacent room [where students] could check in their coats and shoes.”
Ferguson said he didn’t get home until three in the morning.
“The DJ had borrowed some equipment from another DJ, and he didn’t come to get his equipment until 2:30,” he said.
Ferguson said they had all type of food.“There was Chick-fil-a, cookies and
sweets,” he said.Simon Seitel, junior, came to prom
around 8:45 and left at 10:00. He said the place was nice.
“There was a room where you can dance,” he said. “There was another room where you can take pictures and
eat. There were fake flowers, paper clocks and paper cards. The music was mostly R&B and rap.”
Raegan Nunley, sophomore, said she had a great time.
“It was a fun day with all my friends,” she said. “There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.”
Nunley said she prefers this venue in comparison to the gym.
“[The gym] would have been fine, but I thought it was better to dance on the carpet,” she said.
Junior Cody Killian said he enjoyed going out with his friends to eat before prom.
“Me and my friends ate dinner at NorthRiver [Yacht Club],” he said.
Killian said he thought the location was a good one.
“I liked the cards and lights,” he said. “There
were these columns that had lights at the bottom.”
Killian said the music was what you usually find at prom.
“It was your typical pop/rock songs,” he said.Mya Montrella, senior, said she was
excited about prom in general, but she was a little worried about the new venue or the idea of carpet.
“It’s a sketchy part of town, and we were driving at night [and] the carpet was okay,” she said.
Rabisa Khan, senior, said she liked the TCT building over the gym.
“I’m glad I went. This will be my first and last prom,” Khan said.
LET’S DANCE
“ “
It was absolutely magnifi-
cent.
KYLE FERGUSON,PRINCIPAL
New prom venue liked by most students
6 THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2014FEATURE
NATE HESTERASSISTANT 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 f r o m 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.
Therrell’s fun facts start conversationPRESIDENTIAL PUPIL
DOING IT ALL: Dancer, painter, runner embraces busy lifestyle
FLAG GIRL Color guard member Liz Tucker twirls her flag to the line’s field show routine.
Photo by Rebecca Griesbach
Photo by Rebecca Griesbach
Photo illustration by Rebecca Griesbach
Photo illustrations by Rebecca Griesbach
Photos by Rebecca Griesbach, May-ci Hartley, Carter Love, and Destiny Hodges
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2014 7FEATURE
KATHRYN VERSACEINFOGRAPHICS EDITOR
Dresses 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 painted usually in floral and geometric patterns on hands and arms for cosmetic purposes. “Henna night” prepares the bride and groom for their marriage. The second day, the couple gets formally married, and they sign the official documents.
Nimra Khan, sister to Rabisa, said it is “more emotional that day [because] the girl is leaving [her family].”
She quickly added, “But, the guy’s side [of the f a m i l y ] is really hyped for the girl to b e c o m e part of his f a m i l y . ” The entire third day is dedicated to the reception.
Khan was intrigued by her aunts’ abilities to perform henna while attending her family’s weddings. She wanted to learn how, so she taught herself and followed her aunts’ designs.
Khan said she enjoys sharing her culture and traditions with her friends.
Mya Montrella met Khan through a friend of a friend. They hung out after first meeting and became best friends.
BRIANNA DUNNSTAFF 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.
“We go to Starbucks, go to Birmingham and go shopping,” Montrella said. “We eat a lot, too. She [has] dressed me up in a Pakistani wedding outfit, and we [have] danced Bollywood style.”
Khan knows three languages. She can read Arabic, as her holy book is written in the language, but cannot speak it. Khan speaks English as her first language, and talks in Urdu, the native language of Pakistan, around her family and in her place of worship.
K h a n t e a c h e s M o n t r e l l a and some of her other f r i e n d s c o m m o n phrases in Urdu.
Montrella k n o w s
enough Urdu to describe Khan.“Rabisa, aap pyaari ho,” said
Montrella - which means - Rabisa, you are pretty.
Montrella said she enjoys learning Pakistani traditions from Khan.
“The culture is very different and very interesting. I like to dress up [in traditional clothes],” she said.
Khan’s immediate family is very close.
“We eat dinner together every night, which is really important
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 Liz’s dancing.
“It’s horrible!” she said with a laugh.
“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
“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.”
“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,
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.”
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.
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.
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
RABISA MEANS BRAVE IN URDU... IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE SHE’S SCARED EASILY.
“”
of
Northridge
KHAN SPREADS PAKISTANI TRADITION
REBECCA GRIESBACH, MANAGING EDITOR & AJ GRANT, STAFF WRITER
NIMRA KHANJUNIOR
DOING IT ALL: Dancer, painter, runner embraces busy lifestyle
FLAG GIRL Color guard member Liz Tucker twirls her flag to the line’s field show routine.
Photo by Rebecca Griesbach
Photo by Rebecca Griesbach
MARKING TIME Freshman Rachel Koch plays clarinet in the concert and marching band.
Photo by Rabisa KhanPhoto illustration by Rebecca Griesbach
8 THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015ENTERTAINMENT
KATHRYN VERSACEINFOGRAPHICS 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
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.
Photo by Kathryn Versace
TA students’ interests in percussion program leads to demonstrationwell 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.”
BERT McLELLANDOPINION EDITOR
* S P O I L E R A L E R T *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-king Stanis Baratheon, who seeks to use John as a pawn to secure the allegiance of the imprisoned Wilding chieftain Mance Rayder.
Finally, we see Littlefinger and Sansa off on their own in some far-flung fiefdom, embroiled in their strange and fascinating new relationship but oddly unconnected to the rest of the story.
If this sounds overwhelming, it is, which brings us unfortunately to the episode’s great flaw: too many plotlines.
Ever since the show first aired, its eclectic collection of main characters has been part of its charm.
But as season five opens, our heroes have finally been spread far too thin, so that there’s virtually no time to do more than introduce each character before directors are forced to cut to another (and poor Arya
didn’t get a mention at all). Frustrating though it is, the scattered
story is the only flaw in an otherwise stunning premiere.
Setting and cinematography meet all expectations; the scene in which the Lannister twins meet around the embalmed body of their father all takes place while the painted eyes of Tywin stare wide and
unseeing, giving his face the same look of fierce anger it had in life and the scene a striking, unsettling ambiance.
In acting too, the episode does not disappoint. Tyrion is as delightfully based and enthralling as ever, John Snow maintains his hardened heroism in
an unjust world, and Daenerys struggles visibly and beautifully to balance justice with pragmatic power politics.
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.
Photo from MCT CampusKHALEESI
SHOW REVIEWGame of Thrones season five premiere a ‘resounding success’ due to ‘masterful’ acting
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015 ENTERTAINMENT 9
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Seventh Stevens album about hard childhood has great lyrics, vocals, instrumentationJACOB MARTINCOPY 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
ALBUM REVIEW
JACOB MARTINCOPY 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
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
Defend the Galaxy productions project started in middle school continues to recordRobinson 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.”
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.
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
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 spot-on, due to Stevens synthesizing of high lyrical quality, fantastic vocals and strategic instrumentation into one of the best-sounding and most meaningful albums of 2015.
Photo by Seth CunninghamACTION 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.
10 THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015SPORTS
“Renewable waste to energy”
Dr. Arti Pandey, MD Internist4810 Harkey Lane
Tuscaloosa, AL(behind McDonald’s on Rice
Mine Rd., near Lake Tuscaloosa)
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
Baseball makes school history, wins first round
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.
Softball strings together consecutive winsBaseball (4/17) Hueytown W 8-2, 11-2 (Playoffs)
Softball (4/10) Holy Spirit W 2-1, Sipsey Valley W 11-2 (City-County)
Tournament WinsMaking Progress
JORDAN HUTCHINSONSPORTS 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 sopho-more 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,” Elsber-ry 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.
“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 be-cause 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 be-cause 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.
Photo by Camri MasonBrenton 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.
THE NORTHRIDGE REPORTERMAY 1, 2015 11SPORTS
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Tuscaloosa, AL 35406205-345-0045
MAYCI HARTLEYSTAFF WRITER
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 ren-
ovations 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, fellow-ship, community and support.”
Meg May, Will’s sister, said it’s nice hav-ing 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 peo-ple 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
Will May 5K Run sees changes
SUJITHA PERAMSETTYASSISTANT 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 In-dia 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 in-door 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 No-
lan are ranked 8th and 25th, respectively, in the girls 14 division. For this reason, they participated in the Alabama Junior Clay-court 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 is-sues 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 ex-tra 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.
Tennis team goes to 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.
CARTER LOVESTAFF WRITER
The varsity boys soccer team faced Pel-ham, resulting in a 2 – 1 loss along with 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 par-ents 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
yellow cards which in soccer results in a red.“I got one for a throw in,” Chwe said, “I
was entertained and I thought it was quite hilarious.”
Chwe said he couldn’t say why he thought it was funny without being disre-spectful 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 oth-er 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,” Hig-ginbotham said.
Coach Hill ejected from Pelham game
(See the web and Facebook for an up-date on State)
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TAN
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DIT
OR
With
ora
nge
shirt
s fil
ling
the
stand
s, a
boy
and
his f
amily
at
mid
field
, the
anno
unce
r’s vo
ice
echo
ing
arou
nd t
he s
tadi
um,
you
coul
d se
nse
som
ethi
ng e
xtra
ordi
nary
was
ab
out t
o ha
ppen
.Th
e bo
y at
mid
field
, E
dwar
d Le
hman
, a
10-y
ear-
old
four
th
grad
er
at
Vern
er
Elem
enta
ry, w
as d
iagn
osed
with
leuk
emia
in
Dec
embe
r. Leu
kem
ia, a
canc
er o
f the
blo
od, is
th
e mos
t com
mon
form
of c
hild
hood
canc
er.
Edw
ard
has T
ype A
LL, a
cute
lym
phob
lastic
leu
kem
ia,
one
of t
wo t
ypes
of
leuke
mia
. Su
btyp
e T-
Cell
, one
of f
our
subt
ypes
, is
the
rare
st su
btyp
e, oc
curr
ing
in o
nly
abou
t 15
pe
rcen
t of c
ases
of l
euke
mia
, acc
ordi
ng to
The
Am
erica
n C
ance
r Soc
iety.
Rile
y Bya
rs, s
opho
mor
e, a l
ong-
time f
amily
fri
end
of th
e Le
hman
s an
d JV
soc
cer
play
er,
was s
urpr
ised
when
he
hear
d ab
out E
dwar
d’s
diag
nosis
.“I
t wa
s te
rrib
le wh
en I
hea
rd t
he n
ews.
I wa
s rea
lly sh
ocke
d,” B
yars
said
.“B
ut E
dwar
d is
a str
ong
kid,
and
I k
now
that
he w
ill fi
ght,”
Bya
rs sa
id.
On
Tues
day,
Apr
il 7,
both
the
boy
s an
d gi
rls v
arsit
y so
ccer
team
s wor
e or
ange
jers
eys
and
oran
ge so
cks i
n th
eir S
enio
r Nig
ht g
ames
ag
ains
t Bry
ant i
n ho
nor o
f Edw
ard.
Th
e gi
rls te
am d
efea
ted
Brya
nt 1
6-0
in th
e fir
st m
atch
of t
he O
rang
e O
ut. Th
e 16
goa
l wi
n is
thei
r lar
gest
mar
gin
of v
ictor
y th
is se
ason
.E
dwar
d’s si
ster, F
ranc
es L
ehm
an, f
resh
man
, is
a play
er o
n th
e girl
s soc
cer t
eam
. Le
hman
said
that
the O
rang
e Out
mea
nt a
lot t
o he
r and
her
fam
ily.
“It
felt
reall
y go
od b
ecau
se I
got
to
be
play
ing
socc
er a
nd s
ee e
very
one
wear
ing
oran
ge a
nd th
en re
mem
ber w
hy. I
t was
reall
y co
ol to
see h
ow m
any p
eopl
e wer
e sup
porti
ng
us,”
Lehm
an sa
id.
“It m
eant
a lo
t tha
t the
seni
ors w
ould
wea
r O
rang
e for
thei
r Sen
ior N
ight
,” Le
hman
said
.Th
e bo
ys t
eam
also
def
eate
d Br
yant
by
a sc
ore o
f 10-
0.W
alt D
uckw
orth
, jun
ior s
occe
r play
er, s
aid
he en
joye
d th
e ora
nge o
ut.
“It
was
reall
y co
ol
to
parti
cipat
e in
so
met
hing
to
impr
ove
a ch
ild’s
life.
I wi
ll al
ways
rem
embe
r th
at n
ight
,” D
uckw
orth
sa
id. Betw
een
the
girls
and
boy
s gam
es, E
dwar
d an
d hi
s fa
mily
kick
ed o
ff th
e Se
nior
Nig
ht
festi
vitie
s as
the
y sto
od a
t m
idfie
ld w
hile
the
anno
unce
r rea
d off
that
ove
r $2,
500
had
alrea
dy b
een
raise
d fo
r Edw
ard’s
war
d of
the
UA
B H
ospi
tal.
Edw
ard
was
then
pre
sent
ed w
ith h
is ve
ry
own
oran
ge N
orth
ridge
socc
er je
rsey
.A
lliso
n Le
hman
, E
dwar
d’s m
othe
r, sa
id
she
was
very
gra
tefu
l to
Nor
thrid
ge a
nd th
e co
mm
unity
.“I
t m
eans
a lo
t to
Edw
ard
to s
ee v
isuall
y th
at o
ther
peo
ple
care
abo
ut h
im. W
e kn
ow
that
peo
ple
are
pray
ing
for
him
, but
he
isn’t
alwa
ys ar
ound
to se
e tha
t bec
ause
he’s
so si
ck.
This
is a g
reat
expe
rienc
e for
him
to g
et to
see
all o
f the
ora
nge,”
Leh
man
said
.C
arte
r H
ill, h
ead
socc
er c
oach
, cam
e up
wi
th th
e ide
a of t
he O
rang
e Out
.“I
rem
embe
red
when
we
used
to w
ear p
ink
at S
helto
n St
ate f
or B
reas
t Can
cer,”
Hill
said
.A
ll of
the
jer
seys
fro
m t
he O
rang
e O
ut
were
don
ated
by
Uni
vers
ity M
edica
l Cen
ter.
“Afte
r th
e ga
me
the
play
ers
can
buy
back
th
e jer
sey
they
wor
e,” H
ill sa
id.
“All
of th
e m
oney
will
go
to th
e C
hild
ren’s
C
ente
r at
UA
B to
the
war
d wh
ere
Edw
ard
goes
to g
et h
is ch
emot
hera
py.”
In a
dditi
on, t
he s
choo
l so
ld O
rang
e O
ut
T-sh
irts.
The
proc
eeds
from
the
shirt
s, alo
ng
with
mon
ey f
rom
tick
et s
ales,
also
went
to
ward
s tha
t war
d.“I
hop
e th
at it
help
s no
t onl
y E
dwar
d bu
t als
o hi
s fam
ily. I
wan
t the
m to
see
that
ther
e ar
e peo
ple w
ho ar
e sup
porti
ng h
im. I
t is f
or al
l of
them
. The w
hole
fam
ily,”
Hill
said
.
A G
AM
E T
O R
EM
EM
BE
R‘O
rang
e Out
’ socc
er g
ame p
layed
for y
oung
leuk
emia
pat
ient
GR
AT
EF
UL
AP
PR
EC
IAT
ION
Cra
wfor
d Le
hman
, sev
enth
gra
der
at R
ock Q
uarr
y M
iddl
e; Ed
war
d Le
hman
, fou
rth g
rade
r at V
erne
r Elem
enta
ry; F
ranc
es Le
hman
, fre
shm
an; A
lliso
n Le
hman
an
d Ca
rter H
ill, s
occer
coac
h re
act a
s Edw
ard
recei
ves a
n or
ange
jerse
y at h
alfim
e dur
ing t
he ‘O
rang
e O
ut fo
r Edw
ard’
socce
r gam
e Apr
il 7.
Phot
o by M
ayci
Har
tley
WH
AT
’S Y
OU
R S
TOR
Y?
PAG
ES
6-7
BIL
LY L
UU
, SE
NIO
R
DE
MA
RIO
PLO
TT
, SE
NIO
R
KA
YLA
ST
EV
EN
SO
N, S
OP
HO
MO
RE
Dru
m m
ajor
Bass
voca
list
Thesp
ian
MILLER FITTS, SENIORSoftball player
BOBBY HAMILTON, SENIOR
Saxophone section leader
Phot
os by
Dest
iny H
odge
sPh
oto i
llustr
ation
s by J
ames
Niil
er
