horizonsNorthwest

Northwest Guilford High • 5240 Northwest School Road • www.northwesthorizons.com • Volume 48 Issue 6

What’s Inside

The budget crisis the state of North Carolina faces is not improving; therefore, extensive cuts in public education are being made. “One of the cutbacks I’ve seen these days is not being allowed to write on our tests for reuse,” sophomore Chase Obenchain said. The most recent cuts have been made to testing. Rep. Bry-an Holloway (R-Rockingham) brought a bill before the house in February allowing the removal of more EOC tests. These cuts will be in effect for the 2011-2012

Budget crisis leads schools to make cuts left and rightNorth Carolina eliminates $5 million EOC testing funds

school year and will save $5 mil-lion. The eliminated tests are: US History, Algebra II, Physical Sci-ence and Civics and Economics.

The question that arises when eliminating various school funds is if the cuts will hinder the learn-ing experience. Passing EOC classes are a graduation require-ment. Eliminating EOC tests could cause a lack of motivation in classes.

“It will make kids want to take these classes more because they won’t have to take an EOC,” Obenchain said. Other students believe it is a good idea to eliminate EOC tests. “I think it is a good thing that

these tests are being cut,” junior Alyssa McKinnon said. “Teach-ers sometimes have to teach for the test, and that is not always the best way to learn.” The change in the classroom’s atmosphere may also not be a negative thing. “Although the students would probably have a more relaxed out-look on the class, I think it would be benefi cial because they will not be so stressed out,” McKinnon said. The Common Core is another change being implemented. The Common Core would be for Eng-lish classes to start in the 2012-2013 school year. This change would move the English EOC

from ninth grade to sophomore year and eliminate the writing test. Many English teachers at Northwest are warming up to the idea. “New ideas are always viewed with some skepticism at fi rst be-cause they make us [teachers] anx-ious,” sophomore English teacher Andrea Julian said. “Hopefully, af-ter we’ve been introduced to the core standards, we will see a new and improved plan that will help us better prepare our kids for life after high school.” While NC schools are going to see change driven by the budget, time will tell whether the effects are positive or negative.

Grace Kingentertainment editor

Indexnews 2-4 op/ed 5-7

spread 8-13sports 14-15

arts&culture 16-17features 18-19

entertainment 20

Josh Campbellstaff writer

page 17

Seniors awarded sports scholarships

to collegepage 14

What would you do with a million dollars?

page 10

also inside:

Safe and Sober Prom: a joke?

Op/Ed

page 7

Freshman’s family adopts sister from Africa

Features

page 14

page 8

MDMA (Ecstacy) has increased in popularity across the state and is especially popular with college

and high school students

During 2007-2008 school year, North Carolina Schools reported 11,013 acts of crime and violence

mission accomplished.

Knowing the Law:

a day in the life of a police officer

In 2010, Guilford County had the second highest number of detention center admissions in the state

at 701

Arts&Culture

Final drama performance wows

audiences

Sports

Spread

I like keeping it quiet, but I have astynomiaphobia. It is an irrational fear of the police. My struggle with this psychological disorder started at a young age. As a toddler, I would clutch on to my mother’s legs when we would pass by a law enforcement offi cer on the street. If you so much as whisper the word ‘cop’ while I’m driving, I’ll break into a cold sweat. When I was pulled over for speeding by a state trooper late one November night, I nearly vomited.

I don’t know where my asty-nomiaphobia comes from. Every time I see a cop, I have an anxiety attack and become convinced that whatever it is I’m doing at that ex-act moment has suddenly become illegal.

At fi rst, signing up for a po-lice ride-along seemed cool. Ideas of shootouts, drug busts and car chases raced through my head. But then I slowly started to realize: I’ll have to sit in a police car. I’ll have to sit next to a police offi cer. All day.

As my assigned ride-along date approached, I began to dread it more and more. The night before, I had a nightmare that I was put in handcuffs and hauled off to jail because I ‘lost my lunch’ in the pa-trol car.

And then I met Corporal Jeff Branham of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD). He’s a friendly looking man who likes to play the Christian radio station in his car. The more time I spent with Corporal Branham the more I began to appreciate, and to some extent admire, what he and his fel-low law enforcement agents do for a living and to make our streets safer.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 18 years – 15 of which working specifi cally with narcotics,” Bra-nham said. “I loved working with narcotics – fun stuff.”

Being a police offi cer, as I would quickly learn, is a lot tougher than the average person would think. Working in law enforcement is not all shootouts, drug busts or car chases. Not many people would realize all of the legal paperwork involved with responding to what would otherwise seem to be a rou-tine call an offi cer would respond to, let alone all of the time spent responding to a call. It’s a time consuming career that takes a lot of dedication, hard work and pa-tience.

“The city gives us 30 minutes for lunch,” Branham said. “But when you’re busy, you’re busy. If you’re out responding to call after call or taking care of all of the ac-

photo by Grace King

continued pg. 18

In 2008, there were 4,339 reported violations of pos-

session of a controlled substance in North Caro-

lina Public Schools

Graphic by Matthew Taylor

Ana Nino Combs, Christine Son & Matt Shears

Page 2 News May 2011

With a lifetime full of church choirs, school band, piano les-sons, organ lessons and much more, Northwest band teacher Brian Mc-Math has shown the world that mu-sic is his passion. His musical prowess was hon-ored April 12 when he received the Arts Educator of the Year award from the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro. “I was really shocked,” McMath said. “It’s also very humbling because there are a lot of other great arts ed-ucators in the county.” McMath was nominated by Prin-cipal Ralph Kitley and had to make a portfolio including accomplishments and essays. Christina Caltagirone of High Point Central High School was runner-up. This annual award honors teachers of the arts for their creative abilities and encouragement of students’ ar-tistic talents. It comes with a $1,000 cash prize to be applied toward pro-fessional development. McMath has been teacher for 14 years, seven of which he has taught at Northwest. In high school, he was in the club Future Teachers of America and taught courses at mid-

dle schools. As a child, McMath began playing the piano at the age of fi ve. “When we got together for family gather-ings, there would be guitars and banjos; it was very country and rural,” McMath said. “I just grew up around music, and that’s why I continued.” McMath has a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Mu-sic Education from UNCG. In addition to his normal class load at Northwest, which entails putting on four concerts a year, he also has a per-cussion ensem-ble and a Win-

ter Guard; the latter of which recently ranked in the top 48 at the International World Champtionships.

“He writes amazing marching shows, winter shows, and conducts great con-certs,” sophomore Lauren Harris said. “He puts in so much effort, and I think he deserves Arts Educator of the Year.” McMath enjoys watching his stu-dents learn and take in new concepts daily. About 16 of McMath’s students have gone on to become music teachers or pursue music degrees. “It’s the best feeling watching [stu-deents] throughout that process: grow-ing, learning, performing and then see-ing their reaction,” McMath said.

Brian McMath named Arts Educator of the year

Biology teacher becomes book editor

Dissecting frogs, observing microor-ganism, studying ge-netics and editing a book.

One of theses things just does not belong here, right? For biology teacher-turned-book editor Steven Russillo, all of these activities make up his daily life.

“In my spare time, I am a relentless and incurable read-a-holic,” Russillo said.

Russillo began edit-ing “Personae,” a novel by an American writer, in late February. What began as pleasure reading turned into an editing job.

“The author’s publicist had been fa-miliar with my website,” Russillo said. “In early January 2010, the publicist had sent me a copy of a 700-page monster with a cover letter that said, in essence, ‘If you like those others, you might like this.’”

Russillo read the book, “A Naked Singularity,” and noticed typos as he took notes about the book.

“I wrote the publicist to thank her profusely, to rave about the book, to ask for some plot clarifi cations and to men-tion a few typos I’d spotted,” Russillo said. “She then told me that she might hire me as a copy editor at some future date. I thought she was joking.”

The publicist made the formal offer in late February for Russillo to copy edit the follow-up book to “A Naked Singu-larity.” Russillo’s editing career was born.

In order to complete the editing and

Many students’ Facebook friends may soon be depleted after the passage of a new Guilford County School’s policy. The new policy restricts school system employees from being Facebook friends with students or parents of students that attend any Guilford County School.

This new policy, aimed at directing employees as to the “appropriate use” of online communities, has already taken effect, and teachers have been asked to de-friend all students with whom they are currently Facebook friends.

“GCS employees are encouraged to keep their personal lives personal even in the digital world where personal and professional can become blurred,” a Guilford County Schools press release from March 24 said.

The failure to follow the established guidelines by any teacher may result in disciplinary action being taken by the school system. GCS itself does have an offi cial Facebook page, and it has set forth guidelines for its own use, such as asking that students and staff not post any complaints against the school district on its offi cial Facebook page and refrain

from using profanity and offensive language on its wall posts.

“I can certainly appreciate the policy that tries to safeguard against any potential confl icts that would rarely arise but still can take place between teachers and students,” social studies teacher Scott Bennett said. “But I think for the most part, teachers out there that communicate on Facebook just fi nd it to be an easy way to communicate either to build a stronger relationship with their students or to work with the curriculum on Facebook.”

Many teachers at Northwest have Facebook pages for many different reasons. Social studies teacher Scott Bennett, drama teacher Abby Cockman, Latin teacher Sarah Wright and many others sport their own Facebook pages, although not all of them add students as friends. Teachers who do have students as friends use Facebook professionally: to discuss literature, post homework or seek opinions from their students.

“If I had a current teacher of mine added as a friend on Facebook, it would create a simple, quick and easy way to communicate about any assignments,” junior Brittany Morgan said. “Teachers

could send out announcements or changes in due dates, instead of waiting for the next class period.”

While some students are apt to add their teachers as an instant form of communication, some fi nd this new policy to be an appropriate decision.

“I would never have my teachers as friends on Facebook because I do not want teachers to listen in on teen gossip and all the details of a student’s life,

and vice-versa,” freshman Danny Oh said. “If I had the teacher in the past, it would be a different story. As they say, there is a fi ne line between a teacher and a

friend.”With this ‘friendship,’ there may be

some expectations for teachers to keep their professional relationship while still being aware of their missions as educators. Some teachers think that having students as friends is not necessary because there are other means of communication.

“I just don’t feel like there’s a great need for teachers to have their students as friends on Facebook,” English teacher Jennifer Donor said. “I feel like if you have messages that you want to get out to your students, you can simply do that

through your school website, and when it comes to teaching, it’s better to just be safe than sorry and leave your school life at school and home life at home.”

Although some teachers try not to be critical about their student’s inappropriate behaviors, others try to make the best out of a situation and send encouraging messages rather than getting students in trouble.

“I have a problem with a lot that they [students] post online, but I told myself that I would not look at their stuff, and if I saw anything questionable, I would just use it solely for helping them,” psychology teacher Allison Lambert said.

The county has enacted this policy after a surge in the number of teachers being disciplined nationally for inappropriate conduct on Facebook. Last month, a teacher in Middletown New Jersey was suspended for posting an inappropriate comment on a student’s wall. In 2010, three New York City teachers were fi red over inappropriate Facebook use with students.

So far GCS has taken no action to discipline teachers for their Facebook use.

“Instead of making a policy that teachers must follow, this should just be a warning or caution,” Oh said. “We should let the teachers decide if they want to uncover their life outside of school.”

staff writers & news editor

Jen Nelsonstaff writer

Katie Kilmartinstaff writer

Photo by Katie KilmartinBand teacher Brian McMath conducts students in band class. McMath recently won the Arts Educator of the Year award.

New GCS policy bans teachers from being Facebook friends with students

We should let the teachers decide if they want to uncover their life outside of school.

““freshman Danny Oh

Photo by Jen NelsonBiology teacher Steven Russillo reads “Personal,” the novel he was selected to copyedit by the author.

send his edits in an email divided into three sec-tions: edits, suggestions and fan mail.

“[Edits] were easy and quick, but I poured over a few of the edits for absurd stretches of time, unsure of myself and afraid I’d offend,” Russillo said. “The tough times for me came when I would edge slightly out of the copy editing realm and into the line editing realm. At times like that, having to tell this amaz-ing writer that he had something wrong, was quite diffi cult.”

While the editing process was not always easy, Russillo enjoyed it immensely.

“As it stands, I was not only one of the fi rst

people ever to read it; I was paid to do it,” Russillo said. “Are you kidding? What god did I please?”

Russillo not only enjoyed the opportu-nity of editing a book, but he also has and continues to enjoy reading. Many aspects of reading enthrall him.

“Einsteinium Relativistic Time Dila-tion aside, reading is one of the few ways we can simulate time travel,” Russillo said. “We all appreciate good art, whether it’s a classical painting, a well engineered ve-hicle or a jaw-dropping guitar lick. Good writing is one of the several art forms I strongly relate to.”

As far as the future goes, Russillo will continue to update his website (russillosm.com) with his current reading and music endeavors.

“[I] can’t say I’ll get anymore editing jobs, but as far as reading?” Russillo said. “I’m fairly sure I’ll die with a book in my hand, probably of acute eye strain.”

Christine Son staff writer

Page 3News May 2011

Northwest’s new face now greets

everyone with a special look, courtesy of school PTSA. After almost three years of fundraising, a new sign stand at the front of the school.

The PTSA designed and ordered the sign at the beginning of this school year, and it was installed April 2 to display the school’s name and messages to the community in more efficient, eye-catching way.

“I think it will help people clearly see the name of our school, which might have been a problem in the past,” sophomore Anna Wurz said.

The school sign often serves as a reminder or symbol that draws attention to many who pass by the school; it informs people of events that are happening around the campus, such as sporting events, social gatherings and school goals and missions.

From the old, manually changed sign to an electronic LED moving-message signs, the PTSA’s gift brings better look,

as well as convenience that no longer correlates with weather conditions. The sign can be computer programmed in Principal Ralph Kitley’s office, with his designated staff members in charge.

“I like the new sign because it’s prettier, and the old sign had letters constantly falling off and words misspelled,” sophomore Madeline Robless said.

With this new sign, school can promote better service with rearrangement of messages more quickly and easily.

The PTSA’s general budget and funds through membership and school dances were used to assist this accomplishment along with donations from corporate sponsors and the non-profit group “Viking Visions.” This project was the PTSA’s own idea to bring beneficial changes to school.

“We hope that the student body will be very proud of the new sign and help keep it free of debris and keep a watchful eye over it,” PTSA President Scotti Early said.

As of the last event of this school year, the PTSA is planning to hold the Guilford County Council of PTSA’s

Northwest receives gift from PTSA

We the People places eighth at Nationals

After all of the pages of research, papers written and endless questioning periods of practice, the We the People team arrived at nationals in Washington, DC in the afternoon of Friday, April 29. The tournament began on Saturday, April 30 and Northwest’s team competed until Sunday, May 1 when the top 10 teams were announced. Despite fourth quarter weariness, the seniors who make up the team put forth the effort required for them to place eighth in the nation--the highest they have ever placed at Nationals. “Going to Nationals is a huge accomplishment,” senior Kristin Diemer said. “I, along with the rest of the class, feel honored to represent Mr. Parrish in this competition and show everyone how truly

inspiring he has been to our class, as well as all of the knowledge he has instilled in us.” As with all national tournaments, the team’s preparation was the main focus between the end of the state tournament and the moments leading up to the national competition. They took little time to celebrate their state victory before some students began planning responses to the national questions. “Also, to think of the hard work we put in just to win states proves the challenge we face at nationals as we compete against other states who won their own competition,” senior Tia Oaster said. The difference between the state competition and the national competition became evident to the team from the moment they looked at the national questions. “[The questions are] more broad and directly deals with the public average day citizen,” senior Josh Kizito said. “I feel we have a great shot at this and high potential;

end-of-year awards ceremony in May which at Northwest. The PTSA’s active role attempts to support and benefit the community as a whole.

“We are so happy to be able to share our school with the county and

Photo by Christine SonIn April, the PTSA purchased a new sign for the entrance of Northwest High School. This LED sign now features digital messages that can be conveniently programmed and changed from Principal Ralph Kitley’s office.

very proud of all that we [the PTSA] has accomplished this year,” Early said. “We hope to be able to meet our budget again for next year and help out with much needed program funding for the staff and students of our awesome school.”

Aaron Maierbusiness manager

[we will] perform to the utmost of our ability and place highly among the other teams. I’m sure I will retain most this knowledge till the day I die.” Northwest’s We the People has a long history of going to Nationals, dating back to 1997. In 2007, the team was placed in the top 10 competition on Capitol Hill and placed ninth in the nation. On the day of the top 10 finals in 2007, social studies teacher Ray Parrish was so overcome with emotion and pride that his team had achieved such ends that he cried while putting on his socks in the morning. Although the team lost states in 2010, this year Northwest was proud to represent North Carolina at nationals for the 14th year in its history. Money was also an added challenge this year. Due to extensive budget cuts, the students were required to raise the necessary $36,000 with $6,000 deducted

as a result of the North Carolina Bar Association. “The team is doing all of fundraisers--a breakfast at Fatz, a car wash, a dinner with a silent auction, dinner nights at various restaurants, and even more as we have sent letters to local businesses to ask for support,” Diemer said. “We have two great tasks to accomplish raising the money as well as succeeding in the competition and every little bit that is contributed makes it easier for the team to focus on the latter.” While in DC, the team toured the governmental and historical sites of the city during their free time. They saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building and the White House (see picture below). As the year comes to a close, the team begins to consider those who will succeed them in 2011-12. However, there is also the possibility that Congress will eliminate the funds that support the program, which would put an end to the competition.

Photo contributed by Becca SikoraThe 34-member We the People team from Northwest High poses in front of the White House during its trip to Nationals in Washington, D.C. Northwest’s WTP has consistently won the state competition; however, Northwest’s only other top 10 placement was ninth in 2007. The 2010-2011 WTP class beat this previous record by placing eigth at the national competition from April 30-May 2. (Not pictured: seniors Steven Plante and Lauren Hamlett.)

Page 4 News May 2011

For the past six years, Northwest has gone through 11 assistant principals. The average career for assistant principals at Northwest is currently two years.

Why this turnover? Though there is the occasional retiree, most leave to become a head principal at another school.

Joe Caraher is no exception. For the past month, Principal Ralph Kitley went through the interview process with a committee to select a new assistant principal to replace Caraher, who left April 1 to become principal of Southwest Middle. The committee consisted of teachers, assistant principals, parents and Kitley. Initially, about 25-30 people applied for the job.

“We interviewed five candidates and reviewed their applications to see who is most qualified,” Kitley said.

During the process of selecting candidates, Kitley and others had to look at strengths and weaknesses. One component the committee especially seeks is a Master’s Degree in School Administration.

“If you prioritize for what you’re looking for, that will remove many applicants such as not having their Master’s in School Administration,” Kitley said.

Although a Master’s in School Administration is a priority, administrative experience is also important. Classroom experience is also suggested, but there are exceptions. Caraher did not have administrative or classroom experience before becoming the assistant principal; he was a school counselor prior to becoming an assistant principal.

“We did not make it a deal breaker, but we prioritized administrative experience even though one out of the five applicants we interviewed did not have administrative experience,” Kitley said.

Out of the final five applicants, the committee selected one: Tony Mills. Announced to the faculty on April 29, his selection had to be approved by the Guilford County School Board of Education, which gave the final approval in their meeting April 28.

“Mills was a science teacher at the high school level for 17 years,” Kitley said. “He has 10-plus years of high school administrative experience, most recently at RJ Reynolds High School.”

Mills began May 9. He resumed Caraher’s responsibilities of testing facilitation, field trips and discipline for students in 11th grade.

“I want to be visible in the hallways and meet as many kids as I can,” Mills said.

New assistant principal selected from 30 applicants

Katie Kilmartinstaff writer

Ancient ruins, treks about the various is-lands and a four-day cruise—this is not your typical spring break vacation. Latin teacher and group leader Sarah Wright planned and organized an educational excursion to Greece for Latin and humanities students, chaperoned by herself, Humanities teacher Sherilyn Little and a few parents.

“The Greece trip was amazing,” junior Colin Beckum said. “Going to the different islands and seeing all the cool ancient stuff was ‘tastic.”

The itinerary for the trip began in Ath-ens, with a few stops at historical monu-ments like the Acropolis and the Parthenon, then to Delphi in Northern Greece to visit

the temples of mythological gods. After the first few days in Athens and Delphi, the group boarded a cruise line to tour various seaport cities.

Aboard the cruise, students disembarked at various places about the Aegean Sea: Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion, Crete and Santorini, as well as Kusadasi, Turkey. Although each of the destinations has gained renown individually for its beauty or history, the students have their own favorites. “I enjoyed Rhodes the most because the weather was superb, and a couple of friends and I swam in the Aegean Sea. I was sun-burned by Grecian light rays!” sophomore Caroline Hall said. “This trip was by far one of the best experiences of my life thus far.” In Rhodes, students had the option of going to Lindos then to tour the Old City of Rhodestown, or they could have opted to venture through the city on their own.

“Probably Mykonos [was my favorite], just because the layout of the build-

ings was so unique,” junior Amanda Kubic said. “I

feel like we had the most

time there to shop, explore, eat and just relax. I also had the best crepe in the world there.”

The first stop while on the cruise was in Mykonos, where one could see the pictur-esque views of the Grecian windmills, “Little Venice” and the rolling tides of the Aegean sea.

“I think the cruise was fun,” junior Vic-toria McGee said, “[I enjoyed] the islands in general, but especially Santorini. Riding a donkey was an experience, probably one of my favorites. I really enjoyed just seeing ev-erything; it was so pretty, and no picture could ever do it justice.”

Santorini has the archetypal blue and white buildings set against the background of houses stacked along the hills and of the beautiful waters.

To get to the city, students had to take smaller boats to the island, then a shuttle up the narrow, winding mountain roads. While in Santorini, students had the liberty to shop, take pictures or eat gelato before returning to the ship. Getting back to the ship was a two-sided ordeal: either ride a donkey down 500-some steps or take a roller-coaster cable car ride.

“No way was I going to take a donkey where you felt like you were going to pitch forward,” Wright said. “The kids loved riding the donkeys though, and for some of them, it was the highlight of their trip.”

The final night of the journey took place in Athens; after a day of shopping, the group experienced Greek Night. Composed of el-egant dress, a delicious Greek meal and tradi-tional Greek dancing and performances, the night had spirits high and students shouting “Opa!” in the streets. “I want to live [in Greece] because the culture is so different. The dancing [we ex-perienced] on the last night brings people to-gether,” junior Sophie Upton said. “Everyone seems so happy, and Greek people are party animals. I can’t wait to go back.”

Many students feel that the trip was invalu-able. From donkey rides and culture lessons to the new food experiences and group bonding, the students who spent their Spring Break in Greece will forever remember the trip.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go off to another country with a bunch of your friends and explore,” Beckum said.

Amcor Packaging of North Carolina

Proudly Supports the Northwest Vikings!

Alyssa Paige Millerfeatures editor

Falling in love: Grecian landscapes stir students’ hearts

Photo by Alyssa Paige MillerWhile in Rhodes and Lindos, students tour both the city areas and the countryside. Students hiked up the hilly roads to explore the old Acropolis, pausing for pictures such as this along the way.

Photo by Katie Kilmartin“I was very excited to be in a well-rounded high school. I want to develop relationships with the faculty and students,” Tony Mills, Northwest’s new assistant principal, said.

Page 5EditorialMay 2011

Policies and Intent Serving as the primary

printed and online forum for student opinion, Northwest Horizons publishes six is-sues each year by the staff at Northwest Guilford High School. The paper is support-ed through community adver-tisers and is printed by Stone Printing of High Point.

Editorials are unsigned. The stance of editorials is voted upon in staff meetings, but it requires the approval of the majority of the edito-rial board.

All members of the school community are encouraged to use Northwest Horizons to express their views. Letters must be signed when submit-ted.

Phone: 336-605-3300www.northwesthorizons.com

AdviserMelanie Huynh-Duc

PrincipalRalph Kitley

Editor-In-ChiefLiz Crampton

News EditorMatt Shears

Op/Ed EditorsKelsey StreyleJonathan Williams

Spread EditorCallie Payne

Sports EditorMackenzie Macksood

Entertainment EditorGrace King

Arts & Culture EditorShaunee Vazquez

Features EditorAlyssa Paige Miller

Head PhotographerRachel Ross

Business ManagersJosh JonesAaron Maier

Staff WritersAnnabel Brunk Shannon CarrJosh CampbellAna Nino CombsKatie KilmartinJen NelsonChristine SonMorgan Von SteenMatthew TaylorMia Thompson

Northwest Horizons Editorial Policy

Mia Thompsonstaff writer

Gra

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War-torn, panic stricken, chaos. Libya, a small country located right off of the Medi-terranean coast, is plagued by the despot leadership of Muammar Gaddafi. Reign-ing since his takeover in 1969, Gaddafi has ruled his people with an iron fist.

Beginning in February of

2011, Libya’s people finally took a stand and began to rebel, following the lead of other Arab nations. The rebels under the name of the Transi-tional National Council are a volunteer force composed primarily of

Libyan youth. What began as a series of small up-

risings against the government in the city of Benghazi soon spread to the nation’s capital of Tripoli. Through use of heavily armed ar-tillery, the rebels have had success in taking control of the eastern portion of Libya; how-ever, Gaddafi has fought back with the skills of a militant in desperate desire to take con-trol.

“The US has been an avid supporter of the protesters but Muammar Gaddafi has been brutalizing his people and has been in power for far too long,” senior Hunter Kirstner said.

Prior to the uprisings, Libya has had an unstable past having been a former Roman colony and then facing numerous invasions before gaining independence in 1951. Eight

years later in 1959, oil was discovered, bringing wealth to this nation.

When Gaddafi overthrew the then-King Idris, he drastically altered the way in which the country was ruled. He created a system loosely based on communism and capitalism, with the political work being done by various committees. In actuality, Gaddafi’s rule is unopposed.

While viewed as a severe autocrat, Gad-dafi has made attempts to unify other Arab nations, even proposing a “United States of Africa” which was used as the basis for the formation of the African Union. Even in support of unification, it is his support of militant groups that has caused severe controversy among the Arab world.

This country once again saw specula-tion rise when in 1988 the bombing of a PanAm plane was linked to Libyan forces. The plane, which was destroyed just over the city of Lockerbie, Scotland, was wit-ness to the death of 270 people. Libya took responsibility for this incident in 2003 after a Libyan suspect was found guilty and aid from the European Union was revoked.

Relations with the United States have remained unstable; in 2008 the possibility

of diplomatic relations were discussed be-tween the two countries but were soon dis-missed in 2011.

With the country now on the brink of civil war, the United Nations Security Coun-cil has authorized military action. American and European forces have taken part in a campaign of strikes against Gaddafi. President Obama has come out to address this current crisis and said that the removal of Gaddafi was “of vital national interest” to the American people.

“The problem with arming the rebels is that we have already seen problems with arming other Middle Eastern countries, dur-ing the Persian Gulf War the US gave mili-tary support to Osama Bin Laden and Sa-dam Hussein,” Kirstner said.

As the rebellion continues in Libya, talks of a peaceful transfer of power are under way with one of Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Is-lam Gaddafi, posed as the next leader and promising a more democratic government. Saif would be an acceptable alternative to his father’s rule being that he has played a large role in the rehabilitation of Libya. Yet with the recent uprisings, his name has been tarnished in the international community.

man on the street

Hostile Hangover: The Libyan War

will Obama be re-elected in 2012?Senior reflections

“Of course, yes.”

Sherodd Johnson, junior

“I have no idea.”

Will Lothiam, freshman

“I hope not.”

Michael Taylor, senior

“No.”

Meagen Ellison, sophomore

I wouldn’t change absolutely anything about my four years in high school. There are some things I may forget about in time, but journalism class won’t be one of them. Leaving for school at 7:30 for zero period would not have been do-able for two years had I not been going to see all of the amazing people in one of my favorite classes of the day. I’m going to miss you guys so much!

Mackenzie Macksoodsports editor

Certainly, Northwest students have been blessed with brilliant teachers, a vibrant arts communi-ty, and conference winning sports teams. However, I believe that our school is more than just a superior rating on a school evaluation sheet. What makes Northwest special is what lies under the surface: en-couragement for all students to live up to their potential. The fact that you can find motivational teach-ers in both AP and CP classes is a true achievement. So, as the class of 2011 closes the doors of our school for a final time, we can all genuinely thank Northwest for ev-erything it has given us.

Liz Cramptoneditor in chief

High School, with its share of good times, mistakes, and regrets, is a time during which we come to discover ourselves and plan for our futures. As we come to the coup de grace, saying goodbye and making those plans realities, we leave with full, heavy hearts, but not empty handed. With us, we shall take lessons, relationships, and experiences that will guide us as we take flight.

Perhaps the most precious experience I will take with me is having been on the Northwest Horizons staff for three years; it has become part of this routine and second home that I have come to know and love. Although I will miss my second family here on staff, and all that Northwest has offered these transient four years, I can be certain that I won’t forget anyone or anything and will forever be grateful for the lasting memories.

Kelsey Streyleop/ed editor

Alyssa Paige Millerfeatures editor

Being to school by 7:45 would not be worth it if I was not headed to journalism each morning. By the end of the year, the class is a tighly knit family and that is a memory I will always have. Northwest has given me several opportunities throughout my high school experience and I will never forget the friends I have made. As excited as I am to graduate and go off to college, my high school years will definitely be some of my favorites.

Rachel Rosshead photographer

60 seconds in a minute. 55 minutes in a class. Six classes in a day.180 days of school. There are merely 20 days left before graduation. Many seniors have wished these days away, but now it has come to the final countdown. In these last two weeks, we seniors will be finishing up our ‘Senior Tests’ and other exams. This will be the last time our feet will guide us through these halls as high school students. We cannot forget the moments, friends, teachers that have shaped us. For me, I will always cherish the time that I spent in journalism. Although I may have missed opportunities to sleep longer, I took advantage of a non-renewable resource: these moments, friends and teachers. Some of us will walk across the stage, thinking fondly of our high school memories, while others will walk, knowing that fond memories are to be made.

Senior reflections

Page 6 Opinion May 2011

Get married, have a loving family and maintain a high-paying career. Most students would agree that achieving such goals would be ideal, but the key to a successful future is to work hard today. Although public schools do prepare their students well for the future, statistics have proven that on average, private schools more aptly equip their students with the needed skills for a successful future. Private schools are typically much smaller in enrollment than public schools. 86 per-cent of all private schools in the US have fewer than 300 students total, enrolled. This allows for a much smaller student-to-teacher ratio. The average public school class size can range anywhere from 30-40 students, while private schools typically maintain classes of no more than 15. Due to smaller class sizes, discipline prob-lems in private schools are often thought to be much less than in public schools. Teach-ers are able to have one-on-one relationships with their students, allowing them to disci-pline individuals as best seems suitable. In larger public school classrooms, it is often hard to identify one child as a source of the problem, and as a result, the entire class is typically punished. This discourages the stu-dents following the rules to continue to obey what is asked of them. Instead students can be pin-pointed or even removed from the school is their behavior becomes enough of a distraction to other students.

Private schools offer public rewardsMatthew Taylor

staff writerLiz Cramptoneditor in chief

Steve Jobs. Barack Obama. Jon Stewart. All of the previous influential men at-tended public high schools. Clearly, it does not require a private school education to fa-cilitate brilliance. Some of the most success-ful members of society attended public in-stitutions. The conditions of school quality, accountability, curriculum and teacher train-ing, public schools without fail outperform private schools. Without a doubt, public schools have a clear advantage over private because they have the backing of political support and economic revenue. The fact that public school performance is held accountable by government standards ultimately yields bet-ter results from students and teachers. The National Center for Education Sta-tistics reports that public school teachers tend to be more qualified than private teach-ers in terms of education and experience. As a result of receiving federal funds, pub-lic schools must follow strict teacher certi-fication rules, which do not apply in many private schools. In addition, public teachers usually receive higher salaries and a better re-tirement package, incentives that attract the most talented teachers for the long term. In comparison to private, public schools generally offer a plethora of resources to provide extracurricular activities. A large stu-dent body is able to sponsor more programs. Additionally, public schools are able to pro-vide a wide array of subjects, and more of a

focus is placed on core classes such as Eng-lish or social studies. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of public schools is the diverse environment which facilitates a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. Typically, a public school atmosphere resembles the real-world community that is filled with various races, religions and viewpoints. In order to be best prepared to function in society, students must experience reality first on a small-scale. The most common argument against public schools is that private school students regularly perform better academically, partic-ularly on standardized tests. However, these studies do not take into account the ability of wealthy private school kids to invest in additional tutoring or classes. The kinds of economic resources parents can provide their children are the biggest factor in deter-mining the quality of students’ education. President of the Center of Education Policy Jack Jennings said, “Contrary to popular belief, we can find no evidence that private schools actually increase student per-formance.” Research in the educational field is so po-liticized and contradictory that you can find almost any study to support your view. The truth concerning the quality of public versus private is obfuscated by political policy, fam-ily priorities and personal preference. Never-theless, I believe that in any situation, public is always the best. In order to gain a good, general, all-around education, opt with pub-lic: it is the American tradition.

Public schools bring success In tough economic times, private schools often have an easier time meeting budget needs. While public schools rely on govern-ment funding that often wavers depending on the current state of the economy, private schools can safely anticipate a constant bud-get rate because of tuition fees, funds from a variety of development activities and alumni support. Private schools’ independence from the government also helps to levy some costs the government would otherwise have to spend on students currently not attending public schools. When polled in 1999, 55 percent of par-ents with children currently attending public schools admitted they would prefer sending their child to a private school if they could afford the expense. Another 74 percent ad-mitted that private schools had better disci-plinary techniques, and 53 percent believed they did a better job teaching academic skills. Also, students from private schools will often score higher on the SAT than public school students. On the math section of the SAT, the average score for public school students was a 515 compared to the 577 the average private school student scored. These achievements allow for a broader career choice by private school graduates. In a competitive work force, it is essential to have every qualification possible to separate a person from the general population. Pri-vate schools offer their students the needed skills to be both successful in academics to-day and in the workforce of the future.

AP exams make for May-hem

One may think that the end of the year will be a relaxing time where school begins to matter less and less. However, if you have AP exams on your schedule, that fantasy is about as far away as summer itself. At the beginning of May, the workload begins to steadily increase as AP teachers add even more homework and classwork to the average school day in preparation for AP exams. From repeatedly writing essays for English language and composition to take-home problems in AP statistics, the increased workload varies among all of the classes. No matter what the course is, studying stinks. The mountains of work mixed with extracurricular activities begin to add up and the work becomes overly stressful. One of the biggest problems with the approach of AP exams is that the main focus of the majority of the year is not helpful for the exam. Although every test in APUSH and AP Statistics resembles the exam, there is little more than practice that prepares students for the exam. One incentive that teachers use to convince their students to prepare for the exam is grading practice tests. However, this can

create grade deflation because these exams are graded differently than the homework or class-work grades, so a student that makes a five on an AP exam may make a 60 or above on any given practice test.

Also, it is almost impossible to gauge what score you will receive on your exam. Last year, I received a five on the mock APUSH exam but a three on the actual test. A large problem with these exams is, if a

student attends a college that will not accept his AP scores, then that student has as good as wasted a year of a class. Of course, one can still take away the knowledge gained from the class, but walking away from an AP exam without college credit is as bad as receiving a year’s paycheck and realizing it’s only half of what you should have made.

Considering the large amount of work that AP students are already expected to complete, with the addition of AP preparation, any student’s workload continues to increase exponentially until he becomes too exhausted to complete any work. Eventually, senioritis (or I-don’t-want-to-do-this-itis for underclassmen) sets in for students who have to make the decision: work on studying and preparing for these AP exams or living in the moment and having fun with friends. For seniors, these AP exams will not influence getting into college, possibly because they all have already decided where they will attend next year. An especially irritating element of AP exams is when students find conflicts with AP exam dates and must take the late exam. Generally, students find that these late exams are harder than the original exam. Overall, the stress of AP exams is always oppressing, so let’s weep for a day when the grade in the class counts as the grade for your college class rather than the score from one exam that lasts three hours.

Aaron Maierbusiness manager

Graphic by Matthew Taylor

Page 7OpinionMay 2011

“Most teenagers, when they hear the word ‘prom,’ think about parties and only parties. All they want to do is have fun,” senior Ra-chel Cramer said. Even highly respected students throughout the school who carry leadership positions or who are known for their studious or reli-gious characteristics may loosen their expected behavior on prom night.

You are offered a beer at a prom after-party. Are you actu-ally going to refuse it because you signed a “safe and sober” pledge at school? 2011 marks the 21st year of the Safe and Sober Prom Night orga-nization, which reaches 35 high school areas.

Research from Liberty Mutual, The Partnership at Drugfree.org and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) show that 70 percent of high school juniors and seniors are expecting their peers to drink and drive on prom night. During prom and graduation weekends, four in 10 of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related. At Northwest, there are several students who sign the pledge each

year. “Just because people sign a pa-per does not mean they will not do it. Peer pressure [to drink] plays a huge role,” senior Ryan Rivadeney-ra said. Many students say they en-joy the free T-shirt or portraying a positive image while bragging about signing the pledge, though they do not plan on being sober during prom night.

D o s t u d e n t s c o n s i d e r s a f e a n d s o b e r a j o ke ?Rachel Ross

head photographer “I am surprised by some people who say they will live up to it and also not surprised. Some people are honest and will not be obli-gated to drink; others just sign the paper for publicity,” Rivadeneyra said. Many times, students are hypo-critical, saying to adults or teach-ers they will be a positive example and role model to their fellow stu-dents. Sometimes when holding a leadership position, students must also sign a contract that states they should not be involved with un-derage drinking. “I do not think people care about signing it,” senior Aja Schmidt said. “They will sign it, but that does not mean they are planning on following it. Then, there are those students who sign the pledge with full in-tentions of honoring what they signed. “I sign the pledge so that I can publicly vow to be safe and sober,” Schmidt said. Several teenagers see the risk and danger in drinking, and when prom comes around, they excuse themselves from the situation that would pressure them to drink. There are many schools who have decided to have students take a breathalyzer test before and af-ter prom. Students argue that test-ing them should not be allowed; it invades their privacy. However, many high schools—such as East Chapel Hill High and Seneca High School in South Carolina-- use it as a useful tool to keep students safe and discourage underage drinking. Others, including Northwest, have not begun breathalyzing. “I think having students take a breathalyzer test would not do any good,” Cramer said. “Most stu-dents party and drink after prom, not before or during.”

“I think the hard part [of being able to follow the schedule] is you don’t really know when you’re going to test,” Julian said. If teachers would follow the testing schedule instead of over-looking it, stress would be lifted from students making a much hap-pier school. “I feel like it [following the test-ing schedule] would make my af-ternoon studying less stressful, I’m already stretched thin with seven classes,” Kenny said. “It just builds up when they don’t follow the schedule.”

Imagine a Chemistry, APES, English and French test all in one day. As if the stress of high school was not enough for most students, many of Northwest school’s teach-ers do not follow the school’s testing schedule causing a pile up of assess-ments to occur on the same day. A testing schedule has been around for years, informing teach-ers what days they should test. The huge flaw in this schedule is that

there is no accountability if a teach-er administers a test on a day not al-lotted to the teacher. “I think that teachers would ac-tually be more inclined to follow the testing schedule if there were repercussions because obviously they wouldn’t want to suffer those consequences,” sophomore Riley Lynch said. “Also, they would un-derstand that having tests only on certain days makes it easier for a lot of students because they don’t get overwhelmed with a lot of tests in one day.” The schedule says that a student

should only have a maximum of three tests in one day, unless more than three teachers took advan-tage of Monday’s “open” schedule. However, many students have expe-rienced having to take four or five tests in one day. A survey of randomly selected Northwest students found that 19 out of 20 students have had more than three tests in one day. “It stresses me out because it feels like you can have 10 tests in one day,” junior Laura Kenny said. Some teachers do understand the stress of high school and try to

keep to the schedule. “I follow it for tests,” sopho-more English teacher Andrea Julian said. “I want to follow expectations, and I can see the benefit of a stu-dent not having four or five tests in one day.” The problem lies in the fact that this schedule is not publicized and there is no monitoring of testing days. Without a real enforcement of a schedule, few will follow it strictly. If teachers had to do a sim-ple thing, such as record what days they are testing, more would have to follow.

Testing schedule remains mere words instead of actionsGrace King

entertainment editor

This graph shows the assigned days that each department is allowed to administer tests. Graphic by Josh Jones

Photo by Rachel RossSenior Rachel Cramer illustrates the irony of some students who falsely pledge to remain “Safe and Sober” on prom night. Students who sign the pledge receive a T-shirt and are on their honor not to drink alcohol on prom night. Those who are caught underage drinking could face both school and legal repercussions.

Page 8 Senior Edition May 2011

Aboughalyoun Tammer UNCAhiabuike Stephanie NC StateAhlgren Patrick NC StateAhmed Sabrina NC StateAlarcon Gerson undecidedAlcivar Marco UNCG Alizada Geeti George MasonAllen Summer UNCG Allred Carson GTCC Alpizar Jessica ECUAnderson Patrick NC StateAndrews Katherine UNCWArkiszewski Erica UNCArmstead Darlene Johnson & WalesArriba Brittni GTCC Bacon Heather UNCABaskerville Demetrius GTCC Bate Sarah SW Assemblies of GodBaxter Courtney Wingate UniversityBazan Cristhal GTCC Beasley Branden UNCG Bellows Cora UNCCBenfield Kelli UNCG Berger Kyle UNCWBerger Anna Kenyon CollegeBernard Rachael UNCCBills Nathan unknown Bobetich Alyssa NC StateBoland Anthony UNCWBolen Stephen GTCC Booth Patrick UNCG Boulton Kathryn AppBranson Ryan undecidedBrantley Jared AppBray Hannah Art Institute of CharlotteBrogan Timothy GTCC Bromley Bryce GTCC Brown Julie UNCBrown Candice unknown Brumley Joshua GTCC Brydon Rosemary UNCG Bucior Samuel U. of PittsburghBullard Connor HPUBurchett Chelsea Leons Beauty SchoolBurdette Christian MarinesButcher Ralph UNCG Cambel Eric ArmyCameron Abby NC StateCampbell Chantz GTCC Campbell Joshua UNCCarpenter Christopher NC StateCarper Nolan UNCCarr Spencer unknown Carter Haley GTCC Castillo Anthony GTCC Chandler Joshua UNCG Charles Garren unknown Cheon Ji GTCC Christiansen Rachel UNCChristopher Benjamin UNCCChurch Cory Washington & LeeClaeys Landen GTCC Clark Keith GTCC Clarke Samantha AppClemons Clell App

DeWane Hannah NC StateDefeo Kyle GTCC Demarest Michelle NC State Demedeiros Daniel moving to BrazilDevaney Megan Wake ForestDiCarlo Allison AppDickerson Ryan UNCG Diemer Kristin Queens CollegeDillon Colby UNCG Dillon Summer HPUDiscepoli Sarah NC StateDoggett Bailey NC StateDonnalley Michael DukeDoss Kendyl GTCC Dougherty Morgan NC StateDye Taylor undecidedEddins Morgan NC StateEdgal Adesua UNCEdwards Amy NC StateEgleston Christiana AppEley Christopher RichmondElliott Christopher unknown Elliott Monica UNCAEvans Rider GTCC Evans Joseph App Evans Steven Air ForceEverett Duncan Barton CollegeFahnestock Samuel NC StateFell Mikeala NC StateFenn Joseph unknown Ferguson Andrew unknown Fetanat Afrouz NC StateFife John MarinesFiorentino Kimberly AppFleming Brooke AppFlores Jessica unknownFlowers Zack MarinesFogleman Elizabeth UNCFord Jessica Nashville State Comm.Fourqurean Tessa UNCG

Where will the Class of 2011 be next year?Clifton Brittany GTCC Clodfelter Jessica unknown Cobb Bianca Western CarolinaCollins Jamie unknownConway Regina UNCG Cooke Lauren GTCC Cothran Michael NC StateCox Crystal NYUCrabtree Brittney Palm Beach AtlanticCramer Rachel U. of WisconsinCrampton Elizabeth UNCCrane Devan ECUCrocker Logan UNCG Cumbus Emily unknown Curry Derl MarinesDabbs Taylor GTCC D’Angelo Austin UNCCDaly Danielle UNCG Darr Melissa NYUDavidson Alexandra NC StateDavidson Madison UNCG Davis Laura UNCWDavis John DukeDavis Samantha UNCWDawson Pamela ECU

“Undecided” indicates student has not determined his/her plans for next year. “Unknown” indicates that Northwest Horizons was unable to reach the student.

Page 9May 2011 Senior EditionKiker Lauren UNCKilgore Philip NC StateKilpatrick Terry GTCC Kimbro Jordan GTCC Kincaid Samuel App King Michael UNCG King Sebastian Texas A&M CorpusKinney Heather GTCC Kirstner Hunter Queens CollegeKizito Joshua NC StateKomuves Isabelle NC StateKorn George NC StateKraft Per-Olof GTCC Kuxhausen Sanders Newberry CollegeLafon Andrew GTCC Lalli Tania AppLangkamp Sean NC StateLawson Brielle Cape Fear Comm. Leasure Samantha GTCC Lee David Montgomery Comm. Lee James ECULee Ashley undecidedLee Christine AppLeonard Christopher UNCG Lewis Carly GTCC Lewis Vivian ECULineback Christopher unknown Loaiza Lisette UNCG Lovato John NC StateLowe Chevonne GTCC Lowe Jordan GTCC Luckett Zachary GTCC Lynch Dillon ElonMackay Michelle UNCWMacksood Mackenzie NC StateMagyar Beth AppMahaffey Nicholas AppMaier Aaron UNCAManess John NC StateMansoori Osama University of DelawareMarshall Amber GTCC Marshall Jason unknownMartin Danielle Clark Atlanta UniversityMartin Erin UNCG Mason Daniel undecidedMast Lauren UNCG Maynard Lauren NC StateMcClendon Savannah AlabamaMcCoy Matthew UNCG McDowell Richard GTCC McElveen Aaron UNCG McLauchlin Alex Coastal CarolinaMcLean Bryanna UNCG McQueen Danielle UNCG McSweeney Kathryn unknown McWhirter Billie GTCC Meredith Nikki Johnson & WalesMerritt Michael UNCWMiles Joshua UNCG Miller Kyle GTCC Miller Alyssa NC StateMiller Jonathan UNCG Miller Ian UNCG Mills Patrick NC StateMitchell Adam MarinesMoncourtois Nicole NC StateMoore Ashley UNCG Morey Joey UNCW

Continued on page 12

Garvey Marcus UNCG Gawka Carla San Pedra U. Gentry Tess NC State Gering Benjamin unknown Ghayas Billy UNCWGil Amaris undecidedGill Hannah Campbell UniversityGoad Peyton Central Florida Goldsmith Jay LynchburgGonzales Joseph GTCC Gorham William UNCWGowda Niraj UNCGray Joseph GTCC Griffin Cody unknown Guella Katie GTCC Guella Brian undecidedGuerrero Milton unknown Gussman Semaj Johnson & Wales- MiamiGuzman Karina UNCWHale Karen AppHall Alex MarinesHall Kelli UNCWHamilton Rachel BYUHamlett Lauren UNCHardee Geanna GTCC Harmon Allison UNCG Harris Brandon Coastal CarolinaHassan Azeez GTCC Hassan Zara UNCG Havas Sidney UNC Hawks Brittney GTCC Headlee Sirena GTCC Hedgecock Dalton Nascar Tech Institute Hedrick Taylor UNC Hemsted Robyn Barton College Henderson Shekinah HPUHenley Derek AppHigdon Kayli UNCG Hilbert Danielle UNCWHill James GTCC Holder Brandon Nascar Tech Institute Holland Jeanette UNCG Holland Kylie UNCG Holliday Andrew UNCG Howard Kaitlyn ECUHowell Joshua UNCG Hudson Caroline UNCHumphrey Jautrail GTCC Hungerford Joshua GTCC Hunt Charles GTCC Hutchinson Mikayla GTCC Ide Brigitta GTCC Idler Kyle UNCG Inchaustegui Nicholas UNCWIsley Lyndsey UNCWJarmusch Samantha Pfeiffer UniversityJessup Zachary undecidedJimbo Miki UNCG Johnson Shelley UNCG Johnson Dustin UNCG Jones Roland UNCJoyce Dallas UNCWKanaley Meghan unknown Kane Peter NC StateKassay Amanda UNCCKeaton Meredith Mt. Olive Keene Joshua GTCC Kehrli David NC StateKennedy Zachary BYU- Idaho

Freshman George Molev is the typical Northwest Guilford High School student. He is hard working, spends time with his friends and playing sports. And, oh yeah, he won the lottery. Emigrating from Bulgaria to the United States in 1998, Molev has blended per-fectly into the American culture. Unknown to many, however, is the fact his family won the Bulgarian state lottery, which allowed his family to become apart of the “American Dream.” “Only my close friends that I have known for a long time know that I won,” Molev said.

The most recent lottery in Bulgaria reached an all time high; the winner re-ceived a jackpot that exceeded six million leva, which is roughly $4.4 million. Out of the seven million citizens in Bul-garia, not to mention the tourists from neighboring Greece, Serbia, Romania and Macedonia who fl ocked in order possibly win this inordinate jackpot, the country is fi lled to the brim with dreams of becoming instant millionaires. “It wasn’t very hard being part of the lot-tery,” said Molev. “My parents sent in a photo with their signature and date of birth, which was then picked randomly by a com-puter.”

According to media reports, mathemati-cians estimate that the chance of winning the Bulgarian lottery is one in three-and-a-half million.

Jackpot!I won the lottery

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Jonathan Williamsco-op/ed editor

If I had a million dollars...

“I believe that [the lottery] is a good pro-gram,” Molev said. “It allows people to dif-fer their lives for the better, if before they never had the opportunity to do so. I also think they should add more lotteries for scholarships and things of that nature.”

Though Molev does not know the exact amount his family won from the lottery, it was enough for them to be able to leave their life in Bulgaria and become part of the melting pot of the United States.

“My family and I would still be living in Bulgaria [if not for the lottery],” Molev said. “Under what conditions, I do not know. I would also not have been able to meet some of my best friends. The economy was really bad in Bulgaria; my parents wanted to escape from it and seek new opportu-nity in the United States.”

Indeed, the lottery has shaped Molev’s life for the better.

“It has opened a huge amount of oppor-tunities for me,” Molev said. “I have made new friends and am living in a safe envi-ronment, where as if we had not won, we would be living in Bulgaria and not know any of [our] friends.”

Though the Molev’s have adapted to the American life, they still keep their Bulgar-ian roots and culture strong.

“We try to keep our culture,” Molev said. “We speak Bulgarian at home. My extend-ed family is still in Bulgaria, and we recent-ly went back to visit them.” Nonetheless, the Molev’s still work hard in their American careers despite the pos-sible fortune they have amassed in Bul-garia.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

If I had a million dollars...

“I would give some to my mom.”

“I would give some to

“[I would] donate it to the NAACP.”

senior Chris Carpenter

junior Kelby McKinney

“I’d give some to my church and probably buy a beach house.”

[I would] give some to the Alzheimer’s Fund, and the rest I would

spend on myself.senior Alex Mclauchlin

junior Braden Payne

Photos by Josh Jones and Callie Payne

“We’d put the money together and buy a big

truck and a pony.”juniors Sydney Neighbors, Ashlynn Macherosky and Brittany Simpson

Page 12 Senior Edition May 2011Morgan Cole AppMoricle John NC StateMorrill Chelsea Air ForceMorris Taylor UNCWMorrison Nathaniel Surry Comm. Mosqueda Ivan GTCC Mozgai Lindsey ECUMullins Pizon Art Institute of CharlotteMurphy Melanie UNCWMurphy Tara UNCG Neal Taylor Wofford Nelson Sydney GTCC Newman Haley NC CentralOakes Camden UNCWOaster Tia AppOngeri Justin unknown Ortega Vivian UNCG Owens Cameron UNCG Pappas John UNCPark Jun LibertyParker Nicholas UNCWPastorelle Joseph UNCG Pastorelle Carmela UNCG Patel Sunraj Johnson & Wales- RIPauley Austin Carson-NewmanPauley Alexander Carson-NewmanPayne Devin UNCWPeachey Ryan GTCC Pearce Hali UNCWPearman Scotty US Army Pegram Joseph Jacksonville StatePerez Natalia UNCPierce Drew AppPiner Rebecca U of South CarolinaPippard Benjamin GTCC Pitts Jordan Western CarolinaPlante Steven NC StatePoe Carson UNCWPoppo Michael NC StatePressley Alexandra AppPrice Travis UNCCPrince Marcia UNCProfi t Garrett GTCC Pruitt Kristen UNCG Putman Summer GTCC Quigley Abbey NC StateRagin Courtney NC StateRalls Jason AppRansom Harleigh GTCC Reasons Devin UNCReed Daniel App

Reise Alyssa UNCG Reittinger David UNCG Rengel-Parrish Diego Air ForceRiccio Austin UNCCRiggs Alexandria BarnardRivadeneyra Ryan GTCC Roach Jenna UNCCRoberts Rachel GTCC Roberts Sundine GTCC Robinson Kermit NC StateRobinson Taylor unknown Rodriguez-Casiano Katiria UNCG Rolandelli Erin UNCRomano Nathan UNCSARoof Courtney UNCRoshan Adel UNCG Ross Rachel Utah State Russell Allison UNCG Russell Brittany UNCG Russo Andrew Coast GuardSalmon Matthew NC StateSamuels Kirsten traveling/ workingSanchez Renato ECUSanchez William unknownSanders Ryan GTCC Sandoe Hugh UNCG Santolla Zackery Air ForceSantoyo Matthew UNCWSater Richard NC State Sawyer Gregory GTCC Schatz Steven ECUSchmidt Aja BYU-IdahoSchmucker Benjamin UNCPSchneider Sarah HPUSchuyler Robert GTCC Scoggins Kaitlyn Alamance Comm.Scott Brea Western CarolinaScott Ashley AppSecco Taylor UNCWSharp Jesse UNCShelton Kaitlyn UNCWShields Dustin GTCC Shull Robert NC StateShyshko Kelley ECUShyshko Calvin NC A&TSikora Rebecca UNCSiler Hanna UNCSimaan Jamie NC A&TSimpson MacKenzie GeorgetownSinclair Alison ElonSmith Katie NC State

Page 13May 2011 Senior EditionSmith Alyssa NC State Smith Katie NC StateSmith Alyssa NC StateSmith Shelby UNCG Smith Joshua Virginia TechSmoker Ryan NC StateSnyder Katelyn Caldwell Comm.Spain Kelsey NC State Sprague Zachary Piedmont Coll. Spurr Sarah UNC St Cyr Stephen AppStafford Benjamin UNCWStafford Aaron BYUStallings Catherine Western CarolinaStanley Kelsie Hendrix CollegeSteel Chandler unknownSteele Shannon UNCG Stewart Warren NC A&TStewart Brittni UNCG Stewart Robert ArmyStokes Melissa unknown Streyle Kelsey UNCG Stikeleather Dean GTCC Suggs Matthew GTCC Swan Lindsey undecidedSwierenga Julie Calvin CollegeTajalli Hilda UNCTakayanagi Natsuko UNCCTapia Veronica NC StateTaylor Michael NC StateThompson Margaret NC StateThompson Amelia UNCThompson Kendall GTCC Tieng Molly NC A&TTolbert Christopher undecided Torres Edgar GTCC Trudrung Brandon unknown Truhe Taylor UNCWTuttle Shannon NC StateUthe Benjamin NC State

Uthe Brandon GTCC Venable Taylor GTCC Villalobos Christopher NC A&TWagi Cheyenne HPUWalker Shelly RCCWalsh Mark unknown Walsh Kaleigh GTCC Ward Tyler unknown Weber Jana UNCG Welsh Kathryn GTCC Whaley Zachary UNCG Wheeler Samuel GTCC Wheeler James UNCG White Harmony UNCG White Andrew UNCG White Kayla unknown Wigal Addison Warren WilsonWillard Jeannie UNCG Williams Michelle Emory and Henry Willis Christopher AlabamaWillis Victoria UNCG Winlaw Robert NavyWitmer Brandon UNCCWurz Sarah UNCG Yates Michael AppYoumans Travis GTCC Yousafzai Uroosa NC A&TZerrad Mehdi Delaware State Ziegelhofer Hailey UNC

How Does 2011 Compare? 2011 2010 2009 GTCC: 72 106 145 UNCG: 65 69 67 NC State: 52 47 55 UNC: 29 32 33 UNCW: 28 14 22 App: 24 43 54 Numbers based on Northwest Horizons’ tallies from this and previous years

Page 14 Sports May 2011

College bound...As their senior year comes to a close, these athletes will be stepping out onto the fi elds and courts of a different territory: college. During the past four years, you have seen these dedicated athletes sweating at practice, scoring points for the team and making Northwest parents and students stand to cheer. Although there are typical experiences that accompany college recruitment, the students below vary in their anticipation.

Baseball at UNCP

Ben SchmuckerScholarship: Partial

Baseball at NewberrySanders Kuxhausen

Scholarship: Partial

“I’m excited to further my career in baseball at Newberry College,” Kuxhausen said. “I look forward to performing at the next level and giving the town of Newberry a performance that’s worth the price of a ticket.”

“I am really excited to be playing baseball at the next level and to receive a partial scholarship,’ Schmucker said. “I loved high school baseball and will sincerely miss the baseball handshakes I had with my two best friends Nick Mahaffey and Steven Plante.”

Soccer at UNCG Cameron Owens

“I look forward to playing soccer at UNCG,” Owens said. I’m proud to be a Spartan because UNCG has an amazing soccer tradition. I will work hard on the fi eld and off the fi eld. I’m going to rage like a ‘Wildcat’ with my roommate David ‘Cat Daddy’ Reittinger.”

Soccer at UNCGDavid Reittinger

“Playing soccer in college is a dream come true,” Reittinger said. “I’m very glad to be going there with close friends, and it’s going to be a great experience for me to play at a high level of play.”

Softball at PfeifferSamantha Jarmusch

Scholarship: Partial

“I waited for this college to fi nd me before I went to look at it. If it was meant to be it would happen,” Jarmusch said. “The biggest difference will be waking up for morning workouts, going to class and then going back for three-hour practices every day.”

“Playing college lacrosse will be a great opportunity for me,” Goldsmith said. “It will defi nitely be a huge transition going from the high school level to college.”

Swimming at DukeMike Donnalley

“I’m most excited about swimming becoming a team sport which is something you never really get at the high school level,” Donnalley said. “I’m defi nitely nervous about having to compete with the most talented swimmers in the ACC, but hopefully that’ll just motivate me to do the best I can.”

Football at Carson NewmanAlex and Austin Pauley

Scholarship: Full-rides

Swimming at QueensKristin Diemer

Scholarship: Partial

Volleyball at Georgetown

MacKenzie SimpsonScholarship: Partial

“Volleyball is my passion, and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level,” Simpson said. “Especially at a university as prestigious as Georgetown.”

“I am excited and anxious to be swimming in college,” Diemer said. “Playing a sport is like having a built-in family and support system, and I know that it will be no different at Queens.”

Soccer at Mount Olive Meredith KeatonScholarship: Partial

“[I’m looking forward to the fact that] players in college play with more heart because we are all playing for one goal,” Keaton said. “The competition is a lot tougher. In high school its more for fun.”

“Life is good when you’re commited,” Alex said.

“Ball all da time, stay on ya grind, sign on the dotted line,” Austin said.

Photos contributed by featured students

Lacrosse at Lynchburg Jay Goldsmith

Scholarship: Partial

Page 15SportsMay 2011

Rock Climbing

Hula Hooping

Wake Boarding

“What’s so great about hula hooping is it is not just exercise; it’s a very fun and spiritual way to exercise,” junior Dana Oglesby said. “The hoop, when it’s twirling around you, makes you feel less in touch with the material world.”

“Rock climbing is fun because you have to constantly push yourself to the limit,” junior Lauren Surber said.

“Corn hole is just an awesome game whether you’re looking for a fun, casual event or a competetive event,” senior Logan Brantley said. “Anyone can play cornhole; it’s not like you have to be athletic to throw a bean bag 10 yards onto a board.”

Corn Hole

“Tubing is so much fun because you get to hang out with your friends, and it’s fun to see who can stay on the longest,” senior Abbey Quigley said.

Tubing

Summer fun:

Photos contributed by featured students

Five fun ways to think outside the box this summer

“Wake boarding is fun because you get to ride the wake, and it’s just another fun thing to do on the water,” junior Kristen Bueno said.

Page 16 Arts & Culture May 2011

Jen Nelson staff writer

M o r e t h a n j u s t g u a r d i n g

C o L o r sPhotos by Kelly Nelson

A rifle with no trigger. A sa-bre with a blunt blade. A piece of plumbing with silk attached.

Winter guard. “This is a crazy activity,” In-

structor Jeremy Dale said. “You take a piece of plumbing and at-tach fake silk with electrical tape, and then take some crutch tips and stick them on the ends and call it art. Somewhere along the way, the experience becomes amazing.”

Winter guard, in the simplest terms, is a group of students who perform movement and equip-ment work on a floor inside a gym

to music from a CD. It is an activi-ty that requires precision, determi-nation and the never ending blood, sweat and tears. With weeks filled with practices and 14 hour compe-tition days, guard can get grueling.

“Practices are very long, and when you get home, all you want to do is sleep, but it’s all worth it in the end,” sophomore Morgan Pilcher said.

All the energy required to per-form is in hopes of impressing five judges who only see a four-and-a-half minute performance. Another goal of the Northwest winter guards groups is to enter-tain the crowd.

“You did nothing if you didn’t

move the audience,” director and instructor Brian McMath said.

Winter Guard International’s (WGI) motto is “sport of the arts.” Winter guard is considered an art by many involved.

“Winter guard is an art, and art is meant to entertain,” instructor and performer Caleb Brown said. “When you don’t perform, it’s breaking the illusion. You can’t see a person; you have to see the art.”

Uniformity is drilled into per-formers from day one. Hours of practicing are spent every week in an attempt to make sure each per-former is doing the same move-ment at the same time in the exact same way.

“Being in sync together is the most difficult thing in guard,” sophomore Taylor Meredith said.

While winter guard is like com-mon team sports in many aspects such as injuries, practices and mo-tivation to become better, there is a key difference.

“There’s no second string,” McMath said.

When there is no one to take someone’s place, everyone is equally important and depended on.

“You can’t just rely on one per-son,” Brown said. “Everyone has to be on top of their game 100 percent of the time.”

In the past winter season, both

of Northwest’s guards stayed on top of their game. Junior Varsity finished the season in tenth place in class AA at the Carolina Win-ter Ensemble Association Cham-pionships, while Varsity finished seventh in class A. Although both groups had successful seasons, McMath knows there is always room for improvement.

“I thought some growth was made in both teams, in individu-als as well as the whole group,” McMath said. “Next year, I would like to enhance and teach more ad-vanced movement and equipment, go to two regional competitions and return to WGI champion-ships.”

Page 17May 2011

“You Can’t Take It With You”Annabel Brunk

staff writer

Arts & Culture

Photo by Annabel Brunk

Photo by Anthony Marino

odd, Alice considers herself as the oddball- I don’t see myself like that.”

Imagine yourself being the only sane member of your family. Your mother is obsessed with writing plays,

your father makes homemade fireworks in the cellar, your grandfather collects and talks to snakes and your sister is a candy maker who aspires to be a ballerina. This may sound like a fun situation, but then what if your significant other is completely normal and so is his family?

Junior Shaunee Vazquez and sophomore Savannah Bruffey portrayed the role of the ‘sane family member,’ Alice, in the Northwest High School Drama production of “You Can’t Take It With You” April 28 and 29.

“Playing Alice wasn’t very hard, since she’s just a normal person,” Bruffey said.‘You Can’t Take it With You’ is a three-act play about a normal girl named Alice Sycamore who is in love with

a normal boy named Anthony Kirby Jr. When Alice invites him and his parents over for dinner and they arrive on the wrong night, the unusual Sycamore family has no idea how to act.

“[If I were in Alice’s place during the meeting] I would probably attempt to reason with my family rather than try to change them entirely as Alice does,” Vazquez said.

Although the character of Alice doesn’t always fit in with the eccentricity of her family, she learns to deal with and embrace their quirks.

“Alice definitely has some quirkiness. She’s not boring, but she’s certainly more in tune with the real world than her family is. When she’s at home, she belongs with them,” Vazquez said. “She would never want her family to change. She’s especially like her family when she’s joking around with her love interest, Tony.”

These two actresses who play Alice have found their ways in which they can relate to the character.

“My family is weird, but not so weird I would be embar-rassed by them,” Bruffey said. “Although our families are both

Even though both girls play the same role, they have different similarities to the character.

“I find Alice’s situation to be very similar to mine in some ways,” Vazquez said. “My views differ from those of my family members. They tend to mesh with each other better than I do. I’m not at all embarrassed by them. They’re crazy, yes, but not embarrassing.”

While learning so much about their character, Bruffey and Vazquez pondered whether Alice’s personality is one worthy of friendship.

“I would probably be friends with Alice; she’s normal and seems easy to get along with,” Bruffey said.

Vazquez, however, is a little more fond of Alice’s family than Alice herself.

“I would most likely be friends with her family,” Vazquez said, “but since Alice strives for social norms, I might not be friends with her. I’d be more likely to be friends with her family members.”

Bruffey undergoes the transformation into a 1930s woman for her perfor-mance as Alice. The theatre students work together to do their own hair and make up design and application.

Photo by Anthony MarinoThe Sycamore family sits down to dinner together marking the resolution of the play. Left to right: (standing) Hugh Sandoe, Elizabeth Hennigan, Thomas Spradley, Lauren Mast, Rachel Parker, (sitting) Andrew Harris, Kristen Hutchinson, Matt Shears, Kimmy Fiorentino, Shaunee Vazquez, and Josh Miles.

Alice excitedy tells her mother and father of her gentleman

caller, Tony. (Left to right) Elizabeth Hennigan, Hugh San-

doe and Shaunee Vazquez portrayed three members of

the Sycamore family in the production of “You Can’t Take it

With You” Friday, April 29.

Page 18 Features May 2011

Flash back to when you were a child and how your parents told you that you would have a new little baby joining the family. They probably said something along the lines of, “Sweetie, a stork will come by and drop off your baby sister when it is time.” For freshman Boe Renslow, his two-year-old sister had to be picked up from Uganda, over 7,000 miles away.

Callie Paynespread editor

Hey, soul sister Photos contributed by Bo RenslowLeft: Two-year-old Zuri Renslow smells the flowers during a photo session. She was adopted from Uganda by the Renslow family in 2009. Above: Assembled from left to right, Boe, Zuri, Father, sister, brother and mother. The complete Renslow family stopped for a photo at a friend’s wedding.

“We, first, wanted to [adoptfrom] China, and then they cut that off,” Renslow said. “We have some friends in Uganda that have their own orphanage there, so we just decided to go down that road.” TheRenslowfamilytookafive-week trip to Uganda in May of 2009 as they were nearing the end of the adoption process. “The conditions there are pretty good,” Renslow said. “It’s more higher class. We were able to meet the person that brought her to the orphanage, which was really

cool. We went to [her mother’s]town, which, the kids there in the orphanages, you really have no idea what they went through, so that was a cool thing.” After about eight months on paperwork and waiting, the Renslowsfinally adopted the newaddition to their family in the summer of 2009, Zuri Renslow. Soon, Zuri will not be the only adopted child in her family. The Renslows are taking another trip to Uganda to adopt an additional child from the same orphanage,

but this time, a boy. Unlike before, the family will not just be setting up an adoption for themselves. They now set up adoptions for children from th orphanage at a lower price than what is typically paid through agencies. “We are leaving the 13th of June and getting back August 13,” Renslow said. “We are setting up adoptions for other people, so we will be traveling all of the country,” Renslow continued. “We will be

based out of a town called Jinja [Uganda],andwewillrentahousethere.” The Renslows have currently set up 16 kids with 12 families from the orphanage. The family has bright plans as they travel to Uganda this summer, in hopes of allowing more children to be adopted. “It’s awesome having an interracial family,” Renslow said. “I mean, we get a lot of stares and questions, but we have gotten used to it.”

companying paperwork, you might not have time for lunch. A lot of times,policeofficerswillgowith-out eating.”

The day I spent with Corporal Branham was one of those days.

Corporal Branham has spent the majority of his time with the WSPD working the east side of the city but was recently trans-ferred to a new squad that works the north side of Winston Salem. He decided to show me around his old stomping grounds until we re-ceived a call to respond to back on the north side.

“This side of the city is where my heart is,” Branham said. “These people know me – there’s a crack house right there. I worked under-cover a lot in these neighborhoods. I’ve developed relationships with the people here and they like me. I miss working over here. That’s another crack house over there, by the way.”

Then we received a call for a 10-40: an assault. Corporal Branham flashedonhissirenandlights,andwe raced through the city. My heart was also racing – this was what I had signed up for.

“Don’t tell your mom about this,” Branham said.

We reached the dilapidated house where the call was made. Three patrol cars where already there, but no one was in sight. A nervous father stepped out the front door and told us that every-one was around back.

Corporal Branham and I walked around the house to discover the three other officers yelling andpointing at three frightened young men. The story slowly began to unfold.

One of these young men was the son of the nervous father; the other two were his friends. One of the young men, Donnie, had been out in the front yard in fisticuffswith his girlfriend whom had since fled the scene.When the officersarrived, the three young men were in the house and took an unusually long time to come out and talk to the officers. This, in addition tothe three young men smelling like weed, led the responding officers

to believe that the three young men had been stashing drugs away when the officers arrived to thecall. Corporal Branham and the other officers thus began to pat-down the suspects.

Donnie is only a few months older than I am and claims he al-ready has a kid. He had Oxycontin in his pocket.

Hearing the clicking of the handcuffs made my anxiety set in. Corporal Branham tossed me his keys and told me to accompany an-otherofficertothepatrolcarandput Donnie in the back.

Dumbfounded fear is the best way I can describe what hit me. I was at a loss for words. What sort of thing do you say in that situa-tion? Donnie was living out my ul-timate fear, and I was assisting in making it a reality for him.

“Sorry,” is what I managed to say as I helped Donnie duck his head into the back of the patrol car.

I walked back around the house to discover a fourth young man, Johhny, being patted-down by Corporal Branham. He pulled a clutched hand out of Johhny’s pocket. Corporal Branham called me over to him and opened his palm: cocaine.

Apparently while I had been putting Donnie in the patrol car, the officers had received consentfrom the nervous looking father to search the house for more drugs. Guns drawn, the officerso p e n e d

thebackdoor tofind17-year-oldJohhny sitting nervously on a bed.

“That’s washing powder!” screamed Johhny. “Test that sh*t!”

By ‘washing powder,’ I assumed he meant detergent. We tested it. It was positive for cocaine. More clicking of the handcuffs. More yellingfromtheofficers.

We only smoke weed,” Johhny pleaded. “We’re all broke. We can’t afford good sh*t. All we do is smoke weed. That’s washing pow-der, I swear.”

It was at this point that Corpo-ralBranhamandtheotherofficerschanged gears and tactics. They took the nervous father and the other two young men, whom we discovered were in their early 20s, and assumed the roles as moral coaches. They carefully explained with all sincerity that if better choices had been made, all of this could have been avoided. They asked the two young men to seri-ously re-evaluate their lives.

“Smoking weed is bad enough,” Branham said. “What are you two doing hanging out with a 17-year-old? What are you guys thinking about what you’re going to do with your lives? C’mon, man. Get a job.”

We had spent close to two hours at the house. We proceeded to take D o n n i e and Jo-

hhny in separate cars ‘downtown’ to ‘book them.’ From the back seat, Donnie began to pour out all the information he knew about big-time drug dealers in Winston-Salem from in hopes it would re-duce his charge.

“That’s some good info you got there, Donnie,” Branham said. “It might help you. Now let’s talk about your life after this.”

Corporal Branham then pro-ceeded to have a serious talk with Donnie about why dropping out of high school was bad, what a possible conviction might mean for his future and why Donnie ought to at least look into earning his G.E.D. Corporal Branham was respectful and treated Donnie as an equal; Donnie was receptive to the idea of turning his life around.

Donnie and Johhny were pro-cessed and presented to a magis-trate. Through some ridiculously long and bureaucratic legal pro-cess involving a lot of paper work, Donnie and Johhny both received court dates and were allowed to leave the detention center. Don-nie left on his own, but not before Corporal Branham could do some more life coaching.

An angry looking man, whom Johhny fearfully acknowledged as

his father, came to pick up Johhny. Corpo-ral Branham took

both aside.“Sir,

I’m a dad, too,

so let me tell you this as another father,” Branham said. “Your son was in the wrong, but not every-thing is lost here. Johhny’s shown a lot of potential to turn out all right in the short amount of time I’ve been with him today. Put him back in school, or help him get his G.E.D. You can both get past this and turn your lives around if you just start making better choices.”

After watching Corporal Bra-nham show such compassion for those involved in this crime, I lost whatever remnants of astynomia-phobia I had. He demonstrated to me thatnot all policeofficers areintimidating or are out to ‘get’ me. We had spent another two hours at the detention center.

“It’s always tough having to ar-rest kids or teenagers like that,” Branham said. “I’m a dad, and I can only hope that what I say will register with some of them and make a difference in their lives.”

In the evidence locker while we werefilingawaytheOxycontinandcocaine from the arrests, Corporal Branham started to open up to me.

“I never knew I wanted to be a cop,” Branham said. “I did some ride-alongs in high school and thought it was interesting. I went to college for a business degree, but it just wasn’t for me. So I turned to law enforcement and things just started clicking. But I’m still a nor-mal guy – I’m a dad. I like to play golf.”

Corporal Branham loves law enforcement because of the new and exciting challenges he faces ev-ery day. He likes the idea of mak-ing a difference in people’s lives and the appreciation he receives from the community for his work.He’sverysatisfiedwithhispayandbenefitsaswell.

“But no, I don’t get free doughnuts,” Branham said.

A special thanks goes out to Corporal Branham and the

WSPD for letting me spend a day in their lives, putting their lives in danger every day for the public good and for helping me overcome my astynomiaphobia.

Police story, continued from front page

Photo taken from Google Images

Page 19FeaturesMay 2011

“The classic prep look for guys is an eternal form of fashion that is passed on for generations at college,” se-nior Jason Ralls said.

1.) The classic Oxford Shirt Oxfords have been a staple in men’s fashion for ages. They are easy to come by in any color or pattern at any department store and prices vary by brand. “Oxfords look great on everyone,” Ralls said. “They are so essential. Just look to Chris Willis and his fratastic es-sence.”

2.) Khakis Some fashion experts claim that khaki pants and shorts are making a resurgence in men’s wardrobes. We would argue that they never went any-where and will always hold a prominent role in male fashion. Khakis are another itemthatareeasytofindatanydepart-ment store and also vary in prices by brand. “A crisp pair of Khakis or casual chinos will ensure that you look preppy in college,” senior Chris Willis said. “You look formal, but you’re still comfortable enough to have fun. There are khaki pants, shorts and I’ve even seen a frat–star sleep in his khaki pajamas.”

3.) Sperry Top-Sider’s Sperry Top-Sider’s have taken the male fash-ion world by storm and become increasingly more and more popular each year. What makes them valuable is their versatility: they can be worn dressed up, dressed down and worn with pants or shorts. “Sperry’s go well with everything except socks,” senior Camden Oakes said. “They are the staple, the base, of frat attire.”

4.) Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s Wayfarer’s are the most recognizable sunglasses worldwide. They’ve been the symbol for youth and fun over the past 50 years. Available in many colors, wayfarer’s can be found at Lenscrafters, Sunglass Hut and bought directly from Ray-Ban and cost about $130. If that’s out of your budget, you can buy the plastic ‘Northwest Ray-Bans’ for $3. “Ray-Ban’s are a timeless fashion piece,” Oakes said. “They’ve been popular for forever – my dad wore them.”

5.) Windbreaker These light and athletic jackets have become very popular in recent years and have become a common piece in just about everyone’s ward-robe. Their versatility is unbeatable. Popular brands include North Face and Patagonia. Be prepared to pay about $150 for one of their jackets. “AgoodNorthFaceorPatagoniawindbreakerorfleeceisimpera-tive for your wardrobe,” Willis said. “ Whether strolling to the frat house in a storm or crossing the quad in the cold, a good windbreaker is necessary for any college student.”

For seniors, college is just three short months away. Going off to college is an exciting time in everyone’s life. It represents the beginning of the journey of becoming a full-fledged adult. But before taking off on this new and exciting venture, you’re going to need to revamp your wardrobe.

1.) A Comfortable Dress Dresses have long been a staple in any girl’s ward-

robe but are often branded as being too dressy for collegeoccasions.Alightfloraldresscanbegreatforthrowing on while rushing a sorority or just rushing out the door. Buy one not too low-cut or short for it can alsodoubleasanawesomejobinterviewoutfit.

“[Iplan to] dressupmoreoutsideof classes,”senior Lauren Hamlett said.

2.) Dark Wash Denim When most people imagine their college

wardrobe, jeans and a T-shirt come to mind. A great pair of dark wash denim jeans can be an upgrade from just a regular pair.

Darker colored jeans are known to be slim-ming and are more eco-friendly than light wash jeans which require harmful methods to make. They are perfect for an occasion when comfort is key, but style should not be compromised. Try American Eagle or Pacific Sunwear forsome great options.

3.) A Brightly Colored JacketBlack is always the easiest option when it

comes to jackets, but a bright color helps you stand out. A big part of college is having fun, and lugging around a gloomy coat can be irri-tating. To help with cold dorm rooms, try dou-

ble-breasted pea coats and trench coats which arecuteandflatteringoptions.“[Lookforoneat]J.Crew,Forever21,LilyPu-

litzer, or try TJ Maxx and Marshalls for deals,” se-nior Sarah Spurr said.

4.) A Basic Cotton SkirtSkirts are one of the most versatile things a

girl can own and are perfect for a college student with minimal space in her closet. A neutral color likecreamorgraywillmaximizeoutfitpossibili-ties.Thesecanbegreatforafirstdateoraparty.Look for one at Target, American Apparel or a vintage store.

5.) A Pair of Padded FlatsFlats are a great alternative to sneakers or

top siders. Buying a pair with padded soles can be a lifesaver during those long treks across campus for class. Patent leather is more du-rable and water resistant than cloth shoes. If your favorite pair of flats has minimal

support, try gel insoles; these are easily found at Wal-martorTarget.Tolookforapairof flats,

try Aldo, Rack Room or Forever21.com.

College fashion survival guide

For the ladiesFor the gents

Photos by Morgan Von Steen and Josh CampbellAbove) Senior Bianca Cobb sports a fashionable full-length dress. Her dress will see many occasions in col-lege. At right) Senior Camden Oakes serves as a prime example, wearing an outfit composed of four of five essentials. In college, students will find themselves incorporating these elements into everyday dress.

Josh Campbellstaff writer

Morgan Von Steenstaff writer

Entertainment

Shannon Carrstaff writer

School distractions: There’s an app for that

The screen of your dor-mant iPhone lights up. You expect a text message or a Facebook notification, but it’s something different this time. It’s an update from the appli-cation “Words with Friends.” The prospect of gaining points builds up. “Words with Friends” is a widely known game among Northwest High School stu-dents. The game, not unlike Scrabble, lets you play digital crossword puzzles with your friends or strangers. “It’s intense, but at the same time, it makes me feel dumb,” freshman Eric Mag-yar said. Within the past few months, it has been impos-sible to walk down the hall before school without seeing a student staring down at a little yellow crossword puzzle on his phone. The reason for its popu-larity is that it appeals to all different types of people. The game is fun for everyone, as long as there is an equally matched opponent. Upon my purchase of the game, I immediately started a few matches. I jumped at the chance to reply to each match with an awesome word. Soon enough, I was playing 16 people simultane-ously, included my chemistry

teacher and an editor at one of my favorite magazines. It’s safe to say that I was hooked. I played all the time, about as much as I checked my email. In time, I began to get more notifications for “Words with Friends” than I did text messages. I would respond to the game faster than I would any text, and soon enough, my life had become ‘Words without Friends.’ Eventually, the appeal wore off. I was forced to re-match against the same peo-ple I knew would beat me. To be honest, I was never very good in the first place. The little red app tag on the top of the game became more of a chore than an excitement, and eventually I couldn’t look at it anymore.

I deleted “Words with Friends.”

Others, too, have lost their fervor for the game.

“It has gotten boring so fast because I used to play it all the time in class and at home with many different people,” sophomore Shraven Arimilli said. “But it’s gotten too easy to play, there is no incentive to play it.”

The game, like all things that are exciting at first, even-tually became stale. I played “Qi” and “Za” too many times to count, and the thrill of get-ting a 26-point word has lost its flair.

Morgan Von Steenstaff writer

Are there students staring at their laps for an extended amount of time? This distraction usually means they are texting, but recently, iPod applications have been more of an attraction than phones.

Applications such as “Words With Friends” and “Angry Birds” are becoming very popular games among Northwest students. These games can be played on most smart phones give students a chance to play against their friends and com-pete in different levels.

“Words With Friends” is simi-lar to Scrabble with the exception that you can connect and play with

Bl cked Apps The applications below, although entertaining,

are blocked at school.

graGraphic by Josh Jones and Morgan Von Steen

Age of AppleiPod apps become the new craze

friends over a Wi-Fi network. This game creates a lot of competition between students and actually might be an educational game because of the spelling.

“It’s the one game I don’t think we should get in trouble for be-cause it is increasing our vocabu-lary and we are socializing with our friends at the same time,” ju-nior Matt Bruck said. “My friends that I play with are no challenge against me.”

“Angry Birds” is about a group of green pigs who have stolen a bird’s eggs. To get the bird’s eggs back, you have to catapult the birds across the screen with a slingshot and knock down obsta-cles like wood, glass and stone.

This game is purely fun and addic-tive; there are so many levels to complete that it is hard to stop.

“I love ‘Angry Birds’ and play all the time. I am the ultimate competi-tor in that game; no one can beat me,” junior Halle Moser said.

There are many other fun iPod applications like “Doodle Jump” and “TapTap Revenge,” but at this time, it seems like “Words with Friends” and “Angry Birds” are dominating the app store.

“The apps on other phones are wannabes, but the iPhone apps are legit.” junior Katie Casey said. “I love having my iPhone on me at all times; it’s kind of an obsession. There really is an app for every-thing.”

May 2011Page 20