V3-I2 Features
Steven Krehel sets the bar high for work ethic
By Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE: It’s a fairly cold autumn day as I walk into the local Kroger store. The heating of the building hits quickly as I browse the aisles, some already offering Christmas supplies, for what I need to buy. As I take all my groceries to the checkout line, the guy who is bagging them is almost putting them away at the speed of light. The man responsible for the fantastic service at this lovely Kroger store is none other than Northridge High School Senior, Steven Krehel.
Krehel has been working at the store for close to two months, and already his name carries some weight around the establishment. He is known around the place for his idealistic and very distinct work ethic that his managers can’t seem to get enough of. Krehel says “You have to be practical, always put the customer first; they’re the reason you’re there in the first place anyway.”
He says he got this philosophy of working hard “Since forever” and that he “Always thought that’s how you should act and coordinate yourself.” Clearly, this philosophy is paying off, as Krehel has been offered several promotions from his managers in just two months, while others hold the same job for as many as six years. He has even been asked to train other employees. Krehel says “It’s about loving your job and really enjoying what you do. You don’t get paid to whine about your pay.” Strangely enough, his managers are currently fighting over who gets to have Krehel in their department due to his possible relocation or promotion. If your managers are ever fighting to get you in their department, you know you are doing something right with your work ethic.
One thing Krehel thinks that helps is that “Everyone is awesome, and they help when you’re having a bad day” and that “Working with great people helps when you don’t have the most glamorous of jobs.”
It’s hard to have a very significant conversation with Steven at the checkout. When I tried, he got a customer and began stashing away their groceries at a pace that lightning would envy, so I left the store with my goods and drove home.
-Hugh Prentice ('16) is the Interactive Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.
By Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE: It’s a fairly cold autumn day as I walk into the local Kroger store. The heating of the building hits quickly as I browse the aisles, some already offering Christmas supplies, for what I need to buy. As I take all my groceries to the checkout line, the guy who is bagging them is almost putting them away at the speed of light. The man responsible for the fantastic service at this lovely Kroger store is none other than Northridge High School Senior, Steven Krehel.
Krehel has been working at the store for close to two months, and already his name carries some weight around the establishment. He is known around the place for his idealistic and very distinct work ethic that his managers can’t seem to get enough of. Krehel says “You have to be practical, always put the customer first; they’re the reason you’re there in the first place anyway.”
He says he got this philosophy of working hard “Since forever” and that he “Always thought that’s how you should act and coordinate yourself.” Clearly, this philosophy is paying off, as Krehel has been offered several promotions from his managers in just two months, while others hold the same job for as many as six years. He has even been asked to train other employees. Krehel says “It’s about loving your job and really enjoying what you do. You don’t get paid to whine about your pay.” Strangely enough, his managers are currently fighting over who gets to have Krehel in their department due to his possible relocation or promotion. If your managers are ever fighting to get you in their department, you know you are doing something right with your work ethic.
One thing Krehel thinks that helps is that “Everyone is awesome, and they help when you’re having a bad day” and that “Working with great people helps when you don’t have the most glamorous of jobs.”
It’s hard to have a very significant conversation with Steven at the checkout. When I tried, he got a customer and began stashing away their groceries at a pace that lightning would envy, so I left the store with my goods and drove home.
-Hugh Prentice ('16) is the Interactive Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.
Northridge Offers
Diverse New Clubs
By Lilly Chesser
Many clubs at Northridge have been created or re-vamped for the 2014/2015 school year; they are varied, often student-run, and offer unique ways to learn about specific interests outside of a traditional classroom setting.
These clubs range from humanities-based; with art club, history club, and book club; to athletic, with ski club. The most important mantra of these clubs is inclusivity; whether you're a longtime pro at the hobby or a novice, the clubs welcome you to check them out and see what they have to offer.
Mckenzie Messer ('15), president of Art Club, says that this year is its "revival" year, where it will be more proactive in starting projects for the school and students. These projects aim to enrich the school artistically and help students showcase their talents and learn practical and useful applications of art. One such project is the "sculpture garden" a proposed idea to use a plot of land on school grounds to showcase the best student-created sculpture of the year, adding one each year.
Messer is also planning an "art invitational" where four other schools will be invited to enter their pieces into an art show, and have them judged against the works of the other participating schools. "Schools get involved with each other through sports, this is a way to do that through art,” she says. The club is still in its planning stages and members encourage all students who are motivated, willing to help, and interested in art to join. There are currently about 17 members, and the club meets after school on Mondays in Mr. Kirtland's room.
Messer also hosts Northridge's first invitation-only feminist knitting at her house on Sundays with select seniors.
History club is in its second year and is stepping up from the casual discussion club that it once was. The club was created out of an idea that came to Steven Krehel ('15) and Javier Padilla ('15) while working on an English project. This year they plan to hold debates, field trips and discussions on anything that happened before 1995. One possibility is a visit to member EJ Cox's ('15) Civil War reenactments or visits to historical buildings around the school. The club is currently around eight people, but all "history nerds" are encouraged to join. It meets Mondays after school in Mr. Snedeker's room.
Ski Club has a long history at this school and is still going strong. With about 50 members it is Northridge's largest club and only current club sport. Members meet at Snow Trails usually every Sunday around 1:30e (see related story by Kyle Stermer). They then ski, snowboard, or tube, then meet back at the club's rented "alpine room" for a buffet. Members Hugh Prentice ('16) and Kyle Stermer ('16) say that it is a great way to meet friends, is very low-pressure, and welcomes people of all skill levels. This year the club is considering planning a big trip to an out-of-state ski resort
Aili Barbee's ('16) book club has also been approved to start up for the first time this year. It has not started yet but Barbee plans to use it to read and discuss books and eat snacks. She says that it will be open to all students, and is a great way to discover new books, authors, and even literary genres. It will meet in Mrs. Murphy's room at a time to be determined.
In November, Mrs. Garee plans to advise a new, informal I Love Lucy Fan Club led by senior Emma Dann. Club meetings will center thematically around classic episodes that will include games, snacks, and “plenty of slapstick fun,” according to Garee.
-Lily Chesser ('15) is the Print Copy Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.
By Lilly Chesser
Many clubs at Northridge have been created or re-vamped for the 2014/2015 school year; they are varied, often student-run, and offer unique ways to learn about specific interests outside of a traditional classroom setting.
These clubs range from humanities-based; with art club, history club, and book club; to athletic, with ski club. The most important mantra of these clubs is inclusivity; whether you're a longtime pro at the hobby or a novice, the clubs welcome you to check them out and see what they have to offer.
Mckenzie Messer ('15), president of Art Club, says that this year is its "revival" year, where it will be more proactive in starting projects for the school and students. These projects aim to enrich the school artistically and help students showcase their talents and learn practical and useful applications of art. One such project is the "sculpture garden" a proposed idea to use a plot of land on school grounds to showcase the best student-created sculpture of the year, adding one each year.
Messer is also planning an "art invitational" where four other schools will be invited to enter their pieces into an art show, and have them judged against the works of the other participating schools. "Schools get involved with each other through sports, this is a way to do that through art,” she says. The club is still in its planning stages and members encourage all students who are motivated, willing to help, and interested in art to join. There are currently about 17 members, and the club meets after school on Mondays in Mr. Kirtland's room.
Messer also hosts Northridge's first invitation-only feminist knitting at her house on Sundays with select seniors.
History club is in its second year and is stepping up from the casual discussion club that it once was. The club was created out of an idea that came to Steven Krehel ('15) and Javier Padilla ('15) while working on an English project. This year they plan to hold debates, field trips and discussions on anything that happened before 1995. One possibility is a visit to member EJ Cox's ('15) Civil War reenactments or visits to historical buildings around the school. The club is currently around eight people, but all "history nerds" are encouraged to join. It meets Mondays after school in Mr. Snedeker's room.
Ski Club has a long history at this school and is still going strong. With about 50 members it is Northridge's largest club and only current club sport. Members meet at Snow Trails usually every Sunday around 1:30e (see related story by Kyle Stermer). They then ski, snowboard, or tube, then meet back at the club's rented "alpine room" for a buffet. Members Hugh Prentice ('16) and Kyle Stermer ('16) say that it is a great way to meet friends, is very low-pressure, and welcomes people of all skill levels. This year the club is considering planning a big trip to an out-of-state ski resort
Aili Barbee's ('16) book club has also been approved to start up for the first time this year. It has not started yet but Barbee plans to use it to read and discuss books and eat snacks. She says that it will be open to all students, and is a great way to discover new books, authors, and even literary genres. It will meet in Mrs. Murphy's room at a time to be determined.
In November, Mrs. Garee plans to advise a new, informal I Love Lucy Fan Club led by senior Emma Dann. Club meetings will center thematically around classic episodes that will include games, snacks, and “plenty of slapstick fun,” according to Garee.
-Lily Chesser ('15) is the Print Copy Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.
A day in the life of Mr. Swickard
By Jamie Swickard
NORTHRIDGE- “Alright folks, get your homework out from yesterday,” is how every class starts for the Health and Physical Education (P.E.) teacher, Mr. Swickard.
Before any of his school day can begin, Mr. Swickard wakes up at 5:15 a.m. Before he can begin getting ready, Mr. Swickard first picks up his newspaper and lets his stray cat, Tony, out of the garage where he sleeps at night. The rest of his morning consists of him getting ready for school.
Mr. Swickard leaves for school around 6:20 a.m. in order to get to school around 6:40 a.m.
Once at school, he looks over his lesson plans until it is time for him to have hall duty with Math teacher, Mr. Boening and Chemistry teacher, Miss Baker. Mr. Swickard smiles, saying, “Having hall duty with Mr. Boening and Miss Baker starts my day off right.”
Mr. Swickard’s normal school day consists of Health class 1st and 3rd period, and P.E. 4th, 7th, and 8th. During 2nd period, Mr. Swickard will be found in his office or room planning for the next day or grading papers.
A little later during the day, Mr. Swickard will be having lunch with his fellow teachers, Mr. King, Mrs. Miller, Ms. Murphy, Mr. Kirtland, Mr. Wentz, and Mrs. Kelly. “I enjoy having lunch with them because of the non-stop laughter.” After his lunch period, Mr. Swickard has lunch duty with Mrs. Weiss.
Once the school day is over, Mr. Swickard has freshmen team meetings on Monday, then departmental meetings the other days of the week.
After his school day is over, Mr. Swickard goes home and takes a nap, followed by a quick run to Kroger to pick up the things he need for that night’s dinner or for tomorrow’s lunch. Mr. Swickard says, “After I pack my daughter’s lunch for the next day, I normally try to cook dinner for my family most nights that way when my wife comes home, she can relax and enjoy her night.”
Mr. Swickard says he enjoys playing Jeopardy with his daughters and wife while eating dinner. He chuckles, saying, “Even though I don’t normally win, I still love the competitiveness in the house for that half hour and all the funny moments that come along with it.”
Other hobbies Mr. Swickard has are listening to his fellow teachers’ band, The Boondogglers, featuring Mr. Wentz and Mr. Kirtland. He also enjoys mowing his lawn and working the rest of his landscape
Mr. Swickard was not able to attend school all last year along with half of the year before due to cancer. Coming back this year meant a lot to many of his students. Mason Royer (’16) states, “I’m so glad Mr. Swickard is back; school just isn’t the same without him walking around the hall. Just his presence can lighten the mood.”
The students aren’t the only people happy about Mr. Swickard being back; he himself claims, “It’s great to be back at Northridge. I missed them all.”
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is the Jr. Web Editor-In-Chief and a Staff Writer for the Viking Vault.
By Jamie Swickard
NORTHRIDGE- “Alright folks, get your homework out from yesterday,” is how every class starts for the Health and Physical Education (P.E.) teacher, Mr. Swickard.
Before any of his school day can begin, Mr. Swickard wakes up at 5:15 a.m. Before he can begin getting ready, Mr. Swickard first picks up his newspaper and lets his stray cat, Tony, out of the garage where he sleeps at night. The rest of his morning consists of him getting ready for school.
Mr. Swickard leaves for school around 6:20 a.m. in order to get to school around 6:40 a.m.
Once at school, he looks over his lesson plans until it is time for him to have hall duty with Math teacher, Mr. Boening and Chemistry teacher, Miss Baker. Mr. Swickard smiles, saying, “Having hall duty with Mr. Boening and Miss Baker starts my day off right.”
Mr. Swickard’s normal school day consists of Health class 1st and 3rd period, and P.E. 4th, 7th, and 8th. During 2nd period, Mr. Swickard will be found in his office or room planning for the next day or grading papers.
A little later during the day, Mr. Swickard will be having lunch with his fellow teachers, Mr. King, Mrs. Miller, Ms. Murphy, Mr. Kirtland, Mr. Wentz, and Mrs. Kelly. “I enjoy having lunch with them because of the non-stop laughter.” After his lunch period, Mr. Swickard has lunch duty with Mrs. Weiss.
Once the school day is over, Mr. Swickard has freshmen team meetings on Monday, then departmental meetings the other days of the week.
After his school day is over, Mr. Swickard goes home and takes a nap, followed by a quick run to Kroger to pick up the things he need for that night’s dinner or for tomorrow’s lunch. Mr. Swickard says, “After I pack my daughter’s lunch for the next day, I normally try to cook dinner for my family most nights that way when my wife comes home, she can relax and enjoy her night.”
Mr. Swickard says he enjoys playing Jeopardy with his daughters and wife while eating dinner. He chuckles, saying, “Even though I don’t normally win, I still love the competitiveness in the house for that half hour and all the funny moments that come along with it.”
Other hobbies Mr. Swickard has are listening to his fellow teachers’ band, The Boondogglers, featuring Mr. Wentz and Mr. Kirtland. He also enjoys mowing his lawn and working the rest of his landscape
Mr. Swickard was not able to attend school all last year along with half of the year before due to cancer. Coming back this year meant a lot to many of his students. Mason Royer (’16) states, “I’m so glad Mr. Swickard is back; school just isn’t the same without him walking around the hall. Just his presence can lighten the mood.”
The students aren’t the only people happy about Mr. Swickard being back; he himself claims, “It’s great to be back at Northridge. I missed them all.”
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is the Jr. Web Editor-In-Chief and a Staff Writer for the Viking Vault.
New addition for Northridge Science Department
By Mat Scott
NORTHRIDGE – In addition to Ms. Emily Thomas, Northridge Science Department also welcomes Ms. Jessica Wright, who is taking over the Physical Science and Astronomy/Weather classes this year.
Wright, who graduated from Lancaster High School, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University and proceeded to earn her Master’s in Education from The Ohio State University. She has previously taught in a school in North Carolina for two years before returning to Ohio.
“It’s very different than when I taught in NC. Northridge is much smaller and much more rural than NC, which was almost an inner-city school,” says Wright. “I moved back to Deleware [Ohio] from NC and Northridge was on my radar.”
Wright is currently teaching the Physical Science class and the semester-long Astronomy class. Next semester, she will start teaching a class on weather, which will replace Astronomy. Wright says she “prefers to teach the Physical Science class,” as it is more closely related to her chemistry background.
Samantha Iacone (’15), who is currently taking Astronomy, says, “[Wright] is a very good teacher. She gives us the space we need to learn on our own and figure things out for ourselves rather than just force-feeding us information.”
“I like her because there are a lot of hands-on activities in her class,” says Garrett Carr (’17). “The labs are very interactive.”
Ms. Carrie Baker, who teaches Chemistry, Geology, and Physical Science, says, “I have enjoyed working with her. Both of the new teachers are very organized, and I like how flexible [Wright] is.” Baker also says that there is the potential for an AP Chemistry class in the future, and that Wright would be the one teaching it if the class comes through.
In addition to teaching, Wright coaches field hockey outside of Northridge. While at Lancaster, Wright played field hockey for her school, and continued to do so in college.
Mat Scott ('15) is the Web Editor-In-Chief and Staff Writer for the Viking Vault.
By Mat Scott
NORTHRIDGE – In addition to Ms. Emily Thomas, Northridge Science Department also welcomes Ms. Jessica Wright, who is taking over the Physical Science and Astronomy/Weather classes this year.
Wright, who graduated from Lancaster High School, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University and proceeded to earn her Master’s in Education from The Ohio State University. She has previously taught in a school in North Carolina for two years before returning to Ohio.
“It’s very different than when I taught in NC. Northridge is much smaller and much more rural than NC, which was almost an inner-city school,” says Wright. “I moved back to Deleware [Ohio] from NC and Northridge was on my radar.”
Wright is currently teaching the Physical Science class and the semester-long Astronomy class. Next semester, she will start teaching a class on weather, which will replace Astronomy. Wright says she “prefers to teach the Physical Science class,” as it is more closely related to her chemistry background.
Samantha Iacone (’15), who is currently taking Astronomy, says, “[Wright] is a very good teacher. She gives us the space we need to learn on our own and figure things out for ourselves rather than just force-feeding us information.”
“I like her because there are a lot of hands-on activities in her class,” says Garrett Carr (’17). “The labs are very interactive.”
Ms. Carrie Baker, who teaches Chemistry, Geology, and Physical Science, says, “I have enjoyed working with her. Both of the new teachers are very organized, and I like how flexible [Wright] is.” Baker also says that there is the potential for an AP Chemistry class in the future, and that Wright would be the one teaching it if the class comes through.
In addition to teaching, Wright coaches field hockey outside of Northridge. While at Lancaster, Wright played field hockey for her school, and continued to do so in college.
Mat Scott ('15) is the Web Editor-In-Chief and Staff Writer for the Viking Vault.
Teen workers often mistreated
By Megan Hatfield
Many high school students decide to work part-time through high school. With schoolwork,
sports, extracurricular, and having a social life, adding a job to the mix can be overwhelming,
especially when employers and managers can be hard to work with.
Often times, employers expect a job to be put at the top of young workers’ priority lists, which
can make it harder for students to manage their schoolwork. How many students have
requested Senior Night off to be recognized with their parents at a game, only to be told
they have to work anyway? How many have worked until the wee hours of morning when a
replacement didn’t show up? How many have been threatened to be fired if they have the
audacity to request Prom Night off of work?
One student says her job “works well with her current and set schedule, but does not work with
her when she needs days off.” Some jobs even need workers on major holidays without giving
them options to trade days or call off. It is hard to always know in advance when you will have a
sports or music practice, a big project for school, or a big family event which can make planning
ahead even more difficult for teen workers. School, sports, and family are all priorities along
with a job, and sometimes work will have to come second to another important event, but when
the risk of being fired for calling off even just one time is there, it puts a lot of pressure on high
school workers to always be available.
Another student said his job “would give days off as long as someone would cover for you or
as long as you put in for the day off two weeks before, but that if someone didn’t show up you
could get called in.” He also said his workplace “did not tolerate missing work and you would be fired
if you did.” Many workplaces do not tolerate calling off even for sickness or an emergency,
which can be very stressful for young workers.
One student says he “was aware that there is a lot that goes into [his] job, but also was unaware
of some of the stressful aspects of [his] job.” Many times students do not know the time
commitments and stress they will have to deal with during their jobs because they are not told
all the expectations from the the start.
Another student said she “worked at a place with no structure or management.” She ended up
quitting because she was involved with sports, and she felt the disorganization of the workplace
would mix badly with a busier schedule during season. She also felt the lack of management
would be “too stressful and not worth it for a minimum wage job.” High school students are
normally involved in many different activities and can be very limited on when and how much
they can work, which does not always go over well with employers.
One student feels she does a lot more work than just minimum wage work and things that she
wasn’t unaware would be her responsibility. Another student was given the responsibility to
complete a task that is normally supposed to be done by someone who has a degree and more
training than her. Many jobs expect so much more out of teenage workers than they think they will have to do when they start their jobs.
There are rules about how much and what an underage worker can take on. Here are the State
of Ohio’s rules for minors: http://www.com.ohio.gov/documents/laws_MLLPoster.pdf
-Megan Hatfield ('15) is the Photo Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.
By Megan Hatfield
Many high school students decide to work part-time through high school. With schoolwork,
sports, extracurricular, and having a social life, adding a job to the mix can be overwhelming,
especially when employers and managers can be hard to work with.
Often times, employers expect a job to be put at the top of young workers’ priority lists, which
can make it harder for students to manage their schoolwork. How many students have
requested Senior Night off to be recognized with their parents at a game, only to be told
they have to work anyway? How many have worked until the wee hours of morning when a
replacement didn’t show up? How many have been threatened to be fired if they have the
audacity to request Prom Night off of work?
One student says her job “works well with her current and set schedule, but does not work with
her when she needs days off.” Some jobs even need workers on major holidays without giving
them options to trade days or call off. It is hard to always know in advance when you will have a
sports or music practice, a big project for school, or a big family event which can make planning
ahead even more difficult for teen workers. School, sports, and family are all priorities along
with a job, and sometimes work will have to come second to another important event, but when
the risk of being fired for calling off even just one time is there, it puts a lot of pressure on high
school workers to always be available.
Another student said his job “would give days off as long as someone would cover for you or
as long as you put in for the day off two weeks before, but that if someone didn’t show up you
could get called in.” He also said his workplace “did not tolerate missing work and you would be fired
if you did.” Many workplaces do not tolerate calling off even for sickness or an emergency,
which can be very stressful for young workers.
One student says he “was aware that there is a lot that goes into [his] job, but also was unaware
of some of the stressful aspects of [his] job.” Many times students do not know the time
commitments and stress they will have to deal with during their jobs because they are not told
all the expectations from the the start.
Another student said she “worked at a place with no structure or management.” She ended up
quitting because she was involved with sports, and she felt the disorganization of the workplace
would mix badly with a busier schedule during season. She also felt the lack of management
would be “too stressful and not worth it for a minimum wage job.” High school students are
normally involved in many different activities and can be very limited on when and how much
they can work, which does not always go over well with employers.
One student feels she does a lot more work than just minimum wage work and things that she
wasn’t unaware would be her responsibility. Another student was given the responsibility to
complete a task that is normally supposed to be done by someone who has a degree and more
training than her. Many jobs expect so much more out of teenage workers than they think they will have to do when they start their jobs.
There are rules about how much and what an underage worker can take on. Here are the State
of Ohio’s rules for minors: http://www.com.ohio.gov/documents/laws_MLLPoster.pdf
-Megan Hatfield ('15) is the Photo Editor and a Staff Writer for The Viking Vault.