Students bring back tradition of soda fountains
by Ana Carpenter
NORTHRIDGE - The teenage pastime of hanging around at gas stations, or the “soda fountain,” is a nostalgic throwback to the 1950s. Today, teenager fun is assumed to be a smart-phone bonanza during which teens spend most of the gathering immersed in technology.
However, the old gas station tradition still lives on today with Northridge’s Sam Schultz (‘16), Brenton Ickes (‘16), Alexander Webb (‘16), and Adam Eckstein (‘16), among various others: a band of boys who like to cool down at the local Circle K to talk about life and drink slushies in style.
“Sometimes we go there on weekends to just talk,” Says Schultz, grinning at the novelty of the memory. “We just hang out by the pop machine,” adds Ickes.
In the 1950`s, such locations were ideal for teenage hangouts, often consisting of jukeboxes, “soda fountains,” and diners. Today, we live in an age caught up in a technological social structure confined by the impersonality of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which allow us to remain safely isolated while we socialize. Many would agree that the 1950`s method of simple yet satisfying socialization is ideal, as it allows actual interaction minus the electronic buffer.
Social gatherings are taking on an old-fashioned twist as of late, what with Mckenzie Messer’s ('15) Knitting Club, a group of girls including Donna Snyder ('15), Lilly Chesser ('15), and several other girls from Northridge who take time to meet up and knit or crochet and talk, often whilst listening to Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole: two famous crooners of the 50`s.
This just goes to show that some traditions can be appreciated by all generations, and that modern youths are perhaps making an effort to delve into the past. Suddenly, “vintage” has become a widely popular theme among modern teens, whether it applies to an Instagram filter or a style of dress. “Old fashioned” is still alive and kicking, despite the invention of smartphones and social media.
-Ana Carpenter (‘15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
by Ana Carpenter
NORTHRIDGE - The teenage pastime of hanging around at gas stations, or the “soda fountain,” is a nostalgic throwback to the 1950s. Today, teenager fun is assumed to be a smart-phone bonanza during which teens spend most of the gathering immersed in technology.
However, the old gas station tradition still lives on today with Northridge’s Sam Schultz (‘16), Brenton Ickes (‘16), Alexander Webb (‘16), and Adam Eckstein (‘16), among various others: a band of boys who like to cool down at the local Circle K to talk about life and drink slushies in style.
“Sometimes we go there on weekends to just talk,” Says Schultz, grinning at the novelty of the memory. “We just hang out by the pop machine,” adds Ickes.
In the 1950`s, such locations were ideal for teenage hangouts, often consisting of jukeboxes, “soda fountains,” and diners. Today, we live in an age caught up in a technological social structure confined by the impersonality of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which allow us to remain safely isolated while we socialize. Many would agree that the 1950`s method of simple yet satisfying socialization is ideal, as it allows actual interaction minus the electronic buffer.
Social gatherings are taking on an old-fashioned twist as of late, what with Mckenzie Messer’s ('15) Knitting Club, a group of girls including Donna Snyder ('15), Lilly Chesser ('15), and several other girls from Northridge who take time to meet up and knit or crochet and talk, often whilst listening to Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole: two famous crooners of the 50`s.
This just goes to show that some traditions can be appreciated by all generations, and that modern youths are perhaps making an effort to delve into the past. Suddenly, “vintage” has become a widely popular theme among modern teens, whether it applies to an Instagram filter or a style of dress. “Old fashioned” is still alive and kicking, despite the invention of smartphones and social media.
-Ana Carpenter (‘15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
The twins are here, oh baby!
By Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE - Since I wrote my story about the students in Northridge High School with very young brothers and sisters, I now understand first-hand what those students were telling me: a fun but big change in the way the house works.
My mom recently had twins, a boy and a girl. My brother’s name is William Kent Simpson, and my sister’s is Kira Elizabeth Simpson, and just like the students I talked to said, it’s definitely taken some adjustment.
They were born on Jan. 20th of this year, which was earlier than expected, so the two of them had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks. While they were in the hospital, my three brothers and I weren’t allowed to see the twins because it was flu season and the hospital only allowed the parents and grandparents to visit. So when they finally got home, my brothers and I got to hang out with them for the first time, which was interesting, to say the least.
They are really, really tiny because they were born early so they weigh almost nothing (actually six pounds, but you know, basically nothing). My new brother, Kent, takes after his dad in many ways and shockingly my sister takes after my mom, which is weird because I would expect twins to look alike. As I’m writing this, I remembered that the term for that is fraternal twins which are twins that don’t share many physical resemblances. It also helps to tell them apart because they are opposite genders.
Overall, my brothers and I help our mom and Kyle by feeding the babies when they are busy with something else. And if the babies are crying pretty loud when they are trying to get some rest then my brothers and I will send two of us back there to hold the twins until they quiet down, which works almost every time.
Having the twins in the house has been a pretty big change for our family but it’s nice to have babies in the house. It gives my brothers and I insight into what having kids around is like and how much of a responsibility it is.
-Hugh Prentice ('16) is an Interactive Editor for The Viking Vault.
By Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE - Since I wrote my story about the students in Northridge High School with very young brothers and sisters, I now understand first-hand what those students were telling me: a fun but big change in the way the house works.
My mom recently had twins, a boy and a girl. My brother’s name is William Kent Simpson, and my sister’s is Kira Elizabeth Simpson, and just like the students I talked to said, it’s definitely taken some adjustment.
They were born on Jan. 20th of this year, which was earlier than expected, so the two of them had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks. While they were in the hospital, my three brothers and I weren’t allowed to see the twins because it was flu season and the hospital only allowed the parents and grandparents to visit. So when they finally got home, my brothers and I got to hang out with them for the first time, which was interesting, to say the least.
They are really, really tiny because they were born early so they weigh almost nothing (actually six pounds, but you know, basically nothing). My new brother, Kent, takes after his dad in many ways and shockingly my sister takes after my mom, which is weird because I would expect twins to look alike. As I’m writing this, I remembered that the term for that is fraternal twins which are twins that don’t share many physical resemblances. It also helps to tell them apart because they are opposite genders.
Overall, my brothers and I help our mom and Kyle by feeding the babies when they are busy with something else. And if the babies are crying pretty loud when they are trying to get some rest then my brothers and I will send two of us back there to hold the twins until they quiet down, which works almost every time.
Having the twins in the house has been a pretty big change for our family but it’s nice to have babies in the house. It gives my brothers and I insight into what having kids around is like and how much of a responsibility it is.
-Hugh Prentice ('16) is an Interactive Editor for The Viking Vault.
Little-known challenges of cafeteria
By McKenzie Messer
NORTHRIDGE - Students love to give school lunches grief for not meeting expectations, but Northridge Food Supervisor Debra Sue Garrabrant breaks down what drives the decisions made about food at NHS and the district as a whole.
The ODE (Ohio Department of Education) controls what the school feeds students. Each lunch must contain three of these five things: two to three ounces protein, fruit, vegetable, whole wheat bread, and eight ounces of milk. They must also consider the calorie content and sodium levels.
The government also controls how much the lunches cost. Five years ago, Senate Bill 10 established these food guidelines saying the school cannot charge less than $2.75 for a student lunch. None of this money goes to the school district; it pays for the 14 staff members and substitutes, paper goods, milk, and all the food they have to buy.
Garrabrant says, “Percentage rate of lunches served is dropping for so many schools that they’re opting out of ODE because they can’t make it work.”
A few years ago the school would sell Pizza Hut pizza for lunch once a month or once every few months. Garrabrant would now have to get 200 boxes of pizza with whole wheat crust and cut the pieces in special sizes to fit the guidelines. It became “too much work,” Pizza Hut moved out of Johnstown, and not many companies offer whole wheat crust, so instead the school sells pre-ordered cafeteria pizza. When the rules changed, they had to change to plain whole grain and could no longer serve Pizza Hut due to ODE’s new rules.
Many wonder why the crowd favorite mac-and-cheese, hands-down everyone’s favorite cafeteria dish, is only served once a month. Garrabrant says the school cooks have to go into school hours earlier to hand-grate all the cheese for 1,442 students district-wide so they only have it once a month because it is so labor intensive.
Garrabrant said that her door is always open from 6:30-2:30 if anyone has any suggestions or comments. Students can also also submit their own menu and have it named after them.
-McKenzie Messer ('15) is the Print Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By McKenzie Messer
NORTHRIDGE - Students love to give school lunches grief for not meeting expectations, but Northridge Food Supervisor Debra Sue Garrabrant breaks down what drives the decisions made about food at NHS and the district as a whole.
The ODE (Ohio Department of Education) controls what the school feeds students. Each lunch must contain three of these five things: two to three ounces protein, fruit, vegetable, whole wheat bread, and eight ounces of milk. They must also consider the calorie content and sodium levels.
The government also controls how much the lunches cost. Five years ago, Senate Bill 10 established these food guidelines saying the school cannot charge less than $2.75 for a student lunch. None of this money goes to the school district; it pays for the 14 staff members and substitutes, paper goods, milk, and all the food they have to buy.
Garrabrant says, “Percentage rate of lunches served is dropping for so many schools that they’re opting out of ODE because they can’t make it work.”
A few years ago the school would sell Pizza Hut pizza for lunch once a month or once every few months. Garrabrant would now have to get 200 boxes of pizza with whole wheat crust and cut the pieces in special sizes to fit the guidelines. It became “too much work,” Pizza Hut moved out of Johnstown, and not many companies offer whole wheat crust, so instead the school sells pre-ordered cafeteria pizza. When the rules changed, they had to change to plain whole grain and could no longer serve Pizza Hut due to ODE’s new rules.
Many wonder why the crowd favorite mac-and-cheese, hands-down everyone’s favorite cafeteria dish, is only served once a month. Garrabrant says the school cooks have to go into school hours earlier to hand-grate all the cheese for 1,442 students district-wide so they only have it once a month because it is so labor intensive.
Garrabrant said that her door is always open from 6:30-2:30 if anyone has any suggestions or comments. Students can also also submit their own menu and have it named after them.
-McKenzie Messer ('15) is the Print Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.