Goodies Review
Kyle Stermer
Goodies is a frozen yogurt store in Johnstown, Ohio. They are located right beside Mayday Muffler, coming into town.
When you walk into Goodies, you get a colorful and cheerful vibe. Everything is either white or bright colors, there aren’t any dark or depressing tones to bring down the mood. Goodies uses a system known as self-serve to get the yogurt to the customers. All you have to do is get your cup and start filling it with yogurts, and any of their large selection of toppings. Goodies carries many kinds of frozen yogurt, ranging from cookie dough, to strawberry cheesecake. They don’t always have the same flavors as well, Goodies rotates them out with other flavors so customers can always have something different and it doesn’t get old.
Goodies has a lot of discounts available. One of the biggest ones is if a student comes in with a student ID from either Johnstown or Northridge, its automatic 50% off.
-Kyle Stermer (‘16) is the Interactive Editor and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Kyle Stermer
Goodies is a frozen yogurt store in Johnstown, Ohio. They are located right beside Mayday Muffler, coming into town.
When you walk into Goodies, you get a colorful and cheerful vibe. Everything is either white or bright colors, there aren’t any dark or depressing tones to bring down the mood. Goodies uses a system known as self-serve to get the yogurt to the customers. All you have to do is get your cup and start filling it with yogurts, and any of their large selection of toppings. Goodies carries many kinds of frozen yogurt, ranging from cookie dough, to strawberry cheesecake. They don’t always have the same flavors as well, Goodies rotates them out with other flavors so customers can always have something different and it doesn’t get old.
Goodies has a lot of discounts available. One of the biggest ones is if a student comes in with a student ID from either Johnstown or Northridge, its automatic 50% off.
-Kyle Stermer (‘16) is the Interactive Editor and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Modest Mouse’s new release is different in just the right ways
By Hugh Prentice
The last release from the band Modest Mouse was 8 years ago, so it is understandable that their most recent album, Strangers to Ourselves, has created so much buzz. The album was publicly released on March 13th, 2015. This has been the longest span of time between any of the band’s releases and so far the album has been fairly well received by their fans.
The opening song, which shares the same name as the album, is founded on a slow drum beat that feels like a morbid, swaying waltz through the woods with the smooth vocals acting as a cool breeze. The next song, Lampshades on Fire, was the first released single of the album and is a fast, swaggering song that boasts the strength of the band’s sound.
After the introduction of the album, the record progresses through it gets a little bit experimental, which I like, because if a band consistently produces the same sound album to album it gets a wee bit stale. Two songs after Lampshades on Fire the song Ansel has a bit of a rhythmic feel thanks to the collage of drums and guitars that combine when the chorus swings back around. The track right after that, The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box was the band’s fourth released single before the final release of the album and is a 6 minute long jam session that starts off with a fast pace and snippy lyrics that clashes into an instrumental that slows things down as the song ends. The next track, Coyotes, is a slow, swaying piece that turns into a collaboration of instruments as the song ends.
As the second section of the album comes to a close, the track Sugar Boats is a guitar based, carnival theme song that centers itself on the riffs that come singing from the lead guitars. The following song, Wicked Campaign, is a peaceful endeavor that sounds a bit different than most of what Modest Mouse releases but is a very welcome difference.
And as the album comes to a close with the two tracks The Best Room and Of Course We Know combine the band’s ability to meld the sounds of their instruments together in The Best Room and slows the pace down for Of Course We Know to create a powerful finale to a long awaited album from a great band.
Overall, the album is a powerful mix of instrumental prowess and the waltz-y lean of many of the tracks that can break into slower songs to mellow the mood of the record for a nice blend, much like a chocolate and vanilla milkshake.
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is the Interactive Editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Hugh Prentice
The last release from the band Modest Mouse was 8 years ago, so it is understandable that their most recent album, Strangers to Ourselves, has created so much buzz. The album was publicly released on March 13th, 2015. This has been the longest span of time between any of the band’s releases and so far the album has been fairly well received by their fans.
The opening song, which shares the same name as the album, is founded on a slow drum beat that feels like a morbid, swaying waltz through the woods with the smooth vocals acting as a cool breeze. The next song, Lampshades on Fire, was the first released single of the album and is a fast, swaggering song that boasts the strength of the band’s sound.
After the introduction of the album, the record progresses through it gets a little bit experimental, which I like, because if a band consistently produces the same sound album to album it gets a wee bit stale. Two songs after Lampshades on Fire the song Ansel has a bit of a rhythmic feel thanks to the collage of drums and guitars that combine when the chorus swings back around. The track right after that, The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box was the band’s fourth released single before the final release of the album and is a 6 minute long jam session that starts off with a fast pace and snippy lyrics that clashes into an instrumental that slows things down as the song ends. The next track, Coyotes, is a slow, swaying piece that turns into a collaboration of instruments as the song ends.
As the second section of the album comes to a close, the track Sugar Boats is a guitar based, carnival theme song that centers itself on the riffs that come singing from the lead guitars. The following song, Wicked Campaign, is a peaceful endeavor that sounds a bit different than most of what Modest Mouse releases but is a very welcome difference.
And as the album comes to a close with the two tracks The Best Room and Of Course We Know combine the band’s ability to meld the sounds of their instruments together in The Best Room and slows the pace down for Of Course We Know to create a powerful finale to a long awaited album from a great band.
Overall, the album is a powerful mix of instrumental prowess and the waltz-y lean of many of the tracks that can break into slower songs to mellow the mood of the record for a nice blend, much like a chocolate and vanilla milkshake.
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is the Interactive Editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron really delivers
By Daniel Neff
This movie is the sequel to The Avengers, the movie that smashed tons of box office records, which means this movie had plenty of hype surrounding it and high expectations to live up to from Marvel fans everywhere.
The beloved Avengers are back: Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. Tony Stark tries to build a global defense program called Ultron. The AI system goes rogue and decides it needs to eliminate humanity to save the Earth. Ultron even recruits the help of Quicksilver, who has superhuman speed, and Scarlet Witch, who can manipulate people's minds and throw energy blasts. The Avengers are put to the test as they battle Ultron in order to save the world.
In my opinion, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is bigger and better than the first movie. It’s full of plenty of explosive, breathtaking action scenes that you could expect from any superhero movie. All the CGI is top-notch, which is good considering the budget of this movie. Also, the excellent acting from the cast really makes this movie complete and amazing.
I would definitely recommend going to the theater for this film. Just make sure you get there early to get a good seat, as the movie is almost two and a half hours. Sitting in the front row and having to look straight up the whole time could really put a damper on the experience of this movie.
I’d highly recommend this movie for any Marvel fan, or any action movie fan.
-Daniel Neff (16’) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Daniel Neff
This movie is the sequel to The Avengers, the movie that smashed tons of box office records, which means this movie had plenty of hype surrounding it and high expectations to live up to from Marvel fans everywhere.
The beloved Avengers are back: Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. Tony Stark tries to build a global defense program called Ultron. The AI system goes rogue and decides it needs to eliminate humanity to save the Earth. Ultron even recruits the help of Quicksilver, who has superhuman speed, and Scarlet Witch, who can manipulate people's minds and throw energy blasts. The Avengers are put to the test as they battle Ultron in order to save the world.
In my opinion, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is bigger and better than the first movie. It’s full of plenty of explosive, breathtaking action scenes that you could expect from any superhero movie. All the CGI is top-notch, which is good considering the budget of this movie. Also, the excellent acting from the cast really makes this movie complete and amazing.
I would definitely recommend going to the theater for this film. Just make sure you get there early to get a good seat, as the movie is almost two and a half hours. Sitting in the front row and having to look straight up the whole time could really put a damper on the experience of this movie.
I’d highly recommend this movie for any Marvel fan, or any action movie fan.
-Daniel Neff (16’) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Life with a unique name
By Aili Barbee
I always thought I despised having a unique name. There are always complaints that people with unique names can never find anything with their name on it. I do sometimes feel ignored by the general population who neglected to make me a keychain or cup with my name on it. This isn’t what bothered me the most, though.
Some people’s complete lack of ability to even try to pronounce my name has always crumbled up a little piece of my soul. At least some people try to look at the letters in it and make an educated guess. Ally, short for Allison, is a name I get called quite frequently. I can understand this mistake since the spelling is so similar, but it still bothers me that people don’t just ask how to pronounce it in the first place. I’ve always cringed when people pronounce my name as Aye-lee. I know they are just trying to sound it out, but seriously, who would name their child something that sounds like an abbreviation for alien? At least these people try. I’ve encountered several people who add extra letters into my name making it sound like Aye-oh-lee or even Eh-lee. Is it really that hard to just look at the letters in my name and realize there is no O or H there? I mean there are only four letters. I’ve even had people, including teachers, blatantly state that they wouldn’t even bother to try and remember how to pronounce my name. If I can remember that you are Mr. George, by Monday, then you should be able to remember that I am not Ally. People also just assume that I was born in a foreign country. Nope. I have lived in Ohio, USA my entire life; I just have a cool name.
I developed some techniques to deal with the mispronunciation of my name beginning when I was really little. To me, since my name was more unique than Bob or Sally, then I must deserve to have people call me things that weren’t my name. I quit correcting people when they would say it wrong. This is fine and all, but let me tell you that it’s okay to not correct someone you will only meet once, but if it’s someone who you will encounter everyday, such as a teacher, it’s better to correct them in the beginning of the school year, so you aren’t trying to explain to them after the third quarter that your name, in fact, is not Ally. I developed a whatever-like attitude towards anyone who didn’t bother to ask me what my name was. I even started responding to when people called out the name Ally or Aye-lee. I just stopped caring.
The problem is that when I stopped caring about other people’s mistakes concerning my name, I also stopped caring about my own identity and uniqueness. This attitude of mine changed when I started realizing how my mom reacted whenever someone would call me by something I’m not. She would always, not just occasionally, enthusiastically correct them. When I asked her why she did this, she told me that it was because she was proud of my name. She was proud that I’m unique and different from others, and the fact that my name can embody all of this rareness in two syllables is what made her want people to know my name. This opinion of my mother’s was a big reality check for me. I should care when people mess up my name. I should care when people don’t bother to even try to pronounce it, or even ask my to tell them. I should care because my name makes me who I am, and who I am is awesome. I once detested my name, but now I even felt a pang of betrayal when I learned that my neighbor named her child Aili. I realize that I should feel honored that someone else wants my name, but I like being the only Aili around. I love the uniqueness it gives me, and that’s why I will always correct you if you mess it up. Just incase you are wondering, it is pronounced Eye-lee.
-Aili Barbee (‘16) is the Junior Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer of The Viking Vault.
By Aili Barbee
I always thought I despised having a unique name. There are always complaints that people with unique names can never find anything with their name on it. I do sometimes feel ignored by the general population who neglected to make me a keychain or cup with my name on it. This isn’t what bothered me the most, though.
Some people’s complete lack of ability to even try to pronounce my name has always crumbled up a little piece of my soul. At least some people try to look at the letters in it and make an educated guess. Ally, short for Allison, is a name I get called quite frequently. I can understand this mistake since the spelling is so similar, but it still bothers me that people don’t just ask how to pronounce it in the first place. I’ve always cringed when people pronounce my name as Aye-lee. I know they are just trying to sound it out, but seriously, who would name their child something that sounds like an abbreviation for alien? At least these people try. I’ve encountered several people who add extra letters into my name making it sound like Aye-oh-lee or even Eh-lee. Is it really that hard to just look at the letters in my name and realize there is no O or H there? I mean there are only four letters. I’ve even had people, including teachers, blatantly state that they wouldn’t even bother to try and remember how to pronounce my name. If I can remember that you are Mr. George, by Monday, then you should be able to remember that I am not Ally. People also just assume that I was born in a foreign country. Nope. I have lived in Ohio, USA my entire life; I just have a cool name.
I developed some techniques to deal with the mispronunciation of my name beginning when I was really little. To me, since my name was more unique than Bob or Sally, then I must deserve to have people call me things that weren’t my name. I quit correcting people when they would say it wrong. This is fine and all, but let me tell you that it’s okay to not correct someone you will only meet once, but if it’s someone who you will encounter everyday, such as a teacher, it’s better to correct them in the beginning of the school year, so you aren’t trying to explain to them after the third quarter that your name, in fact, is not Ally. I developed a whatever-like attitude towards anyone who didn’t bother to ask me what my name was. I even started responding to when people called out the name Ally or Aye-lee. I just stopped caring.
The problem is that when I stopped caring about other people’s mistakes concerning my name, I also stopped caring about my own identity and uniqueness. This attitude of mine changed when I started realizing how my mom reacted whenever someone would call me by something I’m not. She would always, not just occasionally, enthusiastically correct them. When I asked her why she did this, she told me that it was because she was proud of my name. She was proud that I’m unique and different from others, and the fact that my name can embody all of this rareness in two syllables is what made her want people to know my name. This opinion of my mother’s was a big reality check for me. I should care when people mess up my name. I should care when people don’t bother to even try to pronounce it, or even ask my to tell them. I should care because my name makes me who I am, and who I am is awesome. I once detested my name, but now I even felt a pang of betrayal when I learned that my neighbor named her child Aili. I realize that I should feel honored that someone else wants my name, but I like being the only Aili around. I love the uniqueness it gives me, and that’s why I will always correct you if you mess it up. Just incase you are wondering, it is pronounced Eye-lee.
-Aili Barbee (‘16) is the Junior Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer of The Viking Vault.
Advice for underclassmen planning on taking AP tests
By Mat Scott
For those of you who are on the Honors track and planning on taking AP tests in your future, here are some helpful tips to help you avoid mental breakdowns and unnecessary stress when it hits that time of the year.
First of all, make sure you know what you are planning to do before your junior year. If you don’t think that you are going to go to college, then you should not take the AP tests. The tests are only valid if you are going to attend college, so for those who choose not to do so, the tests would be a waste of time, stress, and money.
Secondly, make sure you pay attention in the classes for which you plan to test. This is especially important for AP US History, as that class is almost exclusively memorization with a little bit of critical thinking thrown in there. One of the things I found to help me was to hand-write all of my notes for the class. Another, sillier pneumatic was to give some of the people very funny voices and associate them with the names. So Lord De la Warr got a very funny voice associated with his name, and it actually helped me remember a little about him. Same with Lord Baltimore.
In English classes, focus on your writing skills since that will be a large part of the tests. Those essays make up a lot of the grade, and they will be looking for specific things in the essays. Looking at student samples can be a good way to make sure that your writing is on par with the high-scoring essays. The passages will be important as well, but those will be more focused on the how and why of the writing. These are actually a little bit harder because different people view writing in different ways, so the way you view the meaning of a piece may be different than the way someone else does. Just make sure that you read it correctly and know what the author is talking about, that way you can at least make a general assumption as to the meaning.
In your senior year, you’ll have a serious choice as to whether or not you want to take the AP tests since your college may or may not accept them. For instance, a lot of the selective private schools will only accept AP credit for one English test. If this is the case, look at their website and see what credit is offered for what scores. If you’ve already scored high on the AP Language test, you might not want to take the AP Lit test because colleges will accept either/or but not both. This information can usually be found on the college’s website.
Whatever your path is for high school, AP courses and tests can have an impact on your future. If you do choose to take them, make sure that you’re actually going to be comfortable in the class and taking the test. If you feel like the AP track isn’t for you, it’s better to drop out early than to complete the entire year and decide at the very end that you don’t want to do it.
-Mat Scott (’15) is the Web Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Mat Scott
For those of you who are on the Honors track and planning on taking AP tests in your future, here are some helpful tips to help you avoid mental breakdowns and unnecessary stress when it hits that time of the year.
First of all, make sure you know what you are planning to do before your junior year. If you don’t think that you are going to go to college, then you should not take the AP tests. The tests are only valid if you are going to attend college, so for those who choose not to do so, the tests would be a waste of time, stress, and money.
Secondly, make sure you pay attention in the classes for which you plan to test. This is especially important for AP US History, as that class is almost exclusively memorization with a little bit of critical thinking thrown in there. One of the things I found to help me was to hand-write all of my notes for the class. Another, sillier pneumatic was to give some of the people very funny voices and associate them with the names. So Lord De la Warr got a very funny voice associated with his name, and it actually helped me remember a little about him. Same with Lord Baltimore.
In English classes, focus on your writing skills since that will be a large part of the tests. Those essays make up a lot of the grade, and they will be looking for specific things in the essays. Looking at student samples can be a good way to make sure that your writing is on par with the high-scoring essays. The passages will be important as well, but those will be more focused on the how and why of the writing. These are actually a little bit harder because different people view writing in different ways, so the way you view the meaning of a piece may be different than the way someone else does. Just make sure that you read it correctly and know what the author is talking about, that way you can at least make a general assumption as to the meaning.
In your senior year, you’ll have a serious choice as to whether or not you want to take the AP tests since your college may or may not accept them. For instance, a lot of the selective private schools will only accept AP credit for one English test. If this is the case, look at their website and see what credit is offered for what scores. If you’ve already scored high on the AP Language test, you might not want to take the AP Lit test because colleges will accept either/or but not both. This information can usually be found on the college’s website.
Whatever your path is for high school, AP courses and tests can have an impact on your future. If you do choose to take them, make sure that you’re actually going to be comfortable in the class and taking the test. If you feel like the AP track isn’t for you, it’s better to drop out early than to complete the entire year and decide at the very end that you don’t want to do it.
-Mat Scott (’15) is the Web Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Hallway Etiquette
By Savannah Legg
I would like to dedicate this piece to those who have made it (at minimum) almost all the way to the end of the school year without realizing the unspoken rules on how to navigate the hallways of Northridge High.
First things first: the hallway is like a highway with two flows of traffic. Always keep in the middle of the hallway, or to the right of it. The left-most part of your traffic flow is for those of us who like to speed walk to class. If you are not the type of person who walks quickly to class, leave the left lane of the hallway open for those of us that do.
Robi Patrick (16’) says he “likes to keep to the middle of the hallway to dodge all of the freshman playing tag while in between classes and stuff.”
The middle lane is for those who like to casually walk to class while participating in the occasional hello or fist bump that their acquaintance on the latter side of the hallway initiates. For those of you who do not drive, the middle lane may use the left lane to pass the slow walker in front of them but must directly return to their lane once passing the said person in front of them.
Last, but not least, is the right lane or the wall aligning the right-most part of your traffic flow. These spaces can be thought of as the shoulder of the highway. These places are for students (mostly couples) to talk one on one between classes.
John Smith, teacher at Northridge, voices that there is an “excessive amount of PDA in the hallways in between classes.”
While these rules may seem simple enough, there are certain circumstances where the rules of hallway etiquette must be broken. For instance, teachers and adults of authority do not have to follow the carefully laid out rules. In other words, they are like cops, or Emergency vehicles. When you see them walking down the hallway, you immediately move over to the right and allow them to pass.
I hope this has cleared up the water on how navigate Northridge Hallways.
-Savannah Legg (‘16) is the Photo Editor and staff writer of The Viking Vault.
By Savannah Legg
I would like to dedicate this piece to those who have made it (at minimum) almost all the way to the end of the school year without realizing the unspoken rules on how to navigate the hallways of Northridge High.
First things first: the hallway is like a highway with two flows of traffic. Always keep in the middle of the hallway, or to the right of it. The left-most part of your traffic flow is for those of us who like to speed walk to class. If you are not the type of person who walks quickly to class, leave the left lane of the hallway open for those of us that do.
Robi Patrick (16’) says he “likes to keep to the middle of the hallway to dodge all of the freshman playing tag while in between classes and stuff.”
The middle lane is for those who like to casually walk to class while participating in the occasional hello or fist bump that their acquaintance on the latter side of the hallway initiates. For those of you who do not drive, the middle lane may use the left lane to pass the slow walker in front of them but must directly return to their lane once passing the said person in front of them.
Last, but not least, is the right lane or the wall aligning the right-most part of your traffic flow. These spaces can be thought of as the shoulder of the highway. These places are for students (mostly couples) to talk one on one between classes.
John Smith, teacher at Northridge, voices that there is an “excessive amount of PDA in the hallways in between classes.”
While these rules may seem simple enough, there are certain circumstances where the rules of hallway etiquette must be broken. For instance, teachers and adults of authority do not have to follow the carefully laid out rules. In other words, they are like cops, or Emergency vehicles. When you see them walking down the hallway, you immediately move over to the right and allow them to pass.
I hope this has cleared up the water on how navigate Northridge Hallways.
-Savannah Legg (‘16) is the Photo Editor and staff writer of The Viking Vault.
Teenage lingo translated
By Megan Dalton
In this day in age teenagers have created an alternate way of speaking. They create words and phrases that even some teens don't understand! I am here to help you figure out what they mean in a way you can actually understand!
Bae: you may hear the teens calling their friends or significant others their "bae." What they mean by this is that person is "Before Anyone Else," their girlfriend/boyfriend or even their close friends. So if someone refers to you as their "bae," that is a good thing; don't worry! Another term teens call their loved ones is “bb,” this is the same as ‘baby.’
Bye Felicia: When someone says "bye Felicia" this means they don't even care about you! Bye Felicia means they don't care what your name is, you're so irrelevant they just call you Felicia. When someone says this to you, know that the conversation is over.
Milk: I really think this is an insult. No one is positive; just assume if someone calls you "the milk," it’s bad.
YOLO: YOLO means "You Only Live Once." When teens say this, it is usually an excuse to do something reckless. For example; "Go and catch that wild duck!" "Why?" "Why not? YOLO!" This saying is a all time favorite of Morgan Hatten('16) because she claims it is the truth, you DO only live once! It’s hard to argue with that logic.
Swag/Gucci: Swag/Gucci is a good thing; it can be used in many contexts, as well. You can use it in place of adjectives like "cool," or you can tell someone they have "swag" or they are “gucci.”
ROASTED: This is the statement teens yell after making a clever comment that disses someone else! "Everyone including the person roasted laughs because roasting people is so funny," Zach Smith ('16) claims.
-Megan Dalton ('16) is Junior Sports Editor and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Megan Dalton
In this day in age teenagers have created an alternate way of speaking. They create words and phrases that even some teens don't understand! I am here to help you figure out what they mean in a way you can actually understand!
Bae: you may hear the teens calling their friends or significant others their "bae." What they mean by this is that person is "Before Anyone Else," their girlfriend/boyfriend or even their close friends. So if someone refers to you as their "bae," that is a good thing; don't worry! Another term teens call their loved ones is “bb,” this is the same as ‘baby.’
Bye Felicia: When someone says "bye Felicia" this means they don't even care about you! Bye Felicia means they don't care what your name is, you're so irrelevant they just call you Felicia. When someone says this to you, know that the conversation is over.
Milk: I really think this is an insult. No one is positive; just assume if someone calls you "the milk," it’s bad.
YOLO: YOLO means "You Only Live Once." When teens say this, it is usually an excuse to do something reckless. For example; "Go and catch that wild duck!" "Why?" "Why not? YOLO!" This saying is a all time favorite of Morgan Hatten('16) because she claims it is the truth, you DO only live once! It’s hard to argue with that logic.
Swag/Gucci: Swag/Gucci is a good thing; it can be used in many contexts, as well. You can use it in place of adjectives like "cool," or you can tell someone they have "swag" or they are “gucci.”
ROASTED: This is the statement teens yell after making a clever comment that disses someone else! "Everyone including the person roasted laughs because roasting people is so funny," Zach Smith ('16) claims.
-Megan Dalton ('16) is Junior Sports Editor and a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Summer BAEcation spots
By Kaycee Campbell
As we all know, summer is well on its way, and that calls for no school, farmers’ tans and crazy, fun adventures! One of the best parts of summer though always has to be vacations and traveling, but where are the best places to go?
If you’re a beach-goer and not wanting to leave the country, some of most beautiful beaches according to 2015 Travelers Choice Tripadvisor include: Siesta Beach in Siesta Florida, Saint Petes Beach in Saint Peter's Florida, Ka’anapali Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Florida, and La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, California. While you’re on your beach vacation, you could occupy some of your time with a local parasailing trip over the waters, swimming with the dolphins, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling or eating out at a good seafood restaurant.
If you’re not a fan of the beach, there are plenty of more options. Maybe you’re a fan of hitting the slopes. According to Outside Live Bravely, Timberline Lodge and Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Oregon, Ski Portillo in Chile and Zermatt in Switzerland are the top three places at which to shred the slopes!
If you’re not looking for somewhere in the U.S. for your big trip, according to Travelers Choice Destinations, Marrakesh, Morocco is top on the list. This is followed by Siam Reap, Cambodia and Istanbul, Turkey. If you go on a foreign trip, make sure you take a note of the surrounding cultural ideas there. In my opinion I would suggest a trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand or Australia.
Another fun trip to see North America would be to take an RV across the country stopping at all of the national parks, monuments and fascinating places.
Whatever trip you choose, just relax and enjoy yourself because remember that you’ll eventually have to back to reality.
-Kaycee Campbell ('17) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Kaycee Campbell
As we all know, summer is well on its way, and that calls for no school, farmers’ tans and crazy, fun adventures! One of the best parts of summer though always has to be vacations and traveling, but where are the best places to go?
If you’re a beach-goer and not wanting to leave the country, some of most beautiful beaches according to 2015 Travelers Choice Tripadvisor include: Siesta Beach in Siesta Florida, Saint Petes Beach in Saint Peter's Florida, Ka’anapali Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Florida, and La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, California. While you’re on your beach vacation, you could occupy some of your time with a local parasailing trip over the waters, swimming with the dolphins, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling or eating out at a good seafood restaurant.
If you’re not a fan of the beach, there are plenty of more options. Maybe you’re a fan of hitting the slopes. According to Outside Live Bravely, Timberline Lodge and Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Oregon, Ski Portillo in Chile and Zermatt in Switzerland are the top three places at which to shred the slopes!
If you’re not looking for somewhere in the U.S. for your big trip, according to Travelers Choice Destinations, Marrakesh, Morocco is top on the list. This is followed by Siam Reap, Cambodia and Istanbul, Turkey. If you go on a foreign trip, make sure you take a note of the surrounding cultural ideas there. In my opinion I would suggest a trip to Bora Bora, New Zealand or Australia.
Another fun trip to see North America would be to take an RV across the country stopping at all of the national parks, monuments and fascinating places.
Whatever trip you choose, just relax and enjoy yourself because remember that you’ll eventually have to back to reality.
-Kaycee Campbell ('17) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Melting music madness
By Donna Snyder
There are many music festivals, concerts, and music related events both within Ohio and across the country! Your only limits are how far you can drive and how much money you’ve got for gas. Some upcoming festivals within Ohio in May are: Rock on the Range, Dark Sun Jubilee, Nelsonville Music Festival, and then there’s the Bunbury Music Festival in June, and of course, one of my personal favorites, Warped Tour in July. You guys can get all this information on festivals and more on the Ohio page of musicfestivalsjunkiess.com.
Also, If you’re not into the whole festival burning your skin off type of thing, there are also stadium concerts and evening outdoor concerts that might be best for your delicate skin. There’s everything from some old school Styx, or country group Zac Brown Band, to Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa, and Imagine Dragons. If you’re into music there is something out there for you this summer!
Another thing, don’t forget the sunscreen! Even if you are at an outside venue and there is an overcast you need sunscreen! According to The American Academy of Dermatology, “Sustaining five or more blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases one’s melanoma risk by 80 percent and nonmelanoma skin cancer risk by 68 percent.” And believe me, you do not want to be take a three hour, or even further drive back home the day after a music festival with sun poisoning, I guarantee you it will not be a fun time. So lather up and keep your skin safe; remember to hydrate and have fun!
-Donna Snyder ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Donna Snyder
There are many music festivals, concerts, and music related events both within Ohio and across the country! Your only limits are how far you can drive and how much money you’ve got for gas. Some upcoming festivals within Ohio in May are: Rock on the Range, Dark Sun Jubilee, Nelsonville Music Festival, and then there’s the Bunbury Music Festival in June, and of course, one of my personal favorites, Warped Tour in July. You guys can get all this information on festivals and more on the Ohio page of musicfestivalsjunkiess.com.
Also, If you’re not into the whole festival burning your skin off type of thing, there are also stadium concerts and evening outdoor concerts that might be best for your delicate skin. There’s everything from some old school Styx, or country group Zac Brown Band, to Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa, and Imagine Dragons. If you’re into music there is something out there for you this summer!
Another thing, don’t forget the sunscreen! Even if you are at an outside venue and there is an overcast you need sunscreen! According to The American Academy of Dermatology, “Sustaining five or more blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases one’s melanoma risk by 80 percent and nonmelanoma skin cancer risk by 68 percent.” And believe me, you do not want to be take a three hour, or even further drive back home the day after a music festival with sun poisoning, I guarantee you it will not be a fun time. So lather up and keep your skin safe; remember to hydrate and have fun!
-Donna Snyder ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Summer things to do
By Ana Carpenter
Summer is right around the bend! You can’t help but feel ecstatic at the thought of all that free time within those few months of sunshine and popsicles. But for some reason, when it comes, you can’t think of anything to do other than lay outside, soak up some sun and post sunglass-selfies to instagram! Summer is for activity and new discovery, and that certainly doesn’t mean sitting around. Here is a list of fun and exciting activities to keep you up and moving during your summer, meeting new people and seeing new sights to make your break a great one!
Right here in Johnstown, there are quite a few fun festivities. June 24th at 12 pm marks the start of the Firemen’s festival downtown, which in the past has included games of chance to fund the local fire department, beauty pageants, and an antique car show, among other things. The parade is brought to a close with the Firemen’s Festival Parade.
Another very popular local event is the annual Hartford Fair, which takes place August 9-15 within the Hartford Fairgrounds in Croton, and features everything from amusement rides to pig shows. Other attractions in the area include Whit’s and Goodies—which both offer delicious frozen treats—Hot Spot coffee house, Timber Tunes: a neat little knick-knack antiques shop, Clover Valley Golf Course, and Johnstown Skate N Swim on Edwards Road…which is just what it sounds like.
If you’re looking to get out of town but want to save gas money, there are tons and tons of other exciting events going on in Ohio, especially in the Columbus area! Among the events are a multitude of concerts and tours, which include Taylor Swift on September 17th at Nationwide Arena, Nick Jonas on May 15th at the LC Pavilion, One Direction August 18th in the Ohio Stadium, and Meghan Trainor August 2nd in The Ohio Expo Center and State Fair. Another very popular musical event in Ohio is Rock on the Range, which is a three-day event beginning May 15th in Crew Stadium, featuring numerous highly-popular rock bands.
Performing arts are also extremely prevalent in Columbus; hence the massive amount of events available. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra performs on May 14th in The Ohio Theatre. Idina Menzel comes to Columbus on August 19th and performs at the Palace Theater, the Broadway musical Once runs on June 9th in the Palace Theater, and the very popular Wicked (also Broadway) on August 17th at The Ohio Theatre. Among the other countless performing-arts events include Cirque Du Soleil, The Sound of Music, numerous dance recitals and classical concerts, dinner theatres, and comedy.
If you’re looking for something less costly or more laid-back, here are a few ideas. Some less pricey attractions are the Franklin Park Conservatory and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which both highlight plant and animal life. You can take Segway Tours of Columbus, or just walk around downtown along the Scioto strip, where there are plenty of restaurants, free live concerts, theatres and more. Magic Mountain, Dave & Buster’s, and a classic Drive-in Theater are open to the public, along with many parks, museums, movie theatres, sports complexes and shopping venues.
Columbus is famous for its festivals, which include the Asian Festival on May 23rd, the World Series Music Festival on June 6th, Red White and Boom! On July 2nd, The Columbus Arts Festival June 12-14 (featuring local visual artists and singers), and the delicious Jazz & Rib fest July 17-19 downtown, where you can listen to a free smooth-jazz concert while you bite into some juicy, locally-made ribs.
These are among only a few of the events happening in Ohio this summer, so don’t give yourself an excuse to stay at home! Ohio is filled with excitement, especially within the next few months. Happy summer!
-Ana Carpenter (‘15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Ana Carpenter
Summer is right around the bend! You can’t help but feel ecstatic at the thought of all that free time within those few months of sunshine and popsicles. But for some reason, when it comes, you can’t think of anything to do other than lay outside, soak up some sun and post sunglass-selfies to instagram! Summer is for activity and new discovery, and that certainly doesn’t mean sitting around. Here is a list of fun and exciting activities to keep you up and moving during your summer, meeting new people and seeing new sights to make your break a great one!
Right here in Johnstown, there are quite a few fun festivities. June 24th at 12 pm marks the start of the Firemen’s festival downtown, which in the past has included games of chance to fund the local fire department, beauty pageants, and an antique car show, among other things. The parade is brought to a close with the Firemen’s Festival Parade.
Another very popular local event is the annual Hartford Fair, which takes place August 9-15 within the Hartford Fairgrounds in Croton, and features everything from amusement rides to pig shows. Other attractions in the area include Whit’s and Goodies—which both offer delicious frozen treats—Hot Spot coffee house, Timber Tunes: a neat little knick-knack antiques shop, Clover Valley Golf Course, and Johnstown Skate N Swim on Edwards Road…which is just what it sounds like.
If you’re looking to get out of town but want to save gas money, there are tons and tons of other exciting events going on in Ohio, especially in the Columbus area! Among the events are a multitude of concerts and tours, which include Taylor Swift on September 17th at Nationwide Arena, Nick Jonas on May 15th at the LC Pavilion, One Direction August 18th in the Ohio Stadium, and Meghan Trainor August 2nd in The Ohio Expo Center and State Fair. Another very popular musical event in Ohio is Rock on the Range, which is a three-day event beginning May 15th in Crew Stadium, featuring numerous highly-popular rock bands.
Performing arts are also extremely prevalent in Columbus; hence the massive amount of events available. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra performs on May 14th in The Ohio Theatre. Idina Menzel comes to Columbus on August 19th and performs at the Palace Theater, the Broadway musical Once runs on June 9th in the Palace Theater, and the very popular Wicked (also Broadway) on August 17th at The Ohio Theatre. Among the other countless performing-arts events include Cirque Du Soleil, The Sound of Music, numerous dance recitals and classical concerts, dinner theatres, and comedy.
If you’re looking for something less costly or more laid-back, here are a few ideas. Some less pricey attractions are the Franklin Park Conservatory and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which both highlight plant and animal life. You can take Segway Tours of Columbus, or just walk around downtown along the Scioto strip, where there are plenty of restaurants, free live concerts, theatres and more. Magic Mountain, Dave & Buster’s, and a classic Drive-in Theater are open to the public, along with many parks, museums, movie theatres, sports complexes and shopping venues.
Columbus is famous for its festivals, which include the Asian Festival on May 23rd, the World Series Music Festival on June 6th, Red White and Boom! On July 2nd, The Columbus Arts Festival June 12-14 (featuring local visual artists and singers), and the delicious Jazz & Rib fest July 17-19 downtown, where you can listen to a free smooth-jazz concert while you bite into some juicy, locally-made ribs.
These are among only a few of the events happening in Ohio this summer, so don’t give yourself an excuse to stay at home! Ohio is filled with excitement, especially within the next few months. Happy summer!
-Ana Carpenter (‘15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Girl’s proposal expectations too high
By Chad Campbell and Brad Wilson
Over the past few years, high school girl’s promposal expectations have been raised to a new level.
Years ago, all girls expected was for the boy to simply buy her flowers and ring her door bell by surprise to ask her to prom.
Nowadays, guys are going to all new extremes to ask a girl to prom.
They are doing things like covering the girl’s car entirely in sticking notes and spelling prom out with them. Another crazy idea is making a puzzle for the girl to put together that say’s “will you go prom?” One more idea is for the guy to set up a crime scene and be lying in it, and have a note saying, “I’m dying to go to prom with you.”
One of the crazier and more expensive ways that people have been asking girls to prom is renting an airplane and have them spell prom in the sky, or having a banner attached to the plane that says prom. This can get pretty expensive.
Thinking of a way to ask a girl to prom can be very stressful for a guy that has a lot on his plate. A lot of guys have to worry about sports, and it is the end of the school year and they should be studying extra hard for exams.
Also, ideas like these can be pretty costly.
“The added stress from having to ask a girl to prom can be stressful at times” says Bryant Garee (’15).
-Chad Campbell ('15) is the Senior Sports Editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
-Brad Wilson ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Chad Campbell and Brad Wilson
Over the past few years, high school girl’s promposal expectations have been raised to a new level.
Years ago, all girls expected was for the boy to simply buy her flowers and ring her door bell by surprise to ask her to prom.
Nowadays, guys are going to all new extremes to ask a girl to prom.
They are doing things like covering the girl’s car entirely in sticking notes and spelling prom out with them. Another crazy idea is making a puzzle for the girl to put together that say’s “will you go prom?” One more idea is for the guy to set up a crime scene and be lying in it, and have a note saying, “I’m dying to go to prom with you.”
One of the crazier and more expensive ways that people have been asking girls to prom is renting an airplane and have them spell prom in the sky, or having a banner attached to the plane that says prom. This can get pretty expensive.
Thinking of a way to ask a girl to prom can be very stressful for a guy that has a lot on his plate. A lot of guys have to worry about sports, and it is the end of the school year and they should be studying extra hard for exams.
Also, ideas like these can be pretty costly.
“The added stress from having to ask a girl to prom can be stressful at times” says Bryant Garee (’15).
-Chad Campbell ('15) is the Senior Sports Editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
-Brad Wilson ('15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Best proposals of 2015
By Jamie Swickard
With prom just around the corner, many guys and girls are thinking of very creative ways to ask their dream date to prom!
Alexis Absten (’15) was just recently asked to prom by Trevor Miller (’15). Absten explains the night before he asked her, the two went mudding in his truck, but not everything went as planned.
Absten recalls, “His truck got stuck in the mud so we both had to walk all the way back to his house from the field.”
Miller got his truck unstuck and surprised Absten by coming to her house with prom written in the mud of the side of his truck.
Absten says, “It was cool how he asked me. I loved it!”
Gabrielle Evans (’15) was also asked by her boyfriend who attends Westerville South. Evans says he had texted been in touch with her parents the whole day planning to ask her.
Evans says, “I was expecting him to ask me, but not when he did!”
Evans says she heard her brother talking to someone. She then opened the door and saw her boyfriend. He came inside with a sign saying “Prom? You have to be this tall to say no.”
Evans says, “The sign was taller than me, so obviously I couldn’t say no!”
Emily Wilson (’16) asked her boyfriend, Wesley Walters (’15), to prom by taking him out to the Cheesecake Factory for his birthday. Wilson slid a note to her waiter asking him to spell out “Prom Date?” with the chocolate syrup on the plate next to Walter’s cheesecake.
Wilson says, “Wesley was so concerned why I gave our waiter a piece of paper; he though I gave him my number! But in the end, he loved the way I asked him and was very surprised.”
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is the Junior Web Editor-In-Chief for and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Jamie Swickard
With prom just around the corner, many guys and girls are thinking of very creative ways to ask their dream date to prom!
Alexis Absten (’15) was just recently asked to prom by Trevor Miller (’15). Absten explains the night before he asked her, the two went mudding in his truck, but not everything went as planned.
Absten recalls, “His truck got stuck in the mud so we both had to walk all the way back to his house from the field.”
Miller got his truck unstuck and surprised Absten by coming to her house with prom written in the mud of the side of his truck.
Absten says, “It was cool how he asked me. I loved it!”
Gabrielle Evans (’15) was also asked by her boyfriend who attends Westerville South. Evans says he had texted been in touch with her parents the whole day planning to ask her.
Evans says, “I was expecting him to ask me, but not when he did!”
Evans says she heard her brother talking to someone. She then opened the door and saw her boyfriend. He came inside with a sign saying “Prom? You have to be this tall to say no.”
Evans says, “The sign was taller than me, so obviously I couldn’t say no!”
Emily Wilson (’16) asked her boyfriend, Wesley Walters (’15), to prom by taking him out to the Cheesecake Factory for his birthday. Wilson slid a note to her waiter asking him to spell out “Prom Date?” with the chocolate syrup on the plate next to Walter’s cheesecake.
Wilson says, “Wesley was so concerned why I gave our waiter a piece of paper; he though I gave him my number! But in the end, he loved the way I asked him and was very surprised.”
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is the Junior Web Editor-In-Chief for and staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Freshmen, make note of my mistakes
By Bryant Garee
NORTHRIDGE - My freshman year I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to play sports and go to college. It’s easy to get into college, I thought. My freshman and sophomore year don’t matter, I thought. My parents and teachers don’t know what they are talking about, I thought.
When I was in middle school, I had all A’s and B’s. I figured that high school was going to be the same. I would get free handouts and my teachers would get on me about assignments. Wrong! You’re on your own, at least more than before. Teachers care about you and they want you to be successful, and they know that they can’t hold your hand all through high school and expect you to be successful after you leave the halls of NHS.
Guess what. Your freshman and sophomore years are the most important in your life. You establish your GPA in these years. When colleges look at you, they look at your GPA and test scores. If you have a bad GPA going into your junior year, it’s actually too late to make it much better. Senior year doesn’t really matter either, because after your junior year the GPA you have is the one that colleges will look at.
Sure, if you have bad grades and lousy test scores, you can still get into college … but only if you want to pay a lot of money. Your grades are what will define how much money you get. And just trust me, no one here is going D1 anytime soon for sports. That means you can only get small athletic scholarships in Division 2 schools. Division 3 can’t give athletic scholarships, so you’re stuck strictly on your grades to get money. Do what I did in high school, and you can count on being in debt $80,000 four years later.
My parents and teachers would push me to apply myself, but I was fine with “just getting bye,” and I would think that they don’t know anything. But trust me. They know everything. So when your parents get on you about how your grades are important, they mean it. Take their advice, it works.
I thought that good grades would just come to me. I thought I could do everything using half of my ability and be fine. I was lazy! I wish I could go back to my freshman year and focus more on school. I’ve been where many of you are, and I’m telling you to take a hard look at that transcript you just got and know that it isn’t too late to get your GPA up … but it almost is.
-Bryant Garee (’15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
By Bryant Garee
NORTHRIDGE - My freshman year I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to play sports and go to college. It’s easy to get into college, I thought. My freshman and sophomore year don’t matter, I thought. My parents and teachers don’t know what they are talking about, I thought.
When I was in middle school, I had all A’s and B’s. I figured that high school was going to be the same. I would get free handouts and my teachers would get on me about assignments. Wrong! You’re on your own, at least more than before. Teachers care about you and they want you to be successful, and they know that they can’t hold your hand all through high school and expect you to be successful after you leave the halls of NHS.
Guess what. Your freshman and sophomore years are the most important in your life. You establish your GPA in these years. When colleges look at you, they look at your GPA and test scores. If you have a bad GPA going into your junior year, it’s actually too late to make it much better. Senior year doesn’t really matter either, because after your junior year the GPA you have is the one that colleges will look at.
Sure, if you have bad grades and lousy test scores, you can still get into college … but only if you want to pay a lot of money. Your grades are what will define how much money you get. And just trust me, no one here is going D1 anytime soon for sports. That means you can only get small athletic scholarships in Division 2 schools. Division 3 can’t give athletic scholarships, so you’re stuck strictly on your grades to get money. Do what I did in high school, and you can count on being in debt $80,000 four years later.
My parents and teachers would push me to apply myself, but I was fine with “just getting bye,” and I would think that they don’t know anything. But trust me. They know everything. So when your parents get on you about how your grades are important, they mean it. Take their advice, it works.
I thought that good grades would just come to me. I thought I could do everything using half of my ability and be fine. I was lazy! I wish I could go back to my freshman year and focus more on school. I’ve been where many of you are, and I’m telling you to take a hard look at that transcript you just got and know that it isn’t too late to get your GPA up … but it almost is.
-Bryant Garee (’15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Advice on surviving high school
By Megan Hatfield
After four short years at Northridge High School, I gained some insight, wisdom, and even gray hair after experiencing difficult and interesting classes, various school lunches, and amusing school events. For you incoming freshman, I have some advice and insight on the next four years of your life. For upperclassmen, please enjoy the time you still have because it flies by. I am not going to tell you that high school will be the greatest or the absolute worst time of your life, but I will suggest to make the best of it because the experience you have will be up to you.
Freshman year is not as horrid and awful as people make it out to be. Upperclassmen aren’t evil bullies that are out to make freshman’s lives horrible. At least, not all of them. I only got ditched in the lunch line by one person my freshman year. I never got shoved in a trash can or a locker. Actually, many of my good friends freshman year were seniors. Some seniors will pull the senior card every now and then, but, for the most part, they will be just like any of your other fellow students in the school. Don’t be scared for high school. Even freshman year will be fun.
This goes for the teachers too; they are not out to make your life miserable. I will warn you now though, that Ms. Baker does not like to take pictures with you when you wear the same outfit as her. Believe me, I have tried. Although Mrs. Garee goes by “Scary Garee,” she really is not frightening at all, but she may trick you in class by saying a test is a “game.” Sometimes that can be a bit scary. I had teachers who inspired me to want to become a teacher myself someday, so even if you’ve heard they are out to get you, I promise they are not.
Not all the school lunches are horrible either, but the word is they are. Everyone loves pizza day, grilled cheese and soup, and General Tso's chicken. I packed most of the time, or I should say my dad packed my lunch for me most of the time. Many kids try to not take a lunch, but I highly suggest taking one because it can be a very entertaining and humorous part of your day.
Sophomore and junior year, everyone starts to get their drivers licenses. For my friends and I this meant that, when we could find a few extra bucks to spend, we would take a trip to Whit’s or Goodies. It also meant we could get anywhere easier. Along with cars came more responsibilities like jobs and paying for gas. Every year, you will inch closer and closer to getting out on your own, and driving is definitely one of those stepping stones.
Don’t forget to make time for your friends and family within your busy schedule. Sports, a job, homework, musicals, and anything else you decide to get involved in will take up so much of your time, but I promise there will still be time for relaxing and fun. Some days, it may seem like you hardly had time to breathe with tests to study for and competitions to participate in, but free time will come along. Spend your free time wisely, especially when it is limited.
Go to sporting events, musicals, dances, and anything else the school puts on. Don’t let not having a date stop you from going to homecoming or prom. You only are in high school one time. That sounds so cliche, but it is also so true. I doubt someday your workplace will have a football team or will put on a prom. Seniors, you are not “too cool” for high school. No one is. High school is meant to be a fun, learning experience. Take advantage of it. I can honestly say I made the best out of everything I went to, and hope you all do the same.
Participate in spirit days and always go all out for student section themes. Someday you will probably have to look professional. While you can, wear pajamas to school or wear neon green jeans to a football game because I doubt someday your boss will find it funny if you show up to work in a super hero costume (hopefully they would, but what are the odds). Doing goofy things isn’t always acceptable in the “real” world among adults, but you can usually get away with it in high school.
When senior year comes, don’t panic. I did panic, and there was no reason to. Figuring out what you want to do after high school can be overwhelming and stressful, but it will work out. This is coming from a girl who narrowed down her college choices to four different schools, and had a December 1st deadline. I sat at my kitchen counter and made my decision at midnight the night before with tears in my eyes. I was so worried and scared that I made the wrong choice, but I had a great feeling at the school from the start. Don’t let yourself get too worked up over it. If the choice feels right, go with it, and don’t think twice.
Always remember that if you pick a school or a job that you end up not liking, it’s not set in stone. You can always change your major, your job, or anything else along the way. When visiting colleges, I suggest looking at many different types of schools to find what you really want. When you do decide what you want to do after high school, be excited and look forward to it, but also don’t forget to experience your last few months of high school. We all paint a picture of what we want our life to be, but sometimes what we envision doesn’t become reality, and that’s okay. Allow for mistakes and changes to happen. Things will fall into place.
Someday you will be in my position. You will be writing your last newspaper story or attending your last Monday of high school. You will have less than a month left of the school you have been attending since you were five years old. You will be starting a job, or going off to college only a few months after graduation. Enjoy the four years you have here at Northridge. Please, please don’t wish them away. There will be times when you will hate the paper you have to write, or you’ll fight with your friends, but focus on all the positive aspects of school. Focus on the good, not the bad because that alone goes a long way.
By the way, I suggest taking newspaper. There are multiple parties throughout the year, possible field trips, and you get to pick everything you write about. There is nothing not to love!
-Megan Hatfield is a Staff Writer for the Viking Vault
By Megan Hatfield
After four short years at Northridge High School, I gained some insight, wisdom, and even gray hair after experiencing difficult and interesting classes, various school lunches, and amusing school events. For you incoming freshman, I have some advice and insight on the next four years of your life. For upperclassmen, please enjoy the time you still have because it flies by. I am not going to tell you that high school will be the greatest or the absolute worst time of your life, but I will suggest to make the best of it because the experience you have will be up to you.
Freshman year is not as horrid and awful as people make it out to be. Upperclassmen aren’t evil bullies that are out to make freshman’s lives horrible. At least, not all of them. I only got ditched in the lunch line by one person my freshman year. I never got shoved in a trash can or a locker. Actually, many of my good friends freshman year were seniors. Some seniors will pull the senior card every now and then, but, for the most part, they will be just like any of your other fellow students in the school. Don’t be scared for high school. Even freshman year will be fun.
This goes for the teachers too; they are not out to make your life miserable. I will warn you now though, that Ms. Baker does not like to take pictures with you when you wear the same outfit as her. Believe me, I have tried. Although Mrs. Garee goes by “Scary Garee,” she really is not frightening at all, but she may trick you in class by saying a test is a “game.” Sometimes that can be a bit scary. I had teachers who inspired me to want to become a teacher myself someday, so even if you’ve heard they are out to get you, I promise they are not.
Not all the school lunches are horrible either, but the word is they are. Everyone loves pizza day, grilled cheese and soup, and General Tso's chicken. I packed most of the time, or I should say my dad packed my lunch for me most of the time. Many kids try to not take a lunch, but I highly suggest taking one because it can be a very entertaining and humorous part of your day.
Sophomore and junior year, everyone starts to get their drivers licenses. For my friends and I this meant that, when we could find a few extra bucks to spend, we would take a trip to Whit’s or Goodies. It also meant we could get anywhere easier. Along with cars came more responsibilities like jobs and paying for gas. Every year, you will inch closer and closer to getting out on your own, and driving is definitely one of those stepping stones.
Don’t forget to make time for your friends and family within your busy schedule. Sports, a job, homework, musicals, and anything else you decide to get involved in will take up so much of your time, but I promise there will still be time for relaxing and fun. Some days, it may seem like you hardly had time to breathe with tests to study for and competitions to participate in, but free time will come along. Spend your free time wisely, especially when it is limited.
Go to sporting events, musicals, dances, and anything else the school puts on. Don’t let not having a date stop you from going to homecoming or prom. You only are in high school one time. That sounds so cliche, but it is also so true. I doubt someday your workplace will have a football team or will put on a prom. Seniors, you are not “too cool” for high school. No one is. High school is meant to be a fun, learning experience. Take advantage of it. I can honestly say I made the best out of everything I went to, and hope you all do the same.
Participate in spirit days and always go all out for student section themes. Someday you will probably have to look professional. While you can, wear pajamas to school or wear neon green jeans to a football game because I doubt someday your boss will find it funny if you show up to work in a super hero costume (hopefully they would, but what are the odds). Doing goofy things isn’t always acceptable in the “real” world among adults, but you can usually get away with it in high school.
When senior year comes, don’t panic. I did panic, and there was no reason to. Figuring out what you want to do after high school can be overwhelming and stressful, but it will work out. This is coming from a girl who narrowed down her college choices to four different schools, and had a December 1st deadline. I sat at my kitchen counter and made my decision at midnight the night before with tears in my eyes. I was so worried and scared that I made the wrong choice, but I had a great feeling at the school from the start. Don’t let yourself get too worked up over it. If the choice feels right, go with it, and don’t think twice.
Always remember that if you pick a school or a job that you end up not liking, it’s not set in stone. You can always change your major, your job, or anything else along the way. When visiting colleges, I suggest looking at many different types of schools to find what you really want. When you do decide what you want to do after high school, be excited and look forward to it, but also don’t forget to experience your last few months of high school. We all paint a picture of what we want our life to be, but sometimes what we envision doesn’t become reality, and that’s okay. Allow for mistakes and changes to happen. Things will fall into place.
Someday you will be in my position. You will be writing your last newspaper story or attending your last Monday of high school. You will have less than a month left of the school you have been attending since you were five years old. You will be starting a job, or going off to college only a few months after graduation. Enjoy the four years you have here at Northridge. Please, please don’t wish them away. There will be times when you will hate the paper you have to write, or you’ll fight with your friends, but focus on all the positive aspects of school. Focus on the good, not the bad because that alone goes a long way.
By the way, I suggest taking newspaper. There are multiple parties throughout the year, possible field trips, and you get to pick everything you write about. There is nothing not to love!
-Megan Hatfield is a Staff Writer for the Viking Vault