Alternative Thanksgiving food options
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE- With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you’ll have to make a lot of decisions on what food to have for the big dinner. Now, of course the homemade cooking your family makes is going to be better than any store-bought food. But some Thanksgivings can get a little last-minute and will require only the best of name brand food options.
We’ll start off small with some side dishes. Mashed potatoes are a staple of any Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s hard to find the right one with so many options on the market. I tried Betty Crocker, Velveeta, and Bob Evans brand of mashed potatoes. The Betty Crocker brand was a decent competitor. It was a little bit on the dry side, which cost some points in the end, but the spuds held up with flavor. Well, as much flavor as you can get from mashed potatoes. There was a strong cheesy flavor to the Velveeta potatoes, an odd addition but, in the end, it helped give the side more points with the flavor department. The Velveeta brand was also very smooth, almost too smooth, but definitely a better texture than the Betty Crocker dish. Finally, the Bob Evans brand potatoes held up fairly well. They were smooth, very close to being too smooth, and had a few mix-ins like cheese and pepper. The mix-ins also didn’t overwhelm the taste-buds, which was a definite plus, but the dish had a sort of earthy taste that made me think of dirt - never a good thing with food. Overall, I would go with the Velveeta brand: the texture was good, the cheese gave you something more to taste, and the texture wasn’t as dry as the Betty Crocker brand or as runny as the Bob Evans brand.
With mashed potatoes comes gravy, and there’s only one type of store-bought gravy that I can recommend: Heinz. It’s great, and all the other brands don’t stand a chance. I also couldn’t really comment on stuffing as a side dish because I’ve never had stuffing before in my life, store bought or homemade.
Now, with main course dishes. The only two things I can think of are turkey and ham. So, I went and got turkeys and hams from two different delis in two different stores. Well, that’s a lie, I got some cuts from hams and turkeys from the Kroger and Giant Eagle delis. Whole turkeys and hams are a lot more expensive than I thought.
The Kroger meats seemed to be much larger than the Giant Eagle cuts, so you have more bang for your buck there. The turkey was pretty good: not too dry, and it tasted heartier than the Giant Eagle turkey. The ham, however, was very thin and a bit on the wimpy side. The Giant Eagle turkey was fairly dry, had a weird texture and just didn’t taste as good. On the other hand, the ham was great. It was thick, evenly saturated, and was much better than the Kroger ham.
-Hugh Prentice (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE- With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you’ll have to make a lot of decisions on what food to have for the big dinner. Now, of course the homemade cooking your family makes is going to be better than any store-bought food. But some Thanksgivings can get a little last-minute and will require only the best of name brand food options.
We’ll start off small with some side dishes. Mashed potatoes are a staple of any Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s hard to find the right one with so many options on the market. I tried Betty Crocker, Velveeta, and Bob Evans brand of mashed potatoes. The Betty Crocker brand was a decent competitor. It was a little bit on the dry side, which cost some points in the end, but the spuds held up with flavor. Well, as much flavor as you can get from mashed potatoes. There was a strong cheesy flavor to the Velveeta potatoes, an odd addition but, in the end, it helped give the side more points with the flavor department. The Velveeta brand was also very smooth, almost too smooth, but definitely a better texture than the Betty Crocker dish. Finally, the Bob Evans brand potatoes held up fairly well. They were smooth, very close to being too smooth, and had a few mix-ins like cheese and pepper. The mix-ins also didn’t overwhelm the taste-buds, which was a definite plus, but the dish had a sort of earthy taste that made me think of dirt - never a good thing with food. Overall, I would go with the Velveeta brand: the texture was good, the cheese gave you something more to taste, and the texture wasn’t as dry as the Betty Crocker brand or as runny as the Bob Evans brand.
With mashed potatoes comes gravy, and there’s only one type of store-bought gravy that I can recommend: Heinz. It’s great, and all the other brands don’t stand a chance. I also couldn’t really comment on stuffing as a side dish because I’ve never had stuffing before in my life, store bought or homemade.
Now, with main course dishes. The only two things I can think of are turkey and ham. So, I went and got turkeys and hams from two different delis in two different stores. Well, that’s a lie, I got some cuts from hams and turkeys from the Kroger and Giant Eagle delis. Whole turkeys and hams are a lot more expensive than I thought.
The Kroger meats seemed to be much larger than the Giant Eagle cuts, so you have more bang for your buck there. The turkey was pretty good: not too dry, and it tasted heartier than the Giant Eagle turkey. The ham, however, was very thin and a bit on the wimpy side. The Giant Eagle turkey was fairly dry, had a weird texture and just didn’t taste as good. On the other hand, the ham was great. It was thick, evenly saturated, and was much better than the Kroger ham.
-Hugh Prentice (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
So, how are Northridge students doing in college courses?
By: Kaycee Campbell
This year Northridge High School opened up the option of taking Post-Secondary courses here at Northridge. With the onset of College Credit Plus in Ohio, many were worried that high school students did not have the capability to manage a college course and get a passing grade. Yet, most involved with the program here at NHS said younger students are doing more than fine in their college classes.
These high school students are taking the exact same courses as traditional college students do, often at the Northridge campus. A large number of Northridge students tested high enough on the COMPASS Test that the school was able to offer a total of four college Composition courses through Columbus State Community College. The first semester has gone smoothly and has even been less work than some students were expecting.
“I thought I was going to have to write 1,000 papers, but it is really only four in total over the semester. It is a great course, and I’m glad I took it as opposed to a regular College Prep class,” says Hugh Prentice ’16.
Even the teachers and professors from CSCC are impressed and enjoying teaching the course to Northridge students.
“Overall, the students from Northridge and the six other schools I’m working with have done a fantastic job with English 1100. The students are hard-working critical thinkers who are really engaged in the coursework, and their writing is thoughtful and interesting. It’s been a pleasure to work with them and their high-school teachers,” says Dr. Deborah Bertsch, English professor at CSCC.
In addition to Composition, Columbus State’s section of Mythology is going well. “I really enjoy teaching the students here at Northridge,” said Dr. Judith Dann. “They are so much fun. Everyone is doing so well and keeping up with assignments. I am very glad I was able to lecture Classical Mythology here at Northridge, and am excited for next semester’s Greek Civilization.”
So if you’re contemplating taking a Post-Secondary course, go for it. It’s free college, and the trial run of first semester so far has gone well!
-Kaycee Campbell (’17) is a second-year Vault staff member and Public Relations Manager. [email protected]
By: Kaycee Campbell
This year Northridge High School opened up the option of taking Post-Secondary courses here at Northridge. With the onset of College Credit Plus in Ohio, many were worried that high school students did not have the capability to manage a college course and get a passing grade. Yet, most involved with the program here at NHS said younger students are doing more than fine in their college classes.
These high school students are taking the exact same courses as traditional college students do, often at the Northridge campus. A large number of Northridge students tested high enough on the COMPASS Test that the school was able to offer a total of four college Composition courses through Columbus State Community College. The first semester has gone smoothly and has even been less work than some students were expecting.
“I thought I was going to have to write 1,000 papers, but it is really only four in total over the semester. It is a great course, and I’m glad I took it as opposed to a regular College Prep class,” says Hugh Prentice ’16.
Even the teachers and professors from CSCC are impressed and enjoying teaching the course to Northridge students.
“Overall, the students from Northridge and the six other schools I’m working with have done a fantastic job with English 1100. The students are hard-working critical thinkers who are really engaged in the coursework, and their writing is thoughtful and interesting. It’s been a pleasure to work with them and their high-school teachers,” says Dr. Deborah Bertsch, English professor at CSCC.
In addition to Composition, Columbus State’s section of Mythology is going well. “I really enjoy teaching the students here at Northridge,” said Dr. Judith Dann. “They are so much fun. Everyone is doing so well and keeping up with assignments. I am very glad I was able to lecture Classical Mythology here at Northridge, and am excited for next semester’s Greek Civilization.”
So if you’re contemplating taking a Post-Secondary course, go for it. It’s free college, and the trial run of first semester so far has gone well!
-Kaycee Campbell (’17) is a second-year Vault staff member and Public Relations Manager. [email protected]
What teachers say vs. what they mean
By: Savannah Legg
One of the hardest parts, I would say, that would come with being a teacher would be not being able to say exactly what you mean; for example, telling the talkative kid in the back to simply “shut up” or calling the kid stupid that just asked a question about the very topic you just went over. Instead, teachers must speak their own language. And, if interpreted correctly, you can know exactly what your teachers is really trying to tell you. So to help with that here are some commonly used, and misunderstood sayings by teachers at Northridge.
Have you ever been in class and you gave an answer and your teacher replied by saying “Not exactly. Does anyone else have an answer?” to your response. What they are really saying is “no that’s not the right answer at all. Can someone please help me forget this student’s foolishness by giving an answer that actually makes sense?”
How about teachers that say “Tony (or any other student's name), did you do your homework last night?” What the teacher is really saying is “Tony, did you actually work up enough physical strength to get your homework out of your backpack and do it?”
Or what about when you ask the teacher to go to the bathroom and they reply with “um…not right now during the lesson, maybe later okay?” What they really mean by this is, “There’s no way that you should skip my lesson that I worked so hard to put together. It’s not my fault that you wait until I am in class and teaching to interrupt the class to ask to go to the bathroom.”
When a teacher describes you as being “one of a kind” what they mean to say is “you are a very odd child and I am not sure in any way how you are normal”.
When a teacher looks at you puzzled and suggests that “Maybe you should get some more sleep” what they really mean by this is “Hey you insufferable fool! Don’t sleep in class. sleep on your own time”
To find out what you’re teacher is really saying to you, email [email protected] for more answers.
-Savannah Legg (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Photos Editor. [email protected]
By: Savannah Legg
One of the hardest parts, I would say, that would come with being a teacher would be not being able to say exactly what you mean; for example, telling the talkative kid in the back to simply “shut up” or calling the kid stupid that just asked a question about the very topic you just went over. Instead, teachers must speak their own language. And, if interpreted correctly, you can know exactly what your teachers is really trying to tell you. So to help with that here are some commonly used, and misunderstood sayings by teachers at Northridge.
Have you ever been in class and you gave an answer and your teacher replied by saying “Not exactly. Does anyone else have an answer?” to your response. What they are really saying is “no that’s not the right answer at all. Can someone please help me forget this student’s foolishness by giving an answer that actually makes sense?”
How about teachers that say “Tony (or any other student's name), did you do your homework last night?” What the teacher is really saying is “Tony, did you actually work up enough physical strength to get your homework out of your backpack and do it?”
Or what about when you ask the teacher to go to the bathroom and they reply with “um…not right now during the lesson, maybe later okay?” What they really mean by this is, “There’s no way that you should skip my lesson that I worked so hard to put together. It’s not my fault that you wait until I am in class and teaching to interrupt the class to ask to go to the bathroom.”
When a teacher describes you as being “one of a kind” what they mean to say is “you are a very odd child and I am not sure in any way how you are normal”.
When a teacher looks at you puzzled and suggests that “Maybe you should get some more sleep” what they really mean by this is “Hey you insufferable fool! Don’t sleep in class. sleep on your own time”
To find out what you’re teacher is really saying to you, email [email protected] for more answers.
-Savannah Legg (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Photos Editor. [email protected]
Procrastinating and college decisions
By: Kyle Stermer
When I first started freshman year, the last thing on my mind was college. However, senior year came more quickly than expected and I found myself suddenly stuck trying to find a college and meet deadlines. If there was one piece of advice I would give to incoming freshman, it would be to get good grades, take the ACT, and go on college visits early.
One thing I regret doing was not taking the ACT early enough. I waited until the fall of my senior year to even start taking the ACT, which then restricted me to only taking it two times. Although two times is not bad, I would have liked to have some room to take it again if I had wanted to improve my scores. At this point in time, I get the scores I get, and there’s no way to improve them. If I had started, let’s say, sophomore year, I would have had plenty of opportunities to take it as much as I felt I needed to.
I also waited until my senior year to start going on college visits or even to think about which college I wanted to attend. I frantically went on visits and researched, and luckily I found one pretty quickly that I really liked. If I could do it again, I would have started going on college visits as early as sophomore year. There are many different types of colleges out there, ranging from hundreds to thousands of students, rural and urban areas, and even older and newer are out there. There is also no reason not to go on visits, as they are free and most of the time are quite interesting.
Basically what I’m saying is: if you do your research early, your senior year will be a breeze. You could theoretically not have to take any ACT’s or even go on any college visits if you already know where you want to go, leaving you more time to actually focus on admission essays and applications. Time throughout high school flies by, so it is smart to do everything you can to prepare as soon as possible.
-Kyle Stermer (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and News Editor. [email protected]
By: Kyle Stermer
When I first started freshman year, the last thing on my mind was college. However, senior year came more quickly than expected and I found myself suddenly stuck trying to find a college and meet deadlines. If there was one piece of advice I would give to incoming freshman, it would be to get good grades, take the ACT, and go on college visits early.
One thing I regret doing was not taking the ACT early enough. I waited until the fall of my senior year to even start taking the ACT, which then restricted me to only taking it two times. Although two times is not bad, I would have liked to have some room to take it again if I had wanted to improve my scores. At this point in time, I get the scores I get, and there’s no way to improve them. If I had started, let’s say, sophomore year, I would have had plenty of opportunities to take it as much as I felt I needed to.
I also waited until my senior year to start going on college visits or even to think about which college I wanted to attend. I frantically went on visits and researched, and luckily I found one pretty quickly that I really liked. If I could do it again, I would have started going on college visits as early as sophomore year. There are many different types of colleges out there, ranging from hundreds to thousands of students, rural and urban areas, and even older and newer are out there. There is also no reason not to go on visits, as they are free and most of the time are quite interesting.
Basically what I’m saying is: if you do your research early, your senior year will be a breeze. You could theoretically not have to take any ACT’s or even go on any college visits if you already know where you want to go, leaving you more time to actually focus on admission essays and applications. Time throughout high school flies by, so it is smart to do everything you can to prepare as soon as possible.
-Kyle Stermer (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and News Editor. [email protected]
DIY With Andy the (Freezing) fix-it guy
By: Andrew Watson
Fall weather is upon us, and with our tools put away properly and prepped for winter, we can have some fun. Every fall I like to choose something around the house that would help everyone out, something that would benefit the whole family and be a good time.
Instead of waiting for a to-do list from Mom, be proactive and help out with the things you notice need to be done. The weather is getting pretty cold during the night but often warm in the afternoons. This makes optimal weather for outdoor improvement projects that can be done in a couple hours after school. The project that I have chosen to do this fall is cleaning the garage. My family has lots of useless things in the garage, as well as lots of useful things that are scattered. The challenge seems simple, but it couldn’t be harder. I might be making it too hard, but with a large garage, I decided to put some time into it and do it right.
For me, the time frame doesn't matter because there's a wood burning stove that I can use if I want to work during the nights on the weekends. That might work for you,too. My garage is about 80 feet by 160 feet, so it’s pretty large. If you have a two-car garage or something like that, it’d definitely be easier.
I started with the outside appearance, the things that we look at everyday but are too lazy to pick up. I then went on to sweep up the leaves and stuff that was behind everything. Then I used the weedeater between the cracks in the concrete.
From there, I went on to the inside of the garage, and began tidying up. Remember, if you can’t get it all done, do what you can and leave it useable, i.e. stuff laying around randomly but not in the way.
There are thousands of ways something like this can be done, but it all helps. I hope that you can pick a project and utilize the weather’s advantages of virtually no threat of rodents and optimal working weather.
Have fun this fall, and help out too!
-Andy Watson ('16) is a first-year Vault staff member and Features Editor. 16[email protected]
By: Andrew Watson
Fall weather is upon us, and with our tools put away properly and prepped for winter, we can have some fun. Every fall I like to choose something around the house that would help everyone out, something that would benefit the whole family and be a good time.
Instead of waiting for a to-do list from Mom, be proactive and help out with the things you notice need to be done. The weather is getting pretty cold during the night but often warm in the afternoons. This makes optimal weather for outdoor improvement projects that can be done in a couple hours after school. The project that I have chosen to do this fall is cleaning the garage. My family has lots of useless things in the garage, as well as lots of useful things that are scattered. The challenge seems simple, but it couldn’t be harder. I might be making it too hard, but with a large garage, I decided to put some time into it and do it right.
For me, the time frame doesn't matter because there's a wood burning stove that I can use if I want to work during the nights on the weekends. That might work for you,too. My garage is about 80 feet by 160 feet, so it’s pretty large. If you have a two-car garage or something like that, it’d definitely be easier.
I started with the outside appearance, the things that we look at everyday but are too lazy to pick up. I then went on to sweep up the leaves and stuff that was behind everything. Then I used the weedeater between the cracks in the concrete.
From there, I went on to the inside of the garage, and began tidying up. Remember, if you can’t get it all done, do what you can and leave it useable, i.e. stuff laying around randomly but not in the way.
There are thousands of ways something like this can be done, but it all helps. I hope that you can pick a project and utilize the weather’s advantages of virtually no threat of rodents and optimal working weather.
Have fun this fall, and help out too!
-Andy Watson ('16) is a first-year Vault staff member and Features Editor. 16[email protected]
Ask Aili
Q: Dear Aili, I’m really shy and am having a lot of trouble making friends. How can I come out of my shell and meet new people?
A: A great way to meet new people is to join a club or sport. Doing this will help you be integrated with people that have a similar interest as you. Joining a club or sport will also help you gain more confidence and reach out of your shell. You can also try just talking to someone you sit next to in class, or sitting next to someone new at lunch. You never know when you might just meet your new best friend. Don’t become discouraged if someone doesn’t respond to your friendly invitation at first: they might be shy too!
Q: Dear Aili, I have absolutely no clue what I am going to do in the future, and it really stresses me out. How do I figure it out?
A: It is perfectly okay to not know what you want to do with your life when you are a just a high schooler since high school is all about finding out who you are. Try taking new kinds of classes, joining new clubs, and volunteering around town. Doing different activities will help you discover what you like to do, and you might just find something that you would be happy doing for the rest of your life. Don’t be intimidated by not knowing what your future holds; there are many adults that even change their mind about their careers. You will be fine!
-Aili Barbee (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and the Print Editor-in-Chief. [email protected]
Q: Dear Aili, I’m really shy and am having a lot of trouble making friends. How can I come out of my shell and meet new people?
A: A great way to meet new people is to join a club or sport. Doing this will help you be integrated with people that have a similar interest as you. Joining a club or sport will also help you gain more confidence and reach out of your shell. You can also try just talking to someone you sit next to in class, or sitting next to someone new at lunch. You never know when you might just meet your new best friend. Don’t become discouraged if someone doesn’t respond to your friendly invitation at first: they might be shy too!
Q: Dear Aili, I have absolutely no clue what I am going to do in the future, and it really stresses me out. How do I figure it out?
A: It is perfectly okay to not know what you want to do with your life when you are a just a high schooler since high school is all about finding out who you are. Try taking new kinds of classes, joining new clubs, and volunteering around town. Doing different activities will help you discover what you like to do, and you might just find something that you would be happy doing for the rest of your life. Don’t be intimidated by not knowing what your future holds; there are many adults that even change their mind about their careers. You will be fine!
-Aili Barbee (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and the Print Editor-in-Chief. [email protected]
Necessities of Thanksgiving
By: Jamie Swickard
With Thanksgiving break coming up, many students and staff are beginning to become antsy from thinking about their families, football games, the annual Macy’s parade, and most importantly, the food. Before any of this can happen, there are a few necessities that need to be considered in order to make the most of your Thanksgiving holiday.
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
By: Jamie Swickard
With Thanksgiving break coming up, many students and staff are beginning to become antsy from thinking about their families, football games, the annual Macy’s parade, and most importantly, the food. Before any of this can happen, there are a few necessities that need to be considered in order to make the most of your Thanksgiving holiday.
- Turkey Trot: Running in the closest Turkey Trot to you is essential in making your holiday the best. ByAfter running in the race, you can eat all of the mashed potatoes and stuffing you want without feeling guilty because you just ran three miles that morning!
- Watch the Macy’s parade: You can’t miss the obnoxiously large Snoopy blow up fly through the sky of New York City! It is a great time to sit back, relax, and watch the parade with your family while your mom and aunts work hurriedly to prepare the food for the 1 p.m. meal time.
- Have a large spoon, possibly a shovel, if available: This is the one of the only days of the year where you can eat as much as you want and no one will judge you for it, so take advantage of it! Take large bites without any regrets, and, yes, it is okay to go back up for your fifth pilgrim shaped cookie.
- Wear stretchy pants: Your stomach will expand before your eyes as you eat, so make sure you’re not wearing that one pair of pants that are too small on you but you refuse to give away. If you decide not to listen to the advice and wear them anyways, bring some backup pants because you’ll be wanting them later.
- Watch as many football games as humanly possible: After you’ve eaten your third piece of pumpkin pie, find yourself a blanket and a spot on the couch next to your crazy uncle who is even crazier about the sport.
- Take a nap: After everyone has eaten their body weight in your aunt’s famous stuffing, find a cozy spot on your living room floor or couch to take a quick nap. The power nap will do wonders to make you prepared for the next round of food to come.
- Give thanks: The whole day is about coming together with friends and family and giving thanks for everything. Make sure time is set aside to really think about all of the good things in life. Maybe go around in a circle and name one thing you’re thankful.
-Jamie Swickard (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
Black Friday Song
By: Megan Dalton
Sung to the tune of Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
I saw a TV on sale
I can't believe such a deal
I saw the price as it fell
And now it's in my sights
I put it on my wish list
Coupons and Sales oh such bliss
I've been searching for this
And now it's in my cart
The aisles were glowing
Price tags
Deals were showing
Late night
And early morning
Where are we heading next to baby?
Hey it’s Black Friday
And deals are crazy
But grab the last one
Or I might go crazy
It's hard to fight back, these crazy ladies
But it's Black Friday
And deals are crazy
Hey I just bought this
And I just bought that
But it's Black Friday
So I'll buy these maybe
And all the shoppers
Try to beat me
But they're just too slow
Cause it's Black Friday
And people are crazy
They took their time in the lines
I took no time in the drive
They gave deals upon deals
But still I need more
I beg and bargain more sales
Discounts so good it's a steal
I waited all year for this day
And now it's time again
The lines are moving
Shopping carts
Purses unzipping
Late night
And early morning
Where we heading next to baby?
Hey it’s Black Friday
And deals are crazy
But grab the last one
Or I might go crazy
It's hard to fight back, these crazy ladies
But it's Black Friday
And deals are crazy
-Megan Dalton(‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Sports Editor. [email protected]
By: Megan Dalton
Sung to the tune of Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
I saw a TV on sale
I can't believe such a deal
I saw the price as it fell
And now it's in my sights
I put it on my wish list
Coupons and Sales oh such bliss
I've been searching for this
And now it's in my cart
The aisles were glowing
Price tags
Deals were showing
Late night
And early morning
Where are we heading next to baby?
Hey it’s Black Friday
And deals are crazy
But grab the last one
Or I might go crazy
It's hard to fight back, these crazy ladies
But it's Black Friday
And deals are crazy
Hey I just bought this
And I just bought that
But it's Black Friday
So I'll buy these maybe
And all the shoppers
Try to beat me
But they're just too slow
Cause it's Black Friday
And people are crazy
They took their time in the lines
I took no time in the drive
They gave deals upon deals
But still I need more
I beg and bargain more sales
Discounts so good it's a steal
I waited all year for this day
And now it's time again
The lines are moving
Shopping carts
Purses unzipping
Late night
And early morning
Where we heading next to baby?
Hey it’s Black Friday
And deals are crazy
But grab the last one
Or I might go crazy
It's hard to fight back, these crazy ladies
But it's Black Friday
And deals are crazy
-Megan Dalton(‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Sports Editor. [email protected]