Student participates in All-State Choir
By: Jamie Swickard
NORTHRIDGE- Miguel Disbennett (‘16) participated in his third All-State Choir performance on January 28-30. The concert was held at the Cincinnati Convention Center with around 150 participants.
All-State Choir consists of 150 of the best singers in the state of Ohio that are hand picked through an audition process. In order to audition, the singer must sing a class A or B at the annual OMEA solo and ensemble competition and record it. The student must also send in a vocal warm up showing the extent of their range. Disbennett says, “It is a pretty extensive audition, but it is done because they want the best singers possible for the concert.”
Disbennett has been a member of the All-State Choir three years in a row, beating out nearly 1,000 people for a spot. Disbennett states, “I am lucky enough to have been a member for three years straight, which is something not many get to do. I’m so grateful for that!”
After the rigorous audition, Disbennett is then faced with even more rigorous practices. He says, “We have two regional rehearsals, which add up to a total of three to four hours, and then one mass rehearsal, which adds up to about six to seven hours.”
After this, the OMEA conference takes place, which consists of three days of rehearsals and then performing. At the rehearsals, the guest conductor comes and practices with the students for a total of about 20 hours. Disbennett mentions, “It is a ton of time, but it is so worth it in the end.” After those three long, and extensive days, the choir performs their pieces.
The concert location switches every year, stopping at major cities’ convention centers each time. Last year, the concert was held at the Cleveland Convention Center, and the year before that was held at the Columbus Convention Center. Disbennett says, “The concert at the Columbus Convention Center was definitely the most convenient place for the concert to be held. It made it very easy for my family to come and support me.”
Disbennett says he loved everything about his three experiences at the concert. He states, “I wouldn’t change one thing I did while I was there. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.” He claims his favorite part of the experience was meeting new people who share a passion for singing and combing all of the talents there to create something beautiful.
Disbennett says All-State Choir has taught him so much more than just musical strategies or techniques. He states, “I have made so many great memories and experienced some truly amazing moments with really great people. I have made so many new friends from these past three years.”
Some of his favorite pieces he has performed were “Long Road” or “Balalaika”. Disbennett says, “Both pieces were so amazing and moving; it’s hard to say one is better than the other because they’re both so cool in their own ways.”
Disbennett’s advice to all singers interested in auditioning for the All-State Choir is to, “Practice your solo and vocal warm up really hard and make sure you do all you can to send in a great tape to the judges.”
As years continue on, many more Northridge students will participate in the program, but Disbennett has truly left his mark on the ever growing list of notable Northridge singers.
-Jamie Swickard (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
By: Jamie Swickard
NORTHRIDGE- Miguel Disbennett (‘16) participated in his third All-State Choir performance on January 28-30. The concert was held at the Cincinnati Convention Center with around 150 participants.
All-State Choir consists of 150 of the best singers in the state of Ohio that are hand picked through an audition process. In order to audition, the singer must sing a class A or B at the annual OMEA solo and ensemble competition and record it. The student must also send in a vocal warm up showing the extent of their range. Disbennett says, “It is a pretty extensive audition, but it is done because they want the best singers possible for the concert.”
Disbennett has been a member of the All-State Choir three years in a row, beating out nearly 1,000 people for a spot. Disbennett states, “I am lucky enough to have been a member for three years straight, which is something not many get to do. I’m so grateful for that!”
After the rigorous audition, Disbennett is then faced with even more rigorous practices. He says, “We have two regional rehearsals, which add up to a total of three to four hours, and then one mass rehearsal, which adds up to about six to seven hours.”
After this, the OMEA conference takes place, which consists of three days of rehearsals and then performing. At the rehearsals, the guest conductor comes and practices with the students for a total of about 20 hours. Disbennett mentions, “It is a ton of time, but it is so worth it in the end.” After those three long, and extensive days, the choir performs their pieces.
The concert location switches every year, stopping at major cities’ convention centers each time. Last year, the concert was held at the Cleveland Convention Center, and the year before that was held at the Columbus Convention Center. Disbennett says, “The concert at the Columbus Convention Center was definitely the most convenient place for the concert to be held. It made it very easy for my family to come and support me.”
Disbennett says he loved everything about his three experiences at the concert. He states, “I wouldn’t change one thing I did while I was there. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.” He claims his favorite part of the experience was meeting new people who share a passion for singing and combing all of the talents there to create something beautiful.
Disbennett says All-State Choir has taught him so much more than just musical strategies or techniques. He states, “I have made so many great memories and experienced some truly amazing moments with really great people. I have made so many new friends from these past three years.”
Some of his favorite pieces he has performed were “Long Road” or “Balalaika”. Disbennett says, “Both pieces were so amazing and moving; it’s hard to say one is better than the other because they’re both so cool in their own ways.”
Disbennett’s advice to all singers interested in auditioning for the All-State Choir is to, “Practice your solo and vocal warm up really hard and make sure you do all you can to send in a great tape to the judges.”
As years continue on, many more Northridge students will participate in the program, but Disbennett has truly left his mark on the ever growing list of notable Northridge singers.
-Jamie Swickard (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
Mr. Kirtland’s Ceramics Class
By: Emily Jesenko
There have been several amazing creative art projects in Mr. Kirtland’s classroom this 2015-2016 school year. One class in particular is Mrs. Kirtland’s ceramics class. He has been pleased with the results this year and claims that “every year it gets better.”
Kirtland also states that he has seen greater amounts of creative projects “because we change the assignments each year.” For example, one of his assigned projects to Ceramics I students last semester was to build a toothbrush holder. This semester, Ceramics I students must build a toothbrush and toothpaste holder. This expands the complexity of the project and makes the turn out more creative and interesting.
Looking into Mr. Kirtland ceramics lab, the projects are very interesting and extremely creative. In Mr. Kirtland’s class you can either throw on the wheel or hand build. Throwing on the wheel is something most students have never done, so it is a more difficult skill to test. Hand building is where you take clay and build with your hands or ceramic tools. From throwing mugs on the wheel to building intricate sculptures, projects are getting better and better.
Results in the ceramics lab are epic and all unique. Zach Smith (‘16) hand-built a very detailed, amazing dog. Madison Church (‘18) threw a cylinder on the wheel, then hand built a dragon that curls around the mug as a handle. Kaelin Curran (‘16) is currently making a hand built tea pot shaped as an elephant. Megan Messer (‘16) made an intriguing gargoyle of a menacing devil head. Maddie Griffin (‘18) made a detailed lunch box. As you can tell, projects are all different and unique.
Mr. Kirtland claims that “The sculptural aspect has improved in scope and size. That is why I decided to split ceramics into Ceramics II A and II B. Ceramics II A is all hand building and II B is on the wheel.” Having ceramics split into A and B will let students work on what they like better and will give them the opportunity to expand their skills and abilities.
Messer, one of Mr. Kirtland's “art nerds” says her “favorite art class is ceramics because I think it’s a lot more hands-on. I like it better than like drawing and stuff because I can touch it and do what I want instead of fitting it on a piece of paper.” She went on saying how she really likes “hand building because I can put life into the clay.”
Ceramics is a very fun and interesting way to express yourself and use your artistic abilities. Students are literally transforming clay into art, bringing it to life. The students say taking Mr. Kirtland’s class next year is highly recommended!
-Emily Jesenko (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member. [email protected]
By: Emily Jesenko
There have been several amazing creative art projects in Mr. Kirtland’s classroom this 2015-2016 school year. One class in particular is Mrs. Kirtland’s ceramics class. He has been pleased with the results this year and claims that “every year it gets better.”
Kirtland also states that he has seen greater amounts of creative projects “because we change the assignments each year.” For example, one of his assigned projects to Ceramics I students last semester was to build a toothbrush holder. This semester, Ceramics I students must build a toothbrush and toothpaste holder. This expands the complexity of the project and makes the turn out more creative and interesting.
Looking into Mr. Kirtland ceramics lab, the projects are very interesting and extremely creative. In Mr. Kirtland’s class you can either throw on the wheel or hand build. Throwing on the wheel is something most students have never done, so it is a more difficult skill to test. Hand building is where you take clay and build with your hands or ceramic tools. From throwing mugs on the wheel to building intricate sculptures, projects are getting better and better.
Results in the ceramics lab are epic and all unique. Zach Smith (‘16) hand-built a very detailed, amazing dog. Madison Church (‘18) threw a cylinder on the wheel, then hand built a dragon that curls around the mug as a handle. Kaelin Curran (‘16) is currently making a hand built tea pot shaped as an elephant. Megan Messer (‘16) made an intriguing gargoyle of a menacing devil head. Maddie Griffin (‘18) made a detailed lunch box. As you can tell, projects are all different and unique.
Mr. Kirtland claims that “The sculptural aspect has improved in scope and size. That is why I decided to split ceramics into Ceramics II A and II B. Ceramics II A is all hand building and II B is on the wheel.” Having ceramics split into A and B will let students work on what they like better and will give them the opportunity to expand their skills and abilities.
Messer, one of Mr. Kirtland's “art nerds” says her “favorite art class is ceramics because I think it’s a lot more hands-on. I like it better than like drawing and stuff because I can touch it and do what I want instead of fitting it on a piece of paper.” She went on saying how she really likes “hand building because I can put life into the clay.”
Ceramics is a very fun and interesting way to express yourself and use your artistic abilities. Students are literally transforming clay into art, bringing it to life. The students say taking Mr. Kirtland’s class next year is highly recommended!
-Emily Jesenko (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member. [email protected]
Tips for getting more sleep
By: Kayla Butler
Not everyone is a morning person. I know I’m not. Lots of people wake up feeling tired and regretting the previous evening’s activities. Do you ever wish you could get more sleep? Sometimes, the best advice you can get is from a happy morning person telling you to “Go to bed earlier!” That’s not always an easy solution for people who have jobs, play sports, participate in after school activities, or spend their nights studying.
Combining school, work, sports, and a social life can be difficult. Getting enough sleep is really important. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, teenagers need about 9 ¼ hours of sleep. Not getting the sleep you need can make your grades drop and your relationships suffer.
One way to get to bed earlier is try to prepare for the night the earliest you can. I would suggest doing any homework or studying you have to do as soon as you get home. It will be easier to relax and unwind if you get all of the stressful things out of the way in the late afternoon. If you’re more relaxed, it will be easier for you to go to sleep. One way to relax is “read a book before bed,” as Ashley Williams, (‘17), told me.
If you have a job or play sports, try to do as much of your homework as you can at school. If you have a study hall, take advantage of your time. If you don’t have a study hall, you can always get some work done during lunch. If your team is traveling to an away game, you could take any work you have to do and get it done on the way there and the way home.
Kaleb Pugh, (‘17), suggests to “take a shower before bed so you can be relaxed.” Being relaxed will make it easier for you to fall asleep. Taking a shower at night will also help save you time in the morning.
Going to bed is one thing, but waking up is completely different. To save some time in the morning, try laying out your clothes, packing your lunch, etc. the night before. If you do that, you probably won’t have to rush around so much. If you’re feeling really tired, try drinking some coffee or another caffeinated drink.
Hopefully, some or all of these tips work for you! Sweet dreams and good luck.
-Kayla Butler (‘17) is a first-year Vault staff member and Copy Editor. [email protected]
By: Kayla Butler
Not everyone is a morning person. I know I’m not. Lots of people wake up feeling tired and regretting the previous evening’s activities. Do you ever wish you could get more sleep? Sometimes, the best advice you can get is from a happy morning person telling you to “Go to bed earlier!” That’s not always an easy solution for people who have jobs, play sports, participate in after school activities, or spend their nights studying.
Combining school, work, sports, and a social life can be difficult. Getting enough sleep is really important. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, teenagers need about 9 ¼ hours of sleep. Not getting the sleep you need can make your grades drop and your relationships suffer.
One way to get to bed earlier is try to prepare for the night the earliest you can. I would suggest doing any homework or studying you have to do as soon as you get home. It will be easier to relax and unwind if you get all of the stressful things out of the way in the late afternoon. If you’re more relaxed, it will be easier for you to go to sleep. One way to relax is “read a book before bed,” as Ashley Williams, (‘17), told me.
If you have a job or play sports, try to do as much of your homework as you can at school. If you have a study hall, take advantage of your time. If you don’t have a study hall, you can always get some work done during lunch. If your team is traveling to an away game, you could take any work you have to do and get it done on the way there and the way home.
Kaleb Pugh, (‘17), suggests to “take a shower before bed so you can be relaxed.” Being relaxed will make it easier for you to fall asleep. Taking a shower at night will also help save you time in the morning.
Going to bed is one thing, but waking up is completely different. To save some time in the morning, try laying out your clothes, packing your lunch, etc. the night before. If you do that, you probably won’t have to rush around so much. If you’re feeling really tired, try drinking some coffee or another caffeinated drink.
Hopefully, some or all of these tips work for you! Sweet dreams and good luck.
-Kayla Butler (‘17) is a first-year Vault staff member and Copy Editor. [email protected]
Getting to know your classmates
A game to see how well you know your peers
By: Kaycee Campbell
There is more than “meets the eye” and so many things that you would never be able to tell about a classmate by just looking at them. See how much you know about the people you see every day in the hallways and classes by taking a shot at this little quiz:
1. This female classmate is a junior and loves to shop. She loves to shop at PINK, Wet Seal, and Forever 21. She has five siblings and has gone to Northridge since the seventh grade. She was home schooled up until then. Her favorite school subject is English and enjoys the season of spring, pop music and twitter. Can you guess who this classmate is?
2. This male classmate is a senior and claims that Reba is “the love of his life.” He loves Chinese food, chuck taylors, pop music and aspires to be a Nurse in his future. His favorite season is summer because it’s “fun in the sun and tans the buns.” He says that friends come first and can only afford to shop at places that take a credit card! Can you guess who this classmate is?
3. This female classmate is a Junior and is obsessed with chocolate and swedish fish. She loves to concerts, finds everything funny and loves to give help or advice to people. She enjoys watching Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill on Netflix in her free time. She claims that she has a “angry look” face but is actually really nice (well most of the time, that is). She is outgoing and not as shy as everyone thinks. She enjoys anything to do with the outdoors, reading, and playing sports. Her favorite books are the Hunger Games, Divergent, and any Nicholas Sparks books. Can you guess who this classmate is?
4. This male classmate is a sophomore and does not have a middle name. He loves oreos and was in a commercial when he was younger. He has been to Europe, Asia, and North and South America. He is an Aquarius and speaks five different languages. His favorite color is blue and he enjoys running and does running based sports. Can you guess who this classmate is?
5. This female classmate is a senior and loves to paint, draw and even write. She loves the colors blue and black, and adores reading. She has written two novels and is currently trying to get them published. Even though she is not a big fan of sweets, one of her hobbies is baking them. Her plan for college is to double major and have two minors. She has a tattoo and plans on getting more. Animals are her best friend and loves them very much. Can you guess who this classmate is?
These are just a few facts about these interesting classmates that no one may even know. Can you guess who these few are? These are only a small fraction of the little things that make up each of these students. Get to know the little things about your classmates, and you’ll get to know them more.
-Kaycee Campbell (‘17) is a second-year Vault and Human Resources Manager. [email protected]
A game to see how well you know your peers
By: Kaycee Campbell
There is more than “meets the eye” and so many things that you would never be able to tell about a classmate by just looking at them. See how much you know about the people you see every day in the hallways and classes by taking a shot at this little quiz:
1. This female classmate is a junior and loves to shop. She loves to shop at PINK, Wet Seal, and Forever 21. She has five siblings and has gone to Northridge since the seventh grade. She was home schooled up until then. Her favorite school subject is English and enjoys the season of spring, pop music and twitter. Can you guess who this classmate is?
2. This male classmate is a senior and claims that Reba is “the love of his life.” He loves Chinese food, chuck taylors, pop music and aspires to be a Nurse in his future. His favorite season is summer because it’s “fun in the sun and tans the buns.” He says that friends come first and can only afford to shop at places that take a credit card! Can you guess who this classmate is?
3. This female classmate is a Junior and is obsessed with chocolate and swedish fish. She loves to concerts, finds everything funny and loves to give help or advice to people. She enjoys watching Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill on Netflix in her free time. She claims that she has a “angry look” face but is actually really nice (well most of the time, that is). She is outgoing and not as shy as everyone thinks. She enjoys anything to do with the outdoors, reading, and playing sports. Her favorite books are the Hunger Games, Divergent, and any Nicholas Sparks books. Can you guess who this classmate is?
4. This male classmate is a sophomore and does not have a middle name. He loves oreos and was in a commercial when he was younger. He has been to Europe, Asia, and North and South America. He is an Aquarius and speaks five different languages. His favorite color is blue and he enjoys running and does running based sports. Can you guess who this classmate is?
5. This female classmate is a senior and loves to paint, draw and even write. She loves the colors blue and black, and adores reading. She has written two novels and is currently trying to get them published. Even though she is not a big fan of sweets, one of her hobbies is baking them. Her plan for college is to double major and have two minors. She has a tattoo and plans on getting more. Animals are her best friend and loves them very much. Can you guess who this classmate is?
These are just a few facts about these interesting classmates that no one may even know. Can you guess who these few are? These are only a small fraction of the little things that make up each of these students. Get to know the little things about your classmates, and you’ll get to know them more.
-Kaycee Campbell (‘17) is a second-year Vault and Human Resources Manager. [email protected]
A Really Really Close Look at Noah Miller
By: Olivia Carpenter
If you ever found yourself crushing on the tallest of the sophomore Triplets, then this is the article for you! Noah Miller (‘18), the tallest student at Northridge High school, a trombone player, and a triplet, is more than you think. He’s a confusing individual who doesn’t like children, is colorblind to grey and blue, and is in love with a Disney princess: Mulan. What’s so interesting about him? For starters, he goes by the name Dagmar the godslayer, will oddly stare at you with a poker face then break into an intense grin and ask you “How are you today?”, and claims himself to be a “Friggin’ genius… jk lol.”
Upon asking Noah a series of questions and analyzing his facial expressions as he answered each question, we found out he is indeed an interesting individual and we hope you can better decide whether you still have a crush on him or not.
When asked the question: Are you colorblind? He proceeded to ask if that was a valid question. He also claimed “It was in the eye of the beholder. In truth, we all know the carpets in the Northridge hallways are green, correct?” He thinks they are grey.
Also, when asked the question: “How violently do you fight the urge to scream when you see the ice cream truck?” He responded, “When I’m happy, I get quiet, or when I’m nervous I talk a lot.” In addition to that, he claims his favorite Disney Princess to be Mulan “because she’s strong and does what’s right.” And, when analyzing his facial expressions, his demeanor did not change until he was asked about the ice cream truck.
What are your chances of him liking you back? Well, Noah Miller states: “If you’re doing something very admirable” then he may fall in love with you! In fact, he says he falls in love at least “5 to 7 times a day.”
We all have embarrassing moments, right? So has Noah! In fact, in a marching band show for the Northridge High School marching band, Noah’s pants fell down in the first song of the entire performance. There were four songs total in the show. He shuffled through almost the entire show with his pants at his feet. Thankfully, he had shorts on underneath them.
Still interested in him? A last comment from the sophomore was about his life. He was asked: “When have you been most satisfied in your life?” His response was: “Right now, because I’m the person I want to be. I’m an honest, straight up guy... and I’m charismatic.” He’s also very modest.
-Olivia Carpenter ('18) is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
By: Olivia Carpenter
If you ever found yourself crushing on the tallest of the sophomore Triplets, then this is the article for you! Noah Miller (‘18), the tallest student at Northridge High school, a trombone player, and a triplet, is more than you think. He’s a confusing individual who doesn’t like children, is colorblind to grey and blue, and is in love with a Disney princess: Mulan. What’s so interesting about him? For starters, he goes by the name Dagmar the godslayer, will oddly stare at you with a poker face then break into an intense grin and ask you “How are you today?”, and claims himself to be a “Friggin’ genius… jk lol.”
Upon asking Noah a series of questions and analyzing his facial expressions as he answered each question, we found out he is indeed an interesting individual and we hope you can better decide whether you still have a crush on him or not.
When asked the question: Are you colorblind? He proceeded to ask if that was a valid question. He also claimed “It was in the eye of the beholder. In truth, we all know the carpets in the Northridge hallways are green, correct?” He thinks they are grey.
Also, when asked the question: “How violently do you fight the urge to scream when you see the ice cream truck?” He responded, “When I’m happy, I get quiet, or when I’m nervous I talk a lot.” In addition to that, he claims his favorite Disney Princess to be Mulan “because she’s strong and does what’s right.” And, when analyzing his facial expressions, his demeanor did not change until he was asked about the ice cream truck.
What are your chances of him liking you back? Well, Noah Miller states: “If you’re doing something very admirable” then he may fall in love with you! In fact, he says he falls in love at least “5 to 7 times a day.”
We all have embarrassing moments, right? So has Noah! In fact, in a marching band show for the Northridge High School marching band, Noah’s pants fell down in the first song of the entire performance. There were four songs total in the show. He shuffled through almost the entire show with his pants at his feet. Thankfully, he had shorts on underneath them.
Still interested in him? A last comment from the sophomore was about his life. He was asked: “When have you been most satisfied in your life?” His response was: “Right now, because I’m the person I want to be. I’m an honest, straight up guy... and I’m charismatic.” He’s also very modest.
-Olivia Carpenter ('18) is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Web Editor-In-Chief. [email protected]
Kayaking Master Profe Hogrefe
By: Carrisa K. Sweetman
Profe Hogrefe revealed her amazing ability to kayak in an interview earlier this year.
She has kayaked many places. Such as, Oregon, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Florida.
Her trip to Florida consisted of a two-hour long paddle.
Hogrefe started kayaking in 1985. She started because she is, “an adrenaline junkie.” She also loves the water, and she thought the boys were cute with their neoprene skirts. A neoprene skirt is the plastic that goes over the top of the boat and around your waist to keep water from splashing in.
During the interview she also talked about one of her favorite experiences. She said that it was hard to choose one specific time that was her favorite. Especially since all the trips were different, and presented their own unique challenges. One of her favorite times was in the Lower Gauley in West Virginia because it was the end of her first year, and most people can’t kayak there until their 3rd to 5th year. She managed to get through it without any bad things occurring.
She does not have a prefered brand of kayak. She does own two kayaks though. One is a Jackson, named Fun. The other is a Dagger.
The first time Hogrefe ever kayaked was at Mohican in 1985. She had gone camping with her friend and her son. Her friend and her friend’s son had left the camp ground. After they left, A man, who was a retired marine, let her borrow his boat and she took it out on the water. She said she was amazed she could paddle, and “it was like a sports car.” The boat was 17 feet long.
Right after we talked about her first time kayaking, she spoke of how she wanted to go kayaking in Alaska, but the natives would not let her. The did this because of fear. They did not want her getting hurt because the water was dangerously cold.
“Most people don’t know that kayaking is truly addictive,” and “white water is so much fun,” said Hogrefe. It gives people a chance to meet new people, as well as, “drive to beautiful places with hills.” Hogrefe has met many new people. Her favorite part is how all of these people live completely different lives. Another thing is you get to leave home on a Friday night and drive to an “amazing, and beautiful location,” said Profe.
Hogrefe claims, “No matter how much work I have it is totally refreshing.” She may have a lot of grading to do, but she will always make time for a trip to kayak. Hogrefe has also enjoyed the white water in other countries. While she was in the Dominican republic two years ago, she went rafting with Katie Pileski and Kaitlin Garee.
She learned to kayak from the Columbus Outdoor Pursuits. She said they offer, “lessons, and the basics.” She also mentioned how the foundation was not doing very well and will possibly end up closing in the near future.
She said one of the coolest places she has gotten to kayak is a week long trip she took to the Rogue River in Oregon. The other place she got to go to was when she got to paddle the north fork of the river Salmon. She said, “it was depressing to leave.” All she wanted to do was stay on the water.
-Carrisa Sweetman (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member and a Jr. Photos Editor. [email protected]
By: Carrisa K. Sweetman
Profe Hogrefe revealed her amazing ability to kayak in an interview earlier this year.
She has kayaked many places. Such as, Oregon, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Florida.
Her trip to Florida consisted of a two-hour long paddle.
Hogrefe started kayaking in 1985. She started because she is, “an adrenaline junkie.” She also loves the water, and she thought the boys were cute with their neoprene skirts. A neoprene skirt is the plastic that goes over the top of the boat and around your waist to keep water from splashing in.
During the interview she also talked about one of her favorite experiences. She said that it was hard to choose one specific time that was her favorite. Especially since all the trips were different, and presented their own unique challenges. One of her favorite times was in the Lower Gauley in West Virginia because it was the end of her first year, and most people can’t kayak there until their 3rd to 5th year. She managed to get through it without any bad things occurring.
She does not have a prefered brand of kayak. She does own two kayaks though. One is a Jackson, named Fun. The other is a Dagger.
The first time Hogrefe ever kayaked was at Mohican in 1985. She had gone camping with her friend and her son. Her friend and her friend’s son had left the camp ground. After they left, A man, who was a retired marine, let her borrow his boat and she took it out on the water. She said she was amazed she could paddle, and “it was like a sports car.” The boat was 17 feet long.
Right after we talked about her first time kayaking, she spoke of how she wanted to go kayaking in Alaska, but the natives would not let her. The did this because of fear. They did not want her getting hurt because the water was dangerously cold.
“Most people don’t know that kayaking is truly addictive,” and “white water is so much fun,” said Hogrefe. It gives people a chance to meet new people, as well as, “drive to beautiful places with hills.” Hogrefe has met many new people. Her favorite part is how all of these people live completely different lives. Another thing is you get to leave home on a Friday night and drive to an “amazing, and beautiful location,” said Profe.
Hogrefe claims, “No matter how much work I have it is totally refreshing.” She may have a lot of grading to do, but she will always make time for a trip to kayak. Hogrefe has also enjoyed the white water in other countries. While she was in the Dominican republic two years ago, she went rafting with Katie Pileski and Kaitlin Garee.
She learned to kayak from the Columbus Outdoor Pursuits. She said they offer, “lessons, and the basics.” She also mentioned how the foundation was not doing very well and will possibly end up closing in the near future.
She said one of the coolest places she has gotten to kayak is a week long trip she took to the Rogue River in Oregon. The other place she got to go to was when she got to paddle the north fork of the river Salmon. She said, “it was depressing to leave.” All she wanted to do was stay on the water.
-Carrisa Sweetman (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member and a Jr. Photos Editor. [email protected]
Two (or sometimes three) is better than one
By: Emma Scritchfield
Ever feel like you’re seeing double? Well, you could just be seeing one of the many sets of twins and triplets at Northridge! Although these similar sets of individuals look alike, they each possess a unique personality that is their own.
One of the older sets of twins at Northridge are Kristian and Tristian Hardbarger-Kindred. They were both born on April 4th, 1998, with Kristian being the first to arrive. The pair look awfully similar, sharing the same facial structure, thin stature, and even shoe size. However, the two can be easily told apart by their height difference and hair color. “I’ve always had bright red hair, whereas he [Kristian] has brown. I’m also a bit taller than him, too,” comments Tristian.
Although they possess a similar physique, their interests and hobbies are as different as can be. “Tristian is really into body-mod. Tattoos, piercings, and such. He also really likes supernatural things and nature. But I’m more interested in video games and different kinds of music than he is,” comments Kristian. “But we really liked playing sports together when we were younger, like baseball and soccer. We bonded a lot over that. We also enjoy playing basketball together.”
But are these two boys as close as they seem? As a matter of fact, they are! With a smile, Tristian states, “Being brothers wasn’t our choice, but being friends was. I think having a friendship with Kristian has been really helpful and important to me.” Kristian is quick to add, “We tell each other everything. He knows when I’m upset and vice versa. It’s really nice to have someone to talk to that you know will be understanding.”
When asked about their favorite memories together, the pair struggled to choose just one. “There’s a lot,” says Tristian, “But playing baseball together as kids was definitely a good time.” Kristian eagerly adds, “One that really sticks out in my mind was when we both had loose teeth as children and wanted them to fall out faster,” Through laughter he continues, “So, we punched each other in the face and knocked each other’s teeth out. We ran to show our mom with blood gushing from our mouths.”
The Hardbarger-Kindred twins definitely have a strong, trusting, and laughter-filled relationship, much like 18 year-old twins, Alexis and Asiah Lamp.
The Lamp twins were born on February 24, 1998, with Alexis arriving six minutes before Asiah. The girls look strikingly similar, sharing eye shape and color, stature, and facial structure. However, their hair color and height differentiate them from one another. “I think as twins we see ourselves a lot differently [physically] than others,” comments Alexis.
Asiah and Alexis share a lot of the same interests including clothing. “We have really similar style and both really enjoy shopping, despite the fact that Lexi is girlier than I am,” Asiah states. Alexis agrees, “Absolutely. We both really like to ride 4-wheelers too.” In fact, one of Asiah’s favorite memories involved driving and flipping their grandmother’s quad with her sister, recalling the moment with a fit of giggles. “Oh!” interjects Alexis, “My favorite memory, looking back, definitely has to be that time were were fighting in the kitchen and Asiah threw a bowl of cereal at me. Milk, spoon, and all!” Asiah adds, “Yeah! and then you threw a bag of potato chips at me.” The two laugh, remembering the moment.
The twins share a very close relationship that most siblings don’t. “We get on each other’s nerves sometimes and get into petty arguments, but we really are close and tell each other everything,” Alexis states, smiling at her sister.
But, not all twins are like the Lamps. Austin and Aaron Boles share a more modest relationship.
The Boles twins were born on March 5, 1999. Aaron was born first, with Austin arriving soon after. The pair share a similar eye and hair color and even shoe size! But they can easily be told apart from their facial structure differences and preferred hobbies.
“I'm a bit thinner, I guess,” says Austin. “I am planning on going into the military, so it's helpful being fit. Aaron is more interested in pursuing computers though.” The brothers have different tastes in everything from music to pastimes. “I really like Dubstep, but Austin prefers things like rap, right?” comments Aaron, looking to his brother, who nods in agreement.
But the twins aren’t polar opposites. “We both really like to play soccer. We even played on the school’s team together,” shares Austin. “Yeah, we are both pretty interested by computers and airsoft too.”
Overall, the brothers conclude that they share a fair relationship, despite one occasionally annoying or picking on the other and enjoy making memories together on the sports field.
Our final set of multiples are the Miller Triplets. Sydney, the first born and only girl, Noah, and Gabe were all born on March 3, 2000. The siblings share many similar traits such as thick dark hair, athletic builds, tall statures, and facial features. The youngest, Gabe, adds with a laugh, “I think we all have abnormally large hands too!”
The triplets all share an interest in music, all having been involved in musical productions or marching band at some point. Gabe and Sydney both share a love for sports like track and field and competitive swimming. “Noah enjoys quieter activities like video games and Pokemon, whereas Sydney and I like to go workout,” comments Gabe.
The three high schoolers share a very complex and special bond. “I think we are pretty close and distant all at the same time,” says Sydney. “I agree. Noah is definitely the peacekeeper among us,” Gabe adds. “We have all made a lot of memories together. Each day we make new ones. I have so many favorites I couldn’t even try to pick one,” comments Noah with a smile.
Being a twin or triplet certainly has its pros and cons, but these siblings all embrace their unique relationships to their fullest. Despite having a similar face, they all possess entirely different stories. Perhaps two is better than one.
-Emma Scritchfield is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Features Editor. 18escritchfield@northridgevikings.org
By: Emma Scritchfield
Ever feel like you’re seeing double? Well, you could just be seeing one of the many sets of twins and triplets at Northridge! Although these similar sets of individuals look alike, they each possess a unique personality that is their own.
One of the older sets of twins at Northridge are Kristian and Tristian Hardbarger-Kindred. They were both born on April 4th, 1998, with Kristian being the first to arrive. The pair look awfully similar, sharing the same facial structure, thin stature, and even shoe size. However, the two can be easily told apart by their height difference and hair color. “I’ve always had bright red hair, whereas he [Kristian] has brown. I’m also a bit taller than him, too,” comments Tristian.
Although they possess a similar physique, their interests and hobbies are as different as can be. “Tristian is really into body-mod. Tattoos, piercings, and such. He also really likes supernatural things and nature. But I’m more interested in video games and different kinds of music than he is,” comments Kristian. “But we really liked playing sports together when we were younger, like baseball and soccer. We bonded a lot over that. We also enjoy playing basketball together.”
But are these two boys as close as they seem? As a matter of fact, they are! With a smile, Tristian states, “Being brothers wasn’t our choice, but being friends was. I think having a friendship with Kristian has been really helpful and important to me.” Kristian is quick to add, “We tell each other everything. He knows when I’m upset and vice versa. It’s really nice to have someone to talk to that you know will be understanding.”
When asked about their favorite memories together, the pair struggled to choose just one. “There’s a lot,” says Tristian, “But playing baseball together as kids was definitely a good time.” Kristian eagerly adds, “One that really sticks out in my mind was when we both had loose teeth as children and wanted them to fall out faster,” Through laughter he continues, “So, we punched each other in the face and knocked each other’s teeth out. We ran to show our mom with blood gushing from our mouths.”
The Hardbarger-Kindred twins definitely have a strong, trusting, and laughter-filled relationship, much like 18 year-old twins, Alexis and Asiah Lamp.
The Lamp twins were born on February 24, 1998, with Alexis arriving six minutes before Asiah. The girls look strikingly similar, sharing eye shape and color, stature, and facial structure. However, their hair color and height differentiate them from one another. “I think as twins we see ourselves a lot differently [physically] than others,” comments Alexis.
Asiah and Alexis share a lot of the same interests including clothing. “We have really similar style and both really enjoy shopping, despite the fact that Lexi is girlier than I am,” Asiah states. Alexis agrees, “Absolutely. We both really like to ride 4-wheelers too.” In fact, one of Asiah’s favorite memories involved driving and flipping their grandmother’s quad with her sister, recalling the moment with a fit of giggles. “Oh!” interjects Alexis, “My favorite memory, looking back, definitely has to be that time were were fighting in the kitchen and Asiah threw a bowl of cereal at me. Milk, spoon, and all!” Asiah adds, “Yeah! and then you threw a bag of potato chips at me.” The two laugh, remembering the moment.
The twins share a very close relationship that most siblings don’t. “We get on each other’s nerves sometimes and get into petty arguments, but we really are close and tell each other everything,” Alexis states, smiling at her sister.
But, not all twins are like the Lamps. Austin and Aaron Boles share a more modest relationship.
The Boles twins were born on March 5, 1999. Aaron was born first, with Austin arriving soon after. The pair share a similar eye and hair color and even shoe size! But they can easily be told apart from their facial structure differences and preferred hobbies.
“I'm a bit thinner, I guess,” says Austin. “I am planning on going into the military, so it's helpful being fit. Aaron is more interested in pursuing computers though.” The brothers have different tastes in everything from music to pastimes. “I really like Dubstep, but Austin prefers things like rap, right?” comments Aaron, looking to his brother, who nods in agreement.
But the twins aren’t polar opposites. “We both really like to play soccer. We even played on the school’s team together,” shares Austin. “Yeah, we are both pretty interested by computers and airsoft too.”
Overall, the brothers conclude that they share a fair relationship, despite one occasionally annoying or picking on the other and enjoy making memories together on the sports field.
Our final set of multiples are the Miller Triplets. Sydney, the first born and only girl, Noah, and Gabe were all born on March 3, 2000. The siblings share many similar traits such as thick dark hair, athletic builds, tall statures, and facial features. The youngest, Gabe, adds with a laugh, “I think we all have abnormally large hands too!”
The triplets all share an interest in music, all having been involved in musical productions or marching band at some point. Gabe and Sydney both share a love for sports like track and field and competitive swimming. “Noah enjoys quieter activities like video games and Pokemon, whereas Sydney and I like to go workout,” comments Gabe.
The three high schoolers share a very complex and special bond. “I think we are pretty close and distant all at the same time,” says Sydney. “I agree. Noah is definitely the peacekeeper among us,” Gabe adds. “We have all made a lot of memories together. Each day we make new ones. I have so many favorites I couldn’t even try to pick one,” comments Noah with a smile.
Being a twin or triplet certainly has its pros and cons, but these siblings all embrace their unique relationships to their fullest. Despite having a similar face, they all possess entirely different stories. Perhaps two is better than one.
-Emma Scritchfield is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Features Editor. 18escritchfield@northridgevikings.org
Meet your Athletic Director and Associate Principal
By: Dayna Martin
NORTHRIDGE- The staff at Northridge High School gained many new additions this 2015-2016 school year, and Mr. Justin Grieger is just one of the many new additions. Grieger is the Athletic Director and Associate High School Principal.
Grieger has to balance his time as Athletic Director and Associate Principal and his three children, Gavin, Emmy and Carson. Gavin will be four in April, Emmy is two years old, and Carson is Grieger’s newest addition to his family. For Grieger to balance his time between family and school he says, “When you are in the school, it is school time, but when you are at home, it is family time.”
Grieger attended high school at Portage Central High School in Portage, MI. After high school, Grieger attended Capital University in Columbus, OH. Through high school and college, Grieger played football and baseball, and he then coached both sports at New Albany Plain Local Schools.
After attending college at Capital University, Grieger taught Health and Physical Education at New Albany Middle School. Grieger was also the Assistant Athletic Director and the Middle School Athletic Director. Grieger was a part of the New Albany staff for a total of 10 years before coming to Northridge.
Grieger says the biggest change between New Albany and Northridge schools is the size difference. Grieger enjoys the smaller aspect of Northridge. He says, “The small aspect of Northridge allows you to get to the students and staff better.”
Grieger had seen the job posting for the Athletic Director and Associate Principal positions, and he had experience working with Northridge Superintendent, Dr. Briggs. Grieger applied for the open position, he was interviewed and was chosen for the Athletic Director and Associate Principal positions at Northridge.
Within the athletic department at Northridge, Grieger hopes to continue with the success and to always work on improving aspects of the athletics. One of the biggest improvements to Northridge athletics mentioned by Grieger was the new weight room.
Jordan Crow (‘18) says, “Mr. Grieger is a great new addition to Northridge and he is going to make many improvements to the athletics.”
Grieger also hopes to work more with the student athletes and the coaches to set goals, working towards making the athletics more successful. Grieger says, “The student athletes should not only be good people on the field, but also good people off the field.”
Grieger predicts that Northridge athletics will be very successful in the future. When Grieger was asked about the success of the athletics, he said, “Success is not about the wins and loses, it is about the experience that the students are having.” The student athletes become successful through hard work, discipline and making friendships while participating in their sport.
Also, Grieger mentions there is another person who contributes to Northridge’s success, and that is Ms. Anderson. Grieger says, “Ms. Anderson is such a great person and she is a wonderful leader for Northridge.”
-Dayna Martin (‘18) is the Jr. Print Editor-In-Chief and Jr. Sports Editor. [email protected]
By: Dayna Martin
NORTHRIDGE- The staff at Northridge High School gained many new additions this 2015-2016 school year, and Mr. Justin Grieger is just one of the many new additions. Grieger is the Athletic Director and Associate High School Principal.
Grieger has to balance his time as Athletic Director and Associate Principal and his three children, Gavin, Emmy and Carson. Gavin will be four in April, Emmy is two years old, and Carson is Grieger’s newest addition to his family. For Grieger to balance his time between family and school he says, “When you are in the school, it is school time, but when you are at home, it is family time.”
Grieger attended high school at Portage Central High School in Portage, MI. After high school, Grieger attended Capital University in Columbus, OH. Through high school and college, Grieger played football and baseball, and he then coached both sports at New Albany Plain Local Schools.
After attending college at Capital University, Grieger taught Health and Physical Education at New Albany Middle School. Grieger was also the Assistant Athletic Director and the Middle School Athletic Director. Grieger was a part of the New Albany staff for a total of 10 years before coming to Northridge.
Grieger says the biggest change between New Albany and Northridge schools is the size difference. Grieger enjoys the smaller aspect of Northridge. He says, “The small aspect of Northridge allows you to get to the students and staff better.”
Grieger had seen the job posting for the Athletic Director and Associate Principal positions, and he had experience working with Northridge Superintendent, Dr. Briggs. Grieger applied for the open position, he was interviewed and was chosen for the Athletic Director and Associate Principal positions at Northridge.
Within the athletic department at Northridge, Grieger hopes to continue with the success and to always work on improving aspects of the athletics. One of the biggest improvements to Northridge athletics mentioned by Grieger was the new weight room.
Jordan Crow (‘18) says, “Mr. Grieger is a great new addition to Northridge and he is going to make many improvements to the athletics.”
Grieger also hopes to work more with the student athletes and the coaches to set goals, working towards making the athletics more successful. Grieger says, “The student athletes should not only be good people on the field, but also good people off the field.”
Grieger predicts that Northridge athletics will be very successful in the future. When Grieger was asked about the success of the athletics, he said, “Success is not about the wins and loses, it is about the experience that the students are having.” The student athletes become successful through hard work, discipline and making friendships while participating in their sport.
Also, Grieger mentions there is another person who contributes to Northridge’s success, and that is Ms. Anderson. Grieger says, “Ms. Anderson is such a great person and she is a wonderful leader for Northridge.”
-Dayna Martin (‘18) is the Jr. Print Editor-In-Chief and Jr. Sports Editor. [email protected]
Ms. Groeniger takes on Northridge
By: Megan Dalton
NORTHRIDGE- For the 2015-2016 school year here at Northridge High School, there was a staff full of familiar faces and several new ones. The staff of teachers at Northridge added one Jill Groeniger as the new Economics and Contemporary World Issues teacher.
While Economics has been a elective offered here at Northridge for years, World Issues is a new semester class being offered to the students just this year. Economics covers the basics of money and money handling like how it works, what it means, how it circulates, and other things students may need to know as they soon enter the money crazed world.
The world issue class goes over a different kind of world experience. It does have basics it covers like globalization, terrorism, trade, and hacking. If time permits it talks about the issues that are really happening outside, when they happen. For example after the Paris attacks last November, Groeniger’s class looked into the issue. “It was cool to learn more about the issue from a very educated standpoint. It was also a cool topic because it connected into the terrorism unit we had previously learned,” says a former student Zach Smith(‘16).
Before Groeniger came to teach these classes at Northridge, she attended high school at Worthington Kilbourne, then continued her schooling at The Ohio State University. While at college, Groeniger majored in history, and got her Master’s in Education. She then spent a year student teaching at Gahanna High School. Groeniger said that this made her transition between being a student to being a teacher very simple. Saying “The woman I student taught for was very helpful. But she also allowed me to be in charge and ‘be the teacher’ so I got used to being in charge, waking up early and making all my lessons.”
When asked if she had always wanted to be a teacher, she claimed that she always kind of knew. Groeniger explains that it was because, “While in high school [she] always saw how people didn't really take the classes seriously.” So wanting to change the way some people abused their education, she became a teacher.
Groeniger says that her favorite part of teaching is, “seeing students get excited about the topics and learning new things.”
Outside of the classroom Groeniger says her favorite things to do would be anything outside. She is an avid hiker and lover of nature. One goal that Groeniger has set is to travel to every continent, saying that she loves to travel and explore all the places in the world.
-Megan Dalton (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Sports-Editor. [email protected]
By: Megan Dalton
NORTHRIDGE- For the 2015-2016 school year here at Northridge High School, there was a staff full of familiar faces and several new ones. The staff of teachers at Northridge added one Jill Groeniger as the new Economics and Contemporary World Issues teacher.
While Economics has been a elective offered here at Northridge for years, World Issues is a new semester class being offered to the students just this year. Economics covers the basics of money and money handling like how it works, what it means, how it circulates, and other things students may need to know as they soon enter the money crazed world.
The world issue class goes over a different kind of world experience. It does have basics it covers like globalization, terrorism, trade, and hacking. If time permits it talks about the issues that are really happening outside, when they happen. For example after the Paris attacks last November, Groeniger’s class looked into the issue. “It was cool to learn more about the issue from a very educated standpoint. It was also a cool topic because it connected into the terrorism unit we had previously learned,” says a former student Zach Smith(‘16).
Before Groeniger came to teach these classes at Northridge, she attended high school at Worthington Kilbourne, then continued her schooling at The Ohio State University. While at college, Groeniger majored in history, and got her Master’s in Education. She then spent a year student teaching at Gahanna High School. Groeniger said that this made her transition between being a student to being a teacher very simple. Saying “The woman I student taught for was very helpful. But she also allowed me to be in charge and ‘be the teacher’ so I got used to being in charge, waking up early and making all my lessons.”
When asked if she had always wanted to be a teacher, she claimed that she always kind of knew. Groeniger explains that it was because, “While in high school [she] always saw how people didn't really take the classes seriously.” So wanting to change the way some people abused their education, she became a teacher.
Groeniger says that her favorite part of teaching is, “seeing students get excited about the topics and learning new things.”
Outside of the classroom Groeniger says her favorite things to do would be anything outside. She is an avid hiker and lover of nature. One goal that Groeniger has set is to travel to every continent, saying that she loves to travel and explore all the places in the world.
-Megan Dalton (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Sports-Editor. [email protected]
Graduation or Situation?
By: Karie Smith
Anyone who wants to graduate early needs to know how many credits they have and what classes they need to take in order to graduate. Some people would take online classes to make this happen, which, in my case, did not work at all.
Over the summer, I had taken an online class at a popular online school. I had some complications with sections on the class courses, and there were some parts where my instructor would not email me or reset sections of my course to where I could actually do them and finish them with a passing grade. My instructor never emailed me back. I was a horrible, stressing mess. I had done all my work and everything, and it was just graded in weird ways. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend taking online classes unless you know you could get along passing the class just fine without talking to the instructor.
That’s over with, thankfully. But what am I supposed to do now? Oh,College Credit Plus! For that I get two English credits, which works out great! But the downside to all of this, I wouldn’t graduate with the people I’ve known for five or so years, but on the plus side, I would be able to go to most of their graduations the year after I graduate! So that sort of works out.
My sister, Paige Smith (‘15) graduated “early” last year, and she had said that, “I miss the atmosphere, Just being at school, I liked being there.” Although she doesn’t have to get up for school in the morning, she has to get up and get ready for work. In order to graduate early, she had taken three different courses online, but it was different than what I did. Apex is an online summer school that they no longer offer at NHS, which sucks because I would have been happy to have done what she did at the end.
When I was done talking to her, I asked her if she could give some advice for high school students. She says,"Make sure you do what you truly want. Don't feel pressured rushing into college or work, just figure yourself out. It takes time and patience for everything to finally fall into place."
Some people don’t know what they’re going to do after high school, between military bound, college, or maybe just traveling around to do something. Me? I had the good idea of going into the military since about the eighth grade. When I was little, my mom would always tell my siblings and I, “It’s either military or college after high school.” I chose military.
Some people are probably reading this thinking, “Why does she want to graduate early just to join the military?” Well, I was held back in second grade, and if I were to graduate in 2018 I’d be turning 20 that November. So, that’s why I’d rather graduate early.
But, there’s always that one chance I won’t be able to, which pushes all my plans back another year and for me to try and keep on trying to not fail any classes and to get passing grades.
The thing is, if I do graduate early, then, there’s not a lot that I would actually miss other than my teachers pushing me to do better and my friends being there in my times of need. Other than that, high school will be over.
It’s scary to think about high school ending after we’ve awaken every day for school for our entire lives, all of it leading up to the day we stand on a stage, grab our principal’s hand and a piece of paper, enjoying incredibly long speeches, pictures, and the ending of high school. That’s a thing to look forward to, whenever is the right time for you. Graduation is the day where you as a student get to say, “I did it. I’ve made it!” Then you go home and party and start looking for a job (if you don’t already have one) to get yourself financially stable. Then you become a full-time adult and just start adulting out in the world.
Just push yourself toward whatever your goal is, be informed, and soon you’ll succeed!
-Karie Smith (‘18) is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Opinions Editor. [email protected]
By: Karie Smith
Anyone who wants to graduate early needs to know how many credits they have and what classes they need to take in order to graduate. Some people would take online classes to make this happen, which, in my case, did not work at all.
Over the summer, I had taken an online class at a popular online school. I had some complications with sections on the class courses, and there were some parts where my instructor would not email me or reset sections of my course to where I could actually do them and finish them with a passing grade. My instructor never emailed me back. I was a horrible, stressing mess. I had done all my work and everything, and it was just graded in weird ways. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend taking online classes unless you know you could get along passing the class just fine without talking to the instructor.
That’s over with, thankfully. But what am I supposed to do now? Oh,College Credit Plus! For that I get two English credits, which works out great! But the downside to all of this, I wouldn’t graduate with the people I’ve known for five or so years, but on the plus side, I would be able to go to most of their graduations the year after I graduate! So that sort of works out.
My sister, Paige Smith (‘15) graduated “early” last year, and she had said that, “I miss the atmosphere, Just being at school, I liked being there.” Although she doesn’t have to get up for school in the morning, she has to get up and get ready for work. In order to graduate early, she had taken three different courses online, but it was different than what I did. Apex is an online summer school that they no longer offer at NHS, which sucks because I would have been happy to have done what she did at the end.
When I was done talking to her, I asked her if she could give some advice for high school students. She says,"Make sure you do what you truly want. Don't feel pressured rushing into college or work, just figure yourself out. It takes time and patience for everything to finally fall into place."
Some people don’t know what they’re going to do after high school, between military bound, college, or maybe just traveling around to do something. Me? I had the good idea of going into the military since about the eighth grade. When I was little, my mom would always tell my siblings and I, “It’s either military or college after high school.” I chose military.
Some people are probably reading this thinking, “Why does she want to graduate early just to join the military?” Well, I was held back in second grade, and if I were to graduate in 2018 I’d be turning 20 that November. So, that’s why I’d rather graduate early.
But, there’s always that one chance I won’t be able to, which pushes all my plans back another year and for me to try and keep on trying to not fail any classes and to get passing grades.
The thing is, if I do graduate early, then, there’s not a lot that I would actually miss other than my teachers pushing me to do better and my friends being there in my times of need. Other than that, high school will be over.
It’s scary to think about high school ending after we’ve awaken every day for school for our entire lives, all of it leading up to the day we stand on a stage, grab our principal’s hand and a piece of paper, enjoying incredibly long speeches, pictures, and the ending of high school. That’s a thing to look forward to, whenever is the right time for you. Graduation is the day where you as a student get to say, “I did it. I’ve made it!” Then you go home and party and start looking for a job (if you don’t already have one) to get yourself financially stable. Then you become a full-time adult and just start adulting out in the world.
Just push yourself toward whatever your goal is, be informed, and soon you’ll succeed!
-Karie Smith (‘18) is a first-year Vault staff member and Jr. Opinions Editor. [email protected]
What Ski Club members do in the Summer
By: Kyle Stermer
NORTHRIDGE- Every winter, a large group of the most extreme students at Northridge head up to Snow Trails to participate in skiing and snowboarding. In Ohio, the weather is very unpredictable, and the ski season usually only lasts about three months. So, the question is, what do members of the ski club do in the offseason? I started talking to ski club members to figure this very question out.
The first student I talked to is junior Joel Hale. During the ski season, Hale spends at the minimum one day a week on the slopes, sometimes more. Once the season is over, it seems like he would have a lot of time on his hands; however, that is not so true.
Hale says “I try to stay as active as I can in the offseason”.
One of the things he does is go hiking. Hiking is a great way for athletes to build critical leg muscles, and you also get to explore nature and see some cool views. Hale also mentions spending a lot of time swimming, preferably places with a diving board.
“Jumping off the diving board helps me practice tricks for the next ski season,” he says.
Hale also does traditional things, like work out. Specific exercises like squatting help you build leg muscles that are crucial to the ski season.
Another student I talked to was Landon Shenberger(‘14). Shenberger spends a decent amount of his time in the winter on the slopes, and he tries to progress as much as possible. Even though the ski season is the prime time, Shenberger wouldn't be as good as he is without his summer activities. One of Shenbergers summer activities is jumping on the trampoline. Shenberger doesn't use the trampoline as your traditional fun bounce house; he uses it like a training center.
Shenberger says “I use the trampoline to practice tricks that I wouldn't try first on skis.”
Another activity Shenberger does is watch skiing videos. It seems like a simple task, but can help learning new tricks easy when you have someone showing them to you.
Overall, it looks like the ski club would be pretty bored in the summer, but they keep a packed schedule year round.
-Kyle Stermer (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and News Editor. [email protected]
By: Kyle Stermer
NORTHRIDGE- Every winter, a large group of the most extreme students at Northridge head up to Snow Trails to participate in skiing and snowboarding. In Ohio, the weather is very unpredictable, and the ski season usually only lasts about three months. So, the question is, what do members of the ski club do in the offseason? I started talking to ski club members to figure this very question out.
The first student I talked to is junior Joel Hale. During the ski season, Hale spends at the minimum one day a week on the slopes, sometimes more. Once the season is over, it seems like he would have a lot of time on his hands; however, that is not so true.
Hale says “I try to stay as active as I can in the offseason”.
One of the things he does is go hiking. Hiking is a great way for athletes to build critical leg muscles, and you also get to explore nature and see some cool views. Hale also mentions spending a lot of time swimming, preferably places with a diving board.
“Jumping off the diving board helps me practice tricks for the next ski season,” he says.
Hale also does traditional things, like work out. Specific exercises like squatting help you build leg muscles that are crucial to the ski season.
Another student I talked to was Landon Shenberger(‘14). Shenberger spends a decent amount of his time in the winter on the slopes, and he tries to progress as much as possible. Even though the ski season is the prime time, Shenberger wouldn't be as good as he is without his summer activities. One of Shenbergers summer activities is jumping on the trampoline. Shenberger doesn't use the trampoline as your traditional fun bounce house; he uses it like a training center.
Shenberger says “I use the trampoline to practice tricks that I wouldn't try first on skis.”
Another activity Shenberger does is watch skiing videos. It seems like a simple task, but can help learning new tricks easy when you have someone showing them to you.
Overall, it looks like the ski club would be pretty bored in the summer, but they keep a packed schedule year round.
-Kyle Stermer (’16) is a third-year Vault staff member and News Editor. [email protected]
Seniors offer advice to 8th graders
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE: As we all know, starting high school is as interesting and exciting as it is daunting and stressful. If there was anything I was looking for when we were scheduling classes in eighth grade it would have been some semblance of guidance. Maybe a little bit of knowledge for what we were really scheduling and how it would affect us later on. Recently eighth grade students have been scheduling for their freshman year classes.
I tried my best when I was in that position to pick what I thought was best at the time. I think it played out pretty well, but who knows if it could have been better. It’s best not to ask questions like that though; that’s the type of stuff that keeps you up at night.
I asked a few Northridge seniors what they thought would be good advice for eighth graders or even freshman for some help and guidelines throughout high school.
Senior Bryan Diedrich (‘16) says that “There are going to be times where you hate everything, trust me I’ve been there, but as one of my teachers told me ‘Suck it up’. You’re going to get through it whether it’s easy or if it’s a challenge.”
Another Senior, Spencer Miller (‘16) states that “Avoid rude upperclassmen who look down on you and make sure you pick classes that match your skill levels. Never bite off more than you can chew.”
Lastly, Senior Jordan Wolfe offers “Grades matter more than you think, when/if you apply for scholarships the difference between letter grades holds significant monetary value. Also, don’t fill your schedule with study halls in your first few years, you might want to get a lot of classes out of the way early so you can take electives you want to, AP classes, college classes, or even leave early in your senior year.”
All of these are great pieces of advice for any underclassmen who is worried about what to do and anything they’ll need to get through the years. If you are reading this and feel like you need anything else or just want to hear from someone who’s been through the four years of high school, my email is at the bottom of the article! I hope this helped at least some of you who are curious or stressed about the years to come, but enjoy your time in the first few while you can; you’ll miss it when it’s gone.
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE: As we all know, starting high school is as interesting and exciting as it is daunting and stressful. If there was anything I was looking for when we were scheduling classes in eighth grade it would have been some semblance of guidance. Maybe a little bit of knowledge for what we were really scheduling and how it would affect us later on. Recently eighth grade students have been scheduling for their freshman year classes.
I tried my best when I was in that position to pick what I thought was best at the time. I think it played out pretty well, but who knows if it could have been better. It’s best not to ask questions like that though; that’s the type of stuff that keeps you up at night.
I asked a few Northridge seniors what they thought would be good advice for eighth graders or even freshman for some help and guidelines throughout high school.
Senior Bryan Diedrich (‘16) says that “There are going to be times where you hate everything, trust me I’ve been there, but as one of my teachers told me ‘Suck it up’. You’re going to get through it whether it’s easy or if it’s a challenge.”
Another Senior, Spencer Miller (‘16) states that “Avoid rude upperclassmen who look down on you and make sure you pick classes that match your skill levels. Never bite off more than you can chew.”
Lastly, Senior Jordan Wolfe offers “Grades matter more than you think, when/if you apply for scholarships the difference between letter grades holds significant monetary value. Also, don’t fill your schedule with study halls in your first few years, you might want to get a lot of classes out of the way early so you can take electives you want to, AP classes, college classes, or even leave early in your senior year.”
All of these are great pieces of advice for any underclassmen who is worried about what to do and anything they’ll need to get through the years. If you are reading this and feel like you need anything else or just want to hear from someone who’s been through the four years of high school, my email is at the bottom of the article! I hope this helped at least some of you who are curious or stressed about the years to come, but enjoy your time in the first few while you can; you’ll miss it when it’s gone.
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
Broken knees mean broken ski seasons
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE- If there is one thing I can say about getting injured, it’s that you should never, ever get hurt. It sucks.
On January 30th, the day I will be time travelling back to so I can stop the kid and I from colliding and my knee from getting hurt. That’s getting ahead of myself though. On January 30th I woke up normally, face down in a disastrous collage of comforters and pillows in my bed. I got out of bed and sluggishly prepared for a day of skiing with the Northridge Ski Club. I went upstairs and made myself something that I qualified as breakfast but what many others will describe as something Dr. Frankenstein would have thrown away. As the morning progressed I went back downstairs to grab my skis and duffel bag of gear, got in the car with my two younger brothers and drove towards the school.
We pulled into the parking lot and loaded all of our gear onto the bus. We were now on the way to Snow Trails in Mansfield, the place I’ve skied since I first started going with the ski club. We reached the resort, and all of the members of ski club filed out of the bus, one by one, eager to get on the slope. I got up to the top floor of the lodge and started strapping into my boots, unpacking my skis, and putting on my large snow pants and jacket.
Fast forward a little bit and all of my friends and I are skiing on the Alpine Slope at Snow Trails. We know this hill pretty well because it’s an intermediate level area so as we were beginning we spent a lot of time on it to practice and better prepare ourselves for harder hills. My friends and I are standing at the top, waiting to head back down for another run. We all head down at once so we are relatively close together. I’m skiing close behind Kyle and I see another skier to the right of him that we don’t know. I realize I’m a little too close to Kyle, and carve away from him. This was where it happened. The other rider we didn’t know decided to turn the opposite way and ran into me. We collided and I felt my ski catch in the snow and my leg stayed still as my knee continued to rotate. I felt a pop in my knee and I fell backwards and slid on my back down the hill. I sat at the bottom of the slope expecting nothing of what just happened, it didn’t hurt and I could bend it and put weight on it. As the day went on however I noticed increased swelling in my knee and decreased movement. By the end of the night the pain was so bad and the mobility was so stiff that I had to have Kyle Stermer and Jordan Wolfe act as my crutches and carry me back to the bus.
That night I went to the ER, had some X-rays taken, and was given a stabilizer to keep my knee still along with some crutches to get around, with an orthopedic doctor’s appointment on the horizon. The nights leading up to that appointment are when I experienced some of the worst pain of my life. The doctors all thought I had torn a ligament or ligaments in my knee, but that wasn’t the case. An MRI revealed that my ACL and PCL had torn a piece of bone from my knee. A week later and I was in surgery to suture the bone back to where it belonged. Pro Tip: Surgery sucks, but the people are nice.
All in all, getting hurt sucks. Surgery sucks. Doctor’s are very nice people, and crutches are machinations of the worst caliber. (Except they help me walk, so that’s nice).
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
By: Hugh Prentice
NORTHRIDGE- If there is one thing I can say about getting injured, it’s that you should never, ever get hurt. It sucks.
On January 30th, the day I will be time travelling back to so I can stop the kid and I from colliding and my knee from getting hurt. That’s getting ahead of myself though. On January 30th I woke up normally, face down in a disastrous collage of comforters and pillows in my bed. I got out of bed and sluggishly prepared for a day of skiing with the Northridge Ski Club. I went upstairs and made myself something that I qualified as breakfast but what many others will describe as something Dr. Frankenstein would have thrown away. As the morning progressed I went back downstairs to grab my skis and duffel bag of gear, got in the car with my two younger brothers and drove towards the school.
We pulled into the parking lot and loaded all of our gear onto the bus. We were now on the way to Snow Trails in Mansfield, the place I’ve skied since I first started going with the ski club. We reached the resort, and all of the members of ski club filed out of the bus, one by one, eager to get on the slope. I got up to the top floor of the lodge and started strapping into my boots, unpacking my skis, and putting on my large snow pants and jacket.
Fast forward a little bit and all of my friends and I are skiing on the Alpine Slope at Snow Trails. We know this hill pretty well because it’s an intermediate level area so as we were beginning we spent a lot of time on it to practice and better prepare ourselves for harder hills. My friends and I are standing at the top, waiting to head back down for another run. We all head down at once so we are relatively close together. I’m skiing close behind Kyle and I see another skier to the right of him that we don’t know. I realize I’m a little too close to Kyle, and carve away from him. This was where it happened. The other rider we didn’t know decided to turn the opposite way and ran into me. We collided and I felt my ski catch in the snow and my leg stayed still as my knee continued to rotate. I felt a pop in my knee and I fell backwards and slid on my back down the hill. I sat at the bottom of the slope expecting nothing of what just happened, it didn’t hurt and I could bend it and put weight on it. As the day went on however I noticed increased swelling in my knee and decreased movement. By the end of the night the pain was so bad and the mobility was so stiff that I had to have Kyle Stermer and Jordan Wolfe act as my crutches and carry me back to the bus.
That night I went to the ER, had some X-rays taken, and was given a stabilizer to keep my knee still along with some crutches to get around, with an orthopedic doctor’s appointment on the horizon. The nights leading up to that appointment are when I experienced some of the worst pain of my life. The doctors all thought I had torn a ligament or ligaments in my knee, but that wasn’t the case. An MRI revealed that my ACL and PCL had torn a piece of bone from my knee. A week later and I was in surgery to suture the bone back to where it belonged. Pro Tip: Surgery sucks, but the people are nice.
All in all, getting hurt sucks. Surgery sucks. Doctor’s are very nice people, and crutches are machinations of the worst caliber. (Except they help me walk, so that’s nice).
-Hugh Prentice (‘16) is a third-year Vault staff member and Opinions Editor. [email protected]
Tech innovators at Northridge
By: Andrew Watson
NORTHRIDGE - Technology at Northridge has changed for most of us here at Northridge, including the computers and network. Some of us realize this more than others, but I see that the connection speeds and reliability of the internet here have improved. Other than that, the Chromebooks we have are new and have improved the quality of a classroom setting.
Some students have had an interest in the quality of technology here at Northridge since their freshman year. Two of those students are Daniel Woods and Caleb Cordell.
Woods has taken computer hardware and software classes here at Northridge, as well as Computer Information Systems (CIS) and that has “Improved his understanding and problem-solving skills.” Although Dan feels that he “hasn’t really affected the quality of technology” here at Northridge, he says that “technology is getting better.” Woods has his PC Pro certification and is seriously considering a career in the computer technology field.
Cordell has also been influenced by the CIS program here at Northridge, saying it has “affected my understanding and troubleshooting of computers here at NHS.” Caleb also says to students that “The tech crew at Northridge are working everyday to improve/make our school’s technology better for the students, like in ways making it more user friendly.” Caleb is also looking into a career in Computer systems and is on the right path to do so.
These tech innovators have started a revolution in technology here at our high school. Students play a large role in things that we have here at school, and as long as students show this level of commitment and innovation, we will continue to have great things here at Northridge that fosters creativity and reaches the potential of those who are dedicated to something as great as technology.
-Andy Watson (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member and Features Editor. [email protected]
By: Andrew Watson
NORTHRIDGE - Technology at Northridge has changed for most of us here at Northridge, including the computers and network. Some of us realize this more than others, but I see that the connection speeds and reliability of the internet here have improved. Other than that, the Chromebooks we have are new and have improved the quality of a classroom setting.
Some students have had an interest in the quality of technology here at Northridge since their freshman year. Two of those students are Daniel Woods and Caleb Cordell.
Woods has taken computer hardware and software classes here at Northridge, as well as Computer Information Systems (CIS) and that has “Improved his understanding and problem-solving skills.” Although Dan feels that he “hasn’t really affected the quality of technology” here at Northridge, he says that “technology is getting better.” Woods has his PC Pro certification and is seriously considering a career in the computer technology field.
Cordell has also been influenced by the CIS program here at Northridge, saying it has “affected my understanding and troubleshooting of computers here at NHS.” Caleb also says to students that “The tech crew at Northridge are working everyday to improve/make our school’s technology better for the students, like in ways making it more user friendly.” Caleb is also looking into a career in Computer systems and is on the right path to do so.
These tech innovators have started a revolution in technology here at our high school. Students play a large role in things that we have here at school, and as long as students show this level of commitment and innovation, we will continue to have great things here at Northridge that fosters creativity and reaches the potential of those who are dedicated to something as great as technology.
-Andy Watson (‘16) is a first-year Vault staff member and Features Editor. [email protected]