Life-long friends at the Ridge
By: Haley Drumm
Growing up together is something that can shape someone immensely, especially during your years in grade school. The power of this is something these four students know a lot about.
I set out to find the bond, friendship, and the sentiment that comes along with growing up for so many years with peers. I found these unbreakable friendship bonds as I sat down to interview Molly Bruck (‘20) and Luci Holbrook (‘20), and Megan McCament (‘19) and Kailyn Zipf (‘18). I interviewed them each separately to understand the real emotion and get real, raw answers on how much the friendship means to them.
I first started with Kailyn and Megan. Though not in the same class, these two have known each other since they were in diapers, and that lead me to ask how knowing each other that long has helped improve their high school experience. Megan explained how they first drifted apart in early high school but are slowly finding their way back to each other: “Our friendship is starting to go back to the way it was before. This makes me happy because we were so close. It’s always nice to know that I have someone there who understands me the most when I need help with something.
Kailyn quickly responds to this question with, “I think it has helped because even though we’re in different grades and don’t have classes together, she’s still someone I can talk to anytime, when I need anything.”
Growing up together means making many, many memories. Megan reminisced on her favorite memory with Kaylin, saying, “We were in my bathroom and she yelled ‘ahh what’s that? It’s my eaaaarrr’ and her voice was so ridiculous and I cried for a long time because it was so funny.”
Kaylin reminisced farther back: “My favorite memory with Megan would be being able to ride my bike to her house whenever I wanted when we were little.”
Megan said this as a message to her oldest friend: “I would tell her thank you for being my best friend and being so supportive of me and the decisions I make. My childhood would’ve been so different if I didn’t have her by my side the entire time and I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Similarly, Kaylin added, “I would just like to tell her that it’s been great growing up with her and making so making memories with her that I will always remember and cherish. I’m very proud of who she’s becoming.”
Armed with the same questions, I interviewed Luci and Molly. Luci said that being friends with Molly has helped improve her high school experience because, “It creates a special level of comfort I have with nobody else. Growing up with her has help made it clear that I have her to rely on through all the good and bad things that come along with high school.”
Adding to that, Molly said, “It’s definitely helped. We’ve been friends for 12-13 years and, in that time, we’ve had some high highs and low lows. A really great example has been from last year to this year. Last year we had a really rough patch. But this summer, we worked through that, and we’ve never been closer. I like that we can bounce right back, and that’s helped tremendously with our high school experience.”
Through years of memories together, Luci highlighted her favorite memory as, “cheering together when we did mini cheer. We both grew out of our cheerleading phase, but that’s definitely one of the best memories.” Molly’s favorite memory was, “all the times I’ve had a bad day and Luci dropped everything to be by my side. She’ll stop and talk to me for however long it takes to put a smile back on my face.”
“I just would like to tell her that she has a big heart,” Lucie says of Molly. “Sometimes that may get her hurt, but at the end of the day, she has a lot of love to give. I’m proud of where she is and one day having a heart as big as hers will really pay off.”
Molly said, “I want to thank her for teaching me the difference between just existing and feeling alive. I’m so proud of everything she’s overcome, and I also want to thank her for making me realize what it’s like to be proud of myself as well.”
These friendships really have stood the test of time. Facing many hardships together, and having disagreements, each of these friendships were able to come out stronger on the other side. So, here’s to the many life-long friendships that continue to grow and also to everyone at the Ridge who aspires to create more of those lifelong friendships. Never be afraid to compliment someone, or talk to them. After all, that could be the friend you’re gonna be with sitting in matching rocking chairs on your 90th birthday!
- Haley Drumm (‘18) is a first-year staff writer for The Viking Vault
By: Haley Drumm
Growing up together is something that can shape someone immensely, especially during your years in grade school. The power of this is something these four students know a lot about.
I set out to find the bond, friendship, and the sentiment that comes along with growing up for so many years with peers. I found these unbreakable friendship bonds as I sat down to interview Molly Bruck (‘20) and Luci Holbrook (‘20), and Megan McCament (‘19) and Kailyn Zipf (‘18). I interviewed them each separately to understand the real emotion and get real, raw answers on how much the friendship means to them.
I first started with Kailyn and Megan. Though not in the same class, these two have known each other since they were in diapers, and that lead me to ask how knowing each other that long has helped improve their high school experience. Megan explained how they first drifted apart in early high school but are slowly finding their way back to each other: “Our friendship is starting to go back to the way it was before. This makes me happy because we were so close. It’s always nice to know that I have someone there who understands me the most when I need help with something.
Kailyn quickly responds to this question with, “I think it has helped because even though we’re in different grades and don’t have classes together, she’s still someone I can talk to anytime, when I need anything.”
Growing up together means making many, many memories. Megan reminisced on her favorite memory with Kaylin, saying, “We were in my bathroom and she yelled ‘ahh what’s that? It’s my eaaaarrr’ and her voice was so ridiculous and I cried for a long time because it was so funny.”
Kaylin reminisced farther back: “My favorite memory with Megan would be being able to ride my bike to her house whenever I wanted when we were little.”
Megan said this as a message to her oldest friend: “I would tell her thank you for being my best friend and being so supportive of me and the decisions I make. My childhood would’ve been so different if I didn’t have her by my side the entire time and I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Similarly, Kaylin added, “I would just like to tell her that it’s been great growing up with her and making so making memories with her that I will always remember and cherish. I’m very proud of who she’s becoming.”
Armed with the same questions, I interviewed Luci and Molly. Luci said that being friends with Molly has helped improve her high school experience because, “It creates a special level of comfort I have with nobody else. Growing up with her has help made it clear that I have her to rely on through all the good and bad things that come along with high school.”
Adding to that, Molly said, “It’s definitely helped. We’ve been friends for 12-13 years and, in that time, we’ve had some high highs and low lows. A really great example has been from last year to this year. Last year we had a really rough patch. But this summer, we worked through that, and we’ve never been closer. I like that we can bounce right back, and that’s helped tremendously with our high school experience.”
Through years of memories together, Luci highlighted her favorite memory as, “cheering together when we did mini cheer. We both grew out of our cheerleading phase, but that’s definitely one of the best memories.” Molly’s favorite memory was, “all the times I’ve had a bad day and Luci dropped everything to be by my side. She’ll stop and talk to me for however long it takes to put a smile back on my face.”
“I just would like to tell her that she has a big heart,” Lucie says of Molly. “Sometimes that may get her hurt, but at the end of the day, she has a lot of love to give. I’m proud of where she is and one day having a heart as big as hers will really pay off.”
Molly said, “I want to thank her for teaching me the difference between just existing and feeling alive. I’m so proud of everything she’s overcome, and I also want to thank her for making me realize what it’s like to be proud of myself as well.”
These friendships really have stood the test of time. Facing many hardships together, and having disagreements, each of these friendships were able to come out stronger on the other side. So, here’s to the many life-long friendships that continue to grow and also to everyone at the Ridge who aspires to create more of those lifelong friendships. Never be afraid to compliment someone, or talk to them. After all, that could be the friend you’re gonna be with sitting in matching rocking chairs on your 90th birthday!
- Haley Drumm (‘18) is a first-year staff writer for The Viking Vault
Where are they now?
Former senior favorites check in
By: Mackenzie Holder
It’s almost that time of year again, when the graduating class of seniors will vote for their “favorites”: Most Likely to Succeed, Most Athletic, Cutest Couple, Best Car, and on and on. The results are always highly anticipated and appear in the yearbook alongside the senior class each year. Looking back through recent issues of the yearbook, The Vault staff wondered how things were going for them. Here’s some of what we found:
Former senior favorites check in
By: Mackenzie Holder
It’s almost that time of year again, when the graduating class of seniors will vote for their “favorites”: Most Likely to Succeed, Most Athletic, Cutest Couple, Best Car, and on and on. The results are always highly anticipated and appear in the yearbook alongside the senior class each year. Looking back through recent issues of the yearbook, The Vault staff wondered how things were going for them. Here’s some of what we found:
Jake Adkins- Voted Most Likely To Succeed in 2015
- His greatest accomplishment- Currently a sophomore at Princeton University, Adkins was offered a position at a hospital in Bolivia this summer through an internship program on campus. So this summer he will spend eight weeks working in a hospital in Tarija, Bolivia, where he will help and shadow the doctors throughout the day. His worst memory from college would be failing his first Chemistry midterm exam during the fall of his freshman year. It was the first exam that he had ever failed.His best memory was the next semester where he learned from his mistakes and aced all of his exams. Adkins stated that was a rewarding experience.
Mikaela Pankuch- Most Athletic and Couple Sweet Hearts in 2015
- Currently in nursing school at Otterbein University, Pankuch’s schedule is just too busy now for sports. She is currently in Alpha Lamba Delta and Pi Eta Sigma which is National Honors Society at Otterbein, and she is also involved with the student nursing association. Some of her best memories in college include starting her first clinical experiences. Her worst would be finals week every semester. In high school, Pankuch and Brad Wilson were voted class sweethearts. They have been together for four years in May. She said that what it takes to stay together during the transition of high school to college is “good communication.” They talk every day.
Emma Dann - Voted Most Likely To Succeed in 2015
- A sophomore at The Ohio State University, Dann says her best memories from college are getting to spend every day and night with her best friends. Her worst memory from college is when she had to write a 10-page paper and taking two exams in one day. Her greatest accomplishment was competing for OSU on the equestrian team. Her advice for high school students is definitely go somewhere that you love for school. Having a lot of school spirit is a huge part of the college experience. Also, stay on top of your work!! You definitely can’t procrastinate like you can in high school … something she said she had to learn the hard way.
Chad Campbell - Voted Most Athletic in 2015
- Campbell, a sophomore at Walsh University, is currently not playing a sport. He was supposed to run track but tore his ACL senior year of basketball and ended up tearing his ACL again his freshman year of college. He is currently involved in intramural basketball. His advice for upcoming college students is, “Take studying seriously because once you get behind, it's hard to catch up.”
Alexis Absten- Voted Best Laugh in 2015
- Alexis is a sophomore at The Ohio State University. Her best college memories are seeing the successes that she has had so far in her college career and making new friends in all her different classes. She does not really have a bad memory, but if she had to choose one, she would chose having to take Chemistry, “which is pretty much torture in itself.” Her advice for upcoming college students is study hard and definitely do whatever your college professor says you need to do in order to get a good grade in the class. “Enjoy it while you can because it flies by!”
-Mackenzie Holder (‘19) is the Jr. Print Editor of The Viking Vault. [email protected]
Weird phobias at Northridge
By: Olivia Humes
NORTHRIDGE- You’ve probably been in on one of these common conversations: “I’m so freaked out by ___.” This often generates some very unusual confessions about what turns our stomachs, gives us chills, or just makes us quietly uncomfortable. Here are some of those wacky phobias, along with their Latin names.
Student: Jackson Wilson
Odd fear: Loose Hair (Chaetophobia)- Jackson’s phobia of loose hair began with his pet dogs. Wilson says, “My dogs shed and I hated when I had to look at their hair all the time, and I got really tired of it, because, ugh.” After dealing with dog hair, his phobia has developed to human hair, which causes problems in his everyday life. When asked if it interrupts school work, WIlson says, “Yeah it interrupts school work because I can’t even work if there is a hair near me.” When he finds a loose hair on his body, Wilson says, “I freak out, like, a lot, and make someone take it off of me immediately.”
Student: Sydney Miller
Odd fear: Pregnant Women (Tokophobia)- Sydney’s fear started while in elementary school. Miller says, “My aunt got pregnant and it was weird to think that a baby was growing inside of someone, and growing organs and stuff.” When around pregnant women, she begins to feel anxious the more she thinks about it. Although her phobia is about pregnant women, Miller also is afraid of being pregnant. Miller explains, “I think I’m afraid of them because it’s literally another human being inside your stomach.” When around pregnant women, Miller tries not to think about or look at them.
Student: Mandy Shults
Odd fear: Ketchup (Mortuusequusphobia)- Regarding her condiment phobia, Mandy Shults says, “I’m not sure exactly when my phobia began, but ever since I can remember, I have been afraid of ketchup.” Shults feels nauseous and disgusted when being near ketchup, and reports, “I feel like I need to put as much distance between the ketchup and me as I can.” She says one of the worst things about ketchup is the way it looks. According to Shults, “It’s slimy and red, and the thought of being near it makes me freak out. It also smells quite bad!” Mandy won’t even touch ketchup in the bottle, and if it is necessary, she will use another object to push it towards someone.
Student: Caily Thorpe
Odd fear: Automatic-Flushing Toilets (Toilet Anxiety)- Caily Thorpe’s phobia arose at a young age, while at the movies. Thorpe explains, “I was seeing Finding Nemo when I was little, and I sat on an automatic toilet. I wasn’t sure what it was, and when it flushed, I almost fell in and I screamed and cried. My Grandma laughed at me.” Thorpe will not use toilets that flush automatically, and when she sees them, it makes her uncomfortable. If she is absolutely forced to use one, Thorpe says, “I just put a lot of toilet paper over the sensor and cry a lot.”
Student: Jessica Koehler
Odd phobia: Milk (Gallophobia)- While in grade school, Jessica Koehler developed a phobia of milk. When asked about her phobia, Koehler says, “I am mostly afraid of milk because I had to drink it so much when I was a young child. Although, when I was in school, I got milk spilled on me by Megan McCament and it scarred me and burned my skin.” Her phobia has caused Koehler to avoid drinking milk or even smelling it. When asked how it affects her life, Jessica Koehler said, “I mean, it doesn’t affect me that much, but I also don’t like to talk about it. I stay my distance from it, and I am scared to sit next to people that buy lunch in fear that they will spill it on me again.”
-Olivia Humes ('19) is the Jr. Web Editor for the Viking Vault. [email protected]
By: Olivia Humes
NORTHRIDGE- You’ve probably been in on one of these common conversations: “I’m so freaked out by ___.” This often generates some very unusual confessions about what turns our stomachs, gives us chills, or just makes us quietly uncomfortable. Here are some of those wacky phobias, along with their Latin names.
Student: Jackson Wilson
Odd fear: Loose Hair (Chaetophobia)- Jackson’s phobia of loose hair began with his pet dogs. Wilson says, “My dogs shed and I hated when I had to look at their hair all the time, and I got really tired of it, because, ugh.” After dealing with dog hair, his phobia has developed to human hair, which causes problems in his everyday life. When asked if it interrupts school work, WIlson says, “Yeah it interrupts school work because I can’t even work if there is a hair near me.” When he finds a loose hair on his body, Wilson says, “I freak out, like, a lot, and make someone take it off of me immediately.”
Student: Sydney Miller
Odd fear: Pregnant Women (Tokophobia)- Sydney’s fear started while in elementary school. Miller says, “My aunt got pregnant and it was weird to think that a baby was growing inside of someone, and growing organs and stuff.” When around pregnant women, she begins to feel anxious the more she thinks about it. Although her phobia is about pregnant women, Miller also is afraid of being pregnant. Miller explains, “I think I’m afraid of them because it’s literally another human being inside your stomach.” When around pregnant women, Miller tries not to think about or look at them.
Student: Mandy Shults
Odd fear: Ketchup (Mortuusequusphobia)- Regarding her condiment phobia, Mandy Shults says, “I’m not sure exactly when my phobia began, but ever since I can remember, I have been afraid of ketchup.” Shults feels nauseous and disgusted when being near ketchup, and reports, “I feel like I need to put as much distance between the ketchup and me as I can.” She says one of the worst things about ketchup is the way it looks. According to Shults, “It’s slimy and red, and the thought of being near it makes me freak out. It also smells quite bad!” Mandy won’t even touch ketchup in the bottle, and if it is necessary, she will use another object to push it towards someone.
Student: Caily Thorpe
Odd fear: Automatic-Flushing Toilets (Toilet Anxiety)- Caily Thorpe’s phobia arose at a young age, while at the movies. Thorpe explains, “I was seeing Finding Nemo when I was little, and I sat on an automatic toilet. I wasn’t sure what it was, and when it flushed, I almost fell in and I screamed and cried. My Grandma laughed at me.” Thorpe will not use toilets that flush automatically, and when she sees them, it makes her uncomfortable. If she is absolutely forced to use one, Thorpe says, “I just put a lot of toilet paper over the sensor and cry a lot.”
Student: Jessica Koehler
Odd phobia: Milk (Gallophobia)- While in grade school, Jessica Koehler developed a phobia of milk. When asked about her phobia, Koehler says, “I am mostly afraid of milk because I had to drink it so much when I was a young child. Although, when I was in school, I got milk spilled on me by Megan McCament and it scarred me and burned my skin.” Her phobia has caused Koehler to avoid drinking milk or even smelling it. When asked how it affects her life, Jessica Koehler said, “I mean, it doesn’t affect me that much, but I also don’t like to talk about it. I stay my distance from it, and I am scared to sit next to people that buy lunch in fear that they will spill it on me again.”
-Olivia Humes ('19) is the Jr. Web Editor for the Viking Vault. [email protected]
Reflections on the Crash
Members of the Junior class share accident memories
By: Sydney Miller
NORTHRIDGE- Eleventh graders often have the most alarming and most numerous stories about crashing their cars, and the Class of 2018 has been no exception this year. Here are a few meditations on those harrowing moments …
Addie Vankirk
Addie Vankirk’s accident was on February 24th, 2017. She had been driving for a year and two months before getting into her accident on Hardscrabble Road. Vankirk walked away with a strain in her shoulder and says on occasion she feels like throwing up when she gets nervous in her car. Vankirk was driving over a hill when another car driving on the opposite way was in the middle of the road. She swerved to avoid the other car and ended up rolling three times. During her accident, Vankirk said she was “saying some words” and thinking, “What would Mikey do?” Instead of doing what she did, she wishes that she would have “ridden the ditch.” Vankirk hasn’t had any other accidents since then, and her advice to new drivers would be, “ You won’t have a lot of time to think, and you’ll have a lot of adrenaline, but let the ambulance check you out.”
Olivia Carpenter
Olivia Carpenter’s accident was about two and a half weeks ago, and she has been driving since September of last year. Carpenter’s accident occurred on 62 right before Fancher Road, when there was a another car accident further up and other cars stopped on the right side of the road. The girl that was driving behind her didn’t see that everyone had stopped before her because she was changing the radio station, and eventually ended up hitting the back of Carpenter’s car. When Carpenter was hit, her car spun, and she screamed. When she finally got out of the car she was frustrated because the “ravioli had spilled in my car and I really wanted to eat it.” If Carpenter had done something different she explains that she could have possibly lost her life. Her advice to new drivers that may end up in a similar accident is, “Don’t overreact. If you’re okay, don’t scream into the phone when you’re talking to your parents.”
Alison Bash
Alison Bash’s accident was during the summer of her junior year, and she had been driving for seven months when it happened. Bash was driving on 62, outside Danville coming back from Northridge Road, with her friends Megan Royer, Natalie Neumeyer, and Kaylin Zipf. Bash was going up hill, with Neumeyer following behind in her own car, and at the top it had looked like there had been another car accident. A horse and buggy were at the bottom of the hill, and the people who looked like they owned the horse and buggy were scattered everywhere at the top of the hill. Once they had carefully gotten over the hill and were on their way down, they saw a black truck at the very bottom of the hill with no hazards on, blocking the road. Bash slammed the brakes seven feet away from the truck, and all of a sudden she felt the car rock. That rocking motion she felt was Neumeyer’s car hitting the back of Bash’s car. After comprehending what had happened, Bash opened the window and started to get out of her car when Drew Mace’s (‘19) grandma ran toward her and told her not to get out of her car. Bash reassured her that she was fine, but Mace’s grandma insisted that she didn’t run out of the car. Bash and Neumeyer eventually got out and walked to the back of their cars. They saw that Neumeyer’s father’s new car was “badly crushed.” The police soon came, and since Bash’s car had a little dent, and the truck didn’t have his hazards on, Neumeyer walked away with no punishment. No one had any major injuries except for a little whiplash. Bash’s advice to new drivers is to “always pay attention to other drivers.”
Gabe Miller
Gabe Miller’s car accident was on Northridge Road after Hardscrabble. It was an icy, cold, winter morning, and Miller had his license for seven months before his accident. Miller was driving when, all of a sudden, he hit some black ice coming over a hill. He eventually slid into a ditch and flipped. After getting out of his truck, he called his parents and waited until they showed up. While standing there, Miller said some students on their way to school had stopped to make sure that he was okay. Even his brother, Noah Miller, had slowed down and, “gave him the nod and went about his day.” Miller was glad to say that he had no major injuries except some headaches throughout the day. Miller’s advice is “to stay calm because it will help you the most. You’ll be more aware of what you did wrong, and if you’re crying people can’t help you. You’ve got to be able to move on with the day and put it behind you.”
-Sydney Miller (‘18) is a Viking Vault staff member. [email protected]
Members of the Junior class share accident memories
By: Sydney Miller
NORTHRIDGE- Eleventh graders often have the most alarming and most numerous stories about crashing their cars, and the Class of 2018 has been no exception this year. Here are a few meditations on those harrowing moments …
Addie Vankirk
Addie Vankirk’s accident was on February 24th, 2017. She had been driving for a year and two months before getting into her accident on Hardscrabble Road. Vankirk walked away with a strain in her shoulder and says on occasion she feels like throwing up when she gets nervous in her car. Vankirk was driving over a hill when another car driving on the opposite way was in the middle of the road. She swerved to avoid the other car and ended up rolling three times. During her accident, Vankirk said she was “saying some words” and thinking, “What would Mikey do?” Instead of doing what she did, she wishes that she would have “ridden the ditch.” Vankirk hasn’t had any other accidents since then, and her advice to new drivers would be, “ You won’t have a lot of time to think, and you’ll have a lot of adrenaline, but let the ambulance check you out.”
Olivia Carpenter
Olivia Carpenter’s accident was about two and a half weeks ago, and she has been driving since September of last year. Carpenter’s accident occurred on 62 right before Fancher Road, when there was a another car accident further up and other cars stopped on the right side of the road. The girl that was driving behind her didn’t see that everyone had stopped before her because she was changing the radio station, and eventually ended up hitting the back of Carpenter’s car. When Carpenter was hit, her car spun, and she screamed. When she finally got out of the car she was frustrated because the “ravioli had spilled in my car and I really wanted to eat it.” If Carpenter had done something different she explains that she could have possibly lost her life. Her advice to new drivers that may end up in a similar accident is, “Don’t overreact. If you’re okay, don’t scream into the phone when you’re talking to your parents.”
Alison Bash
Alison Bash’s accident was during the summer of her junior year, and she had been driving for seven months when it happened. Bash was driving on 62, outside Danville coming back from Northridge Road, with her friends Megan Royer, Natalie Neumeyer, and Kaylin Zipf. Bash was going up hill, with Neumeyer following behind in her own car, and at the top it had looked like there had been another car accident. A horse and buggy were at the bottom of the hill, and the people who looked like they owned the horse and buggy were scattered everywhere at the top of the hill. Once they had carefully gotten over the hill and were on their way down, they saw a black truck at the very bottom of the hill with no hazards on, blocking the road. Bash slammed the brakes seven feet away from the truck, and all of a sudden she felt the car rock. That rocking motion she felt was Neumeyer’s car hitting the back of Bash’s car. After comprehending what had happened, Bash opened the window and started to get out of her car when Drew Mace’s (‘19) grandma ran toward her and told her not to get out of her car. Bash reassured her that she was fine, but Mace’s grandma insisted that she didn’t run out of the car. Bash and Neumeyer eventually got out and walked to the back of their cars. They saw that Neumeyer’s father’s new car was “badly crushed.” The police soon came, and since Bash’s car had a little dent, and the truck didn’t have his hazards on, Neumeyer walked away with no punishment. No one had any major injuries except for a little whiplash. Bash’s advice to new drivers is to “always pay attention to other drivers.”
Gabe Miller
Gabe Miller’s car accident was on Northridge Road after Hardscrabble. It was an icy, cold, winter morning, and Miller had his license for seven months before his accident. Miller was driving when, all of a sudden, he hit some black ice coming over a hill. He eventually slid into a ditch and flipped. After getting out of his truck, he called his parents and waited until they showed up. While standing there, Miller said some students on their way to school had stopped to make sure that he was okay. Even his brother, Noah Miller, had slowed down and, “gave him the nod and went about his day.” Miller was glad to say that he had no major injuries except some headaches throughout the day. Miller’s advice is “to stay calm because it will help you the most. You’ll be more aware of what you did wrong, and if you’re crying people can’t help you. You’ve got to be able to move on with the day and put it behind you.”
-Sydney Miller (‘18) is a Viking Vault staff member. [email protected]
Students with uncommon pets
By: Kayla Butler
NORTHRIDGE - Pets are a large part of everyone’s daily lives; you can always count on your dog to greet you at the door when you come home from school, and your cat is probably responsible for making a mess by knocking yet another cup off the counter. Cats and dogs are the most common household pets, but not everyone has them. Some go for something more exotic.
By: Kayla Butler
NORTHRIDGE - Pets are a large part of everyone’s daily lives; you can always count on your dog to greet you at the door when you come home from school, and your cat is probably responsible for making a mess by knocking yet another cup off the counter. Cats and dogs are the most common household pets, but not everyone has them. Some go for something more exotic.
Ashley Cantrell (‘17) has a boa constrictor named Loki. “He makes these cute little sniffling noises all the time, and it scared us at first because we thought he had a cold. It turns out though, he just sniffles a lot.” Cantrell says she loves having a boa constrictor because “...not many people have them and they’re more rare.”
Alexis Henry (‘18) has a flying squirrel, Scratt, named after the squirrel in the Ice Age movies. Henry got Scratt after her friend rescued him when, “...he didn’t have any hair and was all pink.” Her friend raised him but wasn’t able to keep him anymore, so Henry took him in. Henry says, “He loves banana chips. When I let him out and give him a couple, he likes to hide them under my pillows. He gets mad when he can’t find them after I throw them away.” Henry says her favorite part of having Scratt is when people ask her what pets she has. “People are amazed because they have never seen one before.” Scratt will turn one year old sometime in May.
Zoey Stout (‘18) has a hedgehog named Edgar. Stout says she received Edgar as a present for her 16th birthday. “He has a really interesting personality and gets mad at everything,” Stout says. Edgar likes to roll up in a ball and then pop up, and also hisses quite often. Stout says, “He really likes rap and metal music. His favorites are Tupac and Fetty Wap, and his favorite song is “About A Girl” by Nirvana.
Who knows? Maybe after reading this, you too will get an uncommon pet.
-Kayla Butler (‘17) is a second-year Vault staff member and Public Relations Editor. [email protected]
-Kayla Butler (‘17) is a second-year Vault staff member and Public Relations Editor. [email protected]
In with Ink
By: Zoey Stout
NORTHRIDGE - Turning eighteen has its pros and cons. One “adulthood” rite of passage that many people desire is getting a tattoo, whether because their parents never allowed them to get one before they legally could, they didn’t know where to get one, or they weren’t ready for permanent ink tattooed forever on their skin.
Since having a tattoo is a lifelong commitment, many don’t think people who are under the age of eighteen are ready for that. Others think that it doesn’t matter what age you are to have a tattoo. At Northridge, there are a handful of students who have ink permanently on their bodies. Some had to wait until they were 18, and some got some ink before then.
Bethanie Deere (‘18) is a short brunette who most don’t know has some ink. Deere mentioned how she thought of tattoos as “cool” since her mother had one. At the moment, she only has one tattoo that is located on her right shoulder blade. Bethanie’s tattoo is a symbol from an anime she watches called “Fairytale,” and the symbol means family and adventure. The symbol is placed in the middle of roses. Her artist was a man named Clint Kiehl who has a tattoo shop attached to a hair salon in Johnstown. She said that she always wanted tattoos and later on in her life she hopes to get more tattoos that are meaningful. Deere says in the future she wants to get her current tattoo colored in what she calls a “blood red for the roses and the symbol is gonna be galaxy.” she also mentioned she would like, “A skull on my collarbone and my dog’s name with paw print across my other shoulder blade.”
Another student with tattoos is Mckenzee Reece (‘19), who has multiple tattoos on her body. She said the first tattoo she ever got was because she just wanted one. The other tattoos on her body she says, “I got when my mother and brother passed away. They are memory tattoos.” One of her memory tattoos is roses on her thigh that has a record tape with a date on it. Her latest tattoo she got was to remind herself to have faith, which is placed on the back of her calf and says “Faith Moves Mountains” that has colorful mountains. She said that she always wanted to have tattoos and when asked if there are future plans for more, she replied with “of course.” The artists that did her tattoos in order are: Mouse at the tattoo shop Mousetrap, Gary at Atattooed, another artist at Atattooed, and, lastly, Ryan at Darkwoods Studio.
Those are just a couple of students at Northridge High School with tattoos. Whether the tattoo is meaningful or not, black and white or colored, big or small, each tattoo has a story to go with it. Needless to say, these tattoos have become part of these students forever.
-Zoey Stout (‘18) is the Photo Editor for The Viking Vault. [email protected]
By: Zoey Stout
NORTHRIDGE - Turning eighteen has its pros and cons. One “adulthood” rite of passage that many people desire is getting a tattoo, whether because their parents never allowed them to get one before they legally could, they didn’t know where to get one, or they weren’t ready for permanent ink tattooed forever on their skin.
Since having a tattoo is a lifelong commitment, many don’t think people who are under the age of eighteen are ready for that. Others think that it doesn’t matter what age you are to have a tattoo. At Northridge, there are a handful of students who have ink permanently on their bodies. Some had to wait until they were 18, and some got some ink before then.
Bethanie Deere (‘18) is a short brunette who most don’t know has some ink. Deere mentioned how she thought of tattoos as “cool” since her mother had one. At the moment, she only has one tattoo that is located on her right shoulder blade. Bethanie’s tattoo is a symbol from an anime she watches called “Fairytale,” and the symbol means family and adventure. The symbol is placed in the middle of roses. Her artist was a man named Clint Kiehl who has a tattoo shop attached to a hair salon in Johnstown. She said that she always wanted tattoos and later on in her life she hopes to get more tattoos that are meaningful. Deere says in the future she wants to get her current tattoo colored in what she calls a “blood red for the roses and the symbol is gonna be galaxy.” she also mentioned she would like, “A skull on my collarbone and my dog’s name with paw print across my other shoulder blade.”
Another student with tattoos is Mckenzee Reece (‘19), who has multiple tattoos on her body. She said the first tattoo she ever got was because she just wanted one. The other tattoos on her body she says, “I got when my mother and brother passed away. They are memory tattoos.” One of her memory tattoos is roses on her thigh that has a record tape with a date on it. Her latest tattoo she got was to remind herself to have faith, which is placed on the back of her calf and says “Faith Moves Mountains” that has colorful mountains. She said that she always wanted to have tattoos and when asked if there are future plans for more, she replied with “of course.” The artists that did her tattoos in order are: Mouse at the tattoo shop Mousetrap, Gary at Atattooed, another artist at Atattooed, and, lastly, Ryan at Darkwoods Studio.
Those are just a couple of students at Northridge High School with tattoos. Whether the tattoo is meaningful or not, black and white or colored, big or small, each tattoo has a story to go with it. Needless to say, these tattoos have become part of these students forever.
-Zoey Stout (‘18) is the Photo Editor for The Viking Vault. [email protected]