Destination: Anywhere
"Visit" the world through OMUN
By: Olivia Howard
NORTHRIDGE - The return to school in the fall for a fresh season of education after a relaxing summer vacation is often dreaded. As you walk into the office for your schedule, you see the list of school activities forcing you to skim through and see if anything seems better than binge watching Netflix series. You see "OMUN" listed and you ask for a description. It sounds exactly like vacation: you get to eat foreign foods and be a part of showing off beautiful countries. This dreaded school year doesn't sound as dull anymore, does it?
OMUN, Ohio Model United Nations, is a three-day global education experience which allows students to learn about the United States' role in the national peacekeeping and humanitarian organization. India Allar (‘21) is a student who has participated in the OMUN competition for two years. "We can request a country to represent, then when the season starts we research an issue that country has. Then we make a proposal on how to solve that problem and present it to a council of other countries, who can vote on whether or not they would grant us the funds we need to carry out our solution. Schools take turns presenting their proposals in small groups, then some of those proposals go on to a larger council where everyone is present" said Allar. OMUN gives students the chance to learn about other countries while learning solutions to real-world problems.
Ambry Petrushka (‘21) has been another member of OMUN for four years. "We come together on December 8th for a three-day convention at the Hyatt place in Columbus, present our resolutions, talent, potentially win awards, and go to a really good dance" said Pretrushka. OMUN has various parts to it and ends in an energized dance.
Almost anyone can participate in OMUN, one of Northridge’s “academic” teams. However, "Uou have to be hyper focused and reliable. People who don’t care a lot about school generally don’t do this" said Allar. To be in a school competition like this, you must care about being there and learning to be reliable to your team. OMUN is a team sport, Allar said, and every member needs to contribute to the hard work.
When asked about the best part of OMUN, Allar says, "The end session of last year's meeting. It was stressful but fun, and at the end of the last meeting we were all laughing and excited to leave. We had a number of people receive awards while we were there. Actually, my team for France made semi finals for the talent, but we didn’t make finals. It was still fun."
"It was really cool when we’ve been able to win awards, especially for our talent, because if we get past preliminary and secondary rounds, we perform in front of a couple thousand participants from around the state. Someone I met in a conference remembered me from one of skits, which is really crazy. Also the dances are legendary. Everyone is jumping around, there is crowd surfing and good DJing," said Petrushka, who noted that the OMUN experience looks good on college applications.
When asked what the purpose of OMUN was, Allar says, "On the surface it’s about learning how OMUN meetings work, which would be experience for anyone who is interested in that. It also helps expose students to a lot of cultures and world issues and help the next generation think logically about how we’re gonna solve these problems when the time comes." This school activity can be beneficial for students’ knowledge about problem solving issues in our environment today and various economic problems in different countries.
Overall, OMUN prepares students to work together and come up with solutions to solve serious issues such as world hunger, waste, and poverty. It is a chance for students to positively impact countries and be a part of something bigger than sitting in their classroom waiting to get out and have an influence on the world.
- Olivia Howard (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
"Visit" the world through OMUN
By: Olivia Howard
NORTHRIDGE - The return to school in the fall for a fresh season of education after a relaxing summer vacation is often dreaded. As you walk into the office for your schedule, you see the list of school activities forcing you to skim through and see if anything seems better than binge watching Netflix series. You see "OMUN" listed and you ask for a description. It sounds exactly like vacation: you get to eat foreign foods and be a part of showing off beautiful countries. This dreaded school year doesn't sound as dull anymore, does it?
OMUN, Ohio Model United Nations, is a three-day global education experience which allows students to learn about the United States' role in the national peacekeeping and humanitarian organization. India Allar (‘21) is a student who has participated in the OMUN competition for two years. "We can request a country to represent, then when the season starts we research an issue that country has. Then we make a proposal on how to solve that problem and present it to a council of other countries, who can vote on whether or not they would grant us the funds we need to carry out our solution. Schools take turns presenting their proposals in small groups, then some of those proposals go on to a larger council where everyone is present" said Allar. OMUN gives students the chance to learn about other countries while learning solutions to real-world problems.
Ambry Petrushka (‘21) has been another member of OMUN for four years. "We come together on December 8th for a three-day convention at the Hyatt place in Columbus, present our resolutions, talent, potentially win awards, and go to a really good dance" said Pretrushka. OMUN has various parts to it and ends in an energized dance.
Almost anyone can participate in OMUN, one of Northridge’s “academic” teams. However, "Uou have to be hyper focused and reliable. People who don’t care a lot about school generally don’t do this" said Allar. To be in a school competition like this, you must care about being there and learning to be reliable to your team. OMUN is a team sport, Allar said, and every member needs to contribute to the hard work.
When asked about the best part of OMUN, Allar says, "The end session of last year's meeting. It was stressful but fun, and at the end of the last meeting we were all laughing and excited to leave. We had a number of people receive awards while we were there. Actually, my team for France made semi finals for the talent, but we didn’t make finals. It was still fun."
"It was really cool when we’ve been able to win awards, especially for our talent, because if we get past preliminary and secondary rounds, we perform in front of a couple thousand participants from around the state. Someone I met in a conference remembered me from one of skits, which is really crazy. Also the dances are legendary. Everyone is jumping around, there is crowd surfing and good DJing," said Petrushka, who noted that the OMUN experience looks good on college applications.
When asked what the purpose of OMUN was, Allar says, "On the surface it’s about learning how OMUN meetings work, which would be experience for anyone who is interested in that. It also helps expose students to a lot of cultures and world issues and help the next generation think logically about how we’re gonna solve these problems when the time comes." This school activity can be beneficial for students’ knowledge about problem solving issues in our environment today and various economic problems in different countries.
Overall, OMUN prepares students to work together and come up with solutions to solve serious issues such as world hunger, waste, and poverty. It is a chance for students to positively impact countries and be a part of something bigger than sitting in their classroom waiting to get out and have an influence on the world.
- Olivia Howard (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault
High school students further their athletic careers
By: Anna Kohler
NORTHRIDGE - The graduating class of 2020 has several athletes that are continuing their passion for sports in college. Some of them are going to play football, softball, baseball, swimming or volleyball.
A lot of the athletes have started playing from a young age like Alyson Quinlan, who has been playing softball since she was nine years old and has always loved the sport and worked hard. She plans on continuing to play after high school at Purdue Fort Wayne in Indiana. She wants to attend there because she automatically fell in love with the campus and school, and they offer everything for the degree she wants.
Alyson is excited to start her journey there and says, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents and their help.”
Like Alyson, Dylon Parman has played the sport he loves for several years. He started playing football in second grade and plans on attending either Otterbein or Baldwin Wallace. Even though he hasn’t decided yet, he loves both places and is grateful to be able to play in college; “I’m happy I can play in college and I really wanna thank my dad for the support and wanting to see me succeed,” he said.
Since Jake Reese was a little kid he has loved and played baseball and is continuing his passion for the sport when he graduates. He says his parents have played a big role in playing baseball by always giving him rides to practice and always supporting him. He plans on attending Otterbein and chose this school because it’s close to home and he loves the baseball team.
Like Jake, Megan Payne will be attending Otterbein next fall and plans on playing softball. Megan has been playing softball for 11 years. She said her dad has been there for her from the start, noting “He always pushes me to be better.” She chose Otterbein because her mother works there and she gets free tuition; also, it’s close to home and in a safe area.
Alex Hook is another senior planning to play baseball in college but is still undecided on where he wants to go. He has been playing for 13 years and has had coaches over the years pushing him to get where he is now; “they have always pushed me to work hard and be the best I can be,” Hook said.
Northridge’s swim team is not very big but has a senior member, Riley Bunstine, who is very successful in swimming and is going to continue her career in college. Her love for swim started 12 years ago, and ever since her family, friends, coaches, and trainers have believed in her and always wanted to see her succeed. She plans on attending Ohio University next fall, saying “I’m going to OU next year because the second I stepped on the campus I fell in love ... The school is beautiful, and the coaches are awesome!”
Senior Bekah Kalas is a basketball player and has been playing since she was in second grade. She plans to attend either Mount Union or Ohio Wesleyan next fall and continue her passion for playing basketball. She is still deciding between the schools because, “They both have great academics and education programs... I like the cities they are in and also love that I will be able to balance academics, extra curriculares, and basketball and a D3 level.”
Cole Fox is another senior who has been playing a sport since a young age. Cole has been playing football for 10 years and plans on attending Capital next year to further his athletic and academic career. He chose this school because of the campus and the coaches of the team. Cole says, “My mom has always pushed me to work my hardest at everything I do.”
Like other athletes, Dylen Conley is planning on going to college and playing football but started his career at a later time. Dylen has been playing for two years and has not yet decided where he’s going to school but thanks his family for pushing him to the decision of playing football. “I’m glad they pushed me to play, it’s affected me in a good way,” he said. “I made friends and I want to play in college because I really enjoy it.”
Another senior who started their athletic path later is Darian Dick, whose dad has always wanted her to play, and she finally decided to start playing volleyball her freshman year. Her decision to play next year in college was because of club volleyball; “During club I improved the most and realized how much I loved the sport,” she said. She thanks her parents for paying for club and always giving her rides to her practices and games. Darian has decided to go to Heildelberg next year because of their psychology program, which she plans to major in.
Northridge High School has a wide variety of sports that have players who plan to play in college. Each athlete has had their own special journey that led them to the final decision of playing further than high school, and other seniors may added to the list soon!
- Anna Kohler (‘20) is the Assistant Entertainment Editor for the Viking Vault. [email protected].
2016 Alumni: where they are now
By: Sarah Phillips
The class of 2016 all took very different paths when they graduated Northridge four years ago. Megan Phillips (‘16), Morgan Hatten (‘16), Haley Trimble (‘16), and Leyna Varney (‘16) were all best friends in high school, and despite all going their separate ways after high school they are still friends and see each other every Christmas break.
Megan Phillips is going to the University of Cincinnati. As a freshman, she began majoring in biology. “I knew I wanted to go into the medical field, I just wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do,” Phillips says. After each year, she got more specific, and in her junior year ended up majoring in medical imaging technology and nuclear medicine. She’ll be graduating in August of 2020.
Morgan Hatten is going to Denison University. She went in undecided and is now majoring in health and exercise sports studies. Morgan says, “It’s totally okay to go in undecided. Throughout your classes you’ll figure out what you’re really good at and really not, so don’t stress!” She will be graduating in May of 2020.
Haley Trimble went to The Ohio State University. Haley also started out undecided, but quickly moved to majoring in strategic communications. She graduated in December of 2019 and got her first “real” job this past week at Bath and Body Works.
Finally, Leyna Varney went to Brigham Young University in Utah. Leyna started out in early childhood education, but changed her major to experience design and management. Leyna gives the advice, “Don’t be afraid to change your major! Don’t stick with your major just because it was the first thing you came up with, if there’s something you think you’ll like better/ are better at, go for it!” She’ll be graduating in December of 2020.
A common theme of advice throughout the four alumni is don’t be scared to change your major once or twice. When high school seniors first apply to their colleges, they might not know what they really want to do. College really helps students figure out what they excel at, what they’re bad at, and what they can really see themselves doing for the rest of their lives.
Varney says, “When I was in high school, I thought being an elementary school teacher was the right path for me. Everyone always said I was good with kids and I could really see that as my future career. However, once I got into college I realized that’s not what I wanted to do, and couldn’t be more excited about my career path now!”
Trimble and Hatten both started out undecided their freshman year. Morgan’s advice is, “don’t freak out if you don’t know exactly what you want to do as you’re leaving senior year. Eventually your career path will find you!”
The four alumni have all travelled different routes since graduating; however, they all have a common theme that, even though things may be stressful and uncertain sometimes, everything will be okay and work out!
- Sarah Phillips (‘20) is the Entertainment Editor for the Viking Vault.
By: Sarah Phillips
The class of 2016 all took very different paths when they graduated Northridge four years ago. Megan Phillips (‘16), Morgan Hatten (‘16), Haley Trimble (‘16), and Leyna Varney (‘16) were all best friends in high school, and despite all going their separate ways after high school they are still friends and see each other every Christmas break.
Megan Phillips is going to the University of Cincinnati. As a freshman, she began majoring in biology. “I knew I wanted to go into the medical field, I just wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do,” Phillips says. After each year, she got more specific, and in her junior year ended up majoring in medical imaging technology and nuclear medicine. She’ll be graduating in August of 2020.
Morgan Hatten is going to Denison University. She went in undecided and is now majoring in health and exercise sports studies. Morgan says, “It’s totally okay to go in undecided. Throughout your classes you’ll figure out what you’re really good at and really not, so don’t stress!” She will be graduating in May of 2020.
Haley Trimble went to The Ohio State University. Haley also started out undecided, but quickly moved to majoring in strategic communications. She graduated in December of 2019 and got her first “real” job this past week at Bath and Body Works.
Finally, Leyna Varney went to Brigham Young University in Utah. Leyna started out in early childhood education, but changed her major to experience design and management. Leyna gives the advice, “Don’t be afraid to change your major! Don’t stick with your major just because it was the first thing you came up with, if there’s something you think you’ll like better/ are better at, go for it!” She’ll be graduating in December of 2020.
A common theme of advice throughout the four alumni is don’t be scared to change your major once or twice. When high school seniors first apply to their colleges, they might not know what they really want to do. College really helps students figure out what they excel at, what they’re bad at, and what they can really see themselves doing for the rest of their lives.
Varney says, “When I was in high school, I thought being an elementary school teacher was the right path for me. Everyone always said I was good with kids and I could really see that as my future career. However, once I got into college I realized that’s not what I wanted to do, and couldn’t be more excited about my career path now!”
Trimble and Hatten both started out undecided their freshman year. Morgan’s advice is, “don’t freak out if you don’t know exactly what you want to do as you’re leaving senior year. Eventually your career path will find you!”
The four alumni have all travelled different routes since graduating; however, they all have a common theme that, even though things may be stressful and uncertain sometimes, everything will be okay and work out!
- Sarah Phillips (‘20) is the Entertainment Editor for the Viking Vault.
!Fiesta los Miércoles!
Parties on Wednesdays
By: Kathryn Nicks
NORTHRIDGE - When people think about extracurriculars at school, they think about things like sports or the musical. What people don't think about is Spanish Club, and yes, it is a real thing … and yes, people really do enjoy it.
Hannah Mitchell, the Spanish teacher at Northridge, has been here for the past two years. She is really enjoying her time here at Northridge teaching Spanish classes one through four, and she can't wait to see what happens in her years to follow.
When Mitchell was in high school, opportunities like Spanish Club were open for her as well. She explained that, “At my high school we went on trips, my group specifically went to Spain.” She said, “In college Spanish Club was more of an opportunity to interact with people who had studied abroad and speak in Spanish and be apart of a professional membership.” Mitchell said this was a great opportunity for her because it taught her to go outside of her comfort zone and become more comfortable speaking in Spanish. She hopes that Spanish Club at Northridge will get to go on a special trip like this eventually as well.
Not only did Mitchell get to go to Spain with her Spanish Club in high school, but when she was in college, she got the opportunity to study abroad. She explained that in college, “I studied for three months in Ecuador.” When she was in Ecuador, it exposed her to the lifestyle over there and she got to experience how they live their day to day lives.
People are always wondering if things like Spanish Club are beneficial, or even worth it. Well, like mentioned before, Mitchell’s high school Spanish Club got to go to Spain, and Mitchell mentioned, “That was when I decided I wanted to become a teacher so it was extremely influential in my career choice.” So if the question “is it worth it?” ever pops into your head, just think about how it could possibly affect how you choose your career.
Students who take part in Spanish Club love it. Bekah Kalas (‘20) explained, “I go to Spanish Club because there is always fun people there and we always do fun things and were always comfortable in ourselves, and it's just more experiences and learning about other cultures, and getting more involved in our community.” Spanish Club not only helps students get a little extra help outside of class, but it also looks great on college applications, Mitchell noted.
This year Mitchell has some plans that she hopes to achieve for Spanish Club. For one, she said, “I would like to see Spanish Club take a trip to the intermediate or primary and maybe teach a mini lesson to the kids about numbers or colors.” She thinks that this would be a great opportunity for the students that are involved in Spanish to get the feel of being able to teach someone else Spanish. She also thinks that it would be a great opportunity for the young kids to be exposed to a foreign language so they can become interested in it at a young age.
Mitchell hopes that Spanish Club will help all the kids involved grow and continue to use Spanish outside of high school. If you are looking to join Spanish Club, they meet every other Wednesday after school. The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 12th after school in the Spanish room.
- Kathryn Nicks (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Parties on Wednesdays
By: Kathryn Nicks
NORTHRIDGE - When people think about extracurriculars at school, they think about things like sports or the musical. What people don't think about is Spanish Club, and yes, it is a real thing … and yes, people really do enjoy it.
Hannah Mitchell, the Spanish teacher at Northridge, has been here for the past two years. She is really enjoying her time here at Northridge teaching Spanish classes one through four, and she can't wait to see what happens in her years to follow.
When Mitchell was in high school, opportunities like Spanish Club were open for her as well. She explained that, “At my high school we went on trips, my group specifically went to Spain.” She said, “In college Spanish Club was more of an opportunity to interact with people who had studied abroad and speak in Spanish and be apart of a professional membership.” Mitchell said this was a great opportunity for her because it taught her to go outside of her comfort zone and become more comfortable speaking in Spanish. She hopes that Spanish Club at Northridge will get to go on a special trip like this eventually as well.
Not only did Mitchell get to go to Spain with her Spanish Club in high school, but when she was in college, she got the opportunity to study abroad. She explained that in college, “I studied for three months in Ecuador.” When she was in Ecuador, it exposed her to the lifestyle over there and she got to experience how they live their day to day lives.
People are always wondering if things like Spanish Club are beneficial, or even worth it. Well, like mentioned before, Mitchell’s high school Spanish Club got to go to Spain, and Mitchell mentioned, “That was when I decided I wanted to become a teacher so it was extremely influential in my career choice.” So if the question “is it worth it?” ever pops into your head, just think about how it could possibly affect how you choose your career.
Students who take part in Spanish Club love it. Bekah Kalas (‘20) explained, “I go to Spanish Club because there is always fun people there and we always do fun things and were always comfortable in ourselves, and it's just more experiences and learning about other cultures, and getting more involved in our community.” Spanish Club not only helps students get a little extra help outside of class, but it also looks great on college applications, Mitchell noted.
This year Mitchell has some plans that she hopes to achieve for Spanish Club. For one, she said, “I would like to see Spanish Club take a trip to the intermediate or primary and maybe teach a mini lesson to the kids about numbers or colors.” She thinks that this would be a great opportunity for the students that are involved in Spanish to get the feel of being able to teach someone else Spanish. She also thinks that it would be a great opportunity for the young kids to be exposed to a foreign language so they can become interested in it at a young age.
Mitchell hopes that Spanish Club will help all the kids involved grow and continue to use Spanish outside of high school. If you are looking to join Spanish Club, they meet every other Wednesday after school. The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 12th after school in the Spanish room.
- Kathryn Nicks (‘21) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
New year, new you: choosing a word to live by
By: Lyndsey Stocks
NORTHRIDGE - As 2020 has officially started, many people have created their New Year's resolutions to help them have a better year. But some staff and students at Northridge have a different idea: they choose a Word of the Year. This word is designed to capture how they want their year to be, whether it is “positive” or “confidence.”
Tenth grade English teacher Ms. Rinard is one of the teachers at the school to choose a word. She says, “My word of the year is Balance. I chose it because I really struggled last semester with finding a good balance between work and life.” A few teachers throughout the school have posted their words outside their classroom to let everyone see.
Ms. Rinard also chose to have the sophomore students in her classes each pick a word as well. Those words are all colored and are hanging on the walls within her classroom. “I had my students choose their word of the year just to make them think about if they only had to choose one phase or one word, then that’s what they would want their year to encompass,” Rinard explains. “For example, a student put the word ‘worm.’ When I talked with him about it, he kind of used it as an analogy of how he wanted his year to go because a worm is very tenacious and strong; you could cut it up and it still lives and keeps wiggling,” she continues.
Mady Hannahs (‘22) chose “hard work” as her word(s) of the year. She says, “This will definitely have an effect on me because I think it will help me to be a better person and it will help me improve on everything I want to get better at.”
Throughout the school, Principal Mrs. Bernowski asked teachers to choose their own word of the year. “I think it is important for everyone to have a word. They don't have to display it or anything. That's their choice. I think it is good to have a focus,” she explains. The staff even had a stand-up meeting after school one day to offer their “one word” to one another.
Bernowski also hopes for it to make an impact on the school environment. “I felt like it was something that we could all do as a building family. I hope that everyone finds deeper purpose for themselves and that by being their best self they impact others positively. Staff and students both,” she adds.
- Lyndsey Stocks (‘21) is the assistant web editor for the Viking Vault. [email protected]
By: Lyndsey Stocks
NORTHRIDGE - As 2020 has officially started, many people have created their New Year's resolutions to help them have a better year. But some staff and students at Northridge have a different idea: they choose a Word of the Year. This word is designed to capture how they want their year to be, whether it is “positive” or “confidence.”
Tenth grade English teacher Ms. Rinard is one of the teachers at the school to choose a word. She says, “My word of the year is Balance. I chose it because I really struggled last semester with finding a good balance between work and life.” A few teachers throughout the school have posted their words outside their classroom to let everyone see.
Ms. Rinard also chose to have the sophomore students in her classes each pick a word as well. Those words are all colored and are hanging on the walls within her classroom. “I had my students choose their word of the year just to make them think about if they only had to choose one phase or one word, then that’s what they would want their year to encompass,” Rinard explains. “For example, a student put the word ‘worm.’ When I talked with him about it, he kind of used it as an analogy of how he wanted his year to go because a worm is very tenacious and strong; you could cut it up and it still lives and keeps wiggling,” she continues.
Mady Hannahs (‘22) chose “hard work” as her word(s) of the year. She says, “This will definitely have an effect on me because I think it will help me to be a better person and it will help me improve on everything I want to get better at.”
Throughout the school, Principal Mrs. Bernowski asked teachers to choose their own word of the year. “I think it is important for everyone to have a word. They don't have to display it or anything. That's their choice. I think it is good to have a focus,” she explains. The staff even had a stand-up meeting after school one day to offer their “one word” to one another.
Bernowski also hopes for it to make an impact on the school environment. “I felt like it was something that we could all do as a building family. I hope that everyone finds deeper purpose for themselves and that by being their best self they impact others positively. Staff and students both,” she adds.
- Lyndsey Stocks (‘21) is the assistant web editor for the Viking Vault. [email protected]
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Boys buy Valentines
By Ali Zigo
NORTHRIDGE - When it comes to Valentine's day, some of the boys at Northridge have some big plans for their girlfriends. Some guys like Dustin Chalfant (‘20) and Jake Reese (‘20) are searching for little things for their girlfriends at places like CVS in Johnstown. Others like Brian Krehel (‘20) have more casual plans.
Jake Reese is “shopping for Abby Beyer (‘21) and [they] have been dating for over two years.” Reese explains how they “usually don’t do Valentines day besides buying her flowers” but this year he wants to do things a little differently. Reese chose a few things at CVS that he thinks Beyer would really like. He picked out some “soft, soft, plush blankets,” “ lights” because “she really likes lights,” “a plant” and some stuffed toys. For candy, Reese explained that he would “definitely get [Beyer] Starburst and flavored Twizzlers that are strawberry and lemon” because those are her “favorite types of candy.” Reese thinks that a good price range for Valentines day would be “five dollars to 15 dollars, maybe 20.”
Dustin Chalfant is “shopping for [his] girlfriend Ali Zigo (‘20).” Chalfant says that “[they] have been dating for almost two years.” At CVS Chalfant picked out “some Reeses” chocolate, “gummy bears,” and, lastly, a stuffed singing Valentine’s puppy. Chalfant explains that he “thinks Ali would really like this for Valentines day.”
Brian Krehel is dating “Ashton Krotzer (‘22) and [has] been for about three months.” Krehel and Krotzer have more casual ideas for this day and plan to “stay home and eat” instead of going out. Although the two plan to stay home, Krehel is getting Krotzer “Reeses because that is her favorite candy” and “flowers for this Valentines day.”
- Ali Zigo (‘20) is the Junior Print Editor for The Viking Vault.
Boys buy Valentines
By Ali Zigo
NORTHRIDGE - When it comes to Valentine's day, some of the boys at Northridge have some big plans for their girlfriends. Some guys like Dustin Chalfant (‘20) and Jake Reese (‘20) are searching for little things for their girlfriends at places like CVS in Johnstown. Others like Brian Krehel (‘20) have more casual plans.
Jake Reese is “shopping for Abby Beyer (‘21) and [they] have been dating for over two years.” Reese explains how they “usually don’t do Valentines day besides buying her flowers” but this year he wants to do things a little differently. Reese chose a few things at CVS that he thinks Beyer would really like. He picked out some “soft, soft, plush blankets,” “ lights” because “she really likes lights,” “a plant” and some stuffed toys. For candy, Reese explained that he would “definitely get [Beyer] Starburst and flavored Twizzlers that are strawberry and lemon” because those are her “favorite types of candy.” Reese thinks that a good price range for Valentines day would be “five dollars to 15 dollars, maybe 20.”
Dustin Chalfant is “shopping for [his] girlfriend Ali Zigo (‘20).” Chalfant says that “[they] have been dating for almost two years.” At CVS Chalfant picked out “some Reeses” chocolate, “gummy bears,” and, lastly, a stuffed singing Valentine’s puppy. Chalfant explains that he “thinks Ali would really like this for Valentines day.”
Brian Krehel is dating “Ashton Krotzer (‘22) and [has] been for about three months.” Krehel and Krotzer have more casual ideas for this day and plan to “stay home and eat” instead of going out. Although the two plan to stay home, Krehel is getting Krotzer “Reeses because that is her favorite candy” and “flowers for this Valentines day.”
- Ali Zigo (‘20) is the Junior Print Editor for The Viking Vault.
Allar spins to success
By: Charlotte Dunlap
NORTHRIDGE - In the midst of her 13th year of dancing, India Allar’s life as a performer and teacher is as intense as ever. Between tap dancing, ballet dancing, gymnastics, and more, the Northridge junior is currently taking five classes while teaching an additional five!
“I take several classes, some semi-professionally and some not. I also teach and co-teach a few classes nearly every night,” Allar says. “I teach at my mom’s studio.”
There are between five and 10 kids in each class Allar teaches. Her tumbling class, ranging from early to late childhood ages, consists of eight students. Her ballet class includes five students. One of India’s tumbling students, Grace Ferrel, describes India as “kind.”
Despite her packed schedule, India is also involved in Northridge High’s 2020 musical The Music Man, premiering mid-March. She has also recently joined a production of Sleeping Beauty when she is not busy with her other dancing commitments.
- Charlotte Dunlap (‘21) is a staff member for The VIking Vault.
By: Charlotte Dunlap
NORTHRIDGE - In the midst of her 13th year of dancing, India Allar’s life as a performer and teacher is as intense as ever. Between tap dancing, ballet dancing, gymnastics, and more, the Northridge junior is currently taking five classes while teaching an additional five!
“I take several classes, some semi-professionally and some not. I also teach and co-teach a few classes nearly every night,” Allar says. “I teach at my mom’s studio.”
There are between five and 10 kids in each class Allar teaches. Her tumbling class, ranging from early to late childhood ages, consists of eight students. Her ballet class includes five students. One of India’s tumbling students, Grace Ferrel, describes India as “kind.”
Despite her packed schedule, India is also involved in Northridge High’s 2020 musical The Music Man, premiering mid-March. She has also recently joined a production of Sleeping Beauty when she is not busy with her other dancing commitments.
- Charlotte Dunlap (‘21) is a staff member for The VIking Vault.
Next step? Trades or college?
C-Tec applications are in!
By:Halleigh Carter
NEWARK - Spring is coming and students - mostly sophomores - are contemplating what they want to do not just next year but maybe even as a career. Students are considering a choice in trade fields at the vocational school or remaining at Northridge until Graduation.
Guidance Counselor Mrs. Rauchenstein is working hard on making sure everyone is getting their applications in by deadline. Rauchenstein says, “January is a busy month with C-TEC applications, scholarship (and still some college) applications for seniors, scheduling tasks for next year starting, transcript updating waiting to happen, etc. It makes this time of year really busy, but I like to be busy.”
Rauchenstein says she has fun being involved in the C-Tec adventure, but she thinks it's stressful waiting and worrying to hear if those students that really want to get into the programs there make it. Students have worked hard on their grades and attendance, she said, and they have positioned themselves in a good spot for acceptance.
Rauchenstein says, “I looked through sophomore transcripts last night (all of them) and noticed how many of this year's applicants have positioned themselves really well for acceptance. They have good attendance (or drastically improved attendance from last year to this year). They have great grades or good grades or, again, grades that show they've gotten their academic act together in an effort to get in. The only thing that is really stressful is waiting to hear if they got in and worrying that someone won't get in who really wants to go. That said, we usually have really good luck with C-TEC acceptances!”
Rauchenstein says, “We have 17 seniors and 25 juniors at area vocational schools. Fourteen of those seniors and 24 of those juniors are at C-TEC. The others are at Knox County Career Center.”
Hayden stated, “I applied to the Fire and EMS, and it is hard to wait to see if I got accepted or not.”
According to Rauchenstein, 30 students have applied to C-TEC programs for next year already.
Applicants to C-TEC usually find out about acceptance around the time of Spring Break, Rauchenstein said.
- Halleigh Carter (‘22) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
C-Tec applications are in!
By:Halleigh Carter
NEWARK - Spring is coming and students - mostly sophomores - are contemplating what they want to do not just next year but maybe even as a career. Students are considering a choice in trade fields at the vocational school or remaining at Northridge until Graduation.
Guidance Counselor Mrs. Rauchenstein is working hard on making sure everyone is getting their applications in by deadline. Rauchenstein says, “January is a busy month with C-TEC applications, scholarship (and still some college) applications for seniors, scheduling tasks for next year starting, transcript updating waiting to happen, etc. It makes this time of year really busy, but I like to be busy.”
Rauchenstein says she has fun being involved in the C-Tec adventure, but she thinks it's stressful waiting and worrying to hear if those students that really want to get into the programs there make it. Students have worked hard on their grades and attendance, she said, and they have positioned themselves in a good spot for acceptance.
Rauchenstein says, “I looked through sophomore transcripts last night (all of them) and noticed how many of this year's applicants have positioned themselves really well for acceptance. They have good attendance (or drastically improved attendance from last year to this year). They have great grades or good grades or, again, grades that show they've gotten their academic act together in an effort to get in. The only thing that is really stressful is waiting to hear if they got in and worrying that someone won't get in who really wants to go. That said, we usually have really good luck with C-TEC acceptances!”
Rauchenstein says, “We have 17 seniors and 25 juniors at area vocational schools. Fourteen of those seniors and 24 of those juniors are at C-TEC. The others are at Knox County Career Center.”
Hayden stated, “I applied to the Fire and EMS, and it is hard to wait to see if I got accepted or not.”
According to Rauchenstein, 30 students have applied to C-TEC programs for next year already.
Applicants to C-TEC usually find out about acceptance around the time of Spring Break, Rauchenstein said.
- Halleigh Carter (‘22) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Just Playing Around
Board Game Club always has room for more
By: Chloe Rowe
NORTHRIDGE - While most kids go home on the bus or are on sports teams, some students at Northridge participate in the Board Game Club after school on Thursdays in the Media Center until 4:15 p.m. The club is always open to new members who want to drop in to the Media Center to play. Some of the games they play are difficult to find in stores.
History teacher Mr. Wentz started the club four years ago after being asked to play chess by a student. "Everyone comes down to the Media Center and they can pick from 15 to 20 games that I keep down here,” Wentz explained. “They know how to play most of them and they set it up and play for an hour or so."
Carolyn Besst ('23) says, "I joined Board Game Club since it's a fun thing to do and I wanted to see what it was like." She also said the games available are one's you do not usually find in the stores. One of the games they play is called "Secret Hitler." This game is similar to the popular game "Who Done It" but with a twist. This is a team-based game where one player is secretly identified as the "Secret Hitler" and it is the job of the other players to figure who that player is.
Another member Noah Zigo ('23) says, "It's my first time at Board Game Club and it sounded fun to play and I recommend it to people since it's fun and everyone is playing games." Overall, all the people who are a part of the Board Game Club said they enjoyed playing and would recommend it to anyone that needs to get their mind off of something after school. It is a great way to distract students from the everyday stress of homework and classes.
-Chloe Rowe ('22) is a student of the Viking Vault.
Board Game Club always has room for more
By: Chloe Rowe
NORTHRIDGE - While most kids go home on the bus or are on sports teams, some students at Northridge participate in the Board Game Club after school on Thursdays in the Media Center until 4:15 p.m. The club is always open to new members who want to drop in to the Media Center to play. Some of the games they play are difficult to find in stores.
History teacher Mr. Wentz started the club four years ago after being asked to play chess by a student. "Everyone comes down to the Media Center and they can pick from 15 to 20 games that I keep down here,” Wentz explained. “They know how to play most of them and they set it up and play for an hour or so."
Carolyn Besst ('23) says, "I joined Board Game Club since it's a fun thing to do and I wanted to see what it was like." She also said the games available are one's you do not usually find in the stores. One of the games they play is called "Secret Hitler." This game is similar to the popular game "Who Done It" but with a twist. This is a team-based game where one player is secretly identified as the "Secret Hitler" and it is the job of the other players to figure who that player is.
Another member Noah Zigo ('23) says, "It's my first time at Board Game Club and it sounded fun to play and I recommend it to people since it's fun and everyone is playing games." Overall, all the people who are a part of the Board Game Club said they enjoyed playing and would recommend it to anyone that needs to get their mind off of something after school. It is a great way to distract students from the everyday stress of homework and classes.
-Chloe Rowe ('22) is a student of the Viking Vault.
Mrs. Mincks’ class doing the world a “green-normous” favor!
By: Macy Hart
NORTHRIDGE - It’s common in the halls of NHS to see Mrs. Minck’s class leading a recycling program that impacts every room at the high school and … well, the earth! All year, several times a week, the class collects recyclable items to kickstart a program that was really struggling before this school year.
Mrs. Mincks says, “We are doing this to help everyone out and the earth. We started the whole program overall because we noticed trash in trash cans that we could have recycled.”
Science teacher Ms. Baker donated all the recycling bins for the program, Mincks said, noting how grateful her class was for the support.
Chloe Rowe (‘22) says, “It is a good opportunity to help out the school and the earth. I feel like Mrs. Mincks’ class is always helping around the school and spreading positivity.” Rowe explains that she loves how Minks teaches her students life lessons, teaching them how to be good humans as part of a traditional high school education.
Chris Curran (‘20) notes, “It makes me happy when I see them knock on the door and come get the recycling.”
Rowe and Curran echo a common sentiment in the building. “I see more people recycling and I notice more awareness,” Mincks said. “We started off small then went bigger,” said Mincks, who hopes the recycling program can continue to expand. Some of her ideas for expansion include recycling bins in the parking lot, including other student groups in the initiative, and moving as a school to more recyclable container products.
- Maci Hart ('22) is a student of the Viking Vault. [email protected].
By: Macy Hart
NORTHRIDGE - It’s common in the halls of NHS to see Mrs. Minck’s class leading a recycling program that impacts every room at the high school and … well, the earth! All year, several times a week, the class collects recyclable items to kickstart a program that was really struggling before this school year.
Mrs. Mincks says, “We are doing this to help everyone out and the earth. We started the whole program overall because we noticed trash in trash cans that we could have recycled.”
Science teacher Ms. Baker donated all the recycling bins for the program, Mincks said, noting how grateful her class was for the support.
Chloe Rowe (‘22) says, “It is a good opportunity to help out the school and the earth. I feel like Mrs. Mincks’ class is always helping around the school and spreading positivity.” Rowe explains that she loves how Minks teaches her students life lessons, teaching them how to be good humans as part of a traditional high school education.
Chris Curran (‘20) notes, “It makes me happy when I see them knock on the door and come get the recycling.”
Rowe and Curran echo a common sentiment in the building. “I see more people recycling and I notice more awareness,” Mincks said. “We started off small then went bigger,” said Mincks, who hopes the recycling program can continue to expand. Some of her ideas for expansion include recycling bins in the parking lot, including other student groups in the initiative, and moving as a school to more recyclable container products.
- Maci Hart ('22) is a student of the Viking Vault. [email protected].