2012/2013 Extra Archive
Box City
The All Creatures 4-H club will be holding their annual “Box City” event this month on May 17 starting at 6:00 pm. The event will go on until approximately 10:00 am on May 18. The event will take place at the Johnstown square.
This event is intended to spread awareness for homelessness; the members will be spending the night in a cardboard box to show what it feels like to be without a home. They will be taking donations of cash value as well as non-perishable food items to be donated to the Johnstown Food Pantry.
There will be live music at the event, as well as a hog raffle, so come out and support your local 4-H group and the Johnstown Food Pantry! A-Mays-Ing Meats® will cover the processing costs of the hog for whoever wins it.
This event is intended to spread awareness for homelessness; the members will be spending the night in a cardboard box to show what it feels like to be without a home. They will be taking donations of cash value as well as non-perishable food items to be donated to the Johnstown Food Pantry.
There will be live music at the event, as well as a hog raffle, so come out and support your local 4-H group and the Johnstown Food Pantry! A-Mays-Ing Meats® will cover the processing costs of the hog for whoever wins it.
United States Achievement Academy Nominees
The United States Achievement Academy has announced that multiple students from Northridge High School have been recognized as students of excellence in the areas of: Athletics and Mathematics.
This is a prestigious honor very few students can hope to attain. In fact, according to the Academy, fewer than 10% of all American high school students are recognized.
The students selected for inclusion include: Faith Hiser (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Gavin Kyle (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Mat Scott (’15; Mathematics, Mrs. Miller), Nathan Wigal (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Danielle VanFossen (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Jacob Eckhardt (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard/Mathematics, Mr. Boening), Hannah Shank (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard/Mathematics, Mrs. Miller & Mr. Boening).
These students, who attend Northridge High School were nominated by a sponsor, who is either a teacher or administrative official at the school and will appear in the United States Achievement Academy’s Official Yearbook, which is published nationally.
“Recognizing and supporting our youth is more important than ever before in America’s history. Certainly, USAA students should be congratulated and appreciated for their dedication to excellence and achievement,” said Dr. George Stevens, Founder of the USAA.
The Academy recognizes students upon the exclusive recommendation of teachers, coaches, counselors, and other qualified sponsors and upon the Standards for Selection set forth by the Academy. The Standards for Selection include academic performance, interest and aptitude, leadership qualities, responsibility enthusiasm, motivation to learn and improve attitude and competitive spirit, dependability, and recommendation from a qualified sponsor.
Mat Scott (’15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: itunes.apple.com
This is a prestigious honor very few students can hope to attain. In fact, according to the Academy, fewer than 10% of all American high school students are recognized.
The students selected for inclusion include: Faith Hiser (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Gavin Kyle (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Mat Scott (’15; Mathematics, Mrs. Miller), Nathan Wigal (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Danielle VanFossen (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard), Jacob Eckhardt (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard/Mathematics, Mr. Boening), Hannah Shank (’13; Athletics, Mr. Howard/Mathematics, Mrs. Miller & Mr. Boening).
These students, who attend Northridge High School were nominated by a sponsor, who is either a teacher or administrative official at the school and will appear in the United States Achievement Academy’s Official Yearbook, which is published nationally.
“Recognizing and supporting our youth is more important than ever before in America’s history. Certainly, USAA students should be congratulated and appreciated for their dedication to excellence and achievement,” said Dr. George Stevens, Founder of the USAA.
The Academy recognizes students upon the exclusive recommendation of teachers, coaches, counselors, and other qualified sponsors and upon the Standards for Selection set forth by the Academy. The Standards for Selection include academic performance, interest and aptitude, leadership qualities, responsibility enthusiasm, motivation to learn and improve attitude and competitive spirit, dependability, and recommendation from a qualified sponsor.
Mat Scott (’15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: itunes.apple.com
Seniors to the military
NORTHRIDGE - Over the years many Northridge students have left to join the armed forces. This year’s seniors Brady Charles, Joey Reichert, and Justin Mullins are the next to follow in the footsteps of many other Vikings.
Charles has signed and is preparing to leave to become one of the few and the proud. He chose the Marine Corps for a simple reason because he believes “they are the best of the best”. Charles proudly stated he wants “to serve our country”. He has a lot to live up to for the fact that a man of his family has served in every American War since the Revolutionary War.
There will be no technical career for Charles because he is listed as “0311 basic infantry”. He will be trained for frontline combat. Charles will try to make MARSOC, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, to become a Special Forces operator.
Charles leaves on September 9th of this year for Parris Island, South Carolina. His advice to underclassman who are interested in enlisting “think long and hard before you do it, make sure you know the risks before you sign any papers”.
Reichert has enlisted in the Air Force. He wanted to join the military for all of the benefits military personnel receive. Reichert has chosen the Air Force because of their “prestige” and that they have the “best title”.
Reichert is planning on specializing and training to fly unmanned drones after he finishes basic training. After he is in for a few years he wants to receive a college degree and then become an officer in the Air Force.
Reichert is excited to travel the globe. He leaves June 4 for Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Mullins is taking a different approach to joining the military. He is joining the Navy ROTC program at The Ohio State University to become an officer. He is taking this approach to “receive an education to do my job right”.
Mullins chose the Navy because his father has served in the Navy for over twenty- seven years. He plans on getting a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Mullins wants to have the opportunity to fly an aircraft.
Zach Hossler ('14) is a staff reporter for the Viking Vault. Photo caption: Left to right Reichert, Air Force; Charles, Marine Corps; Mulling; Navy ROTC. Photo credit: Zach Hossler
Charles has signed and is preparing to leave to become one of the few and the proud. He chose the Marine Corps for a simple reason because he believes “they are the best of the best”. Charles proudly stated he wants “to serve our country”. He has a lot to live up to for the fact that a man of his family has served in every American War since the Revolutionary War.
There will be no technical career for Charles because he is listed as “0311 basic infantry”. He will be trained for frontline combat. Charles will try to make MARSOC, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, to become a Special Forces operator.
Charles leaves on September 9th of this year for Parris Island, South Carolina. His advice to underclassman who are interested in enlisting “think long and hard before you do it, make sure you know the risks before you sign any papers”.
Reichert has enlisted in the Air Force. He wanted to join the military for all of the benefits military personnel receive. Reichert has chosen the Air Force because of their “prestige” and that they have the “best title”.
Reichert is planning on specializing and training to fly unmanned drones after he finishes basic training. After he is in for a few years he wants to receive a college degree and then become an officer in the Air Force.
Reichert is excited to travel the globe. He leaves June 4 for Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Mullins is taking a different approach to joining the military. He is joining the Navy ROTC program at The Ohio State University to become an officer. He is taking this approach to “receive an education to do my job right”.
Mullins chose the Navy because his father has served in the Navy for over twenty- seven years. He plans on getting a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Mullins wants to have the opportunity to fly an aircraft.
Zach Hossler ('14) is a staff reporter for the Viking Vault. Photo caption: Left to right Reichert, Air Force; Charles, Marine Corps; Mulling; Navy ROTC. Photo credit: Zach Hossler
remember when--elizabeth kallay
I want to curse the person who came up with this idea. And myself for thinking it was a good one. This was a hard story to write. So anyway, I’m going to start with 2nd grade. Not because I don’t remember, but that’s when I moved here. Also, I’m sorry for all the “I remembers”
Moving was rough, I didn’t know what to expect. I enjoyed my life in “South of Westerville”, with a few friends and an okay school. I remember losing some awesome friends, but making some new ones. I remember meeting Mrs. Jenifer Yontz for the first time, and how amazing she was with everyone.
I remember entering gifted, and reading the most terrifying book ever, that probably wouldn’t even make me wince now.
I remember learning to deal with unsavory people, and how to prioritize.
I remember breaking my finger on a gifted field trip, and the painful doctor’s visit that followed.
I don’t remember much about sixth grade, except all of the dress-up days we’ve had.
I remember joining the “drama family” and realizing that others may not like my singing…
I remember Mrs. Jill Hotchkiss’s eggplant wall and the Mickey Mouse on Mr. Chad Elliot’s
I remember meeting some inspiring teachers and being “freshmeat."
I remember when I finally could make fun of the freshmen and learning to drive.
Strangely enough, I remember almost dying in a fight. Twice; and then learning to take the back way to Study Hall. But I mostly remember starting college.
And of course, for this year I remember joining Newspaper and National Honor Society, and having all of the crazy professors at Central Ohio Technical College. Seriously, those guys are nuts. I remember fighting over my college choices and finally choosing The Ohio State University. And I remember finally realizing that it really is a great day to be a Viking.
I remember so much more, but if I were to put it in this story, I’d have to write a book.
Elizabeth Kallay ('13) is an editor for The Viking Vault.
Moving was rough, I didn’t know what to expect. I enjoyed my life in “South of Westerville”, with a few friends and an okay school. I remember losing some awesome friends, but making some new ones. I remember meeting Mrs. Jenifer Yontz for the first time, and how amazing she was with everyone.
I remember entering gifted, and reading the most terrifying book ever, that probably wouldn’t even make me wince now.
I remember learning to deal with unsavory people, and how to prioritize.
I remember breaking my finger on a gifted field trip, and the painful doctor’s visit that followed.
I don’t remember much about sixth grade, except all of the dress-up days we’ve had.
I remember joining the “drama family” and realizing that others may not like my singing…
I remember Mrs. Jill Hotchkiss’s eggplant wall and the Mickey Mouse on Mr. Chad Elliot’s
I remember meeting some inspiring teachers and being “freshmeat."
I remember when I finally could make fun of the freshmen and learning to drive.
Strangely enough, I remember almost dying in a fight. Twice; and then learning to take the back way to Study Hall. But I mostly remember starting college.
And of course, for this year I remember joining Newspaper and National Honor Society, and having all of the crazy professors at Central Ohio Technical College. Seriously, those guys are nuts. I remember fighting over my college choices and finally choosing The Ohio State University. And I remember finally realizing that it really is a great day to be a Viking.
I remember so much more, but if I were to put it in this story, I’d have to write a book.
Elizabeth Kallay ('13) is an editor for The Viking Vault.
Remember when-Storm strout
I will never forget growing up with Tom Williams. That kid and I got into all kinds of stuff. A day didn’t go by where we didn’t have something bleeding, broken, or we were covered head to toe in poison ivy, and usually it was something our parents had to pay to fix.
Tom and I never really made any other friends when we were young outside of our classmates because when he and I were together, we pretty much teamed up against everyone and made a lot of kids cry. Inseparable would have been a pretty perfect word to describe our friendship. In fact, people frequently asked if we were brothers. I’ll never forget the day Tom and I were having one of our usual mud fights. It was back in about 4th or 5th grade, and mud fights for us meant rocks, boulders, and dirt as hard as concrete. It was back then we thought we were invincible; although, I’m not sure much has changed. At that time, the dam for my pond was open, serving as perfect “sides” for our war. The open middle of the dam probably consisted of about a 12 foot drop into running, muddy water. About 6 feet down that 12 foot drop were two 2x4 boards we had put up to cross from side to side. Our make-shift bridge seemed perfect. The war began. I remember the day like it was yesterday; within five minutes we were covered head to toe. It was about this time, I planned on crossing the opening to get to his side and set up a better shot at him. I sprinted as fast as I could to the middle onto our bridge. I was about mid way when one of the 2x4s snapped leaving the other one perfectly intact to crush everything in between my legs. I fell to the bottom of the dam sending a huge cloud of dust above me. I will never forget what I saw when I finally climbed to the top. Tom was on his back laughing hysterically at my pain, and I can almost guarantee that within seconds he began launching mud covered rocks at me once again. Tom and I still laugh about this story today. This is one of hundreds of memories we have together as kids. Tom and I have had our ups and downs, but I will always have his back through heck or high water. I am excited to see what we get into for the remainder of out senior
year and summer. I am looking forward to seeing him be successful in his future at Ohio
University and I know he will do great things. Tom has always been my best friend, and I will never forget the memories we have made growing up.
Storm Strout ('13) is the PR editor for The Viking Vault.
Tom and I never really made any other friends when we were young outside of our classmates because when he and I were together, we pretty much teamed up against everyone and made a lot of kids cry. Inseparable would have been a pretty perfect word to describe our friendship. In fact, people frequently asked if we were brothers. I’ll never forget the day Tom and I were having one of our usual mud fights. It was back in about 4th or 5th grade, and mud fights for us meant rocks, boulders, and dirt as hard as concrete. It was back then we thought we were invincible; although, I’m not sure much has changed. At that time, the dam for my pond was open, serving as perfect “sides” for our war. The open middle of the dam probably consisted of about a 12 foot drop into running, muddy water. About 6 feet down that 12 foot drop were two 2x4 boards we had put up to cross from side to side. Our make-shift bridge seemed perfect. The war began. I remember the day like it was yesterday; within five minutes we were covered head to toe. It was about this time, I planned on crossing the opening to get to his side and set up a better shot at him. I sprinted as fast as I could to the middle onto our bridge. I was about mid way when one of the 2x4s snapped leaving the other one perfectly intact to crush everything in between my legs. I fell to the bottom of the dam sending a huge cloud of dust above me. I will never forget what I saw when I finally climbed to the top. Tom was on his back laughing hysterically at my pain, and I can almost guarantee that within seconds he began launching mud covered rocks at me once again. Tom and I still laugh about this story today. This is one of hundreds of memories we have together as kids. Tom and I have had our ups and downs, but I will always have his back through heck or high water. I am excited to see what we get into for the remainder of out senior
year and summer. I am looking forward to seeing him be successful in his future at Ohio
University and I know he will do great things. Tom has always been my best friend, and I will never forget the memories we have made growing up.
Storm Strout ('13) is the PR editor for The Viking Vault.
remember when-forrest priest
My sophomore year of track was the best year of track, we had the best coaches, Mr. Dudgeon and Ms. Brechbill, and we had the most fun that year and were able to just completely enjoy ourselves. There was no crazy fee we had to pay to run for two and a half months or something stupid like that. The other runners we had were great too, we had some great Seniors and Juniors, like Zach Thompson.
Another thing about Zach Thompson, or ZZ-Thomp, as he prefers to be called, he has his own rap game, where another of his alias’ Mr. 740, is quite widely known. He loves his nickname ZZ-Thomp so much, he ordered fake gold letters off the internet to put on the back of his grandma tan Chevy Cavalier. Zach takes a ton of pride in his Cavy, despite all its dents and injuries it has experienced in the past year. He works at the Abercrombie Home Office as a floor model, where he poses in the latest Abercrombie fashions, he’s lucky that he barely makes the height requirement for a model, but because he does, he is the face of local Abercrombie style. Zach shreds on his electric guitar to such hair metal bands as Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Poison.
I remember Zach as a great rapper and shredder. The last few days of his Senior year, one of his rap songs was played on the loudspeaker system in the cafeteria. I first met Zach in his glory days in early high school where he would sing Katy Perry on the bus at the top of his lungs every other day, switching between that and any hair metal band. Zach set a school track record his Junior year.
In truth, upper classmen like Zach can be pretty entertaining and their mad guitar skills will be missed once they are gone.
Forrest Priest(’13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Another thing about Zach Thompson, or ZZ-Thomp, as he prefers to be called, he has his own rap game, where another of his alias’ Mr. 740, is quite widely known. He loves his nickname ZZ-Thomp so much, he ordered fake gold letters off the internet to put on the back of his grandma tan Chevy Cavalier. Zach takes a ton of pride in his Cavy, despite all its dents and injuries it has experienced in the past year. He works at the Abercrombie Home Office as a floor model, where he poses in the latest Abercrombie fashions, he’s lucky that he barely makes the height requirement for a model, but because he does, he is the face of local Abercrombie style. Zach shreds on his electric guitar to such hair metal bands as Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Poison.
I remember Zach as a great rapper and shredder. The last few days of his Senior year, one of his rap songs was played on the loudspeaker system in the cafeteria. I first met Zach in his glory days in early high school where he would sing Katy Perry on the bus at the top of his lungs every other day, switching between that and any hair metal band. Zach set a school track record his Junior year.
In truth, upper classmen like Zach can be pretty entertaining and their mad guitar skills will be missed once they are gone.
Forrest Priest(’13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault.
Remember When-Summer Richards
Taking pictures every time you were doing something different was the “in” thing? When losing friends and making the same friends again, not even 2 hours after you told each other how much you couldn't stand one another was considered “normal”?
I can honestly say that one of my favorite memories in high school was acting goofy with friends, and singing annoyingly in the car to the newest, or sometimes oldest, hits of my time! It was exciting to jam out and act carefree with friends that didn’t judge me for acting stupid, but would actually act stupid right next to me.
One good memory would be freshman year when Terren Byers and I took a picture on a slow, boring night. We would always find something to get into, whether it was sneaking out on the roof to sit and look around, or setting our camera up to take full body pictures of ourselves acting “goofy” or dressing funny. Sometimes the pictures would end up good, others not so much. In between not knowing when the camera was going to snap a picture or the camera not being set up right and cutting off our heads, we found a good not so “normal” picture. I can’t exactly say who came up with the idea, but it happened, and it was funny because it captured a moment where we were being ourselves and we didn’t have to hide who we really were to be friends.
My friends and I would also make funny faces and motions to songs we would annoyingly sing, or sometimes yell in the car when we thought it was necessary to show off our vocal talents that neither of us had at the time. It was fun and we didn’t care about what other people thought of us. We didn’t strive to fit in, we enjoyed standing out. That’s what made us unique.
We honestly took five pictures just to capture one moment of our lives, just in case the other four weren’t good enough. If we were doing something else or dressed in a different outfit we would snap a new picture and get ecstatic about uploading and updating our new Facebook photo.
As the years went on we grew up and realized that we didn’t need a new picture for everything we did, or every time we changed into a new outfit. It’s funny looking back on how quick we changed, and how far apart friends can actually grow apart. Something that meant so much to us at one point, changed when responsibilities kicked in and new things became interesting to us. The past has shaped us into who we are today and has made us the adults we have grown up to be.
Summer Richards ('13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo caption: Summer: "You're a wizard, Kyli." Kyli: "I-I'm a...what?" Photo Credit: Mat Scott
I can honestly say that one of my favorite memories in high school was acting goofy with friends, and singing annoyingly in the car to the newest, or sometimes oldest, hits of my time! It was exciting to jam out and act carefree with friends that didn’t judge me for acting stupid, but would actually act stupid right next to me.
One good memory would be freshman year when Terren Byers and I took a picture on a slow, boring night. We would always find something to get into, whether it was sneaking out on the roof to sit and look around, or setting our camera up to take full body pictures of ourselves acting “goofy” or dressing funny. Sometimes the pictures would end up good, others not so much. In between not knowing when the camera was going to snap a picture or the camera not being set up right and cutting off our heads, we found a good not so “normal” picture. I can’t exactly say who came up with the idea, but it happened, and it was funny because it captured a moment where we were being ourselves and we didn’t have to hide who we really were to be friends.
My friends and I would also make funny faces and motions to songs we would annoyingly sing, or sometimes yell in the car when we thought it was necessary to show off our vocal talents that neither of us had at the time. It was fun and we didn’t care about what other people thought of us. We didn’t strive to fit in, we enjoyed standing out. That’s what made us unique.
We honestly took five pictures just to capture one moment of our lives, just in case the other four weren’t good enough. If we were doing something else or dressed in a different outfit we would snap a new picture and get ecstatic about uploading and updating our new Facebook photo.
As the years went on we grew up and realized that we didn’t need a new picture for everything we did, or every time we changed into a new outfit. It’s funny looking back on how quick we changed, and how far apart friends can actually grow apart. Something that meant so much to us at one point, changed when responsibilities kicked in and new things became interesting to us. The past has shaped us into who we are today and has made us the adults we have grown up to be.
Summer Richards ('13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo caption: Summer: "You're a wizard, Kyli." Kyli: "I-I'm a...what?" Photo Credit: Mat Scott
Remember When-Kyli fleshman
Remember When
By: Kyli Fleshman
Here we are, a few days from graduation. This had to happen, right? Reminiscing I mean. Where do I begin? So many stories to tell, there is no way possible to pick just one? Think you can handle a few stories, good or bad?
I have two dominant ones that stand out from elementary school. One bright and sunny day, little kid me was playing on the playground at recess, all proud because I could skip a bar on the swinging money bars. (Which are monkey bars... that swing.) Anyway, I had been talking to my friend, Jacob Eckhardt, and I was gloating that I could skip a bar on the monkey bars. Of course, I had to show him! What good does gloating do if you can't prove it. Anyway, I started going across the monkey bars, and then at the very end I went to grab the bar, missed and fell to the gravel-covered ground. This led me to busting my lip open, bleeding everywhere, and crying. Jacob took me to Miss White, the recess monitor, who proceeded to using her thumb to push a tiny rock out of my still gushing blood lip. I was sent to the office to get ice, because apparently that solved everything in Elementary school, and had to hold a towel to my lip. My mom was called, and she came and got me, took me to get ice cream, that I whined my way through, and then took me home. When my dad got home, I told him that I had gotten beat up. Clearly, I was fun little kid.
The next prominent one was the many days I spent with my friends playing four square. This was not just some silly little game to us kids. I mean, when we got to school, we would immediately call dibs on the square we wanted. Nobody wanted squares C or D, so it was always a race to call squares A and B. Especially A, which was the mothership of all squares. It basically turned into a competition. Long lines even formed for people that wanted to get into one of the squares. That kind of sucked for them though, because my friends and I tended to dominate at the game, and it was hard to get us out.. so others could play. If you had square A, you got to state the rules that the participants had to follow. Some of the rules that accumulated over the years were: cherry bombing, ice-cream truck, Ziggler's rules, Corners, and InTheMiddleGo! The first time I got into square A, I was the proudest girl you would have ever seen! Unfortunately, not but two ball hits later, Austin Campbell cherry bombed me out. I was so mad. I literally trash talked him the rest of the day. Oh well, he obviously did not hold it against me, since we are still friends today.
Middle School was basically the worst time ever for an emotional child, such as I was. I survived the first two years of Middle School, moping my way through it. It was basically torture. I did not have classes with my friends, every corner I turned there was someone shoving arguments and drama down my throat. I never won student of the month. Oh the horror of not winning student of the month, I know. You have to understand, I am a horrifically competitive person, and when I see something I want, I work at it until I get it. If you know me now, you are well aware of how true this is. Anyway, one good thing came out of Middle School. There was a club, called S.A.D.D. Students Against Destructive Decisions. Mr. Murray, the now-retired Guidance Counselor ran it, and even though it was a small amount of people, we had a blast. We used to hold these events where students would get a ticket to play 1 game, have 1 drink, have some meal, and get a shirt or something for the night. The ‘games’ ranged from corn-hole, to a video game room, there were movies, and twister, and ball games. We had a great time, and I lived for the days when we had meetings, just so I could get together with people that actually made me feel happy. Then I got homeschooled in 8th grade, and it was much needed. Coming back freshman year was so refreshing. Fresh start, new people, it was what I needed. It was like someone hit the restart button for me.
High School has been something else; So many memories, so many news friends, and so many new challenges. Freshman year I learned that I am actually pretty good at math, I just needed the right kind of teacher to make it click for me. I also learned that English is where I belong, alongside of anything that has to do with Art. It was not until sophomore year that I picked up my uncanny ability to take on too much. I think I do that, because I love the accomplished feeling I get afterwards when I’ve completed all the tasks splayed out for me. Sophomore year was also the year that The Bank of America screwed millions of families over, and my family happened to be one of those families. We wound up losing our house. This memory basically outshines anything that happened that year, so I have no idea what else happened. It’s a blur. However, I learned something from this. I learned that Home is where your family is. That house did not have to be my home. My home was in a 6 person RV parked in front of my grandparents barn for the majority of the summer, where my family was. It was kind of nice to get away from all the technology and idiocy of the world for awhile.
Junior year started my “be involved with everything at once with a smile” attitude, and that still holds strong today. Senior year. I really can’t give you ONE specific memory this year that stands out above all else, because it has been this entire year that stands out. I got to know the majority of my 2013 class this year, and it has been a blast. I can’t believe I waited until my senior year to get to know these amazing people! Being involved in Newspaper, Yearbook, Art Club, Student Leadership, and aiding for teachers has been awesome. Though stressful at times, it brought great times, with great people. The feeling of unity you get when a classroom full of people work together to accomplish something is an indescribable one.
Here we are, a few days from graduating. A few days from the rest of our lives. And I couldn’t be happier.
Kyli Fleshman ('13) is the Editor-in-Chief of The Viking Vault.
By: Kyli Fleshman
Here we are, a few days from graduation. This had to happen, right? Reminiscing I mean. Where do I begin? So many stories to tell, there is no way possible to pick just one? Think you can handle a few stories, good or bad?
I have two dominant ones that stand out from elementary school. One bright and sunny day, little kid me was playing on the playground at recess, all proud because I could skip a bar on the swinging money bars. (Which are monkey bars... that swing.) Anyway, I had been talking to my friend, Jacob Eckhardt, and I was gloating that I could skip a bar on the monkey bars. Of course, I had to show him! What good does gloating do if you can't prove it. Anyway, I started going across the monkey bars, and then at the very end I went to grab the bar, missed and fell to the gravel-covered ground. This led me to busting my lip open, bleeding everywhere, and crying. Jacob took me to Miss White, the recess monitor, who proceeded to using her thumb to push a tiny rock out of my still gushing blood lip. I was sent to the office to get ice, because apparently that solved everything in Elementary school, and had to hold a towel to my lip. My mom was called, and she came and got me, took me to get ice cream, that I whined my way through, and then took me home. When my dad got home, I told him that I had gotten beat up. Clearly, I was fun little kid.
The next prominent one was the many days I spent with my friends playing four square. This was not just some silly little game to us kids. I mean, when we got to school, we would immediately call dibs on the square we wanted. Nobody wanted squares C or D, so it was always a race to call squares A and B. Especially A, which was the mothership of all squares. It basically turned into a competition. Long lines even formed for people that wanted to get into one of the squares. That kind of sucked for them though, because my friends and I tended to dominate at the game, and it was hard to get us out.. so others could play. If you had square A, you got to state the rules that the participants had to follow. Some of the rules that accumulated over the years were: cherry bombing, ice-cream truck, Ziggler's rules, Corners, and InTheMiddleGo! The first time I got into square A, I was the proudest girl you would have ever seen! Unfortunately, not but two ball hits later, Austin Campbell cherry bombed me out. I was so mad. I literally trash talked him the rest of the day. Oh well, he obviously did not hold it against me, since we are still friends today.
Middle School was basically the worst time ever for an emotional child, such as I was. I survived the first two years of Middle School, moping my way through it. It was basically torture. I did not have classes with my friends, every corner I turned there was someone shoving arguments and drama down my throat. I never won student of the month. Oh the horror of not winning student of the month, I know. You have to understand, I am a horrifically competitive person, and when I see something I want, I work at it until I get it. If you know me now, you are well aware of how true this is. Anyway, one good thing came out of Middle School. There was a club, called S.A.D.D. Students Against Destructive Decisions. Mr. Murray, the now-retired Guidance Counselor ran it, and even though it was a small amount of people, we had a blast. We used to hold these events where students would get a ticket to play 1 game, have 1 drink, have some meal, and get a shirt or something for the night. The ‘games’ ranged from corn-hole, to a video game room, there were movies, and twister, and ball games. We had a great time, and I lived for the days when we had meetings, just so I could get together with people that actually made me feel happy. Then I got homeschooled in 8th grade, and it was much needed. Coming back freshman year was so refreshing. Fresh start, new people, it was what I needed. It was like someone hit the restart button for me.
High School has been something else; So many memories, so many news friends, and so many new challenges. Freshman year I learned that I am actually pretty good at math, I just needed the right kind of teacher to make it click for me. I also learned that English is where I belong, alongside of anything that has to do with Art. It was not until sophomore year that I picked up my uncanny ability to take on too much. I think I do that, because I love the accomplished feeling I get afterwards when I’ve completed all the tasks splayed out for me. Sophomore year was also the year that The Bank of America screwed millions of families over, and my family happened to be one of those families. We wound up losing our house. This memory basically outshines anything that happened that year, so I have no idea what else happened. It’s a blur. However, I learned something from this. I learned that Home is where your family is. That house did not have to be my home. My home was in a 6 person RV parked in front of my grandparents barn for the majority of the summer, where my family was. It was kind of nice to get away from all the technology and idiocy of the world for awhile.
Junior year started my “be involved with everything at once with a smile” attitude, and that still holds strong today. Senior year. I really can’t give you ONE specific memory this year that stands out above all else, because it has been this entire year that stands out. I got to know the majority of my 2013 class this year, and it has been a blast. I can’t believe I waited until my senior year to get to know these amazing people! Being involved in Newspaper, Yearbook, Art Club, Student Leadership, and aiding for teachers has been awesome. Though stressful at times, it brought great times, with great people. The feeling of unity you get when a classroom full of people work together to accomplish something is an indescribable one.
Here we are, a few days from graduating. A few days from the rest of our lives. And I couldn’t be happier.
Kyli Fleshman ('13) is the Editor-in-Chief of The Viking Vault.
DISSECTING CATS FOR ANATOMY
By: Katelin Ashbrook
NORTHRIDGE- Students of Mr. Russell’s anatomy and physiology class have finally started what they have all been waiting for all year: cat dissection. Starting right after Spring Break, the class has dug deep inside their lesson of the body.
“I was really nervous at first,” says Matt Grindle (’14). “I didn’t think I would be able
to do it, but once I get in there, it’s kind of fun!” Grindle also said that he’s learned a
lot from the hands-on experience and that it’s much easier to understand the body
once you can see inside the actual thing. Matt has been a leader in his group so far,
suggesting different techniques to help the group better their experience.
Each group in the class was presented with a cat, each varying in sizes from extra
small to extra large. Then, the students were instructed to skin the cat. This process
took students about two days. “Skinning the cat was oddly enjoyable,” said Courtney
Mann (’14) who never thought she would be doing this one day. “It takes a lot of
team work and patience, but we got it done.”
Mr. Russell told his students that he wanted to do this lab so that he could make sure
that they understood exactly what he had been teaching them all year and so that
they could finally put all that knowledge to work. To ensure their knowledge on the
body, Russell gives the class certain organs and structures to find. If they miss-label
something, they simply get deducted two points.
Russell seems to be very impressed with is first anatomy class and students hope
that he will continue cat dissections in year to come.
The class has been working on the cats for about two weeks now and the smell
lingers in the halls to prove it. Open windows, candles, and fans are all necessary
when fifth period rolls around. Russell says that the smell is “only going to get
worse.”
Though the smell may be potent, the cats are very sanitary and no health codes are
being broken. All students are required to wear gloves and some even put lab coats
and/or old shirts over their school clothes. After each lab every day, the cats are
bagged up and put in a box for the night. The tables are sprayed down with disinfect
and the tools, like tweezers, pins, and scalpels, are all cleaned thoroughly.
Fifth period anatomy and physiology have learned plenty over the course of this
year. Now they can have cat dissection under their belt.
Katelin Ashbrook is a junior reporter for The Viking Vault.
NORTHRIDGE- Students of Mr. Russell’s anatomy and physiology class have finally started what they have all been waiting for all year: cat dissection. Starting right after Spring Break, the class has dug deep inside their lesson of the body.
“I was really nervous at first,” says Matt Grindle (’14). “I didn’t think I would be able
to do it, but once I get in there, it’s kind of fun!” Grindle also said that he’s learned a
lot from the hands-on experience and that it’s much easier to understand the body
once you can see inside the actual thing. Matt has been a leader in his group so far,
suggesting different techniques to help the group better their experience.
Each group in the class was presented with a cat, each varying in sizes from extra
small to extra large. Then, the students were instructed to skin the cat. This process
took students about two days. “Skinning the cat was oddly enjoyable,” said Courtney
Mann (’14) who never thought she would be doing this one day. “It takes a lot of
team work and patience, but we got it done.”
Mr. Russell told his students that he wanted to do this lab so that he could make sure
that they understood exactly what he had been teaching them all year and so that
they could finally put all that knowledge to work. To ensure their knowledge on the
body, Russell gives the class certain organs and structures to find. If they miss-label
something, they simply get deducted two points.
Russell seems to be very impressed with is first anatomy class and students hope
that he will continue cat dissections in year to come.
The class has been working on the cats for about two weeks now and the smell
lingers in the halls to prove it. Open windows, candles, and fans are all necessary
when fifth period rolls around. Russell says that the smell is “only going to get
worse.”
Though the smell may be potent, the cats are very sanitary and no health codes are
being broken. All students are required to wear gloves and some even put lab coats
and/or old shirts over their school clothes. After each lab every day, the cats are
bagged up and put in a box for the night. The tables are sprayed down with disinfect
and the tools, like tweezers, pins, and scalpels, are all cleaned thoroughly.
Fifth period anatomy and physiology have learned plenty over the course of this
year. Now they can have cat dissection under their belt.
Katelin Ashbrook is a junior reporter for The Viking Vault.
April Fools!
By: Kyli Fleshman
We all know when April Fools comes around. Suddenly everything coming out of anyone’s mouth is a lie, and nobody can be trusted. Hide yo pets. Hide yo friends. They prankin’ everyone at this school. Usually there is a wide arrange of pranks at Northridge come this time of year, but I heard a stunning lack of pranks! Do not worry. Relax. There are few here for your enjoyment.
Jillian ('16) and Jana Choberka’s parents got them really good! They set the fire alarm off at their house around 3 A.M. and rushed the kids out the door in their pajamas! As soon as everyone was out the door, the lock was locked behind them. “It made me really mad! I knew it was joke, but my mom didn’t give it up! That was an hour of sleep I could have gotten.” Jana Choberka (’14) said when asked she felt about the prank. Fake fire? No problem! April Fools, girls!
Leila Shore told her mom that she was pregnant. Younger brother (’13) Tony shore said, “[their mom] gasped and squealed much like an excited piglet would. She pretty much exploded.” Classic! April Fools, Mrs. Shore!
(’14) Danielle Salamone got her boyfriend (’13) Hayden Warner real good! She texted him, saying that she was hungry and her mom was probably bringing Chipotle, and asked what he wanted. If you did not know, Chipotle is some super craze here at the ‘Ridge. Anyway, he got really excited and was told to meet her outside the lunchroom in the hallway for it. When he got there, there was no food. Just empty hopes, and empty stomachs. Sorry dude. April Fools, Hayden!
Lastly, I pulled a prank on what was supposed to be just the Senior Class but wound up being the whole school. As a surprise graduation present, my grandparents bought me tickets to fly down to Florida to see them. I was going to be gone from Wednesday, Mar. 27 to Wednesday April 3. Realizing I would be gone on the first of April, I decided to have some fun with it. Shortly after landing in Florida, I began to spread the news that I had moved there for good an enrolled in an online education program called Ecot. Some people were really shocked, and got mad at me, like Megan Hatfield ('15), Shaunie Castle (’13), Jessica Nincehelser ('14), and Shane Mulligan ('13). “I got sad and worried! I thought Yearbook and Newspaper would fall apart,” Hatfield told me when I got back to school the following Thursday. “I’m mad at you! You lied to me! I thought were being serious!” were the first words Mulligan told me when he saw me Thursday morning. The only way I got him to forgive me was by sharing my pizza pockets with him.
However, not everyone was fooled by my little joke. One of the main people I was trying to scare did not fall for it. Storm Strout ('13) knew all along that I was just messing around, “ I know you she was full of crap because she would have consulted with me first,” he said when asked about not believing me. Ah well, there’s always next year!
If you or someone you know did a prank, let us know in the comments so we can tell everyone of yours or their victory!
Kyli Fleshman ('13) is the Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault. She is also an expert on April Fools' jokes.
We all know when April Fools comes around. Suddenly everything coming out of anyone’s mouth is a lie, and nobody can be trusted. Hide yo pets. Hide yo friends. They prankin’ everyone at this school. Usually there is a wide arrange of pranks at Northridge come this time of year, but I heard a stunning lack of pranks! Do not worry. Relax. There are few here for your enjoyment.
Jillian ('16) and Jana Choberka’s parents got them really good! They set the fire alarm off at their house around 3 A.M. and rushed the kids out the door in their pajamas! As soon as everyone was out the door, the lock was locked behind them. “It made me really mad! I knew it was joke, but my mom didn’t give it up! That was an hour of sleep I could have gotten.” Jana Choberka (’14) said when asked she felt about the prank. Fake fire? No problem! April Fools, girls!
Leila Shore told her mom that she was pregnant. Younger brother (’13) Tony shore said, “[their mom] gasped and squealed much like an excited piglet would. She pretty much exploded.” Classic! April Fools, Mrs. Shore!
(’14) Danielle Salamone got her boyfriend (’13) Hayden Warner real good! She texted him, saying that she was hungry and her mom was probably bringing Chipotle, and asked what he wanted. If you did not know, Chipotle is some super craze here at the ‘Ridge. Anyway, he got really excited and was told to meet her outside the lunchroom in the hallway for it. When he got there, there was no food. Just empty hopes, and empty stomachs. Sorry dude. April Fools, Hayden!
Lastly, I pulled a prank on what was supposed to be just the Senior Class but wound up being the whole school. As a surprise graduation present, my grandparents bought me tickets to fly down to Florida to see them. I was going to be gone from Wednesday, Mar. 27 to Wednesday April 3. Realizing I would be gone on the first of April, I decided to have some fun with it. Shortly after landing in Florida, I began to spread the news that I had moved there for good an enrolled in an online education program called Ecot. Some people were really shocked, and got mad at me, like Megan Hatfield ('15), Shaunie Castle (’13), Jessica Nincehelser ('14), and Shane Mulligan ('13). “I got sad and worried! I thought Yearbook and Newspaper would fall apart,” Hatfield told me when I got back to school the following Thursday. “I’m mad at you! You lied to me! I thought were being serious!” were the first words Mulligan told me when he saw me Thursday morning. The only way I got him to forgive me was by sharing my pizza pockets with him.
However, not everyone was fooled by my little joke. One of the main people I was trying to scare did not fall for it. Storm Strout ('13) knew all along that I was just messing around, “ I know you she was full of crap because she would have consulted with me first,” he said when asked about not believing me. Ah well, there’s always next year!
If you or someone you know did a prank, let us know in the comments so we can tell everyone of yours or their victory!
Kyli Fleshman ('13) is the Editor-in-Chief and a staff writer for The Viking Vault. She is also an expert on April Fools' jokes.
It's all the same
By: Mat Scott and Adreona Perkowski
Nobody should ever judge you for who you love. You are free to be you as you like, not how everyone else expects you to be. If that's getting married to someone of the same sex, people shouldn't judge you on your choice. It's about who you are, not who you like. Society shouldn’t dictate who you are; you should dictate who you are. Yet, regardless of your stance on same-sex marriage, you should always respect the other side.
The Internet is not a good place to post personal beliefs if you don't want people to argue with them. On that note, many arguments have broken out recently over the topic of same-sex marriage, some of them rather nasty. Many of these fights stem from people using social sites as their personal journals, and forgetting that other people have access to and can see their posts. A person, who wishes to remain anonymous, says after being involved in a social media fight him/herself, “I wanted to share my opinion. I'm not ignorant.” While this may be true, both sides of the argument need to be respected. Being overly opinionated can cause many problems.
Homosexuality is not a conscious decision; it is a realization of something that has been a part of a person since they were born. A person’s attraction to guys, girls, or both is not their decision, but coming out is. Many people are afraid to “come out of the closet” because of what people will say. Nathan Castle ('14) says, “Don’t be afraid to come out. There are so many people here who will love and respect you that you can't even imagine.” Another student, Zach Hansen ('16) says, “If even one person had the guts to come out, it would spark courage for others who are afraid to come out too.”
A popular argument for people who oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage is a biblical allusion to “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” While there are many different beliefs, arguing based on religion does not automatically make you right. There are multiple other beliefs who would disagree with the beliefs of Christianity. In the Bible, it is stated that all are equal in the Lord's eyes, but is this concept still applicable to the LGBT? If not, why? Also, “Thou shalt not judge thy neighbor,” but some Christians are judging these LGBT neighbors for being who they are. Our question is; why?
“If you have to make a law that hurts a number of people just to prove your morals or faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove,” says a popular e-card. This is true of the government's policies against same-sex marriage. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that “...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” If the Constitution that is to be upheld by all Americans states that we are to not deprive any legal U.S. citizen these inalienable rights, then why are we denying these rights to so many citizens?
Sam Iacone (’15) stands for equality simply because it’s a human rights issue, saying “It’s not like it’s hurting you.” Iacone also says that bigotry is making people’s lives harder and that, “Jesus wouldn’t like that.” As for social media issues Iacone says, “You’re just hiding behind your keyboard and you’re just a butthole.”
Iacone believes that PDA (public display of affection) isn’t okay if you’re straight or a member of the LGBT. Storm Strout (’13) agrees that PDA shouldn’t be displayed. Strout is neutral on the subject of marriage equality because he feels as if it isn’t his problem so it really isn’t his place to judge.
Regardless of how you may believe or how you’ve been raised it is important to remember that the opposing side does have feelings and that those feelings need to be respected. Hopefully, they’ll respect you in return. Although that’s not something you can always count on. Remember people will be people and there’s no changing that. The only thing you can do is respect other's opinions, even if you may disagree.
Adreona Perkowski (’15) and Mat Scott (’15) are staff writers for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: www.tagroom.com
Nobody should ever judge you for who you love. You are free to be you as you like, not how everyone else expects you to be. If that's getting married to someone of the same sex, people shouldn't judge you on your choice. It's about who you are, not who you like. Society shouldn’t dictate who you are; you should dictate who you are. Yet, regardless of your stance on same-sex marriage, you should always respect the other side.
The Internet is not a good place to post personal beliefs if you don't want people to argue with them. On that note, many arguments have broken out recently over the topic of same-sex marriage, some of them rather nasty. Many of these fights stem from people using social sites as their personal journals, and forgetting that other people have access to and can see their posts. A person, who wishes to remain anonymous, says after being involved in a social media fight him/herself, “I wanted to share my opinion. I'm not ignorant.” While this may be true, both sides of the argument need to be respected. Being overly opinionated can cause many problems.
Homosexuality is not a conscious decision; it is a realization of something that has been a part of a person since they were born. A person’s attraction to guys, girls, or both is not their decision, but coming out is. Many people are afraid to “come out of the closet” because of what people will say. Nathan Castle ('14) says, “Don’t be afraid to come out. There are so many people here who will love and respect you that you can't even imagine.” Another student, Zach Hansen ('16) says, “If even one person had the guts to come out, it would spark courage for others who are afraid to come out too.”
A popular argument for people who oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage is a biblical allusion to “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” While there are many different beliefs, arguing based on religion does not automatically make you right. There are multiple other beliefs who would disagree with the beliefs of Christianity. In the Bible, it is stated that all are equal in the Lord's eyes, but is this concept still applicable to the LGBT? If not, why? Also, “Thou shalt not judge thy neighbor,” but some Christians are judging these LGBT neighbors for being who they are. Our question is; why?
“If you have to make a law that hurts a number of people just to prove your morals or faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove,” says a popular e-card. This is true of the government's policies against same-sex marriage. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that “...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” If the Constitution that is to be upheld by all Americans states that we are to not deprive any legal U.S. citizen these inalienable rights, then why are we denying these rights to so many citizens?
Sam Iacone (’15) stands for equality simply because it’s a human rights issue, saying “It’s not like it’s hurting you.” Iacone also says that bigotry is making people’s lives harder and that, “Jesus wouldn’t like that.” As for social media issues Iacone says, “You’re just hiding behind your keyboard and you’re just a butthole.”
Iacone believes that PDA (public display of affection) isn’t okay if you’re straight or a member of the LGBT. Storm Strout (’13) agrees that PDA shouldn’t be displayed. Strout is neutral on the subject of marriage equality because he feels as if it isn’t his problem so it really isn’t his place to judge.
Regardless of how you may believe or how you’ve been raised it is important to remember that the opposing side does have feelings and that those feelings need to be respected. Hopefully, they’ll respect you in return. Although that’s not something you can always count on. Remember people will be people and there’s no changing that. The only thing you can do is respect other's opinions, even if you may disagree.
Adreona Perkowski (’15) and Mat Scott (’15) are staff writers for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: www.tagroom.com
Online Etiquette:
Basic DOs and DON'Ts of using the Internet
Many people post things online without even thinking about it. It becomes instinct to automatically hit ‘upload’ whenever someone takes a new photo, and tweeting on a minutely basis becomes natural. So here’s a basic list of online etiquette tips to avoid problems.
Mat Scott ('15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: baw2012.pbworks.com
Mat Scott ('15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: baw2012.pbworks.com
DO:
|
DON'T:
|
*This is a feature which pushes the chat window to the front of the recipient’s open windows. This is especially annoying when the recipient is trying to work.
**For those unfamiliar with the term, “trolling” refers to deliberately being annoying or obnoxious online. It can be intentional ignorance, sarcasm, or stupidity directed at a status, photo, video, etc.
***A 'sock puppet' account is an account created with the intent to cause problems. These are usually in addition to a person’s main account, but under a different name. These can cause serious issues if they go undiscovered for a long period of time. They are usually created to get around user blocks or to spread false information, and being under a different name, nobody knows who it really is and the culprit avoids the repercussions.
**For those unfamiliar with the term, “trolling” refers to deliberately being annoying or obnoxious online. It can be intentional ignorance, sarcasm, or stupidity directed at a status, photo, video, etc.
***A 'sock puppet' account is an account created with the intent to cause problems. These are usually in addition to a person’s main account, but under a different name. These can cause serious issues if they go undiscovered for a long period of time. They are usually created to get around user blocks or to spread false information, and being under a different name, nobody knows who it really is and the culprit avoids the repercussions.
Trials of a New Driver
By: Trevor White
Driving signifies a new chapter in growing up. It opens many new possibilities and makes life easier. I just recently received my license, and I already love having it. It makes hanging out with friends much easier, you get extra sleep before school, and it provides a lot more freedom. Still, there are downsides.
Although there is much more freedom, that comes with a lot of responsibility to handle. You are under constant scrutiny and observation. Along with that you have to get used to driving alone with nobody grading you and criticizing your performance.
Also, if you have no job, getting gas money from your parents can strain your relationship to an extent. One major problem is being extra careful to not get pulled over. If you get pulled over before you are 18, you get your license revoked and your insurance goes through the roof.
Trevor White (’15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo Credit: The New York Times.
Driving signifies a new chapter in growing up. It opens many new possibilities and makes life easier. I just recently received my license, and I already love having it. It makes hanging out with friends much easier, you get extra sleep before school, and it provides a lot more freedom. Still, there are downsides.
Although there is much more freedom, that comes with a lot of responsibility to handle. You are under constant scrutiny and observation. Along with that you have to get used to driving alone with nobody grading you and criticizing your performance.
Also, if you have no job, getting gas money from your parents can strain your relationship to an extent. One major problem is being extra careful to not get pulled over. If you get pulled over before you are 18, you get your license revoked and your insurance goes through the roof.
Trevor White (’15) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo Credit: The New York Times.
Who's that baby? ANSWERS!
From the home page, left to right by row:
1. Mr. Boening, Mrs. Garee, Ms. Campbell
2. Mr. Gunn, Mrs. Morvay, Miss Baker
3. Mrs. Kelly
1. Mr. Boening, Mrs. Garee, Ms. Campbell
2. Mr. Gunn, Mrs. Morvay, Miss Baker
3. Mrs. Kelly
OGTs review and tips
By: McKenzie Messer
Let me summarize the OGTs in two words: It sucked. It wasn't really hard or anything, I just would've rather been sleeping than taking a test for two hours every morning. The first day you're like, "Yeah, okay. That wasn't too bad." The second and third you're getting tired and irritated because some teachers still want to do things in class. By the fourth day you nearly fall asleep during the test. The fifth is the grandest day of them all because you leave the school at 9:20.
The first day was the reading test. It wasn't too bad, but do not over-complicate your thoughts. Go with your gut and choose your first response. The second day was math which was like a blessing from Heaven. I love math because you will always have the right answer no matter how much time changes. The third was writing. The writing prompts were 18 points each and hurt my hand, but it wasn't too horrible Then there was science. If you hear any juniors and seniors talking about, "Oh, it was only graphs!" DO. NOT. TRUST. THEM. Previous years it was kicks and giggles and graphs, but this year we had actual questions about cells and junk. The last, and holiest day, was the social studies, or history test. Honestly I don't remember too much about it, I just remember thinking, "I WANT OUT OF HERE. I WANT OUT OF HERE. I WANT OUT OF HERE." Just make sure you're paying attention in Went's and Mr. Bennett's class, I guess.
Tips for freshmen: Look over old notes, eat before (because you can't eat during the test), AND MAKE SURE YOU PEE.
McKenzie Messer ('15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: Google images.
Let me summarize the OGTs in two words: It sucked. It wasn't really hard or anything, I just would've rather been sleeping than taking a test for two hours every morning. The first day you're like, "Yeah, okay. That wasn't too bad." The second and third you're getting tired and irritated because some teachers still want to do things in class. By the fourth day you nearly fall asleep during the test. The fifth is the grandest day of them all because you leave the school at 9:20.
The first day was the reading test. It wasn't too bad, but do not over-complicate your thoughts. Go with your gut and choose your first response. The second day was math which was like a blessing from Heaven. I love math because you will always have the right answer no matter how much time changes. The third was writing. The writing prompts were 18 points each and hurt my hand, but it wasn't too horrible Then there was science. If you hear any juniors and seniors talking about, "Oh, it was only graphs!" DO. NOT. TRUST. THEM. Previous years it was kicks and giggles and graphs, but this year we had actual questions about cells and junk. The last, and holiest day, was the social studies, or history test. Honestly I don't remember too much about it, I just remember thinking, "I WANT OUT OF HERE. I WANT OUT OF HERE. I WANT OUT OF HERE." Just make sure you're paying attention in Went's and Mr. Bennett's class, I guess.
Tips for freshmen: Look over old notes, eat before (because you can't eat during the test), AND MAKE SURE YOU PEE.
McKenzie Messer ('15) is an editor and staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: Google images.
(Go to the bottom of the "Extras" page for answer key)
Mystery Reporter poses the question: classy or trashy?
According to the old adage, April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. Of course, we also rely on a groundhog to predict how long winter will last, so, realistically, I don’t know how much stock we should put into our old adages, myths or superstitions as far as the weather is concerned. Regardless of what Buckeye Chuck, Puxatawney Phil or global warming says, sooner or later warm weather will come to Ohio, and maybe even stay for more than a few days. And, when that warm weather arrives, we will all have one important, possibly life-changing, decision to make.
Classy or Trashy?
Even though we might not agree with society’s expectations, and we might “rage against the machine” and insist on living our lives without conforming, we can’t deny the fact that there are certain societal expectations which we have to at least acknowledge regarding how we outfit ourselves. Think about how you would react if you walked into church and your minister decided to preach while wearing a speedo. Or, what would your gut reaction be if you walked into the office and Ms. Anderson was lounging around in sweats and a t-shirt, or your teacher decided yoga pants were acceptable school attire?
You might be thinking those aren’t fair examples because the people I mentioned are professionals. While that is true, society still has expectations for dress outside of professional settings as well. Most of us are probably guilty of finding great entertainment from websites like peopleofwalmart.com. Why do we find those websites so funny? Because the pictures on them are of people who are breaking society’s rules concerning what is acceptable attire to wear in public (or anywhere, really).
I have a dress code for my chosen profession. I’m expected to dress “professionally” on a daily basis. Are there days when I would much rather throw on a baseball hat, a hoodie, and a pair of sweats? Absolutely! Would I still be able to perform the tasks expected of me for my job? Absolutely! However, society, and my boss, says that is not acceptable. So, do I ignore the rules and wear what I want because it’s my right to do what I want? Absolutely not! Why? Because, I know that there are some areas where I have to conform to society’s expectations of me.
Every job, school, organization has people in it who will disagree with the dress code expectations. Just because they don’t agree with it, though, doesn’t give them the right to rebel against it. They might make the argument that their yoga pants or leggings are so comfortable that they should be allowed to wear them. Well, I’m pretty sure sweatpants are just as comfortable as yoga pants or leggings, and maybe even more comfortable since they aren’t skin-tight. They might make the argument that they have to wear that hat because they just didn’t have time to brush their hair. Well, look around, Half the people in their class didn’t have time to brush their hair. They might make the argument that they can’t buy jeans that don’t have holes in them. Find another store to shop at, then.
There is only one thing in this world you have absolute control over: yourself. You choose how you act. You choose how you respond to situations. You choose how you are going to present yourself to the world. There aren’t many other things in your life you can control, but you can control what you wear.
As you anxiously await the arrival of warm weather, you have some decisions to make. How are you going to present yourself to the world? Are you going to buy the prom dress that is the epitome of class and beauty? Are you going to buy the shorts that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear in front of your great-grandma? Are you going to buy the bathing suit that would be acceptable on an after school special?
Classy or trashy? It’s your call.
Classy or Trashy?
Even though we might not agree with society’s expectations, and we might “rage against the machine” and insist on living our lives without conforming, we can’t deny the fact that there are certain societal expectations which we have to at least acknowledge regarding how we outfit ourselves. Think about how you would react if you walked into church and your minister decided to preach while wearing a speedo. Or, what would your gut reaction be if you walked into the office and Ms. Anderson was lounging around in sweats and a t-shirt, or your teacher decided yoga pants were acceptable school attire?
You might be thinking those aren’t fair examples because the people I mentioned are professionals. While that is true, society still has expectations for dress outside of professional settings as well. Most of us are probably guilty of finding great entertainment from websites like peopleofwalmart.com. Why do we find those websites so funny? Because the pictures on them are of people who are breaking society’s rules concerning what is acceptable attire to wear in public (or anywhere, really).
I have a dress code for my chosen profession. I’m expected to dress “professionally” on a daily basis. Are there days when I would much rather throw on a baseball hat, a hoodie, and a pair of sweats? Absolutely! Would I still be able to perform the tasks expected of me for my job? Absolutely! However, society, and my boss, says that is not acceptable. So, do I ignore the rules and wear what I want because it’s my right to do what I want? Absolutely not! Why? Because, I know that there are some areas where I have to conform to society’s expectations of me.
Every job, school, organization has people in it who will disagree with the dress code expectations. Just because they don’t agree with it, though, doesn’t give them the right to rebel against it. They might make the argument that their yoga pants or leggings are so comfortable that they should be allowed to wear them. Well, I’m pretty sure sweatpants are just as comfortable as yoga pants or leggings, and maybe even more comfortable since they aren’t skin-tight. They might make the argument that they have to wear that hat because they just didn’t have time to brush their hair. Well, look around, Half the people in their class didn’t have time to brush their hair. They might make the argument that they can’t buy jeans that don’t have holes in them. Find another store to shop at, then.
There is only one thing in this world you have absolute control over: yourself. You choose how you act. You choose how you respond to situations. You choose how you are going to present yourself to the world. There aren’t many other things in your life you can control, but you can control what you wear.
As you anxiously await the arrival of warm weather, you have some decisions to make. How are you going to present yourself to the world? Are you going to buy the prom dress that is the epitome of class and beauty? Are you going to buy the shorts that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear in front of your great-grandma? Are you going to buy the bathing suit that would be acceptable on an after school special?
Classy or trashy? It’s your call.
Who's that baby? (They're your teachers now)
Violence in schools
By: Summer Richards
NORTHRIDGE- We live in such a cruel and mean world. Whether it is a shooting at a college or an elementary school, it still affects people all across the nation. Just two months ago in Newtown, Connecticut, many children lost their innocence, and worse, their lives. The children affected were from 5 to 10 years young. It is so sad to think that any human being with a heart could perform such a violent act, especially upon an innocent young child who is defenseless.
Lately, violence has played a star role in the nation, and president Obama has wanted to place limitations on the right to bear arms, in a sense. At first my initial thought was how wrong our president was for wanting to take away such a powerful right of the American people. Then, after actually taking the time to figure out his logic, I thought that he was absolutely right for wanting to take that right away. I understand the “hunters” in the world are upset and some irate about the fact that certain guns could be banned. However, it isn’t like a person needs a machine gun or assault rifle to hunt an animal. Those guns have one purpose, and that purpose alone is to kill a person. So before anyone gets bent out of shape about this issue, look at the cold hard facts and then judge. Violent acts have been taking part more than ever, and without any good reasoning behind it. No act of violence is a good act of course, yet some can be more justified than others.
Why is this occurring at such an intense rate? No one knows, nor understands why violent acts keep occurring, especially so rapidly. Everyone must keep their eyes peeled and constantly watching out for their fellow friends and staff. If someone sees something suspicious, don’t hesitate to report it to a teacher, administrator, or principal.
Summer Richards ('13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: communication2010aces.wordpress.com
NORTHRIDGE- We live in such a cruel and mean world. Whether it is a shooting at a college or an elementary school, it still affects people all across the nation. Just two months ago in Newtown, Connecticut, many children lost their innocence, and worse, their lives. The children affected were from 5 to 10 years young. It is so sad to think that any human being with a heart could perform such a violent act, especially upon an innocent young child who is defenseless.
Lately, violence has played a star role in the nation, and president Obama has wanted to place limitations on the right to bear arms, in a sense. At first my initial thought was how wrong our president was for wanting to take away such a powerful right of the American people. Then, after actually taking the time to figure out his logic, I thought that he was absolutely right for wanting to take that right away. I understand the “hunters” in the world are upset and some irate about the fact that certain guns could be banned. However, it isn’t like a person needs a machine gun or assault rifle to hunt an animal. Those guns have one purpose, and that purpose alone is to kill a person. So before anyone gets bent out of shape about this issue, look at the cold hard facts and then judge. Violent acts have been taking part more than ever, and without any good reasoning behind it. No act of violence is a good act of course, yet some can be more justified than others.
Why is this occurring at such an intense rate? No one knows, nor understands why violent acts keep occurring, especially so rapidly. Everyone must keep their eyes peeled and constantly watching out for their fellow friends and staff. If someone sees something suspicious, don’t hesitate to report it to a teacher, administrator, or principal.
Summer Richards ('13) is a staff writer for The Viking Vault. Photo credit: communication2010aces.wordpress.com
Mystery Reporter: Take a fresh look around
I have a confession to make. I am a closet geek. Stop gasping. I’m not perpetuating stereotypes or attempting to marginalize any specific groups in society or the school. If anything, I am encouraging the geeks of the world to have a voice and embrace their geekiness. So, as I was saying, I am a closet geek. I have an unhealthy obsession with fictitious characters, all kinds of fictitious characters: movie characters, literary figures, television personalities. I can’t help but become emotionally involved in the imaginary lives of these intriguing personalities. Really, though, can you blame me? How absolutely insane would it be to live in a world of shadowhunters, demons and vampires? Or, what if the fate of the earth was all on your shoulders? Okay, maybe all these details do is point to the fact that I need therapy; however, you know there is a little part of you somewhere in your subconscious that thinks at least a little part of those personalities would be really amazing to have!
Unfortunately, though, life does not always read like a book, play out like a movie, or hold the suspense of a television drama. Most of the time, we can’t even say life is like reality television, but that just might be because reality television isn’t realistic at all. The one thing life does have in common with fiction, though, is that, like the characters I so often live through vicariously, we are all protagonists in our own stories. Sometimes our stories read like those old “choose your own adventure” books where we have the freedom to choose our own paths and write our own stories. Sometimes, though, there are parts of our stories that are written for us, things over which we have no control. At the end of the day, though, one thing remains certain: the only thing we have complete control over in our stories is ourselves.
Just like the characters I watch and read about, there are times when students surprise me, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I watch as students come up from the middle school and play the role of the scared freshman. They don’t talk much because they are intimidated by the upperclassmen. Or, sometimes, they don’t play the role of the scared freshman at all, but they play the role of the freshman who wants to be popular and will do anything to fit in. It doesn’t just stop with the freshmen though. I have watched so many times as students who were stellar for their first three years of high school throw away their entire reputation, gpa, and identity during their senior year because they just don’t care anymore. I have watched as some of the most respectful teenagers turn 18 and decide no one deserves their respect anymore. I have listened to teachers brag about the quality of individuals only to see them take on alter egos and morph into unrecognizable characters their senior year.
But, I have also seen students who couldn’t stay out of the office their freshman year turn into some of the most active, quality individuals by their senior year. I have seen kids who were the epitome of insubordination as underclassmen decide to be the school’s biggest advocate as a senior. I have seen kids grow up and try to escape the reputation they probably earned their first three years of high school, sometimes with success and sometimes with none.
There are obvious pros and obvious cons to attending such a small country school. Your reality is probably one in which you walk down the hallways on a daily basis and recognize, if not absolutely know, every single person you pass by name. At first, this probably seems like a definite pro, but it can also be a negative. Why? Because when we know everything about everyone, we tend to assume that people will always be the same as they have always been. We tend to vote for the same kids for class officers and homecoming court without ever giving it a second thought. We tend to assume the same kids will be in Wednesday school week after week without ever stopping to get our facts straight. We tend to judge certain kids for being in the hall all the time, while we don’t think twice about what other kids do simply because they have always been considered “good kids.”
Sometimes good kids go bad, though, and bad kids go good.
The good news, though, is that, unlike the fictitious characters in the stories I love, we are more than just the characters in our stories; we are the authors. We get to make our own decisions and control our own choices. We choose whether we want to be good or bad, supportive or rebellious. We choose.
Instead of walking down the hallway, into the lunchroom, or into our classes today with our pre-conceived ideas we’ve grown up with our whole lives, maybe we can look at the people we encounter on a daily basis with clear eyes. Maybe today we can start choosing our paths and seeing our peers for what they truly are and not what we have simply always thought them to be.
The Mystery Reporter is ... a mystery.
Unfortunately, though, life does not always read like a book, play out like a movie, or hold the suspense of a television drama. Most of the time, we can’t even say life is like reality television, but that just might be because reality television isn’t realistic at all. The one thing life does have in common with fiction, though, is that, like the characters I so often live through vicariously, we are all protagonists in our own stories. Sometimes our stories read like those old “choose your own adventure” books where we have the freedom to choose our own paths and write our own stories. Sometimes, though, there are parts of our stories that are written for us, things over which we have no control. At the end of the day, though, one thing remains certain: the only thing we have complete control over in our stories is ourselves.
Just like the characters I watch and read about, there are times when students surprise me, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I watch as students come up from the middle school and play the role of the scared freshman. They don’t talk much because they are intimidated by the upperclassmen. Or, sometimes, they don’t play the role of the scared freshman at all, but they play the role of the freshman who wants to be popular and will do anything to fit in. It doesn’t just stop with the freshmen though. I have watched so many times as students who were stellar for their first three years of high school throw away their entire reputation, gpa, and identity during their senior year because they just don’t care anymore. I have watched as some of the most respectful teenagers turn 18 and decide no one deserves their respect anymore. I have listened to teachers brag about the quality of individuals only to see them take on alter egos and morph into unrecognizable characters their senior year.
But, I have also seen students who couldn’t stay out of the office their freshman year turn into some of the most active, quality individuals by their senior year. I have seen kids who were the epitome of insubordination as underclassmen decide to be the school’s biggest advocate as a senior. I have seen kids grow up and try to escape the reputation they probably earned their first three years of high school, sometimes with success and sometimes with none.
There are obvious pros and obvious cons to attending such a small country school. Your reality is probably one in which you walk down the hallways on a daily basis and recognize, if not absolutely know, every single person you pass by name. At first, this probably seems like a definite pro, but it can also be a negative. Why? Because when we know everything about everyone, we tend to assume that people will always be the same as they have always been. We tend to vote for the same kids for class officers and homecoming court without ever giving it a second thought. We tend to assume the same kids will be in Wednesday school week after week without ever stopping to get our facts straight. We tend to judge certain kids for being in the hall all the time, while we don’t think twice about what other kids do simply because they have always been considered “good kids.”
Sometimes good kids go bad, though, and bad kids go good.
The good news, though, is that, unlike the fictitious characters in the stories I love, we are more than just the characters in our stories; we are the authors. We get to make our own decisions and control our own choices. We choose whether we want to be good or bad, supportive or rebellious. We choose.
Instead of walking down the hallway, into the lunchroom, or into our classes today with our pre-conceived ideas we’ve grown up with our whole lives, maybe we can look at the people we encounter on a daily basis with clear eyes. Maybe today we can start choosing our paths and seeing our peers for what they truly are and not what we have simply always thought them to be.
The Mystery Reporter is ... a mystery.
Winter formal
By: Storm Strout and Kierston McCoy
NORTHRIDGE - A Winter Formal Dance was held in the High School, on Feb. 2. The outcome was spectacular and all that were present seemed to have a great time. Tickets were $10 at the door.
In years past winter formal has been fairly unsuccessful. In 2009, the last year we held a winter dance, 14 students were in attendance. To say the least, this year’s turn out completely blew it out of the water with a majority of the student body showing up.
The DJ company used for the dance was Dean White, owner of Shock Wave Sound. They have been in business since 1987, and provided NHS with a stellar selection of songs.
Although the dance was great, there was a minor glitch in the night. The night was interrupted by a sudden turning on of the lights for roughly ten minutes due to the vulgarity in the dancing and the amount of students sitting at the tables suspiciously. To say the least, the students were outraged. It is known that at Northridge the students and teachers have the utmost respect for one another, so soon came a compromise. The lights were turned off in the main area and the stage lights were used to brighten up the room to keep the appropriateness at its best possible level.
The night came to an end without any major issues and the 2013 Winter Formal was a success.
Storm Strout ('13) and Kierston McCoy ('14) are staff writers for The Viking Vault. Photo Caption: Seniors pose together at their last 'homecoming' dance. Photo Caption: Michelle Shore
NORTHRIDGE - A Winter Formal Dance was held in the High School, on Feb. 2. The outcome was spectacular and all that were present seemed to have a great time. Tickets were $10 at the door.
In years past winter formal has been fairly unsuccessful. In 2009, the last year we held a winter dance, 14 students were in attendance. To say the least, this year’s turn out completely blew it out of the water with a majority of the student body showing up.
The DJ company used for the dance was Dean White, owner of Shock Wave Sound. They have been in business since 1987, and provided NHS with a stellar selection of songs.
Although the dance was great, there was a minor glitch in the night. The night was interrupted by a sudden turning on of the lights for roughly ten minutes due to the vulgarity in the dancing and the amount of students sitting at the tables suspiciously. To say the least, the students were outraged. It is known that at Northridge the students and teachers have the utmost respect for one another, so soon came a compromise. The lights were turned off in the main area and the stage lights were used to brighten up the room to keep the appropriateness at its best possible level.
The night came to an end without any major issues and the 2013 Winter Formal was a success.
Storm Strout ('13) and Kierston McCoy ('14) are staff writers for The Viking Vault. Photo Caption: Seniors pose together at their last 'homecoming' dance. Photo Caption: Michelle Shore
Think before you speak...
Casual hallway talk can be very offensive
By: Mat Scott
“Whenever I hear someone call something gay, I’m assuming
they mean it’s fabulous” (-Hiké). I saw this on Twitter the other day, and it made me stop and think. Every day, in hallways, on buses, even on TV, we hear people say "Wow, that’s so gay,” or a related--equally, if not more offensive--term. Call me what you will, but this drives me absolutely crazy. People use these terms without regard for their actual meaning, and don’t realize that it dehumanizes and demeans the subjects. Sophomore English teacher Mrs. Morvay says that “It equates homosexuality with being inherently wrong or flawed, and people are offending others with or without even realizing it.” The word 'gay' originally meant 'carefree,' or 'bright and showy,' not 'homosexual.' It gained that meaning in the 1960's because homosexual men preferred that term over others.
Sadly, the original meanings of this word have all but disappeared, and nowadays it is most commonly used as a substitute for 'stupid' or 'annoying.' For the love of all things, that’s not right! If you’re going to use the word to begin with, at least use it for the proper meaning! It can still be offensive even if someone’s straight, especially if that someone knows someone who is not.
The related term, a six-letter “'f'-word,” means a bundle of sticks used as kindling to start a fire. This is extremely offensive, because you are implying that they should be thrown in a fire and burnt. It's not a joke; it's obnoxious and extremely demeaning.
I realize that people are going to bug me about this, but it honestly annoys me so much that people throw these terms around like swear words, without any kind of regard for the actual meanings or how it may affect other people who may overhear.
Also, just because someone may act slightly different or be more flamboyant does not inherently make them gay. Some people just act differently than others, and that's their business.
The point I’m trying to make is that these words are offensive for a reason, and a lot of people do not know the reason. By not knowing and using them improperly, people can hurt others without even knowing it.
Mat Scott (’15) is an editor for The Viking Vault. Image caption: The poster from Morvay’s door, which lists several alternative, more suitable terms to use instead of‘gay.’ Image credit: Alison Rowan. Quote taken from Hiké on Twitter.
“Whenever I hear someone call something gay, I’m assuming
they mean it’s fabulous” (-Hiké). I saw this on Twitter the other day, and it made me stop and think. Every day, in hallways, on buses, even on TV, we hear people say "Wow, that’s so gay,” or a related--equally, if not more offensive--term. Call me what you will, but this drives me absolutely crazy. People use these terms without regard for their actual meaning, and don’t realize that it dehumanizes and demeans the subjects. Sophomore English teacher Mrs. Morvay says that “It equates homosexuality with being inherently wrong or flawed, and people are offending others with or without even realizing it.” The word 'gay' originally meant 'carefree,' or 'bright and showy,' not 'homosexual.' It gained that meaning in the 1960's because homosexual men preferred that term over others.
Sadly, the original meanings of this word have all but disappeared, and nowadays it is most commonly used as a substitute for 'stupid' or 'annoying.' For the love of all things, that’s not right! If you’re going to use the word to begin with, at least use it for the proper meaning! It can still be offensive even if someone’s straight, especially if that someone knows someone who is not.
The related term, a six-letter “'f'-word,” means a bundle of sticks used as kindling to start a fire. This is extremely offensive, because you are implying that they should be thrown in a fire and burnt. It's not a joke; it's obnoxious and extremely demeaning.
I realize that people are going to bug me about this, but it honestly annoys me so much that people throw these terms around like swear words, without any kind of regard for the actual meanings or how it may affect other people who may overhear.
Also, just because someone may act slightly different or be more flamboyant does not inherently make them gay. Some people just act differently than others, and that's their business.
The point I’m trying to make is that these words are offensive for a reason, and a lot of people do not know the reason. By not knowing and using them improperly, people can hurt others without even knowing it.
Mat Scott (’15) is an editor for The Viking Vault. Image caption: The poster from Morvay’s door, which lists several alternative, more suitable terms to use instead of‘gay.’ Image credit: Alison Rowan. Quote taken from Hiké on Twitter.
Editorial: Bullying; the true problem?
By: Elizabeth Kallay
In late February of last year the news interrupted shows to discuss a school shooting that took place right here in Ohio. With three students killed and three more injured, Chardon High School would never be the same.
In the following weeks newscasters searched for a “reason” behind the shooting. As expected, the trail initially led to bullying as the cause. Bullying was the cause they first pointed to for many school shootings from Columbine to even the shootings in Sandy Hook Elementary.
While we in no way endorse or approve of bullying, a student making fun of another could not possibly be the only reason to end the lives of other students. Especially since those who die are often not the ones who bullied the killer.
School-age youths often do not understand the finality of death, which leads to the suicides and killings committed by youths.
While bullying is cruel and unnecessary, it is a part of childhood that everyone goes through at least once in life. The nice, pretty girl wears a skirt that is just a hair short, and people think of her as “loose” (even though she’s not), while anyone wearing more than one black piece of clothing is thought to be “emo” and depressed (despite being far, far too happy in life).
Most victims of bullying are hurt by it, but are they hurt enough to kill someone?
Those who think of suicide are classified as depressed and can find help, but for those who think of killing others, science has yet to find a treatment.
Is it a mental illness, like with depression, and treatable by balancing chemical levels in your brain? Or is it something we’re born with, a killing gene?
When looking at the shooters in these mass shootings, they all seem to have a few things in common: quiet, normal, and “nice-enough”. Oh, and they were bullied.
Does that mean the person sitting next to you in math is someone like this? No, of course not.
And in the words of my Abnormal Psychology professor, Dr. Benjamin P. Kelch: “Who are we, to judge if someone is normal or nuts?”
So the next time you hear about a mass-murderer being bullied as a child, remember this: You were bullied, your parents were bullied, and so on. And they are not mass-murderers. (And if they are… whoops?)
Elizabeth Kallay (’13) is the Senior News Editor for The Viking Vault. Photo Credit: www.princeton.edu Photo Caption: The girl in the back looks slightly like me, so hopefully she isn't the next mass murderer.
In late February of last year the news interrupted shows to discuss a school shooting that took place right here in Ohio. With three students killed and three more injured, Chardon High School would never be the same.
In the following weeks newscasters searched for a “reason” behind the shooting. As expected, the trail initially led to bullying as the cause. Bullying was the cause they first pointed to for many school shootings from Columbine to even the shootings in Sandy Hook Elementary.
While we in no way endorse or approve of bullying, a student making fun of another could not possibly be the only reason to end the lives of other students. Especially since those who die are often not the ones who bullied the killer.
School-age youths often do not understand the finality of death, which leads to the suicides and killings committed by youths.
While bullying is cruel and unnecessary, it is a part of childhood that everyone goes through at least once in life. The nice, pretty girl wears a skirt that is just a hair short, and people think of her as “loose” (even though she’s not), while anyone wearing more than one black piece of clothing is thought to be “emo” and depressed (despite being far, far too happy in life).
Most victims of bullying are hurt by it, but are they hurt enough to kill someone?
Those who think of suicide are classified as depressed and can find help, but for those who think of killing others, science has yet to find a treatment.
Is it a mental illness, like with depression, and treatable by balancing chemical levels in your brain? Or is it something we’re born with, a killing gene?
When looking at the shooters in these mass shootings, they all seem to have a few things in common: quiet, normal, and “nice-enough”. Oh, and they were bullied.
Does that mean the person sitting next to you in math is someone like this? No, of course not.
And in the words of my Abnormal Psychology professor, Dr. Benjamin P. Kelch: “Who are we, to judge if someone is normal or nuts?”
So the next time you hear about a mass-murderer being bullied as a child, remember this: You were bullied, your parents were bullied, and so on. And they are not mass-murderers. (And if they are… whoops?)
Elizabeth Kallay (’13) is the Senior News Editor for The Viking Vault. Photo Credit: www.princeton.edu Photo Caption: The girl in the back looks slightly like me, so hopefully she isn't the next mass murderer.
Editorial: Arming teachers?
By: Mat Scott
With the recent shooting in Connecticut, security measures at schools are being increased, and other potential precautions are being taken into consideration. One of these potential precautions is training and allowing teachers to carry firearms. This may seem inherently good or bad right from the get-go, but there are always two sides to every story.
A teacher who is trained to use a firearm defensively could potentially be an asset in the event of a threat in the building. This teacher now has the means and the knowledge to eliminate the threat before it can cause further harm. If staff members other than teachers are carrying, the teachers could stay in their rooms protecting the students, while others who did not have a class at the time handled the threat away from the classrooms. An assailant who knew that teachers were armed may be less likely to target that building. (This does not guarantee safety, however. Some people will still target the building, regardless of defensive measures.)
In past events, most assailants who attempted or committed mass shootings have committed suicide upon confrontation with an armed defender (usually law enforcement personnel). As morbid as it sounds, it may be better to lose one life to suicide rather than the many that could be lost by homicide. Many of these assailants are suicidal before they strike, and are simply trying to take others with them.
Front office personnel are supposed to be the first to see any who enter the building. Giving a secretary or receptionist the option of keeping a weapon could be even more beneficial. The front office is the first place any person who has gained entry to the building must report, and the office has the first opportunity to isolate and eliminate a threat.
This is a two-edged blade, however. By allowing staff to carry concealed, there are already weapons in the building. Weapon retention becomes an issue. Weapon retention is the practice of keeping one’s weapon on their person and not able to be snatched by others. All it takes is one lapse of attention and that weapon could end up in the hands of a threat.
Another major issue with this is the possibility of the fired round hitting an unintended target. Firing a weapon is only part of the battle: The other part is making sure it ends up where it is intended. A fired round has the possibility of passing through the target and impacting a person or object standing behind. There is also the possibility of misfires (accidental discharge; firing without intending to.). A bullet does not have a mind of its own; it will go where it is fired.
The biggest battle, in my mind, is the mental one. Teachers may not have the emotional fortitude to pull the trigger when it is most important. They may freeze up or try to be too nice with it. Taking a life is serious business, and it takes some guts to be able to actually fire off the round, knowing that someone’s life could be ended or permanently altered by your actions.
I would like to think that we would never have had to come to this, but I know that that’s not logical. Although it is risky to allow teachers and staff to carry firearms, in the case of a threat, they could prove invaluable. Proper training and conditioning can combat many of the risks that could arise. However, the possibility that the need to use them will arise should be slim enough that it should not be a major concern. School shootings have happened before, and, as much as I hate to say it, will likely happen again. The best thing that we can do is be completely prepared for it. A sign that reads “This is a gun-free zone” will not stop someone wanting to cause harm.
Mat Scott (’15) is a staff editor for The Viking Vault. Photo caption: “Unless otherwise authorized by law, pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, no person shall knowingly possess, have under the person’s control, convey or attempt to convey a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance on these premises.” –Ohio Revised Code. Not a very effective deterrent, is it? Photo credit: qball45.com
With the recent shooting in Connecticut, security measures at schools are being increased, and other potential precautions are being taken into consideration. One of these potential precautions is training and allowing teachers to carry firearms. This may seem inherently good or bad right from the get-go, but there are always two sides to every story.
A teacher who is trained to use a firearm defensively could potentially be an asset in the event of a threat in the building. This teacher now has the means and the knowledge to eliminate the threat before it can cause further harm. If staff members other than teachers are carrying, the teachers could stay in their rooms protecting the students, while others who did not have a class at the time handled the threat away from the classrooms. An assailant who knew that teachers were armed may be less likely to target that building. (This does not guarantee safety, however. Some people will still target the building, regardless of defensive measures.)
In past events, most assailants who attempted or committed mass shootings have committed suicide upon confrontation with an armed defender (usually law enforcement personnel). As morbid as it sounds, it may be better to lose one life to suicide rather than the many that could be lost by homicide. Many of these assailants are suicidal before they strike, and are simply trying to take others with them.
Front office personnel are supposed to be the first to see any who enter the building. Giving a secretary or receptionist the option of keeping a weapon could be even more beneficial. The front office is the first place any person who has gained entry to the building must report, and the office has the first opportunity to isolate and eliminate a threat.
This is a two-edged blade, however. By allowing staff to carry concealed, there are already weapons in the building. Weapon retention becomes an issue. Weapon retention is the practice of keeping one’s weapon on their person and not able to be snatched by others. All it takes is one lapse of attention and that weapon could end up in the hands of a threat.
Another major issue with this is the possibility of the fired round hitting an unintended target. Firing a weapon is only part of the battle: The other part is making sure it ends up where it is intended. A fired round has the possibility of passing through the target and impacting a person or object standing behind. There is also the possibility of misfires (accidental discharge; firing without intending to.). A bullet does not have a mind of its own; it will go where it is fired.
The biggest battle, in my mind, is the mental one. Teachers may not have the emotional fortitude to pull the trigger when it is most important. They may freeze up or try to be too nice with it. Taking a life is serious business, and it takes some guts to be able to actually fire off the round, knowing that someone’s life could be ended or permanently altered by your actions.
I would like to think that we would never have had to come to this, but I know that that’s not logical. Although it is risky to allow teachers and staff to carry firearms, in the case of a threat, they could prove invaluable. Proper training and conditioning can combat many of the risks that could arise. However, the possibility that the need to use them will arise should be slim enough that it should not be a major concern. School shootings have happened before, and, as much as I hate to say it, will likely happen again. The best thing that we can do is be completely prepared for it. A sign that reads “This is a gun-free zone” will not stop someone wanting to cause harm.
Mat Scott (’15) is a staff editor for The Viking Vault. Photo caption: “Unless otherwise authorized by law, pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, no person shall knowingly possess, have under the person’s control, convey or attempt to convey a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance on these premises.” –Ohio Revised Code. Not a very effective deterrent, is it? Photo credit: qball45.com
Welcome back!
By: Katelin Ashbrook
After leaving at the end of her eighth grade year, Jayde Thompson has come back to Northridge to finish her junior and senior years at her home school.
Much consideration with her mother, Marla Lewis, went into the decision to make her big move back and she says she “couldn’t be happier with the choice they came up with.”
Leaving Newark Catholic High School after two years made Thompson excited and terrified at the same time. She says she “can’t wait to graduate with [her] original class of friends but [she’ll] miss the new friends [she] made at Catholic.”
Thompson said she decided to leave the private school because she could no longer focus on her work there. She felt “home sick” and “lonely” even though she had plenty of friends supporting her there. “Sometimes you just need to be with the people you grew up with. Get back to your roots,” Thompson said.
Switching from a public school to a private school after eighth grade was a difficult task for Thompson. She went from wearing the attire of her choice to being required to wear a Newark Catholic polo and skirt/khaki uniform every day. The student population is also much smaller at Catholic than it is at Northridge, making the students already attending there very close. “They’ve known each other all their lives, then I come in knowing no one. It was awkward at times,” she says.
Thompson signed up for the Newark Catholic volleyball team the summer before her freshman year at her new private school in hopes of making some new friends. “I met a lot of nice people,” she said when asked if her volleyball plan worked out, but “none of them were like the ones from Northridge, though.” Thompson helped lead the Green Wave Volleyball team to many victories and very rarely had to sit out.
Many Northridge students have been caught saying that they are more than happy to see Thompson roaming the halls of the school again. “I missed her so much. We all did,” junior Vincent Sanfillipo said about the return of his close friend. “She’s always so cheerful and full of laughter. No matter the day, Jayde can always make me smile.”
After being back for just weeks, Thompson says her grades have improved and she’s much more satisfied with her surroundings. “I’m so thankful that everyone has been so welcoming,” said Thompson as she reassessed her last couple weeks back at Northridge. “My first day was like walking onto a college campus. This high school is so much bigger than my old high school.”
Thompson said that many students from Newark Catholic High School have kept in touch with her to see how she’s doing at her new location. “I got a lot of ‘good luck’ texts on my first day from my friends,” she said. Thompson also stated that she’s very pleased that she can still rely on her friends from Catholic. “That was something that I really worried about.”
All settled in now, Thompson says that she isn’t leaving again. Her friends at Northridge couldn’t be happier.
Kaitlyn Ashbrook ('14) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault.
After leaving at the end of her eighth grade year, Jayde Thompson has come back to Northridge to finish her junior and senior years at her home school.
Much consideration with her mother, Marla Lewis, went into the decision to make her big move back and she says she “couldn’t be happier with the choice they came up with.”
Leaving Newark Catholic High School after two years made Thompson excited and terrified at the same time. She says she “can’t wait to graduate with [her] original class of friends but [she’ll] miss the new friends [she] made at Catholic.”
Thompson said she decided to leave the private school because she could no longer focus on her work there. She felt “home sick” and “lonely” even though she had plenty of friends supporting her there. “Sometimes you just need to be with the people you grew up with. Get back to your roots,” Thompson said.
Switching from a public school to a private school after eighth grade was a difficult task for Thompson. She went from wearing the attire of her choice to being required to wear a Newark Catholic polo and skirt/khaki uniform every day. The student population is also much smaller at Catholic than it is at Northridge, making the students already attending there very close. “They’ve known each other all their lives, then I come in knowing no one. It was awkward at times,” she says.
Thompson signed up for the Newark Catholic volleyball team the summer before her freshman year at her new private school in hopes of making some new friends. “I met a lot of nice people,” she said when asked if her volleyball plan worked out, but “none of them were like the ones from Northridge, though.” Thompson helped lead the Green Wave Volleyball team to many victories and very rarely had to sit out.
Many Northridge students have been caught saying that they are more than happy to see Thompson roaming the halls of the school again. “I missed her so much. We all did,” junior Vincent Sanfillipo said about the return of his close friend. “She’s always so cheerful and full of laughter. No matter the day, Jayde can always make me smile.”
After being back for just weeks, Thompson says her grades have improved and she’s much more satisfied with her surroundings. “I’m so thankful that everyone has been so welcoming,” said Thompson as she reassessed her last couple weeks back at Northridge. “My first day was like walking onto a college campus. This high school is so much bigger than my old high school.”
Thompson said that many students from Newark Catholic High School have kept in touch with her to see how she’s doing at her new location. “I got a lot of ‘good luck’ texts on my first day from my friends,” she said. Thompson also stated that she’s very pleased that she can still rely on her friends from Catholic. “That was something that I really worried about.”
All settled in now, Thompson says that she isn’t leaving again. Her friends at Northridge couldn’t be happier.
Kaitlyn Ashbrook ('14) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault.
Winter formal
By: Kierston McCoy
NORTHRIDGE- On Saturday February 2nd the High School had their Winter Homecoming. The dance which ran from 7 to 11 p.m. went well. Everyone begged for a formal Winter Homecoming. Why? As Adreona Perkowski ('15) stated that "It is so much fun to go dress shopping."
Staff was hesitant to have a Winter Homecoming because of how much hard work goes into making this successful and fun for everyone. Besides Homecoming taking a lot of hard work, it takes a lot of time and money when it comes to the music, food and drinks. To have a Homecoming, the staff has to be involved and volunteer some free time the night of Homecoming. They also had to involve student council and several other students that have offered their free time to help make Winter Homecoming night perfect and memorable for everyone who attended.
The week before Winter Homecoming Northridge had a Winter Formal Spirit Week. Monday’s theme was Duck Dynasty, Tuesday's was ‘Merica, Wednesday's theme was the 80’s, Thursday was Gothic, and Friday was Classy. The winning class was awarded with a pizza party.
Everyone be sure to thank the staff and students of Northridge for putting the time and effort into making sure everyone had a great time. Plus, they took time away from their families to make sure Homecoming was successful. The decision was made to have the event after Northridge students brought in an amazingly generous amount of food during the fall food drive.
Kierston McCoy ('14) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault
NORTHRIDGE- On Saturday February 2nd the High School had their Winter Homecoming. The dance which ran from 7 to 11 p.m. went well. Everyone begged for a formal Winter Homecoming. Why? As Adreona Perkowski ('15) stated that "It is so much fun to go dress shopping."
Staff was hesitant to have a Winter Homecoming because of how much hard work goes into making this successful and fun for everyone. Besides Homecoming taking a lot of hard work, it takes a lot of time and money when it comes to the music, food and drinks. To have a Homecoming, the staff has to be involved and volunteer some free time the night of Homecoming. They also had to involve student council and several other students that have offered their free time to help make Winter Homecoming night perfect and memorable for everyone who attended.
The week before Winter Homecoming Northridge had a Winter Formal Spirit Week. Monday’s theme was Duck Dynasty, Tuesday's was ‘Merica, Wednesday's theme was the 80’s, Thursday was Gothic, and Friday was Classy. The winning class was awarded with a pizza party.
Everyone be sure to thank the staff and students of Northridge for putting the time and effort into making sure everyone had a great time. Plus, they took time away from their families to make sure Homecoming was successful. The decision was made to have the event after Northridge students brought in an amazingly generous amount of food during the fall food drive.
Kierston McCoy ('14) is a staff writer for the Viking Vault
Mystery Reporter: Love ... in the hallway?
Walk through the hallways of any high school this time of year and you will quickly become aware of one thing: Love is in the air. Well, maybe not only true love, but definitely some form of like, love or some other four letter “l” word. It doesn’t matter which way you turn, you will surely see a couple underclassmen standing by the freshman lockers wrapped in a pseudo-passionate embrace, an awkward couple standing outside of Profe’s room holding hands and staring into each others’ eyes or a couple plastered to the side of the vending machines while their friends sit on top of the trashcans.
Because this lo-something is in the air, maybe we should all take a few minutes to think about what love really is. There are so many clichés out there offering wisdom about love. “Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” “If you love them, let them go.” “Love is patient. Love is kind.” Even though we have all of these wise words offered down from multiple sages over time, we still tend to misuse and abuse that simple three-word phrase. We either say it too flippantly or we don’t say it enough. We tell the wrong people and ignore the people who really matter. Why? Good question. Maybe it’s because we are afraid of the consequences. Maybe we just don’t want to put ourselves out there. Maybe we know that actually saying “I love you” makes us vulnerable, and, heaven forbid, we show anyone our weakness.
Everyone has their own opinion of what love is and what it means to love someone, but I read one of the most realistic, applicable and down-to-earth definitions of love several years ago in the book Deadline: “Love, in the universal sense, is unconditional acceptance. In the individual sense, the one-on-one sense, try this: we can say we love each other if my life is better because you're in it and your life is better because I'm in it. The intensity of the love is weighted by how much better.”
As Valentine’s Day approaches, maybe we can think about love a little differently. Maybe we can quit thinking so much about making out in the hallway and start thinking a little more about how we can make the lives of the people we say love just a little bit better. Maybe we can recognize that some of the people who say they love us actually do the opposite of making our lives better, and we can accept the fact that we need to move on. Maybe, instead of criticizing the people who are different than us, we can try practicing unconditional acceptance.
The Vault's Mystery Reporter maintains a secret identity unknown to all but the newspaper advisor. Good luck figuring out who he or she is! Photo Credit: CIA, BMV, America's Most Wanted????
Because this lo-something is in the air, maybe we should all take a few minutes to think about what love really is. There are so many clichés out there offering wisdom about love. “Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” “If you love them, let them go.” “Love is patient. Love is kind.” Even though we have all of these wise words offered down from multiple sages over time, we still tend to misuse and abuse that simple three-word phrase. We either say it too flippantly or we don’t say it enough. We tell the wrong people and ignore the people who really matter. Why? Good question. Maybe it’s because we are afraid of the consequences. Maybe we just don’t want to put ourselves out there. Maybe we know that actually saying “I love you” makes us vulnerable, and, heaven forbid, we show anyone our weakness.
Everyone has their own opinion of what love is and what it means to love someone, but I read one of the most realistic, applicable and down-to-earth definitions of love several years ago in the book Deadline: “Love, in the universal sense, is unconditional acceptance. In the individual sense, the one-on-one sense, try this: we can say we love each other if my life is better because you're in it and your life is better because I'm in it. The intensity of the love is weighted by how much better.”
As Valentine’s Day approaches, maybe we can think about love a little differently. Maybe we can quit thinking so much about making out in the hallway and start thinking a little more about how we can make the lives of the people we say love just a little bit better. Maybe we can recognize that some of the people who say they love us actually do the opposite of making our lives better, and we can accept the fact that we need to move on. Maybe, instead of criticizing the people who are different than us, we can try practicing unconditional acceptance.
The Vault's Mystery Reporter maintains a secret identity unknown to all but the newspaper advisor. Good luck figuring out who he or she is! Photo Credit: CIA, BMV, America's Most Wanted????