Sumona GuptaInfographics Editor

The new security measures planned at the beginning of the school year have now been put in place. Students may now notice the large gate at the bus entrance, and that parents and visitors are required to present their driver’s license at the front office.

Jessica Ballard, sophomore, said she feels like the gate is more of a hindrance than a help.

“Every day after sixth period, people coming from TCT are locked out. We always have to wait for someone to come open the door for us,” she said.

Seth Gipson, sophomore, said however that the gate secures the campus better.

“I feel like I’m protected better now,” he said.Dr. Isaac Espy, principal, said the gate has worked well. “We were exposed with an open entrance in the back of

the school,” he said.Espy said that since events like the Columbine shooting

in 1999, schools have made extra precautions in order to protect those inside.

“The days of open campuses are over. Buzzer systems, locked entrances, and school officers are now standard in most schools,” Espy said.

The school’s buzzer system is soon to be completed. The new check in system in the office has been in use since the beginning of the year, but it will be mandatory to check in once students return from Winter Break in January. It allows all visitors to check in and prints an ID badge for visitors to wear.

Espy said that students play an important role in keeping the school safe.

“The single most effective and important component of school safety and security is not cameras, locks, police officers, or buzzer systems. It is the students who share their concerns, observations, and information with school administrators and other personnel. We always take action on information that is provided,” he said.

December 30, 2013 • Volume 11 • Issue 4 Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, Al• 35406northridgereporter.wordpress.com

Swimming Music Bathroomspage 8Page 4Page 7

James NiilerFeature Editor

Beginning this school year, all eleventh grade students will be required to take the ACT. Shannon Bogert, Secondary Reading Specialist for the Tuscaloosa City Schools, said, “The ACT will be used as a state assessment for Alabama students.” However, juniors won’t have to worry about making a certain premeditated score. “‘Passing the ACT is not a requirement,” she said. Elizabeth Tiley, counselor, said, Common Core, the newly adopted interstate education standards, prompted this change. “Part of the Common Core is that we will start administering the ACT to eleventh graders. New tests will replace many that have been previously taken, [even in middle and elementary school]”, she said.

The ultimate motivation for the requirement for juniors to take the test was for their productivity later in life, Tiley said. “I believe [the testing requirement was adopted] because when our students graduated high school, they didn’t have the necessary skills to be successful in college or the workforce. [The State Department of Education] is wanting to increase the standards and rigor of education to prepare students,” she said. Tiley said taking the ACT will provide several benefits for juniors. “[Juniors] get to take the ACT once for free [during the school day,] she said. “The ACT may encourage them to apply for college or move in a similar direction.” However, accommodation policies have changed as well. “It’s going to be different than it was in the past,” Tiley said. Instead of requesting

special accommodations from the school, students will now have to appeal directly to the ACT management. Erin Green, junior, said he knew of the new policy and is prepared to take the test.

“[I’m taking] ACT prep classes, and some of the teachers are practicing with us,” he said. Green said taking the ACT will be beneficial for him and others. “I like it because they’re paying for it, and it’s an easy way for us to raise our ACT scores,” he said. “It will give us a better chance to get a scholarship for college.” Not all juniors, however, are as confident.

Mary Long, junior, said that although she is prepared for the test, only “a few” teachers have discussed it during classes. “They haven’t really gone over it a lot,” she said. Both the multiple-choice and writing portions of the test will be administered to the eleventh grade on April 23, 2014.

Common Core initiative makes ACT test mandatory for juniors

Renu PanditEditor-in-Chief

Dr. Isaac Espy, principal, announced that he would be returning to his alma mater, Tuscaloosa

Academy, at the end of this school year, causing the board of education to search for his replacement.

Espy said that the superintendent will identify a process for selecting a principal.

“This typically involves a committee that includes parents, teachers, etc., to provide a short list of candidates from the applicants, usually 3 or 4. [The superintendent] will ultimately make the final selection,” Espy said.

He said the plan is to advertise the position in February, interview in March, and select in April.

“My guess is that if the principal is selected in April, the board of education will act on the recommendation at the early May board meeting,” Espy said.

Espy said a successful principal “should have positive experience in leading another school, be a leader in academics, have a plan to address the challenges we face, understand athletics and work well with people.”

“I am not sure of the exact role that I will play in this process, but from all indications, I will participate,” he said.

Brittany Johnson, senior, said she hopes the new principal will carry many of the qualities Dr. Espy has.

“Dr. Espy did a great job of encouraging and recognizing students’ successes through awards ceremonies and the All Academic Team, and I just hope the new principal continues that,” she said. “The new principal should be a great leader with a clear vision for how to run the school. Dr. Espy is both determined and kind, which is a great combination that I would love to see the new principal have.”

She said the new principal should also continue to take action on some of the problems the school faces.

“Northridge has a few issues including school cleanliness and a drug problem, and I would love to see the new principal continue to deal with it,” Johnson said.

She said that ultimately students need to have a say in deciding the next principal “because students are directly impacted by the principal every day.”

Kailey Bissell, senior, disagrees. She said she thinks that students do not need to have a say in deciding the new principal.

“We can’t really understand what’s truly best for the future of our school and community,” Bissell said.

She said principals should be both reliable and lenient and should be flexible to the needs of students and teachers.

“They should focus on meeting the graduation requirements and getting more students to pass their classes and should be involved in the school by getting

to know the student body like Dr. Espy did,” Bissell said. “If we could just clone Dr. Espy that would be great.”

Search for principal starts in February

What quality is most important for a principal to have?

Leadership

Attentiveness

Personality

19

42

2182 students polled. Information

complied by James Niiler. Designed by Renu Pandit.

New security measures enforced; mixed feelings about practicality

Do you think making the ACT required is a

good idea?

YesNo

10

20

30

40

50 students polled. Information complied by James Niiler. Designed

by Renu Pandit.

Safe and Sound

See editorial on page 2

Committee must choose wisely in search for new principal

Our Thoughts

In the search for a new principal, it is absolutely vital that the committee responsible for hiring Dr. Espy’s replacement take into consideration the needs of students, teachers and parents of our school. Running a high school of over 1,200 students is no easy task. Therefore, the person selected to be our school’s chief administrator should be willing and able to handle whatever crises the job brings. Having an efficient administrator will be necessary for our school to continue to do well. Communication, too, will be essential, and should be presented clearly to students, teachers, staff and parents. A principal should also be conscientious and fair, and an upright and ethical person who empathizes with others. He or she should not be an abuser of power or a tyrant, but rather someone whom everyone will feel comfortable talking to as a person. A principal should have a clear and future-oriented vision for the school, consistently being aware of problems or issues, and trying to the best of his or her ability to remedy them. Under a competent principal, the school should always be growing upwards in the things that really count: academics, a safe and comfortable environment, and being a real community.

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*Denotes state, regional and national award winners

Editorial Policy: The opinions in The Northridge Reporter are those of the students and not of the faculty or administra-tion of Northridge High School or the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. It is the policy of The Northridge Reporter to publish all non-obscene, non-libelous, signed letters to the editor, regardless of the opinion expressed in them. Letters must be submitted to Susan Newell in room 109 or emailed to northridgereporter@gmail.com.

Editor-in-Chief *Renu PanditFeature EditorsJames NiilerNews EditorRebecca GriesbachOpinion EditorKeamBria Washington

Entertainment EditorKeamBria WashingtonSports EditorCamri MasonAsst. Sports Editor Keshaun ByrdBeat Editor*Renu Pandit

Copy EditorLauren Curtner-SmithAsst. Copy EditorSophie FairbairnInfographics EditorSumona GuptaArt EditorSophie Fairbairn

ArtistsSumona Gupta, Rebecca Griesbach Business ManagerSumona GuptaPhotographersD’Aja Patrick, Camri MasonWeb MasterJames Niiler

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The Northridge Reporter reserves the right to edit letters and verify allegations. The newspaper is distributed monthly.

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agree (10) disagree (0)Art by: Lauren Cuttner-Smith

2 The Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013Opinion

James NiilerFeature Editor

It’s that time of year. Not just for caroling, giving and receiving gifts, and spending time with family, but the ‘War on Christmas’ has begun—once again. It kicks in around Thanksgiving, and lasts to about New Year’s. Why anyone wants to constantly fight during the holiday season is beyond me. But for as long I can remember, I have heard yearly about these epic wastes of time. Whether it’s an atheist group in North Carolina trying to get a public school to stop its participation in ‘Operation Christmas Child,’ or people planning to boycott their favorite clothing retailers, because they are now greeted with ‘Happy Holidays’ rather than a ‘Merry Christmas,’ it’s an American phenomenon that’s becoming out-of-control. Those who have the time and privilege to fight in this war do, and nobody wins. In fact, needy

children go without. Although the ‘War on Christmas’ is largely imaginary, both sides of the sociopolitical spectrum have contributed very real elements to it. The politically correct-obsessed Left has a seemingly strange desire to remove every trace of Christmas from the public sphere.

Hence, it’s no longer even ‘Happy Holidays’—it’s ‘May you have a pleasant Winter Solstice Fest ival /Kwanzaa/whatever!’

Traditional carols and Nativity scenes can go too—everyone knows that Christmas has nothing to do at all with religion, and as a matter of fact, most of the holiday has roots in ancient pagan tradition. The Right, too, deserves its hefty share of blame. Yes, Christmas is a religious holiday and ought to be treated by such by the observant. Yes, most

politically correct speech in relation to ‘the holidays’ is utter garbage. There is no excuse, though, to prohibit others from celebrating this time of year as they see fit, and respect their celebrations appropriately. If someone is pagan—fine. By all means, observe the winter solstice! Are you a part of another religious

minority? Why should wreaths and lights on your house on the 25th be a problem? Besides, is it really worth it to run

boycotts of businesses, constantly petition a city

government to put up a Nativity scene, or explicitly demand that a public school sing “Silent Night” in an assembly? Because of that pesky thing called the First Amendment, which satisfies one side to their own end but allows them to demonize their opponents, there will most always be a conflict between the appropriate balance

of religion and secularism in America. We should not forget, however, that Christmas is a season of generosity and love, and ought to be a time of joy shared by everyone.

Let’s try to be more respectful of each other, and keep it that way. Merry Christmas.

Niil

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Cartoon by: MCT Campus

‘War on Christmas’ is contrary to spirit of seasonThose who have the time and privilege to fight in this war do

and nobody wins. In fact, needy children go

without.

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The Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013 Entertainment

James NiilerFeature Editor

I had one of the best experiences of my fall break by attending the incredible film “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” after my Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 28.

Being a “Hunger Games” fan, and knowing from others that this movie was excellent, I knew I was in for a treat. I just didn’t know how so darn good it would be.

I can say that it was one of the best, if not the best, movie I have ever seen. “Catching Fire” was an emotional roller coaster, filled to the brim with intensity. It

fully revealed all emotions, from suspense, to terror, to humor, to great sadness and poignancy. This is certainly not a film for the faint-of-heart.

“Catching Fire” picks up immediately from where its predecessor left off.

In the movie, Katniss Everdeen has returned from her horrific experience in the arena, but her troubles are far from over.

She must travel on a Victory Tour to the 11 other districts of Panem, as a reminder of the control the Capitol holds over them. At the same time, she must pretend to be madly in love with her fellow victor, Peeta Mellark, for the

sake of political stability, while experiencing conflicting emotions over her not-quite-boyfriend at home, Gale Hawthorne.

Things really get out of hand when her arch-nemesis, President Snow, declares that for the next year’s Games, the tributes will be drawn from the collective body of victors. Katniss and Peeta are once again plunged into the arena, where more death and destruction await, and nothing is quite as it seems.

The film tended to stay remarkably true to the book, which made for an extremely engrossing viewing experience. This also made the film somewhat long, at nearly two and a half

hours—but in the grand scheme of things, who cares?

The actors, too, fulfilled their roles perfectly. Jennifer Lawrence once again didn’t fail to deliver the moodiness, despair, and hostility Katniss often feels.

Stanley Tucci, who played the cheerfully obnoxious TV announcer Caesar Flickerman, had many moments in which he positively shone.

Donald Sutherland very capably portrayed the ever-expanding role of President Snow.

And Elizabeth Banks, as Effie Trinket, revealed that underneath the Capitol pettiness and glamour, she really does have a heart.

“Hunger Games” sequel thrills reviewer

KeamBria WashingtonOpinion/Entertainment Editor

Junior Morgan DeWitt, pianist and guitarist, was classically trained at the age of five on how to play the piano and picked up a guitar during middle school.

“Seventh grade was my first time playing a guitar, and I actually taught myself,” DeWitt said.

DeWitt said that her godparents inspired her to be musical.

“They were both opera singers and played a lot of music,” DeWitt said.

She said the support from

her godparents help her keep accomplishing the music career that she started.

“They have always been most supportive to me,” DeWitt said.

DeWitt said that music is her life and everything she does has some connect ion with it.

“My life r e v o l v e s around music because music is a language that can be spoken by everyone. Everyone can relate to it and take heed to it,” she said.

DeWitt said she also gives guitar lessons.

“I teach guitar lessons on McFarland at a store called EATMYBEATS from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m,” she said.

DeWitt has other hobbies that she does when she’s not teaching music.

“I teach Sunday school from 9:00 p.m. until 12:15 p.m. at a church called Temple E m m a n u e l , ”

she said.DeWitt’s mother, Pamela

DeWitt, said she was thrilled when DeWitt picked up the guitar.

“She was playing the piano for

eight years at the time, and I was glad she was getting interested in something else that was musical,” Pamela said.

Pamela said she first noticed DeWitt’s interest in music when she was three.

“She was constantly banging on pots and pans; she took spoons and beat on the kitchen cabinets to a beat,” Pamela said.

Pamela said DeWitt used to make tunes with her mouth when she was a baby.

“She used to hum from a really early age, and her godparents saw her talent and took her under their wings,” Pamela said.

Junior uses musical gifts for performance, teaching

Music is a language that can be spoken by everyone. Everyone can relate to it and take heed

to it.

May the odds be ever in your favor: Katniss and Peeta pre-pare to enter the arena in “Catching Fire.”

Photo by: MCT Campus

Strumming away: Morgan De-Witt, 11, plays the guitar in Beth McGuire’s class on Dec. 16.

3

Photo by: KeamBria Washington

Now, Evans usually plays his guitar by himself, but on special occasions he pairs with former student Jameson Hubbard.

“He’s a versatile musician. We work well together because we can go in a number of musical directions depending on where we are playing and who we are playing for,” Evans said.

Irene said that Parker practices often. “When someone asks him to perform, he

is ready. Quite often, he practices at home on his own and occasionally with friends at their homes when he will be playing with other musicians,” Irene said.

Some of the venues Evans has played in are the farmer’s market at Canterbury Chapel Episcopal Church and the River Market.

“I’ve also played at people’s parties and the fall festival at Northridge with Jameson [Hubbard], Hayden Murphy, and

Abby Armstrong,” Evans said.

Laura Worley, senior, visited Ev-ans at the Farmer’s

market this past summer.

“I didn’t recognize many of the songs, but he [Evans] and Jameson [Hubbard] played really well together. Jameson played the harmonica while Parker sang and played guitar. The twangy music made it feel more upbeat,” Worley said.

Marianne Martin, senior, also visited Ev-ans at the Farmer’s Market.

“I liked the songs he played even though they aren’t what I usually listen to. I was surprised because I didn’t know Parker sang and played guitar. I would recom-

Lauren Curtner-SmithCopy Editor

Parker Evans, senior, is an enthusiastic musician who plays the acoustic and elec-tric guitar.

Evans said he started playing the guitar officially the summer before third grade.

He was inspired to start playing the in-strument when he visited Tyler Carter, for-mer student, at the Alabama Blues project, a non-profit organization that teaches kids the importance of blues music with a spe-cific focus on Alabama’s contribution to its history.

Evans thought it was impressive that someone such as Carter who was just a few years older than him could make such a big impact in the com-m u n i t y with his music.

“I went to see him several times. I am nowhere near his level, but I wanted to make an impression like him too,” Evans said.

Evans took guitar lessons for about a year.

“Besides that, everything I’ve done has pretty much been discovered by accident or by watching other people,” Evans said.

Irene Evans, Evans’s mother, said that Evans’s music influences their home life when he shares new music with the family.

“His twin brothers, Henry and Neil, love to accompany him, of course, on occasion (Henry on harmonica and Neil on percu-sion!),” she said.

TO OUR EARSM U S I C

3301 Highway 69 SouthBeside McDonald’s

4Feature

Senior finds musical passion from guitar, performing for others

Everything I’ve done has pretty much been discovered by acci-dent or by watching others.Parker Evans, Senior

mend going to see him play! He is very talented!” Martin said.

Evans said he has been supported by his parents.

“They’ve helped me buy my equipment [such as my amplifier],” Evans said.

Evans does not write much of his own music that he is happy with. Evans said he probably plays too much Bob Dylan.

Evans said he does not have a favorite musical artist.

“Parker has said that our rather eclectic taste (from Louis Armstrong to Jimi Hen-drix) has in fact influenced him and led him to explore a variety of genres. And, we might add, that Parker has certainly intro-duced us to a lot of great new music for which we are grateful,” Irene said.

Evans usually switches between genres when listening to music.

“Usually, when I find an album I like, I’ll listen to it until I burn myself out on it,

and then I spend several weeks looking for something new to revive me,” Evans said.

Evans said he does not think a career in music is necessarily realistic, but if the op-portunity arises he might pursue it.

“I’ll definitely try to play in college since I’ll have more opportunities to expand where I play and what I can play with new people,” Evans said.

Evans said he enjoys making music be-cause it gives him the ability to recreate songs he listens to. Evans said he enjoys being on stage rather than a spectator be-cause it gives him something to do so he doesn’t have to sit or stand still for too long.

“Also, I am self-centered and while people don’t usually pay much attention to me in the places I play, being elevated by my mic and guitar is enough to satisfy my ego,” Evans said.

Rock on: Senior Parker Evans performs at the 2013 Fall Festival (left), and with senior Jameson Hubbard (above) at the farmers’ market at Canterbury Chapel in July 2013.

Photo by: Irene Evans

Photo by: Katherine Duckworth

The Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013

5Feature

Sophie FairbairnAssistant Copy Editor

Junior and Tuscaloosa Youth Orchestra concertmaster Lainey Hatfield has envel-oped her life in the art of the violin.

Ever since Hatfield saw Fiddlers per-form at her school-hosted rodeo in Texas, Hatfield has had a passion for the violin.

“I play because I love music,” Hatfield said. “I find it to be enjoyable and a good release.”

Lainey was only six when she began practicing.

“My first violin was so tiny its body was smaller than your fore-arm,” Hatfield said.

Hatfield takes lessons every week and plays for an hour every day.

“It takes a lot of practice and discipline,” Hatfield said. “But it is really fun and worth it.”

Over the years, Penny Hatfield, Hat-field’s mother, has made sure to provide Hatfield with good instructors whose per-sonalities complimented Hatfield’s.

“I made sure she practiced properly and long, especially in elementary school,” she said.

Hatfield practices in order to advance into a higher caliber of musicianship.

“I used to be in the Northridge orchestra, but I am no longer on that level of music,” she said.

Hatfield has auditioned and passed through the All-State Festival Orches-tra for the past seven years, during which she has been a first violinist three times, and concertmaster twice. Hatfield passed through again this year, making it into a higher orchestra and second violin.

“The competition was harder this year, and a lot of people didn’t make it at all,” she said.

Hatfield has had many performances, and she has won Solo and Chamber Mu-

sic medals at the Alabama Honor Strings Festi-val, as well as a scholarship for

a music camp over the sum-mer. Kyle Gaddis,

junior and supporter of Hatfield, has heard Hatfield play “four or five” times and has been to “three or more” concerts.

“She is an amazing violinist and plays the music extremely well every time,” he said.

Though Hatfield puts much of her time and effort into practicing the violin, she does not plan to make it her profession.

“I’m not planning on using it too much, not as a job,” Hatfield said. “I’ll just have it as a hobby.”

Junior practices out of love for violin

I play because I love music. I find it to be enjoyable and a good

release. Lainey Hatfield, Junior

Virtuoso: Nine year-old Lainey Hatfield, junior, plays the violin in a recital in San Antonio, Texas in 2006. Hatfield has done All-State Fes-tival Orchestra for seven years.

Photo by: Penny Hatfield

Jazz band provides musical fun for students

One of the things I like about jazz band is that it allows stu-dents to have creativity.John Cain, Band Director

The sound of music: Members of the jazz band practice in the auditorium during third period on Dec. 11. The jazz band played last on Dec. 10. They hold 5 to 6 con-certs per year.

Photo by: Camri Mason

The Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013

James NiilerFeature Editor

The jazz band, a school musical establishment, is known for its eclectic mix of instruments as well as its talent.

“We have a unique instrumentation,” jazz band director, John Cain, said.

Consisting of approximately 10 students from all grades, the jazz band includes a trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, guitar and drum set.

“In a typical jazz band, you would have a trumpet section, a trombone section, and a saxophone section,” Cain said.

Due to the limited number of players, however, “we fill in with a clarinet. We (sometimes) have someone fill in a bass line on a tuba,” he said.

Senior Jake Cook has been playing the baritone saxophone in the jazz band for

two years. “I went to one of their concerts in the

tenth grade, and it looked really fun to be in,” he said.

The jazz band is “working on mostly blues-type music right now,” Cook said.

Pieces include “Blue Monk, “Blue Train,” “All the Things You Are” and

“Song for My Father.”

T h i s year marks Cain’s sixth in directing the jazz

band, which has been in existence since the founding of the school.

The jazz band plays in five to six concerts a year, the most recent being on Dec. 10.

“One of the things I like about jazz band is that it allows the students to have creativity” in arrangements, solos, and improvisations,” Cain said. “It taps into their creative side.”

The Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013News6

Gorg, who was born in Miami, moved to the German state of Bavaria where he lived for sev-eral years. When his dad got a job with Mercedes during the sum-mer, Gorg returned to the United States. He is impressed by Ameri-can hospitality. “(People) have been help-ing me in school a lot,” he said. “(Mrs. Cook) went through a test

and gave me an A.” He also said Mrs. Darnell gives him “extra pa-pers to study.” Gorg’s favorite subject is his-tory. “I like learning about the past,” he said. Gorg said there’s “not really” a language barrier, although read-ing and writing in English are giving him some trouble.

James NiilerFeature Editor

For German student Michael Gorg, 9, America has already met his expectations. “In America, the people are much more (nice), the food is bet-ter, the school system is better,” he said. “They cut some slack more in America.”

A Whole New WorldGorg siblings take on school in America

However, his English Second Language teacher, Kava Smith, thinks differently. “He is excelling, doing top-notch work, even out-performing English language speakers,” she said. Gorg currently doesn’t play any sports, but enjoys texting friends in Germany, watching movies, and going to the pool during his

KeamBria WashingtonOpinion/Entertainment Editor

Sarah Gorg, who was born in Miami Florida, endured lifestyle changes

as she and her family migrated from the United States to Germany and back to the United States once again.

“My father is full German, and my mother is Cuban American; my mother’s parents emigrated from Cuba to Miami where I was born,” Gorg said.

Gorg said her new life in Germany was hard to adapt to.

“When I was 7 my family decided to move to Germany.

spare time. “You can do more stuff in your free time [in America],” Gorg said. Gorg is assimilating back into American life very well, Smith said. “From my limited exposure of him, he seems like a happy-go-lucky, social teenager. He seems like a unique kid,” she said.

It was a hard and rough time because I had to learn how to speak German, which was really hard,” Gorg said.

Gorg said she was bullied for being an American in the village that she lived in.

“I lived in a place called Stotten am Auerberg in Bavaria, and there I got bullied because of my culture; people made fun of me all the time, poked me, called me mean names. People didn’t really treat me and my family right,” Gorg said.

Gorg said she only had one friend the whole time she lived in Germany.

“My friend and I used to do fun things together; in Germany,

you can catch trains almost to any place, and we used to catch them and go to the malls or other cool places,” Gorg said.

“After we moved to Germany, I went to German school which consisted of three grade level schools: Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium,” Gorge said. “After you have completed Hauptschule, you can go into the working field.”

Gorg said she was picked to go to one of the schools called “Hauptschule,” which is a school that consists of children from grades fifth through tenth.

She said that Germany’s school system is different from our school system; there, every child

is not given an opportunity to be what they want to be, so I feel like America gives everybody an opportunity,” Gorg said.

Gorg said she loves how our school system is different from schools in Germany.

Gorg said she also loves the teachers here.

“The teachers are very supportive, and they really help students to achieve in school. In Germany, the teachers are nice, but don’t help as much; students and teachers have more of a friendship relationship [here], while in Germany, it’s more of a work based relationship,” Gorg said.

A friend of Gorg’s, Kayla

McEwen, senior, said she thought Gorg was quiet when she first saw her.

“Once you get to know her she’s full of laughter,” McEwen said.

Yara Akl, junior, started taking classes with Gorg at the beginning of the year.

“She turned out to become one of my best friends, even though she was acting shy,” Akl said.

Another friend of Gorg’s, Demario Plott, junior, said Gorg looked like a beautiful Cuban.

“Sarah is very talkative now that she knows everyone; she’s a happy outgoing person,” Plott said.

Sarah Gorg paves new life, moves to America in hopes of better education

Michael Gorg overcomes language barrier, excels in school, exceeds expectations

Sarah Gorg Michael Gorg

Photos by: Rebecca Griesbach

7SportsThe Northridge ReporterDecember 30, 2013

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(205) 345-49391300 Martin Road EastNorthport, AL 35473 Puppy Classes

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Keshaun ByrdAssistant Sports Editor

The pain exiting the visitors’ locker room was obvious after the Iron Bowl on Nov. 30, but it was heartfelt at home here in Tuscaloosa for Alabama fans at least.

The 109-yard field-goal return that ended the game and left Alabama with a 24-38 loss stunned fans.

Most fans were speech-less. Others were full of an-ger about how the game end-ed. Others felt Alabama had no one to blame but itself.

Seniors Kennan Nichol-son, Jonathan Carlise, and Jacarious Brown, are all huge Alabama football fans.

Nicholson said he was upset about the final play.

“It was a garbage call; we should’ve thrown a Hail Mary,” Nicholson said.

Some people wanted to point the finger at whose fault it was that Alabama lost the game.

“I give Cade Foster 90% and Nick Saban 10% of the

blame for the loss,” Nicholson said.The head coach is usually the one to

blame for a loss in a big game, which can lead to criticism or maybe even him getting fired, but because of Nick Saban’s track re-cord that won’t be the case.

“Surprisingly, I don’t blame Nick; I blame the referees,” Brown said.

As Auburn defen-sive back Chris Davis ran up the left sideline many households were distraught; others were speechless.

Carlisle said there was “a lot of foul language and violence,” at his home after the loss.

A lot of people did not expect that type of ending to the game or any game for that matter, which means no matter which side you were on you were caught by surprise.

“It was straight garbage; he clearly stepped out of bounds,” Carlise said.

“My house was silent, [There was] complete si-lence,” Brown said.

Camri MasonSports Editor

The schools swim team had two swimmers: freshman Jewels Harris and senior Thompson Schille to compete in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state swim competition on Dec. 6.

Harris came in 2nd place in 500 yard freestyle in the AHSAA competition. Schille came in 6th place in 500yd. freestyle. He also came in 9th place for the Individual Medley

Beth Allaway, biology and anatomy teacher is the swim team coach. She helped prepare them for the competition..

“They train all year round [with Crimson Tide Aquatics]. They have been swimming since they were three or four,” Allaway said.

To train they have to do specific stretches to help them swim better and to stay fit.

“I do push-ups, sit-ups, a lot of core

exercises,” Harris said. “I also run and [do]squats [too].”

The swimmers practices every Tuesday and Thursday for three and a half hours, and they also do individual practices as well.

“I swim about thirteen hours a week, and that’s without stretching and other stuff,” Schille said.

Harris said she also swims every Mon, Wed, Fri, and, Sat, for two and a half hours.

Harris and Schille both not only swim for the school, they also swim with “Crimson Tide Aquatics”.

“I swam at Swim Kids at 2-years-old and with Crimson Tide Aquatics at six,” Harris said.

Besides the exercises, practice and training, the team also has fun together.

“I really like my team, and without my team I wouldn’t be able to go through a week,” Schille said.

Fly Away: Thompson Schille swims in the AHSAA swim competition on Dec. 6. He swam the competitive event called Freestyle.

Photo by: Beth Allaway

Photo by: MCT CampusWe were here: Coach Sa-ban holds the crystal foot-ball after winning the 2013 BCS National Champion-ship game against Notre Dame 42-14. Due to the loss against Auburn on Nov. 30, Alabama played in the Sug-ar Bowl on Jan. 2, losing to Oklahoma 35 to 41.

Sophie Fairbairn Assistant Copy Editor

Michael Morgan whips the wrestling team into shape as he adjusts to his new title as head wrestling coach..

After Don McNabb stepped down from coaching wrestling, Michael Morgan, cur-rent softball coach, stepped up to take his place.

“They needed someone to continue the program,” Morgan said, “and I had the ex-pertise on how to build up a program.”

Morgan has had earlier fundraising ex-perience through coaching softball, base-ball and football.

“Program building is one of the biggest things to know when becoming a coach,” Morgan said.

This is the first time Morgan has ever coached wrestling.

“I used to wrestle with my brother and watch the Olympic wrestling team, but I’ve never had any real wrestling experi-ence,” Morgan said.

Morgan said wrestling was not as com-plicated as football.

“It’s basically common sense,” Morgan said. “The main goal to wrestling is to pin your opponent to the ground for three sec-onds. You have to take down, control and pin.”

Morgan said if the opponent is an expe-rienced wrestler and is difficult to pin, you can earn points instead, as long as you do not punch or grab the face, hair or groin of

the opponent.“To gain points you can use tactics such

as ‘Take Downs,’ ‘Escapes,’ ‘Reversals,’ or ‘Bag Points.’” Morgan said. “Take Downs are earned when the opponent is tackled in-side the center circle, ‘Escapes’ are earned when the wrestler manages their way out of the control position, ‘Reversals’ are earned after the wrestler has been in the control position, and ‘Bag Points’ are earned when the opponent is almost pinned to the floor, but the shoulders are not quite on the mat.”

Using these tactics, as well as pin downs, Morgan’s wrestling team was able to win 18 matches and face the defending champs, Thompson High and Gulf Breeze High School in their first tournament.

“We finished 11th out of 16,” Morgan said, “which is good for a first year team.”

Although there is a wrestler to represent each grade, the team consist mainly of un-derclassmen.

“We have 13 to 14 wrestlers, and we want more recruits,” Morgan said.

Morgan whips the boys into shape by making them practice every day after school and puts them on a veggie and pro-tein diet.

“We do high intensity workouts with high reps,” Morgan said. “We work 20 or more different drills every day. I like to change up the drills to practice situational routines and pinning combinations.”

See February paper for wres-tling story on the players

Softball coach adds wrestling to his list of coaching duties

Morgan gets new job

Beat

The Northridge ReporterDecem

ber 30, 2013

8R

ebecca Griesbach

New

s Editor

Clogged and overflow

ing toilets, paper tow

els on the ground and obscenities on the w

alls are things our custodians encounter daily as they clean the bathroom

s.C

leaning the

bathrooms

is custodian

Willy C

rawford’s sole responsibility. H

e arrives at 4:00 in the afternoon, spends about 25 m

inutes per bathroom, and does

not finish until 8:00 at night. C

rawford said that although the condi-

tions of the bathrooms have im

proved over the past year due to the school hiring m

ore janitors, students should begin to “take re-sponsibility” for their m

ess.“The w

orst are [the bathrooms] near the

cafeteria,” Craw

ford said. “I think it’s be-cause [the students] get stopped up during lunch tim

e. The toilets overflow a lot, [stu-

dents] don’t flush their stools, and they try to cover it up w

ith brown paper. They slam

dow

n the seats, but they don’t know how

fragile that fiberglass is, and they break the seats.”

Craw

ford said it’s not just carelessness of the students that leads to m

essy bathrooms.

Some students put forth effort to deliber-

ately mistreat school property.

“There’s always w

riting on the walls.

This right here, we had to paint over a cou-

ple days ago,” Craw

ford said, pointing to a patch on the w

all of the bathroom outside

Ms. B

ox’s office. A

rthur Wiggins, custodian, has also had

a fair share of experience with m

essy bath-room

s.“I w

ent in the boys bathroom, and they

put toilet paper over a BM

and clogged it. The sam

e thing happened the next day in the sam

e stall, so you know they w

ere doing it on purpose,” W

iggins said. “I’ve seen a B

M in the urinal. Som

etimes they

take whole rolls of paper tow

els and try to clog the toilets. It’s kind of cruel; it’s low

-dow

n.”W

hy, though, would students take the

time out of their day to vandalize the bath-

rooms?

“’Cause they’re crazy,” C

rawford said.

“That’s it. They’re just plain crazy. As long

as they know som

eone is cleaning up after them

, they don’t care. I think [the adminis-

tration] should make the students clean up

the bathrooms them

selves, so they can see w

hat it’s like.”

Wiggins said students need to take con-

sideration of their classmates.

“When you w

aste the soap, and it runs out, other students don’t have the oppor-tunity to w

ash their hands. When visitors

come, [the bathroom

] stinks because some

students don’t flush the toilets,” Wiggins

said.M

ost students, like Wiggins said, fall vic-

tim to the actions of those w

ho don’t clean up after them

selves.Jessica

Outlaw,

sophomore,

said the

worst thing she has encountered in the

bathroom w

as “poop on the toilet seat.”“Students need to be sanitary,” O

utlaw

said. “They think it’s funny to mistreat the

restrooms, but it’s not.”

Bryant W

illiams, sophom

ore, said he doesn’t w

ant to use the restrooms because

students don’t flush the toilet and urine is

always on the floor.

“Flush the toilet,” William

s said. “No

one wants to go in a dirty bathroom

.”K

arlar Hughes, custodian, said students

need to remem

ber that the bathrooms are

provided for their use. “It all com

es down to respect,” H

ughes said. “R

espect and value what is provided

for you. Keep it clean as if it w

as your own

home. Put things w

here they are supposed to go: put paper tow

els in the garbage, and put toilet paper in the toilet.”

Wiggins said he w

ants students to feel com

fortable enough to report things to him

and other custodians.

Atto

rne

ys a

t La

w

New

ellHolden

andL

LC

newell-law

.com

2117 Jack Warner Parkw

ay, Suite 5 Tuscaloosa, A

L 35401205-343-0340

Custo

dians ask stud

ents to treat b

athroo

ms w

ith respect

Flush: Willy C

rawford, custodian, cleans

the toilets in the boys bathroom after

school from 4 p.m

. to 8 p.m.

Photo by: Camri M

ason

Decem

ber 30, 2013

Volume 11 Issue 4

northridgereporter.wordpress.com

MU

SICp

ag

e 4

208 M

cFarland Circle N

.Tuscaloosa, A

L 35406

Fo

r Ap

po

intments: (20

5) 345-20

00