The Northmen’s LogOak Park High School | Issue 6, Vol. 49 | February 2014

Oak Park’s primary news source.

>> Seniors prepare for college>> Students travel for spring break

Letter from the editor

Our staff and our policies“The Northmen’s Log” will publish eight times during the school year.“Log” staff strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society.Therefore, “Log” encourages readers to participate in the discussion by submitting Letters to the Editor in room E134, by email to cgeabhar@nkcschools.org. Letters cannot exceed 350 words and must be signed. “Log” will not run letters that are libelous, obscene or that may cause a verifiable disruption of

the education process of Oak Park.Advertisers may contact the business manager at 413.5352, cgeabhar@nkcschools.org, or 825 N.E. 79th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64118.Subscriptions are available, $20 for a mailed copy, $10 for an emailed pdf version, or $25 for both.Opinions expressed in “Log” do not reflect student, staff or school district endorsements of that opin-ion, product, or service. “Log” is a member of NSPA, MIPA and Quill and Scroll. “Log” is affiliated with JEA and JEMKC.

hannah williams>>editor-in-chief; cover, contents, art, and features editor; writer and photographermaggie nolan>>managing, news, opinion, and photo editor; writer and photographergabie kreutzjans>>social manager; sports, people, and entertainment editorolivia eissler>>writer

amber houtman>>writeralondra novoa>>writertessa mcginnis>>artistsam rogers>>writermaddie russell>>writerkelsey shannon>>writer and photographerbrenen stansbury>>writer and photographerchristina geabhart>>adviser

Congratulations, readers. The year is almost over and spring is right around the corner. Inside, you’ll find plenty of stories to read during that boring class or study hall. Ever wonder about teenage depression? You’ll find that in features, with plenty of information to soothe curiosities. Not only do we as students and peers have pasts, teachers do too and some of them are definitely worth the reading in the news section. Even though this paper isn’t as hefty as the last issue’s 24-pages, as a staff we’ve made sure to pack it full of exciting information that you’ll want. No issue is ever a piece of cake for us, especially with the snow days involved and the numerous

stories that have come up in the midst of planning. But, as a staff, we are still dedicated to making sure you get the informa-tion you need to know as your primary news source. Don’t forget to check out northmenews.com for even more news updates and photo galleries. If you have any questions or concerns about any articles in this paper, remember to send a letter to the editor to either cgeabhar@nkcschools.org or will3248@nkcschools.org; and we’ll be sure to read and print your feedback. Keep on keepin’ on, Oak Park. Let’s finish this school year strong and blue.

hannah williams>>editor-in-chief

policies Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

contents 1Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

news 2>> College process for seniors>> Advisory advice>> College process>> Teachers’ pasts

On the cover:

feature 6>> Depression

sports 8

recreation 168>> Kate’s Kitchen review>> ‘Vampire Kisses’ review>> Favorite winter olympic sports>> Chvrches review

>> Partying>> Students being rude>> College money>> Awkward situations

>> Track conditioning>> Opinions on weights>> Girls soccer>> Olympic tally

opinion 4

people 12>> Graduates: Where are they now?>> Avoid senioritis>> Finish second semester>> Spring break plans

Senior Bailey Wilkerson kicks the ball during soccer tryouts on Tuesday, March 4.

Senior Hiba Antoun practices a soccer drill during tryouts on Tues-day, March 4.

hannah williams>>editor-in-chief

2 news Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

It’s senior year, and your college days are just around the cor-ner. Hopefully, you have begun the college application process, but don’t panic if you haven’t. There is still time, but you’ll have to move quickly.

“I applied for the Dens scholarship, and applied to multiple col-leges, and I took advanced classes in high school,” said senior Sa-mantha Mann.

Good recommendations are important, for both college and scholarship applications. Colleges will have your grades, but they will be interested in knowing you personally. To ace this part of the application process, students should maintain relationships with your teacher’s coaches and volunteer directors.

“I went to the Northman Career College Art Interaction,” said senior Amanda Renno.

The submission of application materials is the most important part of the college application process. Pay close attention to your grammar and spelling as you complete the required forms. When writing your essay, personalize it to the school of your choice.

“I applied for the FAFSA application for UCM, and AVIDhelped with being organized,” said senior Verne McClelland.

Most colleges will let you know their decisions by the beginning of May.

Once you have received the results, consider your options. Take into consideration your financial need, the location, and the repu-tation of each college. Let each school know if you have accepted their offer as soon as you can.

The counseling office offers assistance as well.

Seniors move through the college processsam rogers >> writer

Missouri public colleges:The college process is just one step

In the state of Missouri, there are 13 pub-lic colleges students could attend after going through the college selection process.

Here’s what you need to know when mak-ing your decision:

$56,720is the average amount spent in 4

years of Missouri college education.

$11,897more per 4-year education is spent on average in U.S. public colleges.

3 out of 10college students graduated in 4 years or less.

54.5%of college students graduated in 6 years or more.

graphics by hannah williams, editor-in-chiefinformation collected from collegecompletion.chronicle.com

news 3Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

If you are a junior or senior, you probably know about advi-sory. Back during your freshman or sophomore year it was a 30 or 40-minute period where you stayed in a classroom with an assigned teacher. There were several different things you could do during this allotted time, including doing homework, having teachers give grade checks, or go to a teacher for extra help.

However, things may change slightly, depending on how ad-ministration and faculty determine what is best for students in an upcoming vote.

It is proposed that instead of having it every day, or every Thursday, advisory will be held twice a week, which will comply with the wishes of many teachers.

One day could be spent catching up on homework and working with the teacher who is in charge of your advisory. And the other day could be spent in a different teachers class based on the stu-dent’s need. Another new suggestion is that advisory could also be used to hold all class meetings, such as when sophomores need to get their class rings or for seniors’ graduation.

For juniors and seniors, it will be different. Advisory will basi-cally be like a free period. They will have the opportunity to work with teachers, but if they don’t want to, they can just sit in the library or other places in the school, many places will be open. However, poor attendance and low grades may move certain ju-niors and seniors into assigned classrooms for help.

Advisory brings high hopes for students, teachersgabie kreutzjans >> writer

East Coast to Midwest“I moved from the East Coast, and this school is more of a fam-

ily atmosphere than previous schools,” said social studies teacher Seth DeRose. “It’s not just the students, but especially with the staff.”

DeRose has been teaching for 12 years, but seven years here. He coaches the boys and girls golf teams and girls basketball.

“I’m not used to the lack of diversity,” said DeRose. “There where 160 countries represented in my school on the East Coast.”

One of DeRose’s favorite memories his car rides with his golf teams. Usually if a sports team has an away game they would all take a bus, but not golf. They take mini vans, and DeRose drives. He said the van rides are crazy with both the boys and girls. He wishes some of the con-versations didn’t come up but they always do and that they are fun to listen to.

Growing as an educator“I love my students,” said ELA teacher Ann Elder.

“There is never a dull moment and I get to share the sub-ject I love with other people who have similar interests.”

Elder has been teaching for 18 years, but only 11 years here.

“I have grown so much as an educator and learned so much as myself and person,” Elder said. “I have become a person who sees other people with an open mind. I get to see the talent each person has.”

Elder’s favorite memory is when she had a student teacher in her class. She said it was fun to build les-sons in class for the students and to bounce off another teacher. She said it was fun to mentor her and see her joy and to see the fire of joy students caught.

Returned ‘home’“The fact that I’m an alumni makes it easy for me to be

loyal to the high school that I went to before,” said physi-cal education/health teacher Candace McCall.

McCall is the volleyball coach and one of her favorite

memories was winning districts in 2011. Another favorite memo-ry of hers is to see kids mature and being a part of student’s lives after they have graduated. She said that it is neat to have a rela-tionship with students.

“It’s true that every day I teach kids, but the kids also teach me, McCall said. “I learn from them on a daily basis and I stay in touch with the youth.”

Teachers come from different pastsolivia eissler >> writer

6 opinion Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

I’ve never been really talented at any-thing in my life. I can’t really hold really deep conversations with people, or guys for that matter, and being an academic prodigy? Yeah, right. What I am good at is being the most awkward individual who goes to Oak Park.

Maybe I’m over exaggerating a bit, but I can come off as strange to some people, guys in particular. I don’t know what it is about me, but when a guy comes up to me that I think is pretty attractive, I lock up. I get tongue-tied and I suddenly have the urge to say every stupid thing that comes to mind. They’re just people, sure, but there’s something those particular crush-es that leave you speechless and frozen in place.

Shyness is also something that I strug-gle with. I can’t just start conversations with just anyone. Small talk just isn’t one of my strengths. If someone you didn’t

know just randomly walked up to you and started talking about the weather and how much they hate school, would you really know what to say back? Outgoing people certainly would, but people like me would just run and hide and pretend the whole situation never happened. I love meeting new people, but starting the first conversation isn’t easy.

Another thing that makes me an awk-ward person is not being good at sport. I don’t understand how my older brother is a gifted soccer player but yet I’m tripping over the ball with every step. Ever since grade school I’ve never been brilliant at any game or sport we played, whether it was hockey, tennis, volleyball, soccer, or anything else for that matter. I spent more time getting hit in the face in these sports than actually playing them. I guess not everyone is gifted with the ability of being athletic but I never knew anyone

could be this terrible at sports. The classroom is by far the most awk-

ward place to be for people like me. Speaking in front of the class is one of the scariest things I deal with. It’s pressur-ing to stand up in front of the class and explain the topic you’re supposed to be researching or reading about. When I’m nervous, I tend to stumble over words and phrases a lot and even stutter if I’m really tense. School tries to help you get over these little quirks but really they bring out the worst in me.

I could be all wrong about this whole thing. Some people aren’t bothered by anyone being awkward; in fact, they may look up to it. It shows people that not ev-eryone is perfect or skilled at everything and it makes us human. I may be awk-ward, but I’d rather express it proudly than not at all.

Unfortunate storiesof an awkward teenage girlmaddie russell >> writer

As someone who has college on my mind, one of the biggest things that I’ve been worrying about is money. I’ve done all the things I can in order to earn scholarships, and have saved money since I was in ninth grade. However, no matter how much money I’ve earned, it seems college costs so much more. It’s not just tu-ition and the money it takes to just go to college. But also living expenses, food and books.

As students, we are expected to further our education, or at least go to a technical school that will help you with your planned career. But whom do they expect to pay for it? I’ve known since before middle school, I was supposed to go to college and be the first in my family to do so. Even though I probably would go to college with or without the added pressure from my family, college is stressful enough without everyone telling me what im “supposed” to do.

Not to mention, there are cheaper educational institutions that give me the same educational value, but much less of price ticket. The A+ program offers an exceptional option for those who complete the minimum standards required in order to earn A+, to have two years tuition paid for at some community colleges in the area. Although I have completed all the require-ments for A+, the university I have chosen does not accept A+, and is the same at many four-year universities because they are more expensive and offer other scholarships.

Scholarships are awesome, but take a lot of work and often

are not worth more than $50 to $100. However if you put the work in, all the scholarships could end up adding up and save you a lot of money. But even at the end of all the scholarships, most students end up having to take out loans. Which even though you don’t have to pay them back while you’re in school, as soon as you’re out, you’re expected to pay them back.

College costs a lot of money. No matter how many scholar-ships you do, and loans you take out, college costs a lot of money.

Money probs, #metoo gabie kreutzjans >> writer

opinion 7Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

“It’s public school. What do you ex-pect?”

This is the answer I get when I ask why students have to be so disrespectful sometimes.

I don’t see this as any excuse to be rude to the people who provide an education to you. I’ve been here for three years, which has allowed me to be around lots of different people, and I speak from ex-perience when I say that a lot of people at this school are quite rude. Also, from be-ing here for a significant amount of time,

I know that teachers can be somewhat mean as well, which might call for an iffy response. I’ve just had to learn to keep my mouth shut. I’m too shy to say anything anyway, but some kids aren’t the same way.

I think we all just need to think first be-fore we speak or act on something. If this were acted upon by every student at this school, the atmosphere would be cleaner and much more enjoyable.

One thing that has particularly irked me, this year specifically is something

that happens at the basketball games. When we do the national anthem, some-thing I ask of the student body, is to not say “Chiefs” instead of “brave.” It literally takes about a minute out of your day to just respect your country, so if you could let others do the same and keep your comments to yourself, we could all be happy. You can wait until you’re in Ar-rowhead Stadium to say Chiefs, but right now, you’re at Oak Park.

We’re respectful here, and we say brave.

Rude students aren’t bravek. town >> photographer

Partying isn’t prettyhannah williams >> editor-in-chief

No matter what grade or age, I’m sure we all know at least one person who posts a picture on social media with a red cup in their hand. Whether that cup might just be filled with water or pop, or maybe another substance, it’s hard to tell. But, judging by the people surrounding them in a haze of smoke, the lights dimmed low, the assumption could be made that they’re party-ing. For a high school student, partying shouldn’t be a priority.

Social life is important to have in the midst of all the home-work and college preparations, but there’s a fine line between hanging out with a group of friends and dressing up to go drink out of a red cup and dance with people you might not even know. Meeting new people is awesome, but not when you’re incoher-ent and can’t even remember your own name.

The underage drinking parties shouldn’t happen in the first place. It’s illegal, for one, but it’s also just a disgrace to everyone

involved. Partying, and posting pictures or talking about how “awesome” it was, doesn’t make you an “awesome” person. It may make you popular for a brief few hours, or maybe a year, but it won’t do anything to your future, except pose the risk of ruining it all when a college or employer sees the evidence.

Whenever I’m personally asked to attend, whether it involves illegalities or not, I have to ask myself whether it’s the right thing to do. Not only for my reputation, but for my future. I know it’s not attractive to be seen at one of those parties, which is why I’ve never gone. I know that it could ruin my future and maybe even my self-worth.

So, the next time one of your best friends says there’s a party somewhere that you aren’t familiar with, evaluate the situation. It’s always better to make the right choice, by everyone’s stan-dards, than to have to live with that one decision.

cartoon by tessa mcginnis

6 feature Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Depression strikes deeper than words

1 in 10 of American adults are diagnosed with depression.

1 out of 35patients diagnosed with depression

commit suicide because of the disease.

15.2 %of adolescents between 12 and 15 will seek help for symptoms of depression.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Depression strikes deeper than words

feature 7

kelsey shannon>>writer

Getting through the fog “You’ll get through it,” they say, “It’s just a phase. You’ll be fine, I promise.” Just agree and maybe they’ll go away, I say to myself as I wipe my tears. Here I go, con-

tinuing on in my journey towards these so-called “answers” people keep talking about. I always tend to fall down again, though. And when I do, I feel like the loneliness pulls me right back to the start.

It bothers me that no one really understands. No one truly understands the maze that makes up my mind. They all just pretend and repeat the lies that they heard oth-ers tell their friends. When they speak to me about my depression, I don’t usually listen.

I walk through the congested halls, being pushed by disrespectful students. I have a habit to stare at the ground or ahead of everyone, just trying to pull through this hell that we call school.

As I sit in class, I mentally check out and begin to think. Sometimes, I think about what it would be like if I died. No one would even notice. I feel like I am

in such a sea of people, but I’m at the bottom of the ocean. Alone.

Depressed. Drowning.

Throughout high school, a student might undergo much more than one may think. Issues at home, work, or even at school affect a stu-

dents grades and mood on a daily basis. They struggle to stay awake and to focus because all they want to do is think about the negative

or just sleep the problems away. Depression could be defined as “a level or feeling of sadness and loss of hope,” said Heather Brennan, school social worker.

One in four teens suffer from depression, but only 30 percent of those students actually ask for help.

If a student feels like the one described in this sto-ry, please visit with Brennan in her office, room

W207A, or email hbrennan@nkcschools.org, or see a school counselor.

6.7%of adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 have major depressive disorder episodes, but are not diagnosed with depression.

all graphics and information made and compiled by hannah williams>>editor-in chiefinformation gathered from cdc.gov

8 sports Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Maybe it’s the feeling of tying the laces on a brand new pair of cleats, smell-ing the fresh cut grass, or even making a team-winning goal. Whatever it is, it’s surely attracting girls to the soccer field. As spring begins to appear, so does the beginning of soccer season.

“We had a 10-win season last year and we’re hoping to build on that.” said soccer coach Josh Howard. “We kind of put in place some new things in prac-tices and expectations for games, so really the expectation this year is built on the 10 win season last year and to get to that level, and to try and compete for the conference championship.”

Like every sport, to get better, players have to practice and always be ready to work hard.

“Right now we have conditioning three days a week, and then after we con-dition we go down to one of the gyms and play futsal which is like indoor soc-cer.” Said senior varsity player Annie Neds. “We play in the gym with a smaller sized ball so it works more on your foot skills.”

Soccer isn’t just for returning players. New girls are arriving at practices to try out their skills with a ball. However, not every sport is easy.

“I expect them to know to work hard, listen to their coaches, to be respect-ful and mindful of their teammates, of the school they’re representing, and they should know that they need to be fit.” Howard said. “On day one they know that they can play 80 minutes if we asked them to. It’s kind of two sides, be good people and be fit when they come in for pre-season.”

Some people may be wondering if soccer is really for them if they have no prior experience or knowledge with the sport.

“Any sport is going to be a lot of work but you just gotta do your best and try hard.” Says senior varsity player Megan Brenan. “I think it’s a lot of fun, whether you’re experienced or not. We all just come out and have fun and do our best and work together as a team to get better.”

For girls interested in joining soccer, see Howard for details.

Girls soccer starts with a kickolivia eissler>>writer

Alpine Skating Andrew Weibrecht-GoldBode Miller-BronzeTed Ligety-GoldMikaela Shriffin- GoldJulia Mancuso-BronzeBobsleighElana Meyers & Lauryn Willams- SilverSteven Holcomb & Steve Langton-BronzeSteven Holcomb, Steve Langton, Curt To-

masevicz, & Christopher Fogt in four man-Bronze

Jamie Greubel & Aja Evans- Bronze

Figure SkatingMeryl Davis & Charlie White in ice danc-

ing- GoldUSA won team trophy- BronzeFreestyle skiingDavid Wise- GoldJoss Christensen- GoldGus Kenworthy-SilverNick Goepper- BronzeMaddie Bowman- GoldHannah Kearney-BronzeDevin Logan SilverIce HockeyWomen’s ice hockey won Silver

LugeErin Hamlin-BronzeShort track speed skatingIn the men’s 5000 meter relay USA

won-silverSkeletonMatthew Antoine-BronzeNoelle Pikus-Pace-SilverSnowboardingSage Kotsenburg-GoldAlex Deibold- BronzeKaitlyn Farrington-GoldKelly Clark- Bronze Jamie Anderson-Gold

Going for the gold:After the Sochi Olympics, here are the medal standings for the US team

information gathered by gabie kreutzjans from hlntv.com

Senior Hiba Antoun practices a soccer drill during tryouts on Tuesday, March 4.

hannah williams>>editor-in-chief

sports9Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Many athletes in off season take a break from their sport and focus on school, but not for all.

“In the off season I run with Will Henré and Michael Neeley,” said junior Gerardo Salgado.

Salgado says ] he runs in the off season so he is prepared when track season rolls around the corner and that he is not be-hind. Salgado was involved in track when he was in middle school, and now this will be his third season in high school. He par-ticipates in the 4 X 800 and the 800.

Salgado said his favorite memory from previous track seasons was hearing and seeing his mom or any loved one cheering and yelling his name.

“I try to stay with Will and beat him,”

Salgado said. “My goal is to beat my per-sonal record.”

Salgado’s favorite part about track sea-son is the meets.

“I try to run faster and I don’t quit,” said senior Marie-Laurence Richard.

This is Richard’s first track season be-cause she is a foreign exchange student. Richard runs every day so that when track season starts she will be used to running. Richard is planning on running long distance.

“I set a goal in my mind, and then work towards it,” said junior Caleb Murray.

To get ready for track season Murray goes to conditioning after school and lifts weights. He said that he is eating healthy and drinking lots of water to get more

lean and light as possible so that he can be faster when he runs. This will be Mur-ray’s first track season.

“Its fun to see other schools race at meets,” Salgado said.

Track prepares for the run, conditions: Athletes practice for seasonolivia eissler>>writer

“Weights keeps me in shape and I am a better athlete,” said junior Logan Cassity.

Cassity said the hard parts about weights was having to put on weight every week. The one thing Cassity likes about weights is that he has a lot of friends in his class who make it fun. Cassity said the only thing he didn’t like about weights was that he has it first block so he is sweaty for the rest of school.

“We usually do a work out in the small gym, and then go up to the weight room and do our routine for the day,” Cassity said.

There are other people who think that weights is difficult.“It’s not hard,” said junior Becca Saari. “Your pushing your lim-

its and if you don’t push yourselves than you won’t do good.”Saari said when you take weights it makes you strong, which

help her perform better for volleyball when she serves and hits the ball.

Saari said her favorite thing about the class is the ending of it and her least favorite thing is the class in general.

“It depends on the work you put in,” junior Kelly Andrews said. “If you put work into it then you will do good.”

Andrews said that her favorite part about weights is seeing her name up on the board. The board is a rank to see how you compare with people in class to see who can lift the most. An-drews said the worst part about weights is being soar especially after making out.

“It makes me stronger, faster, and look good,” Andrews said.

Lifting the weights:Oakies share opinions on taking the P.E. creditolivia eissler>>writer

In the off season I run with Will Henré and Michael Nee-ley. I try to stay with Will and beat him. My goal is to beat my person record.

junior Gerardo Salgado

10 people Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Avoiding senioritisEveryone knows that when you’re a

senior, senioritis is inevitable -- so the ru-mor goes.

Symptoms vary, but most people at least start slacking on homework, re-sponsibilities and just everything in be-tween. However, for some people it’s even worse. They procrastinate until the last very second for an assignment, even on college applications, scholarships and other important college materials.

Diagnosing senioritis seems easy, but

solving the problem is a bit more compli-cated. There is the obvious answer, just do the work and keep track of deadlines. But there are other ways to combat se-nioritis. First, keep in mind that if you do not continue to keep your GPA up, you may lose admittance to your first univer-sity of choice, and possibly scholarships. So that may help you keep up the good work.

Another thing you can do is make sure to keep track of deadlines, in order to

keep up with grades and also any college deadlines. One way to do this is to keep a calendar or write in your planner. Make sure to keep track or organize your plan-ner in a way that suits you. If you’re a color-coding person, do that. Other ways are by using symbols or just using key words to signify different types of dates.

Using these tips may help, and this not only applies for seniors or even juniors, it could apply to freshman and sophomores also.

Graduates complete much after high school

gabie kreutzjans>>writer

Graduation. As a freshman it may seem like it’s more than just four years away, but time flies fast and within what seems like mere weeks you’re clutching your diploma wondering how the years went by so quickly. Seniors leave the school each year with plans of their own, but do we really know if they got to where they expected to be?

“Right now I go to William Jewell College on a soccer schol-arship. I’m majoring in psychology with emphasis on physical therapy,” said freshman college student Kit Russell. “I’ve recent-ly become a pledge of Phi Gamma Delta, which is a fraternity on campus which I hope to be accepted in.”

College requires more academic responsibilities than high school. At Oak Park, Advance Placement classes are provided for the student body to get ahead of the game for college and also offer career programs. The atmosphere of high school should be a positive one but are these aspects really preparing students for the real world?

“Yes in some ways, the more advanced classes prepare you for a lot of the classes you’ll take, but social aspects of high school are different than aspects of college,” said freshman col-lege student Clayton Edmisten. “You make your friends outside of class rather than inside.”

Edmisten is a freshman in college enrolled at Northwest Mis-souri State where he majors in vocal music education and plans to be in a music education career.

“I’ll wind up going to UMKC for my master’s degree and doc-torate. I already play guitar but you’re required to learn piano as well if you want to be in music education.”

Graduating from high school isn’t just about an education; it’s also learning about how to live on your own.

“Being on your own gives you such freedom and independen-cy,” said sophomore college student Amy Nelson. “I love that no one is there to tell you to do the dishes, or that getting up a 2 p.m. and watching 12 hours straight of Netflix, doing the Ouija board in the living room the night before a midterm, and going to Taco Bell at 3 a.m. is not ok. But at the same time it comes with a lot of challenges.”

Nelson is currently in her second year at Mizzou, studying international business and studies with a minor in French, and

plans to graduate in Spring 2016. “I haven’t done anything too extreme, but I’ve made good

grades, learned to live on my own, and branched out and met some great people at Mizzou, which I’m pretty proud of. Oak Park taught me a lot, but I struggled a lot my first semester of college with classes. I had to really teach myself how to read textbooks and study for midterms and exams,” Nelson said.

Maybe some students can’t wait to leave high school; others may dread the whole experience of leaving. You may remem-ber hearing you parents recall great moments they had in high school.

“In high school, I remember wishing my life away,” said junior college student Lauren Carlson. “I remember wishing I was in college. I remember wishing I had my own place. I remember wishing I was out of my parent’s house so I could make my own rules and live my life my own way. And don’t get me wrong. That stuff is all great. But it comes with a lot of responsibility.”

Enrolled at Rockhurst University, Carlson works towards a marketing degree to use at her family’s business.

“I work for Lauren’s Hope, my family-owned business that manufactures and sells fashionable medical ID jewelry to peo-ple all over the globe. My official title is strategic communica-tions strategist, meaning that I do a lot of work in networking and building and sustaining relationships between our company and our clients,” Carlson said.

Carlson admits she struggled her first year in college because she was never taught how to study for tests, but with some trial and error, she’s finally excelling with a 3.5 GPA.

“You’ll grow up and move on and make friends for the rest of your life. You’ll meet them in college or at your job or whatever. But the friends you’re surrounded by right now are the same friends you knew when you were in diapers. They’re the same people who you’ll walk next to the night of graduation. They’re the same people who will hopefully, one day, be at your wed-ding. Sure, you’ll make new friends when you leave Oak Park. But these people who you’re surrounded by right now are your roots. They’ll follow you forever. These relationships are worth nurturing. They’re the ones that matter.” Carlson said.

maddie russell>>writer

people11Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

Students make spring break plansMost people stay home and hang out with friends over spring

break, but for a few they are leaving Missouri behind them.“I am going to Haiti on a missions trip,” said junior Kaley

Breault.Breault plans to travel with her church, Pleasant Valley Bap-

tist Church to Haiti from March 14 to 22. She is looking forward to playing with the little kids in the orphanage.

“We are going to play with the orphan kids, perform the freedom drama and host a princes party for the little girls,” said Breault.

Breault said the freedom drama is an 18-minute long skit that explains the gospel. She said the likes the freedom drama be-cause it is showing the story of Christ in a different way than other people have seen it.

Breault said the princess party is to show girls over in Haiti that they are all precious and beautiful to God and that they are royalty. Breault also said the guys who are going in her group

are going to be holding a session for the boys in Haiti teaching them to be strong in God and to be Godly leaders.

“I’m not looking forward to the possibility of getting sick, los-ing my luggage, or trying to get all my homework done before I leave,” Breault said.

Many girls who play club volleyball will be having a fun time in Denver, Colo., for a volleyball tournament.

“I am excited to go and watch volleyball and get to see Den-ver,” said senior Casey Newton.

Newton is going to Denver with her family to go and watch her sister junior Cydney Newton play in a volleyball tourna-ment. She looks forward to watching volleyball and going shop-ping. The only thing Newton is not looking forward to is the long car ride to Denver.

“I’m excited to be traveling somewhere over spring break,” Breault said.

olivia eissler>>writer

5 ways to successfully finish second semesterDon’t let se-

nioritis win. Keep up the diligent work.

It’s important to stay on top of things, even though

the year is almost over. Summer may be tempting you to sleep in and slack on

your work, thinking, “I’ll do better next year,” but

the year is now, so get it done.

Be on time to class, sports, and other school activities. It’s important to have good attendance.

Always do home-work the very day

that it is assigned to avoid procrastination and stress. Keeping a calendar or a plan-ner can help to track deadlines

and ensure that you aren’t missing anything or for-

getting something. Get some

sleep, plain and simple.

Eat a healthy break-

fast to ensure that you’re kick start-ing your day with morning energy.

information gathered by maggie nolangraphic by hannah williams

Colorado

Haitigraphic by hannah williams

*

12 recreation Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

A beautiful album was born into the world of synthpop music on Sept. 20, 2013.

Chvrches, yes it’s really spelled that way, released “The Bones of What You Believe” and made popular an old genre of music. One of their more popular songs, “Mother We Share,” has been played on The Buzz tirelessly since this album debuted, but I’m definitely just getting started with my obsession for their sound.

Being synthpop, it’s a change from what’s normally heard in the umbrella of alternative music. Chvrches uses electronic mu-sic that is reminiscent of the 80s light orchestras, but the voice behind the music makes it more of a clean-sounding instrumen-tal noise than what is regularly heard in electronica.

Headed by lead vocalist and main synthesizer, Lauren May-berry, the band became known in 2013 with their Recover EP and rose to fifth on BBC’s Sound of 2013, a list of the most promising new talent. This was only the start of their career in the music world and has led to beautiful lyrics in songs that strike especially deep with me.

A thing to note about their sound and words is that they are clearly not ruled by their record label, Glassnote Records. In one line of “Mother We Share,” it reads, “in the dead of night, I’m the only one here and I will cover you until you go.” Analyt-ically, these lyrics tell me of a deeper meaning where the main character, whether it is an experience Mayberry has had or one of her band-mates, loves someone but can only help them out in their endeavor to be with someone else. While every mod-ern artist has had something along those lines, the pureness of Mayberry’s voice makes it hard not to relate. The way she sings this part reveals a lot more emotion than I’ve previously heard in songs with the same premise.

In addition to that line, one of my favorite lines that I have ever heard in my almost 18 years of life is, “if I recover, will you be my comfort,” from one of their first songs, “Recover.” When they sent this song to Daniel Glass in November of 2012, my guess is that it was these lyrics that stuck with the head of Glassnotes record label. Again, drawing on Mayberry’s unique timbre, these lyrics could read very ordinary on paper. But I guarantee

that one listen to this song will give new meaning to the words, and I’ll leave that up to the listeners to distinguish and derive.

Overall, BBC was right when they recognized this band as up-and-coming. Their originality with lyrics and instruments is something to be revered in the world of music. I’m not ashamed to say that this album will be on repeat for a while for me. I en-courage everyone to check them out and take away your own meaning and opinion from this band. Mine is very clear: they are most definitely worth listening to.

Scottish alternative bandmakes promising headwayhannah williams >> editor-in-chief

Synthesizer (or synth): electronic musi-cal instrument capable of producing wide range of sounds. Could be made using a keyboard, sequencers, digital programs, or controllers

Synthpop: a genre where the synthesizer is the main instrument, first prominent in the 1980s

Timbre: color or quality of a musical note

FYI: help with musical vocabulary

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you found out your boyfriend was a vampire? What life would be like living by moonlight instead of the warm glowing sun?

Ellen Schreiber hits home with the series Vampire Kisses about young Raven Madison and her desperate want to become a vampire. When a new and handsome face moves into her small town of Dullsville, an old elementary school rival spreads ru-mors that there is a vampire living among them.

The plot of the story is similar to Stephanie Myers’ Twilight saga, the guy gets the girl, love at first sight, girl is in danger, guy saves the girl, and so on, but Vampire Kisses has been around since the 1990s, and it’s still a better love story than Twilight.

Schreiber described the main character Raven after herself. Young, curious and fun. Each character who went to school with young Raven was fashioned as the stereotypical Goth or prep with blonde hair, blue eyes and tanned skin.

This series was pretty original because on http://www.ellen-schreiber.com/home.htm you can find were she describes wak-ing up from a dream and just writing. You can find FAQ about her series and her biography.

Schreiber has nine books about Raven’s adventures, each more daring than the last. Schreiber also has another series and I would recommend taking a look. She has the uncanny ability to tap in the teenager mind and the way it runs wild.

‘Vampire Kisses’: A better kiss than Twilight seriessam rogers >> writer

recreation 13Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 | T h e N o r t h m e n’ s Lo g

47%ICE SKATING

32%SNOWBOARDING

21%ICE HOCKEY

2014 winter olympic favoritesThe Log asked 100 students around OP: “What was your favorite Olympic sport to watch?”

information gathered by olivia eissler >> writergraphic by maggie nolan >> managing editor

You may know those restaurants that are small and are only unique to one lo-cation. For many people this would be Kate’s Kitchen.

“I like how friendly everyone is and how nice the neighborhood is,” junior Lauren Fabac said.

Fabac works at Kate’s Kitchen and loves that the staff there is very friendly and welcoming.

“I like the King Waffle, which has pea-nut butter and bananas on it,” junior Julia Wopata said.

Wopata goes to Kate’s Kitchen about

once a month with her family after church, and she goes a lot during the summer.

“I like the French toast,” Fabac said. “There is lots of different things to choose from.”

Fabac goes to Kate’s Kitchen every Friday before school with her boyfriend senior Derrick Pham.

“I always get the cinnamon roll because it’s just perfect,” said junior Tiffany Graz-da.

Grazda says she goes whenever there is a half day or no school. She says the

food is amazing and that everything is good there.

Wopata, Grazda and Fabac all give Kate’s Kitchen a five out of five because they said the food is fresh and quick and everyone is nice and caring. They also said that it had good service even when they are busy and even if you don’t aren’t feeling like breakfast, lunch, or dinner, a cinnamon roll is the perfect food to eat.

“I like breakfast places,” said Wopata. “I like the atmosphere. It is a homey diner like in the movies. It is the place everyone wants to go.”

5 stars all aroundolivia eissler >> writer