A long way from home by: M. Obando & C. Gray

N o r t h w e s t e r n H i g h S c h o o l | 1 5 0 3 W e s t M a i n S t r e e t | R o c k H i l l , S C — R H 3

Trojan Trumpet Volume 2. Issue 2 Thousands of high school students from many countries choose

to study abroad in the United States and some of them end up in our own

school, Northwestern High School, home of the Trojans. Isabella Riordan,

a foreign student from Denmark, is attending Northwestern just for this

year and is currently in the 11th grade. When questioned about the differ-

ences between here and Denmark, Riordan noted that the school system

there is entirely different from the one here. She explained that in her

country, most people choose to continue their education after completing

school (up through the 9th grade) and go on to the Danish Gymnasium,

an upper secondary education where students can study for three years

to prepare for their career. She also pointed out that Northwestern is big-

ger than her old school, which only had about 600 students all together

from ten grades (K-9th). When asked about what she thought of North-

western based on her experiences so far, Riordan replied, “I like it! It has

a good athletic program and the academics are good too.” Riordan is al-

ready getting the hang of high school life here in America. She has partici-

pated in Cross Country and has made many new friends, this is sure to be

an experience that she will remember forever.

On Tuesday and Thursdays during lunch, Mrs. South-

ern’s class sells the delicious “Special Cookies.” Over 600 of

these cookies are sold to the students each week. The teachers

and students prepare chocolate chip, carnival, and sugar Otis

SpunkMeyer cookies. The money made from selling them is

used for weekly Walmart trips. During the trips some of the stu-

dents and teachers from the class purchase supplies for the

classroom. The class is also able to do fun outings with the mon-

ey. For example, sometimes they all go out to eat at Golden Cor-

ral. Another thing this money contributes to is a class trip to the

mall where the students each get to purchase something.

Selling the cookies is way for the students to learn

things they would otherwise not be able to learn. “ It teaches

them money skills and independent living skills,” said special

needs assistant teachers, Mrs.Beckan and Mrs. Kostarelos.

Students are able to learn about counting money, budgeting,

money management and baking. Selling these cookies is a fun

and creative way to contribute to the class in more ways than

you can imagine.

Increasing your waistline for a good cause by: L. Payne & M. Vittatoe

Northwestern junior, Isabella Riordan, pos-

es for a picture. She is a foreign student

from Denmark and this year she is experi-

encing life in an American high school.

Be sure to purchase cookies on Tuesdays and

Thursdays to help support Northwestern’s awe-

some Special needs class!

PAGE 2 TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E 2. ISSUE 2 TR O JAN N EWS

COUGH! COUGH! Cold and Flu season has arrived and Northwestern’s

students should take on the responsibility of keeping up with their health by doing

their best to stay germ free.

At the start of every flu season, some might find themselves wondering

about the following questions: What should I do if I catch (or already have) the cold

or the flu? Should I go see a doctor?

For those who does not know and think about those particular questions,

our school’s nurse, Mrs. VanGelder (or Nurse “V”), has the answers to help our

students stay healthy this season. You will know if you have are coming down with

the flu if you are experiencing a really high fever, feeling hot or have the chills (not

everyone has a fever when you have the flu), muscle aches/body aches, coughing

and/or having sore throat. Nurse V suggests that if you are experiencing any of

these symptoms that you should STAY HOME, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids,

take over the counter cold medication, and if you are still not finding relief from

your symptoms you should go see a doctor.

About five percent of the students are out of school every year due to a

bad cold or the flu. According to Nurse V, students that want to stay far away from

a cold/ flu should do the following:

1. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer (GermX w/o the fragrance) after using

the restrooms, touching door knobs, or any other hand held object

2. Get a flu shot

3. Do NOT share food or beverages

4. Keep your hands off of your face

Being sick with a cold or the flu is not fun at all, especially when it means

that you are missing out on important educational activities. All of Northwestern’s

students should take this advice and share it with a friend or someone you love,

because it is important that we all do our part to keep our community germ free!

Typically, high school for most students lasts for four years. However,

some students who are eager to enter the real world have taken it upon them-

selves to graduate in less than that. According to Ms. Howell, guidance counselor

at NHS, most students graduate early because they are behind a year and have

caught up or because they are ready to move on and start their lives.

Three seniors at Northwestern High School have managed to earn their

24 credits before their fellow classmates and have decided to graduate from

high school early. Starting in January, Zack Clinton, Aiciah Chisholm and Joey

Erschen will depart from NHS and take on the real world. Each student had their

own reasons for wanting to graduate early.

Clinton and Erschen wanted to graduate early because they earned all

of their credits sooner than expected. However, Chisholm is leaving for more

personal reasons. She stated that she is ready to move on from high school be-

cause she is eager to get an understanding of the work field she is interested in.

Chisholm plans on enlisting in the Army where she plans to utilize the Army’s

money in order to gain a college education.

While all of these students agree that they will be back for their gradua-

tion in June, one thing is clear that they are eager to leave the halls of NHS and

begin their life’s journey. These northwestern graduates are ready for the world

and everything that is in store for them.

Out on The Move by: M. Hagins & A. Yeager

Nurse V gives students a demonstra-

tion on how to properly check your

temperature. A high temperature can

be a warning sign of the flu.

Spread love, not germs by: K. Meeks

In the above picture, students celebrate their

accomplishment by tossing their graduation

caps in the air. If a student decides to graduate

early, it is important that they pass all of their

classes and Ms. Elmore (guidance counselor)

suggests that they should make sure they have

something productive to do.

PAGE 3

Trojan SPOTLIGHT by: S. Whiting & K. Mitchell

TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E 2. ISSUE 2 TR O JAN N EWS

Brogan Gaskill is a junior at Northwestern High School and has

managed to maintain grades that place him in the top five per-

cent of his class. Outside of academics, Brogan has several dif-

ferent hobbies and interests. Brogan sat down with our staff to

provide some advice on how to balance school and extracurricu-

lar activities.

Q. What activities do you enjoy outside of studying?

A. I enjoy playing the piano and soccer. Last year I played soc-

cer for NHS.

Q. How do you manage to maintain your high grades while par-

ticipating in other school activities?

A. I try to manage my time well and decide what is the most im-

portant.

Q. Do you have a specific study method?

A. I find repetition the most effective for me. I will create note-

cards and read over them several times.

Q. Do you have a hobby that you enjoy the most?

A. Playing the piano is my favorite activity.

Q. What advice can you give to kids looking to improve their

GPA’s?

A. Just put a lot of time behind your goals and stay dedicated

throughout the school year.

Club Spotlight by: N. Hansen

Brogan Gaskill enjoys writing music and

sings as well.

While it is wonderful to have so many clubs in the school, for some of

the newer students it can be scary trying to figure out which club would be the

best fit for them. It is important to join an organization in high school because

it looks good on college applications. That being said, you want to make sure

that you join a club in which you would be eager to be an active member. What-

ever your interests are, there is a club for you.

This month, our staff has decided to feature the environmental club.

This club is sponsored by Ms. Chavis and Ms. Snyder, two of NHS’s biology

teachers.

Members of the club volunteer to help at many different events that

focus on helping the environment. They also host fundraisers in order to raise

money for charitable organizations that help the environment.

Francisco Linares (9) has been a member of this club since the begin-

ning of the school year. He joined this club because he was interested in help-

ing the environment. He enjoys helping to inform people about how they can

do their part to help improve our environment.

Those who are interested in joining this club’s efforts to save our

Earth can ask Ms. Snyder in room E 212 for information on meeting times and

any upcoming events.

Ms. Chavis and Ms. Snyder are always

looking for willing participants to join

their club; if you are interested JOIN

TODAY!

PAGE 4

NHS share their favorite holiday meals By: M. Littleton

Sneak Freaks By: K. Trull & C. Barongan

TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E 2. ISSUE 2 SPO R TS

“Sneaker Heads” are all over NHS campus this year. They can be seen wearing Ni-

kes to Jordans to Adidas, KDs, Kobes, Lebrons and so on. Many students pay or trade shoes

to get the latest in shoe fashion. Some NHS students who identify with the shoe culture were

asked to shed light on this new trend. Khali Clegg (10) was asked if he considered himself a

“sneakerhead” and he answered, “Yes, because I buy shoes not just because they’re new

(popular) and I know a lot about shoes. Jontavius Rinehart (10) is another student who enjoys

buying and selling shoes. When asked if he was a “sneakerhead” he answered ,“ I don’t really

consider myself as a sneaker head, more of I like to buy shoes and dress well because I feel

like that’s the first thing girls look at.”

There are many ways you can sell and buy shoes. People are able to buy and sell

them over the internet or face to face; there are also shoe meets. Clegg and Rinehart often

use online sites like Ebay and FlightClub. They also meet with sneakerheads virtually on Face-

book fan pages like Carolina Sneakerhead Society (or CSS). Clegg said that the most he’s

ever paid for a shoe was $326 dollars. For Rinehart, the most he has ever paid for a pair of

shoes is $240 dollars. Prices on big name brand shoes have shot through the roof because

they are increasing in popularity and businesses are trying to capitalize on the growing mar-

ket.

Sneakerheads are willing to go the extra mile in order to get the newest release of

shoes. To a sneakerhead, shoes are everything. It is important to have the latest and great-

est, but it is also important to have shoes that are hard to find. As shoes grow in popularity,

there will always be bragging rights to those who are able to score the latest “kicks.”

Rinehart shows off his latest pair of

Nike’s Roshe Runs. He enjoys collect-

ing sneakers and adding new/different

shoes to his collection.

Students were polled in

order to find out what their

favorite Thanksgiving food

was this year. Here are the

results of our survey.

PAGE 5

Behind the scenes: NHS Basketball Preview by: H. Coe & T. Douglas Basketball season is HERE! Have you ever wondered what goes on behind

the scenes of basketball tryouts? Tryouts were held on the 8th and 9th of Novem-

ber for the Northwestern 2013-2014 Boys Basketball team. There were 88 boys

who tried out for the three teams. However, jerseys are limited, so not all boys

could have a spot on the team. The boys who tried out had to bring their “A game.”

Khali Clegg (10) tried out for the Junior Varsity team. The position he plays

is point guard. Clegg started playing basketball when he was 7 years old. He has

played on his middle school teams and last year on the 9th grade boys’ team. When

asked if he was nervous about the tryouts he said, “Nah, cause I think it’s too easy.

Not cocky but confident.” The transition from middle school to high school ball can

be very difficult for some. The level of play gets more competitive and there are

more boys that come out for the team. When asked if he noticed any difference

between the high school and middle school tryouts his response was, “Yeah, high

school was much easier because I’ve gotten better.”

Gianni Cabrera Gonzales also tried out for the Junior Varsity team. He

plays point guard and shooting guard. Gonzales has been playing basketball since

he was in the 7th grade. He started playing basketball because he wanted to try a

different sport. Gonzales has also had to adjust how he approaches tryouts since

coming from middle school to high school. He said “In high school tryouts they see

what you’re good at and what you’re weak at. And middle school was like if you’re

better than someone you made the team if you had skills.” Gonzales said that

while he was nervous when he first got to the tryouts, he felt more comfortable as

they started because he knew he would do what had to be done in order to make

the team.

After tryouts, both of these students learned that they made the boys JV

team. As basketball season starts to get in full swing, we encourage all of you to go

to the games to support our Trojans. Northwestern is a strong athletic school and

you will enjoy watching our basketball players.

TR O JAN TR UMPET EN TER TAIN MEN T

Entering the 2012 season, the Boston Red Sox had a brand new manager, two

new superstar players, and high hopes for winning the American League East. Unfortunate-

ly, they finished with a low win count of 69 and had 93 losses. The season ended with them

trading their multi-million dollar contract signed players Adrian Gonzalez (1st Baseman) and

Carl Crawford (Left Fielder) to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But for the Red Sox faithful, the

worst was yet to come. On and off again drama between one of Boston’s most beloved ath-

letes David Ortiz and manager Bobby Valentine erupted and Valentine was fired.

With all these issues surfacing, the 2013 expectations for Boston were low. This

season they promoted pitching coach John Farrell to manager. Johnny Gomes, Mike Napoli,

and Shane Victorino were offseason additions that paid off extremely well for the Red Sox.

At the All-Star break, Boston was roasting everybody and anybody who wanted a piece of

them. With eighty-one games down in the season, sixty of them were wins. They had won

75% games with three starters being new to the team. Boston ended up with 96 wins and

clinched the division title. They eventually ended up beating the St. Louis Cardinals four

games to two in the World Series. Everyone in Boston celebrated this historic moment! The

Boston Red Sox not only won the division title, but they had also won the World Series!

When interviewed about which of these changes led to this turnaround, Big Papi

(aka David Ortiz) replied, “John Farrell. With all the drama our previous manager caused,

John picked us up and really motivated us when we really needed it.” David Ortiz would

eventually bat for .711 and hit eleven homeruns in the World Series. He also won the World

Series MVP award. Dustin Pedrioa (2nd Baseman) was asked at the Boston celebration

parade what the expectations were for them coming in this year. Dustin said, “You know,

everybody counted us out. We felt that from the very first day of Spring Training... Now look

at us.”

The Boston Red Sox: worst to first by: N. Alger

During tryouts, athletes had to

participate in several drills.

Did you know?... Prior to their 2004

World Series victory, the Boston Red

Sox hadn’t won a World Series since

Babe Ruth played (1918).

PAGE 6

Is Santa real or nah?! By: J Summers, D. Ewing, & A. Cook

Fun in the sun...oops snow By: A. Frederick & H. Houck

TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E 2. ISSUE 2 HO L ID AY SPEC IAL

Do you still believe in Santa? Most kids stop believing in him at a

young age (at least before getting to high school). Kids find out the truth

about the fairytale either through older siblings, friends, or through their

parents (who for one reason or another finally sit down and tell them the

truth). Here are a couple of stories that Northwestern students have

shared about their experiences with Santa and finding out the ugly truth.

Sophomore Ja'nyra Jones was ten years old when she found out

Santa wasn't real. She woke up and she saw her brother and his friend

wrapping presents. Ja'nyra's reaction to finding out that Santa wasn't real

was filled with surprise, confusion, and disappointment. However, despite

this letdown, Ja'nyra's view on Christmas hasn't changed. She now under-

stands that Christmas is not about Santa or presents. Now that she is old-

er, she believes that celebrating God and spending time with friends and

family is what’s most important about this holiday.

Yari Wright, sophomore at Northwestern, was seven when he

found out that Santa wasn't real. Yari said that his older brother told him

Santa wasn't real. His initial reaction to finding out was very nonchalant as

he realized that there was nothing that he could do. He said that he wasn't

too upset. Yari's view on Christmas didn't change either. He was just happy

he knew who gave him his presents and that his parents don't have to hide

that secret from him anymore.

These two students had very different experiences to finding out

that Santa wasn’t real. For some, Santa may still exist for others he does

not. What is your story?

Spoiler Alert: Don’t read this if

you still are unsure about the

existence of Santa!!!

As temperatures dive below freezing for the winter and

the long nights take hold, it's important to focus on some of the

positive things that winter weather can bring us to enjoy. Without

cold weather there would be no snow, no ice, no backyard skating

rinks, no sledding, no snow arches to build, and certainly no kite

ice butt boarding! (If you didn’t understand the concept of “kite

ice butt skating”, it is when you sit on a kite and slide down an icy

or snowy hill.)

As long as it's winter time, put on an extra layer of clothes,

and head outside for some winter time fun. From cozy crafts and

coloring pages to comforting recipes, find everything necessary to

enjoy a cold winter day. Many people find winter the season where

having fun is just impossible. Well others have a different opinion

on that. Northwestern High School teacher Ms. Jordan stated that

she enjoys winter because she likes to go skiing with her family,

building fires, and reading books. Students here had different ac-

tivities such as, staying inside where it’s warm, participating in

extracurricular activities like winter guard, and sitting by the fire-

place. Both staff and students said that they loved having snow-

ball fights with their friends, missing school when it snows, and ice

skating. Whatever you enjoy doing during winter make sure that

you dress warm, enjoy your winter holiday, and spend plenty of

time with your family and friends making memorable winter mem-

ories!

What is your favorite winter activity? Respond to

our poll on www.thetrojantrumpet.weebly.com!

PAGE 7

DIY: Are you ready for the holidays? by: A. Deese & A. Hulme

TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E HO L ID AY SPEC IAL C O N T/EN TER TAIN MEN T

Recently, NHS art students put their artwork on display in a show entitled, “Talking Trash.”

This art show featured objects that were created using recyclable material. Overall, we enjoyed the

show and were amazed at the talent that was on display.

After viewing the artwork, our staff voted on the our favorite pieces. All artwork that was se-

lected was created by junior Sarah Taylor.

Are you looking for something fun to do for the holidays? Do you need more Christmas tree orna-

ments? We have some fun for you! Have you ever heard of CD orna-

ments? Here’s how to do it!

Step 1: Materials.

For this, you will need 1 old CD, 1 clear round ornament, 1 hot glue

gun, 1 pair of scissors, 1 clear cup, and some colorful ribbon.

Step 2: Cut

Cut the CD into a whole bunch of little shapes. Make sure to cut the

CD until it can’t be cut anymore.

Step 3: Glue

Put the clear ornament so it sits on top. This is for better access

around the ornament. Glue all the little shapes of CD onto the orna-

ment.

Step 4: Add ribbon

Take whatever color ribbon you please, and stuff the ribbon into the orna-

ment.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Enjoy the gorgeous ornament you’ve made and decorate your tree. Happy holidays!

“Talking Trash”: NHS artist profile by: NHS staff

This is a person who has made the CD

ornament. This is how the ornament

should look when finished!

“My Hero” “Sylvia” “715 Sylvia”

PAGE 8 ED ITO R IAL TR O JAN TR UMPET VO L UM E 2. ISSUE 2

Young love By: B.Floyd & L. Mcmanus

F 2013 Trojan Trumpet Staff

Nolan Alger Arin Hulme

Christopher Barongan Marley Littleton

Hailey Coe LaDerrick McManus

Amber Cook Kaliyah Meeks

Alexis Deese Kima Mitchell

Tamonte Douglas Mariana Obando

Dacota Ewing Lexie Payne

BreAnna Floyd Jack Summers

Antavion Frederick Kirrisa Trull

Cheyenne Gray Morgan Vittatoe

Malika Hagins Sara Whiting

Nolan Hansen Alecz Yeager

Haley Houck

The Trojan Trumpet: Code of Ethics

At all times The Trojan Trumpet staff will remain:

Impartial: Our stories will always remain unbiased.

Honest: Our stories will always be truthful.

Considerate: Our stories will never attempt to cause harm.

Authentic: Our stories will always be the original work of

our staff members.

School Appropriate : Our stories will always refrain from

containing inappropriate material.

Responsible: Our stories will always be reflect ethical jour-

nalism practices.

F 2013 Journalism 1 students pose for a class picture in front of our informational bulletin board. Are you interested in journalism? See

your guidance counselor or Mrs. Brown in A 217 TODAY!

Relationships in high school can be hard to maintain but some students at Northwestern High School have put in the effort

to have successful ones. Sometimes in high school it is easy to get discouraged with the dating scene. However, a few of NHS’s no-

table couples have managed to show that high school love is possible. These students show that a couple can balance their relation-

ships with their academics and athletics. They are still able to sustain healthy relationships, good grades, and play sports at the

same time.

One of the couples that were interviewed for this article is Tori Manning, varsity cheerleader, and Austin Kayne, varsity foot-

ball player. Austin and Tori have been dating for one year and one month. When interviewing Austin, he stated "Maintaining our rela-

tionship is both easy and hard. It's easy because we don't let anyone come between us." When they hang out, they like to go fishing,

out to eat, and to the movies. Both of their parents approve of their relationship, which makes dating each other a lot easier.

Another very successful couple at this school is Tyvon Dixson and Tacorianna Baker. They have been dating since Decem-

ber 15, 2012. They love wearing matching clothes while spending time together. Tacorianna stated "Our relationship is easy because

we don't let others intrude." Gossip can be a big problem in high school, but it is always important to keep negativity out of your rela-

tionship.

Madison McCoy, varsity cheerleader, and Alan Jackson have been dating for 7 months. While hanging out they like to go

hunting and to the movies. Madison stated that her relationship is easy.

As shown by these students, relationships in high school can work! Drama and fights are inevitable in any friendship or

relationship at this age, but if two people genuinely care about each other they can make it work. Finding common ground or having

similar interests can really help when developing an initial connection with your significant other. While sometimes it is hard to main-

tain a long term relationship in high school, nothing is impossible.

In order to have a successful relation-

ship, it is important that you and your

boyfriend/girlfriend build trust, always

have communication, and are always

honest with your parents and each other.