NEWS
Planting for the Planet
by Presley Springfield
If you haven’t noticed already, many changes have happened around the school this past year. The most known changes are the new bathrooms and ceiling tiles. Another well-known change is the leveling of the football field. However, these aren’t the only changes that have taken place. The 2017-2018 school year has been full of many agricultural advancements, including a garden and a greenhouse.
Mrs. Erica Yon decided to make a classroom garden after being inspired by a book study of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Old Yeller by Frank Gipson. The garden has been planted and maintained by the special education students with little help from teachers. Mrs. Yon said, “The students have greatly enjoyed this hands-on experience. Even my advisory students are somewhat invested in it and ask ‘How's the garden going?’ every Friday. It has been a great amount of hard work, but we are beginning to harvest some of the food. It is really fulfilling to get something out of all of their hard work.” In the garden, the students have grown the following foods: corn, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, and green beans. They even planted cucumbers, however, they didn’t survive the randomness we call South Carolina weather. The agriculture class’s greenhouse came about because the school had a Federal Perkins fund grant that was for a "turnkey job”. A “turnkey job” is when the contractor agrees to complete the work of building and installation to the point of readiness for operation or occupancy. In this case, the construction crew built the structure aside from the irrigation system. This is because Mr. Morrow wants to design it himself depending on how the tables are arranged. Students in Mr. Morrow’s agriculture class helped him arrange the tables, and brought in the plants that would be grown inside the green house. Student Eugene (Gene) Ray said, “I like the fact that we have a greenhouse; it will teach kids hard work and how to grow things.” Gene also said, “I would like to grow vegetables in the greenhouse and then donate them to organizations in need of food, like homeless shelters, or even do produce sales to make money for the school.” Currently, all that are inside the greenhouse are flowers. Mr. Morrow says that they did a Mother’s Day sale for the students at Mt. Pisgah and Midway Elementary. The teachers will be able to buy flowers for their mothers for Mother’s Day. Currently, teachers are also able to buy the flowers that are left, in order to “clean out the greenhouse.” The garden and the greenhouse both have plans for next year. Mr. Morrow wants to utilize the green house in the spring and fall so they will have vegetables, along with other plants. As for the garden, Mrs. Yon says “they will more than likely have it again next year and are already planning things to go inside.” As it may seem, this year has been a year filled with many agricultural advancements. If you would like to help with the greenhouse, feel free to ask your guidance counselor if you can sign up for Mr. Morrow's class next year. Then you can help plant and maintain some of the plants, along with help around the school’s basic agricultural needs. As for the garden, if you want more information, feel free to ask Mrs. Yon. I’m sure she would be happy to give you details on how it’s doing. |
SPORTS
Stay on Track
by Ivan Vallejo
Our track and field team is running out of spring and hurdling into summer. Patrick Carter is a senior from North Central High School, and he thinks that track is a very fun sport. “It's a great way to make new friends, and you can better yourself for the future,” he says. Patrick has been running track for three years, and he has won the 400 meter many times and has gone to upper state two years in a row. He also participates in the 400 meter dash, shot put, and long jump. Patrick has a few goals for running track. His first ever goal and the reason he joined the team was to get in the shape he is in now, and to better himself physically and mentally.
Track and field is one of the oldest of sports, and it originated in Olympia, Greece. According to www.athleticscholarships.net, the ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 B.C., and the first race was a foot race 600 feet long. It's called track and field because it's about skills of running, jumping, and throwing. One unlucky thing that affected the track and field team is that the track is being remodeled, due to the unlevel territory on the football field. The track and field were uneven, so the district decided to make it flat. It was hard for track this year, but they managed to overcome this challenge. Track encourages people to push themselves and set up goals for their health and motivational situations. For example, my little brother is playing all sports to get in shape for high school. He always tells me he wants to do track as soon as he gets to high school, but is nervous he will be left behind by the other kids. I said, “Don't worry, you will do a good job. Just worry about yourself.” He can go out for track and work at his own pace. If he uses his maximum potential, he will lose the weight he determines himself to lose and be successful. I know some people who just do it to get in shape or get their mind off stuff. Make sure to come out and give track and field a try. It's not necessarily running, you can also throw shot-put and do jumping events. If you have a lot of stuff to get off your mind, I’m more than sure you will get those thoughts that are weighing you down out of your head by doing track and field. Even if you are trying to get in shape or conditioning for another sport, come to do track and field. It will get you in shape for any sport that has running and strength in it. |
EDITORIAL
Advice from a Senior
by Olivia Walsh
High School: a time for growing, learning, and having fun. As a freshman, it seems like you have all the time in the world; however, the further along you get, the quicker it seems to go by. Before you know it, you have to start thinking about colleges, jobs, and your future.
Each year that goes by, there are more and more responsibilities that begin to weigh you down. When I was a freshman, I could not wait to be a senior. I now realize that I took my time as an underclassman for granted, and I should have enjoyed it while it lasted. Although I am excited to be headed to college this fall, I have a few words of advice for the students of North Central High School who are not yet seniors. First, take your studies seriously. During my freshman year, I thought that I could slack off and still manage to bring my GPA back up as quickly as it went down. I was wrong – it took me until my senior year to get my GPA to the point that I wanted. Many students do not realize that doing poorly in only one or two courses can have a hard impact on their GPA. Next, be true to yourself. Do not let your friends pressure you into doing things that you do not want to do. Many high school students make the mistake of getting involved with the wrong people and getting into trouble that will be on their record forever. Don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. If your friends are trying to force you to do things that you don’t like, then they are not truly your friends. Also, make sure that you try new things. Be in a play, try out for a sport, join the band, do something that puts you outside of your comfort zone. Not only will you gain fun experiences, you will make new friends as well. Having lots of extracurricular activities looks very good on a college application, and it helps you grow as a person. Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to have fun. Sometimes it can be hard to not let the work and studying drag you down. It is important to go out with your friends, bond with your family, and have time to yourself so that you can relax. Find a hobby that you enjoy and make time for it so you can always have something fun to do when you need time to de-stress. North Central High School senior Jaden Durant adds, “To succeed in high school, you have to do your work and have confidence in whatever you do.” When asked what his favorite memory from high school was, he replied, “The best part about high school was spending time with the people I care about and who care about me.” The past four years have been unforgettable for me. I am very excited to take the next step in my life and graduate, but I will never forget the memories I’ve had, the teachers who have helped me, and all the friends I’ve made along the way. High school may not be the best years of your life, but it is an important time, and what you choose to make of it is up to you. |
FEATURE
The Year in Review
by Ivan Vallejo
August- August is the month everyone comes back to school. Some are very excited to return while others are rather angry. You have a long 10 months of school to learn magnificent things about life and how things are done. It will all be worth it at the end. It will be a fun year full of many interesting events. Once you are gone you will miss it, and you will wish you were back at North Central High School.
September- September is the month that football and volleyball, two big sports at North Central High School, take place. You already know it's definitely one of the best months of the school year, even though all of them can be awesome!
October- It’s the month of breast cancer awareness, and our school is extremely supportive. At the football and volleyball games, people would literally paint themselves pink to support breast cancer awareness. Homecoming is also a big event at our school this year. The Homecoming King was Michael Williamson, and the Homecoming Queen was Greer Beckham. In order to participate in the Homecoming event, you must be a senior.
December- In this month we had a pep rally and a winter dance. The pep rallies are always fun and will forever remain in our hearts. They are all about having fun and recognizing those who played fall sports. At the dance, you know it's going to be fun with all those songs and snacks to buy.
January- The next semester is coming up, which means new classes, teachers, and classmates until June, when school will end. This is the semester to give it all you have and try your hardest. Stay out of trouble, try to get your GPA at its best, and earn as many credits as you can no matter what.
February- The Green and Gold Pageant was this month, and everyone had a blast! It's the time to have the best dressed and most colorful suit to win it! This year Kye Adams won Mr. Green and Gold and for Miss Green and Gold, Sarah Grace DuRant was the winner. Put on your best smile and attire to make yourself look luxurious. Don't forget to attend next year!
March- In this month, many students donated blood for the blood drive. They were good students and citizens. Many who donated said that it isn’t too bad after all. Think of it like this, you’re giving out blood to people in need of it. You won't feel so bad afterwards because they provide you with snacks. It's a life experience to know that your blood could be saving someone's life.
April is one of the biggest months of the school year because it has both prom and the Special Olympics! First of all, who doesn't want to go to prom? It’s the biggest dance that North Central High School provides, so all juniors and seniors should attend. If you are a freshman or sophomore, you can go with an upperclassman. The next event is the Special Olympics. This is where our amazing special education students go and have a blast. If you are on top of your grades, you can go support them!
May- Last but not least, we have May, the month where all the stress and some relief kicks in because it's the last month of school. Some of us will be happy and glad to be out of here, but others, like myself, not so much. Make this month the best you can and have the most fun you can. For seniors like myself, it sure has been a hard four years of high school, but I certainly will miss North Central High. Remember to always have fun no matter what and embrace those moments.
This year has gone by extremely fast for some of us and incredibly slow for others, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it. Your education is what matters most in this world. As always, have fun in school and enjoy those good memories!
September- September is the month that football and volleyball, two big sports at North Central High School, take place. You already know it's definitely one of the best months of the school year, even though all of them can be awesome!
October- It’s the month of breast cancer awareness, and our school is extremely supportive. At the football and volleyball games, people would literally paint themselves pink to support breast cancer awareness. Homecoming is also a big event at our school this year. The Homecoming King was Michael Williamson, and the Homecoming Queen was Greer Beckham. In order to participate in the Homecoming event, you must be a senior.
December- In this month we had a pep rally and a winter dance. The pep rallies are always fun and will forever remain in our hearts. They are all about having fun and recognizing those who played fall sports. At the dance, you know it's going to be fun with all those songs and snacks to buy.
January- The next semester is coming up, which means new classes, teachers, and classmates until June, when school will end. This is the semester to give it all you have and try your hardest. Stay out of trouble, try to get your GPA at its best, and earn as many credits as you can no matter what.
February- The Green and Gold Pageant was this month, and everyone had a blast! It's the time to have the best dressed and most colorful suit to win it! This year Kye Adams won Mr. Green and Gold and for Miss Green and Gold, Sarah Grace DuRant was the winner. Put on your best smile and attire to make yourself look luxurious. Don't forget to attend next year!
March- In this month, many students donated blood for the blood drive. They were good students and citizens. Many who donated said that it isn’t too bad after all. Think of it like this, you’re giving out blood to people in need of it. You won't feel so bad afterwards because they provide you with snacks. It's a life experience to know that your blood could be saving someone's life.
April is one of the biggest months of the school year because it has both prom and the Special Olympics! First of all, who doesn't want to go to prom? It’s the biggest dance that North Central High School provides, so all juniors and seniors should attend. If you are a freshman or sophomore, you can go with an upperclassman. The next event is the Special Olympics. This is where our amazing special education students go and have a blast. If you are on top of your grades, you can go support them!
May- Last but not least, we have May, the month where all the stress and some relief kicks in because it's the last month of school. Some of us will be happy and glad to be out of here, but others, like myself, not so much. Make this month the best you can and have the most fun you can. For seniors like myself, it sure has been a hard four years of high school, but I certainly will miss North Central High. Remember to always have fun no matter what and embrace those moments.
This year has gone by extremely fast for some of us and incredibly slow for others, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it. Your education is what matters most in this world. As always, have fun in school and enjoy those good memories!