Haley Turnquist: Art Phenomenon

North St. Paul has a new student! Her name is Haley Turnquist and she is coming from Woodbury High school. She has been in the Woodbury district her whole life, but she is now in the North St. Paul district. She likes North High a lot better than her new school. She likes the teacher and she thinks the people are really nice.
She has been to a few different schools in her life. She went to St. Paul Conservatory for part of her 9th grade year and the start of her 10th grade year as well. She liked it because she got to show off her creative side. Haley’s favorite things to do are writing, play and listen to music, draw, and hang out with her friends. She wanted to try theater, but it turned out that she likes to dance more. She likes any kind of dance, but she loved her hip-hop class. Haley’s favorite things to do are writing, play and listen to music, draw, and hang out with her friends. She just started playing guitar as well. “I play the electric guitar. I’m just starting to learn how to play Kashmir by Led Zeppelin,” she says.

Steve Koneczny: Cool Like Snow

A senior at North High, Steve Koneczny seems pretty content with where he is in life right now. A lover of winter and sports, Minnesota seems like a perfect fit for this guy.
When asked where he could be found if he has any free time, he would tell you that he would most likely be hanging out with his friends and playing any sport that they can, a favorite being pond hockey. Steve is definitely the kind of guy that likes to keep things moving. If he could have any pet in the world, he would have a cheetah (“So I could ride it.”), and if he had to decide on one method of transportation to use for the rest of his life, a McLaren F1 would be parked in his driveway. (If you don’t know what a McLaren F1 is, just think of a really hardcore-looking, speedy car.)
Staying in the air also seems like something he enjoys. Snowboarding or skiing: a question that has divided many Minnesotans for ages. Steve, however, has definitely picked his side, saying, “Snowboarding, for sure.” On top of that, if you were to ask Steve what kick-butt skill he would want if he could have any in the world, after a few seconds of considering that difficult question, he would tell you, “It would probably have to be flying.”
But aside from being the man that could spend all day outside flopping through the snow (a rare trait, even for someone who lives in the Midwest), he’s a pretty chill guy. Even when he was a kid, this was evident. “I slept a lot as a child. In middle school, I once slept from midnight to five o’clock in the afternoon.” These days, when he’s not out pond hockey-ing with his friends or ripping through the hills on a waxed board, he can be found ice fishing.
Overall, Steve Koneczny has a good range of personality. Whether goofing off in school, sporting it up or sitting on a frozen lake with a line in the water, he definitely a guy you want to get to know.

Mike Wigfield

Mike Wigfield

Many students look forward to their senior year of high school. To learn more about seniors at north high I talk to a senior at my class. Mike Wigfield is a senior at north high school; it has only been one trimester at north high school this year. He said that he has had a pretty easy senior year.
Also senior’s students from north high school are into sports. Mike play’s football and he also plays basketball. He also likes baseball but he just watches it. Favorites food for mike well, he does not have a favorite food he just likes any.
Christmas it is coming up and students are getting ready for it. Mike has some plans going on for this Christmas. During Christmas his plans are to open presents, drink some eggnog and sit by the Christmas tree.
By Medardo Rangel

fun. Aim and Ignite

When most people hear the word fun, they usually think of a time when something exciting or humorous had happened, but when the word fun is mentioned in the music world it’s the band that comes to mind. Fun (often written as fun.) is making history with their original take on indie pop/rock music. They released a full length album on August 25, 2009 titled Aim and Ignite. Nate Ruess, lead vocals, was part of a band The Format but the band unfortunately split in February of 2008 and he immediately started a new project with Andrew Dost, former member of Anathallo, and Jack Antonoff, front man and former member of Steel Train.

Fun does not have a pop/rock mainstream sound and they embrace it in their album with singles like “At least I’m not as sad (As I used to be), “All the pretty girls” and “Walking the dog.” They add a theatrical feel to the album filling the sound with strings and horns. Each song comes with a different meaning; it may be a message, love or just a simple thought. The C.D opens with “Be Calm” which has gospel sense to it and a message of ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ Throughout the album it stays true to an indie pop sound but gives you something unique. When I first listened to Aim and Ignite I was a bit skeptical and was not interested in what this band had to say. I continued to listen and I fell in love with what they have created in a short amount of time. This album is without doubt one of a kind and fun., has a lot to live up to on their next album. z

New tardy policy hits hallways.

Mr.nelson the north high school principal took new action on the tardy policy this year. In previous years tardiness has been a huge problem for kids and not only the kids but the teachers to.This was the year when everything was about to change as the new tardy policy wouldn't allow one kid to get 6 tardies for all your classes and they get one detention. For some kids that means they could get a detention in one day. But will this be the thing that will actully make kids get to there class on time.

Christmas is on it's Way

Chelsea Schmidt (Picture and article by Taylor Carolus)

You know its that time of year again when you walk in the store and you can hear people say, "Christmas stuff already." yes Christmas is almost here. every year after Halloween the Christmas decorations come out. many people are excited because for many its their favorite holiday.
when i asked Chelsea Schmidt her favorite thing about Christmas she quickly replied, " Family, I love spending time with them." Laura however said, "Movies, lights, music, and present are nice but not necessary." they were getting excited. i could tell from the big smiles on their faces.
another thing that goes along with Christmas is food. for many that is what brings their families together. they can sit down together and talk over a meal. Laura said, " Fudge is my favorite Christmas food." Schmidt said, " Resse's shaped Christmas trees are so much fun."
another thing many people associate with Christmas is presents. Schmidt and Laura want gift cards or money for Christmas. you can buy whatever you want with it. when you get money you don't have to exchange the ugly sweater grandma bought you.
Christmas is almost here. I hope everyone gets together with their families and has a great end to the year.

Call of Duty Black Ops follow up review

It's been only about two weeks since the release of Call of Duty Black ops. Gamers have either decided that they love the game or hate it. The overall reviews from many game reviewers such as Ign.com and gamespot give it a score of eight out of ten or better.

Most game reviewers claim that the game is new but still familiar enough for a Call of Duty fan to pick up. The multi player is now more lively and with its new add on such as purchasing guns and the economy system incorporated in the game. The upgrades are now harder to achieve and you must earn COD points to purchase things. Unlike Modern Warfare 2, when you rank up you don't just gain add ons you must purchase them and it creates a new game.

Next off is the campaign, cheat codes, and zombies. All of these modes give gamers a new edge to the regular Call of Duty series. You even get to play as JFK in the Pentagon! The new cheat code add on enables a game mode in bird's eye view called Dead ops arcade and super fun.

Overall the game play is fun. Treyarch adds just enough to make it exciting and didn't change it up too much so old Call of Duty fans can pick it up. The game begs of you to play it and will drain away a lot of your time; this in fact is probably the only down point of the game. Some people may also complain about the graphics but personally the game play is well worth it. Call of Duty Black Ops gets a nine in a half out of ten.

Check out all the Holiday lights this season!

Every year, in the late fall, people go outside on a warm day to put up holiday lights. They go through each set of lights to test which bulbs need replacing or if the set needs to be thrown away.

An anonymous senior said, “I love putting up lights with my family. We put them around the deck, roof, and all of our trees!”

People drive around looking for dazzling lights to see. Some companies rent limousines and go for a ride in downtown Minneapolis. St. Paul has a drive-thru light show near Lake Phalen. It only costs a few dollars. All the money goes to a charity.

“The lights at Phalen are AMAZING. There are so many different colors,” said Sarah Collova.

Some houses make a whole village of lights. They have light up deer, trees, texts, wreaths and more. Most people like the light up Santas’ hardware stores have in stock. Stores now make blow up characters that have lights inside of them.

When asked where the best place to look for lights is, a Jessie reported, “I wou

ld have to say either Mahtomedi or Woodbury. They seem to have the best layout and scenery.”

Please take the time to enjoy all

of the wonderful art work people put out for others to enjoy.

You never know if you will be the one to win the best decorated house.

North High LOVES the Wolves

If you've watched any of the Timberwolves games lately, you'd know that Minnesota's basketball team ain't doin' so well. But surprisingly enough, North High students are very supportive of the Wolves.

"Because we know the Wolves are gunna bring it home this year." Senior, Devante Watts, comments.

One student, Amanda Kuhlmann (whose shown sporting her own Wolves jersey in the picture above), even decorated her whole room in Timberwolves merchandise. That's right,Timberwolves bedsheets, comforter, curtains, wall clock; the works! She even has a life-sized wall sticker of Kevin Love, the team's Forward-Center, on the back of her door.

We were really thrilled about our first win against the Milwaukee bucks. Even more so we were happy about our second win against the Sacramento Kings. Big time number three happened just Friday night against the New York Knicks, a game that ended, 112; 103!

"They've had a rough start," says die-hard fan, Sean McCabe, "But the Wolves need love right now."

We hope that North's love and pride will help the Wolves' current 3 game winning streak, for the next up-coming game, send your love and show your pride!

Zombie Apocalypse coming to North?

Zombies were spotted at the University of Minnesota? "Now Zombies are eating U-Minn. students." says Alex Friedrich on October 28th, 2010. It has already struck Winona.

This horrible plague in coming quickly to North! Are you ready? After reading this article you will be. I will be going through the resources needed to survive this Zombie Apocalypse.

First off you will need shelter. While zombies are on the street you can stay inside and be warm and safe. Also you don't want to be wandering around outside, the weather has been pretty bad lately.

Another important resource would be to have weapons. Nerf guns work well for stopping the zombies in there tracks! Also if you don't have a Nerf gun you will need a Nerf Sword this is better for close distance.

Lastly another important resource would be food. You will need a backpack stuffed with protein bars for energy and whole wheat foods. Also don't forget water but be careful it's heavy.

In conclusion, "The goal: "Human" players must survive the weekend, fending off "Zombies" with Nerf guns and balled up sock grenades. Meanwhile, the zombies must tag the humans every 24 hours to survive" brought to you by The Minnesota Association for Zombie Enthusiasts student group.

Where Do I Begin to Study?

As you may know, the end of the trimester is approaching, which means finals are coming sooner than you know it.

Many students don’t know where to begin to study because there is so much information to look at. Here are a few useful tips that students and teachers say.

Begin by asking your teachers, what topics are on the final. This way you are not studying unuseful information. Once you know the topics, go through your notebook and put post-it notes where the topics occur.

“I like making flash cards to memorize vocabulary words,” said a senior. “It makes me think about the word more than just looking at the definition.

Many students hand out study guides for their students to refresh the topics from the trimester. Make sure to fill the whole worksheet out so it ‘clicks’ in your brain. Even a slight overview gets you thinking.

“Don’t look at the study guide the day before the exam. I tell my students to look at it multiple times and days before, to ensure it stays in their head. Take a half an hour everyday to study,” reported Mr. Woodcock.

North high has a study session called Cocoa N’ Cram at the end of each trimester. Many students and teachers are there to help out. The students go because they like getting free hot chocolate, hanging with friends, and preparing for finals.

The night before the test, get a good night sleep. Look at some of your notes too. Maybe quiz yourself with flashcards.

It’s the morning of your test and you’re super nervous. Get up early enough to make a good, healthy breakfast. Pack some snacks and a drink in your backpack. Make sure you have two or more number 2 pencils with an extra eraser. Once you leave your house, you should be on your way to success on your exams.

Hockey Season at North High

The locker rooms, the boards, the slick ice, the pucks, the speed of the game. Hockey season is right around the corner and the North High Polars are ready for the exciting winter sport! The Boy's Hockey team at North has been an average team over the years, but this year, the fans and coaches are feeling a different vibe.
A long time hockey fan, Emily Kroska said, "This season I think North should have a good season!!! There should be a lot of people having fun". Let's hope her prediction comes true!
When asked 'what do you like best about hockey season', Brooke Rempfer replied, "My favorite things about hockey season are going to the games with my friends! We always have fun and a ton of spirit! I also like seeing us win every now and then". Got to love the optimistic attitude!
The hockey players of North High and the association can't wait for this time of year to come around. Jake Husom, a freshman here at North High, has stuck with hockey all of his life because "I think it is a fun sport. I like skating, and being an aggressive hitter".
The head coach for hockey at North believes that, "Most games come down to skating and taking the body. The team that skates harder usually gets to loose pucks first and taking the body often reduces the speed of your opponent. If the talent levels are equal this usually determines the outcome of the game". At practices, the Polars "focus on improving hockey skills. Skating, puck handling, passing and shooting. We spend a lot of time focusing on defensive coverage in our end of the rink. The next step is to work on breaking out (getting the puck out of our zone)".
Hopefully the fans, coaches, and players will see improvement in their game and come out on top with a winning record this season. Gooooooo Polars!

Thanksgiving Day

A day that was originally here to honor the pilgrims back in the day now became a literal term as in “what do you give thanks for?” piled on with a lot of feasting as well. The typical family has turkey and their family crowd around the table, give thanks and eat up. These three students wanted to share what they do on their Thanksgiving day.

Junior Vang - “We have a family get together and have a huge feast with all sorts of food that you would find on Thanksgiving . I like to do this because it gives me a chance to know my family and my loved ones. It doesn’t feel different from what others think Thanksgiving is, but it is special. Thanksgiving is very special, because it shows how much people care about you nd how much you care about them. I’m very thankful for my friends and family especially my girlfriend, Sami.”

Andrew Aguilar – “I go to my grandparents house. I’m thankful for all my friends and family in my life. We play gambling games with the family. I conider thanksgiving very meaningful because I get to be in contact with family I don’t normally get to see. Something unusual I do for thanksgiving is play gambling games like Poker with the family, I’m pretty sure not a lot of familes do that.”

Sami Anderson – “I go to my grandmother’s house and have thanksgiving dinner. I’m thankful for EVERYTHING I have. My favorite thing to do for thanksgiving is eat, eat, and eat. I see Thanksgiving as a very meaningful day to me. I don’t think I do anything out of the normal compared to typical families.”

Kinected Yet?

It had started off as a side project at Microsoft, but it finally became reality. It started off as a dream of using your whole body as a controller, instead of the traditional controller. To take the whole gaming experience on the Xbox 360 to whole new level.

Last year it was unveiled with code name Project Natal. Earlier this year, it got a final real name: Xbox Kinect.

Kinect replaces your controller with your body. It takes the concept of the Wii and the PlayStation Move to a whole new level by getting rid of the controllers. Whatever motion you do in real life, it replicates in the game.

Kinect really takes the experience of the Wii and the PlayStation Move and creates a whole new immersive experience. If you are required to jump in a game, jump. If you need to spike a ball in volleyball, jump up and spike. It’s really that simple and, best of all, without any controllers.

“Controller-free gaming means full body play. Kinect responds to how you move. So if you have to kick, then kick. If you have to jump, then jump. You already know how to play. All you have to do now is to get off the couch.” According to the Xbox Kinect website.

It will also allow you to use your voice to control your Xbox 360, completely allowing you to forget about your controller. It even allows you to sign in by just walking up to your television!

Kinect uses many different sensors to track your body movements. It can also measure the distance between you and the device itself and adjust itself accordingly. Its also smart enough to tell you to make changes to your room configuration like lighting for optimal performance.

Most, if not all reviews of the Xbox Kinect are all positive. One such review, from Paul Thurrot, even goes as far as to say, “Just get a Kinect. You're going to love it.”

On November 4th, Xbox Kinect was finally released and made available to the public! You can now walk into Best Buy, Target, or whichever gaming store you go to and pick up a Kinect for Xbox 360 and enjoy a whole new world of gaming.

A Look at "Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys"

After the end of their last tour and the release of their album, "The Black Parade is...Dead!", My Chemical Romance dropped off the grid. They went back to their New Jersey homes to get married, start families and live their lives.
Supposedly to be out last spring, the new album has taken them forever to pull together, but the members of My Chem, have done it again! With, of course, the exception of Bob Bryer (the band's second drummer), who left the band February of this year. But there are no rumors as to the next drummer shall be.

"I was excited for this album," says junior, Amanda Kuhlmann, "Over this summer, when I first heard of the release date, I thought 'It's about time!'."

The new album is called (as seen in the title) "Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", is going to be dropped on November 22. Though their single, "Na Na Na", has already been released, and the complete video can be seen on YouTube. It has a very heroic feel to it. My Chemical Romance has stayed true to their punk sound, and there is a concept to this video. However, it is not as concept album.

"I was sad to think that The Black Parade was over, but I know they'll make a great comeback as 'The Killjoys'. Says Fan Katie Collis ('11)

Call of Duty: Black Ops

The biggest FPS (first person shooter) game in 2009 was Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Could Treyarch's new release Black Ops live up to it? Yes, many are saying and some disagree. But the developers of famous WWII titles such as Call of Duty World at War, the developers Treyarch claims this game will be bringing something new. Set in the Cold War era they could develop some interesting things to create a solid story line with awesome features.
Talking to some of the students of North High, the gamers seem pumped up and ready to buy it on opening date Nov. 9th. "I think it's going to attract more people into the online gaming networks such as PSN(Playstation Network) and XBL(Xbox live) said Chris Arntzen. COD was one of the sole reasons why I purchased a gaming counsel. But 60 dollars is a lot for a game Matt Boyd expresses by saying "I'm just scrambling to get the money for it!". And lastly in relation to one of Treyarchs precious game World at War, Black Ops will have zombies in it and Andrew Mercado is thrilled, "Can't wait for the zombies... It's gunna look sick!".
But the big question is, will this game be able to live up to all of the hype? Yes!, claims Treyarch."We are bringing something new that gamers on the counsels haven't seen ."Dave Anthony the director of Black Ops proclaims. They will be compacting old WWII ideas with a mix of modern ideas. They are also adding in a vehicle called the "RCXD" a fictional explosive car toy that will be of use in combat."The game has plenty of Co-Op" David Vonderhaar the game design director says as he gets interviewed by Gametrailers.
Last thing to touch on would be multi player. The multi player now has a economy system with currency. You can buy guns, sell guns and gamble your money in wager matches. Weapons are more customizable and you have a wide range of weapons including new never before seen ones. It sure seems like it's going to be an exciting year for Call of Duty fans!

Fun With Catapults

(By Taylor Carolus)
Fun With Catapults
The seniors at North High have been building catapults. They have a week to work on them and they have a limited amount of supplies they can use. You get to use popsicle sticks, glue, and dental floss to build your catapult.
Casey says, “Its hard building it with the supplies you can use.”
They get to launch the catapults in the atrium so watch out for flying marshmallows. You get graded on how far your big and small marshmallow goes, and your catapult can’t break.
The teachers even moved the due date back a day so people would have more time to work on the catapults. The physics classes were supposed to work on the project over Halloween weekend and not many people did.
It takes roughly two hours to build a catapult and it is best if you decorate it to make it look sweet. Some people paint theirs black or some use colored popsicle sticks.
It will be a serious contest to see whose catapult will shoot the marshmallow the farthest, but it will be exciting to see the winner.

Amber and Hannah love volunteering

Have you ever volunteered while doing something you love? As a high schooler in John Glenn Archery Club, you can help other people learn to shoot a bow.

The John Glenn Archery Club is a non-profit organization run by a board of parents. A group of middle shoolers and parents go hunting with high school students that help them in shooting.

Amber Romero, 17-years-old, reported, “I love being with a bunch of fun people and going out in the woods.” One of Romero’s friend, Hannah Fischer, also noted, “I like being outside in nature, it’s relaxing.”

The archery club goes hunting at Wilder Foundation in Stillwater, MN. They also go to the Wildlife Science center property by Wyoming, MN.

“I began hunting in 7^th grade. I love hunting white tail deer, squirrel and bow fishing carp,” said Romero.

As a mentor, the high schoolers are in charge of making sure the younger students don’t put themselves in danger. Mentors choose three weekends to participate in and if there is room they can attend more. Contact a board member at www.jgcap.org.

At the end of the interview Romero commented on whether using a bow or a gun for hunting. Her response was this, “Bow hunting takes more skill and dedication and that’s why I love bow hunting.”

Sugarlands New Album in Stores Now!

Sugarland is a country singing band, that contains two different people named Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. They rencently came out with their fourth album The Incredible Machine. Jennifer quotes, "There is never a moment where we think 'this is good enough.' There is always a place for growth." This is the reason why they made an outstanding fourth album.
Jennifer and Kristian have been very much supported by their fans and the industry of country music. All of that support helped them co write and co produce their new album. Their songs have a lot of meaning which helps the fans connect and love their music. Jennifer says "There's songs that we want to change your life, and their are some that we just want to change your day." The upbeat song 'Stuck Like Glue' is one of the songs that was made to just change your day.
Sugarland is a positive, happy country singing band and that's why many people like them. They have won many Grammy, CMA and AMC awards. They have also sold more than eight million records. Their songs are fun, catchy, meangingful and beautiful and for those reasons many people admire them. Their new album The Incredible Machine is now in stores so check it out!

MASQUERADE PREVIEW

Jessica Grachek
Staff Writer

As some of you may remember from last year, Student Council held the first Masquerade Ball at North. Last year, according to Student Council, it was a huge success with many great features. “Our first masquerade was well attended last year. Black and White Theme. About 300 people attended. There was professional pictures and punch and candy were offered,” says Student Council Adviser Ms. Olsen. This year Student Council will be having another Masquerade Ball. This Masquerade Ball will have a few similarities as the dance last year as well as a few differences.

*What: 2^nd Masquerade Ball/Dance

*When: Saturday October 30^th from 8-11pm

*Where: School Gymnasium

*Why: To have fun and celebrate Halloween

*Important Details:

-Tickets are $8

-Theme is Royal Ballroom (Queens and Kings to Princes and Princesses)

-NO Halloween Costumes should be worn

-Students MUST have their student IDs in order to enter the dance

Punch and Water will be for sale

Come for a little bit or come for the whole time!!!! Student Council hopes to see you there!! J

A Strong Soul

Are you fat? Are you always complaining about how you look? Better yet, are you always hearing people talking about your weight? So many people get wound up in what people think of them, and for what? When most of what comes out of other peoples mouths are negativity. The victims of such acts start to starve themselves, cutting and even more self-destructing behaviors.

A boy named Josh Stager faces some of those rude comments from time to time. When asked how he deals with such things, he said, "I don't really care, because i'm awesome and i don't even look what i weigh." such high esteem is needed in this world and he has lots. Accoring to Josh, he's been a big guy since as long as he can remember.

For a big guy, he does it all; he sings a lot, he loves to dance a lot of hip-hop, he does a lot a physical labor and he runs and bikes everywhere he goes.

A close friend of his, Eric Fleckner, says, "Josh is a good person and he is one of best friends. It's just a plus that he is plus sized." Everyone can joke around and be happy with Josh's weight. It's one of those things that you have to be happy with yourself as a person and be able to laught at yourself.

Even if you're not comfortable with yourself, know that the only person you can please in life is yourself. You can make yourself happy. You can be like Josh and take pride in how much you weigh or look. You have to take that extra step and make yourself happy. So what do you choose to do.

Uggs the New Trend

(Article and picture by Taylor Carolus)

last year a new trend was started. this trend is ugg boots. last year when people started this trend their as only one kind of ugg boot now there are many different kinds.
they range from plain boots to furry and beaded. people wear them all different ways. on no pants Friday they wear them with leggings and when you go to a football game i guess it's cool to wear them with sweatpants.
these boots are warm fuzzy boots so you think people would wear them only during winter. here at north high that is not the case, i have seen people wear them to the beach. why you would want your foot sweaty and sandy is beyond me but I have seen it.
when i first saw this trend i thought people were crazy.i finally tried a pair on and fell in love. they keep your feet warm in the winter and are very fashionable.
Cassie says," i Love my boots they're awesome." not everyone likes ugg boots. Max says," i think they're crappy."
one of the newest trends is high heeled boots. these boots are expensive. you can buy the real boots at Macy's or you can buy the off brand product at Target.
the stores also have a slipper that is like the ugg boot. maybe this trend will last forever or maybe it will be over soon. No one will know where this trend started.

Sing It Loud, A Band To Never Forget.

Minnesota was the theme Saturday October 9th, 2010. Former Minneapolis band Sing It Loud announced in early September, via myspace, they will no longer continue on together. Saturday was their last show. It was taken place at Station 4 and I had the privilege of attending. I would be crazy not to admit that it was my favorite concert I've been too. The reason is because you felt every emotion that was put on the stage. The night was filled with Minnesota love, Sing It Loud came out on stage and had the entire crowd along with everyone who works with them go "quack, quack, quack, go ducks!" in honor of The Mighty Ducks. They were also back up by Steve Salazar, Jamestown Story, Mod Sun and Take Cover, all Minnesota artists.

If you haven't heard of Sing It Loud, there was something special you missed out on. The former band consists of lead vocals, Pat Brown, lead guitar/vocals, Kieren Smith, Bassist, Nate Flynn, Keyboardist, Ben Peterson and Drummer Chris "Sick boy" Lee. The band first started about three years ago and were signed with Epitaph Records along with MN band Motion City Soundtrack. Josh Cain, MCS, produced their first full length album Come Around which came out September of 2008. You can find artists such as Justin Pierre, MCS, and Alex Gaskarth, All Time Low featured. Their second album Everything Collide came out last May and it has contagious lyrics, beats so memorable you want it stuck in your head. Everything Collide is all Sing It Loud. It is nothing but raw emotions.

The show on Saturday was emotional, exciting and entertaining. They came out and gave no less than 150%. They preformed hits such as Sugar Sweet, Here With You, Addicted To When Your Gone, No One Can Touch Us, Come Around, Best Beating Heart. They also preformed songs they normally don't get the chance to such as, Marionettes, Bite Your Lip,and Kieren Smith's song Shadows.

Throughout the show every band member got a chance to express their gratitude to all their fans, friends and families. Also expressing how much they love Minnesota and how here we in fact have great music that is under appreciated.

Pat Brown came out and started crying and as I looked around everyone was crying and I mean everyone. Going to the concert I did not expect myself to tear up but I couldn't help it. I know a lot of bands are breaking up these days but Sing It Loud has created a community with their music and has made everyone apart of it. They have influenced so many people to do what you love and go after your dreams even if it doesn't last forever. It is always worth it because the people you meet and the people who support you are there forever.

I have been a fan of Sing It Loud since they first started. I have been in the crowd when there were maybe 50 people and on Saturday the show was nearly sold out. I've also got the chance to hang out with the members, mostly bassists Nate Flynn who and the rest of the guys has made me feel like more than a fan. They made me feel like a friend that has been with them on their entire journey. I guarantee they will make you feel the same.

Every show they would take the time out to not just snap a quick picture and sign a piece of paper but to get to know their fans and add them into their lives. I consider myself a better person for getting to know Sing It Loud and I applaud them for not only creating excellent music but for creating a community of people who love music simply because it is music. I thank you Pat, Nate, Kieren, Ben and Sick boy for all you've given.

Taylor does not care about the wild

The Minnesota Wild start there season off on the 14th of Oct. when Taylor was asked about how she thinks they will do she said "i dont reallly care how they do, i am a twins all the why." Taylor wants the twins to do great but does not care for the wild what is up with that. Hopw all you wild fans out there are ok with that. Taylor also had this to say " gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo twinsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss."

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Mall of America theaters previewed It’s Kind of a Funny Story on Tuesday October 6, 2010. It was a waste of my time driving 30 minutes to go see. The title of the story needs to be changed because there is nothing funny about suicide.

This movie is partly autobiographical. It’s Kind of a Funny Story tries to touch an emotional connection to teen alienation that it sometimes grasps and just as often doesn’t.

Keir Gilchrist plays Craig (main character), a high schooler who is contemplating suicide. He decides to check himself into a mental ward. Craig is notified that he just can’t check himself out when he wants to leave. He is where he meets Bobby (Zach Galifiarakis), a buffoonish intermittent lifer.

The film fails to sustain its wild momentum and instead settles for trivial teen clichés about sex and rivalries. Some of the audience in the theater was falling asleep during the movie. All in all, It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a must not see movie.

The College Life.

Matthew Thao, 17, senior, is doing his full time P.S.E.O. at Century College. Matt is enjoying his college life so far and says that “it’s relaxing, really easy but the exams are hard but classes are easy and it’s kind of like high school.”

As we all know high school is a preparation for you to get ready for the real deal out there and college is just another step for your future. And in many ways high school and college is different. Matthew tells me that high school and college are different because for college you get to pick your schedules and the hours ranges differently, there for we have a five minute break in each class but as for the college students gets a range of 10 minutes to 3-4 hours of a break.

“High school is where you create memories,” quoted Matt. Matt tells me that he definitely misses North, and the weight room, school clubs, teachers, students, especially the school lunch but basically everything about north he says he misses. One thing he likes about Century he likes is that you don’t have to go to one of his classes until 11 o’clock, classes and hours are flexible and you can use your own laptop and go on facebook without your teachers seeing what you’re doing. Matt does plan to finish all his generals at century because it’s cheap and it’s easy to transfer also.

Although being a full time P.S.E.O. student is great especially if you’re really looking into finishing with your generals early, Matt plans to come back to North and be a student here and still be a full time P.S.E.O. student because it all fits into his schedule. But he also prefers high school over college, “honestly I prefer high school, high school is the years you get to have fun, and life experiences. But the number one reason why I would go back is the weight room.” Said Matt.

(photo by Matt Thao, Article by Kaoly Khang)

Entering Blogs Via Text Messages

This is Christlo's on his phone testing the "send blog by txt" feature on Blogger.com

Tartan In North High's Show Choir

Show Choir, in general, is a group of 20-40+ kids (or adults in rare cases) that sing and dance in competitions and some schools do it for fun to perform in front of their whole school.

North High has a Show Choir by the name of The Northern Lights which is one of the most highest ranking award winning activities at North High School. There are now Tartan High kids in North High's show choir. The rivalry with the two school might be over in the music field at least.

The decision went about because "we have such a good show this year and I feel that having them join us fits our show theme this year and I think that it'll just be such a wonderful show," said Mrs. Sorenson. The Northern Lights Show Choir theme this year is One World and they're having a Spagetti Dinner on January 8 to fundraise money for competition season. The cost is $10 a person and the food is wonderful. This year should be a great one for North High's Northern Lights.

North High's Masterworks Concert Coming Soon

North High School often rivals Tartan High School. But once a year, the two schools come together in choir.

North High is holding a masterworks concert in November. They are singing "Missa Brevis in G Major KV 49" by Mozart. The concert usually lasts about 30 minutes with vocal performances and a volunteer orchestra.

Peg Sorensen, the choir director at North, says its her favorite concert of the year. She says, "I love to see the students having a great time performing with the orchestra!"

Choir students like the idea of performing with Tartan students. Christlo Gittens, senior at North, says "I love the combination of voices between the two choirs and seeing my friends I don't get to see every day."

Masterworks Concert is an amazing thing to see. It is a great way to see two amazing groups come together and do something amazing.

A Blast of Acts

We all know that hyped up entertaining event that comes within every school year that gets all of North High School’s (NHS) students and staffs excited. National Honor Society proudly presents, Coffee House Acts!

Previous performers were able to share their stories about performing for this fired up event. Let’s see what they have to say.

“I want to encourage all the students and staffs at NHS, for them to know that they shouldn’t give up.” Blongsha Hang said. He is currently a junior at NHS and collaborated with fellow junior classmate Jessica Yang at Coffee House Acts 2010. Yang exclaimed, “Working with Sha was awesome. We were able to write our own song that could hopefully give hope and courage to the school through our voices and music.” Hang and Yang were chosen as the opening act of Coffee House Acts 2010. Both Hang and Yang are looking forward to seeing something more creative than just singing and dancing at the upcoming Coffee House Acts.

The performances weren’t just acts, they also carried side stories. Ae Vue, a graduate of NHS, shared his experiences of Coffee House Acts. “I didn’t know what was going on. I just auditioned, got in, and winged it pretty much. Right before I was going to get on stage, I was super nervous, but it seems like it turned out better than I thought.” Vue said proudly. Vue received a standing ovation on his performances and brought something new to the table that all of NHS has never seen. Vue explains, “I wanted to leave my own mark before I graduated. So I decided that Coffee House Acts would be a good target.”

Hang, Yang and Vue were not the only performers of this event. There were many great performers that showed up the past few years that continued to add more energy to the show, such as the following: Krystin Lillie, Cicily Kong, Taylor Hanson, Rest for the Weary, The Mathew Barrens Project, To Be Announced and many more.

Coffee House Acts has been very successful in the past years. Each year, more and more people look forward to this exciting event. For the time being, we will have to wait and see what Coffee House Acts 2011 will have in store for us. Will it be the same as last year or will it be presented on another level? Stay tuned!

(Videos recorded by Montoya Lor)

*Type Coffee House Acts North High School on Youtube for more videos!

Farley In France

(Picture by Taylor Carolus)

This July Joe Farley won a ten day trip to France. he went with one hundred seventy other students from around the world and it made a great impact on him and how he sees the world.
Farley won this trip in a photo contest. the trip was through a french embassy in Chicago. FFarley had to submit five photos based on five french words.
when i asked him his favorite part of the entire trip Farley said," meeting all the different people." when he says different its because only five of the kids were from North America. Farley said," It was hard keeping up with my French."
FFarley said he would love to go to FFrance again its a great experience and his favorite city in the world is Paris. when i asked his favorite food it took him awhile to answer because he ate so many but finally said," Crocque-madame." This you eat in the late morning or for lunch.

How Do People Feel About Their Freshmen Year?

"For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe we'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen"
That's the chorus of the song "The Freshmen" by The Vereve Pipe. Though I believe it's about being a Freshmen in college and hitting someone with your car, it's the song that makes me think about my Freshmen year, even though I'm only a Junior. My Freshmen year was spent somewhere between a laugh and a sob. I realize now that when i was a Sophomore I was hating on the Freshmen more and more.
Everybody remembers Pep-Fest, Freshmen always get booed. But it made me wonder how did they feel about it?
"It (Freshmen year) was interesting," says Alex Longueville ('13) "It's so unique...You're the older kids in middle school and then you come here and you're the youngest...But personally I loved it." Montoya Lor ('12) also responds positively saying, "I was more encouraged than bullied."
But not all feedback was positive. "(Freshmen year was) Kind of suck-y," Kaylie E-B ('13) says simpley. "Except for when I went to C.A.R.E." She laughs. "Freshmen year was horrible!" exclaims senior Josh Stager, "It cause me to be Emo."
Overall I suppose that everyone's Freshmen year is unique and special and can't be generalized in a simple sentence. To the Freshmen of 2010/2011, I hope you enjoy it, It's the only one you get!

Homecoming Week 2- The power of text messaging

"Next week is senior homecoming week 2, Monday sports day, tuesday tie-dye, wednesday is white out, thursday black out and friday is spirit day, pass it on. " A bunch of seniors got this text message on Friday September 24Th. This was mainly planned because many people didn't think the original homecoming was as amazing as it should of been.

"Just cause the first week of homecoming wasn't as awesome as it was supposed to be" Nyakondo said. The mastermind behind all this is senior Joe Lewis, "I planned this for fun and because we are totally going to destroy Saint Thomas! "Lewis said sarcastically

The plan to create a homecoming week 2 succeeded. " Yeah i noticed that something was up especially on tie-dye day." Yang said. The score versus Saint Thomas ended up being 41 Saint Thomas to 10 Polars.

Overall the text message which was received by 3/5Th's of the high school seniors was an amazing statement on the power of text messaging.

Skinny’s Take Over

Many of you have noticed people wearing them. Many of you even wear them! Some people don’t like them, and some people absolutely love them!

Last year, a student named Seth Chamlee, went to school one day wearing his skinny jeans, and was promptly sent home by the school administrators of Kimbrough Middle School in Mesquite Texas.

It is no surprise all that that over the last couple of years, skinny jeans for guys have really taken off! Everywhere you look, there is bound to be a guy rocking some skinny jeans.

Skinny jeans, in the last couple of years, started becoming a fad due to many stars, like Tom Cruise wearing. One of the most influential groups to really get the fad going were the New Boyz.

The New Boyz where nothing but skinny jeans and bright colors. Their hit debut single “You’re a

“You’re a Jerk” by New Boyz

Jerk” really showcased them wearing their skinny’s and really bright colors. Everyone in the music video is literally wearing skinny jeans’ no one in the video is seen wearing baggy jeans or anything else.

Many people have started debating if it is really right for guys to wear skinny jeans. Here in Minnesota, we have no problems against skinny jeans, but others say that it could pose a modesty problem especially when wore really tightly.

The skinny jeans look isn’t all that easy to pull of either. Guys must wear tight fit shirts, sometimes brightly colored, and shoes like Vans Era.

A spokeswoman for Kimbrough Middle said that pants “should be appropriately sized” otherwise they pose to be a distraction in a learning environment. Especially when guys decide to wear super skinny jeans.

One problem with skinny jeans, especially on guys is that allow for less movement. Jean companies like Levi Strauss & Co. and True Religion decided to take the initiative to manufacture skinny jeans especially for men. As of July 26th of last year, skinny jeans account for 15% of jeans True Religion sells.

When worn, skinny jeans also have the potential to be pretty painful especially if you try to cross your legs.

Ondre Lo, a Senior at North High, simply said “No” when asked what he thought about skinny jeans.

Jay-Z, a rapper, in his song D.O.A.: Death of Auto-tune, says "You boys jeans too tight, you colors too bright, your voice too light." showing his dislike for skinny jeans. He also says "no one on the corner, got a bop like this, don't wear skinny jeans, 'cause my knots won't fit." in the song Swagga Like Us, asserting that skinny jeans are really too tight for guys.

Many people would say yes, but the question still remains, should guys wear skinny jeans? and also why do guys wear skinny jeans?

Trip to Cayman Island

(photo:Taylor & Friends)

Two North High teachers and two chaperons took 16 students on a trip to the Cayman Island.

Mr. Bronson and Mr. Dean take a group of students every year. This summer they left on Thursday, the third week of June until the following Thursday. The group stayed in Coconut Bay condos.

Taylor Cook, graduated 2010, said, “I loved the condos, they were beautiful and it was better than living at home.”

The group of divers went out into the Atlantic Ocean about 2 to 3 times a day. Each time they went for 30-75 minutes depending on how fast they used their oxygen tanks.

“My favorite place was Sting Ray City where I could feed and dive with the sting rays,” Cook reported.

When the students weren’t diving they were given certain tasks to do by the teachers. They went to a turtle farm to hold turtles. The group did different classroom activities in order to get their three biology credits.

Cook said, “It was a lot of fun and worth every penny I spent, I can’t wait to go back!”

(written & photo by: MWhite)

Cooking Career

Christine Spencer-Zimmer is a 39 year-old-woman who’s profession is being a chef. She started this dream by working at a High School in Indiana for three years as a cook there.

Zimmer was asked what made her want to be a cook for a living and she said, “The person who inspired me to cook would be my Grandma Zorick. Growing up she taught me so much about cooking and that rubbed off on me. I love to put my heart and soul into cooking and give people the best possible dish of food to eat.”

As we talked she had mentioned that, “I attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, where I graduated with honors.” As Zimmer went to school at Le Cordon Bleu she also worked at Chianti Grill. She said that, “I truly love my job at Chianti Grill. They have taught me so much.”

Zimmer would like to compete on Hells Kitchen or Top Chef. “The one restaurant I would love to cook at would be the French Laundry in California owned by Thomas Keller.”

While at school Zimmer had a favorite chef teacher and she said that, “My favorite chef in culinary school would be Chef Kaye, he taught or Cuisine across Nations. This class was about food from around the world and he is one of the top sushi chefs in the Twin Cities.”

Zimmer has been thinking about getting a new job at Chipotle. “I am getting a new job, because there is no room to advance at my current job, and I have a life plan to own my own restaurant in 10-15 years.”

Out of all the years she has cooked for my family I don’t really have a favorite dish that she makes. There is one that I do like and it’s our family homemade chicken noodle soup that has been in our family for many years.

When asked what her favorite dish was she said, “My favorite dish to make would be grilled chicken, wild rice soup, and my favorite dessert would be my mini turtle cheesecakes.”