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!