SEARCH RESULTS

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Life By Joshua Lopez Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by Getty Images I try to make sense of what's going on in this thing we call life But false misconceptions lead me to a road of pain I try to understand what happens But could never find the answer Maybe pain is just a lack of understanding? But quite frankly, I find joy in the pursuit of happiness But I know I’ll never find it It's like a dream Life asked death Why do some many people love me, but hate you? And death responded with "Because you’re a beautiful lie and I'm the ugly truth". I try to make sense of what's going on in this thing we call life The pain and adversity I face Just to fall up short again I look to the left nothing is right I look to my right and nothing is left So, tell me what do I do? How am I supposed to live, Knowing this cycle of uncertainty will continue And mankind will forever suffer? Unfortunately, this is called life and we live just to die curious and never truly satisfied. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Friends By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by Infared Q. Dear Ala, I am in seventh grade and I don't have many friends. I had a lot of friends in elementary school, but most of them went to Memorial. That on top of Covid-19 is making it difficult for me to talk to the ones that are in North. It is hard for me to socialize because we have to wear masks and socially distance. Do you have any advice to help me make new friends? Sincerely, “Too” Socially Distant A. Hello and thank you for the question! Making friends in this new environment is definitely something we have to get used to. Firstly, I would advise you to try to still talk to your friends that went to Memorial. You already have a connection, and it would be a shame to just let that go without trying. To make new friends at North, I would join some clubs that interest you, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the people who attend them. You can check out the Virtual Club Fair channel on the North High School Team and see what clubs you might like. Hope this helps! Q. Dear Ala, My friend and I are starting to fight a lot more often, and it usually ends with us not talking to each other for a while. I always try to avoid arguing, but sometimes we just start to disagree, and disagreeing turns into arguing, and arguing turns into not talking to each other for days on end. How do I avoid fights with my friend so that we don't engage in passive-aggressive bickering almost every day? From, Arguing Friend A. Hello and thank you for the question! It seems to me that you and your friend have to realize having different opinions is not bad thing. Everyone has different viewpoints on situations and topics, and disagreeing is inevitable. Additionally, when you realize that the “disagreeing” is turning into “arguing,” that might be a good point to take a moment for yourself and calm down. Taking time to sort things out is also not bad, it is actually crucial. Keeping up a relationship, any type, requires work and patience such as talking things out and taking time for yourself. If you are not in the right space, keeping up a friendship is off the list. Hope this helps and good luck! Q. Dear Ala, I'm angry at one of my friends, but I don't know how to let her know. I've tried giving her subtle hints, but she either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Since she can be sensitive sometimes, I'm afraid that if I tell her, she'll take it too much to heart. I just really don't want to ruin the friendship. Thanks for your help, Sensitive Friend A. Hello and thank you for the question! The best option would be to just confront her about it. Be straightforward with what is bothering you. If the matter is important to you, it will also be important to her. I’m glad you are trying to look out for her and consider the fact that she is sensitive. However, after this much effort, you can’t keep sacrificing your emotions for her. This will be a little bit of a wakeup call for her to pay closer attention to what you are trying to tell her in the future. Good luck! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Little Women Discuss “Little Women” By Simar Thind, Sasha Smalls, and Kamille Shrestha Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original image by Sasha Smalls Who is your favorite March sister? Sasha : Sweet-natured, romantic, and sensible, Meg remains my favorite March sister. The eldest of the bunch, she actively tries to pacify outbursts and clashes between her other sisters, Jo and Amy. Beth is not one for conflict either, but she shies away from it completely, leaving Meg, Marmee, and Hannah to break up fights. Meg’s serene nature complements her sister’s robust personality. The audience learns early on that marriage does not suit Beth, and Jo - Jo does end up marrying, but throughout the movie, she remains opposed to the concept. Amy desires to marry rich, but she has a key moment in the movie where she gives a speech to Laurie about her thoughts on marriage being an economic proposition. Meg never has such a moment. It appears Meg never opposed the concept of marriage or questioned it. In one scene, Laurie interacts with Meg and shames her for allowing her rich friends to call her out for her name (a pet name). This parallels a subsequent scene when Laurie calls out Amy for wanting to marry rich, saying, “It does sound odd from the mouth of one of your mother’s girls.” Unlike Amy however, Meg does not combat Laurie. She accepts his taunting and moves on. Her passiveness and appeasing nature chronicles her interactions and makes her stand out. Personally, Meg reflects many traits that I as an individual would like to develop and improve on and for that reason, she remains my favorite March sister. Simar : “Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I’m so sick of it!” Jo March adamantly rejects marriage and romance due to the constraints that accompany them. She is independent, bold, outspoken, and disagreeable. She is a dreamer, and she is stubborn enough to stick by those dreams and make them come true. Since childhood, Jo holds on to her writing, her one true passion. While Meg makes the sensible choice of growing up and adapting to adult life, Jo forever holds on to her writing. While it is important to adapt as you grow older, having a character that sticks with their dreams makes it seem like our dreams may not be as out of reach as we think. But maybe that’s just the optimist in me. Kamille : Though I could see myself in Jo for how she wished to pursue her passion and find her own way, and Amy with how realistic she was in understanding her duties as a woman and daughter, Beth was definitely my favorite. I adored how sweet, kind, serene, and loving she was. Though the spotlight focused on her less often than her sisters, her heart was always big enough to be felt beyond the screen. I am a big piano fan, and I absolutely adored how much she loved playing it, for herself and for those around her. Beth was so selfless and simply wanted to do whatever she could for the people she loved. She had the most tragic storyline, but never allowed it to be a defining trait in her life. Beth was aware that her death was imminent and that she would leave the earth sooner than her sisters, and came to terms with the prospect, simply doing her best, as her sisters did. In terms of personality, Beth remained a stark contrast from her sisters in that she was shy, quiet, and good-natured, wishing to please everyone and keep her family together. She recognized her place amidst conflict and chose to not engage, yet consistently acted as the magnet that brought everyone together. Out of the four, Beth’s flaws were the least visible, which lends one to believe that her declining health served as more than just a tragedy, but an effort to show that she was not strong nor ready to challenge an ever-changing, seldom forgiving world. For me, she encompassed a tranquil, fleeting sort of beauty that plays a subdued chord throughout the movie. How does the concept of being soulmates but not lovers apply to Jo and Laurie’s relationship? Sasha : On the concept of Jo and Laurie as soulmates, I believe a quote from Meg helps us understand. Meg says to Jo, “Just because my dreams are different than yours, doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” Jo embodies a strong spirit; one cannot help but to get caught up in her wild and enthralling nature. I believe Jo gets caught up in herself as well. She pushes her agenda on her sisters because she has determined what works best for them. As stated perfectly by Meg, this thinking is false. Jo marches to her own drum. As a result, she is deaf to opportunities that pass her by. Take Laurie for example - she told him they could not marry because it would never work, and she believes she may never marry. I do not think Laurie and Jo are romantically compatible, but she confuses the situation when she changes her mind and decides to marry him. Imagine the turmoil if Jo had told Laurie she loved him before he could inform her of his and Amy’s marriage. I think the story would have been consistent if she did not marry anyone. Despite being soulmates, I also believe her and Laurie should not marry either. Fredrich, although ultimately her love interest, foils her character arc. Jo should have stayed single. Simar : Jo and Laurie grew up together as best friends. They know everything about each other, and their chemistry is undeniable. Laurie understands that Jo has vowed to never marry, but everyone knows that he’s in love with Jo - except for Jo. He confesses his love for her, after waiting and waiting for her to love him back. She loves him, but she says that she could never be in love with him, crushing all my dreams for this couple. Jo says they would be a disaster together, but he responds saying that he can never love anyone else. He desperately wants her to say yes, but when he brings up that everyone expects it, it pushes her away because Jo loves to go against what is expected of her. Jo refuses to marry Laurie, and further argues that she’s unlikely to marry at all because it would place her independence at risk. I understand that soulmates do not have to be lovers, but I cannot accept the fact that they did not belong together, especially since Jo ended up with another man that she barely knew. The book could not have been published without Jo getting married, but ideally, she should have remained single. I think Laurie was “the one”, so it should’ve been him or no one. Just because something is rooted in childhood does not mean we should get rid of it in adulthood. Soulmates are real, and it does not have to be a romantic dynamic. However, I think Jo and Laurie would be great together if they were given the chance. Kamille : Right before Laurie confesses his love for Jo and proposes marriage, Jo mentions running off and joining a pirate ship with him, thus escaping reality. The dynamic of the exchange begins with both of them not being on the same page, and they remain that way during the conversation. Jo did not even want to get married, yet Laurie attempts to convince her that they should be together since everyone else sees it that way. Further, she tries to guilt her into changing her mind - both being childish tactics to sway her. Their connection is built entirely off childhood fantasies and nostalgia, and as a result, their relationship could never properly mature to the point where they could be more than just friends. They were memories they were not ready to relinquish. There is no doubt that they love each other, but one does not need to seek romance to have an intense, serious connection with another. Soulmates are more than just who you fall for, and people can have more than one. They were amazing as friends, but they would clash as partners. Jo ends up contemplating changing her answer when she realizes that she might end up being alone for the rest of her life. It is never because she loves him in a romantic way, but because she wanted to be loved and not lonely, and Laurie was the easy choice. Jo writes a letter to Laurie when she decides that she wants to change her answer to him and places it in their childhood mailbox. She does not even attempt an adult conversation about it, but resorts to putting letters in a childhood keepsake mailbox. Jo would be able to feed off his love but not truly return it, as her true love was writing, which would absolutely conjure up issues had Jo chosen to marry him. And in any case, a relationship, speaking in the context of marriage, does not merely float on love. There is a point where love becomes a choice because of the sacrifice associated with it. Jo and Laurie’s relationship was far too immature to sustain the nuanced aspects of a relationship more demanding than a friendship and would most likely ruin each other. I wish she did end up single because that is what suited her agenda best and it was defeating to see her change her mind about something she felt so strongly about, but I am glad she did not end up with Laurie. What role did childhood fantasies play in the context of the movie and how is it applicable to our lives? Sasha : Each March sister has a thing . Jo, the writer. Amy, the painter. Beth, the pianist. Meg, the actress. I believe Meg’s talent symbolizes her biggest flaw in the movie, a childhood fantasy that follows her into adulthood and threatens the livelihood of her family - Meg wants to be rich. In her youth, Meg attends countless social events and basks in the idea of having disposable wealth. However, Meg does not have disposable wealth. Further, she marries a loving, intelligent, yet poor fellow. Meg’s wedding symbolizes the transition from childhood fantasies to adult duties as she begins her family. But Meg the actress has a role to play. She makes a terribly irresponsible purchase of fabrics with money originally saved for her husband, John Brooke, to purchase a new winter coat. While discussing their situation with Brooke, she makes a comment about being tired of being poor. Despite knowing her financial situation, Meg gets caught up in the idea of having more and living auspiciously. Eventually, she sells the fabrics, and as much as I would like to say this symbolizes her finally relinquishing her rich fantasy, it does not. Meg names her daughter Daisy, a pet name given to Meg by her rich friends. Meg’s reluctance to quit on her childish fantasies defines her character arc. Unlike Jo, Meg cannot embrace her passion mind, body, and soul. Similar to how she acted as a peacemaker, she sets her passions aside (she does not dispose of them) in order to do what is best for the time being. Simar : As many high school seniors are making pivotal changes in their lives, picking colleges and potential careers, it’s incredibly daunting. Everyone wonders what their thing could be and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses in order to make their next move. Many students have one thing they are known for: their athleticism, intelligence, artistic ability, etc. This notion is highlighted in the movie since each sister has a unique talent. However, life does not always go the way we want it to. Beth passes away before breaking through her shyness and showcasing her natural talent on the piano. Meg marries a poor tutor instead of marrying to elevate her social status, placing her in a position where she must make sacrifices in the name of love. Amy wishes to give up her art because she sees no value in it; she believes that there are very few ways to elevate your status, and the main way to do so is marry. She is set on marrying rich in order to secure her future, as well as shine light on her family, but she says no to a man that seemed to be a perfect suitor because she wanted to marry for love. Childhood fantasies often drive our futures, and although we shouldn’t reject them entirely, it’s critical to be open to change, since nothing is certain. Kamille : Childhood fantasies are just that: fantasies. In the case of the March sisters, their fantasies were not necessarily abandoned, but exchanged for more achievable dreams and aspirations. In this context, compromise does not necessarily mean subjecting oneself to misery, because dreams can change. Meg adored acting but found that settling down with the man she loved to become a housewife was what was meant for her, despite wanting a lavish life. Amy wished to paint but recognized that painting’s long-term value would not work in her favor while marriage as an economic proposition could, hence her fixation on marrying rich. Beth lived for the piano but accepted that her sickness would eventually consume her. The only sister who stuck to her path mapped out since childhood was Jo. Their fantasies (for the most part) simply became more realistic, but that does not negate their importance. Most of us will or already have outgrown childhood dreams and wishes, considering that it is a time in our lives that is supposed to be fleeting and indicative of rapid development. The beauty of fantasies lies in that they refrain from limiting the wild imaginations of a child; they evolve as an individual grows up. One does not simply desert their childhood, as it has major formative implications on an individual. The period of growth out of a childhood fantasy can shatter one’s perspective on everything and force themselves to see who they truly are and if their aspirations are worth the trouble. Each March sister had a talent that they wished to hone in on, but simply put, a talent or passion does not necessarily mean anything in a cutthroat world where people vie for any opportunity they can acquire by any means. They are called fantasies because it is rare that they metamorphose into reality. It means nothing to like something or be good at it if the individual in question does not have the will to make it happen. Childhood fantasies act as a filter from a merciless truth; the world is seldom a happy, forgiving place. Dreams tend to become more realistic for that reason; it is merely a privilege to fantasize. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Space Junk and the Moon By Elyas Layachi Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by MIT Introduction Every year, thousands of spacecraft are launched into Earth orbit, whether they be satellites, telescopes, or rocket tests. These spacecraft have been accumulating since the launch of Sputnik 1 (the first artificial satellite), and many are now either broken or retired. Known as space junk, these dead spacecraft have nowhere to go and remain in Earth orbit until they near the Earth’s atmosphere, posing the threat of collisions with other, active spacecraft. Such collisions produce even more space junk that becomes lethal to both active satellites and astronauts. In some rare scenarios, space junk can exit Earth’s orbit and impact our distant neighbor: the moon. SpaceX and Space Junk One of these rare scenarios is about to occur with a SpaceX rocket. One of SpaceX’s rockets that launched several years ago is on a collision course with the moon and is scheduled to impact it very soon. This rocket, the Falcon 9 booster stage from a SpaceX mission launch in 2015, was supposed to return to Earth, but it did not have enough reserved fuel to do so. As a result, it remained in its orbit, which was chaotically placed between the gravitational forces of the Earth, moon, and Sun. With so many sources of gravity acting on the booster stage, its orbit became chaotic, and the moon’s gravity began pulling it towards the surface. This anticipated collision with the lunar surface could be the first documented rocket collision with the moon. It is expected to hit the far side of the moon on March 4th, 2022, at about 5,771 miles per hour, exploding on impact. Conclusion Despite how interesting and rare this event is, space junk is still a great problem and poses a threat to both spacecraft and astronauts working in Earth orbit. With space junk increasing with every collision and space launch, action must be taken. If we continue to ignore the space junk problem, Earth orbit might become so crowded that leaving it to travel to the Moon and beyond will seem dangerous and impossible. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections The Compliments to Shape and Color By Nehilah Grand-Pierre November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Goodbye Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 It was a mild night in February when a little girl decided to leave her home. Her parents had gone out that night and wouldn’t be home until an hour later. So, she had decided to use the time to explore her new neighborhood freely. They had just moved there and therefore knew very little about their surroundings. As she made it to the pavement outside her home, she excitedly began skipping along the sidewalk as she had never felt such a sense of independence as she now did. Not only was she out past her 9 pm curfew, but she was by herself. As she curiously looked at all the houses in her neighborhood, it began to dawn on her that she had traveled so far for so long that she had no sense of direction of how to return home. Not only that, but she had no sense of time, either. With tears forming in her eyes and her feet slowly dragging on the cement, she saw a boy seemingly around her age sitting on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Out of desperation, she cautiously crossed over to him and began questioning who he was and why he was out so late. The boy never looked up and merely muttered that he did not have a family. As a soft rain began to fall, he slowly stood up and made eye contact with the girl. Though somber, he made a small gesture with his hand that motioned that he wanted her to walk with him. For what seemed like forever there were no words exchanged between the two of them. Only small glances that said more words than sentences could. After some time, they introduced themselves, still walking in a light rain that thumped on both of their jackets. Even though they did not know each other well, they knew that they were one of the same, children with seemingly no direction. Later that night the police, who were notified by the girl’s parents, eventually found her with the boy. She was ushered into the car to be taken home. A sense of relief rushed through her body. But sadness also loomed over her as her watery eyes glanced over the boy’s face. She knew in her heart she wouldn’t see him again. His eyes were still fixated on hers as his gaze softened just enough to communicate a “goodbye”. With no words she understood him. The entire night she understood him more than anyone else ever had. It mattered in the moment, but not now, not as the car drove off, forever separating the girl and the boy. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Lights On for Education Back to Sections Sarah Wilder - Lights On for Education By Sarah Wilder April 22, 2021 Marker Volume 1 Issue 7

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Leaf Layering Anonymous December 23, 2022 Volume 3 Issue 2

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections All County Athletes By Aleeza Dhillon Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by VSN XC/TF Instagram Listed below are all the All-County winners from North’s Winter Track team: All-County Girls Nattaly Lindo (11th grade) County Champion – Shot Put, County Champion – 20lb Weight Throw Melissa Innocent (12th grade) 2nd place – 3000m, 2nd place – 1500m, 3rd place – 1000m Moanna Thelusca (11th grade) 2nd place – 20lb Weight Throw Sahar Ali (10th grade) 2nd place – 1500m Racewalk Gabriela Mensah (12th grade) 3rd place – Triple Jump Brooke Fessler (11th grade) 3rd place – High Jump Haley Quinlan (9th grade) 3rd place – 1500m Racewalk All-County Boys Joshua Lopez (12th grade) County Champion – Shot Put Kevin Beltran (11th grade) 2nd place – 1000m, 2nd place – 1600m Sedgeley Duperval (11th grade) 2nd place – 300m, 2nd place – Long Jump Ethan Smalls (12th grade) 2nd place – 25lb Weight Throw On February 7th, North’s winter track team competed in the County Championship at St. Anthony’s High School. Boys’ and girls’ teams placed second in the County, with many athletes getting a new personal best! The team was Conference Champions this year, their 15th championship in a row. All-Conference Melissa Innocent (12th grade) Conference Champion – 3000m, 1500m and 1000m Gabriela Mensah (12th grade) Conference Champion – Long Jump and Triple Jump Moanna Thelusca (11th grade) Conference Champion – 20lb Weight Throw, 2nd place – Shot Put Nattaly Lindo (11th grade) Conference Champion – Shot Put, 2nd place – 20lb Weight Throw Charis Hackman (12th grade) Conference Champion – 4x400m Relay, 3rd place – High Jump Sahar Ali (10th grade) Conference Champion – 1500m Racewalk Victoria Singh (10th grade) Conference Champion – 4x400m Relay Kyla Lodge (12th grade) Conference Champion – 4x400m Relay Anaiya Jarrell (11th grade) Conference Champion – 4x400m Relay Brooke Fessler (11th grade) 2nd place – High Jump, 3rd place – Triple Jump Ericka Leus (10th grade) 3rd place – 55m Hurdles Haley Quinlan (9th grade) 3rd place – 1500m Racewalk All the athletes on the team worked their hardest to have an amazing season. The coaches, Mike Frazer and Tim Boyens, are proud of all the improvements and progress their athletes have made. Great job to everyone on the team, and let’s hope for an amazing spring season. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Effects of Videogames By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Shutterstock The article “How Videogames Affect the Brain” discusses the pros and cons of videogames and whether they either strengthen or weaken the brain. Videogames have been both antagonized and praised by the public without conclusive proof from either side. After years of research, scientists have found that videogames can change different regions of the brain. For example, studies have found that gamers have shown improvements in different types of attention, like selective and sustained attention. Parts of the brain that play a role in attention are more efficient in gamers and they tend to have greater experience focusing on demanding tasks. Though some games improve our brains, others don’t. Even some games branded as “Brain-training” aren’t as beneficial as we may think. Wally Boot, Associate Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, said “Our findings and previous studies confirm there’s very little evidence these types of games can improve your life in a meaningful way”. Researchers found that you could train the brain to do certain things with these games, but these games might not necessarily be helpful in your day-to-day life. In contrast, studies have shown that specific 3-D games can help improve cognitive function in older adults. After 12 hours of training over the period of a month, study participants aged 60-85 improved performance in a game to a greater degree than people in their 20s playing it for the first time. This also improved their working memory and sustained attention; these skills were maintained 6 months after the study. A study done by the University of California-Irvine found that 3-D games could also help the formation of memories. 3-D games are more complex and stimulate the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory. Strategy games have also been seen to improve brain function in older adults and provide protection against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, video games have more of a positive impact on our bodies than much of the public believes. My Reaction This article is extremely informative about something we use in our everyday lives. I didn’t know that videogames had that much depth to them! The fact that they affect our brains more than we thought is very interesting. Now that I know this information, I can be aware of what the videogames I play are doing to my brain. Knowing that even these things meant for entertainment can change our body makes me interested in what and how other activities affect our body that I may not know about. BACK TO TOP