Students are Pumped for Spring Break

Feature

By Mikala Kish

Husky Herald Reporter

  Spring break is only two weeks away! How are you going to start your break off?

  Many students are going to begin their break by leaving and going out of state. Some on the other hand are just going to laying in bed and enjoying their break off.  

  Student Desiree Jemison (‘15) says “I'm going to Alabama for break to go and visit my dad’s side of the family.” Im sure her dad and all her family will be excited to see and spend time with Jemison.

  Rachel Congdon (‘17) says “I will be relaxing at home hanging out with my family I have in this town.” Congdon is one of many students that actually wanted to stay in town and is satisfied with staying in the same area because she finds it more comfortable.

  Staying at home seems more fun than going out of town and packing up. Spring break is one of the most exciting break’s we have.

  A bunch of people go to different places to enjoy themselves for about a week or so. Noah Blossey (‘18) says, “I’m so excited for spring break, I’m going to Florida with my family and I can only imagine how much fun I’m going to have.”

  Blossey is one of many that actually likes going out of state during break and getting away from home and experiencing different places.

   Everybody is enjoying themselves this year. Blossey says, “I think I’m going to come back with a very very nice tan.”  It’s always nice to come back with a little bit of a tan after spring break to show how much fun you had.

  Some kids have many different opinions on how they feel about spring break.

  Many want to go out of state and be somewhere sunny to come back with a nice tan however some might want to just stay home they feel more comfortable.

  

  

  

                    

Northern Seniors Prepare for Graduation

Feature

By Sierra Pauley

Husky Herald Reporter

  Only a couple of months until the big day for some of the students here at Port Huron Northern. A day that awards and recognizes years of hard work.  A day that we all have to be prepared for in high school, that day is Graduation day.

  The day comes fast, and there is some things you should do before the big day.  So what do you have to do to be fully prepared for graduation?  The first big thing you must do to graduate high school is of course to pass your classes.

  Passing your classes requires time and dedication. You must complete your homework to be successful in the class while being able to  dedicate a couple of hours to homework so you can be an accountable student.

   The next thing you have to do to graduate is make sure all of your library fines are paid off. I asked Mr. Wing, who is the head of the library, what we can do to get rid of the overdue fines from turning in books late.

  Mr. Wing said, “All you do is come talk with me, I have sent out a code to previous students in their emails to void all of their late fines if they had all of their textbooks turned in.”

   I asked some students what they’ve been doing to prepare for graduation. The first person I asked was Tina Nandi(‘15). I asked what she had to do before the graduation day, and she said “ I have to find and pick out a white dress and heels to wear under my gown, I also just turned in my money for all of my cords.”

   The last person I talked to was Emma Prax(‘15). Prax said “ the things I’ve been working on is first I turned in my cord money, then I have been staying on top of my school work, and just recently me and my parents have been talking about Open house dates for me, I took my senior pictures in the summer so I’m covered on that part. Overall I would say I’m more than ready for graduation day.

  There are many different things you have to do to be prepared for graduation and students, and teachers here at Port Huron Northern are in the process of finishing the year the right way.

Huskies Tennis Starts Up

Sports

By Tala Haidar
Husky Herald Reporter

The spring season has begun around the Port Huron Area School District.  Tryouts have taken place in the following sports: girls tennis, boys lacrosse, girls soccer, softball, baseball, and track and field.

  Tryouts started the week of March ninth for girls tennis.  The two week long decision making process was evaluated by the varsity’s new coach, Nathan LaBelle.  

  This will be LaBelle’s first year of coaching as a varsity coach.  He has coached junior varsity for several years.

  The girls have worked during the off season in the summer, fall, and winter at Port Huron Tennis House.  Sydney Westfall (‘15) said, “We have all worked really hard during the off season, and I cannot wait to see all the hard work pay off in our matches.”

  LaBelle decided to take a total of fourteen girls this year instead of the normal sixteen that were taken in previous years.  With six returning seniors and two new freshmen, the season will be very exciting.

  The line up is yet to be confirmed.  It may fluctuate during the season, but it will be made very soon.

  The varsity team will have their first away match on March twenty-seventh in Hudsonville at six at night.  Maggie Bacheller (‘15) said,”I’m really excited to play my first match as a senior, and I cannot wait for the team overnights.”

  The first home match will be on April first against L’Anse Creuse North High School at four in the afternoon.  Be sure to come and support the girl’s tennis season during the season.

  The varsity schedule is very busy this year.  The girls will be playing about three to four matches a week.

  There will be seven home matches this year.  On May fourth Northern’s rivalry Port Huron Big Reds will be playing against the Lady Huskies.  

  Tina Nandi (‘15) was very excited to see that the Big Reds played the team at home.  She said, “I hope to see a large crowd on April first and have the fans be really rowdy.”

  The girls have practiced hard over the course of many years.  Their hard work will pay off in the end.

  If one wants to see the schedule of the varsity schedule, it is posted on Port Huron Northern’s website.  

  Good luck to Northern’s varsity tennis team this season.  Go Huskies!

  

Daylight Savings Takes a Toll on the Huskies

Feature

By Curtis Tallmadge

Husky Herald Reporter

It’s that time of the year again, the time where everyone is upset that we have to set our clocks one hour forward. It is daylight savings time.

  This can be a very stressful time for everyone alike, losing an hour in your day can throw off your entire schedule if you are not ready for it.

  It can ruin your sleep schedule if you are unprepared for the change, you could end up not being able to sleep the full eight hours that you need in one night.

  The worst thing that could happen is that you may be unaware of the change if you are not watching the news or hearing about it from a friend that knows when it’s coming, or maybe you just complete forgot about it at first, you end up getting up and going to work or school an hour before anyone else.

 Another terrible thing is having to go through your entire house and set all your clocks ahead one hour which can be a pain. So what are some of the students at Port Huron Northern opinions on daylight savings time?

  “Daylight savings really threw my sleep schedule off, I couldn't sleep very well the night of setting the clocks forward and still had to wake up at the same time, I think I ended up only getting three or four hours of sleep that night,” Tim Klaus (‘17).

  “I had to run through my house and change all the clocks by myself, I messed up on a couple of them and had to sit there even longer trying to get the correct time on them again,” Andrew Adolph (‘16)

  “I didn't mind losing the hour so much, I think it’s nice that the sun is out later at night now for this time of the year, it means spring is just around the corner and it can stop being cold out,” Russ Tenbusch (‘15).

  In conclusion, daylight savings can be a stressful time for students for the reason that it can throw our sleep schedules out of sync if you aren't prepared for it, but it also means that the days are getting longer and the sun stays out much later.

Huskies Raise Money Through Hit-a-ton

Sports

By Garrett Correy
Husky Herald Reporter

 The Port Huron Northern tennis teams hosted the fundraiser, the “Hit-a-thon,” on March 6th, 2015 at the Port Huron Tennis House. Northern students got the chance to play tennis for two hours between 7-9 PM with some of the best players in the state.

  The girls and boys tennis team gathered together to raise money. The money was raised for hotel fees, tournament fees, and court maintenance.

  Mr. LaBelle coaches the boys and girls teams.  “Each player's goal is to get five sponsors to come to the event, everyone had around 3 and surprisingly we had a huge outcome of over 100 people,” said Mr. LaBelle.

  It was a very successful night as the Hit-a-thon was a great fundraiser for the Port Huron Northern Tennis Teams.

  “The Hit-a-thon keeps getting bigger and bigger, this year we raised $2,500,” said girls tennis team member Tina Nandi (‘15).

  Everyone grabs a racket, plays games and compete for prizes. Kids really enjoy coming to this event.

  There was a part of the event just for kids. Young kids came out and played with some of the Northern tennis players .

  This event was a very fun way for many people who never played tennis to get the opportunity to pick up a racket and play. One fun competition was between members of Northern’s football team at the event.

  The football team was teamed up against each other to battle for a $10 McDonald’s gift card.

  “Its funny to see some other athletes try and pick up a racket and give it their best shot,” said girls tennis team member Sydney Westfall (‘15).

  In the end, football receiver Tanton Elliott (‘15) walked away victorious with a $10 gift card for McDonald’s.

  “It felt great to be the best tennis player on the football team,” Elliott said.

  “I like seeing all the non tennis players there such as the basketball and football team,” said Mr. LaBelle.

  Raising money and giving people an opportunity to pick up a racket and give tennis a chance proved popular with everyone.

  “We hope to see even more people next year,” said Nandi.

Northern Excels in the Arts

Feature

By Heaven Powell

Husky Herald Reporter

  Port Huron Northern has a love for the fine arts! Port Huron Northern's 2015 Art Show was held on February 12th.

  There was an array of pieces from Northern's very own, in every medium imaginable. Most of the artists included also had award winning pieces in the Scholastic's exhibit in Macomb.

  The exhibit in Macomb, known as The Scholastics Art and Writing Competition, had an overwhelming amount of Northern students' work. Every different award that was possible to receive, was received by at least one Northern Student.

  Rian Perry even received an American Vision award for one of her 3D pieces. This is the highest scholastic honor. Every artist, teacher and student, is so proud of this accomplishment.

  Northern's art program has excelled since it's existence and is normally overlooked. The women in charge of educating and training these artists are Victoria Hussey and Pamela Brown. These two wonderful teachers go out of their way inside and out of school to make sure each artist is the best they can be.

  The 2015 art show was run without a hitch and received a great reaction from students, teachers, and parents. Aaron Martindale ('15) says, "I didn't even know most of these people were artists it's so cool".

  Two senior artists, Jaylynn Buckley ('15) and myself, Heaven Powell ('15) enjoyed standing near our own exhibits, eavesdropping on the comments from students. I made sure to converse with the ones that did not know it was my own work.

  "This one is crazy" one unknown student exclaimed. "Yeah that's so cool," I replied, "I wonder how the artist did that." To my own surprise, the student thought it was a stencil, and I sarcastically agreed, and walked away laughing before I blew my cover.

  Each AP senior got their own large display including a creative name tag, and artist statement. This gave us each a final PHN Art farewell from the show. It also made it easy for the teachers, and students, that have known us for four plus years, to see all of the work we had been working on this year in AP Art.

  The art show has always been great way for the students of Northern to show off their work. It is nice for the art program to be highlighted for that special week each February.

Northern Wrestling Starts Fresh

Sports

By Kyle Burch
Husky Herald Reporter

  Port Huron Northern wrestling turned a new leaf this year, as they practically started fresh. Almost a whole new roster, new coach and new program.

  They started fresh and slowly built up and developed the program throughout the year.

  Head coach Patrick Connell said “the team progressed consistently throughout the year. The program ended last season with only nine athletes. We have doubled that number in a year and introduced the sport to a much higher percentage of the school population.”

  The team has been solid in years past but of late it has hit a rough patch and went on a sort of downward spiral.

  This year was a good bounce back from that downward spiral and the team seems to be back on track.

  Mike Mahaffy (‘16) who was a captain of the team said “this was my first year wrestling but I feel that we progressed through the year and improved greatly and I am excited for next year.”

  This year was a good start up year and the team plans to keep improving. Connell says “our plan is to continually build up and improve the program. We will certainly find more success next year as we build on the foundation we built this year.”

  Ethyn Blair (‘17) who couldn't wrestle the majority of the season due to an injury is excited for next year. “This year I couldn't wrestle much due to an injury but next year I plan on bouncing back and being able to compete at a high level.”

  When asking Connell about his expectations for next year he stated “next year I expect we can double the size of the team again. We’ll continue to enhance the knowledge of our team.”

  Although the team didn't do so hot this year they are all hopeful for next year. A lot of the kids on the program are young, as they only had one senior, Brandon Leal (‘15).

  The underclassman on the team plan to keep improving and strive to get better. They want to turn the tide and develop a winning program.

  If they can get more wrestlers on the team, work hard and keep doing what they’re doing they should have a very prosperous season next year.

  

  

Students Give Their Opinions on Snow Days

Opinion

By Luke Scahill and Tanton Elliot

Husky Herald Reporter

  At Port Huron Northern, kids love having snow days. What we do on snow days is the question.

“I like shoveling because I can make bank off of it” (Joey Zappa ‘15).

   Most people like snow days because they are able to sleep in and relax all day. We took a tally and sleeping in was at the top of the list.

  “I sleep in till about noon and after that I play 2k all day” (Spencer Vasbinder ‘15). This year we’ve been fortunate to have 5 snow days which ties the limit in The Port Huron Area School District.

  While taking the tally we talked to kids from all four grades and a lot enjoyed going sledding with their friends.

  “Shoutout to Jamie Cain, you the real MVP!” said Artez Hadley (‘15).

  All in all its been a good year for snow days.  

Boys Basketball Starts Up

Sports

By Dallas Chicone
Husky Herald Reporter

  The 2014-15 boys’ varsity basketball team will be competing in the MAC Blue Conference. The Huskies started the season off with a home game against Sarnia St. Patrick, losing 56-35.

   “Our goal this year is to play one game at a time” Brett Manis (’16) says. “We need to play the game we know how and not take our opponents lightly” says Manis.

  The Huskies then had the Ed Peltz Holiday Tournament where they took on the Port Huron High Big Reds in the first game of the tournament. “It was a great game,” says Brandon Doan (‘16) “It was a close one throughout and unfortunately we didn't come out on top.” The Huskies lost a thriller 59-57.

  The Huskies returned to action the next day as they got their first win of the season against Croswell, 59-46. The huskies would then lose their next three games.

    “We are capable of playing better” says team captain Tanton Elliott (’15). “If we play like we know how then we will win a lot more games” Elliott says.

  “Right now the season has not been going as planned but alright” says Manis. “Were not playing too bad, we just aren’t doing enough little things to finish and win games.” Elliott says “The season is not going to well so far. We plan on turning it around” Elliott says.

  The Huskies are staying positive and not worrying about the rest of the season. “If we do what we are supposed to do and play as a team I think the rest of the season will be great” says Doan.

  Elliott and  Manis are not worried about the rest of the season. “We have the talent to win the games and we will work the little things out in practice” Elliott says. “I think we’re going to turn the season around and finish strong going into districts” says Manis.

  The Huskies need your help this season as well! They want everyone to show up and cheer them on throughout the season. “We need a student section,” Mains says, “We want an awesome atmosphere when we play!”

Husky Reports On NBA Trade Deadline

Sports

By Brannan Dortman
Husky Herald Reporter

The NBA Trade Deadline brought excitement to most teams and big stars with new homes. The trade deadline exploded towards the last hour of the day and many contenders solidified their bench and the tanking teams got worse.

  Some of the biggest moves of the day was Reggie Jackson a point guard traded to the Detroit Pistons from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Thunder got DJ Augustin and Kyle Singler. Both teams got a  huge boost.

  The Pistons got a starting quality point guard with their main point guard out for the year in Brandon Jennings with an achilles tear. The Thunder boosted their bench with the trade trying to stay in the playoffs and compete for a championship.

 The Thunder were also involved in another trade getting center Enes Kanter from the Utah Jazz for another center in Kendrick Perkins. This trade was very good for the Thunder getting a huge boost to their bench. But for the Jazz, Perkins arrived to the team but was then cut from the team and Perkins winded up signing for the rest of the year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  Another big deal involved the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Miami Heat. Goran Dragic was sent to the Heat to become their starting point guard and his little brother Zoran. The Suns acquired Danny Granger, John Salmons and two future first round picks.

  The Pelicans received Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, and Justin Williams.  The trade definitely helped every team and the Heat acquired a starting point guard while the Suns got assets for the future and the Pelicans got a quality sixth man.

  But perhaps the biggest trade of the day came when the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers announced their five-player trade. The Suns received Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall both coming from Milwaukee. The Bucks received Michael Carter-Williams from the 76ers, and Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee from the Suns. The 76ers received the rights to the Los Angeles Lakers 2015 1st round pick.

  The NBA Trade Deadline was very exciting. The best teams got better and the tanking teams got worse. Oh what fun it is to lose.

Valentines Day Hit Big With the Huskies

Feature

By Tala Haidar

Husky Herald Reporter

February fourteenth seems to roll around the corner every year in the blink of an eye.  This is the holiday where one spends the day with a special someone.

  This holiday is usually marked with Hallmark cards, candy, hearts, and the iconic winged angel, Cupid.

  For those who did not have a Valentine this year, that was okay.  There Were several movies to watch at the movie theater.

  The one movie that made a big hit in the box office was Fifty Shades of Grey.  Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a thumbs up.

  The one hour and fifty minute movie was filled with romance, bringing E.L. James’ novel to life.

  Not looking for a gory romance movie?  That's Okay, too.

  Kingsman:  The Secret Service hit the big screen on Valentine’s Day.  This less than two hour movie was filled with mystery and suspense.

  If staying at home and cozying up to a good show and some pizza was what you were looking for then Jet’s Pizza made it even better.  The pizza place was promoting Valentine’s Day on the thirteenth and fourteenth.

  How? Well, the pizza company was making heart shaped pizzas for the second year in a row.

  The six piece cheesy pie was a big hit last year.  Why not take a bite in style?

  Christopher’s Flowers was selling special bouquets for Valentine’s Day.  People could pick one in their price range and treat their loved one with vibrant red rose vines.

  In Emmett Michigan, there was a Valentine’s dinner dance.  People put on their dancing shoes and danced a little with their friends and loved ones.

  In order to go, one must be twenty-one or older.  Doors opened at six, and dinner started at seven.

  Emmett Lions Club was sponsoring this event.  This took place at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Hall.

  There were several things to do on Valentine’s Day, single or not. If Cupid did not hit you with his arrow then there is always next year.

  Hope you had fun, stayed safe, and smiled a lot!

American Sniper Hits Theatres

Feature

By Josh Haight

Husky Herald Reporter

 American Sniper stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, a United States Navy SEAL sniper with a record for the most confirmed kills. It also stars Sienna Miller as his wife and is directed by Clint Eastwood.

 For a long time, Clint Eastwood was renowned as one of Hollywood’s greatest directors, with films like Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Gran Torino. Though those films are great, it seems he’s going through a directing dry-spell of sorts with films like Trouble with the Curve, Jersey Boys and, unfortunately, American Sniper.

 American Sniper is not a bad movie. In fact, it’s far from it.

 There are some definitely great things exhibited in this film. The acting by the two main stars is absolutely great.

 Bradley Cooper, well known for playing typecast handsome/charming roles makes a complete departure from any performance he’s ever given as a modest, patriotic Texan with a profound love of America. He truly made an effort to become this character through his weight gain, shift to a Southern accent, and giving an unrecognizable performance.       

 Sienna Miller gives a very emotional performance as Chris Kyle’s wife. And by emotional, I mean she cries a lot, so I guess she’s got that going for her.

 Characters are actually where this film begins to crumble a bit. We, as an audience, should care when a character dies or gets injured, but we don’t because they’re not developed enough for us to actually be invested.

 The only two characters that are developed to the caliber of a good film are those of Chris Kyle (Cooper) and his wife (Miller). And even then, Miller is the cardboard cutout of a crying military wife and Cooper is the cardboard cutout of a patriot hero.

 A good character development for the character of Chris Kyle is the expressions on his face when people call him hero. He actually shows doubt and confusion for these allegations and seems to doubt the morality of his actions, but hearing people constantly call him a hero gets ultimately frustrating after a period of two hours.

 I’m not saying that Chris Kyle wasn't a hero, didn't love his country, or didn't regret his actions as a sniper. I’m just saying that in the film, he’s portrayed as some perfect hero, person, husband and father, which definitely wasn't true at all because nobody is perfect.

 Sure the film tries to develop post-traumatic stress for Chris Kyle with sounds resembling to gunfire and melodramatic violence, but he’s not extremely affected by the events he experienced at war. This makes us care for the character significantly less because he seems so indifferent.

 In terms of technical aspects and production value for the film, it’s very well made. The cinematography for the film is absolutely gorgeous, the film sounds great in terms of both dialogue scenes and war scenes, the violence in those war scenes is very well choreographed and executed.

 Writing aspects, such as dialogue are also very well put together, with America scenes and war scenes seguing into each other with ease. The dialogue flows and keeps the audience immersed, even with exposition in the form of army lingo that not many people understand.

 The overall story of the film is relatively straight-forward. Chris Kyle is a patriot, he has a wife and kids back home, he has a life in the war, and those two lives are constantly at war with each other. I actually really liked this part to the film and I think that can be credited to the director, Clint Eastwood and the editors Joel Cox and Gary Roach.

 Overall, I felt American Sniper was a good film, not great, and had some definite flaws that overshadowed some really good acting, dialogue, editing and storytelling. Looking at this film from a superficial standpoint it’s very good, but it lacks the heart and down to earth feel that could have made it great.