How Jobs Affect Student Life

Feature
By James King
Husky Herald Reporter

  Many Juniors and Seniors in the Port Huron Area School District have part time jobs . The real question is how do these jobs affect their school life. Do the late hours deprive them of much needed rest, or do the after school hours intervene with their homework time?

  Zachariah Muir (‘17) had a tight work schedule of 4pm-10pm at Menards with only Tuesdays and Thursdays off.

  “I barely got any sleep because I would get home and i'd have to eat, use the bathroom, do homework and then I would still want time to myself so I ended up staying until 12:30” said Muir.

  Muir’s grades plummeted from A’s B’s and C’s to C’s D’s and E’s from only having 30 minutes at most to do homework.

  From his lack of sleep Muir said “I was so tired in the morning that I could barely make the bus stop”.

  But not all jobs affect students performance in school. Remy Evenson (‘17), a straight A student at Port Huron Northern, works 3pm-8pm most weekdays, 4pm-10pm on Fridays and sometimes 8am-4pm on weekends.

  Evenson says “It hasn't affected my grades too much, sometimes I don't have time to do my assignments right away, but i'll get it in the next day and it'll be fine.”

  The students grades really depend on the job itself, Evenson states that her bosses did not make students work late on weekdays, so most of her hours were on the weekends, while Muir’s hours were always late even on weekdays which caused the lack of sleep and a less can do attitude.

  This should not deter students from getting a job, they should just talk to their employer and make sure the employer is alright with their sleep schedule as well as their school schedule.

Young Artists Show their Passion at the PHN Art Show

Feature
By Lukas Kellerman
Husky Herald Reporter

  Opening February 9th and running until the end of the month in the Port Huron Performing Arts Center, students, staff, and parents will be able to admire Northern’s most distinguished artist’s works. Ranging from sculpture to computer games, this show gives students the opportunity to show off their amazing creations.

  Art students at our school rarely have the chance to show others what their time and dedication has enabled them to build. This free exhibit not only allows others to view art, but vote on which one the like the best.

  This year’s show has a multitude of different mediums. It includes many drawings and paintings ranging from photorealistic to more abstract works. It shows ceramic works and sculptures made out of every-day items like computer parts to even things considered trash. The show even includes a large tentacle monster and short film about a red jeep.

  Too often is the struggle of these young artists overlooked and minimized because art is seen as a “gift”. This is not necessarily true. While it is true that some possess more creative ability than others, the act of creating something tangible involves countless hours of trial and error, brainstorming, and practice.

  Mark Le (‘16) said about the exhibit, “I really admire what these artists created here. I’m really into photography and I know what it takes to express your creativity and channel it into something you want others to be proud of.”

  Briana Johnson (‘16) said,“The art show definitely helps bring together a sense of community at the school. The show features a wide array of different artists and talents from all different social groups at Northern. It definitely helps show off all the hard work that has been put into the art program over the year. I’m very thankful to be apart of such an outstanding program.”

  Gillian Bolt (‘16) said, “Our show really reflects how hard these artists work to create something not only beautiful, but meaningful.”

  All in all, the hard work of our art students at PHN should not be overlooked. Even if not everyone can understand some of these amazing creations, they should be appreciated just as we appreciate sporting events or academic competitions.

Winter Fashion Trends in Full Swing

Feature
By Sophie Reinhard
Husky Herald Reporter

  Fashion trends are always changing. They vary from season to season, and trends in girls’ winter clothing is no different.

  The biggest challenge girls have in the winter is staying warm and looking trendy at the same time. An intelligent solution to this issue is wearing long sweaters, boots, and leg warmers.

  This basic outfit is usually worn with leggings and accessorized with with many different types of arm candy such as watches, Alex and Ani bracelets, or a Pandora bracelets.

  Some girls may even like to adorn their outfit with rings or necklaces. The most popular ring brands Tiffany and Pandora.

  Lululemon leggings are also commonly found in winter outfits.. They come in very many different shapes, sizes, and prices, but they are meant to flatter, and that is why most girls enjoy wearing them.

  Winter boots vary from tall to short, generally with fashionable socks showing at the top, where the leggings and boots meet. Sometimes, girls might wear Converse shoes to keep the style “chill” and not as “high maintenance.”   

  Some popular brands include, but are not limited to, Michael Kors, Coach, Guess, and Ralph Lauren.                        

  Finally, the sweater is typically a trendy, comfy, oversized one, or just something cute that can be bought at a local store.

  The brand of clothings does not seem to matter. Sammy Ziarko ('16) said that instead of a sweater, she occasionally goes with a cute flannel, "just to change it up a bit."

  Heidi Wilson (‘16) agreed with Ziarko, and added that leggings are the way to go. "You will never find me in jeans, they are uncomfortable and not as flattering," said Wilson.

  Both girls agreed that they love the classic sweater and boot style because, it is comfortable, stylish, and warm: all traits the perfect winter outfit needs.

  While clothing continues to come in and out of style, the current girls’ winter fashion trends are definitely going to stick around.

How Social Media affects Society

Feature
By Lizzy Berra
Husky Herald Reporter

  Social media are some of the most popular sites that plague the Internet. They have revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize on the Web.

  However, many will argue that social media hurts more than it helps.

  “It has a negative effect on people because it makes us less social in real life. We tend to be on our phones more often, even when being with others, instead of giving the person we are with our full attention,” Sammy Ziarko (‘16) said.

  People can target you for cyberbullying and harassment on social sites. School children, young girls, and women can fall prey to online attacks which can create tension and distress.

  “Social Media can be great if people use it correctly and what it is meant for. A lot of people get caught up in how many likes or comments they get on a selfie. People judge the pictures on whether the person is popular or not.” Alex Mayer (‘17) said.

   Productivity is also a problem that social media creates for teens and adults. Many individuals will put off work to check all their different social media pages.

  Finally, privacy is a huge issue social media poses on everyone. If one is not careful with the personal information they post, it can come back to haunt them. It gives others access to many details about a person that can be used in a harmful way.

  “I believe that social media should be used for good news stories and to make other people inspired. Unfortunately, a lot of people use it to make fun of others, complain, or get attention. Social media has affected me in a positive way because the people I follow are great influences on me,” Mayer said.

  On the other hand, social networking sites spread information faster than any other media. It also allows people to improve their relationships and make new friends.

  “I think social media has positively affected society because it gives us the opportunity to meet and reconnect with people from all over,” Ziarko said.

  Social media has its advantages and drawbacks and it is up to each user to use social sites wisely to enhance their professional and social life without falling victim to online dangers.

New Grade Policy affects Athletes

Sports
By Andrew Wit
Husky Herald Reporter

  The new grade policy at Port Huron Northern has affected many students in different ways. The fact that the administration checks students grades on Mondays instead of Fridays, the student no longer has the ability to work on his grades throughout the weekend. The student is just out of luck if he or she is unaware whether they are passing all of their classes or not.

  Unfortunately, sometimes teachers forget to put the grades into the grade book, but the administration does not know that. The administration doesn’t ask anyone they just assume that it is the student’s fault.

   “The new grade policy can be unfair because sometimes it isn’t the student's fault, sometimes the teachers forget to put the grades in the book. On the other hand, some kids just don’t do their work,” said Travis Hughes (17),  a junior at Port Huron Northern.

  Some students have no trouble with their classes or their teachers. Dakota Truscott, the captain of the Varsity hockey team, agrees.

  “Personally, I have not had any issues with not being able to play, but I have had a couple teammates that have experienced difficulties with their teachers not putting in grades. Most kids on the team have no issue but a select few have had some problems.” Truscott said.

  Some students wish that they would go back to the old grade policy where the administration checked the grades every Friday so they  had the weekend to work on their classes if they were behind.

  “I wish that the grade policy would be switched back because last year, there was an instance where I was missing an assignment and was unaware of it. The administration notified me and I was able to do my work over the weekend so I was able to play the following week,” said Garrett Yarger, a junior at Port Huron Northern.

  The majority of athletes want to have the old grade policy back due to the facts that they used to be able to work on the weekend, and sometimes the teachers forget to put the grades into the grade book.

Transitioning from Middle School to High School

Feature
By Allie Wight
Husky Herald Reporter

  Moving on from Middle School to the completely new journey of High School is quite the transition. It may prove to be a smoother, easier transition for some more than others.

  “I think there are both ups and downs in Middle School as well as High School,” said Madison Mason (‘19). “There isn’t really as much pressure to take work in school seriously in Middle School as there is in High School. On the other hand, though, High School offers a lot more freedom and it’s more fun than Middle School did.”

  “I thought that the transition from Middle School to High School was actually really easy. I was nervous about it for nothing.” Mason said.

  The pressure to do well in High School for many students results from hoping to receive acceptance to the college that they aspire to attend. For Middle School students, College is a bit too far off in the future to be really considering what kind of grades/courses and extracurriculars are important when applying to college.

  “I like High School a lot better than Middle School because the sports are so much more fun to go watch and I love being part of the Varsity basketball team,” said Olivia Ramsey (‘19). “I also like how much more freedom I get at Northern than I did at Fort Gratiot.”

  “I expected the transition from Middle School to be a lot harder than it actually turned out to be,” said Sarah Wight (‘19). “I think I was most nervous about the work in classes being a lot harder, but it’s kind of the same as middle school unless you’re taking an advanced placement class.”

  A lot of Middle School students coming to High School fear that they won’t fit in or are afraid that they will have to deal with intimidating upperclassmen. However, most freshmen will find that it is rather easy to make friends if they make an effort, even with the upperclassmen, who turn out to not be as intimidating as expected.

Lack of Snow Days dismays students, teachers alike

News
By Robbie Bacheller
Husky Herald Reporter

  A day off school may not seem like a big deal, but to many students, it is.

  The combination of sleeping in, relaxing, and not being at school in the middle of the week make snow days one of the best things that happen during a cold winter.

  But this year, to the dismay of most students and staff, Port Huron Schools has yet to have had a snow day.

  Some parts of Michigan, including metro Detroit, are experiencing record highs in temperatures this winter. The opposite can be said for snowfall.

  Port Huron Schools students have been spoiled with these “vacation days” in recent times. Last year, Port Huron Schools were closed six times due to inclement weather. Current state law requires a 180-day school year with up to six allowable snow days.

  Usually, if a school district exceeds the six-day limit, then the amount of days missed will be made up with additional days added to the end of the year.

  Yet a sense of strong optimism remains.

  “The heavy snow just hasn't come yet, but we have to get some sooner or later,” said Colten Burch (‘17).

  Students aren't the only ones who enjoy snow days, however. “Teachers might like snow days more than students,” said Mr. Whymer, science teacher at Port Huron Northern.

  Conversely, not all students enjoy these snow days. “I’m honestly not a big fan. Our education is too important to miss out on because of some snow,” said Nick Dewey (‘16).

  The most common reason for “snow days” is having excessive amounts of snow on the roads. But temperatures and windchills well-below freezing, icy and/or hazardous road conditions, and power outages at the school will all result in a school closing.

  Mr. James Cain, who is in his second year as superintendent with the district, determines whether schools will be open or not. Through an email interview, Port Huron Schools Director of Community Relations and Marketing Keely Baribeau said, “The Superintendent makes the final decision regarding District schedule changes and ‘snow days.’”

   “The Superintendent often considers whether other local districts are cancelling, what the current and predicted conditions are as reported by a designated district employee who "test drives" the roads and of course, safety. Safety is the most important and ultimate factor in any decision to alter the school day schedule,” said Baribeau.

  Schools are more likely to be closed if surrounding area districts are off as well. Rural districts such as Yale and Cros-Lex close more often due to rural farm roads. These roads are more susceptible to drifts because of open fields.

  It seems this year that following the superstitions of flushing some ice cubes down the toilet or sleeping with a spoon under the pillow may be the best ways to get a snow day.