Anime Club allows students to explore diverse interests
Liam Fagan, Staff Writer
April 16, 2018
Filed under Feature, Human Interest Feature, Showcase
Every Wednesday, the anime club of Portage Northern meets after school to play games, and of course, watch anime. They meet in Nott’s room in the art wing. Seniors Mandy Kellogg and Lily Griffioen are the leaders of the Anime Club and run the meetings. “In club, we tie Japanese culture in with...
Define: woke
Sheila Mwanda, Staff Writer
April 4, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Informative Feature
In recent years, the use of the word “woke” has been on the rise. Urban DIctionary defines the word woke as “being aware of the social and political environments regarding all demographics and socio-economic standings.” While its first recorded usage dates back to 1962, it gained the momentum...
My journey to college, from the SAT to a teacher who believed in me
Meredith Ablao, News Editor
April 4, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Personal Narrative
Working hard for grades, struggling in tears to complete homework, and ripping huge holes in my paper because of anger are all what I, Meredith Ablao, did quite often growing up. Some days it was math, other days it was science or English. All three subjects were on the SAT my junior year, and that wa...
Remembering Mr. Short, a WMS band icon
Malcolm Gaynor, Staff Writer
April 4, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Human Interest Feature
Bill Short, a beloved staff member with the West Middle School band, died on March 10th at age 85. He died doing what he loved: volunteering and helping set up for the Middle School Band Festival. Short, a former member of the Air Force band, has volunteered with the West band since 1999, giving lessons...
Rawan Alsaedi contemplates going home to a war zone
Snigda Narisetty, Staff Writer
April 2, 2018
Filed under Feature, Human Interest Feature, Showcase
As sophomore Rawan Alsaedi stepped off of the plane at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport in July of 2013, she thought she would never feel at home here, but now she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. That year, Rawan and her family left war-torn Iraq for her father Abdulrahman’s studies. He came her...
Junior Marisa Toomsen surfs her way through life
Meredith Ablao, News Editor
March 29, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Human Interest Feature
Marisa Toomsen is a junior at Portage Northern who is known for her love for the environment, travel and film, but more importantly, she is dedicated to surfing. “You feel so free and connected to the ocean, I can’t even explain it,” she says. She has been surfing more than 15 times in Saint Joe California and in Florida. It is an activity that keeps...
Colorism: discrimination within minority groups
Issra Said, Feature Writer
March 21, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Informative Feature
Colorism is distinct from racism through its meaning, and therefore more implicit. Activist Alice Walker is known for being the first person to use the term “colorism.” In an essay from her 1983 book, In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens, Walker defines colorism as “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their co...
Black girl hair: beyond the stereotypes
Keegan Tenney, Staff Writer
March 20, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Human Interest Feature
For me, walking into a salon and getting my hair done costs as little as $20, yet I still find myself complaining at the gaping hole in my wallet from the loss. The struggle is definitely not real. For female students of color, the financial pain is much greater. Weave is a hairstyle created by weaving piec...
Surrounded: Split families doesn’t always mean half the love
Allison McKenzie, Business Manager
March 20, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Personal Narrative
Growing up, I was always jealous of my friends who went home to the same house every night and spent an immense amount of time with both their mom and dad. They’d come to school the next day and talk about their family dinners and I would gaze in awe of their so called “picture-perfect” night. Fo...
Dante Chastine: PN’s infamous door holder
Laura Koscinski, Staff Writer
March 19, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Human Interest Feature
Most people probably know junior Dante Chastine as that kid who always holds the door open for everyone. What people other than his friends and family probably don’t know is what truly makes him who he is. Dante is a very creative person who spends his time writing poems, reading books, or wo...
Visiting WMU
Laura Koscinski, Staff Writer
March 19, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Informative Feature
Western Michigan University will be the college destination of many PNHS students. If you're thinking about becoming a future Bronco, here's a photo walkthrough of some of the main aspects of student life at WMU.
Lauren Michelli: a student leader with a eye for fashion
Mackenzie Brey, Social Media Manager
March 16, 2018
Filed under All, Feature, Human Interest Feature
Many women and teenage girls alike have experienced both the binding and freeing effects of personal style. We have felt the ways it can make us glow in a crowded room and the way it can make a spotlight follow you when you are desperately trying to avoid it. Take for example Lauren Michelli, studen...
