To begin the cycle of signings, soccer player Peter Lee (’12) signed to the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point, commonly referred to as “Army,” on National Signing Day. Lee, a co-Captain of this year’s Eagles squad that only lost one conference game this season, was supported by his parents and sister, as well as many peers who have watched him play throughout his career. “He’s been working so hard,” stated Lee’s father, who couldn’t hold back a grin as Peter signed. “It was a happy moment, one we’ve waited on for a long time. We are thankful for everyone that supported him during his career here.”

The following Thursday, February 9th, North Point Football standouts Kortez Prather (’12) and Franklin Marshall (’12) signed their letters together to play for Notre Dame College of Ohio. Both students were All-SMAC First Team selections. Those who know the pair would say that they are near inseparable, so it’s no surprise that the two chose to go to the same school. “We knew about a year ago that we wanted to stay close and ball with each other,” claimed Kortez, who was also named the Charles County Football Player of the Year. “Not everyone gets to do the things I do, to have the opportunity I have to go to the same school as my brother,” Frank added.

Finally, on February 15th, Lady Eagle Julianne LoGrasso (’12), North Point Girls Soccer’s sole first team All-SMAC athlete, signed to continue her soccer career at Methodist University in North Carolina. In a smaller gathering consisting of family and teammates, LoGrasso was all smiles as she inked her signature on the dotted line.

With a few more months in the school year, one can be certain that there will be many more North Point athletes signing letters in the near future.

The program teaches sophomores, juniors and seniors the essentials of working in the kitchen and much more. The students learn the basics, such as safety, and specialized information for specific areas in the culinary field. Each year the students learn more knowledge of the kitchen and working in it.

Sophomore year, students learn the basics of safety and sanitation. Their junior year they refine their basics and are introduced to various techniques for cooking. Senior year students start specializing in specific fields. “It’s a lot of hands on,” said Mrs. Jones, one of the Culinary instructors.

The program doesn’t have a lot of book work. Grading is focused on the students’ work in the kitchen, which is focused on recipes. The grades are determined through the student dishes’ taste, texture, and appearance, as well as if the students followed the recipe and the proper techniques of preparation. “We check to see if they scaled up or down the recipe to feed more or less people,” added Ms. Dodson, the other Culinary teacher.

Students may be given recipes or may have to provide their own. They get them online or in textbooks that their teachers provide. “We sometimes make recipes,” said Taylor Nappi (’13).

The students enjoy the program. They say the hardest part is time management. “You want to make your dish a representation of you, so you don’t want to make your dish look rushed,” commented Jhullian Garcia (’12).

The program teaches students how to prepare dishes from pastries to steaks. “Basically anything you can get in a restaurant we make,” said Christian Walker (’13). The knowledge of the wide variety of foods lets students find what aspect of the culinary field they enjoy the most. The experience helps them to decide what field they want to specialize in after they graduate.

The program offers a lot of opportunities to students to get experience in the culinary field before they graduate. The students cater various events such as teacher lunches, county events, principal lunches, the “Taste of America” event at the Capitol Building in Washington, and the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast.

The students have many post-high school opportunities available to them through the program. If they maintain a B average, they can get three credits for Johnson & Wales University or earn six months time for field study for the Culinary Institute of America.

The fourth novel from John Green, a Young Adult author and YouTube sensation (the channel he shares with his brother, Hank Green, has 200 million views), TFIOS was released in January to great fanfare from Green fans. The author pledged to autograph the entire 150,000 copy first printing of the book, making fans even more eager to get their hands on a copy. The novel has spent the subsequent four weeks since its release at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

The Fault in Our Stars is in many ways a classic story. The protagonist is Hazel Lancaster, a sixteen year old diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer. After attending a support group for diagnosed kids, she meets Augustus Waters, who has osteosarcoma that is in remission. The two bond over their shared experience and their love for a book called “An Imperial Affliction,” written by a reclusive author who lives in the Netherlands. Peter Van Houten, the author, ended his book mid sentence, so Hazel and Gus seek to meet him and find out what happens to the characters.

A story of teenage is love is not unique. A story of cancer is not unique. The tale of a book within a book is not unique either. But what makes The Fault in Our Stars a unique and engrossing novel is the skill with which Green uses those motifs to go deeper.

As teenagers constantly grappling with the proximity of death, Hazel and Gus contemplate what it means to be gone. “Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for naught….And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it. God knows everyone else does,” Hazel says to Gus at support group, after he admits his fear of oblivion.

All 313 pages of the book feature this well considered writing. The characters are people that teenagers can relate to, but at the same time they are not dumbed down or vapid. After all, how can one be vapid when, at sixteen, your circumstances mean that you have chosen the suit that you will be buried in?  It is obvious that every word of Green’s was well considered and well used. English students take note – this is what your teachers mean by diction and tone being used well.

“I was eating Chinese food with a box of tissues and I cried. [TFIOS] was so good,” said Bri Busch (’13). And according to Jacob Moyer (’13), “It was very good because it captured your attention even though it wasn’t an action packed thriller type of thing.”

TFIOS also hits on many other themes, from cancer as civil war (how can Hazel “fight” cancer when the cancer cells are her own as much as the healthy cells?) to the pitfalls of idolizing our heroes. One reviewer called this novel “luminous”. I certainly echo that sentiment. The Fault in Our Stars is an outstanding novel, and it will certainly bring light to anyone who reads it.

4.5 / 5 stars

Talent. There are those that are born with it, and those that are born without it. In sports, it is evident at a very early age who has it and who does not. Although some believe that it is a bit premature to pressure young children to strive for athletic success, it is that pressure that separates the all-time greats from the wanna-be’s.

On an average recreational sports team, depending on the sport, there are two or three players that are a cut above the others, 80 percent of the team will be average, and the rest are usually waving at their parents when they should be paying attention. Of the few elite players, one will be pushed and succeed, one will not work hard enough, and one will be pushed and fail. Why? People are born with a specific set of traits that may or may not pave the road to greatness.

In the history of sports, there is a great example of each of these types of people. Up first: LeBron “King” James. 3 time Ohio Mr. Basketball. Sports Illustrated cover boy as a high school junior. First overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. 8 time NBA All-Star. 2 time NBA MVP. 0-2 career record in the NBA Finals. LeBron is possibly the most physically gifted athlete to ever tie his shoes, but he has lived in shame for five years, because he comes up small in the biggest moments. His inability to be clutch on basketball’s biggest stage is what separates him from the greatest players of all time.

The next guy is somebody every Redskins fan is familiar with: “Fat” Albert Haynesworth. At 6’6 325 pounds, he has the ability to be an unstoppable force in the NFL. In 2009, he signed a $100 million contract with the Redskins and immediately stopped working hard. Because he no longer had the pressure to earn a better contract, he no longer had the fire to work his hardest, and his play on the field declined immensely. Haynesworth has now been cut by a second team in the past year, and could be on his way out the league permanently.

The last guy: “Elite” Eli Manning, Quarterback of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. His father was an NFL Quarterback, his brother is a four time NFL MVP and 1-time Super bowl MVP, and Eli was always just the other Manning. The pressure he felt to succeed must have been incredible, even unbearable for a normal human, but Eli used it to his benefit. Four years ago, he silenced half of his critics by winning the Super bowl. Two weeks ago, he silenced the other half by becoming one of five Quarter backs in NFL History with two Super bowl MVPs.

I will admit that some parents do put too much pressure on their children to succeed. Many of these parents regret the mistakes they made at a young age and wish to push their kids in the right direction. If they truly believe in the idea that any person can be anything they want to be, my question is: why not pressure them?

Hollyfield was introduced to art as a youngster. Her mother is a skillful artist, who had her create little art projects. By seventh and eighth grade, she truly began to harvest her skills. Lucky to land with a great art teacher, she ventured to new aspects of art in depth and explored different mediums. Since then, she has received a Letter of Commendation from Martin O’Malley, the Governor of Maryland, along with various accolades. Per Dr. Alo, “She does a really good job and puts in a lot of time outside of class.”

One of her recent artworks depicts two vibrantly colored birds perched on a tree branch. Created with oil pastel and captured with vivid detail, the piece glows with a positive aura. It caught the eyes of National Art Educators Association, who chose it to display on 6^th avenue in New York City during their convention. Exhibited on 30×16 foot screen on March 2^nd and 3^rd, the masterpiece will be on slideshow as one of the best artworks from across the nation.

A loose sketch commences Hollyfield’s artistic process; little by little, she adds color. Next, the depth is enhanced with more rich and full shades and tints. Small details finish off the master piece. She heeds the help of the teacher and fellow classmates to get down the reflections and tiny details. “When I am finished, I feel really accomplished for about five seconds. There is nothing that can’t get better without some improvement,” she expressed.

Though she is certain perfection is a myth, she still believes if you can get it to be as close to perfect as possible then that would be your greatest achievement. “She is very critical of herself which works for her and hare method. She produces very good compositions,” said Dr. Alo.

The Art teachers Dr. Alo and Ms. Fair are some of Hollyfield’s biggest influences. “Dr. Alo is the one who taught me what to do,” she said, while Ms. Fair taught her to be direct and not to approach art timidly.

Personally, she would like her work to inspire others, “I want them to look at it and just say ‘WOW’ because I worked really hard on it,” she said. For now, Hollyfield wants to draw a bird that symbolizes each member of her family. In the future, she hopes to continue enriching herself with art classes- creating better artwork than she ever has before.

Former student Julia Keesler (’13) said, “She is really relatable and she really connects with students on a personal level.” Spence has been teaching at North Point for many years now, and seems to really enjoy her job. Her students mean a lot to her. Mike Johnson (’13) said, “Ms. Spence is an awesome teacher. She teaches you a lot, but is laid back at the same time. She treats you like an adult; not a kid. She’s fun to be around and hang out with.”

When she’s not at work, Spence likes to travel, scrapbook, be active, shop, hang out with friends, and read. Over the summer Spence went on an educational tour to England and Paris with twelve teenagers and her co-worker, Ms. DeVeny. She then got to talking about the trip and said her favorite part was “watching other people enjoy the experience of a new culture.”

If Spence could go anywhere in the world, she said, “I’ll be taking another tour to either Italy and France, or Italy and Germany in 2013, and I’m looking forward to that. But, if I could go anywhere, right now, I would go to Germany. I went when I was in college and I really enjoyed the experience. I would love to go back again.”

Spence’s job means a lot to her. She said, “I want to leave behind a good legacy and make a difference, no matter how small.” Does she feel like she’s made a difference? “Sometimes, there are those moments where I feel like I’ve been rewarded by my profession. To see students grow. That’s rewarding.”

The AP Language course is geared to analyzing essays and answering AP style questions. When testing is over and Mr. Williams is able to get the scores back, he and his AP students will review what they got wrong and also what they got right on the test. “Since I can keep the questions from the test, we will review and focus more on types of essays,” said Mr. Williams.  As far as the test affecting the student’s grades, it will be discussed, but it doesn’t affect their grade heavily. “I have no clue as far as how my students did, but they seemed confident with two out of the three essays. But I won’t really find out because scoring doesn’t start until next week.” says Mr. Williams.

The AP literature class is based upon writing essays, and learning about literature strategies and analysis. The test will count as a test grade for third quarter for students. “I’m able to keep the test book and look at what they got wrong and right. We go back as a class and review; I focus on their strongest and weakest points and help them with ways to improve,” says Mrs. Kirby.  “I believe my students took the test seriously and made an effort.”

About four hundred delegates, trainers, and advisors, in both middle and high school, came together to attend a mixture of workshops; among those delegates, Charles County turned up with the largest delegation participating. Some partakers taught the workshops while many others gained knowledge on various subjects: how bills become laws, the procedures of the parliament, and the importance of student board members. Accenting advocacy, the workshops invigorated students to propose certain policies in their school, county, and state legislatures. However, the pivotal point of the session was voting for the State Student Member of the Board of Education for 2012-13. Five students ran for the positions. Their speeches touched on everything from technological integration, statewide student service learning, improving quality of schools, and the minds of the people themselves.

Azeezat Adeleke, SGA vice president, who taught some workshops, described her experience as both stressful and rewarding at the same time. “This was my third time leading the workshop at this particular convention. I had some experience going into it, but you never know what will happen,” she said.

For Ms. Huffman, the SGA sponsor, the event was a great opportunity for students to examine and evaluate the legislation that specifically dealt with their own education. “Attending the workshop trained them on the legislative process that they participated in. Their voice could be heard as students in the state and the Board of Education,” she expressed.

The event held great significance in training future leaders. You never know if you are looking at the next great political figure.

“I like it because, I’m able to teach it to respond back” said Chris Queen (’14). SimSimi has so many funny remarks when conversing with it. “I sent it ‘ball so hard’ and it responded with the lyric that came afterward in the Jay-Z and Kanye West song,” said Taryn Chamberlain (’14). “My Simsimi says some O.C. (out of control) stuff when I text him, he’s too funny” says Eric Battle (‘13).  “I like it better than Siri, because I don’t have an IPhone 4s” says Terrence Hayes (’12).  The Apps Company is planning on making more changes to make the conversation with SimSimi more fun later on in the future. SimSimi is free on both Android and the Iphone 4s. I personally like this App. It’s very entertaining especially when I’m bored, and I would recommend it to anyone that wants more fun applications on their phone.