Volume 90, Issue 1 TUNLAW Inside this issue: Homecoming 2

Hallway Decorating 2

New Staff 3

Last Minute Costumes 4

Fall Activities 4

College Sneak Peek 6

Fall Sports 7

The Official Newspaper of North Plainfield High School

34 Wilson Avenue North Plainfield, NJ 07060

School Spirit Victoria Kisling

This year’s Canuck at the Fall Pep Rally. The mascots and cheerleaders from 1968.

Tunlaw Editors

Editor-In-Chief:

Victoria Kisling

News: Victoria Kisling

Features: Kayla Arguello & Alveiry Zarate

Opinion/Editorial:

Jessie Corchado & Heather Hernandez

Sports: Amaiana Sajjad

Tunlaw Staff: Aniyha Gaddis

Olivia Molenaar

Jordan Sample

Katrina Bavosa

Diana Orozco

Jasmine Muhando

Sebastian Villacis

Nermeen Girgis

Emely Alphonse

David Michael Kenny

Sabriya Zafar

Joseph Leon

Kimberly Perez

Shafaq Shahzad

Alex Novillo

Samantha Merendino

Myles Pacla

Elisa Peregrina

Audrey Urmaza

Courtney Thomas

Faculty Advisor:

Mrs. Lake

Every year at North Plainf ield High School (NPHS), the ent ire s tudent body and staf f part ic ipate in School Spir i t Week. School Spir it Week fea-tures a di f ferent theme each day with the Hallway Decorat ing Competit ion between the four c lasses taking place on Thursday, the Homecoming Footbal l game Friday night , and the Homecoming Dance Satur-day night . This year , the themes were: Pajama Day (Monday) , Twin Day (Tuesday) , Save the World Wednesday (Wednesday) , Throwback Thursday (Thursday), and Spir i t Day (Friday) .

School Spir it Week has been a tradit ion at the high school for many years and i t is safe to say that l ike anything else, s chool spir it changes. Nancy Wal-ler is an NPHS Alumni, Class of 1968. When inter-viewed, Ms. Waller shared, “It was great school spir i t . Everybody would go to the dances , our canteens, which were our weekly dances . Everybody would go to the school p lay. There was a lot of school spir it , a lot of good school spir it . ” Ms. Waller a t tend-ed NPHS from 1964 to 1968. In her senior year , she was the mascot along with her l i fe long best fr iend Linda Shebey. A large part of the school spir it comes from the mas-

cot , the Canuck. However , the Canuck was not always the woodsman that he is known to be today. Accord-ing to Ms. Waller , the Ca-nuck was the name that was g iven to the mascot , but the high school was repre-sented by a p ine tree. The costume that Ms. Waller and Ms. Shebey both wore, was composed of b lack t ights , b lack loafers, a white b louse, and “a green shaggy tree outf it . ” Once in costume, Ms. Waller said, “Linda and I would try to do this dance where we would knock our hips to-gether . Sometimes one of us would get down and the other would jump over l ike a bul l frog. Then we’d run around the stands and try to get people to cheer l ike clap and things l ike that .” Ms. Waller shared that they changed tradit ion in a way where they would do the f irst cheer of the games with the cheer leaders . This was untradit ional because at the t ime, mascots were not considered to be truly part of the cheer leading team. When asked what i t meant to be a Canuc k at the t ime, Ms. Waller repl ied, “There was a lot of school spir it . Everyone went to the footbal l games, so I th ink to be a Canuck was to have a lot of pr ide for our school . I knew a lot of the cheer leaders and so I th ink i t was just fun being with a group of people I enjoyed being with . North Plain-

f ield was a very small school . I th ink there were about 200 hundred kids in each graduat ing c lass so eve-rybody knew everybody.”

Ms. S loan, the current Varsi ty Cheer leading Coach and Student Act iv i ty Coordi-nator , repl ied in a s imilar manner. She said that the Canuck represents “strength, res i l ience, divers i ty .” The Canuck means something di f ferent to everyone in North Plainf ield , but i t rep-resents the school and the people.

23 years af ter Shebey graduated, Mr. Lake gradu-ated from NPHS. Mr. Lake comes from a l ine of Ca-nucks. His mother graduated in 1956 and his two older s isters graduated in 1984 and 1987. When asked how school spir i t has changed from when he at tended the school as a s tudent to now as a teacher , Mr. Lake said, “The school s t i l l has spir i t , l ike i t a lways did but I th ink the b iggest di f ference is that we don' t see as many stu-dents who have had their parents , their aunts and un-cles , etc , come through the school . Growing up, North Plainf ield , especial ly North Plainf ield sports , was the only thing I ever wanted to be part of .”

Mr. Lake thinks that school spir i t is societal , meaning that people lose track of what is happening around them and that there

(continued on page 2)

Saturday September 24th was the North Plainfield Homecoming dance where it was truly a night filled with fancy clothes, good food, and hanging out with friends. The theme of this year’s dance was called “Hollywood Lights”, showcasing the auditorium with a trendsetting decor of black table covers placed with shining star pieces and a centerpiece of black and red balloons with the famous Hollywood clapperboard and a little photo area where guests can take pictures like a real celebrity as they pose on the red carpet. Dr. Stephenson said, “The night was perfect! The girls looked beauti-ful and the guys looked sharp. I think this year went very well”.

The food and drinks were served by the teachers as they displayed rolls, pasta, meat-balls, veggies and more. But the part that everyone was looking forward to was the ice cream. Guests danced the night away as the DJ played popular songs and some mem-orable old school songs like the “Cha-Cha Slide” and the “Running Man,” which made everyone bust a move and show off their dance skills. The winners of Homecoming King and Queen were Nick Chesararo and Amina Elsais, and the winners for Home-coming Prince and Princess where Dalavar Athar and Shaerton. The winners were very surprised to win as Shaerton commented “I was really shocked and I was really happy about it. Part of me didn’t believe I was going to win, but my friends voted for me.” After crowning, the winners engaged in a slow dance to Ed Sheeran.

As the night was coming to an end, everyone was both smiling and taking pic-tures but also out of breath from dancing all night. Even though the night was over, everyone seemed to have a great time as they left in laughter and the fun memories they've spent with friends. Veronika Miller commented on the experience and said, “It felt like an everlasting night”.

Homecoming Dance Jordan Sample

As always, the four classes stay after school, often very late, to decorate the hallways with different themes in the

annual Hallway Decorating Contest. On Thursday, September 22 stu-dents from each class came together to represent their class and help decorate their hallway. Students that had time to spare came by to assist in decorating their classes hallway for the time that they could, but some students stayed late just to add the final touches to their hallways. Land-ing themselves fourth place were the Freshmen with their theme “Forest Freshmen.” Brian Yumiguano helped out his class and said, “we tried going for something small yet nice”. Getting a position of third place just like the previous year was the Class of 2019. With the theme of “Smurfmores” they decorated the hallway as a Smurf village. Student Council President, Joseph Leon said, “ The whole sophomore council decided together on the theme which was the smurfs. Everyone in the student council pitched in ideas and were determined to work together to make our hallway the best it could be.” Coming in with second place were the seniors with their theme of “Safari Seniors.” They decorated their hallways with various animals, most of which you'd find in zoos. Karen Gordon said, “it’s a fun theme and everyone loves animals, it's colorful and pops out.” Finally coming in first are the juniors with their theme “Disney Juniors”. The juniors decorated the hallway with a bunch of small Disney logos and Disney characters. Anne Joseph said, “It was dif-ferent and creative and everyone could relate to it.”

Hallway Decorating Sebastian Villacis

(Spirit Continued) will be more school spirit if people were not so wrapped up in themselves. He believes that there should be more maroon and white around the school along with the Canuck to add more school spirit. When asked what the Canuck means, Mr. Lake replied, “The Canuck logo is the best logo anywhere. We are the only school in the United States that has the Canuck mas-

cot. To me, it represents everyone who has ever come through NP. It represents hard work. It rep-resents toughness. It represents resilience.”

Mr. Risoli graduated 7 years after Mr. Lake. He believes that the school spirit has increased throughout the years. When asked why, he re-sponded, “I think this is due to the pride that NP takes in its diversity, awards such as National School of Character, and activities like Canuck Mentors and ROTC, just to name a few reasons.”

School spirit will always change, but the Canuck and what he stands for will never change.

Who even has time to worry about graduation when there are still nine months to get through? What even is Project Graduation? These thoughts may have been running through seniors' heads when reading the title of this article, but it is a guarantee that graduation will be here much sooner than anticipated. Currently, the main focus is on getting through the final year of high school without too much stress and flaunting their

"authority" as upperclassmen. They're anxiously waiting to finally walk across the stage and receive their diploma, as many of their friends have done before them. But much thought also needs to be given to Senior Smash, the event that is hosted the night of graduation as a final activity for the seniors to bond as a class and say farewell.

To answer some possible questions, this year's Project Graduation is headed by Mrs. Gardner and Mrs. Ford with the help of several other dedicated PTA members. Schools nationwide undergo committees similar to Project Graduation with the purpose of giving seniors a safe outlet to have fun with their peers for a final time before parting ways. North Plainfield High School picked up Project Graduation about twenty five years ago after newly graduated students across the country were involved in a series of drunk driving accidents. The intention of Project Graduation is to keep students, and other drivers, safe. The PTA members have been doing a great job so far and their work is greatly appreciated, but now it is the seniors' time to join the effort.

Senior Smash will not be able to happen if student involvement does not increase. At minimum, the senior class needs to raise $15,000 (yes you read that right) in order to cover venue, transportation, food, etc. The PTA can plan as many fundraisers as they want, but without seniors will-ing to actually raise money, little progress will be made. Planning is one thing but execution is the most important piece. Senior year is supposed to be the highlight of high school, so why not make the most of it and actively contribute now so that it can be a great end to the final year of high school?

So what can students do to help? Well, even just by coming out to school events like Color Wars, the Volley Cheese tournament, and the Mr. Canuck competition, an impact is being made. Getting excited for upcoming events and potential fundraising opportunities will also be beneficial to the goal because there will be a greater turn out and a greater profit made. Listening to announcements and just being aware of when these events are going on will also make a difference. If all the seniors do their share to contribute not only their time, but their enthusiasm, they will be well on their way to exceeding their goal and creating a memorable experience at Senior Smash.

Project Graduation Katrina Bavosa

Cover of the 1968 Yearbook 1968 Varsity Cheerleading Team

Cheerleaders and Canuck at the Fall Pep Rally. Members of the Cross Country team at the Fall Pep Rally. Junior, Noran Zaher, full of Canuck Pride at Fall Pep Rally.

Hollywood Nights Alveiry Zarate and Audrey Urmaza

The 2016-17 school year had an amazing start with this year’s home-coming. The theme was Hollywood Nights. This year’s homecoming court in-cluded seniors Nick Cherasaro, Antoine Izaguirre, Chris Medrano, Sefa Kolu-bah, Kaitlyn Carreras, Amina Elsais, Emily McGrath, and Yanqing Liang and juniors Olivia Molenaar, Anne Joseph, Zya Shelton, Ayah Elsais, Dlavar Athar, Brandon Smith, Brandon Wynn, and Trevor Sullivan. At the end of the night, the winners for king, queen, prince, and princess were announced. The winners were Cherasaro as king, Amina as queen, Athar as prince, and Shelton as prin-cess. The winners were interviewed, their responses are shared below.

1. What does it mean to be homecoming king/queen/prince/princess?

Cherasaro: It means a lot of the people voted for me.

Amina: I think being homecoming queen is a really nice gesture coming from people from my class who voted, and it was just an awesome way to end a memory filled night.

Athar: Well, I wanna start off by thanking my parents because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. And I also want to thank my friends who supported me. And most of all, I want to thank the teachers and staff members who make NPHS what it is. Going to homecoming was a lot of fun. I had a great time with friends and becoming homecoming prince to me is an honor. I appreciate eve-ryone that voted for me. It was a great feeling. I can’t really explain it, but it was truly an honor.

Shelton: It means a lot being homecoming princess because I didn’t even think I had the chance to be nominated.

2. How did you feel when you heard your name called as one of the winners?

Cherasaro: I was nervous because I don’t like dancing and I didn’t want to go out there.

Amina: I was really surprised to be announced because all the nominees were great.

Athar: It was a feeling that I could not explain. It felt great like cotton candy and warm cookies.

NPHS Welcomes New Staff Olivia Molenaar, Diana Orozco, Kayla Arguello, and Alveiry Zarate

This year the NPHS community has welcomed many new teachers and former teachers in new positions. Each one of them was asked what their favorite part of NPHS has been. Below is the first of a two part series.

Mr. Charles Rowan (Assistant Principal): My favorite part about coming to work at NPHS would have to be the students and the staff.

Mrs. Olga Wickerhauser (Biology Teacher): My favorite thing about coming to work is the students. I really like the diversity of the student body here at North Plainfield.

Ms. Rebecca Visintainer (Dance Teacher): I love the students’ ability to be open to learning new things, adapting, and their ability to help each other without be-ing told to do so.

Mr. John Bednarz (HS Librarian): The people I work with are such a help, and the students seem so happy and interested in learning.

Ms. Erin Kreeger (Science Teacher): "My favorite thing has been working with the students; there are times when I am amazed by the work they are doing and the interesting questions they ask. I came in with high expectations for the physics program...the students have risen to meet those expectations, so it makes my job fun because we are able to explore topics that I didn't think we were going to be able to cover."

Ms. Zoraida Otero (Guidance Counselor): My favorite part about coming to work everyday is the interaction that I have with my students. I look forward to helping my students in the areas of aca-demic achievement, career development, and personal/social development. As their number one advocate, it is important that I build a strong rapport with my students and that they are treated fairly at all times.

Shelton: When I won I felt great but shocked somewhat because I didn’t really think I would win based off who I was going against.

3. Did you think you were going to win?

Cherasaro: I didn’t think that I was going to win.

Amina: I didn’t think I’d be queen but I was really excited and happy. It was a great and fun experience.

Athar: Honestly, I didn’t know because I didn’t focus much on “Omg am I going to win?” I went to homecoming not with the thought to win but to think of it as a time to make memories I would look back at in 20 years and have a great time. I walked into homecoming with a “I got two more years of high school, might as well live them up to the fullest because why not?” type of mood. Just there to make great memories with great people. CLASS OF 2K18.

Shelton: A part of me did and didn’t at the same time. I did because I have great friends who support me and I knew would vote and didn’t because of, once again,

From left: Dlavar Athar. Olivia Mo-lenaar, Zya Shelton, Anne Joseph, Ayah Elsais, and Trevor Sullivan

From top left: Nick Cherasaro, Chris Medrano, Antoine Izaguirre, and Sefa Kalubah

From bottom left: Kaitlyn Carreras, Yanqing Liang, Emily McGrath, and Amina Elsais.

Halloween is coming. Are you still deciding on what to dress up as or do you have no idea? Well, there are some very simple costumes that are not much work, but are still creative. BuzzFeed shared some creative ideas like the ones below.

This first costume is very simple. Why not dress up as Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family? All you need is a black button-down shirt tucked into a black skirt. Then, just add braids, and maybe just put on a serious face.

Here’s another idea. Be a strong independent woman like Rosie the Riveter. Wear your blue button-up shirt, add a ban-dana, and a pair of high-wasted jeans.

Do you have a black suit and black sunglasses? You could be a character from Men in Black.

This last costume could be an idea for couples out there. You could dress up as Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction. Vin-cent Vega just needs a white button-down shirt, a black jacket, and black pants. To dress up as Mia Wallace all you need is a white long sleeve button-down shirt, black pants, and a black short wig.

It’s okay if you don’t go all out for Halloween, these simple cos-tumes will do just the trick.

If you enjoy the aroma of cinnamon in your home, this craft is perfect for you. The materi-als that you will need are the following: non-

scented candles, cinnamon sticks, and some rope long enough to tie the cinnamon sticks together and secure. All you would have to do is simply line up the cinnamon sticks together as close as possible around the candle and tie the rope around. Now the next time you light a can-dle, your home will have the scent of a cinnamon wonderland.

In fall, you have so many opportuni-ties to also do activities outside of your home as well. Halloween is coming, so why not go pumpkin picking? There are a bunch of pick-it-yourself farms in New Jersey today where you can pick corn, apples, pumpkins and many other plants. These farms give you the experience of going on hayrides and possibly being able to see animals there too.

During the whole month of October, Fright Fest is happening every

Fall. A time of sweater weather and Uggs. This year, the set date for fall was September 22, 2016. Now we’re pretty set into the beginning of October. It's getting chillier in the morn-ings and colder at night. Some of us may not even like the cold, but there are things that we can do to keep our mind off of that. This fall try diving into some arts and crafts and some of the DIYs. Something you may enjoy making could be an Au-tumn Leaf Mason Jar Candle Holder.

The supplies that you will need to pro-vide for this DIY, will be the following: a mason jar, mod podge (type of glue), leaves (can be real or fake), and a sponge brush. For this craft, a ribbon is added at the end but that is optional based on how you wish to have your design. An-other simple arts and crafts project that you could do at home is cinnamon scent-ed candles.

weekend until the day of Halloween which is Mon-day October 31, 2016. Fright Fest is a time to go to Six Flags with a couple of your friends and enjoy a night of being frightened. There are rides, mazes, scare zones, food, and games all around there.

If you like to volunteer or help those in need, this fall Community Food Banks are open to anyone wanting to volunteer. There is one in Hillside, New Jersey and another in Neptune, New Jersey. Helping others have a meal in their stomach creates a great feeling in you that you did something to make an-other person feel even better. If you are interested in volunteering and finding a local food bank, please visit the Feeding America website for more details.

To get in the spirit of fall, there are a couple of clas-sics that you can watch in the comfort of your home. Netflix and other movie sources have classics available like The Corpses Bride by Tim Burton and The Addams Family. These movies will get you right in the spirit of Fall.

Hopefully these ideas will encourage you to go out or stay in and enjoy a little bit more about fall. Have a happy fall this year.

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

Kayla Arguello

Fall Activities

Emely Alphonse

The seniors of North Plainfield High School have reached their final year walking the halls and being surrounded by faces that have been familiar to them for years. Ending a chapter of your life is never easy. Especial-ly when the people that you have experienced it with have impacted your life tremendous-ly. Senior year is a time to end high school right and create memorable moments that you can forever carry with you. Going through senior year, it's important to keep these expectations and goals in mind to keep on the right path. Enjoying this final year is what being a senior is all about. Although it's the last year, it's only just begun, one jour-ney is coming to an end, while the start of a new chapter is approaching this coming June. Senior year is a big deal and every sen-ior has their own goals and expectations for the year. Several seniors were willing to share.

As expected, many of the seniors antici-pate a very busy and stressful year ahead of them. All are welcoming the new school year and everything that it has to bring. One of the seniors here at NPHS, Kanira White, ex-pects this year to be very fast paced and emotional. She shared how this is her last year with the people she's spent 6 years with, yet it's heartwarming to see everybody pre-pare to move onto greater things. Other stu-dents, like JP Donatelli, expect this year to be a great year with new memories shared with his friends. Dilinna Enwerekowe ex-pects to make the best out of this year.

While speaking to the current NPHS sen-iors, a common goal expressed was to get in-to college and do well in school. Senior year is filled with college applications and the an-ticipation of getting into a school is a topic on everyone's mind. While trying to enjoy this year, these students stated that getting into college was their main goal.

Senior Expectations

Olivia Molenaar

Fall Fashion

Diana Orozco

Diverse denim is definitely taking some of the spotlight this fall. There are many ways to make your denim stand out. An exciting trend that is having a comeback moment this year, is denim on den-im. In the past, some may have found this risky, but this fall don't be afraid to pair some blue jeans with a lighter jean jacket or shirt. Don't forget about patchwork, which in the most literal terms is patches of different fabric. It is the art of using pieces from different articles of clothing, and piecing them together on one article of clothing, maybe some jeans or even a dress. Patchwork has been trending, one reason is because it can be very easy to dress up or dress down. It can be included by adding light patches to darker colored jeans. Denim with embroidery also seems to be trending this fall, and it is looking amazing! It can make any outfit chic and unique. Finally, you can even add your own spin to any denim by adding embellishments of anything you find cool or interesting, or any-thing that represents you. You can add pins of anywhere you've traveled, your favorite band, or simply your favorite color. You can also add sayings you find motivating or in-spiring. Jackets covered in patches, pins, or buttons can give you the unique style you might be looking for. Make denim the staple to any outfit this fall. You may want to start looking through old denim you have stored in boxes in the depths of your closet, thinking they were outdated and would never make a comeback. This fall, they certainly are.

All images: http://images.google.com

Lately makeup has become more popular

than ever before. New trends, new

brands, and new products are constantly

hitting the market, but the problem is

that it costs a lot of money to get these

amazing makeup looks. The products are

very expensive. That's why Tunlaw is

here to help by giving specific swaps that

work. You'll save tons of money with

these!

Too Faced “Born This Way” Founda-tion ($39) VS L’Oreal Paris

“Infallible Pro-Matte” Foundation ($10.60): The “Infallible Pro-Matte” foundation is a great replacement for Two Faced “Born This Way” founda-tion. It’s a matte formula that is long wearing and has extremely good cov-erage for a drug store makeup brand.

Mac “Zoom Lash” Mascara ($18) VS L’Oreal “Voluminous Superstar”

Mascara ($5.90): If you want great voluminous lashes without paying a

hefty price, then L’Oreal’s “Superstar Mascara” is the way to go.

Laura Mercier “Translucent” Loose Setting Powder ($38) VS Maybelline

“Masterfix” Setting + Perfecting Loose Powder($9.00):Maybelline’s “Masterfix” is much less expensive

than the high end product. Both are translucent and don’t make your

skin look lighter. It completes your look with a matte finish.

Anastasia Beverly Hills “Dipbrow Pomade” eyebrow gel ($18) VS

Maybelline “Brow Drama Pro Pal-ette” ($9.96): The less expensive

product is a great alternative and is half the price. Both have all day cov-erage and are pretty water resistant.

Urban Decay “All-Nighter” Makeup Setting Spray ($30) VS Maybelline “Masterfix” Wear Boosting Setting Spray ($8.40):The less expensive

product is almost three times cheap-er than the high end product. Both leave a nice glowing finish to the skin and set your makeup to look

flawless all day.

NARS “Radiant Creamy” Concealer ($29) VS Maybelline “Fit Me” Con-cealer ($5.50): The Maybelline “Fit

Me” concealer is an amazing alterna-tive for the NARS concealer. It has a very similar amount of coverage and comes in many different shades for

different skin tones.

High End Makeup Swaps Alex Novillo and Samantha Merendino

Mood Songs

Sabriya Zafar

Music is a huge part of our lives. Whether we feel like laughing or crying, music is there. Here are some songs you can listen to when you're in a particular mood.

When You’re Happy Relaxation

1. Let Me Love You– DJ Snake 1. Let it Go– James Bay

2. Treat You Better– Shawn Mendes 2. Things Happen– Dawes

3. Hips Don’t Lie– Shakira 3. Thinking Out Loud– Ed Sheeran

4. Hymn for the Weekend– Coldplay 4. Let Her Go– Passenger

5. Heathens– Twenty One Pilots 5. Sleep on the Floor– The Lumineers

6. Closer– The Chainsmokers 6. Morning– William Wild

While the Fleetwood Museum at Vermeule

Mansion is interesting to the eye, there is so

much more to learn once inside. The Fleet-

wood Museum, or also known as the Ver-

meule Mansion, is a public place where you

can view old antique cameras and find out

historic information about North Plainfield.

The Vermeule Mansion was built in the 18th

century and housed the Vermeule family.

During the war, the Vermeule women would

take injured soldiers from Washington’s

troops and would give them shelter. There

was a China set Washington gave the family

as a thank-you gift. In the cemetery located

in the park, the entire Vermeule family is

buried.

To make this place more special, there is a camera museum called the Fleetwood Museum,

which was owned by Mr. Fleetwood, a North Plainfield resident who collected cameras and do-

nated his collection to the museum. An interesting fact lies

there: A pastor from Newark was the actual inventor of

roll film! Roberta Scott and Sara Parmigiani, curators at

the Vermeule property, shared some details regarding this

historical place. Roberta Scott is in charge of the Fleet-

wood Camera Museum. She often escapes through pho-

tography within na-

ture and fine art. Rol-

oflex and 35mm roll

film are the two cam-

eras that Ms. Scott

would have liked to use out of the many of cameras in muse-

um. Ms. Scott loves hand-made authentic lenses; she would

rather use an older model camera than a modern camera.

The type of camera Ms. Parmigiani would like to use is the

Mamiya Seekor. Ms. Parmigiani was a huge help while un-

raveling the history of our town. She mentioned that the

Vermeule Mansion carries so much history throughout its

three floors. From libraries to music boxes, antique books to

quilts, she brought us stacks full of information on North

Plainfield and even brought us a time capsule that was to be

opened by 1985. She also gave us the chance to go up the

stairs and show us the different rooms and what they held. Everything felt so surreal. To be

brought back in time was truly an amazing experience.

Interview at the Fleetwood Museum, North Plainfield

Jessie Corchado and Heather Hernandez

Sara Parmigiani and Roberta Scott

1935 Time Capsule

Vermuele Mansion Sign

The websites, businesses, and products referenced are for informational purposes only. The district has no affiliation and does not endorse the specific sites/ businesses/products listed.

College is a new experience for all students. It's not like elementary school where mommy or daddy hold your hand on your way in, or like

high school where you are nagged at to do your homework. The beauty of college life is the independence you receive. To learn more about this, NPHS graduates from the class of 2016, we’ve interviewed about all things college:

Samantha Jeannot, Rutgers University (New Brunswick)

JM: Do you live in a dorm or do you commute?

SJ: I live in a dorm.

JM: How is your relationship with your roommate if you have one?

SJ: I don’t have one.

JM: How was your first day of college?

SJ: My first day of college was quite simple and relaxed since I only had 2 classes that day. It was significantly different than a first day of high school because there were so many people and my classes are all over the campus, so I had a lot of walking to do.

JM: What are you majoring in?

SJ: I'm majoring in English and getting a masters in Education.

Jasmin Okolo, Boston University

JM: Do you live in a dorm or do you commute?

JO: I live in a dorm.

JM: How is your relationship with your roommate if you have one?

JO: Me and my roommate go everywhere together!

JM: How was your first day of college?

JO: First day of classes went smoothly because I only had an hour of Spanish and it was my birthday.

JM: What are you majoring in?

JO: Psychology major/Biology minor

JM: Do you prefer morning or afternoon classes?

JO: I have morning classes every day.

Mariah Rohan, Montclair State University

A.G: What major are you studying? M.R: I have a double major in Information Technology and Computer Science with a minor in Communica-tions and Public Relations.

A.G: Do you live in a dorm or commute?

M.R: I dorm.

A.G: How are you and your roommate getting along? M.R: My roommate and I are like long lost sisters and she's my soon to be cheer partner. I love her.

A.G: How was your first day? M.R: My first day was actually pretty intimidating. I'm the only girl in most of my computer classes and they all have more experience than me but it was nothing that I couldn't handle.

A.G: Of the acceptances that you received, why did you choose Montclair ? M.R: Montclair was not my first choice but it was the least expensive and it had everything I was looking for in terms of my major. Not every college has Information Technology as its own major and Montclair does.

A.G: What is something you didn't expect about college? M.R: The freedom. They trust you a lot and it's like you're living by yourself. All you really have to do is get your work done. It's a great opportunity that I hope everyone gets the chance to experience.

A.G: Any advice to the seniors applying?

M.R: To all my seniors, first off, congrats! This is it and don't take anything for granted. You have to stay focused or you will fall behind and make sure you have safe schools you are ap-plying to. Also, make sure you apply for every scholarship out there because it will help a lot. Once again, congrats class of 2017!

Sneak Peek Into College

Jasmine Muhando and Aniyha Gaddis

1. Ask Seniors For Help: Nobody knows the inner workings of high school better than those who have one year left. Seniors are your greatest guides and will be more than willing to help, JUST ASK!

2. Do NOT Procrastinate: The worst thing you can do is wait last minute to do anything, whether it be for school or some regular day-to-day activity. This causes added stress on your part. Just get it out of the way, you'll love your-self for it.

3. Know Your Guidance Counselor: When your parents are nagging you or your best friend tells your secret, it often times feels like you have no one to vent to. Luckily, you have a coun-selor who is here to not only listen to your issues but devise a way to solve them.

4. Utilize Study Groups or Academic Aids: Being that at times school can become over-whelming, a group may be your best bet. Study groups and tutors relieve the stress of being alone in this crazy cycle we call high school.

5. Be Early: We all know the struggles of trav-eling through the busy high school hallways. To assure that you won't be late, don’t waste time stopping and hanging out along the way. Being late can turn into absences and absences can turn into skips or detentions. Doesn't sound fun.

6. Lastly, Enjoy Yourself!: Many people con-sider the high school years to be the most free and easy going years in life. Enjoy them. What-ever drama or stress that comes your way will pass and when you turn your tassels to the other side and leave behind all that you once knew, you'll look back on the amazing four years you experienced at NPHS.

How To Navigate High School

Aniyha Gaddis

Freshman year can be a scary year to most. You've just transitioned to a new environment. You are going to be here for four whole years. Now a month has passed and twenty freshmen were asked how their first year has been so far. Here’s a few that stood out!

“This year has been pretty good. It's going by quick”

“At first, I was really nervous about going to high school, but after getting to know people through activi-ties, it became a lot more fun.”

“At first I was really nervous and now I feel happy.”

“My freshman year has been good. Not the best, but it's good.”

“My freshman year has been great. It's more different than middle school.”

“It's been okay, but boring. I have no friends in my clas-ses.”

The high school has different activities that cater to many people's interests, and the best way to enjoy high school is to get involved. Some fun clubs that students can join are: Canuckling, Tunlaw, Art Club, Debate Club, Interact, Drama, Student Council (check when your class meetings are), Chess, Step, Show Choir, and so many more. Freshmen can also count on their mentors and counselors to help guide them through high school. Don't be scared to ask them questions. That's what they're there for!

Freshmen Perspective

Jessie Corchado

Her parents are getting divorced, her Nana passed away. Could Kylie Galen's life get any worse? Yes, it could and it did. Her mom sends her off to Shadow Falls camp for the entire summer. The rumors about the camp are that it is full of freaks and juvenile delinquents. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter tells the story of Kylie as she finds out that supernatural creatures are real and she's one of them. But what is she? That is what no one knows. They know of her gifts but they aren't sure of what she is. She's in denial about what she is. Until she finds out her dad was cheating which leads to her finding out that he's not her real dad. But the ghost who appears to her and tries to get her attention is. Can Kylie

come to accept who she is in time to be able to use her gifts to help the people around her or will she turn her back on her gifts and let those she's come to love down?

Book Review

Nermeen Girgis

Mariah Rohan

Jasmin Okolo

Samantha Jeannot

Pushing limits. Working past the fatigue and pain. Practicing despite weather conditions. These are all tech-

nicalities the girls’ varsity soccer team has experienced thus far in the season. New head coach Ms. Colabelli

and captains Ashley Atubi, Nikita Forrester, Jocelyn Ramos, and Dilinna Enwerekowe have spent countless

hours conditioning the team to build physical stamina and agility. Coach Colabelli states, "Over the past few weeks, we have proved not only that we are physical-

ly strong, and mentally tough, but that we are relentless competitors". Honing their skills on the field is not their only focus, however. This season holds the

promise of physical achievements, as well as the development of a family-like cohesive unit, bonded by a common passion. Senior Aracely Pacheco states, “We

grew closer as a team by constantly giving each other positive feedback and pushing one another to our full potential. Trusting each other on the field is crucial

but being able to trust each other off the field is what shows we’ve really bonded as a team”. On the field, it has not been all smooth sailing, as eleven members

graduated this past year and left crucial openings in the formation. The team was not deterred by this predicament, however, in fact they took it in stride. Players

were switched around, positions were changed, and in the end, the team’s determination accommodated the gaps left behind by last year’s seniors. The girls were

not willing to give up easily nor settle for anything less than their best. Coach Colabelli explains that their bond is a cause for this, "As an individual, when you

watch your teammates giving everything they have on the field, you become inspired to do the same. The girls come out each game and play for each other, and

it's that unity that allows them to be successful". It was because of this commitment to each other and steadfast determination that the team was able to secure a

2-0 win over Gil St Bernard. To recap their season, senior captain Jocelyn Ramos states, “We trained harder, pushed ourselves further, and became closer as a

team. We stepped it up.” So if you happen to stroll past Upper Krausche and see the soccer team sprinting across the field or crowded in a motivational huddle,

know that they are giving it their all and putting in that hard work.

She Runs, She Dribbles, She Scores! Katrina Bavosa

The Lady Canuck Field Hockey team is back in action this fall with a goal to try and better their record from last year. This year's team is lead by the senior captains, left wing forward Christina Guerra and center defender Estefani Zavaleta. The team is guided by head coach, Corrine Cecala and assistant coach, Heather Morgan. In order to achieve their personal bests, the girls attend prac-tice for two hours every day after school. Each minute spent practicing shapes the girls into an amazing force that can't be defeated. Captain Zavaleta constantly drives her players to never give up and tells them that their captains will be in there, no matter what the score is. She motivates them to always leave the field having given it their all. And for these girls, Coach Cecala said that, "It all comes down to showcasing that potential in our games on a consistent basis to be the best that they can be." So far this season the girls had a tremendous 1-0 victory over Koinonia Academy with a goal by sophomore Dan-ielle Havrilla . The Lady Canucks kicked off the Somerset County tournament on October 1st as they fought hard to try and secure a win against Montgomery High School. Coach Cecala said," It was a tough game playing a higher seeded team out of our division, that also has had much more highly competitive games during their main season.”

Field Hockey

Shafaq Shahzad

Most people are still out in the sun enjoying their summer vacation in August, but the Lady Canucks Ten-

nis Team was working hard and preparing for this year’s season. The team’s record this year is 2 -10.

Coach Graubard states, “Our record of 2-10 does not reflect the growth in this year’s Girls Varsity Tennis.

Playing in a very competitive conference, we have lost half our matches 3 -2, which indicates a slight switch. Either way decided

the outcome. Our doubles teams are ranked 2nd and 3rd in conference and our singles continue to knock on the door of suc-

cess.” The captains for this season are Seniors Victoria Kisling, Karen Gordon, and Emily McGrath. Gordon says that the team

has a lot of potential. She also states, “Our doubles have been doing well and our younger singles players have really grown th is

season.” Furthermore, Kisling, Gordon, and McGrath all say it is an honor to be captain. Particularly, Kisling states, “Being a

captain is very unexpected for me at least. I think it’s a pretty cool experience and I’m enjoying it.”

Sophomore Ryan Smith may only be in his second year of Cross Country but his skills and

dedication do not go unnoticed. Smith has been an avid runner

ever since he was young and participated in middle school track,

both of which he states as factors that better prepared him for Cross Country. Smith's fondness for Cross Country is

fueled not only by his love of running but by what being part of the team entails. "My favorite thing about Cross Country

is competing against other great runners who are just as motivated as me as well as being part of team that works hard

and tries to improve at every single meet." This desire to improve Ryan speaks of is a quality several of his teammates

highlighted in him. Senior captain Royer Brito states, "Ryan has come a long way and even though he has some more to

learn, it's inspiring to see someone so dedicated to this sport.” Smith is constantly working to improve his personal rec-

ord time, as shown through his performance at the divisional batch races. Coach Eshleman said, "On September 24 at

the Great Adventure Safari invitational [Smith] set a personal record with a time of 17:39. He also has had 2nd, and 4th

place finishes at the divisional batch races which had over 75 runners in each race". The Cross Country team is looking

forward to joining in the Somerset County meet and the Skyland Conference meet within the next couple of weeks.

Fall Athletic Recognition - Ryan Smith

Katrina Bavosa

Girls Tennis

Alveiry Zarate

You see these individuals run around the track, the school, and they even pass by when you walk home. This year’s North Plainfield

Coed Cross Country team is all about succeeding all together to break records and come out as the best they could possibly be.

Training their hardest, they all strive and compete against other towns for best time running a certain amount of miles in a specific

area. Elisa Peregrina, one of the few sophomore runners that have been involved with the sport since she started high school, explains what Cross Country is

all about. “The actual definition for Cross Country discusses a competitive off road running sport. Many say that all you do is run, technically that is true, but it

has more depth to it. We run for speed, distance, endurance, stamina, elevation, etc. Cross country is a passion.” She then continues to speak out about the

team, their experience with the first meet they attended, and compares it to where they stand now. “The team’s bond is amazing. Everyone is so diverse and

we have many unique personalities. When together, we are like a family. Everyone is so accepting of one another, supportive, and there is never a dull mo-

ment. This year’s first meet was very eventful. For the team having many new comers, it was very exciting yet nerve-racking for some. The outcome of the

team's results were good for the first race of the year, and a good starting point to build from. From the first meet to this time in the season, the team is thriv-

ing. Each meet, there has been almost 100% improvement for individual times and team rankings. Everyone has really been able to push themselves and feed

off of each other's encouragement. ” Another runner on the team, Courtney Thomas, also speaks out about how time consuming cross country can be.

“Personally, I have time for all other activities that I do, even with cross country. I manage my schedule around this sport and nothing else.” Coach Eshelman

of the cross country team states, “As my first year coaching cross country, I am really enjoying it. I love seeing the team's passion for running at such a young

age, because I wish I found mine earlier.” He then continues to say, “there is nothing better than seeing the team excel and progress more and more together.”

Cross Country

Myles Pacla

The North Plainfield Boys Varsity

Soccer is undefeated in the Skyland

conference division so far this sea-

son. David Wilson, senior, dodged

the opposing team scoring an astonishing goal assisted by the captain,

Kenny Navas in a recent game against South Hunterdon (1,0). Edgar

Castaneda and Danny Gonzalez each made a save, blocking the goals

from the opposing team. By defeating other teams they have the deter-

mination and mindset to win. The varsity captain, Kenny Navas said,

“My hard work, respect, and accountability on and off of the field al-

lows me to lead by example, create a stronger team atmosphere, and I

make decisions which are best for us in the long run.” The team at-

mosphere is looking solid and terrific so far according to Kenny, as he

lead his team to victories. The varsity coach, Mr. Henriques, said,

”Even though we have a lot returning players from last year’s soccer

program, what I see is that they no longer rely on one person to make

things happen out on the field. They are very much a team that is

made up of the sum of their parts that makes them a strong team.”

Mr. Henriques knows that his team is very responsible and knows that

every single player is dedicated to the team. He said, “Every year is the

same– the hunt for a championship whether it is another division title

which we have won two years in a row in 2014 and 2015 or a county

and or state championship.” Junior, Floyd Ebanks Jr said, “This year's

captains are really hardworking. Despite any circumstances the team

may be going through, they keep us focused, and help keep the team

spirit alive. That's really important for us.”

Team Work Makes the Game Work

Joseph Leon

The North Plainfield Junior Varsity Cheerleading team started out in May as a com-pletely new team, with only a few returning members. They

worked hard all summer long in the hot, sweaty wrestling gym. But that sweat wasn’t for nothing, it was all worth it in cheer camp when they won several tro-phies and spirit awards--a huge improvement from last year. Coach Gilchrist-Hamilton, most referred to as Coach G, says she has high expectations to im-prove team unity and thinks they are definitely moving in the right direction. Coach G also hopes to polish their tumbling and synchronization. The two cap-tains of the team are sophomores Sydney Muhando and Cheyenne Mutura. Chey-enne says this season is “filled with highs and lows but the team as a whole is so hardworking that whenever there are lows we come back stronger, and we are so excited and ready to take on competition season!” JV Competition begins in De-cember and the team is ready. Coach G said she is, “very proud of this teams ded-ication and perseverance. They are awesome.”

Thus far, the season for the Varsity Cheerleaders is progressing in an excellent manner. The team is full with a very athletic, emotionally inspired group of individuals that are very hardworking and dedicated. The team has been working extremely hard since the season began in the summer, and they intend to continue to push themselves the rest of the way. Ms. Sloan, varsity coach, has high expectations for her team now and for competition this winter. To prepare, the team will continue working on making their movements sharper and clean-ing up their stunts. Varsity competition begins on November 6th and carries on throughout the months of December, January, and February.

The captains of the team are seniors, Sefa Kolubah, Katrina Bavosa, Ami-nah Muhammad, and Kaitlyn Carreras. Carreras said, “this season so far is one of the best ones we have had. I think I saw how truly amazing we were at camp, where we won multitudes of awards and trophies, not only for performance, but for sportsmanship. My team has matured in ways I couldn't fathom before the summer began. As a senior and captain, I can honestly say I will forever be proud of them. I can't wait for competition season!" Kolubah also said, “The Canuck Cheer Team is more than a bunch of athletes that throw each other around. We're a family and I couldn't be more honored to lead them as captain my senior year. We continue to exceed expectations with our strength, ability, and skills. I can't wait to see what these girls have to offer by competition season!” Ms. Sloan said, “Watching this team grow in the last four years has truly been a great bless-ing in my life!”

Throw, Fly, Flip, Twist, Catch! Elisa Peregrina & Courtney Thomas

The Canuck football players are back at it this year in full speed. The boys practice five days a week for three hours,

regardless of the weather on Krausche Field. The boys brought home a win against Delaware Valley on September 9th, 28-7, with a season rec-ord, 1-4. They push one another to remain dedicated to their purpose in giving it their all when on the turf. The new head coach, Mark Ciccotelli, coach Nick Tyson, and coach Castor Lasada, have been working in long practices to build the player's football skills. Coach James DePaolo says, “we have changed our offense on line, and I would say that we throw the ball way more than any other years we have before. Coach Thomas Ban-non adds to coach DiPaolo’s comment by saying, “it can be very hard to learn a new scheme of offense, and many times it is much harder on the quarterback because he has the pressure to throw the ball at a much faster pace than before.” Captains, Nick Cherasaro, Jesse Knight, and Matthew Bordfeld shared that they hope to aspire for their ultimate goal, which is to win a playoff game.” Captain Matthew Bordfeld, senior at North Plainfield High, said, “as someone new to this school, I feel as if the amount of passion and optimism that my teammates hold, it doesn’t only push the other player but myself to remain positive all throughout the games, no matter the end score.” Nick Cherasaro, senior, varsity starting quarterback shared advice for any newcomers to the team. He said, “when it gets hard, simply push through it, because there will always be a lesson learned. He said, “a life lesson that I think I have taken away from all these years of playing on this “family-like” team, is that your parents can’t come out on the field and wipe your forehead for you; therefore you have to grow and progress with time and its condi-tions.”

Time To Tackle Another Year

Amaiana Sajjad

North Plainfield High School Marching Band is

drumming back onto the turf Friday nights, and

for many hours after school. The musicians of NPHS Marching Band started practicing

in June, with basic marching techniques. Karen Gordon, senior, says that the practices

lasted for about nine hours each day during the summer. Gordon continues to say, “the

hardest part about marching band practice is when camp begins, in the first week of Au-

gust.” Each year marching band chooses a theme, this year's theme is, From the Land of

The Rising Sun (Japan). The musicians perform music that is a representation of the

annual theme. So far NPHS marching band has attended six competitions, all on Satur-

days. Daniela Barriga, senior, is this years main drum major, followed by juniors, Julia

Pacheco and Hajira Adil, as assistant drum majors. The band placed second in competi-

tion in North Brunswick on October 8th. They get a chance to put all their practice under

the bright turf lights at every football game, and every Saturday competition.

Color Guard is the other half of NPHS marching band, as they practice and perform

hand in hand with marching band. The dancers and performers of color guard choreo-

graph their dances with the music the band plays. The performers learn to throw, catch,

and spin the different colored flags to the beat of the music. There are three instructors

names, Daniel, Shanen Shotwell, and Jennifer DeJesso, for the guard that help in de-

signing how everything is supposed to look and be done. Sigrid Soto, a senior at NPHS,

is leader of color guard alongside with junior, Linda Lopez, and freshmen, Cedric Thom-

as. Soto says, “this is my first year as a color guard performer, but in the past I was a par-

ticipant of the marching band, that’s why my transition from one group to the other

seemed easier than it would be for someone who is first joining either one of the pro-

grams.” Soto adds that, “marching band and color guard are like salt and pepper, they go

better together. Surely as color guard performs we can perform to music being played on

some speakers, and they can perform music by themselves, but if I were the audience, I’d

like to see both showing off their talents together.”

Performers of the Night

Amaiana Sajjad