Natalie Gaeckle

SAT Prep Class Builds Skills and Confidence

November 5, 2024 by Natalie Gaeckle

On October 24^th, Northwood students in grades 11 and 12 took the SAT and the PSAT in preparation for upcoming college application deadlines and practice in English and math skills. Instead of taking the SAT on October 5^th with the rest of the nation, the school scheduled a testing day on the 24th when all test takers could prepare for a bit longer and take the test in the morning.

Northwood also offers an SAT prep class led by Brian Marohnic that some students could take. In contrast, others decided to use their study tactics such as the internet, YouTube videos, and practice Bluebook tests provided by the College Board and the Princeton Review. During the class, students took many practice problems for both sections followed by answers and the reasoning behind the correct or incorrect answers to help them learn the material and the structure and progression of the questions. The SAT, recently updated to a digital version, is now an adaptive test that changes, going on an either easier or more advanced path based on the success of the previous module.

Northwood’s SAT prep class met every Tuesday for 2 hours in the evening for weeks before the SAT date. Many juniors and seniors took part in the class. Reviews from this class were mostly positive. “The teacher was always there to help explain any questions and give tips on how the test would work,” Elleanore Pelletier ’25 said. “I personally think it was a really helpful class because I knew what was going to be on the test and what to expect,” she added.

“Before and during the beginning of the class I was super overwhelmed and stressed because of all the questions,” Uma Laguna-Curtis ‘26 said. “But Brian was treating the class like it was a super relaxed meeting. He made the questions so much simpler, and he made it seem like they were not a big deal. He helped uncomplicate both the questions and the stress overall,” she added.

This class has been very helpful in building students’ confidence and skills in English and math. Whether or not the students yield the results that they want, it can still be highly beneficial in terms of advancing their skills overall in analytical classes and higher-level math classes as students progress. This extra and fairly large commitment is also a testimony to the dedication and independence that Northwood students possess as they consistently attended the class in the academic building even as the weather got colder and nighttime came much earlier. Students away from school for sports commitments also attended the class over the computer. In Chile, skiers sat in the hallway in a time zone one hour later than New York’s, showing Northwood students’ dedication to academic improvement.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Survey Shows Northwood Presidential Preferences Similar to National Polls

November 2, 2024 by Natalie Gaeckle

Trump and Harris are statistically even in national polls and have been for weeks. Source: The New York Times.

In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election on Tuesday, November 5^th,the AP Statistics class, taught by Mr. Bob Emery, conducted a study to investigate the Northwood Community’s preferences for candidates running in the Presidential election.

A random sample of twenty-five percent of the Northwood community, including faculty, coaches, and students, was surveyed. Data was collected about respondents’ age, gender, and choice for the election (or no opinion), as well as additional questions regarding voting eligibility and American citizenship. One goal of the study was to compare the preferences of the Northwood community to published professional opinion polls.

Based on the results of the study, the AP Statistics class is 95% confident that the true numbers are within 13% of what they found. This 13% thus represents the study’s margin of error. It’s like a little “wiggle room” for their data, which can come up when a study uses a small sample size, like in this case at Northwood.

Preference for Kamala Harris at Northwood is somewhere between 31.4% – 57.4% and the preference for Donald Trump is between 18.3% – 44.3%.

Source: AP Statistics survey of the Northwood community, October 2024. Chart created using Chat GPT.

Another important factor in the study is “Non-Response Bias” because only 45 of the 56 individuals sent the study answered. It’s possible that the non-responders had a more favorable opinion of one of the candidates – or no opinion at all – and that preference was not captured in the survey results.

There may also be a “Timing Bias,” which would result in stronger opinions from either side when reporting.

Considering the high margin of error, the Presidential candidates are statistically tied in the AP Statistics class study, mirroring just how close the race is in national polls. The New York Times, which tracks favorability in both candidates, currently has Harris leading with only a 49% national preference against Trump’s 48%. These poll results have remained consistent for quite a while, as both candidates have polled in the high 40’s for the past several months. When considering the margin of error, Northwood is relatively split between Trump and Harris, with also a small percentage of no-opinions on the two candidates.

Source: Nate Cohn/New York Times, November 1, 20204. See: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/elections/polls-president.html

One demographic that the Statistics class were able to make a conclusion on was the preference of women versus men. There was a positive association with women and Kamala Harris, with 61% preferring Harris and 42% of men preferring Donald Trump when the opposing side and “no opinion” were put into play. This is directly similar to polls from USA Today where women “decisively back Democrat Kamala Harris with 53% to 36%” support for her. The margins for Trump and men were almost exact to Harris’s with women, where men had a 53% to 37% support for him. The male preference for Trump wasn’t as strong in Northwood’s study but considering uncertainties and the “no opinions” in that group, a conclusion could not be made about the opinions of men in this selected group.

Overall, Northwood’s AP Statistics class investigation shows that the opinions of the Northwood community may be quite similar to those of the greater United States at the moment. For the full results of the AP Statistics class study, click here.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World, Top Story

Northwood Playlist: Songs We Never Get Sick Of

October 29, 2024 by Natalie Gaeckle

Original Illustration by Julia Turner ’23.

Northwood’s diverse student body has many different types of people with varying music tastes. Students constantly play music to study, hype each other up, work out, get ready for game days, or wind down. Music has meaning and presence in people’s lives—it universally brings up people’s moods, helps manage stress, improves sleep and relaxation, and can help people thrive in classes. It can also be used for nostalgia and memory, transporting people back to good times over the summer or with friends. People will never get tired of these types of songs—the ones that they could replay over and over again. Everyone has different, intricate tastes, and diving into the background and meaning of songs for people with different pasts is one of the most interesting things when attending a school where people come from all over the country and the globe.

The Mirror asked a selection of students what song they could never get sick of. Here are their responses.

“’Boons’ by Zach Bryan. This summer, I was in Peru volunteering with boys at an orphanage, and I would have to walk 30 minutes to get there and 30 minutes to get back. I would listen to this song every day because it reminded me of them, and now, whenever I listen to it, I tear up, and it reminds me of that experience,” said Florence Richard ’25.

“I would have to go with ‘River’ by Liam Bridges,” Sophia Sherman ‘25 said. “He has a type of voice that makes it seem like he’s an angel straight from heaven. You have to listen to this song. For me, it’s super nostalgic, but a lot of the songs that are nostalgic are also sad. This one is happy and uplifting, and it’s like I’m looking back on stuff, but I’m also really excited for what’s to come in my life. I play it all the time, like if I’m in the car with my friend. We know the lyrics to it, we sing it together, and it’s just really sweet—it’s just like our song. And I can’t get tired of it. I have a lot of songs in my playlists, but this one plays a lot because I have it on so many playlists. Usually, when I do that with a song, I get tired of it, but I’ve never gotten tired of this one,” added Sherman.

“I really like ‘White Ferrari’ by Frank Ocean because I like Frank Ocean, and I think he’s a lyrical genius,” Cambrie-Elizabeth Encalade ’27 said. “I just can’t put it into words. It makes me feel so many emotions. It’s just my favorite,” she added.

“For me, ‘Heaven and Back’ by Chase Atlantic,” Sasha Luhur ’27 said. “I’m obsessed with all of their music, so it’s really hard to pick one of their songs, but that one is one of the first songs I ever discovered from them. It has a really nice vibe to it, so I can listen to it at any time. And it’s not limited to just when you’re really happy or really depressed—it’s versatile. So, it’s something that I can listen to whenever I feel like it, no matter what’s going on in my day,” Luhur added.

“I’d say ‘Self Control’ by Frank Ocean,” Willow Zhao ’27 said.” I feel like it has everything in a song and gives you chill vibes. The song name is also just what I want because I always have really low self-control and I just want myself to be organized and controlled. The guitar and everything on it is very relaxing. I’ve been listening to this song since 2016, and it’s been one of my favorites throughout the years. It was always there for me in my life, and it’s always been a great song to help me clear my mind, reminding me of good times that I spent with friends and family,” added Zhao.

“My song would definitely have to be ‘New Person Same Old Mistakes’ by Tame Impala,” Add Truscott ’25 said. “The beat is just out of this world and the lyrics are beautiful, and they really resonate with me about how life goes on and how you’re constantly changing, but you fall into the same old patterns. That song and its album is the first real album that I found for myself, and it really opened my eyes to the world of music beyond what I was always listening to because of my parents. It’s just all about love and complexity, and I just love it all so much,” Truscott added.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Humans of Northwood: Cara Dempsey ‘25

October 22, 2024 by Natalie Gaeckle

“What inspires me the most at Northwood is the opportunities I am given. For example, I was able to take a robotics course this year, and even though I have no experience with robotics, it has become one of my favorite classes, and I am very grateful to have experienced it.

“While looking at other schools as I was entering high school, Northwood stood out to me right away. I have always been aware of it through NYSEF and from my older siblings going here, and it was solidified that I wanted to go when I heard more about it. I really liked the unique opportunities that Northwood gives students and the support that student-athletes get. I feel like there is an obvious goal of academic and athletic balance and achievement that stuck out to me.

“My favorite thing about the community at Northwood is the diversity, even in such a small student body. It was definitely a huge factor in my decision when I was considering high schools. I like that my friends aren’t just the people directly in my bubble, and I have met people I wouldn’t meet otherwise. I also love the school spirit, and I think it is definitely brought out when cheering for our teams and during Winter Carnival.

As told to Natalie Gaeckle ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Skiers Keep Up with Schoolwork After Chile Camp

October 11, 2024 by Natalie Gaeckle

Ski racers doing schoolwork at the airport. Left to right: Cara Dempsey ‘25, Sydney Kuder ‘25, Alessandro Lacci ‘25. Photo by Ms. Raychel West.

This past week, the Northwood ski team returned from race training in Chile back to school and dryland workouts. After the long 30-hour travel process, the student-athletes got back into the swing of things and resumed their classes right away, along with continuing their rigorous workout schedule with Director of Skiing Tommy Biesemeyer.

Some students had no trouble integrating back into Northwood life, but others had some trouble, considering the very early departure: just four days of classes in when the team left.

“I feel amazing. We kept up with our work a lot during Chile, so coming back, we were just right into it,” Julianne Brochu ’25 said, illustrating that communication with teachers and staying on schedule was key during the 2+ hour study halls during Chile.

Students taking more demanding and fast-paced classes, on the other hand, said that while they kept up with their work enough, it was still “pretty hard to get back into the swing of things,” according to Sydney Kuder ’25.

Many of the students do everything they can to have an academically and athletically challenging career at Northwood. Many take the STEM Research class, where they must keep up with progressions in their project and studies, as well as AP Calculus or AP Statistics, where the workload is constantly building up. Keeping on top of things during travel can be one of the most challenging things, as skiing and dryland and sleep schedules become harder during the sometimes minimal time in class. Nonetheless, the ski team never stops as they continue to do schoolwork off the hill, outside of study halls, and even in the airport during exhausting travel days.

Overall, the team feels refreshed and ready to return, already anticipating their next trip to Copper Mountain, Colorado where they will be training for most of November into their Thanksgiving break.