Prom Dress Styles

The top styles for this years prom are super pretty! You can go with a short and fun cocktail dress or you can go with a long and elegant style. Both styles are really popular! Also, crazy unique prints, sequins (Lots of Sequins), cut out patterns, and "mullet dresses" are really in style. We asked Acacia Kennedy what she will be wearing and she said, "I'm probably wearing a short dress with pink converse!" Mrs. Fox mentioned in a previous interview that no colors will clash with this years prom theme, so it's a pretty open selection. Have fun girls!!

Photography Club

On Tuesday February 21st, we sat down with photography club adviser Ms. James, to ask what exactly goes on in photography club. Ms. James said, "We have designed a t-shirt." Once a week they go off campus to take pictures. They have visited such places as Mac Anderson Park, the train depot, the old downtown hotel, and Lakewood Park. Then the next week they take these photo's and photo-shop them to create amazing pictures. Ms. James said, "It's a small group, but they have fun!"

Military Ball

Students all over North hear about the military ball, but not many outside JROTC really know what it is. Sergeants Wood and Kaplan plan the military ball every year. The military ball is a celebratory ceremony. The two sergeants give out awards to the cadets who have earned them. After all the ceremony and recommendations, the cadets eat and dance for the rest of the night. The theme this year is "Medal of Honor." The military ball is on March 31st at 7 o'clock at the Statesville Civic Center. "Military Ball is an outstanding event that is cheaper and better than the North Iredell prom," says Cody Ward and Charlie Smith. Raven Wallace adds, "It's an elegant dance."

Carolina vs. Duke

On February 8, 2012, the biggest rivalry in college basketball took place at the Dean Dome inn Chapel Hill. The Carolina Tar Heels took on the visiting Duke Blue Devils in a expected high-intensity match-up. Both teams came out firing, the Tar Heels, led by 7-foot big man Tyler Zeller and the Blue Devils connecting from beyond the arc. Zeller had 21 points and 8 rebounds going into halftime, in which the Tar Heels led 43-40. Carolina's Harrison Barnes struggled in the first half, having only 6 points, but he was determined to lead his team in the second half. Barnes came out and hit jumper after jumper, finishing with 25 points and putting the Tar Heels up by 10 points with 2 and 1/2 minutes to go. But the Blue Devils fought back and were led by standout freshman Austin Rivers and the 3-point shot. With 2 minutes to go Duke guard, Tyler Thorton, hit a 3-pointer, then just seconds later Seth Curry knocked in a 3. From then on it was not good for the Tar Heels, with Tyler Zeller missing 2 crucial free throws and tipping a shot in Dukes basket making it a 1 point game. Everyone in the Dean Dome knew who the ball was going to and he made sure to make Carolina's mistakes count. Rivers came off a screen set by Mason Plumlee and with Zeller on him and 1 second on the clock, he swished in a 3-pointer to win the game. Rivers had a season-high 29 points and hit 6 3-pointers, including the game-winning shot, the final score Duke 85 Carolina 84. This shot will go down as one of the best in the fierce rivalry of Carolina vs. Duke.

Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure is when "friends" persuade you to doing something that you don't want to do. Peer pressure can be broken down into two sides, good and bad. Bad peer pressure is being coerced into doing something that you didn't want to do. Friends can have a tremendous effect on a person's decision. Good peer pressure, on the other hand, is being pushed into something that you didn't have the courage to do or it didn't cross your mind to do. Knowing who to listen to and who to avoid is the biggest step in fighting unwanted, negative peer pressure. Remember, it's your life and your responsibility for determining what you make of it. If you don't want to do it, just say NO!!

Basketball Conference Tournament

It's getting closer and closer to the end of basketball season and now every game counts. The conference tournament is this week and our Lady Raiders are the number one seed. Last year, the girls basketball team made it all the way to the regional finals and now they are trying to pick up where they left off. The girls beat Carson by 17 points. The ladies will probably be meeting them again on the court soon. Our boys basketball team played South Rowan in the first round of the tournament, unfortunately they lost 54-50. Congratulations on a good year! The conference tournament will be held at Statesville High School at 6:00. Come out and support the Lady Raiders!!

Spring Sports Preview

On February 7th, the Rowdy Raider blog interviewed Coaches Cline, Gaither, Froyd, Wells, and Key to find out their thoughts on the upcoming spring sports season.
We spoke with Coach Cline first about the upcoming track season. She is looking forward to seeing new faces, and having Miracle Brown competing this season.
 Ms. Gaither, softball coach for the past four years, told us that she is excited for two new additions to the varsity team. She has high expectations and feels that it's going to be a very successful season.
Mr. Froyd, who is taking over as coach for women's soccer, explained his thoughts on the season saying, "Statesville is going to be a fun challenge."
I also spoke with Coach Wells about men's tennis. Even with a lot of new, inexperienced players, Wells is remaining optimistic, saying, "We may get off to a slow start, but we will get better quickly."
Lastly, we talked with Coach Key about Raider baseball. He's unsure how to feel about his upcoming season because they still have a lot of work to do. According to Coach Key, if participation in the off-season workouts is any indication, the baseball team has not yet developed the work ethic required to be a great baseball program. 
All the coaches encourage the faculty and staff to come out to the games and support the Raider athletes. Good luck to all our spring sports!!

Raider Basketball

The Lady Raiders have four seniors this year, Ali Robbins, Kaitlyn Haneline, Bri Johnson, and Lindsey Childress, and they enjoyed every minute of their Senior Night! The Raiders massacred the Warriors of West Iredell 63-14 on Monday night. This was another great team win for the Lady Raiders. Senior Lindsey Childress, who has missed all season with a hip injury, was cleared by her doctor to play. Also back on the court, after missing two games with a broken finger, was Brittani Cartner who contributed 8 points. Brooke Redmond led the Raiders with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Bri Johnson added 18 points. The boy's basketball team also has four seniors:  Reshad Hunt, Travis Laws, Kemuel Brown, and Clint Jordan. Unfortunately, the Raiders lost 63-52 to the Warriors. Austin St. John led all scorers with 25 points. Both teams will play at Carson on Wednesday, February 8th. The Lady Raiders look to defend their conference championship title against the Lady Cougars. Come out and support both of basketball teams!

History of Valentine's Day

Every Febuary 14th, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. The story of the patron saint is shrouded in mystery. It has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains aspects of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome.  Emperior Claudis II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, outlawing marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudis and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered Claudis ordered that he should be put to death.  Whatever the history of Valentine's Day, we here at the Rowdy Raider blog hope you have a great day of love!

ACT and Registration

ATTENTION ALL JUNIORS! Each of you will be taking the ACT test on March 6th during the school day. The test is completely free and your test score will be college reportable, so DO YOUR BEST! This is a fantastic opportunity to get a head start on college applications. 
Class Registration for next year for all current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will be from February 20th to February 24th. Registration information nights will be held on March 26th, 27th, 28th, and the 29th.

Lady Raider Basketball

The Lady Raider Basketball team demolished the ladies of West Rowan 64-33, on Friday, February 3rd. The Raiders played a near-perfect game by playing great team basketball!! The Raiders ruled every aspect of the game. Stacey Lunsford had 19 points, Bri Johnson had 14 points, and Brooke Redmond added 10 points and 14 rebounds. The Lady Raiders will be back in action on Senior Night on Monday, February 6th.

Senoritis

Have you noticed all the hard work and dedication our seniors have put in this school year? Me neither!  Just kidding, but for some seniors, "senoritis" seems like a real disease that is very contagious here at North Iredell. We interviewed a couple people just to prove it. Austin Bailey has a very bad case of senioritis. When asked how long he has had it, he said, "Since September, when I got accepted into East Carolina." Being so close to graduation, prom, and all the other activities our seniors get to participate in, no one wants to finish out their year with hard classes. Most of the seniors would rather spend their days talking, eating, and sleeping. Taylor Rosenbalm and Michelle Shoemaker said,  "We wear sweat pants almost everyday because we don't even care what people think anymore." Even though everyone, regardless of grade level, is ready to start summer vacation, our seniors have even more to look forward to.  Stick with it seniors...June is closer than ever!

Raider Basketball

The North Iredell Boy's Basketball team pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season on Friday, February 3rd. The Raiders beat the West Rowan Falcons in a nail-biter, 43-42. The score was close throughout the game, with the Raiders leading at the half by 5 points. The Falcons came out in the second half on a 7-0 run, but the Raiders got back in it with their defense and easy buckets. Clint Jordan hit a go-ahead three-pointer in the fourth quarter and Austin St. John did the rest. St. John had a game-high 18 points and went to the foul line with 8.7 seconds left in the game after he got fouled driving to the basket. St. John calmly hit both freethrows and the Raiders ended the game with their great defense. This win was Raider's coach Tony Davenport's first win against West Rowan in the 13 years he has been at North. With the season coming to an end, the boy's look to finish strong.

Raider Athletes Rock!

In a quick sports update, Senior Night was held Monday, February 6th, during the basketball game versus West Iredell.  The upperclass basketball players and cheerleaders were honored for their hard work and diligence throughout their time at North.  The next basketball game will be against Carson on Wednesday, February 8th.  This is a huge game for both our boys' and girls' teams!

Raider wrestling regionals will be held Tuesday, February 7, at North Iredell.  Our boys will be facing AL Brown, SW Randolph, and St. Stephens.  Good luck to our wrestlers!

Go Raider Pride!

Lady Raider Basketball

North Iredell High School's Lady Raider basketball team played the East Rowan Mustangs on January 31. North took the win with a final score of 54-38. Bri Johnson had a spectacular game, scoring 17 points in her first game back in eight months! Brooke Redmond added 17 rebounds and Ali Robbins pitched in with 8 points. This was a great defensive win for our Lady Raiders!

Raider Wrestling

Our North Iredell wrestling team had an easy win against East Rowan on Tuesday, January 31. This was the team's third conference win in a row. Taylor Cockerham, the team's only undefeated wrestler, pinned his opponent in the first period. Garrett Harshbarger beat his opponent by one point with five seconds left on the clock! Congrats to our Raiders, and we hope to see the winning streak continue!

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming...

The North Iredell Raider swimmers have certainly made a splash this season!  As the regional competition approaches, many swimmers are practicing as much as they can before the big day.  Competing will be Leah Wells, Kelsey McLelland, Cassidy Dehart, and Rachel Marsillia in the women's 200-yard free relay.  Also competing will be Drew Jones, Shane Wicker, Patrick Hunter, and Michael Spencer in the men's 400-yard free relay.  Wicker will also be swimming in the men's 100-yard butterfly race.  Good luck to our swimmers, and remember the words of Dory:  "Just Keep Swimming!"

Bri Johnson's Comeback!!

Bri Johnson is back!! After suffering an ACL tear in her right knee at basketball camp in June, Johnson is back on the court with her team. Monday, January 2, 2012, was a day Johnson was excitedly anticipating, but it was soon one of the worst days of her life. This was the day Johnson was supposed to get released from her doctor's care to return to basketball, but her doctor thought otherwise. Johnson said, "I was a wreck! It was awful, the worst feeling in the world." Johnson has worked so hard to return to the game she loves. She went to rehab three days a week and recently worked with a trainer by icing, running, lifting weights and riding a stationary bike to strengthen her knee. She also had a great support system consisting of family and friends. After all her hard work and dedication, Johnson was released on January 30 and played in her first game of the season on Tuesday, January 31. When asked what it felt like to be practicing and playing with the team again, Johnson replied, "Amazing!" We're excited to see number 23 back on the court where she belongs.

Congratulations to Mr. Dowell and the Raider Band!!!

Recently nine members of the North Iredell band were selected to be a part of some amazing opportunities. Out of 180 schools that applied, four students from our school were accepted to the University of South Carolina Honor Band.  Five of our band members were selected to be in the Northwest District Band. Of those five, two will audition to make the All-State Band. We are very proud of our band and we hope for the best for those auditions for All State! Keep raising the Raider bar!

FFA

According to Gray Hampton and Noah Miller, Mr. Walker's fourth period Ag Mechanics class is "great." The FFA here at North is large and always busy. Horticulture classes spend the year learning about and growing plants. There are many competitions throughout the year that many of our students participate in. FFA is also a good way to earn scholarships for college. Hampton and Miller think everyone should join the FFA.

Kincaid Pickin' and Grinnin'

Mr. Stewart Kincaid is a young teacher here at North who does more than just teach Civics and US History classes. Besides being a history buff, he also likes to go hiking and rock climbing.  He has been a Raider for the past five years, and students who only know one side of Mr. Kincaid might be surprised to learn about his musical talents...Mr. Kincaid loves to play the banjo! He started playing the banjo six years ago, saying, "I had a guitar and traded it for a banjo because I never played it. I saw Jens Kruger play at Merle Fest in 2005 and that inspired me to play." During his spare time away from working on his Master's degree in history, he likes to play down at the Cook Shack in Union Grove. And as if the banjo wasn't enough, he also began learning how to play the fiddle this past summer! If you would like to hear Mr. Kincaid's musical skills, you can catch him every Saturday morning at the Cook Shack or even playing in his classroom. 

Super Bowl XLVI

The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl XLVI (46). On February 5, 2012, the Giants and the Patriots will play each other in the most honorable game in football. The team that wins this game will be number one in the National Football League. These teams are both showcasing two elite quarterbacks. The Giants quarterback, Eli Manning, has thrown for 4,933 passing yards this season, along with twenty-nine passing touchdowns. His number one receiver is Hakeem Nicks. The Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, has thrown for 5,235 passing yards and also thirty-nine passing touchdowns. Brady has a wide variety of talented wide receivers to receive his throws. With the quarterback advantages going to the Patriots, Super Bowl XLVI will still be a very competitive game.

Welcome to the NIHS blog!

Welcome to the first ever Rowdy Raiders blog page!  This page will be run and updated by the Broadcasting and Mass Media class of North Iredell High School.  Every week, students will write blogs updating readers on the activities happening at North.  Want to know what's going on at North from a student's point of view?  Then keep up with the blog and find out!