Welcome to your one-and-only guide to Northwood, alphabet-version! Now that we’re approaching the end of the school year, continue reading to be reminded about some of the small but favorite (or least favorite) parts of Northwood—aka what makes Northwood quintessentially Northwood.

A is for anchor month. If you’re sick of references to the anchor, so am I, but what’s more Northwood than the cross-humanities essay that takes away a little bit of each student’s soul every time they write one?

B is for backpacks piled up next to the lunch line. As someone who doesn’t buy lunch, I am genuinely confused—doesn’t the concept of free lunch answer the argument of “preventing stealing”?

C is for candy grams—a cute way to get someone to smile during TA. 

D is for driving in the mornings, when the roads are congested beyond belief and I routinely end up sprinting to my 2nd period. 

E is for extra credit and the number of times it has saved everyone’s grade (Honors European Literature, I’m looking at you). 

F is for finals week, where every day is shorter and everyone seems to be perpetually stressed despite simultaneously knowing there’s a 90% chance they’ll keep the same letter grade.

G is for Grad Night—as a current senior myself, I can only write that I am very much looking forward to an event held at Disneyland until 3 a.m.

H is for Homecoming. Fun fact: Both the Homecoming king and queen of this year were from The Howler!

I is for Integrated Science. I don’t have a particularly hot take here—everyone’s heard it all already. 

J is for junioritis, a phenomenon that a lot of juniors seem to claim before their rightful time as seniors.

K is for killing time during the 25-minute tutorials (the senioritis is kicking in).

L is for LEQs, DBQs, and all other forms of writing that AP history students know all too well. 

M is for the (brilliant) musicals that are hosted each year! Northwood’s performing arts never fails to impress and is always a highlight of the school. 

N is for notetakers that seem to always be provided for by our teachers, a far cry from the messy handwritten notes I would’ve resorted to otherwise. 

O is for open bathrooms on campus—as in, open bathrooms where? I and many others cannot find them.

P is for panicked Turnitin submissions at 11:58 p.m. Due today, do today?

Q is for quickly getting to the lunch line and stampeding anyone who might be in your way.

R is for rallies. For all the underclassmen who may have never seen a rally pre-COVID, I hope you will all be able to return to the flashing lights, loud band performances, videos and more in the gym next year!

S is for Sip N’ Study, a solid place to get productive with a study group and a hot cup of cocoa. 

T is for…Timby? The Oak? Too many symbols of school spirit to count means (hopefully) more things to hype up at school events. 

U is for untouched pizza in the last ten minutes of lunch, which quickly becomes a hot commodity for people coming back for seconds.

V is for virtual learning. As in, thank goodness we’re not doing virtual learning anymore. 

W is for winter break, which is POST-finals. W.

X is for x’s marking your wrong answers in AP Literature multiple choice samples.

Y is for yogurt parfaits (peach) from the cafeteria, the objectively best snack available. 

Z is for zipping up backpacks five minutes before class ends, pressured by the ripple effect that sends students to crowd by the doors.