The Student News Site of Northwood High School

The Northwood Howler
FOUND FOOTAGE: After completing the rituals, look out for parking lot Jay Gatsby.
Discovering new secret landmarks on campus
ASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER: A glimpse into the distant future where students can practice a new batch of sports to become the very best.
Redefining school spirit with Olympic sports
ESSENTIAL OR EXCESSIVE?: Back-to-school shopping drives unnecessary spending.
The hidden costs behind the back-to-school shopping seas
GO FOR THE GOAL: Senior Joseph Harper scores a touchdown during a padded scrimmage as the football team prepares for new schools and competition to be added to the Foxtrot League.
Northwood faces major Pacific Coast Conference shakeup
SCHEDULING SMARTER: With the help of online tools such as Google Calendar, students can better manage stress during the school year by tracking upcoming deadlines and blocking out time for studying, socializing and resting.
Stairways to Success: Steps to stay organized
SENIOR CELEBRATION: (Left to right) Seniors Izabel Vicente, Esma Hurmali and Lena Hussain laugh together while cheering on their friends completing the bounce house obstacle course at the senior barbecue after school.
Enjoying the end of high school with senior events
COACHING in CODE: Computer science teacher Catherine Cali guides senior Kiyavash Khaghani through his coding project.
Introducing Computer Science: Data Structures
BIKES AWAY: Citizens of Irvine pick up their bikes and helmets at Woodbridge Town Center to begin cycling to UCI.
CicloIrvine: Celebrating community, connection and clean air
TOGETHER TOWARDS EXCELLENCE: Freshmen Colin Harris and Doah Lee help each other with math homework in the Media Center.
Northwood recognized as California Distinguished School
HAPPY UPON THE HILLS: Principal Leslie Roach and Northwood Teacher of the Year David Lee get ready and excited to welcome incoming freshmen to the next four years at high school.
Dear Future T-wolves: Welcome to Northwood
The reality after graduation
The reality after graduation
EXPLORING THE PISTACHIO WORLD: The dessert possibilities are endless with pistachios.
2024 is NUTS for pistachios
Childhood TV show episodes to watch before graduating
Childhood TV show episodes to watch before graduating
SAVOR THE FLAVOR: Sophomore Sooho Cho and junior Allen Wen compare the unique chip flavors at H Mart for a savory treat after a long day at school. For many families and friends, sharing and receiving snacks are acts of love, care and connection.
Munching on Nostalgia: AAPI childhood snacks
CHECKMATE: Northwood's chess club hones in on strategy for the win.
A look at Northwood’s Chess Club
MAYOR’S CHOICE: Vice Mayor Larry Agran, Mayor Farrah Khan and award winning sophomore Eileen Zhang pose at the opening reception of the Irvine City Hall High School Art Exhibition.
Eileen’s expressive art at city hall
FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS ON AND OFF CAMERA: Director Coco Wu (Northwood Class of 2023) and location manager Nicole Toshima (Northwood Class of 2023) work together during a production meeting to search for locations to film a cabin scene
“Iris”: Capturing change and friendship on film
PORTRAIT OF JOY: Freshman Jiyoung Yun created a char- coal portrait for Malak, a Syrian girl who enjoys writing stories. Photo provided by Kim Rohrs
The Memory Project: Giving back with art
LUNCHTIME MELODIES: Junior Chen Yang and senior Leyna Doan practice the alto part for “Bare Necessities” at Acapella Club.
Creative Communities: A look at Northwood’s VAPA clubs
JUBILANT JAZZ: Senior Luis Maldonado solos over “Strut” on his guitar at the IUSD Jazz Festival.
Northwood’s festival feats
Learning to let go
Learning to let go
We're all in this together!
We’re all in this together!
March 2024 Centerspread
March 2024 Centerspread
January/February 2024 Centerspread
January/February 2024 Centerspread
November/December 2023 Centerspread
November/December 2023 Centerspread
Debunking arguments for banned books
Debunking arguments for banned books
KEYBOARD WARRIORS: Celebrities' commentary on global issues is often very controversial.
The influence of influencers
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: Teens are often thrown into the gray area between children and adults.
Teens: Are they children or adults?
SIMPLE STUDYING: Students now feel compelled to take the SAT with the recent changes.
Standardized tests are the best baseline
IGNITING PASSION: Sophomore Lauren Low passionately delivers her speech for the position of Vice President in Odyssey of the Mind
Club Elections: Democracy or demise?
Guided by Greatness: Shouting out our senior athletes
Guided by Greatness: Shouting out our senior athletes
SPRINGING TO VICTORY: Spring season athletes end off the year with numerous school records, league wins and CIF placements while also balancing academic endeavors such as AP testing season, finals and extracurricular activities outside of their sport.
The best of this year’s spring sports season
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Northwood's campus is a great place to go for a fun walk.
Ways to incorporate exercise into the Northwood lifestyle
CHAMPIONS IN EVERY SENSE: Northwood Athletes of the Year Riley Bajorek and Zaid Yunis celebrate their accomplished high school careers and the enduring mark they have left on Northwood.
Northwood athletes honored as NHS and PCL top talent
Spring sports recap
Comic: Birthdays during testing season
Comic: Birthdays during testing season
TERRIFIC THEMES: The Met Gala will never fail to amaze audiences with outfits in accordance to these themes.
Majestic Met Gala theme ideas
FROM BURN BOOKS TO TEXTBOOKS: Teens tackle trigonometric equations instead of tribulations, chasing career aspirations, not devious schemes.
Beyond the Cliché: Exposing Hollywood’s high school myths
CRIES ALL AROUND: Charger conveys their utter misery owing to the departure of their one and only true love.
Devastated charger sends a tearful goodbye
Timbymath: y = mx+ extra hot TEA
Timbymath: y = mx+ extra hot TEA
August Howler Volume XXVI, Issue I – August 20, 2024
June Howler Volume XXV, Issue VII - June 3, 2024
June Howler Volume XXV, Issue VII – June 3, 2024
April Howler Volume XXV, Issue VII – April 17, 2024
March Howler Volume XXV, Issue VI - March 15, 2024
March Howler Volume XXV, Issue VI – March 15, 2024
January/February Howler Volume XXV, Issue V – February 14, 2024
January/February Howler Volume XXV, Issue V – February 14, 2024
Inside T-wolf Thank Yous
Connecting Eras with Art: AP Art History Teacher Zane Pang talks about the importance of understanding world history through art.
Gallery: Elective Expo
Take it from us: Senior gives advice
The Northwood Howler presents Northwood beauty secrets
The Northwood Howler presents Northwood beauty secrets
Inside the Irvine Unified Council PTA's Student Advocacy trip to Sacramento
Inside the Irvine Unified Council PTA’s Student Advocacy trip to Sacramento
Take it from us: Senior gives advice
Make Your World Better: an interview with Sandy Banks
Make Your World Better: an interview with Sandy Banks
Hispanic Heritage Month: An interview with Joey Cabrera
Hispanic Heritage Month: An interview with Joey Cabrera
Profiles in Science: Northwood science teachers dish on how they discovered their passion for science and their journey to Northwood
Profiles in Science: Northwood science teachers dish on how they discovered their passion for science and their journey to Northwood
Reaching out for mental health support
Reaching out for mental health support
Connecting Eras with Art: AP Art History Teacher Zane Pang talks about the importance of understanding world history through art.
Gallery: Elective Expo
DESK: Junior Issac Lee and Senior Bharathi Kaliraj open the first Fine Arts Assembly and NTV Broadcast since before Covid-19.
Looking back on the fine arts assembly
Step 7 - Distribution: The paper is finally printed and it’s ready to be shared with the school
Behind the scenes of the Northwood Howler
STROKES OF IDENTITY: Northwood Taiwanese Club board member sophomore Suzan Whiteside demonstrates Taiwanese Calligraphy and its importance to Taiwanese culture.
Cultural diversity on campus
WHO GOES THERE?: A sparrow forages for food on the hills around Northwood.
A close up of Northwood’s nature
Inside T-wolf Thank Yous
The Northwood Howler presents Northwood beauty secrets
The Northwood Howler presents Northwood beauty secrets
Inside the Irvine Unified Council PTA's Student Advocacy trip to Sacramento
Inside the Irvine Unified Council PTA’s Student Advocacy trip to Sacramento
Northwood students ‘Enjoy the Ride’ at State of the Student
Northwood students ‘Enjoy the Ride’ at State of the Student
Irvine's New Family-Owned Cafe is the BAUM
Irvine’s New Family-Owned Cafe is the BAUM
The Student News Site of Northwood High School

The Northwood Howler
The Student News Site of Northwood High School

The Northwood Howler
Raya Abu-Tarif

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer

Raya is a staff writer for the Northwood Howler. You can always count on her having a book on her and she can usually weave Taylor Swift, Grey’s Anatomy, or Gilmore Girls into any conversation.

All content by Raya Abu-Tarif
KEYBOARD WARRIORS: Celebrities' commentary on global issues is often very controversial.

The influence of influencers

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
May 30, 2024
BE THE HELPING HAND: Reassuring others that mistakes can be overcome dissolves fears surrounding failures.

The Perfection of Imperfection: Honoring mistakes

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
April 19, 2024
APPLICATION ANSWERS: There are many qualities that make a good ASB candidate beyond what may seem to be obvious.

ASB Applications: Authenticity in applying

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
April 8, 2024
FINDING BALANCE: Junior Ines Khodja continues to practice her softball swing during practice even through Ramadan fasting.

Playing the Long Game: Ramadan’s impact on athletes

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
March 22, 2024
SKADOOSH: “Kung Fu Panda 4” concludes the beloved childhood series with a fantastic blast

“Kung Fu Panda” strikes again?

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
March 20, 2024
ACHIEVING SERVICE IN AP: Students apply their skills from AP Chemistry to tackle global warming.

AP WE Service: Applying learning to the world

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
February 23, 2024
BEHIND THE BRAIN: Senior Pedram Jokar analyzes various human brain structures with another high school student at the UC Irvine Brain Bee event.

Northwood students excel at the Irvine Brain Bee

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
February 14, 2024
SIMPLIFIED SCIENCE: Dustin Le explains binary code by comparing it to decimals.

Dustin Le: Working with a passion

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
December 21, 2023
TEAM TIME, TURKEY TIME: Northwood girls water polo celebrates their team Thanksgiving meal after a morning practice over the break. Photo provided by Kyle Kim-E.

The unspoken challenges of being a winter sport athlete

Raya Abu-Tarif and Jaycee Hendrickson
December 17, 2023
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE: Each culture’s holiday involves different gift-giving customs that reflect their traditional values.

Unwrapping gift-giving traditions

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
December 14, 2023
SELECTIVE SPOTLIGHT: Amidst ongoing global crises, major media sources can pick and choose where to redirect an average viewer’s attention.

The gatekeepers of news

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
November 14, 2023
TRIPLE THREAT: Teacher-coaches Megan Stuart, Nicole Grau and Harry Lee coach their respective teams to bring Northwood more wins. Additional photo credit: Andrew Le

Impacts Beyond the Classroom: Teachers who are also coaches

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
November 4, 2023
HYDRATION IS NOW AN ACCESSORY: The initial sustainability efforts behind reusable water bottles are no longer there.

Water bottles are fast fashion’s newest victim

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
November 2, 2023
PLAN AND PREPARE: Preparation and composure can all make the difference in the unexpected event of a natural disaster.

How Northwood prepares for natural disasters

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
October 13, 2023
THE FUTURE OF DISCO: Wearing headphones, silent discos offer different music options so everyone can have a fabulous experience.

A groovy experience at Irvine Spectrum’s Silent Disco

Raya Abu-Tarif, Staff Writer
September 28, 2023
FUN AT THE FESTIVAL: Children's dance group "Las Estrellas Ballet Folklórico" performs on the Fiesta stage at Great Park. (Photo provided courtesy of the City of Irvine)

Food, Fun and ‘Fiest’ivities: Fiesta Latina en Irvine

Raya Abu-Tarif and Sienna Hidalgo
September 27, 2023
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