Category Archives: Archives

From the past publications, print or not, here are the archived stories of the cougar review.

A day in the life of an elf: “A secret documentary”

by Caleb Curry/Staff Writer

Bang! Bang! The constant sound of the hammer making toys. Constant Christmas carols, happy faces, laughing, and talking.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” the elves sang.

Wonderful, haha,” Mike said quietly, More like horrible. Oh by the way my name is Mike. I’ve been one of Santa’s elves here in the North Pole for 15 years. Now the world doesn’t recognize life in the North Pole so human rights violations and labor laws don’t apply out here. Fifteen years and not a dime for my trouble. I just love the work some would say, or it’s the kids’ happy faces that get me up in the morning. All of that is pure nonsense. No amount of happiness can fulfill the amount of pain that my ears go through. This much constant noise is enough to make someone-“

“Bang! Bang! Clank! Bang! Smash!” the hammer continued. 

“Hey, Jonathan,” Mike yelled, “I’m doing a mysterious monologue to the documentary crew here. If you don’t stop, I will take that mallet and throw it out the window.”

“Sorry about that. As I was saying, the working conditions are laughable and free will is nothing but a construct of our imaginations, which is why I have formulated a plan. This documentary is not going to focus on the joys of Christmas and the ‘happiness of the holidays.’ Instead I will be drawing attention to the human rights violations committed by the big man in the red suit,” Mike finished.

“Let’s start by interviewing Mitch,” Mike said, “Hey, Mitch.”

“Hey, Mike,” Mitch said, “What’s with the big camera?”

“Documentary about the joys of the holidays,” Mike said with a wink to the camera. “How long have you been making jack-in- the-boxes?” he added.

“I’m entering hour seventeen now,” Mitch responded.

“And have you seen a cent for your labors, Mitch?” Mike inquired.

“What does that have to do with Christ-“ Mitch started.

“Don’t be such a cotton-headed Ninny muggins, Mitch, and answer the question.”

“No, I guess,” Mike said, “Also that was a bit rude of you and I would like an apology.”

“Well, that’s all the time we have for Mitch,” Mike said quickly. “Let’s go take a look at the reindeer.”

“And here we are in the wild, a look at the reindeer in their natural habitat,” Mike said, “except they’re not because Santa kidnapped them and brought them to the frigid North Pole. He fed them magic carrots that make them fly, and forced them to fly all around the world to each house with the world’s heaviest bag of toys,” Mike said angrily. “Now there is just one more thing I want to show you,” Mike said with a smirk.

“The Holy Grail of Big Red’s great atrocities,” Mike said, “Santa’s stash of coal for the naughty kids. The world is striving to find fuel sources because natural resources will run out, and here the Big Kahuna is with an eternity’s supply.” Mike said. He closed out, “Ladies and gentlemen of the Earth I call you to put an end to Santa’s reign and dethrone him if not for us, for the lifetime supply of coal.”

“A shocking news story has developed today as a documentary titled ‘The True and Scary Story of Santa Claus’s Compound’ reached the world today,” the news anchor said, “The documentary was produced and hosted by a former elf named Mike. Mike showed up on the coast of the U.K. requesting asylum after allegedly swimming from the North Pole.” She went on, “Many world leaders requested a conference with Santa Claus who made the decision to cut off communication with them all together. In response countries started taking sides and the unofficial declaration of World War Three has begun. We will now show you footage of different leaders stating which side they will be on.”

“If there is large amounts of coal in the North Pole, then sure I’ll go to war,” The U.S. President said. 

“Human Rights violations are ay-okay with us, so we’ll take Santa’s side,” the leader of Communist China said.

“I’m going to stay out of this one,” the German leader said.

“In other news, parents are now angry that they will have to spend their own money on Christmas presents. The U.S. president has said the term ‘Christmas Spirit’ is just commie propaganda. The U.K. said they will be renaming the holiday on December 25th to ‘Happy Cold Day,’ and some people are pushing for people to remember the true reason for theholidays. This is Channel 12’s Jane Wilkinson wishing you a Merry Happy Cold Day and a good new year. Good night,” Jane closed.

Holiday Essay: The Christmas Experience

by Lauren Blasko/Staff Writer

      Photo from: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/news/a2544/best-christmas-quotes/

Everyone likes to talk about what Christmas was like for them as a child. Most adults would say that it is better to be a child than an adult on Christmas. As a kid you get presents, make cookies, and get to see family you never get to see throughout the year. As an adult, you have to buy everyone’s gifts, wrap them, and sometimes even get your house ready for the holidays because everyone is coming over. So overall hearing between the two, you would more likely say that being a kid on Christmas sounds way better, but what about being a teenager? Teens have more responsibility than a child, but not completely like an adult. When you are a teen, you get both the benefits of being a kid at Christmas and an adult.

Most teens by the ages of 15-17 can drive. This means they can go places, see people, and make new memories. When you are a teenager you are more than likely to have a job. If you have a job, you have money, and with money you more than likely have a car. If you have a car, you can go places, which means for Christmas you could buy people gifts. As someone who is a teenager, who has a job and a car, I like to buy gifts; this is one of the things I look forward to the most during the Christmas holiday season.

When you are this high school age, you are still technically counted as an adult. Because of that on Christmas you can still get presents, just like a kid would. In most movies it seems that it is only kids that get gifts, but teenagers still do, too. With that, the gifts you receive as a teen most of the time you already know what you are getting. Teens’ Christmas lists tend to be a lot smaller than kids, which means it would be easier to shop for a teen than a kid that wants everything in the world. That way a week or two before Christmas you don’t have to stress out about what your teenage son or daughter would want before Christmas. This means at this age, you are more than likely to get what you want on Christmas Day than a child.

Finally the family benefits from Christmas. Most kids and teenagers don’t get to see their family members as much as their parents or guardians do throughout the years. With being a kid you are a full-time student that has homework and can’t drive so you can’t go anywhere unless you ask your parents, so that means you don’t really get to see your family members as much. As a teen, people who are full-time students, have a job and homework, and sometimes have other after school activities you tend to not have time to see your family that doesn’t live near you. So on Christmas you are just as excited as a kid is to see your family members. That’s why being a teen on Christmas is the best because you are just as excited as a little kid to see your family on the national holiday.

When you are a teen, you get both the benefits of being a kid and an adult on Christmas Day. Being a teen is in between being a kid and an adult, which means you get the benefits of both being a child and an adult. This is why it is better to be this age on the day of Christmas rather than being an adult or kid.

Profile: Business teacher lucas builds relationships with students, peers

by Joseph Phillips/Staff Writer

GC teacher Mr. Michael Lucas has been teaching business classes for 7 years. Lucas has only taught at GC for one year and he has made a positive impression on many of the students here. Students notice that he jokes a lot and lightens up the mood. He joined GCHS just a little before the pandemic. 

      Jeanna Brown, 10, said she wished more teachers were like him because, “He is so easy-going, his class runs smoothly, and he makes us feel comfortable and safe. Mr.Lucas is always willing to help us if we need it, answer whatever questions we have, though I feel like he makes us do too many slide presentations.” 

      William Henderson, also a business teacher at Greenfield-Central who has been teaching with Lucas for almost 2 years, describes Mr. Lucas as having compassion when it comes to teaching. “Mr. Lucas takes a very participative approach to education, always getting the students to interact with him and the students he is always willing to try new approaches, and I think he’s best at communicating.”

       Lucas said what he thinks his greatest strengths and weaknesses are. “I think my strengths are communicating with students in a productive way, building relationships in the classroom to identify the needs of a student. I think that I am a good team player with my peers, and my weaknesses are administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, answering phones, and maintaining organized file systems for the organization.”

       Lucas finished high school at Arsenal Technical High School in 1985 and then graduated from Marian University in 1989. He said he became a teacher because “I wanted to help young people, I have always wanted to teach. After twenty years in the business field, I was given the opportunity to be a teacher. That’s when I got my teaching certificate to teach students in the field of finance and business. That was seven years ago in 2014.” 

       His first day at GC was overwhelming as Lucas described it. He started in the middle of the school year and started over with a new school, after his last school, TC Howe closed. “(I had) New students, new procedures, new usernames & passwords. Mr. Henderson was a great help to get started and welcomed,” Lucas said. “The craziest thing that has happened since I’ve been here has been the COVID experience probably like every other school.” 

Mr. Lucas described his typical school day. He said, “I have my classroom classes, and I have the Career Exploration students who sign out before work every day. There is a lot of traffic. On most days, I have about 160 students come into my room,” 

           Lucas then began to describe what he thinks is the best and the worst part of teaching. “In my opinion the best part of teaching is working with young people and seeing them learn and mature. It is good to be in a room with young folks who are positive and optimistic with their futures ahead of them,” he said. “The hardest part for me as a teacher is so many people having an opinion on what we do as teachers with no involvement or limited involvement in the process of the classroom. These are mostly people outside of the school in different roles. There doesn’t seem to be the collaborative effort and shared accountability in the student’s success as there has been in the past.” 

           Lucas had a bit of advice for people who want to go into teaching. He said, “Relationships in the classroom are important. Students learn in different ways. Don’t judge students by what you see or what you hear from others. Ask questions of your fellow teachers who are almost always very willing to assist.”

Profile: Holzhausen’s “relaxed,” “Personal” style of teaching reaches students

by Caleb Curry/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Ms. Holzhausen reviews prefixes and suffixes with her class. Photo by Caleb Curry

English teacher Ms. Jennifer Holzhausen has been teaching for twenty years. In those twenty years she has had many students, and taught many topics. When she is teaching she does not see her students as just students, she sees them as people. These qualities are why many students see her as such a great teacher.

Growing up, Ms. Holzhausen never had any intention of becoming a teacher. “I considered every other profession besides teaching until it hit me between the eyes, that’s what I was supposed to do,” is how she put it. Without a thought in her mind about teaching while she was growing up, she continued on the career path of marketing. However that all changed one day when she was working and volunteered to help with a Girl Scout troop for a day. That is when she realized that she was having much more fun with the young girls than she ever did with any of her colleagues at work. On that day she decided she needed a profession where she could work with kids, and found that opportunity in teaching.

Her impression on her students can be seen throughout the day when she is teaching. “It is definitely one of my favorite classes to go to,” freshman Jake VanOsdol said. Other students have mentioned how she never seems to be in a bad mood, and always can find the time if you have questions. “The stuff she teaches always seems real, simple and straightforward,” freshman Kishan Patel says, which is a common trait that her students point out. “I think boiling it down to what’s real,” said Ms. Holzhausen when describing her best trait as a teacher.

The way Ms. Holzhausen teaches allows students to understand the concepts and gather information required. “I was nervous about a test we had,” VanOsdol said, “however, Ms. Holzhausen gave us plenty of time to review and ask questions before we took it, so thanks to her I had no reason to panic.” Students talked about how they have not been overly stressed or worried about assignments and tests in her class.

“I want my students to know that I care about them as people,” is how Ms. Holzhausen described the way she teaches. Patel brought up how her class always seemed more laid back and relaxed. A laid-back and relaxed teaching style comes from her love of the job. Ms. Holzhausen does not just love her job for the subject she teaches, but for the students she meets. Ms. Holzhausen talked about how her favorite aspect of teaching was to help students learn who they were and to watch them grow over the time they spent in the classroom. 

“I enjoy going to the class for the way she teaches it, not necessarily the material,” Patel said. VanOsdol’s statement further proved Patel’s point when VanOsdol said, “Before this year I had never really looked forward to going to reading class.” Ms. Holzhausen’s classroom environment is said to be much different than  most other classes in the school. The more relaxed and personal  style likely will lead to a more successful class, and students looking forward to going to class everyday. “So far she is one of my favorite teachers at the high school,” VanOsdol said.

Almost, maine photo gallery

Announcement and Poster for Almost, Maine, Photos by Audrey Robert

Photos below by Kaylee Walden

Brooklin Bittinger and Xavier Stewart, both grade 11, share a moment in the Prologue.

Chris O’Connor, 12, and Anna Gustin, 9, perform the “Her Heart” scene in Almost, Maine.

Kaya Billman, 12, and Addy Martin, 9, as Shelly and Deena, discuss dating and relationships in a small town in “They Fell.”

Billman and Martin

Emmy Mills, 9, and Zaylix Reed, 12, perform “This Hurts.”

Liv McDaniel, 11, and Trey Smith, 10, star in “Getting It Back.”

Break-ups and new relationships were the topics in “Sad and Glad” with Chris O’Connor and Bella Turner, 9.

Coy Walden, 11, and Lexi Torrez, 11, have to decide what they are waiting for in “Where It Went.”

Jaxon Powers, 11, and Mya Wilcher, 10, have an unresolved issue in “Story of Hope.”

Audrey Roberts and Jacob Torrez, both 9, try to “trick” love in “Seeing the Thing.”

Holiday Story: One Small Gift

by Drew Smith/Staff Writer

One small box, dressed in red, flashy wrapping paper, with a quite usual small flap that read: “From Santa.” Every member of the family assumed the gift had been placed by someone else, attached with the flap as a sort of half-joke, in reflection to days past of childhood Christmases with flaps that read the same. Gifts were shuffled around, thanks exchanged, and a sea of wrapping paper enveloped the once monotone living room. Smiles flashed frequently, yelps of glee, as boxes were made naked of their wrapping and the thought-out, considerate gift was revealed inside. Quite the standard Christmas affair, full of a cozy atmosphere and joyful attitude. Free things seem to make everyone happy, besides the occasional pair of ugly dress socks, cheap tabloid magazines, and five dollar gift cards to McDonald’s. 

But that small box, wrapped noticeably with a touch of elegance, lingered in the backdrop of the quite mundane Christmas morning, whispering in a tempting voice that just begged to be opened. As the gifts that once stocked and crowded the Christmas tree faded away one by one, the more and more eyes the gift drew. Each member of the family gazed at it with a thick desire, running rampant in their mind’s at the possibility of what the gift would be.The gift, while not the largest, nor the smallest, nor even the most well-wrapped, still had a deep primal appeal to it, beckoning with its mystery. It was not special but that may have been some of the appeal, it drew upon a seared-in memory of the wonder of opening presents as a child. It did not take long before the tree had been completely naked at the bottom, the gifts now all in the hands of the proper receivers. 

There it was. All by itself. Untouched, unsaid, unknown. All eyes now examined the gift thoroughly, scanning over each fold, each crevice, each glint on the wrapping paper. Everyone in the room sat thinking the exact same sentence: “Who’s is it?” It was now just about who would ask first. The eldest son, curiosity devouring its way through his patience, asked, “Who’s is it?” All eyes in the room immediately swept towards him, waiting for his cue. He twisted and turned in his seat on the couch, now engaging in eye contact with someone everywhere he looked. The daughter, just slightly younger than him by a year and a half, wondered aloud, “Well, it’s not yours, right, Frank?” Frank, the eldest son, returned his eyes to the gift, stating, “No, it isn’t. Anyone know?” The room sat absolutely silent as they all slowly swept their eyes across the room, waiting for someone to raise their hand and surrender the knowledge of who possessed the gift.

“Well, here,” Frank mumbled as he got up from the couch. He knelt and dipped his head under the tree, swiping for the gift. He slipped it out from under the tree and immediately flipped the gift around. He bounced it listening for any familiar noise he could come across. He found the flap and flipped it up, revealing the “From Santa.” “Wow, real funny,” exclaimed Frank, “who’s trying to pull some practical joke?” No one answered and no one seemed to know. The gift rested in his hands. He shrugged his shoulders and tore open the gift relentlessly. A cardboard box resided underneath the wrapping. Frank pulled the top of revealing an empty box with only a note inside. Frank whipped the note out and read it aloud, “To my dearest favorite child of the Burakh Family, while I may have passed, may this gift unto you carry your life forwards even with my absence. I leave you 3% of my current estate, leaving you with 4.5 million dollars in liquid cash. Feel free to use the money for whatever you desire.”

The room sat eerily still. Then, quite suddenly, an eruption of conversation. “Whoever it’s from, I have gotta be the favorite child,” declared loudly, the youngest son. “Who’s estate even is this?” pondered their father. “Perhaps it was meant for the grandchildren,” muttered their aloof and unconcerned uncle. “Maybe it was from my grandpa,” wondered their mother. “It’s likely meant for one of us,” stated the daughter. “Mommy what’s an estate?” inquired the child of the daughter. “It’s gotta be my money, it has to be mine!” exclaimed the youngest son. “What did the note say, I couldn’t hear over all of the AC,” the grandmother requested obliviously. “STOP,” Frank shouted violently. 

Frank stood before the tree and all the eyes of the relatives shot at him like deep-cutting daggers. He revealed the other side of the note. It read: “From ‘Knives Out,’ a pretty good movie.” He dropped the note on the floor. “I might have accidentally put that in here after some cleaning, and then wrapped it,” embarrassingly remarked Frank.

Favorite things about halloween across the world

by Iris Pinto Hidalgo/Staff Writer

Photos by Iris Pinto Hidalgo and Emily Oleksy

1-Contessa Poyser-11

-What do you like the most about Halloween?

“My favorite thing about halloween has always been getting candy and dressing up. Also I love the decorating, the candy, the dressing up, all of it is so fun.”

-What did you do on Halloween when you were a child?

“I’ve never really gone to Halloween parties or anything because when I was young I always would’ve rather spent my time trick-or-treating.”

-What do you usually do on this date?

“Now that I’m older I like to dress up and pass out the candy to little kids. Usually I’ll watch a classic horror movie or something too.”

-Do you have Halloween in your country?

“Since I’m from America, we have Halloween and it’s hands-down my favorite non-religious holiday.

2-Emily Schreiber -11

-What do you like the most about Halloween?

“This year I’m going with friends of my host parents and we’ll go trick or treating with their kids. Normally I don’t celebrate Halloween.”

-What did you do on Halloween when you were a child?

“Some years I had Halloween parties with my friends but usually we don’t do anything on Halloween in Germany.” 

-Do you have Halloween in your country?

“No, we don’t. Some families do it but it’s nothing big and no trick or treating.”

3-Sara Cassitta-11

-What do you like the most about Halloween?

“There is no big celebration in Italy for Halloween but I like to put on makeup and go to parties with my friends.”

-What did you do on Halloween when you were a child?

“I didn’t do a big celebration but sometimes I dressed up and I went to small parties or to see movies in my friends’ houses.”

-Do you have Halloween in your country?

“Not too much they try to take some of the American traditions but not by the majority of the population.”

4- Phil Leswing 

-What do you like the most about Halloween?

“I like the costumes because it is fun to see people dress up in the streets.”

-What did you do on Halloween when you were a child?

“I dressed up in costumes and went to houses to get candy.”

-Do you have Halloween in your country?

“Yes, I always celebrate it.”

5-Cristina Yagüe-11 Grade

-What do you like the most about Halloween?

“Usually I don’t celebrate Halloween because I’m from Spain.”

-What did you do on Halloween when you were a child?

“I liked to believe I was in America and I tried to go trick or treating but finally I never did.”

-Do you have Halloween in your country?

“No, most of the people don’t celebrate Halloween in Spain but some of them take on American traditions.”

I have found it very interesting to do this interview and see the contrast between cultures and the different way of celebrating Halloween around the world. Also the contrast between older and younger people is interesting and we can compare it in this series of interviews.

Profile: brown details day in life of french teacher

By Alex Smith/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Madame Brown talks to Mya Wilcher, 10, about what she did over Fall Break. Photo by Alex Smith

    Teaching can be a stressful job. Madame Amanda Brown, French teacher, who has been teaching French for 18 years, talked about what makes teaching worth it. She said, “My students make it worth it. Getting to know them. Getting to see that moment where they ‘get it.’ Getting to experience them making connections between topics and subjects. Getting to laugh with them.” 

    Shaun Hughes, 10, who just started taking French this year, talked about what Madame Brown does to help him learn. He said, “She helps me learn by taking the time to individually help me get better.” Christopher O’Connor, 12, who has been taking French for the last four years, also talked about what Madame Brown does to help him learn. He said, “Madame helps me learn by understanding that I have a lot in life to focus on alongside school, so she gives me leniency.” 

Brown discussed what she wants students to learn in French class and what her number one goal is. She said, “I hope that kids leave my class with a bit wider perspective and understanding of the world as a whole.”

O’Connor commented on what Brown does to make French class fun. He said, “Madame brings her energy to class every day, and always tries to keep us engaged. That’s the most fun thing, is that it’s never boring.” Brown talked about the funniest thing to happen while teaching. She said, “I can’t think of a specific moment, but there are so many inside jokes with the classes. When you have the same group of kids for four years, it’s impossible to narrow the funny and ridiculous down.” Hughes also talked about what Brown does to make French class fun. He said, “Madame makes things fun for class by telling us funny stories about some of the different things we learn in class and by just creating an overall pleasant mood in class.”

Hughes said that his favorite thing about French with Brown is that he gets to learn so much about different cultures and different countries. O’Connor discussed his favorite thing about French with Brown. He said, “My favorite thing about French with Madame is the vibe of the classroom. All of us have been in that class with her for four years, so it’s a comfortable environment.” Brown’s favorite thing about teaching French is that she loves discussing cultural differences with her students. 

Brown talked about her least favorite thing about teaching French. She said, “I asked my French 4 class because I really couldn’t think of anything. Chris O’Connor’s contribution is ‘When someone asks you how to do something or does it wrong and you just warned someone to be careful about making that mistake or JUST taught it. That doesn’t go over well.’ Tara Powell’s,12,  contribution (in loving sarcasm) is ‘Having Chris as a student.’“ O’Connor said that his least favorite thing about French with Brown is that she’s always on them if they don’t give their best effort, that it can be frustrating, but he gets it. Hughes talked about his least favorite thing about French with Brown. He said, “I don’t really have a least favorite thing in French since I like the culture and mostly everything about it.” 

O’Connor talked about what he has learned about the French language. He said, “French is a beautiful language, but it’s a pain in the butt half the time.” Hughes also talked about what he has learned about the French language. He said, “The French language is quite difficult but like I said I get to enjoy learning about the different cultures and more about the French culture.” 

Hughes told a memorable story about Brown. He said, “Madame tells us lots of memorable stories so I don’t know which one to do but it seems like she has so much fun teaching French to students.” O’Connor also told a memorable story about Brown. He said, “Madame would let me sleep in her classroom before school when I was tired from early morning football workouts. She gave me bean bags to sleep on so I was comfortable. That was when I knew she was different.” Brown talked about a memorable moment in her teaching experience. She said, “ I teach Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) second semester of French 4. Everytime I teach Chapter 21….it’s the most memorable experience of the 4 years I have with each group.” 

Brown talked about how she keeps the kids engaged. She said, “I try to be as weird, obnoxious, and goofy as my students are (and in some cases, more). Being overly dramatic, using funny voices, telling stories … all part of my game plan.” 

Hughes talked about what he will remember the most about Brown. He said, “I will always remember her smile, her kindness, and her unique personality.” O’Connor commented on what he is going to miss about Brown when he graduates. He said, “I’ll miss how much she cares about me and all of her other students.” Brown talked about what she wants the kids to remember about her. She said, “I hope they remember me as someone who is always rooting for them.” 

Brown talked about who her mentor is. She said, “I don’t really have a mentor, per se, but I refer to Mrs. Stoeffler, Mrs. Anderson, and Mrs. Berger-Harmon as who I want to be when I grow up.”

Brown talked about her favorite lesson to do with the kids. She said, “The ‘DR MRS P VANDERTRAMP’ story, regarding French verbs, for example,  Devenir – To Become, Revenir – To Come Back, and Monter – To Climb.  (This is my favorite) because I get to draw (poorly), I get to be overly dramatic (always), and I get to talk about soccer and food and the circle of life.”

She also talked about what her favorite activity to do with the kids is. She said, “My favorite activity to do is teach the ‘Avoir Rap’.” The “Avoir Rap” is how Madame Brown teaches her students the verb “Avoir” or “To Have” in French class. Brown said about the “Avoir Rap”: “We usually have a lot of fun with it. It’s catchy. It has a lot of call and response elements to it. And it’s one of those things the students tend to remember. Plus, I get to be a TOUCH obnoxious which always makes me have fun.”

Phones in the classroom: Yay or nay?

by Austin Tserlentakis/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Jessica Harris, 9, uses her phone in the classroom to supplement her learning.

Phones in the classroom have their ups and downs. They can either benefit students or do the complete opposite. According to most people it does the opposite. Some students abuse their right to have a phone in class and use it when they shouldn’t. There are also kids who do use their phones appropriately for academic purposes. 

Phones can provide many benefits if used appropriately. Mrs. Laken Rosing stated, “I try to teach students how to use them in an adult way.” If students use phones in a way that doesn’t interrupt class or distract themselves. They can be used effectively and possibly even produce positive results. Jerimiah Edwards, 9, stated, “Phones can be used well if kids don’t have their iPads and their phones could replace it.”

There are times when phones are definitely a no go. Rosing stated, “There is no reason to have it out during presentations, tests, quizzes, and etc.” Then Ms. Jennifer Holzhausen also goes on to state, “My general expectation is for phones to be put away at all times.” These expectations are guidelines that are usually set in most classrooms, especially on tests and such because they are, of course, assessments. 

A common issue is deciding whether or not that there should be a wide school policy with phones. Right now GC does not have one in particular. Rosing and Holzhausen both thought that a blanket policy wouldn’t really work because it depends on maturity. Freshmen are more likely to use their phones more while juniors are more likely to understand that it isn’t appropriate. Dessy Taulman-Franklin, 12,  stated, “In the end it is really about maturity and how you as a person can handle yourself.” On the other hand Ms. Michelle Rennier stated, “There should be a policy that if they are caught using their phones inappropriately that they should be taken away.” 

Another thing Rennier touched on was how phones affect life outside of the classroom. Conflict is a big issue that most of the time happens on phones that then transfers to real life. This also affects the inside of the classroom because this drama that usually happens on the phone puts this student in a bad mood, making them subject to not doing their class work or not doing anything at all. 

According to Holzhausen, “Banning the phones in the classroom hasn’t shown great improvement, but it does decrease the amount of cheaters.” Cheating is another big reason why phones can be an issue in the classroom. Cheating is a prevalent issue that doesn’t show real improvement in a student. This also causes teachers to view the use of phones negatively.

One of the biggest problems for phones in the classroom is the issue with social media. Edwards believes that if social media wasn’t available, phones would be a lot less of a distraction. Taulman-Franklin also expresses her opinion on social media on phones being a distraction. She said, “Yes because it would be less of distraction and help more academically.”

 

Boys track anticipates season

by Ashton Gillam/Staff Writer

While the boys track and field season is upon us, so are the grueling workouts and dedication that come along with it. The team is in full swing and are already off to a great start which began on Saturday, March 7  against Hamilton Southeastern High School. Most of the meets held during the winter months are indoors and vary from 5 to 12 laps to the mile in size. Other activities include running, jumping for height and distance, pole vaulting, and throwing for distance.

Last season the team finished strong. Tate Helm, who graduated last year, won the county meet with a distance of 48’10’ in shot put and started the HHC Championships with his personal best of 53’. Helms crushed his record at Warren Central High School to 54’4 ¾” and it automatically sent him to the state finals. Helms placed ninth at state finals. He said he would have liked to have done better, but still feels good about leaving with hardware. Adam Lee, also a 2019 graduate, finished 10th in the pole vault at state.

For this season a new set of freshmen will come into this sport with a new set of skills and a competitive edge. Michael Runions, 9, stated he believes a good runner can classify himself as such not because of how well they do compared to others but more about how they tried their absolute best to push themselves to the max. “Whenever they are running, practice or not, and they can walk off the track saying ‘I ran my best,’ then I believe that, that is a good runner.”  Runions participates in the 400m and 4×400 practicing both indoors and out. Winning conference, county, and then going to state last season are his favorite memories because he was the first at the junior high to do this.

Adam Bright, 10, who also participates in cross country, runs in the 1600 and 3200 meter races. He runs track because he thought it would be great training for the XC season.  Bright had his own opinions on what makes a good runner. “Many things make up a ‘good’ runner,” he said. “Most may believe it is just about your time and place in the races, but it is also about your character and willingness to work and learn.” 

With the team encouraging Lucus Tutrow, 10, to keep pushing harder and harder through the tough moments while running his race, he sees them more as a family than as a team. Tutrow stated, “Coach Smith is hands down the best coach I’ve ever had and he helps us improve everyday. He works hard to give us a variety of workouts to help every aspect of our running.”  If this doesn’t prove to you that they feel closer as a family than a team then I don’t know what will.