Bluejay - Cimarron High School

The
Cimarron High School
Bluejay
Cimarron, Kansas 67835
Post
April 2008
Non-profit
Permit #41
Cimarron, KS
67835
Vol. 5, No. 7
‘Guts, Sweat, Heart’ leads Lady Jays to second place finish at state tournament
By Haley Lloyd
It all started back in the fifth grade for seven of the
Lady Jay state team members. All seven seniors, Paige
Addison, Alexa Burns, Heather Collins, Ellen Blattner,
Brooke Fairbank, Amanda Payne, and Haley Lloyd competed together on numerous traveling teams in the summers and continued to grow together through junior high
and high school as a team up until their final tournament,
the 3A state basketball tournament last month.
From the time these girls were twelve years old they
held a motto, “Guts, Sweat, Heart,” and those three words
carried them to the Hutchinson Sports Arena on March 6
to begin their final journey as a team.
This motto continually set the pace for each game the
Lady Jays prepared for, and each word holds significant
meaning not only for the seven seniors, but also for their
teammates.
“Guts means bearing down and getting things done
on the court. Every time we stepped on the floor we
knew we had to use our gut instincts,” said Senior Brooke
Fairbank.
The Lady Jays found the true meaning of “guts” in
their semi-final game against Wichita Collegiate. Battling
every trip down the floor, the Jays held a 43-40 bittersweet
victory over the Lady Spartans.
The Lady Jays continually poured their fair share of
sweat into everyday practice.
“Sweat comes from all the hours spent working out
in the hot gyms to achieve that goal,” said senior Amanda
Payne.
Whether in the scorching, old gym, slipping and
sliding on the floor to play tough defense, or in the new
gym, perfecting the many set plays, the Lady Jays sweat
with hard work and
dedication.
The last word in
the Cimarron girls’
motto, “heart,” shows
through the eyes of
every girl on the Lady
Jay basketball team.
Not one time did
the Lady Jays ever
claim defeat, not even
in the final minutes of
the state finals game.
The Lady Jays are
defined as a team with
heart. This is a team
with determination
and fight, never stopping or letting up when
something doesn’t go
their way.
REBOUND! Seniors Ellen Blattner, Amanda Payne, and Brooke Fairbank box out first-round
“We used our opponents Northern Heights in their first game at the 3A state tournament. Blocking out proved
heart every time we a key point in the Lady Jays’ game plan throughout the entire tournament. (Holsten photo)
played a game,” said
Senior Alexa Burns.
throughout my basketball season with these girls.”
“ We p l a y e d e a c h
On and off the court, the entire Lady Jay basketball
game as if it was our last. And even when we felt like
we couldn’t go on, we fought through it as a team with team bonded not only as a group of teammates, but also
as a family.
our heart.”
“We are with each other more than we are with anyone
The Lady Jay basketball team ended their season with
a second place finish in the 3A state tournament, but in else,” said Senior Paige Addison. “All these girls become
the eyes of the community and in the eyes of each other family to you after such a bond.”
The season may be over for the Lady Jays, but the
these girls achieved so much and made memories that
motto remains forever engrained in their memories.
will last a life-time.
“We’ve had a great season this year,” said Burns. “We
With a big group
of leaders, teammates learned how to play as a team throughout all these years.
learned from this solid And we have accomplished Guts, Sweat, Heart.”
group of senior girls.
“Whenever we
were down, I just looked
to those girls for leadership,” said Sopho~ Englis h & Earth s cien ce team u p
more Janae Helfrich.
“We could tell in their
~ New studen ts at CHS
eyes that they wanted
~ From player to Coach: Lig htner
to win and I believed in
their ability throughout
~ Media problems
the whole season. I
will miss their pres~ I pods
ence, leadership, and the
friendships I’ve made
W hat’s Inside
2
OPINIONS
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
Fairy Tale: Finding the perfect gown--without your fairy godmother
By Haley Lloyd
I think every female will agree when I say that Cinderella was a very lucky girl. This girl, clothed in rags,
ended up at a ball with the “perfect” dress.
But how?
Well, Cinderella had a godmother who was able to
transform her rags into a dress that was not only beautiful,
but also the perfect color, the right length, the exact size,
and, to top it all off, just the right pair of glass slippers to
knock the prince off his feet.
In high school, when prom time finally rolls around,
unanimously girls begin to scope out the newest magazines, the hottest styles, and prom dress websites to find
their “perfect” dress.
This isn’t as easy as bippity boppity boo! We have
all these different styles to choose from and this creates
so many difficult decisions.
We have to find the right type of style first. Do we
want to be crazy and wild? Sophisticated and elegant?
Short and sassy? Or what about a little bit of a mix?
Then there’s the question of the length of our dress.
Now most girls traditionally buy the dress that is long, but
may have a slit to show off a little leg, or maybe they will
just buy a short dress to be daring and unique.
Next, the color has to be just right. Which one will
fit our complexion best? What color compliments us the
most?
Then, like Cinderella, we need to get just the right
shoes to bring it all together. We never know when we
I MUST have this one!
It is...is...
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!
might need to leave a trail for Prince Charming.
Once we figure out the answer to these basic questions, the hunt begins. We scour the shops like Parrot-fanalia in Wichita, looking through the mass of selections
to find just the dress that matches the “perfect” image in
our minds.
Editorial Board: Although our editorials are written by individual board members, the thoughts and
ideas conveyed are that of The Bluejay Post editorial board. Members of the editorial board are Kaitlin Unruh,
Britnie Jenkins, Haley Lloyd, Shelby Pulkrabek, and Sasha Reed.
English and math for dummies?
By Kimberly Williams
English pertains to vocabulary, grammar, Julius Caesar being betrayed by his best friend, and the Montagues
and Capulets being disgusted by each other’s presence.
Math is learning variables, playing with decimals,
building finger muscles by pressing the buttons on calculators, and not having that 50/50 shot on solutions.
Between English and math there is a whole different
concept.
There are a group of people who enjoy and understand
six-mile-long words and the old English.
The group of witches in Macbeth chant, “Double,
double, toil and trouble. Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”
Some can translate and say, “What evil little crones!”
Others sit still and stare in shock, asking, “ Is crone a type
of cereal brand?”
It’s a matter of being in your left or your right
brain.
There are those lucky ducks that can solve a calculus
equation in a matter of seconds, while others think to
themselves, “Wow, and I thought x was in the alphabet.
How foolish of me!”
Math is a difficult class to pretend to know what
you’re doing. Ask the English teachers. Math takes a lot
of brainpower.
You might be the kind who plays roles in your head
from Shakespeare and Macbeth and who falls for the
romance. Or maybe you would rather have your pencil
and eraser at hand ready to make a bunch of numbers and
letters look more than they really are.
So can English teachers understand the concept of
math and vise versa?
The conclusion is that it’s nearly impossible. That
means no.
Let’s keep this simple and let English teachers stay
safe with the story telling and allow the math teachers to
play with their numbers and pencil shavings.
Moms and daughters alike are literally brutal when it
comes to getting the dress they most desire.
“Hey, your daughter put it down! It’s fair game!”
We all want the “best” dress. We want to receive all
the compliments, and we want to be the belle of the ball.
There is no Mister Nice Guy in the world of prom
dress shopping. Without a fairy godmother to automatically transfer us into Cinderella, we must take extreme
actions to fulfill our dreams.
Letter
Policy
The Bluejay Post welcomes letters from readers. We do,
however, reserve the right to edit letters for purposes of
clarity and space, and we regret that we cannot publish
The BluejayPost
2007-2008 Staff
Editor: Chelsea Morton
Assistant Editor: Kaitlin Unruh
Sports Editor: Haley Lloyd
H.S. Organizations, Arts, Music Editor: Shelby
Pulkrabek
Photo Editor: Cassie McDowell
Community News Editor: Sasha Reed
Grade School Editor: Emily Berry
Middle School News Editor: Kimberly Williams
Graphic Arts Department: Cassie McDowell,
Kimberly Williams, and Britnie Jenkins
Advisor: Lynne Hewes
Cimarron High School
Cimarron, KS 67835
April 2008
Volume 5, Issue 7
News
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
English and earth science team up
By Sasha Reed
Paula Thompson’s freshman English class and Jennifer Hendrix’s freshman earth science class recently
teamed up to do a PowerPoint project. This worked out
easily because most of the freshmen share both teachers.
The project was to show that science doesn’t have
to stay just in the science classroom and English doesn’t
have to stay just in the English classroom. The teachers
thought it would be good to show their students some
cross-curriculum studies.
Each student wrote a series of poems. The poems
had to be in a variety of styles and feature literary terms
that the students had learned in class to show that they
are learning the lesson.
The catch was that, so many of the poems the students
wrote had to be about earth science. This showed Hendrix
that the students actually learned the lesson because they
could apply it to anything.
But what did this all accomplish? How did
using the computer’s PowerPoint program help
the students?
“The students had to think more and get
more creative,” said Thompson.
The freshman presented their completed assignments in Thompson’s class as a PowerPoint
slide show.
Each student received one grade between
both teachers; however, Hendrix graded the
scientific portion and Thompson graded the
format and structure of the poetry.
Not only did the assignment teach the
students about English and earth science, but it
is also teaching them how to use the different
formats on the computers.
“There’s going to be a contest for whose
PowerPoint presentation was the best,” said ENGLISH AND SCIENCE MERGE! Tianna Schneider and Nicole
Marshall work on their English and science project in Mrs. Thompson’s class.
Hendrix.
CHS band has successful year
solos/ensembles for the band and vocal, and state solos/enOver the past year, the Cimarron High School Band sembles is April 26, while state large group is April 16.
has done many exciting things.
April 18-20 is the Band trip to Six Flags. Where they
During football season they showed their support by will perform Friday and Saturday. They will then go to Six
playing at games by marching at half-time to “Greased Flags for the rest of Saturday.
Lightning,” “We Go Together,” and “Summer Nights”
A new addition this year is the band’s website. The
from the movie Grease. They also
went to Hutchinson to help support
the girls’ basketball team at State last
month.
League Band and Vocal was held
February 20 at Cimarron, where the
band received a II. Bekah Harman,
Joel Baublits, Taylor Claar, Spence
Byer, Mikaela Holsten, and the Clarinet Trio all received Is. Kate Lock,
Maria Sauzameda, Alicia Owens, the One, two, three, four! Sophomore James Rittenhouse, Junior Matt Baublits, Junior
Saxophone Ensemble all received IIs. Bekah Harman, Senior Ashley Neuschafer, Junior Joel Baublits, and Junior Taylor Claar
perform ‘Got Trash?’ at half-time of a basketball game. (Courtesy photo)
Matt Baublits received a III.
April 12 is the date for Regional
By Britnie Jenkins
FCCLA state conference
to be held in Wichita
By Kimberly Williams
On April 3 members of FCCLA will be heading
to Wichita to attend the state leadership showcase on
April 4.
“This trip provides the opportunity for FCCLA members to experience leadership exhibited by their peers,”
says FCCLA Sponsor Paula Wehkamp.
Students from the organization will be listening to
speakers and learning what it takes to have leadership.
Members will be busy at the Century II building, getting
the best out of their organization.
3
Students realize that different subject areas can be used in any
combination. (Reed photo)
NHS to take
on additional
community service
By Chelsea Renea Morton
The members of Cimarron’s National Honors Society
(NHS) will be cleaning up and repainting Cimarron’s City
Park Monday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 9, from 5:30
– 8:30 p.m.
“While at the park with my kids I noticed that the
equipment was really disgusting, and I was looking for
another service project,” said NHS sponsor Melody
Johnson.
Johnson hopes to continue community service for
NHS from year to year.
‘Shipwrecked’ Prom to take place
By Chelsea Renea Morton
The dazzling, fairytale night--the reward for all our
hard work--is a short nine days away.
Prom will be held on April 5, styled in Pirates of the
Carribbean decor with “Shipwrecked” as the theme. The
banquet will be held at 7:00 p.m.; the promenade will start
at 8:30 p.m., with the dance beginning at 9:00 p.m.
Picture taking will be available directly after the banquet until the dance begins.
The banquet will consist of steak and the usual garnishes.
The dance will be held in the auxiliarily gym, accompanied by the latest music hits and a customized picture
slide show of the junior and senior class.
Admittence fee for dates is five dollars, but Cimarron
students enter free of charge.
The dance will end at 12:00 a.m. with an after-prom
party beginning at 12:30 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 a.m.
After-prom prizes are sponsored by local businesses.
Prizes will be distributed at 3:30 a.m.
Juniors and Seniors, plan to attend and enjoy!
4
FEATURES
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
Students arrive from all
Brazilian foreign exchange student comes to Cimarron
By Britnie Jenkins
O
f the many foreign exchange students CHS has
had over the years. Never before has the school
had a foreign exchange student from Brazil.
Yam Assis Da Mota, Junior, CHS’s new foreign exchange student, is the first foreign exchange student we’ve
ever had from Brazil.
“My experience in the United States has been very
different,” said Mota, “but I am liking it.”
Many foreign exchange students have never been to
any other states in the U.S. until they arrive in Kansas.
“When I was young I went to Washington, D.C.,
Miami, and Orlando,” Mota said.
As a foreign exchange student, Mota has a host
family.
“The family I am staying with is the Maier family,”
said Mota.
Schools in different countries are very different from
those in the U.S.
“In Brazil, I attended a private school,” Mota said. “I
studied all morning. We didn’t have lockers and we stayed
in one classroom. The teachers changed classrooms instead
of the students.”
Even in different countries the teenagers have their favorite pastimes.
“I like hanging out at the beach,
shopping, or going to see movies with my
friends,” said Mota.
Even though Mota has a host family,
he still misses his family.
“I miss my parents, my brother Andre, and my sister Thaisa,” he said.
When we take two countries and
compare them side by side, we will notice
some major differences.
“Here there is more spending m
money,” said Mota, “but in Brazil the
food is fresher.”
Every foreign exchange student has
his own reasons for participating in the
foreign exchange program.
Culture change! Junior Yam Assis Da Mota,
transvered to Cimarron from Brazil. He is
staying with the Maier family. “My experience
in the United States has been very different,”
said Mota, “but I am liking it.”
Don finds comfortable life on the wide open prairie
By Chelsea Renea Morton
I
Welcome to small town life!
Don Kim enjoys the slower pace of
American towns. Kim is enjoying
the time he now has to participate
in band and play on the boys’ tennis
team.
f you think getting up at 7:30 a.m. is bad, imagine
starting school at 6:00 a.m.!
If you think that’s bad, try not getting let out of school
till 9:00 o’clock at night. This is only one aspect of many
in which Korean schools differs from American schools.
With such long school days, Korean teenagers often
miss out on other activities.
“I have a lot more time now to do other activities,”
said Don Kim, South Korean Exchange student, staying
with J.L and Cassie Bice.
Kim is currently in band and intends to join the boy’s
tennis team this spring.
Korean students also aren’t allowed to frequent teen
centers, such as the Alley in Dodge City.
“No activities, school is too hard,” Kim said. “You are
students.” In Korea studying is the main focus, leaving no
time for distractions.
Here in America, Kim’s favorite subjects are math and
band. In Korea, they were math and English.
“In Korea, they say English is really easy. It’s like
elementary level. Math here is much easier than Korean
math,” said Kim.
Another aspect of American schools that Kim really
enjoys is moving from class to class.
“In Korea, students stay in one room, and the teachers
move from class to class,” Kim said.
Besides moving around, American teenagers enjoy
other freedoms not common in Korea, such as driving,
dances, and a wide diversity of programs.
Kim particularly likes the breaks and easy pace of
America, as opposed to his high-speed home life.
“In Korea, everything is fast,” he said. “Here I have
so much more time.”
Kim describes Cimarron as a quiet, comfortable town
where the people are nice. Later, he might get to see bigger cities like New York City, but he’s glad he can live in
and experience the small town life.
One of the things he misses about Korea is the health
consciousness. Hardly anyone there drinks soda pop.
Instead they enjoy water and a variety of juices.
He also misses his family quite a bit, naturally.
His father is in the Korean army and his mother works
for the Samsung cell phone company. He has one older
FEATURES
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
5
corners of the globe
South Gray student comes to CHS
By: Kimberly Williams
H
ere at CHS we have many new students
from some very interesting places and
some that haven’t come from far. Junior Yomaora
Rosas came to Cimarron from fifteen miles and
started at CHS second semester.
Switching schools can be difficult and
stressful, but Yomaora sees it a little bit different.
“There are a lot of friendly people here in
Cimarron,” says Rosas. “I like that I don’t have
to have to go to school regular
hours. I’m only here for first, sixth and seventh hour. The
rest of the time I attend the learning center. It’s nice.”
CHS has many opportunities for students to participate in sports and clubs, which is a great way for new
students to meet people.
“ Yes, I did play sports this year. I was in volleyball and basketball. I liked being involved because I
met new people and made it to state after moving,” says
Rosas.
Overall, Rosas didn’t have to make such a dra-
New student Torrie Edmundson settles into life at CHS
By Shelby Dawn Pulkrabek
A
fter Christmas break, CHS was flooded with new
students from all over the country. One of those
new students was Sophomore Torrie Edmundson, who
moved here from Garden Valley, Idaho.
Torrie moved here with her mother and brother over
Christmas break.
“We moved here for family reasons,” said Edmundson.
She was welcomed to our school by students and
faculty members.
“Everyone was very friendly when I started here,”
said Edmundson.
As anyone who has ever had to switch schools knows,
leaving Idaho wasn’t the easiest thing for her to do.
“It was hard leaving my friends behind,” said Edmundson.
Life in Kansas is very different from that in Idaho.
“There are no stores like Hollister and Aropstal,” said
Edmundson.
Torrie likes her classes too.
“My favorite class is law,” she said.
There is some things she doesn’t like
about our school, however.
“I don’t like how short the lunch periods
are,” said Edmundson.
She’s had some fun since she got here.
“The funnest thing I’ve done since I got
here is played basketball at the recreation
center,” said Edmundson.
Torrie plans to get active in sports next
year.
“I plan to play volleyball and basketball,”
New Friends: Sophomores Janelyn Reimer,
Torrie Edmundson, and Issa Garcia pose for a
picture. Edmundson moved to Cimarron over
Christmas Break. “The people in the school have
been so friendly,” said Edmundson.
Garcia - Hernandez adjusting to Kansas life
Karla GarciaHernandez
By Kaitlin Unruh
W
ith the onslaught of new students this year, there
is one who stands out. This year we have a student
who has moved from El Salvador.
From Central America to Dodge City, to Garden City,
Karla Garcia-Hernandez now finds herself in Cimarron
Kansas.
“Learning English is the hardest part of living in the
U.S.,” Garcia-Hernandez said.
Although it is difficult, Garcia-Hernandez says she
enjoys school.
“My favorite thing about life here is the opportunity
to learn at the schools,” she said.
Taking advantage of extracurricular classes, GarciaHernandez enjoys physical education and art.
She said, “My favorite class is PE. You don’t have
to learn anything. I also enjoy art. I’ve always liked to
draw.”
She enjoys not only the educational aspect of the U.S.,
but also the social aspects.
“I miss my friends, but the students here have treated
me very well,” she said.
Friends aren’t the only things she misses about El
Salvador.
6
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
SPORTS
From player to coach: Lightner continues to set goals
the beginning of
the season in basketball,” Lightner
said, “but I didn’t
let that affect me. I
worked really hard
and got bumped up
to varsity later on
in the year, and I
ended up going to
state that year with
my team.”
Lightner didn’t
let the fact that he
wasn’t on varsity
stop him from continuing his hard
work and determination to reach his
aspirations.
“I learned then
not to let adversity
detour you from
your goals and what
you are striving
HURDLE! Brian Lightner, CHS math teacher, competes during his college career at Tabor.
for,” he said.
Lightner participated in as many as five events throughout his track profession. He qualified
When the seafor the national track meet in Fresno, California, his senior year in college. He is now the track
son ended in bascoach for CHS. (Courtesty photo)
ketball, Lightner
automatically set a
By Haley Lloyd
How can we see into our futures? Will we become new frame of mind and continued on his path of ambitions
famous actors or actresses just because we are great at by excelling in track and field events.
Lightner, an acclaimed runner and hurdler, could also
forensics? Will we work with MacIntosh just because we
long jump to perfection.
know the intricate workings of the web?
After attending the State Tournament for track two
Or will we become coaches helping the athletes
with the sport that brought us joy, hard work, and taught years in a row in multiple events, Lightner had achieved
his goals. Little did he know a new caliber was about to
us life lessons?
When Brian Lightner, CHS math teacher, was in high be set.
“After high school, I wanted to continue competing,”
school, little did he know that one day he would return
to the public school system, not only to teach students he said, “and Tabor recruited me to participate in track.”
Throughout his college career, Lightner not only acmathematical skills, but also to coach two sports for which
he dedicates his time and effort throughout his adolescent complished his goals in the classroom, but on the track
as well.
and college years.
“My biggest accomplishment at Tabor was being able
A small 2A school north of Hutchinson, Inman
High School, offers similar opportunities for community to participate in three events [in track] my senior year at
members as does Cimarron. With such a small school it nationals in Fresno, California,” he said.
For Lightner, those achievements did not come with
is common to become involved in many activities within
the school and extracurricular activities offered through out pain and sacrifice.
“When I pulled my hamstring my sophomore year at
the system.
“I played basketball and track athletically,” said Tabor,” said Lightner, “I had to try running through that.
Lightner. “I also was involved in a lot of other organiza- I’d say it was probably my biggest challenge.”
Lightner was an athlete with a goal. Attending the
tions.”
Though Lightner was involved in sports throughout national track meet was a prestigious honor, and Lighthigh school, he had to work hard to achieve the goals he ner not only attended the meet, but he also placed in his
events as well.
had set for himself.
Outside of the classroom and inside of the track and
“My junior year I didn’t make the varsity team at
field, Lightner worked as a resident assistant. This position
taught him to look past the book’s cover.
“I realized while being an R. A. that everybody has a
story to tell and a background unique to them,” Lightner
said.
Upon graduating from Tabor College, Lightner pursued a career in the teaching world.
“I was looking for a position teaching math,” said
Lightner, “and Cimarron was offering the classes that I
wanted to teach. I also enjoyed the school and administration when I was interviewed.”
When receiving the position as math teacher, Lightner
also had the opportunity to teach the two sports he had
previously participated in.
“Coaching gave me the opportunity to continue participating in the activities I enjoy,” said Lightner.
With the track season quickly approaching this year,
Lightner begins to formulate plans for his team.
“It’s great to win and receive medals, but it’s not
always about the winning,” he said. “It’s about pushing yourself to become a better athlete and competitor
and being disciplined to sticking to something you have
started and seeing it accomplished. I want them to always
compete.”
Lightner was an athlete in high school. He pushed
himself to go above and beyond the mediocre level. He
went on to represent Tabor College in a national tournament and many other honorable meets.
He now resides in Cimarron where he not only teaches
in the classroom, but also on the basketball court and on
the track. His accomplishments in high school and college
set a foundation for his goals to achieve here at CHS.
Lightner knows what it takes not only to be a great
athlete, but also a hard worker.
“Diligence pays off,” Lightner said. “If you work
at something and never give up, it’s always worth it in
the end.”
Track season begins
By Shelby Pulkrabek
Track practice began Monday March 3. The first meet
was held March 28 with head coach is Denis Hornung.
“I hope we can be competitive as a team because our
numbers aren’t real big,” said Hornung.
There are ten boys out for track.
“I think the boys have the potential to develop as
individuals,” said Hornung.
The girls’ numbers are a little greater than that of
the boys.
“I’m hoping to win another league title with the girls,”
Hornung said.
Hornung has high hopes for the team overall.
“I hope to have some individuals and relays
qualify for state,” he said.
COLUMNS
Degrading society:
Media places women in false light
By Cassie McDowell
Often we see commercials with scantily dressed
women or even those commercials where women are
seen as just a “piece of meat” and not actually a human
being.
Why do commercials do this?
Simply because sexual content sells, but has anyone
ever stop to think, “I wonder if other women think this
is degrading?”
Commercials like this are degrading to the female
sex. We have come so far in the last hundred years, but
we still seem to be stuck in this place where we are shown
to be lower than men.
Women have progressed not only emotionally but
also intellectually. We have gone from only being able
to clean and cook to becoming teachers, being doctors
and even lawyers.
Commercials should not be able to degrade women
so much that we think we have to be exposed in order to
impress men. Commercials such as Axe body spray show
women taking off their clothes to electrify men.
The media also presents women in a slanderous
way.
They tells us, “You are too fat,” “your hair is not
the right length,” and “you eat too much.” We see movie
stars who have starved themselves to look the way they
are told to.
The media has also influenced teenagers on this
issue.
At school while standing at the lockers, we can hear
iPods
boys making snide comments and rude remarks about girls.
The media has influenced our society so much that degrading women has become acceptable in today’s world.
It’s time for us to take a stand and show the media and
men that women are more than just maids or childbearing
mammals. Females all over the world must love their bodies and protect themselves from the media that is trying
to ruin them.
March
Student of the Month
“David Fisher is
positive and helpful
where ever he goes.”
--Mrs. Unruh
Mikaela Holsten
is awesome. She spends
hours outside of class
taking pictures for
yearbook at almost every
event. and she keeps
learning new PhotoShop
tricks.
--Mrs. Hewes
Earlier this morning the
president was murdered...
So...hot...
“Juliette Reimer
is the type of student
who comes in and takes
care of business. She’s
always willing to accept
challenges.”
-Mrs. Long
breaking concentration
or keeping brilliant minds
on track
By Shelby Pulkrabek
iPods… most of us have the handy little device or at least some form of mp3 player.
Some think they’re a way of blocking out
all outside noise and diving into your own little
world of creative concentration. Others are under
the belief that they just distract from what we really should be doing, such as your homework or
reading your AR book.
I personally can’t read or concentrate on anything if there isn’t some kind of music playing or
some alternative way of blocking out the outside
noises because I am very easily distracted.
7
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
Cowgirl Corner
Scientific research has been done on this topic and
shows that music has a profound effect on the brain. Research has also proven that music has an amazing effect
on memory and learning.
It’s been proven that people who study music have
better GPAs and are higher achievers than those who aren’t
involved in music.
Another study has proven that Mozart’s masterpieces
help concentration and memorization when studying for
academics. It has been found that because of the mathematical rhythms in Mozart’s musical pieces, mental clarity
is enhanced, therefore improving study skills.
Studies also show that the quality of work and
time-on-task work is least efficient with no music
playing. People produce more quality work while
listening to music and they finish their work faster.
Work environments with music help employee
moods. The same is true with students.
Students may be onto something when they
tell their teachers that they concentrate better
while they’re listening to their music. It’s not just
an excuse.
8
The Bluejay Post
April 2008
ADMINISTRATION NEWS
The Principal’s
Different Perspectives
In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and
stooped, bent his great frame and made his way to
a stack of boxes that sat near one of the little halfwindows. Brushing aside a wisp of cobwebs, he tilted
the top box toward the light and began to carefully
lift out one old photograph album after another. Eyes
once bright but now dim searched longingly for the
source that had drawn him here.
It began with the fond recollection of the love of
his life, long gone, and somewhere in these albums
was a photo of her he hoped to rediscover. Silent as a
mouse, he patiently opened the long buried treasures
and soon was lost in a sea of memories. Although his
world had not stopped spinning when his wife left it,
the past was more alive in his heart than his present
aloneness.
Setting aside one of the dusty albums, he pulled
from the box what appeared to be a journal from
his grown son’s childhood. He could not recall ever
having seen it before, or that his son had ever kept a
journal. Why did Elizabeth always save the children’s
old junk? he wondered, shaking his white head.
Opening the yellowed pages, he glanced over a
short reading, and his lips curved in an unconscious
smile. Even his eyes brightened as he read the words
that spoke clear and sweet to his soul. It was the voice
of the little boy who had grown up far too fast in this
very house, and whose voice had grown fainter and
fainter over the years. In the utter silence of the attic,
the words of a guileless six-year-old worked their
magic and carried the old man back to a time almost
totally forgotten.
Entry after entry stirred a sentimental hunger
in his heart like the longing a gardener feels in the
winter for the fragrance of spring flowers. But it was
accompanied by the painful memory that his son’s
simple recollections of those days were far different
from his own. But how different?
Reminded that he had kept a daily journal of his
business activities over the years, he closed his son’s
journal and turned to leave, having forgotten the
cherished photo that originally triggered his search.
Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the
rafters, the old man stepped to the wooden stairway
and made his descent, then headed down a carpeted
stairway that led to the den.
Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and
pulled out an old business journal. Turning, he sat
down at his desk and placed the two journals beside
each other. His was leather-bound and engraved neatly
with his name in gold, while his son’s was tattered and
the name “Jimmy” had been nearly scuffed from its
surface. He ran a long skinny finger over the letters,
as though he could restore what had been worn way
with time and use.
As he opened his journal, the old man’s eyes fell
upon an inscription that stood out because it was so
brief in comparison to other days. In his own neat
handwriting were these words: “Wasted the whole
day fishing with Jimmy. Didn’t catch a thing.”
With a deep sigh and a shaking hand, he took
Jimmy’s journal and found the boy’s entry for the
same day, June 4. Large scrawling letters, pressed
deeply into the paper, read: “Went fishing with my
dad. Best day of my life.”
Written by Mac Anderson and Lance Wubbels
The Counselor’s Corner
As I write this article, spring break is almost over. For all of
you struggling with coming back after break, my children have
informed me that there are only nine weeks left until summer.
Believe me, those nine weeks will go fast.
With pre-enrollement for next year continuing over the next
two weeks, I want to review what the Cimarron requirments
are for graduation, along with the requiements for the Board of
Regents and State Scholars Curriculum.
Cimarron requires 24 credits for graduation:
3 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, 4 English, Speech,
PE,
Fine Art and Electives.
The Board of Regents is very specific on their curriculum:
•3 Math: Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry
•4 English
•3 Social Studies: American, History, American
Governement/Economics and one more (usually World
History)
•3 Science: Biology, Chemistry and one more ( usually
Earth
and Space Science)
•1 Computer Class
State Scholars Curriculum is one step above the Board of
Regents:
On top of completing the Board of Regents curriculum, a
student must also have Advanced Math, Physics, and 2 years of
a Foreign Language.
I have several students ask me why they have to take Word
Processing? Here is the answer: Word Processing is required
before a student can take any upper level computer coarses such
as IHT or Computer Applications I and II.
I know that I have not answered every concern or question
regarding coarse requirments, as always please stop by if you
have a questions or there is something I can help you with.
Have a great last nine weeks.
*~April~*
April 2Kyle Maddox
April 6Dalia Erives
April 7Jose Farias
April 7Tyler Peterson
April 7Shay Zielke
April 11
Jared
Nichols
April 12
Derek
Hoskinson
April 12
bank
April 15
vantes
April 19
er
April 19
Corrales
Brandi FairCyndi CerJaden ButchEduardo