Volume 48
Issue 1
September 2019
the green pride
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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WELCOME BACK WILDCATS In this issue: News
Page 3: How DHS has changed with an increase of students Page 10: DHS introduces new class to all seniors Page 13: Student interns help around the school with technology issues
Opinion
Pages 12-13: Is the new techonology at DHS really helpful?
Feature
Pages 8-9: Students who attended unique summer trips Page 11: Student moves back to Kansas after living in Japan for two years Page 14: A guide to bullet journaling Page 15: DHS welcomes two new office staff Page 16: DHS students enjoy De Soto Days Festival
Sports
Page 4: Volleyball adjusts thier dynamic after losing tall seniors Page 6: New cheer coach puts a focus on student engagement
Arts and Entertainment
Page 5: DHS band splits into competitive and freshmen band
Meet the staff:
Section Editors
Kansas Senate Bill 62 guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are given to professionals. These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the right of freedom of expression, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity. This bill does not allow the adviser, administrators or any other faculty to censor the paper in any way.
Staff Reporters
Letters to the Editors:
Editors-in-Chief Camryn Robbinson Hayley Moss Maggie Kroeger
Erin Pickert Lauren Stanton Lynlee Hutchison Ella Fixsen Hunter Finerty
Abby Knuth Abby Campbell Sam Goins Jack McCracken Natalie Nusz Deleana Marquez Ethan Ferguson Kennedy Ebberts
Video Journalists Spencer Burch Kyle Ahaus
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How is this possible?:
The Green Pride / September 2019
Do you have something to say to the student body? If so, you can type up 300-500 words of your thoughts and we’d love to publish it. If that’s too complicated, just join the staff! You can drop it in the tips box in Mr. Sullivan’s room or email one of our editors at greenpride.hayley@gmail.com, greenpride.camryn@gmail. com or greenpride.maggie@gmail.com. On the cover: The De Soto High School student section cheers the “I believe” chant before the first home football game of the season against Leavenworth on Sept. 6.
Page Design by Camryn Robbinson
dhs population aproaches 1k
With population on the rise, De Soto anticipates more growth
The increase in students has caused a visible difference in hallway space, lunch room capacity and lunch lines. Photos by Deleana Marquez
LYNLEE HUTCHISON news editor
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ith student population on the rise at De Soto High School, many members of the Wildcat community have started to notice differences within the atmosphere. “Compared to freshman year, it’s super crowded in the hallways and harder to move around, especially near the main staircase,” Senior Quinlan Robke said. This issue is not only being noticed by the students, but by the administration as well. Principal Sam Ruff encourages students to change hallway habits and daily class routes that could improve the noticeable traffic. “There is that secret hallway that goes from Mrs. Mages to Mr. Murphy’s classroom that does not get used enough, and that would help us reverse the crowding taking place at the crossroads,” Ruff said. As class sizes continue to grow, there are other areas of DHS that will soon have to be taken into more consideration in regards to space. “Another area we will have to continue to pay attention to is the cafeteria or the commons, as well as the Union. We just have to be
more careful about the number of classes that we assign to specific lunch periods,” Ruff said. School clubs are also making changes to adjust to the influx of students. According to Pep Club lead Robke, student run Pep Club is having to make adjustments to their usual routines as well. Pep assemblies will now be held in the main gym to acquire more space. Social Studies teacher Mike Murphy took the increase of his class sizes seriously, researching lesson designs and other ways to make learning best for his courses. “I really worked hard and researched cooperative learning strategies, cooperative learning grouping and roles for cooperative learning groups and we do activities based on making sure each student in the group have different roles,” Murphy said. With this, Murphy created a pod system that seats students groups to complete various tasks and activities. These are designed to keep students involved while completing various tasks and activities through the responsibility of completing their role. “The pod system rather than sit-
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ting in rows or working more individually was kind of a blessing in disguise,” Murphy said. “I really like the way this has transformed my classroom as far as learning.” More students feeding into DHS also provides many more opportunities for the school. “We are able to offer a wider variety of classes, elective classes and more AP classes here at DHS [due to the population increase], which is really exciting,” Ruff said. Not only does the population increase benefit in the number of educational courses, but extracurricular involvement at DHS. “Our growth has allowed us to have more levels at different activities that we already have, then we have expanded with different types of clubs, and just getting more people involved in more and more whether they are coming as fans or they are participants,” Ruff said. Despite the crowded hallways and an increase in organizational need, the larger size of the school has created many benefits and more opportunities as a whole.
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC
DHS volleyball adjusts to new dynamic after loss of seniors and influx of new players
MAGGIE KROEGER editor-in-chief
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or the last three years, the first word that came to mind when people thought of De Soto High School volleyball was “tall.” Height has always been an asset that came with last year’s senior class, but once they graduated, a new style of play had to come into focus for the team. With seniors Kadin McGee, Kyra Halvorsen and Taylor Ellis taking the lead this year and a new wave of young players, the dynamic of the team has significantly shifted. For Ellis, the significantly smaller group of seniors compared to larger groups from past years will prove to be just as effective. “Kyra, Kadin and I, as the only three seniors, have nine pairs of massive shoes to fill this year. I think the smaller group of senior leaders will create opportunities for leadership roles among all of the classes and build a cohesive team for this season. I believe the dynamic will continue to shift in a positive direction,” Ellis said. According to head varsity coach Lindsay Hothan, the loss of nine seniors created a new dynamic and style of play for the Wildcats, as well as a different approach to the game. “For style of play this year, our biggest focus is going to be passing and defense. That’s something we’re definitely going to be working on during practice every single day, as well as ball control and being consistent,” Hothan said. “Last year, we had a lot of power offensively just because we had a lot of height at the net as well. I still think we have a very powerful, dynamic group, but I think our success is going to depend on our passing and defense this season.” McGee agreed with Hothan in the sense that defense is going to be a major focus due to their loss of height.
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Senior varsity libero Taylor Ellis recieves a pass during a match versus Louisburg High School on Sept 5. Wildcat Photo
“We’ll be focusing on defense a lot more this season because we aren’t as big of a team and can’t rely heavily on offense anymore. Right now we’re really working to improve our serve receive and passing,” McGee said. On top of style of play, the diversity of age among the team has also significantly changed and grown. “This year the varsity team is very diverse in age. We currently have three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen. I have never been a part of the program when the ages were pretty evenly spread across the board, but I believe it will help everyone branch out and become closer with one another,” Ellis explained. The age diversity also requires younger players to fill bigger roles with more leadership than years past. “With losing those nine seniors, we are also losing a lot of leadership. That requires this year’s seniors to really step up, and they’re doing a great job at it, but then I also expect some of our younger players to step up and take on a bigger role than they are used to,” Hothan said. With the change in leadership and style of play, it is difficult to say exact-
The Green Pride / September 2019
ly what to expect from the Volleycats this season, but the players have a good idea of where they’d like to end up. “It’s hard to tell what to expect due to us losing the majority of our team, but we have been working really hard in practices and coming together as a new team,” Halvorsen explained. McGee agreed, saying that bonding as a team is a large factor in success throughout the season. “We don’t really know what to expect from this season because there are seven new players on the team who haven’t really worked together much yet. Once we are able to connect as a team, success will come with that, and I definitely expect success in the postseason,” McGee said. For Hothan, her experience as a head coach has given her a solid idea of what to expect from the season overall. “This year, I expect that we are incredibly competitive. I think our program has really grown to be a competitive one, and we’ve always been pretty successful so I want for our girls to continue to experience that success. I expect for us to compete in every single match and try our best in every single match,” Hothan said.
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Marching band splits ETHAN FERGUSON staff reporter
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he De Soto High School marching Wildcat band has split into two seperate bands. There is now a freshman band that is seperate from the competition band. As of this year, freshmen that did not audition for the competition band will not participate at football halftime shows or perform at competitions. According to band director Matt Bradford, the main reason for the change is the immense size of the band. With the band consisting of 180 students this year, it was clear that changes needed to be made. “It is hard to be competitive with a large band, and with more people on the field, it is harder to control the situation and plan for the upcoming future,” Bradford said. With this new system, there have been concerns about the new freshmen not being able to contribute as much in their later years of band, because they are only marching in the pregame. Inexperience could lead the freshmen to not being ready for the complex marching shows next year, yet Bradford is confident that this will not be the case. “It definitely has not hurt anything. If anything it is made it a little better,” Bradford said. With the absence of the freshmen,
Page Design by Hayley Moss
DHS creates an all freshman band practice has ramped up for the rest of the band. Junior flute player Erika Eberting believes this is much of the reason the band is working so fast this year. “Instead of teaching them [the freshmen] as we go, they learn separately outside on their own,” Eberting said. In six short weeks, the competition band is more than halfway done with their marching show. Along with the freshmen being split, this progress may have a lot to do with the new rehearsal procedures the band has implemented, such as keeping unnecessary talking to a minimum. “I think the changes we’ve made have been a positive change, and the students will realize why we did what we did when we did it,” Bradford said. As the band prepares for three competitions this year, including the Baker festival that they’ve won four years in a row, some band members credit the new split for their success in practice. Of course, without the freshmen, there is a noticeable amount of missing musicians. However, Bradford says the split hasn’t hindered the band musically at all. “It hasn’t hurt the sound at all. It does not allow people to hide behind anything though,” Bradford stated. Band is ultimately a team effort,
and with everyone playing their parts combined with the new changes, it has made everyone’s part even more vital to the success of the band. “Without the freshmen, it’s not like you can play quiet. You have to play loud because there’s not that many people,” Burchette said. The band has had its share of troubles, with the miserable hot weather being one, but they continue to work at their craft and put together a high-level show. With the new split - as well as the difficulty of the show - Bradford is impressed with his students and knows that all of their work will pay off at the end of the marching season. “I’m just proud of them. They’re playing well, they’re marching well and plus we’ve had these changes. It’s been hard, but nothing worth doing is going to be easy,” Bradford said. While the competition band has been hard at work, the freshmen have also been working and sharpening their skills to be ready for next year. Eventually, they will be in the same position as the upperclassmen. With the new marching system put in by the band staff, the marching Wildcats have the potential to be a great program for years to come.
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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“Wildcats, lets win!”
New head coach and larger team brings positive outlook for De Soto cheer team ABBY KNUTH staff reporter
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he De Soto High School cheer program has been adapting to tremendous changes this season with a new coach, an increased number of 29 cheerleaders for the season and creating unison where school spirit is concerned. Megan O’Boyle isn’t only the new cheer coach, but she also teaches family and consumer science classes and Senior Symposium here at DHS. “I’m excited to build new relationships with a new team and get to know students faster at school by coaching them,” O’Boyle said. The cheer team is seeing new coaching tactics already, as O’Boyle is a hands-on coach that brings personal ideas to the table. She desires to create a family aspect among the team.
“Coach O’Boyle has brought so many great ideas to improve our look and skill level, and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us,” senior captain Alexus Hobson said. O’Boyle has discussed the importance of goal setting with the squad and is confident that with hardwork and dedication, they will succeed. “I would love to see us place 10th or better in the 5A division for the KSHSAA State Competition. I would also love to see their level of athleticism, enthusiasm and drive increase throughout the year,” O’Boyle said. That being said, 29 cheerleaders make up the cheer team this season, which permits flexibility when choreographing stunt sequences and other various performances. “I am truly excited to have a big team this year. With a big team comes
a lot of possibilities and opportunities for really cool routines,” senior captain Alicia Baker said. The cheer team has also been coming up with ways that would involve the crowd more at football games and has put in work with the dance team to create unison. “Engaging the crowd, but also making the crowd engage with them, and the other way around is the goal,” O’Boyle said. “I also want to create a college game day atmosphere by working a little more closely with the dance team.” The team continues to improve as they prepare to compete in the 2019 Game Day KSHSAA State Competition this November. The cheer team has already taken a large step in the way of success, and hopes to reach their full potential by the end of the season.
The De Soto High School cheer team rallies the crowd at the De Soto Days Parade on Aug 31. photo by Maggie Kroeger The De Soto High School cheer team leads the student section in their traditional “Hey, Baby” chant during Fall Fest on Aug 23. photo by Erin Pickert
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The Green Pride / September 2019
Seniors Adison Reinersten and Sierra Grube use their pom poms to engage with the student section at Fall Fest on Aug 23. photo by Alli Rozelle
Page Design by Maggie Kroeger
Managing multiple sports
Student athletes balance between two fall sports
Sophomore Kyle Newberry and seniors Adam Lee and Eli Gratz step out for the starting lineup before their match against Topeka-Seaman High School on Sept 3. Photo by Maggie Kroeger
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ith many students being athletically involved, it is not uncommon for athletes to have to make a choice between two seasonal activities. However, making that choice between two sports is not always the case for some students. De Soto High School has a select few athletes participating in two sports this fall. Senior Adam Lee, participating in boys’ soccer and football, is among these athletes. “I grew up playing football and once I got to high school, I decided to switch [sports],” Lee said. “My senior year I had the opportunity to punt [for the football team].” By playing two sports, practices can interfere with one another and time can be hard to manage. These dual-sport athletes, including senior Eli Gratz. have a schedule that allows them to participate in both activities. “I go to soccer practice [first] and after that, I go to the football field and practice kicking,” Gratz said. Being a dual sport athlete comes with difficulties in balancing school, work and other personal activities. “You run out of time to do homework and other things,” Lee said.
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For sophomore Kyle Newberry, his challenge is balancing both soccer and cross country. “I really enjoy both sports and the coaches work with me a ton, even when games or meets conflict with each other,” Newberry said. Lee, Gratz and Newberry must excel in communication skills to balance schedules between all of their coaches. They have to stay in verbal contact with their coaches, such as head football coach Brian King, to manage their schedules. “We’re always open to new players and willing to work with whatever we have,” King said. Participating in two activities
comes with stress, but the boys are passionate enough about their commitments that it pays off. “I get to play with two teams, so I’m surrounded by a lot of good people,” Gratz said.
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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STUDENTS GLOBE Ella Fixsen and Kennedy Ebberts
Senior Lauren Mallicoat poses in front of the Eiffel Tower. Wildcat Photo LAUREN MALLICOAT
Senior Lauren Mallicoat didn’t have much time to relax this summer. She was too busy traveling to countries like RILEY
HARMON-MORE
Five countries, two weeks, one French class and a trip to remember. “We went to Normandy Beach and we saw the [D-day] memorial,” junior Riley Harmon-Moore said. This entailed D-Day speeches from the current French President, Emmanuel Macron and President Donald Trump. She noted that the speeches were not bad, and she pretty much enjoyed the whole ceremony. “There was a lot of waking up at 3 a.m, going to things, being on a bus for like five hours at a time and then walking for 30 minutes,” Harmon-Moore said.
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France and Mexico, gaining various individual experiences along the way. Mallicoat’s first and most noteworthy stop of the summer was France, where she was able to witness the unique culture and atmosphere. “In France, I was there just for a vacation, to learn how to travel internationally. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to go to France,” Mallicoat said. “I got to go on a bicycle tour out in the area called Alsace, which is this massive region that borders Germany. There was a bunch of vineyards, and everybody was super kind.” Shortly after returning home, Mallicoat left the country once again, but this time for a completely different reason. “I was in France for 10 days. We traveled around the country and then I came back, and my friend from church
came back, and my friend from church invited me to go down to a mission trip in Mexico. I’m like ‘Why not?’ So I went,” Mallicoat said. “We were helping build roofs and houses.” Mallicoat feels that her unaccompanied trips helped her gain better knowledge about herself and her freedom. “I didn’t go with any family members. I went by myself and so it was a really good thing to discover my own independence,” Mallicoat said. As expected, Mallicoat had very different experiences in each place that she traveled, each leading to valuable lessons and memories. “It was definitely a different experience everywhere I went. I learned how to explore, yet be very cautious because of some of the settings that I was in,” Mallicoat said. “It was really fun learning about the different cultures and the different ways that people have traditions.”
The tour of Europe wasn’t perfect and the students and chaperones had to deal with language barriers, but they didn’t let that stop them. They had French teacher Cheron Tiffany by their sides. “I think the hardest part was Germany and Austria,” Tiffany said. “But most people understood when you said ‘bonjour’ or ‘guten tag’.” Together the students also shared many laughs and engaging stories. “I lost Julia Coverdale in Paris,” Tiffany said. “The funny part was, her mother didn’t even know.” Overall, Harmon-Moore loved the trip and was glad she got the opportunity to visit so many countries and see their rich history.
The Green Pride / September 2019
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TRAVEL THE ELLA FIXSEN AND KENNEDY EBBERTS news editor and staff reporter
Juniors Kennedy Ebberts, Hunter Finerty and Yazmin Adams pose at Lollapalooza. Wildcat Photo
YAZMIN ADAMS
Most people have heard of popular music festivals such as Coachellla. At the beginning of August, Junior Yazmin Adams was lucky enough to
ELLIE WARNES AND EMMA BLOM
Seniors Ellie Warnes and Emma Blom traveled to Europe over the summer stopping in England, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and France over a period of just two weeks. One of the most notable stops of the trip for both girls was Switzerland, mainly due to its exquisite scenery. “My favorite place was Switzerland. The mountains were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Blom said. “Our hotel looked out on them, and we could just see mountains from our balcony.” “At the place that we stayed in Crans-Montana, the weather was
go to Lollapalooza in Chicago. Although she only attended one day, she was still excited to see many of her favorite bands live. Her favorites include indie band half • alive and pop singer King Princess. “I loved being there with my friends and being surrounded by positive energy and good vibes,” Adams said. The energy of Lollapalooza pleasantly surpised Adams. Even though the crowds were intimidatingly large, Adams still enjoyed how fun and cheerful all the fans were. However, the trip wasn’t all fun and games. She and her friends had to deal with standing under the sun in 90 degree weather as well as being surrounded by thousands of sweaty bodies. Fortunately there was plenty of free water stations. Also, some artists weren’t what she expected.
“Hobo Johnson has really good music but he simply just wasn’t good live,” Adams said. Adams had some struggles trying to plan her vacation as well, from choosing a place to stay to arguing over what to do besides just attending Lollapalooza. “My parents plan trips a lot so they were really picky,” Adams said. “My mom was like, ‘is it a safe area in Chicago?’” Luckily her whole trip wasn’t like this. While there were, of course, some ups and downs most of it was as magical and exciting as she had hoped. “I’m just glad I got to eat enchiladas,” Adams said.
beautiful, but it was colder and you’re surrounded by mountains,” Warnes said. “If you drove 30 minutes in one direction to Lake Geneva, which is a really pretty blue lake, the weather is so different. It’s hotter, so you kind of get the best of both worlds.” The pair also got to try a variety of authentic European food, including French meats and pastries, English fish and chips, Austrian streusel, Italian pizza and German snowball dessert and wienerschnitzel. “In Germany, I had ... a snowball. It has pie pastry molded up into a ball with sugar all over it,” Warnes said. “It was really yummy.” Warnes benefitted from traveling in an organized group.
“I think I got a lot more opportunities to see every single attraction where I was because the Kansas Ambassadors of Music had the whole trip planned out, so we got to go to all the monuments and famous buildings,” Warnes said. “I got to do a lot of stuff that people normally wouldn’t get to do if they went to Europe with their family.”
Senior Ellie Warnes poses on a street in Austria. Wildcat Photo
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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senior symposium ERIN PICKERT AND ABBY CAMPBELL feature editor and staff reporter
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his year, seniors were offered an alternative course selection to shortened schedule. The new course offering, Senior Symposium, gives seniors the opportunity to decrease their class load with a different layout. Instead of leaving De Soto High School early everyday during second semester, seniors leave the building early every other day throughout the entire school year. However, instead of just going home to sleep or watch Netflix, students are expected to be doing helpful research or shadowing careers in order to help them prepare for their future. Senior Colin Campbell chose to do Senior Symposium because,“they offer college advice and resume training. It was also a good alternative to senior shortened day.” The course’s schedule is also very beneficial because students have time to focus on their future outside of school. “[Seniors] can do a few different things [with their free time]. They can have an internship where they aren’t paid or some of them actually have jobs that are related to the careers they think they might want to be in. Or some students are in a lot of AP courses and are using that time to study on their own or work in the library,” said Senior Symposium sponsor Megan O’Boyle.
What happens with the time away from school will vary for every student. “I work on homework for other classes, and right now I am using time to apply to different colleges,”senior Mya Conley said. When at school, students are able to meet with their counselors and learn valuable skills for their future. “I like the personal one-on-one meetings ... with Mrs. O’Boyle, and I am looking forward to the seminars we are going to have,” Campbell said. O’Boyle meets with every Senior Symposium student each quarter. In these meetings, seniors can discuss their scholarship essays, resumes, or anything else related. This helps ease students of stress about their futures. The Senior Symposium students meet once every quarter for a three hour long meeting in which they can meet with others and hear from professionals in different careers. “If we have a lot of students interested in a certain career, then we will try to have guest speakers who are involved in that field,” counselor Kristy Wilkens said. Students also have the opportunity to hear from different colleges. “For our next meeting, I’m bringing in six or seven college reps from different colleges in the area and
they’ll have a question-answer panel as a group and breakout sessions,” O’Boyle said. “They will also meet with other students who have similar career interests and they have their own discussions.” Senior symposium may not be convenient for all students, however. If a student is involved in after-school extracurriculars, they might miss their morning classes in order to not have multiple commutes per day. “Because of some of the extracurriculars I am in, I have to make four trips to De Soto a day if I choose to leave,” Campbell said. With time away from school, students must learn to manage their free time, as Senior Symposium mimics the college class schedule. “We only meet 10 times a year so ... you have to able to manage your own time and keep track of your own assignments. It’s not like there’s a teacher there that’s reminding you face to face everyday to get stuff done,” O’Boyle said. “But, if you’re going to college, it’s really good practice for that: managing your own free time since you don’t have to be in class.” Though Senior Symposium is a new addition to the course offerings for DHS students, the program seems to be settling in well.
What afternoon symposium looks like W1: Class taken at DHS
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W2: Class taken at DHS
The Green Pride / September 2019
W3: Senior Symposium
W4: Senior Symposium
Page Design by Erin Pickert
Jack from Japan Student moves back to Kansas after spending two years in Japan NATALIE NUSZ staff reporter
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fter moving nearly eight times in his childhood, sophomore Jack Neill has moved back to Kansas after living in many interesting places including Japan for over two years. Neill has had to move schools many times in his lifetime. He attended a U.S. school on a military base in Japan where his father worked as a lawyer and judge. “He is [both a] lawyer and a judge. If someone moved away to join French Foreign Legion, or they were hot selling extra parts and getting money off of it, he would try their case,” Neill said. Moving schools can be difficult, but Neill has conquered this battle many times by getting involved. He likes technology and is even considering joining the coding or GSA club. His interest in technology has allowed him to help teachers as well. “He’s helped me with the technology a lot and he volunteers, which is nice. I’ve asked him a few times if he knows how to do something and he hops up and helps me right away,” English teacher Donna Rhodes said. On base, Neill was still a helpful student in his school. The school was English speaking with classes in Japenese as well. Living on base allowed for a close-knit bond between the children there. “The environment on base is definitely very close . . . because they only have maybe two or three schools that only had 500 kids in each of them. You kind of know everyone there. It is a closer community,” Neill said Neill’s environment significantly
changed when he moved across the world, and coming back was a major change as well. Although the school he attended was English speaking, he still lived in a country with many different cultural traditions. “It has been new and there is a lot more people that speak English. There is a lot more stores and stuff from Amazon gets here faster,” Neill said. Coming to De Soto High School seems to have been a smooth transition for Neill. He says the classes in Japan were fairly similar to those at De Soto. Teachers have also noticed him getting together well with other students. “When he works in groups everybody seems to get along and like him,” Rhodes said. Coming to a new school can be quite the change for Neill, but his past experience has familiarized him with this conception. He has learned to take a different approach in how he views these movements of schools. “It’s nice to get a new fresh start every couple of years, but it’s also hard making friends when you get to
new places,” Neill said. Neill has certainly been to many diverse communities and has experienced many different schooling environments. As he continues to be involved at DHS, he will always recall one thing about Japan. “It is very clean in Japan, I remember that,” Neill said.
Sophomore Jack Neill and his family sit on a ferry in Okinawa, Japan, during his time living across the Pacific in 2017.
Neill has attended schools in KS, TX, NC, VA, NY and Japan.
Page Design by Camryn Robbinson
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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Macbook Hacks: Tips and Tricks for an Easier Year with TEchnology at DHS
CAMRYN ROBBINSON editor-in-chief
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hen it comes to new district-wide technology, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the different functions and layouts of the MacBooks, especially if you are new to Apple. In order to make the most out of the new student laptops, here are a few hacks to help with organization, time management and efficiency. The first MacBook hack is to help maintain a clear head and a solid GPA. Take advantage of the Notes and Reminders apps located on the dock. Setting reminders for when homework assignments are due and meeting times for after school activities will help students to keep track of all their responsibilities, both school and personal. When it comes to the Notes app, I have seen many students use this to take notes during a lecture or teacher presentation. Taking notes electronically can keep everything in one place and also reduces hand cramps. The next hack I recommend to all students is organizing tabs by class. We all have websites that we use ev-
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eryday for certain classes, so I recommend moving specific tabs and grouping them together by each individual class. This will allow all websites used for a class to be together make it easier for students to find what they need. In order to stay on top of classes, I advise to keep track of your classes on Canvas. Set notifications on your laptop to make sure you are always up to date on assignments being posted on Canvas. You can switch your notification settings by going into System Preferences and then Notifications. Many of your teachers often upload homework and daily agendas for classes so take advantage of it and get ahead of the game. My fourth tip for making the most out of the student laptops is making folders on your desktop for every class. This will help you stay organized and give you a place to separate different assignments by class. By making folders, it allows you to place every single digital homework assignment and project for a certain class
The Green Pride / September 2019
in one single place. This way, things will not get lost and everything will be grouped by individual class. My fifth and final tip to succeed with the new technology is adding your most frequently used apps onto your dock. To do so, you can go to the Launchpad and drag the app you want to your dock. Personally, I use Outlook frequently to email my teachers so I added it to my dock. Other apps that I recommend adding to your dock would be Google Chrome, Spotify, Stickies, Microsoft Word and Classroom. Adding your most used apps to the dock will make things easier to access and will save more time when it comes to actually getting things done. In conclusion, the new student MacBooks provide everyone with equal opportunities to learn; it might just take a committed student to fully take advantage of this convenience. Throughout the year, I challenge everyone to get comfortable with their new laptops and find their own unique hacks that work for them.
Page Design by Hunter Finerty
Macbook Pros and Cons
HAYLEY MOSS editor-in-chief
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he new school year always brings with it a load of new and different things: new classes, new teachers, new friendships and its own new, unique experiences. This year, new technology has arose and is now in the hands of each and every student at De Soto High School. MacBook Air laptops have now transformed how classes are structured and the expectations that govern them. But as with any new change, there has been resistance due to some negative effects of the shift. Regardless, the new technology policies have changed DHS, perhaps for the better. One of the biggest transformations that has come with the acquirement of a 1:1 policy for students is the elimination of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) protocol. Students are no lon-
ger allowed to bring technology from home to use during class, which has been the root of much uproar. Yet if one were to walk into a classroom now, one would be able to see an increase in focus compared to years prior. Not only does the new phone policy make a more focused learning environment, but it provides structure and consistency for all classes. Canvas—a site that many universities are now using as well—has been adopted to replace the problematic BlackBoard. Now that almost all classes are using Canvas—unlike BlackBoard where it was only used by less than half of the teachers— class work is now more easily accessible. All information a student would need to know is provided on one, user-friendly site.
Despite the MacBooks seeming inconvenient to students who already own a laptop, a device provides Internet access to those who do not have it at home. Besides, for those students, it might be more of a lack of gratitude than a lack of convenience. Overall, the new 1:1 policy requires all DHS students to be responsible for a new tangible item, whilst also assisting students to become more organized and intentional with their own educational habits. Although the new technology protocol brings with it its own new issues, those can be resolved as time goes on and the adjustments become more habitual. In the foreseen future, I believe that a 1:1 policy will benefit students’ organization, learning abilities and level of responsibility.
DHS Introduces Student Intern Program
HUNTER FINERTY web editor
W
hile numerous changes have been made at De Soto High School for the new school year, it is certain that the introduction of the 1:1 Macbook policy has been the most substantial change at DHS. Many doors have been opened by the integration of the Macbooks, but there has also been no shortage of technology issues. Because technical difficulties were more than expected with the roll out of over 1,000 new devices, DHS implemented in-house support consisting of one full-time tech and a team of eight student interns. The interns were approached at the end of the previous school year with the unique proposal.
“[Working with technology] was just something I’ve been interested in for a really long time,” senior tech intern Jeffrey Charcut said. Each block, a student intern can be found helping various students and teachers solve problems with the Macbooks all around the school. “I’ve been trying to figure out what jobs and things I can delegate to them and trying to figure out what their specialties are, what their strengths are,” said Sam Klinkenborg, in-house K12 ITC support technician. Various issues have been fixed by the, with some of the most common issues regarding log-ins. “At the beginning of the year with new internet, logging in for people
has been a big issue with the computers themselves, Canvas [and] internet connection issues. Apple Classroom has been big too,” Charcut said. The team has been constantly busy. “It’s nonstop. I’ve got four laptops up right now and … seven more over there. And then four or five more down there and that’s all [the] stuff I’m working on right now,” Klinkenborg said, pointing at piles of laptops. Despite the workload of numerous loose laptop cases, broken screens and software issues, the student interns are happy to help with any issue a student or teacher might have. Stop by room 110 with any questions and they can get you back up and running in no time.
September 2019 / dhsnews.org September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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Bullet Journaling
the basics and how to
SAM GOINS AND LAUREN STANTON staff reporter and arts/entertainment editor
I
PROS
• Organized
CONS
n the last few months, bullet journaling has become increasingly popular amongst Millennials and Generation Z’ers. Bullet journaling is an organizational system in a notebook. It is a place where people can write out their to-do lists and plan for the future. First of all, there is no wrong way to bullet journal. Bullet journaling is whatever you make it. It is for you to organize your schedule and express yourself in a way that works best for you. The following steps are only a suggestion, so do not feel obligated to strictly follow them.
• Looks cool
• JournaL
• feel accomplished
• Pens
• Express yourself
• ruler
• There are no rules
• Coloring utensils
• Takes time
• Stickers
• Pressure for perfection
• pencil and eraser
a journal 1 Get This is pretty self-explanatory. Dot pages or gridded
pages work best for this type of journaling. You can find journals at any home goods store, on Jenni Bick’s website or on the bullet journal website. You could also create an online bullet journal if that is more convenient for you. For an online journal, Elisi is a good program.
Choose a style 2 Determine what you want to get out of your journal.
Do you want it to be elaborative or minimalistic? You can also look up other people’s bullet journals for inspiration and figure out what you like and what you don’t like.
a table of contents or an index 3 Make This will allow you to keep track of the location of
your pages. Include a column for page numbers and a section for the contents of the page. Another way to be organized throughout your journal is by creating a key. Create a different shape or color for each of the following categories: task, event, important, school, personal, completed task and event cancelled.
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The Green Pride / September 2019
Supplies:
4 Make a weekly spread
Here, you can write everything you have going on for each day during the week. Look up formats and see which one you like most. Most spreads include a small monthly calendar with the current week highlighted. The rest of the page includes a spot for each day. Put the initials of the day of the week with the date itself such as M 12, meaning Monday the 12th.
5 Make pages that appeal to you
The rest of the journal can be filled with anything you want. There could be a page for quotes, a bucket list, places to travel, movies to watch, favorite memories of the month, habit or mood trackers, a line of gratitude a day and much more. Once again, look up page designs that you like and make them personal.
6 Take time each day to journal
It can be difficult to find time each day, but it is worth it in the end since it can help you feel organized. Find a time that works for you and journal. It could be right before bed, right when you wake up or maybe during your lunch break.
Page Design by Lauren Stanton
WELCOME WILDCAT STAFF DHS welcomes new secretary and registrar to office staff
CHASE CULVER staff reporter
D
Anne Cahoone
e Soto High School has welcomed new office support staff member, Anne Cahoone to the main office. She felt that De Soto High School would be a good fit for her because of her avid involvement the past four years in the theater department. “I have been helping with costumes [for the musicals and plays] for the past four years,” Cahoone said. Cahoone chose to join the staff at DHS because she enjoyed the environment of the school and wanted to be apart of it more directly. “De Soto is very close to home, and I enjoy the atmosphere and the school itself and the community,” Cahoone said. With the excitement she has for the upcoming year, she also has things she wishes the student body knows about her. “I just want the student body to know that I am not as scary as I look,” Cahoone joked. Although Cahoone is now working at the school and is busy throughout the weeks, she enjoys having the
weekends to herself. “My average weekend consists of the usual mom chores of house cleaning and yard work, but I am also a big Bravo fan,” Cahoone said. Senior Adison Reinersten has enjoyed the changes that are happening with the school office staff. “I have really enjoyed walking by the office and seeing all of the smiling faces coming from those who deal with a lot of tasks throughout the day,” Reinersten said. DHS is excited for Cahoone and she is eager for the rest of the year as well.
have that small town feel, and I saw the job opportunity posted, so I said ‘why not,’” Carver said. Carver is usually busy sending out transcripts, assisting students and organizing passes, but she also plans to get involved within De Soto. “I am most excited about being a part of the Wildcat community and learning new things about the job I have,” Carver said. Although Carver is excited about her new job, she advises the student body to be patient with her as she gets the hang of everything.
“being I am most excited about a part of the Wildcat
community and learning new things about the job I have.
”
Amy Carver
Amy Carver
D
e Soto High School has introduced a new registrar in Student Services, Amy. Carver. She decided to make the transition after her daughters, who are now sophomores, told her about the positive environment the school possesses. “I chose to come to De Soto because my daughters were freshmen here last year and they really loved the staff and all of the teachers that were working at De Soto. It really does
Page Design by Camryn Robbinson
“Be patient because I am new, and if there is a line, know you will be helped,” Carver said. Besides her new found home at De Soto High School, Carver is also busy outside of school. “My life is pretty much taken up by my kids sports, and there’s no other place I would rather be than watching them,” Carver said. Along with the excitement from Carver herself, senior office teacher aide Quinlan Robke expressed her gratitude for the new staff changes. “I have loved being able to be a teacher assistant for Mrs. Carver and help her adapt to the De Soto High School community. I think she fits right in,” Robke said.
September 2019 / dhsnews.org
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De Soto Days 2
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5
1. Sophomore Jacob Dority, and seniors Lucas Beggs and Quaid
Tucker make funny faces while riding Downdraft on Aug 31. Photo by Camryn Robbinson
2. Sophomores Arizany Rocha-Rivera, Abby Campbell, Emily Hef-
fernan and Amy Rocha-Rivera celebrate winning a fish for a carnival prize on Aug 31. Photo by Camryn Robbinson
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3
. Seniors Corrine Daise and Dallas Williams ride the ferris wheel together on Aug 31. Photo by Camryn Robbinson
4. Members of the DHS cross country team prepare to go on the Rockstar ride on Aug 31. Photo by Camryn Robbinson
5. DHS students gather in front of the ride Zero Gravity and enjoy the fair on Aug 30. Photo by Lauren Stanton
6. Seniors Morgan Laney and Lauren Mallicoat smile for a picture while waiting in line for the Scrambler on Aug 30. Photo by Lauren Stanton
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The Green Pride / September 2019
Page Design by Lauren Stanton