Talisman vol 55 iss 3 January 30, 2020

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TALISMAN a student-edited newspaper

Fighting Homophobia page 5 Sheldon Colleens page 6 Sheldon High School

New Psychologist page 11 vol. 55│iss. 3│January 30, 2020

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January 30, 2020

Opinion

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Pollution and its horrific effects Sofia El-Shammaa page editor Because of selfish factory owners who pollute the earth, we’re all going to die, possibly before global warming kills us. The World Health Organization has estimated that about seven million deaths are caused by pollutants in the air annually40% of those deaths are ischemic heart disease, which causes limited blood flow to the heart that can cause heart attacks, and another 40% are strokes. Respiratory and cardiac diseases aren’t the only possibly fatal diseases caused by pollution warming the planet. Today, diseases from insects such as mosquitos and ticks have tripled since 2004. A cause for the outbreak is the fact that with global warming, many parts of the United States have become a perfect habitat for mosquitos. Senior Asia Walton said, “I’ve never gotten sick [from pollution-related illness], but as time goes on, I’m worried that I will.”

Sophomore Kiera Walsh believes that helping reduce global warming is very important to limit the amount of mosquito-transmitted diseases such as the Zika

virus. Walsh said, “I do believe that global warming has sort of caused diseases like the Zika virus and malaria, but I don’t think that there are ways to totally avoid, but ways to prevent it from getting worse.” Walsh’s belief in preventing worsening the problem comes from her family. Her family uses electric cars, composts food waste, grows their own food, and avoids excessively eating beef. Walsh wishes to continue most of her family’s earthconscious practices. She said, “By the time I’m on my own, with my own family, I’m going to continue to be eco-friendly.”

Walsh isn’t the only ecoconscious person in our school. There are two clubs, Green Club and Environmental Club, dedicated to helping our planet. Brandon Kauten of the Environmental Club is also concerned with the worsening state of Earth. “Everywhere is producing a lot of CO2 to make us comfortable, and we’re so used to it by now that we can’t bear to give it up,” said Kauten; “So the Environmental Club is focused on implementing a ‘Climate Curriculum’ that explains why this is important and how to stop it.”

People like Kauten aren’t fighting for our children- these are our lives people are fighting for.

The Green Club’s fight for environmental justice Jesse Bishop page editor In an environment full of many types of people we are working together to sustain a healthy and thriving area. The Green club has organized a meeting for teachers to be educated on new important courses they can add to their lesson plan day to day. Campus supervisor Darin Henry said, “The students want a solution-based climate course.” The Club is currently also working on a draft for a letter requesting new course educating students on the harmful effects of greenhouse gases and climate change to turn into the Eugene school district. The students in the Green club have been working for over a year on the correct wording of the climate draft.

Everyone involved in the Green Club hopes to see change take place as soon as possible on the part of the school district.

Everyone has been faced with the thought of our earth fading out from underneath us, and we are all going to have to work together to prevent any further damage from occurring. Earth and Space Science teacher Rich Bowden said, “We need to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we are burning everyday”. Fossil fuels can mean a variety of things, but what comes to mind for most is gasoline. We will need to reduce the amount of gas we use day to day, so that means driving less, and instead walking, biking, or even carpooling.

The 4J district making changes to our curriculum regarding the climate change issue would be super influential to say the least to other districts in Eugene alone. Sophomore Nabikshya Rayamajhi said,“Creating a new curriculum would make a huge impact because other districts will follow the lead of 4J.” Having one school district make a huge change would be a phenomenal step for the rest of the schools in our area so we can influence many others to do the same.

Student Services

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January 30, 2020

Need food? Come to the Sheldon food pantry Kendall Smith page editor Sheldon High School food pantry is something new to the Sheldon community.

Not only does the pantry help students who are in need of food, it also gives the students who run it experience when it comes to being the lead in a community project. The pantry was created by Ann Hettick, a Sheldon health teacher, who said, “The food pantry was started to help students that are in need of food and go through their day hungry.” She started the winter/holiday food drive, which was a big hit and hundreds of items were donated. The new food pantry is now full of items for Sheldon students in need because of the drive.

Something that has recently been incorporated with the food pantry is Rapid Action Network. It’s a website where a student can come up to a teacher of their choice and the teacher will enter in what they need. For example, if a student needs to get a cavity fixed they can go up to a teacher and that teacher can put in a request saying that that student needs dental work. If a student isn’t comfortable enough to go up to a teacher he or she can go to the website themselves. Sophomore Abby Myers said, “The website is a great resource for students.” The website is going to make students and parents’ lives less stressful.

If you have ever been in the room now used for food pantry you may remember that it used to be the ASB closet. When it first was being transformed into the food pantry it had random items everywhere and was dirty. At first it only had a few shelfs, but now it has eight shelves that are practically full of items from body wash to canned vegetables. There are still a lot of things that are going to happen to the pantry including getting a Dutch door installed, a fridge, and the floors and walls are going to be painted. Junior Shawn Haniuk said, “Once all of the updates are done on the pantry it will be very inviting for students.” All of these changes are going to be in place by the beginning of next school year.

If you are a students in need and would like to access the food pantry, see Mrs. Hettick or any Sheldon staff member.

Photo by Kendall Smith

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4 January 30. 2020 Schools all around the country, including ours, are trying to introduce a new way of teaching with the use of technology. Some of these tools can be computers and tablets, all the way to using smart boards for some teachers.

Tools like these can help benefit students to reach their academic goals. However, with more technology being added to our school and all the schools in our country, how will this affect our budget? As time continues to pass by, new and more sources of technology are being released. Nevertheless, with that in mind, the price tag of these new objects rises quite quickly, and if the school continues to purchase more and more technology, this could result in many possibilities for the school’s funding.

Sophomore Alexander Montero-Ramirez said, “I believe classes should use their budget on technology, but we could also lower use of our budget by using the technology of our own, for example, our phones.”

Continuing, is it really necessary for classes to be provided with technology for their classes?

There have been numerous studies supporting this claim. In one study done from The NCBI, researchers did a study on what caused the most distraction within classrooms. They did this by collecting data from over 250 students. This was done by questioning the students, and asking them what caused the most distraction in class.

The results were that ringing smartphones had caused one of the most distraction with 68% of the students. On the other hand, some students and teachers oppose this study and the other numerous amounts that say technology is a

In the classroom

Classroom funding irez

Will Montero Ram staff writer

Illustration by Sofia El-Shammaa

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distraction and say technology has helped students learn and study more efficiently. A study from McGraw Hill shows us that a high percentage of students say that the use of their technology has improved their grades and helped them study for exams easier.

On-campus at SHS, Librarian Kori Kuns said: “Depending on the classes and needs, I believe that classes should have the technology for their classrooms, to help students learn and study.”

Not every classroom or school can afford the latest technology for their classes. Even if it’s not technology, schools aren’t even able to afford desks, chairs, books, and so much more essential objects. That is why it is important to try and help support fundraisings and spread awareness about schools not getting enough funding. This isn’t just a problem here at Sheldon, but a problem all around. Junior Isabella K. said, “Students can do like campaigns events fundraising, or stuff to help the school.”

Furthermore, this a new era that we live in, students have more opportunities and more access to further expand their minds and comprehend things that most adults now didn’t have when they were students. Way back many years ago, some students have desks, books, and all the new technology we have today. Current Students are fortunate enough to have this new and innovative technology and should use it to teach themselves and others more. To conclude, these are the many reasons and explanations, from staff to students.

That we need better funding, and budgeting to help renovate for the future.

What’s going on with the

Honors Program Brandon Thayer staff writer

The Honors Program has always been notorious for being hard to get into. Yet, it is a must if they plan on going to anything more than your local 4 year school.

Honors was originally opened to “Remove barriers to students.” commented Honors Teacher Mary Youngblood. Unfortunately, for those who rightfully earned their place, are stuck moving at a slower pace than they are capable of. At the beginning of the 2019-20 school year, the Honors Program at Sheldon High School was made accessible to any and all students. Youngblood said, “It is not only bringing down the program, but giving freshman F’s is detrimental to their GPA.” Youngblood suggested the Honors Program returned to their old system, where her previous classes thrived and flew through curriculum. “We get students who are motivated, disciplined and usually more capable” said Youngblood. If returning to the old system is not an option, Youngblood wants to implement an application system to weed out unfit students, and maintain a healthy advanced program at Sheldon.

Freshman honors student Derek Starr agrees that Honors would be better off being exclusive. Starr made his concerns clear: “The class is quite slow, you can literally sit on your phone the majority of the period and still have an A.” Starr

does enjoy the class, and the teacher, but believes that with an exclusive program, he will be able to get more out of the class itself. Starr also stated, “Being surrounded by peers of the same level of understanding, the whole class will benefit from the help and input of others who can truly comprehend the material.”

Elizabeth Steinhouse, the parent of an honors student, also had something to say about the controversial topic. Steinhouse suggested that neither system was perfect, and in fact had her own ideas. “If you didn’t have space for everyone that WAS capable before, how come you have room for anybody and everybody now?”

Steinhouse instead proposed as system where there was no test. Rather of everybody who applied, those with the best grades and GPA from middle school were accepted. Steinhouse explained: “This insures that one, you will get only the most capable. Two, there is no chance that those who have truly earned their spot don’t get in because of chance. And three, class sizes will be realistic and manageable” Steinhouse feels strongly that by having open access to Honors, it doesn’t deserve to be called Honors anymore. “They might as well be in normal classes.” Steinhouse commented, “Honors is meant to be for the best of the best, not for just anyone who can check a box.”

Societal Issues

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January 30, 2020

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How some feel about vandalism Cayleb Marsh staff writer Freshman Corbin Broom said that he has seen people vandalizing a car: “I was walking past the school and saw people spray-painting a car.” Broom said a good consequence for people who get caught would be community service. Broom’s belongings have been

vandalized before, and he said it made him mad because his stuff was ruined. He also said one way to keep your stuff safe is keep it in a safe place and do not leave it unattended or with other people you do not trust.

Freshman Jordan Coulson said that vandalism is bad and a good consequence for people caught vandalizing is to be kicked out of school for a few days then come back and have to clean up. Coulson said he would say, “Hey, what are you doing?” And then he would chase them if they ran if he saw someone vandalizing something. Jordan Coulson

also said that he would have to be very mad to vandalize something.

Freshman Cole Coulson said, “My bike got stolen and spray painted and the tires got stolen,” and he got mad. He said that a good consequence for people who get caught would be community service. Cole Coulson said that he would have to be really mad to vandalize something; he also does not like vandalism.

Emo Bla

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Homophobia is still an issue at Sheldon Helen Creswell page editor There are hundreds of problems, many possibly fatal, that students face on a daily basis. School is considered a “safe zone” and a place to feel “protected.” No matter gender, race, sexuality or religion, students should feel comfortable at school. But is that really true when our LGBTQ+ students are being harassed? Homophobia is still present at Sheldon, despite the Discrimination-Free Policy (DFP). For example, in October of 2019, a GSA poster was vandalized with a homophobic slur. The poster was taken down by GSA members, but there was no case to find the culprit.

According to English teacher Andrew Cabrera, many teachers were unaware of said event, “I didn’t know about it.” He also said that he has witnessed the use of similar language, but has also not seen direct actions: “The microaggressions are more common, and sometimes [teachers] don’t always know what is going on.” The fact that many teachers have no idea what is going on to their students is

appalling. Information about events like this are not talked about enough by staff and students. Isn’t knowing half the battle?

But are micro-aggressions the only example of discrimination at Sheldon? Not according to GSA members (who asked to remain anonymous). One felt that stereotypes and uneducated people are also a problem. As a femme [lesbian], she said that both LGBTQ+ members and cishets didn’t consider her valid. The only requirement for being LGBTQ+ is being LGBTQ+. Stereotypes do not and should not dictate anyone’s way of life. You don’t need to act feminine to be a gay male, or angry to be a lesbian, and so on. If you truly identify with a label, isn’t that enough?

The behavior of one does not account for all. That would be like saying all the people in sports have bad grades and all the people in chess club or robotics have glasses. There is no ideal way to exist.

There are so many other issues that plague our school, but why is this one so important? Because LGBTQ+ students are five times more likely to commit suicide than a straight-cisgender peer, according to crisistextline.org.

On top of any other struggles a person may be having, experiencing harassment for who they love or how they identify tends to be the final straw. The way we as humans are treated affects every aspect of our lives. It is a lot

bigger than we realize it to be. No one should feel taking their life is the only solution to what they are facing. The least we can do as a society is leave people alone about how they identify, it shouldn’t matter as much to others as it should to the person. Be respectful, treat others how you’d want to be treated. We aren’t in kindergarten anymore, and people shouldn’t have to be reminded that.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please call the Trevor Hotline at 1-866-488-7386 or text 741741

Suicide Attempts Students grade 9-12 According to the cdc

Heterosexual Youth

Homosexual Youth

Illustration by: Sofia El-Shammmaa

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January 30, 2020

Dance Team

Sheldon Colleens Win at Championships Meghan McMahan editor Sheldon Colleens, the dance team at Sheldon High School, had a successful fall season in 2019. At the West Albany competition the Colleens took home seven first place trophies. Both Varsity and Junior Varsity took first in all of their categories. After three competitions, Varsity was able to qualify for all five of their categories at championships (Kick, Novelty, Pom, Contemporary and Hip-Hop), however they only took four of their routines.

At championships, the team can only compete up to four routines, unlike other competitions. So they had to decide which one not to compete at championships. Out of the whole state, the Sheldon Colleens became the Kick and Novelty champions for Fall of 2019. Their hard work really paid off.

Sophomore Madi Kincaid has been dancing with the

Colleens since seventh grade. She keeps dancing because of the friendships she gets to make and all of the progress she has made. Kincaid said, “I couldn’t imagine my life without it.” Her favorite fall category is Kick because she loves to push herself and it is very fun to perform. However, she didn’t know that the team was going to win in that category.

Sophomore Samantha Curtiss had a pretty good feeling about winning in Kick. Their winning routine was danced to “Vogue”

by Madonna. The intensive, high kick routine was accented by sparkly costumes and big hats to add to the ‘vogue’ effect.

Kick is a very challenging category, thus most schools choose not to compete in it. The Colleens take up the challenge every year and put in a lot of effort to try to get to the top. Curtiss reported, “When we walked off the floor [at championships] I felt so good about how we had performed. I had a feeling that we were going to win Kick. When they announced the champions for that category, I was very excited, but I also was not surprised. Everyone worked hard for that routine. We didn’t spend hours of training for nothing.” The excitement from their championship award led them to placing third in the state for

The Sheldon Colleens in their novelty costumes. Photo courtesy Hillary McClintick

Small Hip Hop and winning in the Novelty category.

Both Kincaid and Curtiss were shocked, but very joyful, about winning novelty. They are big fans of the category. “I loved the song we danced to and the theme we chose this year. Novelty is very fun,” reported Kincaid. This routine was inspired by a song in the Mean Girls Musical about the Mathletes team.

Their routine about nerdy characters winning a math competition, actually won a real competition.

Senior Elleot Gordan is the only senior and captain for the Colleens this year: “After winning Novelty and Kick I felt so proud of my team and how hard we’ve worked all season. Really there is no better way to end my last fall season than getting two champion trophies.”

With these wins behind them, the Colleens are excited to see what will come in their upcoming seasons. Gordan said, “As a team, we will be challenged in new ways. All in all, I’m excited to finish my last year on the team.”

Politics

January 30, 2020

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High School Democrats of America Posey Chiddix editor

H S

High School Democrats of America (HSDA) is a national political organization that allows youth activists and leaders across the country to engage with Democratic politics.

At both the state and local levels, HSDA members work to advance the ideals of the Democratic Party, provide opportunities to become involved with political activism to their fellow students, and elect Democratic candidates to public office. Some Sheldon students and others around the U.S. participate in political activities in order to have their voices heard. Sophomore Nabikshya Rayamajhi said, “I feel like it’s very important [to be involved in political activism] because we are the next generation of voters and leaders for the future of this country and the world.” From voter registration drives in schools to protests in the streets, students are taking the political world by storm.

Whether students get involved with political campaigns at the local or national level, they are making an impact on their community by inspiring others to take action as well. In early 2019, campaigning began for 4J School Board candidates and students had the opportunity to volunteer on Dr. Martina Shabram’s campaign for Position 5 before the special election in May. Junior Mazie McNamara said, “I worked on a campaign for Dr. Martina Shabram which was a win – we won the election – and now she sits on the school board and it was a really amazing experience.

I was a fellow [for the campaign] and so I got to go into the office a few times a week to canvass, make phone calls, and just learn how a campaign runs.” Campaigning for local candidates gives high school students the opportunity to network, build their resume, and get experience with phone banking, canvassing, and other political activities.

The advantages of political campaign experience go beyond personal gain. Student involvement in spaces where youth are underrepresented creates a ripple effect of change. While inter-generational activism is crucial to intersectionality, this generation is leading the way in issues ranging from climate justice to reproductive rights. High School Democrats of America is one example of an organization where students can mobilize around causes they care about by joining national caucuses or starting local chapters.

Students can also be connected with volunteer opportunities on campaigns in their area by joining these HSDA chapters. McNamara said, “Working on campaigns is such an incredible experience that could land you other positions in the future. It’s great to show that you’re dedicated to something and you really care about making a change in your community.” Most high school students today aren’t able to vote yet, but in the meantime they are becoming leaders in their communities.

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Life Style

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The end of a decade Olivia Randall page editor

This past decade has held numerous memorable moments. From the first iPad being released in 2010 to MrBeast planting 20 million trees in his #TeamTrees campaign. The past ten years has been a home to our childhood and we will remember and cherish the impacts it had on our lifetime. Junior Shawn Haniuk said, “I will always remember the people I love around me and the ones that I met throughout the decade.” These people and the things we thought were little things at the time, shaped our childhood.

In the past decade, the popularity of influencers has boomed. We look to these people for amusement, inspiration, or laughs on a hard day. These influencers have shaped the community in a big way. From beauty, to crafts, to gaming, platforms like YouTube have allowed us to enjoy the content these creators put out and are passionate about.

One of the biggest content creators in the world, is the well-known gamer and web comedian, Pewdiepie. He has over 102 million subscribers as of late December making him the most subscribed person on YouTube. He has inspired the gaming community for ten years. Senior Cole Hendricks said, “I have enjoyed watching Jacksepticeye for a while now.” Jacksepticeye, real name Sean, also runs a gaming channel. He has more than 21 million subscribers on YouTube. Having a large platform like YouTube is a big

responsibility. We thank the influencers that have helped do good for the community and have brought a smile to our faces for years.

Our childhood offered us a lot of iconic TV shows and songs that would eventually leave us missing our childhood more. From Hannah Montana telling us that life’s a climb, to Adventure Time encouraging us to grab our friends and join Jake the dog and Finn the human on their latest adventure. Senior Elleot Gordon said, “I miss the old Taylor Swift!

The country Taylor Swift.” Remembering your favorite episode of your favorite TV show or hearing that song you haven’t heard in years allows us to remember the old days and old memories. As we say goodbye to our childhood entertainment, it waves back saying, “Good Luck Charlie.”

Taking a big step into our future is what most of us see the new year and new decade as.

It means graduation, taking your first looks towards college, and for some, your first year of high school. A new year brings new people and new things to make us smile through years to come. Even though we are leaving the decade behind, the goodbyes can be turned into celebration and fond memories.

Veganism is a lifestyle Rhailyah Drake staff writer Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and the associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. People who adhere to this diet and philosophy are called vegans.

It’s where you can still eat dairy but no meat, eggs, fish, cheese, milk, honey and any dairy products. Vegan and college graduate Chrystal Stoble said she

decided to try veganism “to see if it will feel better in my body because it is in alignment with my yoga path.” Soble also said, “I feel more energy and have more level hormones. It may also help me lose weight.”

Stoble also said, “Vegans should eat legumes, nut butter and seeds, chia, tofu, seaweed, nutritional yeast, plant foods and coconut milk. You can also design a meal plan and stick to it, but vegans can have eggs and dairy. You can also have protein from combining vegetable and certain grains or incomplete amino [acids] and avocado.”

Stoble also said, “Letting go of meat is more for my health and to live in a compassionate nonviolent way.”

Chess

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January 30, 2020

Chess tournament is in full effect Carsten Konyn page editor

The chess tournament of 2019-2020 is raging on. The ninety something participants are playing each other; one loss, and they’re out. The tournament goes on for a long time. According to campus supervisor Darin Henry, it “starts in October, right around Halloween, and lasts almost until the end of school.” The sixteenth chess tournament so far is sure to be a challenge for the contestants.

This year the principal is one of the contestants!

Most of the people in the chess tournament are casual players just trying to have fun, or weren’t really chess players at all, but were, in junior Annika Gibbon’s words, “strongly suggested” to join by Darin, the person who organizes the chess tournament. For example, Gibbons had only played about five games of chess before entering the tournament. Other participants report being “strongly suggested” to join, too. But either way, whether or not players were involved in the choice of joining the tournament or not, they’re having fun.

The chess tournament of 20192020 is raging on. The ninety something participants are playing each other; one loss, and they’re out. The tournament goes on for a long time.

According to campus supervisor Darin Henry, it “starts in October, right around Halloween, and lasts almost until the

Some players are actually decent at chess, though. Senior Christopher Jorgensen, for example, has beaten a former chess tournament champion Athena Aguir in a friendly game outside of the tournament. Jorgensen has been playing chess for a long time, and says that he’s played chess “as long as I can remember. My dad taught me. It’s always been a goal of mine to beat my dad.”

Jorgensen doesn’t think he’ll win, but considering that many of the players are not too experienced in chess, Jorgensen will definitely get far.

This year’s chess tournament could be won by anyone. Sure, the most likely winner is sophomore Stevens Bedford, last year’s chess champion. But it’s completely possible for some underdog to rise up and challenge Bedford. All that is certain is that anyone interested in chess will be excited by this tournament. Good luck to the chess players in the tournament!

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Photo by Kendall Smith

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January 30, 2020

School Tech

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Radio broadcasting offers opportunities These are skills that could very well impact some of these kids’ futures.

Fast forward to modern day Sheldon High and the Radio

Christian Broeker page editor

On December 6, 1947, the first ever FM station west of the Rockies was established and KRVM was its name. This radio station started out as an independent, determined force that eventually turned out to be the amazing educational station/classroom we know and love today!

Meanwhile in modern day Eugene, Oregon, Sheldon High School is lucky enough to call itself one of the very few high schools that has a radio broadcasting course. Rewind back to 1947 Eugene, the brand new station KRVM, is put into action.

KRVM station manager Cambra Ward said “KRVM was originally meant to be a station that provides classes over the air.” Ward also stated “The main mission was good quality education on the air and internally.” KRVM did just that.

Program Director Stu Allen said “KRVM has been educating students for decades.” Allen also stated, “I took the class 20 years ago.” That just goes to show how much inspiration this class brings.

Speaking of educating and inspiring students, Allen stated “The radio broadcasting class is very good for empowering students’ time and pressure skills, as well as communication and technological skills.

Broadcasting Class is still teaching and entertaining students and fellow listeners of the station. They even have listeners around the country and even the globe!

As said by Stu Allen, “We actually have listeners throughout the states and we even have listeners in Germany, Russia, Mexico, the Middle East, and even some European countries too.” It is insane to think Sheldon students are heard all around the world.

But what happens when we come back to the students at Sheldon? When you visit Sheldon’s radio broadcasting class, you’ll see students having an amazing time doing all sorts of cool things such as: prerecording vocal tracks that will later be aired and preparing podcasts as well as finding out what the topic of the podcast will be.

Lastly, Sheldon students taking the class will have to prepare for a class final that consists of: making your own audio track that will be aired later on, performing a podcast successfully, and showing that you have retained radio broadcasting knowledge.

This class is an extremely fun, laid back class that all students should consider.

Who knows, maybe you’ll become a radio broadcaster someday!

Savannah Wilson broadcasting in KRVM Photo by Jesse Bishop

School technology availability increases Cayse Hendricks staff writer

Students and teachers alike have opinions on whether or not Sheldon High School needs more technology. Teacher Kurt Goldenstein said, “I think our technology has moved a little faster than people can keep up with, so I think we need to slow down maybe and master what we have before we start adding more new things on.” From laptops to projectors, teachers often rely on classroom technology to teach effectively. Goldenstein said, “I think a better way is to incorporate phones into a classroom because we don’t have a clear idea of how to use them and all students have phones.” Throughout Sheldon, phone use is often restricted, but several teachers allow phones for educational purposes at specified times.

Without up-to-date technology, classrooms lack the ability to use certain materials only

available on devices such as computers. Educational assistant Tory Guenther said, “I think it’s more like quantity, so if each classroom had computers that would be very beneficial.” While some classrooms have Smartboards and use iPads and computers, others prefer to use more traditional forms of teaching. Guenther said, “I think the people who have it know how to use it effectively. The people that don’t really have it probably could benefit from more training.” This brings up the point that schools may not need more technology, but rather improved use of what they already have.

It’s often very clear which classrooms at Sheldon have advanced technology versus those that don’t because of devices such as Smartboards, computers, iPads, and more. Teacher Joe Renaud said, “I don’t know that I’m not up to date on technology. I have everything that I think I need anyway.” Most people seem to think that more technology and improvements in teaching with tech is necessary for classroom success. Renaud stated, “I think naturally to get more of it would help.”

As we move into a new decade, technology innovation will continue and schools have to decide whether to keep up with this advancement or not.

Physchology

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January 30, 2020

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New school psychologist at Sheldon

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

Jasmyn Jensen editor-in-chief Sheldon’s new psychologist, Louise Bronaugh, has been in the field for eleven years and found her passion from interactions with her own psychologist in middle school.

Bronaugh said, “I struggled in school a lot when I was in middle school and I got in a lot of trouble… then I had some intervention from a school psychologist and it really helped me a lot; it turned me around completely.” Having a very experienced individual who has gone through similar things as the teens when she was in high school means that she can relate to the students and help them in any way they need.

Psychologists can be beneficial and create a healthy and positive environment for many people, whether you’re an adult, teenager, or child. In the school system, psychologists have become more vital and more schools are bringing them in to help support the children to further their education.

So what’s the role of a psychologist? According to apa.org, “Psychologists working in education study how people learn and retain knowledge.

They apply psychological science to improve the learning process and promote educational success for all students.”

Although Bronaugh furthers this definition for psychologists, “Providing academic and cognitive assessments, and helping case managers with reevaluations for students who may be on an individualized education plan (IEP). So that’s one part of the job; the other part of the job is helping with things like: kids who are having a hard time coming to school, having a hard time in school and at home and it’s affecting their ability to come and access school.”

Although many students fear change, this could be a positive change for the students here at Sheldon. There has not been much talk about the new psychologist; most teachers and students don’t know anything. But the biggest question so far is “why?” Senior Nathan Byers said, “It will give students a more professional person

to go to specifically for mental health.” For students at Sheldon, they are provided with a counselor coming in their first year. Most students feel as though counselors’ sole responsibility is to make sure students graduate and have the correct credits for the subjects we need. Students who need something more will benefit from the role Bronaugh is taking on.

Senior Brendan Rosenburg feels similar to Byers, and commented, “It could help a lot more students who have stress, not only about school, but in their private lives as well.” Even with the lack of information provided to the students, they seem optimistic and excited about the help Bronaugh will bring.

She will be available to all students from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday in room A10.

Appointments are available and she can be contacted by email: Bronaugh_L@4j. lane.edu or the schools phone number at extension 6737.

Louise Bronaugh will be available from 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m, Monday through Friday in room A10.

Appointments are available.

Louise Bronaugh contact infromation: -Email: Bronaugh_L@4j.lane.edu -Phone: 541-790-6737

Eugene Eyewear We have the latest fashions in eyewear: Juicy Couture * Candies * Banana Republic * Oakley * Vera Wang * Coach * Kate Spade

We bill vision insurances including Ameritas, Envolve, Moda, Pacific Source, Providence, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield, and VSP Dr. Steve Jung, Optometrist 207 Coburg Rd, Suite 105 Eugene, OR 97401 Ph: 541-338-4844 M-Fri 9-6 Sat & Sun: Closed Located next to TJ Maxx and See’s Candies.

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