Photo essay by Ms. Isabella Margi
[espro-slider id=1228]
Category Archives: Volume 4, Issue 1
New Writing Prose Teacher Takes Conventional Narratives One Step Further
Ms. Kelsey Craige
Annie Bellerose is a new part-time English teacher here at CVU. “This is my first year teaching at CVU and I love it. I student-taught last year in the Fairbanks Core and have been absolutely thrilled to teach here part-time. It took me a really long time to figure out I wanted to teach in the classroom; before this I had worked in the outdoor and outdoor ed field. But I’ve always loved writing and reading, and taught creative writing for three years during my master’s program in fiction.”
At CVU she has applied her creativity to publishing student work online. Lucidpress is a great new way to write essays that are vivid and interactive for all. Anything made on Lucidpress can be printed or shared to anyone. According to Ms. Bellerose, “Charlie MacFadyen [CVU's own Technology Integration Specialist] introduced me to Lucidpress this fall and it’s a great platform because it allows you to do some pretty neat things with design, either based on a template or on your own layout.” She went on to say that people can incorporate videos and slideshows into the essay.
CVHoops: Otley’s Crew Continues Its Epic Roll by Rolling Over Rice
Mr. Eli Hark
HINESBURG– Champlain Valley Union High School’s Girls Basketball team continued their win streak to 75 games without a loss passing Oxbow’s record for longest win streak in the VPA’s history after beating Rice 53-25 on Monday, December 14.
When freshmen make varsity you always know there is something special and that they have the drive that most high school athletes lack, but when Sadie Otley and Laurel Jaunich joined the team in the 2012-13 season, there was fire.
CVU Myths with Yak: Juniors in the “Senior Lot”
The CVC Investigative News Team: Mssrs. Trent Smith, Thomas Stevens, & William “Yak” Yakubik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0it2SCx3o
Alien Conquerors Turn Down Earth
Mr. Zachary Richardson, Richardson Times Press Correspondent
WASHINGTON, DC — The Blarthax, a race of alien world-conquerors armed with infinitely more advanced technology than our own, turned down Earth for invading this Tuesday.
According to Blarthax spokesperson Garflex, the merciless space-warlords were originally planning to take over when they parked their ominous starships above world monuments one week earlier.
“We were planning to simultaneously destroy them,” said Garflex through some kind of bio- mechanical screech-to-speech translator. “To, you know, display our superior firepower and destroy your sources of hope. It’s pretty much invasion 101.”
CVU Myths with Yak: The Bomb Shelter
The CVC Investigative News Team: Mssrs. Trent Smith, Thomas Stevens, & William “Yak” Yakubik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPIEaa9yUT0
VAST Opportunities Exist for Snow’chiners in VT
Mr. Cody Fournier
Get off your couch! What would you say if there was a fun sport that happens every winter that anyone can do, and have a great time doing it? Well, there is an organization that provides this: VAST, The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers.
VAST is the largest organization that works with snowmobile riders to have the best quality and service possible. Since 1967, this snowmobile organization has provided 24,000 people with trails all around Vermont, but is that enough to keep the snowmobilers content? Especially those who have 80% of private land to ride on? VAST provides so much for us, including over 128 local clubs. Included in these clubs are the Redneck Raffle, and they host a pig roast annually.
Joining VAST certainly has its positives and its negatives. The positive is that one would be able to go on a memorable and enjoyable trip, while the negative would be the cost. In order to use these trails, there are some dues and fees to pay. This could lead to overpricing on rides, or even paying a large sum of money towards a short ride. One of the negatives is not being able to spend any time on the trails because there is no snow.
Freebooting and Facebook: Here’s Why You Should Care
Mr. Zachary Richardson
Like most people who’ve read anything ever, you probably read the title of an article first. So you might be wondering, “what the heck is freebooting?” According to Dictionary.com, a freebooter is “a person who goes about in search of plunder; pirate; buccaneer.” In this case, the pirating is of YouTube videos, and the plunder is views. Video views. “Then what does Facebook have to do with this?” you continue to hypothetically ask. The problem is, according to several reputable YouTubers, is that millions of those stolen views and videos are being brought to Facebook— and the billion-dollar company is willfully letting it happen.
“Why should I care?” asks the hypothetical reader who communicates entirely through leading questions. “Good question,” I probably respond. The reason why content creators are drawing attention to this is because stolen content cuts directly out of their profit. “Freebooting is not only unethical,” I.T. department member Nick Clark said. “It’s illegal to use someone’s copyrighted materials without their express consent.” YouTube allows popular content creators to make a small amount of money off of every view their videos make. According to Kurzgesagt, a YouTube channel that makes five-minute-long informational animations, a stolen Facebook copy of one of their videos amassed 3.1 million views that they wouldn’t see a cent from. Since their videos reportedly take hundreds of hours to make, this steals funds that they could use to make more free videos. And that’s the core of the argument: if content creators don’t get their profits, they won’t be able to afford making free content, which would be bad for everyone who uses YouTube.
The Buddy Program Proves It has Staying Power
Ms. Madison Hakey
It’s been over 40 years since the Buddy Program was created at CVU. Based off of the Big Brother, Big Sister mentoring program, the Buddy Program brings CVU sophomores, juniors, and seniors together with elementary age children in Williston, Shelburne, Charlotte, and Hinesburg. CVU students give up a free block during their day to help out a child in the classroom who the teacher picks out. The child could be any one who the teacher thinks could benefit from a big buddy.
MaryAnne Gatos, the Community Learning Coordinator at CVU, states that, “a lot of little kids in Buddy are going through normal challenges–parents getting divorced, or they move, or their best friends now wants to play with somebody else. All of these are traumas, some are big traumas and some are little, but you have to help the student feel good about themselves, so they can develop resilience.”
Big buddies don’t just help the child deal with everyday challenges, they help with so much more than that. “The younger buddy really starts to feel more confident and comfortable because of the undivided attention they get. You feel important if somebody shows up to be with you. There’s also some skill development. Buddies sometimes help with skill development like making choices, how to spend time, how to create friendships, as well as math and reading, and liking school. So having an older Buddy who is a role model for enjoying school, enjoying learning, interested in other people, is a really valuable thing,” Gatos says. Big Buddies also show their students what it is like to be in a caring relationship where they get as much attention as they need, and everyone needs that.
CVU Class Aims To Tackle School Energy Consumption
Mr. Eli Hark
HINESBURG– The “Money, Energy, and Power” class at CVU, a class on Environmental Economics and the science and policy behind green energy, has finalized a project aimed at raising awareness and lowering energy consumption in the school.
In 2011 Glenn Fay and Chrissy Burg came together to create a class that merged Science and History. The class, named “Money, Energy, and Power”, aimed at empowering Juniors and Seniors with knowledge about economics, energy, and our climate. Since their first class 4 four years ago, the class has evolved into something targeted at engaging creative and interested students to perform group projects to understand a multiplicity of complications related to the world we live in.
The class, now taught by Jeff Hindes and Glenn Fay, ends with an “activism” project, aimed at giving the students the ability to find a problem they believe in, and execute a wide variety of tasks to make a change.
EnACT Seeks to Save the Planet, One Student at a Time
Ms. Madison Hakey, Charlotte News Correspondant
Here in Vermont, students care a lot about the environment and how their actions correspond with climate change. Just ask the students in the EnACT club at CVU. These students have created projects that have spread statewide. “We were one of the pilot schools in this energy challenge and now schools across the state are using the same words, same language,” Katie Antos-Ketcham, the EnACT advisor states. EnACT stands for Environmental Action Club. It is a club where students encourage, educate, and act on making CVU an environmentally friendly place. Antos-Ketcham emphasizes the word action because, “while it is important to learn about the environment, it is also really important to do something,” and EnACT certainly has. CVU has come a long way through past and present EnACT initiatives.
Shadow Day Offers Students a Glimpse of the Future
Ms. Madison Hakey, Charlotte News Correspondant
What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to go to college for? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to answer these questions? Students at CVU have the opportunity to narrow down their interests and possible career paths through Shadow Day. Shadow day is a chance for students to observe a career of their choice. It can be any career that MaryAnne Gatos, the Community Learning Coordinator at CVU, can find a match for. “It’s like match.com,” Gatos says, “name a career I cannot match.”
Since Shadow Day started in 2011, students have been able to go out into the community in search of the perfect career. Students have shadowed in health care professions, engineering, and police stations, just to name a few. The more difficult matches are ones that are potentially dangerous, such as careers in construction, or require confidentiality, such as a doctor. However, students have been able to work around these limits and observe the careers they are most interested in.
Pros and Cons Video Team: Standards Based Learning
Mssrs. Matthew Palmer, William Ryan, William Sherrer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhRGVJR7H4
Vermont Offers a Wintry Mix of Snow Sliding Options
Mr. Matthew Palmer
Choosing a mountain to ski at can be a tough decision, especially in a premier ski state. Vermont is comprised of many beautiful mountains, including Stowe, Sugarbush, Bolton Valley, Mad River, Jay Peak, etc. The list of great ski resorts in Vermont goes on and on. Winter is the most beautiful and entertaining season in Vermont, so don’t miss out this ski season.
With all of these amazing resorts right in your backyard, which one will you choose this year? If you’re looking to save some money, and for a mountain that is good for young kids and beginners, head over to Bolton Valley. If you’re looking for something more challenging, head over to Mad River Glen. There is no wrong decision to make, Vermont is an astounding ski state and all of these mountains prove it.
Looking for great terrain and a good challenge? Look no further than Mad River Glen. With a vertical drop of 2,000 ft, Mad River Glen is a skiing area for experienced skiers. Much of Mad River is comprised of steep trails with moguls, bumps or mounds of hard snow on a ski slope. They are known for marking their trails lightly, maybe giving a black diamond to a trail that would get a double or triple black diamond anywhere else. In a survey asking CVU students and faculty which mountain has the most difficult runs, Mad River placed first with 41%. According to SKI magazine, “Mad River Glen’s terrain has been ranked the most challenging on the east coast of the United States.” Lift tickets can be purchased for $60-79, depending on the day. For a complete package (boots, skis, poles) for a day, it $30 for adults, for juniors (6-15), it is $25, and $17 for toddlers under 6.
Bernie Shakes Up the Democratic Status Quo
Ms Kelsey Craige
One of Vermont’s very own, “a guy next door” (figuratively and literally), Bernie Sanders is running in the 2016 Presidential Election as a democrat. Bernie Sanders was born in Brooklyn, NY. He was a congressman in Vermont for the better part of 16 years and is now in his second term in the US Senate.
One of Bernie’s major concerns is bringing this country out of poverty. According to berniesanders.com, “(Bernie) Increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2020. In the year 2015, no one who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.” He wants people who work full time, no matter what they do, to get a good, fair pay.
Another one of Bernie’s major concerns is caring for our veterans. This is very near and dear to a lot of people’s hearts and it is a topic of concern for many. Right now, the care for our veterans who have come back from war is disgraceful, shameful and unacceptable. Bernie wants to give them more care, the care that they deserve. According to berniesanders.com, “ Sen. Sanders believes that just as planes and tanks and guns are a cost of war, so is taking care of the men and women who we sent off to fight in the war. It includes caring for the spouses and children who have to rebuild their lives after the loss of a loved one. It includes caring for the hundreds of thousands of veterans with multiple amputations or loss of eyesight, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. It includes veterans who are having difficulty keeping jobs in order to pay their bills, and it includes the terrible tragedy of veterans committing suicide.” Focusing on this issue will be very beneficial to many, the least we can do is care for people who risk their lives for our safety.
Friday Music Series Serenades Students Between Classes
Ms. Taylor Murphy
Friday, 9:45. Students sit in tension as they wait to be dismissed from their first class. As the bell rings to signal the end of first block, students rush into the halls heading to their advisories. Out of nowhere the intercom comes to life, and music starts to play throughout the school. Students are confused at first, but eventually everyone has a pleasant, happy expression, contrary to the normal post-first-block daze. The music comes to and end at the start of second block, and everyone heads to their next class.
This music is not random; music Fridays are becoming a weekly happening at CVU. Between each block, the song of an advisory’s choice will be played over the intercom. (The song choice must be school appropriate, of course.) Each week a new advisory will be chosen to pick the playlist.
The Gibbs advisory was the first to participate in the new Music Fridays. Kathleen Gibbs and her advisees chose classic hits from bands such as Pink Floyd and AC DC that surely resonated with staff, sending them back to the glory days.
CVU Singers Make Concerted Efforts
Ms. Kelsey Craige
My freshman year 2012-13, one winter day during my lunch block, Men’s Chorus showed up in the cafeteria. My friend who was also sitting at the table has a brother in Men’s Chorus. We watched them go from table to table singing different songs to people. Everyone in the cafeteria was watching. The Men’s Chorus then slowly moved to our table. They started to sing to us, in a big circle around our table. None of us know what to do other than sit and listen. I hear my friend’s brother behind me and I slowly turn around to find myself eye to eye with him and him making the goofiest face at me. The whole table burst into laughter, including him and me.
It’s experiences like that that I will never forget. Some of the best experiences I have are from chorus. Chorus does many things like the “lunch table serenading” and much more. They are so much fun to listen to in the hallway and always lighten up everyone’s mood while walking from class to class. From concerts, to festivals, to Men’s Chorus serenading people on the stairs, Carl Recchia and all of the choruses never fail to deliver a great performance. This year, according to Mr. Recchia, “There are about 75 people [in chorus] this semester in 5 classes.”
Various Choruses do different performances and host auditions and festivals throughout the year. Some of these performances include a concert Tuesday, December 15 at 7:30 where some of the choruses will be performing at. CVU chorus is also (according to the performance calendar) hosting auditions for All-states for the northern region of Vermont on Saturday, January 16 all day.
Heroin Problem Intensifies in Vermont
Mr. Jackson Evans
In 2013 alone, 210 kids between grades nine through twelve, which is 2% of the Chittenden County population, admitted the use of heroin, according to the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey. As the heroin crisis has risen throughout the country, Vermont is becoming known as the ‘Heroin capital of the US,’ according to ABC News. Within the state of Vermont the use of heroin is becoming more prevalent in local high schools, and within the community as the price for the drug decreases. In an article issued by CBS News, it states that in 2014, almost 3,000 people were treated for heroin use in Vermont.
At CVU High School, Tim Trevithick, the SAP counselor, states that CVU does a great job supporting students to get the clinical resources they need. Trevithick did mention that there are very few students in the school with a heroin addiction, but there are other schools that do have a major conflict with heroin. However, those resources sometimes are limited and people are put on the waiting list. According to CBS News, 400 people are on waiting lists to get into clinical centers to receive detox in Vermont. While Tim Trevithick provides some resources for students and families, he hopes that one day soon, schools and the state will develop strategies to combat the heroin crisis.
Tim Pudvar, the Vice Chairman of the Shelburne Vermont Selectboard said, “Heroin has been a challenge, and it’s been really hard to deal with in Vermont. The widespread sale and ease of buying heroin has made prevention difficult. The Shelburne Police Office is able to provide families with names of rehab centers and drug counselors, but resources are limited and the state needs to develop more strategies to assist in reducing the drug crisis in Vermont.”
Review: Gunnerkrigg Court, a Webcomic Series that Excels
Mr. Zachary Richardson
Fans of young adult fantasy have probably heard this before: this is a story about magical/talented children that go to a mysterious boarding school, where they solve mysteries and get into all kinds of adventures. Sound familiar? Despite its rather cliché premise, Tom Siddell’s Gunnerkrigg Court is a webcomic that goes far outside of the realm of the expected.
The story takes place in the titular Gunnerkrigg Court, an industrial monster of a school, and the Gillitie Wood, a mysterious forest in a tense truce with the Court. These places aren’t treated to the exhaustive world-building that you’d expect from this genre, remaining mysterious and attention-grabbing.
The plot of Gunnerkrigg has a tendency to go all over the place. There are robots, fairies, enigmatic gods, reality warping teenagers, and talking shadows, to name a few. Yet none of its wonderful characters ever feel out of place in the comic’s universe. This is helped by its episodic story-per-chapter format, which often contains some more out-there elements to particular chapters, keeping the sci-fi/fantasy mix from becoming incomprehensible.
Can Art and Athletics Coexist at CVU?
Ms. Isabella Margi
At Champlain Valley Union High School, in Hinesburg, Vermont, there are a wide variety of students’ personal interests ranging from the robotics team, to varsity football or to the theater program. While students at CVU are very involved with the athletic program, there are also a lot of students in the community surrounding the arts.
The majority of students know the types of art classes that are offered at CVU, but many are a little apprehensive about taking them. “We have a wide range of courses in music, performance and visual arts… If you are a student interested in the arts there is a lot here for you,” according to Tim Duvernoy, an art teacher at CVU. Abbie Bowker, another art teacher agrees, “The cool thing about CVU is that there are so many opportunities for our students.”
For some students, finding the time to simply take an art class can be an issue, according to Carl Recchia, CVU’s chorus teacher. “CVU lacks a comprehensive approach to scheduling that allows students to fit arts classes into their schedule. This is particularly true for freshmen. And, there seems to be no interest in addressing this issue.”
From the Life Skills Dept: Vermonters Should Know How to Surf
Mr. Crew Bertrand
When winter comes around a lot of people leave for a tropical vacation to get away from the cold weather. Popular spots are Hawaii, the Bahamas, Florida or foreign countries such as Cuba or Costa Rica. All of these places offer great surfing. The problem is, Vermonters have never been on a surfboard other than the hydro boards they have at Jay Peak.
The ocean is close enough to take a day trip to surf, or when on vacation being able to hit the beaches. New York and Maine offer the closest beaches for Vermonters to surf. A lot of Vermonters vacation in Maine for school breaks or weekends, but not a lot of them know how to surf, so why not make the trip a little better and enjoy the ocean while there.
For locals around the Hinesburg, Williston and Shelburne area, Maine’s ocean is exactly four hours away. Maine is not known for having great waves for surfing but there are a lot of places people surf in Maine. However, it is seasonal due to winters that will make the water too cold. Long Sands Beach In New York, three hours and 30 minutes away, is one of the most popular place for surfers to go because of winter surfing. The water will range around 60 degrees with 5-7 foot waves breaking on the sand bar; it’s not a rocky area so a lot of beginners and advanced surfers will be found there. Liquid Dreams Surf Shop is the local surf shop at Long Sands Beach, it overlooks the ocean and has everything you would need to surf such as boards and wetsuits. They also offer surf lessons from 10am to 3pm for $70 per person: that gives you the whole package, board, rash guard and an instructor.
Opinion: It is Time to Add YouTube Comments to the Cannon of Great Western Literature
Mr. Zachary Richardson
It’s time we admit as a society that YouTube comments are the pinnacle of literature. It is a medium, despite its large population of authors, that has been tragically ignored in favor of books, television, and literally anything else. So many hours of academic time have been wasted on the study of famous novels when they could’ve been spent on YouTube comments. I ask you, since when has “FIRST!!!!1!!” or “like this if u liked this video” held less meaning than the likes of Hemingway or Shakespeare?
Like any other medium, YouTube comments are as varied as they are numbered. For example, there are the comments below videos involving political or social movements; they are nigh-endless chains of arguments, each post fueled by the rage at the fact that someone on the internet had the gall to have a different opinion. As was said by legendary YouTube scholar CoolDude78, upon learning that a bunch of people had disliked a video he had agreed with, “1092 people are STUPD.” Truly, there are no other works that evoke such powerful emotion.
Opinion: One Vegetarian Makes the Environmental Case Against Meat
Ms. Natalie Casson
The well being of our environment has been rapidly decreasing in the past decade, and likely global climates will be unable to handle more change. We all know turning lights off and driving cars less helps our planet, yet almost every person is harming the environment dramatically on a daily basis: during our meals. It was recorded in an article by the National Public Radio that in 2012, in America, we consumed over 52.2 billion pounds of meat. That number feels almost too big to grasp, so let’s put it into perspective. Let’s compare it to wheat—one of the most fundamental crops in our world today. Your average American citizen will consume around 132.5 pounds of wheat annually. With 318.9 billion US citizens, we are consuming over 42.2 billion pounds of wheat a year. 10 billion pounds short of our meat consumption.
When I found this out, I was astonished. Animals take up space, produce waste, and require huge amounts of food, chemicals, and water. In 1909, it was recorded in the same article that around 9.8 billion pounds of meat were consumed: 42.4 billion pounds less than today. Despite the population being lower, the proportions still don’t add up. The meat consumption within the US has been growing exponentially and is continuing to do so.
Meat, pound per pound, has a much larger impact on our environment than any other food we consume. The most unfortunate part of it all is many people, including myself before I began research, are not aware that what they eat affects the environment. Often times people don’t jump to food when they think about the contributors to climate change and pollution; however, it has an incredibly large impact in many different ways. In being conscious when choosing what we eat, we can reduce our carbon footprints and our effect on the environment.
Opinion: Hollywood Still Banking on Sexist Tropes
Ms. Anna ¨Defensive Specialist¨ Johnson
There is a new movie coming out, a romantic/comedy type: the ones that most everybody likes but hardly anybody likes to admit they do. The description for two of the main characters is as follows:
Ryan: smart, charming, funny, and great at every sport
Sarah: hot, but in an adorable way
Now if a young, Hollywood actor wishes to audition for the role of Ryan, he has plenty to go off of and looks don’t necessarily even matter. It implies that the age or look of the man doesn’t mean much; rather, it is his skill and ability to display the above desired characteristics that do. As for an actress who wishes to play the role of Sarah, however, the requirements aren’t so easily met. The director’s definition of “hot” could be anything; furthermore, having to pull of whatever the specific “hot” is in an adorable way is twice the challenge.
The point is, the girl can be shut down the minute she walks into the audition room; she is quickly examined head to toe, and if the definition of “hot” is met, then she’ll likely be allowed to speak and audition. All “Ryans” are allowed to speak and given a fair chance, seeing as there aren’t any specific looks to be met. Rightfully, anyone can pull off smart and charming with the proper training. Fitness and an appearance are not things can be taught.
Animal Shelters Provide Respite for Our Furry Friends
Ms. Isabella Margi
Every year, 7.6 million pets are admitted to animal shelters, while there are 318.9 million people living in the United States, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). There are 41 times more people in the U.S. than pets, yet there are millions of animals still waiting for their forever homes, or unfortunate euthanization. In my opinion, this statistic is atrocious, considering that the citizens of America can easily adopt all of the homeless pets. Of course, some people may not be financially stable enough to take care of an animal, they might be allergic, they might not have the space or time, or they just don’t like the idea of animals living under the same roof as them. Whatever the excuses are, there are still millions of people in the U.S. capable of taking care of an animal, but do not choose to.
There is a major overpopulation of domesticated animals without homes in America, which is caused by the disregard of the importance of spaying and neutering pets. This is the root problem of animal overpopulation in America. If every pet owner in the US spayed or neutered their pets and continued to, the issue of overpopulation in the future would likely not exist, but currently there are still millions of animals in need of a home. That’s where animal shelters come in.
Putting The Den in Chittenden House
Mr. William Yakubik
Entering High School can be a daunting and difficult process for many rising 8th graders. They go from being the big fish in a small pond to being small fish in a big pond and that transition is not always easy. Scared and anxious are an understatement for many freshman but not for those in the Chittenden core. Chittenden freshman Bronwen Cobden describes her biggest transition was going from a small school to a large school. Many freshmen during this transition are excited to go to high school but it is very daunting when they actually arrive. Chittenden freshman Evan Beal describes this as a great example of his first day, he says the core was very helpful in meeting new people. It is crucial for the staff of the house to work together to establish a connected community for these anxious and curious students entering high school.
The Chittenden freshman core has undergone a significant staff change completely modifying the dynamic of both the staff and the students. The freshman core has introduced four of five new members to create a new vibe for the core and those in it. The only remaining member of the core is Trevor Mead while new members are Katie Mack, Peter Booth, Molly Tenino and Andrea Boehmcke. These faculty members all provide their own unique attributes to help contribute to the team.
The faculty throughout the core is coming from all different backgrounds. Trevor Mead the last remaining member of the old Chittenden core has been the Project Adventure teacher for 11 years. Katie Mack being relatively new to the school has been outside the core for two years and now taking her third year in the core continuing her passion for Social Studies. Peter Booth has been all around the school varying in different levels of upperclassman math classes to teaching in the Snelling core. Now Peter Booth is taking on the challenge of a new freshman core. Molly Tenino swapped from being an English teacher for her first year in Nichols core to spending her second year in the Chittenden core. Andrea Boehmcke is overall new to Champlain Valley Union and is taking on her first year in the Chittenden Core as a science teacher.
John Wulff: What Makes Him Tick?
Mr. Daniel Higginbottom
John Wulff is a Chemistry and Natural Resources teacher here at CVU. He was my advisor for four years now. He is a very funny and nice person; he likes to share funny YouTube videos with his advisory. I interviewed Wulff to learn a little more about him.
One thing that Wulff likes is biking. I had heard that he is a very good biker. He says that his favorite trails are, “Perry Hill in Waterbury,” and they are his favorite, “because they’re knarly and they’re steep. They’re dangerous; they get your adrenaline pumping. Plus you have to work hard to get to the top first.” This shows that he is a risk taker, which I didn’t know from having him as an advisor. Wulff has KOM on Strava for many bike trails in the area.
When asked if he races, Wulff joked, “Only with old age!”
I asked him, “Chapman says you are a ‘psycho’ when it comes to biking – is that true?” He responded, “Undoubtedly. But so is he!”
Turf Field Push Gets Sidelined, Again
Mr. Jackson Evans
The ongoing debate over the construction of a turf field at CVU, is still on hold because of budgeting opinions. Over the past few years the CVU community has been discussing plans to get a new turf field. As the football season began in August, the discussion of a turf field has continued.
The district voted for two turf fields for the 2014 season. The bond vote was up for 2.5 million dollars but it was rejected. The community members voted for one field for the 2015 season, at 1.25 million dollars. That again was denied. The turf field project has gone unsuccessful, and is still on hold for future discussions.
CVU Athletic Director, Dan Shepardson stated, “The discussion for the turf field is now up to the school board and to the community members.” When asked about his opinion on whether the turf field should be built, he said, “It would greatly benefit all the sports teams. With the construction of a turf field, it would allow all sports teams to have more home games even if there has been bad weather.”
Fashion on a High School Budget? You Bet Your Patagucci!
Ms. Riley Jenson
This fall, there has been many new, innovative designs that we can guess will roam the halls of CVU. Here’s the truth– fashion is complicated, expensive, requires time, dedication, determination and inspiration. It also provides an incredible outlet of confidence and endurance, shows personality and allows us to be unique. “Fashion is not something that exists in dress only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening,” said Coco Chanel. Looking nice is not cheap, but there are ways to get around this. When you’re a high school student, it’s a whole different ball game.
All of our lives, all we’ve wanted to do was to feel confident. Now whether that is through studies, athletics or looks, we all have that goal in mind. Fashion, for hundreds of years has evolved and helped people display their passion and personality. This is something most high school students thrive from. Maybe flipping through the latest issue of Vogue and filling it with sticky notes is not everyone’s cup of tea, but everyone, in some way, portrays themselves through their style and outfits. As the well-known fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta said, “Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.”
Library’s First Literary MASH-UP Contest Mixes it Up
According to librarian and all-around story master, Peter Langella, “The CVU Library’s MASH-UP Writing Contest asked students to take themes, settings, and characters from two or more of their favorite stories and mix them together into one, cohesive scene of 1,000 words or less. This contest is part of a series the library has offered over the last several years with different prompts and requirements each quarter to reach as many unique student writers as possible. Each contest is judged by the library staff members and a panel of former contest winners when they’re available. There were fourteen entries in the MASH-UP contest, featuring characters and settings from classic and contemporary stories, written in both prose and poetry. Suzy Zimmerman rose to the top of the pile because of her clear, concise writing style and her knowledge of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner worlds that she connected.” Her winning piece, which she calls “The Maze Games,” is reproduced below. Thank you, Suzy and Peter. Enjoy!
Ms. Suzannah Zimmerman
A girl with braided brown hair opened her eyes to see mostly darkness. There wasn’t much to look at, except she was lying on the floor of something moving upwards. Something that moved very fast. It was confusing to wake up being lifted by a box. She slowed her breathing, and adjusted her eyes to the darkness, looking around.
A headache pained her as red lights flashed by, shining through 4 grate-like windows on each wall as it ascended. She struggled to her feet, exploring the small area. Before she could get a good look at anything in the box with her, she spotted the ceiling of the elevator far upwards, illuminated by the same red lights.