Category Archives: Volume 6, Issue 2

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CVU Community, Opinion & Review, Vermont, Volume 12: Fall '21, Volume 6, Issue 2

Vermont Fall Activities

By Vivienne Babbott

The end to summer in Vermont is always bittersweet. Yet as the leaves shift to their signature red, many Vermonters look forward to Halloween and the classic fall activities that accompany it, especially after a year in lockdown with few celebrations.

If you´re looking for a sweet treat, Shelburne Sugarworks offers delicious pure maple syrup, maple candies, and a variety of handcrafted maple ice creams. This includes a seasonal favorite, maple pumpkin cheesecake flavor.

Whitcomb’s land of pumpkins is known for their usual assortment of pumpkins and gourds, however their pumpkins are sold out for this year. However there is still an impressive 4 acre corn maze, which is open to the public from 10-5 on the weekends. To complete the maze, you will come across checkpoints, and learn about the pumpkin-growing process along the way. How fast do you think you can do it? 

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Photo courtesy of Whitcomb´s 

Though most orchards are closed for the season, Yates Family Orchard is one of the few apple orchards still selling fresh fruit! Stop by their stand in Monkton to get your apples, cider donuts, pies, Dreamees, and treats while they last! Yates Orchard is open from 9:30-5:30 every day, up until October 31st! Get your apples while they last!

Speaking of October 31st, if you wanted to get spooky this Halloween, Nightmare Vermont was the place to be! This year they offered a scare-maze with actors & animatronics, as well as a narrative walk through performance, with vendors and live entertainment in the lobby. Nightmare Vermont also focuses on charity work, and donated $32,000 this year alone. All the more reason to go next year!

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Photo Courtesy of Nightmare Vermont

Uncategorized, Volume 6, Issue 2

Custodial Crew Keeps CVU Looking Good

Ms. Sophie Boyer

There is no doubt that CVU is a good looking school. Inside and Out. Thanks to our dedicated maintenance crew, we are always walking down clean halls, playing on perfect fields, and learning in a fresh environment. Most people don’t realize how much work is actually being done around here to maintain this 60 acre, 225,000 square foot property.

Our CVU maintenance crew is here from 6:30am -3:00pm, and our night crew is here from 3:00pm – 11:30 PM. There are both indoor and outdoor crews, both of which have different responsibilities.

During the school year the outside maintenance crew is responsible for keeping the sports fields maintained, which includes mowing, weed-whacking, painting, raking, and trash clean up.

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According to Kurt Proulx, head of CVU maintenance, the  football field in particular takes many hours to maintain, and uses many gallons of field paint. Field hockey fields have other needs which is that the grass on theses fields need to be cut shorter than the others.  The softball and baseball fields are pretty straightforward to maintain. As well as the soccer fields.

Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Sophomores, Warp One, Engage! The Next Generation of Tenth Graders Finally Have Their Day

Ms. Kali Adams

 As juniors plodded through NECAPs, seniors volunteered as part of Senior Service Day and freshman rambled around St. Mike’s for Model UN, the CVU sophomores participated in the inaugural “Engage Day” at CVU and in the greater community.

This was the first rendition of this event, reflecting the evolving curriculum at CVU. “Part of our school’s role is helping students reflect about what matters to them inside and outside of school, and how those interests and values can help them make a meaningful life,” said Annie Bellerose, who helped coordinate Engage Day. She explained how Act 77, a bill pertaining to flexible pathways in education passed in 2013, has helped CVU’s curriculum evolve. “The class of 2019 gets to be at the forefront of this process, which is cool in many ways (getting new experiences, more individualized learning),” said Bellerose, “and also challenging–until this work becomes more integrated into our curriculum and schedule, it can just feel like additional stuff to do, especially as the guinea pigs.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dbLpPoC8YM

Video by Katie Peck

So far, the Class of 2019 has been the testing ground for projects like Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) and Roundtables. Engage Day was just next step in this development. “We just wanted to have students get some kind of hands-on learning experience beyond their usual school day that connected to something they were curious about,” said Bellerose. “Kind of a low stakes way to try something new or to dive deeper into a previous interest.” Lindsey Drew, one of the sophomores who participated in Engage Day, liked the premise of the day and thought that, “it’s great that CVU is allowing students these opportunities.”

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Sports, Volume 6, Issue 2

Champlain Valley Brings the Heat at Special Olympics Bocce Tournament

Mr. Zachary Toensing

S’NALBAN — early 120 teams from over 25 schools across Vermont gathered last Thursday in St. Albans to participate in the 5th annual Unified Sports Bocce Tournament. Hundreds were on hand to help assist with making the tournament run smoothly which included several rounds of bocce, a full BBQ, and award ceremony.

Special Olympics Vermont started the bocce tournament 5 years ago in hopes of creating an event that students of all abilities could participate in, and experience the glory that comes with playing a high school sport. This year attendance records were broken with athletes from over 25 Vermont elementary, middle and high schools competing. In fact the event has grown so much over the last few years that the location has been changed from the small St. Albans field to the big stage at the University of Vermont.

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Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

It’s Gotta be the Shoes… Or is it Just the Hype?

Mr. Zachasteez Toensing

HINESBURG – Champlain Valley Union High School has seen a trend in recent years of leading the state in sneaker culture. In recent months, many more students have ditched the traditional Skechers and Sperry’s and switched to a more expensive style of Jordans and Yeezy’s. Students are starting to care much more about how they look, and are sacrificing lunch money in order to show off what shoes they recently purchased.

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Some steezy Yeezys

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Volume 6, Issue 2

No Kidding: Goats are on Grounds as Part of Natural Resource’s Permaculture Project

Ms. Sophie Boyer

HINESBURG– On Thursday June 1st, Champlain Valley Union High School’s Natural Resources class received goats as a part of their permaculture project. Permaculture projects are ones that will, according to Wikipedia, “develop agricultural ecosystems to be sustainable and self-sufficient.”

The goats will be cared for by students who signed up through a program called the Norman Fund which will also provide pay for those who participate. Six to seven students have been selected for that role. They will be responsible for providing care for the goats, garden, and also chickens which will be arriving at CVU on June 8th.

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Image by Sophie Boyer

The overall goal for these projects is that they will provide benefits for CVU. The goats play a very important role for the CVU community. They represent a natural way to get rid of invasive species such as poison parsnip… by eating it! Goats eat grass, herbs, tree leaves and other plant material. With this, they will help get rid of the unwanted plants.

The goats are expected to be around for about six months, potentially longer. The decision is based off when the students and Dave Trevithick, the Natural Resource teacher, intends on slaughtering the goats to provide food for CVU’s Cafe.

The garden of CVU is also a project of the Natural Resources class, and that as well will be providing food for the cafe, including vegetables and fruits like raspberries, and blueberries.

Volume 6, Issue 2

Kindness Drives Art in The Memory Project

Ms. Jam Giubardo 

Since 2008 CVU advanced drawing and painting and AP studio art classes have participated in the memory project. The memory project is a charitable nonprofit organization that invites art teachers and their students to create and donate portraits to youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, violence, and extreme poverty. Not only does it have a huge impact on the kids who receive the portraits but it also greatly impacts the students creating the portraits.

The Program receives photos of children and teens from global charities operating residential homes, schools, and care centers in a number of different countries every year. Then They provide the participating art teachers with full-page color prints as well as digital copies of those photos, along with plastic sleeves to protect the finished portraits.  The art teachers then work with their students to create the portraits, and we hand-deliver them to the kids.  We always try to have several different portraits for each child, created by different art students and based on different poses.

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Since 2004 they have created more than 100,000 portraits for children in 43 countries. When this year is finished CVU will have sent 461 portraits all around the world: Ukraine, Peru, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ghana, Romania, Syria, and now Tanzania. This year children from Tanzania will receive portraits from CVU, and this is particularly meaningful because we have a student from tanzania participating in it. He really understands the plight of his people and has helped us form a more tangible connection to the people in the portraits. The students in advanced drawing and painting have practiced portraits for a couple months and will be completing them in water color. The AP art students got to choose the media they wished to complete the portraits with.

Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Missing Cafeteria Plates Jeopardize Reuse Ethic

Mr. Colin Lach

HINESBURG – At CVU the school cafe plates and bowls have recently been disappearing becoming a costly commodity for the school to handle. CVU has reportedly lost 150 plates in one month. According to the CVU cafe this decrease in the reusable plates is due to students not returning them to the cafe after use or disposing of them in the garbage.

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At Champlain Valley High school the cafeteria is known as one of the best school cafes in the state. This reputation relies heavily on the work of the staff and how they respond to student feedback. When the CVU environmental club requested that CVU switch to plastic Reusable plates Food Service Manager Leo Laforce made the switch, even though it was a more costly option.

Before making the switch CVU used foam plates, According to Leo CVU could buy 140 foam plates for the price of 1 plastic reusable plate. At this price point losing an average of 6 plates a day this has become a large problem for The Redhawk Cafe, and they may make the decision to switch back to foam plates.

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The Lectern, Volume 6, Issue 2

“In The Human Petri Dish of CVU” with Robin Fawcett’s 2016 Commencement Address

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Image courtesy of Vermont Stage

Editor’s notes: Robin has graciously agreed to share her words both in person (at last year’s commencement address) and in writing with the CVC. We felt that with the Class of 2017 on the verge of graduation, it would be a good time to revisit Robin’s sage insights and advice, not just to the class of 2016, but to the entire CVU community.

We have linked the address because Robin’s writing reads like a poem, and it was important to us to be true, not only to the meaning of her words, but also to the shape that she gave to her writing. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Click on the link to revisit Robin Fawcett’s Commencement Address to the CVU Class of 2016 from Patrick Gymnasium at UVM on June 10, 2016.

And congratulations to the class of 2107!

Volume 6, Issue 2

Prom: A Night Your Wallet Will Never Forget

Mr. Tomas Georgsson

Prom is considered the most elite of the high school events that occur during your four year career. Weeks of planning before hand, the boy asking the girl, the parties that are planned both before and afterward, all leading up to a single night which formally ends in a mere four hours. So when I saw what the price to rent a tux was, the outfit that I would wear for only four hours, I was flabbergasted. Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Thanks to Fox & Seaton (& Co.) Another Yearbook is in the Books

Mr. Jacob H. Bouffard

Just like every other high school, at Champlain Valley Union, the yearbook is a big deal for all departing seniors. It is a way to look back at the “good ole days” in the future when feeling nostalgic. While the majority of students only buy a yearbook their senior year, there are a few who purchase the memories every year.

Instead of making a book for the seniors that shows their high school careers, the book sums up the year by showing all of the sports teams from the year (spring sports from the prior school year) and the drama departments musicals of the year. Basically everything that happened of significance in the year is put in this big book. There are also a few other things added in to award or take notice of a few students. This includes senior superlatives like who is most likely to fall asleep in class or be late to graduation.

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At CVU, a club is in charge of choosing and making what goes into the yearbook. There used to be a class with an English credit, but that was terminated several years ago. The club is lead by Debbie Seaton and Carol Fox with eight other students from all four graduating classes. This small group of kids work together to design a book that is pleasing for all students and goes along with the current trends. In the past, covers have included themes like Minecraft or other popular topics.

Editor Clara Schultz says, “I enjoyed going around CVU and taking pictures of people I know, and some that I didn’t know. I didn’t realize how many people I didn’t know until I actually had to go out and find some.” With a community so large, it’s hard to remember every person. The yearbook gives the opportunity for you to, in several years, look back at those you didn’t know that well.

As of Wednesday morning there are only 36 yearbooks left for sale. The books cost $65.00 and checks are made out to Jostens. Be sure to purchase next year’s book on time if you plan on getting one.

 

Volume 6, Issue 2

Junioritis?

Editor-in-Chief, Ms. Halina Vercessi

As the end of the year swings around, it is evident that both students and teachers alike become antsy for the arrival of summer break. Usually, the average CVU-goer hears the term “senioritis” (as if you haven’t heard enough about it) frequently during this time of the year. As most seniors have already applied and decided where they’re going university for the upcoming school-year; with the anticipation of a new chapter of life set at the ready, there is a large mentality shift causing their motivation during the last several weeks of high school to dwindle. While I don’t necessarily support “slacking off”, it makes sense doesn’t it? By the time senior year starts coming to a close, hands down, the seniors are ready to move on.

With the already existing concept of “senioritis” in mind, take a swig of this new term: “junioritis”. Can the same “epidemic” be applicable to juniors when they still have one more year left before they know their plans for the new chapter in their life and are ready to move on? The term “junioritis” was mentioned to me by one student, but I wanted to know if this was a new phrase already alive within the junior class and what they thought of it. According to a current CVU junior (who will remain anonymous), his school trip was the icing on the cake to the dwindling down of scholarly motivation. “I don’t know if it’s a thing for everyone, but I’ve certainly got it. I think that after working so hard all year, something caused a change in my attitude, for me it was my [England Ireland Wales] trip, after spending 11 days doing no schoolwork, I just haven’t had the motivation to do anything.” Others have said something along the lines of “it’s no ‘epidemic’, it’s how we function.” It seems that this so-called “junioritis” has simply become a way of life for the majority: the masses chugging along with an utter lack of motivation as an unsupportive sidekick.

For juniors, the end of the year and all the stressful endeavors that go on during this time seem to create the perfect storm for a situation that is “like senioritis but without any excuses” (as stated by CVU junior, Nathaniel Mick). Indeed, juniors are not yet in the position to have an “it’s officially time to move on from this” mindset, but, that mindset is still readily applicable, despite the lack of excuses. So, it seems that “junioritis” was around all along simply without an official title being associated with it. The meaning and substance of the term “junioritis” may vary from student to student; however, the CVU junior who brought this concept to my attention (and will remain anonymous) seemed to have summed it up in a nutshell: “Junior year has been absolutely crazy. Now that AP exams are over, I am losing motivation in the home-stretch to finals. I can’t stay up late doing homework, and I’m putting less effort into everything. I’m trying really hard to stay motivated, but I’m exhausted from an intense year of SATs, ACTs, SBACs, college searching, intense homework, and athletics. Junioritis is certainly real, and many of my friends have exhibited similar symptoms. We need a break.”

 

Sports, Volume 6, Issue 2

CVU Baseball Enters the Last Stretch of the Marathon

Baseball Prepares for Postseason

By Colin Lach 

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Courtesy of Burlington Press Press

It’s that time of the year again for VT High School baseball, where games are starting to mean something. As the regular season is coming to an end, the postseason is just about to begin. Senior-heavy CVU is currently preparing for this year’s playoff run.

For CVU Baseball, this is an opportunity to capture their first title since 2013, and for seniors this is one last chance to capture an elusive State Championship. “It would be a great way to end my high school career if we could come out on top,” commented senior pitcher, Hunter Anderson.

Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Fidget Toy Fad Finds Footing across the U.S.

Mr. Justin Olson 

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Pen clicking, desk drumming, foot tapping,  all symptoms of a posterchild fidgeter. If you have these habits or know someone who does, you may benefit by looking into the possibility of purchasing some kind of fidget toy. Having recently hit the market and exploding on social media, fidget toys of several types have captured the attention of many who may benefit from their use.“More than one-third of American workers experience chronic work stress” states APA (American Psychological Association.)  Marketed as being able to relieve the effects of ADHD, ADD, lower stress levels and even help kick nasty habits like nail biting or smoking, fidget toys and their claimed effectiveness have soared in popularity in just a matter of months.

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Volume 6, Issue 2

Freshmen forgo comfort zones

Mr. Damon Proulx

Recently at CVU there has been a challenge that was bestowed upon the freshman. The idea is to get the individual to not do something for 30 days. For example, not eating candy for 30 days. The point of this challenge is to push students to do something out of their comfort zone, and in turn make them grow as a person.

These challenges can be made up of anything, from not eating certain foods, to cell phones, to not driving your car. The point is to challenge yourself to do something different, therefore giving you another perspective Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

“Checkmate” says The Chittenden County Chess Club

Chess Tournament

By Mr. Jacob Bouffard

The age old game of two teams strategically moving along a board to trap the other has finally caught up with today’s youth. With all of the fast paced sports and leisure activities that are in style, a select few take their talents to the chess board. The Chittenden County Chess Club host several meets or just open sessions for those who see it as a hobby or are just starting out.

The Chittenden County Chess Club is apart of a bigger VT Chess organization. This organization hosts several tournaments over the course of a year, including high school matches. The 2017 Vermont State Scholastic Chess tournament resulted in a Victory for the South Burlington High School squad. With a total score of 12.5 points, leading the runners up of Rutland High School by six points.                                                        

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Photo Courtesy of VTChess.org

Continue reading →

Opinion & Review, Volume 6, Issue 2

The Only Slightly Mediocre Pirates of The Caribbean: Jack Sparrow is Back At It Again

Ms. Halina Vercessi, Editor In Chief 

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

My initial reaction when I heard that a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie was coming out was “What? Seriously? Another one?” No matter how much a fifth movie seemed like a bit of an overkill and maybe just another way to rake in the big bucks from dedicated fans like myself, I was still excited to see Johnny Depp portray the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow and hear that kickass soundtrack again. Considering it is the fifth movie and that I heard it got bad reviews, I made sure to have low expectations as I entered the theatre. The film opened with a scene of a young boy and the quick flash of a piece of parchment saying “year seven” or “year nine”; it didn’t take much brain power: I knew immediately that this was the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Just to jog your memory, the 3rd movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, ended with Will Turner taking up the Captain’s position of the cursed ship, The Flying Dutchman. This meant that he and his crew could only return to land every ten years. And, I must say, it was quite a sight for sore eyes to see the ever-beloved character of Will Turner (played by Orlando Bloom) make an appearance after his absence from the fourth movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and his heart-breaking departure in the third movie. One driving part of the plot was introduced when Will’s son declared his determination to free his father from the curse.

Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

June Horoscopes With your Life Guru, Tahini Turner  

“Don’t worry, what you are about to read is only your destiny…there’s really no point in worrying  about it because you can’t change it.”

 

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Aquarius-I know you’re pumped up and feeling on top of the world after the Chance the Rapper concert, but let’s be realistic, you still need to pass math and you can barely find a matching pair of socks in the morning.

Sagittarius-Ok so I know your mom told you that pilates was an option for Grad Challenge, but just think about that for a second. 20 hours of your life stuck in a sweaty studio with fit people who know what they’re doing. Take it from someone who has experience, you and pilates may be feeling the cosmic energy flowing, but maybe just not for your Grad Challenge.

Taurus-Are male rompers a thing? I mean, I’ve been around this universe for a long time, but man o man, I’ve never seen the likes of these. I foresee a bright, fashion forward future for any of you brave gents out there who are willing to partake in this summer trend. You know who you are, if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to let those inhibitions go and release the romper!

Gemini-I sense a summer romance coming your way for you Gemini folk. Someone tall, tan, and preferably someone who has access to free ice cream. Well that last thing isn’t a guarantee, but hey, the universe is full of surprises.

Virgo-Your life is about to change: meet Incredible. They are delicious dairy free frozen ice cream balls. They are pretty much heaven wrapped up into a frozen, vegan, gluten free, soy, and dairy free ball of wonder. Upon eating one of Incredible’s frozen treats (blueberry and vanilla is the best) you will meet the love of your life. Or at least someone to watch the premier of So You Think You Can Dance on FOX June 12th with.

Pisces-So you’ve been thinking about it for a while, those lingering glances in the shop window, the guilty bute of the lip, the wrinkled brow wondering if it’s the right decision. My answer is yes. Yes you should buy that pair of purple Crocs with the free ladybug button on the front. I promise that you’ll only regret it in 5 years or less.

Aries-I know I know, you’re still not over Valentina’s cringe-worthy and very disappointing “Lip Sync for Your Life” performance on Rupaul’s Drag Race. Don’t ever set yourself up to fail, learn those lyrics even if you think you’re so good that you could never be in the bottom two. Be prepared for as many things as you can. There are few things that are truly absolute in life, so, anything that is within your control, seize it by the horns, no matter how certain you know what the outcome will be.

Leo- Hey high school students, you’ve reached the final stretch. No matter how little motivation you’ve had during the course of the year, push through this, only 6 more miles. And, no, Mercury is not in Retrograde although, lately, it seems to feel that way. With the knowledge that even the planets are in your favor at this time of the year, muster up all the positive energy you can and power through the last two weeks. Summer and sunshine awaits you you on the other side.

Cancer- Wish you had taken that gap year right about now? Yes, it’s exciting and all that you’ve finished senior year but, your first year of college isn’t going to be rainbows and sunshine, especially if you plan on being academically rigorous and choosing a demanding major. Every AP you took and cried through, that could be all your classes next year. So, wish you took a gap year to get a breather before another potentially academically challenging year? Well, pretty much too late. We’re about positive energy here but you’ve gotta face the truth, the high school chapter is over and here comes four more years of new experiences, growths and struggles.

Capricorn- It’s time to cut the chains that keep you tethered to negativity. Even if that means isolating yourself from your friend group for a bit. People that constantly bash on you, no matter how much they’re joking, are not positive to be around. If you spend your social hours on high alert for drama, extreme dark humor and always feel like you need to have a witty, funny answer for everything, you will eventually burn out you chi energy. Put some energy into positive things in your life, focus on the people that make you laugh, but not at anyone else’s expense, the people that you can really talk to, without fear that it’ll go around to everyone else. Take a break from it, detach yourself from the negativity.

Scorpio- Hoping that your new relationship will last through the summer? It’ll take effort from both parties, so, if you’re the lazy one, time to make an effort to keep those connections. It is true, distance does make the heart grow fonder; however, too much distance makes the heart grow forgetful of fondness. Try to maintain a healthy balance.

Libra- Feeling a little lost and empty because you finished your new show on Hulu? Life’s a drag, right? Wrong. Get some perspective, would ya? Some people can’t afford a house, let alone afford the luxury of being depressed over Homeland being over.   

Volume 6, Issue 2

Trump Pulls Out of Paris Deal: Will There Be Consequences?

Ms. Koko Vercessi, Editor in Chief

paris
Courtesy of New York Media

This Thursday President Trump announced that the United States would be pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord. To many this appeared to be an act that demonstrated a nonchalant view of global warming and climate change issues. All over social media the world is exploding either in protest or support of this sudden and decisive action on President Trump’s part, so what consequences will this choice have if any on the American people and the Trump administration?

In what President Trump called a “draconian” international deal, Trump pledged his loyalty to the people of Pittsburgh and deserted the agreement for environmental action signed by 195 nations. In what could be seen as a power play meant to increase faith in the new administration for their prioritization of the American people, or a rash decision that disregarded the importance of pressing environmental issues, no one can deny that this move on Trump’s part is certainly making some waves, and will most definitely come with consequences.

Reading through the many different articles in opposition to Trump’s most recent action, it seems as if his choice may only have fueled that fire that is the belief that his administration disregards the importance of climate change and its effects. However, many seem to ignore the fact that his action may have been made as a way to assert the independence and sovereignty of the American people, not an action that was meant to display a blatant indifference to global warming.

The question now remains, how will Trump’s decision impact the lives of the American people and how will it impact the role of the United States in the global community?

 

 

Uncategorized, Volume 6, Issue 2

Presenting… Final Projects from the Middle East

Misters Isaac Cleveland and Thomas Daley

HINESBURG — This past week, students in Chris Smith’s U.S. and the World classes presented their final projects for the Middle East unit. However… there’s a catch: every project—and all work in this unit, for that matter—was designed by the student.

“I love this unit,” stated Smith, “I think students get into it more.” CVU junior Iris Mann was in agreement: “You don’t necessarily have to, you can choose to,” Mann explained.

Projects included giving presentations, creating videos, baking food, making a Kahoot!, and much more. Chiara Antonioli, also a junior at CVU, made baklava—a traditional Assyrian dessert—for the class as a hope for peace in the Middle East; she noted that feuding entities such as Israel and Palestine or Greece and Turkey come together at holidays in that they both enjoy Baklava. Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Tangible Product Fair Rolls into CVU

Mr. Jacob H. Bouffard 

As the fourth quarter closes and seniors can start to see their final days as high school students come to an end, only one thing stands in their way at Champlain Valley Union…Grad Challenge. A year long product that showcases “real world” experiences to high school students allows for them to gain a new perspective in a field of their choice. Many of these projects include a tangible product that the students made, and these products are shown to the whole school before their presentations during the Tangible Product Fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e7h5l8RyFk

Video poduced by Huber & Shanks

In the past, the Tangible Product Fair has included all types of projects from a cake, to a surfboard, or even a metal sculpture. There are no limits on what students can enter into the fair, as long as they produced it themselves.

The main purpose of the fair is to allow students to put their work on display and talk about the experiences they had while doing the project. Since the presentations are only in front of roughly twenty people, the tangible product fair allows students to freely talk about their creations one on one without any pressure.

Having a tangible product fair doesn’t only showcase the student’s new found talents, but it also gives future seniors an idea for what they might want to do for their projects when the time comes. CVU senior Jeff Boliba “I got the idea to make a snowboard for my grad challenge my sophomore year when I saw that someone made a surfboard for their project”.

The fair is scheduled to be on Thursday May 25th, 2017 during all of third block. Students are encouraged to stop by during their lunch period and glance at all or some of the projects. There is no word on how many projects will be present, but in the past there has been enough to fill up the library with all sorts of inventions and creations.

 

Volume 6, Issue 2

A Journey Overseas, A New Opportunity for Many

England, Ireland, Wales Trip

Mr. Thomas Daley

Blarney Castle, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, the London Eye, and the Globe are a few of the many locations experienced by the 38 students on CVU’s England, Ireland, Wales trip last month. More than just sightseeing, the trip is designed to expose high school students to a foreign country…perhaps for the first time.

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Stonehenge, Photo Credit: Cooper Birdsall

Head chaperone and CVU Social Studies and Scholars Bowl coach, John Bennett stated, “My real hope is that students who get this chance to travel, and, if it’s the first time or whatever for them, that it’s a spark of interest in travel all their lives.”

Around Ireland and the United Kingdom in 11 Days

It all began in Ireland where travelers saw the Ring of Kerry and Blarney Castle before heading to Dublin for two days. After crossing the Irish Sea and visiting sights in Wales, the group headed to Salisbury in central England. One highlight of the Salisbury stop was seeing the school where William Golding taught—a trip back to January of sophomore year for any CVU student.

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Salisbury Cathedral, Photo Credit: Cooper Birdsall

Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Say No to Palm Oil

Mr. Zaq Urbaitel

palm
Courtesy of Wikimedia

Have you taken a shower and used shampoo or conditioner today? Have you washed your hands with soap or done a load of laundry with detergent? Maybe you had some margarine or Nutella on your toast. These are all normal things that all of us do, although, what you probably don’t know is that all of these commodities have palm oil in them.

Products possessing the substance include, ice cream, soup, lipstick, pizza, instant noodles, cookies, bio-diesel, and unfortunately chocolate. Actually, according to WWF (World Wildlife Foundation), in the US alone, palm oil is included in roughly 50 percent of all packaged food, cosmetics, and cleaning products. So, what’s the problem with that? Well, palm oil is one of the leading causes of deforestation in the world today, destroying life at an alarming rate.

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Volume 6, Issue 2

Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Are our Students Safe?

Ms. Sophie Boyer

CVUHS-On Thursday, March 23, 2017 all of CVU students took the Youth Risk Behavior Survey during advisory.  The Youth Risk Behavior survey is a survey designed to monitor major common health risk behaviors, and is beneficial as a public health tool to measure the health of the youth. All grades are able to take the survey from grades 6th-12th.

The questions asked fall under the following categories: smoking, physical activity, drug and alcohol use, parental expectations, public safety, and acceptance.  

Though these questions are important, the identity of the respondent is not a variable; the survey overall is completely anonymous. The survey is given every two years for schools to take. Not all school boards agree to give the survey, but most do. According to the Vermont Department of Health, on average about 35,000 take the survey each cycle.  In 2015, 99% of high schools participated, and more than 21,000 students completed the survey. Over 13,500 middle school students also participated. Also, nationwide, from 1991 through 2015, more than 3.8 million high school students have completed the survey.  

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Once data collection is complete, the data is processed by the Center of Disease Control Prevention before becoming available for analysis by the state. This can take several months, so the Youth Risk Behavior Survey data is often not available until the following winter.

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Volume 6, Issue 2

A Little Artistic Competition

Drawing Contest

By Ms. Jam Giubardo

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL, HINESBURG, VT–On Tuesday, May 17, 2017 during W1 a group of CVU students, including Seth Emerson, CVU campus supervisor, enjoyed a friendly drawing contest during their free block that resulted in Sophomore student, Cole Otley, taking the win.

The drawing contest was between Seth Emerson, Cole Otley, Eryn Erdman, and Tim Trevithick. Their drawing prompt was to draw a phone. After they finished their drawings, multiple students voted for their favorite and Cole won by a staggering 11 votes, followed by Eryn with 8 votes, and Seth and Tim with a combined total of 5 votes.

When asked what he thought about the contest, Cole replied with, “The drawing competitions allow me to express my creative side during my free block when I have no work to do…also winning feels great.”

Eryn also said, “The drawing competition spices up our free block”. This demonstrates just how these competitions give light to a boring morning at school. On the other hand, the students involved in voting are also having fun.

Seth Emerson was asked how the drawing contest helps him make relationships with the students. He replied saying, “ I think the drawing contests are cool because we get lots of kids to vote and meeting kids that are going to vote is a cool way to make someone new acquaintance. It’s less awkward then just saying “Hey what is your name”. This shows how much good is coming from the contest and its positive effects on the CVU students and staff.

According to Eryn, there have been approximately 14 contests since second semester started and it’s fun to look at the leaderboard and compare the drawings from the beginning to now.

 

Volume 6, Issue 2

Reinventing the Library: Welcome to the Cave

Misters Christopher T. O’Brien and Jacob C. Griggs

The CVU library has always been known for the opportunity it gives you to check out books, socialize at the tables, and get work done in a private setting. However, the librarians don’t believe that the current space is being utilized to its full potential. This is all going to change this summer, with renovations being started and finishing up by the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.

Before any renovations can be made, the librarians are hard at work during this end of the school year weeding out the books in the library. CVU librarian Peter Langella says, “When we weed out the books we take out any books that are not used, inaccurate and irrelevant, that way the books that are remaining are able to flourish.” Because many of the books are being weeded out of the library, many of them are put outside the library on shelves marked, ‘free books.’ These free books were a hit amongst CVU students and staff. Continue reading →

Volume 6, Issue 2

Climate Change is Worse Than We Think: Put Down the Hamburger and Grab Some Kale Chips

By Ms. Carly Alpert

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Courtesy of Wikimedia

The need to take action against climate change may be more necessary than we think. In fact, according to Environmental Researcher, Dr. Richard Oppenlander,  “Without using any gas, or oil, or fuel, ever again, from this day forward, we would still exceed our maximum carbon equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030, without the energy sector even factored into the equation, all simply by raising livestock.” This is an extremely concerning statistic. It appears that even if you do everything right (recycle, drive eco-friendly cars, use renewable energy) you still cannot deter the accumulating greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, and thus prevent climate change.

Renowned theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, made the prediction that we would have to leave planet earth and colonize elsewhere in 1,000 years because it will no longer be sustainable for humans to live here. He just changed that prediction to 100 years. We are destroying our planet ten times faster than he had previously predicted. This should be a huge red flag that something on our planet isn’t right. There seem to be three options: one, humans can continue intensive agriculture and gorge ourselves on animal products, causing our entire species to die out in a matter of centuries; two, we can continue this current lifestyle for a short while, but it will be essential that we find another planet to colonize because we have nearly destroyed our own. This option is very unlikely as we are limited in space travel; three, humans need to start eating a fraction of the animal products they typically consume.

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Volume 6, Issue 2

Bad Cows: The Largest Contributers to Climate Change

Mr. Zaq Urbaitel 

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The threat, legitimacy, and causes of climate change have been heavily debated for decades. According to a 2012 study done by the Pew Research Center, only 67% of Americans agree there is solid evidence that the Earth’s average temperature has been getting warmer over the past few decades, and a mere 42% say the warming is mostly caused by human activity. When climate change becomes the topic of conversation, many consider cars and industry as the main factors. To the surprise of many, the largest contributor to climate change may not be what you think.

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