Senior Survivor is an unofficial BEHS tradition for only seniors, ran by students as a way for the seniors to get together and have some summer fun before they all go their own ways. Senior Survivor is not endorsed by BEHS admin or the school, instead is organized by students and put together on instagram. It started April 15th and goes till the last person standing. 

This event is a fun way for the Seniors to have the best few weeks of school left before they go their separate ways. Seniors all were laughing, smiling, talking, and just living out the last few weeks of school before graduation. 

Jessica Wyatt, BEHS senior, spoke about being on the hit list.

“I haven't been hit yet, and nobody has tried to hit me all week, and I've been on the hit list all week. so it's not as aggressive as I thought it would be.” Wyatt said.

Being on the hit list does not guarantee that a student will be hit. The hit list can be aggressive but also it can be calm, every hit list for students' actions are a surprise. Some students participate in this activity and others don't really participate, they just hope for the best. 

Alyssa Kunka, BEHS senior, discussed how Senior Survivor works.

”It's when you get a person, you have a water gun, you go and shoot them at random times during the day.”

How Senior Survivor works is seniors will get a target every Sunday of each week. The senior will then spray their target with a water gun on them or a squirt bottle during the week. If they don’t reach their target by the end of the week then they will go on the hit list. Some rules for this game are, no getting your target on campus during school hours, off-campus lunch is free game, they can't get to each other during school events, can't get someone at work while they are clocked in, and there is no breaking into other peoples homes. These are some of the basic rules of Senior Survivor. 

Burns said, “Just trying to find everybody personally, and getting to know everybody in a way.  going through high school you don't really talk to these people, then you have to find this certain person. So you're trying to figure out where they are, who their friends are, who they trust, so it's definitely friendship bonding.”

High school is a place where students can always meet new people in many ways. Senior Survivor is a way where students meet and interact with all these other students, also going out of their comfort zone to hopefully make some friendships to keep throughout life.

Senior Survivor was a good way for the Seniors to meet each other and make bonds. Student government had a blast making this event for the Seniors, also Seniors had a great time getting wet, scaring others, and making bonds with the last few weeks of school left. 

Five faculty are retiring at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. We at the Buzz commemorate the service of Mrs Redd, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Whitaker and Mrs. Church. After several years of teaching, the Fantastic Five all look forward to retirement. 

Mr. Smith says, “The students are awesome and incredible, but you know, there are other things that I want to do.”

For the Smiths, they look forward to completing their goal together to go to every major league baseball stadium in the country. Alongside traveling the country, they hope to serve a religious mission, whether it be a service mission or whatever is needed to be done.

“It will take a number of years to do that. We're just going to take our RV, travel the country and see some baseball. She and I would like to serve some religious missions, serve our church during our retirement. And I have always wanted to visit Alaska. And maybe see a wild elephant in Tanzania.” says Mr. Smith.

While looking forward to retirement, the teachers each discussed that they had their own experiences before teaching in Box Elder but felt that their time here was something special. They all feel that they created lasting memories. Mrs. Whitaker says that she is a third-generation teacher, a profession that her family is proud of. 

Mrs. Smith says, “I had another career prior to teaching, so this is only my ninth year teaching. Still that’s thousands of kids and I hope I have had an impact on them because they have had an impact on me.” 

Mrs Redd, who has been a teacher for a total of twenty-two years, talks about a term within education called the honeymoon phase, which happens at the beginning of a teaching career. “That honeymoon phase has never ended. Three year honeymoon phase is probably one of the favorite memories,” Mrs. Redd says. 

In the sense of memory, Mrs. Church says that the wall in her classroom is her greatest accomplishment and memory. 

“Just seeing that kids are successful and are getting the credits that they need and can graduate with a diploma from Box Elder High school is the greatest satisfaction.” says Mrs Church.

Overall, there is satisfaction in the lives of the Fantastic Five, and they feel ready to move on to the next stage in their lives with their spouse’s and enjoy retirement. We here at Box Elder High will miss them dearly and hope they enjoy their well deserved retirement. Mrs Whitaker wants the school to remember to be yourself, the school needs you.

Mr. Smith leaves the student body with one final message. “I have always loved the line from the Incredibles, ‘that luck favors the prepared.’ So if you want your life to turn out successfully, prepare, and this is a great place to do that.”

Box Elder High School’s library has low rates of book loss, showcasing BEHS students’ integrity and ensuring that books are returned to its shelves.

One of the core values in HIVE is integrity. This skill is shown in students' day-to-day lives and in all aspects of their school. The library’s rates of low missing books has shown the students' integrity in an interesting way.

When speaking about book loss BEHS’s school librarian Marsha Sparks reports  “We don’t have a high amount every year, I’d say probably maybe 20 to 30 books disappear or walk off by themselves, or maybe get damaged and have to be replaced.” 

These low rates of lost books is a step in the right direction for the school library. The next goal would be to lower the number of late returns. According to an American Library Association data sheet from 2022, about 13% of borrowed material is returned late from most libraries.

 “In 2017, 88% estimated that the average overdue book is returned to the library within one week of the due date.” The American Library Association goes on to say. “In 2022, this percentage has fallen to 69%.”

The BEHS library is taking measures to help decrease these late returns. When students miss the due date for their books, the librarian will send out friendly reminders to help students remember.

“Usually students get a weekly email about if they have overdue books, just reminding them that they have a book checked out and this is when it's due.” Sparks explains. “If they want to renew they can come in, and then they can see the price of the book that is included in that email.” 

These emails serve as a strong reminder to look for and return books. The library also accounts for students not seeing these reminders.

“Some students don’t check their student emails very often, but the emails I send out also go to parents too.” Sparks says.

Sending reminders often helps to get books returned on time. The school’s library also makes sure that students feel comfortable with returning, whether they have been late to turn in a book or a damaged one.

“I don’t charge late fines, so I think some students worry that if their book’s really late they’re going to get charged a fine.” Sparks remarks. “We don’t charge late fines here: we just charge if a book is lost or damaged. Even if they’re really overdue, just bring them back in.”

When library books are turned in and the incredible integrity of students is shown, it helps build up BEHS and shines it in a positive light. When students strive to show this in all aspects of their school, including the library, it shows how well the students have grown and can harness this skill. 

Close your eyes. Now imagine the one teacher that has positively impacted your life. To many at Box Elder High School who comes to mind is Mr. Caden Burrell.

Burrell has been teaching at Box Elder High School for several years. He has been teaching math throughout his whole career, he maintains a healthy relationship at school while maintaining his personal life. 

Caden Burrell goes on to say “I like teaching, I like math, so it gives me a mental health boost.”

Burrell expresses how not only teaching but relating to his students benefits his teaching style and how his students learn. When he expresses his love for teaching and math it gives people room to feel comfortable with Burrell teaching something he is passionate about.This makes his students feel more safe and secure.

Alexis Padiila is a student of Burrells at Box Elder High School. She goes onto say “He makes me feel like I'm a good student and makes me feel good in general”

Burrell grows an understanding for each student, he makes sure his students aren’t only doing good in his class but emotionally. Burrell has a positive attitude he willingly shares among all of his students in a way that impacts you heavily. 

Another one of Burrells students Jean Vogel explains “He is super happy despite what's around him, he is very passionate about teaching I think it shows”

Burrell’s passion is infectious to others. Burrell has affected his students by making them feel better about themselves and as a student. Burrell shows unconditional love and understanding for his students by providing his positive and uplifting energy. 

Burrell states his point of view by saying “I feel like I try to be the best I can, I try to individualize my instruction to target things to help my students learn better”  

He always takes the time for each student, he makes sure that their understanding of each subject grows. When a teacher shows that they are always available for students it grows a vulnerability towards being willing to learn and pursue being a good student. 

Most students struggle in school, with teachers like Burrell it helps students personally and with themselves as students. There is so much negativity within schools, Burrell willingly shows bright positive energy throughout the whole day which benefits everyone around him. A simple bright attitude and positive energy brings everyone together and Burrell proves just that.

Social media accounts in Utah used by minors (age 18 and under) will be regulated and may be restricted due to new legislation that will be enacted by October 1st, 2024. The bill will be enforced on the youth of Utah and Social Media companies. 

But Box Elder High School students seem to be in support of this big change. Students Victoria Mitchell, Kaeden Stettler, Alex Gibby, and Ryan Firth all agree that social media should be restricted and it would be a benefit for people as a whole. Some students even said social media has a giant influence on how a teen acts, thinks, and does in different situations.

 According to Box Elder High School student, Ryan Firth, this new regulation may be followed with some retaliation. Especially with the installed 10:30 p.m-6:30 a.m statewide downtime on social media accounts.

“I know some people probably couldn’t live without it and might get a lot of backlash,”said Firth 

And others have seen how social media has changed people and their character as a whole. 

“It annoys me to see how much people judge everyone…and I prefer kids to socialize in person…I think it would benefit them to be honest.” said Mitchell

Although there are other options than just social media. Kaeden Stettler is more on YouTube and video games than anything else. He has many options besides social media that still peak his interest.

“I’m rarely on it…I would just play some video games.”Stettler stated

However, the biggest two-word statement is self control according to student Alex Gibby. He isn’t a frequent social media user but if he was, he’d seem to know how to manage himself and his health.

“I think it's a fine idea…it just needs restrictions. like an hour a day probably. If you have 5 hours, it's way too much.”

And yet the way social media is seen and the way it impacts minors or a population as a whole is determined by how it is used according to BEHS counselor Dave Smith. Or in another way, it is a person's responsibility when using social media to protect themselves from any harm.

 “I see social media like all other things. It can be a good influence. It can be a bad influence, depending on how the person that's using social media wants to use it,” said Smith

But medical and psychological experts claim that social media is more harmful than safe for teenagers. It can cause addiction, anxiety, and depression. And along with the package comes problem solving issues and a lack of researching skills.

“Teens often try to compensate by sharing pictures that make them look perfect, too. Then, when their social media identity doesn’t match how they actually feel, they can end up feeling worse.” 

 “I think because of social media we have lost some abilities…we’ve lost some abilities to communicate well with one another…I think we’ve lost the ability to maybe problem solve and find information that is good from all aspects because it seems to me like it's one or another there's no middle ground.” Smith stated

Social Media developed a habit in minors to constantly check their phone even when they don’t need to. But it's also a form of communication to others. It tends to shorten their attention span. Especially on one who has access to it during some form of work. This way of communicating through text though just might have negative effects as well. 

Clinical psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair stated “There’s no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating—it’s not like it creates a nonverbal learning disability, but it puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible.”

However, the Social Media Regulation Act is actually more about limiting Social Media companies rather than Utah minors. In the bill it states that any harm caused to a minor that came from social media will receive legal reparations for any harm that happened to the minor. It also includes penalties for the companies that did violate the act in Utah. 

“(iii) award actual damages to an injured purchaser or consumer; and

(iv) award any other relief that the court deems reasonable and necessary.”

Along with the penalties a Social Media company may face, it’s going to be irritating for social media platforms to even be present in the life of a minor in Utah.

“a social media company is subject to:

(i) a civil penalty of $250,000 for each practice, design, or feature shown to have caused addiction; and

(ii) a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for each Utah minor account holder who is shown to have been exposed to the practice, design, or feature found to have caused addiction under Subsection (3)(a)(i).” Social Media Regulation Act Utah Code Section 13-63-4

““a social media company shall not use a practice, design, or feature on the company's social media platform that the social media company knows, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should know, causes a Utah minor account holder to have an addiction to the social media platform.”-Social Media Regulation Act Utah Code Section 13-63-401 

With the new big change soon to come, it’ll change how the school works and maybe influence teenagers to do something outside. It’ll seem like this act may be cutting off teenagers from their sources for everything. But some could argue that it's for the best. 

Imagine driving down Highway 89 like you’re Lightning McQueen. Next thing you know the sight of red and blue lights are flashing in the rear view mirror. What’s going to happen and what are you going to do? 

It’s important to remember that traffic stops are intended to prevent accidents, which for teens can be deadly. On average, the American teenager is four times more likely to get into an accident than an adult.In the year 2022, 21.2% of crashes in the state of Utah involved a teen driver translating to 12,529 teenagers being involved in a crash only in the state of Utah.  These figures shed light on the challenges and risks faced by young drivers, prompting a closer examination of safety measures and the insights of Officer Stephen Johnson, the resource officer at Box Elder High.

Officer Johnson commented on one of the primary causes of accidents. “You guys are really nervous. Usually it happens from lack of attention which happens to everyone, not just teenagers.” Johnson said. 

Looking only at Box Elder County, 214 teens were involved in a crash in 2022, there were 0 fatalities, but 36 injuries. 

Officer Johnson advice that if you are in an accident you should take precautions and not exit the vehicle.  “One Safety concerns for an accident is everyone's first reaction is to get out of the vehicle and walk around it… Staying in your vehicle in an accident is safer than ever getting out unless you get out and go out on the sidewalk.” 

Getting pulled over is just as scary. You can be nervous or scared. Tension is also very common. Most teenagers can often forget what to do when they first get approached at the window.  

Rexton Jensen, a sophomore at BEHS, has gotten pulled over 3 times since he has gotten his license. The first time Jensen had gotten pulled over he was nervous.

Jensen states, “I was actually very nervous. I have a single cab with only 3 seats and when I got pulled over I had 4 people in there. No one had seat belts on, which was a bad thing.” 

Officer Johnson states. “Safety concerns with being pulled over is when you guys are really nervous it makes us nervous… I know it's a stressful situation anyways but when you guys are nervous and shaking and can't answer questions, we get nervous that there might be something else in the vehicle.” 

Some things to always remember when this situation happens is to always have your license, your registration, and your insurance card in the vehicle with you at all times. Another big thing is to always wear your seat belt.

As a person who has gotten pulled over a significant amount of times, Jensen had some input that should be taken into account in the eyes of any teenage driver. 

“ Definitely wear your seat belt. Try to obey traffic laws and realize everyone else is trying to drive and just do your part.” Jensen expressed.

Officer Johnson also wanted to say a few words to help students be safe and to not do anything dangerous while driving. 

“Wear a seat belt. Seat belts save lives more than anything else I can tell you guys… Throwing your seat belt on is super easy to do." Officer Johnson exclaims. 

So always remember to be safe, don’t be too nervous, and to always wear your seat belt. It’s the lifesaver  provided in your vehicle.

While walking through the halls of Box Elder High School multiple posters for fundraisers, clubs, and supporting sports teams hang on the walls. Those are all important, yes, but isn’t bringing attention to national holidays important as well?

February is Black History Month, while walking in the halls of Box Elder High School you’ll notice there’s nothing bringing attention to the matter. 

BEHS Principal, Jamie Kent commented on why that is. Kent said, “We let teachers cover this in their classrooms.” Kent goes on to say, “We have no problem with diversity celebrations we just have never had a club or group ask to do one. All of our celebrations are put on by clubs or groups.”

Black History Month is a whole month dedicated to the importance and history of black culture. Brigham City is a small town, with little to no diversity. There isn't much done to bring awareness to the importance of this month. 

Kent went on to express her support of a school-wide acknowledgement of the month. “I think it's a great idea.” Kent explained, “We would just need to have a club or group sponsor the diversity celebration.” 

Black History Month should be brought into light because of what African Americans endured. The matter deserves to be known to grow knowledge among the people and to show the importance of the historical events. 

National Geographic states, “It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.”

Black History Month celebrates decades of traumatic and uplifting history. Historical moments like that should be openly shared among people. African Americans fought for the right to make themselves known because no one was willing to give them recognition for their impactful actions or even give them a chance. 

Best Colleges Website describes the Civil Rights Movement, “joined by thousands of white allies, they held rallies to educate the community about racial inequities, boycotted classes, marched to the state Capitol, took over lecture halls and blocked building entrances.”

African Americans have always had to fight for not only their rights as human beings but even for people's attention on what mattered. This month should be brought to people's attention to show people the process and unfairness of how African Americans got here today.

There's so much being promoted by Box Elder High School with their clubs and group sponsors. From Japanese clubs, Chinese clubs, Equity clubs, and a Latinos in action. However, there is not a club or group dedicated to African American history or culture. February isn't just another month, or just information on a slideshow to be presented, it's about the importance of Black History. So Bees, what are you doing for Black History Month?

Bonnie Mortensen, Box Elder High School receptionist, is one of the many unsung heroes at BEHS that keeps the school running.  

Mrs. Mortensen is wonderful with the Box Elder High School, students making sure every student has the help they need to succeed. 

Hazel Archibald, a junior said, “She’s helped me a lot mentally, helped me make some hard decisions, she also gives me amazing life advice, and reminds me to take care of myself.”

Shanna Hales, Athletic Director's Secretary works in the office with Mrs.Mortensen, agrees with Archibald, “Just the way she works problems through with kids with kindness with respect I admire so much” Hales said.

Mrs. Mortensen is a reliable figure in our school, she is a trusted source of support for every student. 

Trina Whitman, Assistant Principal Secretary agreed with and supported the sentiments expressed by Hales. Whitman went on to say, “She is a person that every student knows they can count on; she's super kind and she will help anybody.” Mrs. Mortensen plays a crucial role in our school by making the first impression. Her kindness and friendly face make a wonderful environment for new students.

Hales said, “She is the very first face that almost everybody sees coming into our school and if that face is not kind and open and willing to help, oh it says a lot about our school so she is the perfect person to be there with openness and knowledge and just a smile.”

By Jaycee Madsen 

The week of Feb. 4-10 is National Counselors Week, and the Counselors and Student Advisors at BEHS play a massive part in students' school lives. They help students get through tough times mentally and guide students throughout their high school experience.

For many students, high school can seem so daunting and scary, but counselors and student advisors are there to help students to push past the scary beginning and into the rest of their story.

“High school is just a tiny part of your whole life. There is a lot of life after high school, think of that in terms of there's so much more I can do beyond,” says Annette Whitaker, a counselor BEHS.

Figuring out what to do beyond high school can be a big battle by yourself. Student advisors can be helpful in guiding students on what to do, and also helping them to be safe and cared for once they leave the nest that is high school. 

“One thing that I try to tell all the seniors that come in that are planning on going to college is always take like one fun class per semester” states Bridget McBride, a student advisor. 

These counselors and student advisors make such a difference in many students’ lives, some help advise students on their next steps and others are just a guiding hand, there to pick students up and dust them off after a tough adventure. They help students to make the right decisions for their happiness as students figure out what to do after this chapter in their lives comes to a close and the next one begins

The Box Elder High School counseling website has many outlets for student use. This includes their announcements page on the website which holds a ton of information about class changes, B-Tech registrations, and concurrent enrollment scholarships. 

Student safety is a high priority for the counselors and student advisors, so they make sure to inform students and help to ensure their safety while they embark on their next adventure. 

“I think letting students be aware of their pitfalls that come about after graduation and things to look out for, getting scammed….” Mcbride explained.

High school can be significantly hard and stressful to accomplish. Whitaker states that it will get better after students leave the high school’s doors.

“It’s gonna be better, you'll love life after high school if you are struggling in high school,” Whitaker said.

Lights, Camera, Action. BEHS students are gearing up for the annual talent show, and with auditions just around the corner, many are buzzing with excitement and questions around the audition process and what to expect from participating. The Student Government has worked hard to make auditions easy and stress free. 

Students who are interested in auditioning should start the process by signing up. The Student Government has posted forms around the school with QR codes which will take students to the sign up form. Additionally, participant hopefuls can go to the office and get a paper to fill out.  To audition you need an act or talent to showcase, any props you are wanting to use, and yourself. 

One thing most students were unaware of is that a large majority of acts that are auditioned get into the show.  It is a very easy process to get to the performing stages. After the audition it's all about performing in front of the student body. That may be a nerve wrenching thing to think about, but the student body here at BEHS is very supportive. 

Tom Davidson, the Student Government adviser, had some good words to say about this. “Our student body cheers for everybody. You can do the weirdest thing…I’ve never once seen anyone in the talent show get booed or anything like that.” 

Davidson encourages students to showcase their talents no matter what it is.“They should just send it. They can do an incredible job and even if it's not the best talent ever . Everyone respects that they were willing to go out there. “ Davidson stated. 

Bryson Singleton is the main student government member in charge of the BEHS talent show. This can be a very responsible job to have but also very stressful. 

Singleton said, “I want to provide a good talent show with things the students will enjoy… I feel like it's an honor and a great responsibility.” 

The Student Government wants to encourage students not let their fear get the better of them, and students may regret not trying out because of fear. “After all, fear is temporary but regret is forever.” Tyeson Hansen, Senator of the student government, had some words of encouragement for all those who may be too fearful. 

Hansen stated, “Just perform and go out there and be yourself… Go out there and be yourself and do your own talent. Don't change your talent for anyone else.”  Singleton stated, “Don’t be afraid. Be courageous. No that no matter what you do, people are gonna love it.” 

Singleton adds that participating in these kinds of activities builds character. It is something students will look back at and be proud they participated. “Have that feeling that you overcame adversity to do something incredible and to show your peers that you are awesome and that you have talent inside of you.” 

 College Advisor Bridget McBride and other advisors will be available to answer questions and help fill out the FAFSA application tonight at BEHS, rooms P2 and P3 from 5 p.m. unit 7 p.m. 

This event is known as FAFSA night, and it takes place only a few times a year. Students are encouraged to attend. “It's just a couple hours during one of the nights where we can help answer questions and deal with issues that may have arisen” Mcbride stated. 

 “FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s a program where you fill out an application and the federal government gives you money.” FAFSA is not only for colleges, but can be used for trade schools and post-high-school educational programs as well. FAFSA night is not only for filling out the application. 

“There is one scholarship we give out that night called the FAFSA scholarship. And it's through the Utah Higher Education Foundation, but overall, it's just a night for FAFSA.” Students that are eligible for federal financial aid have a chance of receiving the FAFSA scholarship

The FAFSA aid website says, “Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to federal student aid.”

For more information on this event attend tonight.

The one thing that's on every senior's mind is the future. The prestigious Sterling Scholar Award is something that can encourage a brighter future. The sterling scholar award covers fifteen categories, each school nominating only one student per category, choosing individuals who show their merit. 

The winner of the Stirling scholar gets a $2000 scholarship to any Utah college of their choice. 

Navigating through the application process, Students found it relatively straightforward and easy, with one notable exception - the teacher interviews, which he described as "intimidating." He offers valuable advice to aspiring sophomores, encouraging them to "apply a lot and be well-prepared." 

Mrs. Cheney, a teacher at Box Elder, talks about the significance of the Sterling Scholar program, describing it as a statewide competition that recognizes hard working students for their high school endeavors. Cheney explains, "There are scholarships associated with the state winners, and the competition unfolds at three levels: school, region, and state. Each level employs a screening process to identify candidates advancing to the next stage."

In essence, the Sterling Scholar award evaluates students across five distinct areas: Scholarship, Category Expertise, Leadership, Community Service/Citizenship, and the Interview. Cheney says that the most successful candidates showcase strengths across all five areas, proving their proficiency through a detailed application and a portfolio tailored to their specific category.

Andrew young a winner of this years stirling scholar for the arts category said his initial reaction was “very surprised” and when asked what motivated him to apply he said “The scholarship” finally when asked what advice would you give sophomores who are thinking of applying for the sterling scholar he said  your citizenship and service to the community.

Reflecting on the qualities that make a student a strong Sterling Scholar contender, Cheney explains the importance of early planning. She advises students to try and be successful from the get go of high school, actively seeking leadership and community service opportunities to fortify their chances.

Cheney encourages students to work hard, stating, "Even if you don't get the opportunity to represent our school as a Sterling Scholar, you will still have all the experiences that make you a well-rounded student. This leads to opportunities."

As the Sterling Scholar program unfolds, students like Andrew Young show us all the dedication and hard work it takes to be truly exceptional. Embodying the values that make them candidates for the Sterling Scholar Award.

The Class Change Window at Box Elder High School will take place from November 17th - 21st from 8AM - 11AM. Students will report to the Career Center located in the Counselors center in order to have class changes.

According to information from the official BEHS counselors website students should also go to help labs in order to help out and figure out what classes they need to take, those will be held from Fri. Nov. 17th, Mon. Nov. 20th, and Tue. Nov. 21st. 

The session on the 17th will be from 11:45 - 1:15, the session on the 20th will be from 8:00 - 11:30, and the last session on the 21st will be held from 8:00 - 11:00. Help labs will be a first come first serve basis so students should plan to get there quickly. 

Megan Mueller, the counselor for the last names A - D says, “The class change window is great, I think we all agree that it helps us a lot and manage our time.” The class change window helps all the counselors and the administration with managing time and making sure students are heading into a bright future.

Mueller also acknowledges that, “A lot of students go in to try to make class changes best for them. Future plans change or they can get interested in something else. I think it is a disturbance of students go in and try and say ‘Oh I wanna be in classes with these people.’” Students should use the class change window as an opportunity to help them for what they want to be in the future and not for the classes they want to be in with friends. 

Gregg Cefelo the Math, Physics, Astronomy, and Drivers Ed teacher explains his struggles with the class change window and how it is affecting him and his classes. Cefelo expressed, “The class change window is good and bad. It does change the way I teach the first week because I don't finalize my seating chart and everything until I find out who is all in my class.” It challenges all teachers to make sure all students have a fair chance at passing the class. 

The class change window has its positives and negatives as students who choose to be responsible can use it to help better their future. 

BEHS collected over 10,000 lbs of food for the local Utah food pantry in their highly anticipated Can Drive. This event is led by the student government and guided by Mr. Davidson, the student government advisor. This BEHS tradition is rooted in giving back to our community— but also, has a history of stoking competition among the schools first hour teachers..

This year, the can drive takes place amidst a brewing feud among the teachers at BEHS, Mr. Burrell and Mr. Parker who was the 2022-2023 can drive champion.

Olivia Crane, a member of the student government, said "I think that it is a really good opportunity to work with everybody else on student government," she noted. "It's definitely our busiest time of the year."

Mr. Burrell described his motivation to stack up the cans this year.  "I'm just a competitive person by nature, and I lost to Parker last year, so I kinda want to get back at him." 

When asked if he believes he would win, Mr. Burrell had replied confidently, "Yes, absolutely." He pointed to his track record of challenging many students and gathering support from other teachers.

In contrast, Mr. Parker said. "I actually don't consider myself a fierce competitor," he shared. "More that it's fun to compete, and if you're going to compete, you're going to compete to win." Mr. Parker's focus was on the joy of motivating students to donate and help others, a sentiment shared by many within the student government.

Mr. Parker's belief that the can drive's success goes beyond winning was echoed by Olivia and the entire student government. Olivia emphasized the importance of students recognizing the positive impact of their contributions and the real goal of the can drive, which is not just to win but to instill the value of helping others in students.

In the end, amidst the teacher feud, Mr. Parker emphasized that what truly matters is motivating students to do good. "Burrell is a great guy and also motivates his classes to do good, and that is what matters," he acknowledged, highlighting the shared goal of both teachers—inspiring students, together with the dedicated student government, to make a positive impact inside our community. 

Now, with the can drive for this year ending, we bring you the latest development—Mr. Burrell's was just announced as the winner of this year's can drive, achieving his goal of redemption. However, Mr. Parker’s class donated the most points over time. Everyone came out a winner this time around.

New stats from the CDC say around 500 teens overdose each year in America. At our own Box Elder High, the admin is starting to take action to prevent drug use. 

Studies say drugs mess up students' experiences at school. About 31.4 percent of kids who drop out admit they were doing drugs.

Experts say mental health and drugs go hand in hand for teens. Feeling sad, falling behind, not caring, and having a hard time making friends can come before or go along with using drugs. 

 Mr. Robbie Gunter, the Vice Principal, said when someone is suspected of drugs “They talk to the kids first to hear their side and find out what's really going on.” Gunter also said being active in school and having good friends helps stop kids from using drugs.

 Mr. Clark Funk, another Vice Principal, said if they catch someone with drugs. They try to help first but a student will get a first offense before they give a more extreme punishment. Such as probation, remedial plans and they will contact the parents.  “But if the student self declares before they get caught, we cant hold it against them,” Funk said. 

Funk wants to encourage students to get help by self-reporting and getting resources from the student counseling office and admin without major consequences. Funk said “The SRO collaborates with students. He is the first contact when it comes to illegal activity.” Tell the School Resource Officer (SRO) if you see anything drug related tell the SRO. 

At Box Elder High, they’re trying to stop drugs by helping out, getting in the middle, and giving support. They want the student body to know it's okay to ask for help if someone is dealing with drugs they want our school to be safe for everyone. 

Funk said “If you see something say something”

What is a legacy? The definition of legacy is the long-lasting impact of particular events and  actions that took place in the past, or of a person’s life. In this case it is about Box Elder High School’s football coach Robbie Gunter. Gunter has brought his legacy to this high school and has shown a phenomenal impact as a coach and a role model to others. 

He has changed his players' lives and made them better people, as well as changing the way his players see things in this world.   Gunter has been coaching for 21 years. 15 of these years have been dedicated to Box Elder. During his coaching career, he has coached over 1200 BEHS athletes. He still keeps in contact with many of them to this day.  

Gunter has shown how football can impact someone's life for the better.  “I love football and being a football player was awesome and it got me a college degree and when I got finished I wanted to help other kids the same way and so it's been my life coaching.”  He said. 

Tyeson Hansen, one of the starting cornerbacks on the football team, had some great things to say. “He's taught me a lot of important stuff in my life like how to be a leader. I learned a lot of my leadership skills from coach Gunter and he has taught me how to be a better person with the weekly goals that he wants us to reach… He just makes me realize that there is more to life than winning a football game. It's just better to be a good human than being a good football player.” Hansen had said. 

Hansen also had some great memories about Gunter.  Hansen expressed “The enthusiasm and love he has for football. I think that is one thing aside from how good of a person he is. His love for football that he has and the love he has for all of his football players… he just wanted the best for us whether it was on the field or outside of our everyday lives. “

Along with Hansen, Mayson Jeppsen, the starting linebacker, has grown through Gunter's coaching.  Jeppsen stated, “ I’d probably say getting the scheme of football. Especially offensively he helped me understand my role so much better. Obviously, all we care about is getting the ball when he has me play Defense. It all just helped me understand my role better for the team and become more of a player than being the star.” 

He also had more to say that involved the best thing he will remember about Gunter.  Jeppsen had declared that, “He’s just funny. When he gets fired up he is just a funny dude. He can joke with us and he is down to earth.”

Kasey Cullimore has been coaching with Coach Gunter for 8 years.  Cullimore stated,  “He has made me a better person because of his example and because of his standards. I would not be the person I am today if i didn’t coach with him.”  As Cullimore has already said some kind words, he even had more to say. Especially how football will be without him.  “ The show must go on so we have to keep going but it would be next to impossible to replace him. I will miss him dearly.”  

Gunter’s Wife, Carrie Willey Gunter, has also had words to say about the huge impact in their family’s lives. “ Sports were not a part of my life growing up. I had no idea what I was getting into when we got married, but it has become everything to us. I have come to love football, not as much as robbie but I see what it can do for a community, for a high school and for a young man… I have seen Robbie practice what he preaches. He believes in hard work and being respectful. Progress over product. It is about the little things you do daily that will get you where you want to be.” Carrie Gunter said. 

Not only did Gunter impact his players' lives. He impacted his family’s and his coaching staff's life. He helped them learn to be better people and be more involved with what they do. From 21 years of coaching, Gunter has still had a strong bond with his old and new players. This is something we can all see today. 

One of Gunter’s favorite things about coaching is this,  “I love football but I love what the change that is made by players who commit to working hard and and overcoming adversity they become great leaders, great fathers, great husbands, and have great community members that they are able to be successful in other part of their life because they learned to be successful in something they really like to do.”

As Gunter says goodbye to football, his students and his coaching staff, they will always remember the legacy he will leave behind. 

Box Elder Highschool took the 20-minute-long panorama survey, which looks at a students perspective on their social and emotional environment during school, Thursday October 26,2023 during 2nd hour.

Dave Smith, a counselour at Box Elder High School, gave an interview on the administration of the Panorama survey and had this to say.

“About 3 years ago the district started having schools take this survey as a result that was passed by the state legislature and requires the state to provide and find early warning signs and how to help students with their success and well-being at Box Elder.” Smith said. “As a result of this law that was passed, the panorama survey helps meet the requirements they have given us.”

The survey has shown that students who attend school less perform lower which was a big focus when taking the survey this year, but to better understand how the survey works you have to know where it comes from.

Dr. Hunter Gehlbach is an associate professor at Harvard, who developed the survey. He talked about the survey and explained how the survey helps schools, and how they make the environment around schools a better place.

The Panorama Survey was developed back in 2012, the Panorama Survey is taken by all students 3-12 grade in DCPS. The Panorama survey is designed around social and emotional learning. It aims to gather information about school climates and satisfaction. In the years 2017-2019 the survey was given once in the spring every year, but starting in 2020 the survey has been given twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. 

Tate Burbank, a student at BEHS who participated in the survey said, “some of the questions I did not like the way they were worded because some of them were like ‘how likely is it to change?’ I don’t know what that means exactly some might take that as not likely to change as a bad thing but some might take it as a good thing, so it wasn’t asked very well.”

Students when taking the survey were confused by the questions and began to grow bored during the second survey. Reformatting the surveys could help students better understand the material and perform better in the future.

The Panorama Survey is designed to gauge and measure students mental health in a way that can help our administration to give our students the best learning environment possible.

By delving into students mental health and overall well-being, the survey provides valuable data to help the administration in achieving this objective. As we consider the perspectives of counselors, college advisors, and students, it becomes evident that while there may be room for improvement in the survey's formulation, its intent and impact are essential in shaping a brighter future for the students at Box Elder High School.

Smith said “Students that don’t attend or report that they're not attending  aren’t as successful, and they recognize that they’re not as successful in class academically.”

A video aimed at raising awareness about harassment was released, on September 21, 2023, creating a discussion within Box Elder High School. 

The video, a project spearheaded by Megan Bushnell, the Head of Student Equity and Services, was intended to educate students about the impacts of harassment and the consequences for those who engage in it. It has ignited a debate over its effectiveness and unintended consequences. 

Busnell was the creator and presenter of the video, and played a key part in the creation. She explained that the purpose of the video was to make clear that knowledge is power, and when someone doesn’t know they are participating in discriminatory behavior they can't fix the problem. After the video was presented to students, “If something they said or did was harassment, then they would know that it actually was,” Busnell said. 

However, according to some students, the video appears to have had a different effect than intended. Kohyn Van Komen, a sophomore at BEHS, has experienced harassment. He expressed his concerns about the video. 

“I've definitely heard way more of the words that they showed in the video. They basically handed you a guidebook. They kind of said, 'oh, you should not be doing these exact things we're going to be showing you how to do.” Van Komen said.  “I believe it could have been done in a much better way."

The video's impact extends beyond just those who might be harassed. Miles Hislop, a sophomore at BEHS commented, "I feel like I've seen a bit of an increase, like, I've seen more racial slurs going around. I've seen more people getting harassed because of their skin color."

In response to the concerns raised after the video and the ensuing debate, Bushnell and Box Elder School District are taking proactive measures. According to Bushnell, they are holding meetings and discussions with students, teachers, and parents to initiate and to foster a deeper understanding of the issue. Bushnell is working with a committee to address the concerns of an increase of harassment. 

The ongoing debate highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to tackling harassment, not only at Box Elder High School but in schools nationwide. It is clear that students and Mrs. Bushnell share a common goal, to foster an environment in which every student feels respected and protected, regardless of their background. 

This ongoing discussion is not only crucial for BEHS but also for the broader education community, as it tries to address the issue of harassment and bullying in schools. As discussions continue, many hope for a more effective and comprehensive solution to tackling harassment while minimizing unintended side effects.

Students who notice harassment should immediately report the action to administrators or teachers. Bushnell feels that to decrease harassment it should not only be a district and school effort, but students as well. 

Box Elder High School's conducted a lockdown drill on October 4, 2023, to prepare students for a real-life emergency.

Journalists from BEHS observed that at least two teachers who failed to follow the prescribed procedures and used the time for additional instruction or had students sit quietly at their desks. Others reported that their teachers took the drill very seriously; secured the doors, had students hide under desks or in storage rooms between classes, and block the doors.

During school lockdowns, students are expected to move away from all doors and windows, turn off the lights, and remain silent, ensuring that they are locked and secure.

School Resource Officer, Stephen Johnson, at Box Elder High School stated that this lockdown drill was one of the best the school has ever had because many teachers went above and beyond to practice the drill properly. Some teachers used a Chromebook cart or desks to add additional weight in front of the door, while others applied reflective film to the windows, making the inside of the classroom appear pitch black. These procedures are intended to continue in the future.

"Teachers inspire new methods not only for one school but for several," said Johnson.

While many students may not fully comprehend the importance of these drills, they may not realize what is and isn't being taught to them.

Student Tyler Burgi from Box Elder High School said, "They're kind of fun; it gets me out of class and prepares me for something that could happen."

In a small town like Brigham City, the occurrence of an incident such as a gunman is highly unlikely and unexpected.

Johnson said, "The staff here at Box Elder High School this summer... We conducted an active shooter drill, involving some students."

Officer Johnson wishes to ensure that every teacher and student is aware of gun violence and safety measures to potentially save lives.

Noah Sepulveda, a student at Box Elder High School, believes there needs to be more training on how teachers handle the situation so that students have someone to depend on.

As an actual witness of a real lockdown several years ago at Box Elder High School, Sepulveda said, "My teacher was playing Solitaire at his desk. I feel like my teacher wasn't prepared at all, and that made me significantly more scared."

Sepulveda hopes to raise awareness among individuals who may find themselves in a lockdown situation and not know what to do. He believes that making slight changes to the drill can make it more effective and less predictable.

Students have consistently reported and noticed the same issues throughout their years of high school.

School lockdown drills are planned to continue evolving over the next several years.

A harassment video presentation and school-wide lesson was shown to Box Elder High School students on September 21st, 2023. The video included the meaning of harassment, what may happen if harassment occurs and what could happen to the offender.

This year students have been encouraged to “Beelieve YOU Beelong” by Box Elder Administration as a theme and hashtag for the year. This video presentation is one way to encourage students create a sense of belonging at BEHS.

 In a statement by the principal at BEHS, Mrs. Kent said,“There have been some concerns with the behaviors we have seen from students across the entire district. The district leaders felt we needed to educate all students on these policies and issues.” 

Mrs. Kent’s, “Beelieve YOU Beelong” statement is something that is expressed to students daily by sending out an email including her statement, and advertises the idea on her social media pages. Kent wants every student to feel not only included, but important to the community. 

Megan Bushnell, Director of Equity and Student Services, said, “Our biggest thing is just making sure that everybody feels that they have a safe and welcoming environment to be at every day for school.” Bushnell stressed that she wants every single student to feel included and safe. 

Harassment is something that Mrs. Bushnell wants the community to watch out for. Bushnell, made a presentation for Box Elder School district titled, “Creating an Inclusive Community”, that explained why harassment is so important to have knowledge of and how important each individual is. 

The presentation was presented to all of the high schools in the district and showed, “Harassment is a form of discrimination involving unwelcome conduct based on: race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or other protected characteristics, which creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive school environment.”

Types of harassment can range from discrimination, unwanted sexual acts, to retaliation, cyberbullying, verbal abuse and several more.

Box Elder School District has presented similar presentations to students of every age and every grade. However, the focus changed depending on the age group of the students.

Grades K-5 focused on kindness, while mentioning harassment, while grades 6-12 were more focused on the meaning of harassment and how to avoid it.

If any type of harassment is performed, Bushnell said, “There could be suspensions, there could be expulsions, there could be… referrals.” 

A position statement was released by Box Elder School District regarding harassment reading, “Box Elder School District is dedicated to upholding a school atmosphere free of any form of harassment, bias, or discrimination. We firmly believe in the inherent duty of individuals to treat others with dignity and kindness.”

If any students or staff have witnessed or been a victim of harassment, they are strongly encouraged to reach out and report it immediately. Resources are available at: SafeUT, counseling offices, a trusted parent or adult, New Hope Crisis Center, Friends Against Family Violence and many more.

In the 2020-2021 academic year, gun violence became the leading cause of death among individuals aged one through nineteen in America.

Gun violence has been a persistent global issue for decades, prompting schools to implement lockdown drills to help students prepare for any potential harm. Lockdown procedures could be triggered by various events, including aggressive parents, potentially armed or threatening individuals, and dangerous animals.

According to the CDC, over 29,000 deaths resulted from gun violence in 2023. Out of these, 16,500 were suicides, and 479 were mass shootings. Accidental deaths also occurred frequently, numbering 1,114 as of September 7th, 2023.

Box Elder High School has adopted a unique approach to reducing gun violence that doesn't involve gun control. Instead, it focuses on ensuring every student feels a sense of belonging. The "Beelieve YOU beelong" movement is projected to all students and staff, with the goal of making everyone feel important and wanted.

Box Elder High School's principal, Jamie Kent, states, "Here at Box Elder, we aim to foster a culture where everyone feels included. I believe it's crucial for students to sense that they belong and have friends."

In an effort to decrease the prevalence of gun violence, particularly in schools, School Resource Officer Stephen Johnson stated, "The staff here at Box Elder High School conducted an active shooter drill this summer, with student involvement."

Box Elder High School is in the process of teaching gun safety procedures and helping students. Principal Jamie Kent at Box Elder High School added, "To help students feel connected at school and feel like they belong, it helps reduce the number of threats."

"Run, Hide, Fight" is a term used to describe quick opportunities to escape dangerous situations. It is organized in a specific order to maximize the safety of individuals of any age group. Run: Escape to an area that has been checked and cleared of potential harm. Hide: If unable to escape, hide silently in a secure, discrete area. Fight: Take action if it's the only available option.

Johnson further explained, "Running is the primary goal, hiding is secondary, and if you're hiding and can hear the person approaching, your next option is to fight."

Any age group can potentially pose a threat, but the likelihood can be reduced through teaching and practicing gun safety. Possible warning signs of gun violence may include risky behaviors like drug dealing, carrying firearms at a young age, threats of gun violence, aggressive behavior, or alcohol abuse.

Warning signs can be detected by any vigilant individual. Students report monitoring social media, language, or hand signals for signs.

Alexis Jensen, a student at Box Elder High School, mentioned, "If they post anything related to guns on Instagram or social media, it's a red flag."

Being prepared for the unexpected could possibly save a life. When it comes to life or death situations, remember: Run, Hide, Fight. 

A new hall pass system has students and teachers alike buzzing. The new system went into effect Jan. 3, after winter break and is designed to keep students out of the halls during class periods while giving administration and teachers the ability to track hall-traffic trends.

In recent years BEHS hasn’t had any written policy concerning hall passes or the procedures around leaving the classroom. Some individual teachers had physical hall passes tokens for students leaving the classroom but most did not.

“The new hall pass system is a QR code that leads to a google form that students can scan and then sign in and out of class on with their phones… it wasn’t that the system we had before was bad, it was that there was no old system,” stated Vice Principal Brandon Nelson, the administrator who implemented the new system.

Nelson, who is a BEHS alumni, recalled teachers used to have large items like toilet seats, flags, and giant posters of the teachers face as hall-pass tokens. In recent years teachers have ended that practice and now students wander the hall with no indication if they have a teacher-approved-hall pass or if they are just skipping class. Nelson said “This presents a safety concern. Students need to be in the classroom during class time.”

While most agree with the spirit of the policy, many disagree with the execution of the policy. Among complaints is the accessibility to the google form for students who don’t have a smart-phone, as well as the time it takes to get the form loaded and filled out.

Kaleb Hunsaker, a sophomore, stated, “You have to fill it out, go to the drinking fountain, fill up my water bottle, walk back to the classroom, and sign back in. I could have just done it in 30 seconds now it takes like 3 minutes. It’s just a waste of time” 

Mr. Kasey Cullimore, who teaches science and drivers ed said,  “One of the most difficult parts is I’m close enough to the drinking fountain and the restroom that students can go use the bathroom and come back before they can sign out or sign back in again,”

The system is still in its testing phase, with possibly more changes coming soon, feedback and criticism is being taken into consideration to improve the process while still providing a safe environment for students and teachers.

Consequences for being in the hallway without a hall pass include verbal administrative warning, being given an unexcused absence, administrative U’s, and even a truancy ticket from the school SRO. 

“To begin with this was somewhat of a trial, see how this works, is an electronic hall pass something we want?” stated Nelson.

“If you have a concern about it, come up with an idea that, well, if this is what you want to fix then what if something like this, or what if something like that? Then we can problem solve together to create an environment where it is safe, where our students are safe, where our bathrooms are safe." 

According to the student body, most assemblies that the students attend tend to be a little boring, but this one was one of the best they have experienced. Sadie Parkin, a sophomore, says, “When I first came in, it’s the morning, I'm tired, but he just livened things up. It was so much fun.”

Another student said, “I kind of went into it like, oh this is going to be another regular Hope assembly. They're going to bring in some Joe Shmoe, or something. But then it was someone who served in the military, and that kind of touched me because my dad served. . . I really loved it.”

From foster home to homeless shelters, his parents in and out of jail, living with his abusive bio dad, serving in Afghanistan twice, struggling with mental health issues, Ryan Stream lived a hard life. But he found a way to escape that through music. 

“You know, I went through all my struggles as a child, when I got to the family’s house that adopted me, they had a piano. I would just sit down and write music, I didn’t even know how to play the piano. And then when I saw my first “celebrity”, my first motivational speaker, he played the piano! . . . I was like, oh my gosh, everyone loves him, even though everyone probably didn't, I loved him. So he sparked that interest,” Stream stated.

Ryan Stream said that he was only a beginner musician and that he is still not as good a rapper as others. But the students would say otherwise.

One student, Dona, said, “I thought that the music was really good. I was surprised at how good he rapped, honestly. I liked how he was still a new musician, but he was so confident about it.”

It is clear that the students enjoyed this assembly, but the music was not the only thing that was impactful about the assembly. Because Stream struggled with mental health, he gave the students advice to be kind to one another. They don’t know what others go through and that they should never be judgmental of other students, not even ones that are talking rudely to them, just don’t talk back. 

Stream said, “Your mental health is everything. It's the foundation of who you are. It's the way you think, it’s the way you work, it's the way . . . it's the way you move. So you have to start thinking and speaking positively to yourself, because whatever you think and say about yourself, you will start to believe.” 

Stream’s speech on mental health opened the students eyes to see that they are not the only ones who struggle on the inside. Many of them pointed out that it helps to know others struggle with the same things they do. Knowing that they are not alone makes it easier to deal with it. 

Alize Cruz said, “Everybody does struggles with mental health, it is not just something that I struggle with, or something that certain people struggle with, it's something everyone struggles with in their own way.”

During the interview, Ryan left the school with some advice.  “You are what you think. Your mind, in my book, Conquering Your Coliseum, is a coliseum. Drama, fighting, there’s just so much going on, just like the coliseum where they would fight and drama would take place. If you could learn to speak nicely to yourself, and act on that, your whole life is going to change.”

The assembly had a big impact on the school. Many more believed they came out as a better, happier person. Music, advice, life stories, and how to deal with their mental health will always stay in the minds of the students it touched. 

“It’s okay to be a vice, it’s okay to ask other people for help because other people might have the magic words that will help you heal. So thanks to everybody, I appreciate ya.”

School fire drills are a necessary part of school life. They are required by law and they help keep students safe.

Fire drills are required by law in all states, but the frequency of these drills varies from state to state. In some states, schools must have a fire drill at least once every three months, while in other states schools must have a drill at least once every six months. The frequency of these drills is determined by the local fire department and the school district.

Assistant principal, Mr. Call said, “We have to do an evacuation-type drill within ten school days of a winter break.”

The responsibility for conducting fire drills falls on the shoulders of the school administration or faculty members who work with students daily.

A fire drill is a practice exercise that is done to prepare for an emergency. It is usually done in schools and other public places. The purpose of the drill is to make sure that people know what to do in case of a fire. It also helps people prepare for the worst and be more aware of their surroundings.

Though, not all students know where they are supposed to go to be accounted for on roll call.

Sophomore, Aiden Benford said, “If I were in a special situation such as the auditorium, I’m not really sure where I’m supposed to go, what to do, positioning..”

In this situation, everyone should leave the building as quickly as possible, without running or pushing each other. Once outside, people should stay away from the building and wait for further instructions from their teachers or supervisors.

Resources are always available to students who may feel underprepared for this severe situation at BEHS Counseling Office.

The lunch staff at BEHS are always happy to serve you breakfast, lunch, and a smile to go with it! The crew spends around 2 ½ hours preparing lunch for students and the facility every day.

The team serves lunch to around 340 students each day. They always try to have a good attitude and work hard to make sure lunch is ready on time. 

They prepare the food by planning ahead and making sure they thaw frozen foods in just enough time to have it ready for lunch. They steam the vegetables themselves and bake the cookies and bread from scratch. 

The lunch staff love to work at BEHS because of the students and the friendships they make. The manager of the kitchen, Teresa Roubidoux, said, “My favorite part of my job is, I love working in the school with the kids and the people I work with in the kitchen.”

 Friendships are the key to staying upbeat when making lunch for students.

The BEHS lunch staff looks forward to seeing the students at lunchtime. Their favorite thing is when a student smiles at them as they are grabbing their lunch. A cook at BEHS, Scott Tervort, expressed that he likes seeing students smile at him. Tervort added, “...just like I try to smile back at them.”

Show the lunch staff some appreciation and smile!

Thanksgiving is arriving soon. With the weather getting colder, holiday decorations are going up. BEHS students shared what they do for Thanksgiving.

Sophomore Colby Bradshaw said, “For thanksgiving, I always go to my grandma's house, and we will cook Thanksgiving dinner.” 

He added, “We will just talk, and then we usually go to a movie later in the day.” He said that watching a movie with his family is his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

A junior, Becca Everton, said, “I don't really do much but have Thanksgiving with both sides of my family, but like, separate ones.” She continued, “Then we just get fat, and also we watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV.”

The excitement to feast and gather with family is going around. Many students celebrate this holiday in some way. However, not everyone does.

“I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. I have not had a turkey for 3 years now. But I do eat food with the fam (Family), but it’s just Hispanic food,” said Melanie Thorsted, a sophomore.

Thanksgiving has been around for many years and has come to be a very big holiday. People gather to give thanks and feast around the world.

“The German equivalent of Thanksgiving is Erntedankfest (“harvest festival of thanks”). This religious holiday often takes place on the first Sunday in October,” said an article by HISTORY. 

The article continued, “Japan’s variation of Thanksgiving, Kinro Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) evolved from an ancient rice harvest festival, Niinamesai, the roots of which go back as far as the seventh century A.D.”

Happy Thanksgiving and Fall Break.

As we head into winter, BEHS is preparing the sidewalks and parking lot for snow. 

BEHS custodians come in extra early to make sure that the sidewalks and parking lots are clear and safe for the faculty and students. Sometimes, when it snows, BEHS custodians will come to the school between 2 and 3 a.m. to shovel the snow and clear parking lots. 

Keeping students safe is a priority at BEHS, and that includes in the parking lots. One of the primary goals for clearing snow is to keep the parking lots clear and ice-free. 

Students can help keep the lots safe by parking between the lines to avoid a parking disaster. Officer Johnson stated that he would work with the students to figure out whether or not the student deserves a ticket.

BEHS has just enough custodians and equipment to move the snow. Custodian Preston Thomas said, “We use three snow plows, two on four Wheelers, and one on a truck.” 

Thomas continued, “We also use a tractor, but that’s not technically for that purpose, but we still use it. And we have around 15 snow shovels. We use more salt than I would like to.” With the number of custodians and equipment they have, they are able to get the job done.

It takes a lot of hard work and long hours to move snow around for the students and the facility.  Show some appreciation for the BEHS custodians for all their effort to make Box Elder safe for everyone.

Speaking on the concept of dealing with anxiety, Jenny Howe hosted a seminar at BEHS on November 10th. Howe is a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders.  She has 22 years of experience, three of which she spent working at an inpatient anxiety disorder treatment center. Howe now works as a mental health consultant for her company, Jenny Howe Consulting. 

Megan Mueller, a counselor at BEHS, spoke about how excited the staff was to sponsor Howe's presentation and, through emails, encouraged everyone to attend. “We are excited to sponsor an educational night focused on dealing with anxiety in school! One of our own BEHS parents, Jenny Howe, is a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders.” 

“Jenny [Howe] simply wants to give people a chance, hope where they otherwise might feel like there is none. Whether this is on a one-on-one basis, or helping larger groups, she wants to help you!” stated the Jenny Howe Consulting website.

Howe explained her purpose with this seminar and the importance of the science behind anxiety, introducing the idea of truly understanding what anxiety looks and feels like. “When we talk about anxiety, we generally talk about how to feel calm and how to feel soothed. And those are all really helpful things, but that's not how we treat anxiety,” Howe expressed. 

Wanting to connect to the audience on a more personal level, she talked about who she is outside of work. She spoke about her children and the difficulties that came with raising a child with a disability. As well, she shared how her father’s improvements when she was little taught her that people are capable of change. She told everyone how important it was to her that she be on this personal level with everyone.  “I want to make sure that I don't just tell you how to live your life; I want you to know I'm living this with you. That's really important to me.”

“Rule number one when we talk about anxiety is that it doesn't go away,” Howe explained, speaking on the science behind feeling anxious. She explained the process the brain goes through that causes the natural anxiety of a person, expressing that anxiety is a normal part of being. 

Howe closed off her seminar by explaining that triggers should not be avoided. She explained that avoiding the things that made you anxious would only make things worse. Instead of feeding into the cycle of avoidance, she encouraged her patients to participate in an activity that made them anxious. Howe emphasized, “We learn how to treat our anxiety, we learn how to feel our anxiety, by actually living it.”

After the seminar, the principal of BEMS, Lewis Whitaker, expressed his thoughts on Howe’s presentation.

He had decided to attend in hopes of finding new ways to help the students at his school deal with their anxiety. Whitaker believed that he had gained a lot of good and useful information. When asked what his biggest takeaway from the night was, Whitaker stated, “You can face your fears, and it will help you overcome them.”

BEHS altered its bell schedule this year to eliminate daily Bee-time in favor of in-class interventions.  This will be the third time in five years that BEHS has changed the way they organize and enforce Bee Time and the change has students questioning why and some are even creating petitions to get Bee Time restored. It also creates a challenge for students with special needs. Principal at BEHS, Jamie Kent, addressed positive and negative effects of the new schedule. 

Kent explained the original, intended purpose of Bee Time, was to reteach a group of students the procedures of a lesson they either missed or didn’t understand. It became a misunderstood program. A lot of students and teachers abused this privilege, using it for free time. 

Kent said, “There’s guidelines we have to follow from the state of Utah for how much instructional time students have and that is if you are working with a teacher. Those just aren’t being met with the old system.” 

The new system requires each teacher to build in 20-30 mins of “HIVE time” into their weekly lesson plans. This should be used to reteach some students, and give others extra help. 

 BEHS students weighed in on the issues. Students were asked to complete a short survey including the questions of if Bee Time would be beneficial every day for at least thirty minutes and if we are provided enough intervention time in school.

All of the students surveyed— 264 students — unanimously said it would be beneficial to have at least thirty minutes a day to receive a mental break or interventions with a class of their choice.  Most students agreed that having Bee Time one day a week is not enough time to be retaught the necessary skills that they didn’t understand in order to pass their classes.

Senior student Samantha Huggins described how it was stressful not having Bee Time daily. Huggins said,  “I just don’t think it’s enough… once a week, it’s not enough.” Huggins goes on to say, “It’s a waste of time to have HIVE time in classes like art or gym. I don’t need it in gym. I need extra help on my history essay so I need to go to that teacher. Having HIVE time in individual classes isn’t helping.” 

Alissa Stone explains how without the extra time every day she likely won’t be able to graduate due to missing tests and assignments she doesn’t understand.  Stone said, “I need it, if I don't [have Bee Time] I'm not going to graduate.”

Sarah Larsen, a special education teacher, provided feedback both favor and in opposition of the new system using her teaching experience over the past two years.

Larsen said, “I like how it is now, because I can get my whole class involved in the intervention, and last year I really couldn't do that because a lot of them would just leave during Bee Time and hang out with friends.” Larsen explains by making it an in-class requirement it forces all students to participate.

Last year, Bee Time allowed students to either go to a class of their choice or go around the commons area to participate in activities and socialize. A lot of students used Bee Time as a mental break.  Larsen acknowledges the importance of that as well.  “The stress relief… a lot of them really need that mental break-just to stop thinking for a few minutes and be a kid.”

Larsen also points out the difficulties cutting Bee Time has been for students who need extended test times or have special needs. “Some of my students are having to stay late after school to get the support they need because they can’t come get it during Bee Time any more… thats really hard for them because some kids don’t have rides.” 

Academics are crucial in high school and should be taken seriously. However, it’s not the only  thing that is important in high school. With the decline of mental health, mental breaks and socialization are needed as well to help students perform better in school. Clubs have also had a difficult time with the new schedule excluding Bee Time. Bee Time allowed students involved with clubs to meet together and plan their activities. 

Kent acknowledges, “It's hard for clubs to find times to meet now because a lot of them were using Bee Time and now there is only Bee Time on Friday.”

Mrs. Larsen said, “Instead of just the Friday choice Bee Time I would add at least one more day. We can do effective interventions in class and still give more free time for the kids.”

With all the negatives to this change, it has students wondering, will we get Bee Time back?  Let’s hope so.

In High School, people work on assignments almost every day. An exercise of concepts is taught by teachers, and sometimes people need help to understand these concepts and apply them. In Box Elder High School, there are plenty of resources available to those who struggle with math. 

In the library, there are calculators to check out to be used for homework, the ACT practice test, and other uses that include math. The period you have in order to use a calculator per checkout is one week. 

Also, the many math teachers that are here in the school could help students with math. They are accessible during your class time with them, before or after school, and most definitely during Bee Time. On top of that, there are also a lot of videos that teachers make when they are not available to help the students.

“All the teachers are glad to help out, you can send an email to them as well!”, Mrs. Nielsen has said.

When it comes to resources available to students, BEHS has no shortage of said resources. Calculators that are available to be checked out in the library, videos on Canvas free for viewing, and teachers who will surely help you if you contact them. Go for the best grade you can!

Therapy has become an essential part for many lives in the world, and BEHS has its very own therapist too. 

Jason Jones is the school therapist, and can be found in the counseling office. Anyone can go see him if they are having mental health problems, or if they just really need someone to talk to.

“Most of us at some point need some help working through different problems that we have related to our mental health,” stated Jones

If another student is having many mental health issues, other students are able to leave a tip and get them an appointment.

“Most of the students that I meet with, there's a referral either through the school counselors or their parents reach out to the school administration in some way... I also have students that have just come in because their friends were worried about them or they felt like they needed to talk to somebody,” said Jones.

There’s no need to pay any money or worry about insurance either, as it’s done through the school already.

Jones stated that, “It's actually all done through the school district. And so to come and meet with me, really all that we need is a parent consent form signed that students can meet with me, and it doesn't go through insurance or anything like that,”

It’s not hard to get an appointment with him either. All that’s needed is to go into the counseling office and ask for an appointment, and it’s done just like that.

Jones stated, “Anybody can come into the counseling center and ask for an appointment. And I'm here all day, every day, so it's pretty easy. They can talk to Mrs.Carstens in the front, or if she's busy, then they are welcome to just come back to my office and see if I'm available,”

“He’s really nice, and it’s easy to talk to him. He really helps you through your problems, and it doesn’t feel like he’s pressuring you or anything,” stated one student.

“I would just encourage students that are struggling with any kind of mental health issue, whether it's depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, trouble at home, motivation, self-esteem, whatever it is,” Stated Jones.

Anyone can go in whenever they feel like they need to talk to someone, or whenever they need help with their mental health.

“If they feel like it's something they would like to address and work on, then come and visit with me and we can see what we can do about it,” said Jones.

The food and nutrition 1 classes held a salsa competition within their class periods in the past week. Teachers and students were invited to taste salsas created by the students.  “Students get to be creative and work together to produce something they are proud of while learning at the same time,” explained Mrs. Stimpson.

Food and nutrition is a class where you make food and learn how to cook and learn about things such as cross-contamination where the food groups are how long you cook things.

Kian Kupter said “the point of the activity was to define fruits and vegetables”. Kians favorite part was to work together and collaborate. She also said her salsa was like a “mexican radical salsa.”  Tasters claimed it had a sweet spicy texture 

There were many different groups or salsas each creatively named by students such as Berry Spicey, Coco Ono, Peach Days, All the Salsa, and Rainbow salsa.  The salsa took an hour to make and present. 

Annie Bennett's group had the peach salsa. She said it was a fun activity and she took food and nutrition because she thought it was fun and she wanted to learn how to cook.

Stimpson said she came up with this idea because she wanted to find a way to make boring subjects fun. She loved the activity to see how creative her students were. 

Mr. Gold said his favorite was the berry spicy salsa.

 It was a fun way to see how creative people were with some of them spicy or sweet salsas.

The HIVE newsletter at BEHS contains student and faculty nominees who have been recognized for HIVE characteristics.

Jennifer Madsen stated, “HIVE newsletter is a compilation of nominations that have come in for the month, in a link they have on the school website and that link is sent to parents and families as well as to faculty members and students.”

Madsen went on to explain, “Anyone in the community including in and out of the school can nominate those that they see exhibiting one of the HIVE characteristics, which are hard work, integrity, engagement, vision. 

Hard work takes a lot of time and effort. You need to keep going no matter what because in the end it's worth all the sweat and tears.

Jaron Gold, an english teacher, stated that there is a “group of us that put together Google Doc for students, faculty members, and commissioners.” Students can nominate people they see exhibiting one of the HIVE characteristics. 

By nominating students or teachers for the HIVE newsletter can help make a huge difference in the school.  

Madsen said, “You can fill out a google form for a student, staff, or member- so, anyone in the school- that you see is doing really well in one of those areas to let them know. It's a fun way to highlight those good things that are happening.” Madsen expressed that pointing out good things encourages them.

Gold said that the HIVE community takes the names that have been submitted for certain subjects, and they “make them a part of our hive hall of fame, which get displayed across the school.” In Gold’s opinion, the HIVE newsletter “displays what our school is about, what our values are, and what our culture is about.”

Parking lot cleanliness has been improving greatly but might still need some work.

Assistant Principal Brandon Nelson stated that there is too much trash, and it's a problem created by students not putting trash in the garbage cans. 

Nelson stated that this year has been an improvement compared to previous years, having more students picking up after themselves. Nelson continued, “There are still some students doing it, and we need to focus on that a little more.” 

Nelson said that the administration's intention was to write a littering policy. “It might actually be a part of the parking policy for second and third trimesters.”

Senior, Nataleah Smith, said “I haven't seen someone physically throw something, but I've seen trash on the floor.” A lot of the time, trash is found near the trash cans, but not inside of them.  

Several people interviewed indicated that most of the litter they see is left over from lunch-time.  

Ceramics teacher, Tim Lloyd, stated, “Littering is very annoying and quite embarrassing.” Lloyd also said, “It is better this year compared to previous ones.”

Part of the improvement is from students taking care of the area and picking up after themselves and others.  

Everyone can do their part to help this problem. If you see some garbage on the ground, pick it up and put it in the trash can or leave your lunch bags in your car until you get home.  

The problem may seem big, but if everyone picked up one piece of litter every day, it could make a huge difference.

For most of the school year,  the bathroom in H-hall has been closed due to plumbing issues. However, the bathroom re-opened on Monday, the 17th. 

Teachers and students alike were frustrated with the temporary closure. Now that the bathroom is open, students can be on time and in class. All of these issues are now resolved. 

“Even for me it's been a pain because a lot of the time the teachers' bathrooms are occupied and as a teacher, I don't have a lot of time to run to another bathroom, so having those bathrooms closed has been a real pain.” said Mrs. Jones, whose classroom is in H5, “ It has caused my students to be gone longer from class because they are having to find another bathroom.” Jones said.

This has also impacted students' daily lives. 

“We only have 5 minutes between class but then this one's closed so everyone that would normally come into this, would go downstairs so that one was just super, super, full.”  Mckynlee Glover said, recalling life before the re-opening

Students are relieved and excited to have their bathroom back. It has not gone unnoticed that the bathrooms are a big deal to have back. 

Mrs. Kent explained why the bathrooms were temporarily closed stating  “It's waiting for some parts to get fixed,” According to her, there were parts ordered and they just took longer than expected.

Thankfully, the bathrooms are now open and back in business. Students are excited to have their bathroom back.

Sterling scholarships aren’t easy to earn and require a lot of consistent, hard work.  Sterling Scholarships will be awarded to hard-working, exceptional students, according to the Sterling Scholar page.

The scholarships will be awarded to students in any of the 14 categories, English, Math, World Languages, Social Science, Science, Computer Tech, Skills and Technical Science, Family and Consumer, Business and Marketing, Speech Theater, Vocal performance, Visual Performance, Instrumental and  Dance.

 It is completely up to each department to nominate one student that has applied, after the application is reviewed by the judges those students will receive an interview.  The deadline was October 28, 2022. The students are going to be required to submit an electronic portfolio including pictures, copies of the students writing or art, letters of recommendation, and anything else that may catch the judges attention. 

It is recommended by Jamie Kent, the principal of Box Elder High, that the teachers encourage students to apply for the scholarship. Judges would be looking for incredible social skills, professionalism, growth, and they would be checking your area of expertise. The judges are looking for someone who leaves evidence of a positive influence in their school, and with their peers. The judges will be looking for growth, as well as record-high citizenship. According to the Sterling Scholarship page. 

For more information or questions email Sarah Bliesner. The Sterling Scholarship is a great opportunity for those who would like to apply. To apply its as easy as going to the Box Elder webpage and searching for “Sterling scholarship application”. 

Dress codes are set in place to maintain a safe disruption-free learning environment. New policies may change the way we think about dress codes. 

Despite the idea that dress codes are overly strict and detract from the learning environment, BEHS rarely cites students for dress code violations. Only four students have been cited so far this year. 

 “We have haven't had a repeat offender yet,” Assistant Principal Brandon Nelson stated.

The administrator’s main goal is to make sure that the dress code is as fair and unbiased as it can be, which has been a main issue in dress codes for years. 

“When I first came here as an assistant principal, we looked at our dress code and tried remove any thing that was sexist. We try to make it something that female teachers would feel comfortable having a conversation with a male student about, or a male teacher would be comfortable having a conversation with a female student about,” stated Nelson.

But in a school full of diverse students,  finding a way to categorize them all in a way that doesn’t infringe on their own freedom to self-expression, can be very challenging. 

“They're [dress codes] hard, because we have 1600 students, and everyone has different values and every student's parents does too, so taking all these people and trying to make something that they can all agree on…We have to have something to make people feel like they can come to school and be comfortable, finding a happy medium is hard,” stated Principal Jamie Kent. 

Last year, current junior Arianna Marble was dress coded and felt that it was unjust. This was before the recent update.

Marble explained, “I came into the office, and they told me I needed to change because my skirt was too short, even though nothing broke the dress code…I feel like [dress coding] is more of a distraction than the clothes themselves. Often I didn’t realize that someone’s outfit broke the dress code until it was pointed it out.”

In comparison with Bear River’s dress code, BEHS has considerably less restrictions when it comes to our clothes. 

“Tank tops, bandanas of any color or design, see-through clothing, excessively low necks, abbreviated clothing, and underclothing showing” are all restricted by Bear River. In addition, “Advisors or coaches…may dictate standards”.

In contrast, BEHS dress code restricts tops that have no shoulder straps, see-through or mesh clothing without proper covering underneath, and clothes that depict obscene or racist messages. 

Teachers are exclusively in charge of deciding whether or not outfits are appropriate. 

“I do not dress code very often, but if I were, it would probably be for offensive graphics. While I believe in the right to express your individuality, I do not believe that right should make someone uncomfortable,” stated math teacher Stacy Church.

The administrators hope to continue to improve the dress code’s fairness. 

Kent said that they hope to get a group of students together and talk about ideas for dress codes. “I think it would be good to get some more input.”

Input can be a very powerful thing, especially when it comes from the people it affects. 

“I think that we need to understand that people’s bodies aren’t a picture, they're not for you to view and critique. People want to dress the way they want to dress, and that’s the way it should be,” said Marble.

Sally, a Junior at Box Elder High, has been struggling with loneliness due to isolation at lunch. She spends those thirty minutes watching youtube with her earbuds in waiting for the bell to ring. This has caused her depression and anxiety to skyrocket. But after seeking help with the school counselors, she’s been doing a lot better.  

The mental health of students is one of BEHS number one priorities. The students have many resources, counselors, and even an in-school therapist for help. 

Megan Mueller, a councilor at BEHS, spoke on the topic of mental health and thinks that keeping your mental health in check starts with a good sleep schedule, eating well, and just being socially and physically active. 

“I’m a big believer in just trying to do the basic things; eating right, getting enough sleep,  going outside even when you want to hide in bed. Those are important things,” said Mueller. She added, “We all have our good and bad days, but if you are feeling that struggle is impacting your life—like with your learning, or sleeping, or with your general outlook on life on a day-to-day basis then you need to seek help.”

Kyson Glover, a Junior in student government, says he thinks that for students to be able to learn, their mental health needs to be under control so their heads aren’t cloudy. He also adds that the medical system isn’t doing enough for its youth and schools also need to work on how they deal with mental health issues with students as well.

Glover said,” I do not think the medical system is doing the people justice. I believe our medical system in the United States is very flawed. I think that for a child to be able to learn they have to be mentally capable to gain the knowledge. They won’t be able to truly learn what they need to.”

Savannah Christopher, a sophomore, said she liked to take a mental health day from school every now and then to focus on herself. She feels as though if you are having mental health issues that it can affect a student’s capability to focus, their performance, and it can even put more pressure on them as well.

“Mental health can affect a student's concentration, their energy levels can even affect their performance in a class. In my opinion, taking days off of school or even just a day to focus on yourself and your mental health can really help.” said Christopher.

Mueller said she thinks you can tell when someone’s having issues when they are doing poorly academically. But that doesn’t mean that students with good grades aren’t going through something either. Since quarantine she thinks that the mental health of the youth has gotten better but we could, as a society, make it better. 

Mueller said,” I think I can stand by that the majority of students who do poorly in school have a mental health issue. But that’s not to say that students who get good grades don’t just because they're doing well.” She adds, “ It’s too hard to put forth adequate effort if you’re depressed.”

When asked how she feels about how mental health affects students in a learning environment, she responded,” What we know about mental health issues is that when students struggle with mental health, they’re less likely to be able to focus. Just overall, they're more lethargic. And so it makes basic functioning difficult and learning is a basic function.”

According to Utah.gov in 2021, 33% of the 70,000 Utah youth said they felt anxious, sad, or hopeless due to coronavirus. Glover said he could relate while he was quarantined. He said he had no one to talk to and spent most of his time alone. But he has overcome it by talking to people he knows supports and cares for him.

Glover explained,” My anxiety and depression was the worst during quarantine. That was before I learned great ways to cope. A thing that was bad was there was no one I could talk to and nobody that was there for me. I think that it has definitely been better for students with anxiety because now they have a support system and people that they know care for them.”

Mueller also felt that since quarantine that students' mental health has improved, but it could always be better. She just wants to spread awareness and help in any way possible.

“We need to let people know that hard things are okay and that they can do hard things. Whether that’s coronavirus or etcetera, it’s easy to get stuck in the “oh poor me, lifes too hard” state of mind. And I think we need to try and change that conversation to, “this really sucks, but I can do it and I have the tools to do it” and then can reach out and get the support that they need.” explained Mueller.

Mueller would also like to add that mental health issues need to be addressed more frequently to normalize that everyone struggles.

Megan concludes,” You might escape one hard experience and then you get slammed with a different one. So we’re all going to experience those hard things and learning how to deal with them is important.

A new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number has been developed recently in July of 2022 where you can call or text for help. For any other information, you can visit their official website at 988lifeline.org. Another local tool for help is Safe UT. You can download the Safe UT app or contact someone at 1-800-273-8255.

Seniors will be graduating at the Dee Events Center on May 31, 2022 at 6:00. Graduates should arrive by 5:30 to check in. 

There will be a graduation rehearsal on Tuesday morning for Seniors may be nervous about where to walk at graduation.

Shannon Cheney, a language arts teacher, and graduation organizer, said, “So on the day that you get your yearbook, and we have the senior slideshow and all of that, we will have about a 30 minute session where we can go over the process for graduation. I will be there and I will present a slide presentation that shows the movement diagrams of where to go and how to walk. … And so paying attention during that time will really help students to feel at ease when they go to graduation so they know what they're supposed to do.”

While the graduating class is leaving this school, this year's sophomores and juniors are preparing for their senior year. Cheney stated, “My advice for [future] seniors preparing for graduation is to think about it well in advance. Don't wait until the last minute. Don't put everything off and then say, Oh, I do want to graduate, but I haven't met this qualification or I'm failing this class. Think about it as you go each year leading up to your senior year. If you're sure that you have all the credits you need and you've filled all the requirements up to that point and you're not going to be panicked at the end you know, those last couple of weeks before graduation. And nothing will get in your way. So, have that plan. Follow your plan and make sure that you understand those requirements and that you're actively trying to fulfill them.”

Many students are excited for graduation including Emilie Caldwell who said “I am super excited to graduate. I can't wait. I am headed to Utah State to study engineering after high school. I feel like I have had some great opportunities in high school that have prepared me and some things that I feel a little iffy about heading into the real world.”

While many students are excited about graduation some are more nervous. Isaac Hammond said this about his next step in life, “I’m Scared. I don’t know. It's an excited [kind of] scared. It’s just a big chapter of your life that’s ending. From this point on it’s hard to know what’s gonna come. All you’ve really known your whole life is going to school.” Which could be hard for some people’s career paths, but it has really helped Hammond since he is planning to work in education.  “I aspire to be the teachers I like” He looks up to Nolin Crook the most. 

While all the seniors are getting ready, other things are needed for a good graduation. Shannon Cheney said, “Successful graduation requires all of the teachers and faculty and staff to work together as a team in order to make sure that we can help students know where to go and to have the movement happen in a timely way. So ahead of time, we talked to the teachers about what their different roles would be and the process for those roles. So I have a lot of descriptions that I've written up and slide presentations with diagrams that I send out to teachers so they know where they should be and when and what they need to do in order to help students with their graduation day.”

If students want to strive for more than just graduating then they should learn from one of the valedictorians, Grace Johnson. She had this to say about how she became valedictorian, “That wasn't my sole goal of high school, but I worked hard in my classes. I studied a lot for the ACT, like 60 hours for it. Because I wanted to get a good score. My goal wasn't to take a bunch of AP classes, but they were topics I enjoyed, and I really liked those classes. So I guess I was just doing what I love, and that happens to be school and academics.”

With that The Buzz would like to congratulate all graduates for all the hard work they have done to get to this point. 

The Sophomores and Juniors took the MAP test on May 9 in order to help the administration know how to better help students of Box Elder High. 

The administration believes the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test will be beneficial to the school.

Jamie Kent, principal of Box Elder High School, sent an email to students and parents about MAP testing which said, “MAP Growth is the most trusted and innovative assessment for measuring achievement and growth in K-12 math, reading, and language usage. It provides teachers with accurate, and actionable evidence to help target instruction for each student or group. This data will help our teachers identify students' needs, close gaps, and help students grow.”

The administration has discussed plans to administer the MAP more than once in a given school year.

Jonathan Call, Vice Principal, said, “The plan would be to give the test 2-3 times in a year to see how the students are progressing.” 

Some students aren’t sure about having the test that often.

“I feel like it [the MAP test] is a good idea, but every trimester? I feel like that’s a little much.” said Abby Smith. She then explained that the test would be better for the students, in her opinion, only at the end of the year. Then the school would still be able to improve for next year.

Teachers are able to see where their students need help near immediately after the test as scores are given back the next day. Many teachers are optimistic about the MAP test and the information it will give to them. 

Caden Burrell, a Math teacher, stated, “I think the MAP test is going to help next year’s teachers a lot in assessing where their students in their classes are missing basic necessary math skills for what they are going to be learning that year.” 

Joy Jones, a Language Arts teacher, stated, “I feel that it will be good to help students know where they’re at with Language Art skills.” Jones also added, “If we can know how to better help our kids with the skills they need then it’s worth it.”

Not every teacher shares those views and expressed hesitation about the MAP test. 

Jarom Gold, a Language Arts teacher, stated, “I am not sure what state legislature says we have to do in regards to it. So I can’t really argue one way or the other. I preferably would rather have the time in class, but that’s just because I’d rather have time with my students.” 

Brock Durfee, a History teacher, said, “I’m here with [the students] every day. I know which [students] actually try and which ones don’t and I know who struggles with stuff and who doesn’t struggle. … I really don’t need a test to show.” 

The school will have to wait and see how much this will help everyone.

Peter Gerlach, a History teacher, said,  “It can help students know where they are. So it has a lot of potential.”  Gerlach added, “I don’t know if it will reach that potential, but it has the ability to be really helpful.” 

Like many schools, Box Elder High School strives to keep their school a safe and happy environment. 

With the SafeUT app, anyone can anonymously report anything, from bullying to domestic abuse. By downloading this app you are giving yourself resources to help protect yourself and others.

SafeUT is a very helpful app where you can quickly report. Throughout the 21-22 school year, 208 things have been reported to the app. Everyone involved works quickly on getting all tips solved. 

SafeUT has a mobile app as well as a website. With the app you can report at tip through texts, emails or you can call the number. The SafeUT phone number is also on the SafeUT website. SafeUt is available at any time twenty-four/seven. 

SafeUT allows students to have easier and simpler communication access with the administration. If you report through an email or a text message on the app, the admin has the ability to keep you updated on your tip. The admin will update you and let you know once your tip has been completed. 

Admin requests that anytime you feel a fellow student or friend is in any form of danger, report a tip to the SafeUT app or website.

As administration, SafeUT tips go straight to them. Tips can be submitted at any time and the admin will immediately be notified by a text from their app along with an email through the school email. The principal and both assistant principals are notified. From there the admin can start assessing the tip and can include the school resource officer if needed.

Stephen Johnson, the school resource officer, has to deal with the criminal activities reported on safeUT. “If someone does a safeUT tip it gets texted to me and emailed to me” Johnson says. Johnson deals with “weapon offense, anything drug related, anything on the road I would deal with”. When asked what should be reported, Johnson says “If you feel that it's wrong, it's probably wrong”. “No one wants to be a snitch,” Johnson says. “SafeUT makes it where it's anonymous”.

Jamie Kent, the principal at box elder, is one of the first people notified of any safe utah tips. In an interview Kent stated “We will work with the student to help them, and we will work with their parents too.”  

Here at Box Elder we appreciate your help in making box elder a safer place to be. SafeUT strives to help all those in need. 

April 1, 2022

The Parent‌ ‌Teacher‌ ‌Club‌ ‌food‌ ‌and‌ ‌treats‌ ‌table‌ ‌at‌ ‌sports‌ ‌games concession money goes to the school as opposed to going to the respective sports team.

Some‌ ‌students‌ ‌including‌ ‌Kale‌ ‌Kline,‌ ‌Devon‌ ‌Montgomery,‌ ‌Arden‌ ‌Cook‌ ‌and‌ ‌more‌ ‌that‌ ‌were‌ interviewed‌ ‌thought ‌that‌ ‌the‌ ‌money‌ ‌goes‌ ‌to‌ ‌help‌ ‌the‌ ‌sports‌ ‌teams,‌ ‌but‌ ‌it‌ ‌may‌ ‌be‌ ‌surprising‌ ‌to‌ ‌hear‌ ‌the‌ ‌money‌ ‌helps‌ ‌the‌ ‌school.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

Inside‌ ‌the‌ ‌school‌ ‌building‌  ‌“It‌ ‌[the‌ ‌money‌ ‌earned]‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌go‌ ‌to‌ ‌any‌ ‌sports‌ ‌team,‌ ‌besides‌ ‌football‌ ‌concessions,‌ ‌that‌ ‌one‌ ‌is‌ ‌separate,”‌ ‌stated‌ ‌Noreen‌ ‌Mortensen,‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌President.‌ ‌The‌ money‌ ‌made‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌red‌ ‌truck‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌sponsored‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC.‌ ‌

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Other‌ ‌things‌ ‌they‌ ‌do‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌school‌ ‌include‌ ‌paying‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌senior‌ ‌all-night‌ ‌party,‌ ‌emergency‌ ‌buckets,‌ Halloween ‌and‌ ‌occasional‌ ‌treats‌ ‌for‌ ‌students,‌ ‌and‌ ‌parent‌-teacher‌ ‌conference‌ ‌dinners for‌ ‌the‌ ‌teachers‌ ‌and‌ ‌teacher‌ ‌appreciation‌ ‌week. Students‌ ‌enjoy‌ ‌the‌ ‌treats‌ ‌and‌ ‌love‌ ‌

what‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌does.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

Cook‌ ‌says,‌ ‌“I‌ ‌usually‌ ‌only‌ ‌buy‌ ‌the‌ ‌cinnamon‌ ‌rolls‌ ‌because‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌so‌ ‌good.”‌ ‌ ‌They‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌only‌ ‌sell‌ ‌treats,‌ ‌they‌ ‌also‌ ‌have‌ ‌Box‌ ‌Elder‌ ‌T-shirts.‌ ‌On‌ ‌February‌ ‌8‌, ‌the‌ ‌cheerleaders‌ ‌for‌ ‌Bonneville‌ ‌High‌ ‌School‌ ‌bought‌ ‌oversized‌ ‌Box‌ ‌Elder‌ ‌tees‌ ‌to‌ ‌wear‌ ‌as‌ ‌pajamas.‌ ‌The‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌says‌ ‌this‌ ‌isn’t‌ ‌an‌ ‌uncommon‌ ‌occurrence,‌ ‌other‌ ‌schools‌ ‌often‌ ‌buy‌ ‌Box‌ ‌Elders‌ ‌tees‌ ‌as‌ ‌well.‌ ‌ The‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌is‌ ‌happy‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌extra‌ ‌money‌ ‌to‌ ‌help‌ ‌the‌ ‌school‌ ‌out.‌ ‌ ‌

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Why‌ ‌are‌ ‌they‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌now‌ ‌even‌ ‌though‌ ‌they’ve‌ ‌been‌ ‌called‌ ‌PTA‌ ‌before?‌ ‌The‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌was‌ ‌formerly‌ ‌known‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTA,‌ but ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌now‌ ‌known‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌Parent‌ ‌Teacher‌ ‌Club.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

“The‌ ‌reason‌ ‌why‌ ‌we‌ ‌are‌ ‌Parent‌ ‌Teacher‌ ‌Club‌ ‌is‌ ‌so‌ ‌that‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌money‌ ‌we‌ ‌get‌ ‌donated‌ ‌stays‌ ‌at‌ ‌our‌ ‌school.‌ ‌If‌ ‌we’re‌ ‌a‌ ‌PTA‌ ‌association,‌ ‌then‌ ‌we‌ ‌have‌ ‌dues‌ ‌and‌ ‌fees‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌to‌ ‌national‌ ‌that‌ ‌doesn’t‌ ‌stay‌ ‌at‌ ‌our‌ ‌school,”‌ ‌said‌ ‌Kira‌ ‌Alldredge,‌ ‌a‌ ‌member‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌board.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

It’s‌ ‌nice‌ ‌that‌ ‌the‌ ‌PTC‌ ‌is‌ ‌looking‌ ‌out‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌school‌ ‌by‌ ‌keeping‌ ‌the‌ ‌money‌ ‌localized.‌ ‌

 ‌

Thomas Burger‌, ‌a‌ ‌seminary‌ ‌teacher‌ ‌who‌ ‌comes‌ ‌out‌ ‌to‌ ‌every‌ ‌sports‌ ‌game‌ ‌he‌ ‌can‌, ‌says,‌ ‌“I’m‌ ‌thankful‌ ‌they’re‌ ‌there‌ ‌to‌ ‌support‌ ‌the‌ ‌kids.‌ ‌You‌ ‌know?‌ ‌Maybe‌ ‌so‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌experience‌ ‌for‌ ‌everybody.‌ ‌Helping‌ ‌everybody‌ ‌out.”‌ ‌

The Box Elder High School library is used for many things and can be a helpful for a lot of people. The computers in the library can be used for researching homework or doing school work during bee time or lunch if the library is open and thankfully it is open most days. 

To check out books in the library students find the book they want, which is quite easy thanks to the fact that all fiction books in the library are ordered by alphabetical order alternating up and down the aisles making it easy to find books by the same author or in the same series. When students find the book they want they can go up to the desk and check the book out. “You can have up to three books checked out at one time,” said Marsha Sparks, the school librarian.

If a student has an overdue book they will get emails, and if the book is not checked in after they graduate they will get fined. However, they can renew the book. If students need a calculator or chromebook for homework they can check one out at the library as well. It's just the same as checking out a book, so not too much hassle.

Even if students don’t want a book or need a calculator the library is still a great place to hang out with friends.  If students need a quieter place than the commons and they want to play board or card games, have a meeting with friends, plan a weekend or talk in private, the library is the perfect place.

However, most students still go to the library for books. Though if there is a book that you want, but it is not in the library you can always place a request. However, because Miss Sparks has to make sure the book is school appropriate it will take a little bit of time. Even if students do not request books, more will still be added to the library every once in a while. New books are being put out on the shelves with the “NEW BOOKS” sign at the top. 

If students like the idea of helping out in the library and they are a senior they can apply to be a library aid. 

“We put books away, we put the covers on them, and the bar codes so we can scan them,” said Afton Alldredge, the current library aid. 

Besides just helping sort the books and get them ready to be put on the shelf, library aids can sometimes help out Language Arts classes that may come in during class time. If you decide that you want to help out it shouldn't be all that hard. Sparks said, “I only get one or two applications a year”.

With that in mind, make sure to go and check out our library.

The junior class took the ACT for free on March 15 of this year, as a part of Utah State initiative to prepare all students for college. Several juniors discussed their feelings about the test with The Buzz. 

“I think it went very well. I like taking tests, I’m weird that way. I liked it because we got out of school at 12. I think it was relatively easy, not too bad,” said Rowan Conner. 

Other students like Conner had relatively neutral feelings about the test. Haylee Munns, a junior, shared her thoughts, “The ACT was pretty decent. It was kind of weird because it’s like you expected to do this big thing like a big milestone in your life, but it was really no big deal when I went in for it.” 

Students continued to say that they don’t really care much for the ACT, and if colleges would look at GPA or other accomplishments instead of the annual testing scores, Box Elder students would be more successful. 

“I think we could do away with the ACT. I think there’s a lot of other criteria you can look at, GPA definitely for sure. I think the difficulty of classes would be a big one that colleges could look at more,” Conner explains.

 Alice Compton goes on to talk about how a student's GPA would be a better resource than the ACT, “It would make more sense, because if people are looking at my test-taking ability, then sure look at that.” 

Compton passionately goes on, “You want to look at how I’ve grown? Look at how I’ve grown, not that one test.” Compton continues to say she doesn't really know how well the education system is actually doing with our generation.  

All three students said they didn't prepare for the ACT, but also gave advice to other students to study. “Study, studying is important, especially with them [Box Elder School District] not doing much preparation in school.” Conner continues, “ I don’t think the school prep was enough. Like, I had Honors Math even, and I don't think we did much prep for the ACT at all.”

On the other hand, Conner thinks that the ACT prep they had after school, which is what the school had to offer for preparing for the ACT, would help. “If you really wanted to attend those and do that, I think it would be very beneficial.”

 Compton explains that she didn't prepare, and she regretted it. Compton felt the ACT has some design flaws for students who learn differently. “There was no way I could have succeeded….it did not feel possible. So was it built to be failed or what?”

Compton goes on to say that if we had more accommodations then the ACT would be a lot more successful for students. Such as, if the system worked around the way students learn so one could show what they were capable of. “The way that it is stationed is very strict. And if we had more options like, okay, this is how my brain works, so I need the test to work a little more like this, I need more time, I work better on paper, I need all these different things, but no they don’t work around many accommodations.”

The students also point out the fact that they wish some subjects were taught more thoroughly throughout high school. “I think that the science test wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There was a lot of trying to look for information and search for that, as opposed to just recalling information about science. I would definitely like some more preparation from the science department,” says Conner.

With the exception of Conner, all the students reported they did not feel confident when they finished with the ACT.

February 7, 2022

As cases rise, BEHS exposure to COVID-19 does too. 

Last year there were 155 cases reported, 16 of those being staff, this year there are 195 cases reported, 29 of those being staff, even then, some parents and students did not report, causing this number to become undetermined. Masks have been worn all last year, which most students disliked. The district works with the health department, and they have determined that masks are not required. 

Jonathan Call, Vice Principal at BEHS, responds to the question about masks by saying, “My personal opinion, at this point in the pandemic, I think that it’s okay to not wear a mask… everyone has almost been exposed after this point…anyone who feels they should wear a mask absolutely should.”

Hazel Ashby, a senior at BEHS disagrees saying  “The point of wearing masks is to make sure you don’t get other people sick. They don’t prevent you from getting sick, but they stop other people from getting sick.”

Some students voluntarily reported their own opinions, “They’re fashionable.” Tracen Chaloupka states, Madison Mcclellan follows up with, “I like them, they hide my face.”

“Masks aren’t going to protect you, the cloth masks, only unless you wear the N95 masks” an anonymous staff member at BEHS said.

Online school is rough for many students; only a few find success in online school.  Madison Mcclellan, a BEHS Junior says “kids need to be in a learning environment to be able to learn properly. For some people, it works, but some kids need to be in school.” 

Teachers are concerned with the difficulties online school presents to connect with their students, “There was little to no interaction” says Bradley Williams. 

Closure, however, is not likely as it goes through a long process due to a bill that passed making the process of going into closure more complex and locally controlled by the senate. The state has the power to decide if the school should go into yet another closure, but it has to go through several sources to move online.

As COVID-19 hit last year some teachers left. Hiring replacement teachers didn’t present as big of a problem as finding people to substitute for teachers according to Call. 

Jamie Kent, BEHS Principal, adds that it has been very challenging for teachers who fill in for subs during prep hours. “The teachers and staff have been amazing at covering for each other, and continuing to keep working their best … students have been amazing this year, it can be really frustrating not having their teacher in their class … but everyone keeps trying to do their best.” Kent commented

 Kent adds, “Teachers haven’t had prep this 2nd trimester until this week because they’ve been covering. The past 2-3 days subs filled, which is like a miracle.” Kent explained that teachers not only have to cover for one another— they also have to post everything online for the quarantined students. 

Call states “We talked to our Parent Teacher Club, asking if they could help sub, some stepped in... The community has been supportive, the best they can, but COVID-19 has been a challenge in some places.” This also brings up that the pandemic leads to a lot of stress, even a change in the lunch menu. 

“The lunch menu is based on supply and demand issues.” The plastic trays that BEHS now uses are mainly based on the fact that they can’t get disposable trays, which affect the utensils as well. Call states, “If supply and demand issues continue, we may be switching to metal utensils next year.” 

“I feel like Box Elder has done a really good job with the pandemic, we’ve been able to stay in school a lot longer than other schools.” Jamie Kent says. But with the new shutdown restrictions it is unlikely we will be moving online anytime soon. 

HIVE week took BEHS by storm. Students were all challenged to show Hard work, Integrity, Vision, and Engagement. Students worked hard last week to reach their goal and enjoyed the many activities. 

New this year to BEHS, HIVE week set different goals for each hour.  Mr. Burell, a math teacher at Box Elder and the staff member organized the event.  Second hour worked on missing assignments. Third hour worked on an integrity tracker, where students work on core values. Fourth hour was engagement, the hour with the least tardies won this competition.  5th hour was vision, where students wrote a goal on a sticky note.

Though teachers and admins set the competitions, the students competed to help their class win. Students have worked hard to turn in assignments, post goals and not be tardy.  This has helped the school even to get closer to our school spirit and culture. 

Brynlee Johnson explained. “ I know it's time for competition in different classes. I am starting to get all my assignments in.” 

 Laura Whitaker, a senior, told The Buzz, “ I know that the different classes are doing different challenges. I still try to turn in my assignments.” 

Not only have the students gotten into their bee spirit, the teachers all have as well. Staff members want to win the competition, but they also want their students to feel like they are doing something amazing for their school. 

The newer teachers and the other teachers alike have enjoyed these activities, such as Mrs. Robinson,   “The culture in our school and I would love to see kids have more school spirit. I am a bee from way back in 1978. I ask all of my classes to do their challenges each day.” Students should feel like they belong here with Box Elder High School.

The winners of the competition were announced on Monday.

HIVE week for the bees allowed students to show school spirit and learn more about the HIVE. This school has shown a lot of spirit this week and there is more to show in the coming years. 

So in Mrs. Robinson’s words, “Go Bees!!!!”

Have you seen yourself on one of the unofficial BEHS anonymous Instagram pages and didn’t know you had your picture taken? That's what has happened to many people, and some of them feel like their privacy isn’t very private. 

There are a lot of people who really don’t like being on the @BEHS_PDA, @BEHS_tea or the @BEHS_Parking_Police instagram pages. Dillon Dial is one of those students. “Me and my girlfriend have been on the PDA page at least 10 times and it makes me feel stocked and paranoid.” Students snap pictures without permission and submit them to the anonymous accounts who put them on the Instagram page.

Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Kent, are trying to figure out who keeps creating the PDA page, and why they are creating these pages.  That investigation takes time, Mr. Nelson said “investigating these takes more than a day”. 

 But they think that maybe there is something that is motivating these kids to keep making the page, and maybe that could be one of their friends pushing them to keep posting on it, or they could be doing it because they think it’s funny, but nobody knows who is running it or, why they keep making the page after it gets taken down. 

Nelson also said that students should not make these pages, as it invades students' privacy and makes our school feel unsafe.  If you see a new Instagram page posting things like this, students should report it to Instagram as bullying to get it taken down again.

If you have any information about who is creating these pages to contact Mr. Nelson or Mrs. Kent via email at: jamie.kent@besd.net brandon.nelson@besd.net or make an anonymous tip on the SafeUt app.