At the end of every year at Box Elder High School, faculty members are nominated for the Larry Findley award. This award is given out on May 14 to the person who creates positive change in the lives of students.

Larry Findley was a football coach at Box Elder who constantly inspired students and was loved by many. The award was started in his honor by an anonymous source to give recognition to the faculty they think displays the characteristics that Findley did. 

BEHS Principal Jamie Kent defined these characteristics as, “someone who is dedicated to Box Elder High School,” and “has school spirit.”

Kent also said that there are many former winners who are still working at the school. Some include Jerry Hodgkinson, Melanie Williams and Peter Burt. 

Burt was nominated for this award by one of his former students. He said, “her write up was as cool as the award.” He shared that receiving this nomination helped strengthen his relationship with that student. 

When a faculty member is nominated, they receive a notice of their nomination and are told what that person said about them. 

In Burt’s nomination, the student said she had “gone from being dumb in science to amazing in science.” He expressed that the student had always been good in the subject, but did not click with other teachers. He was excited to help her thrive and understand science. 

Aside from the strengthened relationship with who nominates the winner, the winner also receives a plaque and $2000. 

To nominate a faculty member for this award, visit the BEHS website or https://sites.google.com/site/larryfindleyleadershipaward/ Nominations are due by May 1.

Box Elder School District’s School Board of Education voted on March 12 to move forward with architectural planning that could lead to major restructuring of school grade levels and building use at BESD. The board hopes to address and overcome safety concerns, transition-level issues, and overcrowding by expanding Box Elder and Bear River High Schools and moving 9th-grade students into those buildings.

Chelsey Macfarlane,  a member of the Parent Teacher Association, urged the board to take decisive action on these issues. “We have this one chance to help them grow up in the best opportunity that we can give them and we keep pushing it down the road… today is the day to make that action.”

Corey Thompson, the district’s Facilities Director, adds his reasons for this timing. “This way it gives us an opportunity to involve people from each high school, people from the communities, people from the School Board. We have a higher probability of meeting the needs that are out there.”

Some community members expressed concerns on a local Facebook group, one post in particular received over 100 comments, many dissenting with the board's plan. James McGill, a community member, posted: “It appears the Box Elder School District is largely forging ahead with their plan from the November 2024 bond proposal, which was rejected by the voters…”

The post had a mixed reception in the community. Some commenters accused the board of ignoring public opinion based on November's vote against the bond, others were in support of this move.

Loni Newby pointed out vote in November was about funding, not the solution to overcrowding. “Now they have to proceed one small portion at a time, as they stated clearly would have to happen if the bond failed. The expansions and school grade alignment were non-negotiable.”

With these planned expansions, the school board wants to help transition levels between schools by minimizing the number of school transfers students take. For example, joining the high schoolers together and getting rid of the intermediate school system, replacing intermediate schools with middle schools. These expansions also aim to help issues such as severe overcrowding in schools in places such as hallways. Worries about both safety and the number of students potentially affecting education have been major arguing points for the expansions.

“How do we increase our children’s education?” Lakeview PTA President Anna Marie Hall asks. “How do we encourage them to come to school not just for testing, but to create a sense of community? We need space, and we need that space now. We needed it yesterday.”

While no final or financial decisions have been made yet, the board stated the needs of the community are one of the highest priorities, especially for the youth involved. These planned projects aim to help address these needs. The School Board’s mission is to help ensure schools within the district have adequate resources to supply students with the best education possible. They continue to make decisions to help with this goal and to fix any problems that may appear. 

If you are interested in watching Box Elder School District School Board’s proceedings, you can attend public board meetings in person at the ILSC Building in Brigham City, Utah, or virtually attend through the public livestreams hosted and archived at BESD Youtube. The next meeting will be held April 16th. A Truth and Taxation Hearing for the funding of these projects will be held in August.

Students and staff at Box Elder High School noticed water leaking from H-hall’s ceiling, resulting in some ceiling damage and drip in the student walkway during the rain storm on Thursday, March 6. 

Eyewitnesses said that the leak was sagging down looking like a balloon waiting to burst. They also said that the ceiling around the leak was showing signs of discoloration that could be a sign of water damage. 

Students and staff report the leak has had minimal impact on their school day. The staff put a trash can and a large barrier around the drip to prevent slips and falls. Some worry about the building’s structure overall.

Hunter Morgan, head custodian at BEHS, is overseeing the repair. He popped the sagging ceiling and removed the water-damaged plaster before school began to avoid a potential burst.  According to Morgan, this is not the first leak the school has experienced.

“…there is actually another leak above Ms Kristine Harding’s doorway that is going to be getting fixed soon.” Morgan stated.  However, Morgan is already putting a plan in place to repair the issue.

“Part of the reason I popped it is because it’s similar to Ms. Harding’s room. After the actual leak is fixed, we’re going to have to putty, plaster, and probably put a new fresh coat of white paint on. So I kinda handle it similarly to the other leak we have in I-hall.” stated Morgan.

Peter Gerlach, history teacher whose room is next to the leak stated the problem has been ongoing; however, today was the first time it began dripping into the hallway. 

“ Every time it rains, it fills up.” Gerlach said. He is hopeful that the problem will get resolved quickly now that the plaster and paint have been removed. 

“So we basically can fix it now and see what the real problem is.” Gerlach states.

Morgan claims that the steps are going to be taken soon to repair the  leaks in the next two weeks. He also stated that he is thankful for teachers and staff for being understanding. 

Until the leak is able to be repaired students are advised not to disturb the yellow barriers and other equipment set up to contain the leak. 

As the next trimester approaches, students contemplate changing their classes to shape their perfect schedule at Box Elder High School.

With being able to change your classes now online with the help of the Aspire app, it is common for some students to not know how it works. With the assistance of the counselors at the school, they can help guide students to success.

One of the counselors is Victoria Dance. She described the process of changing a class by saying, “Type in the class you want to add to your schedule in the search bar. It will show what hours that class is available and what teacher is teaching it. Click on the one that you'd like, and it adds it into your schedule. We have a video on our website that is very detailed on how to do a class change that students can reference as well.”

While sophomores and juniors can change their own classes without any necessary help, seniors have to change their classes in a different way.

Senior Emma Merkill said, “For seniors, you can't change them yourself like how you usually can, you have to go and make an appointment so they know you have all your requirements.” 

For some students, it can be frustrating and stressful to have to go through this process. With the help of the class window change, any worries or problems with your classes can be resolved. 

In the case that a student takes a class and ends up not liking it once the trimester starts, it is still possible to change the class for a short time. 

Source / quote:  Counselor Clayton Welch says, “There are also roughly 24 - 48 hours once a trimester starts where students can make changes with a counselor if needed.” 

Transition: In addition, while there is still a chance, it’s not a bad idea to try new classes and get a feel for something different. 

Welch said, “It's good to try a couple off-the-wall classes to expand your horizons too. Right now is a great time to explore different career options. There won't be another time like high school where students have so many options to try for practically free.”

Being able to have another chance for students to rearrange or alternate their schedule for this upcoming trimester is very beneficial and will help with students' success.

If you have any questions about how changing classes works, you can visit your counselor in the counseling office.

Inbound college students could see major changes in Utah due to legislative reforms from HB265.  The bill intends to realign Utah Higher Education institutions with the changing needs of modern employers, forcing the evaluation of the effectiveness and value of programs. This may result in a reduction of educational programs offered, but lower costs and higher value for students. 

 “This bill is all about making sure education programs match what industries actually need—so students can gain the skills needed for high-demand careers,” stated Senator Ann Millner, the Senate sponsor of the bill. This may result in closing or changing current programs. Miller continues, “While some programs may become more limited at individual universities, the goal is to enhance these areas by consolidating them at a few universities that can focus on making them even stronger.”

Despite specific degree programs having yet to be evaluated, Representative Karen Petersen, the House sponsor for the bill, reaffirmed that programs are not being evaluated based on perceived value to society, such as the liberal arts or social sciences, but rather enrollment and graduation rates.

The University of Utah is already preparing for this reality. In an internal memo to staff, President of the University Taylor Randall said, “Please work with your Unit leadership and finance staff to prepare a plan for potential reduction in state funding of up to 10%. Our intent would be to reallocate funds to address areas of strategic importance and growth to the University.”

Current seniors and juniors, now planning for college, can rest easy that if they choose a program that is chosen to be phased out, they will be able to complete the pathway through a teachout buffer that has been established within the bill.

However, planning anything past the next two years becomes foggier. Clayton Welch, Box Elder High School counselor, suggested that it will be a while before we know how the college prep and experience will change. “With change, there is always a need to adapt. I feel that we will not entirely understand how this will affect the high school side of counseling until we are a few more years down the road.”

One positive result the legislature hopes to see for students is higher value as well as the possibility of lower costs.

“The goal is to make higher education more affordable without sacrificing the quality of learning,” explained Millner, “by making sure our resources are used wisely, we’re creating an environment where students thrive, which in turn helps universities become even stronger.”

Petersen further explains that the bill will limit bachelors degrees to 120 credits, countering the rising time and cost it takes to complete one. “That's a real cost, both in opportunity costs, the opportunity to get into the workplace and start to earn money for yourself.”

Funding relocation has already been passed this legislative session, setting aside upwards of $60 million to this reinvestment fund. Randall continues to be hopeful that whatever process is passed to allow for that money to return to institutions will continue to uplift Utah Higher Education. 

“We remain optimistic that any state funding reductions will be minimal, but must prepare for multiple scenarios,” Randall stated.

Despite the changes, Petersen sees a hopeful future for the Utah Higher Education System and a brighter experience for students.

“I really appreciate all the things higher education is doing for our state. At the same time we could make a good system better.”

Every Friday, the hallways of Box Elder High School transform into a vibrant sea of purple because of their purple Fridays. This long-standing tradition fosters a sense of unity and school spirit, bringing together students, teachers, and staff in a shared display of pride.

For years, the student government has been into a school activity. Every Friday, they encourage students to wear not only their purple clothes but anything that represents Box Elder. Their role in this activity is to show students what is the reason for wearing purple on Fridays.

Bryson Singleton, a senior member of student government, explained that the deeper meaning of this tradition is showing the school colors and not just wearing purple. Bryson said, “Purple friday is a celebration of everything box elder is… we want you to wear your box elder stuff to show how proud you are of being a box elder bee”.

The student government has always worked really hard in promoting purple Fridays to students, not just because they have to but they love their school and as Bryson said, “student government is a clear example of being proud to be a box elder bee”. 

For a lot of years Box Elder has been doing this activity and students were really into it, but this year is not the same. So, what happened with purple Fridays?

Bryson states, “I think part of it is the transition of new kids, last year we did really well at promoting and a lot of people wore purple”. Every year, new Sophomores arrive at Box Elder high and last year’s Seniors leave, so the meaning of this tradition has to be told again so new students know what the meaning of Purple Friday is. Consistency makes results.

The student government has a plan, and the spirit of Purple Fridays will come back during this upcoming third trimester. Purple Friday’s shorts are back to convince students to wear our colors, to show that we are Bees.

 Kendall Davis, a sophomore at BEHS, was asked about their thoughts on this school tradition. Davis said, “students are busy with their own life and they get caught up in their own things”, again another proof that shows that what students need is to be reminded about the meaning of Purple Fridays.

Box Elder is more than just somewhere where we go and study, it is our school and we are proud of being bees. Show school colors and join the student government on Purple Fridays.

Box Elder High School’s Talent Show is coming up! A nerve wracking experience for students to step out of their comfort zones to express a powerful performance in whatever tallent they are proud to share with the school, in part with the efforts of the student government and staff who keep the gears turning for this event to run.

The date of the Talent show is the 13th of March, and the auditions start up February 24th & 25th  are for the kids who want to participate. The tryouts will be held in the little theater of BEHS by student Gov.

The responsibility of the talent show is handed to the student government to prepare in advance, preparing everything they might need that year, like getting the dates that they are allowed to use the theater and preparing all of the times that they need for students to get it all in order.

Student government senior, Bryson Singleton, explains  “The talent show involves a couple different steps, the first step is auditions, setting up for auditions. So we started late January, we talked about when we needed auditions for the show”

Now that it is late February the deadline for the auditions is approaching quickly, the 24th & 25th of this month, meaning that the kids who want to show their talents will have to sign up soon in order to get a spot in the talent show auditions.

The Head of the student government body, Tom Davidson said, “You first sign up for an audition, and the last few years we've had more spots than people that audition so if you just attend the audition and you’re appropriate you can get into the talent show… they sign up, show up, they’re usually in.”

Around the school students may have seen the many posters hung up around the school with a QR code, Singleton states, “So we created a google form where people can sign up. We have since been advertising that google form, we’ve sent it out to class group chats, we have printed fliers with a QR code for that." The google form is for the kids who want to participate to fill out, stating what they are going to do and when they will do it, filling one of the slots that were pre planned for the 24th and 25th.

There are many reasons that a student may want to try out for the talent show, to take the opportunity to show the school something they have been working on for a lifetime. Just the experience of it can be beneficial to the kids who actually do it.

Another senior for student government had taken the assignment of preparing the talent show, Lauren Brockbank shared, “I think it’s a great place for you to gain confidence from performing because the only way to get better at performing is actually doing it, and that can be really scary but it’s a great opportunity to grow and get better.”

“The talent show is an opportunity for students to be able to express all their many talents," Singleton adds, “and opportunities to really express themselves in their own way…  where they can show what they’ve been working on for their entire lives.”

Even though it can be enjoyable to the kids who participate and be a learning experience, some students may be anxious and put off by the idea of showing what they can do to their peers, as it can cause fear and nerves to be on stage with eyes on them.

“It can be scary.” Davidson says, “There's a social risk when you're showing your talents, if you don’t get the response you want that can be hard, but generally our student body’s very kind and it’s a fun experience for everybody.”

For any kids that want to but are nervous about trying out or are auditioning while being uneasy and uncertain about it, Davidson shared this,

 “Give it a shot and you’ll be surprised how much the student body loves their willingness to share their talent. It’s nerve racking, but generally, most kids have a very positive experience with it.”

Box Elder High School’s FFA program held a fundraiser for the Brigham City animal shelter from February 4th through the 21st. The fundraiser allowed for students and staff to donate food, toys, collars, leashes, treats, and more to help support the animals in the shelter.

Over 3,000 animals are killed in Utah animal shelters due to no one adopting, no donations, and no room in the shelters. With this fundraiser, the FFA had a goal of helping to solve these issues the best they could and to raise awareness of the animals living conditions.

“The animal shelter reached out before and they wanted us to kinda help them out a little bit.” says Kache Anderson, the FFA President. 

Considering their request, it's evident how overlooked the daily challenges these animals face are. Most businesses do need help and FFA is just one of the school's clubs that has done something to make a change. 

“Just thinking of animals in need we don't realize how much they really need.” said sophomore FFA member Beth Hales.

 Roughly one-third of the animal shelters in the United States are actively searching for help. This FFA fundraiser was a chance for the school to help out the local animal shelter in any way possible, and to also showcase the program's love for the community. 

“We want to get as much support from the community and to make people aware of the animals. Says Kapree Bott, another member of FFA.

By doing the fundraiser, it opened a pathway for people in the community to help as much as they can to support the animals.

“We want the animals and people to be happy. And other people can share their light and joy through us helping the animals.” Hales stated.

The FFA program did a great job of fundraising, with gathering a generous amount of food and a fair amount of pet supplies

Although this fundraiser is over, the animal shelter is still open to donations and help whenever possible. You can visit the Brigham City Animal Shelter website to see how donations and assistance works at https://www.bcutah.gov/o/brighamcity/page/animal-control.

BEHS Student Government traveled to Washington D.C. and New York in early February on their sixth annual trip to the nation’s capital, a tradition that may be coming to a close due to funding cuts. The trip provided an opportunity to learn on the national stage and experience the cultural, political, financial, and historical hearts of the nation.  

Student Government Adviser, Tom Davidson, shared that witnessing the federal government in action is the primary purpose of the trip. “It’s awesome for the student government to see the national government, whatever state you think it's in right now. It’s still amazing to see the historical sites and to see the actual documents that have founded our nation.”

This front-row seat to federal lawmaking also serves as a reward for the Senior Student Government members, who have dedicated years to leading and serving the school.

However, this will likely be the last time the trip will be taken. CTE funding supplemented the trip, covering costs for advisors and chaperones. As a result of a change in Utah law and the current halt on grants from the Trump Administration, these funds no longer exist. “It is absolutely done,” Davidson states after meeting with the CTE director. Davidson continues,  “He’s like your trip, things like that, we have to end because there’s just no money anymore.”

Despite the unclear future, each member took the chance to be in Washington seriously, taking away something impactful from the trip. The history learned and culture understood stand as a firm reminder of our past and our future.

REFLECTION AT THE REFLECTING POOL

Throughout the week, Student Government traveled over 2000 miles and visited dozens of iconic and historic sites. Yet, a few of the sites had more impact than others.

The visit to Arlington National Cemetery, home to the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier and the subsequent changing of the guard, was Student Government member Sam Frehner’s favorite part. 

“I think it’s important that we recognize what other people have done for our country,” Frehner stated.

Meeting with the U.S. House of Representatives member for Utah District 1, Rep. Blake Moore was also a highlight of the trip. Moore talked with members about many issues, including policy developments and the ongoing power struggle between government branches. He also discussed the organization and power structure of Congress and his current roles on Congressional Committees.

Audrie Browne, CTE Intern, commented, “My favorite part of the trip was meeting with Representative Moore, and talking about how the government works.”

The 9/11 museum in New York was impactful for Student Government member Bryce Mecham. The somber grounds tell the story of that horrendous day, standing as a testament to the strength and resilience of Americans.

“You don’t exactly understand exactly all the things that really happened, like going to the 9/11 Memorial, like seeing all the people and all those things added up together, it was really amazing to see the impact of all these different things in our nation and how they brought us to where we are today,” Mecham states.

The trip inspired more than just reflection and understanding. Students received a new appreciation for history, the United States, and the freedoms they enjoy.

“I think it brings a sense of patriotism,” Nathan Jenkins, a Senior member on the trip, commented.

On her second and final trip to the nation’s capital, Sara Olsen was saddened to find out this was likely the end of the trip. She felt it was an incredible opportunity to go to a place full of real history.

“It’s so cool to be in the place where it all happens. It’s the capital of our country and it's just been super important for us and our history.”

As the school year hits the halfway point and BEHS seniors approach graduation, many people wonder if the 30-credit graduation requirement is beneficial or holding students back.

Most BEHS students know that they can earn up to 36 credits; however, few know that the Utah State Board of Education only requires 24 credits to graduate high school, which makes BEHS one of the highest requirements in the state of Utah.

Students at BEHS have different opinions on the credit system. Caden Buchanan, a BEHS senior, said “I think it’s good to set people to a higher expectation to have them succeed more.” However, another BEHS senior, Sophia Greene, stated “It does make it hard to enjoy school sometimes, it makes it very stressful to get everything done and reach all the requirements.”

With changing career paths and expectations, the question lingers: is Box Elder High School setting up students for success, or is it time for a change?

Since BEHS requires 30 credits, students are more inclined to take more elective classes instead of focusing on our core classes. Students are also able to fail twelve classes and still graduate. BEHS could get rid of one class per day and have more time to cover our more important classes. This leaves several seniors questioning whether this makes our diploma less valuable or does our system cover our core classes thoroughly.

Due to the extra credits available, students are able to take college classes earlier, and for less money. This can help students have a head start to their after high school plan.

Although the credits can be overwhelming or can seem like a lot, Tate Klein, BEHS senior, who also likes the amount of credits BEHS requires, tries to look at it from a different perspective. “Since I'm required to take the credits here, I've been taking a lot of concurrent classes which have been helpful, so it's helped springboard me into my future plans.” 

The extra credit requirements at BEHS can also encourage students to take college courses at the school to cover their credits. “For whatever level of education you're going for you can find a way to balance it and still get the credits you need.” says Tate.

For most students, getting straight A's is the only way to graduate, but some students can find it hard to balance getting straight A's with playing sports. 

Caden Buchanan, a Senior, said “It’s a little tough combining school with sports especially having all those credits involved, and then sports on top of that, it’s tough to combine everything.”

Even if the credit requirements are too stressful for some students, Box Elder School District offers Sunrise High School, which only requires 24 credits, as an alternative school.

BEHS credit requirements may seem like a lot, but many people forget that BEHS is not just preparing students for graduation, they are preparing them for life and the credit requirements are a great opportunity to set yourself up for success.

BEHS is hosting its annual sweethearts dance this Saturday, February 8th in the commons at BEHS. This dance is one full of traditions, including best dress, great music, and light refreshments. The upcoming dance is creating some buzz of excitement— students at BEHS and chaperones have a lot to say about the upcoming event!

One of the most notable traditions for BEHS Sweethearts dance is to have a balloon drop. This year, however, BEHS student gov has come up with a new and creative alternative to the balloon drop to accommodate attendees with latex allergies.

Emmeline Yates, a senior senator on student government and Sweethearts planner, mentions, “Instead of a balloon drop, we decided to blow up a bunch of pink beach balls. So we will be dropping a bunch of pink beach balls instead.”

Yates excitedly told us about the delicious treats planned as refreshments, adding, “All of the student government members made hand-dipped chocolate pretzels.”

As Yates explains the decorations they plan to set up for the dance, she energetically added, “Heart-shaped streamers, light-up hearts, and LED lights.”

Yates talks about how the new playlist will help make a positive dance experience, “We have made a new playlist, so new songs, and it’s going to be super hype!” 

Blake Montro, a senior at BEHS states that his favorite tradition for dances is the mosh pit, “A good tradition for every dance is the mosh pit.” 

Allie Low, a junior at BEHS is hoping to have a wonderful time at Sweethearts, “I expect the dance will be very high energy and exciting.”

The chaperones for Box Elder High School are teachers who volunteer to chaperone the dances. Mr. Patterson,says, “I really enjoy going to the dances. It's fun seeing the students and seeing them have a good time.” 

At school dances even the chaperones have fun. Mr. Whitney, says, “I like going to school dances because number one they’re fun, number two I like to support the students.”

Come join BEHS students at Sweethearts at Box Elder High School commons from 8-10 for an evening of  excitement, refreshments and a romantic evening of fun.

Students at Box Elder High will be selecting their 2025/2026 classes at the Signing Fair on February 10th, this can be a stressful time for students. BEHS students will be navigating graduation requirements and career pathways— and for many math classes are an unwelcome complication to these decisions.

 Box Elder High School students are starting the process of deciding what classes they will take next year. There are a variety of courses offered, many geared towards different educational paths, such as college or trade school. It can be difficult for students to navigate class selection with their future in mind when many do not know what career path they wish to follow, particularly when trying to decipher what math classes would be relevant to them. 

These feelings were expressed by Serrina Stott, a graduating senior, “Honestly I haven't known what I’ve been wanting to do with my life for like a while so maybe the school has the ability to prepare me for it but I just wasn’t getting hold of the opportunities.”

Many students will simply try to fill the classes needed for graduation. Box Elder High School requires six credits of math for graduation, which most students fulfill by taking the required math one, two and three. There are, however, more than these classes offered by BEHS, such as honors math and remedial math, causing confusion as students wonder what is required and what classes will expect extra work from them.  

Stott explains her experience with these classes, “I don't like the prospect of just learning a bunch of different equations over and over again and then testing on your ability to memorize said equations.”

Every student who graduates from BEHS will take one of the high school’s math classes at one point. However, the school also offers a range of college-level math classes. These classes are often offered through an outside organization such as Utah State University or Advanced Placement. These classes are more difficult than general math classes and generally focus on one subject, rather than a range of related topics. 

Kam Wilson, a student at BEHS, comments on their experience with these classes, “I think it’s really fun to do difficult things and learn more things, I think my favorite thing about taking college classes, in general, is that everybody in that environment is more invested, where they actually want to have discussions.”

BEHS offers AP calculus AB and BC in addition to USU Statistics 1040 and USU Math 1050. These classes are more challenging than the regular course offerings from the high school, often requiring extra work outside of class and self-study to understand the concepts. Often students are caught off guard by the higher rigor level, but quickly adjust to the new workload. However, by passing these classes in high school students can avoid taking them in college. The credit from these classes transfers easily to most public universities. 

Caden Burrell, the calculus and statistics teacher states ”A lot of it is if you put in the work you’ll be fine, what I’ve come to notice is that a lot of times when students get to these senior-level math classes sometimes they're like oh shoot, other math was hard but this is intense I have to work a lot more.” 

According to the Utah State Board of Education, BEHS has a 24% proficiency rate, compared to the district's 41% proficiency rate. This ranks in the bottom 50% of Utah schools in math scores. This will impact students throughout their life as math is a vital skill in the workforce or higher education. Mathematical literacy is a crucial skill that BEHS tries to instill in students. However, this process is often dependent on how much effort the students are willing to put into their education.  

 “Even if you’re not super sure what you want to do with your life it’s likely that at college eventually, you’re going to have to take a math class.” Burrell expresses.

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?

Box Elder High School is set to host its annual Poetry Out Loud competition this Thursday, February 6th at Box Elder High in the Little Theater.  Students at Box Elder High work hard to prepare and qualify for the opportunity to participate.  

This year is the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud. According to their website, Poetryoutloud.org states “The program starts at the local level with a school or participating organization. Winners then may advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the national finals.”

Students who did not have an ELA class this trimester but still wanted to participate, were able to compete on Wednesday, January 29th. 

Hazel D. Archibald, a senior participant said, “You’re going to go to the pre-qualifier rounds… and then if you qualify then you're gonna perform it in front of the school and hopefully qualify for state. And then once you do that you go to state and once you do that you go to nationals if you make it.”

Before they can even think about qualifying for it, the students participating must choose poems from the Poetry Out Loud website that meet the requirements of that year in order to even try out for the event.

“We have a few thousand poems that we can choose from with a variety of different topics,” Quinn Johnson added, “from nature and political things to love and self-discovery. We get to choose any two poems… to try and embody the poem and perform it in a way that adds to the meaning of it and shows the emotion of it.”

The kids who came that Wednesday were trying out for Poetry Out Loud for a variety of different reasons, most including the appreciation of poetry itself.

Having a love for poetry is a common reason to participate in Poetry Out Loud, according to the students there.

“I love poetry, I love the art of poetry, just everything about it.” Sarah Olsen, a junior, shared, “But, on top of that, I feel like speaking and expressing it is something that I need to get more familiar with because I am not as familiar with speaking my poetry.”

“I really love poetry,” Johnson explained “For me, it’s an amazing way to express emotions and feelings, and it’s fun to try and express the emotions and feeling of someone else's poems, where you get to interpret it in your own way and kind of elevate the poem for other people as well.”

Archibald, on the other hand, still having an interest in poetry, shared that she was also participating for another reason, saying, “Personally, I am doing it for point credits debate class, because I’m not doing so hot there. But I also have a really good love and passion for poetry.”

With all of the students excited and prepared for Poetry Out Loud, they could use support from peers at BEHS. Students can go support the participants themselves at the school qualifier this Thursday if they want to watch students come together and speak their poems in their mutual appreciation of the art of poetry.

Utah State Legislation created a bill that went into effect on January 20th, 2025 that will eliminate class fees at Box Elder High School and could potentially give a free education but at the cost of having theory-based learning in CTE and art classes. Teachers and faculty members alike are speculating if the pros outweigh the cons.

CTE classes are those that range from art and theatre to ceramics and woodworking. Many are classes that give students opportunities to see if they would want to make a career out of the different things they try. 

Utah State Legislation will give school districts a five-year runway to eliminate school fees. Box Elder School District assistant superintendent Keith Mecham says, “We are hoping that there will be changes to the law where we can charge a general class fee at some level.”

Former representative Marsha Judkins from District 61, which covers different areas around Utah Lake, in a hearing on February 20th, 2024, supported the bill by saying they have a “mandate to educate.” She knows how hard it can be for families to get money to pay for class fees and wants to help.

Representative Mark A. Strong from District 47, which covers Riverton and Bluffdale areas, says “The constitution of our state says that we will provide a free education.” His desire in this bill is for students to get a free education and not have to worry about extra school fees. 

Box Elder High School teacher Melanie Day agrees “Public education should be free. You shouldn’t have to pay for stuff.” Although Day agrees that education should be free she still worries that “there's not really a way to supplement the funds.”

With this being a non-funded mandate, Judkins believes that could be a problem and wonders “what things are going to be cut in order to be able to absorb this cost.” 

In terms of our school we are “not going to have access to [new supplies] because we won't have funds to buy it” as said by Day. 

Mecham assures “We want to make sure students get the current, up-to-date materials and supplies for their classes and we are confident that we will be able to address the funding sources one way or the other.”

The district is confident that they will be able to fund the schools, though there were still concerns with the legislature. Mentions of an increased WPU is how they would want us to absorb these costs. A WPU or a Weighted Pupil Unit is a formula used to determine how much money a school needs based on their students. This is usually calculated by taking into account students in special education or students who  are learning new languages. 

Representative Andrew Stoddard from district 40, that covers Midvale areas, asked in the hearing on February 20th, 2024, “Is the intent on this bill for school districts to be able to figure out how to absorb these costs without any increases specifically for this?”

Strong answered Stoddard, “Yes I guess directly however through increased WPU and funding and things like that. Also some of these fees that are being charged to students are not directly involved in education.”

Strong believes most of the fees schools charge go to t-shirts with school colors and other things like that. However, these fees will also fund our CTE classes by buying paints for art; clay for ceramics; wood for woodshop and supplies for many other classes at our school. 

Mecham says, “Local School Districts will have to find alternative ways to fund these class supplies and materials or remove opportunities for students which we don't want to do.” 

Carol Dittli, a teacher at Box Elder High School, wonders “Do you think you would enjoy watching videos on how to paint or do you think you would enjoy painting?” She adds, “We learn by doing.”

“We know that many of our elective courses give students reasons to engage with school,” adds Mecham. He continues “We will do everything in our power to make these resources available.”

Dittli says “We didn't see that it needed a change.” Many teachers agreed that there was no need for a change. 

There are many ways to help students who can't pay the fees like fee waivers. There is also just one general fee and you can take any class and you can take projects home. 

Strong adds, “There’s a waiver available for those people that can’t afford to pay these fees, but there are a number of people that are just above the waiver and that are hit with some rather large fees and it can become extremely difficult for some of these people.”

Even with the fee waivers some people still struggle with paying the fees and this would benefit those people. 

There are many pros and cons for this bill however our school district is confident that they will be able to fund their school whichever way it goes.

Pot-ential Problem — Hemp Plant Odor Causes Concerns at BEHS

By: Khloe Ann Christensen and Hazel D. Archibald

An unusual odor filled Box Elder High, sending student rumors buzzing on December 18, 2024. Students, teachers and staff noticed the distinct smell of marijuana and were concerned about its presence. Many were concerned about the health of students while others raised the alarm at the distraction it caused.

Rumors among the students were rampant on where the smell came from. However, Box Elder principal Jamie Kent was quick to clarify its origin as outside of the school, and attributes the smell to the True North Organics, a medical marijuana and hemp plant located on the northwest side of Brigham. 

Tom Davidson, a teacher at BEHS stated, “It is the smell of the hemp plant. There is a hemp oil farm located off Forest Street and 1200 West that was processing the stalks of the hemp plants... that was the smell that filled the valley.” said Davidson.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much Box Elder High School can do to prevent the smell from invading the hallways and surrounding areas. Kent stated “[There’s] Not much our staff can do about a smell coming from outside of the building. We don’t have any control over the smell.”

BEHS is equipped with air filters and purifiers. This may help alleviate the smell within the building, but there is nothing that can be done about the smell as students travel outside the building to their classes such as seminary or the natatorium. 

However, Kent and BEHS administrators are taking the odor seriously. Kent reports, “I talked to the city. They are aware and are working to prevent it in the future.” 

The smell began on Monday and grew stronger over the week resulting in students starting to worry about their health. Many are curious if the smell will get them high. Some students were checked out of school because of the smell causing headaches and dizziness. Kent also addressed that concern when she reached out to the city.

“The city told me no. The pot plant burns the stem not the bud. It won’t get you high. Although some people don’t like the smell and it can make them feel sick. We don’t have much control over the smell where it is coming from the outside of our building. We do have a ventilation system in our building and humidifiers in our classrooms.” stated Kent.

This may become an ongoing problem at BEHS, and there simply is no predicting if the school will experience wafting odors in the future. The Buzz called True North Organics and confirmed their harvesting and burn schedule which is the origin of the smell. They confirmed they harvest every Monday, and burn the stems as needed on Wednesdays. 

“The weather yesterday was the main reason the smell was worse than normal. We were under an inversion which keeps air trapped close to the ground. This is why the smell didn’t dissipate like it normally does.” says Davidson.

Students, parents and community members who are concerned can directly contact the city or the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and file a complaint. 

“They can get laws and ordinances that ban Hemp facilities in a populated area.” says Davidson

Students and parents can go and make a complaint at this Google doc https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenKN44zAny-NpCE2ovZKH3UF9Pd7q4J6boLEKMj6xPaJTOWw/viewform or you can go to https://ag.utah.gov/industrialhempprogram/ for more information about the smell. 

Box Elder High School's 2nd Tri started on November 21. Students have new classes and teachers, and teachers have hundreds of new students to get to know. Getting lost in the halls, asking what class this is, and getting excited about seeing friends in classes are some of the integral experiences shared by all high school students.

Students and teachers both face challenges at the start of each trimester. Some of the trials students face on the first day of each trimester are finding new classes, meeting new teachers, and trying to make friends in each class. BEHS student Brooklynn Elegante thinks finding new classes is the hardest part of starting a new trimester

Elegante mentions she is not excited for “Getting lost in the hallways all over again.”

Teachers also face challenges on the first day of the trimester. They have to learn over a hundred students' names, try to keep the kids engaged, make sure kids understand the curriculum, make seating charts, and many other tasks that seem daunting to anyone who has never taught before. BEHS Biology and Zoology teacher, Bonnie Robinson, has dealt with all of these in her time at BEHS.

“When kids say ‘I really want to sit by my friend’ or getting my canvas classes all set up, kids transferring in three days late and trying to figure out how to make that work for them,” are some of the challenges Robinson faces at the start of each trimester.

Though there are a lot of challenges that come with the start of a new trimester, there are just as many joys that come with it. Students can have new elective classes they are excited about, people can have friends in classes they didn’t get the chance to see the trimester before, and it can mark the end of any classes students did not enjoy. BEHS student Kam Wilson says they are excited for the new trimester, especially their guitar class.

When asked how their trimester is going, Wilson responded, “Pretty good, liken’ all my new classes.”

With each trimester comes new classes that students are elated to participate in. Some classes that BEHS students are excited to take this trimester include guitar, band, strength training, drawing, and woods. 

“I’m excited for my ceramics class, and that’s about it,” BEHS student Eden Murray said.

Though the start of the trimester is hard for teachers, there are also joys that come with teaching. US History and History of Film teacher Hayden Chadaz loves to see the faces of his new students and the faces of students he has taught in previous years or trimesters in his classes.

“The new settings, especially with the students, is the highlight of the new trimester for me,” Chadaz vocalized.

As the trimester progresses, students will run the gauntlet to improve their grades before the start of the third and final trimester of the year, but for now, they will stumble through the hallways, meet new friends, and fill their brains with new information.

The BEHS swim team is built from dedicated students who work hard everyday to uphold the title of state champions. Joining the BEHS swim team includes many hardworking hours to get ready for competition.

To get these athletes ready for competition their coaches train them mentally and physically. The swimmer is in charge of keeping a good mind set while going into a competition.

A BEHS Swimmer James Biskey said “ You don't want to waste energy messing around, you have to stay focused on your race without psyching yourself out.”

The BEHS swim team practices every day after school for 2 hours, They are building a supportive strong team.

Swimmer Taylee Nelson said “We start with 1,000 yard warm up,then a couple hard sets, then a couple technic sets”

This training pattern keeps the swimmers strong and physically fit. A lot of athletes experience burn out through the season. Remembering why they joined the team and why they love their sport keeps these athletes going.

Swim Mirror a popular swim magazine said “ Embracing the sport as a fun game can prevent feelings of burnout”

After all the burn out and tiring long practices, getting out there for competition makes it all feel worth it. Having a supportive team coming to cheer these athletes on makes it the cherry on top.

 Nelson said “ I think we kinda get forgotten.”

After all the time and effort they put into the sport they adore, athletes don’t always get to see all the love and support they deserve.

This year as the students of BEHS lets all take the time to appreciate the hard working athletes that don't get recognized as often. Show up for their competitions and cheer on our bees!

Box Elder High School students and teachers look forward to the annual can drive that happens every fall. The can drive brings for a fun competition between the first hour classes, who all come together to donate food for the Brigham City Community Pantry. 

The competition this year ran from October 21st through November 8th, with the total amount of food donated being 20,829 pounds. The winner of our schools bracket competition was Braun Bowdens first hour class, with Jana Colvin's first hour also donating the most food of the competition. 

When asked about this activity, Bowden said “It is good to show students they can make a positive difference in the world! It’s fun to get students involved in a good cause for the community!”

With the fun competition at hand, this activity brings unity for all of the students and teachers. Olivia Crane, the student government student in charge of the can drive spoke about how cool it is to see everybody in the school working towards the same goal. 

Crane continues that thought by saying, “It’s just so fun to see everybody get involved, and to see people and teachers who usually don’t get involved, get involved.” 

The can drive could not have been done without all of the hard work the student government had put into it. Advisor Tom Davidson explained how the student government is in charge of multiple aspects of the can drive. They are in charge of getting other schools involved, making posters for the school, making the bracket, collecting and counting the cans, and also taking the cans to the pantry. 

“Very few people have negative feelings or emotions when they help others.” Davidson says while speaking about how the event unites the school. “When you’re working towards the same goal, you grow.” 

With our school raising as much food as we did, all of it went to the Brigham City Community Pantry to help serve the people in our community who never know where their next meal will come from. 

Joleen Groberg from the Brigham city community pantry spoke about how helpful the can drive is for them each year. “It’s really heartwarming to see that all of these students come together and put up for their community.” She adds to that thought by saying “We are very appreciative of all the donations and cans that you guys bring in.” 

The community and the pantry is very grateful for the support that BEHS brings at this time of year. The can drive is very important when it comes to restocking the shelves at the pantry when there is such a high demand. 

If you or anyone you know in the community would like to donate to the food pantry, their business hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Mondays-Thursdays, and 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Fridays.

Box Elder goes above and beyond to provide for their students, but when that’s not enough the community steps in with additional resources. Many have taken advantage of these services to get the help they need. 

Clayton Welch, a BEHS counselor, wants all the students to know that the counselors are here to help when students need it.

“I am not always sure how students feel. But I hope that the extra resources help them with whatever type of situation they are facing. I am happy to help!”

Some high school students may not be getting anything for Christmas for their family members or even for themselves.  

Welch had given a few ideas to give to students who are needing that help, “There are quite a bit of different community resources available in our area. One main one is Bear River Mental Health. Their organization is fantastic to help families find further resources. Local businesses help provide gift cards as well like Walmart. The KIND fund is a great resource for clothing too.” 

As students struggle with finding food and a way to pay for college some struggle with mental health issues and Bear River Mental Health is the place to go.

The Bear River Mental Health website states, “Bear River Mental Health provides comprehensive, professional, mental health services to individuals in Box Elder, Cache and Rich Counties. For more than four decades, we have helped people live more functional and meaningful lives through compassionate and effective mental health counseling and treatments regardless of their age, disability or ability to pay.”

When students get the help with whatever the cause may be they return the help. Welch had always been trying to “pay it forward,” meaning he helps one person and hopes that person helps another person. 

Welch had said that was interestingly important, “I want to try and ‘pay it forward’ by helping the next generations.”

Box Elder Students have shown their gratitude when they have been given the help they need. Staff and others outside of the school walls are willing to help students grow and be successful.

If Box Elder students need further help staff and many other services are out there in the world awaiting help when they are needed.

Having an SRO at BEHS plays a big role in helping to keep our school safe from theft, vandalism, drug use and many more problems.

An SRO is an in school resource officer. They have many purposes ranging from general school security to dealing with drug use, violence and other harmful activities some students might do. 

Utah Code Ann. § 53G-8-703 (2)(a)(i) states schools must “Provide for and maintain a safe, healthy, and productive learning environment in school;”

Officer Johnson, the SRO at BEHS, stated that he helps protect the school from theft, drug use, and violence, Officer Johnson tries to help students keep out of trouble rather than letting them repeat it.

“I basically protect our school. I have all access to the cameras I try to mitigate violence and drug use at our school. Anything that happens at school theft wise, I'm like, I'm the only police officer here.”

An SRO is meant to help students see what harmful impacts their actions have on themselves and others, they focus on trying to keep students safe, and keeping their life on track.

Utah Code Ann. § 53G-8-702 (3)(f)(i) “restorative justice practices” “negative consequences associated with youth involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems”

Instead of going out and writing citations and arresting people, Officer Johnson tries to keep students on the right track by showing them what their life could end up like if they keep getting in trouble. This helps the students reflect on themselves and prevent them from committing the same crimes again.

“I don't really go out and try to write citations, and arrest people, if I can bring them in here and kind of like an appointment in the right direction and kind of show them what their life could happen if they follow back half.”

Officer Johnson works hard to keep the students at BEHS safe, keeping them away from drugs, and violence. He tries to keep students on the right track rather than just focusing on punishing a student whose life may be going in the wrong direction.

Box Elder Girls Varsity Volleyball made it to the second round of state on November 7th. Resulting in being eliminated in the second round, though the team is still proud for how far they had come. 

The school website states that “Girls Volleyball reclaims the Valley Cup. This is a tradition with Box Elder and Sky View volleyball teams.” This is where they compete for the trophy. 

This season ended with an overall score of 16-15 wins and losses. There was a team retreat at the beginning, used to gone and strengthen friendships. The girls camped, swam, and played volleyball. 

Brooklyn Burt, defensive specialist, and a senior who has been part of the team throughout high school, expressed her pride for making it to state. As the team has never gone so far during her time playing. Being a part of the team has made her very happy. 

“The main lesson i’ve learned is just love what you’re doing while it lasts because it goes faster than you think,” Burt had shared. 

The outside hitter, Lucy Breagger, a junior who is planning to continue playing her senior year, had given her heartfelt advice to all the younger girls on the team. 

Breagger said, “It’s important to always give the game your all and that no matter what the outcome is, that you’ll make lasting friendships.”

 Kennadie Blackmer, a sophomore who was able to be pulled up and play at a higher level, expressed her joy for being able to play at state and with the team. She is the setter but plays various other positions. 

“I’ve really loved bonding with the older girls and learning their ways. And being able to express my love for sports and a way to show my school and represent my school,” Blackmer later continued, “I’ve learned how important it is to give energy to the team and to really care for your teammates and always be there for them 100 percent.”

The season may had ended, but the memories will stay with the girls throughout their lives as well as all the relationships and bonds that were made.

BEHS teaches many options to fulfill mathematics, language arts, science, and history and government credits. 

 Clara Nelson, senior,  explains how having the core subjects has helped her with her critical thinking skills that she wouldn’t have without these subjects.

“I've learned lots of skills that have been super helpful for me and my education and have given me a lot of critical thinking skills that I wouldn't have otherwise have without the core subjects,” said Nelson. 

BEHS teacher Brian Whitney explains how he thinks the BEHS language arts classes are. 

“I think having that self-directed approach could apply to a lot of different classrooms and things like that. I would love a more self-directed approach in like English classes for example. Because I think that finding what you're interested in will help you learn more.” said Whitney.

Jessie Howard explains classes at the high school, and what she wishes students did. 

 “I feel like we have a huge variety of classes here. What I would like to see is students start some of their preferred courses a little bit earlier so that we would have some signing up for some of the advanced level things that interest them that there interested in doing for a career.” said Howard. 

Amber Clark remembers learning an AP math class from high school, which helped her become a teacher. 

 “I remember doing Math 1050 and that is a class I will always like it.  I had to have that to be a teacher and I took it in high school because I was not the greatest at math and I was so happy to not have any more math in college.” said Clark. 

 BEHS students, teachers and counselors all struggle with certain subjects. It’s about how you fulfill your high school credits. 

For more information on the courses BEHS offers, visit the school's website at documents and course descriptions. 

Trash is piling up in the Box Elder High School parking lots, and while the problem grows, students and staff are being urged to take action before it gets out of hand.

As the rubbish stacks higher, numerous students have observed the unpleasant mess, particularly during lunch and after school. Several students expressed their opinions on the matter.

"I think it's pretty dirty. A lot of people are disrespectful and just throw their stuff on the ground," said Rexton Jensen, a student at Box Elder. "They don’t realize it gets everywhere. You see lunch bags and stuff all over the lot."

For some students, the increasing trash issue has begun to damage Box Elder’s reputation within the community. Jensen remembered a visit to an employer in Fremont, where students were already aware of the condition of the Box Elder parking lot.

"I remember I used to work for a person up in Fremont, and the kids there always talked about how dirty our parking lot is," Rexton shared. "It’s kind of embarrassing knowing that people see us this way."

While waste piles up, some students, such as Spencer Finlay, believe the issue isn't that serious. On the other hand, others are frustrated with the uncleanness.

"I don’t think it’s all that bad," said Spencer Finlay, a student. "I mean, there’s some food on the ground, but it's mostly just a few kids throwing trash around. If you see something, pick it up—it's simple."

The issue of cleanliness has caught the attention of the school’s administration as well. Vice Principal Clark Funk highlighted that the problem is not just about keeping the area tidy, but about having respect for the school's environment.

"It makes me feel like there’s a lack of respect for each other and for our location," said Funk. "It doesn’t take much to pick up after yourself and not litter."

Although custodial work is trying to keep the parking lot clean, many people think additional measures are necessary, particularly, giving more access to trash bins could encourage students to use them.

"We could use more garbage cans throughout the lot," said Rexton Jensen. "If they put some more on the walkways, I think that might have more of an impact."

The school administration is working on the issue, and already has some solutions in place. However, Funk believes that more could be done to involve students and enhance waste management practices.

"We have custodians cleaning up every day, but it's become a job that we have to pay someone to do because we can't keep it clean ourselves," Funk said. "If people cleaned up after themselves, we wouldn’t need someone out there every day."

The mess in the parking lot not only affects students but also leaves a poor impression on visitors, especially when opposing teams come to the school for events.

 "Hunter Morgan, our head custodian, is fantastic. He cares about the place looking good, and that's why we try to focus on cleaning up the lot. But when you drive by and see a mess, it's embarrassing—especially for visiting schools," Funk said.

As the issue continues, let's all take more responsibility and action to maintain a clean and respectful environment at Box Elder High. The school must come together to ensure the parking lot doesn't leave a lasting impression on our visitors.

The end of the trimester is quickly coming up on November 20th, some students are struggling with the increased workload and stressors due to missing assignments.

Kara Spruill, a junior at BEHS, stated that the end of the Tri affects her as she has to balance work and school — often staying up late due to the amount of work during the end of the trimester.

“Yeah, it affects how I sleep, and it also affects how late I have to stay up doing homework.” Spruill later stated, “Teachers could do a bit better when it comes to deadlines, because some kids have jobs and it's harder for us.”

While Spruill and many more students often experience stress about the end of the trimester and its workloads, other students like Spencer Rasmussen, a junior at BEHS, find it easier to manage. Rasmussen noted that for those who keep up with their work throughout the trimester, it is significantly easier and less stressful to make sure they are caught up at the end of the tri.

“If you're already on top of it, then there's not really any extra work. Obviously, the work's a little more intense, but there's no extra work” Rasmussen said. 

Jessi Howard, one of the councilors at BEHS explained that one of the best ways to stay on top of coursework is to be consistent with your work. Students should keep up throughout the course. Another key factor in avoiding end-of-tri stressors is to ask for assistance from a teacher when you need help instead of waiting until the last week of the trimester to ask for help.

Staying on top of things throughout the course really helps. Teachers receive a lot of requests at the end of the trimester. It's easier for them to assist if students ask for help a bit earlier.

Howard later stated that teachers are trying to help students but it is difficult to determine if a student needs help or is engaged or not. 

“I think teachers try to reach out, but with 200 or so students, it's hard to know who needs help versus who may have been disengaged. Communication goes both ways, so if students reach out to their teachers through email, engage during class, use help times, or raise their hand it makes a difference. Our teachers genuinely want to help.” Howard said. 

With the trimester coming to a close, students should focus on keeping caught up on their work. Communication with teachers is crucial to keeping up on assignments especially when a student is behind on coursework

Whether or not you’ve had the chance to personally talk to Sparks, you’ve definitely seen her work during your time at the school.

Sparks will have been a librarian at Box Elder High School for 20 years this year, but before that, she worked at a junior high in Weber County for six years as well as earning herself a background in business and marketing education.

Sparks has a lot of favorite parts about working in the library, but the best is, “Getting to know students, and it’s always great to get a new box of library books to put out.” 

During the school day, Sparks spends most of her time in the library, often putting books away or checking out more for students and faculty alike. Sparks is often at the checkout desk or in the library’s office, and she’s always ready to help a wayward student in finding the book or media they’re looking for.

But that’s not all she does. Sparks also works as the yearbook advisor and the concurrent enrollment coordinator. Along with that, Sparks helps with CTE skills testing, manages the library calendar, helps students with computer issues, and is involved with a PLC group in the English department.

According to Sparks, a job she does in the group is, “Coordinate PLC meetings for all of the librarians in the school district, elementary and secondary.” The PLC group for Box Elder school district includes 24 different schools, each with at least two or three librarians.

The teachers at Box Elder especially benefit from Sparks’ influence, since she fixes a lot of the student’s computer problems and keeps classes running smoothly with little interruptions from rogue Chromebooks.

Sparks spoke about Box Elder, saying, “I think it’s great, all the opportunities students have for learning; different classes, different platforms for learning, whether it’s online or in-person.”

Being the concurrent enrollment coordinator at the high school,Sparks’ job includes: acting as a messenger between the student and the concurrent enrollment office; overseeing student registration and plans registration kick-off; advertising concurrent enrollment to students, teachers, and parents; even then, her job as coordinator covers much, much more.

Sparks highly enjoys her job in the library at Box Elder, stating there isn’t a lot that she doesn’t really like. “I just think Box Elder is a great school with great students and faculty and staff.”

With the upcoming P.D day on Friday, students are anticipating getting out of class, but the teacher’s classes are just starting.

Mindy White, the Box Elder school district Elementary Curriculum Secretary, and Heidi Jo West, Assistant Superintendent over Elementary Teaching and Learning, both took some time out of their day to explain what the purpose of a P.D day is.

P.D, or Professional Development, according to White, is “A chance [for teachers] to be the student for a day and have fun. It is important for teachers to be able to learn and grow.” White states that during the day, “Teachers will have the opportunity to hear from our Keynote, Sean Bott and take classes from their peers or other required trainings that are specific to their individual roles.”

It sounds like pure coincidence to have a day off the day after Halloween, but this day was chosen for the sole purpose of giving students and teachers a rest day after the holiday.

From West, November first was chosen because, “This allows students and families to take the day after Halloween to be together and enjoy activities on Halloween that may have kept them out of school later the night before.”

According to West, the exact date of a P.D day  is decided because, “The Box Elder Leadership Team takes feedback from employees, parents, and students regarding the calendar.” West goes on to say, “November 1 was chosen this year because several of our teachers had other commitments in March last year. We will consider the benefits of both prior to determining the day for next school year.”

The roles White and West play in Professional Development days are both equally important. White organizes the teachers with sign up forms and later registration confirmation emails, detailing what the teacher has signed up for and where they should be going. West’s job for a P.D day is mostly centered around set up, finding a Keynote speaker, finding outside consultants that will come in and present as well as in district presenters.

Patrick Parker, a math teacher at Box Elder, is presenting on atomic assessments this P.D day. Parker’s topic, atomic assessments, are a more in depth quiz on canvas usually suited for math and science teachers. Quizzes on Canvas often don’t go into detail as much as they should, and atomic assessments solve that problem with more question types, added variables, tagging systems, and customizable activities.

Parker speaks about P.D days, “A lot of teachers kind of see it as a day off, sort of, but at the same time, they can be very important. Because there’s a lot of teachers that have a lot of really good knowledge, that if you go in with an open mind, then you can learn an awful lot from them. And let’s be honest, kids like having a day off too.”

Chase Goddard and Kasey Cullimore, both science teachers at Box Elder, are presenting together on how grades work in their chemistry classes with a system called competency based grading where tests are broken into multiple sections. During the test, if a student shows a certain proficiency within the section, they are granted a 100% on that topic.

This way of grading allows students to build their knowledge on different topics and secure their knowledge on the building blocks of that class. They’re presenting this topic to advertise to other teachers that are curious to start competency based grading.

Goddard believes that P.D days are important because, “It allows us to share and grow as teachers. We’re always sharing ideas with each other and building and becoming better teachers overall.”

So, what are you doing this P.D day?

Halloween comes lurking up to Box Elder High School on Thursday, October 31st. Teachers and students are finishing up their costumes and preparing to partake in their traditions for one of the spookiest holidays of the year.

Box Elder students and teachers share many of the same Halloween traditions. Some of the most popular traditions for people at Box Elder are carving pumpkins, dressing up in fabulous costumes, and watching scary movies such as Monster House, Beetle Juice, A Nightmare Before Christmas, and Hocus Pocus.

“I think it is fun to see students dress up and see who they choose,” One teacher said in a poll given to teachers about their traditions. 

Halloween is a time for getting candy, giving candy, and having a sugar rush off of all the candy received while trick or treating. Whether it’s chocolaty goodness, fruity sweetness, or sour yumminess, there is a treat for everyone to enjoy.

Students around Box Elder High School say that some of their favorite sugary sweets include anything covered in chocolate, such as KitKats, Reeses, and Twix.

In a survey sent to all teachers, a vast majority think that high school students are too old to participate in one of the staple events of Halloween; trick-or-treating. Many think that if students are old enough to have a job, they should buy their own candy, while others think teenagers should be spending time at a Halloween party with friends instead.

Though many traditions are common, some traditions that people have are unique to each family. Some of the more unique traditions include making mummy dogs (pigs in a blanket), Making hamburger patties with white cheese melted on and olives to make a ghost face, and dressing up as Santa to hand out candy canes.

A teacher whose tradition is making taco salad but with a variety of meat, said, “It is one of my favorite meals of the year; we only have it at Halloween!”

Half of the teachers surveyed said that 12-14 is the oldest students should be to trick or treat.

Dressing up is one of the main Halloween traditions in many households. Whether it’s a favorite character from a TV show or book series, a spooky monster, a black cat, a trash bag, or anything in between, dressing up is for everyone. While some prefer to buy a ready-made costume, others prefer to make costumes themselves. Whatever the costume is, many teachers and students alike are busy putting the finishing touches on their costumes for the big day. 

Some of the costumes students should prepare to see are Vampires, elves, and Eeyore onesies according to the students we interviewed.

Halloween is a time for celebration. There is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter what traditions families partake in, how old people are, or how anyone likes to celebrate this spooktacular holiday. 

As one teacher put it, “There should be no age limit for people wanting to go out and have fun getting candy for dressing up.”

 So get out there and have a Happy Halloween!

Dress code at Box Elder High School has been a controversial topic of discussion among students, teachers and administrators for the past two years. 

The most recent update to the schools dress code policy was on September 15th, 2022. It was written by BEHS administration and staff and was approved by the school board shortly after. This policy favors student freedom of expression through their clothing and is less strict than previous codes.

BEHS website states, “The purpose of the dress code is to ensure an academic atmosphere in our classrooms and halls during school hours.” It then goes into specifics about the dress code emphasizing the rules about no drug or sexual content, no hateful language, and also things about tops needing straps and how see-through clothing must have something underneath. 

Sophomore Rylen Christiansen said that she hasn’t ever witnessed anyone be dress coded at BEHS but she has noticed a difference from this school and others in the district. 

 “The dress code (in reference to a different school) was a lot more strict, and it caused students to fight against it a lot more.” Christiansen adds to that thought, “I feel like since we have a lot more lenient dress code, it makes school a calmer environment for kids.”

Christiansen continues by bringing up that having a less overbearing dress code allows for students to have freedom of expression. “A lot of people rely on their clothes to tell people more about themselves rather than talking to people.” she says.

BEHS principal Jamie Kent spoke about what she believes is appropriate for the school with the policy.

“If it’s not a distraction, and it’s not affecting anybody's ability to learn, then it should be ok.” She goes on to explain how she deals with the differing opinions of the code. “There are parts of our dress code that are subjective. We have a little over 1,600 people in the school, they are going to have different opinions.”

Kent continued to bring up her own opinions on the policy, and why she thinks it is the best option for right now.  She explained that having a less strict policy is important because no matter what, students are going to wear what they want. She adds that enforcing one rule for students isn’t always easy because of the differing opinions. 

“It’s like getting a speeding ticket. You can’t catch everybody who speeds, people still speed and don’t get caught.” 

Kent believes that education should come over clothing. Students should not worry about feeling uncomfortable by having teachers' eyes on them because of what they are wearing. 

 “I don’t want students to get the message that what you wear is more important than your learning.” Later, Kent adds, “I want people to be able to come in and feel safe.”

Education continues to be set as the highest priority at the school, as the policy allows students to freely wear what they want as long as they follow the few restrictions. 

Box Elder High School plans to stick with this dress code, until more opinions and arguments  are offered that oppose the current policy.

The removal of Bee-time from the school's bell schedule has left some students struggling to adjust. What does this mean for students who used bee time as a method to catch up on past-due assignments especially when many students juggle school, work, and a social life?

 Jamie Kent, the principal at BEHS explained why bee time was removed from the schedule.

“The reason it was removed was because our bell schedule changed and we ended up with an early out Friday. And so it just cut down on the amount of time that students had in class.” 

Kent also stated that students should be working with their teachers to catch up on assignments, or tests especially now that bee time is gone.

“The teacher should be able to help you, first come up with how you can be successful in this class and when it's time.  So that someone shouldn't have to do it before or after school. We want to have time during the school day to be able to do so. With the teacher, they should be able to figure out a time. And if that doesn't work, or if it doesn't feel like the teacher's helped them, then they should come down to administration or the counselor.”

Some students have not been affected by the removal of Bee-time like Kohyn Van Komen, a junior at BEHS. Van Komen described how Bee-times removal has had very little to no effect on him as a student when he was asked in an interview if Bee-time’s removal has affected him or his grades.

 “Personally, no, because I do all my work in class. But I feel like for other people who struggle with finishing all their work in class, it was good because they gave you a spot to do it."

Van Komen later stated during the interview that he thinks that Bee-time was a good resource for students with struggling grades but it just was not implemented correctly as students often Bee-time’s benefits.

"So I'd say Bee-time was a pretty good resource that just wasn't implemented in the correct way."

Although Van Komen was not personally affected by the removal of bee time, other students like Miles Turner, a senior at BEHS, was affected by bee times removal, Turner stated that he personally has had a hard time balancing school and work now that he no longer has a resource like bee time to use to catch up on his work.

“Yes, definitely. I've had to, recently this year, I've been trying to stay on top of my coursework better. And I've had to do it at home, which I get distracted a lot, because there aren't any teachers at home."

Turner also stated that his grades have significantly dropped since the removal of bee time stating that he really missed bee time and that it was really helpful for his grades.

"Definitely, my grades are currently sitting at a C minus average, and I would love to have Bee-time to shore them up a bit."

Kent spoke about Hive time and how it is a good way for students to catch up or learn assignments that were not understood or missed due to being absent. 

Hive time is a way for students to catch up on assignments as long as students are staying caught up on their classes. It is meant for students to get a better understanding of the unit if they missed it or need just a better explanation of the material. This resource isn't meant for additional homework, but rather as a way for students to request an extension or clarification on their work when needed. Teachers can give out extensions or for students that do understand but aren’t caught up can work.

Now that bee time is gone, students will have to make time to work with their teachers either after or before school, or work on assignments during hive time. Although this change may have affected some students' grades, it is the only way to allow in-class time on Fridays without bee time getting in the way of class time.

Ready to Shine— BEHS Homecoming Week Promises to be Lit 

BEHS homecoming week started Monday, Sept. 16 and will run through Saturday, Sept 21.  

 Homecoming week is a BEHS tradition that many look forward to every year; a week where the “HIVE” is more united than ever. Homecoming boasts more than just a dance or football game, it is a week full of activities and plenty of fun, one week that’s full of the most amount of rizz.  

One of the many traditions surrounding BEHS homecoming is Spirit Week. This involves the student body and teachers dressing up to show off their school spirit and dedication. This week dress up themes are:

Monday- Socks and sandals 

Tuesday- Twin Tuesday 

Wednesday- Beach Day

Thursday- BBQ Dads vs. Soccer Moms

Friday- Dress in your class colors. Seniors wear black, Juniors wear white, and Sophomores wear Purple.

Homecoming week is full of crazy fun traditions such as dress up days for the week, activities and the dance. This year's activities include:

Monday - Beefcake at the big and small gym starting at 6:00 P.M. 

Tuesday - Steal the Flag on the practice field at 6:30 P.M.

Wednesday - Powder puff game on the football field at 7:00 P.M  

Thursday - Movie Night featuring The Emperor's New Groove at the practice field at 7:30 P.M.

Friday- Homecoming Tailgate Party at the north parking lot at 5:30 P.M.

• Homecoming football game at BEHS football stadium at 7:30 P.M.

• Sophomores who are lighting the B will meet at 180 S. Marie Drive at 5:30 P.M.

Sara Olson is this year’s senior class president. “Student government starts by creating an outline of what we want the week to look like. We usually think of activities we did the previous year and use that as a blueprint.” Olson explained.

This week is for everyone to tap into their school spirit and participate in school activities. There is something for everyone. Olivia Crane with the student government said, “Getting people involved with activities is always tricky, but usually people often come… It's important to start telling all of your friends and everyone you know.” 

These activities are a blast to be at and give many students a chance to meet new people and have a great high school experience. This week has students feeling more united than ever and creating memories.

BEHS invites all to be ready to dress up, have fun, and get that rizz on!!!

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.

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.‌ ‌

 ‌

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.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

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.