When a community comes together, lives can be saved. Just ask the Box Elder High School Cheer Team who helped, promoted, and led a blood drive. Over 65 students signed up to donate blood on Oct. 30th at the BEHS Cheer blood drive benefiting the Red Cross.

Saving lives through blood drives is a good way to get involved and help communities. Lila Burgraff, a cheerleader at Box Elder High School shares her thoughts on what the Blood Drive means to her.

“It is very important to me knowing that you can help save someone's life.” said Burggraf. “Some people are unable to create blood for themselves, or lose too much blood. Being able to help that person live another day is a beautiful thing.” 

Donating gives an awesome opportunity to those able to donate. The donations have many reasons as to why they are important and help give another chance.

“Your donations are used for patients in need of surgery, cancer treatment and transfusions for blood loss from traumatic injuries.”

Taking a small step to donate has a huge footprint— saving lives. Saybree Nelson, another cheerleader at Box Elder High School shares how her and the rest of the cheerleaders got the word out about the blood drive so people could participate.

“We sat out during lunch for two weeks and were trying to get people to sign up. We made it clear what would happen during the donation and how they would help someone in need. We also posted about it on instagram, and other social medias to get the word out.” said Nelson. 

Getting the word out is one of the most important parts about hosting a blood drive. The more people are able to donate, the more lives are saved. Many run into many situations where a blood transfusion is needed, this happens often and is life changing.

 “Every 2 seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion in the United States. A single blood donation can save the lives of up to three people.” According to UC Davis Health.

As more people contribute, the impact on the community grows. Burgraff shares her thoughts on how the blood drive went.

“It was a very successful day, the whole team felt accomplished to be able to help out where we are needed,” said Burgraff. “If you are able and have the chance I would suggest donating blood. It is a very short, and simple thing, and you are rewarded. The American Red Cross does pay people to give blood and the feeling that you helped someone in need is something unbeatable.” 

The feeling to help save a life in such a short time, has got to feel rewarding. Certain things such as cancer, need of surgery, and transfusions for loss of blood are many times not purposeful and the people are just in desperate need. Giving a dream and a second chance to someone who deserves another chance is powerful.  

Burgraff left with these final words of wisdom. “Be a good person, donate blood.”

Melanie Williams, the previous psychology and AP psychology teacher at Box Elder High School, retired in September, Samantha Crockett stepped up to fill her shoes. With Williams and her great legacy rolling out, psychology and AP psychology students jump into an era of teachers, new teaching styles, and fresh opportunities. 

Williams taught within the Box Elder School District for around 26 years, leaving behind a history of being a top tier teacher beloved by the students and staff members.

Patrick Parker, instructional coach and math teacher at Box Elder High School, says, “Mrs. Williams will leave a legacy of kindness and always putting students first. She built them up more than you will ever know and made every single person that walked through her door feel like they were worth the world.”

After Williams’ departure, students wondered how the new teachers would handle the challenges. Tyson Heaton and Samantha Crockett, were both highly prepared for the switch, have reassured students that they are ready to help everyone succeed.

Regarding becoming a fresh teacher here at BEHS, Crockett stated, “I'm so happy to be here. The students have been so awesome. I thought they were gonna be a little more challenging considering everything, but honestly I feel like they've just picked it up. They’ve really embraced me and it's been really good. I've really been enjoying it.” 

AP Psychology students will also have new opportunities. The AP students get the choice of staying in the AP Psychology program, the choice to take the test or not, or the choice of dropping out.

“I think Mr. Heaton is going to do a phenomenal job and would ask all to stay and see that he does exactly that,” said Parker. 

Crockett agreed, saying, “Honestly, if you want to pass and you just put in some time to study a little bit extra outside of school I think you'd be totally fine and you might as well take it. So I would encourage everyone to just do it. You've already done it for your trimester, and every trimester after this is going to get better and better.”

Crockett continued to explain that her teaching style will expand beyond the traditional ways and she values the connection between students.

“I definitely don't do the textbook lectures. It’s more of a ‘I'm gonna show you and we're gonna discuss,’ rather than have you working on your own.” explained Crockett. 

From a student’s perspective, sophomore and psychology student, Skye Robinson advises future students to “Always be prepared and take notes while she is teaching.”

Psychology students and their teachers will have a road ahead of them filled with knowledge and new possibilities for furthering their education.

As the second trimester is about to kick off, Crockett explained that she is “so excited to keep teaching” and is “excited for the journey.” 

Before students arrive at Box Elder High, the kitchen is already buzzing. Behind the scenes, everyday the kitchen staff prepare hundreds of healthy meals for students for each day. The Kitchen Staff at Box Elder High School make it happen. 

At Box Elder High School there is a group of 7 cooks in their kitchen staff. They are the ones that prepare healthy food for the students at Box Elder to succeed. Teresa Roubidoux is the head cook in the Box Elder High School Kitchen Staff. Roubidoux shares her favorite part about working in the kitchen. 

“My favorite thing about school lunch is the students! I love getting to know them, their differences, and personalities. Interacting with them is the highlight of my day. “ said Roubidoux 

These daily interactions not only bring joy to the kitchen staff but also help create a positive atmosphere for students. At Box Elder High there are going to be the more popular meals. 

“On the main dish line I'd say probably the chinese rice bowl with an eggroll and the chicken tender basket.” said Roubidoux

Beyond preparing favorite dishes like the Chinese rice bowl and chicken tender basket, the kitchen staff face daily risks. There are shared objects such as knives. There are hot ovens, stoves, and grills all that can get to super high life threatening temperatures.

“You'll need to be comfortable using a range of kitchen equipment, from stovetops and ovens to knives and cutting boards. Knowing how to properly operate and care for this equipment is key to working efficiently and safely in the kitchen.”

Working in the kitchen is a key, important and risky job. Roubidoux adds her thoughts to this same topic.

“Most people don't realize what a physically exerting job it is. It's not easy work. We do a lot of lifting everyday-all day. We lift products up to 40 pounds on and off the shelves, and in and out of our walk-in fridge and freezer. There is lots of cleaning, walking, bending, twisting, and an occasional burn lifting pans out of the ovens and warmers.”

Working in the kitchen is a hard but rewarding job. They also must make sure it is done in a timely manner. At school lunch times are limited and they must make sure the food is made on time and with enough food.

The ladies in the kitchen staff play a crucial role in the success of Box Elder High School students. They prepare 1 of out 3 of the students meals to keep them healthy and well fed throughout the day. 

Thanks to the Kitchen Staff at Box Elder High the students are able to succeed emotionally, physically, and mentally.

From academic counseling to therapy, Box Elder Counseling Center offers multiple resources to BEHS students. BEHS employs several hard-working counselors, college advisors and a dedicated school therapist who do what they can to make BEHS a safe place for students. 

The basic goals the counselors and the therapist have is to overall better students’ lives and help when they are in need. 

“My main goal is to help students overcome the barriers that stand in their way of being successful in school and in life.” school therapist Jason Jones said. “If anxiety is preventing a student from getting the help they need or living the kind of life they want to live then I want to help them find ways around it. I would love it if mental health was no longer a reason students are not successful in school.”

If students are in need of help, they can schedule a meeting with their counselors. No matter the issue, prescheduled meetings are preferred but not mandatory for students.

“They can come in any time during school hours. I split my time between the high school and middle school so I am only around a couple days a week. If I am not there, students can talk with Michelle in the counseling office, she will let me know who to catch up with when I get back,” explains Jones.

Although the counselors are able to talk to students as they need, the school therapist has gone to school specifically for therapy and counseling which can be helpful in many different ways.

“The main difference between my role and that of the counselors is that I am solely focused on the mental health of students. Counselors help with class changes and post high school planning like college and career choices. I help students that are struggling with mental health issues like anxiety and depression,” Jones says. 

Students are still able to talk to the counselors about any issues you may have. They are here to help with mental health, future education choices, and career readiness.  However they can not help with things such as your homework. 

“When a kid enrolls in school they can talk to their counselor no problem, our school therapist Jason does have to get parental permission,” said Barker.

BEHS’s counselors are Amber Clark works students with last names A-C, Victoria Dance works with D-I, Jesse Howards is J-N, Clayton Welch works O-T, and Catherine Hansen is the last names U-Z.

If you're afraid to talk to your teachers, your guardians, or anyone at home, come talk to your school counselor, or therapist. They are here to help. To make an appointment you can go into the counseling office and scan the QR code provided and designed to schedule appointments. 

 “Even when it doesn't feel like things are awesome and amazing in that moment there are things that can be done to get back to being awesome and amazing. Don't give up hope on things getting better. They can and they will,” states Jones.

Tucked away in the heart of the school is one of its most underrated treasures, the library. Whether students come in for research, to read, to print assignments, or just to take a breather during lunch, the library has become much more than shelves of books; it’s a hub that quietly keeps the school connected.

Mrs. Sparks, the school’s librarian, sees the space as both an academic and personal resource for students. “I think the library offers space, whether it’s to come in to do individual study or even just like during lunch. I think it offers a place for students to be,” she said. That simple idea that a safe and comfortable space to learn, think, or just be has made the library a home base for many.

Of course, the modern library has evolved. Gone are the days when the only research tools were encyclopedias and index cards. Now, students can access online databases, use computers for projects, and explore a constantly growing digital world. Mrs. Sparks notes that technology has changed the library landscape completely, but she embraces those changes with curiosity and enthusiasm.

To stay up-to-date, she attends a state library convention each year and meets monthly with librarians from other schools in the district. Together, they share ideas, discuss new trends, and learn how technology, even AI, can make libraries more accessible and exciting for students. This collaboration keeps the library modern, relevant, and ready to meet the needs of a new generation of readers and researchers.

But running the library is no small task. Mrs. Sparks manages everything from ordering and reviewing books to helping teachers find resources for their classes. She also balances her time with teaching yearbook and assisting with concurrent enrollment for students. Despite the busy schedule, she keeps the library organized and welcoming, thanks in part to her trusty teaching assistant, Isaiah Conde.

Isaiah helps with tasks like shelving books, covering new ones, and assisting students who come in for help. “I do lots of things and help make sure things are back to normal,” he said when asked if his role was important to the library’s day-to-day flow. His work might seem small, but it helps the space run smoothly and gives students a chance to take ownership of their school environment.

Beyond its academic functions, the library also serves as a social space for students who want a calm place to hang out. During lunch, groups gather at tables, chatting quietly or simply relaxing away from the noise of the commons. It’s not completely silent and that’s part of its charm. The library isn’t just a study zone; it’s a living, breathing part of school life.

For Mrs. Sparks, that’s what makes the library so special. It’s not just about the books or the technology, but about the students who make use of it every day. Whether they come for peace and quiet, a printer that works, or just a friendly conversation, the library welcomes them all.

As the school year continues, the library stands as a reminder that sometimes the most important spaces aren’t the loudest or the busiest; they are the ones that bring people together, page by page and day by day.

Engaging in hobbies can boost the mental health of high school students, offering them an escape from daily stressors and a chance to recharge both mentally and emotionally.

Everyone has a hobby, whether it’s art, theater, running, or hunting. Hobbies are an important part of human life and a great way to connect with yourself. 

“Hobbies teach children to set and achieve goals, solve problems and make decisions,” states author of Hobbies are Healthy, Pamela Myers, who has a Bachelor of Secondary Education.

Besides teaching people how to solve problems and make decisions, hobbies are a great way for people to wind down after a long day.

“(hobbies) give you a chance to have something to look forward to, gives you something to take a break from normal life,” states BEHS School Counselor Amber Clark, who enjoys outdoor activities. 

Many students share the opinion that hobbies are a good way to improve mental health. Isabelle Richards, a junior who enjoys roller blading, shares her opinion on the importance of having a hobby.

“It’s a good way to help reduce stress, and it gives them (students) something to look forward to at the end of the day,” says Richards.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Whether it’s through YouTube, classes, or word of mouth, there are multiple ways students can gain new skills and hobbies. Many students and staff suggest high school clubs as a way to earn new skills.

“Join a club. I find them very fun and you can learn new things,” says Aaralyn Gibson, a BEHS Junior who is a member of the creative writing club.

Clark also suggests looking out for opportunities in the community, such as classes at local organizations and colleges. 

The Utah State Extension offers a variety of classes every month for people in the community. People can find more information about these classes on the USU Extensions website.

Trying a new hobby can be daunting for many people, but trying new things can help gain new skills as well as improve skills that people already have.

Clayton Welch, a BEHS School counselor who enjoys writing, states, “You can read reviews, you can watch movies, you can watch youtube, but you’ll never know if a hobby is for you until you finally go with someone, whether its a friend, family member, or by yourself, and see if it’s for you”.

“Anytime we find a healthy activity that challenges us, excites us, helps us be better, and set healthy goals, it is worthy of spending some time dedicated to it,” says Jessi Howard, a counselor at BEHS who enjoys running outdoors.

Hobbies are an important part of life for any person, no matter their age. Any student who is looking to try a new hobby should participate in one of the many school clubs, all of which can be found on BEHS’s website.

Morp was hosted at Box Elder High School on April 12th. Morp’s theme this year was decades. 

Hallie Hickman, student government member, said, “We’ve been doing this theme almost like every other year for a few past years now.” 

Student Government has repeatedly chosen this theme because it tends to be well-received by the students. 

“I think it’s just a super fun theme, it’s easy to dress up as, and people really like it,” Hickman continued. 

The students who attended the dance generally enjoyed the theme this year. 

“I think it was really fun because it just gives you more creative freedom,” Leah Richardson said.

Other students in attendance also felt similarly about the decades theme. 

“It’s very diverse so it allows everyone to do what they want to do for their costumes,” said another student. 

Students also enjoyed the theme because it allowed them to connect it with some of their own personal interests.

“We all kinda just like the style, we love the music, and we love the outfits so that’s what we went with,” said Andrea Rogers who was dressed in 50’s attire.  

Overall, the decades theme for morp this year was very well loved by the students who chose to attend. 

Box Elder High School added a new spirit week to this year's calendar. This spirit week included five dress-up days and five activities for students to participate in. 

This week was scheduled for April 21-25, 2025. The dress-up days included Zoom meeting, Beach Day, Senior Citizen, Western and a Teacher-Student swap day where students dress like teachers and teachers dress like students. 

The activities included backyard BBQ games, which included corn hole as well as many other fun backyard games. Additionally there was a water balloon fight, a movie night where students gathered inside to watch Tangled due to bad weather, ultimate frisbee on the football field and the flour throw. 

Student government member Tyeson Hansen said,  “We wanted one last hoorah for the school year and we thought it would be fun to have one last week to get the school together before the school year ends.” 

This spirit week took weeks of planning and a lot of hard work was required by the student government to give these students one last chance to grow closer as a school before the year ends. 

Tyeson Hansen said “It takes a lot of planning. We have to plan the activities, get supplies for those activities and make sure to have chaperons for each activity. We also have to plan around sports or other school sponsored activities. The Student Government really stepped up as a whole to make this happen and we are super excited we could make it work.” 

Some students' favorite dress up days were the senior citizen and the teacher student swap days. Bentley Burt said “The senior citizen was my favorite dress up day because I got to steal my grandpa's clothes.” 

This was the second spring spirit week hosted by BEHS, but student gov hopes to make it a long term BEHS tradition.

Box Elder High School hosted an assembly on Friday, April 11 at 7:35 AM. School staff went over the basics on how to wear graduation attire correctly. This included learning what the different graduation cords represent and the differences in between them.

Victoria dance, BEHS school counselor, demonstrated how to wear the graduation gown and cords correctly to hopefully prevent confusion and mistakes at the graduation ceremony. 

Dance told students that once they get their caps and gowns they should take them out of the package to prevent wrinkles in the fabric, and reminds them that the fabric of the gown and cap will melt if they iron it. Making sure the wrinkles are out are an important part of looking as neat and clean as Box Elder is.

Next Dance talked about the tassels of graduation and when and how to move the tassel at the end of the graduation ceremony. ‘Turning the Tassel’ at high school graduations is traditionally moved from the right side of the cap to the left side as a symbol of academic achievement and a transition into a new chapter

In addition to talking about the significance of turning the tassel at graduation she also talks about 3 cords and one medal that students can qualify for and add to the cap and gown attire. For more information on the specifics of the cords students can refer to the Box Elder High School page or contact Mrs. Dance at victoria.dance@besd.net.

Graduation coordinator for Box Elder High School, Mrs Cheney, gives some extra insight And important rules to follow when wearing your cap and gown at graduation.

“ For your cap the main rule is you don’t want to obstruct any view of students behind you or the ability for parents to see other students. For your cap the top part is great {to decorate} just don’t give it any height”

This rule ensures that all students are able to be seen and equally represented at Box Elder and pictures are easily accessible to parents and other people there to support the students.

Lastly Mrs. Kent left off with some hopeful views for the graduating class.

“We’re excited for you to move on. Every time you progress in life is always a great time and it’s so fun for you but hard for us to see you go, But we wish you guys the best!”

Graduation is more than just a ceremony, it’s a celebration of years of hard work and determination for deserving students so it is important to look the part. If students have any questions, please go to the front office or use this link to all of the graduation information https://www.behs.besd.net/o/behs/page/graduation 

On April 11, Box Elder High School’s sophomores and juniors voted for next year’s student government.

Potential candidates running for student government were introduced to the student body and following this assembly, students were able to vote for their top candidates for 2026’s student government. 

The final results of the election were Olivia Crane as Student Body President, Halli Wright as Vice President, and Sam Frehner as Student Body Secretary.

In the position of Senior Class President, Sadie Jeppsen will be serving with Jaxton Griffin as Vice President. And for the Junior Class, CoCo Jensen will be Class President with Lucy Griffin as Vice President.

The senior senators will be Amelia Snider, Ashlynn Tuft, Brinlee Worthy, Bryce Mecham, Eli Folau, Hallie Hickman, Hunter Gregory, Lindsay Bott, Logan Cefalo, and Trevor Labrum. For the junior class, their senators will be Alexa Steel, Bentley Burt, Davis Lloyd, Eli Brockbank, Jace Davidson, Kate Barrus, Talan Sumko, and William Hansen.

Those elected into student government have vocally explained their high hopes for next school year.

Sadie Jeppsen, 2026’s Senior Class President, expresses her readiness for positive changes. “I wanted to see a difference that I hadn’t really seen as much in the last couple of years. And I want to be able to do what I can for the students so they can see the change that they have been looking for.”

Sadie Jeppsen has gone on to explain her ideas to get feedback from the student body through QR codes around the school. She and other members of next year's student government hope that, through publicly available surveys, that they can get up to date feedback from students on what needs to change.

One of next year’s junior senators, Bryce Mecham, also explains his support for this action. “I think that’s a really important thing for next year, hearing what more students want is important because we’re supposed to be representing the students of the school.”

The student government for next school year expressed, even during the elections, their desire to make next school year enjoyable for all students. And in pursuing that goal, they hope that the student body can be active in helping them get there.

“I think that if we really try to be more including of everybody,” Bryce continues, “we can make it a more fun, exciting year for everybody. But it also depends on the willingness of the people.”

Next August, the student government will officially assume their new positions. And, with the help of the student body, they hope to make it even more exciting than before.

As the ACT quickly approaches, Box Elder High School is boosting preparation efforts. Through dedicated classroom prep time and a multitude of online resources, the school aims to help students excel on this critical test.

While many students express nervousness about the ACT, opinions differ on the effectiveness of students' preparation. Some students find the online resources provided to be sufficient, while others believe that dedicating class time to ACT prep would be more beneficial.

Box Elder Junior Abbey Gallegos believes that even if teachers are not taking time out of class, taking time after school or during lunch could be advantageous. 

Despite online study tools like Shmoop being available, some students still do not believe that the school is encouraging students enough and that a lot of their studying has been self-encouraged and self-paced. 

On the contrary, Gavin Noyes, a Junior at Box Elder High School, believes the provided resources are adequate. He states, “I think we have gotten enough stuff that if you wanted to be prepared you could be prepared for it.” 

Whether students believe they are being properly prepared or not, there are many ACT prep options available to them. Junior Isabelle Holbrook, along with many other students, shared that she uses Shmoop ACT Prep to study and believes that it has been helpful. 

Along with online resources, teachers and staff are offering additional support. 

Teachers like Caden Burrell and Matthew Patterson are planning after-school ACT prep options. Burrell and Patterson plan to do after-school prep Monday through Thursday for the two weeks prior to the exam. In each session, they will focus on a specific topic and provide a full-length practice test. Burrell also remarks, “The Math Department has created a Canvas class students can join to specifically prep for the math portion of the ACT which I think has been super helpful for students in the past”. 

Students have also gone to their counselors for advice and study tools, as well as additional online tools sent out in an email by principal Jamie Kent.

In the weeks leading up to the ACT, Box Elder High School is going all in. With a mix of online resources and after-school prep opportunities, students are ready to tackle the test and aim for success.

Box Elder's students are as busy as ever with their plates full of sports, clubs, jobs, academics, and a social life on top of that. With all this, the load adds up and can build stress or no time for social activities. The busiest teens at BEHS deal with this in different ways. The stress overload can be too much for some people, but strong students get it all done with time saved for their social lives.

A recent study done by Harvard University found that about 43% of students' stress had gone up in recent years. The major build-up for their stress can include academics, social stress, family issues. These issues lead to a negative impact in student’s daily life.

The same study shows signs of this stress which include anxiousness, getting more sick more often, headaches, skipping meals, or overeating. Everyone copes differently, but some teens here at BEHS have found ways to balance their hectic lives.

A senior, Paola Almeida, plays basketball here at BEHS. Outside of school she also has a job she attends to multiple times a week. Add schoolwork and basketball and that can fill up someone's schedule really fast. Almeida not only deals with that but also always makes sure to find time for her friends and her social life.

Almeida finds ways to keep her grades up and her stress down. She mentions, “I get very stressed out sometimes, but you gotta keep going.” In order to mellow out to keep going she says,  “I clean my room and listen to music, then just get started on all my assignments.”

For someone who has been doing this for almost their whole high school career, the tip Almeida gives as a senior to her younger peers is, “Don’t overload your schedule especially if you know you’re going to be working or playing a sport. Try to balance things out so you then can do it stress free.”

Cole Mcneely, who is involved in football and track as a Sophomore at BEHS still finds time for his social life outside of school, work, and sports. Mcneely makes friends and family his number one priority over it all, taking days off or postponing his to-do list.

Most students at BEHS deal with a lot in their daily lives, but how they balance it is what is important. There are lots of ways to cope with stress, some tips could be simply taking time to relax, music, television, exercising, and plenty of sleep for teens. 

It is most important for students to find their own specific way for them to handle stress. Once they do their full schedule won’t feel so full. 

Senior here at BEHS, Jaylee Chappell, states, “I think the hardest thing for me is finding time to prioritize my mental health. Like a lot of the time, balancing multiple sports, work, and school is so hard, I would never catch up and I always had something to be doing.”

From the pink streamers to the infamous balloon drop, Box Elder High School’s Sweethearts dance promises memorable experiences and unforgettable moments with traditions all the way from planning to dancing.

Dances have become an important part of the high school experience. Some students go with dates while others go with friends, and many also participate in traditions around the dance itself.

Macey Walton, a Sophomore, went to the dance on a group date. “We shopped for dresses, we got boutonnieres and corsages and then we had a tradition the day after [where] we have to wear our dresses to church,” Walton said. She also described how attending the dance helped her meet different types of people.

Historically, the first proms started as debutante balls which took place in universities and over time were brought to high schools. Eventually they turned into dances with traditions like asking your date with a promposal, renting a limo, buying corsages or boutonnières, and going to dinner.

Historian Karal Ann Marling wrote, “Early proms allowed the American middle class to practice social rituals, including proper dress and manners, generally associated with the wealthy.”

School dances today like the Sweethearts dance, celebrate love and friendship. Even if you feel like you are socially awkward and don’t know what to expect, going to a school dance can bring learning experiences and lots of fun.

In addition to participating in dance traditions, there are other things students experienced at the Sweethearts dance. At BEHS the decorations set the theme with streamers, hearts, and balloons. The singing and dancing created a unique way for students to connect. There was even a mosh pit.

“I don’t dislike the moshing but it’s a little scary because like they’re jumping around and they don’t know where they’re going and so sometimes you have to like quickly back up before you get sucked into the human tsunami,” Nataysia Thompson, a Sophomore, explained after attending the Sweethearts dance.

Thompson states that she also wishes the balloon drop was better, because it was a little pathetic. Regardless, she still thinks dances are an important part of the High School experience and plans to attend more dances in the future. Thompson adds that school dances are important because school shouldn’t all be about the work but should also be about having good times and making memories.

“There’s got to be some fun sometimes, you know?” she explained. From the rhythm of the music, to the uncontrollable mosh pit, Sweethearts seems to be a dance that will continue to draw in students now and into the future.

BEHS offers AM STEM and IT STEM classes before and after school for students interested in the courses. These classes are offered to high school students through Bridgerland Technical College with the usual $2,500 price tag waived. These classes are hands-on programs that seek to equip students with practical skills and industry certificates. 

Many students at Box Elder High School consider their favorite part of the day to be the end of it. However, for a few ambitious students, the school day does not start or end with the bells.

Rather, these students willingly take on an extra hour of work before or after school. 

Miles Turner shared his experience with the program “It's all been super interesting, like I just love learning this stuff, me from the start of the year did not know how to do like a third of the things I now know how to do with computers.”

The IT STEM program is offered by Bridgerland Technical College through BEHS as a seventh-hour class. This program is focused on helping students learn how to troubleshoot and repair information technology systems such as computers and WI-FI. The program is self-paced and taught through online courses with instructor input. 

Aaron Crawford, the IT STEM instructor, encourages students to join. “Computers, networking, you need to be in this class especially if they're interested in the kind of hardware part of computers they should definitely be here, this is where they belong.”

The AM STEM program is offered as a zero-hour class for students looking to prepare themselves for a career in the automated manufacturing industry. Similarly to the IT STEM program, this course is self-paced, but with an emphasis on hands-on projects, such as designing circuits and programming robots. 

The AM STEM advisor, Jim Baker, commented “This course is specifically to help those that are going to be going into manufacturing either as an operator or a technician or potentially even a manufacturing engineer.”

Both of these programs are graded with a competency-based pass/fail system, meaning that students must show that they understand the material before moving on to other topics. These programs are focused on preparing students for the workforce and giving them an understanding of modern industry practices. 

According to Baker, “There is a huge need for these roles, in fact, manufacturing is the largest employing segment in this area, accounting for I think it was 40% of all jobs, just bypassing the essential skills and safety course there are 20 employers in this area that have guaranteed them an interview.”

There is a large need for people to fill roles in the IT and manufacturing sectors, particularly as demand for people with these skills continues to grow as automation and computers grow more common across different industries. In Box Elder there are many companies that need people to fill technical roles and the STEM courses are preparing students to be those people. 

According to IT STEM student Kohyn Van Konen, “If people are really interested in computers or such they should join, it’s a wonderful class.” These classes are aimed to give technically minded students a way to gain practical skills and experience in industry, if they are willing to put in a few extra hours.

 Jerry Hodgkinson is someone who can do it all. He is a teacher, a swim team coach, natatorium coordinator, and overall a friend at Box Elder High School; he is the man who makes you feel safe and comfortable when you are in his class. 

Hodgkinson teaches sports psychology, health, and fitness classes. Along with this, coaching the swim team has a special place in his heart because he has been doing it for so long.

Hodgkinson also said “I have coached some of these kids since they were eight or nine years old. So the swim team is like a second family for both myself and the athletes.”

Due to his participation with the natatorium, he has been able to create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. That is why many of the swimmers say that they would recommend Hodgkinson as a coach.

Hodgkinson’s involvement extends to every aspect of the natatorium, as he states. “I run the Natatorium and am involved with pretty much everything that goes on there.“ 

With his loving and nurturing environment, many of his students consider him a friend. Many students feel like they have a place where they can go to always fit it. 

“He's more than just a coach, he's basically a friend to every single team member.” says Ryan Firth, a senior member of the swim team.  “If you want to fit in anywhere Jerry will help you.” 

One of Hodgkinson’s goals was to be someone who could make a positive change in each student's life. He says that is one of the coolest parts about his job.

“I thought it was so cool to see how one person could change a person's life for the better and have such a positive impact in their future lives. I wanted to be able to do that.”  Hodgkinson says.

At Box Elder High School, lunchtime has turned into a food lover paradise, thanks to Ms. Stolworthy and her culinary program where students prepare and sell their creations to their peers.

Box Elder Beestro is back this trimester better than ever bringing the student body fun with new recipes and old favorites. Students inside this project are excited to reopen.

Jaxton Callaway, a senior at BEHS, found the class a valuable experience. Callaway said “[it’s] learning a skill that you might not have if you don’t take this class.” 

Callaway has taken this class multiple times and feels that taking part in the Beestro gives students hands-on experience in an essential skill. 

Students who have taken this class before make an essential part in the BEHS Beestro, because they are more experienced and they help the teacher in charge, Janet Stolworthy, often taking a supervisory role where they can be independent and help other students.

Emmeline Jensen is a junior that is taking this class for the first time. When talking about her favorite part of the class, Jensen said, “the days that we get to try the food that we make”. Culinary arts class is not just about the Beestro, it also offers group labs where the food being made is not sold and the students in the class eat it. 

Culinary Arts class is a big project, and students make it happen, but there’s also a lot of background work that the student body doesn’t see and also makes a big part of the Beestro.

“One of the most difficult things about the Beestro is the grocery shopping for the week” said Stolworthy. Stolworthy works hard to make everything happen with the help of her students. 

That is not the only thing Stolworthy does, she is in charge of making up new menus each trimester, with differences on all the days the Beestro opens, and are the students who make that food happen, cooking in groups every week. 

There are some requirements before students can be part of this amazing team, for example, all Beestro staff must complete a safety and sanitizing information course provided by Stolworthy to her students. “At the beginning of every trimester the students have to take the food handlers permit.” That is one of the requirements that a student has to complete to start working in the kitchens.

The Beestro is not just the food seen and bought during lunch time, But it is also every member that takes part into this team, each student, teachers and of course the dedication and love they have for their project.

In the bustling halls of Box Elder High School, one man stands out not just for authority, but for his unwavering commitment to every student and staff’s success. Meet Robbie Gunter, the assistant principal whose innovative approaches and compassionate leadership are transforming the educational experience for students and staff alike.

For some, Gunter had been a coach at Box Elder. Now he is the newest member of the administrative team serving as an assistant principal. 

“I try to be nice, and help people feel like they have someone on their side.” Gunter said about his job.

Gunter always shows the kindness of his heart and has ways of making others happy.

Amber Clark, a counselor at Box Elder, stated “He just brings a positive presence and brightens the mood and again he’s just very happy and very positive.”

Gunter works side-by-side with students and the counselors at BEHS to assist at-risk students, or those that just need a little extra help.

Catherine Hanson, another BEHS counselor, mentions “He cares about students very deeply and collaborates with the counselors to meet the needs for students. He will bring down students when they are struggling and tries to help them in anyway he can. He is very personable and talks to everyone in a kind manner.” 

Someone new to Box Elder High will feel comfortable with interactions with Gunter as he helps students and staff who need the help.

Jessi Howard, the new High school Counselor at BEHS brought up “He’s really great to work with. I’m new to Box Elder too and I have a lot of questions and things I need help with all the time, and he’s good at helping not just me but everybody. I noticed that he’s somebody everyone wants to go to with their questions because he’s good at taking the time to explain things and to not blow you off or make you feel stupid for asking questions. Not that anyone does make me feel stupid but sometimes like some people are easy to talk to.

Gunter may seem scary but once people get to know him he is very kind, understanding, friendly, and a great person to talk to.

Gunter gives respect to all students of BEHS and he cares more than anything about each student and staff so in the halls or during lunch go say thank you to him and show him gratitude for everything he does for BEHS.

Student government is a vital part of our school at Box Elder High. It takes a blend of leadership, dedication, and the desire to make a difference.

Trey Bauer believes that the student government is the core support system for students. They help facilitate activities throughout the school year and help to get students to participate. 

He likes student government because it keeps him involved in the activities and helps him to have friends to go to activities with.

Bauer thinks that the hardest part of student government is the elections, although; he still thinks they are a good time and very enjoyable.

“If you have the desire and you're thinking about it consciously enough to want to be involved in things then you're cut out for student government and you have to have a work ethic,” Bauer said during an interview. 

Trevor Labrum feels the student government does whatever the school needs them to do. They help set up activities and try to make activities fun with their student section. 

He believes that student government is a little scary having more eyes on you but really enjoys it at the same time.

When asked what he thought it took to be in student government, Labrum answers, “To be a good student as well as being kind to others…people put in student government are leaders.”

Labrum suggests that if you have the confidence to do student government then you should do it.

Olivia Crane perceives student government as the hype of the school during activities and fundraisers. She likes the good environment and being involved in things.

“It's a way for students at our school to help lead and be in charge of things,” she says during an interview.

Crane feels the elections are a little scary because you don't know how people will react to you putting yourself out there. She remarks after that once you are in student government it isn't scary.

Crane believes that as long as you want to help and support other people and be involved in school activities that you have what it takes.

Coco Jensen says the student government plans activities and dress-up weeks. She thinks it is so much fun to be a part of. 

Jensen mentions that there are times where it is stressful but even when it is hard it is still fun. She loves having other members around her because they are enjoyable to be around.

When asked what it takes to be a part of student government she answered, “You have to be a good leader and someone who is willing to go and talk to different people no matter what and always just be a friend to them.”

Jensen implores students to run because of how good of an experience it has been for her.

“Student government is about more than just planning activities and having fun. You do have to put in some work but the reward is worth the effort. You should run for student government.”

Between the constant pressure of grades, test scores, and keeping up with extracurriculars, preparing for college can start to feel like you’re stuck in a race you didn’t even sign up for.

It’s easy to feel lost in the shuffle. So, what's the real deal with preparing for college, and how can we actually make sense of it all without burning out?

One vital piece of knowledge is that Box Elder High School has an amazing College Access Advisor, Morgan Ogilvie.

Ms. Ogilve’s main objective is to help Seniors with college and career planning. You are able to make appointments with Ogilvie through Mrs. Barker in the counseling office.

“Ideally, well, not to say ideally because every student's path is going to look different. And my main job is to, for one, figure out what that is for each student and for two, help them get there.”

Ogilvie not only works with almost all of the colleges in Utah but she is also able to work and help students apply to out of state colleges and universities!

Ogilvie says that the first step will depend on a couple of factors, living spaces (on or off campus), your budget, and your major. If you don’t really have a major in mind before going to school that's ok because you will have time to decide in college!

Next you're going to look at what schools you personally are interested in whether they are in Utah or out of state. Ovilvie’s piece of advice is to apply to as many colleges as you want even if you are not super interested in attending.

Ogilvie states, “I will say, for the foreseeable future, almost all major public Utah colleges are getting rid of their application fee.”

After Applying to as many colleges as you're considering and getting your letters of acceptance back it's time to figure out how to pay for the college education.

One if not THE most helpful payment assistance is scholarship.

Ogilvie states, “ when it comes to scholarships students think that they can't qualify for any grade scholarships because they don't have a good act score but, a lot of schools don't require the ACT scores anymore”

Scholarships can be based on GPA or extracurricular activities and numerous other factors so it’s a great idea to really look into scholarships and apply for all that you can.

A different vital payment assistance option is the FAFSA also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid . This is money provided by the government ment to help young people pay for further education. 

BEHS is hosting a FAFSA night on January 13th from 4:30-6:30 PM where students and their parents can come in and get help applying for the FAFSA with direction and instruction from the counselors and Ogilvie.

Before coming to the FAFSA night, visit Ms. Ogilvie in her office to pick up the information students and their parents will need to come prepared and ready.

With these first few steps in the process of students furthering their education it is still important to remember to continue to enjoy high school and the memories and experiences you make here within the BEHS school community.

If students have any further questions feel free to schedule an appointment with Ms. Ogilvie in the counseling office at any time and she will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Winter isn’t just about snow days and staying inside with hot cocoa. For some it's the season to break out the sleds, lace up the skates, and hit the slopes. Whether you're a thrill-seeker or looking for an adventure, there is no shortage of activities to make the cold months way more fun than you would expect.

With predicted heavy snow this season in Box Elder County, numerous opportunities open up with activities to do with your family and friends during the winter season!

A Utah-known favorite activity is to hit the slopes either skiing or snowboarding. 

To put it simply, the slopes in Utah are epic.

With thirteen snowboarding resorts scattered along the state's mountain ranges that are perfectly positioned for dumps of fluffy powder all winter long, most of which see an average of 500 inches of snow each year.

Brian Head is an affordable ski resort known for its snowy peaks and its vast desert landscapes. It is equipped with 8 chairlifts, 72 runs and more than 650 acres to ski or snowboard on. Tickets can be as low as $30 depending on the year and day of week.

Nordic valley is a skier’s most affordable option around the Eden area. It is equipped with 5 lifts, a 6-chair high speed and 300 acres of white Utah snow. Nordic Valley tickets can be low as $13 for a day pass and $9 for a night skiing pass.

A second activity that is fun for people of all ages is some good old ice skating.

Whether it be to show off your mad skating skills or watch people fall, ice skating can be a fun activity for people of all ages.

The Eccles Ice Center in Logan, Utah is open year round for some fun family ice skating. Prices can range from $8 to $10 for their winter hours. 

Not only does Eccles have a wonderful ice rink, they also have a hot chocolate club designed for parents and children with fun activities on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Lastly, a local favorite winter activity is sledding in Brigham City’s 11 local parks.

Pionioneer Park and Rotary Constitution Park are known for having steep hills with lots of open space for sledding and other family fun activities, like building snowman or snowball fights.

Winter may be cold, but the activities and experiences it brings are warm with excitement and community spirit. So grab your gear, bundle up, and make the most of this season—because winter here is definitely something to celebrate!

In today's day and age students have peer pressure coming at them left and right in everyday lives, but when someone is standing in front of a decision in Box Elder High School will students make the decision that aligns with their values? 

Peer pressure isn't always loud or obvious, but it is always there pushing people to fit in or risk being left out. 

BEHS junior, Reagan Checketts states that she has seen peer pressure happen first hand at BEHS.

 “I’ve seen people in the bathroom telling their friends to vape and they do it.”

She further goes on to say that although she hasn't experienced peer pressure personally she does see its consequences in her peers.

The national average of drug use was 8.82 percent. Additionally, 3.65 percent of Utah residents reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past month (the national average was 3.6 percent).

A wide majority of that drug use is taken with peer pressure or addiction. 

Not only is peer pressure affecting the mental health of citizens, it is also heavily affecting physical health as well.

Altahawkeye.org states,” Peer pressure can come from any surrounding influence like friends, social media, family, etc. Social interactions between students are very important to development and mental health, however, the people you surround yourself is just as important.”

Although bad peer pressure is hard to deal with in our school environment there are ways to combat the trial.

BEHS junior Jaxton Griffin says that student can help stop bad peer pressure by, “ Being a good example would help out a ton, and showing that you can just be yourself.”

People can personally say no to bad peer pressure by sticking to personal values and beliefs within our school life.

People's values as an individual can shape the person they become and the person they are now.

Although there will always be bad peer pressure there will also always be good peer pressure 

Ben Jons, BEHS senior, gives some examples of good peer pressure such as, “ participating in school activities, going to sporting events, or participating in after-school clubs.”

Good peer pressure can bring people into new opportunities to make new friends, learn new skills and have new experiences.

Griffin leaves off by saying, “Be a good influence and help others around you and everything will work out in the end.”

From lunchtime gossip to Instagram likes, Box Elder Students spill the tea on what it takes to be part of the "cool crowd" in the world of academia.

Student popularity can play a significant role in a student's overall experience and perception of their school environment. But how do students themselves view popularity and its impact on their lives? 

BEHS students had similar answers when asked what the qualities of a popular person were. They said popular people were social, friendly, confident, and kind.

Zenoch Larson, BEHS student states, “I would say you have to look like you know what you're doing when you're popular.”

Box Elder Middle School students had a quite different answer than the high school students

BEMS students said that popular people were made of most of their physical attributes or characteristics besides personality and character.

An anonymous student from BEMS whom we’ll call Sally, states, “ People are popular because of trendy clothes, when it comes to girl curled hair. Some of them are nice, some of them are not and they have big friend groups.”

This can make us wonder why being popular is so important to youth in our community.

A BEMS student we’ll call John brings to light why he thinks students want to be popular. He states,” When you're popular, you get noticed, and people actually see you as a real person.”

To build onto John’s Idea, BEHS student Mason Jeppsen says, “I feel like people want to be popular for validation and wanting to have friends.”

From the website sedonasky.org it tells us, “Moreover, popularity can influence one's self-esteem and body image. Students who do not fit the conventional standards of popularity may experience feelings of inadequacy, leading to low self-esteem and negative body image. This can contribute to the development of mental health issues such as depression and eating disorders.”

While being popular can bring validation, it can also bring harm to individuals if it goes too far. 

Jeppsen brings an interesting point to the table, “I think being popular is a very relative thing, to some people you might look at someone and think they're popular but to other people they might think, who is that person?” 

BEHS student, Sydney Grover ends off by telling us, “I feel like we shouldn’t focus on popularity in High School, we should mainly focus on being happy and surrounding yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself.”

Whether you’re popular or not, there is a place for everyone in this world and everyone could use a little kindness. 

In the words of Jeppsen, “Be nice to everyone, don’t let anyone tear you down.”

Box Elder High School's first trimester comes to the end on Nov. 20th, and students are rushing to get missing assignments, quizzes, and tests done and turned in. With this rush to complete assignments and the stress of trying to get grades up, burnout is inevitable for many students. Staff members, such as counselors and teachers, are working hard to help students combat their burnout.

Burnout is the act of ruining one's health through overwork. This can be because of a lack of planning, taking on too big of a workload, or trying to do too many things with work, school, or extracurricular activities. Today, burnout affects 27% of high school students who don't know of any sources that could help them combat their burnout. 

According to a study done by Harvard, 27% of students experience burnout, with 5% of those students saying it is almost constant and 3% saying they feel so burnt out they are unsure if they could go on.

Box Elder Senior Natalie Hall, who is in the school musical and concert choir, has personal experience with burnout. She mentions that burnout can sometimes sneak up on you, and it can be hard for students to keep up with their work if they are already experiencing burnout.

”It’s not necessarily the amount of work that we have to do, but the timeframe within stuff, and with extracurricular activities like being in the musical, it's kind of a lot to manage,” Hall says.

BEHS English Language Arts teacher Kimberly Maw mentions that there could be many reasons that students experience burnout, especially as students head into their junior and senior years.

“Your junior year a lot more students take on more responsibilities, jobs, driving, just extra responsibilities at home,” Maw says.

In her classroom, Maw has observed that students who have something to focus on outside of school and work often have less of a problem with burnout.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  "You need something else besides work to bring joy,” Maw mentioned, “Having anything else they love, something that brings them joy, a hobby, a friend.”

BEHS counselor Clayton Welch has helped many students overcome burnout and find coping mechanisms that work for them. Welch helps to ground students and allows them to talk about their lives and responsibilities and give advice based on the information given. Welch uses the metaphor of a tree to describe the relationships and responsibilities of students.

”Maybe a certain responsibility that maybe we can prune, trim some of that fruit, so then we can try to focus more on what’s important in the moment,” Welch advises. 

Students who are experiencing burnout should seek out help from someone they know. Teachers and counselors will always be willing to help students and give them coping mechanisms to help them combat their burnout. Even just talking to a friend or working with a parent to create a plan to help students finish all their work can be beneficial.

“Burnout is not a sign that you are doing anything wrong, it’s a sign that you’re trying to do everything,” Maw says. 

Taking a break can be one of the most important things when it comes to combating burnout. It may seem hard to get a break with all the responsibilities students have, but even a 30 minute break to indulge in a hobby or hang out with friends can help ease stress. Ask for help when you need it, take care of yourself, and have a happy end to the first trimester at Box Elder High School.

Box Elder High School is filled with students who exemplify the traits of the 2024-2025 school year theme: Be Strong.

Principal Jamie Kent stated that before school began, the admin met together to decide the theme of 2024-2025.

“We tried to think of something that we feel like would speak to our students that year.” Kent said. “We felt like with Be Strong there is a lot of areas you can be strong in.”

Kent went on to say that she has been very impressed with the students this year and how clubs and sports have been so service-oriented. She spoke on how giving back helps make students strong.

She went on to talk about mental health, mentioning the importance of positive self-talk, and how much that can affect your mental strength. 

“Your brain listens the most to you out of anyone,” Kent said.

While the admin chose the theme, the students are finding their own personal interpretations of it.

Student government and sports player Jocelyn Vranes spoke on what being strong means to her as an involved member of the school.

“I look at it in a way that’s like Be Strong for other people” Vranes stated. In her mind, it is important to be a role model for others in the school and her team. 

Senior drill team member Lily Walker also shared her thoughts on the theme. Walker is the dance captain for Rockettes.

“As a captain on the drill team, I think being strong means putting in your own personal effort to make your team’s effort and goals rise.” Walker shared. 

While it can be difficult to be strong in every area, students are rising up to do what they can in the best interest of their school and teams. 

Be Strong has different meanings for everyone, and it's important to find what your best strengths are to be the best you can be.

Counselors have always been at Box Elder High School but they may not get the recognition they deserve. Our counselors are not only here for class changes and planning your future, they are here for you. 

Amber Clark helps kids with their last names from A-D mostly during the morning. She really likes getting to know kids and enjoys their time together.

“I just wish more kids would come in like if they were struggling…if they're struggling or having a bad day to come in that's what we're here for.”

Catherine Hanson also helps kids with the last names A-D but the afternoon is her time to shine. She loves interacting with all of the students and is impressed with all the students here.

“I am continuously impressed with our students. The more that I get to know my students, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to share in their educational journey.”

Now if your last name is E-J then your counselor, Victoria Dance, would love to talk to you. She likes meeting with the kids and being able to help and teach them about mental health and planning for their future.

“We're here to help with anything and everything and they’re always welcome to come in or bring a friend in that they know is struggling”

Jessi Howard is the next counselor at our school and students with the last names K-Q would know her better. She really likes the variety of students that come in to talk to her and really loves her job.

“I like to help people find what they want and work backwards from there to help them make it happen”

Our final counselor at our school, Clay Welch, for students whose last names are R-Z enjoys his time he gets with the students. He really enjoys seeing students' goals change over time and enjoys talking and getting to know students.

“I think not only about the college and the Bridgerland and the other post-high school jobs and everything like that. I think counseling also has a very solid benefit to students that just need a shoulder to cry on if there's a hard day they had where they just need 5 or 10 minutes to talk with someone and be able to have that safe spot, that safe space to speak with someone.”

Jason Jones is the school's therapist and is here for students that may need a little extra help. He loves working with the students and getting to know them and tries to help students in their own way that they know will help them.

“Students today are faced with things that students in the past hadn’t had to deal with the way the world is and I think counseling and the counseling center is a place where students can vent some of those frustrations and get some advice and help.”

Counselors are here to provide all kinds of help from future advice to helping with mental health. 

To schedule an appointment with them you can contact them in the counseling office and schedule an appointment with our counseling secretary Michele Barker or at https://behs-counseling.weebly.com/ for more information.

Our counselors are here for you.

Starting last year parking passes were created for the safety and well-being of students in the parking lots of Box Elder High School.

Although parking passes were created for the students' safety, some believe the parking passes serve no purpose.

“They’re pointless, why do I need to have one?” said Hailey Hess, a Senior, at BEHS. 

Hess doesn’t currently possess a parking pass despite parking at school every day. Hess doesn’t believe the parking passes are necessary, stating, “because we don’t have assigned parking spots.”  

Hess is not the only student who believes this. In a poll of BEHS students in the parking lot most students did not have a pass and echo Hess’s statements. 

Contradictory to popular student belief, Officer Johnson believes parking passes ensure students’ safety, and are helpful in identifying students' vehicles if needed. Though, he agrees with the student on assigned parking spots making the passes more beneficial. 

“I think they can benefit a lot more if we did things a little differently. In some schools, you can get a parking pass, but your parking pass is for a certain parking spot,” Officer Johnson said in regards to how the school could make the passes more beneficial. 

Officer Johnson continued to explain the current benefits of the school’s parking passes, addressing how helpful they can be for both students and staff alike. 

In his response to why parking passes can be helpful he said, “It actually helps us out, so if a student vehicle has their headlights on, if we have your parking pass, your license plate is connected with your parking pass.” 

Although parking passes can be very helpful, there is no school policy on whether or not you need a pass.

According to Box Elder High School’s parking policies, there is no regulation on requiring a parking pass. The Box Elder Website only says this, “Students may park in designated parking lots and legal areas along curbs adjacent to the school,” regarding the parking policies for students. 

Regardless of the policy and what some students believe about the pass, it might be in your best interest to get one. The benefits of the parking pass outweigh the negatives.

Next time you leave your headlights on and your car battery dies, remember that you could’ve reversed the outcome with a parking pass.

It takes determination, grit, patience, and hard work to be a student-athlete at Box Elder High School. Around 900 students have risen to the task. A few students from the school are raising their voices to tell everyone what it takes to balance school, athletics and daily lives.

BEHS has 62% of the student body participating in sports this year. With all of these athletes Adin Droubay, Carter Buchanan, and Ian Hill share their experiences and knowledge of being a student-athlete.

Adin Droubay, a successful cross country athlete states, “ Being a student-athlete is being able to balance student life while balancing athlete life, and making sure you are getting good grades while also being an athlete.”

Some of the skills the athletes mentioned about being a student athlete are determination, patience, hard work and flexibility.

In the article “What it Means to be a Student-Athlete.” written by Blair McDonald says something similar. “To be a student-athlete requires hard work, sacrifice and unwavering dedication. Despite the challenges and sacrifices necessary, for almost every student-athlete I know, we wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Most student-athletes agree with Droubay and McDonald about balancing all aspects of life while also being a student is a defining characteristic. Many struggle with balancing academics, home-life, and their athletic training.

“The Unseen Struggles of Being a Student Athlete” from Duke University states, “With collegiate sports in particular, athletes are balancing school, social life, and this time-consuming and physically draining job of playing a sport.”

But while it is hard to balance the workload and responsibilities Carter Buchannan, a BEHS football player, brings to light some of the big rewards of being a student-athlete.

Buchannan explained, “Being successful with your friends that you’ve worked so hard with is definitely a big reward.”

Droubay agreed saying, “probably having friends, It's probably the best thing coming out of the cross country team is the friends I’ve made”

When asked what one thing teachers could do better to help students succeed in both academics and sports Ian Hill, BEHS Football player, states, “ It would be nice if the teachers could work with students on due dates and be flexible with us.” 

Being a student-athlete is not easy and takes a lot of skills to pursue the passion of athletics in high school but it does pay off in many ways like the friends BEHS students make along the way and the life lessons they learn.

It is no secret that in America book titles are constantly being challenged, and Box Elder High School is no exception to this attack. Box Elder’s library contains book titles that have been challenged previously. 

Each year, there are increases in challenged book titles, oftentimes because of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC topics. As of July 2024, 13 book titles were pulled off the shelves of Utah school libraries, in accordance with law HB 29. This law, puts books that have been challenged in three or more different school districts on the “no read list” resulting in those titles being pulled from all public schools in Utah 

The Box Elder School District has two policies they use to determine what literary content is appropriate for the school: Policy 4018 Library, and Policy 4017 Literature Selection and Review. 

BEHS librarian, Mrs. Sparks explains that if a book cannot be put in a school library there are other places it can be found. 

“Books that contain content that don’t meet the standards/guidelines in these policies may be found in a public library.” Sparks said.

Sparks states that there are rarely complaints about a book title at the school. The few complaints that do happen are taken to the district and reviewed with the previously mentioned policies. 

“The great thing about libraries is that an individual has the opportunity to self-select books they are interested in,” Sparks says. 

Senior student Sheradyn Toone shares her opinions on book banning and if it is fair to have her reading selections restricted in high school.

“If we’re offended by something in a book we should all be mature enough to just not read it,” Toone says. 

Toone says that it is not fair for her reading choices to be restricted because high schoolers should be trusted to set down a book if they find it wrong for them. 

 BEHS all together has a lenient view on book content in the library. People are free to choose what they want to read and discontinue reading if they find it inappropriate for themself. 

If you want to learn more and find a book that is right for you, visit our library or ala.org.

Sadie Hawkins was hosted at Box Elder High School on October 19. It is a fun dance where students ask each other to go and they have music and the option of getting married for the night. They also are welcome to some snacks and water during the dance as well. Many students plan a day date and dinner as well for them and their dates before the dance.

Bella Johnson, a sophomore, attended the dance for the first time. For their day date they carved pumpkins and painted plates. During the small interview, she talked about the music played. “I didn’t like how he skipped the songs”.

Isabelle Holbrook, a junior, attended the dance with many of her friends. For their date they also carved pumpkins. She also commented on the music being played. When asked what songs she would like to be played next year she said, “More hype music. I can't believe they didn't play Fein its so stupid”

Gage Forsberg, a senior, attended the dance. He commented on their day date that they did before the dance and how fun it was to go to the corn maze. He also commented how he liked the conga line they formed and how it was different from other years of the dance.

Bridger Stuart, a senior, had a fun group with the cheerleaders and they went to Haunted Hollow for their date. Later they went to the dance and had fun there too. When asked his favorite part he said, “getting married in the marrying ceremony and seeing Burt in his long johns.”

Kaden Moriarty, a junior, went hiking for their date and then went to the dance. Her favorite part of the dance was dancing in the courtyard.

Students love the dance and how fun it is even though the music could be improved. There is something for everyone whether you like being married for the day or dancing in the courtyard. Sadie Hawkins is an awesome way to feel included at Box Elder High School and it is a lot of fun to go to.

Students at Box Elder High School were given the chance to vent their stress during Hope Squad’s Destress Week.

Last week, Hope Squad hosted a series of events during lunch and Bee Time to help students during this final stretch of school. With all of the different events, school tests, and issues happening, it helps students to keep away this oncoming dread. 

“I think a lot of people are just ready for the summer break.” Tyson Heaton, one of Hope Squad’s counselors, observes. “The activities for the end of the year help to alleviate some of that anxiousness for summer.”

These different activities included water balloon fights with teachers, finding ducks hidden throughout the school for prizes, making slime, JustDance, sidewalk chalk art, and a paper chain competition between grades. However, the water balloon fights were canceled due to cold weather.

“I wish we could have thrown water balloons at the teachers: that would have destressed a lot of people.”Robbie Gunter, the assistant principal for K-Z, admits.

Despite the cancellation, students still found the other activities to be a blast. One that started out Destress week was a duck scavenger hunt: Hope Squad had hidden ducks throughout the school and, once students found one, could return it to the counseling center for a prize.

“I really liked hiding the ducks the other day,” Kylie Moriarty, a member of Hope Squad, shares.“That was really fun. We found some really good hiding spots.”

Another fun activity was the slime crafting station, which was a crowd favorite. And it even is one that Hope Squad is already considering bringing back next year.

“Slime has been a huge hit, so if you didn’t come, you missed out!” Joy Jones, a teacher at BEHS and a Hope Squad Counselor, shares. “Maybe we’ll have to do it again, on a not freezing day.”

This activity helped students to create a way to vent their stress and frustrations in a healthy and calming way. Stress toys are often a way to help with this, and slime is included in this spectrum.

“Playing with sensory toys and stuff like that can actually make you pay attention more,” Jaycee Gomez commented.

Aside from the slime, another hit was the JustDance competitions. During this activity, students had the chance to let loose and dance with friends to all kinds of songs.

“Honestly, it was super fun when ten of us weren’t really nervous of making fools of ourselves.” Sadie Parkin, a junior at BEHS, recounts. It was just such a blast for the group dances when we were dancing together. It was so rad!”

One of the other fun activities was the chalk art event that was held at BEHS’ doors. Students wrote messages and drew pictures all over the sidewalk to the school building to uplift others, which was a fun and artistic way to destress.

“It’s so awesome to see all these cool, wonderful pictures and drawings and sayings on the floor.” Gunter praises.

One of the activities held throughout the week was the paper chain competition. This event was against the different grades to see who could make the longest one. On one side of a piece of paper, students would write something that stresses them out and the other, a way to destress. It helps students come up with more ways to cope with stress.

“Each of the chains has stressors and things that help you calm down, so it (helps with) awareness for stress.” Jennie Davies, a Hope Squad member, shares her insights.

These activities were held as an effort to help students destress during the last couple of weeks of school. Students may often forget to stop and take a breather, and may not realize they have peers who are going through similar situations.

“The overall goal with destress week is to destress, as the name implies, and to cause people to be aware that everyone is stressed, to some extent.” Davies comments.

Considering the several tests that students endure during this time and graduation coming up for many students, Destress Week serves as a break for overwhelmed students.

“I feel like,” Heaton remarks, “it helps them to have a little bit of fun at school.” 

Finally, Parkin shares some insight to the fun events of Destress Week.

“It’s really fun to, just before the trimester ends, to release all your stress out, finding things (like the ducks), and learning about how not to become overwhelmed.” 

Every year BEHS elects new student representatives for the student gov. With the transition to a new student government, students might be wondering what to expect from the newest leaders.

The Student Body President of next year, Bryson Singleton said, “in terms of the school having a great year we want to make student government itself more organized, and through that we want to be able to accomplish some new activities, continual progression and betterment of our current existing ones.”

By giving students an opportunity to participate in Student Government, it allows students a chance to create a positive impact and contribute to improving our school. It can help students develop skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and time management. 

Every Student Body Government is going to be different which is why it is important for candidates to run and have a campaign, that way they can show people who they are and what they want to accomplish. Students use these campaigns to find candidates who share similar goals as them.

In an interview with Sara Olson, our future Senior class President said, “I joined student council because I like to talk to people, I like to know about people, and learn about people, and say hi to people, and student government is a really good way to just push myself out there and do that even better than I could without it.”

The student government is meant to give a voice to the student body, so that they can give their opinion on schoolwide decisions. They get to organize activities for students they can promote positive mental health among the students, and give a chance for all of the students of Box Elder High School to come together. 

Bryson said, “I really want to push an initiative of kindness, respect, and involvement as well as inclusivity throughout the school. I really want everybody to feel like a somebody.”

The last week of school is one of the most stressful and exciting times for students at BEHS: but the teachers offer advice and tips to avoid this. The final week is an opportunity for students to help raise grades and get work done. Teachers offer students advice to help avoid the tension and strain that comes with catching up on work during the last few weeks of school.

“It’s going to be basically a BEE time for everybody, for all classes.” Chase Goddard, Science teacher at BEHS explains. “No new assignments will be given at that time, but it will be time for students to recover their grade, retake tests, retake assignments, redo projects, whatever needs to be done to get their grade up to a much more pleasant grade.”

But, despite this time given, it can be a struggle for students to get work done.

“The last week sometimes is challenging because students want to not do anything all trimester,” Bonnie Robinson, another teacher at BEHS, shares. “I am here to help, but students also need to be responsible, and they need to do it when it’s due and not wait until the end.” 

During this time, a large obstacle for students with responsibility is the excitement for summer. With the break coming quickly, the excitement may overtake this need for responsibility. 

“I think it’s mainly just it’s been a long year. They’ve worked hard all year. It gets to the point where they can smell freedom and they’re ready for it.” Teacher Sarah Bliesner reflects. “They’re ready to be out of here.”

As well as coming close to the home stretch, the stress of coming close to deadlines or the end of the year could also be a part of the dread that comes with these last weeks.

Janet Stolworthy, FACS teacher added. “I think third trimester is probably the hardest, because there’s no leeway going past that final end of the trimester... So I think, in a sense, third trimester is a bit more abrupt and harder, but I think that’s an okay thing to learn how to finish things up and meet criteria and get it done.”

In order to stay on top of all of these moving parts, the teachers give valuable advice to any student struggling from stress. The main thing to point out is any individual’s motivation could be an issue, considering procrastination can be a huge part of putting off any assignments.

“At the end of the day, motivation is an internal thing. What kids really need is just self-discipline. That’s how they’ll get it done.” Brock Durfee, history teacher, comments. “But if a kid is not doing it because they don’t know how or they’re struggling with something: get help. Ask me, ask somebody else who’s done it already, so that they can get it done.”

Another important part of getting things accomplished is having a positive attitude, Durfee goes on to elaborate on that topic.

“In psychology, there’s something called self-determination theory. Which says that, in order for somebody to be intrinsically motivated, that means they do something because they want to rather than because someone’s forcing them to.” 

Durfee explains the three elements to this theory and how he incorporates that into his class including, autonomy, competency, and relatedness. “I try to build all three of those things into my class as much as I possibly can.” Durfee Said

As a teacher, it is often difficult to watch students struggle to get through their workloads, but Durfee’s technique to build up this positive environment helps students. 

“What that does, ultimately, is that it gets kids to feel like they can and want to succeed, and then they just do of their own choice,” Durfee explains. “Most of the time.” 

Another tip is to make a list of assignments to help track all student work. Both teachers Chase Goddard and Timber Bailey offered this solution.

“Write down every single assignment you are missing or got a low grade on…and then do that for all the classes. Then prioritize those in accordance to what is time allowed. And then set yourself a schedule.” Goddard advises.

There are also ways to help prevent heavy workloads that may be pushed on students during the last few weeks.

“The other thing is studying and hard work,” Goddard goes on. “Doing the hard work now, before the end. Because if you can do the hard work and study before you take the test then you don’t have to retake the test.”

Teachers are willing to help students and work with them: so long as the student puts in the hard work. 

“Definitely try to stay on top of things,” Bailey suggests. “Communicate with your teacher beforehand or as soon as possible… Don’t wait until it’s been a while. Stay fresh on it.”

On top of communication, another way to cope with the stress of school is communicating students’ own needs with themselves. 

This is further emphasized by Bliesner. “Find time for yourself if you can. I know there’s a lot going on but if you take care of yourself and give yourself some self care it should help.”

The final tip that is offered by the teachers for students is to prioritize what’s important.

“I find that in the classroom, a lot of times it’s easy for those that are more social to try and use that time to socialize with their friends.” Stolworthy offers. “And let’s face it, that’s part of what high school’s for, is socializing. But if you’re wanting to stay up on your grade and you want a certain grade, you need to do that with the time that’s been given to you in class and socialize outside of class or after the work’s done.”

Despite the hardship of the final few weeks of school, whether it be from the dread or excitement of school ending, skills learned through the end are vital to the venture into the life of an adult for high schoolers. And whether a student is graduating or is awaiting a new school year next fall, all of the effort given in to today matters and affects students going forward. Even if they may feel it is too late in the trimester to change their grades.

“The scramble at the end of the trimester is one of the things that kids need to learn.” Durfee reflects. “It’s like a life skill: don’t procrastinate until the last minute. And I think school is a good place to learn that skill.”

Box Elder High School hosted their first Class Royale Week from April 8-12th in order to involve the students for school spirit as the year comes to a close. 

The students at BEHS had the chance to dress up for fun every day that week. On April 10th, Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores competed through Ultimate Frisbee to help their class in Class Royale Week.

“I was just hoping to have a fun time and that’s what happened,” said Logan Cefalo, Sophomore at BEHS.

Student Body President, Dallan Davidson, created the idea of dress up week, a sports event, and the rock paper scissor challenge to keep the school active. He explains that the Student Government hoped this event gave the students something to look forward to during the home stretch of the 2024 year.

“We want to keep people’s energy up, keep people invested in having fun,” Dallan Davidson explained.

Balancing high school and a job is difficult and can be a powersource for anxiety and failing grades. However, there are tips and advice from those who know the challenge and have experience in this field.

Box Elder High School students Vanessa Forsgren and Gavin Herbert, who’s also known as “Silent G”, know what the sacrifice is and the difficulty it brings. Recently, Forsgren made a 4.0 Grade Point Average last trimester while maintaining a job.

“I really tried to focus, when I wasn’t working or hanging out with friends, to get my homework done as fast as I could…around midterms it got really difficult…that stress level was pretty hard”

Achieving a 4.0 GPA and maintaining a job is a daunting task. Many organizations such as Mental Health America suggest working less hours a week if you're attending school full time. This can leave room to take care of yourself and your scholastic responsibilities if things become overwhelming.

“School administrators recommend that students ideally work 10-15 hours per week. For full-time students, this leaves them adequate time to spend in class and on assignments, while exploring interests and building relationships.” - Mental Health America

Herbert knows what it takes. He’s worked three jobs and attended school full time. He passed all of his classes and swam in the money. He suggests that you make time for yourself and to try your best not to work weekends.

And he’s not the only one that suggests that you make time to take care of yourself. Columbia School of Professional Studies encourages you to focus on maintaining your health and relationships as you put your time into school and work. 

“Education demands your time and energy, but it shouldn’t deplete your health, your professional life, or your family life…manage your time in order to get eight hours of sleep each night and a couple of hours of exercise each week. Every once in a while, reward yourself for a job well done.”

Box Elder High School has taken these stats into consideration and has championed the “S.E.L.F.I.E. Method” to help students improve their work-life balance and mental health. It's an acronym for Sleep, Exercise, Light, Fun, Interaction, and Eating Right. The school held an assembly earlier this year. Whether working 3 jobs like Herbert, or a summer job, it’s important to make time to take care of yourself. 

Life after High School can seem daunting to say the least, but a little bit of insight into the lives of recent graduates can help ease nerves.

Tyler Wells, a recent graduate now navigating college, gave an interview on his experiences and had this to say. “For my personal experience, I felt like I had a lot of it figured out which I definitely didn’t. Now I try to listen to any advisors I have.”

The first few months after high school can be full of big of decisions. Some may choose to further their education by attending college or university, while others may go for trade schools, or enter the workforce directly. Each path comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities.

 For those pursuing higher education, there's the excitement of exploring new subjects, making new friends, and gaining valuable skills. However, it also entails adjusting to the challenges of independent life and managing the newfound freedom away from home.

On the other hand, Zach Rennemeyer, a senior from Box Elder High School, preparing to graduate said, “I feel like the biggest challenge is paying for everything, especially right now everything is really expensive for housing. It’s probably difficult to manage the homework level with jobs and all the stuff you have to pay for.”

Many seniors preparing to graduate are very excited, but also nervous about taking on many new responsibilities such as, housing, college planning, financial stability, and many other things as they transition into adult life. 

Tyler talked about his experience in having to find his own housing for college and figure out which classes to schedule and when, and how to be able to afford college. He had to change his habits and choose to set aside more time to study for classes.

He said he has a lot more freedoms, but it also comes with more responsibilities, “There aren’t as many advisors as there are in high school to show you how to schedule your classes, you have to make things happen on your own.” 

In a study 49.4 million students in America attended High School, 43.6 million of those students graduated from High School, and 19.5 million went on to pursue college. A rising 16 million students were reported to attend trade schools, with trade work becoming increasingly popular and lucrative many students are choosing to go into a more hands on work environment instead of the traditional college approach.

There are many opportunities that allow students to pursue whatever type of career they may be seeking, it’s important to not become overwhelmed with all of the decisions that many graduates face. You should seek help when necessary through our schools college advisors, and mental health counselors, located in the counseling center.

Box Elder High School hosted their first Class Royale Week from April 8-12th in order to involve the students for school spirit as the year comes to a close. 

The students at BEHS had the chance to dress up for fun every day that week. On April 10th, Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores competed through Ultimate Frisbee to help their class in Class Royale Week.

“I was just hoping to have a fun time and that’s what happened,” said Logan Cefalo, Sophomore at BEHS.

Student Body President, Dallan Davidson, created the idea of dress up week, a sports event, and the rock paper scissor challenge to keep the school active. He explains that the Student Government hoped this event gave the students something to look forward to during the home stretch of the 2024 year.

“We want to keep people’s energy up, keep people invested in having fun,” Dallan Davidson explained.

Choir director and instructor,  Andrew Larson from Box Elder High School talks about his musical career and how he expects this upcoming concert, Feb 27th 6:30pm to go great. 

Larson, talks about his musical journey and background. 

Larson states, ”So officially this is my twenty second year as a contracted paid choir director, I have directed some choirs before that.” 

For Larson working with his dream career this long helps him along with his students who are working very hard for their upcoming concert in which they are welcoming everyone to come and watch them sing. 

Larson states, ”Well you have to be prepared for things to happen on stage, I mean even if someone is prepared they could have a momentarily mental block or somebody could get sick to their stomach and have to run off stage so you just have to be prepared about that.” 

He is constantly learning and growing as gone through his career and has improved his teaching methods.  He is constantly learning from his students as he teaches them. He's been able to help them with their singing and learn better techniques. No matter how experienced he is, he still experiences concert-day nerves.

Larson said, ”Well I’m nervous every time and I think that’s an important part for my musical journey helps me to bring a lot of energy to the stage, I think if I were to be too casual about it would be I don't know, maybe a little boring for the audience.” He has learn how to control and cover up his nervousness so it doesn’t affect the students. 

”I rely on my experience, I've been doing this for a few years right so I rely on my experience how far do you go to get the students pumped up without making them nervous.” He said. 

”I taught at a university before I came to BEHS and the expectation was for those choirs to get out on the road and to do touring and competitions.” 

From his experience and deciding to go from teaching college classes to high school which is not usually how people decide to take their musical journey.  He says that even though he went backwards, going from teaching college to high school he doesn't regret a thing. It has helped him better understand high schoolers and mental capabilities. Even though it’s his first year at BEHS, he has a place in our hearts and in our school.

The students at BEHS do a wide variety of things in their free time. In a recent survey, we discovered the student body’s favorite pastimes.

Eating out is common, and Beto’s in Tremonton is very popular, with 8% of respondents naming it as their favorite place. Costa Vida and Maddox are close behind. Other places mentioned were Wingers, Peach City, Golden Spike Burger, and Beijing Buffet.

Staying active is important for BEHS students, and our community has many places where you can exercise.  The majority of respondents, 22%, claimed that the Box Elder Natatorium was their favorite place to exercise. Honorable mentions go to the Brigham City Sports Complex, baseball fields and Beehive fitness.

Sometimes on a Friday night, it feels great to just go with some friends and have fun. For boy’s night, 46.7% preferred going to someone’s house, but going bowling or to Walmart are also popular.

Girl’s night follows suit with 35.5% of respondents who enjoyed going to somebody’s house, whether it be theirs or one of their friend’s. Going to Crystal Hot Springs, Sonic, local parks, and Walmart were also popular options.

With it being February, you might be thinking of taking somebody on a date. Maddox reigned supreme, with the most number of students naming it the best place for date night. Other great places include bowling, a hike in the mountains, or Peach City. Many students who took the survey mentioned they prefer to take their dates out of town to Ogden. 

Whether it be date night, boy’s night, or just hanging around town, Box Elder community may seem small but it still has lots of things to do.

Sweethearts dance was held last weekend shortly after Valentines day in the BEHS commons. Student Government officials are pleased with the turn out and that the dance went off without a hitch.  For Student Government there is always a worry that something will go wrong, and if people enjoy the dance.  Last year there was a fire alarm that disrupted the dance, and in years prior to that the balloon drop mechanism hasn't worked. There are just so many scenarios to plan for. 

Trey Bauer from student government said, “I think it went wonderfully, I think the people had a really good time. I'm happy that the balloon drop actually worked this year.” 

From the balloon drop to the loud music students agree with what Trey said about having a good time. 

Zoey Trinnaman class of 2025 said “It was a blast, overall a ten out of ten experience.” 

One thing both student government and students from Box Elder High School can agree on is some things they want students to know before going to sweethearts next year and years to come. 

Bauer said ”Do it, just go. Even if you don't want to go on a date or ask someone, Just go with friends and be involved.” Trinnaman then said, “And wear tennis shoes. You will not be able to dance in heels.” 

Being involved and enjoying the dance and the highschool experience is one thing you will not want to miss. 

Trinnaman agreed and said “ My favorite part was the music and the people that went.” Bauer said “My favorite part was the group of kids I went with and my date was super fun.”  

The memories and connections you can make can be unforgettable. Always remember to enjoy life and experience those fun opportunities that are available. 

Remember bees, BEE involved!

Due to Professional Development day coming on February 16, Box Elder High students will not be attending school to give teachers their own opportunity to learn.

On February 16, Box Elder High School’s second Professional Development day (PD day) of the school year will be occurring. The school’s students will be able to have the day off so that the teachers and staff can have the opportunity to improve their craft. 

“It’s a day that our teachers and staff come to school, and then receive training throughout the day on different topics.” Jamie Kent, Box Elder High School’s principal, explains.

Furthermore, students may wonder why exactly they have the day off for these Professional Development days. Within a normal school day, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of having several different classes on different topics. For teachers, in order to help students stay caught up and on schedule, every minute of instruction and being available to contact during class is important.

“It’s hard to get teachers to trainings, especially if you have to get a sub.” Kent elaborates. “This way teachers don’t have to leave their classes and they don’t have to lose instruction time with their students.”

While the teachers don’t have much time to focus on their own students on PD days, they instead have the opportunity to expand their knowledge within their degrees and discover new teaching techniques for all current and future pupils. This includes lessons on questioning strategies, student engagement, assessment, data management, MAP testing information, and effectively using HIVE time. All of these are often later used by the teachers to aid performance in the classroom and help their students succeed. 

One account is recalled by Health and Fitness teacher Mitzi Stewart. “There was a special development we did where he talked a lot about using essential curriculum in your class and taking out the fluff.” She explains. “And that made a huge difference in how I grade and what I put in my curriculum in my class.”

Knowing modern techniques and being up to date on current information can help improve and expand on previous knowledge and change old methods. When teachers have the chance to know about more techniques that help other instructors, understand areas that need improvement, and have a clearer understanding of their field, it reflects on their own teaching. And when they are being taught by their peers it helps expand their understanding as well.

“I love that we can learn from other teachers.” Stewart expresses. “Sometimes it’s hard to get an outside speaker, but when it’s someone you know who is a great teacher in our school, it makes it more enjoyable to listen to and you respect them as teachers.”

On Professional Development Days, students have the chance to recover from schoolwork and lack of sleep while teachers can work towards understanding other ways they can improve through their colleagues and mentors. Kent expresses her opinion on Professional Development Days as well.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      “I think it’s really important for the culture and health of our school and so our teachers are learning and growing, just like our students.”

Sweethearts Dance 2024 will be held in the Box Elder High School commons on Saturday, February 10th from 8:30 to 10:30 P.M. 

A lot goes into getting the high school dance ready from the student government, planning the dates, and much more. Maylana Cox talks about how it can be fun but stressful as the student government prepares the dance. 

“We have multiple discussions during class, we look through decorations and ideas from previous years and chaperons that can attend and the budget for the dance,” said Cox. 

Trevor Labrum is on the same track as Cox when talking about how the student government prepares. 

Labrum said, “We plan what we want to do for the dance and how to get that stuff.” 

The hours spent cleaning and getting the dance-ready should not go unnoticed for student government and those helping prepare for the night ahead. 

“Last year it took about two hours setting up and around 30 minutes taking down,” said Cox.

Going to the dance and supporting the fun activities can be a big part of high school. 

Labrum said “It made high school more fun and more enjoyable for me.”  The student body agrees with Labrum. Easton Bodily said, “I'm excited to see everyone and party!”  Zoey Trinnaman, another BEHS student agreed and said “I'm excited to dress up and have fun!” 

The Box Elder Buzz is excited to see what Sweethearts Dance 2024 brings!

Box Elder High School partners with the Make a Wish Foundation to reach the goal of fifteen thousand dollars. All money raised in the fundraiser throughout December will be given to local children to fulfill their wishes.

“This year we’re partnering with the Make a Wish foundation and there are a couple of people that are working with Make a Wish who are receiving wishes from them. It is right here in our community and I think that's pretty cool,” says Landon Lloyd, a student government member who is assisting with the planning of Christmas Assistance. 

The Christmas Assistance assembly last Friday introduced a make-a-wish recipient Myklin to our student body. When she was just five years old she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in her pancreas, an illness that has become terminal. 

These next couple of weeks will be filled with activities that students, family members, and faculty can all take part in to help raise money and reach the goal for Myklin and others in the community. 

Tyeson Hanson states, “For the person we’re raising money for, it can give her a chance to see the people she has to help her get through these hard times.”

In the Christmas Assistance kickoff video, it was mistakenly announced that the money goal is fifteen hundred, in actuality, it is fifteen thousand and the student government is striving to reach that higher number.

Myklin made her wish to go to Disneyland and see all the princesses, especially Elsa, who is her favorite. All of the money raised will go to her and people like her so that their wishes can be granted.

Lloyd states, “I just think, especially with these little kids, that they get a little bit of hope and a little bit of fun before, you know, things could turn for the worst.”

The objective of Box Elder High School is for students and their families to be able to help and contribute to this event and bring hope to children in need. The Christmas Carnival taking place on the 11 of December is a great opportunity to contribute to the Christmas Assistance.

Tyeson Handson states, “This is a time to be grateful for what you have. Some people don't have much so this is the time to give back. It's always important to remember what you have to be grateful for, and even give back to those in need.” 

Social Media dangers are very extreme, especially in young teens between the grades of 6th through 12th. These dangers can range from nude pictures to kidnapping, which can then lead to serious consequences like jail time and a life-long record.

Terrible actions lead to unsafe situations. The words and images that are sent will circulate the

internet indefinitely. As the internet has become a stomping ground for communication among

children and unknown profiles, it is important to ensure that safety is the number one priority.

Stephan Johnson, resource officer spoke about from a legal standpoint the dangers of social

media. Johnson said, “Sending nude photos over it we can write preservation warrants which

locks the account so if you delete it or not we have that information, then we just write warrants

out and as a youth it's called Producing Manufacturing And Distributing Child Pornography which automatically gets you on the sex offender registry.”

The things you do on social media come with a price. When teens contact other people on

social media they don't know what's going to happen or what they want. Older people can also

take advantage of adolescents and try to manipulate them into getting what they want. Unfortunately, more often than not, younger individuals are not aware of the older individuals

intentions.

Jason Jones, School Therapist discussed what platforms that these dangers happen and what

goes on. Jones said, “ it's all platforms, where they try to make connections with people on

Social Media. They run into people that are going to take advantage and manipulate them into a

Situation.”

What you see on social media is not always true.When it comes to what people look like online

it's easy to photoshop and create a fake image for yourself. Don’t always believe what you see

because it's not always correct.

Student at Box Elder High School, Megan Christensen talked about how Social Media has had

a bad impact on her. Christensen said, “ yes, Social Media has and still has a bad impact on

me. It's given me a body image issue and I compare myself to others who look better than I do.

Wanting that comes with a price.”

When people tell you how bad you look or how fat you are, they are just projecting their

insecurities onto you. It doesn't matter what other people think of you, their opinion should mean

nothing to you. The information and pictures online is not worth believing, people tend to lie on

social media often.

A student at BEHS, Kylie Berven explained how she lets Social Media dictate how she looks.

Berven said, “It comes from Social Media, friends, and family. 60% of it comes from Social

Media.”

Social media is a dangerous place for young teens. Receiving pornographic images or sending

pornographic images, may result in warrants, getting arrested, kidnapping, or getting on the sex

offender registry, think before you do. If you havent met them in person, there is always a

chance of manipulation, stalking, and pressure when you contact random people online. There's

lies on social media about a variety of stuff, the main thing would be body images. When other

people see good body’s online they want to look exactly like them but that comes with hurt and

consequences to yourself.

Think before you do. Online it is a dangerous place within all age groups and certainly with

young teens. 

College Night, an event designed for high school seniors, was hosted by Box Elder High School on Monday, October 23rd, to inform the Class of 2024 about their post-high school options.

Mrs. Victoria Dance, a counselor at Box Elder High School, discussed the significance of College Night and how it motivates students to consider college. She emphasized the presence of college advisors who offer one-on-one assistance with college applications and scholarships.

"A multitude of college advisors are on hand to help students complete their applications and scholarships, providing valuable one-on-one guidance and opening up opportunities for students to secure them as swiftly as possible," Dance stated.

One such adviser is Mrs. Bridget Mcbride, She’s been a great advisor, helping, and encouraging students who are struggling to choose or get into the college they feel like they’d have a huge interest in getting into. She’s described the average advisor as able to do a couple of things.

College Night serves as an opportunity for seniors to gain insights into various colleges, enabling them to make informed decisions about their future education.

Mrs.McBride, a college advisor at Box Elder High School, shared information about the types of colleges represented at the event, the admission requirements, and provided an estimate of the number of attendees.

"About 100 surveys filled out, but I don't have a way to track how many parents came, so it would be safe to say 100+ students and parents. College application requirements vary depending on the selectiveness of the institution. Public universities like SUU, USU, and Snow College typically require a transcript, your name, and a few supplemental questions. In contrast, places like BYU or Westminster have more stringent admission criteria, often involving longer applications with essays, due to their higher selectivity as private institutions," McBride explained.

Erika Burns, who attended College Night on October 23rd with her father, stressed the importance of education and its role in acquiring new knowledge. She shared her aspirations to pursue a master's or doctorate in pre-med and biology, underscoring the significance of strong academics and medical programs when choosing a college.

When asked about her college plans, Erika replied, "I am aiming for a master's degree or doctorate in pre-med and biology." In response to the question about what she was seeking in a good college at College Night, she said, "I'm looking for strong academic programs and comprehensive medical offerings to enhance my knowledge and skills."

College Night offers seniors opportunities to explore, learn, and prepare for the challenges of the real world, enabling them to gain valuable insights into how to navigate it effectively.

College Night serves as a valuable resource for seniors, providing them with the support, information, and opportunities they need to explore colleges and their options without incurring significant costs.if students miss college night, they can talk to their counselors and get their resources about colleges they will like or want to attend.

The Sadie Hawkins dance at Box Elder High School will take place on Saturday, October 28th, from 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm in the Box Elder High School commons area. Sadie Hawkins has an unusual origin story.

Have you ever had an overbearing father? Maybe he’s taken a step too far? It can’t be as embarrassing as the origin story of Sadie Hawkins. Her father designed a dance for her because he was concerned she wouldn’t marry.  This out-of-the-ordinary story has become an out-of-the-ordinary dance for BEHS. Sadie Hawkins is one of a few girls’ choice dance. 

The student government adviser, Tom Davidson, said, “I think Sadie Hawkins is the best dance of the year. The kids have the most fun because girls’ choice dances are more fun than boys’ choice dances. Girls choose boys they actually wanna go with instead of just good looking people. . .”

Students attending Sadie Hawkins dance this year should be aware that it will be indoors. In the past couple of years, the student government planned outdoor events, but they had to adapt to bad weather. Davidson decided the safest route was to be inside. 

Students who are attending should also expect a lot of chaperones to ensure their safety. The chaperone list includes the administration team, and teachers like Journey Greenwell, Rachel Storm, Matt Patterson, and Baun Bowden. They will make sure everything goes smoothly.

 Sadie Hawkins is informal dance; dates dress up in matching hoodies or outfits. One of the big draws and traditions at this dance are the mock nuptials, — yes that means getting married. Sadie Hawkins' father was worried she would not get wed so traditionally all dates are married. Faculty member dress as ministers to perform the ceremony. Students can take vows under the guidance of Peter Burt, Kasey Cullimore, and Brock and Shannon Cheney. 

These mock weddings aren’t limited to school members only. Students bringing a date from a different school should have a permission slip signed off and turned into the office so their date can attend the dance.

Student government has worked really hard to provide a fun and exciting dance for all students of Box Elder High School to enjoy. The student government members who are in charge of this dance are Tyeson Hansen and Trevor Labrum. Hansen said, “Expect a Party!”

“They should expect to have fun. I love talking to the people that are in it. Student government is so chill,” said Labrum.  Student governments goals and purposes are to help make school a better place. 

Hansen said, “Hearing how much fun everyone had and knowing how much fun they had makes me really happy especially knowing that I was in charge of it. Having all of my other student government members help me out with it because it really is just like a team thing…”

Students when attending should expect to have fun, music to dance to, and a rainy forecast. Some snacks will be provided including hot chocolate and donuts. 

If students don’t have a date, Labrum advises, “It’s never too late to ask.” 

The class change window for the second trimester is opening on November 18, at Box Elder Elder High School. 

Much like the beginning of the year class change window, students will make an appointment with their counselors and discuss changing classes of the upcoming trimester. There is also an option to do it online using a QR code or going to your passport. By clicking on ‘Course Request’ and logging into Aspire, you can once again click on Schedule and change around your schedule for a period of time. 

When a survey was sent out among students, lots of students seemed to use the class change period. And when they were asked about the reasons for changing classes, they answered with many reasons ranging from not liking a teacher to wanting to be with their friends.

“I’m changing classes for two reasons; I wasn’t put in the second part of a class and I want to have more classes with friends-it makes school more enjoyable.”, said Kaili Feller, a sophomore at BEHS.

However, this class change window does end Tuesday, November 22nd, right before Thanksgiving Break. So make sure to take advantage of the opportunity while it is still available, and it will be available again for third-trimester classes.

BEHS Can-Drive is finishing strong with over 10,000 pounds of food donated to those in need.

Student government advisor, Tom Davidson, answers burning questions about donations. “We probably have fifteen to twenty thousand can range.”

BEHS has engaged in donations for several years.

Davidson says, “I’ve been here nineteen years and we have done it (the Can-Drive) every year. This is my first year in charge.”

In support of this amazing cause members of the student government were willing to miss class periods to separate cans. Student government member Carlee Patterson, says, “I’ve missed this third hour six or seven times in this past week.”

While raising donations, the admin is promoting a competition to see which classes are responsible for the highest percentage of these donations.

However, not all teachers appreciate the nature of the competition. Because of this, the chances of there being another competition among the teachers are low.

Patrick Parker states, “It’s fun to compete... But it’s way more fun to do something good for other people.”

Teacher, Kenneth Bunce, gives insider information on who he thinks is going to win. “I think Corey Thompson is (going to win the Can-Drive) because I'm going to be donating my Malt-O-Meal to him. I went to Malt-O-Meal and they were supposed to do donations and they never got it to me.”

Mr. Burrell is made out to be the main competition for the other teachers.

Patrick Parker explains how he has been trying to beat Mr. Burrell in the Can-Drive. “He has so many cans… I don’t know if we’re going to beat him but we’re going to try.”

The Can-Drive was held to help those in need-and this year that was proven successful. It was mentioned by numerous of the people that were interviewed, that as for the competition, the goal was to beat last year's total. This was made possible by all of the generous donations received by teachers and the student body at BEHS.

Overall 60 percent of students in America have plans for after graduation, but that number at BEHS rises to around 95 percent. Seniors at BEHS will graduate on May 30th, 2023 at Dee Events Center. 

Ryan Nunn, Utah College Advising Corps Advisor stated that there is only a small number of seniors who did not know what to do after graduation.

Nunn said that the majority of students he met with had plans to continue education after school, or at least had some plans for their future. 

Nunn continued, “The most popular options are to go to a University, get a certificate from a Technical College, serve a religious mission, and get a job.” 

With unlimited possibilities ahead of them, BEHS seniors have many reasons for their choices after high school. 

Senior, Avree Anderson said, “Growing up my aunt was a nurse and I always admired her, so I think that influenced me greatly for my career choice.“ Anderson continued by stating that she is striving to become a part of the Neurological Field for nursing. 

Several seniors interviewed at BEHS stated that they had plans for after high school or were working towards a higher education, but there were a handful of those who were interviewed, who did not have set plans.

Macy Lyells, senior, said “I have ideas of what I would like to do, but no set plans yet for after graduation.” 

Plans or no plans, it doesn't matter. Graduation is rapidly approaching.

For help with graduation plans or questions about future choices, contact Ryan Nunn, at ryan.nunn@besd.net.

Transferring from one school to another can be a big change. Policies differ throughout the world.  BEHS is a melting-pot for teachers and students alike with students from all around the world calling the Hive their new home. A few individuals explained their experience in both American schools and even schools across the seas. 

Phone policies are different from school to school, because the topic is controversial in school and society. Some people find phones useful in a school environment, while others think of it as a distraction. 

An exchange Junior from Germany, Jasper Tegtmeier, stated, “You’re not allowed to use your phone until you’re eleventh grade. … Germany, in a High School, you’ll have students from the seventh grade to twelfth grade; so it’s not only sophomore, junior, senior.”

 Andrew Young is a BEHS Junior who transferred from Bear River High School. Young claimed that the phone policy was more strict at Bear River. When taking attendance, you were required to put your phone in a sheet, similar to how you would a calculator. 

“If your phone wasn’t there, you were marked absent; and if you didn’t have a phone, you got a piece of paper that said, ‘I don’t have a phone.’ … If they saw you with your phone, even at lunch, they would take it away,” Young stated.

Tegtmeier said he believes German schools are harder, and American schools let you have more fun.

“I think German school system is pretty hard, and it’s different, so we don’t have the same six classes every day; and we don’t have trimesters, we have semesters and we have 12 classes all over the year,” Tegtmeier stated.

The tests in German High Schools are significantly different. Tegtmeier explained the tests are harder, and they don’t use the multiple choice system.

Dr. Shizong “John” Zhang is a teacher from China. He explained that schools in America and China are very different.

“The one thing that I'm really surprised about how much freedom American High Schools students have … First of all, a traditional Chinese High School only has the academic subject part.” 

Zhang said that schools in China don’t have any extracurricular activities, while America offers many opportunities for clubs and sports. 

“So, in China, if you wanted learn all this traits you have to go to a vocational school, or sometimes, they just wait until they get into universities.”

As far as students expected to acknowledge higher intelligence, it was said to put those distressed. 

“In China, among students back when I was a high school student, we used to have all these rankings, we had monthly tests and rankings. ‘Hey, who's doing the best in terms of academics in school’ and all that. It’s pretty hard and intense and high pressure environment and sometimes some people are surviving, some people could be thriving, it kinda depends. I think it’s pretty fierce.”

Alyssa Kunka is a Junior who moved from Virginia. She said the schooling was different there, too. Kunka stated that unlike BEHS, her school had SOL tests.

“Which [SOLs] are basically ACTs but you have them from like 3rd grade up until you graduate”

Kunka said the society in Virginia varied. She claimed that students were rude, and the community here is better. She prefers BEHS, and she feels students can be themselves here; it’s easier to make friends.

There is definitely diversity between varying schools and their educations. Some schools have stricter testing and phone policies.  It makes us glad to be a Bee.

Box Elder High holds its annual canned food drive starting Monday, October 31st and ends on Tuesday, November 22nd. Competition is also going on between each classroom on who can collect the most food and build up the most points. 

Tom Davidson, leader of the drive, has participated in the canned food drive competition for 19 years and this year is his first time leading this event. He likes this event because it changes the atmosphere around the school, he likes to see students changing their attitudes to help others in need. 

Davidson said,” Watching kids really stretch to help others… and this is the time where you can see that and it’s just, it’s kind of fun watching goodness in the world,  It’s a nice change.”

Peter Burt, a teacher at BEHS, is entering his 18th year at BEHS and this will be his 15th year participating in the food drive. His favorite part about the food drive is putting others before himself.

“I was impressed with how much ‘gusto’ the older teachers competed in the food drive, so naturally I threw my hat into the ring. It was so fun and I have been hooked ever since.” he added, “ My favorite part about the food drive by far is the idea of putting others before yourself.”

Burt says that one of the most important things to learn in this life is that of service. 

“Doing something because you want to do it is important, rather than the mentality of what's in it for me?” said Burt.

BEHS holds a dodgeball championship for the canned food drive. To participate in the game each member of your team has to enter 10 cans each. To spectate the game you have to enter five cans at the door.

“It's a decent activity that we get quite a bit of food from,” said Davidson.

To participate in the tournament you can fill out a form in the office which will be coming soon. Although the faculty doesn’t participate in the game, the winning team usually plays against a team of faculty members at the end. 

“We’re excited and grateful for any contributions. I know there’s a lot of kids that can’t contribute because they have their own needs and we still love and appreciate them of course.” stated Davidson.

Driving can be hard, and students need help. Driver’s ed classes can be online or in-person; The in-person teachers are Peter Burt, Donny Constantineau, Gregg Cefalo, Jesse Roberts, and Jaron Gold.

Driver’s licenses allow people to go where they need to go whenever they need to. A student at BEHS, Kylie Soholt, said, “Now I can go pretty much anywhere I want, because I don't have to wait for a parent to be open enough in their schedule to drive me where I need to go.” 

A learner's permit is a restricted license that first-time drivers have to get before they are allowed to get an official driver's license. The learner's permit allows you to drive (with certain restrictions) before you have passed your driving test.

Learner’s permits prevent dangerous behaviors according to Cefalo, having an adult in the car makes students think about safety and helps eliminate fatalities. The adults make sure the students understand and follow the laws. “The rules are in place, not to make a hindrance, but as a protection.” 

Having a learner’s permit allows students to adjust to the adult life of paying off periodic expenses, such as gas and insurance. Soholt said, “I paid about 3.50 per gallon. I would say, like, $40 for 3/4 of a tank. And when I first started paying insurance, before my car, it was only $300, but now I pay $1300.” The price was high last year, but it’s higher now.

Driver’s education teaches people how to be better drivers. Class 1 is with Gold on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00. Class 2 is with Constantineau on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00. Class 3 is with Cefalo on Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00.

For online classes, students can sign up to learn this winter. Click here for more information.

Cold weather couldn’t stop the BEHS Bees from partying at the Sadies dance. Due to October’s cold and chilly weather, plans for the dance had to change.

Sadie Hawkins Dance, which took place last week on Saturday, Oct. 22, “...was so much fun,” said Lauren Brockbank, a member of the student government.

 For the entire week leading up to the dance, couples went out and enjoyed days with their dates. Haunted houses and corn mazes were just some of the many types of dates that students went to. 

The dance was scheduled to be outside, but the weather turned cold, windy, and rainy at the time of the dance --so it was moved inside.

In accordance with the dance dress theme, most students wore matching hoodies or sweatshirts. There was a large variety of designs, including themes such as Spider-Man, Nike, Lonely Ghost, and Disney.

Because the dance was moved inside, students got “married” in either H or I hall. The “marrying sams” were teachers from the school such as Mr. Burt, Mr. and Mrs. Cheney, Mr. Chadaz, and Mr. Cullimore.

The dance included refreshments like donut holes, hot chocolate, and water. Both Brockbank and Shay Stacey, a sophomore, agreed that while the dance was really fun, the food wasn’t the best. They wished it could have been something different. 

Brockbank also expressed that the dance could have started sooner, and therefore lasted longer. “I wish we had been able to go earlier.”

Stacey and Brockbank voiced their approval of the choice of music played during the dance. Stacey said, “The music was really great, and those in charge did an amazing job with it.”

Those who didn’t go to the dance might wonder what makes a school dance so important. Dances provide the chance to go out with friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, or crushes and have a fun night out. They can help build relationships and put a different perspective on the school.

Sadie Hawkins is one of 3 girl’s choice dances where the girl gets to ask any guy she wants to be her date to the dance. These are unique from the typical guys-ask-girls tradition.

Ladies, Sweethearts is on its way. In the meantime, boys, Snowball is all yours.

October 31st, Halloween, is the beginning of the Box Elder can drive. The can drive is a recurring event hosted at BEHS to support local food banks to ensure that families don't go hungry over the winter every year.

The event includes all of the schools in the district. Very Recently the can drive has branched out to elementary schools to include more students to participate, so this year there are many more people involved. 

The can drive happens around this time in early November in preparation for thanksgiving from October 31st to November 18th. During this time, students, teachers and parents are urged to participate in donating cans, boxed goods, dried goods and frozen meats. The food pantry takes just about everything. 

To kick it off Student government will have a special surprise for the students with a video that they filmed and edited themselves. They say that they also plan to have a specific theme to it, to suit the occasion of it also being the day of Halloween. 

Teachers love to see how their students perform service within the classroom. 

Mr. Davidson said- “I like watching my class… I like talking to them about setting a goal, and getting that satisfaction of accomplishing it.”. It's really rewarding for the students and the teachers. 

Teachers also enjoy the competition. Teachers urge their students to donate as much as possible just to get more than the other teachers. The rules behind the competition being every item is worth 1 point. Some teachers conspire together to ensure the other teachers don't exceed their total. The winner gets bragging rights for the whole year. 

“Bragging rights are very important!” said Mrs. Storm, a  competitor from previous can drives. 

This year, the time of the event has been changed due to certain complications. It would be good to have the food pantry extra stocked in time for Thanksgiving so the times were moved a few weeks earlier. 

Davidson explained that some teachers complained the can drive was taking too long in previous years, and was taking too much time out of school. The can drive used to go on for three weeks but was brought down to two for that reason. 

Giving to help support the local food pantry is well worth every can and box. A lot of community members rely on it, even students at our school. In preparation for Thanksgiving feel free to hand cans or boxes to any teacher during the 1st period of school within the time frame of October 31st - November 18th. It helps out our school and others as well.

Seniors' express concerns over the cost of the mandatory cap and gown for graduation, the orders and payment are due this Friday, Oct. 28th. All students are required to have a cap and gown to walk at graduation. However, some students are concerned due to the high prices about being able to afford them. The caps and gowns come in varying packages, the prices ranging from $180 to $460. 

Julie Edwards, a senior at BEHS stated, “I just don’t have that kind of money right now… I worked really hard to graduate and school doesn’t come easy for me. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to walk because I don’t have the money… it’s not fair.” 

Edwards isn’t the only student who expressed that concern, another senior Jaxon Carstons said, “it’s my whole paycheck for a piece of cloth I’m only going to wear once, I don’t get it. Why doesn’t the school just loan them to us?”

However, buying an expensive gown isn’t the only way to get one as students are allowed to borrow caps and gowns from other people. 

Mrs. Shannon Cheney who organizes the graduation ceremony said, “You can borrow a cap and gown from a previous student, and so that's what most students do. They either have an older sibling who already had purchased a cap and gown, or a family friend and they wear that one.” Cheney went on to explain that even if they don’t have an older sibling there are other ways to secure a gown other than buying a new one. 

“We're not going to say a student can't graduate or can't walk because they didn’t buy a new cap and gown. Most students are able to find one either by borrowing it or sometimes former students sell their caps and gowns so they can purchase a used one for a much cheaper price.” 

BEHS principal Mrs. Jamie Kent offered clarification about borrowing gowns and the requirements. “You can use any cap and gown that a past student has a brother or sister. It needs to be a purple gown. So if a student has a hard time finding one to borrow, if they let their counselor or their admin know, we will help find one.”

A cap and gown are mandatory to participate in the graduation ceremony. If students want to walk during their graduation they must have a cap and gown. However, students are not allowed to alter or decorate their caps, despite spending a large amount of money in purchasing them. This can make locating individual caps after the traditional cap toss a challenge.

“We always throw them. If you don't want to throw your cap, you don't have to. Some students don't like to because they don't want to lose it” stated Kent. “We usually end up finding them, but they may not end up with the very same one they had.”

Whether students end up buying, renting, or borrowing their gown the administration and organizers want everyone to look uniform and have a night to remember. 

Cheney said, “We try to make graduation a special night for our seniors as much as possible.” 

Girls this is your chance, Sadie Hawkins dance. A school dance in which the girl gets to ask. So hurry up and don’t be late, make sure you have a Sadies Date.

The Sadies dance will be hosted at Box Elder Highschool on October 22nd, at 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm in the commons.

Ticket prices will range from $10 for singles and then $2o dollars for couples.

To keep up with tradition Sophomore student body president Trey Bauer says “ There’ll be marrying Sam’s which will be teachers, who go around saying by the power vested in me, by Box Elder Highschool,I now pronounce you husband and wife for the rest of the day”. 

With the weather cooling down, the location for the dance may be scheduled to change. 

Mr. Davidson Student Government Adviser stated in an interview “ The weathers looking bad, we had plans to be outside, but due to the weather the dance will most likely be in the Commons”

Bauer and Davidson, both talked about how if the dance was outside then there would be hay bale rides provided by Mr. Bingham and Mr. Cefalo would have telescopes up for students to look at the night sky.

Davidson stated “That since the dance is here, we can wait right up till Saturday to decide where the dance will be”.

Though there is still a chance the dance will be inside, be sure to dress warm, it is sure to be a night to remember. 

Davidson also said “ I think in my entire teaching career usually Sadies is the best dance of the year.”  Mr. Davidson says that since the girls are not in dresses, they usually dance harder.

So come prepared for a night to remember, and like Davidson said, be prepared to “Dance hard.”

Box Elder High Schools' class of 2022 are leaving the hive at the end of May, but before they go, they’re going to have a farewell party at the Rush Funplex in Syracuse. The all-night party starts on May 31 at 10:30 pm, and ends June 1 at 2:30 am. Tickets starting at $40 and seniors are scrambling to be able to enjoy one final school activity.

Jon Nation, is a senior, FBLA officer, and hope squad member here at Box Elder High. In an interview Nation stated that he thinks that his senior year went well and had a lot of fun. His favorite memory from senior week was just spending time with his fellow senior classmates.

When asked about how his senior year went, Nation responded with, "I feel like it was pretty good, definitely better than the seniors last year. We had a lot of fun stuff happen.” he also added,”I think that just being with the other seniors and just looking forward to making those good memories.” When asked about his favorite part of senior week.

Shan Robinson, a senior on student government and on the school board, thought her senior year was really awesome. Her favorite part of senior year was senior week because this time of year is when all the seniors start socializing with each other because its their final goodbye.

Robinson said, "I don’t have any regrets, it was really awesome. I learned a lot of things and did a lot of cool things. It’s a bittersweet time but I think that this is the time, for our grade, where we get closer than ever. People get to know each other that they never talked to before because it’s kind of like oh we're all going to leave so let’s all be friends.”

The senior all-night party will take place at the Rush Fun Center. There will be unlimited game cards provided for continued fun all night. 

There will also be two prize drawings. When entering the party you will be given two tickets. Those will be entered into the drawing for two different prize categories, The grand prize category and the general drawing. 

Grand prizes include two flat screen televisions, two stand up paddle boards, a laptop, and $250 in cash. Students will be given an opportunity to win any of these prizes if their tickets are drawn. 

The general drawing includes over 100 prizes. This includes hammocks, Box Elder blankets, Mini-fridges, speakers, games and much more.

Come enjoy food, drinks and games with all your senior friends. Box Elder bees are buzzing for their final hurrah as Box Elder class of 2022.

The seniors at Box Elder High School have been playing Senior Survivor for two weeks now, and it doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. 

Senior survivor is a tradition that has been going on for three years. It's a fun thing that the seniors get to participate in, and it consists of getting a target and dousing them with a water gun before the end of the week. If the senior doesn’t get their target in time they get put on what's called the “Hit List”, where anyone who is playing can target that person.

Oakly Dalebout is part of the Junior’s Student Government, and is helping with setting up and running Senior Survivor. She stated on the subject, “I do like running senior survivor because it's fun to see how things go when you know the background of who has who.” Senior Survivor has been going strong and people participating in it have been taking each other out really quickly. Dalebout stated on the subject, “This year has been very aggressively fast.”

Being a participant in Senior Survivor is just as fun as watching it happen from the outside in. Marshall Rust stated, “I had a bunch of friends do [Senior Survivor] last year, and it seemed really fun.” He later stated, “I thought it was really fun, I got to stake out at someone's house for a little while, and a few friends staked out at mine, it was tons of fun.”

There are still rules to the game to make sure that everyone has time to have fun, but still be safe. The be_senior_survivor instagram page has all the rules on it, those rules include; No assassinations on campus during school hours, you can't assassinate your target during any school events, parking lots are only free game 5 minutes after school, or a school activity, you cannot assassinate the target within five minutes before their shift, however right after said shift is free game, you cannot break into anyone's home, and there is no physical contact allowed during the game.

While ``Senior Survivor'' has been going on for a little bit, it's still not perfect. On that subject, Dalebout stated, “If I could change anything, I would let the players have two lives so that people could know who they had, and it can be more of a battle.” On the same subject, Rust stated, “I would probably not trust people as much as I did, and I would be more careful about what I do.”

The seniors have been having a lot of fun during this entire thing, smiling the whole time they play. “When I am a senior I will for sure be doing it, I can't wait, it will be really fun.”

Box Elder High School student government elections were held on Apr. 14, 2022, and Apr. 22, 2022. Congratulations to the incoming 2022-2023 student government! 

Box Elders’ student body president dives into the conversation of what he wants to improve in the school. “Unifying and trying to create an atmosphere that everyone wants to be a part of. One where we’re all involved, we’re all shooting for the same thing. Find what the personal thing is that will help them grow whether it’s theater, whether it’s singing, whether it’s sports, whether it’s academics; if we can find those things and mesh them together into a unifying goal, I think that’s the goal, that’s what will get everyone involved,” said Isaac Brockbank.

A common theme through exclusive interviews with The Buzz was mental health and attitude. “Lately, mental health has been one of the highs that’s not good. If somebody has somebody be a friend to them it’s a nice way of coming closer together for a better school,” said Luke Sutton, next year’s Senior Class President.

Oakly Dalebout, next year’s Senior Vice President, goes on to talk about Box Elder’s attitude and how she is going to improve it, “I am going to try to have a good attitude and lead by example to get everyone to have a good attitude to make sure we have our last year of high school good because when everyone has a good attitude it just makes everything better.”

The new Student Body President will be Brockbank, his vice will be Seth Mortensen, and their secretary will be Sofi Burgraff. 

Senior President will be Sutton, his vice will be Dalebout, and their senators will be Alexis Vranes, Tyler Coburn, Judah Richardson, Alyssa Allen, Paige Udy, Savana Steel and Milton Farr. 

Junior President will be Dallan Davidson, his vice will be Anders Powell, and their senators will be Peyton Hubbard, Landon Lloyd, Kyson Glover, Sadie Wright, Blade Burden, Adelaide Nelson and Isabella Griffin. 

“Be outgoing, be prepared, and be determined,” concludes Derek Davidson, the current Student Body President. We can’t wait to see what next year holds. GO BEES!

Box Elder High School students are quickly preparing for the upcoming AP test season. AP Psychology, AP Chemistry and AP Biology are just a few of the AP classes offered at Box Elder High School. It costs $96 to take the test. It is not required to take the test in order to pass the class.

Melanie Williams is the teacher for the AP Psychology class. At the start of the year, Williams had 60 students and now in the final trimester, three months before the test, she is down to 50.

Learning the information as it's being taught instead of cramming all the information in before the test is crucial. Williams stated in an interview, “The best way to pass is by doing what I say.” She also said the best way to conquer AP tests is just by studying and making sure you know the material while you're learning the unit. 

Most AP classes are just loads of information gathering and memorization. The point of an AP class is to learn the information. 

In AP classes, the workload is much higher than those of regular high school classes. AP credits look very good on a college application. AP classes mostly rely on notes and long strenuous tests in preparation for the AP final. 

Most AP finals take place at the end of the school year in May, after the three trimester course is over.

Every year, as the end of the school year approaches, senioritis starts to spread throughout the seniors and with it, issues for teachers and students. Senioritis is a condition where those who are graduating, mostly seniors, start to feel demotivated and decide that going to school isn’t worth it. 

Maggie Fisher, a student at Box Elder High School, is related to someone who she claims started to show signs of senioritis. Fisher stated, “Sometimes he just doesn’t come to school because he just doesn’t feel like it, and I can’t do that.”

Not showing up to school is one of the biggest symptoms of senioritis, and it has quite an impact on not only the seniors but also the teachers who are trying to teach. This started to become an issue in Fisher's debate class.

“There was a lot of people not showing up which made it a lot harder on the teacher to organize because you have to perform in front of the class and stuff and I think it was kind of hard on the teacher.”

Brain Whitney, the teacher of the debate class agreed with Fisher saying, “When you're debating you need everyone so not having as high of attendance can hinder the debate and the class overall.”

Teachers have an expectation to make things work, even with the seniors' lack of attendance. Brock Durfee said, “Sometimes I will refrain from doing more in-depth or difficult assignments because I don’t expect a high amount of energy input from kids who are struggling with senioritis.”

While senioritis definitely has an impact on the teachers, it also has a strong impact on the classmates of an affected senior.  As Durfee put it, “I feel like senioritis is kind of a black hole, kind of draws people in.” He later elaborated, “If a couple of students have it, other students start to feel it too, and the whole energy level goes down, and it gets hard to get kids to pay attention.”

Even though the “black hole” of senioritis sucks in and affects lots of people, there are still some who are not hit as hard as the other students seem to be. Erica Jones said, “I don’t really have a lot of classes with seniors, my sister is a senior but she likes school and she gets mad at the kids that don’t care.” Jones later mentioned that she thought that senioritis would most strongly affect the Seniors and that she had not personally seen it affect anyone that wasn’t a senior.

Senioritis also has some long-lasting effects. Aaron Crawford stated, “The seniors here tend to think that they deserve time off, which becomes a problem because that's not how you get a good launch into your future.”

Senioritis isn’t going away any time soon, so even though some people think that the seniors are the only people affected by senioritis, almost every student will become a senior at one point, so it stands to reason that everyone should be warned. Do not let the black hole of senioritis infect more than it has to.

On April 10th, Box Elder High School will be having a Spring Break, where students get to have a week off of school. With a week off, students will have an opportunity to have some free time. 

Brenden Holland, a Box Elder High School student, is excited for Spring Break. “I can leave this place and go hang out with my family in Saint George,'' said Brenden. When asked why he didn't want to be at school, he said, “It's boring here”. 

Brenden isn't the only one who thinks school is boring. “School is really boring”, said Joey Benson, a student at Box Elder High Joey's plans for spring break are simple: sleep and make homemade food. Ella Robinson , a sophomore at Box Elder High School, when asked about school, said “School is stressful and it's boring”. 

Mackay Norman, better known as Mack, holds a more optimistic attitude “I can't say that I like school, but I enjoy actually being productive. When I’m at home or at break I’m more likely doing stupid stuff anyway, but I guess thats where the fun is, isnt it?” says Mackay. 

Norman sees Spring Break as “A time where I can recollect. Either I will try to get caught up with school work or just hang out,” says Norman. 

Conor Downing, a sophomore, is excited to have some free time. “My family isn't going anywhere this Spring Break. I'm just excited to have this week off. It gives me some time to relax at home” Connor then followed up saying, “Which, after I got my job, doesn't happen way too often.” Conor doesn't have any big plans besides just hanging out. When asked what he was going to do on his time off, Conor said, “Not much, probably just video games, go to work. I might go to Smiths to buy something.”

The students at Box Elder are excited to have a week off of school and have some free time. 

This April, elections will be held for BEHS student government, giving students an opportunity to influence the school and the school activities. 

Student elections determine next year's Student Government.  Derek Davidson, the current student body president, says “Student elections are awesome because it gives kids a way to reach out to their whole student base.” 

The process to run can change from year to year. To run, students will get a form from the office and will need to fill it out. They can then create posters that are hung around the school, advertising themselves for office. During an assembly the candidates will advertise themselves for office, sometimes with a skit, a video, or a speech. A question segment will be held, where kids get to ask questions, and an interview between the administration like the principal and vice principal is held. 

Derek Davidson when talking about running says,   “..if you're thinking about doing it I would say really do it, the friends you make and the experiences you have in student government are some of the ones that you will remember most about high school”

The student government gets to plan dances, assemblies, service projects, and other activities. Dallan Davidson, reported that last year 11,000 dollars for toys for tots was donated, and this year 6,000; as well as 15,000 pounds of food during the can drive. 

Many people are quite extactit about student government. Brandon Nelson, the vice president, says this about student government, “I think it's awesome. Like anyone who cares  about what's going on in school, I'd encourage them to run and get involved as much as they can”.

Not everybody is enthusiastic about elections and student government. Cloee Youngberg, a sophomore said, “It's a popularity competition, the chances of me getting in were very low.”

Conor Downing  mimicked that sentiment, he said “I feel like only the popular kids can really get in there, I don't mean any offence to any of the student government people … everyone knows they are friends with a lot of people”. 

Of course, not everybody will get into student government. Blade Burden, a sophmore, ran last year in the student elections. However, like many people, he didn't make it. When asked why, Blade said, “ I just went up against some good people, I don't take any offense to it, because I lost fair and square.”

 But despite his loss, Blade will run again, “I’m gonna keep at it, because I don't give up. I want to make Box Elder a better place, I feel like I’ve done pretty good these past few years and I would like to do it again”.

The upcoming and highly anticipated Valentine’s event, Sweethearts, is getting closer and closer by the day.

The Sweethearts Dance is going to be on February 26th in the high school commons area, from 8:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M. It will consist of a lot of things similar to Homecoming - those being dancing, listening to music, and eating. “It’s a really fun opportunity that you’d look back on and want to relive,” said Mrs. Jamie Kent. 

There have been many concerns about what the dress code will be. Mrs. Kent clarified, “a lot of people have been asking me what to wear so - it’s semi-formal.” She then went on to say that many students have been wondering if it’s matching hoodies, like Sadies, or more ball-gown-like attire, like Prom or Purple and White. “Think more like Homecoming,” states Kent.  

Mr. Roberts, head of student government, is assisting student council members to plan the dance. When asked what part of the planning process was his favorite, he said that it was “watching the student government work hard.” He also explained exactly what the dance will consist of. When it came to music, he established that “there will be a playlist but that always gets bumped for requests.”

The food that’s being served is much alike to Homecoming, being mini Crumbl cookies and cups of water. However, it isn’t set in stone what flavors of cookies we’re going to be receiving, since Crumbl flavors vary from week to week. 

There’s been concerns about the dance, considering COVID-19. The people planning the event have taken precautions so that the virus isn’t further spread. There will be individual wrapping on the concessions, and it will take place in the same wide, open space we walk through everyday, the commons area. 

Sweethearts has been an annual tradition at our high school for 17 years, according to Mr. Roberts. “We are really excited to have the dance and hope students have a great time.” 

Tickets for the event are currently on sale at boxelderathletics.com. They’re going for $10 for singles, $20 for couples. Mrs. Kent encourages students to attend, “whether it’s with a group of friends or a date.” 

On April 11, Box Elder High School’s sophomores and juniors voted for next year’s student government.

Potential candidates running for student government were introduced to the student body and following this assembly, students were able to vote for their top candidates for 2026’s student government. 

The final results of the election were Olivia Crane as Student Body President, Halli Wright as Vice President, and Sam Frehner as Student Body Secretary.

In the position of Senior Class President, Sadie Jeppsen will be serving with Jaxton Griffin as Vice President. And for the Junior Class, CoCo Jensen will be Class President with Lucy Griffin as Vice President.

The senior senators will be Amelia Snider, Ashlynn Tuft, Brinlee Worthy, Bryce Mecham, Eli Folau, Hallie Hickman, Hunter Gregory, Lindsay Bott, Logan Cefalo, and Trevor Labrum. For the junior class, their senators will be Alexa Steel, Bentley Burt, Davis Lloyd, Eli Brockbank, Jace Davidson, Kate Barrus, Talan Sumko, and William Hansen.

Those elected into student government have vocally explained their high hopes for next school year.

Sadie Jeppsen, 2026’s Senior Class President, expresses her readiness for positive changes. “I wanted to see a difference that I hadn’t really seen as much in the last couple of years. And I want to be able to do what I can for the students so they can see the change that they have been looking for.”

Sadie Jeppsen has gone on to explain her ideas to get feedback from the student body through QR codes around the school. She and other members of next year's student government hope that, through publicly available surveys, that they can get up to date feedback from students on what needs to change.

One of next year’s junior senators, Bryce Mecham, also explains his support for this action. “I think that’s a really important thing for next year, hearing what more students want is important because we’re supposed to be representing the students of the school.”

The student government for next school year expressed, even during the elections, their desire to make next school year enjoyable for all students. And in pursuing that goal, they hope that the student body can be active in helping them get there.

“I think that if we really try to be more including of everybody,” Bryce continues, “we can make it a more fun, exciting year for everybody. But it also depends on the willingness of the people.”

Next August, the student government will officially assume their new positions. And, with the help of the student body, they hope to make it even more exciting than before.