Embedded Files
CJHS students explore colleges opportunities
CJHS students explore colleges opportunities
By Isabella Moran
Staff Writer
Current Concord eighth graders took a trip to Southwestern Michigan College and Goshen College to learn about what life after high school might be like.
The first field trip was to Southwestern Michigan college, a community college founded in 1964, with over 1800 students (as of March 2025). Concord students were split up into groups and given different activities to do. While there, students learnt about the importance of going to college, the different athletics they offer, why their community would be a good one to consider after graduating, their background, low tuition, programs, and more. The students got to tour Southwestern’s campus and dorms to learn more about what their campus has to offer.
“I liked seeing our junior high kids get to experience the options they can do after high school,” said Mr. Saleh.
A big part of the field trip was getting to see their dorms, which have lots of advantages that other colleges may not have, such as suites that can have up to four separate bedrooms (with locks) with two bathrooms, all with temperature control, a full kitchen, free wifi, unlimited laundry, free parking, kitchen utilities, and 24/7 security. Southwestern Michigan doesn’t tend to host field trips for middle schools, as they don’t tend to ask; they do however believe it is important for teens to visit college so they have that exposure and are more open to not only attending college but also the different opportunities they have available to them. Another reason why Southwestern Michigan believes it is important is because a lot of students struggle with getting transportation to be able to visit these colleges.
The second field trip students were afforded to visit was Goshen College. During the beginning of this field trip, the students were introduced to Indiana’s graduation pathways and asked questions about what the students wanted for their future. The spokesperson at Goshen College showed students a quiz created by their staff called, “What should I major in?”, which consists of a wide variety of different careers, and then proceeds to give students the three that best suit them.
“My favorite part of the field trip was the activities that we did. We had a lot of fun and got to check out what Goshen’s college campus was like,” said Ahkivai Jefferson.
In one of the activities that Goshen offered, students were split into three groups and given 30 minutes to complete a scavenger hunt. Once they finished, they were each given a raffle ticket, and the chance to win a prize. All the 8th graders received a T-shirt and candy.
Concord students were fortunate to tour both Southwestern Michigan and Goshen College. This field trip was optional based on students who filled out the form to attend.
Journalism students interview broadcasters at WSBT
By Avarey Dyer
Staff Writer
Updated 5/29/24
The eight grade journalism class went to WSBT on Thursday, May 16, to explore the field of broadcasting and meteorology.
When the students first arrived, they were greeted by Mr. Zane Torrence, one of the marketing directors who gave them a tour of one of the news studios and the production room. Students were able to ask questions that they had written prior to the trip. Mr. Torrence explained that the number of viewers and the time slot for which commercials are televised determines how much money they will cost.
While watching the live noon show, students learned that broadcasters read from a moving script that tells them what to say and how fast they should say it. Prior to the weather forecast, Abby Weppler was having difficulties with the new software program and could not air her forecast. Students watched as Kristin Bien, Abby Weppler, and the producers quickly adjusted for this malfunction.
“My favorite part of the field trip was watching how they handled the mess-up with the green screen and weather forecast,” said Katie Tucker.
During and after the noon show, students asked prepared questions during their interview time with broadcaster Kristin Bien and meteorologist Abby Wepler. Bien explained specifically what happens behind the scenes and showed the students how to read and follow a script. She stated that there is only so much time that each segment gets, and they can’t go under the time or over.
Bien also discussed how communication is so important. For example, the news reporters wear headsets and the producers behind the scenes talk to them and address any problems that they or someone else may have.
“The best part of the trip was watching Abby Weppler and the rest of the crew be able to overcome the computer issues that caused Abby’s computer to freeze. It was amazing to see them go into the next story without missing a beat. I also liked how Kristin Bien showed all the students the computer program and talked them through how they were able to complete the news cast,” said eighth grade teacher, Mr. Watson.
Journalism students learn about marketing and broadcasting at Four Winds Field
On May 16, the Concord Junior High class visited and toured Four Winds Fields to learn about how important verbal and written communication are used in radio broadcasting and in management positions.
According to Mr. Joe Hart, the president of the South Bend Cubs, only 15% of patrons who buy tickets actually come to watch the game. For this reason, there are many events and activities planned for all ages.
“Customer service is our number one priority, and we want to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience while at our ballpark,” said Mr. Hart.
The class toured the gym and batting cages where the Cubs players workout and condition, specifically during the winter months. According to Mr. Hart, the players live in the apartments that surround the stadium with one to two people per apartment. This is part of their compensation package that includes a yearly salary.
A place where children like to play is the splash pad and bounce houses; these will be two and a half times bigger after Four Winds Field undergoes renovations at the end of the 2024 season.
Journalism students toured the gift shop that was converted from a synagogue back in 2012; it was originally built in 1901. The gift shop brings in a lot of revenue for the South Bend Cubs.
“The Four Winds Field was interesting because of the history of it, especially the gift shop because it used to be a synagogue,” said Benjermin Rininger.
A 45 million dollar construction project will begin soon after the final game this season that will add a second story to the current Cubs stadium and a convention center. These new expansions of the stadium will benefit the community by improving customer service and customer benefits. People will be able to rent part of the building out for events which will bring in more revenue during the off-season months.
According to Mr. Joe Hart, more customers will be able to enjoy the stadium during July 4, which is their busiest time of the year.
The original name of the Four Winds Field was the Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium. This is because after the 1920 World Series winner, Stanley Cloveleski, retired he came to live in South Bend giving the Cubs stadium its name.
CJHS students discover new opportunities at EACC
By Laela Moore
Staff Writer
Updated 3/1/24
On February 21 and 28, all Concord Junior High students went to the Elkhart Area Career Center to learn about various programs and career pathways that are available when they go to the high school.
There were 28 careers available from which students could choose. All parts of different industries ranging from food to hair to medicine— all with one goal: to better the working force for these students and help them achieve their goals quicker and cheaper. There is still class work, and it is not all hands-on as students still have to study for tests.
During the veterinarian class, students held ferrets and dogs, and they saw the highschoolers dissect a pig. The students also got to learn how to stitch.
Ella Bloss said, “When watching the students dissect the pig it showed how much dedication and passion they had for their future career.”
Students got a tour around the practicing salon where the cosmetologists learn how to give facial massages and multiple hairstyles. The students then were taken to the walk-in salon where the up-coming cosmetologists get to experience the real environment of a salon. In addition, instructors showed students how to paint a nail.
While at Pre-Nursing, instructors showed them how to work the machines and how to weigh a baby properly. They learned to operate machines with a metal guide that directed them to the part that needed to be removed.
In Early Childhood, CJHS students got to interact with the children at the daycare. Some of the students who attend EHS can bring their children there during the day while they are at school.
Brynlee Yoder said, “I thought it was an amazing experience, and that it was really fun to get to see what it would be like to work with kids.”
In the construction area, students built a birdhouse with different wood shapes. They used manuals explaining how to build it with different nails and screws. The Automotive Collision Repair course afforded students with the opportunity to a plastic bumper together with a plastic welder.
In cardiology, they learned how to give CPR, and how to lift someone up in a stretcher. They also showed how they draw blood from people and how to draw blood from each other.
Medical detectives explores careers at Goshen Hospital
By Lily Davis
Staff Writer
Mrs. Kaufman’s seventh grade students took a field trip to Goshen Hospital to learn more about the medical field and how it relates to their class.
While at the hospital, students tried out the stethoscope to see how nurses find out a person’s heart rate. Additionally, students looked under a microscope to see types of cells.
The seventh graders also got to see the X-ray room which can take pictures of bones using radiation. They learned that an ultrasound uses less radiation than X-ray machines. Employees working with radiation need a lead apron to do an ultrasound.
According to the staff at Goshen Hospital, a person needs at least two years of schooling after high school to work at this job.
Diego Alvarez said, “My favorite part of the field trip was the X-ray because my mom works with this type of equipment.”
In the manufacturing department, students saw how the engineers fix the machines for the doctors. The operator showed students gadgets like an energy level machine that shocks people when needed. They also got to see a physical therapist assistant who helps people do tasks necessary to function in their everyday lives.
The seventh graders also got to tour the maintenance department which helps keep power on even during a power outage lasting 96 hours. The employees showed students that they keep the cooling and heating systems running at all times.
Mrs. Kaufman said that the students benefited from the field trip by “seeing a different career that they could do when they're older.”
In the trauma room, doctors have everything needed for that patient at all times and usually have many doctors, a surgeon maybe, or other people on call if needed. In the Isolation room, everything is kept sterile so that bacteria and viruses do not enter into areas of patient care. Students also In the Isolation room, everything needs to stay in so the doctors have a system that keeps things in and doesn't come out such as sicknesses.
In the lab, students were shown a refrigerator where blood is stored.
Blue Team wins Color Splash Competition for Red Ribbon Week
By Jackie Memije
Staff Writer
Students celebrated Red Ribbon Week by dressing according to theme for a week to show gratitude for drug-free lives.
The Leadership Team planned the days for Spirit Week that extended from October 16 to October 20. At the conclusion of the week during the Color Splash Convocation, the Blue Team came through with the win for being the loudest and most spirited during the all-school color splash convocation competition. They put in a lot of hard work for their win this year, including planning, dressing out, and making colored posters.
“The best part of Red Ribbon Week was when we won. When it was our turn to cheer. I believe our team really got into the Concord spirit,” said Alex Memije.
Each day of spirit week had a selected theme that included the following: Adam Sandler, Hawaiian, Pink Out, Nationality, and Color Splash Days.
“My favorite part of spirit week was during the Color Splash on Friday when everyone was united and cheering. It was fascinating to see how competitive our school can be,” said Baylie Riffle.
“Color Splash was the best part of Red Ribbon Week. With all of the exhilarating and powerful cheers and chants,” said Jennifer Lara-Mendoza, a member of leadership.
Last year's winner was the Red Team with quite the show. Students put up posters around the school to show their school spirit.
Living Book Reports exhibit talent
By Jordyn Baker
Staff Writer
Updated 11/28/24
Seventh grade S.P.I.C.E. students portrayed a scene from a book to show others their creativity, imagination, and teamwork at this year's Living Book Report event.
Each group of 7th grade students chose one of many books to read and to analyze. Students had a set amount of time to turn their imagination into a real-life depiction of a scene from their book. They unraveled the play-by-play from their favorite part of the story using decorations and props to turn a blank canvas into an outstanding image.
”This gives students the opportunity to see words, build it, use time management skills and share it with others,” Mrs Fann said.
One group chose The Uglies as their book which was about a girl who decided not to be like everyone else, thus she ran away. They interpreted the scene by making a campsite with tents for everyone who also ran away. A second group chose Fahrenheit 451, a book about making books illegal to the extent that they would be burned, and everyone's houses would be searched. The students used firefighters' suits to act out them going into the house looking for books.
Gabe Zebell said, ”Working on Fahrenheit 451 helped to build teamwork and skills helpful going forward.
Students had multiple weeks to design and begin the process of building. Their final day was on November 10 where they showed the projects to multiple students and parents.
Students tour manufacturing companies
By Avarey Dyer
Staff Writer
Concord Junior High’s 8th graders went to four different companies on Manufacturing Day to learn about future careers.
At Conselmer, the students learnt that they have very high standards. For example, while making music instruments, there is a person whose job is to make sure that everything is in alignment. Some stations talked about how they make the products, how they shine the products, and how the product functions. Also, there are 100+ employees that work in these jobs.
Eighth grader Hailey Streetman said, “[The field trip] was very Interesting and it was something I’ve never been through.”
At Kem-Krest employees used special machines to make sure that their products were in the right shape and form. The 8th graders had a chance to build different maintenance tools and work together to make something new. The company’s main focus was teamwork and exceptional products.
Social studies teacher, Mr. Luke Saleh said, “My favorite part was seeing kids work in collaboration and teamwork building different things.”
Most importantly, the people who made this field trip possible were from HEA.There were a lot of learning experiences and activities that gave everyone a new perspective to what could be their future career.
Other companies that students toured were Alpha and Shield.
Journalism class learns about media relations at Four Winds Field
By Mason Bailey
Staff Writer
As part of their yearly tradition, the 2023 Journalism class toured the South Bend Cubs facility and interviewed the president, batting coach, and sports announcers.
It was the second consecutive year that Mrs. Oberholtzer’s class visited the stadium. Mr. Joe Hart, the president of the South Bend Cubs, led students on a guided tour, followed by times built-in throughout the tour for which students could interview various professionals in the field of communications.
While standing in the Cubs’ locker room, Mr. Hart explained the importance of nutrition and accessibility for the players on the team. The South Bend Cubs players have a personal nutritionist. This professional employee makes pre-game and post-game meals, along with protein smoothies and snacks for players. Players also have access to snacks, a large TV, massage chairs, and a training facility.
Since the team spends so much time at Four Winds Field, the players arrive early to warm up, eat, stretch, and prepare for their game. Also, the team will usually go into the Cubs' activity center before their game, where there are multiple batting cages and plenty of places to get loose. The Minor League Players' salaries have increased over the past year from a couple of thousand dollars to twenty to thirty thousand dollars. Mr. Hart explained that players went from barely being able to pay for rent to now actually having some extra money on the side. Housing is provided for the Cubs players inside the South Bend area.
Bryce Outlaw said, “This tour impacted my view of professional baseball by showing how and what the baseball players do in their daily routines.”
Mr. Hart talked about the 2024 season when the South Bend Cubs organization will clear out the roof of the first level on both sides of the stadium and will add an additional level, allowing for almost two times the number of spectators in the stands. This addition will cost a total of around $50 million dollars. This add-on will also provide many opportunities for bigger companies and celebrities to do things at the ballpark.
Afterward, Mr. Hart talked about their team store, an old Jewish synagogue–built in 1901 that is still in use today. The organization wanted to keep this historic building on the campus so they made it their team store. The synagogue was restored when Andrew Berlin, the president of the Cubs, purchased the Cubs in 2011.
The class walked through the team store and then went to the activity center where they met the South Bend Cubs batting Coach, Donnie Weatherholt. Also, Donnie coaches the South Bend Cubs youth travel baseball team. Some of the students asked Coach Weatherholt to answer questions about what a hitter needs for professional baseball. When asked about the biggest mistake a batter makes when preparing to hit the ball, Donnie replied, “Mental toughness is the most important when it comes to hitting.”
After meeting with Coach Weatherholt, the class entered the press room and met with the sports announcers, Brendin King and Max Toma. King and Toma informed the students about their multiple jobs that have to do with sports announcing, like the Indy 500, racing, Chicago Fire, college baseball, and softball. Being close in age to the team, King and Toma have closely bonded with the players, which provides them with a better perspective when announcing during games/events.
Before the South Bend Cubs changed their name, they were the South Bend SilverHawks. As part of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, they were with Arizona from 1994 until 2014 when the Chicago Cubs organization bought them. On November 11, 2011, Andrew Berlin purchased the Silverhawks, then three years later, on September 25, 2014, in a press conference, the team officially changed its name to the South Bend Cubs.
Brady Glassman said, “I would say getting to know about the history of the program was really cool; also, it was so interesting to see how a franchise that was on the verge of being sold is now one of the most successful High-A teams in minor league baseball”.
The students spent around two weeks practicing and studying for the trip ahead of them. Every classmate had a specific question that was assigned to them. Many days before the trip, the students rehearsed their questions as a whole class.
Journalism students interview broadcasters at WSBT
By Brady Glassman
Staff Writer
Updated 5/30/23
As a part of their annual field trip, journalism students at CJHS interviewed professionals in the field of broadcast media at WSBT 22 headquarters in Mishawaka.
When the students first arrived, they were welcomed by WSBT marketing director, Zane Torrence. As the marketing director, Torrence explained that a good portion of the money WSBT made was from advertising, and that the price to place an ad would cost more during specific times of the day when the show would have more viewers.
Afterward, Torrence took the group into the room in which the producers worked. He explained their job details, saying that they are the ones who plot out the show. The room included tons of equipment for them to use, including highly advanced television cameras that Torrence said could cost up to $50,000. Torrence stated that if they made a mistake, they would have to act fast to fix it.
Two producers organized the show, but both had different responsibilities, with one plotting the show, and the other making it come to life.
“The most interesting thing I saw was the equipment,” said journalism student Leila Barron-Vergara. “It was cool seeing how much of it was needed to film the news show, and it all looked pretty detailed.”
During the live noon show, meteorologist Abby Weppler and broadcaster Kristen Bien answered questions posed by students concerning their careers. Bien stated that she admires women in the same workfield as her since their job can be hard at times. In addition, she revealed that as a broadcaster, she finds stories involving either a tragedy, or a court case rather hard to cover, since they can involve touchy subjects that are hard to stay neutral towards.
Meteorologist Abby Weppler explained the importance of the weather in people’s day-to-day life. Weppler stated that weather has a huge impact on the economy since products made to be used in specific weather conditions can have a very high demand during times where the conditions of the weather line up to their use. In addition, she claimed that it is now far easier to predict the weather than it was years back due to many technological improvements.
“I found it interesting that as a meteorologist, she goes to schools and does science experiments with kids,” said journalism student, Alonso Palos-Figueroa. “It seemed relatable, since we’re in school, and we do experiments like that; and they’re fun.
This trip marks the 20th year that Mrs. Tandra Oberholtzer has been to the WSBT 22 headquarters with her journalism classes over the years. WSBT has been covering news stories since 1952, with last year marking their 70th anniversary.
Mrs. Higley’s students explore biomedical field
Mrs. Higley’s students explore biomedical field
By Alonso Palos-Figueroa
Staff Writer
Updated 5/5/23
Mrs. Higley’s Medical Detectives classes went on a trip via bus to Paragon Medical so students could experience different jobs available to them in the biomedical field.
During the trip, students were shown a presentation about the purpose of Paragon Medical; additionally, the presentation informed students on what orthopedics is and its uses. Mrs. Higley’s students toured the factory building where orthopedic implants are manufactured. Her students got to see the different machines used to make the implants. The CMM, Computerized Measuring Machine, is used to measure the material for cutting.
Another machine that was mentioned was a robotic arm used to place parts into a cutting machine, and when the cutting is complete, the robot takes the parts out. Both of the machines mentioned need to be programmed by professionals in the field.
Students also toured another building that had an operating room for practicing surgeries on cadavers.The staff explained that the room can be rented out by companies so that their doctors can practice surgeries. These surgeries are usually performed on individual body parts, rather than the whole corpse.
Afterwards, students were brought into a room where they played a short game. The game involved labeling different bones on a model skeleton. Since the students were divided into different tour groups, they were competing against the other groups.
After the game, students were shown trays that hold the instruments for orthopedic surgery. Each tray is printed with an outline of the tool so surgeons know where each tool goes. Next, students were brought into another manufacturing area.
“They let us touch these really cool implants,” said Elijah Towner, one of Mrs. Higley’s students.
While there, students got to see another robotic arm, but much larger. Its job is similar to the job of the smaller arm, which is putting the parts into the machine and taking them out. Students also went into a painting room where the tool outlines are painted onto the trays. However, instead of using paint, they used ink.
Mrs. Higley said, “Because of a grant that we received along with the PLTW (Project Lead the Way) curriculum, we were able to provide an opportunity for our students to get into our community…to see the biomedical field.”
Exposure to Career Pathways lead students to consider their future
By Valerie Munoz-Ramon
Staff Writer
Updated 3/1/23
On February 14 and 15, the 8th graders went on a field trip to the Elkhart Area Career Center to tour different career pathways that match their interests.
Some of the programs that the students were most interested in were criminal justice, EMT, and welding. In each program, students got to do many hands-on activities. While learning a lot about each individual program, they also learned a lot about themselves.
“This field trip helped me learn about some of the career paths my students are interested in. My favorite part was seeing how excited the kids were,” said Mr. Andrew Namisnak, who chaperoned the trip.
To dive deeper into these careers, students explored the field of criminal justice. They got to learn how to put handcuffs on people and how to take them off. Additionally, students went into a second room where they got to investigate a crime scene and take photos, finger prints, and take DNA samples.
Additionally, students who chose to tour EMT were given the option to touch a lamb's heart. They were also able to have a dummy that was able to get its vitals checked. This demonstration taught them how to use a vital machine.
“My favorite part of EMT was learning how to do CPR with an airbag. This experience helped me realize that I am interested in the medical field,” said Jacob Espinosa.
Furthermore, in welding, students got to learn how to use a gas nozzle, put two pieces of metal together, and learned how to put on dust masks. In fact, they got to use electricity on metal parts.
“Welding made me learn that patience is key,” said Carson Weirich, who burnt himself on a piece of metal.
Other career options students explored were audio/video, commercial photography, graphic design, computer aided drafting, computer networking, construction trades, industrial technology, robotics and mechatronics, cosmetology, culinary, early childhood education, education professions, cardiology, careers in sports medicine, medical assisting, dental health careers, veterinary careers, fire and rescue, AG/ motorcycle/outdoor power technology, automotive collision repair, automotive service technology, diesel technology, precision agriculture, and surgical services.
National Junior Honor Society sponsors food drive
By Jacoby Allen
Staff Writer
The National Junior Honor Society hosted a food drive to raise money and to collect nonperishable items for those less fortunate in the community.
Only 7.5 items separated this year’s food drive homeroom winner. With 565.5 items, Mr. Callan came in first place for the most donations for Church Community Services, and Mrs. Shelton’s homeroom took second place with 558 items. According to Mr. Callan, he and his homeroom discussed making the world a better place, so they all sacrificed a little for this food drive.
“I get inspired when I see young people help others,” said Mr. Tim Callan.
On November 14, Mrs. Amador’s class donated 177 items and maintained the lead for the 8th grade and school wide total; not far behind was Mr. Callan with 143 items remaining in the lead for the 7th grade.
On November 15, Mrs. Shelton swiped the lead away from Mrs. Amador for 8th grade and school wide with a wapping 278 items collected, and in the lead for 7th grade is Mr. Callan at 172 items collected standing his ground. The next day, Mrs.Shelton collected a total of 357 amazing items for the school wide lead, and in lead for 7th grade is Mr. Callan with 222.5 items donated to the food drive.
“My favorite thing about the food drive was helping people in need,” said eighth grader Jacob Nush.
On November 7, Mrs. Huffer was in the lead with 22 items collected for 8th grade and school wide, and Mr. Callan with 12 items donated for the lead in 7th grade. On November 8, the head of the entire school with 45 donated items was Mrs. Oberholzer with Mrs. Fann snatching the lead from Mr. Callan for the 7th grade lead. On November 10, taking the school-wide and 8th grade lead was Mrs. Amador with an outstanding amount of 92 items with Mr. Callan taking the 7th grade lead back donating a total of 81 items.
Leadership Team represents student voices at CJHS
By Mina Rodriguez Cervantes
Staff Writer
Introducing themselves as an extension to student's voices, the Leadership Team organized school-related activities, convos, events, and decorations.
During the first semester, the Leadership Team planned and executed Red Ribbon Week—a week in which students celebrated their drug-free lives by dressing up for a week each day in a different theme.The themes of this year’s Red Ribbon Week were the following: dress in the spirit of Concord, dress to impress, sports, matching day, and a splash of color competition. The event began with a convo on Monday, October 17, announcing the schedule for the coming week, and ended on Wednesday, October 26.
The Color splash winners of this year’s Spirit Week were the Red Team for being the one with the highest participation and the Pink Pink Block for being the loudest. The main focus of Red Ribbon Week was to spread awareness of drugs to students, and for students to participate in the activities. Not only students participated but also staff in wearing clothes themed for the scheduled days.
During and after Red Ribbon week some convos were led and planned by Leadership Team members that usually introduce the upcoming topic for the convo. Students had meetings on Mondays before school started to discuss the calendar and ideas they had with each other; Additionally, students handmade posters before and after school and then hung them around the building.
“I think this year's group (Leadership team) is a very strong group, so motivated and brave for leading convos, ” Leadership Team sponsor Mrs. Heather (Short) Mast.
At the beginning of the school year, the Leadership Team organized a welcoming group who helped new students identify and locate where classrooms are.\"I believed that the leadership team does a great job at the convos, and at coming up with ideas for things like the red ribbon week, the welcoming team, and fun activities for the convos," said eighth-grade student Gagabriela Villasmil Lizardo, member of the Leadership team.
Students explore careers in manufacturing
By Emma Elick
Staff Writer
Updated 11/1/22
Eighth grade homerooms went to one of five select manufacturing companies to learn about jobs and opportunities in the Elkhart area.
At Shield, students learned how seatbelts were made and how important they are. They did a hands-on activity that involved constructing one of the most important parts of the seatbelt. Students put together parts of the seatbelt as their activity using different tools and parts.Shield has many different jobs that people can apply for including a design engineer, QA technicians, supervisors, and many more.
Joana Avitia said, “My favorite part was getting to know the different parts that are used and put together to make a seatbelt.”
Training for any job at Shield takes at least 90 days. The first month involves asking questions and getting used to things on the job and the , and the second month involves less guidance but still having the support of experienced staff. By the third month the employees should start doing almost everything by themselves. Shield even helps pay for tuition if people are planning on going to college.
Jeff, the assistant manager of the engineering department, said, “Some days work is hard but having the right people and having a purpose is what makes it worth it.”
Other homerooms were able to go to Kem Krest where they manage and market customer-branded parts, chemicals, and accessories. Kem Krest has locations in Elkhart, Bristol, Michigan, Wisconsin, Canada, Atlanta, and Las Vegas where they ship and receive different parts. It takes six months to get orders, and they ship them 3-4 times. Different cars take different fluids. Supplier’s can be done from anywhere in the world online.
At Kem Krest, students played a game where they had to clearly pass instructions to get different things. The jobs at Kem Krest are a automision or engineer in a persons junior and senior year as a free dual credit program. Kem Krest also helps pay for college. REWORD THIS SENTENCE…ENGINEER IN HIGH SCHOOL?
On the job they do team bonding activities where they play fun games. They also give away a lot of merchandise for employees with perfect attendance. After an employee works for 90 days, they can make $500 and up to $2,000 extra, and after working for 10 weeks, they can earn $1,000.
Students at Alpha Systems and Patrick Industries experienced what and how they make their products including water tanks for RV and boat plumbing. They learned that pipe is put on septic tanks to help with leaks and wrap finish around tanks. A person doesn't need a college career to work at Alpha Systems or Patrick Industries.
Students experience the jobs factories offer
By Jacob Espinosa-Castaneda
Staff Writer
Updated 11/2/22
Eighth-grade students went to different manufacturing companies to see firsthand what these jobs entail and to explore possible career options.
After the homerooms went to different locations, each group was introduced to different types of manufacturing places. The journalism students took notes on everything that was offered in each factory. The factories that the homerooms went to included Conn Selmer, Alpha systems, Patrick Industry, and Kem Krest.
One of the companies students toured was Conn Selmer which specializes in making trumpets and trombones. Specially trained employees handle fire and weld metal together to form instruments’ shape and form. It takes approximately one week to make the instrument and after that process is completed, four people test the instrument by playing a specific tune. Each instrument has to be sanitized, and that process takes around 25 minutes.
“The most interesting thing about the trip was how they folded the trumpet and trombone to make the instrument,” stated Alejandra Loza.
Conn Selmer has a machine that uses air pressure to detect if there is a leak or a crack in the instrument. Around 1,000 mouthpieces are made each day and are made with drills. A trumpet usually uses around 50 separate pieces to make it. A trombone uses 120 separate pieces to make it. This job will require you to have a really strong set of math skills in that factory.
“I was amazed by the number of steps and numerous processes that it takes to create an instrument,” said Mrs. Shelton.
Alpha Systems is a manufacturing place that makes tanks for RVs. Each tank approximately takes 45-60 minutes to complete. The tanks are around 700-2000 dollars to repair one. They store up to 40,000 tanks to be shipped. Employees don’t need to have a college career. This company produces a million parts each year.
Journalism students interview professionals in the field of communications
By Kimberly Lopez Gutierrez
Staff Writer and Photographer
Updated 5/20/22
On May 12, journalism students had the opportunity to interview professionals at WSBT and the South Bend Cubs Center after COVID restrictions were lifted at both locations.
“I feel like it really gave the students a glance of jobs that we can have in the future with the skills we are learning in class. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Juanita Quintero.
Students’ first destination was at the Cubs Stadium where they met the president of the organization, Mr. Joe Hart. The students had prepared questions to ask beforehand, and they also practiced the manner in which they asked their questions. Upon arrival, the students were escorted by Mr. Hart around the stadium and into the Performance Center.
Mr. Hart answered several questions along the tour and during any stops. Hart explained how Andrew Berlin, the owner and chairman of the Cubs Stadium, bought the company just as it was about to go bankrupt. Mr.Berlin was able to save the company and turned it into a successful management.
While the students were shown around the stadium, Mr. Hart explained a bit more about the history of some parts of the stadium during the tour. For example, while Hart was explaining how they renovated many places to fit the “family-friendly” environment they wanted to create, he talked about how their team store was an old synagogue.
Mr. Hart said, “We’re the only team that I know of in sports that has an old synagogue as its team store.”
He went further on to explain other changes his team decided to make in order to better their corporation. One of these changes was modifying their original name from “the South Bend SIlver Hawks” to “The South Bend Cubs.” Hart informed the students that the first year after they changed their name, merchandise sales went up 700 percent and they sold merchandise in all fifty states, plus in six different countries. “For us that let us know that changing our name to the South Bend Cubs was the right decision,” Hart said.
Mr. Hart expressed how the Cubs weren’t like any other baseball team because for them, “It’s more about socializing when you're at the ballpark than wins and loses.” Mr. Hart’s goal is to get people to feel like there’s more to their stadium; he wants people to understand that “it’s more than just baseball.” Hart later went on to say, “We’re all about making memories for families--we’re in the memory-making business.”
Students toured the Performance Center and interviewed Mr. Donnie Weatherholt, one of the batting coaches for the South Bend Cubs. In addition, they met two radio broadcasters, Mr. Darin Pritchett and Mr. Brendan King--the voice of the South Bend Cubs.
After visiting the South Bend Cubs Stadium, students went to tour the WSBT broadcasting center. Once the students arrived at WSBT, they were greeted by Mr. Zane Torrence, the marketing director, who led the class into an unoccupied broadcasting room.
Mr.Torrence answered many questions relating to his field of work while in the broadcasting room. He explained how his job impacts the entire studio as marketing dollars greatly affect their business as a whole.
Mr.Torrence split the class into two groups— one group went into a broadcasting room with Mrs. Abby Weppler and Mrs.Cari Peugeot, while the other group went to tour different areas such as the control room. Each group was able to see how everyone in the studio plays a role that helps bring everything together.
“In some ways we reach more people on social media than we do over the air,” said Mrs. Peugeot. She went on to explain how you have to be a good writer for both live broadcasting and writing news articles.
Students experience local manufacturing companies
By Ava Dixon
Editor
Updated 11/21/21
After exploring career opportunities in the classroom, CJHS students had the chance to visit and experience hands-on activities during manufacturing day.
The students went to different RV companies and learned about each industry and the products they made. The students gathered a lot of insightful information that helped them see how the RV companies contribute to our community.
Customers, community, and co-workers are the three C’s that make up the core values of the Kem Krest company. Kem Krest is a supply chain solutions organization with eleven facilities across the United States and Canada. Students learned that the salary begins at $32,000-$45,000 per year with a high school education. Supervisors can make $45,000-$65,000 a year.
A common job at Kem Krest is driving a forklift. Assistant manager Tyler said, “Even if you have been driving for 20 years, you still have to go through our own personal training in which you take three steps, watch a video of demonstration that's about one-two hours long, then take a driving test, and if you do well on that test, you take an official driving the equipment around test.”
The students were also able to visit and experience Moryde, another local RV factory. Above Beyond Always is Morryde’s slogan; they work at keeping their customers happy by maintaining connections. One area of focus for Morryde is the engineering department. Engineers draw models and they use robots to help design and make the products. The engineers work with the sales department and the programmers who help create models for production. The use of the laser can cut the exact part out and can print the model in a few minutes.
Nataly Ocampo said, “I thought it was fascinating because they showed us the whole process of what the medallion goes through, and how the machines make the shape.”
Another company that students visited was Lippert. The Lippert company manufactures furniture and mattresses for RVs. The Lippert team welcomed students to the plant with high fives from the mattress mascot. Students were divided into 3 groups in order to tour the plant. Mrs. Huffer’s group first visited an office area where they talked about how Lippert works at getting community service hours each year. One interesting project is that they take plastic bags and weave them into mats, to donate to homeless shelters. Students were given the opportunity to practice weaving the plastic bags into mats.
Mrs. Huffer said, “It's cool that you can do something productive with a simple plastic bag.”
Following the office tour, the groups were given a factory tour to watch how some of the products were made. Lippert makes a variety of sofa sizes, and they custom make them to fit different RVs. The sewing area was broken up into smaller teams to help motivate each other. Students found out that highschoolers can get an entry level job in this department where they can get hands-on training.
One key component Lippert focuses on is communication skills. Students were led in a simulation activity where they had to practice giving directions to make a peanut butter jelly sandwich. It was interesting to see how when giving directions the little details are very important. Communication is crucial when using step by step directions to make a product. The simulation helped the students see the importance of communicating well. After speaking with several students and Mrs. Huffer, it is obvious that students learned a lot about different manufacturers in the Elkhart community.
Colonial Fair kindles creativity
By KImberly Lopez
Staff Writer & Photographer
Updated 11/20/21
Mr. Saleh’s 6th and 7th hour social studies class held a “Colonial Fair” in B201 on October 14 to afford students a unique learning experience about life in the 1600’s.
The Colonial Fair was an interactive way for students to learn about the eight colonies rather than reading a book or article and filling out questions. Students were presented with an opportunity to work together and present a creative presentation on their assigned state; furthermore, their goal was to convince the spectator to move to their colony.
Students had an opportunity to explore options on ways to present their colony: some students preferred a video presentation, others a slideshow, and some preferred to interact with the spectator and explain why they should move to their colony.
“I love to see kids working hands-on and depending on others for their learning experiences. It allows students to put their own twist on their learning and generally learn a bit more,” said Mr. Luke Saleh.
Students were divided into random groups of 3-4, where they spun a wheel to decide which of the eight colonies each student would get; additionally, students were given four days to prepare their presentation.
They then went on to present for a total of two days. Two students would present, while the other two would rotate around the stations gathering information on the other colonies and interacting with other presentations. According to Mr. Saleh, one of the challenges students had to face was collaboration and preparation.
The Colonial Fair was more “hands-on activity and it was really fun and engaging,” said Lillian Higley.
Living Book Reports spark creativity
Living Book Reports spark creativity
By Esmeralda Perez
Editor
Updated 11/19/21
Seventh-grade SPICE students produced Living Book Reports on October 26 at CJHS to build a better understanding of their assigned novels by recreating a scene using all five senses.
Students used their creativity to make a scene come to life. They displayed problem-solving skills along with their ability to work together with others on this project. For instance, a group depicted the scene in Prince of Mist by interacting with their audience and asking them to help move the scene forward simply by completing a small task.
“This project helps our students in a myriad of ways including time management, working cooperatively with fellow students, synergizing ideas and visions, and creating a written script that embodies their novels that they can use to create their word. It really is an amazing opportunity for our students,” said Mrs. Stacy Fann.
Each group had an array of different ways to convey their act. For example, in the novel, The Uglies, students captured their survival scene by using fake plants and sound effects all-around their setup to add more of an impact on their audience.
“Being in the world, you can imagine what was really happening instead of the only option being to read the book,” said 7th-grade SPICE student Raegan Hostetler.
The books used this year were The Uglies, Fahrenheit 451, The Hobbit, Shadowmance, The Golden
Compass, Z for Zachariah, Prince of Mist, and Fantastic Voyage. Students were given several weeks to complete the reading and one week for the construction of their set. This year, there was no money limit, but students were encouraged to find items from their homes to add.
Leadership Team represents drug awareness through Spirit Days
Jayda Atkins
Staff writer
Updated 10/15/21
The leadership team planned a Red Ribbon Week to celebrate living a drug free life by organizing spirit days from October 11-15.
Five spirit days were made to celebrate being drug free, each with a special theme, for students and staff to participate. Monday was Hawaiian day, Tuesday was sunglasses and hat day, Wednesday was jersey day, Thursday was proud of your country, and Friday was color splash. The amount of participation varied from what was when, and what was convenient.
“Hat day was my favorite, but color splash was the easiest to participate in,” said seventh grader Hunner Zollinger.
On the day of color splash, there were two competitions for each color team. There was a donut party given to one homeroom class in each of the two winning teams, based on which team was the most dressed up, and which team was the loudest during the color splash convo. The winning homerooms were completely random, and the winning teams, purple and blue, were decided by staff.
“I think we can always make our events better. We learn every year. I think there were challenges this year still related to COVID-19. There were some actions we wanted to take that we felt we couldn’t keep everyone safe. I think getting feedback on the activities students would want to do would allow us to make improvements, but we didn’t do that. Perhaps I can add that to the list for next year,” said Leadership Team sponsor Heather Short.
The Leadership Team had meetings every Friday before and after school from September 20 - October 5 to organize the spirit days and to help spread the word around school with posters. Many debates were had about what they could do to have the most amount of participation possible.
“I think if we could have communicated it a bit earlier [so that] we would have had more participation. We have such a special student body, and I want them to be heard,” said Leadership Team sponsor Mr. Luke Saleh.
CJHS recognizes four students for exemplary writings
Layla Miller
Staff Writer
Updated 5/20/21
On Monday, May 17, four of Mrs. Oberholtzer’s language arts students were honored at a board meeting for their exemplary writing pieces.
Mrs. Oberholtzer presented awards to Valeria Galicia Lopez, Diego Sosa Escamilla, Evelyn Cuevas, and Viviana Mendoza Escamilla. Their argumentative essays either supported or denied the claim that humans should inhabit Mars. Two of the pieces were opposed to the mission and one supported it. Galacia Lopez read her essay aloud to the school board.
“This experience made me discover a talent I didn’t know I had,” said Valeria Galicia Lopez.
Another piece of writing included a narrative called “Second Chances” which was about a dynamic character who makes a positive change in his life. Ricardo, one of the protagonists, learned that giving your best effort means not taking advantage of people who mean the most to you. Mendoza used Spanish phrases within the quotations to make her characters more authentic and to reflect the culture.
The four students selected took time outside of class to make sure that their essays were above and beyond expectations. They used advanced vocabulary words and formats that were different from others to make their essays stand out from the rest, and their hard work paid off.
"The students whom I selected spent countless hours searching for alternate articles to support their claims, used creative transitions within and between paragraphs to produce coherence, and incorporated advanced words into their writing pieces to increase the readability of their essays and narratives," said Mrs. Tandra Oberholtzer.
School board members were presented with copies of all of the writing pieces.
Books come to life with S.P.I.C.E.
By Shea Davis
Staff Writer
On May 19, Concord SPICE students used their creative minds to bring their assigned books to life in this year’s Living Book Reports.
The students were able to demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills while also having time to socialize with their peers. Many of the reports interacted with the audience. For example, most presenters gave snacks to the audience that related to their books in some way. In The Uglies presentation, some spectators were handed a piece of paper to offer a prediction of what was going to happen. While in the Fahrenheit 451, onlookers were requested to hide books in their tent while the characters searched for them. Each report was so unique that it kept the audience guessing as to what they would see next.
“Our distancing requirement during COVID has made it a challenge to offer the activities and group projects we feel enrich the classroom experience for our SPICE students. By being allowed to offer the Living Book Reports, it brought back some of that needed interaction and collaboration,” said Ms. Fann.
The students had approximately two weeks and $25 to create a setting that represented their book. They had to write reports, create a scene, describe the most important parts of the novel, and present their material in a 5-minute presentation. The books that were used were The Uglies, Prince of Mist, Shadowmancer, Fahrenheit 451, The Hobbit, Golden Compass, Z for Zachariah.
“My biggest struggle while making my presentation was bringing others concepts together to create something everyone had a word in,” stated Bo Brunner.
Due to the pandemic, students weren't able to have as much of a large audience, so the students presented their reports to staff, classmates, and students who did the Living Books reports the year before.
The Living Book Reports were a great opportunity for the students to represent their personalities to their classmates while also working on public speaking, using effective eye contact, collaborating with peers, and managing time wisely.
Horizon Alliance moves Elkhart Manufacturing Day to virtual format
Horizon Alliance moves Elkhart Manufacturing Day to virtual format
By Christian Oropeza Rios
Staff Writer
Updated 12/1/20
After the coming of the coronavirus, COVID-19, Manufacturing Day took on a different look this year as the experiences were adapted to a virtual environment.
Major manufacturing companies such as Hoosier, LIFT, and the Elkhart Area Career Center made videos explaining what manufacturing is, what it stands for, and what it is like. This way, students were able to learn about the importance of it while making sure that they are safe from the pandemic in the comfort of being in front of their screen.
“I would rather have gotten to see all the action in real life instead of learning at home,” said 8th-grade student Yazid Salvador.
Companies like LIFT Network Career Exploration helped greatly to make the videos used in the Manufacturing Day by interviewing the manufacturing companies. One such company, Hoosier Racing Tire, explained its appeal of how its jobs have diversity at any level. Another company, Daman products, disclosed its high demand for jobs and its great opportunities that it has for manufacturing things that are used all around us.
“I was hoping for some physical interaction with everything on Manufacturing Day, but due to Covid-19, there had to be a change,” said 8th-grade student Diego Sosa-Escamilla.
Manufacturing Day helps set teens on a career path and lets them discover what their interests are. It gives the students flexibility in their creativity and leads to potential high-earning jobs. Along with that, it also helps them develop a skill such as showing how to work many machines and how to be safe with them, while also giving them both high school and college credits.
Zeser wins geography bee for second consecutive year
Zeser wins geography bee for second consecutive year
Updated: 2/25/20
By Hanna Hernandez
Staff Writer
On Thursday, January 23, eighth-grader Christian Zeser won the school-wide geography bee with seventh-grader Thomas Schmidt as runner up.
A combination of seven and eighth graders competed in the geography bee. First, students were given a preliminary test and those who earned the highest scores competed. The geography bee started with 42 contestants, dwindling down to Zeser and Schmidt. They both answered 2 out of 3 questions correctly in the final round of the championship tie-breaker questions.
“I hard-cored studied for this,” Christian Zeser said.
Going to the sixth championship tiebreaker question, Christian was pronounced the winner. The winning question was the island of New Guinea is divided between Papua New Guinea and what other countries?. Schmidt didn’t prepare but traveling to exotic places helped him. Thomas has gone to Poland, Italy, Germany, and Slovakia. Both Zeser and Schmidt liked looking at maps and visiting places around the world.
The geography bee had to extend to another day because the proctor was supposed to ask two questions for the tiebreaker round, but instead, there was only one question posed. Seventh-grade students who missed the first question were dismissed; however, they were able to come back and compete with the eighth graders.
“This was a strong group of contestants this year,” Ms. Short announced.
Academic Teams face new challenges amid coronavirus outbreak
Academic Teams face new challenges amid coronavirus outbreak
Updated 5/10/20
By Aidan Rotheker
Staff Writer
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CJHS Academic Teams competed via an online test against 20 other schools to test their knowledge of life and culture in the 1920s.
The Academic Teams studied the 1920s for the 100th anniversary and learned more about the government and problems that they faced that led up to the Great Depression. This year the Academic Team did not compete together as a team. Instead, they competed by taking individual tests that would add to their school’s score.
The subjects each year vary in difficulty. Ms.Short, coach of the social studies Academic Team said, “I think this year’s subject was easier than last year’s. Covering a more modern decade, rather than 3000 years of ancient history is easier to organize and understand.”
This year instead of getting the help of working with a team, the academic team had to face multiple challenges such as working without the help of fellow teammates. They also had the challenge of working online; however, with the fact that they’re online, students may have more time to focus on one question without having a time limit.
The Academic Team consists of four teams of math, science, language arts, and social studies. These teams usually have their own part of the competition, but this year all students from each team could take any of the tests for any subject. This year, Concord did not have any students place in the top 15%.
Living Book Reports spark creativity and teamwork
Living Book Reports spark creativity and teamwork
By Brady Van Kirk
Staff Writer
Updated 12/15/19
SPICE students made characters come to life in this year’s Living Book Reports to learn teamwork and how to reenact the main details from the book.
Parents, students, and staff witnessed the reenactment of various scenes from select science fiction or fantasy novels. In the scene from Fahrenheit 451, the students spoke directly towards the audience and interacted with the crowd. In other scenes from Shadowmancer, the group did not really interact with the audience, but they had effective eye contact and spoke clearly towards the audience and to each other.
“I learned that teamwork and compromising will always get the job done,” said William Delio.
The groups used many materials; for example, in Shadowmancer the students brought in handcuffs, fake blood, and plastic wrap to create their scene. In the scenes from The Uglies, they put together bags of survival supplies.
Each group had to read a science fiction novel to create a five-minute scene that encompassed the most important parts of the book. With a budget of $25, they had to buy props and building materials, or they could bring in items from home.
Mrs. Fann, the 7th-grade social studies teacher said, “Living Book Reports is such a great opportunity for our S.P.I.C.E. students. They delve into novels and collaborate with their peers. As an extension of this, they are tasked with creating a world as a reenactment of a scene from their novels.”
The books used for this project were The Uglies, Prince of Mist, Shadowmancer, Fahrenheit 451, The Hobbit, Golden Compass, Z for Zachariah. They all are either fantasy or science fiction novels.
Career Day comes to CJHS
Career Day comes to CJHS
By Meelah Le
Staff Writer
Updated 12/15/19
Students attended two sessions on Career Day to learn about various vocations through demonstration, videos, and hands-on activities.
Twenty-four speakers from the surrounding areas came to speak about their careers. A very popular speaker was a worker from GIA, a gemstone/birthstone company. Students learned a lot of fun facts and got to learn about the workplace and what it consists of. For example, they learned that there are 4 C’s to a ring: clarity, color, cut, and carat. An advantage of this job is that the schedule is very flexible.
Career Day was made to help students learn about the options that their paths hold. Whether it’s going into financing or social departments, there are so many opportunities to learn about it.
Another popular fan favorite was a man who worked at First State Bank named Duane Klein. He handed out dollar bills for participating students who answered questions correctly, and he even gave out mini “100 Grand” chocolate bars to all his students. Students learned about the 5 C's of credit: credit score, character, cash flow, capital (the down payment), and collateral. Together they are a way for lenders to evaluate individuals.
Attorney Chris Spartaro was another presenter during Career Day. He has been involved in many court cases during his career, with the longest trial being two days.
Mr. Spartaro said, “As a chairman, I have been in over 30 cases; as a co-chairman, I have been in over 10 court cases.”
Students experience manufacturing
Students experience manufacturing
By Hanna Hernandez
Staff Writer
Updated 12/13/19
Eighth graders in Elkhart County toured manufacturing facilities to enhance their understanding of various career opportunities that they might pursue once they are out of high school.
Some of the companies that they toured were Adorn, Dometic, and Creative Bus Sales. Adorn is a company that sells and manufactures doors and other wooden products, while Dometic is a company that welds, run machines, and assembles refrigerators for RVs. Finally, Creative Bus Sales is a company that custom-fits busses for customers and suppliers.
“The most interesting part of the trip was looking at the different flooring in Creative Bus Sales,” said Aaliyah Naya.
Other companies they toured were Conn Selmer also known as Vincent Bach and Hoosier Crane. At Hoosier Crane, they manufacture cranes. Some of the things students can see here are the number of cranes they can make in a month. In Conn Selmer, they manufacture brass instruments. The things students can see here is 2020 technology for the machines.
“ Everyone’s appreciated here. This is the one place I’ve worked that a famous person came and shook each person’s hand,” says Annie from Conn Selmer.
Students explored many factories and some of the companies also offered some gifts. These included water bottles, gift cards, t-shirts, book bags, and pens. Later on, it all closed with a special gathering provided by the sponsors. The sponsors encouraged students to open their minds to these various opportunities.
e-Learning gives students new opportunities
e-Learning gives students new opportunities
By Paige Martin
Staff Writer
Updated 12/10/19
Due to a record-breaking amount of snow early in the season, students experienced their first e-Learning Day of the year on November 12.
Thirteen inches of snow fell upon the Michiana area causing many schools to close or use their e-learning option. Students were expected to spend the day doing the assignments they were assigned via PowerSchool and/or Google Classroom. If said assignments were not completed within a five-day time frame, they would be counted absent.
“With students having their own computers, e-Learning is allowing us to maintain our curriculum when we cannot be together in class. Even if there is a snow day, we can continue with our content or review and not lose a day to be added on to the end of the year,” said Mrs. Fann.
There were multiple accounts of students having issues with accessing the sites required to complete certain assignments. Lack of internet access was also an issue that was present among the students.
“[My] favorite part of e-Learning is that it usually only takes four hours or less. My least favorite part is when powerschool won’t load, and I sit there for an hour trying to get it open,” said Lucie Larson.
Teachers were told to make sure that the assignments were 25 minutes. In total, students were required to spend approximately three hours on e-Learning assignments.
Journalism students explore news writing through real-world experience
Journalism students explore news writing through real-world experience
Updated 5/31/19
By Brendan Kaufman
Staff Writer
Journalism students interviewed the chief editor of the Tribune and professionals at WSBT to learn about different online media.
Once journalism students arrived at the Tribune, they were taken to a room where they interviewed Alan Achkar, the editor-in-chief. Students were prepared to ask their questions in a professional and confident manner. He discussed how the newspaper is very important and how it was the greatest app ever made.
Tyleah Cunningham said, “What I liked about the Tribune is that Mr. Achkar explained parts of the website, and now we can apply his web- based version to our school newspaper.”
Alan Achkar also discussed how they have converted to an online newspaper. He explained that google surveys on their online newspaper generate revenue for the company—five cents for each one completed. Furthermore, he stated that there are 500,000 - 600,000 unique visitors every month that view online articles. Even though many people get their news from the online platform, there are many patrons who still prefer ink-on-paper copies. Two years ago, the Tribune had its own printing press; however, it was removed since the company now outsources the printing of the paper to a company out of Grand Rapids.
“I liked how Mr. Achkar had an expansive vocabulary and provided a good example of future journalism,” said Gavin Simons.
After leaving the Tribune, journalism students went to WSBT where they were greeted by Zane Torrence. Torrence told students how marketing has changed immensely over the years. There is at least one class from various schools in the area that tours WSBT every month.
“Mrs. Oberholtzer’s journalism classes who visit each year are by far the best and most prepared,” said Torrence.
Students were able to watch Abby Weppler and Leanne Tokars live on the noon show. Students learned that WSBT’s ratings go up depending on time and weather. Students also found out that interviewers don’t usually have a script. When they interview people, they often listen to the person’s answers and ask them questions related to the responses. The hardest stories to cover on WSBT is when a loved one has passed away, and they have to interview a family member.
Since Pete Buttigieg is the first person in our area to run for president, WSBT interviewed him live on their noon show. Tokars had met with him previously that week to discuss possible topics; however, Mayor Pete was not aware of the exact questions that were going to be asked by Tokars. Tokars stated that the station must represent both parties of government equally. If they cover a Democratic candidate, then they must also report on Republican candidate.
“Even though I was nervous about interviewing Leanne Tokars, it was still a fascinating experice because I learned in an interview that they do not have a script, but they have to remember the questions on their own,” said MyYah Hall.
WSBT is the number one rated news station in the area.
Students experience eLearning at Concord
Students experience eLearning at Concord
Updated: 5/7/19
By Tianna Sith
Staff Writer
Concord students in grades 7-12th practiced eLearning in and out of the classroom on March 13 and 27 in preparation for future school closings and staff training.
“[E-learning for students K-6th] means an exciting opportunity for students to experience learning through a digital platform and work through creative, possibly collaborative lessons prepared by our wonderful teachers,” said Matt Jerlecki, Director of Technology.
The first practice started on March 13 in the classroom, and the second practice began on March 27. On March 13, students still went to school but had to do assignments in PowerSchool or Google Classroom, and the only way students could communicate with the teacher was to email them. On March 27, students stayed home and received assignments at 8:00 A.M., spending approximately 25 minutes to complete each subject area.
“I feel that eLearning is a great way to stay at home and do your work if we have a snow day and not make it up at the end of the school year. But it would be better for a teacher by your side to explain the lesson to you in the classroom, not through a computer,” said 8th grader Cynthia Carrillo.
According to Mr. Jerlecki, the state of Indiana has not set a limit to the number of eLearning days allotted per year, nor has a percentage of completion by students been established. Students need to be aware, however, that if eLearning assignments are not completed within five days, then that day will be counted as an unexcused absence.
“While I am extremely disappointed approximately 20% of my students did not complete the eLearning assignment for the day, I remain hopeful that as eLearning days become the norm, more students will participate. Additionally, those who did complete the assigned activity did very well,” said science teacher Mrs. Katie Shelton.
Students have five full school days to complete the eLearning assignments in order to be counted present for that day. This will give the student an opportunity to access wifi, given it’s not available to them at home, which is one of the concerns. If the student does not complete the eLearning assignment, they are counted absent.
Mr. Jerlecki said, “Teachers are vital in creating opportunities for students to learn. That is exactly what happens on an eLearning day.”
Zezer wins geography bee
Zezer wins geography bee
Updated: 2/19/19
By Wendoly Flores
Staff Writer
On Thursday, January 17, seventh grader Christian Zezer won the school-wide geography bee.
Students eligible for the school-wide geography bee competed in the lecture room for a chance to go to the state finals. It started with 37 students and went down to a tie-breaker round. After written and verbal questions about animals, rivers, countries, and much more, seventh grader Zezer was announced the winner of the geography bee.
“I would credit a lot [of my winning] to my study of zoology,” said Zezer, winner of the school-wide geography bee.
First, the competition started with a written round. Students only had to get one out of the two questions correct to pass on to the next round. After approximately 33 questions, it got down to the final two. One of the following questions was about border disputes: Border disputes have existed for many years between Guatemala and what neighboring country that was formerly a British colony? After both got the final question wrong, it had to go to a tie-breaker.
According to Ms. Short, competitors had the most trouble with Europe. Due to the fact that they had not been as exposed as they were to the other continents. The tie-breaker question was “What is the Norwegian term for a long, narrow sea inlet carved out by a glacier?”
“When I realized I got second place, I was extremely surprised. I hadn't studied, and I didn't think I would even make it through the first round,” said Wilson, second place winner of the geography bee.
Students qualified to compete by taking a test in their social studies’ classrooms.
Leadership Team helps the community
Leadership Team helps the community
Updated 12/22/18
By Brenna Slaight
Staff Writer
The Leadership Team has held countless events to raise money for extracurricular activities, athletics, and Make-A-Wish.
Recently, the team of students went to Soup of Success to help them do inventory and bag dry soup for people in need. SOS’s main focus is to try to help women who were in abusive relationships or who were a part of general poverty. They want to help the ladies “break free” from feeling powerless, to help them become educated, and to assist them in developing social skills for jobs.
The Leadership Team split into two different groups. One group bagged dry soup that can be sold, and the other group went and did inventory on the items that ladies there had made. The students who bagged dry soup spent their time talking with Theresa, the lady who led the group.
“Theresa said, “The kids did great and we won’t have to re-do any work!”
The members of the Leadership Team are looking forward to helping out with Make-A-Wish, and being one of the main volunteers for the carnival in March of 2019. The team is already planning for the carnival and has been for the last few months. They are ready to be more involved with more events during Make-A-Wish.
“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the team. I have enjoyed my time on the Leadership Team and will be sad when it ends,” said Dané Eaton.
The Leadership team meets the second Wednesday of every month from 3- 4:15 or 4:30. Mr. Saleh, Mrs. Weatherholt, and Ms. Short are the team advisers.
Students learn about career opportunities
Students learn about career opportunities
Updated 12/20/18
By Yoana Barron
Staff Writer
Sponsored by Horizon Enterprise, all eighth grade students participated in Career Day at CJHS so that they could learn about job opportunities and educational requirements necessary for jobs in today’s workforce.
One of the speakers, Tanner, was from Premier Arts, and he talked about his career as an actor/entertainer. Tanner wanted the students in his group to leave knowing three things, which he made everyone repeat: “I am enough. I have no apologies. I will embrace my stupid.” Subsequently, the group had to get up and sing so that they could embrace their silly yet stupid side.
“I learned that being yourself can take you far in life. If you are yourself, then you can be successful,” said Jessica Barron.
Another group of people that came talked about how to build things. To make a product someone needs to plan it, build it, and, lastly, finish it. One of the hardest jobs to fill are skilled trade workers; they are people who are very experienced in what they do. Skilled trade workers can start at $48,000 per year without having to go to college. Along with other architects, Shane Blotkamp, one of the speakers, worked on designing the Learners Theatre.
Shane Blotkamp said, “My favorite part about my job is being able to say I built that!”
There were twenty-five professionals who came to speak to the eighth graders about their careers. Eighth graders missed part of 2nd hour, CAP, 3rd hour, and 4th hour for Career Day. All eighth graders were split into groups and went to two different sessions. In each room, there were at least two visitors who spoke about their careers.
Other professionals came to talk to the eighth graders about possible careers. In one room, there was a supervisor who came from Indiana University in South Bend. She talked about the type of college and high school classes students can take to become a teacher. Along with the teacher, there was a police officer and a fireman.
In a different room, there was a naturalist. She brought a snake and allowed the students to touch it. She explained to the students that her job was to bond with the animals so that they would trust her so that she could research what they like and dislike.
Students raise money for extra- curricular activities
Students raise money for extra- curricular activities
Updated 12/20/18
By Mia Palacios
Staff Writer
Staff and students raise over $6,000 in the school fundraiser in order to support extra-curricular activities and after-school events by selling various items.
The event started on November 12 and had rewards and celebrations such as a limo ride and end-of-the day celebration. Forty-two students qualified for the limo ride, and one hundred forty students (including limo riders) were eligible for the celebration.
Mrs. Rhoades said, “Compared to last year, our total profit was down a little, but it was still a profitable endeavor.” During the selling of the event, cookie dough was a favorite, as well as Tervis tumblers that included team mascots on the side. The top three sellers of this year’s fundraisers were Chloe Smith, who had sold twenty items plus a Reach Out booklet; Madea Wayker with twenty items; and Carmela Pantoja and Dominique Stilley with seventeen items and a Reach Out booklet.
Pantoja said, “Something that motivates me to sell so many things is knowing that it’s going to a good cause for things like school sports or clubs. People I sold to were family because I have a very large family all around the world, so I asked them if they could help me out.”
Space chickens were distributed throughout the fundraiser to those who qualified. Students who had these keychains on their lanyards received candy as a reward for their efforts.
Living Book Reports kindle creativity
Living Book Reports kindle creativity
Updated 12/18/18
By Maggie Burkert
Staff Writer
Using the upper level in the gym, SPICE students set up their living book reports and presented various scenes to parents and staff to show how a scene could come alive.
In one scene from Eragon, the presenters spoke directly to the audience, and they showed a lot of expression and detail while they were speaking. In other scenes, like from Z for Zachariah, students acted out the scene and did not interact with their audience until the end. Paper and cardboard were used to construct an outdoor type of scene.
“It puts you in the perspective of the character,” James Ballinger said. “It puts you in their shoes.”
The students were required to read a science fiction novel and create a five-minute scene that included the most important parts of the book. They had to bring materials from home to create this scene. Each group had a budget of $25 which they could spend on building supplies, costumes, food items, etc. This project helped the students learn collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and time management.
Mrs. Klopfenstein, the seventh grade language arts teacher, said, “When you have to take a novel and condense it into a five-minute presentation, it really forces you to look at the most important themes. It makes you analyze the book to choose the parts that would best communicate its message to the visitors.”
The books used for this project were Fahrenheit 451, Fantastic Voyage, Uglies, Shadowmancer, Prince of Mist, Golden Compass, Eragon, and Z for Zachariah. They all are either fantasy or science fiction novels.
Journalism students explore the field of mass media
Journalism students explore the field of mass media
Updated: 6/5/18
By Zach Butler
Staff Writer
The journalism class interviewed professionals in the field of communications at the South Bend Tribune and WSBT to ascertain more about news writing and broadcasting.
The editor of the South Bend Tribune, Mr. Alan Achkar, led the journalism class into a conference room where students asked prepared questions about his job, writing articles, and news reporting. Some of the questions were about the number of reporters assigned to President Trump’s visit and what makes a news story worthy to be on the front page.
The South Bend Tribune updates their website every day at 8:00, 12:00, and once in the evenings. According to Mr. Achkar, before writers publish their articles online, they are required to have “a second set of eyes look over their work to check for errors.” Last year, the South Bend Tribune got rid of all their printing presses and outsourced the printing of the newspaper to a company in Grand Rapids, MI. The Tribune no longer offers tours to the public, which includes area schools.
“Concord Junior High journalism class is the only group who visits the Tribune,” said Mr. Achkar.
After the Tribune,students toured the WSBT broadcasting center. The marketing director, Zane Torrence, took the students into a small broadcasting room to answer questions about how their news station’s ratings were determined. Mr. Torrence also told the group that the studio cost 37 million dollars to build. Subsequently, students went into the WSBT studio to interview broadcasters and to watch the noon show live with Abby Weppler and Caroline Torie.
During and after the noon show, students were able to pose questions to the broadcaster and meteorologist. Weppler and Torie gave students some advice about how important writing is in their job, effective ways to communicate with people, and how to combat nervousness when speaking in front of a large crowd.
Mrs. Weppler said, “Even though it sounds weird, you can record yourself or practice in front of a mirror to break any nervous habits you may have.”
Following the interviews, students ate at Golden Corral before returning to the school to debrief about their day.
S.P.I.C.E. students display different cultures at Ethnic Fair
S.P.I.C.E. students display different cultures at Ethnic Fair
Updated: 5/26/18
By Daphne Goss
Staff Writer
Putting together an authentic menu, creating decorations, and constructing their own restaurants, seventh grade SPICE students depicted their countries in a variety of different ways for the Ethnic Fair on May 16.
Each group of students was required to read a book that was based on his or her country. The twelve countries included were China, Japan, Australia, Mexico, India, Vietnam, Russia, Ireland, Kenya, the Middle East, the Dominican Republic, and Italy.
For China, the group read the book The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck to prepare for the construction of their restaurant. All of the members dressed differently according to China’s social system. Two members dressed in paper bags to represent the lower class; while three students, dressed as upper class citizens, donned dresses, dress shirts, and slacks. The members of the group used Chinese lanterns and brightly colored blankets to decorate their restaurant. The food the members served included dumplings, egg drop soup, bubble tea, green tea, and white rice.
“One thing I learned about China was that the wall used to be held together by sticky rice, flour, and slaked lime,” said Troy Robinson.
The Dominican Republic was also portrayed at the Ethnic Fair. One of the members wore a baseball uniform to represent the national sport while the other members dressed as tourists. The food served included braised chicken, dried mango chips, virgin sangrias, ect. This group decorated their table with seashells, string, and a striped tablecloth. They danced the merengue and had murals to represent the many beautiful beaches and volcanoes.
“My favorite part of this assignment was definitely getting to know the people I was working with and decorating our restaurant, ” said Lexi Owens.
Students Raise money for Pennies for patients
Students Raise money for Pennies for patients
Pennies for Patients
By Mackenzie Everett
Staff Writer
This year, the Leadership Team raised money for Pennies for Patients to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Foundation.
There were many activities in which students could participate throughout the week. The activities included buying a Crush soda for a crush (another student), and buying a ticket for a teacher to get pied in the face. Each activity cost one dollar. Manpreet Sangha got her name drawn to pie the winner--who happened to be Principal Rob Zook--who raised $125.60 in tickets. The other top contestants were Luke Saleh and Bryan Golden.
Teachers also participated in their own activities. They helped the fundraiser by paying $5 to wear jeans for the week. Altogether, the school raised $660.14 dollars or about 66,000 pennies.
“Being part of leadership team is philanthropy. You serve and help others. Pennies for patients is just some of the ways we do so,” said Mr. Luke Saleh.
Concord Junior High has been helping Pennies for Patients for approximately six years. Next year, the junior high will not be hosting Pennies for Patients because it is a Make-A-Wish year.
“Pennies for Patients is really impactful in other lives. I’m glad I got to be a part of such a fun organization,” said Sofi Torres.
“Every hero needs a squad” is one of the inspiration quotes for Pennies for Patients.
Students learn about serving others
Students learn about serving others
Updated 3/1/18
By Kalyssa Montgomery
Staff Writer
On Monday, January 29, the eighth grade S.P.I.C.E. students volunteered at Feed the Children in Elkhart by packing boxes during the school day.
Feed the Children is a non-profit relief organization that is actively working to end childhood hunger. The devoted staff took time to talk to CJHS students about the impact they would be making as they pack boxes for Feed the Children. They spoke about their mission to help the community and reach out to those in need.
“I hope we are able to continue this each year. It gives our students the opportunity to give back to the community, and for the community to see the incredible students we have here at CJHS,” said Mrs. Fann.
Over 75 S.P.I.C.E. students packaged boxes with non-perishable food items for underprivileged children onto pallets. Some of the items included macaroni and cheese, noodles, canned vegetables, peanut butter, and cereal. Students split into two groups; each group was given a goal of ten pallets for which they all surpassed.
"It taught me the importance of helping the community; most kids don't realize how much it's needed," said Zach Pedzinski.
Mrs. Huffer and Mrs. Fann organized this impactful experience for their S.P.I.C.E. students.
By Manpreet Sangha
Staff Writer
On February 28, after competing fifteen rounds in the spelling bee, the judges declared Aniya Smith as the winner and Kaylie Kustron the runner-up.
After the 6th round, the final three were left standing. On the 9th round, third place winner Elisa Toledo lost with the word, obstinate, which means to stubbornly refuse to change one's opinion. On the last round, Kaylie Kustron misspelled the word nostalgia, meaning a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. Aniya Smith spelled sophisticated correctly and won the competition
Mrs. Melissa Huffer, the spelling bee sponsor, said, “Students tend to get words wrong because their brains are moving faster than their mouths, so they know the spelling of a word, but end up saying the letters in a different order.”
Students who spend time studying lists and practicing the words have a higher chance of spelling words correctly. By doing this, the brain is able to focus and concentrate in remembering the word order, thus the chance of the spelling is higher than if a student were to spell without studying. Practicing in front of crowd or a small group of fellow peers could also help a student be more comfortable instead of being anxious.
Aniya Smith, 8th grade first place winner, said, “ The hardest part for me was when I was practicing because I studied the words in an hour and knew most of the words, but when I had to speak in front of the other students, I got nervous! I think I was ready and had courage, but I was not expecting to get first place.”
The thirteen contestants who participated in the spelling bee had received a study guide of words, but only a small proportion of these words were used. These participants sat in sections based on their grade levels due to different words between the two grades. Participants were asked simple words which were the ‘easy’ rounds. Then after 6 rounds, the judges moved on to the ‘difficult’ section of the list. Many students missed words that they would otherwise spell correctly under pressure from being watched by many of their fellow peers. Some of the words missed were complicate, fictitious, fallacy, and nostalgia.
Smith and Kustron went against each other for 9 rounds and many times, one would get one wrong but the other would get it right and vice versa. It was not until the fifteenth round when Smith spelled the word sophisticated correctly and won the spelling bee.
By Ivy Tapia
Staff Writer
After four rounds, Daniel Salazar was declared the winner of the 2018 Geography Bee
When the students are in Geography Bee they sit at their designated seat and wait for the teachers to give the students the directions and the first round to begin. During the first and second round numerous people got out. When it came time for the third round there was still a handful of students left. When the teachers asked the students their questions all the students got it wrong which surprised everyone. When it was time for the final round it came down to two students at the very end.
“It was really difficult, because the questions were very challenging and I did not think I would win,” said Daniel Salazar, the winner of the 2018 Geography Bee.
The students in the final round start fresh with zero strikes. Those students are Daniel Salazar, the winner, and Trinity Pittman, the runner up. It feels amazing to the students that even made it into the Geography Bee, because many students didn’t even know that they were capable of scoring a high enough score.
“It feels amazing to be runner up, because I didn't even expect to make it through the first written round,” said Trinity Pittman.
The social studies teachers had their students take a test on geography, and the score that the students got determined on whether they make it into the competition or not. The teachers would have let the students know if they qualified. The Geography Bee consist of three rounds. The first round is the written round, consisting of two questions. The second round is the verbal round where the teachers go from each individual student asking them a question. The third round is the final round where the remaining students go head to head. Many students didn’t expect to make it through the first round.
Students and staff donate to Church Community Services
Students and staff donate to Church Community Services
By Claire Steele
Staff Writer
Collecting food for people in need, students, staff, and teachers at Concord Junior High donated 4,769 items to Church Community Services.
A group of students from Mrs. Weatherholt’s CAP class went to a neighborhood near Concord High School to collect food. On Peppermint Drive, students knocked on doors to gather as many donations as possible to support the food drive.
“I had fun going to Peppermint Drive gathering cans from different houses in the neighborhood,” said Adriana Brown.
For the second consecutive year, Mrs. Schumacher's CAP class won first place with 789 cans of food donated. Mr. Demien came in 2nd with a total amount of 384 items, and Mrs. Dutton came in 3rd place with 373 items.
“We got all of the cans from going around to different neighborhoods and the best part about donating those cans was the thought that so many people will get food because we did that,” said Maggie Burkert.
Mrs. Shelton, organizer of the food drive, and her CAP class packed up the food into boxes and shipped it to Church Community Services.
Students learn about various vocations
Students learn about various vocations
By Teylore Orona
Staff Writer
On October 19, students were afforded the opportunity to learn about future careers that might be of interest to them.
Students were asked to fill out a Holland Career Survey, which categorized them by their interests. From there, guest speakers were provided to share their experience in particular vocations.
Some of the occupations were a police officer, video game designers, heating and cooling specialist, a Botanic Gardens director, construction worker, pastor, coordinator, dentist, engineer, senior care provider, and more.
The professionals presented information about their careers and covered topics that gave students insight about their job descriptions, salaries, and requirements.
”I make about $35,000 to $85,000 a year, and I honestly really enjoy my job. Working with plants excites me,” said Airwick Grarten, Botanic Gardens director.
Career Day helps students to prepare for a career, college, and citizenship. Many students stated that they enjoyed the police officers the most.
Mackenzie Everett said, “The police officer was my favorite overall because he intrigued me the most and made the learning process fun.”
Students make books come alive
Students make books come alive
By Adrian Martinez
Staff Writer
Mrs. Klopfenstein's seventh grade SPICE classes reenacted a scene from their novels to bring their books to life.
In one of the scenes from The Golden Compass, the students created a snowy area and talked directly to the spectators while being "in the book." While, in one of the Prince of Mist scenes, the setting was a makeshift tent that depicted a cemetery and included the spectators in the scene.
Bella Sponseller said, “My favorite part [of Princess Ben] was interacting with the other people because I didn’t know who I was working with, and I could organize the people in the setting the way I imagined the way in the book.”
The selected books that the students had to choose from were The Golden Compass, Z for Zacharia, The Prince of Mist, Fahrenheit 451, and Princess Ben.
Sophia Spradling said, “My favorite part was constructing the room for Z for Zacharia because I was able to bring objects from home and build the room the way I envisioned it."
Each student was required to read a fiction or sci-fi book with a group of 5-6 people. After reading it, they had to discuss it and journal about it. Subsequently, the groups were given a week to set up the living book report, which included a 5-minute presentation encompassing all five senses.
Students had many choices from a select list of books. Each student was required to explain the plot of the book and somehow include what led up to that point in the book. Most students brought objects from home to make the book come “alive.”
According to Mrs. Klopfenstein, the students were given a budget of $25 to spend on supplies. The entire project was to encourage the people watching the book report to read the book.
Real Care babies alter students' perspective
Real Care babies alter students' perspective
By Makayla Kulp
Staff Writer
In December, students were given the option to take care of a robotic baby or to complete a packet on how to take care of a baby.
This project is meant to show teens some of the challenges of being a parent. The students who picked the option to have the baby were responsible for his or her care for 2-3 days; in addition, they had to do research on how much a baby costs. The baby is meant to be as realistic as possible. It cries, burps, and expects care as a real baby would.
Students caring for the baby had to burp, feed, rock, and change the baby. Students were given a bracelet with a key on it made for their baby. Before caring for the baby, the student would need to put the key on the baby. They were given three options to put the key when the baby needed care. They could put the key on the stomach right above the waistline, on the back between the shoulder blades, or they could place it on the back above the waistline.
The students could hold the key in any given spot they choose until it makes a chiming noise. Once the student hears the chiming noise, they can care for the baby.
“It was inconvenient because I couldn't do sports and sometimes the sensor didn't work when the baby needed to be cared for," said Alan Tenorio.
Students who chose the packet had to make a poster and explain what they think having a baby would be like. The wellness teachers explained the challenges of being a parent. Students learned about shaken baby syndrome and how much a baby costs on average to care for.
Many students decided not to carry the baby because of sports, family, or because they didn't want to wake up during the night to care for a baby.
“ I didn't take care of the baby because I love sleep and didn't want to lose any,” said Emily Fell.
Students explore the world of manufacturing
Students explore the world of manufacturing
By Kortney Miles
Staff Writer
To learn what skills are required to work in the manufacturing field, the college and career class and engineering and technology class went to four different manufacturing plants on October 6.
The four manufacturing plants that students visited were Creative Buses, Kelbaco, Lipert Inc., and Hoosier Crane. At each of these companies, students carefully listened to the tour guide explain what type of manufacturing they do and how they are so successful. The students split up into groups and each toured two different factories.
“My favorite part about the trip was seeing how everything worked and all the different opportunities there are,” said Hunter Beard.
After touring their two factories, the groups came back together to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse. Greeting them there, the staff had prepared homemade meals for the students and teachers. While they ate, Superintendent John Trout gave a presentation along with the people who made the trip possible.
“It’s a great opportunity I wish I would’ve had as a kid,” said Mrs. Shannon Sheely.
Leadership Team sponsors Red Ribbon Week
Leadership Team sponsors Red Ribbon Week
By Ivy Tapia
Staff Writer
The Leadership Team has held numerous events to help provide money for sports and other extracurricular activities also to help awareness for cancer and drugs.
The students of the leadership and the leaders organized several school activities such as increase awareness about the dangers of drug with Red Ribbon Week, the CJHS Tailgate, the Back-To-School Bash, and some years they even help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“The Leadership Team allows students to give back to our school and the student body. We really try to focus on the idea of community,” said Kirsten Weatherholt, leadership team sponsor.
The Leadership Team is one of the main promoters for after-school activities such as school dances and Red Ribbon Week. The Leadership Team will also be hosting an overnight at the school and a potential movie night for members of the team. The Leadership Team gives a chance for the students to become better leaders.
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