Have you ever wondered why some people are afraid of spiders, heights, or being alone in the dark? Fear is something everyone experiences, but not everyone is afraid of the same things. Some fears develop after a bad experience, while others may come from what we learn from the people around us. Scientists have found that fear can come from a combination of our experiences, genetics, and the way our brains respond to danger. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, common phobias include the fear of animals such as spiders and snakes, heights, flying, needles, and seeing blood. These fears can affect people differently depending on their experiences and how strongly they react to certain situations.

With Halloween approaching, I was curious about the common phobias people at Dee-Mack High School have. Kate Schmidgall said that her biggest fear was being kidnapped. Kate explained, “If I get kidnapped, I will most likely be murdered. This means that I wouldn’t be able to escape and see my friends or family ever again.” I then asked Ms. Trenkle what her biggest fear was, and she quickly responded with, “Spiders, because I've always hated them. As a kid I was bitten by a spider and it traumatized me. It bit me while I was lying in bed, and ever since then I just can't handle being around them.” Although people have different fears, each fear has a story behind it. Through these stories, I learned that fears can come from a traumatic experience, something we learned growing up, or simply the way our brains react to certain situations. By learning more about the fears of our student body (teachers included) at Dee-Mack High School, we can better understand that the things that seem harmless to one person can be terrifying to another. In the end, fear is a normal part of life, and understanding what scares others can help us become more aware that everyone has something they are afraid of even if they do not always show it. We should always face our fears, no matter how big or small!

Halloween is sneaking up on us. The candy bowls are filled. Scary movies have been watched. The decorations are up and the porch lights are on. However, one thing is missing, this brings us to a big question: What are Dee-Mack students dressing up as for Halloween? Fortunately, our students have great taste! Meesh Zeller is dressing up as Vector from Despicable Me, Ally McDaniel is dressing up as Zara Larsson, Sloane Fry and Cooper Plavec are dressing up as Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona from 10 Things I Hate About You. Mariah Correa is dressing up as Wonder Woman. Maggie Hoffman and Avery Smallwood are matching and dressing up as mimes. Isabella Cobb is dressing up as Guy Diamond. Riley Durbin is going to be Katherine from Vampire Diaries because she really enjoys the character stating, “Katherine is a staple character in the show, especially in season two.” It does not hurt either that Riley has been told many times that she resembles Katherine! I personally do not dress up for Halloween, and prefer to stay in and watch movies. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to see these spooktacular Halloween costumes! If you are looking for any ideas, hopefully this article gave you the inspiration you needed. Happy Halloween!

Homecoming season was last week, and students all across the school were getting ready to celebrate one of the biggest traditions of the school year. From dressing up for spirit week to cheering at the game, homecoming brings students together, with the crowning of the homecoming court serving as one of the night’s biggest highlights. This year’s court represents a group of students who were chosen by their classmates to take part in the special tradition such as: Kate Schmidgal, Cohen Gilbert, Ashten Finch, Nate Lawrence, Charlee Binstead, Zack Day, Meesha Zeller, Baileigh Hammelman, Tyler Harding, Liz Campbell, Zaynah Whitehurst, Cody Denniston, Camden Cassidy, and lastly,  Lexi Campbell. Those on the homecoming court that were interviewed talked about how memorable and great this experience was,¨To be able to represent my class is a once in a lifetime experience,” says senior Ashten Finch. 

Now that homecoming week has come to an end, the memories made by this year’s court will remain a special part of the celebration. From representing their classmates to sharing the excitement of the big night, each court member helped make this year’s homecoming memorable. The crowning was more than just a tradition, it was a chance for students to come together and celebrate school spirit, friendships, and the start of another homecoming season!

Homecoming week is officially here! There are many exciting events to look forward to: decorating the hallways, powderpuff, lunchtime food sales (specifically Oreo balls), dress-up days, small town parade, football game, and of course the homecoming dance. Although homecoming week has lots of behind-the-scenes work being put into it, it is always so special to see the outcome. I asked Avery Smallwood what encourages her to participate in homecoming activities. She replied, “It’s just for the fun of it, obviously, it’s homecoming, and you might as well participate because it’s just a fun way to show school spirit and be involved.” I could not agree more with this statement. Personally, I think who cares how ridiculous you look if you are having fun. With that being said, please feel encouraged to dress up the rest of the week! I also asked Avery how homecoming changes the atmosphere of Dee-Mack Highschool. She said, “I think it brings about a lot more school spirit by having multiple fun activities throughout the week that we can all bond over.” I was very impressed with how Avery worded this, especially since the interview happened on the spot. Obviously, the physical atmosphere of Dee-Mack changes with homecoming, but there is another element that changes something inside all of us. Avery Smallwood told me she has a new idea for a theme next year. She would like to do music genres. I think that this idea will be amazing if students take the ball and run with it! Finally, I had to get a teacher’s perspective on homecoming week. Obviously, there are some negatives to homecoming. Therefore, in order to get all sides of the story, I asked Mr. Finney how homecoming affects the students' attitudes in the classroom and what it changes about their work ethic and concentration. Mr Finney responded with, “They act negatively because they are affected by all the other things going on, but I noticed less from the juniors and seniors than I do from the freshmen and sophomores.” Nonetheless, homecoming is an exciting week for Dee-Mack Highschool students. Though the week has some ups and downs, it is a memorable experience for all. 

Happy Homecoming Season! If you have never participated in a Dee-Mack High School Homecoming week, it is a week full of competition, food, dress-up days, and ends with a home football game and the long-awaited dance. But before this week can kick off, there is so much work behind the scenes that needs to be done. Planning starts all the way back in May the school year before. The first decision that has to be made by the Student Council is the theme. The theme they landed on this year was Decades. When I asked Lyla Schell, a senior, how she felt about the theme this year, she stated, “I really like it… it's pretty straight forward compared to the lettuce year.” For reference, the lettuce year was 2023, and the actual theme title was Lettuce Go to Homecoming. I then asked Emily Stauffer, a senior, if the theme of decades makes planning easier or harder. She mentioned that, “Our decade for seniors is the 2000s, so it's easier because we were born in the 2000s. Other classes, like the 50’s or 70’s, might have a harder time bringing in actual experiences from those decades.” Once the theme has been decided, the individual class preparation begins. Each class's student council has to design their hallway and float decorations, as well as coordinate a powder puff football and dance team. I talked to Lauren Long, a freshman, and asked what the biggest challenge their class has faced this year with homecoming and she voiced, "It's hard to squeeze everything in on time.” Hallway decorating takes place after school on the Friday before homecoming week; the students who participate are dedicated to making the hallway the best it can be. The next activity is Wednesday evening powder puff. The girls play football–seniors vs. freshmen, juniors vs. sophomores–and the boys dance at halftime. Once the games are over, everyone moves to the grass lot for a pallet bonfire. The biggest day of homecoming is Friday. The high school has a field day, and afterwards at 2:15 p.m. is the parade, where each class gets to show off their hard work on their floats. Since homecoming week is one big competition, the winner is announced at the highly anticipated football game on Friday night. Lastly, Saturday night is the Dance. Once the week is over and we return back to the same old schedule, just remember to thank your fellow student council members for all of their hard work! 

Starting high school can be an exciting, but difficult experience for many freshmen. Going from junior high to high school means adjusting to new classes, teachers, schedules, and social environments. For some students, the transition can bring stress, pressure, and uncertainty about fitting in or keeping up. 

I decided to gather some freshmen perspectives, along with a ninth-grade teacher, so we can get an idea of what they think. “The transition has been very fast, but helpful in a good way,” says freshman Macey Diess. “I have met a lot of new people. The classes have been a good difference.” Dixie Spencer echoes that feeling, “It has been decently easy for me to transition from junior high to high school because it feels like I have a lot more freedom, and my favorite part is that we have divided lunches, so we can have multiple different groups of people that we can hang out with at lunch.” Lexi Campbell adds, “The transition from junior high school has been really seamless. I like a lot of people in high school and I like the building.” Campbell notes that high school is a lot more fun, “because we have a lot more engagement with the students and less just sitting in class doing nothing.” Avery Rickenburg agrees that with the new building, there are also new possibilities, “The transition from junior high to high school has been really good. I feel like there is a lot more freedom in high school which makes it more fun. My favorite parts so far have been being with a lot more people and getting more opportunities that we did not really get in junior high.”

The transition is not just about academics–school culture, extracurriculars, and athletics also take a leap forward. When asked about the difference between high school events compared to those that took place in the junior high, the freshmen had a lot to say. Macey Diess notes, “I feel like a lot of events are coming much quicker and they have been harder. Especially sports, it has been pushing me harder than junior high.” Dixie Spencer likes the challenge, “At the high school events there are a lot more people there to support because it is a bigger deal. As you get older, you excel more, which becomes more important.” Meanwhile, Lexi Campbell enjoys the rise in school spirit, “high school events are a lot more fun to me because sometimes last year not a lot of people would show up and it was kind of just boring. This year, a lot of people show up and it is really fun for everyone who is there and a lot more free.” Avery Rickenburg sums up the overall shift in school climate simply: “I feel like high school events feel more legit than junior high events, but in high school there is more energy and positivity.” 

It is not just the students who are noticing the unique vibe of this year’s incoming class. Ninth-grade English teacher Ms. Tompkins has also felt the shift in energy–in the best way possible, “I am really enjoying this group of freshmen. I would say they are my most energetic bunch yet. Which can sometimes be a challenge, but it is something I am really excited about. And it is my first year doing freshmen class sponsor so I am really excited about their homecoming enthusiasm.”

Overall, transitioning to high school can be challenging for all freshmen, but it is also a chance to grow and become more independent. I say that our freshmen are doing an exceptional job so far!

After reflecting on last week's tragic loss against the Dwight Trojans, I interviewed some very important supporters: our very own student section. First, I interviewed Charlee Binstead and when asked what she thought about the themes of the student section, she replied, “I think they are good! I like them. I am in the student council, so I helped pick them out.” I then interviewed Gabby Vitale. When I asked her where she preferred to sit, the endzone or the bleachers, she responded with, “The endzone, because I feel we are closer to all of the players and it is really fun, and the group of people we were around were more energetic in the endzone than in the bleachers.” Finally, to get some more input from all sides of the student section, I closed my interview process with Seth Laurentz. I asked him the hardest question of all: How do you find motivation to continue cheering even when we are losing? Seth’s response was quite impressive. He said, “Just knowing how much work those guys put in during the summer, and then coming out and showing us that they are ready to play football is enough.” When I asked all of my interviewees if they had additional information or comments about the game, all kindly declined.