Student & Faculty Highlights

Helen Le and Kathleen Haklar

A gold seal is the highest achievement a high school artist can earn, and both Helen Le and Kathleen Haklar received one this year. To get a gold seal one must go through multiple steps. For starters, they have to have finished artwork to present at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). Once they enter VASE, they present their artwork to a judge who will give them a 1-4 rating. Afterwards all of the 4’s are placed in a room, separated by division, where the judges come to view the pieces and decide which pieces will move on to state. State VASE is a fun weekend where the artists get to go to art workshops and explore the city where it’s held, this year it was in San Antonio, they then find out who received a gold seal at the awards ceremony. When asked how Kathleen felt when she received her second gold seal, she replied with “getting a gold seal my sophomore year feels really baffling, because somehow out of the whole state you were chosen.” This is also Helen’s second gold seal, and even though she wasn’t in the art class this year, she still participated in VASE. When asked about her experience she replied with “I feel that all the hard work had paid off. I’m really thankful to have been awarded my second gold seal and especially thankful for everyone who has encouraged me throughout the years and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.” These girls have worked hard on their art pieces all year, and their hard work and artistic talent didn’t go unnoticed.

-América Quistiano (5/15/17)

Josh Alpert

When a student is considered for Student Highlight, many attributes are taken into consideration including work ethic, leadership skills, and Rebel spirit. That is why Senior Josh Alpert is this week’s highlight. Josh is an AP student who also plays trumpet in the band, but is mostly know as Head Drum Major. He leads the band at every football game, and is seen as the representative for the band when accepting awards and other like events. He does this while juggling AP classes and also while working. He is a barista at the coffee shop “All About Cha” and absolutely loves it. While juggling his responsibilities, Josh sets a great example for Richland students to be both involved and successful.

-Alyssa Kunkel (4/18/17)

Landon Le

When thinking about well rounded students, senior Landon Le is a prime example. Along with being both a star on the football field and the basketball court, his academics set a high standard for AP students. During the fall, Landon proved his football skills, allowing to sign at the Colorado School of Mines on a football scholarship. He was also on homecoming court, and recently won "Man of the Year", proving that his classmates see him as an example of what a Richland Rebel should be. He lead the basketball team to playoffs this year and is taking multiple AP classes along with it all. Juggling both sports and AP classes are a hard feat, but Landon Le seems to handle it very well. As such a well rounded student, Landon continues to set an example during his last months at Richland.

-Alyssa Kunkel (4/3/17)

Mr. Dupre

Through his unrelenting work ethic and his incredible school spirit, Mr. Dupre has managed to have a lasting impact on students of RHS, past and present. Inspired by his love for music and passion for teaching, Mr. Dupre conducts the concert band at RHS and is a member of the visual staff for the marching band. Prior to his time teaching at Richland, he spent time marching for the Bluecoats in DCI. Mr. Dupre says that “DCI reinforced my work ethic and helped me learn to fight through even the most brutal conditions. It was the closest thing to boot camp I could get without actually going to boot camp.” His quote in the hallway “One more time!” is in reference to how one more can easily turn into ten more and the benefits it yields in competition. His best moment as a teacher? “Seeing kids when they finally get it. When they finally realize their potential, and it changes them for the better.” When asked what advice he had for students to take through life, Mr. Dupre said “Work hard. Nothing will ever be handed to you. You will earn everything through hard work and diligence.”

-Noah Lewis (4/3/17)

Brooke Christofferson

Brooke Christofferson, a Rebellaire, choir officer, AP and top ten percent student as well as a member of N.H.S., has gone above and beyond this 2016-2017 school year. As far as her Fine Arts achievements go she made all region choir, became a choir officer and secured her spot in Richland High School's own Rebellaires. Academically she's become a part of National Honor Society and secured her spot in the top ten percent by holding her place as number eight in her class. However this was no easy feat for her as she's involved in multiple extracurricular activities after school like the school musical, “Godspell”, and the percussion show, “2+2=5”. These activities keep her at the school to even 11 at night some days. But when asked about her busy schedule she explained with a laugh that “it's not the full schedule that's my issue it's trying to fit everything I want to do in that busy schedule”. But being in five AP classes hardly leaves time for fitting things you want to do into your schedule. Because of all of this, we believe she deserved the student highlight this week.

-Alyson Chandler (3/21/17)

Mrs. Fudge

The faculty highlight this week goes to Mrs. Fudge. For those who may not know her, she teaches AP Calculus, AB and BC, and Dual Credit Calculus here at Richland, as well as teaching a course over at TCC, and doing review sessions for College Board. But she doesn’t just help students during the school year, but also during break. For example during this spring break Mrs. Fudge traveled to different states to give math help to other students. Her world revolves around her students, saying that they’re her favorite thing about working here at Richland for the past 23 years. Her dedication to her students is evident in her students receiving some of the highest AP scores in the district. She feels that the help she has provided to her students year after year is her biggest accomplishment, and makes it her goal to help each and every one of them feel as prepared as possible for the rigor and workload of college level math classes. Mrs. Fudge loves being a Rebel and would like to tell Richland students to believe in themselves and that they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

-Georgia James (3/21/17)

Taylor Pipes

When it comes to an involved student, Junior Taylor Pipes is a prime example. Taylor is involved in many extracurriculars including Johnny Rebs, STUCO, and class leadership. She also is taking six AP classes as a junior and has maintained the top spot in her class again this year. Along with these, she is also involved in her church. When asked how she manages her time whilst participating in so many activities Taylor replies, “ I try not to procrastinate and I make sure all my work is done before I go do fun stuff.” Taylor poses a great example for being able to be involved and productive in high school.

-Alyssa Kunkel (3/6/17)

Mr. Kelley

Most people know Mr. Kelley, in his own words, as the “Old guy who knows how to do stuff.” But Mr. Kelley has become far more than that in his time at RHS. He has taught at Richland for many years, teaching Pre-AP Chemistry for 25 of those years, and has now added AP chemistry and SAT prep to his courses. He’s also been organizing prom and homecoming for many years now, citing his previous time working with Mrs. Rix on homecoming, prior to her transition to principal. When asked what inspired him to become a teacher, he stated that he originally wanted to become a pharmacist. However, “after a long period of deliberation and numerous suggestions by family and friends, I decided to shift my focus on teaching.” In regards to his teacher quote, Mr. Kelley said “I got that quote from Kid President. I’m a ‘glass is half-full’ type of guy, so it seemed right. The idea behind ‘Be more awesome’ is to inspire people to add another layer of awesome each day, allowing themselves to constantly become better people.” Mr. Kelley’s parting words of advice centered on the idea of hard work. “Whether you’re cutting hair or you’re an NBA superstar, the only way to separate yourself is through hard work. If you can work harder than everyone else, you can do just about anything.” Most know Mr. Kelley as a Chemistry teacher, but RHS is very lucky to have someone with his hard-working attitude here with us every single day.

-Noah Lewis (3/6/17)

Mr. Pickrell

As a band director, Mr. Pickrell gets to teach students in a manner few can. The interactions he has while he teaches and the friendships he forms are amazing. Before teaching at Richland, Mr. Pickrell marched in the illustrious Cavaliers of DCI (Drum Corp International), where he won two championships as a member and one as an educator. When asked how his experiences with the Cavaliers influenced his career, he said that it was the “incredible mentors” and “special connections” he made that allowed him to be where he is today. He considered his highlight of his teaching career to be “Any moment when students have been successful. To see them reach that level of success makes you think ‘I could do this forever.’ ” In regards to his quote “Again”, Mr. Pickrell said, “Again is used very often in the band community. It references the repetition involved with what we do, not because what we were doing was wrong, but to do it once more to ensure we never do it wrong again.” I also got to ask what advice he had for students attempting t0 succeed in any field, to which he replied, “If you want to succeed in any field, you cannot be afraid to work hard. Because no matter what background you come from, there is no shortcut to success. It’s a long process and takes a lot of patience.” As evidenced by how it affected his life, Mr. Pickrell can be considered the epitome of hard work and dedication.

-Noah Lewis (2/22/17)

Abby Key

When it comes to outstanding students who represent Richland High School to the fullest, Abby Key sets the bar. Abby is a senior and the Captain of Johnny Rebs, the RHS Spirit group, and the President of National Honor Society. She is very involved in her church, North Richland Hills Baptist, and in the top of her class. When it comes to juggling classes and extracurricular, Abby has is down, being very involved in the school as well as taking five AP classes. She has been accepted into Wheaton College in Illinois to major in history and minor in both political science and Biblical studies. She will also be part of a pre-law program to pursue her career of a Constitutional Law Attorney with a focus on Religious Liberty. When asked how she juggles everything, Abby replied,”I stay sane by making naps a priority. Even if I have fifty things to get done by tomorrow, I make sure I have time to actually rest because if I don’t, none of the work I would get done would be of good quality.”

-Alyssa Kunkel (2/7/17)

Mrs. Cruze

Congratulations to Mrs. Cruze, who was recently awarded “Teacher of the Year” here at Richland. Mrs. Cruze, who teaches On-Level, Pre-AP, and AP Biology, has been nothing short of incredible in her time at RHS. Through her kind words of encouragement and her tenacity for teaching, Mrs. Cruze has managed to thoroughly convey her curriculum to her students and pass her knowledge on at an unprecedented level. When asked about her award, Mrs. Cruze said: “Are you kidding me? It’s an incredible honor to be selected by my peers for such an amazing award. I was completely surprised and very humbled.” On behalf of the entire Reveille staff, congratulations to Mrs. Cruze.

-Noah Lewis (2/7/17)

Tech Theatre

We already talked about the Musical performance, but Musicals don’t just happen by themselves. A lot of hard work is put into it, and this is where tech theatre comes in. You may see them during the shows, as they typically wear all black, but most of their work is done behind the stage, and before opening night. Tech theatre does a lot of hard work, they even stay later than the actors themselves. For example, the set for “Godspell”, and even the lighting for it, was completely student designed. We want to give a special shout out to three important ladies, who helped “Godspell” come to life, these being Rebecca Schelen (Production Manager), Gwen Carroll (Props Head), and Brenna Bishop (Production Stage Manager), all seniors. These ladies basically did everything behind the scenes. On a typical day they would start working right after school, even continuing when the actors were at lunch, they would stay at the school on an average day until 7pm, but they had many late nights where they stayed as late as 11pm working on the production. While most of their job is done before or after the shows, they continue working while the performance is on, standing by behind stage in case something goes wrong. But they also have specific jobs that they do. For starters, Rebecca designed the whole set for “Godspell”, with the help of Hondo Garcia, who is also a senior. Gwen makes sure that everyone has their props, and goes on stage during intermission to clean the stage and to check that props are where they need to be. Brenna sits in the back of the auditorium during performances, and calls all of the 130+ technical cues (meaning lighting, sound, and projection board), and she also writes down notes for the actors of how they can better their performance each time. When asked about how they felt working on Godspell, this is what they had to say. “This is a team effort, no one can do it alone, people have to be willing to pitch in so that the show can come alive. Opening night is the best, seeing months of hard work unfold in front of your eyes and seeing an empty space transform into a space where magic happens is truly amazing” says Rebecca. Gwen agrees, saying how “no matter how difficult, time consuming, or stressful it is making this huge production, it’s all worth it when you see your work come to life on stage .” Brenna “discovered that being a stage manager is what [she wants] to do for the rest of her life”, and plans on pursuing a theatre degree with an emphasis on stage management, and even plans to become a stage manager for Broadway! These ladies have put in a lot of hard work into the theatre shows thus far, and we believe they deserve recognition for everything that they do.

-América Quistiano (1/23/17)

Mr. Steffen

Richlands newest choral director, Mr. Andrew Steffen, has already begun making lasting impressions on the student body. From his awesome hula hooping skills at pep rallies to his work with the musical, Mr. Steffen reaches outside the choral program to make high school a little better for us. Before coming to Richland, Mr. Steffen attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to receive his undergraduate degree, moving on to Oklahoma State University to gain his master's degree in Choral Conducting. He has composed at least 35 pieces that have received numerous awards and high acclaim across the country. The quote he chose for the wall, “Let your voice be heard”, was chosen because he feels that everyone should establish their voice and be heard at least once in their lifetime. Not necessarily through music, though I doubt he'd complain if it happened to be. I asked Mr. Steffen what was the one piece of advice he felt was worth mentioning and he shared with me a quote he's kept with him since his freshman year of high school, “No one ever looks back and wishes they would’ve done less.” He feels this quote is especially prevalent to high schoolers. Although it is only his first year with us, we all hope he'll stay around for a long time. Thank you Mr. Steffen!

-Kyleigh Whitsell (1/23/17)

Alyssa Andrews

We chose to highlight Alyssa Andrews, senior, in this issue. Most know her as the Dixie Belle Captain, which is amazing in and of itself, but what makes her even more amazing is that she is able to lead a team while shuffling AP classes. Colleges have taken notice, and she has already been accepted into Northern Arizona University, University of Mississippi, University of Memphis, and Sam Houston State University, which she adds “all have really amazing dance teams”. What sets Alyssa apart from others is her outstanding dance skills. Just this past week she spent it at Houston at the Texas Dance Educators Association Convention, TDEA for short, where Drill Team captains were able to be members of the All-State dance team. At this camp, Alyssa did a production where colleges had the opportunity to see her dance. If that wasn’t a high enough achievement already, she will also be dancing at the Inaugural ball in Washington D.C. on the 17th, and will even attend the ceremony on the 20th. There she will perform an almost 10 minute routine, with the other All-State dancers, which consist of different dance styles like Pom, streamer, and kick in front of about 10,000 people, including the president himself. Alyssa will continue to dance in college, and she plans on majoring in forensic chemistry, exactly where is still to be determined. Next time you see her make sure to congratulate her on her achievements, and we hope her success continues wherever she goes.

-América Quistiano (1/10/17)

Mr. Dilks

Every Richland student knows, or at least knows of, Mr. Kelvin Dilks. Sadly, this RHS legend is retiring at the end of this semester. He spent his high school years at our school and 6 out of his 30 year teaching career here. Since his days as a student, he’s witnessed the school become far more diverse. Not just the people, but the opportunities for the student body. The staff has improved immensely, and Mr. Dilks himself proves that. He appreciates all the people he has met along the way and all the kids he’s taught and influenced. Mr. Dilks has plans for the future though, you won’t catch him moping around the halls. He will be traveling more than ever before, starting with a European cruise this summer. After he settles down a bit, Mr. Dilks plans to run for the school board. The opinionated, ex-teacher will certainly make a difference on that board. He left me with some advice, advice for every high school student. “Don’t wish away high school. Enjoy it, because when you leave you’re going to lose contact with almost all these people. Enjoy this time, don’t wish your life away.” Well said Mr. Dilks. We’re all going to miss you here at Richland, don’t forget us. We certainly won’t forget you.

-Kyleigh Whitsell (1/10/17)

Gwen Carroll

While many students participate in multiple activities, few do it in between hospital visits and fewer do it well. Gwen Carroll, senior, has had a rough start to her final year of high school. A ruptured appendix that led to many following surgeries certainly impeded her time. However, she bounced back into all of her activities remarkably. Gwen is the theatre departments prop head and participates in Black Mask (a mentoring program among theatre students). She is also a yearbook editor, overseeing many aspects of those who make the yearbook. Gwen also participates in choir as the President of the organization and a member of the Rebellaires, our show choir. This may seem like a lot to take on, but luckily Gwen has a lot of friends in each activity that make things easier. She told me that after each visit to the hospital, she came back to loving people which was highly appreciated considering the difficulties she was going through. We all hope she can achieve her goal of making through the rest of her senior year healthy and happy.

-Kyleigh Whitsell (12/6/16)

Mr. Evans

Most of us here at Richland High know Mr. Evans as one of our favorite teacher’s on campus, but it turns out he’s more than just a friendly transition into high school. Mr. Evans has spent his years writing numerous fictional short stories, having five to six published in literary magazines and another printed in a paperback collection of short stories. His fantasy stories are also popular, one receiving honorable mentions and another becoming part of a guide to writing better fantasy. Other than becoming a father of four, Mr. Evans claims that one of his proudest moments was pulling the magazine that contained his first published work from the mailbox. That’s a feeling he says he’ll never forget. Aside from being an excellent writer, Mr. Evans has been teaching for twenty years now. I asked him what his favorite thing about teaching at Richland High and he told me that the students make each day a pleasure. What makes him a teacher everyone loves is simple, he loves what he does. Teaching thrills and excites him and that’s what makes Mr. Evans so great at his job. We thank you Mr. Evans, for what you bring to this school.

-Kyleigh Whitsell (12/6/16)

Binta Ka

Binta Ka, a junior cross country sensation, just finished running at the State Cross Country meet in Round Rock this weekend. After placing 1st in District and 2nd in Regionals, Binta placed 14th place in the state. This is her second year running in the state meet and both times she has been the only Richland representative. Being only a junior, Binta still has one more year of high school domination before going off to college. This season, she has paced first at 3 of her meets this year and has placed first out of the Richland Varsity Girls in every race she has run. She is truly an amazing runner, so next time you see her, congratulate Binta on an amazing cross country season!

-Alyssa Kunkel (11/14/16)

Mr. McCanlies

For this issue we chose Mr. McCanlies for our faculty highlight, he was the one that gave us the idea to have one after all. As many know, he is one of our assistant principals, meaning that he is constantly busy making sure that our school stays functioning. Most of his work is behind the scenes, but many students get to see him when they pass him in the hallway. Something that Mr. McCanlies does that many may not realize, is that he takes pictures for the school. He attends school activities including, but not limited to, pep rallies, football games, and prom. All of the photos that are in the AP’s office and that are seen in the TV monitors around the school are his. He takes pride in his students and wants to keep their memory in photo form. His kindness doesn’t stop there, as he also chooses to share his photos with the yearbook, knowing that there were also yearbook staffers who shot those events, but wanting the yearbook to have as much coverage of the school’s events as possible.

We interviewed Mr. McCanlies on why he chose his quote, which reads “Find the positive”, he said the following. “A few years back all faculty and staff took the Strengthsfinder test to establish what our personality traits were, how they guided our daily life and how we interact with people and general life situations. One of my top 5 traits is "Positivity"; meaning I tend to look at a situation and see what is good about it instead of what is bad about it. This is something I believe I always knew about myself.

There is a saying that says "An optimist looks at a glass of water half full and a pessimist looks at the same glass as half empty". Really the glass is all-the-way full....half water and the other half air.

So smile, stay positive and always look on the bright side of life.”

-América Quistiano (11/14/16)

Allison Hampton

Allison Hampton entered the Medical City Children’s Hospital Kids-teaching-Kids recipe book design contest. Where her design was chosen by the director of Career & Technology to represent Birdville ISD. Her design was among 14 other school districts. Although she didn’t win the actual contest, being the student chosen to represent a whole district is a huge honor. Her designs are pictured below.

-América Quistiano (10/27/16)

Maliek Goodlow

Also in graphic design news, we recently held a blackout pep rally design contest. The winner of which received a free shirt and bragging rights. Maliek Goodlow, whose design is pictured below, won the contest, chosen from many other student entries. The t-shirts were sold by the cheerleaders last week, and will be distributed on November 3rd.

-América Quistiano (10/27/16)

Colton Wyatt

Senior Colton Wyatt has, once again, broken a Richland Swim record. Wyatt now holds the 100 meter butterfly stroke with a phenomenal time of 57.17 seconds and was under a second away from breaking the 100 meter breaststroke record. He is now halfway to his personal goal, currently having four school records and hoping to break four more by the end of his high school career.

-Georgia James (10/27/16)

Mr. Little

For our first faculty highlight we chose Mr. Little because even though it's his first year working in our school, he has already left a mark on his students. He didn't know it at the time, but he was given Ms. Harty’s old room, a teacher loved by many, as she was the first AP teacher that most students had and thus set the standard for all our future AP teachers. So right from the get go Mr. Little was held in high expectations from his new students as he wasn't only “the new guy”, but the one that seemed worthy enough to receive Ms. Harty’s old room. And we believe that he has upheld and gone beyond our expectations. He asks of his students to truly think about the world of politics, and even to take in account the opposing side by continuously having mini discussions against us. He doesn't let his own opinions get in the way of his teaching, as he can, and has, fought for both sides simply to make his students think.

We interviewed Mr. Little to see if he could tell us why he chose the quote that's on his wall, which reads “Never fall below your standard”. To which he responded with the following. “I'm honored you would pick me, and as boring as it seems, my quote is from an Ancient Greek from Athens named Pericles. He was giving a funeral oration commemorating the lives of the Athenian soldiers at the start of the Peloponnesian War, and he remarked that it was the duty of the city to honor the lives of the fallen soldiers by living with honor and never allowing themselves to fall below a certain standard. In my experience, all people are honorable and want to do good, but life's challenges pull them away from their dreams and values. I try to remember that and live by the values I set for myself even during the challenging times.”

-América Quistiano (10/27/16)

Colton Wyatt

Senior Colton Wyatt, co-captain of the RHS swim team, broke the school record for the 200 meter freestyle event at the first meet of the season. This meet took place on Saturday, September 30th at the Wilkerson-Greines activity center, home to none other than seven time olympic medalist Dana Vollmer. Wyatt currently owns the school record for two of eight individual events and one of three relay events and aims to take five more by the end of this year.

-Georgia James (10/13/16)