By Broch Rambo
November 21, 2025
The winter concert is coming up on December 15, 2025, at 7pm, so it is a good time to see what song each music group will be playing this year and we also will be seeing what song they'll be playing when all three groups play together.
This year for the winter concert the band, choir, and orchestra will be doing a joint session learning the song “Do You Hear What I Hear” together. They do a joint play every once a year, so this year’s joint play will be at the winter concert because they haven't done a joint winter concert in a while.
The school's band class will be playing “Santa Clause Is Comin’ To Town” to keep in that holiday cheer. With the concert choir they will be singing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and “Candleglow.” Then the men's ensemble will sing “Here We Come A-Wassailing” and the treble choir will be singing “Auld Lang Syne.” The Vocal Octet will sing “Linus and Lucy” and Chambers is singing the “Hodie.” And the Combined choir will be singing “White Christmas.”
And the beautiful orchestra will be playing “All Is Bright” by Steve Parson at the winter concert. This winter concert has lots of great songs being played and its timing is even better for a time to come together and be with friends and family.
By: Elyse Tatar (Junior)
December 18, 2025
Trends, generations, genres, and styles change throughout the years- and the students of Red Land High School represent this with a variety of music choices emphasizing their taste, personality, emotions, and current interests. From country to rap, students’ playlists reflect both individuality and trending culture.
When interviewing students at random, most peers simply replied with the genre of their liking. Some of the most commonly mentioned genres included country, pop, R&B, hip hop, and rap, exemplifying the wide range of musical interests across the student body. These distinct categories of music scale from laid-back, slow, and emotional moods to energetic, lively, and upbeat tunes. The different vibes and emotions that resonate with the numerous genres of music highlights the originality and impact that music can have on a student’s daily routine.
Another question that was given to the students displaying a variety in opinion and taste includes their favorite or most listened to artists. Several artists were named repetitively with Drake appearing most frequently (making Headlines for great reason) followed by popular artists such as Sam Barber, Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, SZA, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Luke Combs, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Gunna, Mac Miller, Lil Tecca, and Tate McRae. This combined mix of artists touch on many genres, personal connections, as well as sounds, themes, and overall production.
Students also shared a wide variety of their favorite songs or songs they currently have on repeat. A diverse set of tracks that students mentioned included “Straight and Narrow”- Sam Barber, “Nice For What”-Drake, “Hours in Silence”-Drake, “All the Parties”-Drake, “Starting Over”-Chris Stapleton, “Prom”-SZA, “SKITZO”-Travis Scott, “Making the Bed”-Olivia Rodrigo, “DOGTOOTH”-Tyler, the Creator, and “500lbs”-Lil Tecca. Many of these songs display the personality of its listeners, whether they tend to enjoy chill music or hype music.
Many students explained that the lyrics, beats, production, background instruments, and overall tone is the key to appealing songs and music artists. Seth Harris, a junior at Red Land, shared that Christmas music stands out to him because “it gets you in the Christmas spirit around the holidays.” A junior at Red Land High School, as well as a Tate McRae fan, Makayla Boyd, shares that “this type of music puts me in a good mood.” Both of these students enjoy positive vibes and mood-setting music to brighten their day.
For others, the creativity, energy, and background beats were the deciding factors for some of their favorite tracks. Ian Bailey, a junior, referenced Gunna’s music and how his specific song “let that sink in” stands out as “it hypes you up and has a good beat and production.” Harper Gossard, a sophomore at Red Land, listens to SZA’s Ctrl album hit, an upbeat, energetic song called “Prom.” Harper stated, “I like the beat and lyrics, as well as the background music.” Another student, a senior named Alia Williamson, highlighted the creativity of rap, stating, “I like the beat and creativity in the lyrics when it comes to rap music,” referencing her favorite artist, Drake, and some of his top hits.
Overall, Red Land High School students’ music tastes show a blend of emotion, personality, and interests. Whether students plan to relax, motivate themselves, express their feelings, or learn a catchy tune, their playlists reflect their personal choices and the influence that trends can have.
By: Alena Imamovic
December 17, 2025
With the holiday season coming up, finding the perfect gift for Red Land High School students can be a challenge. But have no fear gift-givers! I’ve got the latest news on what’s topping the wish lists of Red Land students this year, with insights into the most wanted items for both gals and guys.
For Red Land’s female students, popular clothing, such as the Superpuff from Aritzia, tech accessories, and money are emerging as top contenders for the most wanted gifts this holiday season. To start, Red Land Junior, Brooke Howard, stated that she wanted “sweatsets.” To add on, both Kamryn Payne, a junior, and Kenzie Daldo, a senior, said that they want the “Superpuff” from Artizia the most for Christmas. Reagan Gossard, a senior here at Red Land High School, just simply said that she wanted “Clothes” this holiday season. This indicates that new attire has to be near the top of a Red Land female’s Christmas list this year. Some other popular Chrsitmas gift contenders for the ladies include many different types of accessories. According to Carly McClure, a sophomore, she said she wants “New Beats headphones,” and another sophomore, Cydney Leukus, stated her top gift is “New AirPods.” Music devices are another popular trend this Christmas! Yet, the most wanted Christmas gift for girl Red Land students is money. Three students: Juniors, Grace Updegraff and Annabelle Stonesifer, and Alia Williamson, senior, all said that money is their top wish for Christmas. While these gifts top the wish lists for many girl students, it will be interesting to see how the desires of guys in Red Land compare as Christmas comes close.
Now for the males, clothing, tech accessories, and money were also the top wishes this Christmas. Jessie Ickes, senior, Cole Myers, senior, and Charles Daman, sophomore, all stated that they mostly wanted “Clothes” for Christmas this year. According to observations, most male Red Land students wear, Nike, Gymshark, and mostly athletic attire. This has to imply that many teenagers here at Red Land High School have to have new clothing near the top of their Christmas lists. In addition, tech accessories were another gift trend that stayed the same compared to gals’ wish lists. Geno Mateo, a sophomore, said that he also wanted “New AirPods,” and his buddy Tanner Myers, also a sophomore, stated that he wanted “New shoes.” And just as predicted, money was another popular gift the men wanted. Both juniors, Anthony Piazza and Levi Greene, announced that they want “Money” for Christmas. Now, with the preferences of both guys and ladies in mind, let’s explore the most wanted gift among both female and male Red Land students this Christmas.
This year, the halls of Red Land seem to be echoing with a unified wish this Christmas: new clothing. Many students here at Red Land, including both gals and guys, have all stated that they want at least some type of clothing this holiday season. Whether that was a sweatset, a puffer coat, an athletic Nike sweatshirt, tor simply just clothes, clothing seems to be the winner for being the top most wanted gift on several Red Land students’ wish lists. This could be because new chic clothing is being made in popular stores that is catching their attention, or they want to stay cozy and warm this snowy winter. Who doesn’t want to look snug in the Artizia Superpuff this Christmas? With clothing staying number one on many wishlists, finding the perfect gift for teenagers may be easier than what most people think, but if more specific ideas is the desire, then read on.
Diving into a teenager’s wishlist can unlock many gift possibilities, but here are some suggestions based off of what Red Land students had to say. Clothing takes the lead spot for a good Christmas gift for Red Land students. The great thing about clothing is that there are many different types. Since it is winter, scarves, gloves, puffer coats, and wool hats could be a solid gift option. A pair of warm boots would pair nicely with this winter attire as well. Red Land students also seem to want money for Christmas. A gift card to their favorite store or restaurant could give them a smile on Christmas morning. Ultimately, the key to a successful Christmas gift for Red Land students is understanding their individual style and preferences, and ensuring that a present is not just another item, but a memorable addition underneath their tree.
By Levi Greene and Anthony Piazza
December 17, 2025
In the past, winter break here at Red Land has lasted around 10 days, where we typically return the day of or the day after New Years. This year, though, it is from December 20th to January 4th, that’s a whopping 16 days! Students and teachers alike are excited to relax and recharge while maintaining their academic ability.
Jordan Hill, a junior here at Red Land, believes that this extended break is beneficial because it allows him to “focus on other things other than school.” Also, seniors at Red Land, like Quinlin Shearer, are prepared to sleep in and hit the gym. Teachers are ecstatic too, like Ms. Jamie Miller. When we asked this amazing gym teacher how she felt about the upcoming lengthy break, she expressed, “I love it!”
This extended time for winter break could lead to worry about how it will affect students and teachers in the classroom. The anticipation leading up to the break could result in some lack of focus; however, time management over break could help maintain the information that students will need when returning to school on January 5th. Looking over notes periodically during break, and maybe even asking your teacher to provide optional practice for your current unit, could help students exercise their knowledge and therefore maintain it.
An article on the website CollegeRaptor, written by Catherine Gallagher, “School Winter Break: How Students Can Make the Most of Their Time Off”, brings valuable information on how to benefit from winter break. In order to make the most of winter break, Catherine Gallagher recommends, “Set small goals like finishing a book, learning a new skill, or starting a project.” Making plans for your break can make it more organized and make you feel more accomplished, even if you just make small plans for the break.
Keeping this in mind, an extended winter break can relieve some student stress while maintaining their academics, as long as they manage their time well and set goals for themselves over break.
by Levi Greene
November 18, 2025
We’ve all been in that place. You have to…go. You fill out that dang e-Hallpass and walk into the bathroom wondering what monstrosities lie in the porcelain palace. While many terrifying ideas may cross our minds, the question remains: Is the bathroom really all that bad? Did we just have one bad experience years ago that led us to come to this belief? Has the high school matured enough that the bathroom is no longer a warzone, but a place of peace? After interviews with the school janitors and a random selection of students, the truth has been revealed. I asked several students to rate the Red Land bathrooms on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best. Senior Cole Myers said, “There are always so many people in there, it’s also kind of dirty…I would give it a 3 out of 10. Definitely dirtier than the ones at home…” While the older generation speaks of the bathroom as if it's a forsaken sanctuary, the youngsters have a different opinion of the place. Freshman Carter “Moose” Peffer expresses, “Uh the bathrooms… seven…cause I walked in there and people were vaping…but that was only once so it's pretty good…and…cleaner! Definitely cleaner. Less paper towels and [mess] on the floor.” Could it possibly be that in the past, the bathrooms were not as well kept, but with the new janitorial staff things are now much better? Was it possibly last year's seniors that made the bathrooms so dirty? I decided to interview the janitors myself, and they had this to say about the current state of the bathrooms: “The students do a better job keeping the bathrooms clean themselves, this year especially more than last year. The bathrooms are in good condition…for the most part. But if something is broken, we can just send in maintenance.” So, things are going good for now. But, it’s up to us, the student body, to keep this place clean so that we can continue to use it. After all, using the bathroom is a basic human function, just as simple as something like eating or drinking. So, next time you go to the bathroom, remember: Things are better now. Let’s all work to keep it that way!
By Sydney Maneely and Ciya Liverman November 20, 2025
On November 21st, 22nd at 7pm and November 23rd at 2pm Red Land Theatre’s Cast and Crew will take the stage for their production of Guys and Dolls. Please enjoy this overview of what the show is about, cast and crew opinions, costume reviews, what the adding of tech looks like, and some behind-the-scenes pictures!
So what is “Guys and Dolls?” This musical takes place in 1950’s New York City where gamblers are running rampant, a loud mission band is trying to change their ways, and two couples are trying to navigate their way through difficult decisions and trying times. This show also takes a side trip to Havana, Cuba, when Sky Masterson takes Mission Doll, Sarah Brown, there on a bet.
Coming to this show promises a journey through time with many heartfelt and silly songs, plentiful dance breaks, enough drama to make you spill your tea, and so much romance it will put Hallmark to shame.
The cast and crew shared their thoughts about the show and some of their favorites songs, scenes, and dances hoping to encourage everyone to come see this wonderful show. Sophomore Izzy Armstrong, playing Sarah Brown, says “I am super excited for it. I think it's going to be a good show.”
When asked, many of the cast members said they loved watching and being a part of the Crapshooters and Havana dances. These are two big dance breaks and a lot of fun to see and be a part of. Definitely something to come check out.
The people we asked commented on their thoughts on the upcoming show. Junior Sam Herbert, a lighting board technician, commented, “Nervous? Never heard of her.” Several of the cast have noted they are nervous for the upcoming show, but are still very excited.
Junior, Gianna Scott, playing the waiter, talks about her nerves with quick changes, saying, “I’m a little worried about all these changes though and having to run through the back hallway.” Many share her opinion on the quick changes with many people having anywhere from 3 to 8 costumes.
Senior, Irelynn Draisey, a hot box dancer, sums it up nicely by saying, “We feel we're not ready, but we are.”
As for costumes, everyone has something different. A large part of the cast are men for most of the show. Button-up shirts, ties, suspenders, and hats are quite a common sight.
The Mission Band is matching in their uniform ensemble and several of the group carry instruments throughout the show.
Sophia Langan, an 11th grader playing Aldelaide, and Julia Clarke a senior, playing Mimi, have many fashionable ensembles, several of them being vintage outfits to reflect the time period. As many of the cast struggles backstage with quick changes, we also applaud the effort put into the costumes.
One of our authors, Ciya Liverman, who is playing the Drunk, said, “I hate mics. I hate the fact I have to weave it through my hair so it’s not visible and the bobby pins get stuck when I move my hat. But, it’s an easy adjustment to the sound difference with the mics, and in the end, it sounds great. I love the fact I'm one of the few who gets mics. Such an honor.” Others in the cast agree that while the placement of mics can get tedious it is a quick and easy adjustment to the sound changing with the mics.
As the show progresses quickly towards the show night, the cast is still working on tightening up a couple things. The director is happy with how things are going so much so that she has given them their Wednesday rehearsal off in hopes that they will come back swinging.
Each night the cast and crew are given notes so they may fix little things. There are tech cues that need to be quicker and the cast needs to fix a couple vocal things and tighten a few scenes. Overall, the show is in a good spot and the cast and crew is excited to bring this to Red Land’s stage.
“Red Land Library” by Kayla Friend and Bree Nace
by Kayla Friend and Bree Nace
Yearbooks are a senior staple, and a well loved tradition for a lot of schools and people, especially students involved with the school. But what about kids who don't do clubs or extracurriculars? How do they feel about it? And, how do the teachers feel about it? Ultimately, what is the back story of a yearbook?
Yearbooks have been a big thing in schools for centuries going back to the 17th century in the form of a scrapbook, but the first official yearbook, according to Wikipedia, was created by Yale University in 1806. After Yale made theirs, high schools started publishing their own around 1845, but the oldest surviving yearbook, again according to Wikipedia, was published by Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 1832. In the beginning, yearbooks were all black and white. Some might include a few color pages for special events, but most of the books would remain monochrome. Older yearbooks were more concerned about writing on the school history and club they had; modern books are more of a showcase of the sports at the school and activities in and out of school. Red Land’s yearbook started to insert color pages around 1976, but they were limited and very expensive, so they were mostly focused on seniors. Back then, most of the yearbook classes were a club instead of a class like it is in most schools today, which might explain how school yearbooks are different today. But is having yearbook as a class better than an afterschool club?
After speaking with numerous students and staff, and asking how they feel about the Red Land yearbook being a class versus a club, most, if not all, have agreed that the yearbook is better off as a class. Alumnus, and RL science teacher, Mrs. Dormer felt that the yearbook being a class creates initiative, saying “Class creates accountability”. By saying this, she was referring to the idea that once you “slap a grade on something”, students are suddenly willing to try harder. Another point that was mentioned was about the appeal of it. Yearbook as a class gives kids a “break” in their schedule. While the yearbook is still a real course, it is also still just as appealing to an overworked student as another class, like ceramics. It gives them a chance to take a class that they genuinely enjoy, instead of just adding more work after school if it were a club. Most teachers and students mentioned that the yearbook allows uninvolved students to see what they might be missing out on, as well as providing a sort of “preview” on the activities available around the school, such as clubs they can join, art and music-centered groups, such as choir, band, and musical, and may interest them in trying new sports and hobbies.
The perspective remains consistent throughout the school. Senior Ally Caiazzo said, “Kids take it more seriously when it's a class and they are getting exposed to a different part of the school.” Librarian Mrs. Kauffman, who is also the yearbook co-advisor, stated that, “Yearbook being a class also causes the yearbook to look nicer and have better quality information because it's for a grade.” It seems to be unanimous that yearbook being a class is more beneficial than if it were a club.
While the class not only gives kids a better grasp on accountability, it also gives them a longer time to actually complete a large project because a class is a daily event, so these students work on it every day. Having a club is not an everyday thing and not something that the kids have to go to, so when it's a club the only consistent person doing the yearbook is the advisor of the club.
Overall, clubs are not something that kids get a grade for and don't necessarily care to go to every time, so the product is more or less just what the teacher made. However, when the students produce most of the yearbook, it will actually show the school from a student perspective, making it more inclusive as a class.
By: Emily Ritchey and Kylie Kitner
November 21, 2025
On October 23, at Red land High School, the student body participated in its 7th annual Career Day. The day included different career development options for each grade level. The event included team building and adulting for freshmen, career cluster rotations for sophomores, PSAT/ASVAB testing and college readiness rotations for juniors, and job shadowing/college visits for seniors. Additionally, there was a career fair open for all grade levels. Students of Red Land seemed to have many different opinions on this event.
To get a variety of opinions from the different types of rotations and moving parts, interviews from all four grade levels occurred. The freshman seemed the most receptive to the activities on Career Day. Freshman, Gretchen Reich, expressed that Career Day for her was very helpful. She said she felt more prepared for the future, when asked what she saw most useful she stated "Adulting was beneficial by learning new things to be independent when I'm older. The fair helped me find colleges for the career paths I want.” After talking to Gretchen and hearing how Career Day helped her, we were hopeful to hear more good feedback.
One of the questions that we asked 10th grader, Greta Strawser, was "what improvements could be made to Career Day?” Her response was, “there could have been more fun games and activities, and while Career Day was beneficial it could have been a little more entertaining.” Other sophomores had similar feelings. Although, there were some no-shows for the sophomores' rotations most likely resulting in their lack-luster outlook. Their day ended with team-building activities, which hopefully raised their spirits a bit.
Junior, Livia Donley did the PSAT in the morning and she said that finding out what her scores are (soon) and where she needs more help was the most beneficial to her. When asked if she felt more prepared for her future she said, “Not really it was just like another test followed by lessons we have in personal finance." Overall Livia felt the day provided her an opportunity to take the PSAT, which was beneficial.
We looked toward the seniors. Marleigh Laird, a senior who decided to do a job shadow, stated, “The thing I valued most about Career Day was being able to put myself in someone else's shoes and see the things they do every day. I thought this was valuable because this is something they do on a daily basis and they like doing”. Another senior, Willow Grim, had a different senior perspective because had the chance to take the ASVAB. Willow told us “It was just a test, they gave us the sign-in paper and kind of just let us go. It was just very straight forward.” Willow found Career Day easy because all she had to do was take the ASVAB; however, the chance to take this test is helpful in building evidence toward graduation requirements.
After talking to students of Red Land about how they felt about Career Day we decided to get more information from the people who helped make Career Day possible. Mr Moore, the guidance counselor for 12th grade, sat down with us and answered a couple of our questions about Career Day. Mr Moore stated that the process seemed a bit disorganized for seniors and the information that the seniors needed for job shadowing was, unfortunately, not sent out until the day of, which causes disorganization. However, he thinks it was a productive event and did its intended purpose. He also felt that despite the hiccups in the day, Career Day is still an event Red Land takes pride in to help their students.
“RLHS Cafeteria” by Anthony Piazza and Matthew Peffer, Public Domain
By Matt Peffer and Anthony Piazza
November 17, 2025
The lunchroom is an important place where students take a break from the classroom to socialize and refuel in preparation for the rest of their day. Refueling is an important step in preparing for learning. According to the article, “How the Quality of School Lunch Affects Students’ Academic Performance” published May 3, 2017 on Brookings.edu, the Nutrition Policy Institute claims: “Test score increases are about 40 percent larger for students who qualify for reduced-price or free school lunches. These students are also the ones who are most likely to eat the school lunches”.
Cindy Williamson, the Food Service Manager at RLHS, said, “This year’s lunch sales average to 460 meals per day. Last year, it was around 500 meals per day”. Here at Red Land we have made the change this year of going from free lunches back to them requiring payment, that being $3.85, compared to the price of lunches in 2012 of $2.48 on average according to Usda.gov, an economics research service. This change can be one of the causes of fewer students buying lunch this year, “That seems a little up there [the price]. I think we should get a little more [food],” Brandon Beaman, a sophomore, claimed in reaction to the price increase.
Another reason for this decline in school lunch purchases is that they are not fulfilling the students' needs. When asked about the proportions of school lunches, Brandon Beaman said, “Yeah, I can’t lie, sometimes I’m a little hungry after”.
At RLHS, there are three separate periods for lunch, 4a, 4b, and 4c. The majority of students are put into the 4a and 4b lunches, leaving 4c with a smaller number of students. Despite the lower quantity of students, because of the large amount in the first two lunches, by the time 4c students line up to buy lunch, the main course has often already run out. Jordan Hill, a junior at RLHS that has 4c lunch, said that the main course has run out multiple times this year, and Davis Holland, also a junior, claimed that the same predicament occurred when he had 4c lunch in the 2024-2025 school year.
Though the amount of food can be unsatisfactory to the students, the lunch room employees are meeting the standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services. Cindy Williamson said, “You could have gotten a cheeseburger, a juice, an apple, the cooked vegetable, carrots and a milk.”
Notably, they are also achieving these guidelines while being understaffed, “We do not have an assistant manager and we have 2 other part time positions that are not filled,” Cindy Williamson claimed about cafeteria staff.
The cafeteria has gone through many changes in the last year, from food price to staffing changes. Students use the cafeteria as a place to socialize and recharge for the rest of their day, but the food they eat determines the effectiveness of this period of time. The efforts of the understaffed cafeteria workers and government policies are a good start to keep the lunch period enjoyable.
By T’Oni Mack and Willow Grim
November 12, 2025
Cell phones today are unfortunately a big distraction in high school classrooms due to a lack of effective self control. Social media and screen time in our generation has caused many people’s attention spans to decrease; therefore, it’s difficult to focus steadily on daily activities, and most importantly, schoolwork. Parents may be able to restrictions on phones during school hours, which takes the choice out of student hands. However, this isn’t enough, so many schools, including Red Land, had to change the rules.
Some teachers and principals tend to be adamant about student use of their cell phones. Many schools, including Red Land, have posters laminated around the building and classrooms that state “No cell phones allowed in class.” Students often disregard those rules and sneak on their cell phones anyway, secretly sneaking them under their desks, under tables, and even behind their iPads and laptops. Many teachers are unaware of this tactic because their attention is focused on teaching the rest of the classroom rather than focusing on students who don’t show effort to do their work or be involved as a student. These cell phone policies tend to make students more wary and sneaky about using their phones, which leads to them getting in trouble. When students are caught, it's either a write up or warning. Not only are cell phones a problem, but some teachers see airpods and headphones as a problem as well. However, there are teachers who tend to let students listen to music depending on the circumstances, like taking a test and during free time.
Students get caught up being on cell phones specifically because of social media and friends messaging them which gives them the urge to text back whenever a teacher may not be looking or steps out of the room for a second. This is a perfect example of why cell phones in classrooms are highly distracting. The phone policies that the school board has in place don’t seem to be enough and there could be better solutions.
Many students feel that it would be more beneficial if teachers required students to put their phones in a basket for the class period. This way the students wouldn’t be distracted every time they get a notification and their focus would be on their work rather than social media and notifications. If more teachers added this rule to the school’s phone policy, students being on their phones wouldn’t be major problem.
Although many teachers and staff may think the phone policy is needed, others may not. For instance, It would be important to respond back to a family member if there’s some kind of medical emergency going on. Another reason would be if a friend just needed someone to be there for them if they aren’t comfortable talking to someone else. Many students feel that teachers don’t always understand the circumstances of why they may need to make a quick text or phone call.
These policies get more strict over the years. A few years ago, teachers would mostly only give out warnings. Today, it’s write-ups and trips to the office. Learning to wait until the right time to respond to people or even letting the teacher know that it’s important, can resolve many problems.
By Elyse Tatar and Alena Imamovic
November 17, 2025
Red Land High School students are trading in Chromebooks for iPads that are now the new educational tool, marking an important change towards more efficient learning and digital creativity in the classroom.
One of the many benefits that come with the new iPads according to Red Land students are the styluses that give students the creativity to efficiently work on electronic devices using this tool. A Red Land senior, Reagan Gossard, stated, "Completing work is more efficient with the stylus because it makes taking notes more enjoyable as well as efficient.” Styluses are simple to use and easily accessible as they are sold in Red Lands’ School Store at an affordable price. Students also expressed that they are helpful in some of their art classes so they can draw and color on them with their stylus. Lillian Rosenberger, a junior at Red Land, voiced, “I can draw in my art class and use my stylus to complete work.” This highlights the effectiveness of the stylus that is used with the iPad for students to write notes adequately and have the creativity to craft drawings and color in many of their art classes.
Many students have also commented that the network loads more quickly on the iPads compared to the previous Chromebooks where it was normal for lagging to occur. According to Dylan Winkowski, a junior, “They tend to load faster and Safari as well as [other] apps are more accessible.” Students have also pointed out that battery life lasts much longer than the Chromebooks, displaying the productivity of the iPads and how this supports the advantage of the network system.
The iPads are also much easier to carry around from class to class compared to the Chromebooks. Lydia Maurer, a junior at Red Land High School, “It’s lighter and doesn’t make my backpack heavier.” There have been less complaints about backpacks being very heavy since the Chromebooks, which highlights a major benefit from the iPads. A junior, Kamryn Payne, quoted, “They are easier to transport and navigate because they are smaller.” This represents the simplicity of the new electronic devices and the convenience it provides to make school easier for both students and teachers.
Furthermore, the iPads are able to become more personalized to students, rather than the previous Chromebooks. Students have the option to change their wallpaper, take photos with friends, and change the cover of apps to their liking. Along with this, students are able to download school-approved apps and games of their choice on an installed app called Self Service. Many people use this app to their benefit for schoolwork and personalization.
Essentially, the new iPads have many beneficial impacts on students compared to the Chromebooks. Students can use styluses to work more efficiently, the network works quicker, they are easier to transport, and they can be personalized to students. Annabelle Stonesifer, a junior at Red Land High School, “Overall, I feel that the iPads are beneficial to my learning experience, and I wouldn’t trade them for the Chromebooks.”
By Brianna Gilbert
November 18, 2025
When Red Land decided to swap out student Chromebooks for iPads over this past summer, many expected a smoother, more modern learning experience. However, the transition left students with much to be desired, sparking debates about how iPads limit productivity and complicate schoolwork that was previously much easier. We interviewed individuals from grades 10th–12th, as they didn’t have iPads in middle school like the new freshmen.
Red Land’s administration made the decision to switch to iPads before the 2025–2026 school year, eradicating the use of Chromebooks completely. The switch to iPads was a painstaking process for both staff and students, requiring a great deal of frantic communication in a short period of time. Along with the mandatory handing over of the iPads, students also had to turn in the original charger given to them with their chromebook. Not having this charger would incur a $10 fee. This caused students major distress, especially upon starting the school year and discovering the misgivings yet to be known.
10th, 11th,and 12th grade Red Land students were asked questions about their opinions on iPads, their ease of access, and what they felt could be improved in order to make iPads a better tool for learning. Unlike the incoming freshmen for the 2025–2026 school year, these students didn’t have iPads before coming to the high school. These incoming freshmen had ample time to troubleshoot and customize devices to their liking, while 2024–2025 RLHS students worked on Chromebooks a majority of their school career until that point.
Many points of criticisms are present in these interviews, many of which overlap. 12th grade RLHS student Isabelle Robinson remarks that “[The] iPads are too small, the keyboard messes me up, and I don’t like how [it’s] touchscreen and a separate keyboard…[it] makes everything harder.” While another student similarly remarks distaste for the keyboard in general, and that the screen sensitivity is difficult to get used to.
Another 12th grade student, Talon Werner, remarks that while the iPads are a step up from our Chromebooks—in terms of both speed and functionality—the iPads still lack the functionality required to efficiently aid students in successful completion of school work, and limit other resources previously available on the Chromebooks. Students of all grades express dissatisfaction towards the iPads due to the GoGuardian site blocking system. Students have observed tags that automatically block sites including them, such as the word “gaming,” which may unintentionally block important sites. All students—especially those present at RLHS before the 2025–2026 school year—detail the system that prevents them from downloading specific apps, especially those that college-bound students need access to in order to meet deadlines for applications and other work.
While older kids strongly disapprove of the choice to switch to iPads, 2025-2026 freshmen have less negative attitudes toward the devices. As previously mentioned, they had time to adjust to the devices that older students didn’t. Many opposing positive opinions include portability, a better battery life compared to malfunctioning Chromebooks, and the accessibility of artistic programs being functional with a touchscreen.
When students were asked how they felt the usage of iPads could be better, there were many overlapping replies as well. A majority of students mentioned more controlled website blockage, access to more Google apps without the use of Safari, and a different keyboard. Many students also express that the school’s budget could have been put to better use, like buying better Chromebooks for students instead.
By Nova Maliszewski
December 11, 2025
Last year during 2024 to 2025, there was a variety of different meals for food to pick out for lunch or breakfast in Red Land High School that didn't cost money. Although starting the years 2025 to 2026, lunch is now starting to cost money; however, students feel that the food portions are not the best and that it hasn't changed from last year. Some students believe that lunch should be free as well as breakfast. This could possibly reduce money load stress on the students and parents and improve their overall well being.
If more options for food were put out in not only Red Land High School, but also other schools within the United States, then it could influence their drive to learn and do their schoolwork. Not only that, then most students will feel fulfilled from the meals that they put money into. Based off of a survey in California for middle and high school students by nourishca.org. that provides information as to why some students will skip their school lunch, and what change could make the students eat the meals more often. According to the survey, “students say that if meals tasted better (69%), they were offered more food choices (64%) or there were shorter lines (55%), they would eat school meals more often.” This same type of survey is similar to how Red Land students feel about the school food, meaning this same issue is recurring throughout the US. If students decided not to eat their meals at school, then this could play a really big effect on how they grow. Coming from food-guide.canada.ca, "children spend a large portion of their day at school. Making healthy food choices while at school is important because school lunches and snacks provide children with the energy they need throughout the day, and are a major source of the essential vitamins and minerals they need to grow and develop.” Not only do the people in our country want to make sure all students are provided with healthy food, but the people in Canada, our neighboring country, also believe healthy food is an important thing for a student in any country.
Without decent meals for kids that don't pack a lunch all the time, they wouldn't be able to grow and develop as well as students who always pack a lunch. Based on the information given by “The Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements: Description and Topics Relevant to Their Revision” on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov , the required nutrition elements for a lunch include “protein, iron, calcium, Vitamin a, and Vitamin c”. If students aren't provided with a decent proportion for lunch then they could either experience malnutrition. According to Richard Attias, an advocate for managing obesity as a life altering medical problem and a chairman, from a F11 institute executive committee “A multidisciplinary approach to the management of obesity. | The BMI” from bmj.com, without decent proportional sizes and quality, this adds how “obesity is a problem that nearly every nation in the world is facing, but there is much that we can do to fix it.” If there are kids that are struggling with obesity within the schools, then there should be programs that help with that. It's not necessarily the school's fault for a student being obese, but if there is a way they could help that student be healthier, then they most definitely should be programs that help people out with getting exercise and choosing a correct meal plan for the amount of calories they need. But just because there are a lot of kids that are like that in the US doesn't excuse the fact that there should be decent portions that taste good.
Ultimately having more enhancing options for food would help students improve their drive to learn and be physically healthy. Students shouldn't have to be forced to pack their own lunch or waste gas to go to another spot or go to the school store to eat just because they don’t like the quality of the food. The teachers, and all the staff in all schools should guide students and provide students with the things they need like clothes, food, equipment for school, just as their own guardians at home would. Schools in the US could improve their food by giving better options of food and providing the same amount of portions each day so kids can feel full for the rest of the day.
By Carter Jordahl & Caden Douville
November 19, 2025
There is a belief that music can affect the way people act, dress, and perform. One of the authors, Caden, thinks that music can have his own mood changed by the music he listens to such as when I listen to mellow music I’m calm, when I listen to more upbeat music I can be more happy, or relaxed, and finally when I listen to rap or more “aggressive” music, I become more agitated and “hype”.
Carter’s perspective of music is similar to Caden’s. For example Carter’s way of listening to music is based “on the day” and the use of music can change his mood and or make his mood more prevalent. Another example of this is when he listens to R&B he said he tends to be “More relaxed and focused” meanwhile if he were to listen to 80’s punk or rock he tends to be much more “riled up and unfocused.”
We also asked English teacher Lynda Dorsey her perspective on how music affects her students, she stated, “I think music is a heavy influence. I think it is an escape for some students. She also said “I find that a lot of students, when the noise in the classroom is too much, they tend to just want to put on music and kind of drown out the other noise.” We asked her if she assumed what kind of music people listen to based on the way they're dressed. She said “ that was more prevalent in the 80's, certainly the 90’s and early 2000’s for sure.”
We also interviewed Red Land Student Kaia Liverman, on her perspective on how music affects her and the students around her. She stated “I believe that music does affect the way that students act and carry themselves, I don’t believe that it affects the way that they dress as much, but it definitely affects the way they act and stuff.” We asked her if music affects her as an individual, she stated, “Music helps me get from day to end basis. Music helps me calm down a lot, and helps me just get things done and get through the day.”
Our conclusion is that music does affect students at Red Land both positively and negatively. We believe this because multiple people at Red Land state that it affects them and the students around them. “Music helps me get from day to end.” stated Kaia Liverman. Mrs. Dorsey said “I find that a lot of students, when the noise in the classroom is too much,they tend to just want to put on music and kind of drown out the other noise”. So, music can help students get through their day, but it can also be a distraction from doing their work all together. We believe music is good for students' mentality, but it can result in some cases as a drop in their productivity.