By Phil Brady
Want to be a lawyer for a day? At CHS, with Mock Trial, it is possible. Mock Trial is Law and Order set in a simulated trial environment in a real courthouse with a real judge. The Carson High School Mock Trial team will meet professional attorneys and students around the state to compete Feb. 17 in Reno.
The team comes from their club, which meets Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:05 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in room 205, and even though this year’s team is already established, those interested are more than welcome to join the club at any time and start training for next year’s competition, or stand in as an alternate for this year’s team.
By training this year, students will have first dibs for next year’s competition as well, and as a member of the club, CHS students are also welcome to come observe the actual competition even if they are not competing. For questions about how to join, email teacher and advisor Sara Davis at sdavis@carson.k12.nv.us.
Students at CHS may no longer need a bachelor’s degree and three years of law school to go into practice. Why would they need to spend all that money when the title of esquire is right next door.
Robotics
CHS Robotics team won the First Tech Challenge State Championship, and this qualifies them for the FTC West Super Regionals in Tacoma, WA Mar. 10-12, 2017. Teacher and club advisor Nate Girdner may not be able to make it to the competition. If he is unable to attend, the team will not be able to go to the West Super Regionals. If any certified teacher is interested in attending, please email Mr. Girdner at ngirdner@carson.k12.nv.us.
Food for Thought
Food for Thought is a local organization providing meals to the homeless student population of Carson City School District. On Feb. 14, Dutch Bros will be donating $1 for every drink sold to FFT. Please consider enjoying a Dutch Bros drink to support this worthwhile program
Rock the Beat
February is American Heart Month sponsored by American Heart Association to raise awareness and support. Fun Fact: The heart is one giant pump, and every minute, it pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long. Everyone is being asked to wear red on Mondays in February. Teacher Erin Been has asked students to perform advocacy for heart-health this month. Need some red? Erin Bean has ROCK THE BEAT t-shirts available for $5; however, any red will work! Email her at ebean@carson.k12.nv.us.
Senior Project Judges Needed
All CHS seniors must complete the Senior Project. Each student chooses to research an area of interest, develops a product or project, compiles a portfolio, and gives a formal presentation of their project to a panel of judges. This endeavor prepares students for their future, and requires a great deal of time and commitment to complete.
CHS invites the Carson City community to partner with these students through volunteering to judge and serve on panels, consisting of 3-5 students, for the SP Boards. CHS relies on community volunteers to make this a success, and SP presentations this year will be held April 24.
If interested, please select one or more of the panel(s) time(s) below. While not necessary, attending one of the three offered training sessions is recommended; they happen April 11 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., April 13, 6 to 8 p.m., and April 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. SP presentation times on April 24 go from 8 a.m. to 9:40 a.m., 10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m., and 12 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. Volunteering and partnering with Carson High School is a much appreciated sacrifice, so please support the youth of CHS, and become a panel judge. Want to know more? Go online to: carsonhigh.com and find the Senior Project link.
Senator Scholarship Scoop and College Connections
Senator Scholarship Scoop is online at www.carsonhigh.com every Monday with the latest news about scholarships, testing, college visits, and grants. Western Nevada College Bridge to Success is asking seniors planning to attend WNC next year to attend an informational meeting in the CHS library Feb. 16 at 8:00 a.m. WNC staff will be there to help fill out admissions’ applications. Stop by the Guidance Office for a pass. Graduation is close, so do not be left wondering what to do next.
Student of the Week
Ruben Artega Gonzalez is this week’s student of the week. He is a very intelligent and works hard in everything he does. He walks around CHS with a positive attitude. Ruben is a student who makes sure to go the extra mile through interpreters. As a deaf student, it takes a little extra to understand the material, but he works hard to make sure he understands everything. CHS thanks Ruben for his amazing contributions.
Senior Spotlight
CHS is pleased to recognize Curtis Basa as this week’s amazing senior in the spotlight. Curtis is one of CHS’ top students with a GPA of 4.9 and is finishing his high school career with a full load of classes, several of which are AP. Curtis is also very active in leadership.
He was the Junior Class Secretary and is currently the student representative to the Carson City School Board. He is a member of the National Honor Society and has been a Link Crew Leader. Curtis was also a member of the Robotics Club during his sophomore and junior years. His team qualified for state competition in 2016.
Curtis is being recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors as a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program. In addition to exceling academically, Curtis is an accomplished athlete. He has been a member of Varsity Tennis for four years, and played lacrosse with High Sierra Lacrosse League for three years.
Of particular note, Curtis has studied Taekwondo for twelve years and is currently a second degree black belt. Last summer, he was chosen to participate in Operation Catapult, a summer engineering program sponsored by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
As part of this highly competitive program, Curtis worked on a mechanical engineering project which involved his team researching, developing and building an optimal commuter bike. Curtis plans to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering with the goal of entering the field of robotics.
He has not yet decided where he will pursue his dream, but has already been accepted to UNR, Rose-Hulman, and Texas A&M. He is awaiting decisions from several other colleges including Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Melon, Purdue, and GA Tech. CHS is proud of the way Curtis has represented his high school and community and wish him the best in the future.
— Senator Square columnist Phil Brady is an English teacher at Carson High School.
