Senator Square: Carson City teachers, students celebrate college alma maters and academic letters

Across the nation, school districts celebrated College and Career Awareness throughout the month of October by wearing college gear or military career attire every Wednesday. This year, Carson City School District teachers and their students joined in this celebration, so the conversation with students about the importance of a college-going culture is continued.

Is college necessary for everyone, not even. Mark Twain said, “Some people get an education without going to college. The rest get it after they get out.” Forever the wise man, Twain aptly explains life experience is by far the best form of education a person may receive. However, Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” The typical meaning of investment is in stocks and bonds, but Franklin aptly pointed out how investing in oneself is by far the greatest investment a person can make.

For the individual focused on making the best future possible, education will lead to a better quality of life, and, during good economic times, a degree usually equates to greater earning potential. Moreover, 240 CHS students received their Academic Letters to place on a Letterman’s Jacket.Resources are found here.

CHS offers a Zoom experience too. Go here to attend the CHS Counselor College Night Presentations. — Contributed by CHS Counseling Department Chair Nicki Hendee. Go to the address below for her virtual office: support.google.com/drive/answer/6283888, or go to the CHS Counseling website here.

BLUE THUNDER BAND WINS FIRST PLACE AWARDS
“I just wanted to share that the Carson HS Blue Thunder Marching Band won first place in their division once again at this year's Nevada Day Battle of the Bands competition at Spanish Springs High School” Jacques said. This took place Oct. 29.

Additionally, the band marched in the Nevada Day Parade and performed "Fireball" for thousands of fans along Carson Street once again. On Nov. 6, the Blue Thunder Marching Band competes at the Damonte Marching Invitational at 1:00 p.m. — Contributed by Nick Jacques, Carson High School Band and Capital City Community Band Director.

CARSON HIGH HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR IS ON FOR NOV. 19-20
The Carson High Holiday Craft Fair is on for Nov. 19 and 20, 2021. That means an opportunity for clubs or sports to make some money. Those with a booth may ask a student, at no charge, to participate in the unloading and loading, the setting up and the tearing for the vendors of this event. Student volunteers, who assist the crafters before and after the event, are credited at the rate of $5 an hour towards their club and or sport.

Two years ago, several groups participated. Future Business Leaders of America FBLA usually helps mark the booths on Thursday evening and has a booth where they sell Senator gear. Cheerleaders have a booth where they sell coffee, etc. and do face painting and coloring book pages.

Photography has a Santa booth, and CLS has sold ornaments and opened a coffee shop. Web Design and Skills USA both have booths selling 3D gift items, Culinary Arts has a booth selling food, FFA has a booth selling sodas, water, and coffee, Band has a booth wrapping gifts, and Choir sells hot dogs and hamburgers. There are a limited number of spaces available for student groups, and there are already 150 vendor booths this year, biggest one ever. For information, please contact Cathy Barbie, 882-8109, or email her at barbiecathy55@gmail.com.

On Thursday evening, craft fair volunteers coordinate the marking of the booths for the shows’ layout. Check in by signing your name at the Concession stand in the North Lobby outside the Big Gym. No fee is charged to have a booth for any student groups, and a donation of another $50 is credited for their efforts. Carson High Holiday Craft Fair has raised $10 to $18,000 every year for 25 years. All profits go directly to student groups. Give us a try this year; clubs, parents, and advisers will not regret it. For those who have helped every year, thanks so much; please help again.

Carson City community members understand, the Craft Fair is considered to be one of the best places to go to have fun, be entertained, and, of course, shop. According to Cathy Barbie, “I always hear praise from the crafters about how incredible our students are and how much they appreciate their efforts; this year, especially, we have a lot to celebrate together…a return to school, along with all the events for students, their parents, teachers, and coaches. We are in this together. — Contributed by Cathy Barbie.

MARCHING BANDSGIVING BANQUET
The CHS Blue Thunder Marching Band will be enjoying a Marching Bandsgiving Banquet to celebrate the hard work and dedication of its members, ‘Potluck Style’, Nov. 15 in the upstairs cafeteria at CHS beginning at 6:00 p.m. They will enjoy appetizers, chicken, ham, drinks, supplies, desserts, and condiments. For more information, please email CHS Band Director Nick Jacques at njacques@carson.k12.nv.us.

SENATOR PRIDE HOSTS ANNUAL TURKEY SHOOT
Hosted by the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp, CHS administrators, teachers, and staff are being offered the ‘chance’ to take a shot at a turkey in order to win a turkey at Carson High’s shooting range Nov. 15 through 17. Yup, how many high schools have their own shooting range, eh. Well, free turkeys will be given to those whose ‘luck’ gets them closest to the target on the turkey with three shots each. Also, there is a hidden mark on the back of each turkey target, and the shooter closest the hidden mark gets a free turkey too. Wish the turkey shoot was open to the Carson City Community, but no such ‘luck’; however, to those interested in becoming a teacher, there is always room for more.

GEARING UP FOR TWO LIVE THEATRE ARTS PERFORMANCES
According to CHS Theatre, Musical Theatre, and English Language Arts teacher Andie Wilkerson, “We have two upcoming productions, She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, which will run three performances Nov. 18 through 20 and Nickelodeon’s The Spongebob Musical, which auditions Nov. 30 and will run four performances April 1 through 3. Both productions will be held at the Carson City Community Center.

UPCOMING CHS EVENTS
The NIAA Varsity Cross Country State Championship will take place at Shadow Mountain Park, 3300 Sparks Boulevard in Sparks, NV. Additionally, the SAT will be administered in the upstairs cafeteria at CHS from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00. For information on upcoming CHS events, visit carsonhigh.com.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
CHS Athletic Department’s Athletes of the Week is for Varsity Cross Country State are Mckenna Budd, Julia Kaiser, Clair Cartier, Ella Dooley, Jinnie Ponczoch, Hannah McCoy, Eleanor Romeo, Dominic Valdez, Ethan Bauerle, Sawyer Macy, and Alexander Miner. These athletes and all students who participate in school functions through leadership, clubs, and sports deserve a high level of recognition and congratulations.

STUDENT OF THE WEEK
The CHS Student of the Week is Karla Vallejo Gomez, a senior. According to her CHS teacher, Orchestra Director Dr. Brian Fox, “I nominate Karla for her quiet, determined spirit, and for her dedication to Orchestra.” Fox went on to say, “She has improved greatly in the years I have known her, and she will go on to achieve great things; I hope music remains a part of her life always.”

Employees within Carson City School District nominate the CHS Student of the Week, and it is often the students’ teachers who do the nominating, though anyone in the district may do so by sending an email to pbrady@carson.k12.nv.us. Congratulations to Karla Vallejo Gomez on being nominated CHS Student of the Week.

SENIOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
This week’s Senior in the Spotlight recognizes one of CHS’ most cheerful and accomplished students. McKenna Budd is a superb student as well as a young woman well-liked by both peers and adults. She has a GPA of 4.87 and will have successfully completed 10 AP classes as well as numerous honors classes. McKenna will receive the CHS Capstone Diploma, indicating she has fulfilled the requirements of the AP Capstone program.

This program, offered through the College Board, requires rigorous course work, which encourages students to develop a passion for learning and become curious, collaborative, and independent thinkers with skills valued and sought after by colleges and employers. In addition to exceling academically, McKenna is accomplished in many other areas. She is very active in CHS athletics, having been on the Varsity Soccer team, the Varsity Cross Country team, and the Varsity Track and Field team.

She is currently Captain of the Cross Country team and has competed at the State level in both Cross Country and Track and Field. Currently, McKenna is president of the CHS Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter and placed second in the HOSA State competition in clinical nursing skills in 2020; she went on to compete at the national level. In addition, McKenna is CHS National Honor Society president and was recently announced as a State winner in the Heisman High School Scholarship competition. This scholarship recognizes two students from each state as outstanding scholar-athletes, who then go on to be considered as National Finalists.

McKenna is also active in the Carson City community as well. She volunteers for numerous community service projects and is a leader in her church youth group. McKenna loves being outside and is an avid rock climber, snowboarder, water skier, and hiker. She plays both the piano and the flute and teaches piano lessons. Her ability to manage her academics, as well as her outside commitments, is amazing. McKenna has applied to Brigham Young University, Provo. She plans to major in Biology with a minor in Business Management and would like to pursue a future career in pediatric cardiology.

With her excellent academic performance, work ethic, extracurricular accomplishments, and unquestionable personal character, McKenna will go far in life. CHS wishes her the best of luck. — Contributed by CHS Counselor Susan Grunert

— Senator Square columnist Phil Brady is an English teacher at Carson High School in Carson City, Nev.