FFA Never Sleeps

Always on the move, FFA is assembling two different events within hours of the next one. On the same day October 19, 2019, FFA held two events back to back, one being their first car wash at Higley & Brown from 8:00-10:30am to raise funds for their trip to Indianapolis and a day volunteering at Mountain Bridge Community at Brown & Mountain Bridge Road from 12:30-6:30pm as a part of their regular program.

     FFA engaged in Halloween activities and games to help children have fun in a safe and friendly environment. 

     “It was a joy to spend time providing service for our local community, and the smiles on the children’s faces made it that much more worth it,” said senior Michael Stehl.

     Also, going back and forth between events allowed the chapter to have exponential bonding time as a team and friends. 

     “I love getting  to spend time with my students to watch them grow as a person while they help our community grow,” said advisor, Jennifer Cervantes, Advisor.  

     Even though they were continuously on the run, the students excitement never seemed to end. 

     “I thought I was not going to make it through the day, but getting to see the joy I brought to children made me want to stay even longer,” stated sophomore Tatum Carney.

     FFA dedicates most of their time to serving others within the community no matter the circumstances. If you want to know more about FFA follow their Instagram @redmountainffa or visit the clubs and activities page at mpsaz.org/rmhs

(Featured Photo by Aidan Current)

Good Doers

National Honor Society is not given any recognition for how presentable high schools, like Red Mountain, look. The students clean up and make the school presentable looking during their own time, simply for the fact that they want to attend a presentable school. The National Honor Society, a club of people who were recognized for doing acts of service for others, meets every Thursday during the first half of lunch at 12:25 in room 252, they discuss how to better the school and what new service projects to do. Many do not know that NHS travels frequently to other schools, just to help them pick up around campus. 

     “NHS has involved me more in the school and with the community around me,” junior Alexandar Dobyns said. “NHS develops character and helps people become the best version of themselves.” Dobyns said. While some people only do service to get the hours, others, like Alexandar do it because they genuinely enjoy seeing people happy. 

     “NHS is an organization that brings together the most dedicated and hard working students at Red Mountain, in order to help the school and community grow around us.” junior Amanda Adams said. “This club provides scholarships, brings a positive light to the school, and plans behind the scenes dances and activities that students love to attend.” Adams said. Students like her, who truly put their all into the given tasks help so many wonderful people benefit, just by donating a bit of their time to do service.

     “NHS focuses a lot on giving back, serving the community, and creating real connections and memories with kids,” senior Reily Rich said. “Service projects and events are set frequently for NHS to run which is a lot of time and work, but it is super fun and rewarding,” Rich says. NHS is a great club that helps impacts many youth and older people’s lives in the most positive way possible. 

(Featured Photo by Taylor Johnson)

RMHS Engineering Team Misses the Start of School to Help NASA In Virginia

The new generation of aspiring engineers got the chance to work with NASA before they turn eighteen. Last summer, the Red Mountain Engineering team went to NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia to persevere through the challenge of designing a new style of space suit. NASA selected Red Mountain students  Sam Smith, Jack Baer, Paige Lottman, and Hayden Farrell to participate in their Wearable Equipment for Adverting Radiation (WEAR) challenge. The challenge was designed to assist NASA in solving their long standing issue of creating safe space exploration. These four engineers came back on August 8, 2019 to share their amazing experiences.

“The sun often has particle events and it has a huge surge of radiation and it can be dangerous to the astronauts,” Lotman said in an interview with Fox 10. “You don’t have the protection [in space] you have on Earth, so we set out to make a suit that absorbs radiation so the astronauts don’t get the effects of cancer.” These suits that were being made were made to withstand radiation and be flexible so that the astronauts could move easier out of gravity

       “The most challenging part,” Sophomore Jack Baer says, “was finding [the] material solution.” The suit’s material was made of tungsten and high hydrogen content plastic to withstand the radiation and is very flexible.   

“We set out to make a suit that would be able to absorb the radiation,” says Senior Paige Lottman, “so the astronauts didn’t get the effects of it like cancer” These students have been working down to the wire to finish the project on time to make the challenge

    Engineering teacher  Adam Middleton said,“They constantly make us proud, It is so awesome to see them get outside recognition – especially from something like NASA.” 

 NASA has chosen these four Engineering students to help them create viable solutions for radiation suits and even though they went through all the challenges, they persevered through them.

     To learn more about how you can get more involved with RMHS engineering program, contact Adam Middleton at almiddleton@mpsaz.org or Shane Bycott at sabycott@mpsaz.org

(Featured Photo by Nathan Erickson)

As the Weather Gets Colder, the Virus gets Bolder

 

As the weather gets colder, students are starting to show symptoms of the flu. These upcoming months will be full of people all around the world, ill with the flu. The best way to avoid this is by getting a flu shot, washing your hands, and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

As said by Michelle Roy, a physician’s assistant, 

“The 2018-2019 flu season was the longest in history starting in October and not ending till May. This 2019-2020 flu season is predicted to be severe. All students should get a flu shot to protect themselves from getting the flu and spreading it at school.”

The flu may seem like a small virus that people may get once a year, however this virus is affecting students and adults all over the world. This virus is affecting their school, work, and home. 

“Flu is one of the leading causes of death. Over 55,000 people died from it in the United States in 2017,” said Dan Schnur. 

These statistics show that this virus is much more serious than its led on to be. We need to make sure to keep up with our personal hygiene and get a flu shot to prevent thousands of deaths worldwide. It is especially important that students protect themselves from the flu because, with so many students in one area, everyone could be affected within a few weeks. By missing school because of the flu, students can get behind in classes and adds more stress to their schedule. 

“The flu can knock a student out for days. If the average student has six classes, that equates to a lot of make up work when they are able to return. It can be challenging to complete all the missed work in a timely manner affecting the student academically and emotionally,” said teacher Barbra Torrey. 

(Featured Photo Courtesy of CDC Fluview)

A New Era

As sparks, smoke, and heat flair from a plasma table, a students holds up a piece of art. Founded six years ago, the Cut Crew has made themselves a staple of the RMHS Welding Program, working hard to design, craft and clean metal cutouts using artistic and practical aspects. Operating out of room 340, the Cut Crew received a new and improved cnc plasma table on August 7, 2019 after proving the potential of the program.

     Larger and more efficiently done projects are just the surface of what this means. For instance, the Cut Crew uses their talents to better serve the community. Last year, in a joint effort with the Welding Team, the Crew traveled to Zaharis Elementary School to repair broken metal gym equipment.

     “There was a nine by nine [foot] square that they had pieced together using galvanized steel pipe fittings,” said junior Garrett Barnes, “[it kept] falling apart and wasn’t really that strong . . . [so] we welded that together for them.”

     Done not for publicity, but for the general welfare of others, the Cut Crew devoted an entire day to accomplishing the task.

     But their efforts aren’t restricted there, as a key part of their program includes giving assistance to neighboring and even underappreciated programs. For instance, as an act of showing support for the Native American community on campus, numerous hours were dedicated to designing and cutting a dream catcher inspired artwork for the Native American Club.

     “When you talk about Courage, Respect, and Influence,” said Program Leader Daniel Hurst, “You’re talking about my kids. We always see clubs that we think are respectful and outstanding type clubs [and] the first thing you want to do [is to] help them.”

     Accompanied in display with a donated wooden Indian Chief head, the artwork is proudly displayed outside the office of Native American Liason Anna Makin across room 248.

     Campus community service is not just a key foundational pillar to the program, but also a necessity for all of the Crew’s members. What started out as extra volunteer work, the Cut Crew this year made it a requirement for its members to pick up trash off the campus daily to join. But the new table does not just signify more community service work.

     The Cut Crew was founded and discovered six years ago after Program Leader Daniel Hurst discovered the old plasma table collecting dust in the Engineering room. Taking it back to room 340, he cleaned it off and set up the machine for use- it was at this moment the Cut Crew was born. Two students volunteered to operate the machine and six years later, the program has grown to five senior officer members, with more students joining this year.

     “I love helping others,” said new member Meagan Kleinschmidt, “It takes a lot of time, effort, and attention to small detail to be successful with the plasma machine. [So] all the projects that go towards the community outreach . . . was why I [am] so drawn to the table.”

     The new plasma table opens many new doors and possibilities for community service, but it also serves as an inspiration for those in the Welding Program who want to be apart of something greater. The new table has already inspired an additional 10 students to join the Cut Crew family.

     The Cut Crew has proven itself to the MPS district. They’re able to stand up for others, use their voice and their talents to not only make the campus a better place, but the public community. Their efforts are not in vain, but because of the fact that every member that can call themselves a Plasma Table Operator believes in being apart of something greater than themselves. The new table represents not just a $24,000 investment, but an investment into a family, a campus, a community. Every tool can be used to make the world better, so get ready for a ride, because this year the Cut Crew enters a new era.

(Featured photo by Ronald Feitzinger)

Prom Tux Rental

Do you need a suit for prom? On Friday April 26, Men’s Wearhouse will be coming to Red Mountain high school to take your measurements for a tux rental. You can get sized for your tux in the amphitheater during lunch. Rental packages start at 99.99 make sure you bring your 20 dollars for a down payment.  

Science on the Brain

The Commons is filled to the brim with cardboard trifolds, all prepared for judging. On these boards are the works of students who have dedicated their time to the science fair. Projects are showcased each year and judged with the hopes of advancing to the next fair. In honors chemistry, it is required to do a project, but many students in different years choose to do the fair on their own, as many competitors view it as an excellent way to reveal all their hard work.

     “[Science fair] proves that students have a lot more to offer to the science community given the opportunity to succeed,” sophomore Jacob Kerby said. “Anything is possible.”  

     Majority of scientific projects are independent projects, meaning there is little teacher guidance. This can be extremely helpful for students who are on the go with their projects and work well with their own guidance.

     “I see great value in bringing in new knowledge to the world and improving what we know [through scientific research],” junior Erin Clancy said. “It gives you self independence.”

     Preliminary judging is happening Wednesday, Feb. 6 to see who moves on to interviews. After interviews, awards will be handed out and students will be placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. 1st place will automatically go to the District Science Fair accompanied by some 2nd place students as well.

     For more information about science fair, visit the science fair  page: http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/organizations/sciencefair/.

(Featured photo courtesy of Red Mountain Activities Page)

ACLU vs. Mingus High School: A Review of Students’ Privacy Rights

ACLU vs. Mingus High School

Like most high schools, Mingus High School in Cottonwood, AZ requires its students to wear identification badges around campus. Underclassmen wear bright red badges and upperclassmen wear grey badges. However, juniors lacking credits must wear red badges and this is what has sparked controversy.

One junior at Mingus High School missed a large sum of days as an underclassman due to medical issues. Because of this, the student must wear a red badge like underclassmen, even though their badge still displays the number 11.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona claims in their inquiry that this policy violates The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),  Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the rights of students with disabilities.

“The policy publicly displays their private academic information…it does not bear a rational relationship to a legitimate educational interest,” the ACLU wrote in their letter.

FERPA prohibits school officials from disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) from a student’s education records. There are exceptions to FERPA, and a district’s definition of PII may vary. The main exception is that primary and secondary schools are allowed to display directory information without consent unless the parent decides to opt out. Information that an official obtains through personal knowledge or observation is not protected under FERPA.

Susan Segal, an attorney representing the school, has responded by stating that the ACLU claims were inaccurate. In the letter, Segal mentions her specific reasonings.

“The United States Department of Education (DOE) has adopted a regulation that does not allow a parent to ‘opt out’ of requiring students to wear IDs containing directory information,” Attorney Susan Segal wrote.

The letter further elaborates on reasons why the school’s policy is not unlawful. Segal states that if a parent does choose to opt out, students will be given an ID badge that does not specify her grade in neither color nor number.

“Should this matter go to court, the District will be presenting evidence of the need for the differentiation of the badges,” Segal states in the letter. “However, that determination is one for the District and its Governing Board—not the ACLU. And, as you are probably aware, courts are loathe to micromanage school districts.”

Mingus High School has since responded by rescinding its policy.

“Campus safety and students feeling like they belong are incredibly important at Mingus
Union High School,” Mingus High School said in their letter.

An Overview of Red Mountain’s Policy

Seniors who are in good academic standing have gold ID badges. Underclassmen and seniors not in good academic standing have white ID badges. Seniors lacking one or two credits have the opportunity to get a gold ID badge at the beginning of the second semester.

One Red Mountain junior who lacked a credit entered the 2018-19 school year with the number 10 on their ID, albeit their true grade should be 11.

“It’s only a number,” an anonymous student said. “I know that I am a junior. People make mistakes and it happens—I can still get back from it. It’s like a reminder. I do agree with the school, but at the same time I don’t.”

“When you see that 10 on [the badge] there, it makes you want to do better,” the student added. “It encourages you to be in the grade that you are and to graduate on time—not to make you think that you did something wrong. If they put my true grade on there now, I probably wouldn’t have thought about it much, given it importance or been reminded to fix it.”

Red Mountain’s policy differs in that only seniors who have earned sufficient credits are given different colored ID badges, but regarding a lack of credits, the grade numbers can still change for any student.

Thunderstruck: Welding Thunder

On Nov. 30-Dec. 1, the Welding Team competed against many other schools from across the state at Welding Thunder. Welding Thunder is a college level fabrication competition, where welding students must build a project on site. The site this year was Skyline High School, which corresponds with this year’s given theme to build a go-kart. Schools such as EVIT, Flagstaff High School, and Pima Community College all competed elegantly as Red Mountain pieced together the final touches on their kart. Fabrication companies including CDI Underwater Welding Careers and ABLE Steel Fabricators Inc. sponsored this year’s competition, showing their support for CTE and STEM.

In the competition, schools were required to bring a “secret weapon” to show CTE ingenuity, and since Mr. Hurst, the Red Mountain welding instructor, has been pushing for equipment catering to the environment, Red Mountain’s kart had been equipped with solar panels to power the horns and the lights. The panels, the team believed, would definitely impress the judges. These panels, one could say, symbolize Red Mountain’s push for greener technology. This impressed the judges, as Red Mountain came in 1st place in the STEM portion of the competition.

Welding Thunder had been designed for students to learn about the fabrication process in a real world applied situation; it had been designed to challenge the students, and allow their creativity to thrive. The students agree, as the majority of them have a burning passion for welding. Many of the kids in the program would like nothing more than to have been apart of the competition. Every year, students from every welding class, including Welding 1, pursue a spot on the Team. Those that do make it in usually develop a friendly competitiveness, as smaller, amiable competitions are held between the students to take their spot on the Team from other members. Regarding Welding Thunder, the students put aside their cordial rivalries to bask in the glory of the opportunity they received.

“It’s been such a great opportunity to observe the interactions between everybody, and to just be here. I’m so excited to be here next year,” Welding I student and sophomore Cate McBride said.

The Team had been overjoyed when they saw their creation unfold in front of them after the first test drive. All their hard work had produced an incredible, high quality kart that took 1st place against the high schools. Most importantly, they had created memories; memories that they can now reflect on as they enter the welding industry. The Team will forever look back on this time as a time of fun, a time of learning and a time of opportunity.

While the students played an important role in the competition, the parents contributed largely and were vital to the Team’s success. At 6:30 a.m. , in 40 degree weather the parents layed out a hearty breakfast. Their support throughout the rest of the competition was essential to the Team.

“It’s a great opportunity for the kids. I appreciate all the efforts that Mr. Hurst puts into this to make it a success for the kids,” parent Jim Atwater said.

The parent’s had also contributed to the lunch portion of the competition, as Welding Thunder requires all the schools to prepare a BBQ lunch for not only themselves, but for the judges. Using a smoker the Team had created in an earlier competition, the parents layed out another hearty feast, winning Red Mountain’s 1st place position in the competition’s lunch portion.

This competition had been an inspiration for not only the Team, but for also for the kids that did not get to go. Next year, when new members are selected to be on the Team, Welding Thunder will have inspired a new generation of kids to apply for the Team.

“What’s nice about this is that not every student is going to college so it will be important to learn a trade;” security guard Howie said. “America right now is in a shortage of tradesmen. These kids are the country’s future tradesmen.”

Welding Thunder, for the Team, has helped create a path that will most likely lead the Team members into a career as America’s tradesmen. The Team, the parents, and everyone else who participated had a blast, and Mr. Hurst and the Team wish to thank all those who competed, bid them a good game, and wish them all the best. Without their efforts, Welding Thunder would not have been the same.

On behalf of the Team, the parents, and Red Mountain, a special thank you to Mr. Hurst for leading Red Mountain to victory once again.

(Article By Ronald Feitzinger)

(Photo By Philip Hicks)

 

Red Mountain Carnival

For eight years, the Red Mountain Football Booster Club has hosted one of the largest carnivals in Arizona. With over 30 game stands, 10 carnival rides for all ages and a variety of food trucks, the Red Mountain Carnival is always an event to be remembered. The event is for everyone in the community.

“Every year we’ve had the carnival, we’ve had positive reviews,” Football Booster Club sponsor Ms. Eulate said. “Everybody loves it and says that it’s a family-friendly event. It’s good for our community, and I think we’ve never had anyone be negative about it.”
The Football Booster Club’s tradition to hold carnivals at Red Mountain was started by Coach Wisniewski. The money goes back to the football team for equipment and facility improvements.

“His father [Coach Wisniewski] was in the fundraising community as a philanthropist,” Football Booster Club sponsor Coach Peterson said. “Both of their impacts on the community is extraordinary.”
The Red Mountain Carnival contains multiple fair rides, such as the Century Wheel, Inversion and more. If students aren’t into rides, there are a variety of other activities to do.

“What makes the carnival special is that no other school in the state has a fundraiser like this one,” Ms. Eulate said. “When people think about a school carnival, they think of little games. They don’t think of legitimate State Fair type activities.”
Held March 1–4, many attendants had positive reviews in regards to the carnival, the rides were the most praised.

“I’m not exactly a carnival guy, and I get really scared of the rides,” sophomore Jesus Sanchez Montes said. “My friends dragged me onto everything, and it was really fun.”
By being the largest fundraiser for the Football Booster Club, this year proved to be bigger than ever before. With more thrill rides for teenagers, calmer rides for younger children and game booths available, countless memories were made for the community, and it gets the community excited for next year.

Photo By Makayla Kaylor

Photo by Elijah McKay

Photo by Elijah McKay

Photo by Evelyn Leiva

(Featured Photo By Brianna Lemus.)