the 7th edition of the aviator newspaper

8
The AviATor February 2011 FREE Hutchison High School 3750 Geist Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 In Brief: Senior ball royalty Photo by FRIDA SHROYER Julie Teegardin and Taylor Tompkins share a dance after being named king and queen of the ball. Groups raise funds on Valentine’s Day By MIKAYLA EAGER Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and many of the couples at the Hutchison High School are already planning ways to surprise and pamper their significant other. HOSA and SADD are working to help make this holiday memorable for everyone. In past years the Health Occupations Students of America, better know as HOSA has sold fresh carnations or wooded roses the week prior to Valentines Day to be delivered to the classrooms on February 14 th . This year the carnations are back with the addition of a small amount of chocolate. “It will probably just be three kisses,” said HOSA adviser Andrea Galvin. Every year all five of the HOSA groups in the state of Alaska pool their fundraising money together and donate it to a non-profit group. In the past the Valentine’s Day money has gone to buying bed nets for the Malawi Children’s village. “It’s sort of an orphan village,” explains HOSA president Ashley Elsberry. The bed nets help to prevent malaria, which is responsible for nearly 50% of childhood deaths in Central African country’s like Malawi. Proceeds for this year’s fundraiser will go the Covenant House Alaska, which provides a “life line from the streets” for homeless and runaway youth is Anchorage. The carnations will be $1 each and students will be able to write a note to be delivered with the flower, However, HOSA won’t accept any anonymous notes or sending. While HOSA is selling flowers and chocolate SADD or Students Against Destructive Decisions will be selling something a little less “lovey- dovey”. Friends caring for friends is the focus of the Friends for Life campaign, according to www. sadd.org and the friendship See VALENTINE’S on page 6 Freshman lunch ban has history By JUSTICE SOULE Questions have filled the freshmen’s heads. Why is lunch enclosed for them only? Rumors have spread about this topic but no one has classified the true reason why. The true reason behind the ban had to do with some student’s actions in the past, but mostly for their safety. There were problems the first year Hutchison opened. One problem was kids jay walking, another was issues at fast food organizations involving drugs. Those reasons helped in making the enclosed campus for lunch. “Freshmen is a pivotal year in life, a huge indication of success. It projects way beyond into college and your future career,” said Hutch assistant principal Daniel Domke. However, because it’s the first year freshmen are in high school, they need to be focused on keeping good grades, and getting to class on time. “There are students that don’t leave the school and still manage to be late,” said the in school suspension aid, Mike Rohn. “The kids are almost tardy before they even leave for lunch,” Domke said. “It’s every schools discretion to make that rule if they See FRESHMEN LUNCH page 6 News Page 2 - Amy Scott featured - About advanced career investigations - “I love boobies” banned sporTs Page 3 - New cheerleading coach -Lathrop Ballroom Dance team FeATures oN sociAl NeTworkiNg Page 4-5 opiNioN Page 7 -Kolby Kelsey discusses Hawk Time -Chelsea’s Chuckles -Letter to the Editor

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Page 1: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The AviATorFebruary 2011 FREE

Hutchison High School3750 Geist Road

Fairbanks, AK 99709

In Brief:

Senior ball royalty

Photo by FRIDA SHROYERJulie Teegardin and Taylor Tompkins share a dance after being named king and queen of the ball.

Groups raise funds on Valentine’s DayBy MIKAYLA EAGER

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and many of the couples at the Hutchison High School are already planning ways to surprise and pamper their significant other. HOSA and SADD are working to help make this holiday memorable for everyone.

In past years the Health Occupations Students of America, better know as HOSA has sold fresh carnations or wooded roses the week prior to Valentines Day to be delivered to the classrooms on February 14th.

This year the carnations are back with the addition of a small amount of chocolate.

“It will probably just be three kisses,” said HOSA adviser Andrea Galvin.

Every year all five of the HOSA groups in the state of Alaska pool their fundraising money together and donate it to a non-profit group.

In the past the Valentine’s Day money has gone to buying bed nets for the Malawi Children’s

village. “It’s sort of an orphan

village,” explains HOSA president Ashley Elsberry.

The bed nets help to prevent malaria, which is responsible for nearly 50% of childhood deaths in Central African country’s like Malawi.

Proceeds for this year’s fundraiser will go the Covenant House Alaska, which provides a “life line from the streets” for homeless and runaway youth is Anchorage.

The carnations will be $1 each and students will be able to write a note to be delivered with the flower, However, HOSA won’t accept any anonymous notes or sending.

While HOSA is selling flowers and chocolate SADD or Students Against Destructive Decisions will be selling something a little less “lovey-dovey”.

Friends caring for friends is the focus of the Friends for Life campaign, according to www.sadd.org and the friendship

See VALENTINE’S on page 6

Freshman lunch ban has historyBy JUSTICE SOULE

Questions have filled the freshmen’s heads. Why is lunch enclosed for them only? Rumors have spread about this topic but no one has classified the true reason why. The true reason behind the ban had to do with some student’s actions in the past, but mostly for their

safety.There were problems the first

year Hutchison opened. One problem was kids jay walking, another was issues at fast food organizations involving drugs. Those reasons helped in making the enclosed campus for lunch.

“Freshmen is a pivotal year in life, a huge indication of

success. It projects way beyond into college and your future career,” said Hutch assistant principal Daniel Domke.

However, because it’s the first year freshmen are in high school, they need to be focused on keeping good grades, and getting to class on time.

“There are students that

don’t leave the school and still manage to be late,” said the in school suspension aid, Mike Rohn.

“The kids are almost tardy before they even leave for lunch,” Domke said.

“It’s every schools discretion to make that rule if they See FRESHMEN LUNCH page 6

News

Page 2

- Amy Scott featured

- About advanced career

investigations

- “I love boobies”

banned

sporTs

Page 3

- New cheerleading

coach

-Lathrop Ballroom

Dance team

FeATures

oN sociAl

NeTworkiNg

Page 4-5

opiNioN

Page 7

-Kolby Kelsey discusses

Hawk Time

-Chelsea’s Chuckles

-Letter to the Editor

Page 2: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The AviatorPage Two February 2011

News

By MIKAYLA EAGER

Sophomore English teacher Amy Scott is a petite woman with the slightest hint of a southern accent, but don’t let that fool you. Scott is the pic-ture of a “typical” Alaskan.

When she’s not teaching, she enjoys backpacking and moun-taineering, along with hunting and fishing.

“Our calendar isn’t by month, but by hunting season” said Scott, referring to herself and her husband.

Last May Scott shot her first black bear. She and her Husband had been watching the bear for a while and her husband was planning to take it that year, but she beat him to it. She was on the stand when the bear came close and her husband told her if she didn’t take it now he would shoot it over her head.

If you want to see a picture of the bear and more of Scott’s adventures go to her website at hut-ascott.weebly.com/when-i-am-not-teaching.html

The thing she likes most about Alaska is just being able to live in Alaska.

Scott grew up in Texas and she hated it. Much like Alas-kans in the winter, running be-

tween heated buildings, she ran from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned house. If she stayed out too long she would get heat exhaustion.

“It can be -50 and the cold

doesn’t bother me,” said Scott.Before she came to Hutch

Scott taught what we would call shop classes and what she would call agricultural sciences.

Agricultural science was

Scott’s favorite class in high school, which taught welding and horticulture.

“It was hands on and it helped build my self confidence.” said Scott.

Unlike Math, which was Scott’s least favorite class. When ever she was told to show her work in front of the class she would freeze.

However, it was English where she excelled. During her sophomore year her teacher decided she was too advanced for the class and gave her books to read in the hall.

“They were always awful books like Withering Heights, so I ended up reading Seventeen Magazine instead,” said Scott.

Nonetheless Scott went on to get a degree in English and eventually ended up in Alaska where she subbed all over the Fairbanks North Star Borough. As soon as she heard of Hutch she knew it was the school for her, but for the first year Hutch evaded her.

“I was way too lucky to get in here,” said Scott.

Scott demonstrates Alaskan lifestyle

Photo by MIKAYLA EAGER Amy Scott helping a student in her Eniglish 10 class

New career investigations course builds on first oneAdvanced Career Investigations takes the focus of a

career cluster and puts it into a semester-long elective class. This class gives students the opportunity to choose between taking all four career clusters, each for a quarter in the regular career investigations, or choosing one that you are interested in for a semester. The purpose of this class is to allow students to explore the different career clusters in depth without having to completely switch out of their chosen cluster.

“It should be interesting, it should be action packed, it should be the highlights of everything they do [in a particular field],” said Jerrilyn McInelly, Hutchison counselor.

McInelly said that the class was prompted by a student who was concerned that the regular Career Investigations class was not meeting his needs as far as curriculum so he went to Daniel Domke, Hutchison assistant principal.

The counselors then talked to many former students and had many requests to take classes in the different clusters. They found out that many students were interested in other career clusters, but if they were not in that cluster than it is hard to take those classes.

There were a lot of students that wanted the other clusters as hobbies or areas of interest. With the new

career investigations class students don’t have to

completely change their clusters.

“Advanced Career Investigations gives you the

opportunity to learn a little bit about other clusters and

what they offer in more depth,” McInelly said.

McInelly said she recommends this class because it

has a lot of potential and it is a great opportunity for

students. She also said that the enrollment was lower

than they had expected, but they are going to continue

it.

It is a program that is growing and Hutch plans on

keeping in place as an elective and promoting it more

so that enrollment rises next year. The career cluster

teachers need to promote their classes, said McInelly.

By NICOLE WAYFIELD

“It should be interesting, it should be action packed, it should be the highlights of everything they do [in their field]”

- Jerrilyn McInelly, Hutchison counselor.

Page 3: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

sporTsPage ThreeThe AviatorFebruary 2011

SADDFeb.7-11- Selling Friendship Bracelets Feb. 14- Delivery, Friends for Life Activity

HOSA Practice for State every Tuesdays after school.

Feb.4-19- Canned Food DriveFeb.7-11- Selling Carnations Feb.14- Delivery

Student CouncilFeb.14-18- Spirit Week (Boys vs. Girls)Feb.18- Assembly for Hockey Feb.10- Regional Student Council

ACADECAFeb.9- Online Essay CompetitionFeb.16- Registration, Welcome, Ice Breaker, Coaches MeetingFeb.17- AM Testing, PM Speech CompetitionFeb.18- AM Testing, PM Interview, Super Quiz

SPORTS

Hutchison HockeyFebruary

Fri-Sat 4-5 Greatland Playoffs Thurs-Sat 10-12 State Hockey

Hutchison Basketball February

Thursday 3 Galena at HutchFriday 4 Glennallen at HutchSaturday 5 Valdez at HutchThurs-Sat 10-12 Valdez Elk’s TourneyTuesday 15 Eielson at HutchSaturday 19 Hutch at DeltaTuesday 22 Lathrop at HutchThursday 24 Galena at HutchSaturday 26 Hutch at Monroe

By KOLBY KELSEY

Hutchison has a much smaller student count than other high schools in the district. For this reason it is difficult to assemble teams that typically require a larger number, football for example. This didn’t stop the Hutch’s cheerleading squad.

Just a year ago, the squad consisted of four students; it has since grown to 10. The new coach this year is Dustee Davis, who rose to the challenge when Heather Johnson stepped down.

“I’ve always liked trying new things,” said Davis.

This is her first year coaching a high

school team. However, she has previous experience in coaching and assistant coaching younger aged soccer teams.

“Since it’s my first year, I am just getting to know the kids,” said Davis, “It’s been a good time. I’m happy there is a bigger team now than there used to be, less pressure on

everyone.”Cheerleading practice is everyday

unless the Hutch basketball team is playing. In which case they’re cheering here at their home court, or traveling to wherever the game is to cheer there.

Dustee Davis is new cheerleading coach

DAVIS

Lathrop invites Hutch students to dance

Photo by MIKAYLA EAGERBrittany Stallings stretches during cheerleading practice.

By NICOLE WAYFIELD

Hutchison students are offered the opportunity to join the Lathrop High School Ballroom Dance Team if they are so interested. The team meets twice a week at Lathrop High School from 4:30-6:30.

The ballroom dance coach, Stefani Borrego, is the health teacher at Ryan Middle School. There are three Hutchison students that are on the Lathrop Ballroom Dance Team Mayson Mcdaniels, Kurtis Pope, and Joseph Davidson.

Mayson Mcdaniels, a Hutchison sophomore, said this year is his second year on the ballroom dance team so it is easier for him to pick up the dances. He said he likes ballroom dance but because it is a team

sport it is kind of hard with new people. It takes the younger less experience dancers longer to pick up the dances.According to the Lathrop Ballroom Dance team website, the team consists of students from all high schools and middle schools along with home schooled students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District.

Mcdaniels said that he thinks it is a good that Hutchison does not have its own ballroom dance team because Lathrop is the only school that has one which means people from all schools, even home school, can tryout and be on the team. It makes it easier to get a good team. He said it is not much of an inconvenience for him because he takes the shuttle bus to Lathrop and then his mom picks him up since she works nearby.

Page 4: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The Social NetworkThe AviATor

Page FourFebuary 2011

The Social NetworkThe AviATor

Febuary 2011

By KOLBY KELSEY

Communication, the discussion between two or more people, is much more than words. It’s been said that in communication 10 percent is the words spoken and 90 percent is body language and other social cues. So what happens when you take out the 90 percent?

Mass communication by social networking has changed the way people communicate forever, not only over vast distances, but face to face as well. Virtual communication doesn’t replace, but displaces social interaction, according to an article on the Brit-ish Broadcasting Corporation website.

It is so convenient to interact socially from the comfort of your home that it eliminates the drive to interact in person, according to the BBC. This change in social communication, especially at such a young age, could detrimentally change the evolution of social interaction.

This digression from face to face communication could undermine or even remove the ability to read and pick up on body language and other social cues. The sheer quantity of sub-meaningful conversation has, and will continue, to lower the quality of social interactions, stated the BBC.

Jerrilyn McInelly, Hutchison counselor, said social networking could harm social etiquette.

“It is important social networking doesn’t replace social communication”, said McInelly,” People need to learn civility.”

The feeling of being constantly connected to other people’s lives and the ever expanding universe of online gossip creates a feeling of social fulfillment and comfort, according to an article in The Economist magazine. This has spawned a rift between the current generation of social networking children, and the last.

Communication online and over text is linear, one way, as opposed to communication in real life which is multilateral. On the internet, a person responds to what someone has written hours or even days before. This makes conversation impersonal and often invites people to say what they normally wouldn’t say in person, according to The Economist.

This is dangerous because, one, once something is said online it is there virtually forever, and two, over time social discretion is no longer recognized. People, who become accustomed to linear communication on the internet inevitably believe that is acceptable communication in person as well, stated a scholarly article in Old and Sold, an online database of research primary sources.

Quantity replaces quality, and every opinion that floats to the forefront of the brain needs to be voiced. Listening to responses has little relevance because all that matters is the progression from one topic to the next, according to an article in DailyMail online.

This linear conversation makes relationships more difficult, both personal and acquainted. When reten-tion becomes irrelevant due to the large amount of “information” at their disposal on the internet, learning in person becomes more difficult, stated the DailyMail.

“The newest generation will have to learn balance,” said McInelly.

Teaching students who only know linear conversa-tion can prove a frustrating task, but is one teachers are going to have to learn to either deal with or adapt to, according to a study done by Ohio State Univer-sity. For as social networking and mass communica-tion grows to unprecedented sizes, attention spans and social skills will continue to diminish at the same rate.

Current generation socializes differently

Page 5: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The Social NetworkThe AviATor

Febuary 2011

The Social NetworkThe AviATor

Page FiveFebuary 2011

By KOLBY KELSEY

Social networking, people connecting with other people to make groups, those groups connecting with other groups to make bigger groups, its hap-pened for as long as there have been people. We all know individuals who, in turn, know other people. We form a network.

For thousands of years social networks were only as large as individuals could travel on a regular basis. As technology progressed, so did the size of social networks. From mail service to radio, televi-sion to internet, social networks have grown in size and complexity.

Today, thousands of social networking sites exist on the internet, dozens for every conceivable inter-est and hobby. However, one social networking site is at the top of everybody’s list: Facebook. The social networking giant that has spawned a genera-tion that is more connected than ever before.

From individuals to multibillion dollar corpora-tions, more and more people are logging on to their very own Facebook pages every day. With a world of pictures, posts, and games, you would be hard pressed to run out of things to do on Facebook.

Daniel Carlin, a Hutchison senior, has had a Facebook account for several years. Carlin said that the biggest benefit is that he can stay connect-ed with his friends, and connect with old ones.

“It’s like text messaging, but with a whole lot more people, pictures included!” said Carlin.

Rene’ Gilmore, a Hutchison senior, made a Facebook years ago; it quickly replaced her old Myspace page. Gilmore said Myspace had its faults, and with the mass influx of people moving to Facebook, she couldn’t avoid it.

Gilmore uses Facebook for the Newsfeed and to post on her own and other people’s walls.

“I often like putting out angry rants,” said Gilm-ore.

Whether it’s staying in touch or making new friends, Facebook has made it easier than ever to keep connected. Apart from using Facebook for different reasons, people also connect differently.

Carlin says he usually gets on Facebook with his iPod; it’s more convenient for him. Carlin said he only uses Facebook on the computer if he wants to delete someone from his friends list.

Gilmore however, only uses her computer for Facebook. She said with her kid in one hand and her school books in another, there simply weren’t any more hands for Facebook on her phone.

Social networking, having all of your friends and associates right at your fingertips, is a phenomenon that’s full effects can only be seen in our genera-tion. And everyone has an opinion on if these effects will be good or bad in the long run.

Carlin believes it has been a positive influence.

“I think it’s been good, made people friendlier as they meet more people,” said Carlin.

Gilmore sees the benefits and the drawbacks of social networking. Gilmore said that the ability to stay connected makes it easier to keep friends, but distracts people from school work and other things they could be doing.

“It’s an interesting influence,” said Gilmore, “and it doesn’t help in person social interaction.”

The question of what the long-term affect of massive social networking will be raises another question. What will become of social networking sites, of Facebook, in the future?

Joyce Jager, Hutchison safety assistant, said that it will be replaced. Just as other forms of social networking have become obsolete, email for ex-ample, so will Facebook.

“Something else will come along,” said Jager.Jerrilyn McInelly, Hutchison counselor, believes

that people will have to learn balance. She said that six years ago people had no idea social networking was going to take off the way it did. Who knows where social networking will be in the next six years. It’s important it doesn’t replace social inter-actions, said McInelly.

Daniel Domke, Hutchison assistant principal, is one of the resilient few who does not have a Face-book page. Apart from having no desire to make one, Domke said that he is always on the go. No free time means no Facebook.

“I would rather be out flying my plane,” said Domke.

The technology is phenomenal; the content is questionable, said Domke. Most things on Face-book, and Twitter, are irrelevant, he said. That doesn’t mean the technology isn’t a great tool.

When television was invented it was seen as the most powerful educational tool ever devised, said Domke, but today it’s seen more as a distraction. Same thing with Facebook. It has potential, but it isn’t necessarily being used the best it could be.

“People now have a technology they’re trying to find a use for,” said Domke.

Where individuals might be finding little practi-cal use for Facebook other than to connect with friends, corporations and official organizations have found more advantages to Facebook.

Organizations as powerful as the FBI to as local as the Fairbanks Northstar School District use Facebook for monitoring and for disciplinary (legal in regards to the FBI) action. Domke said that he would never use Facebook for monitoring, to find out if students are skipping for example, but has in the past been brought printed Facebook pages as evidence of student intentions or actions.

Regardless of whether mass social networking has been positive or negative, nobody argues that it has indeed had an impact on modern life.

Social networks might be causing distractions

Page 6: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The AviatorPage Six February 2011

VALENTINE’SContinued from Page One

bracelet symbolized that goal.Because of this SADD thought it was appropriate

to sell these bracelets around Valentine’s Day, so students not in a relationship won’t feel left out of the festivities.

“I think it’s great for people to know that they are cared about, even if they aren’t getting candy.” Said SADD member Elissa Chowaniec.

The bracelet’s key feature is a metal ring with inspirational words like “inspire” etched on the face, but SADD hopes it will symbolize more.

SADD adviser Megan McCarthy says the bracelets will be a good way for a friend to say, “When you need someone to talk to give me a call.”

“It should tell someone that people care about them and not to do something stupid” said Elissa Chowaniec.

The bracelets will be sold for $1 and SADD makes no profit from this sale.

choose,” said safety assistant Joyce Jager. Who has the responsibility of making sure the freshmen don’t leave campus during lunch.

“It’s a safer environment, and for the transition to high school is a lot smoother,” said Jager.

When kids think of the ban, they think of it as being negative. Actually it’s the exact opposite. The kids don’t

see that the school provides a good environment for lunch. Such as, a small commons, music, gym, and some teachers let the students eat and visit in their class rooms. This way the freshmen stay warm, safe, and sheltered from the outside, Domke explained.

A freshman, Jesse Vallejos thinks it’s an unnecessary precaution, and that by this time

in someone’s life they should be trusted. When asked if he plans on leaving for lunch the first day of sophomore year his response was “hell yeah!” It’s not that he’s anxious it’s that he doesn’t enjoy the food the cafeteria provides.

“I left once or twice to McDonalds and the Tesoro, and just walked out the front door nobody seemed to care,” said

Vallejos.In the view of some upper

classmen seniors, they believe freshmen don’t have the maturity level the leave.

Doesn’t seem like there responsible enough to come back, but at the same time I don’t care,” said Senior Nicholas Mailander.

When it all comes down to it, by the time the students reach

their sophomore year they have earned the responsibility.

“Last year I don’t remember the freshmen being half as immature as they are this year,” said Matt Cryer.

“They weren’t doing the silly stuff, and were on a higher maturity level,” said Rohn about returning freshmen.

FRESHMEN LUNCH: Off campus ban has roots Continued from Page One

By DARIA DEMIENTIEFF

The “I heart boobies” bracelets have become a fad all around the country. The bracelets were made for breast cancer awareness, but public schools are starting to question whether that’s really why people wear them. Some schools say the bracelets are a distraction in class and are deciding to ban them. Ryan Middle School is only one of the schools that have decided to ban the bracelets.

“I do support the fight against breast cancer, but there are more respectful ways,” Ryan Middle Schools assistant Principal Will Bodle said.

Boldle isn’t the only one who thinks this. Many older women and young ladies find it disrespectful and

offensive that the bracelets say the word boobies on them.

“It’s just a different generation,” said Hutchison Principle Jeanette Hayden.

Both Hayden and Bodle agree that both boys and girls should be told to take the bracelets off.

“If I see you wearing one I will ask you to take it off or turn it inside out, but I’m not looking for it, “ said Hayden.

“Anything that has the word boobies on it or along those lines, we will ask them not to wear it,” said Bodle, “there is a time and place to wear it, it’s just not appropriate for school.”

Hayden and Bodle said that their mothers would have never let them out of the house with anything that

said boobies on it back when they were in high school, because it could be offensive to others.

“It was a different generation; they wouldn’t have had them then,” said Hayden.

“If I had teens at home, I wouldn’t let them wear it because of the offence people take to it,” said Bodle.

While the bracelets are banned at Ryan Middle and many other schools, at our school if you don’t run around flaunting it than you probably won’t be asked to turn it inside out.

“My biggest concern is preparing students for the next level, not running around the halls looking for boobies bracelets,” Hayden said.

‘Boobies’ bracelets cause controversy

Page 7: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

opiNioNFebruary 2011 Page SevenThe Aviator

There are many responsibilitis expected of freshmen students during High school. For instance, they must learn to drive by getting a permit. There is also have a great deal of pressure to get their homework done on time. Yet the one thing not entrusted to freshman is the ability to leave campus during lunch.

Freshmen at Hutchison High school are not able to leave campus during lunch. However, they have never been given a real reason as to why they can’t leave. I have asked and was told it was because students were dodging trucks in front of the school a couple of years back. It is easy to think that the new freshmen were the only ones participating in this dangerous activity but I’m sure other grade levels were participating.

It is really unfair that the actions of students in years past are affecting students today. Is it fair to say that Hutchison High School is stuck in the same mass punishment procedures of the past? Maybe it is time for a change.

- Chase Burnett

Letters to the Editor:

By KOLBY KELSEY

Student Advisory, better known at Hutchison as “Hawk Time,” is a program that assigns students to teachers so that they can discuss day-to-day problems, become better acquainted with their “adviser,” and prepare for high school and beyond.

At least that’s how it started. Four years ago, Hawk Time began at this school with a mixed response from teachers and students alike. Many students liked the idea, not for the potentially psychiatric and student-to-teacher bonding benefits, but for the chance to get out of class a little early. Others disliked it because it simply threw off their schedule.

Hawk Time is supposed to meet, as it has from the start, every other week on Tuesday or Thursday depending on the schedule. That went pretty well for the first year or so. Students met with their adviser every other week and went along with whatever pointless paper they were filling out or whichever agonizing survey they were completing.

Teachers, or advisers, were given guidelines on what they were to cover that week in Hawk Time. How many of them followed that to the letter, or followed it at all, is up for debate. A lot of Hawk Time meetings simply ignored the handouts and talked, a lot of the time about nothing really relevant to school or advisory…and those were the enjoyable days.

Whatever “bond” the students and teachers of Hawk Time had developed with each other through the first two years was diluted with the introduction of extra students into the advisory periods. Hawk Time increased from about 4 to 6 students a class, to somewhere closer to 12. Practically destroying the entire purpose and turning Hawk Time into something more like a waste of time.

Regardless of how counterproductive Hawk Time used to be, it looks like a golden beacon of educational success in comparison to what Hawk Time has become: a sporadic conglomeration of unnecessary meetings, and for seniors, an 80+ student class meeting where we accomplish little more than to hear things we should already know.

Seniors this year were piloted through a lot of first-year programs in their time here at Hutch: mandatory Alaska Studies, a science section on their High School Qualifying Exam, and Hawk Time. Regardless of how high up the unquestionably genius educational system these ideas came from, it is the schools as individuals that decide what to do with them.

Hutchison is an ideal; we offer more classes, hands-on experience, and all around a better learning environment than other schools. Programs we pilot here, other schools in the district follow suit. This is

evident in Lathrop’s recent adoption of their advisory program, two years after we started ours. Hutch is the future of education, we are the leader in the district and an example of what high school should be, a furthering of your education and a preparation for life beyond, not a time filler.

As an example to other schools it is important we don’t squander these opportunities, such as Hawk Time, by being told to sit down and be quiet for 20 minutes. If Hawk Time was supposed to be a chance to talk with an adviser, then keep it that way, but make it progressive. Small groups, discussing their future, ideas of how to make Hutchison an even better place, think tanks of education? Sounds ridiculous, but even the younger students can have good ideas about Hutch’s future.

If education is a game, America is losing. Test scores and graduation rates are low across the board, but as the saying goes, it only takes the first domino. The education system isn’t going to be saved in Washington, and it’s not going to be saved by a school board. It’s going to be saved; it needs to be saved, by the students and teachers, by Hutch.

How? Stop wasting time, get student input, and make everything, even something as increasingly frustrating as Hawk Time, a productive experience.

Hawk Time has lost its focus

Daria DemientieffReporter

Mikayla EagerReporter, Page Design

Katelyn HasbrouckPage Design

Kolby KelseyReporter

Justice SouleReporter, Page Design

Nicole WayfieldReporter

Kevin CoughlinAdviser

AviATor sTAFF

Freshman Lunches

Page 8: The 7th Edition of The Aviator Newspaper

The AviatorPage Eight Febuary 2011

Accounting-Business Consulting-Tax

Count On

[email protected]

3535 College Rd. Suite #201 Fairbanks, AK 99709 www.countonaccounting.comCall today: 374-0741

We can file your tax returns or start your business. We strive to keep your money in order and

keep more in your pocket.

Let us put more change in

your pocket!

Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 12pm-6pm - 505 Old Steese Highway Suite 120 - Phone 457-8639