Prom for high schoolers all around the world embraces a time for people of a generation to come together. With this experience, people from all walks of life, people who’d normally go unnoticed in everyday life, can come together through music and dance. East Hamilton’s Midnight Masquerade is a great example of an ultimate prom occasion. With interviews from those who went, we can get a feel of the overall experience of our school’s prom.
As you walk into the venue, you are immediately greeted with lights, music, and a contagious energy that makes you want to dance. Some people immediately gather on the dancefloor, others go visiting the photo booth or decide to socialize by the fireplace. In all corners of the room there is excitement and aura of fun in the air. Even people who you’d normally not talk to everyday, these are some people that you’ll enjoy your time with. Prom can also be a bittersweet memory of a last hurrah for seniors who will be graduating soon. This allows friends to come together and celebrate their life and the community they’ve built at school. The atmosphere gives off a sense of belonging and parting for the community built at East Hamilton high school. From an anonymous source, we can get insight on whether or not prom is as big a deal as everyone makes it and also what the overall appeal of prom generally is. “Prom, in my opinion, is kind of overrated. It’s the same people who you’ve gone to school with for the same four years, and it’s just like any other school dance you’d go to in high school.” Later that night we also got the point of view from a fellow senior at East Hamilton. “My favorite part about prom was mainly the process of getting dressed up, eating out with my friends, and the overall preparation. I think people are attracted to the aesthetic and idea of prom but in reality it’s not like that. Prom is only as fun as you make it.” Prom king, Calvin Tobin, says that prom was an incredible experience and he was honored to be nominated. “A lot of people came up to me saying that they voted for me but it still was kind of surreal that I, out of all the nominees won. I only came to East Hamilton last year but during that time I really found my own community and group of friends that I’m sad to say goodbye to.” Tobin says that his favorite part about prom was taking pictures with his teachers and all his peers congratulating him. “Mr. Ford, the theatre teacher, and I took a photo with all the other theatre kids. We’ve all worked hard in all the plays we produced so I was really happy to get a last memory with my favorite teacher." In conclusion, prom is an event that depends on how an individual makes it out to be. You don’t have to go to prom in order to have a great last memory for a senior year, and you don’t have to go if you want to just have fun getting ready and going out to a special place. People can have fun going or not going to prom. Prom however, does provide an opportunity of connecting with people you normally wouldn’t and an occasion that you can talk about and remember in later years of your last events in high school. Prom is just another school dance, but it’s what that last school dance means to you that showcases its importance.
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I'm sure everyone has heard about the testing scandal here at our school. Going on its 4th year, technical problems have been a constant issue. This year it has happened again, and this time the technical problem included a deliberate attack on the testing system.
According to USA TODAY: The Tennessean says “On Tuesday, the Tennessee Department of Education announced a reported "deliberate attack" on its vendor Questar Assessment that caused the company to shut down the system. A company representative said several other states' testing was affected by the cyber attack.” This attack not only affected our school, but high schools worldwide. The attack came after launching the test, and numerous other problems followed. According to USA TODAY, “A State Office of Homeland Security spokeswoman on Friday also confirmed the agency has launched an investigation.” Mr. Gravitte, the Assistant Principal, shared information about the TN Ready testing that was messed up last week. “The first three days, the testing platform was having various issues. I was informed about was that someone had attacked the testing systems. The State Department of Education started investigating the testing issues. It was obviously very frustrating for teachers and students because we thought that we would have to deal with this for the next few weeks. I believe in the online testing system because it is much more efficient. After those few days though, the testing went back to normal and has been pretty smooth.” Will this affect student and teacher scores though? “So far they said that they will be releasing test scores even with the shutdown, Mr. Gravitte stated, after we asked him about the effect on student’s scores, “but it will not affect teacher and student scores in a bad way.” USA Today fortunately stated that “The Tennessee General Assembly struck a deal Thursday that will ensure this year's TNReady test won't be held against students, teachers and public school districts. The measure agreed upon by both chambers says test results this school year will count only if it benefits students, educators and districts. Districts can’t base employment or compensation decisions based on the data, the legislation says.” The TN Ready testing has been flawed for the past four years, and legislation is trying to improve Tennessee testing “The promised move by Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen comes after issues once again arose with TNReady testing and the scrutiny that followed by state lawmakers. This task force has been critical in our work to improve the testing experience for students while providing better information to teachers and parents,” McQueen said in a news statement. “As in the past, I am confident that this group will continue to provide meaningful, actionable recommendations for improving both district and state assessment programs says USA Today. Hopefully this improvement for the betterment of the students, and the testing will not be a double nightmare next year!!! GO CANES!!!! Prom is coming up soon seniors, and it is time to prepare for the dance of the year! Here is all the information you need to know to prepare for prom!
1. The Theme and Location Prom is called Moonlight Masquerade which is going to be held at The Stratton Hall by Lookout Mountain. It is going to be on April 28 from 7pm-11pm. Here is the address: 3146 Broad Street Chattanooga, TN 37408. We don’t know anything about the food that will be served yet but we will let you know ASAP when we find out. Ticket Prices: $50 before spring break $60 after spring break 2. The Masks…. Since this dance is a masquerade, you will be able to wear masks. There is a rule though, you will have to have your masks off before you enter so they can identify you, then you will be able to put your masks back on after you are properly ID. If you want to hear more about masks go to our article featuring mask examples that you can wear. 3. The Struggle…... We all know that prom is super expensive, and coming out of pocket can create a big dent in the bank account. Fortunately, EHS has a solution. There are dresses being donated in the counselor's office, so if anyone needs a dress go up to the counselor’s office to take a look!!! And remember….. HAVE FUN!!! GO CANES!! Prom Masquerade Mask to Do’s If you have been getting ready for prom you know that the theme this year is masquerade which is something new and something we haven’t done in the past years. Although this theme is innovative and fun, it does pose some concern for the teachers and students in order to insure the safety of the students. Ms. Donohue has placed some rules for the type of masks people can wear; “You can wear a mask as long as you: 1.) Take it off as soon as you check in so that we can see who you are 2.) You can wear a mask with an attached stick.” Below are some examples of masks you can wear….. Make sure you have a great time at prom and follow the rules to ensure a fun night! New School Safety Manual Hopes to Prepare Students for Emergency Situations by Abbigale Ellis3/26/2018 Motivated by the influx of emergency situations at schools across the world, Mr. Franks’ College Bound Class decided to contribute to keeping East Hamilton a safer place for students, staff, and visitors. While noticing that our current safety manual is almost nonexistent, the juniors decided that something needed to be done so that anyone attending East Hamilton could be well prepared no matter what situation comes this way. Five juniors in Mr. Franks’ class were interviewed for their ideas that they hope to put in place in the new manual.
Rachel Truex wants the new manual to be accessible to all students with adjustments to our intruder, fire, and tornado alerts/drills. She strongly believes that safety needs to be a priority in our school, especially since the Parkland shooting was the last straw for her. While interviewing Gracie Vogel, I found out the strong concerns our students have about the current safety manual. She proposes that we should have more SROs, drills, and adult presence in the building. With a stronger safety process and increased surveillance, she believes that it will be harder for intruders to accomplish what they want, as well as any mistakes during a fire or tornado. Merrell Irion said that when Mr. Franks proposed the idea of a new manual, the class believed that it was a really good idea. That schools need proper safety measures for all crisis. There is talk about maybe instituting a school safety committee and deciding which administrators would be on it and if students should be included as well. She believes that we need clearer guidelines that are practiced and rehearsed to a science. Miller Wick and Harrison Davis said that they have noticed around the country that there were a lot of safety issues. “We want to see a difference, and someone needs to step up.” They say they want a more defined system that will last longer and be more effective. By educating people on what to do in certain situations, they believe our school will be safer. It has become obvious that our current manual is not sufficient and we need to change it. That is exactly what Mr. Franks’ class is striving to do. Let us support them and make East Hamilton a safer environment to learn in. Throughout the years of East Hamilton students have build relationships, have had new perspectives, and has matured. East Hamilton has also had the reputation of being a predominantly white school, which isn’t a bad thing but it prevents students to learn more about diversity and culture outside of the classrooms. In the 2018 senior class African American students make up 15% of their class. In two AP english classes there are only 20 to 15 students in each class, in only one class there are 5 students that are of color. So how do students that are the minority feel about being in a predominately white school?
Within these green, black, and white halls, students have developed an opinion on how it’s like in their own skin color.”Jhaden Smith is a senior football star, and also and African American male who has gone to a predominately white school since he was in elementary school. “I have adapted to being around people who aren’t my skin color, so it doesn’t bother me that my school has mostly white students, but I also have a balance between my friends and family who are black.” Smith has a positive perspective in the matter.However,a student who would like to remain anonymous expressed that “White students will never understand what it's like to go out your way to get a good education because their community doesn’t have issues with education or to feel uncomfortable at times because you don't see anyone else that looks like you in your classroom.” When black history month happened there were some students of color that embraced there culture and history. Baleigh Little is a senior that appreciates black history month. “When the announcements said that we were doing a black history month question game I was so happy, because students that aren't black get the opportunity to learn something about black culture.” Although East Hamilton isn’t as diverse, students here embrace and love each other, with and without the same skin color. East Hamilton takes action with trying to spread diversity and open mindedness to students by having an African American history class. At the beginning of this year our schools bells and intercom system did not work and now our teachers phones are not working. Why can’t our school have all of these things working at once? Is this a safety hazard not being able to contact all the teachers if there were to be an emergency?
We started off this school year with a broken bell and intercom system. Now, some of the teachers don’t have working phones. Is this a safety hazard? When speaking with Mrs. Baxter in the counseling center, she was asked if she believed that the phones not working would be a safety concern which she responded to with, “I don’t think it would be a safety concern when it comes to intruders, weather emergencies, fires and things like that because we have the intercom. However, if there were to be a situation such as a student having a seizure if the teacher is unable to call the nurse and has to send a student to get her it could be a danger in that way.” With emails and intercom systems, the teachers also have an alarm button in each classroom for emergencies. Some of the office aides as well as Mrs. Baxter have also expressed their opinions on the fact that it can be a bit annoying when a student is being dismissed or called to another part of the building having to go get them instead of being able to call the teacher. High school causes people to change and to develop through the decisions made and the experiences caused by these choices. A wise person will watch the life of another, analyzing the choices made, and will learn from it. Something that is seen as a mistake by one person can be taken and morphed into a better experience for someone else. Six high school seniors with varying backgrounds were all asked, “If you could do one thing different during high school, what would it be?”
“I would’ve tried harder freshman year.” (Quillan Crowe) “Go to more sports games. I should’ve gone all out and had way more school spirit.” (Ryleigh Flemming) “I would be more outspoken with what I am thinking in class and outside of it.” (Ben Clark) “I would change how I dealt with my nineth grade year completely.” (Emma Griffis) “I would have probably liked to go to more school events and get out more, but other than that, I’ve had a good experience.” (Harlon Baldwin) “Honestly, I wish I could have used more of my motivation towards my school work, getting to classes, doing my homework, and focusing on my grades so that I could get to my college that I want to go to for way less. I wish I never would have quit sports also.” (Christian Daniell) Do not let regret of one's actions define your student life. Take a hold of what can be changed, and if necessary, change it for the better. Although the course has run for East Hamilton’s seniors as this school year is rounding a close, incoming freshmen and others can still choose to create a better situation so that when they enter their last year of high school, they can regret less than those that came before. Get advice for Capstone here to help students that are doing it next year, from students who have passed the first time.
Capstone preparations is coming up soon, and juniors are actually starting to get the information for Capstone next year. Senior year is coming up for some seniors and everyone knows that time of year is especially stressful for seniors because they are all about to go to college and juggling Capstone does not make it any better. Students who have presented in the fall, loved that they were able to get it over with and wouldn't have to juggle all of that work so close to the end of the year. Senior Corbin Turner discussed his struggle with trying to complete his Spring Capstone. “I definitely regret the decision of taking Capstone in the spring. I feel like I have no time to chill and I have ‘senioritis’ right now so it’s hard for me to stay focused.” Turner also has some advice for students next year who are planning to take Capstone in the Spring next year, “Don’t stress over the idea of taking Capstone in the fall; you will regret it if you take it in the Spring.”.” Makalah Smith, senior who has passed Capstone in the fall gives advice about Spring Capstoners, “Take your time, and make sure you know your information back and front, and make sure that you are really prepared. Also never do Capstone at the last minute, and make sure that you do your volunteer hours over the summer.” Make sure you follow this advice. It will help you in the long run and will help this process of capstone to be easy and fun . GO CANES!!!!!! Congratulation seniors! It is now the beginning of March and graduation is only two months away! That being said, there is so much to make sure you have done so that this year ends smoothly and so that you receive your diploma and have no mishaps. Here is a list of things you must make sure you have done…
*The names of interviewees have been changed.
The shooting that occurred in Florida last month was a tragedy that shook the nation to the core. Ever since the brutal murdering of the 17 victims, discussions have arisen internationally with individuals debating on gun control, school safety, and everything in between. East Hamilton students have been particularly passionate about this topic, and many have come forwards to introduce their own ideas on how they would regulate their school, maintaining the safety of everyone within it. “Ryan Stone” was eager to express her thoughts, vocalizing “I believe that we need more school resource officers. Right now we’re sharing one with Westview, and I don’t think that’s okay. I think that the number of SRO officers assigned to each school should be determined on that particular schools population- the more students, the more officers. We need that.” “Jennifer Lopez” thought for a moment to herself before lightly giggling, then declaring, “I honestly just think that the school makes it way too easy to get in. In the mornings when students come in late, you can just walk straight through the office. You don’t have to sign in if you choose not to. No one will question you, or even glance up. You can just waltz inside.” Jennifer’s classmate, Emily, took a liking to this idea, proclaiming, “You’re right. Personally, I think that the office shouldn’t even be open the way it is. I think that the door should be closed, and there should be some sort of way to utilize our student ID’s- swipe them, scan them, something. I feel like right now they’re kind of purposeless.” A peaceful protest against gun violence is occurring on March 14th in schools nationwide. Many schools have declared that any student that chooses to participate in this protest will not be penalized or disciplined for their involvement in the protest. Upon questioning, Mrs. Chuy appeared to be in support of the message, saying that no student would get in trouble with administration if they choose to peacefully protest against gun violence. The complexity as well as the sensitive nature of this discussion is prominent to most individuals. However, to make a change, action is required. It is the responsibility of every student, teacher, person in general, to independently and confidently determine how they can make a difference. We all have the ability, and we can make a positive influence in not only our community, but in Tennessee, in the nation, and in the world. For more information on how we as hurricanes can keep each other and our school safer, visit our newspaper again as we will be publishing a new “Safety in the Storm” Series, including 8 articles addressing ways we can help each other stay safe and encourage a more positive atmosphere all around. |
School Life ArticlesWelcome to the School Life section of the East Hamilton newspaper. Here you will find articles on important events and people around school. |