Senator Square: Carson High School speech and debate returns to competition

Carson High Speech and Debate has slowly been returning to a normal competition routine. The team this year has roughly 20 members, and many have seen success this season. Carson High students have advanced to final rounds in dramatic, humorous, and duo interpretation, where students cut a 10-minute script and perform their piece.

In novice level dramatic interpretation competition, Gracie Hughes placed 5th, Parker Schmid took 2nd, and Penelope Truell placed 6th, 3rd and 2nd improving each tournament. In senior level competition, Angie Portillo Lopez placed 6th and Abby Cook 2nd.

Kiele Franco placed 4th in novice humorous interpretation, and teammate Penelope Truell took a 2nd. In Duo interpretation, Cristian Lopez and Ariel Farias placed 6th in novice while Mason Tims and Ryan Soulier placed 4th and Jessica Knutson and David Mariscal Gonzalez placed 3rd. In Program Oral Interpretation, where students blend literature, poetry, plays, and news article into a single piece around a common theme, Niko Ventura took a 6th and a 3rd, Mason Tims placed 5th, and Olivia VanReese Roering claimed a 5th and a 3rd.

Jessica Knutson placed 6th in Original Oratory, an event where students write an original speech on a problem, present solutions, and call the audience into action. Ryan Soulier took a 5th place in extemporaneous speaking present on current events. Ryan and Jessica placed 5th and 4th respectively in senior informative speaking, presenting an original educational speech on a topic with the support of visual aids.

In debate, Viviana Lopez earned a 2nd place in novice Lincoln Douglas on the topic of workers right to strike, and partners Jessica Knutson and David Mariscal Gonzalez placed 2nd in policy debate on the topic of protecting water infrastructure. Carson has also been active in local area club speaking contests.

Viviana Lopez and Mason Tims placed 1st and second in the Lions Club speaking contest with Viviana advancing to the next round of competition. Ryan Soulier competed in the American Legion Speaking Competition and is the first student from CHS to advance to the national level competition held in Indianapolis this April. The team will be in action this weekend at Elko High School. For more information, please email Carson High Social Studies and Speech and Debate Coach Patrick Mobley at pmobley@carson.k12.nv.us.

SENATOR PRIDE COMMITTEE RAISES MONEY FOR JOHN WILSON
The Senator Pride Committee is always looking to switch things up a bit. The “R(ad-min)” team completed the CHS Cake “Nailed It” Challenge today to get some cupcakes ready for Feb. 14. There are even gluten free and Vegan options so no excuse to not come. It is time to vote with your money for your favorite.

All money is going to help support the John Wilson Family. There is also going to be a dessert auction at the same time, so bring a yummy treat to contribute, or buy a yummy treat someone brought to take home to your family. We know it is the day before payday, so you have until Tuesday to pay on any of your bids.

Two excellent ways to support the cause. Plus, everyone gets a free cupcake at the end of the day. See the beautiful creations below so you can get those $$$ ready. Teams earn points based on the amount of money given to their admin's creation. Senator Pride is grateful to participants for helping to support an awesome member of the Senator Family. For more information, please contact CHS counselor Bridget Gordon-Johnson at bgordon@carson.k12.nv.us.

CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY IN CHS LIBRARY
Celebrating National School Counselor Week — Students wrote notes about their school counselors filling two of the library windows with notes such as, “Mrs. Grunert helps ensure my future is successful by being there for me.”

Celebrating Valentine's Day with an "It's a Wonderful World" display of facts about nature and notes from students about things they love about the world such as, “I love the smell of rain.” Student Library Assistants Kyla McGee, Sokhna Ndoye, Jenny Zaragoza-Diaz, Belem Beltran-Adona created a wall-size Periodic Table highlighting influential and significant people in honor of Black History Month. The display includes a QR code to an interactive slideshow with speeches videos and information about each person — Contributed by Library Media Specialist and Coordinator Ananda Campbell.

STILL TIME FOR CHS PARENTS TO PURCHASE SENIOR ADS
Senior Ads are available until the reserved pages are full. What are senior ads? Senior Ads are designed by you, and they celebrate your senior's K-12 experience and graduation. Go to yearbookforever.com, search for Carson High School, click shop, and click on senior ads.

There, you will find the sizes and the prices. Senior ads are a great graduation gift. Oftentimes, parents surprise their senior with an ad and a dedication page. Attached, please find an example. Finally, you can also purchase a yearbook at yearbookforever.com. We added 40 additional pages this year for the same price as years' past. The book celebrates not only students being back together again, but it also celebrates the 150th year of CHS. FYI: We sold out last year.

CHS LOOKING TO BORROW A YEARBOOK FROM THE CLASS OF 1958
As a follow-up to last week’s articles, “The Story of Carson High School” about the archival and collection project of the school’s yearbooks and high school newspapers: the coordinators of the project are looking for a 1958 Carneta yearbook they may borrow, so it can be scanned and be part of the archives. The book will be returned to the owner after the book is scanned. Please contact Ananda Campbell or Patt Quinn-Davis, if you can help. Their emails, respectively, are acampbell@carson.k12.nv.us or quinndavis.patt@gmail.com.

HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
Rotary is looking for families to host the foreign exchange student they will be bringing in August for the coming year. Why host a student? Hosting a Rotary International high school exchange student is a life-enhancing experience for the entire family. It is a unique opportunity to get new perspectives, explore new customs, and share American culture and community with others.

Most of all, special friendships and connections are built and often last a lifetime. According to Peter Fishburn, All Rotary exchange students are thoroughly screened prior to acceptance and arrive with spending money and full insurance, so host families may be confident exchange students are ready. Students are provided a monthly stipend from Rotary, and host families are responsible for the basics of room, board, and school transportation.

Experienced local coordinators live in Carson City, so there is always someone to turn to for immediate guidance. The Carson City Rotary Club is comprised of many community leaders who will provide assistance to ensure a positive exchange experience.

An exchange student from overseas lives in the host family’s home as a member of the family for three to four months during the 2022 - 2023 school year. They are involved in family, in school, have new friends, and are also active in Rotary events such as conferences and meetings They are 15-18 years old and they are here for 11 months. While the exchange students are here, they live with two or three families to give them a broader understanding of local culture.

The experience is enriching. According to Peter Fishburn, “I am hoping a student would like to meet a high school student from another country.” Host families do not need to be affiliated with Rotary. They can have kids of any age at home or be empty nesters. If you or someone you know would like to be a host family please call Fishburn at 775-883-9428 or email pfishburn@charter.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT CHS
To businesses interested in applying by March 1, Carson City School District is hosting a student job fair with at least 1000 students attending April 6 from 9 to Noon at CHS and Pioneer Academy. This will be a great opportunity for business owners to meet potential student employees, for students to find out what job opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Carson City School District Work Based Learning Coordinator Marc Rodina is recruiting businesses or industries to participate in this event, whether they are looking for one employee or several. This will be a great time for employers to showcase their business to the students of CCSD. Know of a business or industry in need of employees? Please pass on to them the following information. Coordinator Marc Rodina may be reached at carsoncityschoolswbl.com, mrodina@carson.k12.nv.us, or 775-283-2055.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
CHS Athletic Department’s Athletes of the Week are Amber Perkins, second in State Wrestling and Ashlyn Miranda, fourth in State Wrestling. 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
Congratulations to CHS Junior, Josalyne Hernandez on being nominated Student of the Week. According to CHS Full Body Conditioning, Cardio Dance, and Freshman Seminar and Health teacher Angela Maw, “Josalyne saw a student from another PE class who was clearly upset and she gave her a bottle of water in an effort to help her feel better and noticed and she mattered.”

Maw added “Josalyne’s kindness was so appreciated.” Employees within Carson City School District nominate the CHS Student of the Week, and it is often the 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 Josalyne Hernandez on being nominated CHS Student of the Week.

SENIOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Student faces adversity in the ring and life. Gabe Allen, a senior at Pioneer Academy, is not unfamiliar with facing adversity head on. As an active participant in mixed martial arts coached at a local gym in Carson City, Gabe is used to facing challenging opponents.

In the gym, he works tirelessly to perfect his skill and technique, constantly trying to improve what he is capable of doing to not get knocked down. And when he does get knocked down, he gets right back up to work on improving himself. That determination to battle his opponents he has also applied to life and school. To achieve the honor of Eagle Scout with the BSA, Gabe put together a self-defense seminar to demonstrate and teach women the skills of how to protect themselves.

Though he showed poise and confidence during his project, that wasn’t always the case with school and growing up. Gabe said he has struggled with self-doubt and that came to a climax during his ninth grade year when his grades started to fall apart. Instead of giving up on his situation or just accepting his fate, Gabe fought back changed schools to attend Pioneer High School and retrained himself.

Though this is still a work in progress, Gabe has managed to improve his grades significantly from that ninth grade year to taking classes at Western Nevada College (WNC) in the Jumpstart program and earning a perfect score on the ACT science exam. Next year Gabe plans on using his gaining confidence to attend WNC then transfer to the University of Nevada to study psychology or engineering. When asked who helped him through the difficult times, Gabe gave credit to his friends and family who stuck by him when he was knocked down.

He also stated that he had to rely on himself to get back in the ring but the teachers and staff at Pioneer really helped him turn things around, “Pioneer High has been a lifesaver for me. My freshman year I needed something different. The teachers at Pioneer really care for their students. Not only are they good teachers, they are just good people.” — Written by Cary Jordan, Pioneer Academy school counselor.

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