Senator Square: Carson High School teacher raises money for breast cancer awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this time every year touches the heart of one of the teachers at CHS: Art teacher Mike Malley, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, due to early detection, has decided to take breast cancer awareness to a new level by putting on a fundraising event Oct. 18 at the Trimmer Barn from 5 to 8 p.m.

Michael Brent Malley wants to bring Nevada residents together to ‘Meet the Artist’. As Malley said, “This summer, I wanted to paint on location, what the French like to call, ‘En plein air,’ and I also took photos with modifications using the perspective I teach my students.” Malley is selling all of his oil paintings and donating a portion of those sales to the Carson Tahoe Cancer Resource Center for Breast Cancer Awareness in order to help those recovering from this awful disease.

About his paintings, Malley said, “I love the Carson Valley, and most of my paintings were done of barns in Douglas County.” In the photo, Malley displays a painting of the Trimmer Barn in Genoa and says it is an ideal location for this fundraising event. “Ideally, I would like people at this event who appreciate this precious area in which we live with all of its rural history.” One of Malley’s students, Advanced Art student Phebee Stuke, a senior at CHS, will be a hostess at the event, and former Carson City School District music teacher Mary Law will play the harp.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK
Banned books week was Sept. 23-29. CHS Librarian Ananda Campbell created a fun, interactive digital activity which began with a quote from American Science Fiction author Ray Bradbury. From Professor Faber to Montag, "What traitors books can be! You think they’re backing you up, and then they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives" (Bradbury 104). To protect students from treachery, Campbell locked the offensive literature safely away to be dealt with in a fiery manner.

Clues to find the key were hidden, and the super library ladies gave 30 minutes to solve the codes before the heat was turned up to F451. And if this was not educationally fun enough, Virtual Reality demonstrations for staff opened Oct 1. CHS is piloting a VR science curriculum enrichment with the State Library. The following Banned Books BreakOut participants were randomly selected to receive a Dutch Bros gift card: CHS seniors, Marilyn Peterson, Chris Sanchez, Courtney Green, and Baylee Hale as well as freshman David Mariscal and physical education teacher Erin Been.

David Mariscal said he liked searching to find the answers and feels it is important to talk openly about potentially censored topics. Baylee Hale's thoughts on the BreakOut: Not everyone thinks the same way; we have diverse opinions and ideas and need to be open to discuss them. CHS teacher Erin Been said her students had fun discovering the reasons behind banning books and learned a great deal about censorship from this project. A BreakOut is an interactive learning tool for students to explore a topic. 

See the CHS Senators Library Banned Books Break Out by going here.

WEEK OF RESPECT
Yes, it should happen more often between individuals; nevertheless, respect does happen at CHS. Once again, the CHS annual Week of Respect took place Oct. 2-5. School and classroom activities engaged students every day of the week thanks to Bridget Gordon-Johnson, CHS School Counseling Intern, CHS Solutions Site Coordinator, and her amazing talent. As part of morning announcements, teachers were asked to encourage their students to open their Chromebooks and take the Online Upstander Pledge.

Who is an Upstander? According to a quote found here, “An Upstander is someone who recognizes when something is wrong and acts to make it right.” This fun-filled week at CHS also had lunchtime entertainment with the CHS Midnight Blues Jazz Ensemble Oct. 2, Dr. Brian Fox’s Chamber Orchestra members Oct. 4, and Choral Music teacher Andrew Sonnemaker’s Concert Choir Students Oct. 5 during lunchtime.

HOME SWEET HOMECOMING IS HERE
One of the most electric assemblies ever seen or experienced occurred at CHS Oct. 5. CHS Homecoming Queen and King candidates were announced. Queen nominees are Lauren Thompson, Nicole Hawkins, Jill Beglin, Cassia Giustra, Courtney Green, and Kyla Cox. King candidates are Jack Dudley, Kahle Good, Austin Salgado, Peng Chen, Adan Garcia and Hunter Rauh. Next week, there will be a Homecoming theme each day. On Monday, it is PJ Day, and on Tuesday, it is Favorite Sports Team Dress Up.

On Wednesday, it is Tourist Dress Up Day, and on Thursday it is Twin/Group Dress Up. Friday wraps it up with Nevada Pride Blue and White Dress Up. Each day there will also be lunch time activities like the Minute to Win It, the Candidate Gift Game, and Travel Trivia Kahoot. There will also be nighttime activities. On Monday there is the Bonfire at 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the Practice Football Field for no charge. On Tuesday, it is the Lip Sync at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Center for $5 admission. Then there is Wednesday Night Live at 7:00 pm at the Community Center , and on Thursday night, there are several sports events for tennis and freshman and JV football with a Tailgate Party behind the gym at 5:00 p.m. Friday’s big homecoming game is against Damonte Ranch, with the expectation the CHS audience will Blue-Out the stands. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m., with the game starting at 7:00 p.m. The King and Queen will be crowned at halftime. The homecoming dance is Saturday, Oct. 13 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Senator Square.

FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA COW PLOP
It is time once again for Cow Plop. This annual event will be at the CHS Homecoming Football game Oct. 12. FFA members are selling Cow Plop Squares at $5 each, or the really serious Cow Ploppers may purchase 5 squares for $20, and a purchase will automatically enter participants in a raffle to win $75. If the cow ‘plops’ on a participant’s square, the participant wins the grand prize of $250. Talk to an FFA student, see CHS Ag teacher Charles Mann in room 162, call him at 283-1690 or email him: cmann@carson.k12.nv.us to purchase a square.

COLLEGE CONNECTIONS AND SENATOR SCHOLARSHIP SCOOP
There is no such thing as starting to plan too early on going to college. Seniors, College Connections is a program for those interested in learning about college applications and scholarships. Currently, there is an ongoing FASFA workshop at CHS in room 257 at lunch, and the next meeting is Oct. 8. This will help students prepare for the Oct. 1 application opening. Seniors, do not put off stopping by to talk with a college representative in order to find out what options are available locally for education after high school. It is also scholarship season, and Senator Scholarship Scoop is online every Monday at carsonhigh.com with the latest in scholarships, testing, college visits, and grants. Go to carsonhigh.com, then “Academics”, next “Counseling Department”, then “The Scoop Scholarships” on the left.

WNC BRIDGE TO SUCCESS

Seniors interested in attending WNC, the first Bridge to Success meeting is Oct. 9 at 8:00 a.m. in the CHS library. Students will both apply to WNC and the Nevada Promise Scholarship at this meeting. Seniors must join the WNC Bridge to Success ‘Remind’ group to get their pass for the meeting. Questions? Go to the CHS Guidance Office.

CHS 2017-2018 SPORTS REGISTRATION
Time to register for 2018-2019 winter sports: Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling, and Skiing will be open through Nov. 8, and all athletes must register online at registermyathlete.com. Questions? Contact the Athletic Department at 283-1900.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
CHS Athletic Department’s Oct. 1 through 5 Athletes of the Week are Abigail Pradere for Girls Varsity Volleyball and Kaden Walt for Boys Varsity Soccer. 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
Kasandra Medina-Torres, a sophomore, is the CHS Student of the Week. Kasandra is taking a full load of challenging classes this year: Strength and Conditioning, Web Design II, French II, Honors Chemistry, Honors Algebra II, Honors English II, and Honors World History. She said, “The ultimate goal of my high school experience is to pave a road for a career in something having to do with computers and technology.” On a more personal note, Kasandra said, “I also want to finally learn how to love myself, have a positive outlook, live in the present, and appreciate the honest and amazing people and friends who have stuck around; I want to be able to look back on high school and know that I made the best of the time I have been given.” To everyone reading this, Kasandra also said, “Sometimes you have just got to love who you are.” CHS is an amazing school because of students like Kasandra.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
The CHS Senior in the Spotlight this week is Kirsten Iverson. Kirsten is an outstanding student and excels at everything she puts her heart into accomplishing. Not only does she excel socially, she has continually maintained excellent grades during her freshman, sophomore, junior and the first quarter of her senior year. She has taken both Honors and Advanced Placement classes while maintaining a 4.12 weighted Grade Point Average. She has participated in competitive soccer for 12 years and basketball for 13 years. Kirsten plans on attending the University of Nevada Reno and studying Veterinary Science. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she will then continue on to University of California, Davis to get her Doctorate. With all of Kirsten’s skills, there is no doubt she will succeed in achieving her future goals as well as be missed by all of the administrators, faculty, staff, and students of CHS.

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