Comic Flip

A Short Story by Brodie Runions

Once many years ago, a small boy had a big mind, in which he wanted to be a comic artist who’d become famous. Now there were bullies who picked on him, calling him trash and all. But the little boy never gave up on his dreams.

Throughout the years, the little boy worked for a small company for its 4-panel daily comic they sent out weekly. And this made the bullies pick on him even more, calling him more names. The boy still never gave up.

As the years went by, the boy worked the best he could, even reaching a position to help the owner of the company that sent out the daily 4-panels. Now at this point, the bullies still picked at him, which the boy didn’t pay attention to. “There is work to be done, soon to be done,” the boy always said to help himself focus more.

Years later, the boy went on to successfully run the business, giving a pleasant and friendly environment to those working with him. But one day, the boy spotted two familiar faces, his old bullies, now sad and looking for a job to work in peace.

When the bullies looked at the boy, now grown to be strong and tough, they deeply apologized to him for the years they had picked on him.

The boy chuckled, “Now, now, I forgive you, come in. I’m sure I’ve got some work you two might enjoy.” The boy wasn’t mad. He was joyful, like he was a child again. To him, he was the bigger one, his mind extending to the great beyond of creativity.

He gave out his creativity to the people all around, helping and encouraging them. And right in that moment, he allowed the bullies to work because of the talent they had. So, the comic flipped one last time as the two men found their position. The boy was left alone, thinking about how he still had some great years ahead with his creativity. He said to himself, “Draw, draw the best you can. So much creativity awaits.”

Career and Technical Education

Contributed by Trina Weaks and CTE Students, Edited by Ashlee Wilson

What is CTE? CTE stands for Career and Technical Education. Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides students with hands-on, real-world learning experiences that prepare them for careers and postsecondary education. It bridges the gap between traditional academics and the skills needed in various industries, equipping students with practical knowledge, technical skills, and certifications. It offers an opportunity to explore career options while still in school. Through CTE, students can gain hands-on experience in fields such as healthcare, business, engineering, agriculture, IT, and more, earn industry-recognized certifications that can lead to employment after high school, participate in work-based learning (WBL), mentorships, and clinical internships, develop employability skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication through CTSO, and save money on college by earning dual credit and gaining early exposure to career pathways. CTE teachers have the opportunity to provide a dynamic learning environment where educators can connect classroom learning to real-world applications and incorporate project-based and hands-on activities to engage students, partner with local businesses and industries to offer students work experience, help students develop technical and soft skills needed for future careers, and align curriculum with industry standards to ensure career readiness.

CTE Happenings

We hope you enjoy reading and following along with our LCHS’s CTE Happenings, provided by our student CTE Ambassadors!
- Trina Weaks, CTE Supervisor

Among our many programs, there are many students who have shared their thoughts:

Bo Banks writes: “CTE is a very important aspect to Lewis County High School and many people do not know what it is or how it works. CTE stands for Career & Technical Education and helps you understand the many career paths that you can take. I can brag about the Criminal Justice class specifically because I can tell that the majority of the students in this class love it and find it very interesting, even if they don’t want to pursue a career in Criminal Justice because it still teaches good and useful lessons that you can use throughout your life. Recently, we visited the 911 Call Center and talked to one of the operators, which was a very cool trip. Something else to say is learning from someone as experienced as Mr. Barnes is very helpful because he has been in this field for so long, and he can answer almost any question I and the other students ask. This is also Mr. Barnes’s first year of teaching and his first Criminal Justice class, so the sky’s the limit for the future of the Criminal Justice program.”

Jayden Moore writes: “This past week in the Health Science Department, it has been a lot of fun and included lots of hands-on experiences. We have been training to gain our CPR certifications. I love the hands-on training that I am getting through this CTE class because it will greatly impact my future as a healthcare professional! If you are a student who plans on pursuing a career in healthcare you should join the Health Science Cluster (Nursing Services/ Diagnostic Services Programs of Study)” Next year, we are offering Therapeutic Services.

Kylie Runions writes:  “I think that CTE is a fantastic opportunity for high school students. From being in the medical CTE classes, I can confidently say that they have laid the foundation for me to begin my journey of becoming a doctor. As someone who has almost completely finished the classes, I think they are amazing if you are interested in going into the medical field. These classes have made me realize that my gift or talent is healthcare. They have also led me to be involved in HOSA, which is an amazing learning experience and sets me up for the future. Overall, if you are interested in CTE, I highly recommend taking the classes because you might just find what you want to do in the future.”

Andi Starcher & Emma Riffe write: “FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) State Conference is April 6^th-9^th in Chattanooga, TN. Five LCHS students will be competing at State in Chattanooga in both objective and performance-based events. These events are computer problem solving, business communications, and public speaking. Conference attendees will also participate in leadership workshops and sessions. Leadership in FBLA: FBLA members are excelling in many leadership areas with one member being accepted to Girls State and one member potentially receiving acceptance to MIT, demonstrating the benefit of the skills and knowledge gained as a member of FBLA. As a passionate and dedicated leader, the position of FBLA state officer is about representing and empowering members, strengthening our organization, and creating new opportunities for success. Our very own Andie Starcher is running for this position, bringing leadership experience from FBLA, FFA, Beta Club, student advisory, and other extracurricular activities.”  We are cheering you on Andie for this position!

          So many things are happening in our High School’s CTE. Be sure to visit the Lewis County High School’s Facebook page for more updates on the “CTE Happenings Post,” which will be updated regularly. We are so proud of the accomplishments of our students in CTE programs, and we are thankful to the teachers for their immersive classes. Our CTE program is rapidly advancing and expanding.

The Matilda Effect

By Ashlee Wilson

          In 1870, Matilda Joslyn Gage wrote a booklet criticizing the world’s belief that women were not capable or deserving of making advancements in science. These writings were found years later by Margaret Rossiter who did extensive research to prove that even though women were not credited, women had made many discoveries worth noticing. Rossiter gave Matilda Joslyn Gage’s name to this phenomenon of women not being given credit for their work. As we exit Women’s History Month, it is important we recognize the discrepancies in science.

          The story of the Matilda Effect starts with the simplest unit of matter: atoms. During the height of World War II, chemists internationally were exploring the subatomic parts of the atom- protons, neutrons, and electrons-  and how they reacted with external forces. The United States created the Manhattan Project where the government recruited the most renowned scientists from all over the world to create an atomic bomb before any other nation could. In an attempt to establish nuclear warfare, chemists were in labs and classrooms seeking ways to make bombs out of atoms by altering their nuclei, protons and neutrons. The two major ways being explored were by combining atoms and splitting atoms. The combining of atoms is called nuclear fusion, and major chemists like Edward Teller, Emilio Segrè, and Otto Frisch contributed to this research. On the other hand, nuclear fission, the splitting of an atom, was developed and researched by chemists such as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Hans Bethe, Fritz Strassmann, and most significantly to this story, Otto Hahn.

          Otto Hahn was a German chemist who teamed up with a Jewish woman named Lise Meitner. Meitner was a physicist who joined Hahn because he was in search of a partner who focused on different fields of science than he did. They both worked tirelessly trying to figure out how to connect all the research and experiments to produce nuclear fission. In 1938, Meitner was forced to flee Nazi Germany. She found refuge in an institute in Sweden where she could work on the calculations she and Hahn were studying. In 1945, after Hahn was recruited to the Manhattan Project, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to nuclear fission. All the while, Meitner was still in exile in Sweden. In reality, Hahn had very little knowledge about physics and needed Meitner to fulfill the physics aspects of his research. Meitner was never recognized for her calculations.

          It might seem like the disparity between men and women in the scientific community is capability. This is just simply not factual. The Matilda Effect invites us to look deeper at scientific studies and how women are undervalued at every aspect of them. Women are not given proper funding to conduct their research, proper citation of the assistance they provide, and especially the proper recognition for the advancements they make. To put this imbalance in perspective, women have received 66 Nobel Laureates. Men have received 976. This is just one illustration of the institutional, fundamental inequalities in science. Margaret Rossiter finally gave a name to a phenomenon that has been silently influencing the knowledge science gains for centuries.

Sources:

• “All Nobel Prizes.” The Nobel Prize, The Nobel Prize, https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes/.
• “An interview with five women scientists, moderators of the IPPOG Masterclass on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.” Battling the Matilda Effect, International Particle Physics Outreach Group, https://ippog.org/news/battling-matilda-effect.
• “Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann.” Science History Institute, https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/otto-hahn-lise-meitner-and-fritz-strassmann/.

My Ted Talk
By Kylie Carroll

I’ve experienced a lot of lasts this year. My last year of high school. My last birthday before becoming an adult. My last Halloween at home. My last time fighting against my parents about how hard being a teenager is. My last time hanging out with my friend group. My last hug from my favorite teacher.

I’ve also had a few firsts too. I had to experience the first time someone really betrayed me. The first time I stood up for myself. The first time I applied for college. The first time I got excited about a campus. The first time I had to tell a hard truth to one of my good friends. The first time that I had to actually try to find my passion in life. The first time I unfriended someone in person. My first time going to a foreign country. I’ve grown a lot over senior year. I’ve become a better person. With more defined goals, I know I have a bright future ahead of me.

I remember crying for an entire day before school started. I can’t even count the number of mental breakdowns I’ve had about getting older and moving out. I have felt so scared all year about everything new that is going to happen to me when I inevitably go to college. I realized that I forgot to live in the moment. I feel like I’ve blinked, and I’m suddenly 2 months away from graduation. One spring break, one prom, one senior trip, and one graduation away from my 18th birthday. This chapter of my life is closing so soon, and I do not know how to react. I feel so much relief that something that has taken up 12 years of my life is finally over, but I’m grieving the loss of everything about it.

High school has been such a rollercoaster of events. From my first day of high school to now, I’ve somehow become a completely different person. Freshman Kylie was funny, cool, and outgoing, and she had a bunch of friends. Senior Kylie is anxiety-ridden, timid, and introverted with a small friend group. It’s weird seeing all of the differences in myself from only four years ago. I could lay everything out and take all day explaining how different I am, but that’s honestly not the point of me writing this. The point is, I’ve come to the realization that high school is so incredibly short, and studying is amazing and all, but so is becoming in tune with who you are as a person. If freshman year “me” knew how important it was to talk to my parents, how important grades are, or how important it is to learn how to balance a social life with school and personal time, I would not be the way I am today.

High school has been the worst and the best thing that ever happened to me. Ever. Freshman year was when I found my friends; sophomore year was when I found confusion; junior year was when I found challenge; and senior year is where I’ve found beauty in imperfection. I think the biggest lesson I’ve taken away from my experience in high school is that it’s ok to be myself, even if others don’t like it. It’s ok to take up space and be loud and live life authentically. Granted, I figured that out because I was broken down and tried to fit in and hide all of the things that I thought made me ugly or unlovable. I realized somewhere in there that all “fitting in” brought me was unhappiness.

If I could give any advice to an underclassman, it would 100% be to step outside of your comfort zone. Be friendly to everyone. High school doesn’t last forever, so enjoy it while it lasts. Spend some time with your parents. Love yourself and everyone around you. Live and learn and love every single day. Be respectful to your teachers and peers. And learn to be respectful to yourself while respecting others. If anyone in high school needs a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to, or a stranger to tell you the truth without judgement, come to me. I know how hard high school can be and if I can make it even a fraction easier for my peers I'll try my best to do it.

LCHS Band News
By Amarissa Grinder