This Week at RHS, Nov. 4-10, 2018
By Panther Paw Staff

RJSHS Rolls Out a Student Created and Maintained Website

In the Spring of 2018, RHS teacher Jennifer Howard was tasked with the job of creating a school newspaper as well as teaching a class on social media and technological communication. It was a daunting task that was and is part of the RISD initiative to create better communicators throughout the school district. Mrs. Howard accepted the task and then took it to the next level. After first taking over the school newsletter sent out each week to district, media, and community members, Mrs. Howard and her 7th Period band of writers and innovators elected to take the next step and created their own school based website.

The new website is entirely student created, student monitored, and student updated. It includes features on student life, campus life, social commentary, clubs, athletics, and all other things Russellville. Even more impressive, the students were able to configure website to be smart phone format friendly.     

Here are some of the articles that are available to everyone on the RJSHS newspaper website. Visit the link below to see more articles by students that focus on all aspects of the panther community. Thanks from all of us at The Paw Print!

http://rhsnews.russellville.kyschools.us/

Come Eat with Your Child this Friday!

On Friday, Nov. 9, parents, grandparents, and all family members are welcomed to come and eat with their child. All parents and guardians should have received a card inviting them to come eat with their child. Any parent or guardian interested in eating with their child who may not have received this notice may contact the school at (270) 726-8421 to confirm a reservation. Mrs. Ashley McGinnis’s Family and Consumer Science pathway students will be managing the event as part of their Food Services and Restaurant Management aspects of the curriculum.

Lunch Times are as Follows:

FR Lunch: 10:33 - 10:58

HS Lunch 2: 11:01 - 11:26

HS Lunch 3: 11:29 - 11:54

8th Grade Lunch: 11:57 - 12:22

7th Grade Lunch: 12:25 - 12:50

6th Grade Lunch:12:54 - 1:19  

Friday’s Menu will be: Turkey, Dressing, Gravy and Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Fruit and a Holiday Dessert.

RMS’s “Happily Never After” is a Smash Success!

Mrs. Tera Ragland made a change from Stevenson Elementary to RJSHS this past summer in an effort to help RJSHS out with several instructional needs, particularly in the areas of Reading interventions. But Mrs. Ragland was not one to just do the bare minimum and she took on the task of creating a Drama class for RMS students. The end result hit the stage this past Wednesday as students performed the student selected play “Happily Never After” in the deGraffenried Auditorium for the entire RMS student body. The play was so successful that the school is now looking to set up an encore performance in the coming weeks.  

RHS Football Advances in Playoffs,

Players Earn All SKY Honors

Under the senior leadership of 1st Team All SKY Conference QB Jacob Naylor, the RHS Panther football team advanced in the Class 1A playoffs this past Friday night, defeating visiting Ft. Knox 35-14. The win was the Panthers’ 54th Playoff victory in school history. Russellville now advances to play at Campbellsville this Friday night at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the Region Championship Game.

The last time the Panthers did not win their first round game was in 2005, a streak of playoff advancement that is now at 13 years! The win also marked the first playoff victory for RHS Head Coach Mikie Benton. It was a bitter sweet game for a group of seniors, as they played their last home game in Rhea Stadium. This year’s seniors are:

#20 Edward Barber     RB/LB            #13 Hunter McDowell            DB/K/P

#55 Javier Canales      OL/DL            #11 Jacob Naylor                    QB/DB                       

#7 Zavius Coleman     TE/LB             #67 Kyran Williams    OL/LB

#16 Ty Collins            WR/DB           #58 Miguel Williams OL/DL

#4 Ryan Flores            WR/DB

RHS also placed several players on the All SKY Conference team. The SKY Conference team is voted on by the head coaches of teams located in South Central KY. This year’s All SKY Conference players were:

1st Team                                2nd Team

Jacob Naylor, QB                   Zay Coleman, LB

Ryan Flores, WR                    Chevis Elliott, DB

Edward Barber, LB                 Javier Canales, OL

                                                Lennon Ries, WR

RMS Basketball Off to Great Start

The Russellville Middle School Boys and Girls Basketball teams picked up wins this past week. The RMS Boys 8th Grade team took down visiting Chandlers 40-8 on Friday night and the RMS Lady Panthers grabbed a 34-15 win at Todd Co.

Jacob Naylor is a Finalist

Jacob Naylor has been selected as Finalist for Wendy’s High School Heisman for the state of Kentucky as well as for the United States. Naylor, who plays football, basketball, and tennis for the Panthers and who has already earned over 26 hours of college credit, is up for the honor, which if he wins, will award him with scholarship monies.

Student Generated Articles

Campus Life

By Matthew Williams and Hayle Sharp

On Friday, Oct. 26, during seventh period, STEM Club practiced flying their drones in the RHS lobby. The students flew two drones through obstacle courses that were built by last-year’s juniors. The large obstacles were hard to miss and drew attention and interest as the STEM club walked down the hall. During setup the students expressed why they joined Aerospace and STEM club. Freshman Jade Reed said she joined because she thought it would be a fun way to learn about science outside the normal classroom.

There are several hands-on activities that the students get to do throughout the year. Teacher and club advisor Mr. Robert McClellan explained that the group will craft airfoils from scratch, launch rockets, fly simulators, and much more throughout the year. Freshman Landon Bollenbecker said he couldn't wait to join because he wanted to get his airplane license before he graduates from RHS. Every Friday, Aerospace students will go to the lobby and fly drones through multiple obstacle courses. RHS students are encouraged to ask questions and be entertained by these talented students if they are in the lobby.

The Importance of Club Day

By Hannah Alford

Clubs hold a lot of importance in high school and can influence experiences after students leave. Sometimes, students in a school environment get caught up in the “stress” of trying to be the best they can be and don’t remember the real importance of participating in clubs. College is something that is emphasized throughout high school. Students are told to be as involved as they can, so you have more to put on an application around your senior year.

Grades definitely play a role in certain clubs, including Beta. Beta is a club that promotes the ideals, of academic achievement, character, service, and leadership among elementary and secondary schools.

To be in Beta, you have to have good grades. Having to handle grades between sports, family, and/or other clubs just like, this is almost too much to handle. However, in life, things are going to be challenging. In high school, adults stress the “growing up” part of it all. So, handling more than you can juggle is always a good way to prepare you for the real world. The importance cannot be stressed enough.

Many students have different interests or hobbies, so there are plenty of options for them. The art program has the Art & Drama Club. For book lovers, Book Club is a welcome addition to the day. Then for the technology people, there is STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program). There are many clubs students can get involved with throughout their high school career. Club Day can get you very involved in the school throughout all these different clubs.

Certain clubs can get you involved in the community also, such as Beta. Beta gets you involved in the community through different service projects. Service projects are a project you do in the community to earn hours towards your name in the club.

These service projects can be things like trash pick-up, a community Thanksgiving meal, and getting donations of clothing for the unfortunate. This helps out the community by getting the youth involved and not just the adults. This has a positive effect on the entire community, not just the school.

The schools should announce club meetings weeks in advance and put up posters for the different clubs to emphasize to the students how important it is. If a student is told the day of, then that student will not be as interested. If we want more students to become engaged members of the community, then it is time to promote clubs in a way that will get students excited and involved.

Student Spotlight

By Hayle Sharp

Alex Wright is a Junior who loves to draw all kinds of things!

Q: How did you first get interested in art? Or what drew you to art?

What first drew me to art was that I was able to express myself in my drawings.

Q: What type of art do you most enjoy the most?

I enjoy drawing the most.

Q: What do you like about that art form?

I’m able to create the art in the ways I want to. It allows me to express in a different way.

Q: What is the art that you are most proud of what piece do you like the most? Why?

I can’t really pick which of my drawings is my favorite because I like them all.

Q: Do you plan to pursue art as a career? What path do you want to pursue or attempt?

I would like to do auto-body because I would be able to paint. You see a lot of artists these days going into things like auto detail or painting. There’s a need for artists in these areas.

Q: What is the most challenging part of being an artist?

The most challenging part about being an artist is the drawer’s block. It’s like writer’s block, except instead of words, it’s images in this case.

Q: What is the most positive thing you have gotten out of art?

The most positive thing I have gotten out of art is that the world is full of art and I get to be a part of that. I am contributing!

Q: Three words to describe your art style?

Three words to describe my art style are different, love, and overwhelming.  

Q: Any advice for others who are nervous or scared about trying something artistic?

I would tell someone that they should never give up.

Q: What is one goal you have for yourself?

One goal I have for myself is that I never give up on my art. There are always reasons to stop doing things that challenge us and I want to make sure I keep going!

Arts and Entertainment

Opinion:

Fashion: The Rapidly Revolving Door of America

By Rian J. Saul

In the days of old, fashion was seen in only two cycles: fall/winter and spring/summer. Now, there are nearly 50-50. The problem of this revolving door of fashion is affecting the student body of America significantly. Families that struggle to support big spending are being put under immense pressure to buy new, trendy clothes for their children nearly biweekly, and the students themselves may be judged or chastised by other students about their appearance if they don’t keep up to date with the hottest trends or most fashionable clothing in that moment.

In the years prior to the internet, this rapid changing of the fashion industry was not so prevalent. This is shown through the vibrant colors of the 1980s, a very well-known overall trend throughout the entirety of this era. Compare that to this last decade that has been littered with thousands of trends, from the resurgence of crop tops to the life, death, and recent revitalization of the denim skirt. These trends have been in and out several times, but the contrast is in the timeframe.

When the crop top first came into fashion in the 1990s, they stayed in popularity all the way into the early 2000s. Now, we are seeing trends die within weeks of their beginning. This is mainly due to the swift spreading of new or dying trends through news, social media, and other online sources. People get wind of these shifts almost immediately after their occurrence, fueling this fire in the student body and the general human populous.

In the times long ago, one shirt could stay relevant for years and years. Now, families are pressured to buy newer and newer clothing for their children as soon or as often as possible. That corset laced top you bought a month ago is now seen a joke to all of the other kids. That peasant shirt you spend $30 on a few weeks ago? Oh, that will make you a laughing stalk for months.

Parents don’t want that happening to their kids, and students don’t want that happening to themselves, which puts that pressure on the parents to supply their kids with the freshest designs, which may not always be cost-efficient. Children are being put under immense pressure to wear every popular or new design out there, regardless of the practicality or price, constantly having to be updated like apps, like phones, like robots.

Calendar

What’s for Breakfast and Lunch this week?

Breakfast:

BREAKFAST ITEMS SERVED DAILY: Pop Tart choices, Cereal choices, Strawberry Bagel w/Cream Cheese, Muffins, and Fruit.

Lunch: