Written by: Bre'Kell Lyon This year's Dancing With the Stars dancers let their talent and energy show on stage on the 18th of March. Every year there is a different theme for Dancing With the Stars. Themes in the past were sports, Disney movies, representing clubs, and the 80's. With the theme being “Dancing through the Decades”, audience members got to go back in time to witness each decade starting with the 1920’s to the 2020’s. The couples randomly chose the decade in which they were dancing. Savana Marble and her partner, Landon Miller, help us see a little of the dancer's perspective. Savana said, “We picked the decades out of a bucket, but I was actually so excited that we got the 50’s because I recently did a play that took place in the 50’s, so I learned a lot of 50’s dancing.” All of the dancers did an amazing job at representing the decade they were assigned to starting with Nathaniel Freeze and Madison Bills taking third place with their fun and bright 90’s theme. Charly Campbell and Kalia Thompson coming in second by wowing the crowd with their synced moves and skilled scooter riding from the 2000’s. Last but not least, Olivia Chournous and Nic Summers came in first with the grooviest 70’s outfits and perfect dance moves. The Sophomore Student Council planned the Dancing With the Stars fundraiser which included coming up with a fun theme. Oliva Bailey the sophomore class president said “The sophomore class has been brainstorming the theme since early August and began putting together a google slide of the pros and cons of each idea. We then had a majority vote.” You don’t need dancing experience to sign up. Savana Marble, a participant said, “Neither of us have dancing experience….I’ve done a lot with my dad, and when I was little but not recently. Landon hasn’t ever danced like this.” Dancers don’t just come up with entertaining dances, but they also get sponsors to help with the fundraiser. Marble and Miller got multiple sponsors such as Tanglewood, Chanshare, Tsunami Snow, That Guy’s, and Little Miss Sew and Sew. Dancing With the Stars is a fun opportunity for Bear River High School students to showcase their skills at dancing and have fun. Marble said, “It's mostly just super fun, but a little stressful trying to get it all together.” Dancing with the Bear River Stars is a tradition that has been going on since 2008. It was originally started by a previous drama teacher, Brad Skinner. Today it is used as a fundraiser. It first started as a program that was just something fun to do. Through the years this fundraiser has brought in a lot of money, averaging around $2000 - $3000. The funding primarily goes to Junior Prom, but also other dances and events. An average of 100 - 150 people show up each year to watch the popular event. An average of 10 - 12 couples sign up each year. This year fewer people attended due to the overlapping of spring sport events. Nethertheless, it was just as entertaining and lively as the past Dancing With the Stars events. The Dancers: 20s - Dillion Stewart and Haylee Farnsworth 30s - Caleb Barfuss and Kayla Halat 40s - Briley Winkler and Garret Griffin 50s - Savana Marble and Landon Miller 60s - Gavyn Haws and Kyla Eliason 70s - Olivia Chournos and Nic Summers 80s - Tasian Garza and Abbi Young 90s - Nathaniel Freeze and Madison Bills 2000s - Charly Campbell and Kalia Thompson 2020s - Daxton Sorensen and Kaylee Aslett photo credit: Harley Bennett
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Photo Credit: Melissa Ingram
Bear River’s FFA chapter has helped students become the best version of themselves. Each student has a different experience with FFA. Many students have told about their experiences in FFA. Layla Nessen, a sophomore, explains how the different competitions for Ag have helped her boost self confidence and open up. She has competed many times. Each time made her nervous but she slowly calmed down as she realized how much she loved competing. She also said she loved the traveling that came along with it all because it opened opportunities to meet people outside of the BR FFA chapter. Beau Murray also shared some of his experiences: “Trying different competitions has become one of my favorite things in FFA.” One of the most inspiring teachers for agriculture to students at BRHS is Mrs. Melissa Ingram. Mrs. Ingram, explains how she missed FFA when she graduated. When she went to college she wanted to be an animal scientist. As she started to head down that path, she realized how important FFA was to her. It had become a large part of her life. Because of this, she decided to be an Ag teacher. Mrs. Ingram said “the small details are what is most important. The ability to watch and help students find a passion for agriculture is what makes the job amazing.” Her other favorite part of Ag teaching is working with others who taught her when she was in high school. TJ Rhodes and West Burrell were both instrumental to her learning to love Ag Science. She has loved working with them through challenges and Ag activities. The past two weeks have been very busy for the Ag department. The week of Valentine’s was the Bear River Chapter FFA week. The week is filled with lots of exciting activities. One of the days there is a truck contest. There were different categories for the contest. Mr. Wiley was the judge of it all. Two of the awards were best farm truck and best old truck. One of the most important activities is Chapter Sweetheart. FFA advisors are very excited to have brought this competition back. There were many more contestants than expected. There were a total of 14 competitors. Two of the categories the contestants had to participate in was hay stacking and milking a cow. The winner was Saige Murray. On Thursday, February 24, 2022, Northern Utah Invitationals took place for another part of national FFA week. Schools from Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah attended. It was held in the Ag building and at the Box Elder Fairgrounds. There were many different competitions. A few of them were Ag mechanics, prepared public speaking, poultry judging, livestock judging, and Ag sales. Students from Bear River placed in individual and team competitions. The Ag sales team took first place for invationals. This team has won first place many years in a row. The team has continuously won even with different members throughout the years. The team is led by Mrs. Ingram. The members of the team this year are Katie Hewlett, Sydney Wilkensen, Jerry Anderson, and Wyatt Zollengier. For national FFA week Bear River was part of the STEM fair that included Alice C. Harris Intermediate and Bear River Middle School. The outcome of the STEM fair was better than planned. The FFA booth had many students learning new things and asking lots of questions. The booth made them become interested in joining FFA when they become freshmen. Many students were excited to see the activities about agriculture The Agricultural department at Bear River High has been around for almost a century. The Bear River FFA chapter started in 1929, but they had an agriculture club beforehand. The club helped change so many students' lives, creating many opportunities and chances for them. Most students find something they are interested in and thrive. There is also a summer Ag program. The summer program helps new students get a chance to look into the Agriculture department. The benefits of this program are getting to meet new people, learn new things, get new agricultural experiences, and work on any projects related to Ag. The most common summer project is livestock. Summer livestock is usually shown in the fair. Agriculture is always expanding around us. The more youth that can find ways into agriculture, the more opportunities there will be. Agriculture is bigger in society than most people think. Joining FFA is a great way to learn things that you may not have known before. Mrs. Ingram, Mr. Burrell, Mr. Shaffer, and Mr. Rhodes are the FFA advisors here at Bear River High. If any students are interested in Agriculture, talk to one of them to know more. Written By: Alania Parker By: Tessa Reisner (In our last article, we talked about the effects of PTSD and how one may develop PTSD. As a reminder, this article contains sensitive content. A trigger warning is advised to those who are reading.) Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that affects millions of people in the world. To be diagnosed with anorexia, certain symptoms will manifest. These symptoms include a refusal to maintain healthy body weight, an irrational fear of weight gain, disturbance in body weight and shape, and amenorrhea (the loss of the menstrual cycle). In Bear River High School it is estimated that five to six percent of students suffer from some type of eating disorder. Ben Wiley, a counselor at Bear River, says that there is a recognized problem throughout the school. Wiley also said, “Everyone thinks that an eating disorder has to do completely, 100%, with body image. Often times it doesn’t.” He continued by explaining that it has a lot to do with having control over our own lives. Teenagers don’t have a lot of control over their lives. Parents pay the bills, work, and even control where teenagers go. An eating disorder could be seen as a way to control some part of an uncontrollable life. The impact which anorexia has on a person is huge. But it may also affect those around them. Clinical depression is often found side by side with an eating disorder, which can cause rapid mood swings, shyness, and even social withdrawal. Symptoms to look for include: the thinning of bones, brittle hair and nails, jaundice (yellow-pigmented skin), mild anemia, and a drop in internal temperature, to list a few. Along with anorexia, which is a mental disorder, is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a psychological disorder that affects the chemical balance inside one's brain. Mental Health UK lists the types of bipolar as Bipolar type one, Bipolar type two, Cyclothmania, Mixed bipolar state, and Rapid cycling bipolar. All of these have different criteria in order to be diagnosed. Bipolar takes its toll on an estimated 2.3 million Americans, many of which go unmedicated and undiagnosed. Wiley also mentions that it is crucial for students who think they may be suffering from Bipolar to talk with their parents or guardians. Mental health is a huge issue all over the world, and it’s very important for everyone to receive the help they need. Wiley said, “[Bipolar is] like a rollercoaster…Constant ups and downs.” These “ups” can be a spurt of happiness or even an episode of mania. Mania is an elevated state of mood in which one has rapid thoughts, hyperactivity without sleep, overflowing self-esteem, and even the loss of touch with reality. Many diagnosed individuals describe a manic episode as a feeling of invincibility. Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder may include: heavy mood swings, delusion, lack of thoughts or excessive thoughts, and impulsivity, to list a couple. Getting help is always the number one priority with any mental illness. Many of us are feeling unbalanced and unsure. If you or a loved one needs help, please reach out to those around you. Resources: Safe UT- Call 833-372-3388 or download the SafeUt App School Counselors emails- [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Bear River Mental Health Crisis Hotline- Call 435-452-8612 Photo courtesy from: Bear River Health Department
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