What's happening to us seriously?

I am currently a student at Willowridge H.S., and let me tell you the priorities are all mixed up. The focal point here are the band, football/basketball team, and the dancers. I'm sickened by the fact that some people in the school, who have been attending the school two years plus, didn't know we had photography or debate. No one goes to the school plays and no one reads the newspapers. A teacher at the school recieved information about Yale University, where the school was having a meeting & wanted minorities, and he got the information approved. No one announced it on the announcements. Don't you think that would have been beneficial for a student? Where is the college prep? It shouldn't be only available for the AVID students, but for all the students. Diversity is an issue. Everyone is conforming to their own groups, and worrying about the wrong things.

Our community in itself is in bad shape, we need to change the way we think.We need to become stronger, and change the mindset of those stereotypes who look down upon us.

So I had a plan to create a production/ documentary for the school that would grasp my fellow students attention. Here was my plan:

"The central goal of conducting this production is to reach into students with the goals of elders, thus, from a student’s perspective. Lets create learning experiences that last. This would build a vibe of my fellow peers to express themselves with enjoyment, and influence them to start the school year off with a “BOOM.” Touching on some subjects as getting to class on time, preparing for the TAKS, anti-drama related issues, and other subjects inspire to better themselves. So in simple terms, this is a production for the beginning of the school year to inspire the students to make it the best “positive” year at Willowridge High School.

To me I think that students would learn different ideas better in the areas or disciplines where their abilities lie. “The key for teachers, and for students, is to find that "sweet spot," where learning is the wonderful challenge that inspires us to do more than simply make sauce the same way we've always made it.”( Fariss Samarrai). Incorporating music, their verbal opinion, and basic skills that the administrators and teachers try to instill are good ways of bringing in the students in a positive way. Producing many segments of interviews from the students, and their feelings on High School life will help us better understand how the “students” feel. Many students, though we see their actions as behavior issues, they are simply acts of saying, “please keep me productive, give me something in my interest.” I thoroughly understand that we have programs in the school, from the football team, wings, band, DECA, etc., but I feel as though we can reach further. We as a school can emphasize more on versatility that is contrasting to the common athletic sense. Expand on the fine arts department, and produce more creative activities that could cater to a vast majority of the students. Economically, of course, I am well aware of our budgets, but if it is in favor of creating a more productive high school, I am willing to start whatever I have to to help keep this idea intact. I care for the students on a basis of how they feel, and what I could do as a fellow student to help find the product that is causing this bothersome issue. From this production, you can look into the eyes of the “Willowridge” students, not documentaries from HBO or any other broadcasting show, but directly where we spend the majority of our interaction at. I am hoping this is something you feel as though is beneficial, and also I would hope that this is an idea that would grab the students attention. We need a different kind of change, and this would be the start of a more productive future."

We need that extra boost, we deserve it!

-Bevin Biggers