by Sophia Waldridge

In the world of music there are many different genres; many favor R&B or hip hop, while others strive to have the emotional connection with music that will make them relate to the artist, a song where they feel the lyrics on a whole new level. 

English 9 teacher Eric Watson said music always resonates emotionally when it expresses situations the listener has been through, and a lot when it has an “inherently empathetic expression.”

Watson’s co-teacher, Michelle Houchin, agreed and said emotional music helps connect people and relate them to each other, it can help someone feel happy when they’re sad or they can express themselves through having a good cry over a breakup while listening to sad music. 

“I listen to emotional music when I am upset. It helps me feel seen and I can have a personal concert and sing what I relate to the most. As an adult I think this music is more popular than before but it does help some people.”

Some students feel the benefits of this music, too. They just want to put their headphones in and relax at school, as not only adults have bad days and need an escape from reality with some jams. 

Freshman Mahalia Smith said emotional music could help people realize what emotion they’re genuinely feeling if they’re confused.

“Sometimes being alone is all you need when you’re feeling down and music can always help,” she said. It can be a good distraction to just help people feel safe enough to let out a good cry or even a happy song that they can sing along to in private and make themselves feel better.

“Finding a song that you relate to by an artist you know is a very cathartic experience,” said Algebra Honors Teacher Cory Densford, He listens to music with emotion, but between happy or sad depending on his mood. If it’s been a bad day he uses happy music to turn his day around. 

“The main thing I feel while listening to music I relate to is that it helps me feel like I’m not alone with my feelings, and I’m grateful I have an outlet for some of my negative emotions,” said Densford.

Freshman Gracie Harder thinks R&B music is more soothing and gives people the opportunity to have calm background music like slow blues or a good rhythm. She listens to hits in her free time when she needs to think or she’s doing homework. 

“I listen to R&B mostly because it gives me a calming feeling and a quiet place to think when I’m stressed.”

by Viviana Gonzalez Chavez

What time did you go to bed last night? 

For most high school students this can be around 11 p.m., and while many set a bedtime for themselves on school nights, what about the days they know they don’t have school in the morning? It is widely known how drastic our sleep schedules may change during interruptions like seasonal breaks. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, there have been studies done that prove that a good night’s sleep enhances learning and problem-solving skills. It also improves focus, decision-making, and creativity. Additionally, research indicates that sleep deficiency alters activity in certain areas of the brain. 

It’s commonly known that a certain amount of sleep is required for humans to fully function with the utmost ability, but just how much should students and teachers be getting?

According to sophomores Arianna Adams and Kaniyah Woodley, the general difference in students’ sleep habits over break is very minimal, they believe students actually get more sleep. They conclude that with the extra hours of free time, many students and teachers alike choose to spend it by sleeping, whether that be by naps or during the night.

 It’s recommended that the average teenager from the ages of 14 to 17 years should receive around 8 to 10 hours of sleep. A similar guideline is placed for adults ranging from 18 up to 64. 

While these guidelines are put in place for better health, there are times when life becomes difficult with external factors. Matters like school, sports, extracurricular activities, and jobs all affect the times people go to sleep and when we wake up.

“It’s kind of hard to improve my schedule with sports like track and soccer, it’s everywhere and it changes randomly at times,” said sophomore Laela Rudicel.

And while most of the time students are busy with their own lives, they tend to forget about teachers and their personal lives as well. 

Health teacher Charles Patton detailed his own routine during breaks. “I am not as consistent as I would want to be, it heavily depends on Charlie, my 16 month old. When she’s ready to go down that’s when I go down, and so we try for it to be at a certain time, but that’s rarely the case.”

Many factors go into what times everyone goes to bed; thankfully however, during seasonal breaks students and teachers alike are graced with more time in their days. 

Thanks to this break from school, many students take the extra time to sleep in a couple more hours each day. 

“If I didn’t have a job, best believe I would be home everyday sleeping by 8 o’ clock,” stated junior Amaree Smith.

Junior Francisco Martinez, agreed, stating, “During spring break I think I get more sleep because I wake up early since I already usually do, but then I’ll take a nap in between the day, something I can’t do normally.”

And while this seems to be the case for most students, not everyone agreed.

Rudicel described her own drastic changes during school breaks, saying, “I definitely stay up really late at night, because it’s just easier that way and I sleep in a lot during breaks. During normal weekdays I get at least six to seven hours of sleep and I’m in bed  by 10:30, but on the weekends I’m in bed by 4 a.m. and I wake up at 9:30 … basically around five hours of sleep.”

Although this may seem a bit extreme, many students go through similar phases in which they sleep during the day and stay up through the night. 

Smith also recalls a time when her schedule was once just as bizarre, “Like two days before school started in the summer I was staying up till 10 o’clock in the morning and going to sleep then waking up at 5 p.m. It’s hard; it is very hard to revert or fix your schedule. The thing is, you try to stay up the whole day to restart, but you never make it through the whole day, so it’s really difficult.”

As she mentioned, fixing the sleep schedule can be very difficult and takes lots of time. 

“They (students) will go to sleep later, but they’ll wake up later too so it probably equals out in the end but I think it depends, their sleep patterns get worse. Then when you try to revert that sleep schedule, it doesn’t go back, like you have to have at least a week and a half to revert your sleep schedule back to normal,” continued Patton. 

So then, if it is so difficult to fix your schedule, why do people practice these habits? 

Many studies show that bad sleep hygiene comes from stress, depression, poor eating habits, or sleep apnea. While resetting their sleep schedule may take a bit, many students would agree that committing to a good night’s rest each day is for the best. 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute described good sleeping habits as regulating the scheduled hours of sleep, being consistent with habits, and even setting aside extra time before bed to quiet down and relax.

So what will you do this upcoming spring break? Will you stay up late or will you catch more Zs during the week off?

by Shelby Keesee

Colonel Robert Benning walks around the classroom, detailing his freshmen on the captivating history of the earlier days of flight. 

“John Montgomery’s 1911 glider was called The Evergreen…” begins Benning.

On a day at JHS, one may stumble upon Benning and pass by without a second thought. If not, they would most likely assume he’s just a typical bald man wearing military-like outfits.

However, this isn’t the case.

At first glance, no one would comprehend he’s not only spent 11 years at JHS teaching JROTC, served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force active duty, but has also majored in physics.

“I came into the Air Force and I had a four-year obligation. And so it was kind of, ‘I’ll do four years and get out.’ But it was about that eight or 10-year point where I kind of decided, ‘You know, I really like what I’m doing, I’m being successful, I think I’ll stay in.’ So, it was just always, always, wanting to serve my country,” stated Benning.

Benning’s first teaching opportunity was in the Air Force’s active duty.

“When I was in the Air Force, I got the opportunity in the Air Force on active duty to teach or instruct,” Benning stated. “I was in charge of training.”

Benning undeniably enjoys teaching and working with others.

“But this job, yeah, it’s teaching in the classroom. But to me, it’s so much about mentoring our youth,” said Benning. “And that’s what keeps me coming back each year. It’s being able to work with the high school students.”

Using team building exercises in the classroom, Benning attempts to increase mentorship within his students.

“My favorite thing about Colonel is he’s a mentor, he’s a life coach, he extends outside of ROTC, he helps you with every aspect of life,” stated Cadet Evan Cooper, a senior. “Academics, personally, just anything you ask him, he’ll be there for you.”

Cadets report Benning has improved their leadership skills.

“I’ve learned more leadership strategies through what he’s kind of like, taught and what he’s talked about with me over,” said Cadet Dylan Wibbels, a senior. “He seems like he likes to do right by the world, and he sticks to his moral compass.”

His students also report Benning having an impact on their daily lives, ranging from how his students go about their day, to a different, more positive view on how the world works.

“As a person, he is a big influence on my morality,” Cooper said. 

Not only does Benning have a great influence on his students, but he is often described positively by them. 

“I would describe him as calm, stern, collected and very intelligent,” said Cooper. “I think he’s a model example of what a man should be.”

Because of the mutual impact and likability between Benning and his students, after the students graduate, Benning keeps contact with them.

“What other things that we do is after kids graduate, we try and keep touch. Especially those that go into the military. So anytime they’re in town, we’ll take them out to lunch or dinner, and I try and keep that correspondence with as many of my students as possible,” Benning stated.

Benning’s favorite part of his job is seeing the successes of his students after graduation when an enduring impact has been made on them. He deeply enjoys the connections that are shared between the students and himself.

“They have a lasting impact because in some ways, we end up having friends for life.”