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You’ve all heard the saying “the children are our future,” right? We sure hope so, because, from a scientific standpoint as well as a motivational one, they are. As it turns out, Sheridan is a real land of opportunity. Many of these opportunities are appearing in School District #2. Sheridan High School is, and has been, offering a myriad of activities, clubs, and sports in addition to unique classes with the goal of fostering optimism, teamwork, and a love for learning. Two of those activities are We The People and the new SHS Computer Coding Club, and those two activities need your help now.
Frackelton’s Fine Food and Spirits, next monday, October the 3rd, will donate all of their profit from the day to these two clubs. Here’s what that means for you, you’re eating out that night, in case you haven’t put that together. Or, you could also go to lunch. Just go get some good food and support some kids, Sheridan.
We The People is a program ran through the Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course, taught by Mr. Tyson Emborg. The program is a national competition based on the United States Constitution, where students expand their knowledge of the history, philosophy, and application of the American government system. We had a chance to chat with students both from past years as well as some who will participate starting this fall, and let’s just say they’re some of the sharpest tools in the shed.
“I hope to improve upon my debating and researching skills while learning far beyond the fundamentals of government,” says Jaxon Porterfield, senior, backed up by Jamie Schlegel saying “we focus on a lot of issues that are relevant topics in current politics, as well as looking at them in an abstract way that you wouldn’t normally expect when studying government.” Some students are thinking outside the box, like an SHS junior, who will remain nameless, who says they want to achieve “first nationals, then world domination.”
Topics such as student freedom of speech and legal due process are addressed in the competition, requiring students to prepare essays and arguments drawing on the Constitution and its philosophers to present to a panel of judges. The Sheridan team will participate in a district competition in Casper in early December and permitting a good performance, will go on to state and even maybe nationals in Washington D.C. Teams from SHS have represented WY at nationals the last 3 years in a row, so, no pressure or anything. Mr. Embord of SHS says We The People has tremendous value to students as it allows the curriculum to be expanded to involve more critical thinking practice, as well as practice reading and writing analytically and some public speaking. It provides students an opportunity to practice “skills that reach beyond the textbook.”
Students from past competitions had a ton to say about the value of being a part of the SHS We The People Team. Liam Jones, for instance, said “it was great to practice practical applications of things we learned in class,” while Jack LaRosa shared with us that “We The People allowed me the opportunity to become one of the millennials who actually knows what he’s talking about.” Needless to say, participation in We The People is a fantastic learning opportunity for the students of SHS.
Another one of these opportunities is brand new to SHS this year, and that would be their new computer coding club. As we all know, these darned computers have quickly become a dominant aspect of the modern world, and the knowledge required to build, program, and operate them beyond a basic level is extremely valuable for a student applying to college, apply for a job, and even just to build creativity and cognitive development in a cool new way. The club is still in its infancy, and the folks behind it have some pretty dynamic ideas as to where it will go, all of which are dependent on student response. Organizers have some broad plans, but want students to be able to define the club, from the name and logo all the way to any projects or competitions the group may be involved in.
In order to participate in these competitions, these groups need some dough. Not like for cookies though, that would be delicious, but money. Again, Frackelton’s has agreed to donate all profits from next Monday, October 3rd, to these two groups in order to kickstart this year’s activities. Through the “Dining for a Cause” program, Frackelton’s is potentially donating all funds necessary for this school year’s operations for both clubs. However, that requires you, Sheridan, to go to lunch, or dinner, or dessert with your sweetheart, your family, your grand-pappy, and support the high school students of our awesome town.
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