Students Take Challenging Electives

As a freshman entering her first debate tournament, senior Ariana Sherk was going up against other East students. She went into it not knowing what to expect or how things would work. Although it wasn’t the most competitive of the tournaments her and her partner ended up not losing a single round.

Since then Sherk has moved into the advanced debate program, which is more fun in her eyes, because students know what to expect and how things will play out.

In advanced debate, the students each have a partner whom they do research with and present the case with at tournaments. Your partner in debate could make or break your experience. The pairing spends lots of time together in the debate room before and after school to put together evidence, go over cases and prepare for their tournaments. Most of the tournaments are Friday evenings and all day Saturday similar to tournaments in sports.

“[Winning a tournament] is kind of nerdy but our teacher announces every Monday how everyone did and you get your name up on the wall,” Sherk said.

Teacher Trey Witt thinks many students hear about debate from other friends or siblings who have taken the class before. But no matter how kids have heard of the program it has become a popular program at East. This year there are about 100 novice and about 40 advanced debaters.

“We have one of the largest debate programs in Kansas.” Teacher Trey Witt said. “I think it’s average for most schools to have maybe 20 or 30 kids total. So I think part of the reason kids initially take beginning is because of the reputation of the program.”

Although Sherk doesn’t plan on taking the debate skills she has learned on to college or law school she is still happy she took debate at East.

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Like many East students, senior Spencer Jarrold was first introduced to Spanish in elementary school. But the thing that makes Jarrold stand out is the fact that he has stuck with the language through now his senior year in high school.

Originally his parents were the people who encouraged him to take the class at East. Now in Spanish 6, he has grown to enjoy the class.

“I figured it would be not only good for colleges but I also wanted to learn the language because it has good application to the real world,” Jarrold said.

Spanish 6 teacher Rosa Detrixhe says that this year the class size is smaller than normal. Jarrold finds this to be more personal and a better working environment.

“I like having it so small,” Jarrold said. “Because after quizzes Senora Detrixhe will talk to every single one of us about our quiz instead of having a large class where we have to each be called on and maybe get not all of our questions answered.”

One of the things Jarrold finds difficult about the class is the transition from speaking English all day to only being able to speak Spanish. However, Detrixhe enjoys this part of the class.

“I enjoy Spanish 6 a lot because I can speak my native language just like if I were in Argentina,” Detrixhe said. “And when I see those kids be able to understand me and have a conversation with me of course that is pure enjoyment for me.”

Jarrold plans on continuing his path of Spanish in college although isn’t sure if he will pursue it as a career. He thinks it will be something good for his resume and for life after school to have such a solid background with the language that is slowly becoming more prominent in the US.

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It was winter of senior Tyler Cecil’s eighth grade year and it was time for him to sign up for his high school courses. English 9, check, Honors World Geography, check. As it came time to decide what electives to take, there was no doubt in his mind: he was going to take Intro to Computer Science.

“I had always kind of been a computer person,” Cecil said. “After I built my first computer, I needed an operating system for it. I ended up getting Linux which meant that I had to write programs to do a lot of things. So early on I had to program out of necessity.”

Cecil had programmed as a hobby before, but never in a school setting. Since his freshman year he has taken Programming in Java, Honors Programming in Java and AP Computer Science. This year he is enrolled in an independent study class where he has been working on three main projects: one being a video game and another being a digitized seminar pass system.

Pontier says the class is all about problem solving but finds that most students enjoy the class.

“It’s a roller coaster ride- really happy about something then the next minute you’re frustrated about something,” Pontier says. “But if you’re an independent person who likes problem solving you would love the class.”

On a typical day in his class, the students share what they have done the past few days, and show each other new tricks they have discovered. Then they all get to work. Pontier does little to no lecturing because the students know what they need to be doing. If they need help, they all bounce questions around to each other.

“Because everyone is working on a different project everyone gets to know, really well, just different things,” Cecil said. “And so every time you start a new project you kind of know who’s the expert at school in that type of software.”

Cecil knows he made the right decision to take programming classes at East as he has no doubt in his mind he wants to purse a career with computers.