By Jacey Jira and Brooklyn Ketcham

Trojan Tribune Staff

Is your class schedule full for next year? If not, you should consider taking a few new classes West Central will be offering. This year, the school introduced a couple new classes to their students, and will be presenting a few more in the 2012-2013 school year. When asked how decisions about new classes were made, counselor Kieron Murphy stated, “We talked to the staff and asked them what they would like to teach. If they propose something, we put it out to the students to see if it would be something they would be interested in taking.” A downfall to offering new classes is the expense of new materials and possibly hiring a new teacher. West Central staff and students are excited and ready for the challenge of the new opportunities.

The new classes offered for the 2011-2012 school year were Film Appreciation, Photography and 3D Art and Honors Chemistry. Film Appreciation is taught by Cindy Schumacher. Movies are shown, and the students are expected to write an analysis over the movie. David Tuch teaches Photography and 3D Art; students learn the history and technique of photography, and they also create 3D objects. Lastly, Honors Chemistry was taught by Jane Hamze. This course is a more advanced version of Chemistry, which will prepare students for AP Chemistry. West Central accepted these challenges very well.

The new courses for the upcoming school year will be Tech Quest, Everyday Geometry, Intro to Business, Native American Studies and Contemporary Literature. Tech Quest will be a very independent class taught by Paula Hawks. Students will research and create technology projects. Everyday Geometry, taught by Theresa Skinner, will be offered to students who need more assistance with Geometry. Brad Kennett will be offering Intro to Business, which will teach students how to design and run their own business. The class will focus on students interested in Entrepreneurial Studies. Native American Studies will be taught by Kent Mueller. The class will emphasize aspects of Native American life, mainly tribes from South Dakota and the Northern Plains. Last, but not least, Contemporary Literature will be offered. Karin Renner will be teaching the semester-long class that intends to improve reading comprehension. Teachers and students are anxious to begin the new adventures.

New opportunities are opening at West Central, so don’t be afraid to jump in and learn something new. These new classes will give you a taste of something different. Taking a variety of classes now will open your view of different careers for the future. Don’t be afraid to grasp new experiences.

By Jacey Jira and Jessica Sandahl

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Green Earth Bamboo

As teenagers go through high school, there are many factors in their lives that lead to stress and lack of sleep. This prevents students from performing at their best in the classroom and extracurricular activities. While the average teenager needs eight to nine hours of sleep a night, most students sleep only around six or seven hours. Students are forced to juggle school, sports and jobs–all while attempting to get an efficient amount of sleep.

Did you know oversleeping is the primary cause of missing school or being tardy? A lack of sleep causes students to become less focused in the classroom, and it is harder to concentrate on daily work and tests. Sleep recharges your internal battery and helps you to be successful and focus in school. Electronic devices and televisions can be a major distraction while trying to fall asleep. Putting phones and iPods away and turning the TV off 20 minutes before bedtime will help teens fall asleep faster and get more sleep. Over 30 percent of teenagers have two or more caffeinated drinks a day; caffeine causes both teens and adults to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. A lack of sleep affects concentration, memory, reaction time, and can even lead to depression.

As students mature and become more independent, they start wanting to make money and have extra cash to spend. Many teenagers work at fast food restaurants, clothing stores and daycares. It helps them to manage their money and learn how to spend it wisely. Some teenagers put their paycheck in a savings account, college fund, or use it for spending money. Although it is hard for students to balance a job with so many other factors in their life, having a job teaches teenagers lessons and puts some extra money in their pocket.

Along with trying to get a good amount of sleep, going to school and working, many teenagers are in after-school sports and activities. Sports usually take up anywhere from an hour to three hours of a student’s day. Along with time, many students have to wake up a few extra hours early to make it to practice, or they get home very late at night from a practice or game. This gives them less time to do homework, sleep and live their teenage life. Sports and other extracurricular activities are a great way to interact with friends and learn many life lessons, but they also take up a lot of time and often cause teenagers to lose sleep.

Although it is quite a challenge to manage all of the factors of a teenage life, many students learn to cope with the daily tasks and trials that come along. Teachers, coaches and bosses tend to be somewhat lenient because they know teenagers have a lot on their plate in high school. When it seems as though you want to give up at times, keep pushing; the more involved you are, the more it will reward you in the future!

By Jacey Jira

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Jessica Sandahl

Semester tests seem to be the talk of the school as the last few weeks of the quarter roll around. They can either make or break your grade; it all depends on how you prepare for them. There are many things to take into consideration as you get ready to take your exams. One very crucial thing you should do the week of your semester tests is get an ample amount of sleep and eat healthfully. Make sure you drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated. It is also important to eat a good breakfast because eating breakfast will get your brain working and give your body energy to keep you focused throughout the day.

Another helpful tip while studying for semester tests is to start looking over your materials early. Going over key points just 20 minutes a day will help you to remember many things that will benefit you in the long run. If you are the type of person who crams everything in the night before, chances are high that everything you’ve shoved into your brain will be gone the next morning.

Being relaxed and focused while you are studying will be beneficial on the day of the test. It has been proven that chewing gum helps you remember things, too. So when you are studying, pop in a piece of gum, but save one for the test day as well. One very crucial tip that many students don’t do is listen. Teachers often try to prepare their students for tests by telling them exactly what will be on it. Teachers usually will tell their students the format and what types of questions will be on the test. Listening to the little things the teacher says may immensely increase the test score.

These tips are just many of the important things to take into consideration while preparing for your semester tests. Stay healthy, get a good amount of sleep, look over your notes a little bit every night, listen to your teachers, and you will do just fine. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask a teacher; that’s what they get paid to do. Good luck!