www.crimsonaviator.wordpress.com October 2015

INSIDE CRIMSON AVIATOR

Please see Stress/Page 6

Mr. Wolf takes a pie to the face as part of the traditional Redbird Rally celebration. See page 2.

Photo by Kendal Weymier

Write for the Crimson Aviator! See Mr. Guyette in Room H108 if

interested. Anyone can join.

By Sophia MettnerAviator staff writer

The stress in students’ lives that comes from high school is inevi-table. Many students are getting jobs, taking drivers education and joining sports, all while trying to keep their grades high. Some students struggle to prevent this stress, and others allow it to occur without a worry. Stress levels can all depend on their attitude

Student surveyThe goal of Octobird is to

promote school spirit. How effective were the efforts

this year? (160 responses) * It had a large positive impact, 27 %* It had a small positive impact, 48 % * It had no effect, 21 % * It had a negative effect, 4 %

Comments: l “They really should just call it homecoming. It is literally the same exact thing just with a new name.”l “I feel like spacing everything out makes things less exciting.” l “Next year it would be better to have the dress up days before the dance.”l “The undefeated football team and the parade helped promote school spirit.”l “Bring the spirit of an actual homecoming back in 2k16??”l “I wish it could have had more support because I think it could be great and people could really get into it.”l “I liked seeing everyone dressed up for Spirit Week.”

Is Octobird here to stay?

towards school. The students who don’t care simply don’t let them-selves be stressed. However,studentscanfindhealthy ways to reduce and cope with their stress, according to De Pere HS nurses and counselors. Ms. Willihnganz, one of the school counselors, thinks the causes of teens’ stress can come from a va-riety of places: an intense workload, taking on too much, family problems or getting jobs. “Some students try to work

through their stress, but others just stay stuck,” she said. “They try when they’re overwhelmed, but sometimes they can’t do anything about the situ-ation.” Ms. Willihnganz gave sev-eral ideas for students to help reduce stress. “Eliminate distractions, prioritize, talk to adults that can help,andfigureoutthecausesofthestress,” she said. Mrs. Scheld, the district em-ployee health nurse, shared numer-

ous steps that go into coping with stress. “Knowing your body and when you’re feeling overly stressed is helpful,” she said. “Some signals can be headaches, fast heartbeat, upset stomach and muscle tension. Relaxing your muscles, clearing your mind, and maintaining organization, like writing things down, all can be used to reduce the stressors. Another popular one is exercise.”

Feeling stressed out? Try these tips

Dance team members Ashley Scharp, Samantha Bailey, and Abby Bailey show off their moves to promote school spirit during the Octobird pep rally. Photo by Emma Jo Hirschy

By Jake Dorsch and Micaela Dan-ielsson, Aviator staff writers

Octobird is an event very new to De Pere, only in its second year, and it’s not apparent whether it will stay for years to come and become tradition. “I think traditions are great things,” said Mrs. Wollin, the head of the Octobird committee. “It’s some-thing to look forward to every year and something younger students can count on before coming to this high school.” Asked about the opinions of the student body, Wollin said, “Up until now the feedback has been good, and we’ll always welcome if students have things to say, since

there are many of us that they can turn to.” Last year, Octobird was introducedforthefirsttimeandhasbeen debatably a replacement for Homecoming Week, which De Pere High School hasn’t had for 15 years. “The goal is to have a month long celebration that gets staff and students involved and that provides school spirit and general camaraderie among them,” Mrs. Wollin said. It’s also worth noting that a

majority of the decision making has beendonebyacombinationoffivestudents and three staff members, a nearly even role between students and staff in regards to brainstorming. According to sophomore Karlee Dressen, a member of the Octobird committee, there was a while when the committee had three meetings a week. Several committee members said the feedback about this month from other students has been positive. An Aviator student poll

(above) supports that claim. “Kids have been sad over the fact that other schools have Home-coming, Pep Rallies and parades while we don’t,” said Dressen. “Be-fore we started Octobird last year I believe that brought down the school spirit.” DPHS had a dance early in October, a parade on Oct. 23, dress-up days, a locker contest that many

Please see Octobird/Page 3