Senator Square: Next generation of attorneys begin ‘practice’ at Carson High School

Want to be a lawyer for a day? At Carson High School, with Mock Trial, it’s possible. Mock Trial is “Law and Order” set in a simulated trial environment in a real courthouse with a real judge. The CHS Mock Trial team will meet professional attorneys and students around the state to compete Feb. 17 in Reno. The team comes from its club, which meets Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:05 to 3:30 p.m. in room 205, and even though this year’s team is already established, those interested are more than welcome to join the club at any time and start training for next year’s competition, or stand in as an alternate for this year’s team. By training this year, students will have first dibs for next year’s competition as well, and as a member of the club, CHS students are also welcome to come observe the actual competition even if they’re not competing. For questions about how to join, email teacher and advisor Sara Davis at sdavis@carson.k12.nv.us. Students at CHS may no longer need a bachelor’s and three years of law school to go into practice. Why would they need to spend all that money when the title of esquire is right next door?

ROBOTICS

CHS Robotics team won the First Tech Challenge State Championship, and this qualifies it for the FTC West Super Regionals in Tacoma, Wash., Mar. 10-12. Teacher and club advisor Nate Girdner may not be able to make it to the competition. If he’s unable to attend, the team will not be able to go to the West Super Regionals. If any certified teacher is interested in attending, please email Mr. Girdner at ngirdner@carson.k12.nv.us.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Food for Thought is a local organization providing meals to the needy student population of Carson City School District. On Feb. 14, Dutch Bros. will be donating $1 for every drink sold to FFT. Please consider enjoying a Dutch Bros. drink to support this worthwhile program.

ROCK THE BEAT

February is American Heart Month sponsored by American Heart Association to raise awareness and support. Fun fact: The heart is one giant pump, and every minute, it pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels more than 60,000 miles long. Everyone is being asked to wear red on Mondays in February. Teacher Erin Been has asked students to perform advocacy for heart-health this month. Need some red? Erin Bean has “Rock the Beat” T-shirts available for $5; however, any red will work! Email her at ebean@carson.k12.nv.us.

SENIOR PROJECT JUDGES NEEDED

All CHS seniors must complete the senior project. Each student chooses to research an area of interest, develops a product or project, compiles a portfolio, and gives a formal presentation of their project to a panel of judges. This endeavor prepares students for their future, and requires a great deal of time and commitment to complete. CHS invites the Carson City community to partner with these students through volunteering to judge and serve on panels, consisting of 3-5 students, for the senior projects boards. CHS relies on community volunteers to make this a success, and senior project presentations this year will be April 24. If interested, please select one or more of the panel(s) time(s) below. While not necessary, attending one of the three offered training sessions is recommended; they happen April 11 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., April 13, 6 to 8 p.m., and April 15, 10 a.m. to noon. Senior project presentation times on April 24 go from 8 to 9:40 a.m., 10 to 11:40 a.m., and noon to 1:40 p.m. Volunteering and partnering with Carson High School is a much appreciated sacrifice, so please support the youth of CHS, and become a panel judge. Want to know more? Go to carsonhigh.com and find the “Senior Project” link.

SENATOR SCHOLARSHIP SCOOP AND COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

Senator Scholarship Scoop is online at www.carsonhigh.com every Monday with the latest news about scholarships, testing, college visits, and grants. Western Nevada College Bridge to Success is asking seniors planning to attend WNC next year to attend an informational meeting in the CHS library Feb. 16 at 8 a.m. WNC staff will be there to help fill out admissions’ applications. Stop by the guidance office for a pass. Graduation is close, so do not be left wondering what to do next.

STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Ruben Artega Gonzalez is this week’s student of the week. He’s intelligent and works hard in everything he does. He walks around CHS with a positive attitude. Ruben is a student who makes sure to go the extra mile through interpreters. As a deaf student, it takes a little extra to understand the material, but he works hard to make sure he understands everything. CHS thanks Ruben for his amazing contributions.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

CHS is pleased to recognize Curtis Basa as this week’s amazing senior in the spotlight. Curtis is one of CHS’ top students with a grade-point average of 4.9 and is finishing his high school career with a full load of classes, several of which are AP. Curtis is also active in leadership. He was the junior class secretary and is currently the student representative to the Carson City School Board. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and has been a Link Crew leader. Curtis was also a member of the Robotics Club during his sophomore and junior years. His team qualified for state competition in 2016. Curtis is being recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors as a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program. In addition to excelling academically, Curtis is an accomplished athlete. He has been a member of varsity tennis for four years, and played lacrosse with High Sierra Lacrosse League for three years. Of particular note, Curtis has studied Tae Kwon do for 12 years and is currently a second-degree black belt. Last summer, he was chosen to participate in Operation Catapult, a summer engineering program sponsored by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. As part of this highly competitive program, Curtis worked on a mechanical engineering project which involved his team researching, developing and building an optimal commuter bike. Curtis plans to earn a degree in mechanical engineering with the goal of entering the field of robotics. He hasn’t yet decided where he will pursue his dream, but has already been accepted to UNR, Rose-Hulman, and Texas A&M. He’s awaiting decisions from several other colleges including Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Melon, Purdue, and Georgia Tech. CHS is proud of the way Curtis has represented his high school and community and wishes him the best in the future.

Phil Brady is an English teacher at CHS.