Senior's Suggestions

The time is coming. In the next couple of weeks, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will receive enrollment cards and the humongous course book for the following school year filled with pages and pages of class options. The seniors will celebrate because they don’t have to fill out a card for the first time in three years. These ready-to-graduate high schoolers are ready to pass down knowledge about their favorite classes here at Jenks and why we should take them . Senior Alex Hurla one hundred percent recommends to underclassmen her favorite class at Jenks: AP Statistics. “I love the class because of Mrs. Temple,” says Hurla. “She has truly made this subject a fun one and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. While it may be a harder class, it is so worth it!” Even though AP Statistics is a college level course, it is very useful in order to pursue several career options, such as mathematics, computer programming, and medical science. “I never realized how much statistics interested me until I took this class,” says Hurla. “For me, this is how my brain works. Mrs. Temple is truly a one of a kind teacher. She is so passionate about teaching and her students that I look forward to her class everyday.” Senior Elissa Wallace had a three-way tie for her favorite class at Jenks: English 11, English 12, and Advanced Placement Studio Art 3-D. “For English 11 I had Mrs. Workun, for English 12 Mr. Connelly, and for AP 3-D art Mr. Allen,” says Wallace. “All of the classes gave me the power to express myself through different kinds of media.” English and art classes in particular hold what other subjects such as math and history don’t: showing who you are as a person and getting to create masterpieces that you think of.  “In English or Art, you find something you are passionate about that lets you be the most raw version of yourself, and that helps you grow,” says Wallace. “Whether I was creating a book, writing a poem anthology, making different ceramic pieces, or whatever else, I have the power of creating what I want and finding whatever muse I see to fit to what I’m working on. I love being in charge of my own creation.” These classes are very subjective, and they help form you into the best version of yourself. If you love reading, writing, and sculpting, then these courses would be perfect options.  “Without these classes, I wouldn't be the bold superwoman I am today,” says Wallace. “The strength words hold and the way art can captivate the scenes is amazing.” Senior Matthew Smith decided that his favorite class to ever take at Jenks was AP Physics I and II with Mrs. Bradley. “I enjoy puzzles and brain teasers, and in a nutshell, that’s really what Physics is,” says Smith. “Every problem is testing to see if you comprehend the material and can accurately manipulate and utilize formulas. By looking at the class and each individual problem, it makes the class all that more fun!”This class is also a college level course, and the material presented is challenging. However, every student who has the passion for physics and seeing how objects and nature work in our everyday lives is able to succeed. “This class really taught me the importance to stay on top of my work, and to constantly try to improve,” says Smith. “With every chapter there was always something that didn’t make complete sense. So every time I went back to review the subject, I always learned something new. Mrs. Bradley has a passion for her students that is very seldom found in teachers. When she takes on a student there is nothing she won’t do to help them succeed.” AP Physics isn’t always book work and pounding your brain with Newton’s Laws and tons of other formulas. There are multiple opportunities to have fun while learning at school. “My favorite part about Physics was all of the labs Mrs. Bradley setup for us,” says Smith. “My favorite lab was when we made homemade ice-cream in AP Physics II! I would recommend this class without a doubt. If you think it sounds too hard, talk with her before you decide not to take it. It does come easier to some people than others, but don’t throw away a great opportunity without at least trying to see if you could make it.”Senior Hridaya Shaw says that her favorite class at Jenks was Advanced Placement English Language and Composition with Mrs. Edwards. “This class is reading and discussion based so it was super interesting,” says Shaw. “The class counts for an English credit, but the curriculum doesn’t feel like the formulaic English classes I took freshman and sophomore year.” AP Language Arts and Composition is an advanced placement class which means you’ll have to do more work than the regular English classes, however the benefits are well worth it. You learn to read, write, and find applications to how ideas connect. “AP Lang also has more to do with argument, research and real world topics than AP Literature or English 12,” says Shaw. “I think I’ve started approaching my writing style in a different way after this class because Edwards pushes you beyond just essay templates. I think it also introduces students to different texts and books.” During this course, there are several units to help you learn about a variety of topics such as dystopian, classic literature, North Korea centered, and our criminal justice system.“I would definitely recommend this class to underclassmen,” says Shaw. “Sometimes it’s difficult, but it is also fun. I loved discussions and the philosophical unit during the spring semester.” Chances are, you’ve probably had a class before where a student aid helps the teacher with certain parts of grading, cleaning, and class activities. Senior Jewel Jentsch expresses that her favorite class is aiding for the librarians at Jenks High School. “I really like aiding,” says Jentsch. “I always wanted to aid for a teacher to show responsibility. Right now I aide for the library, and it shows me that the library is more than just a place to check out books.” The building five library has three librarians, and they all care for each student at Jenks. They help students with typical library duties such as checking out books and counting fines, as well as managing the coffee area and game shelf. “Mrs. McLaughlin, Mrs. Henning, and Mrs. Besser are the nicest librarians to get to know,” says Jentsch. ”They are fair with their work and are great friends. I'm assigned to part of the non-fiction section of the library and am given some chores to show that I care for the library just as much as the librarians.”While aiding is a less-stressful, more relaxed class, it certainly still requires work on your part to help out fellow teachers. Aiding is a fun experience, especially for aspiring teachers and educators, and those that want to make a difference here at Jenks. “Aiding has shown me how responsibility doesn't have to be hard work, but fun ways to learn new things,” says Jentsch. “I would definitely recommend underclassmen to sign up to aide! It doesn't matter who you get; aiding is fun for anyone who has tried the class.” Senior Brad Morsman says that his favorite class at Jenks High School is weight training, taught by Coach Isham. “Weight training is enjoyable because, aside from being a good mental break from more typical classes, it really helps with confidence and self image,” says Morsman. “It has helped me learn to push myself beyond what's comfortable, whereas before the limit of my comfort would be the limit of what I would do.” Weight Training is an elective for guys and girls at Jenks. In this class, you learn to use certain gym equipment to lift weights and make yourself stronger as a person, inside and out. “Coach Isham is definitely part of pushing myself, since he actually believes in your ability more than you yourself often do,” says Morsman. “He'll often push you beyond what you can think and what you can accomplish.” If you want to to gain more muscle and feel better about yourself, then this class is the one for you. “I'd definitely suggest this class, especially since the nature of it allows anyone to do well,” says Morsman. “Just set the right weight for yourself and you're good. I think that the predone weekly workout schedule helps with how it takes your mind off of more typical classes.” Senior Cyane Sullivan decided that her favorite class here at Jenks was Food Prep and Nutrition with Mrs. Good. “Honestly, this class taught me about cooking,” says Sullivan. “I would say we just scratched the surface, and I know that there is more to learn out there.” If you’re interested in learning how to cook food and learn about life in the kitchen, then this class is an excellent option. “I did activities in this class about how to cook and I also learned informational things about the kitchen and more,” says Sullivan. This elective certainly is fun because all of the food you make, you get to eat! Other than just making food, you learn about nutrition and the importance of keeping your body healthy. “I enjoyed this class greatly because Mrs. Good was excellent at teaching us what to do,” says Sullivan. “She is very cool and easy to talk to. I would highly recommend taking this food prep class (food prep one and two) your senior year. Save it for your last year of high school!” So, pull out those bulky coursebooks and enrollment cards, think carefully about what classes would be best for you, and then sign up for them so that you can enjoy your high school career (or at least try to).By Jordan Brunk