What's Inside

NON-PROFIT POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 171 LAFAYETTE, IN Volume 100 September 28th, 2012 Jefferson High School 1801 S. 18th St., Lafayette, IN SUE IS THE 1 “Educateb and inform the ooSTERwhole mass of people...They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson BOOSTER celebrates its 100th year with a A CENTURY OF TRADITION look back at its origins Jessica Griggs away in 1974. After 1976, the Booster struggled. The super- for the paper. The former supervisor had decided Reporter The time that followed the death of Hopkins visor of the time had little experience in teach- to seek a job elsewhere, resulting in an unnerv- became one of transition and rebuilding. Caro- ing a journalism and newspaper ing three hour interview of eleven In September of 1912, a legacy was created. line Smith, who had been mentored by Hopkins, class specifically, and the paper people to find the perfect match for The now old Jeff opened its doors and allowed then the job. ambitious students into its halls for the very first took Among those eleven hopefuls, time. Those students took it upon themselves to over the was Herber, the previous editor of produce a newspaper of the highest journalistic paper, a few small school magazine-type quality that came to be known as the Monitor. and al- papers who felt intimidated by the The Monitor was short lived however and though long standing status of the Booster ended publication in 1916 because of World War expec- as one of the most prestigious pub- I and the rationing that was required of all re- tations lications in the state. After show- sources. had ing his prior achievements, which Students came together in 1923 to demand been had been reviewed and critiqued the right to exercise their First high for by Hopkins, Herber was given the Amendment rights in the job of supervisor of the Booster form of a school newspaper. and remains as such today. The publication that Last year, under the direction emerged was named the of Herber, the Booster received the award for Booster, the moniker signi- best high school newspaper in the nation from fying that the contents of the the American Scholastic Association for its dis- pages would boost the morale ciplined editing and hard work put forth by all of the school through espe- involved in the publication of the paper. cially hard times. Staff Photos “The school corporation has been very good The year of 1949 became to us,” credits Herber. “The equipment and free- a memorable one for the THE BOOSTER dom to produce a successful paper has all been growing paper. A man by the HAS BEEN an in- provided to us by the administration.” name of C.J. Hopkins took tegral part of A former staff member of the Monitor was over the duty of supervis- Jeff High School quoted in 1915 for saying, “Copies of the Moni- ing the periodical, and under since 1913. The tor have been sent as far as Washington, D.C., his reign the Booster gained first press block Asheville, N.C., and Bade City, Fla. And yet local, state, and even nation- of the renamed some have the nerve to ask, ‘Why is a high wide recognition, according to current supervi- another BOOSTER is pictured at the top right, report- school paper necessary?’” sor, Chuck Herber. era of ers work on design to the right, and long-time Despite all of the struggles and tribulations A jack of many trades, Hopkins also coached success advisor Chuck Herber reads copy to the left. that the paper has faced, the heart of the Booster the boys’ tennis team to its only state champion- under has always been the students, and as its staff and ship, and he served as a reporter for the Journal Smith, readers celebrate its 100th birthday, they ac- & Courier. she left the corporation after a year. She was re- lost some of knowledge all of the hard work and dedication Hopkins remained supervisor of the paper un- placed by Peggy Dulch who, while very effec- its renowned reputation. that was required to achieve the success they til he developed diabetes in 1971, and he passed tive and successful, only stayed a year as well. The year of 1986 marked the turning point pride themselves with today. Jeff hosts Superintendent Bennett with a flurry of questions about new changes Kate Halliwell elective classes. For example, classes like changes are coming straight from Dr. Bennett said, “I believe that saying certain Editor-in-Chief culinary arts, Radio/TV, weights, BOOST- Studebaker and the school administration, kids will not learn becomes an excuse.” He ER, choir, and band may have a hard time the entire state is undergoing varying levels continued to explain, “Nothing is more im- It is no surprise to any student or teacher changing their classes to fit certain points of changes in education this year. portant than an inspirational teacher. They at Lafayette Jeff that big changes are being on the rubric. The make students want to learn. The key is that put in place this year. While many of these form that is used we cannot lower our expectations. ” Ac- changes are based around the teaching pro- seems to be more cording to Bennett, the new teacher evalua- cess, students are being affected as well. suited towards tions are not put in place to punish teachers, With the introduction of Collins Writing, a standard math but to reward them. “Education has done a learning objectives in every class, adminis- or English class, poor job of recognizing great teachers. We trative evaluations, and an increase of stress rather than some need to reward the most important facet of on many of the teachers, students would be of the more un- education.” hard pressed not to have noticed changes in usual courses of- Studebaker, when asked similarly about their classes. fered at Jeff. what to expect from the special needs popu- According to Principal Jeff Studebaker, Studebaker re- lation at Jeff, said, “Within any population the teacher evaluation rubric has been in the sponded to these that you care to name or define, there are process for around five years. The changes concerns, saying, going to be outliers. There are going to be are based on the school’s ECA scores and “The idea behind people that outperform and those that un- final exam performances. these classes is derperform compared to the norm. The sta- The form used to “grade” teachers con- that students are tistics do show that on average, a special tains the following points of evaluation: gaining knowl- needs population in general is going to per- How does the teacher begin the class? Do edge and skills form lower that the general education popu- they explain objectives and goals for the from these ac- lation.” day? At the end of the class period, have tivities. The edu- He continued, “In a school corporation students accomplished the aforementioned cational gain is Staff Photo that has multiple risk factors such as ours, goals? How are the teachers handling in- what we would not only do we have a high special educa- struction of their students? Are they check- be focusing on. SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Tony Bennett talks tion group, but we’re coupling that in many ing for understanding as the class goes Here at Jeff, we with BOOSTER staff members during his visit at Jeff in August. instances with high poverty. It throws off along? Finally, the teacher must vary in- have all these the overall picture, and it’s not as easy as Dr. structional techniques including lecturing, fantastic oppor- Bennett would have us believe, that it’s just group activities, individual learning, and tunities for students, and we need to make On the first week of school, Jeff was vis- a matter of a teacher inspiring somebody.” using the chalkboard/smartboard. sure that there is always an educational gain ited by the man who implemented a lot of “The truth of the matter is that the school “Teachers have access to this document, behind them.” these changes. The Superintendent of Pub- only has a student for seven hours a day, for as well as the overall rubric, so they know He continued, “We realize that the rubric lic Instruction, Dr. Tony Bennett, graced 180 days a year…so the vast majority of the what to expect from these evaluations,” said is going to be applied differently in every Jeff with his presence in late August. Ques- day is spent outside school,” said Studebak- Dr. Studebaker. Despite these words, it is no class, and that is okay.” As administra- tioned about his upcoming policies, he dis- er. Much of a teenager’s educational experi- secret that many teachers, whether tenured tors begin evaluating teachers and classes, cussed his childhood in southern Indiana, ence is affected by his/her home life. or new, are apprehensive about the upcom- there will be three spontaneous 10-minute work in education so far, his family life, and While this year’s modifications are con- ing observations. observations and one long observation per his passion for learning. cerning to many at Jeff, in the long run, the One concern heard from teachers is that semester. Eventually, when asked his opinion of school is doing what it can to improve the the rubric may not apply to some of the Although students may think that these Jeff’s high special education percentage, level of education the students receive. Jeff football is in full swing as Wise Words homecoming approaches this weekend.

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