Stories |
Stories |
2019-2020
Meet Our New Activities Director By Emma Sharman Co-Editor-in-Chief Mr. Robinson is taking over for Andrea Itson as Millikan’s Activities Director and FOCUS Advisor from the 2020-2021 school year onwards. While it is a rather unusual time to begin a job that is so reliant on human connection, Robinson is in it for the students and he’s up for a challenge. ⠀⠀⠀⠀According to Robinson, his new position brings many new duties. He lists some of the essential responsibilities as the Activities Coordinator as follows: Overseeing student groups, programs like ASB, events, building overall school spirit, managing digital platforms, facilitating the ASB budget, student store, fundraising, and supporting Millikan’s culture climate goals by instilling a sense of belonging in students. ⠀⠀⠀⠀“This has always been a position I have dreamed of. I graduated from Millikan and when I started working here five years ago, we already had an amazing Activities Director. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get such a tremendous opportunity,” Robinson says. ⠀⠀⠀⠀He describes his prior time as a middle-school teacher as one step in helping him towards his goal of helping students to obtain new knowledge as well as teaching them the importance of individuality and growth. He adds, “As the Activities Director at Millikan, with the help of my ASB and FOCUS student leaders, I now get to help provide an experience for our student population that is filled with energy and school spirit.” In light of the current situation, Robinson explains that “this is truly an unprecedented year, and I’ll never stop trying to provide that Millikan spirit that we’ve built together over the last few years. As you plan an event or activity, you need to understand that things won’t always go as hoped,” He emphasizes how indispensable it is to be adaptable and flexible, “and be willing to try a second or third option.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀Despite everything, Mr. Robinson takes a joyous and hands-on approach to his duties, stating that “the main responsibility of the Activities Director is to have the entire student population in mind. Everything we do is for the students!” PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. ROBINSON New Activities Director Mr. Robinson excitedly poses for a selfie with Millikan’s mascots Millie and Robbie Ram Sign Language Club Now Handy Over Zoom By Paris Blanco Co-Editor-in-Chief ⠀⠀⠀⠀Created last school year, the Sign Language Club continues during online learning. Founder and President, PEACE sophomore, Crystal Duncan, started this club last year after coming from a middle school with students who are hard of hearing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀“My friends and I all began learning sign language to communicate [with the students who are hard of hearing] and decided it was a good idea to bring to high school,” states Duncan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀As for content, Sign Language Club spends time learning sign language and about deaf culture. Much of this is done through movies and videos that are about people who are hard of hearing as well as sign language. Although all of the founders of the club have the ability to hear, they have learned from a teacher who is deaf and only shares what they know. ⠀⠀⠀⠀Duncan also says, “I believe sign language is an important topic to learn about because hearing people learning it will bridge the barrier between the deaf and hearing community.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀With Sign Language being offered at Millikan as a club, many wonder why it hasn’t been converted into a class. ⠀⠀⠀⠀QUEST Junior Lindsey Yates shares, “This is probably because of able-ist thinking reducing sign language to less than an actual language. Or, Millikan just didn't want to add it as a language course option for budget reasons. I would love an ASL class at Millikan where we could learn it better and faster than in a club.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀Though, QUEST counselor Ms. Barragan explains that it is due to a lack of teachers and funding because “most language teachers need to teach or have the ability to teach another class besides their language.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀Nevertheless, Sign Language Club meets every Monday at lunch. As of now, the club meets over Zoom via this link. PHOTO COURTESY OF CRYSTAL DUNCAN This Zoom screenshot features the Sign Language Club’s 2020-2021 members. They are all holding up the sign for “I love you.” Club President, Crystal Duncan, is also featured in the upper left corner.
9 Comments
Julianna Caliri
12/2/2020 10:42:44 am
December 2, 2020
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Briana Sevilla
12/2/2020 11:04:03 am
In Features, Issue 3 2020 (published November 20, 2020), Emma Sharman wrote an article titled “Meet Our New Activities Director”. The article gives us background of the many duties our newly announced activities director, Mr. Robinson, undertakes. Not only is Robinson the activities director, he is also the FOCUS advisor. His position allows him to create school spirit by coordinating activities through fundraising and his facilitation of the school budget. Robinson is also to aim these spirit driven activities towards all students, creating a more welcoming environment to students of color. Mr. Robinson explains that his priority is to create an environment filled with school spirit dedicated to all students. As a student in Mr. Robinsons ASB class, I must assert that he is certainly a kind hearted man who seeks the absolute best for every student, no matter their background. He is set to making school a joyous place rather than a dreadful one. These unprecedented times have greatly affected the ability to bring school spirit online. Still, Mr. Robinson finds a way to get to students and even staff of Millikan and put a smile on their face. Overall, this article was well written and provided real quotes stated by Mr. Robinson which deemed it more informative.
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Emilee Renteria
12/2/2020 11:37:57 pm
December 2, 2020
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Tru Jones
12/3/2020 10:38:27 am
December 3, 2020
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Jason Davison
12/3/2020 10:40:19 am
In Features, Issue 3/2020 (published November 20, 2020), Emma Sharman wrote an article titled "Meet Our New Activities Director". In the article Sharman gives us some details about Mr. Robinson and about his new position as the Activity Director. Robinsons position has a lot of duties such as overseeing student groups, building school spirit and facilitating the ASB budget. Even though this job has a lot of things to be responsible for, he was up for the task. I have not interacted with Mr. Robinson that much since I have been at Millikan, but every time I see him at school he always looks like he is enjoying what he is doing. I feel that this job is great for him, especially since he said, "As the Activities Director at Millikan, with the help of my ASB and FOCUS student leaders, I now get to help provide an experience for our student population that is filled with energy and school spirit.” I think he will do exactly this because at the end of the article it says how he has the entire student population in mind with everything, and, "Everything we do is for the students!”
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Roman Pearl
12/3/2020 10:46:28 am
December 3, 2020Dear Corydon Editor,In issue 3/2020 (published November 20, 2020), Paris Blanco wrote an article titled "Sign Language Club Now Handy Over Zoom" which talks about the importance of sign language and how the learning of sign language, even for the non-disabled is still being taught during online learning. I think learning new dialogues are great and this article intensifies how important sign language is for our daily lives. I am concerned with you saying "many wonder why it hasn't converted into a class." I'm pretty sure in the special ed classes they already do sign language (I've been in there and they use it) but I don't know for sure if they teach it in there. Although I do think it's important for being to communicate with the disabled making it a class would just be ninety minutes of people laughing and doing hand signals. I'm also concerned with quoting quest kids such as Lindsey Yates as MBA is clearly the backbone of Millikan and all advice should be sought out by the proud MBA students. I do love the importance exclaimed in this argument and it brings new, interesting arguments of why we should use a second language in schooling.
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Kylie Plooster
12/3/2020 10:48:10 am
December 3, 2020
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Karly Vicente-Barrios
12/3/2020 10:50:20 am
In Issue 3/2020 (published November 20, 2020), Paris Blanco wrote an article titled “Sign Language Club Now Handy Over Zoom ” This article opened my mind to a new way of communicating, although I know other languages and I am still currently learning one, it is fascinating to know that ASL is taking action at Millikan High School. I have always wondered why Millikan did not have an ASL course but after reading about it in the article it mentioned how it's due to lack of teacher and funding from the school and that, “most language teachers need to teach or have the ability to teach another class besides their language.” This made me consider how Millikan can still have the opportunity of learning it by a club that Crystal Duncan, the founder, and president, created since in her middle school some students were hard in hearing. She mentioned that “My friends and I all began learning sign language to communicate [with the students who are hard of hearing] and decided it was a good idea to bring to high school,” which sounds very thoughtful of her due to her being a student and wanting others to have the opportunity to learn a language that she used to communicate with other students from her school that can benefit many and change peoples perspective in life.
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Maya Romo
12/4/2020 12:16:47 am
In Issue 3, Paris Blanco's article entitled Sign Language Club Now Handy Over Zoom" (published November 20, 2020) is incredibly informative and helped me understand how important sign language is to society. I appreciate how the author used quotes from students to support their claims. It is important that the readers see how students enjoy the club and why they believe it is valuable. I also think it is great that the author linked a site about the deaf community so the readers are able to learn about why sign language is so crucial. I agree that sign language should be added to Millikan as an official class because it is extremely necessary. Though there may be some budgetary concerns, I believe all students should be given the opportunity to learn sign language. I enjoy how Blanco includes another perspective that offers a more realistic point of view from the counselor. It is important to see all sides to a story before creating an informed opinion. I believe that this article functions as a great way to raise awareness for the Sign Language Club and even encourages new students to join. Blanco turns the topic of a school club into an entertaining and informative read that inspires students to pick up a new skill.
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