Kenia Martinez
SJHS Staff Writier

Here at Spingville Junior High we have students with many different talents. And the school’s curriculum offers a couple of classes for those wishing to learn more and practice those talents.

The school offers a class called Creative Writing for those who love to write. It’s a class where students can practice not only short stories, but poetry and song lyrics as well. Halley Rencher is a ninth-grade student at SJHS who has started too many stories to count, but said she’s only finished a few. She said she started liking to write at the beginning of seventh grade. “I mostly write short stories and novels, but I’m starting to like poetry,” Halley explained. She enjoys writing fiction, horror, realistic fiction and fantasy.

“I’m working on a realistic fiction about a group of teenagers who live a secret life and what happens to them because of their secret life.” She’s also currently working on a poem about a hunting creature who likes to terrorize his victims. Lately, Halley has been writing more fiction stories because “it sounds like it actually could happen.”  Halley finds inspiration in her friends, other books and dreams she’s had. She said that there was a time when she was having a particularly hard time finding inspiration, but she’s starting to get past that.  She also often finds inspiration in an unfinished novel by her friend.

SJHS also offers a choir class for those who enjoy singing and want to practice and extend their skills. Holly Whearley is a ninth-grade student of Mrs. Leslie Walker, the choir teacher. Holly has been singing for six years. She sings slow songs, and she sings in soprano which is high-pitched. Her hero is Celene Dion. “She started out as nothing and became something,’’ Holly said, “No matter who you are, you can become something.”

Holly thinks she can improve on having more power in her singing style; she wants to sing like Dion. Her favorite things to sing are classic, old songs like Ave Maria.  She advises anyone who has a passion for something, even if they’re not very good, to keep striving for success. “You should follow your dreams.” Holly said.

Every kid likes to draw. Students doodle on the margins of their homework or on their notes in class. SJHS also offers a class for students to let out their creativity and get a grade for it. Jackson Averett is an eighth-grade student in Mr. Mitch Cudney’s art course. Mr. Cudney describes Jackson as an imaginative boy with advanced technical skills, good concentration and who is serious about art. He also said that he studies outside school in private art lessons. Jackson has been drawing since he was a little kid, but he says that he doesn’t really want to make drawing a career; he used to, but not very much anymore. He said it’s just a hobby now. Jackson’s favorite thing to draw with is a pencil, and he mostly does pencil sketches. “I like it because just because it’s fun.”

Steven Nunn, ninth-grade student in Mr. David Booth’s band class, plays the guitar, saxophone and clarinet. His favorite is the guitar because he said it is much more challenging than his other instruments. Steven said he would like to make a career out of music. “Only if the opportunity presents itself. There are many other careers I would enjoy doing.”

Steven’s number one inspiration is Eddie Van Halen. “He is the best guitarist ever… enough said,” Steven explained.

Steven started the clarinet in the 6th grade with Mr. Booth. “He is my hero,” he said. Steven has recently started to play with his father’s saxophone, and he has been playing guitar for almost a year now. The instrument that Steven wishes he could play is the drums and other percussion instruments.

Though there is not a class offered for every talent or passion a student may posses, there are still a lot of interesting, fun, and exciting classes to choose from.

Kenia Martinez
SJHS Staff Writer

There’s a new professor teaching the fine arts at Springville Junior High. Mr. Mitch Cudney replaced Mr. Jethro Gillispie as the art and photography teacher.  Mr. Cudney has been teaching for four years, but this is his first year teaching at a junior high.

According to Mr. Cudney, there’s probably more good art work coming from the Springville High School, but it’s still too early to tell. He hopes to get students more excited about getting creative and excited about all the different kinds of art.

Mr. Gillispie transferred from teaching at Springville Junior High to teaching at Maple Mountain High School, which just opened this fall.. He is now teaching more advanced classes than what Springville Junior High provides.

Besides teaching art, Mr. Cudney enjoys practicing art himself by painting in his free time. He said that drawing and painting are more his favorite and that he mostly paints for himself, though he hasn’t had much time to do it lately. But besides painting for himself, Mr. Cudney has also received painting or drawing requests from various people, with the cost depending on quality and size of the painting or drawing.

Halley Rencher
SJHS Staff Writer

With the school year ending and summer opening up with opportunities, you know some things are bound to change. That is exactly what is happening at the SJHS. Our wonderful art teacher, Mr. Jethro Gillespie, is leaving to go to the new Maple Mountain High School.

“I don’t look forward to leaving the junior high,” he said, “But I always wanted to teach in a high school.”  Mr. Gillespie has taught at the junior high for two years and students found him a spectacular teacher.  The same can be said for him: he will miss the wonderful students he knows and he won’t know most of the students at Maple Mountain.

Leaving does have it advantages though, such as the newer equipment he will get and he will no longer have the poles. The poles are a big problem; they are two large, black poles in the middle of his classroom that are always getting in the way. Students would have to have x-ray vision to see though them to the white board. A line that is often said in art class is: “Can I move? I can’t see with the poles in the way.”  “I will be glad to get rid of the poles, really glad,” Mr. Gillespie said.

Mr. Darrel Rolfe, principal at SJHS, had this to say about Mr. Gillespie leaving: ”We are sorry to see him leave.  His classes are always full of energy and creative ideas. Our students have been the beneficiaries of his enthusiasm.”  Everyone loves Mr. Gillespie and will be sad to see him go, but are not too sad to say: Good luck Mr. Gillespie!

KresLynn Knouse
SJHS Staff Writer

On Friday, May 1st, our very own Springville Junior High art teacher will be holding an art show at the Mode Boutique (45 North University Avenue in Provo). Mr. Jethro Gillespie will be displaying his own artwork for public viewing.

“Mr. Gillespie has a very unique art style, it would be a treat for anyone to attend this art gallery,” said Hannah Collings, a ninth grade student at SJHS.

Mr. Gillespie’s inspiration for the show was that he wanted to do small paintings, because a giant canvas can sometimes be intimidating. His paintings will go on sale at the viewing; each will be a framed 6×6 inch copy, available for purchase at only $20.

“I paint because I like to explore my understanding of the world,” said Mr. Gillespie, “I don’t really display them for money; my main motivation is because I want people to enjoy them.”

Anyone who enjoys art or is just looking for a good night out should attend Mr. Gillespie’s art show, which will be held on May 1st from 6 to 9 P.M. at the Mode Boutique in Provo.

Nikki Drake
SJHS Staff Writer

The Art Foundations classes at Springville Junior High School are going to pay The Hogle Zoo a nice little visit on May 1st. They get to do school work and have fun at the same time. They will be drawing animals and getting a closer look at the colors for the school part.  For the fun part, obviously it’s getting to go to the zoo! The classes will be there all day, and it is $8 to get into the zoo, and the bus is already paid for.

“We wanted to celebrate the end of the year by doing something fun, and my classes have worked really well this semester–they deserve it,” Mr. Jethro Gillespie, the art teacher at SJHS, said.

Sariah Morris
SJHS Staff Writer

Mr. Jethro Gillespie, SJHS art teacher, loves what he does. He became interested in art when he was a small child and that interest increased throughout high school. He said that family members and friends encouraged him and he loves to make art.

When Mr. Gillespie was in school, he said that he had good art teachers and he hopes to be a good teacher too. He decided to teach junior high students because he loves to be with kids, and he likes to see what different type of things his students make.

Carson Giles, a student of Mr. Gillespie, said, “I love Mr. G’s class. He has a really good attitude, and he is a way cool teacher. I also love that he lets us do our own thing. We are able to express ourselves.” Another student of his, Hannah Collings, said, “I like his class a lot, and it’s so cool with the projects we do, I especially love the collages.” According to his students, Mr. Gillespie is an amazing teacher.

In Mr. Gillespie’s class he does lots of different types of projects. The students learn painting, drawing different type of faces, photography, sculptures, and collages. He lets them do their own thing. “Right now, I am working on a series of small (6” by 6”) oil paintings for a show in the May Provo gallery stroll,” Mr. Gillespie said. “This show will be downtown in Provo on the 1st of May. The place is called Mode Boutique.”

Mr. Gillespie is awesome, and everyone at SJHS hopes he will keep teaching here for a long time to come.

Alondra Lopez
SJHS Staff Writer

Mr. Jethro Gillespie, SJHS art teacher, recently received a grant for the Nebo Foundation for a document camera. This document camera helps him to show his classes demonstrations using authentic materials, “if I try to show students how to shade with charcoal, I can now show everyone in the class.”

Mr. Gillespie explained that with the camera he can show the students how to do the different techniques on the big screen on the front of the class. Not all teachers have a document camera right know, but Mr. Gillespie hopes that soon all teachers will have them in their classrooms.

Mr. Gillespie is happy to have the projector in his class because has been very beneficial to his class.

Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

This year during the middle of October, the 7th grade art classes at Springville Junior High School folded, wrote, and burned their secrets. Jethro Gillespie, the art teacher at SJHS, told the students that they would be doing a project that involved writing down their secrets. The students brought colorful paper to school and they folded origami boxes. They then wrote down some of their secrets that they didn’t want anyone to know, put them into the boxes, and then they burned them out in the courtyard of SJHS.

Mr. Gillespie decided to repeat this activity this year because “the students responded very positively.” He liked doing it last year, so he decided to do it again for the enjoyment of the students and himself. “It’s a conceptual approach to art, which is very new to many seventh graders,” he explained. He continued to say that it helps empowers the artist, in this case the student, to be thinkers, instead of just listening to the assignment and doing what the teacher assigned. They get to think outside the box.

The students also liked it a lot. “It was really fun,” Courtney Taylor, a 7th grader at SJHS, said. She found that folding the boxes was difficult, but she liked it when they got to burn them.

Mr. Gillespie wants to do it again next year. “The kids responded well to this activity, especially the fire,” he pointed out. The students also suggested it for future seventh graders. “They’ll enjoy it a lot,” Courtney Taylor explained.

The students and teacher really enjoyed this activity. The teacher enjoyed showing the students how to make oragami boxes, and the students enjoyed burning them. They loved knowing their secrets wouldn’t be read by other eyes, and that gave them a sense of security and love for art.

Darryl Barnes
SJHS Staff Writer

Every so often a student named Kate Baxter grabs her pencil (and various other art tools), sits down at her desk, and creates art. She is an artist of great skill they say. Now we will see the methods of her greatness.

Kate Baxter is a 9th grade student who is an artist. “I’ve been drawing as long as I remember,” Kate explains. She really enjoys it and loves to draw. Kate uses a Japanese-style of drawing called Manga (pronounced Monga).

Kate gets inspiration from many sources, some of which include books, magazines, pictures, stories, and comics. She has found it enjoyable to read and write books and short stories. She has great talent in writing and drawing both.

The process in creating her drawings is usually the following: First, she will come up with the idea and visualize the drawing in her head. Second, she sketches the outline. Third, she sketches the inside. Fourth, Kate finalizes the drawing. Fifth, Kate decides what to do with the drawing (keep it or give it away).

Kate also loves to show off her ability to her friends. She likes to hear their opinion on her work. With their opinion in mind, she’ll make changes to benefit the drawing and make it look better.

With all of this in mind, many students feel that Kate Baxter is an outstanding artist! Many enjoy her work and envy her ability to manipulate a pencil and paper to make greatness. You ought to check out her art!

Ethan Trunnell
SJHS Staff Writer

Last year Mr. Darrel Rolfe, the principal at SJHS, asked Mr. Jehtro Gillespie, the art teacher, about replacing the meadow mural with something more SJHS-centered. Mr. Gillespie liked the idea of the students painting it. The next day he asked for volunteers, and over the course of a month six to eight kids replaced the former mural with a picture of our school mascot, the SJHS knight.

Our school goal is to become like knights and to be effective communicators, responsible citizens and successful learners. If we see the representation of these goals every day, big as life, it will help inspire us to become what our teachers and administration are teaching us to grow up to become.

This mural is painted with house paint. Yes you read right, house paint! Mr. Gillespie went to Lowes and bought mismatched clearance paint. It is fairly cheap, very durable, and super long lasting. These characteristics ideally suited the artists’ needs.

A grid system was the solution to the dilemma of making a small picture nearly ten times the size it started out as. First Mr. Gillespie copied a picture of the school mascot (the knight) and applied a grid to the picture. Then the students drew a giant grid over the older mural and carefully worked on each box. Then they drew what was on the small picture onto the wall and moved on to the next box eventually the whole picture was completed.

It took them a month, and the final product was a great new picture of our symbol and mascot. The new mural represents what the teachers and students of Springville Junior are striving to and accomplish.

by Carolyn Brown
SJHS Staff Writer

Art Foundations is the most advanced art class at Springville Junior High School. In the class, students create art in a variety of media. They make collages, sculptures, prints, and many other things. When choosing the projects for each week Jethro Gillespie, the art teacher, looks at what students think art is and explores and expands that image. He also teaches what art is. One of Brandon Wolf’s favorite projects so far is the spray-paint stencil, where the students made a stencil of their faces and then the spray-painted the stencil. While Kat Smith’s favorite is the perfectionist-slob project, where students made the first half a picture as realistic as possible and the other half as sloppy as possible.

Students choose this elective class for a variety of reasons. “I’m really interested in art and I think that this class will help me improve,” said Kat Smith. “Ever since I was little I’ve liked to do art, and I thought that an extra art class would be great,” explained Brandon Wolf. Art Foundations is a class that is important to not only school life, but everyday life. “Most of us have a desire to create and explore. Art is kind of like an outlet, of sorts, where you get to make things your very own, and you can solve problems,” said Jethro Gillespie.

The students also have more freedom in what they do. Each week they have to do a concentration project, where they get to make something in a media of their choice. They have to spend an hour on each concentration project and have it done and turned in by the end of the week, but those are the only restrictions. They get to choose what to do and how to do it. Just as a heads up for future students: try your best, follow directions, and have fun, and you will have a great semester in Art Foundations.

by McKenna Gleave
SJHS News Writer

Jethro Gillespie is Springville Junior High’s beloved art teacher. We are extremely proud to announce that he will be displaying his new works on Friday, October 17, 2008. He will be part of the gallery stroll held inside “Signed and Numbered,” under Slowtrain Records, at 221 East 300 South in Salt Lake City.

For the past three months Mr. Gillespie’s time has been spent working on pieces for his show, “Glory and Woe.” The pieces being featured are about sadness, struggle, triumph and exaltation. He says, “It’s the space I find myself in between being a saint and a sinner…. Life as I understand it.”

Backtracking to his childhood he recalls being encouraged by his parents after he drew a picture of Jesus during a family activity one night. “My mom says everyday after that when my dad would come home from work and I would have 30 to 40 new drawings of Jesus to show him.” “Glory and Woe” is based on his experiences with life, people, and spirituality.

All his pieces came from the heart. He believes that an artist’s job is to portray a message, as pure and true as he or she is able.

Every third Friday at “Signed and Numbered” there is a gallery stroll featuring several artists. Mr. Gillespie would like to encourage any who can to come view his works and others. He well be selling original pieces, as well as copies.