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.

Eighth grader Samantha Child stands in front of her photograph, which is displayed in the hallway at SJHS.

Kara Dunn
SJHS Staff Writer

Students at Springville Junior High have many different fine arts classes that are available to them. One of these classes is a photography class, in which students learn how to use a camera and take different pictures and digitally modify their pictures. According to Mr. Mitch Cudney, the photography teacher at Springville Junior High, any student who wishes to take this class needs to have patience and be willing to work hard.

“I chose to take this class because I thought it would be fun, and I like to learn how to use a camera,” Andi Dockstater, a photography student at Springville Junior High said.

In the photography class, there are many different projects that students are required to do as assignments. Their projects vary from anything from taking pictures of emotions, to pictures of different objects.

“One of my favorite projects was when we had to take pictures of clouds.” Andi went on, “I also enjoy using Gimp, a computer program where you take a picture off the internet and change it into something else.”

“I like teaching photography; its challenging, but it’s also a lot of fun,” Mr. Cudney said.

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.