The new driver license for minors is vertical, much like the RHS student IDs, and they are colored either green for a restricted permit or red for operator licenses and identification cards. Adults 21 years of age and older still have the original horizontal-style license with a new twist. Anyone with an adult driver license will have a ghost image of their photo that is visible under a black light. Bars can now designate who is underage with this feature, which may help control underage drinking.

These new features make the licenses more expensive. Now, each license costs $5 to produce when before the cost was only $1.58. The cost to renew a license has also changed; this year the price is $12 to renew, up from $8 in 2009.

Applicants applying for the new licenses will need more forms of identification required by law such as passport or birth certificate, proof of Social Security number, and two documents to prove a current address.

Visit the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing Program at www.dps.sd.gov for more information.

Student Council is known for their involvement in Homecoming, but they also do a great deal of work behind the scenes. Student Council participates in community service, along with multiple service projects within RHS. 

According to the application, all persons interested in running for student council must meet the following criteria: have a 2.0 grade point average; have NO drug, alcohol, or tobacco violations within the last semester; and have NO Out of School Suspensions (OSS) within the last semester.

Candidates are required to have a petition signed by 45 of their classmates. Candidates will also need to prepare a one to two minute speech which they will present to their classmates during elections.

Freshmen speeches are scheduled on January 27, sophomore speeches on January 28, and junior speeches will be given on January 29.

Good luck to all of the candidates as they delve into the electoral process.

Staff Writer Ayda Alemayehu

Written by Abby Scheel
Staff Writer

“Vodcast incorporates video, so my students are seeing the computer screen and hearing my voice at the same time,” said chemistry teacher Mrs. Deb Wolf

Vodcasting is a new and different way of learning in the chemistry classes.

“Students can watch and listen to their lecture at the speed they want to essentially as homework and come to class and ask questions on that,” said Mrs. Wolf.

Vodcasts benefit the students because they are listening to their teacher who is right in front of them on their computer screen. According to sophomore Robby Dockery, students are able to repeat what they did not understand the first time by pausing, rewinding, and replaying the teacher’s words and actions.

Although the chemistry teachers are creating a new format in order to teach their students, the students are still learning the same curriculum as previous years. While preparing the vodcasts for students may create more work for the teachers, the workload for students is not affected.

“It’s the same amount of homework. [Vodcasting] replaces the assignments at home,” said freshman Jordan Larsen, a chemistry student.

Written by and photo by Ayda Alemayehu

Fact:  Eight out of 10 of us will require blood products in our lifetime.

Fact:  Our community needs an average of 100 units of blood a day to take care of

patients, yet only five percent of the eligible public donates blood.

Fact:  Blood cannot be manufactured, only donated.

Fact:  You will save lives by donating blood.               

 ^{Source:  www.cbblifeblood.org}

The Community Blood Bank bloodmobile visited RHS Thursday, with many students and staff participating in the donation process throughout the day.  A total of 56 pints of blood were collected by the end of the school day yesterday.

Student Council has been hosting the bloodmobile for over 10 years, and they are pleased with the response from students and faculty.

“We average about 55 donors, but we have had as many as 65, which is awesome!” said Student Council adviser Mrs. Michele Jensen.   “We are expecting our numbers to be a little lower today with all of the illness going around.” 

In light of the recent influenza and H1N1 flu in our community, Blood Bank employees now ask donors a series of questions to determine if an individual as been sick or has experienced any flu-like symptoms in the last 10 days.  Answers to these questions are ranked on a point system, and donor candidacy is then determined.

“We are very cautions to make sure everyone is fully recovered,” said Mr. Ken Versteeg, Executive Director of the Community Blood Bank.

According to blood bank guidelines, donors must be at least 17 years of age, in good general health, and weigh at least 110 pounds.  One may not donate if the person has ever had the following: hepatitis, current active disease of the heart, lung, kidney, liver or stomach, cancer, or habituation to injectable drugs.  Others may be temporarily ineligible is there has been any close contact with hepatitis in the past 12 months, tattoos or body-piercing in the past 12 months, major surgery or blood transfusion, and pregnancy in the past six weeks.

Donors can safely donate blood every 56 days, so if you missed out on this opportunity, the bloodmobile will be back at RHS in January and again in May.

“It is a great opportunity for first time donors to get started in a lifetime of donating the gift of life—blood!” Mrs. Jensen said.

 Photo by Jacob Krienert

            Many teachers spent their summer taking classes to improve their instruction.  For RHS history teacher Mr. Tom Holmes, spending almost two weeks of his summer on a “study tour” in Turkey was the perfect fit for him.

          “It was like a super college class,” said Mr. Holmes. “Every time I travel I learn a great deal that helps me with my teaching…I have a world history background, yet I still managed to take over 150 pages of notes!”

The trip, sponsored by the Turkish Cultural Foundation in Washington, D.C., brought together Holmes and 30 teachers, six of whom are from South Dakota, for an intensive tour of Turkish culture, education, and tradition. 

          While in Turkey, he stayed in hotels, and met Behiye Kodal, an exchange student who attended RHS last year, and her family.  Among his many excursions, he also visited two schools. 

“One school was a country school, and when the village kids saw the bus, they ran over to greet us,” Mr. Holmes said.  “That was fun. They seemed surprised to hear me speak Turkish to them.”

          Holmes has already begun sharing his experiences from this trip with his students in AP World History class.

“There are many memories I will take with me from this trip.  Perhaps the most meaningful will be the time we spent at Ephesus.  That place has so much historical and biblical meaning…nearly 10,000 years of human history,” said Mr. Holmes.  “I am truly a better person from this experience.”

Written by Jaimie Anderson

There is a small exception in who will have a chance at winning.  Good grades are what this car give-away is about.  Students with a 4.0 grade point average will automatically get four tickets into the drawing, while students at a 3.5 and a 3.0 g.p.a. will receive one ticket. 

A large business donation and fundraisers are the responsible entities for acquiring the money to purchase the car according to Principal Don Ryswyk. There are still more fundraisers planned to purchase new tires, a new mirror, and updates on the current paint job. 

Mr. Ryswyk said the Camaro giveaway is a way to get kids to notice that their grades are a very important thing. 

“This is something never seen before,” said Ryswyk. “A lot of kids would love to own this car.” 

If you don’t have the best grades but have perfect attendance, don’t worry.    A separate drawing for $1000 will be held for those students with perfect attendance.

The message is clear: get focused, get ready, and remember, the Key is Me.

Written by Raechelle RockVam, staff writer

            “My new job here at Roosevelt is a part-time clerical office worker person,” said Mr. DeBoer. He explained that the reason he came back was because he simply wanted to be here. “Whenever you give something up, whether it’s a job you love, or something you’re addicted too, you have to wean yourself off of it,” he said.

            According to the rest of the staff in student services, there are quite a bit of good-humored pokes and stabs towards DeBoer about why he’s really back at RHS.

            “DeBoer is back?” laughed Mr. Dale Veatch, assistant principal at Roosevelt. “There are three jobs I think Mr. DeBoer should try out after finishing up at Roosevelt: shooting turkeys out of cannons, going around the country and trying out food at grease pit restaurants, and testing out sandals for Birkenstock.”

            All joking aside, Mr. DeBoer is unsure of what he’d like to pursue after he leaves Roosevelt, but he’s willing to take a risk and try something new.

            “I’m going to get a job,” said Mr. DeBoer. “No idea what kind of job, but I want to do something different. Something I’ve never done before.”

Staff Writer Cara Ritter