Dang, Tigers, back at it again with the new year! That’s right, you read it loud and clear, it is the beginning of a whole new school year full of the same stuff that we go through every other year in our school careers; however, there have been some changes.

First of all, Tigers, you are now required to wear your school identification to enter the school along with a collared shirt under full-zip and three-quarter zip hoodies. Apparently, we’ve been slacking when it comes to dress code so they have reinforced it to make sure we are all in dress code all the time; they won’t miss you if you don’t have one of the requirements to pass the threshold of the school. Remember to wear your collared shirts, school appropriate pants, shoes with a heel (or sandals with an attached heel), and solid color jackets if you wear them.

Another thing that had changed is the timing of school bells; CHS now only has four minutes to pass in between classes, that can feel like two minutes when you have to push through the masses in the hallways that always seem to clog up in front of the Go Center. Word of advice, try an alternative route so that you don’t clog the hallways more than they already are. It is said that a few of the teachers walked from one end of the building to the other while messing around under two minutes, but many students have brought up the fact that they did it without the commotion of a normal school day.

Tip number two, listen to music with a quick beat and see if you can walk it.

Next up on our first annual story of the masses, is health. Basically—I am not going to go into a lot of detail for this—stay healthy and if you are sick, stay away from the population of Corsicana High School. We do not need your germs making us sick, some of us actually like going to school. Drink your orange juice, wash your hands, sanitize, and sleep well (in other words, go to bed before three in the morning). Remember, if you do get sick, to be fever free for at least twenty-four hours before coming back and making yourself known.

An issue that not many people dare to talk about is depression, it’s not the topic of choice for a lot of people but it is something that needs to be addressed. This goes in with bullying on many levels. Watch what you say to people and how you react to things that they say; you may not see how you are affecting them but they know better than anyone. Even “joking around” can cause some students to take it negatively; take care of what you say. Also, fighting is being banned this year—it has been banned every year, but they are crushing down on it more this year.

“Start taking care of yourself young,” comments Nurse Burnett to the students, and to the parents she wants to extend the point of “[supporting] your kids and [staying] apart of their life.”

We have also asked the principles and the and Counselors about tips for not only the students but also for the parents as well. Even though we all hear the TCC speech every year, all of the teachers stress the need for it and work to spread it through the classrooms, teachers, students, and even the town through you.

The Counselors have made it a point to keep track of not only the teacher web pages but also the CISD main page and the CHS web page as well; the teacher web pages, they said, have vital information such as their email, tutoring times, along with other information you may need about the class. Along with teacher pages, the school and district website also contain the link to TEKS Connect and the student handbook—both important for both parents and students. They highly encourage students to keep track of their assignments and other school related activities in a planner or written down somewhere that is easily accessible. Students and parents, you are both encouraged to contact the teachers/counselors with any questions that you may have. Lastly, make sure that all your contact information is up to date and that they are able to get ahold of whomever it concerns easily.

“The biggest piece of advice that I can offer would be for students to identify and take advantage of their recourses the best that they can,” comments Principle Boulware. “Focus on using every resource in each class including your teachers, the counselors, fellow students, before and after school tutorials, and the library. Again, just take advantage in the best way that you can.”

We are Corsicana, and Corsicana is us; take care of yourself, others, and our town. TCC!