Studentsstayingat DHS,despitechanges

Amidstmanycuts,currentDHS students eventhoseleavingnext year seemtotrustDHSstaff.

By:AliferiaGonzalez&BeeLogan

As the 2022-2023 school year wrapped up, many current Discovery High School (DHS) students made the choice to stay or leave due to a variety of reasons. Notably, few reported the recent changes and cuts to DHS as a reason for them leaving.

“Because as someone who has been on the PBL campus for 6 years I need to stay to make sure our campus stays strong with new administration, and the unification with CCA,” an anonymous form response stated.“I believe in Project-Based Learning and I want it to be successful for generations to come. Rise Phoenix.”

The 2022-2023 school year marked a $7.2 million budget deficit, sparking controversy among students and staff who didn’t agree with the decisions put in understand the DHS project-based learning environment and the needs of its students. Smith has been the principal of Odyssey Middle School and Discovery High School since their creation.

According to DHS freshman Zimri Baxter, a place to execute it. For DHS, this meant Camas Connect Academy (CCA) and Odyssey Middle School (OMS) joining DHS under the authority of one single administrator, and a significant portion of different schools’ beloved staff being removed from their positions.

For other students, Project-Based Learning made a positive impact on them that other schools would not be able to replicate.

“CHS seems horrible for my learning style and I really enjoy how I've learned at the PBL schools here,” an anonymous form response stated.

“I've been in Discovery since 9th grade and I feel like if I go anywhere else I'd probably not do as well academically,” a different form response stated.

DHS’ social climate was a particularly big player in giving many students a reason to stay.

“I really like the environment of the school and I like working with a lot of the people here,” an anonymous form response stated.“Being in project based learning has helped me with my own confidence and helped me learn a lot.”

Many form responses indicated they did not student who was on the panel, Superintendent Dr.John Anzalone would make his decision based on who the panel thought was best and his own personal opinion on who was best for the school.

Continued on Page 6

StudentsdoingworkintheartroomonMay26,2023. (ElGrimes/DiscoveryDigest) believe other schools in the district, such as Camas High School (CHS), could not have the same level of community or type of people as DHS due to their much greater size. The scale of these other schools seemed to make some students nervous enough to bar them from considering a transfer.

A small number of form responses showed simpler motivations for staying at DHS. Many students noted that they were only staying because they had been in the program since the beginning of middle school or high school.

Continued on Page 5

DressingupatDiscovery

DiscoveryHighSchoolisasafeplacefor studentexpression.

By:BradenTricola

Clothing is an expression of self, and students want to continue this expression. Discovery High School (DHS) has a wide range of clothing aesthetics that can be seen within it, from someone dressed for a concert to someone dressed as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Many students want this school to continue to be a haven for student expression, but it could change with the new administration coming next year and how they choose to enforce dress code.

Dressing up can be one of the best parts of the day for some students.

“It makes me excited to, like, go out into the world and have people look at me and be like what is that,” said Theodore Sampey, a DHS sophomore going into the fashion program at Cascadia Technical Academy next school year.

“I think it’s cool, I think it’s fun,” said Sampey.“I like being different. But it’s also like a big passion of mine. I don’t think I could, like, leave the house if I didn’t put together, like, a cohesive outfit.”

Sampey uses clothing as a source of happiness. Clothes can be a simple piece of joy in the day and a way to make the world a little brighter.

They’re also a way to express yourself and to understand others.

“That’s the first thing I notice about someone,” Sampey said.“Is the composition of their outfit. It’s really important to my little heart.”

Clothing can tell a lot about people, but contrary to what many students and even some faculty believe, the dress code in the Camas School District is applied to all schools, at least officially.

Carmen Bellini, a Discovery student, talked about their experience with the dress code.

“I’ve never had the misfortune of being dress coded, so I don’t know how it works at all,” Bellini said.“I asked Mr. Smith, and he said as long as your whole anatomy isn’t out you’re fine.”

The official dress code in the DHS student handbook has many strict provisions within it, including a ban of see-through shirts, and anything that has private parts visible—which bans cleavage of any kind being shown.The dress code also requires all shirts to meet pants or skirts, which is a ban on crop tops of any variety.

“I can’t say that I follow all those rules,” Sampey said.“I am in heavy support of crop tops.They are an essential clothing item that everyone needs in their closet, but like, I know about it, it’s not really enforced here like it is at other high schools I think.”

That lack of enforcement is what saves DHS from those strict regulations. Students can frequently be seen wearing mesh tops, crop tops, or mesh crop tops. Enforcement of these rules is the job of teachers and administrators, and their frequency is set largely by the administration.

Next year, DHS will have a new principal, and this lack of enforcement could, unfortunately, change.

“If they do, I wish them luck,” Sampey said.“The dress code has been brought up once or twice this school year, I can guarantee it still won’t be followed, regardless of what measures will be taken.A lot of us are very big on our self expression, and things that limit skin or things that pose the body to be inappropriate. I think if it’s school, and it doesn’t affect your learning, who cares.”

Forensics

debates happeninginMay,June

Theclassholdsdebatesthattheyhave beenworkingonforamonth.

By:ElGrimes

This year, the second consecutive forensics serial killer debates are being held.The debates themselves are due to begin on May 23, 2023, after students have worked tirelessly on formulating and structuring these arguments.

The class picked what serial killer they wanted to debate and then separated into two different groups for the debate: fictional serial killers and nonfiction serial killers. Every student chose one of the two and prepared to debate on why their character was the worst serial killer.

In each group, a debate would happen, having people win and move up the bracket or lose and be eliminated. It then ends with a winner from the fiction and the nonfiction groups.To continue with the competitiveness of winning the debate, every student also had access to each other's evidence papers.

“Personally for me, I chose Voldemort as my serial killer,” said Discovery High School (DHS) junior Cleo McBride.“I researched about his life, his upbringing and the factors that made him into what he was.”

McBride had chosen a fictional character for their debate.Their first round for the debate was Friday, May 26.

“It's basically about deciding what serial killer is the worst and not in terms of how many people they have killed and how they do it,” said McBride.“But mainly about their upbringing, about what factors made them a serial killer.”

“We talked a bit about it right before spring break and then right after spring break is when we got started,” said McBride

McBride said that DHS’ Forensics class had been spending a lot of time working on these debates, with work starting back in April. It's unsure how long the debates will go, but McBride suspects it will last until the end of the school year.

The debates for the class were not separated into two groups at first. Instead, they were all going to debate against each other despite the fact some serial killers were fictional. But the class ended up choosing to separate them after a large debate on the subject.They decided it was not ethical to compare fiction vs nonfiction killers.

“We had a huge conversation on human morals and is it okay to compare fictional to nonfictional,” said McBride.The forensics class ended up concluding that it was not fair in many ways and kept the brackets separate.

SisterCitydelegationvisitsCamasSchoolDistrict

SlovakianMayorshareshisthoughtsonProject-BasedLearning.

By:JackWalsh

For over 20 years, the city of Camas had ties to the country of Poland and Slovakia through the Sister Cities program, which supports cultural exchanges for students and adults.

According to Gail Housel, executive assistant to Dr.John Anzalone, Camas and these Eastern European countries have become deeply connected, often exchanging students between schools and sending delegations to explore the different cultures of each country.

During the week of April 24-28, mayors from Eastern European cities along with several other representatives visited Camas and even our own Discovery High School (DHS) campus.

During lunch on Tuesday,April 25, Discovery Digest interviewed Slovakian Mayor Michal Drotován about his impressions of the Camas School District (CSD), the U.S. education system, and Project-Based Learning (PBL).

Drotován said that he wanted to travel to Camas to explore the cultural differences between the United States and Slovakia, specifically in education.

“I’m very interested in education,” said Drotován. “You have a new building here so the architecture is amazing as well.”

Localthingstodothis summer

Ifyou’reunsurewhattodothissummer, herearesomeactivitiesandplacesto explore!

By:AveryPerry&HayleeKohler

There are many things to do in Camas over the summer, but some of them aren't advertised as much. Here's just a few of the things you, your family, and your friends can participate in during the summer.

Cottonwood Beach is a very popular spot for families, teens, and locals to have some fun in the sun.Whether you're going to tan on the beach or play in the water, there's something for everyone.The family friendly beach invites everyone this summer to come swim and spend some quality time with friends and family.

Drotován could tell that CSD is facing many challenges.

I was very impressed with how many students prepared speeches and made public comments to the school board,” Drotován continued. “That is something I would really like to see happen in Slovakia.”

In 2018, Michal Drotován was elected as mayor of the Rača district of Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. In 2022, Drotován ran for reelection and won 68 percent of the vote.

The downtown area of Camas has lots to explore and offers a variety of shops to look through.The Camas Antiques store has a unique environment for you to peruse and admire the oddities inside.Whether you find something unexpected to purchase or you’re antique hunting, the antique store is the place to go!

You can always invite friends or go on your own to the LibertyTheater to enjoy some new movies and relax with some popcorn and candy.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat, G.O.W. offers a pub-styled environment to enjoy a wide range of comfort food. If you’re looking for a little bit fancier place to have dinner, Tommy O’s has a variety of sushi and Hawaiian food.

Come enjoy the last bit of summer as Camas residents sit on the grass and watch some of the best family-friendly and kid-oriented movies. Bring your chairs, blankets, and stuffed animals and set them up for comfort on the grass. Movie treats will be available for sale so bring your money and appetite. Camas provides pre-movie entertainment the hour before the movie begins so come early to see some local talent or games! All movies are completely free and take place at Crown Park every Friday in August. Find out more at the Camas Parks and Recreations webpage, just search “Movies in the Park.”

“We are facing a difficult time and I believe that together we will manage it as best as possible for all residents of Rača,” his official page stated.

Michal Drotován also runs his own personal Instagram account, where he frequently posts photos of his travels and what he is doing to serve his district in Slovakia. Find his public account at @drotovan.

The Vancouver Mall is a very popular spot for teens in the summer, whether it's to get out of the sun or go shopping for a new summer outfit with friends.With a gym, movie theater, bowling alley, shopping, and arcade, it has something for everyone. In the surrounding areas of the mall there are many restaurants such as Olive Garden, Crumbl Cookies,Voodoo Donuts, Five Guys, and Red Lobster.

The Clark County Fair is always a fun time for friends and family to enjoy. From carnival food, to roller coasters, to ferris wheels, it’s got something for everyone.The fair will be held at the Clark County Event Center in Ridgefield WA on August 8-August 13, 2023. It can be a bit of a drive from the Camas area, but it’s worth it for the cotton candy and carnival games.

The VancouverWaterfront is always beautiful during the summer and a great place to roam and explore with friends.There’s plenty of restaurants to enjoy a sunset and waterfront dinnerWildfin, Twigs, or Dos Salas. If you’re looking for a fun food spot,The Yard offers some large milkshakes and cold sweet treats to enjoy!

Longanticipatedvarietyshowhascome andgone,butwhatdostudentsthink?

By:BeckGummer

On Friday, May 12, Discovery High School’s (DHS) first variety show was held in the last hour of the school day.The show displayed many different DHS students’ talents. Many acts were musical, and others were comedic, including one particularly chaotic duo—all of which solidified the event as a hit among DHS this show appeared to be one of the highest in production quality.

CamasSlicesshutsdown, JourneyChurchbuysthe property

TheCamaspizzaplacecloses.

By:SophiaPerian&TerrenceGillespie

Camas Slices, a Downtown Camas-based pizza restaurant, has recently closed. Its building, which was historically used as a dining establishment and in-house brewery, has now been bought out byJourney Community Church (JCC) to use as an expansion of their youth center.

COVID-19 was a large reason why Camas Slices was closed down, but the owner had also faced family/personal issues that needed to be attended to without the extra pressures of owning a business.

“It’s with a heavy heart we must announce that next weekend will be our last, along with Camas Brewing,” stated a Facebook post from Camas Slices.

JCC Holdings, alongside purchasing the former location of Camas Slices, also purchased a company under the name Camas Brewing, managed by the owners of Camas slices.

Some citizens of Camas are concerned byJCC taking up one of the most prime areas in Downtown Camas.

“With the purchase of the former Camas Slices building… the church and its holding company will own every storefront along the southeast side of Northeast Fourth Avenue between Northeast Birch and Northeast Cedar streets,” stated the Camas Post-Record.

Imogen Frazee, the curator of the show, shared some information behind it.

“The planning started, I think it started in early March,” said Frazee.“The whole planning bit was a little loose, I wish I had more structure to it.”

But of course, as with any theatrical performance, there were quite a few setbacks and last minute changes to the show.Acts had to be shuffled around, technology problems were present, and most notably the whole performance was delayed—it was originally planned to take place in April of this year.

Due to some of these setbacks, many of the performers had to make last minute changes.

“I didn’t know I was going first until the day before,” said Abe.

There were also setbacks with having an accompanying drummer.

Abe stated that he had prepared with a drum machine, which ended up being used during the performance in lieu of a drummer.

Discovery staff members also participated in the variety show through video, including principal Aaron Smith and math teacherAlexis Baranowski. Smith and Baranowski performed multiple duets over the runtime of the show, much to the—performative—dismay of the other cast and crew.

Rowan Delbouske, a student at Discovery High School, and his family had thought about buying the area and expanding their pizza restaurant in downtown Portland to a Camas location.

“My parents said that they wanted to buy it because they already had a pizza business and wondered if it would be a good opportunity to expand their business, but ended up not doing it,” said Delbouske.

On the contrary, Delbouske’s opinion on Camas Slices being shut down was different.

“Personally, I never went to eat there, nor do I care for it,” said Delbouske.

All Google searches for Camas Slices result in the phrase “Permanently closed” next to an image of the parlor.

Discovery Digest reached out to Journey Church and Camas Slices, but they did not manage to respond.

More notable inclusions in the variety show were the students submitting their acts through the use of video. Many DHS affiliates, including English teacher Mackenzie Streissguth, entered videos for the variety show.These videos ranged from recordings of performances that could not be recreated on stage, such as ice skating, things like music videos with more production to them, and even an informative video on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

So, upon reflecting on this variety show, what did DHS think? Many students have expressed that they very much enjoyed the variety show. Several students, including the host and performers, believe that this show could return to the learning stairs next year. Frazee mentioned that there were multiple people interested in taking on the planning of the variety show next year.

We hope to see many students display their talents in next year’s variety show.

Others kept the descriptions for their motivations simple and concise.

“Because I hate change and I like janterm,” one form response stated.

“In general, the effort to transfer to a new school doesn't seem worth it,” another form response stated.

Out of 33 form responses from current DHS students, 75.8%—or 25 out of 33 respondents—reported that they were staying. Meanwhile, 12.1%—or four out of 33 respondents—reported that they were switching to CHS next year.

Four outlier responses were present: one student remained unsure as to whether they were attending CHS or DHS; one student was graduating this school year; one student was splitting their time between CCA, DHS, and the Running Start program; and one student would ideally stay at DHS but may be moving to a different state.

While a higher percent of respondents elaborated on their reasons for staying—mainly due to the fact that there were more people staying who responded to the form—the two longest descriptions of motivations came from respondents who were transferring to CHS the following school year.

Respondents who were leaving the following school year cited longer project length compared to OMS, lack of advanced placement (AP) classes and lack of class selection as their main reasons for leaving.

Out of 26 responses in the “Why are you staying?” column, the recent budget cuts and staffing changes to DHS appeared in only one. Out of 10 responses in the “Why are you leaving?” column, the recent budget cuts were not mentioned at all, but a consequence of the staffing changes—Mandarin’s removal as a class at DHS—was mentioned once.

There appears to be, if unspoken, a level of trust between DHS’ current student body that the teachers and administrative staff will ensure the school and what it stands for will prevail in the coming school year.

OdysseybandfillsauditoriumforMayconcert

DiscoveryandOdysseybandsplayonMay 16,largecrowdsfillstheauditorium.

By:IvanFrazee

The Discovery High School (DHS) band and Odyssey Middle School (OMS) band played on Tuesday, May 16.The auditorium was filled with supportive parents and friends.

Each OMS grade played, ranging from sixth to eighth grade, then the high school band played. There were solos played in between each grade’s performance. Often, a group of three band members would play a solo, shorter, transitional piece.

Colton Shaw, a flutist who had played during the concert, had been in the DHS band for five or so years. He found his personal favorite song from the concert was “I’m Seventeen Come Sunday” by Percy Grainger.

“A lot of light, fast notes, coming all at once, it had a lot of energy to it,” Shaw said.“When all the pieces came together it sounded very good.”

Because Shaw has been a flutist for so long, he has had some warnings from his experience first playing to give to new flute-players.

“The hardest part was initially learning tone, it takes a lot of time to develop that,” Shaw said.

Shaw also shared that this was their last concert of the year, with the DHS band usually only having three concerts like this per year.

Before the performance, DiscoSales sold drinks and snacks to the audiences of the student bands.

A popular topic around DHS is about the high school’s future. Many kids are transferring next year, or those who have chosen to stay are unsure what forecasting will look like because of the loss of classes. Shaw shared nervousness for the band's future due to the situation.

“[What] band is going to look like next year, there’s not a whole lot going on, things with scheduling are just so chaotic right now,” Shaw said.

Trevor Bateman, the band director and music teacher for DHS and OMS felt that this year had many large changes within the Project-Based Learning (PBL) campus, however, he is hopeful about the coming school year.