quality
OPINION
of life
A matter of principal index: WSS says goodbye to Dr. A and offers advice for our incoming principal Well, this is it — the last year of having Dr. A as principal at West. Although he is ready to move on and spend time with his family, we know he is leaving with even more enthusiasm about this place than when he began 31 years ago. Ultimately, the responsibility of being a principal is not only to make decisions and keep everyone in line, but it is also about being a good role model and a caring friend, and that is exactly how Dr. Arganbright has chosen to lead. It is clear to see that he strives to be involved with all aspects of this school, but one area that is often unrecognized is his support of
West Side Story. His willingness to participate in countless interviews, his quick replies to our questioning emails and his constant encouragement have all helped us continue to grow and produce quality content. His transparency gives us the ability to provide the community with accurate news. When we have questions, he has answers, even if they reflect poorly on the school. Additionally, Dr. Arganbright has never tried to micromanage our paper or monitor all the content to see if it was to his liking.
Dear future principal,
1
The most important tip is that a great principal builds the community up and tries to get students, parents and staff members excited and involved with the school. If you can bring everyone together and lessen the divide, we’re positive that you can change many experiences.
4
Please accept that technology is here to stay. Be an advocate for moving things online. Also, we strongly recommend that you create a Twitter account, so students can connect with you even more.
2
Be visible. Get out of your office. Go walk around the school and communicate with people, even if you’re just saying “hello.” Remember, it always comes back to frequency of contact. People won’t form a relationship with you if they haven’t seen or heard from you. It would even be beneficial to become an expert small talker, so you can avoid awkward silences.
5
Another thing to remember is to honor the history of our school. We have a tradition of excellence that we have been keeping and plan on continuing to keep. So don’t think that you need to come in and change a lot right away. Talk to teachers and students, and get to know the school and people first.
He allowed us to remain a studentrun paper, which is something on which WSS prides itself. Our next principal will have some big shoes to fill. So we thought we would offer some advice to Dr. A’s successor.
[Do]ugh A need: collegiate need
-$40,000.00 B[re]ak The stop from school was fun
+$9.00 [Me]mes The dank ones are the best
+$4.20 [Fa]r art by brittani langland
3
You’re going to be in the limelight a lot, so be a good example. Be friendly, but don’t let people walk all over you. Also, you could take advantage of this spotlight by coming up with a cool catchphrase to add a little humor to everyone’s day.
A long way till school’s done
-$60.00
[S]h[o]w The teaser is next week
+$8.00
[La]st Our year with Dr. A
6
Lastly, remind students to throw their trash away. That is one area that we seem to slack in, but Dr. Arganbright always keeps us grounded.
We will truly miss Dr. Arganbright. He has left a legacy here in this community in a way that few people are able to do. We wish him luck in the next chapter of his life, and best of luck to you as you start this chapter here at West.
44 opinion April 2015 wsspaper.com
The Sound of Music edition
-$31.00 Compos[ti]ng Is finally here to stay
+$40,169.80
total (But I still need lots of dough)
DESIGN/COMPilED by akash borde