Features Overview
Construction Class
by Kathleen Robinson
Fresno High’s Construction Class is an underappreciated skill building course that often goes unnoticed at Fresno High. The course gives students an industry linked curriculum and an opportunity to experience a work-based learning environment. As part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Program, Construction also gives a chance for students to reach or work towards their career goals, while simultaneously applying their academic knowledge.
In Mr. Lathrop’s class, for the past three weeks, his students have been building mock houses for the HVAC students’ finals. For neighboring Mr. Osuna’s class, his students have been testing their knowledge of angles by building a hip roof in sets of teams. Working in Construction is a test of not only one’s math skills, but also teamwork and patience.
“Do what’s right, not what’s easier,” stated Gilberto Benavides. When working in a team, it is always expected to make a few errors along the way and add in math and things are bound to get confused and mistakes will be made. Constructions gives students a way to experience these difficulties in a contained environment, allowing these mistakes to be corrected, and the students educated on how they made these mistakes. Construction also may help students with mental health issues. The feeling of creating and seeing progress in projects has often been seen to be beneficial to people, and student James Haeflinger has experience this firsthand and stated, “Building helped me with my mental health struggles.”
Noli Awards Filming
by Kathleen Robinson
During the months of March and April, Fresno High’s Digital Video Production class had the opportunity of interviewing and filming a video honoring the William F. Noli Award Nominees. The awards highlight a minimum of five business partners of Reginal Occupational Program (ROP) and Career Technical Education (CTE) program, who have given outstanding service and dedication towards the programs. The crew consisted of Santiago Gomez, Ethan Mejia, Anastasia Reyes, Isaiah Lopez, Diego Herrera, Hector Salas, Adrian Torres, and Michael Delgadillo.
These students interviewed Mario Persicone of Career Technical Education Charter (CTEC) High School, Joyce Demoss of Fresno Community Regional Hospital, Edgar Blunt of IMAGO, Robert Fausto of Kerman Unified, and School District, and Summer Gonzales of Cal-Safe Daycare. The filming of this video consisted of practice interviews, the filming itself, and the editing of the video, which gave all the students involved a great firsthand experience to exercise their filming skills and more.
Their teacher Mr. Mahon Brown stated, “Participation in the CTE Noli awards gave our students experience in a professional setting. Learning how to be better communicators and challenging their skills.”
Student Santiago Gomez was the director of the video. “It was a new and fun experience. I am happy to have had this opportunity,” he explained.
Film Festival
by Kailey Espinoza
On May 2 of 2023 Fresno High held their third annual film festival in Royce Hall at 5:30 pm. This event lasted a duration of 60 minutes, ending at 6:30 after showcasing the intricate and creative films each student organized and made. There were five sections that this event showcased within the world of Fresno High entertainment. Within each category there were multiple films submitted and within those films a winner was chosen. The crowd was then able to vote for the top winner of the Audience Award.
The Best Documentary Award went to “2023 Noli Awards – Summer Gonzales” edited by Cristian Mendoza. Second, the Best PSA Film Award (“System Overload”) as well as the Best Short Film Award (“The Song of the Happy Shepherd”) was given to Alyssa Reyes. The winner of two categories, Fresno High junior, Alyssa Reyes stated “it’s great to get recognized for something that I love to do and will continue to do hopefully the rest of my life”. Then, the Best Miscellaneous Film Award was given to “Napoleon Dynamite Swede” By Edgar Lopez, Steven Gonzales, and Juan Sandoval. Lastly, the Best Music Video Film Award was well as the Audience Award went to “After the Storm” by Mia Santana.