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By Lena Pearson

For the Clemmons Courier

Following the four day fall break, the Titans are feeling well-rested and ready to jump back into the busy month of October. The second quarter of the school year begins during a short week, but West students are appreciating their time off after closing the first quarter with various activities and preparation for upcoming events.

October is commonly known as a pleasant and cozy month full of autumn festivities, but it has another point of significance that is important to many students. October has gained the title as National Bullying Prevention Month, and a handful of groups around campus have been determined to spread awareness to the cause and promote positive relationships within the student body. In an effort to shed light on bullying prevention, students taking West’s Mental Health and Wellness class created anti-bullying posters and skits to remind their peers that they always have a friend at school. Other groups, such as Students Against Destructive Decisions and Violence Everywhere (SAVEDD), promoted bullying awareness in the mornings before class in a game of “trashketball.” Students were encouraged to write down a negative thought or feeling of theirs, crumple it up, and throw it in the trash to “Trash That Negativity.” Needless to say, the efforts from each group on campus are both recognized and appreciated.

Last week, representatives from the United States Marine Corps paid a visit to West, giving students an opportunity to learn about the force. The group was set with a table of merch, as well as a pull up bar that many Titans used to compete with each other on their pull up count. The Marine representatives present were open to any and all questions, providing students with guidance on the entire process of joining the force and what it takes. The Corps was on campus during all four lunch periods in the cafeteria lobby and had a significant turnout from students of all grades. Titans who have an interest in joining the Marines were given a head start and a glimpse into the reality of the force, while others may have discovered a new plan for their future thanks to the visit last week.

The Titans had a busy end of first quarter with preparation for future events as well, including festivities surrounding the Homecoming football game on Friday. The Student Government Association (SGA) got together to brainstorm and create the perfect list of Spirit Week themes leading up to the game on Friday, encouraging their peers to show up and represent their team. The decided themes were as follows: flag day, generations/decades day, teacher and student swap day, and school colors day. Beginning on Tuesday, Titans came to school dressed up as a flag that they wanted to represent, whether it be a country, state or anything else they felt passionate about. On Wednesday, students dressed up as people from different generations, embracing the unique styles from the decades before them. Thursday marked teacher and student swap day in which both an educator and a student paired up to dress as one another for the day. On the last day of Spirit Week, the Titans will show out for their football team by representing West with the school colors, with freshmen wearing white, sophomores wearing yellow, juniors wearing green, and seniors wearing black. These wacky themes are always a hit and allow students to enjoy the excitement-filled week leading up to the anticipated homecoming game.

Despite having a bit of time off, West’s campus is as busy as ever with Titans organizing and taking part in events all around school. First quarter was a successful start to the year, and the students plan to make the second quarter even better.