Look out for that rifle flying through the air; it’s our Payson Color Guard! The color guard is responsible for all the sparkle, the magic in the band. From the color of their flags to sparkle in their smiles they make flags fly high and rifles spin wild. “It’s not always easy, sometimes we have a hard time doing all the visuals” said Summer Simmons. Some of the visuals include dancing, jazz walking, twirling the flag’s and rifles and all sorts of crazy things.
On October 10th 2009, Payson High lost a great friend. Giuliano Gagliano was no ordinary High School senior. “He was always happy, always singing. No matter what, he could always find something to celebrate” said a friend. He was a peacemaker, as a friend of Giuliano said,” if there was ever a fight, he’d try to calm the people down.” His loud, happy, and unbound soul could make anyone smile. “this boy had his path, he knew what he wanted.
Splitting multiple high schools for the opening of a new school is hard. Friends say goodbye to their old classmates vowing to remain friends, but quickly turning to foes. This is the case between Payson and Salem Hills High Schools, after The Salem Hills student body has really come together to form a united student body. The Salem student body is made up of both Payson students and Spanish Fork students when it opened only a year ago.
At Payson High School there is a separation between the majority of Caucasians and Latinos students. This habit seems to have stemmed from misguided ideas, prejudice, and a mutual fear of different cultures, backgrounds, and languages.
Eleven Payson High School students had a remarkable opportunity to participate in the 2009 All-State Choir. Katie Pace, Kelsey Quesada, Belen Moyano, Kyle Butler, Rachel Hansen, Jessica Hayes, Colton Crook, Kolton Roberts,Wes Parker, Josh Green and Kody Davis joined the best choir students in the state as approximately 700 students across the state gathered on October 10 to perform in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.
Payson High School’s Drama Department has recently returned from Ceder City, where they represented our School in the Shakespearean Competition where students from all over the state and even further come to act, dance, sing, and even play music to remember a brilliant mind. Our school participated in Ensemble and Individual Events including scenes and monologues. Our Ensemble this year represented a collection of all the works of Shakespeare.
On October 21, the auditorium was filled with people listening to Payson High School’s incredible Fall ChoirFest. Melodie Henderson took time and patience to make our choir the best there is. The Concert Choir opened with a performance of William Tell Overture, which was unique because it’s usually performed with instruments. Then Bella Voce- which means Beautiful Voices- amazed us by singing in French. Next came the Mixed Choir.
The snow is just about ready to set here in Cache Valley and that can only mean one thing – seven months of winter. Let’s face the truth, Utah State is the best school in the country, but the winters would be unbearable if it weren’t for our one saving grace – Aggie basketball.
The Payson High School Debate Team returned from their first tournament October 24. The Snow Speak-Off tournament, held at Snow College, hosted teams from all over the state. “The team did really well,” said Debate Coach Michelle Walker. “Alesha Lee did an amazing job at her first tournament and took 3rd place with her Oratory on gun rights. The public forum teams, Monika and Sierra, and Ashley and Keliah, debated the UN's role in global environmental protection vs. poverty reduction; both teams won 2/3 rounds.
