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.

       Everyone is different. We have different hair, different body shapes, and even different skin colors. We are all different on the outside, and we are all different on the inside too. Everyone has their own specialties on the inside. Some people love, some people care, and to be honest some people are just flat out ornery. We as a school and a community need to look what is on the inside more than the outside; being a little person myself I understand the difficulties of looking on the inside.

    Our Payson Paysetters dance to the motto “Stand Out,” and what better way to standout than by wearing zebra print? Trying to incorporate zebra print into all of their costumes is not the only way they are preparing to “Stand Out” among the other drill teams.  The drill team is prepared to challenge themselves by doing difficult pieces and pushing them selves to the limit. They are doing very creative pieces and are putting many new ideas into their routines. "We're going to be the best we can be," said Coach Judd.