Student Letters to the Editor- May 7, 2026 Issue

For the next few weeks, we will publish student letters to the editor from the social studies class of Harrison High School and Middle School teacher Clint Kern. While this is a class assignment, we are pleased to publish the letters as insight into what is on our young people’s minds.

Dear Editor, 

I want to bring it to your attention that the HHS band program has grown to be a vital part of the culture at HHS. 

The program has grown into a spirit filled, fun-loving, group of teens. The students and director are hardworking.

The parents are supportive. The band has been hard at work this year learning lots of new songs. Things like pop hits and classical concert pieces. Students are buzzing with excitement for the spring concert coming up fast on May 6, with middle school starting at 5:00 and high school at 6:30 p.m. 

A quote from a student in band “I’m the reason we need band moms”- Dorothy.H this shows how supportive the band parents are of the students and how they are so helpful.

Another quote comes from Allison Squires, a para/parent she says, “I am proud of how this group has come together to lift each other up and make amazing music.”

Another HHS student says “I really like when the band plays Taylor Swift. It makes me happy inside. I am also so proud of how amazing they are, I just love them! They’re so entertaining.”

One of the ways we keep the culture alive and positive is by TUP. T.U.P stands for Talent, Unity, and Pride, it is something near and dear to our hearts. All members are talented, the band works in unity, and we are constantly displaying our pride! You can hear band students shouting TUP and snapping to attention. It is a very important part of HHS band culture. 

So, all in all our band has grown to be an incredible program and will only be getting better!

Go Hornets!

Kaylee Larion

Harrison Student

Dear Editor,

I am an 8th grade Harrison Middle School Student, and I am trying to bring your attention to the lack of recycling/bins in our school system. 

I personally think that our schools do not have enough recycling for cans, bottles, plastic and paper. During sporting events like football, basketball, and track meets. People buy pop cans or bottles of Gatorade. And they are either thrown on the ground or in a normal trash bin. Which is very wasteful because they could be taken to a factory and be re-used or recycled.

The Harrison Community needs to invest in bins that are made for different things like plastic, metal cans, and paper. But they don't need to be just in our schools but all over Clare County, so that we can save resources and reuse them, plus it will lower the rate of trash at trash dumps.  

Curtis Carr

Harrison Middle School Student

Dear Editor,

I am a student at Harrison Middle School, and I am bringing awareness to my favorite teacher Mr. Hayes. 

He is one of the funniest teachers in the school, he is really nice and he doesn’t get mad a lot and he is just a fun teacher. Sometimes on Fridays he lets us do game days and where we play a fun math game he is one of my favorite teacher primarily because I really think he is our best teacher (Ms Mashue is close) but Mr. Hayes is just the most fun in my opinion and to be honest I love him as a teacher but not his subject (math).

I’ve had Mr. Hayes all year and he has been a great teacher all year but his subject sucks. He's really chill but can be stern when people are talking. He's really funny and fun to be around.

I think he needs to stay as a teacher, he's new to it from what I know but he’s good at it and makes me want to engage in his work and he's just a great teacher.

Nate Mayfield

Harrison Middle School Student

Dear Editor,

I am a student at Harrison High School, and I would like to bring to your attention to our mentor Kevin Smalley from the Harrison Robotics Team. 

Mr. Smalley showed me things I didn’t even know about, showed me that every day is used to learning something new, and lifted me when I felt like I wasn't enough or good at what I was doing for the team. He showed me it was okay to not be perfect and that it was okay to not know everything right away. 

But he also showed me that it was never okay to just give up when things don't work out the way you want them to as well as when things get difficult. To push through but also know that there's always someone who's going to listen or someone who is willing to help you when you need it. All you have to do is ask. That no one is ever truly alone on the team or in robotics in general. I thank him for pushing me to join the team, and I’m grateful to be shown and taught things that I wouldn't have learned on my own.

Savannah Wright

Harrison High School Student

Dear Editor,

I am a Harrison middle school student and I'm going to tell you about global warming. 

I am writing to express my concern regarding the accelerating effects of global warming on our planet. It is increasingly clear that the earth is warming and we are witnessing it being caused by human activity, specifically the burning of coal, oil, and power plants or natural gases.

We are seeing the consequences of rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities, the destruction of habitats leading to animal life loss, and more frequent, severe weather events like droughts, floods, and heatwaves. These changes are not just issues; they are disrupting human lives and economies.

Tristan M

Harrison Middle School Student