Activities at NPHS

From D&D Club to FFA, NPHS offers a variety of activities for students.

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Sawyer Davis-Magnuson

Fall play director Mrs. McDaniel talks to the cast at rehearsal.

Lane Redfield and Sawyer Davis-Magnuson

There are many activities available for students at North Platte High School. Here’s a look at what is out there:

Poetry club

The poetry club adviser is Hannah Seifer. Seifer is an 11th-grade English teacher and is in her second year at NPHS. 

While the club is not an NSAA activity, students “discuss, learn about, write, and perform a variety of different styles and forms of poetry,” Seifer said. 

The group reads and performs poetry, but it’s not a requirement to vocally share their pieces. 

“My favorite part of poetry club is seeing a variety of students from different grades and walks of life come alive and be able to express their feelings and emotions through this medium in a safe place,” Seifer said 

Speech 

The head speech coach is Scott King. Speech is an NSAA-sanctioned activity that runs from November to March.

Students commit long hours to practice and then wake up early on Saturdays to perform.

Last year, the NPHS speech team took 10 students to the state speech meet last year, with senior Parker Long taking sixth place in Humorous Prose. 

One-Act, Spring/Fall Plays

The coach/adviser for one-act, spring and fall plays is Brittany McDaniel. 

Students will perform “Blue Stockings” for the fall play on October 7 and 8. The One-Act this year will be a modern take on Shakespeare called “A Midsummer Night’s Prom” and auditions will take place soon. The spring play this year will be put on by the advanced acting classes. 

“The plays are $5 and the musicals are just a little bit more than that. It’s a really easily affordable something to do,” McDaniel said.

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)

The GSA adviser is Jayne Tolman. This club creates a community in our school to make LGBTQ+ students feel welcome and to help educate ally students.

Art Club

“Art Club is way for students to enhance their art education, especially if they either can’t fit art into their class schedule or just want to enrich their current art experience,” sponsor Bailey Mason said. 

Students are able to explore new techniques and mediums they may not otherwise learn about. 

“They also make like-minded friends, support each other’s artistic ventures and become part of a group where they are welcome and accepted,” Mason added. 

In addition to personal art experiences, Art Club also does community service, creates artwork for people in the community and the school and travels to art museums and other enriching locations. 

Art Club is year-round and meets every Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Journalism

The journalism adviser is Megan Kelley. The journalism department is made up of Journalism 2 classes, which include newspaper and yearbook. After students take either photography or beginning journalism, they can be a part of the J-Squad. 

Journalism is an NSAA-sanctioned event, and the NPHS J-Squad took home four place-winners, including second place in Yearbook Theme and Development. 

“The amazing thing about journalism is that students get the opportunity to get their stuff published,” Kelley said. 

“The J-Squad is a unique blend of talented students who are hardworking. I’m excited to see what the J-Squad accomplishes this year.”

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)

The D&D club adviser is Jami Tatman. There are currently 20 members. Julian Richards, Lucas Erickson, Sage Stockton and Henry Cline are the officers of this club. Their goal is “To create a community of students that enjoy playing D & D and feel included in their school.” as stated by Jami Tatman

FFA

The FFA advisors are Kathleen Craig and Collin Swedberg. 

There are currently 60 members in FFA and the officer team consists of 8 officers: President Emily Hansen, Vice President Zara Prieto, Secretary Jake Henry, Treasurer Abbi Zeller, Reporter Brooklyn Stoll, Sentinel Wyatt Thompson, Parliamentarian Lane Heil and Student Advisor Carli Bales. 

“Our main goal is to recruit more members into the chapter and to qualify multiple teams to state,” Craig said. FFA is still a new club and was founded here in 2018 by Craig.

Color Guard

The color guard coach is Shannon Hudson and is entering her 22nd year as head coach.

Colorguard is an auxiliary group that works and performs alongside the varsity band but also as a separate unit. 

There are currently 13 members. The captains are Junior Evelyn Kittle and Stazia Weir

The group, composed of ninth through twelfth grade students, perform choreographed dances and routines with various equipment to enhance and interpret the music of the marching band.

“My favorite part of colorguard is the creativity and precision that comes along with the creation of the routines,” Hudson said. “It’s always been my favorite way to relax.” 

Josh Bruck. The StuCu is not an NSAA activity, but is responsible for the Charity Golf Tournament, Football Tailgate, North Platte High Canned Food Drive, Snowball Dance, MORP Dance, Make-A-Wish 5k Run and Hug-A-Heart. 

“We represent the Student Body, focus on community service and how we can improve our school,” Bruck said.

Mock Trial

The mock trial coaches are Jeremy Stevens, Grace Fletcher, Maggie Jackson and Audrey Bellew. Mock Trials normal season begins in September and ends in November. The case is D. Brichacek vs. L. Sweet. It is a civil this year, focusing on replevin and conversion. Competition dates have yet to be announced. 

National Honor Society (NHS)

The NHS adviser is Sarah Snively. In order to be in the NHS, they must undergo a thorough application process. Members of the NHS take part in several hours of volunteer work to better the community. NHS is responsible for the drive through food pantry and multiple blood drives.

Key Club

The Key Club adviser is Jessica Kincaid. Key Club is a student leadership organization that focuses on service projects both within our own communities and on a larger scale.

“We’ve done everything from helping with elementary fun nights, to working the Cody Park Christmas Village, to raising over a thousand dollars to buy a new washer and dryer for the homeless shelter,” Kincaid said.

Key Club is not part of NSAA, but is a child group of Kiwanis International.

“My favorite part of our club is the friendships that develop while we work and the smiles on the faces of people we help,” Kincaid said.

Medical Club

The medical club sponsor is Joshua Wray, a local podiatrist. At Pre-Med, students learn about different aspects of the medical field. At previous meetings, members were able to tour the surgery center, speak with several people actively working in the medical field, learn how to sucture, and take CPR training.