August Kissel and Julia Skeval
Editors of Promotion
Dowdell and Nylen Switch
Hypothetically, you sling mashed potatos at the person next to you after a barb comment. Food fight errupts, and you will be administered to – but by who?
Among the changes Jamesville-DeWitt High School is undergoing this fall, one is the switch in administration for each grade level.For the last two years, David Nylen was in charge of freshmen and sophomores and Will Dowdell watched over the juniors and seniors. However, with the new school year, the two assistant principals switched duties. The question is, how will this effect J-DHS students?
On the first day of school, Sept. 3, four assemblies were held for each grade level, the usual rundown of the student handbook and chants of who are we? JD! taking up most of of the 30 minute meeting. At these meetings, it was first announced to many students that Mr. Dowdell would now be watching over freshmen and sophomores and Mr. Nylen would have the juniors and seniors.
As to what this would mean for the student body at J-DHS, there was an apparent split and mixed emotions. “I don’t think this will affect me at all. I’ve never even really met them,” junior Ajay Monahar said, Senior Brooke La Flair and freshman Katie Tzivanis agreed, Tzivanis adding, “I don’t believe we’ll see an impact. (Mr. Nylen and Mr. Dowdell) are here to do the same job.”
Mr. Nylen explains that the switch came when he was “looking for a better sense of the tasks that came with supervising the upperclassmen.” Mr. Nylen is excited to take on the new grades because he is getting to work with the same group; the sophomores he had last year have now moved up and, as juniors, now fall under his advisement once again.
Mr. Dowdell said he likes the changes and it doesn’t really matter to him what grade levels he is watching over. Working with underclassmen is a joy, he said, because the freshmen and sophomores “are so happy to be in school, they enjoy coming here.”
Some students are upset about the changes, mainly juniors and seniors as they have spent the most time with the two vice principals. Junior Hailey Harrigan feels she won’t be as close to Mr. Dowdell as she was last year, considering he isn’t in charge of her grade anymore. Seniors Arianna Hege and Sara Marron said they are going to now have to deal with a new person when getting parking passes. “It’s an adjustment trying to get to know a completely different person,” said Marron.