Student Activities

Middle School Activities
Band Mr.Christ
Basketball - Boy's (7th & 8th) - Coach
Basketball - Girl's (7th & 8th)
Builders Club - Sponsor Mrs. Wiese
Choir Miss Edwards
Cross-Country Boy's (7th & 8th) - Coach Mr. Greenwood
Cross-Country Girl's (7th & 8th) - Coach Mr. Greenwood
Football (8th only) Coach Mr. Johnson
Speech Club Sponsor Mrs. Olson
Student Council Sponsor Mrs. Durian
Track- Boy's(7th & 8th) Coach Mr. Schumaker
Track - Girl's (7th & 8th) Coach Mrs. Ward
Volleyball - Girl's (7th & 8th) Coach Mrs. Hardin
Wrestling.(7th & 8th) Coaches Pat Michell and Todd Misfeldt
Yearbook Sponsor Mrs. Anton

Band
The band starts preparing for the marching season in early August. This group performs at each home football game, the homecoming parade, and marching competitions. After the march-ing season, auditions are held for membership in the Honors and Concert Bands. Students in these groups present concerts and participate in festivals and contests. Other optional organizations and opportunities which occur outside of school and are chosen from within the band are: Pep Band, Stage Band, Jazz Band, orchestra for the musical, and Madrigal Brass, NCIC Music Festival, IMEA District and All State, and solo and ensemble recital and contest.
Directors: Mr. Scherer and Mr. Hernandez

Choir
The high school choir has approximately 150 students. Those who choose choir will be in one of three groups according to their class in school: Freshman Chorale, Concert Choir for sophomores, and Junior/Senior Choir for juniors and seniors.
All vocalists take part in all home concerts such as the Fall Festival, Christ-mas Vespers, Spring Concert (Master-piece), and the All-Unit Choral Festival in May. Members are also eligible to take part in the NCIC Music Festival, the IMEA Music Festival, and solo and ensemble recital and contest. Although it is not required, many of the vocalists from the choirs partici-pate in the Musical, Swing Choirs, Madrigal group, Fol-lies, and numerous other activi-ties. An audition is required.
Director: Mr. LaCroix
NOTE: BAND/CHOIR PARTICIPATION POLICY
Band and choir students are expected to attend all scheduled musical performances and mandatory rehearsals. This obligation is an extension of the classroom.

FFA
The F.F.A. is a national organization for students of vocational agriculture. It differs from other student organizations in that it is intra-curricular meaning that students of agriculture receive F.F.A. instruction along with their ag instruction. The F.F.A. has over 480,000 members nationwide and over 17,000 in Illinois.

The function of the F.F.A. is to offer students of agriculture opportunities to use classroom instruction in practical experiences. This is accomplished through student-owned projects, contests, and award programs. The F.F.A. offers opportunities in many areas, such as judging activities, public speaking events, livestock and crop production, safety, landscaping, mechanics, home beautification, produce processing, and employment experience. Geneseo Chapter members also gain experience through the chapter crop experimental plot.
Sponsor: Mr. Stahl

Key Club
Key Club is a worldwide high school service organization with more than 125,000 members in 19 different countries. Although it operates under the school’s regulations, it is different from the other clubs. Key Club is unique because it maintains a close relationship with its sponsoring Kiwanis club. Members develop initiative, leadership, and good citizenship. “Through Key Club, we’re able to contribute to the development of our communities, and at the same time, develop lasting friendships,” explained one Key Club member, “but most importantly, we learn about ourselves and how much we can accomplish when we work together.”
The variety of Key Club service work is as broad as the need it fills. Virtually any unanswered need is a potential target for Key Club commitment and dedication. With so many problems and needs in the world, Key Clubbers strive to make a difference. “Caring . . . Our Way of Life.”
Sponsor: Mrs. Minnaert

National Honor Society
Scholastic eligibility for juniors and seniors to be consid-ered for membership in the J. D. Darnall High School chapter of National Honor Society is a minimum accumulated scholastic average of 3.2 on the 4.0 grading scale. Students who are scholastically eligible will be notified and told that for further consider-ation they must complete the “Student Activity Information” form and return the form to the high school office. Faculty and advisors evaluate the student’s service, leadership, and character. A student must have been in two activities for two years and be presently involved in an activity. A faculty committee reviews each student’s application, teacher recommendations, and advisor evaluations to determine if the student qualifies for membership. Those juniors selected to NHS become part of the active chapter during their senior year, participating in both group and indi-vidual service projects.
Sponsor: Ms. Carey

National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) NTHS Web Site
NTHS is an honor organization for outstanding junior and senior students enrolled in occupational, vocational, or technical programs. Requirements for membership are:
1. Scholarship — a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
2. Workmanship — a desire to pursue a career in his/her course of study. A minimum of two years’ enrollment in career-oriented classes.
3. Leadership — Providing leadership to others in school or in the community
4. Character — Exhibiting those exemplary character traits that set one above the ordinary student
5. Citizenship
Students are nominated by career area teachers. Recommendations from three additional teacher/advisors/coaches are required.
Advisor: Mrs. Rodriguez

Link Crew
Link Crew is designed to create an accepting environment among peers. Students involved receive training designed to develop leadership and counseling skills. Activities include new student programs, freshman orientation, promoting positive peer activi-ties, and individual active listening. The Link Crew program promotes and participates in peer pressure programs at the elementary schools and junior high.
Ms. Ewert and Mrs. Rice

Plays
The Drama Department holds great opportunities in every aspect of stage production. Two major plays are per-formed each year—on in the fall and one in the spring.
Directors: Mr. DePauw and Mr. Green

Scholastic Bowl
The Scholastic Bowl Team is an interscholastic activity in which student team members collaborate to earn points by correctly answering questions in competitions against teams from other schools. The questions are in the categories of science, mathematics, literature, art, music, language arts, and miscellaneous. Practice begins in the fall with meets in October through regional, sectional, and state competitions in March. All students are welcome to attend practice. Attendance at practice and availability to attend meets is flexible so that students involved in other seasonal activities can also participate.
Coaches: Mr. Orton

Speech Team
Membership in The Speech Team is achieved by being active in any of these three groups:
I. Individual Events - Speech
The Individual Events Team (Speech Team) consists of twelve different events. Members decide in which events to compete, whether it be the interpretative acting or public speaking events. Some events are: radio, original comedy, verse, humorous or dramatic interpretation, impromptu, and duet acting. After-school practice begins in November. Meets are every Saturday in December and January with the state series in February.
II. Group Interpretation
Group Interpretation is a group selected by tryouts to perform a thirty-minute interpretation of any play, book, or idea they choose. Scripts and a small set may be used, but there are no props or costumes. Tryouts are held in February with practices in the mornings. The group travels on Saturdays to different schools for NCIC and sectionals with the last possible meet being state.
III. Contest Play
A script of up to forty minutes is prepared, and a set is built that must be collapsible and easily transported when going to out-of-town meets. The cast is usually small and the script dramatic. Tryouts are held in late January with practices after school.
Sponsors: Mr. Green

Student Council
The Student Council of J. D. Darnall High School is the student governing body of the high school. Under the direction of its president, this body of students of all classes promotes better student-faculty relationships. They will review any problem a student may bring to their atten-tion. The council also handles social and sporting events such as Homecom-ing, other dances, and other school-spirit activi-ties. Oppor-tunities for participation in leadership workshops and conferences on the local, district and state levels are also provided and encouraged. J. D. Darnall Student Council is a member of the Blackhawk District, the Illinois Association of Student Councils, and the National Association of Student Coun-cils.
Student Council membership is available to the entire student body. Membership may be obtained through
1. Being elected to the Executive Board. These offices include: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Liaison.
2. Being elected to a class office. Each class has a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
3. General membership is obtained by a student completing a petition of 25 signatures from students in their class requesting membership.

Additional programs are provided for students whose primary interest lies in student leadership skills. A point system is used for determining participation in leadership activities beyond the local level.
Advisor: Mrs. Laingen

Thespian
Thespian Troupe #71 is an honor society for those who work in the Drama Department. To become a Thespian, you must earn fifteen “Thespian Points.” These points are earned by acting, doing stage work, or doing anything else to assist with produc-tion. Ten hours of work equals one Thespian point. During the year, the Thespians help present plays. They also provide ushers and ticket salespeople for the plays. Every spring an initiation banquet is held where awards are given to hard-working Thespians. The “Best Thespian” is chosen from among the “Honor Thespians.” (Thespians with sixty or more points.) New Thespians are also inducted into the Troupe at this banquet.
Sponsor: Mr. Green

Yearbook
The yearbook staff is composed of students interested in record-ing the events at J. D. Darnall High School during the school year. If interested, students should contact the yearbook advisor. This staff has regular meetings after school once a week. The work includes writing copy, taking and planning pictures, selling yearbooks, typing, planning layouts for the pages, and distribut-ing the books. Orders for yearbooks are taken during lunch periods in the fall and again in the spring. Last orders are taken in April. Students will need to present their receipt of proof of payment to get their yearbook when it is received the following fall.
Advisor: Mrs. Anton