Joplin High School featured on CNN Student News

The beginning of school at Joplin High today was featured for the second day in a row on CNN Student News.
The accompanying video, which includes an introduction by JHS students Lydia McCallister and Yainer Oviedo, also features other news stories for teen viewers.



Transcript of CNN Student News Joplin portion
AZUZ: To put this in perspective: An EF-1 tornado might pull the shingles off your roof. An EF-5 would rip the entire house off its foundation. That's what roared through Joplin, Missouri last Fall: an EF-5 tornado. Yesterday, we had a report on the start of the new school year in Joplin. And I had a chance to talk with two of the students who were featured in that report. You saw them introduce today's show. I asked them some of the questions you posted on our blog.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

AZUZ: Yainer, can you describe the mood for us of the students you've spoken to as you guys get back to school in Joplin?

OVIEDO: Yeah. So far, the mood's been really great. Everyone's excited. We got our laptops today during third and fourth hour, so everyone's really happy about it.

AZUZ: Lydia, in an article you wrote for CNN.com, you said you were "more excited than usual" to get back to school this year. Talk to us about that.

MCALLISTER: It's nice going to school every day. Just the normality of it all. It's been such a crazy summer. Now going to school this week, that's all the same.

AZUZ: There's a student on our blog named Montana who wanted to know how difficult it was to prepare for school this year, since so many people lost their supplies in the tornado. What was that like?

MCALLISTER: Actually, we got almost everything donated to our school. So, none of the students had to buy school supplies this year. We even got backpacks given to us with the laptops. So, that's been really great.

AZUZ: You know, a lot of students saw the story today on CNN Student News; they were really interested in about what it's like to go to school in a mall, even if it's in an old store. In fact, Jaeyeong from Korea wanted to know what that's like.

MCALLISTER: It's definitely an experience. Something that not a lot of, I don't know any other high school that has to go to school in a mall. It's cool. The building itself is shut off from the mall completely. There's one door, I think, that goes into the mall, but it's closed off right now.

AZUZ: So, you don't have direct access to shopping?

MCALLISTER: No, we're kind of in our own little world over here. It's nice. I like it.

AZUZ: James wanted to know if you get to eat in the food court?

OVIEDO: I guess they're trying to see if we can earn it.

AZUZ: Would you prefer to eat there or just have the school food?

MCALLISTER: Definitely the food court.

AZUZ: I want to ask you guys what advice do you have for the students of Ringold, Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama? Now, those are two other towns that were hit by tornadoes this spring. And what sort of advice would you have for students who are getting back to school there?

MCALLISTER: I think you just have to look at it as any other school year and go back knowing that, and go back with a good attitude.

OVIEDO: Stay strong. Things are going to be hard for a while. With all your friends, just going back to normal.