Smoky Hill High School n 16100 E. Smoky Hill Rd. n Aurora, CO 80015 n April 2014 n Volume 1, Issue 1
How can I
What do manage my What is the people believe? stress? importance of nutrition?
Why theater shooting doing one year later? Is college the do we hurt Why should Palestine be free? only option after ourselves? How much are you high school? spending at the movies? Why is the How are the survivors of the Century 16
What do teens do without the support of their parents?
Do we rely on technology too much?
Is your parent Why should a helicopter Palestine be free? parent?
How are the survivors of the Century 16 theater shooting doing one year later?
How does stress affect your GPA?
What causes depression in high school students?
What do people believe?
What do teens do without the support of their parents? Do we What do people rely on believ e?
technology too much?
What is the importance of nutrition?
food we pay for not safe to eat?
CONTENTS TABLE OF
Dear Readers,
The SmokyNow.com staff is proud to present our first ever feature magazine, NEXT! For this first issue, NEXT focuses on the theme, “Did you know?” Did you know about Ismaat Klaibou and her fight to free Palestine? Did you know that teens use a lot of technology? Did you know about the life of ILC student DeAngelo Morgan? NEXT explores various topics, ranging from depression to helicopter parenting, so there’s sure to be a topic in here for everyone.
Because we were learning feature writing for the first time, Issue 1 took nine weeks to put together and our end result is something we couldn’t be more proud of. All of our staffers worked incredibly hard in the final days, especially the editors, in order meet our deadline and make our final product not look rushed. All of the staffers learned something new, from designing to exploring a topic in-depth instead of the usual quick, 150 word article that we do on SmokyNow.com. We hope you enjoy our magazine and we encourage you to give us feedback. Go to SmokyNow.com or go to the newspaper and yearbook room, room I-219. NEXT was fun for us to write, and we hope it is fun for you to read.
The NEXT Staff
Table of Contents / Letter from the Editor.............................................. 2 Staff......................................................................................................3 Did You Know About DeAngelo Morgan?............................................. 4-5 A Broken Home.................................................................................. 6-7 Technology Goes to School................................................................ 8-9 I Want My People to be Free........................................................... 10-11 When it All Gets to be Too Much................................................... 12-13 Stress............................................................................................ 14-15 After the Shooting.......................................................................... 16-17 Newspaper Goes Online................................................................. 18-19 What do You Believe?..................................................................... 20-21 Five-Finger Discount...................................................................... 22-23 Stress+School=GPA...................................................................... 24-25 Trapped......................................................................................... 26-27 Challenge: Stay Healthy................................................................. 28-29 Time For School............................................................................. 30-31 Emptying Your Wallet.................................................................... 32-33 Every Student College Ready But I’m Not Going to College............. 34-35 Words Do Hurt............................................................................... 36-37 Always Hovering............................................................................ 38-39
@smokynow
NEXT magazine is an open forum for free expression by the Smoky Hill High School community. NEXT is a student-run publication produced in the state of Colorado, and is therefore not subject to prior review except by its own staff. All final design, reporting and content decisions are the responsibility of the student journalists of Smoky Hill High School under the guidance of their adviser. The views articulated in NEXT do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, Smoky Hill High School, or the Cherry Creek School District.
STAFF Varsity
Stephanie Braun Rachel Ellis Brandy Holm Kelsey Long Calib Michels Shania Tave-Coles
JV
Tristan Arnold Estefano Cedeno Gonzalez Lucia Chung Jazmin Duren Kyna Fitzpatrick Devin Guttman Roderick Hollingsworth Tyler Irvin Mona Jabr Kaylee Long Ariana Muniz Markovia Perry Ashley Rice Kevin Yeh
4 NEXT April 2014
Did You Know About DeAngelo? Like many students, I did not know that much about Smoky Hill’s Integrated Learning Center (ILC) program. I also didn’t know much about the kids the program serves. On Thurs., Feb. 20, I decided to go out and follow DeAngelo Morgan as he moved through his day. What I expected to see were remedial classes. Instead, what I saw was how dedicated these kids and their teachers are. by Mona Jabr
1G - English
Smiling, DeAngelo walked into class excitedly giving out his good mornings to his teacher, Ball Melissa. When class started, I walked into DeAngelo ‘s class and told him that I would be taking pictures of him. He said it was ok, but the look on his face made him seem nervous. As I was taking pictures of him in first hour he was shy and tried to hid his face from the camera. “DeAngelo is a very lovely boy and he is very smart. It is very nice to work with him,” special-ed teacher Ball Melissa said. Every class, all students have warm ups to do. While working on his morning warm up, DeAngelo excitedly showed me his writing and told me that he has gotten better at it. Later in first period, Melissa put on The Hunger Games and let the class watch it. “I like to watch movies,” DeAngelo said. ‘They are really fun.”
kids help make cookies which are sold to the SHHS students.
3G - Off
When I walked into the ILC room DeAngelo saw me and waved a little. During his off, he plays games on his phone and talks with his friends. “I like to play on my phone a lot. I also like to watch music videos and sing along,” DeAngelo said.
DeAngelo is diagnosed with Wide 39% 32% Autism Spectrum disorder. Wide PDD-NOS Autism Autism Spectrum means that every child on the autism spectrum has unique abilities, symptoms, and challenges. “DeAngelo is very 15% 14% Asperger outgoing no matter what. He is very Other ASD smart and active,” Kelly, DeAngelo’s mom, said. When DeAngelo found out that I would be meeting him This graph
During first hour he did not talk to me. If I asked him a question he would answer it very shortly and in a low voice.
during fourth hour, he started laughing.
As he was walking through the halls and on to second period, DeAngelo seemed excited. Once the bell rang his teacher, Lisa Kiker, came in and took attendance. Impatiently, he waited to hear the lesson plan for the day.
When the teacher came in, DeAngelo pointed at him. “Mr.Holmes, my teacher, is very nice and I like him,” DeAngelo said.
2G - Community
Once the teacher announced that they were going to make cookies in the the school’s store, DeAngelo got really happy. He skipped through the halls to get to StarBuffs and make cookies. W h i l e making the cookies you could see how concentrated and focused he was by looking at his face. The ILC
4G - Soccer/Floor Hockey
represents the breakdown of Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disorders associated with ASD.
When DeAngelo was running in gym he saw me taking pictures of him and he started slowing down. “He likes to take a lot of challenges with his singing and dancing and he is great at it,” Kelly said. Half way through the class, he started posing for the camera every time he saw me taking pictures. After a while I told him that I had to go and that I would talk to him later.
April 2014 NEXT 5
a
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home
BROKEN
The effects of divorce on high schoolers by Tristan Arnold
Brian Mclellan was just an ordinary sixth grader sitting in his room listening to one of his parents routine fights. When Mclellan was in sixth grade his parents showed signs of a divorce. By the time he was in seventh grade, the marriage was all over. It was a huge change in his life, and had quite an impact on him. “It was rough for me to hear my parents fight a lot, and it was also pretty sad,” Mclellan said, “It’s pretty tough having to go back and forth from house to house, and it is annoying.” Along with having to move back and forth from house to house, he began to notice grade changes. During and after the divorce, he noticed that his grades started to drop. They were slowly and constantly decreasing by the years. “My grades had really started slipping
during all of this. I had slowly seen them fall and [I] was not sure why,” Mclellan said. “All I knew was it needed to change.”
They also have a higher chance for early death. Students whose parents divorced are more likely to start smoking. Kids with divorced parents also have a higher chance of dropping It was not just a certain area of school out and committing a crime. either, it was everything. He noticed that every part of school had become “It depends if the student has no a struggle. By the time he was in ninth motivation before the divorce, it grade, his grades finally started rising then becomes likely [motivation] will again. stay down and possibly go down,” According to Rocky Mountain Family Counselor Chau DiMatteo said. w“It Council, there have been 1.5 million depends on when it happened. If the marriages in Colorado since 1950, and divorce happens now then the effects out of that 1.5 million, there have been will be strongest now.” 773,000 divorces. That’s 56 out of every 96 marriages ending in divorce. Mclellan is now doing well. His grades have gone up and he has now started According to The Week’s article, “9 coping well. He plays lacrosse and golf Negative Effects Divorce Has On to keep his mind off of things. Children,” students whose parents are divorced have a 35 percent chance of susceptibility to sickness or stroke.
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Technology goes to school by Lucia Chung
Smoky students get used to new methods of instruction All it takes is one switch, one touch, one tune. Wrenching up the volume on her radio as she gets ready for school, freshman Tajinae Turner is thrust into a world where time not applies. Where time rushes past her unexpectedly and one hour later seems like a minute when she been lost in her iPhone. Technology is Turner’s world.
Whether it is taking a peek at a phone or firing up a laptop, technology is everywhere. Now, more than ever, technology is invading education. Assignments are transferred from students to teachers with a click of the mouse. “It makes life and work a lot easier being able to use Schoology to turn work in,” Turner said.
Turner spends hours on her iPad and iPhone, roughly 4-5 hours each day is spent reading or studying on her portable apparatuses. She uses her phone to listen to music when silently working. “I think that I do [rely on technology] a lot,” Turner said.
The accessibility of technology saves students from going through the hassles of flipping and venturing through dusty books. People can obtain information at home or at school with a click of the mouse. Technology, or more specifically the Internet, stores huge amounts of information that allows students easy access to the data without extensive research. Additionally, the Internet aids in the communication between parents, students, and teacher.
She visits Google, Schoology, and Google Drive the most during school hours. For fun, Turner goes on Instagram, Tumblr, and most of all, YouTube. She also uses an app called GAIN Yoga to coordinate yoga routines to get more flexible for dance. On the internet, Turner enjoys visiting Hulu Plus and Netflix to watch movies on her iPad. She also purchases movies from iTunes. Technology is ingrained into everyday life.
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In a recently conducted poll of 100 students, 20 percent of them spend 0-2 hours a day using electronic devices. Another 33 percent noted that they spend
3-4 hours, 32 percent spend 5-6 hours a day, and 15 percent of the students said that they spend seven or more hours per day on their devices. Out of the surveyed students, 86 of them owned a cell phone. “You can go as far as to say that students are addicted to their cell phones. They need stimulation every moment, every day,” science teacher, Stephen Murray, said. Although technology can cause distractions in the learning environment, it can benefit students in many ways, “In terms of things like lecturing, you can bring concepts across more easily using visuals like diagrams and even short YouTube videos. Also, using the computer to write, cut, and paste things makes it much faster than writing by hand. But plagiarism is a problem too,” Murray said. Kellie Ady, the school district technology coordinator, said that the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program, also known as TCAP, is shifting to a technology assessment, called PARCC, next school year. PARCC stands for
Chromebooks were purchased from bond money for Smoky Hill High School to take the PARCC test. As students become more reliant on technology, more advanced machines will continue to rise and combine with education. “It’s very useful in education, and I’m very grateful. [Electronic devices] Is on me at all times,” Turner said. “It [technology] is also more [helpful] than it is a distraction, and I use my iPad and iPhone all the time from morning to night. I can’t live without it because I rely on technology too much. I hope that technology becomes even more advanced than it is today to continue to make the lives of individuals much easier.”
Did you know?
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. “I’m not sure that there are disadvantages [to technology] per se, but there are challenges to what the best tools are for learning,” Ady said.
1.
200 milion iOS devices are running right now.
2.
One in five American adults does not use the internet.
3.
Nine out of ten teens are using some sort of technology everyday.
4.
Older teenage girls, between ages 15-17, are more likely to email and text.
5.
In the 1971, more than 100 million phones were in service. Now, there are more than six billion phones in use.
April 2014 NEXT 9
I Want My People to Be
Free
Ismaat Klaibou uses Winter Spirit Week to fight for freedom in her home country, Palestine by Kelsey Long
During Spirit Week on When I Grow Up day, students can see many people dressed up. Some are dressed as nurses, others as sports players, a few are even dressed as scientists. Sophomore Ismaat Klaibou, however, shows a different story. Her kuffiyeh (scarf representing victory and freedom) is wrapped around her mouth with a piece of duct tape that reads a single word, “Free.” Her message, “When I grow up, I want my people to be free.”
built many walls to ‘keep us in our place.’ Much like South Africa was, Israel/Palestine truly exists as a [segregated and racist] state. The Israeli army has one of the most advanced armies in the world and all the Palestinians have to fight with are rocks, words and the occasional homemade bomb.”
Ismaat’s people are from Palestine, a small country located in the Middle East, where she is originally from. Palestine has been in conflict since 1948, when the British sent the persecuted Jewish people to the country. “The problem is that there were people already there,” Ismaat said, “There were Christians, Muslims and Jewish alike, all living in harmony of each other.”
In Ismaat’s fight, you can see her pushing for the freedom of Palestine and other countries who are similarly “oppressed.” “I have been on all sorts of social media supporting many causes I believe in. I went to a peace camp over the summer that brought awareness to the conflict in Palestine,” Ismaat explains “I write poetry that I have performed in many places as a way to get people going and asking questions. I also often wear different types of clothes that represent what I’m standing for. I’m also participating in Smoky Hill’s World Awareness Day.”
On May 15, 1948, the UN [United Nations] split Palestine in half and created the State of Israel. Half of the natives were then displaced, either sent to the surrounding countries or placed in different parts of Palestine. Many were sent to refugee camps, where some remain today. After this, an extremist Jewish group, known as the Zionists, began a push for more land.
There are no official causes or organizations that benefit Palestine, but Ismaat pleads for help. “For Palestine, the best thing people can do is to raise awareness. 66 years of occupation is a long time, and enough is enough. We could raise petitions to stop American tax dollars from supporting the [divided state]. However, to get anything like that up and going, we must start [raising] awareness.”
Israel now controls most of Palestine, leaving less than 45 percent of the original country. Ismaat describes it as an “oppression.” “The amount of land left for us continues to decrease. Even in the land that is still ours, there are Israeli settlements filled with settlers, most of whom despise our very existence. But it’s not just about losing our homeland. The Israeli army continues to bully and attack Palestinians every day. There is no equality in the system and they have
Ismaat asks, “I’m simply here to ask you as a fellow human being to, please, broaden your horizons and open your eyes and understand exactly how lucky you are to be an American. With the snap of fate’s fingers, you could have been anyone else, living anywhere else in the world. And if you were them, wouldn’t you want yourself to do something about it?”
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Did You Know?
1. Palestine is the “Holy Land” for three religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. 2. May 15, 1948, the UN split Palestine in half and turned it into the “State of Israel.” 3. Israel and the Palestinian territories can be fit into Colorado three times. 4. 1,109 Israelis and at least 6,862 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000, in the conflicts. 5. Israel currently has 262 Jewish-only settlements and ‘outposts’ built on confiscated Palestinian land. 6. It is estimated that up to 300,000 Palestinians have left the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the past ten years. 7. America provided Israel with eight million dollars a day with funding and military aid in 2013. 8.. Zero Israeli homes have been demolished by Palestinians, and at least 27,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since 1967.
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opinion
When it all gets to be Self-harm is defined as direct and intentional injury of the body, usually without suicidal intentions. Self-harm is most apparent in adolescent years between the ages of 12 and 24. by Brandy Holm
Tips on Getting Help and Helping Yourself:
1. Go to a parent, counselor, or a close friend. Talk to them about what’s going on. 2. Find what moves you, what you love to do, or a hobby. 3. Express your feelings. Write them down, draw them, paint them. 4. Figure out why. Find out what triggers you to self harm, and avoid it. 5. Express yourself in other ways, make noise, dance, run.
Helping Others:
If you could see skin underneath the hoodies that sophomore Suzannah Leslie wears every day, you would see scars. You would see scars. You would see burns, cuts, a roadmap of a life of depression. After nine years of self-harm, Suzie no longer hurts herself, but the scars will always remind her of what she went through. “I cut myself for a long time because I didn’t know what else to do. I had strong urges to cut myself and even severe suicidal thoughts,” Suzie said. Suzie went for help after dealing with the constant pain of nine years of harming herself. She now wishes that, “someone had been a friend, and stuck up for [her].” According to an article, “Self-harming on the Rise,” there has been a 30 percent rise in selfharm. Children as young as 13 self harm, with more than 5,000 cases nationwide in 2013. More than 18,000 girls and 4,600 boys were treated for this issue between 2010 and 2013.
1. Don’t Judge. 2. Hear them out, Listen to their requests. 3. Offer support, not ultimatums. 4. Deal with your own feelings.
Look For:
1. Unexplained wounds or scars. 2. Blood stains on clothing etc. 3. Sharp objects or cutting instruments in personal belongings. 4. Frequent “accidents.” 5. Covering up with long clothing even in hot weather. www.helpguide.org
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too
“I see a lot more ninth graders with this problem. Unfortunately, it is easy to find a bad behavior on the internet and glorify it,” licensed school psychologist June Hicks, Psy. D, said. The most common forms of self-harm are cutting or burning, usually using razor blades, pencil sharpeners, knives, cigarettes, lighters, and metal. Darker and more damaging instances include self poisoning with bleach
sports SWIMMING Why do sites
encourage self harm? by Loralee Bandy
much
and cleaners, and embedding sharp objects into the skin which may need surgery to remove.
“I used a knife or sharp plastic, whatever I could find for a long time. My sister would push me over the edge and I’d get in trouble, or feel as though I said something wrong at the wrong time and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself,” Suzie said.
was when I found out she had been cutting,” Suzie’s mother Marie Leslie said. “The doctor wasn’t surprised I hadn’t noticed because the cuts weren’t deep or extensive, thankfully.” As soon as Marie found out, she and her daughter were referred to an adolescent psychiatric specialist. The specialist helped give her specific steps to ensuring Suzie’s safety and arranged for her to see a therapist.
According to “Self-harming on the Rise,” parents do not feel comfortable talking to their kids about self-harm which causes the issue to remain in the shadows. Teenagers then turn to pro self-harm websites. These sites are run by other teens and encourage the self harm. The site administrators will post discussion forums with topics on what can be used, how to cut deeper, and where they can cut.
“Initially, it necessitated some big changes in our routine as well as a lot of time spent on various medical appointments,” Marie said. “Overall, the biggest changes have probably been more focus on everyone’s day-to-day well-being, better listening, and actively working on individual strategies and goals to help everyone in our family be healthy and successful.”
“I don’t think that [kids] will randomly self harm after [viewing] the website, but it is possible depending on the type of personality and what healthy coping skills they have,” Hicks said.
Today Suzie claims to be doing much better. She is still in therapy and has since had all her sharp objects taken away. “It’s still really hard because nothing will ever go away, but it’s better than before,” Suzie said.
While Suzie saw these websites, she doesn’t feel that they were a factor in her own struggles with self-harm. Instead, everyday triggers like bullying, fights, bad grades, and snide remarks led her to self-harm. Suzie remembers how helpful her mom was when she found out. “I knew that Suzie was having problems with depression so I took her to see her doctor. That
Sites are popping up all across the web that promote self harm. These websites, along with encouraging self harm, offer creative ways to do it. Unfortunately, many people visit the sites to continue their practices instead of getting help to stop the habit. Many feel too judged or misunderstood to ask for help from someone in real life, and so they go onto the web. Although they can ask for help on the sites, it’s not encouraged, and most people ignore those discussion posts. They instead choose to promote the self harming and discuss ways to hide it from the very people who could help them. If anyone currently struggles with self harm, there are multiple ways to get help such as talking with counselors or a trusted adult. There are also many helplines to call and anti-self harm groups online that can be consulted if someone is too uncomfortable with confronting someone face to face. Pro self harm sites are anything but helpful. The fact that some people resort to such sources when help is easily attainable is saddening. In my opinion, these websites should not be allowed to exist, as they only hold people back from a happy life.
1-800-DONT-CUT
1-800-366-8288 Self Harm Hotline
1-800-273-8255 LifeLine
1-866-488-7386 Trevor Project
720-554-CARE
720-554-2273 Cherry Creek C.A.R.E. Line
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S
tress: Teenagers manage academic pressures, find balance
Senior Sadie Francis had been putting off her chemistry assignment for weeks, and the night before it was due the pressure was slowly starting to suffocate her. It was 1 a.m. she was sitting at her laptop and all she could think about was getting some shut-eye, but the never ending five pages of climate change were still not done. Feeling hopeless, exhausted and stressed she broke down crying. Much like adults, teenagers experience stress everyday. It’s a great life skill to know how to manage your stress, but the road to obtaining such knowledge is not easily walked. “Last year was really stressed out about finishing a research paper for chemistry, it was my fault because I put it off for a while,” Francis Said As teens, we experience more stress when we come across a situation that is dangerous, difficult, or painful, and we do not have good ways to cope with it. “It was due the night before, and it was supposed to be five pages about something ridiculous like climate change, which sounds easy, but it was ridiculously hard to do! I could probably do a paragraph of climate change,” Francis said According to livescience.com, stressing out can increase the size of neurons in the amygdala (the brain’s backup circuit for fear, aggression and anxiety). These changes in the brain can influence one’s ability to make decisions. Oftentimes, the emotions one person goes
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by Stephanie Braun
through during that time go haywire.
“That was a really bad stressful moment for me,” Francis admitted.
Young people usually resort to cutting themselves as an immediate release for built- An American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) up tension because of the stress and anxiety. report suggests that for teens, too much work and too little play could backfire down the road. High school students have a range of “Colleges are seeing a generation of students academic pressure from the need for who appear to be manifesting in increased perfection, worrying about grades, pressure signs of depression, anxiety, perfectionism and from parents, competition, sports, and/or a stress,” the report says. tough class overload. “Putting stuff off is really bad. I think time Having a strong support network to fall back management is a really good way to relieve on is essential to managing stress. stress. If you plan out what you need to do before hand you do one thing one night and “It was one o’clock in the morning and I was then the next night until you get it all finished. I so tired. All I wanted to do was go to bed. My really didn’t learn that until this year and this is parents said they were willing to help me, but my senior year,” Francis said. “I wish I would of I just didn’t really want help, so I just broke known that before.” down crying, so they just excused me from school and I finished it that day,” Francis Said.
10
Tips to Beat Stress:
1. Figure out where the stress is coming from. 2. Consider what you can control—and work on that. 3. Do what you love. 4. Manage your time well. 5. Create a toolbox of techniques. 6. Pick off the negotiables from your plate. (do you genuinely like your extra curricular activities?) 7. Are you leaving yourself extra vulnerable to stress? 8. Preserve good boundaries. 9. Realize there’s a difference between worrying and caring. 10. Embrace mistakes—or at least don’t drown in perfectionism. Compiled from PsychCentral.com
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After the shooting ... Smoky senior remembers Aurora theater byshooting Ariana Muniz Like many others, Yoanna Blanco had gone to the Aurora Century 16 movie theater to see the final installment of the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. “That night I did not sleep. I was in shock and really scared. It was hard for me to talk afterward,” Blanco said. Blanco and her family were separated during the shooting, and once they found each other they did not wait for the police to arrive, unlike other families. “All I could think of was ‘get out! Get out! Get out,’” Blanco said.
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. About 15 minutes before the movie started, senior Yoanna Blanco saw the exit door open and a man walk in. Assuming he was part of a stunt for the screening, she didn’t think much of it at first. Then something went up and into the crowd. The theater erupted into chaos as a smoke bomb filled the air. People began screaming and running around trying to get to safety. Blanco crawled her way through her row as all around her people stepped on others, panicked. Then shots were fired. Blanco made it through and ran out of the theater. July 20, 2012, goes down in Aurora history as the night James Holmes, now 26-years-old, ended lives and drastically changed others. Holmes was arrested the day of the shooting and charged with the death of twelve and wounding 58 others in the shooting. Almost a year later, Blanco was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Developed “after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical or the threat of physical harm,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health, Blanco struggles even going through school sometimes; she has a hard time trusting her surroundings.
The theater has recently been rebuilt for a fresh feeling and has changed some policies applying to the guests of the theater. An employee of the Century 16 theater, senior Kyle Branson, has noticed changes but has not felt any different walking in. “We have an increased police presence on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as holidays,” Branson said. Another change is a ban on costumes. According to an article by Nick Allen published in the UK Telegraph out of Arapahoe County, Colorado, Holmes was seen wearing “head-to-toe body armour.” After that report, AMC decided that they “will not allow any guests into theaters in costumes that make other guests uncomfortable and will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside buildings.” To this day not everyone feels comfortable walking into the theater. Branson sees guests who feel this way. “We can’t search people or anything like that, so we have to just keep an eye on things when the police aren’t there,” Branson said. Even Blanco feels as though things will never be the same. “I have attended the theater once since it happened. It was strange.
I’m always uncomfortable when I go to other theaters, too,” Blanco said. Blanco cannot attend a movie theater without feeling uncomfortable and unsafe. She pays close attention to her surroundings, but always feels like something could go wrong. Diagnosed with PTSD, Blanco cannot quite deal with the tragedy of that day. Going to the Century 16 theater or any other theater causes a flashback, bringing back bad memories. All she wants to do is forget the entire tragedy. “Everywhere I go I always think about it,” Blanco said, “both what could’ve happened and if it happened again… would I have the chance to get out again?”
Facts:
n People killed: 12 Ages 6-51 n People Wounded: 50+ n Holmes was charged foramlly with: 24 counts of murder 116 counts of attempted murder n Victims have a range of medical and emotional problems n Trial is set for October 14, 2014
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Newspaper goes online SmokyNow.com launches as school’s news site
SmokyNow Staff
SmokyNow is a completely online school news publication that began during the 2013-2014 school year. With 242 posts in categories such as news, academics, student life, sports, clubs, and opinions, the news site is published by students of Smoky Hill High School’s newspaper staff. The site is dedicated to reporting any newsworthy events happening throughout the school, community, nationwide, and worldwide.
“It is a great avenue to sell what we are in Smoky Hill,” assistant principal Matthew Gonzales said. There is a Twitter page that is directly linked to the SmokyNow site. Twitter is used for live coverage of any events that cannot simply be written about the next day such as sporting events. It is also a way to publicize current stories and bring in a wider school and community audience. One reader, freshman Cassidy Basham, follows @SmokyNow on Twitter. “It keeps me in the loop,” Basham said. The staff of SmokyNow is currently running as “I check it daily.” a 22- member publication advised by Carrie Faust. She has been an adviser nine of her ten SmokyNow’s goal is to inform the school and years teaching at Smoky Hill and is currently the community of current events that are happening all Region Two Director for the Journalism Education around. “There are things they are reporting Association. She not only advises SmokyNow, but that I didn’t know was going on, so it keeps me also the Summit yearbook and NEXT magazine. more involved in Smoky,” Basham said. Unlike print newspapers, SmokyNow allows all outside readers to leave comments on pieces they enjoyed or have suggestions for. The site also allows readers to send an email to the staff with any questions or concerns from the contact page. The staff is open to any suggestions or criticisms, as it helps to better the journalists’ reporting and writing skills.
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So far, the publication has been able to reach many students and staff throughout the school and is making its way through the community. SmokyNow wants to thank everyone who is currently supporting the staff of SmokyNow, and who will continue to support SmokyNow on this amazing opportunity to grow as a publication.
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What do you believe? Religion divides a household by Estefano Cedeno Gonzalez
Voices rose in a thundering turmoil as views clashed in an all-out war. Loralee Bandy faced her mother in a battle that was quick to bring up religion. As more thoughts and emotions poured out, she dropped a bombshell. She doesn’t believe the same thing that her religious mother does. “I don’t believe in God. What if it all isn’t true?” Loralee questioned. “This is why I’m worried about you! This might be the only time I have with you!” Loralee Bandy, a 15 year old sophomore, does not share the same religious views as her mother and brother. She doesn’t attend any religious events, and does not believe in any god. She is agnostic, just like her dad. “My dad is also an agnostic. My mother and brother are both Christian,” Bandy said. “All of my mom’s side of the family attends church and does a lot more than her.” Victor Bandy, Loralee’s dad, explains that being agnostic means that you admit that there is a possibility that there might be a higher power - but you don’t see any real proof either way. “It’s slightly conflicting between my dad and [my mom’s] side of the family,” Bandy said. “They really were against each other at first, but they’ve come to agree with each other somewhat.” Her family has learned to respect one another’s beliefs to an extent. As a result, they don’t attend many religion-based events. Bandy’s parents were raised with different religious experiences. Her mother was encouraged to study specific morals, while her dad was free to explore whichever religion he wanted.
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Bandy’s decision to become agnostic began in the earlier years of her childhood, similar to her father. “It was kind of gradual [because] I wasn’t really immersed with religion a lot as a child. Around the end of elementary school, or in middle school is when it became more cemented.” According to Compassion International, 64 percent of people find their lifelong religion under the age of 18.
“They can’t all be right, so I don’t see why any particular one should be.” “I’ve seen a lot of flaws with all of the various religions, and they each have such different philosophies,” Bandy explained. “They can’t all be right, so I don’t see why any particular one should be.” Although she is doesn’t believe in any religion, she is open to other people’s religion and knows what it means to them from experience within her own family. According to a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 2.4 percent of Americans are agnostic while the number continues to grow. It is a smaller ratio when compared to 4.28
percent of agnostics in the rest of the world’s population. At school, Bandy does not limit friendship to those who don’t share her religious view, but she understands that other people will judge her for not believing the same philosophies. “I think it depends on how religious they are,” Bandy said. “If they heavily believe in one religion they might judge me for not doing the same.” Loralee Bandy doesn’t believe that people should be biased against one another solely based on religion. She doesn’t see her friends for what religion they worship, rather for who they actually are. “I have a couple of friends who basically share the same religion as I do, but it’s not a group of friends that’s religion-based.” Currently, tensions within Bandy’s family have relaxed. “My parents don’t talk about religion much because they know that they conflict a lot. They go along with what the other one says, even if it contradicts their beliefs, so that they don’t get into arguments.” Victor Bandy does not believe that one’s religion should affect anybody else, including family members. “I believe that religion should be a personal thing,” he said. “You should be able to believe what you want to believe, and I should be able to believe what I want to believe.”
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r e g n i F e v i F t n u o c s Di
Profession e h T : g in t if l Shop Approximately 3 percent of shoplifters are “professionals” who steal solely for resale or profit as a business. These include drug addicts who steal to feed their habit, hardened professionals who steal as a life-style and international shoplifting gangs who steal for profit as a business. “Professional” shoplifters are responsible for 10 percent of the total dollar losses. Photo Credit to VictorCasale
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shopliftingprevention.org
Shoplifitng can quickly escalate from a ‘prank’ to an obsession by Rachel Ellis
Suzy* walked confidently through the aisles of the local Wal-Mart, eyeing the shelves stocked high with sodas, bags of candy, school supplies, and more. She snagged a few small items and rounded the corners quickly to avoid the gaze of the following employees. She removed the items, small enough not to be bulgy in pockets from their packages, like a pro, and stuffed them into her jacket before leaving the building.
200 students surveyed in Smoky Hill High School, 60 admitted to having shoplifted in the past. Out of those 60, 43 have been caught.
There are approximately 27 million shoplifters (about 1 in 11 people) in our nation today. More than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years.
“We handle [shoplifting] like most other places,” an anonymous WalMart manager said. “We have our people walking around the store. If they see anything suspicious, they will follow that person until they see them checking out, or if they see them walking out of the store with stuff, they pull them aside and into their office where they check to see what they have. If it rings over $50, we get the police involved and fines are issued.”
“Honestly, it’s very rare that I shoplift,” Suzy said. “The last time I stole, I only took small things. The last thing I shoplifted was a card.” Teenage shoplifters are more likely to get ‘addicted’ to this activity. Drug addicts, who are also addicted to shoplifting, have often compared drugs and stealing to being equally addictive. Found in a study by the National Reading and Learning study, adolescents who repeatedly steal do it about two times a week. “I never had money, and if I got hungry enough, I would do it,” Suzy said. “Sometimes I did it just because I could, I guess.” Even after getting caught, more than half of adult shoplifters say it is hard for them to stop stealing. Out of
“Surprisingly enough, I was never caught shoplifting,” Suzy said. Students who are caught stealing school or private property will be suspended and/or recommended for expulsion.
According to shopliftingprevention.org, more than $35 million worth of goods are stolen every day. That adds up to $13 billion every year. Shoplifting has been overburdening police forces, adding to a store’s security costs and raising prices for consumers exponentially over the past five years. “It affects mostly the bottom line [profit] of the company, but more importantly, when it affects the bottom line it affects the customers,” the manager said. “If it is hard to maintain the bottom line, it will have to come out of somewhere. The prices go up to cover that. It may
seem like a $25 thing, but if 20 other people are stealing that at 40 other stores, you’re looking at a lot of money coming out of the bottom line.” Not everyone who becomes a shoplifter stays a shoplifter. Many who are caught shoplifting stop immediately after, and some have made the choice to do so without any legal enforcement. Today, Suzy no longer shoplifts and instead, saves up her money. “I realized that if I don’t have the money, then I need to earn it,” Suzy said. “My boyfriend has also tried to make me a better person.” Shoplifting has escalated beyond a pastime hobby. Instead, it has become a profession in society’s culture. More and more steps have been taken to ensure that the inventory of shops stays where it should be. Shoplifting has been raising prices for years, and what was once only a penny’s difference has now turned into multiple dollars in rising prices. As the battle against shoplifting strengthens and more thieves are caught, prices will lower in response.
*After a consultation with her parents, the subject’s name has been changed to Suzy for her protection
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stress +school
GPA
“Stress isn’t always worth it. You’ve got to remember to sit back and relax on occasion.”
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Amid the library filled with students talking, texting their friends, and playing Flappy Bird, the vigorous tapping of a keyboard in the study area drew me to senior Samantha Landau. In the cubicle she sat, typing away on her laptop. She was one of the few students actually doing work. Landau has felt a lot of pressure to maintain her GPA. As an IB student she felt the competition to keep her grades up in comparison to everyone else in the program.
Students work to balance school, families, jobs and social life to get good grades by Shania Tave-Coles
“I’ve seen people who are overwhelmed with school, home, sports, or clubs, and a lot of those things they don’t manage their time well and they don’t know how to manage their stress,” counselor Michelle Kleve said. The lowest her GPA has ever been is a 3.3 so she relies on prioritizing her work, getting a good amount of sleep, and studies for tests and research papers, which are worth more points.
Landau joined IB in eighth grade because she was already in the MYP program and it made sense to continue in high school. As a sophomore, Landau considered dropping IB, but for a number of reasons she decided to stay with it.
“I prioritize sleep because I know it’s not really worth the stress. I’ve had a couple breakdowns because I’m stressed about a bad test grade on top of a show or work, but it’s never been terrible,” Landau said. “Knowing I was going to school for something I love [theater] motivated me to do good in school even with not having the best study habits.”
“I didn’t feel like IB was benefiting me and I didn’t think it was worth it for what I want to do. I’ve moved past that because it’s a good challenge in the end.” Landau said.
“Stress is a factor; it’s not so much the amount of stress but how we handle the stress. I don’t think we teach people how to manage stress well,” Kleve said.
Not letting herself spend too much time on worksheets that won’t be worth the points, Landau prioritizes what she needs to get done.
“Stress was one of the biggest factors [in poor academic performance]. Of the 69.9 percent of students who reported they were stressed, 32.9 percent said
Reader’s Digest’s tips on maintaining your GPA: • Set priorities • Study anywhere — or everywhere • Get organized • Schedule your time • Take good notes • Clean up your act • Speak up • Study together • Test yourself • Do more than you’re asked
that stress was hurting their academic performance,” according to Health News. Landau isn’t the only one who’s ever been stressed because of school. “With stress I feel like I do better but at the same time it brings me down,” freshman Marina Castillo said. “I lost all motivation to do my homework and my grades,” sophomore Mathew Wong said.
School work is the leading cause of stress in both teenaged boys and girls - TeenHelp.com
“In fact, those who reported eight or more emotional stresses—ranging from credit card debt to failing a class or conflicts with parents—had an average GPA of 2.72 while those who reported no significant stress had an average GPA of 3.3,” Health News reported.
“You should have an outlet for stress, whether it’s talking to someone, writing in a journal, listening to music, or exercise which is really good for managing stress, that way they do well and don’t get behind and have their grades drop,” Kleve said.
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TRAPPED by Jazmin Duren
Dealing with Depression
“I knew it hurt. I wanted it to hurt.” One somber afternoon after school, sophomore Steven Deyulia hadn’t seen his friends and became lonely. No one knew about his growing feeling of loneliness while he sat in his room by himself, upset. Steven’s depression led to him hurting himself. “I would take a screw and cut my arm all the way up. I knew it hurt. I wanted it to hurt. When I just kind of got fed up I took a pocket knife and held it up to my chest.” Although he was hurting inside, Steven didn’t go through with it. Steven has been battling depression for two years. To help cope with his depression, Steven sees the school psychologist once a month. “It helps me let out some of the stuff I bottle up. It’s painful. It hurts to bottle stuff up,” Steven said. Steven’s everyday routine helps him throughout the day. Steven gets up everyday at 6:10 a.m. and hurries up and gets ready for school. Then, after school, Steven comes home and does some chores and relaxes. Steven eats a snack and plays video games to try and keep his mind busy. Even with all of the positive changes seen in Steven, he usually falls asleep around 1:00 a.m. To help take his mind off things, Steven also participates in activities such as long-boarding and mountain biking. “Long-boarding is a hobby that I’ve dedicated a lot of time to. I’m confident in my skills. Mountain biking is something I’m still learning, but I practice so that I can compete. It’s something that can push my limits of physical ability and fear,” Steven explained. These activities refuel Steven’s energy. According to the Illinois Department Of Public Health, “depression, which is treatable, can come from chemical imbalances in the brain, hormonal changes, medications or things going on in your life.”
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Symptoms of Depression
On the back of every student ID is the number to the C.A.R.E. Line. Reasons to call the number include unsafe situations, when student’s lives are in danger or if you are in a threatening situation. You may remain anonymous.
Christine Dressler, Smoky Hill School psychologist, explains there is no specific gender or age group that experiences depression over another. Dressler points out the different treatments for depression, which includes “medication, speaking with a psychologist, and psychotherapy.”
As reported by HelpGuide.org, symptoms of depression include sadness or hopelessness, irritability, anger or hostility, tearfulness or frequent crying, withdrawal from family and friends, loss of interest in activities, changes in eating and sleeping habits, restlessness and agitation, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, fatigue or lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and thoughts of death or suicide. If someone you know shows these signs, call the Depression Help Line 24/7 at (800)-273-8255. If someone you know may be considering suicide, call the Hopeline 24/7 at (800)-784-2433.
Statistics on Depression
1. 80 percent of people with depression are not receiving treatment.
In the beginning, Steven hid behind his depression, but now he has begun to open up about it. Steven knows depression isn’t just a “stage” that he’s is going through, but something that will affect him for the rest of his life.
2. The number of patients diagnosed with
As a result of teen depression, students can turn to drug and alcohol abuse, self-loathing and mutilation, pregnancy, violence, and even suicide.
3. Depression affects one out of ten
Steven previously tried depression medication but stopped a few months ago due to an extreme increase in suicidal thoughts. Steven plans to join the Marine Corps and become a master mechanic.“I have a passion for cars, so it’s what I want to do. I also have a deep love for my country,” Steven said.
depression increases approximately 20 percent per year. Americans every year in some way.
4. Overall, women have higher depression rates.
5. An estimated 121 million people
worldwide suffer from depression.
Putting his problems aside, Steven likes helping around as much as he can fit into his time frame. “I also take it upon myself to educate and research things that could help me or others,” Steven explained.
6. In France, Netherlands, India and the
Steven’s advice for others going through depression is “don’t give up, don’t ever give up. You’ll see, once you get there, that you made it, it’s worth it, it really is.”
7. 60 to 80 percent of all depression
United States, the depression rates are above 30 percent. cases can be treated with brief forms of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications.
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challenge:
stay healthy
The key to controlling an athlete’s calorie intake lies in the school’s lunch By: Devin Guttman Senior Dexter Bess wakes up every morning and eats a small breakfast, usually a protein bar. For lunch he usually rewards himself with a subway or quiznos sub, and sometimes he even goes to Chipotle, or he brings a turkey sandwich from home. If he says to himself that he’s not going to eat something, he just won’t eat it. But on occasion he does eat something he knows he’s not supposed to, and when he does, he spends the rest of the day feeling bad for doing it. He knows better than anybody else what’s good for him and what’s not. Athletes and students need to get the right amount of sleep, get good grades, and keep a well maintained diet. Dexter Bess, a senior at Smoky Hill High School knows how to do all three. Bess is apart of three school sports, football, lacrosse, and wrestling. Bess knew he had to cut back on something, so he cut back on soda. One thing that makes Bess different from other students who go out to eat is portion control. Bess may go out to eat, but he knows how to limit his intake. He watches out for the few things that could possibly end his athletic career, such as sugar and calories.“I mostly try to stay away from sugar and fat. I’ve also cut out some carbs and portion
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Above is an example of a healthy lunch. To the right, Dexter Bess works out during lunch. Good nutrition is a choice for students.
sizes,” Bess said. Bess is a great example of someone who honestly knows how to monitor himself. He knows when he has eaten something that wasn’t good for him. “Sometimes I say why not and have some of it, but afterward I think maybe that’s something I shouldn’t have eaten,” Bess said. Bess may have some bad carbs every once and a while, but he always knows when to cut back, and that is a skill a lot of students haven’t mastered quite yet.
There are five fast food restaurants and stores that serve unhealthy food surrounding the school. This includes Burger King, Taco Bell, 7-11, and soon a Dunkin’ Donuts right down the street. Not only that, but there is also a Walmart very close by. Freshmen are not able to go off campus, but sophomores, juniors, and seniors are. Rather than eating lunch at school or bringing their own lunch, many students go to these fast food places for lunch. Some even do it more than once a day. Brian Hughes, a science analysis for sciencebit.net, has proven that fast food can make students tired
and depressed These are two variables that work against a student in high school. One specific article by Brian Hughes, written on April 2nd, 2012 had statistics to prove his theory. “9,000 or so university graduates surveyed and then followed up after around half a year, those in the top 20% on a scale of fast food consumption were statistically more likely to be either diagnosed with or treated for depression at follow-up, when compared with those in the bottom 20%,” the article states. Most people would think that it was the school’s fault. That the school should not have allowed those restaurants to move near the school. Smoky Hill is not in charge of its own nutrition restrictions, but there is a nutrition center specifically for the cherry creek school district. This system deals with all things when it comes to school nutrition. This means they deal with how many calories each food item should be. Although the food in the cafeteria may not look nutritious to some students, its actually limited in carbs and calories. The carbs and calories can cause students to feel tired or depressed. The school has no control over what restaurants do, which according to Beth Wallace, the director of the school’s nutrition center can be very frustrating. There is nothing she nor the nutritions center can do. “It doesn’t change what we have the ability to offer, it is disheartening at times because we know when kids are offered those products where our hamburgers may only have 300 calories, they can walk right across the street to a Burger King and have a hamburger that is 650 calories.” Wallace said.
While there may be many things the school cannot control, there are also things the school can control. For example on July 1, 2009 regulation 1 CCR 30179 was passed to restrict certain beverages sold at the school. The Colorado Department of Education sponsored this regulation, and the nutrition center supported it, and put it into place at all Cherry Creek schools.
It all comes down to the students. The school has prepared a healthy and nutritious lunch for students to eat. A lunch full of vitamins, and limits the amount of carbs and calories. Or students can walk across the street to a place that doesn’t monitor the amount of sodium, carbs, or calories. Students will ultimately make the decision, the question is, will they choose wisely?
70%
of obese youth had at least one risk factor of cardiovascular disease
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school
Time for
by Calib Michaels
Smoky students struggle to keep up with school and sleep
“It’s arguably the hardest part of my day, getting up so early,” Ethan Brownrigg said, “especially after a long night of homework.”
Senior Ethan Brownrigg’s alarm clock goes off for what seems like forever at this time of day. It signals him to wake up and get up. “It’s arguably the hardest part of my day, getting up so early,” Brownrigg said, “especially after a long night of homework.” For some lucky students, that clock reads 6:45am, but for many it reads something closer to 5:30am or 6:00am. These are the students that have to walk, or bike to school. Those without a bus to take or a ride from someone else, rain or snow, they are out there walking. Wednesdays are a different story for these same kids though. At Smoky Hill, the first class of the day begins at 7:10 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, but on Wednesday it starts at 7:45 a.m. Even though this is only 35 minutes later than normal, it makes all the difference. “Having a late start is a godsend,” Brownrigg said. “Though it isn’t a big difference in start time, the extra sleep or just time to get ready is extraordinarily helpful.” In the Cherry Creek School District, all high schools begin at 7:10 a.m. middle schools start anywhere from 7:45 a.m. to 8:10 a.m., and elementary schools
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start anywhere from 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The 8:00 a.m. start times release around 3:20 p.m., which means that it is the same length as a high school, which releases at 2:30 p.m., and it’s only starting one hour later. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine notes that a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that when school started just one hour later the students that got a full eight hours of sleep per night increased significantly from 35.7 percent to 50 percent. That is a giant jump, but still an extremely low percentage of students getting as much sleep as they should. To back it up even more, Kyla Wahlstrom, a researcher for the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), notes that melatonin, the chemical responsible for sleepiness, is released and active from approximately 11:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m. In other words, the 20 percent of kids that sleep during the first two hours of school have some kind of explanation for doing so. Many students even have jobs, but they can’t be expected to confine their
The fight to stay awake
From The Mayo Clinic:
Parent groups and others are lobbying school systems to start the school day later to be more in synch with teenagers’ internal clocks. In the meantime — or as long as your teen has early classes or commitments — there are a few things that you can try to help your teen get enough sleep:
work schedule strictly to weekends. It’s not reasonable and many employers are not likely to comply with it. Students often go to work right after school, not getting home until between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. At this point, a student should be going to sleep, but they still have homework to worry about and may not get to sleep until about 1:00 a.m., averaging five hours of sleep per night. “On most nights throughout the week, I have work until about nine,” Brownrigg said. On top of this, the ever-present cloud of homework lingers over his head nearly every night, and it prevents him from getting as much sleep as he probably should. More importantly, work minimizes his free time to almost none. Even the students who do not have jobs are sometimes involved in extracurricular actvities. Smoky Hill is one of many schools that encourage students to get more involved with the school, professing the usefulness and joy one can get out of them. The only problem with these extracurricular activities is that the practice, meetings, or tournaments often times go late into the night. “I’ll generally get six or so hours of sleep on a school night, if I’m lucky.”
Adjust the lighting. As bedtime approaches, dim the lights. Then turn off the lights during sleep. In the morning, expose your teen to bright light. These simple cues can help signal when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Stick to a schedule. Tough as it may be, encourage your teen to go to bed and get up at the same time every day — even on weekends. Prioritize extracurricular activities and curb late-night social time as needed. If your teen has a job, limit working hours to no more than 16 to 20 hours a week. Nix long naps. If your teen is drowsy during the day, a 30-minute nap after school might be refreshing. Be cautious, though. Too much daytime shut-eye might only make it harder to fall asleep at night. Curb the caffeine. A jolt of caffeine might help your teen stay awake during class, but the effects are fleeting — and too much caffeine can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Keep it calm. Encourage your teen to wind down at night with a warm shower, a book or other relaxing activities. Discourage stimulating activities — including vigorous exercise, loud music, video games, television, computer use and text messaging — an hour or two before bedtime. Know when to unplug. Take the TV out of your teen’s room, or keep it off at night. The same goes for your teen’s cellphone, computer and other electronic gadgets. Sleeping pills and other medications generally aren’t recommended. For many teens, lifestyle changes can effectively improve sleep.
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Freshman Anissa Gholson walked into the local AMC movie theater with her little sister, twin brother, and parents in tow. They were hoping to see a hot new movie that had just come out and spend some family time together. Gholson and her family strolled up to the ticket counter, excited to get their tickets, popcorn, a couple of large sodas to share, and head into their movie. But the time they purchased only five tickets, they had already spent $70.
average was $7.89 and soon jumped to $8.13 because of the new 3D movie market. Prices are determined by how movie theaters did in their last quarter which tells them if they should raise or lower prices for the new quarter.
That $70 emptied out her parents wallets and made their trip to the concession stand less special than they had hoped. The family left and headed into the movie with only a couple of sodas. Their trip to the movies had turned into a expensive and unhappy one. Over the last few years, movie prices have gone up around four to five percent, not including the foods and drinks moviegoers may want. According to hollywood reporter.com, the price of tickets in 2005 averaged $6.41. In 2010, the
With today’s prices steadily going up, high school students are finding it harder to go to the movies to hang out with any friends or go out on dates without digging deeper into their wallets to pay for the prices at their local movie theater. “The prices make it hard for me and my friends to go out and see a movie because most of them don’t have jobs yet,” Gholson said. If they do, they are mostly trying to save it for college or other things instead of wanting to spend their money on a $10.75 ticket and $20
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These prices are making high schoolers look for other ways to go to the movies and hang out with friends without pulling money out of their wallet just to have a good time.
on snacks for a two- hour- long movie.” The prices are making students want to go out and buy the movie as a DVD and spend less rather than go out and see the movie and spend more at their local movie theater. Some loyal members to the movie theater do have a Stubs card, which can help lower the cost of the snacks that you buy at the snack station, but not by much. “The stubs card is only good for when you’re buying food and it can lower your cost. It is a helpful thing, [but] to me, it is a waste of money,” Gholson said. The prices tend to vary from hour to hour, and the movie theaters tend to add more money to the deal when you go see a movie on the weekends. If you were to go see a movie on a weekday at the AMC theaters the ticket would cost around $7.50 per person to go in the afternoon. The price to go in the morning would
Emptying Your Wallet
Going to the movies, an American family pastime, is no longer affordable
be around $5.00 per person. It varies on what type of movie people are trying to go see and for how many people are going as well. On the weekends the prices rise and are higher than the prices would be if you were to go on the weekend. “I usually go to the movies around 4p.m to 5p.m on Saturday and would definitely change my time if we had known about this earlier,� Goldson said.
+
by Kyna Fitzpatrick
Two Adult Tickets Three Child Tickets One Large Popcorn Two Large Drinks
$17.00 $ 25.50 $11.50 $ 10.00
$ 63.00
This weekend Golson will hunker down in her basement with a group of her closest friends and watch a DVD that they bought at the store. Her mom is upstairs putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave happily keeping the money they saved from watching a movie at home in their wallets.
Information and picture: www.amctheatres.com
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Every Student College Ready, but I’m NOT Going to College Kaylee Long
Smoky Hill’s motto is every student college ready, but does every student want to go to college?
Senior Natalie McGuffin walks nervously to the front office to call her parents. They aren’t expecting this phone call. McGuffin wants them to come in and sign papers. Confused, her parents ask her why. McGuffin wants to join the Navy. Shocked and surprised, her parents ask her to talk this through with them. McGuffin, however, has already made her decision. “I went to the recruiters and ended up wanting to join [the Navy] that day. I told my parents and they kind of freaked out,” McGuffin said. “They were supportive, just surprised.” McGuffin is the first in her family to want to join the military. Some people assume that kids join the military because they can’t go to college, but McGuffin has taken college-level classes and has good grades; she does not want to go straight to college. “After my four-years in the Navy” McGuffin said, “I do think I want to go to college.” According to USNews.com, Smoky Hill is rated 50.4 on a college readiness index. This means that Smoky Hill students perform better than the average student during testing, and seniors scored a 3 or better on AP tests. “[We stress college] so that students have the opportunity to explore majors, open doors of opportunity, and improve and increase global knowledge,” Smoky Hill guidance counselor Abrigail Rudolph said. In a recently conducted poll of 100 students,12 people want to go into the military,11 people don’t want to go to college at all, five people want to go to trade school, and seven people want to go straight to work. That’s a total of 35 students who don’t want to go to a two or four year college. In 2010, 38.8 percent of Colorado students did not go directly to college, and 37.5 percent of students in the nation did not go straight to college or other higher education.
For more information on military options: AIR National Guard: (720) 847-9345 Colorado National Guard: (720) 301-2027 Marines: (303) 340-3700 Navy: (303) 699-2115 Army: (303) 690-6751 McGuffin believes that school might put a little too Air Force: (303) 364-3095 much stress on going to college. “A lot of [school] is Coast Guard: (303) 252-0919 college stuff, not life or work stuff,” McGuffin said.
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In fact, in order to prepare for life in the Navy, she has been looking online for “stuff to help out” instead of going to her counselor for help. McGuffin is also in Civil Air Patrol, a non-profit Air Force Auxiliary program that supplements, but is not directly a part of the military. Students all throughout the nation are not attending college, but high schools continue to stress the importance of a college education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, students who gain a Bachelor’s degree make $1,066 a week compared to a high school graduate who make $652 a week. In other words, students who attain a higher education earn more than a high school graduate. So, it makes sense that high schools see college as the right path. According to MilitaryFactory.com, the average first year pay for a student who enlists in the military is $1531.50 a month. After about eight years of service, if promoted once every year, basic pay increases to $3959.40 a month. This does not include hazardous duty pay, imminent danger pay, or various allowances. If students like McGuffin cannot go to their counselor for help without being questioned, who can they rely on? If students don’t want to focus their life on college, what should the school motto be? “Every student life ready,” McGuffin said.
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Hurt Words do
Bullying continues to plague high school students by Tyler Irvin
Sophomore Alana Davis wakes up every morning feeling like she has a hope battery fully charged. On red days she has first off so she sits in the cafeteria and reads, waiting until she has to go to Algebra 2 with Gournic Dennis. Next is English 10 Honors with Terry Evans, and after that she goes to Computer Graphics and Digital Media with Daniel Cornell.
She reads what they say but instead of taking it to heart, she just laughs. Alana has learned to laugh at her bullies instead of feeling hurt and crying, which only gives the bullies more ammunition against her. Today she still has self esteem issues about how she looks, but Alana is thankful for all her friends that she has made in high school.
However, throughout the entire day she oftens remembers There are thousands of bullying victims that end their stories the bullies and what they said, but she does not show that with suicide. Some make it out but have mental and trust she is upset until she gets home and cries in either her bed issues and dislike how they look or who they are. or closet. The story of her bullying begins in the third grade. According to an article “11 Facts About Bullying,” one in four In the third grade, Alana did not consider what her students between the ages of 12 and 17 nationwide are classmates were doing as bullying, she thought it was only bullied. Of these teenagers, 77 percent are bullied mentally, playful teasing. Fast forward a few years to the sixth grade verbally, and physically with the remaining 43 percent being and the teasing started to get a lot more hurtful. They told bullied online. her that she was a nerd because she read a lot, they picked on her when she was alone, and they picked her apart from “At Smoky Hill, we have a No Contact Agreement in which how she looked to what she wore. the two parties are to have no communication via text or in person or online. They are to drop it entirely,” Red Dean “I thought of it as little jokes to help me deal with what was Brian Byrden said. “No one has been expelled for bullying at happening,” Alana said. “I liked to think of it that way so it Smoky Hill High School as far as I know.” didn’t hurt as much.” Bullying does not just affect the victims but also their loved She would come home and go straight to her room to ones and people who are friends with them. Bullying is not cry herself to sleep or go in her closet and cry for hours just one person’s problem. It affects all those who have been wondering what was wrong with her. She thought about with that person since childhood. self-harm and even suicide. She would go to bed and wake up knowing she would get ridiculed. The bullying stopped Alana’s story of bullying has ended with trust issues and low around eighth grade, at least in person. Now she is cyber self esteem. “I sometimes come home and cry because of bullied on Tumblr. my sacred memories,” Alana said.
What Can I Do?
Myths About Bullying • Myth: It’s only bullying if the victim is physicaly hurt. Words can’t hurt. Fact: Children have killed each other or themselves over verbal or virtual bullying. • Myth: My child would never be a bully. Fact: All kids make mistakes, and denial that they could become a bully makes it harder for them to get the help they need. • Myth: Kids can be bullies or victims not both. Fact: All kids make mistakes, and denial that they could become a bully makes it harder for them to get the help they need.
• Do not blame yourself • Be Proud of who you are • Get Help • Learn to Deal With Stress • Walk away • Protect yourself • Report it • Focus on the positive
helpguide.org
It’s 2012. Sahanna Duff is an 8th grader in Falcon Creek. Duff was pulled from her class in the middle of the school day and taken to meet her parents. She thinks the reason she was removed was her grades which had dropped in one of her classes.
Signs You Might Have a Helicopter parents call you constantly? Parent: DoDo your your parents solve your disputes or problems for you?
Do your parents contact your administrators and teachers frequently? Do your parents pick your classes? Are you not trusted by yourself after school? Do your parents do your assignments for you?
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She and her parents argued over her grades for the rest of the school day and into the night. She was not able to leave the school building until three hours after classes ended. Duff is now a sophomore, and her parents are still hovering over her. This was an embarrassing moment for Duff, but she is not alone in this. It’s a harsh world out there with shootings, a somber economy, and skyrocketing college debt. Parents are just finding it harder to let their children go.
Always
HOVERING by Kevin Yeh
The Conflicts Between Students and Overbearing Parents Like a helicopter, parents hover over their child. They follow their every move, correcting every mistake. A child is given almost no opportunities to correct themselves. Helicopter parents are described as parents that pay an obsessive amount of attention to their children especially towards school functions. For Duff, her social life was severely impaired by her parents. “I’m not allowed to hang out after school unless its track practice. I’m not allowed to go to track dinners. I’m not allowed to hang out on school weekends.” The term “helicopter parent” was introduced in the late 1960s in Dr. Haim Ginott’s book “Between Parent & Teenager.” The phrase grew in the 1990’s as colleges noiticed growing numbers
of students followed by their guardians. These parents would choose their courses, call to make sure they are not late for classes, even going as far as turning in their job applications for them. The rise of the cell phone did nothing to curb this. As an extended “umbilical cord,” it gives parents the ability to contact their children whenever and wherever they go. Students are having more difficulty escaping the grasp of their parents. As the world gets smaller and smaller, is it right to say that students might not have enough space? Luckily for Duff, her experiences are not as bad as some; parents have been reported following their children into job interviews, writing their college transcripts, essentially living their children’s lives.
In one 2012 case, 21-year-old theater student, Aubrey Ireland, successfully filed a restraining order against her parents in which Ireland claimed that her parents installed tracking software on her computer and phone and drove 600 miles in unannounced visits. Ireland’s parents would then accuse Ireland of illicit drug use, promiscuity, and mental disorders.
Sahanna Duff studies in the Math Resource Center. She tries her best to leave the least amount of stress in her family. Her father is taken ill in a hospital, her mother has two jobs, and her sister is in college. Duff getting good grades would put less stress on the already growing tension in the family.
Is it the parent’s fault through? It is doubtful that these parents drag down their children on purpose. In their minds they are helping them. While it is never wrong for a parent to give advice and assist their children, sometimes it is just right to let them take their own steps. Duff’s parents may be the same way. They only want the best for their daughter. “She’s involved but she wants me to do well.”
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