December 20, 2013
The
north pole notes see page 6-7
arapahoe high school shooting
see page 2
RED Ink 114 Park Ave, Eaton, CO 80615
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Vol. 6 Ed. 4
2
redREPORT
December 20, 2013
Demolition begins on old stadium reecekothe newseditor
With the creation of new grandstands for the Eaton High School football stadium, Athletic Director, Steve Longwell, said Eaton will be able to provide more seating for loyal Reds’ fans and greater support for athletic events. Over the course of this winter the old stadium will be torn down entirely. Longwell stated the Eaton School district received permits from the state of Colorado to begin demolition on Monday, Dec. 9. Demolition of the old stands will take place throughout the winter as small pieces are taken off a little at a time. Once demolition is complete in January or February, a concrete contractor will begin to do the concrete work in February or March followed by construction of the new grandstands by the bleacher company Longwell said. Longwell also noted, the old stands that were built in 1962 held about 700 people while the new stands will expand seating with an updated, handicapped accessible design to a little over one thousand people. The new stands will sit higher of the ground to give fans on the bottom stands better viewing. Longwell said, “I am also excited about the pressbox that will go in with the grandstands. There will be plenty of room for coaches, media and workers.”
Kothe brings back dance to EHS
Workers have torn down the press box as well as taken off the bleachers.
As students leave for their semester break, wrecking crews begin the demolition of the old 1962 stadium. The new stadium will hold 300 more spectators than the old grand strands and will offer better views for first-row fans and much more room in the new press box.
Arapahoe shooting
averyjones editorincheif
tiaramiller featureeditor
Eaton sophomore organizes a hip-hop squad to perform and compete. The team hopes to capture the essence of school spirit as well as the art of dance. Karalee Kothe and her skilled dance coach will guide the young team. After a two-year absence, EHS will have a dance team to perform at half-time of games, thanks to the efforts of Sophomore Karalee Kothe. Kothe said she decided to start the team because, “I wanted to combine my dance and school life and give other girls like me the same opportunity, I think a Dance Team can bring school spirit and dance excellence to EHS." This year the Dance Team is starting like a club to give girls a chance to get involved and learn the basics of hip-hop dance. Kothe said, “ My goal is to have a competitive team next year.” The Dance Team will
caleb leonard
tiara miller
Dance team members Joslyn Chapman, Koreena Burger, Sara Heffley, Leah Garcia and Jordan Dow practice an over-the-shoulder dance move. Sophomore Karalee Kothe asked counselor Tara Kaysen to sponsor the group and Kothe’s and dance coach Elisabeth Case will choreograph their moves.
perform at halftime on Jan. 21 and Feb. 8 to “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” by Skrillex. There are only 17 girls on the team now, but team members hope this number grows next year. Anyone is allowed on the team this year, but next year there will be an audition. Kothe has received a lot of support in bringing the Dance
Team to EHS from Steve Longwell, Tara Kaysen, Ashton Dyer, and coach, Elisabeth Case. These four and Kothe worked together to bring something to provide entertainment to the crowds during halftime and eventually compete as a team. Kothe said, "Hip hop is amazing and I'm so glad it is being brought to EHS."
In only 80 seconds, Arapahoe High School became a crime scene when 18-year-old Karl Pierson entered the school and open fired in the library and down the hallways. Pierson entered the school armed with a bandolier of ammunition strapped to his chest. He carried a machete, three Molotov cocktails and the pump-action shotgun. He entered the library at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday Dec. 13 through a door on the north side of the building, demanding to know the whereabouts of librarian and debate coach Tracy Murphy. Authorities have reported that Pierson’s motive was to avenge a grudge against Murphy. Pierson was disciplined by Murphy earlier in the year after Pierson made a verbal threat against Murphy to a group of students. Though law enforcement was made aware of the threat, the response to it remains under investigation. Pierson was not suspended from school, nor ejected from the debate team for the threat.As Pierson searched, he fired his shotgun randomly. His next shot hit 17-year-
old Claire Davis in the face. Davis collapsed onto a friend next to her, bleeding profusely. Pierson fired a total of five times and ignited a Molotov cocktail that set three bookshelves in the library on fire before he turned the gun on himself. Pierson himself was the only casualty of the shooting. Davis is now in critical condition after suffering what Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson called a point blank shotgun blast to the head. She is in a coma, but she is stable. Authorities do not believe Pierson specifically targeted Davis. Though they were both seniors, there is no indication that the two even knew each other. Classes at Arapahoe High School have been canceled for the rest of the year as the community copes with the school shooting and rallies around Claire and her family. A fund has been set up for Claire, and donations can be dropped off at any First Bank branch, or mailed to: First Bank Arapahoe Donation Fund for Claire Davis 2323 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80122
redreport
December 20, 2013
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Ready for battle, head coach Bill Mondt commands his troops on the 2012 football team. Mondt’s career at Eaton spans nearly 20 years, from 1994 to 2013. After an already successful career in engineering, Mondt came to Eaton as a coach and math teacher, and he later served as assistant principal.
A football legend retires davisanders staffreporter
At the Eaton football banquet on Nov 23, 76 year old coach Bill Mondt announced his retirement after 19 years of coaching at Eaton High School. Mondt, graduated from Kersey High School (now Platte Valley) in 1954, and then from the University of Colorado in 1959 with a degree in mechanical engineer-
ing. He played guard and linebacker for the CU Buffaloes, and was a member of the 1957 Orange Bowl championship team. Mondt began his coaching career in 1965 as an assistant coach at CU, where he coached two years before moving to the University of New Mexico, where he also coached as an assistant coach for five years. He then took the head coach-
ing job at New Mexico from 1974 to 1979. He began his head coaching career in 1994 at Eaton High School, and coached two state championship teams in 1997 and 2000. One of Mondt’s most famous coaching prodigies is Broncos defensive tackle Mitch Unrein who graduated in 2005. Mondt was awarded the Denver Broncos coach of the week in 2012.
Mondt Highlights
-19 years of coaching -2 state championships -14 playoff appearences -26 players playing in the next levels -144 wins and 72 losses overal record
Time for toys for tots lexilapp
staffreporter
Once again Eaton High School is taking part in the Toys for Tots Foundation to help give many less fortunate kids in communities a Christmas gift they’ll remember. All of the classes can deliver toys to their advisors that will then be donated to the kids in the community. Toys for Tots is a non-profit charity that delivers brand-new toys to the less fortunate chil-
dren from all ages up to 16 in the community in all fifty states. Many volunteers, church groups, welfare agencies, and other community agencies come and give these toys to kids as a message of hope to them, assisting them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. Their mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls during the months of
October, November, and December. They then distribute those toys as christmas gifts to the kids. The program is directed by the Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana. Over Toys for Tots program they have distributed over 469 million toys to over 216 million less fortunate children. Toys for Tots has continued to bring joy to the less fortunate children.
lexi lapp
Preston successfully heads toys for tots at the highschool
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redspotlight Take it to the next level reecekothe newseditor
There is always room for improvement. It’s a common misnomer that skiing fast means you have mastered skiing. Bombing straight down the mountain at 70 m.p.h. is fun, but after awhile it can get old even for the most pumped-up adrenaline junkies, me included. Learning the right techniques for the different disciplines of skiing can open up a whole new world of exhilaration. Without the right know-how to truly ski like a pro, a person’s skill will plateau. In order to master different types of terrain, it is always key to attack and trust the mountain. Whether it is on a rolling groomer or a 50-degree slope, speed and the ability to let go is key. Alpine skiing: is the classic form of the sport and one of the fastest. The fundamentals mastered on Alpine terrain such as the steep groomers and raceways are applied to all versions of skiing. To ski like a racer and cut sharp curves in the mountainside it is important to apply pressure on your boot tongues with your shins while bending your knees. By doing so, it gives you more control over your skis and balance. It is equally important to get yourself in an athletic stance so that you may be powerful with your movements. The steeper the terrain the more pressure you should apply on your boots while maintaining a tighter stance. Before you tackle steeper terrain, practice carving on easier inclines. Initiate the turns by applying pressure with your big toes. Lean up slope as you turn left and right. Practice a scissor motion almost like rollerblading. Keep your skis close together but as you advance to steeper terrain, the skis should drift farther apart to maintain a center of balance over the top of your skis. The faster you go, the easier it is to initiate turns. Transition from one turn to the next in an almost bouncy motion by taking the path of least resistance. Let your lower body do all the work while your upper body stays relaxed. Once you master the physics and flow of race style skiing take it to the rest of the mountain such as on the bumps and big mountain areas. On the bumps: maintain a clean technique but tighter and closer together. Use your legs to absorb the
impact. Choose a line and go with it. Use your poles to reach for bumps and turn around the pole plants you make. Use moguls as speed bumps to slow down if needed. Smear the back of your skies as you come out of turns. But most importantly, don’t be intimidated; own the bumps and you will be skiing them like a pro in no time. Once you progress to big mountain skiing, it is key to be confident in your ability. Big mountain terrain: is for experts and rightfully so. Not only are there cliffs and ultra steep declines but unforeseen obstacles as well in the untouched snow of the backcountry. Big mountain terrain quite often has nofall-zones which means if you fall you probably won’t live to tell about it. Still, if you use the proper technique mastered on the easier groomers, big mountain terrain is completely doable. On steeper terrain it is important to keep your hands and poles reaching downwards so that turns may follow easier. Shift your weight uphill to keep your balance and go hard. When hitting cliffs stay in the proper position and stay relaxed. Land with a slightly wider stance. Freestyle skiing: is one of my favorites and varies from the other disciplines of skiing. In this variation of skiing, it is crucial to be fearless and confident. This type of skiing is where intricate tricks come into play. Whatever trick you want to master, even if its a double back cork 1080, always go all the way. When you approach the jump, don’t speed check. In other words hit it with full speed and don’t slow down. Freestyle skiing is all about perfecting the approaches. As you near the knuckle of a jump, create a wider base with your skis so that you may create more torque to initiate a trick. The same goes for other features such as boxes and rails. As far as tricks go, practice them on smaller scale features before taking them to big air jumps. Start small and work your way up. Perfect 180s, 360s, front flips and back flips before adding grabs and other twists. Once you become comfortable in the air, bigger tricks will come with time. Never second guess yourself while jumping and always go 110 percent. So next time you’re out, try to do some of these techniques and gain the enjoyment that the pros rave about their entire lives.
December 20, 2013
redspotlight PROPS and FLOPS at EHS December 20, 2013
averyjones editorinchief
PROPS
FLOPS
to all the guys out there rocking the scarves.
PROPS
FLOPS to anyone
PROPS
FLOPS
to teach to Saners who assign hometa for trimming down work over holiday enough to squeeze down breaks. a chimney.
who believed Spongebob was going to be cancelled next year. Definitely not true.
PROPS
staffreporter
With the punniest movie most likely to ever hit the theaters, expect a movie full of laughter, excitement, and lots of puns in this animated sequel, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. The story begins when a young inventor, Flint Lockwood (Bill
Hader), creates a crazy food dispensing machine called the “FLDSMDFR” that survives an explosion from the first movie, and begins to create an island full of exotic foodimals. Flint and his friends, Sam Sparks (Anna Faris), Brent (Andy Samberg), and Flint’s father, Tim Lockwood (James Caan) travel to
Caleb Leonard
lindydixon & emilypennington
The holiday season is finally here, and with it comes love and cheer. Happiness is spread with green and red, as little kids get tucked in bed. Old Saint Nick, down the chimney he goes, with a bunch of presents wrapped in ribbons and bows. As he comes down with his sleigh from above, here are the things about Christmas we love.
The Songs to Chirst- 1. “Walking in a winter wondermas lights for making land,” “rocking around the Christthe real world look like a mas tree,” on every street corner you’ll hear what? SILVER BELLS! giant gingerbread land. Christmas songs just give you that
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 serves well in theatres reedhodgson
Things We Love About Christmas
PROPS
FLOPS
to semes to ESPN ter finals. for having Ron Burgundy interview Peyton Manning. to the senior class for getting all to all the their photos in on time icy roads that make dai- for the yearbook deadly commuting a hellish line. ordeal.
the island under the advisory of super-inventor Chester V. (Will Forte), the CEO of Live Corp and Flint’s lifelong idol. Chester V. is a very famous inventor, and in order for Flint to become a part of his team, he is sent to the island to destroy his own creation, the “FLDSMDFR.” Traveling back, they discover both the dangerous and beautiful animals on the island, with names like fla-mangos, su-sheep, and shrimpanzees. With the intention of destroying the machine, the crew soon questions whether the machine is evil, or not. These puns and adorable animation led to the success of the movie, where at box office the movie grossed a worldwide total of $207 million. On opening day in North America alone, the movie earned $9.3 million. When the opportunity arises to see this movie, make sure you do. It is worth the hour and 35 minutes. From the funny food animals, to great voice overs, this movie definitely deserves 4 out of 5 stars.
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warm, fuzzy feeling. Hey! Christmas time is here let’s just sing about it!
2. Christmas Spirit Week at School
We speak for everyone when we say that Ugly Sweater day at school puts a smile on everyone’s face. Christmas Spirit Week just gets everyone in the Christmasy mood. We are already in school for 7 hours of our day, why not liven things up while we sit in class just watching the clock praying for break to start.
3. Sweets
Fudge, cookies, hot chocolate, candy canes, advent calendars, what’s not to love? We may all gain a little weight during the holiday season, but that’s okay; it’s worth it! We can all put on ten pounds together, and accept the judging that is coming.
4. Presents
Enough said. Even the ugly clothes your grandma gives you, they’re still free presents that you
are forced to love because you love the person who gave you it.
5. Shopping Sales
As we get older, buying Christmas gifts for our closest friends becomes an event. There is no better feeling than going to the mall and seeing a bunch of items for 50% off. The sales are great when shopping for your friends; however, they are equally as amazing when shopping for yourself as well. Nothing say: “Merry Christmas to me” like a fresh new outfit to rock in the New Year.
6. Santa Claus
We may all grow up, but a little part of our hearts will always love Santa. Who wouldn’t love a big, fat, jolly guy who gives you presents and enjoys your awful cookies.
7. Old Christmas Tales
Personally, when I was a kid, lying with my grandma as she read me “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” are some of the best memories I have. Those stories have been around for ages, but every time you read them a warm, loving feeling just settles in your heart.
8. The Snow
... Just kidding snow kind of stinks. In a school with little to no heating, cold weather and snow is not something we entirely enjoy. The only positives about the cold weather is every girl can go total white girl status with Uggs, yoga pants, and Starbucks.
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redspotlight
December 20, 2013
Letters to S While some kids write a letter to Santa for a pony or the new Bop-it, some have something more to wish for. We’ve all written letters to Santa at some point in our lives, but we wrote them just to send them to Old Saint Nick, telling him how nice we were that year and what we hoped to receive from him for Christmas. As we got older, we didn’t really care as much, and eventually most of us stopped writing the letters. Six years ago, Macy’s started their Believe campaign to encourage people to write letters to Santa again and to help someone else’s wish come true. For every letter dropped into the red mailboxes inside of
Macy’s everywhere, Macy’s will d until they reach $1 million to the Wish foundation. Macy’s will be a letters until Dec. 24. All letters are to the North Pole, so don’t wor Santa not getting a letter from you For those of you who don’t k Make-A-Wish foundation grants th of children diagnosed with life-thr medical conditions. These wishe most as unlimited as a child’s ima but of course, these wishes cos The average cost of a wish is $7,5 Macy’s goal of $1 million, 133 wi be granted.
Santa
donate $1 Make-Aaccepting delivered rry about u. know, the he wishes reatening es are alagination, st money. 500. With ishes can
redspotlight
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The letters you see here come from Merri Kirby’s Creative Writing class. There are 20 letters total, all of these letters are going to Macy’s to be mailed to Santa and to benefit Make-A-Wish. Writing letters to Santa is something most of us have grown out of, but why not get in touch with your inner- child and make your grown up letter to Santa. So whether or not you write a letter to make Santa chuckle or to call on Santa’s magic for someone you know who needs something that a toy just won’t fix, write a letter and take it into Macy’s to help grant someone else’s wish this holiday season.
tiaramiller
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redview Ugly sweater lesson averyjones editorinchief
averyjones editorinchief
du’-mmy ( n) mock-up a set o f pages (as for newspaper or duh’meepa’-ges: pay’ges: pages fora the printer
magazine) with the position of text and artwork indicated for the printer
Nothing says Christmas fun like a good ugly sweater party. Everyone in high spirits filled with Christmas joy, all coming together to mercilessly make fun of bad fashion. Sure, it’s fun to have a good laugh at the expense of someone else’s taste, but it’s all fun and games until someone is actually insulted. Trust me. I know. I’ve been on both sides of this Christmastime insult. My sophomore year I came to a basketball game wearing a sweater I had just bought from American Eagle. I’d never worn it before, and I was all excited for everyone’s reactions (as every girl is when she gets a new piece of clothing). I sat down on the bleachers, and a girl in my class looked at me and laughed. She said, “Oh my gosh, Avery, that’s awesome! I just got the same sweater for an ugly sweater party I’m going to next weekend! Are you going to one after the game?” It was so awkward! I was absolutely humiliated! But I played it off and told her yeah, my church was throwing one that night. Yeah, ok, lying about church was not the best moral call, but I panicked, and I was under a lot of pressure to get out of such an awkward situation. Suffice to say I’ve never worn that sweater again. More recently I became the insulter rather than the insulted. Last winter, my mom and I headed to the ARC to pick out the perfect sweaters for the school’s ugly sweater day for Christmas spirit week. We were having such a good time trying to one-up each other by picking out the most horrendous items we could. Finally, we both found gems of atrocities perfect for each of us. When we took them to the checkout counter, I couldn’t stop laughing at how ridiculously hideous they were, and how awesome our
spirit week was going to be because of them. Between laughs I chuckled out, “Oh my gosh, these are sooo bad! I mean they’re like the definition of ‘ugly sweater!’” I cracked myself up, and my mom was giggling too, but the lady behind the checkout stand didn’t find me quite so funny. She looked me in the face and said, “You, know someone else probably thought this was a lovely sweater.” Well that stopped my laughing. I felt so bad that I was going around the store proclaiming how hideous that sweater was! What if someone there liked it? I had basically just told them, “Wow, your taste sucks.” How inconsiderate of me. How rude. But I wore it anyway. When ugly sweater day rolled around at school, I donned my hideous sweater and wore it with pride. That Sunday, when I showed up at church, one young lady all bundled up in her winter coat held the door open for me and greeted me with such warmth and sincerity. I smiled back at her and said thank you. We walked inside, and when she took off her coat, what was she wearing but that same exact sweater that I had worn just days before for ugly sweater day. It was worse than getting scolded by the checkout lady. It was worse than I felt when it was my sweater being insulted. I felt horrible. Here was this kind-hearted lady wearing the very piece of clothing that I had ridiculed in front of the thrift store and my entire school. She had no idea that I had done these things, but still, I felt as cruel as if I had said them to her face. Sure, ugly sweater parties and spirit days are fun. They boost holiday spirit for everyone, but isn’t it a little bit sad that our holiday cheer comes from collectively insulting someone else?
December 20, 2013
Binge drinking, an epidemic calebleonard
mia. Lately, an activity that has been It’s Friday evening. During the spreading though the lives of college course of the day, wind blew cold and even high school students. damp rain into the small town, driving Binge drinking is when someone or most of the students and adults away several people drink as much as they from the community football game. can before passing out. Binge drinking Junior student Mandus and a few of usually consists of someone consume his friends decide to go with some as much as five (men) or six (women) adults to a Friglasses of beer in a sitting day night party (two hours) resulting in at a friend’s their blood level riseing to If someone who house. It was a minimum of 0.08 (the is driving drunk hits going to be like legal limit for driving), but somebody and kills any party, a few usually climbing to levels drinks, jokes like 0.18 . Unfortunately, them... they should and then headwhen somebody gets seautomatically pay life ing home close verely drunk, they do acfor life. to midnight. tivities that are not always At the party, normal. It is also observed friends chalthat many people are not lenge Mandus to a contest of drinking, afraid to drive home, even after they binge drinking. After Mandus loses the have reached far past the legal limit. tournament, he gets bored and leaves This poses some dangers that have drunk. Getting in his friend’s Jetta, he high consequences, such as vehicular drives up to 90 mph on CR 49 and homicide. bashes into a young woman’s vehicle, Almost no drunk driver intends to killing her daughter and 3-month-old kill a mother and a child while driving. infant in the process. Most accidents that result in serious Mandus had to live the rest of his injury are not intended to begin by the life with the guilt of knowing he took participants. the lives of two innocent children So how does one handle a situation because of a stupid, drunken choice. like this? Alcohol is addicting. The Mandus’s story is only one of count- more someone drinks, the more they less cases of lives ruined by underage want to drink. The easiest way to avoid binge drinking. binge drinking is obviously not drink, Drinking has been a recreational or drink with tight discipline. An ocactivity that dates back almost 6,000 casional beer is okay. One might ask years, when Mesopotamians found “But Caleb, how do you know if it’s and used yeast to create alcoholic bev- bad unless you try it?” The neutralizer erages, such as beer. However, today, of the argument is quite simple: How driinking is popularly used in a differ- do you know if you’re going to be sick ent manner; underaged drinking has unless you drink Arsenic? Rather than increased. All is fine for a few occa- trying it, why don’t you look at the resional beers when a person is at a legal sults of such activities to see if it is age to drink, but excessive, underage, worth it or not. See what people who drinking is where safety of others be- have experienced drinking and binge comes a problem. The reason laws ex- drinking have to say about it. Another ist is to protect people from the risks solution that is possible is quite siminvolved, which includes, but is not ple; have the majority of people look limited to, cancer, cirrhosis, and ane- down on drinking. If the minority is staffreporter
participating in the events, it’s going to be harder for the individuals to be tempted. Many students get their alcohol from adults. If there is some sort of enforced punishment for adults that freely give alcohol beverages to students, then underage drinking/ binge drinking may be slowed. Finally, it would be good to have some severe punishment for those who drink and drive. For those who drive home and are even at a the level of 0.081, they should be punished severely because driving drunk is very serious. Currently, the first offense to driving while ability is impaired (DWAI) is eight points toward license suspension, $100-$500 fine, two to 180 days in jail with 48 hours of community service. However, think that on first offense, regardless, should make the driver lose their license for three years AND be in jail for a month. When one drives drunk, it is a very serious case because every 48 minutes, somebody whether they are a child, baby, father, mother, grandma, or grandpa dies because somebody drove drunk. Also, I think if someone who is driving drunk hits somebody and kills them (even if it is baby in the womb) they should automatically pay life for life. Capital punishment would help enforce a fear for those who drive drunk, and hopefully help them refrain from actually driving home drunk but get a ride from a sober friend. Not only is driving drunk dangerous for others, it is dangerous for the driver. Forrest White (14) is a student who attends Eaton High School and he can testify the punishments of drunk driving. Forrest White is disabled, unable to walk for the rest of his life. However, he said some very wise words that are worth repeating again: “Don’t drink when your underage, don’t drink and drive at any time because the facts are massive. I wouldn’t call being in a wheelchair fantastic.”
White’s (14) demolished truck came to rest in a field on the side of a road after he wrecked it in an accident caused by drunk driving.
redview
December 20, 2013
Giving beats getting (Nowadays)
Mondt truly legendary coach davisanders staffreporter
staffeditorial eatonredink.com
When we were little, we woke up at about 6 a.m. December 25th with as much excitement as, well, as a kid on Christmas morning. We sprinted down the stairs to behold the pile of presents that had magically appeared overnight. Automatically, we wanted to know which ones were ours? Which would we open first? Which would be our favorite? All we wanted was to rip off that shining, pristine wrapping paper and get ahold of our gifts. That moment after we flew down the stairs and had sensations fill us the instant we beheld those presents-Nothing beat that moment. But as we’ve grown up, we’ve noticed a significant shift. We still wake up on December 25 with as much excitement as when we were children (maybe not quite as early), but when we see that pile of presents under the tree, our eyes immediately search for the ones that we are giving--the ones that we finally selected after days of deliberating and deciding
what would be the perfect present. The ones we paid for with our own money. The ones we meticulously wrapped, making sure every corner was perfectly tucked and taped. As we stand there admiring our work, we can’t wait for the moment when its recipient hungrily tears off the wrapping paper and finally sees the perfect gift. That moment after the paper is torn off when their eyes widen to the size of shiny silver dollars and their mouth falls open slightly at their joyous shock--Nothing beats that moment. Nowadays, giving beats getting when it comes to Christmas. That doesn’t mean we don’t like getting gifts anymore. Who doesn’t? But the best part of Christmas is no longer the selfish rush we got when we were little and knew that the entire holiday revolved around us. Now, knowing that we have the power to make someone else’s Christmas magical is what brings us real joy at Christmas time.
Red Ink Staff Box ............................................. reedhodgson
Editor-in-Chief.............averyjones Sports Editor..............adamschott Opinion Editor.............tanneralm Feature Editor.............tiaramiller News Editor...................reecekothe Copy Editor...........................jakesell Tech. Support..........calebleonard Photo Editor......................haleycox Ad Manager...................lindydixon Staff Reporters
...........................................davisanders ..................................emilypennington ........................................................lexilapp
Adviser........................deirdrejones
The Red Ink is a public forum, school-sponsored and student generated, which encourages the free exchange of ideas and information. All opinions made in the exercise of freedom of speech or press are the sole opinions of the writers and are in no way to be considered the opinions of Eaton High School, administration, Board of Education, or Eaton School District. The Red Ink strictly adheres to School Board Policy JCEA and Colorado Revised Statute 12-1-120. The Red Ink is a member of the Colorado High School Press Association, Journalism Education Association, and Quill and Scroll.
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From offense to defense, and even special teams there was no one else in the state that could reach coach Bill Mondt’s education level when it came to tossing the ol’ pigskin around. I can remember running sprints across the football field and seeing Mondt backpedaling across the field right along with the players. Summer 6 a.m. workouts were always a blast in the weight room with Mondt always riding the bike coaching us on. Mondt, who just turned 76 this past year decided it was his time to retire from coaching. Although as seasoned as he may be, Mondt knew the ins and outs of football. In his 19 years of coaching at Eaton, Mondt recorded 2 state
championships and 11 state playoff teams. Although his last year coaching at
Above: Coach Mondt in 1997, three years after he took his coaching job at Eaton.
Eaton was not the finish he wanted, Mondt still showed his love for the game day in and day out. It’s hard to say what gave Mondt a love for football, one thing for sure is he wouldn’t have traded his days at Eaton for anything else. I remember hearing stories of him staying up late every night, sometimes even til the morning hours watching, and carefully studying game film. For most Americans, retirement comes around the age of 55, but not for Mondt, I am blessed to be able to play under such a stellar coach. The saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” may be true in some cases, but in the instance of Eaton football coach Bill Mondt, the saying couldn’t be more false.
Reflections on Mandela haleycox photoeditor
This month the world lost more than a legend. When really famous people die, it always seems like people jump on the opportunity to say things like “we lost a legend” or, in the words of our President, “he now belongs to the ages.” Nelson Mandela is not a legend and he does not belong to the ages. Nelson Mandela belongs to the present. Men like Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. are so much
more than just men. Martin Luther King Jr. doesn’t belong to the ages: he is alive in the hugs we share with strangers. Gandhi thrives in our smiles when we hold open doors for each other. Yes--this month, a body stopped breathing. It is not fair, however, to say that Nelson Mandela died. Mandela didn’t exist as a mass of cells, thrown together to make up a body. He existed as his thoughts, his
ideas, his passions, and his integrity of spirit, all of which can continue to benefit humanity if we choose. As we enter the holiday season, do so with the spirit that Mandela embodied: he was kind, he was generous, and he valued the people and relationships around him. I know it’s cliche, but Christmas isn’t about the presents or good food. It’s about the time we spend together with those who love us most.
Tis’ the season to be shopping tanneralm opinioneditor
Christmas is a monumental time in America because it represents generosity and kindness throughout the country; however, there is a point where generosity and kindness come too soon. December...fine, November...ok, October...NO! At this point Halloween hasn’t even happened yet. Halloween decorations and Christmas lights should never be in the store at the same time. Though Christmas decorations are very prominent in October, Christmas really starts to show itself in november, Christmas shopping, hanging up lights and of course, Black Friday.
Christmas was intended to be about generosity but now it seems more like a competition for decorations between neighbors and getting stuff for no apparent reason. As time goes by and technology evolves it seems the amount of spoiled children rises as well. Black Friday is a perfect example of how the true meaning of Christmas is changing. Wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas Black Friday is a shopping period where items are priced extremely low and discounted as much as 75% W ith Gray Thursday and Cyber Monday, this period of shopping that completely contra-
dicts the true meaning of these holidays seems to grow longer each year. What used to be holidays that emphasised sharing and giving to others, now are interpreted as times to buy and hoard items for themselves instead of giving. Christmas is coming earlier every year and even though it’s intended for people to be celebrating early, it’s used as time to spend shopping and buying new things. Thanksgiving even has it’s own shopping portion of the holiday. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, whatever it is nowadays is intended for self gain and dilutes the intended effect of the holiday.
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redzone
December 20, 2013
Girls Basketball Starts Season Strong
emilypennington staffreporter
The Reds won their first nonconference game against Jefferson Academy 54-46 Tuesday Dec. 10. This game put the girls at 4-0 after they came out of the Roundball Tournament victorious. In the Roundball Tournament, the girls played three games agianst Weld Central, Platte Valley, and Fort Morgan. The girls handelly beat all three of their opponents. They won against Weld Central with a score of 46-23, Platte Valley with a score of 43-33, and Fort Morgan with a score of 64-22. According to senior player Morgan Karlberg, Platte Valley is one of their greatest rivals, making the win that much more satisfactory. Other than Platte Valley, Karlberg says that there is not really any team that she can think of as big competition. The season is looking promising so far. “If we stay humble and focused on the team win,
not the individual win, we will do well,” said Karlberg “This season is no different from the rest of the seasons... we all learn from each other by our actions and situations on the court.” The girls are hopeful to return to state this year and bring home a gold ball.
Bailey Jones (13) brings the ball down the court searching for an open teamate. Bailey Schumacher (16) takes the ball up the sidline against a Jefferson Academy player in their explosive win.
Record So Far Weld Central
W
46-23
Fort Morgan
W
64-22
Platte Valley Jefferson Academy
W
43-33
W
54-46
redzone
December 20, 2013
11
Reds Dominate Valley at Home Meet
short time. Every girl came prepared in this last home meet and was ready to dominate the competition. Coach of the Girls swim team is Doug Stone. Stone mentioned that he had put a lot of different girls in meets that they had not yet swam in this year, and the girls proved to do exceptionally well. Stone said, “I threw new challenges at different girls and I wanted to see what girls would perform best in certain events.” The team proved to perform exceptionally well in this meet, for many reasons, one of which being an abundance of swimmers compared to the other team. The Reds out matched the Vikings in a lot of ways. Out of 13 events the
Reds took first place in all but two of them. Stone said, “I was really happy with their performance, I saw a lot of improvement from a kids from their previous meets.” Many first year swimmers have stepped up this year and have had to get out of their comfort zone a little. Foreign exchange student Laura Lazaro is swimming for her first time this season and in the last meet was placed into the longest, and one of the hardest races, the 500 Freestyle. Laura said, “I was nervous, but excited at the same time because it was a new challenge for me to improve.” Along with the new swimmers the more experienced swimmers did very well also. Junior Justice Muro swam exceptionally, winning both of her individual races, and both of her relays. Muro won the 200 free with a time of 2:18.18 and she won her 500 free with a time of 6:14.40, with her second place competition over a minute behind her with a 7:28.62. Muro said, “I was super nervous for my individual events, but remembered that this is what I had been training for. My relays on the other hand, was just about having fun with my team.” A large majority of the team this year is a well experienced junior class. Almost all the juniors did exceptionally well in their events, especially the team relays, which all consist of only juniors, and they never lost a relay in the last meet. The Juniors who were involved in the winning of their relays are Molly Adams, Lauryn Schriner, Taylor Dorsey,
could compete at. Lohr missed his weight of 132 lbs but was able to wrestle at 138 lbs. The toughest competitor for the Reds was senior Riley Jones who was able to pin down his opponent. With a start of a double leg approach, Jones worked on top of his opponent. Jones finished off his opponent with a Half Nelson to give his team some much needed points. More competitors for the Reds who were able to win their individual matches were Garrett Coalson (15), Ethan Aleman (14), and Erich Russ (17). This win helped catapult the Reds to match the intensity of Brush.
Senior Micheal Cardona also had a good match against his opponent, standing as leader on his team. Cardona won to give his team some additional, and much needed, points. Jase Casseday (15) was unable to compete in this match as a result of a concussion he recieved in a scrimmage. Casseday added on to the team’s competition by saying, “We worked hard in preparing to beat Brush, but we came up short.” The Reds will look to further their team’s success on Dec. 20 and 21 at the University of Northern Colorado Christmas tournament led by many key seniors and head coach Roy True.
Haley Cox Rachel Croissant (16) grabs a quick rush of air out of the water in the domintating win against the Valley Vikings on Dec 10.
reedhodgson staffreporter
The Reds swim girls team dominated its competition Tuesday December, 10 as Valley Viking’s swim team was seen trailing in almost every race. The Reds scored 115 points as a team, winning to the Viking’s 62. This was only the Reds fourth meet of the season so far, and it was their most dominating win of the season. The Reds started out the season with a home meet, and then had two other meets in Windsor and Estes Park, followed by one more home meet, all within the span of one week. The girls have really got off to a quick start, and have really shown improvement in a
Hailee Hernandez, Justice Muro, and Jennie Haley. Other swimmer that did well in Their races was Adams who placed first in the 100 freestyle, Dorsey who placed first in the 100 butterfly, Hernandez who won the 50 freestyle, and Schriner who placed first in the 100 breaststroke with almost a state time. Schriner said, “The meet was a chance for the girls to get different events than usual, it was an overall great meet!” Stone so far is very pleased with the
quick start this season and said, “My mission from now until January is finding events that kids can score well at conference with, and I would like to get letter opportunities for kids and find every kid opportunities to participate and contribute.” The reds look to continue in their success throughout the rest of the season. Junior Jennie Haley said, “The meet was a good time for all of us to bond with all of the girls and grow as a family.”
Haley Cox Hailee Hernandez (15) takes a dive straight into the water as the next swimmer in her relay. The Reds made their presence known with thier speed.
Eaton wrestling falls short to Brush adamschott sportseditor
In a streak of losses to Brush for the past four years, the Reds wrestling team suffered another loss to the Brush beetdiggers on Dec. 12. The overall score of the meet was 44-33, with the Reds failing to overcome preparation issues. The team as a whole competed very strongly, but were plagued with the problem of having three wrestlers miss weight. Wrestlers who were unable to meet their weight included sophomores Tanner Lewis, and Rusty Lohr, and junior Danny Thomas. Lewis missed his weight of 106 lbs by weighing in at 106.6 lbs. This was the only weight that he
Tiara Miller Cardona (14) and Colton Ingram (17) live wrestle before a meet. This intensity during the practice helps propel the team into taking on opponents.
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redzone
December 20, 2013
Boys basketball struggles through first tournament
The College Sports Scene adamschott sportseditor
adamschott sportseditor
Coaching Fails
Jehna Powell Casey Edens (15) makes a strong drive towards the basket with a scoring mindset against the opponent Fort Morgan.
emilypennington staffreporter
Winter is back, and with the freezing temperatures comes the return of basketball season. The boys started off their season with a win against Weld Central, which was the first game of the Roundball Tournament they participated in. According to senior Jake Nelson, so far the tournament has been going well. With the win against Weld Central, the boys had a good start and “hope to keep it going and keep improving every day,” said Nelson, who has high hopes for his final season at Eaton High School. Nelson was the top scorer in the Weld Central game, scoring 19 of the team’s 59 points. The boys lost two of the three games they participated in at the tournament. They won against Weld Central
59-49. They lost their second game against Fort Morgan 47-56. Eaton played a close game against Platte Valley but fell short in the final seconds.They lost the game 64-66. Coming out of the Roundball Tournament unsuccessful, the Reds faced Jefferson Academy in their first non-conference game. The boys took a devastating loss to Jefferson Academy with a score of 22-63. Senior player Davis Anders said, “We have a pretty tough schedule with a lot of big games.... I’m just glad I get to share it with some good friends and great athletes.” Being a family is definitely im-
portant to the boys team, according to Nelson. “It definitely sucks to think about this be ing my last year, but on the other hand it motivates me to make it the best year yet and leave it all on the court.” The boys will play at Peak to Peak Saturday and are hopeful for a win in order to turn their season around. Jake Nelson (14) controls the ball as he sets up a play against Platte Valley. The boys lost the close game 64-66 after one win against Weld Central and one loss against Fort Morgan.
The only real big thing I have to say to Mike Tomlin and Jason Kidd is that they are just pathetic. It’s sad to think that in the NFL and NBA, silly stunts like this can happen. First of all, let me just explain what happened. For Mike Tomlin, he was charged with a hefty fine of 100,000 dollars for allegedly standing in the way of the players route on the actual football field. The first time I saw this I almost puked. I mean, how oblivious can you possibly be to the game and what’s happening. He planned it from the looks of it and everything about it was just pathetic. People make the justification that he was looking at the scoreboard, and then he suddenly realized where he was on the field. Who does that? I mean, your team just kicked the ball away from you and you have you back to it. That doesn’t make sense. The reason Jacoby Jones of the Raven didn’t go all the way was because he was rerouted. Tomlin did apologize for the fine however, and I do greatly respect that. However, I don’t really have a problem with the severity of this fine for two reasons. Number one, what he did was uncalled for and wrong Roger Goodell is trying to send a statement. Second, the players need this to hurt because that is real pocket change. On the other side, Jason Kidd so called “Spilled” his drink when he ran into a player. The goal of this was to slow the game down and basically give the team another timeout. If you watch the actual footage then you can tell that he
was just blindly walking and he got fined 50,000 dollars for the flop. Everything about this was in my opinion, low. If you have to these things, then you don’t deserve. Win without cheating and stop copping out. National Championship Insight For the National Championship this year, it looks to be a fantastic one. We’ve got the Auburn Tiger sitting at number two with a huge momentum. They pulled out the SEC championship win over the Missouri Tigers, which clearly help propel their chances. Also, let’s not forget the fact that Auburn possibly had the greatest ending to a college game in history against Alabama. However, it’s easy to get starry eyed over the Tigers but let’s not forget the opponent. The number one Florida State Seminoles are on fire and look to take control. Led by Freshman quarterback and (No big deal but) Heisman winner Jameis Winston will look to give the Tigers some fits. The Seminole defense also is a great aspect of their authority. This is because they single handedly have held all of the teams they have played to a really low score. Possibly though, Auburn might have the edge just because of their instinctive play considering who they have played. The SEC is made out to be this all consuming conference which it is truly justified. I’m not saying that the ACC is weak, but their weaker. Just look at the championship game, Duke didn’t even come close. Demolished. Auburn will be ready to play, just as the Noles will. Gonna be a good one.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the Eaton Red Ink Staff!!! Enjoy Your Break!!