El Diablo - November 2019

Durango High School Issue 1 Volume 69 November 2019

El Diablo Newspaper’s Table Of Contents.....

FEATURES 2-13

Hoerl’s #1 goal 2

What’s new with JUUL? 4

Nationwide climate strike 12 SPORTS 14-21

New Athletic Director: Ryan Knorr 14 EDITORIALS 22-29

New grading policy...What? 26 ARTS & LIT 30-35

Art Chart 34 LIFESTYLES 36-39

Demons Abroad: summer travels 36 El Diablo

Voice of the students and official newspaper of Durango High School.

Head Editors: Maddy Gleason, Chloe Ragsdale, Bryn Valdez Managing Editor: Irie Sentner Feature Head: Mia Boudreau Feature Editors: Jack Whistler, Jack Breezley Sports Heads: Stevi Cameron, Georgia Landeryou Sports Editor: Mia Whistler Arts Heads: Saylor Stottlemyer, Rush Webster Arts Editors: Rebecca Bowers Lifestyles Head: Luke Swift Lifestyles Editor: Ezra Adams Photography Heads: Corbin Miller, Avery Wickes Broadcasting Executives: Evan Bastin, Leif Basley, Natasha Potempkin, Todd Murray Foreign Correspondent: Elena Parmenter, Grace Swanson Reporters: Isaiah Downing, Jake Genualdi, Haleigh Harper, Kalista Peña, Maddy Mortimer, Aiden Roessler, Laura Clark, Carson Delinger, Aspen Wyatt, Hannah Wills, Abby Bowman, Leah Wesley, Lassen Griggs, Lauren McFarlane, Maggie Markva, Lakyn Yarbrough, Chloe Bowen, Diego Verduzco, Toby Kline, Connor Rhea, Seth Cregeen, Sophia Holt, Ruby Ward

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Subscriptions... are $50 a year, please send a check and mailing address to El Diablo, 2390 Main Avenue, Durango CO 81301. Thank you for supporting scholastic journalism.

El Diablo is a public forum for public expression produced by the students of Durango High School’s newspaper class under the advisement of Todd Jolley. It is printed by the Durango Herald/Farmington Daily Times. The paper encourages letters to the editor but will not print unsigned or libelous letters; opinions stated are not necessarily those of the administration, staff, or school board.

DISCLAIMER: Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Durango High School students or El Diablo Staff.

Mailing address: 2390 Main Avenue, Durango, Colorado 81301 Phone: 970-259-1630, ext. 2221 Fax: 970-250-3987 Email: eldiablo@durangoschools.org tjolley@durangoschools.org

FEATURE

El Diablo News Staff Editorial MADDY GLEASON CHLOE RAGSDALE BRYN VALDEZ

Head Editors

In keeping with the evolution of our program, El Diablo has decided to base each upcoming issue on the topics at the forefront of our community. As journalists, we believe it is our purpose to highlight the subjects in our society, ranging from the utmost importance to seemingly insignificant matters, and making sure that everyone in our community has a voice and is recognized for their contributions and aspirations. With a change in staff this year, the new head editors, Chloe Ragsdale, Maddy Gleason, and Bryn Valdez, have a vision of leading El Diablo to become the top high school publication in the state of Colorado by incorporating voices of everyone in our community through the publication of the best, most unique, and intriguing stories.

For our first issue of the year, we have decided to investigate DHS’ mission to become the top high school in Colorado, and how this aspiration affects every aspect of our school, from the infrastructure to security to students’ mental health. Stemming from this idea, we dove into a multitude of discussions with numerous administrators and staff members, including Principal Jon Hoerl, Assistant Principal Darren Tarshis, Academic Counselor Robert Aspen, Social/Emotional Counselor Shawn Hembree, and Safety and Security Coordinator Kathy Morris.

Through this inquiry, we learned volumes about the various perspectives regarding school success and safety and gained an insight into the extensive efforts and collaboration that goes into becoming the top high school in the state. We discovered that the definition and encouragement of our successes varied among administrators, and how this diversity only helps us to triumph in our high school lives and our futures.

While we appreciate the tenacity with which the administration has tackled this challenge, it is impossible to ignore the general student attitude that becoming the number one high school in the state is unrealistic due to the characteristics of the Durango community and the changes that have been negatively affecting the student body. Although we have been assured countless times that revised grading policies, strict attendance codes,

FEATURE

and broader student inclusion are a surefire path to number one, we’ve seen little results beyond test scores.

Yet, a long-term goal is an essential part of any developing community, and this ambition has helped us thus far in improving test scores and the academia of Durango High School, which should be celebrated! However, Durango as a community simply does not share the same socioeconomic status as Telluride, Aspen, or subgroups of the Denver area like D’Evelyn High School, which is the top high school in Colorado and has a population of 5% of economically underprivileged students. Simply put, the ranking of your school depends on the size of the parent’s bank accounts.

We can and have proven to improve our academia and image as a school, but unfortunately, what DHS truly needs to be the top public high school is a higher socioeconomic status, which gives students more resources to become the best test-takers in the state and to be more enthusiastic about their learning in general.

Thus far, the state of Colorado has not prioritized budgetary needs like adequate funding for all sports, no matter the popularity; sufficient and up to date classroom supplies; and instead has focused on testing programs like CSAP and PARCC, and most recently, iReady, which are baseline tests to compare our students to those in Colorado and the rest of the country in order to gain a higher ranking and more funding. To change the economic tendencies of our district would mean to change the economic landscape of our country itself, in that this is a nationwide trend that Durango has seemingly been swept up in.

To prevent the complete standardized nature of education in the US, we agree that DHS has done a wonderful job of appreciating individualism and talents outside of high test scores, as our administrators and teachers have expressed their ambitions in truly helping us to be successful.

Ultimately, we may never become the number one public high school in the state on paper, but that isn’t to say we lack optimism for what’s to come and motivation to strengthen our community in a more authentic sense of our schools’ goal.

HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS IN COLORADO

#1

D’EVELYN JUNIOR/ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Denver, Colorado 89% Took at Least One AP Exam 81% Passed at Least One AP Exam 74% Mathematics Proficiency 72% Reading Proficiency 97% Graduation Rate 5% of students are economically disadvantaged

DURANGO HIGH SCHOOL Durango, Colorado 52% Took at Least One AP Exam

Total minority enrollment is 23%

#66

33% Passed at Least One AP Exam 15% Mathematics Proficiency 60% Reading Proficiency 86% Graduation Rate 21% of students are economically disadvantaged Total minority enrollment is 24%

eldiablonews.com 3

THE ROAD TO #1 DHS’ vision to become the top public high school in Colorado

Students at Durango High School have been told the same, lofty but abstract idea by our principal, Jonathan Hoerl, regarding our school’s vision to become the #1 public high school in Colorado. With the reiteration of this speech in every assembly, it’s hard to ascertain the true meaning of our school’s goal. The details of Mr. Hoerl’s hopes are far from simple, broadening into every aspect of life at DHS. Our academic schedules, our athletics and activities, our teachers, our security, and our futures are all major elements to consider in regards to this largely significant goal.

According to Hoerl, a vast part of this goal can be achieved through “high expectations and positive relationships for all.”

However, administration recognizes such a complex goal can’t possibly be solved with the simple declaration to change. Becoming the top public high school in Colorado requires time, money, and a cohesive idea of progress, one understood by every individual involved in the equation.

With many other student bodies it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to be on board with such a demanding goal, but Hoerl, along with his extensive administrative support, encourages the idea of productive change over time.

Although there will be a few obvious instantaneous results, the affirmation of such a crucial idea will create a positive outlook for the school community.

“It is something that we can achieve, and I think there is a benefit of setting a distant goal that we are trying to reach,” said social-emotional counselor Sean Hembree.

Students often misunderstand Hoerl’s motivation, questioning the emphasis on a goal that is seemingly unachievable to the student body. It’s easy to discern that becoming the top high school in Colorado would be beneficial in terms of attaining grants and maintaining the positive image of our community, Photo by Corbin Miller but Hoerl’s intent is

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MADDY GLEASON CHLOE RAGSDALE BRYN VALDEZ

Head Editors

deeper than just surface-level aspirations.

“How are we supporting each other, how are we taking care of each other, how do we have pride in each other, and how are we honest with each other: I think those are important things,” said Hoerl.

The social-emotional support that goes into this goal is undeniably important, but many facets can’t be overlooked. One major piece of this puzzle is the emphasis of Advanced Placement, or AP courses, and their benefit to students of all academic levels.

Many students are encouraged to take AP classes, but one aspect of the goal is finding the appropriate course load and academic path for each student. This may mean enrolling in AP classes, but it could also mean taking a Career and Technical Education (CTE) class or a concurrent enrollment class.

“It’s specifically about access,” said Hoerl. “It’s all about getting the right kids in the right classes so they can be successful.”

Hoerl hopes that all students can focus on a post-secondary goal, whatever it may be, but there has also been an increasing emphasis on more AP enrollment for all students, parallel to the endorsement of this goal.

“I think AP is really misunderstood. One of the changes in high school has been to really open AP up to a lot of different kinds of students, and really the message is that I have faith that you can work at this higher level,” said Hembree.

Hembree stresses the deliberations surrounding AP classes and their accessibility to the entire student body, and how implementing such rigorous courses and aiming for every student to take at least one both affects a wide range of achievement levels differently.

“I think there is a pressure now that students are putting on themselves because of competitiveness, and wanting to stand out, that they’re going for these full loads of AP’s, but that’s not coming from us...It’s about making smart choices in the rigor of your schedule,” said AP Administrator and Assistant Principal Darren Tarshis.

AP courses not only serve to support the academic status of a student but also to prepare them for the challenges that they may face in a post-secondary setting, particularly college.

“We see AP as a positive. We see students challenging themselves and increasing their rigor, and learning about skills that they need to know when they go on to college,” said academic advisor Robert Aspen.

To prepare students for their futures, young scholars across the country are encouraged by academic counselors and AP administrators to participate in AP courses as they face the pressure to succeed in these demanding climates. It was noted by ChalkBeat. org in 2017 that since 2000, over one-third of Colorado high school graduates required additional assistance completing the work required of college classes.

“You don’t have those teacher, counselor and parent supports in college, so if we can get kids over the hump in high school it will be so much easier down the road,” said Tarshis.

The pattern is intimidatingly cyclical to many students; we bolster more AP classes into our schedules in order to strengthen our GPA and compete with the many others who are doing so, only to realize that this increases the culture of competitiveness in general.

And what about the students who feel they don’t belong in an AP course and are consequently paraded to the bottom of their class, dominated by those who do?

FEATURE

This problem arises frequently within high schools in America, where many students report the fear of failure dominating our education system particularly more than in other cultures around the globe.

“The thing that we know with fidelity is that our high kids perform really high, and unfortunately our lower kids are performing pretty low. And that’s not okay. We have to make sure that we give access and opportunity to all our kids, so a huge part about being a top public school is that all of your kids have the ability to perform and all of your kids have access to grade level rigor, that’s going to help them be successful when they move on,” said Hoerl.

The solution may be changing the stigma surrounding failure and interpreting it more positively, as many teachers and administrators are trying to encourage within DHS. “It’s ok to fail. It really is. I’d rather have you fail now than have a false sense of hope and send you to a place where you’re going to spend a whole lot of money and experience some of that failure. And that failure at a later date can have a much more significant impact than failure at this level,” said Hoerl.

Although the new grading policy isn’t a direct cause for failure, students have recognized the shift, and perhaps some changes need to be made to their work ethic.

This policy holds students more accountable for their learning, and luckily, they have a wonderful support system - their teachers.

“It’s huge for teachers to be able to reach out to kids and support them, really walk them through the process,” said Aspen.

Teacher support is crucial to every student’s success, and unfortunately, to supply this overwhelming nature of support, the question of appropriate compensation comes into play.

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based on a scorecard, where they are measured on how many students took at least one AP class, how many passed an AP class, the mathematics and reading proficiency, and the graduation rate. Unfortunately, this again reduces schools and students to mere statistics, though DHS administrators and teachers try to focus on other aspects of student success besides their test scores. “[Successful students] are fundamentally happy with themselves and they’re not afraid of failure. You know they’re emotionally brave, they’re intellectually brave, they have faith in themselves and their abilities. I could put that student into a lot of different environments and know that they’ll be okay because they’re resilient. Fundamentally I want to create brave students,” said Hembree.

Like Hembree, Aspen wants to define student success on an individual basis, focused less on numbers and more with the typical signs of happiness and positivity in one’s life.

Tarshis, on the other hand, views student success in its most literal and quantifiable way.

“Literacy and numeracy,” said Tarshis when asked about the greatest indication of a student’s success in high school.

These varying opinions on student success are fundamental in achieving Hoerl’s goal of becoming number one, as we have numerous administrators and teachers focusing on the different, yet equally relevant aspects of how to get students to their full potential.

“To me, quite honestly, the most important thing is going back to the Demon Way. I think there’s really no other way to describe it and there’s no number, there’s no statistic, there’s nothing that will tell you that a school is a great place other than when you walk in and you can tell what it feels like. And for me, the real measure of success is when everybody can walk into this building and they feel like they belong, they feel like it’s a place that can accept them,” said Hoerl.

We have to make sure that we give access and opportunity to all our kids, so a huge part about being a top public school is that all of your kids have the ability to perform and all of your kids have access to grade level vigor, that’s going to help them be successful when they move on.

-Principal Jon Hoerl

“Are we putting our money where our mouth is? It needs to be going where it’s supposed to, so I can give my teachers the tools and resources they need to be successful, and prove the leadership capacity of a strong staff. We’d love to pay teachers what I feel they’re valued, but unfortunately, we’re not there yet as a society,” said Hoerl.

Suitable pay for teachers is a looming issue in every public school across the country, but teachers’ pay in Colorado ranks 6th lowest in the country. Starting at $33,483 per year, this number has decreased, with consideration to inflation, by 2.9% in the past decade according to the National Education Association.

In addition to teachers, the number of students that face economic disadvantage is directly reflective of how their schools perform on national rankings. For example, in the number one high school in Colorado, D’Evelyn High School, 5% of students are economically disadvantaged, compared to the 21% of students at DHS who are economically disadvantaged, according to 2019 rankings from the U.S News and World Report.

The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University reported that larger achievement gaps in various American school districts are completely accounted for by poverty, over all other demographics, making it much simpler for schools in more affluent communities to perform better on national test scales. This is a major factor in deciding the top high schools in each state, and a factor that Mr. Hoerl is trying to push past as he takes the underdog stance as a rural high school and community.

According to U.S News and World Report, each high school around the country is

FEATURE

Photo by Corbin MIller

From left to right: Seniors Sophie Kairalla, Emmy Romero, and Max Warman show off their school spirit with Principal Hoerl.

eldiablonews.com

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GRAB YOUR POPCORN (LUNGS) FOR THIS ONE! Evidence proves vaping trend is dangerous for teen users.

“I really want to quit. I went to the High School bridge and wanted to throw my JUUL off the edge. I have spent probably over 2,000 dollars on my device, and I was not ready to let go. So, I kept it and walked away.”

-Anonymous Student

Courtesy of anonymous student Objects in this photo have been altered with PhotoShop SAYLOR STOTTLEMYER

Arts Head

REBECCA BOWERS

Arts Editor

Vaping. The elephant in the rooms of DHS - and just about every other high school in the country. It’s connected to every single student in these schools, whether or not they are partaking. The 2018-2019 school year was a peak for urgent bathroom rendezvous, looming smoke clouds above the student section at football games, and hot-boxed cars in the parking lot. However, with the recent reporting on deaths and illnesses linked to vaping, will the 2019-2020 school year look different? Parents, politicians, teachers, and more certainly hope so.

“We spent, since the 70’s and 80’s, millions upon millions of dollars educating the public on the dangers of nicotine. What drives me crazy is that it took us that long to minimize use, and along comes vaping, e-cigs, juuls... not only is this nicotine, but it’s concentrated nicotine. These kids are toying with one of the most highly addictive chemicals out there, and I’m scared,” said DHS Science teacher Eric Jackson.

As the new school year brings nation-wide attention to the dangers of vaping, the

6 Nov. 2019

anti-vaping sentiment is becoming stronger - and not just among adults. In terms of Durango’s culture, people are wondering if JUUL will survive. If students aren’t on a resolution to quit, they have changed devices for economic reasons.

“Do you know how expensive JUUL is? They must be banking on all of these 15 year-old kids. $20 dollars for 4 pods that you go through in a week, and a $50 dollar device to begin with? It’s way too much for me, so I bought a novo [another vaping device], which at least I can afford,” said an anonymous DHS senior.

From a national standpoint, the government and several companies have been taking a stand against the epidemic. According to The Atlantic, President Trump has expressed his concern, claiming that his administration team is making “very strong recommendations” for a total ban on flavored e-cigarettes.

“We can’t allow people to get sick, and we can’t have our youth be so affected,” said Trump.

The White House’s words carry weight, because both Walgreens and Walmart have raised restrictions on selling e-cigarette products. In April 2019, Walgreens agreed to stop selling vaping products to customers under the age of 21, as did Walmart in July.

In a statement more recently,

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Walmart pledged to discontinue the sale of electronic nicotine products because of “the growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes.”

But stricter regulations are not the only things that are making teens think twice about picking up their JUULs. Perhaps more influential in raising appropriate concern among teens has been the series of reported illnesses linked to vaping: According the the New York Times, there have been twenty-three reports of death and at least 1,080 reports of mysterious lung issues so far.

“My friend told me that she wanted to buy a Suorin [another vaping device], and I told her to reconsider.

I threw my novo in the garbage when the first death happened,” said an anonymous student.

This sentiment has been gaining traction across the country, too, as social media platforms such as Instagram have seen trends of teens destroying their devices or users posting pictures of themselves in hospital beds. These posts are testaments to the slippery slope that is addiction and serve as a warning of the very real dangers of vaping.

It seems that mounting numbers of vaping-related deaths have been the stronger motivator for students to quit, compared with the threat of nicotine addiction that has accompanied the use of e-cigarettes since they first became popular in high schools in the fall of 2017.

“I hope that the US bans all nicotine soon, because people are going to start dying everywhere,” said an anonymous student. Many high school students are taking the reports of vaping-related deaths seriously, but overcoming any addiction is a mountain of its own, and vaping is no different.

“Both my parents smoked, and my dad had no trouble quitting when the time came, but my mom really struggled, and man it was really tough. She had smoked for 20 years, so I do think that certain people struggle more than others when it comes to quitting,” said Jackson.

Although they may not be vocal about it, there are many students at DHS who are trying to quit. Many are scared, confused, desperate, and addicted to something with distant, but very real dangers. Every time they think about quitting, something stops them.

“I really want to quit. I went to the High School bridge and wanted to throw my JUUL off the edge. I have spent probably over 2,000 dollars on my device, and I was not ready to let go. So, I kept it and walked away,” said an anonymous DHS Senior.

Students, many of whom have been trying to change their vaping habits in response to the media frenzy surrounding the deaths and illnesses, are also beginning to recognize the danger of becoming addicted.

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“My parents found my device, chargers, pods ...everything. I wanted to stop because I really do respect them and they know what is best, but I cannot resist the temptation of getting buzzed throughout the day.

I keep taking hits even though I know it’s awful for my body,” said an anonymous junior.

With the new restrictions in place, it has become more difficult for teens to access and purchase supplies, but many still find a way. So how are these kids getting their devices and juice?

Some students’ parents buy products for them and others purchase them online. But the majority of users, because they are minors, are dealing with illicit and dangerous counterfeit pods. If not that, some who are over 18 purchase for themselves and other students.

While most students can acknowledge that vaping is an expensive and dangerous habit, one senior says that they feel no shame providing friends with pods and devices since turning 18.

“I would have loved for someone to do it for me when I was under 18. I don’t tease or do peer pressure.

Kids come to me, and I just give them what they want.

It’s not as dangerous in moderation, and it’s going to be entirely illegal soon, so I don’t care,” said an anonymous senior.

This attitude of feigned responsibility and control, despite the fact that it is now dwindling, is what so rapidly propelled the vaping fad a few years ago. While this dealer is confident that vaping isn’t deathly, regret occupies the conscience of other students. Furthermore, the same students who bought pods from older students a few years ago are now beginning to continue the vicious and dangerous cycle of getting teens hooked on nicotine in becoming the new dealers.

“It sucks and I wish I had never tried it. I resisted for a really long time but all my friends did it and at first I didn’t really like it, but the more I was around it then I would just do it for the heck of it. Then I really got hooked. I am trying to quit now but it’s really f**king hard and I think a lot of people are trying to quit but it’s just so addicting that everyone is really struggling to get unhooked,” said an anonymous student.

A change in vaping norms is coming. People are rethinking their devices. Whether they quit, sell, give away, break, or change, it is a movement towards a potentially brighter future, filled with less smoke.

“Everyone is going to have their wild times. I am just saying be smart in the decisions you are making.

Please do not get yourself hooked on something that gives you virtually no pleasure other than the fact that it is filling these receptors that make you think you want more. Please just stop, I’m begging you,” said Jackson.

DID YOU KNOW? 17.6% of 8th graders vape

32.3% of 10th graders vape

37.3% of 12th graders vape

As of October 17, vaping has caused

33 deaths 1500 illnesses in the U.S.

eldiablonews.com 7

DHS facilities: are they really # 1?

LAURA CLARK

Reporter

When asked about DHS facilities, many students, staff, and community members think of the $1 million dollar football field that was added to Durango High School in 2016. What about other aspects of the school that students interact with every day such as classrooms, bathrooms and other sports facilities? Is our physical campus included in DHS’ vision to become number one?

From some student perspectives, DHS facilities are not up to par in comparison to other schools around Colorado.

“We only give visitor teams one bathroom which itself is broken and not clean,” said DHS Senior Breyton Jackson. Jackson has played football with the high school for four years.

Jackson expressed dissatisfaction with the basketball courts and locker rooms, which he claims could use updating as well.

While there is always room for improvement, others argue that people gravitate towards the negatives, forgetting that DHS has beautiful views in our own backyard.

“Where I come from, one of the wealthiest districts in the state of Colorado, three schools share one stadium. So the fact that we have a stadium on campus that is solely ours is unbelievable” says the new Athletic Director Ryan Knorr.

An advantage to being part of a district with only one major high school is that all the facilities created for the school are used by DHS teams alone, increasing practice time in the actual facilities they will be playing on.

“When first walking through DHS, I was excited because of the great potential and area for growth with the indoor athletic facilities especially the gym, locker rooms, training areas, and hallways in between” added Knorr.

Knorr’s goal for the athletic facilities align with Hoerl’s to be number one, believing that DHS has the potential. He has expressed an interest in utilizing the existing facilities and focusing on improving the indoor areas.

While sports and activities are pertinent to creating a more cohesive student community as well as increase student success, students spend a majority of their time in classrooms and other areas of the school building. In these areas, they have expressed an interest in increasing the accessibility to natural light.

According to Edutopia, a website published by the George Lucas Educational

8 Nov. 2019

Photo by Laura Clark

Foundation, classrooms without light often create a feeling of confinement, making it difficult to focus.

“Enclosed spaces lead to an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone… so the higher the amount of natural light in a classroom or artificial lighting that mimics natural sunlight, the greater the students’ school attendance, achievement, and overall health,” states Edutopia.

As a district, Durango 9R spends around $1.5 million annually on preventive maintenance and capital project deeds throughout the entirety of the district. However, the state of Colorado recommends that the district spend closer to $6 million to maintain and update the necessary facilities to help students meet their full potential within a space. Since there is a gap, the district prioritizes certain projects that are more pressing to maintain the integrity of the buildings throughout the district.

When creating a budget, the district must prioritize: at DHS specifically, the bleachers, gym floors, heating & cooling systems, auditorium, and bathrooms are due for upgrades.

“When you look at how DHS compares to other sites, it is fairly middle of the pack,” said District Facilities Manager and Deputy Superintendent Andy Burns.

The district has already identified about $120 million worth of upgrades. 9R is seeking teacher input and has expressed an interest in holding a student engagement session to get student input on the facilities. Students would have the chance to give their perspective of the quality of DHS facilities and what the district should fix or update to aid in the student’s personal success.

The district received grant funding as well as financial contributions from Pueblo Community College for the recent changes to the building, including the PCC site in the high school, which includes the new security measures that were recently updated in the West Wing. This has shown to increase concurrent enrollment and allow a larger quantity of students access to receive college credit while still in high school.

Hoerl wants every member of the DHS community to take pride in our building from the outward appearance to initial impressions of DHS. His hope is that as someone enters the campus, the landscape looks professional and inviting.

The district’s goal is to “have buildings and facilities that we are proud of and that our students feel comfortable and supported coming into, teachers want to work in, and administrators believe that they are putting their best foot forward,” says Burns.

FEATURE

Hear that? It’s the West Wing Doors

New security policy causes debate among students and staff JACK WHISTLER

Features Editor

School security seems to be the forefront of issues in education, as school shootings have dominated the headlines for the past few years and discussions of how to limit these tragedies have become the million dollar question. At DHS, this issue has represented itself in many forms, from how to enter and exit the campus, and most controversially, whether or not to arm guards.

Any student enrolled at DHS for the 2019-2020 school year has experienced first hand the change in policies surrounding school safety, and specifically, the west wing doors. Changes made this year restrict these newly-alarmed doors as an entrance to the school during the school day. Students may only enter before 1st and 5th period

“I have no intention of putting any type of weapon in a teacher’s hand. We only arm security who are properly trained and hold the proper certification to obtain a weapon.” -Principal Jon Hoerl with a valid student ID. “Any student who exits through the west wing for a non-emergency will be referred for disciplinary action,” warns a new sign that hangs by the doors. Students now must show their school IDs to the security staff member before entering the building through these doors.

These new policies were not greeted with welcoming arms by the majority of the student body. In fact, any returning student who parks in the student lot most likely has some choice words to say about the new policies.

“It’s frustrating,” says Sr. Mina Willemin, “It seems as if they’re trying to decrease the traffic going through the doors, but it feels like they’re just diverting it to another hallway and exit.”

Willemin mentions that students are now exiting through the doors by the athletics and activities office as well as the doors right across from the woodshop.

Willemin also brings up the lack of understanding that most of the student body has pertaining the closing of the west wing doors. The main purpose of this action was to eliminate another point of entrance and exit from the school, so the limited security staff could focus more on the primary entrance and exit of DHS. Making this fact clear to the student body would probably clear up some frustration, though the inconvenience it provides is still present.

“I think that what they did with the west wing doors is completely useless. If someone is trying to get into the school who’s supposed to be, what’s the difference in them walking another hundred feet to get in the front?” said Jr. Ethan Craig.

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The new security changes at DHS go beyond just the doors. On Thursday, September 26th, student council and principal Jon Hoerl held a “Pizza with the Principal” discussion in the DHS Library. Safety and Security Coordinator Kathy Morris, was also in attendance to answer questions and listen to suggestions from the student body regarding their safety. Hoerl outlined the new changes and policies put in place at DHS this year, and immediately eased many minds over the pending question addressing whether to arm a security guard on campus.

“I have no intention of putting any type of weapon in a teacher’s hand. We only arm security who are properly trained and hold the proper certification to obtain a weapon,” said Hoerl.

Hoerl also mentioned the importance of safety and security to our school, and the fact that many things fall under the umbrella of safety; not just school violence.

Tripping hazards, bullying, and other issues fall under the responsibility of the school to keep everyone safe.

“Safety and security is always going to be at the forefront of what we do because I know at the end of the day if you don’t walk through the front doors or the west wing doors not feeling safe or secure, learning is going to be very hard,” said Hoerl.

School safety and security falls into every aspect of a school, and falls largely into not the hands of every student who enters the campus on a daily basis, not just trained professionals.

“Relationships are the key. The more you know your student body, the more the adults know the kids, and the more the kids know the adults, the less likely it is something will ever happen,” said Hoerl.

A more connected school where trust is present is extremely important to Hoerl and the DHS administration, something that has been emphasized throughout this year as the new security changes have received some backlash. Instead of focusing on the physical changes to the campus, the ability to change the student body’s mindset in taking control of their own safety is at the forefront of Hoerl and Morris’ plan for the years to come.

Hoerl and Morris further explained the important roles that tools such as Safe2Tell play in communication throughout the school.

“Somebody always knows ahead of time,” both Hoerl and Morris emphasized during the meeting.

Morris stated that school violence isn’t the only concern with safety, but it has the biggest and most detrimental effects, which puts it on the top of the list for school safety concerns.

“A school shooting is a very unlikely event that would happen here, but if it did, the outcome would be devastating. A large part of my job is risk management and I have to look at all these things as risks, and how can we prevent devastating outcomes,” said Morris.

Morris emphasizes the power of the tools given to the student body in keeping our school safe, as well as the other security benefits added to DHS from the million-dollar grant she received for the purpose of district safety.

“Things like the new ballistic screens on every piece of glass in the school, and the Raptor system for check-in, have all been put in place to decrease the risk of something ever happening here,” stated Morris.

At the end of they day, the priority comes down to keeping every individual in the school safe, both mentally and physically. By installing new safety procedures and promoting an open and independent mentality, DHS has improved and will continue to improve its security policies, starting with more communication between students, staff, and administrators.

eldiablonews.com 9

CTE CLASSES PROVIDE PATHWAYS FOR ALL STUDENTS MADDY MORTIMER

Reporter

DHS CTE Courses (full list on dhs.durangoschools.org) ADVANCED CREATIVE ART ‐ COMPREHENSIVE AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AGRICULTURAL ENTEREPRENEURSHIP AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A ART AND TECHNOLOGY ART PORTFOLIO ATHLETIC TRAINING CABINETMAKING CARPENTRY CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT CULINARY NUTRITION DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY ‐ ADVANCED DRAFTING DRAWING ‐ ADVANCED DURANGO AEROSPACE FASHION DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION

FOOD AND NUTRITION HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MARKETING INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN JOURNALISM JOURNALISM AND BROADCASTING MARKETING IN ACTION MARKETING WORK EXPERIENCE PAINTING ‐ ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING VETERINARY SCIENCE WELDING 1-3 WOMEN’S WELDING WOMEN’S WOODWORKING WOODWORKING YEARBOOK

Photos by Maddy Mortimer

10 Nov. 2019

Have you ever taken a journalism, woodshop, welding, agriculture, athletic training, culinary, and/or fashion design course here at Durango High School? If you have, congratulations! You have successfully taken a CTE class. CTE courses, or Career and Technical Education, prepare students for real life, and aid them with post secondary experiences and careers.

When you walk into Durango High School, one of the first things you see is a huge banner displaying AP Scholars, and as you travel further into the school, you see college flags hanging up on almost every wall. Visitors would never know the successes of activities such as SkillsUSA, FFA, El Diablo, or FCCLA unless they went down the west wing.

Anyone could name at least 10 universities, and maybe 1-2 trade schools. Trade schools offer courses that train students in specific job areas and give them the skills needed to join the workforce right away. These schools can prepare students for culinary jobs to nursing to auto mechanics. There are no advertisements for these schools adorning our hallways, no info posters for JobCorps. Students are expected to seek this information with help from counselors, but for the most part by themselves. While deciding on whether to attend a trade school or college depends completely on the job and student, and both options should be advertised.

“More of our population is interested in college, and college always needs to part of the conversation,” Said DHS principal Mr. Hoerl.

However, for the kids that don’t choose college after high school, there are options to get certified at the high school and avoid the “500% inflation for college tuition prices,” states Hoerl.

Coming from Denver, Hoerl says that the CTE environment at DHS has much more to offer and “much more for students to sample and find what they really like.”

“CTE brings relevance, while AP brings rigor,” said Hoerl, and accordingly, he wants to display awards won by CTE programs in the main entrance.

“It’s the most underrated department.There needs to be the same push to join a CTE class as joining an AP/STEM course, without the skills CTE teaches students won’t know how to apply it. CTE puts STEM to work,” said woodshop teacher and SkillsUSA advisor Shaun Smith when explaining the CTE courses at DHS. He concedes that there is a culture that manual work is not “cool” anymore, and that the industries are screaming because there are no longer many skilled workers to work for them.

Smith knows of a lot of students that have “tried college and hated it, and had to fall back on the skills they learned in high school. Getting students out of the classroom is priceless.”

Alex Wilson is voluntarily assisting the Broadcasting class from the Local News Network, DurangoTV, and is a DHS Alumni. He explains that without these classes, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He personally took a Broadcasting class and continues to use the same software he did years ago. Wilson claims that there’s always been a push for AP and sports at DHS. “CTE wasn’t valued because it wasn’t sports or academia,” said Wilson.

He believes that CTE classes benefit even those who are not interested in a career within the class they are in. He thinks that broadcasting students benefit because “video is the way of the future, knowing how they work is important,”. He also concludes that students that have knowledge about videos is helpful for marketing and that they learn to watch things more critically. He enjoys being part of helping students learn those things, and watching kids possibly go into broadcasting makes it worth it to him.

Staff here at DHS are proud of the way CTE has grown over the years and continues to grow. It’s a huge milestone for DHS to have more CTE education, whether or not a student is college bound, it’s important that all students can have a post-secondary plan.

FEATURE

GET STUDYING! NEW GRADING POLICY INCREASES SUMMATIVE WEIGHT

ANGUS MUELLER

Reporter

With the start of the 2019-2020 school year at Durango High School, a new policy has been adopted regarding the grading of student’s assignments. The shift toward weighting summative assignments at 65% of a student’s grade compared to just 10% of the formative category has sparked much discussion and controversy among the student body at Durango High School.

Some students appreciate the change toward the focus on comprehension and test-taking, while others want to be rewarded for putting in the time for formative work.

“We didn’t really know what the kids knew, but by moving to this summative model, it really is helping us to understand what kids know,” said DHS Principal John Hoerl.

Hoerl said the change was to shift towards Personalized Competency Based Learning which helps our teachers assess students on their understanding of the material.

“Our teachers are really, really nice, and we would have kids miss all kinds of work and come in with two weeks left in the semester and say, ‘here you go’,” said Hoerl.

When the teacher receives a pile of missing assignments with two weeks left in the semester, it is extremely problematic for our teachers because it leaves them with all of that student’s work at the end of the semester, and any final exams they have to grade. This was another large influence behind the change to help develop the idea of a meaningful deadline.

Seniors have showed the most disapproval regarding this change, as coming into their last year at Durango High they’re now faced with the adversity of a different grading policy than their last three years at Durango High.

“I’ve developed the mentality over the last three years that if I just finish and turn in all my formative assignments, it’ll be alright. But now I have to really understand the subject,” said soccer player and honor roll student Sr. Caleb Lachelt.

A disregard of formative assignments might begin to show itself as students will value it less as it’s only 10% of their grade. However, the students who actually complete their formative assignments will be better prepared for their summative assessments.

“The recurring opinion from students that I hear is that ‘formatives don’t matter.’ I think that the new system was a good decision, just maybe too much of a drastic change at once,” said Lachelt.

He suggests a shift toward summative assignments being weighted more than in the past, just not as heavy of a change at once.

“Change is hard, no matter when it’s made,” said Hoerl.

Seniors who are unhappy with the change and are shocked by the drastic implementation of the system will ultimately have to accept the change and grow from it.

When asked how this change affected how he manages a balance between sports and schoolwork within the new system, Lachelt described that if a large summative assignment tanks your grade, it’s more difficult to recover for grade checks, but with formative being weighted less, some pressure is relieved. He also said

FEATURE

that homework on a game night or a long bus trip is less stressful under the new system.

Seniors aren’t the only ones trying to adapt to this new policy; underclassmen at DHS are still trying to adjust to high school as a whole.

“To pass the class, you sometimes don’t need to focus as much on what you’re learning as much and you just need to study the content before the test,” said athlete and honor roll student So. Mason Turner.

Even though “studying the content” might be able to shift the focus towards students actually learning the material, that might not always be the case, as students might be more focused on “chasing a grade” as opposed to truly learning, which can be problematic.

Robert Logan, one of the longest tenured teachers at DHS, has been teaching at Durango High for 23 years, and is one of the most respected figures within Durango High.

Logan explained that no direct curriculum changes resulted from this policy, but teachers are changing the way that assignments are identified. This means that an assignment that might have been in the summative category in the past may now be formative or a combination of both summative and formative. “For the high achieving students, their focus on formative lessons, and the stress of only having one or two chances on a summative increases. You find the students who chase their grade stressing out the most, but as I’ve told students in the past, if you really want to learn and do your work, the grade will come,” said Logan.

Logan hopes that the higher-achieving students will shift their focus from getting the grade they want, and instead to truly learning, because they don’t have unlimited chances on a summative or formative assignment.

“Teachers are now having to talk about what being proficient means within a subject, and that’s a great conversation for our teachers to be having now, that we haven’t seen as much in the past,” said Logan.

This helps to uncover if the student really knows the material and are meeting the standards. However, a complication of this is that the stress level and anxiety of the summative category being weighed increases heavily.

“You think about kindergarten through fifth grade, sure you got a grade, but you weren’t thinking about a grade, you were in class doing the assignment or whatever it was. Somewhere around middle school or freshman year that shifts, so can we go back to that fifth grade experience of actually learning?” said Logan.

Logan hopes for a rewind to a simpler time when students weren’t as concerned with college, and when students were truly learning in school. Logan hopes to see a shift in students asking “curiosity questions’ to further develop their understanding.

We don’t know what is in store for students at DHS as a result of this change, and we probably won’t know for several years. Will the change cause too much stress among the student body regarding summative assignments, or will the system flourish, resulting in kids learning even more than they did in past years?

eldiablonews.com 11

Climate Strike sweeps the nation: Local activists push for a change

Routledge.

Miniscule fluctuations in temperature and carbon dioxide have happened in the past, but they were not at the levels like they are today, which defines climate change as a worldwide issue. The global presence of this dangerous phenomenon has sponsored ideas like a carbon tax to lower greenhouse-gas emissions by setting a definite price on carbon, with a guaranteed return on expensive efficiency investments. A carbon tax would also encourage alternative renewable energy by making it cost-competitive with cheaper renewable fuels. Large companies contribute to most green-house gas emissions, though everyone can make a difference in reducing this footprint.

“Live (your) lives consciously. I hardly ever drive, do recycling and all that. But, that’s not going to do it in itself. Doing stuff like this, being engaged, protesting. The other is making sure to register to vote. Stay up with what’s going on, like the Green New Deal that Bernie Sanders just put out,” said Routledge about the best way for DHS to take action.

DHS students also have a new opportunity to join the school’s new club, the Green Team. They focus on sustainability in DHS and how this contributes to a worldwide movement towards environmental friendPhoto by Haleigh Harper liness.

Durango activists fight for change downtown on September 2019 “The people that do this are criminals,” HALEIGH HARPER said Jr. Arthur Escamilha, a student in Brazil, Reporter regarding the people who deforest the Amazon.

The Amazon Forest burns every year, mostly by forced burns to make more room for “Greta Thunberg is just an amazing young woman, probably about your age: 16. She agriculture such as livestock. If deforestation is stopped and plants are replaced, these is a hero to tons of kids across the planet. She’s the one now who’s getting enormous massive fires could be less terrible. momentum raised up,” said candidate Root Routledge, who is running for United States “I eat meat but I played with the thought of being vegetarian because I want to do someCongress District 3. thing for solving these problems. But in Brazil, I think it’s really hard to be a vegetarian Young adults do have power over the decisions the government will enact for the climate. because the Brazilians eat a lot of meat, like everything here has something with meat.

One way they can help is by writing or calling the Colorado Representatives, and sharing When I go back to Germany I’m going to be, I want to be a vegetarian,” said Jr. Anouk their opinions on what they believe are the next steps.

Weisheit, a German exchange student living in Brazil.

“I am the only candidate talking about climate. There are two other Democratic candidates Much of the forest has been slashed and burned to clear land for agricultural use. More running, and neither of them has focused on the climate… Though these candidates are people eating what is grown there means more demand for meat so the companies will saying now, ‘Oh we don’t deny climate change, we know the temperature goes up and produce more on more land. down but it’s just going back down again’ they don’t understand climate dynamics,” said

12 Nov. 2019

FEATURE

“People do this because of egoistic thoughts of ‘oh yeah I want to eat meat so let’s destroy the most important ecosystem,’ and I just think, what is going on in their heads,” said Weisheit.

The media only started talking about these fires last summer, but the forest and country burn more often than the majority think.“More coverage on all the other fires should have happened but it hasn’t and the situation is just kinda fishy. This isn’t coming from a place that it should be. It should be coming from a place where we say ‘we need to fix this, we need to change this, our world is burning and dying, we’re not doing anything to make this better.’ It’s coming more from a point of getting the media around it instead of getting change,” said Jr. Grace Swanson, a former DHS student who’s on exchange in Brazil. “For

has rejected all of it in order to keep Brazilian affairs and land off the international radar. This is an example of wanting profit over planet, which has presented itself much more often in our current culture.

However, in Brazil’s climate specifically, their economic culture relates directly to the Amazon fires.

“One of the biggest problems is related to our culture, mining. They deforestate land to mine it. We have minerals in the soil. This kind of exploration pollutes rivers because radioactive mercury is in it, and fish get killed,” said Lessa.

Mining and burning work against the forest, but large companies are trying to find ways to work with the forest instead of harm it.

“Natura is a Brazillian cosmetic company, they use species from the Amazon to make their cosmetics, in a sustainable way. It

“We need to get angry and understand what is at stake. And then we need to transform that anger into action and to stand together united and just never give up.”

-Greta Thunberg people closer to the big fire it’s probably like how it was in Durango for us. Like how you couldn’t go outside in the morning, I could feel it in my lungs and my nose and it just burned. So I imagine it’s a lot like that but much worse because the 416 fire was one hillside and this is a whole forest.”

The terror induced by the fires in Brazil is a nationwide occurrence that springs fear into the hearts of many.

“The smoke covered all the states above and under the Amazon. The day turned into night it was terrible,” said Jr. Brazillian student Lethicia Lessa.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro instituted new laws concerning the rainforest.

“The president is creating new laws that are awful. He’s allowing farmers go in and take certain parts of the Amazon to use it for harvesting minerals, also creating property for lots and lots of cattle,” said Swanson.

Many countries have donated billions of dollars to help the Amazon, but Bolsonaro

FEATURE

is an example that we can use the forest without deforesting it. We can use what the forest can give us and at the same time make the forest healthy. We can live with the forest like in harmony. Deforesters just don’t care about it and continue to deforest it. I think it’s because it’s easier to.

Without facilitation, people have no problem with deforestation,” said Escamila.

IBAMA is the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources and it implements laws against deforestation.

“IBAMA isn’t allowed to have weapons.

That’s a big problem because they don’t have the support of the cops or the army anymore, that’s a big problem because the people that deforest the amazon are hostile people,” said Escamila.

In all, citizens all over the world are responsible for making a lasting change to the detriments of global warming, and it’s up to us to raise awareness and support for this impending disaster.

MIA BOUDREAU

Features Head

Avoid using plastic grocery bags, plastic straws, paper napkins, or any other item that you can easily swap for a more eco-friendly option, or omit altogether. Also, be mindful of how much water and electricity you use. Take shorter showers, and always turn your lights off. Try to use natural light sources instead of electricity as well.

Start a garden, plant a tree, spread some seeds! Planting can help you connect with nature and can also reduce the amount of CO2 in the air. Give back to the earth to try and make up for all of the paper we use as students.

Most we of the stu ff can bthrow aw to reue reused ay glass se plasti.cTry an contain or suppd use schoers, viouslies from ol One school preis anoperson’syears! trash the treasr person’s ure!

Buying from eco-friendly, sustainable clothing lines can be expensive, but avoiding fast fashion doesn’t have to be! Stop by your local thrift store - Durango has tons of options - and pick up some one-of-a-kind pieces that won’t break the bank.

“50 Ways to Help the Planet - Save Our Environment and Earth.” 50 WaystoHelp, www.50waystohelp.com/.

, num lumbi oard, a , s Glas r, card n all be papelastic canse out i p and ycled! Rood conn rec used f ak dow d any rs, bre xes, an tainbeoard bcoling biner cardd a recyHS has nd fin you. D ll arou ! a neairng binsuse them cyclm us p ca

You don’t have to completely cut meat out of your diet to make a difference. Challenge yourself not to eat meat for at least one day a week. Or, even better, become a vegetarian! Did you know that 55 square feet of forest is destroyed to make one hamburger?

eldiablonews.com 13

A fresh face:

Durango 9R welcomes new Athletic Director Ryan Knorr GEORGIA LANDERYOU

Sports Head

Durango High School has welcomed a new face to the Demon community.

May, Ryan Knorr was hired as the new athletic director. Taking on a new job that is considered very important to the community is very challenging, however, Knorr has made it look easy. He has high hopes for the 201920 school year and is enjoying his new life in Durango.

“Durango is a little outside of my bubble because it’s so different than where I’ve been my whole life,” said Knorr, “But it’s perfect.”

Knorr grew up just outside of Denver in Aurora, Colorado. He attended college at CU Boulder and studied psychology. He then took his psychology studies to Smoky Hill Highschool in Denver and worked with special needs students, while also coaching the football and track team at the school. He also spent time working at Overland High School, also in Denver, as a humanities teacher for five years, a dean for one year and an athletic director for five years.

“Overland has about double the students than DHS, so learning how systems work here compared to a bigger school is interesting and a little challenging. There are certain things that are easier do to here and harder to do at Overland and vise versa, ” Knorr said.

Adjusting to a new job and environment is difficult and takes some time. Knorr is adjusting well and believes Durango Highschool is the perfect fit for him.

“I already feel a hundred times more comfortable than I felt a month ago,” said Knorr.

Knorr first discovered Durango in 2016 when his former high school played the Demon boys soccer team here . Knorr had known principal Hoerl prior to taking the job here at DHS because the two had worked in the same school district in Denver. After the soccer game, Knorr fell in love with Durango.

“It was just so beautiful and seemed like a really cool place to be. I was attracted to all aspects of the town: the people, the type of atmosphere I felt like the school had, the views, the

14 Nov. 2019

Last

community, and everything,” said Knorr.

After the soccer game in 2016 Knorr kept Durango on his radar. When he heard about the job opportunity at DHS, he had no hesitation to apply. After his interview, he immediately knew that Durango was where he wanted to be.

“The thing that impressed me most when I came down and was interviewed was how awesome the students were. The things I saw going on here were so different than what I was used to. I saw so many different opportunities,” said Knorr.

Knorr is a husband and a father to three kids. He has an eleven year old son who attends Miller Middle school, a three year old daughter and another son who is only a year old. One of the main reasons he decided to accept the job at DHS was so he could raise his kids in Durango.

“Durango is such a family-friendly town and has the perfect atmosphere for raising kids. Because my kids are still young, it’s the perfect time to move and sort of start a new chapter. Durango has treated us so well and I think we made the right decision to move,” said Knorr.

It is essential to have good relationships with students when working in a school. High school kids are pretty quick to judge so when you’re the “new guy”, so it is extremely important that you make a good first impression. Knorr did this with ease.

Kyle Rowland, a Jr. at DHS was on the committee of students that interviewed candidates for the job.

“When we looked at Knorr, I was impressed by how organized he was. He had a direct plan for everything from fundraising, to improving our coaching staffs. He was personable yet straight to the point. I knew he could bring really good ideas to DHS. I really liked him,” said Rowland.

One of Knorr’s main goals this year is to connect the middle school sports with high school sports. He believes that if future demon athletes are able to know what to expect, and maybe have a head start on their specific sports expectations, it will create a more unison and quality athletic department at the high school.

The Durango High School community is excited to see what Knorr will do for the Demon athletic program.

SPORTS

EDITORIAL: MORE THAN JUST RUNNING

Cross Country lacks adequte support & teamwork MIA WHISTLER

some may feel neglected, but I truly am doing my absolute best,” said head coach Kenneth Flint.

The issues with the team and the coaching staff are Notorious for their grueling workouts, hideous not the only issues that DXC seems to struggle with. short-shorts, obnoxious (some may call it alternaThe program as a whole continuously wrestles with tive) music, and large turnout, cross country is a low funding memorable sport for those lucky enough to partic“For the amount of kids that go out and participate ipate, or those simply watching. Being the biggest in cross country, the funding is next to nothing and fall sport has also brought some of the biggest team this then results in only a few kids going to meets and issues across the cross country team in the past the athletes paying for almost all meals,” said senior years, especially this season. captain Logan Moore.

“We have issues that come up on the team each Since cross country is not a popular sporting event year, but we face new challenges every year too,” for the school the funding has always been low, yet said team captain Sr. Kiara Hamlin. this year the results of the low funding problem were The cross country team has gone through a variquite noticeable. Every year, the team spends a couple ety of different coaches over the past few years, and nights in a small cabin near cascade, called Cascade this has affected the way the team works together Lodge, for the annual cross country camp. The conand the work ethic of the program as a whole. ditions of the lodge have always been a little shoddy, “The new coach that we have this year does but this year, things took a turn for the worse. well with training and such, yet the team dynamic “Due to the bats in the cabin a lot of kids had to was completely lost when the coaching staff was get shots this year, and it was a very concerning and changed, it switched from a good strong team to long process that we went through. I do not think that merely individual athletes,” said an anonymous team we will be returning next year, but I don’t know where member. else could host us,” said Flint.

The upperclassman on the team have been the Many of the participants feel underappreciated most affected by the change in staffing, yet they when other popular sports have opportunities and aren’t the only ones that notice a shift in the team luxuries that the DXC program simply do not reap dynamic. the benefits of. For example, other programs are “Even though we all get along and still have able to spend the night on travel trips before or after fun as a team together, I feel as though I have to competing. compete with my own teammates; the coach almost “Most of our trips are out and backs, we get back seems to pin us against each other in a way,” said an at around 1 a.m or are expected to leave at 5 a.m, anonymous runner. when other sports have the luxury of staying the night Even though the sport is individualistic, many because they have the money we just simply do not find it hard to enjoy themselves, and even find it have,” said coach Kat Marks. hard to have a good work ethic when it comes to Even though the team struggles with these conpractice and performance due to the lack of a colstant challenges, the atmosphere tends to still be laborative environment.

Photo by Mia Whistler upbeat and able to adapt to new changes to try to “I find myself having no motivation to improve Freshman Michael Benner competes in a Cross Country Race held in improve the state of the program. or work because of the lack of respect I have for the Fruita “I would say every year, the leadership that I have coaching staff. I feel as though they only care about experienced on the team improved, and there are the top runners, and the rest of us are just lost in the crowd,” said an anonymous runmore and more people that want to step up and leave a legacy on the team by helping ner. those around them improve in not only running fast but also improving the culture of The runners and team members aren’t the only ones that struggle with the team the team by increasing team cohesiveness and inclusivity,” said Hamlin. dynamics. The coaches also recognize the shift over the years and the difficulties that the cross country program continues to face.

DISCLAIMER: this story was written by Mia Whistler, who runs for the Durango High “I do try my hardest to know everyone and how they are doing, yet it is hard with School Cross Country team how many kids go out to really know each and every one of them. I understand that

Sports Editor

SPORTS

eldiablonews.com 15

Life of a Sports Fan: STEVI CAMERON

Sports Head

the lake is calling...

This time of year, the cerulean blue of swimsuit . It was a great place to relax, lake night horse is accompanied by reds and you seem to forget everything and browns rather than the usual green outside of the lake. Being at such a and yet, it’s no less beautiful and enjoyprofound level of freedom does good to able than midsummer. That being said, your mental health, I believe, and high it’s not too late to get out on the lake, schoolers need that relief more than but maybe bring an extra sweatshirt for anyone. the ride home.

Not to mention, whatever water As many students went away on activity you are doing is also physically exciting vacations over the summer, healthy. Paddle boarding, kayaking, and those who stayed in Durango most canoeing work several different muscles likely spent a good amount of days on in your body, especially in your core, the water.

There are so many public but usually quite mildly. The conditions bodies of water surrounding our town may vary depending on where you that, these days, getting to “the beach” are, what the weather is like, and your from Durango, isn’t so unfathomable. experience, so that your muscles may Reservoirs such as Vallecito and Lemon be worked to different degrees, but have always been fairly easy to access, either way you will be strengthening of course we have the Animas River your body. right through town, and Lake NightSailing takes a great deal of techhorse hardly 15 minutes away. As of this nique and arm strength, so if that is summer, Nighthorse has been open for 2 your choice activity, bring your mental years, growing more and more popular game as well. There have been many as a fun place for highschoolers and days where all we have wanted to do other community members to hang out, is swim, and if swimming and treadrelax, and play. ing water in a lake isn’t cardio enough While you will see many speed boats for you, the river is a whole different out on the lake pulling surfers, water skichallenge. ers, and tubers who seem to be having Though the summer season is a blast, don’t feel like you are missing winding down, these water activities out if you don’t have access to one of are still on my mind. Some afternoons, these big boats. Every Monday and I enjoy bringing the paddle board up Wednesday are no wake days, but you’ll to 32nd street and working my way up usually see a multitude of people on the stream until I’ve had enough, just to water in kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and take in the colors changing. Other days, my personal favorite, paddleboards. If I will head up to Nighthorse completely you don’t have one of these water toys unprepared and jump off the dock until either, 4 corners river sports rented I’m waterlogged and cold because one many different vessels all summer. But of the most beautiful views is the red even then, it’s easy to pack a picnic, a autumn sun reflecting on the lake as it speaker, and just go up to swim. falls in the sky.

In fact, you can do that whethIf more DHS students were made er you’re at the river or the lake. All the small effort to get out to the water, summer, if I had a day off, I without a I doubt so many would complain about doubt, headed to the Animas or one how there isn’t anything to do in Duranof the lakes. Sometimes I had a paddle Photo by Anna Fenberg go. And maybe you think fresh water board strapped to the roof of my car, isn’t really your cup of tea, and that’s Seniors Jessica Harris and Kacey Chen paddleboarding at Lake Nighthorse with Archie the dog sometimes I was accompanied by friends, okay, but try it, and maybe it will be. sometimes I just brought my dog and my

16 Nov. 2019

SPORTS

Leaving a Legacy:

The Rowland Sisters in Athletics

Courtesy of Kyle Rowland

LEAH WESLEY Reporter The Rowland sisters are known throughout the school as phenomenal athletes in all of the sports they have played. Brett, Kyle, and Mason Rowland have all played for the Durango high school volleyball team, and along with multiple other sports. All three girls have made JV their freshman year and are improving not only on their skills within their respective sports but also in their academics off of the court. They have all always worked hard and stayed positive to get to where they are today.

Kyle Rowland is known as a star athlete throughout many sports including basketball, soccer, and volleyball. This year will be Kyle’s second season playing for Colleen Vogts varsity volleyball team as an outside hitter and defensive specialist.

Although soccer or basketball season has not begun yet, Kyle wishes to continue playing or trying other sports after the volleyball season ends. “I love them all, but if I were to pick one it would be basketball because it highlights the mental and physical aspects of sports while also being very oriented,” says Kyle. She had previously made varsity for all three sports in the past season.

Along with playing multiple sports comes many achievements. Kyle says her biggest sports achievement would be “being in the soccer starting lineup freshman year.” This was not only a very big accomplishment but also a very large milestone for what kyle, a freshman at the time, could accomplish.

Mason Rowland, a freshman, is currently playing for the JV volleyball team as a setter and hitter. “I like how everyone gets really close on a team and it kind of becomes a family for you, you know you can always go to them with anything you need,” said Mason.

During her eight grade year at Miller Middle School, she was involved in volleyball, track, soccer, and basketball. Although she had suffered an injury to a pulled hamstring on a growth plate during the 2019 Miller track , it didn’t stop her from working harder

SPORTS

From left to right: Brett, Kyle and Mason Rowland excelling in DHS volleyball. to earn a spot on the JV volleyball team. “I was out for a couple of months, but we’re all good now, ” said Mason.

The family not only carries a wide variety of victories, but they all have kept the lucky number twelve. Brett started this trend during her high school years and have passed it on to Kyle and Mason.

Although having recently graduated from DHS just last year, during her time here Brett Rowland was involved in volleyball, basketball, and track. Her sophomore year of high school, she made the varsity team for volleyball as an outside hitter. Brett is currently a sophomore in college attending the University of Northern Colorado and majoring in exercise science. “With her ACL injuries, she wanted to help people who have also had those injuries,” said Mason. Although she has had multiple ACL injuries in more recent years, she is currently involved in playing club volleyball within Denver Colorado.

A common thread for all three sisters is their commitment to Durango High School volleyball. They also excel in other sports but still continue to strive within the volleyball. Kyle and Mason said they have played sports their whole lives whether it was to stay in shape or just for fun.

“I’ve always played with my sisters, it’s always been something my family has done, and it was like I had to do it but I’m really glad I did, ” says Mason. Emmy Romero, a senior varsity volleyball player for DHS says “The Rowlands is a very talented family” The Rowland sisters have all had a wide variety of accomplishments within the DHS athletics program in addition to their focus just as much on their academics.

“I think that they have an amazing work ethic, they work hard inside of sports and outside of sports,” said Romero. Mason is striving within volleyball as a setter but is also an exceptional hitter, server, and passer. Kyle is also working very hard to be her best whether she is digging the ball, hitting a kill, or serving an ace. Coach Colleen says “they have all worked very hard to be where they are today.”

eldiablonews.com 17

YOUR DHS SPORTS RECAP! V O L L E Y B A L L

KALISTA PENA

Reporter

The transition from middle school to high school can sometimes be dramatic.

It can be difficult to enter a new school, meet new people, adjust to the grading system and schedule. Incoming freshmen do not always know what to expect when they come to DHS. But once they enter our building, they become Demons, and Demons do not fall.

Durango High School Athletics maintains high standards, we play hard, we are mentally tough and we strive for nothing less than victories. The 2019 Demon Volleyball teams have definitely shown what it means to be a Durango Demon.

The Lady Demons are currently ranked second in the 5A/4A South Western League with an 8-5 ratio overall and 2-1 in league.

Amelia Oketter, a senior and team captain who has played for DHS the last four seasons, has faced some difficulties this season.

She states, “the first game [I] sprained my ankle, [and I was] out for three weeks.” But once she was healed she was back on the court, strong as ever.

She played four games with her fellow Lady Demons but was out again in the game against Bayfield High School due to illness. Despite the obstacles, she shares a common goal with her teammates; “As a team we still want to win League and go to regionals and hopefully state.” It is evident after watching our Demons play that they put their hearts into this game and they strive to be the best.

Their high intensity and teamwork is inspiring to the freshmen class. Freshmen Jadah Joyner and Naomi Scott agreed that playing on the highschool team was dramatically different than playing in middle school.

Joyner states the competition “is a lot higher level.” She also claims that“it’s more fun.”

When playing in High School there is more at stake, the community is watching and our school is determined to make state. Scott adds, “you have to work your butt off.” Highschool athletics are not easy, and you should know “the amount of intensity it takes,” said Scott.

But these girls did not feel too intimidated: the upperclassmen helped them feel welcomed. Both girls really enjoy the sisterly bonds they created with a few of the upperclassmen.

Joyner mentions her bond with juniors Lainey Voss and Leah Wesley. Both Voss and Wesley have helped her feel more comfortable and adjust to high school.

Joyner also mentioned that the team was very supportive of one another outside of the court, they helped each other study and such.

Scott agrees and states that “being apart of Durango Athletics is a great way to adjust to high school coming in as a freshman, building upperclassmen bonds and having teammates to guide you and help you.”

When asked, both Joyner and Scott were excited to play next season and continue to grow in the volleyball program at DHS. Playing a sport at DHS is not just about competing, though that is a major part of it. Playing at DHS means building community and family.

It means helping one another and making a strong atmosphere where athletes can perform at their highest level.

18 Nov. 2019

BOYS GOLF CARSON DELLINGER

Reporter

The 2019 boys golf season was a smashing success until state, but the members appreciated their last season anyways.

The returning varsity players Ethan Whidden, Luke Tichi, Luke Ford, Anthony Flint, Sten Joyner and Levi Tichi all had a great season. Senior Luke Ford had his personal best round and even scored a hole in one!

Senior Sten Joyner explains that the team “played well and had fun in every tournament.” The season was great, with all players having a wonderful experience and playing their best at every tournament.

The team is run like a machine, with Joyner saying he “wouldn’t change a thing about the golf program.”

Kirk Rawles led the Demons to a great season, happily returning as the teams coach.

The comradery of the team is outstanding, with Senior Ethan Whidden mentioning that “We all are really close friends, so we always have a good time.” Whidden was happiest that he and the team were both able to bring home the win from the Dalton Ranch tournament.

The Demon golf team always puts in maximum effort, but still don’t get recognized as much as other sports at DHS. Wishing more people would realize the effort they put forth, Whidden argues that“people really don’t know how hard it is” so get out there and support your amazing golf team!

SPORTS

BOYS SOCCER

ABBY BOWMAN ADDIE CADY

Reporters

This year, the head captain Sr. Leland Heinickeis leading the team and says that he has a lot of “small goals” that help him reach the “big ones.” He is set on getting the team’s defense shape corrected and getting the boys behind the ball more.

Jr. Logan Stetler thinks very highly of his older teammate.“Leland is one of the biggest leaders on the team. He keeps everyone focused and humble so he is definitely a very good captain,” said Stetler.

Being a leader is hard work, taking time and effort, especially in such a big team, making Leland’s “amazing leadership”, even more impressive, according to Junior Logan Stetler. Other players are also stepping up to help the team on and off the field.

Mr. Champenoy is the boys soccer coach and he has very high hopes for this years team.

“Last year we had a very good team...but this year we have more individual talent,” said Champenoy. The team needs to do the basics as best they can to make them perfect for games.

“I don’t think we really have to worry about winning, because if we do all the little things, the winning will take care of itself,” said Champenoy. He has the players running lots of drills and is very technique oriented.

Coach Champenoy is very good at his job. He is always on the field leading the team and making sure that they are in top shape for their games. Many of the teams’ players agree that he is the best coach and does a great job.

“I think he is leading us really well because we don’t have the personnel to make us really successful, so we have to use a lot of tactics and utilizing the people we do have to make us successful,” Logan Stetler states. Every player alongside Stetler had only positive things to say about Champanoy and how he runs the team.

“He pushes us more than any coach would, and he expects more than a lot of other coaches, because we are a really talented team,”said So. Levi Larson, admiring all Champenoy does to push the team toward greatness.

The team has been very successful so far this season. They have won all but three games, though losing hasn’t put them in bad spirits.

Fr. Nick Korte, who made the varsity team his first year at the highschool level, expresses his feelings about the capabilities of the team.

“I think we are good enough that we could beat all the other teams,” said

Korte. But he thinks they have to better their skills in order to be on their top game.Winning is something that all of the players love. Every game they are working really hard to bring home a win.

“Our bad games help us, our whole team hates losing, we’d rather win. We only had one loss last year, which pushes us a little harder to not lose,” said Larson. He agrees with Nick that the team is like family, and every player helps to push each other to their greatest potential.

“I think we are all really close which definitely helps with our play. We are all super dedicated. We have had a couple losses but we have bounced back I think pretty well,” said Stetler. Being such a close team, including hanging out for team dinners and online gaming such as the Fiefa tournament have brought the team together, motivating them even more.

“We bond really well together, so we work really well together,” said Korte, explaining that this will be a huge advantage for winning. This makes the team work smoothly. Teamwork is an essential part of every team and this is something DHS does well.

They have been doing many things right this season and this is shown through their many wins, but like every team they have things to work on. Our team is strong and powerful, making everyone very confident in their success throughout the season.

LIZ YORK

Reporter

On Friday nights local members of Durango can be found on the bleachers of the high school stadium gathered to watch the Demon football team. With all the support they have from the school and the community, the team has a variety of goals for the future. Working towards a league championship, the Demons are currently 5-2 and hope to make it to state this year.

Head football coach David Vogt elaborated that the team will ahieve success at state by using hard work and having good chemistry on the field.

“We want to win enough home games to host a home playoff game. That’s always the goal… to get a home playoff game,” said Coach Vogt.

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

He elaborated that the team has a good chance of scheduling a home playoff game if the athletes continue thier effort and dedication. Additionally, he explained that, although their chances of going to state are good, they want to work on having a stronger defensive presence. It’s important for them to have the best defense in the league, if they want to reach their season goals.

The Demon football team has become much closer this season as well.

“The team environment this year is really great everyone one gets along... we are all a huge family” said Jr. Ben Finneseth, a varsity athlete. Their friendship and relationships on the field make them perform incredibly better in their games, giving them a better shot at making state than ever before.

eldiablonews.com 19

Fall Sports Statistics Cross Country

Football

Coach: Kenneth Flint Boy’s rank: 6th Boy’s state finish: 2nd Girl’s rank: 4th Girl’s state finish: 4th

Boys Golf

Coach: David Vogt State ranking: 25 League score: 2-1

Coach: Kirk Rawles Times placed 1st: 2 Times placed 2nd: 1

Boys Tennis

Boys Soccer

Coach: Todd Jolley League score: 1-6 State finish: 7th

Coach: Aaron Champenoy State Rank: 54 Leage score: 5-3

Softball

Volleyball

Coach: John Bernazzani State ranking: 106 League score: 2-6

20 Nov. 2019

Head coach: Colleen Vogt State ranking: 71 League score: 5-3

SPORTS

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eldiablonews.com 21

WHY U.S. TROOPS SHOULD STAY JACK BREEZLEY

Features Editor

“We will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor,” said Maj-Gen Hossein Slami, President of Iran. This stark warning came from Iran after the US announced they will be redeploying troops to Saudi Arabia following the attacks on Saudi oil fields.

For nearly 19 years, the US has been at war in the Middle East, a region spanning from Yemen to Syria and East to Pakistan. This area of the world has seen some of the worst conflict in the last few years, such as racial and religious wars, all stemming back to foriegn involvement in the 1970’s.

In the 70’s, the Soviet Union had an increasing influence over the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan and Iran. The Soviet Union, a communist nation and the enemy of the US at the time, supplied these countries and allied with them, leading to wars and invasions with neighboring countries. The US and Great Britain both intervened as much as possible to cease these ongoing wars.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the legacy of small religious and territorial wars still raged throughout the region. However, on September 11th, 2001, the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked 4 planes over the United States, crashing them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a barren field in Pennsylvania.And killing nearly 3,000 people.

The attacks sparked international backlash and thus the US and allies began the “War on Terror” in the Middle East. This war , now approaching 19 years long, has seen many successes. One of the most notable events was the termination of Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the September 11th attacks and leader of terrorist group Al Qaeda.

Other successes include the nearly complete defeat of ISIS, another terrorist group.

This operation took years, and is still ongoing. This was an international effort with countries such as the US, Great Britain, France, Russia, Turkey, and even Japan sending troops or aid to help.

Even though these are monumental achievements, they have come at a cost. Around 3,800 Americans have died, the most of any foreign ally fighting in the Middle East.

However, the living conditions of those who have been liberated from terrorist groups like ISIS or Al-Qaeda has gone up significantly.

In October, 2001 the U.S. and Great Britain conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan to destroy Al-Qaeda and Taliban training camps. In the days following, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands and Turkey all deployed troops to Afghanistan insupport. In November, Kabul fell and in December so did the last known terrorist camps in Afghanistan . With it, the shackles of terrorism fell down from the Afgani citizens and freed them. Those people were free to then live without constant fear and a war-ridden lifestyle.

In recent news, the US just recently redeployed troops to Saudi Arabia to help install “better defenses” (BBC). On one hand, our troops keep some areas peaceful, while protecting our allies too..

Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Bahrain and Kuwait are all allies with the US to an extent, while others such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are economic allies.

It is extremely important to the US that we keep our relations with certain countries in the Middle East for military and economic reasons.

Iraq has had 13,315 coalition strikes

22 Nov. 2019

War in the Middle East has persisted since 2003

in the Middle East

Militarily, we can attain more bases to pursue the War on Terror to defeat terrorists once and for all, while economically, and especially with Saudi Arabia, we are in need of the oil in particular areas. As of 2016, Saudi Arabia is second to the US in imports of oil (by the barrel) and only behind Canada (U.S.EIA) by Because we need oil, Saudi Arabia is a very important ally. Our troops can keep these oil fields safe from missile and drone strikes by installing the latest technology.

In the cases of Afghanistan, American troops, along with allied forces helped to liberate the people oppressed by terrorism. The same can be said for those that live in Syria. Most still live a

life still ridden with poverty and some threats, but are free from executions and abuse from terrorists.

In other cases, it is important to help our allies like Saudi Arabia when they are attacked by a common enemy. We need to ensure safety and end terrorism. The US has the biggest, strongest, most powerful military in the world, and it has showed through our effort in the Middle East in the past 18 years, so the only way we can end terrorism is by keeping our troops and military at work in the Middle East.

97% of all casualities

in the Middle East are men, 3% are women

EDITORIAL

WHY U.S. TROOPS SHOULD LEAVE

the Middle East

JAKE GENUALDI

Reporter

The US has been at war in the Middle East longer than most of the students at DHS have been alive, costing American taxpayers 5.9 trillion dollars, according to CNBC. While the immensity of this figure is difficult to comprehend, the effects of the socalled “Forever Wars” in the Middle East are not: the region is less stable than before we came, and America is worse off because of it. Perhaps even more horrifying is the human cost of war in the Middle East - nearly 7,000 Americans have lost their lives and over 53,700 more have been wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq alone, according to data released by the Watson Institute of Brown University.

Such an immense human and financial cost would lead one to believe that we have made great strides in stamping out the evil of terrorism in the region, but such an assumption could not be further from the truth. Because of regime-change wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, the region is more unstable today than it was 18 years ago as objectionable (but functional) governments have been thoughtlessly toppled, leaving in their wake unspeakable suffering and a growing bill for America. Therefore, the US must immediately remove all her troops from the Middle East to stop the bleeding of continued involvement.

While action to withdrawal is popular, as 61% of Americans in general and 69% of veterans would approve of a decision by the president to remove all troops from Afghanistan, according to a September 2018 YouGov poll, many in Washington oppose such decisiveness. The common argument against the withdrawal of troops from the Middle East suggests that a lack of US military presence in the region would create a power vacuum in which terrorist groups would flourish.

While this scenario is likely, it ignores the reality of the current situation; the region already contains several terrorist organizations that, with the exception of ISIS, have only grown stronger in the

years of US involvement.

Al Qaeda “has grown stronger operating under the Taliban umbrella across Afghanistan,” according to a report by the UN. Thus, despite valiant efforts by our soldiers in the region, the simple truth is that war has been good for no one.

For example, at least 21 million individuals have been internally displaced

4,242 US soldiers have died in the Middle East

or made refugees by conflict in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria over the past 18 years, according to the Watson Institute of Brown University. Such a massive upheaval of people from their homes is not a recipe for success but rather disaster. The region can never hope to recover from conflict with droves of it’s citizens fleeing due to ceaseless fighting.

Therefore, since US efforts are not improving the situation while unfathomable sums of money are spent and American troops are being killed on a regular basis, why should we stay and continue fighting? As aforementioned, most Americans understand the situation and are thus in favor of withdrawing troops from the Middle East.

Most politicians also recognize the popularity of the desire to “bring our troops home”; both President Obama and President Trump campaigned on such a promise and all competitive candidates in the democratic primary support withdrawal as well.

While these promises have been slow to materialize, they reflect the popularity of ending the Forever Wars, and since America is a democratic nation, these wars should have ended as popular support faded.

The US must also end the fighting in the Middle East as there exists rising threats elsewhere in the world that America must direct their attention to. With the growing threat of China gaining bipartisan concern, America cannot afford to be facing conflict, physical or cyber, on two fronts. Both President Trump and Senate Democrats have called China a “cybersecurity and surveillance threat,” according to CSO Online, emphasizing the need to refocus our efforts on issues we can effectively address.

And everyone can agree that there are many issues that require additional funding.

From education to infrastructure, think of what the 5.9 trillion dollars spent on the past 18 years of fighting could do for America. Needless to say, we would be much better off investing those funds in America to create real and needed change rather than continuing increasingly hopeless campaigns in the Middle East.

While peace talks with the many players involved in conflicts in the Middle East may seem difficult, diplomacy is always worth a try. “The agreement could have been Afghanistan’s first significant step toward peace in a generation,” explains Borhan Osman, an Afghanistan analyst with the International Crisis Group, referring to the failed peace talks with the Taliban this month in a New York Time article.

Many argue that hosting peace talks with groups like the Taliban is futile and only wastes time. However, while peace talks with all the players in the Middle East will undoubtedly be riddled with skepticism and setbacks, the massive cost of war and the appeal of ending the fighting requires that every effort be made in pursuit of ending these Forever Wars.

In the end, endless conflict in the Middle East does not benefit America or stabilize the region, so bringing our troops home and declaring an end to American military involvement in the Middle East is far past due. As the future of the nation, we as students across the country, who will be the taxpayers of tomorrow or even the soldiers of coming conflict, must come together in one voice to demand an immediate end to war in the Middle East.

War in the Middle East has cost taxpayers $2.4 trillion

244,000 civilian lives have been lost in the Middle East

eldiablonews.com 23

SECTION

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The College Board was right to dump the SAT Adversity Score

AIDEN ROESSLER

Reporter

How will the College Board represent my complex life as a student?

That’s the question millions of students asked when the College Board unveiled its new SAT “Adversity Score” earlier this year in May. It is also a question we must ask ourselves now as the College Board has quickly abandoned their “Adversity Score” before it was implemented on a large scale and have developed a new system to provide student’s socio-economic data to colleges, “Landscape”.

Although the College Board was justified in its mission to provide more information on the adversities students face, the “Adversity Score” was another attempt by the College Board to reduce another aspect of a students life into simply a few numbers, like having one standardized test scores for one’s home life, school environment and complex socio-economic background. Such complexities should not be distilled into just two numbers on a scale from 0-100.

“When I think about college admissions, I would gear my thoughts toward: how can we understand the potential of this student and their passion for studying the things they want to study, rather than looking back and saying in the past they had this test score and came from this neighborhood,” said Tara Haller, an AP teacher at Durango High School.

“I was happy that they were thinking about how to make sure that a full profile of a student was being seen by colleges. Do I think that was the right way?

No,” said Teri Kopack, an SAT Prep teacher at DHS. Still, the “Adversity Score” had its benefits for college admissions officers who were lacking important information on students. “This [adversity score] is literally affecting every application we look at … It has been a part of the success story to help diversify our freshman class,” said Jeremiah Quinlan, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale, who was participating in an early trial of the SAT Adversity Score who said in May of 2019.

Despite some positive opinions on the “Adversity Score”, The College Board decided to abandon it and the larger rating system, The Environmental Context Dashboard, in August due to widespread criticism before it expanded to use in more colleges. “I think it is a retreat from the notion that a single score is better,” said David Coleman, the CEO of the College board in an interview with the New York Times.

In place of the “Adversity Score”, the College Board implemented the new “Landscape” feature which was supposed to scale back the Colleges Board’s attempt to quantify student’s backgrounds. Did they address these concerns and make a better version of the “Adversity Score”? The “Landscape” feature is better, but the College Board, in trying to simplify student’s socio-economic backgrounds, has again overgeneralized student’s lives by distilling them into a

24 Nov. 2019

few statistics that they think college admissions officers would like to know.

The new “Landscape” feature displays three catagories of information, all of which they will be able to see, which is a significant improvement over the previous Adversity Score, which didn’t let students see their own score.

The first of the three categories of information is what the College Board calls “general data about a high school”. This includes but is not limited to: average SAT scores, geographic location such as: urban, suburban or rural; and AP participation and performance, as well as other statistics about a particular high school.

The next information provided to colleges is a comparison of a student’s SAT or ACT score to other student’s at their same high school’s test scores. The final category of information is general information about a students neighborhood and high school such as: crime rates, typical education levels, median family income for people in a student’s neighborhood or at their highschool.

“When you try to boil things down to one number and then say this one number describes the landscape in which this student experienced education and grew up, you’re going to miss a lot,” said Haller when asked about the “Landscape” features score.

However, while these scores can be overgeneralizations of a student’s life, like the original Adversity Score, they can also help colleges admissions officers who don’t have information on student’s environments, some of which, according to the College Board “report[ed] they lack high school information for about 25% of all applications.”

“For students that come from lower socioeconomic [status] … [Landscape] might benefit them. For the reason that really prior to this, the only way for admissions officers to know any of that information is if you were to write about it in your personal statement,” said Kopack.

It is important to remember that this data is only one part of the college admissions process. The College Board emphasises this when they say that “colleges do not use Landscape to decide who gets in and who doesn't. It simply helps admissions officers give more students from more places a fair look.”

Students still have the opportunity to tell colleges about their lives and environments in detail in their application essays. “The best place to let the admissions officers know about [your life and environment] is through your essay because a score is still just a number … the essay is the only time for them to see who you are as a person,” said Kopack.

While the new “Landscape” feature may overgeneralize the complex life of a student, whether or not a student gets into a college should not and will not be based off of a few statistics and scores as there are other ways for students to let colleges know about their lives and environments.

EDITORIAL

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Video Lifestyles Head

EDITORIAL

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doesn’t undoubtedly mean those who play these violent games will commit violent acts.“Psychologists know that exposure to violent video games changes what’s called the ‘social script’ (what society perceives as normal). For example, if your ‘avatar’ is stealing cars to get points in the game, stealing cars becomes a part of the social script...it normalizes that behavior,” said Gozigian.

In the United States, it has become customary to blame factors that don’t necessarily cause conflict. Pertaining to mass shootings, we have ignored the obvious:people who commit mass attacks are usually suffering from some sort of mental illness, have a fascination with weapons, have access to them, and are willing to exact their revenge.

Blaming violent video games or movies for aggression is irrational because an average human knows how to socially distinguish between fake violence and real violence. Director Quentin Tarantino, for example, is recognized for the notoriously violent subject matter of his films, yet has no problem with screen violence, but has a big problem with real life violence: “I have no problem with screen violence at all,” he said, “but I have a big problem with real-life violence.”

Just because the United States culture is fascinated with fake violence doesn’t mean we will go and commit violent attacks on the innocent.

There are far too many factors to blame for a shooter to commit such heinous acts, but we will never heal as a nation if we encourage the idea that fake violence is causation for real violence. Instead of promoting restrictions on violence in video games and movies, we need to promote restrictions on automatic firearms in the United States, stricter background checks and mental illness checks on those who own or are looking to own firearms.

We, as well, need to screen social media platforms that display some warning signs of a potential mass attacker, so as to avoid more carnage. To blame just one factor for a shooter’s motive is foolish; instead, we can stop ignoring the obvious warning signs and start solving the real problems with mass violence in the US.

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Following the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, both on Aug. 5, 2019, President Trump reignited a twenty five-year-old debate: whether or not violent video games glorify violence and in turn, promote real-life attacks. However, researchers have shown time and time again that there is no correlation between violent video games and violent behavior.

Ever since the first truly violent video game Death Race, which has players run over people on the street for an increase in points, was released on April 1st, 1976, politicians and psychological experts have been researching whether or not violent video games and movies can cause violent behavior in those who enjoy such activities. The short answer is no.

In 1999, after the Columbine High School shooters were discovered to have played Doom, a first-person shooter game, society was quick to adopt the idea that violent video games cause violent behavior. However, through many studies over the last two decades, that theory has been largely debunked.

In fact, according to the media psychology division of the American Psychological Association, “scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal correlation between playing violent video games and actually committing violent activities.”

So what drives the mind of a mass murderer? As reported by Psychology Today, shooters “have a longstanding fascination with weapons… [they] long for power and revenge to obliterate what [they] cannot have.”

Additionally,Psychology in Modules 11th Edition notes “researchers argue that other factors---depression, family violence, peer influence---better influence aggression.”

Simply because a young person plays video games does not necessarily mean they will commit mass acts of violence. Leigh Gozigian describes how correlation does not equal causation.

“You can say that there are two factors that are correlated, but you can’t necessarily say that one thing causes another thing, it’s much more difficult to prove that in psychology. What psychologists have found is that while there is a correlation between violent video games and aggression they cannot prove causation,” said Gozigian.

While some psychologists have found that violent video games may increase aggression, leading to the normalization of violence, it

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eldiablonews.com 25

The grading policy is a positive change KRISTIAN HILL

Reporter

Recently, District 9R put in a major change concerning how assignments and tests are graded. Though it is an unpopular opinion, this grading policy is actually beneficial, and there are positive reasons this system has been implemented.

The student body is painstakingly aware of how frustrating it is to be graded on the amount of homework you can complete instead of your comprehension of the material. But, with this new grading system, summative grades are worth much more than the formative.

This means that students will be graded on their growth and knowledge, rather than just a grade for the homework they probably turned in late. The old grading system was incredibly unfair to many students and therefore detrimental to students’ grades and self esteem. Now that this new system has been put into place, many more students will have a chance to shine.

This new system has many advantages, but students choose to ignore them. It is effective in getting students away from the unhealthy habits they’ve developed; turn in homework late, slack on studying, and do poorly on the test. This is an incredibly detrimental cycle, and the policy is working to break that norm.

Students are perfecting their ability to regurgitate the material for the sake of the homework grade, but are not putting in the effort to do so on the exams. It’s important to make changes like this, to put more emphasis on the summative tests so students don’t leave high school with completely backwards study habits.

Many students don’t consider factors like performance in their decision to label this change a negative thing.

Many students attribute this change to punishment, when in reality, when you weigh in the actually beneficial effects on students, the change in the grading policy makes perfect sense.

Though some underclassmen are

26 Nov. 2019

unhappy with this shift, upperclassmen have shown the most pushback. While freshmen and sophomores have only been introduced to this policy recently, juniors and seniors have worked with it their entire high school careers thus far, and it’s become much more difficult for them to adjust.

However, despite this big change, you must learn how to adopt new policies and figure your way around life’s hardships.

Many students don’t believe in their capability to learn this way, but everyone can do it if they push themselves. The goal of this shift is to get students to take control of their learning, and they can’t do so by complaining about how detrimental it is to their grades.

This period of question can be overcome, and it needs to be soon, or the problems students are fabricating will become a reality, but it won’t be at the liberty of their teachers; it will fall on them and their inability to put in the effort.

Ultimately, this change was beneficial, and it makes a huge difference in how students are able to retain valuable information. The new policy allows students to be graded on what they’ve learned rather than the worth of their useless homework assignments.

In many classes, the students will study and attempt to understand the material, but they will find that the class is moving at a rapid pace, or that the homework load is unbearable. Before the implementation of the new policy, students would fail this type of class solely due to the absence of points they could have gained from homework grades. The students may have understood the material, but were not being graded on their knowledge as they should have been.

With this new policy, students will not have this issue; they can finally rest assured that their growth is truly valued.

Students can finally stop putting so much pressure on themselves and focus on their mental health and developing learning habits.

The grading policy is hurting students ANONYMOUS

Reporter

At the beginning of the 2019 school year, students walked into their classes to find that the foundation of their grades had been changed. Instead of the 30% for the summative category and 20% for formative that has been in place for the past 5 years, students were told that their summative assignments would now be counted for 65% of their grade, and formative assignments only 10%.

This policy has been a difficult change to most students, and has angered mainly the senior. These students have had the same summative expectations since their freshman year in 2015, and now are unreasonably expected to change they way they have been taught to approach a class.

Not only have seniors been shocked by this new policy, but teachers have as well. With the new “office hours” and test retake policies, teachers have seemingly no time to themselves, and as many high school students have proved, that is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle. Cutting back on time with friends and family, teachers are now having to revolve their lives around a student trying to escape a less than ideal grade in a class.

While negatively affecting teachers, this policy additionally ignores the population of students who are not college bound.

In our current nationwide climate, the struggle against those who are not college bound has seemingly intensified, and is shown at DHS with the new grading policy and the pressures of AP classes.

As part of the school’s vision to be the number one high school in the state, the belief that pushing AP courses to the majority of the DHS population is beneficial to all. However, this attitude represents a larger nationwide trend that college is the only socially acceptable post-secondary choice. This attitude and fear towards failure that already exists in our culture is cultivated even more severely by the

looming idea of college.

Not only do AP classes help stimulate the dire importance of college, but they also present the idea of a major money scheme, alluding that those with the financial ability to pay for higher education in the form of AP’s rise to the top of their classes and to the top of the social hierarchy as they attend more prestigious, more expensive colleges. This seemingly never ending cycle of money and prestige dwindles down to one leading factor - the idea of reducing students into numbers.

And DHS’s grading policy does just that - reduces every individual in our student body to a mere statistic, counting only their general test scores.

The new summative policy greatly diminishes a student’s idea of what they can become and what they are capable of, as test grades label them as simply a failure or a success.

The general fear of failure surrounding the US indicates that most students will not accept a lesser grade in a class, even if it does mean they are learning or being better prepared for their college futures, as it is perceived as an ultimate letdown.

Instead of cultivating this idea of failure any further into our schools, we should be implementing ways to promote student success in every aspect of their lives - not just statistically. This could mean promoting mental health initiatives, like a free period for every junior with two or more AP classes, as junior year proves to be the most stressful and demanding year for most. And even simpler, incorporating more discussions into the classroom of why students’ worth is not simply based on a test score, but based on one’s happiness and success in whatever aspect of their lives they find most fulfilling. The change starts there - defining success on an individual basis where the possibility of growth and happiness is not based on a test score.

EDITORIAL

How to navigate change:

advice from your seniors JAMIE HITTI

Reporter

Like most schools, Durango High School is always changing. While the community is very accepting, the student body seems distraught, and some confused regarding these changes. Durango High School definitely has its strengths, but where? And where are our weaknesses?

Senior Jordan Taylor believes that things are not exactly the same since her freshman year.

“West wing doors are now an emergency exit, and now we have 65% of summative category,” said Taylor. Not only has the grading system and access to the school changed, but the feel of authority has changed as well. Authoritative figure’s at DHS seem to be more intimidating than in the past. “Administration has become a lot more strict and there have been a lot of teachers that have been hired that don’t fit in with DHS,” said Taylor.

Sophomore Annelise Heinicke confesses that Durango High School isn’t what she thought it was going to be. “I thought DHS was gonna be like the spirit in High School Musical… I always thought that football games, volleyball games and basketball games would be so much more interesting and full of school spirit. Now they just seem overrated and honestly not worth the $5 to get in most of the time,” said Heinicke.

As the years go on, less and less of the student body has appeared and brought intense energy to our school events, especially sports games. School events and high school spirit is what makes being a Demon so fun and exciting. It seems that the student body is lacking in spirit and intensity, which is influencing the comfortability of our school. “I don’t think this is as much as an administration issue as it is an overall student body issue,” said Heinicke.

EDITORIAL

Where is our school spirit demons?

Though our school spirit seems to fade, DHS provides many ways to academically thrive. Senior Lea Osby believes the school does in fact provide her with academic success,which helps students think about and get more involved with their future.

“They have a lot of course options and encourage a lot of different areas of potential work fields,” said Osby. The counselors are also DHS’s best resources.

“We have some really awesome counselors, that helps with being involved in school a lot,” notes Osby.

Freshman Macie Fogel doesn’t agree, arguing the spirit comes from the focus on attitude.

“I think some classes can bore people, and there is nothing unique about them sometimes it’s the same thing every day which can get old,” said Fogel. Classes can be boring, but Fogel brings up a valid point on staff and students that could dissipate the drag of classes. “Durango High School excels in [having] thoughtful students and staff. My favorite part about being a student at DHS is that people aren’t judgemental, you can be who you want to be without anyone being rude,” said Fogel. It is always comforting to be able to indulge in who you really are in a space where everyone accepts you. DHS shows a lot of evidence of a kind and understanding student body and staff.

Underclassmen, here is some valuable advice from your local seniors on how to survive highschool! Jordan Taylor advises that you should “respect your teachers because they have a really hard job, especially teaching freshman!” Lea Osby encourages students to “be nice to your teachers, but know what’s good for you.

Teachers will listen to you if you communicate. You become more independent when you communicate for accommodations. So don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. And have fun!! It’s so much fun!”

Photos by Hannah Wills

eldiablonews.com 27

STRAIGHT PRIDE IS A COWARDLY GUISE FOR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MINORITIES EZRA ADAMSKI

Lifestyle Editor

After this year’s Pride Month came to an end, encouragement to practice self-love through all months of the year circulated widely on social media. During this time, another event was gaining traction on these platforms: a nonprofit organization called Super Happy Fun America announced their own parade, and on August 31st, the organization’s Straight Pride Parade kicked off in Boston.

The logic behind the parade was flimsy to begin with. John Hugo, president of SHFA, claimed that straight people are “an oppressed majority”. In the same statement, Hugo said,“[We] will fight for the right of straights everywhere to express pride in themselves without fear of judgement and hate.” The idea that any and all straight people are oppressed solely on the basis of being heterosexual is ludicrous at best, if not outright dangerous.

In order to address the parade and its various connotations as a whole, it’s essential to first dispel the myth that many hate groups cling to dearly.

It’s also important to note here that, while SHFP is not classified as a hate group, its vice president has ties with the Proud Boys, a far-right organization that’s considered an extremist group by the Anti-Defamation League and a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The false notion in question is that a majority group’s rights are diminished when a society makes room for a minority group’s rights. After the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, many states found themselves in an uproar.

Followingthe Supreme Court ruling that “separate but equal” facilities were inherently unequal, and steps were taken to desegregate schools, several white politicians fought to maintain Jim Crow-era laws by shutting down some public schools. At the same time, these politicians and public figures scrambling to find the best approach to this situation.

The states’ legislatures formed an official board dubbed the “Gray Commission” to weigh its options. One particular parent-teacher organization suggested, “...the lesser of two evils, the end of public education, rather than unsegregated schools.” This situation was complex and extreme enough to continue for at least a decade after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, and the varied responses sculpted the social

28 Nov. 2019

and political landscape in Virginia in the following years.

This particular case was not an isolated historical instance, and it highlights the fact that majority groups tend to feel as if their own rights are threatened when a minority group gains the same rights as the former. Such is the case with the straight pride parade and other demonstrations that are ideologically similar to it, including the Unite the Right rally that took place over two years before.

The Unite the Right rally ended up a tragedy in its own right, with three fatalities and dozens of others injured, and it was a precursor to the straight pride parade in several ways. Key figures from both rallies cited this source of fear as the reason they organized the events.

SHPA’s display was aimed to include heterosexuals as equals; the Unite the Right rally was intended to protect some Virginians’ Confederate heritage. Both parades were built on shaky, backward, politically-uncertain grounds. Neither of the groups represented or advocated for actual change.

There is not a single reported case of anti-cisgender hate crimes. As of 2017, 2.8% of all orientation-related hate crimes were anti-straight, and 17.1% of all race-related hate crimes were anti-white. This is compared to 57.8% of hate crimes from the same year being anti-gay, 24.9% being generally anti-LGBT, and 48.6% were anti-black bias.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 23% from 2016 to 2017.

When anyone, and, more dangerously, a large number, of people from a group in power try to claim victimhood and bias, it causes unease at the very least. When sentiments such as “Love the sinner, hate the sin” and “It’s part of our history” turn into “No more f*gs” and “Jews will not replace us”, tensions rise and situations escalate with sometimes fatal results.

This isn’t to say that people from a majority group shouldn’t have pride in themselves.

Everybody deserves some measure of self-appreciation, but pride, in terms of an organized event, is not for everyone. Straight pride is unnecessary. White pride is simply thinly-veiled racism and extremism. Recognizing your own privilege and your own power is crucial in this conversation.

EDITORIAL

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Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker will put a smile on your face LUKE SWIFT

Lifestyle Head Put on a happy face…put on a happy face indeed. Joker 2019, pulling away with the Golden Lion at this years Venice Film Festival, has generated some early Oscar buzz and rumors of a string of similar films.

Written, directed, and produced by Todd Philips, Joker intimately examines the complex origin and development of the deliciously insane character “the Joker” from the classic DC comics. The character has appeared in many blockbuster movies including Batman (1966), Batman (1989), and The Dark Knight (2008), each Joker seemingly better than the last. For the last three decades, fans believed Jack Nicholson’s experience playing crazed madmen perfected his portrayal of the gangster turned crazed killer in Batman (1989), until the late Heath Ledger’s uncanny portrayal for which he posthumously won Best Supporting Actor. With Ledger at the wheel, the three inch blade wielding clown-faced manic re-defined the Hollywood idea of fear and truly put a smile on our faces. Now, with the legendary, often psycho, Joaquin Phoenix dolled up in the classic clown paint and giddy suit we may have found yet another controversy over who truly is the clown worthy of the crown of ultimate insanity.

Although Joker is based on the character from the comics, this is not your average superhero vs. villain brawl that we’re so used to. Philips, who draws heavily from movies like Death Wish, Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, wanted to do something different from the other studios: “You can’t beat Marvel --it’s a giant behemoth,” he said. “Let’s do something they can’t do,” says the New York Times. Known for his work in the comedy Hangover, Philips proposed to the struggling studios a series of stand-alone films that closely examine the most influential DC characters. Like Taxi Driver, Joker 2019, with its neo noir esque feeling, follows main character Arthur Fleck, who encounters a variety of thugs and violence on the streets of Gotham. Disregarded by society, he slowly succumbs to his madness; ultimately becoming the Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix, who has played a variety of roles from Johnny Cash to Jesus, has recently focused on loners, killers, and psychological thriller roles. So how did he end up starring in a comic book series? The actor, according to the New York Times “didn’t really know what it was” and found it “terrifying,”. Although Phoenix may be known for smaller films like Her, his ability to play a variety of roles has prepared him for the actors’ biggest role yet.

Now let’s get into the Oscar scuttlebug. After premiering at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31st, the film ended up taking home the biggest award: the Golden Lion, which generated a lot of both positive and disturbed reviews. IndieWire’s

30 Nov. 2019

David Ehrlich said “Todd Phillips Joker is unquestionably the boldest reinvention of ‘superhero’ cinema since The Dark Knight.” Some took to twitter to boast: “#joker is one of the most unnerving movies I’ve seen in years...Need to sit with this more” said reviewer Perri Nemiroff.

Some critics even agreed that the film glorifies the strong depiction of violence, for which it received an R rating. However, the support behind the film’s nomination for the biggest prize at the 2020 Academy Awards remains strong. After Black Panther (2018) received a Best Picture Nomination at the 2019 Academy Awards, it’s become increasingly possible for a comic book movie to take home the big kahuna, re-defining the genre in the process.

We all have come to love the fantastical whimsy of today’s comic book movies, whether it be Iron Man’s electromagnet keeping shrapnel out of his chest or the heavenly haven where Wonder Woman adopted her lasso of truth. However, we all need to come back to reality and see how realistic heroes and villains are made. Joker will be the first comic based movie to give us a glimpse of what realistic villains are truly like and how they become so cunningly evil. Just like Scorese’s Taxi Driver, Joker will leave us feeling just as uneasy and terrified as we feel sympathetic for our villainous hero. As groundbreaking as Taxi Driver was, Joker will surely further alter the view of comic book movies for generations to come when it premiered in theatres on Oct. 4.

ARTS & LIT

MOVIE OF THE MONTH:

Dallas Buyers Club CHLOE RAGSDALE

Head Editor

Dallas Buyers Club is nestled in the heart of 1980’s Texas, the land of macho men proving their worth with bull riding and their collection of women and drugs as vast as the empty, dusted skies above them; where they strive off of the buzz of booze and cigarettes and adrenaline rushes strong enough to distract from the obvious signs of the 80’s deadliest killer - AIDS. Matthew McConaughey brilliantly portrays electrician Ron Woodroof, the epitome of the rodeo junkie, profanity spewing, painstakingly straight Texas man, as he battles the bleak reality of AIDS in the radically homophobic and racist environment of Dallas in the midst of one of the biggest epidemics of the 20th century..

This film may be the perfect, albeit unexpected horror to indulge in as Halloween approaches, as the spine-chilling symptoms of AIDS that ravage through Woodroof’s body are as blood-curdling as the infamous strains of The Shining or Nightmare on Elm Street.

As the AIDS epidemic ravaged through the US, beginning in June of 1981, it struck absolute terror and shocked disbelief in thousands across the country as many died so suddenly and so horrifyingly. While HIV and AIDs had persisted in Africa since the 1920s, it had spread to five continents since then, resulting in the deaths of over 39 million people across the planet, 692,790 of which were in the United States since the outbreak in 1981.

The numerous struggles of Ron Woodroof’s life are painfully, yet beautifully painted throughout the film, beginning with a peek into his life of sex, drugs, adrenaline addictions, and the dire state of his poverty stricken situation. As Ron soon learns that he has contracted the HIV virus and is given a ticking time bomb of thirty days left to live based on his lifestyle, the terror of the infection and how it is perceived by the world around him is exposed.

The HIV and AIDs epidemic spread widely among homosexual men, con-

ARTS & LIT

tributing to the air of pure hatred and disgust surrounding the LGBTQ community in the ‘80’s. Woodroof illustrates the complete repulsion and heightened discrimination faced by so many in largely homophobic Texas as he is revolted and embarrassed by the doctors’ diagnosis due to the stigma surround HIV and AIDS, as it correlated to gay men. He then refuses to accept his grim reality until he eventually comes face to face with death.

Like Woodroof, many who were faced with HIV and AIDs prowled hospitals, support groups, and nontraditional doctors to unearth some type of antidote for the seemingly incurable and inevitable disease, which overpowered the humanity within them and drove many to try experimental drugs like AZT. Woodroof’s journey with AZT not only proved his resilience to the virus, but his brilliance as well. As a rodeo junkie, and certainly not a professional doctor by any means, Woodroof was able to deduce the destructiveness of AZT on a patient with AIDs through his own encounter with the drug, and was able to discuss this concept with those around him, leading to the title of the film itself - Dallas Buyers Club.

The Dallas Buyers Club sold a variety of drugs to anyone willing to pay the monthly fee, and attracted large sums of homosexual men and intravenous drug users. This concept was seen across the country, as the depravity of sanity and rationale sparked many to experiment with different drugs, similar to those that Woodroof was introducing to the states from Mexico. The origin of the Dallas Buyers Club also serves as an indication of the hopelessness that many with AIDs faced; Woodroof pushed aside his extremeley homophobic tendencies to not only start a business with, but to ignite a beautiful friendship with a transgender woman also inflicted with the disease, named Rayon, portrayed stunningly by Jared Leto. Their unlikely friendship is truly the most heartwarming aspect of this grim film, and demonstrates the importance of overcoming societal obstacles and biases in the face of tragedy.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, this film pushed the boundaries of societal norms and illustrated perhaps one of the greatest epidemics of all timee through the lense of many diverse and captivating characters. And like any great horror film, Dallas Buyers Club is based on a true story.

eldiablonews.com 31

Troupe 1096 dives deep into...

The Little Mermaid ASPEN WYATT

Reporter

Ever since its release in 1989, the Disney classic, The Little Mermaid has encaptured the world with its beautiful story and continues to remain many children’s all time favorite movie. The idea of living under the sea as a beautiful mermaid with gorgeous red hair can be seen as the epitome of an ultimate fairy tale. Compared to other Disney storylines that involve wicked stepmothers, poisoned apples, and glass slippers, being able to talk to fish and explore abandoned ships can seem much more enticing. So upon discovering that the DHS theatre programs’ upcoming play was going to be The Little Mermaid, the student body knew it was going to be magical.

Yet some might be wondering why Troupe 1096 chose the storyline itself, because although The Little Mermaid is a Disney classic and full of entertainment, is it worthy to be the Troupe’s biggest production of the year?

“We chose each show for a reason. Someone in the audience needs to hear what our art has to say,” said Sr. Lola Thomas, the president, a moving set piece designer and props designer for the Troupe.

These words exemplified the student body’s desire to discover the bigger picture of the play, as it obviously has a deeper meaning to the entirety of the audience. “Ariel is confused and lost...she learns to fight for her hopes and aspirations. She doesn’t let anyone deter her from what she’s reaching for, she has hope,” said Sr. Anna Fenberg, who wplays the lead role of Ariel.

Fenberg shared her perception of the storyline and conveyed that it was chosen to give a sense of comfort for us all and someone to relate to. As the audience, we can see Ariel’s heroic character through her bravery in defying her father and social norms to reach the “surface”, or in other words the life she truly wants to live.

“For me, the shows about not feeling comfortable where you are and leaving home,” said Thomas, connecting her interpretation to many of our own Durango High School students who are currently preparing for college and leaving Durango.

Anyone who has had to change and sacrifice something important can also relate to Ariel’s tribulations. The most important part to remember and learn from the play is

32 Nov. 2019

the strength Ariel had to have in order to overcome hardships and ultimately accomplish her dreams.

Whether Ariel is fortifying resilience and courage or showing the desire for change, her journey displays “lessons we could all use a little bit of,” stated Fenberg.

When learning about the theatre’s aspirations and vision for the play, much more was discovered about Durango High School’s theatre program in general. Hearing from the students involved displayed the supportive atmosphere that theatre has created for its members, not to mention the dedication and hardwork that each person must give in order to create an amazing and magical play.

“Being involved with the troupe has totally changed the way I perceive the world and has changed me as a person. Theater has brought me awareness...”said Thomas. “The story we build together, the lessons we learn, the countless hours we spend in the space, teach you so many things. The power of collaboration, give and pull, dedication, and simply learning to enjoy the ride, the chaos of it all... If the people involved [in the troupe] were not as amazing and dedicated as they are, the experience would shift entirely. They are really why I do it. They are a family, a home away from home,” stated Fenberg.

The effort and continuous dedication that the play requires from each individual involved is really quite astounding. “Theatre is your life while in the creation process. From the moment I wake up to the second I close my eyes I’m thinking about the show. I see my family minimally and... [am] kind of absorbed in the creation of it all, even weekends,” conveyed Fenberg.

Yet each member must and will persevere, just as Ariel did, in order to enrich the whole community with the beauty of a story that is both familiar and timeless. For without plays such as The Little Mermaid, not only the student body, but the entire community would be unable to experience the artistry that Durango High School provides.

“Theatre offers an experience unlike any other attended event at the high school. It’s non-competitive. Meaning that the audience isn’t divided into two sides. Everyone wants the same thing and is experiencing the same emotion. It creates this sort of unity that is only discoverable here. It contributes to the DHS and other students, yes, but also to the community as well,” expressed Fenberg.

ARTS & LIT

Travis Scott goes

SICKOMODE

in new documentary LASSEN GRIGGS

Reporter

ARTS & LIT

On August 28, Travis Scott released his new documentary: “Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly.” This documentary shows that Travis Scott has a great influence on people, as well as his ability to entertain a crowd and enliven a concert. He is able to change people’s lives by acts as simple as throwing his shoes into a crowd, or inviting kids onto the stage. In a particular scene in the documentary he sees some kids in his hometown, took a group photo with them and gave them a very inspirational speech. He motivated them, explained to them that they are the future and they can do big things in their lives, even though they might not have a lot of influence at this point in their life.

One of the main aspects of Travis Scott’s life is Kylie Jenner and their relationship with each other, as well as their daughter Stormi Webster. In one scene, Travis is sitting in the hospital room with Kylie while she’s getting an ultrasound, and it is obvious that he will be a caring father. On Stormi’s birthday, he bought her a little remote control Bentley. There aren’t any scenes with Kylie and Travis together, but the few that they did have showed the viewer how healthy and caring they are as a couple.

One of Travis’s greatest accomplishments so far in his career is his Grammy nomination.Travis Scott has been nominated for two Grammys, one being Best Album for his great work on “ASTROWORLD”, and one for Best Rap Song which he has been nominated for on numerous occasions. Travis Scott arrived with Kylie Jenner ready to win, but ultimately lost both awards. Travis would later go on one of his shows and tell the mayor of Houston how sorry he felt and how he had wanted to bring an award home for his hometown. The mayor delivered a fantastic speech about how proud everyone there was no matter what and informed him that they would

be reviving “ASTROWORLD”, and even gave Travis the key to the city. Travis Scott’s luck continued to deteriorate when he performed at the SuperBowl halftime show, which became a topic of great controversy due to the recent drama concerning ex-quarterback Colin Kapernick and his peaceful protesting of discrimination against African Americans.

Despite the fact that multiple African American artists denied the job because of the controversy surrounding it, he still did the show and gave a fantastic performance.

The only likely reason that the movie was made was to display and promote the biggest selling album of his career, “ASTROWORLD”. He displays the large amount of time and energy that he poured into the album, and the unusual and exciting processes by which we wrote the songs. For example, he came upon the idea for the song, “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” on the way home after a show, and hardly two hours later, he had written one of his best songs. Even on vacation, he was in the process of making the song “NO BYSTANDERS” and by the time he was finished, he could barely contain his excitement at the production of a song that he was sure would entertain people to no end. Arguably one of the most popular and songs on the album was “SIKOMODE,” which he made in cooperation with Drake. Due to certain complications, this song almost was not done in time, but Travis went the extra mile to make sure that it would get done well and on time. Through his tireless work and passion for music, we got the album and documentary that we all know and love today.

If you’re a fan of Travis Scott, then this documentary would be for you because it shows what his life is like and how he comes out with music. This documentary is very inspiring for young artists and a fun watch for people that enjoy music and want to know a little bit more about Travis Scott.

CHECK OUT EL DIABLO’S STAFF PLAYLIST!

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eldiablonews.com 33

T H E A RT C H A RT !

RUSH WEBSTER

Arts Head

SAYLOR STOTTLEMYER

Arts Head

MUSIC

Post Malone’s “Hollywood’s Bleeding”

FILM

IT Chapter 2

FOOD New Restaurant?

ZIA 3.0!

FASHION ID Cards

TRENDS VSCO Girls

34 Nov. 2019

RATING POSITIVE NEGATIVE OUR OPINION

10/10

Full of absolute bangers

A lot of his music sounds the same

9/10

You’ll get a few laughs out of it.

Not as scary as we were expecting :(

If you wanted to laugh, you would have just watched Tall Girl.

15/10

Who doesn’t love Zia??

It’s taking 5-ever to build.

Pick up the pace, boomers!

We’re hungry!

Essential part of school safety.

Cramps our swag yo!

Does anyone want their cringy photo around their neck?

Saving the turtles and bringing back scrunchies!

We’ll never know if they’re actually wearing pants.

People like being comfy!

It’s not a crime.

-2/10 5/10

This album slapped!

Circles was our fav!

NO!

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CHECK OUT THESE EXCEPTIONAL POEMS FROM CREATIVE WRITING CLUB! WILTING

by Kate McKinnis

Roses are roses While rocks are rocks you can try to chip away a rock but it will never become dirt Meanwhile a rose wilts because once the last petal leaves it becomes a stud Roses that create us That exemplify us making us a toy on the self Because every petal has a different tale One petal might be the tale of love While another might be the tale of death Rocks that are rough no matter how many times you try to sand them They are what make our structure We may chip and break away pieces but they never leave Unlike the petals that will always leave their home Just as the duck leaves the pond Roses that are soft Giving a way of living to everyone But yet there are many roses that we have We can only hold one rose at a time And only one out of the millions Will be the perfect rose A rose that overlaps A rose that doesn’t just mean love Roses that mean truth Roses that mean life Every day is a step closer to the beginning Because every rose is a step closer to the end But love is a weakness

That makes our rock core crumble Roses that are enemies because all they do is wilt away Rocks that are in our favor because they never leave the palm of our hand There may be millions of rocks in a corner But no matter how many rocks you hold they are all perfect Rocks that make life seem rough But yet so smooth Because with every crack Comes a shine A shine that is the pureness of a rock It may be solid on the outside But when you start chipping away the rubble you find that shining light Brighter than a full moon on the clearest night of the year The spine made from rocks will always crumble with love And with every rose you hold you hold a rock But if you hold the two together you get a stone rose Because the rock turns the petals to stone and the stem turns the rock to thorns Which then makes the world spin Without a rock to hold and without a rose to hold in the palm of your hands You have nothing at all nothing So I encourage you to give your loved one a rock instead of a rose Because that rock Is what is holding you two together

COME TO CREATIVE WRITING CLUB! ARTS & LIT

VIGNETTE

by Adelaide Beasley

Footsteps A vast walkway of endless chirping. Echoes of footsteps bounce off the walls throughout the canyon. A ponderous amount of breath whistles through each and every strand of her hair. The trees sing with the sound of brown and yellow.

The jagged specks of burnt sienna dust brush against her shoes. Gently brushing her temples with the slightest touch, soaking in all around her.

Leaving everything in her life at the first footsteps of the trail.

Footsteps she takes to get to the top of the world.

An unbelievable sight to glue the eyes in place. A plethora of land. A crumbling hole that sucks you in like a Hawk snatching it’s prey. A spiraling hole of complete peacefulness. The pounding in her chest gradually returns to normal after the spike of contentedness. A black space full of nothingness slowly gains the strength to shine a little brighter that day. The goosebumps of 68 degree weather creep up her body like a slithery snake finding it path. A sudden fascination overwhelms her body to go to the very tip of the peek. A 360 degree view of the wonderfully busy world around her.

Land that does not end. The wind that is always blowing. The sky that’s always blue.

Footsteps take you along way yet you feel like you’re not moving. The journey down is the hardest. She remembers the tough conditions waiting for her back home. Waiting at the peak makes her heart skip a beat. It takes a minute to walk back down the trail and only but a second to get to the dark paved cement with gas running automobiles lined up the road. A sufficient amount of cars can be seen for what seems like a mile. Hers somewhere in that vicinity. As she is searching for her car she reminds herself. Land that does not end.

The wind that is always blowing. The sky that is always blue. She takes her first footsteps towards her car. Sadness exceeding its limits. She drives off into the horizon leaving her footsteps behind her.

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SUMMER 2019

A LOOK INTO STUDENTS’ TRAVELS

Photo by Chloe Bowen Photo by Griffin Hall

Photo by Griffin Hall

Photo by Teagan Kehm

Photo by Lee Pickett

Photo by Teagan Kehm

36 Nov. 2019

LIFESTYLE

WHO’S JOE? What’s brewing in Durango...

LAUREN MCFARLANE

Reporter

Durango Joes: 9/10

Apple crisp mocha: 4/5

1.2 miles (4 minutes) from DHS Durango Joes is warm, welcoming, and has five locations all over town.

They have excellent customer service and friendly employees. Along with their wide selection of coffee choices, they also have multiple breakfast and lunch items including pastries, salads, and sandwiches. My personal favorite is their blueberry muffin from the pastry menu. Joe’s is a great place to study or hang out with friends. I would recommend trying the apple crisp mocha as a great go-to fall drink this season. Durango Joes receives a 4.5/5 because it had friendly employees, a warm and inviting atmosphere, and excellent coffee. My only suggestion would be to add more apple into the apple crisp mocha.

Hermosa Coffee Roasters: 7/10 Pumpkin spice latte: 3/5

1.4 miles (6 minutes) from DHS Hermosa Coffee Roasters is one of the cutest coffee shops in town, with both a chic front room that is a great place to chat with friends, and a cozy back that is quiet, homey, and perfect for studying or writing. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The pumpkin spice latte is the newest seasonal addition to their menu and is definitely a good fall drink to try.

Hermosa Roasters receives a 3.5/5 because it had a welcoming atmosphere, but the coffee wasn’t as good as some of that I tried.

Durango Coffee Company: 8/10

Pumpkin spice latte: 3/5

2.4 miles (7 minutes) from DHS Durango Coffee Company appears trendy and upscale, but still retains a warm and friendly atmosphere. There are plenty of luxurious seating and the staff was very kind and welcoming. This may not be an optimal study spot for those who prefer something more relaxed, but it is a super cute place to meet friends for coffee. I would recommend is their pumpkin spice latte, especially if you enjoy your coffee strong. Durango Coffee Company receives a 3/5 because I prefer more cozy coffee shops and this one was a little too sophisticated

for my taste.

LIFESTYLE

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Before I left, people told me exchange isn’t a year of your life, but it was a lifetime in a year. I didn’t understand that until I got here. I’ve been in Brazil for a little over a month now, and I already feel like this place is my home. Yes, I miss my friends, and family, and my sweet sweet dog, but I’ve realized now that I wish for them to be with me here, not for me to be back with them. This month has already been so impactful and life-changing. I arrived in Brazil on August 24th, and not only has it been an amazing and wonderful adventure so far, but it has also been painful and exhausting, like all changes in environment. This originally was meant to be a highlight of the month story, but I can’t choose. So instead, I’m going to do a basic overview of how incredibly different it is here. There are very few things I can say are the same in Brazil and back home. Not only the environment; but the culture as well. An obvious difference is language. NO! It is not Spanish, it is Portuguese. It’s disturbing that only two people from the USA I’ve talked too about the language have gotten that correct. Yes, it is unbelievably difficult, but my family here does not speak English besides my sister, so it’s been very necessary to learn. I have a love-hate relationship with this language. Sometimes it can be beautiful… but it makes no sense.

A cool thing about Portuguese is there is a lot of words that don’t have English translations. My favorite is “Saudade” which by definition from the the-culture trip is “a mixture of a few emotions: longing, melancholy, incompleteness, and love. The word holds a lot of weight, and Saudade can apply to a person, place, or another time.” It can also be used casually as an “I miss you”. The way people interact with each other is also unexpectedly a huge difference. For example as a greeting and a goodbye you kiss on the cheek, it is rude if you just wave and leave. You also say, “Tchau beijos” when you say goodbye which is, “Goodbye, kisses”. Everyone here is a lot warmer and welcoming. When an exchange student back home goes to school, people ask a few questions and then leave them alone. Here people are asking you to hang out with them and do things, they are always talking with you, and asking how they can help. It was overwhelming at first but I quickly made friends because of how open people are here. Obviously, there are many other differences, but to keep this short and sweet, an exchange is a amazing; once in a lifetime experience. Not only do you make connections with people all over the world, but you also make something so extraordinarily different your home. Brazil will always have a place in my heart, I was nervous to do this program and would go back and forth before I left, but I now know that this is a decision I will never regret.

XOXO, Grace Swanson, International Correspondent

38 Nov. 2019

De

m

s Adv ’ n o o

e ca t

Highlight of the Month: Jr. Grace Swanson’s Journey to Brazil

How do I survive advisory as a senior?

Advisory is supposed to prepare you for college, but, more importantly, it’s somewhat of a community you build for half an hour every Monday for four years. You’ll see the same people and the same advisor from the time you’re 14 until the time you graduate. Some of the lessons may seem pointless (let’s hope you know how to halfway manage your time or write an essay by junior year), but they also present college-related opportunities. You can pen your letters of ask and complete those good ol’ Naviance assignments. You’re almost there; you’ll be walking across the graduation stage in seven months, and advisory is just a blink in the grand scheme of your life.

What’s the best way to transition between two groups of friends? I’ve been having a tough time adjusting.

Coming from middle school to high school is academically jarring, not to mention the social and emotional changes that come with it. The most important thing to keep in mind is to not harbor any expectations. Friends can be found almost anywhere. For non-freshman: You may feel like you’re stuck with the same group of friends you originally made in high school. If you feel underappreciated or just simply laughed at, it’s completely fine to find another group. I’ve found that any type of sport, activity, or club is an ideal place to start. Good luck! <3

Love, Ezra Adamski <3

LIFESTYLE

Aries (21 March - 19 April): You prefer to work hard and play harder, and now that school is in full swing once more, you’re probably struggling to pick up the perfect art of juggling academics and leisure. Using more energy than you’d like is probably the only way to overcome this challenge. Attack your schoolwork with the same passion and intensity you channel in other affairs.

Leo (23 July - 22 August): You’re probably somewhat used to being a person that people naturally gravitate towards, whether for friendship, advice, or just a good time. This isn’t a bad behavior by any stretch, but it certainly leaves some large shoes to fill. When the going gets tough, and when helping other people stops feeling fulfilling take a step back and examine what type of energy you’re

Taurus (20 April - May 20): Your methodical, dutiful work style has almost always carried you through school. It’s also worth noting that you’re prone to laziness and discouragement in the face of adversity or struggle, which is something you may have noticed during the transition of vacation to back-to-school.

Put your head down and simply get the work done; your steadfastness will bear its rewards.

giving.

Virgo (23 August - 22 September): You’re sensible and self-motivated, which will no doubt take you far in school and beyond. You can also very easily come off as aloof and frigid. Your first impression is your last impression. Relationships won’t make or break your future outside of high school, but they will define your internal world. Make an effort to be open and honest with people around you.

Sagittarius (22 November - 21 December): Your natural curiosity and quick wit are - and always have been - instrumental in the way you form and maintain relationships and attend to responsibility. That said, you may experience a problem that teeters on the fine line between personal and academic commitments. Your responsibilities, not only to yourself but to the outside world, may feel as if they’re stake. Don’t let this knock you off track.

Capricorn (22 December - 19 January): This season is an productive month in terms of your sense of adventure. It’s natural for you to feel as if your time was wasted if it’s not spent on something that will result in immediate success.

It’s crucial that you stop seeing social interaction as a distraction and start seeing it as an opportunity.Keep in mind certain experiences and time spent with friends cannot be replicated.

LIFESTYLE

Gemini (21 May - 20 June): You’re a bubbly spirit and are largely socialiable, which can be a hard habit to maintain with assignments and deadlines weighing on both you and your peers. There’s a time for work and a time for relaxation.

One cannot come without the other, and no good will come from procrastination or false energy.

Libra (23 September - 22 October): During this period of shifting back to responsibilities, you’re probably trying to put on a brave face and a calm demeanor. This act may be an attempt to convince yourself more than others.

It’s critical to expose yourself, exactly how you feel and exactly as you are, to the people you trust the most. You thrive in nurturing, caring environments.

Aquarius (20 January - 18 February): Now is an exceptionally good time for you to tread off the beaten path. This isn’t exactly something you find difficult to do, as your humanitarian nature lets you find unique solutions to internal and external problems. Now isn’t the time to do anything too drastic or outlandish. Shift your attention towards planning and, later in the month, execution.

Cancer (21 June - 22 July): As someone with a largely sensitive and intuitive nature, you’ve probably found this new shift back to academics to be very stressful.

Now is the wrong time to let yourself slip too far. Self-forgiveness is a critical aspect in any person’s journey, but tread lightly between the line of forgiveness and blind leniency.

Scorpio (23 October - 21 November): Your emotional intensity has created new opportunities and various challenges throughout your life. This particular shift from summer to school will undoubtedly open new pathways for you. You may feel in high spirits now, but be wary when trying anything too extreme in the near future. Use this season as a time of self-reflection and emotional healing.

Pisces (19 February - 20 March): Close relationships will come into new focus this season. You’re a compassionate, warm soul who can all too easily become vague and distant. It’s natural for you to want to please everyone no matter the personal cost. Reexamine all your relationships, no matter how insignificant you may find them, and work towards new clarity in balance within your social circle.

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Exellence is achieved through high expectations and positive relationships for all.