El Diablo May 2018

Online at ELDIABLONEWS.COM

El Diablo Voice of the Students Durango High School

2390 Main Ave.

Durango CO 81301

Issue six

Volume Sixty-Three May 2018

Closed campus debate: Parents disagree with student & staff consensus

Girls’ locker room disparity Page 9

El Diablo Speaks: closed campus

Page 4

College Map: Seniors take the next step DHS sophomores Grace Meyer, Emma Bryant, and Jordan Taylor enjoy lunch at Three Peaks Deli & Grill during their lunch hour.

CALEB SIMONS AND HANNAH WILLS Reporters In the wake of nationally covered shootings such as in Parkland, FL, and the shooting closer to home in Aztec, NM, the Durango 9R school district, students, parents, and community members are evaluating new security measures in order to create the safest and most reasonable atmosphere at DHS. The conflicting opinions on safety have forced all options to be explored.

Some groups advocate for drastic reforms, such as Parent for Safer Schools, which has put forward a four-pronged approach that they believe will make schools safer. They’ve explored many options, some proving to be more popular than others. Their top priorities consist of metal detectors, a closed campus at DHS, armed officers, and installing a visitor management security system.

Tim Maher, the spokesperson for the group, finds that metal detectors have the most potential to increase the security of DHS. “When you look at the statistics, only one school shooting has occurred at a school with metal detectors,” said Maher.

Maher believes that the biggest reason to close DHS’ campus for lunch is that metal detectors would make entry to the school more difficult and time consuming, so it would make sense to not let students out of school for lunch.

He acknowledges that it’s unpleasant to give up 50 minutes of personal freedom,

but maintains that it’s an important piece of the puzzle to make DHS safer.

“If 90% of schools out there can deal with a closed campus, we can too,” said Maher.

Maher cited statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, but research by multiple El Diablo reporters failed to corroborate these numbers. Some estimates place the number of high schools with closed campuses at 60-70%.

Dan Snowberger, 9R superintendent, has a different opinion than Parents For Safer Schools. He finds that metal detectors have little effect on school security, and that the associated logistical problems clearly outweigh the limited benefits that they offer.

“When you look at the number of people who are on campus after hours, the idea of metal detectors in operation at all times of the day is really not a feasible option,” said Snowberger.

In addition, Snowberger points to other organizations that use metal detectors to show that they are ineffective as security measures.

“When you look at the TSA and their metal detector approach,” said Snowberger, “they fail to up to 90% of the time.”

Instead, the Superintendent has pursued measures such as ballistic film on windows and increased security staff to make DHS and other schools around the district safer.

The statistics that Snowberger cites here originate from an experiment that the

Hannah Wills

Department of Homeland Security conducted, where agents from the department smuggled weapons and contraband past the TSA. They successfully smuggled weapons and explosives past the TSA metal detectors and personnel 95% of the time.

Meanwhile, Durango 9R’s Safety and Security Coordinator, Kathy Morris, is exploring all of the possibilities in order to keep DHS a safe area of learning. Instead of having a completely closed campus, Morris proposed that only ninth graders should have a closed campus.

“We need to trust our kids, [but] should ninth graders come in and be given something that they haven’t earned?

Incoming ninth graders need to earn their right as the rest of the upperclassmen have earned just by being here,” said Morris. “It is about coming in first year into a high school, there are some things that you have to earn: respect.

You need a year of getting your feet on the ground and understand the expectations of your academic goals, athletic goals, social goals.”

Morris also strongly believes that the students need to have a voice in these decisions because it is their school and they know what is going on everyday.

Adults try to understand what is going on, but students are the only ones that are truly aware of the situations and actions at school.

“It is your school! What do you guys need? What do you guys want?” Morris exclaimed. “This is your campus, you need to keep it safe...what is keeping you

Page 16 safe is you guys.”

The PSS group is experiencing a significant amount of pushback from students revolving around closed campus.

So. Emmy Romero expresses concerns deeper than just losing the ability to be able to leave for lunch.

“I am against closed campus [because] there wouldn’t be any clubs, because it would be [that] each grade has a different lunch and it’s not possible that our school would be able to have all grades have the same lunch, we don’t have that space. There would be a lot more tension if the whole grade was in one area at one time every single day,” said Romero.

Based on a survey done at DHS, less than a third of the staff supported a closed campus.

According to students, a closed campus would significantly change the atmosphere at DHS due to rising conflicts, as a result of these unwanted changes and the pent up tension of being in a confined space.

“I feel like we would be more divided if we had closed campus because if you have friends in different grades you won’t be able to see them at lunch time, if you have a sibling you’re not going to be able to go out to lunch with them,” Romero said.

Definite changes have yet to be enacted- but as new options are explored, students should continue to express their concerns in order to keep DHS safe.

New face of identity theft: teenagers blasé about privacy BRYN VALDEZ Reporter

In the modern age, devices and online services have become the new face of identity theft. The stereotypical masked hacker has been replaced by handy technology.

The only difference: no information is being stolen illegally.

“When you read the fine print, it absolutely says it will use your data and give it to other companies for surveys and other business,” said Sr. Damien Linscott.

Companies such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon have all gained a reputation in recent years for being innovative in their ventures into smart living and advertising. In fact, most companies of the sort have started to harvest data from customers for the purpose of capital gain.

“They can target ads, which isn’t always a bad thing because if I was interested in something I would want to know about it through advertisements or the content I watch,” said Linscott.

However, in some instances, companies cross the line into uncomfortable territory. For example, most consumers would agree that selling information to political organizations or filing for the right to record them constantly, is overstepping a company’s bounds.

“I think the amount of technology that’s progressed is impressive, but it’s gotten to the point where the amount of

information they have on you is creepy,” said Jr. Riley Mata.

Currently, Facebook is under fire for exposing data to a political consulting firm working with the 2016 Trump campaign called Cambridge Analytica. This left over 80 million Americans’ personal information compromised to an external organization.

“I think for being such big and successful companies, they’re abusing the power they have over Americans,” said Mata.

In addition, Consumer Watchdog recently exposed the fact that home assistants such as Alexa or Google have filed patents in order to record your home activity around the clock. This would mean Alexa would have data regarding your daily habits and conversations among other things.

“I know that having access to information at your fingertips is really awesome, but it’s also extremely distracting.

I think it goes back to the ‘Big Brother’ concept which has terrifyingly enough, kind of come true,” said science teacher Sarah Nashleanas.

Despite disagreeing with their handling of private information, many consumers return to use the service repeatedly. This may be partly due to the fact that this technology has become ingrained into our way of life, making it difficult to become less dependant on it.

“It’s an addiction. It’s this instant gratification for information that from a scientific perspective, makes dopamine

Bryn Valdez Large tech companies such as Facebook have access to an immense amount of consumer

levels rise, so they have us on a chemical level,” said Nashleanas.

Younger generations, it seems, are especially susceptible to a breach in their privacy. Too often do they excuse privacy agreements and terms of service, and in turn, put themselves in harm’s way.

“We have to be taught these social norms about how to deal with social media, and it’s not being explicitly taught.

That might be the responsibility of parents, teachers, community members or maybe a combination of all of them, but there are no rules to follow,” said Nashleanas.

With that said, the future of the

May 2018

public’s privacy remains unknown.

Many factors contribute to deciding how private information will be handled, but it will ultimately be the consumer’s responsibility to protect themselves in the digital age.

“In the future, the laws may be more clear because people are getting fed up, which means either the ads are more specifically targeted or more heavily warranted,” said Linscott.

After all, research shows that only 22% of Americans fully believe that large corporations handle their data in a trustworthy manner, meaning it is only a matter of time before the companies are forced to stop avoiding confrontation.

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ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

DHS shows support for fellow student Fr. recovering well from accident CHLOE RAGSDALE Reporter

On March 24, 2018, Fr. Wiley Corra was severely injured in Salt Lake City while waiting on a pedestrian bridge for a movie with his father, Andy Corra, and friends.

Wiley Corra’s unpredictable accident occurred as he leapt onto a wall that appeared to have grass right underneath it, turned to look back at his dad and friends, then jumped onto what he thought was the grass, but was actually a gap that lead 25 feet down to a service road below.

Courtesy of Andy Corra Corra playing basketball with new friends.

“When I got to my boy, I was sure he was lost to us. I now know that grief,” said Andy Corra, who frantically rushed down to Wiley after hearing the delayed hit. “Within five minutes, the ambulance was there; ten more and he was at Intermountain Hospital, Level I Trauma Center in Murray, Utah.”

Wiley landed on the the left side of his head and shoulders, where most of the damage from the fall transpired.

He was quickly taken to the hospital and immediately put into a decompressive craniectomy, the removal of a section of skull to allow the brain to swell.

Along with significant brain injuries, there was blood pooling behind his left eye and the removal of a few veins in his brain to control bleeding.

“His broken middle finger is splinted high, symbolizing pretty well how he feels about this situation,” Andy Corra said.

Wiley also broke his cheekbone, clavicle, right wrist, and fractured two ribs, as well as fragmented his scapula.

Upon his arrival at the hospital, Wiley remained unconscious for several days, breathing through a ventilator, with no guesses as to how long he would be unconscious for. On March 30, six days after the accident, Wiley’s breathing was more normal with the ventilator, he could slightly move his left arm, hand, and leg, and could track people with his eyes around the room.

Wiley, an avid athlete, who competes in nordic skiing, track and field, cross country, and biking, is also a brilliant student, earning high honors throughout his schooling. He has been said to be working hard every day with his physical therapists, doctors, and parents, who see progressive improvements since the accident.

On April 17, Wiley uttered his first words since his accident: “I know.”

Wiley’s mother, Janet Wiley, describing the setting of Salt Lake City sparked this humorous response, lighting up the lives of those who love and care about him.

Wiley was transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, April 19, where he and his family will continue his journey to recovery.

“I think Craig will have Wiley far

Homeless park: MIA BOUDREAU Reporter

Many Durango residents and locals are familiar with the mounting homeless population in our small mountain town. A homeless camp, established near the Tech Center, has recently been determined to be relocated due to safety concerns and other complications.

“In addition to the fire risk, the site lacks ready access for sanitation, trash removal, or emergency services,” said Durango City Councilor, Dick White.

“Moreover, homeless individuals have created an ongoing nuisance and safety risks for neighbors, especially on Ella

Vita Court, who have documented many instances of crude and threatening behavior.”

Illegal camping is also another issue that Durango faces with the homeless population. The new location is hopeful to amend this problem.

“The purpose of the Lightner Creek Shelter is to get campers out of the woods where living in tents is not legal, or consistent with longstanding public policy relative to preservation of open space for land stewardship and recreation,” said Durango Assistant City Manager, Kevin Hall. “The relocation also lessens impacts on the west side residents by reducing wildfire fire risk

Mia Boudreau Durango’s new homeless camp will be located near the local Dog park. Residents of Durango have many different opinions of the park.

Courtesy of Andy Corra Friends of Corra visit him in Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Aiden Fitzgerald, Noah Bodewes, Logan Moore, Paul Knight, and Marcus Flint run Crosscountry with Corra.

more engaged and I hope and pray his emergence is timing out right for the challenge. Looking forward to more progress,” said Andy Corra.

Corra also stated that after arriving at Craig Hospital, Wiley has had major physical, mental, and emotional advancements.

Wiley’s goals for the the months to come are slowly strengthening his body and brain with daily physical and speech therapy. As of April 20, Wiley has been greatly improving on his speech and emotional skills, which show how the neural passageways in his brain are reawakening as he is becoming more aware of his situation.

A Caring Bridge website has been made for friends to contact Wiley’s family and to learn about his current condition with very informative, equally heartbreaking and humorous journal entries by Wiley’s father, Andy. By w Wiley’s page, people are also able to

donate, buy Wiley-inspired t-shirts, and share words of encouragement with the Corras.

On Sunday, April 29, a fundraiser was held by the Durango Nordic Center called We Fight for Wiley, where people could run, bike, workout, or paddle to show support for Wiley.

“I choose to believe there is evidence pointing toward a good recovery- certainly the possibility,” said Andy Corra.

The community of Durango agrees with him - Wiley is an amazing, determined, and incredibly strong person, who has the diligence and power to overcome this challenge. The strength of not only Wiley, but of his parents and his loved ones is enough to conquer this obstacle.

Thoughts and prayers from all Wiley’s loved ones and community go to him and his family as we wish for a speedy recovery.

and provides more effective emergency service and law enforcement access.”

Social aspects of the homeless population also impact Durango residents. This will also hopefully be relieved with the new sheltering area.

“I think it will help move the population away from the residential areas near the soup kitchen that I know have had some issues,” said Jr. Ian Mattox.

As an alternative to the current location, the Durango City Council approved a new shelter near the local dog park.

“Together with the Board of County Commissioners, we have been grappling with this issue for many months. We have had many discussions, both with the BOCC and with the City Council and staff, evaluating pros and cons of various sites. We reluctantly returned to the Lightner Creek site in the last few weeks and decided that we must move forward with creating a legal alternative for homeless individuals to sleep overnight,” said White.

While the new location is a hopeful remedy for persistent problems that occur within the current location, concerns still arise surrounding visitors of the dog park.

“I know dogs at the dog park can react a lot differently and I feel like there are just going to be problems that are unforeseen whether those people have dogs, or not,” said So. Morgan Wells, an

avid dog person. “Also, we’ve all seen the trash left behind, and I feel like we should not have to deal with that in our dog park, or have to worry about other dogs getting into that.”

The new location, however, will be separate from the off leash area within the dog park.

“The outline of the plan is to set off the sleeping area at the west end of the off leash area adjacent to Lightner Creek. It would be fenced on at least two sides, to the east to separate it from the dog park and on the west facing the Holiday Inn parking lot,” said White.

In addition to fencing, the natural terrain of the park’s environment will set restrictions.

“The natural boundaries of Lightner Creek and the steep slope of Smelter Mountain may suffice on the north and south sides,” said White.

Many Durango residents have mixed views on the homeless population, but for some, this is a positive step forward in helping them.

“Our town needs to help fix this problem because it’s really heartbreaking to see people living on the streets and not being able to get a job just based on their appearance but also most of them put them selves in that situation, and some of us can’t help them fix their situation,” said So. Autumn Harwig.

the pros, the cons, and the plan

Smokey the Bear says “No thank you” HAVENS WEBSTER Reporter

In early April, La Plata County watched while two wildland fires got out of control near Elmore’s Corner. These fires took the whole fire department to fight, which has caused the National Weather Service to issue the first red flag warning of the season.

Durango has had a fairly dry winter this year, which, because of the lack of moisture, will make for a relatively high chance of fires this summer.

“This [dry winter] is trouble for ecosystems that are based along those rivers and streams, not to mention the economies that are based on said rivers and streams” said Jonathan Harvey, the Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Fort Lewis College.

Harvey stated that he thinks the Animas river will continue to flow well below normal throughout the summer, because the chance of rain for April, May, and June is looking unlikely. Dry conditions will affect the river rafting

companies of Durango, putting a damper on their amount of customers.

“The fires were not freak accidents in order for a fire to start and grow out of control like those did, the conditions have to be right for it,” said Harvey.

Harvey’s quote refers to the two fires that got out of control on April 2nd, and the weather conditions that we have been experiencing lately are exactly what fires feed on.

The “perfect conditions” that Harvey refers to are high winds, low humidity, and dry grasses, which all lead to fires.

“This is one of the driest summers yet, like the summers of 2012 and 2013,” said Sarah Nashleanas, a biology a teacher at DHS. Summer will be very hot and dry in Durango this year, so many precautions should be taken, such as decreasing the amount of controlled fires, preserving water, and taking extra care in general.

There is no moisture in the soil, therefore no water is protecting the land from fires.

In southwestern Colorado, areas

Special to El Diablo Wildfires have caused the Nat. Weather Service to issue the first red flag warning this season.

under 8,000 feet are in danger of fires because of high winds, 12 to 17 mph, and relative humidity, 10 to 15 percent. The impact that the fires cause will be difficult or impossible to control due to fast spreading, with strong winds pushing the fires onto the dry grasses. “[Durango is] in a drought now so there definitely will be fires...it all depends on how aware our community

El Diablo

is” said Sasha Creeden, a biology teacher at DHS. There is uncertainty about what will happen this summer, but people are going to have to be very careful. All of these “perfect conditions” increase the chances of wildfires by a mile, but with specific restrictions and careful controlled burns, the county will stay safe.

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ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

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Teacher walkouts: What do DHS teachers have to say?

HANNAH WILLS Reporter

Across the United States, teacher walkouts are taking the nation by storm.

Not only are teachers underpaid, but they aren’t given quality benefits, leading to major protests in the hopes that they will soon receive the rights they deserve.

The walkouts and protests are meant to encourage legislation that will increase education funding and salaries.

Durango may also be on the verge of teacher dissatisfaction, possibly resulting in walkouts, in order to bring light to the issues that have constantly been ignored by the government, both local and federal.

Liz Dillman, a representative with Durango Education Association, shares the sentiment that increased funding is needed. She believes that there is hope in the future to be able to raise the salary of teachers.

“The community is really supportive in that sense [raising teacher pay] they passed ballot measure 3A a couple of years ago and some of that did go to increase our pay,” said Dillman.

The National Education Association placed Colorado at 46th for teacher pay as of 2016. In Colorado, a teacher at the beginning of their career makes 69% less than their fellow teachers with a similar education and work hours.

Jeff Lowe, social studies teacher at DHS, explains that the salary of a teacher doesn’t affect quality of life, but does influence the choices they make. He also elaborated that his main goal is to make

a difference.

“I can understand why a lot of people might find [living in Durango] financially challenging; it is not the cheapest place in the world to live,” said Lowe, “[But] some people are motivated by money and other people are more motivated by making a difference.”

Students have an opinion on their teachers and their pay as well. Some students believe that the salary of a teacher affects the quality of said teacher.

So. Lola Thomas acknowledges the hardships that she believes teachers in Durango face since it is fairly expensive to live here.

“If they are in it for the right reason, doing their jobs for the right reasons, then the amount of money shouldn’t matter,” said Thomas, “But I think that teachers are underpaid and it is really unfortunate in this day and age. They aren’t paid very much so they obviously can’t afford nicer things so the quality of life goes down.”

Thomas also shared some of the characteristics she looks for in a good teacher not only for herself, but for peers as well.

“I really look for someone who is understanding of the student’s life. We do a lot of extracurriculars and it is hard to balance everything. I think a teacher who can understand that can really help you in your life, which is what a teacher needs to do,” said Thomas.

It is safe to say that the teachers at DHS aren’t here for the money, but to make a difference in the lives of students.

Durango will most likely not experi-

Special to El Diablo

Teachers peacefully protesting for their rights at the statewide rally in Denver, Colorado.

ence any of the dramatic walkouts and protests, but will acknowledge the fact that teachers deserve more for their time and effort that they put into teaching children.

As of Monday, April 16, 2018, Front Range teachers from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs went to the state Capitol to protest teacher pay and petition the legislature for more funding. School is being canceled in these areas in order to allow teachers to participate in these protests. Other schools across Colorado are also involved in the plead for higher pay, but some are unable to get to the Capitol.

Stephanie Snitselaar, president of the Durango Education Association explains that right now they are working on a new ballot initiative.

“Ballot Initiative 93 is something we’re collecting signatures for right now!

It provides a funding fix that will help apply the Superintendents’ Formula to help create equitable per pupil spending across Colorado,” said Snitselaar.

9R School district sponsored a rally of Friday, April 27 to support increased education funding in Colorado to show support for the Front Range teachers that were at the Capitol on Friday.

“Our goal is to support the call for equitable funding for education across the state, and to let our Legislature know that we care deeply about finding solutions to our public education funding challenges,” said an email from 9R administration.

This has become a nationwide issue as teachers beg to be heard by the legislature in order for a change to be made. It has yet to be seen whether or not there will be any changes in the near future.

Durango High School’s Skills USA: One of the nation’s top 8 programs

Shuan Smith is the Skills USA advisor for Durango High School.

OSIAS MADRID Reporter Although schools help students academically prepare for life, there are some things they just can’t teach.

The SkillsUSA Program aims to teach students the things school doesn’t, and

Oasis Madrid

prepare them in more fields and professions.

SkillsUSA is a nationwide program that aims at ensuring that the country has a strong workforce. 18,000 local chapters and 53 state and territorial associations, all teaching and competing with a variety of skills that will prepare students for the real world and the future.

The SkillsUSA Framework uses three elements to make up the Framework Models of Excellence, including Personal Skills, Technical Skills, and Workplace Skills. Each category includes a set of subcategories of their own. Students compete using these three elements, and the skills that come with them, attempting at being one of the best in the country. Here at Durango High School, the team has accomplished that.

The DHS SkillsUSA chapter has achieved a Gold Level Status, the highest level a chapter can achieve. Simply stated, this means that they are one of the top eight chosen chapters across the nation in the category of Personal Skills, involving integrity, responsibility, work ethic, and much more.

The team has received a grant of $2000.00 to compete in the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky June 25-29 to compete against the other chapters in the nation. They will also be honored at a recognition dinner, and be recognized in front of the entire U.S. SkillsUSA delegation. Shaun Smith, coach and mentor of SkillsUSA and teacher at Durango High School, is very proud of his team.

“It feels really good to see success and recognition coming their way. It’s a great thing to see them moving forward, and to see them so excited about something,” said Smith.

The students are just as excited to have reached this status, and are looking forward to the future.

“It’s truly an opportunity to be blessed with. The next step now is to just keep doing what we’re doing, but to keep preparing for the future,” said senior Chief-Manuelito Garbiso, also known as Big Chief.

It’s not only the team that is reaching new heights, though. Smith has also been chosen as the Region 5 Advisor of the Year, making him the top coach in 16 states on the whole western side of the country. He will be going to competing against the other region advisors to be the top advisor in the country.

“It’s an incredibly good feeling, to be recognized by my efforts. It let’s me know someone’s watching, and that someone cares,” said Smith.

The SkillsUSA program is huge for the students who are a part of it, and they feel it really benefits them both inside and out of school.

“My grades have gotten a lot better since I’ve joined, and it’s made me care more and be more responsible,” said President Brian Elvridge, a junior at DHS. “It really helps you to see job and trade skills that you don’t normally get to see in schools. The program prepares you to be successful out of school, in real life,” said Big Chief.

The SkillsUSA team is on a path of success that they don’t want to hop off of, and hope to continue being successful in the years to come.

platform.

“The system we’re looking at would give all teachers the same platform, with a grade book integrated,” says Creeden.

Creeden says that a new LMS would be designed to give students and teachers the platform they need to work through curriculum, as well as a gradebook. In addition, the new LMS would serve as a class website so that students would be able to access material for all their classes from one consolidated platform.

“As a student, you would log on and have all your grades, as well as all the material for those classes,” said Creeden. “If you need to watch a video before chemistry before the lesson the next day, it will be on there, along with, say, your language arts homework.”

Though Durango’s 9R school district has yet to finalize these proposals, they plan on implementing the best possible changes, in hopes of refining the learning opportunities for Durango students.

Infinite Campus, infinite possibilities?

CALEB SIMONS Reporter

The Durango school district has recently refined it’s instructional program to ensure all students are prepared for college, career, and community. Changes are going to be implemented in several ways, over the next few years, according to the school level. These changes are in accordance with the state’s graduation standards, but are a move from standards based grading to competency based grading.

A Durango School District press releases states, “At the heart of the refinements is the belief that ALL learners must be actively engaged and that schools must personalize learning based on each student’s strength and needs, while also ensuring that ALL students meet or exceed proficiency in the district’s graduation standards.”

The goal of these refinements is that students will take ownership of their learning and drive their educational experience.

These refinements are, in part, a reflection of state assessment across the district’s schools, from elementary to high school. Leanne Garcia, Director of Curriculum and Assessment for the 9R district, has played an integral role in reviewing the district’s instructional program and leading the refinements.

“When we look at student performance data across the district, our students are not meeting our board’s

expectations,” said Garcia. “Our goal is that 85% of students to score at or above on state assessment, but what we found is that we have anywhere from 10% to 60% depending on the content, student population, and grade level.”

Based on this data, Garcia and her staff have begun to review how grading systems work.

“As a system we did some time in my office, and what we did is we started to look at our state and national standards, and we asked what a student needed to do at the end of high school. We looked at the skills that are transferable - skills you will need beyond any point in time,” said Garcia.

9R took this data and based some system reforms on it. The changes involve a switch to a competency-based grading system, a LMS (Learning Management System) to aid the process, and a shifting focus on skills and cognitive ability in students.

This year, teachers are reflecting on their courses, instruction, and assessments to ensure that they are aligned with the district’s Graduation Standards and Performance Indicators.

The district has focused on the way students are evaluated. That focus is the impetus behind the the competency based learning system that the district plans to implement.

In addition, teachers need a standardized platform to present their material to the class. Sasha Creeden, a teacher at DHS, has worked on the search for this

May 2018

Opinion

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

LGBTQ people are not a modern fad

El Diablo Speaks:

Mo Murray Although many view identifying on the LGBTQ spectrum as a modern practice, evidence for the existence of queer men and women can be found throughout popular history. If you disagree, it is likely due to the fact that the identities of queer historical figures have been repressed in favor of less “controversial” traits by many historians.

It is no secret that the past has not necessarily been kind or accepting of the LGBTQ community, and therefore, the fact that the recorded history of homosexuality is extremely limited makes sense. The problem is that even in a modern, more accepting society, direct evidence of queer relationships and opportunities for important representation in history are still ignored and pushed aside, and no significant effort has been made to expose deeply rooted ancient LGBTQ culture that was destroyed.

Evidence that suggests many significant historical figures lay somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum isn’t hard to find; Abraham Lincoln’s marriage to his wife was known to be tumultuous, and he

had numerous very close relationships with men, including a man named Joshua Speed who “shared his bed” for several years. Love letters written by Eleanor Roosevelt to a female journalist named Lorena Hickok have been found, and her close friends included many lesbian couples throughout her life. In Japan, same-sex love culture created strong traditions of painting and literature to document these relationships. Thai kings and all ancient Roman emperors (except Claudius) took both men and women as sexual partners until 390 A.D. But the point is not that there is significant evidence to “out” these historical figures. The point is that regardless of the fact that being queer isn’t a choice and it is completely possible that many of these people may not have been straight, heteronormativity (‘the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders (male and female) with natural roles in life - assumes that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation or the only norm, and that sexual and marital relations are most (or only) fitting between people of opposite sex”) has a captive grip on history. In a time of acceptance and freedom, we should examine historical evidence openly without belittling or denying the possibility of LGBTQ identity.

The “straight until proven gay” mentality that historical studies have adopted not only damages the identities of LGBTQ individuals in history, it belittles the identities of those currently on the LGBTQ spectrum by implying their identity is a modern fad and that there isn’t a possibility for historical representation. Yes, societal advancements and environmental factors have and will continue to contribute to a rise in the number of people identifying as LGBTQ. But to blame this on environmental

pressures alone is inaccurate and unfair to a community that has faced discrimination for thousands of years.

For example, some Greek, South American, and pre-Columbian pottery that contains images of lesbian and gay relations has been recovered, but the majority of the pottery was destroyed

by Christian missionaries because they were an “insult to national honour.”

There is evidence to suggest that homosexual relationships were normalized in ancient Mayan and Aztec culture, but because most of their records were destroyed in the Spanish conquest, this rich LGBTQ history is lost and considered insignificant. Literature including homosexual relationships that was written in the 1700’s was edited to remove the “controversial” scenes before it was published.

The unjust homophobic acts of prejudiced groups are the reason LGBTQ history is shallow; because LGBTQ history is shallow, the door was opened for homophobic people to claim that examples of queerness can’t be found in history. This cycle cannot be broken until we are willing to analyze history with an open mind and stop pretending that gay people just magically appeared in the 70s.

Some are afraid to call historical figures queer in fear of shifting focus to sexual identity rather than actual accomplishments, but does one’s accomplishments change based on who they love?

The only effect of beginning to accept differences in the orientation of historical figures is that a community that has been largely marginalized by historians may finally have an opportunity to celebrate and learn about their history and celebrate the accomplishments of LGBTQ people who existed generations

Caleb Simons While liberals are perfectly willing to air their ideas for stopping gun violence, they refuse to listen to those who disagree. This is slightly ironic, seeing as they accuse the right of being anti-action. While they stand on their moral pedestals and scold conservatives for not caring enough to take action, they squash attempts to come to a policy agreement.

Take, for example, a comment made

by Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kaskey to Marco Rubio: “Senator Rubio, it’s hard to look at you and not look down a barrel of an AR-15 and not look at Nicholas Cruz, but the point is you’re here and there are some people who are not.”

Kaskey has been one of the most vocal students in the wake of the tragic Parkland High School shooting, and he has repeatedly slandered those who disagree with his aggressive gun control agenda. He told NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, that she should be ashamed to look in the mirror since she has children.

Kaskey exemplifies the “bad people don’t want gun control” argument that the left consistently falls into, creating a scenario in which those who really care about saving the children support gun bans, while any disagreement must be rooted in moral ineptitude. But Kaskey isn’t the only one.

Enter David Hogg. In recent weeks, he has become the most bombastic of the Parkland survivors. In an interview with Outline, he said, ““They’re pathetic f****** that want to keep killing our children. They could have blood from children splattered all over their faces and they wouldn’t take action, because they all still see those dollar signs.”

He continued to describe the Florida state legislature-”It just makes me think what sick f****** are out there that want to continue to sell more guns, murder more children, and honestly just get re-elected.”

David Hogg has every right to speak out-and more power to him for doing so.

But when he uses divisive and slanderous language to push his agenda, instead of making a well reasoned argument, he hamstrings the conversation and alienates people who disagree merely on policy.

This is the problem. The left thinks that people who disagree with them disagree with the motive-not the policy.

They are convinced that gun owners don’t want to save children, when, in fact, we think taking away guns isn’t the best way to go.

Of course, Kaskey and Hogg stand out. But they are not unique. Consider the sign that shows up at almost every gun violence protest: Protect our kids, not your guns. Or how about this one: If you are part of, support, or take donations from the NRA, you have blood on your hands. This is stupid.

Protecting kids and protecting constitutional rights are not diametrically opposed-but this is what the left thinks.

The problem is that nobody in America can hash out exactly how to end gun violence, because the left is all or nothing.

Either you support radical gun control, or you don’t care at all. No compromises, no alternatives. In their minds, the NRA can only be a group of gun crazed, violent, bribing group of power hungry perverts. Not only that, but if you deny this ‘truth,’ you’re one of the evil people who would prefer guns over kids lives.

Of course, if gun owners actually didn’t care about children’s lives, the left would have a serious point. But that simply isn’t true. Gun owners own their firearms precisely because they care about saving lives. Until the left figures that out and decides to have a civil conversation, the divides in our country will only deepen.

keep DHS an open campus El Diablo is opposed to making DHS a closed campus in response to recent school shootings. As a staff, we agree with the overwhelming majority of students, staff, and administration that a closed campus unrealistic for the DHS building and will do little to improve student safety.

The only way to compensate for the lack of space for over 1,000 students in the cafeteria is to convert DHS to a block schedule, where students would take their lunches at different times. If a central lunch time is taken away, study sessions and student clubs (including El Diablo) will no longer be able to meet at any time besides after school, a time which isn’t doable for many students in extracurriculars.

Additionally, lunch offers students the opportunity to receive help from teachers, as well as to socialize, regardless of whether or not they choose to go off campus. Strong teacher-student relationships are vital to fostering a safe environment at DHS. Teachers host tutoring sessions, one-on-one writing sessions, and, in some cases, Mario Kart tournaments. We can’t all agree on how to make the school safer, but we can all agree that close relationships at school, especially with a trusted adult, are crucial. With a lunchtime block schedule, opportunities for such relationships would largely be taken away.

“As students mature and progress from elementary to middle and high school, research demonstrates an even more critical need for skills of directing and managing one’s own learning choices and progress.

When students feel a sense of ownership, they want to engage in academic tasks and persist in learning,” - American Psychological Association El Diablo staff was disappointed to read in the Durango Herald that the interest group “Parents for Safer Schools” did not believe students should have input in the decision making regarding their own safety. Tim Maher of Parents for Safer Schools, stated that asking for student input on the issue is like asking, “Do you want ice cream everyday?” We feel that this is a shallow argument that overlooks the reasons that students may have for disagreeing with a closed campus. The reasoning behind student opposition to closed campus goes deeper than simply wanting to go out for lunch.

The fact is, we have yet to hear a convincing argument on the correlation between school safety and closed campus. Students of DHS always deserve a voice in what happens at their school, and our opposition should be taken seriously. Open campus, rather than being a detriment to our safety, is an opportunity for us to gain a valuable sense of ownership and independence, as well as a foundation of trust between DHS staff and students.

before them.

Liberals miss the point in gun control debate

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

Contact us: Mailing address: 2390 Main Avenue Durango, Colorado 81301 Phone: 970-259-1630, ext. 2221 Fax: 970-375-3987 Email: eldiablodhs@gmail.com tjolley@durangoschools.org Editors: Head editors: Paxton Scott and Caroline Knight Managing editor: Carter Reiter News Heads: Haley Szcezch and Tierney Brennan Feature head: Lilah Slaughter Feature editor: Saylor Stottlemeyer Sports head: Bekah Moenning Sports editor: Mo Murray Arts head: Afton Mann Arts editor: Emma Jaber Specials head: Brianna Brown Specials editor: Irie Sentner Head photographers: Jenna Beckley and Maddie Dearien Photographers: Tatum Behn, Maggie Maloney, Stella Walsh, Cassandra Blau, Joey Mynatt, Autumn Stevens, Lydia Schertz, Alyssa Robertson, Hailey Voss Advertising editors: Ramon Perez

Online heads: Gwen Stoddard, Gillian Holmgren Online editors: Tommy Rodgers, Sophie Hughes, Liana Bygel Reporters: Austin Swan, Jack Whistler, Sophia Adamski, Maddy Gleason, Ramon Perez, Harry Egizio-Hughes, Caleb Simons, Chloe Ragsdale, Grace Swanson, Bryn Valdez Subscriptions... are 15 dollars 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.

El Diablo

Opinion 5

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Here’s what’s wrong with the American education system

Chloe Ragsdale Education is the foundation of any society, and greater successes within school walls contribute to the advancement and triumph of those outside it.

The education system in the US has struggled to find fair pay for teachers and adequate resources for students, which has caused their broken system to start to fail. This widespread issue stems from a lack of respect and attention towards educators and their students.

On April 26th and 27th, underpaid and frustrated teachers from across Colorado marched in Denver and joined the flurry of protests that have erupted across the United States, including West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona.

Colorado’s educators rank 46th in pay among other states in the US, with a payday of about seven thousand dollars below the national average, and they are hoping to increase school funding, along

with their salaries.

According to The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an organization comprised of 35 countries to promote economic growth, prosperity, and development, American teachers are paid less than 60% of what their similarly educated counterparts are paid. Not only are they underpaid, they are overworked, which includes about 210 more hours than the average countries in the OECD. This startling fact not only devastates the lives of hardworking teachers, but also makes the profession highly unattractive to young students, discouraging them to work for such low pay.

Colorado’s economy has been rapidly growing, with an unemployment rate of just below 3%. This not only attracts more students into Colorado’s school districts, but brings light to the unfair wages of educators in a booming economy.

At least 10% of teachers in every state in the US and 22% of teachers in Colorado have an additional job outside of school, says the Center for American Progress, and could be another factor in our failing education system. Educators are the basic creators of our future, playing a primary role in developing the minds that alter the course of history.

However, when teachers are faced with an inadequate paycheck, they must divide their attention from their students in search of a living wage , and therefore not giving enough support to our future.

Along with inequitable pay, a lack of work ethic has been detrimental to

America’s education system. 27% of the US’ 1.2 million high school dropouts quit due to failing grades and a lack of motivation or confidence to simply do the work. According to The Daily Good, many teachers in the US have found that their students studying from abroad work harder and value their education more than their American born students.

Education has not only seen a lack of respect towards educators from students, it has seen a lack of respect from our government. Betsy Devos, the United States Secretary of Education, has never taught, administered, or sent her children to public schools, where 90% of American children attend. When asked if she would privatize public schools, Devos refused to directly answer the question, and instead, vaguely mentioned empowering students and their parents.

Despite her unclear answers about issues in public schools, Devos has clearly sided with President Donald Trump’s proposals about public education, including major cuts to funding, removing federal protections for transgender students, eliminating after school programs that serve primarily 1.6 million inner-city children, and terminating anti-bullying initiatives.

The US spends 70 cents for every education dollar spent on public schools, compared to the average 84 cents in other OECD countries, and a further lack of funding would prove disastrous to our education system.

Instead of focusing on public schools, which serve more than 50.7 million

American children, President Trump and Secretary Devos suggest more funding for charter schools and pushing public schools to become more choice-friendly, which will allow families to decide where they want their children to attend school, despite their home address.

The failure of American school systems will only continue to develop as budget cuts are executed and as President Trump and Betsy Devos are blinded by the imagined lack of support given to private schools.

Education systems around the world also struggle with defining their priorities, whether it’s a student’s well being or a student’s test scores. Although the US lags behind in test scores, they have a significantly lower suicide rate than countries with a higher ranking education systems, such as South Korea or China, where the leading cause of death in adolescents is suicide. Whereas in Finland, one of the highest ranked countries for education, test scores are not prioritized and suicide rates in adolescents are notably lower than in countries such as China and South Korea.

Many issues in American society need to change in order to improve our education system, whether it’s by devoting more attention towards teachers and their needs or removing the culture of laziness within our communities. As a fundamental building block in our world, education must find the balance between a student’s happiness and a student’s success, which in turn, will create a better future.

Three ways to have SAT/ACT: limited an effective debate: a value as a college lesson in Democracy metric

Paxton Scott In 1906 at the West of England Stock Fair, the philosopher and mathematician Francis Galton observed a competition to guess the weight of an ox. Nearly 800 people each paid a sixpence to enter the competition. Although no single person guessed the exact weight, the average or mean guess was surprisingly close—the ox’s weight was 1,198 pounds while the competitor’s average was 1,197 pounds.

Galton concluded the result was “more credible to the trustworthiness of a democratic judgment that might have been expected”. The experiments supports the democratic idea that the best way to arrive at the truth is through reasoned debate of opposing perspectives.

In my experience, well-intentioned, productive debate is not very common.

For instance, at a dinner party last summer, a family friend began talking about President Trump’s recent ban on immigration. The organizer of the dinner party quickly intervened. There would be no political conversation happening tonight; he wanted everybody to leave on friendly terms.

Even around Durango High School, I have found that people are hesitant to enter any type of political conversation.

When such conversations do occur, anger—not reflection—is usually the result.

The inability to have productive debates is nationwide phenomenon.

Students on college campuses, which have the potential to be a hotbed of productive debate, often receive press surrounding intolerance to alternative perspectives.

For instance, at Middlebury College last year, Sociologist Charles Murray was confronted with hundreds of student protesters who, according to the Huffington Post, “shouted down Murray, and pushed and shoved him in the hallway as he was leaving.” Murray received such ire in large part because of his book The Bell Curve, which links lower socioeconomic status with race and intelligence.

A study by Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found that 73 percent of students agreed that Universities should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus. Students often argue for censoring extreme speakers because they spout rhetoric that is offensive to student groups on campus.

While perhaps well intentioned, I worry that stopping discourse in the name of protecting people’s feelings is a dangerous path to follow. If both debaters are authentic in their beliefs—truly attempting to find the best solution— then being offended is a small price to pay for the possibility of coming closer to the truth.

In an effort to foster more reasonable and civilized debate, I came up with three general guidelines that I plan to adhere to when I speak with others of different viewpoints.

First, assume that the person you are talking to is authentic in trying to find the truth and the best possible solution.

Often, both political parties demonize the opposition, painting them as evil, which limits any logical discussion. In my—albeit limited—experience, most people are basically well intentioned and believe their solution is best. That’s not to say they’re right, just sincere.

Second, avoid attacking your debate opponent’s character; instead, focus on their argument. Conservatives are not necessarily “racist” or “sexist.” Labeling them as such stops any further reasoned debate because it is very difficult to rebut a character evaluation.

Instead, if you think that the argument a person is making is racist or sexist, point out their logical facility or flawed premise that they are operating off. The second approach is much more apt to change someone’s mind while the first merely puts him/her on the defensive.

Third, always assume that the person you are talking with knows something you do not. This mentality emphasizes the importance of listening to what the other person is saying. On any given two-sided issue, there is a fifty percent chance you’re wrong. A certain path towards ignorance is assuming you’re always correct.

Democracy is far from perfect. As Winston Churchill famously said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”.

However, democracies have historically proven to create society that are concretely wealthier and, although more difficult to measure, happier. If we want ours to continue to flourish, we need relearn how to have productive debates and remember the lesson of the 1906 ox weight guessing contest: diversity of opinion is important.

Grace Swanson SAT-the most pressure-packed test you can take. How can it be that one test, out of all of your educational experience, will decide if you are worthy of going to the college of your dreams, or pursuing your dream job. These scores do not tell us anything valuable about the students.

It is said that these tests will put all students on an equal playing field. This is not true for many reasons, among them being that for some students, highstakes testing is a weakness. It doesn’t mean they are not smart or that they do not meet a schools’ standards.

Jonathan Lash, President of Hampshire College insists,“instead we choose quality over quantity and focus attention and resources on each applicant and their full portfolio.” Hampshire College recently put SAT scores as optional on their applications. They say that it is not an accurate representation of their applicants.

Kelsey Page, a reporter of The Stanford Daily states, “I am more than a number.” Students should not be judged on their abilities based off of a single test. SAT and ACT tests should be taken out of college administration processes.

Over two millions students take the SAT test a year. And over 870 schools are now putting the SAT test as optional in there applications.

According to The Stanford Daily, Statistics also show that students with a higher GPA and lower SAT scores are better, more driven students, compared to students with lower GPAs and higher SAT scores.

Jonathan Lash writes, “strong high school graduates demonstrate purpose, a passion for authenticity, and commitment to positive change.” They believe

that GPA, as compared to SAT scores, reflects how the student not only does in school, but applies themself to any situation or obstacle they have to face, and their determination.

Success in college is not directly related to the grades you get in highschool and your score on the SAT, but your participation in out of school activities, your parents income, and how you react to, and help the environment around you.

Kelsey Page writes, “The SAT is a proven to be reflection of socioeconomic status (SES) and a poor indicator of success in college.”

The American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey for teens in 2014 showed that 30 percent of teens said they feel sad or depressed from stress, and 31 percent of teens say they were feeling overwhelmed. High-stakes testing in school is one of the main causes of this stress.

Additionally, the test is biased towards white, affluent students. Jonathan Lash states, “SATs/ACTs are strongly biased against low-income students and students of color, at a time when diversity is critical to our mission.” After taking the SAT off as a requirement, Hampshire College’s class diversity went up by 10% to 31% of students of color from 21%.

On top of that, based off of FairTest, Research shows that on the SAT, “The number of qualified students of color and low-income students admitted goes down. What’s more, using scores to award scholarships prevents students of color and women from getting their fair share of badly-needed tuition aid.”

As for how your parents income comes in as a factor, research done

by FairTest provides proof that with tutoring can improve someone’s test scores by 100 points. Yet these classes cost $800 dollars and up. Many families struggle to put food on the table every month. Classes like this are unrealistic for a majority of the kids in highschool.

In fact, even David Coleman, president of the College Board, the organization that owns the SAT, originally even said, “The vocabulary portion is silly because the words are too esoteric for everyday use; the essay is problematic because it doesn’t value accuracy, and the math section isn’t focused enough on concepts that matter.”

If the organizer of the SAT is even beating it down, it is evident that SAT and ACT scores are not a complete accurate way for us assess our students abilities.

Special thanks to our sponsors for supporting our paper, The Durango Herald for printing our issues, the community as a whole for being available for interviews, and our readers for giving us a purpose -El Diablo Staff

May 2018

Feature

6

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Why Parkland is the first to spark change

Courtesy of Google Images Nationally, students and citizens voice thier opinions about the Parkland shooting, sparking more demand for change around the nation.

LUKE SWIFT Reporter The shooting on February 14 in Parkland, Florida has sparked a revolution led by teenagers and passionate individuals who are both conservative and liberal.

Over many decades, we have seen gun violence become more prevalent across the board, not just in schools, but in the workplace and in public spaces as

well. People are beginning to ask: What makes the Parkland shooting different from the rest?

On February, 14 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School students prepared to strike back after 17 of their fellow students and teachers were killed by an armed individual. They sought to stop school violence, but they could be stopping gun violence as a whole rather than just in our schools.

Many students are taking a stand across the nation, like Jr.

Water you doing this summer?

Lake Nighthorse opens to public

Lana Patterson, who explains why she believes that Parkland has sparked so much change.

“There were teachers that stood up for the students who said you can’t do this. It's a completely new day and age we have so many liberals now and the fact that girls specifically, and guys are able to stand up and not be ashamed of it and not be afraid of the backlash is really going to change a lot of things,” said Patterson.

She also comments on how Parkland may influence future protests that are not confined to the abolition of school violence but gun violence as a whole, by involving older generations to stand up for these injustices.

“I think there can be more protests, involving not just kids, we can involve even older generations and we can get them to stand behind us too and they can march not just for schools but for shootings in workplaces and such. We are all fighting for the same thing,” said Patterson.

Many students who usually resort to more conservative ideals, are changing their views on this past tragedy, like So. Emmy Romero.

“I think that more people have had previous opinions, and they are changing their opinions for safety reasons for children and this could lead to more conservatives changing their ideas and

more people protesting against these causes,” said Romero.

She also comments on the involvement of students in protests that could lead to more change.

“Since the youth has started to get involved, things have actually started to get done and if more teenagers, conservative or not, stand up for their views, things might pick up even faster,” said Romero.

Many teachers are even taking a stand, which many would agree is fueling a lot more change.

Math teacher Lindsay Hayden comments on how informed the protesting students were, however, she is hopeful that people remember to vote, because without their voice, change will not occur.

“The students seemed well versed in public speaking and took advantage of the platform given to them by the media.

I can only hope that everyone remembers to vote in November or it will all be for naught and no changes will happen,” said Hayden.

Many people are passionate about these types of tragedies, some even changing their extreme ideologies in support for the safety of their communities. However many are fearful that if these students don’t vote then these protests will be for nothing.

Heavy stress for DHS: Springtime comes with extreme pressure MADDY GLEASON Features Editor

These days, it’s difficult to find a teenager that isn’t feeling stressed out, but it’s even harder during the springtime.

For many people, the spring brings happy times, like easter and warm sunny days. But for students in high school, stress levels are boosted to the moon with all the tests, sports, and anticipations for summer.

In society, teens are often portrayed as carefree and fun loving rule-breakers,

Assistant principal Darren Tarshis is in charge of many school wide activities, and experiences strain in the spring.

“April and May are very busy times of year. This is the time of year teacher evaluations are completed, and administrators are in charge of testing, and we want to make sure that’s all organized and planned,” said Tarshis.

Fortunately, there are some solutions, which of course do not completely eliminate stress, but can definitely help to dilute the stress levels in students and teachers. The way to deal with stress

Corbin Miller Lake Nighthorse, when opened, will provide a recreation area for the citizens of Durango.

Swimming, motorboating, and other water sports will be available.

CORBIN MILLER Reporter In recent years, Durango’s community has been growing immensely, and with that growth comes new recreational facilities to support the increasing population, like newly opened Lake Nighthorse.

On Sunday April 1, 2018, Lake Nighthorse publicly opened after delaying its opening for over seven years, when the construction of the lake finished in 2011.

The United States Congress approved the water rights of Lake Nighthorse in 1968, but the Bureau of Reclamation did not start construction until 2003.

“Negotiations with the Bureau of Reclamation and members of the Animas-La Plata Operation, Maintenance and Replacement Association, which includes three Indian Tribes, delayed the opening of the lake,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Cathy Metz.

Lake Nighthorse is a man-made reservoir located near Wildcat Canyon in Durango, Colorado, costing a total of $560 Million to construct after being filled to capacity. It will be used as water-based recreation area to During residents and also area visitors. Lake Nighthorse will also supply water to homes in residential areas like Durango West I and II, Lake Durango, and Rafter J. For recreational use, visitors will have to pay a fee to enter the lake. Prices range from three dollars, for those biking or walking in, to 70 dollars for an annual vehicle pass.

“We researched comparable facilities and had a comprehensive public engagement process to discuss recreational uses and their prices,” said Metz.

Along with fees to get into Lake Nighthorse, there are regulations those visiting the lake must follow. Fisherman must have a fishing license to be able to fish, owners of dogs must adhere to

the Durango leash law, Mondays and Wednesdays are designated no-wake days, and drone use is prohibited.

“The city will be following federal guidelines since Lake Nighthorse is owned by the United States government as well as city regulations consistent with the management of recreational facilities,” said Metz.

Not only do these regulations follow government and city guidelines, but they also help to protect the environment of the lake. Many aquatic species inhabit the lake, including Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Kokanee Salmon, and many more.

Boating on the lake is not available until May 15th, 2018 and will be open to boats until November 14th, 2018. For many people who went to Lake Nighthorse the week it 0pened, including Durango High School So. Carson Dellinger, felt that not being allowed to go boating was not an issue.

“Since we didn’t get to boat, we just walked around the lake and went into the water, but it was still fun. My family and I will probably go back more over the summer once it warms up and boating has opened,” said Dellinger.

As the population of Durango increases, the cities plans to accommodate that growth adjust as well.

“The city has created a master plan for future recreational developments for Lake Nighthorse which can be viewed at the City of Durango’s website,” said Metz.

These future plans include a larger entrance building where visitors checking in can pay fees and obtain information. There will also be a beach area where visitors can swim and relax. This year, the City will complete the overflow parking lot, install boat docks, and additional no motorized craft buoys.

Lake Nighthorse will be an exciting, new recreational space for many Durango residents and visitors as it will provide many activities specific to the county’s unique environment.

Jack Whistler A student studies hard for one of the many tests that contribute to stress during the spring.

but in fact, they experience many of the same stressors that adults have to deal with everyday. In high school, there are countless factors that lead to teen stress.

Jr. Adelaide Birgenheier is involved in mostly higher level classes and is concerned about the impacts of testing in classes can have on students.

“While I understand the need to gauge where students are at in their understanding and move through units, we test so much that understanding becomes memorization. It is a constant battle between studying and sleeping which in turn causes more stress,” said Birgenheier.

The whole thought of high school is stressful for many, and other factors contribute to that mounting stress, like finding a summer job, passing classes with acceptable grades, and moving towards getting into the right college.

Counselor Deb Medenwaldt thinks that many factors contribute to student stress, but luckily there are solutions.

“It’s hard to balance your outside activities, your class and academic expectations, and then ‘bonus assignments’ like standardized testing, letters of recommendation, and college essay, but for the most part I find that students are really well prepared, and luckily their teachers are really flexible,” said Medenwaldt.

It’s not just students who get stressed, either. Teachers are pressured to keep grades updated, prepare final exams, and help students succeed simultaneously.

El Diablo

varies by person.

“When dealing with any form of stress, I personally turn to exercise. It helps turn my mind off of the academic pressure I am feeling and releases tension or frustration so it doesn’t build up,” said Birgenheier.

Students also have outlets which they can resort to. They often have activities, friends, or trusted adults they can talk to.

It’s beneficial to the students as well to have such a supportive counseling team who they can turn to.

“The whole counseling team talks to them about how important it is to balance outside life, school life, and personal life so it all works together,” said Medenwaldt.

“I think it’s different for everybody.

Some people hang out with friends, some people go on a run by themself, maybe listen to music or play the guitar, you know, it’s different for everybody.

Part of being a highschooler is figuring out what you need, how to take care of yourself,” said Tarshis.

Overall, the springtime can be extremely stressful for everybody, but unfortunately it’s unavoidable. College applications are a must, it’s not an option to opt out of AP or final tests, and people need summer jobs to be able to pay for gas and save up for their college fund. Although there are outlets, we can never truly escape the stress.

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Comet me bro:

Aerospace team looks for new recruits

Feature 7

The link connecting brains and phones

Screentime and depression linked

Last year at internationals, the DHS aerospace team took home the win.

SHELBY FINNEGAN Reporter When people hear the phrase “Aerospace Design Team,” they typically think of some club with few people who have an interest for space. The word Aerospace just sounds technical. But when you walk into the room, you see a variety of people who have an interest for more than just aeronautics.

This club is welcoming, friendly, and full of people who were more than happy to share their experiences with DHS’ Aerospace Design Team with people who have heard little to nothing about the concept of aerospace.

“It’s not necessarily space nerds, we need a certain collection of people that are really into space and how you would live out there, but a lot of what we do is also business stuff, and architecture (making it comfortable for humans with recreation and entertainment), and robotics and animation to make, so it’s a lot of different interest levels,” said Sabine Furtauer, the engineering teacher here at DHS and supervisor of the aerospace design team.

For anyone that is curious as to what goes on during the fourth hour class, a group of people work together to design a 50 page proposal for a space settlement during a class period in the second semester of the school year.

The proposal (also known as an RFP, request for proposal) is given to them by a fake customer. The team has about two months of class time to create this space settlement which would ultimately keep humans alive in space.

“If we’re lucky, which we have been

Shelby Finnegan

in the past years, [we are then able] to qualify for the international competition by placing first or second in North America. Then we go on to Florida and do the same process [as the 50 page proposal in class], but instead of a 50 page proposal over two months we do an actual presentation and we get 42 hours to work on it,” said member Sr. Abby Scott.

Internationals in Florida can be stressful, seeing as you only have 42 hours to complete a project rather than two months of class time. Fortunately, with hard work, DHS is a seven time international space settlement design world champions.

“The fact that it is a student- ran class is why they’ve been so successful [with international wins] because the students are transmitting that knowledge and expertise to each other, so it’s not dependent on the teacher,” said Furtauer.

Hearing the term ‘aerospace’ may be intimidating for some students, but members of the aerospace class and design team assure you that you will get multiple benefits from being a part of this club.

“It’s all about being a part of something bigger than yourself, you don’t have to have a grasp on 100% of the concepts to contribute [to the proposals],” said Scott.

Anyone who has an interest in aerospace or helping the team in working towards getting to nationals is more than welcome. You will be benefited from joining this group, whether it’s learning more about aerospace, meeting new people, or learning to collaborate in new ways.

Kate McKinnis Students use thier phones often, which result in many behavioral changes.

KATE MCKINNIS Reporter Many teens will spend many hours on their phones. However, what they may not realize is that this time looking at a screen can severely impact their mental health.

According to researchers from Florida and San Diego state universities, “teens that spend up to five or more hours on their phone have experienced suicidal thoughts, prolonged periods of sadness and hopelessness.”

Not only have many teens been depressed, but the increase of teenage girls who face depression is astonishing. The percentage has risen by 65% since 2010, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down.

“These increases in mental health issues among teens are very alarming.

Teens are telling us they are struggling, and we need to take that very seriously,” said study author Jean Twenge, an SDSU psychology professor.

Not only is suicide high in the US, but the rates in La Plata County are the highest in the state. In the last few years Durango has lost many lives to suicide and many are trying to figure out how to help these kids. Many of the students who the county has lost over the years had a lot of things happening behind the phone.

“Smartphones are a great thing. They allow me to communicate with friends and family with a touch of a few buttons. But because of these devices we

lose almost all social connection to the outside world. Also, the amount of time an average student is on their phone is outrageous,” said Fr. Sydney Standridge.

Not only do phones have a huge impact on the social connection with people, but social media does too. Many people will post the best parts about their life on social media. Very rarely do people ever show things that are negative.

“If you are sitting there watching pictures of people having fun, scrolling through your feed, it can make you feel really lonely,” said licensed psychologist Doug Miller.

In recent studies evidence shows that between 2010 and 2015, depression rates in girls has increased by 65%. Not only can this be linked to the amount of time spent looking at a screen, but also the social interaction between peers.

Many girls will brag on social media causing conflict between others.

“Teens feel they have to live up to a certain image on social media sites--in their appearance and how they present who they are leading to feelings of not being adequate, self-esteem issues, and anxiety. Also, teens can feel socially isolated and withdrawn by always being connected to technology, rather than having in person interactions,” said counselor Katie Brandau.

Not only can peers recognize when of their peers might be depressed, they can help intervene. There are very common symptoms of depression such as, constantly tired, feeling of worthless, not hungry, and many other things.

“If students are experiencing symptoms of depression including but not limited to: repetitively feeling tired and not having energy, even after a good night’s rest; not enjoying activities or hobbies they once did; feeling sad or depressed every day for two weeks, then they should get help. You can seek help from your school counselor, myself, or Mr. Hembree, or an adult you trust,” said Brandau.

How do AP classes affect students at DHS? KELLY FINNEGAN Reporter

Durango High School is a place for high academic achievers. Each year, students have the opportunity to add Advanced Placement, or AP classes to their schedule. These classes give students the chance to get credits for college in their future, but how many AP classes should students take before it becomes too overwhelming?

“I think it’s a matter of finding a balance. Some students can get here and find high school extremely challenging,” said 10th grade academic advisor Robert Aspen.

At the end of the AP course you choose to take, there is an option to take the AP test that could potentially allow you to obtain a college credit for that class, and receive scholarships if the score you get satisfies the preferences of your desired college.

“We definitely do not want students to feel like they are overwhelmed with school, but we want them to feel appropriately challenged to take those difficult courses,” said Aspen.

If you don’t think you are prepared to take an AP class, you can take an honors class instead. An honors class is a bit

Kelly Finnegan AP Human Geography students work hard in one of the many challenging classes offered at

more challenging than the standard class, but it will get you ready for those AP classes when you choose to take on the challenge.

“The level of homework and covering material much faster differs from the standard class. Students are working much much more on their own, rather than having teacher instruction to help them,” said AP World History teacher Ed Cash.

Generally, students who take AP classes have an increased amount of

homework each night. Depending on the class, you can have various amounts of homework each day, usually ranging from about 1-3 hours.

“I think that students balance these things in different ways. Many students find it overwhelming,” said Cash.

Many students who take multiple AP classes are also taking on the responsibility of extracurricular activities, which puts more on their plate.

“I think it starts with how you build your academic advisor. [Academic advi-

May 2018

sors] have a lot of mindfulness around making sure that you are aware of how many difficult classes you’re signing up for alongside your activities so that you are looking ahead and predicting that you can successfully manage your time, or that maybe something needs to fall off the plate,”said Tara Haller, who teaches AP calculus and AP computer science classes.

AP classes help students in many ways and can start to prepare them for life beyond high school. These classes cover material faster than a standard high school class, and prepare students for the work they will receive in college classes.

At the end of the semester, students can take the AP test for their class, which then gives them the opportunity to gain a college credit.

“Two years ago we were at just under 300 students taking an AP test, last year we had about 500 students take an AP test, and this year we’re set to give over 800 AP tests,so it has rapidly grown,” said Aspen.

Although students may have trouble with the level of rigor in an Advanced Placement class, they can work their way up to those challenging class and get a good grasp on their future high school and college career.

Specials

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ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Humans of Durango

Looking into the lives of local Durangotangs

“My hero, besides my parents?

I don’t know, I’m going to have to say my birth mom.

She had the willpower to leave a very bad situation, and even though it was hard, give up me and save me from that situation. Her name’s Saffria.” - Sr. Grace Wilmes

CHLOE RAGSDALE Reporter

Our heroes not only shape our communities, our world, and our lives, but they define the actions that we take on a daily basis. In a world of independent people, our heroes span from the most well known role models of all history to those who have never been mentioned in a textbook. This issue, El Diablo asked students and teachers from Durango High School, “who is your hero and why?” The answers, each as unique and noteworthy as the last, display the effect our heroes have over ourselves and our futures.

Mrs. Stacy Nakai, Science Teacher

“My hero is my mom. Well, my mom was really young, she was sixteen when she first had children and she had three of us, and she brought me up to always think really positive and to push myself even though she didn’t. She always tells me to be positive, anytime I think anything negative she says to reverse it and think positive. You can do it.

She always pushed me farther than anyone I ever knew.” -

“I would say my hero would be all of my students that I’ve had in the past that were born with disabilities but continuously impress me everyday.

Going back and looking back to where they are currently and the things that they have and the things that they’ve accomplished is just pretty much a big inspiration to myself.

One of my good friends, Michael, was born with down syndrome and he has a full time job and he uses transportation independently and lives independently. I mean that’s the end goal and he’s a totally successful student of mine.” - ESS Teacher and JV Girls Soccer Coach, Matt Clark “My hero would be the guy who invented pasta because pasta is my favorite thing in the world. I will eat it for every meal, every day.

And it’s just so good.

I don’t know who it is him, but I love him.

It inspires me that they can put multiple things in a dish and it comes out so amazing, like i you have a group project and you put multiple ideas in, it’s amazing.” Jr. Taylor Colesman “There’s so many options, but recently I’ve discovered it’s my father. The reason is as I’ve gotten older I’ve seen some of his wisdom that I didn’t quite understand when I was younger, especially when I was in either high school or college. I didn’t quite understand the advice he gave me into some years later. He’s been my hero. I understand some of things he’s told me, even when I didn’t agree with it in the past. I’d say his ideas about being wise with money, like invest in things, don’t spend too much. Plan ahead for certain things, even if you think it’ll something will be unexpected, still prepare for it. Have a contingency plan.” - Mr. Ladecorpy, Substitute Teacher

“Even though it’s a different gender, Eleanor Roosevelt, to me, optimized both a person who was a strong person in her own light, very supportive of her husband, but at the same time was a real person at a time when women weren’t allowed to be other than an extension of the usbadn. And yet, she did a lot of things that the country needed done and the president would not have been able to do. Fictional, this is going to sound kind of strange, but my favorite hero is one who is a sidekick in the lord of the rings, Samwise. He optimizes that self sacrificing, it’s gotta get done and I’m just going to do it. He’s not a big hero, in a sense, but things would not have gotten done without him.” - Mr. Steven Powell, Librarian

“My hero is Michelle Obama because she’s really strong and she’s not afraid to use her voice and she’s a really good advocate for women, and just in general, for everyone. She really is very, very intelligent and she will not back down to anyone, no matter what the situation is. She is just a good role model for everyone, and not just for women. People say Michelle Obama is just a women’s role model, but really, she’s just for everyone. In general, she’s just a really strong person that everyone should look up to. It’s not just women. When she was first lady she didn’t just follow everything that Obama did. She was her own thing. Usually first ladies are just shadows behind their husbands, but she really stood out and did her own stuff. She would have all these other things going on and it was her, not Obama. She was the one who did it all. So, Melania has a jewelry line or something, and it’s like, how is that relevant to the US? I get that, but that’s not beneficial to society, and Michelle Obama did stuff that was really beneficial. A lot of younger girls are going to look up to Melania for the wrong reasons.” - Fr. Georgia Mynatt “My hero is Donnie Darko. It’s one of my favorite films and that just popped into my head.

Darko’s the protagonist.

The whole film’s kind of about overcoming mental health issues so that kind of inspired me.” - So. Shawn Coleman

All photos taken by Chloe Ragsdale

Demons Advocate: helpful advice from your favorite demon How do I get a summer job?

Summer jobs are a great way to earn some minor work experience, build your resume, and of course, make some money (it’s mostly about the money). Entry-level jobs are usually pretty competitive in the summer, so get started with the process as soon as possible. You’ll find the most success at places that are hiring, but last year I put on some makeup and just dropped my resume off at every place I thought I’d like to work. You can ask for the manager and usually they won’t be there, so call after about three days to make sure someone got your resume. Thus, the story of how I got my job at Louisa’s Movie House.

You shouldn’t expect to land your dream job over the summer, but it doesn’t hurt to apply to places that hold some of your interests (like if you love movies, you can work at one of the only movie rental stores left on the planet). It’s intimidating to put yourself out there and directly ask for a job, but at the end of the day, it sure as hell beats babysitting. Good luck!

How do I politely tell people in my class that screaming about gun control won’t solve anything?

Ah, the gun control debate. It’s an important issue, no doubt. It applies to students perhaps now more than ever, and in a high school where opinions on the value of the second amendment are largely divided, tensions run high. In this issue of El Diablo, there are two editorials (one by Caleb Simons, one by Paxton Scott) which tackle the issue of close-mindedness clearly and articulately- I hope everyone takes the time to read them. You’re right that yelling about gun control won’t solve anything, but I do think that open discussion will help, even if it’s in ways that seem intangible. My advice is to be respectful of the student talking, but if the setting is inappropriate, you can say so.

All questions answered are real submissions from DHS students. If you have a question for the Demon’s Everyone at school seems so confident-how are they doing that??

Advocate to answer, or would like Fake it til you make it man, everyone’s doing it. to comment on the column above, Disclaimer: While this column does contain awesome and soild advice, it does not reflect the views of the entire please email ELDIABLODHS@ GMAIL.COM. El Diablo Staff nor of the DHS student body, just those of a teenager.

El Diablo

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Join the Outdoors

Life of a Sports Fan

Sports

9

Tradition vs. Progress:

Girls lacrosse skirts raises questions about school sanctioned uniforms LILY LONGAN Reporter

Mo Murray A common complaint from the high school age population of Durango is that during the hot summer months, without school to provide structure, there seems to be nothing to do. But this summer, before you throw the towel in and spend your days locked inside glued to your laptop screen, I suggest getting a good group of friends together to explore the natural beauty surrounding our town.

Camping, hiking, and playing in the river with my friends is one of the most fun and exciting parts of my summer. Those who typically spend the upcoming months in Durango are gifted with beautiful trails and campsites in every climate from the hot desert areas to thick forests and rivers.

Lake Nighthorse was recently opened for business, providing another great opportunity to take advantage of the outdoor activities Durango has to offer while the weather is nice.

Spending time outside can have benefits that often go unrecognized, such as an elevation in white blood cells that help your immune system.

Countless studies have proven that cognitive function and creative problem solving can be boosted by as much as 50% after spending a few days in the woods, and even your short term memory can benefit from spending time in nature.

Aside from physical benefits, your mental health and stress levels can improve greatly if you increase the amount of time you’re spending outside. Natural beauty has been proven to counteract mental fatigue and symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as improve focus and concentration.

Sticking exclusively to indoor activities has been proven to have nearly opposite effects.

Being outside can also ensure that you’re getting a healthy amount of exercise regularly. Although being indoors doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t exercise and spending time outside doesn’t necessarily demand any rigorous physical activity, spending large amounts of time indoors is directly associated with a more sedentary lifestyle. Even taking short, easy walks in the sun as opposed to using electronics all day can have exceptional health benefits.

Additionally, enjoying the warm weather during breaks in school can help regulate your sleep cycle. Although it’s tempting to stay awake for ridiculous amounts of time and take advantage of the lack of commitment in everyday life during the summer months, this can create a tough transition back into early mornings at high school. Routine exposure to sun in the mornings and being active outside can naturally guide your sleep cycle in order to make sure you’re getting a healthy amount of rest in a consistent pattern.

This summer, you can make a simple change that will benefit your mental and physical health, as well as ensure you make some lasting memories in our beautiful town. Take the time to plan out a fun day at the river with a group of friends, or just take a short walk; the possibilities for an adventure in nature around Durango are essentially endless.

Gender equality has long been a topic of controversy in the world of sports.

Although Title IX was passed in 1972, which obligated schools to provide equal funding for both boy’s and girl’s sports, many schools still face backlash for policies that are unequal surrounding sports programs.

As the world of gender evolves, a certain policy of highschool women sports’ teams is being brought into question: Should women athletes be forced to wear skirts as part of a school-issued uniform?

Lacrosse has been around since before recorded history in the Americas.

European settlers were exposed to the sport in the 1630’s, and took the idea of the game for their own. The settlers completely changed the game when they adapted it for a European audience.

Women first started to play the sport in 1890 in Scotland. The game has changed a lot over the last century to become what it is today. As the game continues to progress, skirts may become an outdated concept.

“These past couple years are the first years I’ve been personally seeing any women’s Lacrosse teams wearing shorts,” said DHS Girls Lacrosse coach Natalie Mitchell.

CHSAA rules state that the teams are allowed to wear skirts, shorts, or even pants. Many schools still choose the skirts because of school tradition.

“I have always chose, when asked, to go with the skorts because it is tradition, and tradition is old, but at the same time the women’s game in particular is a very unique game. It is not like the men’s game,” said coach Jeff Einfeldt.

The balance between tradition and progression is a fragile scale. Women’s sports are often the subjects brought into discussion because of the large advancements of female empowerment in prior decades and even today.

“I don’t look at it as a sexist thing, but it’s definitely rooted in that, it came

from the time period where [wearing skirts] was an expectation, and women didn’t have voice to speak out,” said Jeff Einfeldt.

The large numbers of female sports that still wear skirts as part of a uniform may be seen as a major setback in the progression of women’s rights. When men’s teams wear shorts, the wearing of skirts signals that the patriarchal society America has been trying to distance themselves from with laws such as Title IX that aim to give women equal opportunity still remain to some extent.

Aside from the appearance of the skirts there is also the question of what type of uniform will make the best functional gear.

“Most of us don’t really like them, mostly because they are really uncomfortable, and we are afraid we are going to flash everyone,” said Fr. Madison Ostrander.

The players on the team did not seem

Lily Longan

to be comfortable with their attire.

“Most of the my team dislikes them. I’m one of the few who has made my peace with it,” said Jr. Autumn Rhymerson.

Every individual player may have a short or skirt preference, but it is ultimately up to the school, coaches, and society as a whole to decide how far they are willing to go to match progression.

“We totally support girl’s wearing anything that makes them comfortable,” said Mitchell.

Girls complain openly about the skirts, but no one is moving towards a change. CHSAA rules state that the girls can wear shorts, skirts, or even pants if the team is identical. The girl’s lacrosse skirt attire is just one more example of the sexism that still exists in the sporting world, even at a highschool level.

Prejudice in the locker room Female athletes face gender inequality

BEKAH MOENING Head Sports Editor In 1972, congress passed the Educational Amendments which mention Title IX, a law that prohibits any type of discrimination against women in federally-funded athletic programs. Title IX includes the equal treatment of both male and female athletes concerning equipment and supplies, scheduling of games and practice times, coaching, tutoring, locker rooms, competitive facilities and much more.

Durango High School has done an outstanding job supporting girls teams and boys teams equally. However, some female athletes have recently felt frustrated with the fact they are given one small locker room to accommodate the four spring sports: soccer, track, lacrosse, and tennis. Reactions would be different if the male athletes of DHS didn’t have a larger locker room with larger lockers, and an entire field house to themselves.

Equipment such as tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks and all of the typical football gear is required for many sports.

The female lacrosse players have recently been forced to lock their lacrosse sticks outside of their lockers because they are not big enough to put them inside. The boys locker room, however, has full body sized lockers that aren’t entirely needed because the boys lacrosse players use the field house, which the female athletes don’t get access to.

“For underclassmen lacrosse players it is definitely difficult because nobody gets assigned lockers or a space for our team as a whole. Speaking for my team and I’m sure a lot of others, we don’t want special treatment, just the same privileges that guys sports get,” said Junior lacrosse player Rachel Flora.

Flora also explained that the male players’ access to the field house is understandable because of the spatial needs for lacrosse and football pads.

However, space is still lacking for the

girls lacrosse sticks, and the lacrosse goalies have recently had to put their large gear unlocked on top of the lockers overnight because they aren’t big enough to accommodate them.

Sophomore Rebecca Bowers is a tennis player for DHS, and is very aware of the issue.

“I don’t think it is fair because girls sports are equally as popular as boys sports, and there are just as many female athletes as there are male athletes year round. If the school did give the girls more room, we would be on time to practice, and more importantly, feel like our contributions and effort to sports at DHS is honored just as much as the boys’ contribution and effort,” said Bowers.

For some girls, it feels as though the athletic ability on the male side of things is valued more than what female athletes have proven they can do. Being cramped together and having to wait your turn just to be able to open your locker doesn’t make the athletes feel good.

Mary Fenberg has begun her last year on the track team as a senior athlete, and offered up some confusion as well as a possible solution.

“I guess I would say that I do not understand why the boys would have a larger locker room in the first place.

Especially in the spring when there are more female than male sports going on.

My question would be: what can we do to accomodate all of the girls that utilize the locker room? Tear down the wall to the showers, which we never use, and put in lockers?” said Fenberg.

The athletes are not asking for a brand new locker room or a brand new field house all to themselves, just some extra space so getting ready for practice is comfortable and efficient with plenty of room for all the gear and equipment.

Benjamin Bates, a leader and role model for track and cross-country, has also been made aware of his female friends vexation and agrees that it is an issue.

May 2018

“As a Junior boy at DHS and a twosport athlete, I have seen the incomparable differences that make up female athletics versus male athletics at DHS. A recent issue was brought to my attention after talking to one of my girlfriends on the same sports team surrounding the sizes of the gender-specific sports locker rooms. With boys football being the most popular sport in Durango, they are assigned the field house outside on the football field, while the rest of the boys sports teams are comfortably fit in the old basketball gym locker room near the courts,” said Bates.

It is clear just how important football is to DHS, which for the most part is not a negative thing. However, because football is now an all male sport at DHS it is easy to feel like they are getting special treatment causing many females to feel discouraged and even overshadowed.

“My issue is not the fact that the girls do not have a field house, but rather the issue brought to my recent attention regarding their cramped quarters in their one locker room with multiple sports teams in it. I believe this is an issue that should be brought up with the school district,” said Bates.

Gender inequality remains to be an issue no matter what century we are in and although that is not anybody’s intention at our high school, things like this can’t continue to be ignored. It is vital that action needs to be taken and this article was the first step. These girls aren’t asking for a lot, and it is a fact that we are in violation of Title IX. Change has to be inevitable.

If you are a a female athlete or a student who has concerns about what happens at DHS, I encourage you to contact administrators or attend school board meetings to use your voice.

Contact Adam Bright at abright@durangoschools.org or Superintendant Dan Snowberger at dsnowberger@durangoschools.org.

10 Sports

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

In it for the long run: Athletes look towards state

All photos courtesy of Donald Scott From Right to left: So. Emma Fitzgerald, Sr. Teagan Garand, and Jr. Aidan Fitzgerald compete for a chance to qualify for the state competition.

JACK WHISTLER Reporter As many spring sports start to wrap up, the DHS Track and Field Team still has one major hurdle to get over: the state competition at Jeffco Stadium on May 17 through the 19. An extremely talented and competitive team, the Demons track team has an impressive selection of athletes lined up for the CHSSA state competition.

“I have qualified for the 4x400 and the 4x200 relays. Hopefully I can qualify in the open 400m soon,” said Sr. Teagan Garand, a well known DHS track star who has qualified for state ever since her freshman year.

She and other track athletes only have a few opportunities left to qualify for events.

Leading the boys is middle and long distance runner Jr. Aidan Fitzgerald, who has qualified in the 3200, 1600, 800, 4x800, and the 4x400.

Track guru Fitzgerald, who has qualified in five events, faced a hard decision when recounting his events, “I have to scratch one of them, and I’m not sure the 3200 will hold so it looks as though I

won’t be running that at the state meet,” said Fitzgerald.

The other Fitzgerald and track goddess, So. Emma Fitzgerald, has qualified in her fair share of events as well, “As of right now I’m qualified for the girl’s 4x400 and girl’s 4x800,” said Fitzgerald.

Merely a sophomore, Fitzgerald will be returning to the state meet for only her second time after her impressive freshman season.

To many athletes, the state track meet is more than just the events they qualify for. These three noted varsity athletes have their own goals, hopes, and experience they want for this meet. For many, State is the big event, the ultimatum, and the end goal.

Garand has high hopes for her final steps on the state track. A gifted athlete, Garand will leave behind a lasting legacy at DHS. “My hopes for State is that we place in the top three for the 4x400 because I know we [my team and I] are capable of it. I also hope that our 4x200 [team] gets on the podium because all of the other girls deserve and want it just as bad as I do. My main goal is to perform as well as I can and to run for all my

teammates and leave all I have on the track,” said Garand.

“I think it would be super awesome to stand on the podium in all four of my events at State. That has been a goal of mine since last year when our 4x800 team stood on the podium at the 2017 state meet,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald certainly won’t disappoint with a personal mile time of 4:25 and 800m time of 1:57. His 4x800 team ran a 8:11 at their most recent meet.

“Up until State I just want to qualify in the open 800m. At State this year, my goal is to potentially win the 4x800 and the 4x400,” said Emma Fitzgerald.

Emma Fitzgerald has set the goals above that lead up to the big races. Her freshman year Fitzgerald qualified in all three of these events.

State comes at the end of a season.

For these athletes, State is a great experience to share with their team. Although track and field is mostly an individual sport, the DHS track team creates everlasting bonds between athletes. For many, the end is bittersweet, especially for Senior Garand.

Every one of these three athletes heavily relies on their team, “I think our

El Diablo

team is a highly supportive group in our relays especially. I know personally that when the time comes I am going to be ready to give everything I’ve got for my relay and I know they will be ready to do the same,” said Fitzgerald.

He is also humbled by the other teams from all over Colorado, “The thing I am most excited for at the state meet is quite simply the opportunity to race against the 18 best individuals and relay teams in the state and prove how hard I have worked to get to the most prestigious high school races in the state,” stated Fitzgerald.

Emma Fitzgerald is also extremely grateful for her team, “My team is such a huge influence on my performance.

They have always been great supporters, pushing each other and pushing each other to be the best they can be. I can’t wait for state and just being there to encourage and watch my team and family do their best,” said Fitzgerald.

Knowing she has the utmost support by the rest of her team, Fitzgerald is excited about her next two years.

Recalling her last high school track season, Garand shares what she’ll take away, “My favorite part about this track season is running with the girls who make me feel like a part of a family. Our 4x400 team is really close and having a bond with teammates is what makes track worth running,” said Garand.

For her last hoorah Garand is ready to go out with a bang, “I’m really excited to get to experience state one last time and bleed red one last time with my team. It’s been a long four years, and State has always been the end goal, so I’m just really excited to be there again.”

Garand has signed to Metropolitan State in Denver where she’ll continue to run track and field.

All three of these athletes hold State track close to their heart. They also share the fact that it’s more than just race to them. It seems as though track is going to go out with a big bang of fast racing, explosive competition, and bonds that go beyond the finish line.

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Arts

11

Rockabye babies: students fall asleep to music KATE MCKINNIS Reporter

Kate McKinnis Percussion instruments sometimes provide

Music is a great way to unwind and chill from this crazy fast moving world.

Not only does music induce a relaxing state, but it releases endorphins making the person feel happy and calm.

Many students will use music to fall asleep for different reasons. Frequent studies have been done, but none of them show conclusive data. In some studies, it shows that calm music helps you to fall asleep. However, another study shows that music interferes with sleep patterns.

Many people will use music to keep thoughts of PTSD or trauma from entering their brain at night. Some might just like the background noise.

“It’s ok to fall asleep to music however, you want to listen to music that relaxes you. If a certain song stirs positive or negatives emotions it’s not recommended for you to listen to that song. When sleeping, you don’t want to think and if you have these emotions you’re more likely to wake up,” said sleep specialist Gus Hallin.

Also, studies show that music that has less than 60 beats per minute is more likely to help you fall asleep. One artist that practices this technique is

Ed Sheeran. If one plans on listening to music while falling asleep, they should think about how many beats are played in a minute.

“There is data that suggests that music can help people fall asleep. If you play Guns ‘N Roses, chances are low that it will put you to sleep,” says Michael Breus, Phd., upwave sleep expert.

Even if you listen to a slow non emotional connected song, the music still affects your REM (rapid eye movement) stage of the sleep cycle. The REM stage of the sleep cycle is important because it produces dreams and restores memory.

If one is listening to music they may not get the full memory restoration that they need.

However, some students find that their memory is improved when they listen to music at night. Many high school students listen to music all the time.

Mostly because high school is stressful.

“I listen to music when sleeping because it helps me reflect on my day and calms me while I fall asleep,” said Fr. Jenna Baker.

At Durango High School, we have

many musicians and many of them enjoy listening to music. Not only do they play music, but they learn from the music they listen to.

“As a musician I listen to pieces I am learning and it really helps me learn those pieces. I listen to music because it helps me go to sleep quickly which is awesome when I’m up late doing homework after sports,” said So. Caleb McGrath.

Since the world is so diverse it is hard to tell exactly which artist and type of music helps one sleep better. Many times students will listen to rap, pop, country, etc. However, some like classical music and non vocalist music.

“I have found that as long as I am listening to some form of instrumental music whether it’s covers of my favorite songs or traditional classical music because it helps me stay balanced. I enjoy the variety so I don’t get overwhelmed by the common themes that different genres carry,” said McGrath.

within the family, but they also set the mood. A Quiet Place is nothing short of intense, agonizing, and gripping, a severe contrast to the quaint rural setting.

Visuals aside, A Quiet Place also reminds us of our most basic human fears.

Impossibly fast monsters with hellish appearances and uncanny tracking abilities? Check. Being forced to live in silence, to calculate every movement to be as quiet as possible, all without tangible hope to speak of? Check. Trying to raise two children with another coming in a world where a baby crying could be the end of an entire bloodline? Check.

Simply put, A Quiet Place took a handful of rather bland and reused ideas (bulletproof monsters, the end of days, etc.) and twisted it around into something thrilling and terrifying. The sound of something as simple as a floorboard creaking underfoot sets the viewer on the edge of their seat, breathing short and tense.

When the actual scares come, and there are plenty, one is left reeling.

These unique additions make for a movie that uses silence, not a wall of noise, to create tension, disaster, and raw fear.

Also of note is how directors and pro-

ducers broke two of the biggest rules in horror by killing a character within the first fifteen minutes and introducing the monster in the same time frame. These are generally unspoken rules; make the audience wait to see the first death or the first glimpse of whatever horrible creature is trying to off the main character(s).

In what may be an incredibly clever marketing ploy- or just a coincidence -it’s almost necessary that you see A Quiet Place at the theatre. Seeing as sound is such a massive part of the movie, the effect that it holds over the audience would be lost at home.

The ending was heartbreaking in its execution and completely unexpected in the scenes leading up to it. There is some comfort, however, seeing as A Quiet Place is almost guaranteed a sequel. Reports of screenwriters eyeing the possibilities of a second movie have already surfaced. There are few details, but one thing remains absolutely certain: If you’re prepared to see a movie that haunts you for days after you’ve left the theatre, find time in your schedule for this film.

Reporter

The Voice is an internationally famous singing competition that captures the audience’ attention and hearts. In the past two months a smaller version of The Voice had been held right here in our small town of Durango.

The event started on February 24 at the Henry Strater Theatre. Talented singers auditioned in front of a panel of judges, hoping that they could make it to the finals.

Out of the number of auditions, only 13 made it to the finals. These lucky 13 were McKenzie Belt, Ashlyn Boomer, Macie Fogel, Rebekah DeLaMare, Shinta Dewi Fuller, Ellie Ferguson, Sophie Maja Hughes, Adde Neiman, Mark Palmer, Andrew Schuhmann, Chris Smith, Jenna Szczech and Devin Willis.

“Many contestants were younger this year, which made the event more diverse and family-friendly than ever before,” said Erika Morin, head of the Durango Voice.

The finalists were chosen and coached by four professional coaches

for a month. The coaches included Jill Holly, Bailey Barnes-Fagg, Andreas Tischhauser and Drea Pressley.

After the month of coaching was over, the newly-trained finalists were ready for the finals, which took place on April 7th.

The winner of the finals received prizes and certificates, along with opportunities to perform gigs all around Durango.

The event was not only started as a fun activity for the community to enjoy, but started as a fundraiser for the Manna Soup Kitchen. All the funds raised goes to the general operation of Manna.

“The event’s original producer brought the idea to Manna as a fun and original fundraiser,” said Morin.

The 2018 Durango Voice raised thousands of dollars for the soup kitchen.

“We haven’t received final ticket sale figures back, but we expect the event will raise between $5,000 and $10,000 after all expenses have been accounted for,” said Morin.

This money raised goes towards the meals, bathing, laundry, and transporta-

songs on the Billboard top 100 simultaneously.

Throughout the album, Logic brings on special guests, such as Big Sean, who has rapped with Logic in the past, 2 Chainz, who seeks to prove that he can stay relevant and pass the test of time, as well Wiz Khalifa and the internet icon, Marshmello.

With the amount of variety between each song in the album, there is something for everyone to enjoy in BT2.

The album opens with Grandpa’s Space Ship, a short audio clip featuring Justin Roiland, the voice of both Rick and Morty. Logic has appeared on the show before and has expressed his support for the show many times. Grandpa’s Space Ship serves as a light-hearted introduction to get listeners into the mood for the album.

Overnight, the first song of the album feels to way underperform the standards Logic has set for himself. Overnight is an average pop song with cliche messages about the importance of hard work and being a good person.

There are a few standout songs on the

album, such as indica badu, wizard of oz, and everyday, the song logic made with Marshmello, which peaked at #29 on the Billboard music charts.

In BT2, Logic takes risks experimenting with different styles of music, from the “pop” style of overnight, to the full embrace of mixtape rap in Photo courtesy of Austin Swan 44 more, to the Logic’s album BT2 was released on March 9th, 2018. slow, almost reggae type mubum. 44 more is arguably the best song sic of indica badu. on the album, and definitely serves as an BT2 wraps up with 44 more, a sequel accurate representation of who logic is to Logic’s very popular song, 44 bars, as a musician. from the original Bobby Tarantino al-

Shhh, you won’t want to miss this: A Quiet Place Review

SOPHIA ADAMSKI Reporter

(Warning: This review contains some spoilers. Reader’s discretion advised.)

A Quiet Place is, objectively, one of the most original thriller flicks in years.

It doesn’t rely on unnecessary gore, blathering dialogue or recycled clichés to keep the plot moving forward. Rarer still for a horror film, it isn’t about the anti-hero or the impossible survivor; it’s about a family whose every action is simply based on protecting what and who they love the most.

Also odd for the horror genre, A Quiet Place is, aesthetically, a beautiful movie.

Where many horror flicks are rough, dirty, brutal and grainy in their location, A Quiet Place features rural scenery that fools the viewer into thinking it’s nothing more than a picturesque landscape.

It becomes apparent hardly ten minutes in that proves that there is true danger in this sound-starved world when the unnamed family’s youngest son is slaughtered by one of the ghoulish monsters that stalk them. Both his sudden death and the repercussions of it are a periodical theme of blame and conflict

Photo courtesy of Sophia Adamski A Quite Place has made $255,885,805 dollars in box office sales.

Local talent showcased at the Durango Voice

Photo Courtesy of Emily Fiala The Durango Voice models the famous show.

EMILY FIALA

tion aid offered at the Mann Soup Kitchen. They served about 60,000 meals in the year 2016, and this money goes to those meals and services.

This event was a great way for the community to have fun while giving back to the needy. This show has gone on for the past three years, and it has been a big hit each year.

“The second show this year was completely sold out and the first show was close to being sold out,” said Morin.

One of our own students, junior Sophie Hughes, won second place in the finals.

DHS Senior Jenna Szech and Sophomore McKenzie Belt also made it to the finals along with Hughes.

Overall, this event not only brings joy and entertainment to the community, but gives back to the needy. It also gives talented vocalists of all ages to come and show off their skills in front of the community.

So if anyone has a love for music and wants to help the needy in our town, participate in the Durango Voice!

Logic releases BT2, receives positive reviews AUSTIN SWAN Reporter Throughout time, Logic has released many albums and become one of the leading musicians in the world. Logic attempted to be a trap artist with his first album, Under Pressure, and he also tried to be a cultural statement with his album, Everybody.

Bobby Tarantino 2 is a return to mixtape style music making for Logic.

Through his first mixtape style album, Bobby Tarantino, Logic felt some success, with the album reaching the number one spot on the charts in New Zealand, but being stalled in second place on the american charts.

Perhaps that second place served as fuel for Logic’s creative flame while creating Bobby Tarantino 2, which blew up almost instantly, as his second number 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in less than a year.

Having another album hit number 1 on the charts isn’t all Logic has to be proud about with BT2, he has also became the 15th artist to ever have 10

May 2018

12

Arts

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Compiled By Afton Mann Graduation Edition

Food McDonalds

Movies Avengers: Infinity War

Women’s Fashion

Weird Jeans at Coachella

POSITIVE They have BOMB fries and shakes! V. CHEAP Thor Vs. Starlord!

Can it get any hotter?

Keeps the downtown breezy.

Men’s Fashion

Absorbs sweat nicely.

Tank Tops

Hot Gossip Kanye West

Music J Cole’s New Album

Sports Zumba

Summer Purgatory Mountain Coaster

Nothing positive about Kanye calling slavery a choice.

NEGATIVE Many of us are too big to fit in the germ infested play place!

A lot of people die. Be warned.

RIP

Looks like a DIY gone terribly wrong.

JUST DON’T EXPERIMENT WITH THIS LOOK. PLZ.

MISC. The ice cream machine is always broken.

It had the biggest opening weekend of all time and even beat Star Wars!

We aren’t messing around these are for real.

Made for actual sports teams not everyday attire.

His comments have lead fans to stop buying his clothes + tickets.

Kanye just ruined his reputation.

OUR OPINION

RATING (ON A SCALE OF 1-5)

Good place for a late night snack.

IT WAS LITTY! GO WATCH ASAP. You’re not serving looks, you’re serving straight garbage.

OKURRRR!!!

If you have twig arms leave it in the closet.

It’s going to take a long, long, long, time to forgive Kanye for his tweets.

His album encour- N/A everyone loves ages young adults the music and the to learn to positivisay no to ty of his drugs. songs.

J Cole wants to use his music to push his peers to stronger heights.

We approve.

Share this album with your friends!

You’ll most likely be in a hot room with a bunch of older ladies.

Zumba also makes some pretty neat dance clothes.

Go with your friends and get down like nobody’s business!

Great way to get that Summer Bod!

Another adventure to go and experience in Durango!

Won’t be done this year, so go enjoy the Alpine Slide while you’re waiting!

Going to cost Purgatory a whoppin 50 MILLION to build this!!

As soon as this crazy coaster opens, grab your friends and GO!

DHS concert band shines at regional competition LILY LONGAN Reporter

In a competition of over 120 bands, Durango High School concert band has defied all odds, including beating out front range 5A schools in order to qualify for state competition for the first time in over 40 years.

On Monday, March 5th, the DHS concert band went to regionals in Palisade, Colorado. The band took two charts to regionals, “Latin American Dances” by Clifton Jameson Jones and “Perthshire Majesty by Samuel R. Hazo.

Band director of seven years, Katherine Reed, was more than satisfied with the band’s performance at regionals.

“I thought the band did phenomenal.

I think overall the kids had a great time of getting into the music and I think that is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome,” said Reed.

The band made DHS history when they qualified for state, but student leadership is ready to take them to the next level of success.

“Because we made history with our regional scores, the band will become more successful and grow for the better,” said So. Ella Gavlinski.

As the band continues to grow both participation and achievement wise, they receive more opportunities to show off their hard work. One of these opportunities was the chance to go to state with concert band. The DHS music group has had a state-qualifying marching band for the last 5 years, but qualifying for state concert band was a phenomenon that had not been encountered for over 30 years.

When Director Katherine Reed first started working at the school, she was a ¾ time teacher in charge of both the

orchestra and band programs.

“There were about 17 kids in the band and 12 in the orchestra. The whole purpose of them hiring me was to rebuild the program so I said, ‘ok, let’s do this’,” said Reed.

Despite the band’s small starting numbers, they eventually grew into the modern population of around 100 kids.

Every year the band continues to grow and be more successful. The students contribute their continued success to Mrs. Reed’s hard work in rebuilding the DHS music program.

“In all aspects, I think it comes down to Reed, because she is a fantastic band director and she is able to point out the problems and give us the tools to fix those problems,” said Jr. Holden Becher.

The band has been making huge strides towards their goals. Out of participants from around the state, few other 3A schools have qualified for state this year.

“I’m at a loss for words to describe how well we have improved, even after each consecutive year,” said Sr. and Drum Major Chandler Jeep.

Directors and students alike were happily surprised when the results came in.

“I think the word that comes to mind is surreal. It is a very crazy experience and feeling to have come from where we were to here, the growth of the students has been outstanding,” said Reed.

Students all across the band were ecstatic when the results came in, but it was an especially memorable event for

the current seniors of the band.

“I was in shock. I was surprised and I was super happy. It was the first time concert band had gone to state, and I was still in highschool when it happened,” said Jeep.

Mrs. Reed, the DHS concert band coach, won Coach of the Year at the DHS annual athletic awards ceremony.

The band went to state on April 16th in Fort Collins, and performed on the Griffin Concert Hall stage at Colorado State University. On a scale from 1 being superior (the top rating) to five being unprepared, the band got a rating of 2, an excellent.

The DHS band director, Katherine Reed, won the 2018 Coach of the Year as voted by other coahes .

El Diablo

Photo courtesy of Lily Longon

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

Road less taken: three seniors take unique paths

Seniors

Looking Back:

JACK WHISTLER Reporter

Isabelle Tyler:

Z

ia burrito enthusiast and DHS senior, Harrison Kairalla will be attending college at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California on a full ride scholarship for Naval ROTC. He will be majoring in computer science/software engineering. When he graduates he will be commissioned as an officer into the US Navy. Harrison is sad to say goodbye to his friends, family, the ski slopes and the forest, despite being super excited about his Naval ROTC training. Each summer during his college years he gets to go on a training cruise where he’ll get exposed to battleships, submarines, planes and more. So cool! Harrison hopes to find a rec lacrosse league that I can join in San Diego.

A

fan of refried beans and Tinga chicken, Max Sinberg of DHS class of 2018 is heading of all the way to London to study business and finance at Richmond, the American International University. Max will mainly miss the good food in Durango, specifically RGP’s, Zia, and Rice Monkey. Max is very happy about not having to walk into DHS ever again (who can blame him?). Max hopes to continue spreading the word of Spark Master Tape and Paper Platoon influence (we don’t know either, but whatever floats your boat Max!).

The good and bad of high school

mas high school my freshman year and it is significantly different from DHS. I noticed that they overdid the project based learning style and had very little structure and standards which is why I switched. I would recommend to the school board that we find a way to integrate project based and standard based course schedules in our schooling. It allows students to understand what they are learning without rushing through it, but also not diving so deep into one subject while missing other standards.

the Durango schooling system that you spent 13 years at?

Honestly, if I were to change one thing about the Durango School system it would be to move back the shorter Monday schedule to Friday. It used to be on Friday when I was in elementary school, and it allowed for families with kids in sports and other activities to not worry as much when they were missing school since it was a shorter day. It was also a nice way to be able to end the week, and something to look forward to.

Amina Youssef:

Cameron DeLacey

1. First, list all of your teachers you had through years K-8.

Kindergarten-Mrs. Simpson 1st Grade-Mrs. Larson, 2nd Grade-(don’t remember 2nd grade...I think Mrs. Shanks?)

3rd Grade-Mrs. Hillmer, 4th Grade-Mrs. Miller 5th Grade-Mrs. Clancy 2.Tell me about one of the teachers that had such a big influence on you. Why did they have that influence?

The teacher that had a large influence on me was my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Miller. I’m not sure if she remembers me anymore, but she was the kindest teacher I have ever had. She cared for her students, and was not only there to educate them but to become their friend.

As a teacher who is leading a class of 4th graders, I think it was extremely helpful of her to relate to not only me but all individuals in my class, ensuring I left school with a smile each and every day.

3.What would you tell your kindergarten self?

I would tell my kindergarten self to have fun. Grade school is simple, and it’s not stressful. Don’t worry about the little things in life, learn as much as you can, and take part in all the activities that interest you so that you are not limited later on in life.

4.What would you change about

1. First, list all of your teachers you had through years K-8.

Mrs. McAnear, Mrs. Krupa, Mrs. Bracken, Mr. Honold, Mrs. Baughman, Mr. Garland/Mrs. Teeter, Mrs. Belmont/Ms. Hofferber/Mrs. Poitry/Mrs. Mapel, Ms. Schipman/Mr.Lang 2.Tell me about one of the teachers that had such a big influence on you. Why did they have that influence?

The teacher who had the biggest influence on me was my 8th grade Language Arts teacher, Ms. Schipman.

In 8th grade, I loved to read and she steered me toward books that would challenge me to think more deeply. She also helped me really improve my writing skills. Even though Language Arts was not my favorite subject, learning how to write an organized essay was useful and made my first year of high school a lot easier.

3.What would you tell your kindergarten self?

I would tell my kindergarten self to never be afraid to ask questions.

4.What would you change about the Durango schooling system that you spent 13 years at?

I think the school system should work to make sure that class sizes in the elementary schools are small so students can have a more personalized learning experience.

1. First, list all of your teachers you had through years K-8.

Ms. Simpson - kindergarten Mrs. Rodgers- 1st grade Mrs. Engleman- 2nd Grade Mr. Honald- 3rd Grade Ms. Hupperts- 4th Grade Mrs. Clancy- 5th grade 2. Tell me about one of the teachers that had such a big influence on you. Why did they have that influence?

Mr. Jackson is a phenomenal teacher.

Senior year was stressful enough and the senioritis kicks in before you even notice. Jackson is very understanding about the other significant events going on in our lives. Not only does he accommodate for our needs but he also offers a shoulder to cry on when we are overwhelmed with college apps and other obligations. His classroom is energetic and he has a unique way of teaching that makes class enjoyable. This year was one of the most emotionally difficult years for me and if it weren’t for the support of Jackson, I don’t know what I would have done.

3. What would you tell your kindergarten self?

Be yourself. I spent so much time trying to mold with the social standards and wasting my life being what I thought was “popular.” The more you focus on developing real friendships and strong bonds with people you can trust, the happier you will be. Stick by the people who have your back and never doubt your capabilities. It is in the most vulnerable times of your life when you perceive those who truly care.

4. What would you change about the Durango schooling system that you spent 13 years at?

A lot of students get good grades for that very reason, to get good grades. We study for tests, not because we enjoy it, but because we can’t fail. I went to Ani-

S

enior Dragon Cruz-Yen (Mooshu) plans on attending Minerva Schools at KGI. He’ll start in San Francisco and then have the opportunity to travel to seven different schools worldwide, in cities such as San Francisco, Seoul, Hyderabad, Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, and Taipei. Dragon doesn’t actually have a major yet, but he’s excited to be learning a lot about the world. What he’ll miss the most about Durango is the serenity and feelings of home associated with the place, “Everything here is familiar and natural, and this only adds to the peaceful environment.” He’s most excited to experience more of the world and learn on a bigger scale that isn’t possible here at home. His favorite kind of burrito is the kind his Momma makes filled with love and steak. Hobbies he hopes to continue in college are rapping, singing, and producing music.

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Contact: tjolley@durangoschools.org 970-259-1630

May 2018

14 seniors

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

El Diablo seniors say goodbye

This years El Diablo staff included 11 Seniors, who all had varying roles that contributed to many El Diablo issues. For many of the Seniors, they have been involved with El Diablo for most of their high school career and will be missed among the rest of the staff. All the Seniors shared their favorite parts of being involved with El Diablo.

Paxton Scott Current Position: Head Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 4 Years “My favorite part of journalism is definitely interviewing people. This year I really began enjoying walking up to interviewees and asking them “Hi my name’s Paxton, I write for the DHS school paper, do you have a couple minutes for some questions?” because most of the people I talk to are very receptive to student journalists and are interesting to talk to. Those that aren’t receptive are interesting to talk with as well.”

Autumn Stevens Current Position: Head Photo Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 1 Year “I found my membership on the El Diablo staff as the perfect opportunity to share my love of photo manipulation with others. My favorite part of journalism is definitely the extensive collaboration among all sections of the club. I’ve found myself constantly amazed by the efforts of all members in El Diablo to make a cohesive paper that ultimately embodies the entire student body of Durango High School.”

Tatum Behn Current Position: Photographer Years Involved with El Diablo: 3 Years “My favorite part of journalism was never writing, but I really enjoyed the creative piece of it. I was never good at getting my ideas down on paper, so deciding to be a photographer was my best decision. Many people don’t realize how important photos are in the newspaper, I think they make or break a story. How you respond to a photo is a baseline for how you respond to the rest of the story.”

Carter Reiter Current Position: Managing Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 3 Years “My favorite part of journalism is using evidence and the voices of the community to tell a story from multiple points of view without my own bias. I know that is basically the definition of journalism and all, but I love that writing a newspaper story is such a unique beast and you can’t tackle it in any other area of writing.”

Afton Mann Current Position: Arts Head Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 3 Years “My favorite part of journalism is the creativity. I love being able to create layouts I’m proud of and to be able to interact with reporters to make good stories for the arts section.”

Brianna Brown Current Position: Specials Head Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 4 Years “My favorite part of journalism has been having the ability to write about things that matter and to have a student voice be recognized.”

Jenna Beckley Current Position: Head Photographer Years Involved with El Diablo: 4 Years “My favorite part of journalism is definitely the people who do it. We all come together and have a fun time creating the newspaper.”

Maddie Dierien Current Position: Head Photographer Years Involved with El Diablo: 4 Years “My favorite part of journalism over the years has probably been getting to see the paper each month and the great work that each of us accomplished. The holiday parties were also fun too.”

Tommy Rodgers Current Position: Sports Online Editor Years Involved with El Diablo: 2 Years “My favorite part about being involved in El Diablo was reading the new issues with everyones stories in it.”

Stella Walsh Current Position: Photographer Years Involved with El Diablo: 3 Years “My favorite part has to be going through each completed issue to see how everything comes together.”

Maggie Maloney Current Position: Photographer Years Involved with El Diablo: 3 Years “My favorite part about journalism is creative part and showing off pictures and stories.”

lookout for someone who notices when you aren’t feeling so hot, and does weird stuff in attempt to make you smile in confusion.

2. The friend who has a school night sleepover with you willingly: This is the person who will spend seven plus hours with you at school and then be excited to pull an all-nighter working on homework and eating chinese food with you, only to get in the car and drive to school with you the next day. If you stumble upon a friend like this, hold on tight. For me, this person understood my feelings better than I did. We went through a lot of complete and utter nonsense together and she could always turn my melancholy emotions into passionate ones that were better suited for getting things done. Be on the lookout for someone who is open-minded and kind-hearted who brings you a cookie if they baked a batch for a Spanish fiesta the night before or sends you pictures of the math homework without ever getting annoyed with you asking for them. Find a friend who you work really well with on group projects or knows you well enough to get you a dress you’ll actually wear for Christmas. Once you find a friend like this, don’t forget to make sure they know you are stupid grateful for them; I wouldn’t have made it through high school without mine.

3. The ride or die: Not everyone needs a ride or die, and most of the time, you don’t really ask for one. For example, I didn’t ask for mine, but nature worked her magic, and I was born with one: my twin brother. Corbin and I were always close growing up and we did all the weird twin activities that people think are myths: had our own language, read each other’s minds, and felt each other’s pain. I think the day

that I realized that Corbin was my ride or die was the day we almost got into a fight about how the rear-view mirror was adjusted in our car. We share a 2004 Subaru Forester (her name is LouAnne) and alternate driving her pretty evenly. We have considerable height differences and if either of us adjusts the mirror to so we can see, the other is forced to readjust or be blind when they drive. In the first few weeks after we bought our car, the tension began to build as I got into the driver seat and was forced to readjust the rear-view mirror so I could see. It didn’t take long for me to bring my frustration to Corbin, and I explained the wild and absurd inconvenience I dealt with every time I had to drive the car anywhere. After I finished my ridiculous speech about how I wanted him to quit adjusting the mirror, he looked at me really funny and he said something annoying like, “I would rather adjust the mirror a little bit every time I drive than be unsafe” and although he was scolding me, I agreed. Lowering my defenses, even if it is to a logical opponent, is really hard for me. For Corbin though, I don’t have that much trouble anymore. Be on the lookout for someone who seemingly has infinite patience for your nonsense, sends you pictures of dogs at 3 o’clock in the morning, and only gives you hugs to make you feel uncomfortable. PSA: You do NOT need to be biologically related to your ride or die.

4. The friend you have an inside joke with that everyone can be a part of, but not everyone fully understands: My junior year this friend and I were making prom decorations after track practice. We were sleep deprived, still in our workout clothes, and losing focus.

As our motivation dwindled and our

Four types of friends you make in high school CARTER RIETER Managing Editor

Dear DHS Students, High school is a wild ride and there is no way anyone can escape the ups and downs. Unfortunately, everyone goes through the rough patches and bad weeks and everyone fails a test at least once. Fortunately, everyone also gets to pick who they grin and bear the struggles with. As a worn out- but bright-eyed-and-excited-for-the-futuresenior, here is my advice on the four kinds of friends everyone should be on the lookout for: 1. The kid who sends you pictures of their tortoise when you’re having a bad day: PSA: This person does not specifically have to own a tortoise. In my experience, it just so happened that they had one. For me, this kid was a guy in my physics class who was weird as heck. He had really messy hair and sometimes forgot to speak in complete sentences.

He was a really brilliant athlete and a pretty down-to-earth kind of guy. One morning, my senior year, I felt like the world was caving in around me (as one does) and I was grasping at strands to keep it together. I spent my entire day feeling like I was walking on a tightrope; it was as if someone breathed on me wrong, I would tumble into a mess of tissues, tears, and a panic nap. That evening, I got a notification from the funny kid in my physics class. Imagine my surprise when, instead of a question about the homework or a meme about how the earth is flat, it was a picture of his 30 pound tortoise and an explanation that warmed my heart: the tortoise is here for you whenever you feel down.

No context, no request, just a picture of a tortoise to lift my spirits. Be on the

May 2018

exhaustion mounted, we began to go a little wild and we invented what we called “spirit beans”. The concept itself is very simple: the same ideas that go into assigning someone a “spirit animal” (personality traits, hair color, etc.) apply to assigning a “spirit bean”. For example, a varsity track athlete with broad shoulders, dark hair, and the sweetest smile you’ve ever seen was an alphalpha bean. We had in depth conversations about who would be a lima bean or a green bean and the slight difference between someone who was a chick pea or a garbanzo bean and although everyone was interested in what type of bean they were, no one really understood what the heck we were talking about. Everyone enjoyed knowing their spirit bean, but when they found out, no one ever knew if they should be flattered or insulted. This kind of friend is a necessary and quirky addition to your life. Be on the lookout for someone who writes really good personal notes or gets you a cupcake for your birthday. Look for someone who won’t be mad if you buy the same outfit as them and always has a pencil you can borrow.

High school is something we all have to get through together and almost no part of it is easy. Fortunately, everyone around us is going through the same things. My only advice to you students who have one, two, three, or four more years of highschool, is make all kinds of friends. Be nice to the weirdos (yourself included) and be open minded. Hang out with people you get along with, and make sure you’re busy enough that you literally won’t have time to make time for the people you don’t. Look out for the people who make you smile and the people who have your best interests at heart. Good luck!

Seniors 15

ELDIABLONEWS.COM May 2018

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-Garret Emma Aggeler Piccaro large mixing -Maggie Ma-Abby Scott rather be - Brett Rowbowl, shift together Krispin loney “Colhated on for land flour, sugar, baking lege is who I am than powder, baking soda, and salt.

“Smile weird. You just loved for who “High school Whisk in milk, eggs, and melted more.” got out of 12 years I am not.” -Ian taught me if there butter just until combined. Preheat -Natalie of school and you’re Osby is a will, there is a a flat griddle over medium-high heat.

Miner “Do like, ‘Hey, I wanna do way. If there is a quiScoop ¼ cup of pancake batter onto a not take “You this for another 4 zlet, there is an griddle. Let pancakes cook until are who years.’” -Curtis life too seriA.” -Afton bubbles form before flipping. “‘Do not ously. You will you choose to Salinger go gentle into Cook other side until golden never get out of be; so be the type “I “Thanks that goodnight’ brown. Serve hot with syrit alive.” -Kye of person who bets done up.” -Kaleb McMunn mom and Engle on themselves.” did it.”

-Dylan Thomdad.” -Oliva -Aristotle Bou-Edde Lyas” -Paxton Guerra gas ons Scott

Senior highlights with their favorite teachers

CATIE MARQUA Reporter

“Mr. Jackson is a phenomenal teacher. Senior year was stressful enough and the senioritis kicks in before you even notice. Jackson is very understanding about the other significant events going on in our lives. Not only does he accommodate for our needs but he also offers a shoulder to cry on when we are overwhelmed with college apps and other obligations. His classroom is energetic and he has a unique way of teaching that makes class enjoyable.” -Izzy Tyler “Izzy is one of those fantastic students that has such a wonderful curiosity about the human body. She is always willing to ask questions that other students may wonder about, but are afraid to ask. We also share a similar sense of humor which makes the learning more fun for us both! She has been an absolute joy to have in my class!” -Monte Jackson

“I loved Tidwell because she is super easy to talk to and really makes sure you get the best of your education. She always makes sure that students are prepared for anything.”-Edde Lyons

“I loved having Edde in class because she really worked hard to understand AP Chem. She was not interested in merely making a good grade; she wanted to “get it”. And sometimes that’s a challenge in chemistry! She always had a great attitude, was super respectful, and really a joy to know!” -Ann Photos special to El Diablo left to right from Eric Jackson, ___ Dillman, Dave Weisfeldt, Ann Tidwell and Sheridan Brull

“Weisfeldt is very respectful and understanding, he makes the boring classes super fun, and I always look forward to his class. He’s witty and hilarious, but never crosses a line.” -Jack Eggleston “Jack’s a great student, and a polite guy, too.

He seeks to ask the right questions and makes terrific connections to current events. It’s great to work with him on his learning.” -David Weisfeldt “Mrs.Brull has been one of my favorite teachers of my entire High School life. Her class is on of my hardest (AP literature and composition) ,however, the increased level of difficulty is what causes me to try so hard in the class. Mrs. Brull goes out of her way to create a meaningful curriculum for everyday. In addition, Mrs.Brull finds new and creative ways to appreciate all of her students despite their grades. She emphasizes her belief that grades are not the only way to determine your strengths. She acknowledges many different skills which creates a class atmosphere where everyone feels they have a part.

I have seen so much progress in myself personally due to her unwavering support and I am very thankful for her.” -Hailey Voss “Hailey brings a lot to the table. She is has international experiences that give her a unique perspective on literature, language, and life, and she confidently finds ways to validate her ideas in class. She is an intuitive poetry ninja, and her dynamic writing skills articulate reflect it. Hailey holds herself to a high standard and, in combination with her skills, that makes her unstoppable in life. I also selfishly hope that she will go into graphic design and design my next desk calendar or planner. It has been an honor to have her in AP Lit this year.” -Sheridan Brull “My favorite teacher has been Mr.Dillman. I ended up being close with him because of DECA but he always works with the best interest of his students and goes to great efforts to ensure all his students are accounted for and that nobody is left behind. Mr. Dillman has always acted as a role model for me and I couldn’t be more grateful to have had him as a teacher.” -Tanus Yoder “Tanus is one of the most unique students I’ve been fortunate to work with in my career. He always has something kind to say to other students and in a clever way. He has developed a humble, unassuming leadership style that other gravitate towards. Placing 1st and 2nd at DECA state along with attaining finals at DECA nationals place Tanus in very select company among high school students. I see him going far in a career and life utilizing his unique, uplifting skill set!” -Dave Dillman

May 2018

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Seniors take to the skies in search of new homes - where will they fly?

COLORADO

Fort Lewis College Aaron Bailey Abigail Burrows Nick Chaney-Roberts Summer Clay Kylee Cosse Cruz Rubalcava Devin Daley Parker Dallas Chantel Foltz Chance Guffey Rexford Gwinn Tistan Hayden Josiah Herrera Jack Hilliard John Hitti Max Hyson Camille Jacobs Myah Jones Fredric Klatt Jordan Kornelson Egan Lindsay Damian Linscott Brook Mazur Quelan Mestas Brett Nelson Vance Noble Connor O’Keefe Ramon Perez Alden Spitzer Summers Chase Katie Williams Colorado University - Boulder Tatum Behn Aristotle Bougas Sarah Craft Cameron DeLacey Bryce Diethrich Jocelyn Earl Alison Hall Chandler Jeep Lucas Jernigan Joe Lawton Nick Piccaro Kyle Pritchard Garret Rhodes Claire Sluis Autumn Stevens Max Wilson Tanus Yoder Jack Eggleston Colorado State University - Fort Collins Aja Carney Payten Craig

Natasha Daney Candace Dellinger Mariya Duchon

Kyle Engle Garrett Krispin Jasmine Madril

OREGON

Portland State Kalyn Alexus Olivia Guerra Lewis and Clark Keiran Brook

MONTANA

WASHINGTON

Digipen Institute of Technology Maleigha Glasco Western Washington Mara Morrissey Seattle Pacific University Emily Rooney Whitman College Amina Youssef Gonzaga Stella Walsh

UTAH

Utah Valley University Jordan Belt Elise Gilleland Natalie Miner Brigham Young University Afton Mann Mary Fenberg

TEXAS

NORTH DAKOTA

University of North Dakota Brooke Buccowich

INDIANA

University of Indiana Azalea Santillan

WISCONSIN

University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse Meghan Watson

Texas Christian University Braden Evans Baylor Ryan Genualdi University of Texas Alex Poulter

ARIZONA

Northern Arizona University Jayse Baruch Kegan D’Aleo Luke Napier Tyler Neidlinger Lydia Southworth Paradise Valley Community College Paige Moore

NEW MEXICO

Minerva Dragon Cruz-Yen Point Loma Nazarene University Harrison Kairalla

Montana State University Ryan Barkley Jenna Beckley Lucas Blanchard Marit May Emmett Stotlemyer

CALIFORNIA Claremont-McKenna Curtis Salinger Pomona Ruby Epstein Stanford University Paxton Scott Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Eliza Anderson University of Southern California Maddie Dearien

New Mexico Tech Gabriel Marin

ARMED FORCES

Garrett Cobb Matthew Haber Emmanuel Hernandez

INTERNATIONAL

Belgium Edde Lyons London Max Sinberg

APPRENTICESHIP

Gage Rodman

NEW YORK

Fashion Institute of Technology Will Meyer Vassar Violet Witchel

MASSACHUSETTS

Williams College Abby Scott

VIRGINIA

Teagan Seiler Noah Stewart Athena Wilks Porter Williams Grace Wilmes Seth Johnson

Dominique Maestas Olivia Morgan

Malachi Lonadier

Emory and Henry College Emily Wickes

GAP YEAR

Nick Cameron Hannah Carlson Summer Clay Austin Gaudet Eric Horst Myah Jones Elanah Kalinowska Franessy Kamali Arias Sierra Kelly Caleb Kuhl Lydia Larson

students in 2018 graduating class

of seniors are staying in Colorado

Maggie Maloney Catie Marqua Cassandra Merkel Oslo Mills Lana Razma Carter Reiter Corbin Reiter Alicia Romero Frankie Romero Ryan Smith Jenna Szczech

Isabelle Tyler Luke Meyer

University of Denver Emma Aggeler Brianna Brown Suanna Gustavson Thomas Rogers Colorado School of Mines SheLynn Baca Taylor Klone Nicole Wiley Pueblo Community College Kathia Castillo Tamia Edgewater Ricardo Garcia Asher Ladin MSU Denver Eli Fenton Chief-Manuelito Garbiso Tre’von Martinez Payton Valdez Regis University Hailey Anderson University of Northern Colorado Zoe Congdon Brett Rowland San Juan College Lexie Crawford Kylie Dosch Josiah Herrera Julian McAteer Trevor Snodgrass Caleigh Walker Colorado Mountain College Ian Osby Otero Junior College Joie Raybourn Arapaho Community College Matt Tucker Western State Michael Vidunas UC - Colorado Springs Kaleb McMunn

states represented for college destinations

seniors attending Fort Lewis College

15

31

240

45%