Online at ELDIABLONEWS.COM
El Diablo Voice of the Students Durango High School
2390 Main Ave.
Durango CO 81301
Issue six, Volume Sixty November 2017
“I need the buzz to get me through the day” Rise in popularity of e-cigarettes at DHS raises health concerns EMMA JABER Arts Editor In recent months, high school culture has been affected by the rising popularity of the e-cigarette. Vuse, Juul and other similar vape-like products have become more and more popular, but don’t seem to be more or less targeted at the teenage market. Legally, you must be 21 to buy Vuse and Juul off their website, or 18 in person, but that doesn’t act as a major deterrent. “I’ve had a Juul for a little over a month because it’s a fun social thing to do but honestly they are a little stupid, but still fun. My older sister ordered it for me.” said an anonymous Durango High School student. With what seems like more recent exposure to e-cigarettes, students haven’t been around the product for that long. “I’ve had a Juul since this past summer and I originally got it cause it was trendy, but now I’m just hooked on nicotine and can’t stop” said another anonymous DHS student. With different motivations to use e-cigarettes, some students are already starting to feel the addictive effects of nicotine. “I rely on the [nicotine] buzz to get me through the day, like when I wake up and when I’m at work,” said a third anonymous DHS student. Publicly, much of the concern in past years has been based around the use of weed, cigarettes, and excessive drinking but modern technology has managed to transform the ways that teens can access nicotine. Another enticing factor: it’s compact and easy to hide. Though purchasing e-cigarettes is illegal, it doesn’t stop teens from seeking them out. Whether obtained from an older friend or sibling or bought in person, they are much more accessible than one would think. Many seniors have
Maggie Maloney A Vuse Vibe, depicted above. At DHS, the amount of e-cigarretes on campus is extensive.
turned or are soon to turn 18, the legal age to purchase a Vuse or Juul, but the root of the problem of purchasing one may be the lack of checking IDs, since many people don’t end up being carded at all. Another issue of legality regards students having and using these products at school. Obviously, students must be 18 to purchase, but what rules are in place for usage on school grounds? Federal law states, in the Pro-Children Act of 1994, that state laws cannot allow smoking within educational facilities that receive federal funding. Colorado state law, in the Colorado Clean Air Act 2005, does not prevent the use of electronic cigarettes in public places; however, the state does allow local governments to put ordinances in place regarding e-cigarette usage in public places. Schools more specifically fall under the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006, stating that in order to reduce exposure levels to tobacco smoke, smoking should not be permitted in any indoor area. Legality aside, the health concerns regarding such products also pose a threat to students. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical known to cause cancer and birth defects. Although not the same as smoking a cigarette, both Vuse and Juul contain nicotine. According to the Juul website, the replaceable “pods” are made up of an “e liquid formula based on nicotine salts rather than free base nicotine.” They also explicitly state that no tobacco or e-liquid product should ever be considered “safe”. Ingredients including glycerol, propylene glycol, benzoic acid are all mentioned on the website but they advise to contact a healthcare professional for more information on the impact of vaping or ingestion of nicotine. The website also claims to serve existing adult smokers, accommodating cigarette-like strength nicotine levels in order to meet the satisfaction of cigarette smokers. The nicotine concentration of one pod contains .07 mL with 5% nicotine, approximately equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. The Vuse website makes some of the same claims and states that they do not provide products for people trying to quit smoking. Therefore, with so much similarity to the effects of cigarettes, why do students seem to prefer this electronic version? “Cigs are nasty and bad for you. Juul is better tasting, looking, and gives you a better buzz” said the second anonymous DHS student. It’s hard to say how long the e-cigarette trend will stick around or if it’s here to stay.
Punishment or forced vacation? Recent suspensions raise questions of effectiveness LILAH SLAUGHTER Head Features Editor
Recently, a wave of students were suspended for various offenses, including possession of drugs and weaponry, due to unannounced drug dog searches of the school and parking lot. Each time students are suspended, it becomes a buzzing topic of conversation around DHS. For each search, the school hires an unaffiliated company to bring dogs on campus. The school is entirely responsible for the punishments they choose to impose; the company they hire is only responsible for bringing the dogs and
Statistics on the student body
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releasing the information they uncover to the school. “Students may be suspended from school for violations of and in accordance with student conduct policies... Students may be suspended and assigned Out of School Suspension (OSS), depending upon the nature of the violation,” states the Student Handbook. Most commonly, OSS is the result of drug-related infringements, however it often only gives license for kids to stay home with the very same drugs. For some, suspension doesn’t seem the most viable option for the nature of that particular violation. “From experience, suspended
Gifed Talented: a program for the wealthy? Page 5
students watch a ton of Netflix, smoke weed, and eat food,” said an anonymous suspended senior. It raises the question of how the school can control the environment of students outside of school, and whether suspension is truly a punishment. “The way we’re currently doing it, many times it ends up being a vacation for whoever is being suspended because they’re just at home taking it easy,” said science teacher Mr. Jackson. However, the administration has different hopes. “The benefit should be elimination of the behavior and often parents will provide additional consequences at home,”
Demon cross country places well at state Page 11
said Principal Jon Hoerl. In theory, it seems a highly effective punishment. In practice, students simply seem to enjoy the free time. “Personally, being suspended gave me the opportunity to finish my college applications, work more and finish projects I wouldn’t have been able to do during school. I started training to be a server at Seasons, started reading a new book and was able to work on a painting that I’d wanted to finish for weeks... I caught up on sleep and was able to help my mom take care of my little sisters,” said anonymous suspended student Mark Sastertape. Continued on page 8
Humans of Durango
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ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Western slope: happy, healthy, heroin abusers?
Healthy Kids survey has mixed results PAXTON SCOTT Head Editor Every year students from across Colorado answer 161 questions regarding happiness, healthiness and drug use in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. That data displaced in the charts below is from high school students in
District 9, which includes Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan Counties. Statistics are only part of the story. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences regarding the topics mentioned above email us at eldiablodhs@gmail.com
The Golden State burns: California faces extreme forest fires
Special to El Diablo Wildfires raged on in California for most of October, destroying homes and property. At least 5,700 buildings were lost and there are 21 confrmed deaths.
KATE MCKINNIS Reporter Many wildfires can be prevented, but when something that should be safe goes wrong, the consequences are big. In California, new evidence from fire forensics shows that a power line may be to blame for a section of the fire. A dry tree fell on the power line which caught the tree on fire, allowing the flames to reach the ground and spread. Dan Harms, an LPEA employee since 1996, began his work there as a senior in high school with an internship. Harms is a system engineer and looks over the different components of the power lines. He checks the breakers and makes sure that the transformers are up and running. If there is a problem with the system and technology, Harms is there to fix the issue. Harms graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. “I just fell in love with the electrical part of it and to decide what I wanted to do with my life I flipped a coin. I’m glad it landed on tails,” said Harms. “Power lines have these little boxes called breakers and they are in charge of recognizing faults on the power line. If a
where the workers go and make sure trees are not interfering with the lines or other possible fire starters. However, there are some times when our lines run through our customers front yards,” said Harms. Many times the homeowners don’t want their trees trimmed and won’t allow the 50 feet rule to happen. It can become hard for LPEA to keep their customers happy while at the same time, keep the rest of Durango safe. One of the main fires that caused the entire town to suffer was the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire, which was started from a spark from an unknown source. This fire caused many to flee from their homes and because of the drought, the fire was able to spread quickly. The Missionary Ridge fire burned for 39 days and with it, took many trees along the ridge. A more recent fire that faced Durango was the Lightner Fire, which took place the summer of 2017. This was caused because a house caught fire and was burning in a high fuel loaded area. The fire consumed 250 acres with it and caused 150+ people to evacuate their homes. Durango has many ways to avoid fires like these and LPEA does everything they can to help prevent them. From doing line checks every now and then, they keep the lines clear and free of harm. Although, sometimes things don’t always work out they way people want them to. “So many things can lead to a fire, but the power lines that run through a town are often left to blame,” Harms said, “Humans make mistakes, but when we do it often leads to big consequences.”
bird or some type of interference lands many different ways to prevent fires, on the line, the breakers will stop the electricity from moving down the line,” they still do have high risk days, said Harms. which can cause sparks to arise from Mercury News, a news feed in San the lines. Many of the workers at LPEA Jose, California, has released informacarry fire extinguishers in their trucks tion that a power line failed to open and just in case. close and electricity continued to run “LPEA runs a tree cutting program, down the line. This allowed for the electricity to run through a tree and reach the dry grass. Harms explained that the rule for a power line running through forest, must have at least 50 feet on either side of the power line. However, many power lines run through front lawns of people’s homes. “We have to keep our customers happy, but also try and prevent wildfires from happening, like the one in California,” said Harms. However, this wasn’t the only time a breaker failed to do it’s job. In New Mexico a several years ago, a hawk was looking for food and caught a snake. The two of them accidently hit a power line and caught on fire. The snake and bird fell and created a large forest fire. If the breaker had done it’s job to recognize Special to El Diablo the interference, the fire could have The map above shows areas in California, specifically in San Jose, that were affected by the never happened. raging flames that swept the county. Although every power company has
El Diablo
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Durango Mall:
challenges face local business hub
Cassandra Blau The Durango Mall is full of smaller chain stores, including TJMaxx and Ross. Pictured above is the Main Mall, another mall in Durango, which is also suffering from lack of consumers.
KATIE RYDZ Reporter Instead of vibrant commerce and frenzied customers, empty spaces characterize the Durango Mall. The mall has always been struggling to be a place where people choose to shop, but nowadays it seems that the mall is empty as ever. Due to a changing retail economy in Durango and elsewhere, a small popula-
tion and multiple other factors, it seems people aren’t interested in the Durango Mall and instead choose other areas of the four corners as an alternative. “The mall used to have a bowling alley, probably where Sport’s Authority used to be, and a K-Mart there was also a sort of breakfast food court,” said former Durango Mayor and current DHS Dean of Students, Dale Garland. Durango has had issues with attracting large businesses and franchises to
Literacy tests: Logan defends an unpopular practice CARTER REITER Managing Editor
This year at Durango High School, a new series of tests have been implemented into the curriculum: literacy assessments. “I think that it’s good that they are making sure we can write in all the different subjects, but I feel like the way that the literary tests are formatted and graded isn’t effective because, based on what we’re learning, they don’t actually relate,” said Sr. Alison Hall. There has been some controversy about the tests and their effectiveness from students perspectives, but there is a much broader and more impactful reasoning behind the tests than the eye of a pupil can see. “The goal of the tests is that every teacher in the building understands that no matter what the discipline, no matter what the dynamics of the classroom, as a teacher, students need to be able to read, write, listen, speak and think in every class,” said Robert Logan, a Teacher on Special Assignment at DHS, and the man to talk to about the literacy assessments. The long term function of the data collected from the literacy assessments is abundant, but at this moment, the initiative is to practice executing the collection of data so that the strategy can be used in the future to the greatest benefit for both students and teachers. “The intent initially and where we are currently, is to practice, not only doing something that has meaning to not only the teacher and the student, but can also gather data to begin to interpret data. This is as much about the teachers learning how to assess, gather, interpret and apply data back into the classroom for instruction,” said Logan. In order to collect the most accurate data, teachers have been instructed to not make a “special occasion” for
the assessments, but instead use skills already demonstrated in the curriculum as assessments. For example, the history department uses a format for their assessments that they use to analyze primary documents. The analytical strategy is completed in class and the results are compiled and interpreted as data, without disturbing or breaking the routine of the class in any unique or disruptive way. “Our freshmen class coming in are going to see more and more standard based grading, as far as, how the students manifest their understanding, as opposed to [the senior class], who, to some extent, are based off of attendance or productivity or the work students do in class. So, there’s a transition going on within the district and within the building to move to that norm,” said Logan. Literacy assessments are not designed to be a hassle; but instead, designed to be used as a tool in the present and future so that teachers may be better equipped to teach students and to use the data collected from the assessments to adapt to different strategies so that students are better equipped to learn. “The benefit on the students side is to be consistently evaluated in any class that they are learning in, as well as comprehending the ideas and the importance of literacy. Practicing literacy repeatedly is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when they are housed within the curriculum a teacher is already running within the class. Done right, a student should not even know any difference,” said Logan. As DHS evolves to house students whose graduation requirements are shifting to a more proficiency based scale, the literacy assessments are better equipping teachers to teach material that is relevant to the curriculum so that students may have a greater chances of passing.
Lydia Schertz Luke Nicholson, a junior at DHS, taking one of the many literacy assessments he will take this semester.
the small town. “When Walmart wanted to build a store here, they wanted to build their own idea of a store, so we worked with them to change it to fit in with Durango, and make it look pleasing,” said Garland. Durango doesn’t have many large franchise stores such as Walmart because it’s difficult and costly to get deliveries in and out. “It’s more effective for a delivery truck to drive up to Denver and drop off supplies to multiple stores instead of going up there and then coming all the way down to Durango and filling up one store here and one in, say, Farmington,” said Garland. This wastes both gas and valuable time. “Attracting big business here in any case is hard because of the fact that
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Durango also has a small population,” Garland said. The mall has definitely made some improvements, which include adding larger franchise stores such as Pier 1 Imports and Bed Bath & Beyond, and most recently, Ross. But the question is: why wasn’t the long-time vacant Sport’s Authority replaced with Ross? Why are there so many unoccupied spaces in the Durango Mall? Garland said that Ross could’ve wanted to personalize their own space. Jack Llewellyn is the Executive Director of Durango’s Chamber of Commerce, a very active organization that acts as a large voice for small business and is composed of about 830 members. He believes that one factor affecting malls nationally is online shopping. “People prefer the comfort of their own home than walking into a store to buy something,” Llewellyn said. “Ross might’ve opened next to TJMaxx because of foot traffic.” TJMaxx and Ross are popular stores in the mall, so having them next to each other is more convenient for customers, which increases the chances for a customer to go straight from one store to the other. Similar to Garland, Llewellyn believes that our small population has a lot to do with how much business and economy Durango has, which affects our mall. “The mall is always looking for tenants and talking to retailers to go into Sports Authority,” said Llewellyn. Businesses in Durango, such as the mall, have always been struggling and still do because of economical factors. On the other hand, the lack of large franchises may not be a bad thing. But living in a small town such as Durango is also great, because of the fact that there are so many small businesses. “I support small businesses, and I’m happy to live in a town that still does,” said Garland. Most people choose to go to the Farmington mall, or elsewhere if they really want to go shopping because the Durango Mall has always been lacking. As the economy changes for large franchises, people are shopping online more and more. Maybe it’s better to focus on local businesses instead of on a dying model.
Cassandra Blau Durango High’s new WiFi policy blocks many educational sites and is hurting both students and staff.
Senior high WiFi makes staff and students wi-cry SOPHIA ADAMSKI Reporter
Durango School District 9-R has undergone many significant changes in recent years, including the hiring of a new principal and a handful of updates to the standards and graduation requirements. Most of these changes are welcome; some, however, have fared worse than others and are rather controversial. The newly-installed WiFi hotspots have been cause for everything from annoyance to rage. The hotspots - which costed $82,000 for Durango High School alone -are prone to malfunctioning, lagging, or simply not working. Reports of the WiFi interfering with teaching and learning have surfaced. Frustration with the performance is common. Mike Awe, a representative from 9-R’s IT Department, says he’s pleased with the results of the hotspots. “I’m very proud of the ability to expand WiFi coverage throughout the district. Durango High School alone went from 28 access points throughout the building to over 85.” As for the benefits of the hotspots, Mr. Awe stated that they benefit not only staff members and students, but guests and the general public as well. “It’s incredible that we were able to expand [the WiFi] as much as we have. There’s been a great increase in both capacity and signal coverage.” It’s worth mentioning that not every-
November 2017
one has expressed frustration with the WiFi. A junior, who chose to remain anonymous, thinks the WiFi is more than enough for what the school needs. “I think the WiFi has worked great, honestly. [The district] has done all they could do by putting routers in every classroom, and, I mean, there’s always something more they could have done with the money. I just think everything has worked great so far, so I think everything was put to good use.” Ms. McClung, a Social Studies teacher at DHS, has said the WiFi has interfered with her teaching as well as her students’ learning. “I did… have issues with my desktop when it came to loading particular sites. It was not blocking them, per se, but the internet filters were preventing the sites from loading properly, thus hindering my teaching. “There were also issues in a previous week with the WiFi when it came to Google. Google could not verify that the public WiFi was secure, so it prevented access to all Google Drive programs, including Google Classroom, which a lot of teachers use on a daily basis. That prevented many students in one of my classes from completing an activity for the day,” said McClung. Students attending DHS are being taught and raised in a world where technology is a must. Having slight mishaps is normal and generally understood, but having such problems on a regular basis is not.
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ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Durango’s newest club: the Lady Climbers CARTER REITER Managing Editor
In late July a new girls club joined the ranks in Durango, Colorado: the Durango Lady Climbers. This group of hardcore women are based out of the Rock Lounge and run a Facebook page where they plan group climbing excursions almost every weekend. Gloryann Linch, one of the masterminds and an avid climber behind this group, has a passion for climbing and empowering women by getting sendy on sweet routes. “I recently started climbing (in March) and I realized that there were no forums for women climbers to get together. I had mostly climbed with boys but after I climbed a few times with girls, I realized how much fun it was. I reached out to Marcus Garcia who owns the Rock Lounge and asked if he knew of any lady climbing groups. He said no, but put me in touch with Heather Mobley who was also interested in a lady climbing group. Together we hatched the plan to start our girls club! We started it on July 23rd, 2017,” said Linch. The Facebook page is the main avenue for communication and women post for others to join them on routes all over Colorado, but mostly routes here in the southwest corner.
Interested? Join the Durango Ladies Climbing Club on Facebook to get updates on their upcoming rendezvous and follow them on Instagram at @dgoladiesclimb “August 27th was our first official outing. We went to Cascade. We had Kurt Blair accompany us since he is a climbing instructor. A lot of us are still beginners so we always make sure we have an experienced guide with us for safety. The next outing was at Lemon and then several girls got together for bouldering. Last week we went to East Animas with Kling Mountain Guides. It was great,” said Linch. Linch has been climbing since a weekend in Moab when she climbed Castle-
Photo courtesy of the Lady Climber’s of Durango Durango’s female athletes practice as often as they can. Above, Animas High School Sr. Maddie Sturm climbs at the Rock Lounge, a local Durango rock climbing gym.
ton Tower with a friend. She explained why climbing is so addictive and effective for the empowerment of women. “Climbing makes you feel strong and capable and as a girl that is empowering. Climbing is like meditation for me. My head is so clear when I’m doing a route. I’m not thinking about anything else. It builds your confidence for sure. Helps you realize that you can do more than you think you can and that you’re stronger than you think you are,” said Linch. Last weekend, the ladies excursion out to East Animas with Kling Climbing Guides was a hit. As the group gains momentum, plans for the future are being formed. Linch said, “I’m hoping it will grow and we’ll be able to get more and more ladies out there climbing. A lot of girls that joined the group have climbed before but haven’t gone in a long time. We want to inspire them to get back into it. And also get first timers out there. I
Voters favor continuity in school board race
know what it feels like after you do your first route and I want others to experience that.” Linch is passionate about climbing and inspiring women to do things out of their comfort zone. She encourages all 114 members of the Ladies Climbing Club (and all people in general) to get out there and climb routes that challenge and empower them. Linch encourages women of all experience levels to get outside and start climbing. Afterall, the only way you can really go is up. “Sometimes the routes seem impossible and you think ‘there’s just no way I’m getting up this thing’ and then you figure it out and you do. It gives you an incredible confidence boost, which helps you in other facets of your life with other things you might be dealing with. I used to think that rock climbing was for strong boys with bulging muscles. Turns out girls can climb just as hard as boys,” said Linch.
Photo courtesy of the Lady Climber’s of Durango Another member of the Durango Lady Climbers.
Photo courtesy of the Lady Climber’s of Durango Two of the female climbers relax and talk between climbs at East Animas, a local rock wall. Maggie Maloney The 9-R Administration building sits at the end Second Avenue, and is where the election took place.
AUSTIN SWAN Reporter
On Nov. 7, 2017, the Durango 9-R School Board had three seats up forelection; the four year term for districts A, C, and E seats were available. District A covers the Northwestern part of Durango as well as the land to the west of Highway 550. District C covers the southern portion of the district which extends to the state line. District E covers the area northeast of downtown as well as the area east of the Animas. Nancy Stubbs won re-election of the district A seat, Mick Souder won the district C seat, and Shere Byrd beat out Emily Newcomer for the District E seat. Nancy Stubbs, the incumbent district A seat holder and School Board President, ran unopposed for re-election to keep the district A seat. Stubbs is a retired elementary school teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience. Mick Souder ran unopposed for the district C seat. Souder was a teacher for 11 years, and served on the Durango 9-R School Board previously from 2013-2015. Souder is a senior consulting technical solution manager at IBM. Shere Byrd and Emily Newcomer ran for the District E seat, Byrd won by 29
votes. Shere Byrd grew up in Durango and went through the local school system then travelled around for later schooling. After finishing later schooling, Byrd came back to Durango as a faculty member in the Biology department at Fort Lewis, where she taught cell and molecular biology for 25 years. “It’s really exciting to be starting another term with some returning people and some new people” said Stubbs, “I think we have a really, really good group this time.” Stubbs has experience on the school board and understands the needs that must be met in order to be successful. “We are looking at the new program called Competency Based Learning which means that we are going to be more individualized in the approach to education,” said Stubbs. Kids learn differently and the school board understands the importance of giving the students the ability to succeed. “Individualized instruction is especially effective in working with at-risk students… students who would probably drop out of school stay and graduate,” says the National Dropout Prevention Center. “We are hoping to make it so that it’s motivating for students, and that it’s more accepting and allowing for students to find their strength and succeed,” said Stubbs. The new Board has a good mix of educators and community members who all care about the Durango 9R students. Even though not everyone will be ecstatic over the election results, the new School Board seems promising.
Photo courtesy of the Lady Climber’s of Durango High schoolers including Georgia Witchel and Maddie Sturm show off some muscle after a climb.
Photo courtesy of the Lady Climber’s of Durango Climbing is a popular outdoor hobby for many Durango residents. There are multiple venues for climbers to enjoy.
El Diablo
Opinion
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
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Is it time for Americans to implement gun control? Word Art
Word Art
11/16/17, 8:03 AM
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Patrick Kelley passed the background checks when he went to purchase a gun because the government failed to enter his convictions into the database. If the government had entered his convictions he would not have passed his background check and would not have been able to purchase a firearm. Hillary Clinton expressed that she believes gun suppressors should be banned. ”Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get”, Clinton tweeted just one day after the Vegas shooting. This tweet shows that Mrs. Clinton doesn’t understand suppressors or what they do. Putting a suppressor on a gun does not make the gun silent, as guns with suppressors are still very loud. By saying this Hillary Clinton is attempting to take advantage of a tragedy in order to push her own political agenda. Stephen Paddock did not use a suppressor, so using this shooting as grounds for a policy change on suppressors doesn’t make much sense. Another change that has been brought up is that rifles should be banned in the United States. This is the most illogical argument made by people attempting to force gun control. Rifle bans are always brought up after mass shootings because most mass shootings are performed with rifles. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, most of the gun deaths in the country are caused by handguns, not rifles. If the argument is that rifles should be banned because they can kill too many people, then the argument should be against handguns more so than rifles. Anyone who believes in the Second Amendment believes that a ban on handguns would be insane and unconstitutional. The founding fathers understood the importance of a citizen’s right to own a firearm. In some of the early colonies, it was mandatory for all citizens to possess a gun. Good gun policy should be debated during a time where there has not been a recent mass shooting because it takes a lot of the emotions out of the discussion. Effective gun policy changes would be things such as the banning of bump stocks and other legal modifications that you can buy to effectively make a semi-automatic weapon an automatic weapon. Mass shootings are statistically rare and make up such a small portion of the total gun deaths each year that creating policy based off of mass shootings is illogical. When talking about gun policy, it is also important to remember that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. To suggest that guns kill people is the rough equivalent to suggest that spoons make people overweight. Page 1 of 1
Austin Swan On Oct. 1 2017, Stephen Paddock fired on hundreds at a country music festival on the Las Vegas strip killing 59 people and injuring hundreds more. This incident was the worst mass shooting in United States history. On Sunday, Nov. 5 2017, there was another mass shooting in Texas where Devin Patrick Kelley shot and killed 26 people at a church, then himself. Gun control policy is something that is almost always brought up after after a mass shooting, even though it shouldn’t be. The time immediately following a mass shooting should be spent grieving, or on finding ways to help the survivors. Gun control policy should be talked about at times where there has not been a recent mass shooting. Talking about policy right after a large emotional event occurs isn’t smart and can lead to the creation of negative legislation. An example of a hasty, ineffective policy implementation made because of emotions is the creation of the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. The main results of the creation of the department were the erosion of American’s civil liberties, and mass surveillance of citizens by the government. Many of the policy changes that have been brought up by politicians in the US have been about background checks, psychological checks, the banning of silencers, or rifles. While more extensive background checks seems smart and logical for soon-to-be gun owners, it does not make sense to propose this change while using this shooting as evidence. This shooter specifically is not good evidence for why we should implement legislation calling for more extensive background checks because Paddock underwent federal background checks and passed. According to NBC News, a database compiled by Mother Jones states that more than 80% of mass shootings are performed with guns obtained legally. Using the recent Texas shooting as reasoning to implement more legislation is also not a good argument because it was a government error that allowed the shooter to obtain his weapons. Devin
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@durango.k12.co.us 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, Gavin Syme Online heads: Gwen Stoddard, Gillian Holmgren Online editors: Tommy Rodgers, Sophie Hughes, Liana Bygel Reporters: Austin Swan, Emma Vogel, Jack Whistler, Sophia Adamski, Maddy Gleason 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.
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Chloe Ragsdale On an average day in America, 93 people are killed due to guns, which is 25 times the average of any other developed country. This issue controls the lives of American citizens through the loose regulations of gun control laws across the states. Gun control laws should be stricter in the United States, and guns should be made far less accessible in order to prevent horrifying gun violence from ever occurring again. However, despite the proven facts in other developed countries, polls show that 45% of Americans just want their guns. Anonymous sources expressed that the issues of gun violence lies within the problems in the people, and that having guns taken away from sane citizens is ridiculous. They believe that that people’s rights to own guns rests in thew Second Amendment, and that this fundamental privilege should be upheld even in modern times. Dr. Brian Burke, a psychology professor at Fort Lewis College, has a very different view of the Second Amendment. “Many scholars do not necessarily believe that any individual can have whatever guns they want…it says we should be able to collectively bear arms against forces of oppression if we want to, which is a part of democracy.” The battle for gun control across the country is built upon the interpretation of the Second Amendment, a weak foundation that has caused the crumbling of the rest of the discussion on gun control. “It is becoming harder and harder to ignore this issue,” Dr. Burke said, and added that the failure to enact gun control legislation comes down to three general elements: lobbyists like the NRA, fear, and the theory of terror management, which is the idea that “we are the only animal that has to deal with the
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knowledge that we are going to one day die.” This supreme knowledge and intelligence that humans have is ultimately leading to our demise, because we are now living our lives with the overhanging fear of death, and the tantalizing hope of solving it. “When you remind people of their own death in research studies, they become more conservative,” said Dr. Burke, and explains why more conservatives support gun control than liberals do, as a way to find comfort and security, and maintain their individual rights when they feel threatened. The effect of terror management creates a never ending cycle of fear and guns in our society; a paradoxical situation where people buy more guns to escape from the mortal horror brought on by guns. This becomes very frustrating when it is a proven fact in other countries, such as Australia, where there are only 14 guns per 100 people, that fewer guns means less violence and deaths. After the Port Arthur shooting of 1996 that resulted in the death of 35 people, Australia changed their gun laws so that semi-automatic guns and shotguns were banned from the public market, as well as extending the waiting period for owning a gun in order to commit thorough background checks. Gun violence seems impossible to terminate, an issue that, according to Brian Burke, is a “dirty word” when used by the government, which is why they have virtually shut down related public health research. With so many opposing views on such a politicized issue, the only option is to compromise. “There are guns like hunting rifles that are used for sport, and guns such as assault weapons that are used to kill people,” claimed Burke, “and those are very different and should be legislated differently.” This is a valid reason to only sell guns to those with extensive background checks, take automatic/ assault guns completely off the civilian market, and generally make guns safer, such as implementing fingerprint technology that only allows the registered user to fire the weapon. We must begin to think between the lines as a country and join together to end the raging problem of gun violence in the U.S. Gun violence will reign until gun control laws are tightened, citizens take a stand in their communities, people inform themselves on the 378 monstrous gun attacks of 2017 alone, and risk something significant for the greater good of American lives. Page 1 of 1
LGBTQ+ love is not a trend
Mo Murray Durango High School is, for the most part, a relatively accepting community for LGBTQ students. Instances of direct homophobic comments or acts are often isolated and miniscule compared to other places. Unfortunately, because directly recognizable acts of discrimination are not prevalent, many people assume that LGBTQ students don’t ever experience homophobia within the DHS community, which simply isn’t the case. One of the most unrecognized forms of degradation of LGBTQ love within the high school is the growing culture of girls who treat identifying with the LGBTQ spectrum as something to make themselves seem edgy or cool, thus perpetuating stereotypes that gay love is a trend, and that being involved with a woman inherently means less than being involved with a man. An increasing number of girls within DHS use the idea of identifying as LGBTQ as a way of complaining when when the boys in their lives are being
November 2017
mean or annoying, or an excuse to cheat on their boyfriends at parties because kissing a girl “doesn’t count”. This creates the harmful situations that portray lesbian love as a fetishized, meaningless publicity stunt. This is extremely degrading to women who genuinely love women, and don’t want themselves or their sexuality to be used as a trophy. It is important to recognize that there are many sexualities within the LGBTQ spectrum, such as bisexuality and pansexuality, which are often erased and invalidated. It is women who treat sapphic relationships like an inconsequential trend that cause this erasure and further invalidate these identities. Even within the generally supportive Durango community, the process of claiming and accepting and LGBTQ identity can include constant doubt of yourself, fear of your friends treating you differently, anxiety about whether or not your family will accept you, experiencing homophobia around you which leads you to remain closeted, people who reduce your love to a fetish, and in DHS especially, rumors about your identity and your personal life, and your sexuality being treated like a performance and nothing more. Claiming to identify as LGBTQ but only picking and choosing from the positive sides of being a woman who loves women is completely disrespectful to all LGBTQ people and the struggles they face because of their identity. Recognizing and directly addressing this type of homophobia within our community can help to create a safe, respectful environment for not only LGBTQ kids, but all students in and outside of DHS.
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ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
El Diablo Affirmative action: income matters, too Speaks
After school administration carried out a drug dog search of the high school parking lot, numerous students were suspended for possession of marijuana, alcohol and various other items that are illegal on school grounds. While we at El Diablo recognize the necessity of enforcing school rules, we believe that there are better disciplinary tools than out of school suspension. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education found “correlation between exclusionary discipline policies and practices and an array of serious educational, economic and social problems.” One of the studies they referenced was a 2011 analysis of 120 high school-level discipline policies which found that out of school suspensions are “inappropriate and ineffective to promote learning or behavioral compliance.” The study went on to suggest alternatives such as restorative justice — a system that focuses on rehabilitation and reconciliation rather than just punitive measures. Suspension as a tool to punish rule breakers is flawed. If a student caught smoking weed is sent home for most of the week, chances are they will not spend the extra time focusing on rebuilding their academics or kicking the habit.
“Research indicates a negative relationship between the use of school suspension and school-wide academic achievement, even when controlling for demographics such as socioeconomic status,” -American Psychological Association For those with little home support, school is often a safe place. There are responsible adults and oversight. Forcing these students to remain home for three to five days does not benefit their development and is only a punishment if their parents make it one. Suspension may have its place as a tool to keep students who are genuinely destructive from negatively affecting the classroom environment. However, using it as a punishment for students caught with marijuana or alcohol in their car is a mistake, one which is detrimental for learning and whose only lesson is: be more careful with your drug stash. “[We] need to rethink and redesign school discipline practices,” said Arne Duncan, a former U.S. Secretary of Education. Let’s follow Duncan’s advice. Rather than out of school suspensions, the El Diablo Editorial Board suggests that school administrators focus on restorative justice techniques such as a peer jury or community service at the homeless shelter — a place where the negative effects of drug use are prominent. If administrators or community members have a different perspective on the value of out of school suspension, El Diablo prints letters to the editor which can be sent to eldiablodhs@gmail.com.
“Suspensions disconnect students from school, feed students into the juvenile system and criminalize children at increasingly younger ages: instigating a Cradle to Prison Pipeline,” - American Association of School Administrators
Paxton Scott Affirmative action was put in place by colleges across the US to create more ethnically diverse college campuses and make up for unequal childhood opportunity. The controversy over the policy goes back to the 1978 case of California V. Bakke where the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for universities to use racial “quotas” but using ethnicity as a factor in the decision making process was legal. Since then eight states including California have banned affirmative action at public institutions. Private colleges have also felt backlash against policies intended to create diversity. In August, the Department of Justice investigated Harvard after a federal complaint was filed claiming that the University discriminated against Asian American applications. Defenders of affirmative action argue that white and Asian applicants benefit from greater economic, educational, and emotional opportunities than the average ethnic minority applicant. Therefore, white and Asian applicants should
require a slightly higher SAT score or more impressive resume to be accepted. Despite affirmative action policies, ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in US colleges. In 2015 only 6 percent of freshmen nationwide were black and 13 percent Hispanic according to data gathered by the New York Times. Comparatively, 15 percent of 18-year olds in the US were black and 22 percent Hispanic in 2015. Affirmative action is certainly improving racial diversity, but it has a long way to go. There is another group of students that are even less well represented at the nation’s best colleges and less discussed in the media: those from a lower socioeconomic background. In Top Student, Top School? How Social Class Shapes Where Valedictorians Go to College, Alexandria Walton Radford found that only three percent of the of students at the 146 most selective universities are from the bottom 20 percent with a family income of less than $22,000. For instance, Harvard’s published figures state that 14.6 percent of the student body is black and 11.6 percent is Latino which is more diverse than the national college student average. Despite the racial diversity, 76 percent of students come from families in the top 20 percent economically with a family income over $110,000. Only 4.5 percent of incoming freshmen hail from the bottom quintile. In the early 1990s, researchers from the University of Kansas observed 42 families from different socioeconomic backgrounds. They found that children from high income families hear 30 million more words than those from low income families by age three.
Follow up studies found that these initial effects are long term, resulting lower performance in school and decreased likelihood to enroll in college. Students that benefit from Harvard’s affirmative action policy are often ethnic minority students who grew up with two college educated parents in a middle class home. What does a vacation looks like? What gets talked about at the dinner table? How much time do parents spend helping their child with school? Is there time outside of school to focus on homework? Income will dictate responses to these questions far more reliably than ethnicity. Latino and black children on average come from a families in a lower income bracket. The Kids Count Data Center found that 39 percent of black children and 33 percent of Latino children live in poverty. The poverty rate for non-Latino, white, and Asian children is 14 percent. This discrepancy demonstrates that there is still a large opportunity gap between racial minorities and majorities. However, generalizing that all minority students experience fewer opportunities than white and Asian students is too broad. Such a practice leads to admission statistics like those boasted by Harvard: racially diverse but economically homogenous. In order to compensate for unequal opportunity, college admissions should focus on both socioeconomic background and race. If racial minority students are fighting an uphill battle, then children from uneducated, low income families are climbing a cliff.
Trump vs. Weinstein: a political double standard
Logan Van Lindt “I just start kissing them... I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything… grab ‘em by the p***y,” 45th President Donald Trump stated in the 2016 Access Hollywood Tapes. 23 women have accused President Trump of sexual assault, yet he remains free of consequences. Around the one year anniversary of these tapes, Harvey Weinstein, a hollywood producer, lost his job, social status, and respect after the first 2 women accused him. It is inspiring to see so many victims speak up about their experiences with such a terrible man. Weinstein has been rightfully ruined. So why hasn’t President Trump suffered any consequences? Because the accusations and tapes occurred before his Presidency, I do not find his power and privilege to be a valid
excuse. Let’s look at the disconnect between the two cases- The White House defended President Trump by saying the women are “lying”, and President Trump has served almost a year in office without being reprimanded. Weinstein’s legal team denied the allegations as well, and his life was ruined. To find out why this double standard exists, I did my own research. The timeline for President Trump starts on Oct. 6th, 2016. The now infamous Access Hollywood Tapes showed President Trump bragging about doing whatever he wants to women. This prompted numerous women to speak up about President Trump’s harassment, starting with Jessica Leeds, just six days after the tapes were released. Leeds, now 75, said that in 1980 President Trump groped her on a plane. “He was like an octopus...his hands were everywhere” Leeds said. This was published in the New York Times. In response President Trump slandered the paper, saying that the “entire article [was] fiction”. Since then, 23 women have accused President Trump of similar incidents, and President Trump has said they were desperate women searching for “10 minutes of fame” and claimed they were paid by Hillary Clinton to sabotage his campaign. The timeline for Weinstein starts on Oct. 5th, 2017. The New York Times published an article containing allegations from multiple women, including actresses like Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd. The article included stories of
Weinstein forcing women to watch him commit lewd acts. Since the initial story, Weinstein denied the charges, his lawyer resigned, and many more women have shed light on their own stories regarding Weinstein. Women have said they turned down millions of dollars in turn for their silence. Some have even shared their stories despite accepting money for silence. Bill Clinton was accused of sexual assault multiple times and has made settlements out of court to silence women. He never suffered any consequences, much like President Trump. With this information at hand, I have determined it was a matter of publicity and political power. After all, much of President Trump’s campaign was spent attempting to discredit his opponents. His supporters were much more receptive to him blaming the accusations on Hillary Clinton than if he admitted to assaulting those women. Since President Trump was constantly on the news about the many controversial things he said, the allegations were lost amongst the constant media coverage. In contrast, Harvey Weinstein was not a big figure in the news until the allegations came out, meaning for many, their first impression of him was that of a horrible person. It has been over a year since the Access Hollywood Tapes were released, and President Trump has not suffered any consequences.
Gifted and talented or wealthy and privileged?
Irie Sentner In 6th grade, I sat down with the rest of my class to take a standardized test. I was confused: it asked me about shapes and patterns instead of the questions about math and obscure literature that I was used to answering. It was the CoGAT, a national exam that quantifies K-12 student’s reasoning and problem-solving skills. Three weeks later, I was pulled out of class and into a counseling office. They told me that I had scored extremely high, that I thought differently than other people, and that they were going to label me as Gifted and Talented.
It’s been four years and the 9R district still considers me as GT. In that time, I’ve met the other gifted kids in my grade. We share many classes and have become friends…its inadvertent, but our academic goals and abilities often place us together. It’s become apparent to me that this pool of students holds little diversity - even less than our already monochrome and unvarying student body. Growing up, my academic experiences have mainly taken place around white, upper class peers. The same holds true nationwide: students of color, religious minorities, and low income brackets are wildly underrepresented in almost every state’s GT program. This is incredibly dangerous. Disparities in ethnic demographics among Gifted and Talented students are extreme. According to the American Education Research Association, the odds of being placed into a GT program are 66% lower for black students and 47% lower for Hispanic students than for white students. Students of low income backgrounds are also much less likely to be labeled as gifted- of the students surveyed by the National Association for Gifted Children, less than 1% of those eligible for the free or reduced lunch program qualified as GT, as opposed to
6% of non-eligible students. In other words, students whose parents’ income falls near or below the poverty line are much less likely to be labeled as gifted than students of higher socioeconomic privilege. This is no coincidence - the American Gifted education system is inherently racist and classist. In the United States, Caucasians and Asian Americans are statistically most likely to be high-income. All parents want their children to be special, and those who can afford it often schedule tutoring and practice CoGAT tests for their children. Furthermore, young students can be labeled as GT by parent or teacher advocation. Knowledge of GT is highest in wealthy white communities, and lowest in urban minority populations. The issue widens for English Language Learning families, who linguistically do not have the ability to advocate for their children. Not only is this detrimental for gifted students who have slipped through the cracks and cannot utilize enriched programs, but for both GT identified and non-GT student populations. The terminology alone is confidence building and carries a tone of superiority. Many of my peers were labeled in early elementary school - they’ve been told that they are gifted and talented for their entire cog-
El Diablo
nitive lives. We are grouped together in advanced classes, held group meetings at lunch in middle school, and meet with counselors to discuss Advanced Learning Plans. As a GT student, it was always strange for all of the people around me to be wealthy and white. I could only imagine what it would be like for someone of even steeper minority to grouped in with them, or conversely for a non-GT student to see the gifted kids as rich and white. It carries severe psychological ramifications - from as early as first grade a flawed system teaches developing children that a racial and economic divide correlates with academic achievement and excellence. These skewed viewpoints may continue to affect views on excellence after graduation, contributing to racist societal stereotypes in professional, ‘real world’ settings. I understand that Gifted and Talented programs are important, and that giftedness should be recognized, embraced, and nurtured. I also recognize that there is nothing wrong with being high-income or white. But, when it comes to demographic gaps, something needs to change. Every child in this country, no matter their race, class, or creed, deserves the right to be recognized for their excellence.
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
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#MeToo: more than just a trend on Twitter Students speak up about their experiences with sexual assault MIA BOUDREAU Reporter Women rallied on Twitter using the hashtag #MeToo to raise awareness about sexual assault and harassment. Soon after allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced, women, and some men, began speaking up about their own experiences with sexual assault through Twitter. As a backlash to sexual assault, on October 15th actress Alyssa Milano tweeted “Me Too. Suggested by a friend: “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me Too.’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”
“If nobody talks about [sexual assault and harassment] then nothing changes,” - Fr. Bryn Valdez Not long after Milano’s tweet, hundreds of replies were tweeted from women sharing their stories using the hashtag #MeToo. Among Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Lewis C.K., Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore, Colorado Lawmaker Steve Lebsock, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Cosby have also been recently accused of sexual assault or harassment; but, this issue does not only surround celebrities. Maura Doherty-Demko, executive director of Durango SASO (Sexual Assault Services Organization), says that “the #metoo hashtag has been powerful in getting sexual harassment and sexual assault out in the open.”
We live in a culture too accepting of sexual harassment. For example, ‘What was she wearing?’ has become an attempt at an excuse for the perpetrator. Woman have been assaulted regardless of what clothing they were wearing. Often times, women get blamed for being assaulted or harassed, and this is only some of the stigma surrounding this issue. Freshman Bryn Valdez said “If nobody talks about [sexual assault and harassment] then nothing changes.” One way that Bryn thinks we can begin to solve this problem is by making it “more ill-thought of to be someone who does this…because at the end of the day, people still do it because they know they are not going to have consequences.” Sexual assault is an issue that has always been present, but it only occasionally gains exposure when people decide to talk about it. #MeToo is one way that awareness is being raised about sexual assault and harassment, we just need to keep the conversation going. An anonymous DHS student, thinks that #MeToo is important because it is showing people “how often it [sexual assault] happens…and how it can happen to literally anyone.” Unfortunately sexual assault is a recurring problem in our society and has been for a very long time. It can happen to anybody, at anytime, no matter the circumstances. The victim is not to blame. Maura Doherty-Demko of SASO wants young girls to remember to “Be strong. Be you. You have every right to be in your body and expect that… others do not touch you unless you choose it… know it is okay to call sexual harassment and assault out. Have confidence. Talk about sexual harass-
Seydie Coronado: from Costa Rica to Colorado
Cassandra Blau Women at DHS and across the country are speaking out against sexual assault.
ment… Make this world better. Create a new norm- and live it.” Sexual assault is a worldwide issue that won’t solve itself. #MeToo is only a start at remedying the problem. Like other news publications that have broke stories on sexual assault, El Diablo is an outlet for you to share your experiences with sexual assault or harassment. We welcome your voice,
Durango lacks passion for fashion ISAIAH DOWNING Reporter
Cassandra Blau Seydie Coronado grew up in Costa Rica and had a huge journey to where she is today as a teacher in Durango.
BRYN VALDEZ Reporter After moving to the U.S. with the promise of a more lucrative career, Spanish teacher Seydie Coronado reflects on her experiences, and how her life has evolved since. Coronado moved from Costa Rica to Durango with her former spouse and children in 1991, residing in Durango for the past twenty six years. “When I first moved to the U.S. I got really homesick. I didn’t drive and I didn’t really know English, even though I was a bilingual secretary. But after about six months, it got better,” said Coronado. When she moved to San Jose after graduating high school, she became a cycling race official, where she met her former husband, and then became a secretary. “Working in Costa Rica, I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. and take a cold shower because we did not have hot water systems. Then I had to take a bus to go to work at 7:00 am. I considered my life in Costa Rica easy, as we adapt to what we have to do. I did not take a thing for granted,” said Coronado. However, a year after getting married, Coronado and her husband decided to make the move to the U.S. “My former spouse would make a lot more money in the U.S. than in Costa Rica, and it was dangerous in the city with kids, so we decided to move,” said Coronado. At the time, Coronado was five months pregnant with her daughter, and had a three year-old son. After almost eight months of trying to get clearance into the country, Coronado found herself working as a teacher’s aide at Mountain
Middle School to get a teaching degree from Fort Lewis College. “There are many differences between the education systems in the U.S. and Costa Rica. One of them is that in Costa Rica, kids get a religious education. Another one is that they really want to learn and attend school. In the U.S., with the years that I have been at Durango High School, specially the last couple of years, many kids think they are entitled to education,” said Coronado. Costa Rican students have limited supplies, all of which they supply themselves. “[Students] take care of the school property although they do not have much.” The treatment of school property, was one of the many characteristics of American culture that Coronado was surprised by upon her arrival. “In the past, I have noticed self-entitlement from the American students. Students in Costa Rica appreciate the opportunity of going to school and self advocate when necessary,” said Coronado. Coronado recalled that in the absence of substitute teachers, students would start doing classwork regardless. They tutored each other and created a culture of community within their classroom. That aside, Coronado appreciated the opportunity to live in such a place as Durango. “I have established myself in Durango and I have a beautiful little family. I love my extended family at Durango High School: students, teachers and everybody in this school community. I love Costa Rica, but I consider Durango my home. I would never move back, just because I am truly happy here,” said Coronado.
email us at eldiablodhs@gmail.com.@ gmail.com or contact a staff member. If you or someone you know is struggling or needs help dealing with sexual assault or harassment, Durango SASO has a 24/7 hotline: 970-247-5400 (free and confidential), or RAINN has a national 24/7 hotline 800-656-4673 (free and confidential).
For three years in a row, USA Today has named Durango as the worst dressed town in America. But is there a difference between walking downtown and walking the halls? DHS students respond to this odd stereotype. “Sometimes it makes me upset walking down the street and seeing people wearing ugly things, but as long as I know that me and my friends don’t look like that, I don’t really care,” said Jr. Daria Robinson. One thing that bothers Robinson more than the way Durango dresses is the lack of nice clothing stores around town and in the mall. “We don’t have a Pacsun, don’t have a Victoria’s Secret, we have to drive a couple hours or more just to get nice clothes; or we have to buy them online,” she said. When asked if the title of worst dressed is fair to Durango, people seemed to respond the same. “Durango sucks at dressing. Everyone here looks like bums so we definitely deserve to be called that. Except me
of course, I’m fly,” said Jr. Lance Kemp. Kemp also thinks that DHS definitely fits into the stereotype. “I believe that the majority of people cannot dress themselves here, and our town influences it,” said Kemp. While it may seem like people don’t care about their style, many kids at the high school try hard to dress nice. “There are some weird looking people here at the school, and a lot of kids just don’t have style. Personally, I try to look fly everyday and usually succeed” said Senior Quelan Mestas. Mestas thinks the stereotype put on Durango is somewhat fair, he said “some people have swag, but a lot don’t. Like if you walk downtown, you will see people dressed like bums. But if you go to DHS or other parts of town it isn’t as bad.” Being the worst dressed town in America is a offensive title to some, but not to a lot of people. The difference between style differs majorly between age, and the high school is a great example of that. Daria Robinson states “Hopefully this will improve, I would be embarrassed for a fourth year in a row.”
Jenna Beckley “Sockos,” a combination of Socks and Chacos are a trend sweeping across the nation, and Durango has embraced this style.
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ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Zero tolerance, zero evidence
Restorative justice as an alternative to suspensions EMMA VOGEL Reporter
In the 1990s, ‘zero tolerance’ policies were created for school systems as a response to drugs, alcohol and other student behavioral issues. Throughout the last decade, the US Department of Education has directed schools to move away from zero tolerance policies, citing lower academic achievement, as well as socioeconomic and racial bias, as major concerns. Restorative Justice was implemented as a response and is being embraced more and more across the country. There is a fine line that stands between necessary corrections and unnecessary actions taken which harm student achievement. Hopefully, DHS can follow the national trend to reform its discipline policies. In the fall of 2017, Restorative Justice coordinator Saharah Thurston, along with help from La Plata Youth Services (LPYS) and the Restorative Justice Implementation Committee, began to establish a new restorative justice (RJ) program at DHS. “[Restorative justice] says [that if] you broke the law or the rule … we’re going to figure out how to repair that harm. Instead of getting suspended, you would have to repair that harm with whomever you did that harm to” says Thurston. RJ will possibly replace suspensions and rethink the disciplinary actions taken towards students who have violated the school code of conduct. Scott Smith, RJ committee member and community activist for La Plata Youth Services, reminds the community that RJ is less of a program and more of a philosophy. “Restorative practices focus on exploring what harm was caused, how to repair that harm, and prevent it from happening again. There is a higher level of accountability with restorative practices compared to traditional punitive discipline and suspensions” says Smith. Smith is helping to change the face of school discipline and lead students in the right direction not only in their decisions and actions, but in their mentality. “It’s a natural fit for the DHS community because it focuses on relationship, accountability, and developing positive character.” Says Smith. RJ is compelling students to reflect on how their actions will affect others in the community, not just themselves. The committee agrees that school wide suspensions are deferring students from valuable life lessons that can (and should) be learned from their mistakes. “My personal opinion is that out of school suspensions are ineffective in
both changing negative behavior and in and saying “forget it”. says Smith. educating students.” Says Smith. Time is crucial in this process, but When Durango is also educated on Smith believes that displacing sturegardless of the time it takes, RJ will RJ, students can more easily adapt the dents from the education zone actually make it’s footprint on the grounds of wholesome mindset that RJ stands for. makes the problem at hand and the DHS. “I hope that in the future we can get issues that the student is dealing with, “It is also important to note that it restorative justice into all the classworse for the student. takes time for these practices to take rooms at DHS, to where teachers are “I don’t necessarily think that kids hold. I think a needed step is educating using restorative language and really learn a lot from suspensions and I feel the whole DHS community about what connecting with students on a social that they have the opportunity to learn restorative practices are and what they emotional level” says Thurston. from their mistakes through Restorlook like, especially in the classroom” Restorative language initiates a non ative justice” says Thurston. Assistant Principal Amy Swartz, who has previous experience implementing RJ, represents the administration on the committee, and feels RJ provides badly needed support for struggling students. “It is a way for us to add an extra layer of support for our students, and it’s a way that we can decrease suspensions - like from five days to three, or from three days to one” says Swartz. Swartz has seen RJ work, and is hopeful that it will make a positive change in the lives of DHS students. “I have seen it work for students who are serious about wanting to change - it’s an exciting thing when it does work” says Swartz. It is not hard to see that the foundations of discipline policies in schools have not changed to reflect growing academic research on the topic. Jenna Beckley An anonymous DHS was recently Restorative Justice personalizes misbehaviors by reflecting on harms to the community. suspended and given the opportunity to participate in RJ; their take on the suspension is exactly what RJIP is trying to prevent. “You want to hear the real story? It’s pretty f**** up. I wasn’t high or anything, so like I wasn’t’ telling them Under the current suspension policy, “detention” for a period of time,” said that they could not search me because I students grades will not suffer unless the anonymous suspended senior. just wanted to get back to class right?” they fail to make up work. Teachers The idea is similar to an said the student. have to stay in touch with students to in-school-suspension, where students The student explains their three day keep them on top of school while at don’t attend regular classes but are substance abuse related suspension in home, and it’s often difficult for teachsupervised as they complete work in detail, and how it was not the best opers. school. DHS does not use in-school-sustion for discipline, or for the wellbeing “It creates more work on the teachpension as a consequence, so a sort of of their education. ers because we’re expected to send any detention after school and/or at lunch “It was really [messed] up because work to the students so they’ll have would serve the same purpose, with[the administration] was just suspendstuff to work on while they’re there. out creating extra work for teachers ing me for the thing I’ve been doing, I don’t think it’s an effective form of communicating with students being even though I’m just going to go home punishment. I think it creates such a punished. and do it again” said the student. burden on everyone,” said Jackson. Jackson had an entirely different The student takes pride in their Luckily, suspension seems effective proposal, instead assigning students school work, and feels like their suswhen looking at longer term results. community service. pension was an empty gesture towards “Suspension can be effective for most “I think community service would be the real issue. students. We are hoping there are no a much better alternative to suspension, “I’m not going to be in school, clearrepeat behaviors once suspension is for anything: for drug use, for fighting. ly, but when I am in school, I do my used. A very small percentage of stuIt should be supervised so that it may work, and I get good grades. They’re dents have repeat offenses,” said Hoerl. be rewarding, but not a fun thing. There not getting anything out of it, they’re Still, the various pitfalls of suspenare plenty of things out there; they just taking me out of school.” sion as a punishment, generally, cause can pick dog poop up off the Colorado Obviously, suspensions have seen students and teachers alike to question Trail. That’s community service, but not their time, and at this point in modwhether there may be more effective something that they would look forward ern day education, suspensions only alternatives. to doing,” he said. remove students from their priorities. “The only part of suspension that Suspensions make waves within the Consequently, Thurston is advocatreally feels like a punishment is writing school, from students’ peers to teachers, ing for any student’s ability to figure apology letters to DHS staff for someand at very least, often incite bilateral out how to repair the mistake that they thing I’m not sorry for. A more effective contemplations about their efficacy. made, instead of just getting suspended punishment would be a scheduled
Suspensions Continued from Page 1
Chemical weapons destroyer, shark fighter Science teacher Eric Jackson reflects on a wild life ELLA REYNOLDS Reporter
Prior to teaching, one of DHS’s many loved teachers, Eric Jackson, worked alongside the military with the first chemical plant to dispose and destroy chemical weapons, while experiencing many other eventful times. Mr. Jackson is a great educator (teaching Anatomy and Physiology, as well as the AVID program), but he also had a one-of-a-kind job before becoming the fantastic teacher he is. “My mother was a nurse on Johnston Island, and my work was slowing down, so my mother called, and I got the job, and that’s pretty much how it happened,” said Jackson.
Jackson and multiple other troops worked for Project JACADS (Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System) from 1992 to about 2004. There were chemical weapons that were stock piled for the military; the casing for these weapons was deteriorating slowly, so the chemicals were beginning to leak. Congress passed a law that wherever these weapons were stocked, they must be disposed of. It was determined to build the prototype plant on the small, remoste Johnston Island. It was a half mile wide and two miles long. The prevailing winds ensured that if chemicals leaked, they would go into the ocean, away from populations. A total of about 1,500 people on the slightly larger than one square mile
island at that time. It was hot, humid and isolated. “Our rooms didn’t have air conditioning, or phones, and we had communal bathrooms. It was rough, but payed for. Aside from that, the free dining hall made excellent food,” said Jackson. Planes would come in twice a week, to deliver supplies and passengers. A barge also came in once a month to supply canned goods and other supplies. One dramatic event that occurred on the island included a shark attack. “There was a guy who got bit by a shark, and I was involved in the rescue of it all,” explained Jackson. The island itself was a unique experience for him, and the men took part in many other engagements, such as
Jenna Beckley Jackson fondly recalls his time on Johnston Island, memorialized in photograph form. Johnston Island is located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean to the west of the Hawaiian Islands.
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spending time in the ocean for part of their off-time. “I got the opportunity to scuba dive, and got my scuba diving license, so that was fun,” said Jackson. “It was hot and humid, and rained quite often, and I didn’t really like that. And we didn’t have family around so sometimes we got homesick,” said Jackson. Sanctioned by the military, the job had strict regulations. “We weren’t allowed to have pets, and we weren’t too social with the outside world. But I met my wife there, and the rate for men to women was eight to one, so I feel really lucky. We worked sixty hours a week, Monday through Saturday, so we made good money. If you threw a punch or stepped on the runway without permission, you were out. You had to carry a gas mask everywhere, and if you were going to the plant you had to have an armed guard with you,” said Jackson. The island had an outdoor theatre, olympic size swimming pool and many other activities to keep its population entertained. Finally, after twelve years, project JACADS was finished. ”I was on the final plane out. Everything on the island was destroyed. All that’s left is the runway,” explained Jackson. “I would go back within a heartbeat. I loved working there. When we left, I was offered another job with the company, but I wanted to go back to more socialization, and I wanted to teach. I want to be a good teacher, and I want to be the teacher I wished I had when I was younger. I want to give kids a good education,” said Jackson.
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Feature 9
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT DHS custodians put in hard work after hours SAYLOR STOTTLEMYER Features Editor
There is no doubt about it; The custodial team of Durango High School puts in hours of work that goes unseen. This ranges from cleaning bathrooms and classrooms, to throwing away trash outside before bears get to it. Janitors are incredible behind-thescenes employees and they deserve praise from different people around the school, as well as an understanding from everyone about what they do for DHS. The head of the custodial staff, Carol Queen, facilitates 7 people currently, and she said that the custodial team is here from 6:30 in the morning from 11:30 at night. “[The hardest part is] probably coordinating with everyone, and all the teachers requests and the principals requests. The most tedious is picking up trash in the hallways and cleaning graffiti off of the lockers,” said Queen. Although Queen’s hours are specifically from 8:00am-4:30pm, she usually comes early and leaves late, based on the operations that need to be done around the school. “The current custodial team I have does a great job and works really well with the teachers. I would like to have more of them though!” said Queen. The janitorial team that was in the school on November 6th consisted of Carol Queen, Rick Medina, Cody Billingsley, Alex Delaney, Bill Farley, and Saysha Mustache. On a break between the day shift and the evening shift, they discussed what the most difficult parts of their job were. “People. Everyone being here at night, so for example Friday nights are usually the hardest with games, events, activities, and things like that,” said evening shift worker Alex Delaney. For Rick Medina, the most time consuming part of his job is cleaning the
classrooms because all the teachers requests are different, and while some teachers are really organized, others are not. “Some parts of our job are really hard, because for example in my wing (the commons and art wing), the ceramics class will have clay and paint on the floors that are really hard to clean up, and in Medina’s science wing, it is hard because of all the dissections and chemicals that they use,” said Bill Farley. The custodians then discussed a particularly difficult night for their staff, which was Friday, November 3rd. On this night, there was the opening of Troupe 1096’s production of Grease, a home football game, and a collection of events happening the next morning. It was a recipe for overload. “We had people running all up and down the hallways that shouldn’t be in there, and we can’t really do floors because there is too many people on them, and you can’t do bathrooms because every time we would try, there would be people in them,” said Farley. Having movement all around the school makes work extremely difficult for the custodians, because they cannot clean as well with people in the area. Another huge problem that the janitorial staff also has is making sure the outdoor campus is clean, because animals roam around the school when there is food available. “[With wildlife,] it’s been better the last two weeks, but we did have a bear problem before that. Three to four of them would come each night, and every time we put garbage out they thought that it was theirs, because it is packed full of food. Now, we have raccoons, skunks and foxes who are dangerous because they can be rabid. To deal with these issues, the custodial team uses big flashlights that give them an advantage of sight.
Cassandra Blau The custodial team at Durango High School works extremely hard and serves a multitude of purposes around the school.
“We just hope that they aren’t rabid,” said Farley. The custodial team does an extensive amount of work for the school. And people notice the effect. Both students and staff realize the work the janitors do in order for DHS to be a clean learning environment. Jr. Emma Hackett, Student Council member and three-sport CHSAA athlete, is really affected by the janitorial staff and all of their work they put into making the campus clean because of the amount of time she spends at the school. “They are really friendly and are more than willing to help out. They help with getting into rooms and getting supplies that you need. They also clean up for games and sometimes sweep the gym floors,” said Hackett. The custodial team also cleans classrooms
for teachers. Seydie Coronado is a Spanish teacher at Durango High School, and janitors always clean her room and make her classroom very organized. “The janitor is a very valuable person in my class. He comes every day and picks up trash from trash cans. He also helps me with vacuuming especially when my classroom is very dirty. If it is necessary and I ask him to, he also cleans my whiteboard...he is always available if I need a favor,” said Coronado. The janitors spend a lot of their time working around the school to make DHS clean and functional, and deserve more recognition. Many of their jobs are stressful, and even dangerous when it comes to wildlife, so next time you see a janitor, say thank you for being here when it is pitch black outside, and for putting in the work to make DHS a great school.
The Cre s cent City Ponderings from a visit to New Orleans LAYLA APODACA Reporter
“Knock three times on the slab and ask a favor. Draw the X, place your hand over it, rub your foot three times against the bottom, throw some silver coins into the cup, and make your wish.” But, it won’t come true. One of my guides gave us a little insight to the secrets of New Orleans. Here is where I realized this was going to be an otherworldly experience. New Orleans, the metropolitan area of the state of Louisiana, where deep fried dough was born and invigorating Voodoo rituals are performed. During my visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, I learned so many new things and gained so many new perspectives. The world as I knew it was totally different. Before I went to New Orleans, I did some background research to prepare myself for the visit. It currently has a population of 391,495 and is the 46th largest state in the US. At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States. The city is so multicultural and it’s not hard to see why. The cultural influences date to the French and Spanish colonial periods and the introduction of African slaves during the 18th century. Africans, enslaved and free, shared their cultures with American Indians and also had many encounters with European settlers. The city is often described as a Caribbean city and not as a Southern city, since the culture is so unique and distinct from other cities down South. The streets are small and the people are crazy. The amount of pedestrians is overwhelming, lots of people are dancing, singing, painting and sleeping in parks. Vegetation in Louisiana is a lot different than it is here. There’s amazing scenery of coastal bayous surrounded by thick, dense trees. Unlike Durango, there are no mountains, but it’s very lush. On the first day I toured the Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. In most places, people are buried underground and have a tomb stuck above their head. In the St. Louis cemetery,
the deceased are buried above ground. In stone crypts and mausoleums, the dead are placed in either individual, family, or society builds. The reason that the deceased are placed above ground is that the earth is extremely wet and the casket would float in a pool of water that resides underground. Only in New Orleans could cemeteries be major tourists attractions. Next, I took a tour of the Whitney Plantation. Our guide was an African American woman that was very passionate about her history and she gave me a whole new look at the dark part of history: slavery. We learned about slaves and their owners in school, but I saw what slaves had to do to stay alive. I saw the homes they lived in, beds they slept on in comparison to the luxurious lives of the plantation owners. The next morning my mom and I got up and and had the best biscuits and gravy of our lives, at Wakin’ Bakin’. Then we decided to go see the Mississippi River, since New Orleans is right at the curve of the river It cost $2 to ride a ferry across to Algiers Point, and on the other side of the river, my mom realized she had no dollar bills. So unfortunately, we got lost walking around Algiers Point looking for an ATM. On the final day, we woke up early, packed our things and headed to get breakfast on the way out of town. I had told my mom I wanted to save this one place for the last day because so many people told me I absolutely had to go there while in New Orleans. Café Du Monde, the original french market coffee stand. It’s known for its delicious café au lait and beignets. It was a long drive home, so we left after eating the yummiest donuts. Overall, New Orleans was a life changing experience. I had never been so far from home, and it was very different than the life that I’m used to. I’m curious about what else there is to see in New Orleans, because I didn’t have the chance to see all the beauty and culture it has to offer. After such an enriching trip, my family and I are planning another vacation to New Orleans so we can relive the time of our lives.
Layla Apodaca During her trip, Layla captured tropical fronds against a stormy sky contrasting the lively city.
Layla Apodaca Layla Apodaca A diverse city, Layla explored the streets of New Orleans and came upon an old dilapidated Having heard the Cafe Du Monde extolled, Layla saved the destination for last and photobrick and concrete structure. graphed her drink and their famous beignets.
November 2017
10 Feature
Making the grade: Teachers and students express ideal expectations of each other
Joey Mynatt Although Jr. Pablo Smagacz is showing his Demon pride, the journal showing his drawings are sometimes what teachers don’t expect from students.
GEORGIA MYNATT Reporter Everyone has a vision in our minds of what the perfect teacher looks like and it’s probably one that lets students mess around in class, is an easy grader and most importantly, never assigns homework. For teachers, the perfect vision of a student is one that always turns in assignments on time, acts like an adult, is never on their phone during class and never complains. However, neither of these visions are realistic. One of the biggest challenges that teachers face is when kids have a negative attitude in class. “It’s really hard for me to teach when my kids are always grumpy and don’t even try,” language arts and public speaking teacher Heidi Jordan says. When students change their mindset about something, it affects them as well as others around them in a positive way. Fr. Eliot Wright is in all advanced classes and works very hard to succeed. In order to do that he depends on teachers to make class fun and engaging. “For me, it is more effective when teachers make the content we are learning enjoyable and come up with creative, fun ways to teach it to us,” Wright says. Making an effort to get to know students also has a big impact on the way the students learn. So. Emma Fitzgerald says she loves it when teachers ask about her day or make an effort to get to know her outside of school. “It makes me feel like they want to teach me and overall, help me succeed,” Fitzgerald says. ”I also like it when teachers have a sense of humor. It makes them easy to relate to and takes the “teacher” label off of them. I feel like it’s easier for me to see them as a regular person.” Taking risks in class is hard for many students but it is something that teachers value. Jordan says she loves it when
students are not afraid of being wrong and are willing to experiment with different ideas and topics. “It’s great when students have an open mindset in terms of trying new things. If students dive into topics they are unfamiliar with and a little bit uncomfortable with, they will learn so much more,” Jordan spills. There are some things that Wright finds disruptive about his teachers, “I hate it when teachers chew gum in class, it bugs the heck out of me when they’re talking in front of the whole class and all you can hear is their gum smacking.” This is a shared opinion among students. Fitzgerald isn’t without her opinions as well, “When my hand is down it means I don’t know the answer to your question, but when my hand is up, it means I do know the answer. I just don’t get what part of that they don’t understand,” she says. Many students miss school due to sports and find it difficult to keep up with all their assignments. Jordan says that she wants to see her students demonstrate the responsibility of asking for their work ahead of time so that even if they don’t have it done when they get back, they at least know what has happened when they were gone instead of showing up and expecting her to stop her teaching to fill them in on work. “I was never an athlete and it is something I regret not participating in. I know that sports and team activities teach kids a whole different set of life skills that you can’t learn in the classroom so I understand when they miss school for sports. I just want to make sure they communicate with me,” Jordan says. Both students and their teachers value good communication, positivity, and open mindsets in the classroom. There seems to be a lack of communication and both the student and the teacher can reach out to close the gap.
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
School work OVERLOAD
Is the amount of homework too much for students? SAM JOHNSON Reporter
A few weeks ago, a girl sat in class, listening to the teacher, when the teacher brought up a 50 point homework assignment due the next day. The whole class started to mumble as the assignment would be more than one hour if done correctly and up to the teacher’s expectations, but one of the students just broke down. She started crying and left the room. Most high school students have been in the position where they are getting into bed way later then they should be on a school night. Some students function off of way less than the recommended amount of sleep because of homework, High School especially. Doctors recommend that teens get nine and a half hours of sleep every night, while the average teenager only gets seven. This can have multiple effects on how students perform in school, and the lack of sleep is due to several contributions. Lots of people, specifically older generations, bring up electronics. It is an easy place to put the blame as it is generally better understood by millennials than our parents and grandparents. But there is a deeper problem than that. Yes electronics can be a distraction, but the amount of work assigned to students is too much. Several students feel teachers do not remember that they have other time fillers then school. “School is a constant grind. There’s never any breaks. Beat Cortez in basketball on a thursday night, then get home so you can submit a paper by midnight. And then [the school district] wonders why students hate school so much,” Al Hurworth, a three sport and AP enrolled Junior, said,
Cassandra Blau The huge homework load put on the students of DHS typically incites stress and leads to other harmful effects like lack of sleep.
Apathy or burnout: LILAH SLAUGHTER Features Head With hints of the ‘real world’ descending upon them in the form of college applications, jobs, concurrent enrollment classes and other plans for after graduation, seniors are beginning to feel that high school falls at the bottom of their priority lists. Senioritis takes control. “Every year, second semester, seniors become ill with high fevers, sore throats and overall disinterest in school. Attendance suddenly becomes optional. Mommies call in great despair wondering where their children are,” said DHS counselor Deb Medenwaldt. A chronic disinterest in learning and attending Durango High results in persistent attendance issues and a generally sinking grades, and the counselors aren’t the only ones who’ve noticed. “Seniors just don’t care for the most part and have a very laid back attitude towards school,” said Sr. Ty Westcott. Sauntering through the hallways, seniors procure and bear witness to an impressive variety of dramatic sighs, the very least of growing disrespect to the institution indirectly, and unfortunately, the teachers indirectly. “The biggest issue I’ve seen in high school is the lack of care some teachers present in the classroom,” said Westcott, justifying students lack of motiva-
tion to show respect in the classroom. He’s among a populace of students who share the mindset that teachers no longer care about how students act in the classroom, and there is therefore no reason they should behave politely. The result is a snowball effect, catalyzed by lack of motivation to complete work, show up for school and engage respectfully while in attendance. For many, the only reason to go to school is to spend the precious remaining time with friends that will disband to the corners of the world (or perhaps the state). The best advice for students developing the disease is to hang in there and focus on the bigger picture of the future, especially how each student’s present will contribute to their own. “Seniors need to remember that life is much better after all college apps are submitted, then you can enjoy school and your friends before everyone scatters to the four corners of the earth. Have fun, graduate and remember the good friends and family you made here at DHS,” said Medenwaldt. However, some despair at the promise of another four years of school. Not surprisingly, even college seniors experience the desire to reach something better. “I felt like I was getting senioritis my junior year, but it keeps getting more real as graduation gets closer. I was just
Teachers often get upset at kids when they complain about school, but maybe they shouldn’t. So.Isaiah Downing said, “It seems to me that the school (teachers, school board, counselors, etc.) doesn’t want us to enjoy it. You’re advised to try and take AP classes with big time commitments of homework, play sports and join clubs, and be absolutely perfect otherwise they will get you in trouble at home.” Downing makes a good point about our course curriculum. Lots of students do not know how much homework is associated with each class, so we have guidance counselors to help us. They are supposed to be helping us succeed and push ourselves. But maybe they push us to hard. For instance, now AP classes are available and highly “recommended” for all four grades. There are high amounts of stress on students during High school, as students are trying to find who they fit in with socially, what sports and clubs do they enjoy, and what they want to do after it all. And the workload is not helping lower stress levels. Fr.and student council member Georgia Mynatt said, “I am constantly stressed out all day. I get home at around 7 o’clock on average, tired and hungry, and have to be able to finish two to four hours of homework and studying each day. I have no way to prioritize the work because every teacher thinks their class is the most important and expects their work done when I walk into the classroom. No exceptions. ” So is the high school challenging students too much? Several students think so, but most adults only think we are complaining even though we are capable of the challenge. For now it looks like we will have to buckle up and continue to strain ourselves.
Senioritis pandemic plagues students
Maddie Dearien Sr. Eli Fenton “peacing out” on the DHS community and education system for his final year as a student.
stoked to be done with high school so I could start college and now I’m just stoked to graduate so I have a degree,” said Fort Lewis College Sr. Max Ponce. So many students fall into the trap of waiting and working for something in the future, only to start the process again. Others seek an atypical path towards uncovering a bigger picture for themselves, where school and a cyclical sort of cabin fever isn’t the center of
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their worlds anymore. “After high school, I am going to travel abroad because I need to see the world before I know where my place in it is,” said Westcott. Until then, he and his peers will have to fortify themselves for the remainder of the school year (just under 130 school days), preparing for their next steps.
Sports
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
11
RUN DEMONS RUN
Cross Country Athletes Throwdown at State Championships JACK WHISTLER Reporter The Durango High School cross country team is a force to be reckoned with. Not only did they take first place on both girls and boys sides at the October 19th Regional Race at the Hillcrest Golf Course, but rounded off their season with a girl’s third place and a boy’s sixth place win at the Colorado State Championships in Colorado Springs on October 28th. Leading the girls team with a 15th place win overall was So. Kiara Hamlin. “My race went pretty well but it was rough for the first mile. I definitely depended on people on the team to support me, even just having people there cheering made me push harder,” said Hamlin. Kiara was followed by So. Madeleine Burns who took 20th overall and Sr. Martha Scott with 42nd. Just rolling out of her sophomore season Hamlin hopes to keep improving and being a member of the team. “Our goal this year was to get first at state which didn’t happen but I’m still really proud. Our team is very young and I think that we have a lot of potential going forward into future seasons,” said Hamlin. Fr. Maddy Persing, loved seeing everyone do amazing at state, and has high hopes for the next three years. “I want to get the teams who beat us,” said Persing, who went as an alternate to Courtesy of Don Scott the state championships. The lady demons hold hands as they wait for the gun at the cross-country state championships, the state title in their minds. After a highly successful freshman was happy that everyone was supportive bonding, it was a fun experience. Next building team, and racing hard. This season, Burns is now a force to be reckand we did what we needed to do run a year we’ll have a bunch of seniors and a season was the best combined perforon with in the cross country game. good race,” said Bodewes. lot of talented juniors and sophomores. mance at state in the last twenty years; On the boys side, Jr. Noah Bodewes Following Bodewes was Jr. Aidan The goal is to place higher than sixth, our program is ranked fourth in all of took 20th overall. Fitzgerald who finished 25th. but everyone knows the ultimate goal is 4A,” said McMillan. “I felt that it went good, definitely “We started out in a bad position, and to take a state win,” said Fitzgerald. Other teams haven’t seen that last could’ve done a little better. I felt really probably could have finished better. It Cross country coach David McMillan of this team. Cruising out of the season solid running out there. We started a was cool seeing my teammates on the was very satisfied with state competiwith a great performance at sate, the little further back, but we just started course and knowing that they were raction. young, talented Durango Cross Country picking people off one by one. As a team ing for all of us. The whole weekend we “We continue to be blessed with great team looks forward into a future of more we kinda performed like we were supspent up there was about the team and kids who are not afraid of hard work, posed to, we ran a good race together. I victories and a possible state win.
The red sea is ready to ski MORGAN MURRAY Sports Editor
When the weather turns colder and snow starts to fall, many students in DHS begin to prepare for one of the most anticipated times of the year: ski season. For many kids who were born in Durango or have lived here for a significant amount of time, winter sports have been integrated into their upbringing for years. This year, the upcoming season is instilling excitement in students from every corner of DHS, who are stoked to finally get back on the slopes after a long summer. Junior Quin Christ, has been skiing for 13 years. “Being in the mountains makes all the stress of everyday life fall away, and the focus that skiing requires keeps your thoughts from wandering,” said Christ. Many students like Christ use skiing as an outlet to relieve stress and channel their energy into something fun and active. Students eagerly await the arrival of snow throughout the summer and fall months, so they can finally spend time on the mountain with friends as much as possible. Senior Teagan Seiler also uses skiing with his friends as an escape from the headaches of everyday life. “When I put on my boots and head up to the mountain it doesn’t matter if I failed that test yesterday or I didn’t get that girl’s number, all that matters is that my world will be right for the next few hours,” said Seiler. For students like Christ and Seiler, ski season provides a challenging yet comfortable and fun environment to spend time with friends and put other negative aspects of life on the back-burner. Without this opportunity, many students would not have a healthy outlet during the harsh winter months when snow limits other outdoor activities in Durango. Skiing encourages students to stay active and have fun, which is both physically and mentally healthy for high school students. Students in Durango also often choose skiing as an outlet due to the unique local climate, which provides extended periods of snow starting as early as October and lasting well into spring. DHS also periodically declares snow days, which often means an extra day to hang with your friends at the local ski resort. Purgatory, being only 30 minutes
away and having a local discount, means many kids at DHS can easily go to spend time with friends and family on the mountain as often as they want. Additionally, more serious skiers are commonly found in Durango because of the amazing surrounding areas that provide easy access for training during the winter. Seiler also commented on the more athletic aspect of skiing. “The sport involves exploration of your limits and reaching your potential and progressing as much as you can,” said Seiler. Skiing provides opportunities for students to relax and have fun, yet also creates a competitive environment for those looking to advance in the sport. Other surrounding areas such as Telluride also provide easy access to a variety of different trails and competitions, which attracts students of all skill levels to the snowy mountains.
Jenna Beckley Senior Jenna Beckley smiles while on the ski lift at Purgatory Resort.
Courtesy of Quin Christ Quin Christ out adventuring during a ski day.
Maddie Dearien Lana Razma, Brett Rowland, Brianna Brown, Ali Snow, and Kylee Kose gather together during senior night.
Bittersweet goodbye to senior athletes BRIANNA BROWN Head Specials Editor
Senior Night at Durango High School is a big deal for those graduating and moving on. Almost all sports at DHS hold one which signifies the final play for seniors on their home field or court and the ending of their chapters as high school participants of that sport. Senior Night carries in the hearts of the seniors throughout the high school on their last moments together with their teams. They carry one another through the emotional night of one of their final games. “My experience on senior night was very exciting, I was able to play in front of our home crowd one last time. It was great to get a final win at home and to be undefeated on our home field the whole season,” said Sr. Gavin Mestas. For most, it is the game they will remember for a lifetime. They will remember the night along with their team and the special bonds they made. For others it will be the game itself- who they played, what the outcome was, and the memories made throughout that game. “We [volleyball] played cross town rivals, Bayfield, for senior night. Beating Bayfield on senior night was the combination of four years of morning summer workouts, open gyms, lifting sessions, practices and games to finally end our career proving that the dedication of our entire team paid off,” said Sr. Lana Razma. For a few seniors at DHS who plan to continue their career into college sports,
November 2017
senior night didn’t mark the end of their journey, but rather a pitstop along their path to their final destination. Regardless, it is an emotional roller-coaster through the entirety of the night. “It was an amazing experience to play during senior night and being able to look back on all the good time I’ve had through soccer with all the other seniors. It’s something I will never forget,” said Sr. Eli Fenton. Those who are not seniors still feel the impact from the emotional night. The underclassman generally are upset because a piece of their team is leaving. “Even though it was not my senior night watching this graduating class get recognized was very emotional for me. This senior class meant a lot to my team and myself so knowing this was one of the last times I was going to play with them was hard. I will miss each of the five seniors with all my heart and we will not be the same without them next year,” said Jr. Maura Fitzpatrick. All sports teams celebrate senior night in a different way. Ultimately the coach recognizes each senior as they walk in front of the crowd with their parents. “On senior night we lined up in front of the crowd while Vogt recognized us, we gave flowers to our moms and took a picture with Vogt. And playing on senior night was honestly just like playing on any other night. The crowd is really awesome every Friday night and they are just so much fun to play in front of and I’m going to miss it,” said Sr. Max Hyson.
12 Sports
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Meet the Coaches of Durango High School High School History- “I at-
BEKAH MOENNING Head Sports Editor
tended High School in Reston, Virginia. I swam and lettered all four years. I also participated but didn’t compete in gymnastics.”
College History- “I went to Be-
loit College for my undergraduate degree and I swam my first year of college.”
How/why did you become a coach? “I became a coach at DHS
Leo GarandWrestling Coach
All photos by Jenna Beckley unless otherwise noted
Alan Batiste-
Boys Basketball Coach & Boys Tennis Coach
Born- “I was born in 1981 in Tucson, Arizona and that is where I grew up.”
High School History- “I went to Santa Rita high school and played basketball all four years. I went out for football my freshman year and quit and since I’m not a quitter I went back out for football my sophomore year and finished the season.”
College History- “I attended
college at a Jr. college in California, then I transferred to Topeka, Kansas. It was a culture shock. Then I transferred again to Fort Lewis where I got my degree. I played basketball all four years.”
How/why did you become a coach? “I have always been good
with kids and I have always studied the game on a level of offense and defense more than just when I would play it so I felt like I had a good nac(sic) for being a student of the game. I just fell into it. After I was done playing I still wanted to be apart of it.”
What is it about Basketball? “It is a nonstop activity. There
Born- “I was born November 28th, 1964 in Fullerton, California.” High School History- “I
graduated in 1982 from Cypress High School in Cypress, CA. I wrestled, played football and ran track all three years at Cypress, and baseball for two.”
What is it about swim? “I am passionate about watching great swim races and putting in all the hard work that leads up to that point.” Courtesy of Smiles by Design
press and Fullerton Jr. colleges for two years where I wrestled and played football. I accepted a scholarship to Southern Utah University to play football and run both indoor and outdoor track.”
Danielle Phillis Girls Tennis Coach
Born- Born in Nashua, NH in 1986. High School History- “I at-
How/why did you become a coach?
“It’s kind of a family trait. My father was a coach of over 25 years and started me coaching at fifteen with him in youth sports. I looked at it as my way to give back to my community and society as a whole.”
participated in, and the seven that I have coached over 30+ years, wrestling is in my mind one of the greatest vehicles to teach young people about life, and deliver life lessons. It’s pure in the sense that it is you alone against all opponents, nobody to rely on, just your preparation and commitment.”
are so many different things you can do with basketball, it’s exciting.”
Dalon Parker
Girls & Boys Soccer Coach
Born- Dallas, Texas.
High School History-“Duncanville and Ovilla Christian; I played basketball, football, soccer and ran track.” College History- Attended
Ouachita Baptist University and Dallas Christian College and played college basketball and soccer.
How/why did you become a coach? “I wanted to help provide
an opportunity for youth to be apart of something bigger than themselves (Family). Give back what was given to me through athletics. I became a coach through my mentor who allowed me to coach tennis. The first sport I ever coached.”
What is it about Tennis?
“I am the tennis coach and I took on the job because I didn’t want a DHS sport to not have a coach. It was a blast and it helped me learn and grow as a coach.”
What is it about Soccer?
Courtesy of DHS Dance Team Facebook
Jackie Herring-
which makes it a lot of fun! It’s an ultimate team game, you can’t win without everyone on the court doing their job all the time. I fell in love with volleyball when I was a young kid and that love has never faded. I like being able to share my passion with others who have the same passion.”
because I felt that I had something to contribute to the sport and young athletes. I started with just coaching the boy’s team and picked up the girl’s team three years ago. After 7 years of coaching, I found that I enjoyed working with young adults so much that I decided to become a teacher.”
College History- “I attended Cy-
What is it about Wrestling- “Of all the sports I have
What is it about Volleyball? “Volleyball is so fast paced,
“My passion for soccer and all my sports is not the sports themselves but the kids that play for me. The sport is just a tool to help me relate to the youth and try to help guide them through this crazy world.”
tended the local catholic school, Bishop Guertin. I played for the varsity team all four years. We were state champions all four years I was on the team, and I won the state singles title twice, as well as the doubles single once (I had a triple crown my senior year). I played soccer and competed at indoor track my freshman year, but gave them up to focus on tennis after that.”
College History- “I attended
Villanova University where I competed on the women’s varsity tennis team. I competed in singles and doubles for all four years. I earned my BS degree in Biology with a psychology minor.”
How/why did you become coach? “I became a coach because
I love tennis, and I have coached at a tennis camp for 15 years. I was searching for a way to continue my coaching in Durango, and the perfect opportunity presented itself with the girls’ team.”
What is it about Tennis?
“Tennis is a truly unique sport, that can be played across one’s lifetime. It’s a sport that has given me tremendous joy in my life, and I am happy I have found a way to share it with others.”
Dance Coach
Born- Durango, Co.
High School History- “I
attended DHS and was on the Varsity dance team 3 of the years I attended DHS and was captain my senior year.”
How/why did you become a coach? “I applied to be the dance
Tim Fitzpatrick-
Girls Basketball Coach
Born- “I was born in New Jersey right across the Hudson River from New York City.” High School History- “I
attended high school in New Mexico and I was involved in basketball and soccer. My high school team won the only basketball state championship in the school history.”
College History- “I played basketball in college at Fort Lewis college and was inducted into the Hall of Fame there.”
coach because dance was so important to me through high school, it built my confidence and gave me motivation to succeed in school, dance, and in my personal life and I wanted to see the dancers now have the same opportunities I had.”
What is it about dance?
“My passion for dance has grown over the years because everyone can enjoy it, whether watching it or dancing themselves. I love watching my dancers confidence improve as they work hard and achieve their person and team goals: It’s really what has kept me so passionate about dance.”
Courtesy of DHS website
Colleen VogtVolleyball Coach
Born- Born & raised in Durango, Colorado. High School History- “Graduated from DHS in 2007, played volleyball and basketball.” orado College, graduated with a BA in Psychology and played college volleyball there. Amazing program, school, and people. Got my Master’s Degree through Grand Canyon University in Special Education.”
college in the summers and fell in love with it. They had a youth summer league here in Durango and my college teammate and I volunteered to coach one summer. I decided then to get my teaching certificate and become a teacher and coach. I have coached basketball here at Durango for 20 years. I also was the Head Boys and Head Girls soccer coach for a number of years.”
ketball and like to give back to the game that gave so much to me.”
Football Coach
High School History- Went
College History- “Attended Col-
How/why did you become a coach? “I started coaching during
What is it about Basketball? “I simply love the game of bas-
David Vogt-
How/why did you become a coach? I became a coach because
Thomas Joyner Swim Coach
Born- Born in Paris, France in 1965.
I love working with student-athletes, especially those at the varsity level, and helping them to not only become the best volleyball players but the best people they can be. It’s fun to build life long relationships and have an impact on their lives. Every life lesson, positive or negative, I have learned has been through playing athletics and I want my student-athletes to have that same experience. Plus, volleyball is the best sport there is!
El Diablo
to New Braunfels High School where he played football, basketball, wrestled, and ran track.
College History- He attended Texas Lutheran University where he played football for all 4 years.
How/why did you become a coach? “My Dad was a coach and I
grew up a coach’s son and around sports my whole life. So when I didn’t make it to the NFL I thought being a teacher and coach was the next best thing. To teach my player the life lessons I have learned from playing sports. You can learn so many great life lessons from sports from, self discipline, work ethic, respect, teamwork and the list goes on an on.”
What is it about Football?
“I think it’s the physical and mental, aspect of the game. You have to be tough, and smart to be successful. Go Demons!”
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Sports 13
Club athletes shred it, recieve no school credit
Maggie Maloney The Bella Dancers represent by showing off their trophies they won at one of their shows. MADDY GLEASON
Reporter
It’s no surprise that some of the most talented athletes in the state live in Durango, where sports are the center of attention. Olympic-bound mountain bikers and elite trophy-winning dancers walk through the halls of Durango High School every day. These individuals put so much effort into both athletics and academics. But how is it fair that these amazing athletes have a process to obtain PE credit for working so hard? Out of school sports deserve credit too - dancers, bikers, hockey players, and more. Sophomore Maddie Jo Robbins participates in biking during the school year, which she doesn’t get credit for. She also runs cross country and skis for DHS. If the sports program recognized how hard she works, she would obtain four credits by the time she completed sophomore year. “I wish the sports program would be more open minded. I think I should get the same credit as CHSAA sports,
Courtesy of Sophomore Maddie Jo Robbins Maddie Jo Robbins shreds one of the bike courses she competed on.
and we should be acknowledged the same way. They can be really helpful, but it would be great to get credit,” said Robbins. Robbins doesn’t slack off in any sport either. During the biking season, she won all five varsity girls competitions as a sophomore. So. Cobe Freeburn also does biking as a club sport, and doesn’t receive any credit for that. Freeburn bikes about nine hours a week and still maintains a 4.0 GPA. “I think the sports program as a whole is fine, but it seems to only benefit school sports, not sports that aren’t through DHS,” said Freeburn. Freeburn and other athletes miss a lot of school for these sports, and they come back from the competitions with lots of work and tests to make up. Missing a Thursday and a Friday can lead to a huge load of extra homework. Add another sentence here. “We work so hard and miss school for these sports, and the school can’t find a way to accommodate us and our credits into our transcripts,” said Freeburn. However, it’s out of the school’s control.
Adam Bright, DHS athletic is aware of these strong opinions the students possess. “Mountain biking isn’t a CHSAA sport so we can’t sanction it anyway, and we’re underneath CHSAA so if CHSAA doesn’t have it, we don’t offer it. But they can still get credit if they follow what counseling tells them to do,” said Bright. It’s debatable whether theses student athletes should have to take a fitness class to be able to acquire credit for their transcript. “I’d still like to see where they have to take a number of PE courses too, and I think doing this it’s kind of hurting the PE department. There’s valuable lessons to be learned by physical education classes, so I’d like to see some sort of accommodation for PE courses, as well as participating in a sport,” said Bright. Robert Aspen, Academic Advisor, facilitates credit for student’s transcripts. “I am on both sides, I do understand that it seems kind of ridiculous for someone who’s working out 3 to 4 hours a day, whether it be Nordic skiing, or gymnastics, to feel like they’re required
to take a PE class and get that, but I also understand the administration’s decision to streamline that process and keep it in house for those credits,” said Aspen. Despite attempts to include all activities, it all relies on the CHSAA organization and the ability of the school district to accommodate them. “Mr. Bright is doing a great job of adding new programs, but if it’s not CHSAA, it doesn’t fall under the domain of the sports program,” said Aspen “We’re sanctioned by CHSAA, and we pay to be a part of it, so we fall underneath their umbrella. So if it’s not part of their program, then that’s where we draw the line. And we’re a part of that organization, so if they don’t offer it, we won’t either,” said Bright. Despite the efforts to redeem credit for non-CHSAA athletes, it all comes down to CHSAA’ ability to include students in the sports program, and whether or not they fall under the umbrella. Although it is a seemingly long process, many students wonder: is the payoff even worth it?
Seth played with the varsity team last year, and is excited to lead this young team. “As a freshman, I expected to be in the shoes I am now. I knew I was going to be a leader, and would be one of the leading seniors” said Johnson. Seth had a quick transition to his upcoming season after not receiving as much playing time as a junior. He expects to play a big part in the team’s success. “It feels cool to see how much better I’ve gotten, and how much work I’ve put in this summer and fall. It really feels amazing” said Johnson. Alan Batiste, the varsity basketball head coach, has been coaching for 7 years at DHS. After a planned retirement from coaching last year, Coach
Batiste came back, and plans to stay. “My goal is I’m here to stay, and my wife has encouraged that, I plan to ride it out; But I don’t have plans to go anywhere” said Batiste. Batiste remains confident about the upcoming season, despite the loss of some big play makers for the Demons. “We just have to take it day by day, losing 11 seniors is a big hit for every team, but we just have to get better everyday in practice, and improve on our games while watching film” said Batiste. It may be the start of an unsure season, but this isn’t Batiste’s first rodeo. “My first year I had a team similar to this, a bunch of sophomores and juniors. So it’s kind of like a restart of my first year, just trying to build it up” said Batiste
The upcoming season for Demons Basketball is up in the air, but Seth Johnson and Coach Alan Batiste have confidence.
Boys’ basketball rebounds after heartbreak ISAIAH DOWNING Reporter
Durango High School remembers the heartbreaking loss in last year’s playoffs, in which the overtime game came down to a last second shot by Evergreen. Last year’s senior class held 11 varsity basketball players, who led the team to the second round of the state playoffs. After the loss of these star-seniors, the inexperienced team doesn’t know what’s next. “I expect us to heavily improve by the end of the season. We may struggle at first, but practicing and playing together will make us way better and experienced” said leading senior Seth Johnson.
Alyssa Robertson From left: Jr. Al Hurworth, Sr. Quelan Mestas and Jr. Martin Kuntz shoot hoops.
Student athletes take control of academics GEORGIA MYNATT Reporter
With the expectations and pressure that coaches, parents and teachers put on kids, it’s crazy to think they manage to get through high school. School is hard enough, and with sports stacked on top of it, it can be overwhelming. In the midst of their hectic lives, many students at DHS perform at a high level of athletics and although it may be hard, they still are able to meet and commonly exceed the grade requirements to participate in sports. “The key to ensuring I get my work done is to keep my phone away from me and not be distracted by it,” said Fr. Maddy Persing. It may be hard to admit for many students, but cell phones greatly hinder the amount of work that one is able to get done. “If you can control your urges to look at instagram or snapchat, you can get your work done a million times faster,” said Larson. Another factor that plays a role in limiting the amount of work you get done is the desire to be with your friends, go the football games, go out to lunch, and participate in other social activities. Larson made the varsity soccer team as a freshman and says she has learned so much about balancing her school work out with soccer. “I used to think it was the end of the world if I didn’t get to hang out with my friends or go to a volleyball game, but I’ve realized that getting your homework
done is so much more important,” said Larson. When students have to miss school for sports, assignments can pile up very fast. “Coming into high school as a freshman, I didn’t really know what to expect, so I never really talked to my teachers when I had to miss school. However, I discovered that communicating about the days you are missing and what work you have to do, is the most important thing when it comes to balancing out school with sports,” said Persing. An essential part in making sure you get your work done is communication. “The teachers and staff at DHS are very understanding when students miss school for sports and to make sure that stays the same, you have to communicate with them,” said Larson. Like Persing, she thinks it is one of the most important things you must do in terms of balancing out school with sports. As only a freshman, Jordan Woolverton not only made the varsity football team but also starts as quarterback for the demons. He says he feels a lot of pressure to do well and gets very overwhelmed sometimes. “I always remind myself that school comes before anything else, it’s hard when I get home from practice really late and then have loads of homework to do. It makes things a lot easier if I go into my homework with a determined mindset and simply just get it done,” said Woolverton. At DHS, coaches place a lot of im-
portance on their athletes’ academic success. Larson says that her soccer coach, Dalon Parker, always checks in with his athletes and makes sure they are getting the help they need with their school work. “He always makes sure we are keeping our grades up and offers support if needed,” said Larson. Persing says that her coaches, David McMillan and Brett Wilson, are very concerned about her academic success as well. “They offer us tutoring if needed and when traveling, they space out a block of time for us to do our homework usually in the hotel rooms,” said Persing. For all sports, athletes also have study hall after school on Mondays before
their practice. “It gives us time to get our school work done and it is very helpful,” said Woolverton. He also says that the time that coaches make out for school work is very valuable and it is important that you take advantage of that. “With our crazy schedules we need all the time we can get,” said Woolverton. The common goal for student athletes is to be successful in both sports and academics. That goal sometimes may seem a little hazy, but students have found that if you prioritize, communicate, and keep your distractions distant, you will be successful.
Cassandra Blau Taylor Dossey shows off balancing her school work with her passion of basketball.
November 2017
Arts
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
14
Photos courtesy of Roxie Mitchell Alexia Hoff REPORTER Photography isn’t just about taking pictures, it’s about widening your horizons and expressing yourself through art. All students have a voice and art is a way that they can get that voice to be heard. Photography is just one of the many ways to do it. Roxie Mitchell, the photography teacher at Durango High School, is there to help kids express their artistic ability through pictures. She gives the students “Everybody’s got a camera, and everybody can take photos, but how do you try to do something that’s new and different then what you’ve seen before?” Said Roxie Mitchell .
Digital Photography is offered in 2 levels at Durango High School: regular and advanced. Most students in this class come up with very original ideas, but that isn’t always easy to do. When a project is as-
signed, students have time to go places with friends or family and take pictures that are not only cool but also have meaning to the student. Photography class is about being unique and being able to stand out from the rest of the students, each student creates something different but none of the students incorporate others ideas. Many students at DHS who are taking photography and any other art classes available feel that it is something that they would recommend to other students. “I think most students would enjoy this class because they would get to express themselves in the way they want to with no judgements or fear of failure” said Caydance Wilson, a freshman in the class. This class gives the student freedom to take photos of whatever they please and edit them the way that they see fit. Students are welcome to take photos in and outside of school. “Photography is something that I really enjoy because I pretty much get to do whatever I want with my pictures and
edit them however I feel is the best way” says Layla Apodaca. Every student has their own style of artistic expression, and what the
El Diablo
teachers want them to accomplish is to be able to use that art as a skill to incorporate in any job they might have in the future.
Sponsored by:
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Arts 15
Holiday Edition Compiled by Afton Mann and Emma Jaber
Positive
Negative
Misc.
Our Advice
Rating
On a scale of 1-5
food 11th Street Station
MOVIES Thor: Revenok
TV Show Stanger Things 2
Hot GOssip Are Selena and Bieber back together?
WOmen’s Fashion Patagonia Pullovers
Men’s Fashion Thrasher Hoodies
sports World Series
Music
There’s a range of food options with very nice seating areas. Essentially a flat-out comedy disguised as a comic movie. It brings up a lot of diversity between fiction and reality.
The lines can be long, food takes a while, and outdoor seating is hard to find if it’s cold. Very differnt from previous Thor movies. This show is addicting and you evenntually have to wait for another season to come out.
They’re as confusing They were a solid as taking an AP Calc couple for a long time, and have known test. At one second, eachother from a very they’re apart, and the next they’re back. young age. An easy item that you can quickly slip on when you’re cold. Looks good with a any type of pants. Make sure to pairsome sick skate shoes with it! First time the Astros have one in franchise history.
Without Warning -21 Savage
21 Savage has climbed to the top of artists.
Winter fun Gingerbread Houses
A good squad bonding experience.
They’re expensive, and sometimes you can overheat in them. You can’t pull it off unless you’re a skater.
It’s at the beginning of NBA season so nobody wants to watch it. This guy is crazy, but there’s no negatives because he’s crazy awesome. They fall apart easily, and it’s hard to make some good homemade gingerbread.
It replaced an old smoke shop.
This is the third cinematic installment of the Thor series. The cast is made up of very young actors. Justin is two years younger than selena.
Made from quality sheep fur. JOKESSS they’re vegan.
All the skate gods wear these.
The first world series was in 1903.
21 Savage is only 25.
Go here if you are in need of a new place for food! Watch this if you are a fan of Gaurdians of the Galaxy.
Watch this quickly so people don’t spoil it for you. We’ve got nothing. Friends or more than that? If you live in Durango get one, or you’ll be kicked out. Keep trying to be cool kids.
Watch this with your Dad and make his day brighter.
Listen to this if you want to get pumped up.
Make ginGongerbread gerbread housed originated from the folk Hanzel houses and throw away and Gretal. your pumpkins.
Tiny room concert featuring Ben Debelina
GWEN STODDARD Online Head Editor
Ben Debelina is a Junior at Durango High School that has been involved with music for many years, whether through the school or his success in being chosen to play for the San Juan Youth Symphony. He plays the bass and ukulele and let the El Diablo get a sneak peek at his Ukulele playing skills at our debut of the new series “Tiny Room Concerts” which features local students and their various talents, including music, poetry, fashion, and beyond.
Q: What inspired you to start your music career? A: I really like music, but ultimately it was my parents who told me to start playing music, and they signed me up for lessons and music camp and I eventually got really into it too because it’s super fun and Durango has an awesome music community.
sense, I’ve been taking lessons with Jessie Ogel for almost as long as I’ve been playing bass, and I learned a lot through that. The band Cage the Elephant has also had a big impact on my music life.
Q: Do you think you plan on pursuing music as a career or as a hobby in the future? A: At the moment it’s a very consuming hobby that takes up a lot of my time, I will by the end of the year be playing in two jazz bands and three orchestras which takes up a lot of my life, I’m not sure I can pursue it as a career just because that industry is so competitive, something I’ve been really interested in recently though is sound design, because you still get to experience music and the community.
Check out the full story and link to the video of Debelina showing off his talents at our website: Eldiablonews.com. If you’re interested in participating in Tiny Room Q: What would you say your favorite piece Concerts, please contact us at eldiablodhs@ gmail.com. of music is? A: I love “In One Ear” by Cage the Elephant, it’s a lot about rebellious teenage experience and how it has inherent meaning, even though people say it doesn’t, and I’m not a very rebellious teen but I can connect to that message.
Q: Who has been your most impressionable person throughout your music experience? A: Honestly I learn a lot from teachers, which makes Gwen Stoddard
November 2017
Junior Ben Debelina poses before his Tiny Room concert.
Arts
16
Troupe 1096 presents: NATALIE BIERY Reporter The epic romance between two high school students makes its way into the Demon’s theater this fall. Sr. Curtis Salinger (Sr) and Jr. Sophie Hughes (Jr) take the stage as the leads Danny Zuko and Sandra Dee. The classic story is about a young girl, Sandy, who moves from Australia and meeting the charming and pleasant Danny Zuko. Only to have Sandy realize that this was not the real Danny and he was really a greaser. But as all love stories go, they fall in love and end up together. Salinger and Hughes do a wonderful job displaying the film, and making it a new experience for viewers by rearranging the songs, and letting people we know producing. Senior Curtis Salinger explains what it’s like coming into his senior year and ending his last year with a bang. “If there’s one thing I want to leave with as a senior, it’s a hope that I’ve inspired someone at some point” says Curtis. “Whether it’s inspiring someone to do theatre, or to do something that they’ve been wanting to do, or inspired a thought in someone.” Grease is an old time classic that is being told by Troupe 1096. Rizzo
is played by Jenna Szczech, Frenchy is played by McKenzie James, Marty is played by Siena Widen, and Jan is played by McKenzie Belt. The male characters are played by Micah Hwang who is playing Kenickie, Doody is played by Braden Helfrich, Roger played by Athen Garza, and Sonny is played by Colson Parker. Grease is very different from the other plays DHS have produced. “Grease is a lot different than anything I’ve ever done, especially during my highschool
If you missed Grease, make sure you look out for tickets to Troupe 1096’s next production of The Crucible.
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
ing the original characters “I think the actors did a great job playing the characters and creating the story, it worked very well ” Said Mata. The students at Durango High School enjoyed this fun romance, and can’t wait to see what the theatre has planned for the rest of the year.
career.” Says Salinger, “I’ve never done a really fun dance show before. This is very much carried by its upbeat fun dance songs which I really enjoy.” The students at DHS have noticed the difference in the play, and how hard the actors work to make it a great experience for the audience. “Overall I think it was amazing!” Said Jr. Riley Mata. “You could tell every single student in that play was dedicated and wanted to be doing what they were doing” She also talked about how the actors did portray-
Photos courtesy of Haley Szczech
Music under the microscope:
One student’s take on DAMN by Kendrick Lamar
RAMON PEREZ Ads Editor The album DAMN is the culmination of Kendrick Lamar’s work; with intense vocals, eccentric beats, it is not to be soon forgotten as Pitchfork music magazine reviewed, “A widescreen masterpiece of rap”.
According to Rolling Stone, DAMN sold 603,000 copies in its first week of availability Lamar begins the album with a young Kendrick narrating his death, a monotonous nasally voice recites in such a way that the listener feels what Kendrick is experiencing psychologically. As the album progresses, the songs and their subjects become less morbid and hyperbolic: LUST, an intricate beat that begins in reverse accompanied by surreal diction is followed by LOVE, a slower song where Kendrick is pouring his heart out to who owns it.
The somber toned - almost crying - vocals of PRIDE transform into the tempered HUMBLE with Lamar yelling at the mic. Kendrick goes from living in FEAR, reciting his anxieties as a teenager “I’ll probably die anonymous/I’ll probably die because that’s what you do when you’re 17.” to feeling like a GOD, and rather than be defined by the BLOOD that runs in his veins he shows who he is from his DNA. This is where Kendrick thrives - he is an excellent storyteller - by showing progression of character and morals, he is subliminally calming down over the course of the album. From the fiery beat of DNA and the vivid imagery of HUMBLE to the poetic justice of FEAR and the symphonic choirs of DUCKWORTH, Lamar takes a path of maturity throughout the duration of the album. In his recent albums Lamar has shown a great concern over subjects that some may consider hard to tackle. He has bewildered critics with his powerful words and brass instruments in To Pimp a Butterfly., spitting in racism’s face with a certain intensity that is unattainable by other rappers. He has cried for the people of Compton in his (arguably) debut album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. city”, showing America the true national issues that are being completely overlooked. In DAMN Kendrick is speaking to America and it’s justice system, the beginning of the album begins with a blind woman, who has lost something and can’t find it. When Kendrick offers his hand in help, he is shot, presumably by the blind woman. This blind woman represents Lady Justice; Kendrick is using her as a metaphor to explain that Justice has lost her way. Lady Justice used to turn a blind eye to race, origin, and ethical orientation; She only weighed the crimes done. But now, Justice has lost her scale, and uses her eyes to come to a verdict. Not only is Lamar speaking to America, he is also telling a beautiful story in this album, that of a young black male growing up without his father. With the polarity of each song and their names, he is describing what is going on in young Lamar’s mind. LUST and LOVE are put directly next
to each other on purpose, the songs are so different from each other yet they are on such similar subjects; it’s to show their mental pulls on Lamar, this is why during the first half of the album the fast-paced songs are LUST and FEEL while in the latter half the more exciting songs are HUMBLE and GOD. Kendrick is changing his viewpoint! All of these songs and stories lead up to the final song , DUCKWORTH, the finale of the album. A beautiful beat, vocals, recitation, and a sample from Ted Taylor tell the ballad of Anthony and Ducky. Anthony was a classic hustler, “His family history: pimpin’ and bangin’ He was meant to be dangerous” Anthony got in the big leagues at a young age, “Seen his first mil twenty years old,” Conversely, we have Ducky; A man that has a woman and child at home, working at KFC and taking his kid out in the Seville on weekends. The story tells of how Ducky did what
El Diablo
he needed to do to get on Anthony’s good side as he was dangerous; And how it saved his life, this let Kendrick have his father AND a record producer (Anthony ended up publishing Lamar’s debut album “Section 80” from Top Dawg Entertainment). The song ends with the lines: “Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin’ life While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight” When Lamar says “gunfight” he is interrupted by a gunshot. The same gunshot that kills young Kendrick in the beginning of the album, as the audience is left with the silence of death, they are taken with Lamar back to the blind woman, where he is to be judged.
Cover art by Vlad Sepetov
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Specials 17
Humans of Durango
Looking into the lives of local Durangotangs
CHLOE RAGSDALE Reporter
Every individual has a unique story, one that sets them apart from the world but also helps to make the community a better, stronger place. Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, Humans of Durango is a collection of photos and stories from the everyday citizens that make our town the community it is today.
After living around the Four Corners for the past ten years, Scooter and his dog Copenhagen, or Cope, said he isn’t fond of Durango’s legal system, but greatly enjoys the people and the wet weather. “My mom always told me make sure yourself is taken care of, and second to that would be my dog. He eats before me, though.”
My neighbor, Laszlo, is a very intriguing man. Born in Budapest, Hungary and a witness to the raging conflict between the Soviet Union and the Nazi Party, Laszlo is an avid mathematician and computer scientist, and also a retired professor at Fort Lewis College. I inquired, “What’s the best advice anyone has ever given to you?” He replied in his thick, Hungarian accent, “My father always told me two things: the two most important things in your life are good health and American citizenship.”
I started to discuss my ideas for this story with these two, and immediately he went up to his mom. “He’s being shy” she said. I asked her what the best advice she ever received was, and she responded with, “I think maybe when I was first a mom and everyone gives you a lot of advice, someone told me to just trust your instincts and not listen to anyone else, and just trust what you think is best.”
I could tell these two were really great friends. I asked them, “What’s one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self?” The woman with the blue scarf replied, “Don’t marry the first guy that comes along!” We all laughed. The woman in purple said, “Get out of self more, and help others. Instead of just being so self-involved, it’s all about me, me, me, me, me, and think of other people. Be more empathetic to other people.”
My dad told me that he had seen this man sitting outside with his three-legged dog, Kiana, everyday, smiling and waving to the people that walked by. In our conversation, we discussed his house, which he had lived in all his life, his time in the Navy, his love for his strong-willed Rez dog, and their time helping others in therapy. He had a hard time answering the troubling question of advice, so he replied with this: “Let’s put it this way: I would imagine, and I can’t recall exactly what it was, but probably the best advice I’ve ever received, I probably ignored, and it was probably to my detriment.” We ended the interview with a hug, and a promise of an El Diablo newspaper.
After living in Virginia, San Diego, Idaho, and Oklahoma, the owner of the rising company, Larry’s Electric LLC, says that his advice to his younger self would be to “go to tech school.” He also said that the most important advice that he’d ever received was, “probably work, always stick with stuff.”
I met this man after I had accidentally dropped my pencil and he picked it up for me. A passionate libertarian and Buddhist, we discussed issues in teenagers today, suicide, self-worth, “attitude of gratitude”, an individual’s responsibility in society, and El Diablo itself. The best piece of advice that he would give to citizens of Durango would be to, “be open to what you see, because you don’t know why people, it’s like what we had right there, you don’t know why people do certain things.”
This family has been living in Durango since 2001. I asked them, “What advice would you give to your younger self?” The dad said, “Travel more.” The mom said, “Give your dreams more time.” Their son didn’t have anything to say, since he was presumably still his younger self.
All photos taken by Chloe Ragsdale
This mother and her daughter were found skipping down the road, hand in hand. I asked the daughter, “What is the best advice your mother has even given you?” She was shy, and didn’t respond, but her mom added, “Just be yourself. Be happy to be yourself.”
Demons Advocate: helpful advice from your favorite demon CAROLINE KNIGHT Head Editor
How do I tell my friend’s mom that I love her? Don’t!
How do you handle someone blowing vape in your face in class?
In my experience, a simple “stop breathing on my face, please” has been pretty effective. The fact that this is a relatable issue is kind of startling, so Vape Lords, it’s time to cool it. I get that everyone needs a hobby, but I don’t care that you just got a new juice flavor, please vape in your own face.
How do you censor yourself around people uncomfortable with cursing?
Picture this: you’re sitting in the car with your boyfriend and his mom, whom you’ve only met recently, and you drop a fat f-bomb. You quickly realize your mistake, and censor yourself with a “sh*t!” She is horrified. If you’re like me, your parents haven’t corrected cursing since 6th grade, so it’s all but impossible to turn off, even around your new boyfriend’s stranger mom. Here is some advice from wikiHow: Ping yourself with a rubber band every time you swear, thereby training yourself (like a dog?) to watch your mouth. Pretend your grandmother is always within earshot (I’m sorry Nan) Replace swear words with harmless substitutes (For example: I can’t believe I failed another ducking Calc test) In all seriousness, if someone is uncomfortable with you cursing around them, for religious reasons or otherwise, respect that and think about what you say before you say it, with the expectation that they’ll be understanding if you slip up every once in awhile. Grandma will appreciate the effort. Disclaimer: While this column does contain awesome and solid advice, it does not reflect the views of the entire El Diablo Staff nor of the DHS student body, just those of a teenager.
November 2017
All questions answered are real submissions from DHS students. If you have a question for the Demon’s Advocate to answer, or would like to comment on the column above, please email ELDIABLODHS@gmail.com.
ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Specials
18
The first change I would make as principal
SAYLOR STOTTLEMYER Features Editor
What I would do as principal... Leroy Sanchez (Math Dept.): “For the Math Department, I would introduce current technology for all the students. The current TI-84 calculators are already out of date, and teaching could become faster with the aid of better technologies including chromebooks or some other computer source.”
Leigh Gozigian (Social Studies Dept.): “I would provide the social studies department with sets of laptop computers for each classroom that would just stay in the room.”
Kristen Barth (Language Dept.): “In a school in Utah, they don’t schedule classes certain days and in the afternoons so that students and teachers can go skiing. I would immediately institute that. More realistically, I would have a block schedule, because I don’t like the idea of having 7 classes every day.”
Sasha Creeden (Science Dept.): “I would continue the work Hoerl is doing to connect the school grounds with the campus by improving river and trail access for students. I would also install new drinking fountains that you can actually fill a water bottle at. Oh, and of course, shorten the school week to 4 days. This would mean less school missed for student athletes and kids in activities due to travel.”
So. Isaiah Downing: “The first thing I would do as a principal would be to re-do the main basketball court with new floors, paint, etc. because they are very dusty. [Also], we spend two million on Wi-Fi and still can’t use Snapchat?”
Sr. Natalie Miner: “If I were principal, I would make school start later, maybe around 9:30. Getting enough sleep is nearly impossible for high schoolers. A lot of kids skip breakfast too, which is really unhealthy. I am a firm believer that breakfast is essential!” Jr. Benjamin Bates: “I would not schedule teacher staff meetings during study halls for student athletes during Monday afternoon’s. Also, most coaches are also teachers in the building; as a result study hall is not monitored. So to answer your question...As a principle, I would reschedule a new day of the week for teachers to meet together, that wouldn’t conflict with the study hall times.”
Fr. Ruth Holcomb: “The first thing that I would do as a principal is institute a homework policy saying that we could only get a certain amount of homework every night!” All mugs taken by Joey Mynatt
What I do as principal currently...
Mr. Hoerl (Principal): “[My first priority] is forming positive relationships with students, staff, and parents. [Our primary focus] right now as a high school would be literacy. We want to ensure that every student that leaves DHS can read, write, speak, and listen at a high level.”
Demon of the day, featuring DHS teachers
Maddie Dearien BRIANNA BROWN Specials Head Editor This issue, for Demons of DHS, is featuring Adrianne Genette. Dr. Genette has a PhD in English and brings to her classes challenge and rigor. She teaches English 121, English 4 and English 3 at Durango High School. She is new to Durango High School this year and students enjoy her teaching style and the positive energy she brings to class each day. Dr. Genette is intense, but is very helping and understanding of students and the different levels they are at in writing. Is this your first year teaching? If not,
how many years have you taught prior to teaching at DHS. This is my first year teaching high school. I have been teaching since 2006 when I started my PhD. Since then, I have taught college courses at Brown University, CU Boulder, and Front Range Community College. I did teach a concurrent enrollment class at a high school in Longmont, Colorado, which got me thinking about teaching high school. What brought you to Durango? I was very interested in this community because it seemed to have all the amenities of the Front Range but with a more relaxed atmosphere. When I visited for the job interview, the staff made me feel very welcome. I was inspired by how much they cared about the students and their school. Where did you go to college? I did my BA at the University of Colorado Boulder. I have an MA from the University of Sussex in England and a PhD from Brown. Tell me about your treacherous journey to getting your PhD.. There were parts of the PhD that I loved, such as the coursework and teaching. It was such a privilege to be able to discuss literature with other people who Edtools loved it as much as I did. The hardest part was writing the dissertation, because it required long hours of solitary research and writing. I was lucky to have a very supportive advisor. Even though it took much longer than I thought it Name: would and was harder than I imagined, I
have no regrets! How did you decide you wanted to be a teacher? I remember the day I decided to go to grad school to become a teacher. I had been working for a few years after college, and I realized that I wanted to share my passion for literature with other people. What is your favorite thing about teaching? I love the “a-ha” moments when students have breakthroughs in their reading and writing. I also like helping students who face challenges outside of school. I did not have the easiest time growing up, so I try my best to be empathetic with others. Why did you decide to teach English above all other courses? I have always loved reading and writing; I used to stay up past my bedtime reading with a flashlight under the covers. I have always known that my future would involve literature, and it is such a joy to be teaching it now. What is your favorite thing to do outside of teaching? Tell me about that… I am a total gym rat. I’ve done every type of weightlifting from powerlifting to Olympic-style. I’m not very good at any one type, but I love learning new techniques. It is very empowering as a woman to walk into a weight room and be able to hold your own. It took me a long time to discover this, because I was terrible at sports growing up. I was literally always the last picked for teams in gym and could not even catch a ball to
save my life. I ended up in a weight room by accident one year when I was injured from running, and have never turned back. Tell me an interesting/memorable story or experience that we could use to get to know you better, something that describes your personality. I have always admired my dad, and when I was 16 I especially admired one of his plaid button-up shirts. This was in the grunge days when kids wore those kinds of shirts tied around their waists. My dad refused to give me that shirt because he knew I would ruin it by sitting on it. One day, he came into my room with the shirt and said I could have it on one condition; I could only wear it if I was making good decisions. He said I had to figure out for myself what that meant. I wanted to make him proud and be able to wear the shirt, but I never ended up wearing it. Every time I made a decision I asked myself -- “Is this good enough?” I decided that I could always strive to be better. Many years later, when I was managing a restaurant after college, my assistant manager was going through a tough time. I decided to pass on the shirt to her so that she could empower herself to make good decisions. When I told this to my dad, he clarified that he always wanted me to make decisions for the right reasons. While we don’t always know the outcome of our choices, we can control our intentions. Since then I have tried to honor him by
Date: for the right reasons. making decisions
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ELDIABLONEWS.COM November 2017
Specials 19
Q&A: students’ experiences with being objectified GRACE SWANSON Reporter
Responses by Senior Teagan Garand: Especially in high school, on a day to day basis what do you have to deal with regarding the way men treat you? In my weight training class boys will say stuff calling you a b**** or slutshame girls, I think that it’s your body and it’s nobody else’s business. A kid didn’t think I could throw a ball and made a bet with this kid, he said if she can’t then you have to do ten push-ups. He genuinely thought I couldn’t throw it, I threw it and my friend caught it. Things like that, like girls can’t play sports or throw a ball. How do you have to change your lifestyle or simple tasks like walking down the street based on men’s actions? I usually look at the phone or call someone if walking past a group of people I feel uncomfortable with. I also put my keys in my hands. When I’m at work and closing, I lock the doors. If I’m going out and I’m wearing a skirt or something, I bring a jacket to cover up. Why do you think this issue hasn’t be addressed fully? There are people who will speak up and say something, but some boys don’t care, they’re still going to do what they have been doing. Even those boys know that it’s not okay but they continue to do it because they think it’s cool or it’s funny. It’s a natural way to think, well it’s not natural, but they are conditioned to think like that in middle and elementary school. A popular term is f-boy, how do you define that and what experiences have you had around that? A guy who is just in it for other things. I run into boys who are like, “Oh you’re so pretty and different and I want to hang out with you.” You can tell when a guy is just trying to get what he wants rather than be with you. Heading to college next year, how do you feel about these statistics? 1 in 4 women in college has a chance of being raped. I actually knew that fact, I bring my own cup to a party, also to put my finger over an open drink. It makes me really sad hear those statistics and knows that could be me, it’s just something that I shouldn’t have to worry about, but also makes me cautious, always having a friend with you. Through viewing media nowadays, how do men display women and how does that make you feel? Growing up how did that affect you? There are these pages on Instagram like college babes with big butts and boobs, men display women on social media as the curvey perfect type. I got bullied for not having the biggest chest, just body shaming me but once I got to high school and started playing sports honestly I didn’t care anymore. It makes me really sad since I learned to love and accept myself to know that other people haven’t come to that stage. Most guys view women as something as sexual desire instead of an emotional connection. Responses by Senior Joe Lawton: As a kid in high school, what type of things do you see on a day to day bases with the way men treat women? One of the biggest things that I see that bugged me, is just straight objectification, talking about girls like how you describe a car. Freshman year there was still a divide between genders and I saw it a lot more than just realizing that they’re people and not things. Have you ever been influenced by your friends or peers to act a certain way towards girls? I remember upperclassmen asking, “Who is the hottest girl in your grade?” That’s not a really fun question to answer, but you still do because it’s upperclassmen.
How do you feel about these statistics? The highest number of estimated raped victims a year is 1.3 million in the U.S. alone. It doesn’t shock me, sexual abuse is a gigantic issue, It’s systemic. I’ve known people through high school who have been assaulted, it’s a scary thing to talk about, which is why people
you into acting a certain way towards women or affected the way you view them? I have heard men around me say these things since I was a kid. A lot of my peers in highschool that was the mentality, when the President says locker room talk, he is not lying-that is how it sounds. I always butted heads
Maddie Dearien Senior Mira Joyner takes a stand against those who have been objectified. Striking tis pose to encourage other women to stand with her.
probably don’t talk about it. Every time I hear about it is just soul-crushing. Do you think misogyny is learned? With the media nowadays how are women portrayed? I see a lot of objectification with media, the first thing that comes to mind is a Hardees commercial during the Superbowl, they had a supermodel sexually eat a cheeseburger, it was borderline pornographic, and little kids are watching this. Someone once said that women wearing provocative clothing are like if you left your bank open and someone robbed it, whose fault is it? Can you react on that? That is a bull***t excuse for a larger issue. That’s saying you’re not wearing a bulletproof vest you deserve to get shot. That is an ignorant and short minded answer, it’s taking the victim who deserves to be supported, and putting the blame on them. What can we do to move forward? Solving an issue as deeply systemic as this is going to take a lot of time and effort. Generally, women are portrayed as lower class citizens. I think the first step is correcting education of the youth, kids as soon as they’re old enough need to be taught to think respectfully. It’s a societal issue and only society can solve it. Responses from an anonymous male teacher: How do you feel about people talking about their experiences with sexual assault, through the #me too awareness and celebrities like Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein and more? It is incredibly important people are speaking out, this isn’t anything that is new in our society. Right after Harvey Weinstein we had George W Bush, Kevin Spacey, and others who have had allegations against them for a long time, like Woody Allen. They haven’t been necessarily held accountable for that, the only thing that makes a change is when people speak out. Looking back on your high school experience, have your friends ever pressured
with those folk. What I most regret is not saying anything to them, maybe I in a roundabout way was participating by not saying anything. How do you feel about these statistics, Every 98 seconds in the United States alone someone is raped and 54% of rapes are not even reported? Those numbers are conservative estimates too, because most sexual assaults are underreported. People are pressured into not saying anything, or they’re in a domestic relationship that is not healthy and they’re not allowed to speak out. What is your experiences with men objectifying women? I remember arguing with friends about catcalling women. One time I was staying in a hotel and heard a couple fighting next to me and called the police. When I try to speak to the women they don’t want to hear it, whether it’s not my place to say that or that they’re just trying to make excuses. I wish I would say more not with just gender but with race as well. My silence is consent to what they say and do. What did your peers look for in high school when finding a girl? A lot of men, whether they realize it or not, are reinforcing misogyny just in terms of how they view how a relationship should be. Like I’m the dominant one in a relationship, or she should be doing this for me, or that’s not her place, just reinforcing a stereotype. There is a toxic masculinity in high school where boys expect girls to be a certain way. That replicates into their adult relationships too, it should be an equal relationship. How does the Media affect how men view women? The beauty standards nowadays are showing men an image of what they think is an ideal woman. The availability of dirty stuff online is affecting how they think a relationship should be. Misogyny is learned and it happens in every little thing. For example saying “You’re different than most girls,” is implying that most girls are stupid. Or “She’s pretty chill,” is implying most girls are not.
Word on the Street
As the winter season approaches, we asked, “What is your favorite winter memory?” IRIE SENTNER Specials Editor “One time my friend and I were sledding and there was a big mound of snow that we built it into a huge ramp. We sped onto it, flew through the air, and fell straight into an ice patch. It hurt, but was really fun!” Fr. Ian Daly
“Back when I lived on the Mesa, we used to go out and drive out four-wheelers in the snow. One time, we found this big tree and we decided to bring all of our Christmas decorations out there and we had Christmas outside one year. It was pretty amazing; we got together as a big ol’ family (sic) and brought out all of our presents outside. That has to be my favorite memory.”
“One of my favorite winter memories would be skiing for the first time. Surprisingly, this was about two winters ago, so I was 15. I took a beginner course and it was really embarrassing because every time I fell, which was a lot, I could not get up mostly because I have no upper body strength and I’m really tall, so I had to give more force to get up. This was all happening while six year olds were skiing past me like a boss. However, it was still one of my favorite memories cause I eventually got a hang of it and I was doing something during winter besides watching a movie.” Jr. Rachel Moranty
Sr. Dalton Garrett
November 2017
Responses from DHS teacher, Alicia Mcclung: As a female, what things did you struggle with as a high schooler based off of male opinion? There was definitely stigma about what an attractive women would look, she had to dress a certain way, do her hair a certain way, do her makeup a certain way, and if you didn’t meet those expectations, you were definitely going to be left out of that circle where you saw people getting into relationships. I was on the volleyball team so our uniforms in particular, those attributes like if you were skinnier or tanner, so many guys would come to our games just look at us in uniforms. You worked as a bartender, What experiences did you have there with men’s actions? I had a situation where I was just starting and learning how to make drinks and I had a guy who gave a drink that I didn’t know the recipe too. He told me, “Your pretty and you’re a girl so I’ll break it down for you.” I was taken way back, because he was putting an image on me before he even new me. He thought since I was pretty and a girl, I was dumb and he needed to talk to me in a certain way so I would understand. How do you feel about these statistics? 1 in 5 women in the US have a chance of getting raped? I just did a PTSD project with my psychology students, and I would have to say more than half, about 70% of my submissions were regarding women that were raped. Don’t put the blame on the victim, she asked for it because she dressed a certain way, or she asked for it because she was flirting or wasn’t explicit when she said no. Why not learn to control your actions, why not know where the boundaries are, or where the line is. What other things are acceptable for a man to do but not a woman? It is acceptable for a man to be aggressive, if he is aggressive he is a go-getter and a hustler, if a woman is aggressive she is uptight, moody, or emotional. Especially in a workplace if a business man is aggressive he is going to get what he wants, but if a women tries to make those same moves than she is on her period. Anytime a woman seems to demonstrate emotion they automatically assume that she is on her rag. Its interesting to because men do have a menstrual cycle, there is a time of the month when men’s testosterones and hormones are at a peak. This is what us psychologist doctors call a man period, it does exist but it seems that only women have that. What can we do to move forward? A lot of it has to do with our culture right now, when you are a kid your grown up to be taught that if a boy is mean to you he likes you. It develops an idea that jealousy and controlling behavior and disrespect means they care about you. I think that the age of tinder, and bumble is not helping, because you are literally putting a picture out there and making yourself and object to look at and they’re determining if they like you based off of that image. It is no longer about getting to know each other anymore, it is about judging them solely off of their appearance. How do you see female students affected by media? There are a fair share of girls that feel like social media portrays women in a certain way of light, and we have what we call the Kardashian effect. It is an actual term that is used in which where if you don’t look a certain way, or act a certain way, you are not deemed feminine, or worthy of attention for males. More and more girls are exposed to this idea every single day. They can’t escape it, it’s constantly being put in their faces. This is what a real woman looks like, do
“One year, I think I was in 2nd grade, it snowed a ton. The snow reached about five feet from the top of my deck, which is about 15 feet above the ground. Of course, like the devious 2nd graders that we were, we decided that the conditions were perfect for jumping (without telling my parents!). One by one, we snuck out of the house all bundled up, someone keeping guard while the rest of us jumped into the snow pile. My mom ended up finding out three jumps in, but let us continue for the rest of the weekend.” So. Lola Thomas
All mugs taken by Maddie Dearien
Looking back on summer ‘17
Photo courtesy- From top left: Maddie Dearien, Autumn Stevens, Maggie Maloney, Maddie Dearien, Stella Walsh, Autumn Stevens, Cassandra Blau, Tatum Behn, Maggie Maloney, Jenna Beckley, Maddie Dearien, Jenna Beckley, Allison Ragsdale Photography, Jenna Beckley, Jenna beckley, Brianna Brown, Jenna Beckley, Paxton Scott, Cassandra Blau, Todd Jolley, Todd Jolley.
El Diablo