CONIFER HS Volume 18 Issue 2
December 2013
Staff
Editorial Policy The staff of the Lobo Legend has selected an open forum under which to write. Articles will be printed according to this policy. The purpose of the Lobo Legend is to inform, entertain, and educate school readers as well as readers in the community and give an opinion of students’ interests on local, state, and national issues. The staff will take full responsibility to thoroughly investigate and report all sides of all issues with an unbiased and objective viewpoint. The material, ideas, and opinions expressed in the Lobo Legend do not necessarily reflect those of the adviser, administration, or staff. They are the sole product of the paper’s staff. The Lobo Legend staff will refuse to print any article with material containing libel, obscenity, writings that promote self-destructive behavior or that which promotes the material disruption of the school process. Letters to the editor are encouraged and may be dropped off in the high school office or sent to: Lobo Legend Staff c/o Conifer High School 10441 Hwy 73 Conifer, CO 80433
Editors in Chief Natalie Armstrong Ashley Hopko
Editors Tristan Kubik- business Lauren Davis- design Bryce Patton- design
Photographers Cole Wheatley Tristan Debrunner
Reporters Samantha Briscoe Brandon Clark Tristan Debrunner Madeline Downie Luke Grider Johnathan Hurst Emily Jones Madi Koenigsberg Bryce Patton Nic Salter Jacob Smith Clay Wagenhals Keeley Wrenshall
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Table of Contents: December Feature
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4/5 The Conifer Howl: What’s up at Conifer? 6/7 Geocaching 18 Lobo Trax 19 Unique Teen Scientist
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Sports 8 Conifer’s new coach 9 Becca Hammon profile 10/11 Sports photo spread
Opinion 14 Conifer’s Crafty Crows 15 The Plant 16/17 Words of a patriot 12/13 Holidaze
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Entertainment 22 Watercourse restaurant review 21 Ender’s Game 22 Assasins Creed review 20 Thor review 21 Soul Eater review 20 Little Sunshine’s corner of darkness-short fiction
On the Cover
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Becca Hammon, Senior, pushes through high school with an awesome sprit, fitness, and a seemingly endless spirit. (See page 9 for whole story)
photos: Staff, Mike Copeman
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The Conifer Howl Jazz serves up a tasty show Choir seems to be one of those classes that people have to be very courageous to join, particularly if they know no one and are new. Just Desserts showcased the Jazz Club, CAST, Concert Choir, and several people in the choirs by themselves. It’s admirable to see people up on stage singing because they love to sing. A system of non-performing servers rotated through the room and served drinks or desserts to tables that requested refreshments. Flags of red or pink allowed servers to gather either desserts or beverages respectively, and be with guests in moments. Mr. Sandusky started the evening off with the National Anthem, sung by CAST, and led into the theme music for the night, “All That Jazz.” The overall vibe of the event was cheerful and playful with performers in red, white, and black outfits. By: Madi Koenigsberg
Some of the songs were easily recognizable, such as “All That Jazz,” and some were very playful, like “Java Jive,” performed by CAST. Another selection was “Fly Me To The Moon,” by Landon Wildes. Other soloists included Martha Eades, Jasmine Sandusky, and Sondra Robinson. Jazz Club entered the scene two times. They played the “Girl From Ipanema.” Just Desserts is not an annual event to be missed.
Photo: Mr. Paxton
Feature
Band kicks brass Randy Rabito, the new band director, and the Lobo Regiment blew through five competitions this year and earned an honorable 3rd place at state. They won the first three competitions easily at Jeffco, Legacy and Arapahoe with awards like “Outstanding Visual and General Effect.” After three successful competitions, the Lobo Regiment won regionals. “It was cold, very cold,”said Ashley Bunney After this, the Lobo Regiment won the Friendship Cup at Prairie View High School. Lastly, Lobo Regiment earned 3rd place at State and was commended for “High Music,”. Photo: Cole Wheatley By: Bryce Patton, Luke Grider, Cole Wheatley
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News
Community trails update
News
The trail will begin at the end of the sidewalk at West The Conifer Community Trails Team has been working Jefferson Elementary and cross Barkley Road. Then it will over the last few months to prepare for a new trail that will connect Conifer High School and West Jefferson Elementary. run down the side of the back roads between the Conifer Community Church before meeting up with Highway 73 On November 2nd, the Trails Team held a silent auction and Conifer High School’s main driveway. This trail will link at the annual Conifer Area Boutique to support funding for Conifer High to Aspen Park the new trail. Gift baskets and gift and Meyer’s Ranch and gives cards from various private and students new opportunities and commercial businesses around the ways of transportation to the Conifer community were sold at school. the silent auction. They hope that members of Money made from the auction the Conifer community will will fund this trail and future find the new trail useful and trails only. When the funding goal is enjoyable. reached, construction of the trail will take place, possibly starting in the spring of 2014. Photo illustration: Johnathan Hurst By: Johanthan Hurst
The Conifer Recreation Coalition to learn more about the group? Visit ConiferCoalition.org. To give the Conifer Recreation Coalition your ideas for the Conifer area that will better benefit your outdoor experience, visit surveymonkey.com/s/conifer or scan the QR Code below with your smart phone. One word recommendations are acceptable.
Take the Survey
QR URL: conifercoalition.org QR URL: surveymonkey.com/s/conifer
The Conifer Recreation Coalition came together on Wednesday, November 20, at the Town Hall Meeting hosted in West Jefferson Middle School. The meeting was meant to discuss the recreational assets and opportunities in the Conifer area and to examine unmet needs. Recently, they launched the Project PLACE, Public Lands, Activities Communities and Experiences. Want
News
Visit their site By: Johanathan Hurst Photo: Conifer Recreation Coalition
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Geocaching in
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A micro sized geocache. A map of geocaches in the Conifer area. The micro sized geocache’s contents. Photos: Tristan Debrunner
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eocaching is for those who love the outdoors and treasure hunts. It is the ultimate game for GPS enthusiasts. Geocaching started in May of 2000 when 24 satellites improved GPS location accuracy for the public’s use. According to the Official Geocaching Website, Dave Ulmer, a GPS enthusiast, decided one day to place a container in a forest and post its coordinates on a website for others to add to their GPS device and find. Since then, more than two million geocaches have been added and logged worldwide, and new ones are always being made. In Conifer, Colorado, there are over three hundred geocaches lying around in parks and on roadsides. They are filled with all sorts of souvenirs and toys
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that were placed in clever hiding spots to challenge geocachers. Many of these have puzzles to help direct the geocacher to the cache, and some have a trackable that can be carried from one cache to another. Trackables are “travel bugs” or “geocoins,” says Amy Johnson, a Geocaching Enthusiast. A travel bug, as noted by the Geocaching Trackable FAQ, “is a trackable tag that you attach to an item. This allows you to track your item on Geocaching.com. The item becomes a hitchhiker that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) in the real world and you can follow its progress online.” There are also geocaches that contain factual information about the area they are in or historic facts that can give the
geocacher a background of the town he or she lives in. All geocaches have a unique hiding place and contents to inspire geocachers to find new places to explore. Geocaching is great for everybody. Searching for caches allows people to explore their own town or get to know a new town. It is an entertaining way to spend time outdoors and exercise. It gives participants a chance to meet new people, especially other geocachers. Why do people geocache? Amy Johnson, a geocacher since 2007, has found more than 800 caches and placed 125 more in the Conifer area since joining. “We enjoy the thrill of the hunt and it’s an excellent way to get my son off the computer and outside. He is 11 years old and geocaching has been his
g in Conifer
Johnathan Hurst, Luke Grider Reporters
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The contnes of a regular sized geocache. The view from a Geocache. The regular sized geocache. Photos: Tristan Debrunner
favorite activity for the last three years. He has become quite good at reading maps and building creative geocaches for hiding,” she said. She describes the game of Geocaching as “a high tech treasure hunt” that “has spread throughout the world.” Amy Johnson and her family have found caches in Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, and all over the US. “Geocachers also regularly have events for getting together. It is quite a unique group of people...Geocaching has been a great activity for our whole family.” How does someone geocache? The first step is to sign up on Geocaching. com. Here there is access to GPS coordinates and locations of geocaches anywhere in the world.
When the cache has been chosen, the geocacher can either memorize the location, add the coordinates to a GPS device, or send the coordinates to your smartphone to the Geocache app or another map app. Once this has been completed, it is time to search for the geocache, but be aware, some are difficult to find or even get to, so pay attention to the difficulty and size icon on the geocache’s page. The geocache will be a container, and it could be a variety of sizes, and it may have small items or souvenirs contained within. There is also a logbook where names of other geocachers have written thier name and the date they found the cache. Individules log their find to show others where they have traveled. After logging the visit, it is time to move on
to the next cache. For more tutorials you can visit geocaching.com/guide. Geocaching gives people motivation to find new things and can show them new areas they probably didn’t know existed. The Geocacher will feel better getting outdoors or exercising and just enjoying their day. Want a hint to find a local Geocache? This one is close to Conifer High School, somewhere in Flying J Ranch Park. Here is the encrypted hint: pnzbrq ng onfr bs cvar
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Head Coach Molly Snively by: Maddie Downie
The New Girl’s Lacrosse Coach
Q and A: Q: What are you most excited about this season? A: All of it really. Q: What is your favorite part about living in Conifer? A: It’s very beautiful here. Q: Do you enjoy teaching at Conifer High? A: Yes, it’s fabulous. Q: What are some of the changes you will have for the team this year? A:We’re going to focus on stick work, team cohesiveness, and getting in shape. Q: What is your favorite animal? A: An elephant Q: Did you always want to be a teacher? A: No, I wanted to be an author or figure skater. Q: What is your “get pumped” song? A: “Show Me The Money” by Petey Pablo.
The girl’s lacrosse team at Conifer High School has been in need of a new head coach for a long time now. However, not only do they need someone who has the experience to coach a successful team, they need someone who could be connect with the players as both a coach and a friend. Luckily for these girls, someone willing to fill that position made her way to Conifer recently. With a lacrosse stick in her hand and a smile on her face, Molly Snively left her home in the Denver Metro area and found herself in the small town of Conifer. In addition to getting a job at Conifer High School as the new jewelry and photo teacher, she has taken up the responsibility of the new head coach of the girl’s lacrosse team. Snively has been playing lacrosse for 16 years, and has experience in every position on the field including goalie. She first picked up a stick when she was in fourth grade and played on a boy’s team in fifth grade. She was the youngest team member on her sixth grade team. Her brother and father got her started in the game and helped create a stable base for this career. She’s played through High School and continued playing as a walk on for the University of Denver. Even now, Snively plays on a local women’s league, to improve the skills she needs to coach. Along with knowing how to play the game, she needs to be able to make friends with every single one of the girls on the team. Snively has had the chance to meet many of these girls while they played a short fall league. She has nicknamed many of her players Alibaba (Ali Heffington), H-dog (Hjordis Robinson). She’s already said that she will miss the seniors when they graduate. Snively has high expectations for the team this season and can already see improvement in many of the members. “I love to laugh and have fun, but while working hard,” said Snively. Senior Jessica Ricalde agrees with the new coach and said she is excited to start team bonding. Ricalde and the rest of the girl’s lacrosse team are excited to begin working with Snively. The coach wants to lead the team to new victories and believes she can do just that.
Q: What is your before game ritual? A: I’m still working on it, but I know I will be wearing my blue and white Nike shox shoes with pink laces, black bottoms, some sort of Conifer top, my black knit hat when it’s cold, blue sunglasses, and the assistant coach and I will wear black jackets. We’ll play music, have a pre-game speech, I’ll say “hi” to the other coach and officials, and then warm the goalie up.
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Photo: Andra Downie
Snively teaching a student how to improve the photos she has taken.
Photo: Nic Salter
Q: If you were stranded on a tropical island with one other person, who would it be? A: I can’t chose one, so I would take my two besties.
Snively watching from the sidelines as her team goes in for the goal.
Becca Hammon Senior pushes through high school with awesome spirit, fitness, an seemingly endless number of sports. by: Emily Jones
photo illustration: Elizabeth Ramsey
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ev up your imagination. Got it going? Picture this. 5’ 4” girl, Senior, Christian, Volleyball player, Cross Country runner, Point Guard for Basketball, Golfer, Pole Vaulter, A student with a 3.8 GPA. This girl, has the determination to give 100%, always. This girl does exist, and she goes to Conifer High School. Becca Hammon is all of these things and more. Hammon grew up in a family of athletes. As a child she was heavily influenced by her cousins while playing sports outside in the yard with them. Her sister plays volleyball in college. Ever since Hammon can remember she has loved playing sports. “Sports have taught me a lot that I can use with other people, like leadership,” she said. It seems almost like sports have complete dominion over Hammon’s life but she has a multitude of other things that she juggles along with her sports. Hammon loves to hunt, and plans to further her knowledge of the outdoors with a major in wildlife biology. That’s not all that Hammon does in the outdoors. She enjoys snowboarding and mountain biking.
When she manages to make it indoors, Hammon plays guitar. Hammon is motivated through her Christian faith, doing her best in life to base everything on what God would want
to see from her. She gives her all for others and not herself. Hammon believes that if you don’t work hard you’re never going to get any better and no matter what it’s important to give 100% ,one hundred percent of the time. Hammon plays a total of five sports during the school year. Her two fall sports, volleyball and cross country, create the biggest challenge. Hammion’s primary sport was volleyball. This means that from 3-6 every weekday during the fall Hammon practiceed with the varsity volleyball team. To make her cross country requirements she would then run after her practices. Basketball is where Hammon hopes to achieve the most. She would love to continue to play basketball once in college, though she doesn’t yet know where. Hammon’s goal for track this year is to increase her pole vault from nine feet to ten feet. It’s safe to say that wherever Becca Hammon goes she will bring a smile to many faces.
Photo: Cole Wheatley
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Football ended season after a game vs Classi Academy.
Cassidy Meehan sets the ball so the lobos can win the game. Dustin Morrison waits for the home game to start.
Conifer Lobo
Sports
Chris jump
Jackie Higley attempts to bunt the softball during a home game.
Becca Hammon jumps for the spike. 10
Photos
nded their er a playoff Classical .
Quarterback, Logan Jacob Romero kicks the Weber goes for the ball into the goal. pass.
Christian Westerhausen jumps for the ball.
Nick Mizenko stretches for the rebound.
Photos: Ashley Hopko, Clayton Wagenhals, Cole Wheatley. and Forrest Czarnecki
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Holidaze by: Bryce Patton The holiday season is coming earlier every year. Most people say that they don’t want the holiday season to start so soon. The usual excuse is that they hate decorating for the holidays three or four months early. Of course it happens every year: holiday ads come earlier and earlier, some even reaching as far as September 9th. I’m looking at you, Kmart. According to the NRF, or the National Retail Foundation, in 2012, 12% of people began their holiday shopping before September, 6% during September, and 20% start during October, the closest to what “normal” people do. Now there are hundreds of advertisements in magazines, TV shows, radio, and the Internet. In a poll conducted by the Lobo Legend, 29 people could recall 1-4 holiday ads, 8 people could recall 5-9 holiday ads, and 8 people could recall 10+ holiday ads. The thing about holiday ads is that they
don’t really advertise products unless you watch daytime television. They’re not like “buy this watch” or “eat this food.” They’re more like “use our layaway” or “we love when you give us your money.” Now, call me a cynic, but does the holiday season really need to start the day after Halloween? One minute everything’s dead and bleeding out of every possible place it can, and then the next, everything is snowing and there are candy canes and gingerbread men everywhere. Talk about a shift in tone. Although the holiday season does generate about 60,000 seasonal jobs between November first and December thirty-first, according to the National Revenue Foundation, the boom of consumerism and materialism in these 61 days is huge, and if you look at a movie like, I can’t believe I’m saying this, Elf, you know Will Ferrell’s character’s father is a hard-
Photo: Captain Liberte
working, emotionally dead businessman who works through the entire holiday season, which essentially undermines what the entire holiday season is about. (I bet he plays EVE online) That’s family, love, and all of that other sweet squishy stuff for those of you unacquainted. No matter what you’re doing this holiday season, cherish those around you, and don’t turn into Will Ferrell’s dad person on December 25th. You don’t want to be Will Ferrell’s dad.
Shopping survival guide By: Jacob Smith As the internet becomes a bigger part of everyday life, affecting everything that people do and say, it’s no surprise that the holiday shopping season is making a transition to the digital world. Gone are the days of people lining up at midnight on Black Friday, waiting until dawn to get the best deals on video game systems and tablets. Now people can simply stay in bed, surfing the web with credit card in hand, only having to swipe their fingers across a screen to get those killer deals that took so much work before. The question is, what are the best online shopping outlets? A website that is not to be missed is Amazon.com, where pretty much everything is available at drop-dead prices. Books, CDs, video games and other items can be found for prices that absolutely destroy the competitors. One thing to be
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wary of when shopping on Amazon, not all of these killer deals can be trusted, because Amazon is not always the one providing the product. Because of this, caution is advised when shopping, but Amazon does have a money-back guarantee if anything goes awry with a shipment. Amazon is also the main outlet for getting the popular Kindle e-book readers. More options include websites for
Photo: Noelle Schuck
stores like Walmart, Target, where many of the same deals in-store can be found online, with no fear of being trampled on the hunt for deals. The new generation of video game systems is released, and the previous generation consoles Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are sure to be discounted to almost nothing, outlets like Gamestop and Best Buy are the best places to find those deals. The holiday season is fast approaching, with ornaments and those bright green Christmas trees already lining the shelves. Many potential Scrooges and Grinches are likely to be prowling the stores this season, ready to steal away that brand new TV or Xbox One, but with the online shopping option, anyone can beat the reindeer and sleigh to get the most fantastic presents under the tree by December
History of shopping By: Madi Koenigsberg and Clay Wagenhals
Consumer buying behaviors during the holiday season Ads on the internet, phones as communication, and computers bombarded with advertisements. How did we do anything before computers? We didn’t have social media to communicate, and we talked to people in person much more than we did anything else. Communication over the years may have been transformed, but that doesn’t always mean for the better. It seems that the majority of people on the “grid” are plugging into social networking hubs for gift ideas, purchases, music, and popular merchandise. Last year, 87 percent of adults in the United States were influenced by a mobile device while doing their holiday shopping. In a survey conducted by The Lobo Legend, 50 percent of those surveyed were actually making purchases on their mobile devices. Has mobile shopping become such an integral part of society that soon consumers will just pick out gifts on Amazon and eBay, plug in a credit card, check a box that says “pre-wrap,” and blast out presents in 30 minutes? A century ago, people talked to each other and shopped locally, using catalogues and newspapers. Department stores appeared later, marketing goods to people out of reach. Infomercials
appeared in slots allotted to shows, pushing over-thephone purchases, and later, the Internet. As a result, butchers, milkmen, greengrocers, and candy shops died off as big chains ate up business with their low prices. Shops aimed at specific age groups, occasions or styles, and gender are the most recent trend. In Conifer, it appears that online wholesalers are having an impact on the buying behavior of this rural environment. 56 percent of students surveyed say that they use sites like Amazon, Facebook, and Craigslist to purchase holiday gifts for their friends and family. While the youth at Conifer may not use their mobile devices to purchase these items yet, it is apparent that the corporate media giants on the Internet are beginning to push their way into this community’s consumer pool.
Photo: Sammy Sanchez
However, local businesses are supported by a majority of shoppers. Their options, like second-hand clothing, are cheaper than brand name stores. It’s not about the monetary value; remember, it’s the thought that counts.
Photo: Killian Bell
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Conifer’ s Crafty Corvids Guest Editorial Ianna Debrunner
“If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows.” -Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, mid-1800s
Photo: Kyhri
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ost days students can look out the windows and watch ravens swoop around and play in front of Conifer High school. Many people find crows and ravens ominous and a bit frightening. They get shivers when they hear their crackling caw. I think it is mostly the part they play in movies. They always come at the scary parts as ominous omens. But really, corvids(crows, ravens, and the rest of the crow family) are surprisingly entertaining and smart creatures. One of my favorite memories features crows. We were visiting cousins in San Francisco, and as we had the previous year, we went to a beach. We parked on top of a giant cliff and had to walk down to the beach. There are often gliders taking off from the cliff because of some good up drafts. Before we headed down to the beach we walked to a platform on the edge of the cliff to look at the ocean and the beach below us. We got a lot more than a pretty view though. We got a comedy show. Two or three crows were playing in the updrafts. They were flying into them, then shooting upwards, tumbling out of control. Then they would loop back and do it again. Sometimes, before they reached the updraft, they would flip upside down and fly up on the updraft on their backs.
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There are studies that predict that crows are one of the few creatures that play for fun. Often, animals play to practice hunting, or to attract a mate. Crows often do play to attract a mate, but sometimes it is just for fun. Corvids are incredibly intelligent, often thought to be on the same level of intelligence as primates. Studies have shown that crows can recognize faces. In order to study crows, a group of college students caught and banded crows, then let them go. For the next few years, those specific people were constantly cawed at and dive-bombed by crows. When those students came back to the college many years later, the same thing happened. Amazingly, the crows that were attacking the students when they came back were a new generation, and had never seen these students before. It is not clear how the crows communicate this information, but they obviously do. Another example of crow communication happened in a town called Chatham, in Ontario. Crows used to stop in Chatham on their migration route. Lots of crows. They would ruin crops and cause lots of destruction. It became a huge problem. So, the governor said that people could shoot the crows. A huge hunting party got together and they headed out. They shot one crow, and all the others lifted off and left.
That town rarely sees crows anymore. Even now, many crow generations later, crows fly over the town, too high to be shot. They never stop in the town. All because of one shot crow. This shows that there is communication between generations of crows. Crows have also proven their smarts in some very intricate intelligence tests. One man, Joshua Klein, made a vending machine for crows that involved many steps. The crows figured out how to use it. In the “wild,” crows have also demonstrated how smart they are. In Japan, a crow figured out that if he dropped a nut into traffic, it would crack the shell. The crow dropped the nut into an intersection and watched the traffic light to know when the traffic would stop and he could go get his crushed nut. It is quite fascinating what crows can do. There are also many studies showing how smart ravens and magpies are. If corvids are so smart, and other people can train them, what if we tried to train our Conifer High School ravens, too? What if we could train our ravens to do something like pick up trash? Or made our own vending machine for ravens and crows? It would be a fun project. It would also show people that corvids are much smarter than we think, and not really scary.
and a half months during the winter. During this time the traps will be very sluggish if not entirely unresponsive. This dormancy period is stimulated by day length. Reducing the amount They are monsters straight out of a by: Tristan D. Kubik | Naturalist of light the plant gets during winter swamp, quite literally, with two tongues because of its specific requirements. months is required to maintain the and rows of long pointy teeth, and at health of the plants. Come spring, howThe plants thrive in only very certain times they can have upwards of twelve ever, the plants will grow vigorously and growing mediums. Coir and peat moss heads. send up flower stem to be pollinated are some of the best mediums to grow These are the Dionaea or Venus flyand then produce seeds. Once activatthe plants in. Coir however must first traps. Venus flytraps are found naturally be soaked in distilled water for 12-24 ed it may take four to five years for a in the peat swamps of the southern young Venus flytrap to mature. Once hours three times in order to remove United States. A peat bog is a swamp mature and producing flower stems in the high salt content. Once desalinatthat has, in essence, no nutrients. For the spring it is best plants living in to cut them off to these bogs, it is like allow the plant to being a farmer tryput all its energy ing to grow crops in growing healthy on a beach. Their traps. solution, behave Pollination is not like an animal. the only way the Flies, spiders, plants reproduce. beetles, ants, and They can also clone just about any themselves beneath other creepy crawly the soil by dividing that fits in their their rhizome. The mouth is fair game. rhizome is where The plants are masall the roots of the ters at ambushing plant come togethprey. Several small er and connect trigger hairs on the to the stem. This tongue pad of the is the main site plant lie in waiting. of growth, and When an insect once it gets too triggers the hair big, the rhizome Photo: Pouzin Olivier Backround: USDA the leaf closes and simply splits into the insect is trapped. If the prey item two smaller rhizomes resulting in twin ed, coir’s pH level is just right for the escapes, the plant will open roughly a plants. plants. Live peat moss is also a good day later and try again. This unique and alternative because it is the naturally Once an adequate environment is complex plant behavior is found only in occurring substrate in which the plants established the plants last for a very long the Venus flytrap. time. The rhizome divisions result in are found. Potting soil and any other In recent years Venus flytraps have substrate made by gardening companies plant communities that can live forevbecome a big part of horticulture. Many should be avoided because the enhanced er if properly taken care of. Although plant enthusiasts up for a challenge the plants can feed themselves with nutrient content can burn the roots of choose to cultivate the Venus flytrap great ease, it is sometimes interesting the plants and result in death. Despite the lack of nutrients available in the soil, to manually feed a leaf by placing a fly Venus flytraps establish vast root systems on a toothpick and putting it in a trap. to take in large quantities of water. This If the interested person is looking for a pet that does not require the responsiwater source is used to help keep the bilities that come with a dog, perhaps leaves on their toes. they should lend a thought to a Venus The traps on the plants are actually flytrap, however, like dogs, the plants specialized leaves. The plants go into a have been known to eat homework and state of dormancy lasting three to three the occasional finger.
The plant
Photo: USDA
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Photo: C. G. P. Grey
Words of a Self-Proclaimed Animal Welfarist An opinion of the ever changing world of rights vs. welfare in an animal’ s life. by: Emily Jones
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odeos, like the PBR and the PRCA, for their event. Looking back at the lineage of bucking bulls and broncs it is clear that they have unjustly earned a reputation in the public come from generations of bulls and horses eye as harmful and abusive to the animals. that were also bucking animals. Each animal is This belief is perpetuated by animal rights worth about fifteen to forty thousand dollars. groups like PETA(People for the Ethical TreatPeople don’t abuse things worth that much ment of Animals), SHARK(Showing Animals money. Respect and Kindness), and the HMSUS(HuA tired, sick person won’t perform as well mane Society of the United States). However, as a healthy, well fed person. The same applies that belief is absurd. What isn’t advertised is to animals. The cowboys in the chutes wait to that the animal’s caretakers treat their animals tighten the girth on their saddle or the rope with respect, and what is construed as abusive that ties the bull riders on to avoid restricting behavior, just isn’t. the animal before the ride. The soft fleece flank There is a clear difference between an animal straps aren’t tightened until the animal leaves welfarist and an animal rights activist. The the chutes to enhance their buck not force them difference is whether you want to use animals to buck. in a useful and humane way or ban all use of A weight limit is set on cattle used for the them. This difference has been thrown under calf roping and steer wrestling. The cowboy or the rug by animal rights activists. In masking cowgirl must use their horses’ momentum in the truth about what they are advocating for, the steer wrestling to bring down the steer or animal rights activists are threatening the agthere would be no riculture industry and contest; the steer a way of life that has “I know I can speak for all the judges. would bring the been around since after We take it seriously. One of our most cowboy down with the Civil War when important responsibilities is to make sheer strength and cattlemen would drive sure that rodeo is done humanely, ” size. cattle up to Kansas to Spurs are used said PRCA judge George Gibbs. ship them east. to enhance the Rodeo started as a buck of the horse way of showing off the or bull, just like a skills the cowboys had flank strap. Cow and horse hide is much thicker learned on the trail, pushing cattle. From there than human skin. Running a loose, dulled spur it grew into what we see today. Colorado’s very along the skin will not cause the animal pain. own rodeo, National Western Stock Show, is Cattle prods are used in rodeos but they are number five on the list of top rodeos every fan very different from stun guns. A cattle prod can should see in the U.S. from About.com. Rodeos reach about 5,000 volts of electricity as opposed continue to support and entertain people all to a stun gun that reaches around 165,000 acover the world. However, they are being threatcording to Security Planet Corporation. Cattle ened by those who claim they care. prods have virtually no amperage which is what Activists can be divided into two groups, causes burns from the electricity. The difference those promoting animal rights and those between the two would be liking touching an promoting animal welfare. Activists propose electric fence, which would leave a slight tingle, banning use and ownership of animals in generand being tazed, which sends electricity coursal, like pets. The result of their proposal would ing through the body and often leaves the brain leave blind people without their seeing eye unable to move the body . The cattle prods are dogs, veterans diagnosed with PTSD without used to help the men move animals over twice the therapy of service dogs, and children in the their size. hospital without the comfort of a puppy. I would recommend attending a rodeo to see The other group, animal welfarists, want to what the western culture and entertainment of take care of animals and respect them as the the rodeo is. If there is a question of abuse or athletes they are. In the PRCA alone there are harm to the animals, ask someone knowledge60 rules about the treatment of animals for the able before making accusations. Remember that rodeo itself. That doesn’t include the rules they animal welfare is important and we should all give the stock contractors for transporting and take care of our animals in the way they need caring for their animals. Every animal that a and deserve. stock contractor brings to a rodeo has been bred
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LoboTrax: The Genius Behind the Camera by: Clay Wagenhals
photo: Renee Orwig
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While everyone at Conifer High School has seen LoboTrax, one can rarely find a student who can give a detailed explanation of the essence and creation of this publication. For the majority of Conifer High School, LoboTrax is the main source of weekly news. However, LoboTrax does not confine itself to just reporting on the current news surrounding the Conifer community. Mrs. Orwig describes LoboTrax as “the face of Conifer.” She goes on to describe the mission of LoboTrax as to “inform, recognize student achievement, and to entertain.” LoboTrax is broken down into three major groups of students. The first group consists of the anchors on LoboTrax who are responsible for the general announcements for the school. In the second contingent are the Sports Drill fanatics who report on the athletic developments at Conifer. Finally, the last contributors to a LoboTrax edition are the segment producers who create the short scripts and the spotlights on individual students. Liam Vickers, Reid Lange, and Ian Hunter, all seniors at Conifer, make up the team “Pony Express Films” which is responsible for some of the more popular short films seen on LoboTrax. When describing his creative process Reid said, “ We kind of just think of something, and then just yell at each other for awhile until we come to something and then if it doesn’t work then we just start over.” Their short films sometimes do seem to be erratically spontaneous, but in the end, always come to a conclusion.
Reid gave a hint to why he believes these films are so funny and why the team has such success. He said, “We just try to make them funny. If we like them then we figure that people will like them.” This approach seems to work as their fans wait in anticipation for their next video in LoboTrax. Pony Express Films has a channel on YouTube where anyone can check out their past work. The producers of Sports Drill - Matt Marshall, Drew Williams, Alex Grillo, Tristen Wolf and Erich Shreier - all seniors at Conifer go through a process to analyze and produce their clips for LoboTrax every week. The most recognized faces at Conifer make up the anchor piece of the LoboTrax production line. These senior anchors include Kaylee Keener, Becca Hammon, Pierce Graves, Cade Colosanti, Hayley Bell, Sara Estill, Jessica Ricalde, and Rowan Dunn. Being an anchor for LoboTrax is a very unique and prestigious opportunity and is can be offered to any trustworthy senior with a good work ethic and a desire to be on the production team. All of the LoboTrax students mentioned that they would definitely recommend the class and the entire production process to any and all students. To get involved and possibly get a spot on the production team next year start talking to Mrs. Orwig in the Mac lab on the third floor.
Teen Scientist By: Ashley Hopko Photo: Chris Grinter using Micro-Lens
For Tristan Kubik, a iunior, working alongside a variety of staff from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is nothing new. Ever since eighth grade when he started out as a volunteer, Kubik has given his time and effort studying and documenting a species of ant commonly known as the “pavement ant.” Although they are the most common ant species in North America, they have never been studied in-depth. “What’s interesting about the species is that when other Myrmecologists, ant scientists, go out into the field and collect ants, it’s so common that they just pass it off,” said Kubik. In fact, one of the only studies that has been done was with the species Myrmica, and was a look at parasite wasps using the species as a host since it was considered so disposable. “Everyone goes...Why would we even look and study this? It’s so common, it’s boring.” But to Kubik, it’s much, much more than that. He says that his current project will take up to four years of work to complete.
Throughout this whole process, Kubik has been helping to coordinate with his science team to modernize the museum’s technology. With such small species of insects, it’s hard to keep track of all the variety of species without a close view. With the help of Chris Ginter, a new addition to the museum, the entomology team has started a process called micro-lens stacking photography. It is simply where pictures are taken of the specimens using a microscope and then added to the museum’s online database. “He has taken some really amazing photos,” said Kubik. In the course of four years, Kubik has gone from a summer volunteer to a paid member of the Museum Staff. Not only that, but he has also received a grant to help fund his study. NSF, the National Science Foundation, is one organization currently supporting this high school scientist. When at the museum, he works under the direction of Frank Krell, who earned a post doctorate from University of Tübingen, Germany.
Before Kubik started studying ants, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Krell pinning dung beetles during the summer of his first year. All the members of the Zoology department share a collections area located underneath the IMAX. Kubik explains how the Zoology department must refrain from dissecting animals with pungent glands in fear of contaminating the public space above with the order. Although Kubik still is currently funded by the NSF, this may change in the near future. NSF focuses on benefiting the human race. Tristan’s project, although original, doesn’t have a clear connection with benefiting humans. The NSF has also agreed to grant money to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to expand their facilities. Due to this, Kubik is at risk of losing his grant, as the museum is receiving it instead. This grant would have helped Kubik’s income, but he only sees this as “disappointing”, as the museum will help keep Kubik afloat.
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Entertainment Corner of Darkness Chapter 1
by: Madi Koenigsberg
A dark room, smelling of sweat and unidentifiable odors erupted in sunshine. The door was flung open, a slim figure of a girl was forced inside, and the room was plunged into darkness once more. Escape was impossible; she’d tried time and time again, always failing and coming back from the room with new bruises. Her sobs began, her breathing becoming irregular. The girl woke up, and attempted to calm herself from the nightmare. Iris shook her head, trying to clear it in the crisp morning air. It was a beautiful morning, and the stars were shining. With her parents both asleep by now, Iris could stay outside as long as she wanted. This time, she wanted to be numb. The nightmares happened every week, each time ending the same way, with horrible cries that echoed through her mind, further shattering her psyche. She returned to her room after only a few minutes, disturbed by things outside. That morning, she went to school normally, wearing white, because they seemed to avoid that color. Everything about her was white: her clothing, makeup, shoes, everything. It didn’t always work, but often, she was left alone. In school, no one talked to her, aside from her best friend, Eris, and that was how she liked it. Eris was the only hardcore goth in school, wearing all black and heavy eyeliner constantly. Every day they met in the hallways, exchanged a few words, and fell into a slow walk. The new kids every year attempted to talk to the pair and be friendly, but their words of kindness were met with blank stares and unfriendly glares Unfortunately, just by existing in the halls of the school, Eris and Iris seemed to attract trouble. The pair seemed shrouded in darkness, even in sunlight. Then, it started. One morning, Iris and Eris woke at the exact same time. They started to get ready for school, glad that it was Friday. It seemed like a normal day for the two teenagers, but there was an air of sadness. Iris’ parents weren’t talking, which was unusual; normally they were like blue jays, jabbering nonsense. The girls walked to school like always, as Iris lived only a few minutes away. Once inside, no one even looked at them. It was as though they weren’t there at all. A single person acknowledged them that day, Adam. Adam was a loner like them, but instead, he completely ignored everyone with a fervor not found elsewhere. “Adam,” they started, “why can no one see us?” “It’s simple,” he said, “you’re dead.”
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photo: marvel
by: Brandon Clark
Thor: The Dark World The Thor movies have already had a significant impact on the box office, with Thor starring in both the first Thor movie and the Avengers, but now Marvel has released the incredible sequel; Thor: The Dark World. Thor must embark on his most perilous journey yet with plenty of sacrifices and heartfelt moments. He faces off against the malicious dark elf leader Malekith, who is armed with a new world-endangering super weapon much like the Tesseract (as seen in Thor and the Avengers), but instead it is called the Aether. As with all movies starring Thor, Thor: The Dark World is enhanced with
incredible, awe-inspiring animation. Thor: The Dark World brings back many familiar and much beloved faces such as that of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). IMDb rated this movie 7.7/10 which I would round up to a solid 8/10.
photo: marvel
photo: eners game movie
by: Clay Wagenhals
Ender’ s Game Based on the bestselling novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game is the engaging story of a brilliant boy, Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), who is recruited by the International Fleet to lead a defense of Earth against an alien force known as the “Buggers.” Ender’s Game extends its brilliance with impeccable animation and a plot that follows the general storyline of the book. Featured in the movie is the beloved actor Harrison Ford. Ford plays a rough Colonel who pushes Ender through the various ranks of training after he sees the potential of the young boy’s mind. The movie is set around the Formic War, which is an interspecies conflict sparked by the Buggers. In the movie, Ender learns the tactical and practical attributes of a fleet commander in the orbiting Battle School. The movie does not focus as much on the psychology of Ender as the book does, but the screenplay does give a solid vision of the futureistic world in which Ender lives. If Ender’s Game accomplishes in the box office what is anticipated, then there is a possibility of the rest of Orson Scott Card’s books moving onto the screen as the world follows Ender’s story. The Lobo Legend rates Ender’s Game a strong 8/10.
Soul Eater Anime Review Halloween only comes once a year, but in Soul Eater, Halloween is a lifestyle. The setting of Soul Eater is the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a school founded by the Grim Reaper himself to keep order in the world. There, students are trained as Death weapons, humans who have been born with the ability to transform into a wide variety of different weapons, or Meisters, humans gifted with the ability to wield Death Weapons. These different groups of students at the DWMA are paired together and given one objective: Collect ninety-nine souls of evil humans, and the soul of a witch, once they have achieved that goal, the Weapon is transformed into a Death Scythe, a personal weapon
of the Grim Reaper. It may sound easy, but if these students make even the slightest of error, they have to repeat the process over and over again until they have perfected their training. Soul Eater follows Maka Albarn, a Meister, and “Soul Eater” Evans, a Death Weapon, in their quest to make Soul into a Death Scythe. Along this quest, Soul and Maka are faced with many serious (and sometimes humorous) obstacles, such as magical cats, sneaky witches, and perhaps even the God of insanity and madness himself. While the road to greatness may be a tough one, they are not alone, joined by the egomaniac Black Star and his doting weapon Tsubaki, as well as the son of the Grim Reaper himself, Death the Kid, and his twin weapons Liz
by: Jacob Smith and Patti. Soul Eater is a wonderful series, fluidly mixing serious drama and hilarious comedy into one very entertaining package. Soul Eater takes a small-scale story premise and it grows into an epic story that truly pulls the audience into the action, creating a series that is enjoyable for all. The animation is at times somewhat strange, going from detailed animation to a very simple cartoony style. Soul Eater is currently airing on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, rated TV- 14 and the entire series is available on Amazon.com and Funimation.com. Soul Eater is a truly entertaining series, and receives a 9/10.
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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the highly anticipated addition to the long-lived Assassin’s Creed series. The series goes over the most interesting time periods in history, starting with the “Holy Lands” time period in the Middle East, then moving to the Renaissance Age in Italy, then moving on to the Revolutionary War in America, and finally landing on one of the most famous time periods of all, the “Golden Age of Piracy.” The main character of the game is Edward Kenway, a man who was tired of living a simple life and decided to become a pirate for the riches. Kenway soon finds himself tangled in the life of an assassin, obligated to stop the Templars at any cost. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag is a substantial step up from the previous, already awesome, games. One of the main improvements is the map size; the previous games took place in 2 or 3 rather large cities, and Black Flag takes place in the entire Caribbean ocean with over a dozen large cities and dozens of small islands chock full of treasures to be
Wonderful Watercourse For those who are in Downtown Denver, and looking for a nice dinner, Watercourse is the perfect restaurant. Watercourse has a variety of food options, being casual, such as sandwiches, and some more substantial, such as vegetarian tacos or burgers. Everything Watercourse has to offer is organic. Everything is vegetarian or vegan, with options to mix it up. Substitutions for all of their food are available, for those with food allergies to things such as nuts or gluten. Each food is labeled with its ingredients and lists which substitutions are available. The laid back environment of Watercourse fits well with their organic menu and hipster crowd. Watercourse is a popular hangout for young adults in their early twenties.With such a unique flavor in both atmosphere and food, it’s no wonder. On a date? With a family of five? It has something for everyone. Unlike some of the typical restaurants in the downtown area, Watercourse isn’t afraid to mix up traditional flavors to make something new. Everything on their menu has a flair of exotic and well planned flavor. For example, their tacos,which are an excellent choice, have sweet potato instead of taco meat. The seasoned sweet potatoes provide a balance and complexity to the dish.
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by: Brandon Clark
found. Captain Kenway has his very own ship called the “Jackdaw” that grows with Kenway as the story progresses. The player can have sea skirmishes with enemy ships, board ships to secure their cargo, and use that cargo to upgrade various aspects of the ship to turn it into a true terror of the seas. With appearances from real historical people such as the infamous Edward “Blackbeard” Teach and various adventures to be had, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a 10/10.
Photo: Mark Fajardo
by: Ashley Hopko & Natalie Armstrong
Watercourse has fake meat options, called seitan, which they include in sandwiches and wraps. Depending on the sandwich, the seitan is made to imitate a usual meat in such a sandwich, such as thin slices similar to roast beef in a sandwich called “The Grinder.” The portions are giant, nearly enough for two meals. At fairly low prices, this is a steal. Watercourse was very busy, with a line nearly going out the door, so service wasn’t the fastest. But the meal was worth the wait. If you are in a time crunch, especially on the weekends, it would be best to call ahead and reserve a table.
Photo: TheDiningOutCard
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Proudly serving the Conifer area since 1994 (303) 816-5239 Conifer (303) 988-0844 Lkwd. Bring in this ad and receive $400 off a Full Treatment or $200 off a Phase I Treatment. Offer good for new patients only. Cannot be combined with any other discounts. Expires May 2014