Vol. 20 - No. 1 by The Mix - The Student Voice of Monarch High School

The

Howler VOL 20, NO. 1 / DECEMBER 2017

The Man Behind the Socks PAGE 10

Editor-in-Chief Levi Wood

purpose

The Howler strives to inform, educate, and entertain the student body of Monarch High School as a studentproduced newspaper and open forum for student expression and opinions. Expression made by students in The Howler is not an expression of Boulder Valley School District Board policy and the School District and its employees are immune from any civil or criminal action based on any expression made or published by students in The Howler.

cover illustrations by Emma Gentry

Table of Contents

Staff Editors Sali Castro Sneha Varanasi India Turner Treyton Williams

STAFF

This new magazine is a reflection of us, not as a staff but as a school, the physical expression of what it means to be a Monarch Coyote. Between us, here on the paper, our website (mhshowler.com), and the Mosaic Yearbook, we strive to tell the stories that live between these brick walls. We tell these stories because they matter to us as students, staff, family, friends, and even rivals. We tell these stories in full color because we aren’t black and white. We tell these stories to prove that there are people who give a damn.

Illustrators Mandy Matteson Emma Gentry

Staff Writers Phil Phronesius Madie Devendorf Claire Brache Mandy Matteson Aaron Fackenthall Anna Wexler Chasity Harris Ellie Guanella Emma Gentry Gwen McGarry Kevin Wu Keyani Crow Leah Humphrey Lexi Stone Ruthie Fager Skylar Hedman Natasha Konopelski Theodore Morelock Tori Armitage Zachary Salaman Zikra Hashmi Advisers Bonnie Katzive Ben Reed

The Howler reserves the right to refuse advertising which does not adhere to the publication’s standards, particularly in reerence to good taste and to products and/or services that are illegal and/or immoral for the majoirty of high school readers. Guest contributions sent to The Howler which do not adhere to the publication’s standards may be turned down for publication.

In the Issue 10

04 News Highlights 06 Sports Highlights 08 How Can I Be Heard? 10 The Man Behind the Socks

15 Artists, Warriors, and Hippies 18 Artists of Monarch 22 Death Is Here and We Are Robots

18 December 2017

What’s New?

News Highlights

Quick updates around the school

News

Student publisher

Jacqueline Bach (12) won the Ozarks Indie Bookfest Best Anthology Award with her twisted version of Snow White, one of ten manuscripts that got accepted. photo donated by Beatrice Gerrish photo by India Turner

Pictured (from left to right) Miles Sanders, Claus Ruttgers, and Jordan Simon

WHEre the money goes

The purpose of fundraising

by Theo Morelock and India Turner with reporting by Aaron Fackenthall

rom breast cancer awareness to hurricane relief to raising money for students in Third World countries, fall has been a season of fundraising. Clubs like Waffle Club, Herstory and Students for Equal Education set out to raise hundreds of dollars this year for worthy causes. Following the disastrous effects of Hurricane Harvey, Red Cross Club placed four water jugs at the front of the school, one for each grade, to raise money for hurricane relief. This fundraiser became a competition between the grades. “The juniors and seniors ended up winning . We took all that money [along] with the money we fundraised from football games [as well as the money from the] million dollar minute and then we donated it all to Red Cross and they used it for hurricane [relief],” Red Cross officer Yulim Kim (10) said. Red Cross Club was awarded the Exemplary Red Cross Youth Club of 2017 for their fundraising for hurricane relief as well as the other fundraisers they have conducted throughout the year.

affle Club raised money for hurricane relief programs in October. Throughout the winter, the club plans to to raise money for A Precious Child, which provides resources to children and families facing abuse, neglect, or other challenges. Within the first two days of its operation, Waffle Club made $170 to donate to charity, making $100 on the first day alone.

uring October, members of Herstory set up a station in B Hall to sell pink bracelets in order to spread Breast Cancer awareness. Not only did they succeed in spreading awareness, but in only three weeks they raised $150 to donate to a breast cancer organization.

tudents for Equal Education is a club dedicated to giving students all over the world equal opportunities. Currently, the club is focusing on raising money for Days for Girls, an organization that works to provide feminine health education and sanitary supplies all around the world. illustrations by Levi Wood

deca winners

Sofia Rodero (12) and Jacob Munch (12) won 1st place at Beaver Creek Invitational on November 3 and 4. Reilly VanderVeer and Samantha Keenan were awarded 3rd. photo donated by Jody Bennett

A head start on success A look into the Early College program by Sneha Varanasi

rom new rules about the parking lot to a new principal, the campus has undergone all sorts of changes this year. It’s only expected that there be alterations made to one of the school’s developing programs, Early College. Early College involves a specific process called concurrent enrollment. Concurrent enrollment, or simultaneously earning high school and college credits for a college course, has been offered in various ways. Many classes in the High School of Business have partnered with Front Range, and 22 advanced placement courses offer credit through a program called CU Succeed. “The idea behind concurrent enrollment and Early College is to increase access to college and to bring college to more students,” counselor Jo Harpring said. Early College initially started with a form of concurrent enrollment that gave students opportunities to receive associate’s degrees in business. This year, the school is working towards an approach that would offer the program to non-business students. In addition, alterations have been made to the traditional five year system. With the large amount of courses required in order to obtain a degree, students often have to stay in high school for an extra year in order to receive all the necessary credits. Now, the fifth year is no longer a guaranteed or required option. Instead of being a deadline, the associate’s degree acts as more of a goal to work towards. The program also aims to reduce its initial focus on Advanced Placement. “When we If you took AP Lang and you scored a 3, 4, or 5, Front Range said we’ll give you credit for freshman English 121, but it’s based on the score you got in AP,” Harpring said. “Now we want to open it up to a larger percentage of the school population. We don’t want it to just be a program for students who already have access [to college credit],” Harpring said.

Speech and debate Public Forum debate teams were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place during the Monarch Novice Tournament on October 28. photo by Emma Baziuk

Benefits of Early College 1. Savings Earning college credits in high school for free makes college less expensive. 2. Stress Relief Freshman year in college can be less stressful because some of the credits you need during college have already been completed. 3. Preparation Provides a sense of what a college course will feel like and what the work load is like. 4. Mentorship You have the opportunity to be taught by a Monarch teacher and a Front Range professor at the same time.

photo by Levi Wood

Here’s who you should contact if you are interested in Early College: Jo Harpring- jo.harpring@bvsd.org Jody Bennett- jody.bennett@bvsd.org Neil Anderson- neil.anderson@bvsd.org Rudy Sumpter- rudy.sumpter@bvsd.org

December 2017

Sports Highlights

CROSS COUNTRy Charlie Perry and the trail to success by Claire Brache, Madie Devendorf, Lexi Stone

fter his record-breaking preformance at the state cross country competition, Charlie (Matthew) Perry, (12) is winning lots of attention. It all started for Perry in elementary school. He ran occasionally, and then a little in middle school, but his commitment was not substantial before freshman year. That was when Perry joined the Monarch cross country team, and began running consistently. After a senior season of growth and achievement as a runner, Perry is set to run for Stanford University next fall. “I’ve always wanted to [go far in cross country], but my goal [was to] only run in college if I could run at a school that I wanted to go to academically.... So in the last year or so when I realized I could run at some of the schools I’d want to go to... that was a big eye opener to me, and it really made me excited to have a shot to run in college,” Perry said. Perry will bring knowledge of a disciplined training regimen with him. “Compared to other schools we do less, but compared to people that don’t run it’s going to sound like a lot. We do about 35-40 miles a week, which isn’t a ridiculous amount for other schools, some schools basically double us. The fact that we do a lot less kind of means that we have to do a lot of the little things that other schools don’t, like ice baths and core, that makes you the best you can be even though we don’t run as much as they do. So, we had to focus on that a lot, and a lot of our guys did that, [which is] why we did so well.” says Perry. Forty miles a week is a serious commitment, and that’s just the beginning of the impact of the team on Perry’s life as a high school student. “You come home tired every day...It’s hard to get homework done afterwards because you’re kind of tired and it’s hard to focus...And, it’s a lot of time commitment on the weekends, a lot of times you don’t get to do anything besides school and running,” Perry said Perry thought it was worth it, though. “But, at the end of the day, if it’s something that you really want to do, you just have to accept that there’s going to be some sacrifices [and] at the same time there’s going to be a lot of benefits. Like, I wouldn’t have traded [last weekend’s competition] with the guys for anything... It’s a lot of time and energy, but into the season it’s definitely worth it,” Perry said. And clearly, for Perry, this hard work has paid off. After a recent competition, he managed to set a new state record for 5A in Colorado with a time of 15 minutes, 36.8 seconds, taking the record from his good friend Isaac Green, Perry finds inspiration in Green and many of the other cross country alumni. “There’s a lot of the guys who’ve graduated from our team through the last couple of years that have been big influences on me. Especially working on our team culture and everything like that, to try to stay focused all the time and keep it light at practice, but at the same time we have to be focused on the goals ahead instead of just laughing off,” Perry said . As much as Perry has enjoyed his individual success, his focus never wavered from the team as a whole.“I think the biggest thing [people should know about Cross Country] is people think of Cross Country as an individual sport, but it’s not. It’s a team sport, and I think that’s overlooked a lot. Our team has had a big impact on me and how I’ve been running, and so it’s as much a credit to them as it is to me,” Perry said. photo by Laura Yrastorza

Sports

POMS A look ahead with the JV team captains

oach Brittany Brown is looking to lead the Poms team to victory once again. However, most of the team members are seniors. What about their successors, the Poms JV team? Captain Rachel Ray (10) of the JV team is ready to take on the following year of competitions, looking forward to success in their team. “I feel like we’re very strong and motivated this year,” said Ray. Poms is known to be a heavy responsibility for its members, and as a captain, Ray experiences the full force of the Poms commitment. “I’m not at home; a lot, I’m at practice a lot. Spending time with friends, I don’t get that a lot. I like doing other activities, but this takes up a lot of time,” Ray said. Co-captain Jenn Roberts (11) also agreed that Poms is a big activity to take on. “JV is a little less of a commitment [than varsity], but it’s still part of a huge team...people don’t understand how hard we work,” says Roberts. Even with the required devotion to the sport, the members have no regrets about joining this sport. “I wouldn’t say it’s taxing. I’m learning really important leadership skills, and I get to be doing what I love with the people I love,” Roberts said.

Football A season reflection from CJ Schmanski

ootball season this year filled the school with pride. Through tossed flour, tired legs, and glittery eye-black, the students of Mohi cheered for every touchdown and every field goal. For the varsity players, this was the last time they would be defending Monarch’s home field. This season, the varsity football team won every home game, appreciated through deafening cheers from the crowd each time. The team ended with an 8-3 record, only losing a game after all home games were completed. As his senior season came to an end, quarterback CJ Schmanski (12) reflected upon his last year playing for the Coyotes, a successful 8-3 season in which he threw for an impressive 563 yards.. “[My team and I] have been through a lot together. Our sophomore year we were pretty bad, and now we’re one of the best

teams in the state. I mean, we just got a good camaraderie going and we really like each other, so I really like it, too.” Schmanski says he’ll miss the sport, but some sacrifices are too severe for him to be able to participate again. “A big sacrifice is my body, just laying it out there for my team, and a lot of my time from school and from family because I have to be at practice. It would definitely be cool [to play football through college] but I don’t know if my body can take it.” Now that football season has ended, Schmanski has time to focus on basketball, baseball, education, and everything else in his everyday life. photo by Sam Saliba

December 2017

How can i be

Heard? E

What are the limitations and rights of students’ free speech?

by Zachary Salaman, Ruthie Fager, Skylar Hedman, and Treyton Williams

veryone has opinions. However, not everyone decides to protest or use their voice. Whether subtle or blatant, there are many ways that protesting can take place. Although students have many avenues for voicing opinions or suggesting changes, limitations can arise when it comes to how they express their thoughts. Students regularly come up with ideas when it comes to changes or ideas to improve the environment at school, or even activities for the school to participate in. There are many avenues for students to communicate their ideas to administrators. “I have some students that email me [and] come by with ideas or concerns they have,” Principal Neil Anderson said. “I think listening is an important skill. Not saying you have to agree with the conversation, but by listening to the conversation you can learn a lot.” Ideas and opinions can be shared many ways. For example, social media can play a significant role when it comes to sharing viewpoints. “Students can blog and they can podcast...The outlets that students have in order to engage in conversations and share their conversation is immensely larger,” Anderson said. “You have social media… Then you have the traditional methods like the newspaper.” The Howler and its website provide an outlet for student voices through guest pieces and letters to the editors. (Contact Levi Wood or Tori Armitage for information on being a guest writer.) However, what if letters and writings and posts change nothing or go unheard or acknowledged by those with authority? One option is to protest. Before any student protesting takes place, however, one

The Protest Gradient A measure of intensity and commitment text by Treyton Williams graphics by Levi Wood

Opinions

SILENCE

Lack of any real movement or voice against the status quo. Shows consent for the current state of things through indifference or inaction. The “zero” level of protesting.

must recognize their rights and boundaries of protesting in school. Key rights and limitations of the student protester were established in the 1968 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines. In 1965, a group of students in Des Moines protested the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands. The school, upon hearing of the protest, banned the armbands and sent home any students that violated the new rule. The school argued that their decision was needed to maintain order and discipline, while the students argued that it infringed on their First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court ruled in Tinker’s favor, setting a precedent that non-disruptive protests at school are a student’s constitutional right. However, there are limitations when it comes to exercising First Amendment rights. According to the BVSD Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide, “It is the legal duty of school authorities both to protect the individual’s rights and to maintain such control and discipline as is necessary to ensure order so that learning can take place.” According to Anderson, “...inside school there can be some limitations on [protests]: if it disrupts the learning environment, if it is seen by other students as potentially affecting their safe learning environment,

Discussion

Simple vocalization of disagreement. Talking to friends, family, anyone who’ll listen about any complaints or disagreements with the current course of action or state of being.

assembly

“Wear it, write it, speak it.” Any organized action taken against the status quo or controversial decision. Includes walkouts, picket sign protests, t-shirts, bumper stickers and letters to political leaders.

in our own words: The ideas and opinions of the people vary greatly and that is true in any community. Monarch students and staff were interviewed on the topic of protesting, activism, and freedom of speech. Here are their responses: or their ability to learn in a safe, inclusive environment.” The limitations for expressing opinions boil down to keeping it peaceful and nondisruptive on campus, but where does the line stand, and how do you know when you’ve gone too far? “[I] have heard and seen reports of protests that have started well…[but]...for whatever reason, a group takes it in a totally different direction and it turns out to be really negative,” Anderson said. The BVSD Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide’s section on Student Conduct outlines acceptable behavior for students, saying they “shall at all times reflect consideration for the rights and privileges of others... respect the authority of school staff and officials.” Students also shall not “engage in or encourage behavior which poses a clear and convincing threat of disruption of the school operations.” In terms of protest, this means that students must be peaceful, respectful, and nondisruptive in their activism at school. Protesting can impact others in many ways, by changing opinions, shaping views, and opposing other viewpoints. Although there are limitations to protesting, students have a right to explain what they’re passionate about. And students need their voices heard.

Broadcast

Using social media, television, radio, or any other widereaching tool to spread the word. Differs from organization by actively broadcasting the protest and its cause to a larger audience. Message can be reposted or original.

Are there specific rules for what is and is not a protest?

What is your opinion on protests?

“I don’t think there is one set of criteria for protesting, because you could have an individual on Pearl Street or somewhere, saying what they believe, going against something. Or you can have a huge movement.” -Connor Moore (11)

“One of the main tenets that our country is built around is the importance that people have the freedom to speak and freedom to have their own ideas.” - Neil Anderson, Principal

Should NFL players be allowed to kneel for the National Anthem?

What’s your opinion on other countries not allowing protesting?

“I think that they should be, I’m a cheerleader, and I don’t do the pledge, just because I think that it says the land of the free and not everyone is free. I think that until that changes people should not have to.” - Emery Ryujin-Duffin (12)

“Everyone in the world has a voice and everyone should have a voice and freedom of speech.” - Blake King (10)

organize

Joining an established organization, group, or party dedicated to opposing the status quo or current issue and fully committing to it.

LEad

Starting or becoming a leader for an organization/political movement made in opposition to the current issue. Represent movements in legislation/ public eye to create change.

Revolt

Active revolt in the name of replacing the old order. At this stage, diplomacy and discussion have failed and the protest has turned into a movement to modify the status quo into something entirely different, sometimes violently.

December 2017

THE MAN BEHIND tHE SOCKS

Inside the career of new principal Neil Anderson by Levi Wood, Natasha Konopelski, Kevin Wu, Sali Castro, and Mandy Matteson illustrations by Emma Gentry and Levi Wood

Cover Story

December 2017

at Stephens Middle School and the impact the school had on his life. In each educator’s life, there are moments where they must take a step back and reflect, engage their own beliefs, and find what continues to drive them forward. In the entirety of Anderson’s career, the school which highlighted this moment most was Stephens Middle School. When Anderson first arrived, Stephens was a school of about 1,050 students in grades 6-8 comprised mainly of Spanish speaking students. The free and reduced lunch rate (students receiving school lunches for a discounted or free price) hovered around 50% and eventually rose to 86% during Anderson’s tenure. “In some ways students didn’t believe in themselves and they knew that in some ways we weren’t believing in them,”Anderson said. The hallways could only be described as chaotic. In his first year as principal, Anderson expelled 21 students for fighting, possession of alcohol, guns, or drugs. Under federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) rules, the school was labeled an “underperforming school” and faced sanctions. When Anderson was hired, the previous principal (at that point the assistant superintendent of the district), took Anderson into his office and told him something along the lines of “It’s the toughest school in this school district. Good luck.” A warm welcome to an amazing voyage? Not quite. “There were days where I would drive to that school and I would say, ‘I don’t want to show up,’ or ‘This isn’t for me,’ Anderson

ast May, our school said goodbye to then-principal Jerry Anderson. But students arriving in the fall were greeted by a new Anderson: Neil Anderson. Although the school is new to him, he has shared many experiences with classrooms and students in his career as an educator. Anderson’s teaching career began at the age of 13. He worked as a swim instructor for the City of Fort Collins and was an avid swimmer throughout high school. This led to landing his first job as the swim coach for both girls and boys at Rocky Mountain High School from 1996 to 1999. With years of experience in coaching under his belt, Anderson began his first official teaching job at Boltz Middle School in 1998 and then made the move to Salem, Oregon in 1999 to work in many schools over the next 17 years. He taught at Howard Street Charter school then moved to South Salem High School where he eventually served as the Dean of Students and the Assistant Principal from 1999 to 2004. As he moved through his career as an educator, he won his first job as principal of Stephens Middle School in 2004 and later was the first principal of Straub Middle School. In his last three years in Salem, Anderson was the Director of Instructional Services (the person who directs the curriculum) for Salem-Keizer Public Schools system. During his time at Salem-Keizer Public Schools, he felt something was missing. Anderson loved teaching. “I love it because I loved the ability to know that I was having a direct impact on a young person’s mind,” Anderson said. And that was something missing as the Director of Instructional Services. “I finally came to the conclusion that I would rather have a broader breadth of impact,” Anderson said. So he and his family decided to move on. Colorado was a rather appealing choice. Having grown up in Fort Collins and graduated from Rocky Mountain High School, it was hard to say no. Plus, who would want to miss out on some of the best mountains in the country? So Anderson his wife, and three children packed up their bags and left Salem behind. What he did not leave behind, however, were the lessons and experiences he had working

Cover Story

Anderson becomes the head swim coach for both girls and boys at Rocky Mountain High School

Anderson begins his first official teaching job at Boltz Junior High School

04 1999

02 1996

Anderson begins teaching swim lessons at the age of 13

1998

1986

A Timeline of Anderson’s teaching Career

Anderson and his family move to Salem, Oregon

said. But he persevered. At the end of the year when the school went through their planning stage for the next year, it was already meeting the adequate yearly progress(AYP) indicators set in place by NCLB and was on a hold status. What this essentially meant was that Anderson did not have to take any further action to restructure the school. But he felt a responsibilty to do so anyway. “It first started with the belief around kids and what we held at our core around our students and our school,” Anderson said. It was at this point where Anderson reached an essential realization. “It was a turning moment for me because I had never before articulated my belief in a universal way. My belief around kids and why I do what I do and what I believe vision-wise what we owe the students at that time and future students. I’d never done that before,” Anderson said. This moment was so powerful because he was voicing his core beliefs.“I know what I believe and I know what I value and I know what schools can become and I believe in the power of teaching. But I also believe in the belief around kids when you set a high bar which you support to get there, what can be accomplished.”

“

The following week of that year he spoke with the faculty about restructuring despite meeting the AYP. He stood up as the “youngest principal in the state of Oregon” in front of veteran teachers who had years of experience under their belts and laid out the plan for the school to expand goals for student academic achievement and “open doors of possibilities for kids.” He concluded the presentation by saying, “You [staff at the meeting] have a choice. Either you can be with us on this journey, and the belief we have been talking about, that is the belief of collective efficacy around our students, or you don’t have to be. But that’s your choice.” Four years after arriving at Stephens, “things just started clicking,” Anderson said. One day a supervisor to Anderson came in and told him, “The school feels like it’s a place of learning.” “That stuck out to me,” Anderson said. Although the demographics have not changed, Stephens is now a national demonstration school and Anderson’s pride point in his life. The goal was to rebuild the foundation of the school, one which was focused on opening doors of infinite possibilities for and creating an environment where students were safe and able to thrive. And he did. “I kind of had that vision, but in the end everybody came along and said, ‘This is what we want to do,’ and started driving that ship themselves, and so I was able to just be a champion and kind of the one that kept us on our path and push away things that would distract us from that path and really focused on best practices for instruction,” Anderson said. All of these experiences have lead Anderson to joining the Monarch family. Neil Anderson is already leading with the students and faculty in mind, taking time to get to know the community. Assistant Principal Mark Sibley feels that Anderson fits right in. “In what, three months, two and a half months of him being here, he feels like he has been here forever,” Sibley said. The new principal has seemed to fill these big shoes...or should we say socks?

06 Anderson opens Straub Middle School

present

Anderson becomes Director of Instructional Services for Salem-Keizer School District

08 2017

2014

Anderson becomes the principal at Stephens Middle School

2011

2004

It was a turning moment for me because I had never before articulated my belief in a universal way. -Neil Anderson

Anderson and his family move back to Colorado

December 2017

Why the socks? “Guys don’t have the ability to ACCESSORIZE very much. You have ties, glasses and socks. So being somebody that wears ties and glasses, the socks are kind of like that surprise- nobody can kind of see that, so all of the sudden you sit down and BOOM- there are the socks. So I got into them because a really good friend of mine who lives in Portland started wearing striped socks and he introduced me to an online company called “Stroke Socks” and they had all these different COLORS. That’s kind of started that TREND. Now, I think I was one of the national trend setters because now you find STRIPED SOCKS everywhere. It is something just fun and flashy and something different that would start a conversation.” - Neil Anderson

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ARtists Warriors and hippies

A look into the probable past by Mandy Matteson, India Turner, Gwen McGarry, Leah Humphrey

he Howler staff asked three people to create an alternate life for themselves, from a completely different time period. We asked them what they would look like, what activities they would engage in and what interests them about the chosen time period. We then created an illustration and poeticprofile of each person based on the identity they imagined. Although the people created through their answers are fictional, their answers provide a glimpse of their own core values and aspirations.

photos by Sali Castro and Gwen McGarry illustrations by Mandy Matteson

Katie Wilson: a Renaissance woman in present day

he European Renaissance, a time period of creativity and innovation. An era where people felt comfortable exploring the world and observing their thoughts. An era where “all the sciences and arts were exploding and there was really this sense that everybody should pursue multiple avenues and become as rounded as they possibly could.” Katie Wilson said. An era where a hands on learner like Katie Wilson feels a connection with her inner artist. An artist willing to get her hands dirty with clay and paint. An artist who turns to music and words to tell her story. A girl in love with the stars and planets that sparkle in the night’s sky. In awe of the scientific and artistic work of Leonardo Da Vinci.

A girl who dresses without a corset, who leaves her jewels at home. Who dresses to be functional. A girl who is not afraid to work in male-dominated fields of study. Because she will not let gender stereotypes get in the way of her aspirations. Breaking free from gender stereotypes that still exist in this day, as a percussionist in the high school band. She loses herself in her music, the pounding of sticks on the mallet keyboard. Enjoying “every form of art [she] can get [her] hands on.” In “... love [with] picking up many new ideas and activities” Wilson said. Katie Wilson, an artist who learns from other people and from taking action.

December 2017

James Kelpy: a Samurai in a time of peace

iving in the Tokugawa period of 1603 to 1867, the Renaissance of Japan, under the rule of Ieyasu Tokugawa, who, even as a conqueror “is known for his patience,” James Kelpy said. A samurai more in love with “the cultural explosion,” and the art of writing and theater, than the art of battle. A warrior without the love of war. In love with the brush of calligraphy pens against paper, the pattern of words to form haikus, the arrangement of flowers in a vase. A samurai living at peace not only with society, but also with nature. A warrior “inspired by Zen Buddhism” to live with nature instead of against it. Watching the fog settle over the mountains on an early afternoon, similar to the scene he sees on his morning drive to school.

Features

Waking up to see the cherry blossoms scatter to create a carpet of pink. Living to see the blur of leaves flowing in the wind. A man so in love with nature, that even his poor vision would not stop him from adventure. “I wear glasses, so I would be totally blind [In the Tokugawa period],” Kelpy said. A man who has seen through studying the past how “history repeats itself through bloody struggles,” Kelpy said Who sees how the violence of society comes from a lack of empathy. A shortage of patience. An absence of understanding. A man who can’t stand that people don’t “change the way they see each other.” “[We should] struggle more to get along rather than conquering each other,” Kelpy said. A history teacher hoping for a time of peace.

Jordan Simon: an ice cream truck driver and slam poet of the 1960s

n ice cream truck driver, because “the ice cream guy is so cool, and the job seems pretty chill,” Simon said. A slam poet because “it fits the scene.” And a conspiracy theorist. A closeted conspiracy theorist who wouldn’t talk about his conspiracy theories to anyone, keeping them hidden in a head underneath a curly mane of hair. Hair that has influenced the Jordan Simon of today “because that’s the pop culture that I follow now.” Simon said. Who bases the vibe of his ‘alternate life’ off Free, a band full of inspiring guitarists and singers. The boy who says humanity hasn’t changed anything but the customs they live by over the

years. The boy who thinks that he might have been shaped differently growing up in the 60’s, but can agree that his personality would have stayed the same. Because the times are changing, and the clothes are changing, and the music is changing, but we humans Stay The Same. Because “people, they want to move around, they want to be happy. They are sad sometimes, the same things make them sad as they did 1,000 years ago,” Simon said. “People haven’t changed.” Jordan Simon of the 60’s, the driver of an ice cream truck and fabulous slam poet.

December 2017

ARTISTS OF MONARCH

Exploring the personal expression behind fine art

by Emma Gentry, Chasity Harris, and Sneha Varanasi Drawing by Annabeth Meaney he gentle scratching of a brush against canvas. The passionate, rich sound of a trumpet resounding through the halls.The gentle humming of a newly learned tune. The painter goes back for more cobalt blue acrylic, the trumpet’s sound becomes syncopated, and the humming crescendos with the addition of lyrics. These aren’t just the sounds of Monarch’s fine artists; these are the sounds of emotions, vividly flowing throughout the school at all hours of the day. Through the halls of Monarch, there are many different messages that are woven into each art form. Whether it’s walking through the doors of the art room, singing passionately with every note, or stepping on the stage with beaming lights before a dance recital, it all comes down to exploring creativity. Visual artist Annabeth Meaney talked about the overarching meaning of art. “[Art] is an image portraying a human’s emotions,” said Meaney (11). “Whether [the artist means] to or not, that’s what it is. When you create something, you’re pouring your emotions into it, subconsciously or not.” Logan Riley, an opera singer, explained the passion that’s brought forth by her art. “Art is something that conveys passion. Whether it’s visual art or music or theatre performance, or whatever art may be to you, it’s just something that conveys the passion that’s burning inside of you all the time… [it’s] just how you get it out and show it to the world,” Riley said. Grace Wade-Stein, a dancer of ballet, tap, and various other styles, emphasized the significance of ambiguity and freedom in her form.

Culture

“[Dance] can really be appreciated by everyone, and I feel that dance is extremely relatable in that even set choreography is open to some degree of interpretation. When you’re practicing a routine, you can really play around with how you express yourself through the movements, and I’ve found that the choreography looks really different depending on the narrative that I have in my head,” Wade-Stein said. Whether it be painting a picture, singing in an opera, or rehearsing a dance, art is an outlet of emotion and creativity, connecting the work of the artist with the minds of their audiences.

Visual artist Annabeth Meaney (11) finds many ways to express hidden messages within her art. In the painting above, she describes her work to be an “endless plain with many expired trees against a contrasting and colorful cloudy sky”, portraying what a passer by would see with the naked eye. “Though the desolate prairie should ruin the scene, if one were to see this landscape in real life it would be considered beautiful,” Meaney said.

From left to right: Claudia Lastella, Connie Quigg, and Julie Makely Photo by Chasity Harris

Digging beneath the surface: art censorship by Emma Gentry and Sneha Varanasi

lthough the world of fine arts is supposedly filled with creative liberty, there are many occasions when freedom is restricted. Monarch’s trio of art teachers, Claudia Lastella, Julie Makely, and Connie Quigg, have run into such experiences throughout their years of schooling and teaching. Claudia Lastella, teacher of Digital Art and Design, AP Art History, and Photography, has experienced art censorship first-hand. While in high school, Lastella encountered art censorship while taking a life drawing class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Impressed with her work, the teacher of Lastella’s class decided to enter a particular drawing of a nude male in a state wide art competition. “[When] we went to the competition, she was yelled at by a number of people who told her that the drawing was offensive,” Lastella said. But instead of giving into complaints, Lastella pushed forward while learning a valuable lesson: pressing art’s boundaries can be justified with an artist’s message. “I think art is just a way to express yourself visually. And I think that everybody has ideas, I think that everybody is creative, and not everybody has the same creativity, and not everybody has the same talent. But I think that everybody has ideas that they can express in a visual way,” Lastella said. Ceramics teacher Julie Makely has not experienced art censorship personally, but growing up in a conservative family gave her further insight on the subject. “When I was in college I had taken many life figure painting classes. Not everyone sees the human figure as one of the most

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enduring themes in the visual arts. Not even my mother,” Lastella said. “My thought on the matter was that my mother did not truly understand my message and my love for anatomy. Painting the human figure presented me with a challenge.” Makely thinks that censorship is a choice individuals make for themselves, not for everyone else. “Sure, I believe people have the right to censor themselves away from things they find tasteless. However, I also believe it is important to hear and listen to the why in which they are creating their work. Every work of art has a message,” Makely said. Though working in a school environment can impose restrictions on certain artwork, draw and paint instructor Connie Quigg emphasizes the need for expression. “We really try to encourage the discovery and development of each student’s artistic voice and to create works that are meaningful to them,” Quigg said. Over the past two years, Quigg dealt with a situation concerning the works of two female students. “One young artist was dealing with stereotypes and the other with portraying a message that a woman is much more than her body. Both produced powerful images – one we displayed in the art hallway showcase and the other in the administrative hallway,” she said. “An administrator noticed a very small image of a penis among many images and asked if I knew it was in the drawing. I stated that yes, the artist and I discussed it and agreed it was an important part of the message she was conveying about being a woman. I explained this to the administrator and also why I chose not to display it in the major hallway and the piece continued to be displayed.” A work of art can evoke differing interpretations, some of which were not intended by the artist. There will forever be disagreements on the question of censorship, but the art teachers stand strong in support of students’ freedom of expression through art.

[When] we went to the competition, she was yelled at by a number of people who told her that the drawing was offensive. -Claudia Lastella

December 2017

MEET THE artists SWEPT AWAY WHILE DANCING by Emma Gentry and Sneha Varanasi photo donated by Grace Wade-Stein Tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz dancer Grace WadeStein (11) embraces her passion with each recital and class she attends. “As a dancer, performing and practicing really allow me to get in touch with my emotions and express experiences that I sometimes can’t put into words,” Wade-Stein said. Within each performance, Grace aims to have a wordless conversation and understanding with her audience. “When I try to convey emotion in my movements, I can create an emotional connection with the audience and really change the way the performance is experienced,” Wade-Stein said. Wade-Stein is aware of the need for liberty in dance and art, and also wishes to test boundaries. “Dancers should have the freedom to make decisions about their performance based on what they are comfortable with. However, I think that art is meant to be controversial and to inspire debate and discussion. It’s meant to create waves, but if I thought that the message or movement of a certain dance was needlessly offensive in some way, I would definitely want to change that,” Wade-Stein said.

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Sometimes when I dance alone, I get more caught up in my emotions. That can make my performance more authentic, but it can also bring up a lot of anxiety, and it can be quite lonely. - Grace Wade-Stein (11)

Culture

A VOICE WITH passion by Chasity Harris and Sneha Varanasi photo by Sneha Varanasi From every high note to low note, opera singer Logan Riley tells a meaningful story with her voice. “Basically, with singing, obviously someone else has written this music. So it’s taking your passion, and bringing life to something that someone else put their passion into,” Riley said. “It’s like a collaboration between a singer and a composer and a pianist, and when it all comes together it’s just magic.” She is encouraged - and encourages people to pursue what they love. “I would just say it’s never too late to start something. I think that everyone has passion in something, and if you haven’t found it yet you should try everything and see where that takes you,” Riley said. “I think that everyone needs to find something that makes them happy and helps them express themselves.”

disproportion is proportion by Emma Gentry and Sneha Varanasi drawing by Annabeth Meaney Annabeth Meaney (11), an active artist in the art department as well as the art club, portrays many messages through her drawing and painting. “I was trying to portray a “perfect image”, but not in the sense that everyone thinks,” Meaney said, explaining her piece. “I wanted to show that everything has flaws, even perfection.” In this colored pencil drawing, the girl purposely has “a large nose and bug eyes, with a mouth that’s overcome by her big ol’ buck teeth,” portraying Meaney’s concept that even perfection itself is flawed. Through every piece that she makes, whether in Art Club or art class, Meaney constantly pushes artistic limits.

December 2017

death is here and we are robots

A call to recognize and end our desensitization to violence by The Howler Editorial Board

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n October, four U.S. Marines were ambushed and killed in Niger. That same month, 58 people were killed in a shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. The next month, three people were murdered seemingly at random in a Walmart in Thornton. Niger is 6,586 miles away from Louisville. Vegas, about 758. Thornton is less than 20. Yet all of these attacks have largely received the same indifference, despite one being on another continent, one being in another state, and one just down the highway. Many people don’t care, not for long. Violence is a natural force. It has been a hallmark of life and humanity. Its existence cannot be argued. The violence that plagues people in the modern day, though, is not the same kind of violence in nature. It’s not the violence of survival or defense, but optional aggression. The fact is that the contemporary brand of violence is unnecessary and avoidable. However, there seems to be a numbness to how unnatural this violence is in recent years. Violence surrounds us and we don’t bat an eye. Why? What would cause us to ignore the blood and misery that have become omnipresent in our society? Many point the finger at violence in fiction and media, in particular movies and video games. However, there is a key difference between fictional death and real death. When a character is shot in a movie, he’s an actor covered in fake blood who got paid for his role at the end of production. When a Nazi’s head is blown off in the newest FPS game, it’s a line of code signaling another line of code to make pixels flicker and dance on your screen. There is a screen and the creative decisions of a director or developer that separate that media from someone actually dying. It’s not real and, deep down, and we understand that. Ask yourself this, though: Did you cry more over the death of your favorite TV character, or over all who lost their lives at the massacre in the movie theater in Aurora a few years back? There is a disconnect, a numbness that we have to the violence, to real tragedy in our world. We’ve had access to 24/7 global news all our lives, so we learn about any heartbreaking event as it happens. The abundance of this media causes a bombardment of information

about violence and horrific disasters to us on a daily basis. We’ve built a tolerance to the awful things that happen in the world, from deaths on the other side of the planet to murders in our very neighborhoods. There’s a sort of “bystander effect” that has taken hold in our reaction to these occurrences. In a movie or game, there’s a screen separating us from the violence and victims. In real life, there is no screen. We share the same air with these horrible events. There is nothing but cold, hard chance preventing any individual person from being another statistic on the list of violent deaths There is no one issue that causes these tragedies to happen. However, there is one issue that causes the status quo to be upheld and nothing to be done: indifference. Indifference is a plague that has swept us all. People need to care and it needs to be on the individual level. Sit down and watch the news and see the names of these people and feel. Everyone is scared to get attached and feel sadness at the fate of strangers, but that fear can do as much harm as the violence itself, as it prevents anything from being done about it. Connect with victims and survivors. Relate, sympathize, empathize. Let yourself feel hurt just a little so you will care enough to seek change, to help those in need. It’s possible to reach out to victims who can help you understand their trauma, that they were just people in the wrong place and time. Read their stories, even find ways to speak to them, provided they are willing to share. Keep in mind that victims could be severely traumatized and any attempts at contacting them about their experiences should be done carefully, respectfully, and clearly. All death is up to chance. Those Marines didn’t know they’d die that day. The same could be said for those at the music festival in Las Vegas and the Walmart shoppers in Thornton. Violence is global and local. The cold hard truth is that it’s up to chance who lives and dies, and that’s always been the case. However, these deaths are not accidents, but the result of the actions of people. By definition, there exists action that can prevent similar events from happening. Nothing will be changed and no one will be any safer if we stand unblinking when surrounded by violence. We are not machines; we are people, with hearts and minds. It’s time to use them both. It’s time to care about who lost the game of chance on any given day. If you believe in a movement that you feel will change the violence, support it wholeheartedly. Half-hearted acknowledgement leads to complacency and it’ll be a cold world of machines if we remain complacent with violence. People die. There’s no avoiding that fact. What can be avoided is us processing the body count like a robot sounding off numbers. The choice of how to deal with these tragedies is up to you. Fight to change laws, provide financial and material aid to victims, investigate the root causes of violence in your communities. Idleness helps no one, changes nothing, and doesn’t save another life. The first step to change is to truly, honestly find a way to care.

*This article represents the opinion of the Howler Editorial Board and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the rest of the Howler staff illustration by Mandy Matteson

December 2017

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