October

Friday, October 26, 2012

www.mhshowler.com

MONARCH SENIORS VOTE FOR FIRST TIME

NEW DEAN OF STUDENTS

MONARCH STUDENT ATHLETES JUGGLE MULTIPLE DEMANDS

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The Howler Volume 14

A student publication of Monarch High School since 1998, Louisville, CO.

Issue 2

STUDENTS GET INVOLVED WITH THE ELECTION

Collage by Katie Ciaglo. Photo captions and credits on Page 16.

See more election coverage on page 18

OPINIONS

Lack of thursday videos leaves students let down Staff Editorial

Cartoon by Terran Fox

turn back! turn back! by Eezekiel Gilcrest*

must admit that the following tale is not one of love or kindness. I would even be lying if I told you that it spoke of justice or freedom. But the real world is frequently occupied with these sour concepts and if you’re not one who enjoys exploring such grim realities, I kindly suggest that you direct your attention elsewhere. Why not flip over to the sports section and read something a little more lighthearted? Go ahead, really! No hard feelings, honestly. I sincerely hope you have a pleasant day. What? You’re still here. Have you remained ignorant of my explicit disclaimers of enclosed macabre subject matter? Or perhaps you’ve simply disregarded them? Well, I find that highly peculiar. But who am I to judge? I read plenty of dark literature at your age. But look at me now! I write tales of the macabre myself, and as a result, constantly patronize myself for doing so. I don’t want to depress and frighten 2 America’s youth, but it’s all I’m good

for. At least I’m trying to lessen the negative impact caused by my less than respectful career choice with these disclaimers. Won’t you make that possible and heed them? You may think you’re “man” enough to handle the proceeding ghastly tale, but I can very genuinely assure you otherwise. You want to wind up like me? A grim, depressing, secluded, creepy author of children’s horror. No! You don’t! And the first step you can take towards avoiding this grim fate is reading something a little more lighthearted. This paper is a content-rich realm of more suitable young adult literature. So cut me some slack and let me sleep at night knowing that I no longer torture the youth of America. Thank you ever so kindly!

like me. I mean sure, my trade pays the bills but I can’t interact normally with the outside world, constantly embarrass myself at book signings, and will probably die alone with only my plethora of macabre novels at my side. Go learn of the latest news in your school, take an interesting quiz or find out your horoscope. I don’t care. Read something normal for once and don’t grow to be an introverted old man. No? Well I guess if you’ve made it this far I’m not going to stop you. And I suppose someone of the next generation has to continue on with us horror writer’s trade so with deep and great reluctance I present you with my chilling tale:

Oh come on! You mean to tell me you’re still here? You honestly want to indulge in this horrifying tale? Wow! I was just like you in my youth. Constantly occupying myself with all the masterworks of famous horror authors. You and I are a lot alike, you know that? But that’s the problem. I can very sincerely tell you that you don’t want to be

*Jack Howard

Oh !@#*, this is all the space they give me!

s many students may have noticed, Thursdays have been a little less informative as of late. Monarch’s weekly video announcements have been canceled until next semester due to inappropriate content seen in the past few months. Assistant Principal Eric Moroye felt that the guidelines for film crews had been laid out very clearly at the beginning of the year and these incidents were directly defiant of these requirements. “The general gist is that these videos have to be school appropriate,” said Moroye. The decision to postpone was reached by the Governance Team, a coalition of students, parents, teachers and administrators. This suspension was not intended as a punishment for the student body, but has still upset many, including The Howler staff. Our main grievance is the length of time for which our school will be without these announcements; why must we wait a whole semester? We feel that these announcements are important for multiple reasons and should be restored as soon as possible. Students rely on these weekly reminders for vital information about school, sports, clubs, and other extra-curricular activities. These announcements are especially important to those who miss daily announcements, like students with first period off or students with noisy classes. There are other means for students to get the information previously contained in the video announcements, including audio announcements, emails, and student-made posters, but none of those options are as enjoyable as the video announcements that The Howler staff has enjoyed since freshman year and it is unfortunate that the events that transpired have taken the school’s opportunity to maintain these weekly reminders. We, as a staff, value the creativity and expression of the video announcements. Student publications are essential regardless of whether it is in the form of a newspaper, a blog, a radio show or a video. The video announcements act as a creative outlet for students as well as a valuable learning experience for those interested in film production. We understand that this was a collective decision by the Governance Team and was intended to give the nine film crews this year as well as Tony Tolbert and Moroye (the staff in charge of video announcements) some time to regroup and reiterate the previous policies, but these announcements are not only informative, they also serve as an important form of student expression that has been tradition here at Monarch for many years and we are disappointed to wait a whole semester for our favorite part of third period on Thursdays.

FIELD TRIPS: LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES OR MASS DISTRACTIONS? by Dalton Valette

hroughout the hundreds of years of public education, man has indulged in the opportunity of escaping the bounds of the classroom and venturing out into the wild world to engage in learning experiences outside of school. I’m talking, of course, about field trips. As a little kid, back in the good old days of elementary and middle school in the early and mid 00’s, teachers would take us on an adventure around once every two months to the Denver Zoo, the Downtown Aquarium, or the Denver History Museum. And as a little kid, I thought these were the best days ever. “Oh we get to go on a cool giant yellow bus with all of our friends and go nuts the entire day. And look at animals!” (Alive or stuffed, depending on the venue of the teachers choosing.) The years would go by and the field trips became less and less frequent, some coming only once a year and eventually, never. That’s what happens with age; some would say you get to have less fun and stay in school just to learn for the next test. Some, however, would argue that field trips are distractions for students. The students take a whole day off just to go and look at stuff that may not even interest them in the slightest and then zone out and feel that the entire day

was either wasted or spent goofing around with their friends. With no incentive to focus during the trip that will carry no weight on your grade, students will have a tendency to simply not care about what is going on in their surroundings. That is what some would argue and why others feel that high school students don’t need to go on field trips as they are just distractions for them. But why can’t field trips be informative? Can’t students actually learn something new that they will retain in their noggin during these trips? The answer is yes. Yes, students can experience something new and almost wonderful during a small break from their stressful lives at school, but are instead very good learning opportunities, especially for kinesthetic learners. I have friends who play with stretchy erasers all day and other friends who doodle on their arm, creating works of art on flesh in Sharpie. Going on a field trip could allow these types of learners to have an output for their learning style as they get a more hands on and personal encounter with the things they are learning about. Now, what about goofing off? Students, no matter what, will goof off and to an extent irritate people who are trying to enjoy them-

selves at the destination. True; students will goof around during a field trip as they will get bored with the subject matter. That is only because in the past, trips to the Denver Zoo or the Downtown Aquarium have not been as focused, or included a lot of involvement. If field trips were designed to accommodate one specific class, more than likely an elective where students actually sign up for a class they enjoy, then students would be more eager to focus and learn. Let’s say a student signs up for pottery and they are in the class because they love to work with clay and have an artistic side. They are more likely to pay attention on a field trip at an art studio in Boulder where they get to meet successful aspiring artists than going to a recycling center just to learn about reduce, reuse, recycle and how you shouldn’t throw out bottles or cans. (I am not bashing recycling. I am an avid recycler but…I really don’t want to spend six hours walking around a small dank building watching cans get smashed into cubes. It’s boring, no offense recycling center field trips.) Field trips need to hone in on students’ wants and needs in order for the students to be interested in the field trip itself. If field

trips were better designed, with individual classes going places where the vast majority of the students will have a fun learning experience, then students would be less likely to zone out and sit with their phones watching YouTube videos or texting their friends who are sitting next to them. To better ensure a positive learning experience instead of a mass form of distractions, field trips need to be more focused and serve up something fun and unique to those who are visiting the attraction instead going to places where, let’s be honest here, no one really wants to spend a whole day. (Cough, cough, Recycling center, cough cough.)

THE POLITICAL PARTIES’ CRUSADE Partisan gridlock narrows voter’s viewpoint by Conner Lund

ince their creation, our political parties have been battling for political domination in America. They have launched vicious “crusades,” attacking each other over the same turf. In Europe, Crusades were gruesome, religious-based attacks against the spread of Islam. Due to these battles, Europe was launched into massive debt, as well as conflict spanning even to today. Our ideological battles will lead us down a similar road. These political parties are simply destroying each other, and fighting a battle that is completely unnecessary. Our country has been founded on political rivalry, dating back to the birth of this nation. Thomas Jefferson stated that the “basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.” Our founding fathers created this political system to grant the people the right to govern themselves, with government simply doing the work the people cannot do. However, Democratic and Republican Parties have put this fundamental ideal in jeopardy. The new political rivalry has created a basis for the candidate’s opinions, swiping the unique contrasts of our political system right out from under us. People are voting on the party of their choice, rather than voting for the candidate of their choice. People are ignorant of the differences the candidates have with their parties. They look at a candidate and see that he stands for everything democratic, or everything republican. This political machine has put the very basis of our government in jeopardy. We have created a one-sided beast that is ignorant and oblivious to differences. I have been an intern at the local democratic offices for about two months now

where I help Dianne Primavera with her campaign for State House of Representatives. I have made about 1,000 calls to homes around Broomfield, and too many times have I seen this ignorance that has manifested itself into our everyday society. When I call a person, they usually say they don’t know my candidate. I tell them about her and what she stands for. The caller sounds interested and ready to give support. Then I tell them she’s a democrat. They then say they will not give my candidate their support, and hang up. This is a key example of ignorance at it’s finest. They don’t care that Primavera created multiple committees for disabled people. They don’t care that she gave 30,000 tax breaks to small businesses. All they care about is her political affiliation. The same is said for when I call supporters. They answer and say that they don’t know about my candidate. I tell them she’s a democrat. And without knowing any of her stances, the caller automatically swears allegiance to the candidate, without knowing the weaknesses she could bring into the state house. My main point is this: political parties destroy the unique independence of our political opinions, begging the question if political parties rule the polls instead of the candidates. I see tyranny waiting to happen. I see de facto monarchs that only have one stance on every issue, battling the opposite of theirs. I see two factions created to destroy the other. I see political gridlock continuing into the future due to these differences. I see men who have power, yet spend half of their time worrying about re-election instead of worrying about problems in our country. Political parties are destroying the basis for government. They embrace the creation of monarchy in our legislature. They receive millions of dollars to back up their candi-

date. They skew the facts of the candidates. Political parties create an unequal sense of political rights for ordinary people who want to make a difference in their country. These are the political crusades that undermines

Kansas City Star/MCT Hector Casanova

A Debate worthy of an elementary school

Come to

BLACK STUDENT UNION

by Stephanie Oke

he debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on October 3rd revealed the pathetic “abilities” of our prospective presidents. It was like a pair of underachieving 5 th graders told to write a debate within 20 minutes in class who later learn that their two sentence speech was supposed to be three paragraphs. This debate, like that situation, was awkward, repetitive, and boring as the candidates scrambled to make their point when the other said an unexpected zinger. There was even a Big Bird reference, as if that doesn’t prove how desperate Romney is for attention. Over and over and over, Obama accused Romney of something. Romney told him it was not true, over and over and over. Obama, unsure how to respond intelligently to being caught, accused him of the same thing again to which Romney once again denied. This went on for like fifteen minutes as if they had only two ideas about government. As I watched them each wait for the other to quit babbling, I couldn’t help but notice their vacant overly polite smiles that appeared robotic and bored as they scrambled in their minds for a rebuttal, lips tight, and eyes bulging out. It reminded me of my experiences in acting, when the really bad actors come onstage, say their lines and then lose all emotion and get completely out of character as they examine their nails and try to remember their next lines. It was childish, pathetic, and super creepy. The debate seemed very shallow and you didn’t see them trying very hard, especially Obama, who seemed to me to believe he’s got the election in the bag after Romney’s comment about not caring about that 47%. It appeared scripted, and Romney was even seen pulling what appeared to be note cards* out of his pocket at eight seconds in. Ouch! When forced to write down quotes about a topic for journalism, it took me over an hour to find two quotes from each about my topic, education, because all they did was repeat the same ideas and barely scraped on the subject, basically just saying it was important to be an educated nation and rephrasing it without explanations that lasted more than two sentences. One of my quotes ended up having to be “I think we’ve got to invest in education and training,” said by President Obama in the opening. It was a bland, colorless, and not altogether informative sentence that could easily have been cut. In fact, I think about 7/8 of the debate was so useless and repetitive that they could have cut it, and then I wouldn’t have had to fall asleep watching it at 11:30 pm after my tiring play performance. The other 1/8 consisted of their numerous lies and distoritions.

Do you ever feel like you’re the only black kid around?

What does this say about the future of America? President-wise, I’d say that we’re doomed, with candidates who can’t even give a debate worthy of 10-year-olds. Our candidates are both pretty inadequate choices, in my opinion, with Romney spouting out facts that make voters hate him and Obama playing a broken record for an hour in the debate while making no real point. If I was eighteen, even though I’d be eager to exercise my new voting power, I would not vote at all because both choices are unfit to be in the White House. Let’s give a hand to the prospective future leaders of America, everybody, who failed to impress a politically inactive 14-year-old. Nice job, guys! I certainly won’t be tuning in to future speeches (unless they’re mandatory, which tends to frequently be the case in high school) because that was just depressing. If you are wondering whether to watch the debate, don’t waste your time. You didn’t miss anything. There goes an hour that this sleep-deprived teenager will never get back and one that, if you’re smart, you’ll save yourself. Go listen to the fifth graders instead, because at least one of them may have something intelligent to say. *The alleged note cards were later revealed to be a handkerchief.

Wednesdays at 8:30 in Mr. Tolbert’s Room

Attention Seniors!

College application deadlines are coming up fast! Make sure that your teacher and counselor recommendations are being written, your transcripts are ordered, and you’ve taken all of your college entrance exams. If you have any questions come to the Post Grad Center! Counselors are always willing to answer your questions about the college application proccess. *Sign up by November first to take the SAT on December first or sign up by November 2nd for the ACT on December 8th.

Where’s Jim? Campus Monitor Jim Wilpolt on Leave for Surgery by Arika Rooney

f you’ve ever gone off campus for lunch, gotten a parking pass, or seen a golf cart steering around campus drive, then you probably know who Jim Wilpolt is. Jim has been a Campus Monitor with BVSD for a total of 14 years, 11 of those here at monarch. He will be on leave for the next few months. He has cancer. Wilpolt has a tumor under his tongue and in his 4 lymph-nodes. Monday October 1st he

underwent a 12-hour-operation to remove his tumors. “Everything went really good… He was up and walking around the next morning,” said Security Guard Stephen Abeyta, head of campus security at Monarch. Wilpolt will be back in three months, on January 8th. Wilpolt, known by students as Jim, is always friendly and highly respected. He is never without his golf cart and a smile. Wilpolt says the thing he will miss the most about Monarch is the fact that “all the kids

are special it doesn’t matter who it is”. Students wanting to support Wilpolt can bring letters or notes to the attendance office and Abeyta will deliver them. Everyone at Monarch will be affected by Wilpolt’s absence, but it won’t be for too long.

HUBBARD LEADS THE WAY AS NEW HOW TO DEAN OF STUDENTS BUY A USED CAR L by Mia Mulvahill

inda Hubbard, a former full-time and current half-time Special Education teacher at Monarch, has been named as Monarch’s dean of students, a position that is new to the school as of this year. Although this position is new to Monarch specifically and relatively uncommon in Boulder Valley School District, many other districts and schools have a dean of students, including Boulder and Fairview High Schools. Many people may have asked: what is a dean of students? Hubbard’s duties as Dean are very similar to that of an assistant-principal like Eric Moroye or Mark Sibley. Hubbard interviewed for this position through BVSD, after receiving her principal’s license last summer. Principal Jerry Andersen stated in the the staff newsletter that Hubbard will be “assisting with discipline, attendance, interventions, assessment, professional development, and school improvement.” However, because Monarch has never had this position before, Hubbard is working closely with her fellow administrators to specify her responsibilities and discover how she will fit into

Monarch’s administrative team. half-time, but if this year goes smoothly and Currently, Hubbard has been mainly monenrollment numbers remain high, the posiitoring hallways during lunch, helping with tion may evolve into a full-time job, according all-around supervision, handling disciplinary to Hubbard. issues, working Many Monarch with attendance students may know or and assisting recognize Hubbard, as “I’m excited because I’m with professional she has been a Special development, Education teacher at getting out there and in the much as an asMonarch for 12 years. sistant principal hallways and meeting kids “I’m excited because I’m would do. This getting out there and in and having a bigger impact.” new position was the hallways and meetnot accompaing kids and having a nied by any bigger impact. I’ve been -Linda Hubbard changes in dishere 12 years, but I’ve ciplinary policy, been pretty limited with but Hubbard is what my job role was,” hoping to work said Hubbard. on implementing the Student Handbook’s Hubbard’s enthusiastic attitude could policies consistently and fairly throughout the be just the push Monarch needs to help school. accommodate the larger numbers. Hubbard Monarch created this position as a result of is excited to have the chance to view the a growing student body. “With our enrollment administrative side of the high school she has numbers that have gradually increased, our been working at for over a decade. school needed additional administrative support,” said Hubbard. This position is currently

espresso your questions

Seniors enjoy a warm brew while receiving answers to all of their questions about college hold presentations for prospective students. Robertson understands it to be “for the students, and you need to take advantage of the opportunity,” said Robertson. Q: What resources are available in the Post Grad Center? A: Mrs. Wickers outlines the three main resources in the Post Grad Center as the human resource, the resource of literature, and the resource of tools. More specifically, Mrs. Wickers said “the human resource is the counselors with their knowledge.” She continued and said “the literature that’s in there on colleges and essay writing and how to apply and how to get into schools” is a major resource, and lastly that the Post Grad Center will help students to “understand how to use naviance, using the tools.”

Table of food that greeted seniors as they arrived at the coffee talk on Friday, October 19th. (Photo credit: Joy Wineman)

by Joy Wineman

or students who pass it every day on their way to lunch yet still are not aware of its existence, the Post Grad Center is located on the left side of the A hall rotunda, at the entrance to the hallway leading to the Forum. For those who are curious as to its purpose, here are some frequently asked questions. Q: What do students do in the Post Grad Center? A: Students go there for a variety of reasons. senior Aidan Coffey said he mostly goes “for college help...getting all the affairs in order,” and senior Emily Robertson reiterated this when she said she uses it “to go and do college research and to talk to counselors.” Robertson specifically talks to them

about, “the application process and where I’m at with that,”

Q:Who is that woman who is always in there? A: That woman is Monarch’s new counseling intern and her name is Mrs. Wickers. Some students may know her as senior Sean Wickers’ mother. Coffey, a friend of the Wickers, said, “Having Sean’s mom in there definitely really helps.” Wickers is very knowledgeable on all things post-grad and is full of answers for those who take time to ask. Robertson confided that “the counseling intern...is very accessible.” Q: Why do we have a Post Grad Center?

A: The Post Grad Center is specifically for students. It is full of resources geared specifically towards students and even more specifically towards students inquiring about what to do upon their graduation. It is also a venue for college representatives to utilize to

Q: What are those friday events for seniors in the Post Grad Center? A: Most Fridays this month have been reserved for coffee talks for seniors. These coffee talks consist of refreshements, an abundance of parent volunteers, and increased counseling department availability. Wickers encourages coffee talk attendance because it gives students “the opportunity to ask questions of us as they are going through the application process.” She added,“We also just like to just caffeinate everybody.” Senior Emily Redfern attended two coffee talks so far this year and said, “It was really nice to have so many parent volunteers in there...they’ve been able to help me more with the stress management of the process... just by talking through it and helping me think of ideas for my essays”. There are at least two coffee talks left in the year for those seniors who have yet to check them out. Need additional help with college plans> See your counselor.

by Joy Wineman Buying a used car is a rite of passage that most people go through at some point in their life. For many, that time is in high school, and the car is their first. A car purchase can be stressful and is a large financial commitment, but buying a car for the first time can be a lifelong memory. Fear not! Here are some helpful tips to simplify the buying process. Used car salesman, (and not the sketchy kind you see on T.V.wearing superhero costumes or neon suits), Steve Warner, answered lots of frequently asked questions and even offered up some helpful advice, free of charge. So, let’s start at the beginning (that’s a very good place to start) with the first thing a buyer should do when pursuing purchasing a used car. “Most customers begin the process by researching the vehicle they are considering on the internet. But, the real place to start is to consider your budget. Understanding how much you can afford to spend on a vehicle and being disciplined enough to stick to your budget is essential,” said Warner. According to Automotive News, the average shopper spends $13,790 on a car, however they range anywhere “from $3,000$250,000”, said Warner. The price is most directly affected by the year, size, and condition of the car. Once you’ve decided on a price point, the next step is to research cars in that range. Warner is a strong advocate of research but cautions shoppers of “paralysis by analysis. Over-researching your purchase can create an unrealistic expectation that may never be filled. It is important to check the safety ratings of the vehicles you are considering, reliability ratings and expected annual ownership costs” said Warner. Warner cautioned to keep an eye out for red flags when purchasing a used car. In making, he advised to make a point of reviewing maintenance records and general condition because looks can be deceiving in a car. He also advised consumers to test drive the car, and to keep in mind comfort, size, and accessibility during the drive. Lastly, he made a point to only pursue a car that will meet your individual needs because as in biology and car sales, shape is key to function. FOr example, the size of a car is going to determine what it is capable of regarding speed and tow load. As one final and overarching piece of advice, Warner said, “Understanding that your ‘dream’ car will not likely be your first car can help you properly set your expectations. Above all, have fun….you will always remember your first car. Being an intelligent buyer will make sure those memories are good ones.”

IS “t” REALLY FOR TARDY?

Infinite Campus notation causes student and parent confusion

Mr. Schoep helps junior Christina Rodie with a physics assignment on October 17th. (Photo credit: Dalton Valette)

by Anna Blanco

hen students look at Infinite Campus how much do they actually know? Do they understand what they see, or is it just alphabet soup? A new letter has recently been introduced

to the wonderful world of Infinite Campus, the letter T. “Does that mean Tardy?” asked sophomore Heraa Hashmi. Not quite, T actually stands for turned in. The majority of students are aware that an M next to an assignment in Infinite Campus means that it’s missing, and a zero means that it either

hasn’t been graded or no credit was given for the assignment. But many students are confused at the sight of the letter T next to an assignment. Thats not the only thing puzzling students, most students find one thing or another confusing about the school policies. Interviews with students and faculty reveal that there’s a need to make sure that everyone has a clear understanding of the policies. “There has been some confusion about what we are doing as a building, and what we need to do as a building,”said Social Studies teacher Dave Farrell. At recent staff meetings, the faculty has been discussing policies that have been in place since the opening of the school. These policies have been tweaked to better fit the philosophy of the school. Some topics that have come up frequently in these meetings include late work policies, standards based grading, and re-dos and retakes on tests. “The late work policy basically says that you have until four days after the assignment is due, or until the teacher hands back the assignment to get it in,” explains Principal Jerry Anderson. Once these timeframes have passed, the teacher makes the decision regarding how much to reduce a grade once the assignment is turned in. Although there is a policy, some teachers may differ in their own late policies. “In practice, if it’s late, the teacher has the option to give the student a zero if they feel like it. There is no make- up,” said Farrell. Retake and redo policies are allowed to

vary by teacher except in the Math and Social Studies departments, which both have their own redo/retake policies that all the teachers in that department follow. In this department all of the teachers allow test corrections, and for each question that a student corrects they get a fourth of a point back. All teachers are expected to follow the guidelines of standards based grading. Standards based grading is a system that “is supposed to assess a kid by what they actually know, not by how well they do homework,” said Farrell, adding that “standards based grading is supposed to set really clear parameters about what an A is.” “We are basing a student’s success on the fact that they’ve met the standards,” said Language Arts teacher Kate Lunz.

To become better informed about the Monarch academic policies, look at the beginning of the handbook located in the front of student planners.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF OCTOBER by Joy Wineman Icons by Natalie Forman

It’s a good month to be a skier as resorts are just beginning to fire up their snow blowers to prep their slopes for the upcoming season! Loveland, in particular, is looking to have their slopes ready for use any day now. The temperatures are dropping, and each morning is now coming with a healthy dosage of frost.

Iran is having a bad month. They suffered a 25% loss on the value of their currency against the dollar. Their currency, the rial, is said to have dropped so severely due to new sanctions imposed on Iran by the West. Speculation on the reason for these sanctions infers that they are a result of Iranian nuclear plans and the Iran government’s irresponsible use of funds (according to The Economist).

October is prime for witches, vampires, and goblins alike. The 31st will be their annual day where it is socially acceptable to be in public without a disguise. They will once again be able to experience society free from the fear of being burned at the stake or drowned in a river. If they play their cards right, they may even be able to score some candy from the situation.

It’s a miserable month to be a swing state, like Colorado. Televisions across the state are being spammed with campaign ads. As if this weren’t bad enough, these campaign ads will often air more than once in a row, and they are awry with skewed facts and misleading messages. Viewers beware: protect your mind from the brainwashing, and stick to Netflix for a while.

Fiction novelist Sylvia Day had a good October as her book “Reflected in You” topped the charts for print and e-book fiction. Younger audiences may want to pass on this bestseller, as it does contain mature content. Day is the current president of the Romance Writers of America’s Board of Directors, which is fitting as most of her work falls into the category of a romantic fiction novels.

October is bookended by full moons this year, and thus October is also a bad month for werewolves. That’s double the nights they have to avoid human interaction, for the sake of public safety. Let’s all hope professor Lupin doesn’t forget his wolfsbane potion this month, as that means double trouble for him.

NEW STUDENTS 2012 election: Women’s DEAL WITH Rights cause controversy CULTURE The Candidates’ Views on SHOCK Women’s Issues T by Bridget Anthony

he 2012 election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney has been tense in many different ways, but one of the stand out differences between the two candidates is their opinions on women’s reproductive rights. Many students are voting on our future president this year, and Romney: Mitt Romney is pro-life and not in favor the debate on women’s rights has become a deciding factor. Romney is against abortion of abortion. In order to cut spending, funding and also would like to cut federal spending the Planned Parenthood program gets cut from for Planned Parenthood, while Obama is prochoice and would like to keep federal funding funds. One of Romney’s ads states that he is not for Planned Parenthood. against abortion, but Planned Parenthood is a general health care provider best known for their reproonly allows it in cerductive and general women’s health care tain cases. “In fact, provider that gives advice on family planning and contraception. It provides young people he thinks abortion with honest relationship and sexuality opinshould be an option ions. Planned Parenthood advisors fight for women’s health in court and are always an in cases of rape, advocate for women’s rights, especially when incest or to save a it comes to reproduction and health care. It receives about 487 million dollars each year mother’s life,” says from the federal government. the ad. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT) In contrast to previous elections, women are a main topic this time around. Republican Monarch senior Tristan Kaler has strong opinions on the issues regarding this election. He said, “I think women should have all the same rights as men I just don’t think the government should fund Planned Parenthood.” Obama: Barack Obama is pro-choice and Romney plans to cut spending to reduce the nation’s current debt and Kaler explains that believes that tax money should go to fund one program that should be cut is Planned Planned Parenthood. His website states, “PresParenthood. “Romney is going to cut spending, in that cut he is taking out the things that ident Obama believes a woman’s health care should not be funded by the government. He choices are personal decisions, best made with is not saying they should take out Planned Parenthood. He is saying the government her doctor—without interference from politishould not fund it. The people who do not cians.” He is want to support it, should not have to.” There are also countless arguments saying also on board that a decision to outlaw abortion violates with zero cowomen’s privacy. Senior Jimena Mohedas said, “Men have no place in deciding what a pays or deductwoman should do with her body and should ibles for wommake no decisions in how to regulate what women decide to do.” en’s preventive Red Tent club sponsor Kate Lunz agrees health care. saying, “There is an ancient culture about taking care of women that has been perpetuated into modern times even though women have stepped up to take some of those male responsibilities and so they still feel they (Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT) need to take care of us and dictate how we do things.” While Kaler supports Romney, he has his own opinions about abortion. “I agree Romney. If it is that big of a deal, that abortion should not be paid for by the woman decide how she wants to do people can fund it themselves. All government. I do not know where I stand on it because as men they can’t underhe is saying is don’t make the rest the actual topic of abortion, I think it needs to stand the personal implications of birth of America pay for something that be handled on a case by case basis, but the control or an this tiny portion needs, and only government abortion because half think should be paid for by the should not they don’t make government,” said Kaler. be paying for “It’s definitely a bigger issue than the decisions for However, from a woman’s point it,” said Kaler. themselves. It’s of view, “It’s definitely a bigger When asked it has been before because it is so not their lives, issue than it has been before how realistic personal and it’s so controversial in and it’s not their because it is so personal and it’s outlawing body,” said Moso controversial in women’s life, “ women’s life.” abortion is, he hedas. said Mohedas. said, “Some-Senior Jimena Mohedas While the deUltimately, each voter is going thing insane bate over womto have a different opinion of would have en’s rights has how women’s rights should be to happen for taken a precedistributed. In the end, “I think [Romney] to be dence in the election, it is not necessarpeople [will] make decisions based able to make abortion illegal,” said Kaler. ily the only important issue. “Everybody on what they know and what they Mohedas agrees with Obama’s approach is focusing on [women’s rights] and think and feel is right to them,” concerning women’s rights. “He is letting the saying that is why they won’t vote for said Lunz.

by Olivia Coleman and Katie Berohn

magine going to live in a country where the language, culture, and perceptions are different from everything you’re used to. Sounds scary, right? It’s a hard transition to make, especially when you’re only a high school student. Some students decide to be part of a foreign exchange program, like juniors Diego Trujillo and Carl Holdt. However, some students move permanently, like junior Braden Pape. Either way, the transition is always difficult—but in the end, there are plenty of positives that come with it. Trujillo is a foreign exchange student from Cancun, Mexico. For him, living here is a totally new experience. When asked about the differences between the school system in Junior Braden Pape is a new student this Cancun and the United year at Monarch after living in France for States, he responded, four years. “The school system, the people… Here you have your personal schedule, and in Mexico, you have a group schedule, so you spend the whole day with the same group.” Holdt is a foreign exchange student like Trujillo, but he is from Switzerland. “Back home in Switzerland, we don’t have a high school or a middle school. We just have an elementary school, then we have four years of a different school, and then we can either choose to go work or go on to school.” Much like Trujillo, Holdt also experienced group schedules. Unlike Trujillo and Holdt, Pape returned here from France after living in a suburb near Paris for four years. “I went to an American school for part of the time, so I took some of the same types of classes.” However, the language isn’t a huge change for these students. Many of them have been speaking English for years. “[I’ve been speaking English] since I was six or seven,” said Trujillo. Holdt has also been speaking English from a young age. “[I’ve been speaking English] since I was eight years old.” Pape was born in the US and is a native English speaker. Although language isn’t a problem for these students, many of them have experienced a bit of a culture shock. “Another thing that is really different is that here there are a lot of different styles,” said Trujillo. “But in Mexico, you just are passing by and you see guys that are all dressed the same. They always try to dress the best that they can.” Trujillo added, “Here, guys don’t care a lot about how they look. I love that. One day I came in my PJs when I was here and it was cool.” For Holdt, the best part of moving here is the cities. “We have big cities too in Switzerland, but it’s not the same,” he said. “Here, you see so many people walking around, it’s insane.” Although Pape had previously lived in America, the transition was still difficult for him. “Nothing is the same,” said Pape. He misses some aspects of living in France. “[I had] easy access to the city. I could be on a train, and in ten minutes I could be in the center of Paris.” Although he misses France, the biggest benefit of living in America is being able to play football. The experience of being in a different country has mostly been beneficial to these students. Even though they might miss home, being in America has been a favorable experience for them. These students show that whether you’re a foreign exchange student or a permanent resident, it is worth it to adapt to the new surroundings and culture. 7

monarch seniors cast their vote The Howler surveyed 171 seniors about the upcoming election. Here are the facts about how involved the senior class is in the presedential election, and how they feel the result will eﬀect them.

51% of those surveyed would vote for Barack Obama

Of those surveyd, 39 are eligible to vote in this election

When asked which issues in this election were the most important, the surveyed seniors answered with the following:

Most Important Reasons to Vote for a Candidate

SOUND OFF

Students tell all about their thoughts on this election, and how it will aﬀect their futures:

18.5%

would vote for Mitt Romney

“It wouldn’t really affect me in a positive way [if Romney was president] because he would cancel out a lot of birthcare methods, which I don’t necessarily need, but I’m pro choice when it comes to abortion, which Romney doesn’t agree with. - Sophomore Lyndsie Sundvall

Party Aﬃliation: Democrat Candidate: Barack Obama Candidate Most Important Issue: Economy Involvement in Politics: 7 “I like that Obama is for marriage equality and women’s rights. I also like that he wants to help young kids that are my age. I think his policies fit with my lifestyle the best.”

Will Minter

Party Aﬃliation liation: Independent Candidate: Barack Obama Most Important Issue: Economy Involvement in Politics Politics: 7 “Romney is preaching the exact same thing that has been preached before. We’ve tried this before; this is what got us into the mess in the first place. We spent a lot, and we cut taxes, and it’s just not the right thing to do.

“I’m registered independent, and yes I do like some conservative values, like how they’re focused on the family, and some of the Ronald Reagan type values, but things I really value, especially with both my parents working for the government in the Environmental Protection Agency, I really look at the environment and seeing how much it’s degrading, and how much we really need to focus on that.”

If Obama wins I think you can expect the upper income Americans to pay a little more so that we can pay off the debt in a realistic fashion.”

Joscelyn Wood

-Senior Ben Goosen

Party Aﬃliation: Republican Candidate: Mitt Romney Most Important Issue: Foreign Policy Involvement in Politics: 5 “The election has been affecting the way we’re learning [in school]. Especially in U.S. government, we’ve been keeping up with what’s going on. it’s a great time to be in U.S. government. Just today we were watching a video about what Romney and Obama think about guns.”

would vote for a candidate that was not listed

- Freshman Remington Hawkins

“I think the biggest issue is the economy. I think it’s the first issue that needs to be addressed.” -Senior Maddie Mulvahill

All graphics, photos, and design by Katie Ciaglo and Aleiya Evison

Party Aﬃliation liation: Republican Candidate: Mitt Romney Most Important Issue Issue: Foreign Policy Involvement in Politic Politics: 5 (on a scale of 1-10)

Maddie Mulvahill

- Freshman Sam Cast

6.5%

Keenan O’Gera

“I don’t like him [Obama] at all. I guess I’m a traditionalist when it comes to what America stands for. You get what you deserve from hard work and I feel like Obama is just trying to take from people who work hard their whole lives and give their money to the poor. I understand the poor need help, but he’s helping them way too much. You need to earn your own money, you can’t just have things given to you.”

“The biggest issue to me would be choosing between drilling at home or spending more money on alternative energy. I would definitely prefer alternative energy because drilling at home would really hurt the environment and affect the way we live. I also feel like the country that will ahead in the future is going to be the one who uses the most alternative energy or has the most ready at hand.”

24%

are undecided

STUDENT VOTERS Seniors talk about how they plan to vote in this election

“I’m very pro-life, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable voting for someone who was pro-choice”

Jordan Gotski

Party Aﬃliation: Independent Candidate: Barack Obama Most Important Issue: Gender Equality Involvement in Politics: 6 “I agree with Libertarian standpoints, and I also don’t want to box myself into being Democratic. I feel like in a presidential candidate there shouldn’t be a be-all-end-all [campaign issue]. I feel like if you’re voting for someone you admire there needs to be a collective standpoint on issues instead of just one focus.”

artsANDentertainment

Dalton’S CINEMA SPOT: TAKen 2 by Dalton Valette PG-13, 91 minutes Starring- Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen 3.5/ 5 stars

A picture of Fenn doing what he loves most at last year’s Prom. (Photo credit: Miles Fenn)

SHATTERED BEAT

Why Caleb Fenn is not DJing Club Mo this year by Ashley Litoff

aleb Fenn has been DJing since the summer after his freshman year. However, Fenn, the main DJ at school dances last year, may not be continuing to DJ for school events this year. Earlier this year there was an informational meeting where students were supposed to sign up if they wanted to DJ at Monarch events. Because of a misunderstanding, Fenn didn’t know he was supposed to be present for the meeting. “When I started DJing I had to audition to become a DJ here, and thats how I thought they were going to do this meeting, but they ended up scheduling the whole year,” said Fenn. Because he didn’t show up, he was not on the fall schedule for DJing any events at our school. However, it is possible he might DJ a few events in the spring. “They’re working on signing him up for some next semester. There is no 100% guarantee, but it’s likely, and he is one of the options for Prom,” said Head Boy, Parker Bilecky.

It seems like DJing is in Fenn’s blood. “My dad was a DJ, so i just picked it up from him,” said Fenn. DJing is something Fenn is very passionate about, and practices for hours at a time. “It was incredible. The first time I did it everybody was chanting my name and I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Fenn recalls. He has been the favored DJ of many students at Monarch. “The issue is we have to be fair to all the DJs because a lot of students wanted to DJ this year, and in order to DJ, he has to sign up,” explained Student Council member, Luna Warren. “He has a very popular vote in the school, but it’s good to explore the other DJs we have, especially because he’s a senior and will be gone next year. So we have other juniors and other people DJ so we can see their skills for the upcoming years,” said Warren. As Warren said, Fenn is a very popular DJ among the students. On Twitter and other social media sites, the hashtag #freefenn has been used in an attempt to get Fenn DJing again.

#freefenn

A Q&A WITH CALEB FENN by Ashley Litoff Q: Did you have any experiences DJing before Monarch? A: Yeah I was DJing a year before I started DJing here [Monarch] at my house in front of my dogs.

aken 2 picks up presumably a few months after the events of 2008’s Taken took place. This time, “retired” CIA agent Bryan Mills (Neeson) is in Istanbul, Turkey with his wife Lenore (Janssen) and his estranged daughter Kim (Grace) when Lenore gets taken by the family members of the men he killed in Paris (or in the first Taken.) Mills, with the help of his daughter, has to find his wife before it is too late. First off, this is not nearly as good as the first Taken. This was doomed to not be as good of a film as its marvelous predecessor, but considering the topic of Taken, this is the best sequel possible. The action scenes are overall believable and intense, the plot is solid, and Neeson does a fine job stepping back into the shoes of a true action hero, killing people left and right with a cold, steely gaze. There are some minor plot holes that could have been dissolved with just a few lines of dialogue which was a tad annoying. Plus the ending is pretty obvious considering Liam Neeson is such a badass, but overall, this is a good popcorn film. It is a satisfying action film that is somewhat easy to watch (there are some intense scenes that actually step beyond the shadow of Taken in terms of heart pulsing suspense) and will leave the viewer with a curt smile. Taken 2 takes you on a gritty trip and doesn’t let go until the end.

Q: How do you prepare before a Club Mo or an event where you would DJ? A: I just practice. I go home after school and sit at my computer for like three hours before I go to bed. Q: What does it feel like while you’re DJing? A: It’s a lot of emotion. Your brain’s moving fast but you’re trying to pump up the crowd at the same time and you have to worry about the lights and it’s just a lot, but when it’s all said and done it’s like, holy crap, that was awesome. Q: What’s your favorite part about DJing, and why do you like it? A: The music. Discovering the music and being around new music. Being able to change music that people have heard and see the looks on their faces. Q: Have you ever missed participating in a dance or some event in order to DJ an event, and how do you feel about that? A: Dances aren’t really my thing, I kind of like to DJ, and it’s kind of hard now that I don’t DJ. Q: Are you DJing anywhere else right now? A: I’ve been talking to a couple clubs. It’s hard to DJ at clubs when you’re not 18 yet, so there’s only a couple you can go to, but I’ve been talking to some.

Photo of Liam Neeson (Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons)

A HAUNTING IN COLORADO

ISOLATION

A preview of this season’s most horrifying haunted houses

Editor’s note: This story is entirely a work of fiction

by Ellie Oliver

t’s pitch black. The occasional light flickers on and off. You hear your heart beating in your ears. Your breathing speeds up. Step after step, you try to walk as fast as you can, and yet it is so dark you fear you may run into an unexpected corpse. . . or clown. Terror came in many forms for junior Janie Smith. With tears running down her cheeks, she skittishly walked through Anderson Farms Terror in the Corn. “When you walk in you go on a hay ride. Things pop out from the side and then they drop you off at a haunted motel. Then they put you in groups and they send you off to find your own way through the maze,” said Smith. “Maybe for some people it would be a seven but for me it was an eight because of the clowns that came out of the floor. Senior Mackenzie Bloom recounted her thrilling experience at The Asylum. “The Asylum is a haunted house based off of a mental institution, and as you walk through it there are mental patients all over, screaming at you. They walk around talking. It’s really creepy,” said

junior

Juniors Janie Smith and Trystyn Durling face their fears and pose with a zombie at the Field of Corpses. (Photo courtesy of: Janie Smith)

Bloom. “I would give it a seven out of ten because a lot of the actors kind of changed their level [of scariness] based on how old you were so it wasn’t scary for some people.” Junior Lauren Willis attempted to complete The 13th Floor with the comfort of her seven Monarch companions. “I thought it was cool but it really wasn’t that scary. Usually I cry in haunted houses but I didn’t cry in this one,” said Willis after the escapade in the haunted house. “I thought it had cool special effects but I didn’t think it was that scary either,” said junior Kendall Saunders, who joined Willis. They explained that the endeavor started outside and led up to the house where the 13th floor would be located. After entering an elevator, it departed down to the 13th floor, where people would reach and grab for visitors. “There was a room full of murdered people and you couldn’t see where you were walking,” said Willis. “It was fun overall, just not very scary.” October is the month for thrills, chills and haunted houses. While some will snuggle up by the crackling fire with an intriguing book and some hot cocoa, others will be indulging themselves with goose bumps and screams.

and was written for a Creative Writing class during the 2011-2012 school year. Please do not read it if you are squeamish or do not enjoy horror stories.

by Dalton Valette

“I

solation,” Jack began, “is the thing that gets to people.” He stood on the bow of his small yacht, The Nemesis, sipping in the cool but sticky night air of the South Pacific. His fingers danced on the guardrail around the sharp point of the bow. He took an initial swig from his bottle of whiskey, which turned into a gulp, and then into a chug. He downed nearly half of the bottle in a few seconds. “Whoa! Man that is…potent.” He breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. “Now, where was I?” Jack turned on the balls of his naked feet and stared at his wife, Wendy. She sat in a lounge chair facing out towards the ocean. Her long blonde hair hung down over her bare shoulders and stars danced above the dark blue sky.The full moon had been in the sky yesterday, but now the moon was slowly shrinking in the night sky, making way for more stars to be shown. “Oh, that’s right, isolation,” he said to his wife. She did not acknowledge him. Why would she? “See, people who are isolated, they…um…they tend to go a bit nuts-o if I must say so. I mean, look at like, Alferd Packer in Colorado who ate all his comrades after being lost in the mountains. Now, just because we’ve been on this boat for a while without seeing anyone for some time doesn’t mean that isolation can get to us. Is that right?” Wendy said nothing. Jack took a large gulp of his whiskey and waltzed drunkenly over to his wife. “We have each other Wendy, and by golly, I just love you…I just love yah to death hun.” Jack squeezed her cheek and then kissed it gingerly. Her sunglasses rolled off her face and landed on her lap. “Wendy!” Jack said, almost amused by this. “Your glasses fell off, you silly goose!” Jack fumbled for her sunglasses, Wendy’s glassy eyes staring up to the night sky, and jammed them back onto her face, shielding her open eyes. “You know I don’t like to see you without your sunglasses on,” Jack whispered into her ear. “And…I want you to know, and remember, I love ya to death, hun.” Wendy did not respond. Jack laughed. “Oh you, you sure know how to make me laugh,” Jack said, slapping his knee. “That one was a knee slapper.” A fly landed on Wendy’s cheek. It crawled over her face and then into her open mouth. “So you think isolation affects everyone? Well Wendy, I just have to call BS on that one. Not everyone is affected by being alone for a long…a long period of time. I mean…look at us! We’ve been alone for well over two months, just the two of us, us (Photo courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons) lovebirds, chillin’, relaxin’ on our boat, and you see no signs of craziness happening here because we don’t have human interaction.” Wendy’s head lobbed over to the right and a strain of red dribbled out from her neck onto Jack. “Wendy, hun, you have to stop doing that. It’ s a bit irritating,” Jack said as he wiped some of the red off his pants. He gazed past his wife and looked at the glittering knife that lay alone on the deck of the boat. He frowned at it but then smiled when he looked back into his wife’s glassy eyes. He stroked her hair away from her face. “I just want you to remember, that I love you no matter what, Wendy.” Wendy did not respond. Her throat was filled high with scarlet that dribbled out from the open wound. “I just love you to death, hun,” Jack said as he put his arm around his wife’s tanned shoulders and cuddled up against her. “Love you, hun.”

HALLOWEEN WORD SEARCH by Olivia Coleman

alloween is coming up soon and for a lot of people, it means different things to different people. What words come to mind when you hear Halloween? For fun, you can find all the Halloween related words throughout the word search.

by Jack Howard

c O M I C 12

C O R N E R

Sports A TYGER POUNCES TO THE TOP Sophomore’s strong season inspires teammates by Will Petersen

ross Country runner Tyger Roch was born to run. Last year, as a freshman, Roch ran on the open team (the team of runners who don’t make varsity or J.V). However, this year is different for Roch, as he has been the #1 runner on varsity for most of the season. Roch’s running pushes other runners on the team to do better and he is only continuing to improve. So what has he done differently this year from last? Parker Sitton, Roch’s friend and varsity teammate has seen a huge improvement in Roch’s running. “I’ve known Tyger for about a year and a half now,” said Sitton. Although Roch holds the #1 spot on varsity, and Sitton said, “Since Tyger is a little better than me, it makes me try harder every day, pushing me to beat him.” Sitton has noticed the impact Roch has made on his own running, and also how it has affected everyone else, “his running has made our team a whole lot better.” Varsity runner Claire Green has also noticed the vital improvement that Roch has made from last year, mentioning that he gets a better race time almost every race, which is true, Roch recorded a 17:07 5000m run time on September 28th and at the next meet he recorded a 16:14 5000m time. Green is a

top runner for the varsity girls, and she felt that he has made a large impact on her performance. “It’s kind of inspiring to seem him do so well,” said Green. While Roch may inspire his teammates, he is inspired by his parents. “My parents were both really big runners and my father was a state champion,” said Roch. During his freshman year, he looked up to past Monarch Cross Country runner Kirk Webb, who was an independent 5A State Champion and is now attending the University of Pennsylvania on an athletic scholarship. “When I was a freshman, I really looked up to Kirk Webb because he was ridiculously good at running,” said Roch. With these role models paving the way, Roch put his mind to disciplining himself. Over the summer he “ran around four miles a day.” Roch heavily emphasized, “I just wanted to be as good as Kirk and Parker.” Roch is the competitor that Parker Sitton and Claire Green are pushed and inspired by to become better runners. This story isn’t only about how Roch is the fastest runner on varsity, it’s about how with self-discipline and hard work, he achieved his goal in the end. Roch is only a sophomore and has years to create even greater standards of long distance running at Monarch.

Left to right: Junior Parker Sitton, former Monarch runner Kirk Webb, senior Daniel McComas, and sophomore Tyger Roch race at the Coyote Chase 5k at Monarch High School on Augst 25th, 2012. (Photo courtesy

of Ashley Green)

THE UNWAVERING LOYALTY OF FANDOM Regardless of wins and losses, students stand by favorite teams by Tyler Debord

ie-hard: someone that shows extreme and unwavering loyalty to a team, even in moments of defeat. Boston Red Sox fan junior Andrew Rodriguez fully believes in this definition, saying, “Once a fan, always a fan.” He added, “You can’t change allegiance.” Fans like Rodriguez believe it is more rewarding to pull for losing teams. He said, “Once your team starts winning, it’s way more meaningful.” Rodriguez shows compassion for his beloved Red Sox by owning a plethora of apparel. “I have four jerseys, six shirts, and three hats.” The use of the word “we” comes into play for such fans’ lives because of their irreplaceable loyalty to a team, win or lose. Red Sox fan and Junior Ally Weaver said, “I’m not a fair-weather fan, so I’m not going to ride the bandwagon just because we’re doing good.” The Red Sox went 69-93 in the 2012 campaign, marking their worst season since 1997. Bobby Valentine’s coaching era in

Boston came to an end, almost as soon as it started. Some teams, such as the San Francisco 49ers, just recently began playing well after a ten year drought of being below the .500 mark. making it all the way to the National Football Conference Championship in 2011. Avid about the 49ers, sophomore Matt Capitelli believes that, “Coach Jim Harbaugh has really added some inspiration to the team.” Capitelli became a fan of the 49ers when he was very young. Like Rodriguez and Weaver, he believes being loyal to one’s team is an absolute must. “You have to stick with it.” He added, “There’s not really much of a choice.” For some, sports are everything, so, the anticipation of the next game or season can be overwhelming. Weaver said, “It’s almost a religion, with my background and family, you have to stand by it.”

Junior Andrew Rodriguez shows oﬀ his Red Sox pride. Rodriguex remained loyal to his team despite an abysmal 69-93 2012 season. (Photo credit: Tyler DeBord)

The Art of Losing

Softball team changes perspective on success through losing season by David Andrews

uccess is finite, defined by victory, by being the best. In sports, success is having more points on the scoreboard at the end of the game than the other team. It is commonly agreed upon that this is the goal, winning. Winning consumes players’ minds. Teams maintain tunnel vision, with winning as the only option, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve it. The Monarch girls’ softball team has decided that winning is not simply having more runs than the opposing team; for first year coach Sara Tani and her players, there are other, more constructive ways, to define success. At season’s end, the girl’s softball team stood at 4-14-1. The team was 11th out of 12 teams in the 5A Front Range League at 1-10. There are few other adjectives for this performance besides “dismal.” One might say the countless hours of practice and preparation were a complete waste of time. When the goal is to go out on the field and score more runs than the other team, this team had obviously failed, 15 times in fact.

team. “Coach Tani made it more fun; she believed in us.” Consistency has been hard to come by in the program as Marriott and her fellow seniors have experienced four coaches in four years. Each of theses coaches had a different coaching style and philosophy; this is something that Tani has been fighting. For Marriott, Tani was a formative influence, “I never really was that confident, but she made me believe in myself.” Marriott also shows that this season has transcended any label that could be attached to the teams record, saying she will carry with her the lessons, “to never give up and keep pushing through.” It was these changes in players attitudes, that when mentioned, lit up Tani’s face.

“Coach Tani made it more fun; she believed in us.” -OF/P Jenny Marriot

When asked to describe the season, first year head varsity coach Sara Tani’s head dropped searching for words, “How do I say this without using the word disappointing,” was her final response. Disappointing would have been an apt word; any coach would be disappointed following a season filled with so many losses. Games were lost many times during the season. However, intangibles were gained for many of the players and the team as a whole. Freshman pitcher and outfielder Ali Harford explained, “It’s never really about the scoreboard, it’s about winning the game, not the score.” Instead of going into every game with the mindset that scoring more runs than the other team was the goal, Harford and her teammates devoted themselves to improving as a team. In regards to the team attitude Harford added, “You can always get better and if don’t give 100% there’s really no point.” It’s not as much the losses themselves that matter, it’s the fact that the team has moved past so many losses and found ways “to appreciate the little things, the little wins” as Tani said. Tani offered insight into the mentality of softball in general, “the sport runs on failure.” This couldn’t be truer as the best hitters in the sport have a .400 batting average. This means that out of ten plate appearances the hitter still gets out six times. Even if the “win loss record is a little tough to swallow” Tani believes that this season “was certainly a big step forward.” Tani is a former Division II college softball player at Fort Hayes State University and, she explained, “I do not lose well.” Her mindset has had to undergo a few minor adjustments throughout the season. Tani used the “little wins” to maintain positivity on the team. An example Tani gave was “the fact that some of the girls hated this sport and now they love practice.” Tani changed the attitude of her team simply through a positive outlook. Senior Jenny Marriott had high praise for the work that Tani was able to do with the

In seeing Tani with her team, one gets the impression that the emotional well being of her players is one of her most vested interests, not just putting up numbers in the win column. When asked if she was in it with the team for the long haul as head coach Tani replied emphatically, “definitely.” While some teams turn on each other in the midst of tough seasons, this team has only grown closer. Harford said, “The seniors are like my sisters, we’re all really good friends now.” As the players left the last practice of the

By the Numbers: Softball Edition

219 Runs scored against the Coyotes on the season.

7 Longest losing streak, spanning from September 20th to October 1st.

4 Seniors that the team loses for next season: Jenny Marriott, Jessica Rainone, Christina Rodie, and Ashley Clark.

2,880 Approximate number of minutes practiced by the team over the 2012 season.

season Tani took the time to say goodbye to each player individually, calling each one by her favorite nickname, “babe.” Tani guided the team through a tough season, but is actively trying to build a mentality of positivity on the team and leave the players with lessons not only for the field but also in the grand game of life. Tani sums up her philosophy in one sentence, “It’s a win whether it’s in the win column or

not-you just have to give 100%.”

“...the sport runs on failure.” -Coach Sara Tani

Key Games August 21st The Coyotes won their opening game against Thomas Jefferson High School September 4th With 3A power Holy Family up 4-3 in the final inning the Coyotes rallied for a 5-4 victory. October 4th Legacy H.S. beat the Coyotes 18-3 and capped the team’s 7 game losing streak to end the season Senior Jessica Rainone strikes out looking on October 2nd, 2012 against Horizon High School. Monarch lost the game 11-1. The loss came as the Coyote’s sixth straight. (Photo credit:

Charlie Light)

SCAN

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A Hectic Balancing Act

Students maintain normalcy amid school and sports by Natalie Forman

ith only twenty four hours in the day, it is hard to imagine how some students are participating in multiple activities while also being a full time student. Many students are starting to feel the strain of juggling more than one activity. From FBLA to mountain biking, certain overbooked Monarch students are finding that they might have signed up for too much.

Zac Tomlinson ‘16 Freshman Zac Tomlinson is having an easier time than most would when juggling mountain biking and ultimate frisbee. Although this is his first year as part of the Monarch community, Tomlinson hasn’t waited to join in participating in multiple activities. “I am doing ultimate frisbee and mountain biking. Ultimate frisbee is Monday, Tuesday and games are Thursday. Mountain biking is Wednesdays and Fridays and the extra races are on the weekends,” said Tomlinson. Often times, the bike races and frisbee tournaments overlap so Tomlinson has to pick which activity to participate in. Tomlinson is new to ultimate frisbee but he has been a mountain biker for almost ten years. He finds that doing homework in his free time gets the job done and allows him to keep enjoying his activities.

Rachel Harris ‘14 Junior Rachel Harris is juggling mountain biking, cross country and swimming, which starts up soon. Her schedule is very full. “I go to cross country every day after school and about every other day I go to year-around swimming at night. Mountain biking is Wednesdays and Fridays but cross country trumps mountain biking.” While the activities sound tough, Harris said, “The hardest part is doing homework. The homework stress really goes up trying to get good grades.” She finds that to conquer this challenge she has to “study in classes, during work time I try to actually use the work time”. While this is a lot to handle, if Harris ever decides to partake in a triathlon she will be set.

Jamie Falloon ‘13 Senior Jamie Falloon is not new to the idea of participating in multiple activities. “I am doing soccer and football. I have done both for all four years [of high school].” This is quite a daunting schedule to most of us and Falloon admits that, “I am really busy; I have at least three games a week, sometimes more. Then, I have practices every day after school.” When the sports conflict, Falloon says he just tries “to work it out as best I can. I talk to both coaches; I have to be there for both of them. The coaches definitely support me.” It seems as though it would be impossible to do homework with this juggling act but Falloon finds the time. “ I work late, late at night. Whenever I get home I work as fast as I can. Off periods, I take advantage of those a lot,” said Falloon. Falloon finds the hardest part of participating in both of these activities to be “keeping up with academics or trying to find time for both sports and give them both my all.” To keep his grade up he gets a lot of help from teachers and asks questions. Although this is a lot to take on, Falloon hopes that it will all pay off so that he gets the chance to play football in college.

Amy Karlzen ‘14 Junior Amy Karlzen is participating in Future Business Leaders of America and color guard. Karlzen’s responsibilities include: “Co-Captain of color guard, the Executive Vice President of FBLA, and I am running for state office this year for FBLA. I also work in the Credit Union”. With all of these activities going on she is realizing she is going to have to make some difficult decisions. “I just found out that FBLA state competition and the band trip are the same weekend,” said Karlzen. When asked when she has time to do her homework she said, “Really late at night. It’s already eleven [when i get home] so usually I get to bed around one or two in the morning.” Due to such a difficult schedule, Karlzen has had to cut back on dance. “I have over thirteen years of ballet experience. I’ve cut back on it, almost completely. I will take a class every once in awhile,” said Karlzen. With so much on her plate Karlzen has found that, “You can’t give a hundred percent to each activity. You have to sleep and eat at some point.” Karlzen has found that dealing with multiple activities at one time is all about making sacrifices, but they are almost always worth it.

Howler Staff

Print Editor-in-Chief Aleiya Evison Online Editor-in-Chief Charlie Light Opinions Will Petersen News Bridget Anthony Features Katie Ciaglo Arts and Entertainment Katie Berohn Sports David Andrews Copy Mia Mulvahill Business Tyler Debord Advisor Bonnie Katzive Reporters Anna Blanco Olivia Coleman Natalie Forman Tori Ganahl Jack Howard Ashley Litoff Conner Lund Ellie Oliver Christina Rodie Arika Rooney Dalton Valette Joy Wineman The Howler strives to inform, educate, and entertain the student body of Monarch High School as a monthly student-produced newspaper and open forum for student free expression. The paper will also provide a forum for community opinions. Cover Photo Captions: op Left: Junior Brooke Hubbard meets Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, on Saturday, October 20th. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Hubbard) Top Center: Senior Evie Godec sports a smile after registering to vote at Monarch on September 5th. (Photo creidt: Katie Ciaglo) Top Right: A voter registration representatitve helps senior Carrie Silk fill out her voter registration form on September 5th. (Photo credit: Katie Ciaglo) Bottom Left: President Barack Obama during the second presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. (John Paraskevas/Newsday/ MCT) Bottom Right: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivers remarks at a rally in Apopka, Florida, Saturday night, October 6, 2012. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

Addy Lofstedt Commits to Northern arizona university by Conner Lund Addy Lofstedt, senior volleyball standout, has committed to play volleyball at Northern Arizona University. Northern Arizona’s volleyball team competes in division 1. Lofstedt has been a key part of the Coyote’s offensive attack this season. Lofstedt is a powerful presence at the net, she leads the team with 190 kills so far this season. “I had a few other offers from colleges. But N.A.U. was the best one,” said Lofstedt. “the size of the school was perfect for me. And it was a lot like home.” Lofstedt did not get to where she was by herself though. “My parents and friends were really helpful. They just wanted me to wait and see which offers I got.” Head Volleyball Coach, Tom Sullivan, sees a bright future for Lofstedt. “I think N.A.U. is a great fit for Addy. It’s both close to home, yet still far enough away. Division 1 volleyball will really help Addy compete at a higher level.” This is the first commitment from the volleyball team this year, but expect more. Senior Kendall Peterson also has plans for pursuing her career into college, but is still deciding which college to attend. “I’m looking at division 2 schools right now” said Peterson. “I think it’s awesome that Addy can compete in division 1. I think it’s where she belongs.” Sullivan explained, “all of N.A.U.’s games will be broad casted weekly, so watch for Addy in the future.”

Addy’s Stats

Sets played- 56 Kills per set- 4.0 Hitting percentage- 33.5 Kill percentage- 45.8 Attacks attempted- 489 Attacks Kills- 224 Total Serves- 180 Serve percentage- 91.1 *Through 10/21/12. Stats according to MaxPreps.com

Addy Lofstedt leaps for a serve in a preseason scrimmage at Monarch High School. (Photo credit: Dominic Yang)

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