EAGLE EYE October 10, 2013 // Volume 13 // Issue 1
Students explore past, present and future decisions that have shaped their lives. pp. 9-19
Mountain Vista High School // 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
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UN A DRIVER T Y SIT C Y RE
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We are pleased to endorse the following four candidates for DCSD School Board. These candidates will acknowledge, value and collaborate with ALL community members in order to determine the best direction for our public schools.
D SchooCSD l Board
CHASE VOTE Bill HODGES Barbra
barbrachase.com
all fou
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hodgesfordcschools.com
Julie
KEIM
juliekeimfordcschools.com
Ronda
SCHOLTING
rondafordougcoschools.com
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EAGLE EYE
VOLUME 13 // ISSUE 1 // OCT. 10, 2013 BEFORE WE BEGIN
SPORTS
21 // Louie Sawaged
4 // Epic Photo
MVHS students celebrate homecoming week
A junior athlete splits his time between varsity soccer and varsity football
NEWS
22 // Briefing
6 // Briefing
An update of the news from the world to Highlands Ranch
7 // Board of Education
All you need to know about the upcoming Douglas County Board elections
OPINION
19 // Staff Editorial
The theme of this issue is choices — but why did we choose to write about choices?
An update of MVHS fall sports and future events The crowd cheers at the Mountain Vista vs. Douglas County homecoming game at Shea Stadium Sept. 26. Mountain Vista lost, 10-7. Photograph by Gabe Rodriguez
THEME
10 Academic Choices
Brothers Vignesh and Vamsi Senthilvel choose to take challenging classes and motivate each other.
11 College Choices by Amani Brown
12 Extracurricular Choices
Lauren Taylor and Sara Robinson choose to balance involvement in choir with schoolwork. by Reagan Fitzke
13 Health Choices
14 Fashion Choices
/vistanow @vistanow facesofvista ON THE COVER: Graphic by Gabe Rodriguez
Why do you choose to get up in the morning?
Seniors Mikalah Hughes, Sara Panahi and Rachel Sims have chosen colleges for specific reasons.
by Zoe Blandon
@vista_now
23 // One Question, Five Answers
by Peter Leonard
Chase Pacheco, Paxton Smith, Maren Craig and Meredith Schley choose an active lifestyle.
SOCIAL MEDIA
BEFORE WE END
Erin McMullan, Lauren Carr, Coby Petau, Ashley Jasunas and Karyn Schwartzkopf choose specific clothing styles. by Amy Huang and Hayley Mustin
16 Class Choices
Matt Kavorkian chooses to continue taking Chinese even when Mountain Vista no longer offers the class. by Gabe Rodriguez
17 Sports Choices
Anirudh Mathukumilli chooses to leave the cross country team and try tennis for a season. by Jacob Cushatt
18 Travel Choices
Max Liebich and Liam Barrowcliffe leave their native countries and come to Mountain Vista for a year. by Anna Theis and Ben Holland
VISTANOW.ORG WATCH //
Recording of VISTAj’s StudentLed Board of Education Candidate Debate
READ //
Student parking lot safety
LOOK //
Photos from the homecoming week tailgate
Featured from left to right: freshman Sam Atlas, freshman Abby Severance, sophomore Kyle Chambers, sophomore Jessica Sorensen, senior Bailey Roby, senior Jenna Zecchino, junior Garrett-Ann Nevins, junior Richie Mestas.
EP!C PHOTO HOMECOMING Homecoming royalty walks onto the field during halftime of the football game vs. Douglas County Sept. 26 at Shea Stadium and are congratulated by their peers in the stands. “I felt really happy (to be chosen as royalty),” senior Jenna Zecchino said. “Everyone gathered together to vote for me. I felt like I was more popular.”
Photograph by Caitlin Cobb
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Caitlin Cobb
Jacksyn Gale, junior
Caitlin Cobb
Mike Santini, senior Mark Maggs
MVHS Homecoming 2013
Issue 1 // Eagle Eye // 5
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Four Things to Know from Around the World
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Russian President Vladimir Putin halts President Obama’s plans for limited military strike in Syria, convincing Syrian President Bashir al-Assad to allow United Nations inspectors inside the country to investigate the claims of the Syrian army utilizing Sarin gas, a chemical agent, on its citizens. Congress, facing the country’s rising debt and a deadline of Oct. 1, has reached a stalemate over approving a Congressional budget for the 2014 fiscal year, over the implementation of Obamacare and its provisions. Without an agreement, the federal government has been forced to close its doors with an approaching dealine over raising the debt ceiling on Oct. 17. Torrential, late-summer rain pummeled the front range of the Colorado foothills, causing road and school closures as well as permanent damage, as a slow-moving low pressure system brought over 17 inches of precipitation to the foothills and Denver-metro area, which averages approximately 15 to 20 inches yearly. On Nov. 5, Douglas County voters will choose between eight candidates and elect four new directors to the Douglas County Board of Education to determine the direction of the school district. Four of the board’s seven director seats are up for contention.
on the app store SCAN HERE FOR MORE NEWS
and GooglePlay
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Michael Ciaglo/Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT
Dave Jackson closes a mailbox with his foot after delivering the mail to a home surrounded on three sides by a flooded Cheyenne Creek in Colorado Springs, Sept. 13.
Michael Ciaglo/Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT
Michael Ciaglo/Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT
/vistanow
@vista_now
@vistanow
Board or Bust E Terms to Know
DYLAN INGRAM // AJ STOWELL ight people are contending for the control of your schedule, your teachers’ pay and the environment where you learn. These eight people are the candidates for the Board of Education director positions, and Douglas County voters will choose four of them to receive the positions through a Nov. 5 election. “Most 17-year-olds couldn’t care less about things like that,” senior Bailey Parker said. Not a single student out of 107 surveyed could name one Board of Education candidate. “[The Board of Education] really impacts the quality of education, and people should be
concerned about that,” Parker said. Parker said teacher pay is an important issue the Board of Education controls. “If you change the school board, you can basically change the entire district,” Parker said. Paying teachers for their performance and the current pay scale are issues dividing candidates. Those divided represent parties supporting the current system and opposing it. Voters have the choice between these two camps and the policies they would enact. “Teachers are underpaid for how much work and effort they put in,” Parker said. “And that really affects the quality of education that we get.
Eight candidates seek control of Douglas County Board of Education I’ve been specifically told by teachers that there’s less motivation to do a good job because they don’t get rewarded for their efforts at all.” Senior Nick McLaughlin disagrees. “The pay for performance system is really good and should be widely used, as it gives people incentives to teach better,” McLaughlin said. “People without incentive will become lazy and keep the same salary, but if there is incentive it will promote teachers to teach better. It is a basic economic principle, that if there is no incentive then your workers are not going to do well.” Mail-in ballots will be sent out Oct. 15, and the election will be Nov. 5.
12-block compensation plan: A system using both pay for performance and pay banding to determine teachers’ pay raises. A teacher’s salary increase is determined by a matrix accounting for his or her performance and how his or her salary compares to the baseline salary. Pay banding: The practice of determining an employee’s pay based on his or her role. The current board has set different salaries (called the market value) as a baseline for different teaching positions. The system is based on the supply and demand associated with each teaching position. For instance, science teachers are in a higher pay band than drama teachers. Pay for performance: The use of evaluations of teachers’ effectiveness in determining their wage increases. Teachers rated “Highly Effective” receive higher raises than those rated “Effective,” and both receive higher raises than teachers rated “Partially effective.” Teachers rated “Ineffective” receive no wage increases. Photos by Dylan Ingram
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Barbra Chase
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“I think [the pay banding system] is disrespectful. My ninth grader’s favorite teacher last year was her PE teacher. Because she loved him so much, maybe that made her love school so much. Maybe she got such a rush from that PE class that she focused more on her next class, which was math. I don’t think pay bands made up by non-educators is the way to go.”
Julie Keim
“I definitely support there being something tied to teachers’ performances [in teachers’ salaries]. I just think we need to be really cautious about and thoughtful about how we measure performance for teachers because there are so many variables associated with the results of their teaching.”
Bill Hodges
“Well, first of all, [the pay banding system] could pit different level teachers against one another based on their market value which I don’t agree with. What [the current Board of Education is] doing is basing someone’s market value on the number of applications they get [and on] who applies for those positions.”
Ronda Scholting
“My overall perspective is that everyone should be evaluated for how they do their job, [with] their pay increases based on how well [they meet] certain parameters. Most everyone who’s either working in corporate or at private companies [is evaluated yearly], so I believe there should be evaluations. However, the current evaluation process from what I understand from talking to many teachers is unfair.”
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Jim Geddes
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“We all know that science and math teachers at the middle school and high school levels are highly sought-after by all school districts. Quite honestly [the pay banding system is] a bit of a market system that’s been set up. We need to realize that if we’re going to have good science, math and technology teachers, we’re probably going to have to pay them enough to attract them to our school district.”
Judith Reynolds
“I believe that we ought to be paying our best as much as we can and I believe that [the pay for performance system] is a very powerful signal to teachers. I also believe that it’s a way to bring the best into our system, as teachers know that by doing a good job they’re actually going to be rewarded for it.”
Doug Benevento (incumbent)
Basically, if it’s difficult to attract a teacher in a certain discipline, we’re jumping our wage scale up in order to attract that teacher to come here. That’s really important because we’re outbidding everyone for the teachers in the scarcest fields, and they’re not catching on to that yet, which is why we’re getting the best ones.”
Meghann Silverthorn
( (incumbent) “Our performance pay system is designed to reward good teach ers and then incentivize teachers to improve to be better. So I think the performance pay system is better than it was [prior to the current board’s policies]. When I first came in the district, the performance system that was in place was not really a performance system at all.”
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 7
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8 // Eagle Eye // Issue 1
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Every day, Mountain Vista students are faced with dozens of choices. Each student must choose which classes to take each year, which activities to involve themselves in and even little things like what to wear or how to spend their free time. For seniors some choices can carry more weight: the choice of what to do after graduating or where to apply to college. We chose to focus on choices this issue because every morning, you, the students, choose to get up and come to school — and as different as we may be, this choice unites us as a student body. All of us have chosen to produce this newsmagazine for you, our readers — so now, whether you read it or not, the choice is yours.
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ACADEMICS // Vignesh & Vamsi Senthilvel COLLEGE // Mikalah Hughes, Sara Panahi & Rachel Sims ACTIVITIES // Lauren Taylor & Sara Robinson HEALTH // Chase Pacheco, Paxton Smith, Maren Craig & Meredith Schley FASHION // Erin McMullan, Lauren Carr, Coby Petau, Ashley Jasunas & Karyn Schwartzkopf CLASSES // Matt Kavorkian SPORTS // Anirudh Mathukumilli TRAVEL // Max Liebich & Liam Barrowcliffe ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 9
Senior Vignesh Senthilvel and sophomore Vamsi Senthilvel study together. “I just look at him with awe because some of the things he does I can’t do,” Vignesh said.
The Choice to Succeed
Two brothers, Vignesh and Vamsi Senthilvel, together are taking on many advanced classes at Mountain Vista. MALLORY CHRISTENSEN // PETER LEONARD
Photo by Peter Leonard
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wo brothers are talking while hunched over a variety of textbooks, not an uncommon sight for two extraordinary students. Upon entering high school, teens are faced with a choice; to either focus on schoolwork or their social life. They can spend their time working hard and earning good grades, or partying and hanging out with friends. Expectations are high: take advanced classes, play the most sports and join as many clubs as possible. Two brothers, senior Vignesh Senthilvel and sophomore Vamsi Senthilvel, have shown that the choice to succeed is both plausible and possible at Mountain Vista High School. They have been able to do this through mentorship, guidance and help from one another. These two Vista students have chosen to especially challenge themselves with multiple rigorous and advanced classes while in high school. Vignesh is currently taking four AP classes, along with Calculus III, while Vamsi is in two AP and two Honors classes. “The point of school is to learn,” Vamsi said. “Even if it doesn’t pay off, I like knowing I did the best that I could.” “I feel like I want to challenge myself and
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do the best that I can,” Vignesh said. “It’s not for college, I just want to learn as much as I can. Why waste high school when you can learn so much?” This does not come without a price. “There is a lot of stress, especially when you are getting closer to finals,” Vamsi said. “[It’s] a lot of work, and it is hard staying organized.” Such a large amount of stress and work could potentially deter many students from taking advanced classes. These two brothers are able to support each other through it. Both Vamsi and Vignesh admitted to getting help from each other. “We compete a lot, but at the same time he helps me out,” Vamsi said. “He’s been through it all.”
Outside the Classroom
“I’m proud of him,” Vignesh said. “He works so hard and when he does the things he does I just look at him with awe because some of the things he does I can’t do. The amount of effort and dedication he has I’ve never really seen in anyone else.” Having each other to help and maintain their competitive drive has pushed them to be two of the most highly ranked in their respective classes. These brothers’ choice to excel, to go beyond expectations and challenge themselves has created a pair of brothers who push each other to the top of their classes and the top of their game.
Vamsi and Vignesh’s hard work is continued out of the classrooms, with both brothers participating in varsity tennis for Vista.
The two brothers are both ranked in the top 20 in men’s high school tennis in Colorado.
State Ranking
Vignesh
Vamsi
8th 18th
College-Bound Seniors
How did you decide where to apply? Mikalah Hughes
Taking her athletic career to the next level.
Sydney Ostdiek
Senior Mikalah Hughes is a varsity volleyball player who has been playing volleyball since seventh grade. “I loved volleyball right away, but freshman year I started to even more. As you grow it gets more competitive and more intense and fun,” Hughes said. She has gotten the opportunity to play volleyball in college at a Division 2 school, Fort Hays State University in Kansas and said she is excited to play at the next level. “I’m excited to make new friendships and bonds and get to experience a whole new system,” Hughes said.
Sara Panahi Carrying on her family legacy while going for her academic goals.
Amani Brown
Sara Panahi is a senior who is very invested in her academic life. She wants to study medicine and become a doctor. Her choice on where to apply wasn’t entirely based on where she could go to study that major. Even though she is applying to 10 schools, Columbia Univesity is her first pick. “It’s kind of like a family legacy. My dad went there straight from Iran in the 70’s,” Panahi said. “I would love to carry on that tradition.”
Rachel Sims Combining school with her artistic talents and passion.
Sydney Ostdiek
For senior Rachel Sims, art is more than just a hobby. “It’s definitely something that I’m super passionate about,” Sims said. Her plan for college is all about how she can turn her passion into her career. Having taken nine art classes including Advanced Placement art in high school, drawing and painting, design, and jewelry, she is ready to study art in college. “I’m going to go to Arapahoe Community College for two years and get my other classes out of the way, then I’m either applying to the Art Institute or CU for studio art,” Sims said.
Early application deadlines for many colleges are right around the corner, and the majority of Mountain Vista seniors have college on their mind. There are thousands of colleges in America, so many factors have to be taken into consideration when choosing where to apply. AMANI BROWN
TOP DECIDING FACTORS according to Mountain Vista seniors
3%
PARTY SCHOOL
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
3% 10 %
ACTIVITIES (Clubs/ Athletics)
54 %
MAJORS OFFERED
15 %
EXPENSES/ FINANCIAL AID
3%
SIZE
12 %
LOCATION Source: Survey of 75 seniors
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 11
Sing For The Moment
Photo by Reagan Fitzke
Choir students choose how they wish to balance singing and schoolwork. REAGAN FITZKE
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armony is when two or more tones are played simultaneously to create beautiful chords in the musical world. But in life, achieving harmony can be difficult, especially for high school students with a passion for singing. Juggling practices, rehearsal, and free time spent singing can be difficult when school work is present. Sophomores Lauren Taylor and Sara Robinson find singing to be an important aspect of their lives, and they must choose how to manage their time. Lauren Taylor has been interested in singing since she was very young. She grew up watching musicals, and would sing along to the different tunes from her favorite Disney movies and musicals. “I sang for pleasure at first, then I realized that I actually loved it and I wanted to pursue it,” Taylor said, “Every time I sing I get a rush and I know it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life.” She can be very busy on certain days with voice lessons on Tuesdays or rehearsals after school, but Taylor said that schoolwork always comes first. “If I’m not doing anything I definitely go straight to schoolwork. If I don’t do well in school, I can’t participate in shows or go to a good college. I’m always making sure I get my work done.” Even though she chooses to stay on top of her school work, Taylor can still concentrate on her passion for singing. She takes choir classes during the day to warm up her voice and practice, and attends rehearsals after school to sing even more. “Schoolwork can get difficult sometimes, but we almost always have time during rehearsal to work on homework,” Taylor said, “I do my best to place my other work such as Broadway dance or tap classes, workshops or other training classes on the weekends.” By doing this, she can get her work done and be able to practice. Things can be challenging for her at times,
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Sophomores Sara Robinson and Lauren Taylor get ready for both a choir concert and for their upcoming classes. but with some planning and time management she can balance everything pretty well. Sara Robinson, another student with a passion for singing, claims singing is her escape from everyday life. “When I need to chill out, I turn to music,” Robinson said. When it comes to choosing to do school work or practicing singing, Robinson can do both. “While I work on my homework I sing along to music on my iPod,” Robinson said. Even though it isn’t a formal practice, she says jamming out to her favorite playlists is an effective way of working on improving her voice. Robinson also takes choir classes at school, and vocal lessons in her free time. “Other than that, it’s just me keeping my voice functioning. I usually practice whenever I can find the time because I love it and I want to improve,” Robinson said. Choosing to balance singing and life at the same time isn’t too difficult for her. “To be honest, singing helps me balance the rest of my life. Right now I don’t have practices or anything, but it’s not too hard to accommodate for when I do,” Robinson said. Everyone has something to keep their life
“Every time I sing I get a rush, and I know it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life.” Sophomore Sara Robinson
in check, or just to calm them down in order to excel in other things, and singing is just that for her. By practicing or just singing along to the radio, she can successfully focus on schoolwork and other activities. High school students have to make decisions regarding how they want to balance their schoolwork and passions. Everything can be balanced with good time management and setting priorities. For these girls, school work always comes first, but finding a way to sing means everything.
The Choice of a Healthy Lifestyle A look into why students at Mountain Vista choose to stay healthy. ZOE BLANDON // GRAHAM HENDERSON
To many kids these days, their health isn’t a big concern. Teenagers have so much to worry about that making healthy choices is often put on the backburner. A healthy lifestyle is a choice, and we chose to interview four students who lead a healthy lifestyle to see their reasoning and show teens that it’s possible to incorporate these positive choices into their lives. “I just started [cross country] young, so it’s always been a part of my life. I feel like I need it, and I want to be the best.” —Sophomore Paxton Smith
Photos by Graham Henderson
Chase Pacheco Freshman Freshman Chase Pacheco, a varsity soccer player, has made the choice to be healthy. “I realized that what you put in your body is what you get out. So if you put healthy food in, you will get good out,” he said. To stay healthy, Pacheco goes on runs and makes sure to eat plenty of healthy food. When asked if Pacheco had any advice for those trying to get in shape, he said, “realize your goals and work hard to get there.” Overall, Pacheco’s motivation is reaching his soccer goals.
Paxton Smith Sophomore
Maren Craig Junior
Junior Maren Craig has been The choice for sophomore Paxplaying soccer since she was little, ton Smith, who runs cross country, and she has always tried to stay started at a young age. “When in shape. “Be healthy, get enough I was six, I did my elementary sleep, and try to work out every school fun run. My dad was the PE day,” Craig said for advice for teacher and I wanted to do well for people trying to stay in shape. him,” Smith said. Smith also does To stay healthy, Craig eats right many things such as running, eatand works out. Her motivation is ing well and taking multivitamins maintaining her health, because to stay healthy. The reason why he she decided she needed to stay in does all of this to stay healthy is his shape for her sport. competition, “I just started young, so it has always been a part of my life,” he said, “I feel like I need it, and I want to be the best.” 1. Sophomore Paxton Smith
Meredith Schley Senior Senior Meredith Scheley, a member on varsity poms, has always wanted to stay healthy, she said. “We have team workouts where we exercise weekly,” Scheley said, “I make sure that I eat three meals a day and get fruits and vegetables.” Scheley suggests to eat right, drink a lot of water and exercise a good amount. She is motivated by poms to make healthy choices, “If I wasn’t in shape I wouldn’t be able to dance,” Scheley said.
runs in the St. Vrain Invitational Sept. 7. 2. Senior Meredith Schley (right) dances on varsity poms during the homecoming assembly.
Photo by Peter Leonard Photo by Mark Maggs
Photo by Mark Maggs
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 13
“Fratty”
Fashion Choices
More than 2,000 students walk the Mountain Vista hallways. Fashion statements are made everyday to express individuality. Five students are representatives for the diverse fashion styles inside our suburban Colorado high school. AMY HUANG // HAYLEY MUSTIN PHOTOS BY AMY HUANG AND HAYLEY MUSTIN
“hipster” erin mcmullan, junior “I try to be fashion forward. I feel better about myself when I am dressed up.”
Inspirations: Magazines and people that I think are pretty. Favorite places to shop: PacSun, Urban Outfitters, American Eagle. Urban Outfitters is my favorite because there are more hipster clothes. There’s a big selection and it’s really cute even though it’s expensive. Favorite trends: I wear boots every day, so I’d say boots. Also high-waisted shorts. I wore them all summer. And high-waisted pants for fall and winter. Least favorite trend: Palazzo pants, the pants that are flowy that goes with cropped shirts. Favorite piece of clothing: Probably my boots. Steve Madden boots or like normal jeans.
“Girly”
Lauren Carr, Sophomore
“I want to present myself well in front of my friends and teachers so that I seem like a good person.”
Inspiration: Not really anyone. I just started dressing like this on my own; I didn’t have any role models. Favorite places to shop: TJ Maxx because they are cheap but they have all the good styles. Also, Forever 21 and Love Culture. Favorite trend: Boot cut jeans. Least favorite trend: I hate it when people wear sweats every day. Some freshman girls wear sweats every day. Favorite piece of clothing: My favorite piece of clothing is like a lace or crochet shirt. I don’t like wearing them more than once in a week though. I just like mixing it up and I hate wearing the same thing twice in one week. 14 // Eagle Eye // ISSUE 1
Coby petau, Sophomore
“I’m very outgoing and a lot of my stuff is really bright and loud. That reflects how I’m outgoing.”
Inspiration: Really anyone who’s fratty and wears fratty clothes. Favorite place to shop: The Polo Ralph Lauren Outlet. Favorite Trend: Polos with khaki shorts. Least favorite trend: I don’t like it when people wear athletic shoes with dress up clothes. Favorite piece of clothing: A shirt with the Polo logo on it.
“Unusual”
Ashley Jasunas, Sophomore “I try to be different, so my style is different too. I try to be what other people aren’t.”
Inspiration: I don’t really have one. I try to be what other people aren’t. Favorite place to shop: Delia’s in Colorado Springs Favorite trend: Bright colors Least favorite trend: Bringing back things from the 70’s. Why purple for your hair? It’s just always been my color and everyone told me that’s what would look better. It’s my favorite color. Favorite piece of clothing: A comfy t- shirt that I can wear whenever.
“Athletic” Karyn Schwartzkopf, Freshman
“I don’t have to feel uncomfortable in class when I take tests.”
Inspiration: Lolo Jones. Favorite place to shop: Dick’s Sporting Goods because it has good athletic clothes. Favorite trend: Crewneck sweatshirts or sweatshirts without a hood. Favorite piece of clothing: Nike shirts or shorts.
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 15
Matt Kavorkian After all Chinese classes were cut from Mountain Vista, Kavorkian chose to continue on with his education. GABE RODRIGUEZ Some other persisting Chinese students:
Why did you choose to take Chinese after it was cut? To be honest, my mom made me Adam Fuller, continue the class. junior Do you regret continuing to take Chinese even after it was cut? Not really. I think that it is fun and interesting.
What was your reaction when Chinese was cut? I was kind of ticked because they didn’t a teacher but Vito Lella, hire I understood it freshman because there were only like five kids that were taking it. Why did you choose to keep taking Chinese? China is a world superpower and it will be important for business in the future.
Moira McGraw, junior
How did you make the choice to stay with Chinese? I chose to stay with Chinese because I’m looking to turn that language into
a career option. Do you have any regrets about continuing to take Chinese? No, not really.
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Photo by Gabe Rodriguez
Junior Matt Kavorkian practices writing Chinese symbols during his off period. “Now that I’m into learning Chinese, it’s become a new passion,” Kavorkian said. “I’d like to take AP Chinese next year if this year goes well. I want to learn a lot more.”
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here were only a handful of options that junior Matt Kavorkian was left with. One was to drop the class altogether, one was to take a different course, one was to take the class online and the last was to take the Chinese class at Rock Canyon High School. His devotion to learning the language made the choice simple. Kavorkian would persist in taking the class, regardless. In recent years Chinese as a foreign language course has declined in popularity to the extent that there it is no longer offered as fewer students are taking Chinese of any level. “Last year in Chinese, there weren’t that many people who signed up. The year before, there were a lot of people who signed up and we got a lot from middle school,” Kavorkian said. “They found that it was just too hard for them because it was at a high school level, so a lot of middle schoolers who made up half the class dropped it.” Kavorkian is one of few students who chose to continue Chinese III. In his Chinese II class, there were only seven students who continued on to learn the language. With such a small amount of students, the class had to link up with the Chinese I.
“[I continued in taking Chinese] because now that I’m into it, I’ve developed a passion for it,” Kavorkian said. “I’m determined to keep getting better. I’d like to take AP Chinese next year because it seems like you learn a lot more.” Kavorkian chose to take the next level of Chinese online and at home instead of commuting to Rock Canyon daily. “It sounded inconvenient to have to go to Rock Canyon to take the class while it was still online and taking it at home sounded more appealing,” Kavorkian said. Learning another language did not appeal to Kavorkian either. “I learned some Spanish in elementary school and it just wasn’t a fit for me. French felt the same,” Kavorkian said. “A lot of European languages have a lot of similarities and learning another language that had more similarities than Chinese just wasn’t for me. I needed something that I could visually separate from English.” Taking the class online has come with difficulties, as there is less direction from a teacher, and the class is taken almost completely online. “I’d choose the class any day over taking it online.” Kavorkian said. “I wish they’d bring it back or put more effort into bringing it back.”
Photo by Jacob Cushatt
Sprint or Serve?
Anirudh Mathukumilli, junior, makes his choice this year between running cross country and playing tennis. JACOB CUSHATT
Junior Anirudh Mathukumili prepares to return a serve at the Mountain Vista tennis courts. “Sometimes I miss being out there with the cross country team, but at the same time, I don’t regret my choice. I would definitely do it again,” Mathukumilli said. Mathukumilli wil be returning to tennis next year, this time with a year of practice under his belt.
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nirudh Mathukumilli has made the choice this year to pick up a racket instead of flats for the fall sports season Mathukumilli, junior, has always been a cross country runner, filling his weeks with high-mileage and distance workouts since middle school. But this fall season, Mathukumilli decided to try something different. And because of his old interest in tennis, Mathukumilli’s choice was clear. He said his decision wasn’t an easy one to make, however. Mathukumilli had to face the reality of starting all over again, this time on the tennis court. New sport, new coach and a brand new team. Though some might meet this change with excitement, Mathukumilli’s first day was met with nervousness and anxiety. A new team meant new people, and he had gotten used to the friends he had made on the cross country team. “There’s not many people that I would actually go up and talk to outside of the team,” he said, “while on the other hand, there’s people who I met in the first summer of cross country that I still talk to.” A lack of connections wasn’t the only problem that Mathukumilli faced. When he walked out onto the court for practice on day one, Mathukumilli also had to deal with the fact that
he has not picked up a tennis racket since he was six years old. “It was terrifying,” Mathukumilli said. “I’d put my racket out and I would totally whiff the ball. The first few days were really disheartening. But I stuck with it because the one thing I learned from cross country is to never give up.” And stick with it he did. Mathukumilli remained vigilant, despite the many reasons to quit he faced every time he walked out onto the court. Every day that the team was practicing their serves, Mathukumilli was right out there with his teammates. Practice is all fun and games when you’re re-learning a new sport, but everything changes when the first games start appearing on the upcoming schedule. And that’s when Mathukumilli realized that his first match was right around the corner. Most people would be nervous going into their first event of the season, especially if it was the first time that you were playing the sport in high school. But surprisingly, Mathukumilli was not among that crowd. He remarks that he looked forward to his games, as opposed to when he ran cross country. “With cross country, everyday that I had a meet I would look at it with stress. I’d think ‘Am I going to do well?’ and there’s just not that kind of stress in tennis,” he said. “I’m excited to go play a match every week. There is a certain amount of stress, but it’s not nearly as bad as cross country.”
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 17
Studying Abroad — Two Perspectives
Seniors Max Leibich and Liam Barrowcliffe share their take on living abroad for a year to study in the United States.
Photos by Mark Maggs
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Max Liebich, senior
ANNA THEIS // BEN HOLLAND
decided to come here because my brother came here three years ago and did an exchange. He told me he had fun and he learned a lot. But he went to Kansas. Two years ago I wanted to do an exchange
here. It’s kind of interesting to get to a new country. You learn a lot. The new culture experience, the American culture, it’s pretty cool. I live in Berlin, Germany. I’ve got two parents, an older brother, Louise. I think he’s 19 and he just graduated high school one year ago. My mother is working as a teacher and my father is working as an architect. I’ve had English since third grade, seven years. It’s part of our education to take English. I had an organization where I had to do a class to prove that I could do an exchange. I think that was one year ago that I started to contact the organization for the exchange. One month ago I met my host family. I had sent an email. It was only about two to three weeks that I had to then move to America. I’ve got two older brothers in my [host] family. The older one, Matthew Morris, 11, goes here. The younger one goes to Mountain Ridge. My host family got no money [for hosting me]. It’s all voluntary. That’s why I couldn’t choose where I went. In America, they get a letter from an exchange student and they get to choose. I plan to stay here one year. The biggest change in school is probably the size. It’s way bigger in America. In Germany, it’s like 400 students and that’s for fifth through twelth grade. The clothes, there’s also a difference in the way they look like. I’m happy.
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Liam Barrowcliffe, senior
’ve spoken English for eight or nine years. I wanted to come here because I have a few friends who came last year to Iowa and Louisiana and Texas. They said it was so fun so I decided to come. I also came to improve my English. I had to write a letter with information about me to them, [the host family]. If I had wanted to choose Colorado, I could have paid more. But I didn’t [pay more] and it was just a random draw that I ended up here. My host family decided to host me three months before I came, so I had time to say goodbye to my friends over the summer. I’m staying with Espen Thune-Larsen, 11, and I have a little brother [from my host family] at Mountain Ridge as well. I plan to stay here just a year. In my family back in Spain, there are my parents, my sister who is 18 and little brother who is 10. My mother teaches in an English academy. My dad is of Russian descent. I am from Albacete. It’s in the middle and south of Spain. The most exciting thing I’ve experienced has been going to the baseball game, the Rockies against Pittsburgh. The Rockies won. The way of life is different. Back home [the school] was smaller. Here, I think school is more work everyday. I think here, it’s easier. but back in Spain we had siestas. I play soccer here on JV team here at Vista. I am very content with life in America.
“The new culture experience, the American culture, it’s pretty cool.” —Max Liebich
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Why and How: The Choice of...
VISTAj STAFF Editors-In-Chief Taylor Blatchford Wes Edwards
Staff Members
Zoe Blandon Alex Bonner Lauren Borchardt Managing Editors Amani Brown of Newsmagazine Megan Callister Taylor Atlas Mallory Christensen Dylan Ingram Logan Clark Copy Editors Caitlin Cobb Jason Keller Cameron Cox Tyler Kraft Shelby Crumley AJ Stowell Reagan Fitzke Photo Editors Antonia Fornaro Mark Maggs Dylan Freeman Gabe Rodriguez Joseph Ginn Social Media Editor Amy Huang Kaitlin Zenoni Graham Henderson Web Editor Ben Holland Whitney Merrill Kyle Johnson Design Editor Ana Krasuski Erica Tagliarino Peter Leonard Managing Editor Hayley Mustin of Broadcast Tara O Gorman Sydney Ostdiek Gretchen Cope Savannah Raisor Managing Editors Peyton Reeves of Yearbook Tori Soper Devon Miner Anna Theis Kelsey Warden Advertising Manager Olivia Thomas Francesco Viola Jacob Cushatt Kyle Waters Adviser Karin Wyks Mark Newton, MJE
Policy
Eagle Eye, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published six to nine times a year by the Journalism class for students at Mountain Vista High School. Expression made by students in the exercise of freedom of speech or freedom of press is not an expression of Douglas County school board policy. The views expressed in Eagle Eye do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, adviser, MVHS administration or the Douglas County School District administration. Board policy regarding student publications ( JICEA and JI/JIA) are available in the journalism/publications room (U328) or in the principal’s office.
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Eagle Eye welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. This is a chance to express your viewpoint on important issues. Letters should be limited to 250 words. Letters will be edited for space and legal considerations, but not for inaccuracies, grammar or spelling. Letters must contain information pertinent to the students of MVHS. The staff retains the right to not publish any letter not meeting these requirements. Unsigned letters will not be published. Please submit typed letters in person to Room U328 or via mail or e-mail.
Contact
Eagle Eye, Mountain Vista High School, 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Phone: 303-387-1500 Adviser email: mark.newton@dcsdk12.org. Publication email: EagleEyeEditors@dcsdk12.org
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Open Forum Content
Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service and Creative Commons licensing. ©2013 Eagle Eye/Mountain Vista High School. All rights reserved.
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t is often difficult to understand the choices we make as human beings. Why do we play certain sports or go to college or do anything at all? While they range between difficult and easy, all choices have a story. There is some reason for deciding to do that one particular thing, accomplish that one particular goal. Choices. If all of them have a story, then our choice to cover choices must have one as well. So why did we choose to cover choices? The people. As a VISTAj staff, we believe people not only need to acknowledge the choices in their own lives and in the lives of others. They also must understand why these decisions are made and how they affect those involved. From the moment we wake up in the morning, we are faced with many choices. Some of which are simplistic, and others of which are taxing and time consuming. What to eat, what book to read and what television show to watch are all decisions, yes, but they simply impact a single day. That choice can change tomorrow, and it leaves no residual impact. But there are some which will impact us forever — those that require a lot of thought and time to ensure they are correct. College. Elections. Careers. The things which, while they may change, are not replaceable in a matter of hours. These choices have a lasting impact on life, and that is what this issue is about.
This is the acknowledgment portion of making a choice — understanding that the choice was made and that no matter how, it will impact people’s lives. Making the choice is only the start. Reflecting on the process behind making each decision is where we begin to understand the reasoning behind a particular decision and why we chose the way that we did. Nothing occurs without context. One must look at the past context and future results of a decision. Simply looking at the solitary moment when the decision was made leaves one with an incomplete picture. Choices. Those which make us ourselves and those which will make our future the way it should be. Choices. The ones that will forever impact our lives: who we hang around with, what we study in school, the jobs we accept and the work ethic we demonstrate. These choices begin to define us as people. Gradually, they make us who we are and how others will remember us. Although each individual choice does not seem to be a huge deal, over time these little decisions build up, adding up to a personality and a lifestyle. We gradually become the sum total of our decisions. We hope our choice will guide, inspire and motivate our readers to make better decisions, no matter how big, small, scary, overwhelming or empowering.
ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 19
Remind your parents just how cute you were back in the day. Remind them to buy your senior tribute advertisement.*
*naked baby picture optional
SENIOR TRIBUTE AD DEADLINE: NOV. 2, 2013. SENIOR AD TRIBUTE FINAL DEADLINE: DEC. 1, 2013. theyearbookcompany.com vistanow.org/aerie-yearbook
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From shinguards to helmets Junior Louie Sawaged plays two sports on the same field. Photo by Caitlin Cobb
Photo by Caitlin Cobb
(Left) Louie Sawaged, junior, follows a play up field during a soccer game. “Balancing both was tough but I’m still putting equal time into both,” Sawaged said. (Right) Sawaged kicks a field goal during a football game. “Trying to balance everyting with school and sports has been hard but it’s been totally worth it,” Sawaged said. SHELBY CRUMLEY
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ouie Sawaged, junior, is not only on the varsity soccer team, he is also the kicker for the varsity football team. Sawaged has always been in love with soccer, but this year, he found a new love in football. This decision came with some difficulty. He has had to deal with finding the balance between both sports and getting his schoolwork done. His friends persuaded to try out for football and he earned himself a spot on the team. “My friends kept telling me I should try out. I did and talked to (football) Coach (Ric) Cash about my schedule, and the next thing I knew I was part of the team,” Sawaged said. At first Sawaged encountered some challenges with being a multi-sport athlete in the same season, like getting his school
21 // Eagle Eye // Issue 1
work done on time and trying to spend an equal amount of time with both teams. “At first there were some difficulties with trying to balance spending time with each sport and school, but I’m still putting equal effort into everything,” Sawaged said. “In the beginning I missed the preseason for soccer so Coach (Theresa) Echtermeyer wasn’t very happy, but it’s gotten better.” Sawaged wasn’t alone in his journey. He had has his family and friends there to support him the whole way. “My friends and family were a big influence in me joining the football team,” Sawaged said. When his friends and family learned that he would be playing on the soccer and football team they were all there willing to be there for him. “My family and friends were really happy for me and they were
really proud,” said Sawaged. “They all said that they’d be there to support me.” The challenge of taking on two same season varsity sports was a challenge for Sawaged. He had to figure out how to find the perfect balance between soccer, football and his schoolwork. There were struggles with spending equal amounts of time at both football and soccer practice and trying to figure out how keep both coaches happy. His friends and family were there to help carry him through the process. “This would not have been possible without the support I got from my friends and family,” he said. They were always there if I got really stressed out,” Sawaged said. His family and friends supported him all the way through the journey.
At the St. Vrain Invitational Sept. 7, sophomore Alex Fu and junior Trevor Spieker race in the varsity race. During this meet varsity boys and junior varsity boys and girls placed first while the varsity girls team placed fifth.
Photo by Peter Leonard
Victory on the Fairway siderable individual accomplishment, despite the team not qualifying as a whole for the state tournament. he arrival of Two students, sophoautumn has more Austin Hardman signaled the and freshman Chris end of the Mountain Raap, placed twentyVista golf team’s seathird and thirty-fifth, son, during which respectively at the they competed 5A State Chamin six tournapionship on ments and Oct. 1 out of 84 one regional competitors. tournament Hardman across the and Raap have Austin Hardman, state. both been playing sophomore The Vista golf golf since before team enjoyed success through most students even enter a higher number of members kindergarten. than preceding years and con-
TARA OGORMAN WES EDWARDS
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“Golf helps me relieve stress,” Hardman said, who hopes to pursue a career in golf. Raap began playing golf competitively at the age of seven after his brother introduced him to the sport and hopes to continue competing in the future. “It teaches me patience and mental toughness,” Raap said. The two athletes look forward to the next season. Until then, they, and the other members of the golf team, practice their swings until the spring.
9 4:22 11 71 19 72
By the Numbers
Touchdowns made by varsity football
Volleyball aces
22 // Eagle Eye // ISSUE 1
Mile time of cross country’s Andrew Walton
Goals made by men’s soccer
as of October 3
Softball homeruns
Steals made by field hockey
MVHS Sports Update Women’s Volleyball
Volleyball is having a great season with 12 wins and four losses.
Cross Country
Boys are ranked first in state and the rest of the teams are typically ranking first or second.
Football
The football team currently have a record of 2-3 and are ranked 56th in the state.
Softball It’s been a rough season for softball with five wins and 14 losses.
Field Hockey Field hockey is doing great even with new coaches this year and is currently ranked seventh in the state.
Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team has done relatively well with a 5-5-2 record and is ranked 36th in the state.
Men’s Tennis This has been a great season for men’s tennis with a 10-3 record and 11 players qualifying for state.
One Question. Five Answers.
? 1 2 3 4 5
PETER LEONARD PHOTOS BY PETER LEONARD
Why do you choose to get up in the morning?
ALIA REZA Senior
MARC MUMPER Junior
“What gets me out of bed is having goals and having expectations for myself. The only way I’m ever going to achieve those is getting out of bed and actually doing something. Definitely baseball; definitely school.”
KIRA AMELS Sophomore
“The main reason why I’m motivated to get up in the morning is because even though I’m exhausted and haven’t slept, I know that I want to make something real out of my life, which is difficult to do when you’re just sitting around. I always look forward coming back to school because I need something to do. I need a life to live as opposed to just sitting around.”
“I get up in the morning because every day has the potential to make me better than the previous day. Every day I learn something new and discover something different. If I never got up, I’d never have a new outlook.”
MICHAEL HARGET Freshman
STEPHEN HUANG Sophomore
“I just get up in the morning to try and have a great day. I surround myself with friends and family and people I enjoy and try to get through the school day and learn things, as well as have a great time. Just the reward of getting it done and getting satisfaction.”
“It’s not the alarm clock that wakes me up in the morning, or my mother, or my father, it’s my drive to be successful. I know I’m fortunate to live another day knowing that I’m not guaranteed to see tomorrow, but if I can I’m gonna make what I can out of it. God’s given me another day to live for a reason and I’m not just gonna sit around and do nothing. I want to be successful.” ISSUE 1 // Eagle Eye // 23
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