Eagle Eye Issue 4, May 8 , 2017

EAGLEEYE

The

Throwback

Issue

Let’s take a look at what Vista used to be like… and how it has changed today.

Principal Mike Weaver named 2017 DCSD Administrator of the Year.

Mountain Vista High School | 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

Vol. 16 Issue 4 4.08.17

issue 4 weaver 4 mike MV’s principal named DCSD Administrator the Year

pop culture 6 a decade of events A look back on the important

events from 2007 and how they compare to 2017 current events.

sports a look back 22 Vista has had some incredible

athletes who have left a big impact on their programs.

opinion 24 seniors

MV Media seniors give their thoughts on their high school experiences now that they’re graduating.

politics 12 presidency

A comparison between Donald Trump and Barack Obama during their first 100 days as president.

feature 14 blake waechter Blake Waechter has gone from star basketball player to a creative slam poet.

16 18

alyssa epstein

13

Alyssa Epstein has overcome many different bouts of adversity in her high school career by being positive.

Lewis has been impacting Vista since its opening.

20 jason fisher

jett crowson bronwen cartwright arianna dimercurio julia driggs jarom edwards caitlin english ian ferguson emma friesen charlie fu lauren gano anne gerringer keyahn golgoon katy harris addisyn hartman lauren irwin

emily kinney hannah lovell morgan maclean matisse molina morgan nichols michael place lexi riga andie srdoc drew stahl tiara tambunan claire vandestouwe erica venable ben yoshida shayan zarrin

staff

policy

Eagle Eye, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published four times a year by the student journalism class 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 publications room (U328) or the principal’s office.

letters to the editors

contact

The class Jason Fisher started with at Vista is now graduating.

The English teacher looks back on his first four years in Colorado and at MVHS.

Summer Gl w @

mikayla olave charlie penvari staci prevato david robinson gannon rushall austin sack alexandrea weingardt

The 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 email.

jody lanterna-lewis Science teacher Jody Lanterna-

Get The

editors

gabe barnard conner davis leah deminski savanah howard greyson koinzan haley kolseth lauren lippert tyler merchant

26

By Appointment Only

Beyond The Beach SprayTanning

www.beyondthebeachspraytanning.com

Located inside Sweet Cheeks Boutique 5190 S University Blvd. *Student Special* Unit B #3 $25 session Greenwood Village, 80121 with student ID 303-588-3422

Eagle Eye | Mountain Vista High School 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Phone: 303.387.1500 Adviser: Mark Newton — mark.newton@dcsdk12.org Editors — eagleeyeeditors@gmail.com

distribution

Single copies are free. Where available, additional copies of this paper are eligible for purchase for $1 each. Contact the MV Media editors for more information. Taking more than one copy of this paper is prohibited (C.R.S. 18-4-419). Violators, subject to penalty, will be prosectued.

open forum content

Some material courtesy of Creative Commons licensing. ©2017 Mountain Vista Media All rights reserved

3

DCSD 2017

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

CONNER DAVIS

MOUNTAIN VISTA PRINCIPAL MIKE WEAVER WAS NAMED DCSD’S ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR, AND NOBODY IS MORE DESERVING.

M

ountain Vista Principal Mike Weaver was awarded the 2017 DCSD Administrator of the Year award May 4.

Weaver, who will soon complete his sixth year as MVHS principal, received the award at the annual Apple Awards ceremony where winners from each school attend a dinner. The district-wide awards are sponsored by the Douglas County Educational Foundation.

Weaver said he was appreciative of the honor.

“That was my thought process as I went through that I was really appreciative that being able to create a place where professional teachers can come to work everyday and feel valued, and our kids can come and have great experiences everyday, that I can be a part of that,” he said. “That was the core feel of what I had about (receiving the honor). That was my immediate reaction, true appreciation that that has been recognized.”

When tragedy struck in early 2016 in the death Dr. Jake Herman, Weaver helped the school rally and played a large role in student support. He didn’t mourn in his office, he was out and about, mingling with students like usual and offering his help where needed.

When threats of a potential school shooting arose in late 2015, Weaver, once again, was there to help. He helped students feel safe despite fear.

When there was unrest in the district from Board elections and dislike for former DCSD Superindent of Schools Dr. Liz Fagen, Weaver comforted teachers. He helped them through the turmoil caused by a controversial teacher evaluation system and pay structure.

Among others, it was his support of the school community during tragedy and administrative chaos, as well as his support for the innovative and often praised therapy dog program that helps students cope with the daily stress of school, that he was given the award.

“I’d say it’s when he stands at the top of those stairs everyday and greets all those kids [that illustrates he deserves this],” math teacher Brian Wood said. “He knows everybody’s names, sees everybody coming in and just makes everybody feel welcome… He’s that constant force [of positivity] that’s just always positive and makes people feel like there’s something bright on the horizon.”

In a congratulatory email Wood, who was the school’s

Secondary Teacher of the Year honoree, sent to MVHS staff, Wood wrote: “I knew he’d never tell anyone he won, so give him a shoutout or pat on the back if you see him in the next few days.”

That goes to show Weaver’s humble attitude that doesn’t go unnoticed by students and staff.

“He’s just a humble man,” attendance secretary Lisa Pierzchala, who has known Weaver for over 16 years, said.

“Whatever he does, he does because he loves it. I think that transcends to people around him, students and staff. We’re just lucky to have him be doing the job he’s doing.”

May 5, the school was abuzz with the news and proud of Weaver for his accomplishments. Social studies teacher Jaclyn Caschetta shared her experiences with Weaver with her second period class.

Caschetta said at one point she was going to quit teaching.

“I’d wanted to be a teacher my entire life, but I thought ‘I just can’t do this,’” Caschetta said.

After deciding to try and find a teaching job that would make her happy, Caschetta was faced with a choice.

“I asked some of the interviewers and I said, “Do you have any idea which job I should take? Should I take any of these jobs? Will I be happy at Douglas County?’ And they said, “It’s not about being happy, it’s about having the right leader, and if you’re gonna pick [Rock Canyon, Mountain Vista or ThunderRidge], you better work for Mike Weaver,’” Caschetta said.

It wasn’t just Vista celebrating though. Mountain Ridge Middle School was, too.

“I could not have been happier when they announced his name,” Mountain Ridge Principal Shannon Clarke said. “I think he is the most deserving recipient, period. I am proud the district recognized an amazing leader.”

Weaver, as usual, remained humble the morning after the award, which honors his incredible leadership that makes Vista an exceptional school to learn and work. All the awards, the honors, the positive recognition wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for Weaver — not that he’d ever admit it though.

“I try to be a positive influence everyday and I think all that adds up and that’s what I strive for,” Weaver said. “If you can find a path to do that effectively then it kinda just adds up and sometimes good things happen out of it.”

“[He is] a smart, caring, very well-organized man who genuinely cares about his students. I can tell that he really enjoys being here around the students.”

– Zak Humphries

“He is most definitely the best principal I have ever worked for. He’s meticulous and knows kids and it shows how much he cares about every individual.”

– Ric Cash

I think he is amazing at his job and I just always just admired that he takes the time to know everyone’s name and just to be that people-person.

– Regan Lavallee

“He has an outstanding personality and keeps a dry sense of humor regardless of the ups or downs that we go through in this school. The climate and the culture in this building is a testament to how he drives this ship.”

004

– Justin Cochrane

MIKE WEAVER

Visit Vistanow.org for an interview with Weaver

I’m really excited for him personally because he worked so hard and he’s been such a good person throughout the school anywhere and everywhere he’s been. I’m so happy for him.”

– Emily Weaver

“I think he’s super cool. He’s so personal with all of his students, He totally deserves administrator of the year.

I’ve never really had a principal so willing to connect to their students.”

– Aspen Frisch

SENIOR COLE BLATCHFORD throws the first pitch in the second inning of a varsity baseball game against Chatfield High School. “It’s been an exciting season so far since were doing well. I hope that I can end my high school career on a good note,” Blatchford said. The varsity team lost to Chatfield, 13-2.

Photo by Charlie Penvari

SOPHOMORE TAEYA SCHUEPPERT steals the ball during the varsity soccer game against ThunderRidge High School. “[The] ThunderRidge game is a good example of improvement,” sophomore Taeya Schueppert said. “We came out strong and had the mindset to win.

We played as a team.” Vista lost to ThunderRidge, 1-0.

Photo by Caitlin English

THE MOUNTAIN VISTA COMMUNITY gathers for the dedication ceremony of the newly paved Mountain Vista tennis courts now named after Susan Cash. “It means a lot for me personally. [Cash] was a big part of the girls tennis program,” senior Lexi Weingardt said.

The dedication of the new courts honors the legacy of Susan Cash’s bravery and dedication to the Golden Eagle men’s and women’s tennis programs.

Photo By Emma Friesen

EP!C PHOTOS

005

2007/ 2017

2007

TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION

Steve Jobs released the first iPhone to the public, eventually winning TIME magazine’s Best Invention of the Year.

This technology took five years to develop and was revolutionary for the creation of the phone.

MASSACRED

32 students and professors at Virginia Tech were murdered by 23-year-old gunman Cho Seung-Hui. He was a Korean student studying at the university, who later shot and killed himself.

THE FINALE

The seventh and final addition to the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released by author J.K. Rowling. In the first 24 hours on sale, Rowling sold a record-breaking 8.3 million copies.

006

POP CULTURE

2017

THE LAST JEDI

Star Wars releases the teaser trailer for the newest installation to the franchise, Episode 8: The Last Jedi. This film will follow the death of Carrie Fisher in December 2016.

Her death didn’t predate the completion of the film.

ALIENS?

All of the conditions necessary for life are evident on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, making scientists question whether alien life could exist inside the Milky Way.

CONSERVATION

Giant pandas were taken off the endangered species list, although it is still considered a vulnerable species, they are no longer on the brink of extinction.

Due to conservation efforts by China, the population of giant pandas has bounced back to over 2,000.

SOCIAL STATS

On average, teenagers send

128

CAITLIN ENGLISH

texts per day

50 40 30 20 10 0

2.5 BILLION

Snapchats are sent on a daily basis

TWITTER is the most popular social media platform among high school students

307 MILLION

posts are liked on Facebook daily

12 PEOPLE

join a social media site every second

Sources: The Pew Research Center, Brandwatch, Zephoria Digital Marketing, Buisness Insider, VistaNow,org survey of 180 students

NSYNC

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE 90S?

LINDSAY LOHAN FORREST GUMP DR DRE SPICE GIRLS BRITNEY SPEARS TITANIC FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR MC HAMMER CLUELESS PULP FICTION DESTINY’S CHILD

POP CULTURE

007

SOAKED IN BLEACH KURT DESERVED BETTER EMILY KINNEY & ERICA VENABLE

A

pril 5, 2017 marked the 23rd anniversary of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death.

Cobain was an icon of the grunge movement whose influence can be heard in today’s styles. In spite of his untimely death and the conspiracies surrounding it, his impact on music persists.

There are speculations as to the real cause of Cobain’s death. The 2015 documentary “Soaked in Bleach” by Benjamin Statler cites evidence that Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, set up his murder with hitmen due to the fact that when he was found he had three times the lethal dose of heroin in his blood. The forensic pathologist who examined Cobain’s body said that even an addict like him wouldn’t have a tolerance that high.

Cobain was just 27 at the time, but he had already taken over the music industry. After his death and the subsequent end of Nirvana, grunge itself seemed to die. Indeed, Cobain was an icon within the grunge movement and when he died, grunge lost its soul. Bands such as Soundgarden lost popularity and Alice in Chains released only two more albums defined as grunge. Rock-influenced music with less aggression was quickly taking over, so there was no more room for the sound Nirvana had started.

Through Nirvana and grunge music, a generation learned that it was OK to be an outcast or to challenge the societal norms. They, and other grunge bands of the era, carved an alternative path for music and pop culture that the dominant narrative of the early ‘90’s couldn’t match.

Music became inclusive because misfits could go to a show and just be themselves. Kids would realize they could start bands without having to conform to the characteristics of bands that came before grunge.

Even hip hop artists were beginning to cover Nirvana songs.

As Jay Z put it in Pharrell Williams’ book “Pharrell: The Places and Spaces I’ve Been”: “It was weird because hip-hop was becoming this force, then Grunge music stopped it for one second, ya know? Those hair bands were too easy for us to take out; when Kurt Cobain came with that statement it was like, we gotta wait awhile.”

Nirvana played on “MTV Unplugged,” which resulted in the 1994 album “MTV Unplugged in New York.” They performed one of their lesser-known tracks, “About a Girl,” which since then has become a paramount of their career and boosted their popularity.

Cobain was also a supporter of the Riot Grrrls, a ‘90’s underground feminist punk movement. Most famously, Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna scribbled, “Kurt smells like teen spirit” on her wall, which gave the feminist movement exposure that the mainstream media would never have provided on its own.

Posthumously an album titled “Montage of Heck” was released on behalf of Cobain.

It features home recordings that were used to soundtrack a partially animated film of the same name. While it got mixed reviews from critics due to the intensely obscure sound, fans appreciated a deeper look into Cobain’s mind.

Nirvana’s legacy does however live on. In 1994 Drummer Dave Grohl went on to form the band Foo Fighters, who are still releasing music today. Grunge is making a comeback in modern music, with many underground bands carrying on the messages Nirvana left behind.

Used with Creative Commons license Jesse Frohman for ONETSHIRT

#1 SONGS OF THE YEAR SINCE 2000 “Breathe” Faith Hill 2000

“Happy” Pharrell Williams

2001

2002

“Hanging by a Moment” Lifehouse

“How You Remind me” Nickelback

“Thrift Shop” Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat Wanz

2014

2013

2015

008

POP CULTURE

“In da Club” 50 Cent

2012

2003

“Rolling in The Deep” Adele

“Somebody That I Used to Know” Gotye feat. Kimbra

“Uptown Funk” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

2010

2011

2004

“We Belong Together” “Red Day” Mariah Carey Daniel Powter

“Yeah!”

Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris “Boom Boom Pow” Black Eyed Peas

“Tik Tok” Ke$ha

2009

2016

“Love Yourself” Justin Beiber

2005

2006

“Irreplaceable” Beyonce

2008

“Low” Flo Rida feat.

T-Pain

2007

STYLES: THROWBACK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL A PEEK INTO OUR PAST KATY HARRIS

L

ooking back on the past can be fulfilling; but seeing old styles, trends and fashion is another story. Everyone has followed fads in the past and whether we like it or not, those fads change and we get to look back on the mistakes we think we made. Though it can be utterly painful, getting a glimpse of these throwback styles is a reminder of who we all once were.

White Vans

The next throwback style is, of course, white Vans. The popularity of white Vans originally began in the ‘90s, but with Keds. This style resurfaced again in our era, 2014. These shoes were worn by everyone, everywhere and for quite some time. They still pop up in 2017.

Birkenstocks

A more recent style, but still a throwback, are the legendary Birkenstocks. This one took our parents — and even grandparents — by surprise due to the style being popular when the ‘rents were teenagers. Along with white Vans, Birkenstocks are still being worn today, but we can now see them becoming more and more of a throwback style.

The Skater Skirt

Peeking into the year 2013, the world was reintroduced to the ‘80s’ skater skirt. This skirt revolutionized, or should I say re-revolutionized, girls’ fashion. We would wear this skirt with anything and would rock it either way. Let’s just say if a girl didn’t have a skater skirt in her wardrobe in 2013, she was missing out.

Silly Bandz

To end this throwback on a bang, we take a look at Silly Bandz. These rubber bands were the epitome of our childhood. Silly Bandz defined how “cool” a kid was, and we all fed into it. They were bought and bragged about throughout our youth. We can now look back on this throwback trend and embrace this huge part of our past.

CHANGING THE WORLD ONE WOMAN AT A TIME THE QUEENS OF MEDIA THROUGH THE DECADES MIKAYLA OLAVE & STACI PREVATO

T

hroughout the decades, influence has been measured by impact. These impacts are seen in media, culture, fashion and social change. Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce Knowles, in 2007 and 2017 respectively, have had massive impacts in their height of fame.

Winfrey and Knowles both challenged societal norms, race relations and controversial issues, which paved the path for iconic figures to step into the light about tough issues.

TV as America knew it was drastically changed when one woman decided it needed to start dealing with the issues nobody would talk about. Oprah Winfrey is an advocate for self-improvement and has a positive influence on people in society. Winfrey has used her fame and power to help people all around the country.

She is an advocate for change and the betterment of people’s lives. Winfrey has donated over $40 million to different organizations and charities to try and help people in need. She has been referred to as the “Queen of Television” and her talk show reached higher ratings than anyone imagined. Her audience is constantly influenced by Winfrey’s desire to give to those with less, as well as work towards a better future.

Ten years later, Beyonce Knowles has become the “Queen B,” influencing both music and feminine empowerment. Knowles has raised her voice on and off the stage to urge women to be independent and lead their peers. Knowles co-founded the charity organization “Chime for Change,” which uses innovative ways to raise awareness for education and health problems for females. Knowles has also personally been involved with approximately 31 charity organizations, donating both time and money to “Feeding America,” “Boys and Girls Club of America” and “Global Poverty Project.”

Both of these impactful women have changed the way people looked at the world and themselves. They have reached where they are by determination and dedication to their respective professions.

POP CULTURE

009

THE ISRAEL/ PALESTINE DEBATE ISRAEL BRONWEN CARTWRIGHT

P

eople of Jewish faith and heritage have faced persecution reaching back to ancient Greece and Rome. Even though the popularity of anti-Semitism has declined subsequent to World War II, to this day it remains. There is only one Jewish state in the world: Israel, a minute piece of land 710 square miles smaller than New Jersey. Preserving Jewish sovereignty persists as a challenging goal due to their violent Palestinian neighbors. Israelis covet existence as a peaceful Jewish state. At the same time, they wish to honor the freedom of Palestinians, even though the Palestinians would deny reciprocation. Israelis should be allowed to keep their holy land and singular sovereign state.

Across the Middle East and Northern Africa, there are 22 Arab states.

Eighteen of these countries blatantly refuse to grant Israel the slightest diplomatic recognition. The Israel and Palestine strife over land continues to escalate. The death toll rises as it has for over 100 years. Twenty-two states, versus one. The Arab Nation, at 5 million square miles, is 640 times larger than Israel. A giant to an ant.

In 1947, the United Nations divided Palestine into two separate states belonging to the Israelis and Arabs. The Jews accepted the settlement with open arms while the Arabs prepared for war. Soon after finalizing the arrangement, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt attacked the Jewish state. Faced with the challenge to fight or flee, Israel chose to fight. Against all odds they survived the attack. Despite their loss, Egypt tried again. In 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser, dictator of Egypt, devised a plan “to destroy Israel.” The Jewish state preemptively avoided annihilation. They captured the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Sinai Peninsula. Angered, Palestinians released their three “No” policy of “no recognition, no peace and no negotiations,” painting a clear image of their intolerance for Israel.

In 1978, new leadership in Egypt provided opportunity for a peace treaty with Israel. The Israelis agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. They surrendered their new, large, oil-rich land void of hesitation, for peace.

The Jews sacrificed land for peace once and tried to negotiate

010

POLITICS

a similar arrangement with Palestinians. In 2000, Israel offered Palestine 95 percent sovereignty in the West Bank and 100 percent of Gaza. Their generous offer preceded a flurry of Arab suicide bombings, a rude rejection.

According to a CNN article, the Hamas terrorist group announced a change in their tune on May 1, 2017. The group released a document “to draw a distinction between political and religious struggle”. Hamas clarified the reason they target the Jewish people. According to the group, the issue is not religion, rather the ambition to create a Jewish State. “Hamas is attempting to fool the world,” David Keyes, a spokesman for Israel said.

“Daily, Hamas leaders call for genocide of all Jews and the destruction of Israel.” The actions of this Palestinian group speak louder than any weak published document.

The Jewish people deserve the land and recognition they request. They won wars, offered compromises and requested nothing more than peace.

Palestinian advocates need to abandon their attempts and focus their attention elsewhere. The Arabian people maintain control over most of the Middle East. Capturing a piece of land smaller than New Jersey from the Jewish people, is like a full grown man stealing candy from a baby: impolite and unethical.

In order to maintain freedom and find a balance between peace and sovereignty, Israel must stand up to its demons. If the Palestinian people dropped their arms tomorrow, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict would cease; if Israel stopped fighting, they would be demolished. The Jewish people have no choice but to hold their ground, lest they lose everything they hold dear.

Taking away this land takes away generations of tradition. Able-bodied Jews have the opportunity to make a pilgrimage once a lifetime to their holy land.

This culture enriching experience is taken away every time the two countries go to war. Robbing the young of their history will render future Jewish tradition negligible.

Israel should be under Jewish control so they possess something of their own, have the opportunity to promote peace and to preserve their culture.

1946 Palestinian Land

1947 UN Partition

Jewish/Israeli Land

P

alestine was, at one point in history, a very peaceful and beautiful place. However, due to power struggles between Palestinians and immigrants, the region has been conflict-stricken for the past century.

What is now a mix of Israel and Palestine was originally just called Palestine, and inhabited by Palestinians. In the region, people of many faiths lived in peace. It was under British mandate for much of its history though, never truly belonging to its original inhabitants because of British Colonialism.

However, due to a growing population of Zionists — a sect of the Jewish faith who believe that Israel is for them and nobody else — after World War II, Palestinians and others, specifically Muslims, were pushed out of their homeland.

Due to the split population and rising tensions, the United Nations split Palestine into Palestine and Israel in 1947. It didn’t look like two normal countries though. Palestine’s new territory was broken up into three chunks of land, all touching on one corner but otherwise very disconnected. The two nations were meant to have equal land area, but Palestine was given far less.

Palestinians rejected the U.N. partition plan and attempted to drive the Zionists out of what was once Palestine with the help of surrounding Arab countries. Israel resisted in what is now known as the First Israeli-Arab War in 1948.

Over the years, Israel has taken more and more of Palestine. Today, it has diminished to dispersed settlements in the West Bank and along the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians have taken action in the form of the First and Second Intifadas.

In the First, they boycotted Israeli brands, refused to drive Palestinian cars with Israeli license plates, held strikes and eventually, violent uprisings.

According to the Oxford University Press, during the first 13 months, 332 Palestinians and only 12 Israelis were killed. After pictures circulated globally of Israeli forces beating children and women to death with clubs and bare fists, they adopted the use of a painful, semi-lethal plastic bullet. The entirety of the First Intifada saw the deaths of over 1,100 Palestinians — and only 100 Israelis.

Come 2000, the Second Intifada, a far more brutal onslaught than its

1967

2010

PALESTINE CONNER DAVIS

predecessor, had started after Palestinian rioters threw stones at an Israeli ambassador who was visiting the Temple Mount, a holy Muslim site in the old city of Jerusalem.

At this point in time, the closest thing to a government in Palestine was Hamas, a radical group that seized control amidst political unrest.

The lack of funds means Palestine’s armed forces consists of Hamas’ fighters, who have to go about fighting back in cheap manners — suicide bombings.

They do not have any other option though. This is what it has come to for the Palestinians: suicide bombings and small firefights (although there hasn’t been a suicide bombing that Hamas has taken credit for since 2008).

Israel has claimed in the past that they’re all for a two-state solution, but their continued violence suggests otherwise.

They’ve built a wall along the West Bank (similar to the Berlin Wall and the suggested Great Wall of Trump) which cuts off an estimated 25,000 Palestinians from their civilization and is a blatant show of racial segregation.

Words do not mean anything if they’re not backed up by action, and in this case the action being taken is the opposite of what Israel is claiming to stand for.

Palestine hasn’t claimed to be for a two-state solution in the past.

However, on May 2, it was reported that Hamas no longer wants to completely take back Palestine. In an effort to be taken more seriously amongst the rest of the world, they are now talking of supporting a two-state solution.

Fatah (the competing political power in Palestine) leader Mahmoud Abbas plans to meet with President Trump to talk about Palestinian support.

Palestinians were removed from their land by force. Israel’s Zionist government is not entitled to Palestinian land at the expense of Palestinian lives — nobody is entitled to own a country due to their religion. There’s no reason for a country with one of the world’s most industrialized militaries to massacre innocent civilians using an excuse of religious imperialism.

Supporting Palestine is the right thing to do. Standing up for someone who had something of theirs wrongfully stolen is always the right thing to do, as Palestine can’t take a stand on its own.

POLITICS

011

Used with Creative Commons licensing from whitehouse.gov

E

“

I like [Trump’s] take on business. He wants to cut regulations for businesses, which I think will be good for the economy. I also like how he has stood up for American interests in other countries such as Syria. However, I would like to see him do more about healthcare and repealing and replacing Obamacare and cutting the tax rates sooner.

Junior Matt Heutmaker

“

Obama was way better than Trump.

He tried to unite the United States instead of divide, and he inspired a movement of hope instead of war and destruction. Trump has been very combative thus far, and our economy has taken major hits. Obama wanted to change the world for the better, but Trump wants to change for the worse through war and destruction. I am truly appalled thus far.

Junior Katie Lundberg

012

“

Used with Creative Commons licensing from change.gov

ver since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first 100 days of any presidency set the tone for the rest of the term, and show the American people what their leader can accomplish.

President Donald Trump completed his first 100 days April 28 and it has been controversial to say the least. But how did those first three months stack up to Barack Obama’s first? Obama and Trump are practically polar opposites — not just on partisan lines, but in fundamental beliefs.

As the White House shifts between Obama’s cool, relaxed personality to the combative, win-at-all-costs, business-like style of Trump, it is important to spot the differences and their importance.

The first 100 days of Obama, who was a senator from Illinois for nearly four years, were seen as successful by many. He was very adamant on transparency, releasing his tax returns and maintaining the White House is the People’s House.

Sophomore Eswari Dugglirala said this is the way to go.

“I really appreciate what Obama did and how he conducted his presidency. I think every president should do the same,” Dugglirala said.

Obama also utilized his first 100 days to fulfill many of his campaign promises. His promise for an economic stimulus package was fulfilled in his first week and he began the process of banning torture and harsh interrogation techniques such as water boarding. As seen by his 65 percent approval rating, many Americans were satisfied with Obama’s first 100 days, including sophomore Aiden Starosta.

“I believe that what Obama did was better than what Trump is doing now,” Starosta said, “but, with that being said, Trump is not 100 percent bad.”

Trump is now in the same position Obama was in. What has he done — and not done — in his first 100 days?

Trump started his presidency with the first failed ban on Muslim travel to the United States, later to followed by a second failed attempt. Senior Tyler Devlin believes Trump had the right idea.

“There’s a lot of bad people over there, not all of them obviously, but there are some dangerous people and I think it’s the right move to try to protect America,” Devlin said. “I think it’s a constitutional right and should not have been blocked.”

Another Trump decision was the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice, a lasting decision. His choice, Neil Gorsuch, is a conservative selection who is a textualist, meaning he interprets the law only directly from the text, not considering intention, situation or opinion.

Gorsuch, from Colorado, will serve until he dies or resigns.

One of the most important actions of Trump’s 100 days is his pressure on the Middle East, attacking Syria after its President Bashar al Assad was accused by the international community of using chemical weapons on his own people. This received the most bipartisan support of any of Trump’s actions during his first 100 days.

Sophomore Leo Bao, a Democrat, thought this was the highlight of Trump’s first 100 days.

“If I had to pick one thing good,” Bao said, “it would be what he did in Syria.”

Politics aside, the first 100 day of any presdident’s term are always hectic, and Americans can only predict what will come of them.

“ Used with Creative Commons licensing from the U.S. Department of Defense

RANKING CHANCE THE RAPPER’S MIXTAPES

C

hance the Rapper is considered to be one of the greatest artists working in music today. His delivery, personal lyrics, catchy beats and independent and unconventional methods for releasing his music are what make him such a recognizable name in popular culture.

Recently, Chance made history by being the first artist to win a Grammy off a streaming-only album. He also donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools.

All three of his mixtapes are considered stupendous by critics and fans alike, but MV Media has taken the time to pinpoint where Chano’s mixtapes fall in a ranking from best to worst.

1

DAVID ROBINSON

TOP TRACKS • “COCOA BUTTER KISSES” (FEAT. VIC MENSA & TWISTA) • “FAVORITE SONG” (FEAT. CHILDISH GAMBINO) • “GOOD A** INTRO” (FEAT. BJ THE CHICAGO KID, LIL K, KIARA LANIER, PETER COTTONTALE, WILL FOR THE O’MYS & JP FLOYD FOR KIDS THESE DAYS)

I

t is obvious when the first song starts that something transcending is about to unfold. Chano’s collaboration with Childish Gambino for the song “Favorite Song” is astounding while “Lost,” “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Everybody’s Something” boast incredible originality and creativity.

In the song “Pusha Man/Paranoia,” Chance perfectly and creatively describes the busy and dangerous environment of Chicago by saying, “Down here, it’s easier to find a gun than it is to find a parking spot.”

“Acid Rap” is an incredible collection of catchy, anecdotal and lucid tracks from Chance and company that are original and different. Out of all of Chance’s mixtapes, “Acid Rap” is the one that feels the most complete and flows the best. Every aspect of this mixtape is perfect and it is, without a doubt, Chano’s best.

TOP TRACKS • “NO PROBLEM” (FEAT. 2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE) • “ANGELS” (FEAT. SABA) • “SAME DRUGS” • “FINISH LINE/ DROWN” (FEAT. T-PAIN, KIRK FRANKLIN, ERYN ALLEN KANE & NONAME) • “BLESSINGS”

T

2

COLORING BOOK

his Grammy-winner is phenomenal because it is one of Chance’s most personal mixtapes.

His faith, previous drug problems, dreams, pride for his city and love for his family are all passionately described in this mixtape.

Kris Ex from Pitchfork named it “one of the strongest rap albums released this year; an uplifting mix of spiritual and grounded music that even an atheist can catch the spirit to.”

Chano enlists the appearances of artists like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Future and T-Pain to keep audiences enthralled. When he begins to pour his soul and spirit into the tracks, tears begin to form and hearts start to soar.

TOP TRACKS • “14,400 MINUTES” • “PROM NIGHT” • “22 OFFS” • “WINDOWS” (FEAT. ALEwX WILEY & AKENYA SEYMOUR) • “MISSING YOU”

ACID RAP

T

3

10 DAY

he album that introduced the world to Chano takes its place at Number Three. There is already conflict in the mixtape due to Chance’s suspension from high school for ten days, but when he takes the time to describe the feelings inside of him, a classic unfolds.

Chance wastes no time whatsoever letting the audience know right off the bat that he is angry, embarrassed and regretful.

In “14,400 Minutes,” Chance reveals the reasoning for his suspension (marijuana possession) and confesses that he is not going to graduate with the lyrics “no tassel in the spring, but after summer, I’m alumni.” This confession makes the audience automatically connect with what Chance is saying and open their ears to his messages.

Throughout the mixtape, Chance demonstrates his excellent delivery skills as a rapper and then proceeds to define himself as an emcee by creatively putting words together in the songs.

POP CULTURE

013

COURT TO STAGE SENIOR BLAKE WAECHTER HANNAH LOVELL & ANDIE SRDOC

To senior Blake Waechter, writing is more than just a way to convey a message, or something you have to do in English class, it is an opening to a whole new world without rules. Poetry allowed Waechter to transform from “a basketball nerd” and introvert to a performer and author.

English teacher Jeff Hoefs first introduced Waechter to the world of writing his sophomore year in a creative writing class. Since then Weachter has evolved as a writer to explore poetry “no matter how good or bad.”

Although Waechter began high school thinking poetry was difficult and dull, he is now an expert on the subject.

“That’s kind of the stigma with poetry,” Blake said. “At first it seems like a daunting task, but the more I looked at it and the more I read and the more I wrote, it dawned on me that there are no boundaries. You can do whatever you want.”

Since his introduction to writing he has become more and more intrigued by classic novelists and poets. One of his main sources of inspiration is John Steinbeck and the thoughts he portrays in his novel The Grapes of Wrath.

The story features characters who persevere and stand up for themselves throughout the Great Depression.

To Waechter, “books like this make a deeper impression than Lebron James playing basketball.”

What inspires Waechter most about Steinbeck is the fact that even though the American author was the “best of the best,” he still had the motivation to make his writing better.

Not only has creative writing opened Blake’s mind intellectually, but more importantly on a personal level. Since he began writing, he has become more social, gaining confidence along the way.

“I was a major introvert freshman year,” Waechter said. “[This has] been a good opportunity to meet a lot of people.”

Waechter said his interest with poetry has caused him to step outside of his comfort zone throughout high school.

Freshman and sophomore year, Blake had massive anxiety over performing in front of an audience. Junior year, Waechter finally overcame his fear at the Creative Arts Performance Night. Blake performed a poem about how fantastic belts are. In order to get his point across, at the end of the poem, Blake revealed he was not wearing a belt causing his pants to purposely fall on stage exposing his dog printed underwear.

The fear of writing did not last long. Now he enjoys attending open mics in Denver and at Vista, performing and listening to people who share his passion for poetry.

“I just like the adrenaline rush because you get up there and really feel like you’re connected with the audience,” Waechter said.

This year, Waechter collaborated with Hoefs to put on Mountain Vista’s very first Slam Poetry contest. Eight students performed and helped to encourage their fellow participants as they recited from memory their original pieces.

“It was pretty cool to help take the leadership with that,” Waechter said.

“We had a pretty good turnout and it was fun since this was the first time there has been an event like this at Vista.”

He has also participated in Mountain Vista’s Creative Arts Performance Night and was runner-up at Mountain Vista’s Poetry Out Loud contest.

Waechter’s newest and favorite poem is “Acrophobics Perspective from Two Stories Up,” which is expected to be published in Vista’s literary magazine.

“It’s my favorite piece because it’s really silly and makes you want to just have fun,” he said.

Blake says his inspirations are from personal adventures in Denver with friends.

Since exposed to creative writing during his time at Vista, his newfound goal is to be a published author.

“I’d like to expand from just writing short stories and poetry to writing a novel,” Wachter said.

He plans on writing the novel, about a black market surgeon performing organ transplants during the end of World War II, in his free time.

Whether it be a published novel, or just a notebook and pen, Waechter is a writing enthusiast.

“It’s very cathartic,” Weachter said. “If you have something on your chest that maybe you’re not comfortable telling people, the paper is not going to judge, so you can just write down anything you want.”

Waechter is proud of his transition in high school. He has progressed in many different ways proving that you can be shaped not only by athletics, but also by your own thoughts and words.

“A lot of people have the perception that athletics are dominant,” he said, “but more differences are made with pen and paper.”

“

THE PAPER IS NOT GOING TO JUDGE YOU, SO YOU CAN JUST WRITE DOWN ANYTHING YOU WANT

”

014

FEATURE

PHOTO BY CHARLIE PENVARI

FEATURE

015

016

FEATURE

O

n Aug. 27, 2014, sophomore (now senior) Alyssa Epstein made the decision to come out on Facebook as pansexual (being sexually, emotionally or romantically attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity). Her decision to be open about her sexuality caused her to lose many friends, but also allowed her to find people who accept her for who she is.

Moving from Las Vegas, Nevada to Highlands Ranch, Epstein, whose mother stayed in Nevada, enrolled at Vista in the fall of 2013 where she began a "tough freshman year."

Like many other freshmen, she did not know anyone, experienced difficulty making friends and found being the new kid very hard.

As her high school career progressed, Epstein experienced other challenges including losing three people very close to her, missing 52 days of her junior year due to illness and being diagnosed with mononucleosis during one of her summer vacations.

Despite these challenges, Epstein has managed to keep a positive and optimistic attitude on life and focus more on the enjoyable and happy moments of high school.

One of those best experiences was being a part of the basketball team. Epstein played on the team for three years and managed the team her senior year.

“When I started playing basketball my freshman year, I’d never even touched a basketball, which was pretty obvious on the court,” Epstein said. “With all the chaos happening around me though, basketball was the one thing that made me zone out of the world for a little while and do something I love. I ended up improving dramatically and stayed a part of the program for all four years of high school.”

In addition to being heavily involved with the girl’s basketball program, she also fell in love with American Sign Language (ASL).

“I fell in love with the language on my first day of ASL I,” Epstein said. “It inspired me, which I never thought something as simple as communication could do.”

Her passion for ASL inspired her to plan to major in audiology and speech pathology and minor in ASL at Colorado State University.

Another one of Epstein’s happiest memories from high school was the summer of 2015 when the United States Supreme Court legalized samesex marriage in the Obergefell v. Hodges case.

“When I heard that same-sex marriage had become legal in the U.S., I cried,” Epstein said.

“People who know me know that I’m not a very emotional person and that I tend to keep to myself, but when I heard on the news that gay marriage was legalized, I lost it. Everyone deserves to be with the person they love and the law finally sees it that way, too.”

The ruling has not stopped some from practicing hate and discrimination towards the LGBT community. This has been harsh for Epstein to see, but she said she has learned how to counter the hate and discrimination that she sees out in the world.

“It’s hard to be happy when there’s a bubble of bigots around you, but you just need to grab a magnifying glass, find the needle to pop the bubble and learn to not care,” Epstein said. “There will always be people who see me as wrong or foul, but it’s my job to stay positive and optimistic. Their hatred over something that doesn’t influence them in any way, shape, or form seems like an issue with them rather than with me.”

Through high school and her decision to come out as pansexual, Epstein said she has learned to become a more confident and proud person. She said the situations she has been in have granted her a new outlook on life and allowed her to put herself in other people’s shoes.

Epstein said she believes she is lucky that it changed her for the better.

Epstein summed up high school in a single word: “Unpredictable.”

“There are ups, downs and some side ways," Epstein said. "Everyone is different and has a different experience, but what is the same for all of us is the outlook for a brighter future once it’s all over.”

“

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO SEE ME AS WRONG OR FOUL, BUT IT’S MY JOB TO STAY POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC.

”

UNPREDICTABLE

THE STORY OF ALYSSA EPSTEIN DAVID ROBINSON PHOTOS COURTESY OF: EMILY EPSTEIN AND KEN ISRAELSON

FEATURE

017

S

cience teacher Jody Lanterna-Lewis has seen Vista grow from the ground up in appearance, size and community, remaining as a teacher at the same school she helped design in 2001.

“When [the school] opened, it was very small. There was just ninth grade and the middle school shared the building with us,” Lanterna-Lewis said.

“Everyone knew everyone — students, teachers, administrators, classified staff, parents. It was a very close community and everyone was extremely involved in all aspects of the school.”

Lanterna-Lewis has taught seven different science classes and has become a pivotal member of the MVHS community in the last 16 years. Most recently she has assisted in the creation of the Health Occupations Students of America club (HOSA).

“I love that I have been here since the beginning. I feel an extremely special connection and loyalty to the MVHS community. It’s my home. I ​cannot imagine being anywhere else,” Lanterna-Lewis said.

“I love that even though we have grown and changed so much, the core of MVHS still remains.”

Lanterna-Lewis has not only been largely affected by Mountain Vista, but the students she’s taught have benefited from her caring and passionate demeanor and teaching skills.

“She enjoys what she teaches and it shows in her classroom. Her positivity radiates through the room and she gives you that confidence you need to be successful,” junior Regan Lavallee said.

Having a teacher who truly cares about the school she works at has left an undeniable positive impact on Lanterna-Lewis’ colleagues.

“First of all [Lanterna-Lewis] is the most incredible woman in the world,” administrator Heidi Schuster said. “Her methods in the classroom are really student-centered. She’s just the type of teacher that has (education) built deep into her soul.”

As somebody with a significant amount of knowledge and experience in

teaching science, Lanterna-Lewis offers guidance and support to the science teachers as department chair.

“She keeps us on track doing the things that need to get done that are really important for kids,” fellow science teacher Lori Schwendeman said. “She’s very much a realist and practical and does what needs to get done. It’s really important to have somebody like that in a department that actually can say what we need to do to be productive.”

Lanterna-Lewis has watched the school since 2001, but wishes some things changed and some didn’t.

“I wish [Vista] had better opportunities for technical training (wood shop, auto shop, etc.) in the school. I think students who are not college-bound, as well as all students, would benefit from learning those types of skills — and enjoy it, too,” she said. “There are also more opportunities [than when the school opened], many more courses offered, sports, clubs, extracurricular activities.”

Lanterna-Lewis teaches students more than just science. She teaches them how to be successful and the skills to last them longer than while they’re inside her classroom.

“Even though we were always stressing over grades, she gave us many opportunities for improvement and help.”

Lavallee said. “She taught me the importance of improvement.”

Although Lanterna-Lewis has been teaching for 16 years, she says she has learned from her students and has come to realize that they have much to teach her, despite her wealth of experience.

“I have learned that students have the amazing ability to meet and surpass goals and expectations. I have also learned that students are incredibly resilient,” Lanterna-Lewis said. “We have enjoyed awesome successes, and there have also been some unbelievably difficult challenges at MVHS throughout the years. The stud​ents have been mentors and teachers. It goes both ways, and we have all helped each other come out stronger and better on the other side.”

“ ”

SHE’S THE TYPE OF TEACHER THAT HAS IT BUILT DEEP INTO HER SOUL

FROM THE START JODY LANTERNA-LEWIS HAS BEEN AT VISTA SINCE ITS OPENING STORY & PHOTOS BY HALEY KOLSETH

018

FEATURE

PHOTO COURTESY OF JODY LANTERNA-LEWIS

FEATURE

019

020

FEATURE

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

FISHER’S REEL INFLUENCE

EMMA FRIESEN, MORGAN NICHOLS, CLAIRE VANDESTOUWE PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASON FISHER

J

ason Fisher is a teacher that the Class of 2017 is lucky to know. The English teacher and soon-to-be graduates entered into a new place together, and now it’s time for those naïve freshman to leave as sensible seniors, and for Fisher to continue his impact on the lives of the classes to come.

Just like a student’s transition into high school, Fisher’s transition to his new life was rocky from the beginning.

“It was a rough start,” Fisher said. “When I got to Colorado my daughter had almost died two months prior in Costa Rica. We went from Costa Rica to Chicago, from Chicago to Colorado. I was living with my brotherin-law [with] no idea of where I was in the scheme of Colorado at all.”

He was thrown into completely unfamiliar territory, and didn’t get a warm Colorado welcome, to say the least.

“I was looking for an apartment while living in Golden, so I was commuting 40 minutes. My car got flooded in a flash flood that same month, so I had to find a car and an apartment, and my wife and kid weren’t here yet,” Fisher said.

However, at Vista, he found where he was meant to be.

“That first year or two when some kids don’t know you, you feel like a foreigner, [but] there’s a home feel now,” Fisher said.

With a high school as big as Vista, feeling at home can be tough, but it’s inevitable. “[Vista] was great. My classes were really cool, I remember my freshman honors groups. They were a pretty strong group, so the transition to teaching here was great,” Fisher said.

That first year, Fisher met what is now the graduating senior class. Back then, they were rowdy freshman kids who were looking to make a home here, just like Fisher.

“I really wanted to plant some roots, and be here,” Fisher said. “I wanted to invest in the school, and in the community.”

Having a profound impact on so many of his freshman students, Fisher remains an integral part of students’ aspirations and confidence, even those no longer in his class.

“I had Kayla and Kaysa Ibarra, the twins, freshman year. They both graduated early, and they have all these ambitions and goals. Their mom actually came and sat with me at conferences and told me how I influenced them to push themselves more, and feel like they could do more,” Fisher said.

At the time, unaware of the weight his teaching carried, the news from the twins’ mom humbled him. But any senior who has had the privilege to be his student wouldn’t be surprised.

“I hated him at first because he took our phones away,” senior Anne Newman, who took his Honors English I class freshman year, teased. “But he grew on me because he cared about what his students were doing, not just in his class, but in their lives, like what was happening. He cared about what he was teaching.”

To this day, Fisher supports Newman.

“It’s been nice to always have a friendly face in the building. I know if I want to talk to him, I can go up and chat about whatever I want to,” Newman said. “The most important lesson he taught us was to be confident in what we cared about and what we did with our lives.”

Newman isn’t the only senior to feel Fisher’s lasting impression, and certainly won’t be the last.

Seeing past the temporary and insignificant, Fisher seeks to give more than just the academic lessons of the classroom. “[He taught me to] have fun and not to take anything too seriously because it’s all going to work out anyway,” senior Caden Anderson, another one of Fisher’s freshman Honors English I students, said.

Fisher hopes that his life lessons carry into the future the seniors are entering.

“Love where you are, and serve where you are,” Fisher said. “Obviously, going and doing something is drastic, but no matter where you end up, you need to serve and engage with those around you. Serve those and love those near you.

Everyone has the ability to impact the world.”

Fisher’s advice for seniors is something all students at Vista can take to heart.

“Go. Go travel. Go see the world,” he said. “I’ve been to seven or eight countries and those experiences can’t be faked. You can’t get them without going.

You have to leave. Don’t let fear decide things for you. Just leave, you’ll be alright.

Get out of your comfort zone and go and do.”

“

SERVE THOSE AND LOVE THOSE NEAR YOU. EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO IMPACT THE WORLD.

”

FEATURE

021

TAKING A LOOK BACK AT VISTA’S TOP ATHLETES KOLBI RUPPERT A softball alum returns to the program as assistant coach, helping players through trauma.

SAVANAH HOWARD

S

ome may be mistaken that once the sports season is over all is forgotten — the cleats are hung up, the equipment sheds closed, the fields silent. However, this is not always the case. From year to year traditions and attitudes are almost unnoticeably passed down, shaping each individual program from one year to the next.

Five years ago the varsity softball team made a run for the state championship, falling just short of the final four. The following season, the 2011-12 school year, they shattered their ceiling, making it to the final four, barely missing the state championship title game. Little did they know that their success in the state tournament would still be motivating the team today.

Kolbi Ruppert was just one of the players who made those successful years possible. As a captain in 2011, Ruppert and her co-captain Alyssa Leonard strived to create an atmosphere that focused on each person as a player and not the player’s grade level. Their community effort created an unstoppable unit leading the program into unknown territory.

“We wanted everyone to feel welcome and supported,” Ruppert said.

“Our goal was to make everyone as valued as the next. We ended up doing much better that way.”

Now, Ruppert coaches the JV team, alongside history teacher Adam Woody, and offers advice to every girl in the program.

“It was weird at first [to coach]. It really makes you miss it,” Ruppert said. “It’s cool to help [the girls] become better people and athletes, and to think the coaching staff has a little to do with that is really rewarding.”

The passing of a player’s father Ruppert’s senior year marked the first heartbreak the 2011 program had to face. The suffering brought the team together, solidifying the seniors’ efforts to create a single, reliable unit for years to come. “[Robert Johnson’s passing] made a big impact on how we went about practice and our overall attitude towards everyone,” Ruppert said.

As a whole over the years, the program has faced multiple tragedies and hardships. The loss of three more beloved parents in the last year has devastated the program, but at each dark moment the team has rallied around its players, creating a safe place and loving community for support.

“They’ve done above and beyond the expectation of trying to support the

022

SPORTS

families that have had to deal with these unfortunate instances,” head varsity coach Bret Grammerstorf said. “I think there is certainly a close-knit bond when you suffer some sort of a tragedy. It definitely brings them together.”

Despite the sadness that seems to float overhead, each year a game is dedicated to those lost, but never, ever forgotten. At games you can catch a glimpse of initials written on player’s wrists as a constant reminder of who they play for: never themselves, always each other.

“Ultimately,” Grammerstorf said, “I’d like to see us put together something to continue to memorialize these parents. [The girls] understand that it’s not just a loss for a moment, it’s a loss for a lifetime.”

In memory of Robert Johnson, Diane Leonard, Susan Cash and Dee Kerby.

COLE JENSEN

A former tennis and basketball player — and the ‘coolest cat’ around — returns to Vista to coach and teach LEXI WEINGARDT & GANNON RUSHALL

C

oach and teacher Cole Jensen has been part of the Mountain Vista community since he started attending the school 13 years ago. When he attended Vista, Jensen was involved in many activities including tennis. In fact, he was coached by Jim Flanigan, the current head coach of the boys and girls varsity tennis teams. “[Cole] was the coolest cat around in high school. He had this long hair, he dressed up. He was actually in the yearbook for one of the most fashionable kids,” Flanigan joked. “He loved to play tennis [and] he loved being on the tennis team. He played basketball, too, and he was really into that. [He is] just a really fun-loving, good guy.”

Jensen was quite successful during his time as a part of the Vista tennis program. Jensen was one of Mountain Vista’s first ever tennis players to qualify for the state tournament.

Jensen briefly left the Vista community to attend college at Northeastern Mississippi Community College for a year and then Colorado Mesa University.

He played tennis for a total of two years at those schools.

Shortly after he graduated from college, he returned to Vista as a coach.

He coached boys tennis and boys freshman basketball, and recently started coaching girls tennis as well.

“I feel that, especially with tennis, it is kind of a melting pot of kids.

You got kids who are trying to play for the first time, you have multi-sport athletes and you have kids that have played their whole lives and tennis is their only sport,” Jensen said. “It’s kind of cool to get all those kids together [and see them] making new friends and building relationships on the court.

That’s one thing that I really enjoy.”

Jensen said his favorite sport to coach is tennis.

“It was my main sport and I love coaching at the JV level because you get so many different kinds of kids and you get to build relationships and see kids build new relationships,” he said.

In 2015, Jensen also secured a teaching job at Vista as a special education teacher. “He is a fantastic special education teacher,” Flannigan said. “He really loves working with those kids who need a little bit of extra help.”

PAXTON SMITH

Cross country and track and field alumni sets an example for future runners at Vista LEXI RIGA, JULIA DRIGGS, SHAYAN ZARRIN

A

t six years old, a tiny first grader lines up on the starting line for the annual Summit View Elementary Fun Run. Breathing heavy, arms swinging and legs flying, the boy pushes himself so hard, he finishes with the fifth graders instead of with his own class, making his dad, who is the P.E. teacher at the school, immensely proud.

This was the moment Paxton Smith says he realized he wanted to be a runner.

Twelve years later, he is still carrying out his dream.

Smith, a Mountain Vista alumni and accomplished runner for both cross country and track, has left a legacy behind him with both teams and the school

as a whole.

In cross country, Smith’s team placed first in the 2015 5A State Championship. Next, they competed at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional Championships in Casa Grande, Ariz., where Smith’s team finished first, and received a berth to the Nike Cross National Championship in Portland, Oregon. At nationals, Vista placed 12th out of 22 schools in the Nike Cross National Championship with his team. Individually, he placed 71st among 195 competing and first out of his six teammates with a time of 16:01.3.

He placed 23rd in the Nike Cross Southwest regionals as well.

In track, Smith earned two top five finishes in the CHSAA 5A State Championships. As a senior, Smith placed third in the 3,200-meter run at state.

He also earned third place at the Continental League Championships.

After his graduation from Vista in 2016, Smith now runs at University of Colorado Boulder and still applies what Vista taught him. “[Being in] cross country made me a team player. The team environment at Vista has allowed me to be a good teammate here at CU,” Smith said. “It’s not all about you, rather it is about the team.”

Junior Allie Chipman, a close friend of Smith’s and a runner on both teams, was impacted by Smith.

“Throughout high school, [Smith] has been a big brother, always looking out for me. He tried to take that role for nearly everyone on the team,” Chipman said. “Paxton left a legacy of not only working ridiculously hard but also putting the team as a priority.”

While at CU, Paxton trains aggressively, running 80 miles a week.

“My week consists of a tempo-like workout. An example of this would be [running] five miles in a little over 25 minutes. Another workout and my main workout of the week will be the long run. That’s about 16 miles at six-minute pace,” Smith said.

Smith’s advice to the current runner would be to “Enjoy your time at Vista.

It’s a special time. Train wise and be consistent.”

SPORTS

023

WHY GLOBAL WARMING SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON IN SCHOOLS TIARA TAMBUNAN

T

he global warming controversy is a popular debate around the world.

People believe that the Earth is slowly getting hotter because of human activity or conclude it is a hoax.

It is a difficult topic to discuss considering the hard line between political parties. In a Global Attributes survey, statistics show Democrats are more willing to support U.S. participation in limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

In about 40 nations across the globe, the majority believes that climate change is a serious problem, but thousands across the nation consider it “fake news.” President

Donald Trump sure does think so.

Multiple times, President Trump has tweeted his notorious claim that the Chinese invented global warming. The fact that it is cold outside is his source of evidence. Excuse me Mr. President, but that is not how things work.

To make matters worse, President Trump has recently proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cuts. The cuts seek to shrink agency spending by 31 percent from $8.1 billion to $5.7 billion, and to eliminate about 15,000 jobs in the agency.

“The scary thing is how literally a handful of people are creating a false doubt of climate change to millions of people and are even taking high roles in political positions,” science teacher Jason Cochrane said. “There is no opinion to be had on global warming. There are only the facts.”

In April, thousands of science teachers received a package from the Heartland Institute, including the book “Why Scientists Disagree About

Global Warming.” The Institute plans to give every science teacher in the nation a copy.

Exxon Mobile, an oil and gas corporation, contributes to the Heartland Institute and even donated $735,000 to the organization. Those who work for the company preach of the global warming “myth.” They are a crucial influence on preventing the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. This protocol commits participating nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Isn’t it quite suspicious that those who do not believe in global warming work in corporate industries that benefit from carbon emissions, such as car companies and oil industries?

It might not seem like the world has changed, but earth’s temperature has risen. Four international science institutions each collected similar data showing a rapid increase in the last decade of climate change.

Are we going to ignore there is actual scientific proof to support the reality of global warming? NASA has an official page that informs readers of collected evidence, causes, effects, scientific consensus and vital signs.

Yes, the Earth has phases such as the ice age, but we cannot ignore the drastic temperature changes. Are we going to start calling the ice age a hoax, too?

The change in our earth is already observable. Glaciers have shrunk, plants and animals are shifting environments, and ice on rivers is breaking up sooner. In 2015, wildfires were at an all-time high as more than 10 million acres were burned in the United States alone.

“If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now,” the American Physical Society reports.

It now seems as if we only go backwards in helping the environment.

Many are not educated on global warming and much of it is in the government’s hands. Wake up people, climate change can end of us all.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR TEACHERS

W

hen people think about school, among the first things that typically come to mind are waking up early, dozing through class and the gilded lunch hour you get to spend with friends.

When asked to name off your friends, you would probably list off your peers and teammates, neglecting to think about your relationships with your teachers. The concept is weird — being “friends” with the adults who are basically paid to torture you with new subject matter and tests during the daily grind. However, looking back on our years at Vista, our relationships with our teachers can actually be some of our richest and most enlightening.

Accountability is not something that comes easily to everyone, but is most definitely an essential skill in everyday life. For senior Desa Paich, her sense of responsibility and confidence was aided by her Student Leadership sponsor, Lindsey Jaffe.

“I think her trust has impacted me positively on a school scale,” Paich said.

024

OPINION

LEAH DEMINSKI

“The fact that she trusts me shows that students can confide in me. On a personal level having someone trust you and your choices is very impactful being a high school student,” Paich said.

By placing responsibility on us, our teachers show us that we are more than just a student to them, but rather a person they can count on.

Junior Erin Solomon experienced this firsthand working as a stage manager and becoming the right-hand woman for theatre teachers Jeremy Goldson and Michael Wright during the spring musical, “The Beauty and the Beast.”

“Despite being behind the scenes there are a lot of eyes on me and expectations, especially coming from [Goldson and Wright],” Solomon said.

Being close with her teachers allowed Solomon to find support inside and outside of school, and begin everyday with a sense of purpose.

“The two of them have become an incredibly supportive family for me.

They have helped me through some of the most difficult and stressful times of my life,” Solomon said. “I definitely look forward to coming to school every day knowing I get to go to rehearsal after school.”

Relationships such as these give and take go both ways, and they allow you to learn so much more than just subject matter from your teachers. By being a friend to your teacher, you can discover qualities you admire in a person or trade and gain skills that cannot simply be taught in a classroom. In the end, this helps you find your niche in the confusing, ever-changing environment of high school, and hopefully beyond.

“If I hadn’t had [Jaffe’s trust], I think my experience would’ve been very different. I don’t think I’d have the confidence to reach out to others,” Paich said. “She’s really done a lot for me.”

WHY I TRIED AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE IN SCHOOL AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO GANNON RUSHALL

M

y high school experience has been unbelievable and unforgettable.

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to participate in several different activities, learn life lessons and create long lasting friendships through each of them. These experiences can be credited to my openness to new things all throughout high school.

I transferred to Mountain Vista from the Rock Canyon feeder for my freshman year. It allowed me to have a fresh, clean slate within a brand new school. To allow myself to fit in, I had to be open with new people and new activities. At the time, the only activity I really participated in was basketball.

Basketball was what really got me started on this four-year journey. It was what originally brought me to Mountain Vista. I had a group of friends who I played club basketball with, and I wanted to go to school with them. They introduced me to the Vista community and people quickly accepted me.

Basketball gave me a base to grow upon.

Not only did basketball create a common ground for me to develop friendships, but it also taught me several life lessons. It showed me what it felt like to be both the star of the team and the benchwarmer. It taught me teamwork, selflessness and time management. It also gave me a thick shell to ignore people who tried to put me down.

After my freshman year, I decided to expand my high school experience and not limit it to just basketball. I took a chance by signing up for marching band in the summer and a random class called “Mass Media Video Production” for my sophomore year. Taking these chances would completely change my life.

One thing I regret about high school is not doing marching band in eighth grade (yes, we accept eighth graders). Marching band is by far one of the best activities to participate. The community is extremely supportive of each other and the environment is always friendly.

Ever since day one of band camp, I was immediately welcomed into the program. Since this activity doesn’t require scrimmaging like in basketball, it allows us to be more friendly to each other rather than constantly competing for a spot.

Marching band has probably taught me the most life lessons of all my experiences. I learned several aspects of leadership while being a drum major and being accountable for myself as individual marcher. Although we are a welcoming and accepting community, band members can sometimes butt heads. These issues showed me how to deal with unexpected situations and arguments between friends.

The Mass Media Video Production class ended up being something that I did

COURTESY OF BRANDON FREITAG not expect — sports broadcasting. At the time, there were less than ten of us in the class and all we usually did was broadcast football and basketball games. However, when I attended Continental League Journalism Day, I PHOTO BY GREYSON KOINZAN found a brand new passion: journalism.

Being a journalist is different than being just a sports broadcaster.

I’ve been able to tell stories ranging from anti-Trump rallies to a Vista basketball player who grew up in Denver. Telling these stories has allowed me to walk through other people’s shoes and see life from a different perspective. That is a crucial thing in understanding THE HARDEST THING life and all of its obstacles that ABOUT THE ROAD NOT might come my way.

TAKEN IS THAT YOU As an athlete, musician and journalist, I believe that trying NEVER KNOW WHERE new things in high school is one of the most important things you IT MIGHT HAVE LED. must do. High school is a place — LISA WINGATE where you should discover who you are and what your true passions are.

Do not live in fear, try something new.

“

”

COLORADO ROCKIES 2017 SEASON PREDICTIONS MICHAEL PLACE

T

he countdown to the start of the 2017 MLB season is finally over. It’s a new season for improvements and another opportunity to chase a World Series title for each of the 30 teams in the league.

The Rockies have come right out of the shoots starting off 16-10 (as of May 1) and floating in and out of first place with the Diamondbacks.

Some annalists predict the Rockies to have a spectacular season and bounce back from previous

losing seasons.

Last year, the Rockies finished their sixth straight season with a losing record, forcing them to make several changes. Walt Weiss, the former manager of the Rockies, stepped down from his position. Bud Black, the former manager of the San Diego Padres, filled his shoes, taking control of the club on Blake Street.

“I see the game through the pitcher’s eyes,” Black said in an article on MLB.com. “I was a pitcher, and I see the game that way. It’s easier for me to have a conversation with a pitcher about mechanics and mindset that can aid young pitching.”

The club also acquired a few new players to their bullpen. The team added free-agent pitchers Mike Dunn to a three-year $19 million contract and

Greg Holland to a one-year $7 million contract.

Both have helped the Rockies close many of the first 26 games of the season and are the fundamental reasons why the Rockies have won on a regular basis.

Considering the Rockies started 11-12 last April, the team is showing signs its bullpen has strengthened from previous seasons.

Even though the Rockies jumped to a great start to the 2017 season many predict they will fall into the same pattern and start to later implode.

Personally, I believe with the new acquisitions in the bullpen, the Rockies have a better mentality to win games compared to previous seasons. Overall, I expect their pitching to help them keep their current pace and stay near the top of the league’s standings throughout the rest of the season.

OPINION

025

“

THE PEOPLE AND TEACHERS THAT I HAVE [ARE] GOING TO FOLLOW ME THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.

SUCCESS THROWOUT LAUREN IRWIN

V

”

ista baseball continuously gets the job done by raking in the wins. This season, the Golden Eagles baseball team is currently ranked first in the 5A state standings with 13-2 record, as of May 2.

In recent seasons, the team has rounded up state titles, Final Four achievements and seen many players advance to the college level.

“We got a group of guys that love to play the game, and play the game right, and they actually care for each other,” head coach Ron Quintana, more commonly known as “Coach Q,” said.

This year, the team once again in line to make it to the playoffs.

Senior Cole Blachford has contributed to the team’s success the past four years of his high school career with above-national-average batting statistics. Blatchford, who will play baseball next year at the U.S. Air Force Academy, said playing as a team rather than individual is most important.

“Everyone plays for each other and puts the success of the team ahead of their own individual success, which creates a great team atmosphere,” Blachford said.

Players on the team attributes their success on the field to their connection off the field.

“We all love each other and fight for each other, and you can really see the sacrifices we make for each other on the field,” senior Daniel Cook said. “It’s what helps us win.”

Gabe Houhoulis

“

I WENT THROUGH LIFE THE LAST [FEW] YEARS AND I CHANGED SO MUCH.

Kylie Ludivig

”

FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP

S

MIKAYLA OLAVE & STACI PREVATO

026

SENIORS

ince entering high school four years ago, the Class of 2017 has marched its way through Vista, making noise and cheering on their peers at sport games and assemblies. But throughout high school, they have also been learning who they are. Every senior has a different perspective and was taught a different lesson during their time at Vista.

Senior Gabe Houhoulis spent his high school experience learning how to be a kind and confident person. He has played rugby, baseball, football and is a member of the powerlifting club.

“There’s a lot of opportunities you miss out on if you’re not as confident,” Houhoulis said. “I was extremely nervous [as a freshman]. I [didn’t] know what to expect. I couldn’t imagine myself in the position that I am now. The overall development of becoming a person has pretty much been in my mind this entire time. You don’t know who you are a year later and you don’t know who you were back then.”

During her years in high school, senior Kylie Ludivig realized the importance of getting involved, and finding what you love to do within the school.

“My favorite memory from high school was probably a big part of the theater department. I [made] so many friends and so many great memories,” Ludivig said.

“From there I was able to be a part of something bigger than just myself, so that was really cool.”

Ludivig encourages others to find their niche in high school, and do not stress the little things in school because you can always move on or fix them.

“I learned so many things just being around people my age,” Ludivig said. “If you decide that you want to have a lot of fun in high school, then you will.”

ENGINEERING TAKES A TRIP

T

CHARLIE FU

he Barber-Nichols engineering firm located in Arvada, hosted a tour for engineering teachers Kent Allison and Mica Storie and their students March 16.

The firm specializes in the design and production of turbomachinery for aerospace, cryogenic, defense, energy and a variety of commercial applications. Students had the opportunity to see the engineering in action and talk to actual engineers about their career. The experience opened many eyes and the firm left a significant impression on the students.

“It was very organized, and I could tell the workers there really cared about what they were doing,” senior Emma DeAngeles said. “Barber-Nichols really reflected the workplace and atmosphere of a true engineering environment.”

“It was a lot bigger than what I thought and there were so many people working on different things,” senior Justin Lim said. “The diversity was very interesting.”

The CEO himself gave Vista students the tour around the firm. “We were able to communicate with both the CEO and the engineers there. Seeing both perspectives taught us a lot about the industry,” Lim said. “What was super cool about the experience was that I could see myself doing what the engineers were doing.”

Being in the actual environment instead of in school learning about engineering proved to be very valuable.

“The firm introduced to us a realistic view of what an engineering career might look like. The hands-on tour around showed us all the different aspects

to one firm,” senior Justin Cochrane said.

Allison said he enjoyed bringing his students on such a beneficial adventure, adding the exposure to legitimate careers allowed students to see the work of real engineers.

“It was an amazing opportunity to get students out and connect what we do in the classroom to what is happening in the real world,” Allison said.

RETURNING PLAYERS LOOKING TO NEXT YEAR

W

GREYSON KOINZAN & MIKAYLA OLAVE

ith a 54-40 loss to Grandview High School in Round 16 of the state basketball tournament, the men’s basketball team came up short in its hopes for the state championship. Despite the loss March 1, the Golden Eagles already have begun training for the 2017-18 season.

“We do lifting and have open gym, which are just to play and get better a little,” junior Connor Staib said. “It helps [with] chemistry and makes sure people don’t get rusty.”

Despite the seniors finishing their last season (16-9 overall, 6-4 in league), they still will always be a part of the team.

“We had the basketball banquet at the end of the season where we said goodbye to them,” Staib said.

“They still come to open gyms sometimes just to play with us.”

Looking forward, the team has its goals set for the upcoming season. The returning players are working towards becoming stronger as a team.

“Our goal for next season is the same thing: to win the state championship,” sophomore Simon May said. “The way we do that is to get better and be better. That’s what it all boils down to.”

As the team’s training continues, the players have their sights set on improving on the court.

“We need to keep fighting,” May said. “That’s really the biggest thing that I took away from the season.”

SCHOOL NEWS

027

PIKE PLACE

FISH CO.

OVER

30 MILLION

PEOPLE VISIT PIKE PLACE

FISH COMPANY

EVERY YEAR

A worker tosses a fish from behind the counter to Ryan Hébert.“And one for Hébert,” he cried before the fish was flung in his direction.The employees toss fish from one to another when things are slow or when a customer purchases a whole fish.

TOSSING FISH AND MAKING FRIENDS Conner Davis, Ian Ferguson & Lexi Weingardt

S

eattle’s Pike Place Market is home to the world famous Pike Place Fish Company. The Pike Place Fish Company gets about 30 million visitors a year — people come from all different walks of life to try the incredible seafood the company has to offer.

However, the truly amazing part of the Pike Place Fish Company (PPFC) lies not in the food it produces, but in the camaraderie of those who work there, as well as their relationship with the public. It is clear immediately upon arrival at the boisterous market that the men who work at PPFC are friendly and hardworking.

Several guys are out in front of the counter, talking and interacting with passerbys, occasionally throwing fish back and forth to one another and loudly calling out different phrases.

They seem to have a certain twinkle in their eye as they tease each other, share stories with customers and scare people with a taxidermied fish.

“It’s really more about customer service and experience than throwing a fish,” 37-year-old employee Ryan Hébert said.

Hébert, as well as other employees, all seemed to agree that their ability to interact with the citizens and tourists in Seattle is one of the best parts of their job.

MVMEDIA IN SEATLE Forty-year-old Taho Kakutani said his favorite

028

part of the job is, “the people, meeting people [and] understanding myself more deeply as I try to relate to people.”

Aside from their interaction with the public, all of the employee contributed their love of the job to the other guys they work with, repeatedly referring to the brotherhood that exists between the men who work at the company.

“Just messing with people,” 48-year-old worker Erik Espinoza responded when asked about his favorite part of the job. “Also, the guys I work with. When you’ve worked with guys for this long you’re pretty much a family.”

Hébert mentioned the market has a mandatory meeting in Chinatown once every month. This time allows for them to interact outside of their workplace and even hang out with John Yokoyama, the owner of Pike Place Fish Company.

Hébert said the guys work about five days a week, and that sometimes he sees them more than he sees his wife. The amount of time the guys spend with each other leads to a feeling of community throughout the Pike Place Fish Company.

“The camaraderie, the way we organize the work culture so that you feel like you do something that matters and you feel like you matter [is why I’ve stayed here for 12 years],” Kakutani said. “It’s really hard to put a value on that, but it’s worth a lot when you work somewhere where you [feel like you] count.”

MEET THE

WORKERS

ERIK

ESPINOZA orty-eight-year-old Erik Espinoza is

F

going on his 20th year working at the Pike Place Fish Company.

Growing up just outside of Seattle, Espinoza said he used to sit at the docks with his friends and dream about living in the big city.

“As soon as I was old enough to move out of the house, I moved to Seattle,” he said.

After moving to Seattle, Espinoza got a job in Pioneer Square. However, when he was offered a job at Pike Place Fish Company, he readily took it.

“My buddy worked [at Pike Place Fish Company] and he got his brother a job, but his brother actually got fired. I worked down in Pioneer Square and he came down and said, ‘Hey, there’s an opening.’ After work I walked up here and the guy said ‘Alright, see you tomorrow,’ and I said ‘Okay, see you tomorrow,’” Espinoza said.

Espinoza contributes the fact that he has been at the Pike Place Fish Company for two decates to his relationship with the public and with the guys he works with.

“W

orking with these guys [is what makes working here great]. It’s a really great team effort that we put together here and we have a lot of fun working together,” 40-year-old Taho Kakutani said. “It all has something to do with how we relate to people.”

Although Kakutani has worked many other jobs, he has been at the Pike Place Fish Company for 12 years.

He got a job at Pike Place Fish Co. after returning to Seattle. “I just wanted to move back to Seattle,” he said. “I am originally not from here, but I moved here and then moved away and wanted to come and I already knew some of the guys that workedv here.”

One of the things he said he loves the most about Seattle is that it is not a very big city but it still has a “big city feel,” “Whatever you’re really interested in, somebody’s doing it and they are doing it on a scale that is approachable,” Kakutani said. “So, if you want to get your foot in the door in some kind of industry or culture, something that you’re jazzed about, there’s somebody in the city that’s doing it. There’s always a group of people that you can join and then you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the best of the business.”

Kakutani said heappreciates his job because he feels valued, as if he is doing something important every day.

TAHO KAKUTANI

RYAN HÉBERT

R

yan Hébert has always lived a life of adventure and thrill. He grew up in Seattle as an avid skateboarder, skating in empty pools with his buddies in the late 1990s. He then moved to Colorado to be a ski bum for a year.

Then, the biggest risk of his life was manning a Alaskan crab boat for five years.

Hébert said this experience as a fisherman helps him today as a fish salesmen.

“I was in the middle of the Bering Sea, right where the ‘Deadliest Catch’ guys are,” Hébert said. “I know where the fish are coming from.”

He interrupted himself multiple times to scare customers with a taxidermy fish and to participate in the world famous fish throwing.

Even though Hébert is one of the newer guys who work the Pike Place Fish Company, having done so for two years, he is now a member in the brotherhood.

Hébert said the amount of time he and the guys spend together, especially during the extremely busy period of Christmas, is what helps to make their bond so tight and brotherly.

“I work with these guys five days a week. For some days, I see these guys more than I see my family, so there’s a lot of jokes and shenanigans,” Hébert said.

Despite not seeing his wife and family as much as he would like, he treats every customer as if he has known them for years.

“You want some crab,” Hébert asked a passerby.

“It’ll change your life.”

At the market, the energy felt being around all of the employees is quite contagious. And, Hébert says, that is the point of all the pranks, camaraderie and fish throwing — to make yet another place to buy fish in a public market in Seattle, the most interesting and fun place in Seattle’s popular Pike Place Market.

MVMEDIA IN SEATLE

029

LOCAL TO GLOBAL

NHS HAS CHANGED AND GROWN IN MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS SINCE IT BEGAN. MATISSE MOLINA & MORGAN MACLEAN

F

or the many years that National Honor Society (NHS) has been an active part of this school.

Their mission is to honor the achievements of hard-working students who excel scholastically and get them involved in serving the community.

NHS has changed substantially since it first started though.

In the last couple years the number of members has more than doubled, growing from about 100 to 270, and still growing. This rapid increase in membership has demanded a change in meeting schedules.

“We used to meet once a month and that has become impossible [because of member availability and space needed],” club sponsor Heidi Schuster said. “We now meet in large, all-member service meetings only once per semester with smaller meetings as needed.”

When NHS first started, members took on much smaller projects than they do now.

“The projects we work on have grown so much,” Schuster said. “[In the last few years] we have done local, state and international service projects.”

NHS as a whole used to sponsor one family around Christmas time, now the club can provide for multiple families during the holidays.

“We [used to] sponsor one family during the holidays, sing at nursing homes, and do some fundraisers for invisible children,” Schuster said. “[These are] all really good causes, but provide less impact than we have had recently.”

This large growth in the NHS community has happened mainly within the last five years.

“We have supplied literally thousands of presents to children through Denver Human Services, Arapahoe Human Services and the Denver Inner City Parish,” Schuster said.

NHS helps out locally and members continue to provide holiday gifts and meals through the adopt-a-family program and make blankets for elderly and homeless people. In Denver, they delivered truckloads of food to residents and adopted a school, then visited weekly to read to the kids and help them with their homework.

Not only does NHS support members of its community, it also helps members

JUNIOR REGAN LAVALLEE speaks in the main gym at the student body president election assembly. “I didn’t want to give a lecture about why I was qualified, but instead express why I do what I do and how I wanted to inspire change in the school,” Lavallee said.

Lavallee, who won the election — said she plans to give equal recognition to every aspect of Vista.

Photo by Gabe Barnard

by preparing them for the future. The organization motivates its members to help out in the community and to lend a hand to others.

“NHS has helped me grow as a person because I got to reach out beyond Vista and make an impact in our community and even in other countries,” senior Jennsen Womack said.

“We have helped build a school for an orphanage in Zimbabwe and we purchased a van [to transport kids to school] for the same orphanage,” Schuster said. “We have also supplied school supplies to children in Afghanistan and sent over $4,000 to the victims of the earthquake that happened in Nepal.”

The hard work and dedication of NHS members and sponsors is what made all their service achievements possible.

“I don’t think people in the school or community understand how much impact NHS has had over the last few years,” Schuster said.

A CAREER A PAYCHECK A COLLEGE DEGREE (CHOOSE THREE)

Don’t limit your life to the ordinary. Candidates accepted in the U.S. Air Force are automatically enrolled in the Community College of the Air Force free of cost. Not to mention the hands-on training you’ll receive that gives you invaluable experience. With the Air Force, your future is limitless.

030

CLUBS

©2016 Paid for by the U.S. Air Force. All rights reserved.

EVOLVING ART OBSERVING THE BEGINNING OF NAHS AND APPRECIATING WHAT IS STILL TO COME. ARIANNA DIMERCURIO & LAUREN GANO

N

ational Art Honors Society (NAHS) is a nationally recognized organization with hundreds of member schools.

Mountain Vista began its own NAHS chapter two years ago, and it has grown immensely in that time. In its early days, the club only worked on school murals and small service activities. They did not meet often and there were far fewer people.

“Last year we were just figuring out what the club was all about and how it was supposed to run. We are still working out some of the quirks, but the club has developed a lot since the beginning,” sponsor Whitney Heffelfinger said.

NAHS now has over 40 participants, and is involved in multiple service activities. These include setting up art shows, painting school murals, helping out with school-wide events and organizing fundraisers.

A student favorite is Trick-or-Treat Street, which is an annual event hosted at Vista. NAHS members provide fun and colorful chalk drawings outside the building, and set up a face painting station inside the school. Most members get in the spirit of Halloween and dress up for the occasion.

“I really enjoyed Trick-or-Treat Street because it was fun to draw cute Halloween characters that the kids would later see as they walked in.

It was also fun just getting chalk all over yourself,” sophomore Marisa Perez, a member of NAHS, said.

Another service activity that students enjoy is a Service Dogs of America fundraiser, where students hand make and glaze dog bowls for silent auctions. They are all shapes and sizes and customized by the students. Each bowl takes about two hours and the proceeds from the auctions go toward the training of service dogs.

“As a club we hope to continue most of our service opportunities, as well as add some new ones in the future. We learn and adapt after each event that we have, and we are becoming more organized and involved each year,” Kristin Johnson, another sponsor, said.

In the futrure, club leaders plan to grow the organization and gain more participants and recognition. In addition to their small service activities, leaders are working on making annual events. Next year, leaders say they are aiming to decorate the school with more beautiful murals and give the school more color and life through art.

CLUBS

031

MVM’S 2017

SENIORS

Claire VanDeStouwe

Austin Sack

Conner Davis

David Robinson

Emma Friesen

Leah Deminski

Morgan NIchols

Gannon Rushall

Tyler Merchant

Lexi Weingardt

Whether they’ve been in Mountain Vista Media for four years or one, the 2017 seniors made this year’s media program special. From barely making yearbook deadlines to keeping a constantlyupdated website and social media outlets, the seniors were there to act as leaders for the rest of the staff.

Ian Ferguson

Staci Prevato

Jarom Edwards