EagleEye Problems of the average high schooler are discussed. p. 14
Vol. 14 Issue 5 3.19.15
welcome to high school Mountain Vista High School | 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
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40
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VISTAj STAFF Editors
Gretchen Cope Jacob Cushatt Reagan Fitzke Antonia Fornaro Tyler Kraft Tara O’Gorman Kelsey Pharis
Katie Pickrell Gabe Rodriguez Daley Smith Tori Soper Erica Tagliarino Francesco Viola III Kaitlin Zenoni
John Bellipanni Graham Carroll Conner Davis Taylor Desmond Sara Hainsey Aly Hoffman Christian Holton Savanah Howard Amy Huang Gowri Kalyani
Ana Krasuski Regan Lavallee Lauren Lippert Kit Miller Hayley Mustin Peyton Reeves Austin Sack Lexi Weingardt Kenzie Winslow Taylor Zakhem
Staff
Mountain Vista was not allowed to livestream the Great Eight basketball game against Overland. p. 28 Photo by Gabe Rodriguez
Policy
Eagle Eye, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published six to nine times a year by the Journalism class for students at Mountain Vista High School. Expression made by students in the exercise of freedom of speech or freedom of press is not an expression of Douglas County school board policy. The views expressed in Eagle Eye do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, adviser, MVHS administration or the Douglas County School District administration. Board policy regarding student publications (JICEA and JI/JIA) are available in the journalism/publications room (U328) or in the principal’s office.
contents
Letters to the Editors Eagle Eye welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. This is a chance to express your viewpoint on important issues. Letters should be limited to 250 words. Letters will be edited for space and legal considerations, but not for inaccuracies, grammar or spelling. Letters must contain information pertinent to the students of MVHS. The staff retains the right to not publish any letter not meeting these requirements. Unsigned letters will not be published. Please submit typed letters in person to Room U328 or via mail or e-mail.
Contact
Eagle Eye | Mountain Vista High School 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Phone: 303-387-1500 Adviser email: mark.newton@dcsdk12.org Publication email: EagleEyeEditors@dcsdk12.org
Distribution
Single copies are free. Where available, additional copies of this paper are available for purchase for 50 cents each. Contact Eagle Eye for more information. Taking more than one copy of this paper is prohibited (C.R.S. 18-4-419). Violators, subject to prosecution and penalty under C.R.S. 13-21-123, will be prosecuted.
Open Forum Content Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service and Creative Commons licensing. ©2015 Eagle Eye/Mountain Vista High School. All rights reserved.
FEATURES
LEADING OFF
6 School News
Stories and statistics pertaining to the school year are given.
7 Stuff that ticks me off
Editor Tyler Kraft talks about people who don’t try.
8 Douglas county
Some interesting statistics about Douglas County school district.
10 DCSD FUNDING
NEWS
14 The parking fiasco
22 Work/stress/ sleep
16 college bound
24 entertainment
The issues surrounding Vista’s parking lot. by Graham Carroll, Sara Hainsey and Austin Sack
Different students take different postsecondary routes. by Tyler Kraft and Ana Krasuski
18 Social Media
The correlation between testing and funding.
High schoolers’ experience with social media. by Christian Holton and Taylor Zakhem
high school is all about.
The different accomplishments of high school. by Amy Huang
13 Staff Editorial 20 teen Editor Reagan milestones Fitzke shares what
Students balance jobs, the stress of school and the need for rest. by Peyton Reeves and Tara O’Gorman
28 The CHSAA Problem
CHSAA contract denies VISTAj the opportunity to broadcast playoff games.
31 6 questions
The different means of entertainment seen in high school. by Savanah Howard, Aly Hoffman and Lauren Lippert
A question-andanswer session with Principal Michael Weaver about high school.
Cover Photo by Tyler Kraft
26 religion
Different people practice different religions and represent different cultures. by Gowri Kalyani, Regan Lavallee and Lexi Weingardt
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Jarret Cesmat & Josh Bond
Building for success: Freshmen Jarrett Cesmat and Josh Bond work to complete a motion cart in Foundations of Physics that they will use to compete against classmates later in the week. The goal is to create a cart that will go the furthest. “It’s a propelling object. When something shoots in one direction, the cart will go the other,” Cesmat said.
photo by Katie Pickrell 4
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Photo by Kaitlin Zenoni
Photo by Emy Pye
Photo by Gabe Rodriguez
Photo by Amy Huang
Photo By Conner Davis
Ray Beresford
Moving up: Senior Ray Beresford goes up to dunk the ball in the game against Montbello High School. “My favorite part of the season was definitely getting to know the players. They are like a second family and we have an awesome bond,� Beresford said. Mountain Vista won the game, 60-57, but was defeated in the Great Eight by Overland High School, 64-36.
photo by Gabe Rodriguez
IssueOne Five 55 EagleEye Eye Issue Eagle
Faculty ofthe Month Josh Brandt
E
nglish teacher Josh Brandt is an Advanced Placement Language and Literature teacher. He works with teacher Staci Stech as the only two AP English teachers in the school. Brandt has been teaching for 13 years, being at Vista for 11. He has taught juniors and seniors for the majority of his career. “There’s only a couple of years where I didn’t teach juniors and seniors,” Brandt said. “I like it because they’re just older and there’s a sense of maturity that comes with upperclassmen, but there’s also apathy and an unwillingness to sometimes work that you might not get in the freshman and sophomore classes.” He enjoys being one of the only AP English teachers. “It’s fun, but it’s challenging. There’s a lot of paper load and a lot of expectations from [the students] on staying on task and staying focused, but mostly it’s a lot of fun,” Brandt said. Brandt said he enjoys how English is up to interpretation. “There’s not really a set answer,” Brandt said. “You can support your opinion constantly.” ReagaN Fitzke
What’s going on in
numbers By the
VISTAj recently took a look at some interesting statistics for the 2014-15 school year. Here is what we found:
As of today, there are only days of
20school
1603 students were scheduled to take the PARCC tests
from March 2-13.
280 tickets $45 left until prom and
33 Prom
days of school
left until
the seniors’ last day.
students “opted” out.
per ticket this year.
will cost
april-may april: 3:
One-Act Festival (performing arts department) at 7 p.m.
Jazz Band and Golden 7: Silhouettes Concert at 7 p.m.
9:
Creative Writing and Music Performance at 7 p.m.
may: 4-15:
Advanced Placement Exams at the Church of Latter-day Saints.
and Senior Prom 24:Junior Junior ACT ACT MakeState Exam Up. Band/ 28: 12: from 7:35-11 a.m. Orchestra Concerts
at 6:30p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
$89 at the Finance Office by April 30. Prices will maximize at $99 after this date.
Finals 13-14:Senior Senior’s Final Senior Day. Taste Activities: 14: 18: of Vista/Yearbook Breakfast/Cap & Distribution: Buy your yearbook for
Gown Pick-Up/Class Picture, 9 a.m.-12
p.m. Senior Cording Ceremony at 6 p.m. Senior Night Awards at 7 p.m.
Graduation at Red 20: Rocks at 9 a.m. No school for underclassmen.
22-27: Final Exams for
grades 9, 10 & 11.
First Day of Summer 28: Break for all underclassmen.
What are you most looking forward to doing over Spring Break? I’m really excited for break! I’m going on the Europe trip so I’m going to go there for the first time in my life. —Reilly McGavern, 11
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I’m looking forward to having a final break before we graduate. After spring break, we are in the home stretch. —Haley Chambless, 12
I’m going down with my family to the Rocky Mountain National Park and doing some whitewater rafting. —Hayley Funk, 11
Stuff that Yoda once said, “Do or
ticks me off Tyler Kraft
do not. There is no try.” In high school, many students love the “no try” part. Photo Illustration by Reagan Fitzke
W
e all know that kid. The one who sits in the back of the class, slouched over in his or her chair, pretending that there are 1,000 other places that he or she would rather be. Then there is the student who plays on his or her phone for the whole class, constantly monitoring every single little thing happening in the world today. And we all know the kid who simply doesn’t know when to shut up. All of these students are similar in one respect even though they do use different methods to express their mentality. It is a mentality quite prevalent in Highlands Ranch. None of them are willing to try. Like it or not, most kids from Highlands Ranch were raised not to try. If a kid wants a car, the kid will get a car, no work necessary. This mentality flows from a student’s home life to the classroom. While I understand it is hard to motivate oneself for something the person in question does not necessarily want to do, sometimes that person needs to buck
up and deal with it. Life isn’t like a box of chocolates. It is more like a bag of 50/50 jelly beans in which the green one will either taste like sour apple or a booger. Some students at Mountain Vista are lucky: They have only found green apple beans so far. So, those students simply go to school and expect things to be handed to them. They do not listen in class, they do not study and then are confused when they get poor grades. Essentially, that behavior is throwing away an opportunity to better oneself. It is also limiting the amount of opportunities the person will have later on in life. It is also disrespecting the people who are giving that student every opportunity to become successful: the teachers. Contrary to the belief of Vista students, the teachers at Mountain Vista want their students to succeed. There is no benefit for them to have students fail their class. So, while they do challenge students, it is never to have them flat out fail.
It is for this reason that it annoys teachers when students fail because they are unwilling to put in the effort necessary to learn and improve. “I feel frustrated. There is a lesson to learn from whatever choices you make,” math teacher Brian Wood said. Those “frustrating” students also are detrimental to the classrooms they walk into, spreading laziness and poor attitudes wherever they go. The good news is that the places those people may go will soon be limited, as they lack the will to go far in life. Sometimes these students do more than just bring a bad attitude into the classroom. They also bring their poor work ethic into settings where other people are counting on them. Every high schooler has been in a group project, right? Now group projects are fine when students are able to pick who they work with. The students who are willing to work together collectively succeed and the students who lack the drive to even put together a measly PowerPoint collectively suck. The problem comes when students do not have a choice on who they work with. When students are placed in groups with people they do not necessarily want to work in, there is often only one kid who does the work. The others just sit back and watch. Then, because the kid who does all of the work is usually the smartest of the bunch, the whole group will end up with a good grade. This just further enforces the kids who do not try that trying is not essential to end up with good results. It also annoys the kid who does do all of the work, as he or she knows he or she were used and will not get so much as a “good job” from the rest of the group. Students should not need to be told to try. It should just be something that comes naturally. Unfortunately, there are students at Mountain Vista who will not try even if they are told to do so. And while they may not realize it right now, their work ethic will come back to haunt them, maybe sooner than they expect.
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Passing up a Plea for
Better Funding Why DCSD’s Superintendent Liz Fagen Chose to Forgo Signing a Letter Asking for Better Funding in State Schools
D
john bellipanni
ouglas County School District Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen made a bold decision last month to elect against signing a letter to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper asking for increased funding for public schools. Out of the 178 school districts in Colorado, 174 chose to sign the letter. Fagen, however, claimed the letter was not “in the best interest of staff and students in this (DCSD) community.” Among the vast majority of superintendents in favor of the letter was Dan McMinimee, Jefferson County’s superintendent. McMinimee has extensive ties to Douglas County as a former principal at Rock Canyon High School and DCSD’s assistant superintendent for nearly four years immediately preceding his move to Jeffco. Fagen and McMinimee also share similar political opinions regarding the nationwide public education reform efforts. Despite those similarities, the two held opposite stances on the letter. “That letter
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shows that superintendents across the state of Colorado recognize some serious issues and are looking for help from legislators,” McMinimee said. “[Districts that signed the letter] showed that we recognize some significant issues.” Fagen’s choice to forgo signing the note followed several public pleas from her for better funding in Colorado. One such plea was voiced last October, during the 2014 Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) Superintendent Forum. “The funding in Colorado needs to start to come back,” Fagen said. Her comment there matched several other superintendents’. Fast-forward to March 2015 and Fagen is still consistent in her position. “[DCSD] sit[s] at a $64 million deficit,” she said in a recent interview, “so I think it’s time that the state take a good look at the negative factor situation.” The “negative factor” is a term used to describe the amount of per-pupil money Colorado allots a school district due to
a lack of funding during the recession beginning in 2007. The state uses DCSD’s negative factor, among other variables, in a complicated formula to determine the amount of money to allocate the district annually. “I think there’s a lot of agreement across the state that the current finance formula probably isn’t what we need,” Fagen said. The state, Fagan said, needs to be working toward a five-year payback plan of the negative factor, which was not reflected in the letter. Further, she noted, “it seems some folks would like to ‘BandAid’ the [finance] formula,” as a quick but temporary fix for budget issues. “I do not think we are collectively prepared to discuss the best long-term state financial strategy or approach for 178 districts across Colorado,” she said. “Those [superintendents] are my colleagues,” Fagen said, “and I shared with them my position (not to sign the letter) and they said, ‘You know, that makes a lot of sense.’”
PARCC TESTINGStandardized Tests The Crusade to Limit
john bellipanni
S
tudents throughout Colorado have the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests fresh in their minds. Douglas County’s school board made it clear in a recent meeting they do, too. In January the board voted unanimously to authorize submission of a waiver from the tests. The vote was prompted originally by action from the State Board of Education. After doing so, DCSD Board President Kevin Larsen predicted legislative hurdles. “We don’t know the outcome of [the vote],” he said. “We’ve asked our superintendent to seek it.” As expected, during the Feb. 17 board meeting Legal Counsel Rob Ross told the board Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman was unable to grant the waiver, citing legislative regulations. “I’m not sure if I agree with [the attorney general’s] analysis,” Ross said. “We want to be part of that process.” Larsen voiced major concerns with the tests in a recent interview. “There’s been an out-of-balance amount of testing,” he said. “You want the test to inform the teachers.
Richard Cosgrove
Max Dunevitz We’ve gotten so far away from that.” Larsen said tests like PARCC lose reliability. “As you get older and a little more mature (students) start realizing, ‘This doesn’t matter to me.’”
The board made it clear they recognize the issues regarding standardized testing. However, the state’s firmness is going to make changes, in Larsen’s words, “a struggle of influence and persuasion.”
dcsd’s master
capital plan How Douglas County plans to deal with overwhelming gaps in funding
“A
john bellipanni
ccording to the Long Range Planning Committee, over the next five years, this district will have $275 (million) of unfunded capital needs,” DCSD leaders noted on the district’s website. Budget employees estimate by 2040, DCSD will be serving almost 120,000 students, doubling its current size. The total cost for new schools to accommodate these students is a projected $1.5 billion. It’s clear as Douglas County grows, so do its needs. DCSD’s Capital Plan is a system of steps aimed at running the district on a restricted budget. “We have no dedicated funding right now to do capital work,” says Rich Cosgrove, Director of Planning and Construction. “The most important part is the piece of the pie that shows the
issues that could interrupt the educational program. That’s $25 million.” Additionally, there are $2.3 million in life safety concerns. DCSD’s website states: “All DCSD schools are 100 percent code compliant and safe, but the need [to fund life safety concerns] is not subsiding.” The district has some ideas to address the needs, however the Board of Education is ultimately asking for the public’s feedback. “There are multiple ways that we can address these issues,” Budget Director Scott Smith says. “There are pros and cons with all of those ways. We want to make sure that we provide the opportunity and really gather that feedback.” Cosgrove expects to provide the board with a response “in the March to April time frame.”
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standardized
funding$
F
Katie Pickrell & Kelsey Pharis
unding is arguably Colorado’s largest educational issue, mainly due to the broadened problems regarding where money is effectively spent. “Money is a necessary, but not sufficient, [resource],” Colorado Lt. Gov. Joseph Garcia said. Though Colorado is ranked ninth in overall educational performance, the state falls 41st in funding per pupil at just over $8,500, thus leaving large gaps in effective funding. Because Colorado is the only state with Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), it isn’t possible to raise revenue through higher taxes without the approval of the voters. Public education in Colorado accounts for approximately 26 percent of the total state expenditures. Many argue that educational systems need more money to produce a more secure and productive learning environment. The top-ranked schools in the United States, though inconsistent with funding in some places, habitually align with higher funding. “[We should] give money to students to have a measured pathway that allows the students and parents to choose the way that would the best possible education to their children,” state Colorado Rep. Paul Lundeen (R-Monument) said. Lundeen is a proponent of encouraging the utilization of charter schools, but maintains the belief that public education in the United States is “a sphere in which more dollars spent has not translated into a better education for our children.” One of the largest arguments regarding Colorado’s educational standards lies in standardized testing. Mandates such as Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) have been criticized for their irrelevance to students. Standardized testing, while providing a basis by which to judge educational prosperity across large numbers of students, cannot always be defined as an accurate assessment of student achievement and teacher proficiency. “How do we improve quality and how do we make it consistent?” Garcia rhetorically questioned of the mandated standards for Colorado schools. “Students who show up for college— they may both have a high school diploma
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that was just issued a few months earlier, but they come in at totally different levels college readiness and preparation.” Garcia believes one of the most pervasive issues in Colorado public education is the lack of consistency between districts. “In some districts 100 percent of kids test into remedial courses and in others virtually none do,” he said. Because most students either do not understand the importance of governmentmandated tests — or simply do not care — they are highly unlikely to utilize their best efforts towards taking them. “Students don’t like it and they don’t see the value in it,” Garcia said. This provides the idea that standardized testing is nothing but a waste of time. Many would argue it is even more important is that the mandates also are a waste of scarce resources. “We have gone overboard with standardized testing at this point,” Colorado Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) said. “There’s a lot of state-mandated tests and local school districts also have their own tests.” The idea Hamner supports is to find the delicate balance between the amount of state mandates and the acknowledgment of the individual needs of students. Without a system in place to judge the prosperity of students across a mandated line of standards, it’s impossible to know exactly how states compare to each other. The lack of uniformity in testing could also prevent the United States as a whole from competing on an educational level with foreign nations.
“We’re working with other colleges in the state to see if they will use the PARCC test at least for placement into college-level classes,” Garcia said. “With PARCC being brand new, we don’t know how it will work, but we think we know how it could work.” Garcia, who also chairs the Colorado Board of Higher Education, said providing a greater purpose to the PARCC tests for students will allow them to provide greater effort into the exam. “We want everybody to have to opportunity to get into college, so we have to do assessments along the way and do course corrections along the way,” he said. So far, Colorado has yet to find an appropriate fixed system to determine success of either teachers or students, especially considering that only one fouryear college (Adams State University in Alamosa) has agreed to include PARCC testing scores in its admissions criteria. Still, district- and state-mandated testing accounts for 50 percent of teacher evaluation — and, subsequently, teacher pay. In its first year, the PARCC assessment has not yet proven to be a solution for Colorado’s issues regarding conformity and cost efficiency, but a method of standardized testing that is implicated through the states still may prove helpful to students, teachers, schools, districts and parents. “The standards are the floor, not the ceiling,” Garcia said.
EP!C Photos
The Mountain Vista men’s lacrosse team
sprint for the goal: Seniors Christian Brady and Kyle Pless attack the goal in their game against Legend High School. “The first game at Shea Stadium was great just because we got to play in the big stadium and get a win under our belt,” Brady said. Mountain Vista beat Legend, 20-3, and is currently 3-0 on the season.
photo by Tyler Kraft
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arapahoe.edu Associate Degrees • Transfer Credits Certificates • Workforce Training 12
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Littleton • Parker • Castle Rock • Online
welcome to
high school
All teenagers have to deal with different pressures and issues.
H
REAGAN FITZKE
igh school is difficult. There is no doubt in that statement. Sure, we all hear those in the generations ahead of us, “Oh, I’ve been there. When I was your age…” and then they proceed to talk about some story they somehow think relates to us. But the fact of the matter is that times have changed. We have more pressure on us as a generation to work hard, get into college and get good grades. It’s harder to get accepted into the desired universities and academies and it is harder to get a job out of college. Mountain Vista High School is no exception. Everyone is extremely competitive. We are all trying to do what we need to do in order to succeed, whether that be in academics, sports or clubs.
In turn, students tend to weigh themselves down with workload and extracurriculars, along with the stressors of personal life. Students juggle school life with jobs, family and friends. How could one be expected to balance all of it? Yet, teenagers are. We juggle so many plates and hardly have time for a break. But we get by. We try to do what is expected of us, and even though sometimes we may fail, success is still achievable because of incredible support systems. Despite all this, the teenage life also can be quite fun. High school is the time of finding one’s personal identity. In time, we all find friend groups that we fit and we go through stages of trying out new things
and becoming individuals. We find what we enjoy, what we don’t and what we want to pursue. High school also is filled with opportunity. We are given so many chances to live incredible experiences. At our high school, there are so many activities, classes and even school trips to participate that anyone can find something to take a lesson from or simply establish a memory. There might be some speed bumps along the way, but in time, we all push through. High school is an adventure of its own. We all get through it together. So, even though it may be difficult at times, it’s important to take high school postively and just have fun with it. After all, you only get one chance.
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impact of religion Lexi weingardt
S
ophomore Abigayle Fisch is one of few students at Mountain Vista High School who practices Judaism. “I value my religion’s uniqueness because I’m one of not very many [Jewish people] at Mountain Vista,” Fisch said. “The fact that there isn’t a lot of people [who practice Judaism at MVHS] makes me appreciate it and makes it special.” Fisch said her religion does affect how she acts on a regular basis because it influences her ability to think of others before herself. “I have mitzvahs every week
where me and my family talk about it (a mitzvah is a good deed),” Fisch said. “You consciously think about it, especially when you are Jewish.” There are many different facets of Judaism. Followers of the religion do Shabbat every Friday, go to temple on holidays and non holidays, attend bar and bat mitzfahs and attend Confirmation. “Confirmation is in May,” Fisch said. “We are going away to a camp in the mountains and we get confirmed there and then we come back and have a ceremony.”
life of a hindu B eing a Hindu means that junior Divya Jain follows a strict diet and prayer times which allows her to stay on top of her game, especially at school. “I am a vegetarian. I participate in some religious holidays. I pray to the gods. I have memorized and recited prayers at certain times. I take a bath every morning and do a very short prayer before I eat anything,” Jain said. Jain explained her short prayers revolved around a separate god for different aspects of life. “There is a goddess of studies who is said to hold the power of knowledge. This means that I incorporate this goddess into school by taking challenging classes and trying my best
Gowri Kalyani
on all assignments,” Jain said. Along with focusing on her academics, Jain is very much involved in certain religious holidays like Holi, which is March 6, and the upcoming Hindi New Year on March 21. “I am very excited for Hindi New Year coming up because it allows me to stay connected with my family back in India by celebrating this holiday with my immediate family,” Jain said. As a Hindu, Jain believes in being kind and always helping people, but at the same time she believes in being honest. “I also try to be kind and patient as it will not benefit me if I am cruel,” Jain said. “However, I do believe in honesty and no drama so I say what I think.”
Eastern orthodoxy Regan lavallee
A
gape love is known as selfsacrifice and forgiveness. For sophomore Desa Paich, agape love plays a major role in her life as an Eastern Orthodox Christian. “I think just helping others reflects my religion at school. We are all about being selfless and I don’t think there is a better way to express that than helping others,” Paich said. Alongside agape love, the Eastern Orthodox Church teaches helping out one another to have the best result possible. Thinking of others and embracing selflessness are the traits students like Paich contribute to make a positive atmosphere at school.
Mormon I
nside Mountain Vista High School, there is unity that allow students to work together towards common goals. Outside of school, students are influenced through different religions that allow them to bring different approaches towards their lives at school. Each morning at 5:30 a.m., various students come to public school to attend seminary through their church. “Seminary is a church class that I go to for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is my religion,” sophomore Madison Easton said. “We learn about the scriptures, which is the books that we read. It’s called the Doctrine of Covenant which is what we are studying this year.” These seminary classes are for students who practice Mormonism. Students say it is the time for them to come together and start their day on a positive note. What they learn contributes into their everyday lives by how they look at situations. “It is always really good to start your
Lexi weingardt, REgan lavallee and G
the belief systems of different students
day talking about something that uplifts you and that means a lot to you. We just learn how to be really good examples of what Jesus Christ would do and just have a light about us that makes the world a little bit better,” freshman Becca Walton said. Walton said she has learned throughout the year that going to seminary allows her to look at life in a new way and be ready for the day ahead. “Originally, my year started out just going because I had to. Half way through the year I decided it really made a difference in my day, so I decided to go for myself because I knew it would make my day better and it really helped to learn about Mormonism,” Walton said. The Mormons learn that it is important to support one another rather than tear each other down. Seeing each other in the hallways allows them to become closer. They often stick together to remind one another of their connection.
theme Religion topic
on mornings
“Theres a Mormon table at lunch, so everyone sits together and it’s unity,” sophomore Austin Harris said. They get to discuss things they had talked about earlier in the day and feel at home when there is someone there to support them and their beliefs. “I absolutely love it,” Walton said. “It’s really cool to walk in the hallways and see people you’ve learned from this morning and learned with. It’s just a really good relationship because we all believe the same thing and we all stand for the same thing. It’s just really fun to have all those people support you.” Having multiple ages and grades in a seminary class, the Mormons are able to build a stronger connection with each other. “It’s really nice because anytime I’m walking down the hall, anyone that I know from seminary classes, I just go and talk to them,” Easton said. “They support me no matter what, so it is kind of just like a builtin friend group.”
e and Gowri kalyani | Photos courtesy of abi fisch, desa paich and madison easton
Season Tickets savanah howard
G
oing to one game a year sometimes just isn’t enough. Season tickets save devoted fans from the heartbreak of watching their favorite team on a TV screen. Math teacher Penny Jones is a Denver Nuggets fanatic. She has had season tickets for 10 years. “There [are] usually 41 homes games and I average between 37 and 38 of them,” Jones said. Jones’ basketball influence came from her son and her husband. “I’ve always liked basketball,” Jones said. “My husband used to play
basketball in high school and college.” Freshman Zach Lang has had season tickets to the Denver Broncos in his family for 30 years, making attending games almost like a family tradition. With a stadium big enough for 76,125 people and an average of 76,939 people in attendance, Lang says the atmosphere is always loud and excited. “I like having season tickets because you’re guaranteed to get a spot to every game,” Lang said.
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hen sitting down to watch TV, Netflix provides viewers with commercial free, unlimited access to entertainment. With over 50 million subscribers, it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t watched Netflix. Senior Madison Crepeau finds herself watching Netflix every day. “I like that there [aren’t] commercials so you can just sit down and watch seven shows and not have to deal with that,” Crepeau said. Netflix viewers can watch a show here and there to an entire season in one night. “I like that you can watch it whenever, [but I wish they had] ‘Spongebob,’” sophomore Blake Wechter said.
The Waterboy M any people have never met a professional athlete. Even more haven’t befriended one, but freshman Jake Govett gets up close and personal with the Colorado Mammoths on a regular basis. Govett’s dad is the general manager of the Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse team and has been since 2002. Although his dad works with professional athletes on a daily basis, he doesn’t see him any different. “I think he’s like any other dad,” Govett said, “he goes to work, comes home. Sometimes, maybe once a year, we get to go to a game.” Thanks to his dad’s out-of-theordinary job, he picked up the role as the waterboy for the team. “I’m the waterboy. It’s not that
Netflix tops tv
important of a job, but we fill up the waters, get food for the people who are working with equipment and that’s pretty much it,” Govett said. On top of having a super dad, Govett also gets to learn from the athletes one on one. “After practice, we were all shooting on the goalie of the year and they were teaching me [how to have] a better shot,” he said. “[They also gave me advice on how] to work on my shot. I ended up scoring a couple goals.” Most professional athletes are looked at as celebrities and untouchable, but Govett says he sees them as friends. “I think I take it for granted a lot because I don’t really think of them as professional athletes,” Govett said. “I think of them as friends.”
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orld wide, teenage girls have fallen head over heels with Vine and YouTube sensations. Many of these Internet sensations brought their talents to Ogden Theatre to perform at “Digitour.” Ranging from skits to small-sided games with girls picked from the audience, they captured the audience’s attention with their charming looks and their hilarious sense of humor. Freshmen Emma Lentz and Lexi McLeran were two of the hundreds of girls who attended. “It’s all these people making funny videos and vines. They are all funny in real life so it’s super crazy [and] never boring,” Lentz said. “Digitour” was specially created for fans to meet their favorite YouTubers and Viners. Opening up the show, Rickey Thompson hosted “Digitrivia” with Alex “from Target” Lee and Chris and Crawford
lauren lippert | Photos by la
The things Mountain Vista does for
entertainment
ur Takes denver Collins as contestants. Contestants were asked simple questions and told to push a button when ready to answer. Questions ranged from, “Who is in the band ‘5 Seconds of Summer’?” to “What is Rickey Thompson’s nickname?” In the end, Chris Collins won by a landslide. With Luke Korns as the host and Paul Zimmer, Thompson, Lee, Chris Collins, Crawford Collins and Sam Pottorff as contestants, the guys played a game of Truth or Dare that ended with a shirtless Zimmer and Lee discussing what it was like to meet Ellen Degeneres, plus Korns doing the worm. “The Truth or Dare they did with each other was so funny,” McLeran said. Following the game of Truth or Dare, Alec Bailey played a mashup of various song genres and choices ranging from “Cruise,” “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Thinking Out Loud.” “[Bailey] sang songs that everyone knew,” McLeran said. “He has a really
os by lauren lippert
good voice and is a down to earth person.” Twaimz then swept the stage with his catchy llama song and crazy dance moves, soon after a game of speed dating was played. A fan was brought up on stage for a minute date with YouTube sensations Danny Edge, Pottorff and Korns. Getting the crowd even more hyped up, Twaimz and Thompson had a “Beyonceoff” where they danced to Beyonce’s songs. The audience decided who won based on how loud they cheered. The audience crowned Thompson winner. Zimmer and Edge ended the show with a spin-the-wheel dance off. Dances ranged from the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘80’s, future, and more. Pottorff was voted winner. With expectations overly met, Lentz and McLeran said they would easily attend “Digitour” again. “It was so amazing,” McLeran said. “Everyone [was] super energetic and having the time of their lives.”
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“One a.m. is the most productive time of day for me.” –Lauren Carr, 11
Junior Bethany Grusing
Junior Olivia Penna
Running on Empty
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tudents at Mountain Vista face the difficulties of balancing student life inside and outside of school. The struggles that high schoolers tend to face is school: stress and lack sleep on top of it. Many get involved in challenging classes, sports, activities, community service and jobs to impress college admissions, but often create more stress for themselves. Teenagers try to do everything to stand out but is it worth the struggle? Juniors Bethany Grusing, Olivia Penna and Lauren Carr are friends who experience these everyday student struggles. As a student and a part-time employee, Grusing faces the challenge of time management during the school year. She works an average of 22 hours a week and often doesn’t get out of work until 11 p.m., leaving little time for sleep or homework.
“It’s been okay,” Grusing said. “I don’t have as much free time as I used to, but now I have more money to pay for gas and other things.” She previously worked at Smashburger before working at Jump Street. She said the food industry is completely different than her kid-filled job at Jump Street. “It’s not as boring and I get to interact with little kids instead of food all the time,” she said. There are definitely good and bad things about working in a different industry. “I like the people I work with and the atmosphere,” Grusing said. “The thing I like the least is having to deal with rude parents or kids.” Balancing work while being a high school student often creates unnecessary stress. Stress is often acquired through the seven-plus hours that students spend at school.
Penna is no different. When asked what stresses her out the most, she said, “School.” Penna is involved in school, volleyball and has a part-time job. “I try very hard to do the best I can in each,” Penna said. Stress is usually has negative effects on high school students. “It makes me not want to come to school or go to work sometimes, just so I can have a mental break,” Penna said. A way many students cope with stress is by sleeping. “I just try to sleep it off or play volleyball to get my mind off of it. I also hang out with friends,” Penna said. Students stress themselves out now to better themselves for the future. “The amount of homework and studying I have to do is just for a good future,” Penna said. To ensure a good future many students assume they must compromise sleep to
Tara O’Gorman & Peyton Reeves | Photos by Peyton Reeves 22
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Ju
Finding the balance between
create more hours in the day. On average, a teenager should get eight to nine hours of sleep. This isn’t the case for many teenagers at Mountain Vista. In the attempts stand out, students skimp on sleep. Carr said she gets an average of fourand-a-half hours of sleep on the typical school night. Carr barely sleeps due to her school work and sports. “I just try to stay really organized with my priorities and trying to figure out what I have to do that night and what I can save for the next day,” she said. Organization is one way that many try to juggle their lives. “I just keep really up to date with my schedules and all of the things that are going on, so I can make sure I don’t miss anything important,” Carr said. Carr usually gets up for school at 5:45 a.m. Rising this early does not allow Carr to get the suggested seven to eight hours of sleep. “It really only gives me an hour to get
work, stress & sleep theme topic
Junior Lauren Carr
ready, so I mean I should get up earlier,” she said. Carr said she struggles with a schedule that takes precedence over her sleep. “There’s not enough time in the day!” she said. “I have so much stuff to do and I can stay awake pretty late so I might as well get some stuff done during that time. One a.m. is the most productive time of day for me.” Balancing student life inside and outside of school is a struggle for many high school students. The workload and sleep deprivation leads to stress. As friends the three juniors understand each others’ struggles and support each other. Students seem to understand that working their hardest for people to recognize all they do is to ensure future success. For these three juniors — and so many high school students — finding a healthy balance to a busy school, work and social life is often one to lose sleep over. Literally.
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freedom drivers amy huang
D
uring sophomore year, many students get their license. For most, a license equals freedom. “[My favorite part about being able to drive] is being able to go where I want, when I want,” sophomore Karyn Schwartzkopf said. A license brings more responsibility and independence. Students no longer have to get dropped off by their parents or older siblings. “[I was looking forward to] not having to ask for rides all the time,” Schwartzkopf said. Driving is a big responsibility. “I don’t want to kill everybody who’s in the backseat if I’m driving
with people,” sophomore Makenna Hemmerle said.
16 going on to 17 amy huang
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or many students, turning 17 means one thing. Getting into rated-R movies — legally. “My favorite part of being 17 is that I have more freedom,” junior Erika Soderholm said, “and I can go to rated-R movies now.” For juniors Caitlin and Lauren Robinson, turning 17 is not that different. “You get to go see movies,” Lauren said. Caitlin’s favorite part about seeing rated-R movies is the independence. “You don’t have to go with your parents, you can do whatever you want, whenever,” Caitlin said. Turning 17 brings a sense of independence to students, even though it is just being able to get in to rated-R movies alone.
a new eagle T he first day of high school is a big milestone in students’ lives. For senior Garrick Elliott, the first day of high school was a memorable day. “I remember meeting up with all of my middle school friends and talking about the classes we had together and how hard it was to find our classes. I also remember that the upperclassman would help me out if I got lost,” Elliott said. Since then high school has changed for Elliott, “I didn’t think I would find a new group of friends to hang out with. However, sophomore year I ended up finding a great group of friends, who have helped me become a better student at school and have helped me come out of my shell,” he said.
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Freshman Nicki Edwards went into her first day of school with high expectations, “I’m most excited for volleyball but education-wise I’m excited for my intro to engineering class,” she said. Her first day went well, “I’ve found all of my classes on time and the teachers seem really cool,” Edwards said. Edwards said she is pretty excited for the rest of the year.
hasta la G
raduation is the event that most high schoolers look forward to. For four years, high schoolers work to meet their requirements to graduate. On Wednesday, May 20, the seniors will be officially done with high school. After graduation, many are going to college or into the workforce. For senior Jordan Overman, graduation means leaving high school behind. “I’m looking forward to getting out of here, four years of this is just too much,” Overman said. After high school, Overman plans on going to the military. “I just thought [going to the military] would be something fun to do. Instead of going to college and doing what everyone else does,” Overman said. The military will bring an exciting addition to Overman’s life, “I’m most looking forward to adventuring and going to different countries,” he said. For senior Jessica Harris, graduation means going to college. “[I’m looking forward to] getting to go to BYU Hawaii
Amy Huang | Photos Gabe Ro
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as we age, we begin to hit more
As of March 19,
63to
There are
only
days
graduation.
495
Th ere are
because that’s the next step,” Harris said. On the other hand, senior Megan McGuire will be attending the University of New Mexico to play Division I volleyball after graduation. “I’m looking forward to being able to start fresh and go to college to play volleyball,” she said. Graduation will be a bittersweet moment for the seniors. Seniors have spent the last four years building relationships and going to events. After graduation, many will go their separate ways. “[I will miss] lots of simple things, like track, football and basketball games, doing the announcements,” Harris said. “I’ll miss the friends I’ve made and being close to home,” McGuire said. As high school ends, seniors have a new chapter in their lives to look forward to. Graduation is a defining moment for many. It marks the transition into adulthood. “It’ll be nice having more freedom and being in charge of myself,” McGuire said.
teen milestones theme topic
a vista
seniors.
Gabe Rodriguez, Amy Huang & TYler Kraft
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“Being able to react with so many different people is really cool.” –Ben holland, 11
connected socially
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ocial media within Mountain Vista High School is an everyday topic for students. With the amount of Facebook users from 2008 to 2014 growing from 150 million to 1.15 billion and the amount of Twitter users from 6 million to 554.7 million, it’s easy to see that social media is a growing trend, especially among teens. In America today nearly 81 percent of teens use some sort of social media. Communication is easier and faster than it was prior to social media. Social media, like any popular issue, has pros and cons. “Being able to tweet out reminders to my students for class is my favorite part about social media,” Natalie Barnard said. “An example of that is when I remind my students to bring headphones for the PARCC tests.” Barnard, an English teacher who has more than 200 followers on Twitter, has tweeted over 800 times. Barnard also has been known to tweet
advice such as, “If you want respect, you have to first earn respect” and “The words you speak become the house you live in.” However, Barnard also said there are some cons of social media. “People get really really mean and some nasty things are said over Twitter,” she said. “Once those mean things are said on social media, they can’t ever be erased.” About 25 percent of teens have been cyber bullied repeatedly and over 55 percent of teens have witnessed bullying on social media. “I should be able to edit everything that goes out over social media so no one will have regrets if they decide to run for president down the road,” Barnard said jokingly. According to Career Builder, LLC, 37 percent of companies use social media to research job candidates. For that 37 percent of companies, the main reason for not hiring someone based off of his or her social media was because that person
posted provocative or inappropriate content. “I think social media has it’s positive points,” Barnard said. “ I’ve seen too many nasty mean things to make it an overall good thing. No one understands the consequences of their words now but it will eventually come back to bite them in the kister.” Social media also has a lot of benefits. “Being to interact with so many different people is really cool. People that you might not be close with in everyday life, you can become close with on social media,” junior Ben Holland said. With more than 1,000 Twitter followers and more than 3,000 tweets, it’s easy to see that Holland has a lot of experience with social media. Holland, who is known among Mountain Vista for his funny tweets, says he enjoys making people laugh. “I like being able to distract others and myself from the monotony of everyday
Christian Holton and Taylor Zakhem I Photos By Taylor Zakhem 18
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Everyone is connected through
Social media
life,” Holland said. “Social media also provides me with a platform to express my opinions.” With just the click of a button Holland, and many others who use social media, can say whatever they want to thousands of people. This voice and power is something that social media has given rise to. “The best part about social media is that you can reach a lot of people within a short amount of time, which can be a blessing and a curse sometimes,” FCS teacher Lindsey Jaffe Miller said. Social media in a high school community is also positive because students can react with other students in a fast way. Also students can talk to students from other schools. This helps students find other students who have the same interests, but don’t necessarily go to MVHS. “If it’s used correctly, it’s really good,” Jaffe said. Social media also is a way to connect and get information fast. In the winter,
Colorado is bound to get a lot of snow. A lot of students go to social media to find out if the school district calls a delayed start or snow day. For news, media is used in a great way, for the consumer and the producer. “The amount of kids we can reach within 10 minutes is insane,” Jaffe said. “It’s better than trying to do it over announcements or through classes.” Senior Lexi Burbey used to have a Twitter account, but gave it up. “I think social media is one of the stupidest things that could’ve been created,” she said. “I think it’s a huge waste of time and it’s my biggest procrastination for sure. Burbey, who uses Facebook to connect to her relatives and for her modeling career, however, still said there are positives of social media. “I think that connection actually can be a positive thing too — like with colleges, there’s no way I would’ve met any of the people I have like to room with or anything like that if it wasn’t for social media.”
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erin phelan
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enior Erin Phelan will be attending San Diego State University in the fall of 2015 and will be studying business. Phelan plans on joining a sorority that specializes in community service work and philanthropy. “I chose SDSU because it has so much to offer,” she said. “It’s a great school and isn’t that easy to get in to.” SDSU houses over 30,000 students and is one of the most popular colleges in California. “It’s a state school, so it has a real ‘college experience,’” Phelan said. “The
surrounding area is beautiful, and you can’t hate a campus that is basically on the beach!”
bryan hancock Tyler kraft
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enior Bryan Hancock has known where he will be going to college longer than the majority of seniors at Vista. Hancock committed as a junior to play lacrosse at Hobart College in New York. For Hancock, the decision to go to Hobart was an easy one. “I really wanted to play Division I lacrosse and Hobart had that small, college town feel to it,” Hancock says. Hancock said he is excited about the academic aspect of Hobart. “(Hobart) is actually a very good liberal arts school,” Hancock said. “I think I’m going to major in media and society while I’m there.” For Hancock, the wait has been long, but in less than three months, he will be a college student and a D-I lacrosse player.
alex bonner
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enior Alex Bonner has known where he wants to go to college since the beginning of his high school career. Bonner will be an Oregon Duck. “I’ve had family living up there for a while and even when I was just getting into high school, they always encouraged me to come to Oregon,” he said. Bonner’s decision was sealed as soon as he set foot on the campus. “When I went up there to visit, it was absolutely perfect,” Bonner said. “I loved the campus and they have some really good programs that I could see myself fitting into.” Bonner said he has big plans once he sets foot on campus. “My dad did the Greek life while
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in college, so I am looking into that,” Bonner said. “I also might look into getting involved with community service and student government.” While Bonner doesn’t exactly know what type of career he wants to pursue at Oregon, he has narrowed his choices down to two options. “I’m trying to decide between business and education,” he said. “I’m either going to double major or do a major and a minor with the two.” Bonner made his final decision to attend Oregon last month. “I knew that is where I wanted to go right after I visited,” he said, “but I made the final commitment this past February.”
amy alex S
enior Amy Alexander has been playing soccer since she was seven years old. The practice and hard work she has put in over the last several years has paid off in her becoming an incredible athlete. Alexander will be attending the University of Colorado Boulder in the fall to play Division I soccer and study in the prestigious Leeds School of Business. With a solid soccer team that advanced to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship Sweet 16 in 2013, to Alexander, it was no question of what college to attend. Being close to home and the beautiful Boulder campus also enticed Alexander to CU. “I just want a solid college experience,” she said. “Although a lot of kids from Highlands Ranch are going there, I hope to meet tons of new people. I want to be successful in college and just enjoy my time there.” Soccer has been one of the biggest parts
ana krasuski | Photos cour
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mountain vista seniors are
of Alexander’s life for as long as she can remember. It’s something she expressed her love and drive for and is something, she said, she never gets tired of doing. “It’s what I do to take my mind off things and I love the girls I play with,” Alexander said. “I am also super competitive and soccer is a competitive sport.” Throughout her four years at Mountain Vista, Alexander has achieved many of her goals and said she is excited to further her future with the sport. Starting right off the bat as a serious competitor, she started on varsity as a freshman and won the state title as a sophomore. “Most of all, I’m proud of getting to play D-I college soccer because that is such a huge commitment,” Alexander said. As a soon-to be member of a university with over 30,000 students, Alexander said she is not intimidated by what college has to offer, but rather anxious for her new life
college themebound topic
exander
to begin. “I am most excited about getting to meet new people,” she said. “I just can’t wait to find new people and always be surrounded by people. I also can’t wait for independence.” Alexander admitted that although she is excited, she also is little bit anxious. “I have to do fitness tests for soccer which is scary,” she said. “And, school work is going to be way harder, but overall I’m super excited for the next four years of my life.”
os courtesy of Gabe Rodriguez, Tara O’gorman and tyler kraft
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“We are working diligently to try other options to get more spots next year.” –George Gardner
IT’s not all about the
T
he 2014-15 school year was the first year Mountain Vista implemented assigned parking. While the system has its perks, assigned parking has caused many problems. Teachers, security guards and administrators have been working around the clock to solve the parking issues. “I feel horrible,” head security guard George Gardner said. “We are working diligently to try other options to get more spots next year.” Gardner said parking problems happen every year and “This year is the first year we have assigned parking, but this also brought restrictions in parking spots,” he said. The security team has been brainstorming solutions. “I’m out there painting white lines trying to get more spots to just help the kids out. I feel so bad for them,” Gardner said. As much as it pains him, Gardner said
he has to enforce the rules. “The rule is if you don’t have a spot, don’t park here. Because then you force me to do something I don’t enjoy doing and that’s booting,” Gardner said. “Kids think I get a kick out of it, but not really. That’s fifty bucks man. That’s a lot of money.” “The parking this year was a step to solve the problem,” principal Mike Weaver said. This year, Mountain Vista assigned parking. “The greatest thing about assigned parking is that it reduced accidents by 75 percent. It brought safety to our school, but also brought restrictions in parking spots,” Gardner said. “Kids were no longer tardy. You came in, you knew where you parked and you went right to it.” Weaver said last year there were horrible issues with parking. “We gave out permits to whoever wanted them. Everyone would show up at the same time and there wouldn’t be
parking. Tardies went up, and there were way more accidents,” Weaver said. Gardner said if security didn’t boot cars, this new parking system would not work. “Other schools have tried this, too. Rock Canyon has tried numbering parking spots and it wouldn’t work because there was no boot,” Gardner said. With no spots remaining at Mountain Vista, students have been searching for other options. A popular choice was to park at Red-Tail Park, a public park close to Vista with about 30 parking spaces). This temporary parking spaces worked for many students and before anyone expected, Red-Tail Park was filled with cars. The Metro District then posted “NO STUDENT PARKING” signs and informed Mountain Vista that they would be patrolling the area and ticketing any violators. “We then have to communicate that to
Austin Sack and Graham Carroll | Photos by Graham Carroll and Gabe Rodriguez 14
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More students equals less spots
students because we care about you and don’t want you to get tickets,” Weaver said. Park rangers have been patrolling RedTail daily in search for anyone violating the parking regulations. Parks Maintenance Supervisor Dirk Ambrose said he has dealt with this issue before. “We have had this same issue with Highlands Ranch High School students parking at Falcon Park,” Ambrose said. Currently for the Metro District sheriffs and park rangers, it is a daily task for them to patrol these parks in hope of removing the signs. Administration has spent countless hours meeting with the district and other schools to design a set up to best benefit not only students but also staff. “Teachers have been amazing, “ Gardner said. “I have a couple of teachers parking on the grass by the temps just to try and give students more spots. The reason we can’t have students park on the grass is because it turns into a liability
Parking theme topic
he boot
issue.” In order for the school to get more parking spots for students, funding from the district is needed. “There’s a list of $280 million in projects not funded in the district,” Weaver said, adding that 200 parking spots for Mountain Vista falls way down on the priority list. “We had to start finding things we could self-fund (parking solutions),” he said. Administration reported to the School Accountability Committee that a proposal to extend the lot at the northwest end to create 120 spaces of gravel parking would cost $90,000. Paving, painting, etc. would cost $400,000. Every year Mountain Vista’s enrollment continues to get bigger. “We have to find more parking, because as of right now there is 572 spots (and) the freshman class is like 600-something (students),” Gardner said. “There wouldn’t even be enough parking for them as seniors.”
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program Canceled OPINION: The right to broadcast
P
Gretchen cope
rovide diverse and equitable opportunities for participation that encourages all students to take part in the activity/athletic experience.” A statement seemingly positive and encouraging of student involvement, the Colorado High School Activities Association speaks of providing the chance for academic/ athletic growth. The organization expressing to the media its interest in every student’s development and well-being as a high schooler is evident. At the same time there exists harsh limitations infringing upon students’ rights as citizens of the United States of America. The latter seemingly kept behind a curtain so as to privatize negative situations. CHSAA prohibited the VISTAj broadcast team from live-streaming the Great Eight basketball game. Due to a contract signed by CHSAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations, my team “could not under any circumstances” live-stream our school’s final boys basketball playoff game. In reality, our broadcast team could have streamed the game. If we had done so, I would be required to personally fight another battle with at least one CHSAA board member and perhaps the commissioner. Having had several civil conversations with each of these men prior to the game in question, I was pushed back. Aware of the possibility of being kicked out by security guards or CHSAA staff, the broadcast team entered the playoff game with the obnoxiously large and awkward-tocarry bag of broadcast equipment. We were not stopped at the door or sent away as we
chSAA
had all imagined happening, much to my surprise. The team set up as if the live-stream would occur and continued to share the link to the live-stream event on our social media accounts. With the blessing and curse that is technology, CHSAA soon knew we were there. They knew where we were and what we hoped to do. I became certain of this after being approached by the MVHS athletic director and principal, each sharing their thanks and support in the process, but urging me not to hit “broadcast.” Having heard this, I knew I could not and would not be able to stream the game. This said, however, I knew talking to the man from CHSAA representing the NFHS’s signed contract needed to be done immediately. I greeted Bert Borgmann with a handshake, in which his position of authority seemed to envelope me. The sternness in his voice was intimidating (although whether or not he meant to be I will likely never know) as he firmly stated that “should you hit broadcast on your live-stream of this basketball game, you will be in direct violation of an $80,000 contract, the repercussions of which will fall on you and your school’s hands.” A violation of the contract was avoided. A violation and infringement upon my rights as a journalist was not. And on top of it all, a piece comical irony in the present situation lies in CHSAA’s support for their mission statement with encouragement for students to be resilient in their involvement — exactly what I intend to be.
the broadcast issue
VISTAj allegedly violated an
$80K 1328
contract that allows CHSAA to the rights to broadcast playoff games. 28
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was the highest amount of viewers
on VISTAj’s broadcasts, which is more than half of the student body.
Why Eagle Eye TV was not allowed to broadcast at the Great Eight. The facts on Chsaa O
Tyler Kraft
n March 7, 2015, Mountain Vista High School’s VISTAj Student Media’s broadcast group walked through the doors of the Denver Coliseum without being stopped. The team set up its cameras and prepared to broadcast the 5A Great Eight game between Mountain Vista and Overland. Right before their stream was about to go online, the students and the Vista administration were told they were not allowed to broadcast the game by CHSAA administrator Bert Borgmann. “Bert told us that there is a fairly substantial contract that CHSAA signed with the National Federation that gives them the rights to broadcast games,” principal Michael Weaver said. The contract that Weaver spoke of is one that CHSAA signed with the National Federation of State High School Associations in August of 2013. The contract, which is worth $80,000, provides the NFHS with the broadcasting rights to any playoff game run through CHSAA. “If (the NFHS) decides to decline an event, I have the option of allowing somebody else to broadcast it,” Borgmann said. “However, if the broadcast group that is going to broadcast the game is not part of the NFHS network, they have to pay a fee that the (NFHS) network has developed.” By choice, Eagle Eye TV is not a part of the NFHS network. As a result, if Vista had wanted to stream the game, they would have had to pay a fee of $750. Even then, the students would not have been able to broadcast as the NFHS did choose to broadcast the game, prohibiting any other platform from streaming the game. Eagle Eye TV was sent home from the Great Eight game as the NFHS crew continued with its broadcast. To watch, viewers had to pay a minimum of $9.95 for the game, whereas it would have been free through Eagle Eye TV. Eagle Eye TV had previously broadcasted four playoff games including men’s basketball, during the 2014-15 school year.
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QUESTIONS with Principal Michael Weaver
EAGLE EYE: When you first came to Mountain Vista, what was your goal? Weaver: I think initially, I was just excited to get back into the high school level. I’d been eight years in the elementary level, but that was after 16 years teaching and coaching in high school. My ultimate goal was to first learn to listen and re-establish a sense of identity with a high school building. I think one of the areas that I always focus on and come in with is the culture and climate that allowed kids to have a good experience here. I think foundationally in my philosophy that is key. So, I stepped into Vista knowing what I wanted this school to feel like and look like for our kids and our community. EE: Besides education, what do you believe is the main purpose of high school. Weaver: I think it depends on the high school. For our’s in general, the college preparatory piece and the ability for students to line themselves up for whatever choices they want to make post secondary is huge. I think you guys probably know just from how we go about our business here, that being a part of something bigger than individual self is huge and having as many opportunities for kids as possible is a big part. Providing academic opportunities is a big part of that. But like the journalism piece and the performing arts piece and the arts piece and the clubs piece and trying to have four levels of every athletic team so that more kids can participate and all of that tying together just gives every kid a chance to become part of the school. I talked in the very first graduation and I spoke of how 20 years from now you may not remember the formula or the lab or the feedback on an essay or story you wrote, but you are going to remember relationships, you’re going to remember specific events, you’re going to remember social pieces and parts of the experience that all went together and stood out. EE: If you had to pick one thing, what would be the thing you are the most proud of? Weaver: There are a couple. I’m proud of the way that our kids support each other in a variety of different ways. I’m proud of the acceptance of the staff and each other and how there is an underlying appreciation of the skills of all kids, for the most part. I’m also proud that we
contained a fairly consistent staff in an era of change in the (school) district because I think that consistency allows our kids to have the best product possible. EE: Now if you could improve one thing here at Vista, what would that be? Weaver: I have a pie in the sky goal that every kid will leave school and feel like that day was a great day every day. Now I know that’s never going to happen, but it would be a goal to continue to move things forward, whether it be the way the kids treat each other, whether it be making a zillion dollars finding out how to fix social media so that it’s more of a positive than a negative, whether that is increasing pathways for those kids who don’t feel that they are a part of something special or don’t feel that they have anything they can attach to, those would be the pieces and parts that I would change. EE: What is the one thing that annoys you the most about running a school full of teenagers? Weaver: I think there is an underlying feeling of entitlement at times. I think when you provide a setting for kids to have access to all of these opportunities and they don’t take advantage of any of it and then the kids just say, ‘Oh, I hate high school, it’s terrible,’ in the back of my philosophical brain, I just think ‘Well, it could be meaningful if you gave some of it a shot.’ I think for those kids that have disconnected from high school, I feel bad because I want it to be meaningful and good and I wish I could fix that, but when kids say, ‘I hate school,’ I don’t like that. EE: What is the best thing that the staff does for you? Weaver: I think in any relationship like that between groups of professionals, I think the first thing is their desire to continue to grow and learn, and I think the coolest thing between us is that we have established a level of trust to where we are all working toward the same goal. We want to be a part of creating good experiences for kids and whether that’s how they feel or that’s how I feel back at them or vice versa, I think that’s what I’ve seen in this group of people. We have some new teachers who I think are really good and, I hope, (they) will be around for as long as the teachers that we already have that have been around here 13-14 years. It’s a great group of people who have really bought in to what we are trying to do here.
Eagle Eye
Issue Five
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Photo by Tyler Kraft