Rocky Mountain Highschool: 2014 April

April 30, 2014 Vol. 41, No. 8

It’s just a pinch: In recent years, vaccinations rates have dropped drastically. Some people believe this is a result of increasingly vocal anti-vaccination movements.

Rocky Mountain High School 1300 W. Swallow Rd.Fort Collins, Colo.

The Rocky Mountain

Ha Shot

HIGHLIGHTER

the

side show High School Hijinks:

On April 17, eight seniors in Calico Rock High School in Arkansas moved desks and chairs into the hallway as a senior prank.

Much to their surprise, their principal presented them with a paper statement that she demanded they sign, which said that the students had committed vandalism. They were then given three days of suspension and barred from extracurriculars, graduation speeches, competitions, driving to school and the senior trip.

Quote of the Issue:

“It’s awesome to know that there are a lot of people out there thinking of me– my friends texting me and my girlfriend texting me everyday to see how I’m doing. If I didn’t have people helping me get through this I’d probably go insane.”

-Billy Zimmie, senior

Inside:

Rocky Hockey in full swing: A8

at health

Megan Troutman

Parents opt students out of vaccines, raises fear of serious diseases returning

by Emily Andersoneditor-in-chief

In 1998 Andrew Wakefield, former medical researcher, published a research paper linking MMR vaccines to autism.

While his claims were later fully discredited, his medical license in the UK revoked, and his paper deemed fraudulent, the ripples of his accusations continue to worry parents and spur distrust for vaccinations 16 years later.

In recent years vaccination rates have decreased in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Acting in both the po-

Colorado required vaccines for kindergarten-12 students ▫ Polio - 4 shots ▫ Measles, mumps, and rubella - 2 shots ▫ Hepatitis B - 3 shots ▫ Varicella/chickenpox - 1 (or 2) shots ▫ Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis - 5 shots

Front special

litical and medical scenes, antivaccination organizations have arisen and made it their mission to give parents more freedom in choosing to immunize their children. However, this could have drastic results.

“We aren’t aware of how devastating some of these illnesses used to be. They used to wipe out big percentages of the population of kids. There used to be these big outbreaks,” Poudre School District nurse, Jane Bar-

nett, said. “People look around and don’t see diphtheria, or any of these diseases, so they think that they don’t need to keep vaccinating. But the fact is that they could come back.”

Colorado standards require students to be immunized. However, parents can easily obtain exemptions, for either religious, medical or personal reasons.

In the 2013-2013 school year Colorado had the sixth highest immunization exemption rate in the country, at 4.3 percent.

Colorado House Bill 1288, which failed in the state senate several weeks ago, would have Jump to Vaccines on A2

Student stays positive in face of rare liver disease

by Trey Jouardreporter

One in a million.

Often times the phrase is heard in casual conversation, but rarely is the term used in a statistically correct context. However, that is not the case with senior Billy Zimmie, whose unusual liver disease, known as Budd-Chiari syndrome, which typically occurs once in a million people, is truly one of kind.

July of 2013 marked the first time that Zimmie encountered problems with his liver, so Zimmie and his mother, Bandana, decided to go to his primary doctor to detect the source of his bizarre symptoms.

“By the second week my mom was just

The benefits of being multilingual : B1

really concerned,” Zimmie said. “And you know, being 17 at the time, I didn’t think it was anything serious.”

With his persistent symptoms, his mother Billy Zimmie believed a trip to the emergency room at Poudre Valley hospital was necessary. Upon arriving, doctors were alarmed at the swelling in his abdominal region, and inserted a tube into his stomach to determine the problem.

“My mom was kind of tearing up. I didn’t immediately look at the site where they stuck the tube in because it would have been too

Westboro Baptist Church coming to town: B4-B5

much,” Zimmie said.

Following Zimmie’s stomach pumping, he was sent in an ambulance to the Children’s Hospital in Denver. After treatment there, his symptoms were attributed to Budd-Chiari syndrome. Because the complexity of his condition, doctors at the Children’s Hospital decided to turn his care over to the University of Colorado Hospital, also located in Denver.

Zimmie’s mother, who was born and raised in Nepal, struggled with the paperwork and medical expenses of his early treatment. Because his father passed away when Jump to Zimmie on A2

Index:

Club swings the night away: B8

News, A2 Opinion, A4 Sports, A8 Features, B1 Center Spread,B4-5 Limelight, B8

A2 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Scholastic successes

N EWS

National Merit Scholarship finalists announced

by Trey Jouardreporter

As graduation approaches and seniors determine their colleges, financial considerations begin to play a large role in their decisions.

Three students have been announced as finalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship award. Seniors Catherine Giesenhagen, Emma Rieb Logan Newman and Emma Rieb have distinguished themselves from 1.5 million students nationwide.

Rieb was among the few who received an award. After taking the PSAT and and writing an essay in order to be selected as a semi-finalist, she received the news that she would receive a $2500 scholarship for any school she chooses.

“It really does help my college decision. When you looking at these schools that have some Catherine pretty high Giesenhagen tuition rates, just having any little bit of help sort of makes that seem more realistic,” Rieb said. “It increases your chances of going to a good

school.”

Students who apply for this award must first take the PSAT/ NMSQT test which covers critical reading, mathematics and writing. The top 34,000 scorers are listed as “Commended,” 16,000 are listed as “Semifinalists” and 15,000 advance as finalists. Of these finalists a select few are chosen to receive an award.

Among the finalists, Giesenhagen scored in the top one percent in the country on the PSAT. However, she never anticipated receiving this recognition.

“The whole reason why I took the PSAT in the first place was to get practice for the SAT because I knew I wanted Logan Newman to apply to some East Coast schools,” Giesenhagen said. “I did really well and got the finalist standing. It wasn’t my plan, but it worked out better than I hoped.”

Like Giesenhagen, Newman had no intention of being a finalist.

“I didn’t know when I was going to find out, so I was waiting for all of February,” he said. “At the end of the month, I got home from a wrestling tournament, and checked the mail when I found out. I was pretty excited, but my mom was more excited.”

Vaccines

from page A1

required parents who wanted an exemption to receive information about vaccinations.

“House Bill 1288 would have forced those taking a personal belief exemption to go through additional state-mandated reeducation,” Cindy Loveland, the assistant director of State Advocacy for National Vaccine Information Center, said. “The bill assumed that parents taking a personal belief exemption needed more education. Parents need to continue to be able to exercise informed consent to vaccination free from government intrusion and coercion.”

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has numerous concerns about safety and necessity of vaccines. They hope to give parents easy access to exemption forms and to promote knowledge of alternative forms of medicine.

“Parents feel like they don’t want to be coerced by the government into having to do something. It’s kind of this feeling of individual freedom, and there are side effects, but most side effects for vaccines are mild,” Barnett said. “The child may get a fever, or be sore. But serious side effects

are like one in a million.”

Parents may also exempt their children from vaccines for perceived health reasons. As the Internet provides more information, the validity of certain studies and facts remain questionable.

“There is so much on the Internet right now, that they may get skewed information. Some parents say that the diseases were going away anyway because of improved sanitation, but I don’t think that that would completely eliminate them,” Barnett said.

However, legitimate reasons for parental opposition still remain. Some students, such as ones that are going through chemotherapy, are immunosuppressed, meaning that in order to be receptive to the cancer drugs, they must reduce their immunological response. Previously, before vaccination rates decreased, these children would automatically be protected through herd-immunity. If 80 percent of a community is vaccinated, the other 20 percent will be protected. However, some rates in the country are approaching below 80 percent (for personal beliefs/ religious reasons), raising a danger for the return of certain diseases.

Kayla Brokop

Helping hand: Robert Papp, business teacher, serves himself brownies at the Billy Zimmie fundraiser. The fundraiser was started by the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) after they heard about Zimmie’s rare liver condition.

Zimmie

from page A1

Zimmie was in the eighth grade, Zimmie and his mother were alone in dealing with the overwhelming reality of his perplexing condition.

Following his transfer to the University of Colorado hospital, Zimmie underwent a series of investigative procedures on his liver. Seeing her son in such a dire situation and the continuous flow of medical paperwork, Zimmie’s mother didn’t know where to turn for help. Fortunately, Zimmie’s paternal relatives were able to come to their aid when they were needed most.

“They came to [Colorado] and saved the day,” Zimmie said. “I remember feeling so relieved.”

With the help of his aunt and uncle, Zimmie continued his medical treatment.

However, many of his treatments were only temporary fixes. Ultimately, a new liver would be the ideal solution to his condition, and Zimmie was placed on the liver transplant list.

In the fall of his senior year, business teacher Lynn Lyell learned of his peculiar disorder after Zimmie took her business law class. Motivated to help raise money to cover some of the expenses of his transplant, Lyell, along with students Bronwyn Meldrum and Evan Bloom, spearheaded a community service project through FBLA. The fundraiser produced a total of $5,882.92.

“It’s awesome to know that there are a lot of people out there thinking of me,” Zimmie said. “Before the fundraiser, I was really isolated. If I didn’t have people helping me get through this, I’d probably go insane.”

A few weeks following the fundraiser, Zimmie decided to go to with his aunt and uncle to Michigan for spring break. Because he was placed in the middle of the liver transplant list, he was an unlikely candidate, so there should be no issues with traveling.

Or so they thought.

While enjoying his long awaited vacation, Zimmie received an abrupt phone call from the University of Colorado Hospital, notifying him that a pediatric liver had become available.

“My heart froze and I didn’t know what to say,” Zimmie said.

Not only was Zimmie out of the state, he was out of the country. After his arrival in Michigan, Zimmie and his aunt and uncle decided to take a trip to Toronto. Because the hospital required him within 12 hours after the liver was harvested, Zimmie, along with his aunt and uncle, drove the entire night and morning to Detroit, where they caught an 8:45 a.m. flight to Denver.

‘‘,,

I don’t want to be that guy sitting on the couch; I want to be back up and healthy again.

Billy Zimmie senior

Upon arriving at the University of Colorado Hospital, Zimmie was immediately prepared for his transplant surgery on March 21 that would take an estimated six to eight hours.

“It all happened so fast; there wasn’t anytime for waiting,” Zimmie said. “They took us into a different room and told us what was going to happen. They were getting my vitals and telling me what to expect and what was going to happen.”

After a successful procedure and a week of rest in the hospital, Zimmie was able to leave and stayed in a hotel in Aurora. Unfortunately, shortly after his departure, the fluid build up prior to his transplant reappeared, requiring his return to the hospital.

“When I got there I was readmitted to the hospital,” Zimmie said. “It was really upsetting because I was just there on Friday, and I was back at the same place–back in a different room, but on the same floor.”

After his readmittance, Zimmie was operated on several times to resolve the return of the ascites. During one of these procedures, Zimmie almost lost his life when he was struggling to breathe.

“That procedure was the most painful experience of my life,” Zimmie said. “I had a hard time getting [the surgeons’] attention; they thought everything was going all right. I literally thought I was a goner. I remember the doctors telling me to breath and I passed out and quickly woke back up a couple of times hearing their voices.”

Soon after the procedures, and time to recover in the hospital and Aurora, Zimmie returned to Fort Collins on April 25, more than a month after his transplant.

Despite his setbacks, Zimmie has been motivated to recover to make his senior graduation.

“Being a senior this year, I want to be able to be there with my graduating class,” Zimmie said. “I want to be able to walk down that aisle [at Moby] just like any other high school kid. I don’t want to be that guy sitting on the couch; I want to be back up and healthy again.”

Rocky Mountain

HIGHLIGHTER

N EWS

April 30, 2014

Fishing for answers

A3

Classes engage in research on aquatic life, set fish free into river

by Jessi Brokopreporter

The fish in Scott Kemp’s classroom have gone a long way.

Since the beginning of the school year, they have gone from being little fish eggs to, well, little grown-up fish. Nearly all of the fish have survived their early months and are nearly ready to be moved to the Poudre River.

Kemp has gotten very close with the fish this year, and so have many of his students.

“I will honestly tell you, I sit here and I grade papers, or plan, or do work, and I watch them, and it’s kind of cool. It helps me to get through sometimes. The kids, too. Many students check in everyday,” Kemp said.

Although Kemp has become very close with the fish, he is ready to let them free into the Poudre River.

“They’re a wild animal, and we’ll let them go in the Poudre River, and that’s cool. Then somebody can catch them when they get older, and put them back so somebody else can admire them,” he said.

To get the fish ready for the river, a pathologist will came into Kemp’s classroom to check some of the remaining fish for diseases. She chose certain fish to test based on their size. She needed to test large, medium and small fish.

She cut open some of the fish to test them.

Although it was hard for Kemp and his students to have some of the fish die like that, he knows it is going to help the other fish on their journey.

“I think the important point is that living things on the planet are connected to each other. Living things have to die so that you can live. All the food that you eat everyday used to be living, a living vegetable or a living fruit, or a living animal,” Kemp said. “Even if you are a vegetarian, those are living things that you are eating. They were alive, and now they’re dead, but you’re alive.”

Miriam Fields

Natural Selection: Only some of the fish were able to survive to be able to be released into the Poudre River. A pathologist, Heather Sanders, came to help see what fish were okay to be released into the while.

How to treat your fellow vegetarian

I

’m a vegetarian.

There is no more surefire way to get people to question your life decisions than to make this statement. Whenever I try to explain why I’m vegetarian, I feel as though I am being judged. A lot.

When I tell someone I don’t eat meat, the first thing that usually comes out of that person’s mouth is “How do you do that? What do you even eat?”

First off, I want to be a vegetarian. I’m not questioning the fact that others eat meat, and they shouldn’t be getting on my case for sticking to a cause I believe in.

Secondly, I eat food, just like everyone else. Not many vegetarians live up to the stereotype that they eat nothing but quinoa, kale, and tofu.

I like some health foods, but more often than not I can be seen buying a chocolate bar and chips too. Most vegetarians are normal people.

Vegetarians everywhere are constantly barraged with a host of annoying questions like this: “So you eat fish, right?” No, I do not eat fish. If I was pescaterian, I would tell you.

Or the common “Do you miss bacon?” It’s incredibly annoying to have to explain that I want to stop eating meat over and over. I don’t like bacon. Just because other people do doesn’t

Fields of Dreams Miriam Fields mean I have to like it too. End of story.

These questions are pretty annoying, but my least favorites are still to come. One of the inquiries about being vegetarian I dislike the most is the question, “Can’t you just pick the meat off?” No. It was cooked with meat. It’s covered in meat juice, which I can’t eat. I wish people would stop telling me that I can and just respect my opinions.

When someone says “It’s already dead,” I can’t stand it. No matter the reason for not eating meat, vegetarians all stand for their beliefs, and it’s not okay to question how they live their lives or use their morals. They don’t get angry at other people for not eating broccoli that’s already in the grocery store.

And the most aggravating one: “If you got stranded on an island and the only thing edible was a pig, would you eat it?”

I’ve had to respond to this question a surprisingly high number of times. And let me just say: Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.

My least favorite thing about not eating meat, though, is

probably that whenever I say I’m vegetarian, everyone suddenly has a degree in nutrition.

If I have to talk to one more person who doesn’t think I get enough protein, I think I might spontaneously combust.

My health belongs to me.

I don’t freak out when other people choose to go to McDonald’s. I am respectful towards other people’s life choices. And I would never try to make someone become vegetarian. It makes me angry that others choose to blame any health problems vegetarians have on their diets, when the whole of the United States has health problems like obesity and heart disease.

Vegetarians are not trying to hurt others; most of them are really respectful of everyone’s decisions. So do me a favor. If others respect me, I’ll respect them. And if anyone wants to be on my good side, they should try not to ask any of those questions I mentioned above.

And one more thing: Vegetarians eat animal crackers, too. They are not made out of animal products and the way they’re shaped is actually pretty awesome. And no, that’s not an original question.

Miriam Fields is a sophomore and the features editor for the RM Highlighter.

Courtesy of MacKenzie Mushel

Acceptance speech: Teacher MacKenzie Mushel accepts her award for the National Dance Teacher of the Year. The award, given at a Hall of Fame banquet, recognized her role as a mentor for both beginning and advanced dance students.

Dance teacher earns recognition Dance teacher MacKenzie Mushel was recently named the National Dance Teacher of the Year by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. The honor was pre-

In brief

sented to her at a Hall of Fame banquet which took place on April 4.

Mushel played a pivotal role in increasing dance class attendance and introducing advanced classes.

Aaron Yu

Torch Bearer candidates announced Following an annual tradition, six seniors have been chosen to be nominated for the title of Torch Bearer for graduation.

Kelsey Bedard, Lucas Boland, Ellen Field, Jocelyn Gentry, Kyle Johnson and Delaney Neal each have a shot at becoming Rocky’s Torch Bearer for 2014, adhering to a legacy which began with the senior class of 1983.

To be considered for the Torch Bearer, a student must

be a graduating senior who has maintained a grade point average of at least 3.75 for four years. They must also demonstrate leadership, receive high honors in a school activity and present themselves as an outstanding member of their class.

Voting for the Torch Bearer will be done by the senior class on May 8.

Aaron Yu

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

O

OPINION

A4

April 30, 2014

TheEmily’s Rocky Mountain Embellishments HIGHLIGHTER

Emily Anderson

Waiting for change

H

umans are in a constant state of waiting for the next big thing.

The next chapter in our lives. And the moment that chapter begins, we start looking towards the next one, and the next one. As the clock ticks on and major events in our life transpire and pass, there will always be a “what now?” Something else to look forward to, something else to dread, and something else to keep us up at night anticipating. We’ll always be looking at our watches and twiddling our thumbs, or at least we will until we die.

Not to be dark or negative, but I was considering the paradox that is senior year. It makes us crazy and stressed, but also apathetic and lazy. It drags on while going by too quickly. It causes us to look nostalgically at the past, while simultaneously thinking only of the future. You’re right at the fulcrum point between childhood and adulthood, and you know that in a few moments, you’re going to take a step and tip the lever (or teeter-totter, but that metaphor seems more childish) and walk straight into whatever the next phase of your life will be. It’s a balancing act, and, while the seniors before us and those behind us will inevitably complain to their underclassman, it’s something that cannot truly be understood until experienced.

When you’re staring the rest of your life in the face, you tend to act a little strange.

So, we will sit impatiently and wait for whatever will come to come. We will stare at the clock and count down the weeks, days, hours, and minutes until graduation. We will stress ourselves out, and ignore our homework, and try to fill the remaining time up with anything interesting. We will reminisce about the past, and speculate about the future, and try to escape from the mental purgatory we are in. We will act insane, and I think that is perfectly normal.

Emily Anderson is a senior and editor-inchief of the RM Highlighter.

RM Highlighter editorial policy The Rocky Mountain Highlighter is a student news publication which strives to report school and community events with truth, accuracy, objectivity, and clarity. The RM Highlighter will also comment on issues of interest to its readers.

The purposes of this publication are to report the news to the Rocky Mountain High School community, to provide the school community with a public forum for thoughtful discussion and debate, and to provide students on the newspaper staff with practical journalism experience.

In order to make the RM Highlighter as professional a publication as possible, important legal and ethical guidelines will be followed. Senate Bill 90-99, enacted by the Colorado General Assembly during the 1990 legislative session, declares that “students of the public schools shall have the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press.” (Colo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 22-1-120) We, the staff of the RM Highlighter, are prohibited by law from publishing certain materials. We will respect these laws. No material which is libelous, encourages illegal acts, or causes material and substantial disruption to school activities will be published. Expressions which are obscene will not be printed. Profanity will not be printed unless it is considered absolutely necessary by the RM Highlighter editorial board to express the views of the writer or quoted person. Expression which is false “as to any person who is not a public figure or involved in a matter of public concern” will not be printed. “Expressions which are in violation of lawful school regulations designed to control gangs” will not be printed.

In the event of a potential controversial item, the editorial board —consisting of all the editors, the advertising manager, and the adviser —will meet to discuss the merits of the item and then decide whether or not to print the item. Coverage of deaths which occur within the Rocky community will be carefully considered by the editorial board. Natural or accidental deaths will be reported for clarifications of death and will contain a memorial. Except in extreme circumstances, suicides will not be

Shot in the dark T

he amount of young and unvaccinated children is on the upswing.

Parents are refusing to vaccinate their kids because of religious and philosophical exemptions, which is resulting in a dangerous spike throughout the country in once-eradicated diseases. This refusal is bringing back The Issue: nearly More and eradimore parents cated are not vaccinating their diseases children, put- to classting people rooms, at risk. and eventually, the general public.

While parents may not realize it, not only are they endangering their own children but their classmates as well.

Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “points to states such as Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon and Vermont, where more than 4.5 percent of

covered to reduce glorification of such acts.

In general, the RM Highlighter observes the guidelines presented in the “Code of Ethics” of the Society of Professional Journalists. The RM Highlighter will not allow source review prior to publication, unless there is a clarification issue. Source anonymity will be granted only after careful consideration by the editor, with the editor reserving the right to make the final decision. Staff editorials shall be presented logically and will represent the views of the majority of the staff. Editorial criticism, of either individuals or groups, will be based on fact and will be constructive.

Guest editorial space, the “Open Forum,” is available to anyone in the Rocky community, including students, parents, faculty, and administrators. Anyone interested in writing in the “Open Forum” should contact the editor-in-chief or the adviser, Stephen Wahlfeldt.

Letters to the editor are welcome. They should be signed, and a home phone number should be included. The writer’s name may be withheld upon request, provided the editor agrees that the reasons for withholding a name are valid and compelling. Try to limit letters to 300 words and place them in one of the “Letters to the Editor” boxes, located in the Media Center and the Main Office, or give them to a RM Highlighter staff member, RM Highlighter adviser Stephen Wahlfeldt, or drop them by the RM Highlighter room, Room 528, during 4th period. Letters may also be mailed to the Rocky Mountain Highlighter, Rocky Mountain High School, 1300 W. Swallow Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80526. To talk with anyone on the RM Highlighter staff, phone (970) 488-7090.

Columnists express their own views and not necessarily those of the RM Highlighter staff. No expression made by students of the Rocky Mountain Highlighter shall be considered an expression of school board or Rocky Mountain High School policy. Furthermore, Poudre School District and its employees are immune from any civil or criminal action based on any expression made or published by the students.

All advertisement is welcome. To place an ad, contact RM Highlighter advertising managers at (970) 488-7091. The RM Highlighter, however, reserves the right to refuse advertising which the staff considers inappropriate for our audience.

The RM Highlighter is a member of the ASNE/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service, and some material is courtesy of that service.

The Rocky Mountain Highlighter reserves the right to edit anything it publishes.

The Rocky Mountain

H

HIGHLIGHTER

Kayla Brokop

kindergartners were unvaccinated for nonmedical reasons and these places are examples of potential disease hot spots,” in an interview on April 6 with USA Today.

Diseases once thought to be almost insignificant are making a comeback through unvaccinated children.

Texas, California and New York, where recent measles outbreaks have happened, are examples of what could happen on a bigger scale if vaccination rates drop.

Measles is rarely deadly, but it kills one in 1,000 cases. Is not vaccinating your child worth this risk? It’s one thing to exempt your own child The Rocky Mountain Highlighter is published nine times during the school year by the newspaper staff of Rocky Mountain High School/1300 W. Swallow Road/ Fort Collins, CO 80526. Contact Rocky Mountain Highlighter staff members at 970-488-7090 or 970-488-7091 for advertising information. Also the Rocky Mountain Highlighter staff is in Room 528, during 4th period.

All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2013; Pacemaker Finalist-2012; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2012; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2011; Pacemaker Winner-2010; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2010; Pacemaker Finalist-2009; All-American, 4 Mark of Distinction-2009; AllAmerican Hall of Fame Induction-2008; AllAmerican, 5 Marks of Distinction-2008; Pacemaker Finalist-2007; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2007; Pacemaker Winner-2006; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2006; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2005; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2004; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2003; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2002; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2001; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2000; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-1999.

from vaccines for medical reasons, but another child should not suffer the repercussions of this poor decision.

Sooner than high school students might think, they will be faced with the daunting task of parenthood, and all the decisions that come with it.

They will be faced with the choice of whether or not to vaccinate their children, and in the best interests of their child and everyone around them, the safe decision is to go to the doctor.

“We don’t want a child to die from measles, but it’s almost inevitable,” said the Center for Disease Control’s director of immunizations and respiratory diseases.

The question of letting unvaccinated children go to public schools has been brought up, and so far has always been legal. If the law changes, and vaccinations were mandatory in public schools, the amount of disease hot spots would take a downturn.

While religious faith is important, parents should look at where the line should be drawn between religion and medical safety of their child, and other children as well.

Ultimately, when the risks of not vaccinating children outweigh the benefits, and if the risks involve putting other children in danger, choices should be reconsidered.

Editors-in-Chief Emily Anderson news Megan Troutman limelight

Sports Editor Noah Fogelberg Features Editor Miriam Fields

Kayla Brokop Reyna Thompson Noel Knostman Trey Jouard Tia Clark

Ad Manager Tia Clark

Center Editor Aaron Yu

Contributors Rylee Thomas

Staff Marissa Bonertz Jessi Brokop

Adviser Stephen Wahlfeldt

Opinion Editor Madeline Zann

All-Colorado-2013; All-Colorado-2012; All-Colorado-2011; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2010; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2009; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2008; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2007; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-2006; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2005; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-2004; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-2003; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2002; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-2001; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-1996; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-1992; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-1991; 2nd place, 5A Sweepstakes-1990; 1st place, 5A Sweepstakes-1987.

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Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Mad Maddy Madeline Zann

Glorification of busy: What’s the point

D

o this, do that, get good grades, have a social life, never have a moment for yourself.

I recently saw a post on Facebook talking about the “glorification of busy,” and I agree with it 100 percent. We all seem to think that we have to busy all the time, and even if that’s not a belief that we hold, it’s how it seems to work out. For me, these last couple weeks— and the upcoming weeks—are ridiculous. Between finishing The Looking Glass, an issue of the RM Highlighter, and a full schedule, my brain’s on the point of collapsing.

Not to mention the four AP tests coming up in a few weeks that I am so not prepared for.

I am too busy. And this is coming from someone who likes being busy, who needs things to do: It’s just too much. Yes, yes, it’s my fault for deciding to do so many things, but seriously— this is ridiculous.

Why do we, as a society feel this almost masochistic need to be so busy?

And then practically brag about it. I’m most certainly guilty of trying to oneup how busy someone is, when really, we should probably commiserating.

Colleges demand so much of us that by the time we actually get around to attending university, we’re burnt out. At this point, college might be less work than high school, at least for me.

But what is it about our society that creates this? Even after school, the work environment that the U.S. has created is one of constant work, leading to eventual exhaustion.

Basically, what I’m saying, that if I’m only 18 and I’m already this exhausted, how tired am I going to be in 20, 30, 40 years? And why is that we seem to over-value being busy? Maybe we should take a leaf out of the Europeans’ book and start taking afternoon siestas.

Madeline Zann is a senior and opinion editor on the RM Highlighter.

Importance of consent Sex is complicated. However: No means no. Point blank. But not saying no does not mean yes. Our culture does not make it clear unless enthusiastic and consent is given from Letters to clear the editor both parties, someone is being violated in some form or another. This manipulation can be done intentionally or un-intentionally but intent does not override the damage.

And it needs to stop.

Rape, sexual abuse and sexual harassment are disgusting. It is too common.

Women are told that if they go out at night, if they drink, if they wear less clothing than others, that they, the women, are responsible. Women are told “do not leave your drink unattended; it might be drugged,” and “do not go to parties alone; you might be taken advantage of.” This needs to change.

We need to teach men not to prey on women, not the other way around.

More focus needs to be on consent being crucial to any kind of intimacy and absolutely necessary to fix the manipulative culture that we live in. As we, the people, create the culture; we have the power to change it. We have the power to support and defend victims; we have the power to have no-tolerance for anyone who partakes in such heinous activities. We have the power to education and inform and we need to use this power now.

Rachel Winterbottom, senior

OPINION

April 30, 2014

A5

Running on fumes

E-cigarettes seen as good alternative by many

N

ow our generation has not only been presented with the ageold decision of to smoke cigarettes or not, but now they have to deal with the decision of smoking or not smoking what is commonly referred as “E-cigs.”

Here is a statement no student has ever heard before: It’s all right to smoke.

However, here comes the disclaimer: It’s all right to smoke e-cigarettes under these few conditions.

New research presented by Jamie Brown and colleagues at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco conference, held in February, shows that smokers wishing to quit who used electroniccigarettes had the best outcomes.

The study was conducted on a large representative sample of the English population and was based on people who had smoked during the last 12 months. It looked at those who had made at least one attempt to quit using only an

electronic cigarette, used only overthe-counter NRT, or used no aid in their most recent quit attempt.

The outcome recorded was full abstinence from cigarettes during the period of the survey.

In no way does this mean that someone who has never smoked before should pick up an electronic cigarette, in no way should that be encouraged. However, under the circumstances that a smoker is wishing to quit their addiction, the behavior can be condoned, even encouraged.

The bottom line for this new “vaping” craze is that as the device is tobacco-less it will allow the mind to receive the actions it associates with smoking without the tobacco.

Thus, fulfilling (or tricking) the mind into feeling it’s crave/need met. The e-cigarette, unlike nicotine replacement therapies such as the patch or gum, also offers many of the sensations and actions of regular cigarette smoking–actually handling the device, and inhaling and

exhaling a cloud of vapor.

Proponents of the e-cig say they experience less coughing and easier breathing with e-cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes, and they enjoy the absence of smoky odors and stained teeth.

Another assistance e-cigs can give is allowing one to smoke inside.

Again, only can this behavior be condoned when it is that of smoker that has already developed the habit.

Electronic cigarettes are a means for the addicted parent to tackle their addiction and parenthood.

In modern society, it is common knowledge that secondhand smoke is just as harmful when inhaled by the outside party as it is to the smoker.

Thus, the solution for the smoker who cares about the people who surround them, other than simply quitting, is making the transition to e-cigs.

Electronic cigarettes can be a positive alternative to the smoker with a developed habit.

Noel Knostman

Pro Con 

Kayla Brokop

E-cigarettes are still detrimental to health

S

moking is disgusting; smoking in school is immature, irresponsible and dumb.

Many students have decided that it is cool and okay to smoke e-cigarettes or hookah pens in school. Whether it be during class time or in the hallways, smoking e-cigarettes and hookah pens is not cool and is not, by any means, okay.

Although e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes is very high compared to normal cigarettes.

Nicotine is a stimulant drug. It is illegal to do drugs in school.

Some may say that school is just a tobacco-free zone and since e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, they should be okay for school.

However, smoking weed is illegal

on school property is illegal; the same goes for e-cigarettes.

Many may not be aware, but hookah pens also contain nicotine.

Hookah shisha contains tobacco and although some pens don’t contain tobacco, they still do contain nicotine.

Another issue surrounding e-cigarettes and hookah pens is the fact that they are illegal for students under the age of 18. Many seniors are 18; however, the majority of the students here are under the age of 18. There is no way of ensuring that minors are not smoking these pens if they allow some students to have them. It is best to just ban them all in general. Students who can legally smoke them, and if they choose to do so, can smoke them

in their free time, though it is not recommended.

There is a claim that because e-cigarettes don’t emit second-hand smoke, that they can be smoked anywhere. However, there is not enough testing to ensure that the vapors emitted are not bad for bystanders. School is supposed to be a safe, healthy place for students to learn. If there are students smoking e-cigarettes in class, this standard is put in jeopardy. It is unfair to the students that choose not to participate in smoking to have to suffer because of someone else’s poor choices to smoke in class. E-cigarettes and hookah pens are not, by any means, an okay alternative to cigarettes.

Marissa Bonertz

photopoll

What do you think of e-cigarettes?

“All cigarettes are gross.”

“They still have tobacco, so I don’t think they help with addiction at all. “

Mikey Chavez, freshman

Katie Loebel, freshman

“They are better than regular cigarettes, but addiction is still there.”

“I frankly think that they’re disgusting.”

Kaytlyn Short, sophomore

Andi Justice, junior

A6 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

S PORTS

LOOKING F O R L AT E SEASON G L O RY

Preparing to dominate: Senior Tyler Stevens looks into the distance while resting near the team’s dugout before a game on April 19. Stevens has a .442 batting average as of April 25.

Megan Troutman

After rough start, baseball team rounding into mid-season shape

by Trey Jouardreporter

As a storied program and perennial powerhouse, hosting the postseason Districts and making the eight team state playoff tournament has become a typical feat for the varsity baseball team–but not a guarantee.

With a current state ranking of No. 10 and an overall record of 10-5, the possibility of the baseball team being one of the eight top teams to host districts is up in the air, but certainly attainable.

After back to back losses to Legacy and Fairview to open Front Range League play, the team has been clawing its way back into the fray ever since. “[They were] definitely tough losses, and games I think we could have won,” head coach Scott Bullock said. “Legacy has a really great pitcher, but we also have a really great pitcher in Tyler Stevens and to lose 1-0 is frustrating.”

Following the road loss to Legacy on April 8, the team suffered another blow with a loss at home to Fairview on April 10. After scoring nine runs in the third inning, Fairview held on for a 10-7 win over the Lobos, who only allowed one more run in the subsequent six innings.

“Fairview was another game we should have won except for a third inning where we gave up nine runs,” Bullock said. “We outplayed them in the other six innings but that one inning ended up being too much.”

Despite an early season struggles and

SIGNING DAY . . .

Marissa Bonertz

a record at one time of 3-5, the team has won seven straight since the Fairview game and the Lobos now sit tied for second in the league standings with legacy at 7-2.

“In the [Legacy and Fairview games] there was a lot of inconsistent baseball from us, but I think we’re starting to turn that around now,” Bullock said. “And that’s the important part, which is how well you play towards the end of the season.”

Bullock believes the Lobos recent success is in part due to the humbling experience of the two back-to-back losses. Facing adversity, the team responded and excelled following both of the defeats.

“I think our kids thought that Legacy and Fairview were games they were going to win just by showing up,” Bullock said.

“But once you get into the spring season and Front Range League play, no one’s going to lay down for you just because you’re Rocky Mountain. And I think that our players learned a lot from that side of it, that you have to be ready to play everyday.”

With only a few games remaining in the season, Rocky’s postseason fate has yet to be determined. Typically, hosting districts is conducive to making the state tournament, which the Lobos have made eight times out of the last 10 years– all when they hosted districts. Although hosting districts is a yearly goal for the team, there’s still opportunity to make the state tournament even if the Lobos do not host, breaking a precedent in the baseball

Megan Troutman

Striking out the opposition: Senior Carl Stadjuhar delivers a pitch in a game against Horizon High School on April 19. The Lobos went on to win the game, 8-1 and have won seven straight.

Baseball Record: 10-5 (ranked No. 10 in the state in 5A); winners of seven straight; tied for second in the Front Range League at 7-2. Stars: Cole Anderson, Mark Bachmann, Carl Stadjuhar, Tyler Stevens Who’s Next: Thursday, May 1 • vs. Fort Collins @ City Park • 6 p.m. Strengths: Roster depth. Working on: Being consistent. Talk: “We’re just a bunch of friends and everyone’s fun to be around.” -Kyle Reisman, junior program.

“That’s always our goal as a program, to make it into that eight-team tournament.

And once you get there, anything can

happen,” Bullock said. “It’s always tough going out on the road [for districts], but if that’s the situation, we can be the first team in program history to do that.”

These talented seniors have been granted the opportunity to take their talents to the next level.

Nathan Elsheimer

Zach Hahn

Alivia Ayres-Perry

Signed to play baseball at Witworth University in Spokane, Wash.

Signed to play baseball at Metro State University in Denver.

Signed to run track at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

Marissa Bonertz

Marissa Bonertz

NOTE: Although she was unable to attend the signing day celebration, senior Ally Guerrero recently signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.

Rocky Mountain

HIGHLIGHTER

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April 30, 2014

A7

Track and field stars look toward bright future

by Marissa Bonertzreporter

Track is more than just running in circles for hours.

It is running, jumping, throwing, sprinting, hurdling, et cetera.

It’s a sport many may not understand but for those participating, it is a sport that teaches personal motivation, teamwork, and all-around fitness skills. From lifting to sprint exercises to long distance exercises, track involves much more than just running in circles.

Senior Alivia Ayres-Perry, a sprinter, signed with the University of Northern Colorado Bears to continue her running career in college.

“They have a good team that they are building right now. The team was so welcoming, I felt right at home there.

They also offered me the best scholarship which is a plus,” Ayres-Perry said.

In the past, Ayres-Perry has participated in other sports such as soccer, basketball and dance. She was a member of the dance team her junior and senior year. However, she chose track over all the other sports.

“It comes naturally to me, and you don’t really need to have a lot of technique, at least for sprinting. It’s also a really good stress reliever [running],” Ayres-Perry said.

Her favorite part of track is competing.

“Training is awesome because it is a good stress reliever but I love going out and competing and showing people what I have worked so hard for, what I am made of,” Ayres-Perry said.

She is close and is looking to set the school record for the 100 meter dash this year.

Senior, David Messerli, is also highly

committed to track. However, he is a long distance runner. He also competes in cross country in the fall.

“I started running when I was a little kid. I would do small races. It kind of just runs through the family. My family owns a timing company. We time 5K’s and 10K’s around town and in Colorado,” Messerli said.

Messerli used to play multiple sports such as baseball, soccer, and lacrosse but chose running because he grew up with it and fell in love with the sport.

“I really enjoy running with my team, cause it’s never boring, we always do fun stuff, we can talk and mess around on our runs. There is never a boring day,” Messerli said.

For the most part, Messerli runs year round by competing in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and track in the spring. He works hard everyday, running multiple miles or running intervals to build up endurance.

“I signed with Western State Colorado University,” Messerli said on his plans for the future.

Competing in a totally different element of track, junior, Max McDonald, a thrower, competes in shot put and discus. The throwing aspect of track really emphasizes lifting weights in order to gain muscle so that the competitor can throw farther.

“I like having an individual sport where a lot of my success how much work I put into it, and it comes from my willingness and dedication to learn and keep getting better even though I’m not at practice. I like having to take responsibility for my actions,” McDonald said.

McDonald also plays football and has played basketball in the past.

“Throwing and being a linebacker in

Marissa Bonertz

Signing day: Senior Alicia Ayers-Perry signs to run track with the University of Northern Colorado.

Ayers Perry was one of four seniors who recently committed to play collegiate athletics.

Track and Field Stars: Carly Lester, relay teams Who’s Next: Tuesday, May 6 • Conference Championships • 4 p.m. Strengths: Relays and playing as a team. Improving on: Cutting times down to set new records. Talk: “I think this is the most competitive team I’ve been on.”

-Courtney Robbins, junior

football have a lot to do with each other.

When I tackle, a lot of the same muscles are being fired as when I throw, I have to generate power quickly in a small amount of space,” McDonald said on the connection between his football and track training.

McDonald is close and hopes to set the shot put and discus records.

Track is a sport that offers something for every body. Whether it be sprinting, long distance, throwing, or jumping, the variety of events track offers reaches a wide range of students.

Coaching change coming to boys’ hoops

by Madeline Zannopinion editor

Making the decision to change coaches is never easy.

However, administration has made the decision to make a change within the boys’ basketball coaching staff. Early this month, varsity basketball coach Jon Rakiecki’s resignation from his position was announced.

“It was a mutual agreement to move in another direction,” Rakiecki said. “There are a lot of factors that go into making a coaching decision, and it was time.”

Rakiecki has taught social studies classes and coached at the school for three years. Before Rocky, he coached and taught at Torrington High School in Torrington, Wyo., where he met with great success. In his two years coaching there, Rakiecki had a 45-13 record with one 3A state championship.

Of his three years at Rocky, the Lobos only had one winning season, during the 2011-2012 school year where they finished 15-9. This past year, the Lobos were 5-18 record, 3-13 in the conference, and did not make it to the state playoffs. In his three years at Rocky, Rakiecki posted a 26-45 overall mark (.366).

Despite this year’s disappointing on-court results, not all players could have foreseen such a drastic change in coaching personnel.

“I was definitely shocked,” junior and varsity basketball player Cameron Erickson said. “I knew there were issues, but I thought we were past it.”

Disagreements with coaching decisions and philosophy were cited as reasons players may have had issues with Rakiecki.

“There were probably parents, probably players [who wanted a change],” Erickson said.

“We used multiple sources of feedback as we evaluated the program,” Athletic Director Wayne Moddelmog said in an e-mail. “The program was not moving in a direction that we had hoped.”

Currently, candidates for the job are being screened and interviewed by an interview team, including members of the administration, several teachers, players and parents of players.

Despite being on the way out, Rakiecki is remaining positive in his attitude regarding the future of the boys’ basketball program “They’re going to find a great coach,” Rakiecki said.

“There’s going to be a lot of people who want this job.”

Noah Fogelberg

Huddling up: Coach Jon Rakiecki speaks with the boys’ basketball team during a game this most recent season. The Lobos went on to lose the game against Thompson Valley High School and finished the season 5-18, missing the state playoffs.

Boys’ swimming and diving Stars: Dryden Alberts, Jackson Allen, Josh Collier, Timothy Landau, Wil Morgan Who’s Next: Thursday, May 1 • City Meet • 4 p.m. Strengths: 100 meter free relay. Improving on: Making cuts to state. Talk: “This year has just been really fun and we’ve all gotten along and

become a great big family.”

-Will Morgan, sophomore

Girls’ soccer Record: 4-6-2 overall as of April 25 Stars: Morgan: Mackenzie Garski, Natalie Graves Who’s Next: May 1• vs. Fort Collins • 6:30 p.m. Strengths: Not giving up. Improving on: First touches, intensity. Talk: “Failure is falling down and not rising back up to the challenge.”

-Katherine Neff, junior

FREE GAME

Bring this ad into any of our Centers for 1 free game Laser tag coming soon!

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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SPORTS

A8

April 30, 2014

Hoc key Hav oc

Just pucking around: Rocky Hockey junior winger Jordan Walsh (front) skates in front of sophomore Joe Simon during a game on April 19. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

‘‘,,

Noah Fogelberg

Rocky Hockey season in full swing, team looking to make push in standings

by Noah Fogelbergsports editor

Not long ago, the existence of the Rocky Hockey club team was up in the air.

Before the season began, there was speculation that Rocky may be forced to combine with Fort Collins’ club hockey team because of possible low player numbers.

Now, after successfully evading the merger with Fort Collins, the season is in full swing, and the team, with a record of 2-5-2, is looking to make a push throughout the remainder of the season.

After losing 10 seniors, however, the Rocky Hockey program has struggled this year against more experienced teams.

Hindered by constant struggles in the first period, the team has been forced to play from behind.

“We have issues starting off. We tend to start off flat. We don’t come out very strong and we let them score a couple goals quick on us. . . We generally go into the second period down in the score, so that’s not good,” team sophomore co-captain Joe Simon said.

Despite not reaching the most ideal

Sports special

Rocky Hockey

I love my teammates. This year the locker room is filled with genuine, ‘ well behaved,’ hockey players.

Adam Olbrys, junior

results in terms of the league standings, having a young team and a new coaching staff that’s in a position to bring success to the organization bodes well for the future.

“I like the new coaches. They’re young, they’ve got new ideas. Their coaching style is better than I’ve had in the past. It’s definitely an improvement over last season,” sophomore goaltender Seamus Somerstep said.

With a largely new team and a new head coach, this year has served as a learning curve for a lot of the players. Looking to the future, this year could prove vital to Rocky’s success in upcoming years. Current players who are young and have less experience than

Record: 2-5-2 overall as of Friday April 25. Stars: Drake Lindstrom, Adam Olbrys, Joe Simon Strengths: Team unity. Improving on: Getting going in the first period. Talk: “This season has been a learning experience for the whole team

. . . We have a new head coach and more rookies than veterans playing this year.”

-Adam Olbrys, junior

players for other teams will be able to gain the experience necessary to transform the Rocky Hockey organization into a force to be reckoned with.

“This season has been a learning experience for the whole team, due to the fact that we have a new head coach and more rookies than veterans playing this year,” junior Adam Olbrys, the team’s co-captain, said.

Despite various on-ice struggles, Rocky is certainly facing no shortage of passion.

“I really enjoy hockey and I really like everyone that’s on our team, even though we’re not doing so well this year. It’s a really fun experience,” Somerstep said.

Olbrys was certainly not one to shy away from adding on the the praise for his teammates.

“I love my teammates. This year the locker room is filled with genuine, ‘well behaved,’ hockey players. It’s definitely one of the better groups of kids I’ve played with,” he said.

As for the rest of the season, Rocky players believe that with their passion for the game and strong sense of team unity, they will be able to force their way upwards in the standings. Although they currently sit near the bottom, they will be facing less competitive teams throughout the remainder of the season.

“I expect the season to get better. We’ve already played the top four teams (in our league), and we started the season with a lot of brand new guys. Experience is always helpful,” Olbrys said.

On-campus stadium presents exciting opportunities A

s a future CSU student, the prospect of a new stadium is exciting.

Having grown up in Fort Collins, the culture surrounding CSU football has been engraved into my upbringing. I still vividly remember sitting in row six of the north end zone stands at Hughes Stadium for every home game hoping desperately for a win (although I was often disappointed).

However, I often felt like CSU’s football program was seen as inferior to other collegiate programs, even compared to other lowly Mountain West Conference schools. Although a lack of wins and consistent bowl ineligibility certainly has an impact on this, the disastrous state of Hughes Stadium was certainly a significant factor.

I personally believe the aesthetics of a university’s football stadium can inadvertently be a reflection of that university and the town as a whole. Each year, when I ran the Bolder Boulder

as a kid, I would run into CU’s Folsom Field with a certain level of stadium envy. The interesting architecture and inviting nature of Folsom Field made me think highly of Boulder. If Hughes Stadium is ever seen as a reflection of the local community, it certainly doesn’t look good for Fort Collins.

Many locals are opposed to the building of a new on-campus stadium due to the high cost and increase in traffic volume. While a cost of $246 million for a stateof-the-art stadium is obviously no laughing matter, it will all be raised through private donations, not an increase in taxes. And yes, there will obviously be an increase in traffic and the headaches associated with it. But what happens when 30,000 fans flock to CSU’s campus six Saturday’s out of the year? Those fans get hungry. Those fans want to go shopping. Bottom line, they spend money. Considering Hughes’ current location on the outskirts of town, there are very few dining and shopping

Noah’s Nonsense Noah Fogelberg options. Put a state-of-the-art stadium in the middle of town and business is going to flourish, an offer that the Fort Collins community would be foolish to pass up. It’s basic economics.

Another concern regarding the potential new stadium is the perception that CSU is prioritizing athletics over academics. While at face value it’s easy to see why some would see it this way, building a new stadium would help every aspect of the university. When a new stadium is built, especially when replacing the eyesore that is Hughes Stadium, recruiting better players becomes less of a challenge. With better players comes a better team. With a better team comes the national spotlight. With this attention from the national

media, the university can have a larger presence. Having a presence at the national level is one of the best ways to recruit not just players, but students and donors. So although it may seem indirect, the university will benefit as a whole from this proposed stadium. Additionally, an on-campus stadium would reconnect alumni back to campus, making them feel like they’re still a part of the university, and in the end, donate. This is vital to CSU’s long-term success.

Even with a new stadium on campus, one question still remains: What should be done with Hughes Stadium? While there are community members advocating for the Poudre School District to utilize Hughes as the town’s football stadium, I find this proposition to be absolutely ludicrous. Currently, we can maybe fill the roughly 2,000 seats at French Field if there are two decent in-town rivals playing. That’s a big maybe. So why would the school district relocate

to a stadium with 35,000 seats?

The facility is just too large and expensive to maintain for the Poudre School District to take over.

There’s no sense in playing high school games at Hughes. So what should be done with Hughes? The Fort Collins community acts as if there must be some revolutionary alternative purpose for the vacated Hughes, which just isn’t true.

What did Denver do after the Broncos moved from Mile High Stadium to Invesco Field? What did Dallas do when the Cowboys moved from Texas Stadium to the new Cowboys Stadium? They demolished the old stadiums, which is exactly what Fort Collins should do with Hughes.

Despite the strong sentimental connection many of us have for Hughes, its time to move on. It’s time to bring CSU and Fort Collins into the future.

Noah Fogelberg is a junior and the sports editor for the RM Highlighter

Literate in language

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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FEATURES

B1

April 30, 2014

Fishing with Trout

Megan Troutman

The curse of senioritis I Kayla Brokop

Learning languages: Sophomores Anton Jell and Gabe Turkalj read books in the languages they are currently studying. Both students enjoy learning new languages and find that knowing several languages can be beneficial to many aspects of life, including international careers and traveling to other countries.

Students discover benefits, perks of achieving fluency in many languages

by Kayla Brokopreporter

Languages may be difficult to learn, but they are the key to communication.

Without learning new languages, many students would not be where they are today. It takes dedication and practice to become fluent in more than one language, but many would argue that the benefits which come from this knowledge are worth it in the long run.

Anton Jell, a sophomore from Germany who is studying abroad, would not have the opportunity to study in the United States were it not for the time he put into learning English.

He grew up speaking German, and is currently learning Spanish. He also studied Latin in Germany, but he has discontinued his studies in that language now that he is in the U.S. “It’s fun to speak other languages, and that gives me the opportunity to study abroad,” Jell said. “I really enjoy being able to communicate in different languages. It’s just fun.”

In addition to English, Jell has also been studying Spanish, and is currently taking AP Spanish. The language-learning skills which he already possessed from learning English have aided in his ability to learn Spanish.

“I noticed that I learn things easier in Spanish now that I’m already learning another language,” Jell said.

Studying abroad has been a rewarding experience for Jell, allowing him to further his fluidity in English due to his constant practice in all aspects of the language.

“I feel that my English is a lot better than when I first got here, even though I took it since fifth grade,” Jell said.

While not all students who are learning a foreign language have the opportunity to study abroad, there are other ways to increase skill in the language which they are studying. A technique which Jell learned from his friend was to watch TV in the language they are learning.

“If you watch a lot of TV, you could just switch to the language you’re trying

Features special

Kayla Brokop

Learning languages: Sophomore Anton Jell works in his Spanish five class. Jell, who lives in Germany, is currently studying abroad and has studied English since fifth grade, along with other languages such as Latin.

to learn and that would help a lot, or speaking to people in that language,” Jell said.

According to Jell, his friend has never been to the United States, but is nearly fluent in English because of this practice.

Gabe Turkalj is a sophomore from Croatia. Though he is not studying abroad, he has benefited immensely from learning new languages, as well.

He is fluent in English and Croatian, and is studying German and French in school. He is currently in French 2 and German 4, and he plans to learn Spanish and Portuguese in the future.

Learning new languages will help him with his career and travel plans for the future.

“Being an international businessman kind of does requires a lot of languages so I wanted to do it for a career,” Turkalj said.

He plans to travel around the world as well, using his language skills to communicate with the people of other countries.

“Traveling the world, and being able to meet other people and be part of their cultures and eat the foods they have and live in the places they live, that just fascinates me the most,” Turkalj said.

Turkalj believes that talking to people who speak the language he is learning is the best way to become a better speaker.

“In theory, you could always think

of it in your head, ‘well this is what I’d like to say,’ but when you’re speaking to someone, they’re throwing you theoretical curveballs; they’ll say something you didn’t expect at all, and you have to think, ‘well how do I talk to them about that, how do I get around using a certain word that I don’t know?’” Turkalj said.

One aspect of learning languages that can be a bit of a challenge for Turkalj is the long term memorization of vocabulary.

“It’s easy. If you have to study for a test one night, cram everything in, you can spit it back out, but then if you want to remember that in another month, two months, three months, then that’s where it can become challenging,” To achieve fluidity in a language, it is necessary to speak it regularly with people who are fluent in the language.

“Don’t shy away from situations where you can have the opportunity to speak (the language). When you do have an opportunity, just jump for it, because it is intimidating at first, but once you get used to it, it’s pretty fun,” Turkalj said.

Turkalj defines being fluent in a language as being able to understand the main point that someone is speaking, and being able to speak everything you want to say that’s on your mind and be able to express yourself completely.

t all started about two months ago when I was diagnosed.

Telling my family was the hardest part. I had to tell them I only had 39 days left. Well, as of today, I have 16 and I’m losing motivation.

I wish that day had never come – the day I was diagnosed… with senioritis.

It’s a debilitating disease that travels through the air. You can’t see it, but when it hits you, your mind and body shut down as you slowly tumble to your ultimate demise.

So that’s why I’m here today.

My name is Megan Troutman and I have senioritis.

There. I said it. I was living in denial for two months, but now the truth is out. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s caught this disease.

All you have to do is look for the seven deadly symptoms.

1) Complete alternate assignments.

Rather than editing essays, perhaps make it into an art project – draw moose and various woodland creatures on your endnotes. It’s a much more efficient use of your time because you’ve caught senioritis.

2) Blame the teachers.

What, we had an essay due today?

The answer was B, not C? I was actually supposed to read the textbook? Well my teacher should have emailed me because I was sleeping. And you’ve caught senioritis.

3) Wait it out.

Go home and find a nice patch of grass in your backyard. Now dig a hole.

Sit in the hole. As long as you have water and sunlight, you’ll be fine until graduation. Although you may have caught senioritis.

4) Sweatsuits.

As soon as you roll into class sporting a fashionable sweatshirt with matching neon sweatpants, that’s when you know.

You’ve caught senioritis.

5) Bring your sled dogs to school.

Walking is too much of an effort. Instead, sit in your sled, then yell MUSH and... bada bing, bada boom, you’re on your way to calculus. It’s practical, and you travel in style. But you have definitely caught senioritis.

6) Sleep more than you are conscious.

Sleep. All day, everyday. By the way, you’ve caught senioritis.

7) Pitch a tent.

Camp out at Moby Arena. Let graduation come to you. By now you are one of many who have caught senioritis.

And that, my friends, is how you know when you have a deadly disease.

It’s ok to admit it when you see the symptoms. There are support groups out there specific to your needs.

So whether you are sitting in a hole or living in sweatsuits, just know there are people out there who care.

Stay strong.

Megan Troutman is a senior and editor-in-chief of the RM Highlighter.

B2 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

FEATURES

Through the Looking Glass Student-run literary mag folds into accomplished book; set for launch party May 9

by Megan Troutmaneditor-in-chief

Athletes give 100 percent for the final game; musicians rehearse hours on end for that one performance; artists perfect their pieces for weeks before the display show.

Likewise, The Looking Glass team puts a tremendous amount of time and energy towards producing a literary magazine.

Each year, students submit writing, artwork, and/or music to The Looking Glass literary magazine. From there, pieces are selected to be entered into the magazine. Once the selection process is complete, The Looking Glass staff put the magazine together and plan a launch party to celebrate their hard work.

“This year we had some amazing pieces,” senior Darla Billington said.

“The amount of talent in Rocky is just so overwhelming at times and it’s really nice to be able to read every piece. The most challenging part, at least for me, is being able to select the best from the best.”

Billington has been on The Looking Glass for two years and is part of the fiction and nonfiction selection team. She also prepares decorations for the launch party.

“Getting to work with artists and a lot of creative people is just really fun. It’s a

Club feature

‘‘,,

The magazine – I think we’re bringing a lot more life into it. It just has a very strong vibe this year. I think it’s (going to be) a very beautiful magazine.

Darla Billington, Senior

fun place to be and I’ve had a great time working on staff,” Billington said.

Sophomore Analise Iwanski can attest to that fact; she too has been part of The Looking Glass for the past two years and has enjoyed her time on staff.

The design team, consisting of Iwanski and five others, designs and positions each piece in the magazine.

“When we put together the magazine, we try to place certain pieces with moods next to each other so it might start out as happy, then sad, then transcendental and sort of position like that,” Iwanski said.

Design-wise, the past few years have

Megan Troutman

Designing a magazine: The design team of The Looking Glass (Luis Rodriguez, Analise Iwanski, Madeline Zann, adviser Jim Glenn, Lilith Gamer, Ashley Bobby, Darla Billington) discusses the overall look of the magazine. On the completion of the magazine, a launch party will be held at Everyday Joe’s Coffee House.

been rather linear in organization. The design team this year has been working towards a different, more inviting style.

“This year we’re trying to work a lot more with typography, so we’ve been working on lots of titles in different ways that often fit into what the piece is about,” Iwanski said.

Besides the transition in design elements, there have been other various transitions from years past.

The music team, for example, has collected a wide variety of genres for this issue of The Looking Glass including ska, rock, acoustic, metal, spoken word, and singer/songwriter, just to name a few.

“I’d say we have a wide variety – more than usual,” junior Collin Orr said. “It’s difficult when an artist submits a lot of songs and you have to choose because you can’t take all of them.”

This is Orr’s first year on The Looking Glass staff, so it has been especially difficult for him to choose pieces for the magazine. Bias can also play a role in selecting music, but as a staff, they try and limit personal bias when selecting pieces.

“I try not to have any bias towards any type of music and keep an open mind,” Orr said. “It’s hard – I love rock music, like alternative rock, so I’m definitely more open to an alternative rock song if we get one rather than a pop song or something.”

Overall, The Looking Glass staff gave 100 percent to this year’s magazine.

“The magazine – I think we’re bringing a lot more life into it. It just has a very strong vibe this year,” Billington said. “I think it’s (going to be) a very beautiful magazine.”

At Everyday Joe’s Coffee Shop on May 9, The Looking Glass staff formally invites the community to celebrate the success of another literary magazine. There will be elaborate decorations to fit the theme of the magazine, food, live music, sculptures and visual art. Not only does this party celebrate the magazine, but it celebrates talent seen from each individual part of making The Looking Glass possible.

And in the words of Collin Orr, “Come to the launch party because it’s going to be a good time for all.”

Rubik’s Cubes shifting students’ interests

by Miriam Fieldsfeatures editor

Forty-year-old Rubik’s Cubes: They’re colorful, complicated and impossible to solve –unless you’re seniors Luis Rodriguez, Chance Moske and Rebecca Fusco.

Rodriguez has been solving Rubik’s Cubes since his sophomore year, spending hours working on perfecting his skills and improving his time limit.

“I used to practice it during English class. I was paying attention, but at passing period (my friend) would teach me some cool tricks and how to understand (Rubik’s Cubes),” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez quickly learned that the only way to grasp the proper skills to solve the cube was with constant practice.

Besides learning from friends, there are other ways to study Rubik’s Cubes.

“I just watched Youtube videos to get the algorithm,” Moske said.“It was relatively easy. It took maybe three days to get it.”

He began learning to work with the cubes in freshman year.

It takes a large amount of dedication to help students become talented with the cubes. In fact, Rodriguez is

Student feature

Miriam Fields

Puzzling it out: Senior Luis Rodriguez studies his Rubik’s Cube during lunch. Rodriguez and his peers Chance Moske and Rebecca Fusco are all dedicated to the activity and plan to continue solving the cubes for the rest of their lives.

so dedicated that he has a specific cube he enjoys using. Although he prefers his first cube, it is old enough to be “retired,” Rodriguez said. He now employs a newly bought cube, which he is “still getting the hang of.”

Although he can now solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than two minutes, it took him about two months to become adept at it.

Fusco, who learned to solve Rubik’s Cubes in middle school from her older brother, said, “I think it’s come fairly easy to me.

You solve them via algorithms, and after doing them several times, I can do it through muscle memory.”

Though it can sometimes take a long time to learn, there are several advantages to being good at solving Rubik’s Cubes. “It helps me with problem solving, so that could help in a future career,” Moske said.

Fusco also sees the benefits of being able to solve Rubik’s Cubes. “I’m rather fidgety; I need to do things with my hands. Being able to do this was a thing to do with my hands that didn’t end up breaking anything.”

There are also many helpful qualities that learning to solve these cubes can give someone.

“I’ve learned that with a lot of time and dedication to one thing, you

‘‘,,

I’ve learned that with a lot of time and dedication to one thing, you can easily adapt to it and manipulate it well, and you can overcome it.

Luis Rodriguez, senior

can easily adapt to it and manipulate it well, and you can overcome it,” Rodriguez said. “That’s definitely helped me in the long process of doing certain hard tasks.”

Though none of the students have chosen to pursue solving the cubes in professional competitions, “I’ve decided I’m going to go into computer science,” said Fusco. “One of the first things you learn about is algorithms. I think knowing how to do this might give me a little tiny bit of a step up.”

For other people who want to pursue the skill of solving Rubik’s Cubes, Rodriguez’s advice is to “keep trying.

Don’t give it up.”

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

FEATURES

April 30, 2014

B3

Continuing career abroad

Reyna Thompson

Reyna Thompson

New opportunities: Math teacher Mike Callahan explains a lesson to sophomore Gabe Turkalj. Callahan will be traveling to Germany for two years, where he will continue his teaching career and enjoying learning and working in a new culture.

Across borders: Counselor Crystal Kelly works with student Cammie Palomino. Kelly plans to travel to Oman in the school year of 2014-2015 to work as a counselor at The American International School of Muscat.

Math teacher Callahan to teach in Germany

Counselor accepts job at Oman school

by Reyna Thompsonreporter

Different food, different language, different people, same job.

That is the situation Mike Callahan will find himself in after he leaves Colorado in July to attend his sister’s wedding in Michigan. From there, he will travel to Germany to teach math for two years.

Going to another country on vacation is always an eye opening experience, but traveling abroad to work can shed a different light on daily life, even for someone who has already been there.

“I was in Berlin in 2005 for a couple of days when I backpacked through Europe,” Callahan said. “I didn’t anticipate much going in, but when we left I was blown away.”

Even though he was not limited to teaching only in Germany, it worked out well that Callahan will end up working there.

“I took German in high school, and a semester in college. I’m trying to get back some skills by practicing a bit each night,” Callahan said.

However, the language barrier won’t be a problem, he said, because all German school children are bilingual, and some are

Teacher feature

working on a third language.

According to Callahan, because he will be teaching in a country where the first language is not English, building relationships will be important.

“I don’t think it will be as different as it may seem,” said math teacher Brian Mierzwa, “The thing that might be challenging is making connections with students.”

Making connections is something Callahan has already established here in the United States.

“We have an incredible staff here who inspire me to be better and work harder. I also like the security of knowing what to expect on a daily basis,” Callahan said.

While being set in a routine is comforting, the risk of breaking from it can offer a deeper reward. Especially when, after two years abroad, a job with the Poudre School District is waiting back home.

“I’ve always wanted to work overseas, but the job search has always been tough.

I’d hate to come back with no job,” Callahan said.

Callahan’s parents already have a trip planned between August and September to see their son taking his career to a foreign country. It may be a leap of faith, but it is one that is well worth the risk.

“I’m happy that he’s getting the chance because I know he really wanted it,” Mierzwa said.

by Reyna Thompsonreporter

Compare Fort Collins and Muskat, Oman.

Similarities between the two might be hard to come by, but not for counselor Crystal Kelly. In Fort Collins, she is a counselor, and in Oman she will remain a counselor when she leaves the country in August. In Fort Collins, she is in an environment full of teenagers, and the Middle East will be no different.

“I will be at a school called TAISM—The American International School of Muscat,” Kelly said.

Since the school is American, all the students will know English, and may even be multi-lingual. Although the language barrier will not be a problem, Kelly looks forward to learning Arabic.

Along with Kelly, another member of her family will have a lot of learning and adjusting to do come next school year.

“Our son will be in second grade in the elementary school. We will live on campus and walk to school

Teacher feature

each day,” Kelly said.

Although leaving her home to live in a foreign country is exciting, the move is not without nostalgia towards her 10 years at Rocky.

“Rocky has been an amazing place to work. I will miss the students, staff and culture so much,” Kelly said.

Culture differences between the two countries will be a challenge to adjust to, but teenagers are still teenagers, no matter where they live.

“Many of the students have the same ‘teenage’ concerns as they do here, so I think that part will be similar but being across the world,” Kelly said.

For a great deal of people, the thought of moving to a different country would evoke strong emotions, and one that often comes up is excitement. Kelly looks forward to change and has a love of learning.

“As much as I will miss Rocky, I know this experience is going to be great for my family and for me as a professional. I look forward to a new adventure exploring a new country with my family and getting to work with high school students from across the world.”

After use, recycle this newspaper

B4 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Defining the reality of hatred

by Miriam Fieldsfeatures editor Reyna Thompsonreporter

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 17 hate groups in Colorado alone.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is “dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society,” explains the Center’s website. They do this by tracking hate groups and extremists across the United States, and using the justice system to launch lawsuits against these groups.

They also supply educators with supplies to help children learn to be tolerant and kind to others and accept diversity.

However, the actual definition of a hate group is up for debate. Many actual conservative groups do not believe that it is fair that they are labeled as a hate group, and continuously try to convince others that this title is obsolete and should not be used against them.

Though it can be difficult to determine the definition of a hate group, the Southern Poverty Law Center explains that I think if 99 percent of these groups “have beliefs Americans endorsed or practices sin, that God would that attack never endorse sin, and or malign an class of Jesus came to forgive entire people, typiour sins, not to encally for their immutable dorse them. characteristics.

Hate group Gordon James activities Klingenschmitt, can include chaplain criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing.” However, it is also made clear that many groups listed on the Law Center’s website do not engage in any sort of criminal or violent activity.

One such group which declines from violent activity but is cited as a hate group is the Pray in Jesus’ Name Project, located in Colorado Springs.

“We send petitions to God and to government to defend religious freedom,” said Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, who spearheads the project.

The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project has a daily half-hour television show, which analyzes many religious and political issues including abortion and pro-life stances, traditional marriage, Israel, and religious freedom.

“There a lot of people who are offended when Christians talk about Jesus, who threaten us or try lawsuits against us, or sometimes persecute Christians because they don’t like hearing our free speech about Jesus Christ,” Klingenschmitt said. “I have a very supportive and large following among the Christian believers, people who believe the Bible, and I have some minor critics from the atheist groups or sometimes homosexual groups who send me death threats or nasty emails.”

Although Klingenschmitt says he advocates for religious freedom as one of the main goals of his project, he says he thinks “most rational people would choose to believe the Bible, and they would choose to follow Jesus Christ” if they had the freedom to choose their religion.

The project is also anti-LGBT, meaning that they do not support those in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender community, even though Klingenschmitt says they support religious freedom. For those people who are LGBT, it can be difficult to

‘‘,,

CENTER SPREAD

April 30, 2014

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understand why the Pray in Jesus’ Name Project, which supports freedom to choose one’s religion, does not respect the choices of those who practice religions where it is acceptable to be in the LGBT community.

“As a follower of Jesus Christ I believe the Bible… Jesus designed marriage as only one man and one woman,” Klingenschmitt said. “I think if 99 percent of Americans endorsed sin, that God would never endorse sin, and Jesus came to forgive our sins, not to endorse them. So I think it’s more important that we agree with God than we agree with society. The purpose of families is to raise children and every child deserves a mom and a dad.”

Though there are many gay people who may not want to raise children, and many single parents in the United States, this was the only reason Klingenschmitt provided for being against gay marriage.

Though the project chooses not to support the LGBT community, Klingenschmitt firmly believes that being labeled as a hate group is “unfair.”

“In 7 years of writing a daily column on my internet site, I’ve never once said that I hate anybody.

I believe the Bible teaches love, even for the sinner,” he said.

He also said that the Southern Poverty Law Center is “an anti-Christian organization that attacks people who believe the Bible.”

Though Klingenschmitt’s organization does not agree with gay marriage rights, he disagrees with the Westboro Baptist Church “because they do advocate for hatred, and as a Christian I advocate for love, even though I disagree with sin. They only quote the Old testament, when they say that God hates some kinds of people. They never quote the New Testament, and in the New Testament, God is never described as hating some kinds of people; in fact, he commands us to love our enemies… the Westboro Baptist Church does not follow Jesus.”

Klingenschmitt, who believes the Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group, explains that a hate group is “someone who goes around saying that they hate people, but I’ve never done that, so anybody who labels me would be lying if they said that I hate people.”

The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project is not the only organization which is under fire for their beliefs. The Ku Klux Klan receives a large amount of negative attention for their wish to “unite all white Christians,” explains Robert Jones, the Grand Titan for the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina.

“We used to have all good publicity,” Jones said. “Everybody wanted to see the Klan in their neighborhood. Then the media sort of changed our tune, and they were trying to twist the truth of the Ku Klux Klan on TV.” According to Jones, the people who won’t try to “twist the truth,” are those who were around when the media didn’t distort the true intentions of the Klan.

“Your grandparents will tell you that the Klan was always a good organization that fought for equal rights for whites,” Jones said.

Those rights, Jones said, are being stripped from them on a daily basis. His mission is to protect those rights.

“Every time you turn around, they are trying to erase our history,” Jones said.

The true definition of hate groups is still up for interpretation, however some have been known to twist the truth, whether it Images courtesy of KRT, MCT, Tiffany Tompkinsbe for one side or the other.

Condie/Bradenton Herald/MCT

WBC’s press release on their intentions to picket the CSU graduation ceremony

Westboro Baptist Church protected under First Amendment

by Noel Knostmanreporter

People of all walks of life with rational minds and intellectual curiosity continue to attempt to understand how and why the Westboro Baptist Church exists.

Through out the community of Colorado, it is growing in knowledge that the Westboro Baptist Church has intentions to protest Colorado State University’s upcoming graduation on Saturday, May 17, on the basis that the CSU community is, as stated by the Westboro Baptist Church, “unique in their aggressive enabling and embracing of fags and same sex marriage; unique in their utter ignorance of the Bible and anything that matters in life.”

Graduating CSU student and Rocky alumna Katie Hufnagel offered her input regarding this impending situation.

“It is a shame that such a radical group has decided to generalize these dramatic stereotypes about CSU students,” she said. “To see a world full of ‘without-hope young people’ is a grim outlook for the

future, and one that only speaks to the disgrace of the Westboro organization.”

On the subject of the reaction that CSU students and family might have, she added that she could “only hope that on the day of the ceremony, attendees don’t retaliate with the protestors,” and rather than pay attention to the negative, focus on the positive.

Despite the hateful and discriminatory nature of the situation, social studies teacher Charlie Ross said, “ In this particular situation the people of the Westboro Baptist Church are protected by the First Amendment.”

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

It ensures that each and every one of us as U.S citizens is entitled to our individual opinions and beliefs.

No matter how seemingly warped the opinion or

belief we are all entitled to them, as long as it brings no harm to other individuals.

As social studies teacher Kurt Knierim states, “The government would be overstepping its bounds by not allowing the liberties we enjoy. If we stomp on their natural rights who is to say, who is wrong and who is right? If you guarantee liberties, it is liberties for all.”

People will concede to the legality of the First Amendment; however, they continue to ask themselves, what is the benefit?

According to Ross, “There is great benefit to allowing people as radical as them to spew their hatred.”

Ross compared it to debate, “The advantage that we get when we listen to people with what we consider ‘crazy ideas,’” is a positive one.

Our founding fathers wanted the First Amendment to have crazy ideas put into the arena for dissection.

“Let’s get it out there; let’s say everybody look at this; let’s let these people print; let’s let these people speak. Now that we know these people’s position, we

can attack it. But you attack it knowing their position. You don’t attack it blindly,” Ross said.

The majority of society can use these differences in opinion to bolster their personal position.

“If you shut people down,” Ross said, “you give them no outlet to release their pressure, like a boiling pot so to speak. The First Amendment allows people to get their stuff out there into the arena of public debate, and then if they’re rational thinking people, they should adjust and be willing to accept.”

If society shuts down the speech of the Westboro Baptist, then they would have to shut down other voices they don’t like. If they shut down the voices they don’t like, then there is no resolution. Society, then, does not come to the idea that the founding fathers were initially looking for.

The First Amendment was meant to be a tool of compromise.

Knierim believes, “The best thing to do would be to limit the exposure they get. The bigger deal that CSU and everyone makes about it, the more that they will fan the flames.”

B4 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Defining the reality of hatred

by Miriam Fieldsfeatures editor Reyna Thompsonreporter

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 17 hate groups in Colorado alone.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is “dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society,” explains the Center’s website. They do this by tracking hate groups and extremists across the United States, and using the justice system to launch lawsuits against these groups.

They also supply educators with supplies to help children learn to be tolerant and kind to others and accept diversity.

However, the actual definition of a hate group is up for debate. Many actual conservative groups do not believe that it is fair that they are labeled as a hate group, and continuously try to convince others that this title is obsolete and should not be used against them.

Though it can be difficult to determine the definition of a hate group, the Southern Poverty Law Center explains that I think if 99 percent of these groups “have beliefs Americans endorsed or practices sin, that God would that attack never endorse sin, and or malign an class of Jesus came to forgive entire people, typiour sins, not to encally for their immutable dorse them. characteristics.

Hate group Gordon James activities Klingenschmitt, can include chaplain criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing.” However, it is also made clear that many groups listed on the Law Center’s website do not engage in any sort of criminal or violent activity.

One such group which declines from violent activity but is cited as a hate group is the Pray in Jesus’ Name Project, located in Colorado Springs.

“We send petitions to God and to government to defend religious freedom,” said Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, who spearheads the project.

The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project has a daily half-hour television show, which analyzes many religious and political issues including abortion and pro-life stances, traditional marriage, Israel, and religious freedom.

“There a lot of people who are offended when Christians talk about Jesus, who threaten us or try lawsuits against us, or sometimes persecute Christians because they don’t like hearing our free speech about Jesus Christ,” Klingenschmitt said. “I have a very supportive and large following among the Christian believers, people who believe the Bible, and I have some minor critics from the atheist groups or sometimes homosexual groups who send me death threats or nasty emails.”

Although Klingenschmitt says he advocates for religious freedom as one of the main goals of his project, he says he thinks “most rational people would choose to believe the Bible, and they would choose to follow Jesus Christ” if they had the freedom to choose their religion.

The project is also anti-LGBT, meaning that they do not support those in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender community, even though Klingenschmitt says they support religious freedom. For those people who are LGBT, it can be difficult to

‘‘,,

CENTER SPREAD

April 30, 2014

B5

HA E

understand why the Pray in Jesus’ Name Project, which supports freedom to choose one’s religion, does not respect the choices of those who practice religions where it is acceptable to be in the LGBT community.

“As a follower of Jesus Christ I believe the Bible… Jesus designed marriage as only one man and one woman,” Klingenschmitt said. “I think if 99 percent of Americans endorsed sin, that God would never endorse sin, and Jesus came to forgive our sins, not to endorse them. So I think it’s more important that we agree with God than we agree with society. The purpose of families is to raise children and every child deserves a mom and a dad.”

Though there are many gay people who may not want to raise children, and many single parents in the United States, this was the only reason Klingenschmitt provided for being against gay marriage.

Though the project chooses not to support the LGBT community, Klingenschmitt firmly believes that being labeled as a hate group is “unfair.”

“In 7 years of writing a daily column on my internet site, I’ve never once said that I hate anybody.

I believe the Bible teaches love, even for the sinner,” he said.

He also said that the Southern Poverty Law Center is “an anti-Christian organization that attacks people who believe the Bible.”

Though Klingenschmitt’s organization does not agree with gay marriage rights, he disagrees with the Westboro Baptist Church “because they do advocate for hatred, and as a Christian I advocate for love, even though I disagree with sin. They only quote the Old testament, when they say that God hates some kinds of people. They never quote the New Testament, and in the New Testament, God is never described as hating some kinds of people; in fact, he commands us to love our enemies… the Westboro Baptist Church does not follow Jesus.”

Klingenschmitt, who believes the Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group, explains that a hate group is “someone who goes around saying that they hate people, but I’ve never done that, so anybody who labels me would be lying if they said that I hate people.”

The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project is not the only organization which is under fire for their beliefs. The Ku Klux Klan receives a large amount of negative attention for their wish to “unite all white Christians,” explains Robert Jones, the Grand Titan for the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina.

“We used to have all good publicity,” Jones said. “Everybody wanted to see the Klan in their neighborhood. Then the media sort of changed our tune, and they were trying to twist the truth of the Ku Klux Klan on TV.” According to Jones, the people who won’t try to “twist the truth,” are those who were around when the media didn’t distort the true intentions of the Klan.

“Your grandparents will tell you that the Klan was always a good organization that fought for equal rights for whites,” Jones said.

Those rights, Jones said, are being stripped from them on a daily basis. His mission is to protect those rights.

“Every time you turn around, they are trying to erase our history,” Jones said.

The true definition of hate groups is still up for interpretation, however some have been known to twist the truth, whether it Images courtesy of KRT, MCT, Tiffany Tompkinsbe for one side or the other.

Condie/Bradenton Herald/MCT

WBC’s press release on their intentions to picket the CSU graduation ceremony

Westboro Baptist Church protected under First Amendment

by Noel Knostmanreporter

People of all walks of life with rational minds and intellectual curiosity continue to attempt to understand how and why the Westboro Baptist Church exists.

Through out the community of Colorado, it is growing in knowledge that the Westboro Baptist Church has intentions to protest Colorado State University’s upcoming graduation on Saturday, May 17, on the basis that the CSU community is, as stated by the Westboro Baptist Church, “unique in their aggressive enabling and embracing of fags and same sex marriage; unique in their utter ignorance of the Bible and anything that matters in life.”

Graduating CSU student and Rocky alumna Katie Hufnagel offered her input regarding this impending situation.

“It is a shame that such a radical group has decided to generalize these dramatic stereotypes about CSU students,” she said. “To see a world full of ‘without-hope young people’ is a grim outlook for the

future, and one that only speaks to the disgrace of the Westboro organization.”

On the subject of the reaction that CSU students and family might have, she added that she could “only hope that on the day of the ceremony, attendees don’t retaliate with the protestors,” and rather than pay attention to the negative, focus on the positive.

Despite the hateful and discriminatory nature of the situation, social studies teacher Charlie Ross said, “ In this particular situation the people of the Westboro Baptist Church are protected by the First Amendment.”

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

It ensures that each and every one of us as U.S citizens is entitled to our individual opinions and beliefs.

No matter how seemingly warped the opinion or

belief we are all entitled to them, as long as it brings no harm to other individuals.

As social studies teacher Kurt Knierim states, “The government would be overstepping its bounds by not allowing the liberties we enjoy. If we stomp on their natural rights who is to say, who is wrong and who is right? If you guarantee liberties, it is liberties for all.”

People will concede to the legality of the First Amendment; however, they continue to ask themselves, what is the benefit?

According to Ross, “There is great benefit to allowing people as radical as them to spew their hatred.”

Ross compared it to debate, “The advantage that we get when we listen to people with what we consider ‘crazy ideas,’” is a positive one.

Our founding fathers wanted the First Amendment to have crazy ideas put into the arena for dissection.

“Let’s get it out there; let’s say everybody look at this; let’s let these people print; let’s let these people speak. Now that we know these people’s position, we

can attack it. But you attack it knowing their position. You don’t attack it blindly,” Ross said.

The majority of society can use these differences in opinion to bolster their personal position.

“If you shut people down,” Ross said, “you give them no outlet to release their pressure, like a boiling pot so to speak. The First Amendment allows people to get their stuff out there into the arena of public debate, and then if they’re rational thinking people, they should adjust and be willing to accept.”

If society shuts down the speech of the Westboro Baptist, then they would have to shut down other voices they don’t like. If they shut down the voices they don’t like, then there is no resolution. Society, then, does not come to the idea that the founding fathers were initially looking for.

The First Amendment was meant to be a tool of compromise.

Knierim believes, “The best thing to do would be to limit the exposure they get. The bigger deal that CSU and everyone makes about it, the more that they will fan the flames.”

B6 April 30, 2014

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L IMELIGHT

Games and Entertainment Sudoku Challenge The objective of the puzzle is to complete the 9x9 grid so that every column, row, and 3x3 grid within the 9x9 grid contains the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.

Each puzzle can be solved with pure logic, so guessing should not be necessary.

Difficulty Level: Medium

(Puzzle solution posted on bulletin board outside of room 528)

Top Ten Ways to get a 5 on your AP test

10. Write the number “5” all over your AP test booklet to send a subliminal message to the grader.

9. Paperclip a $5 bill to your answer booklet with the written message of “There’s more where this came from.”

8. Give your teacher your ID and have her/him take the test for you.

7. Sneak in with your subjectmatter textbook stuffed under your shirt and tell the proctor that you are pregnant.

6. Wear Google glasses with heads up display… showing all the answers.

5. Write the answers on your arm and then have a terrible itch on your forehead during the test.

4. Sleep on your textbook to get the answers through osmosis.

3. Fill in the bubbles in the shape of a “5.”

2. Study.

1. Sit next to Donald Chen during the test.

Madeline Zann, Noel Knotsman, and Marissa Bonertz

Draft Day exceptionally depicts 2014 NFL Draft

by Noah Fogelbergsports editor

After months of no football, and with many months to go, Draft Day will have you hungry for football season.

For any like-minded football fan, Draft Day is an exciting film following Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner), and his experiences during a fictionalized version of the 2014 NFL Draft.

For everyone else, it may be difficult to follow.

With a storyline that mimics the style of Moneyball (2011), Draft Day is a behind the scenes look at the day every young player dreams of attaining. The story follows the Cleveland General Manager as he trades up for number one pick, held at first by the Seattle Seahawks.

After giving up each of the Brown’s first round picks for the next three years just for the coveted

Movie review

first round pick, Weaver begins to see flaws in the character of Callahan. As there are other players eligible for the Draft with less athletic talent but a stronger character, Weaver must decide who to draft, and how to appease the rest of the Browns staff who is upset with him throwing away their future first round picks.

As entertaining of a football movie as Draft Day was, it failed to be anything more than just a sports flick. The great sports movies are always about something bigger than just the sport, but this film unfortunately failed to achieve that.

As a fairly knowledgeable fan of the game, the film remained interesting throughout.

Littered with advanced football terminology, however, anyone without a relatively high level of football knowledge would more likely understand an advanced Chinese class taught in Swedish. Assuming you have a decent knowledge and interest in the game of football, you’ll be easily entertained by Draft Day.

Football at it’s finest: Kevin Costner (General Manager Sonny Weaver Jr.) stars in Draft Day, a new film about the inner workings of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Courtesy of Summit Entertainment/MCT

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L IMELIGHT

April 30, 2014

B7

t c e j o r P a l l e r e d n i C

Project makes it possible for all girls to go to prom

by Tia Clarkreporter

The Cinderella Project helps give every girl the opportunity to be a princess, or at least look like one.

The Fort Collins High School fashion design class has put on the Cinderella Project for five years now, helping girls get that special night that is seen in movies.

“It just allows girls who wouldn’t usually be able to go to prom because of the price of dresses,” Collins sophomore McKenna Christian said.

The dresses are donated to the class, where they are fixed and hemmed then they are sold at cheap prices to those who need it most, the highest price being $25.

The event is planned for several weeks, including the hemming and the organization of the models. Even while advertising for the buyers keeps them busy, there is a lot to do before the

Tia Clark

Cinching dresses: Senior Cora Horne (right) and senior Aryn Benavides (middle) assist sophomore McKenna Christian (left) with her dress for the Cinderella Project. The project took old prom dresses and fixed them so that every girl would be able to go to prom.

actual event.

“This year it was probably a month we had donation period so that they could bring it into the schools or the community members that were helping out and they would just bring them here and we would mend them,” Collins sophomore Cass Southard said.

The event starts with a fashion show, showing off the dresses with a quick

circle around the shop.

“I was one of the models, I went and picked out a dress that fit me and walked around the store to let people see the dress on me,” Rocky senior Aryn Benavides said.

When the fashion show is over, the dressing rooms are open to the shoppers. The girls just have to find their size and start pulling dresses off the

Captain America meets expectations

by Rylee Thomascontributor

Marvel movies are an immediate draw for me, so obviously I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Twice.

It doesn’t hurt that Chris Evans is hunky and he’s wearing a tight t-shirt for the majority of the movie, but I digress. I had some fair expectations for this highly anticipated sequel, and it did not disappoint.

Much like its predecessor, The Winter Soldier was loaded with fight scenes and explosions. I did find the action scenes to be a bit unnecessarily long, but most superhero-based movies tend to be that way.

Some Marvel movies lose sight of an interesting plot for the sake of action, but not this one. With plot twists and gasp-inducing reveals, this movie completely blew me away. I found myself doubting whether or not characters had really been killed off, questioning who was really on the Cap’s side, and hanging on the edge of my seat.

Though it was intriguing, there were many factors contributing to the storyline, at times making it hard to follow. Overall, it was a very thick plot that required some concentration, but entertained me nonetheless.

Let’s not forget the burning question that was on everyone’s mind for the first half of the movie: Who is the Winter Soldier? Even though my mom spoiled it for me, the reveal was still so shocking to me that I

Movie review

Marvel Studios/MCT

Preparing for battle: Chris Evans stars in his new debut, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

(along with the entire theater) involuntarily gasped, very loudly.

As far as sequels go, The Winter Soldier exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend seeing it at least once, for both its entertainment value and exciting plot twists.

racks.

After the event is over none of the dresses go to waste.

“Next year we if they’re totally out of date we just retire them and donate them to Goodwill or ARC, but if they’re not and they need some more mending, we mend them and price them a little lower than they were the previous year,” Southard said.

Forensics from page B8

great deal of effort into their speeches and debates, and being a part of the team is a major time commitment. “It’s the equivalent of a three sport season,” De Maret said. “I used to stay here until six or seven o’clock everyday, but my wife said ‘I’m going to leave you if you keep this up,’ and so now I just spend a couple hours a day here a couple days a week.”

All the time and effort De Maret puts into forensics has been proven to be worth it. Many of his past students have careers in fields they may never have been able to get into without forensics.

“We’ve got students working at PSD, students who are lawyers now, we’ve got some who are in the public working in the governor’s office, some working as senators and some with internships to the White House, and I think for a lot of them, this was the start of something that became much bigger,” De Maret said.

Competing in forensics can be just as time consuming for the teammates as it is for the coaches.

“Sometimes we won’t get home until 11:00. The latest I’ve ever heard of a tournament running is until one in the morning. it’s a ridiculous time commitment, so you learn how to sleep on a bus,” Maya Felix said.

g n i w LS y a w a t h nig

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

LIMELIGHT

B8

April 30, 2014 What’s in the Limelight?

To d a y: Concert: Stephen Marley, Fox Theater Concert: You Me at Six, The Summit Music Hall M ay 2: CD Release: Lykke Li- I Never Learn Movie Release: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Movie Release: Belle Concert: Ellie Goulding, Red Rocks Amphitheatre M ay 5: CD Release: Chris Brown- X CD Release: Lil Wayne- Tha Carter V M ay 6: CD Release: Mariah Carey- The Art of Letting Go School: Jazz on the Rocks, RMHS Commons, 6:00 p.m.

School: Jazz swing dance, minitheater, 6:30 p.m.

M ay 7: Concert: Karmin, The Summit Music Hall M ay 9: Movie Release: Neighbors Movie Release: Chef School: Looking Glass Launch Party, Everyday Joe’s 5 p.m.

M ay 11: Concert: William Fitzsimmons, ETown hall M ay 12: Concert: James Blunt, Ogden Theater M ay 16: CD Release: Coldplay- Ghost Stories Movie Release: Godzilla Movie Release: Million Dollar Arm Concert: Datsik, Red Rocks Amphitheatre M ay 17: Concert: Cage the Elephant, Ogden Theater M ay 19: CD Release: Afrojack- Forget the World Concert: Lana Del Ray, Red Rocks Amphitheatre M ay 20: School: Chamber Collage, RMHS, 7:00pm

the

Jazz Band, Combo accommodate Swing Dance Club for a night to remember

by Madeline Zannopinion editor

It’s time to put those dancing shoes on: swing is coming to Rocky.

Jazz and swing has always been a part of the Rocky community with Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, multiple jazz choirs and, more recently, the Swing and Blues Dance Club.

Now, these things are combining to create one jazz-and-swing filled night on Tuesday, May 6.

“In the past they’ve done Jazz on the Rocks Megan Troutman Jazz combo gig: The Jazz Combo performs at CB and Potts for a music department fundraiser. Jazz combo will in May with Vocal Jazz and Jazz Band, and I also be debuting alongside Rocky Jazz Band at the Swing Dance night. just had the thought that it would be fun to do a swing dance if we could,” band director assistance to those who want to learn how to Kenyon Scheurman said. dance or simply want to improve their skills.

Jazz on the Rocks is still taking place this Swing Dance Club also meets the day of the year; however, it will just be Vocal Jazz and event, so that anyone interested can learn how ►Where: Commons then the show will move from the Commons to dance before arriving at the concert. to the mini-theater where there will be a ►When: May 6 @ 6 p.m.

“Mrs. (MacKenzie) Mushel came up to swing dance with live music from Jazz Combo ►Price: Free us Tuesday during club and asked us if we and Jazz Band. Not only will there be live wanted to teach for the audience and were music, but there will also be students available thought that sounded great, so that’s how we that they have been playing all year, as well as to teach other students how to swing dance. became a part of it,” swing dance club new songs they started a few weeks ago.

“I had heard that there was a member Jacob Munro said.

“We’re doing a lot of swing tunes that Swing and Blues Dance Club, Those in the club are excited about the people will know,” said Luke Heter, a tenor so I thought it would be event because it will bring more awaresaxophonist in Jazz Band. “It’s going to be great to get them involved, ness of the club and, more importantly, nifty; I’m excited.” and they were all for it,” the style of dancing to a broader audiThis will be the first event of its kind at Scheurman said. ence.

Rocky, and those involved are expecting a Swing and Blues Dance “I absolutely love blues and swing good turnout.

Club started earlier this dancing, so I love having chances to share “It’s a wonderful mentality (dancing), year, and has become that with everybody else,” Munro said. “It knowing that if everybody else is doing somea well-attended club. gives me an opportunity to teach something thing goofy, then I can do something goofy Meeting at Tuesdays in that I love and maybe change opinions about too, and nobody cares,” Munro said. “Everythe multi-purpose room, dance.” body should come because it’s going to be so students of any dancing The event has been in the works for a much fun.” level are welcome to while, though Jazz Band is playing songs Jazz on the Rocks starts at 6 p.m. in the come, and on May Commons on May 6, and the swing concert 6, students from the and dance will take place after that in the Sophomore Rosie Hofer and junior Ben club will be circulatmini-theater, around 6:30 p.m.

Young learn how to swing dance. ing at the concert to offer Madeline Zann

SWING DANCE

Forensics team showcases hard work, talent

by Jessi Brokopreporter

Forensics is a very underrated school activity.

Many students have heard about it, but very few people know what it is all about.

The forensics team consists of over 40 students from each grade.

Their competitions usually take place on Saturday nights. Forensics splits off into two different branches: debate and events. In events, there is humor, drama, duo, poetry, and original oratory.

In debate, there is public forum debate, cross examination debate, supplemental debate, extemp. debate, and Lincoln-Douglas debate.

The forensics and debate team had a showcase on April 17. At the Forensics Showcase, some of the best forensics members

Courtesy of Teresa Funke

Duo interp: Senior Kelly Pollard and Jovan Lovato perform their duo interpretation of “Bat Boy” for the annual Forensics Showcase.

showed off their talents in the mini-theatre. They performed in different events to wrap up the

season and let anyone who went see what they had been doing all year long. Seven of the 40-plus

teammates made it to nationals, and even more of them were state qualifiers.

Tasha Reed, a junior on the team, has worked very hard and is very proud of her achievements.

“I was extremely excited because the year before I didn’t do too well at that tournament and my goal was to make it through more rounds of competitions, and the way that it turned out, I went through five. I was extremely happy, and I was incredibly excited about my teammates that did qualify because they worked so hard. We’d all worked so hard that year, and tried to get that chance to go to nationals,” Reed said.

The forensics team puts a

,

Jump to Forensics on B7