rm the
Adopt-a-family//B1 MAX construction // B8
highlighter Marching band//B8
Girls’ Basketball// A7
Holiday Stocking concert performs at Lincoln Center //B8
rocky mountain
//Rocky Mountain High School\\
December 14, 2012
Volume 40, No. 4
side show
Pledge of Allegiance spurs controversy
High School Hijinks:
It began as an attempt to promote diversity within a high school. It is now national news. When the French club and the Cultural ARMS (All Rocky Mountain Students) club recited the Pledge of Allegiance in French and Spanish respectively, they faced an unexpected response. Upset parents of students called the school to complain about the recitation of the Pledge in a language other than English, opinion pieces circulated through the Coloradoan both for and against
the
Cheerleaders at Kountze High School in east Texas were able to continue to put Bible verses on banners the school’s football team crashed through as they ran onto the field after a judge issued a temporary injunction against the district, which had banned the practice. The cheerleaders used verses on banners such as “But thanks be to God, which gives us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Care About This: The Fed-
eral Food and Drug Administration has received claims that the popular energy drink 5-Hour Energy may have led to 13 deaths and 33 hospitalizations over the past four years. The highly caffeinated drink is sold in two-ounce shots, and Consumer Reports recently published its caffeine level at 215 milligrams. By comparison, an eightounce cup of coffee contains 100-150 milligrams of caffeine.
Quote of the Issue:
“They don’t take things too lightly. They don’t ever quit. They take their workouts seriously and to the maximum, and I think that character gets installed in them throughout life.” -Athletic Trainer Kate Vardiman on the dedication of wrestlers
Cam Chorpenning//editor-in-chief
Isaac Effner
I Pledge Allegiance: The Cultural ARMS (All Rocky Mountain Students) club recites the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish on Nov. 19. The French club recited the Pledge in French the week prior.
the clubs’ action, and the issue grew larger than had ever been
responded to the calls of angered parents, was surprised by the intensity of their reactions. Lopez said that one caller, who later wrote to the Coloradoan and identified himself as Brad Sadler, berated him and refused to make his identity known over the telephone. “He got personal with some issues,” Lopez said. “He’s calling me un-American; how does he even know who I am? He’s never sat in this room; he’s never talked to me; his son or daughter’s never
expected. Principal Tom Lopez, who
//Jump to Pledge,
on A2
To Put it Bluntly Amendment 64 legalizes marijuana Megan Shaw//center editor
Questions about Colorado’s Amendment 64, the first legalization of marijuana in the United States, are currently buzzing among the state’s residents, as well as people around the nation. Many people are intrigued by this new proposition while others are shocked that Coloradans voted in favor of it. Not all agree on whether or not it is right, but nearly everyone is questioning this mysterious amendment simply because it hasn’t been done before.
//news special//
Now that this new law has officially been signed by Colorado’s governor John Hickenlooper, any person age 21 or older will be legally allowed to purchase, possess, use, display, transport and transfer to individuals who are 21 years old or older up to an ounce of marijuana. The law will also allow individuals of this age to possess, grow, process and transport up to six marijuana plants, with certain restrictions. Although this seems fairly simple, there are many other factors involved. Many are eagerly waiting to see
what the federal government will do in reaction to the passing of Amendment 64. Although the law will make usage and possession of marijuana legal by state law, these actions still go against The Controlled Substance Act, which regulates marijuana under federal
//Jump to Amendment,
on A2
OF STUDENTS 63% SUPPORT AMENDMENT 64
9%
OF STUDENTS CLAIM TO USE MARIJUANA REGULARLY
64 could aid or hurt schools Emily Anderson//opinion editor
Fear not-- that person you witnessed smoking a joint was doing it simply for the sake of education. Amendment 64, the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana for people over the age of 21, states that the first $40 million from the excise tax will be used to fund the construction of public schools. “Forty million dollars for building schools is a significant amount, there’s no question about it. But there’s nothing in the law on how that’s going to get distributed,” Principal Tom Lopez said. “If the dollars go to renovations it could be significantly positive for the state of Colorado.”
However, in compliance with the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), there must be a second election, leaving voters to decide whether this excise tax will be imposed. When the amendment was originally written it was not known that the excise tax may not be implemented if voters do not approve of it. “I talked to some people since then and they said that the tax sounded like a great idea,” District Attorney Alan Abrahamson said. “But now that this is not going to be approved unless it goes to a special election, I think people are kind of frustrated
with that not being known at the time that they voted for it.” Products or services that people generally consider immoral or
//Jump to Education,
on A2
Photo Illustration by Alex Creighton
news//highlighter
December 14, 2012 \ \ A2
Pledge//
An impressive lineup: Portraits of former principals are lined up next to each other, displaying a history of the school’s leaders. With current principal Tom Lopez’s impending retirement the decision-making process for a new principal is in progress.
from page A1
Leading the pack
Michelle Kennedy
Community agrees that principal choice is personal by Amanda Kriss//reporter
Taking on the responsibility of one of the most unique and successful institutions in a school district may seem daunting. Yet this year, the hope is to find someone to do just that as Principal Tom Lopéz steps down after 10 years. Now, the pressing issue coming into question is what it takes to be “the leader of the Pack.” “There’s got to be a special spirit in that person who can respect what’s been here, respect the culture, and then, of course, we have to move forward,” Joan Ruberry, the longest standing staff member at the school said. “[We] can pick somebody that has all of the qualities that are needed to bring us forward as a school.” The importance of this spirit must supplement the strength of character that the leader of an institution must embody. The decisions that a principal makes will, ultimately, lead to the success or failure of a school as a whole. “I want a servant leader, somebody who has the ability to make difficult decisions but is not looking to receive credit,” retired principal Paul Radcliff said . According to the statement issued by the district, they are looking for a person to “manage a large comprehensive high school” and be an “educational leader” who facilitates “the development, articulation, and implementation of a clear vision of learning.” Furthermore, they are expected to “manage the human resources to ensure an orderly work and learning environment.”
Previous Principals Name Years Served Previous Position Selected By ►Rex Wells 1973-1984 AP at Poudre District ►Beryl “Brownie” McGraw” 1984-1985
AP at Rocky
►Thomas E. Mackenzie
Counselor- Michigan Superintendent
1985-1990
Rocky
►Karen Dixon-Wangsvick 1990-1999
AP at Rocky
Rocky consensus
►Paul Radcliff
1999-2003
AP at Rocky
Rocky consensus
2003-2013
AP at Rocky
Rocky recommendation
►Tom Lopez
Such a job description, however, applies to all three openings currently available for high schools in the district, who will have the final say in the next principal. Yet many staff members, students and parents feel that Rocky needs to have the primary responsibility for choosing its principal. “I feel very strongly that the Rocky community needs to decide, not just give a list of four or five who might work for Rocky,” Ruberry said. “We need to work it through as a committee and come to a consensus, especially since there are so many openings at this time.” Currently, the school is looking to create a student panel to participate in the decision process. The decision was met with relief for many staff members and students. “I always wanted to involve my students in the important decisions because they have a whole different perspective than administrators or the teachers or parents,” Radcliff said. “You want their perspective because a school is a community and it needs everyone.” The sense of Lobo community at Rocky has been a long stand-
ing facet of the personality of the school. Under Radcliff, the Lobo Way was developed and has become an integral part of the environment, and as a result, the principal. “Ask any student in [the] school and they will have an idea of what [the Lobo Way] means,” Radcliff said. “I would ask your candidate that question and see if they can come anywhere close to describing what the Lobo Way might be.” In the school’s history, only one principal has been assigned by the district without a Rocky connection prior to being hired. This principal only lasted for five years, during which a division formed between the administration and the staff. “We’ve been in a place before in this school where we had a leader who did not believe in what we believed in, and who came in and didn’t respect what was here,” Ruberry said. “We all felt almost violated.” While understanding the community and ideals of the school are important aspects needed in a new principal, a district administrator may place more emphasis on their experience. “Experience is important, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be principal experience,” Radcliff said. “ I would want a person that has been assistant principal someplace or a master teacher.” Yet others argue that having fresh insight and new ideas will prove more beneficial for the school to move forward. “You don’t want to hire everybody that thinks just like you do,” Rocky’s first principal Rex Wells said. “Sometimes, people have a tendency to do that.” The legacy of principals has been a strong one. Through renovations, new schedules, new demographics or new ideals, each principal has led the school toward where it is today. “They’ve each put their touch onto Rocky,” Ruberry said. “I respect the job that they have done through the years.”
talked to me. They have no idea if I’m un-American. And to be called un-American and to not know the person is plain stupidity.” Sadler wrote that Lopez hung up on him, and Lopez does not deny this. “I hung up on [him] because he would not identify [himself ],” Lopez said. “And, to be honest with you, had he had the courage to identify himself with me I would’ve tried to listen to him. We probably would’ve never agreed, but I would’ve given him the respect to hear him out.” “I feel like he was approaching it kind of inappropriately,” sophomore Riely Carpenter, who is opposed to reciting the Pledge in foreign languages, said in reaction to Sadler’s article. “He just seemed kind of angered by it. I feel like Tom Lopez wouldn’t hang up on him if he was just talking to him, but he was probably yelling and stuff.” In Carpenter’s opinion the club should continue to strive for diversity, but find a different
Amendment// from page A1
law. However, according to Denver Attorney Philip Snow, states are able to find a loophole in this situation. “Under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, states are free to create their own laws where the federal government has not created laws,” Snow said. “A good example of this would be the first provision of Amendment 64, which allows adults over the age of 21 to possess under an ounce of marijuana. States can create their own penalties for drug offenses, and allowing adults over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce is an example of such legislation.” While Coloradans are patiently waiting for these decisions, however, Fort Collins police say they continue to regulate laws as usual until Amendment 64 is officially signed. “Right now we’re planning and seeing what’s actually going to happen. Nobody knows if it’s going to become law or not,” School Resource Officer Matt Johnson said. “The federal government has the rights to intercede in it if they choose, and so for us, we’re looking at different options of what we would do
Education// from page A1
unhealthy, such as tobacco, gambling, and alcohol, generally produce revenue from taxes. The “Yes on Campaign” estimates, if this tax is imposed, marijuana could produce $60 million in combined savings for the state budget. Abrahamson believes Amendment 64 may increase marijuana use among young people. “When the medical marijuana issue was approved, we saw the usage and possession of marijuana in high schools triple,” he said, “and it’s a very significant health issue. We have a drug corps here where
rm
method. Sophomore Noah Fogelberg, a member of the Cultural ARMS club, also wrote in to the Coloradoan, but in defense of the club’s decision to recite the Pledge in Spanish, and was shocked by the response he received. “Apparently someone wrote a letter to the editor saying that I was anti-white. They called me out by name in the paper,” Fogelberg said. “I was sort of surprised. The way he wrote about it was incredibly racist, pretty blatantly racist; I was sort of shocked they’d even publish it.” The issue has grown, and some have ended up angry, but Lopez maintains the belief that good can still result. “I’m hoping that there’s some positive learning out there, and if there is positive learning, I think we are the school we say we are,” Lopez said. “This Lobo Way stuff, people throw it at our backs, say it’s cliché—I don’t want to lie about it. I’ve never lied about it. I’ve talked every year in every Lobo 101 class, and one of the things I say is that I embrace diversity; I want this to be a welcoming environment.”
if it passes.” Among the concerns is the impact of marijuana on driver safety. “The State of Colorado has yet to clearly define the THC level over which a driver would be presumed to be too impaired to drive a vehicle,” Fort Collins Police Department Spokesperson Rita Davis said. “We are concerned that the increased availability of marijuana will result in more impaired drivers and more traffic crashes.” On the contrary, legalization of marijuana can be viewed as a positive addition to our society, according to Snow. “By regulating marijuana and putting it behind a counter, it will allow for safer access to marijuana, and it will also eliminate the black market for marijuana,” Snow said. “By eliminating the black market, we are taking money away from cartels. Additionally, regulating marijuana will allow it to be taxed, and the revenue generated from those taxes will be used for new school construction in Colorado.” Even with this information, for police departments, lawyers, and the rest of Colorado, understanding and discovering all of the details of Amendment 64 remains a something of a waiting game.
we put people who have gotten really involved heavily in drugs to the point where it’s affected their lives, their associations, their school, their jobs and everything, and we put them into this corps to deal with it. With juveniles we find that 80 percent of the people we have at drug corps are there because of marijuana.” Both sides, however, agree that minors should not be smoking. The carcinogens that are inhaled with marijuana are much more potent in cigarettes, but according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the long term effects of marijuana have yielded “inconsistent results.”
rm
//A3
highlighter\\news
December 14, 2012
MAXimizing transportation MAX system to bring speed, ease, efficiency to Fort Collins by Megan Shaw//center editor
Downtown Fort Collins is a congested area, and as many know it is often difficult to find parking, but in approximately two years, that won’t be a problem. For people who need to travel along the five mile stretch between Harmony Road and Mountain Avenue, it will now be easier than ever. The Mason Corridor is becoming the new home of MAX Bus Rapid Transit, which will service buses between 14 different stops known as “stations” along Mason Street by May 2014. This bus rapid transit service will be run every 10 minutes between 5 a.m. and midnight. The route will begin at the South Transit Center, a new station being built just south of Harmony Road and will travel straight through town, ending at the Downtown Transit Center north of Mountain Avenue. “There will be almost 400 new parking spots from end to end, which is great,” Claire Thomas, marketing and publicity specialist for the City of Fort Collins, said, “because we do have a parking issue in town.” There will be a park-and-ride at five of the new bus stations as well as at both transit centers. Since MAX will always run on one route and never change, long-term investments will be made in redeveloping the area. While the buses will intermingle with traffic on some sections of the corridor, two sections of the route will have a dedicated guideway, where the buses travel on their own section of road. One thing people are looking
“
We
really see opportunities for development along Mason.
Claire Thomas, marketing and publicity specialist for the City of Fort Collins
forward to is the predicted boom in business, both from consumers and business owners. “We expect the corridor to have only positive impacts on our business,” Matt Hoeven, owner of Chipper’s Lanes said. “[It will provide] increased exposure to our facility and extremely improved redevelopment along a strip of land that held little more than weeds.” Many businesses are expected to show up along the corridor, and many pre-existing businesses will utilize having their storefronts along College Avenue as well as creating back entrances accessible from the corridor. “We really see opportunities for development along Mason,” Thomas said. “A lot of the stores [downtown] now have alley entrances or alley patios in addition to a College-facing entrance, and that’s what we’re envisioning for Mason.” “The MAX will stimulate an entire new building boom in Fort Collins by giving people a convenient and low cost way to move about the city for their shopping, dining and entertainment needs,” Michael Short, executive director of the Downtown Business Association said. “It is envisioned that the MAX system will create an extension of our current ‘Main Street’ and
Michelle’s Musings
Michelle Kennedy
The generational addiction to technology is getting out of hand. According to a Coloradoan article on Nov. 28, in countries such as South Korea, the government has begun providing counseling and medical assistance to approximately 2 million people who are addicted to their electronic devices. In fact, in a shocking case, a 3 monthold child died after her parents only fed her once a day due to their obsession with video games. Furthermore, some schools in South Korea have been forced to take away all students’ phones for the duration of the day because they were forgetting to eat lunch. Whether it’s a smartphone, iPad or video game, this addiction is also prevalent in the United States, although maybe not on quite as dramatic of a scale. Walking around the halls, one can see students engrossed in their phones, too busy looking at their phone to even acknowledge their friends around them. At coffee shops you can see people who sit silently across from each other, not exchanging a word, but instead texting
\\
Megan Shaw
Construction chaos: Construction workers continue to build what will eventually become the tracks for the Mason St. MAX Bus Rapid Transit. The system is set to be in operation by May 2014.
that businesses will construct new buildings and open new stores to accommodate this significant increase in traffic past their new front doors.” This new form of transportation will also be technologically advanced with access to ticketing kiosks at each station as well as a smartphone application. “We’re working with technology companies, so if you have a smartphone it [the application] shows you where you are, what restaurants are nearby if you’re a visitor, and when the next bus is going on,” Thomas said. Anyone age 18 and younger will be able to ride this bus service for no charge with a school I.D., and adults will only have to pay the amount it costs to ride Transfort, the city bus, which is currently $1.25.
Technology beginning to enslave
back and forth. Phones and other devices have become such a safety net for many people that they feel “naked” without its presence, and unfortunately this addiction has a devastating effect on society. Technology provides us with an excuse to avoid face-to-face contact and as a result, our generation is losing its ability to communicate effectively. You know the people I’m talking about, people who talk in text slang, write “u” instead of you in an academic setting or those who can’t seem to talk to someone without the security of a computer screen are just a few examples of the toll that this addiction is taking. While technology has immense benefits, like anything it needs to be used appropriately. If we cannot find a way to liberate ourselves from the clutch of technology, what’s going to happen to us? The choice is yours: Are you the slave or the master to technology? Michelle Kennedy is a senior and the Features Editor for the RM Highlighter.
One of the things that makes MAX different from the Transfort city bus system is the level platforms at each station. “If you have a bicycle or stroller you just walk on the bus with it, you don’t have to step up or wait for a ramp to come down,” Thomas said. “The platforms are all kind of elevated. Kind of like at DIA with the trains.” This new transit system will be beneficial to everyone in Fort Collins, and there are even special perks for teenagers. “Young folks living in the neighborhoods around Rocky will have much quicker access,” Hoeven said. “A quick walk or bike ride to the East is all that it will take to hop a ride headed for CSU’s campus, old town, the redeveloped Foothills mall, etc.” With so many new renova-
tions to Fort Collins like the MAX system and the Foothills Mall, which are both expected to be finished by 2014, teenagers will have a lot to take advantage of. Not only will the new system offer a quick, easy and inexpensive way to get around town, but also energy efficiency. The MAX buses will run on compressed natural gas, which is currently the most energy efficient fuel for a fleet vehicle. “We’re talking about having some bike library stations at some of the MAX stations, so you can take your borrowed bike and drop it off wherever,” Thomas said. “We’re all about mobility with this; [to] encourage the walking and biking lifestyle instead of just get in your car and drive.”
Custodian Espinoza performs Heimlich Maneuver, saves life Head Custodian Will Espinoza has been working as a custodian at the school for four years and his service to the school was emphasized recently when he may have saved a student’s life. “I was just cleaning up after lunch and actually another student, Roxy, who helps because she’s in special ed, came over and pointed at a kid and said ‘I think he’s choking,’” Espinoza said. “So I turned and at first I thought maybe she was playing around so I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘are you okay?’ and he pointed at his throat.” Espinoza told the student he was going to take off his backpack and then asked for permission to perform the Heimlich Maneuver, an action where the chocking person is grabbed from behind and through a series of abdominal thrusts, the blockage is cleared. When the student nodded his approval, Espinoza did just that and gave
//in brief//
him the Heimlich twice before the student coughed out the chicken nugget that he had been choking on. “He got up, said he was done eating and left,” Espinoza said. “This is actually the first time I had to perform it.” The student was lucky that Espinoza had taken his time to learn the Heimlich Maneuver and was able to perform before it was too late. “It [Heimlich Maneuver training] is not mandatory, but you can take it if you would like to,” Espinoza said. “I’ve taken it I think a good five or six times. It’s a good thing to know and it was luck day I guess for him because I was in the right place at the right time.” Espinoza guesses that the speed with which the student ate his meal was the cause for his choking. “He was actually a student who came in late and tried eating his food really quick so he could get back to class and he almost didn’t make it,” Espinoza said. “That was my first instinct to go over there and help him.”
//Grant Rotman
\\ A4\\
December 14, 2012
//opinionrm highlighter
Cultural ARMS club adds diversity to Pledge rance helped the United States gain its independence and fight for a right that most Americans hold dear—freedom. Yet, the most common language in America today, English, is a language that comes from a country that oppressed Americans’ rights and freedoms in the past. That being Saying the said, why pledge in lan- would saying guages other the Pledge than English is of Allegiance anything but in French, or any other disrespectful. language for that matter, be a problem? On Nov. 12, French Club led the Pledge in French to celebrate National French Week and to publicize the club, followed by Cultural ARMS (All Rocky Mountain Students) Club directing it in Spanish the subsequent week. However, after these incidents, the school received several phone calls from offended parents claiming that saying the Pledge in a language other than English is disrespectful and that various students, parents and teachers were offended by the gesture. Fortunately, freedom of speech is a foundation of American society, among a multitude of other liberties that are sometimes taken for granted. While on one hand, being able to say the Pledge in French or
The Issue:
//staff editorial// Spanish is part of the freedom that America offers, so is the right to disagree with this activity—as is the capability to write this editorial. Although French Club is unaffiliated, Cultural ARMS is spearheading a push to do the Pledge in different languages throughout the year to break down barriers and embrace other cultures—essentially to remove the label from Fort Collins as “Vanilla Valley.” Leading the Pledge in a different language each week was not an attempt to cause controversy or to offend anyone, but instead an effort to break down the cultural barriers that divide modern society by characteristics out of one’s control. The United States is made up of the proverbial “melting pot” of cultures, but sometimes citizens lose sight of this in the midst of the “‘merican mindset.” While it is important for the country to band together under commonalities, it is also vital to respect the vast variety of cultures that America represents. As a matter of fact, the United States lacks an official national language. From English to French to Span-
Cam’s Chorner
\\
Cam Chorpenning
I always try my best to be an optimist about humanity. This can be difficult to manage in today’s world--a world where civil wars rage and people blow each other up because of their religious views; but two weeks ago I had an experience that solidified my belief that humans are inherently good. For the past four years I’ve participated in the “Sleepout,” an event in which youth from various faith backgrounds gather together to raise awareness, funds, clothing, food and supplies for the homeless in Fort Collins. For years the
National Scholastic Press Association National Critique
Yo prometo lealtad a la bandera de los estados...
I ain’t gonna take this! This is ‘Merica. We should be saying the pledge in ‘Merican!
STAFF Editor-in-Chief// Cam Chorpenning Ad Manager//
Sean Bray
Design Editor// Creighton
Alex
Opinion Editor// Anderson
Emily
Sports Editor// Binder
Lauren
Features Editor// Michelle Kennedy Center Editor// Megan Shaw Staff// Isaac Effner Ed Kennedy Amanda Kriss Morgan Miller
Limelight Editor// Megan Troutman
Cammie Palomino Grant Rotman Lukas Short Aaron Yu
RM Highlighter editorial policy
Which looks more patriotic to you? //Amanda Kriss, artist
ish, the tongue that one speaks does not influence the devotion that one has to his/her country. In actuality, for some people, saying the Pledge in a foreign language allows them to better understand the meaning behind these words. In essence, saying the Pledge in different languages is a celebra-
tion of the rights and freedoms that our country offers us as well as America’s cultural diversity. Additionally, while the ability to disagree with this activity is a right afforded by the Constitution, the message and significance of saying the Pledge in another language is a manifestation of the rights
and freedoms that the United States was built upon. It is not the language in which this proclamation of loyalty to the United States is spoken that is important, but instead the meaning behind these words and the common tie that it creates among us as American citizens.
‘Sleepout’ diversity sustains my faith in humanity
Sleepout has tried to include as diverse a group of faiths as possible, and this year we were fortunate enough to have Muslims, Jews and Christians all in one place working towards the same goal. I am truly inspired not only by the efforts of all the youth to aid in eliminating homelessness from the community, but also by the willingness and enthusiasm of all who were involved to work with people who held different beliefs than they did. People realized that their dissimilarities in no way impeded their ability to make a positive
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; All-American Hall of Fame Induction-2008; All-American, 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.
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 970-4887090 or 970-488-7091 for advertising information. Also the Rocky Mountain Highlighter staff is in Room 528, during 4th period.
difference in their community, and that, regardless of their religious backgrounds, nearly everybody wants to help their fellow human beings in some way. Recently, a gentleman by the name of Perry Lorenz wrote in to the Coloradoan in response to sophomore Noah Fogelberg, who also wrote in supporting the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance in foreign languages. Lorenz wrote that “‘Diversity’ is usually a codeword for “anti-white.” I emphatically disagree. Though my point doesn’t pertain to race, religious diversity
is still extraordinarily important, and it means absolutely nothing about being anti-anything. To me, diversity is embodied in the Sleepout. A group of people came together celebrating their differences, respecting one another and working with one another for the betterment of humanity and of their town. That doesn’t sound particularly anti-Christian, anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim to me. It sounds human. Cam Chorpenning is a senior and the editor-in-chief of the Rocky Mountain Highlighter. Gold Medalist-2011; Gold Medalist-2010; Silver Crown-2009; Gold Medalist-2009; Silver Medalist-2008; Gold Medalist- 2007; Gold Medalist-2006; Gold Medalist-2005; Silver Crown-2005; Gold Medalist-2004; Silver Crown-2004; Gold Medalist-2003; Silver Crown-2003; Gold Medalist-2002; Gold Medalist-2001; Gold Medalist-2000; Gold Medalist-1999.
CHSPA Newspaper Awards 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.
Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Critique
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 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.
rm
highlighter\\opinion
Alexander the Creight
Alex Creighton
\\
Pledge: Chance to show respect
The American flag was originally adopted on June 14, 1777, making it one of the oldest artifacts of American history. Since then, it has been flown over every school and government building in the US, and every US embassy in the world. Millions of soldiers have worn it on their arms, citizens have placed it in their homes, and school children decorate their binders with patriotic stickers. Everywhere you look, the American flag is shown as a representation of American pride. We are lucky enough to live in a country in which there are so many freedoms to indulge ourselves in. Millions of men and women have not only given their time but also their lives to protect the freedoms that we take for granted. Every Monday, a different group of students gets on the announcements, asks the student population to rise and remove their hats, and to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Each time, however, I look around and fewer and fewer people seem to be standing. Not only am I surprised, but I’m also annoyed with the number of students who remain seated. Yes, I understand that not everyone agrees with the words or the idea of pledging allegiance. In one case, I had a fellow student tell me they didn’t say the pledge because he was an atheist and the pledge says “under god”. From my co-worker’s perspective, he didn’t say it because while the pledge says the United States provides “liberty and justice for all,” this is not always the case. I can understand where they come from, and I’ll respect that they choose not to participate, but if you’ve ever been to a religious ceremony of a belief that is not your own you’ll understand this next line. Stand up to show respect, if not respect for the pledge then respect for the people who do believe in the pledge. I believe that students should take the time to stand, be quiet and show respect not only for our great nation but also for the people that have died in order to make America a possibility. You don’t have to agree with what it says, or even recite it yourself. But at least show respect to those who do. Alex Creighton is a senior and design editor for the RM Highlighter.
English is not the only language in America Dear Editor, America is made up of so many cultures from Spanish to German to Chinese to anything. The intent of reciting the pledge in another language was to praise America and to break the barriers between cultures. This shouldn’t be a problem. To say it is is to say that we can’t be diverse, as though English is the only language in America. While people are complaining about this there are many issues elsewhere that aren’t getting the attention they deserve. The clubs and school have a right to say the pledge in whatever language they want because the pledge is about America and America is made up of many, many cultures. Natalie Pounds, sophomore
//letter to the editor//
December 14, 2012
//A5
Debating Amendment 64
Positives greater than negatives
Amendment 64 makes the personal use, possession, and limited home-growth of marijuana legal for adults 21 years of age and older. It establishes a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol, and allows for the cultivation, processing and sale of industrial hemp. Amendment 64 will implement so many more positive outcomes, that will weigh out the “bad.” Conversation after conversation repeat that Amendment 64 will be giving more incentive for kids under the age of 21 to smoke marijuana even though the law states that it will still be illegal for them. Let’s face it; teenagers that are smoking weed now would continue to do so whether or not this law was passed. The passage of the amendment does not mean that whoever decides to smoke it can stand in front of the local sheriff and blow the smoke in his face.
The Colorado police will also be able to focus on more detrimental and important cases to cover, like the recent murder of Jessica Ridgeway. The protection of the people seems more important than putting people in jail for possession of a plant. Amendment 64 regulations are going to be as strict, if not stricter, than regulations put on alcohol now. It’s a fact that there is underage drinking, just like there will be underage smoking. What some fail to realize is the third declaration of Amendment 64 that gives a clear and different definition to marijuana and industrial hemp. United States is the only first world country that is not growing it, when historically it was the very first plant to ever be cultivated for its fiber, and contains little of the hallucino-
genic chemical THC. Industrial hemp contains 70 percent cellulose which is the product made to create paper, when trees only contain 30 percent, and a big portion of the trees that are cut down are being used for paper. Hemp’s strength can be used as a type of fiberglass that is used to make skateboards, surfboards and even bicycles. The first pressed of the seed oil is used in foods, soaps, cosmetics, and creams, while the second pressed oils are used in paints, fuels, and lubricants. Are Coloradans being ignorant to all that Amendment 64 is really saying? Or are they willing to educate themselves and push past beliefs that it’s just going to give teenagers an excuse to smoke? Lauren Binder
Pro Con
Easier access equals bad results
Supporters of Amendment 64 are raving about how great the passing of this legislation will be for Colorado. No more wasted police resources, a money boost for schools; but are they considering the repercussions? To start with, individuals will be allowed to grow three immature marijuana plants and three mature plants. Even though this law is strictly meant for those that are 21 and over, this means that access will be simply that much easier for minors. If you look at how easily alcohol already flows in Fort Collins regardless of the law, it can be assumed that the situation won’t be that much different with marijuana. What’s to stop a minor from simply walking into a room and taking some of the plant? The law specifies that the marijuana is to be grown in a locked room, but one can imagine how many people are actually going to heed that. Along with the fact that
//Amanda Kriss, artist
marijuana will be easier to obtain for minors, it’s very possible that the lifestyle associated with smoking marijuana will start to become widespread. There have been more than a couple cases of people losing their motivation; all they really care about is the next time that they can smoke. Furthermore, it can be assumed that Colorado will see an increase in marijuana intoxication while driving. While marijuana can be detected on the go with new technology, there is nothing in place but an empty law to deter citizens from driving after smoking a joint. The idea of regulation then comes into play; how is marijuana going to be accurately tracked? Will it be treated like alcohol, the consequences for us-
ing it underage a simple slap on the wrist ultimately regulating nothing? Very rarely, when minors are caught drinking alcohol are they given a serious punishment from to keep them from doing it again. Fines, usually minor, community service and an alcohol awareness course are the most common consequences; if they are even brought to the authorities. It’s very possible that this could be the same situation for marijuana, simply increasing access for those underage. While legalizing marijuana brings in extra income for the state, schools and the utilization of hemp, the complications that arise as a result of Amendment 64 ultimately renders the end as not worth the means. Aaron Yu
photopoll Do you agree with the recent passing of Amendment 64?
“I don’t like it at all. It’s kind of absurd and a little unnecessary.”
Maddie Druse, freshman
“If people want to do that okay, but keep it out of our schools.” Nick Fitzgerald, sophomore
“I don’t have an opinion because I’m not 21 and it doesn’t really affect me.” Owen Erickson, junior
“Doesn’t really bother me. No preference.” Connie Davis, senior
“I don’t want it to be more easily accessible. I don’t care if you’re of legal age, I just don’t think kids understand what it’s laced with.” Laura Druse, language teacher
sports//highlighter
December 14, 2012 \ \ A6
Out with a tear
“
rm
Junior Williams sits out rest of seasons, torn ACL by Cammie Palomino//reporter
An 800-pound club, three sport, year round athlete forced to take a seat on the bench. And the bench, is where junior Dan Williams, will stay. He took the risk of playing three sports as an offensive and defensive lineman, a wrestler, and shot put and discus thrower. Which ended in a torn ACL at the football game on Oct. 11 against Horizon. There will be six months of hard work and visual learning before he is able to get back in the jist of things. “(At first) I wasn’t sure if I tore it or not. I hyper extended my knee and it felt like something popped or broke or something,” Williams said. “I wasn’t too worried about it. When I stood up and tried to put weight back on my foot, my leg just buckled under me so I kinda figured something was bad and hopped off on one foot.” The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is one of the four major knee ligaments. It prevents excessive motion of the knee joint and is crucial for knee stability. Williams was playing special teams for one of the last plays of the game when the tear occurred. “(Doctor Rocci) Trumper (orthopedic surgeon) and Kate (Vardiman) took me into the locker and had me lay down on the floor. Trumper checked my legs, said that it felt really loose, and that it was probably my ACL.” This injury will take him out of wrestling and track in which he
Sugery blues: Junior Dan Williams sits on the exercise bike in the weight room (top). Williams injured his ACL in the late football season and now has to sit out the rest of the year. He had surgery that involved both knees (right) and is working on the healing process. Cammie Palomino
Health//
from page A8 normal person could just be maintaining their normal lifestyle, in comparison to a high level athlete that’s 6-foot-2, it would be around 4,000-plus calories just to maintain.“ Dyer, a Kinesiology major, also stresses the importance of timely calorie consumption. “The post- calories are really important, following that 45 minute rule that within 45 minutes of the activity you have to replace those carbohydrates as quickly as possible,” Dyer said. “If you don’t, you’re really just kind of burning ‘empty’ calories; burning calories that you really don’t have.” Off the court, mat, or field, athletes are having to worry about calories and keeping their bodies in prime condition. On the court though, their bodies and minds are working against them through fatigue and stress; and it takes its toll
physically, mentally and socially. “It (sports) has definitely been tough on my body,” Schiller said. “I don’t have much cartilage left in my ankles, and the time commitment involves a lot of stress. But it’s always worth it.” “My body during the middle of the season is starting to get trashed and kind of wants to stop, but that’s where all the hard pre-season work comes in,” Reger said. “As an athlete you also miss out on hanging out with friends after school and sometimes weekends, and all of your spare time goes to homework and sleep.” With all of the sacrifice and bodily harm it takes to be an athlete, why do so many people continue to live the athletic lifestyle? “I like the atmosphere; it’s so competitive and requires mental toughness,” Reger said. “But what I really love is all of the sweat and hard work that is put into being the best you can be.”
Megan Troutman
Girls Swimming//
Record: 2nd Place on Dec. 4 Stars: Adele Waites Ahead: Dec. 15, Invite
Swim with fins: Junior Andie Kinney swims the butterfly stroke at the City Meet held on Dec. 4. The girls placed second at their last meet on Dec. 6.
Working on: Team Unity Talk: “If we try our hardest we could be really good.” -junior Andie Kinney
Kate Vardiman, Athletic trainer
Any time that you are removed from a season, and not being able
to participate in your sport, especially now (for Dan) it’s his love, and he is not allowed to participate in his love
was predicted to be one of the top contenders in both sports. “I am very upset,” Williams said. “I was hoping for a really good season this year. I guess I just have to work hard this summer and off season, and come back next year. It’s the only thing I can do.” Rehab will be most extensive part of the process. Exercises include ankle pumps, heel slides, half-squats, ankle circles, quadriceps setting, straight leg raising and more. The stationary bike is also one of the major exercises in order to get the knee moving but at the appropriate speed. “I hope rehab goes really well, I want to get back in the weight room fast,” Williams said. “I want to recover quickly for lifting, summer wrestling, football workouts, and all that stuff. So far I’ve just been keeping it straight. I’ve been doing a lot of cycling to get motion going and swelling down. I try not to do too much on it, don’t stress anything.” Vardiman being a high school athletic trainer, knows about ACL tears, especially a non-contact. She knows that the process is long but it is the right thing to do. She wants the rehab to be smart and slowly progress him back into his sports in the upcoming months.
“His athleticism won’t be whatsoever due to his ACL,” Vardiman said. “There could be a potential that he could tear it again but no different than if he’d never torn it before, as long as he rehabs it correctly. It’s only when they’re silly and return really early and as long as he keeps musculature in the normal balance that he needs to be, he is not in any increase risk. As far as sports participation, he should not be limited in anything, once he is completely recovered it would probably take a good year before he could be back at his level. “I feel like an old man,” Williams said. “I can’t run or do much. I’ve learned to just have a better form when doing different things so I don’t leave my knees vulnerable.” Vardiman thinks that the hardest part about anyone who has had an ACL surgery is the patience part of the experience. “He’ll learn patience,” Vardiman said. “Any time that you are removed from a season and not being able to participate in your sport, especially now (for Dan), it is wrestling season, it’s his love, and he is not allowed to participate in his love. He is going to learn patience and learn a different aspect of life.”
Lobo Baseball coach Bullock gives reasons for why he was not hired as Rockies manager Q:
► On Nov. 7, the Colorado Rockies hired Regis High School baseball coach Walt Weiss as their new manager. Rocky baseball coach Scott Bullock (right) answers questions on why he was passed over for that job.
So, are you planning any visit to the Rockies spring training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, to check up on how Weiss is doing? Maybe give him a few tips?
A:
I think that would be fun when we (the Lobo baseball team) go down there to Arizona for our (spring) trip to go see the Rockies. Yes, I am planning on definitely doing that.
Q:
Seriously, because you know Weiss as a coaching colleague and/or rival, what do you think about his hiring as the Rockies new manager?
Q: So, I hear that you are or
were good friends—or at least coaching friends—with new Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss. Now that he has been hired as manager of a major league team, does he still talk with you, still know your name?
A: Yeah, I bet he still knows my
name... I would imagine. We were going to coach on a team together this summer that was going to go to Oklahoma for the Sun Belt Games. Are we the best of friends? No. But are we acquaintances, does he probably still know my name? Yeah, probably.
Q: A year ago, you both had simi-
lar coaching positions—Rocky baseball coach for you and Regis High School baseball coach for Walt Weiss. Looking at both of your resumes, you have four state 5A baseball championships to your credit and Weiss has, what, none? Why didn’t the Rockies hire you as their new manager?
A:
Well, he (Weiss) doesn’t have any state championships, but he has probably, what, 12 years of major league baseball experience as a player and then more in the front office? So,
A:
Highlighter Archives
he’s probably a little bit more qualified for that level than I am. But I’ll take my chances against him coaching high school baseball.
Q:
Weiss will probably make at least million dollars as the Rockies manager this coming season. Not really sure, but is that a pretty good pay raise from being a high school coach?
A:
Actually, I think in order to be successful with the Colorado Rockies you need to be the type of player that Walt Weiss was as a player. He got the most out of his abilities--a very hardnosed player. I think he will be perfect for that organization because they don’t have a lot of talent in the organization right now, so they are going to have to get the most out of what they have, and that’s what Walt did as a player.
Q:
How do you think the club will do under his leadership?
A:
I think he’s doing OK. Yes, that would be a nice pay raise... at least compared to the Poudre School’s coaching stipend.
They still need to find some pitching. They do. But I know I’ll be rooting for him.
As soon as Weiss was hired as the Rockies manager, did you march into the Rocky athletic director’s office and demand a pay raise?
There’s a baseball field in Timnath named after Weiss. Is there a “Scott Bullock Field” somewhere in the future?
Q: A:
Yup, I did. (Athletic Director Wayne) Moddelmog and I had a long conversation about that... and I will make the same amount I did last year.
Q: A:
Obsolutely not. Actually, the PE softball field that is set up on French Field everyday--to play PE softball. I call that Scott Bullock Field.
-Michelle Kennedy
rm
//A7
highlighter\\sports
December 14, 2012
Last senior standing Hennig only returning senior for new season by Alex Creighton//design editor
Most players in sports look forward to their senior year, a chance to be on varsity, added perks of claiming seniority, and, of course, the goofy senior picture. Kelsey Hennig’s senior year is going to a little different than other athlete’s however. Hennig, a four-year basketball player, two of which were spent on varsity, is the only senior on the girl’s basketball team this year. “Last year it was me and another junior; she decided not to play this year, so now it’s just me,” Hennig said. “I’ve played since fourth grade so it was one of those things like why would I quit my last year after all of time I’ve put into it? I’m not a quitter.” In many high school sports, the success of a team can depend on the amount of upperclassmen on the team, who are often looked up for their ability to not
only play well but to lead. “I think people look up to me for advice,” Hennig said. “Especially in the games, but it’s more of ‘I’m not just the only leader now,’ The juniors definitely stepped up and helped out.” The girls’ varsity team has a full roster, and two current juniors, Maddi DeBord and Anna Ernst, both returning varsity players, have stepped up to help lead the team. “We lost five seniors, so we lost a lot of experienced players,” Ernst said. “Kelsey has definitely done a great job at stepping up.” Head coach Tom Matkin agreed. “It’s great to have seniors, but it’s a team sport, each individual is responsible for the direction of the team,” Matkin said. “To be successful, seniors have to be an example of how to lead but everybody else needs to lead as well, and that’s what they’re doing.” One thing’s for sure, though. The team is not letting their lack of seniors affect their play.
Recently, the girls took a trip to California to play in a tournament. They won their first two games and barely lost in the final championship round. They also won their first home game against Liberty High School last Thursday. Overall, their records stands at 5-3. “Our success is all about how hard we can work defensively,” Matkin said. “At our tournament we were scoring 50 points every game, so we know we’ve got it offensively.” Hennig said that while she was disappointed they did not win, they played well and proved to themselves they were capable of having a winning season. “We should have won that game. They came out hard and got ahead by 10 points,” Hennig said. “We were just playing the rest of the game trying to catch them.” “Our basketball ability is hands down better now more than ever,” Matkin said. “Kelsey is a great leader and I know this season is gunna be good.”
Making a stance: Senior Kelsey Hennig (left) defends the basket in the game against Cheyenne Central on Dec. 8. The varsity team sits during a time out to hear advice from head coach Todd Matkin (bottom).
Michelle Kennedy
Alex Creighton
Basketball in learning phase by Ed Kennedy//repoter
Lauren Binder
Dribbling down the court: Senior Michael Dermody runs down the court at the tournament at Fossil Ridge two weekends ago. The Lobos ended up with a loss against Denver South.
Wrestling// from page A8
Hargreaves tells that now they have to have a certified doctor come in and perform multiple test such as hydration test, skin grafts, and urine tests in order for that wrestler to be able to perform in the next match. Also, a formula is given to the wrestler to tell them how much weight the can lose, for the body fat percent to be healthy, and they are given the lowest amount of weight that they can lose throughout the season. “The drive for cutting weight is probably cut down to a lower
weight because the kids who aren’t cutting are going to be lighter than you, so when you cut down, and you make the weight, you are going to gain like five pounds right after you weigh in, which is going to be heavier and harder for them,” Drysdale said. Hargreaves said that even though he is biased, wrestlers make many sacrifices, some that other people aren’t willing to make on their own. “I always tell them even if you don’t make varsity and you come to practice every day, you’re one of the toughest individuals in this school,” Hargreaves said. Pulling down: Senior Danny Clark wrestles with a student from Thompson Valley High School in the past weekends tournament. The varsity team won 1st place. Megan Troutman
It’s like school, only different. For the boys’ basketball team, the classroom is the court and the assignments are the games. And early this season, there’s plenty of learning going on. After two tournaments and six total games, the Lobos are 2-4, only averaging 44.7 points a game and scoring more than 50 points just two times. “I think that we need to come out with a better start, and we also need to be more aggressive,” senior Aaron Hines said. “I feel like we need to look so score more and take more opportunities.” But the season is early and the goals for pre-league play are to figure out team and individual
strengths and weakness and to then focus on areas in need of improvement. The Lobos have been able to get a good idea of where they stand because of their six opponents, five boast winning records and two–ThunderRidge High School and Windsor High School–are ranked in the state’s top 10 in their respective (5A and 4A) classifications. “It gives us and understanding of what the season is going to look like, and what the outcome will be,” sophomore Riley Neal said. Along with the challenge of scoring, the Lobos also have a team issue with size. The tallest player on the varsity team checks in at just 6-foot-3. That creates match up problems at times and could lead to rebounding
deficits. On the learning side, the team’s lack of size means concentrating on the basketball fundamental and individual responsibility of blocking out. Unfortunately, the learning time line for the Lobos is relatively short. Front Range League play starts Dec. 18 against Greeley West High School, and the league overall is stacked with quality teams, including currently undefeated Boulder and Horizon high schools and perennial strong city rival Fossil Ridge. “We are expecting a lot of challenges and especially our size. We have been seeing a lot of really good teams I think we have a pretty good chance at being successful this year,” Neal said.
\\ sports rm highlighter
Athlete
//A8//
December 14, 2012
Architecture
Wrestlers going to weight extremes by Lauren Binder//sports editor
He stares at his Thanksgiving meal. Turkey...mashed potatoes and gravy... green bean casserole... pumpkin pie... with whipped cream... sweet potatoes with brown sugar... overly-buttered rolls... and mom’s homemade cranberry sauce. As he pushes his plate away, his stomach growls. It will remain hungry because he is a wrestler, and needs to make weight for his next match. Out of all of the high school sports, some may argue that wrestlers are willing to put in the most work, and going to acceptable extremes in order to make weight for the chance to participate in the next match. Extremes, such as going vegan. Senior Ben Drysdale has made a life decision to become a vegan to help with his struggle of keeping weight. “I would go home and maybe have a couple ounces of water of something and a couple ounces of chicken and then just not eat anything for the rest of the day, it sucked i had no energy at all,” Drysdale said. Athletes are willing to do a lot to excel in their selected sports. Putting in the time, in the weight room and practice, consuming food and drinks that are going to maximize potential and keep energy during a game or match. “A wrestler works overall body constantly, some other athletes won’t work every single muscle like a wrestler does,” head athletic trainer Kate Vardiman said. How is one person so willing to put in all of this effort just to play a high school sport? Assistant wrestling coach Brad Hargreaves claims that the attitude and drive that coincides with wrestling are some that you will carry on throughout life. “You have to have an aggressive personality,” Hargreaves said. “You have to have a positive mind set to believe that you can beat anybody you step up on the mat against.” “Most wrestlers I know are pretty tough kids,” Vardiman said. “They don’t take things too lightly, they don’t ever quit, they take their workouts seriously and to the maximum, and I think that character gets installed in them throughout life.” There have been many regulations put on wrestlers by CHSAA in Colorado because some of what wrestlers were doing were very unsafe. Including putting on as many clothes and sweats as possible and sweating off the weight that you did not want.
//sports special//
//Jump to Wrestling,
Athletic lifestyle calls for time commitment by Ed Kennedy//reporter
“
As you roll out of bed, you’re greeted with sharp pains in your knees, accompanied by popping and cramping that would drop a normal person to the floor. It doesn’t, Molly Reger, though, because senior you’re an athlete, and pain is in the job description. The athletic lifestyle is one distant from that of a normal person. When others are still sleeping, an athlete is working out; when everyone else is headed home to relax they’re strapping on gear and preparing to compete. “I easily spend 20 plus hours a week (in athletics) when I’m in season,” senior and two sport letterman Justin Schiller said. “Fifteen hours a week in the offseason, and 48 weeks out of the year.” “About nine months out of the year I’m in a sport or training for one,” said senior Molly Reger, who has played volleyball in the past but now plays field hockey, and plays lacrosse and runs track simultaneously in the spring. “I’d say a good 70 percent of my week is dedicated to some sport.” To maintain such a rigorous schedule, athletes must take care of their bodies. Proper diet is a big key to success. “Calorie expenditure is much different between athletes and regular students,” football coach and physical education teacher Mike Dyer said. “1,800 calories in a
About nine months
out of the year I’m in a sport or training for one. I’d say a good 70 percent of my week is dedicated to some sport
//Jump to health,
on A7
on A6
Photo Illustration by Lauren Binder, Ed Kennedy, Amanda Kriss
EDsclusive Ed Kennedy As long as you’re on the court, you’re not safe. No physical danger in the stands though, it’s highly unacceptable for one of the hundreds of students to drop-kick a player. They’ll stay physically unharmed; but mentally be destroyed. Every attempt to score is closely watched by the flock of beady eyes sitting practically on top of the player, waiting for a miss just to scream and jeer away any self confidence before the start of the contest.
\\
School spirit, banter, fuels energy on the basketball court
What else could I be talking about but the basketball season? As a basketball player, it could be your nose, your hair, your eyebrows, maybe even your shoes. Regardless, any student section will find your “flaw” and let you know about it. Easy problem to solve right? Comb your hair, buy some nice kicks, act natural. Wrong. Now your ears are too big, oh and
your Mom never loved you. Like I said, you’re never safe. Really there is no chance at leaving the court feeling too dandy about yourself; and if you’re a Lambkin, Impala, or a Saberkitty, wear some ear plugs and prepare your ego. But really is this such a bad thing? It has become an expectation among basketball players. Surely they don’t take it to heart. It is just a special environment to compete in, created distantly by school pride. School pride is the heartbeat of the
student body, the adhesive that links the school together, and pits us against the rest. Most everyone will remember the ridiculous outfits in the front row, the chants and taunts crisscrossing the gym, and the infamous baby powder incidents. This is what everyone loves about high school sports. Ed Kennedy is a senior reporter for the RM Highlighter and an offensive lineman on the football team.
\\ rmfeatures highlighter
Grant’s Rant
//B1//
December 14, 2012
Lending A Helping
Grant Rotman
a good \\ Beneighbor If it’s the little things in life that count, what could a simple “hello,” “please” or “thank-you” do for the world? Our generation has forgotten the value of good manners and the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We live in a world where we are constantly connected to our friends, family and other acquaintances by cellphone and social networking. It’s the perfect environment to grow sick of one another if we don’t treat each other well. The antidote to this problem is something we once knew, and would do well to learn again—be polite! Putting in the effort to smile at someone in the hallway or compliment them never goes unnoticed. Be a good neighbor and the favor will be returned. Imagine a world where friendly gestures are common and you can always expect to be treated respectfully, even by strangers. Many components factor into how people act and how they treat each other: their situation at home, how they were raised and how others have treated them in return all can affect how one acts toward the people around them. As a result, it is also important to consider this in our judgement are treatment of others. Treat your neighbors well and good neighbors they shall be. Although we are not all literally neighbors, we are in contact almost as much. It may not be a perfect solution in comparison to the issues of our time, but perfect may not be what we need. Maybe simple and easy acts of courtesy are enough to make a difference. I believe in the power of kind gestures and know they can make a much larger impact than one might think. The fact is that people like nice people more; it’s just how we were made. Studies have shown that even a baby will react more positively to someone who is wearing a happy facial expression by smiling back and laughing rather than angry facial expressions, which receive crying and frowning from the infant. Although cheesy, it’s true that frowning takes twice as many muscles as it does to smile. In fact, it takes 26 to smile and 62 to frown—and what teenager doesn’t like the thought of using less energy? Give it a try. Act overly happy and kind to everyone. Disregard your worries for other peoples’ judgement, and see how happy it can actually make you and the people around you. Grant Rotman is a senior and a reporter for the RM Highlighter.
Adopt-A-Family touches community by Alex Creighton//design editor
On Dec. 15, students, teachers, alumni and community volunteers will see the result of weeks of collaboration and planning. Adopt-A-Family is in the air, marking the 17th annual event since its creation in 1995. Jessica McBeth, the girl behind this tradition, came up with this idea her senior year. As a peer counselor, she was required to do some sort of community service project and immediately knew what she wanted to do. “She saw a need,” Pam Kilness, a coun-
//features special//
//Jump to AAF,
Alex Creighton
on B2
Picking out apparel: From left to right, junior Alyssa Franklin, sophomore Kourtney Konn and junior Ambrosia Rogers go through piles of clothing in the San Juan Open Space in search of clothing for their Adopt-A-Family. This event has been a tradition since 1995 when student Jessica McBeth saw a need in the community after working with low-income families at a local clinic.
“
Sleepout raises homelessness awareness by Amanda Kriss//reporter
Sleepout sequence: Above, junior Mark Steininger plays bass at the Sleepout vigil. Below, seniors Lily Schulz and Nathan Maroncelli collect donations for the Homelessness Prevention Initiative.
Amanda Kriss
On her fifteenth birthday, senior Emily Knight was picked up by her parents from a party and told that everything her family owned was in the truck driving her away. As of that day, she was homeless. Since the start of the current financial crisis, the number of homeless or severely impoverished people in the United States has risen significantly. For many families in the Fort Collins community like
Emily Knight, senior
Being homeless once will
screw you over for a long time.
Knight’s, this has proved painfully true as more and more people fall victim to homelessness. “We never had to sleep on the street or anything, but we got really close sometimes,” Knight said. “We would just go from friend’s house to friend’s house.” The vision of homelessness for many consists of a person sleeping in a box on the street corner; Knight says this is not the case at all.
“There is a large population of homeless people who don’t know where they’re going to sleep every night that aren’t sleeping on the streets,” Knight said. Recently, the harsh realities of homelessness in Larimer County were highlighted at the annual “Sleepout” against poverty and homelessness hosted by the Plymouth Congregational Church. This event focuses on
//Jump to Sleepout,
on B2
Christ Clinic provides low-cost care to needy by Isaac Effner//reporter
Every year approximately 15.5 percent of Fort Collins residents go without medical care. To combat this problem and fulfill the needs of those in the community, the newly-opened Christ Clinic will provide free care to those in need. “There was a need in the community and we needed to fill it,” Christ Clinic Director of Volunteers Kathy Simmons said. The Christ Clinic is held at the Faith Evangelical Free Church, just a short distance from Rocky, and has been open for six weeks. It provides free medical care by appointment every Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. “There were three other doctors and I who initially built it,” Medical Director Richard Simmons said. “Ini-
//Jump to Clinic,
on B3
Cammie Palomino
Charitable care and kindness: Christ Clinic doctor Rich Simmons takes a patient’s blood pressure. The clinic is open every Monday night and provides free medical care by appointment to anyone who needs it. Various community members have donated their time and finances to help make medical care a reality for those who cannot afford it.
features//highlighter
December 14, 2012 \ \ B2
rm
Captivating custodian Leeper possesses background rich with life experiences by Grant Rotman//reporter
You may not know the stories behind those who you pass in the hall each day, but they might just be far more interesting than you would imagine. Custodian Steve Leeper is a prime example of someone whose history outside school walls might surprise you. Leeper has worked for the Poudre School District for 19 years, six of which were spent here. “After my first 10 years working for the district I left for 10 years to be a master woodworker,” Leeper said. After 10 years in the woodworking world, the company that Leeper was working for shut down, leaving him with few options–one of which was to return to the district. In addition to being a master woodworker, Leeper has worked as a boat builder constructing luxury yachts using the skills he acquired in various universities. Leeper built his first boat from the Popular Mechanics magazine when he was ten years old, which he called a “clinker” and is still on the water today. “The Popular Mechanics magazine had little project in every issue that people could make in their backyards, even airplanes!” Leeper said. “But I didn’t want to fly.”
//staff feature//
“
The chal-
lenge of repeating daily custodial work is that you return each day to see your work has been undone.
Steve Leeper, custodian
Leeper worked for two large boat companies and helped start many smaller companies during the twenty years he spent as a production manager. “Building boats is a very complicated process and when you’re building a boat mathematics are very important,” Leeper said. “‘We’ll make it magic’ was a common phrase when you were talking about the magic of offsets (increments boat makers use when designing vessels).” Leeper was born in 1945 in Riverside, Calif. right after what he joked to be the first ice age and then grew up in Newport Beach. Until 1966, Leeper attended Orange Coast Junior College and then joined the army to fight in Vietnam for a year. “I have a strong family tradition of volunteering in the military during wars,” Leeper said. “I was in Vietnam for one year and it helped me decide that war was not my thing. You never get over it.”
Sleepout// from page B1
increasing awareness of the reality of homelessness and raising money for the Homelessness Prevention Initiative, a local organization aiming to prevent people from falling into homelessness. Senior Lily Schulz participated in the event and helped to plan this year’s Sleepout for the fourth year in a row. “It gives you a more accurate view of how stressful and how hard it actually is to be in that type of situation,” Schulz said. “I mean you can’t really get the whole experience of the desperation and the hopelessness of sleeping out. But you can kind of understand how homeless people are affected by not having a home and the impact that has on them.” During the event, people from local
Leeper served in covert operations, but stated he never goes into detail about exactly what he did. After the war, Leeper returned to California where he met his wife whom he married three weeks later–43 years later
they are still together. Now, Leeper and his wife have four kids (two sons and two daughters), 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Leeper is the lead nighttime custodian and admits that it’s a
faith communities joined together to estimated to reach $15,000. learn about what it means to be below In past Sleepouts, participants faced the poverty line. Throughout the night, sub-zero temperatures with nothing more participants engaged in various activities than their box and a sleeping bag. Luckall culminating in sleeping ily, the nighttime low was Homelessness in a box outside in freezing far more temperate this ► On any given night, temperatures. year, only dropping to 37 over 400,000 people in the “We aren’t going to end degrees. US are homeless poverty. Unfortunately, I “When you say the word ► HPI assisted about 900 families in 2011 just don’t think it’s going to hypothermia, you think ► Over 1000 students in happen,” Bryan Tribby, a twenty below zero,” Tribby PSD are homeless HPI homelessness survivor and said. “Well most of the speaker at the Sleepout, said. hypothermia deaths in the “What we can do is make US occur between 45-55 sure people do not have to die on the degrees fahrenheit. It’s not even below street.” freezing and people can die.” At Plymouth alone, this year the event This night served as a tremendous eye raised almost $8,000 that benefitted the opener for those who participated. But the Homelessness Prevention Initiative. The fight to end homelessness doesn’t end with combined total of the other churches is one night; it continues on for many in the
AAF//
from page B1 selor and organizer of AdoptA-Family said. “She worked at a clinic that served low-income families and she thought it would be great if we could help them.” McBeth graduated and moved on, but made sure to leave all the forms for the teachers who desperately wanted to host the event again the following year. “The teachers who had been involved really liked it and different staff people jumped in,” Kilness said. “Student Council and Peers have been involved since the beginning in various ways, and lots of kids from homeroom classrooms.”
Aaron Yu
Clean Corridors: Head nighttime custodian Steve Leeper cleans the hallways after school. Before his job at the school, Leeper worked as a boat builder, woodworker and fought in the Vietnam War.
Molly Reger
Building Boxes: Junior Selena Olivas and other students tape boxes together in preparation for Adopt-A-Family. Distribution of items will occur on Saturday Dec. 15.
The miracle of Adopt-AFamily is that it is completely volunteer led, organized and executed.
“It’s all volunteer work,” Joan Ruberry, another organizer and head leader of Adopt-A-Family said. “I’m semi-retired. I’m not supposed to be here, but I am working on Adopt-a-Family.” That seems to be the general sentiment around the school; students everywhere can be seen bringing in hundreds of clothes, household items, toys and other necessities to help those in-need celebrate the holiday season. For senior Devon Miller, Adopt-a-Family is not only a service project, but a holiday tradition. “I’ve helped the last two years,” Miller said. “The first year I volunteered at the crafts table and last year as a team leader. If I
difficult job sometimes. “The challenge of repeating daily [custodial] work is that you return each day to see your work has been undone,” Leeper said. “It’s only 285 days out of the year though, so it’s not too bad.”
Fort Collins community. “Our problems didn’t end when we got our house,” Knight said. “Being homeless once will screw you over for a long time.” It is important to remember that the issue of homelessness is complex. According to Tribby, some people choose to live on the street and don’t want to live within the system. It’s true that some don’t want to deal with the obligations of a job or home and are content with their situation in life. But, he adds, there is more to the issue than just that. “When our cats and dogs look better than human beings, I think there’s something fundamentally wrong with that,” Tribby said. “We can do better, and the fact that these young people are doing [the Sleepout] gives me hope that we can do better.”
would have been allowed to work freshman year, I would have been there as well.” Families that are adopted come from a variety of backgrounds and are suggested by counselors and social workers in the community. “This year we’ll have several families whose houses burned down in the fire,” Kilness said. “We’ve had a woman whose husband was killed in a car accident and she was injured to where couldn’t work and she just had had a baby. We’ve had people who had been homeless so this was a way to start their house. Last year we had two grandmothers who had taken in their grandchildren and just didn’t
have a lot.” This program also helps people directly in the school community. “Every year we take care of some Rocky kids who are going out on their own. We’ve probably got three this year,” Kilness said. “People don’t realize there are 16, 17, 18-year old Rocky students who are pretty much in charge of their own lives.” For most volunteers, AdoptA-Family is a perfect opportunity to make a difference in the community. “I love Adopt-A-Family so much,” Miller said. “Just being able to make someone’s holiday like that makes me happy. Why wouldn’t I be involved?”
rm
//B3 Students take advantage of early graduation
highlighter\\features
December 14, 2012
Charismatic companions: Senior Emilie Boland poses with her teammates after dancing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Boland was one of 14 dancers from Colorado to attend the parade; however, she was the only performer from north of Denver.
by Megan Troutman//limelight editor
A dancer’s dream Courtesy of Stacey Bennett
Boland performs in Macy’s Day Parade by Michelle Kennedy//features editor
Over 50 million citizens around the United States sit down on Thanksgiving morning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and this year, senior Emilie Boland participated in this American tradition. Boland was afforded this opportunity through a dance camp at CSU with the Universal Dance Association that she attended over the summer. “At the end of the camp, they pick people who had good showmanship, that were good dancers and who had good leadership,” Boland said. “Then those people got invited to the Macy’s Day Parade.” Dance team coach Caitlin Cassel describes Emilie as an involved and dependable leader. In addition to dancing, Emilie is also involved in various other extracurricular activities such as Peers and choir. “I think that Emilie’s greatest strength as a dancer is her energy, ► Emilie spirit and showmanship,” Cassel Boland said. “She puts 110 percent into every routine, sideline and halftime performance. Her technique is a great asset to our team, but we would
//student feature//
Clinic//
from page B1 tially in the summer months we recruited doctors and nurses through word of mouth in churches. Then doctors told other people around their work sites.” From infants to adults, the clinic provides free medical care to all ages. “We do the same kind of things as a family clinic,” Kathy said. “We do everything from cold and flu care to child care. We take care of infections and we also take blood tests. Basically we do anything that a primary care provider would do. We usually see about 12-18 patients every Monday.” The clinic is staffed completely by volunteers who come from 18 different churches in the Fort Collins area. “We have about 100 volunteers who help with everything from setup and take down and we also have doctors, chaplains and nurses,” Kathy said. “We also accept donations to help with medical supplies and we could definitely use more volunteers.”
not be as strong of a team if it wasn’t for her smile, energy and power she puts into every move.” Boland, who is also captain of Rocky’s dance team, got to dance with the Varsity Spirit Squad in New York City at the beginning of the parade as well as make the nine mile trek along the parade route. According to junior and younger brother Luke Boland, Emilie has always been an up-and-coming star. “Dance has always come naturally to her,” Luke said. “Ever since she was little she has been the star of the dance team. It’s been cool to see how it has progressed since she was little because I used to go to her shows, and I always thought that they were a lot of fun. She has always been really dedicated to dance and it has always been her main thing. It has been cool to see it progress all the way up to the Macy’s Day Parade.” Emile’s mother and grandmother were in the crowd to cheer for her throughout the parade. “I was hoping that I would be able to see them [in the crowd] while I was walking,” Emilie said. “It was just cool knowing that some of the people in the crowd were there just to see me. It was really nice having them there.” Although Luke was unable to go to New York to watch Emilie in person, he says that he caught a glimpse of her on TV. “I glimpsed her for a second, but we didn’t really get to see her that much,” Luke said. “I think it was an awesome opportunity for her to go to the Macy’s Day Parade. It was probably once in a lifetime.”
The doctors and nurses that work at Christ Clinic come from private practices and hospitals that were recruited through both the church and word of mouth. “One of the doctors I work with presented it as a job to anyone interested,” volunteer nurse and Rocky parent Connie Buitendorp said. “I saw it as an opportunity to strengthen my faith and help those without care. I feel Christ Clinic is a great cause. Everyone is busy, but it is only one day a month and it’s no problem.” After a recent Coloradoan article, the number of patients that visit the clinic each Monday has increased. “Before the article we got about four to seven patients a night,” Richard said. “After the word got out through the Coloradoan, the number of patients we got increased from 11 to 17. We can’t handle a larger volume right now, but we’re getting there. We’re on the south side of town, so we’ve talked about opening a clinic on the north side maybe once or twice a month. However,
it’s too early to say right now.” The mission of the Christ Clinic is to provide spiritual and medical care to those who are helpless due to lack of access to
When I grow up I want to be a firefighter… I want to be a doctor when I grow up… I want to travel the world when I’m older… Ever since kindergarten, people have been moved by their dreams. Most dreams change constantly in life, so it becomes difficult to have ►Kaitlynn Hersh a clear picture of what people want to do in the future. Some dreams last for a week, others a lifetime. Junior Kaitlynn Hersh had a dream in the eighth grade, and has been pursuing it ever since. One huge step towards her dream was deciding to graduate early this year. ►Andrew Ferkiss “In eighth grade I made the decision that the Air Force was my calling and I’ve worked towards that goal since then,” Hersh said. “When I realized I could graduate a year early it was like a shortcut to my dream.” In addition to Hersh there are thirty-nine other students graduating early this year. “I want to do something exciting, that takes me places, and if I like [the Air Force] well enough I might stay longer,” Hersh said, “but if I don’t like it after those four years, I plan on going to college to become a pathologist.” Another student following their dream and graduating Early Graduation early is junior Andrew FerStatistics kiss. His dream is different ► 40 students will than Hersh’s, but is becomgraduate early this year ing more realistic as he takes ► 3 seniors graduated after first quarter steps towards finishing school ► 22 seniors will graduearly. ate at semester “I chose to graduate early ► 5 seniors will gradubecause high school is not ate at third quarter the right place for me both ► 10 juniors will gradusocially and educationally,” ate at the end of the Ferkiss said. “I intend to, paryear don my language, get the hell out of the educational system, and go backpacking across the Pacific Northwest, mainly around Seattle. I want to end up in Switzerland. I actually want to be a dairy farmer in Switzerland for at least some of my life.” One of last year’s semester graduates, Colby Thomas, does not regret graduating early at all. “I was down in Ecuador for three months to volunteer in orphanages, special needs houses and other shelters,” Thomas said. “To be honest, I don’t think I would’ve gotten into my college if I hadn’t graduated early. I’m at BYU right now, and they look highly on service. So if it had not been my 600 plus hours of service I did down in Ecuador, I wouldn’t have really gotten in.” Every person has their own reasoning behind their actions. Some people graduate early to leave the education system, and others follow their hearts to chase their dreams.
health care and to provide care without qualification or cost. “The community at Rocky and parents should know that care is available and free,” Kathy said.
“We don’t ask for any proof of income and we don’t ask for any proof of immigration status. We see anyone who walks through the door.”
rm
R IL PG SN NI AK UA P I BN K C I T UI O December 14, 2012 S T G E O M E T L H D O T S I E G A L WY HR Y N A Y HO AS ED C N AO R L I S S HE GF L U L L L U L S A E S N GG TL U L W M E C F A S I R B E T D W I IC SR LC I Y O N B I A M C E T C E N KE C N E W L T SO EP RN AJ CA SS M I M I N N I E O M B O U M I N N I E M O U S E R A C S N P O AI LT A A D C UD DI E N H H OO S C C E O N R IO KL AA I E NA U R N R H B L B E I U M O IL G K Find A Ithe following N B L B E I U O L G N I words in the puzzle… L C G R C H E M I S T R E Y OY OMDSE YDT NL OH D Things I N to E do I E G A L W SH T Y G N A E G A L W H Y N A Y O S ART D ALADDIN N O CALCULATOR BAMBI before the CALCU N O S U B J E C T S I H W O A DICTIO T S BE EF TU CHEMISTRY U S world O P ends L Ton CINDERELLA DUMBO L W M E C SF G A CARDINAL S IU R DL W L EW L M EO CR F I A T S PI C R BO EM EDUCATION T ED BW U C P ENGLISH GEOGR JASMINE JIMINY 12/21/12: CRICKET T E K C I R C Y N I M I J L E L O B T O P N HIGHSCHOOL J A S M I N HISTORY E W MOWGLI C O L I T N MINNIE OE TW MOUSE L T A 10. Ride a Narwhal. LAPTO B M TK O P D SN NEJ ARA A S CM M I N L N AIO E OH U S LEARNINGPAN LIBRARY SCIENC SCAR L AC A DU UD I RI RNN RH H O C 9. LBecome E aApirate. S EC MI I R O L R TPO IA L PETER A E H A E P A SUBJECTS 8. Only wear footie I O R O NL I A KE AA IU NR SPIRIT N STITCH R H B L B E E IM U O L G T I R I B LK H C D OI G pajamas. SP TS GN E A O UM PE T N E I T H G Y E O M YE OT SL DH ND OI Then N " E__ Ithe__ use__ leftover fill__ in the and secre __ __letters __ to__ __ blanks __ 7. __Get __a discover __tattoo. __the __ _ E G A SL W N A face N O Y R O T S I H A E C A R BAMBI L ALADDIN BELLE S G T U S E F U L U S O P L T Prank __ __ __ __ __ __ __6. __ __ call __ North __ .Korea " G FT A U SS IE RF BU CINDERELLA L TU DS WO __ P __ L __ T__ __ GOOFY L W M SE EC E __ __L __DUMBO __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ N G L I S H G L L L A __A__ E__ __ __ __ 5. Knock over T E KJASMINE C I R C –Y __N__ IJIMINY M __ I __J __ L__ __ E CRICKET KING LOUIE Stonehenge. E P K N CN IJ E A R I SC CMY SIN N I EM I O J BL A E __C __ R L I W G C L O B T T EO __ ! MINNIE MOUSE __ __ __ __MOWGLI MULAN 4. Box with a Kangaroo. P A L A D D I N H O C L E A S SNOWaway WHITE O I UH D C Y Y PO NR A O L L A D 3. Gamble life RCE HLH E OA SS SCAR E M I AT EDA AI CUN PETER R NOPAN STITCH savings. Find the following words in the puzzle… S T G E O M E T L H D I N E I 2. Make a list about ART ALADDIN CALCULATOR " __ __BAMBI __ __ __ __ __CALCULUS __ __ __ __BELLE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ buckets. ALADDIN BAMBI BELLE DICTIONARY SCARDINAL G T U S E CINDERELLA F U LCHEMISTRY U S O P DUMBO L T GOOFY __ __ __ __ __ GOOFY __ __ __ GEOGRAPHY __ __ __ __ __ __ __ . " 1. Destroy Shane CINDERELLA DUMBO EDUCATION ENGLISH JASMINE JIMINY CRICKET KING LOUIE Wagner’s freak flag. LAPTOPS JASMINE CRICKET KING LOUIE THIGHSCHOOL E K C I R C JIMINY Y NHISTORY I M – I__ J__ __ L __E __ __ __ __ __ MINNIE MOUSE MOWGLI MULAN LEARNING LIBRARY MINNIE MOUSE MOWGLI MULAN SCIENCE Isaac Effner and Raven Dixon PETER PAN SCAR SNOW WHITE SUBJECTS PSPIRIT A L A D D I N H O C L E A S PETER PAN SCAR SNOW WHITE STITCH STITCH Then use the leftover letters to fill in the blanks and discover the secret message…
B6 \\
B
L
B
E
Hidden Message Search//highlighter limelight Hidden Message Word SearchWord
Games & Amusements Hidden Message Word Search
Hidden Message Word Search
Top Ten
" __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ " __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ BAMBI BELLE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , *Turn in completed puzzle to room 528 by Dec. 20 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __GOOFY __ __ __ __ __ __ __ . " entered in a drawing for prizes! Winners will to be LA__ __ __ __ __ DUMBO __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ . " __ __ __ __ __ ! be recognized in the next edition on the games page. JIMINY–CRICKET __ __ __ __ __ __ __ KING __ __LOUIE November issue winner: Jacob Haase – __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
OUSE N
MOWGLI SCAR
MULAN SNOW WHITE
The Freshmen __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
_ __ __ __ __ __
__ __
Stocking prep: Clarinet Choir (left) performs at the Barnes and Noble holiday fundraiser in preparation for the upcoming Holiday Stocking. Multiple small groups will be playing at the Stocking on Dec. 17 at the Lincoln Center.
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ . "
__ __ __ __ __ __
Stocking// from page B8
by Branson Hoog
Study//
from page B8 bucks, I’ve just always gone there.” It’s easy for students to find little distractions at home, but harder to clean or snack on food in a local café. “There’s the T.V., parents asking questions, no motivation,” Croteau said, listing off home distractions. Schulz and Croteau both realize that free wireless internet is important for students when it comes to studying. Most students’ homework these days requires the internet for research. Any coffee shop or study space with internet access makes it an easy choice over the others. The Alley Cat falls perfectly into this category. The manager of the
Jazz//
from page B8 Duke Ellington’s ‘Cottontail’ along with newer jazz compositions.” The choir will be surrounded by many jazz artists, educators and school groups to absorb new musical ideas. Groups attending this event will gain a lot from this experience. “We have serious pressure to learn and polish our repertoire very
café, Richard Newman, makes it all possible. “(My favorite part) has to be interacting with the customers,” Newman said. “I love working behind the bar and getting to talk to people and meeting new people every day.” Newman works behind the counter part time, but is also responsible for managing employees, money, cleaning and maintenance, and making sure each customer has a good experience. “It’s the owners vision to make it a community environment where different types of people can come in and interact with each other. It’s a place that’s a little more comfortable than the normal environments they
may be in,” Newman said. The Alley Cat has free wireless internet, good music, as well as great ways to take breaks. “We have guitars that anyone can just grab off the wall and strum for a little bit if they want to. We also have a patio so (students) can get fresh air,” Newman said. “Then each area of the Alley Cat has a different atmosphere. We’ve got some places that are a little more private, then a few tables that are bigger for group studying.” The Alley Cat is just one example of a comfortable studying environment. Studying away from home is a great way to get more work accomplished for the upcoming finals.
early, and each rehearsal has become that much more crucial to ensure we represent Colorado and high school vocal jazz groups well,” Falk said. The festival is from Jan. 2-5, plenty of time to gather advice from other jazz related groups from all around the nation. “This festival is definitely a big deal and we’re all really excited to
be the only high school group performing this year,” Brown said. Spotlight has been working long and hard to adjust, learn and grow as a group to prepare themselves for this huge opportunity and the work will definitely pay off. “(There are) so many different opportunities that present themselves,” Brown said. “It’s overall just a really great program.”
taught here a long time ago, and I’ve been in this area and taught in the district, so I’ve known about the Stocking, but have never been able to be a part of it.” This concert, which usually sells out the 1,180-seat performance hall, is not something the music department throws together in December. “We start planning this in the summer,” Cropp said. “For music and different groups, we start preliminarily plans usually before we start school. So in essence we really spend six months, but intensive work on it, probably around three months. It’s a big event.” A lot of work is put in organizing where the groups are supposed to be performing in the theater and when. Not all the groups perform on the big stage in the Lincoln Center Performance Hall. A lot of small groups perform out in the audience under a spotlight, adding surroundsound excitement to the overall show. The audience does not know what to expect next, and where the next group will be situated. “We have regular department meetings where we work together to discuss what’s going to be best for the flow,” Hohweiler said. The Stocking pulls the community together, which is another reason why this event is so big. Many families around town as well as alumni have been going to the concert for years, never getting tired of the surprises embedded in the performances. Sophomore Kira Pratt, who has been an audience member in years
Amanda Kriss
past, is excited to be a performer in the Stocking for the first time. “I have gone to the Stocking concert since middle school but this is my first time being in it,” Pratt said. She will be playing in both a choir and band ensemble, as well as performing a solo before the show out in the lobby. “I’m going to play guitar and sing a Christmas song by Stevie Wonder,” Pratt said. “I’ve been singing since I was a little kid, and I’ve played guitar for four or five years.” It is always exciting to watch the performance, but being in the concert is a whole new experience. “We can move around back stage where the audience doesn’t see us (which) is kind of fun,” Cropp said. After this performance, Pratt and Hohweiler will have experienced being in the audience as well as being part of the show. “(I’m most excited for) just being on the other side of it because I’ve been in the audience, but it’ll be so much fun to actually be in the show this year,” Pratt said. This holiday concert has a plethora of Christmas tunes ranging from traditional music to songs from the Nutcracker, as well as melodies full of surprises. “I think it’s a really cool way to bring in the holiday season,” Hohweiler said. “It’s a really cool thing that Rocky does, and I think that it’s a signature of Rocky’s music department. I don’t know any other schools that do something like this. I’m excited to be a part of it because it’s a really great tradition. It’s going to be great.”
rmhighlighter\\center spread
B4 \\ December 14, 2012
December 14, 2012
DOOMSDAY
//B5
Experts say Mayan end of world theory unlikely by Aaron Yu// reporter
Machine guns. Hand grenades. Swords, knives and spears. A gallon of water per person per day and food sources with a preferably long shelf life. Just a few supplies one will need to survive the apocalypse. No one knows what’s going to happen on the predicted doomsday date of Dec. 21, 2012. Zombies, perhaps? Maybe all the volcanoes on earth will erupt at the same time while a meteor the size of the moon collides with the Atlantic Ocean, turning the whole globe into a cataclysmic firestorm-esque hurricane. There is a very small possibility--a tiny
“
Mark Van Stone, professor and Mayan expert
I believe the chance of the world ending on the 21st is the same as any other day.
beam of hope--that everyone will wake up completely fine on Dec. 22. The Mayan Calendar theory, however, predicts that because this 5,125-year-old calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, it marks the end of the world. There are arguments by experts that say the calendar didn’t account for leap years, that it simply marks the end of a Mayan cycle or that it’s a calendar shift just as December goes to January. “I believe the chance of the world ending
on the 21st is the same as any other day,” said author, speaker and Mayan expert Mark Van Stone in an exclusive interview with the RM Highlighter. Van Stone, a professor at Southwestern College in Kansas, went on to say that if the Mayans predicted the end of the world, they would have left instructions on what to do. “In the future, we’re going to have politicians who tell lies, we’re going to have wars and people starving, but that prophecy is meaningless,” Van Stone said. “It’s no good
to you because we know that it’s going to happen, but we don’t know what to do about it.” NASA scientist Don Yeomans commented to MSNBC regarding his theory on the Mayan Calendar phenomenon. To the subscribers of the Mayan Calendar, he said that much like the modern calendar ends on Dec. 31 and starts a new cycle, the end of the 5,125-year cycle was marked on the Mayan Calendar. “It would be like saying that our calendar ends Dec. 31, and that's the end of time, the end of days, that's it, no regard for how a new cycle would begin,” Yeomans said. On the other side of the argument, there
are virtually no well-known and respected scientists who are pushing the validity of the Mayan Calendar theory. Besides the coincidental end of the calendar, there is scarce solid evidence that suggests the world is to end on Dec. 21, 2012. “[The predictions] are really based on nothing but the fear that people have that something is going on,” Van Stone said. The most probable outcome of Dec. 21 is that humans will wake up on Dec. 22 and feel silly that they thought the world was going to end. There is, however, a shadow of a doubt. Regardless of whether or not the world ends, just remember that the easiest way to kill a zombie is to destroy the brain.
Media industry turns to apocalyptic scenarios by Cam Chorpenning// editor-in-chief
The entertainment industry has always catered to what audiences want, what will sell; but strangely enough, one of the most popular themes in television, film and video games has become the destruction of the human race. As more and more theories surrounding “end of days” scenarios surface, it seems as though people have become attracted to the notion of a postapocalyptic world. This attraction manifests itself in what has become one of the most recognized pop culture icons--the zombie. Television shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead, films like 28 Days Later, books like World War Z (which has recently been adapted as a film) and a vast array of video games have all centered around this undead creature that multiplies and eventually takes over the Earth, devouring and infecting helpless humans in the process. Senior Zach Alvarez, who starred in the upcom-
ing independent zombie film Genesis believes that the intrigue associated with zombies and a zombie apocalypse stems to a certain degree from the opportunity such an event would afford people the ability and opportunity to return to their basest, most natural instincts and way of life. “I think people like those movies because they want to be in that situation of chaos and freedom,” Alvarez said. “In that situation you have absolute freedom, and you can do whatever you want pretty much without any authority telling you not to. It’s pretty much just like a ‘fend for yourself ’ kind of thing. It’s the thrill of trying to survive.”
Alvarez also suggests that part of the reason people are intrigued by the zombie apocalypse scenario is because it seems more realistic. In most films and other media zombies are people who have been infected by a virus that spreads through bodily fluids such as saliva transmitted through a bite. Because it relies on an epidemic rather than supernatural forces, the notion of a zombie apocalypse is closer to reality in that the world is constantly experiencing the outbreaks of various diseases. Alvarez has done some research into this and discovered different theories on the spread of a “zombie disease.”
“It’s kind of like the first zombie idea is that it’s rabies pretty much,” Alvarez said. “If you had rabies mixed with something else and spread it over a vast population it could be possible.” Additionally, some of the appeal could lie in the fact that such a catastrophic event inevitably turns certain characters into leaders, and Alvarez believes that, to some, it becomes a fantasy to assume such a role. “Even me sometimes, I think, ‘what if I could lead a group and just kill zombies and just survive.’ If you think about it, it could be kind of cool.” This could potentially explain why zombies have become so prominent an element in video games-the game allows players to take on the role of a zombie-killing machine, destroying hordes of the undead and becoming a hero--a virtual hero that is. But therein lies the reason that people have flocked to the zombie apocalypse theme in media; nearly everyone wants to be a hero.
TOP FOUR SURVIVAL METHODS:
Real-life measures taken to avoid the apocalypse
1. Entrepreneur Larry Hall has designed “survival condos” from a 14 story deep
abandoned missile silo in rural Kansas, each condo costing upwards of $2 million. The condo complex includes an indoor pool, a movie theatre and a minor surgery center.
2. Underground Shelter Network Vivos’ seven underground survival structures
are each able to house 6,000 people and cost from $9,000 (economy) to $85,000 (luxury). Vivos’ complexes provide six months worth of supplies and contain a “cryovault program” which holds various DNA samples for the eventual repopulation of the surface.
3. The Atlas Survival Shelter company offers personal doomsday bunkers at ap-
proximately $60,000, complete with a ventilation system, electric toilet and full furnishings.
4. “My food storage” survival kits costing $229.99 for two weeks worth of food
and other miscellaneous survival supplies.
Doomsdays Throughout HIstory December 21 2012The last day on the Mayan 5,125 year “Long Count Calendar,” has led people to believe in a possible end of the world scenario including: ● Collision with mythical planet “Nibiru” as proposed by Nancy Leider who founded “Zeta Talk” and is a self-described Contactee who receives messages from Extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain ● A belief that Earth will collide with the “Sagittarius A” black hole Both astronomers and Mayan-scholars have called theories pseudoscience.
May 21 2011 and October 21 2012-
Christian Radio Broadcaster Harold Camping predicted through “bible interpretation” that the Christian Rapture would occur on May 21, 2011. When the date passed uneventfully he declared that he had misinterpreted the bible and the actual rapture would occur on October 21, 2012.
Isaac Effner
1999-2000The year 2000 (Y2K) proposed a problem for digital storage systems that only recorded the year through two digits instead of four. Some believed that computers would be reset to 1900 and crash causing power plants to meltdown, nuclear weapons to launch and the collapse of civilization. The crisis was averted by expanding year recordings by two years.
1993Branch Davidians under known pedophile David Koresh believed in an inevitable end time and began stockpiling weapons in a compound near Waco, Texas. Conflicts and violence with the FBI led to a 51 day siege and the burning of the compound reportedly started by Koresh, killing 83 members.
1967-1969Charles Manson and his “family” believed in a “race war” after which he would become the ruler of the world from his underground city in Death Valley, California. Manson attempted to spark the war by blaming brutal murders in Los Angeles on Black Panthers but was arrested in October 1969, and sentenced to life in prison.
1945Following the wake of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, many feared a nuclear holocaust that would exterminate the human race.
1910The arrival of Halley's Comet led people to believe that poisonous gas from the comet’s tail would poison the Earth’s air killing all life on Earth. Isaac Effner
rmhighlighter\\center spread
B4 \\ December 14, 2012
December 14, 2012
DOOMSDAY
//B5
Experts say Mayan end of world theory unlikely by Aaron Yu// reporter
Machine guns. Hand grenades. Swords, knives and spears. A gallon of water per person per day and food sources with a preferably long shelf life. Just a few supplies one will need to survive the apocalypse. No one knows what’s going to happen on the predicted doomsday date of Dec. 21, 2012. Zombies, perhaps? Maybe all the volcanoes on earth will erupt at the same time while a meteor the size of the moon collides with the Atlantic Ocean, turning the whole globe into a cataclysmic firestorm-esque hurricane. There is a very small possibility--a tiny
“
Mark Van Stone, professor and Mayan expert
I believe the chance of the world ending on the 21st is the same as any other day.
beam of hope--that everyone will wake up completely fine on Dec. 22. The Mayan Calendar theory, however, predicts that because this 5,125-year-old calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, it marks the end of the world. There are arguments by experts that say the calendar didn’t account for leap years, that it simply marks the end of a Mayan cycle or that it’s a calendar shift just as December goes to January. “I believe the chance of the world ending
on the 21st is the same as any other day,” said author, speaker and Mayan expert Mark Van Stone in an exclusive interview with the RM Highlighter. Van Stone, a professor at Southwestern College in Kansas, went on to say that if the Mayans predicted the end of the world, they would have left instructions on what to do. “In the future, we’re going to have politicians who tell lies, we’re going to have wars and people starving, but that prophecy is meaningless,” Van Stone said. “It’s no good
to you because we know that it’s going to happen, but we don’t know what to do about it.” NASA scientist Don Yeomans commented to MSNBC regarding his theory on the Mayan Calendar phenomenon. To the subscribers of the Mayan Calendar, he said that much like the modern calendar ends on Dec. 31 and starts a new cycle, the end of the 5,125-year cycle was marked on the Mayan Calendar. “It would be like saying that our calendar ends Dec. 31, and that's the end of time, the end of days, that's it, no regard for how a new cycle would begin,” Yeomans said. On the other side of the argument, there
are virtually no well-known and respected scientists who are pushing the validity of the Mayan Calendar theory. Besides the coincidental end of the calendar, there is scarce solid evidence that suggests the world is to end on Dec. 21, 2012. “[The predictions] are really based on nothing but the fear that people have that something is going on,” Van Stone said. The most probable outcome of Dec. 21 is that humans will wake up on Dec. 22 and feel silly that they thought the world was going to end. There is, however, a shadow of a doubt. Regardless of whether or not the world ends, just remember that the easiest way to kill a zombie is to destroy the brain.
Media industry turns to apocalyptic scenarios by Cam Chorpenning// editor-in-chief
The entertainment industry has always catered to what audiences want, what will sell; but strangely enough, one of the most popular themes in television, film and video games has become the destruction of the human race. As more and more theories surrounding “end of days” scenarios surface, it seems as though people have become attracted to the notion of a postapocalyptic world. This attraction manifests itself in what has become one of the most recognized pop culture icons--the zombie. Television shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead, films like 28 Days Later, books like World War Z (which has recently been adapted as a film) and a vast array of video games have all centered around this undead creature that multiplies and eventually takes over the Earth, devouring and infecting helpless humans in the process. Senior Zach Alvarez, who starred in the upcom-
ing independent zombie film Genesis believes that the intrigue associated with zombies and a zombie apocalypse stems to a certain degree from the opportunity such an event would afford people the ability and opportunity to return to their basest, most natural instincts and way of life. “I think people like those movies because they want to be in that situation of chaos and freedom,” Alvarez said. “In that situation you have absolute freedom, and you can do whatever you want pretty much without any authority telling you not to. It’s pretty much just like a ‘fend for yourself ’ kind of thing. It’s the thrill of trying to survive.”
Alvarez also suggests that part of the reason people are intrigued by the zombie apocalypse scenario is because it seems more realistic. In most films and other media zombies are people who have been infected by a virus that spreads through bodily fluids such as saliva transmitted through a bite. Because it relies on an epidemic rather than supernatural forces, the notion of a zombie apocalypse is closer to reality in that the world is constantly experiencing the outbreaks of various diseases. Alvarez has done some research into this and discovered different theories on the spread of a “zombie disease.”
“It’s kind of like the first zombie idea is that it’s rabies pretty much,” Alvarez said. “If you had rabies mixed with something else and spread it over a vast population it could be possible.” Additionally, some of the appeal could lie in the fact that such a catastrophic event inevitably turns certain characters into leaders, and Alvarez believes that, to some, it becomes a fantasy to assume such a role. “Even me sometimes, I think, ‘what if I could lead a group and just kill zombies and just survive.’ If you think about it, it could be kind of cool.” This could potentially explain why zombies have become so prominent an element in video games-the game allows players to take on the role of a zombie-killing machine, destroying hordes of the undead and becoming a hero--a virtual hero that is. But therein lies the reason that people have flocked to the zombie apocalypse theme in media; nearly everyone wants to be a hero.
TOP FOUR SURVIVAL METHODS:
Real-life measures taken to avoid the apocalypse
1. Entrepreneur Larry Hall has designed “survival condos” from a 14 story deep
abandoned missile silo in rural Kansas, each condo costing upwards of $2 million. The condo complex includes an indoor pool, a movie theatre and a minor surgery center.
2. Underground Shelter Network Vivos’ seven underground survival structures
are each able to house 6,000 people and cost from $9,000 (economy) to $85,000 (luxury). Vivos’ complexes provide six months worth of supplies and contain a “cryovault program” which holds various DNA samples for the eventual repopulation of the surface.
3. The Atlas Survival Shelter company offers personal doomsday bunkers at ap-
proximately $60,000, complete with a ventilation system, electric toilet and full furnishings.
4. “My food storage” survival kits costing $229.99 for two weeks worth of food
and other miscellaneous survival supplies.
Doomsdays Throughout HIstory December 21 2012The last day on the Mayan 5,125 year “Long Count Calendar,” has led people to believe in a possible end of the world scenario including: ● Collision with mythical planet “Nibiru” as proposed by Nancy Leider who founded “Zeta Talk” and is a self-described Contactee who receives messages from Extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain ● A belief that Earth will collide with the “Sagittarius A” black hole Both astronomers and Mayan-scholars have called theories pseudoscience.
May 21 2011 and October 21 2012-
Christian Radio Broadcaster Harold Camping predicted through “bible interpretation” that the Christian Rapture would occur on May 21, 2011. When the date passed uneventfully he declared that he had misinterpreted the bible and the actual rapture would occur on October 21, 2012.
Isaac Effner
1999-2000The year 2000 (Y2K) proposed a problem for digital storage systems that only recorded the year through two digits instead of four. Some believed that computers would be reset to 1900 and crash causing power plants to meltdown, nuclear weapons to launch and the collapse of civilization. The crisis was averted by expanding year recordings by two years.
1993Branch Davidians under known pedophile David Koresh believed in an inevitable end time and began stockpiling weapons in a compound near Waco, Texas. Conflicts and violence with the FBI led to a 51 day siege and the burning of the compound reportedly started by Koresh, killing 83 members.
1967-1969Charles Manson and his “family” believed in a “race war” after which he would become the ruler of the world from his underground city in Death Valley, California. Manson attempted to spark the war by blaming brutal murders in Los Angeles on Black Panthers but was arrested in October 1969, and sentenced to life in prison.
1945Following the wake of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, many feared a nuclear holocaust that would exterminate the human race.
1910The arrival of Halley's Comet led people to believe that poisonous gas from the comet’s tail would poison the Earth’s air killing all life on Earth. Isaac Effner
rm
highlighter\\limelight
December 14, 2012
//B7
AP art show displays artists unique talents by Morgan Miller//reporter
Endless brush strokes, snapping photos, and sculpting clay are only a few ways the AP art students express their passion for art. There are more ways to produce art than painting, photography, and sculpting, but sometimes they are not as recognizable. At the AP art show on Dec. 11, the artwork was shown off to the public, displaying how hard the students worked on their projects. Senior Seth Painter is one of many students in this semester’s AP Art class.
Painter is known for his unique ability to do graffiti art and digital painting. “Right now for the graffiti art I’m just working on the word ‘AP art,’ and for digital painting, I’ve been working on a picture of Fin and Jake from the show Adventure Time,” Painter said. Before the semester ends all students in the class are required to have 30 pieces finished. Painter has roughly 17 finished. Senior Ashley Plunkett is another AP Art student with diverse work. Plunkett is the only art student in the class that specializes in 3D design. She also put several pieces on display at the
►Jessa-
art show. “I do a wide variety of 3-Dimensional art including work with pipe cleaners, copper wire, mica and Sculpey among other things,” Plunkett said. She makes sculptures out of household things that most people would never think of as traditional pieces of art. “I might have a career in art in the future with my work, but it’s mostly a hobby,” Plunkett said. So far Plunkett has about 30 pieces she would consider finished. Although photography is a widely known art, AP art student Jessamyn
►Seth
myn Lane
Painter
Lane focuses mostly on pictures. She does digital and traditional black and white photography. “Yes I do see it as a possible career later on,” Lane said. She also has 17 pieces done and must finish the other thirteen by the end of the semester. The AP art show was a success with multiple artists put on display for the community to experience art at its finest.
►Ashley Plunkett
One Direction steals hearts, Take Me Home New album’s toe-tapping beats, love songs by Cammie Palomino//reporter
One Direction is about to capture the hearts of millions of girls, again. The British boy band consists of Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik. The singers originally auditioned alone on the 2010 season of the British X Factor but did not make it as soloists. Then they were put together as a band and one year later became the worldwide hit, One Direction. They came out with their first album Up All Night including hit songs “What Makes You Beautiful” and “One Thing”. They became the first British band to debut at number one in America with a debut album. Due to the success of their previous album, the new album Take Me Home was expected to be as big, if not bigger, than Up All Night. The new album has similar songs that are already top hits. It has a variety of upbeat love songs and toe-tapping melodies. The band sold 540,000 albums in its first week, coming in third in
//CD review//
2012 for highest album debut in its first week. Their first hit of Take Me Home is “Live While We Are Young”. The song talks about fun times and is very catchy. It became the fastest selling pre-order single in history. It also topped the sales chart in over 40 countries. The second hit of their new album is “Little Things” written originally by artists Fiona Bevan and Ed Sheeran. All five members sing about how even though a girl may have her insecurities, they will love her for who she is. The album also has original songs written by the band members themselves. “Last First Kiss” and “Back For You” were co written by the whole group. “Last First Kiss” is all about how they want to be a girls last and first kiss. “Back for You” is a song that lets a girl know that no matter what may happen, they will always be there waiting for her. The song has a relaxing beat. “Summer Love” was only written by Malik, Payne, Tomlinson, and Styles. “Summer Love” talks about a simple summer romance that is about to be over. It is paired drums, guitars, and voices to a somewhat slow beat.
Call of Duty Black Ops II exceeds expectations by Ed Kennedy//reporter
Treyarch upped the ante this time around with a new and improved version of the popular Call of Duty series, Call of Duty Black Ops II. The highly anticipated game is the 9th installment in the Call of Duty saga, and the sequel to 7th game, Call of Duty Black Ops. This game, under the weight of heavy pressure and high expectations, seemed to surpass the achievement of the first Black Ops, which fell short and disappointed die hard fans as it followed the highly touted Modern Warfare 2, one of the highest selling games of all time. Black Ops II breaks through with a captivating campaign, which jumps back and forth in time through memories and flashbacks from 2025 to 1985, tracing hidden memories of the main character’s father. The campaign touts new futuristic concepts and gameplay features such as remote control surveillance “spiders” and interactive harrier flight missions. The new installment also provides three new maps for the popular Nazi Zombies, providing different scenes and scenarios for all of your zombie killing needs. The popular online multiplayer mode, how-
//game review//
MCT
Video Game: Call of Duty Black Ops II screenshot. This is the 9th installment in the Call of Duty saga that exceeded expectations
ever, is the most anticipated feature. Treyarch does not disappoint here either, providing an easier and modified version of the purchasing feature from the first Black Ops. Wager matches such as One in the Chamber, Sharpshooter, Gun Game, and Sticks and Stones are back as well, but are to be played only for fun with no wager ability due to the modified purchasing feature. There are high expectations for the Call of Duty saga due to its incredible success and popularity. Black Ops II meets and in some ways exceeds those expectations.
One Direction album cover for Take Me Home
The band will be busy in the next year with their worldwide tour, book, and 3D movie to be done in the future. The band also held a competition in thirty-eight countries where they gave away tickets for a concert and an opportunity to meet the band the next day. If listeners enjoyed Up All Night, they are bound to love Take Me Home.
\\ rmlimelight
//B8//
highlighter
Finals week approaches, students begin after school studying
What’s in the Limelight?
Read up, study hard
Today: Movie: Stand Up Guys Movie: The Hobbit December 15: Concert: Two Fresh @ Bluebird Theater December 17: Rocky: Holiday Stocking @ Lincoln Center December 18: CD: T.I. -- Trouble Man: Heavy is the Need December 19: Movie: Monsters Inc. 3D December 25: Movie: Les Miserables December 30: Concert: The Lumineers @ Ogden Theater
CD: Never Shout Never - INDIGO January 11: Movie: Gangster Squad Movie: Zero Dark Thirty January 18: Movie: The Last Stand January 15: Rocky: Pre-CMEA @ Rocky CD: 2Cellos - In2ition CD: Pink - Still On Fire
The laptops flip open, papers shuffle around, and cumbersome textbooks are being hauled out of backpacks; the after school studying begins. Suddenly cleaning your room sounds more exciting than reading a dry textbook. Most students prefer to avoid these at home distractions when tackling homework. Instead, they
find other places where more work can be accomplished. “I get more done [when studying away from home] because I don’t have the distractions of needing to clean my room or the little distractions that are constantly going on in your head,” senior Lily Schulz said. Schulz prefers to study at the CSU library rather than at home.
7.3%
study at local coffee shop/cafes
better grades
//Jump to Study,
on B6
home
10.7% study
10.7% get
at local coffee shop/cafes
distracted while studying
2.7% study
.7% study .3% study with 6at librarys
with a large group
a large group
away from home
32.3%
get distracted while studying
17.3%
study at librarys
Lauren Binder
Alley Cat: Senior Dani Croteau (right) enjoys a cup of coffee while studying at the Alley Cat with a friend.
Spotlight jazz group serenades Atlanta by Morgan Miller//reporter
In Fort Collins, Rocky is well known for its amazing music program. Throughout the years, the bands, orchestras and choirs have all received praise and awards for their excellence. Senior Dana Brown has been involved in the jazz choirs and has enjoyed every minute of it. “Having been involved
Megan Troutman
Spotlight: the group performs at the Barnes and Noble holiday fundraiser in preparation for their trip to Atlanta.
with the jazz choirs at Rocky for three years, I know there’s always something
going on and something to look forward to,” Brown said.
This year the jazz choir Spotlight has been selected to perform at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Atlanta in January. This conference is not just a field trip to another state; it is a huge honor not only to the choir but to the school itself. Only 10 high school groups were selected to perform at this event and six were from official performing arts schools. There were only two vocal jazz
groups that were selected for the event and Spotlight is one of them. Choir director Paul Falk gathers music for Spotlight to rehearse and perform a 50-minute set at the conference. “This is quite a lot of music,” Falk said. “So we will be performing some standard literature like
//Jump to Jazz,
on B6
Holiday Stocking concert returns to Lincoln Center by Megan Troutman//limelight editor
January 22: CD: Destiny’s Child - Love Songs January 23: Concert: Ben Folds Five @ Ogden Theater
Alley Cat are some of the many places Fort Collins has to offer. Senior Dani Croteau also prefers to study away from home, typically at the Alley Cat or Starbucks. “They Alley Cat is nice because there are a lot of people there that can help you (with homework),” Croteau said, “and as for Star-
males 10% feel 20% Study they get
Females 9% Study 4.3% feel away from they get better grades
“It’s quieter and everybody’s there to study,” Schulz said, “which motivates me to study.” Libraries are not the only place students can go for a quiet studying environment. Local coffee shops and cafés are also great places to sit down with a drink to study. The Wild Boar, Starry Night, Mugs, Starbucks, and the
rveyed
January 8:
by Megan Troutman//limelight editor
ople su
Concert: Nappy Roots @ Grizzly Rocks
Photo illustration by Megan Troutman
Some prefer studying away from home, avoid distractions
300 pe
January 3:
December 14, 2012
Amanda Kriss
Con Brio: the intermediate audition choir group performs at Barnes and Noble in preparation for the Stocking.
The annual Christmas collage concert is just around the corner on Dec. 17 at the Lincoln Center. This concert is no ordinary concert. It has 25 various groups performing back to back. Band director Casey Cropp has been part of the Stocking concert for 28 years as a band student and director and cannot wait for another fun performance. “(I’m) just always excited about how it comes together. It’s always different,” Cropp said. “The order’s always different and the way we do the collage format is always dif-
ferent.” After years of being part of this tradition, Cropp is retiring at the end of the year. This will be his last year organizing and being part of the program. “I don’t think of it that way. I think of it as another Stocking concert,” Cropp said. On the other hand, the new choir director, Elizabeth Hohweiler, will be part of the Stocking this year for the first time. “It’s exciting. I’ve known about the stocking forever,” Hohweiler said. “I student-
//Jump to Stocking,
on B6