Rocky Mountain Highschool: 2013 November

Rickett’s passing leaves legacy of courage

Nov. 13, 2013 Vol. 41, No. 3

by Madeline Zannopinion editor

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

The Rocky Mountain

H

HIGHLIGHTER

the

A few weeks ago, Rocky lost one of its own.

Tim Rickett, alum, lost his battle with cancer on Oct. 24.

Tim, who graduated in 1982, was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2002 and fought it for the next 11 years, undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and pro-

side show

High School Hijinks:

Quote of the Issue: “Tim made people realize they had potential they never even knew they had. He could see strengths they were blind to and people felt so great after they’d been with him.”

Joe Cassidy

Joe Cassidy, Rocky grandfather

The spot: X marks the spot on the street where JFK was shot in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963.

Marking the spot of lost innocence Four individuals reflect on

John F. Kennedy assassination

by Emily Andersoneditor-in-chief

The shock echoed through busy streets. Through airports.

Through living rooms with flickering black and white TVs. Through department stores. Through schools. Airwaves were flooded with the news, and everyone was listening: “The president has been shot in Dallas. John F. Kennedy is dead.” Erin Murray, office manager

Nov. 22 will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, an event that altered the mindset of the nation. Since that immortalized day in 1963, Americans have struggled to cope with the loss of their beloved president and their naive, trusting, innocence.

After his death, approximately 40,000 biographical books have been written about the murdered president, as people attempt to capture on paper his charisma, his charm, his unexplainable allure, and the power and influence he managed to obtain.

He seized the hearts and dreams of a nation in his short presidency, and 50 years later people still remember that exact moment when they heard the news of his death.

Front special

-Julie Rickett on the passing of her husband, Tim Rickett

Lobows and arrows: B8

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Courtesy of Julie Rickett

Tim Rickett: After fighting cancer for 11 years, alumnus Tim Rickett passed away on Oct. 23.

Mei-Chun Jau/Dallas Morning News/MCT

Emily Anderson

A rivalry among two Maine high-schools recently spurred a controversial prank involving Christmas wrapping and sex toys. After an unsubstantiated threat cancelled the highly anticipated football game between rivals Massabesic and Sanford high-schools, the Massabesic athletic director found a Christmas package outside his door. Inside the wrapping was a sex toy and a note explaining in explicit detail what the Sanford director could do with the toy. Two students were questioned as a result of the prank and they were both charged on a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.

cedures. Despite everything, Tim remained a very positive person and continued working at the Fort Collins Club as the head trainer and competing as a powerlifter.

“He could not ever stay home,” Julie Rickett, Rocky English teacher and Tim’s wife, said. “He went to everything. Whether it was Trick-Or-Treat

Pam Uhls, retired teacher

At Love Field in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963

Michelle Bartholomew, science teacher

Joseph Cassidy, grandfather of senior Adam Trousil and retired colonel, was in the military for 32 of his 88 years. As well as fighting in three wars and being awarded three Legions of Merit, his occupation allowed him to meet five presidents throughout his career, including John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy would be intertwined with a

significant chapter of Cassidy’s life, standing out to Cassidy like no other president did.

Before he met Kennedy in person, Cassidy listened to him speak at a rally in Maryland in 1960.

“I was never really conscious in the political sense until I had the very good fortune of listening to John F. Kennedy,” he said. “I went down there and was extraordinarily impressed with this man’s presence. His obvious self confidence, his beautiful handling of the language, his charm, his directness in answering questions.”

Cassidy was immediately enamoured with Kennedy, which influenced him to sporadically research the president for the next few years.

Time passed, and Cassidy had several interesting military assignments, including working at the Pentagon, the planned place of executive operation in case of an emergency. While at the Pentagon, he met President Dwight D. Eisenhower (who did not impress him as Kennedy had in his rally).

Finally, in 1962, Cassidy, a Major at that point, was dispatched to Homestead, Fla., during the Cuban Missile Crisis. With Cold War tensions and anxieties high, Cassidy was assigned to set up communications designed to accommodate the launching point into Cuba in case of Cuban retaliation. After terrifying

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Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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What major event do you remember most clearly?

Isaac Bowen, senior

“I remember checking Facebook and learning about the Arvada Shooting pretty clearly.”

Frida Dawson, sophomore

“During Sandy Hook I was in the photography room with Duke. He called us out of the dark room and he told us.”

Kennedy

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suspense, the crisis was finally abated, and his team began shutting down communications. Kennedy flew down to talk to the troops and celebrate the peace with them.

“So, here he comes strolling into this Operation Center, and again I was arrested by the fact that there was a presence about him that was just magnificent. And magnetic too,” Cassidy said. “So, he said a few words about the job that we had accomplished and how well prepared we were. Then he walked around and shook hands with all of us, and he said to me, ‘What is that phone for? The red phone?’ I said, ‘Well, sir, that’s the Connection 2, for the operator at the White House.’ So he said, ‘Let me try it!’ And he went over, picked up the phone, and I could hear the operator at the other end, who was maintaining the switchboard at the White House. Kennedy said, ‘Well, this is President Kennedy.

How are things going there?’ There was a long pause and the operator said ‘really?’ Kennedy said, ‘Yeah.

You’re doing a good job.’”

Cassidy’s admiration of Kennedy only grew, which is why it is coincidental that he happened to be in Dallas at Love Field, the airport that Kennedy flew into alive, and out of in a casket, on Nov. 22, 1963.

On his way back to his home base in Augusta, Georgia, Cassidy was coming from a military installation in Arizona on a flight that stopped in Dallas.

“We were approaching Dallas, Texas, and the Command Pilot got on the horn and said, ‘I’d like to call your attention to the fact that down below is a growing number of people around the airplane identified as Air Force One. It’s just delivered the President of the United States. We’re going to be landing momentarily, and we’ll probably be in time to see the President.’”

Cassidy hustled into the terminal to an observation window and looked down at the crowd of people.

He watched as Jackie Kennedy and (Texas Governor John) Connally got into the vehicle, and Kennedy followed shaking hands. He saw them take off slowly, top of the car off, disappearing into the crowd.

“I was so enamoured with this man, and I couldn’t read enough about him, so I bought the three local papers in Dallas,” Cassidy said.

“All had stories about the president visiting. Two of them had a very detailed route of where he would be going down to the convention center.

The exact route. I was in the terminal, in uniform, reading this paper and the thought came to me, ‘You know, if I leave here, if I just took a cab, I’d be able to see the procession go by.’ But I was scheduled to leave by 1:15 and I decided, ‘No. That’s cutting it too close.’”

Seconds later, Cassidy saw an old man with a radio approaching him.

The old man told him that Kennedy had been shot, and immediately left to share the news with other people.

“All of a sudden in the great huge terminal of Love Field there was a silence. Beyond the hustle and bustle of feet and people, everything was very very quiet,” he said.

Groups crowded around the only TV in the terminal, at a concession stand.

“No one really spoke to each other, they were just fascinated with the reports that were coming in. Now the picture on TV was a priest going into Parkland Hospital. There was a great sigh, I mean, my god, it’s that bad. The thought was that this man has been shot but he will live. But word finally came out, ‘President John F. Kennedy is dead.’”

Cassidy could not fathom the news. He slowly walked away from the crowd of people, hoping to be alone.

“To me it was just so devastating that I didn’t want to be around anyone. I was in uniform and I didn’t want people to see me if I broke out into tears, which I was very close to,” he said.

All flights were shut down for a while, as the nation panicked. Eventually, Air Force One took off. It had come into Love Field with a vibrant young president, and was leaving with that man’s dead body.

“Of course, I didn’t see it, but Jackie had gone aboard,” he said. “We knew he was dead, and the plane took off. So that was really it. Now it wasn’t until I got into Augusta later that evening, that my wife picked me up. She was also, as fervently as I, an admirer of this wonderful, handsome, young man. He was eight years older than I, and he was dead. So we were driving home, which was about three miles away from the airport at Augusta. We pulled over to the side and I just broke down into sobs. Still, the impact was so great. The peculiar thing is, that you would think, given my experience and professionalism, so to speak, that I wouldn’t manifest as something as physical as that, crying, but I did.”

Cassidy had already experienced the death of a president, having heard of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s passing when he was stationed in the Philippines in 1945. While he found FDR’s death sorrowful, it did not impact him in the way that Kennedy’s did.

“Of course there was a general feeling of sadness, sorrow, about that. But we, people my age--at that time I was 20–the idea was this: the President of the United States seemed to be very old. He was 63. We looked upon him in sort of the sense that he was a father,” he said. “The contrast was that in the death of this president, John F. Kennedy, we looked upon him as a brother. That’s the loss we felt. That we had lost a brother.”

Family member in JFK’s Secret Service The family gatherings of Erin Murray, office manager, often took a reflective turn, as she listened to the stories of her now passed uncle, Ronald Danielson, a Secret Service Agent under John F. Kennedy.

“He was in the army in Special Intelligence and then when he got out of the army, he worked for the Secret Service and was in Texas on that day, the day that JFK was assassinated,” Murray said. “I was pretty close to him. He lived in a different city than I did, but when we went to visit, he would always tell us (me and his four kids) stories about the Special Intelligence things he did.”

Murray was very young in 1963, but the event resonates with her significantly, a result of her uncle’s

Hanna Cross, junior

“I remember some parts of 9/11. I was with my grandma and we were watching the news, seeing all the commotion. It was scary.”

‘‘,,

All of a sudden in the great huge terminal of Love Field there was a silence.

Joe Cassidy Rocky grandfather

stories. While he did not watch the actual shooting, Danielson had met Kennedy several times and was working in Dallas on the day of his death.

“I remember him saying that everybody was so excited about that day, with the parade and everything happening, and there wasn’t as much security around presidents as there is now. But there were Secret Service people there, all along the parade route,” she said.

Murray’s Uncle Danielson watched the events unfold after the devastating moment. Working in a Communications Booth on the route, he knew almost immediately after the shooting had happened.

“All of a sudden when they heard it on their radios, it was just like chaos,” she said. “He called it ‘controlled chaos,’ because the Secret Service agents all had a mission. Every person, when they do those kind of things, has a mission and knows what they are supposed to do. But there were so many people. People were just in total shock from what had happened. And then to have Vice President Johnson taking the oath of office in Air Force One with Mrs. Kennedy standing there with her husband gone. It’s just astounding.”

Her uncle reflected on both the devastation of the nation, and on his own personal sense of loss, having met the president directly. His exciting spy stories would turn more sorrowful when he discussed Nov. 22, 1963.

“You know, I remember him saying that it was one of the hardest times in his life, because he respected the president so much and had personal interaction with him weekly,” she said. “I mean, even though he was in charge of communications he would have his duty time with the president. It was a very hard time.

When he would talk about it, he would get really quiet. It was almost like he was putting himself back there.”

Murray herself became quiet and reflective as she thought about the loss.

“Life is so precious and for somebody to disregard it in such an open and blatant way really shocked my uncle. I feel closer to that event because he was there, even if I was a young child at that time. I’m a believer that you can’t change what happened in the past, so why live there?

But at the same time, believe that our history is important,” she said.

Retired teacher heard news as CSU student Pam Uhls, retired social studies

Trevor Glenn, senior

“During Sandy Hook I was at a tournament in Wyoming for forensics. I was devastated about it.”

teacher and long-time Lobo volleyball coach, was a junior at Colorado State University when she heard the news. Years later, she would read about the killing in detail and consider it from every angle: conspiracy theories, the impact on history, and the culture of America. However, in that moment, when she was in her dorm room in 1963, listening to the radio in shock, nothing mattered but the present.

“When you go back that far there were like three main TV stations, ABC, NBC, and CBS, and no instant communication,” she said. “I mean, you were relying on old traditional phone lines, so information was very sketchy. But just remembering the event itself, it didn’t matter your party affiliation, it didn’t matter your age. It truly shocked the nation. The thoughts running through my head were that the whole thing couldn’t have happened. Then it did happen.

Then why did it happen and what’s going to happen now?”

As a college student, Uhls admired the charismatic young president, even watching his press conferences occasionally.

“They were some of the first ones to be televised,” she said. “But they weren’t live. Anyway, we saw a president with a sense of humor, quick wit, and he would answer those questions, and it wasn’t a drag to listen to or watch them.”

Uhls said she believes that Kennedy’s popularity considerably added to the grief from his death. The edgy, new and young man had a family, and young children in the White House, a stylish well-received wife, an “unusual” faith (as the first and still only Catholic president), and many ideological reforms he wished to implement.

For these reasons, and myriads more, his death struck a considerable chord in the nation, causing more shock and pain than a typical president would have.

“My parents did not like Kennedy’s politics at all, and they were absolutely devastated,” she said “For their generation, it was like the death of a son, because the presidents before were old men.”

To put it in perspective, Uhls compares the JFK assassination to 9/11. Both were horrific, shocking and completely unpredicted violent acts against the nation, and both pushed the American people into mourning and sadness. However, 9/11, 37 years after JFK’s death, received media attention at a much faster, more thorough and detailed rate.

“9/11 occurred and the first thing that I did was take my portable TV to the ad (administration) building so we could all watch and keep up on stuff, (and) went to the computer for information,” she said. “Back then (in 1963), we only had one TV in the dorm common room, which we crowded around to watch.”

The teaching of these types of events, 9/11 and the JFK assassination, are significant to Uhls as a social studies teacher.

“Where we come from lets us know who we are today. One of the things that these tragic events show over the years is the resiliency of the American people: the ability to unify, to overcome, establishing an understanding of our legacy and our

Fransisquo Barella, freshman

“When Osama Bin Laden was shot, I was in my room playing video games when I heard the news.”

heritage,” she said. “For me, it was always that these aren’t just events in history, these were people who they affected, whether that be a hundred years ago or 12 years ago. It’s just not some statement in a history book.”

Grandfather’s last moments were filled with tears Michelle Bartholomew, science teacher, cannot go into one of her great aunt’s homes without seeing a framed photograph of JFK (usually next to one of the Pope).

Devoted Catholics, her family were avid supporters of the Kennedys, and, coincidentally, her grandfather died on the same day as his assassination.

As her mother told her, Bartholomew’s grandfather, Edward Marshall, was in a veteran’s hospital, dying from leukemia. The family was saying goodbye, and the TV suddenly erupted with the news of the shooting.

“She (Bartholomew’s mother) remembers my grandfather watching the news from his hospital bed, along with a lot of other veterans. She said that you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Everyone was shocked,” Bartholomew said. “My grandfather started crying. He said, something to the effect of, ‘What is this world coming to? It’s a sad day for all Americans.’ Then in less than in an hour he passed away. So it always bothers my mother that that was the last impression he had of the world.”

Bartholomew’s entire family was horrified, as they watched the news unfold. For many years later, her mother would find the JFK assassination anniversaries awful, as they reminded her of both her father’s and her president’s death.

“I heard from my great aunts and uncles that that was such a great altering time for them, knowing that this could happen to such a, as most people thought, perfect man. He was held in great esteem by my family, and many others. It would kind of be equivalent, for me, to the 9/11 attack, or the Columbine shooting.

Just a huge shock.”

Most people in this generation, who were old enough to remember it, equate the feeling of 9/11 to those described in the JFK assassination: shock, horror and complete uncertainty.

“I don’t have any memories of it (Kennedy’s death),” Bartholomew said. “But it’s still something to this day that everyone knows that moment in time. If they were alive during that time, everyone can tell you exactly where they were when JFK was shot.

“When he was in Dallas it was a parade, it was a celebration. There was so much happiness and positive change in the world, and people were very excited about those changes. I think the other piece was that he was a father. A young father, and his wife was so young, too. My mom says that she keeps remembering the blood on his wife’s outfit. She can close her eyes and still see that. Live TV was not even that new in those days, and so many people were glued to the TV because of that new phenomenon.

Even if you’re not there, you see the images, you hear to stories, those images become part of who you are.”

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Nov. 13, 2013

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Drive safe: Mackenzie Garske, senior, and Kara Boldt, senior, pledge to Drive Safe as Campus Security Officer Steve Armstrong looks on. The program received over 5,000 pledges from students at Rocky and over 6 million in the whole country.

Safety first Emily Anderson

Madeline Zann

A sweet night: Kelsey Erickson, senior, hands candy to Buzz Lightyear at Trick-or-Treat Street. Approximately 1,000 children, and 2,000 people total, attended the event.

Trick-or-Treat Street a success Trick-or-Treat Street was a major success this year.

With approximately 1,000 children and 2,000 people total, there was an increase of about 300 children from the number of participants from last year’s 700.

Virginia Cox, student council adviser, attributes this to the local daily newspaper running a story about Trick-or-Treat Street prior to the event.

“It was great to see mem-

In brief

bers of the community coming in and us being able to provide that opportunity for them.

It was just showing how the Rocky community can come together, and that was pretty impressive,” Cox said.

An estimated $1,400 was spent on candy alone to make the event a success. Student Council is currently in the process of brainstorming ideas to make the event even better next year.

Marissa Bonertz

Students and teachers pledge to drive safe

by Reyna Thompsonreporter

In all honesty, teenagers don’t have the most sparkling record when it comes to driving.

They are known for running lights, blasting music and speeding. That’s why insurance rates are so high for teens.

In the week of Oct. 18-26, high school students everywhere in the country had the opportunity to make a pledge agreeing to drive safe and obey traffic laws, helping defy the stereotype that teenagers are bad drivers. When visiting www.celebratemydrive. com, students took an online pledge and answered two questions about safe driving.

“I was very happy with the excitement from the students. I’d see them watch our rankings go up on the website. The staff also had good participation.

Students need to have two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road,” said Steve Armstrong, part of the school’s security team and organizer of the event, said.

School security excessive, shootings inevitable

Rickett

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Street or games or concerts, he loved coming to support Rocky.”

His daughter, senior Jacque Rickett agreed. “He hated sitting down for more than 20 seconds.”

Tim was the “epitome of a people person,” his wife said, always entertaining and keeping busy.

Rocky was where Tim met his wife, then named Julie Seaman, over fifteen years ago. Even then, he was well-loved and a very active member of the Rocky community where he played football, ran track, and wrestled. Everybody at Rocky knew Tim Rickett, and he knew everybody.

“He didn’t have a shy bone in his body; it didn’t matter if they were the President of the United States or someone working at McDonalds, he would make friends with them,” Julie said.

His involvement continued when his daughter started high school. But school was not the only thing he was involved in.

Tim was part of the board of directors for RamStrength ever since he helped raise money in 2006 for Marc Lubick, son of ex-CSU football coach Sonny Lubick. Tim sat in all 34,400 seats in Hughes Stadium to raise money for LiveStrong, something that won him an award and an audience with Lance Armstrong.

Tim was also an avid powerlifter and trainer at the Fort Collins Club. He holds numerous national, state and world records in powerlifting, which he continued to do even while undergoing

The schools were separated into small and large categories: those under 700 students, and those over.

Rocky fell into the larger category, with an obvious higher requirement for pledges.

Student Council took the reigns of the operation, encouraging every student to take the pledge. The end goal was to make the school a safer environment for driving.

The school with the highest amount of pledges would win a $100,000 grant and a concert from American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Schools falling into places two through nine would receive a $25,000 grant.

In total, there were over 5,000 pledges by students at Rocky and over 6 million in the whole country.

However, some believe it could have been more.

“I wouldn’t say (the participation) was good.

There was definitely participation but knowing the Rocky community so well, I knew people could have done so much better,” Donald Chen, student body president said.

W

Drake Lindstrom

Remembering Rickett: Teachers and students wear purple ribbons in memory of Tim Rickett, husband of Julie Rickett and father of Jacque Rickett. Tim was an involved and well-known and beloved member of both the Rocky and Fort Collins communities.

cancer treatment. Despite his sickness, he was still competing this past summer.

“He never stopped,” Julie said.

Tim spent nearly every day at the Fort Collins Club, even working half-days on Saturdays.

To him, training was not really “work,” but rather hanging out with his friends.

“Tim made people realize they had potential they never even knew they had,” Julie said. “He could see strengths they were blind to and people felt so great after they’d been with him.”

Through training, Tim made a huge impact on the lives of his

clients.

“For a lot of people, he was a go-to for encouragement,” Jacque said. “He was just kind of an inspiration for people.”

Rickett was not only a beloved member of the Rocky community, but the Fort Collins community as a whole. Around 1,000 people attended his memorial service at Timberline Church, and he certainly made his mark on Fort Collins as a football lover, head trainer, father, husband and allaround good guy.

“I will just miss that energy, that love,” Julie said. “He just lived.”

hile it is true that school shootings are frightening, the magnitude to which parents are freaking out is absolutely ridiculous.

I can understand how afraid parents must feel after hearing that a school shooting has taken place. It’s frightening to think that such young kids have the initiative and the means to kill their teachers and peers.

Wanting to implement safety and prevent school shootings is a natural wish for parents, but the truth is that school shootings are not going to stop just because security is amplified and teachers are trained to use guns.

The fact that some parents want to teach first graders to use guns is shocking. The answer to reducing school shootings is not more guns. Kids learn that violence is okay when they are taught to use guns.

Using guns against guns is a far cry from a good solution; it just further glorifies the violence that we are trying to stop.

I see the point that parents make when they say they want to protect schools from shootings by adding security measures. However, I don’t feel that adding these is effective.

Often, extra security measures are temptations to break the rules further or are broken even if they are strong. Even if we strengthen these, it’s still a possibility that school shootings

Fields of Dreams Miriam Fields

will occur.

I feel as though parents are blowing everything out of proportion when a shooting halfway across the country occurs. Though it can be shocking and upsetting, school shootings are most likely going to occur whether we like it or not.

I think that school shootings have always happened at this level. They are just being publicized more.

The real solution to stopping school shootings is not to strike against them. It is instead to teach children about peace and friendship. It is to stop glorifying violence in media and to learn to solve problems by using logic and common sense instead of force. It is to relax and enjoy everyday life.

Life has scary and upsetting things in it. That is inevitable.

But we can’t let the few shootings that happen across the country affect us in our everyday lives. We have to continue on with our lives even when bad events happen, because these events are just a part of life.

Miriam Fields is a sophomore and Feature Editor of the RM Highlighter

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Nov. 13, 2013

TheEmily’s Rocky Mountain Embellishments HIGHLIGHTER

Emily Anderson

Gun regulation needs to be increased despite NRA protest

Can’t beat the heat

Kayla Brokop

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ith yet another school shooting–this one in Sparks, Nev., earlier this month–it is becoming more and more evident that gun violence is a significant problem in America.

There are numerous studies showing a correlation between stricter gun laws and lower homicide rates. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, states with the most gun laws have a homicide rate 40 percent lower than the states with fewer restrictions.

However, many still contend that increased regulation will only violate the Constitution and marginalize those that use firearms responsibly. They claim that the liberal left uses school shootings and other tragic events to promote their agenda: taking away guns.

Every instance of gun violence, especially in schools, brings up the debate about gun control, and every single time the NRA and other advocates of unregulated firearms make heinous remarks about Obama’s “evil plot” to strip them of their rights. They dismiss the fact that citizens have just been murdered with an incorrigible sense of entitlement.

Being required to register their firearms, and locking them away safely, is apparently a violation of their rights.

The writers of the Constitution could not predict the future, which is why the document is so vague. They could not predict semi-automatic assault rifles or the tragic uses they would be put to, nor the ability of an individual to commit mass murder in such a way. It can logically be assumed that their intentions were not to have unregulated murder weapons floating around freely, for anyone to purchase and do with as they please.

This is not to say that firearms should be banned or confiscated, as some fear; I am only saying that tangible regulations need to be increased. The lives and the safety of so many should not be put into the hands of one individual who got an assault rifle at a gun show, and those that do own and use the weapons responsibly and safely should not be so offended by a bit more red tape. If it means saving lives, then it shouldn’t be disputed. Refusing every and all attempts at stopping these catastrophes, simply to “stick one to Obama,” is not only selfish but also shows a complete lack of respect for the victims of gun violence.

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

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

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

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

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

R

ecently, the PSD heat committee suggested a change that would have K-8 students start the school year later than the rest of the district, but end at the same time.

They would The Issue: PSD begin on Aug. Heat Committee is 27 rather recommending than Aug. 18, that K-8 start but end on dates be pushed May 29, the back a week same as everyone else.

This proposal was a reaction to the closing of district schools due to excessive heat in classrooms that were allegedly making students sick.

Though this later start date could potentially help pre-secondary school students, we at the RM Highlighter believe that the Heat Committee is proposing a half-hearted solution to a widespread problem. While we recognize the fact that many middle and elementary schools suffer from inadequate air conditioning, high schools are affected by the same problem.

Even with the new “air circulation” system installed in 2012, many

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.

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The Rocky Mountain

H

HIGHLIGHTER

rooms are still susceptible to ridiculously high temperatures.

Furthermore, the benefits of taking nine days off the start of the year are very murky and are outweighed by the negatives of losing more than a week of school. Until this year, there was no call for heat days of any sort; students have trooped right through the high temperatures at the start of the year like countless new terms in the past.

It is noteworthy to remember that only one heat day was called rather than an entire week off of school due to rising temperatures, and that heat day was in September, not at the beginning of the year, where the considered week off would be placed.

A single day is not a large enough reason to consider removing nine days from the calendar for only K-8 students. An easier and more valid solution would to simply remind students and staff to dress accordingly and keep hydrated to ward off those lingering days of summer heat.

The temperature affects

The Rocky Mountain Highlighter is published nine times during the school year by the newspaper staff of Rocky Mountain High School/1300 W. Swallow Road/ Fort Collins, CO 80526. Contact Rocky Mountain Highlighter staff members at 970-488-7090 or 970-488-7091 for advertising information. Also the Rocky Mountain Highlighter staff is in Room 528, during 4th period.

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

the entire Poudre School District, so the question must be asked regarding why only pre-secondary schools are affected by this date shifting. High school students and staff have the ability to feel heat as well and new technology has proven useless to combat it. Not all of the high schools in the district have air conditioning, including Rocky, which despite work done two summers ago, still has rooms that can get up to temperatures of 90 degrees or higher. If this change is going to be done, it needs to be done for everyone.

The committee hopes to have a new calendar submitted and approved by the Board of Education by mid-December.

By this time, one can only hope that the committee has decided that all students and staff have the same problems when it comes to temperature.

High school students need time away from the heat just as much as K-8 students. The change must be implemented for everyone, or not at all.

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

Sports Editor Cammie Palomino

Ad Manager Josh Barrett

Center Editor Aaron Yu

Opinion Editor Madeline Zann

Features Editor Miriam Fields

Staff Mackenzie Bartzen Marissa Bonertz Jessi Brokop Kayla Brokop

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

Noah Fogelberg Drake Lindstrom Reyna Thompson Artist Kayla Brokop Contributors Adam Trousil Adviser Stephen Wahlfeldt

Gold Medalist-2013; Gold Medalist-2012; Gold Medalist-2011; Gold Medalist-2010; Silver Crown-2009; Gold Medalist-2009; Silver Medalist-2008; Gold Medalist2007; 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

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

OPINION

Nov. 13, 2013

A5

Lacking on the learning

Debate over speech one-sided

Weighing the value of economics

F

or most people, there are probably hundreds of things they would rather do than give a speech in public, especially as an awkward, pimply freshman.

In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 75 percent of Americans have a fear of public speaking, so many Rocky students are probably breathing a sigh of relief that they do not have to take speech anymore, as due to the new graduation requirements, this year’s graduating senior class is the last class that is required to take speech in order to graduate. Instead, new graduating classes will have to take an economics class.

This is a problem.

High school speech class can be an awkward and anxietyfilled class, but it is helpful. In a lot of jobs, public speaking is a must, whether it is pitching an idea to a room full of coworkers, teaching or interviewing. Even if one’s job does not involve public speaking all the time, communication is still key. Speech class can teach not only spoken communication skills, but written ones as well.

“The decision to make it not required has led to a tiny percentage of Rocky students who are going through [speech] and I see that as a real problem,” speech and debate teacher Paul DeMaret said.

Speech class can take a person out of his or her comfort zone, and while it might not seem fun at the time, it is still a good skill to have. While doing something over and over again does not always get rid of the fear, it can certainly help. Speech class gives students opportunities to work past their fear of public speaking and hopefully grow more accustomed to it.

And to be honest, what is an economics class going to teach that is not already covered in a financial planning class? Most of the things that students need to know, like how to make a budget or pay taxes, are covered in Financial and Life Planning, so why add on the extra economics class?

Speech teaches skills that are more applicable to the rest of one’s life, no matter what profession one goes into; economics is a much more specialized area that many students are not going to need post-school.

“What routinely employers say they’re looking for . . . is communication skills and what often helps students get those jobs in the first place is their communication skills in job interviews,” DeMaret said.

The school is already adding to the required amount of credits, so what’s wrong with keeping speech? It’s only five credits. Taking it out of the curriculum is a huge misstep on the part of the district.

Madeline Zann

A

Kayla Brokop

s you grow older, the once lighthearted question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” becomes a much more troubling topic of discussion.

Not only is your future challenged, but everyday on the news, you hear more and more stories about the unstable amount of job availability and the lasting debt which has expanded throughout the years.

So what are you doing after high school? What is the best path for you to take which will lead you

to the road to success?

These are questions which are answered in Economics classes. Understanding the big picture is important, and can help you to decide what your next step will be after completing your high school education.

With Economics classes being added as a graduation requirement, the need for a speech class requirement is eliminated because of the fact that speech skills are taught in other classes, including Economics classes.

With these skills built into Economics classes, as well as others, the requirement of speech is redundant and unnecessary for those students who will not lead a career which requires much public speaking.

Our generation is starting out in a rough spot as far as the economy goes, to say the least. We have been left with a debt which has expanded to over $14 trillion, according to gao.gov.

With a requirement of Economics, there will be more voters who are educated and who have reasons for the decisions which they mark on ballots that impact the lives of everyone in the country.

“Economics is about forecasting the future based on theories and customer behavior,” Lynne Lyell said.

Though not all students will lead a career in business, economics important for the life and financial skills you learn, which can be applied to the lives of everyone.

Point counterpoint

Mad College conundrums Maddy

I

t feels like you’re under siege.

Your inbox fills up with e-mails from schools you’ve never heard of, the pile of postcards stack up by the door, everyone’s asking you where you’re going, where you’re applying, what you’re going to major it--the list goes on and on and on.

And it just gets worse your senior year because now people expect you to have at least some vague idea of what you’re doing. The e-mails don’t stop either (I am aware that your Early Decision deadline is in two days DU, but thanks for the fifteen emails about it).

But the problem is then, besides college applications, there are about 50 other things that you have to do, including combating the

Madeline Zann

dreaded senioritis, because nothing is more stressful than procrastinating to relieve stress and then realizing at 10 o’clock at night that your homework still anywhere close to finished.

Most of the time, this is not a problem, and maybe it never will because you’re better at managing your time than I am, or because you actually have your whole life planned out down to the curtains in your future apartment. However, for the majority of us, it comes in like a wrecking ball.

All this stress does is point out flaws in the American education system. As a society, we tend to overvalue decisions that we make at a very young age, especially in comparison

to the average life expectancy.

Why should a decision you make when you’re 17 decide the rest of your future?

Majors and colleges can be changed. Careers can be modified. All this stress you’re feeling, right now, doesn’t have to determine exactly how your future will go. Even though you feel like you’re under siege from school and college, your parents and your relatives, it will be okay. We all feel like this is the most important thing in the world right now, even if it isn’t.

There are problems with how the American system deals with higher education, but the best thing you can do is keep going. Keep working; don’t give in to senioritis; and don’t panic.

Take a deep breath; rant to someone. The siege is almost over.

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

Kayla Brokop

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO understood just fine In response to last issue’s letter to the made. It’s an ideal that pushes people to editor. the brink of death, mental illness chewing You know what I’m tired of? at their minds. If you think EDs aren’t on I’m tired of fat being labeled as the rise, I would recommend opening your unhealthy. Believe it or not, thin is not eyes to the world around you. If you think the only way to be healthy. You can be a society is moving towards obesity, maybe size zero and be on the verge of death or you should go think long and hard about you can be perfectly healthy. You can be why it makes you so uncomfortable that size 14 and be incredibly unhealthy. You fat people are getting agency, especially can be size 14 and be the healthiest person considering that agency is still incredibly in the room. It has nothing to do with limited in a thin-centric western beauty the size of your jeans, or your number of standard. fat rolls, it has to do with how your body I’ll tell you why Abercrombie & Fitch is made and how you treat is wrong. They’re reinforcing Letter to it. I find it funny that the narrow standards that you must the editor whole moral panic over ‘but fit into to be ‘healthy’, when in fat people aren’t HEALTHY’ reality trying to fit into that box is just a convenient way to be fat phobic makes you unhealthy. It’s taking away while disregarding the fact that diet and what limited safe spaces fat people have, exercise won’t make you skinny. It will just fat people who are healthy and beautimake you healthy. Some people’s natural ful and visible, and giving them back to body types rest at a size 14, and there’s people who society already gives enough nothing wrong with that. Just because attention to. It’s feeding into a complex someone reads ‘obese’ or ‘overweight’ on that has destroyed people I love. And if some heavily flawed, biased BMI scale you look at that and say ‘well, it’s their doesn’t make them a TLC-Lifetime blob decision’ without finding fault in the of useless fat. reasoning behind it, then you are society’s Thin people aren’t damned as anproblem. orexic. You know who’s damned as being Between you and me there’s a reason I anorexic? People with actual EDs. Thin went from a size 14 to a size 2, but as an people aren’t damned for anything. If you athlete with multiple state titles, it sure ever feel bad about yourself for being thin, wasn’t health. go cry me a river, turn on your television, and watch any program to reaffirm the Sick and Tired of Your Oppressive fact that you have a place in this world.

Standards, Thin is the ideal, even if that ideal isn’t realistic for how most people’s bodies are Sydney Durkin, senior

A6 Nov. 13, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

S PORTS

Making the climb Alternative sport allows students to grasp on to new hobby

by Emily AndersonEditor-in-Chief

There may not be crowds and cheerleaders at their competitions, or daily discussions of their scores, but very few people have the ability to say that their hobby includes fighting gravity.

Nina Copeland is one of the students who participate in this diffealternative sport; indoor rock climbing.

“I’ve been rock climbing seven and half years. I got into it because of birthday parties and eventually the coaches at Innerstrength (climbing gym) asked me to join their team,” Copeland said. “It’s a unique sport, which is one of the things that drew me to it. It’s not something people generally talk about or attend, unlike team sports.”

Surrounded by 10,200 square feet of climbing wall, Miramont gym contains two floors of exercise

equipment. According to Copeland, it is more intense than Innerstrength, which is why she made the switch last year.

“It’s a level up, which is something I wanted,” Copeland said.

“But practice is so tiring. We climb twice a week, and the other day I literally had to sit in my car for a few minutes after practice before I had the strength to go home.”

Practice pays off in competitions. Hosted by the USA Climbing Team and the American Bouldering Series, rock climbing tournaments score competitors on the number of walls they can climb in a certain amount of time. Points are lost for falling, and points are gained by the difficulty of the wall.

Like Copeland, senior Drew Rumsey hopes to go farther with these competitions.

“I definitely plan on continuing climbing after graduation. My big-

gest goal is to go to nationals this year, and hopefully I’ll be sponsored by then,” he said. “So if you’re sponsored, it’ll be by a company for shoe, chalk, or pads, and you’ll get their gear for free and compete with it. If you win some big competitions they will have cash prizes,but other than that being sponsored is just getting the company’s gear.”

From professional competitions to simple enjoyment, climbing brings young athletes a sense of accomplishment and teamwork.

Senior Evan Udolf first started climbing at birthday parties and continued when he realized how much he enjoyed it.

“Compared to other sports, it’s by far the most intense,” Udolf said.

“But you get to say you’re a rock climber. It’s not a big time sport.

It’s a ‘let’s go climb this weekend’ sport, but its still something really fulfilling and enjoyable.”

Emily Anderson

Approching new heights: Senior Drew Rumsey climbs up the Miramont indoor rock climbing wall. Rumsey finds himself by a climbing wall a lot this year since his goal is to attend nationals.

Laying up plans for new season Boys’ basketball team ready to start new season with new players

by Cammie Palomino Sports Editor

Last season, the Boston Red Sox were last in their division, winning only 69 games and losing a whopping 93. This season, they made some changes, came back and became World Series champions.

Now the 5A Front Range league is not the MLB World Series, but who says the basketball team could not have a comeback season like the one the Red Sox did?

Last season, the team’s record was 6 and 18. The team is looking forward to starting this season as best as possible and moving on from the past.

Losing seven out of their thirteen players is going to be tough to get used to, especially the loss of fouryear varsity player Michael Dermody.

Dermody scored a total of 377 points last season, leading the team in total points, total rebounds with 151 offensive and defensive rebounds, and steals, with 33.

Although the loss of Dermody will be tough to replace, it is clear that not one person will replace him. The teamwork that is be emphasized this season, by the players and coaches, will take care of the loss of one of the most vital players from last season.

“They are going to play more minutes so they are going to score more points, shoot more baskets, get more Highlighter archives steals and charges,” boys’ basketball Jumping for success: Junior Riley Neal wins the coach Jon Rakiecki said. “I see the jump-off last season against Poudre class of 2013 entire team stepping up with the team grad Lukas Lindquist. The Lobos ended up winning the first attitude. You are going to see that Jan. 15 game against Poudre 53-47. on the court, the guys are going to help each other off of the ground.

They are playing together Record: 5-5 overall, 2-3 league and united. Stars: Riley Couch, Max McDonald, Trevonne Robinson Stepping up Who’s Next: 2014 is going to What went well: Teamwork take the entire Quote: “I expect them to have a great season next year, us team.” seniors we’ve laid a foundation down of hard work and Experience commitment to the sport and I think the will continue that is one of the and have a great season next year.” - Riley Couch, senior factors that will

Football

be gained this season. The team will This season, the team will have to consist of mostly juniors, some who face tough opponents like Fairview in have gotten their varsity experience and the south and Fort Collins and Fossil others who will get their first taste of Ridge in the north. Their first game varsity high school basketball. will be against Mountain Vista, a team “It means that we are young,” who made it to the final four last seaRakiecki said. “We do not have a lot sons and is currently ranked fourth in of the returning experience but that the state. means that we are going to have some Although they will have challenges players that are all of a sudden varthis season, it is clear that both players sity basketball and coaches are excited for the players playseason to begin and show what ing in varsity they have worked on. games. They “My expectation for this are going to season is just to try and do have to learn our best in the city and win The team we quicker and as many games as we can and they are gooverall have fun,” Neal said. have, they are an ing to have “Try to improve from last awesome team. to adapt to season.”

Jon the game.

Rakiecki hopes that this Rakiecki, So having a season will be special. He boys’ small senior knows the team chemistry will basketball class, but a be better than last season’s and good quality that will show from the players coach senior class, is to the coaches, on and off the going to give court. younger guys more opportunities to “The team we have, they are an play, which is exciting.” awesome team. It’s rare that you get a Returning junior Riley Neal will be group of kids that get it, and they have one of the players with varsity experi- united to work towards a common ence under his belt. Neal will be one goal. They understand the whole team of the leaders who help the young thing and they get along and they like team get used to the varsity experience. each other, and that is really awesome.”

Although Neal is a three-sport athlete, he has said that he has Boys’ basketball schedule not felt the leadership yet but is ready to step up and provide Dec. 2 // 6:30 pm // Mountain Vista guidance to those who ask.

Dec. 9 // 6:30 pm // Greeley West “I feel that it will be a little Jan. 7 // 7 pm // Fossil Ridge nerve-wracking at first because Jan. 10 // 6:30 pm // Loveland Jan. 14 // 7 pm // Poudre I have never been in a leaderJan. 17 // 7 pm // Fort Collins ship role before so this will be Jan. 21 // 6:30 pm // Boulder the first time,” Neal said. I feel Jan. 23 // 6:30 pm // Mountain Range that I can take on the role well, Jan. 24 // 6:30 pm // Fairview just helping the underclassmen Jan. 28 // 6:30 pm // Legacy and helping the non-experiJan. 31 // 6:30 pm // Monarch enced players just get through Feb. 4 // 6:30 pm // Horizon Feb. 7 // 6:30 pm // Greeley West tough times when they are Feb. 11 // 7 pm // Fossil Ridge down in the fourth quarter, just Feb. 14 // 6:30 pm // Loveland fighting keep fighting through Feb. 18 // 7 pm // Poudre and just help them relax and Feb. 20 // 7 pm // Fort Collins play basketball.”

Home Away

‘‘ ,,

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Pink

S PORTS

Nov. 13, 2013

from page A8

cure it now? Cancer is the biggest cash cow they’ve ever seen, it would be financial suicide to cure it now- which is a great disservice to every person who’s ever been diagnosed with or lost a life to breast cancer.

Now if the NFL was really committed to creating “awareness” for problems plaguing America, why don’t they follow the lead of Brandon Marshall?

Marshall wore bright green shoes despite being fined by the NFL to raise awareness for mental illness as Marshall recently revealed he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

These kinds of people sicken me. I’m by no stretch of the imagination the nicest person in

Gymnastics

Boys’ Soccer the world, and sure, I love myself some cash, but the fact that a human being can take advantage of another human that is literally fighting for their life utterly disgusts me.

Maybe, instead of dedicating millions to turning the field pink, they could actually give it to research. Instead, maybe write a check and send it to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

According to Charity Navigator, 88 percent of it will go to saving a life and they have an A+ charity rating. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Drake Lindstrom is a junior and a reporter for the RM Highlighter

Record: 7-7-1 overall, 4-5-1 league Stars: Seth Bolander, Tanner Osterberg, Hugo Galven Who’s Next: 2014 What went well: Team chemistry Quote: “We had great players and a great coach, but things just did not end up going or way this season.” - Carl Erickson, senior

Wrestling from page A8

Boys’ Tennis Record: 5-4 overall, 4-3 league Stars: Jason Krebec, , Jason McCrary, Derek Holland Who’s Next: 2014 What went well: Teamwork, commitment, passion Quote: “This season was a blast. Our team did not have the most

training, but every time we stepped on the court we had the

most heart and effort. I am proud to call each and everyone

of them my teammates.” - Jason Krbec, senior

Cross Country Record: Guys placed 12 out of 25 in State

Girls placed 22 out of 25 in State Stars: Bryan Hird, Kace Doner, David Messerli What’s Next: Junior Olympics (Nov. 9) and Nike Cross Country

Regionals (Nov. 23 in Arizona) What went well: Team Chemistry Quote: “Everything fell in place at the right time for state and I can’t

wait to see what happens in the upcoming seasons for this

team.” - David Messerli, senior

This season’s team will also have a significant number of seniors to lead the team. Senior Dan Williams will continue his wrestling experience after having to take a break last season due to a torn ACL which occurred during last season’s football season.

“I’m looking forward to wrestling after my injury last year,” Williams said. “I’m also looking forward towards helping the team be very successful this year.”

Murphy and Williams leadership will be needed throughout the season.

“I think being an upperclassman now my leadership role hasn’t really changed much,” Murphy said. “I have always done my best to lead by example and this year is no different.

I do think however, that being an upperclassman it makes it easier for younger wrestlers to be inspired by the example I do my best

A7

Record: 4-2 Stars: Autumn Bottke, Aidan O’Connell, Natasha Emil Who’s Next: 2014 What went well: Team unity Quote: “It was a learning experience for everyone since we only had three returning girls that had competed in high school before, but we had a great season as a team.”- Alexis Stockton, senior

to set.”

The team does not know exactly who they will be battling against, but they do know that whoever they have to battle against, they will be though and they have to be ready for whoever they face.

“Our toughest opponent is probably going to be Mountain Range because we see them throughout the year at tourneys and they always give us a good fight,” Williams said.

With high expectations for this season and many talented wrestlers, the team is ready to begin this season and show what they’ve got.

They do would, however, appreciate support from the school in their matches.

“Come support the team and try to come to home dual meets, it’s a great sport to watch,” Williams said.

“Just come out and support us,” added Murphy.

Volleyball

Softball

Record: 15-10 overall, 10-1 league Stars: Ashton Mares, Veronica Travers, Taira Cottingham What’s Next: 2014 What went well: The basic skills Quote: “Players win games, teams win championships.” - Emily Jensen, senior

Record: 13-9 overall, 6-5 league Stars: Megan Lipe, Stephanie Hurt, Melanie Stajduhar Who’s Next: 2014 What went well: Came together as a team Quote: “This season we established a foundation for the future.” -Melanie Stajduhar, sophomore

Girls just want to swim

Field Hockey

by Madeline ZannOpinion Editor

Record: 1-11-2 Stars: Ann Giesenhagen, Helen Robins, Marisa Motif Who’s Next: 2014 What went well: Team unity Quote: “We have a lot of unity with all the high schools and within the team, and we act like sisters, win or lose.” -Helen Robins, junior

Madeline Zann

Battle of the Balls: Senior Ann Geisenhagen fights for the ball.

Now that Missy Franklin is out to college, Colorado high school swimming is going to be an even field, and the female Lobos are excited to show what they’ve got.

The girls’ swim team lost three seniors this year, but coach Wendy Mader still expects the team to be large, with the additions of freshmen and other new swimmers. Many of last year’s state qualifiers are also returning, including sophomores Andi Johnston and Daphne Williams and junior Sian Kopcik.

In fact, Mader expects there to be more depth on the team

than in previous years.

“We should have a strong state relay with three returning qualifiers,” Mader said.

Last year, the team went 4-4 with one tie, so growth is something that’s extremely important to Mader and the rest of the team.

“I want to continue to progress as we have been over the past 5 years since I coached, including team unity, conference finalists and state meet participants,” Mader said.

Returning swimmer, sophomore Analise Iwanski is looking forward to improving from last season.

“I think we can improve

on our teamwork outside of swimming,” Iwanski said.

“That’s been lacking in previous years, but I think that will go well this year.”

However, individual growth is just as important as team growth. One of the team’s goals this year that the 85 percent of the girls beat their personal records at State.

“I’ve been getting some more best times in a couple events, so I’m hoping I’’ll make state in an individual event this year,” Iwanksi said.

Practices officially start Nov. 13 and their first meet is Dec. 5 against Horizon High School in Thornton, Colorado.

Girls’ basketball ready for challenge

by Madeline ZannOpinion Editor

The NBA has already started, but girls’ basketball is just around the corner.

The girls’ basketball starts off the season with the Battle of the Rockies tournament at Rocky against Westminster on Dec. 4.

“I really see this team being a very good team, a very competitive team,” coach Todd Matkin said.

The team only lost one graduating senior, so most of the girls are returning. They also gained some underclassmen, and a transfer, sopho-

more Taira Cottingham, who played varsity as a freshman in Wisconsin. Matkin said he was very pleased with the work and improvement he had seen out of the girls during summer practices.

Height is always an advantage in basketball, and Matkin expects that four out of the five starters will be close to six feet tall.

The team has been working on skills in order to back up their height.

“Having size is great, but if you don’t have the athleticism . . . but we’ve great girls across the board,” Matkin said.

All of the other schools in the city have lost some players, either to injury or to graduation, so things are looking up for the Lady Lobos.

“The outlook’s positive for this season, and even for years to come,” Matkin said.

Highlighter archives

Dribbling towards success: Senior Madison Debord goes in for the shot.

Debord is returning this year as a Lady Lobo.

FREE GAME

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

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

S

SPORTS

A8

Nov. 13, 2013 Drake’s Drizzle

Drake Lindstrom

W

So. Much.

Pink.

hy was everything so pink?

And I mean everything was pink. The towels, the shoes, the uprights, the first down markers, the helmets, the jerseys and pretty much anything else associated with football all suddenly turned pink. Why? To promote breast cancer awareness.

If you live on planet earth, one can assume you know what breast cancer is; its practically impossible to miss it. I don’t intend to trivialize such a horrendous illness, because there is certainly a problem, but turning everything pink isn’t helping to find a solution.

The NFL and the Susan G. Komen Foundation are famous for turning everything pink for the month of October to raise “awareness” for breast cancer. My question is: who isn’t aware?

Unless you’ve lived under a rock in Chernobyl for the last 50 years, odds are you’re quite familiar with the illness.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with it, and with twelve percent of the female population diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s pretty damn hard to miss. Now another question: why are companies dropping so much money into turning everything pink? The NFL raised millions for breast cancer but the problem is that only about eight percent of that is actually being used to prevent and cure breast cancer.

The first question you should be asking is; why? First, don’t look at it from a human perspective but think of it from a business perspective. You’ll quickly realize that saving people doesn’t make money. The Susan G. Komen foundation spent only 15 percent of their total money raised on actually finding a cure. I think it’s a little sick that they have the audacity to call themselves the “Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure” when they have no plans to actually find a cure.

Meanwhile, the NFL is guilty of the same fraud as the Susan G. Komen foundation. They’re counting on public naivety and they prostitute the name of “cancer” so they can make a profit. While the NFL supposedly only takes 1.25 percent of the profits from their fundraising, the retailers take 50 percent of the profit. Who are the retailers? The NFL and it’s individual teams. The NFL as a whole take over half of the profit from making everything pink. They make money and they receive tons of positive publicity, so for the NFL, it’s a win-win. For the women currently battling breast cancer, it’s a smack in the face. So why don’t they save people? Because they can’t make a profit if cancer goes away.

Think about it like this: If there’s no more breast cancer, how will the founder of Susan G. Komen make her cute little bonus at the end of the year?

How will the NFL teams continue to profit millions of dollars, year after year? They won’t; so why would they

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Alma Mater Rocky Mountain High Alumni come back to help coach sport they love, school they love

by Cammie Palominosports editor

“Alma mater Rocky Mountain High” is not just words said by alumni and current students, it is something that people are proud of and we can truly show that through our sports.

Twenty-three of the coaches who either work or volunteer at Rocky are returning alumni, and many of them coach the sport they once played.

From basketball to football to baseball to soccer, most of the sports have an alumni to represent them in the coaching staff.

Ian Wells, who graduated in the class of 2007, is one of the many returning alum that are now coaches for their alma mater. Wells was one of the player who was part of the team that started the baseball state four-peat reign.

“It’s been great to be back as a part of Rocky baseball,” Wells said. “It has been a big part of who I am over the last 10 years.”

Wells was contacted by coach Scott Bullock. Bullock presented him with the opportunity to help out the team the year after his freshman year of college. Wells did not see a reason why he should not do it, so he went ahead with the opportunity and he would not take back that decision.

“The relationships that you build with the kids are what coaching is all about,” Wells said. “I hope that I am able to help build character and skills both on and off the field with all the players that I help coach. It is not so much what I get from it but knowing that I am able to make a positive impact on a player is my main goal.”

Baseball is not the only sport in

Sports special

Highlighter archives

Looking back: The 2007 varsity baseball team poses for the team picture. Ian Wells, player turned coach is located in the bottom row fourth to the right. The team was the first team to win the 5A state championship title, starting the famous four-peat.

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family and they’ll stay in touch with the guys which alumni are helping students sucthey play with forever.” ceed. Football dominates the number of Wells has learned through his experience returning students who coach. Eight out that coaching is fun but it is of the 13 coaches that hard work. He is the youngest coached during the 2013 coach on the team, therefore, season are alumni. his relationship with the players Matt Fergen is one could be different, but even of the most current though he is good friends with graduates who is now many of the players, he knows It feels great coaching. Fergen like when to be coach and a friend.

Wells is now coaching to be back “Rocky baseball has definitely with the people who as a part of been one of the most influential coached them.

Rocky... things in my life and made me “It feels surreal. I who I am today,” Wells said. think I make them feel old sometimes but Ian Wells, “Two of the greatest things that Rocky baseball has taught me is they’re also the reason alumnus that every day is a holiday and I’m back,” Fergen said. baseball to put others before yourself.

“It feels good to be a coach In 2007 our team motto was part of something bigger Family and that is the type of atmosphere than yourself, high school sports tend us coaches try to create every day. It is truly to set the tone for a lot of kids developa blessing to be able to represent Rocky ment and Rocky Football is the best at Mountain High School and work with the preaching character.” coaches and players that I have been able to Fergen knows that the football work with.” coaches taught him and his teammates many vital characteristics as a player.

Though he only played football for one year, he still remembers what he learned from his coaches. He hopes to enforce Mark Brook Brandon Osterberg those characteristic on the athletes he is Derek Widmier Matt Robins Sean Haines Courtney McKenzie helping coach Scot Jones Todd Matkin “I hope to stay grounded and stick Phil Underwood Henry Martinez to the values these guys taught me my Corey Eichlin Jeff Slota senior year.” Fergen said. “Having only Matt Fergen

Ian Wells played one year and their lessons affectHumberto Cruz Kaleo Chung ing me this much means they’re doing Chris Nickel Chris O’Grady the right thing and I hope to follow Kim Hufford Ron Clark in their footsteps. I really hope to get Chris Wright Kylee Clark these guys understanding that football is David Asevedo-Smith different than any other sport. They’re a

Alumni coaches

Highlighter archives

He’s back: Alumni and current coach and teacher Mark Brook advises his player on what he should do during a play. Brook played football and basketball in his time at Rocky.

Pinning up for new season

Wrestlers ready to continue tradition of success

by Cammie Palominosports editor

Cammie Palomino

Practice time: Juniors Danny Murphy and Roman Ortiz are practicing a skill that coach Ken Taylor taught them.

Each of them take turns during the practice.

Fighting your way to success comes easy for the wrestling team.

Throughout the years the wrestling team has represented the school with high honors and this season is no different.

The team is full of hardworking student athletes who put the work in the offseason and during season to continue the wrestling tradition. Juniors Danny Murphy and Roman Ortiz will be two of the wrestlers who will have high expectations of their season.

Murphy managed to reach the state 5A championship final last February

but was defeated by Emilio Martinez from Greeley West High School.

Last season was successful for both the players and coaches, like Ken Taylor, who was presented with the Sonny Lubick Coach of Character award. The team is planning to continue their ways and continue to improve from last year.

“I think last season we did a good job of improving our technique and we need to continue that this season,” Murphy said. “I would like to improve on how our team preforms under pressure.”

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Laughs at the Lincoln Center Stars from Whose Line is it Anyway to perform improv at local venue

by Aaron Yucenter editor

Since the dawn of civilization, comedians have been a rich part of human culture.

People will always want to be entertained, looking for some sort of medium that evokes a strong emotional release.

Whether it is a jester from King Arthur’s court or Jerry Seinfeld, human beings will actively seek out a way to laugh away their stress or to have a good time.

Beginning on Dec. 5, Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie will be at the Lincoln Center for three shows to amuse eager audience members with their hilarious antics. Starring in the popular show Whose Line is it Anyway?, the dynamic duo will be in town for three days to raise laughter from people of all ages.

“It’s like a magic act and a comedy show,” Brad Sherwood said in an exclusive interview with the RM Highlighter. “We’re not only making people laugh, we’re making them think ‘wow, how do they do that?’”

The performance is not limited to the crowd listening to Sherwood and Mochrie joke around; they ask audience members to give them everyday occurrences that are transformed into comedy before their very eyes. Many

Features special

times, audience members are asked to come onstage and help the performers with their act, increasing audience participation and humor.

Improvisational comedy, called improv for short, is a form of entertainment where nearly everything is made up on the spot. Due to the fact that nothing can be rehearsed, one must adapt to situations and call forth creativity at any given moment.

“You really have to practice with it,” Sherwood said. “Trial and error. You have to find out what works, what makes a person laugh and what maximizes your ability to pull laughs out of thin air.”

Sometimes, props are incorporated into the show to enhance the depth of their fabricated situations.

The staple item that Mochrie and Sherwood are adding to their current tour is an ordinary mouse trap which plays a large role in one of their most entertaining acts.

Like many notable comedians, Sherwood started young. He enjoyed acting like a goof and getting his friends to laugh.

At age 8, he was in his first play; he

‘‘,,

You really have to practice with it. Trial and error. You have to find out what works, what makes a person laugh and what maximizes your ability to pull laughs out of thin air.

Brad Sherwood, improv comedian

continued to act in plays and musicals throughout college. “(Becoming an improv comedian) was sort of a natural progression coming from a theatrical background,” he said.“Improv comedy is more of a performing version of comedy because you’re working with people; all of your acting skills come into play.”

Sherwood drew inspiration from his favorite sources of comedy when he was young, including Monty Python, Mad magazine and Lewis Black.

Sometimes, comedy is not just about the humor; it can also embody itself as a way to help

others. Following in the path of Patch Adams, Sherwood and Mochrie aim to assist people in darker times. “(Laughter) is like a medicine,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached by someone who says that watching Whose Line is it Anyway? helped them or a family member get through painful medical situations.”

Helping others and bringing them joy through humor is something that all people can attempt to do, regardless of whether or not they take it up professionally.

For those that plan improv comedy as part of their career path, Sherwood advises those individuals to “be confident” and to be their “own biggest fan.”

“Everyone loves to laugh,” he said.

“I like bacon.”

Courtesy of Andy Schechter

Comedy routine: Comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood include mousetraps in a comedy routine. The two comedians, who have appeared on Whose Line is it Anyway, will be performing at the Lincoln Center starting on Dec. 5.

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FEATURES

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Nov. 13, 2013

Student performs improv

by Mackenzie Bartzenreporter

In improvisational acting, stepping into someone’s shoes is not only an activity, but a sport.

Improv acting consists of skits and jokes composed on the spot in front of an audience, unrehearsed and unscripted.

One improv lover who stands out in parThere’s no guideticular is lines to it; you can freshman Cayden just do whatever Clark you want, and it’s Sata. She pretty much achas been ceptable. involved in theater Cayden in one Clark Sata, way or freshman another since she was a child, and is very enthusiastic about theatrical arts, with improv being one of her favorite aspects of it.

“I wanted to do theater for a long time, and when I began in second grade, [improv] came with the rest of theatre and it was just a fun thing to do,” Clark Sata said.

One of the main reasons why improv stands out as one of the most enjoyable parts of the theatre experience is because it has a very flexible structure, very few rules, and lets the actors improve their skills while exercising their imaginations in a freeform activity.

“There’s no guidelines to it; you can just do whatever you want, and it’s pretty much acceptable,” Clark Sata said.

“My favorite improv games are mostly the comedy-based ones where you have to come up with punchlines or jokes on the spot. It’s really fun.”

Even for those who do not have years of experience in theatre, it is easy to get involved in improvisational acting.

Many places offer classes or workshops, and one of the advantages to improv is that it encourages using the imagination more than just standard theatrical acting.

“Definitely, go to some of the local theatres, like Debut Theater, which is where I go. They offer a really cool improv class, and there are other places around there like [recreation] centers which will offer classes,” Clark Sata said.

Even someone who is on the quiet and reserved side has nothing to fear.

“I would talk to nobody,” said Clark Sata, reflecting on the shyness she once had as a child. “After I did theatre I could actually become an outgoing person and not be an introvert.”

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B2 Nov. 13, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Right to learn

FEATURES

Girl Rising Club fights for education

by Reyna Thompsonreporter

ther, Ziauddin Yousafzai, a school owner and activist for education. Yousafzai’s and her father’s influence has spread to schools in the United States.

Sara Lea, social studies teacher, is a co-sponsor of the Girl Rising Club, a group that meets every Thursday and raises awareness about the inequality of girls’ education.

“Girl Rising was a student initiated club. This year we are a club of education and next year we hope to be a club of activism,” Lea said.

Yousafzai was the youngest person nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Ever humble, she told CNN in an interview, “I think that it’s really an early age.” At this point in her life she felt the award would be premature.

“I would feel proud, when I would work for education, when I would have done something, when I would be feeling confident to tell people, ‘Yes! I have built that school; I have done that teachers’ training, I have sent that (many) children to school,’” she said in the interview with CNN. “Then, if I do get the Nobel Peace Prize, I will be saying ‘Yeah, I deserve it somehow.’”

Her work with educational rights has carried her to address the United Nations (U.N.), delivering a powerful speech this past July on her 16th birthday.

“I am here to speak up for

Imagine you’re on the bus, going home from school.

You sit with your friends; you talk about the day. There seems to be nothing wrong with this picture, unless you happen to live in a part of the world threatened by extremists who do not believe females should be educated.

Malala Yousafzai was on such a bus coming home from school when she was shot at point-blank range in the head and neck by a member of the Taliban, just because she was a girl coming home from school. On Oct. 9, 2012, the 15-year-old almost died. In the days following the attack, she remained unconscious and in critical condition.

Miraculously, she survived, which was an accomplishment in itself. But it’s what she did after that is even more astonishing.

Why was she targeted in the first place? At age 11 to 12, Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym about her life under Taliban rule, and her views about promoting education for girls. She eventually became more known, and rose in prominence, which made her a target for the Taliban.

Yousafzai’s thirst for educaMalalaYousafzai tion came in part from her fa- Zelig Shaul/Ace Pictures/Zuma Press/MCT

Club feature

Miriam Fields

Learning about education: Junior Kourtney Konn learns about educational opportunities for girls worldwide. Konn is a member of the student-initiated club Girl Rising, which advocates for educational rights for girls.

the right of education of every child,” she said in her speech to the U.N. “Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists, and millions have been injured.

I’m just one of them.”

Admiring Yousafzai’s courage, Lea commented, “I think she’s an amazing girl who knows that education is the key to everyone’s success. I think she gives hope to everyone who isn’t receiving education, and also a persistent attitude to keep fighting for what you believe in.

She’s a powerful kid.”

While Yousafzai is working hard to get her message out, there are still plenty of things to be done. For example, if India sent one percent of its girls to secondary school, its gross domestic product (GDP) would rise by $5.5 billion.

Yousafzai’s first ambition was to become a doctor, but her father’s influence eventually changed her plans. Currently, she wants to be a politician, specifically, prime minister of Pakistan.

It would take strong ambition and work ethic to get to there, but Yousafzai seems to have it in her.

“I think that the Taliban is a group of intimidated men,” said Lea. “All she was carrying was a book, and they were intimidated by a girl having an educated mind.”

In Yousafzai’s U.N. speech, she said, “The extremists are afraid of books and pens, and the power of education frightens them. So let’s pick up our books and pens; they are our most powerful weapons.”

An easy conclusion: My parents have problems

T

he Grand Canyon is one of the most well known and beautiful landscapes in the United States.

I have yet to see this majestic National Park, but on Oct. 26, my parents ran Rim to Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The trail goes from the south rim to the north rim and back.

Before you call them crazy, here is a little background about the trail…

After paying the $20 entrance

fee to the park, there are two different trails on the south rim.

One trail, the South Kaibab, is 41.2 miles roundtrip with steep and rocky conditions. The other trail, the Bright Angel, is 46 miles roundtrip with similar running conditions.

Each route leads to a creaky suspended bridge over the roaring Colorado River.

After crossing the bridge, the trails merge to climb up the north rim, an overwhelmingly steep

Fishing with Trout Megan Troutman

mission. 24 miles later, you stand valiantly on the north rim. Then you turn around and run the same 24 miles back.

Temperatures range from below freezing in the morning, to above 90 in the afternoon.

48 miles. 8000 feet above

sea level. Extreme temperatures.

Nearly 20 hours of running.

Now, you can call them crazy.

I’m not sure exactly what went through their heads when they signed up for this daunting task.

First of all, they paid $20 to run almost two marathons through a desert.

You can buy a lot of things for $20, and not have a heat stroke and pass out from dehydration.

To put things in perspective, with $20 you can buy 40 cans of cat food.

Why you would want to buy 40 cans of cat food, I have no idea, but they are spending valuable cat money on a desert.

Secondly, they had to start running at 2:30 a.m. in order to be out of the canyon before nightfall.

2:30 a.m.

Let’s just let that sink in for a minute. I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty sure 2:30 a.m. is about 15 hours before normal people should be awake and functioning.

Not only were they awake at 2:30 a.m., but they were up running 48 miles through a giant bowl and back.

More importantly, a mile down the Bright Angel trail was a sign that read “WARNING DO NOT attempt to hike from the canyon rim to the river and back in one day. Each year hikers suffer serious illness or death from exhaustion.”

They ran from one end of the canyon to the other and back. In one day.

After the $20 and waking up before sunrise, I’d call this the

third red flag. Regardless, my parents and their four friends continued through the canyon.

Seven miles in, they approached the rustic bridge across the river.

If the sign was not articulate enough, I’d say the bridge would be a blatantly obvious red flag.

This bridge is suspended across the raging Colorado River and the metal grid makes the water clearly visible below your step.

At this point I would have set off signal flares for a helicopter rescue. Wave the white flag, because there is no way I’m crossing that death trap.

Despite the clear signs, the troops continued across the river.

I’m not sure how they made it to the north rim, but they did.

And believe it or not, they lived to tell the tale.

After standing on the top of the rim for approximately 60 seconds, they turned around to race the clock before nightfall.

I don’t know how they finished or why they started, but they did.

And they’re stupid.

Now they can barely walk up the stairs. It’s sad because I can barely walk up the stairs and I’ve never run a marathon before.

It truly is an amazing accomplishment running Rim to Rim to Rim. After the $20 fee I would have turned around and called it a day.

After all, I’d rather buy 40 cans of cat food.

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

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

FEATURES

Nov. 13, 2013

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Something’s

y h s fi in the

classroom

Fish hatchery in science room sparks curiosity

by Jessi Brokopreporter

In just a couple years, a fisherman will go fishing for a nice juicy trout.

He or she will cook it and eat it with their family, proud to have found such a nice fish.

Right now, that very fish is just a tiny little hatchling in the classroom of science teacher Scott Kemp.

Kemp is bringing fish eggs into an aquarium, located in his classroom, in order to bring the grown fish to the Poudre River.

He has been wanting to do this for a while, but hasn’t had the means to do it until recently.

“This is my 23rd year since 1991. That’s a long time. I’ve taught many classes along the way, not just earth system science; I’ve taught chemistry, and

Jessi Brokop

A fishy arrival: Trout eggs are being prepared to hatch in Scott Kemp’s classroom. Kemp is looking forward to the continuation of the project and the growth of the young fish, which will eventually be brought to live in the Poudre River in the spring.

geo space, and biology, so I’ve had a lot of different classes. But this is the first time ever that I’ve had a fancy fish tank. Of course, I’ve had a fish tank before but never taken fish from eggs all the way to the end,” Kemp said.

Kemp got his fish eggs on Thursday, Oct. 24, from Dennis Cook, a fourth-year member of Rocky Mountain Fly Casters Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TIC), a group that gives trout eggs to high school classrooms.

“We do TIC in classrooms for the students to better understand river health and water ecology,”

Cook said. These projects are usually done in science departments.

Cook has done this in six fish tanks, and he said, “I think the exciting part is when the students begin to understand the importance of clean water and developing the life of a living center.”

The fish will hatch in around two weeks, but will not be fully ready to take to the Poudre River until late March or very early April. After the fish hatch, they will go through four different stages of life before they are ready to be transported to their new

home.

Matt Tanner, student teacher for Carol Seemueller, was fortunate enough to be there when the fish eggs were brought to Kemp’s classroom.

He does not have as much experience with fish eggs as Kemp or Cook, but the process interests him.

“I really just enjoyed watching the eggs when they were delivered and getting to put the eggs in the tank,” Tanner said. “I’ve never seen living fish eggs before so it was a first for me.”

The students in Seemueller’s

class have mixed emotions about the experiment.

“The kids were excited to look at it, but they were also sad because they knew that the extra eggs would end up dying, so that was kind of sad for them, but they enjoyed looking at the eggs,” Tanner said.

When the fish are fully grown, they will be released into a lake to increase the local population.

The project is expected to be very exciting and many volunteers will be needed to help when the eggs finally hatch.

GSA club seeks to be safe, welcome environment

by Mackenzie Bartzenreporter

Feeling accepted in one’s community is a crucial component of a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Sadly, not everyone feels like they have a safe haven to visit when they want to express themselves in a way that may not be considered normal in today’s society.

One in particular - sexuality- is a sticky subject for many teens and a common cause for bullying. Lesbian/ Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT)

teens often believe that they have to hide who they really are in order to be accepted because they have been alienated from some of their judgmental peers and made to feel like there is something wrong with them. Luckily, despite some negative things that often come with being an LGBT teen, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light goes by the name of Gay-Straight Alliance.

A Gay-Straight Alliance, commonly shortened to GSA, is an organization that is located in hundreds of schools.

It aims to provide a safe, nonthreatening environment for young people to express their gender identities and sexualities. They promote awareness and acceptance, and often hold various fun activities that anyone who is interested can participate in. One of the sponsors for Rocky’s own GSA, John Robinson, also had very positive things to say regarding the positive impacts that GSAs bring to schools.

“What’s wonderful is that we have a safe place that offers an opportunity for students to really feel like they can be themselves, which they may not have in all aspects of their life,” Robinson said. “It’s very comforting to know that students feel like this is a safe place for them and that they have a voice.”

The club recently acknowledged National Coming Out Day, which happened on October 11. The idea behind NCOD is encouraging individuals who are in the closet to feel safe about publicly coming out with their sexual or gender identity without fear of social rejection.

GSA also had a presentation during Asexual Awareness Week from Oct. 21 through 27 to promote awareness and acceptance.

Mackenzie Bartzen

Club meeting: Sophomore Maddie Murray, the president of the GSA club, gives lectures about the LGBT community. The club is designated as a safe place for any student and was launched to create a welcoming environment for all members.

Though there are still trials and challenges that come with not being heterosexual, there is a lot of progress being made in creating a safer and more diverse world.

“This version of GSA was formed three years ago,” Robinson said. “Jovan Lovato decided that he wanted to have a GSA here and he asked me to be the sponsor, so I’ve been the sponsor for three years. There was also a support club before this, which has changed.”

For those interested in becoming involved with GSA, it meets during lunch on Wednesdays. There are several LGBT-related places and events in the community, including Rainbow Alley, a clubhouse which is open to anyone in Fort Collins.

Even when times are difficult, there is always a safe place to go. If anyone ever feels that they wish to express themselves in a place free from judgment, come to GSA. Everyone is welcome.

made were Laws B4 Nov. 13, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

CENTER SPREAD

Nov. 13, 2013

to be

Teen rebellion can exist within the law

by Aaron YuCenter Editor

Since the dawn of mankind, teenage rebellion has been a staple of civilization. The world has progressed in a fashion where a teen’s desire to find their own independence is nothing out of the ordinary.

Modern media is rife with examples of coming-of-age, exemplifying things such as getting blackout drunk, trying drugs and having sex. It is true that rebellion is simply a part of becoming an adult, but many times it results in something that breaks the law.

To live in a society is to agree with the terms and conditions that are set before you in exchange for enjoying conveniences such as security and transportation. Regardless of this agreement, many teens choose to flay the law in the name of independance turning to things such as drinking alcohol and doing drugs.

“I would say teenage rebellion is a natural process of pushing boundaries,” School Resource Officer Matt Johnson said. “[But] if you push those boundaries too far, you risk consequences that might carry over for the rest of your life.”

Whether it is bred by society, peer pressure or other factors, teenage rebellion is something inevitable; the question that rises is why so much of it must be based around illegal things. Drinking, smoking, ditching classes and sexting all come to mind at a mention of teenagers because it’s considered standard for all those things to happen before it’s legal for them to do it. Laws that involve things with specific ages such as drinking and smoking are called “status” laws due to the fact that the law is not broken by the action, but by the offender’s age.

“For example, a status offender would be someone under the age of 18 who elected to leave their home and was forcibly returned,” Johnson said. “Over the years, we’ve seen violation of status laws such as curfew, truancy and certainly drinking.”

Many teens consider the law irrelevant on their quest for adulthood, ignoring the risks and engaging in illegal activities.

A rather popular recent trend is a crime known as “carhopping” where teens look for cars with open doors, then take everything inside.

“Carhopping is a big [crime that teens commit],” Johnson said.

“Someone opens the door, takes everything inside and pretends it’s not a crime.”

Unfortunately for the offenders, the authorities classify carhopping as a felony.

If prosecuted, they risk one felony “vehicle trespassing” charge for each car broken into, and a theft charge for all the items that were taken.

Another large problem the police encounter with teens is underage drinking.

While the authorities don’t actively go door to door looking for underage drinkers, many are often caught due to the behavior that they exhibit due to their intoxication and make contact with an officer of the law. The adverse affects of alcohol are much more prevalent before the age of 21, and the increased erratic behaviour while drunk ends up coming around and landing an underage drinker a court summons.

“I know a lot of students think that cops write tickets because the city gets money,” Johnson said. “Frankly, whatever you pay for that ticket doesn’t even come close to the cost of what it takes to prosecute that ticket in court.”

For a first offense, a minor can be fined up to $250 for the possession and consumption of alcohol; but the cost shies in comparison to an appearance in court and the resources required for rehabilitation.

“It’s not like we get a bonus for writing tickets,” Johnson said. “We just want students to be safe.”

Though it seems unlikely, safety and rebellion can go hand in hand. Rebellion is a natural stage for teenagers; it’s just how they are wired. However, it does not have to leave an impact on the future.

“Rebellion is part of becoming an adult,” Johnson said. “You gotta get through it without making horrible choices. Picking up a couple felony charges would not be a smooth transition from being a teenager to adulthood.”

The desire for independence is an ordinary urge for growing teens.

Though drinking and drugs seem to be the norm, those are risky behaviors that don’t have to be a part of becoming an adult. Maturity can be achieved through a number of ways that don’t involve putting oneself in danger or adversely affecting the future.

“We get to a point where we want to be independent,” Johnson said. “If you can think back to a historical perspective where we didn’t have teen rebellion, I’d love to hear about it. It’s part of growing up.”

What laws do teens break?

75%

of students have knowingly broken the law

have abused, possessed or distributed marijuana

have engaged in underage drinking

have stolen or shoplifted goods

have knowingly trespassed on private property

26%

92%

of crimes committed by high-schoolers go without prosecution

33.4% 68%

47.8% 23.5%

Do they get caught?

36.8%

of students were unconcerned about the police while they were commiting crimes

How often does it happen?

40% of students have only broken the law 0-5 times but....

have illegally pirated movies and/or software

23% 10.1%

have created or distributed pornography or sexted

have broken the law more than 25 times Survey of 353 students

Survey shows high rates of teenage law-breaking

by Marissa Bonertzreporter

Teenagers are hooligans that break laws like dry spaghetti.

“The most common citation here on campus would be either interference with an educational institution which basically says you were really a jerk in class and disrupted the whole classroom environment or you refused to leave the school when asked by an administrator. A close second, or maybe even first, would be the possession of marijuana by a person under 21,” School Resource Officer Matt Johnson said.

Based on a survey of 353 Rocky

students, 118 have abused, distributed, or possessed marijuana.

The issue of marijuana has become very controversial in the past couple of years. With the passing of Amendment 20 in 2000, it became legal for patients and their primary caregivers to have limited amounts of medical marijuana.

In 2010, the medical marijuana code was established, regulating medical marijuana businesses at both the state and local level. Amendment 64 was passed in 2012, allowing persons over 21 to legally use and grow limited amounts of marijuana.

Although it is still illegal for high

school students, the attitude towards the use of marijuana has shifted dramatically.

“Our culture is seeing a lot of marijuana use right now. I see a definite attitude in students of, ‘It’s really not illegal, it’s not a bad thing, it doesn’t hurt me,’” Johnson said.

Marijuana is not the only substance that teenagers are taking advantage of.

Underage alcohol use is a very common occurrence throughout Rocky’s student body.

One hundred and sixty-nine of 353 students surveyed have participated in underage drinking. This is almost half of the students who participated.

Twenty-one is the legal drinking age in the state of Colorado. Although aware of this, teenagers still participate in illegal consumption of alcohol. The most common reason students break laws is because they believe they won’t get caught in the act. Getting away with it more than once makes them believe they will never get caught.

Marijuana and alcohol use aren’t the only reason 75 percent of the students surveyed have broken laws. Among some of the other laws that are popular among teenagers to break are trespassing, video/ software piracy, and theft (shoplifting included).

B5

made were Laws B4 Nov. 13, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

CENTER SPREAD

Nov. 13, 2013

to be

Teen rebellion can exist within the law

by Aaron YuCenter Editor

Since the dawn of mankind, teenage rebellion has been a staple of civilization. The world has progressed in a fashion where a teen’s desire to find their own independence is nothing out of the ordinary.

Modern media is rife with examples of coming-of-age, exemplifying things such as getting blackout drunk, trying drugs and having sex. It is true that rebellion is simply a part of becoming an adult, but many times it results in something that breaks the law.

To live in a society is to agree with the terms and conditions that are set before you in exchange for enjoying conveniences such as security and transportation. Regardless of this agreement, many teens choose to flay the law in the name of independance turning to things such as drinking alcohol and doing drugs.

“I would say teenage rebellion is a natural process of pushing boundaries,” School Resource Officer Matt Johnson said. “[But] if you push those boundaries too far, you risk consequences that might carry over for the rest of your life.”

Whether it is bred by society, peer pressure or other factors, teenage rebellion is something inevitable; the question that rises is why so much of it must be based around illegal things. Drinking, smoking, ditching classes and sexting all come to mind at a mention of teenagers because it’s considered standard for all those things to happen before it’s legal for them to do it. Laws that involve things with specific ages such as drinking and smoking are called “status” laws due to the fact that the law is not broken by the action, but by the offender’s age.

“For example, a status offender would be someone under the age of 18 who elected to leave their home and was forcibly returned,” Johnson said. “Over the years, we’ve seen violation of status laws such as curfew, truancy and certainly drinking.”

Many teens consider the law irrelevant on their quest for adulthood, ignoring the risks and engaging in illegal activities.

A rather popular recent trend is a crime known as “carhopping” where teens look for cars with open doors, then take everything inside.

“Carhopping is a big [crime that teens commit],” Johnson said.

“Someone opens the door, takes everything inside and pretends it’s not a crime.”

Unfortunately for the offenders, the authorities classify carhopping as a felony.

If prosecuted, they risk one felony “vehicle trespassing” charge for each car broken into, and a theft charge for all the items that were taken.

Another large problem the police encounter with teens is underage drinking.

While the authorities don’t actively go door to door looking for underage drinkers, many are often caught due to the behavior that they exhibit due to their intoxication and make contact with an officer of the law. The adverse affects of alcohol are much more prevalent before the age of 21, and the increased erratic behaviour while drunk ends up coming around and landing an underage drinker a court summons.

“I know a lot of students think that cops write tickets because the city gets money,” Johnson said. “Frankly, whatever you pay for that ticket doesn’t even come close to the cost of what it takes to prosecute that ticket in court.”

For a first offense, a minor can be fined up to $250 for the possession and consumption of alcohol; but the cost shies in comparison to an appearance in court and the resources required for rehabilitation.

“It’s not like we get a bonus for writing tickets,” Johnson said. “We just want students to be safe.”

Though it seems unlikely, safety and rebellion can go hand in hand. Rebellion is a natural stage for teenagers; it’s just how they are wired. However, it does not have to leave an impact on the future.

“Rebellion is part of becoming an adult,” Johnson said. “You gotta get through it without making horrible choices. Picking up a couple felony charges would not be a smooth transition from being a teenager to adulthood.”

The desire for independence is an ordinary urge for growing teens.

Though drinking and drugs seem to be the norm, those are risky behaviors that don’t have to be a part of becoming an adult. Maturity can be achieved through a number of ways that don’t involve putting oneself in danger or adversely affecting the future.

“We get to a point where we want to be independent,” Johnson said. “If you can think back to a historical perspective where we didn’t have teen rebellion, I’d love to hear about it. It’s part of growing up.”

What laws do teens break?

75%

of students have knowingly broken the law

have abused, possessed or distributed marijuana

have engaged in underage drinking

have stolen or shoplifted goods

have knowingly trespassed on private property

26%

92%

of crimes committed by high-schoolers go without prosecution

33.4% 68%

47.8% 23.5%

Do they get caught?

36.8%

of students were unconcerned about the police while they were commiting crimes

How often does it happen?

40% of students have only broken the law 0-5 times but....

have illegally pirated movies and/or software

23% 10.1%

have created or distributed pornography or sexted

have broken the law more than 25 times Survey of 353 students

Survey shows high rates of teenage law-breaking

by Marissa Bonertzreporter

Teenagers are hooligans that break laws like dry spaghetti.

“The most common citation here on campus would be either interference with an educational institution which basically says you were really a jerk in class and disrupted the whole classroom environment or you refused to leave the school when asked by an administrator. A close second, or maybe even first, would be the possession of marijuana by a person under 21,” School Resource Officer Matt Johnson said.

Based on a survey of 353 Rocky

students, 118 have abused, distributed, or possessed marijuana.

The issue of marijuana has become very controversial in the past couple of years. With the passing of Amendment 20 in 2000, it became legal for patients and their primary caregivers to have limited amounts of medical marijuana.

In 2010, the medical marijuana code was established, regulating medical marijuana businesses at both the state and local level. Amendment 64 was passed in 2012, allowing persons over 21 to legally use and grow limited amounts of marijuana.

Although it is still illegal for high

school students, the attitude towards the use of marijuana has shifted dramatically.

“Our culture is seeing a lot of marijuana use right now. I see a definite attitude in students of, ‘It’s really not illegal, it’s not a bad thing, it doesn’t hurt me,’” Johnson said.

Marijuana is not the only substance that teenagers are taking advantage of.

Underage alcohol use is a very common occurrence throughout Rocky’s student body.

One hundred and sixty-nine of 353 students surveyed have participated in underage drinking. This is almost half of the students who participated.

Twenty-one is the legal drinking age in the state of Colorado. Although aware of this, teenagers still participate in illegal consumption of alcohol. The most common reason students break laws is because they believe they won’t get caught in the act. Getting away with it more than once makes them believe they will never get caught.

Marijuana and alcohol use aren’t the only reason 75 percent of the students surveyed have broken laws. Among some of the other laws that are popular among teenagers to break are trespassing, video/ software piracy, and theft (shoplifting included).

B5

B6 Nov. 13, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L IMELIGHT

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

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

Difficulty Level: Medium

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

Top Ten

9. Be the police.

8. Plead insanity.

Ways to not 7. Ditch the get caught 10. Run, Forrest, paraphernalia.

6. I swear, it’s a run.

keg of root beer.

5. Become a politician.

4. Hide under the bed.

3. Cover yourself in bread.

2. Blame it on my upbringing.

1. Say Donald Chen did it.

Aaron Yu, Drake Lindstorm, Marissa Bonertz, Madeline Zann

Movies: The good, the bad, the ugly

by Adam Trousilcontributor

Recently released: Bad Grandpa: What a hilarious movie.

The thrills of Jackass, but with the humor of a hidden prank TV show. This movie is an experience; it makes you laugh and really feel like you are there. The style of filming is like no other. The crew inserted Johnny Knoxville into a public scene and let him go wild. With the twist of adding a grandson, you really feel like the movie is real. Definitely a must see. I give it a solid A+ Second run: Runner Runner: A movie that you would just watch. Nothing special.

The acting by the famous Justin Timberlake was mediocre, and the plot was lame. If you want to take up two hours of your life with an image in front of your face, this is

Adam’s pic picks

for you.

I could understand why some liked it, but myself, I like great acting and a wonderful story. At the first run, I would pass, but for only a couple bucks, I would see it. It slides by with a C. Most anticipated: On Nov. 22, everybody is looking forward to the sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire.

This movie is going to boom at the box office, it will hopefully follow in the footsteps of the past film.

I will personally go see it the first week it comes out. Without reading the book, I hope the storyline can stand for itself, or at least play off of the film before. I can’t wait to hear all of the responses from this next big film. I hope it’s an A+.

Senior Adam Trousil is a movie buff who works at the local AMC theater.

Sean Cliver/MTV Films/MCT

Looking for trouble: Johnny Knoxville (right) portrays accident-prone Irving Zisman while Jackson Nicoll plays his grandson in the movie Bad Grandpa.

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L IMELIGHT

Nov. 13, 2013

B7

Rocking at the Stocking

‘‘,,

Annual collage concert returns to the Lincoln Center

by Megan Troutmaneditor-in-chief

The brick walls of the Lincoln Center hold countless memories that will never be forgotten.

Stomp, U2, the Producers, and Hairspray, just to name a few, have all performed on the glimmering stage.

On Dec. 16, it will be the Lobos’ turn to shine once again for the annual Holiday Stocking.

Unlike most concerts, the Stocking encompasses the entire music department, unveiling hidden talents in small ensembles in addition to the large performing groups.

“Stocking is definitely a bonding experience,” senior Alyssa Franklin said. “It’s that middle of the year thing where everyone just gets closer. You see small groups and meet them and find out their hidden talents. It’s really cool.”

Franklin has been involved with the Holiday Stocking for three years now.

As concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra, Franklin feels the pressure going into a big performance.

“So many people come to Stocking . . . who are looking at the orchestra as a repre-

sentation of Rocky and you want to sound good,” Franklin said. “If you ask any person in a leading role, they really want their section to sound good.

Everyone has to be equally prepared and has to work hard.”

Orchestra director Katarina Schmitt has been preparing for the big day for some time now.

“I don’t think of it as being a super high pressure situation, I just think of it as another concert and we’re going to do our very best at any performance,” Schmitt said.

For a performance this big, it quickly becomes a daunting task to organize the event.

“There are so many little details put into Stocking,” Franklin said. “Everyone puts in so much work because if you don’t, then it all falls down.”

With collage concerts, multiple groups perform right after another, so audience members must hold applause until the final note. This way, the concert keeps a steady pulse to engage listeners for the full performance.

However, without pause in between groups, it becomes clear why the organization

Archery

from page B8

not for him.

“The most I’ve done is nearly hit a bird twenty feet from the target,” Rogers said.

Another archer, junior Cheyenne Carroll, practices frequently and has been involved in multiple competitions.

“I just kind of grew up doing archery,” Carroll said.

Carroll has been practicing archery ever since she and her twin brother, Tanner Carroll, were six years old. They were introduced to the sport through their father who enjoys hunting, and occasionally uses archery during his hunts.

In the Cheyenne Field Archers competition, Carroll has placed first or second for the past seven years. She has also won first place in the Coors Shoot competition in Cheyenne for the past three years.

“It’s not too competitive with the girls because the girls don’t really do archery,” Carroll said.

Carroll enjoys archery as a sport, but she also does it to connect with her family.

“Getting to do (archery) with my dad and my brother is pretty cool because we have a bond with that. It’s one thing we can always do together and we always have a fun time doing it.”

Stocking is definitely a bonding experience. It’s that middle of the year thing where everyone just gets closer.

Alyssa Franklin, senior

process must begin early.

“It’s mostly really exciting. I guess the thing that is the most nerve-wracking is just knowing where you need to be and where everyone in your group needs to be at all times,” Schmitt said.

Junior Katherine Walter, a vocalist in the advanced choir known as Rocky Mountain Singers, is also excited for the performance.

“It’s really fun because everyone’s in the Christmas spirit and we’re just all pumped about the holidays,” Walter said.

This year Walter will perform with Singers and hopefully sing with her acapella

Megan Troutman

Elevation: Group members Rachel Morley, Haylie Patrick, and Katherine Walter rehearse for their upcoming performance.

trio, Elevation. “(It’s nerve-wracking) but then I remind myself that I’m just in a big choir and we’re just here to make people smile,” Walter said.

Each year the Lincoln Center sheds light on the unbelievable talent found in the

music department. Every performance is different, packed with new small ensembles and surprises.

“The Holiday Stocking is just so special,” Walter said.

“All the advanced groups are there and it’s just a great way to get into the holiday spirit.”

Cocoa in FoCo

by Megan Troutmaneditor-in-chief

Whether you’re going on a date, hanging out with friends, or just want to dig into some rich cheesecake, the Chocolate Café is the place for you.

Located downtown on the corner of Olive and College, the dessert haven has a knack for drawing in curious pedestrians. The enticing aroma of chocolate rolling into the street is enough to turn more than a few heads.

The café itself has a warm, inviting atmosphere. They created a cozy, at-home ambiance with a hint of elegance. Each table is neatly draped with a white tablecloth, and the subtle decorations complete the mood.

Despite the shortage of employees, there was hardly a wait before gleaming plates of desserts found

FOOD review

their way to the table. Each glass plate not only held a slice of cake, but was decorated with streams of chocolate and various syrups.

Readers of the Coloradoan voted that the Chocolate Café had the best dessert in Fort Collins.

There is no question about that statement; the chocolate cake was certainly delectable. It melted in your mouth and the savory flavors were enough to make you reach for more.

Most items on the menu are desserts including cheesecake, carrot cake, torte, pudding, and pie.

However, they also serve a plethora of soups, salads, and sandwiches, to name a few.

The only complaint found in the restaurant was not in the food, but in the inconvenient location.

Tucked under the Armstrong Hotel, there is only so much you can do with such a small space. It comes off as a homey environment,

Megan Troutman

Fine dining: Local dessert lovers enjoy savory desserts at the Chocolate Café which is hidden under the Armstrong Hotel.

but when night time rolls around and amblers make their way to desserts, the café becomes quickly packed.

There is only room for 15 or 16 tables and most are tables for two.

Several tables hold parties of four or six, but other than that the restaurant is primarily built for couples.

Overall, the Chocolate Café is both a romantic nightspot for couples, a cozy place to catch up with friends and a great place to enjoy some unique desserts.

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L

LIMELIGHT

B8

Nov. 13, 2013 What’s in the Limelight?

R E V E

May the odds be

in your favor

N o v . 15: Co nc e r t - G ri eves @ A g gie Thea tr e Co n c ert- Ja r r en Be n t on ft. Ri tz a n d Snow Tha P rod uc t @ H od i ’ s H a lf -N o te M ov ie Re l ea s eW olf Of Wal l St re et N o v . 16: Co nc e r t - 3O H !3 @ Su mmi t Musi c H a ll N o v . 19: A l bum Re lea se- Ch r i s Br ow n: X A lbu m Re l ea s eD a u g htry: Bap tized Co n c ert- A ug u st Burns R ed @ Su mmi t M us i c H a ll N o v . 20: Co nc e r t - Mi c ha el Bu b le @ Pep s i Ce n t er N o v . 21: Co nc e r t - Jo hn L e g end @ El l i e Ca u lki n’s O p er a H o u se N o v . 22: Co nc e r t - H op si n a nd Y elaw ol f @ A gg ie The a tre M ov ie Re l ea s eT h e H unger Ga m es: Catchi n g Fire N o v . 23: Co nc e r t - G round at i o n @ Ogd en T h e at re N o v . 24: Co nc e r t - Lupe F ia sco @ Ogd en T h e at re N o v . 25: A l bum Re lea se- N o r a h J o n es a nd B i l l y J o e A rmstrong : F o r e v erl y

Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire ignites fans

by Miriam FieldsFeatures editor

The premiere of the first Hunger Games movie was a huge success, raking $155 million in ticket sales.

Due to the strong start in film adaptations of the series, many readers may be wondering if the second film will be as successful and why the series has become so incredibly popular.

“It kind of speaks to our world,” said Georgiana Jones, a language arts teacher.

“You know this idea of reality television, and yet people that are living that reality. That’s where she (author Suzanne Collins) got her idea - switching back and forth between watching young soldiers, and at the same time, watching a reality show and trying to make a correlation. They’re kind of alike.”

Jones teaches the Hunger Games series to freshmen and enjoys reading the novels herself. Many of the other teachers in her department feel similarly about the books. This includes Colleen Maline, an English teacher who has just finished the second book, Catching Fire, with her freshman class. She also believes that the books bring up interesting topics for discussion.

“I think that Suzanne Collins’s characters are relatable,” Maline said. “The adrenaline of the book itself is sort of unprecedented by any of these other series that have come out. I just don’t think any of them have matched what she’s able to draw forth, as far as excitement goes.”

Due to the popularity of the novels, all three are currently being taught in English and media analysis classes. Teaching modern texts is not something that is normally in the

A lbu m Re l ea s eOn e D i recti o n: M id n i g ht Me m ories

‘‘

,,

Bo’s with bows: local archers take aim

by Jessi Brokopreporter

N o v . 29: Co n c e r t - D J Fi gur e a n d C ri zzl y @ Og den The a tr e D e c. 2: Co ncer tJ a y-Z @ Pe p s i Ce n t er D e c. 6: Co m ed y Sh o w- Ji mmy F a llo n @ Bue l l T h e at re D e c. 9: A l b um Re lea se- Ch i l di sh G amb i no: Be c ause of the In t er net D e c. 13: Movi e Re lea se- The H o bb it: The D e sol ati o n of Sm aug

syllabus for most classes. Classic novels take Benny Jones, who recently read the second up a majority of the material taught, however, book in Maline’s English class. teachers are beginning to take other views on “It’s a well known series, and it kind of tells the matter. how you can go into Katniss’s mind, and how “I think there’s a shift in thinking about she reacts and thinks in certain situations,” reading and teaching reading lately,” Benny Jones said.

Maline said. “I think a lot of teachers Because of the extreme popularity of the are recognizing that the first step in series, many are predicting that the upcomgetting students to enjoy reading ing movie will be another huge success for is to have them read something Lionsgate, the film company which produced they like before they can appreci- the first motion picture. ate more literary types of novels.

Benny Jones believes that, “it will be bigger You’ve got to get them interested in (than the first movie) because of how good the reading before you can get them first one was, and all of the people that went interested in literature.” to the movies and saw it, and then told all Because of this shift in thinktheir friends about it. It grew from there.” ing, there have been many When Catching Fire is released benefits to the English departon Nov. 22, many students and ment’s goal of helping staff members are planning to students learn useful see it. It will be difficult to skills. predict the success of the “I think the film, but based on the reason why they’re amount of students important enough planning to [to teach] is that kids attend, it aren’t reading anymore, for will be the most part,” Jones said. huge.

“There’s nothing wrong with the classics, but most students are not interested in classics. I have a lot of ninth graders that come in and say they have never read a book all the way through, ever. So I need something that is going to pull them in and keep them interested, and this type of book does that.”

The appeal of the series is also apparent Courtesy Murray Close/MCT to students like Ready to run: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) assesses her situation in the aresophomore na. The new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire, will be released on Nov. 22.

Jessi Brokop

Ready to fire: Junior Mikaela Andrews practices shooting after school.

On junior Mikaela Andrews’s thirteenth birthday, she found something that would become part of her life for a long time.

A bow and a set of arrows.

The ancient weaponry captured her attention and she immediately fell in love with the exciting sport of archery.

Although Andrews had little influence from The Hunger Games, she did read the first two books of the series.

“I thought Katniss was just the coolest person,” said Andrews, excited to share her passion with a popular character.

Archery is one of the most difficult sports to perform. In order

Getting to do (archery) with my dad and my brother is pretty cool . . . it’s one thing we can always do together.

to succeed, a delicate balance of trust is required between the archer and the bow.

Not only is the ancient sport difficult, it is also expensive.

Lessons are upwards of $20 each, and the bow averages $300.

In order to maintain her skill level, Andrews keeps up with the sport as much as she can.

“I practice pretty often, every couple weeks or so,” Andrews

Cheyenne Carroll, junior

said.

Junior Devin Rogers has supported Andrews in her journey.

“She’s actually really good and that’s cool,” Rogers said. “I’m proud of her for doing well at this and I’m glad that she has found something she enjoys.”

Rogers has attempted the sport, but quickly realized it was

,

Jump to Archery on B7