Rocky Mountain Highschool: 2013 December

Emily Anderson

Dec. 18, 2013 Vol. 41, No. 4 Rocky Mountain High School 1300 W. Swallow Rd.Fort Collins, Colo.

The Rocky Mountain

H Keeping tabs

HIGHLIGHTER

the

side show

High School Hijinks: While everyone has heard the phrase “there’s always more fish in the sea,” there are a special few who actually attempt to catch these metaphorical fish themselves. Around 40 people at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Va., were recently suspended for creating a webwork of yarn and fishing line in one of their hallways.The prank was instigated by students who tied yarn to the bottom of their desks, and then proceeded to decorate the rest of the classroom and the surrounding hallway.

School officials refused to respond for comments on the subject.

Quote of the Issue: “You’re no longer restricted to the ground.

To get up into the clouds above it all and see Fort Collins down below you and how small everything really is from the air just kind of gives you a sense of self-awareness.”

-Andy Benham on being a student pilot

on technology

Laptops used for gaming, filter bypassed by students

by Jessi Brokopreporter

A freshman student is sitting in class.

He is done with all his assignments and has nothing to do. He already has his laptop out, so he switches to a new tab and opens up a game to keep himself entertained.

When his teacher announces the homework, he misses it because he is too busy paying attention to the game he is playing.

This happens continually over the next couple of weeks, and slowly the student’s grades deteriorate.

According to various students and teachers, student laptops are used far more for games and un-school-related activities than they are used for school assignments. Amy Trimble, sophomore, frequently uses her laptop for activities unrelated to school during class.

“I go on iFunny, or I play games,” Trimble said.

Trimble does not have as much of a problem as some students. While others play games on their laptops as an alternative to working on assignments, Trimble waits until after she has finished everything she needs to do.

“It’s mostly when I have time after I’m done working, some of the teachers give us web quests and stuff, and they don’t really plan anything, they will make us wait until we’re done, and everybody in the class is done, so that’s usually when boredom takes over,” Trimble said.

Miguel Sanchez, technology site manager, believes that laptops should only be used for

school purposes inside the classroom.

“Doing school work, going on the internet to use resources that you have online, that idea is great. Everything right now is technology related. So, if we think that way, then, yeah, we have some technology that will help us somehow in school. I’m pretty sure they can do it [games] at any computer, or at home, but they decide to do it on the school laptop, which is using school property, that’s something that sometimes they don’t get. They don’t get that it’s school property,” Sanchez said.

Although Sanchez said he believes the school laptops have been abused, he thinks students should still be allowed to have these laptops, provided that they are only used for school-related tasks.

“You have two options with systems like this. Block it, or use something else,” Sanchez said. “What I’m trying to say is, I think if you teach the kid how to use their laptop properly, hopefully they will understand that playing games during class is not a good thing to do.”

While it is true that the original purpose behind giving students laptops, providing them with a highly useful educational resource, discarding them entirely is still not the optimal solution for this problem.

By being stricter and more informative about how the laptops should be used, ideally they will go back to being used for what technology was created for in the first place: wider accessibility to educational resources.

Front special

Debate over web filter continues

by Madeline ZannOpinion editor

This website has been blocked for prohibited friendship content.

Every year, it seems like more and more issues crop up with the filtering system, especially now that two thirds of the school uses a laptop on a daily basis; students and teachers alike are struggling to get past the sometimes overreaching arm of the central office filters.

“Personally, I think they’re [the district] too aggressive in their filtering and that frequently they don’t work very well,” Media Specialist Ben Johnson, who used to work at the district’s central offices and now works in the Rocky Media Center, said.

Last year, Pinterest, a website used by multiple teachers, was blocked and now Vimeo, a video content website, has been added to the list of websites filtered out by PSD. “The PSD Content Filter cannot screen and filter Vimeo content . . . which can be accomplished on the YouTube Safe Search Site—therefore, we have declined the opportunity to open this site until such time as increased filtering capabilities exist,” PSD said in a statement released to schools on Dec. 11.

Teachers still will have access to the site, but students will not. Some websites, including universities, use Vimeo to post videos which students will no longer be able to access. Increasing amounts of filters is starting to lead to students and staff questioning the education validity of the filters.

“Often [filters] keep teachers and students away from the good stuff they want to get to while the other students can still figure out how to get to the bad stuff,” Johnson said.

In Laura Druse’s Media Analysis classes, students are required to do a capstone project where they look up a certain historical event and see how the media portrayed it. However, many of the students encountered problems with the filters, but inconsistency was rampant.

“Stuff about 9/11 got blocked,”

,

Jump to filter on A2

Inside: Local bands rock out: B8

Aspiring student pilots: B4-B5

Mile MileHigh High Cheering: cheering:A8 A8

Basketball season continues : A6

AP Art show amazes: B7

A2 Dec. 18, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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Filter

Devestating effects: The destruction caused by the typhoon Haiyan, the worst storm ever to be recorded in human history. Nick Fitzgerald, junior, has family living in the Philippines near where the storm hit.

from page A1

Aaron Yu

Tech Training: Ben Johnson, Media/Technology specialist, teaches about new innovations in student laptops. There have been recent concerns about the appropriate use of laptops, especially when it comes to playing games.

Ryan Lim/Xinhua/Zuma Press/MCT

Haiyan havoc Student relates to Philippines disaster

by Kayla Brokopreporter

Devastation hit the Philippines on Nov. 8, the day of the worst storm ever to be recorded in human history.

According to BBC News, over 5,000 people lost their lives to the typhoon, with still many more missing. “As a nation, everyone was very heartbroken over the tragedy that followed,” said Nick Fitzgerald, a junior whose family lives in the Philippines.

Words cannot describe the fear which Fitzgerald felt while awaiting news about his family and the storm.

“At first I didn’t quite know where the storm would hit, so I was very concerned for [my family], along with everyone in that area, but it Kayla Brokop seems that they Nick Fitzgerald: found out that Junior Nick Fitzgerald Manila was out of watched the chaos unfold during the Philip- the direct path,” pines storm, knowing he said. “It was a that he had family living little bit of a relief in the same area. to know that they weren’t in the

‘‘

,,

I’m still of that culture, and with that, I feel connected to everyone that was affected and I felt a lot of sadness for all the death that occurred.

Nick Fitzgerald, junior

direct danger.”

Though Fitzgerald’s family does not live in the capital, Manila (the place most impacted by the storm), he feels a strong connection to those who were directly affected.

“I’m still of that culture, and with that, I feel connected to everyone that was affected and I felt a lot of sadness for all the death that occurred,” he said.

Over one million houses were damaged, according to BBC News, leaving thousands of citizens of Manila homeless and without proper shelter. “This disaster will take a while to kind of get us back on the right road,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald’s thoughts are with his family in the Philippines, as well as with those who were affected by the tragedy which overwhelmed the country. “[My family has] been on my mind a lot and I know

that I focus a lot of my energy on that,” he said. “It’s been very hard thinking about the thousands of people that are being affected by this right now.”

A tragedy like this is certainly overwhelming, but there are still some ways which the students can aid in the rebuilding of the Philippines. Students can help by donating money or sending aid to the Red Cross and other programs that are working to help the victims of the typhoon.

“Any amount helps a ton,” Fitzgerald said. “Keep them in your thoughts and make sure that you are thinking about the people who are affected by this and that we are very lucky that we’re not in a situation like that right now. The victims of the typhoons are in need of immediate aid and funds to pick themselves back up again."

Druse said. “The Smurfs were blocked.

However, a group in second period got Miley Cyrus’s video ‘Wrecking Ball.’”

Despite student protest and inconsistencies, PSD does have viable reasoning behind their filters. There are federal and state statutes that compel PSD IT “to prevent malicious, objectionable and/or inappropriate content . . . from reaching student desktops.”

“I know the district is worried about lawsuits,” Johnson said.

While lawsuits are a valid concern, some potentially useful sites have been blocked, including suicide and domestic abuse resource websites due to the keyword “suicide” and because of “prohibited sex education content.” Unfortunately, with increased misuse of laptops for nonschool related activities, there could be the change of more filters to crack down on gaming websites.

“There could be a graduated block, it seems,” Druse said. “Now they block some stuff for teachers and some stuff for students, why couldn’t they block it by building or particular age group?”

The process to get a website unblocked can be tedious as well because the district has final and total control over what gets blocked and what does not. Rocky has no control over what get blocked and what does not. To try and a get a website unblocked, a teacher has to go to the Media Center and fill out a form to send to the district and sometimes the website gets unblocked and sometimes it does not.

“We have to hope it gets unblocked in a timely fashion,” Johnson said.

“Sometimes it does, sometimes doesn’t, sometimes they don’t get unblocked for a variety of reasons. It’s a bit out of our control.”

“It’s very, very frustrating,” Druse said.

‘

Carrying the legacy of those lost to suicide Fields of Dreams Miriam Fields

C

olorado State University lost three of its own to suicide during this past school year.

One of them was my friend.

Amelia Sundblad, or Barbie, as she was often called, was one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever known. Her infectious smile

and spirit never ceased to amaze me, even during the darkest times of her life.

I only hope that this unexpected and shocking event will teach others to live their lives with grace and positivity. Unfortunately, this type of thing occurs more often than people wish to admit.

Getting help is important; I’m not belittling the fact that this is the most integral part of lowering suicide rates. But another essential fact to consider is that, more often than not, those who commit suicide keep to themselves and don’t tell anyone their problems.

The only circumstance in which people know they were contemplating it is after the fact.

The only thing that people in this situation, including myself,

can do is carry on, attempt to live life with as much optimism as possible, and carry the person’s legacy and kind spirit with them always.

If you haven’t experienced this with someone close to you, you are extremely lucky. But even if you haven’t, it’s important to live life to its fullest. Enjoy everything that your friends and family bring you. Enjoy their company and their hugs, share in their stories and opinions, and tell them you love them whenever possible.

You may never know if someone is struggling, but it is important to enjoy your life and appreciate your time with loved ones.

I remember the last time I saw Amelia when I went to visit her at

the college campus. We had a great time, and I never thought that it would be the last time I ever saw her. Now that I look back on our friendship, I wish that I had gotten to know her better or done more for her.

The experience made me realize that it’s very important to have open communication with your friends and family, and always remind them of how much they mean to you, because you never know what may happen.

Amelia was a beautiful spirit, inside and out. She was an enthusiastic cowgirl with a huge heart.

She will be greatly missed.

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

Rocky Mountain

HIGHLIGHTER

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Dec. 18, 2013

A3

Assistant Superintendent put on administrative leave

by Noah Fogelbergreporter

Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant/MCT

Butterflies for victims: Colorful paper butterflies adorn the trees at a dedication ceremony in Shady Spot playground at Riverside Park in New London, Conn., Nov. 17, 2013. The playground, dedicated and named for Emilie Parker, is the 14th of 26 to be built as part of the Sandy Ground: Where Angels Play project, in honor of each of the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Security scares

Shootings continue, security questioned “Because of the table-tops we had done, we were prepared and ready to act quickly...if you’ve pracNobody likes the long walk to the front of the ticed and you’re prepared, it’s much easier to deal building, but would you rather get shot? with.”

The odds that this would ever actually happen With the recent rise of school shootings in are slim to none, but the fact remains that highAmerica, many people are scared of the potential school security is a necessary inconvenience. With “big threat” against the school, but in reality, school the addition of door timers, the newly renovated security helps prevent criminals from accessing office and more security cameras, the question most Rocky on a weekly basis. There’s never been a school students are asking is “why?” shooter or bomber, but threats exist in things most On Oct. 21 at around 7 a.m. shots were fired people wouldn’t think of. “All of the everyday stuff, outside Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nevada. while it seems trivial, almost superscedes ‘the big The shooter Jose Reyes fired a semi-automatic hand- one,’” Johnson said. gun in the school playground, killing teacher MiWith threats existing in and around Rocky, secuchael Landsberry and injuring two other students. rity is of the highest priority, but the responsibility Reyes attempted to enter the school but was turned doesn’t end with the staff. back due to the automatic door locks in place, and “If you have a friend that’s got a mental health then he proceeded to turn the gun on himself. issue or anger problem and you’re covering that up...

While many see upgraded security as a hassle, that’s a problem. If you look at almost every single in the case of Sparks Middle School, it most likely one of the incidents of school shootings or school saved lives of students and teachers violence or even violence in alike. general in the last five years, “Security always seems like they’re very closely related an inconvenience until you need to someone going through it.” School Resource Officer Matt a mental health problem.

Johnson said.

That’s what we ask most from In the eyes of most students, the students: let us know if If you have a friend the new security measures are a someone is having trouble, so pain due to the fact that if you we can get them the help we thats got a mental show up five minutes late, the need before something bad health issue or anger doors lock and you have to take happens,” said Johnson. problem and you’re the long way around the school.

Another issue a lot of stucovering that up...

“I think it’s important to dents point out is the fact that remember why we’re doing what despite all of the door locks that’s a problem. we’re doing,” Johnson said. and cameras, if a student with Matt Johnson, There are a lot of potential the intent to do harm shows School Resource up on time, they have the abilissues with school security, rangOfficer ing from students with mental ity to do so. illness to parental custody issues to “There isn’t one school in anything in between, and they happen much more this country that is going to be fully secure from a frequently than one would think. A potential threat threat, and if someone wanted to create harm, they Rocky frequently deals with involve student fights will find a way to do that,” Armstrong said. and disgruntled parents.

This statement rings true in the light of the recent “Parent custody issues? Those happen once a shooting on Dec. 13 at Arapahoe High School in week,” Assistant Principal Brett Larsen said. “What Centennial where a student brought in a shotgun we have to do is mitigate to prevent those issues.” with the intention of harming a specific teacher. He The school security that students see on a regular shot two students, leaving one in critical condibasis is focused mainly on preventing a crime from tion, then turned the gun on himself. The school happening and allowing quick response in the event was quickly locked down and teachers were told to that one does. What most students don’t realize is dim classroom lights in the hopes of keeping their that it doesn’t stop at Rocky. School security encap- students safe. sulates not only Rocky.

While students and teachers generally rely on the “We have a crisis team that meets once a month locking doors and the crisis team to keep them safe, here at Rocky…we do scenario based table-top exer- the responsibility continues down the chain from cises and figure out how we would handle an issue,” the principal to the freshmen. Threats and incidents Campus Security Officer Steve Armstrong said. will always occur, but with the whole school remainThis Crisis Team allows the staff to be educated ing vigilant, those problems can quickly be solved and ready in the event that a threat comes up. and in most cases can be prevented altogether.

Whether that is a school shooter, an angry parent “No school will ever be 100 percent secure, and looking for his/her child or a student from another the responsibility lies with every single person... school looking to get in a fight, the Crisis Team is Everyone needs to look out for each other,” Armready to go. strong said.

by Drake Lindstromreporter

‘‘,,

It started out as a throw-in on a pallet of new business textbooks–10 copies of Think and Grow Rich that Chuck DeWayne, Executive Director of Human Resources for the Poudre School District (PSD), was attempting to have added as a graduation requirement last year.

Not long afterward, a district official removed the books in the middle of the night before they were ever read by students.

The book, written by Napoleon Hill in 1937 and inspired

by Andrew Carnegie, promotes fourteen different steps that are supposed to lead one to be successful both in life and in their economic endeavors. However, with chapters such as, “The Mystery of Sex Transmutation,” and, “The Sixth Sense,” the book has led to a plethora of controversy wwithin the district. “(The chapter titled ‘The Mystery of Sex Transmutation’) is particularly troubling, misogynistic and completely inappropriate for PSD students,” Greg Grote, President of the Poudre Education Association (PEA), the union representing teachers within the PSD, said.

That specific chapter of the book talks about the moneymaking mindset that results from being sexually active. It goes on to talk about specific gender roles and what men and women should permit each other to do.

Not only was the content of the book brewing up controversy within the district, but the process of introducing these books into business classrooms was as well.

“The way these books were implemented was inappropriate,” Fran Docherty, UniServ Director for the PEA said.

He claims that the nonchalant

manner in which the PSD Board of Education approved the books was inconsistent with normal procedures for how a book would normally become authorized. According to Docherty, the district was easily convinced to add the books to business classrooms by a Fossil parent. This parent turned out to be DeWayne.

DeWayne was placed on paid administrative on Dec. 4 due to accusations that he approached teachers within the district to buy into the pyramid scheme money-making partnership he had with coffee seller Organo Gold. Grote and Docherty, both important figures within the PEA, have called for DeWayne to be fired, citing a conflict of interests. They claim he violated district policy as well as created a hostile environment in which some district employees felt their job security was contingent on their buying into DeWayne’s side business.

According to documents released in October, DeWayne planned on making a staggering $63 million with Organo Gold by 2020. These documents detail how DeWayne planned to integrate Think and Grow Rich into businesses classes, creating a partnership with PSD, and ideally promote his side business with Organo Gold. According to Docherty, it is inappropriate for a taxpayer funded employee to act in such a manner.

The RM Highlighter made several attempts to contact DeWayne as well as the office of the superintendent. All emails sent were not replied to. The first call to DeWayne’s office received a “no comment,” from the person that answered the phone, not DeWayne himself. All calls to DeWayne’s office and to the superintendent’s thereafter went unanswered.

Dancing around: Freshman McKinley Abbit jokes around while practicing backstage for her dance in The Nutcracker. Three students performed in the production and invested time and effort into making it a success.

Miriam Fields

Students dance in Nutcracker ballet Canyon Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker performed at the Lincoln Center Performance Hall from Dec. 13 to 15. The ballet was a success, selling a large portion of tickets ahead of time. Three students, junior Mari Sharpe, sophomore

In brief

Miriam Fields, and freshman McKinley Abbit, performed in the production and worked for four months to put it on. The effort put into a production of this scale is enormous, and the students are proud of their hard work.

Miriam Fields

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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OPINION

A4

Dec. 18, 2013

TheEmily’s Rocky Mountain Embellishments HIGHLIGHTER

Emily Anderson

ACT score not defining characteristic

W

e’ve all heard the question from our peers: “What did you get on the ACT?” I can guarantee you two things: 1) that the person asking is proud of their score, and 2) they are very eager to share with you what that score is.

Unfortunately, standardized testing and the college admission process have enforced the idea that a score defines intelligence. You now are a number between 1 and 36, and that number outlines where you will go in life, what kind of person you are, and how prepared you are for college. For students that receive lower scores than their peers, this can create a sense of inferiority.

I would know, because the ACT has absolutely defeated me. The first time I took the ACT I got a 27. As a student that takes numerous AP classes, those around me were getting above 30s, and I was stuck in the range right below it. The more I researched schools I wanted to get into, the more I panicked. Every single selective school I was interested in had an average score above a 30 (or higher), and everyone except me seemed to be able to accomplish this without a second thought.

After studying profusely, I took the ACT two more times and got 28s on both. Even as someone who loves writing and exceeds expectations in English classes and on district tests, I bombed the writing portion. As a junior in AP Calculus, I could not seem to finish the math in time. I’m not trying to compensate for my scores, but only say that these tests do not define who you are or what you can do. I will openly admit that I am a sucky test taker.

I manage to completely freak myself out and am so shaky I can barely even manage to open the plastic on the booklet.

And so, clad in pure anxiety and inadequate ACT scores, I will apply to the same schools I have always wanted to go to, hoping all the other strengths will override this one less-than-30 lapse. And I encourage all those that are less than satisfied with their scores to do the same.

You are not a number on a scale decided from four hours of your life. Next year, when you’re in whatever college you go to, or are doing whatever it is you do, nobody is going to bring up their ACT score.

Emily Anderson is a senior and editor-in-chief 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

Grappling with depression D

epression and suicide are larger problems in today’s world than we care to realize.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, two million adolescents attempt suicide each year. Recently, two CSU students lost their lives because of it. Unfortunately, it’s a taboo subject that most people The Issue: prefer to Calling attenignore. tion to an important, always We see relevant issue the signs in our society. and turn a blind eye, not allowing ourselves to accept the very real possibility that someone we care about could take their own life. We, as the staff of the RM Highlighter, would like to bring to light the very real dangers that suicide presents.

Talking about these kinds of things can be nearly impossible because everyone experiences things differently and we are not going to pretend to know the absolute

covered to reduce glorification of such acts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rocky Mountain

H

HIGHLIGHTER

Kayla Brokop

cure because we do not. However, some members of Highlighter do have experience with these types of situations.

Every seventeen minutes, someone in the U.S kills themselves.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in people ages 1218, second only to automobile accidents. This isn’t some “generational issue.” This is a problem and instead of actively trying to prevent or cure it, we either ignore it or try to pass it off as the person “overreacting.”

Unfortunately, there’s also a social stigma around people who feel depressed. Society has perpetuated 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.

Resources 4Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 4Chatroom: suicidepreventionlifeline.org 4Alliace for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County: allianceforsuicideprvention.org 4Rocky Peers

the idea that these people have some sort of weakness, and don’t deserve help. This stigma does nothing to help people who already feel alone, and creates the feeling that nobody understands what they are feeling. However, it is important for people to understand that seeking help does not show a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

If you even begin to think that Editors-in-Chief Emily Anderson news Megan Troutman limelight Ad Manager Josh Barrett Opinion Editor Madeline Zann Sports Editor Cammie Palomino

you may have depression, please go talk to someone.

Find someone you trust to help you. If someone comes to you for help, listen. There is no one solution, but sometimes the solution can be remarkably simple. Just being there for someone can be everything to them.

And if you cannot find someone, then come to us.

That is not some empty statement; that’s a promise.

Assistant Sports Editor Noah Fogelberg Features Editor Miriam Fields Center Editor Aaron Yu 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.

Drake Lindstrom Reyna Thompson Artist Kayla Brokop Contributors Neville Hyllegard Tia Clark 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

Dec. 18, 2013

A5

To write or not to write Assessment needs work

District funding cuts a mistake

While it is undoubtedly true that one of the most important jobs teachers have is to measure the progress of their students, sometimes not every method of doing this is effective.

One example is the District Writing Assessment, whwwich is somewhat infamous among students. As if it wasn’t talked and bemoaned about enough, a mixed bag of reactions have arisen from the district’s decision to defund it, which may lead to permanent removal from Rocky’s curriculum.

Many are bringing up the point of how having a standard to measure students’ progress by is crucial for maintaining adequate teaching standards.However, not every way of doing this is particularly successful, and the DWA is a prime example of a failed measuring stick.

While it is The assessment has been inconsistently unfortunate distributed in Rocky and its usage has also been to witness an extremely random in every single other school in district. While it would be understandable assessment the to view the budget cut as unreasonable if only possibly die Rocky was experiencing administering difficulout, ideally the ties, having all four high schools fail to dispense extra funds it properly is both unmanageable and unreasonavailable as able. Even if the DWA is designed and distributed with a result will good intentions, the district’s current inability to administer it properly defeats its original purpose: to help prooverall make mote and measure intellectual growth and improvement. up for it. By defunding the DWA, the district will have a bigger budget that they can spend on various supplies and other things that will ultimately be more useful and effective than a single inconsistently taken writing assessment.

By using the additional funds that will now be available on more updated textbooks and technology, resources that are long-lasting and consistently available, students will have a longer-term educational benefit. While it is unfortunate to witness an assessment possibly die out, ideally the extra funds available as a result will overall make up for it.

If the district really wants to measure student progress, then having the data to measure it would be somewhat helpful.

Funding on the district writing program has recently been cut, meaning that there will not be sufficient resources to continue the writing assessment given to students by the district.

While there can be issues with the grading system used for the tests, one of the district’s goals for students is to measure progress in order to make Doing the the education writing assystem more sessment can fruitful. In be a valuable Kayla Brokop order to do this, the dis- way of collecttrict needs to have the valuable data to help determine ing informathe quality of the education in schools today. tion in order New legislative bills saying that teachers to fix the must be measured on their students’ growth education syshave also been passed, making it difficult to tem and work ignore collecting data that measures growth on resolving in schools. Schools cannot follow the laws mandating the measure of growth if there is problems in nothing to measure it with. the district Skipping a year of these writing assessments also means a loss of data for the year, which means that no conclusion about the education given to the classes this coming year will be made, and there is a possibility that underlying problems to the district’s processes will not be fixed due to this lack of information.

Even if the funding is continued the following year, there will be no way to make up for the missed year. When skipping a year, it is difficult to measure the progress made that year because there will be no data from the previous year. This will cause the system of testing to be messed up because of this failure to collect data for an entire year of progress made in education.

The writing assessment can be a valuable way of collecting information; unfortunately, without proper funding, it will be difficult to monitor the condition of each class.

Hopefully there will be no problems with the writing assessment for this year so that there is no interruption in the collection of valuable information.

Pro Con

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Kenzie Bartzen

T

Global literacy rates sub par

welve percentThat’s it; that’s how many girls over the age of 15 can read and write in Afghanistan (according to the CIA World Factbook).

In comparison, 99 percent of women and girls in the U.S. are literate.

Think about it: if I lived in Afghanistan, there is a very large chance that I would not be capable of reading, let alone writing this column.

However, 43 percent of males would be able to.

Granted, that’s still not a very good number, but it’s a little better than 12 percent. Overall, that’s 28 percent of the country.

28 percent.

Somehow, despite the fact that the U.S. has spent over 12 years in the country trying to fix it, most girls don’t make

Mad Maddy

Madeline Zann

it past the fifth grade, women are still allowed to be beaten under law, and the whole country’s literacy rate is absolutely abysmal. And, according to a recent Reuters report, the U.S. is nowhere near to pulling out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Campaigns have been launched by the UN, UNICEF and UNESCO, but yet the country remains one of the most illiterate in the world.

And it is not alone in its horrendous literacy rates.

Only 35 percent of Chad’s population is literate, including only a quarter of the female

population.

In Ethiopia, nearly half of the male population is literate while over 70 percent of the female population is not.

The list just keeps going on and on.

Sadly, a lack of education isn’t the only problem women (and men) face in today’s world. Healthcare is abysmal in many African countries, especially maternal care. Despite the fact that this is the twenty-first century, human rights around the world are still threatened by archaic laws and backwards opinions.

Half the battle is just calling attention to the issue, but more needs to be done.

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

Miriam Fields

p

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Samantha Ekery, freshman

o

t

o

“Whitney Houston: She was a really powerful singer and an awesome lady.”

p

o

“Nelson Mandela: He was the first black South African president and he was an inspiration for many people.”

l

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Melanie Stajduhar, sophomore

What celebrity death has impacted your life the most?

“Lou Reed: He was a singer that I looked up to with powerful lyics.”

“Michael Jackson: Being a dancer, I always looked up to him because he revolutionized dance.” Noel

Leo McManus, junior

“Shakespeare: After 20 years of studying his work, I’m still not able to wrap my head around it.”

Ron Clark, teacher

Knostman, senior

A6 Dec. 18, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

S PORTS

No such thing as seniority

by Marissa Bonertzreporter

Noah Fogelberg

High hopes: Junior Max McDonald tries to add more points to the board as junior teammate Cam Erickson waits for the rebound at the Thompson Valley game. Although juniors outnumber any other classes, the two seniors left on the team will try to pass down their leadership through actions and experience.

Two seniors, one goal.

Jordan Williams and Jacob Bruntz are the only two seniors on the boys’ basketball team this year. The leadership shown by the two is evident.

“It is not a normal situation to only have two seniors, but I think we’re handling it pretty well, and the two seniors we do have are high quality, high character kids and we’re glad they’re here,” coach Jon Rakiecki said.

Williams and Bruntz have stepped up and become a vital part of leading the team. They have made it a personal goal to set a positive example for the younger players–on and off the court.

“Being one of the only seniors, I have to be a leader on and off the court, so that way when they do have a big senior class it is not ‘we’re the seniors, we’re going to run the program now,’ they will remember me and Jake and how accepting we are of the younger kids,” Williams said.

I AM TAKING MY TALENTS TO...

In past years, the senior classes have overpowered the team, but with only two seniors this season, that is not the Record: 2-6 overall case. Stars: Cam Erickson and Riley Neal “(Having a small senior class is) a Who’s Next: Fossil, Jan. 7 - home good thing because the senior class isn’t 7 p.m. dominating the underclassmen so its What going well: Good teamwork and allowing players to step up and do their good synergy Improving on: Defensive endurance roles because Jake and I aren’t suppressand communication ing anything,” Williams said. Quote: “To give anything less than The dynamic of the team has shifted your best is sacrificing what you’ve greatly this year. There is a whole new been given.” varsity team. The inclusion of the -Benji Williams, sophomore younger players has made it possible for the team to unite and work together.

According to Williams, the team has Williams has been chosen a captain meshed better than teams in the past. this season, and with that role comes With new found mojo, the team has greater responsibilities. more fun playing together.

“He really understands how influ“Jake and Jordan have done a really ential he is as a senior. When you’re a senior captain, you have to embrace and good job of accepting that role of the understand how significant of a role you only two seniors. I think they’ve done a really good job of doing that. I think play. What you do, what you say, and how you behave on and off the court re- our team is united in our common goals, more so than the other teams I’ve ally impacts the other 42 players in the coached,” Rakiecki said. program,” Rakiecki said.

Boys’ basketball

On Nov. 13, 11 seniors signed a sheet of paper. This paper guarantees them an opportunity to take their talents to the next level; college. Six girls and five boys will take what they have learned from playing the sport as kids to what they have learned throughout high school. Their talents will be improved at the college level.

Question &answer

Keep an eye out for the signing boys Q&A in upcoming issues.

Pictures taken and interviews conducted by Cammie Palomino

Ally Guerrero Lacrosse Fort Lewis College

Grace Weatherwax Volleyball Independence Community College

Anna Ernst Basketball Metro State University of Denver

Q: When and why did you start playing lacrosse?

A: I started playing lacrosse in the fifth grade. I was getting

Q: When and why did you start playing volleyball?

A: I started playing volleyball when I was six or seven. But I

Q: When and why did you start playing basketball?

A: I started playing basketball in third grade with all my friends.

bored with rec soccer. My brother had started playing for the Vipers the year before I started playing, so I thought I’d give lacrosse a try.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: There are literally dozens, and naming just one or a few of

them wouldn’t do justice to how much they’ve each done to make my dream a reality. Getting to this point was definitely a team effort.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: Lacrosse has been one of my favorite parts of high school...

I grew to love the game even more after I joined the team. Playing in college is an opportunity to play at a higher level and be a part of the home team.

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I’m ecstatic and a little nervous. Being able to play college

ball wasn’t something I had thought about until recently, and while I’m not sure how prepared I am to play at this new level. I’m just excited.

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: I’m really excited to see how good of a goalie and an athlete

I can become working with a team that plays and works nearly all year.

didn’t start playing competitively until freshman year of high school, when I started playing club at Colorado North Stars.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: Definitely my mom. She knows what volleyball is like, she

knew what it was like to play competitively. The club that I played for definitely helped out a lot. And Julie Hilt. She got me to the college that I wanted to go to. She taught me a lot.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: It was on and off for a while. So I was not sure until the

beginning of the season of my senior year.

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I think it is a good opportunity for anyone. They have com-

munity colleges and they have Division I colleges. But I am excited. I can’t wait to go there.

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: I am hoping to become a better volleyball player. Since it is a

two year school, hopefully I can go to a four year school after.

Ashton Mares Volleyball East Carolina University

Madie Creech Lacrosse University of Tampa Q: When and why did you start playing lacrosse?

A: I started playing lacrosse in sixth grade. I started lacrosse

because my brother Alex started playing.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: My parents get the most credit for helping me through this

Q: When and why did you start playing volleyball?

A: I started playing volleyball in seventh grade. My mom’s friend

coached for NorCo and they convinced me to tryout.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: I would say the coaches and trainers that I have had in the

We started in a rec team.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: I would say my mom. She has done so much stuff for me. I

have also had a bunch of different coaches that have helped me a lot.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: Since I started playing my goal was to get to the next level

but once you play year round your whole life, you start to get burnt out and I went through that period when I got really burnt out and did not want to play at the next level. But then I found my spark again and really liked Metro, the coaches and the players.

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I am excited. I am also a little bit nervous because it is the

next level, but I am really excited.

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: Just the experience. I want to finish as high as I can pos-

sibly get. It will also make me more involved in the school and more motivated.

Kaela Blumenshine Softball Wesleyan University Q: When and why did you start playing softball?

A: I started playing softball when I was seven years old.

Q: Who has helped you out the most through this journey?

A: I think my family has helped me the most. I have always

whole journey. They are very supportive and have been by my side through it all.

past year. They helped me so much in finding a school and helped me improve in order to reach my goal of playing at a Division I school.

looked up to my sister as a player and my dad has been my coach for the last six years; them, and my mom have helped me to become the player I am today.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: I knew I wanted to go to college to play lacrosse when I

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: I have always wanted to play some sport at the next level. For

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to go the next level?

A: I knew I wanted to play softball in college when I was watch-

started my club team; Team 180, when I was in seventh grade. My coach really pushed us and I just knew I wanted to play for as long as I could.

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I feel extremely excited to play at the college level. I’m ready

for a challenge to play against good girls and meet my new team!

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: What I hope to get out of this whole experience is to meet my

best friends, have the time of my life and knowing I made the best decision of my life to go to Tampa.

the longest time, for me, it was soccer, but I stopped playing soccer for volleyball. So basically since I have been playing.

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I am very excited to be playing volleyball in college. It has

always been my goal.

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: I hope that I will learn how to be a better teammate and make

lifelong friends along the way.

ing the Women’s College World Series in 2009. I remember watching the University of Florida specifically and thinking, “I want to be just like them.”

Q: How do you feel about playing at the next level?

A: I am extremely excited to play in college! I cannot wait to

take my game to the next level and have a chance to get better and play against tougher teams.

Q: What do you hope you will get out of this experience?

A: I hope to not only get better but to make lifelong friends

with my teammates. I hope it will be like a second family that grows together.

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

S PORTS

Dec. 18, 2013

A7

Life moves FAST when juggling school, club swimming

by Reyna Thompson reporter

Girls’ swimming

Starting school at 7:30 in Record: 2-0 overall the morning when dawn has Stars: Andi Johnson and Daphne Williams just broke feels like a daunting Who’s Next: Legacy - Jan.7 - at EPIC - 4 p.m. task. What going well: Good team chemistry and more swimmers Improving on: Building stamina and stroke technique Now add waking up before Quote: “Being on the swim team allows me to make new 5 in the morning, jumping into friends and meet new people” -Katherine Neff, junior a pool of water and performing intense cardio exercise when most of your peers are still sleep- ming on two teams at once, Wil- into heart failure and I almost ing. missed saying goodbye to her.” liams said, “I guess I don’t see it The level of dedication of a Club swimming is notorias an option not to swim both, swimmer required is more than ous for long trips to meets in so I make myself adjust.” some could even imagine. BeMost athletes do make adjust- different states and being a more fore the sun is up, you can find ments to fit everything into their competitive environment. Even swimmers in the pool by 5:15 in schedule, but when you swim on though their time is stretched the morning. thin as it is, Johnston and Wiltwo teams at once, it can seem Some swimmers choose liams think swimming for both almost impossible. to devote additional hours of teams would be beneficial.

“I’ve had to sacrifice my their time to another team.

“I love being a part of the social life for sure, I haven’t been Sophomores Andi Johnston and able to a lot of the things I’ve team with the girls and the Daphne Williams are members atmosphere is just really fun,” wanted,” Johnston said. of FAST, a Fort Collins based Johnson said when asked about With all the sacrifices team competitive swim team. the Rocky atmosphere. “Practicswimmers make, one might ask FAST practices four out of why they do it. “Sleep is definite- ing with my club team as much the five weekdays. Which means ly a big sacrifice I’ve made,” said as I can will make me better, but 18 hours a week in the pool. high school is still important for Williams. “I was in Arizona at a When asked about swimme to be a part of.”

FAST meet when my dog went

Wrestling

Wrestling

from page A8

Record: 1-0 overall to regain your confidence.” Stars: Danny Murphy and Dan Williams Vardiman also feels that WilWho’s Next: The Warrior Classic at Grand Junction - Dec. 19 liams has done an incredible job What going well: Overall strong team returning to sports. Improving on: Improving shape and technique Quote: “As a team we are working hard every day “I plan to nominate him for and not letting up. We are getting better and better

the Nuggets Comeback Athlete and cannot wait to see what the rest of the season brings.” of the Year Award. We’ll see if he

-Dan Williams, senior wins,” Vardiman said.

One of the biggest challenges for Williams has been missing out on valuable playing time.

It can be difficult to regain technique lost after taking a break, and the consequences can sometimes be irreversible.

“I missed all of wrestling season last and that really affected how good I was,” Williams said.

“Sophomore year I was ranked

Win

from page A8

in the state; I could have placed last year, but now it’s kind of been brought back down a little bit. I’m just working back up to it.”

There are still some challenges that Williams is experiencing.

Knee pain is still occurring, though it now bothers Williams far less than it previously did. He

‘‘,,

Cheerleaders,” said coach Terra Thiebaut prior to the event.

The team competed at state on Dec. 6 and placed 5th, the highest place in Rocky history. The girls beat out all the Fort Collins high schools and were defeated by Rock Canyon, Eaglecrest, Grandview, and Pine Creek.

At the end of Dec., the team will jet off to San Diego to perform half-time at Holiday Bowl in front of 70,000 people. That morning, the girls will perform in the parade in San Diego.

“They are the opening act in the parade,” Thiebaut said, excited that the parade will be televised.

After the performance in San Diego, the team will travel to Dallas to compete in the National NCAA cheer competition at the end of January. “[Our goal] is to be consistent, for everybody to give 110 percent, and to work hard right now, and work hard until they get to the floor,” Thiebaut said.

In the past few of years, the team has skyrocketed from an average cheer team to a successful, state recognized cheer team.

“We won districts which is an overall title for Fort Collins and the Northern Colorado area,” senior Libby Hoy said.

The team will lose six seniors next year, and with this comes

...One of the things the girls have done a really good job of is building up the younger generations, especially those seniors, and investing in the younger athletes.

feels confident that he will make through the wrestling season successfully, as do both Vardiman and Taylor.

“He has the perfect build for wrestling,” Vardiman said. “He’s got that short, stocky build with powerful legs and a good upper body strength. It’s a good combo as far as wrestling goes. His

Reyna Thompson

Just keep swimming: Sophomore Kaylei Wright swims at the meet at EPIC against Poudre on Dec. 12. The team won the meet, 612-480 points, making them undefeated.

tricky part, is that skill wise, he and the other guy were very well matched. The other guy was very tall, [so he won] because of where his weight is, so it does make it a little bit trickier, but if he can ride the legs he’s going to have no problems with them. So I think he’s going to do well.”

“I think we should be pretty good,” said Taylor. “We’ve got quite a few back from last year, and on the varsity we have eight wrestlers that qualified for state last year that returned this year.”

Williams led the team to a first place finish in their first meet of the season. Senior Luis Perez and junior Danny Murphy played a big part of the win and represented their school throughout the meet.

Girls’ basketball Record: 3-1 overall, 1-0 league Stars: Kelcey Bedard, Anna Ernst and Frankie Noeldner Who’s Next: Fossil Ridge - Jan. 7 - home - 5:30 p.m. What going well: Good rebounding and good team chemistry Improving on: Stronger defense Quote: “We have a ton of potential this year and we have been

working really well as a team.” -Frankie Noeldner, senior

Dedication from page A8

the routine.

Four year varsity senior Kayleigh Berry said, “We try to give one-hundred and ten percent effort each and every practice, and without a person giving their all it just doesn’t work out. It’s definitely the ultimate team sport.”

Perspectives are different for everyone about what giving their all looks like. For junior Tori Malara, ideas of team chemistry and bonding are different from her days at Fossil.

“Everyone is so much nicer and welcoming,” Malara said.

The way we work as a team and have so much success is unbelievable. You really have to be committed because if you don’t show up to one practice, you let your team down, so every practice counts.”

With cheer being a two season sport, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with everything.

But they have gotten used to this and know that school comes first.

“School has to be your first priority. There are nights when you have to stay up later to finish homework, but it’s all worth it when you step on the blue mat to perform and you win that trophy,” Berry said.

Rebekah Welte, cheer coach

a change in dynamic and work.

However, the coaches have no doubt in the team’s ability to adapt to the change.

“Those seniors will absolutely be missed; they are a huge part of the team, but one of the things the girls have done a really good job of is building up the younger generations, especially those seniors, and investing in the younger athletes,” Welte said.

The younger members of the team are strong and will continue to carry them onto multiple victories.

“We have a really strong JV team coming up. We’ll see the investment made in everyone else to bring us to a similar level,” Welte said.

Madeline Zann

Looking for the pass: Junior Wesley Bannister is handling the ball at the game against a Poudre player during the Battle of the Rockies tournament.

FREE GAME

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Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

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SPORTS

A8

Dec. 18, 2013 Drake’s Drizzle

Eric Bakke / Denver Broncos team photographer/special to the RM Highlighter

Drake Lindstrom

Richie’s bullying not Incognito

Johnny Manziel took the prize for the biggest punk in college football and it looks like we have a winner for the biggest punk in the pros: Richie Incognito.

Incognito has recently been indefinitely suspended from the Miami Dolphins due to an investigation revealing that he bullied members of the team including fellow lineman Jonathan Martin as well as members of the staff.

Really? This is a 30 year old man and he’s still bullying. Bullying is usually tied in with insecurities, at six-foot three-inches and 319 pounds, you could say he might or might not have reasons to be self-conscious.

Beyond Incognito’s feigned masculinity, the fact that bullying even happens in professional locker room is remarkably immature.

Football is a team sport. This isn’t golf or swimming where the blame or credit all goes to one person; this is a team, and there are certain rules when there is a full team. One of those rules is you don’t get to treat your teammates with disrespect.

Now I understand there are certain amounts of “initiation” when it comes to new kids, there is always a certain amount of teasing that goes on in and out of the locker room. But that teasing should always be accompanied by a feeling of acceptance. It should be made clear that after you endure the absurd torture your team puts you through, you’re a part of that team and in good times and bad, you can always count on them to have your back.

The fact of the matter is you should treat everyone on your team like a brother out there. Regardless of whether you run out onto the field, hustle onto the court or skate onto the ice; those teammates are all you have out there. They go out with you and fight for every play and they have your back when everything gets out of control. The fact that someone can take something as sacred as that bond and trample it by bullying them is sickening.

Forming a team is a difficult thing to do and when you add the ups and downs of a season, there is a certain amount of respect that is to be expected. Yes, teams talk smack and argue at times, but you are still a team, a family.

The case of Incognito and any other case of locker room bullying, is utterly mind-blowing. If you bully someone in your locker room to the point that they leave, I have absolutely no respect for you and you do not deserve to wear the jersey of your team. When you pull that jersey on, you stop representing yourself and start representing something much larger.

A team is a family. Treat them like one.

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

Mile High cheer: The cheer team performs their routine with the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders at the Broncos game against the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 12.

LOBO CHEER

Cheer team starts to find success

Dedication is choice, not responsibility

by Marissa Bonertzreporter

by Reyna Thompsonreporter

From the Elitches Spirit Fest to the Denver Broncos Spirit Competition, the cheer team has won competition after competition.

“They also won districts, which was a huge accomplishment since it was the first time districts was held for our league, so we beat out Fossil Ridge to win that one…they’ve won all of their divisions but they’ve also won grand champions at all of these competitions,” cheer coach Rebekah Welte said.

The girls won the Elitches Spirit Fest and have received season passes for a year. They also won the district competition; sweeping Fossil Ridge, making them district champions.

The most unique competition they won was one held by the Denver Broncos cheerleaders. They had the opportunity to cheer at the Denver Broncos pre-game on Dec. 12. The girls performed their own routine as Brittany well as a routine with the Denver Hyland Broncos cheerleaders.

“They will get to practice twice leading up to that game for two hours with the Denver Broncos cheerleaders. They will get to do a routine with the Denver Broncos

Sports special

,

Jump to Win on A7

Fifteen hours.

When looking at this number, one might think of the amount of time they’d spend at their part time job for the week. When in reality, it is the number of hours devoted to cheerleading in a seven-day span when sports are in full swing.

This level of commitment doesn’t leave room for much else. So where’s the appeal?

To the cheerleaders, their time could not be spent doing anything better.

Three-year varsity senior Brittany Hyland said, “I have no problem with being so devoted to cheer because it is what I love. I would be practicing twenty-four/seven if I could.”

Practices are usually two hours on weekdays, with an additional three hour practice on Saturdays. If you are with a group of people for 15-plus hours a week, there is a good chance you will end up end up getting close with them.

“We tell each other everything, and some of us get along better than others. But at the end of the day, we are all friends and we talk at school or practice daily,” Hyland said.

Establishing a bond with the team is essential, considering all the time spent together.

Along with most other sports, team chemistry is vital. Without it, there would be no cohesiveness to

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Jump to Dedication on A7

Coming back strong

Determination brings Williams back, team stronger

by Miriam FieldsFeatures Editor

Highlighter archives

Hard work pays off: Senior Dan Williams dedicated lots of time to rehab last year. A year later, Williams has finished his final season of football and is about to start his final season of wrestling.

Dan Williams is not used to having to sit out.

So having to miss the rest of football season and the entirety of the wrestling season after tearing his ACL in early Nov. of last year was very difficult for him.

Fortunately, he has returned to wrestling this year after a successful surgery and extensive rehabilitation. After playing football this year, he is ready to continue with his second sport of the year, and has also been named one of the wrestling captains.

“It definitely made me be more precautious,” said Williams.

Williams’ coaches have been very supportive. They visited him after his surgery and reached out to him during his physical therapy.

“As far as most athletes that

I’ve had, he came back off of the ACL very well. Getting out into football this year, he wasn’t tentative at all,” said Kate Vardiman, Rocky athletic trainer. “He doesn’t notice that he tore his ACL in the first place.”

Williams’s wrestling coach, Ken Taylor, has been one of his main support systems.

For Taylor, a fast and successful recovery means that he has regained one of the most devoted and skillful member of the team. Taylor sees many promising qualities in Williams, and has seen him grow as a person.

“I think adversity for a very competitive person can help them come out and even be better than they were before,” said Taylor. “Danny is really highly motivated, and so... having to watch from the outside looking in was tough on him. I think sitting out last

Megan Troutman

Not in our house: Senior Luis Perez shows his skills on the season opener. The team ended up earning first place in the meet.

year served as a motivator for what he’s doing this year.”

Though it can be very difficult to come back from an injury, Taylor realizes that Williams has handled this situation very well.

“It’s hard to come back from injuries,” Taylor said.

“These guys heal pretty quickly, but it takes a lot of rehab.

Psychologically, it can be difficult because it takes a while

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Jump to Wrestling on A7

e m o s e s w A CT A

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

F

FEATURES

Cammie Palomino

Perfect score: Seniors Catherine Giesenhagen and Dennis Shi both received ACT scores of 36. Both are looking at Ivy League and in-state colleges.

Students Giesenhagen, Shi earn perfect scores on ACT exam

by Cammie Palomino and Mackenzie Bartzensports editor, reporter

‘‘

A perfect 36.

The number that plays a huge part of a student's acceptance into college and what scholarships a student can receive, or not.

According to the ACT website, 1,799,243 current seniors took the test nationwide, and the average national score for the 2013 ACT was a 20.9.

When 56,027 of current seniors in Colorado took the test, the Colorado average was a 20.4. In Poudre School District, there were 1,901 current seniors that took the ACT, with the PSD average being 22.3. Out of the 1,901 PSD students who took the test in April, only four got a 36: two from Rocky, one from Fossil Ridge, and one from Poudre. This means that approximately two percent of the students who took it got a perfect score. Dennis Shi and Catherine Giesenhagen represented the school well and had the grand accomplishment of getting a perfect 36 on their ACT. “I felt excited,” Shi said. “I felt really surprised because I did not think I could have gotten a 36.”

Gisenhagen was also enthusiastic.

“I did not realize how big of a deal it was until I realized that there were only four people in the district that got it,” Gisenhagen said.

Neither Shi nor Giesenhagen have taken any ACT prep classes, but both took the ACT practice tests that are offered by the school.

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I did not realize how big of a deal it was until I realized there were only four people in the district that got it.

“I had a book (ACT prep book),” Shi said. “I just read through the tips and worked on the practice problems.”

Both Shi and Giesenhagen are ranked in the top five percent in the Class of 2014. They are also looking to continue their education at the Ivy League leve, and some in-state colleges. “[My number one choice is] Stanford,” Shi said. “But if they don’t want me, I want to go to the University of Colorado-Boulder. I also applied to Colorado State University.”

Despite already being exceptional students, both Shi and Dennis were still able to make their perfect ACT scores part of a bigger learning experience.

“It takes a lot of work,” Shi said.

“I also learned that sometimes if you guess, you get it right.”

As Shi stated, even if you have no clue what an answer could be, guessing may be the best alternative. Leaving an answer blank will automatically be counted as wrong, so even putting a random answer will ultimately be better for your score.

In addition, not taking the time to read each question carefully can also have definite drawbacks. Shi recommends pacing yourself, and allotting a reasonable amount of time for each

Catherine Giesenhagen, senior

question. You can also research the types of questions the ACT frequently administers, which allows you to be aware of what to expect on the actual test.

When it comes to Giesenhagen’s tips, she personally believes that focusing on math in practice sessions is one of the most beneficial areas to work on, as math skills can also be applied in the infamous science section. Taking as many practice tests that are available to you is also advised, to strengthen your skill set for every other section of the test, as well.

Of course, one of the key aspects to performing well in any kind of activity is the age-old advice repeated to pretty much every kid in America: get a full night’s rest and eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast. Finally, considering squeezing in a little leisure reading before getting a good night’s sleep; it has been proven to improve vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills.

Shi and Giesenhagen work hard and are model students for their respective student body. If everyone took the time and effort, there would probably be many more scores comparable to Shi’s and Giesenhagen’s.

Hard work and a little elbow grease never hurt anyone, and in fact, has a tendency to help as well.

Test-taking tips ▶Chew gum while studying and chew the same type of gum while testing ▶Answer every question and always guess on questions you are unsure of ▶Eat a nutritious breakfast, not involving sugary cereals ▶Get at least seven hours of sleep the night before the test ▶Take practice tests to become used to the ACT’s format ▶Read for leisure, as it can improve vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills ▶Buy an ACT prep book and read through the questions

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Dec. 18, 2013

Relevancy, standardized testing

by Drake Lindstromreporter

TCAPS, MAPS, PARCC, CSAPS. The list goes on and on, but there is only one test that students truly care about: the ACT. The ACT is a test every student both dreads and looks forward to from the moment they enter high school. From a young age, students are taught that the ACT is a ticket to college, and that a high score can take them places, but with the importance placed on the ACT, many people start to question the importance of the other tests high school students are forced to take.

“The ACT is obvious (in it’s importance). I need to do this, because I need the 17 or the 18 or the 30 to get into college,” Assistant Principal Tyler Nickel said.

CSAP, recently renamed TCAP, has been the thing students dread most since the third grade: hours of seemingly pointless testing repeated over and over again to the point that many students stop caring.

While TCAP is due to be replaced by a computerized version of the test called PARCC, which is the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers, it is very similar in size and content, and it offers new interactive problems.

The question many students tend to ask in association with MAPS or TCAP is: why? TCAP isn’t directly looked at by colleges during the application process but the TCAP is important to both the district and to the student. The TCAP and the CSAP give students experience with a long test. The ACT takes about three and a half hours to complete and the experience of TCAP helps prepare students for the sheer size of the test.

“Because of the high-stakes of testing these days, we have to make sure you know how to take some of these tests, so that the results that we get from the tests aren’t false because you didn’t know how to take the test…you may have all kinds of knowledge but if you’re not literally familiar with the test structure itself or how to sit down and focus for that long, that might be the issue more than what we taught you,” Nickel said.

While the size of the TCAP and PARCC helps get students ready for the size of the ACT, it does little else. Most students find it difficult to take the test year after year due to the lack of feedback from the state.

“You don’t get comprehensive feedback from the testing committee,” senior Annika Gustafson said.

The other problem with TCAPs is that it focuses on the solution and the answers are supposed to fit the mold of the key, limiting the creativity of the students.

“They focus so much on product, not process which is equally as important,” art teacher Missy Wolf said.

While standardized testing does have its benefits, it also comes with its fair share of flaws. With the importance placed on the ACT, TCAPs and its future replacement PARCC are a necessary evil.

B2 Dec. 18, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

FEATURES

Living up to misleading expectations W

Fishing with Trout

e all live in a land of expectations and reality.

Megan TeachTroutman ers, parents, friends, and even pets, all have expectations, some higher than others.

For instance, your teacher sets the bar high for your success. You are expected to do your homework, study hard, and ace the final.

In reality, there’s a Harry Potter marathon on TV and you have to pick your battles. Obviously watching wizards fly on broomsticks trumps all.

That’s one example, but I’m pretty sure we can all relate. School can certainly be difficult.

Have a 4.0 GPA, take AP classes, do well on the ACT, apply to colleges, take a shower, try out for All-State band, get involved, join a club, have lots of friends, get eight hours of sleep . . .

There are so many expectations, but so little time to complete them all. Who needs to shower anyway? And sleep is for the weak.

Then there are those parents with strict expectations. So getting any grade under an A+ is unacceptable and you are forced out of the house to live in a box.

I’ve heard those stories – some houses have higher expectations than others.

In reality, it’s ok to get lower grades. As long as you gave it one hundred percent and you understand the material.

At the end of the day if you know how to factor a polynomial, that’s all that matters in life. Even if your efforts are not fully represented in the school’s grading system, it’s not the end of the world.

My parents have slightly different expectations; as long as they understand I tried my hardest, it’s ok to get a B or below.

On the other hand, I set my own expectations and when reality strikes and I see that dreaded B in the grade book, I move out of the house to cry in my box. It doesn’t last long; lately it has been a bit chilly outside. But sometimes some quality alone time is all you need.

Contrary to popular belief, school is not the only place with high expectations; high pressure also stems from being at home.

Do the chores, finish your homework, don’t slap your brother, be nice to the neighbors, take a shower, make your bed, clean the basement, turn off the Harry Potter marathon and do your math . . .

How are you supposed to relax after a long day of school when you have to do the chores?

I suppose you could pull a Henry David Thoreau and connect with nature for two years. Seems legit.

But that’s beside the point. With everything from school to home life, people set high expectations that are not always met.

Your pet on the other hand sets the bar low. You are expected to feed and walk the lizard at least once a day.

Instead, you realize that your lizard is in fact a reptile and does not need to be walked. In this case, not meeting the lizard’s expectations is ok.

If only school were like walking a lizard.

Not only do your teachers, pets, and parents set the bar, but your friends have their own expectations.

Laugh at even the bad jokes, walk to Qdoba at least once a week, take a shower, meet in San Juan after first period, wear pink on Wednesdays, attend weekly bingo night . . .

In reality, between balancing school and walking the lizard, it’s hard to remember to wear pink on Wednesdays.

At the end of the day it’s important to remember that expectations are made but reality often breaks down the more important things in life.

As our good friend Thoreau once said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined,” not the life expectations set you up to be.

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

Madeline Zann

Student involvement: Seniors Breann Watterson and Saskia Becker discuss human trafficking in the Save the Tears Club.

The students enjoy the opportunity to help inform others about the pressing problem.

Save the Tears continues goal to cease human trafficking

by Kayla Brokopreporter

Human trafficking is an issue that occurs all over the world, but there is now a way in which it is possible to address the issue right in this community.

Save the Tears is a club that meets every Thursday at lunch, focusing on raising awareness of human trafficking and ways to minimize and prevent the issue.

The club is geared towards anyone who has a passion for human rights.

“It’s not girls only, even though we deal with mainly a female related issue,” Laura Hogan, the club sponsor for Save the Tears said. “It is geared towards people who want to make a difference on a global scale.”

“A lot of people don’t know how

Club feature

bad it is or what it is,” co-president Saskia Becker said. “Human trafficking is a huge issue and we feel like more people should be involved with trying to stop it.”

Save the Tears is currently working on a fundraising project. It focuses on sending a girl in Thailand to high school by giving her money though a program called SOLD. This program enables the club members to send funds in exchange for letters from the girl, which are translated into English.

The club puts on several fundraisers, such as bake sales, in order to continue the project.

The club is also hoping to raise money through showing a film about human trafficking and its impacts.

The club is run mostly by seniors; they are hoping to encourage more underclassmen to participate in and continue the

club after they graduate.

“We’re hoping we can get more community involvement, or at least more awareness in Rocky but also within Fort Collins and the community,” copresident Breann Watterson said.

Though the issue is often thought of as occurring in different countries outside of the United States, it is a local issue as well.

“A lot of people think ‘yeah, that happens everywhere else,’ or ‘it happens in developing countries, but not here,’” Hogan said.

“That leaves a different impact on people to know that it’s happening right here in our town, in our city, in our state.”

The most important factor in stopping the problem is letting people know about it as soon as possible.

“The earlier people learn about it, the better,” Hogan said.

Adopt-a-Family again a success

by Tia Clarkcontributor

Adopt-a-Family started as a small philanthropic effort in 1997 dedicated to roughly 25 families.

Currently, the school helps over 70 families a year with procuring basic needs and providing a little bit of Christmas cheer.

“This is one of those things where everyone in the whole school gets involved,” Adopt-a-Family co-coordinator Joan Ruberry said. “It crosses over every sub group in the school and has become a widespread thing that they have fostered.”

Unlike other charity events the schools offers, Adopt-A-Family has almost 100 percent participation.

Because of the widespread assistance from both students and faculty, a sense of community has been built around the event.

“The basketball team will adopt a family,” Ruberry said. “Sometimes alumni will adopt a family as well.

StuCo buys coloring books; Spanish club buys books. Students feel personally responsible for their family and it shows.”

Throughout the duration of a month, the needs of over 70 families

Drake Lindstrom

Holiday Spirit: Students pack boxes of supplies in their homeroom class for their families. Adopt-a-Family is an important event in the school’s history and is participated in by hundreds of students.

are adequately met. Students and faculty provide food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothing, blankets, toys, money, and even the occasional gift certificate. For a family struggling to make ends meet, this can have a significant impact.

“Seeing the family come and be overwhelmed with the generosity is just amazing,” Ruberry said.

The morning of Dec. 14, after all the gifts are wrapped and transported to the commons, is

the day of distribution.

“The special time for me is the night before the event when we have all the home rooms that have brought all their things down and put them all on the tables,” Ruberry said. “We’ll have 77 to 80 tables out there all filled with things that students have collected and donated and given. It’s that moment before we leave for the night and you look around and it just touches your heart that everyone came through and it happened again.”

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

FEATURES

Dec. 18, 2013

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Community support

Mackenzie Bartzen Courtesy of Blair Berg

Foreign classroom: Teacher Blair Berg has a new classroom in Kuwait after he made the decision to teach internationally. He has enjoyed the new experience thoroughly, and highly encourages others to get out of their comfort zones and travel internationally.

Blair Berg teaching in Kuwait school Former social studies teacher Blair Berg, who is now teaching in Kuwait, tells of his experiences.

Q: What is something that you took from your teaching experience at Rocky that you are applying to your teaching experience in Kuwait?

A: I learned a lot teaching at Rocky. I was fortunate to have worked there with great teachers, administrators and students. I would say that the most important piece I took with me from Rocky was how to build good relationships with my students.

Question & answer

Q: What have you learned from teaching in a third world country that could benefit you if/when you come back to teach in the US? A: If I do decide to come

back to the US, I will have hopefully learned how to teach different perspectives of people around the world. I want to have a first hand experience in the things I teach. I want to be able to help my students understand a subject with real situations from real people. Not just from pictures in a textbook.

Q: What are some struggles students have in Kuwait compared to some struggles Rocky students may have?

A: High school students are the same no matter where you are in the world. The struggles that my students have are identical to what Rocky students are going through. How to deal with the workload, how they should breakup with their girlfriends/ boyfriends, what they are going to do this weekend, etc.

Q: What do students there do when they are not in school compared to American students?

A: Students here do not have as much access to things like American students do. But the majority of students will

go to the beach, go shopping in malls (there are hundreds of malls in this tiny country), go out to dinner, etc.... Most of them do not have cars, so they are limited in where they can go, unlike their American counterparts.

Q: When did you realize you wanted to teach in a place different than the US? A: Growing up overseas my whole life sort of sparked the desire to live internationally. I always knew that I would be back abroad one way or another. It was just a matter of time. So far, it has been a great experience. I would highly encourage anyone to take the time and travel. Get away from your comforts and do something new.

Q: What does your school/ classroom look like?

A: You can see the picture of my classroom above.

Q: What was the hardest thing to get used to once you started your foreign teaching experience?

A: I would say that the most difficult thing would be getting used to a new school. There are new faces, new people, new things to do, etc...It is very exciting, but can also be hard because you have to start everything over from scratch.

Building new relationships with people, moving into a new place, new languages, etc...

Q: Why do you think schools in Kuwait aren’t as funded as schools in the US? A: This is a question I ask myself a lot. This country has access to almost an infinite amount of money, yet there is no investment back into infrastructure, education, or the people. I feel that they are not as funded as schools back home because money goes into personal fortunes instead of public needs.

Cammie Palomino

Megan Troutman

Family Support: Sisters Shelby Schilling and Corby Weaver, sisters of alumnus Collins Ferris, and Schilling’s daughter, Seatynn Schilling (Ferris’s niece), sing the national anthem at the fundraiser on Nov. 3. The fundraiser included basketball games, a silent auction, and performances by the spirit band.

Fundraiser helps alum fight cancer

by Emily Andersoneditor-in-chief

Those that have experienced cancer, whether directly or through a loved one, can attest to its steep financial burden.

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, more than 1 million people are foregoing cancer care due to financial reasons. They may not have supportive family to help pay the cost, their insurance may not cover treatment, or they may not even have insurance at all.

On Nov. 3, this stress was slightly alleviated for Collins Ferris, Rocky alumnus. Ferris, who suffers from an extremely rare form of cancer (a combination of lymphoma and leukemia), needed a second bone marrow transplant that his insurance would not cover.

“I did the first bone marrow transplant. Usually they look to family members, to just try to get it matched as closely as they can,” Corbey Weaver, Ferris’s sister said. “They actually said that Collins and I matched better than identical twins. So we were all thinking that that would be the key, but unfortunately it was

actually too similar that his body still thought that it was his own cells, and just kept creating his own cells instead of using mine.”

Ferris became sick again, and further treatment was necessary.

“The only steps they know how to take to solve this cancer is to do the radiation and chemotherapy, to kill off all of his cells, then put in all new cells. So it was all stem cell. Wonderful people donated the cord blood from birth. It’s amazing that people donated that, and that they found enough. It’s incredible,” Weaver said. “However, his wife’s insurance policy would not cover this.”

In response to this, several family friends, including Wayne Moddelmog, assistant principal, put together a basketball tournament and silent auction, held at Rocky, to fund his treatment.

“Family friends took it upon themselves to put it all together.

My reaction was just really humbled,” Ferris said. “It was incredible how they were able and willing to take the time and the effort to do this for me and my wife.”

Put together a month before the event, the fundraiser was ini-

tially supposed to be a basketball game with Collins’s friends and other alumni basketball players. However, as more and more people wanted to help and participate, the event grew. Twentytwo six-foot tables held items to be auctioned, the players played three games, and the spirit band played as well.

“We just started putting it all together, and thought it’s not a basketball game without the band, so I asked Mr. Schlupp and Mr. Sherman, and they had me go in and talk to the kids,” Robin Pettinger, the Music Department Secretary, said. “I asked if we could pull this together. Of course the kids wanted to. So, it just came about.”

Because of the second transplant, Collins’s health has improved greatly and he may be able to return home soon.

“In general it’s mind-blowing how expensive something like this is, but I think the fundraiser turned out perfectly,” Ferris said.

“I just want to give a special thanks to Mr. Moddelmog for hosting the event and the pep band for making it so special, and anyone else who donated their time.”

B4 Dec. 18, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

G N I Y L F

1 26 3 Ho ,317 Ho ur Mil ur Fl es Tr igh ai t nR id e Denver, Colorado Orville Wright and John T. Daniel/MCT

Los Angeles, California

The

1505

1783

1799

Scientist Pilatre De Rozier launches the first hot air balloon; it flies for 15 minutes while carrying several animals before it crashes.

1903

by Noah FogelbergAssistant to the Sports Editor

1927

Charles Lindbergh flies his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris in the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic.

The Wright Brothers fly the first heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, revolutionizing flight forever.

1947

1957

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite.

Chuck Yeager becomes the first man to break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 rocket plane.

1961

1969

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to step foot on the surface of the moon.

Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to enter space.

The mission, Vostok 1, lasted an hour and forty-eight minutes.

1976

1976

The SR-71 Blackbird sets the absolute altitude and absolute speed record. The plane was able to sustain flight at 85,069 feet and accelerated to a record breaking 2,193.2 mph.

The Concorde enters service, becoming the first supersonic commercial airliner.

1981

2003

Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are launched in an effort to research past water activity on the foreign planet.

These rovers extend mankinds’s reach to Mars.

The Space Shuttle lifts off on its first flight. The shuttle was a low-earth orbital vehicle that concluded its service July 21, 2011.

Modern Civilization

Renaissance

From flapping to flying: a history of aviation Leonardo DaVinci creates a design for a primitive flying machine, the Ornithopter after studying birds.

Students watch dreams take off

les Mi ht ide 14 Flig n R 1,0 our Trai H r 2.5 Hou 20

iles t M 6 h 1,06ur Flig in Ride ra Ho 2.5 Hour T 21

The Wright way to fly:The Wright Flyer was the first heavier-than-air craft to sustain flight while being controlled by a pilot for an extended time. This event marked a new dawn for aviation.

Sir George Cayley, commonly referred to as “the father of aerodynamics” presents the idea of fixed wing aircraft. This becomes the way in which all modern aircraft are designed. He also identifies the forces of weight, lift, drag and thrust.

B5

For thousands of years humankind has been anchored to the ground, looking skyward, longing to join birds in the air.

It wasn’t until 1903 that humans successfully flew the first powered aircraft, when the Wright Brothers took to the skies in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The same desire that drove the Wright Brothers to conquer the forces of gravity has inspired many Rocky students to earn their wings. One of these students is senior Andy Benham, who has been intrigued by flight ever since he traveled by plane as a young child. That interest has lasted since the years of his childhood and drove him to begin taking lessons.

“You’re no longer restricted to the ground. To get up into the clouds above it all and see Fort Collins down below you and how small everything really is from the air just kind of gives you a sense of self-awareness,” said Benham, commenting on the allure flight has had for him personally.

For Benham, the sky is not the limit. Noting how the extensive automation of commercial flight has dulled the excitement being an airline pilot, he expressed an interest in becoming an astronautical engineer, which would hopefully lead him into space. In this career field, Benham hopes to be designing satellites or parts to be Minneapolis, Minnesota used for space stations.

“Hopefully the end game to (becoming an astronautical engineer) is (to) eventually go to space or to the moon and work on flight systems there,” Benham s said. ile ht de Having served in the Civil Air Patrol, M g Ri 4 i sophomore Brendan Giesey is another Rocky l 1 F n 9 r i a student whose dreams of flight have taken off. ou r Tr 0 Miles New York, New York 6 ,7 1 H As a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, Giesey not only 2 ou Flight helped the community through various emerr u o H H 4 18 gency service efforts and community service proRide 35 Hour Train grams, but also spent time in the cockpit, learning to fly. Giesey plans on obtaining his private pilot’s license when he turns seventeen, citing the aweinspiring nature of flight as justification.

“It’s that humans are striving to do something that we weren’t necessarily meant, or didn’t necessarily evolve to do. We were meant to be on the ground and to survive on the ground, so the idea that in our modern society we’re able to fly in the air and carry massive amounts of cargo and people across our 4.5 2,0 world and make us interconnected, it just really fascinates me,” Giesey said.

40 Hou22 M For hundreds of years, intercontinental, even regional Ho r F ile ur lig s travel required days, weeks or months to complete. If someTra ht body waned to travel from Denver to London, it required in weeks of trekking across the country, before et another set Rid of weeks abourd a cramped passenger ship. Nowadays, its a e matter of relaxing for eight hours in the back of a jumbo jet.

Miami, Florida A mere 110 years ago, the Wright Brothers made history Houston, Texas when their Wright Flyer flew for twelve seconds at less than seven miles per hour, covering a distance of roughly onehundred twenty feet. Today, planes that can weigh upwards of one million pounds fly the friendly skies thousands of times per day, carrying cargo and passengers all around the world in what has become one of the most mundane, ordinary tasks. During the days of the Wright Brothers, a trip Train speed based on average of 50mph from the 1880s onward to another continent, or even just to the other side of the country, could take weeks, if not months. Nowadays, millions of people step onboard these aircraft and make these voyages in a matter of mere hours. These facts are what seem to make aviation so interesting to so many people. This intrigue has captured the minds of students here at Rocky as well, inspiring them to fly.

Seattle, Washington

by Aaron YuCenter Editor

pilot of the century. More widely known as the Red Baron, he boasted an impressive 80 victories making him a feared name in dogfighting. The fundamentals laid down by the Red Baron and other fighter pilots led to a standard that pilots who engage in aerial combat still follow today.

“In today’s battlefield, if you control the skies you have a greater chance of victory,” Collins said. “In some of the greatest battles ever fought, airplanes offered a turning point.”

The technology behind flight assisted the war effort in angles besides those of transportation and dog fighting; the Cold War was likely shortened by the USA’s successful victory regarding the Space Race. Man landed on the moon in 1969 prompting Neil Armstrong’s famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

This symbolic victory paved by the Wright Brothers’ contribution to human flight put America in the lead of the space race. Among this, many other aviation milestones are likely thanks to the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk. When they took off that morning, they were powering the aviation industry, and the world, into the future.

Dec. 18, 2013

It’s a small world a fter all!

Wright brothers celebrate 110th anniversary of flight 110 years ago in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the entire world was changed by the ripples left behind by the first heavier-than-air machine to sustain controlled flight. December 17, 1903 signified a monumental moment for Orville and Wilbur Wright; for the rest of the world, it marked a new age.

The Wright Brothers are largely credited as being the first individuals to create a machine that could be controlled and sustain flight which ushered modern aircraft into the world. They started out as humble bicycle makers, turning their intellect towards a more grandiose purpose; giving man the ability to fly.

While many inventors at the time focused on building more powerful engines to power heavier-than-air aircraft, the Wright brothers were more interested in creating a plane that could be dependably controlled by a pilot. They established the idea of three-axis control which allowed a pilot to both steer a plane and adjust its equilibrium; this concept served as an archetype to aircraft with fixed wings across the world.

“No one in the world was within 10 years of the Wright Brothers,” Wright Brothers National Memorial historian Darrell Collins said.

The potential for manned aircraft was infinite. For once, the sky was literally the limit. Human flight meant revolutionary ways to travel, transfer cargo, conduct warfare and so much more.

“The world would be a much larger place if it hadn’t been for the invention of the airplane,” he said.

Commercial flight became a reality when the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became the first to provide scheduled air service. While it lasted a short time, it established the idea of transcontinental flight and using airplanes as a viable travel method for a large amount of people. The airplane also showed its worth beyond transporting people and cargo when it was introduced to the idea of war.

World War I served as a superb testing ground that solidified the aircraft’s place in conducting warfare.

Combat was forever changed as supremacy in the sky began to heavily influence the tides of battle. Manfred von Richthofen was arguably the most influential fighter

T H G I R W

CENTER SPREAD

B4 Dec. 18, 2013

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

G N I Y L F

1 26 3 Ho ,317 Ho ur Mil ur Fl es Tr igh ai t nR id e Denver, Colorado Orville Wright and John T. Daniel/MCT

Los Angeles, California

The

1505

1783

1799

Scientist Pilatre De Rozier launches the first hot air balloon; it flies for 15 minutes while carrying several animals before it crashes.

1903

by Noah FogelbergAssistant to the Sports Editor

1927

Charles Lindbergh flies his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris in the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic.

The Wright Brothers fly the first heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, revolutionizing flight forever.

1947

1957

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite.

Chuck Yeager becomes the first man to break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 rocket plane.

1961

1969

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to step foot on the surface of the moon.

Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to enter space.

The mission, Vostok 1, lasted an hour and forty-eight minutes.

1976

1976

The SR-71 Blackbird sets the absolute altitude and absolute speed record. The plane was able to sustain flight at 85,069 feet and accelerated to a record breaking 2,193.2 mph.

The Concorde enters service, becoming the first supersonic commercial airliner.

1981

2003

Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are launched in an effort to research past water activity on the foreign planet.

These rovers extend mankinds’s reach to Mars.

The Space Shuttle lifts off on its first flight. The shuttle was a low-earth orbital vehicle that concluded its service July 21, 2011.

Modern Civilization

Renaissance

From flapping to flying: a history of aviation Leonardo DaVinci creates a design for a primitive flying machine, the Ornithopter after studying birds.

Students watch dreams take off

les Mi ht ide 14 Flig n R 1,0 our Trai H r 2.5 Hou 20

iles t M 6 h 1,06ur Flig in Ride ra Ho 2.5 Hour T 21

The Wright way to fly:The Wright Flyer was the first heavier-than-air craft to sustain flight while being controlled by a pilot for an extended time. This event marked a new dawn for aviation.

Sir George Cayley, commonly referred to as “the father of aerodynamics” presents the idea of fixed wing aircraft. This becomes the way in which all modern aircraft are designed. He also identifies the forces of weight, lift, drag and thrust.

B5

For thousands of years humankind has been anchored to the ground, looking skyward, longing to join birds in the air.

It wasn’t until 1903 that humans successfully flew the first powered aircraft, when the Wright Brothers took to the skies in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The same desire that drove the Wright Brothers to conquer the forces of gravity has inspired many Rocky students to earn their wings. One of these students is senior Andy Benham, who has been intrigued by flight ever since he traveled by plane as a young child. That interest has lasted since the years of his childhood and drove him to begin taking lessons.

“You’re no longer restricted to the ground. To get up into the clouds above it all and see Fort Collins down below you and how small everything really is from the air just kind of gives you a sense of self-awareness,” said Benham, commenting on the allure flight has had for him personally.

For Benham, the sky is not the limit. Noting how the extensive automation of commercial flight has dulled the excitement being an airline pilot, he expressed an interest in becoming an astronautical engineer, which would hopefully lead him into space. In this career field, Benham hopes to be designing satellites or parts to be Minneapolis, Minnesota used for space stations.

“Hopefully the end game to (becoming an astronautical engineer) is (to) eventually go to space or to the moon and work on flight systems there,” Benham s said. ile ht de Having served in the Civil Air Patrol, M g Ri 4 i sophomore Brendan Giesey is another Rocky l 1 F n 9 r i a student whose dreams of flight have taken off. ou r Tr 0 Miles New York, New York 6 ,7 1 H As a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, Giesey not only 2 ou Flight helped the community through various emerr u o H H 4 18 gency service efforts and community service proRide 35 Hour Train grams, but also spent time in the cockpit, learning to fly. Giesey plans on obtaining his private pilot’s license when he turns seventeen, citing the aweinspiring nature of flight as justification.

“It’s that humans are striving to do something that we weren’t necessarily meant, or didn’t necessarily evolve to do. We were meant to be on the ground and to survive on the ground, so the idea that in our modern society we’re able to fly in the air and carry massive amounts of cargo and people across our 4.5 2,0 world and make us interconnected, it just really fascinates me,” Giesey said.

40 Hou22 M For hundreds of years, intercontinental, even regional Ho r F ile ur lig s travel required days, weeks or months to complete. If someTra ht body waned to travel from Denver to London, it required in weeks of trekking across the country, before et another set Rid of weeks abourd a cramped passenger ship. Nowadays, its a e matter of relaxing for eight hours in the back of a jumbo jet.

Miami, Florida A mere 110 years ago, the Wright Brothers made history Houston, Texas when their Wright Flyer flew for twelve seconds at less than seven miles per hour, covering a distance of roughly onehundred twenty feet. Today, planes that can weigh upwards of one million pounds fly the friendly skies thousands of times per day, carrying cargo and passengers all around the world in what has become one of the most mundane, ordinary tasks. During the days of the Wright Brothers, a trip Train speed based on average of 50mph from the 1880s onward to another continent, or even just to the other side of the country, could take weeks, if not months. Nowadays, millions of people step onboard these aircraft and make these voyages in a matter of mere hours. These facts are what seem to make aviation so interesting to so many people. This intrigue has captured the minds of students here at Rocky as well, inspiring them to fly.

Seattle, Washington

by Aaron YuCenter Editor

pilot of the century. More widely known as the Red Baron, he boasted an impressive 80 victories making him a feared name in dogfighting. The fundamentals laid down by the Red Baron and other fighter pilots led to a standard that pilots who engage in aerial combat still follow today.

“In today’s battlefield, if you control the skies you have a greater chance of victory,” Collins said. “In some of the greatest battles ever fought, airplanes offered a turning point.”

The technology behind flight assisted the war effort in angles besides those of transportation and dog fighting; the Cold War was likely shortened by the USA’s successful victory regarding the Space Race. Man landed on the moon in 1969 prompting Neil Armstrong’s famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

This symbolic victory paved by the Wright Brothers’ contribution to human flight put America in the lead of the space race. Among this, many other aviation milestones are likely thanks to the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk. When they took off that morning, they were powering the aviation industry, and the world, into the future.

Dec. 18, 2013

It’s a small world a fter all!

Wright brothers celebrate 110th anniversary of flight 110 years ago in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the entire world was changed by the ripples left behind by the first heavier-than-air machine to sustain controlled flight. December 17, 1903 signified a monumental moment for Orville and Wilbur Wright; for the rest of the world, it marked a new age.

The Wright Brothers are largely credited as being the first individuals to create a machine that could be controlled and sustain flight which ushered modern aircraft into the world. They started out as humble bicycle makers, turning their intellect towards a more grandiose purpose; giving man the ability to fly.

While many inventors at the time focused on building more powerful engines to power heavier-than-air aircraft, the Wright brothers were more interested in creating a plane that could be dependably controlled by a pilot. They established the idea of three-axis control which allowed a pilot to both steer a plane and adjust its equilibrium; this concept served as an archetype to aircraft with fixed wings across the world.

“No one in the world was within 10 years of the Wright Brothers,” Wright Brothers National Memorial historian Darrell Collins said.

The potential for manned aircraft was infinite. For once, the sky was literally the limit. Human flight meant revolutionary ways to travel, transfer cargo, conduct warfare and so much more.

“The world would be a much larger place if it hadn’t been for the invention of the airplane,” he said.

Commercial flight became a reality when the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became the first to provide scheduled air service. While it lasted a short time, it established the idea of transcontinental flight and using airplanes as a viable travel method for a large amount of people. The airplane also showed its worth beyond transporting people and cargo when it was introduced to the idea of war.

World War I served as a superb testing ground that solidified the aircraft’s place in conducting warfare.

Combat was forever changed as supremacy in the sky began to heavily influence the tides of battle. Manfred von Richthofen was arguably the most influential fighter

T H G I R W

CENTER SPREAD

B6 Dec. 18, 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 Worst holiday gifts

10. A restraining order.

9. A colonoscopy.

8. Underwear.

7. A kidney stone.

6. A Canadian.

5. A stalker.

2. Xbox One. 4. Not enough 1. Donald Chen bread to in a box. adequately cover yourself.

Aaron Yu, Drake Lindstorm, 3. Concert Marissa Bonertz, Miriam Fields, Emily Anderson, tickets to see Mackenzie Bartzen, Josh Barrett Miley Cyrus.

Beloved book transforms to movie

by Neville Hyllegardcontributor

Ender’s Game is a braggart of a movie with its impressive display of special effects, but underneath all the computer generated spaceships, there is not a whole lot of substance.

The movie takes place on a much more technologically advanced Earth trying to recover from a recent alien invasion by rebuilding and preparing for the next invasion.

Main character Andrew “Ender” Wiggins (Asa Butterfield) is part of a plan to implant every child with a tracker to try and find the next military genius to lead Earth to victory.

Ender is a very smart and adaptive child, but when pushed to the edge, he is more than willing to hurt his enemies so badly

Movie review

that they will never oppose him again. Seeing Ender’s potential, Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) picks Ender as the next “Napoleon” and Ender is then sent up into space to join the other would-be generals at the Battle School.

Based on the novel by the same name written by Orson Scott Card, the movie was forced to cut much of the plot in order to fit the story into 114 minutes of running time.

Because of this, the movie robs the viewer of the whole story. In the movie, Ender’s siblings Peter and Valentine are completely stripped from the story line.

Another knock against this movie is that the acting was not as good as it could have been. Harrison Ford simply seemed tired and as if his heart was not into it. Butterfield’s performance was lackluster at best.

The people who did the best were Viola Davis (Major Anderson) and Ben Kings-

Courtesy Richard Foreman Jr./MCT

Ender’s Game: Ender (Asa Butterfield) speaks with his superiors (Ben Kingsley, left, and Harrison Ford) regarding battle strategy.

ley (Mazor Rackham). Each give the best performances of the movie but unfortunately were not given the screen time they deserved.

Ender’s Game did not live up to the book

and some of the acting was not up to par.

However, Ender’s Game does a good job of entertaining people for the duration of the film and is overall quite enjoyable, except for those people are die-hard fans of the book.

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

L IMELIGHT

Dec. 18, 2013

B7

Wadjda wins hearts at Lyric Cinema Café

Students showcase dedication, hard work

by Jessi Brokopreporter

MOVIE review

by Megan Troutmaneditor-in-chief

Display boards sprinkled the commons as each AP Art student stood proudly by their remarkable accomplishments.

After months of preparation and hard work, the annual AP Art show on Dec. 11 turned out to be another huge success for the art department.

“It’s been a really rewarding experience and I’ve been looking forward to the AP Art show since I got into the class,” senior Saskia Becker said.

Becker has been painting for some time now, but became more dedicated at the end of her junior year.

“This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever worked for. I never thought it would be, but it definitely is,” Becker said.

All 25 AP students devoted hours of their time producing art and organizing the event.

Everything from music to catering had to be considered when building the art show.

Senior Grant Wray underestimated the stress involved with planning and coordinating for the show.

“We’re all creatively thinking together in the same room but we’re all very different people,” Wray said.

“So when we talk about what kind of music we want, what kind of food, all these creative kids come together and it’s

‘‘

Megan Troutman

Here there be dragons: Senior Courtney Sadar sculpted the great blue dragon which debuted at this years AP Art Show on Dec. 11. The art show featured all twenty five AP Art students and their work from the semester.

hard to balance it so that everyone’s happy with the art show.”

It is typically the behindthe-scenes aspects that students tend to forget. Without a lot of direction, students must come to a consensus on details and anticipate how many visitors they will have.

“This year we were really trying to get a lot of people to come,” Becker said. “We wanted it to be different and really show the public what we all can do.”

Despite the stress that came with organizing the show, it successfully came together in the end.

Senior Addie Hammond was also excited for the show and the wide variety of artists.

“I guess every year is different.

Especially with something like art, it’s everyone’s creative minds and what they’re Saskia Becker expressing with that,”

,,

It’s been a really rewarding experience and I’ve been looking forward to the AP Art Show since I got into the class.

Saskia Becker, senior

Hammond said.

Hammond saw the AP Art show her freshman year and knew it was an amazing event.

What she did not know, was that in three years she would be presenting her own display board.

“It wasn’t a goal of mine until maybe the second quarter of sophomore year. I had Dukart (art teacher) and he was asking me about AP senior year,” Hammond said. “Then I decided that was my new goal in life. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

The show was also highly anticipated by Wray who went

to the same show as Hammond three years ago. Back then, art was merely an interest and AP Art was a figment of their imaginations.

“This year was completely different . . . I was telling people about my art instead of asking people about art,” said Wray, displaying a collection of photographs.

Each artist brought their own unique talent to the table, and contributed to the tremendous art show.

“This was my high school experience,” Wray said. “We put a lot into this class and we’re not going to forget it.”

The Blow blows back onto music scene

by Mackenzie Bartzenreporter

After releasing their highly anticipated self-entitled album, The Blow, the music group The Blow is finally back on the music scene after almost six full years.

Fortunately, long-time fans who have been (im)patiently waiting for new songs will not be disappointed.

While they may have done considerably little to change up their sound, it does not detract from their pre-existing style, which is still memorable and addictive.

With relaxing yet catchy synth-pop beats and lyrics, The Blow’s new album is perfect to listen to on a long drive or even as calming background music while doing

CD review

Imagine living in a world where women are often ignored and isolated; that is the life of Wadjda, a young girl living in Saudi Arabia.

The well produced film, Wadjda, articulates the harsh Saudi Arabian culture from the lens of Wadjda who is very different than other girls her age.

Wadjda made its debut in Old Town’s beloved Lyric theater, an independent theater for small films that never make the big theater.

Moviegoers feel Wadjda’s pain as she is forced to live in the traditional fabric of society. She is not allowed to dress a certain way, listen to certain music, or go to some places in town.

One of the most difficult rules she has to face is that girls are not allowed to ride bicycles.

Wadjda is mocked by a young boy, Abdullah, because he can race with the other boys. All she wants is to race him, and she would do anything to earn the money for a simple bike.

Although Wadjda has multiple layers to the storyline, the plot is easy to follow. The different stories blend together in a way that is easily understood.

The little girl overcomes struggles by focusing on finding a way to race Abdullah. Her maturity develops throughout the film as she focuses on the positive in life.

The story includes many aspects of the Saudi Arabian culture, including readings from the Koran.

There are also several references to arranged marriages and how real they can be. Wadjda’s mother was on the phone several times during the movie, talking with friends about different arranged marriages that took place around the town.

Unpredictability is one of the strong suits of the film, keeping audience members on the edge of their seats at all times.

This is an educational film depicting the Saudi Arabian culture in a unique blend of stories. A perfect movie for anyone who enjoys learning about different experiences across the world.

homework.

Both the lyrics and the instrumentals are as strong as ever, making allusions to universal experiences of struggling; self-image and not actually liking the person you’re dating, to name a few.

Aiming to evoke a mood reminiscent of early adolescence, The Blow impacts its audience with bittersweet nostalgia subtly and effectively.

The Blow cautiously and gracefully sneaks in slight commentaries about gender issues. While the songs are quite simplistic in structure, this contrasts well with the loaded lyrics, to create an aesthetically pleasing balance.

Despite a long six years devoid of new material, The Blow is back with a vengeance.

Old and new fans alike will both be able to

The Blow album cover enjoy the new album. As for the future, let’s keep our fingers crossed that they do not take another six years for the next album.

Rocky Mountain HIGHLIGHTER

Drake Lindstrom

L

LIMELIGHT

B8

Dec. 18, 2013 What’s in the Limelight?

T o d ay: Mo vi e Re lea se- A nc h or ma n 2: T he L e g end C onti n u es D e c. 20: Movi e Re lea se- Wal ki n g w i th D i nosaurs

Co n c ert- On eR ep u blic @ Ogd en T h e at e r D e c. 25: Movi e Re lea se- The Se c r et Li fe of W alt er Mi tty J a n . 1: Mo vi e Re lea se- The Railw ay Man J a n . 3: Mo vi e Re lea se- Par a n or mal A ctivi t y : The Ma rk ed On es J a n . 7: Co ncer t - D a id C ook @ Blu eb i rd The a ter J a n . 13: C D R el e ase - Ki d C ud i Sa t e ll i te Fl i g ht: T h e Journey to M ot h er Mo on J a n . 14: Ro ck y - Pr e-CMEA Co n c ert @ R M HS 7 : 0 0 pm J a n . 15: C om ed y - Wa nda Sykes @ Bo u ld er The a ter J a n . 17: Movi e Re lea se- The N ut Job J a n . 19: C oncer t - Pin k @ Pe p s i Ce n t er J a n . 21: C D R el e ase - Young t he G i ant- M i nd Ov er Ma tter J a n . 22: C oncer t - J u st i n Ti mb erl a k e @ Pe p s i Ce n t er J a n . 23: C oncer t - L ad y A nte b ell u m , Ki p Moor e, a n d Kacey M us g r a v es @ Pep s i Ce n t er

Speaking the Universal Language Fine tuning: Left to right, guitarists Will Brauch, Keaton Nalezny, and Jared Janzen jam together on the rocks.

Coming from sister bands, the musicians often play gigs together.

Local bands branch out to community

by Drake Lindstromreporter

as a team.

By having each member of The diversity of artists in Fort Collins the group add their own style, Savage ranges from dubstep, to death metal to Cabbage maintains an atmosphere and alternative and bluegrass bands, and even a sound like no other. Savage Cabbage themdipping into the relatively underground selves do not know what genre they fit into. genre of ska.

“We’ve talked about this a lot . . . it’s high One of the bands energy, a little grunge,” Nalezny said. gaining popularFalling largely into the category of ity in Fort Collins is alternative rock, Savage Cabbage also has the “power-trio” of influence from 90’s bands like Pearl Jam, and Savage Cabbage. Made up of juniors Collin oddly enough, U2.

Orr (guitar) and Keaton Nalezny (bass/lead A second band rising in Fort Collin vocalist), as well as senior Nathan Sonnenis Blue Taboo. While the band has been burg (drums), Savage Cabbage has only been together for almost four years, the current together for a little under a year. line-up has only been together for less than a “I first learned when I was about six, but year, featuring juniors Will Brauch (guitar), I really started to get into it in about 6th or Jared Janzen (guitar), Kyle Petty (bass), and 7th grade,” Orr said.

Julian Ferarra (drums).

Savage Cabbage The band takes its unique originally came tosound from the cornucopia gether just as Sonnenof different influences the burg and Orr jamming band members have. Petty together, but when listens to metal, whereas BrNalezny joined the I just want to play auch and Ferarra are inspired group, things started to by acoustic rock like Radiomusic to live and live fall into place. head, and Janzen listens to to play music.

Within the first few classic rock and bluegrass. weeks they had written Will Brauch, “It’s a throw-up of differand started to perfect ent styles... when you listen junior their first six songs, to it, you might have a really featured in their EP specific idea of what you that dropped in the think it is... in our heads its summer of 2013. In the ten months since a lot of different things,” Janzen said. their creation, the band has released an EP, With this diversity, Blue Taboo is given two singles and has played at multiple live a completely unique sound. The music shows throughout Fort Collins, including they write is influenced by all of their difthe CSU battle of the bands. ferent particular tastes as well as by their In the CSU battle of the bands, Savdifferent expertises and experiences. age Cabbage was by far the youngest of the “We think the exact opposite with contestants, with most of their competitors music. I don’t ever think about notes or being college students or graduates, and Sav- theory. I just feel everything and Will is a age Cabbage still placed in the top three. genius with theory,” Janzen said.

“From spending so much time together, I While most dream of making it big and guess we just got lucky,” touring the world, which is no doubt in the Orr said. back of both of these bands’ minds, for now Their chemistry they keep their dream simple. on and off the stage “I just want to play music to live,” Brhas allowed them to auch said, “and live to play music.” be successful in writing music, and working together

Limelight special

‘‘ ,,

J a n . 26: C oncer t - 3 Doo rs D own @ Pa r amo unt T h e at e r J a n . 28: C D R el e ase - O f M i ce & M e n- Restor i ng Force

Drake Lindstrom

Keeping the beat: Senior Nathan Sonnenburg plays with Savage Cabbage on the rocks.

Other group members include juniors Collin Orr and Keaton Nalezny.

Musicians never ‘rest’ in hotbed of Fort Collins

by Aaron YuCenter editor

Pretty Lights and Tickle Me Pink are two examples from a plethora of bands and artists who hail from Fort Collins.

For whatever reason, the city seems to attract and emit endless waves of music in the form of bands, solo musicians and electronic artists. “[Fort Collins] is so well known for being a music town and there are so many musicians here,” owner of local music venue, Hodi’s Half Note, Daniel Mladenik said. “It doesn’t take much to meet a few other people and start a band.”

Fort Collins has multiple venues that extend from coffee shops such as the Alley Cat to actual theaters such as the Aggie. A typical night on the town more often than not involves some sort of live musical entertainment. Open Mic nights are a very common event which essentially allow anyone who feels brave to get up in front of a crowd and sing.

Hodi’s Half Note is one example of a myriad of places that individuals or groups can perform onstage to provide entertainment for others. Local singers, bands and the like can show up, grab a gig and play their hearts out for a crowd listening intently below. The audience isn’t shown just one kind of music, all genres are welcome and often seen on the stage.

“There’s no ‘typical’ genre at Hodi’s,” Mladenik said. “We do anything and everything. From comedy, to hip hop, to jam bands, metal, punk rock, country, funk, electronic and the list goes on. We try and have a very wide variety.”

Though there are many musical venues in Fort Collins, a common trait seen among the legions is a love for music from both the hosts and the performers.

“I would say the majority do it because it’s what they love and its what they are most passionate about,” he said. “Nothing makes them happier than being on that stage entertaining the people that love what they do.”