The Rampage 2270 Highway 133, Carbondale, CO 81623
More Bruell Please! Boosters Club’s
New President -Tyler Gruel The Boosters Club is a prominent presence at Roaring Fork High School as they not only run the Snack Shack during sports games but also work to provide support for many clubs and organizations at the school. During the 2017-18 school year, the Booster Club contributed a total of $34,000 to various clubs, classes, and teams at the school. In the words of RFHS parent and former Boosters President, Leslie Lamont, “Boosters is a parent run organization that financially supports the school, students, and programs that support the school and students. Boosters also does provide 2-4 scholarships to graduating seniors. Boosters primary funding source is the concession stand that is open during most sporting events and the Gyro Booth at Mt. Fair. The major focus for Boosters is entertaining funding requests.” She went on to explain, “However, Boosters is also the go to group for other support and there are 3 areas where Boosters jump in: organizing potluck for RFHS staff during Parent/Teacher conferences; organizing potluck and/or thank you gift cards for RFHS staff during Teacher Appreciation week; organizing the dessert potluck and decorating the auditeria for Scholarship Night for graduating seniors; managing the Gyro Booth at Mt. Fair; in the past Boosters organized the pot-luck for coaches and referees for the Brenda Patch Tournament; and consideration of other events that Boosters could support such as when Ride the Rockies lands in Carbondale and uses the high school as base camp for the night, Boosters in the past made and served breakfast to riders and sag support.” Recently, Boosters has undergone administrative changes and now has a new president, Debbie Bruell. Bruell’s family has long been a part of the RFHS community, her oldest daughter, Emily, graduated from the school back in 2015 and her youngest daughter Renee, is a current junior. “I’ve been a parent at RFHS for many years now,” Bruell explained. “Originally, I thought the Booster Club was just a club for the parents of student-athletes. Athletics was a huge part of my own high school experience, but it hasn’t been a big part of my daughters’ high school years. Once I realized that the Booster Club was open to all parents, and supports all kinds of clubs, groups, classes and school events in addition to the sports teams, I’ve slowly become more and more involved in Boosters.” Bruell shared the sentiments that Leslie Lamont in regards to why she took on the role of Boosters president stating, “I decided to take on the role of Booster president because I think Boosters has a huge impact on our students and the opportunities available to them. Last year the Booster Club distributed over $30,000 to different sports, clubs and activities at RFHS. The state of Colorado has a one-of-a-kind, ridiculous system for funding public education. As a result, schools in Colorado receive much less funding than schools in most other states, even though Colorado’s economy is strong. So our schools are operating on a very tight budget, and I appreciate that Boosters is there to provide some extra financial support for activities at the school. Being president of Boosters is not that different from simply being an active member of the club. There are many parents who have taken on various responsibilities to keep the Booster Club going—from keeping track of our finances, to ordering food for the
Contact us at rframpage@gmail.com
Feruary 2018 Volume 11 Issue 04 Snack Shack concession stand, to finding sponsors for our sports teams. My role as president has been to coordinate all of those different activities, facilitate our monthly meetings, and make sure we’re on track with the funds we’re raising and the funding requests we’re receiving.” Rather than candidates running such as in a student government election, Leslie Lamont explained the different election process Boosters Club enacts. “As transition occurs the Booster parents that have been most consistently active would look around the room and nominate the next President and vote to elect the President, Secretary and Treasurer – typically at the end May meeting. In my experience there were no other candidates involved. It is a lot of work, labor of love, and the group has had to gently persuade the next candidate to agree to serve.” As to why Debbie Bruell was chosen to be the next president Lamont explained, “Debbie was knowledgeable of the organization, has a daughter that was still in the school and agreed to serve.” Bruell’s goals for Boosters are,“to get more parents involved, raise more funds and provide even more financial support for all the amazing opportunities for students at RFHS.” She wants parents to be more involved because, “I think many parents don’t understand how much Boosters impacts the kids of this school. It would be hard to find one student at the school who does not benefit in some way from the support of the Booster Club. For example, we help pay for the printing costs of our Rampage school newspaper, we pay for new uniforms for our athletes, we’ve provided funding for teams that make it to the state playoffs, and we contribute funds to help students embark on some incredible experiences like traveling across the world with the World Traveler’s Club and attending Model UN conferences in New York City. We also help fund all-school events like prom and Project Graduation.” She added, “And I think a lot of parents don’t realize how much parent volunteer effort is required to keep Boosters going strong. We would love to see ALL parents participating in some way, such as signing up for shifts at the Snack Shack concession stand.” Boosters has many benefits and, “Being a part of Boosters is also a great way for parents to connect with other RFHS parents and keep up with what’s happening at the school,” Bruell stated. “It’s easy to be involved in your kids’ schooling when your kids are in elementary school, but when you have teens in high school, it’s a different story. Boosters is a great way to connect with the school and other parents, and keep informed about what’s going on at the school. Parents don’t have to come to our monthly meetings in order to be a part of Boosters. There are lots of different ways that parents can be involved,” she explained. Bruell ended by stating, “If any parent is wondering how they could contribute, they can just give me a call and I’m sure we can figure something out!”
What’s Inside
Learning in a Second Language Page 3
RFHS Jazz BandPage 6
Hockey at Roaring Fork Page 7
Food For Thought: Sure Thing Burger Page 8 Follow us on instagram @rframpage
2 February 2018 | Rampage
Feature
The Red Crane - Chapter 3 -Ruthie Brown
Dark clouds gathered in a pale sky on an October morning draped in rain. The leaves had begun to turn and frost clung to the rocks lining shore and sea. The birds had flown south, all but one. She was the red crane, painted against a backdrop of morning ocean, blossoming brunnera, and afternoon sky. These are the stories of those she helped to fly. Carden S. George was tall but thin, a bundle of bones wrapped in pale skin. He had a conspicuous walk in which he dragged his left leg with a rhythmic thudding. Not known for his academics, physical aptitude or personality, Carden blended into the crowds of Sale High School with an ease that would be difficult for most, most but not Carden... or me. We were in that way similar, a shared ability to be grey, ignored by most, recognized by none. And in that grey, we met. A year ago I think it was, I first noticed him in the courtyard. It was late afternoon and I was bored, deciding to wander the empty halls and peer into the deserted classrooms. I strolled across the upper balcony before hearing a creaky tune of grunts and whimpers. A senior was picking on Carden, landing hit, after hit, after hit. The boy beating him was taller and his name, Grant Ripper, was as intimidating as he. He stood 6 feet tall with oily hair that clung to his forehead with rampant sweat. He was known fittingly as “Gargoyle” due to his small, beady eyes, large protruding nose and lips that were pressed into a thin scoul. Gargoyle’s hits rained down upon Carden like a torrential downpour. I was afraid Carden’s nose was broken and he was seriously hurt. I dropped my bag and raced down the steps grabbing rake near the garden shed on the way. Through his swollen eye, Carden saw me coming, but Gargoyle was taken by surprise as I hit the pole of the rake into his legs. Carden was dropped and Gargoyle fell to the ground with a thud, “RUN!” I shouted. Carden scrambled to his feet before we both began to climb the steep stairs as best as we could. I picked up my bag flinging it over my shoulder and looked back to see Carden limping forward with blood pouring from his nose and a crooked grin adorning his face. I laughed. Carden later called the police and school authorities. They found Gargoyle 20 minutes from his home, and he left for an alternative school a few towns down the following week. Almost a year later I noticed Carden had a bruised eye and pointed to it. “Gargoyle is back, did ya hear? This was his way of saying hello. Said if I told anybody I’d be dead- I believe ‘im,” retorted Carden. “Oh no, you can’t let him walk all over you. You know as well as I do that he’ll continue where he... left off.” “The teachers are tired of hearing from me, ya know how often I go in with a messed up face?” He paused. “They’ll probably just think I got myself beat up and now I’m blaming it on ‘im.” “They wouldn’t think that. He did a lot of awful things to you.” “Apparently he cleaned ‘imself up. He’s a little angel now.” “Have you seen yourself recently?” As the words fell from my mouth, the bell rang. I looked at Carden and said firmly, “You’re saved this time, but if you don’t tell Principal Camelia, I will.” “Yeah, yeah,” was all he said before moving to join the swarm of students and disappear into the mass.
It was three days before I saw him again. And I had never seen anything like it. Carden’s arm hung limply by his side; his shoulder had been dislocated. His face was unrecognizable. His eyes were tired but captured a fear known to few. My throat was tight. I wanted to run to him, to help, but my shoes had been glued to the concrete. My legs were wrapped in chains and my body was frozen in ice. I watched in silent horror as his limp leg caught a rock and he fell to the ground. Only then did I go to him. My hands shook as I gently lifted his head and peered down at his broken figure. There is a certain point where you become so familiar with someone, you can tell who they are in a faded image or hundreds of feet away. Yes, this was him. “Hey,” I whispered. He didn’t answer. And now a crowd was beginning to form. I heard gasps of horror and disbelief as their eyes found Carden. I heard someone scream, “Get the nurse! Dial 911.” Everything seemed all too familiar, it had been six months yet the pain was still there. I was reminded of Reed’s death with each night, it came in flashes and nightmares that terrorized my sleep. But this was daytime and it seemed as though the monstrosities that haunted me couldn’t be escaped in light or darkness. Carden was taken to the hospital within the next hour and I was left on the pathway between the school entrance and athletic fields after answering as much as I could for the police. I was so miserable I didn’t notice that he had come. I only took notice of his presence when he graced me with a thick hand on my shoulder followed by a splintering pain as he kicked me to the ground. Gargoyle stood with a nasty smile smeared across his face. He looked older. His eyes were surrounded by a gloom and a stubble sprouted from pointed chin. It had been a long time since I last saw him and he hadn’t seemed to benefit from the alternative school, but rather the opposite. He snarled and said, “So you’re the one who convinced that idiot to turn me in.” He sneered and said, “You were the one who knocked me over when I wasn’t lookin’. I ain’t beat on girls much but you’re gonna pay.” I couldn’t say anything, and yet it wasn’t because I was afraid. I could take a hit, and I wanted nothing more than to spite Gargoyle- I would not show fear or pain, that I promised myself. I had helped individuals in situations such as these, but I hadn’t been in one myself in quite a long time. No one was going to save me. The sooner I came to accept that conclusion the better. So it began. He dragged me to my feet and walked me behind the school building before slamming me into the brick. An uppercut to my stomach knocked the breath out of me, but I made no noise despite the throbbing pain that had erupted with a ferocity. He grabbed my hair and yanked it with so much force I fell backward slamming my head into the brick. My vision was blurring and I bit my tongue to ensure nothing escaped my mouth. I looked up to see his elbow inches from my face and, upon impact, everything went dark. I was stumbling around a room so black, I
couldn’t see my hand an inch from my face. My knees kept bumping into invisible things. A piercing pain kept stabbing my forehead and my gut was sore and quivering. A soft glow started to erupt in the distance, a young woman seemed to be running with it, a mess of black braids and large eyes came closer and closer. Everything became brighter and brighter until the light blinded me and yielded my eyes useless. It seemed like hours before I fluttered my eyes open once more. I was laying on a bed in a strange room. My mother was asleep on a chair next to my bed. I lifted my hand only to feel a thick bandage encircling my forehead. It was still throbbing and the aching pain seemed to consume my entire body and I slowly felt myself drifting out of consciousness and into the deep slumber that is sleep. I awoke to mayhem. My mother was crying with relief and clung to me the moment she noticed I my open eyes. Although I was grateful for her embrace, she had wrapped her arm tightly around my stomach, and it was still painful to the touch. I soon had nurses asking me questions and checking a number of things. When they were done, a young woman from the police department came in and asked a series of questions in regards to what had happened. Through bits and pieces of conversation and directed questions, I began unfolding what had happened, or some of it anyways. An anonymous phone call had directed the police to were they would find me. Around that same time Carden had woken up and began to tell his story of how Gargoyle had locked him in the bathroom before dislocating Carden’s shoulder because he wouldn’t give up my name. Gargoyle left in anger. Carden had stumbled out of the bathroom and he later found me. Gargoyle had spotted him and made the connection so that when I was left alone he grabbed me and took me behind the school. When I was found, I was knocked out cold and Gargoyle was nowhere to be seen. I was then rushed to the hospital and the deputies assumed Gargoyle had just left, until a few hours later when he was found injured, and in an old ditch a few minutes outside of the town limits. Now, two days later, I had finally awakened, sustaining a broken rib, a few more bruises, and a concussion. I retold what had happened the best I could despite a fogginess shrouding my memory. With more testimony to Gargoyle’s cruelty, he was charged and later sentenced to prison. He wouldn’t say anything about how he ended up in the ditch or what had occured between my blackout and then. I fully recovered, but Carden was left with a crooked nose and his limp worsened. Mystery shrouded what had taken place. I am convinced that Gargoyle did not stop breaking me by his own will, but rather someone else took matters into their own hands. I would never forget the girl with dark hair and large eyes. The roles had been reversed. I had been saved instead of saving someone else. I entered winter break with many questions. But I believe that whoever saved me and I are similar in that we didn’t want to be found out.
Feature
February 2018 | Rampage 3
Barriers Surrounding ELD Student Learning
-Joseline Sanchez
Midway through the mountain stand students. Pushed down by strenuous winds and bitten at by the cold of the earth around them. They climb and climb and climb juggling family, friends, school, extracurricular activities and more. Overwhelming right? Now imagine having to do all this in a language that is new to you, that you haven’t been hearing, reading, and writing your whole life. This is a struggle for many of the emerging bilinguals in the English Language Development (ELD) program at Roaring Fork High School (RFHS). Many have to adjust to the culture and language in Colorado. ELD programs are designed for these students so that they can reach proficiency in English and can academically reach their primary language learning peers. Although ELD programs intend to enhance the education of those who don’t fully know English, it can still be difficult for students to understand what they’re learning when they don’t fully understand the language in which they are being taught. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as of fall of 2015, 11.6% of the students in Colorado were English language learners (ELL), now known as emerging bilinguals. Colorado is one of eight different states with emerging bilingual students that add up to 10% or more in public schools. In a graph shown on the NCES website, the percentage of students is shown per grade and as the grade levels increase there are fewer students classified as emerging bilinguals in classes. This could be because some students start learning English at a young age and have grasped the language by the time they reach high school. This is the case for Stacey Requeno. She began to learn English at the age of 9 years old and initially struggled with the language. She states, “Learning
English at that age affected my learning because I felt I was behind as I was in ELD classes and struggled with basic words.” She further explains, “As I kept learning and understanding English I gained confidence and did better in school.” Although this is the case for many students, it isn’t the case for all. Darlin Lopez started learning English just a few years ago and that has affected her in different ways. She says, “It’s been difficult because I can’t communicate with the students in this school that don’t speak Spanish.”According to Lopez, she struggled in middle school as a newcomer, but now she feels stronger and reinforced by teachers and peers. Dariana Mejia states, “I started to learn English about two years ago and it’s been difficult for me because every now and then I won’t understand what is happening in class and people will struggle to translate.” She adds, “I am thankful for my English and Science class because the teachers make the class easier for me to understand.” Jaclyn Vosler, an ELD teacher at RFHS, believes that education for emerging bilingual students across the country could be improved with the idea of translanguaging She states, “This encourages the strategic use of students’ first languages in educational settings. I’d like to see more of this in all schools, no matter the model they follow. It makes sense that students benefit from leveraging the language that is familiar to them.” Vosler understands her student’s hardships and believes that “ELD students show especially high levels of resiliency. Their stories are varied, but as a group they have overcome incredible challenges and they remain kind and hopeful in the face of those experiences. They also experience unique learning challenges as they take classes in a language that is still new, so they’re forced to work harder than
many students in order to obtain the same level of academic success.” Vosler and many of the teachers in this school have persevered to provide a safe space for many of the ELD students at RFHS. Darlin Lopez says, “I feel good being at this school because everyone works in harmony and everyone works to help each other out.” Although the ELD programs might need some improvements, Vosler reminds her students that although “there are a lot of people and systems in this country that are going to try and get in your way. Your abilities and your dreams are bigger and more powerful than their small ideas.”
Photo of Dariana Mejia during her favorite season here: summer
The Ninth Grade Experience: It’s a Shocking Transition -Daniela Rivera
Nearly two-thirds of students will experience the “ninth-grade shock,” which refers to a dramatic drop in a student’s academic performance. Some students cope with this shock by avoiding challenges. For instance, they may drop difficult coursework. Other students may experience hopelessness that results in failing their core classes, such as English, Science, Social Studies, and Math. The concept of “ninth-grade shock,” should matter a great deal to parents, teachers, and policymakers. Ultimately this shock should matter to the students themselves. This is why Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) has adopted a new mentoring program that has shown great success among freshman. This matters all the more because the transition to ninth grade that students experience can have long-term consequences on their high school experience overall. The consequences of doing poorly in the ninth grade can impact more than students’ ability to enroll in college or find a good job. Through the transition from middle to high school, students lose the adults and many of the friends they turned to for support. A large amount of social and academic changes strike instability in friendships. The Links mentoring program set in place by Sue Turner gives RFHS Links leaders a new role among the freshman by creating a mentor relationship in order to help ease the social and academic transition to high school. This is because ties to friends are severed, while academic demands are rising.
Given all that’s riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore what can be done to improve the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition to high school. Students future academic career in not only highschool but also further through college and their ability to adapt to high school is essential. Mindsets are a major key to success, with a “fixed mindset” referring to the belief that a student’s basic abilities, their intelligence, and their talents, are just fixed traits, and a “growth mindset” referring to the belief that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. In order to have a successful high school career students need to have a growth mindset. When students feel like their declining grades are a sign that they will never be successful, or when they feel a loss of support from friends and conclude that as them [students] being “not likable” for life, then they have a very fixed mindset of failure. Though this isn’t uncommon, Links leader mentors have been working hard with their mentees to phase many negative fixed mindsets to ones of growth. Mentors provide skills and tips on how to be successful in high school. As an incoming freshmen, it is important to value these connections. The Roaring Fork High School communiy is full of teachers and students who are eager and willing to help you grow accustomed to the new school. Although the transition from eighth to ninth grade certainly is a shock, it is one that RFHS is equipped and prepared to help students through.
“Nearly two-thirds of students will experience the ‘ninth-grade shock,’”
4 February 2018 | Rampage
Foc
Is Global Warming Se Places Lost:
Courtesy Photo: Google Venice. Italy: Seasonal flooding and rising sea levels due to global warming gives us less than 100 years with this historic city.
Courtesy Photo: Google New York, New York: 1.8 million people in NYC alone could be displaced due to rising sea levels.
Courtesy Photo: Google Shanghai, China: With a population of 24,183,300 China is at risk of displacing 145 million peaople from costal areas.
Courtesy Photo: Google
Courtesy Photo: Google
Courtesy Photo: Google
How Well are RFHS Students Doing?
Anonymous Survey Responses:
February February 2018 2018 || Rampage Rampage 55
cus
et to Ruin Everything? Animals Endangered:
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy Snow Snow Leopard: Leopard: The The Snow Snow Leopard Leopard lives lives in in cold cold climate climate of of the the Himilayas. Himilayas. Humans Humans have have been been encroaching encroaching on on their their habitat habitat and and hunting hunting has has caused caused their their numbers numbers to to dwindle. dwindle.
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy Green Green Sea Sea Turtle: Turtle: The The Green Green Sea Sea Turtle Turtle isis threatened threatened by by the the rising rising amount amount of of trash trash humans humans dump dump in in the the ocean ocean each each year. year. Turtles Turtles will will eat eat almost almost anyanything, thing, whether whether itit isis food food or or not. not.
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy Polar Polar Bear: Bear: The The Polar Polar Bear Bear isis set set to to lose lose about about aa third third of of its its population population by by mid-century mid-century and and its its habihabitat tat of of the the artic artic has has been been d=shrinking d=shrinking by by 4% 4% every every decade decade which which will will only only increase increase with with global global temperatures. temperatures.
Courtesy Photo: Photo: Google Google Courtesy
How Students at RFHS can do Better: Link Link to to Carbon Carbon Footprint Footprint Quiz: Quiz: http://meetthegreens.pbskids.org/features/carbon-calculator.html http://meetthegreens.pbskids.org/features/carbon-calculator.html The The average average human human uses uses about about twice twice as as much much carbon carbon as as the the Earth Earth can can take take aa year!! year!!
Showering: Showering:
The The average average shower shower uses uses 2.3 2.3 gallons gallons aa minute. minute. IfIf you you take take aa 10 10 minute minute shower shower everyday, everyday, you you will will use use 8,395 8,395 gallons gallons of of water water aa year! year! Using Using aa low low flow flow showerhead showerhead that that uses uses 1.8 1.8 gallons gallons aa minute minute can can save save alomst alomst 5,000 5,000 gallons gallons of of water. water.
Turning Turning off off the the lights: lights:
The The average average lightbulb lightbulb costs costs about about 22 cents cents to to run run for for an an hour. hour. That That means means ifif you you left left the the lights lights on on in in your your room room while while you’re you’re at at school school (about (about 88 hours) hours) you you would would be be paying paying 58$ 58$ per per lightbulb lightbulb per per year. year.
Driving Driving to to school: school: Brushing Brushing Teeth: Teeth:
While While you you brush brush your your teeth, teeth, turn turn off off that that tap tap to to save save up up to to 200 200 gallons gallons of of water water per per month. month.
4.6 4.6 metric metric tons tons of of carbon carbon dioxide dioxide per per year. year. A A ton ton of of CO2 CO2 would would fill fill aa house house with1250 with1250 sq sq feet feet and and an an average average height height of of 13 13 feet. feet.
6 February 2018 | Rampage
News Jazzin’ it up at All State Honor Band
-Solana Teitler The athletic hallway of Roaring Fork High School is lined with plaques and pictures of students who have been selected as “All State” athletes. However, in the band room next to that hallway, one can find two All State students themselves: Liam Laird (senior) and Renee Bruell (junior). This January, Laird and Bruell attended the three day All State Jazz Band Conference in Colorado Springs. Both students played as a part of an elite 18 piece jazz band, with students from across the state of Colorado. Laird was selected as the first chair alto saxophone player, and Bruell is the sole baritone saxophone player who was chosen to attend. Being selected as an All State student is a distinct honor, as more than 150 students applied. According to the Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) Band Director, Tami Wisley, the audition process was “challenging and meticulous.” Wisley had required all of her students to submit an application because she believes that “sometimes [students] feel like they’re not good enough,” and they need to “push past that belief.” Laird and Bruell had to submit recordings of a full chromatic scale for the range of their instrument, two twelve bar choruses of blues improvisation, and an additional improvisation with accompaniment. Laird explains that for him, the application process took a long time, and that it “was a challenge at first, but as [he] became more familiar with the material, it got better.” After submitting her audition, Bruell recalls feeling “nervous, and not at all confident.” On December 7th, when Laird and Bruell were informed that they had been selected, Bru-
ell was beyond excited. “I jumped around the library,” she said. “I was so surprised and happy.” Laird explains that he felt, “strange, because it was something [he] had envisioned for such a long time.” Bruell was most excited about getting to play music with talented musicians for three days straight. Bruell explained that she loves playing music, jazz especially, because it gives her freedom to express her emotions. “You can play whatever you want, whatever comes to mind. You
Courtesy photo
can express what you’re feeling through jazz because it’s not pre-written.” Laird loves to play jazz because of the, “community, challenge, feeling, and power of music.” He explained how it unites people, and allows him to communicate with others. He expressed, “I can’t think of anything else that is as universal and and powerful as music, maybe laughter is.” Wisley expressed how proud and excited she was for her students. “The time, effort, and passion they have devoted to music has paid off,” she said, “I wasn’t surprised that they succeeded.” Laird, Bruell, and Wisley would all attribute a great portion of this All State success to Mark Johnson, a Jazz Aspen teacher who has directed the Jazz Band at RFHS for three years. Laird explained that he thinks that his and Bruell’s success at All State is, “a real testament to how great our music program is at the school,” and that it is thanks to Jazz Aspen, Mark Johnson, and Tami Wisley, that this opportunity was possible for him. Laird and Bruell also thanked their bandmates and parents, who have, as Laird put it, “created an incredible place for music to grow.” Wisley explained that this is an important opportunity for Laird and Bruell because they were able to perform for hundreds. The audience was full of college music professors and university representatives who were looking to recruit talented musicians like Laird and Bruell. These two students have devoted immeasurable effort and countless hours of practice to music, and neither intends to stop now that they have played at All State. Laird and Bruell both intend to continue playing music in college and throughout their lives.
RFHS’ Upcoming Baseball Season
-Raymond Siegfried
The Roaring Fork Rams baseball season is near. The team will kick off the season on March 7th at Evergreen High School in Lakewood, CO. After 4 seniors graduated last season, expect to see some new faces on the field and up-to-bat. The team will be lead by seniors Kyle Baird, Kelvin Requeno, Layne Crisp, and Dawson Kuhl alongside several 11th grade players. At the end of last year, the Rams finished with a record of 10-9, and they finished 7th in Class 3A for the least runs allowed. Head Coach Marty Madsen commented on the upcoming season; “I think we can compete for the league championship and a spot in the CHSAA baseball playoffs in May. We should have some very strong leadership from our returning seniors.” He feels that the team’s success depends mainly on their pitching. If they have good pitching, they should be very tough to beat. If they struggle on the mound, they could have a few tough games. Junior Frankie Harrington says that he has played baseball since he was little, but playing with Coach Madsen has definitely been the best part of it. Harrington is looking forward to trying to make a push for playoffs, as well as playing home games. Coach Madsen also said that the team is hosting the first annual Trent Goscha Memorial
Tournament on Friday March 15th and Saturday March 16th. According to Madsen, some upgrades to the facilities may be coming as the baseball team is currently fundraising to enclose the batting cage so that the baseball team can hold batting practice and drills regardless of the weather. Coach Madsen believes that “this is the final piece to bringing the baseball program to a more elite status.” Photos courtesy of Sue Rollyson
Sports
February 2018 | Rampage 7
Rams Puck It Up On The Ice
-Noah Wheeless Senior Hannah Feder plays for two of Aspen’s achieving 5 assists which is the most on the team. club teams, the single A and double AA teams. But right now his teammate Ryan Kotz, a fellow The A team which is more of a club team is cur- junior, has already achieved 5 assists and Webrently undefeated, and the AA is currently 7-2-1. ster is trying to pass Kotz in assist’s by the end of Feder and her teams have faced some challenging the season. Webster has had a great season playopponents, such as the Mexico national team and ing with what he calls, “a great group of guys,” Colorado University. Feder says that she and her but what he is going to miss the most once his team are trying to make it to states, and possibly nationals. Feder has nothing negative to say about hockey, she just “loves it.” Her favorite memory of playing with her amazing team was winning a state title an impressive 5 times in years! But one thing she does regret is that she was suspended this season for “Hitting a girl too hard” and breaking her rib. But she has accomplished her personal goal which was scoring a goal. With this season wrapping up very quickly, Feder is going to miss the friendships she has created through Aspen’s hockey program, and she would like to thank her parents who have driven her far and wide to get her to all of her practices and games. Junior Dylan Webster plays for Glenwood Springs High School’s (GSHS) Demons. The Photo of Girls Hockey Team Courtesy of Hannah Fedar Demons are currently 4-6 in their season so far. The Demons’ team goal at the beginning of season is over will be when his great buddy Kai the season was to make playoffs and they are cur- Kanzer, a Senior at GSHS, who will eventually rently slated to do so if they continue to play as graduate and not play in the upcoming season. they have been. With the demons currently ful- Webster also included that their team this year filling their team’s goal, Webster is also trying to is a very young team, meaning that it is mostly accomplish his personal goal of leading the team made up of Sophomores and Juniors. This results in assists. He is currently one assist away from in them being able to start off right where they
left off because they will have the same team in the upcoming season. Webster also would like to thank Coach Cota who has helped Webster develop into the hockey player that he is today. Knowing how dedicated both Webster and Feder are to their teams, they are missing a lot of school and trying to make up work for it. Vice principal Zoe Stern, a dedicated mother and figure at RFHS, is also an avid hockey player who played at St Lawrence in New York which is a D1 school. Stern knowing what it is like to miss school for her dedicated hockey career said that, “It is a huge sacrifice to miss school for the sport.” She added, “There are a lot of top priority things in life but there are a certain few that are at the TOP of your list, and Your sport is one of those.” Stern transferred to a new private school specifically for hockey in high school, but prior to moving she grew up in NY and felt that her old school did not recognize her for accomplishments. And she was fine with that, but she wished that her community at least knew about what was going on and she wished that more of her friends played. With these two extraordinary athletes going to RFHS and missing all of their school work due to their commitment to the sportm, that requires them to drive down to denver for games, travel across the valley just for practices, and become these amazing hockey players, they deserve some recognition from friends and our community. If you would like to follow along in the sports world,
RFHS Girls Lacrosse Graduates to Varsity
-Lizzie Allender
Why was Cinderella a bad lacrosse player? Because her coach was a pumpkin! Luckily, that isn’t the case for RFHS’ girl’s lacrosse team, which has coach Jason Rusby who has worked with the team for the past four years and helped them to earn the team their Varsity title alongside RFHS Special Education teacher Chelsea Robson. It has been a long journey to reach the status of a varsity team. Rusby was able to accomplish it due to research into CHSAA and getting in touch with the right people. Returning coach, Chelsea Robson, trusts that the girls will excel this season, after working so hard. Robson thinks that it is vital that the valley knows that “even with the small amount of time these girls have been exposed to lacrosse, let alone playing together as a team, the fact that they also were able to become a varsity team that will be good is phenomenal. That just doesn’t happen overnight, but for you guys, it did.” The lacrosse team’s previous season ended with eight wins, one loss, and one tie. Scores by the end of the game are typically in double digits. After beating Telluride’s varsity team twice, the team knows they are ready for the switch to varsity status themselves. Seniors Hannah Cole, Hannah Feder, and Payton Issel believe that the team does need some work on becoming better teammates. Without this, the upcoming season will be a
struggle for their newly formed varsity team. wood Springs High School, so he has quickly Basalt High School sophomore Riley Dolan learned the nuances of girls’ lacrosse. Although states that it does help that the lacrosse team he had to learn the girls’ rules, he still occasionis a combined team. Glenwood High School ally teaches some of the principles inherent in sophomore Mikayla Corgan mentions that in boys’ lacrosse in order that the girls’ team is more addition to becoming a team in lacrosse, all aggressive than most JV teams. This year, as a the players have new friends across the valley. varsity team, they need to step it up even more. The Lacrosse team fan section always appreciThey all have different experiences and skills which help each girl become bet- ates and welcoms new additions, so please make ter players individually as well as a team. sure to cheer them on at their games in the spring! The season begins the end of February, but the girls typically try to hold open gym practices starting in early February to prepare for the upcoming season. The season will come to an end in May. The girl’s lacrosse team is also self-funded. Throughout the season, the players try to fundraise as much as they can to pay for their costly bus rides and new uniforms. Senior Hannah Feder feels that her team doesn’t get the same recognition that they deserve after working just as hard as the other school-funded teams do. Head Coach Rusby used to Courtesy of Lizzie Allender coach boys’ lacrosse for Glen-
8 February 2018 | Rampage
Entertainment
Food for Thought: Sure Thing Burger 729 E Valley Rd. Basalt, CO 81621 81623 Price Rating: $$$ Star Rating:
Rampage Staff Editors in Chief Solana Teitler Tyler Gruel
-Ruby Fuller
What it is: Sure Thing Burger is home to one of the best burgers in the valley! They use fresh meat with no chemical additives because one of their core values is strongly caring about the ingredients in their meals. Their menu explains that they believe, “The best ingredients make for the best meals.” They use responsibly raised,Colorado, beef in their burgers. Each item is intricately thought out to satisfy their customers’ cravings. Even their veggie burger, which many restaraunts have trouble perfecting, has great reviews. Sure Thing’s menu also includes burger alternatives: salad and fries. If you’re expecting a typical burger-joint, Sure Thing Burger will surely exceed your expectations. How to Get There: Take I-70 towards Willits. Once you get to the light in Willets, take the round-
about towards Whole Foods and Sure Thing Burger will be on your left, two doors down from the Starbucks.
are not just like any other fries; they are essential to your Sure Thing Burger experience.
What to Do: After a long day of hitting the slopes in Aspen, hiking in basalt, or biking at Crown Mountain, stop by Sure Thing Burger on your way home to satisfy your hunger. Their burgers will surely hit the spot! Or, if you’re looking for somewhere easy and delicious to go outside of Carbondale, bring your friends with you your and head to Sure Thing Burger for a meal.
Reviews From Our Students: “Love it. Good customer service and it also has really good burgers and amazing fries.” - Tristan Ulrych, Junior
Words to the Wise: Sure Thing Burger gives FREE ice cream to anyone who buys a meal there, so don’t forget to leave some space and grab your ice cream on your way out after your burger. Also, their fries are definitely worth getting with your meal. They
Heard in theHallways
“Good burgers” - Remy Grimm, Senior “They give you free ice cream so that’s nice, I would rate it a 9/10” - Grace Jardine, sophomore “Great location because it’s easy to get to and also their fries are really good” Gaby Santana, Senior “It’s cool that they are always willing to help out with community events and support however they can.” - Lilly Peery, Junior
Editorial Staff Feature Editor Lilly Peery News Editor Ruthie Brown Focus Editors Solana Teitler Tyler Gruel Sports Editor Ruby Fuller Entertainment Editor Daniela Rivera Copy Editors Tyler Gruel Lilly Peery Solana Teitler Daniela Rivera Ruby Fuller
Energy Awareness Facts! (Courtesy of the RFHS Energy Club)
“Estoy Guitarra.” “You feel guitar?” “Si, estoy guitarra” “I just want a tostada so bad right now.”
“After meeting his little brother I realized I liked him so much more.” “Criossants are like French tacos.”
“THIS IS MY STRESS KAZOO!” “I’m so hungry! Maybe if I breathe fast enought I’ll inhale some calories”
Question: One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power how many homes? Answer: 300 Question: The world’s largest solar power plant is located where? Answer: the Mojave Desert Question: How much carbon dioxide does each American contribute to our environment each year? Answer: 20 tons Question: This is equal to the weight of how many cars? Answer: It is about the weight of 11 cars
Journalists
Connor Brennan Joseline Sanchez Lizzie Allender Noah Wheeless Ray Siegfried Josie Sanchez
Policy Statement: Published 7 times a year, the student newspaper of Roaring Fork High School is a public forum, with its students editorial board making all decisions concerning its content. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.