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The FCHS Student Newspaper
Nov. 19, 2015
Profile on FCHS Graduate Mason Cutler pg. 9 Diverse Leaders: “Hear My Story” pg. 5 Breaking pgs. 10-14 Jack Briggs: Paralympic Athlete pg. 16 Staff Ed: KLYD TV pg. 19
Volume 97 Issue 3 3400 Lambkin Way
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: (970) 488-8199
Fax: (970) 488-8008
2 Nov. 19, 2015
News
Spilled Ink
EXPANDING VIEW
San Diego SeaWorld theme park plans to end killer whale show
Pink 16.08 carat diamond sold in Switzerland auction for $28.55 million
Over 220 million people successfully immunized against meningitis
Countries including Argentina accept increasing number of refugees
Company apologizes to customers on Facebook regarding shortage in infant milk powder products
South Australia hopes to establish first governmentowned bilingual school
Information gathered by Maya Bode Sources: BBC, The Telegraph
Inside the Ink Surveillance on the secret stairs pg. 4
Staff Review: The new Cinemark pg. 6
News pg. 2-5
A&E pg. 6-9
Breaking away from relationships pg. 14
Track star enters Paralympics pg. 16
Making the most of a short break pg. 19
In- Depth pg. 10-14
Sports pg. 15-18
Perspectives pg. 19-23
Corrections Page 5 - We incorrectly spelled Alexia Clark’s name as Alexis Clark. Spilled Ink regrets this error.
News
Spilled Ink
Nov. 19, 2015
How it works:
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Steps to Preparing a Thanksgiving Turkey Pull turkey out of oven with legs facing you, let rest for 20 minutes
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‘Cocoa and Cram’ offers study help for students before finals Amanda Evans
Cut where leg meets breast, pull bone out of joint, cut through remaining meat and skin
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Perspectives Editor This year’s Cocoa and Cram will run from 3-6 p.m. on Dec. 9 in the commons. At the event, students have the opportunity to study with friends and also get some extra before finals. “It’s kind of for Lambkin Way kids, but other students can come too,” PaCE teacher Cindy Berg said. “It’s not closed to just freshmen. We’ve had upperclassmen there quite often.” Hot cocoa and cookies will be provided for students who attend. Teachers will also be attending, so students can talk to them and ask for help on assignments. Students can also ask upperclassmen for help with studying or assignments.
Amnesty to host event to raise awareness about sex trafficking
Keeping blade close to rib cage, slice along breast bone to remove entire breast, cut wings off at joint
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Place breast skin side facing up and slice crosswise in even slices
Cut through joint of leg to separate thigh from drumstick, cut down along bone to remove meat, cut into thin slices
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Hanna Khmelovska Guest Writer Amnesty International will host an hourlong event Dec. 8 at which alumna Meagan Cain will talk about her experience working against human sex trafficking in Nepal. “This event we are targeting to the community, but FCHS students in particular should attend because this is an issue that faces us even in high school,” senior Jack Paschke, co-president of Amnesty International, said. “We’ve had former incidents in FCHS from not only sexual assault victims but also sex trafficking victims so this is something that we all should be informed about. It happens in our own community, and being aware of what human trafficking looks like means that our students are better equipped to see what is happening in our community, which will spread awareness.” The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the McNeal Auditorium, and admission is free.
PSD Turkey Round Up benefits community Kevin Sullivan
Photographer
FCHS collected 127 turkeys for the Larimer County Food Bank’s PSD Turkey Round Up from Nov. 6-11. The goal of the Turkey Round Up is to provide holiday food for those who can’t afford any. “My favorite part [of the Turkey Round Up] is seeing all of the turkeys we have donated,” senior Max Bostak said. “It is cool to see all that we can contribute when we work together.” According to the Food Bank for Larimer County, the Turkey Round Up for 2015 will distribute turkeys and other holiday foods to the Family Center and Crossroads Ministries in Estes Park, as well as other agencies.
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Repeat on second side
ENJOY!
GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST
Use of Zip files speeds uploading process
Andrew Jessen-Tyler
Columnist Uploading files can be a long and painful process. Most often, you will upload every document separately. When you need to upload numerous files at once, try using a Zip file. Zip files compress multiple files and folders into a single file and are recognized with the extension of .zip. This makes it much easier to transfer multiple files online. While many programs use folders similar to Zip files, for this tutorial, I will be sticking with Windows’ standard zip file compression tool. To create a Zip file, first locate the content you want to compress (Figure 1). Once
you are there, hold the CTRL useless unless you can access key and click on each file you its contents. To make sure are adding to the your files work Zip. You can also properly, it is press CTRL+A to best to extract select everything in the zip file to the folder you are a new folder. browsing in. Next, To extract the right click any of the Zip file, right selected documents click it and select Accompanying images (without the CTRL “Extract All…” can be found at key pressed) and A box will pop http://tinyurl.com/ SPINK-Zip-Files. navigate the menu up asking where bar to “Send to,” you want to save then click on the extracted “Compressed (zipped) folder” content. You can select the new (Figure 2). Now you have a zip location by hitting “Browse…” file with the selected content in it. (Figure 5, Blue circle). When The name of the zip file you are done, either keep the is most likely not what you “Show extracted files when want. To rename it, right click complete” box checked to the Zip file and click rename open a new window, or leave (Figure 3). You can then type it unchecked (Figure 5, green in whatever name you want. circle). Hit extract, and it will Now you can send unpack the documents to the the zip file in an email or new location (Figure 5, red share it using Dropbox. circle). Now, sending multiple However, a Zip file is files is much faster and easier.
4 Nov. 19, 2015
News
Spilled Ink Fort Collins helps homeless community this holiday season Amanda Evans
Perspectives Editor The homeless shelter in Fort Collins provides close to 150 plates of food every day. With the shelter open every day all year, that is roughly 54,750 plates per year. On Tues., Nov. 24, the Fort Collins Rescue Mission is providing food for community members. Starting at 5 p.m., the doors open to the public, homeless or not, for anyone looking for a warm Thanksgiving meal. “It’s a really good opportunity for us as a staff and members of our community to come together and show each other that we care and that we love these people,” Northern Colorado Community and Event Specialist Hannah Baltz-Smith said. The Fort Collins Rescue Mission is partnering with their sister location in Denver to gather food for the holiday meal. Most of the food collected for this meal is local and comes from volunteers, community groups, and donation drives. “We are in the process of our turkey drive,” Baltz-Smith said. “We are hoping to reach our goal for this Thanksgiving of 15,000 turkeys.” FCHS, as well as other local schools, participated in the turkey drive. Some of the 127 turkeys donated through the FCHS Turkey Round-up went to the Fort Collins shelter. Though the drive is over, options to give are still available. Currently two donation locations exist. The Harvest Farm in Wellington is a drop-off location for food and clothes that go to the homeless. The Rescue Mission is an organization that focuses on helping the homeless and accepts contributions at 316
GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA CLARK Jefferson St. Mon. through Sat. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. But donations are not the only way to help; the Rescue mission welcomes those who want to volunteer their time. “All of our volunteer spots for this year’s Thanksgiving meal are full but we always want to encourage the community to volunteer any day,” Baltz-Smith said. “There are other opportunities to show your support for these people, so if you aren’t signed up now, you still can sign up for future opportunities with us.” Additional options for giving back include
Mission Old Town, an organization that gathers food, clothes, sleeping bags, and tents to donate to the homeless community in Fort Collins and Denver. The Rescue Mission also sponsor clothes drives. Drop boxes for these are placed around town, and even in FCHS, to collect clothes lightly worn shoes, coats, and sleeping bags for in-need families in Fort Collins. “We really rely on the support and volunteers from our community members,” Baltz-Smith said. “They are the reason we are able to accomplish events like the Thanksgiving meal and other give back projects we put on each year.”
Stairway surveillance aims to secure student safety Adelaide Tomsic Staff Writer At the beginning of this school year, a new change was made to the heavy white metal doors of the secret stair cases at FCHS. Yellow pieces of paper reading “stairways under constant video surveillance” were taped to the doors using clear packaging tape. Even though the signs are new, the cameras themselves have been in the stairway for longer than any student has been attending FCHS. “Cameras have been in the building for years. I just don’t think kids knew they were there,” Vice Principal Skip Caddoo said. According to Caddoo, these yellow pieces of paper are effective at preventing kids from doing bad things, because they remind them that they could get caught. “I think the signs we put up have stopped some activity,” Caddoo said. “People were sleeping in there. People were just hiding out, not going to class. Nothing real criminal, just hanging out, making a mess sometimes and the signs have kept it cleaner.” In addition to keeping students well-behaved, the cameras are used to monitor students’ safety. Cameras are recording 24/7 to oversee the activity happening
PHOTOS BY HANNA KHMELOVSKA in the hallways and outside in the parking lots. The cameras can help Campus Security know if any unfamiliar individuals are roaming the hall who may pose a threat. In addition, the cameras can be used to monitor the safety of individual students. Students may leave class without telling a teacher, often to go to the nurse’s office or counseling, and the school wants to ensure they get there safely. “Sometimes we’re looking for a kid. Specifically if the kid left the class without
telling a teacher, we’ll look at the camera to see where that student went,” Caddoo said. The cameras are being watched by hall monitors on a computer screen from the Clyde room during school hours, and record activity outside of school hours. These cameras are motion censored, and record whenever movement occurs near them. To save DVR space, the cameras don’t constantly record. “They’re motion sensors so at night when nobody’s around, they’re not recording, but when somebody is in the building one camera will come on, even the ones outside,” Caddoo said. “We have them in the parking lot, around the building.”
News
Spilled Ink Diverse Leaders conduct ‘Hear my Story’ campaign
Nov. 19, 2015
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Líderes Diversos realizan ‘Escucha mi historia’ campaña
Molly Lubber
Translation by Spanish Literature students in Jim Ogan’s classes
Staff Writer It is their fourth meeting, and there are at least ten people here—a turnout that some longstanding clubs don’t always see. Listening, you can tell they weren’t forced to be here; they look comfortable with one another, all of them talking and having fun together. It looks like a club you want to be in. It looks like a club that has the willpower and ability to make a difference. The club is called Diverse Leaders, and the name certainly fits. This is not a club with membership restrictions of any kind. All are welcome. With the goal of making an impact and exploring the diverse culture within FCHS, Diverse Leaders meets in M107 on Thursdays during common lunch. “I think ‘Diverse Leaders’ probably has to do with the fact that we have all different kinds of personalities and students who can bring something to the table that don’t always have an opportunity to have a leadership role within our school, so Diverse Leaders, this club, is trying to reach out to individuals and give them an opportunity to lead,” sponsor Jody Snow said. The club is only a few months old, but what they lack in the amount of time they’ve met, they make up for in enthusiasm. Already, they have a project they have jumpstarted. It’s called “Hear My Story,” and it is powerful. The project is aimed at encouraging people to share their stories. Often, someone may think that he or she is the only one dealing with a certain problem. Club members recognize that among the hundreds of people within the school, it is likely that people share many of the same situations. The goal is for people to connect through these stories. “It just gives a voice to people and the good thing is that it’s anonymous if you don’t want people to know your name,” club member Ana Romero explained. “So, you can get something out instead of build it up inside of you, and other students can read your stories and they can relate.” To participate in the project, anyone can write down a story—with or without a name— and slip it under Snow’s door, located in upper M-hall, down the hall to the left of the main entrance to the counseling offices. Then, it will be posted on the display board outside her office. Club members see it as a way for students to come together, because although everyone has a story, they are not always recognized. “We all have stories that we aren’t necessarily willing to share, but want people to know,” sponsor Kristin Flanagan said. “It gives people a chance to speak about who they really think they are without, necessarily, people criticizing it or judging it.” Over 20 stories hang on the board near the windows just past the counseling office, but Diverse Leaders is hoping all members of the FCHS community will share. “I would love to see ‘Hear My Story,’ not only on the board, but all up and down this hallway,” Snow said, “so that everybody participates, everybody shares their story, everybody reads other people’s stories, and it becomes a school-wide phenomenon in the sense that everybody’s got a story to share, and every story is worth sharing.”
Esta es la cuarta reunión y por lo menos hay diez personas asistiendo----es una participación que otros clubes no tienen. Solo con escuchar, te das cuenta de que ellos no fueron forzados a estar allí. Están participando porque es lo que quieren. Todos se miran cómodos, hablando y divirtiendose juntos. Se ve como un club en que quieres participar. Se ve como un club que tiene fuerza y la capacidad de hacer un cambio. El club se llama Diverse Leaders, y este nombre es apropiado. Este no es un club con afiliación limitada. Todos somos bienvenidos. Con el proposito de hacer un impacto y explorar la cultura diversa de FCHS, los Líderes Diversos se reunen en el salón M-107 los jueves durante el almuerzo compartido. “Yo creo que los Líderes Diversos probablemente tiene que ver con que todos tenemos todo tipo de personalidades y estudiantes que nos brindan algo pero no siempre tienen la oportunidad de tener el liderazgo aquí en nuestra escuela. Así es que los Líderes Diversos , este club, trata de obtener individuales y darles la oportunidad de ser un líder,” dijo la patrocinadora Jody Snow. Hace solo unos meses que existe este club, pero lo que les falta en tiempo , compensan con entusiasmo. Ya han empezado con un proyecto. El proyecto es titulado , “Oye Mi Historia” y es muy poderoso. Este proyecto está dirigido a animar a la gente que ellos compartan sus historias. A menudo, alguien puede pensar que él o ella es la única persona que está batallando con un cierto problema.Miembros de esta organización reconoce que entre los cienes de estudiantes en la escuela , es más probable que ellos comparten muchas de las mismas situaciones que ocurren en sus vidas. El proposito es que estos jovenes se puedan venir y connectarse trás estas historias. “Les da a las personas una voz y la buena cosa es que lo puedes hacerlo de manera anónima para que no te reconozcan”, un miembro del club, Ana Romera explica. “ Para que dejes que algo dentro de ti salga en vez de dejarlo crecer. Es bueno también para que los otros estudiantes lean tus historias y que puedan verse reflejado. Para participar en este proyecto, cualquiera pueda escribir una historia con o sin nombre--y ponerla debajo de la puerta de la Sr. Snow. Su oficina está localizada arriba en M-hall, a la izquierda de la entrada de las oficinas de los consejeros. Luego, la historia será puesta en exposición afuera de su oficina en la pared. Miembros del club piensan en este proyecto como una manera en que los estudiantes pueden relacionarse, porque anuque todos tienen una historia, no son compartidas. “Todos tenemos historias las que no necesariamente queremos compartir pero sí, queremos que la gente las sepa, “ dijo la esponsora , Kristin Flanagan. “ le da oportunidad a la gente para hablar acerca de lo que ellos realmente piensan quienes son sin que la gente les critique o juzgue.” Más que veinte historias cuelgan en la pizarra cerca de las ventanas a la izquierda de las oficinas, de los consejeros, pero los Líderes Diversos quieren que todos los estudiantes de FCHS participen y compartan sus historias. “Me encantaría ver el proyecto Oye Mi Historia no solo en la pared sino que también por ambos lados del pasillo”, Snow dijo, ‘Para que todos participen, para que todos compartan su historia y para que otros lean las historias de otros, y que el proyecto se convierta en una actividad estupenda para toda la escuela, porque todos tienen una historia que compartir y cada historia es valorada”
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6 Nov. 19, 2015
A&E
Spilled Ink
New theater brings luxury to movies Joseph Mason Sports Editor
In Brief
FCHS art class creating new word art for LTC Matthew Keaten
Staff Writer
This semester the 3D design class will be crafting new word-sculptures to improve the environment in the LTC. They expect to install them by the end of December. “I like this project because it involved everyone and has a piece of creating permanent value to leave behind with the students at FCHS,” 3D design teacher Jon-Michael Willert said. The goal is to eventually have enough words to decorate all the sections in the LTC.
Arts magazine accepting entries Emily Kleckner Guest Writer Remington Street Review, the literary and arts magazine, is currently accepting submissions for the 2015-2016 edition. Students and staff may submit creative written work, visual art, and recorded songs. “We want to be able to represent a broad spectrum of our students’ creative work that goes beyond just the traditional written work,” Remington Adviser Erin O’Connor said. Pieces will be accepted via email at eoconnor@psdschools.org, and they may also be dropped off in P208. Written works are limited to a maximum of 1,400 words, and should be sent in as Word documents. Visual art may be photographed and submitted in JPEG format or brought to P208 to be photographed by the Remington staff. Those interested in submitting original songs should record a demonstration to submit. If selected, artists may be asked to rerecord in the music studio.
Spilled Ink to host Barnes & Noble fundraiser Parker Andrist
Head Graphic Artist
Spilled Ink is having a book fair and fundraiser today from 4-10 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble at 4045 South College Avenue. “Spilled Ink’s Barnes & Noble book fair is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the student newspaper and that really means that if you come to the book fair and if you contribute to our fundraising, you’re supporting the voice of students in the building,” Spilled Ink adviser Anne Colwell said. “You’re giving students a chance to speak out about issues that are important to them by funding the entity that allows them to express their views.” By entering the book fair ID 11705415 at checkout, customers can continue to contribute to the Spilled Ink fundraiser through instore and online purchases until Nov. 27.
It was a Friday afternoon, and the Spilled Ink staff had decided to see “Spectre” at the new Cinemark Movie Bistro and XD at the Foothills Mall, which is how you say movie theater in prep-speak. I knew I was going to hate it, but I tried to keep an open mind. Perhaps all this ritzy hullabaloo really would be worth my $12. Of course, what they promise for those $12 is appealing—surround sound to wake the dead, a bistro serving gourmet food and beverages, and best of all, the chance to be served said food in your seat, an incredibly silly phenomenon known as “in-theater dining.” Well, it’s appealing if you’re a complete priss, which I, most definitely, am not. The Bistro XD tries to combine the luxury of home with the extravagance of going out and it does a swell job. But it really can’t compare to the typical movie-going experience. The new theater offers several new food options, like pizza, wraps, and cheeseburgers (which Perspectives Editor Amanda Evans says were phenomenal). But cheeseburgers-and-a-movie has never been a thing and should never be a thing. I don’t want to eat a greasy burger while watching Daniel Craig’s weird, pouty, woman-lips on a massive screen. And seeing the Craig-lips on a screen featuring Extreme Digital (cheekily abbreviated as XD) projection was just awkward. I didn’t really see the point to the XD, as a lover of the classic, grainy 16-mm aesthetic. I don’t know about you, but watching things explode into beautiful, luminous clouds of fire in stunning detail on a towering
screen isn’t why I go to the movies. But the other staff members think that’s cool. I don’t know why. Were they born in the last 20 years, or something? They also liked the cushioned, leather seats, for some odd reason. I guess they like being comfortable. I, on the other hand, oppose this new innovation. If I want to recline in plush comfort while watching a movie, it won’t be in a chair; it will be on a couch, as I queue up Netflix in my home, thanks. And my couch doesn’t have reserved seating as this theater does. I didn’t know that going in, so I bought seats five yards from the monstrous screen. Naturally, I switched places, only to be told I was in someone else’s seat. Finally, I settled in an inadequate spot, to the farright, and enjoyed the film. Reserved seating is the true downfall of the whole theater. It creates a new challenge for all of us miniTruffauts who sneak into other movies after the original film ends. But the point is, movie theaters just weren’t meant to be this nice. They’re supposed to be sub-par, vaguely sticky establishments that all reclusive nerds and 12 year-old kids feel comfortable romping around in, not bastions of decadence like the new Cinemark. A movie theater shouldn’t have “ambiance.” The only thing you’re supposed to enjoy about going to the movies is the actual movie—the experience should be mediocre at best. But, whatever. If you like the finer things in life, or you want an immersive, lavish moviegoing experience, then the XD Bistro’s your place. Personally, I’ll be back at the theater for commoners (at least during peak hours, when I could be seen).
Petty confrontations prove worthless
Samantha Ye
In-Depth Editor Recently, I realized something rather shocking: the amount of time I spend reading online articles has been surpassed by the amount of time I spend in those articles’ comment sections. And it’s not because they have the world’s most thoughtful, articulate comments; it’s quite the opposite in fact. I waste hours of my life on my Disqus arguing with strangers on the Internet. Yet as sad as I know that is, part of me doesn’t want to stop. After all, isn’t that why I leave comments, to publicly share my opinions? And if Bubbles4215647 is going to try to discredit me with a flawed strain of logic, then why shouldn’t I retaliate? Well, for one, after a 50-comment chain, the argument would probably end just with one of us typing “lol,” and thus silencing the other forever.
But also, because after reading Megan Shull’s “The Swap,” I was reminded that there’s something to be said for picking your battles, even on the Internet. The tween novel’s protagonists, Ellie and Jack, swap bodies for a weekend and find out the other has problems neither could have anticipated. As the cover and synopsis suggest, the story is pretty simple and serves more as a feelgood read than anything else. But it does have its subtleties and highly relatable moments. Jack, stuck in Ellie’s body, must deal with snide comments from Sassy, the girl who can’t even live up to her own name. “I feel my adrenaline rush,” Jack thinks. “This girl rattles me so much. I just look back at her, like, are you kidding me right now?” Oh, how many times I have felt that when browsing YouTube comments! Usually, when a character is unreasonably wronged, and then fights back, I think of it as justifiable or impressive or, heck, just plain
awesome (Hermione punching Malfoy, anyone?). So I was more than ready for Jack to start taking his cardboard villains down. But when Jack “beats” Sassy in a sneaky, turnaround way, he doesn’t really gain anything. It’s only when Jack focuses on himself instead of Sassy that he finds confidence in himself and in Ellie. “And I’m feeling kind of suddenly grateful. Relieved,” Jack thinks. “I just—we just— fair and square beat her.” Of course, this message isn’t new to me. I’ve heard it in everything from “Mean Girls” to “The Last Airbender,” but somehow the message was never applied to my internet life. As if, just because I’m doing it anonymously, it’s not a waste of my time. Reading this book in light of my recent “comment-war” problem made me realize I wouldn’t be carrying on these conversations (and I use that word loosely) offline and I shouldn’t be having them online, “justified” or not. No longer will I hit the reply button and throw myself into a futile Internet debate. Because if (fictional) middle schoolers can ignore petty confrontations, then I can too, especially on the Internet.
Spilled Ink
A&E
Nov. 19, 2015
They Are More Than Just...
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GRAPHICS BY PARKER ANDRIST
TV Shows Story by Alexia Clark Many fans find solace in one of the UK’s most popular radio and television stations, the British Broadcasting Cooperation. BBC is home to globally popular shows such as Dr. Who, Merlin, Downton Abbey, and Sherlock. Sherlock is constantly in high demand despite only three seasons of 90-minute episodes released. Sherlock is one of BBC’s top selling programs, as well as the winner of 67 awards. The show has also produced a large fandom on social media, home to artists, writers, and thousands of devotees. Tumblr is one of the more popular social media for the Sherlock fandom, and is filled with fanfiction acting as a creative outlet for viewers, photos of their favorite actors and actresses, and gifs,
Graphic Novels
Whether it comes to powers, series, or publishers, the selection of the perfect comic book character involves numerous details specific to fans’ preferences. The selection of the right character is especially daunting for some graphic novel fans. “My favorite comic book character is Spiderman. He’s probably my favorite because he has more than just one power,” junior Colten Davis said. “I have so many it’s hard to pick what my favorite one is.” As well as having trouble selecting a perfect character, a number of fans find it difficult to choose between publishers. Marvel and DC Comics are two hotly debated companies, and Davis is a Marvel supporter. “They’re more realistic,” he said. “They live in actual places on the planet and it’s kind of cool to see that.” Davis and other graphic novel fans find that though it is a challenge to select a perfect comic, every fan has a chance to find their perfect fit.
which are repetitious moving pictures that sometimes depict the bloggers’ favorite scenes, characters, and hopes for the show. A common occurrence in this fandom are ships and OTP, a ship being the term for the relationship between two characters, while an OTP is defined as a fan’s “one true pairing” of two characters. OTPs and other content have inspired the creation of many fanfictions and pieces of art, making Sherlock, along with other BBC Television shows, one of the most creative and diverse fandoms.
Video Games Over the years, Nintendo has produced many characters adored by players of all ages, though one of the franchise with one of the largest fandoms is The Legend of Zelda games. The Zelda series has a loyal fan base as well as a close-knit community of players who can relate to the nostalgia of a familiar set of pixels adorning their screens. “It’s literally my childhood,” senior Brandon Silverfox-Gore explained. ”I grew up playing the game. It was one of the very first video games that I’ve ever played.” Silverfox-Gore is not alone in his love of
the series, as people from around the world are proud to call themselves Hylian, the name for Zelda fandom members, referring to the universe in which the game is based. Along with the fandom’s pride in the game, some members believe that the Legend of Zelda, though originally released in 1986, is far from out-of-date. “The way they are changing the Zelda series I see huge promise in the series’ future,” Silverfox-Gore said, “as well as the marketing that they put on the series has just a lot of work put into it.”
Movies
The film industry has greatly impacted people of all ages since its debut in 1896. Many film series have led to fandoms, primarily those of a dystopian or perilous universe, in which viewers are immersed. A current series causing tension is the Hunger Games saga, originally penned by Suzanne Collins. The final film, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2,” is due to be released tomorrow. Members of The Hunger Games fandom gear up for the finale, adorning braids, bows, and the iconic Mockingjay pin. “I wear the braid sometimes, I might actually wear it to the showing,” Junior Maya Bamburg said. Bamburg will be seeing the film at the new Cinemark for her birthday. “I’m excited to go, but I’m mostly ready to see Finnick,” Bamburg said. Favorite characters are a staple in any fandom, though it is common knowledge that film adaptations rarely compare to literature. Some devoted fans like Bamburg have even begun re-reading the novels in preparation for the upcoming movie. “I don’t think that the movie will live up to the books,” Bamburg said. “If you do not compare it to the books, it will be a great movie.”
8 Nov. 19, 2015
A&E
Spilled Ink Sophomore Haley Hartmann looks for materials that could help her build the set for the upcoming production of “The Glass Menagerie.” The play will run Dec. 10-12 in the Black Box. PHOTO BY WILL BROWN
Fast Facts Tech crew prepares for production Maya Bode Managing Editor Creating props and sets, planning makeup and costumes, and rehearsing lines or dance moves, the cast and crew of any play works hard in preparation. While the success of a show is determined partly by the talent of the performers, countless other people are involved doing jobs behind-the-scenes. Members of the tech crew have been meeting nearly every day after school preparing for “The Glass Menagerie,” a play being performed in the Black Box Dec. 10-12, working with aspects such as projections, set designs, and publicity. Projections have not been integrated into FCHS performances in the past, but “The Glass Menagerie,” requires several images and words to be projected as part of the set. “It [the use of projections] started off in Broadway,” junior Tyler Borkowski said. “So you know those holograms you see in Star Wars movies or whatever? It’s really cool because you get a short range projector and you project it onto someone, and it looks like it’s just there. It looks almost like a hologram.” The holograms crew works closely with the lights crew to ensure the success of this new aspect. Five people are involved with lights for “The Glass Menagerie,” a group led by junior Ryan Forsyth. “We set up the lights, and we set up hues for the shows,” Forsyth said.
The required lighting for a performance depends partially on the sets. Students involved in sets design the backgrounds and arrangements for the show. “I like being able to build things and being in the theater family,” sophomore Brooke Hein said. “It is the best part of my days.” The work of the students behind the lights, sets, sounds, props, costumes, and projections would be appreciated by far fewer people if not for the publicity crew. “We create the poster for the show, create the programs for the show, we sell tickets, and now we are looking for the possible sponsors,” sophomore Laura Hirn, publicity lead, said. To apply to join the crew for a musical or play, students must visit fchsmusical. weebly.com to print and fill out an application for Tower Theater director Jason Tyler. Most of the students involved in theater join not only for the work, but for the community they share the experience with. “It seems like a good community, and everyone is super friendly and nice,” sophomore Haley Hartmann said. “It’s a fun group of people to be around.” The close group dedicates a significant amount of time to their jobs, and many of them are passionate about the work they do. “It means the world to me,” senior Cierra LeCluyse said. “I’ve done it all four years, and I’ve made all my friends there. I have so much love for what we do and all the people in it.”
Total income for all U.S. theater in 2013 was $8 million
Yelling “Heads!” in theater means something is falling In the “Phantom of the Opera,” 2 hours are required to apply the actor’s makeup Information gathered by Dalena Groen Source: Denvercenter.org
Increase in spending over holidays impacts economy Fast Facts The number 1 New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. 133.7 million Americans shop on Black Friday. 33 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
Information gathered by Walker Discoe Source: Statisticbrain.com
Walker Discoe Staff Writer Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the U.S., and there is an enormous shopping culture associated with it. According to Statistic Brain, each year America alone spends $52 billion for the holidays, and the average household plans to spend $804.42 annually for Christmas. But business and personal finance teacher Pamela Davidson thinks that estimate actually sounds low. “I would say it should be more,” Davidson said. “I’ve heard that it’s upwards of 100 billion in some estimates, and the 804 dollar per family average seems low too. I would think more around 1,000 dollars.” While $804 is the average amount of money a family spends on Christmas, fluctuations of $200 to $300 can be expected, due to the spending habits of the middle and upper class. But the extreme perseverance of the American people to spend relentlessly doesn’t confine
itself to the Christmas season. Over $2 billion is spent on Thanksgiving food annually, and the annual fireworks revenue topped $940 million in 2014, with spikes in sales during the Fourth of July and New Year’s. The impact of such large increases in spending has major repercussions on economies, both national and international. According to fortune magazine, national retail prices are expected to rise by 3.7 percent, and over 800,000 people will be hired in temporary positions in retail stores across the country. The holidays are important for retailers because often they only become profitable at the end of the year, around Black Friday and Christmas. This puts pressure on them to clear out inventory to make room for newer models and updated technology, and bring in the most revenue they can in a short period of time, resulting in massive sales at the end of each year. “The holidays have huge impacts on economies,” Davidson said. “And for many people, it’s the most spending they do all year.”
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Dancing in the 1989 World Tour, FCHS graduate Mason Cutler performs alongside Taylor Swift. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASON CUTLER
Visit the
Spilled Ink
YouTube channel to watch Cutler’s full interview!
Fast Facts
Alumnus realizes dreams in dancing career Evan Bode Editor-in-Chief The sun was setting over Hyde Park in London as Mason Cutler stood on stage, having just finished a major performance with Taylor Swift, and gazed out over an ocean of faces that seemed to him to stretch endlessly into the distance. “It was just a moment when you were taking it in so much that you just want to cry,” Cutler said. This moment, which Cutler cites as the highlight of his career so far, occurred only four years after he graduated from FCHS and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a professional dancer. In this short time span, Cutler has performed on tour with Swift and Demi Lovato, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, acted in three movies, worked as a male model, produced his own music, and collaborated with world-renowned choreographers. Currently, he is dancing as a member of Swift’s massive 1989 World Tour. “This is probably the biggest tour in the world at this moment, and so you get to see things that even people who are entertainers don’t get to see,” Cutler said. “Like, we perform in stadiums. That’s tens of thousands of people.” Cutler’s path to reaching this level of success began when he started dancing at eleven years old. “For me when I was younger, it was like I’d found the key to life or something,” he said. “Like I’d found the purest way of expressing myself.” From then on, Cutler devoted himself to the art, commuting to a dance studio in Denver, performing in dance events on the weekends, and practicing up to 40 hours per week. Despite this, few people aside from his family and a few close friends accepted his newfound passion for dancing. “School-wise, it was hard, because not everyone got it, and being a guy dancer is different, too,” Cutler said. “It’s still considered, like, a girly thing.” He faced frequent bullying in middle school, where his peers did not comprehend his devotion to dance.
“On the one end, I had found something I was so passionate about, and then on the other side, people were treating me—like, it was just hard to put it together— people were treating me different, but it was like, ‘Wait, you don’t get it, I’ve found something that I love and want to do with my whole life,’” Cutler said. wift s This did not stop Cutler from pursuing his dream. Today, his intense preparation world tour has has led to groundbreaking success as an international performer. grossed “I’m at a point in my life where all of that’s kind of coming million and into fruition, like realizing counting everything I’ve worked for is right in front of my eyes,” he said. “It’s kind of trippy in that way.” Although Cutler professes immense gratitude for his chance to travel the world, the fast-paced, chaotic lifestyle of being on tour has its disadvantages. ackup dancers “There’s no real stability,” he said. “You kind of live in a aim to provide bubble. It’s such a beautiful way to live, but at the same visual symmetry to time, I don’t have a home.” For Cutler, though, the the performance indescribable feeling of dancing onstage in front of thousands makes these challenges worth it. “That’s what I live for,” he said. “There’s nothing really quite like that.” Now that he has achieved this goal, Cutler’s next ambition is to further the development of ayment can vary his own music, which can be heard on masoncutler.com. from to “I want to keep doing what I’m doing, performing in dollars per front of people, but I want to transition into doing it for my performance own music, you know?” he said. As he continues to strive for excellence, Cutler looks back on his time at FCHS with appreciation, describing it as an “awesome” four years. “I’m just proud to be a Lambkin,” he said. Cutler encourages current FCHS students to follow his example in Information Gathered by wholeheartedly pursuing their dreams. Walker Discoe “If you find something you’re passionate about, just Sources: Billboard.com fly with that,” he said. “I think and JobShadow that’s maybe the biggest thing.”
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Teenagers justify rule-breaking through psychological defenses Nick Hawley Staff Writer According to a poll done by Psychology Today, approximately 50 percent of people under the age of 40 admitted to cheating on a test at some point in their lives, and about three quarters of them admitted to lying to their parents about something important. On campus, many people break rules in little ways all the time, and they may not even realize it. Even simple things, like opening the door for someone, can be considered breaking the rules. The reasons students break rules, whether it’s opening a door for someone or something bigger, like cheating on a test, vary from person to person. “It can often be seen as a bit of rebellion,” psychology teacher
Shelley Reffner said. “Or maybe the rules are too tight. You know, those kinds of things.” The answer may also lie in the human brain. According to the report, people often develop defenses to justify their actions, and they vary depending on situations and people. For example, people who open doors for others mainly use the Bonding Defense. The Bonding Defense applies when a person breaks a rule because it feels like doing the right thing. However, people who cheat on a test may use the Level Playing Field Defense. The Level Playing Field Defense is when a person breaks a rule because it
feels as though somebody else has an advantage that the rule breaker may level through the transgression. But there is more than these defenses that brings students to cheating. It’s called the Cheater’s High, according to a study at Washington University. In the study, students were told that they would feel guilt or remorse if they cheated on a test. However, this was not the case. Many students reported feeling smarter and more capable after cheating, along with a sense of freedom from all the rules. “They think that they’re better than the rules,” freshman Garrett Dangerfield said. “And that they’re cooler if they break them.”
“They think that they’re better than the rules,” -Garrett Dangerfield
KEEP OFF GRASS
Editor’s Note Samantha Ye
In-Depth Editor
From breaking your new phone to breaking up with someone, the verb “to break” seems to have somewhat negative connotation. But this month, in anticipation of Thanksgiving break, InDepth is celebrating some of the positive breaks in our lives. The positive break-up, for example, is not necessarily a happy ending to a relationship but a crucial one. Not every relationship is worth it and some are downright harmful both physically and emotionally. Page 14 explains the signs of teenage dating abuse and how to get out of an unhealthy relationship. Page 12 and 13 holds a condensed timeline of just a few of the people who broke racial barriers in America, culminating in an article summarizing the local fight against racial discrimination. Having broken multiple cross country records, Lauren Gregory is featured on page 11. She has been recognized in the state and on a national level for her athletic accomplishments, yet she continues to challenge herself and not just in cross country. And finally, on page 10, the psychology of the rule breaker is revealed putting a twist on how we think about our own ethics. After all, 55 percent of Americans have illegally downloaded music online and 50 percent admit to breaking traffic laws regularly according to Business Insider, yet they can still feel like nice, law-abiding citizens. Despite the downsides breaking may bring, this In-Depth is about the “good” breaks and not just the one for Thanksgiving.
GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA CLARK
Who is your favorite rule breaker and why?
Alex Yu Senior
“Mr. Luckasen, because he literally doesn’t give a crap about anything. He’s really chill.”
Callie Pherigo Freshman
“Gandhi, because he created a huge difference which flowed to all over the world and helped create the equality there is now.”
Benjamin Behrman Sophomore
“Vladimir Lenin, because he led his people through a really bad place.”
Morgan Huffman Junior
“Ferris Bueller, because he chose to do something awesome on his day off.”
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Student athlete breaks records in running Thany Dykson Staff Writer
“It was just an amazing and intense race that I will never forget.” —Lauren Gregory
Often, high -stakes athletes have the fun taken out of their sport by stress a n d
pressure, but Gregory has found a way to overcome that. “It became more pressured which made everything a little bit more intense,” she said, “but in the end I just had to remind myself why I love running and so the pressure of breaking records became less.”
SS 14. ON RO 013 THE 20 W HE EC N2 R T ... ED E IN HAS NIK AS I FO DS ORY L 4 TITL TEAM THE W R IN ENT CO REG E 5 RY RE REN G O STAT COUNT 9. PETED ST REC 8 T M O S 9 O 1 M LAU e sit — TEAM CROS NCE SO C THE eb I Sw L S A L’S LS ES, . FCH GIR GIR TLES AVE TIM XT. HSource: I I H S EN Ye THE E T S — TAT GIRL SEV CEDantha 8 S THE ALS PLAby Sam — TION HEYthered NA EN tTion ga WIHnforma
Since she was 8 years old Lauren Gregory has been running on her path to victory. For her, running Cross-Country started out as a casual hobby, but she has gone on to amaze, breaking many records along the way. School records in the 800, 1600, 3200 and the 5K have all been claimed by Gregory, and she has already made the school’s athletic wall of fame several times. On Oct. 31, she ran her way to first place in the Colorado State Cross Country Championship for the third year in a row. Still, she appreciates the experiences, and not just the wins. “The race that sticks out the most was probably running the mile at the Prefontaine Classic track meet last spring because it was just an amazing and intense race that I will never forget,” she said. Gregory not only continues to break school records, but she also broke the barrier of running in her own country. During the spring of 2015 she ran in the world crosscountry competition in China for team USA and placed 33rd in the world. At this point, running is a permanently engraved part of her life. It causes stress, but it is also a way for her to eliminate stress. It helps to keep her balanced, and she plans to run as long her body will hold up. Her favorite part about her sport is not only the
discipline and freedom it brings, but the friendships and the socializing aspect of it as well. This fall Gregory threw it back to childhood by creating blade club, something she frequently does with her teammates, including fellow cross country runners Claire Hooker and Ben Fraley. The new, fun means of transportation has been a success for Gregory and her friends who participate. From breaking records, to breakthroughs with roller blades, Gregory continues to challenge herself in m a n y aspects of her life.
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ertai n me t Jazz, n n
ernme v odecadesAfter of n
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a melting pot of the blues and ragtime, with echoes of traditional African drumming, was taking over the nightclubs of the 1930s. Its origins lie with musical masters such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and many other black artists. Their very presence in the Jim Crow south gave hope to crumbling the music industry’s racial barrier. Although the conservative backlash was harsh, by the 1940s, integrated bands were possible along with non-segregated audiences and interracial couples.
fighting, blacks, Latinos, Asians, and every other minority was finally granted their Constitutional rights with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Jim Crow laws were eradicated and equal employment opportunity was promised. Fair voting would soon follow.
Sp o rts
On Oct. 30, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers officially breaking the unofficial race barrier in Major League Baseball. As baseball’s “great experiment,” Robinson faced death threats, racism, and insults, yet he still came out on top as a National League MVP and a national symbol for racial equality.
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In 1946, Orange County, California desegregated their school districts. Soon after, the rest of the state followed. California became the first state to officially desegregate its schools thanks to Gonzalo Mendez and four other fathers who brought the Westminster School Districts to court due to their segregation of white and Mexican students. Mendez won. Governor Earl Warren signed the bill ending school segregation in California. Eight years later, as Chief Justice Warren, he would write the Supreme Court decision for Brown v. Board of Education, ending school segregation in America.
Why do you think people don’t like to talk about race?
Hannah Guay Freshman
“It’s a touchy topic for some people.”
Caroline Howard Sophomore
“Because there is no right answer. It can be interpreted in different ways.”
Cameron Bond Junior
“It’s had a lot of dark history, and we’ve been jumping back and forth between if it’s OK to be racist.”
Zeus Alcon Senior
“People don’t choose their skin at birth, and because of a violent history in the U.S., it’s a difficult topic.”
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GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST Timeline information gathered by Samantha Ye Sources: SFGate, The Morningside Review, Tribeca Film Institute, “The Jazz Years: Earwitness to an Era,” newmusicaltheatre. com, newyork.com, History Channel, Indiana University Bloomington, MSNCB, United States Courts, NPR, Library of Congress, PBS, American Program Bureau, Billboard
Mu
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Before names like Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez were commonplace, Gloria Estefan was bridging cultures by entering the American mainstream. In the 1980s, the Cuban singer and her band, the Miami Sound Machine, played chart-topping music filled with Latin-flavor. Their second English album, “Primitive Love,” is regarded as the first Latin crossover album, and sold five million copies. With 70 million total album sales in her career and five Grammy Awards, Estefan is considered the first and most successful crossover artist of Latin music.
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the past, “historical accuracy” triumphed over colorblind casting (i.e. casting based on ability), but Filipina actress Lea Salonga proved that not only can Asians play traditionally white roles, but they can make them their own. The award-winning actress became the first Asian Eponine in “Les Misérables” in 1993 and Fantine in 2007.
COLORBLIND in AMERICA a timeline of breaking racial barriers
Local history reveals broken racial barriers Kevin Sullivan Photographer History is full of discrimination against ethnicities, genders, and religions. While progress has been made to stop discrimination, barriers are still holding back people just because of their genetics. To this day, race can decide how a person is treated and what barriers limit their success. Generally the minority races in an area are most likely to be discriminated against. Fort Collins, while rich with cultural diversity and openminded citizens, lacks some of the racial diversity making up the rest of the country. According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010, Fort Collins is 89 percent white, while the national average is 72.4 percent. Population percentages for all other single ethnicities in Fort Collins are lower than the national averages. As a result of a very white community, the demographics
of public schools tend toward the same lack of diversity. According to PSD, the 2014-2015 school year had 73.79 percent of students listed as white. The largest minority group in town, Mexican immigrants and Latino natives have faced racial discrimination throughout history in Fort Collins. Originally laborers who worked in beet fields, Mexican immigrants were treated more as property than people, despite the abolition of slavery years earlier. “Shipments of Mexican beet workers have been unusually large since the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court that the importation of Mexican Laborers to the sugar beet states was not illegal,” appeared in an article for the Fort Collins Courier May 7, 1920. Despite such discrimination, these racial barriers have been broken. Father John R. Fullana made efforts to mitigate discrimination by opening a cooperative grocery store, and renting a local theater to screen Spanish-language motion pictures. Later, in
1975, the Hispanic community had a district school building constructed and named it after Father Fullana. The barrier was also broken with Fort Collins athletes. In the 1920s when baseball was very popular, according to Lee Suniga, a player of the Fort Collins Legionnaires at the time, the Anglo and Mexican teams had a rivalry, and when the Mexican team was winning, the games would be ended prematurely. Suniga made great headway in the acceptance of Hispanic players on sports teams. “Color, race, or creed did not matter; ability did,” Suniga said to Lidia Romero of the Fort Collins Coloradoan. Suniga is expected to soon have a road named after him for his work supporting the local Hispanic community, as well as his instrumental role in developing the Colorado Hispanic Baseball Hall of Fame. Both locally and globally racial barriers have been broken down, and a culture supporting equality is being built in their place.
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Unhealthy relationships not worth keeping Alex McWilliams
News Editor
A relationship can be a beautiful thing. It allows a person to connect to another and share a level of closeness that isn’t common among everybody. For some people relationships can be the key to happiness, having a companion to share feelings and experiences with, whether in the form of a friend, relative or lover. However, not every relationship is beneficial, and not every pair of people are healthy for each other. And just because a relationship between two people starts off wonderful doesn’t mean it’s not possible for things to take a bad turn. When a relationship develops unhealthy aspects it may be time to break up or end the relationship. An obvious sign that it may be time to move on is a breakdown in communication. According to Phycology Today a relationship is unhealthy if “there is a lack of open, honest, and loving communication between the couple. Conflict communication often devolves
into anger and blaming. One partner or the other doesn’t feel secure in expressing feelings or self-doubts.” Without communication the chances of resentment occurring are much greater. Although it can be hard to express feelings to another person, having the ability to communicate feelings, wants, and needs in a relationship can be crucial to growing as a couple. If it becomes difficult to speak to a significant other and communication seems almost impossible, it may be time to reevaluate the relationship. “Healthy communication in a relationship is crucial to the health of the relationship,” Sociology of Relationships teacher Kimberly Schutt, explained. Another reason a relationship may need to come to an end is if it becomes abusive. Abuse can vary from physical abuse to emotional and mental abuse. According to Bentley University a relationship is unhealthy when “your partner makes you feel badly about yourself by name calling, insulting,
or
putting you down.” It can be difficult in a relationship to spot the signs of abuse, because most people don’t want to believe their partner would act that way toward them. Some signs of an abusive relationship are name calling, belittling, manipulation, violence, or strong controlling behavior. In an unhealthy relationship, one of the hardest aspects can be ending the relationship. Typically the people involved in the relationship are physically, emotionally and mentally connected, and sometimes resist admitting the troubles in the relationship because of the connection. “We don’t often see the problems we have when we’re the ones dealing with them,” senior Emmet Pritchard, peer counselor, said. In many unhealthy relationships an outside source can be helpful in ending the relationship. An outside influence can help take the pressure away from the partners and allow less of an emotionally draining breakup. “It can be beneficial in some
circumstances to receive advice from an outside source, whether in the form of friends, family, or a counselor,” senior Alex Winkler, peer counselor, said. Being in a relationship most people are prone to think about the good times they may have shared in an emotional situation rather than the reasons leading up to the discussion of breaking up. “Sometimes the easiest way to let someone go is understanding that just because a commitment was made doesn’t mean the circumstances of the relationship haven’t changed, “Pritchard said. It’s normal for people to grow and change. With changes made, a couple may not feel the same way they did at the start of the relationship. But no one should feel forced to change for the purpose of maintaining an unhealthy or unhappy relationship. “I don’t think anyone should feel the need to change themselves to be good enough for someone else,” Schutt said. “The right person is out there, and once you find them you’ll never feel the need to change.”
DATING ABUSE 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced physical abuse from a romantic partner. Violent behavior typically begins between 6th and 12th grade. Nearly 1.5 million teenagers will experience dating abuse each year. 81% of parents say they aren’t sure if teen dating violence is an issue or not. 58% of parents could not identify all the warning signs of abuse. GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST Information gathered by Samantha Ye Source: loveisrespect.org
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Sports
Recovering from injuries hinders athletes’ lives on the field and off Adelaide Tomsic
Staff Writer
Seven million U.S. students play a sport, and two million high school athletes suffer injuries annually in America, according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health. Sport-related injuries can be as minor as a sprained ankle or as major as a concussion resulting in death. No matter the severity, injuries affect athletes. Throughout the process of recovery, injuries can change or limit everyday activities. “I can’t get around as much, get up and do activities like I used to,” junior Michael Scarberry, who sustained a Lisfranc injury to his foot in October while practicing football, said. Recovering from such injuries can be a long and physically challenging experience for some high school athletes. Junior Joe Spence lacerated and ruptured his kidney in October of last year when he was checked across the abdomen while playing lacrosse. “There’s not a whole lot I could do,” he said. “I just had to be on bed rest for a week and a half, and when I was in the hospital, I couldn’t stand up on my own.”
Severe injuries like Spence’s can impact an athlete’s life dramatically, since athletes spend so much time playing their respective sports. In fact, many athletes at FCHS practice their sport every school day for approximately two hours. Two hours is eight percent of the athletes’ day. Not being able to play the sport can be frustrating for athletes since such a significant part of their lives has to be postponed until they heal. Sophomore Kailey Paterson injured her rotator cuff while trying out for softball this past August. “It made me kind of upset sometimes, because I had just made a new team,” she said. “I felt like I wasn’t at my full potential.” Not only can sports injuries keep athletes off the field, but they can make it difficult for athletes to stay in shape for their sport. “I wasn’t allowed to run for the first couple of months,” Spence said. Regardless of how they occur, or of the severity of sportrelated injuries, they can prevent athletes from participating in their sports, and recovery can be a long process and keeps the athletes from doing what they want for an even longer time.
Injuries:
High school athletes account for an estimated
2 million injuries
500,000
and doctor visits and
30,000
hospitalizations each year. There were
33%
of all sports concussions happen at practice Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly
50% of all sports injuries to middle and high school students
Information gathered by Joseph Mason Sources: headcasecompany. com, stopsportsinjuries.org
Boy’s Basketball
•Thursday, Dec. 8 - Swim Meet @ Loveland High School
• Wednesday, Dec. 2 - @ Bear Creek - 7:00 p.m. •Friday, Dec. 4 - Legend - 6:30 •Tuesday, Dec. 15 Golden - 6:30 •Thursday, Dec. 17 Ponderosa - 6:30
Girl’s Basketball • Thursday, Dec. 3 Gateway - 6:30 p.m.
Wrestling
Mindless
Sports
Minutiae
Gennady Golovkin set to be boxing’s next superstar
concussions reported in 2012
Girl’s Swim & Dive
•Tuesday, Dec. 15 - Home Meet vs. Boulder - @ Boulder
15
3,800,000
Upcoming Events •Saturday, Dec. 12 Loveland Invite @ Mountain View High School
Nov. 19, 2015
•Monday, Dec. 7 - @ Rock Canyon - 6:30
• Saturday, Dec. 12 Tournament @ Cheyenne East High School - Time TBD • Wednesday, Dec. 15 Mountain Ridge - 7:00 p.m. GRAPHICS BY PARKER ANDRIST
Joseph Mason Sports Editor
David Lemieux never saw it coming. He thought he could enter the ring, seemingly strait out of the salon, with his posh coif, and still have a chance. Here’s some advice for everyone who will challenge Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin, the brutal yet brilliant boxer that belittled Lemieux on Oct. 17: no flamboyant haircuts. Lemieux learned this first-hand, as his slicked-back hair constantly swooshed into his eyes after his face was pummeled by the seemingly inhuman robot that is Golovkin. GGG has slowly been taking over the sport of boxing, and with Floyd Mayweather retired—the cancer that he was now in remission—Golovkin is here to save the sport. GGG is everything Mayweather wasn’t, and more. He has the power and excitement Mayweather lacked. And he has the much needed un-imbecilic charisma. Mayweather was a combination of all boxing villains, ever, only minus their lethal punchingpower. He was Ivan Drago mixed with Mike Tyson and Clubber Lang but Mayweather fought mundane fights and won purely on defense. Meanwhile, Golovkin has one of the world’s strongest punches and an adequate defensive technique, accompanied by his invulnerable chin. Sure Golovkin often finishes fights with slight swelling in his right eye, but at no point has he ever been in danger of losing a bout. This is mainly because of the relentless attack he launches on his opponent. He never lets up, and he physically breaks down his opponent, as seen in past matches against Martin Murray, whose kidney got destroyed by the super-human power of GGG, Matthew Macklin, whom he barraged until Macklin squirmed on the canvas like a worm, and, of course, Curtis Stevens. With his beat-down of Stevens, Golovkin put the boxing world on notice. During the second round of their fight, Golovkin rocked Stevens with a left-hook harder than a bag of bricks. The punch was so powerful it launched the challenger airborne, to eventually land on his tattooed back. Stevens was shell-shocked by GGG’s power, left making the perfect depiction of someone completely detached from his senses. And after causing Stevens to make the face of a baby tasting lime for the first time, Golovkin spoke into the microphone for his brokenEnglish monologue, as he does every fight. Typically, fighters use this time to talk about how great they are, but not Golovkin. Golovkin has no prepared speech about his greatness. He lets his fighting speak for itself, and uses this time to talk about his favorite food, which is simply “meat.” I’m surprised he even eats. He isn’t human. He is his own race. He is, simply, Gennady Golovkin.
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Sports
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Track and field star travels across world for Paralympics Joseph Mason Sports Editor Jack Briggs loves the competition. He has a more exclusive taste in his competition, t h o u g h . None of the more traditional sports have been right for him. But he finds one pastime particularly enjoyable and it is a sport in which he can compete at a high level—track and field. “I like how you can push yourself, and it’s an individual sport, so you can see how you get better,” Briggs said. “I also like the competition, like, competing against other p e o p l e . ” Briggs has raced against hundreds, possibly thousands, of opponents and he says it brings out the best in him. “When you’re in the race and you’re against, like, a friend or someone who’s faster than you, you want to beat them,” Briggs said. “It makes you, like, focus more.” Focus is the key to it all. “The race goes by so fast, because it’s a sprint, that if you lose focus for half a second, you can have a bad race,” Briggs said. Briggs has been running for over 10 years and has emerged as one of the top high school sprinters in Colorado, traveling worldwide to compete in the Pan American Games and the Paralympics, in which he was the youngest runner in his races. “Those meets are definitely different from a high school meet, like everything about them is different,” Briggs said. “Like the competition—there are a bunch of cameras
there, photographers, I’m wearing a USA uniform, it’s pretty cool. It’s different.” These weren’t the only differences, as he felt an unfamiliar feeling, prior to his first race. “I was really nervous,” he said. “Usually
His nerves got to him, he admits, as his crucial concentration went astray. “I got in a good first half of the race and then I lost focus and it totally killed my race, Briggs said. “Right before the turn goes to the straight I lost focus and that’s, like, the most important part of my race. It wasn’t a bad time but it wasn’t what I wanted.” Briggs finished 14th out of 20 runners. Two days later, he ran in the 100 meter race and finished 11th out of the 15 participants. Briggs was hoping to set some personal records, but such hopes w e r e n ’ t fulfilled. “I didn’t do as well as I wanted to do because I didn’t PR, which is, like, personal best,” he said. “But the biggest thing I learned was you can’t PR every single meet.” His brother, and fellow runner, Henry Briggs, thinks another benefit his brother received from the experience was finding a new confidence. “You always have to have some sort of swagger, going into a race,” Henry Briggs said. “If you don’t, you’re going to get Top: Jack Briggs (2512) competes beat. You got to have a little bit of an ego. It in the Paralympic Games in Qatar. doesn’t have to be cocky but you definitely Bottom: Briggs competes in a have to be confident with your training and relay race for FCHS. PHOTOS go into every race thinking you can compete. COURTESY OF JACK BRIGGS “I know, prior to the Paralympics, he didn’t have the self-esteem that he has now,” Henry Briggs continued. “I I’m not that nervous for races, but the 200, I definitely think, now going into races, was really nervous. Because it’s my best race he thinks he can compete every time, and it’s, like, my favorite race by far and, I and never doubts that he’s not going don’t know, it was the last race of the night.” to compete against the faster guys.”
Spilled Ink
Sports
Killing Time
Top: Junior Justen Olson peers across the mountains, during a recent hunting excursion in Oct. Below: Olson loads his bow with an arrow on the same trip. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JUSTEN OLSON
Nov. 19, 2015
17
Students find release with hunting season Walker Discoe Cartoonist The electronic whir of the dummy doves we’ve set up is the only sound present in pristine silence of the early morning corn field. Our eyes pointed to the sky, we see a brilliant flash of silver and brown contrasting the vibrant gold and red of the rising sun. Without thinking, we take our mark and the sharp pop of the guns shatters the perfect balance of the morning. This year, 281,000 hunters registered in Colorado, and the numbers have been growing since 1993, according to the Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration program. Some of these licenses have been issued to students at FCHS, including junior Bradley Clarke and junior Justen Olson. “Hunting is a lot of fun,” Olson said. “It’s the most fun thing I do, and with hunting, it’s hard to go wrong. You could go all over Colorado and have fun anywhere you go.” Clarke has been hunting for a long time, longer than he can remember, and while he does do it for the fun of the sport, he also sees it as a way to reconnect with nature, and remove himself from modern life. “I also do it to get out into Colorado and get distance myself from stress,” he said. “When we’re out walking, it’s nice to focus on the hunt.” While there is some debate over the legitimacy of hunting as a sport, the high level of commitment and interest involved in hunting make both Olson and Clarke think of it as a sport. “Hunting is definitely a sport,” Olson said. “Preparing and
planning year round, you have to have a certain level of dedication if you want to be any good.” While Clarke has fun on the trips he goes on, he and his family hunts for food, preparing and consuming whatever they kill. “We do eat whatever we kill,” he said. “It’s the responsible thing to do.” Many hunters are pro-hunting for the same reasons, mainly due to the humane nature in which the animals are killed. Many skilled hunters are able to make a kill in one shot, and animals killed by hunters lived natural lives, not subject to factory or traditional farming methods. Hunting also helps to promote ecology, with many states using the money paid to hunt to promote research and conservation efforts. “It also helps to control population” Clarke said. “If there are too many deer, they could die of starvation, but this way it’s quick and painless, and better for the majority.” Colorado has ten different varieties of big game to hunt, including elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, antelope, bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat and whitetail deer, not to mention the numerous small game available for hunt. Currently, hunting season is open for plains deer and a limited number of deer and elk, and for small game, crows, mourning and collared doves, and many other types of birds are open. Getting into hunting takes time and energy, but more information about rules, regulations, and answers to any questions are available at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website, or at Colorado Public Lands website.
In 2013, there were 12.7 million hunters who used guns, according to csnews.com
According to IDAUSA, there are approximately 3.2 million registered bow-hunters in America.
In
2013, 49.5% of hunters used crossbows, according to gazzettaextra.com.
PHOTOS BY WALKER DISCOE AND PHIL MASON
18
Sports
Nov. 19, 2015
Jack Holter Junior
What has been your biggest challenge to overcome?
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK HOLTER
Interview by Joseph Mason
Spilled Ink We were at practice and we were about to split up into groups and my coach was like “OK, who wants to have the hardest set and have the biggest challenge.” And I raised my hand and was like, “Coach, challenge me.” And he put me in the distance group. And that’s when I got into distance and that’s when I started the challenge of distance swimming.
Swimming
Who do you look up to? Well I look up, a little bit, to my brother. But my brother went to the University of Texas, and I look up to a lot of those guys because I just get to hear about personal stories about them, like Jack Conger, he got second to Phelps in a national meet and this other person who swims long distance, his name is Clark Smith. But if I would say one Olympian that I really look up to is Katie Ledecky. So it’s weird because you’d think I would look up to a guy, but no. Katie Ledecky is just this hardcore swimmer chick that swims long distances and breaks records going easy.
Holter is a member of the FCHS swim team and swims an average of 69,000 yards a week. He has won numerous 500 meter duel meets and his next swim meet is in two weeks.
OF
ATHLETE
MONTH
THE McCarthy is a member of the Fort Collins Dive Club and her first meet will be on Saturday, Dec. 12. Last year, she set the 6-Dive record with a score of 267.05.
When did you start diving? A year and a half ago. I quit gymnastics and it’s the same thing as gymnastics, except easier.
What do you most appreciate about diving? I appreciate that you can, basically, do whatever you want and it’s all going to be OK, because you’re above water. So you’re not going to get injured.
What has been your biggest challenge to overcome? Transitioning from gymnastics to diving because they’re different in a lot of ways. There’s more technique in diving. It’s just different.
Who do you look up to? Mercedes Clements, because she’s a super good diver and she’s really good at school. She’s pretty brave. She’s my diving coach.
Interview by Joseph Mason
Diving
Morgan McCarthy
PHOTO COURTESY OF MORGAN McCARTHY
Sophomore
Spilled Ink
Perspectives
Nov. 19, 2015
19
Staff Ed KLYD TV deserves proper recognition From the weekly “stair sing,” to the pillars of excellence, traditions are what makes our school special and differentiates a Lambkin’s experience. Unfortunately, one tradition at Collins is being neglected by an upsetting percentage of the school community. Not all teachers choose to show our television news production, KLYD TV, in their third period classes. As a result, some students don’t know what KLYD TV is or have seen only a few episodes in their time as Lambkins. The students in TV Production 2 work hard to make KLYD TV a reality, and third period is five minutes longer than every other class for the very purpose of viewing the episodes. The building made this decision to ensure watching KLYD TV became a priority, and it shouldn’t be considered optional. Although the videos may seem short and fairly simple, it’s important to watch them each week. As well as keeping the school community involved and informed about current school news, each episode of KLYD TV undergoes a significant amount of time and effort that should be honored by people in the building. In order to routinely create three videos every week, the students behind KLYD TV discuss concepts, write creative scripts, and thoughtfully incorporate school news into the plots of each episode. In groups, they carry tripods and video cameras around the school to gather the footage they need, considering the angles, lighting, props, and background of every scene, and collaborating to find the best times and places to record. After they film, they upload the clips and begin editing, occasionally coming in during their off periods or after school to finish the process. Every week, the students who produce KLYD TV make others smile, inform the school of upcoming events, and represent Collins with optimism and an impressive work ethic. By including other people in the building and highlighting involvement in upcoming activities and events, their episodes promote school spirit and positive peer relationships. If you’re a teacher, use the extra time during third period to show KLYD TV to your class. If you’re a student, remind your teachers to show KLYD TV, or watch it on your own time on the “Students” page of the school website under “Videos.” Embrace the traditions at Collins, and show your gratitude and support for KLYD TV.
NFL s d FrienC tflixSleehpill NeB ike Riding Hanging Ou t
Family
GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA CLARK
Balancing break proves important
Alex McWilliams News Editor
Throughout the school year, the average high school student receives only four seasonal vacations: Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and summer vacation. Making the most of those breaks can be a complicated task. With Thanksgiving being the shortest amount of time away from school, it can be one of the most difficult to plan for, but the name Thanksgiving provides a unique opportunity to find out what there is to be thankful about. Family is often seen as a very important aspect of holiday vacations. Spend time with loved ones. With a busy school schedule people can easily lose track of people that are important in their lives; that can include family. In certain situations it can be very easy to take your loved ones for granted when they’re seen every day, but how often do people really have the time to spend bonding with their family members? Get out and about this holiday season. Try seeing a new movie, going out to a family meal, or cooking one. Engaging with family members can help to
make family life better and stronger. According to familyfacts.org, “Spending time in everyday family leisure activities is associated with greater emotional bonding within the family. “Make time to go somewhere new and make memories, share stories and get closer with family. In addition, Thanksgiving is the final school break before the hard winter hits. Try getting outside and being active. Fort Collins has many outdoor activities that are open for participation such as hiking, skiing, biking along scenic, indoor swimming, and many more activities. To save time, and do more than one activity at once, try inviting friends along on the adventure. Another great aspect of Thanksgiving break is it allows time to do things that are enjoyed but might not be available during a typical school week. This can include activities like sleepovers, long movie nights, and watching a whole T.V. series on Netflix overnight. It can be hard to pay attention to things that you are grateful for if time is never taken to spend time with loved ones, and making fun memories. Many people are grateful for relaxing during their free time, and Thanksgiving break can offer that time to just hang out at home and participate in relaxing activities. So this year, try spending time with important people, whether in the form of friends or family, seize opportunities and participate in activities that otherwise don’t fit into a busy schedule. After all Thanksgiving break only comes once a year.
Okay, OK
COMIC BY WALKER DISCOE
20
Perspectives
Nov. 19, 2015
Spilled Ink
Respect requires work from both parties involved Fast Facts Leading by example is widely accepted as the most effective trait of a leader.
Spencer Thompson Staff Writer
About 92.4 percent of teachers spend their own money on their students or classrooms.
Positive relationships between teachers and students are the most effective way to reduce unhealthy student behavior. 21 percent of students frequently discuss career plans with teachers. Information gathered by Maya Bode Sources: respectandleadership.net, teachhub.com
Respect is having a high opinion of another person based on his or her actions. Respect is given and received. Respect can be lost and is often earned. In any classroom environment teachers deserve respect from students. Respect is something students should show to teachers, one another, and the space in which they learn. “ R e s p e c t isn’t something you’re given,” social studies teacher Suzanne Dickens said. “It is something you earn, and you earn it through your actions. It’s not just respect for your peers, but respect for the space.” In the classroom environment, students should respect teachers. They devote their lives so, as scholars, we can gain our education and prepare for life. Although teachers deserve tremendous respect from students, they also need to return admiration as well. “The whole idea of respect is covered
in one classroom rule: you will not by your actions keep me from teaching and keep others from learning,” Dickens said. Our learning environment is a system based around the Pillars of Excellence. These pillars represent proper behavior and attitude in different settings around the school. On the first day of school, depending on the class, some students are asked to sign a classroom syllabus. Such syllabi often state the respectful behavior and rules reflected in the Pillars of Excellence. In a way the pillar system is the proper template to respect the school and those who learn here. The act of respecting someone is often confused with liking someone. Respect is acknowledging the actions of others as significant. You don’t have to be friends with those you respect, because having respect is holding special value in the actions of the people, not in the people themselves. Liking someone is along the lines of friendship, which is something that develops gradually. “You don’t have to like me,” Dickens said. “I just ask that you recognize and respect what I do for you. Not only respect me but respect the other students and respect the space.” Respect is important in all aspects of a healthy teacher-student relationship. When this relationship is weak or non-existent, the setting becomes tense and unhealthy for students and teachers. However, when there is a mutual respect between teachers and students, the learning environment becomes strong. This year try to notice and respect what teachers do for students.
“Respect isn’t something you are given. It is something you earn, and you earn it through your actions. It’s not just respect for your peers, but respect for the space.” — Suzanne Dickens
Gratitude for present moment leads to happiness
Evan Bode
Editor-in-Chief Stop, look, and go. These three words may sound like basic instructions for crossing the street, but for Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast, they hold the key to a happy life. “That little stop, look, go, is such a potent seed that it can revolutionize our world,” Steindl-Rast said. The premise is simple: gratitude is the foundation of happiness, and being grateful requires stopping to appreciate the world around you. “But how often do we stop?” Steindl-Rast said in his 2013 TED Talk. “We rush through life. We don’t stop.” In high school, we travel chaotically from class to class, bombarded with homework and extracurricular activities, and endlessly distracted by the devices in our pockets, so it can be hard to remember to take a break to reflect. However, as Thanksgiving approaches and we are reminded to practice gratitude, building “stop signs” into daily life is one helpful
method for doing so. For example, Steindl-Rast places stickers on his faucets to remind himself that immediately accessible sanitized water is a luxury denied to many people throughout the world. “Leave it up to your own imagination,” he said. “You can find whatever works best for you, but you need stop signs in your life.” Once you stop, the next step is to “look.” This means examining a particular aspect of your life for which you are grateful, such as drinkable water, or simply absorbing the present moment, which is a constant blessing to appreciate. “It’s a gift. You haven’t earned it. You haven’t brought it about in any way,” Steindl-Rast said. “You have no way of assuring that there will be another moment given to you, and yet, that’s the most valuable thing that can ever be given to us, this moment, with all the opportunity that it contains.” Taking action to live a more positive life, thereby fulfilling the often-missed opportunities presented by every moment, is what it means to “go.” “We can also open our hearts for the opportunities also to help others, to make others happy, because nothing makes us more happy than when all of us are happy,” Steindl-Rast said. On a large scale, the simple philosophy of “stop, look, and go,” can cultivate a better humanity as an implementable three-step process for
TALKS FOR
TEENS
practicing gratitude on a daily basis. “It can change our world in immensely important ways, because if you’re grateful, you’re not fearful, and if you’re not fearful, you’re not violent,” Steindl-Rast said. “If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not of a sense of scarcity, and you are willing to share.” This sense of “enough” is lacking in our country, where a pervasive emphasis on the accumulation of material goods as a measure of success leaves the wealthy ceaselessly hungering for more, despite having achieved everything seemingly necessary for happiness in our culture. Gratitude can break this detrimental cycle. “If you think it’s happiness that makes you grateful, think again,” Steindl-Rast said. “It’s gratefulness that makes you happy.” Use the upcoming holiday season as a stop sign, and take a moment to be grateful for the limitless potential of every given moment.
Name of Talk: “Want to be happy? Be grateful.” Presenter: David Steindl-Rast
Spilled Ink
Perspectives
Nov. 19, 2015
21
Current health curriculum lacks necessary depth Adelaide Tomsic Staff Writer
High school is a place for learning everything we may need to know, including learning about our health. Considering that so many aspects of health are left out of the current Poudre School District health curriculum, PSD still has many areas it can improve on in its health education program. One area our health classes could better develop is sex ed. Our health
classes don’t discuss the various forms of protection in enough depth. Birth control is hardly talked about, and when it is mentioned, discussion extends only as far as condoms. In addition, many sex ed classes fail to mention that a girl should pee after sex to prevent a UTI or explain what’s considered normal in terms of periods. Not only is the sex education portion lacking, but so is the drug education part of health classes. The current curriculum fails to acknowledge that some high schoolers do drugs, and in doing so misses an opportunity to protect students. “Doing drugs is more of a choice. It’s not like drugs are completely negative and need to not exist. If
you choose to go that route then you should be educated on what you choose to get yourself into,” sophomore Amanda Ellis said. Speaking from my experience as a high schooler, a more effective method to deal with high school drug and alcohol use would be to teach students how these substances affect them. Current health classes teach only an introduction to topics like drugs, rather than cover topics extensively. Many students also think our health curriculum doesn’t properly prioritize what is taught to us. “I would talk more about the actual health stuff,” sophomore Noah Payne said. “We have talked for so long about drugs and alcohol. I’d like to learn more about how to
keep yourself healthy, how to remain healthy and plan for the future,” Many students think nutrition topics deserve more attention. “Health classes should focus more on eating healthy to help kids understand healthy choices,” freshman Emma Ackerley said. Overall, the PSD health curriculum should prioritize better by giving more time and attention on proper drug education, sex ed, and nutrition and less time and attention to topics such as stress and repetitive annual anti-bullying presentations. Topics like sexual education, nutrition and many more are vital to our education because our health affects our lives in an extremely intimate way.
What would you add to our health curriculum?
Patrick Faust Freshman
“They should teach people about the LGBT community, enlighten people on it, so they are not ignorant.”
Marissa Choury Sophomore
“They should have more nutritionwise. They just talk about other things a lot.”
Josh Barnes
Courtney Dare
Junior
Senior
“I feel like they should educate us a lot more on STDs, because I feel like not enough people know about the risks. ”
“It would definitely be buying health foods and buying the right type of foods. Currently, it’s focused on more sexual-based safety instead of trying to be healthy.”
Student access to doors would cause security problems “As staff members if we lose our card, the protocol is for us to immediately notify the d i s t r i c t , ” language arts teacher Erin O’Connor said. “If we have sixteen hundred kids carrying around magnetic access keys to this building, that’s sixteen h u n d r e d opportunities for the wrong people to get their hands on these cards.” The district takes many precautions to avoid unwelcome guests, which is why they send visitors to the front office. However, their intentions are often unnoticed by students. “It is really hard to make sure all our entrances and exits are secure,” O’Connor said. “We have an open campus and we have students coming and going. I can understand why students want to enter through the closest entrance, but often I think we have abuses of this system.” These abuses correspond with propped
Ft Collins High School
15
Andrew Jessen-Tyler Columnist
Every passing period, students wait outside the doors on the north side of the building. Sometimes, waiting for a student to open the door takes a while, and can delay students on their way to class. However, it seems far better than the alternative of walking to the other side of the building. At first glance, the best option would be to give students magnetized IDs, just like the staff. But on a closer look, that idea could create a huge security issue. Campus Security keeps all doors locked except the front office. It is set up this way to make sure no one comes into the building when they aren’t supposed to, but it seems more of a nuisance to students rather than a method to keep threats to our school outside. The current magnetic cards let PSD employees through the building from almost every entrance. Giving students access to all entrances would keep students from being locked out, but it could allow more people in than we want.
John Doe
16 Grade 12
GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST doors and students letting anyone in through them. This means our school is very susceptible to dangerous outsiders. “I think it’s best to have people wait outside or walk to the front,” senior Katie Huley said. Going into this, I thought magnetic IDs would benefit students, but in reality it would make our security worse than it is. For now, students need to carry their IDs and not let anyone in the building. Tell them to go to the front office entrance. To please everyone, Campus Security must find a way to let students enter from other doors but also make sure no infiltrators can enter our school.
22
Nov., 19 2015
Perspectives
Spilled Ink
g n i t But Participants determine label of ‘sport’ Dalena Groen
A&E Editor
Being a gymnast, I have heard snide comments regarding the validity of the sport since I was very young. Every time, these questioning people make me both angry and confused. Gymnastics is without a doubt a sport. A sport should not be defined by the way some outsiders see it, but by the dedication and skill of its athletes. Originally created by the Greeks as a form of military training, gymnastics developed strength and skills soldiers saw as great assets in combat. Gymnastics was a broad term for any exercise and the word gymnazein translates to “to exercise naked.” Soon after Rome conquered Greece, gymnastics became more of an organized, focused sport. “ Y e a h , gymnasts were extremely respected back then,” FCHS gymnastics coach Laura Slocomb said. “The sport was considered very difficult and only for the fittest people.” Since then, gymnastics has come to mean something different. People see it as a hobby and not a sport. Just because some gymnasts do their routines in skimpy leotards doesn’t mean they are any less athletic than a football players. “It makes me really mad when people say gymnastics isn’t a sport,” freshman Lena Ray, FRHS gymnast, said. “It’s like being told the countless number of hours that I have spent to get to this level is for nothing.” Because the sport can’t be found in all high schools and isn’t on TV every Sunday, some of the general populace seem to see it as an activity for a secluded group of people who have some talent instead of a competition among well-trained athletes. But gymnasts have to be extremely physically tough in order to succeed in the sport. Unlike many other sports, Gymnastics is a sport gymnastics can have greater consequences for small mistakes. •Sports should be If a player misses a shot during a basketball game, the crowd may critiqued by the athletes be disappointed but the player will who play them. shake it off and continue. But, if you miss even a step while vaulting, •Gymnastics has great it can mean serious injuries. “It’s really hard to balance consequences with making sure that everyone is room for error. safe and still getting people to do skills,” Slocomb said. “The athlete •Uniforms do not really has to make the decision of whether or not it is worth it.” determine the A sport should be judged legitimacy of sports. by the performance of its athletes instead of the arbitrary standards that society sets.
Talking Points:
Head
s
Biased opinion prevents ‘sport’ in gymnastics Matthew Keaten
Staff Writer
A crazy dunk scores two points. A touchdown pass scores six points. A solo home run scores one point. In sports the rules of victory are clear. While playing sports like soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, tennis, basketball, etc., the outcome of the win is determined by whichever team scores more than the other. This clearly creates competition. Gymnastics has scoring based on the opinion of the judge. That circumstance makes gymnastics less of a sport. Gymnastics can’t be a sport if bias creates the outcome of the meet. Bias isn’t found in sports like soccer, football, or basketball because the refs aren’t allowed to have any relation with the players. When gymnastics is scored, it cannot be known whether or not the judge likes or doesn’t like one performer or team, and even if one person clearly did better it’s never certain which team won. For example, in the 1984 Olympic Games judges were suspected of being biased, so researchers conducted a study to see if this observation was true. They ended up discovering the judges were biased toward their own countries, and were giving other countries a lower scores before their performance even started. According to the Journal of Young Investigators, Olympic judges have a history of memory bias. It is very likely for Olympic performers to get better scores if they have been very good throughout their career. After a couple of good performances, judges believe a performer will do well again. If a sport is judged, the outcome can be all perspective, whereas in a sport like football, whoever scores more wins, and there are no judges to determine if the team really should or shouldn’t have won the game. Gymnastics is not a sport For something to classify as a sport, it must be scored by the •Sports should be rules of a game instead of by a person or group of people. For judged based on a example in basketball there is clear set of rules. certain scoring system. A player who sinks a two pointer, three •Scoring in gymnastics pointer, or a free throw receives the appropriate number of points, is determined by the and there is no other way around it. opinion of a judge. In gymnastics, opinion of how well the performer performed •Unconscious bias will decides the win. Gymnastics is “scored” according to influence the outcome subjective views regarding a of the competition. gymnast’s form and time of the performance. Unconscious bias will always control the outcome.
Talking Points:
Spilled Ink
Perspectives
Nov. 19, 2015
23
Seasons in life inspire self-discovery, inner growth
Amanda Evans
Perspectives Editor A tree stands rooted to the ground in early winter. A frigid breeze moves the stiff branches as they creak. The leaves fall one by one. Each of the leaves slowly dies and falls to the ground. For the leaf, it’s over, but for the tree, it’s only temporary. Just wait, that tree will blossom and bloom, gaining new leaves and growing even bigger and stronger for the next winter that will come. Even now, looking at the trees, I can’t help but see us as the trees. We go through our seasons of life, experiencing many different elements that swirl around us. Some of these periods in life bring different components that scrape, scratch, and change us. Yet we also experience points where everything is fine and we spread our kindness like the fragrance of fresh cherry blossoms. Depending on the season and how the wind blows, we change, but a fact to remember is life isn’t always so spring-like.
We weather plenty of seasons during which we are withering, our leaves are falling off and we are losing our shield. Just like the trees, we have times when life leaves us exposed and open. Every time life blasts some cold wind in our direction, we face the brittle pains and bend and creak. We’re weak and vulnerable. We have been trained to see this “vulnerability” as a bad thing. It’s not. You shouldn’t be afraid of your natural self. We’ve been told being open is a bad thing and that we should have a shield of protection surrounding us. We have been told lies like Without a thick layer to brace the wind for you, you are just going to get hurt. To me it seems like we believe that as long as it is spring and we have pretty blossoms and thick leaves to conceal what lies underneath, we are OK. But having this concept of shielding ourselves annoys me. We shouldn’t care about what other people think. We should focus on sticking to being true to ourselves. We should be able to shake
off the criticism and be proud of who we are. If we can’t do that, then there is something seriously wrong with the way we go about life. Winter comes, and it rushes in as quickly as winter air, but we aren’t able to do anything but let the cold in. Moments are going to come when life is not going our way, but that can’t be changed. Yet these moments in life that are real hell holes are times we grow the most. We need to forget about the shallow people in life who mock us for being vulnerable. No one is exempt from losing their leaves or getting the cold wind coming their way. Even when life tries to blow us down, we shouldn’t let it get the best of us. We should stand up against it and fight back. But instead we use this crutch that life is going to be cold and that winter is perpetually occurring. We just have to deal with it. No, no we don’t, but that’s what we have been told and that’s the way it goes.
Amanda’s Tips Ignoring pain or keeping it “surface level” only makes the pain endure. Make a scrapbook or photo album to celebrate life victories. Don’t be afraid of being frightened or lonely; it’s a normal feeling. Crying doesn’t mean you are weak. Don’t try to“protect” your family or friends by putting up a brave front; they need to know. Showing your true feelings can help people around you.
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Staff Writers
Evan Bode...Editor-in-Chief Maya Bode...Managing Editor Alex McWilliams...News Editor Dalena Groen...A&E Editor Samantha Ye...In-Depth Editor Joseph Mason...Sports Editor Amanda Evans...Perspectives Editor
Adelaide Tomsic Nick Hawley Matthew Keaten Kaitlyn Schmidt Spencer Thompson Thany Dykson
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Adviser Anne Colwell
Editorial Policy
Spilled Ink is published nine times yearly by the newspaper staff of Fort Collins High School, 3400 Lambkin Way, Fort Collins, Colo. 80525, (970) 488-8199. Member of the Colorado High School Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. Recipient of the Quill and Scroll, George H. Gallup Award in 1996 and 1997, and awarded First Place with Special Merit in 2001 by the National Scholastic Press Association. Columns are the opinions of writers only. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Spilled Ink staff. Nothing in Spilled Ink should be considered the opinion of Fort Collins High School or Poudre School District (PSD). School-sponsored publications written by students are encouraged to freely and creatively express their views subject to the limitations of PSD Board Policies and state law (PR--la0431, Colorado Revised Statutes 22-1-120) Spilled Ink reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and to deny publication to any letter. Letters may be published on Spilled Ink’s website. Letters must be signed, and are limited to 300 words.
24 Nov. 19, 2015 The Backside
Spilled Ink
What is one of your talents, and why?
Rosie Maino
David Walker
Freshman
Senior
“Longboarding, because I do it all the time and it’s a passion.”
“Drawing, because I’m passionate about it and do it often.”
Austin O’Keefe
Pedro Souza
Karina Pedroza
Sophomore
Junior
“I am good at listening to girls.”
Cat O’Hare
Senior
“I spit sick beats.”
Amanda Gover
Sophomore
Benny Khouri
Junior
“Drawing, because I’m a natural, and my dad was a cartoonist.”
“I am good at tennis.”
Freshman
“I’m good at rocking people’s socks.”
“One of my talents is somersaults.”
Spilled Ink is a four year All-Colorado Newspaper
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2014-2015