The Lake - Feb. 2013

Vol um

e 24 Feb , Is s u ra r y 2 ue 4 2, 2 013

THE

LAKE Same Love Jordan Ely Wasinger ‘14 found acceptance within the halls of Standley Lake and, most importantly, she found herself page 20-21

Standley Lake High School 9300 W. 104th Ave Westminster, CO 80021

Standley Night at March 4th 2013

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

10%

of proceeds

Standley Lake High School Only Student $5 Special

Including tax!!!

Available Mon-Fri until 4 PM

go to The Lake.

Pick any one of the following 6� Subs, along with your choice of a bag of chips or 2 cookies, and a 21 oz. drink!

1.Meatball Marinara 2.Cold Cut Trio 3.Spicy Italian 4.Veggie Delight 5.Ham & Cheese 6.Chicken Breast 7.BLT 8.Tuna 9.Turkey & Cheese

25% OFF Any Full Size Bottle OF California Tan Lotion Expires March 31, 2013 Student ID must be presented

$25

UV-FREE CUSTOM AIRBRUSHING

Expires March 31, 2013 Student ID must be presented

3 TANS $15 Offer valid for Regular Beds Student ID must be presented

TABLEOFCONTENTS

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LAKE

Volume 24.4 February 22, 2013

The Lake

Staff Writers: Cartoonist: aspires to produce a Sarah Bennett Aina Azlan publication that gets students Alex Cybyske Ky Delohery Advisor: Ben Reed excited, as well as informed. As Jordan Gray Managing Editor: individuals, we yearn to write, Marissa Hale Austin Kunert photograph, interview, cover, Amber Hill Michael Huss Section Editors: learn, and grow with pride. We Bethany Keupp James Burky will never be satisfied with a bare Olivia Koontz Cassidy Conlon minimum, for we understand that Natasha McCone Elle George Stephanie McDaniel Chaye Gutierrez passion is key. The Lake will never Emma Medley Reonna Hatch be afraid to uncover the real news Katelyn Mertz Sabrina Pacha Jeremy Minnick of our school--we will embody Tina Muscarelli Business Managers: what it means to be a Gator.

Laurel Nordquist-Zukin Bethany Keupp Shylah Ogle Julia Vasquez Jessica Olmstead Morgan Rubendall Social Media Mgrs: Alie Settje Taylor Foutz Opinions or expressions made by students in this publication are not expressions of Laurel Nordquist-Zukin Emma Staton board policy. The district and its emloyees are immune from any civil action based Brooke Stevens Tina Muscarelli on any expression made for or published by students. The Lake is an open forum Julia Vasquez for and by the students, faculty, and community of Standley Lake High School. The Editors-in-Chief: Eva Hall Courtney Sullivan

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Lake is willing to accept and print any appropriate articles submitted by the students of SLHS and reserves the right to edit any of these articles. We will not print letters sent to us without a name and signature. Submit letters to Mr. Ben Reed’s mailbox and email to standleylakenewspaper@gmail.com

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P thehoto o Issu f e

Whipped Michael Pesavento ‘13 smashes a pie in the face of Principal Jeff Pierson at the Winter Assembly for Jessica Ridgeway’s memorial park fund. Students raised nearly $500 during Spirit Week.

EVENTS

February-April 2013

2/25

SPRING SPORTS FIRST PRACTICE

START 3/1 PRO COMPETES

OKLAHOMA COMES TO

The FCCLA Pro Start culinary team will be competing in the state competetion in hopes of winning and competing at nationals in late April.

The drama department hosts the annual Spring musical for $10 admission in the auditorium.

AT STATE

3/5-3/13

3/9 POMS

Tues/Wed

COMPETE AT NATIONALS

3/7-3/9

STANDLEY LAKE

TCAP

3/20 3/14 FIRST BASEBALL GAME

Home field The poms team will be competing in jazz, advantage against pom, and hip-hop. The national championship Fossil Ridge High will be held in Orlando, Fla. School.

INTERNATIONAL DAY

Join the world language department in the SLHS gymnasium.

4/2 BATTLE 3/25-4/1 OF THE

Pick up your application in the main office; turn it in by March 4.

BANDS

SPRING BREAK

-Compiled by Elle George, Taylor Foutz, Jessica Olmstead, and Kylynn Delohery

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Ms. Jennifer Brooks and Ms. Megan Madsen were presented with the Proud To Be An American Award on Feb. 13 by the Korean War Veterans Denver Chapter 195 for their work in planning the Veteran’s Day assembly in November.

Christa Valdez ‘13 performed her awardwinning interpretation of “The Edge is Where I Want to Be” by Lisa Martinovic at the Winter Assembly.

Valdez placed 11th in the state in Forensics, and 3rd in Regionals.

Your cheat sheet to the Swamp

Jefferson County is preparing to host a few big names in the spring- MTV inspirational speakers from The Buried Life will join students in celebrating Day Without Hate, along with Colorado band Flobots. The DWOH Rally will be held at Wheat Ridge High School on Apr. 26. It’s free to all high school students wearing a 2013 DWOH shirt.

The World Affairs team qualifies for Nationals. By defeating Arvada West in the Council of World Affairs tournament in Golden, Soham Shah ‘14, Garet Gavito ‘14, Paris Mitton ‘14, and Jessica Yan ‘15 qualified to compete in the National tournament in Washington DC. They will receive an all expense paid trip to the nation’s capital.

Students danced the night away at Sadie Hawkins Dance on Feb. 9.

Sean Palizzi ‘13, Nick WIthers ‘13, and Eli McKay ‘13 Cupid shuffled across the dance floor.

For more news coverage, like The Lake on Facebook facebook.com/standleylakenewspaper

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- Compiled by Chaye Gutierrez

The busy life of an American teenager Personalized tips to balance your life

Start!

Who do you idolize the most?

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Sp

What do you find yourself doing on a Tuesday k r night? o ew m Ho

What dictates your time the most?

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Do you need money?

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How much time do you spend on homework?

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So much working!

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Do you take A.P classes?

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Are you drowning in the endless hours of homework? Do you want to quit school, and just throw your homework out the window? Try making a list. Jot down all the tasks you have to accomplish before the day ends. That way all your stress is easy to accomplish. Plus, it is a good felling when you cross something off. Brenna Krocker ‘13 says,“The [lists] help me stay organized and it helps to be able to check things off.”

Do you have a job?

De

Hello, Homework!

!

Are you involved in any clubs?

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No

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Bonjour, Busy Bee! Don’t have time for it all? You need to take a deep breath! Before you freak yourself out, remember there are only so many hours in a day and prioritize the main things to get done. Panicking will only occupy even more of your time, so slow down and you can do it! Jake Belich ‘14 says, “I always try and go to every practice because it’s a good relief from stress, and it always gives me a break from homework.”

- Compiled By Alie Settje and Morgan Rubendall

What’s Up, Worker!

Do you need a lot of money but don’t have the time to earn it? The first thing you need to do is take inventory on your workload. Don’t be afraid to utilize having days off. Make sure you know in advance which days you need to stay home and which days you can work, that way you can tackle homework and other obligations. Katlyn Alapati ‘13 suggests, “Get really good at managing your time.

Don’t over commit yourself to anything.”

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NEW S

Locked &

Teachers, students take both sides of gun debate With the arrival of the new year, new problems have risen as well. The one stealing the spotlight right now is gun control.

The list of places scarred by acts of violence is growing and growing.

Century Movie Theater in Aurora, Colorado. Clackamas Town Center Mall in Portland, Oregon. Lone Star College in Houston, Texas.

An office building in Phoenix, Arizona. Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.

Americans around the country are now calling for restrictions to be placed on the right to carry and own guns.

Katy Zeigler ‘13 said, “Yes, I think guns have their place in households and hunting grounds, but I would like to see more restrictions in public places.”

On Jan. 16, President Obama laid down new regulations regarding gun control, with proposals for Congress and twenty-three executive actions to be carried out.

Jesse Schones ‘15 said, “I beleive that gun control should be less strict, how-

Loaded

ever, I believe there should be heavier background checks.”

Others oppose this idea, and believe that restrictions only endanger people more, by rendering them defenseless against those with guns.

The NR A (National Rifle Association) is the most active group to argue these new restrictions by airing ads, making public statements, and continuing to speak for those against gun control.

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NR A, said, “Law-abiding gun owners will not accept blame for the acts of violent or deranged criminals. Nor do we believe the government should dictate what we can lawfully own and use to protect our families.”

One suggestion made was to arm teachers inside of schools to better defend against possible assailants; which is possible, if school officials give permission to the school and it’s staff to carry and conceal weapons.

Both the NR A and President Obama proposed having armed guards inside

of schools.

“We believe that every parent ought to be able to be comfortable, knowing that their children are safe, and if that requires armed security, it’s as good for the working man as it is for the president,” said president of the NR A, David Keene.

Nick Grahn ‘13 said,“I believe that there should be a police officer at every school, or there should be teachers that are allowed to conceal and carry after they pass a mental health test.”

The first school to do this was Harrold High School in Texas, after first training for conceal and carry licenses and being approved by the school board.

Plans are being made for the Van school district east of Dallas and the Union Grove district in East Texas for arming teachers within the school as well.

“I certainly don’t think we should have armed teachers; we want schools to be a place of learning, not an armed compound,” said social studies teacher Mr. James McAvoy.

Armed police officers have been stationed in Jeffco schools since the mid 1990s. The issue of gun control has brought both support and concerns about the idea of having guns in schools around the country.

In a poll done by Connecticut’s largest teacher union, 85% of teachers did not want teachers to conceal and carry guns.

Other options, such as increasing the amount of security guards in schools are also being discussed.

Social studies teacher Mr. Shawn Collins said, “Ideally, I would like to see higher training of school’s security, and more exposure of police officers in schools.”

Since the Columbine shooting in 1999, school security has been heightened with a new awareness of

possible threats and safety procedures practiced in case of suspicious persons in the immediate area or inside of the school.

With this new threat being taken into consideration, the security of schools around the country may rise even further.

“Schools shouldn’t have to feel like a prison,” said Zeigler.

With such an emotional topic on the table, Legislators and citizens alike are struggling to come up with a solution.

- Alex Cybyske

Colorado’s gun control bills Politicians pass legislation through House The gun control bills being considered for Colorado have been passed in the house, but have not gotten to the Senate yet.

Republicans remain fiercly opposed to gun regulation, and Democrats continue pushing to extend gun control in public areas, as well as making it harder to purchase a gun if you have a criminal record or mental health problems.

While gun control advocates insist that guns need to be harder to get, Republicans claim that these laws will do nothing but make it harder for law-abiding citizens to obtain a gun.

Democrats have a nine-seat majority in the house on the gun control debate, but it’s still a close call.

The vote to pass the bill for Colorado’s gun control was 34-31, with all Republicans and three Democrats taking a stand aginst it.

To be made into a law, the bills must be approved by the Senate, where Democrats have the advantage as well. With a 20-15 advantage, only a few votes by democrats could stop the proposals in their tracks.

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The Proposals 1. Limiting magazine rounds to 8 rounds for shotguns and 15 rounds for other guns

2. Requiring background checks for all gun sales 3. Banning guns at colleges and stadiums 4. Anyone buying a gun must pay for the required background check

A Mentor Making a Musical Mark The strings vibrate with the energy encompassing the room as every member prepares to begin the routine they perform each morning—a routine they consider ordinary, but an outsider may very well find extraordinary.

In order to emit a beautiful sound, each individual must bring forth meaning from the complex language of music and not only share it, but also meld each note, each movement with their peers to produce a piece worthy of applause. Much easier said than done, the entire group is brought together in music and beyond by one amazing teacher.

Nicknamed “The Dale” among many upperclassmen, the title seems fitting for one-of-a-kind orchestra director, Mr. Benjamin Dale. Over the four years he’s been at Standley Lake, he’s doubled the size of the orchestra, earned the respect of every student he’s touched, and made a difference in students’ lives both in and outside of

class.

“He’s probably my favorite teacher.” said Angela Buie ‘13. Perhaps the reason all his students enjoy Dale’s class so much is because it’s “meant to be”—he was practically destined to be a teacher.

“Ultimately, I knew that I had spent so much time and so much effort developing my skills that that was going to be my profession.”

Dale said.

Picking up the cello at a mere 4 years of age, music—and especially orchestra—has always played a huge role in Dale’s

came his third major in his junior year and through it, he finally felt like he was making a difference. Using music to help treat people from toddlers with autism to 80 year olds with dementia, Dale described music therapy as “...using music in a variety of forms to elicit non-musical goals.”

Finally, Dale felt as though he was fulfilling his purpose.

After 4½ years of schooling and a job opening, Dale became a teacher and fell in love with it immediately. “Once I started teaching, there really wasn’t

respects him enough that he doesn’t have to be strict on everyone with rules.”

When Dale arrived in the 2009/2010 school year, only 25 people made up the SLHS orchestra, yet four years later, that amount has more than doubled to become the impressive 52 member ensemble it is today.

“You’re helping people, you’re building confidence in people, you’re giving people a place to just enjoy life a little bit,” Dale said of his main responsibilities he places upon himself as a teacher. This goal, not

“You’re helping people, you’re building confidence in people, you’re giving people a place to just enjoy life a little bit.”

-Orchestra teacher Mr. Benjamin Dale

life. Once arriving at the Eastman School of Music in New York as a college freshman, though, Dale felt that his plan of a performing major wasn’t enough.

“It seemed really selfish to me to just be a performer.”

Wanting to share music with others in a more personable way, Dale decided to add a major: Music Education.

But the story doesn’t end there. “I still felt something was lacking, I wasn’t reaching all the people I wanted to reach...to share the joys of music with other people.”Dale said.

Music therapy be-

anything else I wanted to do,” Dale said. In a charter school in Rochester, NY, Dale’s job was to create an all-school orchestra by adding a grade level each year. Not surprisingly, Dale accomplished that huge task and the program continues to be successful today.

Although moving from the east coast to Colorado brought many changes, Dale found his place in room C208 here at SLHS. Despite the move, his enthusiasm and motivation for teaching music remained constant.

When asked about his teaching approach, Dale said, “The only way to earn someone’s respect is to first show them respect.” From the other end of the stick, Buie sees it as, “Everyone

only to help people develop musical talent, but to help them find themselves in a fun and comfortable environment explains why Dale has increased the orchestra membership in numbers so greatly. Newcomers immediately feel comfortable, and upperclassmen enjoy the outlet the class gives them, so much that they continue year after year.

The SLHS orchestra is prospected to have a total of 60-70 people next year, even with the loss of graduating seniors. Dale hopes that the orchestra might be able to split into two classes next year, where he says he’ll have the opportunity to give more attention to each individual.

Besides growing in sheer size, the orchestra continues

to make progress abilitywise, in part because of Dale’s constant motivation of his students. “It’s important to me that every student feels important and needed and wanted.” Dale said.

“Nobody worries if they’re good enough,” Sam Manzanares ‘16 said. “He wants you to be good, but he isn’t gonna yell at you if you’re not doing it right.”

While he’s made teaching music his current profession, Dale also realizes that 99% of his students won’t follow in his footsteps, therefore he doesn’t teach just to teach the basics or techniques of playing an instrument. More, he teaches because he wants students to use music as a confidence-building outlet that they enjoy.

Respected? Definitely.

But “teacher?” “He teaches us stuff without knowing that he’s teaching us. It’s not forced, it just happens.”

Marcena Day ‘13 said about how she views him as a teacher. “He’s serious about music—you can see that whenever he plays for us in class, he really loves it. I guess it just transfers to his students.”

Though it’s hidden away in a corner of the school, room C208, which once held a class of people playing instruments, now holds a community of people with a tremendous passion for music. Individually, they each make music. Together, they create a masterpiece.

But their teacher? He’s making a mark on this school and the future of music.

-Olivia Koontz

See Dale and the SLHS orchestra in action: Instrumental Music Concert: March 12, 7:00 p.m. SLHS auditorium =w

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SPO BRIE RTS FS

Poms thrilled the crowd at the Winter Sports Assembly with the first performance of their new hip-hop dance routine. They prepare to compete this same rutine and two others at Nationals on March 9.

Eric Turner ‘16 attempts to block a shot faked by a Golden team member. Golden defeated SLHS in a game held at the Pepsi Center 58-37. The boys basketball team is 4-18 overall.

Your cheat sheet to Winter Sports MItchell McEwan ‘14, the leading scorer this year, circles the ice after the team suffered a loss in overtime against Ralston Valley with a score of 3-2. Although they lost this game, they will enter the State playoffs as the 5th seed.

Casey Torbet ‘15 blocks a throw-in during a girls basketball game against Bear Creek on Jan. 25. The team is 10-12 overall.

Nate Carlson ‘13 stands tall as he finished his Varsity season 32-1 and placed 3rd at regionals.

Carlson will be the only student representing SLHS in the State tournament this weekend.

For more news coverage, like The Lake on facebook facebook.com/standleylakenewspaper

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- Compiled by Reonna Hatch, Courtney Sullivan, and Elle George

Hidden treasure Diving makes a splash

Zoie Hoben ‘13 performs a back two and a half twist at a meet against Broomfield. Hoben’s diving skills contributed to achieving first place at Jeffco League Relays.

C

aitlin Torgerson ‘15 positions herself on the edge of the diving board, preparing for her front two and a half twist.

She takes her last breath of air and shakes her body out; settling her nerves.

The crowd falls silent as she plunges into the still water, hoping for a perfect dive.

As she surfaces from the water, the crowd erupts with cheers and satisfaction. A wave of relief washes over her, which becomes a face of pure joy.

This season, if you were

to ask most people about the SLHS diving team, they probably wouldn’t have had much to say.

Little did they know, the diving team was off winning first in the Jeffco League Relays.

“When we came to school on Monday, nobody even knew we won first,” said Torgerson. “It gets kind of lonely.”

Being a team of two makes it difficult for Torgerson and Zoie Hoben ‘13 to be recognized as part of the SLHS diving team.

Getting the credit that

they deserve seems to be a struggle, and having a team of two girls only adds to the challenge.

Though participating on different sides of the pool, the girls swim team and dive team find encouragement in each other to push themselves to their highest potential.

“It really motivates the swim team to know that we have a really good dive team, too,” said Brenna Kroeker ‘13, part of the SLHS girls swimming team.

“They support us, we support them.”

In fact, Kroeker was Hoben’s inspiration to join the diving team in the first place. However, their time on the team together has ended as they finished their season strong.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Hoben, “It’s my last time ever [being on the diving team], so I’m hoping to go out with a bang.”

In their time diving, they have managed to place first in Jeffco League Relays.

Along with that, Torgerson stole 6th and Hoben took 7th place out of 32 people in Leagues.

“I think the thing that I am most proud of is their dedication,” said diving coach Chris Madsen.

“There’s a lot of things that can be scary when it comes to diving, but they get past that.”

The dedication.

The perseverance.

The motivation to do better.

It all comes together to form the hidden treasure beneath the swamp: the Standley Lake High School diving team.

-Emma Staton, Sarah Bennett, and Shylah Ogle

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SPO RTS SHOW YOUR GATOR PRIDE Take out your nerd glasses, Hawaiian leis, and your white shirts! If you attend the game YOU MUST dress according to the theme. Everyone dresses up, so if you think you’re going to look “lame” and be the only one dressed up, you won’t be, so dress for the occasion!

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE Nobody wants to go to a basketball game alone, that’s just no fun.

So, get a group of friends together and be sure to get as loud and rowdy as possible! The more energy in the crowd will make for a fun time and a great game!

NO HOMERUNS IN BASKETBALL DO NOT, WE REPEAT, DO NOT, come to the game and say things like, “Wow, he just made a nice homerun!”

Understand the game of basketball so that you won’t be the person who always bugs the rest of the crowd and asks what’s going on. Also, know the key players of the game, such as, Matt Fujinami ‘14, Anthony Ochiato ‘13, and Dylan Critchfield ‘14.

I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN Before arriving to the game brush up on Swamp chants. You can always count on hearing “T-Bird” roaring through the gym. Also, “I Believe” and “Go Bananas” are two main Gator chants. So, make sure you chant along and cheer for the Gators tonight at 7:00 p.m. against the Pomona Panthers!

IT’SGAME

TI ME

Gators tip off the battle against the Panthers tonight at 7:00 p.m. in The Swamp.

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Marcus Asmus ‘14 swoops the Swamp

Bird

There’s a line in the song “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor that goes, “Who the hell is he anyways. He never really talks much, never concerned with status, but leavin’ them star struck.”

This is Marcus Asmus ‘14, or, as he’s known to his fans, T-Bird. He leads the team with few words, but his actions speak volumes on the court.

Asmus is ranked as the 8th leading scorer in the 5A division, according to maxpreps.com. This has taken his season way beyond what he imagined it would be.

“Marcus is a quiet kid who leads by example,” head varsity basketball coach, Mike Puccio said.

“He provides an inside/ outside presence that causes problems for opposing teams.”

Asmus practices everything in order to be the best that he can be, from the euro step to hitting jumpers off of one foot. He has made huge strides from watching Brandon Applehans ’12 lead the team in the last season, and now he is able to do it on his own.

“He’s like our whole team; he shoots, he dunks, [and] he plays defense. [He] pretty much does everything everyone else on the team can’t do. He’s just that good,” teammate Anthony Ochiato ’13 said. “There

are just those players that you know are going to go far, and he’s definitely that kid.”

T-Bird dedicates his life and well-being to playing basketball. Aside from team practice, he puts in 110% effort by playing two hours every day by himself. He has his own court in his backyard, which gives him plenty of opportunity to get better.

“I think he is passionate in leaving his mark at Standley Lake both as

teammates, have been a huge support throughout his basketball career.

“He’s definitely a threat in the paint. He scores most of our points and he facilitates everything. He’s the most quiet but kind hearted child I’ve ever met in my entire life,” teammate Matt Fujinami ‘14 said.

Many believe Asmus is humble. Ultimately, this is a reflection on the type of person that he is. He walks through the halls like he is a normal student but the second he hits the court, he releases all of his emotion.

“Our team is young. I love how we have the opportunity to shock the league. In three words, I can say that our team is young, dedicated, and a family.” Asmus ‘14 said.

“It’s a little bit tough because we don’t have much of a vocal leader from him, but he’s still a leader even though he’s such a quiet kid,” Fujinami said.

The song by Fort Minor continues with the lyrics, “Humble through opportunities, given despite the fact that many misjudge him because he makes a living from writing his own raps.”

This is Asmus.

He soars above, he keeps his mental stability grounded, and he emerged as T-Bird.

He leads the team with few words, but his actions speak volumes on the court

Marcus Asmus ‘14 goes up for the dunk at the Pepsi Center against Golden HS. At every game, students anxiously wait for T-Bird to make this legendary shot.

an individual and from a team aspect,” Puccio said.

Asmus has realized that he wants to continue his career in basketball.

After his senior year of soaring through Standley Lake, he is still dedicating himself to the game.

“I want to go to college and play. I’d like to go to DU [Denver University], and I have already gotten noticed by multiple colleges,” Asmus said.

T-Bird would not have made it as far as he has without the will to get better. He is the player that wants to make sure it’s him, his team, and the crowd against the opposing five players on the court.

His friends, although most of them are also his

Soaring statistics

19.6 352 11.3 Points Per Game

Total Points

Rebounds Per Game

- Compiled by Jessica Olmstead and Jeremy Minnick

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The

SPO RTS

Anthony Ochiato ‘13 leads senior class to college athletics Through his achievements, Ochiato has shown his talent.

“He might be one of the best lineman we’ve had since I’ve been here. But its hard to compare positions sometimes. It’s kind of like comparing apples to oranges,” P.E. teacher and head coach of the football team Don Morse said.

Since Morse has been coaching at Standley Lake, only six people have received full r­ ide scholarships to play football.

Ochiato was the first who was offered a full­ ride scholarship from a Division 1 school.

Jumping from camp to camp during the previous summer,

Brooke Stevens

ful years at Standley Lake. Anthony went to a lot of camps over the summer so he got some good exposure and that helped him get his name out there.”

When Ochiato attended the UNC camp, he realized how different college football is from high school football and was fairly intimidated.

“When you go up there, you talk to all the guys who have already been through it and they say that it’s terrible. But you know, that’s how it goes,” Ochiato said.

However, Morse feels as though Ochiato is ready for the challenge. “He has

a lot to develop. He knows that. He’s seen a lot of big guys out there, a lot of strong guys but I think he has the right mind set and I expect him to do well in college,” Morse said.

Ochiato has been known for his size, both on and off the field. It was rumored that he was offered the scholarship because of his 6’ 3” height and 270 lbs weight.

However, the coaches saw another quality in Ochiato.

“The offensive line coach liked me because I have a tenacity that he hasn’t seen at UNC and he wanted to start instilling that

Shelby McBain soccer at Adams State College

$3000

Full Ride

Full Ride

Except meals “I hope to work harder than the girls on my team.

That way we can challenge each other and become a better team.”

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Justin Seiwald baseball at Central Arizona College

softball at Trinidad Junior College

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only camp that gave him that “family feeling.”

“All of the kids at UNC really liked me and the coaches liked me, and they have a really cool campus,” he said.

Over his high school career, Ochiato received a huge amount of guidance from Morse.

Morse doesn’t believe he did anything in particular to help Ochiato achieve his goal, however. “I think he—along with his teammates—chose to work hard as a group,” he said. “They all kind of bought into trying to achieve their goals after we had two unsuccess-

Ochiato checked the University of Nevada­, Las Vegas off of his list. The day he was scheduled to leave Las Vegas was also the same day the football camp at University of Northern Colorado began.

“I actually missed the first half of the camp because I missed my flight from Las Vegas to Colorado,” Ochiato said.

However, he was able to persevere during the second half of the camp and was offered a scholarship later that day. Ochiato then committed to UNC three weeks later.

Out of all of the camps Ochiato attended, UNC was the

per year

B

eads of sweat streaming down his forehead, muscles tensed, causing pain to shoot through his body, colliding with the player across from him, every loss, and every win is what led Anthony Ochiato ‘13 to an early success in his football career.

Ochiato had always dreamed of continuing to play football beyond his high school career.

“You know, when you’re little, it’s your dream to get a full­ ride scholarship somewhere,” Ochiato said.

“Once it happens, you don’t want to act like you’re happy but on the inside you just want to explode.”

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Lucky

“I’m excited to get the opportunity to move to a D1 school or to the pros.”

“The school is sportorientated so the soccer games will be more exciting. Also, I got a scholarship so next year will make me work harder.”

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Anthony Ochiato football at

into his players. He thought that if he got me into one recruiting class then I would pass it on to the recruiting classes below me,” Ochiato said.

Ochiato has had an influence on other Gator football players as well. Starting varsity, Connor Durant ‘15 said, “Yeah, he did have an influence on me. He brought a lot of experience, and he’s pretty good.

He knows a lot about football, more than I do.”

Durant is also rather excited for Ochiato. ‘’He deserves it. He’s pretty good.

So I think he’ll do well [at UNC].’’

Morse also saw

the same quality the offensive line coach saw when Standley Lake’s football team traveled down to Pueblo this summer.

He especially noticed a change in Ochiato’s attitude. “He became a little more nasty and a little more aggressive,” Morse said, “From that point on, he was able to go in and have a great year.”

Morse is enthusiastic to see how Ochiato’s career develops.

“He’s worked really hard. He’s made big improvements since he was a freshman. We’re extremely excited to see how his career develops over the next four years,” he said.

Full Ride

University of Northern Colorado Ochiato would like to meet his next goal of becoming a redshirt.

If Ochiato happens to become a redshirt during his freshman year, he would sit out his freshman season and wouldn’t play football again until 2014. Linemen often become redshirts to grow bigger and stronger. Ochiato would still attend UNC as a student, train and practice with the team; however, he would not participate in any games as a freshman.

“I’m so excited.

This is what I should be doing. I should be playing college football.”

Marcena Day

Jarrett Bott

track and field

baseball at Otero State College

Full Ride

Full Ride

University of Mary

volleyball at Marquette University

Full Ride

at

“My track family here at Standley Lake has been amazing and to be moving to North Dakota to a new family will be very exciting for me.”

Teal Schnurr

“I hope I can help the team excel to great achievements.”

“Everything was perfect; the girls, the campus, the sport, and the academics. Overall, the vibe was perfect for me.”

- Compiled together wby Laurel Nordquist-Zukin, Tina Muscarelli, Marissa Hale, and Brooke Stevens

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SPO RTS

Challenging the Status Quo Freshman girl makes wrestling team

We all have this preconceived idea of what greatness is. Greatness is being the first one to do something no one else could. They broke recordsand they did it without fear in their eyes. Michael Jordan. Usain Bolt.

Muhammad Ali. But, what if greatness wasn’t only measured in your statistics? What if greatness was just about the level of determination that is put in?

Leah McCoy ‘16 is a freshman on the boys wrestling team. She’s a girl.

She’s the only girl in the wrestling room every day after school.

A day of wrestling practice could mean running miles around the school, sprinting countless times down the hallway, back flipping off of the walls, being taken down by teammates over and over again, rubbing your face against the mat, bruising your body, sweating like a hot construction worker, and leaving the room, fearing ringworm.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Most guys couldn’t handle this kind of physical defeat, let alone any girls. But McCoy isn’t like any ordinary girl.

She’s endured all of that hardship but she doesn’t just let it get to her. She’s found a second home for herself in the wrestling room.

This is really atypical for the wrestling team. Many aspiring athletes join wrestling and quit a few days later. They just can’t handle it.

“I do believe that wrestling is the hardest sport,” assistant coach Kevin Sullivan said.

So what made this girl try out the hardest sport offered, and more importantly, what made her stay?

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“You can’t be scared,” McCoy said about going on the mat against your opponent. “If you go out there and they aren’t scared, but you are, you’ll lose.”

Sullivan admires her dedication. “She’s probably only missed one practice. And she started coming in the summer,” he said.

“She has good concentration and technique. She thinks a lot when she’s out on the mat,” Sullivan said. Very methodically, she thinks about what she needs to do, in order to win.

This is her strength and her downfall all at the same time. She’s new to the sport and still learning, so she relies on her mind to help her where her muscles can’t against her male opponents. Instead of running out on the mat practically growling and aggressive like some of the boys, she goes out, calm and brave, and thinks about what she’s doing.

She ended her season 5-19.

She suffered through many losses of the season, but she did have a number of victories.

“I’ve seen her walk out there [on the mat] and pin guys,” Coach Sullivan said.

Not all champions start their careers undefeated, either. Nate [Carlson ‘13] wrestled his first year on his back,” Sullivan said. In Carlson’s senior year, this year, he ended his regular season with only one loss and advanced to the state tournament.

It all just comes with practice and patience. Most people don’t walk into

From left to right: McCoy performs take down drills with Josh Carlstrom ‘16 in practice. McCoy shakes her oppenents hand after one of her matches at a tournament at Bear Creek. McCoy warms up by stretching before a long practice.

wrestling and become great. You have to suffer through losing and being frustrated in order to learn how to win. “You don’t just give up because one day’s hard,” McCoy said.

It takes experience, knowledge, muscle, and technique to improve at this sport. McCoy can gain all of these things with time.

Wrestling is a sport that pushes you to your absolute limits. It will break you down physically and mentally and expect you to take it.

As far as McCoy being on a team with all boys, she is anything but the black sheep of the team.

McCoy is as a part of the team as anyone else is. They joke around with her just like they do with everyone else.

“There’s no difference. We’re not going to baby her,” head coach Rich Talmich said.

The boys respect her determination.

“I think it’s kind of cool [her] showing that she can wrestle,” her teammate Dalton Brooks ‘15 said. “She’s getting better.”

The boys give her pointers with her technique and have no problem pairing off with her as a partner for drills.

She can only improve from here. And she knows that. “You have to keep trying,” McCoy said.

And those are the words that she lives by. She shows up to practice every day, knowing that it could mean leaving a little less comfortable than when she walked in. But she shows up, and gives it her all.

She’s struggled in wrestling, but with her own determination, and support from her family and friends, there’s no telling where she’ll go.

“I’m really proud of her,” her mother said. “I just hope that she continues with it.”

Leah’s answer to that? “Yeah, I plan to,” McCoy said.

Her first goal is to go undefeated at a tournament like she’s seen some of her more experienced teammates do. There is no telling what the future can hold.

It’s become apparent that she is no longer just the girl trying to wrestleshe’s a wrestler.

“It takes self-confidence and dedication,” Coach Talmich said.

Well, she’s got it. As far as finishing the season goes, she did receive a varsity letter due to her hard work and dedication.

So why can’t she be another example of what greatness is? She’s doing something no one else has ever completed at this school- and she does it without fear in her eyes.

As far as her story goes, she’ll always be known as the first female wrestler at Standley Lake. She worked hard and dedicated herself to this sport, and she was the first one to do it.

So why can’t she be considered as great?

-Courtney Sullivan

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Tina Detevis ‘13 is planning to pursue her dreams of becoming a veterinary technician at the Bel-Rea Institute.

This dream started when she went to her local vet for “Day on the Job” during her freshman year, when all of the vets were occupied, she explained, “Someone brought in a dog that had just been hit by a car,” and the vets asked Tina to clean up the injured puppy.

“I had to clean the blood off the dog,” Tina said, recalling the experience.

After cleaning up the blood and caring for the puppy, she decided that being a vet was what she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing.

Her experience during Day on the Job sparked her passion for interacting with animals and she plans on attending the Bel-Rea Institute this fall, which will hopefully be followed by veterinary graduate school at Colorado State University later on.

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After ten years of friendship, Taralyn Cruz ‘13 and Lizzie Lofton ‘13 will be leaving home and starting their new lives as attendants of NorthEastern junior college in Sterling, Colorado.

Cruz ‘13 is planning on studying pre-radiology.

According to W WCC, the duties of a technologist include making x-ray exposures and assisting in special procedures.

These two roommates both share a passion of dance. They plan to try out for the dance team, as well as later pursue it after college. After the two years at the college, Cruz says she will continue on her education path and pursue her dreams of one day moving to Texas and, “fulfill [her] dreams of becoming a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.”

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th a P e g e l l Co

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ree

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-Compiled by Taylor Foutz, Elle George, and Austin Kunert

th

Steven Emmen ‘13, an active football player and diligent student for the past four years, has big plans after high school. He has decided to join the United States Navy.

When asked why he wanted to go to the Navy as opposed to another branch of the military, Emmen said, “They treat their men well.”

It’s very different from the Army or the Marines where he says the guys aren’t treated near as well or with as much respect, despite the highly respectful job that they’re all doing.ww “The other big part right after high school that you have to think about with the Navy is if you want to get a college degree before entering which would also bring higher rank and pay,” explained Emmen.

He’s leaning towards the education route, which he will be fully reimbursed for, in addition to receiving a G.I. bill, which pays for four full years at a state college.

After his education and a brief basic training-like program for the Navy, Emmen is planning on getting into the Flight Operations program, “Which is a job that manages all flights in a certain location like the control towers at airports,” he clarified.

“So yeah, that’s my plan,” concluded Emmen, with the utmost certainty about his decision.

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LE OP P PE SWA M

The face of tolerance Jordan Ely Wasinger ‘14 finds acceptance, but most importantly, herself

Tolerance has been taught to us since the first day of school. Everyone has seen the posters showing smiling kids that come from a variety of ethnicities with the word diversity written in a curly-q font on the bottom. Everyone has heard the speeches about the importance of acceptance.

Everyone considers this to be common knowledge.

Jordan Ely Wasinger ‘14 fills an empty desk off to the side. It’s 7:20 a.m. on a Thursday block day, and she is one of the 10 students who occupy the classroom most commonly known as the French room.

Two students, Katy Ziegler ‘13 and Shelby Smith ‘13, lead the other 8 people in a discussion about the obstacles facing them. The students vent, the students laugh, and some stay quiet.

30 minutes later the discussion ends as the last slide of the powerpoint gets closed.

The room empties out, and the students leave to go on with their days.

But for those 30 minutes, the French room did not serve as the “French room”--it served as the classroom for the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) meeting. Wasinger is attending as a lesbian student, just one among the many gay students at Standley Lake. The confidence in Wasinger’s voice rang clear as she spoke of her ‘differences.’ “People should know it’s not as weird as they think it is, especially here. I’m definitely

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not the only lesbian here,” Wasinger said.

Standley Lake wasn’t always Wasinger’s school.

Her first semester of high school was at Thornton High School. “When I went to Thornton, they’re not really as accepting as here. I haven’t really found the homophobic aspect at Standley, yet. And I’ve been here for three years,” Wasinger said. To Wasinger, Standley is one of the more accepting and tolerating schools in the community.

Tolerance, the concept that was so firmly rooted in our minds as children, has slipped away in too many high schools. Standley seems to be an exception.

“I think Standley is one of the most accepting schools in the area, as far as high schools go,” Zeigler, the co-leader of the GSA club, said. Zeigler and Smith both lead the club as straight allies, this being a rare trend among high school GSA clubs.

Wasinger came out when she was just 13 years old. At such a vulnerable age, Wasinger had begun to discover the woman she is today. “I had a girl ask me out, and I didn’t really think about it then, as something that could be considered different, and then people just started telling me that it was weird that I was with a girl,” Wasinger said.

Wasinger spent the next few years exploring her sexuality, dating both girls and boys. It took her till this

year, her junior year, to finally accept herself as what she is, as who she is-- a lesbian. “I didn’t completely accept myself as a lesbian until the beginning of this year because I tried [dating] three different guys, but it just doesn’t work, because I don’t feel that way,” said Wasinger, but the confidence that was so strong, now slips, her words fading into questions.

The biggest fear many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people face is coming out. Having her parents find out about her sexuality was not something Wasinger had anticipated at the time.

“I wasn’t going to tell my mom about it my freshman year, but she read my diary.

I haven’t kept a diary since.

I wouldn’t have told her,” said Wasinger. Her family reacted positively and she hasn’t had much trouble with acceptance at home.

Wasinger’s father, less accepting than her mother, is still getting used to Wasinger’s sexuality. “My dad asked me a few questions, but he kind of avoids the subject,” Wasinger said.

Small incidents of prejudice began at school, but luckily for Wasinger, it never became the extreme incidents that are so very present within the lives of LGBT students. “Most of the people have been really passing, but there’s some [circumstances] where I’ve lost friends because I’m a lesbian. It’s never been anything vicious,” Wasinger

said.

While completely eliminating all forms of prejudice and bullying may be something we are still working at, Standley has become a far more welcoming school to LGBT students than others. According to the It Gets Better Campaign, more than one third of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. One third of gay teenagers resorted to death as a result of the reported bullying and taunting. One third of gay teenagers chose to die.

One third of gay teenagers, students, people, took their lives due to the hatred that was thrown at them.

Wasinger is not part of that one third. Wasinger is part of the LGBT youth that have found themselves in a community that allows them to be strong and proud of who they are.

Social media outlets are another source of hatred that can lie a deep root of doubt within any gay teenager. “You see all this stuff on the news how gay people are wrong. So I felt like people would think it’s wrong if I was with a girl so I tried to try to make other people happy- It didn’t work,” Wasinger said.

Wasinger spoke about the many death threats The Center, a downtown organization aiming to be a safe community for all ages of the LGBT community, receives through their helpline. “It’s a helpline for people who are confused, or bullied, or [receive]

death threats. There are a lot of death threats in areas of Denver,” Wasinger said.

Of course, acts of bullying can still be found at Standley, despite them being less in frequency and severity. “Most of it is just verbal, there’s definitely use of words like you’re a fag, you’re gay, and a lot of that stuff.” Any form of bullying-- the vulgar words, the hateful stares, and the exclusive groups- can severely affect youth, but Standley can be proud to say they have offered, and continue to offer, a safe environment to at least one LGBT youth.

Wasinger has given insight that many students at Standley do not have because of her less than pleasant experiences at another school. She has been exposed to many communities around Colorado and their reactions to the LGBT communitry. She sees the differences, the dark and the light, and she sees a lot of light here at Standley. “I wouldn’t change Standley, except for the wall color.”

Wasinger occupies yet another seat in the midst of the retro pale pink walls that compose Standley. This time Wasinger is in her element, letting her voice flow out through her lips, and into the air. Wasinger contains a look of bliss while she sings, a voice in the midst of the choir’s song.

She has shed the negative, and in this moment, Wasinger is herself in the school that allows her to be so.

-Sabrina Pacha

the

NUMBERS 28% of LGBT youth

drop out due to bullying

92% of LGBT youth say they hear negative messages about LGBT individuals from school, the internet, and their peers.

26% of LGBT youth say their biggest fear is not being accepted Statistics provided by Human Rights Campaign

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STY LE L IF E

First things first with Dani Varela ‘13 Dani Varela ‘13 has soaked in every aspect of being a senior at Standley Lake--the wild assemblies coated in silly string, the diverse student body, and the “little-fishin-a-big-pond” atmosphere that The Swamp provides. She came to the U.S. as a part of a student exchange program from Argentina, and will return home at the end of the semester. But for the next few months, she will savor her time as a Standley Lake Gator.

First impression of Standley Lake “That it’s huge. The first day, I was lost. I was late to all of my classes. I had the map that they gave me, but I was lost anyways.

But, about one week later I started getting used to it. And the lockers! We don’t have lockers in Argentina, so I didn’t know how to use them. I think I learned like at the end of last semester.”

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First thing you noticed about Colorado “The sky. It’s awesome.I love the mountains and the trees, too.”

First American meal “It was a Mexican fast food restaurant. It was the first day that we came here. It was with my host family. It was my first day so they wanted to take me somewhere, so on our way home we stopped by like a little place with Mexican food in Denver. I don’t know the name, but it was really little, and it was really good.”

First memory of America “Fast food, of course. And the school everything is different here than it is in Argentina.”

First movie in the U.S. “The Odd Life of Timothy Green. It’s about a guy that was born from leaves. It’s this guy that has leaves all over his legs, and he dies in the end.”

- Compiled by Reonna Hatch and Chaye Gutierrez

L

The Lumineers Artist of the Month

umineers, a Colorado originated band consisting of just three members, is the Artist of the Month, and they’ve earned it.

But it’s not just because their music earned them a Grammy nomination, and not because they recently played on SNL either.

It’s because their music generates emotions, you can feel the words they sing. Whether you want to stomp your feet and clap your hands to their adrenaline inducing Stubborn Love, or calm it way down with Dead Sea Lumineers can satisfy.

Their music has taken them from Colorado to a worldwide tour with shows in England, Germany, and even the Netherlands. Wherever it is their music takes them, there is a group of fans yearning for their show, whose root is in the musical heart of Northern Denver--The Meadowlark.

Lead singer Wesley Schultz and childhood friend Jeremiah Fraites come from New Jersey, where in 2005 they began to play gigs around New York. After trying to contend against the seemingly impossible music scene and the surely impossible price of rent, they decided to pack their bags full of music and go wherever the road took them.

That road led to our very own Denver, Colorado. Once here they placed an ad for a cellist on Craigslist. That’s how they gained their third member, the missing piece to their puzzle, Neyla Pekarek.

“They’ve blown up” is what Lumineers fan Ryan La ‘15 said about the band, and that’s what comes out of most fan’s

- Compiled by Michael Huss

mouths when talking about the band.

Their songs are internationally popular, and with awards like The Billboard 200 and a Grammy nomination it’s no surprise. Ho Hey and Stubborn Love have earned countless awards, coming from Canada all the way to Japan. Whether it’s their upbeat acoustic folk-rock sound or their more unique, bittersweet style, it’s working.

“I listen to this music wherever I am- in the car or at home. I love their music because it’s unique and they have such a great style,” Kelsey Goetz ‘13 says.

Lumineers have earned the title of Artist of The Month because their sound is good- to put it simply. If there’s anything that you should take from this, make sure you give The Lumineers a shot. Take the time to listen to their music, let the lyrics sink in and let the melody pour into that.

I’m always on the lookout for new music and I’m sure you are too, and that’s why I give my full recommendation of The Lumineers to anyone out there looking for something new.

1. Isaac Castaneda’s ‘15 favorite band is Mumford and Sons. He said, “If I could start my own band I’d play similar music to Mumford and Son’s style.”

And as an experienced guitarist, you can take his word on this band.

Other Artists To Keep An Eye Out For 1.

2.

2. Ed Sheeran is also a new artist from England whose music is “irresistibly adorable” according to Johnnie Dina ‘15. “He has the voice of an angel,” she says, and I’d have to agree.

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SIBLINGS OF THE SWAMP

Q and A with the brothers and sisters of SLHS Matt ‘13 and Bryan ‘16 Vail love to hate

Lindsay ‘13, Maddie ‘15, and Rachel ‘15 Block, three of a kind Lake: Do you think that having your sisters here makes your relationships stronger?

Lindsay: I don’t think that high school would be any different if my sisters weren’t here.

Lake: What is your favorite part of having your sisters here?

Maddie: I have Rachel in some classes and we help each other do homework sometimes.

Lake: How would you describe the relationship between you and your sisters?

Lake: How would you describe the relationship between you and your brother?

Matt: I love him.

Bryan: I hate him.

Lake: Do you think having your brother at school with you makes your relationship stronger?

Bryan: Not really, because we never see each other except for when Matt drives us to school.

Lake: Is seeing your brother at school any different than seeing him normally?

Matt: Our relationship is different in school than at home because we never see each other vs. all the time.

Lindsay: A rollercoaster.

One day we hate each other and the next day we love each other.

Lake: Do you talk to each other during school hours?

Lindsay: We barely talk during school, I drive them to school most of the time but that’s it.

Lake: Do you think that high school would be any diffrent without your sisters here?

Rachel: It would be different without Maddie but not Lindsay.

Logan ‘15 and Brandon ‘14 Michalicek goof off like champs Lake: What is it like coming to school knowing your brother is there too?

Logan: We barely notice each other; it’s almost surprising seeing him around.

Lake: What is your favorite part of having your brother here?

Logan: To make fun of him.

Brandon: There really isn’t a “favorite” part.

Lake: Is your brother part of your group of friends?

Logan: It’s getting there...

Brandon: We have our own groups.

Lake: Do you have any classes with your brother?

Logan: We have orchestra together, it’s weird.

Brandon: We don’t have any classes together.

-Compiled by Emma Medley, Jamey Burky

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Skin Deep(er) Teenage tattoos can expose more than ink

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Step One: The idea

Step Two: Nervous talking

Step Three: Stencil

Step Four: Under the gun

Step Five: Brace the pain

Step Six: Finished

Rachel Conner ‘15 asked for a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday. “My tattoo is a heart monitor line when your heart skips a beat. It’s a reminder that life goes on. Even though things might be hard right now, they’ll get better,” said Conner.

“It’s for my grandpa. He had brain cancer, and whenever we asked him how he felt, he would say ‘flawless.’”

- Taylor Fransden ‘14

“My brother and I were always super close, growing up and skating together. We decided to get our last name in the same place as a brotherly bond.”

- English teacher Mr. Dave Cohara

“It’s in memory of my grandmother. She passed away when I was in 8th grade. It reminds me of her sense of style and humor. She used to say ‘that’s wild’ all the time. It was sort of our inside joke.

- Jessica Day ‘14 - Compiled by Natasha McCone

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OP LE P PE SWA M

What about

you

don’t

know

(our principal)

Mr. Pierson

01 02 03

He is from Cheyenne, Wyoming

“I lived there until I was 18, went to University of Nebraska Kearney, taught there for two years,w then moved to Denver.”

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He won the world championship for softball

“We won two world championships... in 2003 and 2004.

People on the team ranged from 28 years old all the way up to 42 years old.

We had a big sponsorship. The guy was a millionaire, and sent us all over the place.”

He led the nation in free throw percentage at the University of Nebraska-Kearney “It was my junior year, so, 1991. And my percentage was 92%.”

04 05

During his college He was accepted career at UNK, he into the FBI eventually became “That was right out of college. After I team captain “My favorite part was being team captain and the camaraderie, the teamwork. Just going to a school where I didn’t know anybody and automatically connecting with people that were on the team... I became really close friends and I’m still friends with some of those people, so it created some really good, long lasting relationships.”

was finished student teaching, I went back to Cheyenne, and I was looking for a teaching job, and I also applied to the FBI academy, got accepted, then I declined it. My mom talked me out of it actually. We had a long talk and she made me rethink some things and, you know, I could always go back after a few years of education. Once I started teaching and coaching, that’s what I loved, and what I just love to do, and what I’ve always wanted to do.”

- Compiled by Tina Muscarelli

NS OP INIO

Freshmen Share Their Voice

The 9th grade students were assigned to write an editorial for their English class. The best peices are showcased in this issue of The Lake.

Soccer racism Monkey chants, banana throwing, and slurs. These are some of the forms of racial abuse against players of color in the world of soccer. Too many players around the world have been targeted by fans and even other players.

Racism has always been a problem in soccer, and it has yet to stop. It is becoming a particular issue in countries like Spain and Russia. Samuel Eto’o, a Cameroonian player who has been the subject of racial gestures while playing in Spain and now in Russia, has experienced multiple accounts of abuse.

In an article by CNN sports journalist Simon Hooper, Hooper wrote that during a match when Eto’o was a striker for the Spanish club FC Barcelona, he had become the target at an away game by the fans of the opposing team, Real Zaragoza. The fans of Zaragoza pushed Eto’o to a breaking point when they taunted Eto’o whenever he gained possession of the ball, calling out monkey chants.

Nearing the end of the match, Eto’o began leaving the pitch after the taunting had pushed him too far. His

teammates and opponents rushed to convince him to stay and to not give the fans what they wanted.

Referees and Barcelona’s manager were at Eto’o’s side as well to try to get him to stay focused on the game. While this incident took place, Eto’o mouthed “No más” No more. Eto’o was ready to stop dealing with the racial abuse he seemed to be getting constantly. But when will it stop? When will fans stop abusing players based on their skin color.

Racism against players,

Childish or criticize?

Remember the days when your head hardly reached the counter, your favorite toys were Legos and your best friend was Barbie?

Somehow though, then, just as now, those joys weren’t enough—all we wanted was to act and be “grown-up”. I suppose this constant longing finally gave in because guess what? We grew up...and now wish we were young again.

This isn’t to say kids are always happy—I know they’re melodramatic. One

minute, they’re squealing because Mom decided to buy ice cream cones, and the next they’re throwing a tantrum because the ice cream dropped on the ground.

The word “childish” actually means “silly; pertaining to a child’s behavior”, so let me clarify: I don’t want the student body to suddenly become a huge mass of toddlers in teenage bodies--I wish for everyone to embrace those feelings we once often felt of wonder and joy.

As we grow older,

mainly players from Africa, is the ugliest issue in the beautiful game. In England, an educational charity called Show Racism the Red Card was established as an effort to stop racism in soccer and unite all international teams. Many personal stories from players are posted on the charity’s website, as well as call to get involved in the movement to stop the racism that is currently happening.

Incidents have been directed at, in general, black players. Fans direct their slurs and gestures

at players who are black because of their skin color, not caring if the players are as good or even better than those players who are white or hispanic. Great Brazilian players such as the legend Ronaldinho and defender Dani Alves have all received terrible treatment as well.

Alves told Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo that he had learned to live with being called names such as “monkey” by fans. He has also said, “Racism in Spanish football will never go away.” Another Brazilian, Roberto Carlos, has had ba-

society pushes us to value materialistic or insignificant things like money and popularity, more than our ecstatic childhood. Because our influential society puts age brackets upon things, we force ourselves to sacrifice these little joys. But why must we?

People tease and scoff at others that act “childish” who enjoy “family-time” or prefer animated over RRated, and violent movies.

I should know: I could call myself a “late-bloomer” in the growing up mentality.

Some of my friends laugh at my preference to watch “feel-good” Hallmark movies instead of The Hunger Games.

Why this mocking occurs makes no sense to me—I don’t see anything wrong with Hallmark movies (besides the occasional cheesy actor or storyline) and other things meant for younger audiences—they’re sure better than some things people our age do for fun.

As we grow up, we accept the unspoken “fact” that like old clothes we outgrow, we must leave behind the ways of before like the Tooth Fairy or else open ourselves to ridicule.

Why’s it frowned upon for young kids to try to act older, playing on iPads and acquiring teenage attitudes, but teens enjoying Disney-

nanas thrown at him during games, once causing him to ask to be substituted out of the game. This happened in Russia.

Many players, whether being a target of racism or not, have become active in trying to stop racism against their teammates and other players. All international teams participate in Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s “Unite Against Racism”, a movement to stop inappropriate behavior and treat players equally based on their talent and not their skin color.

When will racism stop in sport? It needs to end as a step closer to stopping it worldwide. It is important to act against racism in soccer with a future World Cup to be in Russia, one of two countries where racism is taking place the most. Any respectable and caring person would agree that an end of racism in sport is a step closer to an end of racism in society.

-Martha Sandoval land are seen as freaks of nature? Is there such thing as timeless activities everyone can enjoy? It’s ironic: both growing up too fast and embracing childhood receive disapproval.

Savor the silver linings— the smiles or ice cream cones—that brighten your day as much as you did before. Cherish what yesterday brought, create and store memories of today, and rekindle the youthful joy still alive within you.

-Olivia Koontz

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“Sometimes I get really mad at the stars. I wrote a poem called ‘Stars Are Stupid’.”

-Mr. Dave Cohara, English teacher

Puppy mills Puppy mills are places where there is excessive breeding of dogs. All of the dogs and puppies are in cramped and foul conditions. In short, it is a money making enterprise in which dogs suffer.

I have 3 dogs, all of which I got when they were puppies from a certified breeder. I have grown up with my oldest dog. My youngest dog I just got a year ago. I cannot imagine letting any of them suffer through the pain that puppy mill dogs go through.

Dosomething.org is an organization that focuses on subjects that teens care about. As stated by the staff of dosomething.org, “In any one puppy mill, there are between 65 and 75 dogs. That’s just on average. Some puppy mills have thousands.” Also stated by the staff at dosomething. org was that “The puppies

are sold at six weeks of age even though the legal age is eight weeks.”

The dogs are kept in wire cages that are only slightly bigger than the dog they contain in any direction.

They also allow excrement to fall under and pile up. It is almost never cleaned and the dogs end up covered in their own waste. Mothers are given

Left over, left out Left-handers have always been a subject of curiosity and fear. I know this because I am one of the somewhat unfortunate 10% of the world who is left- handed.

Throughout history, some people have considered left-handed people to have been sent from the Devil, and they have been forced to switch from using their left hand to using their right hand. In school, my great grandfather was smacked with rulers until he learned to write with his right hand.

In America we are all part of a union, right? I thought so until I grew up to find that left-handed people have been discriminated against for centuries.

Left-handed people live in a right-handed world.

Whether sitting at a desk at school or looking for an

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affordable baseball glove, it is all designed for righthanded people.

Need some examples?

Consider that whenever a southpaw sits at the dinner table, he almost always sits next to a righty. When the lefty uses his fork, the right-hander gets elbowed and gets very mad, even though the lefty did nothing wrong!

Try writing in a binder.

When a lefty is taking notes, he must fit his hand in between the first two rings, then at some point pick his hand up and fit it between the next two rings. Even with all that effort, he is still left with notes awkwardly spaced and ink covering his entire pinky.

Being left-handed adds risk to routine tasks such as driving a car. For example, changing the radio station

little to no recovery time before they are bred again.

Their bodies are not built to take this much stress; they are usually worn out in a few years.

At this point they are no longer useful to the owners and they will be killed or tossed out on the street.

Picture hundreds of dogs in cages all but covered in their own feces and urine. Whenever anyone

comes in, all of them start barking and hoping for rescue. The puppies will have short lives in the mill and then be sold to pet stores or unsuspecting buyers. They will become ill and not have the ability to even be happy that they are no longer in the incarcerated mill. They need help.

I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up because I love animals so much. I

or picking up a drink from the cup holder requires using the right hand. Even more dangerous is a lefties’ instinct to swerve his car to the left instead of the right. If one happens upon a squirrel in the road, a lefties’ automatic reaction is to swerve to the left, into oncoming traffic, while a right-hander’s reaction is to swerve to the right (into the median).

Computers are easy for everyone to use; everyone except us lefties. The mouse is made to fit the right hand and the number pad is on the right. Studies show that only 50% of left-handed people can use their right hand when on the computer.

There are little frustrations like ballpoint pens not working as well for lefties as they do for righties. The ball in the pen is meant to be pulled, not pushed which is indeed what happens when lefties write.

The kitchen can be a difficult and dangerous

place for lefties. Using the average can opener is really hard, as well as using a measuring cup. When a left-hander grabs a measuring cup, he does it with his left hand. Lefties see the metric measuring side (not helpful in the U.S)! When I was five years old, I went to a cooking school and the teachers there tried to make me right-handed. In 2002… that is ridiculous!

Lefties tend to be more adaptable because they were raised to do things the “right way”. When they grow up and graduate from college, lefties make 10-15% more money than right-handed people. So get off your high horse because we lefties, well… we are better than the average righty!

Now, I understand that right-handed people make up the majority of the world, and that society must cater to the majority, but many of the very brightest in history have been southpaws! For example,

want this suffering to stop.

I’m asking for people to understand how atrocious of a situation these dogs are in. You can help by not buying puppies from pet stores and by reporting it if you suspect there might be a puppy mill in your area. There are already thousands of dogs in shelters that are waiting to be adopted and we can save them instead of giving puppy mill owners what they wantmoney.

-Anessa Goff

50% of all of our presidents since Herbert Hoover in 1929 have been left-handed. According to Daniel Geschwind, a professor of human genetics at UCLA, “this is statistically significant, and probably means something.”

So, I’m not here to complain; I just want to inform the community of the life of a lefty, and to ask for a little more respect towards left-handed people. Lefties have done a lot for society, and I think it would be nice if we had easy access to an affordable baseball glove or a compatible binder. For goodness sake, that’s the least you fellow righties could do. After all, do you realize southpaws die up to nine years earlier than righties because we are accident prone in this righthanded world?

Rachel Hurrell

Judgement unjustified Society is funny – funny in a spiteful way, in a way that is nearly impossible to understand.

No matter what, there will be little acceptance of those who are merely different than the majority.

Judgment and vindictiveness are imminent. As if we are hard-wired to hunt for and point out each other’s flaws.

And inexplicably, this goes without question.

The many reasons for which people get derided can be ridiculous, pointless.

How one dresses, acts, even their hobbies fall under the list.

In seventh grade, my eyes started opening to this issue. A good friend that I had since first grade discovered Japanese Anime, and it became her new passion.

As her personality branched out in various new directions, she started to become friends with different people, act in different ways. Consequently,

she was labeled as a freak.

Nearly every time someone talked about her, it was to spread rumors and gossip about how strange she was.

How is this justifiable?

Making fun of people because of what they like?

Because of their interests?

Like poison, these kinds of comments or names that society links to certain people pollute our opinions.

They warp how we see people; the way we act toward others transforms.

When my friend began to be known as this eccentric, our friendship was put onto the edge of a cliff, precariously teetering and threatening to plummet over the side. I almost ceased to stick up for her because I knew how the majority of the grade felt about her. I was afraid of being put down. She had been my good friend for over half my life… yet I almost let that get between us.

Nobody can simply

Hall monitors Students are not allowed to be in the hallways without a pass, no exceptions. I realize that this is implemented to make sure that classes will not be interrupted. However, I do not understand why we as the student body cannot enter the hallways to go to our locker on our off hour.

I also understand the rule that we are to go to our locker, go to the bathroom, talk to friends and get to the next class during the 5 minute passing period.

My response to that is what happens if we cannot get to our class on time because of a jammed locker?

Arriving to classes on time consumes the majority of passing period; so if all the extra things like going to the bathroom and talking to friends were subtracted from the equation, a

jammed locker will eliminate all the time necessary to get to class.

Teachers are instructed to mark anyone who walks into class after the bell rings tardy, and to disregard the excuse that they have unless it is a written note from a figure of authority. I guess I don’t blame parents and teachers for not accepting the locker excuse, but this scenario tends to happen when it is the most inconvenient.

This brings me to my second argument with the hall pass requirement.

During my off hour, I work

be accepted into society.

Because we have faults, no matter how diminutive, we are picked apart and judged. More often than not, people focus on the bad parts of someone, and they don’t even think about the good.

What I struggle to see is the point of this discrimination. If it helps one to feel better about oneself, then humans are truly despicable in this way. Judging others based on preconception or misunderstanding of their personality is low already, but doing so for a purely selfish reason is disgusting.

True, regularly this isn’t meant to hurt anyone, but is just an interesting conversation about an interesting person. But after someone casually makes an offhand comment about someone or something, at least one person is going to be offended.

Wounding remarks hang pungent in the air, waiting for their victim.

A lot of the judgments

about somebody aren’t dealt to their face, but when heard, they have the power to deal even more damage.

It hurts, knowing that one is worth being present in someone else’s discussion about how annoying or rude or weird one is. It stirs thoughts of the amounts of other people that agree, and how many true friends there really are out there.

I’ve seen friendships ripped apart because of this. I myself have been the target numerous times.

Ultimately, the labels given to or gossip about someone are senseless and terrible, plain and simple.

What’s more, it is tremendously easy to get swept up in this. If one doesn’t have bad things to say about someone else, it is almost as if that person gets rejected. The unspoken rule requiring everyone to judge others towers above our society. And it’s smiling, because nearly everybody abides by that rule.

With the endless amounts of judgments that have been made and the damage that has been done, it is fair to say that the practice of disparaging others is despicable, especially for such ludicrous reasons.

Fight against these absurdities; be accepting of others, because every single person has flaws.

Judgment is worthless and wrong, unconditionally.

These defects of our society reflect on us as individual people, so rise above the mess that comes from ridicule, do what is possible to dampen it. Let’s show our promise as human beings.

on some of the homework that needs to be finished.

I know that many other people also work on any unfinished work during their off hour. When the homework gets finished, the normal reaction is to either put it in your locker if you don’t need it for the next class, or, go to your locker to get more work.

This is problematic because the hallways are restricted,

and the majority of lockers are located in a hallway, or, to get to the locker needed, a hallway is used. I am sure that if not everyone, the majority of the population of students have run into this dilemma.

The third argument I have on this topic is that not only the students are agitated because of the rule, I am sure that the hall monitors get agitated with

the students. Jake DuRan, (one of Standley Lake’s hall monitors), said that, “Kids are going to push their limits... [The stubbornness of students] is not really annoying- it’s just part of the job.” Ms. B. added on to Jake’s thought by saying, “I take this job very seriously.

I like to follow the rules.

Although I find it exceptionally frustrating [when students are being stubborn].

Also, one of Ms. B.’s favorite quotes off the Standley Lake Meme page is, “One does not simply walk by Ms. B without a hall pass.

However, since this is high school, teenagers will argue and argue and continue doing what they want to. So, in the end, the result will be the same.

-Nicole Heetland

-Jeanlee Schlabaugh

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NS OP INIO

“What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.”

-Mr. Curt Maertans, Math teacher

My attempt Something happened earlier this year that stuck with us. It bound us as a community, uniting us toward a single point of light in a murky black time, and it tied our families together with a brand new appreciation for today and its treasures.

If a ten year old girl’s short but cherished existence could inspire such an overwhelming new love for life, maybe I can attempt to do the same thing.

I attended her funeral. I watched her family endure the stories, their words like palpable agony in the crowded church. I heard a quote that literally changed my life.

Roughly, it went, “Who says nothing in life is free?

You didn’t pay for today. Today was a gift.” I absorbed that, tried my best to understand, and attached it to my own life.

It’s a difficult idea to wrap our minds around.

Our human minds don’t want to wrap around it, because we feel more comfortable in the firm belief of tomorrow. It will always come.

It still confuses me when

I hear people complain about how expensive luxuries are. To me, money doesn’t define happiness.

I’m not at my happiest when I have a wallet stuffed full of money.

The times when I’m laughing the most are when I am at my happiest. It’s truly staggering how the simplest things can put a smile on a person’s face.

Do you ever wonder what makes little children just so happy? They don’t have money to wildly spend, they don’t have a nice new car, they don’t

“F” my life Failure. The word is thrown about as if it was a bouncy ball that hits everyone in the face. Everyone feels like a failure at some point, especially when it comes to grades.

I will be the first to admit I have failed a class, and I lost an off hour this semester to make up the credit.

Honestly, it sucks, knowing that you lost it because you were “too stupid to pass.”

All it takes is effort. If you try hard enough, you can accomplish anything.

There are plenty suc-

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cessful people that went on to have good careers even though they didn’t do so well in high school. Kemmons Wilson, the founder of the Holiday Inn hotel chain, never finished school and has obviously reached great success.

I don’t plan on dropping out of high school, or ever failing another class. However, that “F” doesn’t mean my life is ruined.

Failure is only okay if you choose to accept it, instead take it as a chance to learn from your mistakes.

An “F” doesn’t label you as a failure. It’s not

have a big old house.

They are amazed by the rainbow that is an aquarium of fish. They are awestruck by how large their father’s hands are compared to their own.

They are literally flabbergasted by how someone can find them so quickly at hide and seek.

They are happy. My definition of happiness is being able to let go, even for a small moment. I like playing monster with the baby girls I babysit next door. Their laughs can revitalize me after a rough

day, no matter the foulness of my mood.

New makeup has never done that for me.

I won’t say that new things don’t make me happy. I love movies, and I don’t mind spending my money on them. But, then again, I never buy the movies just to stare at the pretty covers. I’ll invite my best friend over, eat some pizza, and watch the film with her.

And maybe a peppermint mocha from Starbucks doesn’t hurt on a snowy day when the school feels

what defines your life.

There’s no one that will teach you how to live your life. You grade your life by what it gives you day to day.

Bad grades aren’t something to aspire to, but whining about it won’t change it.

Be honest, most of the time it’s your fault you failed.

That doesn’t mean you’re a bad person and the world isn’t over because you made a mistake.

Most teachers will help you fix your grade as long as you’re willing to put the time in to get help. After all, high school is about developing good habits for real life. Your bad grade might just mean you haven’t formed the greatest habits

yet.

Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes Magazine, once said, “Failure is success if we learn from it.”

Set a goal for yourself and strive to achieve it.

You’re the only person who knows what you’re capable of. The first step is to stop telling yourself how much of a “screw up” you are Those kids with great grades have nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud of yourself, but bare in mind not everyone is on the same level, and that’s okay.

You might feel like you ruined your chance at having the life of your dreams.

Most of the time that’s not

even colder inside than out.

And I wouldn’t complain about heaps and heaps of chocolate. Who has ever gone wrong there?

But still, happiness to me isn’t something tangible. An iPod isn’t happiness--music is. A car isn’t--freedom is. A new phone isn’t--a call from that special person you’ve been dying to hear from is.

Spend your life laughing. Give your time to the people you love and who love you. They are most important. Their personalities are one in a million, and they can make you smile or laugh on the gloomiest of days. iPods, makeup, cars, houses... They come and go. Days don’t; people don’t. Each one of us is unique and offers something special that someone else can’t. Each day that we pass by unthinkingly can change our lives.

Within one blink of an eye, it could all be gone.

Who said nothing in life is free?

-Amber Hill remotely true.

You’re a human being, and more importantly you’re still a kid. You’re going to lose focus once in awhile.

Your future isn’t set in stone, and you might change your mind about your life a million times.

So stop saying that you’re a failure. You didn’t fail your life by getting a bad grade in one class, or ten classes.

You only fail your life when you give up on trying to make it better.

-Stephanie McDaniel

STAFF EDITORIAL

Amp up the school spirit

Stunning slam dunks.

Moving monologues.

Powerful poetry. Gorgeous covers.

The Winter Assembly inspired us to be energetic and enthused about what our school has to offer. As a student body we saw the amazing accomplishments that our clubs, sports and activities are doing.

And here’s the thing: we’ve got a lot to be proud and excited about here at Standley Lake.

SLHS was awarded the “Proud to be an American” award, several Fall sports went to State and Winter sports are well on their way, FCCLA is continually placing in State and National tournaments, our Speech and Debate team is winning esteemed awards, Day Without Hate landed Flobots as their headliner for the district rally,

and the list goes on.

But here’s the problem - sports hold the largest emphasis for school spirit.

The distribution of pride and excitement for sports, clubs and activities are unequal. Sports are arguably the priority of thrills and chills, but it seems unfair.

“It’s kind of hard to get spirit from the clubs.

It’s like a stereotype.

In those high school movies there are all sorts of pep rallies, but you don’t do that for the chess club, so therefore as a student body we focus on sports rather than clubs. You have to work hard to get people to go to any event these days,” said Student Body President Marcena Day ‘13.

“If we’re having difficulty getting people to go to sports, imagine how hard it is for people to go to club events.”

By no means are we saying to abandon sports participation and cheer, because being loud and proud Gators are what we’re all about.

But lately our school spirit is lacking from its former full throttle status. It’s true that sporting events produce a larger crowd than many other club events and activities, but spirit on all levels has taken a dip.

“The high school mindset is usually about sports. Other activities aren’t as showcased, and that’s largely due to coverage and advertisements and lack thereof.

The district could also be better at supporting schools that way,” Principal Mr. Jeff Pierson said.

Agreeably, it is difficult to attend both sports and club events.

Even if you go to the

musical only for the first act, at least you know what it’s about and who the lead is. Even if you only go to the basketball game for the last quarter, you get to witness T-Bird’s glory.

Let’s see the Gator 8 not only at games, but at as many other school events, too, like hootin’ and hollerin’ at Mixed Nuts.

Activities Director Mr. Tom Copley said, “In some ways we do a great job. We have clubs that place very well whenever they compete, and kids in those clubs have spirit despite not having huge crowds like at a game. Especially at the Winter Assembly the student body responded well to each club/activity’s presentation...they reacted impressively.”

And we reacted impressively indeed.

We were floored by the poetic performance

of Speech and Debate competitor Christa Valdez ‘13, awed by the monologue that Danny DiTorrice ‘13 gave, and amazed by the Chamber Orchestra’s rendition of AWOLNATION’s “Sail.”

So, what does this suggest?

We have a soft spot in our hearts for the amazing talent here at SLHS, whether it is athletic or otherwise.

We need to support our fellow Gators regardless of crowd size or cool factor.

We need to go to all games or tournaments just as equally as orchestra concerts and musicals, we need to congratulate our Speech and Debate team members on a job well done, and be more unified as a school - as a community - because we’ve got everything to offer here at Standley Lake.

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