The Lake - April 2015

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9300 W. 104th Ave. | Westminster, Colorado | 80021 | USA | Planet Earth | Milky Way Volume 26 Issue 5 April 2015

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the people Editors-in-Chief | Chaye Gutierrez Sabrina Pacha

the lake the formalities Opinions or expressions made by students in this publication are not expressions of board policy. The district and its employees are immune from any civil action based on any expression made for or published by students. The Lake is an open forum for and by the students, faculty, and community of Standley Lake High School. The 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 standleylakenewspaper@gmail.com.

Team Editors | Esteban Arellano Jamey Burky Nicole Heetland Olivia Koontz Brittany Marks Tina Muscarelli Christina Rudolph Alie Settje Morgan Whitley Website Editors | Emily Leo Alyssa Murphy Staff Writers | Mezhgan Aslamy Sarah Bennett Shelby Hines Hannah Jensen Hannah Laughlin Emily Leo Emma Marlow Natasha McCone Emma Medley Meg Metzger-Seymour Ty Milliken Alyssa Murphy Laurel Nordquist-Zukin Kayla Pray Ripley Ricketts Morgan Rubendall Jazmyn Ruybal Gordon Saur Patty Sokol Sophia Stimpfl Aryle Turner Maxin Uhrich Taylor Zangari Cartoonist | Aina Azlan Adviser | Ben Reed

2 April 2015 | Issue 5

social t

@thelakenewsmag facebook.com/standleylakenewspaper @thelakenewsmag thelakenewsmag.com

contents

34 14 8 13 6 18 24

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"The what?"

-The Lake

12 3

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hello, friend.

Hello there, friend!

We were chatting together the other day about facts--applying the best ones for your argument, using them to your advantage in a debate, and, well, getting them right. It’s fun to be right, but it’s also kind of difficult when you don’t have the facts to prove why you’re right. We’ve all been in that awkward situation in the middle of an argument when you realize the other person is going to win, and you’re forced to resort to attacking their side rather than fighting for your own.

And we want you to be right. We want you to have the facts. Our first job as journalists is to inform you, our favorite reader. (Our second job is to entertain you, and we hope we do that, too!)

We never want to tell you what to believe, but we hope we provide you with the facts you need to figure out what you think and how to back it up.

We want to provide you with insight into both sides of every debate, and it’s up to you to decide which one resonates with you. If our job is to inform, your job is to illuminate--make these facts come to life in your beliefs.

xoxo, chabrina aka: the editors-in-chief of the lake p.s. we’re not pictured in the photo. who are we really? that’s one secret we’ll never tell.

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Where is ISIS now?

With All of the Rumors and Strong Opinions about ISIS, it is hard to know what is really going on over there. here is a map of where they are, what they have been doing and where they are planning to go to clear up any assumptions you may have.

turkey Syria

Sitting for freedom

iraq

Iran

Egypt Saudi Arabia

Student shares his decision to not participate in the Pledge of Allegiance They don’t do it for the attention.

They don’t do it to rile up fellow classmates. They don’t do it to disrespect.

These few students choose not to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance because they don’t feel rightly represented by the words we were raised to say in school every morning.

Ethan-Robert Ault ‘18 is one of a handful of students who refuse to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ault, a proud atheist and LGBTQ member, rejects the pledge because he feels it doesn’t accurately portrays him as an individual.

“The Christian religion is not the most accepting,” Ault said. “So the ‘under god’ part of the pledge is the part I’m personally against.”

In sixth grade, Ault stopped engaging in the Pledge of Allegiance after identifying as an atheist. Coming from a non-religious family, Ault describes himself as a very moldable person.

“My sister would come home and explain her high school classes to me,” Ault said.“It’s impact on me was largely part [of my discovery of atheism]. Using logic, there was no other conclusion.”

Along with being an atheist, Ault’s

6 April 2015 | Issue 5

oman

eighth grade year was a point of self-discovery when he established himself within the LGBTQ community, adding to his decision to dismiss the pledge.

After years of rejecting the pledge, Ault received small backlash from classmates. There has been confused looks and questionable whispers, yet majority of his peers have respected Ault’s choice because it is his right.

“It’s one’s right to freedom of speech,” Ault said. “which in my opinion translates to freedom of presentation, no matter what that [may be].”

No where in the Constitution does it state that everyone must abide and participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ault may not be very patriotic, but still embraces the rights given to him as a citizen of the United States - the right to freedom of speech, religion, and expression.

Ault may have chosen to disacknowledge the Pledge, yet respects every individual’s decision regarding standing before the flag - what he wishes people will do for him.

“I feel as though most people don’t just mindlessly do the pledge,” Ault said. “most people have some sort of reason to do or not to do the pledge and that grants people most respect.” | Patty Sokol

yemen

-Isis currently occupies parts of Syria and Iraq. they are pushing into Baghdad, the capitol of Iraq and aims to eventually control the area in green.

Mosuel Iraq -ISIS is destroying Cultural artifacts in Museums, thought to be thousands of years old. Often Called the Birthplace of civilization, ISIS attempst to desrtoy the culture previosly in mosuel. syria -ISIS currently occupies parts of syria, However most of their force is in iraq, heading for Baghdad. Recently, ISIS has gained territory close to Damascus, the capital of Syria, but is under attack from both US air strikes and the Nusra Front, part of Al Qaeda.

i Gordon Saur

Baghdad Iraq -isis does not yet occupy baghdad but is applying pressure to the surrounding area. Being the capitol of Iraq, Baghdad has stronger defences and a better chance against isis and their guerrilla warfare Mecca Saudi Araiba -Mecca is the the religious center of islam. It is the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and houses the Kaaba, the most sacred mosque in the islamic religion. Isis does not enter Saudi Arabia however because of Saudi Arabia’s strong military and powerful government.

The opt-out onion PARCC testing attendance falls below required percent Understanding the ins-and-outs of this year’s PARCC tests is kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion.

More layers reveal themselves for each layer that you pull back, and in the end it’s just gonna make you cry.

Here’s the first layer: Standley Lake’s participation in the tests is in danger of falling below 95%. According to documents obtained by The Lake, approximately six percent of parents have opted their students out of the assessments. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? Wait for it.

Here’s the second layer: The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law includes a mandate requiring schools to have a 95% participation rate for state testing, or else they may face punishment. Originally, this law was created to keep schools from hiding groups of students who may be low-performing so that all data collected from standardized testing reflected the school’s population and abilities.

But recently, with rising numbers of opt-outs, this law affects schools that have a large number of parents who opt their children out of the new tests.

Here’s the third layer. While the federal law says that a school can be punished for low participation rates, the state of Colorado has tried to find a way around these possible sanctions. In February, the Colorado State Board of Education adopted a motion that removes the blame from school districts when parents do not allow their students to take PARCC tests.

Basically, this means districts won’t be punished if their student participation rates fall below the 95% threshold, like ours does.

Students took tests earlier this year in largely empty rooms.

According to students, the test is causing stress and is taking up too much of their time. In a recent online survey, students have said that the test is not an accurate representation of their learning, and describe problems with the way the test is written. Also, a high number of students reported that the tests caused more stress in their lives.

“The test is meant to be harder, but it shouldn’t cause more stress,” Assistant Principal and Assessment Director Mr. Trip Sargent said.

Not only is the State Board of Education taking a stance against punishing schools and districts for low participation, but the state legislature is trying to squeeze its way into the argument as well.

The Colorado State Senate has been in the process of debating a bill that would solidify parents’ rights to opt their students out of standardized testing while prohibiting penalization of districts and schools for low participation. While support for this bill ranges from die-hard to wavering, its passage would mean almost nothing in terms of protecting schools and districts from being punished.

The most important onion layer of them all is the federal government’s laws on standardized testing. And since NCLB says that schools can be punished for participation rates dipping below 95%, Standley Lake risks funding being swiped away for different programs or budget being cut dramatically.

Despite the efforts of the Colorado Board of Education to vindicate Colorado school districts, despite the state legislature’s attempts to protect schools for low participation, and despite how students may feel about PARCC, the federal government would be well within its rights to financially punish Standley Lake and Jefferson County for PARCC participation rates dropping so low. It’s unknown exactly what consequences the school could face as a result of falling below the magic 95% number.

“Just like an onion the whole mess is beginning to stink.”

Just like an onion, the whole mess is beginning to stink.

| Chaye Gutierrez | Gordon Saur

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50

shades of Red

the most embarassing stories from students

| Mezhgan Aslamy | Emma Medley “One time I was at a restaurant and I came up behind this girl that I thought was my mom and I gave her a hug and it wasn’t my mom.”

Emma Duran ‘17

The creators

“I jumped over a fence outside and I got a huge tear in my jeans. I walked around for two periods not noticing it. I was wondering why everyone was looking at me weird.”

Sam Noland ‘17

yearbook editors earn national recognition

They have one common goal: finish a 300 page book in eight months.

But these two are nothing alike.

Julia Connolly ‘15 does not hesitate to scream out what’s on her mind; her free spirit lights up the room and Kaylee Otava ‘15 is sophisticated and her compassion can warm all the hearts around her.

Their strengths and weaknesses balance eachother out.

Connolly and Otava are the Co-Editorsin-Chief of the Yearbook staff. The yearbook designs have been selected to be featured in a Josten’s Look Book, a book filled with the best yearbook designs, which gets sent to every yearbook staff who uses Jostens to create their yearbook. These students will be inspired by designs made by Yearbooks can be bought for $70. they Otava and Connolly.

Hey there!

will be disributed on may 20.

But, without each other, the book and class would not be such a success.

“This dynamic is so important, this class wouldn’t be a thing without this relationship,” Otava said. “We really balance each other out.”

The influence of the class and welcoming environment helped transform Otava

8 April 2015 | Issue 5

into who she is today. “Freshmen year, I didn’t talk,” she said. “If you heard three words out of me you were lucky.

And now, I’m not afraid to talk, be loud or say what I need to say. It really has changed me, I did a complete 360.”

The transformation didn’t go unnoticed.

“Kaylee was kinda in the shadows, and now she will be running around the class screaming,” Connolly said.

Along with Otava, many other students seek out room B-135 to open up and build friendships.

“Seeing the quiet people come in, laugh, open up, make friends and have a place where you can go is huge,” Connolly said. “[Adviser Ms. Jill Esposito] is a huge part of making this such a great environment. I have always appreciated her, she is someone who celebrates uniqueness and brings that energy in.

You don’t always get that in other classrooms.”

The friendship between Otava and Connolly has influenced them immensely.

“For years of stressing, I look to my left and look to my right, and I know Kaylee will be there,” Connolly said. “When I am down or stressed she is there.”

“When I was in third grade I was wearing a skirt to my class picture and everyone could see my underwear so we had to retake the whole class picture.”

Cybil LaPenna ‘16

that Celeberties gators resemble characters from walk amung us movies

| Mezhgan Aslamy | Emma Medley

English student teacher Mr. Eric Swanson- Flynn Rider from Tangled- Courtesy of: Disney.com

Yao Lin ‘16- Mulan from Mulan- Courtesy of: Disney.com

While flipping through the pages the last day of school, take a second to appreciate the determination, passion and time spent creating every page.

Otava and Connolly poured their hearts into every page of the book.

And they did it together. | Alie Settje

Duncan Tillman ‘15- Flint from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs- Courtesy of: Sonypictures.com

The cutest

#SLHSCUTEPETPICS

Here’s our favorite pet pictures shared via twitter and instagram | Mezhgan Aslamy

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QA &

with the girl who does it all

1. Mel Perea’s ‘15 dog, 2. Gavin Baker’s dog, 3. Will Murphy’s dog, 4.

Ty Schnurr’s dog, 5. Shelby Carter’s cat, 6. Lyle Cooper’s dog, 7. Melanie Cannata’s dog, 8. Adam William’s dog, 9. Emily Chhay’s dog, 10.

Bre Wakefield’s dog, 11. Chantell GordyGeorge’s dog

Senior reflects on hard work and accomplishments in basketball

The Lake: How did it feel to win first team all conference?

Torbet: It felt really great! I worked really hard this season to get to this point so it was really nice to be recognized as one of the best players, especially in such a hard conference.

The Lake: Are you playing in college?

Torbet: Well we’re still working some stuff out, but I’ll probably go to Colorado College.

Most of the schools I’m looking at are division three so they don’t offer money, so I would play but I just couldn’t get any money.

The Lake: What are the qualifications for getting first team all conference?

Torbet: All coaches meet, and they nomi-

nate you and then depending on how many votes you get depends if you get first team, second team or honorable mention. So all the coaches voted me on the team based on their votes. So the more coaches who think you’re a good player decides your placement.

The Lake: Is it hard to balance academics and sports throughout high school?

Torbet: It’s hard and a lot of late nights.

Especially on game days when you have to stay there forever but it’s rewarding to know I can do all the sports and still do my work. Of course there are nights where I’m like ‘nope I cannot do this tonight!’ Time management is a huge part of it, using your off hours and it’s all doable just hard. | Morgan Rubendall | Christina Rudolph

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The art of habit dropping Sure easter is over, so you lent-doers are indulging in all of the things you’ve given up for the 40 days. But for those of you who are dedicating themselves to giving up their worst habits, heres some tips to make it a little easier.

Acknowledge your problem and figure out when and why you do the habit.

Find an alternative or substitute for your habit. For example, if you bite your nails, chew gum.

the 5 hardest habits to break hardest Screen time Nail Biting

Accept that there will be mistakes, but they are not failures.

swearing

It will be hard. Find others that will help you with your goal, keep you accountable, and remind you of the feeling of overcoming your habit.

snacking Gossiping

Take it day by day, and be patient. | Brittany Marks

Same old same old A pair of adorable siblings, and two married science teachers throw it back Olivia koontz

natasha mccone

1991

easiest

Procrastination “Whether we were hitting each other as little as we were, or sitting next to each other smiling, there were some good memories in that green chair.”

Courtney Kauffman ‘16

2001

“We met in physics class. Yeah. It’s the dorkiest story ever.”

Ms. Julie Cassady

2015 2015

10 April 2015 | Issue 5

Clear Reality

Lisa Shileny ‘15 reads her phones during a study session.

Top 4 songs to make your day better students share their favorite feel good songs Kayla Pray

till the end by logic “The lyrics are meaningful, and it’s really upbeat and just overall a great song.”

Chosen by Nick Rosser ‘16

Sour patch kids by bryce vine “It has a really summery vibe to it and just makes you feel good.”

Chosen by Kylee Gerleve ‘17

revolution by diplo “I personally like the remix better than the original, and it just puts me in a better mood.”

Chosen by Taylor Salser ‘18

this is the house the doubt built By adtr “The lyrics are meaningful, and it’s really upbeat and just overall a great song.”

Chosen by sophia Brown ‘17

Why read a 70-yearold book? Besides the obvious that a book that age will give you a different look at life, it’s worth a second glance because of how much it has impacted other generations. Meursault, a somewhat low spirited young man drifting through his colourless life, is challenged with his thirst for something different. A neighbor, a lover, the death of an old friend, all are only the beginning to a spiral of events. Albert Camus, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote The Stranger, formally written in French, which portrays the young mind and our need to do something different in this world in a limitless manner. Upon meeting his new, mysterious neighbor, Meursault also meets the extraordinary life that could be. Camus is rightfully praised by readers everywhere for his vast imagination and for the way .that he puts everyone’s thoughts onto paper. Camus brings together how the young mind thinks and what we should do about it. No more dystopian books, here is a haunting novel written by an author worthy of the Nobel Prize that will cause you to think about how you have been living, bringing you into the clarity of reality. | Alyssa Murphy

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hopeless helpless A guide for the

and the

For those who...

can’t clean Get comfy-Put on some shorts or some comfortable sweats and a t-shirt.

Hit up Starbucks or your favorite drink stop- Crank up the music. Turn on your favorite Pandora station.

Come up with a helpful cleaning routine- Start with the easiest place in your house like the kitchen, then work your way up to the real challenge… Your room.

backpack hoard

Gather your belongings decide what essentials you need or don’t need to survive the day.

Compartmentalize - those individual pouches are your friends; put your phone, pencils, and keys in the front pocket to avoid rummaging through the bottom of your bag.

Big to Small - if you’re using a backpack, stick that 5 pound history textbook in the back of the bag and continue to pack according to size.

Meech Federico ‘17 and Hannah Frazier ‘18 show off their fresh style.

12 April 2015 | Issue 5

For those who want to strut in style Ladies: spice up your regular black tee with a scarf. Scarves add color and fun to a usual boring outfit and there’s so many different ways to tie it and make it look unique to you.

Add that leather jacket to give your style more of an edgy feel to it along with some sassy earrings to give the rest of your outfit more of a dressy look.

Guys: push aside your everyday basketball shorts and add a button up or sweater with your favorite casual but dressy pants.

Add a nice gold watch or classy belt to your outfit to tie everything together. So show off a little bit of that hipster in you and strut your stuff down that pink hallway.

| Morgan Rubendall

drop when they shop

Make a list of everything that you need, not want- before buying it, ask yourself “Do I need this?”.

If you do, buy away. If not, quickly put it down and walk away.

Shop by yourself- going with friends will make you want to buy things you don’t need.

Never shop when you are hungry, tired, upset, or bored- At that point you are just buying to buy. | Alyssa Murphy | Morgan Rubendall | Patty Sokol

for the green-thumb lackers

for the procrastinators

Water with caution- You never want to under or over water a piece of greenery, especially succulents- the less you water, the more vibrant they’ll be.

Be generous with light- Remember biology class and that stuff called chloroplast? Yeah, every plant, anywhere, needs a few rays of sunshine here and there.

Nurture appropriately- Make sure you are aware of the specific nutrients your plant needs. Soil types vary from plants used to dryer or more humid environments, and pot efficiently- nobody likes confined spaces.

And of course, appreciate them- they’re allowing you to breath easier.

Make a To-Do list and prioritize your list-Put your most important things first that absolutely need to get done, and let the small stuff work its way to the bottom of the list. Put similar things in the same category in your list Use a calendar/organizer/planner and set mini deadlines for yourself- Keep track of what you need to do so you’re don’t have to worry about forgetting what you need to doDon’t plan too much at one time: Don’t stress yourself out! Keep your todo’s to a maximum of 7 things a day.

Don’t over-plan and leave some time for yourself- Don’t forget to take care of yourself while managing everything on top of it.

Your well being is more important than any task you need to get done.

| Emily Leo | Kayla Pray

For the ones that burn water

Bagels are the answer to any cooking question. Here’s bagels that are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner any day.

a messy bagel breakfast

Make an over easy egg by breaking it into a nonstick skillet on low heat. Cook slowly until whites are completely firm and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard.

Set the egg aside while you heat up two turkey sausage patties, and cut them in half.

Toast one everything-bagel in the toaster, pile on the egg, sausage halves, and a cheese of your liking.

Press down on the bagel until the yolk on the egg pops and enjoy.

pizza bagel bites Preheat oven to 450.

For the pizza sauce, combine 3 oz Tomato Paste, 1/2 cup Water, 1/8 cup, Olive Oil, 1 tsp Minced Garlic, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1/2 tsp Basil, 1/8 tsp Oregano, 1/4 tsp Salt.

Split 3 mini bagels, place on oven rack and toast for 3 minutes. Top each with the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni minis.

Place on cookie sheet and bake until cheese is melted and starting to brown (about 10 15 minutes). Remove and garnish with | Brittany Marks basil.

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Sports

Kicking tradition

Girls soccer set new standards when six freshmen make team Every athlete’s goal is to make varsity at some point in their high school career. Varsity is known as the upperclassman team, but this year six freshmen made varsity and kicked those standards aside.

“Usually I get about three quarters of the game [in playing time],” Shannon Patrick ‘18 said.

One of Patrick’s teammate, Emily Naysmith ‘18, pictured above, also plays majority of the game. “I usually play the entire game,” Naysmith said.

This is the biggest group of freshmen in four years.

“The freshmen and upperclassmen, in my opinion, get along very well,” Naysmith said. “There haven’t been any problems.”

The team has made it to playoffs every year for the past four years, so it’s up to the team this year to keep that streak going.

“I think that if we work hard and play with all we have, play with a lot of passion and most importantly play as a team that the playoffs are definitely an achievable goal.”

Naysmith said .

Girls Soccer

14 April 2015 | Issue 5

If you want to see the Gators in action, head down to the NAAC for a home game. | Hannah Jensen

field of dreams Rockies’ fans need faith

Baseball During the spring break tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, the baseball team had a 1-3 record. Brandon Maher ‘16 is leading the team in batting and is second in 4A Jeffco in batting average with .571.

Boys Track The boys track team strives to beat their personal records this season. Ryan Seberg ‘15 is surpassing his past time on the 400 meter, making his new personal record :54. Trevor Smith ‘17 is dedicating his season to becoming faster, especially in the difficult 1600 m, with a PR of 4:45.

A sports column

Jamey Burky It’s baseball season, and that means for Rockies fans, it’s time to endure another year of hell.

The Rockies are abysmal, year after year they remind fans how not to play baseball, making the playoffs just 3 times in their 22 year history.

The other team that started playing in 1993 with the Rockies, the Miami (then Florida) Marlins have won 2 World Series already. It’s tough for Rockies fans.

Not surprisingly, fans last year started a movement via social media to boycott the Rockies in hopes of motivating the front office to improve the team, thankfully the idea failed. The Rockies are no better this year, and with losing players like Michael Cuddyer to free agency, they look to be worse. Nonetheless, Rockies fans, don’t boycott the team. Sit in the green and purple seats at Coors Field and tough it out from April to September.

Girls Golf

The girls golf team is ranked currently 5th in state averaging overall with a score of 460. Jacqui Dunnigan ‘15 is ranked 10th and Courtney Kauffman ‘16 is ranked 11th in state. The girls will finish off the season on April 27th and May 4th.

Girls Track Caitlin Torgerson `15 placed 1st in Pole Vault, 1st in Long Jump, and 1st in Triple Jump along with a new school record. Torgerson was awarded with the Overall Girls Field MVP at the Arvada City Championship meet. Freshman Veronica Petrillo `18 finished the 200 m with a time of 30.16 at the Mountain Range Mustang Invitational.

Girls Tennis

Girl’s tennis is ranked 2-1 in League with an overall score of 2-2. First singles player Rachel Nguyen ‘18 has a 4-0 record, having won against George Washington, Evergreen, D’Evelyn and Arvada West. She has taken the place of her sister, Paulina Nguyen ‘16, whom has been first singles for the past two years. “I feel like [the season] is going pretty good,” Nguyen said. “It has been a fun season. I’m hoping to win more.”

Boys swimming Swimmers Thomas Mayer ‘16, Sean Rocha ‘15, Jonah Staton ‘17, and Ralston Valley student Kayman Miller ‘16 qualified to compete at the state championship for their 400 meter freestyle relay and 200 meter medley relay in the Jeffco Tri Meet, against Lakewood and Ralston Valley on Friday, March 20. The team overall placed 2nd.

When a team is low in attendance and not making money, the Owner isn’t going to ask him or herself, “Oh, I better make sure we get better players!” They’ll say to themselves, “This city has failed as a market, time to move!”

You don’t want to lose your team, you don’t.

Just ask me.

My favorite city is losing my favorite team. It’s been a long, grueling process, but it seems the St. Louis Rams’ 20th season in St. Louis could be the last as Stan Kroenke plans to move us back to Los Angeles, the city the Rams called home from 1946 to 1994. If and when the team moves, I’m still going to be a fan, I’ll still wear those jerseys as much as possible, I don’t care where the Rams are, I’ll love them no matter what.

Still, it hurts. It hurts to know that a team you’ve loved for 10 years, known for 10 years as the St. Louis Rams, is leaving your favorite city because of attendance. From 1999-2006, the Rams were selling out game after game, we regularly were among the league’s best teams, but since 2006 the Rams have never won more than half of their games, let alone making the playoffs. Fans stopped showing up, attendance plummeted. Things got so bad that tickets to the Rams’ home game against the Raiders were starting at $4 a ticket.

Now I’ll cheer for them for the rest of my life, but it still hurts. Rockies fans, as bad as things will get, and they’ll get bad, tough it out. You don’t want to lose your team.

15

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lidepublissul after slide,consus frame se after frame,ego James shows everyRorudem nocchi, potaMcAvoy diorte nihilina, quam, of his classes the that he hasret gathered vitil utone de ad confernihil us,memories sentero, eoremula a venat.from his almostdica; countless Europe.

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Hus ad“Travel maccion ducid senstarbit, elius, pulerobse,it exopens up ca thevo, mind and makes youconum more accepting; poses you erum to different things,” teacher Mr. James quam int viviris iu es re nium Social terox Studies sissenium moverunum McAvoy said. proxim nonemer feresce rcermius fici in derenter ingulestam. es es nonsulis.

Asdam caetimes consuppliam molut vives When most can countaucesse how many they haveacidere been out of the country on their has apubi harder time doing so, although aucto mus fingers, horum Mr. mei McAvoy pravoli, mei iu vena, C. Marioratil viris he is only 37que years conequis, praold. no. Sp. Sa puliaciis, qua L. Ac ia iam ium Palessed C. Ahalaridite octum France, consigit.Spain, Germany, Switzer“Well, in Europecontusa I’ve beenquam to England, land, Poland, Czech Republic, and Italy,” McAvoy Mulari publius pernium pra Hungary, diena, C. Slovakia, Tidi, consum is, non Itam. said.

“Oh vero and Morocco but that’sdiontem in Northern Africa.” clatuus, hor atilici patis, atanum ia? An Etratio, Caturnum ninatus, Ti. Iptiae ad il ad cienter defacentis Mr. McAvoy has made it a goal tocaetem help students gain oricam the experience he acchuct sernum se di sedium, es co terum ta rei creviris was givenamprox in high school. intemus nos et crebefac mo confertuae tus cercerei pratus pra Sente “I was in the German Exchange Program for a month,” McAvoy said. forteliswhat rei sedo, vividefecia nes con senente, “That’s gave nonsulint? me my tasteBefacer of traveling and I want to return that ducio, noctu dum nemodienica; et inprati mpoente opportunity to es mytem students because it meant so much to me.” conos, sendic viverni in dere atra? Apere con hactalibem paretia considiu Almost every year, Mr. McAvoy goes with students on a tour of Europe consignatu known as thesen APpecupica; Euro Trip.es constra, us; immorum. Sendiu sidiis vic rem in ventermis, uterfex num Rompra reo, se me in ignondam in“Exposure to [the different cultures] is an experience, inemusa but I also clude nihilico terividiemum quit pris in amazing tum ad patiendam try to make them realize what they are capable of,” McAvoy said. pra publis, int.

Throughout these nos trips,conduci McAvoy not only lets theTi.students and Fes entra, quam bulari patilnem, C. Oc, explore vit verimus soak everything foreign re, around them, also challenges them by anti,insente, quod fitabis contis es inheEtrorur oravehem adhuius putting them in situations in which they would have to use what they orebatis pratus bonvem ad con Itas novidem erest iam, nem que nor learned from the trip to complete. ustis caedeesciis horum patus consimo rudenatra viu quam sen“Sometimes will just beOx on moer the metro I will tell them get us diu con vidwe iam seribus. atodand nequamquem demtotiumed back to the hotel,” McAVoy said.

“It can be a bit difficult if you in meribemus haliam vem tem etra verum sis. Omnesce rfeside are fuem tem audam iam, foribus, que vesciamdit. Serudere, C. Vivirternum crem intes comac tem medem perena, nor los scribefactum audam manductume abem nos, Cata re mactuus etisque nonsi issenatus.

Ivitalarbis, co mor ut acre quam, Catam et aus acta, que aursulture ia nos, quam. Ximplicae in tandiemur. Ad Catemqu iderum horecer estrum ad culuterent. Sp. Go Cates bonoximis? Palare, corum dio-

Hungary and you don’t speak Hungarian.”

Not only does McAvoy try to help his students grow through traveling experiences, he also teaches them in the classroom in a way that helps students learn from his own personal mistakes.

“In college, I wasn’t the best student,” he said. “I actually flunked out of my first college. But it made me grow up quite a bit.”

McAvoy came out of high school knowing that he wanted to be a high school teacher, but not for social studies which he teaches now.

“I was always a social studies nerd but I went to school to be a chemistry teacher,” McAvoy said. “It was actually one of my chemistry teachers in my first college that inspired me to do something different with my life.”

Throughout his first college years, McAvoy was used to how easily everything came to him as it did in high school.

“High school came easy to me,” he said. “I had potential but I just didn’t use it. I flunked out of college because I relied on reliability, which you can’t do outside of high school. I was smart but lazy, which I see all the time.”

After flunking out of his first college, changing his field of study from chemistry to social studies, and realizing how to actually do school, McAvoy can now teach his students what not to do.

“My teaching is based off of everything I have ever done,” he said. “Is teaching an art or a science? I think it is an art. You have to use all of your past experiences to teach students.”

McAvoy teaches his students through experiences they gain themselves and the experience that he himself experienced. Like McAvoy said, teaching is an art.

path The less traveled

| Alyssa Murphy

|Alyssa Murphy

Mr. James McAvoy opens up new age of learning, basing his lessons off of his own experiences.

17

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she belongs in the

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who run the world? ow

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up

make me a

sandwich take

it

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18 April 2015 | Issue 5

li k e

man

“Know your place”

MAN HAT E R

m e f

did you see

kitchen wwhaetasrheinwags ? f e m inism man = she was

er

bo y et to g

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to

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asking

for it.

BOYS

don’’t cr y

he h e as

as i t ie r

Equality is a

battleground Issues with feminism and “meninism” lead to heated debate

Having a conversation about gender roles is like navigating a minefield. Put men and women in the same room, then ask them which gender has it easier in life, which gender is superior, what feminism is. Everything gets heated.

Issues women face include a wage gap, job and educational discrimination, and societal inferiority through sexualization. Advocating for gender equality is feminism, the social, political, and economical equality of men and women.

Adverse to feminism is what has become known on social media as “meninism,” which pleads for the equality of men. In society, men face challenges dealing with fitting into masculine stereotypes and expectations.

A disparaging mentality that sparks the battle is how both parties don’t acknowledge the other’s struggles, labeling issues as insignificant while proving that one gender is above the other. “[Men] are not being suppressed here,” Marie Boltz ’16 said. “Have you looked at the political spectrum throughout history at all? And honestly, when there is equal gender equality, there shouldn’t be judgement towards men for being ‘un-masculine.’ Feminism is for both genders.”

Many people don’t consider feminism as inclu-

sive to men. There is a stigma associated with feminism, causing many people to think of it as a radical ideology. There is a false definition of what feminism really is and what it stands for.

“I’d say feminism is not something made up, but I feel like it’s not real,” Myles Kilnes ‘16 said. “Feminism is an excuse of women to be mad at men.”

Kilnes doesn’t agree with the ideologies of feminism, but he also doesn’t agree with the principles of meninism. Kilnes sees the issues genders face as a part of humanity and living, believing that everyone faces challenges, although there is a difference in how each sex handles them. Kilnes argues that women are simply more outspoken about their challenges.

“feminism is for both genders” -Marie Boltz ‘16

“[Meninism is] kind of the same thing as feminism,” Nordman said. “I’m pretty much neutral for both. If you want to be a feminist, be a feminist.

Want to be a meninist?

Then be one.”

Boltz also sees invalidity in the views set forth by meninism, stating that it is a creation of men feeling threatened by women not putting up with their harassment.

He regards the philosophies to be similar since, although he associates feminism to be for women and meninism to be for men, their goals are in theory the same..

“You don’t need to create [meninism],” Boltz said. “It’s basically fighting women, and it’s just [men] thinking that they are being suppressed.”

Meninism focuses on hardships men face, and a majority of men feel as though girls exaggerate their problems and refuse to see what men go through as well. Societal expectations seem to limit men from being emotional or associating themselves with anything considered to be overly feminine.

While Boltz disregards the validity of meninism, and Kilnes views feminism and meninism to be illegitimate, Jesse Nordman ‘15 acknowledges the existence of both.

“Women are viewed as nurturers and men are viewed as suppliers,” Nordman said. “But I

19

guess it could be either way. Men can be nurturers, too.”

Nordman extends gender stereotypes to sports and the idea that men belong on the field and women belong in the kitchen, disregarding societal boundaries.

“There are all these stereotypes,” Nordman said. “I don’t believe in stereotypes. Be who you want.”

tc

all

*

Similarly, Kilnes doesn’t feel the societal pressure to fit into gender stereotypes or to be someone he isn’t. He points out that, while he considers himself to be a tough football player through his passion for the sport, he’d just as likely be a dancer if he had the capability.

* ca

His ability to be himself is led through his self confidence, a trait women notoriously, and stereotypically, lack. While confidence doesn’t make him feel superior to women, he notes that many women view themselves to be above men.

“Guys face women saying we’re inconsiderate [jerks] and we know nothing and we’re terrible to society,” Kilnes said. I definitely see men and women as equal. I feel like in a school like this we face the same obstacles and we all get fair treatment. I don’t see sexism happening in the school because I feel like each sex faces different problems.”

Boltz disagrees, acknowledging that, while men definitely have problems they deal with, women face much harsher challenges on a daily basis. For example, she feels that she has been viewed as less intelligent because she wears skirts and dresses “girly”.

This is an example of slut shaming, where a woman is essentially shamed by society for her choice in wardrobe alongside her sex life.

Kilnes counters Boltz’claim stating that, a woman’s outfit doesn’t demote her intelligence or sexuality; it increases educational performance.

Nordman shares a different viewpoint on an individual’s choice in wardrobe.

“I feel like you should be able to wear whatever you want,” Nordman said. “If you want to be nude, you ahead and be nude, walk around naked, that’s up to you.”

Nordman is accepting of diversity, and doesn’t limit it to a specific gender; he doesn’t support double standards.

20 April 2015 | Issue 5

Women see that men are ridiculed for pursuing passions that

is

sh good for not e hi ng

r e h d? on erio p

the

411 on feminism in a poll conducted by huffington post,

26% 29% 37%

of people consider feminism to be a positive term considered it a neutral term

@MeninistTweet

803 K followers

considered it a negative term

for every 5 boys enrolled in primary school, only 4 girls are enrolled

The U.S. is the only industrialized country not to offer paid maternity leave to all workers info from hufffington post, armchairadvocates.com

21 21

me dirt on it rub so d o yo u even lift, b r o? may not be viewed as masculine to society. Many women don’t view that to be a legitimate challenge, yet many women complain that society does not allow them to be themselves either, tagged with unequal pay, sexualization and discrimination.

On top of that, men are often falsely stereotyped to be inconsiderate jerks who use women without an ounce of respect.

“If you’re a super supreme [feminist], like you think you’re better than men, and that men are total scum, then I will argue with you.” Nordman said. “I will tell you your spot and my spot.”

FEMINIST hannah white ‘18

The debate about gender equality is harrowing and moves in endless circles. This is because each gender faces issues. Women may always believe that they face much rougher issues and men may always disagree, or agree and let the obstacles take their course. l

Women still get paid 77 cents to every man’s dollar. Feminism is alive and well

| Sarah Bennett, Nicole Heetland, Sabrina Pacha, Kayla Pray, Ripley Ricketts, Jazmyn Ruybal, Patty Sokol, Sophia Stimpfl

Carley Coxsey ‘16 once everyone stops fighting and categorizing themselves as feminists and meninists. the labels seperate the genders even more.

22 April 2015 | Issue 5

menINIST Nick rosser ‘16 ‘meninism” is a term to get rid of unfair double standards.

Tyler Davis ‘15 Femininists should push to be better than, not equal to, which proves that men are better.

y pr et t

there and l d n oo k sta 2. norway

31. USA 162. GuineaBissau

here is a map displaying the best and worst countries in terms of women’s rights 164. Afghanistan

163. Niger 1. Australia

3. New Zealand

23

ievferyone matters ...

It speaks to something inside all of us.

It’s the vibe that shakes the ground that one day in April.

It’s the message that twelve students spread throughout Standley Lake High School in 2007. Social Studies teacher Mr. Ben Thompson accompanied the twelve students to create a day of peace.

Now he continues work with English teacher Mr. Ben Reed and Social Studies teacher Ms. Christy Hayashi along with students in Peace Jam to promote non violence in their communities through A Day Without Hate (DWOH) Each year, the tradition carries forward at Standley Lake as the DWOH committee plans to engage students together in a rally to celebrate the district wide event.

Mr. Thompson prepared to participate in planning the DWOH rally for 2014 school year

24 April 2015 | Issue 5

teacher brings dwoh to school in mexico

but one slight obstacle stood in his way. He was in Guadalajara, Mexico, at a school called The American Foundation School Guadalajara, approximately 1300 miles away from Standley Lake for a chance to teach out of the country.

As he taught at ASFG, Mr. Thompson challenged his students to bring DWOH from Colorado to Mexico. Thompson didn’t let his change of environment stop him from participating in DWOH during the 2014 school year.

Instead, he brought DWOH with him. Never had those twelve students in 2007 thought that they would create a message that a student in Mexico would one day stand by.

“Day Without Hate has touched a nerve,” Thompson said. And so the powerful message spreads. The message spread to the Jefferson County school district, Colorado and states across America until it could no longer be kept within United States’ borders. The American Foundation School Guadalajara (ASFG) in Mexico now recognizes DWOH.

“I was able to see instant changes during our DWOH,” Claudia Padilla, a student at ASFG said. Padilla was one of the few students who worked very closely with Mr. Thompson to bring DWOH to ASFG in Mexico. “Teachers and students were very happy and transmitting a positive vibe through the whole week,” Padilla said. “I also got to see people who’ve never talked to each other, talking,” she said. “I got to see people forgiving and/or asking for forgiveness for hurting others through the letters of amends. Everyone was touched by the event and had a smile on their faces.”

“I was running around, so excited going, ‘It feels just like DWOH’,” Thompson said. “I kept saying that to people and people are like, ‘I don’t know what that feels like, I’ve never had a DWOH.’” Padilla had a similar experience.

“I felt goosebumps through the whole event,” Padilla said, “It was exciting to see so many people smile and everybody cherishing who

they really are,” Padilla said.

Although the physical presence of the schoolwas different, DWOH remained an interchangeable vibe whether it was celebrated in Westminster or Guadalajara. “There were only 300 kids in the school, so it’s much smaller, but, it was exactly the same feeling,” Thompson said.

Just like it is here, their DWOH was a day of unity. The students at ASFG held activities, a letter of amends station, a cookie making station, a stage for students to recite poems as they wish, a tie-dye station, and the students even created a mural. “It’s nothing different,” Thompson said. “DWOH is about unity, respect, and nonviolence in your school.”

Last year was ASFG’s first DWOH. “It was really the first time that they had done anything to benefit their own school,” Thompson said.

“Because that’s what DWOH is about. DWOH is not about benefitting an outside cause, but changing and benefitting the environment that you spend all day in.”

This certainly was not ASFG’s last DWOH. Padilla and the staff and students at ASFG decided to hold another DWOH for the 2015 school year.

“This year was larger than last year because we had more activities planned,” Padilla said.

“Also, I made it more official by giving an opening speech and a moment of silence for all those times we’ve felt alone or excluded.”

Isolated, lost hurt, confused--many students are aware of the feeling. DWOH recognizes peace, unity and love to remind students that they are not alone.

“There is a lot of bullying, there is a lot of cyber bullying, there are a lot of exclusions and ‘This is my group’ and ‘That is your group’ and those are all forms of violence,” Mr. Thompson said. “And so what DWOH has to be about is that when there is conflict, we need to solve these problems nonviolently through team building, through talking, understanding, through counseling.”

One by one, students in Jefferson County, in Colorado, in the United States, in Mexico and other areas around the globe slowly recognize DWOH. They recognize their right to flip the T.V. on and not have to read the devastating headlines ever again.

this year’s

rally

There have been some changes to DWOH...

What is the Rally?

The rally is an awesome time for students from all over the district to come together for a night and celebrate peace with students from all over!

Who will be performing?

Defy You Stars, Rumours Follow, and Garkow will be playing. Jonny 5, Brer Rabbit, and Kenny O of the Flobots will be speaking as well.

Where is it?

The district rally is coming home! Instead of Jeffco Stadium, this year’s rally will be held here at Standley Lake.

Columbine. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook.

Not one more.

“I don’t care if your school is in Westminster, Texas, Mexico, or Zimbabwe,” Thompson said.

“Every kid deserves to go to a school that practices unity, that people are treated with respect, and young people find nonviolent solutions to their conflicts.” l | Mezhgan Aslamy |

When is it?

Students are allowed to enter at 5:00 p.m., the rally itself begins at 6:00 pm.

Why should I go?

The rally is always an awesome night of music, peace and a time when everyone, no matter how different they might be, for one night, everyone is the same.

25

no oneis

One left. And another.

And another.

But he didn’t leave.

As a worker at Retreat at Church Ranch, an assisted living community for the elderly, Tyler Wiseman ’15 was meant to be a kitchen assistant. Nothing more. Yet, he became so much more to the residents at Retreat. Retreat was blindsided by employees who, without notice, stopped showing up to work. Suddenly, Retreat was short on workers.

“They [the residents] were hurt when there weren’t as many of us around,” Wiseman said.

“They see the same people everyday, they need people coming in and talking with them. I even like to go in on my days off and talk with them. They need people coming in and talking with them consistently, or else they start to lose your grip.”

One thing lead to another, the more workers that left, the more depressed residents felt, and eventually, after becoming depressed, 14 residents died.

The theme for DWOH 2015 is ‘If everyone matters, then no one is forgotten.’

Wiseman makes sure that the residents aren’t forgotten.

“Someone needs to be there for them,” Wiseman said. “For some of these people, their families just dropped them off and said ‘Have fun’ and pay the bill once a month. So they don’t have a lot of people to talk to so they need people to talk to, people who are always there. I could be one of those people.”

Wiseman became emotional when talking about it, the reality of losing not 14 expendable objects for his job, but 14 people---14 friends.

“It was difficult for those of us who stayed,” he said. “The people who were new were like ‘Oh it happens’ but those of who stayed, knew them.”

When Wiseman was at his lowest with Retreat, he could have easily left, just like those before him, but he didn’t. He stayed.

Everyone faces harsh times, and everyone needs someone else to pick them up--to make them feel loved. Residents will come and go at Retreat, but when the new residents arrive, Wiseman will greet them with his infectious smile. He’ll make them feel loved, feel like they matter. He’ll make sure that they aren’t forgotten. l | Jamey Burky |

26 April 2015 | Issue 5

is

forg

senior cares fo when no one wo

is

gotten ... for elderly would

| Mezhgan Aslamy | Jamey Burky | Natasha McCone | Ty Milliken

27

are you there, god? it’s me, standley lake. staff members of the lake immerse themselves into new religious experiences what happens when you leave the church you’ve attended with your family your whole life? what happens when you explore a buddhist temple, a baha’i circle and a scientology center? this happens.

28 April 2015 | Issue 5

fueling the good karma connecting with krishna message at hindu temple Standing in the corner of a Hindu temple, I witnessed the strangest, yet most intriguing sight of my life. For a while I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around it--why these people were so happy.

These people were passionately dancing to the beat of the Mridangams, Indian drums, and Manjiras, small hand cymbals.

These people were chanting loudly, chanting the name their beloved God, Krishna.

These people are the Krishnas, a sector of Hinduism in which one realizes the soul’s true spiritual identity.

The beat of the drums and chanting was infectious, as was their spirit. Although I was skeptical, there was an unexplainable emotion that overcame me, in which I wanted to chant along, and I did.

Over the span of about an hour, we continuously repeated “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. It was inspiring, empowering one could say. I really felt connected with what these people were so animated about.

And then everyone dropped to the ground. It suddenly became obvious to anyone watching that I had never been here before. Kneeling on the ground, words were exchanged from the monk to the crowd in Hindu--and spiritual discussion began.

The monk spoke very smoothly, he was in no rush to get to the focal point of his speech about peace. I was intrigued by his words, being that he spoke quite a bit about nature--something that I am very connected to myself.

At the end of his speech, and after a few questions from the audience, the chanting resumed while monks in training began setting out the feast that had been spoken very highly of the entire evening.

Once the feast began, I unfortunately had to leave the atmosphere I had grown so accustomed to over the course of the evening.

“and then everyone dropped to the ground. it suddenly became obvious to anyone watching that i had never been here before.”

Reflecting upon my experience at the Hindu temple, there was a very open atmosphere, one that radically differs from the strict almost judgmental church that I attend.

One of three elaborate shrines stand out in the otherwise plain temple.

| Meg Metzger-Seymour

29

breaking the routine a life-long christian leaves comfort and ventures into the world of baha’i

but what’s the diff in christianity? christianity eastern orthodox

roman catholic

protestant

Self-governing Christian churches that incorporate elements of Greek, Middle-Eastern, Russian, and Slavic cultures (including russian & greek orthodox).

Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the papacy, represented in the belief that the Pope, based in Rome, is the successor to Saint Peter, whom Christ appointed as the first head of his church.

A reformatory movement of the Roman Catholic Church beginning in the 17th century emphasizing a holy life, individual study of scripture, & better training of ministers.

We sat in a circle and began the service with a blind woman playing a harp, leading the rest in a prayer song. Some of us sang, some of us didn’t. More people showed up, and more people joined in.

An older lady closed her eyes and mumbled along. A man with baggy pants and some tattoos shut his eyes and sang along. A young woman, who we learned recently became a certified nurse, did not sing, but read along in her book.

Diverse individuals quickly became one unified Bahai group.

What started as another bust, ended in an hour of spiritual conversations and insights. As a new faith, originating just under 200 years ago, we hadn’t heard much about the Bahai religion. We quickly learned that it was home to those who believed in all the manifestations, or prophets, like Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad, but also believed in the most recent manifestation, Bahaulallah. Bahaulallah explained that all the religions of the world came from one God, but were different chapters that were necessary during different times and places.

The members of the group emphasized the necessity of unification of religion to reveal one God. And this was evident to how welcoming the group was, from the diversity of their own members, to their warm smiles to us newcomers. | Sabrina Pacha

30 April 2015 | Issue 5

A Baha’i Church member speaks about his spiritual journey. After years of practicing the Catholic faith, he converted to the Baha’i faith.

on a mission

my islamic life

embracing unfamiliarity in mormonism

an orthodox take on a controversial religion

One of my best friends since fourth grade is Mormon so before embarking on a week-long exploration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormonism), I assumed I had a fairly solid interpretation of the faith.

The whole 16 years I’ve been on this Earth, I’ve lived a life of Eids and Ramadans, I’ve had to pass on the pepperoni pizza more times than I can even remember, and I’ve learned how to fashionably wear a headscarf - though I only wear it twice a year.

I definitely understood the basics of Mormonism: a restored Christian church founded in the 19th Century by Joseph Smith that emphasizes the importance of Jesus Christ as the savior and follows doctrine established by the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

I identify myself as a Muslim. Although not a practicing one (I don’t cover my body headto-toe, or pray five times a day), I was still raised with the religion’s belief system and follow some of the customs; I fast from dawn till dusk for Ramadan, I’ve never had a taste of pork in my life (yes, that means I’ve never had bacon), and I can never get a tattoo, ever.

The gray areas in my knowledge of Mormonism came in the practices and more subtle (and often criticised) beliefs of the religion. Full disclosure--some of my initial conceptions about Mormonism were based on the hilarious but completely exaggerated and offensive musical, The Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon (the musical), which depicts two eccentric missionaries trying to convert everyone they encounter on their path to salvation. It, exemplifies the ridicule many Mormon beliefs encounter because of either misunderstanding or ignorance.

While there are some strict guidelines that some may consider “unusual,”, most of the practices I encountered were conservative but moderate.

Mormons abstain from alcohol, tea, and coffee, so I was thankful that unlike many high school students, I’m not completely addicted to Starbucks. Other than that, daily practices of the church are similar to many other religions.

Sundays are devoted to worship, so there’s usually 3-4 hours of church followed by a calm day intended for rest and reflection. One night a week, girls between the ages of 12-17 attend a youth organization called “Young Women” that’s lessons vary from serious discussions about church doctrine to fun activities.

On the night I attended, the group had a cooking competition that my friend and I surprisingly won. The experience may not have been very enlightening in terms of religion, but it definitely proved many assumptions about the church wrong.

Mormon beliefs are different than the ones I’m used to, but they were interesting and different from much of the information I thought I knew to be true. I guess satirical musicals aren’t always 100% accurate. | Christina Rudolph

For a few years of my childhood life, I went to Sunday School at the local Mosque every week where I learned different aspects of Islam. My classmates and I would read the Quran, were taught how to pray, indulged in the history of Islam, and even learned Arabic alphabet.

A major ideal the teachers would tell us in every session was that Islam strongly believes in the oneness of god (Allah). It views Jesus as a prophet, similar to Muhammad or Moses, and not as the son of God. Although I admit I don’t follow all of the Islamic fundamentals, the time I spent learning about Islam is what gave me a spiritual understanding about my religion and this belief about God. I know, this whole thing sounds very strange… with today’s perspective towards Islam and its radicals, it’s hard to believe that there are other types of Muslims out in the world who obtain a different outlook.

Nowadays people have this negative preconception of Muslims, and those who might not know much about the religion might classify them as being from the Middle East. Therefore I just want to clarify one thing, not all Muslims are Arab. Not all Arabs are Muslim. And not all Muslims are terrorists.

My mom was born in Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest Islamic population, and was raised as traditional Muslim. However, she wasn’t brought up with strict religious values.

In Indonesia, there are fewer rigid restrictions for Muslims and it’s more based on personal interpretations. For example, If you wanted to wear a headscarf, go ahead! And if you didn’t, that was fine, too. My grandmother always told my mom that religion was something you held in your heart and that was passed down to me.

Ida Sokol celebrates the end of Ramadan.

Sokol was raised a traditional muslim, but defies American stereotypes.

My dad was a white Catholic from Nebraska when he met my mom. After a few years together, when they decided to get married, my Dad began to let go of his Catholic traditions and take on some of the Muslim ones, as well.

While I was growing up my brother and I went to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap and searched for eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny, something unheard of for Muslim children.

Because of my Dad’s Catholic background, we still participated in Easter and Christmas but treated them more as a family gathering than a religious holiday.

My family is a rare blend of diversity that is hard to put a label on. I think that added to why we aren’t practicing Muslims, there are different dynamics and traditions and cultures all wrapped into each and every one of us Human identities are complex but they are important; how we define ourselves can have deep significance to us. As confusing as the reasoning may be, I still consider myself a Muslim, because it’s part of what makes me who I am, and that’s all there is to it. | Patty Sokol

31

forgetting behind the pentagram fear loving god found at jewish shabbat

despite misconceptions and prejudice, wiccans advocate harmony

It all started with a bust- a Saturday morning trip to what I thought would be a large, welcoming Shabbat service ended up being a house with a few cars and two frightened reporters.

That’s right- we chickened out, and come on, it was a house with three, maybe four cars, parked outside. Too awkward for us.

I consider myself a fairly open-minded person, but while preparing to attend a Wiccan ceremony on the top floor of a Unitarian Church on Colfax, I was nervous.

After some better research, we found Congregation Har Hashem in Boulder. As we were driving westbound on Highway 36, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. Here were two Christian raised girls about to go into a service that would be led in a foreign language about a foreign subject. Except that’s exactly where we went wrong with our thinking.

The Shabbat service was anything but foreignit was full of music, families, and beautiful prayers, praising God and His wonders.

Beginning the service by welcoming the princess of Shabbat, an uplifting Hebrew song was sang and we all turned towards the door. The analogy was that God is as happy and welcoming to have you as a groomsman is to welcome his bride. Simple, yet meaningful.

The service continued with Hebrew prayers and songs, and I continued to immerse and observe. I observed the little three year old girl dancing in the aisles to a slow prayer song. I observed the aging man, propped cane on the side of his chair, muttering the Hebrew words.

I observed the young women in the seat in front of me pull out a tissue as a memorial prayer began. I observed humans uniting for an extraordinary, inhuman force--God.

Wiccanism (or Neo-paganism) is subject to more scrutiny and stereotyping than practically every other religion that is commonly practised.

Part of this is because of Wiccanism’s very small following--less than 1% of the population of the United States--but much of the fear associated with Wiccanism is caused by exaggerated misconceptions about the religion.

Catherine Mock, a clergy-member of the Wiccan /pagan Hearthstone Community Church, told me that the biggest misconception about pagans is that they worship Satan. This completely contradicts the actual beliefs of pagans, who don’t even acknowledge the existence of Satan and instead worship many gods and goddesses, none of which are all-evil.

Walking into an Open Full Moon ceremony at Hearthstone Community Church, I had no idea what to expect. I enlisted two friends to come with me in an attempt to ease my nerves, but I think we were all oblivious to what would actually happen at the ceremony.

Chairs were arranged in large circle in the

middle of the room and five leaders dressed in all white greeted people as they arrived. The ceremony was dedicated to Inanna, the goddess of love, fertility, and warfare. After cleansing the circle with water, salt, and rosemary, the leaders told stories, sang songs, and danced in honor of Inanna.

Essentially, all of my worries before going to the ceremony were completely unfounded and wrong. Paganism focusses on making a connection with the divine and everything on Earth, especially with nature and the elements. They don’t wear all black, they aren’t all emotionally unstable, and they aren’t a cult.

So now that all of my previous “knowledge” about Wiccanism had been disproven, I had to start rebuilding my perception of the religion.

When asked about how paganism influences her daily life, Mock simply responded, “Not any more than any other religion.”

While many pagans try to adhere to a local and organic diet, there are no official food restrictions or strict guidelines for a pagan lifestyle.

One of the most unique and important aspects of paganism is the research into the tenets and history of the church that is required to fully experience the religion.

“You can’t just become a pagan,” Mock said.

“You have to study and that never ends.”

Many religions are misunderstood, but in my opinion, Wicca is probably the most stigmatized religion in our society. Movie exaggerations and judgements from misinformed critics infiltrated my beliefs to the point I was scared to even witness a ceremony.

What I learned at the Jewish Shabbat service is that despite a foreign language, a book that is read right to left, or the yarmulke which rests upon the mens’ heads, humans are just that, and we all long for a loving, everlasting, powerful, graceful, forgiving, divine presence, and through this divine presence, we long to find the strength to best mirror this divine presence.

Wiccan beliefs are very different from common Christian ideals, but my experiences with pagans were informative, engaging, and relaxed.

For a split second before walking into the pagan ceremony, I honestly thought I might encounter some kind of extremist cult. Apparently I wasn’t as open-minded as I thought.

| Sabrina Pacha

| Christina Rudolph

32 April 2015 | Issue 5

The sun dips behind the Flatirons at the Congregation Har Hashem. The evening service featured music, a sermon, and recognition of a bar mitzvah.

“for a split second. . . I honestly thought i might encounter some kind of extremist cult.”

discovering dharma buddhism exposes tranquil living I was at peace with the thought of attending a Buddhist gathering that Saturday morning.

Sunshine melted away heaps of snow, birds chirped, and Boulderites made their way to the nearest Whole Foods.

I ventured to the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast a.k.a the Dharma Sangha Boulder Zen Center off of Arapahoe Avenue. With a fellow staff member, my goal was to better understand the Buddhist philosophy and zen teachings.

I noted that within the world of Buddhism, one must be fully aware of their impact on the world, and those around them. To encompass this idea, there are three noble truths.

Sitting in a circle with the other constituents of the group, Zenki Dillo presented the idea of whether or not traditions need be kept in modern rituals. Going around the circle, many shared their opinions, most expressing admiration for both modern and traditional practices in their lives.

this: Suffering=Pain (Resistance).

Then we came to the first noble truth. I explained that I had found different interpretations of the first noble truth, several stating that life is suffering. I wanted to know if the

Zenki Dillo explained that with the manifestation of suffering, you determine how much you allow yourself to resist pain in your life.

“the zendo was a refuge—a sanctuary to wind down from the chaos.”

The first states that suffering exists within life.

Entering the zendo meditation hall, we sat among a group of people conversing about the difficulties and advantages of incorporating traditional monastic methods into modern ley practices.

After the discussion, we were invited by Zenki Christian Dillo, a quiet and monastically bald German man, to join the group in the living room of the B&B for casual discussion and a cup of tea.

group shared this pessimism.

Zenki Dillo, along with others, communicated that instead of believing life is the essence of suffering, it can hold suffering in it.

This carried into the second noble truth, which suggests suffering is caused by cravings and desires we use as distractions from pain.

After replenishing our cups with the steaming mixture of tea leaves and honey, we continued to the third noble truth. This says suffering, after being identified and recognized, can be resolved.

The more you accept that everyone encounters pain, the easier it will be to combat suffering.

I shared to the group that I felt their closeness and trust in each other. Zenki Dillo brought to light quite the opposite--the majority of the people knew nothing about the others.

So, he went on to discuss the meaning of being close to someone. He thought intimate was a more appropriate word, recognizing that people usually dismiss intimacy as strictly sexual. In fact, the definition is, “the closeness between people”.

Continuing the session, I came to realize these people embraced a life that kept them open and immune to pre judgements of one another--a nice change from the constant pressures and hustle of my everyday life.

It was special to encounter a group of people successfully living in western civilization without completely succumbing to addictions of technology, reputations, and obligations to society.

The zendo was a refuge--a sanctuary to wind down from chaos.

I had the opportunity to meet people who perceive the world as a place humanity inhabits as a collective body, not a place intended for all of us to make it or break it on our own.

Zenki Dillo presented a simple algorithm for

| Emily Leo

wait...what?

Journalist Gordon Saur ’17 eyes the Church of Scientology of Colorado.

The church is located in the Ballpark Neighborhood Historic District near Coors Field.

scientology church raises confusion The Church of Scientology of Colorado looked like a place I would like to hang out at--cool brick exterior, some gooooorgeous typography on the side of the building, and a prime LoDo location on the corner of 24th and Blake Street.

And then I walked inside.

Let me explain something first: I like to think of myself as a pretty accepting person. While a Scientology church was a little outside my comfort zone, I’ve grown up experimenting with different religious services and experiences and had no problem checking out a new place.

But when my fellow journalist, Gordon Saur, and I entered the room where the service will be held, I realized I was waaaaaaay more outside my comfort zone than I had anticipated to be. It was just the two of us, the minister and two other women. Awkward!

The uncomfortability just went downhill from

there. The majority of the hour-long service was based around what’s called group auditing, which is like spiritual counseling. I guess. I don’t really know.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. Group auditing was essentially 45 minutes of the minister giving instructions for the four of us in the congregation to find the wall, find the ceiling, find our right hands, find our left hands, find our right hands, find our left hands, find our right hands, find our left hands...

It ended with the minister tellling us to say, “Hello,” then he would say, “Hello,” then we would do it again. For like ten times.

After the service, I walked around the church for a while to explore, but I ran straight for the door as soon as I saw a meter with some probes that I did not want to get hooked up to.

It turns out not even some cool exposed brick and typography can hide what’s inside. l

| Chaye Gutierrez

33

34 April 2015 | Issue 5

inside the

confessions of a . . .

Fast cars, fancy clothes, and feverish fandoms raise dopamine levels within students

...Auto-addict

Nick Villano ‘15 shares his obsession with the fast paced machines that cruise down the roads There’s this feeling of racing down the open highway with ease, the crescendo of the engine as the car speeds up from 60 mph then to 80.

Thats when he made the big decision to switch.

“The main problem with my old car was the 4-wheel drive,” he said.

A rush of satisfaction fills Nick Villano ‘15, as he sees another 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX curving down the mountain roads, but he knows his car isn’t like every other white Impreza. His car is all his own.

With a new car that saved him in his treacherous excursion to school, he has devoted any free time he has to caring for his car.

Like many, Villano has found a strong love for cars. “Most people see cars as just a form of transportation, a way to get from point A to point B,” he said. “You spend so much time in your car, why not make it what you want it to be.”

Villano’s love for cars started recently when a friend introduced him to car meets, a showcase of new cars, last summer. “Going to all these car meets are actually really cool. Seeing all the cars makes you want to make your car like that,” Villano said.

From that summer a connection was created between man and machine, and ever since, Villano has been invested in creating the car he envisioned.

However, Nick didn’t always have his beloved Impreza. Villano’s first car was actually a 2003 Honda Accord. Due to the strenuous Colorado weather, an Accord wasn’t enough.

Sheets of ice cover the roads down Wadsworth, as hundreds of commuters course down the road. The layer of glistening ice and snow that hits Colorado can be a hindrance to even the best cars, but for Villano it was almost impossible to leave his driveway with the Accord.

Villano spends as much time as he can upgrading and improving the performance of his car.

“I’ve been making it faster and louder,” he said.

Villano has made improvements upgrading his car to COBB stage two with Invidia turbo back and COBB SF intake. For everyone else who also thinks that sounds like a foreign language, when you push the gas the car gains more power to get around that old lady going 25 mph.

With a need for speed, Villano has found many perks of creating a faster car in the suburbs of Westminster. “You can accelerate a lot quicker, so merging is never an issue,” Villano said. “If there is a smaller gap, I don’t have to worry about if my car can make it through.”

The dreaded merge onto Wadsworth at the peak time of 2:30 pm is never a struggle for Villano and his investments in a better, more reliable car.

You may know Nick Villano as the guy who is always snapchatting, instagramming, and putting work into his pearly white Subaru Impreza WRX, but his obsession with cars is for a purpose. “It’s just a more expensive toy really. All it is, is you are spending money to make it the way you want it to be and make it as fast as you want it to be,” Villano said.

35 “I take pride in ownership.” l

...Shopaholic Michala Caywood ‘16 has the obsession any teenage girl can relate to. . . s hopping

“Shop till you drop” rushes through the minds of girls every payday. They have piles and piles of clothes draped over their arms while they are still rummaging through the racks of blouses.

They’re frantically looking through the skirts to find their size because it’s necessary for a specific outfit pictured in their mind.

For Michala Caywood ‘16, the obsession with the latest trends or classic styles may be deemed as materialistic, but to her it’s just a way to clear her foggy mind. It’s escaping reality and entering fantasy.

Her need to shop is vital to her mental well being. “It’s a time to relax,” she said. “It takes my mind off of things.”

The day breaks and Caywood wakes up. With dreary eyes, her first instinct is to go to her closet, her safe haven.

“In the mornings when I can’t find clothes, I tear out my entire closet,” she said. “The stack

of clothes is taller than I am.”

After the tumultuous battle with her closet, Caywood finds the perfect outfit, and the day moves forward, clothes still on the mind.

As she walks through the sea of students cramming for the latest exam, her mind is in a different world wondering what’s the new trend she should purchase next.

As rows upon rows of endless clothes and accessories drift through her math-class-daydream, she can’t help but yearn for the end of the day when she can leave school and go home a.k.a; the mall.

Instead of going to the warm confines of her house, she makes the journey to her sanctuary.

She ventures into Forever 21, or Tilly’s like she usually does because they accommodate to her style. “I just like those really cool stores that are hipster or hippie stores,” Caywood said.

To switch up her look and switch up the setting, she chooses another type of store that isn’t her forte. She decides to trek to the thrift store, exploring for diamonds in the rough.

Though the fetish doesn’t stop here. She gazes into the endless horizon of her new additions.

The cute taupe flats, the sparkly pastel skirt, the pack of gold earrings; all of which find their rightful place among her colossal collection.

Keeping her style consistent is no feat even though she shops any chance she gets, people give her style a name, they notice that her style reflects her as a whole and not just a girl who shops just to spend money. She has a purpose for the constant mall visits, her purpose is to develop that style, to define her personality.

“I love whenever people tell me I look cute, or they like my shirt, or they like my skirt,” she said. “I like the recognition.”

She’s deemed as the hipster of her class, and she’s known for shopping. But the crave for material isn’t materialistic, it’s a way to express herself and to make an unforgettable first impression. l

“I’m pretty thrifty, so I’ll look around for other stuff,” she said. “Thrift stores are definitely undiscovered treasure.”

When the retail therapy has ebbed, 9 pm hits and her home has closed for the night and she goes to the place where she really lives.

“I just look all around to find stuff that I like, and sometimes it’s really expensive but other times it’s like a dollar, and that’s cool.” -Michala Caywood ‘16

...Fandomaniac Laura Luttrell ‘17 proves that one direction is more than a silly boyband With over 23.1 million followers on Twitter and record breaking sales, three British boys and their Irish friend took over the world. By now, the whole world has heard some rendition of their hit “What Makes You Beautiful” booming through the speakers, forming an opinion of the 21st century boyband.

For Laura Luttrell ‘17, their melodic voices have captured the hearts of teenagers all over the world, creating a family on and offline.

Getting lost in the Youtube sphere, one click led Luttrell to find One Direction’s music video back in 2011, starting all the madness.

With one of the most supportive fandoms, Luttrell joined the online community starting a

36 April 2015 | Issue 5

tumblr and twitter fanpage with a following of 5,200 other dedicated fans. “I’ve made a ton of friends through the fandoms. I actually have a friend who lives in France now,” Luttrell said.

In fact, Luttrell has created friends through social media, friendships with a stronger bond than some real life encounters. “What happened is, we began tweeting each other, and then we would start DMing, and then it progressed to iMessage, and now its Facetiming, and currently we are talking about meeting,” Luttrell said.

Combatting the opposition of “haters”, critics, and disbelievers, Luttrell found shelter online where she could positively feed her obsession.

Luttrell has been one of the luckier fans, getting inches away from the lionized curly brown locks that make up the profile of Harry Styles. Any One Direction fan would die at the attempt to meet Harry Styles, but for Laura that is just one of the many stories she has to share about her One Direction experience.

March 25, 2015 marked a day in history that tested the fandom as they faced their biggest upset. The mysterious “bad boy” of the band, Zayn Malik made the decision to leave One Direction.

“If this is what he wants to do, I’m okay with it. I’ll support him,” Luttrell said. “I mean I am sad he is gone, but its his decision not mine,” Directioners banded together to mourn and question “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” now that the quintet transformed into a quartet.

The stereotypical chaos of One Direction concerts, countless awards, and the four platinum albums, for Luttrell, those are all just statistics.

They aren’t defined by their accents, looks, and title.

“They aren’t that band that you know from 2012 that were all 16 and 17 year olds.They actually have good music now that a lot of people would enjoy if they took the time to listen to some of their newer music,” Luttrell said.

Comprising of an international family, Luttrell has found life long friends in a safe place where she can express her love for a few boys that make reality bearable, “The fandom means everything to me. It’s a place that I can go where I won’t get judged for liking what I like.

It’s a place where I can let go of everything bad.” l | Hannah Jensen | Emma Marlow | Morgan Whitley | Taylor Zangari

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The Strangeness Spectrum Where does your addiction stand amoungst the strangest?

Not that strange Mildly strange Pretty strange

37

A test of

strength

Austin Gut ‘15 and family fight a life-altering battle 38 April 2015 | Issue 5

S

trength is a word commonly used to describe one’s physical ability.

Anyone can have that kind of strength with just a bit of work. It is less commonly related to the fight of the mind, of the heart.

At the Gut household, the strongest man in the room is also the weakest.

Strength comes from a father trying to provide guidance to his kids, though he can no longer be the sole provider.

Strength comes from a son watching the hero in his life weaken before his eyes.

That day was June 6, 2014. The day the doctor told Austin Gut ‘15 that his father, Rick Gut, had stage IV colorectal cancer. One month prior, Rick had been advised to see an oncologist after colonoscopy results pointed towards cancer.

Rick remembers the fateful day like it was yesterday. One minute, he was in the waiting room at the doctors office. The next, being told by a tearful doctor that he had stage IV, metastatic colon cancer that was treatable, but not curable.

Rick was given eighteen months, or at the very most, three years, to live.

The news was devastating. Three years meant Rick might not see his eighth grade daughter’s graduation. Three years meant Rick would never be able to see his own children get married or to see his grandchildren.

Only four days after Rick’s first chemotherapy appointment, a glimmer of hope had shone through the CT scan machine. The tumor that had metastasized to Rick’s entire abdomen had mysteriously vanished. Doctors couldn’t explain it.

Suddenly, Rick’s prognosis improved exponentially from his original life sentence.

“I believe I’ve beaten that, according to my doctors,” Rick said. “Take those figures out, and throw them out the window at this point in time. I’m not saying things couldn’t change, they could on a dime. But at this point, my outlook has changed to [be] incredibly positive.”

But an exponential improvement is still limited. This instant response to the chemotherapy was a good sign, and has pushed the doctor to give Rick a “guarded” instead of “terminal” prognosis. It may be a step up from certain death, but it’s still a fight, and a hard one at that.

39

Fighting is basically a Gut gene. Rick grew up against adversity. “When I was a sophomore in high school, my mom had a cerebral hemorrhage, and she was at Mass General in a coma for about 6 months,” Rick said. “She made it.

They gave her only a percentage chance, but she fought it, and she lived I’d say about 90% productive life. Then my dad two years later, broke his back and his neck in an accident at work, so he was at Mass General. He’s had 35 spinal operations.

He’s still kicking. I don’t think anything could bring that guy down. So my family’s always been fighting.”

Rick had to be strong for his family, and that strength seems to have been passed down, either by genetics or by the circumstances, to Austin.

“I’m going to eventually have to be the one to take care of my sister and my mom, so I know that I need to grow up fast, faster than other guys have to,” Austin said.

may not win every battle, every day is a battle, I don’t win every day, but I’m going to win the war,’” he said. “That is what drives me, my children drive me, and I know my wife needs me.”

This “placebo effect” is an actual scientifically

Rick said with chemotherapy, which weakens the patient as it fights the cancer cells in the body, he is only functioning at 20% of what he used to be, yet he still sees others with more problems than he has, and knows the power of small acts. “There’s always someone in more dire streets than yourself,” he said. “There will always be someone in much more need than you are, and if you have extra, give, because that person could be hungry, that person could need a hug, and it goes a long way. Just the [small] acts of kindness, have helped me.”

“there’s no reason why we can’t have a cure. If they can put robots on Mars, there’s no reason why they can’t find them.”

-Austin Gut ‘15

For some, this sudden weight of responsibility could be paralyzing, but Austin takes each day in stride, saying that positivity is the only way his family will get through this battle. “The

40 April 2015 | Issue 5

second you’re like, ‘Woe is me, woe is us, woe is our family,’ you’re just going to feel sorry for yourself and not get anything productive done. The only way to see results is through positive thinking. It’s like the placebo effect.”

researched process used to improve patients’ well-being. It states that positive thinking, and tricking yourself into thinking you feel better, actually makes you feel better.

Rick, just as he has instilled strength into Austin’s character, also shares Austin’s positivity towards his cancer journey. “I use the term, ‘I

Those small acts of kindness haven’t just helped the Gut family through this battle. They’ve been essential. “There have been times where I didn’t think I could make it,” Rick said. “But [Austin] would know, and he would just give me a hug. Not say a word. My wife, my daughter too, they just knew I needed a lift.”

Rick may be the one undergoing chemotherapy trying to fight off his cancer, but as the

q&a

Colorectal Cancer Chief

Dr. Michael K. Bergen

Q How many people have you helped before?

A Thousands. :

:

Q How do you think :

cancer affects the entire family?

A It leaves nothing :

untouched.

Q

how would you describe the Gut family? :

A Very resilient family, :

great senses of humor, and warm hearts.

41

90

percent survival rate after 1.5 years

percent colorectal cancer survival rate if caught early is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Day

March 5th

Gut family has discovered, cancer doesn’t only affect the individual. It’s a family fight.

Austin took this fighting mentality and applied it to football in the fall, where he would let out his personal frustrations and emotions tied to his dad’s battle in the physical tackling with the sport.

“I’d just hammer people, I got a lot of penalties, like a lot of penalties,” he said. “Coach Morse actually took me out of a couple games.

They wouldn’t let me play defense.” The emotional strength he had to have for his family was converted into brute strength in the game.

Austin, as can be expected, considers his dad’s diagnosis and cancer battle the most influential occurrence in his life; he decided to write how he felt about it all in his college essay. His strength again shined through, this time not in his athleticism, but in his writing.

“The words hit me like a freight train speeding down a railway, all I could do was hug my Dad and try not to bawl my eyes out,” Austin wrote.

Those words described that fateful June day, but he went on to explain how the experience had changed him as an individual. “I witness the pain and discomfort he is put through, as a result of the chemotherapy and radiation treatment,” Austin wrote. “But his strength keeps me going and I recognize the fact that I cannot, no, I will not give up.”

Austin’s dad decided to show Austin’s college essay to a woman named Ruth Ellen Tubbs who is involved in the local chapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS). One thing led to another until it reached the CEO of ACS. “[The CEO] was interrupted in a board meeting,” Rick said. “When he received the

42 April 2015 | Issue 5

1 million colorectal cancer survivors in the United States

print out, he started reading [the essay], and couldn’t finish it. He just lost all control. He said that whoever could read this and finish it could read it to the entire group. It took about twelve people before someone could hold back their emotions enough to read it.”

The next morning Rick received a call from the ACS out of Houston offering to spread the word of the essay around the community and get more awareness that cancer never just affects the patient.

Tubbs works with the Gut family and other families dealing with cancer to provide financial help and resources to them, so works directly with patients daily, but said this isn’t the case for the majority of the ACS staff.

“They work a lot with fundraising and things, so they don’t get to hear a lot of these types of stories, but I know most of the people that work for the ACS have some kind of personal story [tied to cancer],” she said. “A lot of people really appreciated reading the essay, and it really encouraged a lot of people.”

“To me, it’s why I do what I do, so that one day, these kids don’t have to hear ‘Your parents have cancer,’ and so that just really fuels the fire with what do, it’s what keeps me going.” she said.

Tubbs was so impressed and touched with Austin’s essay and the Gut family’s desire to make a difference in the cancer world that she connected Rick to CAN, the Cancer Action Network, which works with lobbyists to persuade legislators to support cancer related laws.

“The next plan is to go to Washington D.C., with Austin,” Rick said. “We’re going to basically speak to the members of Congress... and hopefully Austin will have that ‘special something’ that will turn a blind eye to this disease.”

Stats from www.rochestercolon. com/conditions/colorectal-cancer/

The Surviving Colorectal cancer statistics Nation project high hopes for patients 50

Giving back, as is obvious in the Guts participation in the ACS and CAN, is part of who Austin has become, so it’s no surprise that his ideas for his future involve the same giving back theme.

As he gets closer and closer to college he decides to pick something that has meaning to him, something that has affected him. So he can help others through times he has been through.

“At first, I wanted to become a lawyer, but this definitely helped to influence me into becoming a doctor,” Austin said.

He’s driven to pursue the medical field as a career, and he’s driven to find a cure. In fact, Austin believes a cure is within reach.

“I think there could have been a cure for cancer. It’s just that it all comes down to the dollar. They get more money from treating patients than curing them,” he said. “With today’s technology, there’s no reason why we can’t have a cure. If they can put robots on Mars, there’s no reason why they can’t find them.”

The “C word” that has taken over their lives may be cancer.

This word may have been the word that set their entire world into an unbelievable roller coaster of a year.

This word may have broken their hearts, but it couldn’t break their spirit.

Cancer isn’t the only “C word” in this family’s life, they have one that is much stronger— Courage. l | Olivia Koontz | Shelby Hines | Emma Medley | Meg Metzger-Seymour | Morgan Whitely | Ally Murphy | Hannah Laughlin

“every day is a battle, I don’t win every day, but I’m going to win the war.”

-Rick Gut

43

opinions

Can we all just. . . . . .appreciate disney movies?

. . .quit being So Judgmental?

. . .Stop Complaining?

It seems like all I ever see on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram lately is more people complaining about their lives, and less people enjoying themselves. Sad, depressing posts about how awful life is instead of happy, cheerful posts about how grand life is. Stop sitting on social media complaining about how hard your life is.

It honestly can’t be that bad, and if it is, your last resort shouldn’t be posting about it on social media. Do something that makes you happy. Play with your dogs.

Watch your favorite movies. Sit outside and listen to music or read a book in the sun. Be content with your life. Don’t complain about how awful everything is . If you’re so upset, do something to change it and make it better; don’t just complain because nothing is going to change by making a post and complaining about it 24/7. | Kayla Pray

Really, though. Does it benefit you in any way to think badly of that one girl you barely even know? Or to tell someone else how annoying you think that kid in your sixth hour is? Or to give someone a dirty look in the hall? No. It’s not. So stop. Just think about how the world would be such a happier place if people weren’t constantly being rude to one another. People wouldn’t have to worry about being constantly judged and could actually maybe, you know, be themselves for once. So next time you feel the need to make someone feel terrible, just don’t. Try building people up instead. | Tina Muscarelli

. . .Agree to change the name?

It’s a racial slur, it holds the same meaning as chink, wetback, and the n-word, but we still use it to represent our nation’s capital in the NFL---the most popular league in the world.

It’s time we change the name of the Washington R*dskins, if the majority of Native Americans find it offensive, then let’s change the name. It’s not about being politically correct, it’s about simple respect. Bleacher Report simply refers to the team as ‘Washington,’ Phil Simms (a well known Republican) has stopped saying the name during on-air broadcasts of football games out of respect. Even Tony Dungy, one of the most homophobic public figures in the NFL has stopped saying the name out of respect. The name is racist. End of story. | Jamey Burky

. . .get vaccinated?

I could fill this whole I could fill this whole page with statistics supporting the use of vaccinations and disproving links between vaccines and hundreds of different ailments, but instead I’ll make a simple and sincere plea to just get vaccinated. It’s completely ridiculous that diseases like the measles are reappearing due to the ignorance of a select group of easily-influenced people. Instead of basing potentially life-altering decisions on the fabricated report of a discredited doctor who claimed vaccinations cause autism or on the opinion of Jenny McCarthy, a TV personality who perpetuated the fallacy, everyone needs to consider the repercussions of their decisions.

Some people can’t get vaccinated because of legitimate religious or medical reasons, so it’s up to the rest of us to prevent the spread of disease. It’s not an issue of politics or money, vaccinations are simply an issue of health. | Christina Rudolph

44 April 2015 | Issue 5

They’re all movies about some sort of princess that falls in love with either the wrong guy or they find their Prince Charming. It’s the perfect story every single time. I mean, what more could you ask for really? Don’t forget about the awesome songs that have absolutely no meaning whatsoever but tend to get stuck in your head on a daily basis even if you’re not watching the movie. Come on, don’t even act like you’ve never been sitting on your couch babysitting your younger sibling or maybe, like me, you were by yourself and then suddenly got warped into the wonderful world of Disney. You’re going to be singing these songs for life, it’s inevitable so “Let It Go” and let Disney movies take you to a whole new world! | Morgan Rubendall

. . .Go outside?

What’s fun about consistently sitting in your room binge watching your favorite Netflix shows, petting your pet, and eating a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s? Yeah, that’s nice to do once in awhile, but if you gain a habit of it, it can get disgusting. Eating fatty foods, laying in bed, with your negative thoughts doesn’t seem like a healthy way of living. Get out and get active. Colorado is arguably the most gorgeous state in the nation. Enjoy it! Go hike Flagstaff Mountain, go visit Red Rocks, or even take a view of Lookout Mountain! This is the best time to start getting outside. You can’t get enough fresh, beautiful spring air! | Max Uhrich

The other F word For everyone who thinks calling someone a “F--” is okay It’s not.

And I think that in honor of Day Without Hate on April 24, we all need to have a little talk about it.

For generations we have had a discussion about bullying. At Standley Lake, I would like to think that we are all pretty accepting of those different from us, whether it’s based on gender, race, or sexual orientation.

But now it seems that calling someone a “f--” doesn’t have anything to do with their sexual orientation, but rather all of the stereotypes of being gay. People are called “gay” if they’re being a little bit too emotional, caring a little too much, or just being a little too feminine.

It’s if they take too many selfies, or care too much about their clothes, or like music a little too much.

I don’t even understand why it has become the insult it is. It doesn’t make sense. This insult is based on an uncontrollable phenomenon (that’s right, uncontrollable) that attacks a prominent part of our community. Calling someone “gay” or a “f--” is just like me calling someone “straight”, ridiculous and just completely inapplicable.

No matter how irrelevant the word may be, it has become many people’s biggest weapon of choice. And in doing so, they have created a ridiculously unfair double standard.

People call someone a “f--” for posting too many selfies online, and yet no one stands up to them after they post too many pictures of their car or their (nonexistent) six pack.

allowed to encompass academic and athletic prowess. So despite the changing definition of femininity, why do the “rules” of masculinity stay so rigid?

They harass someone that prefers a certain type of music, while no one makes fun of them for their favorite music.

They shouldn’t, and people’s use of words like “gay” and “f--” is what keeps them in place.

They’ve made a culture where everyone needs to be a narrow-minded jerk to fit in. And do you know what my favorite part is? They then go on Twitter and complain about how everyone is so “fake”.

All they have done is made everyone scared to be themselves, including themselves. They call people “f--” to assert their own manhood because they live in this self-created society where masculinity is defined by a rigid and outdated set of norms.

But they have failed to realize that by calling someone “gay”, they are really limiting their creativity and what they have to offer this world. They’ve created a homogenous generation of dull slur-throwers that refuse to accept anyone different than themselves.

That budding photographer who loves to shoot nature landscapes has stopped because he was tormented after posting some of his masterpieces online.

So for everyone’s benefit, I would like to propose a solution: just let the word die all together. Everyone can finally start doing what they want without living in fear that someone will come around and strike them down. They can take all the selfies they want and listen to all of the Beyonce their hearts desire. And if someone still wants to remain an ignorant idiot, go ahead! Just unfollow and ditch all of the people busy pursuing their passions and go back to the 1930s when saying that word was acceptable. | Esteban Arellano

That fashion expert now lives in a boring line of gym shorts and Nike shirts that the athletes have dictated.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. For generations boys have been accused of being “less than a man”, “gay”, or “girly”. Over the span of this generation, modern femininity has been

45

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opinions

giving back, paying it forward volunteer for gratification, not an application We have a lot to give. But do we give a lot?

Do we give because it’s the ‘right thing to do’, or because we want to look good for college applications?

A bullet point on a college application is not going to cut it when everyone seems to just be dodging the ‘bullet of giving’.

And that bullet, really, is healing as opposed to harmful. It’s love. It’s compassion, giving of yourself.

Way too often, I hear people complaining about giving, as though it’s a burden. “I don’t have time,” they say when asked to help tutor. “I have so many things I’d rather be doing right now,” they say as they pick up trash off the sidewalk.

A burden? Really? These people are obviously not in right mindset to be serving others. I love paying it forward, and I love giving back. If you’re really giving out of pure compassion, volunteering and other kinds of stewardship should lift your burden, showing you how much you have and how little others live with.

It should show you how light your load is-your little problems that may add up to a big problem are far less detrimental than others’ big problems that combine to equal a huge, devastating havoc on their lives.

Maybe I’m biased. I’ve grown up by giving back. My younger sister, Grace, was diagnosed with leukemia four days before her first

46 April 2015 | Issue 5

birthday. She almost died, but she didn’t. She lived, and now my family and I have raised over $25,000 over the past ten years for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to pay it forward in gratitude for our miracle. This is why I give.

If someone were to ask you why you’re volunteering, would you say, “Oh, so I can get into my dream college?” Maybe you would. Maybe not. Maybe you’d be embarrassed to admit you may look like you’re here for others when you’re really only there for yourself.

Maybe I’m biased. I’m a people-person. I want to entertain, to make others smile, to learn their stories. This past December, the SLHS Chamber Orchestra played Christmas music for the patients down at Children’s Hospital.

We saw a little girl with a feeding tube up her nose, in a princess dress, hop into a chair to watch and listen. She was mesmerized, and I can only hope that for that one minute, our music distracted her, took her from her sick little body, and to a place she could be a princess and listen to pretty songs all day long.

This is why I give.

Find a real reason to give. We all have so much to give, but we seldom do anything with our gifts. We think our gift’s like one of those sweaters that Grandma gave you last Christmas that shrank in the wash to roughly the size of an uncomfortable sock. And now, trying to regift it, you think you’ve got to repurpose your sock into a designer runway-worthy cardigan.

Maybe I’m biased. I value the appreciation without words. I’ve danced for crowds of nursing home residents, some who can no longer remember their childrens’ names, but who smile while they watch my fellow dance company members and I bring a ballet story to life. Some close their eyes, not to see a single step of our labor, but are content. They say we’ve made their week, their month, their year.

This is why I give.

Really, a burden? These are people who matter.

Who want to be distracted, appreciated, noticed, respected.

First, trust your gifts. Yes, you have one. Yes, you have many. And they’re worth a whole heck of a lot more than a sweater sock.

Second, don’t be intimidated by giving! You don’t have to turn into Mother Teresa overnight once you realize your newfound gifts. It can just be holding the door for someone even when you’re running late tomorrow morning at 7:14 a.m. It can just be giving up a Starbucks once a week and putting those few dollars aside for a donation to a charity you care about. It can be just that simple. And just that easy.

But that ‘just’ is a ‘must’ in my book. It’s the right thing to do.

Be small but mighty. Be compassionate and real. Be a giver. | Olivia Koontz

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Check yourself before you wreck yourself Uneducated opinions plague youth

a staff opinion

It took three tweets with questions regarding feminism to blow up social media.

When The Lake tweeted out three questions asking the Standley Lake Twitter community about different topics surrounding feminism on March 5, we got some interesting replies.

Replies like the ones we put on our cover.

Replies like this from @NoMorePeasants, “[Feminism is] the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes focusing more on women. #slhsfeminist” and from @2_Chaws, “Feminists should push to be better than, not equal to, which proves that men are better. #slhsmeninist”.

Some responses included statistics and facts.

Others included sarcastic comments and jokes.

We got the hint--some people are pro-feminism, some people are anti-feminism. And we get that. Not everyone can agree on the same principles.

Here’s what we don’t get: why are students responding with answers that are not factual and not researched? We don’t get why students are so quick to form an uneducated opinion, and are so quick to defend that uneducated opinion with sarcasm, anger, and hate.

We think students need to understand something, and that something is that not everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Only those who have spent time informing themselves of the issues they feel so strongly to speak out about can have an opinion. So, until you have taken time off from the countless social media sites, and have done your own research, refrain from speaking out. You’re just making yourself sound dumb, no matter which side of the debate you’re on. Yeah, we had to be the ones to say it.

People are so quick to be hateful, simply because they do not understand the opposing side. From various religions who misunderstand

the intentions of differing philosophies, to judgement of other people’s passions and hobbies, to the topic of gender equality. Differing opinions can cause destructive hatred and until you educate yourself, this hatred will lead to nothing productive.

Before you get to saying that we’re advocating for everyone to accept and love everyone- we’re not. We understand that even after taking time to research, you might still not agree with the other side. But you’re most likely more inclined to tolerate the other side, as you can now understand their reasoning.

Tolerance. Key word here, friends. Tolerance is not acceptance--it is allowing someone to exist peacefully even though their opinions differ from yours. You don’t have to love that person, you simply have to tolerate them and respect them. Education of both sides of the differing opinions will allow for tolerance.

We want to see the entire Standley Lake community practice tolerance. We want to see healthy debates that foster meaningful conversations backed up by thorough research, not nasty, demeaning, and hateful comments.

These will get us absolutely no where, and we’re better than that.

Next time you are on Twitter or Facebook and someone posts an opinion that wildly differs from your own, instead of formulating the most witty, sarcastic, hate-filled response to defend your own opinion, try being a mature, educated, and peaceful human being by either not responding or responding with a calm, open minded, factual statement or question.

Really, Gators. Some of us are graduating in just two months. Don’t you think it’s a little petty to still be demeaning and sarcastic to defend uneducated opinions?

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