March/April 2012

personality, Talent and sports blossom in Spring

Clockwise from top left: Playing against Heritage Mar. 22 Maddie Brown ‘15 kicks the ball towards the goal. The JV girls tied 1-1. Strutting down the runway during the After Prom fashion show fundraiser March 4, Lauren Payne ‘13, Michael Phelps ‘15, and Lizzy Marthouse’13 strike a pose. 137 students participated in the Jungle Love Fashion show. Performing in Once Upon a Matress Camille Prusse‘12 and Austin Nelson‘13 hold each other during their duet “Yesterday I Loved You”. Maddie Long ‘13 sings and plays guitar at the RC talent show March 16. Pictured with her prosthetic legs Brickelle Bro ‘15, doesn’t let her disibilty hold her back. Bro will be competing at the 2012 Paralympics for swimming. Daria Duncan’‘14 works on her iPad in her class. “The attitude towards technology has really changed in the classroom, teachers used to not let us even have them out, but now they let us use them in class to learn,”Lauren Wetzel‘12 said. Being interviewed

by Brooke Thacker from 9NEWS Jenn Haigh‘13 explains why she shaved her head.“ Wish Week really inspired me, because I wish there wasn’t a wish week at all, because children shouldn’t have to go through cancer,”said Haigh.

[04/06/12]

thenews

02

of musical stages a flash mob to market Dancing Through the Commons Cast Once Upon a Mattress

I

t’s a normal day at Rock Canyon, lunch begins and the murmurs of students’ conversations begin to uproar, like always. But, out of the corner of your eye, you see multiple students stand up and disrupt the normal pattern of lunch at school - a flash mob.

For weeks, the cast of Once Upon a Mattress has been planning the flash mob to help promote the latest Rock Canyon musical.

“We did [the flash mob] to catch everyone’s attention, and to market our musical in a positive, fun and happy way,” Lauren Yehle ‘15 said.

The flash mob was a seemingly easy task.

As a part of the musical, the pre-choreographed dance moves were the easiest part to remember. But the hardest part was the music.

“The sound was one of our biggest challenges,”actor Logan Schafer ‘14 said “We had to try to figure out how to play the sound

throughout the commons so everyone could hear us. “ Once it was over the normal day proceeded. Like nothing happened. But what kind of effect did the two-minute-long flash mob have?

After the flash mob, the musical saw a slight increase in ticket sales, an outstanding feat in the drama world.

“I thought it was exciting,” onlooker Madelyn Falk ‘12 said. “The cast members had a lot of enthusiasm and they obviously put a lot of effort into it.”

“The cast enjoyed sharing their hard work with a vast majority of the students, even the ones that wouldn’t be attending the actual musical,” Yehle said.

Whether, you saw the prince marry his princess or not,the flash mob was a memorable success for the drama department.

[catieyanchak] [demriscott]

llie Lundberg ‘12 stepped on the the green grass and peered up to the towering lights of the stadium. The empty seats seemed to echo moments of past excitement, and the words “Sports Authority Park” crowned like a beacon against the pale yellow sky.

The Athletic Training classes were able to tour three professional clinics March 1; opportunities that included Sports Authority Park, the University of Denver Athletic Training Facility, and Dove Valley, the training facility for the Denver Broncos.

“This trip gave me an opportunity to experience what a day might be like in a career that I’m interested in,” Lundburg said.

Although Lundburg had previously toured the University of Denver, the benefits offered by all three venues were far greater. Josh Hartman, athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos, spent two hours showing students the ins and outs of professional training.

Students shine on stage with their unique abilities at the recent talent show

R

With an F and an R and an E and a D, Kinsey Riley ‘14 performs at the first flash mob at Rock Canyon during lunch, March 10 to improve publicity for the musical, Once Upon a Mattress.

Training students polish their skills at Mile High Salute Athletic a field trip to Invesco Field.

A

Showing Your Talent

“I loved going to Dove Valley and hearing Josh Hartman’s story of how he got his job with the Denver Broncos,” she said. “It really inspired me and showed me that anything is possible if. . . you do what you love.”

The trip was part of teacher Patricia Villegas’ plan to show Athletic Training students the subject on a more professional level, and compare it to Rock Canyon’s own facilities in sports medicine.

“This is the first time Rock Canyon or any other Douglas Country training program has visited Dove Valley or Sports Authority Park,” Villegas said. “I always like to think outside the box.”

Next year, Lundberg will be attending Iowa State University and hopes to find a career in treatment of medicine.

“A life changing opportunity can come at any moment. That blows my mind, ” Lundburg said.

Photo credit: [juliahenning]

Trevor Suter ‘15 uses the Game Ready, which acts as an ice pack with cold water covering your leg, at Invesco Field on the Athletic Training field trip.

ock Canyon students shined at the Talent show, Friday March 16. During the show you got to see the typical singers but what made this show stand out from other talent shows were the smaller acts that blew everyone away. Three Indian dancers, Mathi Harikrishnan ’15, Vismaya Bachu ’15, and Navya Roy ‘15, won the crowd over with their highly energetic, entertaining, culNavya Roy ‘15 and Vismaya Bachu ’15 dance turally unique talto their Indian Dance at the Talent show on ent. There was also March16th in the Rock Canyon Auditorium Johanna Bloom ’13 and her impressive violin skills that took concentration and hard work. Another talent that stood out was Connor Johnston ’12 who amazed the audience as he jammed out like a pro on his electric guitar. The crowd seemed pleased with the outcome and everyone walked out chattering about the each performance.

“My favorite part of the talent show was getting to see my classmates and peers perform and seeing new sides to them,” Drew Lahaie ‘12 said. “I really liked the Indian dancing. That was probably my overall favorite and I also really liked ConBloom ‘13 performs on her ner Johnston’s guitar playing.” Johanna viola for the Talent show on March

[maerohrbach]

16 at the Rock Canyon Auditorium.

[zachanderson]

Shattering Obstacles Brickelle Bro ‘15 fights a life-long battle, that is now leading her on her way to the Olympics W hen you go to the Olympics someday I’m going to be your manager and bodyguard!” I squealed.

I said these exact words around 11 years ago, yet I had no idea that they might just come true.

At five years old, I didn’t know that my best friend didn’t have part of her legs. She could run, walk, ride a bike, jump on the trampoline, and even swim. Rather, her sweet smile, fun personality, and optimism are what always first popped into my mind.

Together, we would run through the cool, deep green grass, laughing in our back yards playing tag or “the lava game” on an endless summer day. We would draw with chalk on our driveways with the scorching sun heating our backs, or ride on our scooters to the neighborhood pool.

This sounds similar to any other cheesy childhood friendship story. Mine is no different. However, the girl who has been my neighbor for over 10 years, who has been my companion since kindergarten, is extraordi-

“

nary.

Brickelle Bro ‘15 was born without part of her legs, but that has never stopped her from following and achieving her dreams.

When we met, my family had just moved from Massachusetts and she had just moved here from Utah. I was a quiet, shy, little 5-year-old, who didn’t know anyone. Brickelle was my first friend.

While our siblings were running around making a ruckus, we “big kids” would go off on our own. We would ride bikes Brickelle Bro ‘15 around in circles in the cul-de-sac pretending we were being chased by the police, start a lemonade stand, ride scooters, and even take swimming lessons together.

This was where Brickelle’s swimming career started. Around 8 years old, she and I began to take swim classes together. I wasn’t thrilled about stepping into cold water to swim laps and get water up my nose, but she loved it.

When I quit to keep up with gymnastics and dance classes, she persevered, whether it was from holding her breath at long distances, or swimming speedy laps.

”

I try not to let my legs define who I am.

Brikelle Bro ‘15 shows off her zebra-print prosthetic legs. Bro is working to qualify for the Paralympics in swimming. “My coach thinks I have the best chance in the 400 free,” Bro said.

As we both grew older, Brickelle continued with her swimming by joining “The Rock” swim team in Castle Rock. As she became stronger and faster, she started shaving seconds off of her times by pushing herself even harder.

“When I saw the Paralympic team having a meet against another high school team up at Lowry that was when I wanted to be apart of it,” Bro said.

Now,15 years old, and a freshman at Rock Canyon, Bro is only seconds away from qualifying for the Paralympics.

“Being in the qualifying range makes me so excited, and it pushes me to work harder because I want to make the times,” Bro said.

Athletes are chosen for the Paralympic team June 14 2012.

“I am trying to get as many qualifying times as I can because then I have a better chance of them picking me for the team,” Bro said.

Watching her overcome countless obstacles, win a scholarship, join The Rock, a competitive swim team, and swim for Rock Canyon has made me realize that my 5 year old self wasn’t too far off about her going to the Olympics.

[catieyanchak]

thenews

03

The Bald and The Brave When Psychology and Hopscotch Combine Students and staff make a radical change in AP Psych students learn about the Theories of Motivation in a fun, new way As students near the end of the spring semester, they are often exhausted to the point of fatigue by standardized tests, end-of-quarter projects, finals and, most especially, the daunting thought of having to sit through one or more AP Exams come May. Simply put, March is a month characterized by the “2:30 feeling” described in Five-Hour Energy commercials.

However, some teachers, such as Suzanne McKay, have decided to break their students out of the rut. And best of all, they didn’t have to worry about any caffeine-related after effects.

“Well, the weather had been bleak and I had been doing a lot of teacher-directed learning for a while,” McKay said.

“But then the skies opened up and the sun shone, and I was sitting in a review session and one of the kids said ‘Ms. McKay, can we go outside?’ and normally I’m a rule-follower-type lady, but then I got to thinking, ‘huh, what can we do outside?’”

This sudden spark of intuition then led McKay to watch a video produced by a group called RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) Animate, in which a cartoonist outlines a variety of psychological concepts alongside an eloquent (and somewhat quirky) narrator.

“I showed my classes [the video] and about creativity and motivation, and since we were studying motivation in psychology--and since it was a piece of media where he was illustrating a concept in lecture--I just hooked the two ideas together and here we are on this lovely day learning and drawing and creating.”

Inspired by the video, McKay decided to take her AP Psychology classes outside and have them illustrate the different theories of motivation, ranging from Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory to the Drive-Reduction theory, in the form of colorful chalk drawings.

“I think that this is a good way to visualize the concepts,” AP Psych student Taylor Broderick ‘12 said, “It’s also fun to be outside on a nice day, work with people [in groups] and, of course, to get some vitamin D.” Towards the end of the class period, the students began a “gallery-walk” in which they would teach one another about the different concepts as they walked from drawing to drawing.

“I like this because you get to put your ideas on the sidewalk and explain different concepts through your drawings,” AP Psych student Sophia Benosman ‘13 said, “I think that this is fun because we’re in groups, which is always nice, but also because we get to draw with chalk like two-yearold’s.”

However, although the students walked back inside at the

end of the 90-minute period confident in their knowledge of each theory, and in the fact that they had gotten a decent tan over the last hour and a half, unfortunately every lesson cannot be taught solely through pavement and chalk.

“I think that some things require more teacher-directed explanation and lots of examples,” McKay said. “But if its a concept that loans itself to illustration, then I think that this is a great way for kids to learn-- I think that it touches on those creative intelligences (learning through artistic mediums) we learn about in AP Psych. But there absolutely is a psychological benefit to being out in the sunshine with nice people on a spring afternoon.” [sydcharvat]

AP Psych students take a break from their regular learning to illlustrate the Theories of Motivation during 7th period March 15.

Eggett Wins Boettcher Scholarship Aubrey Eggett ‘12 has been selected by the Boettcher Foundation to win a full-ride scholarship.

Q: What college are you planning to attend now that you’ve won the Boettcher Scholarship?

A: I plan on attending the University of Colorado at Boulder. My two older brothers will both be seniors there, and I’ll be close enough to Kimball to not miss him so badly had I gone out of state!

Q: What were your first reactions when you found out you won?

A: When I opened the envelope, I was in the light booth during the Talent Show rehearsal with Mrs. Dale and my dad. As soon as I saw the word “Congratulations” I was dumbfounded and crying, Mrs. Dale was screaming and stopping the talent show, and my dad was crying too. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life-and by “sweet” I mean tender and incredulous. While I was hugging my dad, I was so overwhelmed and thought, “Oh my gosh.

My hard work paid off--AHHHH!”...those thoughts exactly.

Q: What has been your family’s reaction to your win?

A: My family is just as elated! My parents are especially pumped that they don’t have to pay for me all the way through my Master’s at CU, but they’re tremendously happy for all the other right reasons, too. My oldest brother, Wes, has been serving a mission in Brazil for two years, but will be an RA at CU this upcoming fall. He and my other older brother, Jake, will be seniors there while I am a freshman. We are so stoked! My little bro, Kimball, is glad I won’t be too far away so that I’ll be able to support him in the rest of his career here at RC-and still be able to give him advice on how to treat the ladies right.

Q: What’s your next step?

A: I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be on this journey. I’m so excited that I will be close to my friends and family here, but far enough away to feel all collegiate and important and stuff. I wouldn’t trade the friendships and memories I have made at Rock Canyon for anything; thank you all.

[maddiewhitten]

their style to support those affected by cancer

The past three years RC’s Wish Week has been dedicated to a child who has a life-threatening disease. This year, we shaved our heads for the St. Baldrick’s charity to raise awareness for childhood cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 out of every 100,000 children and teens will be diagnosed with cancer. Nearly three of those 16 will die from it. The only way to lower this number is to conduct research to find a cure.

St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity that is committed to funding the research to find cures for childhood cancers as well as helping to provide long and healthy lives for survivors. In fact, every penny goes to the funding of this research which is led by only the top pediatric oncologists in the United States.

Participants, or “Shavees” as the organization’s website calls them, shave their head to support children who are battling cancer for a donation of at least $25. Key Club organized this event, held March 14.

“St. Baldrick’s is an organization spreading awareness towards children with leukemia and also raising money to go towards scientific research for a prevention and cure for leukemia,” newlyelected Key Club President Ellen Eldridge said.

“Key Club is supporting this exact philosophy, except we are leaning towards the awareness side of things rather than raising money.”

The idea to host a St. Baldrick’s event at the school started when David Sapienza, Social Studies teacher and Key Club Sponsor, shaved his head as an incentive to raise $20,000 for Wish Week 2011.

Later that same weekend, Sapienza attended a St. Baldrick’s event at the Highlands Ranch Town Center to support Matt Sassali, another Social Studies teacher, as he shaved his head.

“It was such a great environment and everyone was just having fun,” Sapienza said.

Sapienza then ran into Rock Canyon Student AJ Cocetti ’12 at the event. Cocetti also shaved his head at St. Baldrick’s and suggested that Rock Canyon host its own St. Baldrick’s event.

With Cocetti leading the project, Key Club surpassed their goal of having 20 participants this year.

Many clubs and teachers got involved with the event. Student Council Advisor, Kate Hartline, has worked to help by not having any hair-incentives be a part of Wish Week. Social Studies teacher Suzanne McKay raised over $800 and also shaved her head.

“Happy Saint Baldrick’s Day!” McKay shouted as the clippers ran across her scalp.

Rock Canyon had a wide variety of participants including members of the baseball, lacrosse, and soccer teams.

“I’ll be feeling my head all day,” Jake Erickson ’13 said.

Rock Canyon student Jen Haigh ’13 even vowed to shave her head if she raised $1000. She was the only female student to shave her head at the event. Haigh’s father told her that she could only participate on the condition of raising the $1000. She succeeded.

With so much interest in participating in the event, Key Club had to create a Shavee limit due to a lack of time. About 37 people shaved their heads on St. Baldrick’s Day. But there are hopes for an even bigger St. Baldrick’s event next year.

Although there is money and donations involved, the point of St. Baldricks is to raise awareness about childhood cancer and according to Sapienza, “To make a statement with the number of bald heads walking around at school.”

[cececastro] additional reporting by [jeremypurchase]

photos by [laurenscheirman]

The Bald and the Beautiful Above: the St. Baldrick’s participants line up for a picture with their bald heads in the auditorium March 14.

Left: Josh Mooney ‘12 shaves his head in the gym during access for the event March 14.

[04/06/12]

thenews

04

APPLE ANNOUNCES NEW VERSION OF POPULAR TABLET

THIS MONTH IN TECH CLASSES

S Robert Allen ‘14, Kyle Forrester ‘13, and Diego Gomes ‘13 build a guard dog robot that detects intruders using the LEGO NXT programming system in Intro to Engineering.

ince the moment Apple announced the release of the new iPad, the tech world has been filled with excitement over the new product. Prior to the press event, rumors circulated the Internet over potential new features.

March 7, Apple set the record straight and announced that it would be released on March 16.

One of the main differences between this product and its predecessor is the Retina display. The new iPad has four times the number of pixels as the old one. Simply put, the display will be sharper and clearer. The camera has been updated to 5 megapixels, and it now features the 1080p HD video recording. Another major change is that it includes 4G LTE wire-

less technology, which offers some of the faster speeds available to consumers. According to Apple, the new iPad will continue to have 10 hours of battery life.

“Other products are pretty cool and interesting, and offer something new features but they all lack the same functionality of the iPad,” Devaraj Tripasuri ‘14 said.

Less than a week after the press event, the new iPad is already in high demand. Initial shipments have already sold out, and pre-orders will be fulfilled in two-three weeks. Apple explains the pre-orders as “off the charts.” [linneamelbye]

AT A GLANCE 3 million iPads sold in the first weekend The new Retina display has a resolution of 2048x1536 Features Apple’s new A5X processor with quad-core graphics The older iPad 2 is still on sale at a reduced price iPad with Wi-Fi starts at $499 iPad with Wi-Fi+4G starts at $629

”

I am sometimes for them, but other times against it. It depends on what they’re used for.

Jessie Doblar ‘15

“

I like being able to use iPads in class. They’re helpful and easy to use, and it’s faster than writing by hand.

the

TECH beat

F

Dasha Duncan ‘14

INVISIBILITY, TELEKINESIS, AND TELEPORTATION

rom the complex workings of the tion causes a sharp temperature gradient minds of theoretical physicists come between the surrounding area. This bends the most extreme ideas and posthe light surrounding the cloak, which sibilities. Physicist Michio Kaku takes a causes invisibility. closer look at invisibility, telekinesis, and Telekinesis is the ability to affect the teleportation, among other things, in his physical world by concentration only. It’s a book, Physics of the Impossible. mind-boggling phenomenon that could be Invisibility is connected to one of a dynamic area From the endless amount of many theories. One of study, and relates to opportunities that the universe theory researchers all over quantum mechanics. the world are trying presents, humanity comes the Quantum mechanto discover a way are the laws that challenge to innovate, discover, ics to make particles govern our subbend light and create the phenomena of atomic universe. invisibility. Scientists have many leads as In this universe, there is energy, which to how they are going to make this superbehaves as a particle or a wave. In this repower applicable to everyday life. spect, quantum energy is fluid; it behaves One idea involves is carbon nanotubes. in two distinct ways at once. Those who The UTD Nano Tech Institute found that study quantum physics and its relation to these carbon nanotubes behave as mirage parapsychology say that it is possible that in the desert would. Electrical stimulathese fluid units of energy are malleable to

the will of the human mind.

Teleportation has been one of the more studied phenomena in our world. With ideas like the Einstein-Rosen Bridge, teleportation may be closer than we imagined.

Physicists Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen spent years developing their theory about wormholes. They came to the conclusion that there are geometric properties in black holes that allow for the transfer of matter to an opposite point in space. They believed that transfer over great distances is mathematically possible.

From the endless amount of opportunities that the universe presents humanity comes the challenge to innovate, discover, and learn. Humans have gone from horseback to hover car, and seeing the near future concepts of technology assures there will be no stopping the brilliant minds that move our society. [bryanmetze]

thenews

05

[04/06/12]

STEPS TO HELP

1 2 3

WATCH THE VIDEO It’s free to watch at kony2012. com

TAKING DOWN A WARLORD

J

oseph Kony was relatively unknown to people before early March, but the 30-minute-long documentary KONY 2012 produced by Invisible Children, Inc. aims to make him an infamous man worldwide.

Kony is a warlord from Central Africa that has been in power for years. He leads the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Their only mission is to maintain power, and they have been doing this by abducting children and turning them against their families. They force boys to kill their parents and become child soldiers, and girls to become sex slaves.

“I go to school and have no thoughts about being abducted, the kids there always have it on the back of

“Joseph Kony” isn’t a household name, but if the founders of Invisible Children succeed, it will be by the end of 2012.

their mind,” Vismaya Bachu ‘15 said.

An estimated 66,000 children have been affected so far and the numbers continue to rise. Kony’s crimes against humanity have put him on the top of the International World Court’s list of fugitives to capture.

KONY 2012 has quickly gained popularity all over the world at a rapid pace. In a blog post, Visible Measures examined the time it took for the most viral videos to get 100 million views. This video took only six days to reach 100 million views, compared to the next closest video “Susan Boyle: Britain’s Got Talent”, which took nine days. That makes KONY 2012 one of the most viral videos in history.

To make Kony a household name, the filmmakers urged the public to contact 20 culture makers, and 12 politicians. March 6, Rihanna posted on her Twitter, “#KONY2012,” reaching her 15 million followers.

March 8, Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates posted, “Good to see such strong interest in #stopkony—a key step to helping those most vulnerable.”

Invisible Children, Inc. Faces Harsh Scrutiny From The Public

M

ere hours after the campaign was launched, questions about the legitimacy of the effort began to surface. Fuel was added to discussion when independent charity ratings organizations revealed subpar scores for Invisible Children, Inc.‘s financial transparency and leadership.

Charity Navigator, a charity evaluator, gives Invisible Children, Inc. a rating of 3 out of 4 stars overall, though for accountability and transparency, the company received a lower score of 2 out of 4 stars.

“I think that Kony 2012 has very honorable intentions, but I have heard that only 30% of the money donated goes towards the actual project,” Elise Martinez ‘14 said. “It makes me wonder what the rest of that money is being used for if this is true!”

Criticism has also begun to surface from Uganda itself. A showing of the Kony 2012 film

100M+

number of times KONY 2012 has been watched

[catieyanchak] [demriscott] [charliemelbye]

length of Kony 2012 video in minutes

COVER THE NIGHT Apr. 20, hang up posters and spread the cause.

It’s hoped by Invisible Children, Inc. that the amount of people that those influential people can reach in such a short period of time will create awareness for Kony’s actions.

Although steps have been taken to stop him, Kony is still on the run. The documentary stresses that the Ugandan army needs support from other countries, but that other countries have been reluctant to get involved.

The goal for the KONY 2012 film is to create awareness for the cause. The premise is that if the U.S. sees that people care, they will have no choice but to provide assistance in the movement.

“It is a great thing to be aware of and really a good idea to get the people involved, then the government will have to pay attention,” Sydney Squire ‘14 said.

The film expires at the end of 2012 with hope that, by then, Kony will be stopped, and the invisible children will be able to live the life they deserve. [linneamelbye] [ashleyboatman]

FOR KONY 2012

recently took place near Kampala, Uganda.

However, according to The Washington Post, the local response to the film was not what the filmmakers had anticipated. By the end of the video, the audience erupted in anger, shouted criticism, and threw rocks at the screen. Some even went so far as to accuse the film of employing manipulated and commercialized facts to further the goals of Invisible Children, Inc. Here at home, some students have strongly felt that the campaign fosters armchair activism. Others, such as Caitlin Black ’14, feel that it’s just a passing fad.

“I think that it is a good cause, however, I wish that we would make more of an effort to make a change in the world on a daily basis rather than just when something like this becomes public,” Black said.

30

SPREAD AWARENESS Tweet, post on Facebook, and tell friends.

Rock: How do you feel about Kony 2012?

Uralli: I’m supportive of the cause. The coolest thing might be how it speaks to the power our generation has to get a message Alison across.

Uralli ‘13 Rock: What do you think of the student reaction?

Uralli: Invisible Children is using the bandwagon effect to their advantage, but it’s led to a side-effect of spawning “who knew about it first” arguments.

Rock: Is there a better alternative?

Uralli: Educating the public more thoroughly is all that can be done. Their goal is to bring Kony to justice.

$13.8M

annual budget of Invisible Children, Inc.

Programs in Africa Awareness Programs Management Expenses Awareness Products Media/Film Creation Fundraising

AGAINST KONY 2012 Rock: Are you for it or against it?

Cashion: Against it. I feel like posting a single link won’t help the cause. It just fuels the ego of people.

Carter Cashion ‘13 Rock: Is this due to environment, or is it part of being a teenager?

Cashion: I would say a little of both. It’s natural for teenagers to want to fit in.

Rock: Is there a better alternative?

Cashion: There could be. We should find an organization that’s dedicated to the cause and attacks the problem. [sachinmathur]

37% 26% 16% 10% 8% 3%

43

number of employees at Invisible Children, Inc.

[04/06/12]

thesports

06

Going to the Game with the Swaguars

Q&A

Q

Could have won state

After a semi final run to the 5A state championship, the Jaguar soccer program is going to need to step up next year for great results

Christian Storch on Varsity Boys Lacrosse

What are some visible improvements that have occured from last season to the current one?

A

“I guess we have a lot of young players stepping up , the team is pretty young because we lost a lot of seniors last year and it makes us play together as a team, because everyone has to play together and do something because we are so young.”

Q

What is the greatest strength of the team? Any weaknesses?

Q

Are there any team superstitions or traditions?

“Our strength is I guess, is that we have a really strong offense with our starting attack with Wilkins Dismuke, Conrad Coppage and Connor Strickland, and defensively we use a lot of zone defense that we didn’t use much last year because we played more of a man to man defense.”

A

A

“We have this team psychologist that does this meditative thing with us before the games. It’s just like in the locker room and we lay there and think about the game and focus.” [jeremypurchase]

[photo by: jakebattock]

Editorial: This past season, the Mens Varsity soccer team posted a 7-2-2 league record with an impressive 13-4-2 record overall; which includes the Jaguars run to the State semi-finals. The semi-final match was a fiercely contested battle that left the Jags down 1-0 at the end of full-time to the eventual state champions, Denver East. For some Jaguars this was their last chance to play for the Black and Gold, even though not all of these players were seniors.

“It’s hard to think that the last high school game I will play will always be a semifinal loss...” Preston Migaki ‘14 said. Although the team will graduate six seniors this spring, only three of those seniors were starters. That means that the remaining soccer talent on the squad was found in a select few sophomores and juniors. However, instead of looking forward to another playoff run in 2012, these team leaders feared they may not play High School soccer next fall. Instead, five ‘wouldbe’ Varsity starters will be taking their talents to local soccer club Real Colorado’s U.S. Developmental Academy team. This is because the Developmental Academy has decided to institute a ten month season that overlaps with the High-school season.

In 2007, the U.S. Soccer federation created the Development Academy in order to improve the development of elite youth footballers. Real Colorado is one of only 78 clubs across the country to have an Academy program.

Players within the Academy Program see up to 30 matches a season by travelling across the country to play. The Academy program serves as an incredible opportunity for players and students like David Boldt, John Rehl, Blake Foley, Preston Migaki and Hill Bonin to play at the collegiate, professional, or even the international level. At Academy showcases upwards of 450 college scouts attend in addition to 25 professional scouts and National team staff. The U.S. Academy program is also heavily sponsored by brands like Nike, Gatorade, AT&T, and Pepsi.

As sad as it is to see these players leave and play for a club team, their decision is understandable. The Jags could have possibly hoisted another Soccer state title (remnant of the 4A victory in 2008) as the roster would’ve returned 15 players including eight starters.

“We could have been really good next year; we could have won state,” Migaki said.

Preston Migaki ‘14 dribbles the ball during last year’s state cup final for Real Colorado.

[jakebattock]

A Chance of a Lifetime

The Jaguars had the opportunity to play in a big league stadium; a chance to experience what it feels like to be professional

photo by: Julia Henning

The Jaguars played the penultimate game March 23 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. “As a fundraiser for the baseball program, we sold Rockies tickets,” Danny Costello ‘14 said. “The varsity team played along with other players from the program who sold an abundance of tickets for the fund raiser.”The Jaguars played Eaglecrest at Coors Field and won the game 7-4. “It was a lot of fun and a cool experience ,”Zack Kostelecky ‘14 said. “I enjoyed just being there and it was nice to be on the field.

thesports

Catching up with the Lady Jags The #’s

14 19 2 13 8 7 1

Number of games in the girls lacrosse season

very rare when two siblings play together on Sister Act aIt’svarsity team let alone start together.

girls on the varsity soccer team of times the varsity soccer team games have ended in ties goals scored by the varsity soccer team in their first five games shot-putters on the track team hours is the length of time for an average

Goal allowed per game by the Varsity soccer team [seanmcgavin] [michaelshapiro]

hen Meredith Micho ‘12 was a freshman, W she impressed her lacrosse coaches and made the varsity team. Four years later, she has

become one of the leading players on the team.

“I play lacrosse year-round,” said Micho. “In the summer and off seasons I play for a club and then in the spring I play for the school.”

Next year, Micho is heading to Duquesne to play Division I lacrosse in college.

“I’m so excited about it, but a little nervous at the same time,” she said. “I know it’s going to be a lot of work.”

But this year, Meredith had another thing to worry about: her sister, a freshman, was going to try out for the team.

Millie Micho ‘15 is similar to how Meredith was as a freshman; she is incredibly fast and competitive. Before even trying out, she already got along with most of the team because she knew them previously from Meredith. The coaches were are familiar with her and her level of skill after watching her play in winter and fall league.

So, it seemed like the odds were in her favor.

“I really wanted to make varsity like my sister did,” said Mille, “But at the same time, I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much.”

It turns out that Millie was able to impress the coaches just as her sister had. She made the team and has started every game this season so far.

As it turns out, Meredith and Millie start off the game standing right next to each other.

Meredith is a middle and Millie plays defense but they both line up on the circle.

“I was beyond excited when Millie made the team,” said Meredith.; “We had been working really hard before tryouts and she deserved it. I was super proud of her.”

Now the sisters are able to play lacrosse together every day. They provide the team with almost as much humor as skill.

“They make me laugh every single practice,” said Lindsey Givin ‘13, “Just the little things that they say. Our team is super close-knit this year, and they are definitely a part of that.”

Meredith is the ultimate mentor for Millie on the field.

“It’s great that she’s on my team because she is almost like my own personal coach,” said Millie, “And she’s definitely not afraid to tell me when I’m doing something wrong.”

But Millie will only have this luxury for one season, and then Meredith is off to play college lacrosse.

“I’m really going to miss her,” said Millie.

This will be the first and last year that the Micho sisters will be able to play together on a high school lacrosse team. Even though it is bittersweet, they are both extremely happy to have at least one year to play together. And who knows? Maybe Millie will be following Meredith to Duquesne a few years down the road.

07

Q&A Q Q Q Q Q

[virginiavaughn]

A

Jiang, Set, Match

This year the Lady Jags tennis team has a new added weapon from the singles position. A dominant sophomore force, Shannon Jiang

[04/06/12]

t the varsity level, all athletes are supremely talented. So to be successful every player needs that killer instinct, that “X-Factor”, that puts them over the top. Shannon Jiang ‘14 clearly has that killer instinct. A sophomore, Jiang has the consistent drive to improve, and the sheer will to defeat her opponent that in many people’s eyes puts her over the top.

In her second year on the Varsity squad, Jiang has been able to reach the top of girls tennis and is currently holding the coveted number one singles spot. While she might not have the fastest serve or the most powerful forehand, she has been able to achieve this spot from her guts, smarts, and a will to win that is unmatched by her opponents.

‘I’m amazed every time I see Shannon out on the court,” Brooke Gallagher ‘13 said.

“The way she fights through every point and always hustles is awesome to watch.” always hustles is awesome to watch.”

Jiang, has extremely high expectations for herself as well as the girls team this season.

“I expect the team to improve throughout the season and for myself I expect to win most of my matches, hopefully make it to state” said Jiang.

So far while Jiang has not won all of her

With starting Varsity Soccer goalie Julia Henning

How is the Season going thus far?

It’s going pretty good. We still need to improve on a couple of things, but we have improved on a lot of things from last year.

A

What were your team goals going into the season?

Our goals were to have a team GPA of at least a 3.0, get at least five shutouts on the defensive side and to not let any team shut us out all year.

A A

What were your personal goals going into the season?

My goals personally were to only give up an average of one goal per game and not give up any goals on free kicks.

Have you had any setbacks this year? (Injuries, tough losses, etc.)

One of our starting freshmen (Rachel Rhinehardt) injured her MCL, which has set us back in our goal-scoring abilities.

A

What is your outlook on the rest of the season?

We are going to play hard in every game, leave it all on the field, and to just try our absolute hardest as a team.

A

[michaelshapiro]

matches (her record is 1 and 2 with a win against Douglas County and loses against Thunder Ridge and Ponderosa) she has clearly impressed teammates and coaches alike in her supreme play and effort.

“Watching Shannon play is crazy,” Karlee Suhanyi ‘14 said. “She seems to be able to do anything she wants on the court and she is obviously very talented.”

As the season progresses Jiang has many goals for the team aside from her personal goals showing her team first attitude in an often self-centered sport.

“As a whole team, I want us to improve on a lot of things.” Jiang said. “I want us to improve throughout the year, try our hardest during every match, and I think if we do that we will be very successful as a team.”

Throughout the remainder of the season Jiang will certainly go through multiple trials and tribulations and tough matches. However, according to her teamates and coaches Jiang will have very little trouble overcoming these challenges.

“No matter the challenge, I know due to her hard work and competitive drive, Shannon will overcome it,” teammate Caroline Skibness ‘15 said.

[04/06/12]

indepth

08

Turning the Nomination into a Science

This year, the Republican party has been tasked to select a nominee from their party to run against President Incumbent Obama (D) in the general election in November. Each of the candidates, although members of the same party, hold different views on certain social, economic and cultural issues. The Rock has compiled a brief list of issues of concern in the nomination race and each candidate’s stance on each:

The Rock’s Periodic Table of Candidates

Mitt Romney

Social Issues

Ron Paul

Rick Santorum

Newt Gingrich

pictures courtesy of google images

Healthcare

Immigration

Romney is pro-life, believes that life begins at conception and “wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view.” Romney believes it’s important to preserve traditional marriage – the joining together of one man and one woman. If elected, Romney would appoint an Attorney General who would defend the Defense of Marriage Act – a bipartisan law passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton Sept. 21, 1996 – and also attempt to add a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as being a bond between one man and one woman.

Romney aims to strengthen the U.S. immigration system so that it benefits the economy, ensures security, and “carries on America’s tradition as a nation of legal immigrants.”

Romney believes that “foreign-born residents with advanced degrees start companies, create jobs, and drive innovation.” Romney opposes all “magnets” that entice illegal immigrants to come to the country illegally.

He will establish a tamper-proof employment verification system like E-Verify that will enable employers to hire only those legally permitted to work.

Romney claims that, on his first day in office, he would issue an executive order that “paves the way” for the federal government to issue Obamacare waivers to all 50 states. He would then work with Congress to repeal the full legislation. In place of Obamacare, Romney would pursue policies that give each state the power to craft a health care reform plan that is best for its own citizens. “The federal government’s role will be to help markets work by creating a level playing field for competition,” said Romney.

Paul believes that human life starts at conception, and that the elimination of the unborn leads to a careless attitude towards all life. “I am strongly pro-life,” Paul said. “ I think one of the most disastrous rulings of this century was Roe vs. Wade. I do believe in the slippery slope theory. I believe that if people are careless and casual about life at the beginning of life, we will be careless and casual about life at the end. Abortion leads to euthanasia. I believe that.”

Ron Paul believes we must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals. we would also fight to end birthright citizenship. “After decades of misguided policies, America has now become a free-for-all. Our leaders betrayed the middle class, which is now forced to compete with welfare-receiving illegal immigrants who will work for almost anything, just because the standards in their home countries are even lower,” said Paul.

Paul believes that only true free market competition will put pressure on the providers and force them to lower their costs to remain in business. Additionally, Ron Paul wants to change the tax code to allow individual Americans to fully deduct all health care costs from their taxes. “Government has been mismanaging medical care for more than 45 years; for every problem it has created it has responded by exponentially expanding the role of government,” said Paul.

Santorum advocated for a more “family values”-oriented society centered on monogamous, heterosexual relationships, marriage, and child-raising. While prior to his running for congress Santorum considered himself pro-choice, he has since changed his position to pro-life. He opposes same-sex marriage, saying the American public and their elected officials should decide on these “incredibly important moral issues”, rather than the Supreme Court, which consists of “nine unelected, unaccountable judges.”

Santorum has openly stated his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants. He supports the construction of a barrier along the U.S.– Mexican border, an increase in the number of border patrol agents on the border, and the stationing of National Guard troops along the border. He also believes that illegal immigrants should be deported immediately when they commit crimes, and that undocumented immigrants should not receive benefits from the government. He believes English should be established as the national language in the United States.

Santorum plans to repeal ObamaCare and strengthen patient-driven health coverage options coupled with high deductible insurance plans. He would also like to reduce costs through competition, increased transparency, electronic records, and health care literacy – empowering patients and their doctors with information and options. Santorum’s healthcare plan would allow patients to purchase health insurance across state lines to gain access to the best insurance coverage to fit their individual needs.

Gingrich believes in a border control strategy responsive to the unique threats existing on the border. This strategy includes around-theclock drone flights to monitor activity, multilayer, strategic fencing in urban areas, and improved communication between state and federal authorities. He also believes Americans will benefit from a fairer, more secure, more efficient system, which will ensure that foreign visitors, students, workers and job-creators alike provide as many positive benefits as possible to our economy and society.

Gingrich wants to make health insurance more affordable by giving Americans the choice of a generous tax credit or the ability to deduct the value of their health insurance up to a certain amount and by allowing Americans to purchase insurance across state lines. He also wants to end health care fraud by moving from a paper-based system to an electronic one.

Gingrich is pro life and opposes gay marriage.

He believes the American people need to nominate conservative judges who are committed to upholding the Constitutional principles of limited government and understand that the role of the judges is to interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. Gingrich is also in favor of ending taxpayer subsidies for abortion by repealing Obamacare, defunding Plan Parenthood, and reinstating the “Mexico City Policy,” which banned funding to organizations that promote and/or perform abortions overseas.

[cambelwinkler]

Information courtesy of: http://www.mittromney.com/s/mitt-ann-2012 http://www.ronpaul.com/ http://www.ricksantorum.com/index.php http://newtgingrich360.com/?gclid=CM7W4Mjmlq8CFQK9tgodrGdO0A http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1384 http://www.huffingtonpost.com

theimage

09

[04/06/12]

SUMMER & FALL

REGISTRATION BEGINS

Visit us at

arapahoe.edu or 303.797.4222

2012-2013 Scholarship Application Deadline May 1

www.arapahoe.edu/cj

[04/06/12]

indepth

10

Dress to Impress

[ellenstrample]

Prom Fashion 101

One of the most important aspects for a girl on the night of prom is the dress that she wears. This years prom dresses are loaded with the classical and traditional styles that have been around for years, as well as trending designs that can make a girl look absolutely perfect on her special night. The 2012 line of prom dresses are filled with shimmer and shine, as well as sequins, rhinestones and crystal beading that fill up many different long and short dresses. If you are going for that loveable style on prom night a long A-line cut gown with a V-neck halter cut or the single shoulder strap is the best way to go, but if you are looking for that sleek and sexy look, a strapless, straight or asymmetrical cut gown with a sweetheart neckline is going to be the right fit for you. Prom dresses come in all different colors and if you are feeling a little wild, you can try a vibrant colored dress that makes you stand out in the crowd but neutrals and pastels are popular as well. After you have the dress, there are only a couple more things before you are ready to go. Pick out a pair of cute high heels and some dazzling jewelry to pull the outfit together, and then pick out a doable hairstyle that you are comfortable with and don’t forget the mani and pedi and you are ready for the big night!

Flowers of Friendship Posing with her flowers and poster, Meredith Micho’12 blushes after being asked to prom by Wes Cangilla’12 in their fourth period AP Statistics class April 3. Cangilla went to Costco to get the 30x20 poster printed of an embarrassing photo he found of Micho on Kelley King’s ‘12 facebook. “She’s such a babe I thought I should try and find a good picture of her,”Cangilla said. “We are just going as friends so it was pretty funny, I think Peharda enjoyed having the poster hang in the back of the classroom.”

Perfect Fit Brittany Krickbaum’14 poses for the camera in her bright blue prom dress.

It took Brittany a while to find a dress that fit her the way she envisioned it to. “Prom is a night we will remember for the rest of our lives. I really want this night to be very special and I am so eager to see how it turns out this year,”Kirkbaum said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better date, I am going with my best friend Austin Sutton’12 and I know prom will be amazing with him. I can’t wait to share the memories that this night holds, it is sure to be perfect.” [kelceybeckman]

PROM 2012 [kelceybeckman]

[laurenwood]

[nichelletesone]

Candle-lit Shock Sean McGavin’12 poses with his prom date Jenny Kennedy’12 March 22 after asking her with candels and rose petals on his front porch. “We wnt to see the Hunger Games, and when I brought her back to my house I surprised her,”McGavin said.

S’more Fun Asking Boys Nancy Hunt’12, Lauren Wood’12, and Lily Sumners’12 asked Valor friends Jamie Neely’12 and Tyler Wedeking’12, and Cameron Hardison’12 with a poster and campfire in Sumner’s back yard April 2. The girls kidnapped the boys and blindfolded them before driving to Sumner’s, and then made them s’mores to make up for the traumatic drive.

Word Search Lane Fisch’12 asked Kayla Neil’13 to prom April 3 by sending her on a scavenger hunt to find the letters p-r-o-m. Neil found the ‘p’ on the top shelf of her locker. [lindamcgavin]

Last Minute Tips and Tricks Before Sailing Away

the restaurant • Look for a restaurant that has “family style dishes”sometimes it turns up to be cheaper when you order in bulk for the group than each individual person. (Maggiano’s and Bucca di Peppo is a restaurant that has family style dishes as an option) the flowers • For corsages and boutonnieres don’t search around for a prom specialty shop to order them. You can order them at your local King Soopers grocery store for a cheaper price and they still look nice

the ride • Limos can run pricey so look for coupons and discounts online and in newspapers. (Ambassador limos provides discounted limo packages for groups. For more info go online or call 303-257-9090) the suit • Tuxedos can run pricey too so instead of buying your attire rent it for a better price.(Men’s Warehouse offers a discount for tux rentals if you have rented there before) Dresses can be pricey too so make sure you are getting the most for your money before you buy it.(Macy’s and Dillards have average priced dresses that are adorable too) [ryleeportman]

indepth

11

[04/06/12]

[photos by danielleburrage]

FroYo

As spring temperatures climb, the frozen yogurt business heats up. RCHS students prefer self-serve frozen yogurt to any other treat, so here’s how the Highlands Ranch froyo scene stacks up for this upcoming summer Love it or Leave it

Worried FroYo isn’t Healthy?

Love it:

Frozen yogurt significantly reduces the amount of calories in a serving. A 1/2 cup of Ben and Jerry’s Cake Batter ice cream stacks up to about 260 calories; Yogurtini’s Birthday Cake Batter equivalent has about 130 calories.

Leave it:

Paying per ounce may hurt your wallet in the end. A whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream costs a total of 28 cents per ounce. Most Yogurt shops in Highlands Ranch cost .39 cents per ounce.

Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as you think According to the Highlands Ranch Yogurtini:

Yogurtini co-owner Jamie Chaulk runs her business with high schoolers in mind. “We promote 100% high school employment rates,”Chaulk said.

Love it:

With so many options, frozen yogurt is more versatile than general ice cream. “ Our Greek Touch of Honey has seven grams of protein per every two ounces of yogurt and if you add some flax, almonds and some fresh fruit to the yogurt, it would be a great substitution for a meal,”said Jamie Chaulk, co-owner of the Highlands Ranch Yogurtini. [danielleburrage ]

At a Glance Yogurtini’s stats:

Average Price: $3.54 Average Size: 9 ounces (1 cup) Most popular topping: Resee’s

Peanut Butter cups Weirdest: Hot sauce on yogurt Must try: Greek frozen yogurt [ryleeportman ]

The Best Places to Go Here are a few of RCHS’s favorite summer treat spots

What’s Hot:

Yogurtini: I love Yogurtini’s various flavors and all of the different toppings they have to choose from because they all complement together really well.”

Ashley Zerbey ‘15 “They have well priced yogurt and lots of different flavors to choose from.”Olivia Squals ‘15 Pink berry: “My favorite is original with kiwi, strawberries, and raspberries.”Mallory Kane ‘15

What’s not:

Dazbog: “There are limited flavors and the cookie dough is gross there.” Morgan Mcdonald ‘ Red mango: “I think it takes like play-dough. Every time I eat it, I lose my appetite.”

Chandler Petry ‘15

~ Each week the machines in the back that actually produce the entire frozen yogurt are professionally cleaned, but every machine out front is cleaned every night.’ ~Peanut butter and vegan options always stay in the same machines and containers, separated in order to ensure there is no cross contamination. ~ Yogurt contains live and active cultures, protein, calcium and potassium and it has no trans-fat or artificial sweeteners in it and it is always low in fat and calories ~ Yogurtini always has one vegan option that contains no gluten, milk, soy, nuts or eggs, in it and there is also always one no-sugar-added option. ~ Yogurtini makes all real yogurt, their yogurt is not made from a powder base making it healthier than ice cream or other frozen desserts. [kelceybeckman]

The View From Behind the Counter The yogurt “health” question from the point of view of an employee In a world full of health freaks, calorie counters and work out fanatics, we stop and think about the kind of food we put in our mouths. But why not frozen yogurt?

To many, frozen yogurt is a healthier alternative to ice cream. According to Livestrong. com, frozen yogurt has many health benefits and can actually improve heart health.

Is that really the case though? Some argue that it can become disgusting if not tended to properly.

“It was very clean. I found myself cleaning the shop for most of the time I worked there [at work],” said Phoebe Schneider ‘14. “I can see how it can get very dirty very fast though.”

Businesses are not to blame for what happens at the machine--human nature is a huge factor.

“People are kind of careless when it comes to self-serve, like any other restaurant. The trays were always covered in yogurt,” said Schneider, “the business’ job is to keep [the yogurt] as clean as possible.”

Another yogurt shop employee, Melissa Marsilio ‘14, explains that yogurt companies do everything they can to keep the yogurt as clean

as possible.

“To keep the yogurt clean we always wear gloves so we are never actually touching the yogurt. We change gloves each time we start to do something with a different flavor so that no gluten, peanuts, or milk is transferred to any other yogurts that don’t have those ingredients,” Marsilio said. “We also keep the yogurt covered to prevent anything in the air getting into the yogurt.”

“The machines are cleaned once a week to prevent the yogurt from going bad,” she said. “We also taste all of the flavors multiple times a day so that if any flavors are going bad we can change that flavor and clean the machine so that no one gets sick from it. In a health sense yogurt makes people more healthier because it contains active cultures which makes digestion more regular. It is a healthier choice than ice cream.” .

With any company in the self serve and food industry, it’s good to know that restaurants are taking preventative measures for the safety of their customers.

[demriscott ]

A typical yogurt toppings bar can often be the best part when getting a cup of FroYo.

indepth

12

[04/06/12]

When There’s an Opening for a Princess...

“Let’s Open the Curtains and Lig

ht the Lights”

The Show Photo by: alliecole From left: Prince Harry , Austin Nelson‘13 attempts to drag the Minstrel, Logan Schaefer‘14, out of the kingdom, much to the distress of the Jester, Syd Charvat‘13 and King Sextimus, AJ Hilzer‘13, who need the Minstrel to help them figure out what Winnifred’s royalty test is going to be .

Photo by: alliecole Aubrey Eggett‘12 as PrincessWinnifred theWoebegone hits the final brassy bars of her solo, “Happily Ever After”as she comes to terms with how hard it really is to earn her own happy ending and beat the odds in winning over her own prince charming.

F

rom January to March, it seemed like theatre teacher and director of Once Upon A Mattress, Cindy Baker, could constantly be found running rehearsals for the spring musical, Once Upon A Mattress.

This was the first year Baker had been a director since the first two RC musicals.

Before, RC musicals had been directed by

choir teacher, Julia Dale, and Mr. Castanza.

This year however, Baker was prepared to take back the director position, but not without some serious time commitment.

“I felt like I always had to be there with the actors, with the choreographer, with the small vocal groups or the tech people,” Baker said. “I think I only missed one day of

“Watch for Your Cue...”

The Pit

Photo by: alliecole Conductor, Alyssa McCullum, takes advantage of an intermission during rehearsal to give her critiques to the pit members

the entire ten-week process.

One of Baker’s first duties as director was to make the decision on what the musical should be. She describes Once Upon A Mattress as being specifically chosen for having a single stage and costume set.

“We were looking for something different than ever before.”

Baker found that with this particular musical; her job became pushing the comedy while balancing it with more challenging music.

In the final week leading up to the musical, Baker was constantly in the auditorium with the cast and crew working out the final kinks, and running non-traditional rehearsals. A flu that ran through RC threatened the cast of the musical being able to perform and left Baker running rehearsals where there sometimes wasn’t even any singing, adding stress to her already stressful workload.

But, despite whatever bumps and highstress situations occurred along the way, Baker was able to put on four seemingly flawless shows.

“The hardest part was definitely trying to give as much energy and focus as possible during every rehearsal; it’s easy to slip in and out of character, so it’s critical to be committed to every practice,” Aubrey Eggett ‘12 said. “The musical was such an intense journey and foundation of friendships, growth and challenges. It was such a positive experience!”

[alliecole]

Keeping Up With the Beat from the Pit

Under the watchful eye of their conductor, Alyssa McCullum, the Once Upon A Matress pit (a small orchestra comprised of string, wind and percussion instruments) flew through pages of love songs and ballads in perfect unison with the actors on stage.

Without the pit, there would be no musical. But, in order to be a part of the pit there was an audition process, but that was different for Minal Bains ‘14.

“Luckily the audition process wasn’t hard for me,”Bains said. “Since they needed one more musician I only had to volunteer.”

Bains has been playing the viola for several years, so she wasn’t expecting the

songs would be that hard, but it was just the opposite.

“When I first looked at the songs we were playing, I was so ready to quit because it was so hard.”

But the more she practiced, the easier it got. The time spent preparing ranged from five to 33 hours a week. After all of the practice , the songs became repetitive and quickly got stuck in her head;then it got only easier from there.

Looking back on the performances, Bains feels as though both their hard work as a group and hers, individually, was worth it.

“I think the pit performed really well,”

Bains said. “The work and dedication we put into rehearsal really showed and paid off!”

However, the days leading up to the musical weren’t strictly business, the whole cast and crew had some time for a few laughs.

Bains describes her favorite memory as when Aubrey Eggett’12 (Winnefred) had a water spit scene at the beginning of the Act 1 number, “Shy,” and the pit decided it would be a good idea to get back for spraying their instruments by spraying her right back with water guns!

[linneamelbye]

indepth

“Sound Up, House to Half” The Tech Crew

13 [04/06/12] A View From the Booth: Backstage Q&A With crew member, Sydney Powell ‘13 Rock : How did you get involved with lights?

Powell: I was in tech theater freshman year

1

Photo by: alliecole

3

2

Photo by: maerohrbach

Photo by: maerohrbach

FromTop: 1.Vocal Director, Julia Dale, and Camille Prusse ‘12 help Aubrey Eggett‘12 touch up her make-up. 2. Crew member Sydney Powell‘13, watches the actors on stage for her cues. 3. Sydney Powell‘13, adjusts the settings on the sound board to make sure that the effects are loud, but still believable.

“Remember to Annunciate” The Cast

Photo by: alliecole FromTop Left: Chorus members, Erin Snyder‘13, Sam Henry‘15, EmilyThornburg‘14, Brooke Celeki‘14, Isabella Huff‘14, Missy Davies‘15, Bethany Hopkins‘14, Francesca Wearsch‘15, LaurenWearsch’13, Meredith Kelley’14, Lindsay Bodman‘12, Hannah Beiersdorf‘15, Meredith Ham‘15, Carrie Monroe‘14, as they sing the Act I number,“Shy.”

It was the morning of opening night Camille Prusse ‘12 woke up shaking, breathing heavily, consumed by nervousness. Today was the big day. She would finally take the stage as a lead actress in the RC production, Once Upon A Mattress.

The process started back in November, when Prusse auditioned with a song and monologue performed by another lead character, Winifred. Winifred was Camille’s dream role, after years of being consistently put in the chorus, she knew that this loud and rambunctious alto role, was perfect.

The Friday of the same week, the callback list was posted, and although Prusse’s name was on it, she was devastated.

Two of the main roles had already been cast. Matt Hopkins ‘12 was cast as the male lead, Prince Dauntless and Aubrey Eggett ‘12 had been cast was Winifred.

“I was pretty upset when the callback list came out because I had gone three years without a lead and this was it. This was my lead.”

Things didn’t look promising. The role Prusse had auditioned for was now taken.

currently and for musicals they have to do the follow spots. first semester and you learn about everything. Rock : Likes?

I decided to go the first meeting because of Powell: I like teaching people how to do Aimee Schnebeck, and I decided to do lights. lights because once I graduate there are not Rock : What is your job during the play? going to be a ton of people to do it. We need Powell: Basically I have to train everyone about people to get interested now. lights and then hang all of them and focus Rock : Describe your favorite moments them and then program them during shows. I with the time spent in the crew? have to cue them and do the light board.

Powell: I have one from not being light Rock : How long does it take for a light head, but during one of the plays. I believe set-up? it was my freshman year, we had a plant Powell: It takes about a month and a half, but and then lights that were set on the ground. we don’t have many mandatory rehearsals so Well someone set the lights too close and it takes awhile for everyone to get there. the plant got set on fire and melted because Rock : Is your schedule the same as the there was a gel on it, which covers the light. actors?

So I had to go fix it. We still have the light in Powell: During the last week of rehearsals we the booth. have to run through the dress rehearsals. We Rock : Any more thoughts on Tech-ing? go through the play cue by cue.

Powell: I think more people should get into it Rock : Who does what on the light crew? because you get to meet a lot of new people.

Powell: I do the main programming and We have a lot of fun together and get along. setting up, but there are two members

[maerohrbach]

Watching it all from the Wings However, musical director Julia Dale asked Prusse to prepare for another lead role--Lady Larkin, but she was up against three other girls.

Sunday, the final cast list came out, and Camille’s name was right next to Lady Larkin.

“After being part of four musicals prior to this where I hadn’t got a lead, I was really thrilled and relieved to know that I got the part.”

Prusse had a little time to relax, and then rehearsal started in January. Prusse and the rest of the cast spent around two and a half months practicing and memorizing their songs and lines.

To learn the role of Lady Larkin, Prusse, a natural alto, had to train with Dale to sing high soprano. However, all this work came at a price. The weekend before the musical, Prusse lost her voice.

“I was devastated because I had waited four years and all of the sudden, I couldn’t sing,” said Prusse. She went to the doctor for help, and worked extensively with Dale to get her high range back.

However, Prusse recovered in time for opening night. Before they took the stage, the whole cast came together and Prusse was finally able to relax.

“I just knew it was going to be a good night.”

Prusse performed as Lady Larkin each

show March 8-10. She finally got her time in the spotlight.

“The whole high school musical thing is just being patient with yourself and others and knowing that your time will come,” Prusse said. “I know I want to perform for the rest of my life. The feeling for me, being on stage, is unlike any other feeling, and I know this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

[alliecole]

Photo by: alliecole Prince Harry, Austin Nelson‘13, and Lady Larkin, Camille Prusse‘12, embrace as they hit the final notes in their duet,“Yesterday I LovedYou.”

[04/06/12]

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[04/06/12]

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Finding a Voice in Three Words “It Gets Better” From the beginning we’re taught to believe that we should “treat people the way we’d like to be treated,” but for GLBT teens, this ideal seems to have fallen out of conversation entirely

H

igh school is hard.

In four years, we’re expected to not only figure out who we are, but also who we plan to be. We’re expected to take classes and meet people, like us, who share similar interests and want to pursue the same things in life as we do. So, just like the cast of High School Musical, we pretend that high school is a period of time filled with nothing more, and nothing less, than the best experiences...accompanied by a song and dance or two.

However, in reality, high school can be the embodiment of a John Hughes movie.

We separate ourselves into specialized cliques and groups, and we are taught to--as a means of Darwinian survival--fear people that are different.

But, in high school, being different can be isolating...especially when you don’t know what you’re going through.

“I didn’t know what lesbian was when I was in middle school,”Jen Haigh ‘13 said.

“When you get a crush on a girl and you don’t realize what it is, it’s kind of a strange feeling...and when you realize that someone has just called you a lesbian for liking girls, it sounds so negative.”

Jen Haigh is the president of the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) chapter at Rock Canyon, and she has experienced, firsthand, what it’s like to go through high school as someone who’s different.

“When I hear ‘fag’ in the hallways.... it hurts my feelings,” Haigh said. “When I was in middle school, no one ever told me about liking people of the same gender, and when I figured out that I actually did, I just felt really awkward and out of place and I couldn’t express [my] feelings. And as a human being, you really should be able to express your feelings no matter what they are.”

The Rock Canyon GSA chapter began to take shape at the beginning of the 20112012 school year, under the sponsorship of Spanish teacher, Margaret Motz, who felt

“No one ever told me about liking people of the same gender... and as a human being, you really should be able to express your feelings no matter what they are.”

--Jen Haigh’13

that the school needed to build a safe haven for students who were struggling with their sexuality.

“Some of my best friends are gay, and they’ll all tell me, all the time, that high school is a nightmare for a gay student,” Motz said. “You think that if you can just get through high school that things will get better, but they don’t necessarily.

“All of my gay friends tell me that they were suicidal in high school and that they were wondering if they were going to even be able to carry on,” Motz said. “I just think,

‘gosh, if they just had one person, or a group of people that they could talk to or a place to go, that it would help.”

The club itself was founded with the mission to “fight discrimination and harassment and to educate the school community about homophobia, transphobia, gender identity and sexual orientation issues,” and has since acquired about 26 members, comprised of both gay and straight students.

However, although some GSA members are not themselves gay and joined to support both their friends and the Gay Rights

Movement itself, that does not mean that a majority of the community is entirely tolerant of the club’s activities.

“I hear it all the time....I hear people call each other names, boys say things like ‘oh he’s such a fag’ or ‘those two lesbian girls...’,” Motz said. “But it’s mostly anti-boy.

I think that people are more accepting of lesbians than they are of homosexual boys, but I hear it all the time, and I don’t think that half of the time it’s malicious...just ignorant, but there is a malicious side to it.”

And although words such as ‘faggot’ and

Continued on Page 17

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Continued from Page 16 phrases like ‘you’re so gay’ have become commonplace amongst high schoolers nationwide, the use of these derogatory terms has also given rise to an increase in verbal/emotional abuse towards GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals, oftentimes forcing them to a point where they feel that they can’t escape. “[Suicide] has been happening a lot amongst gay teenagers,” Motz said. “It’s always been there, but for MTV to bring it out and make us more aware, maybe [being gay] will be something that people

can accept...As Jen said when we formed the club ‘’you don’t usually make fun of something you understand, you make fun of things because of ignorance; true love is genderless.’”

MTV has been working in collaboration with director, Dan Savage, and the It Gets Better Project to shed light on the reality of going through high school as a GLBT teenager. The show, It Gets Better follows the lives of three teenagers, each of which are gay, and details how they interact with their gay and heterosexual peers, and how they combat abuse in their communities.

The show was initially conceptualized to propagate the mission of the It Gets Better Project (to show LGBT teenagers that life does get easier and does get better after high school) and to help decrease the occurrences of suicides amongst GLBT teens. However, on January 11, the founder of the It Gets Better Project, Eric James Borges -- as a reaction to a lifetime of physical, emotional and verbal abuse -- committed suicide.

“I was physically, mentally, emotionally and verbally assaulted on a day-to-day basis for my perceived sexual orientation,” Borges said in a video featured on the It Gets Better

website. “I was stalked, spit on, ostracized and physically assaulted....my mother knew I was gay and performed an exorcism on me in an attempt to cure me. My anxiety, depression, self-loathing and suicidal thoughts spiked. I had nowhere safe to go, either at home or school.”

However, by the time he finished high school, Borges claimed that life began to get easier and that he formed relationships with people who genuinely cared for him, which inspired him to take action and attempt to reach all of the teenagers in the world, like him, who felt alone and like they didn’t belong.

“You will love and be loved and I love you,” Borges said. “You have an entire life, fit to burst with opportunities ahead of you.

Don’t ever give up and don’t ever for one second think that you’re not a valuable and beautiful contribution to this world. It gets better.”

“It was difficult [to tell my friends] because I had built it up to be this big thing... but as soon as I told someone, it was easier to tell other people.”

--Michael Newman’13

“You will love and be loved, and I love you...

Don’t ever for one second think that you’re not a valuable and beautiful contribution to this world. It gets better.”

--Eric James Borges

Here in our halls, there is generally a higher degree of tolerance for students that are gay as opposed to other schools in the area. However, there is still a persistent fear amongst GLBT students to “come out” about their sexuality out of fear that they won’t be accepted by their peers.

According to a nationwide study conducted by Case Western Reserve University (an Ohio university with a separate wing devoted to establishing a safe haven for GLBTs), approximately 51 percent of GLBT teenagers conceal their sexual orientation out of fear of harassment, while 20 percent fear that they will be physically harmed for “coming out.”

“The [GLBT] kids that I work with in Denver are all very much ‘out’ and have a bigger support group than they do here,” Motz said. “I think that a lot of that has to do with the fact that [Highlands Ranch] is a pretty conservative, Christian community, and I think that kids here are are much more afraid...In the city, you can walk down the street with your arm around a girl and be fine. I don’t think that’s the same here.”

But despite the difference in cultural acceptance between Highlands Ranch and downtown Denver, several students, such as Michael Newman ’13, have already made the decision to “come out” with their sexuality.

“It was difficult [to tell my friends] because I had built it up to be this big thing, and really it wasn’t,” Newman said.

“I had friends who wouldn’t care in the first

Continued on Page 18

[04/06/12]

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18

Continued from Page 17 place so I don’t know why I made it out to be such a big deal, but it was a hard thing to do -- to tell someone. But, as soon as I told someone, it was, and this may sound ridiculous, easier to tell other people.”

Newman ‘came out’ during his freshman year and has been one of the few who has found acceptance both amongst his peers and at home.

“I actually didn’t tell my parents, my parents found out,” Newman said. “It was definitely a shock at first, but they came around and were completely supportive-and they always have been. They were never angry, but I guess that--in some degree--they were just shocked. I mean there’s always that stigma of ‘it’ll never happen to me, it’ll never be my kid who’s gay’.”

Since “coming out,” Newman has found acceptance in and outside of school, from the academic environment provided

by Advanced Placement classes, to the social opportunities offered by the being a member of the school’s yearbook staff.

However, he does admit that there are GLBT teens, like him, who have been met with an adversity foreign to the students of Rock Canyon.

“It just makes me angry that these things [suicides and abuse] happen in 2012; I can’t believe people are still getting bullied for [being gay],” Newman said. “I just read about a case in a school district where this rash of teen suicides had been occurring because the town was so intolerant of everybody. Anyone who was different was named as ‘gay’. I mean students tell these stories of day after day, kid after kid, of people calling them terrible names and nobody intervened at all...it’s terrible.”

The Anoka Hennepin school district is located near Minneapolis has recently been the site of the suicides of nine gay, or believably gay teenagers, each of which took their own lives as the result of years of harsh bullying and harassment for their sexual orientation.

According to the Washington Post, the leader of the district, Michele Bachmann, had refused to sign an “Anti-bullying Act” in 2006, a piece of legislation that aimed to permanently eliminate bullying in the public schools within the district. Since then, the district has experienced an influx in reports of bullying and in the student suicide rate.

“We understand that gay kids are bullied and harassed on a daily basis,” Anoka Hennepin Superintendent Carlson told Rolling Stone magazine. “But that was not the case here. If you’re looking for a cause, look in the area of mental health.”

However, several of the students that committed suicide were not themselves gay. In fact, they had been driven to the point to action as the result of being harassed solely because their peers thought that they were gay, when, in reality, they weren’t.

Thankfully, at here there is a lesser degree of intolerance amongst the student

body, however, the daily usage of words like “gay” and “lesbian” used as a derogatory term still cause the greatest amount of hurt amongst GLBT teenagers, with over 45% of GLBT teenagers reporting annually that they have been subject to gay slurs within the halls of their schools, some even since middle school.

“It wasn’t wide-spread, it was alwaysjust those few bullies who were really mean to you in middle school and that’s the same way that it was for me,” Newman said.

“They were mean to me, they’d call me mean names...but, I feel like after middle school everyone just kind of grew up. And I just kind of debate with myself sometimes whether it is that the kids grew up, or if I surrounded myself with really nice people.”

“I mean if I were attracted to someone, I would have told them or sent them signals like guys do with girls or how couples usually do.”

--Katie*

Although it may seem simple, figuring out one’s sexual orientation does not always come easily to everyone.

“I thought that I was bisexual at first, but then I talked to my mom about it and she told me that I was ‘either or’” Katie* said.

“She also said that maybe I was gay because I dress like a boy and am boyish in how I act and how I’ve acted since I was younger.”

Katie is a GLBT student who realized that she was a lesbian when she first entered high school, but found difficulty accepting who she was both amongst her friends and with herself.

“I really struggled with it for a while because I didn’t know anyone who would accept me... I thought that everyone would hate me,” Katie said.

“A friend of mine, for example; I was playing a joke on her in regard to being bi, and she took it the wrong way and didn’t talk to me for about six months. Then I finally saw her two weeks ago and she still didn’t talk to me. So I texted her.”

“I’m a very outgoing person--I love making everyone happy--so I send smiley faces to everyone over text like, ‘hey, how was your day :)’ and she took that offensively and thought that I was flirting with her, but I

really wasn’t.”

This situation is not uncommon amongst GLBT teenagers; oftentimes whenever a gay student attempts to build a friendship with a student who is straight, words and intentions get misconstrued and straight students feel as if they are trying to “flirt” with them.

“It makes me feel bad...I mean if I were attracted to someone, I would have told them or sent them signals like guys do with girls or how couples usually do.”

According to PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends and Lesbians and Gays) this form of social rejection has been one of the underlying causes to both the increase in high school drop-out rates and depression amongst GLBT teenagers.

“They’re the students that I worry about...It’s the ones that are afraid...it’s the ones that feel spit upon and I know they’re there,” Margaret Motz said.

“That’s why I’d like for GSA to become more visible, so that those kids do have someone to come to and a group to meet with. I think that we’re accessible, I just don’t think that people know how to access us. I know there are kids who think ‘I’m struggling, I want a support group’ or

* Name protected for anonymity

Continued on Page19

“They’re the students that I worry about. It’s the ones that are afraid...it’s the ones that feel spit upon, and I know they’re there.”--GSASponsorMargaretMotz

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Continued from Page 18 ‘my brother/sister is gay.’ They’re there, but nobody wants to talk about it,” Motz said.

However, recent strides throughout the nation with the passage of bills that enable gay couples to marry in certain states, and with the proliferation of support and awareness groups across the country, have given hope to countless individuals-both teens and adults alike--even if only through the computer or television screen. “[Activist groups and GSA] are trying to create a place where people can escape from the hate in the world,” Newman said. “I think what they’re trying to do is bring people out of the stigma [of being gay] and try to show them that there is a

[04/06/12]

By The #’s

better place and that there are better people in the world.”

And although the future may often seem bleak, and the world may seem like a hostile place, there is always a light that will manage to shine through the hate.

“Eventually it does get better. What you have to do is you have to surround yourself with people who aren’t going to care,” Newman said. “There’s the famous quote ‘those who care don’t matter, and those who matter won’t care’ and I think that is truly what it is. If you have friends who like and love you for who you are, they aren’t going to care if you’re gay. I think that people need to realize that this school is an accepting place, and I would encourage people to ‘come out’ so that they can be who they want to be.”

770,000 32,000 53

[sydcharvat] photos by: sydcharvat

1,140 45 30 26 1

The number of gay couples living in America as documented by the 2010 census.

The number of GSA clubs registered with the education network.

The percentage of students that reported hearing antigay comments made by their school staff.

The estimated number of gay high schoolers that have been made homeless by their sexual orientation.

The number of states that currently ban gay marriage.

The national percentage of completed youth suicides related to sexual identity.

The percentage of gay and lesbian youth that are forced to leave home because of conflicts with their families over their sexual identities.

The number of people that it takes to make one person happy.

Resources for GLBT’s and Their Supporters: For students that are struggling with their sexual identity or who have a friend/family member who is struggling and want to find an outlet for support, please contact any of the following resources: Outlets for Discussion:

• http://www.thegyc.com/- This is a support group for LGBT teens that works in a blog/forum-esuqe format.

• http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/

youthresource-This is a website that addresses a variety of issues in the world today (both political and cultural).

• http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/

groups/lgbt/index.html- This is a website that aims to end bullying.

Outlets for Support:

• http://www.itgetsbetter.org/- This is

a website that features video accounts from both LGBT individuals and their supporters (many of which are celebrities, politicians and pop culture figures) and aims to provide support to teens that are struggling with their sexual orientation.

• http://community.pflag.org/Page.

aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2-This is the website of the organization PFLAG, has useful resources for families.

Outlets if You’re Struggling:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK)

• The Trevor Project Lifeline for LGBT Youth (1-866-488-7386)

• The GLBT National Youth Talkline

1-800-246-PRIDE (1-800-246-7743)

• The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and

Transgender National Talkline 1-888-THE-GLNH (1-888-843-4564)

Sources: www.advocate.com Remafedi. G. Pediatrics Study by the US department of Health and Human Services http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/issues/ glbtqrights The Williams Institute The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: National Anti-Gay/Lesbian Victimization Report

[04/06/12]

elsatyr

20

Freshmen‘16 Sure to be Freshmen Extreme Satyrically Yours

In these trying political times, more and more people are deciding to run for office, whether it be the CEO of a pizza company, or to become a multi-billionaire. That’s why in 2016, the presidential race will be even more competitive. Here are our predicted candidates: • Lebron James: Plans to move the capital to South Beach. Will only run if he is backed by a quality supporting cast. While he may come out strong at first in his debates, he has a difficult time finishing them.

• Kim Kardashian: Looks to win

the White House by dominating the all important Air-Head demographic. Expect the First Husband to be some professional athlete.

• Paula Deen: Plans to outlaw any

food that does not contain heavy amounts of butter. While this may seem outrageous, her running mate happens to be Jillian Michaels.

• Ron Paul: Taking a new approach into the 2016 campaign with his new slogan, “if first you don’t succeed, try try again.”

• Allen Iverson: Has no political

experience, but is confident he can get the job done. When asked about his political practice he responded,”Man, we talkin’ about practice.”

• Lil Jon: Won over supporters

with his charm and advanced vocabulary. In his first debate he answered every question with,” YEAH!” or “OK!” Once the debate was over, he even treated the audience to “SHOTS!” [andrewbohren michaelshapiro]

El Satyr El Satyr realizes that it is the product of misinformation and exaggeration. If you were insulted, hurt, or shocked while reading this page, El Satyr does not apologize.

Also it’s not spelled wrong. Google it. therock is not an affiliate of El Satyr.

The 2011-2012 school year has been a year of change for Douglas County, with the effects of budget cuts and oversized classes alike. However, no one could have predicted that it would give rise to the assimilation of a massive, threatening freshman class HIGHLANDS RANCH - Come the end of this 2011-2012 school year and the start of the summertime transition into the 20122013 year, there are, and will remain, some anxieties among the students of Douglas County School District, and even Rock Canyon High School, specifically: budget cuts, the seniors leaving who will inevitably leave a gap in our school...as well as that pesky rock on campus that nobody has gotten around to moving. However, there remains one impending crisis that will surely shake educational society to its core, and that is the flood of incoming freshman come next year, who will, in swarms, be as abundant and annoying as possible. Indeed, this influx of teeny-boppers is not only a Rock Canyon crisis, but of a major national educational issue.

“We will see exponential growth in stupid freshman daily activity”, claims Dr. Rusty Farnsworth, Chief Freshmanologist at the College of William & Mary. “From dumb questions in class, to strange-looking couples, and to the number of people who awkwardly sit on the hallway floors before school, there is considerably awkward growth that is directly and incoherently correlated to the influx of stupid freshman.

In short, things will get big, strange, and stupid. The freshmanological term is brupid.

We freshmanologists are not known for our creativity”.

And although various peoples of the world are soaking in their own sweat attempting to remedy any potential damages, some people are benefiting just fine from the great freshman migration expected of next year, including some DCSD individuals.

“We’ve already seen our ranks strengthening with the idea of a massive, stupid freshman class”, says pimply faced 17-year old, Billy Weldman, leader of the Douglas County chapter of the National Bullying

art by: nicolecassou & Being Mean In General Society. “Just the idea of a bigger, more annoying freshman class has irritated the student body to the point of rapid recruitment. We’ve even been in contact with our Eastern European chapters, and they said they intend on sending over some of their people to study abroad and learn a few tricks in American bully culture. Incidentally, the freshman broke what was left of the Iron Curtain, and for that, I give them a big znakomicie”.

However, not all is fine and dandy, even amongst America’s bullies.

“There are some clear complications with this class of freshman that aren’t apparent in earlier generations of freshman. It’s not that they’re bigger or stronger or anything, in fact quite the opposite, they’re scrawny as Hell. The issue is that this class of freshman, despite seeming like a homogenous, stupid, stampeding horde, is actually diverse, and therefore an issue for us bullies”.

So, the incoming class of 2012 has been

Stuck in the Middle of a Budget Brawl What happens with Douglas County finally reaches it’s boiling point After many months of awkward encounters at the water cooler and heated texting conversations, Douglas County announced in a press conference Wednesday that it would be willing to fight the Education System in an “all-out brawl” if necessary.

“We’re sick of this [stuff],” the multimillion dollar county said. “Name the time and the place and we’ll throw down.”

The conflict began on election day, when Douglas County refused to give money to the begging Education System, leaving it with hurt feelings. Since then, the problem has only escalated.

“We want that [darned] Education System to keep its hands off of our money.

They can quit they’re [whining] too, it’s just pathetic.”

System, who has admitted to recent

financial problems, has not yet responded to the challenge. It has, however, commented on Douglas County’s criticism and offered a stern rebuttal.

“All we want is a little nourishment,” Education System said. “It’d be great if we could buy some food. . . Or maybe a nice pair of pants. . . Just enough to get us back on our feet.”

County has since cut off communication with the destitute program, but occasional spats have made the relationship hostile and potentially harmful.

“Can’t Education make their own money?” County asked. “We’ve done enough giving and it seems as though a fight is the only way to teach them a lesson.”

When asked for final statements, Education System refused to comment, however, Douglas County remains confident.

“Let’s do this,” County said. “Come at me bro.” [zachanderson]

characterized, as a stupid diverse mess of various individuals, and the effects of their presence have been noted and discussed to a great extent. So what exactly is the cause of this massive freshman class?

Well, as the result of a lack of funding by the district, freshmanologistss have been forced to halt further research.

So, hunker down and hold on, Rock Canyon - it will be a bumpy year.

[sachinmathur]

Because it’s“SO NEW” The critical reception of “The New New So Incredibly New iPad” has been nothing but positive.

The crowd present at the New York unveiling gasped and aww’d at every moment possible. All anyone could think about was how many Red Bulls they’d have to pack for their extended stay at the mall to get the iPad. “I literally have every single Apple product they’ve ever manufactured. This ‘New New So Incredibly New iPad’ will be the latest in my collection,” said Donald Schmidt, one of the more aggressive customers at the unveiling. “I will probably lose my house and not eat for a couple of weeks, but it’s so worth it!”

Recently, Apple has had an outbreak of enraged complaints about their prices. The emails aren’t about the iPad though- which sells for $6,999 or your first born childthey are about the outrageous prices of apps. “$.99 for an app is ridiculous. I’m going to need to consult my financial consultant over these purchases, they’re really putting a dent in my retirement fund,” said Mandy Gibbens. She is high-schoolteacher and purchases apps almost every day. “But of course I’m buying ‘The New New So Incredibly New iPad’, without question!”

[maddiewhitten]

theopinions

One Singular Sensation [zachanderson]

There are some career paths that almost guarantee that you will be living below the poverty line in a dumpy New York City apartment for a good chunk of your life.

Those paths are often wrought with disappointment and rejection. And, if you are one of the unfortunate few—like me—that find yourself on one of these self proclaimed “roads to nowhere”, you know that the only way you’re ever going to make your dreams a reality is if you can fight your way into relevance, and then beat out all of the millions of other hopefuls to make it to the top.

I’ve always dreamed of being an actress.

Growing up, I remember parading around my living room in sparkly princess dresses and speaking in a contrived high-pitch Disney character voice, all in an attempt to convince myself that I could, somehow, make it to Broadway someday.

When I reached my freshman year, I had my first experience with rejection. I walked into my school’s black box theatre clutching the sheet music to “Ireland” from Legally Blonde: The Musical between shaking hands, and nervously submitted my audition form to the stage manager. After ten minutes of agony, the director called my name and I slowly made my way to the front of the room.

Shaking, I began my audition with, “Hi…. my name is Syd Charvat and I will be auditioning with a piece from Legally Blonde...”

Then the director spoke up, “Syd? Seriously? You go by that?”

Embarrassed, I nodded and proceeded to sing the most off-pitch rendition of “Ireland” sung in the history of theatre. Needless to say, it was not my day.

that’s what she syd

Welcome to Obamaville Obamaville, circa 2014. Dark, ominous skies encircle America’s towns and cities. Winds eerily whip through rusty playgrounds void of children. Businesses all have closed signs in bloody red paint. A man lifts a gas nozzle solemnly to his head.

If Rick Santorum was aiming to pay tribute to the Hitchcockian horror film, then I would applaud him for his attempt to rekindle the classics of the 1960’s.

However, this advertisement is just as much of a tribute to a lost film genre as it is to President Obama.

By painting an image of a postapocalyptic world, complete with the crows from “The Birds” and all, Santorum aims to strike fear into Americans hearts, as he continues to lag behind Mitt Romney in the Republican race.

Fear, being the primary strategy of the advertisement, as evidenced by the

a nicole for your thoughts

monotone narrator flashing to an image of the Iranian President in an old TV screen while stating, “a sworn nuclear enemy has become a nuclear threat,” is what seems like has become the last resort for the neo-conservative GOP candidate. With juxtaposing images of Obama and the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the advertisement clearly compares the two men, equating them both to the same level of evil and corruption.

This ludicrous comparison is symbolic of the harsh political divisiveness of our country, which will surely become even more evident in the upcoming presidential race.

If a candidate comes to rely on techniques associated with horror, then the mudslinging atmosphere of this election has certainly reached a new high, or rather, low. This distasteful strategy

21[04/06/12] One year later, I moved to Colorado and was bent on making my dreams come true.

So, I enrolled in a set of classes at the Denver Center of Performing Arts. One of which, required an intense audition process in order to be accepted.

So, I found myself sitting in a small auditorium again, while the theme from “A Chorus Line” buzzed in my head.

After what seemed like hours, the director called my name, and I scurried up to the stage.

“Hi, my name is Syd Charvat, and I will be performing a classical monologue from All’s Well that End’s Well That End’s Well followed by a contemporary piece from The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, and a selection from the musical, Next to Normal.”

The director raised her penciled eyebrows and set down her pen, never once taking her eyes off of my face.

And then I began.

I threw myself across the stage, first kneeling to the point where my knees hurt, then throwing my arms into the air, yelling violently and crying. Once I came to, I immediately delved into another piece, one that left me laughing wildly and twitching under the harsh stage lights.

Finally, I was finished. I stood, nodded respectfully, and began to make my way off of the stage.

“I didn’t tell you to move,” she said quietly as she made her way onto the stage. “I want you to stay right where you are.”

“Again,” she said, taking off her glasses.

Confused, I began my piece again, but once I hit the halfway mark, she stopped me.

continues to bring Santorum’s rhetoric to the same base level of mass entertainment that the average American goes to see at the local movie theater.

By portraying this grim future without proposed legislation to prevent the country from spiraling into this horrific doom, Santorum creates an extensive void in his campaign. This blatant fallacy will surely lead to his own personal destruction in the election should he be elected by the conservative Republicans.

With seven more teaser trailers of Obamaville to come to Santorum’s website, the hopes a dignified election with reasonable and informative rhetoric are about as doomed as the terrified citizens of Obamaville.

Hopefully, those Rock Canyon students who will gain the privilege to vote in this upcoming election will make informed decisions, and act with more sensibility than the minds behind the 8-part mini series of Obamaville.

In

“I don’t believe you,” she said. “Take it from the top.”

And I did.

“Again,” she said. “Again. Again. Again,” each time adding another restriction, whether it be eyebrows, breathing or blinking.

Finally, I snapped, my face was beet red with humiliation and fear, and tears began to prickle at my eyes, but I didn’t want her to see that she had beaten me, so I fought back and held my ground.

I knew that I was good enough. I knew that, deep in my heart, I wanted this so badly that would fight this woman a hundred times over if I had to. So, I stared her back in the face and I fought like I never had before.

By the time I finished the piece, I couldn’t breathe. My heart was beating so unbelievably fast that I could barely form coherent thoughts in my head.

And all of a sudden, she began to clap.

“Good, that was good hon.”

That night, I received a call and I found out that I had been accepted. I remember staring at the list with mixed feelings, I was thrilled with the fact that I had made it, but, at the same time, I didn’t know if I had what it took to even deserve that spot.

I was “good”, but was I “good enough”?

In the end, I guess that I have no way of knowing if I have what it takes to make something of myself as an actress or in anything and everything that I do. But I do know that I would relive that moment of fear a thousand times over if I had to.

Because, at the end of the day, I love what I do. And I would fight any battle, any day, any time, to fuel that passion in my heart.

And sometimes, that’s just enough.

Going Out

Bald Heads

Fauxhawks

The “Justin Bieber”

Peyton Manning

Tim Tebow

Brady Quinn

Flip Flops

Ugg Boots

Crocs

Spotify

Rhapsody

Buying your Music

Temple Run

Words With Friends

Draw Something

[04/06/12]

theopinions

22

Learning to Forgive Being in the front row at Abby’s funeral was difficult. I could feel the hundreds of tear-stained eyes on me, with their genuine sympathetic expressions and kind words. I tried to ignore them, and focus on the music performances and beautiful memories being shared. I could barely deal with myself at the moment and didn’t want to deal with hundreds of others. I fidgeted with my dress; I read the program about 300 times; I did anything to keep myself from crying. Crying wouldn’t help anyone.

Rewind back two weeks, to Abby’s seventeenth birthday. The mood was so much brighter, and I hadn’t seen her so happy in months.

We were served tea like the fancy ladies we were, and giggled and took ridiculous pictures.

We forgot about the bad stuff: the hospitals, the stress, the sickness. The inevitable.

Fast-forward to April 27, 2011. Maybe I should’ve cried. That’s what everyone else was doing. I looked like I just didn’t care. That was the opposite though, I honestly just didn’t know what to do with myself. I was in shock.

The chaos was engulfing the whole school, so me and my close friends ran away. We were hiding with our favorite teacher Mrs. Harris, the one who helped us with Abby Beats Cancer, in a conference room in the 4000’s.

Apparently they had a search team dispatched to find us. Oops.

The part I didn’t expect was the strang-

smitten with whitten

ers that reached out to me. People all week came up to me like they knew me, some even embraced me. Normally, I would have been weirded out and turn away. But death makes you do strange things. I hugged them back and acted like I knew exactly who they were.

Most of the time, these people’s intentions were for the best. They genuinely wanted to help me or maybe they knew Abby in some way. To me, these random embraces were welcome and I felt like they were helping.

I could count on one hand the amount of people who weren’t like that. They were fake and sickeningly sweet and didn’t have me or Abby in mind at all. They lied about even knowing Abby and claimed they were her best friends. The sad part was people actually believed them--but we, her best friends, knew the truth.

I understand that people grieve and are affected by death in different ways. Some react silently and secretly, and don’t allow anyone to help; I know because that’s how I was. Some people need help from other people and cry in public. Everyone else fits somewhere in between the two extremes. But those liars were a different breed. They weren’t grieving, they were taking advantage of the death of a friend to make themselves feel better. Attention was their main priority, even when it should’ve been Abby’s and her family’s.

[nichelletesone]

ships forged working on ABC are going to last forever, and I really understand how absolutely precious life is. But more than that, I am much more empathetic to people, especially if they’ve experienced the death of a loved one. I can now be that person at a funeral, and look at the scared girl in the front row who is broken inside. I’ll tell her that she’s going to be okay, but she’ll never forget.

A student remembers the efforts of Abby Beats Cancer, by holding out three of the buttons sold to raise money for the cause. Abby lost her battle with cancer April 27, 2011. Her friends and loved ones will never forget.

I couldn’t say anything though. I wasn’t acting like my normal self. Any other day I would’ve confronted the person and told them exactly how wrong they were. But death makes you do some weird things. I let their hurtful comments slide off me; looking back, that was pretty impressive.

Just like the first flower that grows out of the ashes after a forest fire, life goes on. That may just be the most cliche thing said after someone dies, but it couldn’t be more true. The friend-

Dirt, Tears and Couscous

precious life is.

But more than that, I am much more empathetic to people, especially if they’ve experienced the death of a loved one. I can now be that person at a funeral, and look at the scared girl in the front row who is broken inside. I’ll tell her that she’s going to be okay, but she’ll never forget.

The philosophy of growing beauty in the crevices of pain, the gaps left by sorrow, and in bowls of messy, round noodles.

You So Rock

You So Don’t Rock

-Peyton Manning becoming the Bronco’s quarterback.

-Teachers squeezing in every test in just one week.

I love messes.

This occurred to me recently when I was watching a five year old, a four year old and a one year old.

The baby woke up from a twohour nap in an insufferable mood.

I knew she was hungry but she wouldn’t let us sit her in her high chair and they don’t have a table in the kitchen. The four year old went into monkey-mode and refused to let me put her down. The five year old turned into my saving grace. She carried the baby around (which was more like dragging as she’s only about three inches taller) and bounced her up and down, chirping “It’s okay Skylar! It’s okay!”.

We ended up parking it on the floor of the kitchen. Skylar was balanced on her sister’s knees while I fed her yogurt and little round noodles (Apparently, the official name is kooskoos). When all was said and done, everyone was happy, fed, and literally surrounded by and covered in yogurt, noodles and baby slobber.

Our afternoon was not in any way picturesque. The four-year old was coaxed out of her

-The snowstorm holding off until after spring break.

-Having to block out time to study for AP exams.

-What seems like the entire population getting behind Kony 2012.

-Figuring out the logistics of going to Prom.

running erinds

grumpiness only by the sight of a popsicle and the smeared strawberry yogurt didn’t exactly complement the shirt I was wearing. It was not Mary Poppins, with us twirling around the room and lovingly feeding the baby, pausing only to harmonize with a robin on the windowsill.

Rather, it was more like a bad Jennifer Aniston movie about new parents.

But it was beautiful. And as I was sitting there, surveying the amount of noodles I would have to clean up later and letting Skylar lick yogurt off of my finger, all I could notice was how sweet and real these children were.

We’ll call it the Couscous Philosophy (I Googled it...turns out it’s not spelled “kooskoos”). To find happiness, sometimes you might have to get messy. Life is not organized or predictable. Interacting with other people isn’t an art you can perfect. It’s more like pinball and square dancing combined into one. It’s a little nerve wracking, but I love the organicness of meeting people where they are.

Sure, feeding a baby in a high chair like a

normal person is probably satisfying. But sitting on the kitchen floor in a tangle of children and yogurt--that’s where the joy is.

This concept is something I’ve been pondering a lot lately. Sweet moments with little kids are nice, but this idea extends way farther than child care. It seems to me that the overwhelming blessings in this world are so often cultivated in the messy, kitchen floors of our lives.

I love the fact that the most beautiful, profound moments can emerge from chaos and dishevelment. In order to attract beauty, you have to make room for it. Often, that space is the vacant site of a failure or the canyons of a fractured heart.

Anne Lamott (who I quote approximately every ten minutes) says “Some people think that God is in the details, but I have come to believe that God is in the bathroom.”

I couldn’t agree more. Holiness and spirituality do not always blossom in sacredness or cleanliness.

Sometimes, love is best sculpted out of dirt, tears and couscous.

-AP Psych chalk drawings all over the sidewalks.

-Having only one quarter left of school.

-Having prom downtown.

-Getting an extra surprise every time you get something from the 4000’s vending machine.

-Going to see the Hunger Games multiple times.

-Forgetting that you live in Colorado and regretting not keeping an ice-scraper in your car.

-The price of a limo for prom being more than dinner and the dance combined.

-Juniors being stuck taking the ACT when everyone else has the day off.

-Dramatic people making drama about Prom drama that’s simple useless drama.

thenews

23

The Right To Your Rite

Prom, college applications, graduation: the rite of passages of high school and life are inescapable. It is how we choose to handle them that defines us.

Staff Editorial:

A Rite of Passage isn’t just a routine or ritual. It’s a system of society that has been used to acclimate all of us into what it means to be a contributing member of society.

Life in Ink

April is a month of transitions. Some are obvious, evident by the budding trees and rain showers and the departure of snowpacked roads. Some are not, such as the Freshman transitioning into experienced Jaguars with the know-how to get through the hallways and their classes for the next three years. But April is also a month of expectancy. We anticipate the horrors of Advanced Placement testing and the joy of the summer sun in May. But as teenagers with the membership of society being right around the corner, we all must go through the motions to prepare for what society that expects of us. For some of us, specifically our Senior Jaguars, that takes form as a college application. Our younger peers, thrust into independence, had to rush to adjust their lifestyle to survive in the halls and classrooms of Rock Canyon. Our society has a term for these events, and one you’ve probably heard many times before (and certainly will in the future): a Rite of Passage.

If we picture our lives as a 100 meter race, then the Rites of Passage are the hurdles that stand in our way. There’s no way through them but over them, and as we sprint forward into adulthood, we all must face their might at one point.

They are the gates that separate us from one status to the next. Here is where we molt and shed in preparation for the next hurdle.

If you don’t believe The Rock, then let us direct you toward the looming mountain of awkwardness and Rite of Passage that is inescapable to us all: Prom.

Prom in and of itself isn’t anything special. It is one of many formal dances that we have to opportunity to attend between studying, sports and other activities. The boys tighten-up their bow ties and shine their shoes and the girls obsess

over their dresses, but really, beneath it all is a very arbitrary experience. But what makes it special? What gives it the weight and meaning?

Well, as your mother would say, “Hey kid, you gotta do it. It’s a Rite of Passage!”

On the surface, Prom gives off the appearance of just another night of fun before we dive back into finals. But it means a bit more than that, and that’s the reason for it being dubbed one of the major Rites in life. Prom has become a symbol in society of progressing from the immaturity of middle school crushes to the seriousness of what relationships are supposed to be. Whether we go “just as friends” or something with a bit more romance involved, it’s a symbolic night of transition, decision-making and maturity.

But not all Rites of Passages are so cheerful and free-spirited. In fact, many of the most important lessons in life are learned from the hurdles that we can barely make it over, and are left stumbling afterwards. To illustrate these, we don’t even need you to divert your attention anywhere, because it was already on him in the first place: Tim Tebow.

As we lay his “#15” jersey to rest in the back of our closets, many of us look back with fond memories of his miraculous plays and nail-biting scrambles. Others look back and see him as a novice quarterback thrust into a spotlight that he didn’t deserve.

As Peyton Manning comes to Mile High Stadium, it represents a dramatic shift in the Broncos football program. And while we look forward, Tebow looks back at what could have been. This is the inevitable failure and mishap that we all experience in our lives. And, believe it or not, this is one of the most common Rites of Passages we face.

But to understand this specific Rite and how devastating or invigorating it can be, we have to clarify our earlier analogy. Our 100 meter sprint through life is dotted with hurdles, and nearly all of those hurdles are static. Prom will always be something to experience during high school, getting your first paycheck will always be at a younger age and so on and so forth. But this Rite is different.

This one is the wildcard.

This is the one that truly tests your mettle and your will to succeed. And because this Rite is never predictable, we

never know where it’s going to be. It could appear at birth, right off the blocks. Or it could appear out of nowhere right when we think the final twenty meters is clear.

You will never know where it’s going to be and what it’s going to be, and that’s what makes it so devastating.

Tebow encountered this hurdle at the ripe age of 24, and he should be thankful he did. Not only did he jump and make it over, but he landed with the grace that would be the envy of even his recievers.

His future with New York will not be determined by a neck surgery or a doubtful team executive, but by his talent and hard work.

But some of us are not so lucky with this hurdle. This is due to a multitude of reasons, but mostly because it always blindsides us. We spend four years fretting about Prom dates and dresses, and we have a reasonably good idea of what the night will end up being. So when a relative passes away or a college rejects us, we never know how to proceed. Tim Tebow certainly could never foresee the chain of events that lead to his release, but that’s just the way it goes.

Unfortunately, not all of us land gracefully, that is if we land at all. Hardships, and specifically change, are the human versions of kryptonite. Back in August, we at The Rock spoke to you about how change was empowering, uplifting and a chance for renewal. And while all this may be true, we naively forgot to tell you it wouldn’t always be so easy and cheerful.

This idea seems somewhat abstract in terms of Prom, after all, many choose to simply not attend. But then again, Prom may be the smallest hurdle of them all.

Compared to the drastic change of moving out of your parents home and paying your utilities bill for the first time, a slow dance under the lights of Sports Authority Stadium seems like a luxury.

So as we sprint towards April 14 and, for that matter, the rest of our lives, the hurdles will never stop. This may seem daunting, or it may seem exhilarating.

Whatever attitude you feel towards these Rite of Passages beforehand is irrelevant.

What matters is the attitude you feel when you’re face to face with them. Like Darwin said, adapt or die.

[zachanderson]

The Rock Staff

Editorial

Editor in Chief: Lauren Scheirman News Editors: Kayla Neil, Charlie Melbye In-Depth Editors: Danielle Burrage, Syd Charvat Sports Editors: Alex Pedrinan, Chris Safran Opinions Editors: Andrew Charap, Allie Cole Business Editor: Cecilia Castro Art Editor: Zach Anderson Guest Commentator: Erin Snyder Non-Voting Adviser: Kristi Rathbun

Reporting

Jacob Battock Kelcey Beckman Ashley Boatman Andrew Bohren Sydney Boyle Megan Boyles Nicole Cassou Brianna Cooke Karly Hanson Natalie Holthaus Sachin Mathur Linnea Melbye

Sean McGavin Bryan Metze Rylee Portman Jeremy Purchase Mae Rohrbach Demri Scott Michael Shapiro Virginia Vaughan Maddie Whitten Cambel Winkler Caitlin Yanchak

The goals of The Rock, the student newspaper of Rock Canyon High School, are to inform, educate, and entertain the readers as well as to provide an educational opportunity for the students who produce it.

The first three copies of The Rock are free, additional copies are available for 50 cents each.

The Rock invites your comments. Letters to the editor and commentary submissions are encouraged. You are also encouraged to submit coverage ideas, cartoons, photos or anything else you wish to see in the Rock. Opinions of the staff are presented as editorials. All editorials are at least the majority view of the editorial board. We also feature a number of columnists and commentary writers. Their opinions are their own.

Rock Canyon High School 5810 McArthur Ranch Road Highlands Ranch, CO 80124 Phone 303-387-3000/Fax 303-387-3001

24

5 words or less

We asked students to describe their 2011-2012 school year in 5 words or less. This is what you guys came up with.....