Issue 5 (Jan. 2016)

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The FCHS Student Newspaper

Jan. 28, 2016

Sugar pgs. 10-14

Profile on Spencer Hawk pg. 5 Local music groups in Fort Collins pg. 9 Unified Basketball pg. 17 Listening to music in the classroom pg. 21

Volume 97 Issue 5 3400 Lambkin Way

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Phone: (970) 488-8199

Fax: (970) 488-8008

2 Jan. 28, 2016

News

Spilled Ink

EXPANDING VIEW

Search halted for missing U.S. marines

Zimbabwe ends child marrige

Extinct frog rediscovered in India

EU draws up refugee share plan

Brazil Zika outbreak linked to birth defects

Canberra Airport to become international Information gathered by Alex McWilliams

Inside the Ink Update on Mall Construction pg. 4

News pg. 2-5

Old and New Movies pg. 8

A&E pg. 6-9

Getting Your Sugar Fix pgs.12 & 13

In-Depth pg. 10-14

Corrections Spilled Ink does not have any errors to report.

Workouts for Different Body Types pg. 15

Sports pg. 15-18

Valentine’s Day pg. 20

Perspectives pg. 19-23

News

Spilled Ink

Jan. 28, 2016

How it works:

3

Record Players In recent years, vinyl records have experienced an unexpected resurgence in popularity.

Here’s how they work. e center holds the recor d in od in th r plac A e.

HOW RECORDS ARE MADE

Link leader applications due tomorrow Spencer Thompson Staff Writer Link Leader Applications are due to the front office or L104 tomorrow. These applications can be found at either location.

Filling out the application requires two short answers about qualifying experiences, and other extracurricular involvement.

“We are looking for people who are good role models,” math teacher Sara Slagle said.

“You don’t have to have a 4.0. Just help make the transition into high school easy.”

For all who are selected to be a Link Leader, creating a smooth and comfortable transition for the incoming freshman is expected. Those chosen will participate in activities, help mentor, and create a fun and safe environment for all incoming freshman.

Juniors to begin taking SAT test in spring 2017 Nick Hawley Staff Writer The Colorado Department of Education announced a change in college admissions testing over the next five years. Instead of the ACT, juniors will take the SAT. This change is set to take effect in the spring of 2017.

“The state is going to look out for what’s best for the student, and what that means is aligning a college entrance test that is reliable, valid, and one that is most convenient for the kids,” Counselor Brett Fedor said.

The CDE originally planned for the new tests to be implemented this spring, but that plan was delayed, due to concerns about students’ ability to study for the new test, after preparing all semester for the other one.

School of choice deadline approaches

d A belt drive or direct

ate ro t m e t s y rive s

The deadline for School of Choice applications for secondary schools in PSD is tomorrow at noon.

Applications can be filled out and submitted online at http://psdschoolchoiceapplication.com/.

“Typically we have about 125 to 150 kids sign up for School of Choice each year,” principal Mark Eversole said. “We’ve taken every School of Choice student that’s applied for the last four years. So anybody wanting to come to Fort Collins High School will pretty much have a guaranteed in.”

School of Choice is offered by every school in Colorado as required by law.

However, not all schools have room.

Priority is given to applicants who apply by the end of the first consideration period. Other admission factors, according to PSD, include proximity of the student, siblings currently enrolled, parents who work at the school, and continuation of a program, such as AVID or IB. Students already accepted by school of choice do not need to reapply.

s the turntab

le.

The tip of a stylus, or needle, travels along the spiraling grooves and picks up vibrations.

3. The signal is converted back to sound and played through speakers.

1. A cartridge receives the vibrations, which are converted to electrical signals through a coil in a magnetic field.

A hydraulic press stamps the impression of the master recording into softened vinyl.

The disc is stiffened using cool water.

2. The signals travel along wires to the amplifier, which enhances the signal’s power.

PHOTOS BY EVAN BODE Information gathered by Evan Bode Source: nytimes.com, howstuffworks.com

Menu offers solutions to sound problems

Andrew Jessen-Tyler Columnist

The studio’s master recording is encoded into a circular groove using a recordcutting machine.

Andrew Jessen-Tyler Columnist

Sound has become part of our everyday use of laptops.

Students may use sound for music during worktime, videos during off-hours, or audio-based school activities during class. So when the speakers stop working, it can create quite a predicament.

According to the Library Tech Center, one of the most common issues on laptops is sound. Some headphones will disable the speakers on laptops and require the sound to be reset to default settings. If this sounds like an issue you have often, here is how you

can reset it on your own. should open a new window.

First, make sure that In this window, you will no other applications or need to click on the speaker windows are button labeled open. This is “Speakers/ because the Headphones” new sound and then click s e t t i n g s on “Properties” won’t kick (Figure 3). in until a The final step program is is to click the restarted. tab labeled Also, since “Advanced” Accompanying images we are and then click can be found at: http:// testing the on “Restore tinyurl.com/SPINKspeakers on D e f a u l t s ” Sound-Reset the laptop, (Figure 4). no external Repeat the last speakers two steps for any or headphones should be other sound devices listed. plugged in at this point.

This should solve all Next, right-click on the sound issues caused by sound icon in the lower the computer itself. If this right corner (Figure 1). didn’t work for you, restart The menu will present your laptop and repeat the five options. Click on the process without opening option that says “Playback any programs, or go to the devices” (Figure 2). This LTC for additional help.

Spilled Ink News 4 Jan. 28, 2016 Foothills mall undergoes drastic changes Alex McWilliams

News Editor

Men in yellow vests load up equipment. Surrounding orange cones and signs of construction previously seen encompassing the mall’s property are being packed up, as the construction comes closer to an end.

Foothills Mall, located on South College Avenue, has been the main shopping center in Fort Collins since the early 1970s, but over the past two years, the structure and design of the property has changed drastically.

The Mall is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2016.

Although technically more is in store regarding the construction and design of the mall to make it more community friendly, a number of stores are currently open to the public.

These stores include Vans, Victoria’s Secret, and Zumiez, among others.

“Our hopes are to make the mall a fun place to come and bring your family,” said John Gaffney, the general manager and partial owner of Foothills Mall. “There’s places for children to play, teens to hangout, and adults to shop, eat and even hangout and grab a drink. We have a couple places on the property that offer alcoholic beverages.”

The construction began in response to the new owners’, Walton Foothills Holdings, thoughts on the structure and design of the building. They felt the mall was old- fashioned and didn’t fit in with Fort Collins’ booming community.

The mall was small and didn’t offer much to the public. Stores were not drawing business and the mall was in need of tender love and care.

“Having been built in the 1970s, the old building was outdated and needed a lot of improvements,” Gaffney said.

Although the mall and its 77 acres of property were purchased in 2012, contractors did not officially break ground until 2014. The building itself was remodeled, the exterior design of the mall was r econstructed, and some stores were removed while others were just temporarily relocated to remain open during the transition.

The new mall will feature more than simple beautifications. Besides the over 40 new stores being added to the shopping complex, property

Area Currently Under Construction

YOU ARE HERE

Natural light illuminates a seating area in the new Foothills Mall, displaying a completed portion which is now open to the public. PHOTO BY ALEX MCWILLIAMS GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST managers have planned space for six restaurants to open, as well as both winter and summer attractions on the east side of the property. Winter attractions will include an ice skating rink, and summer attractions will include concerts, outdoor activities such as a 5K race, and a playground for children, according to Gaffney.

Besides the obvious changes made to the structure and surroundings of the mall, Walton Foothills Holdings also put in turn lanes and stop

lights to make the location more accessible to the public. In addition, an underpass for bikers and walkers will be added underneath College Avenue to allow citizens to have a more ecofriendly access to the mall by bus, foot, or bike.

“There are roughly 1,200 bike racks on the property, as well as a new parking garage built just for customers’ needs,” Gaffney said. “Parking in shopping centers can always be tricky so hopefully

we can eliminate any concerns.”

The owners hope it will appeal to the community and raise property values as well as keep residents from having to travel cities away just to shop their favorite stores.

“I look forward to welcoming a variety of the Fort Collins population,” Gaffney said. “I hope we can appeal to all crowds with our diversity, including our vast selection of stores, restaurants, fast foods, children’s’ areas and bars.”

Local club seeks to narrow gender gap in computing Hanna Khmeloska Staff Writer Despite the fact that in many careers the percentage of female workers is increasing, in the field of computer science it is going down.

In the ‘80s female participation was 30 percent, which is 15 percent higher than it is today.

“I think that it is because in 1982 there was a very limited number of computer science professors, and also very limited number of computers. Because of that universities had to limit enrollment and raise entrance standards,” Professor Chris Willox said. “We all know that girls are more likely to get good grades, so the amount of girls in the computer science increased.”

In an effort to narrow the gender gap, Girls Who Code invites students interested in the field of computer science to join the club on the Colorado State University campus.

The club, which meets every Tuesday from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in room 215 of the Computer Science Building, introduces girls in grades 6 - 12 to computer science.

Developed in response to studies such as Google’s 2014 study which showed that girls who set encouragement from their friends and if they are involved in computer science at school at school are more likely to pursue the career, Girls Who Code defies gender bias.

“I have students that are working for Google and EPIC after graduation, which are two top-employers in the country – and they both are females,” Willox said. “Nobody can make the statement that female students are in any way inferior. In fact, I have enough evidence to probably state the opposite.”

Students in the club choose to learn one of four levels. Level 0 is the programing language called Scratch. The main idea behind

it is to teach computer science in such a way that is will be easy even for grade school.

“It has the same loops and stuff that higher level languages do, but they are graphical,” Willox said.

Level 1 is Python, a full programing language used by many working engineers and often taught in beginner courses at universities.

Level 2 covers HTML, CSS, Java Script, PHP and JQuery. Students reach the point at which they are creating a website, providing content and using data bases.

In level 3 students will improve their skills in programming to become more advanced in web-site developing.

The Girls Who Code club will run until May 10. They had their first meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19 but they still have room for five more students. Email Olivia Thero at olivia.thero@live.com to apply.

News

Spilled Ink

Jan. 28, 2016

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

5

A Talk with Spencer Hawk

Born with defective knee joints that caused his legs to be amputated at age seven, freshman Spencer Hawk adapts to the challenges facing him as he transitions into high school. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPENCER HAWK

PHOTO BY DALENA GROEN

Student perseveres through challenges it for who I am and that’s who I want to be, so Staff Writer now I’m going to live that way,” Hawk said.

As a freshman, Hawk is still adapting, this time, to the transition from middle school to high school.

First impressions are crucial. No matter “It’s been a bit hard, I’d say, but I’m getting how much society tries to divert from a focus used to it. First semester, I could’ve done better, on appearance, those impressions, often decided by sight, retain their importance.

Freshman Spencer Hawk thinks and acts like any other student. What makes his life unique, is that he is forced to do most everything from a sitting position. And this, in the eyes of many, due to the power of first impressions, often defines him.

“People see me with the wheelchair that I roam around in as scary or something, and they might put me under that, but really, I try to be the nicest person I can,” Hawk said. “Some of my friends, they really see me as a person, and lots of people are seeing me as a person. It’s really nice to feel like I’m part of the activity that’s going on, like as actually part of society.”

—Freshman According to spencerhawk.com, Spencer was born with defective knee joints, causing his legs to be crooked and difficult to walk on. but I’m going to try again this second semester, Soon, he was unable to walk without pain. After and I just want to improve,” Hawk said.

Joining Student Council has opened an unsuccessful attempt to straighten the legs, Hawk up to the countless activities available Hawk, at age seven, went through two surgeries in which both of his legs were amputated. and made the transition less difficult.

“It’s great to socialize with people, and “I’ve had to adapt to being short and also to help with the setting up of the school’s I’ve had to accept that. It was a really hard activities, like how we set up eighth grade info challenge to overcome, but now I’ve accepted

Eleanor Glenn

“I’ve had to adapt to being short and I’ve had to accept that.

It was a really hard challenge to overcome, but now I’ve accepted it for who I am and that’s who I want to be, so now I’m going to live that way.”

Spencer Hawk

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night just a while ago and class rush,” Hawk said. “Homecoming was probably really fun to set up and everything. I like going behind the scenes, so I always sign up for a lot of stuff.”

In addition to discovering the abundance of activity in high school life, Hawk has found the greater benefit of going to high school and transitioning into the larger world.

“Compared to middle school, I think my favorite part of high school is just how, now, I am connected with so many people. It’s been really, really powerful here …to bond with people really well, that was really special,” Hawk said. “Really love the teachers, I love the classes too. Lots of them are very educational, and some of the teachers are really funny, like Mr. [Chris] Lee. He’s a really nice guy.”

Finding new people and new opportunities is just one part of the huge change that comes with the beginning of high school. Hawk has had to accept the challenges that life threw at him, whether it was the transition into high school or the loss of his legs. Just one conversation with Hawk is all that is needed to see that he has persevered through the struggles that could bring him down.

“I’m cut down a bit but I’m still moving,” Hawk said. “If you don’t know what to do and you’re stuck with a hard decision, do what you feel is right …If it’s a bad decision, that was your decision. There’s no astral force controlling your life. It’s you.”

6 Jan. 28, 2016

A&E

Spilled Ink

Old Town sandwich shop receives mixed reviews for fattening food Adelaide Tomsic Staff Writer

In Brief

FCHS orchestra to perform at CMEA Kevin Sullivan

Photographer

The Symphonic Orchestra will perform for the CMEA conference on Saturday at noon at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.

“I’m super proud of the ensemble,” Orchestra Director John Hermanson said.

“It’s been the highlight of my career.”

The concert will feature the music department with pieces conducted by Band Director David Miles, Orchestra Director John Hermanson, Choir Director Kaitlin Miles, and Steve McNeal. Members of the a cappella choir will be featured on Gjeilo’s Mvmt. 4 “Identity and the Ground” from “The Sunrise Mass,” and members of the band will play with the orchestra on the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, Berlioz’s Hungarian March from “Damnation of Faust,” Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2 from the “Jazz Suite,” and Márquez’s Danzón No. 2.

StuCo to host talent show Andrew Jessen-Tyler Columnist StuCo will host Lambkins got Talent Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in McNeal Auditorium.

Students can buy tickets at the door for $5 or for $3 with an activity pass.

Funds raised will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“Every year we donate to a different foundation,” junior Alex McGhee said.

“Hopefully the students and parents will be joining us and have a good time.”

Students interested in performing may sign up in the front office. Auditions will be held in time slots from 1:40-5 p.m. on Feb. 4 in room L112. All performances must be under five minutes and school appropriate.

Spirit Boosters offer trivia night Joseph Mason Sports Editor On Feb. 10, at 6 p.m., the Spirit Boosters will host Trivia Night in the media center.

Entry is free, but donations are accepted.

“It is a part of Spread the Love Week, but it is just a fun event where people can come with their friends,” Spirit Boosters president Rebecca Garrett said. “They can form teams with their friends and they answer trivia questions, and win prizes. Everybody wins prizes—like candy or gum—but the winning team wins the grand prize.”

This is the second year FCHS has hosted a Trivia Night as a replacement for the Booster’s Annual Dance.

“We always had a school dance and it seems like students aren’t into dances like they once were,” Garrett said. “So this is just a way for us to have another event that would be something for people to come, have fun, and show school spirit.”

I became keenly aware of my arteries and their current pampered state—healthy and used to a diet of couscous and eggplant, only tortured by fryer grease on special occasions—as I reviewed the Fat Shack menu, which features hot wings, deep fried Twinkies, and a variety of sandwiches piled high with toppings like fried chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, fries, bacon, and mac n’ cheese.

I silently apologized to my arteries as I ordered an eightinch “Fat Goobie,” a sub stuffed w i t h F r e n c h fries, bacon, fried chicken f i n g e r s , c h e d d a r cheese sauce, ranch, and, to get in at least one serving of vegetables, shredded lettuce. Figuring my cholesterol couldn’t be pushed any higher, I added three deep fried chocolate chip cookies to my order and handed $12.51 to the cashier, who couldn’t seem to hear me over the unreasonably loud radio screaming out “Why Don’t You Get a Job” by The Offspring.

The deep fried cookies and Oreos were phenomenal, comparable to a cookie directly out of the oven, swaddled in a beignet tossed in a brown paper bag with a blizzard of powdered sugar. The hockey-puck-sized buns of goodness were so rich with sweet grease and chocolate, I

was unable to eat more than one, sharing the other two with my fellow Spilled Ink staff members.

My sandwich came after the cookies, wrapped tightly in red and white butcher paper. Although too salty, the first fatty bite was startling, better than I expected. The fried chicken and rich bacon added a satisfying crunch, and hot ranch dressing dripped to coat the rest of the toppings with a full, tangy flavor.

Eventually, the ranch dressing that once made the Fat Goobie great caused the fries and chicken to become soggy. By the edge of the bun, the food was saturated with too much artificial cheese sauce, a flavor that doesn’t go well with ranch, both being too rich and salty to complement e a c h other.

The bacon no longer reached the end of the bun, resulting in a rather bland sandwich, and I was no longer impressed with the Fat Goobie.

My opinion of the Fat Shack was unpopular compared to the majority of the Spilled ink staff, who thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant.

My impression of the food likely directly contradicted that of Writer Spencer Thompson who described it as “a bomb place for a midnight snack” and Head Graphic artist Parker Andrist, who has the ingredients of his favorite sandwich, the Fat Doobie, memorized.

I would, however, return, but only for the deep fried cookies. After all, we need a little saturated fat in our diets from time to time.

Novel portrays personal improvement

Samantha Ye

In-Depth Editor We’ve all heard those cynical characters: the ones who believe no one ever changes, and certainly not for the better. I understand them when I’m feeling cynical. But “Life After Theft” by Aprilynne Pike realistically shows why it’s challenging to change and also why it’s always possible.

The story follows Jeff, the new kid, as he helps Kimberlee—the mean girl, the queen bee, the dead chick—return the thousands of items she stole while she was alive, so her ghostly form can move on.

It’s quickly established that Kimberlee was awful alive and still is awful dead. Yet as backstories unfolded, I realized… she is even worse than I thought.

Her plan to redeem herself sounds quite dandy until its selfish implications show. As long as she returns items only for the afterlife pass, her personality does

not become any less psychopathic.

“Beg and plead?” Kimberlee says to Jeff after a fight. “Who do you think I am? I don’t beg and plead; I threaten.”

That’s who we’re letting rest in peace? It almost seemed like an afterlife rip-off to me. Almost.

Contrary to the idea no one ever changes, many ghost books hand characters an epiphany about how awful they were in life and that’s that.

I don’t know about you, but I have trouble admitting I was wrong about a math problem let alone all my life choices.

Books like “It’s a Wonderful Death” by Sarah J. Schmitt and “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver, while stunning, are overly optimistic about how easily people are willing to change, which isn’t a helpful portrayal of the struggle.

Kimberlee is one bitter, mean, kleptomaniac bully, yet she holds onto her self-justifying delusions even after death.

“You think everyone’s so genuine. But it’s all just

fake,” Kimberlee yells at Jeff. “Everyone is cold and bitter and fake! Just like me.”

And maybe that’s why there’s the idea that people never “really” change, and that they just become better actors.

Because you can’t change without acknowledging why, and that alone is challenging enough.

“I’ve learned a lot of things from you, Jeff, but the things I’ve learned—They hurt, Jeff.

It’s hard— so damn hard— to see myself for what I was,” Kimberlee says.

It’s not easy to admit mistakes. It’s not easy to realize you were scum and make amends. It’s not easy to say sorry. And it’s important to realize that, or else it becomes easy to stop trying.

It’s hard for anyone to change for the better, but if we’re growing up and messing up and yet still willing to learn, then maybe that cynical belief people won’t improve can fade away.

“I believe in learning to be better,” Jeff says. “I believe in family; I believe in relationships. I guess ultimately, I believe in people.”

Spilled Ink

A&E

Jan. 28, 2016

Join the Club

7

(or create your own!)

Formación del club animada Translation by Spanish Literature students in Jim Ogan’s classes Muchos estudiantes eligen clases que los conducirán a un mejor futuro.

Escogen amigos que los distraen de sus metas de ese futuro. Y ellos escogen clubes basados en sus pasiones.

Cuando ningún club existente es suficiente, los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de crear nuevos clubes.

Muchos clubes nuevos y recientemente inaugurados como Alzarse en Contra, Yoyo Club, y el Club de Cosplay, fueron creados por los estudiantes.

Este año, una estudiante del tercer año, Jazyln Hancock, inició un club “antibulllying” llamado Alzarse en Contra.

Se reune durante el almuerzo común en P-208 los primeros y terceros miércoles de cada mes. El objetivo de este club es juntar a los alumnos para que extiendan la positividad por toda la escuela y pongan fin a los efectos negativos de la intimidación.

“Así que los estudiantes se sienten más aceptados y validados, queremos comunicar con los maestros y desarrolar y presentar algo al comité escolar del distrito que vaya a prevenir la intimidación”, dijo Hancock. “Alzarse en Contra está llamando la atención de estudiantes que quieren hacer un cambio en algo, o atraer a los estudiantes que se sienten como tal vez no pertenezcan, y quieren ayudar a otros estudiantes.”

Mientras Hancock utiliza su pasión por la justicia social en beneficio de los demás por organizar el club

Alzarse en Contra, Yoyo entusiasta, estudiante de primer año, Jacob Dinkel, comparte su amor por el yo-yo con otros estudiantes por medio del Yoyo Club, que se reúne afuera del salon P-106 todos los jueves durante ELO. Este club es para “las personas que realmente disfrutan de aprender trucos, ver y conocer a la gente nueva y simplemente disfrutar de yoyos”, dijo Dinkel. “Si usted es, como alguien que es principiante en yo-yo, se puede aprender mucho de los trucos y es realmente un montón de diversión.”

Para los fanáticos de historietas, los jugadores de videojuegos, o las personas que viven por sus “fandoms”, el club de Cosplay fue creado por el estudiante del segundo año, Ben Cochran. Este club se reúne todos los jueves durante el almuerzo común en la oficina L-203.

«Ayudamos a las personas a averiguar lo que quieren hacer y cómo llegar hasta el punto de tener un vestuario terminado”, dijo Cochran.

“También, en alguna manera hablamos de las cosas “nerdy” que han estado ocurriendo durante la semana, porque es también un “fandom club.”

Estos nuevos clubes dan a los estudiantes la oportunidad de expresarse en una comunidad de los que comparten intereses similares.

Los estudiantes que quieran iniciar un nuevo club puedan buscar la solicitud en la oficina principal. Se necesita un patrocinador quien es parte del personal de FCHS. También la aprobación administrativa es un requisito.

Club formation encouraged Eleanor Glenn Staff Writer Many students select classes that will lead them to a better future.

They pick friends who will distract them from that future. And they choose clubs based on their passions.

When no existing club suffices, students have the ability to create new clubs. Many new and recentlycreated clubs, including Standing Together, Yoyo club, and Cosplay club were all created by students.

This year, junior Jazyln Hancock initiated an anti-bulllying club called Standing Together, which meets during common lunch in P-208 on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. The goal of this club is to bring students together to spread positivity and end the negative effects of bullying.

“So students feel more accepted and validated, we want to communicate with teachers and go to the board to enact something that will prevent bullying,” Hancock said. “Standing Together is typically bringing in students who want to change something, or students who feel like maybe they don’t belong, and want to help other students.”

While Hancock used her passion for

social justice to benefit others through Standing Together, Yoyo enthusiast, freshman Jacob Dinkel, shares his love of yo-yoing with other students through Yoyo club, which meets outside P-106 every Thursday during ELO. This club is for “people who actually enjoy learning tricks, seeing and meeting new people and just enjoying yoyos,” Dinkel said. “If you’re, like, someone that’s new to yo-yoing, you can learn a lot of cool tricks and it’s just a lot of fun.”

For comic fans, gamers, or people who live for their fandoms, Cosplay club was created by sophomore Ben Cochran.

This club meets every Thursday during common lunch in room L-203.

“We help people figure out what they want to do and how to get to the point of having a finished costume,” Cochran said. “We also kind of talk about some nerdy things that have been going on in the week, because it’s also a fandom club.”

These new clubs give students the chance to express themselves among a community of those who share similar interests.

Those who want to start a new club can find the application in the front office. A staff sponsor and administrative approval is needed.

Student Initiated Clubs At FCHS Automotive Club Yo-Yo Club Cryptozoology and Conspiracy Theories Chess Club Disc Golf Club Fishing Club Computer Science Club Pokemon Club

GSA

Alternate Politics Club Standing Together Club Environmental Club Outdoor Club Yugioh Club Cosplay Club

8 Jan. 28, 2016

A&E

Spilled Ink

If you liked this old movie...

Trading Places (1983)

Winter-Time horror movies are always suspenseful and riveting with the added elemental challenge, and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is a powerhouse of winter-time psychological horror. Based on Stephen King’s novel by the same name, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, along with his wife and child, Wendy and Danny (Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd). Slowly but surely, the full-time inhabitants of the hotel make an impression on Jack, causing him to lose his mind, making an impression on his telepathic son, Danny. Jack’s delusions escalate to hallucinations of elevators full of blood, or butlers that appear at any time. With one of the greatest twist endings in all of film, all work and no play certainly makes Jack a dull boy.

Senior Darien Espino thought that while the movie was good, it had some weaker attributes.

“It’s a classic, and sure, it’s a good movie, but it could have been better,” Espino said.

“When it came out whenever it did it was impressive I’m sure, but now it’s just OK.”

In contrast to “The Thing” and “The Shining,” Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd once teamed up to create the comical masterpiece “Trading Places.”

The combination of the two in a movie continually ranked as one of the funniest movies of the ‘80s makes “Trading Places” a true household name in comedy. The story of the peddler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) and the executive Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) literally trading places, Billy Ray becomes an executive member of the stock market, and Louis Winthorpe becomes a bum on the street, forcing both into a position they are uncomfortable with. Louis’s depression from losing everything he held close culminates into him dressing up as a Santa, getting knock-out drunk and getting caught, then shoving an entire salmon down his shirt to save for later.

The juxtaposition of the two worlds of mid-80’s Detroit showcased in the movie, two worlds that would never interact otherwise coming together to create a funny and eye-opening movie about financial woes and Detroit culture works perfectly in tandem. While “Trading Places” is a great movie to watch, suggesting it for a family movie night is not recommended, as it features some nudity and copious amounts of swearing.

watch

watch

John Carpenter’s “The Thing” starring Kurt Russell and T.K. Carter, is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror sci-fi movies of all time. Set in an Arctic research facility, the movie depicts R.J. MacReady (Russell) struggling to keep a group of scientists and researchers together as an alien creature is unearthed by ice drilling after being trapped in the ice for millions of years. The challenge of survival is heightened by the fact that the creature is able to assimilate the body of its host, mimicking its appearance and personality exactly.

Sophomore Derek Karns has seen the movie, and generally agrees with the reviews.

“It’s definitely a good movie,” Karns said.

“It’s really more of a thriller than a horror movie, but it’s still a pretty good movie.”

Few scenes replicate the fear and suspense of the infamous blood test scene, so on a dark and stormy winter night, turn off all your lights, make it as cold as possible in your house, and watch The Thing. You won’t be disappointed.

The Shining (1980)

watch

The Thing (1982)

The Mist (2007)

Rosemary’s Baby (2014)

The Wolf of Wall

Much like The Thing, “The Mist” is the story of survival of a group of survivors in a battered environment, a struggle against the elements and the creatures that inhabit it. But unlike “The Thing,” “The Mist” is closer to home. Instead of being set in an arctic wasteland far from us, “The Mist” is set in a grocery store, where the survivors of a mist that rolled into a Pacific Northwest town struggle to keep the apocalyptic creatures that came with it out of their fortifications. The situational challenges of being trapped in a store fortified by nothing except glass, and the internal struggle of the survivors pitted against each other driven by fear, hunger and cold present a truly scary and disturbing movie. Written by Stephen King, “The Mist” takes the absolute horror of the struggle for survival against an unknown alien race, and brings it a little closer to home, forcing you to picture the apocalyptic scene whenever a storm rolls in or you visit the grocery store.

Nothing compares to the suspense and fear that the original “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) conveyed with its satanic overtones and suspenseful, dramatic irony. But the new version, broken up over several episodes as a made-for-TV series on NBC, does a pretty good job of replicating the emotions evoked by the original. The similarities to “The Shining” at times are striking. The character of a wife torn between the love for her significant other and child, her gut feelings about what is really happening around her, and the deceiving and at times psychotic husband manipulating and orchestrating the actions of those around him. “Rosemary’s Baby,” both the original and re-boot, incorporate many elements of deception and trickery. The wife convinced a plot for a satanic cult to steal her child once it is born, while those around her, such as her doctor, her husband, and her friends tell her that she is just stressed and anxious, and to calm down. As the due date arrives, increasingly suspicious activity occurs around her, and eventually a great twist ending is revealed. Both the original and new are fantastic watches, and by the end of both your patience will be rewarded.

Based on the true story, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a towering movie about the success and eccentric lifestyle of Jordan Belfort, a stock trader who manipulated the stock market and ran a boiler room as part of a penny-stock scam.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a phenomenal job of portraying the real life playboy millionaire, and in a movie obsessed with drugs, parties, and excessive spending, some over the top acting doesn’t hurt.

Sophomore Jack Jobman thought the movie was entertaining but riding the line between entertainment and boorishness.

“It was cool, but really awkward at times,” Jobman said. “All the swearing and sexual parts were awkward, but I had heard about it before, so I was ready for it and I knew not to watch it with anyone.”

The movie is filled with uncomfortable characters, such as Jonah Hill’s role of the financial partner and personal friend to Jordan makes for some hilarious scenes tinged with seriousness, as the situations they find themselves in can be dangerous, which only adds to the comedic element and makes them all the more captivating.

With the addition of family trouble, and spiraling financial career, “The Wolf on Wall Street” is one hell of a watch, but not one to do so with your family.

GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA CLARK

Street (2013)

A&E

Spilled Ink

Jan. 28, 2016

The FoCo Music Scene

9

Fort Collins provides many musical outlets Alexia Clark

Graphic Artist Sound fills our universe with the ability to communicate and understand both the people around us and sometimes things much greater than ourselves. Music has been known to move the body and soul by bringing forth emotions, and provides a powerful form of expression as we dance to downbeats and unspoken rhythms.

In northern Colorado, the music scene thrives with many unique and enjoyable genres of music to fit audience preferences. Fort Collins in particular is home to many venues, including Hodi’s Half Note, Ace Gillett’s, Avogadro’s Number, and many others to pique the interest of patrons of live local music.

Beyond the music hubs in Fort Collins, the culture is supported by businesses dedicated to aiding bands and performers in their dreams of larger stages and audiences than the Front Range can provide.

SpokesBUZZ is a grassroots nonprofit located in downtown Fort Collins focused on teaching bands how to begin a career. The organization has helped over 100 musicians from across the Front Range, producing several spotlight bands, including Fort Collins’ Slow Caves.

The Slow Caves began as a high school band, when three of their members, vocalist Jakob Mueller, guitarist David Dugan, and drummer Jackson Lamperes attended FCHS. They started as an underground band, and since have ascended to the status of an established music group in Colorado.

Though they no longer are considered a youth band, Slow Caves has fond thoughts of the local music culture.

“The best thing about

the Fort Collins music scene is the support every band gives each other and the venues around town have given us a bunch of chances at an early age to play solid shows,” Dugan wrote in an email. “We love how involved the whole community is in the music scene. There are so many great festivals and awesome companies that help make musicians’ goals achievable.”

SpokesBUZZ worked with the Slow Caves on tricks of the trade, along with how to run their business.

“We [SpokesBUZZ] also amplify local music scenes, so we take what’s here and just make sure that people know about it, both in our backyard and beyond,” SpokesBUZZ advisory board member Julie Sutter said. “We develop the professionalism of our artists, so we make sure that they have the business acumen and some of the industry smarts to go along with their talent.”

Along with SpokesBUZZ, several other companies strive to help musicians o f all kinds to reach their dreams a n d establish themselves in the local and national music scene.

I n The Shed Media, Ltd., provides bands and soloists with filmography, and creates

Music Fast Facts

Cows will produce more milk if they listen to relaxing music.

music videos to boost their fan base and recognition.

With a common goal, the businesses in Fort Collins sometimes work together to help musicians grow in their craft.

“Over the years we [SpokesBUZZ] have had really talented people here in town that have either reached out to us or ended up working with a band, and the other bands see what a great job they’ve done,” Sutter said. “In The Shed is definitely one of those production companies, and then there are sound studios and venues; that part of the industry is really starting to develop more and more.”

Bands sell more albums when their music becomes simpler.

The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” is considered the catchiest song in the UK.

People are more likely to continue to mishear a lyric if they find the incorrect version amusing.

People seem to like popular music because of the “mere exposure effect,” which causes them to prefer something they are familiar with.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLOW CAVES GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST

Information gathered

by Dalena Groen Source: Buzzfeed.com

10

In-Depth

Jan. 28, 2016

Spilled Ink

Editor’s Note Samantha Ye

In-Depth Editor

XIA Y ALE HIC B

January is coming to an end and what approaches is yet another holiday with candy and sweets and sugar—both the edible kind and the kissable kind.

In preparation for the month of love, this issue’s In-Depth theme is based on sugar and its many uses.

For those planning a romantic Valentine’s Day with their “sugar,” page 14 contains a flowchart to help decide the perfectly… unorthodox gift to give a significant other.

For those planning to stay home and feel insignificant on Feb. 14, fret not; everyone can still indulge in the flood of Valentine’s sweets with friends and family, for Fort Collins has a place for every possible sugar craving. From cookies to candy to ice cream, the centerfold is a menu of the best places to get your fix.

But if the plan is to make your own sugary treat, the catering classes have you covered. On top of making delicious desserts, catering students also receive many real-world benefits by taking the class, as explained on page 11.

While sugar can be a source of pleasure, some sugary-coatings can cause major backlash, namely in history. Page 10 outlines how the media, schools, and rhetoric have contributed to historical manipulation.

Although certain things could do without a sweetener, others—like snacking on cupcake, either homemade or store bought, and hanging out with a sweetheart—are meant to be sugary, and so is this month’s In-Depth.

K

CLAR

GRAP

Biased history coverage presents narrow worldview Adelaide Tomsic Staff Writer When the Jefferson County school board tried to review the AP U.S. history curriculum last year to minimize the harshness of slavery and Native American history, students participated in walkouts to protest potential changes.

“This committee wanted to revise the textbook to have an emotional element to encourage patriotism and discourage civil disobedience,” junior Johnathan Clark, a Lakewood High School student who participated in the walkouts, said.

The sugarcoating of history has been present throughout all of the written past. It may be done to fulfill the agenda of individuals or groups of people, but it can be just a function of the system.

Information received in schools is filtered multiple times in ways like textbook adoption.

When a biased textbook is chosen, students learn a biased history.

“I think American history textbooks generally do that. I think the AP European textbook generally does that. The whole age of exploration usually focuses on white Europeans and where they went instead of how they changed the culture of

where they went,” social studies teacher Francisco Cordova said.

Other times, history may be sugarcoated or manipulated to benefit a specific person or a group of people.

In an address to the American public following the bombing of Hiroshima, President Truman repetitively described the event as a scientific wonder and victory, rather than mentioning the death toll of between 90,000 and 146,000 people.

“We have spent more than $2 billion on the greatest scientific gamble in history and we have won,” Truman said.

Sugarcoated history tends to detail only one side of a story. Although World War II was violent on both sides, citizens are seldom taught why “enemy countries” did what they did.

The root cause of many countries fighting in World War II was the desire to be political and economic powers like the U.S. and Britain.

“The British industrialized, then acquired a huge empire. Japan industrialized and tried to do the same thing. We never look at WWII like that—like Japan trying to catch up with everybody else or Germany trying to catch up with everybody else,” Cordova said. “Hitler said, ‘Eastern Europe is my India.’ He directly referenced the British Empire.”

Euphemisms can also be a way of sugarcoating history by changing vocabulary to create a less intense title for violent events.

On Nov. 29, 1864, in present Kiowa County, Colorado, a group of 700 armed men of the Colorado Territory militia killed and injured around 200 non-violent Native Americans because they refused to hunt and live within the confines of a newly established reservation. The event was previously known by the sugarcoated name, the “Battle of Sand Creek” but later renamed the “Sand Creek Massacre” after controversy over the true nature of the event arose.

“Manifest Destiny” is another euphemism used to describe the attitude and actions of European American expansion from east to west, implying North America was theirs to make the most of. The term, however, doesn’t recognize the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands, nor the environmental destruction caused by the natural resource depletion and mining that came along with “Manifest Destiny.”

Why shouldn’t we sugarcoat history?

Dylan Shields Freshman

“If you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it. If you make it sound sweet, you’ll screw it up like everybody else.”

Elizabeth Moddelmog Sophomore

“A lot of times we learn from history and if we sugarcoat it, we won’t know what to not let happen again.”

Audrey Mechtenberg

Sam Carlson

“We will continue to do bad things and we need to learn from history.”

“You can use it to influence peoples’ political viewpoints.”

Junior

Senior

In-Depth

Spilled Ink

Jan. 28, 2016

CENTER: With steady hands, catering students spoon cheesecake batter into baking pans.

TOP RIGHT: Mini cheesecakes, the completed treat of the day, cool on oven racks.

LOWER RIGHT: Senior Noah Garcia focuses on scraping his excess batter into the stirring bowl.

PHOTOS BY DALENA GROEN

Catering classes provide fulfilling, hands-on experience of culinary arts Molly Lubbers Staff Writer The ingredients swirl. The yellow of the yolk and murkiness of the milk make for a strange sight. But it’s also familiar.

The hands that stir the ingredients are sticky with sugar; the arms ache from effort.

The eyes stare at the little grains of sugar as they disappear into the liquid. The nose smells sickly sweetness. The mouth has the aftertaste of startling sugariness.

All around hangs the anticipation of what the final dish will look like. It’s a feeling many have known, if they love cooking as much as Dawn Broeder and her Catering II students.

“It’s my passion—food is my passion. I used to be a caterer myself, and I love everything about food, about the industry, about the everything,” Broeder said. “The science aspect of it, the creativity— it’s hard to define what my favorite part would be. Probably just sharing my knowledge and experience of different things that I’ve learned in the past and helping

others to be creative in the kitchen and want to learn more. I love the hands on part of it. You don’t have to sit there and lecture all the time.”

Broeder runs her class much like a business. The students learn how to work, and some even use the class as a job title on their resumes because they have clients and events for which they cook.

But getting to this point isn’t instantaneous. Students must have the pre-requisite of Catering I.

certificate to enter into food related businesses,” Broeder explained.

For some, the class is just fun, but for others in Catering II, it is essential to their future careers.

“I love to cook and I’m thinking about being a chef,” junior Payten Rogers, a student in Catering II, said. “We do a lot more cooking in this class, and we learn more hands-on stuff. You only cook on Thursdays in Catering I. In Catering II, you cook throughout the week.”

In addition to the focus on cooking, Broeder teaches time management, communication, group work, employability skills, and listening to clients’ needs.

One of those needs is what they order. Sweet treats are their number one request, according to Broeder, accounting for approximately 75 percent of orders.

But sugar is often an ingredient in savory foods, too, and students learn to work with all kinds: brown, confection, granulated, extra-fine, and decoration sugar. It’s enough sugar to fill a room. And there’s enough love for the work they do in Catering II to fill the room, too.

“It’s my passion—food is my passion.”—Dawn Broeder

The average American consumes 76.7 pounds of sugar per year.

Freshmen eager to j u m p into foods classes at FCHS b e g i n in Foods f o r Healthy Lifestyles, and then they may take Catering I as sophomores.

The curricular path leads to some benefits in Catering II. “A very good understanding and knowledge about food, preparation of food, businesses related to the food industry, six credits, and they get to pass a ServSafe Manager training, which gives them a

Processed foods make up about 70 percent Soda’s our number of our sugar 1 source of energy. consumption.

Sugar in America

Information gathered by Samantha Ye Source: usda.gov

11

12 Jan. 28, 2016

In-Depth

Spilled Ink

Satisfy your

Sweet tooth

Story by Alexia Clark

Cookies For an alternative to a classic box of chocolates, one could simply give an assortment of cookies to the one they care for. Mary’s Mountain Cookies has been baking for over twenty years, and provides a wide array of flavors in several sizes. One of their most distinct flavors is their Charlie Brown cookie, a peanut butter cookie dipped into milk chocolate, which they sell at $2.99 each for the regular-sized cookies. Mary’s Mountain Cookies has a location downtown on College Ave., and in the Council Tree shopping area, along with a storefront in Loveland. Cookies are a sweet and non-traditional way to show someone that he or she is cared about.

Chocolate For those who do prefer classic sweets, Nuance Chocolates is the trip of a lifetime. Located on Pine St., Nuance opened in 2014 with the goal of distributing “Authentic, honest, [and] spirited bean-to-bar chocolate,” according to their website. Nuance is different from other chocolate shops in the area because they make all of their chocolate and products from scratch, providing a pure flavor and texture. The chocolate shop delivers rich sweet and savory truffles, chocolate bars, chocolate nibs and husks, and assorted drinks.

For the genuine Valentine’s Day experience, Nuance Chocolates can package a variety of tasty treats into heart shaped boxes for a special someone.

“Our Champagne or Rose Water truffles are probably the most popular items around Valentine’s Day,” owner Toby Gadd said.

Candy Rocket Fizz provides a unique experience for anyone who walks by. Speakers outside play catchy tunes to draw people into the brightly lit shop, and upon entering they are met with colors and smells to delight anyone of any age. The franchise provides distinctively wrapped name brand candies and vintage pops that are sure to entice those who prefer novelties and pre-packaged goodies. Rocket Fizz Fort Collins is stationed in Old Town on College Ave., and is just one shop out of many ranging across the nation that seek to enchant people with the prospect of flavors one is not likely to find anywhere else.

Ice Cream Despite the shiver-inducing weather of February, the long-standing popularity of ice cream remains with or without the snowstorms. Walrus Ice Cream has been in business for almost 30 years, serving cups, cones, and shakes to anyone who walks through their door. They currently have a number of flavors which, depending on business, change regularly. Walrus is also unique to Fort Collins, locally owned and operated, and has been since its opening. The shop stands on the west side of Mountain St. downtown.

Though February often is the opposite of toasty weather, couples can find joy in sharing a banana split.

“We get very busy on Valentine’s Day,” Lisa Paugh, owner of Walrus said. “There is about a 20 percent increase around this holiday.”

Cakes For lovers who like to have their cake and eat it too, Buttercream Cupcakery is a common choice. The bakery provides unique and sugary cakes in both regular and mini servings, with a set of five constant flavors along with daily flavors Monday through Saturday. The business has two locations, with their main storefront in the business center on the southwest corner of Horsetooth and College, and a sister store downtown. Buttercream caters to large events year round, or if a customer craves something sweet, single cakes in both the regular and mini variety are always available.

In-Depth

Spilled Ink

Jan. 28, 2016

13

Mary’s Mou

n t

kies

COOKIE DOUGH AVALANCHE Edible cookie dough sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies ($3.95 each)

Coo

S’MORES In cookie form ($3.25 each)

in a

FROSTED COOKIE Now shaped like hearts ($3.25 each)

PHOTOS BY DALENA GROEN Information gathered by Samantha Ye; Sources: Mary’s Mountain Cookies, Rocket Fizz, Yelp, Buttercream Cupcakery

EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH Salmonella free ($2.00 each) DAY-OLD COOKIE PACK One to four per bag ($3.75 per bag)

zz i F et

k c o

SODA FLAVORS ($2.09 each) Peanut Butter Jelly Key Lime Pie Kim Jong-Un’s Nuclear Orange Bomb Bacon

R

CANDY (price varies) Charleston Chews Pop Rocks Hubba Bubba Bubblegum Sour Patch Kids

ercream C t t up ca Bu CUPCAKES k $2.95 each + tax SPECIAL DAILY FLAVORS Monday: Lemon Raspberry Tuesday: Almond Joy Wednesday: Peanut Butter Cookie Thursday: Salty Caramel Friday: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Saturday: Almond Raspberry Poppyseed

y er

$17.70 for 1/2 dozen + tax

In-Depth

Jan. 28, 2016

Fl

ow

NO

NO

Want a sugar?

V

YES

tine’s Day

t t a o h Ge t Y W o

a r g ” u S f o “ r r

alen

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Spilled Ink

AR

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14

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S u ll iv a n ; G R A P H I C S

Have a sugar?

NEED A NEW ONE

A BY

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Love them or need a new one?

A LOT

LOVE THEM!

How much?

TOO MUCH

A NOTE MADE FROM NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS is an “endearing” way to tell someone you love them.

ICE CREAM is always a good treat to get yourself for Valentine’s Day.

Repeat until you get a restraining order

TISSUES may come in handy for your sugar....

Did it work?

NO

YES

You don’t need a flowchart. You know them best.Get or do something memorable for your sugar.

CONDOMS are a safe thing to get for Valentine’s Day.

Spilled Ink

Sports

Different methods lead to different bodies Spencer Thompson Staff Writer The New Year is a time when people mindlessly seek out health club memberships, thinking the solution to an imperfect figure is a $30 monthly

RIPPED

When seeking out a muscular figure, one may choose to pump lead, or lift weights. When lifting any form of weight, the exertion rips the muscle. Things like amino acids and proteins fill in the tears to build muscle. Obviously all of this happens at a microscopic level.

The formula for a large build is lifting heavy weights at a low rep. This puts more stress on muscles and creates more of those microscopic tears building more muscle mass.

payment. Everyone wants to lead a healthy lifestyle, but putting down the sweets can be hard.

In today’s society, processed foods, careless calorie intake, and lack of exercise has become the norm. However, there are ways to overcome the couch potato look and become more fit.

LEAN

The counter form of high reps and a lighter weight creates a more toned build. The same cutting of muscles occurs, but in a lower quantity.

According to trainingscience.net the main idea of a higher rep workout is losing weight from fat, and then toning the existing muscles.

Jan. 28, 2016

15

Mindless

Sports

Minutiae

Legendary running back’s role in question

Joseph Mason Sports Editor

Eating heavy is important when building muscle. Replenishing proteins and other natural muscle builders is essential.

“When I work out I try to stick to eating salad, and almonds,” junior Enzo Lucas said. “Almonds are a super food and a good source of protein.”

A few other simple foods like cottage cheese, eggs, and oatmeal contribute to muscle mass as well. Watching what one eats is half of the muscle building process.

Some good foods to eat can be lean meats such as fish and chicken, fruits, and vegetables, especially greens. In addition, foods like carbs should be avoided. Carbohydrates turn to sugar in the blood which can cause a plateau in weight loss. Meal plans and pre-prepared meals can help eliminate the temptation of fatty foods.

PHOTOS BY SPENCER THOMPSON AND PHIL MASON

Upcoming Events Girls Swim & Dive

Boys Basketball

•Saturday, Feb. 6 League Finals @ Mountain View •Friday, Feb. 12 - State Prelims @ Epic •Saturday, Feb. 13 - State Prelims @ Epic

•Friday, Jan. 29 - Fairview - 6:30 p.m.

•Tuesday, Feb. 2 - Rocky Mountain - 7 p.m.

•Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Greeley West - 6:30 p.m.

•Friday, Feb. 12 - @ Fossil Ridge - 7 p.m.

•Thursday, Feb. 18 Poudre - 7 p.m.

Wrestling

•Saturday, Jan. 30 - @ Monarch •Friday, Feb. 12 Regionals @ Legacy •Saturday, Feb. 13 Regionals @ Legacy •Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 18-20 - State Championship @ Pepsi Center

Girls Basketball •Tuesday, Feb. 2 - Rocky Mountain - 5:30 p.m.

•Thursday, Feb. 4 Boulder - 6:30 p.m.

•Friday, Feb. 12 - @ Fossil Ridge - 5:30 p.m.

•Thursday, Feb. 18 Poudre - 5:30 p.m.

GRAPHICS BY PARKER ANDRIST

I shouldn’t be writing this column. This is shouldn’t be happening. What I’m about to write is borderline blasphemous, and I hope I’ll soon realize all of this is just my being caught up in the moment. But the thing is, I’m kind of done with Adrian Peterson.

This is all a result of the Minnesota Vikings’ devastating loss to the Seattle Seahawks in a game in which Minnesota completely outplayed the Seachickens. Now I’m not completely surprised by this defeat as I have come to expect the worst with these Vikings. Such are the consequences of being a Vikings fan.

But the one thing to take away from this game is that we no longer need Peterson—the best player to ever bear the purple and gold. After leading the league in rushing for the third time, the Vikings no longer need him. Teddy Bridgewater is evolving into the franchise quarterback we’ve needed since Brett Favre, and Jerick McKinnon has looked nearly as explosive as Peterson.

This isn’t to say Peterson is no longer the best running back in the NFL, because he is. But he’s no longer the clear-cut number one. Occasionally, he’ll show his legendary ability, but, these days, it comes in much smaller doses. He’s no longer perfect.

He had progressed to become the greatest running back of this generation, and he reached the point of sublimity. In doing so, he eliminated his fumbling habit. But after sitting out the 2014 season, the struggle has returned and it cost the Vikings the game against Seattle.

Now, he says this issue will be his key focus in the offseason, and I’m sure it will, but by the time the season rolls around he’ll be 31 and he’ll be slower than—oh who am I kidding?

What is wrong with me? This is Adrian Peterson. The guy’s an alien. He’s been the most exciting player to watch, for nearly a decade.

How could I turn on this man? He’ll commit himself to return to his sublime form and he’ll lead the league in rushing for the second straight year, and he’ll open up the passing game for Bridgewater, and the Vikings will go undefeated and win their first Super Bowl.

I’m pretty sure this is how the world works.

Adrian is pissed off about losing to the Seachickens, so he’s going to come back as motivated as ever. And when he has come back from a season with something to prove, he has consistently led the league in rushing. So, instead of giving up on the greatest running back the league has seen since Barry Sanders, we should get ready for what Adrian’s best has to offer.

Spilled Ink Sports 16 Jan. 28, 2016 Dedication leads to Olympics for Gould Walker Discoe

Cartoonist

Professional cycling is a fastpaced, high-intensity, and everchanging sport. Every year rules are changed, new and faster equipment is released, and cyclists increase in skill and time put in behind bars.

Georgia Gould is an acclaimed competitor in the sport of cycling, with her fantastic attitude toward life and the sport and her impressive race results.

After she graduated high school in 1999, she started mountain biking, admiring the open-air feel of the sport.

“I moved to Idaho, and I quit smoking because I was a smoker in high school and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to get fit,’ so I did,” Gould said.

“I started running, and then when I was on the trail I saw people riding mountain bikes and it appealed to me because it was more open range.”

Since then, Gould has quickly moved up the ranks in both mountain biking and cyclocross, and her list of achievements soon after starting her career is remarkable. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Gould won the bronze medal in Women’s Cross Country. She has also earned numerous other titles, such as being the first cyclist since 1993 to win every NMBS (National Mountain Bike Series) cross country race.

Many up-and-coming cyclists

can look at professionals like Gould, see the prestige and title, and aspire to be like them. Gould thinks this can be a mistake, and the important aspect of cycling is to have fun, and gain skill before thinking about a professional career.

“If you’re interested in getting started, get connected. Join group rides, and meet people. Or you can just get a bike and start riding it.

It depends on the person. As far as focusing on competition, keep it fun.

If you’re first starting out, just ride and don’t go for specific training.

I’ve seen it before, kids start and they’re really enthusiastic and then they lose steam,” Gould said.

Gould recognizes that there will be exceptions, and that some kids can be naturally gifted at cycling.

“Sometimes you have these 15-year-old kids who are really good at cycling, and then by the time they’re my age, they’ve been racing for twice as long as me,” Gould said. “But I think for the most part, you have to work at cycling to be really good at it and become a professional or make any money.”

Gould is an accomplished athlete, as well as a sincerely nice person. If anyone is thinking about becoming a cyclist, or wants more activity in life, Gould’s story is inspirational and motivational.

“You have to work at cycling to be really good at it and become a professional.”

—Georgia Gould

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA GOULD

Coach’s battle with cancer inspired team Maya Bode

Former FCHS offensive line coach, Greg Mount, 47, died on Jan. 10.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMBKINS FOOTBALL

Managing Editor

Coach Greg Mount was a loving husband and father to four children, a role model to the high school athletes whose lives he touched, and a friend and inspiration to many members of the Lambkin community.

After years of battling cancer on and off, he passed away at age 47 on Sunday, Jan. 10, and he will be greatly missed.

“Everyone seemed to love him,” freshman Head Football Coach Nick Baltzell said.

“Everyone seemed to want to be around him.”

Coach Mount was the offensive line coach and an assistant varsity coach for the FCHS football team for six seasons, and he was talented at his job.

“He was always there to help you learn what it took,” junior Brandon Van Buskirk, football player, said. “He played college so he knew what he was talking about, everything from personal aspects to the actual fundamentals.”

His peers as well as his players, who knew him as “G-Money,” admired Mount’s humor, skill, and ability to bring the team together.

“I think a lot of them looked up to him, especially during the last couple of years with him battling cancer,” Baltzell said. “A lot of those guys were

kind of inspired by the fact that he was coming to practice still, even though he might not have been feeling the best.”

The players respected Mount, and felt supported by his presence rather than intimidated.

“Before games, before practices, anything like that, if you were talking with him he’d just make you laugh so I think that is something people gravitated to him for,” Baltzell said. “He could be serious too, but for the most part kids wanted to play for him rather than feeling they had to play for him.”

Mount’s undeniable optimism and sense of humor gave the players a greater sense of respect for not only him, but also for the sport.

“Sometimes football can be this macho serious thing or whatever, but he always made it more fun and made sure everyone was laughing and having a good time,” Baltzell said.

Mount touched the lives of the people who surrounded him, and he was admired for his motivation and positivity, even as his cancer spread.

“To me personally he was someone to look up to,” Van Buskirk said.

“He was an inspiration because he had cancer and he basically made the conscious decision to not let cancer get in the way of the things he liked to do on a daily basis.”

Jan. 28, 2016 Sports 17 Team Unity

Spilled Ink

Unified helpers aid peers in making memories Joseph Mason

Sports Editor

Ben Fraley Junior

What’s your favorite part of Unified?

“The best part is probably just making new friends and just getting a lot closer to these kids because it’s really cool.”

Collin Hamlin Senior

What’s your favorite part of Unified?

“Well, I’d say my favorite part is definitely helping other people.

Because, honestly, I really don’t like beating the other team down because in the end it’s all about equality. It’s all about helping these disabled kids experience sports and that’s what we have to do. It’s always about helping them and letting them have the best experience they can. We really try to make every student the star.”

Sports are composed of euphoric moments. It’s the gratification of reaching the highest possible feat that keeps athletes participating in the taxing, sweat-stained communities of athletics.

It’s the moments of rushing toward the pylon, and reaching the state of ecstasy that gives athletes this satisfaction. It’s the moments of creating the second-sweetest sound in sports— the swish of a basketball net—that leads to the sweetest sound in sports—the cheering whirl of the crowd.

But a sector of the population has been consistently denied the opportunity to have such moments—the intellectually disabled. Programs such as Unified Sports seek to cure athletics of this discrimination.

“Unified is sports for kids who probably won’t ever get to experience full on sports,” senior Collin Hamlin said. “Like kids with physical disabilities, and mental disabilities, and just kids who can’t really play mainstream sports.”

Hamlin is one of the program’s many helpers, along with sophomore Kiana Hooper and junior Ben Fraley.

“I mostly help the athletes, whether that’s passing or rebounding or showing them how to dribble,” Fraley said. “I just kind of do whatever I can to help them out and have fun on the court.”

But they don’t just help their own athletes.

They help the other team too.

“What we do is if there is a student who is very disabled and can’t really bring the ball down the court or can’t shoot, when they try to shoot the ball, we don’t try to take it away from them at all,” Hamlin said. “We don’t try to knock it out of their hands. Instead, what we do is encourage them and help them make the shot.”

This is what separates Unified sports from other sports in the district.

“We focus on sportsmanship,” Fraley explained. “So you’ll go to high school games, and everyone will be yelling at each other and you want to be mean to the other team—you don’t want to be malicious, it’s just for fun. But in this everyone is nice to everyone. Everyone wants to help each other out so it’s like there are two teams on the floor but you’re all working together.”

Due to the camaraderie they’ve displayed, the FCHS team has earned some recognition.

“One of the best parts is the compliments we’ve gotten from other schools about how we play,” Hamlin said. “They always say that we are the nicest school that they’ve ever played because, honestly, we help whoever needs help.”

It’s this cooperation and companionship that leads to the athletes attaining their moments.

Hamlin helped an opposing player—bound to a wheelchair—during a football game last semester, achieve the high of what sports are about.

“He dropped the ball and we picked it up and gave it back to him and we helped him down the field,” he explained. “The look on his face—he was so happy. It was so awesome to help. I hate to sound all cliché, but it really did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was awesome.”

Senior Cameron Castro helps his teammates during a game against Greeley Central on Jan. 20. PHOTOS BY KEVIN SULLIVAN

Upcoming Schedule •Feb. 3 - Loveland •Feb. 10 - Rocky Mountain •Feb. 17 - Poudre •Feb. 24 - at Northridge •Feb. 27 - REGIONALS @ UNC •Mar. 2 - at Fossil Ridge •Mar. 9 - at Loveland •Mar. 11/12/13 - STATE @ Gold Crown

Kiana Hooper Sophomore

What’s your favorite part of Unified?

“Helping the players out because that’s what I love to do. I love to see people be happy.”

18

Sports

Jan. 28, 2016

Kyle Elliott Sophomore

When did you start playing hockey?

PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLE ELLIOT

Interview by Joseph Mason

Spilled Ink 11 years. Two of my cousins got me into it when I was four.

Hockey

What is the most challenging aspect of hockey?

Being a smart player. So knowing where you are on the ice, knowing where you need to be, and being able to make plays.

What are your goals, looking forward?

To commit to north Dakota and we’ll see from there.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?

This May, I’m going to play for a team in Nebraska and do a couple showcases.

What has been your greatest memory?

My greatest memory would probably be getting my first hat trick at the age of 10.

Through 11 games this season, Elliott leads the team in goals (10), points (14), and is second in shots on goal (15).

OF

ATHLETE

MONTH

THE As of Jan. 22, Maitland leads the Varsity squad in rebounds (6.9 per game) and blocks (0.6 per game), and is second in scoring (9.1 points per game).

When did you start playing basketball?

Since I was really little, like elementary school. I’ve just been a really competitive player all my life. And I used to play soccer and I just wanted to change it up and do another sport so I just gave basketball a try and I’ve liked it ever since.

What is the most challenging aspect of basketball?

I think the most challenging part is probably the team part. Because it’s a team sport, you can’t play for everyone, you can only control what you do so it’s really hard to control what the other players do.

Because if one player is not working hard then that’s on them, you can’t do that for them.

Have you ever wanted to give up?

I have. I hurt my foot last year and it was really hard and there were many times when I just wanted to quit basketball because I just didn’t really think it was worth it.

Interview by Joseph Mason

Basketball

Karson Maitland Junior

PHOTO BY DALENA GROEN

Spilled Ink

Perspectives

Jan. 28, 2016

19

Staff Ed Lunch tray stations would improve school cleanliness The group of students knows it’s wrong to leave the evidence of their lunches lying around or stacked on top of trashcans, but it’s also wrong to be tardy. Rushing to gather their plates and silverware, they glance back toward the cafeteria, but the temptation to avoid the crowd of kids surging to dump leftover food and leave their trays and dishes on the counter wins them over.

This is a familiar situation to students who eat outside of the cafeteria, and a known phenomenon to the custodial staff. Students leave dirty plates, utensils, napkins, and scraps of food in places other than the cafeteria on a daily basis, but while it’s wrong for students not to clean up after themselves, it’s also not ideal for the school to offer only one place to leave dishes.

Although this seems to be an inevitable problem at our school, an easy solution exists: offer a few more designated spots for students to drop off their dishes. Installing stations could be as simple as dispersing a few labeled plastic bins that can be regularly collected and brought to the cafeteria, and they would undeniably save time and reduce stress for everyone.

While it’s easy to criticize students for not visiting the cafeteria before their next class, their collective tendency to stack plates on the trashcans is actually very clever. The trashcans are evenly spaced around the school, and leaving dishes stacked together feels less wrong than leaving them scattered on the floor in the hallways or gerbil tubes.

However, the piles of plates and silverware are often balanced precariously or end up on the floor or inside the trashcans, leaving janitors to sort through paper, chewing gum, and leftover food to reclaim the school’s property.

Administration needs to prioritize this problem in order to implement a simple system.

Students, in the meantime, take the extra minute to clean up after yourselves, or disperse from your friends a few minutes before bell rings. If you’re going to leave your dishes stacked on trashcans, throw your scraps away first and do it neatly.

Two Column Free Style Cornell

GRAPHICS BY KAITLYN SCHMIDT PHOTOS BY AMANDA EVANS

Forced styles of note-taking interfere with student learning

Andrew Jessen-Tyler Columnist

Every time you start a new class, you are required to adapt to it. No two teachers teach the exact same way, after all. One major thing we as students are forced to adapt to is note taking requirements.

The most common classes in which teachers force a distinct method of notes in my experience are science and social studies classes. But forcing me to take Cornell Notes won’t help me learn the content the best I can.

While Business Teacher Pamela Davidson encourages Cornell Notes, she acknowledges that people are unique, and some students may comprehend more by learning kinetically, visually, or verbally.

“There are different things that work for different people,” Davidson said. “They have to find the method that works best for them.”

The biggest criticism of letting students take notes their own way is that they don’t know how to take good notes, so teachers

need to teach them how they should be taken.

“I feel like the teachers know how to take them better than I do,” sophomore Kyle Morford said.

However, despite good intentions, forcing good note-taking on students also presents disadvantages. If a student’s notes are all written in a similar layout, it is easier to follow during review. When forcing students to take notes in an unfamiliar method, it can create issues of finding the important sections.

What it comes down to is that the point of taking notes is to learn the content of the class and which method works at what times.

Most teachers would agree that they are teaching content over note-taking methods.

“For the classes where kids struggle with the content, it’s better to give them a note guide so they’re not focusing on taking notes as much as they are on figuring out the content,” science teacher Chris Lee said. “In the higher level AP classes I teach, I give them their notes. Then they don’t have to take notes at all so we can get all the curriculum we need to get through.”

We as students take notes in order to study the content. The note taking method that helps students retain the most content varies from person to person. Because of this, teachers should not require students to take them in a way they are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. It creates confusion and frustration during note taking and reviewing. Having students take notes a specific way is more harmful than beneficial to a student’s learning of the subject.

Amateur Hour

COMIC BY WALKER DISCOE

20

Jan. 28, 2016

Perspectives

Spilled Ink

Holiday celebrates more than romantic relationships Symbols of LOVE 1. The rose as a symbol

of beauty originated as a gift from knights to maidens in the Middle Ages.

2. The heart symbolizing love dates back to nearly 10,000 BCE, but did not become popular until the Middle Ages.

3. Cupid symbolizes

infatuation, and began as Eros, son of Aphrodite, in Greek mythology.

Information gathered by Sean Little Source: history.com, pbs.org GRAPHICS BY PARKER ANDRIST

Spencer Thompson Staff Writer

On the annual day celebrating love, statements of “forever alone” and “single for life” flood the news feeds of all social media users. These posts often appear more than those of love. Public cynicism regarding Valentine’s Day ignores the idea that love isn’t just shared with a special someone, but those who have an impact on your life.

“Love can be expressed many ways,” freshman Sam Hammock said. “I think Valentine’s Day is all about showing how much you love the people around you.”

Everyone should feel love on Valentine’s Day even if it doesn’t come from boyfriend or girlfriend. People tend to oversee the fact that being single during Valentine’s Day doesn’t define a lifetime of heartbreak ahead. Don’t feel down on Valentine’s Day if there’s no “special someone” to share it with; there are many other people to enjoy the single life with.

Even if a significant other is there to celebrate remember to give some love to other close people in your life.

“I think Valentine’s is a good holiday,” senior Sarah Musselman

3.

said. “It’s a nice day set aside to remind your loved ones how much they really mean to you.”

This holiday isn’t just about romance.

Some families keep traditions, whether it’s a small gift exchanged with family members or an annual Valentine’s Day dinner. Every year on the morning of Valentine’s Day my mom always makes breakfast, and gives each of my siblings and me a small gift.

Such traditions are what make this day a true holiday of love for everyone.

“My dad usually has a few small bouquets of flowers and chocolates for my mom, sister, and I,” Musselman said.

“For my brother, he just gets a box of chocolates.”

For those who have found love, this day is a time when cardboard hearts full of sweets are shared with bae, along with an occasional bouquet of roses.

Celebrating this romantic holiday with a found love can be symbolic and special.

“When I celebrate with my girlfriend I buy her a small stuffed animal and some chocolates,” Hammock said. “Just sharing the day with her will be fun.”

This day of pink and red symbolizes the love shared throughout our lives. Whether you give a special recognition to your siblings, parents, grandparents, or maybe someone you’re dating, the day is about the love and appreciation you have for those people.

1.

2.

Positive thinking allows for increased productivity

Evan Bode

Editor-in-Chief For decades, science has been trying to get rid of weirdos.

“One of the first things we teach people in economics, statistics, business, and psychology courses is how, in a statistically valid way, do we eliminate the weirdos,” psychologist Shawn Achor said.

“How do we eliminate the outliers so we can find the line of best fit?”

In studying average trends across a population, scientists dismiss stray data points that soar beyond the general tendency in favor of examining the majority.

This was the standard process for years, until the growing field of positive psychology began to reject this method in favor of a more optimistic one.

“Positivepsychologypositsthatifwe study what is merely average, we will remain merely average,” Achor said.

By studying, rather than ignoring, subjects who excel high above the curve in a given area such as happiness, Achor uncovers key methods of raising our collective average when it comes to productivity and success, which he explains in his popular 2011 TED Talk,

“The happy secret to better work.”

In his research, Achor found that a basic formula permeates our society: hard work grants success, and success will lead to happiness. This formula may be especially familiar to seniors, as we look toward graduation and apply for colleges and scholarships.

However, when we dangerously base our happiness on unguaranteed successes that will only be replaced with new standards of success if accomplished, happiness becomes virtually unachievable.

“If happiness is on the opposite side of success, your brain never gets there,” Achor said. “We’ve pushed happiness over the cognitive horizon as a society.”

Those who overcome this problematic mindset understand that happiness is determined not by the external world, but by how we individually process it, which points to the power of positive thinking.

“If we can find a way of becoming positive in the present, then our brains work even more successfully as we’re able to work harder, faster and more intelligently,” Achor said.

This is what Achor calls the “happiness advantage.”

When people are happy, their energy levels, intelligence, and creativity rise, allowing for 31 percent more productivity and a burst of dopamine that triggers additional learning centers in the brain.

Because of this, the traditional formula is backwards; in actuality,

TALKS FOR

TEENS

happiness is often what leads to success, not vice versa. For example, Achor found that IQ predicts only 25 percent of job successes, while 75 percent are predicted by the levels of one’s optimism, social support, and ability to view stress as a challenge as opposed to a threat.

Once the impact of positive thinking is understood, the next step is understanding how to put it into practice. Achor offers several applicable strategies for integrating positivity into everyday life, from sending a daily positive email complimenting someone who deserves it to practicing conscious acts of kindness or recording positive experiences in a journal. One strategy he tested on research participants was a 21-day gratitude log.

“At the end of that, their brain starts to retain a pattern of scanning the world not for the negative, but for the positive first,” Achor said.

Small changes like this have the potential to make a revolutionary difference, considering the massive impact of perception.

Name of Talk: “The happy secret to better work”

Presenter: Shawn Achor “We’re finding it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality,” Achor said. “And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”

As we leap into a busy second semester, remember that consciously striving to find happiness in the present moment will yield positive results, even if it means acting like a weirdo.

Spilled Ink

Perspectives

Jan. 28, 2016

PHOTOS BY AMANDA EVANS AND ADELAIDE TOMSIC

21

GRAPHIC BY PARKER ANDRIST

Music in class proves distracting when misused

Nick Hawley Staff Writer

We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in class when the person next to you starts blasting music. You try to ignore it but it’s just too loud, and it breaks what focus you had on your assignment or the teacher’s lecture. It’s annoying and disruptive to you and the other students around you.

The question of whether or not music is good for students has been circulating for a fairly long time now. Teachers always have different rules about music in class which sometimes change as time goes on. Some teachers don’t allow students to listen to music at all, while others let students listen to music at any time, even while taking tests.

And while some call for one set rule for all classrooms, I personally think that the choice should stay with the teachers.

Teachers would have to consider many things before making their decision. For example, students often have their music on their phones. This means students

could possibly say that they are listening to music, but they are actually on their phones.

“It’s a fine line,” math teacher Dan Reinke said. “A lot of kids have music on their phone, so it goes against the phones rule.”

Listening to music could also cause a distraction for other people in the class.

According to a study by Pierre Salamé and Alan Baddeley, music prevents students from remembering certain tasks and pieces of knowledge that they may need for learning.

Also, some people can’t easily focus on more than one thing at a time, according to the previously-mentioned study. And when the teacher starts playing music, or if the student starts listening to music, other people can’t focus on the work that needs to be done.

But music in class isn’t all bad. According to an article in Capital City Weekly, music relaxes the brain and lowers stress levels, which is why people can easily memorize songs. Music also helps people focus because it acts as a form of white noise, preventing students from hearing all the other noises around them.

Teachers need to take factors like these into consideration, and maybe even consult students to come up with a policy that works best for everyone. A compromise needs to be made between students and teachers regarding music, and it has already been done before in other classes. But until then, students will just have to continue trying to ignore the music that their classmates play.

A compromise needs to be made between students and teachers regarding music.

Do you find music in class distracting?

Shannon Wilson Freshman

“No. I get distracted by other people, so if I listen to music, I don’t get distracted.”

Eric Thompson Sophomore

“No, because it’s good music.”

Makoa Santos

y l l a T ’ s r e Teach

Junior

“No. For me, it helps build concentration.”

Teachers, do you let your students listen to music in class?

Cassie Mancuso Senior

No 6

Yes 24 Informal poll done by Nick Hawley

“It depends; if we’re taking notes while I’m listening to music, I will be more focused on the music, but if we’re just doing homework, I’m good.”

22

Jan. 28, 2016

Perspectives

Spilled Ink

g n i t But

Head

s

Technology improves human connection

Social media interferes with human interaction

Alex McWilliams

Adelaide Tomsic

News Editor

I hear it time and time again. Technology is the downfall of the human race. People around me often quote a popular statement made by Albert Einstein: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction,” Einstein said. “We will have a generation of idiots.”

Despite contrary beliefs, the use of technology has only brought people closer together. Cell phones alone have created more means of communication and connected people in ways no one would have expected years ago. Social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have provided users with a new level of closeness than they may have ever thought possible.

In an age when cell phones and computers have become a part of daily life, Facebook holds the focus of 1.55 billion users. In a sense, Facebook is a personal news site, a way for people maintain relevance in the lives of those who are important to them. Facebook is used globally, bringing people from all around the world closer through a single post.

In the past, the act of sharing photos with loved ones required the photos to be shipped, processed and delivered to their destination, but Instagram allows photos and memories to be shared at the press of a button. It brings families from across the state, country, or world closer together and allows distant loved ones to be a part of everyday lives without missing a beat when it comes to the growth of their families’ lives.

Sometimes keeping up with role models can be difficult. Being close to your favorite celebrity isn’t always as simple as being their friend on Facebook or following them on Instagram. However, Twitter allows us to be close to Social media connects role models and keep up with • Technology brings every aspect of their lives they choose to share via every photo, family from across the meme, or status. Twitter allows world closer together. fans and celebrities to connect on a personal level through their cell phones or computers.

•Devices connect the Closeness is something that, in order to maintain, we have world with news and to stay invested in. Technology information. gives us easy and quick tools to stay updated with friends, •Technology family, and role models. In an age in which the people who allows you to have are important to us may not a relationship with live in our presence, technology provides doors of long distance celebrities. communication at our fingertips.

Talking Points:

Staff Writer Their faces illuminated with the harsh white glow of cell phones, a line of freshmen girls sits with their necks hunched and their backs against the white brick wall. They don’t engage with one another. Rather, they sit in their own worlds behind the hard glass screens of their iPhones.

The invention of the smart phone in 1993 warped communication, gradually creating a more silent world, a world filled with the tip tap of thumbs against ridged screens, drowning out and eventually muting the chatter of social people.

Although social media may help keep old friends in touch over long distances, the connection over social media is less genuine than face-toface conversations, and can create misinterpretations.

A research paper, “Decoding of Inconsistent Communications” published by Albert Mehrabian reports that seven percent of an emotional message is in the words spoken, whereas 38 percent is in the way it is said, and 55 percent is in the body language accompanying the message. This means, in a typed note over social media or email, 93 percent of emotional messages are lost.

Conversations over social media cannot replaceface-to-faceinteractionbecauseofthelackof body language involved. The lack of physical response from another can also make cyberbullying easier.

“Just like relationships are better faceto-face, I think bullying is worse faceto-face too,” junior Avery Troop said.

Due to a removal of emotion from online conversations, people feel less emotional consequence when they bully another online.

“You can just say whatever you want and not have any punishments or repercussions for it, and it’s a lot easier than coming up to someone and seeing their face and seeing how they respond to you,” senior Leah Johnson said.

Online relationships can be depraved because they offer both parties involved the opportunity to manipulate words so they may appear Social media disconnects to be different people than they would • Individuals miss out be in face-to-face confrontations.

“Being online allows you to on social events when create a persona that isn’t necessarily consumed by their who you are in person, because you have more time to plan what media. you are going to say instead of just spontaneously responding • Cyberbullying to something,” Johnson said. is more prevalent Communication via the internet is less genuine and can create warped because of devices. relationships that would not normally • Children won’t exist with face-to-face communication. develop as well socially Even though social media keeps friends in touch over long distances, because of time spent it doesn’t bring us closer together; rather, it removes the human on devices. emotion from our conversations.

Talking Points:

Spilled Ink

Perspectives

Jan. 28,2016

23

Emphasis on political correctness impedes progress

Amanda Evans

Perspectives Editor Watch your mouth.

Be careful what you say.

Hey, you can’t say that.

Sound familiar? Too familiar, if you ask me. We spend so much time worrying about not offending anyone that we trip over obstacles just trying to get a sentence out.

We have real wars, real deaths, real struggles, and real problems. But we aren’t solving these problems. Instead, we’re arguing about the language we use. Political correctness is stopping progress because of the time we spend worrying and rewording our phrases.

No wonder it took until last year for gay marriage to be legalized. I remember trying to have a conversation with my mother in public about a gay friend we have. My mother kept shushing me, saying I would offend someone around us. But the fact is he is gay, he is dating a guy, and he is open about it. I shouldn’t have

to tip-toe around something true because someone else might not like the truth of the situation. I understand it makes people uncomfortable, but censoring my sentences because the other party is not interested in listening to a factual conversation is clouding the greater issue.

In order to solve a problem, we have to be able to make sense of the issues, and open and honest language is crucial to reasoning.

If we are going to stop terrorism, we have to be able to discuss all of the facts.

One of the facts is that ISIS, a radical group of Muslims that has recruited other people from other backgrounds to join them is still mainly a group of Muslims.

But instead of saying Muslim terrorist group, we are expected to find a new way of saying it to avoid offending those who are Muslim and not terrorist.

I am not saying that if you are Muslim you are a terrorist, and the need for disclaimers is becoming overwhelming.

We also have problems related to illegal immigration, but we can deal with them if we’re worrying about sensitivity.

We have to start with the facts.

Some of these immigrants are Mexican. Calling them Mexicans can’t possibly be offensive because they are still Mexican citizens.

Improvements to the problems America faces as a country can’t be solved by a rhetorical pillow fight.

Understanding each other does take work. It will take compromise on both sides; but we can get through this.

We s h o u l d shift all the energy we have from correcting people and sheltering others from the truth and put it toward getting this country back on top. I want honesty. Get rid of these candy-covered poisoned apples that are the political correctness we have been vomiting. But, sadly, until we actually get past being politically correct, that’s the way it goes.

Amanda’s Tips Wasting efforts on pointless things prevents progress.

Accepting the realities of today’s culture will help bring more unity.

Understanding the facts helps conversations and produces better results.

Worrying about sensitivity delays working through important issues.

Censoring who you are will affect only you. Be who you are. Everything else will follow.

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Spilled Ink is published nine times yearly by the newspaper staff of Fort Collins High School, 3400 Lambkin Way, Fort Collins, Colo. 80525, (970) 488-8199. Member of the Colorado High School Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. Recipient of the Quill and Scroll, George H. Gallup Award in 1996 and 1997, and awarded First Place with Special Merit in 2001 by the National Scholastic Press Association. Columns are the opinions of writers only. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Spilled Ink staff. Nothing in Spilled Ink should be considered the opinion of Fort Collins High School or Poudre School District (PSD). School-sponsored publications written by students are encouraged to freely and creatively express their views subject to the limitations of PSD Board Policies and state law (PR--la0431, Colorado Revised Statutes 22-1-120) Spilled Ink reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and to deny publication to any letter. Letters may be published on Spilled Ink’s website. Letters must be signed, and are limited to 300 words.

24 Jan. 28, 2016 The Backside

Spilled Ink

If you could be a type of candy or dessert, what would you be and why?

Andy Kline

Isabella Roberts

Sammy Jo Elliott

Junior

Sophomore

Senior

“I’d be a jaw breaker, because I’m super tough.”

“Warheads, because it’s funny to watch other people’s pain.”

“I’ll go with a German chocolate cake, because I’m German.”

Marcus Lang

Maddie McCambridge

“I would be Bertie Botts, because then I could taste bad for other people.”

“I want to be Laffy Taffy, because I love to laugh.”

Junior

Freshman

Caleb Slade

Kailey McDaniel

Keith Pixler

Senior

Freshman

“I would be chocolate, because chocolate is my favorite dessert.”

Sophomore

“I’d be a gummy bear, because of the song.”

“I would be a Heath bar, because it rhymes with my name.”

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