Vol. XXII Issue III
News
Lobo Legend
February 13, 2018
Open During Eighth
Barn Building Blues DECA reopens Snack Shop, as a permanent school store By Elijah Davidson and Taylor Mitchell
The yellow building that students drive by on the way to school on a daily basis is up for lease again. It was previously home to a candle and homegoods shop and has seen a variety of other shops. The little building’s frequent change in ownership reflects a broader trend of high real estate prices in Conifer that are leading to fewer businesses and more citizens living in Colorado.
Sports
Reintroduction of the XFL After surviving for just one season in 2001, the XFL (Xtreme Football League) is planning to make a comeback. The XFL is a league that only plays in the off-season and has fewer rules than the NFL does. Players are encouraged to be “rougher,” and the league will operate as a single entity rather than as a franchise. The new league is set to debut in 2020.
Opinions
Having fun while working on the decor for the new shop, junior Reece Miller holds up a board that she painted for junior Onika Benson. The DECA officers worked all year for a reopening of the Shack, and in the week before, they were busy making renovations on the store. Photo by Taylor Mitchell
Review: Wormwood
After being closed for over half of the school year, the muchloved school store is returning on February 13th. The School Store, which sold food like the food in the cafeteria last year, has been closed since the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. However, they are now reopening, with some changes, the most notable of which is in leadership. The store is opening up opportunities for students. “Instead of being run by the school, it’s actually being run by DECA,” junior Hannah Bartlett, one of the students running the store, said. “That means the seven people in the managing class are going to be running the Snack Shop every silver day.” Along with these leadership changes, the students who will run the School Store say that
In a new Netflix miniseries, the suicide of Army doctor Frank Olson is investigated, evoking all kinds of emotions from its viewers. The show includes interviews from Olson’s son and others close to him, it containes impactful acting from Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Blake Nelson, and others.
Features
Story of Stotts After 13 years of teaching at Conifer, Brian Stotts has become well known. His teaching style has changed a bit throughout the years based on things that impacted him, and his path to becoming a teacher is an interesting one. Some things that have made him the man he is now may surprise some students, and he tells about what got him to where he is today.
there will be new and different products that weren’t offered last year. “We’ve got new food options that I’m super excited about, like soda,” junior Onika Benson, another DECA student, said. “I’m also very excited because it will help us practice important sales techniques.” There won’t just be food; Jamba Juice will be making an appearance in the near future, as soon as the DECA members can get their way around the rules and regulations of selling products in schools. The officers are also selling merchandise through the store for the first time. “We sell the merchandise already, so when we open the school store, we can sell the merchandise out of it, rather than having to go through the office,”
Playing Like Pros Students perform for the retail store Zumiez By Johnna Smith
21 Conifer students claimed the title of paid musicians as they performed for the popular retail company Zumiez in a corporate event. The students traveled to Keystone on January 8th, the first day of the spring semester, for the unique opportunity.
“I was contacted over Christmas break by a gentleman who needed a pep band to play for his company’s annual retreat,” music director Tucker Ewer said. “Our role was to play music as all of the employees got off of their busses and went into the conference center. There were
Bartlett said. DECA is a club designed to teach students skills such as marketing, entrepreneurship, and more. DECA students say that this management opportunity will be great for their entrepreneur skills. While the students will be trusted with a lot of freedom because of their talents at running a business, there are still some things they can’t do, and they’re still learning how to navigate the rules of running a store within a school. “Understand that we are restricted by the nutritional rules, so we have to follow the healthy school standards,” DECA supervisor Amber Hall said. “It’s been a long process, and it’s taken a lot of learning in terms of district policies. We’d love input. We’ll probably have a suggestion jar and we would love to know
what everyone would like. We are very open to suggestions; wel’ll definitely include the Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, which have been missed. It’s been a process, but my managers are really adaptive and really open minded. We keep thinking we’re going to do one thing but we can’t so we have to go back and change it. That keeps pushing us back, but we’ve got the basics figured out.” Despite these roadblocks, the School Store will return on February 13th, with all of their new additions, except Jamba Juice, in place. Now that the shop has sat dormant for most of the school year, both hungry students and sales-smart DECA members are getting ready for the shack to return.
about 20 busses of employees that unloaded, and we were lined up around each bus to play music.” The retail chain is targeted towards teenagers and young adults with their general theme being centered around the skater’s unique, alternative style. They generally market towards clothing for active sports, particularly skateboarding, snowboarding, and motocross, as well as general clothing, accessories, and novelties. “We played our typical
pep band music. We did Bad Romance, Paint It Black, the Pokemon Theme song, things just like that,” Ewer said. “We went for stuff that would be nostalgic and, I guess, hipster enough for the employees of a store like Zumiez.” Each student can now consider themselves a paid musician, as Zumiez compensated them for their time and talent. In addition to the individual pay the students Continued on page 3
News
2
Barn Building Blues
Conifer may have a troubling future in real estate
By Elijah Davidson
The “building by the Yellow Barn” is up for lease - again. The building in question, 27091 Barkley Road, is commonly known as the building by the large yellow barn near Shadow Mountain in Conifer, Colorado. This certainly is not the first time it has lost its occupants. Many have noted how the building has come under different owners, having seen Grow Your Own stores, merchandise such as shirts, and more. It recently was home to a store for candles and homegoods and previously had been home to other shops as well. Ben Davidson, an appraiser in Conifer, says he wasn’t very surprised. “I think a lot of times, if the store is trendy or seasonal, they struggle to make it through the winter,” Davidson said. “I think that building would work better for some type of office that’s not retail, so not selling
something. Something like an accountant who needs an office and signage.” However, this is not the only building in Conifer that is looking for tenants. Listings on LoopNet, which lists commercial buildings for sale or rent, show 25 buildings or spaces that are also available. This comes at a time of high real estate prices, not only in Conifer, but in all of Colorado. As the Denver Post reported in July of 2017, the State Demography Office estimates an increase of nearly three million residents from 2015 to 2050. The demand for houses has driven up costs for both commercial and residential properties. No one knows if 27091 Barkley Road or any other Conifer properties will find new ownership or tenants, but it’s entirely possible that higher property costs will mean fewer shops for Conifer.
Standing where it has for years, the yellow building at the intersection of Hwy. 73 and Hurty Rd. waits patiently for new occupants. In the past, the building has been taken over by various owners, turning into everything from a candle shop to a sign shop. Photo courtesy of Bailey Sessions
King Cotton Simulation Students participated in a Civil War-era simulation
By Parker Jones
Trading in their baseball caps for top hats and T-shirts for corsets, AP US History students took to debating the hottest topic of 1850s America: the existence of slavery. On January 18th and 19th, sophomores and juniors in Conni Lines’ AP US History class held a formal, in-class “dinner party,” discussing the pros and cons of slavery from a pre-Civil War perspective. Students were assigned various opposing roles, including that of a freed slave and a large plantation owner, and they debated, discussed, and examined one of America’s greatest historical conundrums. “[Students] were assigned a character and came up with their background, so there’s research that goes into that,” Lines said. “Then they had to make sure they understood the terms from the time, such as the Dred Scott case, the KansasNebraska Act, the Missouri Compromise, and so much more in order to carry on an intelligent conversation.” The classroom was divided into two long groups of desks, meant to represent dinner tables, and students were given laminated nameplates with their character’s societal role and made-up name. Then, students
began the simulation by mingling with the other dinner party guests and introducing themselves. Once they had made a few acquaintances (or enemies), everyone selected their seats, and the real discussion began. “I think [students] got a feeling for how passionate people were at the time,” Lines said. “When they were arguing at the tables, they were having fun with it, but they understood that it was a no-win situation, because one side was not going to change. The South was not going to change, they weren’t going to give up their slaves, and the North couldn’t understand that. So there was no compromise that could have been made.” In addition to understanding the debate of slavery as a logistical concept, students forced themselves into approaching the topic without the biases of a modern perspective. “I was pro-slavery in the simulation, so I feel like that really gives you a new perspective,” sophomore Anna Laura Nixon said. “History books are kind of biased because [they view] slavery as a bad thing. That’s justified, but it gives you a new perspective when you look at what [both the North and South] were
HOSA Heads to State 16 HOSA members going to a state competition
By Parker Jones
Whether it’s been for dance, DECA, or robotics, most students have felt the excitement and terror that goes along with competing in a formal event. For 16 members of a new school club, that feeling of enthusiasm and panic will be accompanying them to their state competition. Led by science teachers Christine Stricker and Jessie McFadden, a group of Conifer’s brand new HOSA (Health Occupations of America) club members are preparing for the Colorado State Leadership Conference. Whether students are interested in a neurology degree or a degree in the veterinary sciences, this conference will boost them towards their goals for the future. 30 members qualified, and 16 will be headed to Denver from
February 22-24 to compete. “Since it’s our first year, we’re just going to learn, and the kids can prepare and see how they do,” Stricker said. “We think they’ll do well, but there’s really no expectations; just to go and learn and have fun.” In order to qualify for the conference, club members took an online quiz from January 8-12 that tested thier knowleage on anatomy, medicine, and other topics related to the medical field of their choosing. “We had to take an online test and we had to get a certain percentage, and then if we got above that grade we would be qualified,” HOSA member Madison Vandergriff said. “It’s all based on your test score… For me, I did veterinary sciences, so it was on different types of diseases and
Sophomore Caid Glas debates over slavery in the simulation. Glas, along with a few other students in Lines’ classes, chose to dress up in the role of his character. Photo by Taylor Mitchell
thinking.” Many of the assigned characters also compelled students to understand different socioeconomic standpoints of the period, from that of a dockworker to a plantation owner. “The character I created was a railroad worker,” sophomore Megan Wilkins said. “I believe railroad workers had a rough time, and so that’s been kind of weird putting myself in someone’s shoes who other conditions and stuff. It was hard, but it was cool.” At the convention, many of the club’s qualifiers will be participating in a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) skills simulation. Students will enter a room with injured actors and will need to act as first responders, diagnosing the situation and performing skills they have practiced, such as bandaging an injury or using a splint. To prepare, Stricker and McFadden will be holding a similar mock disaster in a classroom, complete with volunteers acting as bodies. “When they go to the state competition, they don’t take a written test,” Stricker said. “They go in and they perform skills. They might have to take the heart rate of a dog or they might have to splint a broken leg of a dog, or with physical therapy there’s different skills they have to do with stretches and things like that.” Although HOSA is in its first year as a Conifer club, its members and sponsors look forward to a bright future. They’ve
wasn’t quite as lucky as someone like me.” This was the second year that Lines hosted the King Cotton simulation, and it gave her the opportunity to see true growth and understanding in her students. “I would say the students were really motivated and really got into costume and got into character, and they had fun with it,” Lines said. “I listened to what they were saying [during the simulation], and that’s how I know they really got what they were doing.”
already started off strong with 30 state qualifiers, and as they continue, there are no limits in sight. “If kids make it [to the international competition] and they want to go, then we’ll try to figure out how to make that happen,” Stricker said. “I don’t know how competitive it is. There are going to be about 800 HOSA members at the state competition, so I don’t know if we’ll get any people to qualify. But, we didn’t know how many people would qualify for the state competition and we had a lot, so kids up here are really smart.”
Sophomore Jake Oudakker, one of the 30 students who qualified for state, discusses strategy with Caid Glas and other HOSA members at a team meeting. Photo by Parker Jones
News
3
Peer Counseling
Junior peer counselors step into action
By Taylor Mitchell
After a semester of training, talking, and tightening bonds, junior peer counselors finally made their way into the actual office. During the fall semester, the junior peers learned how to deal with different topics and help their classmates, and now, they get to put their skills to the test. This is the first year that student peers have come into a fully-developed program, and the seniors that are handing the duties off are optimistic about how the training has gone and what the juniors have done in the office so far. “It’s been a lot nicer since the beginning of the semester because fewer responsibilities are on one person; you can divvy them up, and the communication’s better because there are more people in the office,” senior peer counselor Brenna Nease said. “The junior peers have trained so well and really know what they’re doing.” For the juniors gearing up to take over the peer counseling system, it’s a nice change of pace to have their senior
counterparts showing them the ropes. Once next semester rolls round, it will be their duty to show the new counselors
what it’s all about. “Being in the office with everyone feels very nice because everyone is so welcoming,” junior peer counselor Sierra Fortin said. “It’s a good group of people to be with and we all care about each other a lot.”
Rising cryptocurrencies mean graphics card shortages
By Elijah Davidson
Juniors Will Toppin and Sierra Fortin listen as the peer counseling team discusses what they’re planning next. So far, the peer counselors have put up various posters in the bathroom and around the school, given presentations to different seminars, and started planning for Diversity Day. photo by Taylor Mitchell
The Unmaking of a Gaming Legend Famed speedrunner scores are removed from official status
By Elijah Davidson
After a turbulent history of skepticism and claims without backup, the world record score for Atari’s “Dragster” has been removed from official leaderboards. Todd Rogers claimed more than 35 years ago that he had gotten the world record completion time for the Atari game “Dragster.” He said that he had achieved a completion time (or “speedrun”) of 5.51 seconds, and this time was taken as a new world record for the game, despite the fact that there was little, if any, corroboration for this time. Recently, other members of the speedrunning community weren’t sure if Rogers could have achieved the impressive time and decided to put it to the test. The first task of Eric “Omnigamer” Koziel, a popular speedrunner, was to have a computer try to match the time. He created a TAS, or a tool-assisted speedrun, a device that would let the computer beat the game as fast as possible. After
successfully creating such a program, Omnigamer had the computer play the game and discovered that the computer was only able to achieve a time of 5.57 seconds, 0.6 seconds away from Rogers’ claim. While TAS’s are typically accurate, Omnigamer and a few other dedicated runners decided to try the run themselves. Omnigamer himself first achieved the perfect time - which was not, in fact, Rogers’ time, but rather the computersuggested 5.57 seconds. As a result, Rogers’ time was removed from trusted leaderboard Twin Galaxies, and in turn, Guinness World Records. The removal of Rogers’ scores made an impact on the gaming community; Rogers’ time stood out as the longest undefeated game time, as many runners usually better the previous scores. The supposed 5.51 second record had not been changed or beaten since Rogers claimed he got the time 35 years ago. Now the score is tied between four players who all got the 5.57
Playing like Pros >>> From Page 1
received, the company gave a generous grant of $500 to the school’s music program. “That’s how we worked the trip out. My contact agreed to pay our travel expenses and donate an additional $500 to the program. Any time you can make that kind of money in one hit, you tend to take that opportunity,” Ewer said. It was a new and unique experience for many of the students and a good way to practice their professional performance skills. “It was great to show that we’re out there and doing stuff and to get some recognition for our school,” sophomore Justin Stephens said. “It was interesting; there were a lot of weird and unique people there. Some of the other kids felt weird, I think because of the environment and how different and new it was compared to things we’d done before, but
Graphics Cards for Currency
it was interesting and enjoyable.” Zumiez, known for its quirky, alternative brand, created a welcoming and pleasant environment for the students
second time. This is not the only time speedrunners have been caught cheating. Streamer ShadowOfMyles set what was believed to be a world record for classic Nintendo game “Super Mario 64” in 2008, only to be struck from leaderboards when he was revealed to have edited the footage from multiple runs into one video to make his time as short as possible. Similarly, speedrunner RWhiteGoose, after someone had tied his time for his speedrun of “GoldenEye 007,” edited a run to make it one second faster than his competition. In an age where almost every speedrun is publicized, more and more scrutiny has come upon runs with little corroboration or backup from sources. While Rogers continues to claim that this is a mistake and he did achieve the time, it appears that in this case, such scrutiny resulted in the disgracing of a supposed speedrun legend.
to play in and learn from. “It was a unique experience. The company absolutely loved the kids and I think it was a great opportunity for our students,” Ewer said. “It was the weirdest gig I think I’ve ever done.”
Thinking about building a computer ? May want to think again. As cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin continue to rise in value, mining these coins has become popular. Unfortunately, this means an major demand for powerful graphics cards, which are necessary to provide computer graphics/images. This has become an issue for gamers looking to build higher-end gaming PCs. So far, many online shopping centers, primarily Amazon and eBay (which allow second-hand or user sales), are selling graphics cards at a very high mark-up. The GTX 1080, a high-end graphics cards popular with gamers and photo editors, is currently selling for over $200 more than its usual $600 price on eBay and Amazon. Those prices even include used graphics cards, too. The explosive demand for high-end GPUs (graphics processing unit, or another term for graphics card) comes from the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, digital encrypted currencies which have spiked in popularity - and value. Currently, one Bitcoin is the equivalent of over $8,500, which has many people desperate to get their hands on the currency. In order to get Bitcoin, however, many people mine it, which involves using algorithms to receive a small amount of Bitcoin from a “prize pool” of sorts. Mining requires a lot of computing power, specifically from graphics cards, which has increased the demand drastically. This is a major problem for consumers. A Best Buy Denver employee said that they were sold out in all surrounding stores and online. Nvidia themselves, the company that produces graphics cards such as the GTX 1080, have limited their online sales to at most two cards per customer, according to gaming news site Kotaku. In an attempt to slow demand, Microcenter sold graphics cards in bundles with other PC parts, otherwise forcing consumers to buy GPUs at a marked-up price. A Microcenter Denver employee said that this way of selling cards has since ended, but card sales are now limited to one per household. This isn’t the only thing making computer building pricey at the moment. In 2017, most RAM producers switched their manufacturing processes, causing a shortage of RAM. Even now, most RAM for modern computers is marked up from normal prices. This, combined with graphics card prices, makes computer gaming difficult for those with limited budgets. Another big problem is that no one is sure when - or if - the graphics card crisis will be over. Bitcoin is very hard to predict, because it is more of a standalone currency. While Bitcoin did recently drop in price, as long as it and other cryptocurrencies continue to be profitable, it appears that the GPU shortage will continue.
News
4
Simple Scholarships
Getting scholarships is easier than people think
By Felix Randol
As scholarship deadlines approach, seniors are growing frantic to complete the necessary essays, fill out applications, and get their letters of recommendation. However, before completing those steps comes one of the hardest parts of getting scholarships: finding the ones that meet student’s necessities and qualifications. Many websites and apps exist to help students apply for scholarships with little to no stress, and to give any student the opportunity to go to college. ScholarshipOwl.com is one such website. It is a scholarship search engine that looks for scholarships that a student would qualify for based on their account information. When the account is set up, it asks questions about academics as well as activities, clubs and skills that the student has participated in or possesses, and sorts the available scholarships accordingly. ScholarshipOwl even enters new applicants for a $1000 scholarship just for signing up. Scholly is an app that can be found on
Google Play and the Apple App Store that is meant to help students find scholarships that match them as they become available. Upon opening an account the student answers a list of very specific questions about previous activities, pets they have owned, their favorite foods, and other topics that most people don’t think of when looking for scholarships. Scholly uses this information to give the student as many scholarship options as possible. Scholly also has an advice section on their home screen offering advice on the most effective ways to get scholarships. However, unlike some other scholarship searches Scholly requires a payment of $2.99. “Scholly is definitely worth the fee,” senior Skylar Matthews said. “It asks you multiple things. Some of it is normal stuff like GPA, but then they ask you about everything you are interested in and it will give you scholarships based on all of your selections. I think it’s really worth it.” Niche.com is a very user friendly site that not only helps the user look for matching scholarships, but also sorts
them. Niche has the ability to sort their available scholarships by the difficulty of application, the major the student plans to go into, the state they are from, as well as by minorities. In addition to this, Niche offers many scholarships that do not require essays or letters of recommendation. They offer one
scholarship just for being a senior, one for each month with almost no qualifications, as well as one for simply reviewing your school. These resources can give students the tools they need to find scholarships easily and effectively, giving them a step up as they prepare to go off to college.
Screenshot courtesy of Niche
Pack On The AP Pressure A new, longer, more rigorous
By Johnna Smith
In preparation for next year, students have recently completed their class request forms, many planning on taking AP or Honors classes. This coming year, a new, longer, and more rigorous course will be offered to students: AP Seminar. “It’s essentially a research class,” English Advisor Kari Fortik said. “First semester, you develop arguments, you create a question, a problem, and you suggest solutions as a team. You do written and oral presentations. Second semester is the same thing but with an individual project. With your AP final, it is written and oral with you actually uploading it.” The end of year AP Score is based off of three sections throughout the year including a group project, individual project, and a written exam. Each assessment culminates into this with the students submitting them to College
degree. “The course is aimed towards sophomores as they have time to do this their junior year AP course coming to students and senior year,” Fortik said. “Even if you’re The process to being able to administer a junior now, you can take it the first part Board throughout the year. The full class this class began in late September and takes two years to complete and instead your senior year and it will still make you a October when Fortik and English teacher better college student.” of receiving college credit based on the end-of-year AP exam, students will receive Grace Koenigbauer traveled down to While the course is open to all, it is aimed Heritage High School to see the course a degree. for diligent and hardworking students. Most in practice. They both called it “very “AP Seminar the first year and AP AP courses are rigorous and take dedication impressive.” Research the next, they go together. After but this course has “a more college feeling “Mr. Paxton got an email from AP you do these two, as well as take two more and strict curriculum,” Fortik said. Capstone asking if we were interested in AP classes, you get a Capstone Degree,” “It is an elective so you end up just applying for the program for our school,” having to believe in the class because it’s not Fortik said. Fortik said. “You can’t just decide to A Capstone Degree is essentially a Ceramics or P.E. and it’s very much going to teach this; we had to send in an essay, research degree that high schoolers can be academic based like a core class. If you’re application, and justify why our school acquire. The degree equips them with serious about college to any extent, though, independent research, collaborative should be able to teach this. We had to it’s a good class to take,” Fortik said. teamwork, and communication skills that get approval from multiple people on the Registration for next year has ended school and district level, so it took a while, but it is still possible for those who are colleges and employers value. “The degree looks like a master’s thesis, but it’s in place now.” interested to talk to their counselors as The skills students will learn and which is your sixth year of college. This soon as possible. The AP Seminar course exercise in the course are practical and is hardcore, brilliant stuff. It’s the type of is an opportunity for students to earn a valuable in school and the real world, so research and writing every students does genuine degree, experience, and as Fortik taking the course can be profitable even in college whether you do it for science, said, “Research, write, ask questions, dig for if a student is unable to obtain the full English, philosophy, or law,” Fortik said. answers, and use resources.”
The Tide Pod Challenge Backlash My neck, my back, my late night Tide Pod snack
By Ava Dalton
First it was being given 60 minutes to chug one US size gallon of milk without vomiting. That was followed by eating a spoonful of cinnamon, and not being able to drink water for sixty seconds while your lungs were scarred. Last, but not least, was snorting bath salts. Life-threatening challenges have killed thousands in an attempt to get more attention on social media. Now, the Internet is flooded with videos of kids eating brightly-colored liquid laundry detergent pods. Too many studies have proven them to be deadly. According to the Washington Post, there were 12,299 calls to Poison Control in 2017 due to exposure to laundry pods, and 5,000 of those resulted in treatment at a medical facility. ABC News reports exposure to this product can result in nose and eye irritation, kidney problems, and possible
long-term lung damage. If ingested, it can lead to life-threatening breathing problems, respiratory arrest (cessation of breathing), damage to the esophagus from the corrosive ingredients, burns, blood pressure changes, intestinal issues, coma, seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death. “I’m not going to do it. I don’t want to die, not yet,” freshman Sydney Glover said. The question remains: why would teenagers want to risk their health for a challenge? NPR states the trend picked up in December when a meme was uploaded with a picture of a Tide Pod and the writing above it stated, “The Forbidden Fruit.” Ever since, it has been taken to the extreme, and many people throughout the world are recording themselves biting into these pods before spitting them out to gain fame on Youtube, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and/or Facebook, etc.
Please do not try these dangerous chemicals - too many have lost their lives
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
to this crazy challenge. Tide Pods are a risk to anyone who tries to bite or eat them.
Sports
5
While pinning a player from Cherry Creek, Captain Payne glances to his coaches for advice. The round took place at a tournament in January. “I have a good record, but one of the kids I have to wrestle in my weight class at state, I have wrestled him before and I lost. I am going to be wrestling him again throughout the season a couple of times and I will probably see him at state so that’s my biggest challenge to overcome,” senior Captain Payne said. Photo by Trinity Foreman
Success is Not Random Tournaments and teamwork By Trinity Foreman
The wrestling team competed in a tournament with 23 other schools on Saturday, January 20th. They arrived at Kennedy High School at 6 AM and the semi-finals ran until around 7 PM. Team members wrestled others in their weight group and moved up through a basic bracket system. “The goal was to get to semifinals by out-wrestling the winners of your group. It’s like a giant game of rock, paper, scissors,” freshman Caydenn Condit said. February 2nd was the Colorado Seven League Tournament. Zander Condit, Captain Payne, Sam Dunivan, Andreas Sainz, Esau Cloutier, and Caleb Barker competed in the semifinals. Cayden Condit, Laurel Acab, and Noah Hartman all had multiple matches up to the quarterfinals. “It’s always fun when you see your name getting ready to get called up,” sophomore Caleb Barker said. “We do a lot of drills and a lot of conditioning but I know it’s always worth it,” The sport is about more than
just the stats; the team spends all their time off the mats together, in the stands. The wrestlers bond in ways some other teams don’t. ’’We work hard, practice and condition, we really practice. We are all really close. It’s a really close brotherhood and you don’t understand it until you’re a part
of it,’’ sophomore Trent Jay said. There are several tournaments left, and the team has grown quite a lot. They assist each other in every aspect of practice. “We are really close and we spend lot of time together. Even in duels it’s not about who wins; it’s about growing and improving each other,” senior Andreas Sainz said.
Current Scores Boys Basketball
02/2 77-41 (W) - Conifer vs. Englewood 02/6 56-49 (L) - Conifer @ Skyview 02/9 61-42 (W) - Conifer @ Fort Lupton
Girls Basketball 02/2 62-49 (W) - Conifer @ Englewood 02/6 55-44 (L) - Conifer vs. Skyview 02/9 55-11 (W) - Conifer vs. Fort Lupton
Conifer Girls Swimming State
For the second round of his match, sophomore Caleb Barker sets behind another grappler. “You’re not always going to be the bigger stronger kid out there, but I can just trust the technique I have and the training I have. Going hard, doing your best, that can win a lot more than you think,” Barker said. Photo courtesy of Ava Dalton
Championship Swimmers Megan Wilkins Madison Vandergriff Emily Sainz Elsa Debrunner Eriqa McDonald-Ramey Maia Siegel Jana Lay Cara Ward Via Zipp
Sports
6
Reintroduction of the XFL A professional football league is coming back
By Alex Ainsworth
A new professional football league called the XFL (Xtreme Football League) is making a comeback. In 2001 the league was first introduced, but only lasted one year, because the fans were not interested due to all the antics that went on during the game and the lack of concentration on the field. The new league will debut in 2020, giving teams two years to form a 40-man roster and begin practices. Vince McMahon is the sole creator of the XFL, and is also the founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE. In 2001, McMahon tried to team up with NBC to create the XFL, but the second time around he wants to be completely in
charge of the construction of the league. Unlike the NFL, the league commissioner will be the owner of every team in the league. In the NFL, there are rules that every player, league-wide, has to follow, along with a set of rules each team makes for its players. The XFL won’t have this extra set of rules that only apply to players on a certain team. McMahon’s goal is to take politics out of football, so the players will not be able to kneel during the National Anthem or take any other political stand on the football field. Ex-NFL players such as Tim Tebow will be able to play in the XFL, along with players without a criminal record. Johnny
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Manziel, a former NFL player, will not be able to make his planned comeback with the XFL, because he has faced domestic abuse charges and he broke the NFL’s league substance abuse policy. With of these rules in place McMahon hopes to create a professional football league that is ultimately more entertaining and fun to watch than the NFL. The timing of the new league’s debut is not ideal for the NFL or the XFL. The NFL TV ratings dropped by 9.7% during the 2017 season, and introduction of the XFL could bring those numbers down even lower, as fans might be looking for an alternate source to watch football. Although the XFL is trying to get rid of some of the sources behind the decreasing TV ratings of NFL, such as kneeling during the national anthem and long, drawn out games, fans still might be turned off from watching professional football due to the controversial debate over player safety. The fact that the NFL ratings are down doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s an opportunity for a new professional football league to sweep in and steel those viewers.
After years of football being “America’s Sport,” it could finally be experiencing a downfall, and, with the introduction of the XFL, the NFL could lose more viewers and the XFL could experience low TV ratings from the start.
Swimmers Go to State
Athlete by Nature
By Parker Jones
By Staff
No surprises as the team qualifies for state competition From February 8th-9th, the girls swim team traveled to Thornton, Colorado, for the state championships and walked away as school record holders. After a season of tremendous growth and progress, the team reaped the benefits of hard work over the weekend. On just the first day of the state championships, the team came within one second of breaking the school record in the 200 medley relay and dropped four seconds, qualifying for finals. The next day, they broke record in the same category and placed 14th overall. “We worked on improving our time enough to qualify for finals, so it was exciting,” sophomore Maddy Vandergriff said. “I’m really excited because that’s the fastest we’ve swum all season and I think we could definitely break it tomorrow. We’ll just give it our all and hope for the best.” In the week before the competition, the Lady Lobos prepared with tapering (easier practices) and team bonding activities, letting their muscles rest before giving it their all at state. They went into the meet with high hopes and came out of it with even greater results. “We were all super motivated and had positive thoughts going into the meet,” Vandergriff said. “We had our goals and for the most part we met them.” In addition to the excitement and stress the team felt going into state, many of the swimmers were under the weather,
presenting them with even more of a challenge. However, they did not allow this to drag them down. “[Day one] was almost disappointing because all I wanted was to go and win state this year, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that because I didn’t feel good at all,” sophomore Megan Wilkins said. “So, yesterday I actually did a lot better than I thought so that gives me a lot more confidence going into [day two].” Above all else, teamwork propelled the girls through the meet. “As a team, we’re all so supportive. Even if we didn’t make it to second day finals, we’re all going just to cheer on everyone who did make it,” sophomore Emily Sainz said. “Our team is just so supportive… With sports, it’s the group and the bonding that you always dream of having.” One of the greatest outcomes of day one was that the team came within a second of breaking school record. It gave them the motivation to work even harder in the rest of the competition and entirely surpass the record. “I was beyond proud of my team [when I found out that we’d almost broken school record],” Wilkins said. “Personally, I had a really good swim, so I was already ecstatic from that, and then when I found out, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, let’s take this momentum and not break it tomorrow….’ I’m going to go and give it everything I have, and I’m going to swim with excitement instead of just swimming for a time.”
Cheerleader by Choice
The 2017-2018 Poms/Cheer team is made up of five members - freshmen Sammie Anderson, Avery Browne, sophomores Gabbie Jamison, Caiti McAntire, and senior Savannah Brockman. They are a small squad, but their size didn’t get in the way of accomplishment this year and their size isn’t preventing big dreams for the future. The work of the poms/cheer team begins early every year. In fact, their work starts long before school does, at camp in July. The CHS pom/cheer team won the spirit stick, a top camp award, and several other recognitions this summer. “I joined poms because I’d done cheer for several years and was interested in starting dance so it was the perfect opportunity,” Caiti McAntire said. Throughout the fall, they danced and cheered at football, softball, and soccer games. In the winter season, they perform at home basketball games. “Getting ourselves out there as a team and as spirit leaders is important. Poms/
cheer is a sport. It takes just as much work, just as many hours, and just as much effort as other sports,” Gabbie Jamison said. Together with their new coach, Aime Browne, the team is preparing for tryouts for the 2018-2019 team. “We are looking to build a great team! You don’t need to be a human pretzel or a gymnast (although that is a plus) to try out for the Poms/Cheer team. What we are looking for is the ability to work together as a team, show enthusiasm, put forth the effort, share lots of smiles, and prepare for a lot of fun,” Browne said. “We are already signed up for several competitions and are looking forward to a great year!” Tryout are in early April: 4/16/18 2:45-5 learn routine 4/17/18 2:45-5 learn routine 4/18/18 2:45-5 learn routine 4/19/18 OFF 4/20/18 3:30-7:30 Tryouts In order to try out, athletes must have completed Jefferson County sports physical exam paperwork. If you need information, see Ms. Beu in the Athletic Office.
With tryouts just around the corner, this year’s Poms/Cheer team shows its spirit. Avery Browne, Sammie Anderson, Savannah Brockman, Gabbie Jamison, and Caiti McAntire took a break from practice to have some fun outside. Courtesy of Aimee Browne
7
From Under Dogs to Top Dogs
The Eagles played the role of the underdog in the playoffs and still came out on top
On Sunday, February 2nd, the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII (52) to cap off a very impressive bounceback season. Just a year ago, the Eagles finished the regular season 7-9 and last in their division. This past season, the Eagles finished 13-3 and not only in first place of their division, but they also finished with the best record in the NFC. The Eagles were looking good heading into the playoffs, until Carson Wentz tore his ACL in week 14. From that moment on, even though the Eagles had secured a first round bye, automatically taking them to the second round of the playoffs, their chances of winning the Super Bowl decreased dramatically. Throughout the NFL playoffs, the Eagles were underdogs in all three of their games, despite having the best record in the NFC and having home field advantage up until the Super Bowl. The Eagles played the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round of the playoffs. Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles proved to all the doubters that he could handle the spotlight. Although the playoff game against the Falcons was not high scoring, Foles got the job done when he needed to. Even if people still doubted him after the divisional round, he silenced those doubters as he threw for 352 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Foles and the Eagles offense
put up 38 unanswered points in the NFC championship against the Minnesota Vikings as they advanced to the Super Bowl. It wasn’t going to be easy by any means for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. The game was an offensive shootout. Each team had only one turnover and there was just one punt in the entire game. Both teams combined for 1,151 total yards which set a record for most yards in any NFL game in history. The Eagles would race down the field and score, and then the Patriots would answer right back with a touchdown of their own. It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that the Eagles got a stop. After an Eagles touchdown, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was back on the field, ready to score yet again. The only thing standing between Brady and the end zone was the Eagles defense. Defensive end Brandon Graham put pressure on Brady and caused a fumble, and the Eagles recovered the ball. This defensive stop was huge for the Eagles and was the Patriots’ fatal blow in the game. After this stop, the Eagles were able to score again to make the score 41-33 in favor of the Eagles. That was the final score of Super Bowl LII and that defensive stop helped secure the first Super Bowl Championship for the Philadelphia Eagles in franchise history. The final score of 41-33 was the second most combined points in Super Bowl history. Heading into Super Bowl LII,
the game had the potential to be a low scoring game, as the Eagles had the best run defense in the NFl and fourth best overall defense. The Patriots also made improvements heading into the playoffs by adding outside linebacker James Harrison who previously won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and made five Pro Bowl appearances. Although each team has a very good defense the offenses got the best of each teams’ defense.
BRIEFS
Girls Basketball
Wrestling
By Alex Ainsworth
Boys Basketball
After a surprising loss against Skyview High on January 19th, the varsity boys basketball team took on the Wolverines again on February 6th and lost 49-56. They bounced back on Friday, February 9th, and won against the Fort Lupton Bluedevils 61-42. The Lobos are currently 6-3 in league and 10-11 overall. Their next game will be against the Alameda pirates on Thursday, February 15th, before they head to the playoffs on February 26th.
Coming out of a 62-49 victory against Englewood, the varsity girls basketball team hosted the Skyview Wolverines on February 6th. The Lady Lobos were unable to get back to back wins, as they lost 44-55, but the Wolverines gave the the Lobos just their second loss in league play. The girls then won 55-11 against the Fort Lupton Blue Devils on Friday, February 9th. They are now 5-2 in league and 9-12 overall. Their next game will be against Arvada on February 12th, before their last game of the season on February 15th, also against the Arvada Bulldogs.
Sports The Eagles players embraced being the underdogs throughout the playoffs, and they used this as motivation to prove that they can be the best, even without their starting quarterback, Carson Wentz. Going into the Super Bowl, they had all the confidence in the world, even though they were facing the defending Super Bowl Champions. They had to score a lot in order to win the Super Bowl, because Tom Brady was going to do everything in his power to beat the Eagles. The Eagles weren’t afraid to shoot for big plays down the field, and they even tried some trick plays. From the first quarter to the end of the game, the Eagles’ offense was firing on all cylinders.
The team had several players make it to semifinals at the last few tournaments including at Colorado 7 League, and at a duel against Littleton. January 30th was the Power Cup against Evergreen, which several players won at. Regional champion Captain Payne, Cayden Condit, and regional champion Zander Condit qualified for state. The Regionals 3 started on Friday, February 9th, and the Lobos’ progress will be updated on traxwrestle.com and chstoday.net.
Girls Swimming The girls swimming team dominated at the state championships from February 8th-9th, taking home 14th place overall. On day one, the team dropped four seconds and came within one second of breaking school record in the 200 medley relay. On day two, they broke record. Sophomore Megan Wilkins came in 5th in the 100 free stroke and 100 backstroke. The team also dropped over five seconds from their time at League. They are ending the season 1-2 in league and 1-5 overall. A highlight of the season was their close win against the Bear Creek Bears on December 16th, 86-71.
With less than two minutes on the clock in the February 2 varsity game against Englewood, senior Joe Mead goes up for two of the eight points he scored in the 77 – 41 win over the Pirates. Senior Seth Sankey was the night’s high-scorer with 21 points, and senior Mark Studer scored 19. The win put Conifer at 9 – 10 on the season. Their next game was a rematch against Skyview on February 6. Conifer fell in that match up, 49-56, putting their overall win-loss on the season at 9 – 11. They are 5-3 in league play. Level 3, JV, and Varsity boys play again at home on Thursday, February 15, vs. Alameda. Photo by Laurel Ainsworth
Valentine's Day Photo courtesy of wikki commons
How to Get a Valentine The do’s and don'ts By Trinity Foreman
To Get The Girl
The most surefire way to get a girl is to buy her food. Chocolates are nice and common, but if you really want to impress her, go with something she really likes, such as Wendy’s or Casa Bonita. Make sure you know her allergies, but don’t ask her; ask her friends. If you want to be straightforward then try a card, but make sure it’s clearly romantic. Include a ring and a heartfelt proposal if you’re ready to take that next step. Try to find out her favorite songs, so you can talk about them. Music is always a safe bet, but be careful with In Real Life and Big Time Rush; she may be in love with the boys in the bands, and you don’t
want her to leave you for them. Pick-up lines can be risky, but they work if it’s something she likes and not something common. For example, don’t say the basic “Is your father a thief…” one. Try something like “Guess what I’m wearing, the smile you gave me,” or “If you won’t be my valentine, I’ll move to Paraguay.” You could also give her a gift like flowers or a hug. Don’t get her any of those candies with bugs or scorpions in them, unless she's a nerd. For the cute nerdy girls, periodic table jokes work well. If they say they like puppies, don't get them a real one; just get a stuffed animal.
To Get The Boy
Boys are a little bit harder to read. Music is still a good option, but really try to get to know them, sit close to them, and learn their interests. Maybe brush their hand when walking with them. When you’re ready to ask him, find a time where it’s less busy and there aren't a ton of his friends around, especially if he’s shy; if not, a reenactment of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet above the commons will do the trick. A big no-no is spray painting your car with their name. Hugs are good, always. You can use a card or just be honest. Tell them something you like about them and that
you want to spend more time with them (sneaking into their house is usually not the way to do this). Ask them to be your valentine. Don’t spam them, and when Internet stalking, make sure you don’t like any old pictures or friend their distant relatives on Facebook. Do not try to make them ask you by flirting with their friend or something shady like that. Steal their hoodie, but give it back when they ask. Be honest with them. And, chocolate is good; food almost always works for anyone.
What's Your Favorite Valentine Candy?
“Chocolate, because it’s sweet, it’s fun eat a whole box of chocolates and feel - Katie Pease
“The little candy hearts, because they - Maya Skurski
Singled Out
Logan and Alana show off their school spirit, during beach day. They have been together for around two years. Photo courtesy of Leslie Thompson As she passes the office, Laurel makes her plans for Valentine's Day. She doesn’t need a date to have a fun Wednesday, because she will be spending it at band practice for a local church. Photo by Parker Jones
Being single on Valentine’s Day By Jackie Thomas
Valentine’s Day is often a daydream for couples; it gives them an excuse to post cute pics labeled “#CoupleGoals” on every social media they can and take a day to celebrate their relationship. However, for singles, Valentine’s Day can be less of a fantasy. “It’s kind of annoying because people are being all lovey and stuff, and I’m over here like, ‘I’m just waiting for half-off candy tomorrow,’” sophomore Laurel Cheney said. Although there are pluses to being single on Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to feel left out. Seeing people everyday that have a significant other can be hard enough, and this is only heightened by the spotlight of Valentine’s Day. “Seeing couples around on Valentine's Day makes me feel a little lonely,” sophomore Austin Berger said. However, much of the student body has found that there are also some benefits to being single on the most romantic day of
the year. Independence is something that many people value, so being alone for a loving holiday isn’t all bad. “It feels really great to be single on Valentine's Day because nobody needs a man in their life to make them happy,” freshman Katrina Ryan said. Being single on Valentine's Day isn’t all bad; in fact, it can be great. Without a boyfriend or girlfriend, you don’t have to buy special gifts for someone or stress out about planning the most romantic date they have ever had. Plus, there’s no chance of sudden heartbreak. “It feels amazing. I like being a single pringle,” freshman Zoe Peters said. Whether you are dating someone or feel single forever, Valentine’s Day is a day for love and understanding one another. So, even though people stress about finding a partner, that should not be the most important thing. Rather, it should be about spending quality time with the friends and family you love.
n, and even if you’re alone you can just sit there and l loved.”
y are really cute, and cheesy, and I love cheesy things.”
Freshmen Cayden Condit, Satori Cassens, and Katrina Ryan sit in the commons. Their relationship statuses may vary on Valentine’s Day, but they will always have each other. Photo by Jackie Thomas
Opinions
10
Review: Damn Right
Denver’s most prominent Ska act releases a new album By Riley Patton
Local band The Dendrites released a brand new album titled Damn Right on October 31, 2017. The band presents a four-piece horn line and a four-piece rhythm section that fit together so effortlessly. Each individual member of the band adds an extra part to the ensemble as a whole, creating a wonderful sense of harmony and partnership in the album. The album holds 10 songs that are all mastered and mixed very well to create a superb balance between songs, without subtracting from their tone. The album’s second song "Escalator" begins with a catchy melody that is very pleasing to the ear, and it ends with a riff from Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven," which is an extraordinarily nice nod to the timeless band. The albums fifth track "Fresh Prescription" immediately caught my attention with the synthesizer opening that sounds very out of place. Track number six, which is very good, "Oh Yea? Oh Yeah!" is very different from the other songs in some ways, as it included vocals, but very similar in other ways, like the
rocking horn parts. All of the solo sections fit in very nicely with the songs they’re in and don’t intrude on the overall feel of the track. Each song feels like an extension to the last, but they don't all flow so well that it seems like the same song. This album has gone above and beyond the hype surrounding it; plus, listening to it was a complete blast from start to finish. I have nothing but praise for this album.
Cover art courtesy of Bandcamp
Trigger Warning
The Women Go Marching One by One By Parker Jones
On Saturday, January 20th, I attended the second-ever “Women’s March on Colorado” at the Denver Civic Center, and I must say, it was all that I imagined it would be and more. Beyond the number of graphic signs that made me want to vomit and the number of actual, reallife, un-ironic communists, I was taken aback by how little the event had to do with women’s liberation. Rather, it was a partisan-fueled march with the sole intent of bashing Trump and pushing a political agenda. My main bone to pick with the march was the way it was advertised. Anyone hearing about a “Women’s March” is going to assume that it’s a march for women and about women’s liberation in vulnerable places in America and around the world. However, when I arrived, I saw hardly anything to do with women, but rather a collective of signs pushing the Democrats’ agenda and a mish-mash of topics that have very little to do with women’s rights. Some protesters even admitted it themselves. “Well, it started out as a women’s march, but now it’s pretty much just a throw it in the washing machine [event], and whatever topic you can think of is why I’m here,” protester Sandy Reinerd said. Above all else, it was the eye of the Trump-bashing tornado. Some walked around with handmade Trump piñatas that people could take a punch at, and thousands of signs advocated for Trump’s immediate impeachment in bold, sloppy handwriting. If an event has absolutely nothing to do with its title, then the title is clearly being used as a coverup for something totally underhanded. Why not pick a more fitting title, such as the “Democrats’ March on Denver”? Where were all of these protesters before the 2016 election? If this isn’t a politically motivated event that is unrelated to human rights, then it makes absolutely zero sense that nobody was fighting for the same rights prior to the election of everyone’s favorite “racist cheeto.”
Although I generally disagreed with many of the event’s attendees, they obviously have the right to be protesting and are protected by the First Amendment. However, I was completely taken aback by one of the moral boundaries many of the protesters crossed. I saw countless children - from infants to elementary schoolers - with “Donald Trump is dumb” signs taped to them or with “#feminist” hats strapped onto their heads. It was as if I was suddenly supposed to believe that Trump should be impeached just because this five year old is insightful and intelligent enough to know that he is unfit to be president. What Star Trek alien dimension am I living in now? Obviously, the five year old is going to think that if it’s all their parents ever talk about. Obviously, they are going to think that Trump is a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, T-rexophobic monster if they’re growing up with tunnel vision on the matter! There is no need for incredibly young children to be strutted around like trophies; quite frankly, it’s a little disturbing. If someone isn’t capable of reading the sign they are being forced to hold, then they should not be involved in the first place. A big takeaway I got from many of the march’s attendees was a sheer and insuperable unwillingness to consider the views of others. Upon asking many of the event’s attendees why a YouGov poll found that only 21% of women identify as feminists, the general response showed a major lack in understanding of why people think different things and have conflicting opinions. “[That’s] disgusting, isn’t that weird?” protester Sarah Bahl said in response to the statistic. “I don’t know, I know I live in Colorado, and I know I was raised incredibly liberal, but that just strikes me as so strange. I just don’t get it.” Another lady answered, “[Nonfeminists] had better wake up. We shouldn’t have to fight this fight again. Our grandmothers and mothers fought this
Review: Vale
New album is great but stale By Jackie Thomas
The rock band Black Veil Brides has just released their newest album called Vale. The album isn’t that bad, but I found it difficult to get into. The album starts out with the band acknowledging the Legion of the Black, which is a movie they made for one of their older albums, The Wretched and Divine. They definitely tell a story with their songs and music, but they’ve been doing the same thing since 2011, and their music hasn’t matured. This album has better guitar solos and the drumming is better, too. They also have added more violin and piano, but it feels like they tried to stretch out the length of some of their songs. For instance, "Dead Man Walking (Overture II)" lasted for eight minutes, which seemed too long. They also were not together for most of the time they wrote this album. The lead singer, Andy Biersack, was on tour for his solo album, The Shadow Side. He also left them during the summer to do Warped Tour by himself. Not only did Biersack start his own project; the guitarist Jake Pitts started a
fight.” I love how this woman thought she was fighting this incredible, heroic fight for equality, the likes of which women fought for in the 1800s when, you know, they were fighting against actual oppression. The main point is, if you can’t understand why the majority of women in America disagree with you, you obviously do not care about helping all women. Despite the multitude of things I disagreed with at the march, I do not mean to discredit every person attending. I certainly met some women who truly believed in what they were protesting, who wanted to stand up for groups they felt were being marginalized. However, if this was the case, then why weren’t there any Republican women there? If there is a widespread oppression of American women, then don’t you think that at least a couple people from the other side of the political spectrum would be there to stand up for their lack of rights? In the initial, first-wave, feminist movement of the 19th century, women from all backgrounds and political identities came together to stand up for their rights. Today, feminism is incredibly specific to one party. This goes to show that this is clearly not an issue of a lack of human rights, but rather an issue of dirty partisan politics that are using the guise of social justice. I would feel the exact same way if this was a march consisting of Republicans. A good deal of the protest was also centered around sexual abuse and its presence in society. I think we can all agree that sexual harassment and rape are at odds with all human virtues. But, when a movement attacks a person, such as Trump, to prove their point, instead of keeping to the issue, the entire cause becomes diluted with petty partisan nonsense. I can think of plenty of Democrats who are guilty of sexual harassment, so let’s not pretend like it’s an issue strictly behind party lines. It is nauseating to think that there are other women in the world who are facing real oppression and abuse, and meanwhile women in America are marching about how they hate Trump whilst claiming it’s for “women’s liberation.”
band with his wife called Aelonia which had a debut single called The End. Because of all these changes, the other members had to put in more effort to write the music. They would go home and write part of their music. The next day they would all get together and look over it. They, then agreed upon what they would use. I feel that if they all worked together and didn’t mash different rhythms together, the album could have turned out a little better. Also, maybe if they were to have taken a break from their separate projects, it could have been more engaging for all the members. The music is good, but the band members made it seem like it would be this heavy rock album, especially when Biersack released a tiny bit of music on his Instagram story. Overall, the album is really good, but it feels a little boring and a little stale.
Cover art courtesy of Sputnikmusic
In Afghanistan, more than half of all brides are under 16, women live to only 45 on average, and women have the highest illiteracy rate in the world. In war-torn Syria, rape has become an epidemic. In Yemen, women have incredibly limited access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, and girls as young as eight are married. Female genital mutilation is more common than ever in Islamic countries, and women in Iran and Saudi Arabia are forced to cover their arms, legs, and head. At the Women’s March, I did not see a single sign addressing these women. I did not see a single sign fighting for their rights. I did not talk to a single person who was there for them. That does not sound like the feminism that is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes,” as its definition proclaims. Currently, women in Iran are resiliently removing their mandatory headscarves in protest of the way they are being treated, with many of them being arrested and facing intense governmental persecution. That is real feminism. That is worthy of a Women’s March. People need to take a deep breath and protest when there is purpose. Trust me, I’ll stand by feminists when that is the case.
Parker Jones is a reporter for The Lobo Legend. Follow her on Instagram @ parkerthemeninist for opinions, editorial pieces, and views on current news. Photo by Carson Kennedy
Opinions
11 The Lobo Legend Staff
Taylor Mitchell - Editor in Chief Johnna Smith -Web Editor Parker Jones - Managing Editor Trinity Foreman - Photo Editor Riley Patton - Design Felix Randol - Design Alex Ainsworth Samantha Anderson Zeke Biddle Lilly Brinkman Cecilia Brockman Melia Carvalho Ava Dalton Elijah Davidson Seycha Forbes Drew Jensen Chiara Kayser Alyssa Klinker Lynsey MacCuish Roman Marscellus Dillon McGuire Alissa Rumin Katrina Ryan Jacqueline Thomas Gwen Walker
The staff of the Lobo Legend has selected an open forum under which to write. Articles will be printed according to this policy. The purpose of the lobo Legend is to inform,entertain, and educate school readers as well as readers in the community and give an opinion of students’ interests on local, state,and national issues. The staff will take full responsibility to thoroughly investigate and report all sides of all issues with an unbiased and objective viewpoint. The material, ideas, and opinions expressed in the Lobo Legend do not necessarily reflect those of the adviser, administration, or individual staff members.They are the sole product of the paper’s staff.
Staff Editorial The Trouble with the TVs
Along with various changes implemented at the school this year, such as the new tardy policy and the installment of smoke sensors in the bathrooms, the administration recently decided to place three TVs in the school commons. Now, students are voicing their concern about where the school’s budget really is going. It’s unclear where the money for the TVs came from, but at any rate, they serve very little purpose. Half the slides are unfinished, and the ones that are
filled are useless. For example: “Did you know the bushes in Super Mario Bros. are actually recolored clouds?” and other helpful facts, such as how we have over 89,000,000 days of school left. Also, what’s up with the vertical TV? A TV hanging on its side by one nail is incredibly bizarre, but that’s what appears to be happening in the commons, and it's only a matter of time before 1/3 of the wasted money injures a student when it falls off the wall. TVs are expensive, and that money could have gone to better things, including but not limited
Review: Roswell-A-Go-Go The Ghoulies’ second album is a blast to listen to By Riley Patton
The Ghoulies’ second album is very different from their first, which is wonderful. RoswellA-Go-Go is an example of The Ghoulies taking a genre and making it their own. The early blues-rock hasn’t been touched very much since it was popular in the 50’s. With Elvis switching to more upbeat songs in the time before his death, and some early Beatles changing into some poppy tunes, the Ghoulies took that unused genre and breathed new life into it starting from 2013 with their self-titled album and then their second album Roswell-A-Go-Go. The way that this Denverbased band takes on blues with a more punk tone is beyond beautiful. Each song sounds different from the other but doesn’t stray far enough to be weird. Different from their first album, the band has a larger punk sound in the first two songs "Cash/Cool" and "Parasite" and The Ghoulies took punk and made it their own. They mixed it
with blues and perfected it. Then back into Ghoulies fashion with "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" that just sounds so good. The first three songs sound good overall, and it’s a great way to start an album. The rest of the album makes a great addition to those opening songs. The fourth song "Sex, Sex, and Rock & Roll" is such an Elvis song that it’s honestly surprising. The lyrics talk about how great of a place Denver is and how it’s the best place in America. Then the fifth song "Elvis Christ" is just like a regular Ghoulies song, hosting a great melody to take breaks for solos in the beginning. The sixth song "BeerCaseCans" is so different because of the hard punk feel given to us by the vocal style performed. But then we go back to jamming for a song. Then my personal favorite on the album "I Wish I was Wanda Jackson" has this very The Black Keys vibe (El Camino) and that album is extraordinary on its own. And making a joke about Wanda Jackson the next song is "Another Goddamn Rockabilly
The Lobo Legend staff will refuse to print an article with material containing libel, obscenity, writings that promote self destructive behavior, or that which promotes the material disruption of the school process.
Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editor are encouraged and may be dropped off in the high school office or sent to the newsroom.
I believe you are entitled to your own opinion, and I do appreciate your interest in the In Real Life performance at Conifer High School. However, I believe there is a major inaccuracy in your opinion article that needs to be discussed. You said the group was lip syncing. That is absolutely incorrect. Maybe you didn’t speak with your older brother. He spent all morning setting up and testing the sound systems so In Real Life could sing live. Maybe you missed the slight imperfections in the vocals due to colds two of the band members were fighting. Off stage, their managers were
If you find an error with a story, fact, graphic, or a point needing further clarification, please contact the staff at Lobo Legend Staff c/o Conifer High School 10441 Hwy 73 Conifer, CO 80433
to: better computers, class supplies, bigger parking lots, more library books, the list goes on. While we’re spending money on random additions to the school, perhaps we should also add a UFO landing pad in the school parking lot, because that would also be totally necessary and should be prioritized above the purchase of new bathroom stall doors. Not to mention, when those TVs were being installed it was incredibly distracting and loud. Students from the library were torn from their work with the screeching sound of a drill for some time.
Response to Opinions Section, “Review: In Real Life Live” published on December 15, 2017 Dear Mr. Patton,
constantly instructing them not to talk to save their voices, and for all of them to only drink warm water so their vocal cords were ready to go. Maybe you missed the pauses in the vocals as the band members held their mics out to the audience. In Real Life band members were absolutely singing live, and if you still have doubts, you should really talk with your brother. Bryce oversaw and coordinated all of the audio equipment, so he knows better than anyone from Conifer High School what elements were live and real. While I am sorry you did not enjoy the performance or music, I am disappointed you chose to blast them and make false accusations in this public forum. CHS is a small, offthe-beaten track high school and isn’t exactly a hub for attracting national performers
Song," which The Ghoulies perform without any effort. The new life breathed into the Rockabilly genre by The Ghoulies is beyond great. After the short break we get back to The Ghoulies “regular sound” with such a jamming song titled "Only One" and that continues through the rest of the album. The hidden track "Pop Punk Song" (the 12th)
There is no reason for our budget to have been depleted for three TVs that don’t benefit anyone at Conifer. If these new displays are absolutely necessary, they should be doing something other than spewing fake facts. Putting the school news or exciting, new pictures of the student body would be a fantastic use of the space, along with videos from sports teams promoting upcoming events. The money wouldn’t be viewed as a waste if the screens had helpful and/or entertaining content on them, they would be viewed as a success. is so odd because they just make fun of pop punk artists. I have nothing but praise for this extraordinary band. They’ve put their spin on so many genres and have played them with no effort needed to make it sound wonderful. The Ghoulies have really left their mark on local music for a while and it’s only a matter of time for them to leave their mark on the international music industry.
Photo courtesy of Bandcamp
Cover art courtesy of Bandcamp
or opportunities like this. If our students prefer to bad-mouth those that volunteer to share their time and talents with our community, I am sure groups like In Real Life have better places to be. If we just want to be judgmental, we can do that from afar. While our DECA & Media programs have recently made some connections that are likely to bring other national performers and free concert tickets to our students (this same promoter works with Taylor Swift, Disney, J&J, Migos, Post Malone, Lil Yachty, etc), there is no point in even inviting these opportunities to our school if our student body prefers to knock these groups and tear them down rather than appreciating the gift of their time. Fortunately, In Real Life thought a lot better of Conifer High School. They were truly humble and grateful for the interactions with our students. They were friendly, genuine and focused on contributing. They arrived wanting to relate and
connect with our community. I wonder what they will think of us now. The last thing I’d like you to consider - it takes a lot of energy, time and effort to create opportunities like this for CHS. Those of us involved in these efforts, including your brother, are willing to put in the time because we believe these unique experiences are interesting and appreciated. While I know you are one voice in a sea of many, it takes the wind out of my sails to have our efforts so pettily criticized. Are you willing to step up and coordinate the next unique event for our school? If not, maybe you should look for occasions to build up those willing to make the effort rather than tear them down. If you want to complain, you should be prepared to step up and help out or do it yourself. - Amber Hall DECA Adviser, Business and Marketing teacher
Opinions
12
Review: Never Quite Asleep
Younger Than Neil's first EP in almost two years By Riley Patton
Younger Than Neil is a Ska-Punk (a mixture of Ska and Punk music) band based in Denver that just released their second EP (Extended Play), a cheaper and shorter album, usually two to five songs, on Wednesday, January 10th. It is very different from most Ska-Punk I’ve listened to. That's a good thing, because if there’s anything missing in music, it's originality. The first song, “Happiest Nihilist,” is all over the board in originality with great lyrics, horn parts, and a phenomenal bass solo. The song is about how life is meaningless but you can still find joy in it. Overall, the song is a wonderful start to the EP. The second song, “Sleepwalk Song,”
starts out with an odd voice over where a man is talking about a half-crazed, halfApache saying he’ll do anything to get your back. This song has a very distinct melody that is very well executed and accommodates the vocals very naturally. And, in Younger Than Neil fashion, it has a straight punk section. The third and final song, “In Our Genes,” has the most catchy horn pattern of the entire EP, along with some very good lyrics second to “Happiest Nihilist.” The song is about how genes shouldn’t define who you are. This EP is beyond good. Everything works so well that it’s beautiful. Younger Than Neil has really delivered on this EP, and I couldn’t be happier with it.
Review: The Last Jedi Episode eight in a long running saga is...okay
By Riley Patton
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the eighth edition in the Star Wars mega-franchise, and it’s received mixed ratings across the board. Some said it’s good, but huge Star Wars fans hate it. And that’s where this movie falls flat. I’ve seen this movie twice and I don’t remember it. When I first saw it I remember enjoying it since it has decent cinematography and it’s visually impressive with a beyondamazing score, but I cannot remember the story for the life of me. Like I said, I enjoyed watching it in theaters, but the second time around I realized how much the directors shoehorned in things that will sell toys in the long run, like the Porgs (the little bird things). When people, animals, or items are only in a movie to sell products, it always irritates me; my first time watching I almost forgot about Porgs altogether because of how well designed other animals are in this movie, like the crystal fox-things or the lemur-eared horsethings. My second time watching, I noticed how irrelevant they are to the story. When The Force Awakens came out, it was obvious that BB-8 was going to be sold until the cows come home, but BB-8 had plot significance. The Lemur-eared horse-thing had minor plot significance, more so than the Porgs. I’m getting into spoilers here, so if you don’t want to read those, I would turn
away now or skip to the last paragraph. The story is kind of bland and forgettable. The fact that Snoke dies in this movie is disappointing, since it seemed like they wanted to create a villian on par to The Emperor (one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy) and they just gave up. It seemed like every character forgot that Han Solo died in the past installment, and Rey only tried to bring some emotion when she and Kylo Ren had forced conversations. Now that I think about it, those conversations didn’t make much sense, and they’re not explained. The whole thing with small Kylo and Luke is just stupid in general, but the salt planet is phenomenally shot and a masterpiece of visual design with the showdown between Luke and Kylo. The casino planet was pretty and okay storywise. I remember Captain Phasma being in the movie, but I don't remember what she did. Kylo Ren has become one of the most interesting characters in the Star Wars universe. I just wish that there was more that I remembered about this movie since I remember it being enjoyable. Overall (from what I remember), this was a good family movie with merchandising for all ages. And that’s not a bad thing when it isn’t shoehorned in. Mark Hamill's performance was good and there was a pretty good meme that came out of the movie (Ben Swolo). This may
Review: Wormwood
A Netflix miniseries that dives deep into old controversy
By Elijah Davidson
On November 28, 1953, Army scientist Frank Olson plunged to his death from a New York hotel window. In 1975, the CIA began to explain why. In the new documentary miniseries Wormwood, a six-episode Netflix original from Thin Blue Line creator Errol Morris, Olson’s son explains the troubling and turbulent history of Frank’s death, and the family’s lack of closure more than 60 years later. Frank Olson, a biologist who worked for the government and designed biological weapons for germ warfare, is the subject of the show. In 1953, Olson supposedly jumped out the window of his hotel while on a work trip in New York. For 22 years, it was written off as a brutal suicide, until 1975, when the CIA revealed he had
been a guinea pig for the agency’s LSD experiments. However, this wasn’t the end of the story - rather, it was just the beginning. Wormwood uses an interesting tactic that was also seen in some of Morris’ other work. What you’ll see is not 400 minutes worth of interviews; rather, they are intertwined with performances of what happened. Expect to see very solid acting from actors such as Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Blake Nelson, and more. However, the most brilliant aspect of these scenes is that they aren’t necessarily what the interview just discussed, which means it is interesting to see something that may not have been shown or talked about before. Because of this, Wormwood continues to add mystery and intrigue to the case,
Cover art courtesy of Younger Than Neil
end up being a “controversial review” but I’m really in the middle on this spectrum. I’ve enjoyed Star Wars all my life and this one was decent overall. Something that was so heartfelt at the end was that the entire movie was dedicated to Carrie
Fisher (the actor who played Leia), and that was such a wholesome way to leave the theater. I wish people would stop arguing about this movie and enjoy it for what it is.
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia
leaving you in suspense until the very end. One of the first things to note about Wormwood is that it isn’t going to be for everyone. You need to be both a fan of documentaries/true-crime series, and movie-style acting. A large part of the show is going to be more of a slow-burn progression, something that I enjoy but a lot of people don’t. However, you are always left questioning what is coming next at the end of each episode, or at least I was. What the show is very good at is using your emotions to relate to the story. I touched on the suspense and intrigue before, but the show at times feels haunting. It also makes you feel sympathetic. Eric Olson, the son of Frank who makes up most of the interviews, has struggled for over 60 years to find closure for his father’s death. While you feel sorry for him, you are at times forced to question him as well. Other psychologists (Eric’s choice of profession) have their own interpretations of Eric’s psyche, which
definitely manipulates your feelings. This isn’t the only area that Wormwood has mastered. The cinematography is very solid with dark colors and quiet shots, which are appropriate for the subject matter. The interviews are very well-structured and interesting to watch. Ultimately, what really helps the show make it to the top is the attention to detail. The show cleverly chooses which shots to show; for instance, it doesn’t show the time between Olson’s curious look out his hotel door and him free-falling through the air. More details are present as well, such as the clock behind Eric in his interviews being frozen permanently between 2:30 and 2:35, the time of Frank’s death. Overall, there’s not much that I disliked about Wormwood. This is a very well-done show, and it’s perfect for those who want a little more thought put into their truecrime films. I am very excited for the next part of the show, and strongly recommend it to fans of the genre. I give Wormwood a 9.25/10.
Features
13
Drawing up Plans Chloe Penrod working toward the future
By Felix Randol
A depiction of two primary characters from the podcast Welcome to Nightvale. Fan art is comprised of works done by members of various fandoms creating art based around the characters or scenes from their favorite series -television, film, podcasts, or books. Fan art courtesy of Topher McCulloch
Robotics Update Jeffcon and upcoming competition
By Alex Ainsworth and Alex Benway
Have you ever found yourself interested in seeing a real-world application of artificial intelligence? Recently, the Robotics club has been involved in various events and competitions that showcase this type of technology. On January 31, many of the Robotics club’s members attended Jeffcon, an annual computer science convention which aims to educate students on the world of technology. The club has entered an upcoming TSA competition that will be held at Denver University from March 22nd to March 24th. Both events are testing students’ knowledge on the world of technology and engineering. “Jeffcon was informative and a good way to learn about computer science. Plus, there was a lot of free swag,” sophomore Jake Oudakker, one of the attendees, said. Several classes were held throughout the day at Jeffcon, which discussed subjects like Wi-Fi, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. It wasn’t all work, as Conifer students also excelled at several games. There were several Kahoot! trivia games to play during lunch, during which Conifer students repeatedly took first and second place in.
Conifer students also finished the daylong scavenger in first place and each won Raspberry Pi kits (small computers that can plug into monitors or TVs). Everyone also walked away with drawstring bags, metal thermoses, and brand new socks. The day concluded with a tour of the data center and the network monitoring center for all of Jeffco. “Jeffcon inspired STEM and coding in lots of people,” sophomore Sam Civiello, a current AP Computer Science student who attended the fair, said. Robotics students are also working tirelessly to prepare for their approaching competition, perfecting their robot’s programming, design, and overall function. The club received their challenge for the competition in addition to the event’s arcade theme. The club has been given the task of building a robot that can climb walls, pick up objects, and move those objects to a certain location, all while moving smoothly. While performing all of these tasks with the robot they have constructed, the team will need to incorporate the theme into their project. Additionally, the members of the Robotics Club will not be able to use a
Hard at work, sophomore Elsa Debrunner and her father, Robotics Club sponsor Chris Debrunner, study the tactics they want to use. The Robotics Club meets every Thursday and works for their upcoming competition. Photo courtesy of Samantha Smith
High school is a stepping stone towards adulthood, and an opportunity for students to discover what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Freshman Chloe Penrod, however, has known her heart from a young age. “I was about 11 or 12 when I got serious about art,” Penrod said. “I started to get involved in some fandoms around that age and I would look at fan art online and a lot of it was really good. The fandom that I was the most focused on at the time was Welcome to Nightvale. The fan art for that podcast was incredible.” Penrod’s interest in art went from drawing doodles in the margins of notebooks into aspiring to be like artists she had always admired. “Initially, I got into art because I liked drawing what was around me,” Penrod said. “Later on it was because I saw so much good art on the Internet and I responded by trying to become as good as those artists were.” As she gets farther into high school, Penrod is trying to figure out exactly
where she wants to take her skills for her future, as well as what careers she might be interested in that spin off of those skills. “I think if I do go to college for this I might go into video game design. I used to write stories a lot and I love writing stories, but I’m not a good author. I can’t sit down and write full stories very well; I can write scripts though, and I love coming up with plotlines,” Penrod said. “Video game design would give me the opportunity to use that as well as my artistic skills.” Even as a freshman, Penrod is already working to prepare for her future in art. “To prepare for the possibility of college I’m currently working on drawing webcomics and I’m trying to teach myself some coding,” Penrod said. “I am also thinking about trying to get into Warren Tech for video game design when I can.” Art is often referred to as just a hobby, but Penrod is working toward making it into a career and is taking advantage of her natural artistic skills for her future and her dreams.
controller to manage the movements of the robot; they will have to program all of the movements the robot will perform at the competition. These tasks will not be easy, so the club will need to focus entirely on the challenge that has been presented to them. Although the club has a total of two months to work on their robot, from a
competitor’s standpoint, that is not a lot of time. Every Tuesday and Thursday the members get together to work on their robot, so their time is even more limited. They will be doing anything and everything they can to perfect their robot’s movements and its ability to execute the challenge that has been placed in front of them.
Features
14
Shifting Horizons Eirik Skildheim's growing dreams
By Felix Randol
Applause fills the air as the curtain closes on yet another successful show for junior Eirik Skildheim. Skildheim has devoted many years to the stage and the performing arts. “I started theater when I was in first grade and it has been 11 years now,” Skildheim said. “Throughout the years, my interests have always changed kind of drastically, but theater has always been something for me that there’s never been a real possibility of giving up. It’s a place where I love to be. It relieves my stress, and allows me to express myself in ways that I can’t in other aspects of my life. It’s just such a great educational experience, and I think it contributes to so much of who I am today.” As an alumni of several theaters, Skildheim has had a lot of experience with the arts. “I think that theater is a really great experience,” Skildheim said. “I think that the skills that you are able to develop on stage, such as public speaking, a good
work ethic, quick judgment, dedication, and teamwork are applicable all throughout life. I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to experience theater from such a young age.” As the end of his high school career draws closer, Skildheim has his sights set on furthering his education. In preparation, he has shifted his activities to reflect the future he hopes for. “I’m staying involved with a lot of different programs to try and prepare myself for college,” Skildheim said. “I am involving myself very heavily in theater, as well as getting very involved with leadership and service positions such as peer counseling and student government. I am also part of the Conifer DECA program.” Although he has focused on theatrical acting in the past Skildheim is looking at potentially shifting his horizons. “I’m looking at doing some sort of double major in college,” Skildheim said. “I am very interested in staying in the acting industry, especially the Hollywood film
industry. I don’t know yet if I want to be an actor, hence the double major, but I do know that I want to be involved in some
Photo by Taylor Mitchell
Low Snowfall = Bad Fire Season How a lack of snow will affect Conifer
By Melia Carvalho
As anyone who’s skied or snowboarded this year can attest, the amount of snowfall is lower than ever. This crucial snowfall feeds many basins in Colorado and surrounding states, which are now at record lows, and environmentalists are already contemplating the best methods for conserving water in the dry season to come. The Conifer area is already in a moderate fire danger zone, creating room for concern. As seen in California especially, a combination of hot, dry winds and little to no rainfall fuels fires; for instance, the Lilac Fire in Southern California took nine days to contain, damaged 157 structures, and evacuated nearly 10,000 people. Similarly, much of mountainous Colorado is not mitigated, which leaves trees mere feet apart with branches dragging on the ground-- perfect conditions for a wildfire. Whether or not a property is mitigated can make the difference between Elk Creek, North Folk, or Evergreen fire departments staying and defending your home, or the house getting a bath of flame-retardant. While not everyone wants to head out and chop trees all summer, simple changes
such as not putting mulch down around the house, trimming tree branches back from a deck or roof, and raking pine needles and branches up from under trees and decks or out of gutters can help a house endure the storm of firebrands, which are flaming or glowing embers carried through the air, reaching homes up to a quarter-mile away that can come from fires. Long-term mitigation could include bringing the number of trees per acre down to 40, as recommended by the U.S Forestry Service. While facing a possible firestorm during summer is somewhat routine, new home buyers or anyone looking for insurance in the mountains will encounter heaps of hassles. American Family will not insure a home or property if its ISO rating is above 5 (an ISO rating being an evaluation of risk for business and houses, including fire and flood damages). On the good side, State Farm will insure you, but at double the regular price. ISO ratings are an evaluation of fire departments in the United States. “Our area is not well mitigated, and we’re rated in the area you live in, not just our house,” local resident Jennifer Carvalho said. “Since there hasn't been a fire yet, the rates are much higher. [The
insurance companies] have different reasons for why they won't insure. We had pine needles in our gutters, but someone else had a tree close to their deck.”
Second semester schedule changes have increased class sizes
The second semester of the 2017-2018 school year at CHS has been filled with changes in students’ schedules. Students and counselors believe this is good and that each schedule is designed to be ideal for students, but these changes are causing classes to be filled to the maximum number of students. Teachers are now overwhelmed with kids and classrooms are at the verge of overflowing. One example of an overflowing class is Ms. Bergkamp’s 7th period study hall. This class has exceeded the limit of students that should be in the class. The
classroom itself doesn’t have enough desks for everyone to have their own. There are places in the room where there are two students sitting at one desk and some students have no desk at all. This causes them to sit with nowhere to put their backpack, books, pencils, and any other school supplies that they need. “Sometimes I don’t get a desk” freshman Callan McGlone said. “When I need to read or spread papers out on a desk, I can’t.” Not having a desk to work on defeats the purpose of having a study hall. The students without a desk do not have a
Cleaning up around a house can help prepare for the coming fire season, and it could help a house stay standing by the end of the summer.
Snow sticks to the ground after only the second storm of the year. Although there has been some precipitation, its overall absence is a concern as fire season approaches. Photo by Parker Jones
Overflowing Classrooms By Alex Ainsworth
type of creative industry. I love the arts and I love how theater, film, and acting are able to express life.”
hard surface to work on. Not having a desk to work on can cause student’s minds to wander off topic, as students will get distracted because they cannot focus on the work they’re doing due to lack of a stable surface. Changes to student’s schedules have caused classes reach the max number of students. These changes have not just happened to students though. Teachers have experienced schedule changes too. Mrs. Alley had an entire class removed from her first semester schedule. What was once an 8th period Honors Algebra 2 class has now merged with two other
Honors Algebra 2 classes. This makes it so three total classes have shrunk to just two classes. This change in schedule has forced larger class sizes. “[having more students in each class] Might add more stress on the students not being able to talk to me,” Alley said. No student wants to have more stress put on them in an already difficult honors class. The schedule changes that have occurred this semester might have accommodated the few students that got their schedules changed, but it has affected many more students in a negative way. Overflowing classrooms this semester have and will continue to have a negative impact on student’s learning and working environment. By now it is probably too late to change schedules to fix this issue, but for the future let this be a learning experience for when schedules are made.
15
Story of Stotts Life's Pathway
By Trinity Foreman
You can never see every step of one’s life, the changes they undergo, the experiences that shape them. The reasons they are who they are. English teacher Brian Stotts is one of the most well known teachers in the school. Whether students know him from the infamous English teacher meetings of him, Kragel, and Watson, the ornaments and lights in his beard before Christmas, or his bright shorts during cross country, they know who he is. “I became a teacher because I had a really bad German teacher, and I didn’t have a great experience in school in general. I saw a lot of issues with the way the school treats kids who are struggling, and I wanted to make the issues better,” Stotts said. Stotts teaches 11th grade Honors English and AP Language. He has been teaching for 15 years, 13 of which have been at Conifer. However, the first class he taught was not English. “English was one of the last things I wanted to do. I started out as a French education major, teaching French, German, and Physical education. It’s often very difficult to find a full time French teaching job; you have to teach other classes, and it’s hard to find a full time teacher for classes like Physical Education. I decided I didn’t want to do that,” Stotts said. Stotts needed to take some time to find a major that would best help him achieve his goals. He wanted to teach science, but it had many prerequisite courses that would have greatly extended his time in college. So, he decided to teach English, a subject he had always excelled in. Stotts has his
own teaching style, as do most teachers, but it has to do with more than why he’s a teacher; it’s also from all the steps he took to become one. “Mr. David Sprunger, one of my college professors, is probably the teacher who impacted me the most. I try to model myself after him. I was about to graduate and I realized I had forgotten to do two things that would have been very time consuming for my English major. I was running in Track and Cross Country the entire year and it took up all my time. I went to David, who was the head of the English board, and asked what to do. He signed off and said forget about it, it’s fine, we're not here to stand in your way. He could have so easily put a barrier up; the fact that he cut me a break was so meaningful to me, and I got so much out of that. I try to pass it on to kids and give them second chances and third chances,” Stotts said. Teachers get their style from more than just their past. Stotts coaches girls cross country and he has learned things from that position that changed the way he interacts with his English kids. “Coaching really impacts the type of relationship I try to have with my students as a teacher. When you’re coaching a kid, it’s a lot more clear that you are working towards a common goal, and you’re teammates rather than adversaries. I think a lot of students see their relationships with teachers as adversarial, so I try to mitigate that as much as possible,” Stotts said. “I work with students to understand what they’re trying to achieve. I really see myself as more of a personal trainer rather than a teacher where the kids are doing the heavy lifting. I can’t run for the kids and make them better.” His role as a coach is a little different
Tight Transportation W-18 is cramped for everyone
By Elijah Davidson
Public school bus W-18 is packed. On any given day, you can get on the bus in the afternoon and find only a few rows that aren’t three to a seat. Kids complain about cramped seating, and many groan at stops due to the amount of rearranging required for others to get off. For most of the school year, the bus has been packed to the brim. The reason? It’s missing quite a few rows. W-18 switched to a handicap-enabled bus at the beginning of the year to accommodate students with disabilities at the elementary school. However, the tight scheduling between routes means
Cartoon by Felix Randol
there is no time to change buses between the high and middle school runs and the elementary school runs. As a result, a large part of the bus is unusable for students of the middle and high schools, a problem for a bus that had a lot of students to begin with. This change has made the bus worse for many. “I hate the bus,” freshman Kyra Griffin said, “because it’s so crowded.” Freshman Alexa Vertin also said, “It’s way too cramped.” These conditions could become unsafe, with kids forced to be practically in the aisle.
than his role as a teacher, but he is still inspiring students. “ In cross country you get a concrete sense of how you have impacted them and as a teacher in English it’s a lot more abstract. The athlete-coach relationship, when it works right, it’s about more than winning and losing,” Stotts said. After becoming a teacher and getting married, Stotts had another life-changing experience, one he learned from and one that made him an even better person for his students to learn from. “Having an unhealthy baby is a very impactful thing; it makes you understand what’s important in life and what is not. She’s mostly healthy now, so that’s good,
Features
but at the same time, it’s not the most important thing. People always say, ‘Is it a girl or a boy?’ and they say, ‘Well, as long it's healthy.’ What if it's not healthy? Then what? I really admire, and better understand people who have any kind of family member or people they care about who aren't well,” Stotts said. “Having your family be okay is the most important thing, and okay has a flexible definition. That's impacted me greatly and it has helped me prioritize things in my life. It simplified things.” Brian Stotts is an English teacher, and a coach, a husband, a father, a runner, and a man with a lot of reasons to be who he is today.
Cross Country coaches Brian Stotts and Ben Anderson show off the CO7 League trophies after the league meet. The girls and boys both won CO7 league. Photo courtesy of Amy Johnson
Sophomore Aspen Birdsong said, “Sometimes I’m falling off the edge of the seat.” One reason why the buses are so packed is the previous consolidation of W-17 and W-18. The buses covered two different sections of the Shadow Mountain and Black Mountain route. Merging into one bus both lengthened travel times both ways, and compressed two groups of students onto one bus. This made the loss of seats especially painful, because W-18 already had enough students to fill two buses. Another painful point for many is the fact that they are basically outliers when it comes to packed buses. “My bus is crowded, but it’s not awful,” freshman Helen Erickson said, while another freshman, Charlie Cence, said, “My bus is practically empty.” The bus is also expensive. These
conditions exist at a price of $150 per school year, per child. Such a price is accompanied, in this case, by bad seating. However, it may not be all bad. “It’s very friendly. You get to meet new people you don’t normally sit by,” Birdsong added. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there will be more space anytime soon. W-18 makes runs to all three schools in the area, and there is limited time between dropoffs at 7:30 A.M. and 9:00 A.M., especially on a long route like Shadow Mountain. In the past, there had to be two bus drivers in the afternoon, because the main driver could not make it to the elementary school in time for pickup. While this is a nuisance for many of the W-18 students, it appears the bus won’t be making room anytime soon.
H
A Z Z JO I P I E
NT
T
DINE IN-TAKE OUT-DELIVERY
M
Y
E
TH
I NG
MAK
O
R
E
NE
V WI T H E
E
CALL AHEAD & PICK UP! BRING SCHOOL I.D. & GET AN 8" ONE TOPPING PERSONAL PIZZA WITH A DRINK FOR $8!
303-674-6564
6941 HIGHWAY 73, EVERGREEN, CO 80439