Vol. XXII Issue II
News
English Battles it Out
Lobo Legend
December 15, 2017
Snacks Come Back
District regulations caused the snack shop to shut down for this semester By Mackenzie Orr
Sophomores in Brian Stotts’ and Gabe Watson’s Honors English classes held formal debates over themes and symbolism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Students were divided into teams and proposed their arguments, held crossfire, and made closing statements. In nearly every debate, some student audience members’ minds were changed as a result of the arguments their classmates.
Sports
Keeping the Standards and Energy High Tryouts are over and the season is getting off to a start for boys basketball. Head coach Eric Valerio is pressing his team to have positive energy and keep that energy flowing throughout the season. The team knows how to have a good time at practice on and off the court.
Features
The bell rings for B-lunch and the commons fill with students making their way to the cafeteria, gym, or to their cars. The once busy snack shop stayed dark. It has become a hangout instead of a secondary location to get lunch. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
DECA will head to State
The once hustling bustling snack shop in the commons has kept its doors shut and lights off this year after the federal guidelines on nutrition services required that the cafeteria no longer subcontract with the DECA program. For the last five years, DECA and the cafeteria program have been working together to serve lunch and snacks to the school. Before the partnership, DECA ran the school store separately from the food service program. Several years ago, the federal
DECA will go to state competition after their success at District and Beaver Creek Competitions. Many students will represent the Conifer program as state qualifers. 24 students qualified for state in 12 categories.
government passed a law regulating what can and can’t be served in schools. Another law, referred to as a non-compete agreement, passed; this stated that no other entity can compete with the cafeteria, to prevent interference with free and reduced lunches. “DECA provided student workers, the cafeteria stocked the food, and the two shared the profit,” DECA adviser Amber Hall said. In May 2017, the district made the decision that the cafeteria
Opinions
Thinking Faster
In Real Life Review
By Parker Jones
In Real Life is an American boy band composed of Brady Tutton, Chance Perez, Drew Ramos, Sergio Calderon, and Michael Conor, the final five vocalists from the American reality television music competition series Boy Band. Music reviewer Riley Patton gives his thoughts on their appearance at the Sadie Hawkins pre-dance pep rally.
Underclassmen compete at driving assembly
Freshmen and sophomores filed into the gym, expecting just another boring assembly, but instead they were met with a wall of jungle-themed paper, a DJ, and a row of game show stands and buzzers. During Friday’s seminar, Think Fast Interactive, a student driving awareness company, held a presentation of questions with topics ranging from driving safety tips to pop singers, and student groups of two to four answered questions
using clicker-style remotes. Several students participated in dancing and acting competitions, and the winners were voted for by their peers. “There was a fun little quiz game where you got into groups of three or two in some cases,” sophomore Nina Foster said. “You were quizzed really fast on your knowledge of driving safety, and they talked about different facts; it was fun and informational. Screaming [the answers] was my favorite part, because I got to scream.” In addition to the fun of the game, kids were reminded of the importance of following the rules
food services would no longer be allowed to share profit with another entity. In the time that the store has been closed, Hall has been jumping through hoops and learning the rules of how DECA can work with the store. In Jeffco, students are not allowed to handle the cash register by themselves, so in order for the store to open, Hall needs to find an adult who is willing to only work for a couple of hours a day. “For next semester, I’ll be in the store with a group of
students, training them to manage the store. I’m lobbying to get permission to have students in the store without an adult,” Hall said. “In Littleton, that’s how we always ran it. There was never an adult in the store; it was a student-run business.” DECA had to give the cafeteria time to remove their belongings from the store so that they could take stock and see what they have to work with, as well as what they need to obtain in order to run the store successfully next semester.
of the road and the consequences of ignoring them. “Driving is very important in our lives nowadays, and it’s very important to stay safe, especially with all of the people crashing,” freshman Megan Stahnke said. “Teen drivers are the main cause of crashes, so I think they did [the assembly] so that we can be more safe on the roads and just be more responsible.” The assembly directors also interrupted the driving information with various pop culture references and questions about celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. This kept kids engaged and interested in the game. “[The pop culture references] helped people focus more, so if you’re merging one thing that somebody likes and one
thing that people are kind of disinterested in, people will generally pay more attention, so they learn something,” sophomore Despina Norway said. Additionally, many students with older siblings are very familiar with the dangers of driving and saw the assembly as a good way to educate kids who are about to get their license or permit. “[They had the assembly] because there are a lot of problems with driving,” freshman Milena Lewis said. “Having two older sisters, I know that teenagers aren’t the safest drivers in the world, so they probably had it to inform everyone on, ‘This is what happens, and these are the consequences.’”
Continued on page 3
News
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Sophomores Battled it Out in English Debates Sophomore English classes held debates over “The Great Gatsby”
By Parker Jones
A student with shaking hands takes their place in front of a wooden podium, holding a neat stack of index cards full of scribbled notes. They begin to read their opening statement, feeling the piercing gaze of their classmates and teacher. Before they know it, their one-minute slot to speak is over, and a gavel comes crashing down. From November sixth to the ninth, English teachers Gabe Watson and Brian Stotts held in-class debates with their sophomore students over “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Students were divided into three-person teams and had one class period to prepare for a fifteen minute debate, where arguments were introduced, crossfire between the two sides occurred, and closing statements were made. “Often when we write, we just blurt the ideas out, and then you don’t really have to deal with them again, and even if someone criticizes them, it’s just your stuffy English teacher who thinks there’s a problem with your thoughts and who cares,” Watson said. “Whereas, with debates, students actually care
about where their ideas end up and whether they’re valid or good enough to make it past their opponents.” The topics ranged from the significance of symbolism in the novel to the moral intentions of its characters. The scenario provided the sophomores with public speaking experience, as well as a chance to think on their feet under pressure. Additionally, the topics were assigned, so many students had to defend arguments they personally disagreed with. “Sometimes you come in so sure about an idea that when your opponents or even your teammates redefine or reframe any element of it, kids have a hard time reacting,” Watson said. “It’s not just about getting proven wrong and not knowing how to come back. When one little defining element gets twisted… [students] have to readapt their argument, not change the core elements of it, but adapt it.” Students certainly experienced this difficulty, and were charged with the task of changing their classmates’ minds, along with their own. “Arguing something you don’t agree with [is the most
challenging part], because I was defending the side that I didn’t agree with, but still had to find evidence to support it,” Autumn Butcher said. While there are obstacles inherent to debating, “The Great Gatsby” offered many ambiguous passages, giving students room to examine many arguments and points of view. “I guess the reason I do [debates] specifically with ‘The Great Gatsby’ is that pretty much every time I read it, I change my opinion of some element of it,” Watson said. “When I read it in high school, I really empathized with Daisy, and I thought that she just got caught up in everything, and it wasn’t her fault. And then I read it again… and I hated Daisy, absolutely hated her… Sometimes I’ll read a passage, and I’ll just be so sucked into one viewpoint. I feel like it just works really well, it lends itself well to debate.” An obstacle that students in Stotts’ class faced was a time limit. While Watson provided students with a class period to prepare, Stotts announced the challenge on more of a whim. “[If I debate again], I would definitely want to make sure to
Insane in the brain: Psychology Students use Their Peers as Test Subjects
Frankle and Shepard Assign Students a Project in Order to Test Psychological Theories By Carson Kennedy
Ideas flowing through their minds as they imagine what they could do to see between the lines of the human mind, students in Mr. Shepard’s and Mrs. Frankel’s classes, prepare for a social experiment project in psychology. Students in these classes had the opportunity to set out among the staff and student body of Conifer High School, and learn about the way they think, and what they do or don’t do when something happens. Junior Paxton Kennedy was one of many students were able to do the project, and saw a lot out of it. “My partners and I went into Mrs. Mcfadden’s class, and set up an experiment that would show what students would go along with our set up situation, and who would break off and state their own word and opinion,” Kennedy said. “James, one of my partners, would sit in the hallway and watch what happened outside of the classroom, while Joseph and I would sit inside the classroom and go about the proposed plan. Inside, we took Ms. King’s water bottle and hid it, and when Ms. King was back in the classroom, we had a student in her class
describe the thief, with the hope of convincing the rest of the class that the description was accurate,” Kennedy said. The project that Kennedy and his partners thought out ended with results that weren’t surprising to them. “The result of the project showed that under half of the students agreed with the description of the “thief,” but the majority of the students in her class didn’t care too much about what happened. Overall, we weren’t planning on the whole class reacting, but the small number of students that did react was expected and was enough to yield a valuable result,” Kennedy said. Even though the experiment provided a fun way to get to know the school, Ms. Frankel saw specific things that would be learned, and served a purpose with the project. “The purpose of the experiment was to further understand human behavior and making predictions off of what we learned in class. Also, being able to use vocabulary from our unit into an actual report, and simulate what actual social psychologists do and how they learn about human behavior,” Frankel said.
The experiment used the things the students have learned this unit, but had certain goals and criteria, and Frankel made sure that the students came out knowing more about the brain. “I hope that they learned something about human behavior. When the students shared it with the class, that was one of the questions that was asked, how they became more aware of how the environment, relationships, and other factors in life of an individual, and their response and reactions to things,” Frankel said. The project was for all of the students in her class, but each year Frankel has a favorite things that happens during the experiments. “My favorite part is when an experiment goes really well. Looking back on the experiment, and seeing why someone did what they did, and seeing the differences from the reactions through a series of trials. I like seeing if gender was a factor, did females react a different way than males did, or did the older kids react differently than the younger kids. I like seeing how people react to the experiments, and seeing the factors within,” Frankel said.
Students visit with a representative from Montana State. Seniors Skylar Matthews, Andrew Wood, Rachel Elander, and Adam Burton learn about the school and some of the ski areas that are nearby. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
take the time to go through all the information and different pieces that I need, versus just trying to slap it all together last minute,” Madison Vandergriff, a student in Stotts’ class, said. “So then I would actually have a better argument because my argument took up only half the time it was supposed to take. It’s really hard to talk for three minutes.” As students continue to progress through life, the ability to form a logical argument and
to think on one’s feet will play a crucial role, whether they become lawyers or interior designers. “[Debate is] how the real conversations take place,” Watson said. “Obviously I value how to form a coherent argument in a piece of writing, but you’re not just going to hand out pamphlets to discuss issues when you’re actually of voting age and when your opinions really matter on a global scale.”
Beginning Pippin
The theater program begins the process for the spring musical
By Parker Jones and Johnna Smith
From uplifting group numbers to heart-wrenching solo performances, musicals have always been a fundamental piece of the arts. While musicals range from the hip-hop-infused Hamilton: An American Musical, to the beyond-emotional Les Miserables, Pippin will soon be taking over Conifer with a combination of those elements. The curtain began to rise on this year’s musical production, Pippin, as students auditioned for a part of the fun at the beginning of November. Much like last year’s spring show, Once on This Island, this musical will incorporate many new students as well as the direction of new drama teacher Jo Gerlick and choir teacher Tucker Ewer. This year, the performing arts department has been completely re-done by the new instructors, starting with the audition format. In previous years, students have been given pre-arranged music and monologues and were assisted through the process. This year, students were required to arrange their own 16-32 bars of any music they wanted, as well as prepare a short monologue or personal story. Ewer and Gerlick have styled the auditions to be more independent and realistic, like what may be seen at a professional production. On top of the more independent audition
style, students will be performing callbacks to demonstrate their dance and improvisational skills at a later date. Pippin tells the story of a young prince who seeks adventure and purpose in his life. In order to achieve this as well as prove his loyalty to his father, King Charles, Pippin goes off to war. Drama ensues as Pippin grows more and more power-hungry and his character transforms. The show tells a profound and relatable story to the audience and also offers more complex characters and acting opportunities. At the Bobby G Awards last spring, in which Conifer’s own Stella Martin was nominated, Valor Christian High School won Outstanding Musical for its rendition of the musical. The first play of the year, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” went excellently under Gerlick’s lead, and the upcoming musical is likely to follow a similar pattern. “Some days, their energy is just all over the place, and that’s just something that we’ve got to deal with,” Gerlick said. “But ultimately I actually prefer working with students rather than adults. There’s so much more respect that you can gain from working with students, especially up here working at this school, so I’ve been enjoying it quite a lot.”
News
3
Pinball Wizards
A new pinball arcade opens in Conifer
By Felix Randol
The sounds of laughter and squeals of joy emanate through the room as the pinging of balls on metal and the electronic sounds of an arcade come from all corners. Surrounded by bookstores, banks, and theaters, a new pinball arcade recently took shape, making dreams into a reality. “I started collecting pinball machines back in the early 90’s,” Kevin McCarthy, owner of Blizzard Mountain Pinball Arcade, said. “The PinBot machine is the first one that I collected. We owned it for a while, then sold it to a friend, and then we bought it back from him a few years back, so it’s been around since the early 90’s. That’s kind of what started it all; it blossomed into having 35 machines.” The game of pinball has been around for decades, with new developments in the machines and game play evolving over time. However, in many cases, people want to get back to the roots of the game and delve into a time where the game was more simple. The Blizzard Mountain
Pinball Arcade has several machines from that time in the game’s history. “We have several machines from the 1980’s,” McCarthy said. “The ‘Black Night’ machine is our oldest machine. It was made in 1980. We also have ‘Earth Shaker’, ‘Fire’, ‘Whirlwind’, ‘Mous’n Around’, Pinbot; which is the first game I ever got, and those are all from the 80’s.” Pinball is a game that many people played as children, but as time has passed it has become somewhat less popular, so the concept of a pinball arcade has provided a very unique experience for children and a fun throwback for adults. “One of the things I really like is when people come over, and they haven’t played pinball before or haven’t played it for a very long time,” McCarthy said. “[It’s great] to see their faces light up when they see the machines or when the machines do something exciting. There’s a Jurassic Park machine, and there’s a t-rex in there that will actually come down and scoop up the ball. It’s part of the game play. To see people achieve that for the first time and
Punctuality Problems Administration Created new Tardy Policy By Johnna Smith
The clock has struck 7:30, the bell has rung, and most students should be in their classes, but recently it seems that more and more students have been filing into their classes late. This relaxed attitude towards arriving to class on time caused the administration to tighten the ropes and instate a new tardy policy and accompanying consequences. Arriving a few moments late doesn’t seem to be the problem, which is students taking their time and arriving to class when they choose to. The average number of students coming in late has been rising over the course of the this semester, peaking at 90 in the last week of October. “The concern is on silver days, when everyone is late for second period,” assistant principal Gregory Manier said. “Before we started requesting and telling people it was important to
Snack Shop from Front page
“Likely, we won’t open in the first two weeks in January while we’re getting everything stocked. We’re hoping to be open before the end of January,” Hall said. Unlike past years, the store won’t be open during all hours of the day. Due to the non-compete laws, the store can’t be open at the same time as the cafeteria nor within the 30 minutes before and after the cafeteria opening. Currently, the hours will be 1:303, depending on how busy the store is. “We will be selling some Lobo gear and apparel, some school supplies, as well as some other
come on time or early, we were averaging around 70 kids late.” The policy that was instituted at the start of November requires any student who isn’t on a free period to sign in when arriving after the bell has rung. Students were aggravated by the policy as it was rumored the consequences of doing this three times would result in a revoked parking pass, but the new policy is still in discussion and exact consequences will be determined. In truth, there is no set numbers or consequences unless tardiness is a habit of students. “We are trying to work with kids and trying not to have a consequence that is as serious as that. Mr. Paxton and I are still discussing exactly what the numbers and consequences will be,” Manier said. The sign-in process is meant to cut down on the number of students arriving late but is mainly to track the habitually tardy ones. “It’s going to be the habitual kids, not the ones who are running in 30 seconds late a couple of times,” Manier said.
items in the store. We’ll be doing some market research at some point next semester to gather some information about what people need to be able to buy,” Hall said. There have been pros and cons to the store being closed. The downside is DECA’s funding has been decreased which they tried to supplement with a fundraiser which helped a little. An upside, however, is that now the students are gaining real world knowledge by working with local businesses in order to develop advertising campaigns. “Moving forward, it will be great because now they’ll get ownership over what we stock, how we price things, what the
The flashing lights and bells ding as the metal ball shoots around the machine. In this particular game a large plastic dragon tried to catch the ball while the game was being played. Photo by Felix Randol
to see them get all excited is a lot of fun.” The accomplishment of this dream did not come without a lot of hard from the McCarthy family. “It cost a lot of money and a lot of time to get this started,” McCarthy said. “We got serious about starting it about two years ago. We started looking for spaces, both up here in Conifer and down in Denver. We finally worked through that and we found this place. It’s turned out to be really good. People see us from the highway and they come in.” Along with the work comes the play, and a lot of it. After having had these
“The new policy will only strongly affect this targeted demographic.” Since the new policy went into effect at the beginning of November, there has already been a significant change. “I know that one day last week [November 6th to 10th] it dropped down to 17,” Manier said of the payoff the new policy is having. “It hasn’t gone on long enough to know anything. We’ve seen a massive change, but I wouldn’t say that a week is a substantial enough sample size.” The first day of the policy, November 2nd, the tardies peaked at only 46 students and in the following weeks since, they
machines for years, each member of the McCarthy family has grown into expert players of pinball, and they spend a lot of time enjoying the games. “I enjoy playing all of the machines. I don’t really have a favorite,” McCarthy said. “My daughter, Rachel, loves the AC/ DC machine. She also likes The Hobbit and The Funhouse, but AC/DC is her favorite. However, each machine has its own offering. Every machine is different. Every game is different. It really keeps you on your toes. Each one is a kind of adventure.”
have dropped down to as few as 14. The new policy has caused a commotion and mixed feelings among students, but it is still a work in progress. As long as students arrive on time, are able to have a parent call in and excuse the tardy, and don’t make tardiness a habit, students shouldn’t worry about the new policy or its possible consequences. “The expectation is for kids just to be on time to school,” Manier said, “ If you are consistently late and you drive to school then you will not drive to school. That’s our point; if you want to drive, be on time.”
The above graph shows the number of students late over a few days in October to their second period class. Graphic by Johnna Smith
The cafeteria is packed with students waiting to get their lunch. Now that the snack shop has been closed the cafeteria lines have grown and students have to wait longer. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
designs are, and what the food choices are. The nice part is the
students will own the store and have ownership of it,” Hall said.
Calling all Doctors
HOSA becomes an official club By Taylor Mitchell
DECA is known nationwide for sending future businesspeople to competition, and now there’s an option for students who enjoy health science: HOSA, or Health Occupations Students of America. Bringing kids from all around the state and nation together, HOSA allows future doctors, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals to start practicing their skills early. In a similar setup to DECA competitions, HOSA participants will be able to compete in many different divisions, such as sports medicine, veterinary science, and medical assisting. “We compete in science events. It’s known as the future of health professionals, so we’ll compete in things like dentistry and anatomy,” senior Andrew Wood, HOSA president, said. The option of a health science based club is good for many students, especially those who want to do things with science that they can’t necessarily get from high school classes. It also introduces students to people who are their age from around Colorado that have the same hopes and interests that they do. “We have to have some community service hours, and there are dozens of competitions that you can choose from. In preparation I read a textbook,” sophomore Lauryn Pfrommer said. Whether it’s dentistry or medical vocabulary that students excel in, HOSA has something for everyone, and it’s getting kids one step closer to the careers that they’re striving for.
Sports
4
The End Marks the Beginning Lobo football begins to prepare for 2018 season
By Carson Kennedy
The fighting stops as the end of the season passes, and the Lobos look back on a season of growth, recovery, and brotherhood. Despite losing some big games and not achieving some of their season-wide goals, the team became closer and found new ways to learn during the year. The players found the flaws within their game and ways to connect through them.
As the teams prepare for the next couple of years, they have certain areas that they want to improve. “Consistency. Next season, we need to be more consistent in our games. We need to stop making mistakes over and over again, and fix what we do wrong,” sophomore Samuel Dunivan said. Last season, the team lost 16 seniors, making this year a sharp contrast from the last. Coach Larry Fitzmaurice now looks back on the season and can see what went right and what went wrong. “The seniors that played had
experience, and a lot of the guys playing this year are new. It was tough, but it was a growing year, and we learned a lot,” Fitz said. As their season came to an end, Fitz began to see strength in the team’s weaknesses and things that went well. “Our strongest part of the season was probably our seniors’ performance. We relied on their experience, what they’ve been through, what teams they’ve played on, and how they were able to lead the younger guys,” Fitz said. Fitz was able to see the season as
beneficial to the players, even though the losses took a toll on the team and season as a whole. The coaches and the team now know what the team can look forward to, and how they can get there. “I think we’ll be that much better next year, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years; we should be pretty good,” Fitz said. “During the offseason, I tell them that every season starts in the weight room. If we’re not in there hustling, and another team is, they already have us beat.”
Another Victory for Conifer Soccer
Adapted P.E students take first in soccer tournament By Johnna Smith
On October 8th, the adapted PE students competed with 10 other Colorado programs in a state soccer competition. The students won first place, receiving a trophy the height of some of the students themselves. “It was one of the more important tournaments because some of the events don’t give out trophies or do competitive rankings, so this time the students actually were able to take home a trophy,” paraeducator Calli Yost said. This was the first event of its nature, involving schools from all
across Colorado. “The students have competed in tournaments like this before, but it was only with other Jeffco schools,” special education teacher Diana Baker-Low said. To prepare, students practiced hard. They also learned the rules of the game. Finally, the team exercised their social skills as well. “Mr. Shipley had them practicing their soccer skills a portion of this semester. They did a great job and I’m very proud of them. They showed good sportsmanship and it was a great day,” Baker-Low said. The students demonstrated the teamwork and skills they worked on this semester, as they earned first place in the tournament. The students won the tournament
Football players begin to transition into their winter sport By Felix Randol After their victory the adapted P.E Soccer team holds their trophy high and proud. The team beat was undefeated in the first of its kind tournament. Photo Courtesy of Wesley Paxton
13-0. There are plans for the future to continue doing events like this, including a basketball tournament in March.
“I was very happy, we hadn’t won in a long time,” one of the star players, Luke Whittington, said.
Volleyball Season Ends with a Victory Girls volleyball season ended with growth, team bonding and a win
By Mackenzie Orr
It was a fight that sometimes ended in victory and other times didn’t. The girls volleyball team had a season of growth, despite their record of 10-13. While the team had their losses, they grew and learned to keep going even when it got tough. “In the past, we’ve won what we could win, but we wouldn’t take wins away [from teams who usually beat us]. This year, we started to learn that, and we really held on when the other team would have a surge to come back and we would fight back with them,” head coach Cindy Tadlock said. Rather than riding the roller coaster of good games and bad games, the girls “leveled off,” came together as a team, and protected one another. Throughout the season, Tadlock encouraged her teams to push past the challenges in order to pull through and fight for the overall win. “We’ve got to learn how to work through that, no matter what the score is, no matter who the opponent is, no matter what the situation is, we play the next point. Playing to win and playing to keep from losing are two different things,” Tadlock said. Just like any other team, the girls and the coaches had to overcome challenges off the
court and right before practice. Tadlock tried to look at the court as a sanctuary, and she hoped her players could do the same in order to get away from the struggles of everyday life. Looking back at the season, Tadlock could only remember one bad practice on a Monday. The girls started off practice a little rough, but soon they just got caught up in the game, and the struggles from the day were gone. They held a lock-in this year and spent the night in the cafeteria with food and bonding. “It was so fun. We stayed up super late and we had five tables of food. The cafeteria was filled with air mattresses, hammocks, and Christmas lights. We slid down the stairs in sleeping bags, too,” junior Jordan Stricker said. After the lock-in, some of the girls said that they think they bonded during the lock in and the experience will help them be better on the court. Looking into the next few years, the girls are ready for what’s ahead. This year’s juniors are also excited to play their senior year. “We’ve got a lot of kids interested, and we have a lot of girls that want to work hard that are taking ownership,” Tadlock said. Tadlock saw momentous growth and hopes to see that growth continue over the next
Two Seasons Rolling into One
The ball crosses the plane of the net after senior McKenzie Meeks went for a kill during the game against Evergreen early in the season. The lady Lobos came up short of the victory, and lost in three sets going 0-3. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
few years. In years past, the team has only had a few girls who played the same positions, thus lowering the competition for spots on the court. In years to come, Tadlock can see how that level of competition is going to increase, due to how many girls play the same position as well
as the girls who will join the program. That ups the ante for that spot on the court. “Next year will be a whole other level, and hopefully we can start showing everyone that Conifer is here to bring it,” sophomore Paloma Murath said.
Students in extracurricular activities often have to perform balancing acts with their schedules in order to stay on top of everything. For some of the students in sports this gets even harder when the sports schedules are back to back. To help some of the students with this problem, those students that participate in both football and basketball do not have to participate in basketball two a days, to get a small break. “In football we stay very conditioned,” senior Kasim Rana said. “I think we will all be fine going into the season. I’ve never had a problem with it. The games in football keep us just as conditioned as conditioning week.” One aspect of conditioning week is the relationships and bonds that are formed between the teammates. With a smaller team, those bonds have the ability to grow stronger. “Basketball is a very different culture [than football],” Rana said. “There are a lot fewer players on the team, so it’s a lot more personal, whereas in football it’s a bunch of guys. We’ve known each other for years and have been friends, so I’m looking forward to [the season].” The players aren’t worried about the team bonding, despite the missing teammates during conditioning week. “I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to be with the team. Since I missed ‘two-a-days’ I missed out on some of the bonding with the team. I definitely wish I could’ve been with them. Most of us have been together since about sixth grade. So, for most of us the relationship is already there. We all hang out outside of school. So it’s not that big of a gap.” The team has high hopes for the upcoming season, and is prepared for a smooth transition into a full team setting.
Sports
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Keeping the Standards and the Energy High
Head Coach Eric Valerio pushes his team to establish a positive team culture for upcoming season By Mackenzie Orr
Now that the touchdowns, the passes and kills, and the cracks that the ball made on the metal bat have come to an end, another season of Lobos sports is beginning. The boys basketball season is among the winter sports that have started practicing to prepare for the season. Head coach Eric Valerio has been getting his team ready for the season since May, just two short months after their state tournament loss. Now that the season is upon them, the boys were having open gyms as well as two-a-day practices before tryouts were held on Friday, November 10th. “I think every year that we have progressed as a program we’ve gotten better as a team. We moved down a league a couple years ago, and now we’re just working our way back up to the top,” senior Mark Studer said. Valerio, like most of the basketball team, looks forward to the season each year and can’t wait to get back onto the court with his players and fellow coaches. “I relish the opportunity to be in the gym with our guys and to continue building our program through their hard work. We have some amazing and dedicated student-athletes who work hard year-round to represent each other and Conifer High School,” Valerio said. For the upcoming season, Valerio is looking forward to
seeing his players show off the skills they have improved upon since last season and since their start in the program. Since most of Valerio’s players have played together before, he is hoping to see the camaraderie between them and have an incredibly focused team on and off the court. “There is nothing that can compare to the atmosphere of the Evergreen rivalry game, and this year we get to go into their gym where our guys will fight to see our fans rush their floor,” Valerio said. While Evergreen is an obvious rival and the game will be intense, the game against Fort Morgan will hold just as much weight. Ft. Morgan has become a league rival and the Lobos will be competing against them for league championship. Valerio said the game against Ft. Morgan will be one of the most important of the season, and “they will need a huge home crowd to cheer them on.” “Right now, I don’t know who we are as a team just yet, but I know we will get better every week and I can count on our guys to give everything they have to the program,” Valerio said. Now that the first few weeks of practice have happened, Valerio is happy with where the team’s attitude and energy is and he hopes they can keep that until February. This year Valerio is trying to form and maintain a really positive attitude and
Season Conditions Jeffco ski team season begins By Mackenzie Orr
The highs are in the 60s and there is barely any snow, but the Jeffco ski team is still preparing for their upcoming season. They just began their season with off-snow and dryland practices in order to work on cardio and strength training, and their on-snow practices will began the first week of December. The team practices at Echo Mountain on Tuesdays and at Loveland on Saturdays and Sundays. “There are a lot of new people every year,” junior Onika Benson said. “We start practicing together and we become one team. We go to races together, we come back from races together, and we all hang out.” The Jeffco ski team is made up of schools scattering the front range, but the team is based out of Evergreen High School. They are limited to 75 racers per season, and the team also partners with Loveland Ski Club in order to have a good environment for practicing and racing. “We meet at Evergreen High school really early, then we drive
up to the mountain and check in. It’s an all day ordeal but it’s a ton of fun,” Benson said. On a typical race day, Benson and her teammates get to the mountain and check in. Then, they receive their bib number-a paper or fabric bib that a racer wears when they compete-and their start time. After that, all racers get an inspection run where they are allowed to go through the course to see how they’re going to have to make their turns, as well as communicate to their coaches what they think about the course. After an inspection run, the races begin. “It’s one racer at a time, and you go up to the start whenever you feel that you need time to get ready. You get your equipment ready, get ready in the gate, and then you race,” Benson said. In the off season, the team still sticks together and they do activities with one another. They help out the places where they ski by doing mountain clean up, which involves picking up trash and debris. They also fire mitigate, which is the process of cleaning up the undergrowth on the mountain as well as branches and other natural debris. They also help work on the lifts
enthusiasm with his teams. Practices have been loud and the boys are having fun while they’re working hard and putting in a lot of effort. According to Valerio it’s probably the best start they’ve had in his ten years coaching at Conifer. “We have leaders everywhere and we have three captains, but I would like to say we have thirty leaders in the gym,” Valerio said. The first week or so of practice has established a team culture and standards for the season. Most importantly, Valerio wants his team to not only meet those standards but also enforce them. He believes that if he pushes his players to always be on time, it won’t have nearly the impact it does when other players push the same goal. “We’re trying to establish that culture of accountability. It’s really player driven and player led. I’m trying to establish these kids as leaders not only on their teams but in school too,” Valerio said. As the head of the program Valerio holds himself to the same standards he holds his players. Valerio wants to be a good example for his teams not only by being punctual but by having good energy and keeping practices competitive. “I love this program and I love every single member of it so I give everything I have as an example to show them that’s what we need,” Valerio said.
The beginning of practice meeting ended with smiles on their faces before they began different drills. The team began practice with their usual dynamic warm up. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
Sliding across the floor, senior Joe Mead reaches for the ball as it rolls toward the wall. Head coach Eric Valerio ran a drill where the boys would roll the ball and then dive to the floor in order to recover the ball, in order to gain extra possessions. “It was a really fun, high intensity drill that enforces our team motto: first to the floor,” senior Joe Mead said. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
Current Scores and other snow equipment at Loveland and Echo. During the off-season, the team has tuning parties where they tune their skis and get their equipment ready for upcoming races. “When it comes to ski tuning, it’s a lot of edge sharpening. Because we race on ice, we need really sharp edges to keep from sliding down the mountain. It’s a lot of wax work; you have to wax race skis every time you race. Sometimes we tune up the nuts and bolts on the bindings,” Benson said. With races every Thursday and Friday, skiers miss at least one day of school a week once races begin. This results in piles of makeup work, which presents a challenge for racers as practice is far away, and they don’t have time to work on homework. For others, the busy schedule is better. “If I don’t play a sport every season, I’m not happy. My grades drop, I’m not the same person, I’m not having fun, and I’m not enjoying high school. I love skiing so much that it makes me a happy person in general, and I couldn’t handle high school without a sport. It’s tough making up all the work, but I think it’s worth it,” Benson said.
BOYS BASKETBALL
11/30 76-68 (L) - Conifer vs. DSSHS 12/1 67-58 (W) - Conifer vs. Pueblo Central 12/2 52-44 (L) - Conifer vs. Mountain View 12/5 58-48 (L) - Conifer @ Thomas Jefferson 12/8 62-51 (L) - Conifer vs. Golden
GIRLS BASKETBALL
11/29 63-32 (L) - Conifer @ Golden 12/1 46-44 (L) - Conifer @ Woodland Park 12/4 67-40 (L) - Conifer vs. D’Evelyn 12/11 52-28 (L) - Conifer vs. Ponderosa
Conifer Boys’ Tennis All Conference Players Singles: Ryeson Bern Lander Turner Doubles: David Wachtl/Gian Meyer Geremy Giles/Charlie Toppin Jake Oudakker/Ty Berger Evan Little/Elijah Davidson
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Marching their Way to the End of the Season Marching band ends season by placing seventh at state competition
By Johnna Smith and Riley Patton
Starting in May of last year, the Lobo Regiment Marching Band began piecing together their 2017 marching show, Dark Magic. It is built around the idea of light, good magic battling with the things that are dark and devious within. The show tells the ultimate story of which will overcome in the end. The season got its official kick off at The Jeffco Marching Festival on September 19. The group battled against severe wind conditions and pre show jitters.This was the first time they had taken to the field publicly, the show incomplete and imperfect. It was a strong start despite high anxieties, with the Regiment taking 1st place in the 3A league. Performing in six competitions, the Regiment took home numerous awards this season including Best Percussion and Colorguard at the Friendship Cup, a competition designed for bands to compete with other similarly sized units, not based on school classification. Some unexpected placements were hard earned by the Regiment as well, taking First at numerous competitions and placing in finals unexpectedly alongside much larger bands at the Arapahoe Marching Invitational. The marching season came to a close at Echo Park Stadium in Parker on October 30th with State Championships. Throughout the week leading up to the event, weather was a large concern with snow, wind, and low temperatures looming overhead. Culminating into the cancellation of finals performances, bands had just the preliminary performance time slots. With one last shot, the Lobo Regiment left all the hard work of six months on the field one last time and earned seventh place in the state with a score of 63.15. Marching scores are based off of musical and visual performance of the whole ensemble and individuals as well as overall general effect. Each band starts with a score of 100 as judges watch and subtract penalties from on and off the field. This leads to a mathematical equation of all the scores resulting in the final placements.The band moved up in placement from 8th at State last year. With the season ending on a very strong note, the band is left to relax and soak in what they did this year, good and bad, and prepare for whatever the upcoming year will bring. The Lobo Regiment will now switch gears into performing as a concert band until the end of the fall semester.
Cheers to Poms
Poms team to state at the start of Winter sports season By Johnna Smith
The Poms team may be small, but they represent and carry Conifer’s school spirit. Made up of only six girls and a new coach, the team has torched their way through this year’s fall sports season. The team cheered on at varsity football, boys soccer, volleyball, girls basketball, and boys basketball games throughout the year, but they are also highly active outside of these. Starting in the summer, the team began work on this year’s routines, attending the NDA Dance Camp and competition. The team kicked their season off right at this competition, earning several awards and achievements. They won four awards, including the Superior Team Dance Performance, the Above and Beyond award, the Spirit Stick, and a bronze award for Team Dance in Small Varsity. The team also had a bid for National Championships and were recognized for a few of their star performers, including sophomore Gabbie Jamison, who was selected to represent CHS Poms on the All American Team. The season slowed in competition after this, but it gave way for more practice and performance.
The team spent long hours after school each week in order to show the most spirit they could, and could be heard cheering and blasting music from downstairs. Currently, the team is preparing for the transition from fall to winter sports and their state competition on December 9th. “We haven’t done any major competitions yet; our season has mostly consisted of performing and cheering at games,” sophomore Caiti McAntire said, “We’re preparing for State Competitions at this moment.” Over the summer, the team fell under the new leadership offrom Coach Miranda Baker. Baker is a returning Conifer alumni, having been part of the cheer team for four years and captain for two during her time at the school. Baker hopes to continue to grow the program after the 2015-2016 “comeback” season . The girls will continue to cheer on Conifer’s athletic teams as they make their way from the fall to winter sports season. While they do this, Conifer will remember to rally behind them as they dance on the sidelines and prepare for their State Championships on December 9th. Please see chstoday.net for updates about the State Competition
Splash into the Season
Girls swim season begins By Taylor Mitchell
The field lights shine down around sophomore Ellison Girod as she plays the trumpet during their halftime performance of Dark Magic at the game against Glenwood Springs. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
Last season, almost all of the members of the girls’ swim team made it to state. This year, with a little more experience and a lot of goals, the girls are planning to get everyone there. Practices typically last for about an hour, with all of the girls doing their respective events after warming up. Besides Jana Ley, who’s home schooled, and Victoria Zipp, who attends STEM Highlands Ranch, all of the team members are from Conifer. “We’re really excited to get back together and be a team again,” sophomore Megan Wilkins said. “This year, we’ll really be pushing for state for all of us.” Unlike a regular team sport, swim meet events happen in groups and individually. There could be four people in a relay that are also in two other events, which makes the day of a meet very tiring. “You qualify individually for state instead of as a team, so I’m expecting that we’ll have a few relays go,” Elsa Debrunner (‘20) said. “I’m just really excited to get back in the pool and swim again. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in the swimmers since last year, so I’m really excited.”
Golden takes the Win
Boys basketball loses their first home game against Golden 51-61 By Mackenzie Orr
At the first home game of the season, the fans filled the bleachers as the Conifer Lobos faced the Golden Demons on Friday, December eighth. The Lobos lost 51-61; however, the team hopes to regain their high energy for upcoming games. “I’m really proud of our effort and we knew it was going to be a tough task to play the number two team in the state. It’s just another step in the right direction,” head coach Eric Valerio said. The team is hoping to become league champions this year, and with the energy and effort they put in on Friday, Valerio sees the team reaching that goal. Looking to the rest of the season, Valerio hopes the first game gave them a little bit of confidence so they can continue to go up against some of the best teams in the state. “It set a nice tone that we can compete with the best in the state, if we can do like we did tonight we’ll be good for the rest of the season,” sophomore Landon Wallace said. While the team didn’t execute 100% of the time, they fixed their mistakes and kept a high level of competition. In the fourth quarter the team had a comeback and the momentum and the energy of the entire gym soared
Trying to block the Golden offense senior Kasim Rana reaches for the ball. The ball bounced off the rim and was rebounded by senior Mark Studer. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
through the roof. “My favorite moment was probably during the last couple of minutes when they put in their subs and we finally started
getting in a rhythm. We started to understand how fast we can run and how good of a team we are,” senior Mark Studer said.
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Lady Lobos End as League Champions
Team ends season at State By Parker Jones
Rocketing to the title of Colorado League 7 champs, the varsity girls’ softball team annihilated the 2017 season with a mix of clever plays and improved skills. Now that it has reached its end, teammates can reflect and prepare for the next season. “[The season] actually was more than what I expected it to be,” freshman Amber Prescott said. “We got a lot farther than I thought we would, because I’ve never been on a team this good.” The team exceeded their own expectations and worked hard in order to reach the state championships. They set goals individually and as a team at the beginning of the year and slowly ticked them off throughout the season. “Everybody had it on their list as a team goal to win the conference, and we did, and then the next goal was to go undefeated in the conference, which we did. That automatically meant we got to go to regionals; then everybody’s next goal was to go to state, and we achieved that,” JV coach Aimee Ainsworth said. The players and the coaches
alike felt the excitement and redemption that went along with making it to state, after tearing through 24 games. “Going to state was definitely the highlight [of the season],” sophomore Josey Nichols said. “It was really exciting, because we haven’t been to state in a long time. [There was] energy and the commitment from the other girls, and we all wanted to do it so it was really exciting.” Additionally, in the Colorado 7 Softball Conference, junior Drew Sims was titled a player of the year, and seven other Conifer players racked up awards in the first team, second team, and honorable mention categories. “I would say it’s just our coach and the work that we put in [that led us to victory],” Sims said. “She tells us this is the best team she’s had in all her years of coaching. Having that in the back of your mind and then playing your best really pushes you forward and makes you want to do the best you can.” Despite their victory, the team faced some obstacles that periodically halted their progress. “This year, we didn’t have any seniors, so that was a change for us, but I think it’ll be good because next year we’ll still be the same group and we can build on
that,” Nichols said. Additionally, there was difficulty in giving a consistent team effort in each game of the season. “You get kind of complacent when you play teams that you know you’re going to beat and you don’t always give your maximum effort in those games,” Ainsworth said. “I think that was a big challenge [for the players], just knowing that they had to work on giving their maximum effort every single game, even though they didn’t necessarily have to do that just to win.” Through all challenges, the team persevered and stuck together. There were ups and downs, but positivity pushed them forward. “I think [the team chemistry] was up and down. I thought that what we saw on the field was a lot better than last year,” Ainsworth said. “Last year wasn’t bad, but I think this year they knew that we had to come together in order to achieve our goals. Coach Carrie brought the motto of, ‘Positive attitude equals positive results.’ So I think that was a big driver, and I saw a lot of positive attitudes this year, which was great.” While this season was a success, Ainsworth plans to go
Winding up for her pitch Jaden Cates aims for home plate in a game against Evergreen on August 30. Cates pitched 138 innings and had 139 strike outs for the season. She also had 26 runs this season. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
into the next with new goals and expectations. “We really didn’t get too specific after state [with our goals]. We didn’t say we wanted to win two games at state or win one game, we just wanted to get to state,” Ainsworth said. “So I think that next year that’s going to be a big push; we don’t want to just get to state, we want to win some games at state. And I think walking away from our last game, the biggest thing I was proud of was that everybody was hungry to go back. They didn’t really want the season to be over, and they wanted to be back already,
Pony Tails and Dribbling Drills Girls basketball begins their season
By Parker Jones and Felix Randol
As the first snowflakes of the season fell, the girls’ basketball team was back at it, playing the first games of their 2017 season. The first game was against the Golden Demons on November 29th, and they lost with a final score of 32-63. With last year’s
standing of winning 29.2% of their games, they hope to improve with the help of a legion of freshman recruits. “I’m hoping that [the season] will go better than last year and that we can improve a lot and actually win some games,” sophomore Ella Challis said. “We have lots of freshmen being recruited, so I think that should help a lot.” The team aspires to win at the league championships, diving in with high
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prospects. Although the season had a rough start, they hope to grow closer as a team throughout the year. “We hope to win league this year, so our expectations are pretty high,” senior and team captain Casey Schaeffer said. “In practices we just are going to give 100% and work together and help each other out to reach that goal.” To bring together both the experienced players and the new
playing next year, because they were so confident that they could do well again.” Over the course of the rest of the year, some players will continue playing softball on other competitive teams and will continue to improve, preparing for the next season. “I think [the players] met all of my personal expectations and our expectations as a team,” Ainsworth said. “I really expect them to be ready and wanting to come back [next year] to be the Conifer High School softball team again and to be successful together.”
freshmen, the team captains have been working to create ties between the two groups, doing various team bonding activities. With a combination of a solid base of previous players and a surplus of new recruits, the team has high hopes. “I just feel like our whole mindset will be different,” Schaeffer said. “Last year we weren’t really striving for league. We were just playing to play, and this year that’s what we want.”
Leaving her Comfort Zone on and off Court
Looking back on varsity freshman Elena Eddy’s season By Carson Kennedy
As the volleyball season wound down, and the senior girls reminisced in their last season of playing volleyball for the Lady Lobos, one member of the team was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Freshman Elena Eddy watches the season end, but saw three more seasons ahead of her, and three more seasons to learn who she is. Eddy was the only freshman playing varsity, and started every game of her first season. Although Eddy was familiar with the sport, coming to the Lady Lobos brought her to new experiences like meeting new people, and leaving her comfort zone. “The season went well. We had a couple of losses where we fought really hard, but overall our season went great, and I loved getting to know the girls,” Eddy said. Despite the excitement and anxiety of being on varsity her freshman year, she was able to see through most factors and focus on every minute of her games. Despite the obvious highlights of her being an outlier on the court, she had one stand out game and moment during her
season. “One of my favorite highlights was the Fort Morgan game, on the very first set,” Eddy said. “We knew we had to fight and we knew we wouldn’t be given the win, but we pulled out everything we had and fought the hardest I think I’ve ever seen us fight. Each and every one of the seniors stepped up and did everything they could. I’ve never seen a team want a win that badly.” Eddy stepped up to a team that was brand new to her, making the interactions stand out more than they ever will again. She played with varsity girls that some freshman and sophomores never got to play with, like Casey Schaeffer and Piper Richey. Eddy saw the season as a way to get to know herself, and an incredible experience to grow. “It was amazing to see how everyone grew individually and as a team. I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing girls this season, and couldn’t have asked for a better team. Everything started off with a bang in our first game when I saw the talent of the girls that were on my team,” Eddy said.
High off the ground, freshman Elena Eddy soars into the air as she gets ready for a kill during the Evergreen game on September 19. Throughout the season, Eddy had a total of 354 assists and had 43 kills total for the season. Eddy also made 89 digs in total. Photo by Mackenzie Orr
Eddy went from a homeschooling program and playing in a club league with the girls she knew, to a high school varsity team full of players older than her. Eddy didn’t know many people in the school, so the transition benefited her in not only volleyball, but for her everyday life as well. “Playing varsity volleyball as a freshman opened a lot of opportunities to meet new people, and give myself a label throughout
the school. Meeting new people is really hard, especially when you come into the school as an outsider. I think the season helped get my priorities straight, and helped my stress when I was frustrated,” Eddy said. For some volleyball players, the end of the season was closing a door in their lives, but for Eddy, still has many more doors to open.
Sadie's Week
Sadie Hawkins Dance and The Bonfire Conifer brings back the bonfire and official Sadie Hawkins Dance By Johnna Smith and Trinity Foreman
Make a wish- it’s 11/11, and it was also the date of the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Girls asked their guys at the start of November, following tradition of the Sadie Hawkins Dance. The Dance was the time for girls to take the lead and woo their partners into dancing with them using flowers, chocolate, and colorful poster board. These days, a boy or a girl can ask whomever they want to a dance without any social stigmas, so the purpose of the Sadie Hawkins Dance is slightly outdated, but still a good excuse to have fun and dance. The dance originated from the comic strip Li'l Abner in 1937. The strip was about a girl by the name of Sadie Hawkins and a day dedicated to the unmarried woman in town chasing bachelors around. If the bachelor was caught, they had to marry their chaser. Today, the concept isn’t as extreme as originally portrayed in the comic strip, but still holds the basic idea of girls being able to romantically
pursue guys. Conifer High School has held its own Sadie’s off and on for several years. This off and on occurrence has been a repetitive situation for not only the Sadie’s but the Winter Formal and bonfire as well. However, this year, the school is doing it all, meaning four dances and an event that only the current senior class has experienced, the bonfire. The bonfire was held in the bus circle with fire fighters on hand. Paxton was blasting his music up at the end of the school and students were socializing and enjoying the event. Around 60 students were still in attendance by
the last hour. “People made new friends, and they got closer not just emotionally but physically because they were cold,” senior Brittnay Bonds said. Whether you’re a boy or a girl, if you never had considered making the first move, this event was an excuse to step out of your comfort zone and have some 50’s fun. “[My favorite part was] when they played swing music instead of rap. I also liked the ice cream floats they had and the decorations were pretty. Everyone had to take their shoes off, which was fun; waiting in line to take them off was not great, though,” Ellie Carroll said.
Students line up against came in through the ba bleachers to see. They sa
Several students dressed deflated and the game e Eric Kragel is getting do a flash mob during sem
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Alanna Giles races other couples by putting make up on Logan Coffey. Couples competed in several competitions including, dancing, make up,dress up, and food competitions during the pep assembly on Friday. The pep assembly was filled with loud activities to create a lot of energy for IRL. Photo by Trinity Foreman
Music blares in the commons as senior Cole Hollander shows of his dance moves with teachers Eric Kragel, Tucker Ewer, and Joe Gerlick. The teachers had put on a dance show for spirit week during seminar. Photo by Trinty Foreman Drama teacher Joe Gerlick posses during a song switch and waves to the crowd of students. Music in the flash mob changed from pop to In Real Life's single Eyes Closed. Photo by Trinity Foreman
t the blocker to wave at the band as they take pictures on their phones. In Real Life ack of the gym and the student body surrounded them or took higher ground on the ang a total of four songs. Photo courtesy of Lucia Lewis
d in inflatable dinosaurs and played a game of bouncy soccer. One of them ended up ended after many cheers. own in the commons to show of his mad skills. Kragel and several other teachers had minar . Photo courtesy of Lucia Lewis
Photo courtesy of Lucia Lewis
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Opinions
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Review: In Real Life Live In Real Life’s live performance was mediocre By Riley Patton
In Real Life came to school on Friday, November 10 for the Sadie’s pep rally. The overall performance was rough, from their cover of Bruno Mars’ That's What I Like, where they pointed their microphones to the crowd and the vocal tracks kept going at the same volume, to when they played Christmas songs off their new album. Either this performance was just off, or the band is actually that bad. To think that Justin Timberlake’s manager, Johnny Wright, is the same man as In Real Life’s manager is a little bizarre. However, that's not saying much since Timberlake’s last recognized song that wasn’t on the Dreamworks Trolls Soundtrack was Sexyback. So Johnny had to jump ship. Sadly, he landed in cold water and drowned immediately. The band opened with their cover of That’s What I Like, and I was very disappointed. I was disappointed that they were lip syncing to a Bruno Mars song. The next time they did that, only one band member kept their mic to their mouth, but the voice that played wasn’t his, showing it was supposed to be a solo
part for someone who forgot. Then they moved onto their Christmas song, I’ll be Home For Christmas, which was just boring, as the band emitted no energy. It was hard to watch, and I often found myself in metaphorical pain because of the poor vocals. The repetitive lyrics, poor attempts at vibrato from Chance Perez, the eldest in the group, and the rap section, just built into hatred. Their final song was their “hit” single, Eyes Closed, which was just horrid. I have to admit I was a little biased on this song since I had listened to it before the concert, but come on. The group should not have to rely on lip syncing and their studio to remaster their songs to make them sound pleasant. Especially in a live situation it’s just plain embarrassing. I find it hard to put my frustrations into words from this group's performance; I came into this with a somewhat open mind, and I can now say I was one of the first people to really hate this band with a passion, and I don’t hate much music because everyone has their own taste in music. However, there’s no taste in this music.
The student body crowds around the small space allotted for the boys’ performance before their meet and greet in the cafeteria. In Real Life was the main event at the pep rally held the day before the Sadie Hawkins dance. “It’s easy to connect with people that are our age, because they can match the vibe that we’re trying to have,” said Sergio Calderon, one of the members of In Real Life. Photo courtesy of Lucia Lewis
Trigger Warning
The Left continues to chip away at the First Amendment By Parker Jones
Whether you’re a conservative, liberal, radical Satanist gender non-conforming drag queen socialist, or anything in between, the First Amendment guarantees the basic right to freedom of speech. Despite this debatably being America’s greatest accomplishment, it is directly in the left’s line of fire. Free speech isn’t about having the right to discuss trivial things like the weather or sports. It’s about being able to express controversial opinions without being condemned by society. It’s about being able to step out of the conventional mold of group-think without being silenced in some way. It doesn’t matter if someone hurts your delicate, ever-so-important feelings with their opinion, or if you think that someone is being hateful solely because they hold a different view. Everyone has the right to say what they want, so long as they are not violating anyone else’s rights, which is a principle that I will always relentlessly defend. Pretty obvious so far, right? While the right to free speech is something that appears to be unquestionably reasonable, recent events at UC Berkeley have gone to show that it is disgustingly under attack. When right-wing political speaker Milo Yiannopoulos attempted to speak at the campus in February of 2017, violent riots ensued. Idiotic, attention-seeking losers broke windows, set fires, and destroyed school property. Watching the clips of this is absolutely astonishing; if I saw them out of context, I’d think they were scenes out of The Purge. Yiannopoulos was, of course, quickly evacuated and ultimately was denied his basic First Amendment right to express his views. Additionally, left wing opponents of Yiannopoulos claimed that the right brought in protesters to make the left look bad. Seriously, could they be more pathetic? In fact, the UC Berkeley administration was even proven to be involved in stopping a recent event Yiannopoulos
organized. The event, fittingly called “Free Speech Week,” was meant to include various speakers, such as political commentator Ann Coulter, drag queen Elaine Lancaster, and talk show host/political commentator Ben Shapiro. At the last minute, Berkeley demanded that Yiannopoulos pay a fee of $65,758 to secure an indoor venue. He paid the fee, but Berkeley denied him the venue nonetheless, keeping the money. Then, the conservative student organization, The Berkeley Patriot, pulled out of sponsoring the event. Yiannopoulos wound up holding an informal outdoor protest where police refused to let hundreds of attendees in, the event was denied amplified sound, and officers refused to remove shrieking protesters. Berkeley administration turned the event into shambles, along with the First Amendment. If that isn’t classic censorship of speech, then it’s impossible to say what would be. Person A tried to speak in a lawful manner, and Person B stopped them without reason. It’s scary to say that this is the direction America appears to be heading as freedom of speech continues to dwindle. Perhaps the most censorship and silencing in the entire nation takes place in the home of Hollywood (AKA Liberal Paradise) itself: the grand state of California. On October 4, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that would punish health care workers with a fine and potential jail time for addressing senior transgender patients with the incorrect name or pronouns (such as she, her, he, him). While I believe in transgender rights and think that gender dysphoria is very real for a percent of the population, this is undoubtedbly a step in the direction of a communist nation. To quote the California Family Council’s Greg Burt, “How can you believe in free speech, but think that the government can compel people to use certain pronouns when talking to others?” While this absurd censorship is completely without reason and barely even debatable, the presence of hate groups such
as Antifa and the white supremacists in the KKK have taken the debate of the First Amendment to a new level. With groups like these, the clear answer is that their values are not American and have no place in our society. However, these people are United States citizens nonetheless, and are therefore entitled to the First Amendment. Now we are faced with a dilemma. Silence them, or allow their hatred to persist? I think this is an ideal example of the unintended consequences of free speech. To answer this dilemma, the important distinction is when speech develops into violence. Antifa, the KKK, and other “hate groups” have all reached that point at various times. In recent Charlottesville protests, three people died because of a car ramming through a crowd of various protesters. That is an act of violence and a serious felony, which would justify the shutting down of these organizations of bigotry and malice. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you. As far as I’m concerned, people should be able to preach whatever they believe, so long as they can be criticized, and so long as they do not become violent. To summarize, do what you’d like with your own rights, as long as you are not infringing upon those of others. On my political Instagram, I recently received a comment that I think beautifully illustrates the point I intend to make. After the commenter expressed their immense disappointment in my “closed mind,” they said, “you, a white female, should not be speaking on what is racist and what is not.” While I usually dislike dwelling upon the consistent stream of hate comments my page receives, it seems like this one was destined to wind up in this article. I don’t even know where to begin. Is it not the most racist thing ever to assume someone’s experiences on the basis of their skin color, something they have no control over? Isn’t that the left’s inclusive, welcoming motto? Let’s flip the sides for a moment. Imagine this comment was on a black activist’s page and said, “you, a black male, should
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
not be speaking on what white people go through.” Imagine the outrage! Imagine the horror! The fact that this is a sentiment that so much of left-wing America holds is absolutely astonishing. Small clarification: I am not pretending to know what it is like to be black, or what it is like to be any other race. However, I certainly believe that I have the ability to speculate on what makes a statement racist or not. Now, don’t think that this is just one moronic commenter on the internet; my experiences and interactions with much of the left have been overwhelmingly similar. The process always goes: I share a controversial view, they try to block/silence me for grossly hypocritical reasons, and nobody calls them out. Why can’t there be civil discussion anymore? So long as these interactions continue, the First Amendment will undoubtedly continue to crumble. I want you to see this as a battle call. As conservatives, libertarians, and other anti-establishment figures continue to be targeted and silenced, the moral structure of America will degrade, and its fundamental values will diminish. We cannot ignore this any longer.
11 The Lobo Legend Staff Taylor Mitchell - Editor in Chief Johnna Smith -Web Editor Parker Jones - Managing Editor Trinity Foreman - Photo Editor Mackenzie Orr - Design Riley Patton - Design Felix Randol - Design Alex Ainsworth Alyssa Rebello Aspen Schroeder Ava Dalton Carson Kennedy Charles Toppin Chloe Penrod Elijah Davidson Ellie Carroll Jacqueline Thomas Jesse Parslow Melia Carvalho Sarah Hager Teagan Josephson
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. 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. Letters to the editor are encouraged and may be dropped off in the high school office or sent to the news-
room.
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
Staff Editorial Is Net Neutrality Neutral?
Now that net neutrality has clouded the Internet and mainstream television as the latest political buzzword, those on all sides are up in arms, fearing what is next to come. Because the Internet is such a fundamental piece of most Americans’ lives, even those who dislike the rough discourse of politics are jumping into the debate, defending the Internet they know or would like to see. Net neutrality is the concept that Internet service providers (ISPs), such as Comcast and Verizon, have the responsibility of enabling equal access to all online content, regardless of who has the most traffic or resources. For instance, if Netflix wanted to pay an internet service provider to make their TV shows and movies run faster than Hulu’s,
the provider would have to turn them away. Under current FCC (Federal Communications Commission) legislature, this concept is enforced and justified by Title II of the 1934 Communications Act. However, there is far more to net neutrality than just the idea of a free and open Internet. This year, Republican FCC chairman Ajit Pai proposed a repeal of current net neutrality regulations. He believes in an open internet but has observed that imposing “heavy-handed economic regulations” on ISPs, such as those encompassed in Title II, will affect the economy in a negative way. For instance, investments have decreased in major companies in the past two years, ever since net neutrality laws were enforced. Smaller
Letter to the Editor By Jennifer Nickerson
Women have come a long way in the last 100 years. Our fight for equality, unfortunately, is not over. I read the article “Trigger Warning: Why I am Not a (Third Wave) Feminist” in the October 4 edition of Lobo Legend and realized the newest generation of women are missing vital information necessary to continue to fight for equality. Parker did a wonderful job pointing out the ways feminism has been used to push women’s rights through the barrier of misogyny that has persisted since the beginning of time, but she failed to see the issues still facing women today. She compared equal rights with equality. There are a plethora of ways women are still inferior in the eyes of society as evident by the way we are treated. Discrepancy in pay is the largest quantifiable piece of evidence proving the inequality between men and women.. According to the Joint Economic Committee in Congress, typical women earn 79% of what a man earns. In the low income bracket, this
Jones Responds: Ms. Nickerson, Thank you so much for your response to my article, “Why I am Not a (Third Wave) Feminist.” I am beyond excited that the piece opened up a dialogue, and I truly appreciate the time you put into your reply. Because of limited paper space, I will not be able to respond to all of your arguments in full; however, I will do my best to confront your biggest points. I believe I determined the point where we disagree the most, which is ultimately what feminism should stand for. Many
disparity is even greater. These economic studies also showed that women earn less across all educational levels than less educated men in similar positions. Male dominated careers earn far more than female dominated careers in spite of the fact that many required equal amounts of education. At the current rate of pay gap closure, the pay gap is not expected to close until 2059. This is a long time to wait to receive equal pay for equal work. In addition to the pay gap, women have to pay more for health insurance. Some argue that this is because women’s health issues are generally more expensive however the data does not necessarily support this. According to Health Services Research group, women have increased health expenditures largely because they live, on average, five years longer. A study performed and published by Harvard Health Publishing in January, 2010 stated “Men die younger than women, and they are more burdened by illness during life. They fall ill at a younger age and have more chronic illnesses than women... of the issues you highlighted are simply not issues worthy of a movement. For instance, the pay gap. In my original article, I discussed how the pay gap deceivingly shows a broader discrepancy in men’s and women’s pay that has nothing to do with discrimination. However, there are isolated instances of women being paid less on the basis of their gender, which I agree is completely wrong. But as I stated, those extreme instances are isolated. So long as humans can breathe, there will be instances of men being sexist, as well as instances of women being sexist. But they do not reflect the standpoint
Opinions ISPs are also suffering from the added FCC regulations, as they prevent them from introducing new services and expanding their networks, due to the cost of maintaining net neutrality. To summarize, Pai’s standpoint is that the Internet should be a free and open place, with less government control and regulation. On the other side of the issue, many believe that the repeal of net neutrality will do far more harm than good. Without net neutrality, it is believed that ISPs will have the ability to speed up websites that have more traffic, such as Facebook and Twitter, and slow down smaller websites with less traffic. Therefore, the bigger websites will get bigger and the smaller websites will get smaller. This would also negatively affect the consumer, who does not want slower access to certain parts of the Internet. Another large concern is that ISPs will be able to sell “Internet
packages,” similar to how cable companies offer packages of certain content, inconveniencing consumers who would like access to all that the web offers. Due to today’s broad range of communication, there are several stories floating around about what net neutrality entails. Its restrictions have been made clear by few government and news sources, and highly opinionated pieces have overpopulated the common searches, muddying the waters between reality and embellishment. It’s important to understand an issue in full before crafting an opinion, but net neutrality has been widely misunderstood, exaggerated, and tainted with aspects of emotional propaganda. On December 14, the FCC will vote on the repeal, and perhaps it will be the end of the Internet as we know it, or nothing will happen at all.
Although women see doctors more often than men, men cost our society much more for medical care beyond age 65.” This means that at the age when medical care typically costs the most, men are costing society far more than women yet women are bearing the financial burden. Women’s inequality is further proven by the fact that feminine products are taxed in spite of being a necessary part of life for women of childbearing age. According to a Denver Post article by Brian Eason published on February 13, 2017 “Supporters of eliminating the so-called “tampon tax” say it’s part of a broader push for gender equality. And sales taxes on menstrual hygiene — while they don’t cost much — represent a striking example of something women have to pay just because they’re female.” The article went on to say that products that are targeted to female consumers, on average, cost 7% more than those targeted towards male consumers. Clothing, hair products, toys... even razors that are meant for the discerning female cost more than the masculine version of the same products. Recently, there has been a #metoo movement on Facebook and
Twitter. This movement alone shows the abuse women face on a daily basis without any consequences for the aggressor. Young girls are taught to dress in a way as to not provoke unwanted attention yet young boys are taught to “get it when they can.” Locker room talk about how to bag/assault women is considered “normal” and “manly behavior.” Being called a “girl” is an insult. Women are called the weaker sex( in spite of the fact that we are ill far less and live longer). How can women be considered equal if our only value, in many men’s eyes, is in our sexuality? There are many more examples of gender inequality that could be discussed but brevity, in this instance, is required. Women’s health, women’s wages, and women’s continued exposure to sexual harassment and assault are prime examples supporting the need for feminism to continue. I am a middle aged woman who depends on the next generation of women to continue this fight. I want my granddaughters to experience true equality where the size of their IQ is considered long before the number of x chromosomes they carry.
of a society, which defeats the purpose of an entire social movement. This pattern of highlighting isolated instances in order to justify a movement carries on throughout your reply. Sexual assault is another example, as is the razor “pink” tax. These things should never be defended, but it is just a reality that they will always exist. And that would also displace the “Me Too” movement. While I appreciate the underlying purpose of the movement, it does absolutely nothing to punish the abusers individually. And that could easily be done by naming them, which would also validate claims of assault.
Finally, in your introduction, you said that I do not understand the difference between equal rights and equality. Equal rights is possible and it has been attained. Equality is ideological and unrealistic. True equality would mean complete homogeneity among us all in every way; however, equal rights offers everyone equal opportunity to succeed, with some unavoidable discrepancies. Inequality will always exist, and its perpetrators should be punished. So long as we are all human, the feminist ideal of equality could be compared to the realist’s ideal of perfection; it is unattainable.
Opinions
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Review: Heaven Upside Down Is Manson’s new album the revival of industrial metal? By Riley Patton
Marilyn Manson’s new album, Heaven Upside Down, released on October 6, is different. This album makes me very uncomfortable; listening to it is nerveracking. Maybe that is what Manson wants. During the first half of the album, the paranoia began. From dark meanings in the lyrics to the use of minor scales, it brings a sense of dread and discomfort, only taking a break on the album's fifth track, KILL4ME, with a relaxed, more 90’s alternative grunge feel but a startling title. Then right back into the rest of his album with Saturnalia being a return to the vexation. This album is good, with good guitar riffs, drum beats, and bass all syncopated into a spooky time. However I still don’t enjoy it. I came into this album only knowing what Manson looks like and
having heard a few songs from another album of his, Mechanical Animals, which I disliked. Manson’s songs all sound the same on this album compared to the others that I’ve listened to, like Mechanical Animals, and I was honestly fairly disappointed because of the massive build up to this album’s release. With teasers of songs, and pictures of the music video sets, it just too hard to try to give it a good score when it was such a big build up. I’ll have to rate it an iffy 5/10 because of the similar sounding songs and the use of minor scales, which is interesting, but the public doesn’t always respond well to them. The album feels like the listener has to already be a fan of Manson to really enjoy it, which is a downside because the general audience may not like it due to the closedin appeal of Manson’s music. Courtesy of the Mighty Ape
Review: The Ghoulies Recorded in a basement but still rocks By Riley Patton
The Ghoulies, a local band, released their first album in June of 2013, and boy is it wonderful. Inspired by 50’s and 60’s blues, but with an added drop of punk rock, the genres mix surprisingly well and create a high energy tune that pleases the ears. It’s hard to believe something that sounds so good was recorded in the Regis University Denver basement studio. There are two songs on this album that really don’t go along with the others, $79 Drain Cleaning, and Anything But the Ramones is Disco. The reason these two stand out is because of how weird they are; $79 Drain Cleaning is a parody of old infomercials - “79 dollar drain cleaning, cheaper than an 80 dollar drain cleaning.” Then, Anything But the Ramones is Disco is just audio clips of anti-punk propaganda. All of the other tracks are similar enough to each other, but independent at the same time. Which
Photo courtesy of Band Camp
is refreshing to hear since it’s quite difficult to find songs and albums that are independent like that. Two songs I would recommend listening to if you're unsure about the band are She Devil, and Supercharged 12-Gauge Grenade Gun. They’re the staples of this album, and are extremely good. If you’d like to buy this album, make a Bandcamp account and go to their page. They have three albums out, and the selftitled one is very good; or, email them to get a physical copy of the albums, with each priced at around three or four dollars. Please support local music by going to one of their shows, buying their albums, or just spreading the word about their band, since the more recognition they have, the more great music they’ll put out. The Ghoulies have another album named Roswell-A-Go -Go, which is also very good, but this is just about the self-titled album.
Not so Phyched
The irritating side of the psychology experiments By Trinity Foreman and Parker Jones
A student enters a classroom, toting a large, pink, rectangular box. Every student in the room’s eyes are simultaneously drawn to the cardboard shape, immediately aware of its contents. The student sets the box down on a counter, and cautiously tells the room, “Do NOT touch this box. I’m leaving it here for another class.” The class transforms into a state of anarchy, debating whether or not to touch the box of donuts, some students grabbing one and others heeding the warning. It’s soon revealed that this was just an experiment for Psychology. In Jessica Frankel’s and Aaron Shepard’s Psychology classes, students were recently tasked with experimental projects; they put their peers in absurd scenarios and observed their reactions. While this was a great learning opportunity for the class’s students, the experiments threw off classes and inconvenienced students and teachers. It may be argued that the experiments hardly disrupted classes and were a fun diversion from a student’s typical day of learning; however, many students would
testify the opposite. While many of the experiments took place during lunch or outside of school, some involved interrupting a class. All of these were teacher-approved, but nonetheless distracted from lessons and annoyed many students. Many of the psych experiments are short and harmless, however, some are are quite pushy and rather agitating. When the experiment is testing whether someone will follow something (like a rule or a direction), the test subject is told that it should be done in a regulated time frame, not in a scenario where the student may be pressured. In professional psych experiments, the test subject can be subjected to stress, but they are told beforehand that they are being tested upon. Students may be undergoing things in their lives or during a class hour, and being used as a test subject can have a negative effect. Overall, psych experiments are an excellent opportunity for students to learn in a creative and fun way. Sometimes they go too far, but it is purely situational and as long as the process is approved by a
teacher, the experimenters can’t be held responsible for a subject having a bad day. The experiments themselves are not a problem; it is rather the way that some of them have been executed.
teacher, the experimenters can’t be held responsible for a subject having a bad day. The experiments themselves are not a problem; it is rather the way that some of them have been executed.
Psych students observe each other, participating in another fun class. Shepard’s and Frankel’s classes spend each day doing a new activity, as part of their immense study of the mind. Photo courtesy of Ava Dalton
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Coming Up: December 18 - January Monday
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Period 2 final 7:25-9:25 Period 4 final 9:30-11:30 Lunch 11:35-12:30 Period 8 final 12:35-2:35
Green day Interact meeting 7:30-8:15
NO SCHOOL! Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Silver day Interact meeting 7:30-8:15
Period 3 final 7:25-9:25 Period 5 final 9:30-11:30 Lunch 11:35-12:30 Period 7 12:35-2:35
Silver day
Silver Day
Outdoor Lab meeting at West Jeff 3:00-5:00
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Period 6 final 7:25-9:25 Seminar/Makeups 9:30-12 Lunch 12:10-1:10 Seminar 1:15-2:35
Green day Late start
BREAK! Back to School January 8th
Silver day Outdoor lab leader meeting 3-5 pm
Green day Late start
Silver day
Silver day
HOSA meeting 7:30-9:00 Warren Tech presentation for Sophomores 7:30-8:30 Military Conference 7:459:00 All County Choir 7:30-8:30
Green day Talent Show 7:30-9:00 Military Conference 7:309:00 Talent Show 3:00-6:00 Band and Orchestra 7:309:30 HOSA meeting 7:30-9:00
Silver Day One Lunch-A Lunch
Paws and Claws PAWS to DECA for doing fantastic in districts PAWS to teachers that give study guides and long review sessions PAWS to Winter Break PAWS to Venue and StageDoor for their fall semester shows PAWS to coffee, Monster, Redbull, tea...anything to get through finals PAWS to Kahoot reviews PAWS to the Holidays
CLAWS to Finals Week CLAWS to scraping off your car in the morning CLAWS to snowy, cold, icy roads early in the morning CLAWS to no sleep CLAWS to Krampus CLAWS to invasive questions from family members CLAWS to wiping out on the slopes
Features
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Love'n Lunch'n
The lunch hangouts of the student body By Felix Randol
Lunchtime is sacred in high school. Students crowd by the doors of their classes, waiting those final seconds for the bell to ring before they meet up with friends, grab something to eat, go find their special place, and enjoy a moment away from the stresses of high school. Everyone approaches lunch differently, and with their own special flair, adding to the culture and diversity of the community itself. Many upperclassmen run for the parking lot the moment the bell rings. It’s off to escape the walls of the school, even if it’s just for a few minutes; sometimes it’s not about the food choices, but about a moment to breathe. “I usually go off campus with my friends during lunch,” junior Layne Jarrett said. “We sometimes go to Sonic, but I usually bring my food and just watch them eat the stuff they bought.” Many other students remain at school during lunch, finding their own ways to stay entertained and to have fun with their friends during those precious moments of stolen time. Nicholas FaracoHadlock, senior, and his friend Lander Turner, senior, decided to go the competitive route. “Lander and I play ping pong during lunch, usually to games of twenty one,” Faraco-Hadlock said. “Sometimes we also play ‘King of the Hill,’ which is a game where one person stays the king until they lose two points, and
everyone else rotates through, sort of like knockout with basketball. We have competitive spirits, so it’s something to do. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s very active.” On the other side of the spectrum some students prefer to find a spot outside of the cafeteria in an attempt to escape the loud noises and the crowded spaces. “My friends and I sit over by the wolf statue in the commons during lunch,” sophomore Nina Foster said. “We don't sit at the
tables, we sit on the ground by the wolf statue. I don't know why, but that's where we started sitting. It’s our special corner.” Beyond a particular spot, there are always those who make their own way, even in something as simple as lunch break. Some people like sophomore Kathryn Ryan float between places and friend groups with ease, adding to the excitement of the lunch period.
Journalism1 students explore the world of news
Reality television programs such as The Bachelor and Naked and Afraid are doing more harm than good for the millions of viewers watching these so-called “reality” shows. Directors and editors of these shows have more control of what happens than the general audience knows. Actions of the characters can be manipulated by the producers. This is almost like fake news; the audience believes all of the things that happen on the show are real, and although those actions were caught on camera, the editors probably didn’t include the entirety of the footage. As a result, the actions can be taken out of context, deceiving viewers. Reality TV shows are as bad as fake news, because the producers are feeding the audience false information. Editors and directors don’t show every action that is caught on camera, only showing what they know will draw viewers in. I have seen a couple episodes of The Bachelor, as my sister likes to watch that show, and it seems as if almost every episode consists of two people fighting with each other. The fight might not be all that bad, but producers add dramatic
there because it’s very nice and peaceful. Also, I like to sit in the corner of the commons by the water fountain where the tables are. Occasionally I go up to the landing above the commons and just hang out there with my boyfriend and other friends.” Lunch will remain a time for community and rest between students for years to come, giving each school its own culture and environment.
Lander Turner lunges to catch the ball during a ping pong match against Nicholas Faraco-Hadlock during A lunch. The boys play ping pong every day during lunch in the cafetieira. Photo by Felix Randol
Fake Reality
By Alex Ainsworth
“I usually wander a lot during lunch because I have lots of different friends from lots of different types of friend groups,” Ryan said. “I specifically like to go outside a lot to have my own time and just to relax because it’s a really nice place up here. I like to go out front of the school and sit by the rocks and just look outside and have a good view of the mountains. Sometimes I'll go to the west wing and go outside there and just hang out around
music and have someone say something like “Find out why Bob and Frank are in such a heated argument next on The Bachelor.” This causes viewers to believe that arguments are worse than they actually are. If kids see these kinds of TV shows, they’ll think it’s okay to behave like the two boys who are fighting, because this is happening to real people in real life; so, in their eyes, it becomes okay to do this kind of stuff. Editors and directors also manipulate the actions of the reality TV characters. The directors get to decide where a competition or important event will take place. Again, going back to The Bachelor, the directors decide on where every date is held. Sometimes these places expose some of the people’s biggest weaknesses. One example of this is that the directors could send the couple to an amusement park, knowing that one of the people going on the date is scared of heights. This draws the viewer in, making them want to watch the couple go on a roller coaster and see if the person afraid of heights pees their pants. This is staged to draw viewers into watching more, and the couple
ends up suffering. Not only are the viewers of the reality TV show harmed, but the actual people participating in the TV show can be harmed as well. Another way that reality TV shows can portrayed as fake news is that the stars feel so much pressure when they are being filmed. This pressure can cause the best of us to become someone totally different than who we really are. In high school, many kids are different around different friend groups. Just imagine being shown in front of millions of other people. You would want to impress them. This would cause you to change how you act. Well, that’s exactly what’s happening to reality TV stars. They are getting so caught up in the moment and the camera that they are forgetting what they are there for, and that is to be themselves. People who watch reality TV think that who they see on TV is who that person really is. Now in some cases this may be true, but other times, someone can be a whole other person when the camera isn’t on, and they become someone fake when the camera is pointed towards them.
I Can Do Anything Freshman girl takes wrestling team by storm By Jacqueline Thomas
Freshman Cayden Condit is your typical wrestler in almost every way: fit, determined, and in love with the sport. The only thing that sets her apart is the fact that she’s not male. She’s been wrestling for about eight years now, and started the sport because her brother and father had always done it. Now that the season has started, she has bruises on her face and is sore from the trials of wrestling. Despite the challenges, she believes that wrestling has improved both her physical and mental health by putting it to the test. “The training is the hardest part, but the more you put in, the more you get out of it,” Condit said. Because of wrestling, she also needs to manage her weight, which determines who she fights in her matches so they can each have an equal chance. She has put time and effort into altering her weight, while still staying in shape. Although wrestling has been good for Condit, she has run into a few problems with her opponents. Some have forfeited
matches because she was a girl, but she looks at this with a positive attitude. “One time, one person actually told me, ‘No, girls can’t do that.’ That made me laugh,” Condit said. In addition to her perseverance, Condit always sets goals that she usually achieves. “This year, I would like to be the first girl to place and possible win high school state,” Condit said. Through wrestling and getting beat up, Condit has learned many important lessons. She has learned how to eat healthy, wrestle correctly, and push through the hydration test. However, there is one she has already learned that soars above the rest. “I have learned that girls can do anything a guys can do.” This can be very important to a wrestler because, if someone tells her she cannot do something, she knows she can. Condit knows that she can do anything she puts her mind to. She is now waiting for her season so she can shine. “I’m really excited for this season. I think it is going to be really good.”
Features
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DECA succeeds at Beaver Creek and Districts
Students head to state By Amber Hall, DECA Adviser
DECA, an association of marketing students, prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. Annually, DECA students learn new skills in class and apply those skills in competitions around the state and nation. This fall, Conifer DECA students competed at Beaver Creek and Districts and at least 24 students will be heading to State in early 2018. Congratulations to all DECA students who attended the Beaver Creek Invitational on November 4th – 6th. Students represented Conifer with exceptional sportsmanship, courtesy to hotel staff, and complete professionalism. They stood out among the 550 student competitors for their maturity and consideration of others. Beaver Creek was a highly competitive conference. This conference provided students to opportunity to practice, receive valuable feedback, and gain perspective about the level of preparation required to be competitive. Thank you the following students for making Conifer DECA proud: Nicholas Farco-Hadlock – 2nd place Business Services Mark Studer – 2nd place Sports & Entertainment Team Cole Hollander – 2nd place Sports & Entertainment Team Clarke Shaffner – 3rd place in Automotive Services Hattie Dahlin - 4th place in Business Law & Ethics Team Reece Miller – 4th place in
Business Law & Ethics Team Onika Benson - 6th place in Personal Financial Literacy Dion Miguel - 6th place in Principles of Finance Sawyer Halingstad – 7th place in Marketing Management Team David Jacobson – 7th place in Marketing Management Team Dillion Autry – 9th place in Sports & Entertainment Team Jasper Cucchi-Cameron - 9th place in Sports & Entertainment Team Collin Klinker - 9th place in Hotel & Lodging Management
The DECA Officer Team for organized the trip, coordinated chapter events, and for hosted the Jeopardy Workshop at the conference. Thank you to Mr. Paxton, Mrs. Swanson and Annie & Eddie Wesselhoff for helping chaperone the trip and for judging. 63 DECA students traveled to District competition at the CU Denver South Campus (The Wildlife Experience) on Monday, December 4, 2017. The Chapter sends a big shout out to students’ parents for encouragement; Mock Role Play Judges for their time and energy in preparing students for competition; judges who invested a good part of their day on Monday to judge the District Role Plays; chaperons Cassie Alley and Colinda De Groen; Conifer High School’s staff for their support of the program and excellent academic preparation of students; and to the CHS community for the backing. In terms of the percentage of DECA competitors who qualified to compete at State, Conifer qualified 36% of students this
Fired Up for the Future
The fire sciences program at Warren Tech
By Felix Randol
The students at Warren Tech get to expand their horizons by learning things that they never would have had the opportunity to learn at their own schools. Along with offering the opportunity to learn new things, the program comes with many benefits and options with classes ranging from cosmetics to graphic design. Among the interesting and exciting programs at Warren Tech one that stands out is Fire Science, which teaches material that is normally taught by firefighting academies. “Some of the benefits of doing Fire Sciences in Warren Tech are that you can graduate with your EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) certification and your CPR certification,” Tanner Sander, previous student of the Fire Science program, said. “Warren Tech itself also gives you college credit that you can use at Red Rocks or other colleges throughout the state.” The Fire Sciences program is the first step into a much wider
world of possibilities. “The Fire Sciences program is about training to be a firefighter,” Karley Low, Fire Sciences student, said. “In the fire training we get to go to Fairmont, which is a place down in Lakewood where we get to climb out windows and climb down ladders headfirst and do other training. That was my favorite part.” The hands-on experiences with the material are beyond anything that the students would have had access to in a high school. This prepares them for their futures in a way that they never could have otherwise. “I joined Warren Tech to do their Fire Sciences program my junior year,” Sander said. “I did that to prepare myself to become a firefighter when I graduate high school. I love Fire Sciences because you actually get to work with live fire, be in real firefighter gear, and run in mock halls to learn what you would do in a real fire situation.” As with every school, Warren Tech is not only training in the various courses. There is the
year. 24 students qualified to compete at State, and an additional five students were the 1st runner up. State-wide, only the top 20% of competitors qualify to compete at the State competition. As a chapter, CHS placed 2nd behind Littleton High School in the % of competitors qualified to compete at State. Go Lobos! Big congratulations to all DECA students, and recognition to: STATE QUALIFIERS Alissa Searcy – Business Law & Ethics Team Reece Miller – Business Law & Ethics Team Hattie Dahlin – Business Law & Ethics Team Payton Gilbert – Business Law & Ethics Team Connor Anderson – Personal Financial Literacy Onika Benson – Personal Financial Literacy Mark Studer – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Cole Hollander – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Adam Westfall – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Elias Born – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Piper Richey – Buying & Merchandising Team Rachael Long - Buying & Merchandising Team Nicole Renaud – Buying & Merchandising Team Kelly Powers - Buying & Merchandising Team Adam Berton – Marketing Management Team Nick Williams - Marketing Management Team Kyle Butler – Sports & Entertainment Nicholas Faraco-Hadlock – Business Services Marketing
classroom aspect where students get a chance to show what they’ve learned through tests, and get to further their knowledge in a more traditional setting. “Mostly we did a lot of handson work, but here and there we did bookwork in the classroom,” Sander said. “We go through the same book that EMT’s would use to get their certification. Then we would go through the fire book, which was the same as what they use in an academy. After we learned some of the technical stuff we started working hands on, doing PT and other fire training.” For the Fire Science program some of the training takes place entirely off of the Warren Tech campus, giving the students a break even from the campus, so students won’t ever tire of their surroundings. “Every Wednesday we go to Fairmont,” Low said. “That means that we get to do activities. The last thing we do there every day we go through a tube with all of the students climbing over each other. That is pretty personal. It’s all fun until someone steps on your face.” Finals at Warren Tech are an opportunity for students to bring
Maya Siegel – Retail Merchandising Eirik Skildheim – Entrepreneurship Mikey Stein – Entrepreneurship Team Sam Dunivan – Entrepreneurship Team Clarke Shaffner – Automotive Services Leonardo Lee – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Top Test Score: Atticus Pond Eirik Skildheim Connor Anderson Nicholas Faraco-Hadlock State Officer Candidates for 2018/19: Lena Heaney Tabitha Fritts Leonardo Lee Adam Westfall 1st Runners-Up/ State Alternates: Dion Miguel – Prinicples of Finance Hudson McCarthy – Hotel & Lodging Management Hailey Janson – Marketing Communications Sawyer Halingstad – Marketing Management Team David Jacobson – Marketing Management Team Additional State Alternates:
2nd – Adde Hollander – Principles of Management & Administration 2nd – Olivia McNeill – Principles of Hospitality & Tourism 2nd – Atticus Pond – Business Finance 2nd – Abigail Sundquist – Principles of Finance 2nd – Hannah Bartlett – Restaurant & Food Service Management 2nd – Collin Klinker – Travel & Tourism Team 2nd – Tyler Maiocco – Travel & Tourism Team 3rd – Zoe Mandl – Principles of Finance 3rd – Megan Wilkins – Human Resource Management 4th – Zoe Peters – Principles of Marketing 4th – Reilly Meyer – Quick Serve Restaurant Management In addition to a successful District competition, Conifer won all three of the top spots in the Colorado Mentored Stock Market Game. Students won cash prizes for their performance and recognition through the Colorado Council on Economic Education for their management of $100,000 investment portfolios over the past eight weeks. - 1st place - Atticus Pond, Gian Meyer, Liam Matson - 2nd place - Onika Benson & Hattie Dahlin - 3rd place - Mark Studer
After the competition ended, the DECA students proudly presented their hardearned awards. Photo courtesy of Amber Hall
all of their skills to the table and show both themselves and their instructors how far they have come since the beginning of the curriculum. “On burning building day, the last day of the Fire Science program, we got to go in with
Logo courtesy of Warren Tech
a live fire,” Sander said. “We got to feel what it was like to be in a room that was a thousand degrees at the ceiling and three hundred degrees on the floor. We got to feel what it was like to be in that heat.”
Features
16
More Than Ready for Takeoff
How freshman Hayden Brown’s love for planes will likely transform into a career By Parker Jones
As tinny announcements ring over loud speakers and mix with the dinging sound of seatbelt lights turning on, people bustle to and fro, shoving their suitcases into narrow overhead compartments. Remaining calm among the chaos, two pilots sit in the cockpit, sending their final messages to air traffic control before takeoff. Soon enough, the aircraft is speeding down a gleaming runway and gliding through the skies. While this experience is commonplace for many, freshman Hayden Brown has been fascinated by it from nearly day one, enthralled by planes and aeronautics. “I’ve just been interested [in planes] my entire life, reading books about them and listening to my parents’ conversations about their interest and passion from a young age,” Brown said. “Earlier in my life, I had some other ideas [for my career], but as time developed, I realized how cool aviation is… [It] has always been in the back of my mind.” Influenced by his parents’ careers as pilots, Brown anticipates jumping into the field himself. “[My parents’] interest kind of brought up the idea of becoming a pilot,” Brown said. “They equally [have been an inspiration] because they’ve been pilots for my entire life and have always been there telling me how cool of a job it is.” Brown first memory of being on a plane
was a flight to Louisiana, his parents being the pilots. He didn’t get to sit in the cockpit with them, but he was placed in first class, seat 1A. “That first experience kind of shaped the first concepts of aviation for me, but at that time I really didn’t have as much of an interest as I do now,” Brown said. Aviation quickly snowballed into a passion, and Brown is already considering the process it will take to become a commercial pilot. Having had experience practicing with flight simulators and a history of flying with his parents, he will accept the challenge with open arms. “There are a lot of requirements in the education part of [becoming a pilot],” Brown said. “I have to go and get a degree in aeronautical science, and I’m hoping to go to Embry-Riddle [University]. That just seems like the greatest challenge… [but] I have flown in flight simulators... I flew the Boeing 747-400 simulator for United airlines last year. However, I did crash it, it didn’t go too well.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, sports over 60 aircraft and offers various aviation programs that would push Brown towards a commercial pilot license. In order to obtain that, he must first earn a flight instructor certificate and then acquire 1500 hours of in-the-air practice, a process that can take three to four years.
“I feel like [the time requirement] is good,” Brown said. “It’s not too many hours, but not too few. It is hard to gain, but not excessive.” Despite any future obstacles, Brown’s passion for aviation will always shine
through, rooted in his first experiences on planes and fundamental amazement in how they function. “I’ve just always been fascinated by how those big metal tubes can get through the sky,” Brown said.
Brown looks out the window, observing a clear sky that he cannot wait to glide through as a pilot. He aspires to have the responsibility of carrying hundreds of people through the air and the skill of flying various aircrafts. Photo by Parker Jones
Coffee Cart Comes to Seminar
Challenge program students put smiles on teachers’ faces By Joel VanDyne
From l to r: Wyatt Bunch, Maddie Koskinen, Luke Whittington, Joel VanDyne, Mack Teaff pose outside of the newsroom on their green-day run, providing coffee to teachers throughout the building. Photo by Lucia Lewis
Sydney Walker and Maddie Koskinen paint candleholders made of wood. They painted the logs together with several other students as a decoration for the room. Photo courtesy of Diana Baker-Low
Hi, my name is Joel, and I am a student in the Challenge Program. We do this thing in the Challenge Program called the “Coffee Cart.” We sell coffee to all the teachers during seminar. The cost is one dollar. We sell coffee, hot cocoa, and even tea. In the Challenge Program, we all do Christmas crafts to sell at craft shows to raise money so we can do fun things like bowling and field trips. At the last craft show we made $85.00. The crafts we made were Colorado flags, Christmas trees, log candle holders, and chalk boards. We went on a bowling trip to Wild Game in Evergreen, CO, on Friday, November 17. We took the middle schoolers along with us. We ate pizza and bowled, then we compared scores with other Jeffco High School Challenge Teams.
Wyatt Bunch, senior, and Kim Gordon play games to earn tokens in the arcade. The group visited The Wild Game for the arcade and bowling. “It was great. So, we went to the Rendezvous Wild game and we ate pizza there and lemonade and Sprite. [The event] is what we did before Thanksgiving break… My friends from this school [were there] and then we picked up friends from another Jeffco school and they came too,” Bunch said. Photo courtesy of Diana Baker-Low