Eagle Valley High School 641 Valley Road Gypsum, CO
31 May 2019
Issue 4
In This Issue: + Film Festival [2] + Summer Jobs [6] + Grad Caps [7]
2News
Daredevil Film Festival dares students to challenge their creativity JazlynCaballero
Is Access Really Accessible? columnist
CarterJosef
reporter
On May 20, 2019, 43 student filmmakers participated in the Daredevil Film Festival. The Daredevil FIlm Festival is a 24 hour in-school filmmaking competition. Students work together on crews of up to seven people to create a short film based on a surprise theme. This year’s theme was “expression.” Students were also challenged to incorporate a blank disk and the quote, “Wait, what?” Third year competitor Caroline Dewell ‘20 really liked this year’s theme. “The theme can be interpreted so widely,” says Dewell. “But that really shows that it was a good theme to choose because, you know, everybody has such different ideas, and it’s going to make a good variety of movies.” Figuring out what the team wanted to do for their film was not the only challenge. Filmmakers also faced time crunches, weather challenges, and the fact that Community Service Day was cancelled. “One of our members kind of quit, they didn’t show up so we had only two people left,” said Esther San Diego ‘21. Even though San Diego and her group were short one person, they still managed to finish off strong and submit their film into the competition. While some groups had members leave, others had too many members with nothing to do. Herry Garcia ‘20 had one of the largest of the groups, and one thing they struggled with was
The crew of “I’m Real Foo” strategizes to prepare to record a scene in their movie. Photo provided by Ms. Hannah Shapiro
A notable change this school year was the addition of access hour. At the beginning of the year the change seemed to have many reactions. Many liked the idea of having time to see all of their teachers. Some were upset about losing a class. Now that the year is coming to a close, it is time to see if access was a good addition to this year’s
Rebecca Schifanelli ‘20, Ashley Wagner ‘19, and Ella Srholez ‘19 block a scene for their short film “Raiders of the Lost Disc.” Photo provided by Ms. Hannah Shapiro
making sure all group members had a job. “It’s hard to divide and conquer,” explains Garcia. “Sometimes people get left off with too much stuff, some with less.” In spite of the difficulties the crews faced, they all managed to create and finish the competition. After the competition, a screening was open for creators, friends and family to attend and view the hard work of the student filmmakers. Films were judged by Eagle Valley alum Ryan Boeke ‘18, Drama teacher Mr. James Overcash, and Mr. Brian Hall, a video production teacher at Vail Christian Academy. First place went to The Artist, created by Lydia Loupe ‘19, Kalista Farmer ‘19, Jason Morrison ‘21, Tyler Morrison ‘21, Drake Berg ‘21, Alex LeBarron ‘21, and Jayden Mather ‘21. Not only did they win first place, but they also won Best Editing. After the screening, the audience was given the chance to vote on their favorite film. This year’s Audience Favorite Award went to Pubescent Expressions created by Lucia Bryan’19, Caroline Dewell ‘20, Avery Doan ‘19, Riley Dudley ‘20, Saroja Manickam ‘20, Jordan Neifert ‘22, and Tobin Stone ‘19. Pubescent Expressions also won 2nd place overall in the competition, and Doan won Best Director.
Judges also awarded Best Sound Design, Best Cinematography and Best Performance. Best Sound Design went to Hans Taagen ‘19 for his sounds in A Creator’s Complex. Meanwhile Best Cinematography went to Ella Shrolez ‘20 for her filming in Raiders of the Lost Disc. Best Performance went to Ashley Wagner ‘19 for her acting in Raiders of the Lost Disc. Raiders of the Lost Disc won third place in the competition. This year’s Daredevil Film Festival competition also featured a special tribute to Megan Lodge ‘19 who passed away in December. Lodge was an enthusiastic filmmaker and storyteller who loved participating in the Daredevil Film Festival every year. To honor Megan’s memory, the Media Studies Department collaborated with Megan’s family to create a special award called “The Megan Lodge Leadership in Filmmaking Scholarship” to recognize the student selected by participants in the competition who they believed best exhibited, “all the values that this competition celebrates passion for storytelling, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, leadership, and fun.” In a moving tribute, Barb and Bill Lodge presented the award and a $1000 scholarship to Lydia Loupe ‘19 at the end of the screening.
Reports of “not credible threats” disrupt Eagle Valley QuinMcCarroll & BodeKostick
reporters
On Wednesday May 15th, parents of Eagle Valley High School students received an email from Principal Mr. Greg Doan regarding threats of a school shooting made the night before. Law enforcement deemed the threats not credible or actionable and explained that they were likely made in an attempt to close schools. The following night
another threat was made, this time a bomb threat. Teachers were informed of the bomb threat on May 16th and instructed to tell students who asked about it, “This is not a credible threat, and there is nothing to talk about.” This was because administration and law enforcement wanted to reduce the spread of rumors. With social media, rumors and misinformation spreading rapidly can impede investigations. A public statement from Eagle County Schools stated, “Such rumors and the sharing of details about the tips can impede law enforcement investigations.” According to Athletic Director Mr. Tom LaFramboise, “You don’t want to put out specifics, because
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Opinion
Such rumors and the sharing of details about the tips can impede law enforcement investigations.
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Eagle County Sheriff’s Department take all threats extremely seriously if someone knows specifics, you know they’re part of it.” Mr. Doan and Superintendent Mr. Philip Qualman were not available for a comment prior to publication of this article. Threats like the ones that happened on May 15th and 16th, though deemed not credible, can be scary for the community. Eagle Valley High School, Eagle County Schools, and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Department take all threats extremely seriously in order to prevent something bad from happening.
schedule. I really looked forward to being able to work with groups during this time. However, I quickly realized that this vision was not what the reality was. Each teacher had different rules about allowing students to leave. This made it extremely difficult to meet up with my group during access.
Even if we were able to jump through all of the necessary hoops to meet up, we would be left with only a few minutes to actually work on something. This completely takes group projects off of the table. Another thing I was really looking forward to was being able to go talk to teachers. However, this also became very difficult. Walking into a room, you would see long lines of other students all needing help just like yourself. This shows that access was something that is obviously needed. However, the short nature of it made it so you could only talk to each teacher for all of about 40 seconds. Even the teachers that did not have long lines were busy helping their own access students. As if access isn’t short enough already, we had to wait in our class for the announcements, which would hardly ever start on time, and would
repeat the same information day in and day out. This meant the amount of time with teachers was 5 to 10 shorter. While myself and many others have been critical of access, it is because there is such a good idea on the table, and we just want to see it perfected. Access hour has been a savior for many athletes in sports. As someone who had to miss a bunch of school for baseball, I can truly appreciate how much that extra time helped to keep up with all of my work and keep my grades up. While working on an article with the ski team I learned just how much access helped their grades too. There is no question that Eagle valley athletes love this extra time. Access is clearly something that is here to stay in EVHS for years to come. There are just a few tweaks to be made to make it to its full potential.
Teacher Appreciation? There Was None SallyMcDonnell
columnist
Teacher Appreciation Week has long since come and gone, and with it an entirely missed opportunity. This year, it seemed as though Eagle Valley High School was significantly lacking in appreciation for the teachers and staff members who work so hard to educate their students. This is not to say that no one did anything to benefit our staff members, but there was simply not enough done to appreciate these people. It was very difficult to see so many hardworking people go unrecognized for the time and effort that they put into their jobs, especially in Colorado, where teachers experience some of the worst pay and benefits of any state in the country.
Despite the fact that our teachers typically earn sixty-nine percent of what teachers with similar credentials would earn in, for example, Wyoming, they still manage to do a fantastic job in a very difficult profession. Not only do they spend time in school educating their students, they also spend their evenings and weekends grading or making lesson plans for the upcoming week. This equates to very little free time, but many are still forced to work second or even third jobs to be able to live in Eagle County, which is notoriously one of the most expensive areas in the nation. Though it is clear to see that our teachers work tirelessly to support both themselves and their students, we as a student body are simply not doing enough to commend these efforts. It may seem as though our teachers are littering us with useless assignments, projects, and tests as the
but they are actually just doing their best to educate all of us. Instead of giving them thanks for this tireless effort, many of us instead elect to complain about them to other students or even to other teachers. Statements such as, “ I can’t believe he gave us another project” or “ I am really sick of her class, it’s such a waste” only serve to diminish the teacher and spread negativity when we should really be trying to support each other through the difficult last few weeks of school. Showing our teachers appreciation does not have to be as big as buying them all new candles for their classroom (although gifts would probably be appreciated). It can be as small as giving your teacher a thank you at the end of class or letting them know if you enjoyed their lesson one day. No level of appreciation is too small, but it is clear that we do need to show these hardworking and underappreciated individuals as much support as they show us.
College-Bound Consequences RileyDudley
columnist
A few months ago, the education community was rocked by the college admissions scandal in which millionaires and celebrities bribed and cheated their ways into elite colleges. Millions of students pray that they will be accepted to the colleges involved, such as USC and Stanford, and many were furious when it was discovered that some kids were cheating their way in. While the nation debated whether higher education gave an unfair advantage to wealthy students, the entire debacle also revealed another, arguably more important issue: kids waste their young adult lives working to get into universities they have an extremely low chance of being accepted to. Kids are missing out on their basic childhood and have
started to dedicate almost everything they have to getting into these colleges. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in our society for the sake of teenagers across the nation. Students often spend the vast majority of their time in high school doing homework, extracurriculars, and volunteer service for the sole purpose of making it into a good college. According to Teacher’s Magazine, American students spend 366 minutes per week on average working on homework. That is 72 more minutes than the average time spent on homework in all of the countries that compose the The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development combined, illustrating how obsessed the United States is with young students doing ridiculous amounts of work. Kids are not doing all of this work to get into college because they want to. They do it because they feel like they have to. Los Angeles’s
school district, one of the largest in the nation, suggests that high schoolers should spend an astonishing 1,050 minutes per week working on homework. That would require students to work on homework between three and four hours every day, which is completely unrealistic for kids who also need to find time for sports, activities, work, socializing, eating, sleeping, etc. Kids ultimately need to be kids. The majority of a personś life is spent working as an adult, and thus children need time when they are young to grow and develop without the pressures of work. America has created an environment wherein students do not have the time to explore themselves and the world around them, which is the point of adolescence. Instead, they spend their youth in libraries and schools studying, something they will likely regret when they get older and realize that they missed out on being young. The United States needs to recognize the damage this culture does to teenagers and rework the system to ensure that students are encouraged to live their lives.
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Feature
Ms. Wallis | Math
Ms. Seanna Wallis, a prominent member of the Math Department, co-director of the annual Mountain West Diversity Conference, and co-sponsor of Students Promoting Inclusion and Civic Engagement (SPICE), will be moving to Hawaii at the end of the school year in pursuit of a “fresh environment and to be close to family.” Wallis was known for her cheerful attitude and making math accessible to her students through songs, videos, games, and her one-on-one teaching. “She was open, caring, and compassionate… I could put my trust in her,” says Ruth San Diego ‘20. Ms. Wallis hopes that she made a positive impact on students. She says will miss “everyone, teachers and the students.” Although Ms. Wallis will be across the Pacific ocean, her memories of Eagle Valley will never drift away.
Mr. Buvala | Spanish
Mr. Jason Buvala is very well known around the school community for teaching Spanish and coaching Softball and Soccer. “I’ve been involved in a lot of different things with the school,” says Buvala. He loved coaching softball, soccer and making an impact on students, in and outside of the classroom. Buvala was known for challenging students to take on the learning and possibly struggle in the process. Mason Putnam ‘21 says, “Buvala opened my eyes to high school and that learning Spanish would not be a walk in the park. Buvala opened my eyes to the culture, because in the past I only learned Spanish and not the culture. Mr. Buvala is moving to Minnesota to join his wife and kids who moved there earlier this spring. His wife got a job at a prestigious hospital there.
Why teachers leave
SarojaManickam reporter
The large number of teachers leaving Eagle Valley High School this year reflects a larger problem of teacher retention in the Valley and the country, Every year Eagle Valley High School students introduce themselves to teachers that will help them hone the skills they need to succeed, provide them life-changing motivation, and impact their lives.
Unfortunately, those teachers often only spend a few years within their classrooms. Eagle County has a teacher turnover rate of 15.8% and an overall staff turnover rate of 23.3%. The classroom walls decorated with student drawings and quippy posters are annually left bare for a new teacher to fill.
eagle valley has a teacher turnover rate of
15.8%
What causes this teacher exodus, especially at Eagle Valley? Research indicates that the cost of living in the community surrounding Eagle Valley may be a prominent reason for leaving. In national discussions of the problem, the consensus is that salary is the primary reason for a location switch. Eagle County is not an exception to this belief, in fact it’s a key example. It’s no secret that the Vail Valley is a tourist area, boasting thousands of wealthy tourists and celebrities that visit each year. The quantity of those with high income in the Valley increases the costs of everything from groceries to real estate. This doesn’t just impact Vail itself. Living in Gypsum costs
TEACHERS TAKING
OFF
JackVito & IanDonegan
reporters
There are ten teachers leaving Eagle Valley at the end of this school year. Four of them now reflect on their experiences.
about 45.2 index points more than the national average, and in Eagle it costs 55.4 index points more. Teachers’ salaries at Eagle Valley High School that live primarily in Gypsum and Eagle are not compensated for the high cost of living. In fact, Eagle County Schools’ average is about $4,387 less than the national. That doesn’t even take into
gypsum costs
45.2 points more than average
consideration first year teachers, who are paid significantly less than their more tenured counterparts. Eagle County teachers were given a 10% raise in 2016 following the 3A Mill Levy measure, but the problem has persisted. Teachers, despite any connection they may have to their students or to the Eagle Valley community, oftentimes cannot financially sustain themselves in the Valley and thus are forced to move elsewhere for work. A local workplace mobility study found that 40% of teachers who leave stated that the cost of living was the reason for their move, and 25% of potential new teachers turn down the job once they realize how expensive working in this Valley actually is.
Mr. Cross | History
Social Studies teacher and Head Wrestling Coach Mr. Lucas Cross joins the list of teachers moving away next year. He remembers one of his favorite moments at EVHS was “...when the wrestling team placed third at state.” During his 15 years of teaching here, many great memories overwhelmed him. Mr. Cross loved the ability to have a welcoming learning environment. Connor Chalberg ‘22 states, “He truly wants to help you and if you need something he’s there for you.” Mr. Cross comments that the biggest thing he will miss is “...the friendships I’ve made with colleagues and the support network that is established within our staff”. Mr. Cross is moving to Iowa to spend more time with his family. He will working as at his father in laws Polaris dealership selling ATVs. Mr. Cross enjoyed many memories with his students and will take those memories with him.
Mr. Hoeger | Counseling
School counselor Mr. Nicholas Hoeger strived to make his office a place where “...people had a safe place to talk about life’s issues.” Hoeger reflects, “My hope is that I acted like a sounding board, to hear them (students) out, and kind of spitball”. Ian Forrester ‘21 will miss Mr. Hoeger because, “he always had an open ear for classes and always gave me great advice on which classes to take that will make me the most successful and because of that I never could be more thankful.” Mr. Hoeger is leaving because wants his kids to have positive memories with their grandparents, who live in Iowa. But he says he will always cherish his memories from Eagle Valley, especially the the Pep Assemblies here, simply stating, “they are second to none. ”
The problem is evident. The solution is a little less evident, as extreme raises from the district aren’t necessarily realistic nor is the cost of living decreasing. The solution to this problem is something that needs to be taken on by everyone, because teacher stability affects everyone from students and teachers to district wide employees.
40% of
teachers leave because of cost of living
Who’s leaving? Ms. Laura Berryman Ms. Michelle Brown Mr. Jason Buvala Mr. Jesse Bunge Mr. Lucas Cross Ms. Elizabeth Dilley Mr. Vicente Fuertes Mr. Nicholas Hoeger Ms. Seanna Wallis Ms. Erin Westerberg
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summer
SallyMcDonnell FinnMott
JOBS: Burger King (Eagle Location) Team Member & Hourly Shift Coordinator
As many students ponder what they are going to do this summer, they may quickly come to realize that they would love to gain a little bit of extra money. Whether it be for saving for college or just a little spending money, the smmer job seems to be a necessity. For those who are still in need of a job as the end of the school year approaches, here are a few places to start looking:
Subway (Gypsum and Eagle)
Color
Pazzo’s Server
Taco Bell (Eagle Location)
Eagle Pool and Ice Rink Lifeguard
Ekahi
At the begining of the year, school is full of excitement and necessary motivation. But as spring nears closer, promising the desired relaxation of summer break, motivation inevitably dwindles. As sometimes seemingly pointless assignments pass by, countless students wonder “Why exactly do I have to be here, again?” Legally, children are required to be enrolled in a type of school, so legal restraints keep students in desks. But past that, what keeps students in the classroom? Where do students draw motivation? Essentially, what are those big benefits to pushing past the challenges and gaining that diploma? Because for all the work put in, it has got to be more than just a piece of fancy paper.
Kitchen Prep
Wendy’s (Eagle Location)
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DIPLOMA reporter
CarolineDewell
Heidi’s Deli (Gypsum Location)
Feature
the worth of a
reporters
“Because for all the
work put in, it has got to be more than just a piece of fancy paper.
Colorado law ensures all children are receiving proper education. The Colorado School Attendance Law of 1963 requires that “every child who has attained the age of six years on or before August 1 of each year and is under the age of seventeen years,” attend a minimum hours of school
every year, the amount changing depending on level of education. Failure to meet these hours, such as an excess of absences, leads to outside regulation, such as meetings with school administrators. In extreme cases, students can find themselves in truancy court. Evidently, there is a compelling reason to stay in school - to stay out of court. But what other reasons exist? Financially, and quite obviously, a high school diploma does equate to a higher salary. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, “high school degree holders make nearly $8,000 more annually throughout their lives than those who have decided to drop out”. Though knowing how to find X or balance chemical equations may not be the most applicable skills, other skills learned in school, such as ¨leadership, communication, and analysis¨, are highly ¨valued in the economy,” according to a research from Georgetown University. In fact, a study from Georgetown University found that ¨Of all occupations, 96 percent require critical thinking and active listening to be either very important or extremely important to success” in the workplace. Though students are never tested on these exact skills, they are incorporated every day through assignments, projects and activities. Hence, a diploma qualifies the basic skills for employment and financial earnings. However, past those overarching reasons, what pushes students to get through every pile of assign-
ments? What fuels the day-to-day motivation? Macee Harris ‘19 admits she “never really loved high school,” but credits her four years here to finding her “passion and some amazing friends”. Taylor Shroll ‘19 highlighted the role her friends played in making school “much more bearable” as well as thanking her extremely “caring teachers” as they motivated her to “do [her] best” everyday. Allie Barela ‘19 reflects that despite the challenges, every hour of work was worth it to pridefully arrive at the “finish line” and finally earn that diploma. So, in short, that fancy diploma is more than just paper and ink. It’s a testament to each student’s hard work and a ticket to their future.
Grad Caps without decorations reporter
CarolineDewell On the first day of high school, each student has the freedom to dress the way they please - the way they feel will best define themselves as they step into the EVHS community. So if on the first day of high school students can dress as they please, why on graduation day are they limited to a plain cap and gown? Why are students at Eagle Valley not
allowed to decorate their caps and gowns? They do belong to the student, and on a day as monumental as graduation, why limit one’s expression?
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The collective effect of everybody being there with the same cap and gown is a massive part of displaying Eagle Valley’s community. The simple answer lies within Eagle Valley’s policy. District-wide, there is no standard protocol, but the plain caps and gowns are a “ tradition” that, according to prinicpal Mr. Greg Doan, has been a part of Eagle Valley for “decades.” This tradition was established before Doan became principal, and he is content in continuing it. Students could chalk it all up to the policy, but examining why Doan supports this policy brings a far more satisfying understanding. Graduation is a symbol of not only indi-
vidual achievement, but unity. Doan explains it is a “ceremony,” to honor the graduating individuals within the context of Eagle Valley as a whole. Wearing the robes and caps undecorated is a visual representation of this unity at Eagle Valley. Each student holds individuality through their own memories and moments. Graduation, and wearing uniform caps and gowns, simply serves as a time to reflect upon the place and classmates that helped form those memories. “The collective effect of everybody being there with the same cap and gown” is a massive part of displaying Eagle Valley’s community, Doan says, and is therefore an important part of graduation. Within the ceremony, there are countless other opportunities to show individualism. Cords of honor or the student and staff speeches, are meant to highlight individual achievements and invite students to reflect upon their own EVHS experience. But, each student is also invited to reflect upon their EVHS community, unified as a whole in matching cap and gown.
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8Speak of The Devils...
Bryson Eaton ‘22 is a Track and Field State Champion in the Unified 200!
The Eagle Valley Singers were selected to perform for the 9th Annual CHSAA Vocal Music Gala. They sang with some of the top ensembles from across the state!
Congratulations to everyone on the Track and Field team that competed at the state competition!
Editorial Board
Sally McDonnell
| Editor-in-Chief
Saroja Manickam
| Editor-in-Chief
Carter Josef
| Editor-in-Chief
Ella Srholez
| Layout Editor
Hannah Shapiro
| Adviser
Staff Reporters
William Austin Bianca Buechel Nick Bray Jazlyn Caballero Caroline Dewell Ian Donegan Riley Dudley Matthew Grewe Jenna Humphries Bode Kostick Quin McCarroll Finn Mott Mason Putnam Andrea Ramos
Speech and Debate will be sending six students to Nationals in Dallas, Texas this year. John Papadopoulos ‘19, Kalista Farmer ‘19, Caroline Dewell ‘20, Herry Garcia ‘20, Tobin Stone ‘19, and Esther San Diego ‘21 (not featured in photo). Additionally Herry Garcia took 1st place at State!
Want to join The Devils’ Advocate Staff? Visit us in The Media Lair (155) in Tech Hall
Students create content for all Eagle Valley Student Media publications acting in accordance with the Colorado Student Free Expression Law (Colo. Rev. Stat. 22-1-120). Any expression or opinion in this publication is not an expression of district policy. The district and its employees are provided immunity from civil or criminal penalties for any expression made or published by students. The Devils’ Adovcate is an open forum for student expression. The Devils’ Advocate is willing to accept and print any appropriate letters submitted by students of EVHS and reserves the right to edit these letters. We will not print letters sent to us without a name and signature. Submit letters to eaglevalleystudentmedia@gmail.com
Congrats to all of the Eagle Valley students who recently graduated from CMC! Pictured are Jared Espinoza ‘19, Izak Little ‘19, Madelyn Jaeger ‘19, Jonny Carrillo ‘19, Natalie Cano ‘19, Maria Garcia ‘19, Savanna Vasquez ‘19, Liz Armas ‘19, DE Composition teacher Ms. Dwenna Nelson, Alejandra Rocha ‘19, and Jessica Esparza Sanchez ‘19.