December master

potlight S December 2011

Volume LXXXXVIII Issue 4

Nihl Sacrum Est?

1600 City Park Esplanade

Up in Smoke:

photo by Chris Padgett

Rise in Drug Abuse Among Students

by Dylan Wells

T

he teacher paused at the front of the class, sniffed the air a few times, and announced that she smelled skunk. The offending scent wafted around the classroom in the World Language Department of East High School. The smell was definitely not skunk. And it was drifting from the clothes of a male student who had just returned from a “trip” to the bathroom.

The smell was, in fact, marijuana. The student had been lighting up instead of relieving himself. One of the students in the classroom, Pam (her name has been changed) described the scene: “This guy smelled like weed, so our teacher called security and she made us stay in the room, pretty much like a lockdown.” Soon, school security officials would arrive to detain the student with the unique aroma and search the other students for drugs and related paraphernalia. This presented Pam with a problem: she was packing a smoking pipe.

“I threw my pipe in the trash, so we were all good through the search, and then the next day someone told on me, that it was my pipe.” Immediately after the incident, Pam was suspended from school for one day, and then spent two days in the In-School Suspension room. It was during this time that she was interviewed by the Spotlight.

She now faces an attendance and behavioral contract, drug and alcohol counseling, lunch detention until February 10th, tutorial every Thursday, a ticket for possession of paraphernalia and unlawful acts on school property, and a court date on the 21st of December. “I think they went a little overboard, but I guess it’s expected since it is illegal and everything,” she said of her punishment.

Drugs are a problem in Colorado. When asked about social issues in a survey conducted by Colorado State University, Coloradans ranked substance abuse third out of thirty-three issues plaguing the state. It ranked behind only child abuse and joblessness. Marijuana is legal in Colorado for those with a doctor’s prescription, and, like California, it pervades the cultural landscape of the state, particularly in the city. In Denver, dispensaries now outnumber both Starbucks and McDonalds.

However, while most Coloradans view the spread of drugs as a problem, youth seem to think otherwise. Colorado ranks among the top ten states for illicit drug use in the past month among young people. When asked about the prevalence of Marijuana at East High School, Pam responded, “When you look at it, about 75% of the students have probably tried it or do it. It’s not uncommon.” When asked about the ease with which students can purchase

the drug, she responded that it was “fairly easy” to buy. “I mean, there are a lot of dealers out there.”

East Senior Dillon Nuanes concurs. “It’s easy to get marijuana. I mean, I know how to get it. It’s not hard to do.” He also said, “I think the administration makes a big deal out of it; I think it doesn’t deserve so much attention.

We should focus more on passing kids and diversifying advanced classes [rather than who is smoking weed].”

With one dispensary within the 1000-foot radius that state law calls for dispensaries to maintain around education facilities (the dispensary obtained their lease before the law went into effect) and another sitting right on the edge of the boundary, there are many sources through which students can access the drug. It certainly doesn’t help that Sun Mart, the gas station on the corner of Josephine and Colfax, sells an assortment of lighters and drug paraphernalia. East High School is situated right in the middle of Colfax, known as a haven for smoke shops and dispensaries. Students can’t help but find themselves surrounded by this culture as soon as they step off of school property.

Principal John Youngquist has made clear that Marijuana and drugrelated issues are among the most prominent in his thoughts as he prepares to depart East.

When medical marijuana first hit Colfax back in 2009, he recalls, “We had an immediate concern.” He went on to say “I’ve watched many, many young people over the years whose lives have been destroyed by the use of marijuana.”

Ironically, the district had just cut the school’s budget for drug and alcohol counseling, so Youngquist and his fellow administrators applied for and received a half milliondollar grant to provide for drug and alcohol counseling.

Thanks to that grant, East now has its own drug and alcohol counselor: Debbie Philips. Ms. Philips can be found in the health center along with the school nurse and psychologist. When asked about marijuana’s influence on the lives of students, Philips stated: “The thing I find difficult is that it affects their motivation, and therefore their grades.

Students don’t always see the impact it has. When seniors are looking back, they see that if they had been sober they could have been prepared for their dream college. It’s hard for freshmen and sophomores to anticipate that.”

Assistant Principal Shawne Anderson has seen many marijuana-related incidents during his four years at East High School, especially during the last two. Citing the influx, he stated, “It’s open and available in a way that it wasn’t three years ago… It’s easier to get weed than it is to get alcohol.” He said of East’s response, “the way we treat it has not changed, what has changed is we’re seeing more of it now.” He also reminded students “you can get caught in a number of ways.” He stated, “any of those times when we you are under the influence we will search you…you don’t actually have to have stuff on you for us to suspend you.”

He also emphasized that when students do get caught it is usually “because someone has told us ‘oh, there’s a group of students over here doing this’ or ‘there’s somebody outside my window’, so we respond to that.”

Youngquist is currently considering a number of policies that would provide a response to the Marijuana problem, including further drug-related education and the controversial use of drugsniffing dogs. Other schools, including Cherry Creek, Littleton, and Montbello have made use of the highly trained canines in the past. Youngquist explained his consideration of the method: “The interest in a drug-sniffing dog visiting the school would not be to catch more students with drugs, it would be to send the message loudly that they should not be here and that if that is a choice students are going to make then they need to be left elsewhere. It’s more of the message of ‘keep our school drug-free.’”

As tensions rise between East and the surrounding community, the state marijuana market continues to grow, and more and more students choose to abuse the drug, the future looks hazy for students. With Mendelsberg on the verge of taking over as interim Principal, it is clear that a change in policy is needed to combat marijuana’s prevalence. The form those policies will take and how they will be enforced, however, remains to be seen.

Drug-Related Disciplinary Incidents at East

[NEWS]

December 9th, 2011

page 2

They Said What?

by Abbey Lew

staffwriter

“I’ll listen to you, you listen to me, OK?”

“I can’t.

The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops.”

Andrew Hull was baffled by the Penn State scandal from a school he respected.

Panic at Penn State

Rick Perry, republican candidate, in a debate, embarrassingly forgot the third agency he would eliminate. He forgot the Department of Energy.

“I wanted to breathe, but I couldn’t because my face was covered in pepper spray.”

David Buscho, one of the protesting UC Davis students who was doused in pepper spray by police during an Occupy Wall Street protest on campus.

“For the welfare of your own people and the region, just leave that seat.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Prime Minister, in a televised speech directed at Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, after Syrian soldiers opened fire on two buses with Turkish citizens.

“Well, in retrospect, I...you know..I shouldn’t have showered with those kids.”

Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State assistant football coach, who is accused of multiple sex scandals.

Spotlight East High

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Genevieve Crawford & Dylan Wells MEDIA DIRECTOR Austion Woolfolk SENIOR EDITOR Max Segal

MANAGING EDITOR Emma Dargen BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Reger NEWS EDITOR Jacqueline Kimmell FEATURES EDITOR Joie Akerson CENTER EDITOR Nick Brown OPINIONS EDITOR Andrew Wise SPORTS EDITOR Keaghan Dunn-Rhodes REAR END EDITOR Joe Harrison PHOTO EDITOR Chris Padgett

STAFF WRITERS Alessa Barton, Deaunna Bridgeforth, Natalia Dellavalle, Aubin Fefley, Kahlia Hall, Christopher Harder, Daniel Hartman-Strawn, Abigail Lew, Kristian Marker, Grace McCabe, Denise Meeker, Gabriel O’Connell, Alison Oksner, Andrew Palmquist, Adelaide Sandvald, Harper Sherwood-Reid, Willow Turano, Ty Wagner, Poulami Wielga, Sara Yates STAFF ARTISTS Saad Moosajee and Jeremy Harker

Logo Design by Mo Shane East High Spotlight, Room 210A,

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper 1600 City Park Esplanade, Denver, Colorado 80206 Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

The Spotlight is published by the student newspaper staff of East High School. The views expressed are those of the individual students and do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor or of the staff as a whole. Student editors, not the administrators or the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, are responsible for the content published.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

SPONSOR Mr. Mark Ajluni

PRINCIPAL Mr. John Youngquist

PRINTED BY BARNUM PRINTING

photo by Chris Padgett

President Obama, in a response to heckling Occupy Wall Street protesters during his speech about the state of the economy in a New Hampshire high school gym.

by Elizabeth Reger buisnessmanager

T

he legend of Joe Paterno is over.

ers to speak up against Sandusky.

Sandusky now faces an arrest, a Paterno was recently fired after $100,000 bail fee, and more than 40 allegedly covering up the acts of a criminal reports. coworkers’ sexual harassment, the Along with Paterno, Tim Curly, historic football coach has left play- Penn States athletic director, and ers and fans in a state of anger and Gary Sholtzs, the vice president for shame. finance and business at Penn State “I think it’s depressing and im- were forced to resign their duties. moral”, says Senior and prospec- Most notably, Penn State’s principal, tive student of Penn State, Andrew Graham Spanier was fired.

Hull. After taking a tour of this topThe leave of Paterno, however, choice school, Hull’s initial opinions has proved to be the most infuriatof the prestige of Penn State were ing aspect to students at Penn State supported. Although Hull says that and those at East High. Immedihis final decision to no longer pur- ately after the announcement on sue the school was mostly for other Wednesday night of Paterno’s firreasons, the scandal of Penn State ing, thousands of students stormed certainly did not defend the title of downtown tearing down light poles, the renowned and admired school. turning over news vans, stomping The tale of the resigned leg- on street signs, and chanting the end, dubious administration proce- name of Joe Paterno. The students dure, and betrayed community, has also threw rocks and fireworks at sparked any police headlines trying to All I heard when I was there across the restrain the was that Penn State was the protest and nation and has best... It’s ironic that all of this at the police eventually cars. Othhappened after that. made its ers danced way back on top of to East High vehicles, School. With many of our angels sounded trumpets and vuvuzelas, considering attending, The Univer- and launched flares into the night sity of Penn State has lost a notable sky. Police tried to confine the aspect of reputation and morale. crowd with pepper spray and force; “When I was there all I heard channeling the students back into of the athletic advisors, professors, the buildings and away from the and kids on the dive team was that commotion.

Penn State was the best, but as soon Greg Becker, a freshman at as I got back all of this happened”, re- Penn State majoring in computer flects Hull. “ I think it was ironic that science, reflected that this was his everyone thought so highly of the and his fellow classmates way of school, and then all this happens.” dealing with their feelings. “This On November 10, after sixty- definitely looks bad for our school,” one years and forty-six remarkable he said, in an interview with NY seasons, Paterno left the campus of Times. “I’m sure Joe Paterno Penn State, his colleagues, and his wouldn’t want this, but this is just team once and for all. Paterno’s con- an uproar now. We’re finding a way troversial leave, however, is only one to express our anger. aspect of the story. The main shock Some expressed passion and horror lies entangled in the un- through the protest with dancing believable story and the terrible ac- and chants, others showed anger tions of Paternos’ trusted assistant through destruction, and a few porcoach, Jerry Sandusky. trayed sorrow for the loss of their Sandusky had previously been legendary mentor. Police finally renowned for his “shining example” managed to disperse the crowd and of a charity work through his “Sec- end the protest by 1:30 am. ond Mile” program at the PennsylAlthough the crimes and stovania State University. This group ries have hit many Angels with a gathered foster boys and teens in a shock and disbelief, many remain place where Sandusky was meant in sympathy for Paterno. “I think to support their growth and devel- it’s really sad. He put his life at risk opment as young men. Sandusky’s for the program; it’s unfortunate he immoral actions was revealed when got fired”, protests junior Francesca one ten year old boy spoke up about Sally. “Without him”, she continues, his harassment from Sandusky. “the inspiration will be gone.”

His story triggered dozens of oth-

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[NEWS]

December 9th, 2011

page 3

Cheating Now a Crime How far would you go to ACE the SAT?

by Jacqueline Kimmell newseditor

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the SAT, but also on the ACT. Twenty of these students have already been arrested, and 15 more students are facing charges. This presents a troubling view of the credibility of collegebound students in the US. If over 25 students are arrested in one county after a single monthlong investigation, then the problem is indisputably present somewhere in the other 3,142 counties of the US. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) that proctors the college entrance exams states that, statistically, this number of potential cheaters is rather low. They explain that of the 2.5 million tests taken each year, about 3,000 “irregular instances” get investigated, and only 1,000 scores get cancelled because of cheating. 99% of these occur because one student copies from another.

Nationwide, ETS says there are about 150 occurrences of impersonation per year. But this only includes those people who actually take the test; over 700 students are turned away at the door because of questionable identification.

Hundreds of schools across the country have called on the College Board to shore up security procedures. The SAT organization made an unprecedented leap for greater controls recently by hiring the security firm of the former

head of the FBI, Louie J. Freeh. They are also proposing new, increasingly stringent security measures. The first would only allow students to take the test at their own high school which would encourage a greater chance of correct identification. Certainly this would present a problem for some East students as East only offers the test on about half of all possible testing days. Currently, many students take the tests at neighboring schools such as George Washington.

Another measure would mandate test proctors to take digital pictures of students on test day. These would be compared to driver’s license pictures provided by the government.

A more stringent proposed change would require fingerprinting of all test-takers. Carl Flageole, head of standardized testing at East, says that these procedures would certainly not be implemented within this year. He contends that these new measures have one major problem: they would place a new financial burden on students, “Who do you think would have to pay for [the new measures]? It would all come down to the students.”

East counselor Brendan Doyle has proctored the test for so long that he has gained a

self proclaimed “eye for cheating.” He strategically places students alphabetically and forces taller students to sit in the back so he can see every potential cheater without his gaze being blocked by a tall student. He also saves extra seats at the front of the room for those who misbehave and measures desks to ensure that no student’s shoulders are closer than four feet to another’s. He’s never encountered a blatant cheater before, though he has kicked out multiple students for texting. He once had to confiscate the Chiquita banana-sticker laden calculator of a girl who he assumed was using the stickers to cheat.

Junior Morgan Blanco contends that it would be especially challenging to cheat on the tests because, “we sit so far away from each other and the counselors monitor it pretty well.” She believes that success in cheating in high school leads students to feel confident enough to cheat on the tests. Plus, she adds, “if students aren’t taking the time to learn what they are tested on in school they will not feel prepared for the bigger test.”

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the now illuminated problem is that of consequences. If a student is confirmed to have cheated on the test, they face practically no repercussions. Their scores from the suspect date are cancelled, but they are allowed to take the test again. ETS does not inform their high school or their prospective colleges about the cheating. Thus, despite the small fee of retaking the test, students have almost nothing deterring them from cheating in the first place, or again. “I think that cheating students should be able to take the test again to get an actual score,” argues Davies, “but they should have the fact they cheated somewhere on their application.”

The elaborate lengths that people go to cheat are due in part to the immense amount of pressure students are under to succeed.

First created to judge college success, high scores have now become a prerequisite to getting into college in the first place. “This creates so much pressure,” says junior Daisy Zoby, “no wonder someone has to cheat if their whole future relies on a three hour test.”

With district attorney Kathleen Rice and ETS on their case however, students will just have to try a little harder to score high without cheating.

istinguishing the Determined:

Student Council awards students who are ‘Taking Care of Business’

by Harper Sherwood Reid

few photographs are pinned to a red background behind a glass panel outside the main office of East High School. They seem to ordinarily go unnoticed, fading into the familiar tiled hallways that students traverse week after week. But for a few students, the photographs are not of strangersthey are images of themselves for the entire school to see.

The Head Boy and Girl decided early this school year that they wanted to make an effort to showcase the people at East who are not the students who routinely win awards and are known by a large part of the student population.

With this goal in mind, they began the “Getting Business Done” award, the recipients of which are nominated by their teachers.

Says Head Girl Lila Wright, “We thought it would be a good idea to recognize students who usually go unrecognized. It’s easy to fall through the cracks in a big school [like East.]”

She and the other members of student council are putting a great deal of effort this school year into recognizing students who may not be in the Top Ten, or who are not the kids who are routinely recognized by the population and who have always been acknowledged for their work.

Tee MacDonald explains this further. “We want to acknowledge kids

who kind of fly under the radar.”

Recent winner Sumayyah Muhammad says, “I always put effort into everything. It’s reassuring [to be recognized]. It’s a good thing. I thought I was doing bad [before], especially in Ms. Utsey’s class.” But Ms. Utsey was the teacher who nominated her for the award. The student council aims to do exactly what they have achieved with Sumayyah with the program- to seek out the students who always try their hardest and do their best but who are not usually seen by the whole of the school, and to show to them and their peers that they have worked exceptionally hard or progressed an exceptional amount.

Muhammad and other recognized students, including Audrey Miles and Sam Sachnoff, say that they feel proud. It’s exciting to look up on the wall and to see their own faces, they say. To them, it was inspiring to be acknowledged and made them work harder.

KC says that they look for “strong leadership” in the nominees, noting that improved attendance, grades, or motivation can lead to recognition. However, they look for a mixture of students to showcase, trying to include even numbers of boys and girls and kids from all

staffwriter

grade levels among the five students they acknowledge every month.

He also says, “It’s nice- they can tell their friends. We’re excited about it,” he says, and Lila agrees with a radiant smile.

“We want kids to be inspired to work harder,” he comments, as they discuss the hope that the award could be motivating for students who may be struggling or may simply not be as interested in school as their peers. In addition to this award, the student council will be presenting a few East pupils with a student Angel Award acknowledging notable work for the school and the community at the Snowball. They excitedly express their hopes that many people will attend the dance, if not for the dancing then for the great role in the community that it plays every December in giving to needy families using proceeds from ticket sales.

KC and Lila are eager for the word to get out about the “Year of Business,” which is what they are calling this year of widespread student recognition. They hope to encourage their peers and classmates to work harder and strive to be better.

“Now I have something to prove,” says Muhammad. Perhaps other East students ought to follow her lead, and prove that they, too, can get their business done.

Sumayyah Muhammad feels honored to receive the award.

October Award Recipients: Audrey Miles Sam Sachnoff Jared Harris Sumayyah Muhammad Guaje DeSoto

photo by Chris Padgett

D

photo by Max Segal

O

ne student placed a mirror on the ceiling to look at the answers on other people’s tests. Another student brought a pocketknife to shave his eraser to reveal specially-coded answers. At least thirteen students in New York found the SAT so daunting that they simply didn’t show up; instead, they hired a college student to take it for them.

These students, and their subsequent arrests, have ignited a nation-wide discussion over the security measures governing the taking of standardized tests. Specifically, the investigation is centered on how impostors were able to get into testing rooms, what should be done when cheating is discovered, and, perhaps the most pressing question: how widespread is college admissions test cheating?

In September, six students from Great Neck North High School, a prestigious public school on Long Island in New York, were accused of paying Emory University sophomore Samuel Eshagoff up to $3,600 apiece to take the SAT for them. Eshagoff created fake IDs to gain admittance to the tests, in two cases even posing as a female. Eshagoff is facing criminal charges, the first ever to be brought for cheating. The charges: scheming to defraud, falsifying business records, and criminal impersonation. If convicted, he faces over four years in jail. Junior Wilder Davies thinks this criminal charge is justified on the grounds that, “they were basically lying to whomever was reading their application and compromising the entire application process.”

The cheating ring was discovered when school administrators overheard rumors from a variety of students about cheating on the tests. They anxiously compared students’ scores on the tests to their GPAs. Eshagoff ’s illicit scores averaged between 2,170 to 2,200.

These scores, in the 97th percentile, were high enough to raise suspicion for the six students who had only B and B- averages. Furthermore, experts conducted handwriting analysis which proved that all six tests contained the exact same handwriting and could only have come from one test-taker.

This initial scandal ignited District Attorney Kathleen Rice. She decided to expand the probe to other schools in Long Island and found, in just the one small county of Nassau, over 35 students in five schools who are now being investigated for cheating on not just

[NEWS]

December 9th, 2011

page 4

Little Man, Big Plan: Mendelsberg Takes Over East staffwriter

B

efore he was the Athletic Director and soon to be interim principal of East High School, Mr. Mendelsberg was a graduate of George Washington High School who had a job driving beer trucks. Mr. Mendelsberg has spent the last fourteen years of his life as part of the faculty of East. Soon he will become its interim leader, and--if the district and hiring committee agree-- he could become its next principal.

The East community is still feeling the shock of Mr. Youngquist’s impending resignation. Sophomore Amber Tanaka said she was “heartbroken” when she heard the news.

“I didn’t know one person who didn’t like him!” she continued, “’Yummyquist left some big shoes to fill.” The thought of stepping into those shoes is daunting, but skeptics might be surprised to learn of Mendelsberg’s substantial credentials.

A Colorado native, Mr. Mendelsberg grew up in Denver and attended -- as he admits somewhat sheepishly -- GWwhere he was “a solid but not spectacular” student. His current position as East’s athletic director would lead some to guess: Mendelsberg was a student athlete. “I played baseball, basketball and golf,” recalled Mendelsberg and then added with a smile at his own expense, “You might want to make a note on the basketball thing that my height eventually got in my way.” During his high school years, Mendelsberg knew he wanted to coach. After graduating, he went to CSU to play baseball.

He only played college baseball for a semester before he decided that coaching would be a better fit for him. A speech and communications major with a minor in English, Mendelsberg did everything necessary to become a teacher, which he realized he liked even more than coaching. Before coming to East, he taught English at MLK High School for four years and Place Middle School for three years. He also earned his Master’s degree in administration from The University of Colorado at Denver.

Mr. Mendelsberg has been a part of DPS for over 20 years.

He coached baseball and softball for fifteen years. His first six years as an Angel were spent as a dean, and the following eight were spent as assistant principal. He was in charge of curriculum for six years, before beginning his current position as athletic director. It’s an impressive resume, but Mendelsberg has not forgotten his humbler beginnings. “The craziest summer job I ever had was driving beer trucks and delivering beer to liquor stores and restaurants.” Mendelsberg remembers with a

shake of his head. “It was a crazy job”.

When asked about Mr. Youngquist, Mendelsberg has flattering words for the man who he’ll soon replace. “I think he has numerous strengths, but they center around having a vision for our school and allowing kids every opportunity to be successful. He’s just overall a very good person.”

Mr. Youngquist was East’s principal for five years, a relatively short tenure that allowed Mendelsberg to witness Youngquist’s leadership from start to finish. Reflecting on their time together, Mendelsberg says that Youngquist taught him to really listen to what people are saying and take an evaluative stance on things.

Technically, Mendelsberg is only guaranteed the spot of principal for the rest of this school year, but when asked whether he was planning on applying for the long-term job, Mendelsberg answered in the enthusiastic affirmative. “I hope to finish my career at East as the principal,” he said. “I will go through [the application] process and hopefully what I do for the next five months will speak volumes that East is still going in the right direction.”

It’s also clear that Mendelsberg has a strong affection for East High School. “We have the best student body.” Mendelsberg asserted.

“We have the best kids, we have the best adults standing in front of them every day, and that’s what makes a great school. My goal [as principal] would be that this does not change as long as I’m here. I think that’s the biggest thing: people change, but the school doesn’t really have to.”

Taking over the principal spot also means that Mendelsberg is being continually judged by the student body. Sophomore Leah Pielsticker is less than enthusiastic about East’s new commander in chief. “Even though Mendelsberg has been at East longer than Youngquist, he hasn’t been the one to truly change East for the better.

Without Youngquist, I think a lot of people fear East will go back to how it was before Youngquist arrived,” she

A Licensed Liability:

by Abbey Lew

said. Sophomore Isaac Martinez can relate. “Mr. Mendelsberg will never live up to Mr. Youngquist,” Martinez stated. “Let’s face it.

Youngquist was probably the most amazing principal in Colorado.”

Junior Maggie Hartman has a different opinion. “None of us were even there then [before Youngquist]. It’s the students that make or break our school. We’ll all miss Mr. Youngquist, but we have a responsibility to keep the standards of our school high.” Junior Grace Baldwin agrees. “He’s not like a power tripping crazy guy.” Baldwin clarified. “He’s actually super nice, and I don’t think it’s going to be a huge issue.”

Drama teacher Dan Morr and music director Keith Oxman, both of whom have been a part of East for over ten years, have faith in Mendelsberg. Oxman says he feels good about the change, and Morr says he believes Mendelsberg will do “a fine job keeping things right on course.”

The extensive search for a new principal will soon commence, but in the mean time, East will be in Mendelsberg’s hands. Only time will tell if Mendelsberg will be a worthy successor to the man all angels knew and loved.

photo by Austion Woolfolk

by Aubin Fefley

Teen Drivers Reach Milestone, Hopefully Not Their Last

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teenager has the reaction time of a 70-year-old woman.

photo by Abbey Lew

staffwriter

n November 6, 11:13pm Grace Lovell’s post on Facebook read: “Big brother, if i could talk to you just once more i would tell you how much i loved you and how much i treasured you. tyler you were an amazing brother and i didn’t want to see you go like this but i love you and never forget it.”

Unfortunately, Grace could not tell her brother that in person.

Preceding Grace’s post, on November 6, 2:30am in Wheat Ridge, CO, 18-year-old Tyler Lovell, student at Lakewood High made his way home from a party with girlfriend Rain Walsh, and other Lakewood students, Steve Miskimon and Andre Lang. The 2000 Toyota 4Runner sped along Twilight Drive and Oak street at 60 mph (in a 25 mph zone). Lovell was unaware of a sharp turn and his vehicle became airborne for 40 feet before slamming into a large oak tree nearby.

Lovell and Walsh were killed instantly. The backseat passengers, now remain in critical condition. Lang is on highlevel support and is paralyzed from chest down. Miskimon has a badly broken leg and arm. An autopsy of Lovell reveals that his blood alcohol level was 0.228g/100ml, which is much higher than the legal limit of .08.

Nationally, traffic crashes are the number one cause of teen deaths and account for 44% of teen fatalities in the U.S. Each year, about 3,800 drivers between ages of 15 and 20 are killed, and approximately 326,000 are inWhen distracted, a jured annually.

Lakewood principal, Roy Castagna stated, “I’ve been around a long time, so I can tell you that in spite of all of our best efforts, there are still going to be tragedies like this, it is that teenage invincibility that tells them otherwise. They will think it’s sad, but that it won’t happen to them.”

Unfortunately, over the last two years, due to budget constraints, the Jefferson County Public Schools have lost their federal money that funded the district’s campaigns to spread messages on the consequences of reckless driving. Even in the wake of such a tragic accident, the district said mass campaigns of educating students on poor choices cannot be afforded.

At East, the defensive driving course, “Alive at 25,” came to educate students about the potential lethal risks of driving, the program put a wrecked car by the E to show the devastating consequences of reckless driving.

Despite all the “Seatbelts are Swag” messages and new parking lot system, car accidents are common at East. Many students have either been close to having an accident or have had one.

Junior Adie Hobbs has been in several car crashes, “My scariest was when I was on the highway and the two cars in front of me, a truck and a Volkswagen, slammed on their brakes, I tried to slam on mine but rear ended the car in front of me. I got a ticket for $150 for following too closely. I believe teenage driving is safe only if you pay attention.”

Many crashes can also occur when students are passengers, Senior Ryann Simms is hesitant to begin driving after experiencing a traumatic accident 9 years ago, when her mother had an epileptic seizure while driving their family to a pumpkin patch. They crashed into a nearby pole and fortunately no one was injured.

Keith Norris, security guard at East, oversees the student parking lot regularly. He witnesses dangerous student driving habits, such as roof or hood surfing, and jumping in and out of moving cars. “Teenage driving is risky, but the majority of our drivers are pretty good, except for a couple of knuckleheads,” Norris says.

“Alive at 25” conducted a survey at East to see how many people wore their seat belts, it turns out only 30-40 students didn’t, which is a small percentage based on the number of drivers at East. If a seat belt is not properly worn, the passenger decreases their chance of surviving by 50%. In 2009, an estimated 12,713 lives were saved due to seat belt use.

When teens acquire their licenses, they often forget the consequences and responsibilities that come along with them.

Age restrictions have been accepted by most states since the 1990’s. If these laws are violated, the driver can receive either an in-school suspension, court ticket or must attend a specialized program such as “Alive at 25” or the National Corrective Training Institute.

Most crashes are caused by speeding, and other negligent behavior. Allison Curry, a director at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention disagrees, “The vast majority of crashes occur not because the teen drivers are behaving badly, but because they have not yet developed the crucial skills they need.” Studies have shown that when distracted, a teenager has the reaction time of a 70-year-old woman. The Wheat Ridge accident is just one example of the many that resulted from undeveloped driving skills and reckless teen driving.

Tyler Lovell and Rain Walsh were typical teenagers, they played sports, had Facebooks, had future college plans and a whole life ahead of them. This tragic accident occurred only twenty minutes from East and reminds all students that this can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. In Keith’s office that overlooks the student parking lot, hangs the crucial saying, “Chance takers are crash makers. Drive safely.”

December 9th, 2011

[FEATURES]

To Hell and Back Again

page 5

East faculty member shares her inspiring journey back from the brink of drug addiction

by Emma Dargen

senioreditor

Erasing Race

youth group. “I was in a hotel room with six or seven men that were about thirty-five to forty years old,” she recalls. “I had the entire youth group show up outside the hotel with about four police officers who took me out.” It was at this moment that McCutcheon began her recovery.

She was able to quit using thanks to her incredible resilience and support from her youth group, although the consequences of her self-destruction continued to show their ugly hand. “I had to have $40,000 to $50,000 in work on my teeth…and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.”

She had to have her thyroid completely removed, but she is now healthy and happy.

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McCutcheon is now a successful secretary and a mother of two.

photo by Emma Dargen

W

hile Sharon McCutcheon works hard in her office scheduling meetings, responding to an endless number of emails, and figuring out detailed logistics, she constantly has a smile on her face. Pictures of her two young daughters sit proudly atop her neatly organized desk. Mr. Youngquist’s secretary is the picture of successful and satisfied; she’s a married career woman with children. However, what is truly unique about her story is the darkness of her past.

By the time she earned her high school diploma, McCutcheon had already been through more than most. Her chaotic life quickly led her down a path of self-destructive behavior, ending with an addiction to the extremely harmful drug, methamphetamine.

McCutcheon grew up in Lakewood, where she attended Bear Creek High School. However, her time at the school was short lived. By ninth grade she was using drugs heavily, with only a brief reprieve during the swim season to avoid the random drug testing performed by the school.

McCutcheon cites difficulties with her family and personal life as part of the reason for her descent: “There was a lot of disconnect with my parents. My dad had been laid off and they were working every job that they could to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.” She turned to drugs for comfort.

In an effort to escape the chaos of her personal life, McCutcheon began using less severe drugs prior to the start of high school as a coping mechanism. “I started using marijuana at twelve. It sparked a curiosity and you lose yourself in whatever it is that you’re doing. It opened up an avenue for me to not have to deal with what was going on,” she says.

With drugs came a slew of unhealthy and unstable relationships. Her relationships with her friends and family began to crumble as she started disappearing for days, even weeks on end. “Once you start to get into that kind of lifestyle and start linking up with people, you tend to drop all of your friends that don’t do [drugs].” McCutcheon admits that at age fifteen she was running with a crowd of men much older than her, often between the ages of thirty and forty years old.

Her parents were left in the dark about her battle with substance abuse, though McCutcheon says that they had their suspicions. Her two sisters were subject to the pitfalls of her lifestyle as well. McCutcheon recalls sharing a room with the youngest sister, shamefully admitting, “One night I came home and I had forgotten her name altogether.” She adds, “I didn’t realize how badly it hurt her but we’ve gone through a lot of healing—something you have to do during the recovery process.”

Though McCutcheon was never arrested or charged with any offense, she was caught at school with a substantial amount of meth which she had begun dealing. “You get yourself in deeper, hotter water because you end up taking from the sup-

ply that you’re supposed to be selling.” Her decision to begin selling brought with it plenty of altercations and arguments.

When her parents finally realized just how bad their daughter’s situation had become, they threatened to ship her off to New Jersey to live with her grandparents. “When I was told that I needed to find a new place to live or get my stuff together, I was still all over the place.”

Her moment of clarity came after a confrontation with the police and an essential intervention by the members of her

criticism. These ninth graders took one day of the month out of their geography class to be talked to by a faculty member, such as Mr. Anderson, and older student leaders, like Angel Oaxaca.

“When you think that there is nobody there to listen or nobody who cares, you need to advocate for yourself.”

Despite her willingness to discuss her past, she prefers not delve too deeply into the causes and instead wants to use her story as a cautionary tale. Having experienced rock bottom at such a young age, McCutcheon has wise words to offer anyone who is struggling with abuse, substance or otherwise: “When you think that there is nobody there to listen or nobody who cares, you need to advocate for yourself. It’s not worth being on death’s door to prove that you have a problem or that you are having issues dealing with things.”

“I would much rather reflect on what my life is now,” says McCutcheon. She is married with two young girls; she is focused on moving forward to the new phases of her life.

Her eyes light up as she talks about her girls, “They are the joy of my life.”

Though her girls are still very young, seven and nine, McCutcheon has kept an open dialogue with them about the dangers of drugs. “[My girls] were having a drug awareness week at their school and they wanted to know how drugs negatively affect you, and so we watched an episode of Intervention together, which was shocking for them to see— the deterioration of the face and teeth, all of that...

If they ask, I talk to them about it until it reaches a point where they can’t absorb what I’m trying to tell them. I answer them honestly, ‘sometimes people just can’t control or stop themselves.’”

Her drug addiction and virulent past have not injured her positive, friendly demeanor. Her candor is refreshing, her wisdom unconventional but perfectly applicable: “I think overall in life you really don’t have anything to fear as long as you confront it. You can’t let people have control over things that you are afraid of.”

photo by Denise Meeker

people who are like them, basketball kids eat with basketball kids, volleyball kids eat with other volleyball kids…we need to have more diverse friend groups.”

The students chosen went through a one day training program in the East tower.

There, they played games and made signs “Diversity Dialogue” on how to attack diversity issues head on. One game required the students breaks new ground to grab a card with certain disabilities written on them,

by Denise Meeker and Joie Akerson ranging from being wheelchair dependent to dyslexic. Then unior Angel Oaxaca doesn’t need to be rethey had to answer hypothetiminded that East is a diverse school. Like evcal questions pertaining to ery other student, he’s heard the statistics, seen how their lives would change the numerous pie charts, and gathered data if they had said disability. This on the wide array of ethnicities that roam the exercise enabled the kids to halls of East. He gets it. But for Oaxaca and a think about what it’s like to be few of his peers, the numbers alone have never in someone else’s shoes. Othbeen enough. Even though East houses many er activities like that dared denominations, a quick waltz down Colfax at the kids to look outside their lunch reveals that the student groups are often comfort zone and tackle tophomogenous. Oaxaca noted that the student ics many tend to steer away community isn’t always as integrated as the data The student leaders of the Diversity Dialogue are mentors to ninth graders. from. continually boasts, and at the beginning of this As Mr. Anderson enyear he was given an opportunity to help change The student leaders were chosen by ters the freshman geography class on one of that inconsistency. a teacher recommendation process. Forty the seminar days, every ninth grader looks Vice Principal Shawne Anderson made students were selected and have been in a up expectantly. The usually calm (and ocsimilar observations as disciplinary dean last monthly training seminar since August where casionally slightly scary) year. He “saw an increase in incidences around they are learning activities and exercises Mr. Anderson shows a race and sexual orientation, like inappropriate about universal acceptance. Once the student whole different side of comments in classes. It would sometimes lead leaders mastered the material, they used their himself. He smiles, to harassment and bullying.” He adds that often newfound tools to teach other students how cracks his signature the kids who acted out of line “genuinely didn’t to broaden their social horizons as well. The deadpan jokes, and know what they had done wrong…they don’t students have since taken over the facilita- tells anecdotes of his know how to broach these subjects.” He, along tion of the program from the faculty advisors. own perwith a group of other faculty members, had They now teach the ninth grade seminars in- sonal exvowed to make this school year different. dependently. periences Mr. Anderson then decided to make this Since joining the program, Oaxaca has with ethnic tensions. On the first day of change by dedicating his time to creating a become more acutely aware of how students his Diversity Dialogue, Mr. Anderson introprogram with the sole interest in “changing the tend to box their peers into rigid archetypes. duced himself and dove right into a story conversation.” The “Diversity Dialogue” was Students from different backgrounds “just about his past. The students listened, encreated to inform ninth graders about how to don’t know how to relate to each other,” Oaxa- thralled by his story, laughing and nodding talk about touchy subjects like another person’s ca notes. He recognizes that it’s not solely a ra- as Mr. Anderson moved around the front of religion, race, and beliefs without judgment or cial issue, either; “Everybody eats lunch with the classroom.

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“Now that I have told my story, it’s your turn,” he says, and he asks every student to stand up and share the meaning of their name to the classroom. The students stood up one by one. Some of them nervously share while others excitedly jump up.

As the conversation moves from names to more controversial topics like race, often the tension increases as well. Mr. Anderson has developed a system to deal with potentially offensive comments that sometimes come up in these heated conversations. Prior to the seminar, he gives a short disclaimer: “There will be a time when someone says something hurtful or inappropriate in this room, and to try to prevent hurt feelings we use two words in here.” Mr. Anderson uses the two words “oops” and “ouch” as a mechanism to voice when something offensive as been said. “Oops” is for when a student says something he realizes could potentially be taken offensively, while “ouch” is when someone else’s words hurts you personally. These words allow for a convenient way to express emotions, especially when the speaker may not have even realized they said anything hurtful.

Every participant and leader learned something new from the Diversity Dialogue, whose ultimate goal is to prove that “everyone has something in common, that we’re really not so different,” Oaxaca says.

“We need to get to a place as a school where kids can step in [during instances of hate crimes] and say that’s inappropriate and here’s why,” Anderson agrees affirmatively.

By passing on the peace-making torch from faculty to upperclassmen, the project hopes to create a more united and accepting East community.

[FEATURES]

December 9th, 2011

page 6

Angel Interactions for Dummies A guide to deciphering body language in the hallways

by Ali Oksner staffwriter

E

ast High’s hallways buzz with an energy akin to no other environment. With so many students in one space, communication is constantly changing and confusing, but with some help, correspondence can be made easier. Here are some important interactions to recognize in your everyday travels through the halls:

The Hand Hug

photos by Ali Oskner

An extremely natural occurrence after a notable high five or moment of true connection, such as a “dis” said in unison. The Hand Hug should not be held for too long to ensure its effectiveness.

The Behind-The-Back Fist Bump

Reserve this for the utmost wondrous moments or when you just want to get fancy with it. Don’t be discouraged if this move isn’t graceful the first time you attempt it, this elaborate greeting takes time to master.

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4.

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The Warm Embrace

This expression of affection is reserved for especially joyous or grievous situations. A bad day or great news are excellent reasons for the warm embrace. Overuse is easy, so make sure you save the warmth for a worthy incident.

5.

The Nine-Hour Handshake

6.

This complicated pact is shared between the closest friends because it signifys a deep bond. Always remember that the Nine-Hour Handshake means business, and its name is accurate so do not try this one in passing period.

The ‘Sup Nod As the most casual and universal greeting, this gesture can be used for both best friends and distant acquaintances. Keep the nod short, sweet, and subtle to avoid possible whiplash or embarrassment.

The “Hey You!”

Used by a wide range of students, this versatile acknowledgement has many variations and applications. Whether you are trying to catch someone’s attention or simply saying hello to a familiar peer, the “Hey you!” can be both intimidating or amiable.

[FEATURES]

December 9th, 2011

page 7

An Unorthodox Approach

Students Reach “Starz” Status

World Religions Class thinks outside the classroom

by Kahlia Hall staffwriter

East group attends Film Festival

by Daniel Hartman-Strawn staffwriter

The Colorado Muslim Center, Focus on the Family (an evangelical organization), the Shambhala Mountain Center (Buddhist center), and the Greek Orthodox Church are all field trip destinations of Seaholm’s World Religion Class.

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Denver Film Festival attendees wait before their first of three movies.

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n average, an American makes a trip to the movie theater five times a year. This is the same number of movies that students attended over the span of three days during the “First Annual East High Denver Film Festival Program,” or FAEHDFFP, as English teacher Todd Madison likes to call it, though he concedes a better acronym may exist.

The program came about as a result of a new partnership between the Denver Film Society, the organization that runs the Starz Denver Film Festival, and East teachers Todd Madison and Mark Ajluni. The Film Society, best known for running indie, eccentric and thought-provoking movies, recently relocated to the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax next to The

[

“It was really inspiring

]

to see all of the different directors who showed their films at the festival.”

Tattered Cover and behind Twist & Shout. Due to its proximity to East, the Film Society wants to encourage more student involvement in the FilmCenter during the festival and in the future. Madison said that he really wanted to “give our students the festival experience.”

The Denver Film Society provided the tickets for the films that Mr. Madison and Mr. Ajluni felt would be both interesting and stimulating to students. These ranged from a documentary that examined religion through the creation of a false guru (Kumare), to a comedy that follows two brothers trying to find out whether a wife is being unfaithful (Jeff, Who Lives at Home), to a panel of directors speaking about the trade. The program’s highlight was the Starz Film Festival’s final event; a red carpet showing of the film The Artist, a modern silent film.

About 20 students participated in the program this year, and many more applied. The result was a very socially diverse group of East students, many of whom had not known each other well before the weekend they spent together at the movies. This range of views and backgrounds created an exciting dialogue, which reflected the varied nature of the films attended.

Par t i c ip ant s spoke glowingly about the program.

Junior Matt Andersen said of the experience, “I had a great time at the festival. Even though it was only one weekend long, I got to understand a lot more about the production and directing that takes place behind the camera, which was awesome!”

Senior Jesse Rae Chusid echoed the great insight gained about the industry: “It was really inspiring to see all of the different directors who showed their films at the festival. It was almost impossible to pick out the new filmmakers from the old pros! The talent was really broad and evenly spread.”

Having put together a successful pilot program, Ajluni and Madison are looking forward to doing a similar event next year during the festival, although Madison noted that there were some modifications that he’d like to make. “Next year, we’d like to get the word out there and attract more people. Hopefully in the future we can see even more movies over the course of the festival.”

As for program co-sponsor Mark Ajluni, there was nothing but excitement over the program. “Wow, this partnership vastly exceeded our expectations and is a harbinger of great things to come. We saw amazing films, met brilliant minds, and bonded over a love of film. I was proud to be a part of this cinematic smorgasbord!”

t’s a cold Wednesday morning. Most students are sitting in their classes watching the clock, waiting for the long block period to be over, but in the front hall, there is a more unconventional class taking place. There are students scattered around talking about “Allah,” the “Haj,” and the “Qur’an,” in preparation for their field trip. All the girls have scarves ready so that they can cover their heads when they arrive at their destination -- a mosque. Who are these students? And more importantly what are they talking about? These are the students of Mr. Seaholm’s World Religions class. They are getting ready to go to the Colorado Muslim Society. There, they will get first-hand experience on the religion they’ve been studying. They get the opportunity to learn about both religion and culture from others who experience it every day. This is only one of the many field trips the students get to look forward to during the semester. “Field trips would be the highlight of this class if you ask any of the students,” says Mr. Seaholm. These trips are one of the many things that set this class apart from the rest.

True, this class gets rave reviews for its field trips, but it’s known for much more than that. Students get the opportunity to learn about the different religions around the world, discuss important topics about these religions, and finally get the answers for which they are looking.

This class covers a wide range of religions, from the lesser known, like Paganism, Satanism, and Mormonism, to the wellknown religions around the world. “It’s an overview of the major world religions,

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focusing mostly on the big five: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,” explains Seaholm. Many students have heard of these religions before, but don’t know anything about them. Through field trips and speakers, this class let’s students divulge into religions of all varieties. “[The students] often have these big questions that they want to address, that they want answered, or they want to discover some more of,” Seaholm says. Many of these big questions are answered when the students begin to study the new religion in class, but what about the questions that aren’t answered?

These questions can only be answered by the followers and leaders of the respective religion. Time to bring in the experts. Mr. Seaholm brings in many different people to help answer these questions and talk more about their religion from first-hand experience. These people range from a yoga instructor during the Hinduism unit, to a Wicken priest, a Shaman, and Mormon missionaries. When the experts can’t come here, the class will gladly go to them. The students get to go to The Shambhala Center (the Denver Branch of the Tibetan Buddhist Center), a reform temple in Park Hill, a Greek Orthodox Church, the Protestant South Broadway Church, and Focus on the Family-a conservative Evangelical organization. All of these trips help the students to really learn and dive in to the new religion as well as giving them great new memories.

Students are not only exposed to

these new religions, but the cultures that come along with them.

They learn how different cultures around the world are affected, or may have an effect on the religion.

Take Islam, for example. Students, especially the female students, were exposed to cultural and religious differences when visiting the Colorado Muslim Society. The girls were required to cover their heads with scarves as a sign of respect when in the mosque. They were also asked to sit on a different side of the room than the boys. This may seem like an unusual thing to ask, but because of what they had learned, the students were well prepared for this cultural and religious practice. Studying these things help students get a better understanding of other cultures. “The class helps break down stereotypes within the different religions. It helps create tolerance and an understanding, and a realization that many of the religions around the world have the same goals and have a lot of the same philosophies,” says Seaholm.

Gaining understanding and respect for something new is definitely another great reason to take this class.

The World Religions class is unique to say the least. The ability to increase tolerance among students in an interactive way is something that every teacher hopes for.

It is very rare to find a class that can do all of these things at once, but this is one of them.

Aviva

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n Mo

by Nick Brown

“

centereditor

Her shows aren’t just a concert, they’re an experience, and if you thought you were just coming to see a DJ, you were mistaken.” The experience mentioned is pulled from the biography of AVIVA, an up and coming Colorado DJ. After only a few months on the scene, the female artist is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Within the last few weeks, she has opened for sold out shows at the Boulder Theatre and won numerous DJ competitions in Denver. Surely her name will start to pop up on more and more marquis around town.

AVIVA, born Aviva Sonenreich, was born and raised in Colorado. Currently, she is a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In fact, it was there where her music career began. Self-taught and motivated, she started playing house parties in her local area. It did not take long for her to prove herself to be a force on a larger scale. Before long, she had linked up with a local music producer.

According to her Facebook page, “though she predominantly spins house music, it’s not uncommon to hear her drop some dubstep, remixes, or even old-school hip-hop. There’s something in Aviva’s shows for everyone.” Everyone who likes to have a good time, that is. Guests at the show are guaranteed an entertaining show full of edgy, new music.

AVIVA is lucky to grow up where she did. Colorado is a hot spot for electronic music. Big Gigantic, one of the better known electronic groups out here, also got their start in Boulder, Colorado. Pretty Lights, who has sold out the 1st Bank Center on their New Years tour, calls Denver home as well.

AVIVA has some big shoes to fill in her musical career.

The future looks bright for this budding artist. As more and more people are exposed to her music, the more raving followers she gathers. For an artist with such great talent and motivation, the sky is the limit. It won’t be long before AVIVA is selling out Red Rocks.

Walking in a Frozen Fashion A look at the holiday season’s hottest clothing trends

Holiday happenings at East,

By Adelaide Sandvold

WOMEN There is nothing more classic than a double-breasted peacoat. Choose one in a bright color to contrast the snow. You can find this one at J. Crew.

To insure warmth and style, a down jacket is the way to go. Sporty styles can be found at Patagonia or you can add some flair with a fur collar like this one from Baby Phat.

For those of you who love to make a statement, a bold faux fur coat is the way to go. Not only is it impossibly chic, it’s also a guaranteed head-turner. This jacket came from Urban Outfitters.

Moonboots are back. These oversized and comfy boots are guaranteed to keep you warm and make a statement. Show your colors in rainbow or shine in glitter. Many looks can be found at Nordstrom.

MEN

For those of you who spend all your time in the mountains, why not get a jacket that you can wear on the slopes and around town? This jacket from WeSC provides great warmth and will also make you the coolest guy around.

A toggle coat is a timeless item that looks good on everyone, so why not have one in your closet? This one from LL Bean is made from pure Italian wool and is insulated, so fighting the cold won’t be a problem for you.

A down jacket is always an asset to battling winter.

Simple and sporty, Patagonia makes theirs compressible so it isn’t a hassle to have when you’re not wearing it.

Sorel snow boots are perfect for Colorado winters. Their design is simple but guaranteed to block out the cold. They’re perfect for any mountain man. See the different styles at sorel.com.

Men’s UGGs (yes, you read that right) are the new best thing to happen to the world of cozy shoes. Lined with the classic shearling, they keep the UGG trademark but the outside leather and hardware make them manly enough for them not to be a guilty pleasure. Nordstrom has a variety of styles and colors.

LL Bean Boots have been America’s go-to boot since 1912. Their upper leather and rubber chain link tread sole are the epitome of casual class. They’re guaranteed to last and will become a favorite of yours after the first wear.

Hunter wellies are chic and classic. They come in limitless colors and styles. While they, alone, don’t keep the heat in, the company also makes a plethora of fleece socks to wear them with. Both of these items can be found at Nordstrom.

When School is Done, Angels Have Fun

CHRISTMAS EXCITMENT

By Genevieve Crawford

A

s final exams wrap up and the first semester comes to a close, snow begins to settle over Denver and winter break begins. It is safe to say that winter break is a very exciting and valuable time for all students to unwind and celebrate the coming of a new year and the successes of the last semester.

Senior Nikki KleimanMoran does not celebrate Freshman India English prepares to Christmas because she jet off to Marrakech, Morocco for a is Jewish, but she is quite Middle-Eastern adventure with her excited about her own family. She will ride camels in the vast version of Christmas fesSahara desert where she will camp out tivities with her family. for a few nights, barter for trinkets She says, “I can’t wait to be in fantastic Arabian markets known a typical jew and go see a as “souqs,” and sample the unique movie after eating Chicuisine. English exclaims, “I am so nese food with my family. excited for the whole trip, but mostly L’chaim!” about the culture of Morocco.”

TRIPS

Austion Woolfolk, Jacqueline Kimmell and Genevieve Crawford will all travel with CISV, an international peace education organization, to New Zealand, India and Brazil, respectively. With this program they will engage in activities that teach cross-cultural awareness surrounded by dozens of other countries in a very unique setting. Ali Oksner, Katrina Umbaugh and Clarke Sondermann will also travel with CISV to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, for an International Youth Meeting for eight days where they will meet thirty kids from six other countries to focus on what freedom means. Monet Woolfolk will also travel to New Zealand.

Senior Casey Rhine hopes to ski as much as she possibly can this winter break. Rhine hopes to make it to Breckenridge, Vail, and Copper, but she especially hopes to go to Whistler, Canada. She remarks, “I skied Whistler last winter break, and nothing can compare!”

Senior LaTyle Green seriously can’t wait for Santa’s arrival. She exclaims, “Santa told my mom that I’m not getting coal this year, so he is definitely getting some fresh milk and cookies from me!” Aside from Santa, she’s “mainly excited to be with her family.” She claims that they are “crazy and outrageous. They are just totally out of sight, and Christmas dinner at my Gram’s house is going ‘to get real,’ because when you say you’re full, she will make you eat more.”

SKIING Sophomore Calvin Barrett is also excited for the ski season to fully commence, and he will be spending most of his free time up at Keystone and Breckenridge. He said, “I like skiing because it’s an escape from the city where you can do something different with you friends. I love the mountain culture, and the views are definitely really sweet. There’s just so much about skiing I like.”

D

Winter Wonderland

around Denver, and Beyond Spreading the Cheer: Volunteer Opportunities for the Holidays

By Joie Akerson

A

s cheery music begins to swell and families start to gather around tables, as stores bombard the public with sales and windows begin to frost over, as the holiday season sets in and people of different cultures settle down for their respective celebrations, a sense of charity is also revitalized in the homes of many. Take advantage of the holiday cheer and volunteer at a charity in your area.

O ver the holidays, when many famAt the center of every holiilies are giving thanks for their good day is an abundance of food, and the Food health, Project C.U.R.E. is helping the other Bank of the Rockies has set out to ensure that a families across the globe who are desperately in Colorado family never goes without this holiday seaneed of medical attention. Project C.U.R.E. is a Colson. They pack over 500 boxes of nutritious food every orado-based organization that sorts boxes of medical day for low-income homes. Like Project C.U.R.E., the Food supplies and then distributes them to devastated areas Bank needs help in sorting these boxes of donated food to of all over the world. They are prominent in the aftersend to distribution centers around Colorado. If you are inmath of natural disasters, but they are also diligent about terested in feeding your local community this winter, Food shipping their much-needed boxes to commonly neBank of the Rockies is looking for volunteers at least 14 glected small communities in third-world countries. You years old. Go online at foodbankrockies.org and sign up can help their global efforts here by visiting their warequickly though, as the volunteer spots fill up very raphouse in Centennial and putting together boxes. They idly during the holiday season. welcome all volunteers aged 15 and older, and even have hours especially for youth on Mondays and Wednesdays. Spread the wellbeing this winter by contacting W h i l e Project C.U.R.E at denvervolunteers@prodriving downtown around jectcure.org.

Park Avenue and Lawrence Street, it’s difficult to miss the many homeless people concentrated Homelessness is in the area. At the center of it all is the Denver Rescue a circumstance we tend to afMission, often characterized by a long line of people for filiate only with individuals, but Family food and shelter. As the temperature outside drops, the numHomeStead tells us that it can be a “family afber of people wanting their services spikes. Denver Rescue fair” as well. Family HomeStead provides “tranMission relies on food donations to sustain itself all winter sitional and emergency housing” to homeless long. Buying a few extra cans of food or even starting a food Colorado families. Their sub-project this winter drive in your local community can help them feed the homeis “Adopt a Family,” where people buy holiday gifts less of Denver this holiday season. If you’d rather donate for the struggling families that might not be able time, Denver Rescue Mission also allows volunteers to help to afford them otherwise. The purchases are made prepare and serve the food at mealtimes. If you are interanonymously, in a “secret santa” fashion. Adopt a esting in spending a few hours there, visit their website, family with a group of your friends and work towww.denverrescuemission.org, and use their online gether to ensure that every member of the family scheduling system to figure out when you can receives a holiday gift. Family HomeStead can help out the hungry this winter. be reached at (303) 623-6514.

Food Bank of the Rockies

Pro ject

C.U .R.E

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on i s is

es R er v n De

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Adopt a Family through Family HomeStead

Ringing in the New Year Around the World

By Natalia Dellavalle

In Spain, Ecuador, Peru, Portugal, Mexico, and Cuba, it is a tradition to eat twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each month of the upcoming year. Some say the name of each month before they eat the grape, and a sweet grape predicts a lucky month.

In Greece, a cake is baked with a coin in it. Whoever gets the piece with the coin in it will have good luck in the coming year.

Chinese New Year, celebrated on January 23 in 2012, is celebrated with elaborate dragons and lions dancing in the streets. People wear red, the most favorable color, and all gifts are given in pairs because odd numbers are bad luck.

In the southern United States, people eat black-eyed peas to bring good luck and prosperity.

The Japanese eat long Buckwheat Soba Noodles to symbolize long life. They take care to get the entire noodle in their mouths before breaking it.

Moroccans and Algerians enjoy family gatherings and slaughter a sheep or goat for a religious tradition.

Cabbage is eaten in Germany, Ireland, and parts of the United States to bring wealth because it is thought to resemble money.

Pomegranates are eaten in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries to bring wealth and fertility.

In South Africa, the New Year is heard with bells ringing and gunshots being fired. The following day is filled with festive parties and carnivals.

Center Design by Saad Moosajee

[OPINIONS]

December 9th, 2011

page 10

Staff Editorial:

Rolling Off the Tongue East must learn to respect the power of hateful language

by Editorial Staff

photo by Andrew Wise

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ords have power.

Teachers have shoved this mantra into our heads ever since elementary school when the class bully started calling the nerdy kid with glasses a “retard” because the bully’s older brother had so often berated him with the very same word. In middle school, girls were derided as “sluts” and the word “fag” was thrown around faster and more liberally then rumors of first kisses In high school, there remains a steady stream of students sent to the dean’s office for what has been deemed insensitive language. The culprits, caught red-tongued and half-witted, each respond the same, “But that’s not what I meant!” Our question is, then why would you say it at all?

We don’t believe there are many people at this school who are homophobic, racist, or anti-semetic, but you wouldn’t know it by the language heard around campus. Over 50 percent of the 200 plus students polled in the last issue admitted to using the word gay in a derogatory way, and it is easily

inferred that the true percentage is higher. Yet, close to 80 percent claimed to be in full support of the gay community. That means that, statistically, we can expect that about 40 percent of East Students use language that contradicts their true beliefs on

this subject. And even so, it’s hard to determine which is worse, the tolerant man who speaks with hatred, or the bigoted woman who speaks in carefully calculated, politically correct rhetoric.

It could be argued that the Westboro Baptist Church

did more for the promotion of equality at our school than the apathetic average student who fails to stand up for what they believe. Constructive discourse arises from one person offering an honest opinion and then a second person responding, but if

no one is willing to express their opinions in a considerate and respectful way, these conversations will never happen. Lacking the conviction necessary to allow our words to reflect our beliefs within the classroom and in the hallways leaves us with igno-

rant blunders and silent pain.

When we treat words with the respect they deserve, we uphold the integrity of this community and this school.

These issues resonate beyond the halls of East. Brett Ratner resigned as producer of this year’s Oscar telecast following his use of a gay slur.

While he was in the wrong initially, his response was valiant. Ratner stated that “I should have known this all along, but at least I know it now: words do matter. Having love in your heart doesn’t count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted.” Academy president Tom Sherak agreed, “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent.”

In other words, just say what you mean. By acting out of respect and acceptance, we can move towards a more honest society and reach a greater understanding of exactly who we are.

TeachMe, Don’tTestMe

by Sara Yates

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photo by Ghris Padgett

staffwriter

ow many of us can say that we really remember what we learned last year, or the year before that, or even the year before that?

Yeah, to many it’s just a blur of charts, figures, and hazy connections.

While I’m not one to point fingers, I think that most of the blame goes to colleges (looking at you Harvard). I remember sitting in Algebra 2 Honors last year trying desperately to remember what I learned the previous month and what was on that test. I figured it must have something to do with combinations, I had no idea how to do it anymore, yet I got a 100% on the test last month. Weird right? Wrong. You know why? Because our teachers are teaching simply so we pass the test. It feels as if they don’t care if we actually retain the material or not.

So why do we put up with this? Simple: this is a test centered society, from the chemistry quiz next period to the SATs and ACTs. It doesn’t matter if you retain the material a year, a month, even a second after you take the test, the only thing that matters is that test grade. The pressure for students to succeed is higher than ever. The Ivy Leagues want more than all A’s, now they want all these extracurricular activities. While I do plenty of extracurricular activities, NHS, Piano, ConLaw, and Newspaper to name a few, I don’t see Stanford or Harvard knocking on my door. When will the requirements end? What more do I need? To cure Cancer and save a small village from an earthquake?

I hate colleges. If I didn’t want to make a lot of money I would just live in a cabin in the woods writing poetry or something. If you think about it, the only reason most of us want to go to a good college is so we can make a boatload of money. That is the American goal to actually to retain the knowledge. It doesn’t seem to matter to them as long as the kids do well in life, and look where that’s gotten Teachers: it would be nice on the tests. Secondly the test really isn’t us. In order to get into these great if the students could have that fair. Some teachers give the test huge colleges so that we can make a lot some time to really talk about importance and only have it include 4 of money, we don’t pick classes that the way the classes questions so if you get one wrong you’re we really care about, we pick classes are structured. down two letter grades. Then they say that we think will look good on a “you know grades don’t really matter. I transcript. This is a serious probjust want to feel like you tried”. lem. We have devalued education as merely a gateway to obtain vast This being said, teachers: it would be nice if the amounts of money. Students in America do not value the learning process. There is no joy in really becoming an expert in a subject. Educa- students could have some time to really talk about the way the classes are structured. Many students feel like tion should be more than just making money.

The worst part is teachers don’t even seem to realize this. They their teachers don’t really care about them, and they will constantly teach for the test and knowledge obtainment, but not only teach what the district wants, not what the students

need. I completely understand that teachers have to teach what the district wants to keep their jobs, but it would be nice if there was more leeway in the curriculum for adjustment to the student’s needs. The effect of all this is that teachers and students fail to talk about what is truly being learned in a class and what they need assistance on.

Tying up those loose ends would greatly assist students in their academic endeavors. This way, the student’s needs can be met more easily instead of having 26 kids show up for tutorial on Thursdays. Our test are not working, gaining knowledge for the sake of money is not working, and teachers’ methods of teaching are not working. The solution to this is straightforward, we need to start valuing understanding over just simply passing a test.

[OPINIONS]

December 9th, 2011

Shake Off the Expectations

page 11

by Dylan Wells

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here is no definition for the perfect end result of high school. What awaits us when we leave this building is not a test, and our time here is not four years of cramming for it.

It’s true, there’s that ever-looming college application that seems to hold the ultimate ability to pass judgment on our lives. But please believe me when I say that we are more than what that middle-aged woman in that college admissions office is going to see on her computer screen. We are more than a GPA, a couple of test scores, and a list of extracurriculars.

Of course, there are those that apparently haven’t gotten that memo.

Every day teenagers listen to teachers, parents, administrators, books, websites, tutors, and the occasional law enforcement official tell them who they are and aren’t. As individuals standing on the edge of full control of our own destiny, we need to take a stand against the endless tide of “should’s” and “should not’s.”

In the face of the future let us return to the past, the past in which we didn’t have parents hanging over our shoulders checking our grades or teachers casting disapproving looks at clothes. The past

in which we learned and observed and sought the meaning of life not because anyone asked us to, but because that is the progressive nature of the human condition. If we wanted juice we drank it. If we wanted food we ate it. If we wanted a toy we grabbed for it. Many of us spent those days listening to the words of a master of childhood by the name of Dr. Suess, who hit the nail on the head when he urged, “be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Last year I made the choice to take creative writing, a class that someone aiming at collegiate-approved perfection might avoid. It isn’t honors. It isn’t particularly rigorous. It isn’t the counterpart of some insanely time-consuming extracurr i c u l a r.

However, the irony was that the class where we wove worlds full of people was useful because it was filled with real-life characters.

In between the lessons and low-level college recruiter visits I had the time to edit the writing of the girl next to me, who had drafted a chil-

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dren’s book that she planned on submitting to a publisher, and engage some very diverse people. For example, the girl in front of me, an adoptee, explained to me in vigorous terms why she would not be applying to college. Try finding that opinion in an AP class. She was an intelligent and creative person whose writing was filled with unorthodox dialogue and abstract scenes. She proclaimed that she hadn’t had a cookie cutter life up until then, so why should she shove herself into a limiting box like college? Why couldn’t she continue to do things her way?

She had a job, a plan, and determination, and frankly I couldn’t see any reason why she wouldn’t be just fine. Of course, I could be wrong, but do all college grads turn out with happy and rewarding lives?

Or what about the time I stepped into Media and Pop Culture, another class a guidance counselor might not endorse, and found an education being administered unlike that in any other class. As I stepped through the door on my way to an interconnected room I witnessed two students engaged in some of the best

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We are more than a GPA.

photo by Dylan Wells

editorinchief

Aaron Wiggins, one of the rappers in Media and Pop Culture.

amateur rapping I’ve ever seen. Their student audience sat in a state of enthrallment that no teacher could possibly induce. As the two students wove in and out of complex sentences and clever rhymes, it became clear that despite the lack of formal structure and unorthodox presentation they were both clearly in possession of a talent for language and a passion for their art. As the beat dropped out and the students paused, sweating and panting before thunderous applause, I couldn’t help but think “would this have ever been created by two young men whose every action was aimed at tests and college?”

Media and Pop Culture

might never be considered a resume-booster, Creative Writing might not have an AP test at the end of the year, and a parent concerned with their child’s future would probably shy away from a class where the period was spent rapping and might go into full-on cardiac arrest at the thought of dropping college plans by the wayside.

But that is precisely why we, as students, must seek these things out: not because anyone asked us to, but because we are the ones sitting in the classroom evaluating and receiving their value every day.

There is more of an education to be gleaned in these walls then what is written in curriculums and textbooks,

or what can be measured by parents or colleges. The truth is, no parent obsessing over infinite campus could possibly be expected to understand that, so it is our job to tell them “no, I don’t care if my class rank will drop if I take this class. And yes, I do think it’s worth an off period if I spend the time on something I love.” It’s time to stand up to the expectation and the definitions of perfection, and shatter them for the illusions they are. We are here to learn, not to follow rules, so disappoint a few people. After all, whose life are we living anyway?

Act, Don’t React Why we need do the right thing, provoked or not

by Grace Mccabe staffwriter

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n a crisp fall Monday morning, the corner the community come together like this more of 17th Avenue and City Park Esplanade often to support causes near to our hearts? was buzzing with energy. The usual whir from Our reaction to the Westboro protestpassing cars was drowned out by the conversa- ers brought out some of the greatest aspects tions of hundreds of East High Students gath- of East: our diversity, our willingness to fight ered there. From far away, we appeared to be no for what we believe in, and our creative signmore than a brightly colmaking abilities. But for a ored blob, but it was really slightly more pessimistic Why doesn’t the commuso much more than that. observer, it brought up nity come together like When six protestors from another interesting rethis more often to support Westboro Baptist Church alization: it’s a lot easier causes near to our hearts? decided to picket East, lato unite people to take a beling it as “fag-infested” and “pervert-run,” we stand when you’re fighting against a tangible fought back. We brought our brightly colored and extreme enemy; it’s a lot harder to rally signs and purple clothing. We stood strong as a people in favor of something positive just beschool in the face of hate and sent the message cause it is right. loud and clear that we’re proud of all of our stuEast students, and people in general need dents. However, after the rainbow stickers were to be more proactive when supporting their faput away and the cloud of glitter settled, we vorite causes, instead of being reactive toward were faced with a glaring question: why doesn’t something negative. What does this mean exactly? It means that it shouldn’t take the clowns from Westboro Baptist Church coming to our school for us to show our support of our school’s LGBTQ community. If we really believe in the equality and acceptance we claim to, we should show our support constantly.

How do we do this? It begins with not waiting for something to be shoved in your face before you decide to do something about it.

Once a year on the third Monday in January, we have a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. We all take a moment to reflect on his message, his speeches, and his groundbreaking work in the civil rights movement. We think about racism, how many steps have been made since the days of Dr. King, and how we have many more steps to take.

Once a year, we think about eradicating racism in our own lives, being kinder to our fellow man, and how to do this as a society. We have assemblies, we listen to speeches, and we come together as a school against the common enemy of racism. The sad thing is, racism exists all year long, not just on the third Mon-

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day in January. Some people realize this, and they do think about it more than once a year.

East has clubs like Black Student Alliance and No Place for Hate, which preach messages of inclusivity in our community all year long. But the fact is, the number of students involved in these clubs is a lot lower than the number of students who participate in Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities. Maybe if people were proactive and actively tried to stop racism throughout the year, instead of just when we have a holiday about it, we’d be a lot closer than we are to Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.

Being proactive isn’t, and shouldn’t, be limited to these few instances. There are a million great causes out there, just waiting for you to take the first step and be their champion. Don’t wait for someone like WBC to show up. Work so hard to spread your message that people like them don’t even matter anymore. Real change happens when we act simply because it is the right thing to do.

[OPINIONS]

December 9th, 2011

page 12

Ask Deaunna!

by Deaunna Bridgeforth

me nd told e i fr y o So my b gs for me are o in his feel eal but I’m to r ss e g r n p ex getti let him en o t e b d e e v r sca e I ha s u I a c e ow do them b past. H e h t n ? ation hurt i the situ handle

staffwriter

This Month’s Topic: Relationships

ly, It Sincere an’t Do C I Just

Answer:

You should just go for it. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to let something from the past hold you back from a great future. Never ever let the fact that you have been hurt stop you from giving someone else a chance. It may be hard to believe but not all dudes are the same.

I feel like I’m not getting the respect I deserve from my boyfriend but I’m to afraid to tell him because it will just cause a unwanted argument. How do I get over it without bringing it up?

nd I’m ght, a than i r l r is gi er more to th ng lking g to like h ays talki a t w l g.

I’m startin a n wro he is really ght, but s did her so alize he’s e u x I tho how her e ake her r m t abou do I do to t Wha ? e not m

Relationships are one of the very emotional experiences we all go through and everyone has questions about them. In the end, most of us ask the same questions. So this month, of course, the topic is how do I keep my relationship a good one. Personally, my last relationship was an uphill climb that has me worn out just thinking about it. Nonetheless, I have answered these questions with all the knowledge I have gained from my previous experiences.

ks, Than ot Me N He’s

Answer:

Girls are hardheaded; we all have to learn to let this wall down of being scared of getting hurt again. It’s like learning how to ride a bike: you have to fall off a few times before you know how to ride.

So honestly you just have to show her that you’re nothing like the last one. Showing her that you’re not in a rush and leaving it all up to her will make her realize that you’re something different.

Sincerely, Will He Change

Answer:

Respect has to exist in a relationship. A friend of mine, Demetrius Cardoza, once told me, “you have to respect your lady like you would respect your mom. Treat her like a queen.” So honestly if his mind state isn’t something close to that, then you’re going to have to talk to him about it or let him go.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION??

Message Deaunna on Twitter @DeezyBeThuggin, or bring it by Room 210.

So I ’ my e m still in x-gir lfrie love wit I did nd bu h t o he t now I rea r was w what rong for h lize a a l e give m r to for l I want nd g i is e v e one m m Wha ore c e and t do hanc I do can’t e. ? of m seem to I just get h y min er ou d. t Your s, If I had o ne w ish

Answer:

It sucks that some people never learn to forgive but you never know how bad you could have hurt her. You just have to somehow find a way to make her see things aren’t the same this time around. Dealing with the matter of the heart is a very sticky situation. I have been in your shoes before and honestly all you can do is relax and let it ride.

The Procrastinator’s Manifesto

by Andrew Wise

opinionseditor

cartoon by Jeremy Harker

R

We’ve published our opinions.

Now publish yours. Contact us at articles@eastspotlight.com

eaders, I have failed you. I did not have time to write this article, and now the paper is about to come out and it’s 1 a.m. and I have written two sentences. There’s no hope now, I’m simply out of time. But it was for good reason, you understand. I had to go to practice and then I went to work and of course I had to eat dinner in there somewhere and there was this lit project and way too much math homework and I had a bio test to study for… There wasn’t enough time in the day for this. If I had written this article, it would probably be a rant about how teachers are stealing our lives and sleep with arbitrary homework and massive projects. But as it is, I am out of gas. I have to sleep, and unfortunately it was this article that fell to the bottom of the old priority list. I have failed, I am sorry.

But we both know none of that is true. The truth is I skipped practice, curled up for a two hour nap, then had a little snack and went to work, where I sat reading comic books behind a register for two hours mostly undisturbed, ate dinner and watched a three hour Family Guy Marathon. I did a few math problems and then Forrest Gump started on TV and… I mean who can do homework when that caliber of movie is on? It is 1 a.m. and I just finished that lit project (which had been assigned two weeks ago), still have math to finish, and never studied for that test.

The truth is that I procrastinated, royally, and that is why I never wrote this article. I can look back now and see all the time that should have been spent

working on it rather than staring at Peter Griffin hurting himself or Forrest Gump running across the country. But that time is gone, and it’s late. There is nothing to be done.

We’ve all been here. We’ve all felt that crushing sense of regret and frustration with ourselves for not getting the job done. But what’s worse is that most of the time we get away with it. We pull it off and it doesn’t matter that we spent all those hours staring at the television because somehow the job was finished. The problem with this is that we get cocky, we think we can leave it to the last minute every time, that we can do the bare minimum in a few hours late at night and it will be acceptable. Suddenly there is no ownership taken in the work done. Everyone uses the excuse “I threw it together at the last minute” because they know they didn’t really do their best work.

There’s a point where it isn’t worth the stress. Putting things off means suppressing that tiny voice in your head that sounds sort of like your mother’s and says, “Why aren’t you doing your homework?”

Anyway, how does it help anything to watch a rerun of some sitcom that you’ve already seen several times rather than putting effort into the things that determine whether you get into college? Take a moment, sure, have a snack and watch ONE episode of Family Guy, but then buckle down and get something done.

Had I written this article, who knows what greatness may have been achieved?

Instead, I leave you only with my humble excuses, and a heartfelt apology.

[SPORTS]

pag 13

The Ultimate Family East’s Frisbee team grew together over the course of their state championship journey

photo by Bryce Igo

December 9th, 2011

by Poulami Wiegla

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he adrenaline reaches its maximum as Senior Mark Raul’s feet carry him across the end zone line. The disc is just out of reach; Rauls doesn’t falter. As if propelled through the air his body is suspended horizontally for just an instant. That’s all it takes. Finger tips stick to the 175 grams of plastic. The crash to the ground is nothing to the dog pile that soon envelops him.

“I was sad that it was the last game but I was happy because we had won,” Rauls recalls of the championship.

A two season sport, Ultimate Frisbee players work as a coed team in the fall, known as mixed season, and as two teams separated by gender in the spring. In the past the boys team has taken first at state in 2009, then again in last year’s 2011 season. However this was the first time in East Ultimate’s eight years of existence to come in first place during the fall season.

Rauls admits that a combination of good athletes and coaches who know their stuff truly benefited the team this year. “Joe’s the man!” Rauls states about Coach Joseph Durst.

Year after year, coaches return voluntarily to teach the essentials of the sport to East High students. All of the coaches have or currently play for top ranked Ultimate teams around the country such as Johnny Bravo, Kali and Molly Brown.

Coach Brenna Hokanson has been on the East Ultimate scene from the very start in 2003.

“We used to be Starcraft geeks, and now we’re mostly band geeks. Really though, the hard work and experience of our alumni formed a foundation for our current players to

staffwriter work off of. Every year I see the team holding itself to a higher standard than the year before.” Hokanson says.

While the players’ interests have changed over the years, the sense of community has only grown stronger. With the new favorite cheer of “Family!” the Red Squad (nickname dubbed by Senior Ben Lamport) stands in a tightly knit circle: one team. Everyone is valued yet also held accountable.

As a club sport, ultimate Frisbee players do not receive any credits.

Even so, practices run from 3:30 6:00 four days a week. Devotion to each other and the sport is paramount. Time spent with the team doesn’t stop after the two and a half hour practices. Every April the whole team boards a cozy tour bus headed for Madison Wisconsin’s tournament titled the Madison Mudbath.

“How can you not expect us to be close after a nineteen hour bus ride?”

Rauls smiles.

Sharing of movies and pillows, scary stories in the back of the bus, and endless games of Magic: the Gathering make the long bus ride a highlight for many. Fond memories take shape as the team moves across Nebraska to Iowa and finally to Wisconsin. For players, the sport is a major draw but close behind are the people involved. Team pasta parties and other social gatherings create even stronger friendships.

Bonding doesn’t end with just the team of East students.

Senior Annie Want points out the connections within the entire ultimate community.

“You bond with people more than just your teammates. I have good friends on other teams! I love the fact that you can go up to other high school kids, coaches, even players on col-

lege and club teams. These people who you admire so much are willing to connect with you,” Want reveals.

Ultimate Frisbee proves to be an ever-growing sport. The word continues to spread about both the athleticism and good sportsmanship of the game itself. Because there are fewer spectators, the hype and activity of the game falls to the sidelines. Players off the field yell words of support and wisdom to those in play.

“Because the sport is less well known it’s less attended.

It’s up to the team to keep each other’s morale up. Hearing a teammates voice is especially helpful for newer players,” Want explains.

While teams are awarded with trophies concerning their overall ranking, an award for spirit is included as well. Due to the fact that it is a self-reffed sport, players must rely on each other to make valid calls. Want conveys the change in attitude caused by the spirit element included in the sport.

“People are much more aware of the fact that the other team is like them. A lot of it is about communication. Really it helps improve people’s public speaking.”

The responsibility of knowing the rules falls in the hands of the players. Calls are made by the players on the field. Pauses of play in which the fouls are negotiated offer beneficial times for players to learn from one another.

“It’s important to explain the rules to others because even if they are initially frustrated, you are helping them in the end,” Want states.

As the ultimate season has ended, seniors look ahead to their last few months as an active member on the team. Alums are welcomed back with open arms. Once someone is a part of the family, they are always a part of the family.

“My main hope is that we can keep picking up enthusiastic new recruits and bringing young athletes to this great sport!” Hokanson says, unable to suppress her excitement.

[SPORTS]

December 9th, 2011

page 14

EAST BASKETBALL PREVIEW Two New Careys in Town

After a heartbreaking loss in last year’s playoffs, a young Angel team is ready for redemption

by Andrew Palmquist

Coach Rudy Carey’s brother and nephew join the East family

staffwriter

T

photo by Chris Padgett

he final buzzer against Boulder High School enough. We have talent but hard work is the only sounded. The Angels hopes and dreams for the way we’ll meet these high expectations,” says Carey.

2010 season came to a crashing halt with a 60-55 loss, Jalen Thompson, a returning senior starter, has falling just short of the Colorado State Semifinals. Aspi- caught the attention of coaches and players alike rations of a State title run would have to wait in limbo with his leadership qualities going into this season. until the next season. Aspirations that would be hard to Thompson, a clear leader by example, views his role live up to by a team predicted to be much younger and on the Angels as “someone that can pick the team inexperienced in 2011. up during practice and motivate my teammates on Nothing could be further from the truth. and off the court.” The rest of the Angels’ lineup has The Angels are a young team, there is no denying made sure to not let up on their hard work and inthat. The varsity squad takes the court with only four dividual and team development. seniors. After losing three key players from last season’s “We’ve been practicing, it seems, since only a team, it would seem that a young and untested Angels couple days after the game against Boulder,” voices lineup would be an extreme issue going into their open- Thompson. The Angels have been progressing both ing game. However, as inside and away head coach Rudy Carey from the program states, “We are young, but to prepare for this we have enough experiupcoming seaence to match any team son. With many in the state.” players already Much of this experiplaying for club ence is driven by the fact teams during the that most of the Angels offseason, Coach starters and bench have Carey has put a received some form of strong emphasis Varsity action in the past on weight trainyear at least. Out of the ing for his playseven strong returning ers over the last players, Dominique Colsix months. And lier and a band of seniors the affects of this truly drive a team that is extra effort have far from unseasoned. shown visibly for Collier ventures into players accordhis sophomore season Junior Demetrius Cardoza gets up for a layup during an intense East ing to Thompson, as a second year starting practice.

“There’s more unipoint guard. Even though his age brings about many ty on the team, in practice were all working hard doubts of his ability to handle the ball and lead this An- and just playing together as a team to achieve one gels offense, he has arguably garnered a greater basket- common goal.” ball background than anyone in the state. Collier led Success in the classroom is something Carey the Angels last season in scoring, a feat that was out- sees as equally instrumental to his team’s success done only a few weeks later when he was named to the this year. Carey has paid close attention to a manFirst Team All-State. However much the Angels have datory study hall that he has set in place for his meant to Collier’s development, he has also had valu- team after school every day. Carey hopes to create able experience as a member of the Team USA U16 even better team chemistry through putting extra team, who won a gold medal at this summer’s FIBA emphasis on grades and studying, something he Americas championship. Collier is applying many of believes has already paid off. “Academic work and the intangibles he’s acquired through the development required study hall has definitely led to an attitude team back home at East as well, voicing, “Playing will change not only for my players individually, but has all the great players on the U.S. team has developed me developed more of a team community,” remarked into a better leader for East and made me appreciate the Carey. The after school studying that each player unity our team has.” engages in coupled with the intense offseason Perhaps due to the Collier’s recent accolades and workouts are the reason that Carey confidently bethe number of returning players in the wake of last lieves the Angels are a top team in the state. A sense year’s quarterfinals appearance, the expectations for the of assurance has been visibly instilled into his team, Angels haven’t waned. “People will be anticipating big- which hopefully will lead the Angels to meet the ger and better things from us. Talent alone will not be high expectations set before them.

by Max Segal

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any coaches try hard to build a family atmosphere around their programs, a task which should come easy for the East Boys basketball team this season. Legendary coach Rudy Carey, who has been and East High and DPL staple for decades, returns to East seeking his ninth state championship, and this time, he brought some relatives. His brother Rick Carey and nephew Brian will both join the Angels for the first time this year, Brian as a backup point guard and Rick as an assistant coach.

“I’m looking forward to it,” says the head coach. “We have a good relationship.”

The team gains an experienced assistant in Rick, and Rudy doesn’t expect any sort of sibling rivalry. “Philosophically, we’re pretty much the same,” he said, “but I’m a little more demanding.” The youngest Carey seems to agree, as he looks forward to playing for two coaches who he says are “just alike.” Rudy Carey is demanding indeed, and he expects the same contributions from his brother that all the other assistants provide.

“Each coach has a roll to fill. [Rick] will help me with varsity, preparing game plans, and scouting.”

The fairness extends to Carey’s treatment of his nephew. In other situations where a player is playing for a family member, there can often be preferential treatment and this can cause other players to become jealous. In addition to this, Brian is a freshman on varsity, an enviable position. But Coach Carey insists this has not affected the team negatively. “I haven’t noticed any of that, he’s required to earn his way, there’s no preferential treatment,” he says. Brian feels that not only are his relatives fair to him, but they push him

senioreditor harder to succeed. “I think they’re harder on me just because they expect more out of me coming from the same family,” he says, but insists he doesn’t mind the extra push, saying, “I like the way they treat me.”

Rudy seems excited to coach his nephew, who will likely contribute as a member of both the JV and Varsity squads. “It will be quite a learning process, but he’s a good player,” says the Uncle. “He has a high basketball IQ and he’ll earn playing time down the stretch.”

Brian definitely has the ambition needed to live up to the expectations he will face as an Angel. “I live to just play; I think I can be the best;w I just try to be better than [everyone],” says the freshman, and at this point he’s gotten used to the demands and styles of his uncle and father. His dad Rick coaches his AAU team and he has received countless tips and advice from Rudy. “My Dad has coached me pretty much my whole life outside of school basketball, so I’m kinda used to that. Then with my uncle, I know he’s my uncle but I still know he’s my coach at the same time, so it’s kind of hard when he’s coaching me, but it’s also easy because I know he’s my uncle and wants the best for me…

He’s helped me out a lot.”

As enjoyable as it will be for the Careys to have a family reunion on the court, each member of the family contributes a lot of talent and basketball knowledge. The Carey family clearly knows what to do with clipboards and orange balls, so when it comes to East hoops, the more the merrier.

GIRLS BASKETBALL PREPS FOR A BREAKOUT SEASON

A Starless Team Shines as a Whole

by Willow Turano

A

fter taking home another DPL trophy last year, the East Girls Basketball team is ready to do it again.

After an impressive overall record of 18-7 last season, the team is looking tough this year as well. Unfortunately, the squad has lost one of its most dominant players, Deidra Smith, who scored 15.5 points per game for the team. Smith, now a freshman playing for Boston College, also led the team in blocks, posting .84 per game.

The team is young this year, populated with mostly juniors, but JonNae Richards stands out as the only freshman on the team. For Richards, this isn’t that much of a change. She is used to being one of the youngest on any of her past teams. Her sister, a transfer from Mullen, is the only senior on the team this year.

She decided to transfer because of the different style of play at East. Here at East, the team plays “an up-tempo game and works hard,” according to JonNae. Also new to the team this season is sophomore Michelle Cox. “I am very excited to start playing for East.

I am glad I get to contribute to this team, and also very grateful that they accepted me onto this team.” Cox

transferred from Regis last year. It will not be a huge transition to play on the East team, as the two teams were similar in ability last season. East played Regis in the Sweet Sixteen game of the 5A playoffs in March and lost a heartbreaker in overtime 63-65.

“There are no superstars on the team this season, but everybody has great skills, we are pretty well rounded,” explains junior Asia Roper. “Nobody can stop us from going far, even to state!” Positive attitudes like Asia’s are being expressed both vocally and through journaling this season. Coach Dwight Berry came up with the brilliant idea of using writing to build team unity. The girls are given a new prompt every night to write about, for example: “What is your definition of mental toughness?”

Coach Berry has also stated that all of the juniors who made varsity as freshmen have matured together immensely. Francesca Sally, a member of that core group, says “the team needs to work on team dynamics, if we put them in, we will end with great results.”

The team has all of the components to succeed this season, they just need to be sure to put them into use.

photo by Willow Turano

staffwriter

[REAR END]

December 9th, 2011

page 15

The Hipster’s Wish-list BREAKING NEWS: Ms. Miles Smiles

by Magic Marker

-Mas, Christmas, Navidad, whatever the hell you wanna call it, is coming up; leaving poor little you searching through stores to find a gift with kitsch for that artsy fartsy friend of yours. Here is a guide to keep those pretentious contrarians squealing past New Year’s.

Clear Lense: Non-Prescription, no-point-in-wearing, glasses; pedophile/librarian style that you can buy at Etsy or Urban Outfitters.

Grammy’sHand-KnitFauxAlpaca Sweater: This will bring a slight smirk to the emotionless face. Plus PETA will stay off their cozy backs; what a bonus!

Vintage Fixie Unicycle: Covered with timeless bits of dust and rust. Ah, bask in the sophistication.

Hand-me downs: Yes, give them those high-waisted, torn and tattered Levi’s they crave along with dress shirts that Banana in Pajama’s crew rocked.

Absolutely nothing: Nada, zilch, zero. Materialistic holiday, how dare us Americans involve the outsiders in their disgusting rituals. Tsk, tsk!!

Coal: The splendid gift for the endlessly creative mind. What better way to give bedroom décor that urban-hobo-chic look or help them begin a new artwork trend. Also, it doubles as eye shadow for those rainy days.

Handmade Cigarettes: Rolled to perfection just how Christmas should be from the heart not from the convenience store shelf.

Gift card to Goodwill: Oh the possibilities!

comics by Jeremy Harker

‘Occupy’ Hits Santa Claus Lane

NA

OVEMBER 28th, SANTA’S WORKSHOP, NORTH POLE sea of red swamped the grounds outside Santa’s manor, and a choaotic din of squeaky voices literally shook the ground. On the fringe of this “protest” groups of elves were banding together to flip entire sleds, while nearby, pepperspray and rubber bullets were handily delivered to those unfortunate enough to be caught in their spray. A ramshackle collection of tents could be seen further back, and a few tired and beaten elves were huddled there, clutching tightly to shaking mugs of hot eggnog.

A protestor’s sign brandishes the movement’s token image; a picture of a very inflated Santa comically riding atop a dwarfed reindeer, snapping a whip at a group of downtrodden elves.

Since early October, the working elves of Santa’s workshop have been protesting his policies, with varying degrees of violence, and questioning procedures that have been in place for hundreds of years.

The movement ‘Occupy North Pole,’ first began gaining support after her notorious cousin, ‘Occupy Wall Street’ started receiving media attention.

“We’re running at least two-months behind schedule,” said Santa on November 23rd, looking up from chubby fingers, charming folksy accent overlaid by a sense of hopeless dread.

“And their ‘demands’ keep on getting less and less reasonable. For now, it’s a new rec-center and discounted sleigh rides, but what’s next? A better educational system?

Minimum wage? Indiscriminate employment?” He let out an audible scoff at the last one. “Before you know it, the entire system is breaking down.” Santa’s rosy cheeks had been replaced by an alien hungover flush. The Mr. Claus one would find in those late November days was not the man one would expect from cheery tales of simpler, happier times; his classically snowy white beard had ravenously overtaken an exhausted face, and his sparkling eyes seemed permanently accompanied by two dark half-moons that sat comfortably beneath them. Outside, the feral cries of enraged elves and elvesses could be heard echoing throughout his lavish walls. He clasped his palms over his face and groaned a pitiful “ho-ho-noo,” as the halls shook with the admittedly catchy chant of “We can’t do this by ourselves! We are the 99 percent! We are

rearendeditor

Fruit cake: Vegan that is, to properly nourish those classy souls.

PROTESTING CHRISTMAS

by Lame-O’connell

by Big-Foot’s-Hairy-Son

Socks: Whether they are ruffled, especially made for your toes, or speckled with awesomeness. Any hipster would appreciate this gift at least the real ones who know their stuff.

photos by Gabe O’Connell and Gen Crawford

X

staffwriter

staffwriter the elves!”

“There’s this general opinion amongst humans that Santa and the elves have some kind of… merry, affectionate relationship, when simply, that’s just not true. Maybe a century or two ago, when we only had to manufacture toys for a couple million Western Europeans and Americans, but now Santa thinks he has to run us like slaves to get out his product to the over 1.7 billion good boys and girls out there,” said head spokeself for the movement, Hoppy, later telling of Santa’s most recent habit of threatening to outsource manufacturing units to China.

As the interview progressed, Hoppy seemed quick to cite numerous important-sounding statistics, but struggled to create a coherent response when asked about just what changes the elves would suggest. Hoppy was very clear however, in his report of the brutality protesters have recently been facing from the fairy-guard patrol.

Since the protests began, there have been over 20 cases of brutality serious enough to elicit hospital care. The fairy-guard patrol, a force of militant fairies entrusted with keeping order in the North Pole, have in the past cheerfully coexisted with the mainly elf population. Recently however, the peacekeeping force of fairies has been held in a state photo by Gabe O’Connell of infamy for their violent acts against protestors. The fairies, which generally prefer using magic wands, have instead been taking to magic pepper-spray, magic batons, and magic rubber bullets for crowd-control purposes.

Between strict curfews, disorderly elves, and violent fairies, Santa’s Workshop is, for lack of a better word, a mess. But upon whom can the blame be laid? Is it fair to pin it all on Santa, who, if recently overbearing and intimidating was only doing what he thought was necessary to make the good boys and girls happy on Christmas day?

Or is it the elves, who, if a little delusional, were only reacting as best they could to recent pressure? And what of the fairies who, in trying to keep the Workshop orderly, may have gotten slightly carried away? No matter who’s fault, the result invariably falls to the same bleak end: The potential for an un-merry Christmas. If Santa can’t find a way, how can anyone hope to?

E

ast sophomore Suri P Rhyzed stumbled into the building after an average lunch of noodles. With her belly full, she hauled herself up the stairs where she found Ms. Miles facing her with a very peculiar look on her face.

There was something resembling a U where her frown typically is. Suddenly, Rhyzed finally came to the realization that Dean Miles was smiling.

“I just didn’t believe my own eyes,” she continued, astonished. “I wasn’t really sure what I saw; I was merely rushing to class before the sweep. But when I peered back over my shoulder, there it was, a slight upward crook in her expression resembling a young child full of unexplainable joy.”

Another student claimed to have seen the dumbfounded look on Suri’s face and gazed back to see what she was looking at. He stated that, “it was the most conflicting feeling I have ever felt in my entire life. It was beautiful yet disturbing at the same time. Probably due to the lack of experience in this art of facial expressions.

It may not have looked natural but it was definitely a smile nonetheless.”

Rumors of her alleged smile had spread rapidly throughout the school. It was believed that the cause for the infamous smile had something to do with Miles’ affinity for confiscating hats. According to anonymous sources, she had reached her life goal of seizing 574,820 hats as an East High dean. This may seem like a strange number to some but that is the number of holes there are in the ceiling tiles in all of the East classrooms.

But after further inquiry, she had apparently found the final coin for her quarter collection. She had been on a quest to find the collectible state/ province quarter for Puerto Rico for the last year and a half. It had extremely annoyed her more and more each day, which clearly explains why she had a stagnant glare on her face more terrifying than her normal scowl for the past few months.

This was truly a happy time in her life. Five days that smile lasted. But once the old groove of school kicked back in, her face shifted back to its typically frightening appearance.

East Teacher, Optey Mystic, went on to say, “I am extremely cheerful for Ms. Miles to have finally have experienced one of the most beautiful things that life has to offer. I can guarantee that although it was the first, it will not be the last. Smiling is contagious, like measles, and when she realizes that this was the best moment in her entire life, she will return to that grinning state of bliss.”

“Rear End” Disclaimer

The nonsense included in the “Rear End” section does not represent the views of the Spotlight staff, the editorial board, the sponsors, the festive holiday lights, the hipster girl, santa claus, Chanuklaus, Kwanzaclaus, or the coming of the last year ever. The point is, the “Rear End” is intended for comedic effect and should not be taken seriously.

[REAR END]

December 9th, 2011

Flage Stuns AP Psych Students

page 16

Speaks Coherently For Entire Lesson

by Stormin’ Mormon

staffwriter

david@davidlynnwise.com

www.davidlynnwise.com

1110 EAST 17th AVE DENVER CO 80218 PHONE 303.446.5965 FAX 303.830.1124

DAVID LYNN WISE AIA Architecture + Urban Design

ources report that during second period last week, Psychology teacher Carl Flageolle spoke coherently, in full sentences, free of nonsensical drivel, for the entire 50 minutes.

“This event marks the first time in more than ten years that Carl has spoken clearly and was fully comprehensible for an entire class period,” Principal Youngquist said in a special announcement to the school. “We’re just so proud of him.”

Second period students were pleased with the day’s lecture on levels of consciousness and Sigmund Freud. It will likely be the only lesson they ever understood.

“It was just so nice to hear him using real words,” said student Ben Dover. “When I can actually understand what that guy is sayin’, it’s some really wild stuff. Most of the time though, he’s just callin’ people ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ and trying to make fun of the ‘challenged’ kids.”

Although there is undoubtedly a disproved Freudian

theory to explain Flage’s general lack of coherent speech, the real issue lies in his physical disproportions. His extremely elongated larynx, esophagus, and vocal chords are acoustically unsound.

“Being as tall as he is, it’s amazing that he can talk at all, let alone speak English for 50 minutes,” said fellow psychology teacher Alan Chimento. “You know what though, I think it’s Wal-Mart’s fault that he can’t be understood. Goddamn corporate America. You wanna know why he can’t talk? It’s because he’s a right winged Nazi-fascist who hates America and loves corporations and taxing the poor. Phew, glad I got that out of my system, I never get to talk politics in school.”

Students in third period reported that by the time their class rolled around, Flage was back to stuttering and making up words. “It’s a shame really,” said C. Howitt Fiels of 3rd period. “I would have enjoyed learning something about psychology this year.”

by A Collaborative Booty

photo by Jeremy Harker

S

Horoscopes rearendstaff

Horoscope hazy, please try again later.

Leo

Aries

Taurus

You’re supposed to spin the dradel, not throw it at your evil cousin.

If a present starts smoking, get the hell out of there and call the Gemini bombsquad.

Santa knows what you did last weekend so don’t be supprised to Cancer find coal this year.

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

You will have a wonderIt won’t be the first kiss ful winter break until you always dreamed of, your house crashes in but you do need the A. from the snow.

Sagittarius

Don’t eat the fruit cake this year, trust me on this one.

The latkes can be lethal so wear goggles to protect you from the Capricorn splashing oil.

Truly enjoy your last winter break on Earth, as of December 2012, we will all be extinct.

Aquarius

You never even listen to my advice anyway! Do you? DO YOU?!

Pisces

I don’t care how much you want your damn figgy pudding. I’m sick of those songs so stop carroling!

Remember that giving is better than getting. No wait that isn’t true at all.