March 2012

potlight S East High

Nihil Sacrum Est

1600 City Park Esplanade

Denver

CO

80206

March 2012

Volume LXXXXVIII Issue 7

photo by Genevieve Crawford

District Finalizes Principal Decision

by Abbey Lew

“I

will be here as long as you’ll have me,” reflected Andy Mendelsberg to a sea of familiar faces of East teachers and staff after he was announced as East’s new principal.

Making eye contact withthe runner up, Dackri Davis, he choked, “I’m just happy I got to go through this with a friend.”

Over the course of the past month, both candidates submitted themselves to a grueling process that finally came to an end on March 7th, 2012 when Superintendent Tom Boasberg reached his final decision.

The process began in early February with the Collaborative School Committee (CSC) that consists of fourteen East parent, teacher, and student members. Normally, they are involved in improving both student and school achievement, discussing budget, and setting goals that support the District and school.

This year, their new task was forming the School Principal Selection Advisory Committee (SPSAC).

Mr. Youngquist did not have to go through this unprecedented process and was chosen by the district, “We got lucky!” exclaims CSC member Julie Stephens. This year the SPSAC was created to give East a voice, represent the diverse community of the school, and advise the superintendent as to who they believe should be East’s next principal. Out of 55 applicants, twelve members (eight staff members, three parents, and one community member) were chosen by the CSC based on their level of representation of the East community.

The SPSAC put together ten questions they would ask each of the six candidates

during interviews on February 27th. Although students aren’t on the SPSAC (due to confidentiality), they partook in the principal selection process. CSC student member Katie Leonard was one of the few students who helped tour the six candidates around the school and had the opportunity to ask them questions. She believes there was enough student involvement in the process, saying, “students are only at East for four years, whereas teachers are here for much longer.” Then the SPSAC voted on their top two candidates. SPSAC member Emily Vilkus, who has worked at East for twenty-three years with seven different principals, stated, “I’ve taught forever and I’m hoping for a good principal for the rest of my career. It was interesting how much we all agreed (during the selection process.)”

The two finalists, assistant curriculum principal Ms. Davis and current principal Mr. Mendelsberg both participated in a community forum on March 3rd where they answered the questions of parents, teachers and students. All who attended the forum had the opportunity to email Tom Boasberg voicing their opinions.

Of the two finalists, Ms. Davis is least known to students. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Denver; two years ago she came to East knowing it was the right school for her. She taught sociology, economics and US History and, like Mr. Mendelsberg, is passionate about her job.

Of the six candidates who applied, finalists Ms. Davis and Mr. Mendelsberg both distinguished themselves through their knowledge and experience within the East High

community. This helped prove they were experienced, passionate, and qualified to be East’s next principal. CSC member Christine Miller said, “We had really great qualified candidates, so no matter what I believe we would’ve won with either one.”

In an interview after Mr. Mendelsberg’s win, he said, “It is an unbelievable honor. I can’t describe it. This is unreal.” Mr. Mendelsberg went to Colorado State University for speech communication and describes himself as “a DPS product.” He’s worked at McMeen Elementary, Smith Elementary, Hill Middle School, and East’s rival school George Washington High School (which he does not speak about in East company).

Twenty-one years ago he began coaching East baseball and softball while working at MLK and Place Middle School. Then fourteen years ago he came to East and was a dean for six years, athletic director and assistant principal for eight years, and as of March 7th, officially principal. “It’s my dream job. I student-taught here and had the chance to come back as a student advisor fourteen years ago.

I knew at that point I never wanted to leave.”

Mr. Mendelsberg hopes to finish the year strong and continue the distinguished work of Mr. Youngquist. He has experience with many different schools representing a number of different academic situations, and intends to reflect that by working on closing the gap between high and low achieving students by getting each student to challenge themselves with an AP class.

[article continued on page 2]

Inside this Issue...

Features

Working Musical Review

Center

Wonders of The World Wide Web:

Internet Fads Explored

Sports

Athletes with Wings:

Special Olympics Touch Down at East

[NEWS]

page 2

Wrestling with a Disappearance

March 16th, 2012

Mendelsberg Takes Office

by Abbey Lew

Boy’s body found in suitcase, but case remains unresolved one year later N

by Elizabeth Reger

[article continued from page 1]

ext year, students will see a slight change in class options. Chinese will be offered (three classes during the day), sophomores will have a chance to take different science classes (for example, going to bio-medicine technology instead of Honors Chemistry), and osh Churchwell. 119 pounds. Denver Gilliam Juveseniors will be offered a new 8th period class called Senior Seminar nile Center. where they can work with their counselors on college readiness and For the wrestling team of Denver East High build their resumes through community service.

School, this was a standard credential for a standard So far, the transition from Mr. Youngquist to Mr. Mendelsberg competitor. For the Denver Police, however, it is the has been relatively smooth. He claims students will notice little mark on a grave of the mysterious and unresolved change at East, but he plans on a few improvements. “This is a pretty death of a seventeen year-old boy. well disciplined school, but my view of East is that drug use is our In January of 2011, the East wrestling team gathbiggest issue. I think there will be a little more attention to that rather ered in the gym as they prepared to face their latest than anything else.” He also hopes to promote good behavior by procompetition. As the team from Ridge View bustled viding more incentives and rewards for achievement A new system through the doors, one boy hid within the crowd, of recording tardies will involve a scanner, but overall discipline will sixteen-year-old Josh Churchwell. Churchwell was remain the same. Mr. Mendelsberg wants every person to feel like happy and charismatic, affectionately called “bucky they have ownership of their school and believes it is his responsibilbeaver” by his parents. ity to create an environment where “students love East.”

For reasons unreported, however, Churchwell He believes it is invaluable to stay connected with students was taken from this home at the age of three. Sepaand faculty and is planning to rated from his birth parents as well his two siblings, I am confident that he is resume the “Munching with he moved into the lively and chaotic household of the the right leader for East Churchwells and their eight other foster children.

Youngquist” lunches, unless High School and will carry Although he was a kind and friendly towards his the students or teachers suggest forth the culture of new family, he was quick to develop a vicious temper otherwise He states, “I want excellence that East High and an immense difficulty coping with his growing School has built and earned people to be like ‘I can go talk depression. After confessions of suicidal thoughts and over the years. to that person and he’s going to -Assistant Superintendent problems at the Churchwell home, Churchwell was help me if he can.” sent away- this time to the Gilliam Juvenile Detention Antwan Wilson Following a great principal Center. Churchwell was welcomed into a room with such as Mr. Youngquist will not two other troubled teens who stashed blades under be easy, Mr. Mendelsberg jokes how he compares with his predetheir beds and often practiced stabbing them violently cessor, “The biggest difference is that they [students] could see Mr. into the mattress. After Josh became uncomfortable Youngquist over other kids, they can’t really see me as easily. I also with their rituals and threatened to report the boys, he probably look more intense than he does, I actually don’t look like was stabbed with a pencil by classmate. This assault led Josh Churchwell would have celebrated his 18th that all the time, but I’m working on smiling more because I think it his foster parents to see Churchwell as being a target at birthday on March 1st. does help kids feel like I’m more approachable.” the school and thus in danger.

Both students and teachers are optimistic about their new “We were in practice later, ” continues Gray, “and my In an attempt to unleash the building anger in his principal, Mr. Hernandez speaks highly of Mr. Mendelsberg; “He’s coach stops us to tell us that the Josh kid I was supposed life and the growing disparity between his real family to wrestle had been found chopped in a suitcase in a park a hard worker and he’s passionate about the school and I think he and confused identity, Josh began to commit to the somewhere. It was the craziest thing I’d heard…. I couldn’t wants to finish his career here and that’s exciting that hopefully we Ridge View wrestling team. believe that I was supposed to wrestle that kid.” won’t have to go through this process again.” Drama Teacher Melody It was through After hopeless Duggan added, “I’m delighted to have Andy Mendelsberg as our new wrestling that Josh weeks of searching for principal, he has given 14 years of his life to the school, he knows found solace, an emothe runaway, police the community, the students respect him, he always has the teacher’s tional channel, and made a shocking backs, he knows how to deal with the parents and the community, eventually, an escape discovery. Churchwell’s and I think he’ll make a splendid principal.” from his childhood. body was in a 20x29x11 Mr. Mendelsberg’s passion for East is evident through his emo“I had seen him alive inch suitcase in Ruby tions, “Sometimes we have to contain that [emotion] just a little bit such a short time Hill Park, Denver. Aland not get choked up every five minutes, which seems lately I’ve before,” remembers though Churchwell was been having an issue with.” He’s not afraid of the challenging task sophomore Deshon eventually found, the Gray, Josh’s assigned before him and believes it’s an achievable job because of the students, investigation will con- staff, and community who’ll help him succeed. competitor for that tinue until the cause day, “I was sitting Principal Mendelsberg has big plans for the future and is not of death and, more around with the team worried about leaving anytime soon, “We’re not perfect, but I think importantly, the reason behind the tragedy, is entirely when our coach came up with us and said that both they [East community] know that everyday we’re trying to make it resolved. Josh had his 18th birthday on the first of March. me and my friends’ kids had ran away from the school better for everyone who walks through this door.”

“Somebody knows more than what they’re sharing and they couldn’t find them.” Once the team arrived at with investigating offi cers, ” aches Bob Churchwelll, Josh’s East gym, Churchwell was quick to disappear and flee father in the foster home. “I just wish they would find it into the freedom of the city. It was after this breakaway, within themselves to share that information with authorireported the Denver Post, that Churchwell began to ties so he could rest in peace.” send messages to his girlfriend, update his Facebook, and even call his biological mother to tell her he loved her and that everything was fine.

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“It was the craziest thing I’d heard...I couldn’t believe I was supposed to wrestle that kid.”

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, Abbey 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

Community Responses “I think he’ll bring good energy and good perspective for this school.”-Mario Ortiz, Career Connection “Mr. Mendelsberg is a great principal and he’s my little buddy that can shoot the basketball really well!”-Ronnie Harrell, student

“I think it’s great that we have continuity with the building.”

-Mark Trapino, Yearbook Sponsor

[NEWS]

March 16th, 2012

1...2...3... Face Off!

page 3

by Harper Sherwood-Reid

Meet the Contenders for the GOP Nomination RICK SANTORUM:

RON PAUL:

FAMILY: 7 Children AGE: 54 years old STANCE ON EDUCATION: Supports teaching creationism, does not support No Child Left Behind PRESIDENTIAL PROPOSITIONS: Reduce the size of the government as well as funding for energy reform, cut taxes for larger corporations, repeal Obama’s health care law, create a border fence, and make English the national language of the United States QUOTE: “I love it when the left and when the president say, ‘Don’t try to impose your values on us, you folks who hold your Bibles in your hand and cling to your guns.’ They have values too. Our values are based on religion, based on life. Their values are based on a religion of self.”

FAMILY: 5 children; 17 grandchildren AGE: 77 years STANCE ON EDUCATION: American educational system should be mostly dissolved PRESIDENTIAL PROPOSITIONS: Return to our Constitutional roots as a nation, withdraw troops overseas, eliminate departments of Energy, HUD, Commerce, Interior, and Education, completely balance the budget, and implement a competing currency to the dollar QUOTE: “How about getting rid of the Department of Education and Department of Agriculture. Get rid of it. Cut the budget in half. Everything that’s not constitutional. That’s a good place to start.”

NEWT GINGRICH:

MITT ROMNEY:

FAMILY: 2 children; 2 grandchildren AGE: 69 years old STANCE ON EDUCATION: Would remove teacher unions and tenure and run schools more like businesses PRESIDENTIAL PROPOSITIONS: Would create a tax system in which new equipment expenses can be written off through taxes for small businesses, re-work the current health care situation in order to provide patients with more choice and push providers with more competition, and check judicial power QUOTE: “I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don’t encourage you to be nasty. We encourage you to be neat, obedient, loyal and faithful and all those Boy Scout words, which would be great around a campfire but are lousy in politics.”

FAMILY: 5 children; 16 grandchildren AGE: 64 years old STANCE ON EDUCATION: Supports voucher programs and increased funding to charter schools, the only GOP candidate that supports No Child Left Behind PRESIDENTIAL PROPOSITIONS: Would immediately repeal health care reform, scale back regulation of the economy, scale back environmental protection, consider military options for dealing with Iran while strengthening relations with Israel, and supports offshore drilling and other methods of keeping energy operations domestic QUOTE: “Conservatism has had from its inception a vigorously positive, intellectually rigorous agenda and thinking. That agenda should have in mind three pillars: strengthen the economy, strengthen our security, and strengthen our families.”

DPS Community Reels After Series of Teen Suicides

by Jacqueline Kimmell

A

particularly incongruous sight filled the who also prefers to remain anonymous. This spacious Our Lady of Lorreto Church attempt has only exacerbated the precarious on a crisp Sunday evening last November. emotional situation at Regis, the community Hundreds of teenagers dressed in joyous, having already suffered through Doyle’s suibrightly colored Hawaiian shirts wept at the cide just months ago. open casket of 16 year-old Hawaiian native Dominick Doyle. Doyle, a The Gender Gap junior at Regis Jesuit High Girls are twice as School, committed suicide likely to think about or on October 27th. Doyle attempt suicide as boys. was a varsity football playHowever, boys’ suicide er for the Regis team and rates quadruple girls’. the “big man on campus” This is likely due to the both figuratively and litermore violent methods ally; he was widely popular boys try in their attempts; and statuesque in a 6-foot the leading methods for frame. Doyle’s suicide was boys include firearms, the first in a series of fatal or hanging or jumping from attempted suicides at Coloheights versus those of rado high schools in the girls which are mainly past few months.

Dominick Doyle from Regis High School cutting and mixing prescription drugs. Girls ofA Statewide Pandemic ten feel more pressure in The Rocky Mountain high school to be perfect, Region has the highest suiwhich caused the death of cide rate in the country. In a DCIS student two weeks fact, in Colorado, suicide is ago. Serena Aguilar , “prothe second leading cause of jected so much happiness death for teenagers, second and positivity,” said East only to car accidents. The junior and former DCIS suicide rate in Colorado is student Erik Janson, “she shockingly high, over 150% seemed like the last perhigher than the national avson who would kill hererage. A study by the Coloself. Though Janson can rado Trust found that 25% remember the signs, “She of teenagers in Colorado, was talking about all the have “seriously considered Serena Aguilar from DCIS problems in her life and suicide.” If this statistic how sometimes she just proved true for East, this would mean over wanted to not wake up and have to deal with 500 students at the school have seriously con- everything anymore.” However Janson never, sidered taking their own lives. “put it together or thought anything of it at the time.” He found out about her suicide inPractice Doesn’t Make Perfect stantly through Facebook, and spent minutes National surveys conclude that there are, just staring at the screen trying to compreon average, 18 to 25 suicide attempts before hend the devastating events. “The first thing every suicide death. One such attempt oc- I felt was that it couldn’t be real, there almost curred at Regis just weeks ago. A freshman, wasn’t a feeling that I could describe. When whose name has not been released for privacy I put it all together I just kept wishing there considerations, mixed several prescription was something I could’ve done to prevent it, pills and was unconscious before her parents “he explains, “Suicide affects everyone in the came home. She was rushed to the hospital person’s life.” This was one of two suicides at and is now stable, reports a junior at Regis DCIS in February, and another occurred in

the same month at George Washington.

Affecting the Community The Doyle suicide sent shockwaves throughout the tight-knit Regis community.

“It seemed like everyone knew immediately,” recollects Regis senior Hannah Cohen, “I didn’t know a single person who didn’t cry and everyone and their grandmother went to the funeral.” Cohen still feels the effects of the loss months afterwards, “Every time the school gets together for an assembly or mass you can’t not think about [the suicide]. All you can think about is that he should have been there.” Despite the sadness, she concedes there have been a few positive consequences, “It’s made the community a lot more willing to take care of each other. It’s okay to cry now. It’s okay to be sad.”

Testing the Limits of Friendship An East junior who prefers to remain anonymous struggled last year helping a friend with suicidal thoughts. “It’s shocking and confusing because you don’t really know what to do, or how to really help,” she discloses, “It’s hard to understand too, if you’ve never had similar thoughts. I couldn’t imagine being in such a sad and dark place where I would want to take my own life.” She struggled with finding the best way to help,

“Just because you give a few kind words and love them, it won’t necessarily be enough or change their feelings. You have to stick it out with them. But you can’t put blame on yourself or feel guilty about not being able to make them okay which is so hard. I realized that there isn’t one easy remedy and that the most important things you can do are to be there for them and listen to them and never judge them or downplay their feelings. You have to make sure they know that they aren’t alone.”

Fixing the Problem DPS has already taken up the issue; a series of ten changes to the curriculum were implemented last year which will prioritize suicide education by 2015. One will make it mandatory for all ninth graders in Denver high schools to complete a unit addressing the risks of suicide and providing students skills needed to recognize suicide warnings in their friends. This will be added on to the suicide prevention framework already in place at East: the ‘Signs of Suicide’ program. The program is run by the school’s social worker and psychiatrist for about 400 students a year through gym classes. East social worker Heather Gardiner believes the program is quite effective, “this plan saves lives,” she says confidently, “even with all of the risk assessments I have done we have never lost anyone.”

[NEWS]

page 4

March 16th, 2012

Storm Cloud Looms Over Sun Mart Employees arrested for selling synthetic marijuana

by Jacqueline Kimmell

F

laming hot Cheetos, $1.19. Reese’s peanut butter cup, $.89. Red Bull, $1.99. Twelve pounds of synthetic marijuana? $20,000.

Police arrested Maher Awad, store manager and owner, and store clerk, Abedeliha Dehry, of the Colfax Sun Mart, on February 23rd for selling synthetic marijuana. Synthetic marijuana, also known as spice or K2, was banned by the Colorado legislature in July, but Awad claimed he was unaware the substance was now illegal. Police said that his ignorance on the matter would not save him from a felony sentencing, “Ignorance, obviously, is not an affirmative defense,” said police Lieutenant Aaron Sanchez, “Our job isn’t to educate. It’s basically to enforce the law.”

The bust came after a month long police investigation which began with an anonymous tip that East students were buying spice from the store which was less than 500 feet from East. Police also found copious drug paraphernalia such as rolling papers and glass pipes used to smoke marijuana, both of which are legal.

However, they also found $36,216.50 in cash, money that they believe was the product of spice sales as well as 100 steroid tablets which one of the employees said he was using to work out.

Police believe otherwise. They allege these steroids were Abdelilah Dehry, a clerk at Sun Mart being sold to East who stands accused of selling spice to students. “Last year I minors. bought steroids from Sun Mart and I would take them before baseball practice,”

Synthetic marijuana, otherwise known as spice or K2

claimed one East senior who wished to remain anonymous, “they helped me make varsity.”

Sun Mart clerks vehemently denies ever selling drugs to East students. When store clerk Dehry was told East students claimed they had bought spice from the store, he yelled, outraged, “Never. They’re lying!” East students, however, tell a different story.

“I definitely know he’s been selling to East kids, right when you walk in there you could see it,” claims junior Mark Francis. Junior Chris Padgett affirms this, “Sure, tons of people bought spice from there. But no one really likes spice. The only people who ever smoke it thought it was real pot.” He claims that the real loss from the store’s investigation is the lack of a place to buy cigarettes. “I always buy cigarettes there,” said Padgett. When asked about problems due to being a minor he replied, “I almost never got ID’d about cigarettes, only when there were cops around. If they even asked I would just give them my real birthday but the wrong year. If I just said I was a senior at East, they would easily let me buy cigarettes.”

Another loss East students regret is a place to buy rolling papers

for marijuana. “I knew this whole thing [the investigation] was going to happen eventually,” explains junior Zoe Hawthorne-Loizeaux, “I just don’t know where anyone is going to buy their blunt wraps now!” There seems to be a consensus among East students that the seizure of the goods and the arrests were a long time coming. Mark Francis explains, “I’m definitely not surprised. Everyone knew it had been happening for a while now.” Though students also seem sad about the consequences, including senior Rod Turner, “[The owners] are such cool guys, I’m sad they are in trouble.”

Senior Ginger Mehils feels differently about the owner and clerks. She says that they made her uncomfortable. “If the clerks thought my friends were cute, they would give them free food. He thought one of my friends was hot, so she would get whatever she wanted and wait behind the counter until the store cleared out a little and then she would just leave without paying.

Abraham was a total creep! He was like thirty and he would keep asking one of my friends out on dates. He would keep asking her until she finally left.” One of Mehil’s friend’s father was so convinced that Sun Mart was a bad influence on his daughter that he forbid her from ever going there and he would, “drive by at lunch just to make sure she never did.”

Denver police public relations Officer Sunny Jackson confirms that the arrested Sun Mart employees are currently free on $2,000 bail. He believes “they were definitely selling to East students,” but are not being charged for it outright, instead they are charged with distribution of a synthetic cannabinoid (the chemical found in marijuana.) However, he thinks that a judge will take the fact that they were selling to East kids into consideration, “their sentence will be much harsher because of that,” he adds, ‘they could face life in jail for this.”

They Said What?!

by Abbey Lew

“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.”

GOP candidate Rick Santorum on ABC’s “This week.” He was referring to John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech on church and state that “makes him throw up.”

“If someone asks what you are wearing, tell them Kim Jong II.” Actor Sacha Baron Cohen at the 2012 Oscars, after intentionally spilling what he claimed were the ashes of Kim Jong Ill on a surprised Ryan Seacrest.

“I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works.”

Quarterback Peyton Manning recently was released by the Indianapolis Colts due to neck surgeries. He is currently looking for a new team and is considering the Denver Broncos.

“It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute.”

Radio host Rush Limbaugh addressed to Georgia law student, Sandra Fluke, for testifying on behalf of women in need of contraception coverage. His comments sparked much controversy where he issued an apology, but lost many of his advertisers.

[FEATURES]

March 16th, 2012

The Driving Forces

photo by Gabe O’Connell

photo by Poulami Wielga

Working: On and Off the Stage

page 5

What worked and what fell flat

Senior Natasha Prather helps to finish the elaborate sets before the play’s opening night.

Behind the Curtain T

by Poulami Wielga

he main lights slowly dim, the overture in the orchestra pit swells, and behind the curtain the cast and crew collectively hold their breath. Hidden in the wings, just out of the spotlight’s reach, there’s a whole other story than what’s happening in front of the audience. While the actors spend months memorizing their lines, learning how to move around the stage, and project their voices; other students work just as diligently behind the stage practicing the silent switching of the sets, painting ornate back drops, and learning the exact timing for every light and sound -- for these have to be just as smooth and cleanly executed as every character’s part on stage. “Techies are actors too - you just don’t see them,” senior and student director Natasha Prather smiles.

From the beginning of September, juniors and seniors who have been committed to drama class start to have discussions with producer and drama teacher Melody Duggan and other drama teacher Daniel Morr about what the sets will look like. Planning this is not an easy feat: they must visualize how the different pieces on stage will fit together as well as take into account the entrances and exits of actors. Each set change must be done quickly and safely.

“All of the set changes are choreographed. We run through them just as the actors run through their own lines and staging,” points out Duggan.

One obstacle the “techies” face that isn’t apparent to the audience is the lack of wing space. With very little storage room for larger set pieces, such as extravagant spiral staircases (The Producers) and huge cakes (Funny Girl), designers are forced to think of ways to create easily portable pieces. Often these larger set pieces can be broken down into multiple parts so set up and take down are relatively quick.

“Kids who are in stagecraft tend to be alternative thinkers. We need kids who can think outside the box. It’s really all creative problem solving,” Duggan remarks.

Not only do students need a vision of how the production will look, but there is also a sense of daring. “[Stagecraft] requires people who are smart. A stage can be a dangerous place, you can’t goof around,” says Duggan. There is no room for fear as they paint the backdrop mural high above the stage or as they guide the spotlight from the upper balcony. Climbing to high places and the use of power tools are routine hazards of the work.

“By the time we have the air gun set up, we only have fifteen minutes to use it and then the actors get the stage,” remarks technical director Morr. The work that gets done relies heavily on the interest of the students. Morr confides that they need to be anxious to build something. While students are not required to have previous construction skills they need to come with self-motivation. “These kids work really hard. Some are turned away because of the amount of work outside of school; every Saturday and those who have jobs work from eighth period every Wednesday until nine. It’s exhausting,” says Morr.

While there is a great amount of creative hard work put into each production, there is also a good amount of play too. When asked about the community, most replied that every person brings something quirky. “We’re just a bunch of amazing weirdos!” says junior Elizabeth Hannifin, who specializes in props. She loves how inclusive everyone is, commenting that they are one of the most accepting communities she has been in at East.

Sharing of music, favorite TV shows, and talents such as bracelet making or just the time spent together in room 169, it is clear that everyone seems at perfect ease with each other. Being unusual and creative has made this group of talented people extremely accepting.

Each person decides how much effort he or she wants to put into class every day. There’s a lot of freedom within the class especially when it’s the off-season and a play is not underway. But when students are asked to do something for the show, it is rare that it won’t get done.

“If someone asks you to do something you can do it. School doesn’t matter, you’re only contributing to yourself, but here you contribute to something larger,” senior Haven Stapleton shares his favorite part of the class.

There is a definite sense of accomplishment and pride that the students carry. While credit isn’t something that is handed freely to these kids, they realize it isn’t about being in the spotlight, but instead about developing something as a team that has really beautiful end product.

“Theater is immensely ephemeral,” Duggan says enthusiastically.

With each new semester, the crew backstage works diligently to make each production a visual and pleasing success.

by Gabe O’Connell

T

he morning announcements advertising East’s newest production, “Working,” labeled it “a different kind of musical.” This seems fairly apparent even from the opening number. And while it is true that a musical with no real plot and no core characters can be difficult to adjust to at first, if one gets over their general discomfort, “Working” – put simply – works. The script of “Working” was modified for the stage from the nonfiction novel, “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do”

by Studs Terkel. Terkel published the work in 1974 to highlight the gritty details of American working life. A bold choice for ETC, “Working” is a musical reminiscent of a simpler, bustling period of American history. Terkel, a noted historian, broadcaster, and the author of a number of respected nonfiction works, died in 2008.

Music: 8.5/10

wineglasses of past productions, From humorous and upbeat an impressive feat indeed if one is numbers like “Brother Trucker” aware of the stress and challenge to deeper and more haunting of working a show’s technical pieces like “Just a Housewife,” side. The lighting and costumes the musical side of “Working” of “Working” aligned with the was refreshing and charming. show’s own relaxed, low budget While the rare, dissonant gap charm. Costumes generally conof a missed intro or note was sisted of white T-shirts and jeans, occasionally noticeable, the and this seemed to work surprisorchestra and vocalists displayed ingly well. It somehow made competence in their craft and the expansive and diverse cast worked well together, a quality of “Workall too rare The dancers of Working ing” more at the high personal. Unschool levimpressed, but they fortunately, el. Overwhat stops did not dazzle. all, the the technivocal and cal side from being the star of instrumental side of “Working” the show was the obscene and far exceeded expectations for a frankly embarrassing amount of standard high school musical. missed mic-queues. Though this Though it could’ve been slightly seemingly improved from night more cohesive overall, the talents to night, the shocking amount of of East’s notable and awardunheard dialogue a viewer from winning choirs and instrumental Thursday night might encounensembles were certainly present ter compared to a viewer on on show night.

Saturday was inexcusable. The

Choreography: 7/10

“Working” showed – as is usual for East’s musicals – a fair degree Acting: 9/10 The rowdy and, at times, raunchy of competence and proficiency in the dance department. Unfortucast of “Working” – perhaps the nately, the laid-back, less formal musical’s strongest factor – perdance numbers of East’s newest formed a truly impressive feat in production did not live up to the salvaging what can only be constandards set by past musicals sidered a mediocre script. It was like “The Producers” and “Funny common for one to enter East’s Girl.” Whether the lack of auditorium expecting the highextravagant and flamboyant cosschool version of “Christmas tumes or the Around The vocal and instrumental awkwardness the during the World” or side far exceeded biggest dance “America’s expectations for a standard numbers, Famous the dancers high school musical.

Presiof “Workdents.” Reing” impressed, but they did not lievingly however, this is not the truth. While the script of “Work- dazzle.

Technical Theater: 8/10 ing” doesn’t exactly push the Visually, at least, the technical boundaries of musical theater, it does a superb job of highlighting side of “Working” was impressive. There may have been no the lighter and darker elements two-story wedding cakes (an icon of American working-class life. of last year’s “Funny Girl”) but In the end, the musical excelled the simplicity and solid execution because East actors were able to of the sets of “Working” were bring such talent and passion to iconic of the show’s own laid“Working’s” iconic, wide-range back nature. Absent were the exof characters with sensitivity and ploding spotlights and shattered nuance that is laudable.

innumerable possible errors and checks that need to be made for such a crucial part of the show means the errors during “Working” are understandable, but it was nonetheless a major detriment to the show.

Overall: 8.5/10

Simply put, “Working” was a well-executed theatrical piece reliant on a script that didn’t allow the combined talents of the cast, crew, and orchestra to shine as they could have. It was enjoyable: Funny without being abrasive, charming without being sappy. Understand that any criticisms for East’s newest musical are only in keeping with our own theater program’s rigorous standards for excellence, and “Working” was no exception. What seems to set East’s productions apart from the standard high school is that they are entertaining in their own right, absent of an asterisk saying “Well, it’s only a high school musical.” “Working” is a testament that East’s theater program is alive and as professional as ever.

[FEATURES]

page 6

March 16th, 2012

A Whale of a Time

photo by Maggie Hernandez

East students travel to Mexico to learn about marine life

by Daniel Hartman-Strawn

T

photo by Margaret Bobb

he students scanned the water, looking for any telltale sign of activity below. The hushed, excited voices traveled across the water as everyone waited in anticipation.

Suddenly someone pointed and shouted, and others joined in as a whale, shiny, black and gargantuan, began to surface from the depths.

Kids lunged across the deck to get a better view, making the boat tip precariously. The watchers grew even more ecstatic as a calf appeared, and began making its way towards one of the boats with its mother in tow. The whales dwarfed the 16-foot fishing boats, making the onlookers feel simultaneously vulnerable and exhilarated. Then, to the amazement of everyone, the calf and mother started to play with boat, nudging it gently.

The students reached out and ran their hands along the backs of the whales, feeling the rubbery skin Students (left to right) Ian MacDonald, Galit Deital, Jade Croghan, Denise Meeker and Devon Romero on a whale watching excursion. and the rough barnacles. One AP Environmental Sciences curences they had at East.” Together young accompany their mothers whale spouted, misting several riculum that Hendler and Bobb the couple worked “as the tour down to the Bay from Alaskan and students in the process. When the teach, many of the students on operators, arranging all air-fare, Russian waters, where they are whales finally moved on, they had the trip had simply heard of the hotel, transportation, and boat during the summer months. The visited every boat and everyone trip through reservations. This [made] the trip recovery of their population was had been ‘at cost’ to the students; there is no clearly evident during the students’ able to The students reached out and their Spanish classes or ‘middle-man’ tour company taking visit, where whales were spouting have ran their hands along the from other a profit.” It made the trip afforable around the boats almost constantly. perhaps students. and accessible to a more diverse In addition to the observthe most backs of the whales...

However, group of students. ing whales, students also got an incredible everyone found the trip to be excitThe focus of the trip was view- opportunity to snorkel with sea encounter with nature in their life. ing, interesting, and above all, fun. ing and interacting with the Gray lions out in open waters. Many This spring fourteen students Bobb was inspired by her Whales, which were hunted to near were surprised when the sea lions from East High School, along with husband Don, who “was one of the extinction by 1934 in the Pacific swam out to meet them. The sea East science teachers Margaret lead teachers in [previous] expeand became a protected species in lions were not only interested in Bobb and Michael Hendler, travriential education opportunites.”

1936. To do this, the group travthe swimmers, but also appeared eled to the southern tip of the Two years ago, she organized a eled to Puerto San Carlos, located to want to play with them. They Baja peninsula in Mexico to study reunion of his students, and “every on the shores of Magdalena Bay. played “chicken” with the kids, the Gray Whales that travel there single student said that one of the Each year, the Gray Whales come flying through the water directly at every winter. Though the trip was most influential, impacting experidown to the Bay to mate. The them and then darting away at the focused on issues covered in the

last moment. Some, such as junior Devon Romero, felt that this was the paramount event of the trip: “Swimming with the sea lions was amazing. Swimming with a wild creature in it’s own habitat is such an awesome experience.”

As with any group of teenagers, the food was highly appreciated as well. Students ate mostly from street vendors and small, local restaurants. Delicious tacos, burritos, and even fresh lobster were to be enjoyed. Junior Aiden Acquisto thought that, “the food really enhanced the authenticity of the trip.” This also gave students the opportunity to interact with locals who were, without exception, welcoming and helpful with getting past the language barrier. The taste of a foreign culture was a boon to everyone, many of whom had never been outside of the country.

Students returned home not only refreshed and rejuvenated, but also feeling that they had gained a lot from their experience. Romero remarked on the experiential nature of the trip, saying, “I learned and gained knowledge on that trip that can’t be learned or taught in a class room.” Senior Alex ViskiHánka said that getting to “be a part of it was such an incredible experience.” Finally, everyone walked away knowing that they had made new friends on the trip, perhaps ones that they wouldn’t have met otherwise. Looking towards the future, junior Denise Meeker remarked, “in the years to come we might not remember all the details of the time we spent there, but we made real friendships and real connections with people we might have otherwise never gotten to know on this level.”

East Art Walk Stuns O

“Skeleton in Blue” by Kiera Farrell

“Unknown Aeronautics Design,” by Goldfrapp

n a brisk spring night, hundreds of family, friends, peers, and community members gathered along Colfax to admire the hard work of East student artists. Friday March 9th, 2012 marked the beginning of a new East tradition with the first annual East High Arts Walk.

Atendees of the widely successful event made their way down Colfax, through the auditorium, Chipotle, The Three Lions Pub, and a framing gallery displaying nearly a hundred pieces of student work as they enjoyed free food and fun. East High artists presented their talents through an assortment of art mediums and styles including paintings and graphite drawings to displays of photography and ceramics. This evening was also accompanied by vocal music performances, jazz essembles and poetry recitations.

The best of East’s talents were displayed to the community for the first time, giving students the recognition they deserve for all the effort they put into their artwork. These evening allowed what were once simply classroom assignments to transcend in to widely celebrated works. The East High Art Walk introduced the conception of a permanent art collection to further celebrate student artists for the long term.

The art department at East hopes to eventually collect a large enough assortment of art that the school will be able to set up a gallery with a rotating collection.

Student artists ought to be excited about this new tradition that has the aim to support creative thinking and artistic excellence.

“Coors Field,” by Sophie Jonas

by Austion Woolfolk and Genevieve Crawford

“Koi,” by Sammy Martin

[FEATURES]

March 16th, 2012

J

unior Patrick West didn’t discover his talent – it discovered him. At fourteen years old, one lazy summer afternoon before his freshman year year, West, known best as “PJ,” stumbled upon his talent. He realized this while he was messing around with his friends, just “dropping the beat,” he recalls. After the first few lyrics, the first few rhymes and the first few impressed looks, he realized that he had a gift for rapping. And he loved it.

Rapping has since become a part of West’s everyday life. He finds inspiration in his friends, family, daily events – anything that triggers emotion. Even the negative responses he gets to his music only fuels his passion: “I get tons of haters. People hate to my face, people hate behind my back; it’s crazy. The only way I deal with them is just to prove them wrong with every new song I drop. I show them my progression and let them hate even though they know I’m getting better. You learn to use the negativity to help inspire and fuel me even more.” “I mean, the dream is to go big, but obviously there’s a slim chance of that, so even if I have a different career I’d love to continue rapping for a while.”

And he is not the only one who has found solace in the world of rap.

Sophomore Lee Ling Ling Christensen has been rapping for about a year and now can’t stop. “I have only been rapping for probably about a year now, but it has become my complete ambition and passion sense then.” When asked what rap does for him, his response is, “I feel like there is a lot that happens on the day to day that people just

choose to avoid, or not talk about that really needs to be addressed, so I guess I’ve always just been interested in speaking out.” And for Christensen, that voice through a musical outlet has become his sense of identity.

Though an avid rap fan, Christensen still scorns some of the recent rap for its vulgarity. He believes a new message needs to be sent to listeners: “Honestly violence sells like hot cakes [in songs]; it’s what people want to hear. But to be honest, it’s trash, people need to realize how much their audience is listening, and what kind of positive impact they can make. I feel like the main reason we don’t see people spitting knowledge like that in the mainstream anymore is because business has discovered that it doesn’t sell as well as violence and drugs.” He aims to make his music more relevant and more meaningful than some of the mainstream rap, because Christensen believes that the power of music is stronger than mainstream artists know: “When you take a step back those rappers are just young people, who are as ignorant as a lot of us, and don’t really know what they’re saying but they have the power to sell even then.”

But the power of rap is not lost on others, says Christensen. “If you listen to rappers like Shad, KRSOne, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, and people like that, you’re going to walk away from every song learning something, every lyric they write has a premeditated purpose and reason. You can really expand yourself as a person just by listening, that’s something pretty incredible.

onth:

f the M Artist o

Tachelle Grant

by Emma Dargen

S

page 7

...And That’s a Rap

by Denise Meeker

Sophomore Lee Ling Ling Christensen, pictured here during the music video for his song “White Noise,” began rapping last year.

I think I’m just motivated knowing maybe something I say will make someone think, and maybe change the way they treat themselves and the people around them.” And for him rapping seemed the “best way for me to share as many ideas as possible in a way where people can really listen and possibly be influenced. So for that reason, I’ve never really second guessed my decision to rap. I feel like it’s something I’ll be doing for life.”

enior Tachelle Grant’s unique artistic ability has been fueled by the recognition that not everything is straightforward and easy to understand. “Not everything has to make sense,” she says.

“When I was six years old I wanted to draw my older cousin so I sat and stared at her, put it on paper— that’s how I discovered that I could draw.” Grant did not start pursuing art seriously until about the age of eleven and has since been exploring new mediums and searching for new sources

Christensen’s album cover (left) and West’s most recent event poster

of inspiration for her work.

Grant is currently enrolled in Drawing and Painting Three at East and cites the art class as a positive experience. The class offers lessons in different techniques that have further spawned Grant’s creativity.

“Ninety-five percent of the time I am using pencil, but lately I have been trying to use acrylic paints and some water color paints,” says Grant. She mostly chooses to focus her art on drawing cartoons and caricatures of animals and people.

Simple, everyday life has proven to be a wonderful inspiration for Grant who says that her “friends and family,” have inspired her to continue to draw her own unique kinds of portraits.

Grant’s continuing passion for art is promoted by her everyday life and awareness of her surroundings as motivation for her drawing.

Grant says that art keeps her hooked because even just a “simple box can have a world or life changing meaning behind it.”

Breaking Down the Stereotypes

East Interracial Community addresses the issues of mixed race students and unifies people of all races

by Joie Akerson

W

hen freshman Maya Thomas walks down the hallways, her peers label her with an assortment of names. Some are innocent --“Latina,” “African-American,” “white,” -- and some of the words were meant to hurt: “whitewashed,” or “Oreo.”

As a student of mixed heritage, Thomas doesn’t define herself solely as one race and like many, she cringes when she hears the offensive names. Many kids like Thomas, including her friend Kahlia Mendez, were tired of the racial slander and being boxed into categories they didn’t always fall into neatly. To create a place to discuss and educate on issues of race, Thomas and Mendez began the East Interracial Community.

Thomas is the first to admit that East’s Interracial Community Club is “more of a support group than a club.” The group members are planning for future fundraisers and events, but for now their focus is on discussions about the issues they come across as mixed students, and how they can help change that environment. “As somebody who is mixed,” says Thomas, “there are a lot of problems that I face that not everybody faces.” For this reason, Thomas’ club welcomes students not of mixed heritage as well, to help “educate them” on the situations they may not always be able to relate to.

Their club stems from earlier diversity programs at East, such as Vice President Shawne Anderson’s Diversity Dialogue (who is now the club sponsor of the East Interracial Community). The girls were noticing an increase in racial issues, and many of these observations were made first hand. One recent encounter is still fresh in Mendez’s memory:

a few days ago, one student was pressing Mendez about her race, trying to make her classify herself as only on of her many heritages, “and he was like, ‘Well, which one are you?’ But what am I supposed to be, you know? I’m me.”

These occurrences are not rare for mixed students. “With people who are more than one race, people try to put them into one category,” says Thomas, “When people usually see me, the first thing they see is a black person, and really I’m black and Mexican. But I’m not black or Mexican, I’m American. And at the end of the day all you should see is a human being and not what race I am.”

But their focus has expanded to more than just issues that pertain directly to mixed students. “We want to work on racial issues, because even though East is so diverse it’s still a place that needs a lot of education and training about different types of people,” says Thomas. Discussions about race have often been attempted, but, as Thomas notes, they can sometimes be “tense” or “uncomfortable.” Mendez and Thomas are creating an environment where students can say what they want about race topics without the tense atmosphere. In the near future, the club members are planning a bake sale for the MAVIN Foundation, a foundation with similar goals of raising awareness about the issues that multicultural individuals and families face.

Though labels are slapped onto students everyday, Mendez, Thomas, and their club aim to show people that those labels don’t have to define them.

“People sometimes call me things, like that I’m whitewashed,” says Mendez, “But there’s really no such thing. It’s just a word people make up.”

Freshman Maya Thomas started East Interracial Community with her friend Kahlia Mendez.

A Blended Nation 7 million: Americans consider themselves as multiracial.

1967 : the year interracial marriage was made legal.

3.4%:

the growth rate of the multiracial w community, making it the fastest growing demographic.

Wo n d e r s o f t h e http://tumblr.com/

Tumbling Across the Blogosphere

by Addie Sandovold

U

pon returning home from a hectic day at school, sophomore Livie Ray logs onto tumblr. She scrolls down her dashboard until she reaches a glowing image of a tropical sunset that reveals a glamorously furnished dock in the corner. She clicks ‘reblog’, decides not to add a caption, and returns to her dashboard to see what else her favorite blogs have posted. Everything she reblogs shows up on her personal page and comes together as a clear portrayal of what she wants to express to her followers.

The popular blogging site, tumblr, first came to be in 2007 thanks to the then twenty-one-year-old David Karp--a New York entrepreneur and computer software prodigy. It is a platform used for sharing anything from favorite songs to the works in an artist’s portfolio. From each user’s individual dashboard they have unlimited access to almost everything on the internet and they can either reblog these things or save them as a “liked” post.

There are no limits when it comes to what users “tumble”; they even get to choose their own URLs (Universal Resource Locators, or web addresses) to be identified by. “I chose my URL (lil-rayray) because it’s like my ‘rapper name’,” Ray remarked. “I considered changing it to a song lyric or something like that after a while, but I just decided to keep it because it’s more personal and me.” Some blogs have specific themes such as an archive of bizarre text conversations with an odd cousin (textsfrombennett), quirky pictures regarding pizza (phan-cpizza), or a blog of various graphic interchange formats, also known as GIFs (gifpeanutbutter). Each blog is completely unique.

Many bloggers have no inhibitions and simply post what appeals to them in the moment. “My tumblr is basically the inside of my head projected into one place…it’s a collection of beautiful things I find that I can share with other people,” said sophomore Sierra Smith, who preferred to keep her URL private. Over the course

33,313,876 tumblrs worldwide.

38,000

are . ale

fem

tumblrs are from the United States. w

%

42.31% of all

49

There are posts per minute.

51% of tumblrs are male.

There are

of just one week, the entire spectrum of human emotion can be found on one web page. “I like how I can post whatever I want and not get criticized for it. I like having complete creative control over my blog,” says Ray. It also can bring to light new interests. “I’ve found a lot of cool music, websites, and brands that I never knew about before,” she added.

Since users are mostly followed by people whom they’ve never met, it’s helpful to many as a judgement free outlet for the most part. People post song lyrics they have written or will create a text post about each event in a crazy day. Some blogs have the option of an “anonymous” button on the ask page. It’s up to the users whether or not they want to offer anonymity to their inquisitive admirers, but many leave the function available. Anonymous users, popularly called ‘anons’ are known to post brutal slurs under the protection of the lack of an identity. Usually these anons have no reason for their remarks, other than the excuse that they can get away with these comments. Those who don’t use tumblr are also known to criticize, calling most users “wannabe hipsters”, “net noobs”, or simply “losers”.

Despite inevitable internet annoyances, tumblr can help build strong connections among people all over the world, simply based on their artistic interests. Celebrities who use tumblr are giving their fans an easy way to interact with them. Fans can ask them questions, submit pictures and reblog examples of the person’s work. The connection that most users have to the site really cannot be understood until one becomes a user themselves.

Dedicated tumblrs are willing to stick with it no matter the pros and woes. For some, it’s what they look forward to at the end of each day. For others, they want nothing to do with it. All that really counts is the joy and inspiration that this First Amendment Mecca can bring to many lives.

http://

St

Wo r l d Wi d e We b

/www.stumbleupon.com/

tumbleUpon A Tool to Explore

by Nick Brown

A

re you interested in British pop music? How do you feel about architecture? Do you want to learn more about Asian cuisine? Chances are you will be able to pursue your interests through Stumbleupon. The website, launched in 2001, epitomizes the many opportunities the web can offer. Users begin by choosing their hobbies and interests from an extensive list of options. Stumbleupon then randomly generates a selection of websites, videos, photos, etc. that pertains to the user’s choices.

If you are one of the 20 million registered users of the site, then you are surely aware of the incredible capabilities of this seemingly simple idea. If a user comes across a page they especially enjoy, they can ‘like’ the page. On the other hand, if a webpage is not to the user’s liking, they can ‘dislike’ the page.

StumbleUpon uses these reactions to create a user’s profile.

Profiles are constantly growing and changing according to the user’s interests. A user’s profile can often take a shape similar to their personality.

Senior Bailey Polonsky knows first-hand the endless limits of the site. He remarks, “it opens a whole new world. It’s sort of like a magazine, but with the depth of the internet.” Polonsky uses StumbleUpon as a way to develop ideas. He stumbles a variety of sites to gain a different opinion by visiting others’ perspectives. Polonsky is an avid liberal; however, he lists conservative politics as one of his interests on StumbleUpon because he wants to consider both sides of every argument. The site’s incredible breadth allows its users a chance to see something they would never have found.

Polonsky uses the site responsibly, but it can be hard to not become obsessed with the opportunities it presents. Because the options are so unique to the user’s interests, seldom comes a time when the site is boring. Senior Dylan Ray confesses, “StumbleUpon has taken over my life. In some of my classes, I stumble so much that it is difficult to do the last night’s homework.” If users aren’t careful with the power of the site, they can stumble down a slippery slope.

It is hard to believe that a website like this could somehow become profitable. However, there is definitely a monetary aspect of StumbleUpon. StumbleUpon is one of many websites that now, through technology, can take advantage of a special type of advertising. The sites know what the user’s specific interests are, so they can generate ads which are specifically applicable to each individual. For advertisers, this is a dream come true. Now it is effortless for them to find their perfect target audience. For consumers, it becomes easier and easier to find access to a myriad of both ordinary and obscure items.

As the Internet continues to grow, StumbleUpon will follow suit. In reality, it is already limitless. If a user ever becomes disinterested with the websites that they are coming across, all they have to do is add another interest to their list. As the list of interests grows, so does the user’s knowledge and awareness.

Caution must be taken, because with the unlimited information comes the possibility of obsession. Regardless, the website is a valuable tool for those in search of entertainment and education.

http://twitter.com/

tells all!

by Natalia Dellevalle

A

s freshman Brian Carey pulls out his phone, he skims through his Twitter feed.

“I just like to see what people are up to. It’s really entertaining and funny to see what people talk about,” Brian says of Twitter, adding, “at least half of the people I follow are East students.” Carey then begins to write his own tweet, recalling a funny moment in his previous class.

This is a daily routine for Carey, who says, “I go on Twitter every day and tweet about once a day.” Many East students and faculty use the popular social networking site for a multitude of reasons.

To hear about new songs and upcoming concerts, sophomore Zaya Bunch follows her favorite artists; including Harry Styles, Tyler the Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt on Twitter. “I only go on about 10 minutes a week, “ Zaya said, “so I only have around 20 followers.” Zaya uses Twitter as a way to stay in the loop, adding that Twitter makes this easy to do by, “sending notifications to my phone and letting me tweet on my phone without an Internet connection.”

Entertainment industry tweeters have the most followers; nine out of the top ten tweeters work in the entertainment industry (Barack Obama being the exception). Lady Gaga leads the way with 18 million subscribers, followed by Justin Bieber with 16 million subscribers. Other top tweeters include Katy Perry, Shakira, Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift. It would appear as though many people follow their favorite artists like Zaya does. However, one East faculty member uses Twitter for a different purpose altogether.

Spanish teacher Noah Geisel uses Twitter for educational purposes. “I try to find famous people tweeting in Spanish who are using our target vocabulary in their tweets,” said Geisel. He considers this authentic practice as very beneficial for his students. “If my students can comprehend what’s written, it can help build confidence that they are learning and succeeding,” Geisel mentioned. Geisel also reads articles, discovers new websites and teaching ideas, and publishes his own work using Twitter.

There will always be people who don’t use Twitter and other social networking sites in general. One anonymous former tweeter at East said, “You can only use 140 characters including spaces so you can’t really write anything.” Another dislikes Twitter because, “You can’t quickly figure out what’s going on because you always have to click on the website or the link in the tweet.”

Despite detractors, Twitter continues to gain popularity. Since it’s creation in 2006, Twitter has acquired more than 200 million users, 50 percent of them logging on at least once a day. There are 250 million tweets posted daily. Twitter has helped people organize uprisings like the protests in Egypt and the Tunisian Election protests in 2011. In February 2012, the first live surgical twittercast of a beating open-heart surgery was performed in Houston, Texas. Surgeons took pictures and provided 140-character updates throughout the two-hour surgery to provide insight about the process to future surgeons. Businesses promoting their products and services on Twitter have proliferated, and Twitter has encouraged people watching events like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards live to share their opinions. As Twitter continues to break records and accomplish the unprecedented, it continues to attract users and garner praise.

Why We Tweet

[OPINIONS]

page 10

March 16th, 2012

Editor in Chief Editorial:

Integration Begins with Conversation How East can take steps to become truly diverse.

by Genevieve Crawford

A

t the beginning of the year, all the students in the class sat timidly at their desks, hugging tightly to cliques subtly shaped by race. Silence ruled through a shared fear of interaction.

Students dodged honest responses despite wellfocused questions from the teacher about racism today and its evolution from the 18th century. They refused to express their views on race relations today that have been deeply influenced by their historical roots.

Everyone seemed to tiptoe around the obvious, eager to embrace the politically correct and avoid offence, but several weeks into the term, friendships were born. The class found common ground discussing topics most relevant to them: rap videos.

Unexpected bonds were then forged more deeply through civil discourse as students considered Harriet Tubman, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Tupac and more. This is how Mr. Markson’s African American History Honors class has developed since the beginning of the year. This sight at East High School is rare. Too rare. Out of fear, we’ve created a community as divided as it is racially diverse.

For the past four years, I have had mostly white kids in all my classes. Despite our broad population of 31% black, 20% Hispanic and 46% white students, diversity has been the exception rather than the rule in my classes.

Despite all the boasting about East’s multiformity, both the administrative and class scheduling systems have failed us all. The lone concerted effort to integrate a class that I have seen at East is the Geography Honors class that all freshmen are required to take.

Though this class provides a hugely important first step towards understanding peers right from the beginning of high school, it

[

The Cynic’s

Mani festo

by Andrew Wise

H

offers false promises since segregation-- by accident or design -- rules the remaining three years.

The resulting polarization is astonishing. East now must take steps towards bringing its students together, but I can’t help wondering if this inner city school is designed to separate races rather than to unify them. Our school needs to offer opportunities for us to celebrate the diversity of which we boast. We need more moments to know our peers in open settings that foster friendship and dialogue.

Small steps have been taken with the Diversity Dialogue headed by Shawne Anderson, but one program is not enough. Most of us never cross paths outside of the classroom -- or even inside the classroom after freshman year-- making us integrated in name alone and more segregated than we’ll ever be in our future communities and workplaces. Integrating all classes, especially honors and AP, is more easily said than

]

Segregation–by accident or design– rules the remaining three years.

done, but it is an imperative, since all of our opportunities depend on it.

Our world will be increasingly multicultural; none of us will thrive in our future pursuits unless we can embrace this diversity. Just two classes during my four years at East have truly embodied the population and spirit of East High School: first was Geography Honors and now, finally, Mr. Markson’s fourth period African American History Honors class. These have been the real triumphs in the diversity of East that I have experienced. Twenty-five students from as many backgrounds show what we ought to strive for as a leading inner-city public school. This unorthodox, discussion-based class has become an open, honest family that assesses the events in American history, from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. As a family, we have friendly discussions and harsh disagreements. We have all grown together in ways that have no parallel in all that I’ve seen at East. Very frankly, this has been the most practical class I have taken in my four years, and I feel so fortunate to have experienced the best that our school’s diversity offers.

Missing out on these experiences is to have missed the point of East. The solution to this systemic issue is not simple, but the administration needs to have a greater commitment to one of the greatest natural strengths our school has: diversity. Effectively integrate classes next year. Encourage under-achieving students to challenge themselves more by taking honors and AP, and advocate high-achieving students to take classes that would have significance beyond the pages of their textbooks.

ere we are, you are reading the East High Spotlight, I am off living my life because this was written like two weeks ago and I’ve got stuff to do. But here it is, and I promise that this is all you need to know to come to terms with whatever you may be frustrated about right now: There is ALWAYS a catch.

Perfect does not exist, and even if you think you might have found it, it won’t last for long.

Friendly people just want your money, especially used car salesmen and mega church preachers. Karma gets it wrong quite often, and for every bright side, there needs to be a dark side.

Don’t take this too hard. I’m being realistic. Strip away all the glittering generalities, the fancy packaging and the smiling faces, and you’re left with a muddled and confused world packed with plenty of exhausted people who have worked hard every day of their life, and wildly happy people who have never worked a day in theirs. I should hope I don’t need to tell you that things aren’t fair, that fairy-tale endings are there to keep little kids from asking questions like “why doesn’t the heat work?” and “Where do babies come from?” Every leader is corrupt, and if he isn’t, he is torn down by those who want to keep things as they are.

Every moment, someone dies who you likely had the means to save. Every moment, you fail, just a little bit, and that will never change.

It is best to look at the world in this way, to go through life accepting that things don’t work out, that there is no destiny, no overarching deity keeping an eye on the “Moral People.” You can’t wait around waiting for things to get better, because it’s not very likely that they will.

The reality is that we’ve all got to live it up while we can, because you never know when a truck driver is going to run out of amphetamines and crush your Prius into a pancake as he snoozes at the wheel. It happens.

It can all be over in an instant, and you’re left wondering if all that volunteering was really worth it, considering if it was truly the right decision to stay in all those nights that your friends went out, and just the same whether it was worth it to spend so much of your time stumbling around, half blind by alcohol when there are all these amazing things you didn’t see.

All we’ve really got is this moment, right now, and you’re spending it reading your school newspaper, which is really quite nice of you. A bunch of people worked really hard to make this paper great, and you are dutifully sitting there and plodding through it because you are one darn good example of humanity. We thank you for that, and we are glad that you don’t see this as a total waste of time, whether it is or not.

So finish the paper, then go find some good friends and enjoy the little things. Just keep an eye out for eighteen wheelers. It’s never going to be perfect, every little thing isn’t going to be alright, and it could all go up in flames at any moment, but we’re all here, we’re all breathing, we might as well make the most of it.

[OPINIONS]

March 16th, 2012

page 11

How to Change the World, Before your 18th Birthday.

Gaining from photo by Ali Oksner

Giving

Why DPS should add public service to the requirements for graduation

pure of heart? The truth is that no one is pure of heart. Even the most selfless people are so at least am a terrible person. I would partially to relieve themselves of never have done community service were it not to help me get the guilt of others’ plight. And into college, and thus ensure my there is nothing wrong with this. future success. I am a white, tall, People are nice because they want others to like them. Even blonde, wealthy, teenaged boy the core of the golden rule is in the United States of America selfish- but that doesn’t mean we attending a great school with a pristine family life and immense should throw it away.

The fact that society values privileges. I am the epitome service is proof that we all of the 1 percent, maintaining value service. In many ways, our most every possible advantage culture is set up to reflect the for a happy and prosperous life best, and worst, of ourselves. I through no work of my own. shudder at the thought of how I And I am a hypocrite. I believe might act if I lived in a commuthe best way to judge a person’s nity where violence, intolerance, merit is through their contribuand indifference were in vogue. tions to others. The most direct vehicle to achieve this is through I have the capacity to be selfish. community service. Yet the only And believe me I am on a daily basis. Thus, I am so thankful factor which compelled me to that I am entrenched in a society deviate from my self-interested which rewards those who are agenda of sports, grades, girls, and going out and helping some- altruistic. There is no contradiction in wanting to help others to one was, of course, self-interest. help oneself. Mutually beneficial Society is often lambasted by teens and adults alike for shoving solutions are the fundamental principle of all situations where its values down our throats. We humans rely conform to There is no contradiction on each other. what will interacgrant us in wanting to help others Every tion with our a higher to help oneself. friends, family, status in school, comsociety. This munity, country, even with the statement is defined by negaworld, could benefit from more tive connotation. We think of common interest and harmonihow are addicted to technology, ous goals. chronically insecure, slaves to Our government should capitalism. While much of the institute a public service requiresocial order’s influence on us is ment to graduate from high detrimental, there is one area school, which can be fulfilled by where I and much of the world anything from volunteering in truly do owe a great debt to a soup kitchen to involvement society.

Many argue that clubs such in clubs which promote service to tutoring other students. Even as NHS and KEY club are imif one student who may not moral, because they encourage have otherwise had the gumpdisingenuous and half-hearted tion, courage, or even desire to service from students who are help others does some good, the largely interested in improving requirement would be worth the their chances of college acextra effort. Maybe some of those ceptance and thus the service students would begin to feel is invalid. However, the truth is pride in their charity, holding that the societal expectation for themselves and others to a high community service is extremely positive. There truly is no down- standard of service. And who knows, maybe if more selfish side. It is clear in my eyes that any factor which emboldens stu- kids like me were taught that the best way to judge a person’s merit dents to help others is construcwas through their contribution tive. Would a person in need to others, we wouldn’t have so only want help if it came from many selfish adults. someone who was 100 percent

by Ty Wagner

High School Students from the Denver area volunteering at a democratic caucus.

by Ali Oksner

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olitics don’t matter to you. According to you, laws and war and social change are the stuff of adulthood. You care about driving and sexual freedom and going out – the all around independence. What allows you to drive? The law that allows 16-year-olds to take the driving test after required classes. What allows you to access free birth control?

Federally funded Title X clinics like Planned Parenthood. What allows you to stay out until midnight? The state curfew for minors. All of these went through the long legislative process before being implemented as laws. Unfortunately, this does not mean our rights are secured or that we have all of the freedoms that we deserve. If we are apathetic, choices that affect us (marijuana usage, samesex marriage, equal pay) are decided for us.

As a high school student, you are not in control of the vast majority of your life. Classes consume your days and homework absorbs your nights.

You have curfews and limits and obligations. You can’t even vote. Yes, we all know it is not easy being unheard.

The good news? You can change that. We are in a time of great political importance. This is an election year and our country may not be headed in your ideal direction, unless

your main priority is a moon colony. ers to post opinions and statistics on Facebook. Turn your nonsensical sta(Yes, that is part of candidate Newt tus into something meaningful. Your Gingrich’s platform.) So make your online debates can start real progress opinions heard.

American youth are some of the and eliminate ignorance in your community. Just last year, Facebook most powerful people in the world.

We have the means and technology to drove the organization and execution of the Arab Spring, yet in the U.S., start movements and our trends are infectious. Imagine if advocating for social networking is a tool for social change that is severely under-utilized ourselves was the latest fad. by much of the population.

President Obama’s 2012 camWe all have cell phones, we paign started a technological moveknow how to use them and we can ment by encouraging its volunteers use them to start for good. that trend.

Phone It takes “Whether the issue banks are about five groups seconds, is gay marriage, of people no money abortion or equal with a goal and no who get commitpay, these issues together ment. with a list Best of matter and our of numall: there bers and is no age opinions matter.” inform. minimum If phone and you banks can are probaccess any part of that undecided ably already do it 20 times a day. It’s percentage of voters, they can comcalled tweeting. Through these new #2012Tweetup programs, online sup- pletely turn an election. Make calls porters are able to amplify the online for an hour, maybe two, and put your favored candidate in office. message and drum up support for Utilize the internet, or better their candidate. Similarly, many other yet, walk around your neighborhood campaigns are encouraging followor school, talk to people, and inform the ignorant. Tell the family next door that women still make only 77 cents to every dollar a man makes in the same position. Let grandmother know that son still does not have the right to marry who he wants, simply The Arab Spring political movements were built upon because he is gay. Tell your sister that Facebook events. Get people together, alert your this time next year, she may not be the decider in choices relating to her friends about volunteer opportunities, and make own body. It is your turn to be in things happen. charge.

If we give a few seconds, a few hours or a few dollars, we can help decide our nation’s fate. Whether Volunteer your time to Show your support with the issue is gay marriage, abortion inform undecided voters your thumbs through or equal pay, these issues matter and about your candidate or Twitter. Find your candiour opinions matter. In a couple of years, we will be responsible for the your side of an issue. The date’s twitter page and choices made in this election. Let’s greatest danger to make your voice heard! not regret what is decided this elecdemocracy is ignorance. tion; let’s take control.

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What you can do...

Organize

Call

Tweet

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[OPINIONS]

page 12

March 16th, 2012

Ask Deaunna!

E

veryone has family problems. At the end of the day, some of them make you and break you. Whether it’s a daily thing or every now and again, it happens.

Some of the questions I was asked this month were very intense so I had to choose the mild ones. I personally have been through a lot with my family but have worked hard to stay strong through it all.

This Month’s Topic:

Family

in y phone aga m k o o t m o My M e this week im t d ir h t e for th she can’t ls e fe e h s e becaus . How do I e r o m y n a e trust m rust? regain her t ean Mom –Why So M

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION??

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

n ays o w l a s dad i ut boys. y M e abo assums a c my ys alwa ng new, s ’ e i H meth I try to o s g in ay veryd he never e d n t a im bu tell h . s Go listen Let It d -Da

Answer:

Losing a parent’s trust makes life really difficult. It’s the hardest thing to ever get back. Try to follow your mom’s rules for a while. Parents hate it when they have no reason to be mad at you, so sooner or later she will give it back with nothing to say.

Answer:

Seeing as I didn’t grow up with a father figure, this is hard to answer. Try to see where he is coming from with some of the questions he’s asking you. I know how crazy they can get when it comes to Daddy’s little girl because my brothers are the same way with me.

All you can really do is continue to let it happen and with time, he will loosen up.

My p a of the rents kicke d me house out nowh a n d I er my p e to go. Th have ho e I’m r ne and ev y took ea er shoul lly lost on ything. d do n w ow. I hat I ing fr ke o never m school b ep callut th answe ey r.

-Lone ly In This World

Answer:

Wow, this is a real question. Getting kicked out of the house can be taken out of proportion in so many ways. In reality, no parent can truly disown their child. They will show concern sooner or later. Until then you need to find a friend that you really trust to share this with and talk to their parents to see if you can stay with them.

Y

ou can never disown your family because at the end of the day, they are all you have. All you can really do is roll with the punches. Your family will always love you, no matter how mad or disappointed they are at you.

Honestly, Put Your Big Kid Pants On

by Sara Yates

W

hen I walk down the East hallways I see some questionable things. My eyes just stare, judging really hardcore. All of us have done it: You start thinking, “Why the hell is her hair fiery red, there is no way that’s natural”, and, “Does that chick know that it’s 10 degrees outside? Just because you’re wearing Uggs doesn’t mean that mini skirt is appropriate,” and, “Bro, its not sunny in here so take off the glasses, you look like you belong on the Jersey Shore.” As these thoughts run through my brain I wonder, do they have friends? And if they have friends, do they have eyes? A real friend should tell you how it is, not just be polite saying “Yeah you look so hot in that mini skirt” when they’re really thinking, “Please put some pants on, I think I might puke.”

Not to confuse anyone, I am pro-honesty, not pro-using-honesty-to-be-cruel-topeople. There is a fine line between telling the truth, and acting like a jerk. If you exercise

[

honesty in an appropriate way you would feel better and you might foster more meaningful relationships with you friends. Now before I really get into this, here are some warnings: This being honest thing really works best if you’re the person’s friend. If you’re not you can still go for it, just don’t blame me when you get punched in the face. Second warning, I wouldn’t really do this to people who are violent, or carry weapons of any kind, or have been in jail; because you will get murdered and dumped in the City Park lake.

While it may be awkward at first telling your friend that maybe she needs an outfit revision, that her boyfriend is really unpleasant, or that maybe you don’t like the way they treat you sometimes, it really is beneficial to have a truthful relationship with your friends.

If we really spoke our minds to our friends, we would not only feel better but our relationship would be stronger. Even if what our friends say hurts us, we have the potential to create more trusting and deeper relationships.

]

Even if what our friends say hurts us, we have the potential to create more trusting and deeper relationships.

While I wouldn’t want my friends to be mean to me, when they are truly honest it’s nice. I know that they are really looking out for me. I know that I can trust them to tell me if I’m acting like an idiot, or if I look like a homeless person.

Politeness has its place; it is very appropriate in formal situations and when you don’t want to offend anyone. However, when you are with your friends and in a comfortable environment it might not always be necessary.

Sometimes when you are looking out for the person, trying not to hurt their feelings, your relationship suffers. They might think you’re distant or that you feel you’re above them. They might even think you are being fake and dishonest. With that said, you should have a mental filter of some kind; don’t just be rude and mean.

Don’t use this as an excuse to act however you want, but if you’re ready to be really honest with people in a loving way, I think you will find you are happier and your relationships stronger.

[OPINIONS]

March 16th, 2012

page 13

I’m a Teen Driver,

not a Death Machine.

D

ear impatient commuters of the greater Denver Metro area,

Hi. I’m a teen driver. I am three times more likely to kill you and your passengers than the average driver. It has been proven that I underestimate hazardous situations and I am slow to react when these hazardous situations arise. Basically, I’m your worst nightmare. But that’s not my intention. In fact, I’m here to quote, in all seriousness, one of the great bands of the 70s and ask “Why can’t we be friends?”

I don’t even have my license yet. I have my permit, which means I cannot drive anywhere without a licensed adult in the passenger seat, hopefully ready to perform damage control if I turn the steering wheel the wrong way or confuse the gas pedal with the brake.

It sounds ridiculous, but it’s very possible.

My dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex -- the part of the brain that plays a critical role in decision making, problem solving, and understanding consequences of my actions -- will not be fully developed for another five years.

Minimum. Unfortunately, three days spent in a stuffy drivers ed classroom struggling to stay awake through twenty year old PSA videos doesn’t do much to change that.

But here’s the thing: I know the statistics, and I am not interested in becoming one of them. There is a lawless, bellicose group of teen drivers out there who really should not be driving. But there is always a lawless group of teenagers in the world doing something they shouldn’t be, and it is unfair to judge a whole demographic by the troublemakers. I don’t drink, smoke, carry on phone conversations, text, nor apply mascara while driving. all the things that might happen to him. Your odds of getting struck by lightning are one in And I know I’m not the only careful one.

Cautious or not, there are still over 10,000. Your odds of having quadruplets are 150,000 drivers in the state of Colorado hit- one in 729,000. Your odds of dying in a car crash are one in 83. These are facts of life. ting the highways But smart people with underdeveldo not walk to the I’m a teen driver trying to oped brains bemiddle of an open cause it’s conve- buck the stereotype, so field in an elecnient for adults, trical storm and and also because please cut me some slack. hold a metal golf sixteen has been the driving age forever. Everyone, myself in- club above their heads. So why isn’t driving cluded, would freak out if the driving age was treated with the same mix of common sense and caution? raised, no matter how noble the reasoning.

If your wife is giving birth in the bed It does not do a man well to worry over

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someday, I would imagine you would want them to be careful. I know that’s what my parents want, and that’s what I’m trying to do.

Driver’s Ed told me that it’s a dog eat dog world out there, and it is. Cars are dangerous. That’s not my fault, or your fault, or anybody’s fault really. All that any of us can do is be aware, empathetic, and try to make good choices. You have every right to expect that from me and my fellow teen drivers, because that is what we expect of you.

Sincerely,

Aubin Fefley

Raves

Rants

“I lov e Electi the wide v ar ve intere s are my f iety of cla s avori sts yo te bec ses there a u and -Naki au re ya Cla t usell, hey’re rea se you ca to choose lly fun n cho Fresh ose so from! man .” meth ing th

rs nt doo o r f e h t go ack in ho have to b o g w n’t you ca for people ties.” t a h t i us ain d activ uge p diculo “It’s ri ool. It’s a h ol sports an o ch after s for after-sch more o n back i ibson, Soph G -Reed “I ha atte te hall s n a pr dance weeps ! e -Ch tty min and ju They d s risti o an D or offe t get a n’t do l n o elga s t of anyth dillo e.” peo i ple ng for , Jun in tr ior oub le fo

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’s so re too big. It a l e fe I t a when of classes th ial attention c e p “I have a lot s t e g ’t arn.” you don harder to le chaotic and t lo a it s e k It ma you need it. n ki, Freshma -Maya Otsu

of your pickup truck, I suppose the following does not apply to you; but everyone else, please, listen up: I’m a teen driver trying to buck the stereotype, so please cut me some slack. You know my reaction time is slower, so it doesn’t do anyone much good when I am amicably driving the speed limit and you swerve around me with your bad temper.

When I am wary about making a right turn on red because the street is busy or the lanes are narrow, please refrain from honking. It psyches me out. Just keep in mind that a car crash would make you much later for work than a traffic signal would.

If and when your kids start driving

he om t r f e ryon orks as a e v e w t, even ther and r o j e ma d of omes tog ol.” n i k ny sc cho e is a ty guard t every s r e h a ri rt neve rs to secu ave that e h n’t h ast, w ache “At E pal to te t, you do ard i a u princ I love th ecurity G . team Norris, S h -Keit

“I love my st they’re ve udents, especially ry m every day ‘creative.’ They pr y 7th period class. ovide me !”

L with lots et’s just say - Mrs. No of comic ble, Chem relief istry Teac her

by Grace McCabe

[SPORTS]

March 16th, 2012

photo by Chris Harder

page 14

Angels Sent Packing Lack of senior leadership hurts East when it counts as boys lose in third round

by Chris Harder and Andrew Palmquist

T

he look on Coach Carey’s face said it all. The disappointment of a last-minute comeback falling short had stung him to the core. It was a shock weighted by the realization that his team had made fundamental execution errors when the game was on the line.

As Thunder Ridge, clinging to a two point lead, was able to run over 50 seconds off the clock in the final two minutes without the Angels intentionally fouling, the Angels’ youth became painfully apparent. The team’s 10th graders looked like deer in the headlights and sophomore Ronnie Harrell, who had sunk two clutch 3’s minutes earlier and was the clear choice for the last second shot, couldn’t get open. Dominique Collier finally heaved up the desperation 3 and the second it clanked off the rim, he knew what a horrific mistake they had just committed by standing idly by as Thunder Ridge had inched closer to advancing.

“Coach said to let 20 seconds go off the clock and foul at 40 seconds left if the big man didn’t get the ball before that or go for a

steal. The plan was to foul him as soon as he got the ball but they didn’t let him touch it ‘cause they knew we were gonna foul him. So second option was to foul at 40 seconds but our players were too into the moment and didn’t pay attention to foul,” said Collier.

In a season when the Angels started three sophomores, leadership and urgency were the cornerstones of coach Rudy Carey’s philosophy, though execution of such strategies oft-times fell short. Carey remarked, “That [execution] hasn’t happened. It’s been a lack of senior leadership. We didn’t play with a sense of urgency and that’s because our seniors didn’t play with a sense of urgency. We didn’t because most of our kids know they’re coming back.” The Angels suffered a lack of leadership in general, not just from the seniors. Collier was well aware of the problems that absence brought about, stating, “Most of that was my fault with not being the vocal leader in practice and games.

When the team sees the leader work hard and play hard in games, then that feeds off to the team and we all play hard.” Senior Jalen

A Hero In Our Midst:

by Max Segal

Mr. Ewing also works as a part-time firefighter.

M

ost athletic directors wouldn’t miss their school’s Sweet 16 basketball game, but for East’s Athletic Director Bill Ewing, duty called. His other duty, that is. Mr. Ewing, a part time fire-fighter for the city of Louisville, was not on the floor for East’s heartbreaking loss to Thunder Ridge because he was busy learning how to save people from three-story buildings. “You know, you got to put the ladder up, there’s a whole ritual we have to go through,” says Ewing.

Ewing is new to the AD position, but a familiar face at East. A former assistant principal from 2004-2010, Ewing picked up the firefighting gig when he retired. When East called looking for a new Athletic Director, Ewing enthusiastically accepted.

So far, Ewing has embraced his new job with open arms. “My passion has actually grown even more being in this position,” says Ewing, “I’ve found some real quality students that are student athletes and I’m able to interact with them.” Since taking the position in January, Ewing has already had to deal

Thompson also stated, “There wasn’t enough leadership because the people that tried to lead weren’t respected, and the ones that should’ve took a backseat.”

It became increasingly evident as the game progressed that East lacked the passion and fire that have characterized past Angels squads. Carey will admit this season was more of a challenge to bring those qualities out in his kids than in years past. “I’m dragging them to the finish line. In the past, kids themselves have imposed their own will, but I kind of have to impose my will on them to get them to what we expect from them. I’ve had to work a little harder and be more passionate,” he reflected.

Surrounding the electric atmosphere at the East-Thunder Ridge game was the fact that many believed East should have been playing in front of adoring fans in the Pat Panek gym, instead of with the hostile, capacity crowd at Thunder Ridge breathing down their necks. The Angels were poised to be a number one seed because of their strong 19-3 regular season record, but a glaring

mistake by the Colorado High School Activities Association dropped them to a number three. In a week where Collier, along with others, had come down with a nasty case of the flu, the Angels were not themselves as they fell 58-49 to Highlands Ranch at Magness Arena. The game, however much it docked the Angel’s confidence, according to CHSAA, was supposed to play no role in the seeding of the Angels. CHSAA, to the dismay of the basketball community, went back on their promise to Coach Carey and realigned the seeds the next morning, fatefully dropping the Angels to a three seed.

It can easily be said that if the Angels were destined for a state title, they would have had to beat teams like Thunder Ridge, and most likely even better. However, the difference between playing all tournament games at home or on a neutral floor (as the Angels were originally supposed to), and playing in front of a packed hostile crowd, was more than obvious as the young team was shaken to a third round loss.

Carey expressed his exasperation, stating, “I think it was an insult to our basketball team, an insult to East High School, and an insult to our community. Disrespectful. We should have been a number one seed without question. They (CHSAA) met the next morning after that game and changed it.”

Although the injustice of CHSAA’s decision was felt by all of the team, some of the players admitted that the loss transcended the CHSAA ruling. “I think we should have played at East first-off because we had a better record and we beat them at home earlier in the year. If we were at East we would have beat them. Some guys haven’t been in that kind of atmosphere with that big of a crowd before so it kind of hurt us, but we still should have won that game. We were young but we had mostly everyone on the same team as last year so we can’t use us being young as an excuse. They hit a lot of big threes down the stretch because they were wide open. That was our fault on the defensive end,” said a frustrated Collier.

Regardless the source of the disappointing finish to the season , the good news for the young Angels is that the talent is, without question, very present. Between shooting guard Collier, who is considered by many to be the best prospect out of Colorado since Chauncey Billups, point guard Jevon Griffin and the imposing, shot-blocking presence of 6’5” Tyre Robinson in the paint, East seems poised to remain at the front of the pack in Colorado high school basketball. If juniors Keaghan Dunn-Rhodes and Leonard Davis can perform in their senior seasons and help lead the younger players, the Angels will continue to be a contender for the state title. Collier is already itching for the first tip of next season, commenting, “We need to play hard every game and work hard every practice. We should have in our mind what CHSAA did to us this year and that should fire us up more to beat everybody. And by a lot, no mercy on anyone.” If the Angels can carry that passion and drive into next season, they just might have a chance at redemption.

Mr. Ewing Does Double Duty as Athletic Director and Firefighter with National Signing Day (one of the biggest days in high school athletics) and the playoffs for East’s powerhouse basketball team. His day to day life has been busy too. During a 20-minute visit in his office, Ewing received three phone calls and spoke with three visitors (two of them head coaches), all while being interviewed by one reporter. “The average day has been, I’ll just say a busy day. As athletic director there’s a lot of different pieces that come on your table every day,” he says.

Despite the business in his schedule, Ewing could not be happier about returning to East.

“I truly believe in that aura thing, that there’s really good aura here at this school,” says Ewing. For a man with many different passions, East seems to have a special significance.

When Andy Mendelsberg was promoted to interim principal, East was left without an athletic director. Ewing, who was away from East only a year and a half, was eager to return to his former employer. “Coming back, I was real excited about that. I think East High School has so much to offer and I

think it played right into me and my personality.” Since returning, Ewing has handled the monotony of responding to numerous emails and phone calls as well as the thrills of helping student athletes succeed with equal amounts of grace and enthusiasm. His transition into the position was about as smooth as it could possibly be, and East could not ask for a more energetic man for the job.

Ewing does not have anything specific to accomplish when he goes back into retirement. He will continue his job as a firefighter. “Other than that, I’m just going to try to ‘be retired’,” he says. Ewing’s original retirement from East was Brett Favre-esque, but it appears that soon he will be gone for good. Once he leaves, East will enter into another period of brief uncertainty. The citizens of Louisville, however, will not. One of their firefighters will officially be more available starting in June. If you’re ever trapped in a three story building, who you gonna call? Bill Ewing!

[SPORTS]

March 16th, 2012

page 15

Athletes With Wings East Hosts Special Olympics

by Grace McCabe and Willow Turano ight-year-old Michael speeds down the basketball court, gliding over the “EA” painted in the hardwood. His excitement over the breakaway is palpable in his wide grin and somewhat clumsy dribbling skills.

He starts to slow down as he approaches the hoop and everyone watches him now; it’s just him and the basket. He launches a crooked shot off his shoulder and the ball makes a “swoosh” sound on its way through the net.

The crowd roars. He smiles and high-fives his cheering teammates. He then wheels his wheelchair back to center court.

Michael was just one of many students participating in the annual Denver Public Schools Special Olympics Basketball Tournament recently held at East High School. Ever since DPS received a grant for the Special Olympics thirty-five years ago, it has yearly held a soccer tournament, track and field competitions, a bowling tournament, and the basketball tournament at East.

“I really like working with the kids.

It’s important because they are the future, just like us,” says Calvin Henley, East High sophomore and volunteer at the basketball tournament. Volunteers like Calvin have been helping to run this event for the past ten years. “These kids really love working with the high schoolers,” states Freda Davenport, who has been the Special Olympics manager for the Denver Metro Area for twenty-three years.

This was apparent at the basketball tournament, where the athletes, most of them elementary schoolers, circled around the “big kids.” Shy at first, they soon were messing around, picking up hoops pointers, and in the case of one boy, being lifted up to dunk on the six-foot basket. It’s hard to tell who was enjoying it more; the boy, or the volunteer lifting him.

Come Together

photo by Ali Oskner

E

Park Hill students Rodney and Rachel take a break during the Special Olympics tournament that was held at East High School.

to play. Another goal of the Special Olympics is to give a chance to play to anyone who was never given a chance to do something wonderful through sports.

Once these initial doors are opened, there is no limit on student’s dreams. When asked at the basketball tournament what she wants to be when she grows up, outgoing third grader Rachel didn’t hesitate before answering, “I’m going to be a basketball player. Duh.” Many of these DPS student-athletes who participate in Special Olympics are also involved with their school team or a Denver Parks and Recreation team, but there are still many students for whom this is one of their few chances to participate in organized sports. “Special Olympics celebrates all ability levels,” says Davenport, and looking around the Calloway gym during the basketball tournament, this is apparent. There are kids in wheelchairs, kids with Down’s syndrome, and kids whose disabilities aren’t as obvious to the naked eye. On the court, however, those differences seem to melt away. photo by Ali Oskner

Davenport says that the biggest focus of Special Olympics is integration of “regular ed” and “special ed” onto the same teams in something they call Unified Sports.

This inclusive activity celebrates all ability levels, and the consensus from teachers, volunteers, and students is that both groups really enjoy Close Ties this opportunity. This Shay Lutz looks idea also expands into around the Calloway the classroom, acGym, pointing out cording to Shay Lutz, students she’s worked a para-professional at with. Some are from Park Hill Elementary her old school, some are School, “The students from her current school really look forward to Special Olympics athletes from around DPS but are no longer in her gathered at East for a day of friendship, fun, and it, especially music, competition. class, but “They all make art, and P.E. It’s the sure to come say hi to high point of their day.” me,” she says with a smile.

When the Special Olympics were creThe teachers provide great support to ated in the 1960s, founder Eunice Kennedy these kids, and enjoy seeing their students Shriver wanted to take action against the succeed in Special Olympics. Because most unjust treatment of intellectually disabled of the parents work during the week, somepeople. She also wanted to give them a place times even two jobs, it is up to the teachers

to provide transportation and support. They are happy to do so, and in turn form an especially close bond with their students.

Not only do the Special Olympics events bring “regular ed” and “special ed” students together on the court, they also bring students from different schools together in strong friendships. “The students have friends from other schools that they look forward to seeing at Special Olympics events.

It’s a tremendous community,” says Ms. Lutz.

Using sports as a common language, Special Olympics provide these students with a close bond with their peers and teachers and a boost of selfconfidence. It also provides them with lots of people who want to watch them succeed.

ment is loaded with ribbons and medals galore. The students huddled around, small fingers reaching towards the shiny prizes.

Ask any organizer or teacher at the Special Olympics, and they will tell you the students’ favorite part is the awards. No effort goes unnoticed, and no athlete leaves without an award. This furthers the Special Olympics’ idea that everyone is a winner, and every winner deserves a prize.

According to Davenport, “Students love knowing that they can achieve like their peers. They see kids at school win ribbons and awards and love that they can do that too.” These ribbons may seem silly to others, but to these young athletes, they are a gateway to empowerment and acceptance.

The words of one bystander during the basketball tournament encompassed the entire Special Olympics spirit: “The more you see, the more you believe.”

“Students love knowing that they can achieve like their peers.”

And The Winner Is...

A folding table set up in a corner of the East High gym during the basketball tourna-

[REAR END]

page 16

March 16th, 2012

Toni the Talking Locker Goes Postal

Choice of Studies Now Offering:

W

W

by Padgett Queen

proceeds to crush to death. He got his next target when a poor senior was depositing a suggestion for Taylor Swift at Prom and he swiftly knocked her inside his compartment and chewed thoroughly. Police are still deciding whether or not this specific case was justified.

“Toni was always such a good boy, I raised him from a little P.O. box,” Toni’s mother Tami cries, “maybe he played a few tricks, hiding text-

books and such, but he was just a little half-locker in the back hallway on the second floor back then.”

Although no one seemed to suspect a deadly killer lurking on the first floor, Toni is still committed the crime, and he will be doing the time. The judge sentenced him to twenty-five years to life as a prison shower locker, but with good behavior he may be upgraded to Jazzercise or a public recreation center.

by Big Foot’s Harry Son

Aries

The journey to the end of the rainbow will be treacherous without a purple and green sombrero.

Now with Toni out, Stu-Co struggles to find a locker capable of withstanding the heat of taking student suggestions, but so far they have had no success. “We are thinking of using a mail box instead, as they are used to dealing with everything from audits to hate mail,” says Head Girl Lila. Until then our complaints and suggestions will go unheard, and bad music will continue to plague the students of East High School at dances.

Leo

Virgo

Taurus

Cancer

If you wake up in a dark, tight space, don’t worry, you aren’t in a locker. You are in the belly of a gnarwhal.

Forgetting about daylight savings does not still work as an excuse for being late to school.

Klingon: A 5th foreign language will be joining East High next year. Klingon is one of the most prominent languages in Star Trek.

Students can take classes from Klingon 1, where they will learn the basics, to AP Klingon, where they will master the language and speak fluently.

AP Reverse Psychology: This class does have a prerequisite; students must easily be able to convince a teacher that it is educational to go streaking through the school while singing Christmas carols in Spanish using what they have learned in a research project they will complete over the summer. New teachers, Mr. Otnemihc and Mr. Elloegalf, have been hired to teach the class.

This will not only be a class but will also have an optional Rev-Psych team much like that of Con Law. Students from different schools will have competitions where they are given a topic to follow and have to persuade a panel of random civilians using what they have learned in class. Each team is timed and whoever has the lowest average time after three rounds wins.

RROTC: RROTC will be taught in addition to ROTC next year. Once a student has reached Alpha Squad in ROTC, they can take RROTC with consent from their parents. The additional “R” in RROTC stands for Real. In this class students will face actual military

combat in a foreign country, and if our country isn’t currently in a war, the students will start one. WARNING: This class may be fatal.

Extreme Home Economics: In this class, students will learn about various countries around the world and the foods they eat there. Then they will cook foods from the different places they learn about while being attacked by a military volunteer from the same country. This will also be East’s first three credit course. It will count as elective credit, social studies credit and gym credit. This class will have competitions as well. New teacher Raquel Reyes explains that “They (the competitions) will be similar to cooking shows such as Iron Chef, but students will have to fight their way through a course, collect the hidden ingredients, return to the kitchen and cook a cuisine based on a specific country.

The team that completes this challenge first with all team members living wins. It is as simple as that.”

Adding even one of these classes to a schedule next year will teach students many of life’s important lessons such as speaking with celestial beings or arguing with people in a way to get what you want. With these new choices East is offering, students will also be granted the greatest gift of all: the gift of learning.

“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 forks and spoons, the clouds, the secret room 128.5, my set of car keys, the flying purple people eater, Ajluni’s wheelchair, the guy who thought of daylight savings... Ben Franklin, and the grinch who stole Christmas. The point is this section is meant to be taken lightly!

Horoscopes

Your sock is untied...

MADE YOU LOOK! HAHA, that never gets old.

Gemini

by Big Foot’s Harry Son ith choice of studies looming around the corner, many students are beginning to strategize their classes into a tolerable schedule for next year. New additions such as AP Reverse Psychology, Klingon, RROTC, and Extreme Home Economics will be available as options for many East High Students.

photo by Chris Padgett

as it the countless complaints about the terrible music at dances? Maybe having to sit in one place for months on ends listening to everyone’s problems. Whatever it was, something or someone pushed Toni over the edge.

Recently a student council member found the bodies of two students and a janitor inside of Toni while they were collecting the notes from students.

“I just never expected Toni to do anything like that,” says Head Boy K.C. “He always seemed like such a kind, gentle locker to me.”

Ever since the beginning of the year, Toni has taken suggestions and complaints from students throughout the school, but further investigation revealed that not all of these notes were meant for student council. Many of the notes contained insults, teasing Toni about his eyes being to far apart, and his skin being too red, unlike those nice, shiny, grey, normal lockers. These notes are believed to be the source of Toni’s recent rampage.

Security cameras show images of Toni wobbling down the hall in search of his first victim, whom he finds and

AP Reverse Psychology, Klingon, RROTC, and Extreme Home Economics

Wear a jacket tomorrow, it may be cold.

You should know by now that just because you are closer to the sun in the mountains doesn’t mean it is warmer.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

The green parade this Saturday isn’t to celebrate being ecofriendly (facepalm).

Libra

Scorpio

You violated the dresscode because those clothes you bought that only you can see are actually invisible.

The first person to bring The Spotlight a paper with numbers one to infinity hand written will receive an early graduation.

Stoplights do serve a purpose other than representing that Rasta Spirit.

Installing hydraulics in your minivan doesn’t make it any cooler.

Aquarius

Pisces

I know you love the outdoors, but when your friends told you to take a hike, all they meant was for you to leave.