Finding Your Stripes Discover yourself and the stripes that make you unique
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table of contents
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Sports
All Teams Have Dreams Athletes at GJHS have a strong vision for their teams | p. 17/18
News
Adventure Is Out There Trails, adventures and musch more right in your backyard | p. 19/22
Not Enough Time Students and teachers stuggle with block days and attending WCCC or valley classes | p. 2 # NOT1GJ The Grand Junction community gathers to support homeless teens through the house fundraiser Night on the Street | p. 3-4 Mind Springs Walk In Clinic Closes Mind Springs Clinc moves to Montrose due to budget cuts | p. 6
“Fall” ing For Fall Sports A question and answer from fall athletes | p. 22
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Students and Culture
Opinion
Beware what you wear Halloween costume do’s and don’ts | p. 24
Veganism It’s more than just eating healthy | p. 11
Shop Downtown Shops downtown that your are garenteed to love | p. 26
Playlists For All Occasions A few songs for your every mood| p. 13
Self Confidence Journey Take a ride through the average teenager’s mind | p. 29
Thoughts On Overdrive Learn about social anxiety and how people live with it every day | p. 16 front cover photo by kyla dare
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Austin Jones, freshman, Stephanie Vargas-Herrera, freshman, Alex Brown, sophomore, Mariah Ortiz-Garcia, junior, Eric Umberger, junior, and Vernoica Adams, junior, come together to represent the diversity at Grand Junction High school.
news news
Not Enough Time photos by kyla dare
Valley Arrives at GJHS
12:20pm
12:00pm 5th Starts
WCCC Leaves GJHS
9:55am
9:25am Advisory
Students and Teachers struggle with block days and attending WCCC or Valley classes by jared hanks There are many pros and cons when it comes to block days and students leaving for WCCC and Valley. Many students take advantage of grinding for an hour and a half every Wednesday and Thursday, getting work done in four block periods and advisory. It can be quite an overload because it can be hard to stay engaged for that long and it’s also hard for the teachers to teach for an hour and a half without any breaks. WCCC and Valley offer many amazing opportunities to our students at GJHS, whether that’s learning about graphic design, becoming a mechanic or cooking. However, attending WCCC or Valley often means many students have to leave GJHS in the middle of their other classes to hop in their cars or catch the bus. This can cause many issues with students’ schedules, and the bell schedule has been altered in the past to try to meet the needs of students to make it to GJHS and WCCC or Valley on time. No matter what the situation is, some students will end up being late to class at GJHS WCCC and Valley, and some will show up on time with no issues whatsoever. Senior David Lee Guerrero has been attending WCCC so he can take a digital design class. “It’s interesting leaving class [at GJHS] early because it’s up to me to get the information I missed,” Guerrero said. Leaving class early comes with a cost, and that cost is having to be responsible enough to find out what kind of material you missed out on so you don’t become one of those students who is continuously falling behind. Another potential issue with the block day schedule is the placement of advisory. On the block days, all students have 85-minute classes and a 45-minute minute advisory after first hour. Some students feel that it’s too hard to stay engaged for that whole block period after study time. Junior Walker Naramore said he doesn’t think the block schedule is a problem. “I don’t mind block days because I’m able to get a lot of work done and catch up on work that I have missed from being gone,” he said. The students that go to Valley also face a lot of these time issues. Junior Nick Gummin finds it hard to get to class everyday, “It’s hard because we don’t get as much info like everyone else,” said Gummin. Many Valley students like Gummin look for assistance left and right to keep up with the work. “I like to get help out of school and I try to get as much as I can at Valley,” said Gummin. Attending systems like WCCC and Valley come with a cost, and that cost is knowing when and where you have to be at certain times. 2
#NOT1GJ
The Grand Junction community gathers to support homeless teens, through the House fundraiser Night on the Street
and Development Coordinator at the House. A common misconception is that homelessness amongst teens in the Grand Valley does not exist because youth When I was 18, me and my mom who had been fighting homelessness is harder to spot. People need to know pretty much all my life had a really big falling out and her that this is a problem that has steadily been growing in boyfriend at the time would always just go against me, and recent years. On average there are over seven hundred my mom would always take his side so eventually I left. I students district wide that have decided not to live with my family “I think the most important thing is been registered as homeless. Three anymore and I didn’t really have a to be aware, and to be aware in a hundred of those are high school place to go so I ended up on the students. streets for a while. Eventually, I found non-judgmental way.” When you think of a homeless the House and when I was admitted, Belinda Howery, lead D51 student advocate person, you probably think of I found out that I had depression and someone sleeping on a cardboard box on the street or on a couple other issues that I needed to work through. a park bench. Although there are teens who are homeless This is the life of a homeless teen as told by Alex in the stereotypical sense, many homeless teens are just Wagner. couch surfing, crashing with a friend, living out of their cars, On Sept. 27, the House, a non-profit organization that in tents, or living in substandard homes as outlined by the provides temporary housing and basic living needs, held US Department of Housing and Urban Development. a fundraiser called Night on the Street at Colorado Mesa “I think the most important thing is to be aware, and University. People from the community were encouraged to be aware in a non- judgemental way,” said Belinda to pitch a tent and spend a “night on the street” so a Howery, lead advocate for the R.E.A.C.H. program. The homeless teen wouldn’t have to. Resources, Education, and Advocacy for Children Who But the fundraiser wasn’t just to raise money, it was also to raise awareness of the steadily growing number of are Homeless (R.E.A.C.H.) Program, in District 51 was established in 2003 to provide homeless students with teens without a home, said Sharon Bouse-Ferry, Volunteer by ashley guddat
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The Night on the Street fundraiser featured games, live music, food, and guest speakers. According to KKCO News, the House was able to raise $30,000. “The event is sponsored by Alpine Bank and a handful of other businesses around town, all benefitting the House,” said Sharon Bouse-Ferry, Volunteer and Development Coordinator at the House. necessities such as food, hygiene products, access to showers, help enrolling in school, and transportation. One major stigma is that homeless teens are uneducated, but that is not the case. They just cannot pour themselves into their classes when they have to worry about what they are going to eat that night, where they are going to sleep, or how they are going to get somewhere. The R.E.A.C.H. program strives to help those students meet their basic needs, so the student can focus on their school work and get a job or go to college. “The biggest piece is the school. Just having a place to come everyday that is safe,” said Belinda Howery. Not only do they struggle to focus on school, teens that are homeless are more susceptible to sex trafficking, to disappearing, and to being abused because they have no guardian to watch out for them, or a safe place to go. R.E.A.C.H. was created to fulfill the “No Child Left Behind” federal legislation. Although it is a federal law, the government does not support these programs financially. In fact, most of their funding and resources come from the community and donations. Howery said the Grand Valley is accepting of their needs and although they have never had a problem providing for their students, they run very close to the end of their budget.
photos by ashley guddat
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taylorkiddphotography@gmail
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Mind Springs Walk in Clinic Closes by bre kircher
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rand Junction may be a beautiful place, but the things within can be sinister, especially when our county has the nickname of “The Suicide Capital of America.” More than 150,000 residents live in the Grand Valley. According to Kathryn Bennet, a professional healthcare writer, “[there are] more than 40 suicides per year—an astonishing number of those are teenagers.” Additionally, “for every completed suicide, we estimate that 15 residents will attempt,” Bennet said. When you do that math, it equals out to more than 600 suicide attempts a year in our community alone. In a study conducted by the Colorado Trust and the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, the authors concluded, “[that] about 600 Coloradans can be expected to die from suicide in any year.” Even though citizens clearly need help and mental support outlets for people to go to when they have these thoughts and feelings, Colorado’s funding for mental health services was cut by 7.8 percent. Part of this cut included relocating the Mind Springs walk-in crisis center. Chriss Flynn, the current Vice President of Marketing at Mind Springs, said “the State’s western slope walk-in crisis center is not closing, [it is] now relocated in Montrose.”
According to the Grand Junction High School counselors, Mind Springs still has its crisis services, however it isn’t open to the public to visit on their own. In order to receive crisis care, you would have to be referred to Mind Springs through St. Mary’s hospital. In the official statement put out by Mind Springs, it was stated that Mesa County was impacted the most by the cuts in funding, and that after the walk-in clinic is moved to Montrose, they will convert the space left behind into a health urgent care that will be available from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. “While previously there was also a local hotline, there is only 1 crisis hotline number to call now,” Flynn said. That number is 1.844.493.TALK or text ‘TALK’ to 38255. Because the hotline is closed people are now being referred to call the state crisis hotline,” she said. Mind Springs CEO Sharon Raggio told the partners of Mind Springs that the new center in Montrose will help patients with detoxing. “Although the way in which mental health crisis services are administered and funded by the state of Colorado may have changed, Mind Springs Health will continue to care for the communities we serve” Raggio said in the statement. According to Mind Springs’ website, “our goal remains to make sure that people on the Western Slope get access to high quality behavioral health care they deserve.” graphic by bre kircher
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Hospital Visits Due To N Electronic CH Cigarettes N
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Nicotine Molecule
According to Johns Hopkins Health: a university medical system, since 2015 the vaping usage with teens has increased by a staggering 900%. The juuling and vaping incident has been an ongoing issue for years and years. These incidents include hospital visits. As teens continue to get a hold of these devices, patterns in reports of hospital visits are abruptly popping up. These reports are coming from teens that have been juuling and vaping for quite some time, long enough to hospitalize them. A lot of these teens picked up a vape for the first time when they were 12 or 13. In some tragic cases a handful of these teens became addicted and haven’t stopped. Early signs of nicotine addiction include the dependence of nicotine, stress and anxiety. These early signs can lead to severe side effects such as damage to the lungs, coughing, wheezing, insomnia and so on. Recently, doctors have been treating patients with unknown lung diseases that are
most likely caused by vaping due to the fact that all of these patients posses a nicotine addiction or vape everyday. “Juuling and vaping is a big problem with teens now and it needs to be contained” senior Luis De La Torre said. Juuling and vaping numbers within teens has sky-rocketed in the past few years, with the government having a hard time putting a ban on these products they’re going to have to enforce new laws that can keep the situation within teens under control. The faster the numbers go up the more eyebrows will be raised. As the cases have become more and more severe, more reports of hospital visits have popped up. Our next generation is being poisoned by these products. “It’s just the same as people who have smoked and have lung problems so it’s the same thing with different products”, senior
Visits to the hospital for lung damage increases as electronic cigarettes gain popularity.
CLUB ADVISOR ROOM NUMBER
CLUBS of GJHS
Academic Team Coady Shawcroft (Rm 212) ALT Russel Gregory (Rm 209) ASL Lauren Mack (Rm 130) Anime and Manga Club Ms. Mah-Withers & Ms. Keever (Rm 120) Aquaponics Club Maura McDougal (Rm 301) Art Club Mrs. Wetherstein, Mr. Graham, and Mr. Henry (Rm 705) Band Isaac Lavadie Book Club Pam Middlemas & Tim Couch Bowling Chess Club Tim Couch (Rm 502) Choir Brad Hirsh Drama Club Audrey Neumiller (Rm 124) EDUKT Yaneth Gutierrez (Rm 206) E-Sports Mikhail Blosser (Rm 106) FCCLA Kasey Jackson (Rm 118) FBLA Ms. Nelms (Rm 104) FCA Steve Brown (Rm 304) French Club Jodee Cronk (Rm 116) GSA Serenity Santisteven German Club Ralph Wahlers (Rm 101) Interact Club Cheyanne Gentry (Rm 224)
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Colton Harvey said. It’s only the beginning to all of this.
by jared hanks
by mckenna bryant
M.E.S.A Victoria Chavez & Roni Hathaway Mock Trial Mr. Carris (Rm 222) Mountain Biking Club, David Sleeper (Rm 201) NAHS Mary Lou Wetherstein NHS Lori A. Alpino-Holloway Outdoor Adventure Club JoAnna Woodruff O&B Megan Fromm Orchestra Nicole Roos Pathfinder Board Game Club Tim Couch (Rm 502) PB & J Club Brandon Gregg (Rm 606) Ski/Snowboard Club Justin Whiteford (Rm 118) Sources of Strength Ms. Keever, Mrs. Hampton, Ms. Fisher, Mrs. Rafferty, and Mrs. Jackson Spanish Club Russ Skinner & Sarah Henao SHS Sarah Henao Speech and Debate Ms. Imel (Rm 214) STUCO Mark Wilson Tiger Yearbook David Bennett (Rm 102) Ultimate Frisbee Club Steve Brown (Rm 304) Video Production Club Steve Brown (Rm 304) Yoga Club Serenity Santisteven (Rm 218)
Day in the Life
students & culture
Carla King is an English Teacher at GJHS. We asked if we could follow her throughout her day to get the inside on being a teacher at GJHS. by sophie middlemas
7:30
A.M. I get [to GJHS] at 7:30, I don’t usually get here much earlier than that. I get my coffee and I get my water, and I look at my lesson plans to make sure that I have all the copies that I need, or at least the ones for the morning because I don’t get a break until lunchtime. I look at what I’m supposed to do with my AP Lang kids because they’re first hour. I have usually already looked at that the day before. I look at what’s coming up on the day of and then I look at what’s coming up the next day so that I can try to stay a little bit ahead of the game because it’s hard to do that. This year I have fewer preps than in previous years so it’s been a little bit easier. But I have a new prep. I’m teaching 11th grade comp/lit this year which is different for me, I haven’t taught it here at GJHS before so that’s new work to do. “Things always change, it’s always different depending on the kids that you have.”
8:00
A.M. The kids come in. My first four classes are AP Language, then 11th grade comp/ lit, then honors 9, and then I have 11th grade comp/lit again. That’s my big class, there are 29 in there so it’s a full class. Once I get through my morning I have taught all my classes at least once. That makes the second or third time easier because you figure out what goes wrong the first time. Even though a lot of the stuff that I’m doing I’ve already done for a long time.
11:15
A.M.Then I have lunch. After lunch I have 5th hour plan and then I have another section of 11th grade comp/lit and another section of honors 9.
Passing Period
Between classes teachers are in the hallways watching kids because there’s always something going on it seems like. Mr. Whiteford is usually pretty entertaining or you get your random fight in the hallway. I like that I get to see kids that I don’t have in class anymore. Some of them come to classes up here so I like seeing them. I don’t always get out in the hallways but I try to, just to be a presence. Teachers are supposed to be out there. It keeps things more calm.
5:00
P.M. The first thing I do when I get home is eat a bowl of cereal, usually Honey-Nut Cheerios. I’m always hungry so that’s usually what I’ll do and then sometimes I’ll go to the gym. If I have homework to do, I’ll do that. Like tonight I have homework for my graduate class and we have conferences tomorrow so I won’t have time to do it. It’s also due tomorrow and I procrastinated just like kids do. So, no you might not outgrow procrastination, because I could’ve done it over the weekend and I didn’t. There is a big grading load for any English teacher. Essays are hard to grade. Grading happens outside and inside of school hours, but essays almost always get taken home because there are distractions. Shorter assignments can get graded in between periods and during planning periods. Teaching English is hard and a load of work, but it’s good because you see a lot of growth a lot of the time, especially when you get to have kids more than one year.
9:00
P.M. I go to bed early and I get up early. In previous years I’ll get up around 4:30 so I can have a good hour of grading time when nobody else is around, and that works for me. I don’t stay up late because I get tired.
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the pressure of... “doing it” “
How is high school affecting the readiness of teens losing their virginity? by delaney kidd Sex. Everyone’s talking about it, everyone is doing it. Or so it may seem. What you may not hear is that by graduation only about half of high schoolers have been sexually active before graduation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There is pressure in general to have sex before marriage. More kids than not think it’s a social norm like ‘oh everyone is doing it’,” Kasey Jackson, relationships teacher, said. From 2005 to 2015, that number has even declined from 54 percent to 41 percent according to Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. So why does it feel like everyone is participating? Teens may be feeling the pressure because the movies they’ve grown up with are based around the whole idea of losing your virginity. “Entertainment glorifies it. Movies and TV make it seem like such a big deal,” senior KK Sweet, said. According to a Times News Article about the effect that movies have on society, “younger people, particularly teens, are much more likely to be impacted than older adults because they are still developing and shaping their worldviews.” In theory, movies shape young adults’ thoughts and values, but there’s no way of knowing whether or not they
graphic by annika sisac
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have lasting impressions. “I personally haven’t felt pressure to lose my virginity but I know my friends and definitely other girls have felt pressure,” Sweet said. “I think it’s because some people feel it’s a bragging right.” Boys are feeling the pressure too, according to a survey done by Seventeen magazine, 60 percent of 1,200 boys surveyed had said they lied about how far they had gone. 78 percent said there was too much pressure to have sex. In a national Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 30 percent said their friends influenced their decision to have sex. “Nobody actually cares if you’re a virgin or not. It may seem like everyone is talking about it, but it doesn’t mean everybody is doing it,” Sweet said. “Be thinking about your consequences. There’s the factor of STD’s and STI’s. When you don’t think of those things as a consequence people are more likely to feel like they should be doing those things. Those are some big consequences and the reputation that goes with them isn’t very good,” Jackson said.
get your stress in check
Learn how to manage your well-being on top of school stress graphic by ashley guddat
1. Take care of your basic needs Get at least nine hours of sleep Keep up on personal hygeine Exercise Eat healthy foods
2. Remember to balance school activites and healthy/enjoyable activities Sometimes you can be so caught up in school you forget to have fun and relax, which can be a huge stress reliever.
6. Volunteer Give your time away by volunteering or even just doing a small thing for a friend or neighbor can make you feel good and productive in a positive way.
7. Don’t turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope Although in short term, drugs and alcohol may provide relief, in the long term they will become a source of stress and depression.
3. Make good friends Surrounding yourself with good, positive, people ensures a large support system that will be there when you need it.
4. Set realistic goals Dream big but set smaller goals along the way that you know you can reach to feel more accomplished and productive.
8. Keep things interesting Every once in a while, break up the monotony with a small change of pace, such as choosing a different study place or taking a different running route.
9. Try meditation or yoga Clearing your mind and relaxing your body can make your outlook on life more positive and help you gain perspective.
10. Think positively about yourself 5. Communicate!
Treat yourself with kindness and respect. Critique yourself, but don’t be too harsh.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You would be surprised how many people are willing to help you if you just ask.
Data and information attributed to Alicia Hampton, GJHS Counselor, and the University of Michigan Health Service.
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VEGANISM It’s more than just eating healthy.
by elise fero
Veganism. A trend, a diet, a health don’t you worry, because the switch into craze, a stigma, what else? While veganism can be done fairly quickly. some may say it’s a bit extreme, others “I watch a lot of documentaries and argue it’s worth every second. In fact, I saw some on the food industry and it the reason why so many people are kind of disgusted me and turned me becoming vegans may shock you. away from meat,” said Lainya Kirkland, According to the environmental junior, who plans to quit eating meat documentary, Cowspiracy, animal after high school. “We really offset agriculture is responsible for 91% of that: the environmental balance.” destruction of the Amazon Rainforest The first thing you should do when and 51% of global greenhouse transferring into veganism is start ruling emissions being from emitted out meat, but not animal agriculture. all at once or Environmentalists and else you’ll animal lovers alike immediately are taking action lack things by becoming your body vegans and has become trying to help accustomed the earth to. Start with through what only eating they’re eating. it four times a “I want to help week, then three, then the environment stay two, then one time throughout alive,” said Searra Millican, the week. sophomore, who is considering Once you become the switch to veganism. “With comfortable with this cows, we have them locked up... cycle, try taking meat out to make money… even though we of your diet completely. could survive off plants.” But remember to take Becoming a vegan may seem vitamins or supplements like a daunting task, but it’s not to ensure you’re still as difficult as one may think. In getting enough protein fact, there are many companies and B-12. Once you’ve graphic by callie shea eliminated meat from that are releasing vegan foods and there are thousands of your meals, slowly start recipes being spread online. removing dairy, eggs, Even fast food restaurants like and other animal products. There Burger King and Carl’s Jr. are serving are even plant based proteins that the “Beyond” burger, which is a veggie taste similar to chicken nuggets and protein that is supposed to taste hamburgers. and ‘bleed’ like actual meat. Not to “It would be pretty easy for me to mention the many food chains that are make the change,” said Kirkland. following in their lead like Subway and Veganism, while a change, isn’t Del Taco. impossible. If you really want to While it may seem like just make the change and support the vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and environment, veganism is the way to go. dinner, it’s actually far more diverse “You can’t be an environmentalist than that. Even foods you’d expect to and eat animals. Period,” said Howard have to give up, like ice cream, can’t Lyman, a former cattle rancher and be ruled out when big brands like author of “Mad Cowboy.” Talenti and Ben & Jerry’s are making so many vegan friendly options. So
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FALL
bucket list
enjoy the season with activities in our town by mckenna bryant 1
Paint your own pumpkin
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Explore a Haunted house
Instead of carving your pumpkin design, try painting it! Find a haunted house near you to see what they’re all about.
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Visit Suncrest Orchard and Fiber Works
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Backyard camping
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Nature hike on the Monument
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Host a fall movie night with friends and family
See behind the scenes of an alpaca farm and meet a few for free. Set up a tent, roast marshmallows, play board games and gaze at the stars. Embrace the beauty of nature while also getting exercise
Start off the holiday season spending time with the ones you love, while watching the actors you love.
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Bake a festive pastry from scratch
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Swap scary stories
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Visit a Pumpkin patch
For from-scratch recipes take a look at Tasty. co or Marthastewart.com Ask around to see which of your peers has the spookiest tale to tell. Studt’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze is the “Biggest and Best in the Grand Valley”.
10 Photo Shoot Show off your fall closet with a background of red, orange and yellow leaves. 11 Make caramel apples Add candy sticks to the center of the apple, melt caramel squares on stovetop, apply melted caramel on the skin of the apple (along with your choice of toppings) and enjoy.
12 Corn hole tournament
Challenge your family and friends to a game or two of corn hole.
fall trends
what can you piece together in your closet to show off your fall fashion? by callie shea photos by bree peet and elise fero
Sidney Ward, senior, expresses her fashion through a cropped flannel paired with leggings and brown booties. Flannels are the perfect way to get creative with your fashion. You can cut them, patch them, or add some detailing with bleach. Goodwill is a great place to start finding your perfect fall flannel for a low price in varying sizes and colors. As for cute fall boots, Kohl’s and Target have many options at a reasonable price. At a higher price, Journey’s carries the popular Dr. Martens you commonly see in the halls.
Sean Henry, art teacher, shows his fall fashion through a cozy pullover and a thick beanie. Staying warm during the winter can be made easy by adding some new hoodies, cardigans, and pullovers to your closet. Add a beanie with some matching colors and you will be warm from head to toe. Goodwill is a great store to find hoodies and cardigans that nobody else will have at a lower price. TJMaxx, Target, and Ross are other stores as well to find clothes for your fall wardrobe.
Elise Junge, senior, wears a floral turtle neck and a cozy cardigan over top. Open cardigans are a cozy sweater than can be worn with other pieces and closed cardigans can be worn with leggings or jeans. These sweaters can dress up an outfit while also being very comfortable to wear during class. You can shop for one in our town at Target, American Eagle, and PacSun. Turtle necks can also be worn many different ways. You can wear it under a dress with tights, under a short sleeve shirt, or on its own. These can also be purchased at the previous stores.
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Find a club that is perfect for your interests by annika sisac and alyssa williams
With over forty registered clubs on campus and room for more to join, there are vast opportunities to find your unique stripe on the GJHS tiger. Historically there has always been talk of some of the more popular clubs on campus such as, PB and J club, Ski and Board Club and NHS. But there are some clubs you may not know of and they might possibly carve way to finding your unique stripe. Want to take a political stance but feel like you don’t have a voice? Join Grand Junction Take Action (GJTA) and research to spread information around our school. Contact Mariah McCune at Mariah.mccune@d51schools.org, or Room 802. A new club as of last year, Sources of Strength, is dedicated to spreading hope and breaking the silence of life’s ups and downs. If you like to emotionally support people and spread awareness through many mediums, contact the follwowing teacher sponsors: Melissa Fisher, Alicia Hampton, Stacey Keever, Amy Rafferty and Kasey Jackson. Art club, run by teachers Marylou Wetherstein, Joseph Graham, and Sean Henry, is one of the many diverse clubs at Grand Junction High School. Henry said they decided to start the art club to explain how important visual art is to the community and to display the art department. Students paint murals, go to skateboard competitions, have t-shirt design contests, and much more. He said that the main focus of creating the art club was to help build the art community, and make it more known. The teachers want to give all students who are not fortunate the supplies needed to pursue the creativity of art.
Empowering Dedicated Underrepresented Kids Today (EDUKT) is a club sponsored by Mrs. Gutierrez. By
graphic by annika sisac
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attending community events and engaging in discussions you can be empowered through knowledge of your culture, campus, and community. Contact Yaneth Gutierrez at yaneth.gutierrez@d51schools.org, or Room 206. While Orange & Black is a class, it also doubles as a club. It encourages creativity in journalism, photography, and design. In order to join the class students must take Journalism 1, Journalism 2, or have advanced writing skills. To inquire about joining, talk to Megan Fromm in room 140 so that you can be a part of the O&B staff next school year. There are many opportunities for clubs throughout our school and if you don’t find the one that is right for you, start your own!
Library
PL YLISTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS PLAY
WORKOUT
CONFIDENCE BOOST
All I do is Win (Explicit) It’s All On U
Radioactive
Can’t Hold Us
Survivor
Imagine Dragons
STAFF FAVORITES
Macklemore
Illenium
Live Your Life T.I.
Lil Uzi Vert
Russ
Riptide
Shape Of You
Sunset Lover
Summer
Eastside
Swing
Joy
Wishing Well
Crawl Outta Love
Vance Joy Calvin Harris Bastille
Ed Sheeran
Benny Blaco, Halsey, Khalid Sam Feldt
Petit Biscuit
Josiah and the Bonnevilles Illenium
Starboy (Explicit)
Titanium
I Like Me Better
Hey Look Ma, I Made It
Shake It Off
Not Too Late
The Weeknd P!ATD
David Guetta ft. Sia Taylor Swift
Congratulations (Explicit) Better
Khalid
Lauv
Moon Taxi
Shower Becky G
I Gotta Feeling
Just Dance
Somebody To Love
American Boy
Mr. Brightside
You Found Me
Hips Don’t Lie
My Name Is
Best I Ever Had (Explicit)
Strawberry Swing
Diamond
Crash (Explicit)
Dreams
Sunflower
Chasing Cars
Black Eyed Peas
Estelle ft. Kanye West Shakira
CALM & RELAXED
DJ Khaled
Thank You, Next (Explicit) Dark Queen (Explicit) Too Many
Post Malone
2000’S THROWBACK
by mckenna bryant and callie shea
Eye of the tiger
Ariana Grande
GOOD VIBES
SHUFFLE
Coldplay
Fleetwood Mac
Lady Gaga
The Killers
Eminem Rihanna
Post Malone ft. Swae Lee
Queen
The Fray
EDEN
Snow Patrol
Skin
In Your Eyes
Santeria
You and I
Love is Gone
Sugar
Pink Toes (Explicit)
Hippie Sabotage Slander ft. Dylan Matthew
3 Nights (Explicit) Dominic Fike
Portair
Sublime
HUSH
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
Drake
Dancing with a Stranger Places Sam Smith, Normani
Sort
Lume Barns Country Quality Control, Offest, DaBaby ft. Gunna
Truth Hurts (Explicit) American You (Explicit) Lizzo
Yelawolf, Kireia
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Why me? “Feel Better”
Panic Fear ScaredAnxious
Quiet
“Cheer Up” Uncomfortable Sweaty palms Help Uneasy I don’t want to go Nervous Tense Suffering
Listen
“What’s wrong?” Self-doubt
THOUGHTS ON OVERDRIVE
Learn about social anxiety and how people live with it every day by elise fero
Once upon a time lived a teenager who didn’t want to go to football games or stand alone in the hallway or answer a question out loud in class. All of the other students were doing these things, but she just couldn’t. Why? “I’d say it’s a big issue at our school, but also a nationwide issue right now… for students and adults,” said Lori Plantiko, counselor at Grand Junction High School. This is a reality many people are facing everyday. An issue referred to as social anxiety. Social Anxiety by Merriam Webster Dictionary’s definition is “a form of anxiety that is brought about by social situations (such as meeting strangers, dating, or public speaking) in which embarrassment or a negative judgment by others may occur.” Basically, people are experiencing fear around other people. This provides insight as to why some people avoid social situations or interactions. While it may seem simple to an outsider, those who experience it would strongly disagree. “There’s things that work for one person and not for another,” said Plantiko. “Some of those things that seem so basic, a lot of people aren’t doing in today’s busy, fast-paced world.” Not to worry, there are ways you and others can receive help. For minor anxiety, things like stress balls and chewing gum can help. More severe anxiety may
require a mental health professional or even your family doctor. Grand Junction High School senior, Maddie Stewart, said she deals with some social anxiety in her life and sometimes struggles to get others to understand. “Sometimes they don’t really get it, saying it’s not a big deal, you just need to calm down. But sometimes it’s not that easy, especially in big social situations like big groups, school dances,” Stewart said. “People become frustrated because they want to solve the problem and fix it, and sometimes just listening is the best thing to do.. Just having an open ear and supporting,” said Plantiko. Being a listening ear to anyone who needs it can be a huge way to help. You may not understand the issue, but your support and care can be just as beneficial. “If you feel super anxious about something, talk to someone you trust, keep reminding yourself that it’s okay,” Stewart said. Social anxiety is a widespread issue dealt with everyday in our school and our world. It affects people’s life’s everyday and can change the way life is lived. Remember: There is nothing wrong with having social anxiety. End the stigma and stay supportive.
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A l l Te a m s
sports
A Spirited Student Section “Having a spirited student section is important to me because the student section can make or break how the team plays, so it’s important that we stay positive and spirited so it hypes up our team.” “Being spirited gives the athletes more energy because our energy releases off to them which helps them play better.” “A big thing is having unique and fun themes that everyone can get along with and putting the team’s outcome on us. For example, if the team doesn’t do well it’s because there was a bad student section. It is a lot more fun to watch a sports team win when there is a good student section.” “My favorite thing about being spirited is everyone listens to you and you can get everyone excited.”
Dawson Collins, senior
Carson Pope, senior
photo by kyla dare photo by kyla dare
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photo by madi martinez
A State Title “The efforts I put in to achieve this honorable title is that I will go running even after a really hard practice or go to the gym to get an extra workout or go to Dan Lisacum’s place to lift (Trainer) or I will go to a second practice some days.” “My motivation is my coaches and my family. They always tell me to never give up. They have seen me at my lowest times and they always pick me backup and keep pushing me.” “Many people tell me I have to win again and that it should be easy, but really it’s not they try to put these things in my head but they really don’t know what it’s like.” “My biggest tips are to never give up and keep pushing for you want.”
The Loving Teammate “Having team spirit in a sport is necessary because it helps the team perform better and to be able to work together well.” “A lot of team bonding outside of the sport always helps.” “The most important characteristic to have when being a captain is to be inclusive, so no one ever feels left out. It helps everyone feel invited and are excited to be on the team and participate,” “I feel like I am a part of a family and I feel free to be myself.” “ Having a team lifts my spirit up individually and the team support just makes me feel more comfortable.’’ “ It gets me out of my bad mind set.’’ “We like to have team dinners, sometimes get smoothies after a run, and sometimes movie nights.”
Mandy Moran, junior
Have Dreams
photo by madi martinez
by madi martinez
Smiles On The Sidelines “It’s good to stay happy because even when you’re having a bad time you can still help others be happy.” “I always cheer my teammates on to make them stay happy because when you are positive you work a lot harder and when you are negative about things you do worse.” “My biggest tip is everyone else who isn’t doing anything you are lapping them. You are beating everyone sitting on the couch even if you are in last you are still bettering yourself unlike the others not working out.”
Dolcie Hanlon, junior
Gaege Fink, senior
Strong And Tough On The Battlefield “I stay motivated by listening to the people around me because they push me and give me competition with my teammates and opponents.” “Doing multiple sports helps me stay in shape for the future sports coming up, so doing cross country helps me stay in shape for soccer. It also makes me a smarter player all around.” “Constantly being challenged holds me to a higher standard.” “Being strong and tough on the battlefield means smart decisions and confidence and being a team.”
photo by bree peet
The Athlete With The Most Work Ethic “Fear motivates me because the fact that I won’t be able to play sports in college or play in a higher collegiate level scares me.” “Without a work ethic you won’t be able to get anything done. You would just always be stuck in the same spot and never be able to get where we want to go.” “I go to the gym after practice and I usually wake up in the morning and go on a run.” “Putting in work outside of mandatory practices is an amazing way people can grow and get better at whatever they want to do and it helps develop a work ethic.” “I encourage my teammates to get more practice in by telling them about how that work will pay off for college or life.” “I chose to play 3 sports because it keeps me in shape year round and it’s fun.” “I enjoy being constantly challenged because if you’re not working for a new goal then you’ll never find out your limits.”
Andy Smith, senior
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Adventure Is Out
There by annika sisac
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Windy trails, biking adventures, and much more right in your backyard
Turn to your right, turn to your left, the outdoors surrounds us. Every hill, every river, every lake, every trail is an opportunity for personal, mental and physical enrichment. “Especially where we live we have so many resources five to ten minutes away, so if you want to go hike, bike or jog, you can go up to Lunch Loops, you got the Monument, which people drive hours and hours just to come see, and Powderhorn is 45 minutes away,” Collin Jones, a CMU student and Outdoor Program ambassador, said. The Lunch Loops trailhead is our local section of the Tabeguache trail system which connects Grand Junction and Montrose across public lands. It is located off of Monument Road. According to Jones, the Grand Valley is a diverse landscape for outdoor activity and making fun memories. The outdoors can also bring you more down to earth and appreciate what’s locally around you. “I know for me I go out to a canyon and it brings me into the bigger picture and makes me feel a little bit smaller and brings me into this sense of awe and I think that sense of awe helps with protecting these places for future generations,” Morgan Rubanow, Bureau of Land Management Volunteer Coordinator, said. Nature has many facets to offer for every person. Blaine Rainey, Bicycle Outfitters Shop Manager, said that there are a variety of great local places for biking, hiking, fishing, hunting and even camping, lending themselves to almost every interest. And ignoring what our valley has to offer is a great experience wasted, Rainey said. “We are so sedentary right now as a nation, and kids would rather just play their video games. But you need to enjoy nature. Sitting in front of the computer screen makes one miss those opportunities,” Rainey said.
Getting out may seem like a challenge, but there are many resources and people in our community who can help you with your next or first adventure. There are many places to buy and rent bikes in the Grand Valley. It is $60 to rent a mountain bike at the Board and Buckle for a day, and at Bicycle Outfitters it is $80 a day. These bike shops also rent other styles of bikes for a variety of prices. Rapid Creek Cycles in Palisade also has a variety of bike options, paddle boards, and 12-foot rafts for rent. Rondo Buecheler, the owner of Rapid Creek Cycles and Palisade River Trips, can outfit and even teach river skills. “If you’ve never done it before, it would be good to do a trip with somebody. We teach paddle boarding, and I also teach people how to row rafts and kayak,” Buecheler said. In addition, if you want to learn how to kayak or further improve your skills, every Monday, at the CMU pool, Jones runs a Kayak Roll session. Once winter arrives and Powderhorn is ready for people to hit the slopes, you can look into skiing. At the Board and Buckle, ski rentals go for $20 a day for adults and $15 a day for kids 12 and under. In the great outdoors there are vast mountains, hills and valleys, lakes and rivers to keep you cool, rides to incredible over looks, and hikes up amazing climbs. According to Nick Unfuge, retailer at Board and Buckle, nature has so much to offer for high school students. “Just getting outside and getting moving. It’s something fun you can do with your friends, especially in high school,” Unfuge said, “There is so much of it here and we are so blessed to have it all.”
BLM Outdoor Safety Tips Pack out what you pack in. Always wear a personal floatation device in the water. Do your research, gather maps, and talk to your BLM office for information before your next adventure. Stay on the trails and avoid “busting the crust!” Bring a First Aid Kit Take the correct amount water and food
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At Bicycle Outfitters, 537 North 1st Street Grand Junction, CO 81501, you can rent a variety of mountain bikes, the majority of which are starting at $80.
At the Board and Buckle, 2822 North Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501, you can rent ski gear for the season at $125 or for $20 a day. These prices do not include a helmet which is an extra $60 for the entire season and $10 for a day. You can also rent a Mountain bike for $60 a day.
At Summit Canyon Mountaineering, 461 Main Street Grand Junction, CO 81501, you can rent all SUP gear (Stand Up Paddle Board), including a floatation device for $50 a day. Summit Canyon has a variety of Kayaks for $60 a day. For more information go to their website, https://summitcanyon.com
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photos by annika sisac
Q
“Fall” ing For Fall Sports by alyssa williams
Marching Band: Samantha Balint, junior
Softball: Emilie Angel, junior
Q: Why did you choose to do marching band? It’s just a really big team, it’s like a family. You come into the band room just makes this giant school a lot smaller. When I was a freshman I really enjoyed that. Q: What motivates you the most? Trying to get people to really enjoy playing music and enjoy learning how to march. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? You just have to think about the good days. So if you have one really good day and when you have a really bad day, just think about what happened good yesterday so that you can just push forward and hope the next day is going to be better.
Q: Why did you choose to do softball? I’ve played it since I was a little kid so I just wanted to keep playing it because I like it. Q: What motivates you most? I like to win, and feeling good when I win is important to me. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? I know it takes a lot of growth to get good and I know that a lot of people may not know exactly what they are doing and I’ve been in that situation. I know it takes time to get better.
Tennis: Maxwell Nikkari, junior Q: Why did you choose to play tennis? I’ve been playing it my whole life, it’s my main sport. Q: What motivates you the most? Getting better. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? I know there’s goals at the end so I’m always going towards those goals. One of them is getting better so I know I can get there if I keep on trying.
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Football: Matt Lane, senior
Q: Why did you choose to play football? I’ve played as long as I can remember, it’s my favorite sport I love it. Q: What motivates you the most? The fact that I’m out there with the team, we motivate each other. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? That’s the whole point of life is to keep going when it hard, so why not do it in a simple sport.
Volleyball: Carissa Crawford, senior
Boys Soccer: Luis DeLaTorre, senior
Q: Why did you choose to play volleyball? We have a new coach so the atmosphere is different so that’s really helped. All my friends are on the team. It’s really teamy. Q: What motivates you the most? My teamates and my coach. Everyone is super supportive. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? It’s fun, I like to play volleyball. The people who are there are all really close to me.
Q: Why did you choose to play soccer? It’s been a family tradition on my dad’s side. My dad played professionally over in Mexico. I’m trying to look at doing it professionally. Q: What motivates you the most? The fact that everyone on the team has my back, and I have their back. Even though I’ve missed half the season because of an injury I can come out and I feel like I make a difference. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? Because soccer has been there when no one or nothing else has. I’ve just always picked up a ball or had a ball with me.
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Boys Golf: Jaden Stewart, senior Q: Why did you choose to play golf? It’s fun, and I’ve played it my whole life. Q: What motivates you the most? My dad, because he always took me out golfing when I was younger. He is my inspiration. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? I just think about the game. I think about how I can improve, and don’t really think about what is bad.
Cross Country: Reese Fledderjohn, senior Q: Why did you choose to run cross country? “I’ve always been pretty decent at running, and it’s something I enjoy doing.” Q: What motivates you the most? “It’s fun to pick a kid in the season to beat, or set your eyes on and tell yourself you’re going to beat that kid.” Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? “It’s something fun to do. Whenever you get stressed out about it, just say to yourself that it’s fun.”
Cheerleading: Emily Santamaria, junior Q: Why did you choose to do cheerleading? I wanted to be like my mom and follow in her footsteps. I was also interested in the whole tumbling aspect of it. Q: What motivates you the most? It would probably be that it makes me happy, and I’m busy and I don’t really have many friends, so the fact that I can be there it just makes me happy. Q: Why do you persevere when it gets hard? Because it’s the last thing I have, and I don’t want to let my mom down.
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DO NOT
This is a racial costume that is offensive to black people and can be interpreted as racist. Dressing up as other races such as hispanic, egyptian women, and other cultures is offensive.
Dress up in blackface “[Blackface] is where someone who is white will use makeup or some sort of skin coloring to turn their skin dark often in association with, in modern times, to make fun of people or as part of a costume party because they don’t understand the history of it. Historically dressing up in blackface has been used to portray african-americans in a very stereotypical and racist way,” Christine Spillane said.
DO
Make your costume one of a kind by making it with thrifted pieces or with items you have in your closet. Costumes can be easily made in a timely fashion. Pinterest is a great place for inspiration.
Dress up as something creative “If you try to do it by yourself and go to the Goodwill or Fashion Runway you can find pieces to make your own type of costume. Try and find a character and see what the same colors they have instead of getting a plastic suit that’s not going to be very ‘cute,’” Wyatt McDonald said.
DO NOT
No matter what someone is wearing, it’s not okay to make sly comments or take action. The best way to remain kind and respectful is to remember the rule “keep your hands to yourself” and always treat others the way you want to be treated.
Assume a costume is an invitation “ You shouldn’t objectify what [people] are wear. They’re not giving consent based on what they are wearing,” said Kasey Jackson.
Beware What You Wear
by callie shea As Halloween approaches here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when you are choosing a costume this season.
DO NOT
Cultural Appropriation comes in many forms and involves taking details from different cultures to use them in your own fashion.
Participate in cultural appropriation “The things that people are doing and wearing as a form of fashion or style, or what they think ties in with popularity, where they’re pulling different aspects of something from one particular culture or another. One of the things that comes up has to do with how people wear their hair or certain things that people have on their clothing and if you do it in a way that has to do with style or fashion, that’s incorrect and inappropriate. You’re benefiting, in some way that’s not okay, based off of somebody else’s culture,” Bradley Cronk said.
opinion
DO
Wear a costume that you feel your best in. If you like what you’re wearing then that’s all that matters, don’t let others’ opinions change your costume.
Be confident in your costume “If you’re not confident with yourself, you can be confident with whatever you’re dressing up as because you aren’t yourself anymore. You just have to be comfortable with yourself because it really does not matter, it’s just high school,” Avery Grethel said.
DO NOT It is in our school policy that you cannot wear costumes to school and you will be against dress code if you choose to do so.
Wear your costume to school “[Costumes] distract from the learning environment, are frequently inappropriate, and some don’t follow the dress code. It’s a tradition we don’t support based on what that day used to be,” Prinicipal Megan Roenicke said.
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BORN DIGITAL by bre kircher
How is that phone in your hand or computer on your desk affecting you long term?
In a world where almost everything is reliant upon the functionality and speed of technology, I’ve noticed we as a society never seem to mention the different everlasting effects of technology. We can complete intense and complicated medical procedures, communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world at the tap of a finger. We can do math in half the time and access knowledge with a simple hit of the enter button on Google. Businesses can advertise their company to millions of people in seconds, you can keep yourself occupied on websites like “coolmathgames.com”, you can buy your groceries, shop for gifts, and keep in contact with friends more easily than ever. But even though there is a long list of advantages, there are also many disadvantages in regards to mental, emotional, and physical health, safety, and the ability to confidently act as a member of society. According to Dr. Tamara Rozental from Harvard, “the repetitive motions of texting and typing can lead to general hand pain from underlying osteoarthritis.” In an article about the effects of technology affecting our spinal health, Doctors were quoted as saying “ the biggest problem [caused by technology] on our spines is what we’ll call “technology posture.” The doctors explained in the article that the farther you tilt your head to look down (in this case at your phone) the weight on
1876-Italian innovator Antonio Meucci inventing the first basic phone
1989- Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web (WWW)
1953- Successful color television began commercial broadcasting
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your upper spine is increased, and can be up to 60 pounds. According to the Article, “extended excess weight on the upper spine can cause lower spine collapse and cause lower back pain. Lower back pain, can cause knee pain, which can lead to referred ankle pain.” In regards to your mental/emotional health, Dr. Nicholas J. Westers says that, “ teens who use technology for more than an hour or two a day are more likely to report feeling depressed, lonely or anxious.” In my opinion, technology is amazing, and too much of anything can be bad. Most people utilize technology in the best possible way, using it for work, travel, and entertainment. However, there are also people that are addicted to technology and the benefits behind it. This results in them living on their phone, computer, or other devices. They are addicted to the positive feedback from social media, the ability to shop from their couch, and the ability to talk to people face to face through FaceTime without seeing them in person. Yes, there may be many upsides to using technology, that that same piece of tech are helps you with a large variety of things can also hurt, and sometimes even kill you, this makes me think that using tech as much as we do is a Catch-22. For example your car, it gets you to and from places, but at the same time there are so many things that can go wrong; because it is run by a computer. You may think that what you’re using is safe, but in all reality it has a decent chance the device will fail and cause other problems.
2004- Mark Zuckerberg creates Facebook, released as “FaceMash”
2003- Myspace was launched. From 2005 to 2008, it was the most visited social media site.
2007- Apple releases the first ever IPhone
2006- Twitter is created in San Francisco, California.
2019- Apple releases IPhone 11
Shop Downtown by callie shea
Spending money locally, keeps money local. Here are some staff favorite shops downtown you’re guaranteed to love
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Roasted
This mountain feeling coffee shop puts off wistful, relaxed vibes. It offers copious amounts of artsy decorations, coffee smells, and a unique menu. They have regular coffee drinks with a variety of specialty drinks. They are committed to making their customers feel welcome to diversity. Roasted is located on the intersect 5th and Colorado Ave. “I like the culture and everything that surrounds it. The drinks are definitely really good, but i think the people in there, the people that come there, the music, and everything around it, you know the art, is what I like the most about it. I also think that they are just so much more down to earth, they’re not trying to be a fancy coffee shop, they’re not trying to please anyone, they’re trying to make coffee that’s accessible and cheap with good food,” Raleigh Carlton, said.
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Pablo’s
Pablo’s Pizza has a unique pizza selection by the pie and the slice. Their welcoming restaurant is a family place and is also a great place for highschool students at lunch. They offer daily student specials for slices, a drink, and a cookie. “They have really unique pizzas. I like Punk’s Pesto pizza and their Mac and Cheese pizza because no other pizza places have mac and cheese pizza. I thought it would be disgusting at first, but I really loved it. I also love pesto on pizza and marinara on pizza and Punk’s Pesto has both,” Sage Skinner, said.
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Pollux
This beautiful boutique sells clothes for all occasions. Their motto is “Style for every generation”. Pollux has an arrangement of handmade accessories, comical socks, sunglasses, small trinkets, and more amongst their trendy clothes. “I like finding unique [clothes] because I like to have stuff nobody else has. If you go to our mall, everyone has the same stuff. [Pollux] is more unique,” Kate Hayde, said.
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Summit Canyon Mountaineering
This outdoorsy store is the perfect place to shop for clothes that are worn for hiking, paddle boarding, etc. They match the price of other authorized dealers to bring your business local. Their helpful workers and wide selection make shopping in town easy. “I like the quality of the stuff they have. I’ve been shopping there for about ten years, it’s good to buy locally,” Joseph Graham said.
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Pack out your trash to preserve the outdoors and our local trail systems by annika sisac Growing up I was that girl with scraped knees and dirt caked fingernails, red cheeks from going too fast down the ski slope and sunburns from swimming in the milk chocolate waters of Ruby Horsethief Canyon. Nature is a core part of my family’s values, yet I always took the beautiful scenery of the outdoors for granted. But then something changed. In September, I was riding at the Kokopelli trail head. Among the golden cheatgrass tossing in the wind, I noticed a plastic coke bottle. The further I rode on the Jeep roads of our public lands, I was distracted by plastic bags, wrappers and foam cups. The trails that I grew up mountain biking on now resembled the landscape of a dump. According to Morgan Rubanow, Bureau Land Management Volunteer coordinator, litter on the trails and public lands is a constant problem. “We’ve picked up tons of trash, and we have a very small office with a lot of area to cover,” Rubanow said, “we need the community’s help overall.” According to Rubanow, trash on our trails not only affects their small office, but also the community. Many people travel here to recreate, and trash that is left on the trails hurts the number of tourists which our community’s econmy depends on. “We need people to make sure they are packing out their trash and take some trash with them if they see something,” Rubanow said, “you know, pick up that bag of chips that was left at the trailhead or that water bottle,” Rubanow said. Trash is not only a distasteful
Halloween Movie Review 1
Sixth Sense (1999)
While not necessarily a Halloween movie, The Sixth Sense is a classic spooky story about a little boy who sees dead people (or ghosts) featuring the iconic “I see dead people” quote and an all around great story line, even if a little dated.
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The Addams Family (1991)
Another classic Halloween story, The Addams Family is a fun movie featuring hilarious characters, fantastic actors and morbid humor. This movie holds its own against the test of time with the graphics being one of the only signs of this movie’s age.
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addition to our towering valleys and trails, it also causes negative effects to the environment. “Trash takes a shockingly long time to decompose, especially in the desert because we don’t have a lot of rain water out here, and that’s usually a decomposing agent,” Emily McCall, Park Ranger said, “But here it’s all UVs which takes a lot longer for the sun to break something down than it would in a moister climate.” According to McCall, even a small granola bar wrapper can turn into micro trash, disrupting the natural diets of animals and damage the Valley’s air quality and water sources. But it’s not just granola bar wrappers. BLM volunteers have come across piles of hazardous rusty nails, an old refrigerator filled with dead chickens, old abandoned campers and RVs, tires, mattresses, trash bags of dead fish, household appliances, electronics, bowling pins, roof shingles, abandoned cars, entire living room sets, and disposed of pets. According to Rubanow, the list goes on. “For me, just taking pride in your public lands is a really important message,” McCall said, “I think if more people get out there and appreciate all the land has to offer, they would be less inclined to just see them as dumping grounds.” Waking up everyday and seeing the sun rise over the Bookcliffs reminds me that we should cherish our public lands. This valley holds many opportunities and resources, and by tossing one wrapper, one cigarette butt or even leaving a refrigerator of dead chickens out in the desert, we are diminishing the beauty of the breathtaking area with which we live in.
Van Helsing (2004) Van Helsing is a spooky movie, starring Hugh Jackman, featuring classic monsters, including Dracula, Wolf-Man (werewolf), and Frankenstein and has an interesting storyline even if the movie is becoming a little dated. The movie is infinitely better than the TV show on Netflix that is based off of the movie.
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Young Frankenstein (1974) Young Frankenstein is yet another take on the classic Frankenstein tale, this movie is quite dated and a little dry at times but, if you’re into older movies with bad effects and exciting plots then this movie is a great choice for spooky season.
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Ways
by elise fero
To Help the Environment
Welcome to the year 2019, where scientists predict we only have 11 years left before climate change becomes completely irreversible and our lovely Mother Earth dies. But a lot can be done in 11 years, and if action is taken soon, we may not have to worry for our lives. Here’s a few simple ways we can start taking care of our planet.
1 Watch What You Eat
6 Thrift and DIY
2 Zero Waste
7 Shop Local
One of the easiest ways to help the environment is by watching what you eat. Agriculture and large corporation animal production leave huge carbon footprint and is the main cause of deforestation. The Guardian says eating less to zero meat and animal products including dairy and eggs can majorly decrease our production of global pollution.
Plastics are filling our oceans and our very own global backyards at an alarming rate. In fact, according to Ocean Conservatory, 8 million metric tons of plastic is discarded into the ocean every year. By decreasing the amount of single use plastic you use or throw away, you can reduce the mess we’re making. Skip using the cellophane wrap and use a reusable container instead. This is also the main reason metal straws have replaced plastic ones, and even that simple swap can create major change.
3 Choose your products wisely
By using products that are all-natural, vegan, cruelty free, etc., we reduce the amount of chemicals not just in the environment but our bodies as well. Buy organic and vegan makeup, and use feminine products that are made with plant-based ‘plastics.’ “I stayed up late last night youtubing all of this stuff and I want to get the natural [stuff] and reusable bottles,” said GJHS sophomore, Autumn Wilson.
4 Grow, Grow, Grow
Grow your own plants! It’s simple yet effective and can be easily done no matter where you may live. Buy indoor plants to help purify the air in your home, and outdoor plants to reduce carbon dioxide. Plants also help our earth’s pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are necessary for a healthy ecosystem and life itself. And if you want to go further, start a vegetable and herb garden where you can grow your own produce. “In the summer we eat all of our vegetables from our garden. We’ve had a garden pretty much my whole life; we sacrificed a lot of our backyard for it,” Wilson said. Store bought fruits and vegetables are often grown with help from chemicals and pesticides, but starting your own garden immediately eliminates not knowing how your produce has been treated, and it saves energy!
One of the most fun ways to save the environment is by thrift shopping and doing DIY projects. Thrift shopping is just another way of recycling and reusing products. The more we reuse made products, the less global footprint we leave behind. You can easily buy a pair of jeans from a thrift shop and DIY them in order to fit your own personal style and shape. And bonus: you can save lots of money this way. Search for Thrift Flip on Youtube for tutorials. Large corporations often produce cheap products in nonenvironmentally friendly ways. By supporting local businesses, you’re supporting people in your community who work hard to make good products. A local farmer’s tomatoes are far better for the environment than the mass produced ones found in the store. According to Sustainable Connections, shopping local produces less transportation waste due to closer vicinity and less habitat loss/deforestation.
8 Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Our intake of products can be extremely greedy, because we constantly want more. But we aren’t considering what our wants are doing to the earth. By reducing the amount of products we use, reusing them, and recycling those that we can, we stop the constant reproduction of single use products.
9 Protest and Act
Going to protests and working with others who care for the environment is one of the best ways to stay informed on large events, new ways to help, and how the environment is being treated as of late. If you want to influence others and create change with politicians, the best way is to group together and make your voice heard.
10 Transportation
Public transportation, walking, or biking are the best ways to keep the environment clean during your travels. Less pollutants are produced and the overall carbon dioxide you produce will be lowered. According to USA Today, the worst transportation for the earth is by airplane, so try to find other ways to explore the planet, or limit the amount of times you board.
5 Save Energy!
Using renewable resources and switching to wind or solar power can help the planet tremendously. The use of nonrenewable sources not only pollutes the air but also damages the very earth we stand upon. By reducing or eliminating these sources, we reduce overall pollution and global warming. Not just that, but National Geographic claimed that using renewable energy sources while greener for the planet also creates jobs, spreads energy faster to developing countries, and lowers energy bills.
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My
Self-Confidence
Journey by madi martinez
A lack of self confidence at a young age is more common than one would think. Ninety percent of teenagers struggle with self-esteem according to the Daily Mail. The simple perception of insecurity can stem off into many different obstacles. If one believes they dont have value in the world, they may not pursue their interests. Or, someone may not stand up for themselves because they don’t think they deserve to. “We live in a culture that tells us we are valuable if-if we look a certain way, if we have a certain amount of money, if we have a certain level of education or if we have accomplished amazing things,” Tycee Belcastro, a local therapist, said. This leads to the thought of “If I don’t believe I am worthwhile, then how might I behave in the world?” No one is alone in the journey of learning how to love yourself. All around you there are people who are going through many similar feelings as you. “Everybody has insecurity.
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Some people may be good at masking that, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there,” Belcastro said. As I grew up, I felt as if I looked different than all the other girls around me, and I always asked myself, ‘why can’t I look like them?’ I went through the steps of trying to dress like them, do my hair like them, and even act like them. When I did this, I didn’t feel like the real me, which was an unsettling feeling. “It’s a part of being a human being. It is normal to feel insecure,” Belcastro said. My biggest dream was to completely change my appearance because I hated the size of my thighs, the size of my waist, and the acne that surrounded my face. I would never wear jeans to school and I would refuse to take off my jacket. These strange actions began to make my parents more concerned about me. Every morning I would struggle to find an outfit that I felt confident in. I let the frustration of a silly school outfit consume me. It always resulted in me crying in my
mom’s arms. “A lack of self confidence can become very severe. It can be debilitating,” Belcastro said. Recently in my life I became so exhausted with the lack of confidence I portrayed. I wanted a change. I refused to live my whole high school years with never feeling like I can be myself. This is where my journey to loving myself began. At this time in my life, I had a best friend who I felt comfortable enough to talk with about my insecurities. This led me to discover that my friends had the same thoughts as me. The awareness of others going through the same pain as I was made me feel much better. It let me know I am not alone. Everyone has insecurities. For me it came to a point where I either had to learn to accept them or learn to work on them. With age came everything. I educated myself on who I am as a person. There were things that I didn’t enjoy, but I wouldn’t let those thoughts dominate the positive
ones. I taught myself to give myself compliment. It may seem silly at first but trust me, it helped. I would tell myself everyday things that I loved about myself, both personality wise and physically. After some time I became confident in those certain characteristics. This is a process that everyone is capable of overcoming. As a community we must be there to help one another through our own journeys. A way to help is to simply be a support to them. Also reminding them that they aren’t the only one going through it. Don’t say things like cheer up or it’s okay. Sometimes telling someone to just think positively will create more struggle for them. When one can’t do that it makes them feel like they are failing at that too. You have to show some empathy. “Know that it’s okay to not be good at everything, sometimes just listening is better than any advice you could give,” Serenity Santistevan, counselor, said.
Editors in Chief Madi Martinez
staff
Delaney Kidd
Editors
Callie Shea McKenna Bryant Jared Hanks Kyla Dare Sophie Middlemas
Reporters Annika Sisac Ashley Guddat Bre Kircher Alyssa Williams Elise Fero
Photographers Bree Peet Nick Rojas
Promotions Director Zach Shettler
Adviser Megan Fromm Do you have a story to contribute to the GJHS student body? Let us know @gjhsoandb or email us at oandbnews@gmail.com. 30
Addison Bradshaw, junior, leads fellow cast members of Puffs in scene dance. The show runs from Nov. 7 to the 9th.
Where will you find your stripes? Choirs from Grand Junction High School join together with middle school students from Orchard Mesa, West, and East in a Greg Gilpin song.
photos by elise fero