Estes Park High School Mountaineer

ESTES PARK TRAIL-GAZETTE • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017 • PAGE 9

Estes Park High School

MOUNTAINEER

Throne dedicated to theater community Sophomore thespian had breakout role in ‘Grease’ approached last year by fellow student Megan Miller Mountaineer to star in junior Jake Miller’s student film, “The Many think of the theater Awakening,” which community as merely a prompted her to seek out group of people that like to more acting roles. preform plays, but it goes Throne’s next acting much deeper than that. experience was “Grease,” a The community is a close high school romance set in knit group of people who the mid-1950s. She played all support and care about Patty Simcox, a clueless each other’s dreams. Soph- and energetic cheerleader, omore Annika Throne is an in love with the male lead. active member of this com- This was her first on stage munity. performance with a major Throne didn’t ever plan role. This experience to be an actor, it took a cer- became more than just a tain perseverance and dedi- fun extracurricular activity, cation to get to where she as it helped her conquer is today. She was her insecurities.

“I actually had terrible stage fright and refused to talk in front of people for thirteen years probably,” Throne said, “My way of getting over stage fright was ‘Grease,’ but I had always been in love with watching musicals, like every show we would go see I was just in awe and loved meeting the cast. It blew my mind that people could do this.”

Throne’s experience in “Grease” showed her the power of theater and how acting can make people feel emotions that are real Scott H.C. / EPHS Mountaineer and visceral.

See THRONE, pg. 10 Annika Throne had her breakout performance in this year’s “Grease.”

By Scott H.C.

Meet Mr. T

EPHS, and he’s loved every bit of it. More specifMountaineer ically, he enjoys his students.

Estes Park High School “I like them a lot,” Thomhas known many teachers as said. “AP students are throughout its 103 year kicking butt, working history, ranging from apa- hard. They’re super smart, thetic substitutes to paschallenging themselves. sionate educators. Among They are very aware of the those passionate educators world, what’s going on in that have graced EPHS the world, they’re super with their time and effort fired up and they want to is arguably the most change the world for the ardent teacher of them all, better.” history teacher Bryan Along with teaching Thomas.

Advanced Placement U.S. Bryan Kirk Thomas, History, Thomas teaches whose aliases include “Mr. Psychology and World CivThomas,” “Thomas,” “Mr. ilizations.

T,” “T” (yes, just the letter “Psychology has always T), and several others, has been a great class to teach, See MR. T, pg. 10 spent 16 years teaching at

By Max Wolter

Phoebe Dillon / EPHS Mountaineer

Knowledge Bowl advisor Glenn Case practices with his students.

Knowledge Bowl: A place for students of all kinds

By Phoebe Dillon

Mountaineer

While many schools offer Academic Decathlon, Debate Teams, Mathletes, and other specialized group settings for people wanting to further their outside of school learning, Estes Park has the Knowledge Bowl Team.

The EPHS Knowledge Bowl Team is a group of high school students who regularly challenge themselves with questions about anything and

Phoebe Dillon / EPHS Mountaineer

Students practice during their lunch period and twice a week after school.

everything they may teach you in high school.

“It’s a good place to

apply what we know and continue our dedication to learning,” Will Thom-

as, a three year member of Estes Park’s Knowledge Bowl team said.

With Glenn Case as their adviser, the Knowledge Bowl Team has attended the State Competition in previous years.

“I enjoy working with students who want to learn,” Case, the adviser and coach of Estes Park’s Knowledge Bowl team said.

“I like the teamwork we all have to put in, there’s a lot of communiSee KNOWLEDGE, pg. 10

Tea Club boils its way into Estes Park High

By Nathan Zurfluh

Mountaineer

Something new has taken Estes Park High School by storm, and it is as simple as drinking tea. A brand new tea club has arisen at the High School.

Tea Club is an amazing place for students to come every Thursday to drink tea, play chess and talk about subjects that really mean something.

“The idea of taking time out of your day to sit down

Fast facts about tea • One 8 ounce serving of tea has only about two calories.

• The first record of tea was in China in about 59 BC. • Tea is the national drink in Iran and Afghanistan.

• Britain has the second most tea drinkers. Right after Ireland.

• China is the largest producer of tea.

• More than 1.5 million pounds of tea is consumed each day in the U.S. alone.

• Tea plants can grow into trees over 50 feet tall.

and enjoy a warm, delicious beverage is really important, and I think that goes along with the idea of thinking about learning stuff you what to learn

about,” math teacher Barton Toffany, Tea Club founder and director, said.

Tea Club’s main objective is to give students one lunch period a week to

come to Toffany’s room and learn about the hot topics of that week. All of the student bring their mugs and teas and talk about what they want to.

Last meeting the students talked about the multi-universe theory and the meaning of the movie, Independence Day. The next meeting, the club plans to play chess.

“We all talked and had tea. It was very relaxing.”

Said Andrea Escorcia, a new member of Tea Club.

See TEA CLUB, pg. 10

Max Wolter / Mountaineer

Bryan Thomas teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History, Psychology and World Civilizations.

EPHS GSA: What it means for our futures

By Zoe Hester and Phoebe Dillon

Mountaineer

Estes Park High School (EPHS) has always been the place to begin the search for who you truly are. Whether that is finding your niche in the school, or realizing who you feel comfortable identifying as depends on every person.

This year, Estes Park High School has taken a step towards helping students find themselves, a GSA club.

Founded by EPHS students Hunter Sallee (Senior) and Sophie Greenway (Sophomore), the

GSA, or Gender and Sexuality Alliance, has become more than just a safe haven for LGBT members in the High School.

Inviting students who identify as LGBT, need answers, or want to show support to their fellow classmates has become the basis of the GSA’s membership. By promoting peer support, members feel more comfortable acting as themselves both in and out of meetings.

With activities and discussions, the club has also become a way for students to discuss the meanings of their identity, and others’ identities.

See GSA, pg. 10

PAGE 10 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017 • ESTES PARK TRAIL-GAZETTE

Miller takes student films to next level Tea Club from page 9

anything,” Amundson, who portrayed Sandra in “The Awakening,” said. “For these films, we all are simply doing it because we want to get better at something we have a passion for.”

“The Awakening” was last year’s project, so this year Miller is focusing on a new film, “Ivy’s Diary,” which is expected to be about an hour and 20 minutes long. “Ivy’s Diary” is a horror movie about five teenagers who get trapped in their friend’s house by a snowstorm after the Homecoming dance. The kids are trapped in the house for many days, and eventually they start hallucinating and losing their minds.

“The adventure of filming a horror movie is really different to what I’ve done in the past,” Miller said.

“Filming a horror movie is different in terms of atmosphere, characters, and development, and I think it’s pretty cool I get to try things new.”

“Ivy’s Diary” is in current production and will be released in October, 2017.

The roles will be portrayed by student actors once again, therefore making the characters in the film

more relatable to teen audiences. The script of “Ivy’s Diary” took two months to write; filming has started after school and on weekends.

“I like acting in a horror movie because it allows me to explore a different side of my acting,” Throne, who will be playing Alice McLoughlin in “Ivy’s Diary,” said. “I’ve never done anything like this before so it’s a fun and new experience for me. Getting to scream is also a plus.”

Although he only has one camera, Miller has found a way to make his movies stand out from the crowd.

Miller learned movie making techniques from Regan as well as watching other directors’ movies. Of all the directors, Steven Spielberg, director of “E.T” and “Jaws,” was one of the biggest inspirations for Miller.

“I feel connected to Spielberg,” Miller said. “He was a teen making movies for fun. One of his big projects landed in his hometown theater, and a Universal Studios producer saw it and hired him on the spot. I think that could be how I get my start.”

Miller is very serious about making his movies the best they can be. Filmmaking is a hard career to get started in; it takes a lot of skill and a lot of luck.

Miller has considered filmmaking as a future career, but for now, it is better as a hobby.

“Movie making would be a fun career I would be good at, but I want to test the waters a little bit more before I make the full decision,” Miller said.

To watch some of Miller’s films, go to youtube.com, click “browse channels,” search “Awakening Films” in the search channels bar and click on the channel with the eye.

The link to it is https:// www.youtube.com/channel UC_mfcgB1dqbpQOrHgU 3SPsQ.

it,” Peters said.

Because there is only one competition in Estes cation that goes into only just started, many Park every other year, answering a question,” members are hoping to most meets that the Will Peters (Junior), who return to State, and rank Knowledge Bowl team go has been on the Estes even higher. This seems to are in the Valley, and go Park’s Knowledge Bowl like a reasonable goal con- as far away as Sterling, Team for three years said. sidering that the EPHS CO. These competitions Because the competition team has been ranked in with other schools have is for high schoolers the Top 3 at every League also turned out to be ways across the board, many Meet this season. for Estes Park students to questions are from Junior Many who joined meet students from other and Senior classes. For a Knowledge Bowl did so at schools, and create longwhile this was an obstacle, first because they thought lasting friendships. because the only people it was a good place to Many people do not on the team were sophoprove that they are smart; want to join Knowledge mores and freshmen, and however, for many memBowl because they see the a lot of the questions bers it has become a place club as a difficult academcome from higher level for them to go and hang ic club; however, many classes; however, that did out with their friends. members wish that their not stop the team from “People tell me I’m peers would at least try going to State last year. smart so I thought, why the club out before labelWhile the season has not make a hobby out of ing it as too hard.

“I think that most people should at least see what it is because we have a lot of people who thought that they wouldn’t like it. Like Sean [Johnson], who came in and found it fun, or Nathan [Zurfluh] who just comes in to have fun with it. You don’t necessarily have to go to meets,” Mary Ringgenberg, a three year member of Knowledge Bowl said.

Practice takes place every lunch period in Mr. Thomas’s room, and after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Mr. Case’s room. New members are always encouraged, whether or not they are able to compete.

By Megan Miller

Mountaineer

Whether it be a heartfelt or terrifying story, junior Jake Miller knows how to make it come to life on camera. When one thinks of extracurricular activities, sports and clubs come to mind, but Miller has a different idea. This junior at Estes Park High School has found pleasure in developing his own film company, Awakening Films, and has been making movies for three years running.

Filmmaking is a hobby,that takes a lot of time and commitment, and for Miller, there is nothing he is more passionate about.

Miller started making short films when he was in middle school, and he really go into it when high school started. His first high school movie was “The Werecrow,” a project for Bob Regan’s Independent Filmmaking I class.

Regan has helped Miller with all of his movies and even lent Miller a camera and va boom microphone to use. After taking the class, Miller’s filmmaking went in a different direction as he started making movies outside of school.

“I’ve always wanted to know how to make movies and once I got into it I found that this was something that I really enjoy doing,” Miller said. “I kind of discovered a new part of me that I didn’t know about.”

Towards the end of his sophomore year, Miller wrote the script for “The Awakening,” and it would turn out to be a total of 48 minutes. “It was my first huge movie,” Miller said. “I really liked the challenge of making a long complicated movie, sort of like they do in Hollywood, and I also like knowing the pressure, knowing all of the things that come with making a

Megan Miller / EPHS Mountaineer

Jake Miller is an aspiring student film maker.

big movie.”

In “The Awakening,” a girl named Sandra Smith is riding her bike when she is suddenly struck by lightning. The lightning puts Sandra into a coma and while she is unconscious she experiences the world of light and dark, or good and evil. The coma not only teaches her about faith, but it also brings her parents back together after they had decided to split up.

“The Awakening” took almost five months to write, film, edit and produce.

Plus, Miller was able to involve other students with his film experience. Azelan Amundson, Annika Throne and Sean Johnson were just a few of the students that acted in “The Awakening.”

“Acting in a student film is great because you work with people similar to your age that you know, and it’s fun to get to work with your friends,” Throne, who played Barbara in “The Awakening,” said. “It also gives you a chance to explore something new in high school before you have to take on the real world.”

“The best part of doing a student film is that money isn’t a factor or motivator to

Knowledge from page 9

Mr. T from page 9

dents. That man got me through High School.”

Thomas has proven and the freshmen have said. “He’s both inspiratime and time again to be, been phenomenal,” Thom- tional and educational.” in the opinion of his stuas said.

Clearly, Bryan Thomas dents, an ideal teacher, Across all of his classes, is regarded with a high friend and mentor. ThomThomas works with stuamount of respect as a as’ students have proven dents in every grade, from teacher. Yet to some stuto hold him, and the classfreshmen to seniors. As a dents, he serves as more es he teaches, in the highresult, his fervor for than more than just their est esteem. It would come teaching has had an educator. as no surprise that Thomimpact on a multitude of “From the first day of as himself feels the same students throughout his freshman year, I think way about his students. time here. he’s been an excellent “I don’t think I could do “Thomas is a great leader, a mentor, a friend,” this job if I didn’t absoluteteacher,” Will Thomas, a Senior Micah Brown said. ly love it,” Thomas said. junior at EPHS said. “He’s “Anytime I’ve ever needed “If I didn’t love working fun, he pushes his stuto talk to anybody, he’s with teenagers, if I didn’t dents, and he just really always been there. He is love the subject, if I wasn’t likes what he does, and it easily the most passionate passionate about it, I don’t shows. More importantly, teacher I’ve ever met, he’s think it’d be fair for my he makes a lot of his stueasily one of the most pas- students to even be here. dents like what they do, sionate individuals I’ve So yeah, I love what I do. because he likes what he ever met. With anything It was never just a career does.” that he sets his mind to, option.”

“Mr. Thomas is an he seems to dedicate himThomas cares a great extraordinary, all around self so completely. It is deal about his role as an amazing guy, in the teach- unmistakable that he educator, investing copiing aspect as well as the cares about everything he ous time and effort into social aspect,” Nathan puts his mind into, includ- both his lesson plans and Zurfluh, a sophomore ing, and especially, his stu- the students for which

they are intended.

After 16 years of teaching, it could be said that Thomas has quite a bit of experience under his belt, and he has some advice for his fellow educators.

“If you’re a teacher, come in fired up every day. Your students need everything that you can offer,” he said. “Push them hard, have high expectations; that goes for students or teachers. Low expectations aren’t going to get our kids anywhere.

You’ve got to push them hard every day, because they deserve your time and effort.”

Mr. Thomas evidently loves his career as a teacher, and has taught long enough at Estes Park High School to see many a student come and go.

Thomas’ reputation is known by them all, and is sure to be known for many generations to come.

The new club has drawn the attention of many of the students just from the first meeting. This is something that is good for the students, not only in the way of fun but also relieving stress.

Tea Club was originally started by Toffany ten years ago when he was a student at his high school.

Toffany wanted to bring his experience to Estes Park High School to give the students a more sophisticated way of approaching school.

“I think school is some-

thing everyone should enjoy, and when I was a senior, tea club day was the day that I would look forward to all week.” Toffany said, “I want to give my students something like that.”

Tea Club has already given student an escape from the everyday stress of being a high schooler. It is the drive of Toffany’s passion not only for tea but for students that has made this new event succeed. Having students learn about topics they what to and drinking tea is truly an amazing new addition to our school.

GSA from page 9 “I’ve made a lot more friends through it and I feel a lot closer to people and I feel like I’m making friends, which is pretty cool,” Sophie Greenway, one of the founding members of the group said. “I’ve become a lot closer with people who I didn’t know very well before GSA.” Meetings take place every Wednesday after school in the room of Emily Bochenek, the Special Education teacher. While a large part of the meeting is talking about weekly events, every time GSA meets the club members do their best in activities that help discuss/define identity.

One such activity is the LGBT umbrella, in which students place identities and sexualities under a drawn umbrella in order to better understand the spectrum of identity and sexuality.

“We do some activities, other than just doing our weekly check-ins, have been doing the LGBT umbrella, and the word banks. So [the words banks] kind of getting all of us on the same page with our definitions and language because that’s such a strong piece [to the understanding of the LGBT community],” Hannah Heckerson, Estes Park High School’s counselor said.

“I think the big part is having a place to go and feel like you are including and supported,” Will

Thomas said. “Even if there is not any discrimination there hasn’t been any actual support either.”

Although students were the initiators in creating the Estes Park High School’s first GSA, the advisers, Hanna Heckerson and Emily Bochenek, are just as passionate about club’s mission as its founding students.

“Two of my best guy friends are actually gay.

Their struggles throughout their life, navigating with their identity, and what they believe. It really lit my heart on fire to just help those you see in that space, and to give back,” Bochenek said.

Some students are still struggling with how to communicate their sexual orientation and identity, which is why this club has started successfully.

“There was nothing in Health [Class] last year that covered anything that wasn’t straight. I feel like it’s really important, especially now, to educate about different identities and also how to be safe in those identities and there’s none of that at all, which I think needs to change a lot.” Sophie Greenway said.

Despite the issues that these students and their friends deal with every day, there is a place for those individuals can go to just feel love and support, a place that is safe for them to be who they are without being judged.

Throne from page 9 “Grease” would not be Throne’s last outing into the theater community. She currently has a role in the upcoming production, “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” the story of an unfortunate house guest who is forced to stay with his hosts and their family after injuring himself.

“I am playing June Stanley, who is the rich family’s young and hopelessly in love daughter,” Throne said. “She runs off to get married and all that good stuff.”

Throne is a very outgoing and energetic person, who is comfortable in her own skin. She uses this confidence when going through the rigorous auditioning process.

“It’s kind of nerve racking, but not a lot. Once you get over it,” Throne said. “I think leading up to the audition is more stressful.”

This building up to the auditions is an important part of the audition process, with many different methods being used by different actors. Auditioning for plays consists of reading a memorized monologue and a cold read. A cold read is where the people who run the play give you a piece of a script and you have to recite it without any prior knowledge of the script.

Throne’s process is one

that can be used by many to nail any audition.

“I memorize my monologue as soon as possible and then I recite it over and over again. I recite it in my mirror so that I can watch my movements, make sure I’m not doing anything too awkward and then I also record myself and listen to the recording to see if I should use different words or breath at different times,” Throne said. “You can’t really prepare for cold reads you just have be ready to take anything and know how to act on the spot.”

The theater community is a driving force for Throne.

Many of her friends also take part in school productions.

Theater community is very open and accepting, but it’s a tough thing to get into. “If you don’t look the part, you won’t get the part,” Throne said, “But the people are so supportive, if you don’t get the part you want, they will be there for you, if you get the part you want, they will help you. A very supportive community.”

So the next time the theater community crosses the mind, rather than seeing a group of people just doing a hobby, think of people like Throne, full of passion and energy.