ESTES PARK TRAIL-GAZETTE • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 • PAGE 9
Estes Park High School
MOUNTAINEER WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2017
COMMENTARY
The Social Media life By Phoebe Dillon Mountaineer
I
t’s easy to get lost in your devices. That loss of self can be found in games, news articles, eBooks, but most likely you lose track of the most time while on social media. Starting its boom 13 years ago with MySpace, and transitioning to the current social tycoons of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, social media has introduced the world to a whole new kind of sharing. Social media is intriguing to many teens because it not only allows them to network with people they do and don’t know around the world, but it also gives students the ability to feel liked in any situation because someone might Like their post. “I think we try and it’s a maturity issue and that it’s more than it is a school issue. I use social media maybe once a week. As you know, I use it more for the AP Human Geography stuff,” said Marsha Weaver, social studies teacher at Estes Park High School. Along with this new idea of sharing, a new concept of acquaintanceship, and friendship has occurred. Suddenly anyone can know everyone. The promise of sharing everything while either being yourself or anonymous is appealing to some. “At a certain point, everyone has their boundaries, and you shouldn’t share anything on anyone without their permission first. Which is something that is incredibly hard to do,” said Sean Johnson, a sophomore at Estes Park High School. The personal pages littered with political debates, cute dogs, angry rants, beautiful photos and pleas for attention in the form of hashtags. Sometimes readers of these pages really don’t know how to take it all in, responding without thought because they forget that no matter what the mark has been left. “It’s kind of interesting to see what is going on in other people’s lives, even though you don’t care all that much,” said Abbie Houswright, a sophomore at Estes Park High School. One of the many questions being asked in this new social age is when you cross the line from sharing enough or too much. In other words, what is ok to share and what is not? The horror stories come up every day, another See COMMENTARY, pg. 10
Musician plays way to success By Levi Carpman
Mountaineer
In his three-year tuba career, junior Will Peters has accomplished more than many musicians accomplish in their lifetime. The dictionary defines tuba as, “The largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family.” This is as far as most people would take the definition, but one young musician, high school junior Will Peters extends the meaning to a way of life. “To me, the tuba means a constant fun challenge,” said Peters. “No matter how good you are, no matter how much you know or how long you’ve been playing, there is always more to learn.” Since freshman year, Peters has been a performing member of the Estes Park High School Marching Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band, and he has won many awards, including two State Champion Marching Band medals. “Marching band is awesome,” said Peters. “It was what got me into the marching arts and Drum Corps and all that.” While tuba currently defines his identity in the school band, he began his musical career on the trum-
Courtesy photo
Will Peters has earned a spot in the Troopers, a World Class Drum Corps based out of Casper, Wyo.
pet. “I switched from trumpet to tuba in 8th grade,” said Peters. “My band director back then, Mr. Varilek, needed a tuba player, so he just kind of handed me a tuba, and I’ve never looked back.” His passion for playing has propelled him into searching out experiences beyond Estes Park. Currently, Peters has earned a
spot in the Troopers, a World Class Drum Corps based out of Casper, Wyo. “DCI (Drum Corps International) is basically marching band with just brass and percussion. Corps usually have about 150 members, and they travel all summer, competing all over the United States,” said Peters. “It ends in mid-August when the 40-something Drum
Corps all compete in the World Championships in Indianapolis.” The Troopers placed 14th in the world in the 2016 season, and have been performing since 1957. “I can’t explain what draws me to Drum Corps,” said Peters. “These performers are the best in the world at what they do, and I feel like there is a constant need to improve myself and
become a better player.” The Troopers are not the only other group Peters is affiliated with outside of the high school. Peters frequently plays with the Estes Park Village Band and is first chair in the Combined Patriot League Symphonic Honor Band. “I really enjoy Village Band,” said Peters. “It’s a great place to meet other See MUSICIAN, pg. 10
‘Woman’ — Justice’s new album blasts into life building curiosity. The synths are soon followed Mountaineer by the lyrics “Man up, hold tight, driving dark.” This creates a setting of someJustice is a unique band one moving through the with an interesting and night. A beautiful synth run complex sound. Their new introduces a heavy bass album, Woman, released line and forceful drums. on Nov. 18, 2016, reflects The synths continue as the this. Woman has ten tracks lyrics come back and take and is the band’s third us to the rest of the song. album. This album repre“Safe and Sound” has a sents the artists sound permore elegant, moving feelfectly, showing diversity ing, like driving down the while simultaneously being freeway in a luxury coup. unmistakably Justice. The best song on the CD The album’s sound fits by far is “Heavy Metal.” very well into the band’s The song begins with a other albums, having the quick and furious Baroque same markers that let you synthesized harpsichord know that this is a Justice Ed Banger Records and Because Music / Courtesy photo riff that creates images that album. Their sound is an would fit right in to an 1 WOMAN by Justice CD album cover. evolution of funk, coming Edgar Allen Poe poem. The straight out of the mid 70s, harpsichord is soon miring way for a subtle, yet with tight bass lines, sopra- music. rored by low and dark One of the CD’s stand effective guitar riff. The no vocals, and the occavocals soar, hitting the ceil- synths that quickly retreat sional violin accent, mixed out tracks is “Randy.” The into the background. The ing. All of these elements with synths and electronics track begins with heavy synths take a low, thunderdrums and synth lines, make “Randy” have a fun, that would be equally at ing tone, reminiscent of a marching forward until it is almost risqué element of home in a classic symphoJohn Carpenter soundbroken by vocals, taking a fun. The song “Safe and ny. This creates a Gothic backseat to the elegant Sound” takes all the upbeat track. The drums then scale to all of their music, melodies. Then the chorus and devilish fun of “Randy” come in – each blast of the feeling larger and more bass drum extended by the and takes it to a darker, dramatic than other artists hits. The synths retain synths. Out of nowhere, a smoother place. The song their intensity, but edge of in the same genre. They begins with a slow build of higher, more compressed the low end and move to feel like a heavy metal synth streaks across the the mids, occasionally mak- synths, adding a sense band making techno By Scott Buck
track, finding its place next to its lower brother, but not for long. With another large streak, it falls into mirroring the harpsichord. With a sudden uproar from the low synth, the harpsichord is taken over and the drums speed their cadence and the higher synth pushes its way to the front, moving quickly and with malicious intent. Then, as soon as it comes, the high synths and low synths return to their homes in the basement as harpsichord returns to power. But this time is different. The drums are joined by a series of rapid high-hats, followed by a response of additional rhythms from the harpsichord, bringing it to a new level of authority. The higher synths begin to mirror the harpsichord again, followed by another synth take over. This power struggle continues, with each harpsichord dominance gain more and more complexity, until the synths final take over and begin to sing a victory cry, with See WOMAN, pg. 10
‘Rogue One’ brings the Rebellion back to theaters Edwards, “Rogue One” introduces memorable Mountaineer characters while also filling in a large gap between the “Rogue One,” a Star Wars rise of the Empire and the story built on hope, finally rekindling of the Jedi. Taking place right before hit theaters on Dec. 16, “A New Hope,” the first of 2016, and has caused fans the original Star Wars movto be even more excited ies, “Rogue One” tied up about the broadening of some loose ends that were the Star Wars universe. left secret by George Directed by Gareth By Megan Miller
Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise. “Rogue One” had a lot to live up to; it is no easy task to live up to the expectations of die hard Star Wars fans. Nonetheless “Rogue One” wows its viewers with intense space battles and shocking cameos. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) had been on her own since
the Empire killed her mother and took her father away to help build the Death Star. When Jyn was rescued from the Imperials by a band of rebels, her whole life turned around. Jyn soon found that the rebels needed her to track down a rebel extremist group with information that would lead to the where-
abouts of Jyn’s father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen). Jyn, along with her new companions Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk,) set out on a quest to find Galen Erso and uncover the secret he had added to the Death Star during its construction. Cassian Andor, a See THEATERS, pg. 10