Rocky Mountain Highlighter: 2008 April

h the ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Growing Internet, dying music stores

SEE INSIDE, B4-5

ighlighter Incarceration increase april 29, 2008 • volume 35 • no. 8

rocky mountain high school • 1300 w. swallow rd. • fort collins co, 80526

Number of imprisoned teens on the rise, rehab scarce

by courtney bellio • features editor

Now, more than ever, America’s youth is being committed to jails and juvenile detention centers at an alarming rate.

According to an arBEHIND BARS: ticle published by the a news special BNET Business Network, “The number of prison inmates under 18 more than doubled between 1985 and 1997.”

Fort Collins Police Corporal Perry Malisani believes

h

“ ”

There was an 11year-old in there for telling a girl to suck his b---s? alex archer • junior

that this increase in teen juveniles in jail is due to the lack of family stability seen in today’s society. When teens don’t get what they need from family figures, they can turn to other outlets.

“A lot of it has to do with parents not spending time and listening to their kids,” Malisani said. “It stems from not being involved in their [teens] lives. Teens want attention and they’ll do anything to get it. Kids get into drugs, sex and alcohol, which escalates to theft and burglaries.

Jump to PRISONS, page b2

Rehabilitation needed, effective by vanessa van ry • reporter

For every problem there is a solution.

Rehabilitation programs, better known as rehab, are the solution for people who have mental health issues or addictions. In recent years the reasons for rehab have expanded, and so have the number of teens who attend treatments. While rehab usually is linked to drugs or alcohol abuse, it also helps people with a wide range or behavioral health problems; this includes sex, eating disorders, prescription drug use

and suicide attempts.

“Yes [rehab works] because humans want to be free,” Drug and Alcohol Intervention/ Education Counselor Jonny Mason said. “An addiction is like slavery.”

Mason visits Rocky twice a week and holds a group meeting on Fridays. The sessions vary between second, third and fourth period so the same class period is not missed repeatedly. Students can sign up for appointments with him in student services.

While Mason believes in the healing

power of rehab, not everyone agrees.

“Some people have a disease or addiction and can stop it with their own power.

Rehab can be helpful, but it’s not enough to stop an addiction,” said Fred Granger, whose name has been changed for anonymity.

Granger has been to rehab twice for drugs and alcohol. After both instances he went back to drugs and alcohol, but said he has been clean for just over a year.

Kesley Ball was sent to rehab her freshman year for attempting to commit suicide

twice in one month and for using drugs.

Her rehab consisted of group sessions and team building activities.

“I was [in rehab] more for suicide then I was for drugs,” Ball said.

Behavioral health issues are increasing: 1.3 million people over the age of 12 reported using some sort of drug in 2005.

With the rise in prescription drug misuse Jump to REHAB, page b2

Hispanic students graduate at lower rates by katelyn hunter • reporter

jill • petrie

IN MEMORY: This year’s Walk the Rockies fundraiser was held on April 9 in commemo-

ration of Kayla Adsit’s efforts during her time at Rocky. Adsit, who died in a car accident in May of 2007, was the drive behind the second year of Walk the Rockies. Spanish teacher Fabiola Canale, above, plays games with kids at the event, while senior Laura Wilson, right, makes balloon hats.

“

I think that my parents probably buy me more

jill • petrie

stuff than their parents bought them, but I also feel like I probably deserve it more.. kaity thompson • sophomore

white students. The statistics reflect an overall decline compared to 2006.

“All we ask is, in terms of the Lobo Way, is no matter your ability, give your best effort and everything else will take care of itself,” Principal Tom Lopez said.

Because of the lower graduation rate among Hispanic students, Rocky has made a concerted effort to target and improve success to graduate

According to 2007 statistics of the Poudre School District, the graduation rate for Hispanic students was 63 percent-more than 17 percent below the district’s overall graduation of 81.7 percent and more than 21 percent below the PSD graduation rate of white students.

Despite the graduation gap, PSD still beats state graduation rates in all categories: 57.1 percent for Hispanic students, 75 percent overall and 82.1 for Jump to GRADUATE, page b2

The ‘gimmie’ generation

SEE FEATURES, B1

news

a2

Prisons from page a1 Life is so busy today that there is just no time for families, and that’s why there’s an increase in crime.”

Junior Alex Archer has experienced this statistic first-hand.

Archer spent time in a Brighton juvenile detention center for violation of probation, first for two weeks and the second time for two months. He describes his time spent there as nothing short of awful.

“It sucked a lot,” Archer said. “They treat you like you’re nothing. They generalize that all kids there are horrible. They’re just really mean. Like if you actually have mental issues or depression, they don’t care. You just have to tough it out. You don’t get any help there.”

Based on Archer’s time spent there, he believes that a good majority of the teens committed to this center or others like it don’t belong there.

“There was an 11-year-old in there for telling a girl to suck his b---s, and he was in for there longer than I was,” Archer said.

“They just take all that away from kids.”

Malisani agrees that many juveniles committed to places such as that belong in an alternative facility, but he said there just aren’t the resources to handle everything the law enforcement encounters.

“Dealing with juveniles is the hardest thing for law enforcement because there is just no place for them,” Malisani said.

“There are limited resources.

There’s not enough housing or detention facilities, and not

enough areas to rehabilitate kids. I wish the state would put more money into treatment and rehabilitation facilities so more teens could move forward instead of regressing.”

Archer feels that jail was not the place for him, given the circumstances of his sentencing. But as Malisani said, there just aren’t enough rehabilitation centers for teens like Archer, so they are often just put in a juvenile detention center.

“Treatment helped me,” Archer said. “I don’t really think I deserved to be in jail. Treatment is the only thing that got me out. I’ll be off probation in a month. That was the only good thing that came from it.”

While Archer may be on the other side of his run-ins with the law, many other teens never escape that kind of lifestyle and remain in the criminal system.

“I have several years experience working with youth who have spent time in jail,” Resource Officer Michelle Leschinsky said. “Too many experiences to list. Some kids were successful and others go on to commit more crimes and remain in the criminal system.”

Overall, Archer can say that he is one of those success stories. He agrees that he is on the other side of his crimes and it has helped him get on the right path.

“I know the s---ier side of life,” Archer said. “It helped me know what I want in life. And I know I want to make something of myself. I don’t want to be stuck in that kind of life.”

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) anticipates a growing demand for rehab in the coming years. There has been and 300 percent increase in admissions for prescription drugs, and a 172 percent increase for methamphetamine/amphet-

amine from 1995 to 2005. Yet the easiest form of rehab is gradually being taken away.

“I think there should be a trained therapist, especially for substance abuse, in all schools,” said Mason. “Overall substance abuse is increasing at a steady progression.”

Rehab from page a1

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter AS YOU WERE: Members of the LoboMess pose behind their stacks of rifles at the annual Living History Weekend in Pecos, New Mexico. From left to right, Junior Loren Collins, along with teacher Kurt Knierim, senior Sean Collins and senior Brady Kurth attended the event.

THE HIGHS AND LOWS samantha • hyland

Unity video sends reminder loren • collins

Lobo Mess soldiers return from Pecos by loren collins • reporter

“ ”

The year was 1862, and the turmoil of the American Civil war had spilled into New Mexico.

One-hundred and forty-six years later to the day, on the weekend of March 28, members of Lobo Mess, embarked to Pecos National Monument in New Mexico. They went to take part in the annual Living History Weekend, hosted by the National Park Service, in order to commemorate the Battle of Glorietta Pass, the only large scale Civil War battle fought by Colorado troops.

“It was a grand time,” history teacher Kurt Knierim, who led the Lobo Mess on their expedition to Pecos, said.

In charge of both the Lobo Mess and the contingent of actual 1st Colorado Civil War re-enactors that put on the event, Knierim was pleased with the outcome of the event.

“We had more of everything this year,” Knierim said. “Good weather, more troops in the ranks, and more visitors, it was fantastic.”

Performing various historical interpretive duties for the visiting public, ranging from camp tours to marching and musket firing demonstrations, the members of the Mess thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“Pecos was a very good experience,” said senior Brady Kurth, who was among the four Rocky students who participated. “I got to talk to the older, more experienced re-enactors and expand on my knowledge.”

However, with historical accuracy firmly enforced through the weekend, the members of the Lobo Mess also had the chance to experience the less glorious moments of military life in the 1860s as well. Such was the case when the soldiers camped outside in

replica tents in frigid temperatures, marched with all their gear carried on their backs and suffered the occasional Confederate ambush while on the night guard duty. No modern equipment whatsoever was allowed in the camp either.

“It was tough at times because it had to be authentic,” Kurth said.

“But we got to experience how soldiers lived back then.”

Looking back at the event, Kurth spoke for the Mess’s appreciation for being presented with this rare opportunity in which the students camped, marched, slept and fired on the very hallowed grounds that the soldiers of the Civil War did nearly 150 years prior.

“I think (we all) enjoyed it, and I think there should be more people involved in it next year,” he said. “I also think Mr. Knierim did a really good job preparing (us), and we owe it to him for organizing the events.”

With this being one of the last big events for the seniors who went on the trip, Knierim was quick to point out the values and lessons learned.

“Overall, I would hope (the students) gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifice of the troops on both sides of the battle and the war…as well as the importance of national parks,” Knierim said.

that group. The school has a program, specially designed, that targets not just Hispanics but all students who have previously struggled.

“We have an intervention program,” Lopez said. “The program is made up of several teachers who teach classes to help students who were struggling. Our primary concentration and the direction of the intervention is focused towards literacy and reading and numeracy.

The three are all primary skills to help students be successful and on track to graduate.”

Lopez also added that the school spends a lot of money on students and the programs provided to help students be successful.

“Some key factors for some students who struggle to graduate are they have a disrupted home life, a student may have had to move locations and never established them-

selves,” Lopez said. “And then there are students who have just had difficulty.”

Junior Tino Laureles, a Hispanic student at Rocky, described his experience with family members failing to graduate.

“My dad dropped out in 8th grade. He was the youngest of 13 kids and he had to go to work then,” Laureles said. “I also have only had about four cousins out of 30 graduate from high school. More than half of them were into gangs; some just made bad decisions and others had to work to provide money for their families.

“I want to graduate and go to college because I want a better, easier life,” Laureles added. “It helped me watching my dad having to work really hard; it makes me want an easier life. That’s why I stay in school.”

It was tough at times because it had to be authentic. But we got to experience how soldiers lived back then. brady kurth• senior

Graduate from page a1

On April 15 during Unity Week second and fourth period classes had the opportunity to go down to the auditorium and see a video encouraging students to make good choices and appreciate their life.

The video tried to reach out to students by using recently released movies and the current popular music to express the message of leading a life that someone would be proud of.

Amidst the cheesy voice over and intimidating “this is what could happen when you (insert any illegal activity here)” video footage, the movie truly carried a good message.

The messages the video sent were meaningful and something that could be related to every student in the auditorium, whether it was a driving accident, saying no to drugs and alcohol or just being respectful and nice to other people.

The point in the movie that impacted me the most was the part where they were talking about teen driving accidents.

They rolled footage of cars in flames, four girls who had just graduated but then were killed in a car accident, and many other eye-opening images.

I think that with the end of school approaching soon and the recent dedication of Walk the Rockies, it really sent out a reminder to all students how so suddenly a terrific life can be lost. I am, of course, talking about the death of Kayla Adsit who died in a car accident on May 4, 2007. Despite not being known schoolwide, the tremor of her death was felt all around school.

It was then, at that time, that I realized what made Rocky such a great place to be. It opened its doors to students at 2 in the morning as a place for everyone to grieve together. The school bonded as a whole over the tragic incident of a life taken too soon, and if that doesn’t define unity, I don’t know what does. The video truly gave a definition to the word unity but especially our school’s unity.

All the deaths showed in the video also inspired me to make smart decisions and live life to the fullest because you never know what day will be your last.

No matter how many people dozed off during the movie or mocked its clichéd messages, I still feel that it carries a large deal of importance. It appropriately defined Unity Week with a message that everyone can relate to and really reminded me how valuable life is. I hope that all who attended take away the valuable messages and not just the funny lines from Superbad.

Sam Hyland is a junior and the opinion editor of the Highlighter.

news

a3

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

CSAP parent refusals grow to record numbers

Rocky going green

Thursday is Rocky’s first annual Gas Out day. All students are encouraged to bike, walk, skate, long board, rollerblade or find any other form of transportation to get to school other than driving their cars.

Additionally, pledge cards will be in the Commons on May 1 for students to pledge being gas free that day. In result, prizes will be handed out. An Alternative Transportation Expo will be held in the gym on Thursday, as well. Pizza and drinks will be provided for lunch as well to encourage students to stay at school for lunch.

Prizes and give-aways will be given throughout the day.

by sam hyland • opinion editor

Recently, sophomores were once again required to take the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), and a record number of Parent Refusals (PRs) could signal a general shift in the public’s thinking about the state-mandated test.

The Colorado legislature has recently introduced bills to either dramatically change the CSAPs or replace them entirely. The proposed laws combined with the large number of PRs this year could indicate the demise of the CSAPs may be looming. PRs are when parents opt their students out of testing for various reasons, the most common of which being the belief that there is no point in their student taking the test.

“Students opt out for all kinds of reasons,” assistant principal and CSAP coordinator Karen Bennett said. “Excuses range from the tests are too stressful, students that are school of choice believe they don’t mean anything to them directly and others just don’t want to.”

PR data states that in 2006, 18 students opted out; in 2007, 13 students didn’t take the test and this year 29 students opted out.

“I think they (CSAPs) are useless,” said sophomore Clinton Avery, who opted out of testing.

“They don’t help me at all. It was my personal choice and my parents were fine with that.”

The dramatic increase in opt outs appears to be a cry for reform but it has taken an interesting turn as well. Some students are deciding to opt out of all but one test or just take all but one, greatly puzzling administrators.

Bennett suggested a reason to this strange pattern of specified test PRs could be due to the governor coming out with his P-16 Coalition over spring break. This coalition stated that he would like to move towards the PLAN for a main form of testing because results can be given back and it wouldn’t penalize schools that have students opt out.

“Personally, I would like to see an assessment that is meaningful

hnews briefs

• holly adams

sam • hyland

GET ME OUT: Sophomore Phil Adams squeezes mustard on to his hotdog after long hours of testing. The CSAPs are required tests for sophomores yet the school saw a record number of parents “opting out” their kids from taking the test.

to both students and the school,” Bennett said.

“The PLAN is now taken by every sophomore and it is nice to get feedback directly sudi • reddy to the students.

It is also great practice for the ACT (American College Testing).”

The PLAN especially helps students adjust to the time management factor during the ACT. Time is also an issue of the CSAP tests.

Sophomore James Baclasky came up with the plan to call in sick on CSAP testing days. That way he could be pulled out of class to retake the test and leave whenever he was done.

“There are a lot of benefits to not going on the designated CSAP days,” Baclasky said. “You get to sleep in, get a good breakfast, get pulled out of class to take them and don’t have to wait for the entire class to catch up so you can leave.”

Baclasky also stated that he put no effort into the test because they

have no value. Sophomore Sudi Reddy, on the other hand, put a good effort into the CSAPs but also agrees that the tests waste valuable class time.

“There should be a better way to assess students without it taking so much time,” Reddy said.

Bennett agrees with both Reddy and Baclasky on the time issue. However, she believes that the CSAPs have some value to the school at least.

“Rocky actually does use CSAP data to formulate school goals, help sophomores who are struggling and target 10th grade improvement,” Bennett said.

“However, CSAP could get the same data without eating up as much time that is needed for curriculum.”

Bennett also says that CSAP scores also cause many prospective students and their families to be interested in Rocky since scores are listed on the accountability report.

Rocky earned a rating of “High” in the 2007 state accountability report, down from the highest rating of “Excellent” from 2006.

Be Orange for a day

• Visit our campus for a personalized tour • Meet professors and attend class • Tour our state-of-the-art learning environment • Check out The W fitness and aquatics center with everything from a climbing wall to a water slide

1-800-772-2085 www.Wartburg.edu/visit

Wartburg College Waverly, Iowa

SpringFest 2008

Student Council is sponsoring the annual SpringFest this year on May 8 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. right in Rocky’s backyard.

There will be a volleyball tournament, food and games as well as bands that will be playing. There will also be cheap SpringFest shirts with a tie-dye station, tug-a-war, a balloon toss and possibly a few prizes.

• katelyn hunter

Student election results

Student body and student class officers have been chosen. The junior class president is Tyler Janzen who will work with Junior Class Vice-President Carson Wray, Junior Class Treasurer Tara Bagley and Junior Class Secretary Zonya Dawson.

The four senior class officers are Kelsey Haugen as secretary; Faith-Ann Chen as treasurer; Justin Hersch as vice-president, and Allison Mecklenburg as president.

The student body will be lead by MacKenzie VanMeveren as the secretary, Garret Kovach, the treasurer, and Rachel Wagner the vice-president. Duncan Nelson will lead the school as the student body president next year.

• vanessa van ry

CHSPA Newspaper Sweepstakes 1st-2007; 2nd-2006; 1st place-2005; 2nd-2004; 2nd-2003; 1st-2002; 1st-2001; 2nd-1996; 1st-1992; 2nd-1991; 2nd-1990; 1st-1987.

NSPA National Critique Pacemaker Finalist-2007; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2007; Pacemaker Winner-2006; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2006; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2005; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2004; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2003; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-2002; All-American, 5 Marks of Distinction-2001; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction2000; All-American, 4 Marks of Distinction-1999.

CSPA National Critique Gold Medalist- 2007; Gold Medalist-2006; Gold Medalist-2005; Silver Crown-2005; Gold Medalist-2004; Silver Crown-2004; Gold Medalist2003; Silver Crown-2003; Gold Medalist-2002; Gold Medalist2001; Gold Medalist-2000; Gold Medalist-1999.

a4

O

pinion

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

h

LIVE FROM THE SWIMMING POOL

ighlighter

The Rocky Mountain Highlighter is published nine times during the school year by the newspaper staff of Rocky Mountain High School/1300 W. Swallow Rd./Fort Collins, CO 80526. Contact Highlighter staff members at (970) 488-7090 or (970) 488-7091 for advertising information.

Also, the Highlighter staff is in the Highlighter room, room 528, during 4th period.

Drinking age debate a no-brainer

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF • mickey ellenwood haley haskell FEATURES EDITOR • courtney bellio CENTER SECTION EDITOR • jill petrie OPINION EDITOR • sam hyland SPORTS EDITOR • kyle fredrickson ADVERTISING MANAGERS • dawit assefa ben harrison WEB MASTERS • sam hyland chris peters REPORTERS • PHOTOGRAPHERS holly adams mallory armstrong mandee bayes jordyn caven faith-ann chen

loren collins katelyn hunter cris tiller vanessa van ry alexa zafarana

ARTIST • robert christensen braden roberts ADVISER • stephen wahlfeldt

Highlighter Editorial Policy

The Rocky Mountain Highlighter is a student news publication which strives to report school and community events with truth, accuracy, objectivity, and clarity. The Highlighter will also comment on issues of interest to its readers.

The purposes of this publication are to report the news to the Rocky Mountain High School community, to provide the school community with a public forum for thoughtful discussion and debate, and to provide students on the newspaper staff with practical journalism experience.

In order to make the Highlighter as professional a publication as possible, important legal and ethical guidelines will be followed. Senate Bill 90-99, enacted by the Colorado General Assembly during the 1990 legislative session, declares that “students of the public schools shall have the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press.” (Colo. Rev. Stat.

Sec. 22-1-120) We, the staff of the Highlighter, are prohibited by law from publishing certain materials. We will respect these laws. No material which is libelous, encourages illegal acts, or causes material and substantial disruption to school activities will be published. Expressions which are obscene will not be printed. Profanity will not be printed unless it is considered absolutely necessary by the Highlighter editorial board to express the views of the writer or quoted person. Expression which is false “as to any person who is not a public figure or involved in a matter of public concern” will not be printed. “Expressions which are in violation of lawful school regulations designed to control gangs” will not be printed.

In the event of a potential controversial item, the editorial board --consisting of all the editors, the advertising manager, and the adviser --will meet to discuss the merits of the item and then decide whether or not to print the item. Coverage of deaths which occur within the Rocky community will be carefully considered by the editorial board. Natural or accidental deaths will be reported for clarifications of death and will contain a memorial. Except in extreme circumstances, suicides will not be covered to reduce glorification of such acts.

In general, the Highlighter observes the guidelines presented in the “Code of Ethics” of the Society of Professional Journalists. The Highlighter will not allow source review prior to publication, unless there is a clarification issue. Source anonymity will be granted only after careful consideration by the editor, with the editor reserving the right to make the final decision.

Staff editorials shall be presented logically and will represent the views of the majority of the staff. Editorial criticism, of either individuals or groups, will be based on fact and will be constructive.

Guest editorial space, the “Open Forum,” is available to anyone in the Rocky community, including students, parents, faculty, and administrators. Anyone interested in writing in the “Open Forum” should contact the editor-in-chief or the adviser, Stephen Wahlfeldt.

Letters to the editor are welcome. They should be signed, and a home phone number should be included. The writer’s name may be withheld upon request, provided the editor agrees that the reasons for withholding a name are valid and compelling. Try to limit letters to 300 words and place them in one of the “Letters to the Editor” boxes, located in the Media Center and the Main Office, or give them to a Highlighter staff member, Highlighter adviser Stephen Wahlfeldt, or drop them by the Highlighter room, room 528, during 4th period. Letters may also be mailed to the Rocky Mountain Highlighter, Rocky Mountain High School, 1300 W. Swallow Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80526. To talk with anyone on the Highlighter staff, phone (970) 488-7090.

Columnists express their own views and not necessarily those of the Highlighter staff. No expression made by students of the Rocky Mountain Highlighter shall be considered an expression of school board or Rocky Mountain High School policy. Furthermore, Poudre School District and its employees are immune from any civil or criminal action based on any expression made or published by the students.

All advertisement is welcome. To place an ad, contact Highlighter Advertising Managers at (970) 488-7091. The Highlighter, however, reserves the right to refuse advertising which the staff considers inappropriate for our audience.

The Highlighter is a member of the ASNE/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service, and some material is courtesy of that service.

Weighted StuCo vote prevents popularity contest

In a democratic system, everyone has the opportunity to vote for their leaders and those votes are counted equally.

What if that system is flawed? Is it okay, then, to count the votes unequally in order to weight the election results? Absolutely.

Elections are held yearly for Rocky to select its student body and class officers. In previous years, the students were each given an equal voice in this democratic process.

Each of those years, the results were the same: flawed. High school elections across the country become what are known as popularity contests.

When the entire student body votes for its leaders based off of 15-second speeches on video announcements or off of how funny a candidate is (or isn’t), the results often default to the candidates who have the most friends.

To the students, it’s not about electing who will work the hardest and who will be the best leader; it’s about which name on the ballot is a closer friend.

This can have detrimental effects such as poor leadership. Poor leadership is what causes some of the problems that students often complain about. Boring

staff editorial

the issue StuCo sponsors receive 50 percent of the vote in StuCo elections our view The sponsors should get the majority of the vote as a way to avoid popularity contests dances, a lame SpringFest and a bad Prom theme are reoccurring complaints year after year due to ineffective elections. If there were a better system, there would be better leaders.

Now there is. The votes of the student body no longer count as much as they used to. There are roughly 1,800 students, and all of those votes only account for 50 percent of the total vote. The other 50 percent is made up of four votes.

The StuCo teacher sponsors and the current Student Body President carry as much weight as 1,800

Letters to the editor ‘Mandatory’ meetings nothing but a sales pitch

Dear Editor, This year and in past years, Rocky has had several mandatory meetings. From class rings to cap and gowns, it has all been there.

These “mandatory” meetings are getting annoying and irritating. Usually, we end up getting a pamphlet with meaningful information and then an hour of crap.

For example, on April 2 there was a mandatory meeting for seniors about graduation.

We got a pamphlet that took two minutes to grab and read and then an hour of Mr. Lopez

haley • haskell

yapping on about unimportant things and a not-so-funny photographer out to make a buck.

In conclusion, we as a community at Rocky, need to end the ridiculous sales pitches and these “mandatory” meetings. sean poirier • senior

Why is the Powderpuff football game gone?

Dear Editor, Can someone please explain this to me?

Why do we not have Powderpuff games any-

students.

Though it may seem undemocratic, it’s not a bad idea. If those 1,800 votes are popularity votes, what does it matter? We trust the StuCo sponsors’ votes more than we do the student body. The StuCo sponsors spend more time with the people running for Student Body President than anyone else in the school.

Sponsors know each of the candidates personally and professionally. They know who has work ethic and who is just a pretty face and a silly slogan.

Some candidates are nothing more than a cool slogan. Other candidates run off of meaningless achievements. Others bank off of mudslinging other candidates. Either way, it’s not good campaigning and posters and video shorts are not enough information for student voters to make an educated decision.

This year’s election may have been heavily skewed.

However, the results could have been disastrous had they not been weighted.

This year’s StuCo sponsors have made an educated decision. Trusting that decision, Rocky should be able to look forward to a year of good choices and fewer complaints.

more? It is tradition at most high schools for the junior girls and senior girls to play a game of football before a dance. Whatever happened to this experience of competition and a chance for the upperclasses to bond with their classmates at Rocky? I have no idea why we don’t have them anymore, but they should definitely be restarted as soon as possible.

I’ve heard of many other high schools getting very excited for their upcoming games.

Even though the time for a Powderpuff game has passed for this year, I hope that classes in future years restart this tradition. Bring back the Powderpuff games! tabitha bhatti • senior

Upon turning 18, one is faced with a plethora of new opportunities, including the ability to buy tobacco products, worthless infomercial junk, porn, join the military and get a tattoo.

In numerous states around the country, a debate over the legal drinking age has recently been refueled. Missouri has planned a ballot initiative that would allow everyone 18 and older to be able to drink. Kentucky, Wisconsin and South Carolina have proposed that military personnel 18 and older would be able to drink. South Dakota proposed that 19- and 20-year-olds would be able to buy low-alcohol beer.

Finally, in Minnesota, it would be legal at the age of 18 to buy alcohol in bars or restaurants but not in liquor stores until the legal age of 21.

These states are succumbing to the main argument that if a person is old enough to tote a gun and march across Iraq, he or she should be responsible enough to buy and drink beer.

In the United States, when a citizen reaches the age of 18 he or she is considered an adult, complete with heightened responsibilities and all the rights of a full-grown American. So why is a legal American adult not allowed to drink alcohol until three years later?

In many European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, the legal drinking age is 18. Even 18 is much higher than in other countries such as Denmark and Italy where it is 16. In those foreign countries, teens learn to drink responsibly at a young age and are not tempted to binge drink when they finally reach the legal drinking age.

The United States government should lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 as a whole instead of allowing different states to have different drinking ages.

As in the ’60s and ’70s, 18-yearolds will simply border hop from state to state to buy a six-pack.

As of 1984, Congress penalizes individual states that lower the drinking age by withholding 10 percent of their federal highway funds. In other words, the federal government is blackmailing the states to keep the drinking age higher.

The government is holding 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to a double standard. They are legally considered adults, but they are not given their full rights as an American citizen. If they are old enough to fit the other requirements of an adult, they are old enough to drink a beer or two.

Haley Haskell is a senior and editor-in-chief of the Highlighter

opinion

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Voicing your opinion: Should StuCo sponsors get approximately 50 percent of the vote in the StuCo elections?

“It’s important to have their insight but that does seem weighted pretty heavily.” laura cronen • teacher “It is important for students to have some vote, but sponsors are older and wiser and should have more say.” cam bourdon • junior

“No, they should not get that percent of the vote. It is our school, not theirs.”

kelsea cullen • junior

“It’s not fair.

Our vote should go to exactly who we want. It shouldn’t be split up.” mandy meyer • senior “No, they shouldn’t get that much because there is way more people in the student body and even more opinions.” matt felton • sophomore

a5

Going toe-to-toe... with words

Cost of Senior Banquet: Practical vs. Unnecessary

Memories from senior events worth much more then money

B

eing a senior is quite expensive, and it is well worth it.

One of the events that is coming up soon on Friday, May 2, is the Senior Banquet. This event is something that is looked forward to throughout the course of one’s high school career along with Prom and graduation. But the problem that has been brought to seniors attention is the high costs of attending the Banquet.

The Senior Banquet is an event that is meant for seniors to get a chance to spend a nice night together and remember all their good school memories. A slideshow is included and a dance follows. The problem, however, is that the meal is $15, a price that may seem a little excessive to some for an at-school event that is supposed to be for them.

Students must understand that someone has to pay for the food and that $15 is not that much money for good catered food and a fun time.

In the end, this will probably be an unforgettable event. It is a time to reminisce with old friends and appreciate events that happened throughout high school. Seniors will be together for one of the last times, having a great time at this banquet. A $15 price tag should not be something holding somebody back from going to such an important event. No senior would want to risk not having those memories because they didn’t feel like paying a measly $15.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so no one should miss it because of some money. The costs associated with a senior year may, at times, seem extreme, but in 10 years when searching through yearbooks and photo albums, the memories will be much greater than how much money was spent. mandee bayes • reporter

And the winner is...

Unnecessary: Seniors shouldn’t have to pay for an event that is sponsored specifically for them. School funding should cover part of the banquet. Voting 9-7 by Highlighter staff.

Sponsored event should be free of charge for seniors

W

ith the growing amount of money being cut from the student activities budget, it comes as no surprise that a current issue is now the lack of money to provide for each class and the activities they participate in.

It has been a long standing tradition that each class has an account that provides funding when it comes to paying for events or at least helps reduce the cost of them. But lately, this benefit seems to be lacking. The increasing amount of fundraising has only brought distress and concern for the students who must compensate for the lack of money usually in class funds.

It is important that everyone understands how difficult and stressful raising money for funds is. School-sponsored events shouldn’t be dependent on the students paying, but rather on the fund that provides for the students who raise money. Yet as the year progresses, students are noting that they are asked to fork over more and more money for events that were previously thought to be funded by the school and not out of their own pockets.

Where is all this money going? It is originally planned that money collected from fundraising should be spent on students, but that idea has lately been lacking as students are asked to pay for school events that were previously sponsored by the school.

The true issue at hand is not how often we are fundraising, but the sudden increase of students having to pay for events that were usually funded. Students don’t want to have to pay the ridiculous prices to go to events that are sponsored for them, senior events in particular.

The May 2 Senior Banquet is the first to kick off the senior events. It seems strange to ask the seniors to pay the unnecessary fee of $15 to attend when it is an event for them. No current senior can honestly say that it is fair for them to have to pay for an event that is sponsored for them, especially as the end of their high school careers.

One of the main concerns I have is the frightening fact that letting the funding for the students slowly dissipate will only lead to one thing: a precedent that will negatively impact future Rocky students.

If we begin to take away the funding for students, there will eventually be nothing for the students to rely on, thus leading to a lousy four years of high school where the students will have to pay for virtually everything. That will lead to only select few enjoying student events that should be for all. faith-ann chen • reporter

Children or non-children sections needed in public Smoking or non-smoking?

This was a very common phrase years ago. Every time you and your family would go to a restaurant, the host or hostess would ask you if you would like to be seated in the smoking section or the non-smoking section.

Slowly, the smoking and non-smoking sections are disappearing because public smoking laws are becoming increasingly tougher and now most restaurants in Fort Collins are prohibiting smoking at all.

Instead of letting those signs

go to waste, we should simply change them to something else.

How about children or non-Children?

Parents these days are producing more and more spoiled, bratty children. Not only do they raise their children to be spoiled brats, but also they feel the need to bring them into public as a way to torment everyone else. These are the type of children who whine about everything, “Mommy, I want this. Mommy, I’m hungry.

Mommy, I’m tired. Mommy, I want this. Daddy, Mommy won’t

THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB mickey • ellenwood let me have this.” These are also the type of children who scream when they don’t get what they want, and they sometimes even throw things.

I find these bratty children out in public just as annoying as

smokers who smoke in public, especially the screaming kind.

Smoke coming up over the back of your booth is just as bad as the sound of a child’s screams coming up over the back of your booth.

My personal favorite is when you’re having a conversation, and a child nearby starts screaming or crying and, suddenly, the last bit of the conversation is drowned out by obnoxious noises. I find myself not being able to focus on anything but the child’s endless complaining.

It isn’t fair to me to have my

day ruined by something that I have no control over. Besides what parent would want to bring a screaming child out in public, ever? Let’s face it, that is just embarrassing if you can’t control your own kid.

All I am saying is that everyone should have a choice as to where they want to sit in a restaraunt and I am a party for one, non-children please.

Mickey Ellenwood is a senior and Editor-in-chief in the Highlighter

sports

a6

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Lack of players hurts Rocky Hockey season by courtney bellio • features editor

This year’s Rocky Hockey team is in for some changes.

This season, the team has dropped from tier one to tier two after not having enough players on the team who played for highlevel club teams. This means that the teams they will be playing will have players who play at about the same levels as Rocky players.

“I think it’s where we’re supposed to be playing,” varsity player Jon Zeller said. “That’s the competition that’s closest to our team’s level. We wouldn’t win as much in tier one.”

Because of the lack in numbers, the team currently has a record of 5-5, with senior Seth McCulloch leading the team in scoring.

Although the team carries the Rocky name, Rocky Hockey isn’t considered a school sport. In fact, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t even a school club. According to school rules, the team would need a faculty sponsor to be a legitimate club. The team can’t even use the

full name Rocky Mountain High School. They are restricted to just Rocky. The players don’t feel that this rule is fair to them.

“All of us [the players] are really mad about it because we still have to follow school standards,” varsity player Clint Petrun said. “We can be ineligible (for grades), yet we’re still not considered a sport.”

For coach Dante Conti, this is his second year as head coach of the varsity team. So far, Conti has received nothing but positive feedback from his players. They agree that he has done a lot for the team and been a great coach.

“He’s probably the best coach we could get,” Petrun said. “He knows a lot about the game. He’s one of the highest-level coaches, he’s experienced and he’s Italian.

He makes some good spaghetti.”

After being assistant coach for several years, Conti finally feels like this is his team, not just players left over from the last coach who are trying to make the shift between coaches.

“A lot of the guys have been

“

”

Hopefully, the student body will rally behind us and come support us. The more fans, the better the players play. dante conti• head hockey coach

playing for so many years that they have a good knowledge of the game,” Conti said. “Besides trying to teach them a little, I’m more of just a director.”

Overall, the atmosphere of the team feels much better than in past years. So far the team has had great chemistry and has played very well together, a highlight being

the team’s first win of the season against the combined team of Horizon, Thornton and Broomfield, 4-2.

“We have equal talent to last year, but more players who are committed to team ethics as opposed to last year,” Conti said.

Although the team has done well in the past and is expected to do well this season, they have a small fan base compared with many other school events.

“Hopefully, the student body will rally behind us and come support us,” Conti said. “The more fans, the better the players play.”

by mickey ellenwood • editor-in-chief

glory years of the late 1990s. He resigned in 2004 due to a knee injury. But while he was an assistant, the team won one of its two state championships in 1999 This year, when he was offered the position of head coach, he would only consider the position if Assistant Principal Brett Larsen could be his assistant.

“When the opportunity presented itself, my schedule sucked,” Larsen said. “But I wanted to help out, so I got a special release with (Principal Tom) Lopez that would now make it possible for me to do two jobs.”

Larsen was the head coach of the volleyball team at Poudre for four years and is also married to Karrie Larsen, who is a former USA National team player and a former Colorado State University assistant volleyball coach. Not only is Brett Larsen going to be a coach, but Karrie Larsen is going to hold a volleyball camp at the school for next year’s volleyball team.

“For several years, my wife has

done traveling camps,” Brett Larsen said. “She comes into high schools, brings CSU players and designs a camp around the school’s needs.”

Dukart and Larsen both emphasize the point that next year’s team will need to have elements of competitiveness to be an effective program. Returning varsity players, like junior Kelsey Skaar, are excited for the changes and have positive prospects for next season.

“I don’t know either of them, but I’ve heard a lot of great stuff from other people,” Skaar said. “I think we’re going to have a great year.”

Though some players don’t know either Dukart or Larsen very well, they have a reputation of being a fun pair. Dukart and Larsen describe themselves as “mortal enemies” during the years they were coaches of different teams.

“I hope to make it fun by being who I am--a mix between being goofy but also hardcore,” Dukart said. “(Larsen) is a strong technical coach. Us together will be a strong dynamic duo.”

vanessa • van ry

GOALTENDING: Senior goalie Craig Christofanelli stops a goal during a game earlier this season. The team is currently 5-5 heading into postseason play.

Dukart named next season’s volleyball coach

mickey • ellenwood

A NEW ERA: Art teacher Jay Dukart (left), speaks at the April 11 volleyball meeting held in the Media Center. Dukart was formally an assistant coach from 19952004.

There’s been a hole in the heart of the volleyball team and now there is a new policy of “in-house love” that will fill the emptiness that has plagued the team for four years.

Over the past four years, the girls’ volleyball team has been lacking coaches who work in the building. With a lot of changes, including an entirely new coaching staff, there will be a whole new atmosphere for the team next season. Art teacher Jay Dukart was officially given the position of head coach for the 2008 fall season.

Dukart takes over a team that went a dismal 7-14 last year.

“We’re going to keep the love in-house,” Dukart said. “I think it’s vital to any high school program to have coaches in the building, so your athletes are always around you, and there’s stronger communication.”

Dukart was an assistant volleyball coach during the program’s

Midseason looms for spring athletics; enter postseason with high hopes by katelyn hunter • reporter

Perfection.

This year’s girls’ soccer team has thus far achieved nothing but perfection.

Starting out the season 7-0, the sports L o b o s shorts h a v e some high expectations for the remainder of the year.

“We have all been talking about how we want to win conference,” senior midfielder Amanda Fairbanks said.

“We want to go to state and possibly take home the state title.”

h

In the 21st century, no Lobo girls’ soccer team has made it father than the second round of the playoffs. This year, the girls want to change that.

“We are really hoping to do well in the playoffs,” sophomore defender Jenny Benger said. “Right now we are on an undefeated streak, but we can’t let ourselves get big heads or overconfident.”

The Denver Post ranked the Lobos No. 2 in state and the team is expected to

compete for not only regional and conference titles but the coveted 5A state championship, as well.

“I think us being rankes so good in state puts a target on our backs,” freshman Alyssa Cathey said.

Banks also emphasized working hard and improving; two of the major factors that will help continue to the teams’ success.

“Just because we are doing well now doesn’t mean we can stop,” Banks said.

The Lobos haven’t stopped and knocked out Collins, 4-0, in a big game on April 1.

“The highlight of the season so far was beating Collins,” junior forward Kalie Vaughn said. “We proved we can do anything.”

The Lobos face the Lambkins again on May 1 at French Field.

boys’• track

girls’• track

Young and inexperienced.

That’s what this year’s boys’ track team has been called.

Despite not having a strong senior presence on the varsity level, the boys’ track team is using this year for growth. They are interested in improving their times as well as their strength as a team.

“We are a pretty young team and don’t have much varsity experience, but I think we will overcome that and have success later in the season,” junior sprinter Michael Liss said.

Some of the key athletes for this year’s track team include junior Tyler Parry who runs hurdles and sprints. Also senior Andrew Schall, who is in pole vault. For long distance, junior Kevin Aiken has been a consistent and stand out runner.

“I personally feel like I am improving every meet,” Parry said. “I want to peak at regionals and state.”

In the April 19 Littleton meet, the boys’ top performers were Parry in the 300m hurdles with a time of 40.16 and senior Jon Kovach in the 800m with a time of 2:01.

The girls’ track team has completed a key facet to their season by starting out the year strong.

Now, they look to maintain the pace as the girls prepare to enter the stretch run.

“The season has been really good; the team is coming along nicely,” said Junior Nicole Long, a member of the strong Lobo distance team. “We’re all real close, always pushing each other.”

Long also mentioned that not only are her fellow runners an increasingly tight-knit group, but they are continuously putting in the extra time and hard work. This commitment will be necessary to continue the drive toward a successful second half of the season and the playoff threat the team poses.

At the April 19 Littleton meet, junior Ashly Lester lead the pace with a time of 59.10 in the 400m dash. Long also brought a strong performance in the 800m at 2:18.

Head coach Jamie Mackenzie is also pleased with the girls’ progress.

“The season has gone real well, considering how young we are,” Mackenzie said.

alexa zafarana • reporter

loren collins • reporter

sports

a7

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Lacrosse proves talent across nation

OUT: Senior first baseman Al Kelly prepares to tag a runner at first in an April 14 game held at Coors Field.

by holly adams • reporter

kyle•fredrickson

Baseball continues streak of dominance

by chris peters • webmaster & cris tiller • reporter

As the baseball regular season comes to a close, the Lobos are looking, hopefully, toward the playoffs and a repeat state championship.

Accumulating a record of 14-3 and earning a 5A state ranking of No. 3 in the Denver Post poll, they are determined to close out their season strong.

“Everyone is ready for playoff baseball,” senior shortstop Andy Burns said. “Everyone wants a lot of energy and to play a good team.”

District playoffs are schedule for May 3, while the state playoffs begin May 9.

Senior first baseman Alex Kelly leads the team after 17 games in home runs with 4, while maintaining a batting average of .468 Determination to succeed in the playoffs is vital to the team.

Following last year’s state championship, the team expects and craves excellence.

“They are looking forward to postseason play,” head coach Scott Bullock said. “They got a taste last year and are ready for what’s coming up.”

Readiness for the playoffs came in the form of a cross-town rivalry game loss to Collins, 5-3, on April 19 at Collins. The loss dropped the team from its No. 1 state ranking.

“The loss against Collins got us focused,” Burns said. “We’re ready to roll.”

Two major players in pitcher Mitchell Bean and Kelly improved greatly to give the team a new edge. However, Burns believes everyone carries some weight on the team and it will be a group effort.

“It’s hard to point out anyone,” Burns said. “We’re doing what we can for the team.”

On April 14 the Lobos traveled to Coors Field where they experienced a big-stage-style game similar to that of the playoffs. Chaparral High School played victim in the game, where a combination of Bean’s 7 RBIs and solid pitching earned the Lobos a 9-0 victory.

“Everyday on the field is good, but being on Coors Field is up another level,” Bullock said.

Rocky plays its final regular season game tonight at home against powerhouse Wheat Ridge High School at 4 p.m.

Trainers from page a8

Living up to a state title is always a bit intimidating the following season.

But for the unified Vipers lacrosse team, it’s just another opportunity to prove how far they’ve come and how much they can prove.

Already seeming to improve on their 15-4 record of last season, the team has its eye on another state championship at 10-3.

“We should do just as well if not better this season,” senior Eric Newman said. “We’ve just always been the underdog that works hard and wants to win.”

The team recently just played out in Maryland, a state with some of the best lacrosse teams in the U.S., and came back able to say they were the first West Coast team to beat an M.I.A. team before. M.I.A. teams are considered some of the top teams to play, and this year, the vipers were able to prove to a lot of people how good they really are.

Part of the team’s success is how close and reliable each of the teammates is to one another. They claim to look out for each other, which is a really important quality in a team sport.

Another strong point is the team’s defense.

“Our defense is very cohesive,” senior Jay Darling said. “They just click and work well together.”

However, the offense is holding their own also.

“We definitely have the most talented offense in the state,” Newman said. “But we can just get caught up in the moment and it causes a lot of unfortunate errors were not supposed to have.”

Even with the errors, the team

holly•adams

COLLISION: Senior Eric Newman (left, white jersey) makes contact with a Regis Jesuit High School defender in a 7-6 victory on April 11. The Vipers, the defending state champions, are 10-3 this season.

is still going strong. Especially with the fact that they have eight of their starting players returning from last year. And seven of the seniors are going to continue playing lacrosse in colleges around the U.S., more or less, on scholarships.

“I expect us to go far,” Darling said. “We’ve been doing so well.

We can definitely make it to a second state championship.”

First round state playoff action is scheduled to be completed by

“

”

We’ve been doing so well. We can definitley make it to a second state championship. jay darling•senior

May 3, while the state final game is May 17.

at Rocky but never participated in the student-training program. She was inspired to go into the medicine field by a friend.

“When I was in college one of my good guy friends played baseball,” Vander Vliet said. “Due to the shoulder injuries he obtained in high school, he lost all his potential to play in college. I just really wanted to go back to the high school level and make a difference so that athletes could be more successful in levels past high school.”

After working at the school for 12 years, Vander Vliet has built the

training program into a reputable program.

“Different than any other program in the city,” said Vander Vliet. “Students learn medicinal stuff: how to treat and evaluate injuries and how to help rehabilitate athletes.”

The program is great practice for the trainers, many of whom are aiming to go into a medical career.

“In the future I would like to be a pediatrician or do something with sports medicine,” junior trainer Lisa Pille said. “It is a very educational experience.”

The head student trainer this year, who succeeded graduate Abi Bundy, is Christine Hintzman, who also looks forward to a career in medicine as a nurse.

“Being the head student trainer is similar to being the team captain,” Hintzman said. “You are second in command when Shonny is gone and have a lot of other managing responsibilities.”

According to Hintzman, the trainers’ jobs are much different than people think.

They have to attend every game, come early, stay late and oversee

any injuries that player might obtain.

“I put in about 20-25 hours weekly,” Hintzman said.

Despite the long hours and demanding schedule, it is rewarding.

“It keeps me busy,” Hintzman said. “You get to know all the athletes real well, go to all the games and get into them for free.”

This year the staff consists of only six members, which is on the low side, according to Vander Vliet.

“The reason we are short this year is because it hasn’t been pub-

licized real well,” Vander Vliet said.

“I don’t think people really know the opportunities that come from being a trainer.”

The opportunities Vander Vliet listed consisted of a varsity letter for every season of training, exposure to the medical field, the chance to go on and do it in college with the possibility of scholarships and the chance to meet over 900 of the student-athletes at school.

“It is a lot of hours, but a lot of fun,” Vander Vliet said. “It is a fantastic way to meet a lot of different people.”

being incorrect leads to a lot of injuries,” Dyer said. “The body has a midline, that when forced too much inside or outside, injuries occur.”

The key to preventing injuries and possibly saving a season could be as simple as making sure the body is prepared for the high level of risk associated with sports.

“Staying in shape and eliminating body weaknesses are important,” Dyer said. “You must make yourself more athletic to avoid severe injuries.”

Training supervisor Shonny Vander Vliet believes the best way to prevent the likelihood of get-

ting injured revolves around proper nutrition and keeping the muscles loose.

“Staying on top of their flexibility and hydration is huge,” Vander Vliet said. “The more flexible you are the more you are prepared for the physical toll on your body and keeping yourself hydrated prevents your body from cramping up badly.”

Some of the worst injuries include head, ankles, shoulders, hips and knees. Head injuries are very serious because of the risk of death, but they also have longer effects and can greatly diminish athletes’

abilities. The others are dangerous because they can basically wear over time.

Another thing that all these injuries have in common are intense rehab sessions to attempt to fully heal them.

The rehab process breaks down into a three-step system.

First, trainers try to get the pain down, then they increase the range of motion and finally build the strength back to the injured area.

The time it takes to recover depends on how severe the injury is.

Any athlete who wishes to return as soon as possible must go through

rehab.

“Rehab is huge,” Vander Vliet said. “It is the difference in how quickly they return and how competitive they are.”

Junior guard Jake de la Torre had his basketball season cut short this past season when he dislocated his left shoulder going for a lay-up, keeping him on the sideline for a month.

The injury left him only able to watch, as his team had a great season and a run into the playoffs.

For de la Torre, rehab was a painful experience that he would like to have avoided. He started

with shoulder exercises to regain the motion in his arm and gradually progressed to lifting lighter weights.

As the shoulder got healthier, strength came back, but not without a price.

“It was difficult,” de la Torre said. “I didn’t like the pain.”

Now the possibility of de la Torre re-injuring his shoulder is significantly stronger than before.

“I will understand if it happens again,” de la Torre said. “The rehab will probably be more intense.

If we just keep working on it will work.”

Injury from page a8

Dukart named new volleyball head coach

SEE INSIDE, A6

a8

S

ports

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

READ, LEARN, RE-PETE

As high school athletics grow increasingly more competitive, the need to prevent and treat injuries has never been higher

chris • peters

Athletic success goes unappreciated

Training program mends injured athletes by sam hyland • opinion editor

It is a common cliché that without pain there is no gain.

But when there is pain, the training staff at Rocky is more than capable of helping.

“The trainers here are pretty knowledgeable,” senior Courtney Judish, who has an injured posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and a slightly torn bicep muscle said. “They can’t be a trainer unless they are approved by Shonny (Vander Vliet).”

Vander Vliet was previously a student

Athletic success is one of the most desired entities of high school, yet students are failing to accept anything less than a championship.

Rocky is one of the greatest atmospheres for an athlete, as nearly every sport has found immense success. In the past few years baseball, softball and lacrosse tyler jacobsen have won 5A state championships, • senior and other sports such as football, basketball and soccer have found themselves deep into the playoffs numerous times.

Despite all this success, I still see people sulking in the halls because the basketball team “only made the Great 8” or because “football lost in the second round.”

Accomplishments such as these should be appreciated. After all, there is only one school each year that can take home the 5A crown in each of the 27 CHSAA supported sports.

Rocky has reached the upperechelon of high school sports, and students need to start realizing and enjoying that fact. There are still schools like Thornton High School, or my previous school in Perhaps that is a small part of the by cris tiller • reporter Nebraska, that have awful athletreason serious injuries occur so freics across the board.

For every failed season or poor quently. In this day and age athletes These other schools, despite performance, there is usually some are pushing their bodies to the extheir lack of success, still find ways sort of injury that at least takes partial treme in order to be bigger, stronger to be proud of their sports, such and faster. blame. as my last school when we had In health teacher and coach Mike Injuries are a part of sports and the two consecutive winless seasons, impact of those injuries are constant Dyer’s experience, most sports-related yet packed the stands with excited from the high school level all the way injuries take place when the body is fans. However, at Rocky, supthrough the professional ranks. Ath- not in a natural arrangement. posed “fans” still fail to fill up “The angle and the body position letes accept the fact that they could get some seats at the home field of hurt at any time, but few ever worry baseball’s defending champions. about it until it happens.

Jump to INJURY, page a7 courtney judish • senior trainer It’s simply embarrassing to know that no matter how unforgettably great our teams are, students continue to shrug off their hard-working teams.

Football, for instance, has had strong fan support over the past he’s a good hitter as well,” said coach by loren collins • reporter few years, even if the hundreds Scott Bullock. “And he brings a of students who flood the stands to the team; his demeanor Amidst the recent and wellI try to be a men- calmness leave frustrated because of a loss. is as good as any kid I’ve coached.” celebrated success of the baseball tal student of the If students can attend football Gonzales’ compelling, team-first team, a rising young star player has game and a really attitude also has been noticed and in the fall, why can’t they show already made a name for himself. up for baseball in the spring? The good team player. appreciated by his teammates, as Despite being only a sophogames occur more frequently and well, such as Stewart. more among a varsity team full of marco gonzalez • are free of charge, so there is no “He’s a great teammate; he’s alprolific seniors and juniors, pitcher/ sophomore baseball player excuse for fans to avoid supportways got your back,” said Stewart. outfielder RELATED INSIDE, A7 ing their champions.

“He brings charisma along with M a r c o sports: baseball G o n z a l e s 4-1 on the mound with an ERA of passion, fun and excitement.”

Even though we have decent attendance in football and basketNevertheless, Gonzales recogplays a key 2.89. He is also batting .390. ball, it doesn’t quite live up to our role in his team’s success.

“He doesn’t throw hard, but he nizes that there is always room for performance. If we want to holler “He’s a good overall player,” said mixes speeds so well,” said Stewart. improvement, and he continuously with the best of them, we need junior centerfielder Jake Stewart.

However, it is not his dominant looks for ways to get better. to band together and support our “I’d like to focus on getting “And he’s a phenomenal pitcher.” pitching ability that Gonzales, who teams.

As Stewart points out, it is truly has been playing baseball since he stronger,” Gonzales said. “(ConAll I’m trying to say is that tinue to) work on arm strength, and Gonzales’s respected reputation was 4 years old, takes pride in.

Rocky has many terrific programs, as a dominant young pitcher that “I try to be a mental student of my speed and agility.” and there’s plenty to enjoy for Still, he never loses his focus on precedes him, and it only continues the game and a really good team everyone, so get out there and to grow. In fact, as a varsity fresh- player,” said Gonzales, who enjoys the team aspect either. support your school’s sports.

“I like to have fun out there with man, it was Gonzales who pitched the team aspect of the game most. the Lobos to victory in their state His fellow coaches and players humor, as well as calm people down.

Chris Peters is a junior and Web- championship game last year.

I try to focus on the lighter side,” agree with him. master of the Highlighter.

So far this season, Gonzales is “He’s a really smart player, and he said.

PA

Jump to TRAINERS, page a7

TRAINING INJURIES:

a sports special

h

HEALING THE

Rehab, nutrition essential to health

alex oberto • sophomore

Sophomore Gonzales grows as player

“ ”

h

kyle•fredrickson

GOOD EYE: Sophomore Marco Gonzales takes a pitch in the Lobos’ 9-0 victory over Chaparral High School on April 14 at Coors Field. Gonzales is hitting .390 with 14 RBI this season. He also boasts a 4-1 pitching record.

f

Schlup brings motivation, success to band

SEE INSIDE, B3

eatures

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

b section

ONE GIANT LEAP mallory • armstrong

Maturity questioned in homeless friend

Imagine being kicked out of your house unexpectedly with no job, no license, no car, no high school diploma and only the clothes on your back.

This recently happened to someone I know. As expected, she had absolutely no idea what to do. Being an 18 year-old, her parents thought that her wanting to move out as soon as possible was only natural, so they gave her what she wanted.

The first thing she did was frantically call all of her friends trying to find a place to stay. My co-worker Jennifer warmly invited her to stay at her condo as long as needed. But my friend decided she wanted to be out all night with her old friends from ninth grade doing who knows what. Jennifer obviously wasn’t happy, which caused my friend to get kicked to the curb again.

What disturbs me most about this situation is that someone that is legally an adult is acting as though she is a child. If I were kicked out of my house, the first thing I’d do is try to get a job, not sit around waiting for someone to take care of me. It could be her lack of social skills, but it’s a cruel world out there.

Honestly, this is all a matter of mental age. I am nearly two years younger than her, but whenever people saw us together, they thought I was 18 and she was 16, just because of the way she presented herself.

Age limits are set on pretty much everything, such as when you get to drive, drink or go to rated R movies. I like to think of myself as a mature person for my age, so I try to acknowledge these age limits in society, to gain respect and show others that I can take on responsibilities. I also would love to break down social prejudices against teenagers, but when it comes to people like her, I am embarrassed. If you’re going to succeed in life, you can’t just complain about drama and use your friends.

So, if you ever are kicked out of your house with nowhere to go, please don’t follow her example. If eventually every teenager in society turns into people like her, I am afraid of what America might turn out to be someday.

Mallory Armstrong is a junior and reporter for the Highlighter

Teens deem technology necessary

Spoiling kids reaches new heights by jill petrie • center section editor

Junior Tabitha Goring is spending the summer in Europe.

To many students, she might sound like the typical spoiled teenager. However, they’d be wrong.

Goring decided she wanted to spend a summer abroad at the beginning of the year, at which point she approached her parents about it.

They were supportive on one condition: that she pay for everything. “[My Mom’s] theory was that if I was responsible enough to earn the money, I was responsible enough to go,” Goring said. “My parents try to teach me to be self-reliant and independent so when I grow up I won’t expect things to be handed to me.”

Unfortunately, much of today’s

teen generation feels entitled to the latest technology, cell phones, computers, cars and money. Goring is the exception to the rule. Teens of today, nicknamed the ‘Gimme Generation’, are spoiled by their parents in every aspect of their lives.

A Time magazine and CNN poll recently found that 80 percent of adults surveyed believed children today are more spoiled than children Jump to SPOILED, page b2

by katelyn hunter • reporter

Cell phones, iPods and computers have become a necessity in the eyes of teenagers.

According to the Pew Research Center, 88 percent of all teens say that technology devices make their lives easier.

“Technology is a convenience,” junior Bryan Dick said. “For example, with the iphone you are able to surf the entire web in your pocket.

It is just so much easier.”

OUR GENERATION: a If someone needs directions, all it takes is a quick trip to Google and a print. It is simply series efficient.

Now, more than ever, teenagers are dependent on their cell phones or computers. These devices have become more than a gadget or a fun tool, but now something that is vital to communication and everyday

h

Jump to TECH, page b2

Parkour redefines movement by vanessa van ry • repoter

vanessa • van ry

JUMP ON IT: Sophomore Roy Quanstrom vaults a rail outside school.

Parkour is based off getting over obstacles as fast as possible.

For many, going from one place to another is just that, going, but for the people who practice the art of parkour [also called traceurs], going from one place to another is a mind and body experience.

The goal of parkour is for a person to move between destinations as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“The physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emer-

gency,” David Belle, the inventor of parkour, said. “You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it.”

Junior Tyler Goodfellow has teamed up with other parkour enthusiasts to form a club at Rocky. The Monday meetings in the health room Jump to PARKOUR, page b2

features

b2

Q&A

with next year’s Student Body President Duncan Nelson on his prospects for the 2008-2009 school year Q: Why did you want to run for student body president?

A: I had done stucco my first two years and it seemed like the logical next step. It seemed to fit.

Q: What would you like to accomplish as president next year?

A: Just from stucco? Get it known that we do more than just dances. Also, everyone has to go to high school. I want everyone to want Rocky to be the place they do it at.

Q: What are you looking forward to as president?

A: Not necessarily having to do so much work, but delegating other people to do it, organizing the grand scheme of things.

Q: What was your first reaction when you won?

A: Everyone voted for me so It was like people wanted me to be president.

They call you before, Boda and them, but I didn’t get it so I wasn’t sure. I found out over announcements. Everyone in the class started cheering. I have German so there are a bunch of sophomores who are really loud and this gave them an excuse to be loud.

Q: What has been the best part of being junior class president?

A: The best part is making prom. It sucked the whole year having this monster that was prom, but now that it’s over and we did a good job it just feels like a great accomplishment.

Spoiled from page b1

of 10 or 15 years ago.

“I feel like, especially in this generation, things like cell phones or cars are expected,” junior Khali Johnson said. “People think that they are a right, not a privilege. So much so that people get pinpointed for not having a cell phone or something. No one wants to be singled out.”

Johnson, along with others, believes that parents over-indulge their children with expensive electronics, cars, parties, and anything else that they want.

A possible cause of today’s parent-child overspending is brand advertising directed at young people. Instead of wanting a new cell phone or new pair of jeans, this generation of teens can request them by brand name.

According to TIME magazine,

in 2006 a record $3 billion in advertising was directed at teens and children.

“Today you turn on the TV and it’s all that you see, just commercials,” Goring said. “I think that it’s stupid to care about the exact name of something you want. If you’re getting it at all you should be grateful and not care about the name.”

Surrounded by advertising aimed at young people, it can be difficult for teens not to feel entitled to the latest and greatest. Johnson admits succumbing to the pressures of the ‘Gimme Generation’, but recognizes the limits of what she deserves.

“I think that I’ve grown accustomed to things that I shouldn’t have,” Johnson said. “I think we all have. It’s a generation thing.”

Tech from page b1 function.

“I think teenagers are dependent on their cell phones or ipods,” junior Amy Raasch said. “Without it I think some people would feel like they couldn’t function. I could live without technology, but I wouldn’t want to.”

“Back in my day when we were meeting people, we had to either hunt them down or find a phone to use,” counselor Brad Boda said. “Now kids just whip out their cell phones and send a text.”

Over 63 percent of teenagers have a cell phone according to the Pew Research Center and the average time a teenager spends on the phone each day is an hour.

“Technology is a lot of how we communicate with each other,” Dick said. “Kids would have a hard time nowa-days living without their cell phones. Texting has become the big thing though. Every-

Resonable sitting fee and affordable prints

DJ Anderson Photography 970.214.5717

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

$75 Special 2 hour sitting

Studio, on location or both Multiple outfits Yearbook print

www.djaphotography.net

one is texting rather than talking.”

Does the increasing dependency on technology make kids entitled to having these devices?

Dick says yes, that techonolgy makes us more productive and makes life in general more fun. However, junior Jake de la Torre thinks differently.

“I think it depends on what it is,” de la Torre said. “If it’s a computer or an ipod they don’t really need it, but it’s a different story if it’s a cell phone.”

De la Torre also described the need for having the latest and greatest devices as a need to impress other people.

“These things are not a need,” de la Torre said. “Teenagers just want to impress each other with the newest. And I also think parents play a role in this because they want to make their kids happy by supposedly getting them the most up-to-date iPod or cell phone.”

Parkour from page b1

consist of general announcements, where the members figure out when they will meet later in the week to practice.

“I know a lot of people who loved [parkour] but had no one to do it with,” said Goodfellow.

The most unifying aspect of parkour is that anyone, anywhere can practice it. There are also many different moves that a traceur can learn, jumping is the backbone behind parkour and is used in most of the moves. Whether a person is jumping off, over or through various obstacles, jumping comes into play.

“I agree that [parkour] is mind and body acclimated,” said Goodfellow. “It teaches you confidence and how to get over everyday struggles.”

alexa • zafarana

ALL-AROUND STAR: Brett Wagner works on his photography project. Wagner has proven himself in many different aspects of school, including academics, sports, and arts.

Picture perfect Multi-faceted student displays equal excellence on field, in classroom

by alexa zafarana • reporter

For senior Brett Wagner, excelling in just one aspect of high school just doesn’t cut it.

Wagner is not only involved in photography, but he is also a captain of the varsity football team, has multiple jobs and has a strong connection with his friends and family. Wagner is known by many for being a student diverse and feature well-rounded student. “ B r e t t is a multi-faceted person,” art teacher Jay Dukart said. “He has an diverse range of interests and things that are important to him and that he excels at.”

Dukart has been Wagner’s teacher since the beginning of his sophomore year, and has taught him all the way through his AP Studio Art class. AP Studio Art is a class where the main task is to complete a portfolio by the end of the semester. The art can be any medium, and it’s very selfdirected.

Wagner got involved in photography as a fluke. He needed an art class for his sophomore year and thought that photo would be interesting. Nobody in his family was involved in art, but both his parents were involved in athletics in high school, so his choice to particpate in photography was a surprising one. Wagner’s photography has turned into much more than he expected. He was just granted the Gold Key award for his artwork in April and continues to take many art classes. A Gold Key is the Scholastic award given state wide.

“After the first year I fell in love with photography,” Wagner said. “It means a lot to me now, and I plan on doing it my whole life.”

Wagner has taken his photography to the next level. He takes pictures and submits them to the Northern Colorado Business Report, which is a local bi-weekly newspaper. He also has his photography featured in a local coffee shop called Catalyst, which is located near the corner of Horsetooth Road and Shields Street.

Wagner not only works for a

h

newspaper, but on the weekends he does maintenance at South Ridge golf course.

Many people also recognize Wagner as an athlete who excels at his chosen sport. He has suited up for varsity football since his freshman year, and has been an asset to the team’s overall success in the past four years.

Wagner began playing football in fifth grade as a hobby and followed it all the way through high school. Although he doesn’t plan to pursue it in college, Wagner cherishes the experiences he gained on the team.

“I had fun with it,” Wagner said. “I just tried to be as good as I could be, and worked really hard.”

Not only does Wagner partake in athletics as well as art, he is also a strong student. Wagner challenges himself in the classroom, with advanced placement classes. He only started taking AP classes this year, but has shined in them. He took Calculus I and II, AP English and AP Studio Art. “I just did classes I wanted to,” Wagner said. “I strived for A’s but I’d rather get experience and exposure rather then just doing it for the grades.”

With all the activities and interests on his plate, he still manages to balance time with family and friends. He befriends many at the school and manages a relationship of three years with Valerie Brown, a senior at Collins.

He also stays close with family especially with his 24-year-old brother who lives in Denver.

“Everybody likes him because he is very accepting and open,” close friend senior Eric Newman said. “He doesn’t rub people the wrong way because he is just genuine.”

Wagner is truly a multi-faceted person. He is involved with every aspect that high school offers. He is well known for his caring, genuine personality and is liked by many of his peers. He has a very ambitious yet clear vision of what he wants to make of his life.

“I just try and live each day at time,” Wagner said. “I remember what’s important to me.”

features

b3

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Forensics members qualify for nationals

The music man

by holly adams • reporter

MAESTRO: Music teacher Scott Schlup conducts his band. Schlup has performed with and conducted musical groups around the country.

Scott Schlup came far in his musical career before taking a position as the Summit Winds band teacher.

At seven, Schlup was already finding his passion with music.

“I had found the trumpet my dad had gotten me as a present and snuck it to school to have private lessons with a teacher,” Schlup said.

“My parents came to the next concert [at his school] and they had no idea I was feateacher tured in it!”

Schlup kept feature up with music throughout high school and decided in March of his senior year to attend the University of Northern Colorado, where he received degrees in Education and Performance. After graduating, he really began his musical career.

“I have played with great performers like Crystal Gayle and Buddy Rich,” Schlup said. “And

then I taught band for 17 years at Lesher before coming to Rocky last year.”

Today, Schlup is involved in many musical activities outside school. He conducts the Loveland Band Concert, he is president of the Fort Collins Wind Symphony which he also performs in, and he performs with the Exquisite Brass Quintet. Every other summer, Schlup also flies to Germany to work with an international orchestra camp.

With these musical experiences, Schlup’s students feel that he has brought a true essence of what performing is all about.

“When he is directing a group, he has a presence that attracts success,” senior Nick Pabo said. “He has a passion that makes the group want to do better.”

Pabo said that Schlup is very efficient when it comes to preparing music and that when they had class together he motivated the class

by jordyn caven • reporter

h

jordyn • caven

“ ”

When he is directing a group, he has a presence that attracts success. nick pabo • senior

greatly.

Junior Sarah Bailey said that Schlup has high expectations and believes his class can achieve better outcomes.

“He adds a different twist to the [music] program,” Bailey said. “He has his quirkiness and he has this ability to make music a different experience for each student.”

Schlup has proved he belongs among the Lobo family and has worked hard to come to the position he is at now. Walking into his classroom, any student can tell that he greatly enjoys working with his students and performing.

,

Schlup brings experiences, talent to band

Eight students from the forensics and debate team are going to Las Vegas for nationals this summer.

Students all over the nation qualified to go to the National Forensics Tournament this June to compete with other schools. Eight of those students will be representing Rocky, and they feel they have the confidence and drive to be very successful in their competitions.

“I think we have a shot at doing very well,” senior Jeff Topolski said. “But at the same time, I have no idea what to expect.”

Jill Petrie, who placed 3rd at State, was district champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Ben Harrison and Casi Smigelsky qualified in Public Forum debate.

Smigelsky was a triple qualifier in two other speaking events, being one of two tricasi • smigelsky ple qualifiers in Rocky history. Seniors Mickey Ellenwood and Cody Lloyd qualified in Policy Debate. Topolski and junior Steven Sorensen were district champions in Duo Interpretation.

Topolski was district champion in Humorous Interpretation as well.

Lastly, junior Philip Volosov qualified in National Extemporaneous Speaking.

“It’s the fifth straight year Rocky has qualified more competitors than any other school in the district,” forensics teacher Paul DeMaret said.

“And it’s the fifth time in seven years that Rocky has won the Tournament Sweepstakes award, given to the highest scoring team.”

Saying the team has a lot of devotion to forensics would be an understatement. They meet daily and they consistently compete in day-long competitions Saturdays, as well.

“It’s a lot of time,” Smigelsky said. “Unlike a sport, it runs through all three seasons. And, additionally, everybody puts in a lot of extra effort.”

High school forensics covers competitive speech and debate events that include three public speaking events, three acting/oral interpretation events, student congress, and three debate events.

The assurance that the individuals hold for being successful is high for Las Vegas this summer, especially because the team has already done well in other regional events.

“I’m feeling confident,” Topolski said. “We’ve gone to a few national circuit tournaments and placed at least in the top three. If that’s not success already, I don’t know what is.”

center secton

b4

Music

In an age when technological advancement is at its peak, even the way we lsiten to music is in constant state of

flux

death of a cd salesman:

Local CD store closes as a result of big-box competition, declining hard copy music sales by kyle frederickson • sports editor

In the early 1990s, ABCDs was a forerunner of the new music revolution.

With the end of the cassette tape in sight, owner Walt Werren cashed in on the new craze of the compact disc by opening his small CD store in 1987.

“We were the destination store,” Werren said. “Sales took off, and we beat our sales projections for the first few years.”

However, the ’90s are far and gone and the giant black letters that spell, “Going Out of Business,” on the storefront window seem to overshadow the great success the store once experienced. Sometime this month, the doors will lock up for good.

“Little stores always start trends,” Werren said. “But corporations seem to take that away.”

With the rise of the “big box” stores that also sell CDs, such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart, ABCDs has suffered.

“When the big box stores came in, it had a big effect,” Werren said. “They have better locations, get more advertising and they’ll undercut you on price.”

After changing locations multiple times, Werren moved to his current location on 157 N. College Ave. in 1997. While business picked up after the relocation, a new enemy of the CD was born.

“In the last couple years, the Internet creeped up,” Werren said.

With the invention of the iPod and with advances in digital music storage, Werren saw a significant decrease in the number of younger customers. Millions of songs were now readily available at the click of the mouse for a much cheaper price.

“Half of the younger crowd doesn’t buy CDs anymore,” Werren said. “They don’t seem to care about the hard copy.”

According to a 2007 study by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Werren is right.

Last year, the sale of online digital music globally reached $2.9 billion, up a staggering 40 percent from the year before. The report also stated that 1.7 billion tracks were downloaded legally in 2007 and tens of billions of songs were swapped illegally. It is numbers like these that have shut down not only ABCDs but also homegrown record and CD stores across the nation.

Because the big box chains have been able to keep their prices lower than the competition, they have been able to weather the storm.

Werren believes that the entire music scene has changed since his era.

“In the beginning, the baby boomers were switching

b5

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

their albums to CDs,” Werren said. “Twenty years later, most people my age don’t buy music.”

Another local store feeling the negative effects is The Finest, located on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Shields Street in Campus West. Owner Jim Risser has decided to put the business up for sale for a number of reasons.

“Sales have dropped off so much we have had to change the way we do things,” Risser said. “It’s just time to move on.”

Risser has worked at the Finest for over 25 years and has been the owner for the last five. Risser has felt some of the same effects that Werren has endured.

“We battle a three headed-monster,” Risser said. “It’s the big box chains, Internet file sharing and our own industry.”

According to Risser, the record companies are to blame because they refused to lower album prices after cheaper alternatives such as iTunes and Rhapsody emerged on the Internet.

“It’s interesting to me why the record industry didn’t embrace the change,” Risser said.

Because of the drop in sales, Risser has followed Werren’s lead and has decided to end his time in the music business. But Risser has not completely given up hope.

He plans to sell the store rather than shut it down completely.

“The goal is to see it continue,” Risser said. “We want to find someone with the energy to do it.”

However, this may be a tough task, considering that CDs seem to have the same fate as the cassette tape and the 8-track tape.

“I download about 90 percent of my music,” senior music enthusiast Nate Turley said. “It’s just another way to get music.”

While Turley downloads music regularly, he hasn’t given up on buying CDs. “I probably buy a CD twice a month,” Turley said.

“When you buy music from a store, you get the album art and the extra content.”

Turley likes the physical aspect of purchasing CDs. “Whenever I buy a CD, I read the booklet front to back,” Turley said.

So whether it is the 8-track to the cassette or the CD to the iPod, change seems to be inevitable.

“It’s just a progression of technology,” Risser said. “But it’s tough to see music as just a ring tone.

“I personally don’t own an iPod,” Risser added.

Werren also has resisted the digital music downloading revolution so far, but knows that the change will come eventually.

“I always felt I would own an iPod,” Werren said. “I plan to start doing more downloads in the future.”

d

o you pr e f e r to download

?

or buy music

“CDs, because you buy the music and it gives the money where it’s due.” john easterwood • senior

stuck in the past:

CD sales see drop due to rising popularity of online downloading, file-sharing websites

“I download music because you have more variety to choose from than just one CD.”

by mallory armstrong • reporter

tom williams • sophomore

“CDs because you can put them on your iPod and use them in your car.” michaella sponliansky • junior

“You don’t have to buy all the songs, with downloading; you can choose the ones you want.” tanner clarke • junior

“I used to buy CDs, but I started downloading because it’s cheaper and easier. I miss reading through the CD booklets, though.” michael callahan • teacher

In a world full of digital music, the need for buying compact discs has been nearly lost entirely.

With downloads on iTunes and XM Satellite Radio systems placed in cars, people have lost the motivation to go out to a music store and buy an entire CD for around the national standard list price of $15 and 99 cents.

Most would rather download the songs at home onto their own personal iPod or mp3 player from a computer for 99 cents each because it is less desirable to buy the whole album.

A few hit songs on the radio currently are what most people just want to buy, according to senior Paige Schreckengast, who is a weekly online buyer.

“I’d rather not spend so much money because it’s easier to buy just the one song I like when I don’t want any of the others,” she said.

As a result, music stores like Fort Collins’s ABCDs and The Finest are struggling because the general population of music fans rarely goes out to buy compact discs or records anymore.

According to an October, 2004, Rolling Stone magazine issue, approximately half of all major label music is sold at WalMart, Target or Best Buy because 1,200 record stores closed in the past two years.

“I like having CDs, but people are for the most part just too lazy to go out and buy them,” junior Xia Wilson said. “We would just rather sit at home on our computer and choose a song we want and easily click the mouse.”

According to a Digital Media Survey, social networks like MySpace exploit and democratize the music industry, which causes young people to illegally download, thus further shifting the music industry from major record labels.

“The last time I bought a CD was a really long time ago,” junior Victoria Hurt said, “so

“ ”

The last time I bought a CD was really long ago, so long ago, I can’t even remember.

I haven’t since I got my iPod, so I just decided to use iTunes because it was much easier. victoria hurt • junior

long ago, I can’t even remember. I haven’t since I got my iPod, so I just decided to use iTunes because it was much easier.”

Electronic sections in department stores have lost variety in CDs and replace the blank spaces with iTunes cards and Zunes.

The music industry CD sales dropped 11 percent between 2005 and 2006, and even more significantly in 2007. These mp3 devices hold so many downloaded songs, they can allow a person to listen to any song they want at any given moment, giving more apparent satisfaction to someone rather than switching CDs on a stereo system.

“When I first got my iPod, I downloaded music every day, usually songs I heard on the radio that I liked; or if I had one song of an album I liked of a band, I’d get the rest of it,” Hurt said.

With the excitement of Internet music downloads buzzing, sometimes people take different measures to get the music

they want without paying anything at all, which is labeled as piracy and illegal.

According to RIAA, illegal music downloads outnumber legal ones 20 to 1 in 2007, a 95 percent illegal download rate.

“I’m really afraid to get [my Zune] fixed because pretty much all my music was downloaded off of Limewire,” junior Hannah Devore said.

Limewire is one of many, and probably one of the most successful, illegal music downloading websites, not to mention the fastest. It also allows a person to download movies, pictures and games.

Limewire has recently been the target of a lawsuit from RIAA, which is demanding $115 million in damages, accusing the application creators of promoting copyright infringement.

Those who run Limewire refuse to budge on the issue or change to a legal website because they believe in free file sharing with the masses of people who download on the website every day.

“I really do wish I had Limewire because it would be so much easier to get songs and it’s free,” Hurt said. “I tried getting it, but I wasn’t sure how, so my brother got it instead.”

Statistics show that college students illegally obtained two-thirds of their music, which added up to 1.3 billion illegal downloads in 2006 alone. As a result, Congress is taking action by advising universities to tighten their network security and ethical standards to show that digital piracy is just as illegal as plagiarizing term papers.

“No, if I could [download music illegal on the internet], I wouldn’t because it’s only a dollar a song, and that’s how the website makes their money, and I wouldn’t want to rob them of that,” Schreckengast said.

center secton

b4

Music

In an age when technological advancement is at its peak, even the way we lsiten to music is in constant state of

flux

death of a cd salesman:

Local CD store closes as a result of big-box competition, declining hard copy music sales by kyle frederickson • sports editor

In the early 1990s, ABCDs was a forerunner of the new music revolution.

With the end of the cassette tape in sight, owner Walt Werren cashed in on the new craze of the compact disc by opening his small CD store in 1987.

“We were the destination store,” Werren said. “Sales took off, and we beat our sales projections for the first few years.”

However, the ’90s are far and gone and the giant black letters that spell, “Going Out of Business,” on the storefront window seem to overshadow the great success the store once experienced. Sometime this month, the doors will lock up for good.

“Little stores always start trends,” Werren said. “But corporations seem to take that away.”

With the rise of the “big box” stores that also sell CDs, such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart, ABCDs has suffered.

“When the big box stores came in, it had a big effect,” Werren said. “They have better locations, get more advertising and they’ll undercut you on price.”

After changing locations multiple times, Werren moved to his current location on 157 N. College Ave. in 1997. While business picked up after the relocation, a new enemy of the CD was born.

“In the last couple years, the Internet creeped up,” Werren said.

With the invention of the iPod and with advances in digital music storage, Werren saw a significant decrease in the number of younger customers. Millions of songs were now readily available at the click of the mouse for a much cheaper price.

“Half of the younger crowd doesn’t buy CDs anymore,” Werren said. “They don’t seem to care about the hard copy.”

According to a 2007 study by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Werren is right.

Last year, the sale of online digital music globally reached $2.9 billion, up a staggering 40 percent from the year before. The report also stated that 1.7 billion tracks were downloaded legally in 2007 and tens of billions of songs were swapped illegally. It is numbers like these that have shut down not only ABCDs but also homegrown record and CD stores across the nation.

Because the big box chains have been able to keep their prices lower than the competition, they have been able to weather the storm.

Werren believes that the entire music scene has changed since his era.

“In the beginning, the baby boomers were switching

b5

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

their albums to CDs,” Werren said. “Twenty years later, most people my age don’t buy music.”

Another local store feeling the negative effects is The Finest, located on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Shields Street in Campus West. Owner Jim Risser has decided to put the business up for sale for a number of reasons.

“Sales have dropped off so much we have had to change the way we do things,” Risser said. “It’s just time to move on.”

Risser has worked at the Finest for over 25 years and has been the owner for the last five. Risser has felt some of the same effects that Werren has endured.

“We battle a three headed-monster,” Risser said. “It’s the big box chains, Internet file sharing and our own industry.”

According to Risser, the record companies are to blame because they refused to lower album prices after cheaper alternatives such as iTunes and Rhapsody emerged on the Internet.

“It’s interesting to me why the record industry didn’t embrace the change,” Risser said.

Because of the drop in sales, Risser has followed Werren’s lead and has decided to end his time in the music business. But Risser has not completely given up hope.

He plans to sell the store rather than shut it down completely.

“The goal is to see it continue,” Risser said. “We want to find someone with the energy to do it.”

However, this may be a tough task, considering that CDs seem to have the same fate as the cassette tape and the 8-track tape.

“I download about 90 percent of my music,” senior music enthusiast Nate Turley said. “It’s just another way to get music.”

While Turley downloads music regularly, he hasn’t given up on buying CDs. “I probably buy a CD twice a month,” Turley said.

“When you buy music from a store, you get the album art and the extra content.”

Turley likes the physical aspect of purchasing CDs. “Whenever I buy a CD, I read the booklet front to back,” Turley said.

So whether it is the 8-track to the cassette or the CD to the iPod, change seems to be inevitable.

“It’s just a progression of technology,” Risser said. “But it’s tough to see music as just a ring tone.

“I personally don’t own an iPod,” Risser added.

Werren also has resisted the digital music downloading revolution so far, but knows that the change will come eventually.

“I always felt I would own an iPod,” Werren said. “I plan to start doing more downloads in the future.”

d

o you pr e f e r to download

?

or buy music

“CDs, because you buy the music and it gives the money where it’s due.” john easterwood • senior

stuck in the past:

CD sales see drop due to rising popularity of online downloading, file-sharing websites

“I download music because you have more variety to choose from than just one CD.”

by mallory armstrong • reporter

tom williams • sophomore

“CDs because you can put them on your iPod and use them in your car.” michaella sponliansky • junior

“You don’t have to buy all the songs, with downloading; you can choose the ones you want.” tanner clarke • junior

“I used to buy CDs, but I started downloading because it’s cheaper and easier. I miss reading through the CD booklets, though.” michael callahan • teacher

In a world full of digital music, the need for buying compact discs has been nearly lost entirely.

With downloads on iTunes and XM Satellite Radio systems placed in cars, people have lost the motivation to go out to a music store and buy an entire CD for around the national standard list price of $15 and 99 cents.

Most would rather download the songs at home onto their own personal iPod or mp3 player from a computer for 99 cents each because it is less desirable to buy the whole album.

A few hit songs on the radio currently are what most people just want to buy, according to senior Paige Schreckengast, who is a weekly online buyer.

“I’d rather not spend so much money because it’s easier to buy just the one song I like when I don’t want any of the others,” she said.

As a result, music stores like Fort Collins’s ABCDs and The Finest are struggling because the general population of music fans rarely goes out to buy compact discs or records anymore.

According to an October, 2004, Rolling Stone magazine issue, approximately half of all major label music is sold at WalMart, Target or Best Buy because 1,200 record stores closed in the past two years.

“I like having CDs, but people are for the most part just too lazy to go out and buy them,” junior Xia Wilson said. “We would just rather sit at home on our computer and choose a song we want and easily click the mouse.”

According to a Digital Media Survey, social networks like MySpace exploit and democratize the music industry, which causes young people to illegally download, thus further shifting the music industry from major record labels.

“The last time I bought a CD was a really long time ago,” junior Victoria Hurt said, “so

“ ”

The last time I bought a CD was really long ago, so long ago, I can’t even remember.

I haven’t since I got my iPod, so I just decided to use iTunes because it was much easier. victoria hurt • junior

long ago, I can’t even remember. I haven’t since I got my iPod, so I just decided to use iTunes because it was much easier.”

Electronic sections in department stores have lost variety in CDs and replace the blank spaces with iTunes cards and Zunes.

The music industry CD sales dropped 11 percent between 2005 and 2006, and even more significantly in 2007. These mp3 devices hold so many downloaded songs, they can allow a person to listen to any song they want at any given moment, giving more apparent satisfaction to someone rather than switching CDs on a stereo system.

“When I first got my iPod, I downloaded music every day, usually songs I heard on the radio that I liked; or if I had one song of an album I liked of a band, I’d get the rest of it,” Hurt said.

With the excitement of Internet music downloads buzzing, sometimes people take different measures to get the music

they want without paying anything at all, which is labeled as piracy and illegal.

According to RIAA, illegal music downloads outnumber legal ones 20 to 1 in 2007, a 95 percent illegal download rate.

“I’m really afraid to get [my Zune] fixed because pretty much all my music was downloaded off of Limewire,” junior Hannah Devore said.

Limewire is one of many, and probably one of the most successful, illegal music downloading websites, not to mention the fastest. It also allows a person to download movies, pictures and games.

Limewire has recently been the target of a lawsuit from RIAA, which is demanding $115 million in damages, accusing the application creators of promoting copyright infringement.

Those who run Limewire refuse to budge on the issue or change to a legal website because they believe in free file sharing with the masses of people who download on the website every day.

“I really do wish I had Limewire because it would be so much easier to get songs and it’s free,” Hurt said. “I tried getting it, but I wasn’t sure how, so my brother got it instead.”

Statistics show that college students illegally obtained two-thirds of their music, which added up to 1.3 billion illegal downloads in 2006 alone. As a result, Congress is taking action by advising universities to tighten their network security and ethical standards to show that digital piracy is just as illegal as plagiarizing term papers.

“No, if I could [download music illegal on the internet], I wouldn’t because it’s only a dollar a song, and that’s how the website makes their money, and I wouldn’t want to rob them of that,” Schreckengast said.

limelight

b6

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Band member excited for China trip by jorydn caven • reporter

jordyn • caven

HITTING HIGH NOTES: Senior Oliva Yuan practices playing her flute in band. Yuan will be traveling to China this summer to play in pre-Olympic ceremonies and see where her family is from.

hmovie shorts Gotta see it: 21

This June, students from Summit band and Winds are going on the trip of a lifetime to China.

For senior Olivia Yuan, visiting China is not as rare for her and her family.

“My aunt and uncle live the south part of China called Guangzhou,” Yuan said. “I’ve been there once to see them, but I’m really excited [this time].”

The last time Yuan was in China it was when she was in the second grade.

She said she hopes this will be a great experience.

“My parents told me stories about how they lived on farms and had barns,” Yuan said. “And I want to see that. I want to see my family’s history.”

Yuan said that when she lived in Brooklyn, New York, she remembered celebrating the Chinese New Year with her family by doing traditions such as the dragon dances and giving out red envelopes that were filled with coins. The red envelope, also called “Ang Pow,” are given

Prom Night turned a fond high school memory into a horror film It begins with a murder scene, and also ended with one. Brittney Snow had to put a restraining order on her science teacher because he became freakishly obsessed with her. The teacher eventually turned mad and killed her entire family. He was caught and put into jail.

However, he broke out of jail and found Brittney Snow on her prom night.

This thriller will not only scare the audience, but leave them on the edge of their seat. It’s suspenseful, but at the same time disappointing. It definitely does not have a fairytale ending. grade •c

grade • a

TOP TEN Reasons why spring is better than winter.

970-493-0281 825 South Shields Street Suites 6&7—Fort Collins

$10.00 OFF YOUR NEXT VISIT WHEN YOU BRING IN THIS AD (ONE PER PERSON). ������������ ������������������������������������������

to others to bring good luck, prosperity and happiness.

Since the band is going to be doing more touring than anything else, Yuan hopes to learn more from her second trip to China. She wants to understand how her parents grew up and where they found their cultural beliefs.

“In China, it’s a whole different lifestyle than in America,” Yuan said. “I want to get more cultural experience and I want to connect with where they are

by holly adams • reporter

“Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” are the opening lines that instantly capture the audience in the recently released, 21.

The story is based off Ben Mezrich’s novel Bringing Down the House, and stars Across the Universe’s, ’s, Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, a brilliant 21 year-old MIT student who is struggling to get enough money or a scholarship to transfer into Harvard‘s School of Medicine. After impressing his unorthodox math professor, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), Campbell is introduced into a secretive club of five other students to learn the skill of card counting at blackjack.

Campbell wins over the girl but eventually starts to lose himself and becomes corrupt by emotions and money. With unexpected twists and turns, one will find themselves on the edge of their seats during 21.

������������������������������������

olivia yuan • senior

Gotta skip it: Prom Night

by mallory armstrong • reporter

�������������������������� ��������������������������������� �������������������������������� ������������������������������ ����������������������������������

“

”

In China, it’s a whole different lifestyle than in America. I want to get more cultural experience and to connect with where they are from.

from.”

The band is flying to Beijing on June 16 and will perform for the lead-up to the XXIX Olympic Games on the 19th.

The next day they also have the opportunity to perform on the Great Wall of China.

The students will be sightseeing in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, which includes tours of the Forbidden City and the famous terra-cotta warriors. Their final stop, in Shanghai, will also include a performance.

The bands have worked hard to come to have this opportunity. The bands have done many fundraising activities to raise the $3,000 for each student to go. The cost for each student is $3,295. They have also been working hard to perfect their instrumental skills.

“Some students have started working on some of the music that we are playing already,” band teacher Scott Schlup said.

“They’ve done a lot to get to this place and I think it’s going to be a good trip.

We are very excited to go.”

10) April showers bring May flowers 9) Spring break 8) No car scraping or shoveling 7) Springfest 6) Flip flops 5) The days are longer 4) Mr. Lopez comes out of hibernation 3) Graduation 2) The end of school is in sight 1) Mating season

by Haley Haskell and Jill Petrie

mickey • ellenwood

CLEANING UP: Senior Philip Ebel picks up trash at the Holiday Twin drive-in on his first day of work. The Holiday Twin is one of only a handfull of drive-ins that remain open across the country.

Drive-ins across nation shut down

Nationwide, cinemas outnumber drive-ins at a rate of more than America has entered the age of 94 to 1 with 38,159 cinemas in convenience, and has left Drive-In existence. In Colorado that rate is slightly smaller with 72 cinemas Theaters as a casualty in its dust.

Drive-in movie theaters were and 10 drive-ins.

Despite the growth of indoor immensely popular in the 1950s and 1960s, peaking with a national theaters and the decline of drivecount of 4,063 total drive-in the- in’s, many teenagers still hold on aters open. Those numbers have tight to drive-ins for sentimental fallen to an all-time low of 405 in value. Junior Hailee Durand be2007, as more and more people are lieves that drive-ins are an opportunity for a big get-together with turning to indoor cinemas.

“The number of drive-ins has friends and additional freedom.

“It’s more fun because you can been declining for some time,” Media analysis teacher Joel De- talk and do whatever in a big group Jong said. “Fort Collins is lucky to in your car,” Durand said.

In addition to group enjoyment, have one still in operation.”

This decline has been attributed DeJong thinks drive-ins can proto many reasons, one popular rea- vide a place of peaceful seclusion son being accessibility. Teenagers for people to enjoy a movie with often times walk or bike to indoor friends.

“This can be a blessing for those cinemas, and can not do the same with drive-ins. Drive-in theaters of us that are annoyed by the disrequire some sort of car, thus de- tracting noises from inconsiderate nying young non-driving teens. theater patrons,” DeJong said. “It’s Another downfall is the limited a lot easier to make out with your significant other at a drive-in.” selection of the films showing.

No matter whether moviegoers “A lot of people who go [to cinemas] don’t have cars,” Junior Au- enjoy their experience in groups or brey Valdez said. “Plus they don’t secluded, drive-ins provide a wonhave as many movie options, they derful experience that is slowly are limited to the kids’ movies and fading from American society.

Aside from individuals that love adult movies.”

Another reason that indoor the drive in, Valdez thinks that on theaters have overtaken drive-ins is the whole, drive-ins will be dust in flexible show times and year-round the wind, as they will be forgotten with the past. service.

“Even though my friends go “It is probably difficult to make money at a seasonal theatre when there all the time, I don’t think we have so many other choices for they will be remembered well,” Valdez said. entertainment,” DeJong said. by chris peters • web master

limelight

b7

april 29• 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Road show

hrun down

2001 graduate performs hit High School Musical by jordyn caven • reporter

Bobby List, a 2001 graduate, has done what most theater students always dream of doing: He is performing in a musical that the whole world loves.

The famous High School Musical movie turned into a touring performance last summer. List said that a group of people put on the musical on stage in Atlanta at the Theater of Stars. Disney producers came to their show and liked what they saw.

They decided to use most of the cast that originally did the performance, including List, and launched the live tour in June in Chicago.

“Rehearsals for the show were a little stressful because we only had 10 days to relearn the show, put new people in and get used to working on a new set,” List said.

List said even though touring can becoming tiring, he loves going to new states and seeing all the interesting cities.

“I definitely know where I would love to come back to and what parts [of the country] I never want to see again,” said List.

Working with a huge cast may seem like being back in high school again. However, List feels that his castmates are great people to work with and he is very lucky that they are all very supportive.

“Most of us have done this show together 350-plus times and you learn about everyone’s little onstage habits,” List said. “We get to play

MOVIES IRON MAN 5.02

“

SPEED RACER 5.09

”

I miss my family so much. That is definitely the hardest part of the job. There isn’t really a sense of home anywhere.

MUSIC HARD CANDY MADONNA TODAY

bobby list • 2001 graduate with each other to keep the show fresh.”

List said that there are themed nights to not only keep the audience entertained but to also keep it interesting for the cast. He said that on Easter they hopped around stage like bunnies.

“The audiences never notice these things... We gotta keep it fresh for ourselves,” List said.

List said he has always wanted to perform onstage. He loves being an actor because there is always something he can work on. He said that once he perfects one thing he has something else that he feels could be better.

“I made the choice to do this as a career when I went to college and saw what an intensive business this is,” List said. “It is very cutthroat and there is no time that I can afford to not be working on my craft.”

List started college at UNC for a year, studying Musical Theatre, but felt that the program there wasn’t right for him. He then transferred to

courtesy • joan marcus

RETURNING TO HIGH SCHOOL: Rocky graduate Bobby List performs around the country in the popular show, High School Musical. He will be performing in Denver July 22-27.

the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, which has the top-rated musical theater program in the country. After four years, he moved to New York City and got an agent. He performed in a couple of small shows, which got him connections to Jeff Calhoun, the director of High School Musical.

“I’d like to keep working for Disney,” List said, “although I’m not sure if I’m built for the road. I’d like to get back to NYC [and] get my apartment to get my dog settled in and work on Broadway.”

List said he would love to be in Wicked or West Side Story.

Even with all the fun, there are downsides to being on the road all the time.

“I miss my family so much,” said List, who is the son of social studies teacher Tom List. “That is definitely the hardest part of this job. There isn’t really a sense of home anywhere. Hotel rooms have become familiar but I long for some home cooked dinners and some down time with my family. Being home with them grounds me.”

List said he feels he has made some really great friends while working on High School Musical that he believes he will know forever.

List said he is excited to come home to Colorado to perform. This summer they will be coming to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for Performing Arts from July 22-27.

McAlister’s serves up better sides, food by kyle fredrickson • sports editor

When looking for a sandwich shop that is above the ordinary, look no further than McAlister’s.

Located on College Ave. near Old Town, McAlcritic’s corner i s t e r ’ s provides a fresh approach to the local deli scene.

Upon walking in, I immediately could sense the family atmosphere that the other big box chains were missing. Instead of being herded in front of a cafeteria like serving line, the front counter was more like an actual deli counter.

The staff was also extremley friendly and did not mind answering any questions I had. It was refreshing to know that sme lazy

h

teenager with the flu wasn’t making my sandwich.

The menu featured an array of choices, everything from the classic BLT to baked potatoes.

However, the sandwich that caught my eye was the sweet berry chicken. At seven dollars, this sandwich isn’t necessarily fit for the high school students budget, but I found it was worth every penny.

With my sandwich, I was also given a choice of a variety of sides.

Of the many options that included chips, cole slaw and mashed potatoes, I went for the macaroni and cheese. Without purchasing a drink, my total came to $6.98.

Not entirely knowing what

to expect, I sat down in a booth and waited for my sandwich to be brought to me. After waiting for maybe just a little longer than anticipated, about five to ten minutes, my sweet berry chicken arrived.

Served in a basket, with my macaroni in a small bowl to the side, it looked nearly as good as it tasted. Blanketed in two slices of hearty wheat bread, a berry sauce coated pieces of juicy chicken breast. However, my taste buds turned my attention to the macaroni and cheese. This wasn’t your blue box macaroni; it had big noodles that were extra cheesy and delicious.

After quickly finishing my mac,

I turned to the main course.

This sandwich blew away the competition. The bread was soft, the chicken was moist and the sweet berry sauce gave it that extra kick that put it above the competition.

The only setback that might keep me away from McAlister’s front doors would be the high prices, however, I doubt it will stop me for long. grade • a

SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE DEFF LEPPARD TODAY

CONCERTS ROONEY FOX THEATER TODAY KEITH ANDERSON GRIZZLY ROSE 5.02

GAMES GRAND THEFT AUTO IV PS3 AND XBOX 360 TODAY SPEED RACER NINTENDO WII 5.06

IN SCHOOL SENIOR BANQUET COMMONS 5.02 SPRING FEST NORTH LAWN 5.08

Pregnant? Think you might have STD?

New Location: 1212 S. College Ave. #221-5121 call for an appointment

Please recycle this paper

Create your own affordable portrait package!

Package example: 3 - 8x10 4 - 5x7 12 - 4x6 or 3 1/2 x 5 56 - wallets $233 plus applicable sitting fee

We offer FREE and CONFIDENTIAL Pregnancy Tests and STD testing for men and women.

Alumnus tours with High School Musical

SEE INSIDE, B7

b8

l

imelight

april 29 • 2008 • rocky mountain highlighter

Local drive-in survives

Holiday Twin beats odds, lives on

DRIVE-INS: a limelight special

h

by haley haskell • editor-in-chief

Once nestled between fields and foothills, the Holiday Twin Drive-In is now almost completely encircled by houses.

The Holiday Twin, owned by Wesley and Stephanie Webb since 1979, first opened on the west outskirts of Fort Collins in 1968. Located at 2206 South Overland Trail, the two-screen drive-in has watched as the city slowly pushed west.

“When Mr. Webb purchased the drive-in there was vacant land for several blocks on each side,” Stephanie RELATED INSIDE, B6 said. “With limelight: dying drive-ins the increase in population and neighbors on three sides, we now have a great responsibility to keep the noise level under control as well as respecting the privacy of the neighbors.”

Tyler Diack, 2007 Rocky graduate, has lived on the other side of the fence from the drive-in for the past 19 years.

“Just before the movie people start to honk their horns, which is kind of annoying,” Diack said.

Despite the occasional noise from the theater, Diack said that he likes living close to the theater because he can watch movies from his driveway free of charge.

“It’s cool to climb over the fence (to watch movies) and not get in trouble,” Diack said.

According to Stephanie, the drive-in is typically open from April until September. During this time, she estimates around 2500 people visit the theater on a busy weekend.

“The majority of our business is families,” Stephanie said.

“We have lots of teenagers on the weekends as well. During the period when CSU is in session, we serve a large number of college students.”

Many students attend the drive-in throughout the summer because of the laid-back environment and cheap admission. Typically, the theater plays two first run features on each screen for $5 per person, compared to $8 at multiplex, indoor Cinemark, located at 4721 South Timberline Rd., and $8.50 at Carmike 10, located at 3636 Manhattan Ave. Senior Phillip Ebel is an employee at the drive-in. This will be his first summer working at the Holiday Twin. “(I like the) drive-in because you can talk with your friends,” Ebel said.

Unlike a normal, indoor theater, people are allowed more freedom. Armed with lawn chairs and snacks, drive-in patrons are able to sit under the stars and enjoy the hot summer nights.

h

,063 4 e r e w e r e h t 8 5 9 1 In e id w n io t a n n e p o s n -i drive 05 4 ly n o e r a e r e h t , y a Tod * e id w n io t a n n e p o s drive-in Because of the low prices and easy-going atmosphere, the drive-in is also a popular date destination.

Around the country, American drive-ins are closing down. The Holiday Twin Drive-In is one of 10 driveins left in the state. One reason is because, in the last few years, the drive-in has been continuing to renovate areas to keep the theater up to date.

According to Stephanie, the drive-in has recently installed new restrooms, new sound and projection equipment and has made improvements to the concession stand. They have also begun to advertise in Cheyenne, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont in order to gain additional business.

“The low price of the mov-

ies and concessions (draw people in),” Stephanie said. “(It’s) a good safe, comfortable place to watch the movies with excellent sound and pictures.”

Over the past 10 years, the drive-in has seen a considerable increase in business and the owners remain happy with their business.

“We attribute this to our improvements and the rise in popularity of the drive-in experience,” Stephanie said.

Stephanie and Wesley said that they have no intention of selling the Holiday Twin Drive-In in the near future. Fort Collins residents, unlike millions around the country, will still be able to continue to enjoy the drive-in experience.

“It’s fun to get a whole bunch of friends and just go and hang out,” Diack said.

* source•drive-ins.com

graphic illustration • haley haskell

Radical cartoons cause awareness, death threats

In early 2006 a cartoon was placed on the pages of a Danish newspaper.

However, it wasn’t a Peanuts classic or an incredibly unfunny Garfield cartoon, it was something a little more “offensive.”

The series of cartoons were depictions of Islam’s prophet Muhammad that were considered blasphemous by many Muslims.

Just days after the cartoons were published, thousands of Muslims packed the streets and demanded that the paper should face consequences for their actions.

Because of the rampant violence that resulted from the drawings, several cartoonists had to go

into hiding in fear for their lives.

Now two years later, the controversy continues. The Danish government has taken the liberty to close down its embassies in Afghanistan and Algeria after terrorist threats.

After hearing this news, I decided that I would find out why these people were so upset.

I figured the cartoons would be highly offensive and inappropriate, but I was wrong. I have seen much more offensive things just watching network TV. Not being Muslim, I realize that the importance of religion changes in different parts of the world, but I don’t think a drawing

FREDDY, SET, GO kyle • fredrickson constitutes reason for someone being killed.

Even if I don’t understand the ways of Islam, common sense tells me that cartoons are just a form of entertainment and are used as satire in most newspapers.

Taking satire literally just makes people stupid. Just try and watch

a segment of The Daily Show and pretend that everything they are saying is completely true. If you believe even half of the jokes that are presented are true, then you probably aren’t the smartest individual on the planet.

Upon further thinking, I realized how lucky we are to live in a society where government and religion don’t dictate what we see on TV or read in the paper. Can you imagine living in a society where the citizens were not allowed to hear different opinions or thoughts?

Throughout this past year, The Highlighter has covered countless controversial issues and has

pushed the envelope of what should be published in a student run newspaper.

However, there was little to no negative reaction.

This is because students at Rocky are educated and can hold their own opinions on what they want to read or see.

I’m glad that the Danish newspaper ran the cartoons, because in the end, censorship causes blindness. So to those protestors out there who want to kill the people who offended them, put on some glasses, because you obviously can’t see the big picture.

Kyle Fredrickson is a senior and sports editor of the Highlighter.