THE ROYAL BANNER vol. 59, no. 5 may 2019
GRADUATION SENSATION
See where seniors are going next year PAGE 6
STAFF FAREWELLS
We interview 5 faculty members leaving this year PAGE 10
TABLE OF CONTENTS ANYA’S COLLEGE ADVICE
Student body president tells you to chillax about college
PAGE 4
SENIOR MAP
A map of where seniors are going next year
PAGE 5
SENIOR LISTS
A list of where seniors are going next year
PAGE 6
CAUSING A RACQUET A look into the 2019 girls tennis team
PAGE 8
RUN, MARLENA, RUN Marlena Preigh’s race to the top
PAGE 9
STAFF FAREWELLS
Talking with the five staff members retiring this year
PAGE 10
THE CAPITULATION OF MERIT Rethinking the SAT and ACT in Today’s America
PAGE 11
OVERHYPED AND SLEEPY Analyzing rising star Billie Eillish’s album
PAGE 12
IS SHE BAD ENOUGH?
Dylan Muzny and Daniel Knowles listen to Billie Eilish’s controversial song “bad guy”
PAGE 13
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
See if you can find the 10 differences in the photo for this edition
PAGE 14
GOODBYES AND HELLOS
The Royal Banner says goodbye to the 2018-19 co-Editors-in-Chief
PAGE 15
WANT MORE?
Go to fhsroyalbanner.com for articles, videos and so much more! @FHSPUBLICATIONS @FHSROYALBANNER FHSPUBLICATIONS TINY.CC/ THEKNIGHTSHOW Fairview High School 1515 Greenbriar Blvd
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MAY 2019
COVER PHOTO BY JIVAN WEST PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHAW FAMILY
THANK YOU, MR. SHAW
Students remember moments with Mr. Shaw By Sa Steinbarth and Tessa Moskoff ecently, our school lost a dear member of faculty, an influential mentor and a fantastic Language Arts teacher to many. Steven Shaw passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 9th, 2019. Many students shared stories of how Shaw was able to make their days happier. Junior Emma Hall wrote, “Mr. Shaw was one of [the] realest teachers I’ve ever had. He cared so much about all of his students despite the way they acted towards him. He encouraged us to learn about things that we were passionate about, and I will always remember him for being so selfless and putting other people before him. We were talking one day in class and one of my classmates [had] said something like ‘you’re so smart, why are you an L.A teacher?’ He responded by jokingly saying, ‘I am not sure if I should take that as an insult but I think it’s important to share my knowledge with you and increase your generation’s intelligence as best I can.’ Mr. Shaw was by far the best teacher I have ever had, and had such a big impact on me in just the short time I knew him. There are so many questions that I’d
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wish I’d asked and so many things I wish I could’ve gotten his perspective on. He was an amazing teacher and person and will be greatly missed.” Junior Jacqueline Velasco said, “Mr. Shaw was a very unique teacher who connected with his students in a different way than most teachers do. He had lots of genuine and heartfelt conversations with us just about every day. He taught us more than what was in the curriculum and connected it to our own lives. He made our learning special and gave us the opportunity to take it further than a textbook. I value the conversations I had with him and I know that I can never have another teacher like him.” Velasco is currently working on making a mosaic to go in the front of the school to honor Mr. Shaw.
“Every day after class he’d say ‘have a beautiful day,’ so that would be on the mosaic... It’s a message from him that would be seen by everybody and it’s a positive way to start everybody’s day,” said Velasco. Velasco is in the process of designing the mosaic and working out the details. If you have an idea about how it should look or want to help make the vision a reality, please email her at jsvelasco01@bvsd.org. Please consider donating to help Mr. Shaw’s family during this difficult time by going to bit.ly/2FHeY98. Shaw was a great teacher, husband and father, and will live on in our memories. Have a beautiful day!
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STUDENT NEWS
ANYA'S COLLEGE ADVICE The Student Body President tells you to chillax about college
By Anya Aidun
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his past year has been a difficult and wonderful one. The college process did not go how I had wanted, and many of my dreams shifted. I didn’t get into my dream school and I’m going to the last place I ever thought I would. And I’m really excited. I’ve learned some things that I hope will be helpful to all you rising seniors as you embark on this journey. Here are some of my tips and tricks for the college process:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Full send. Dream, baby! You never know where you will get in, so just apply! The worst that can happen is that you get rejected, and believe me it’s not that bad. And who knows, you may just get in. Give yourself some grace. The college process is a pretty rigged and corrupt system, so if you don’t get in it does not always reflect your capabilities. It is also a two way process: colleges are seeing if you will be a good fit, not just if you got the right grades. Trust yourself and your capabilities. You are doing great sweetie! No matter where you go, you will be successful and happy in life. Trust that this process and each college is trying to place you at the university where you will be the happiest. You are more than enough. Believe that. That’s all. Try your best, get involved, try something new, shoot your best shot. A lot of people think that the right combination of extracurriculars will get you into a specific college, and that’s a myth. Do what you want to do because it interests you. If you try and do what you think colleges want to see, they will just see right through that, so you might as well have some fun. You will end up where you need to go. Everything happens for a reason because of the universe or God or existentialism or whatever you believe. Whatever happens and wherever you go is to teach you some lesson or introduce you to some wonderful person or open some door for you. One day you will look back and be grateful of the outcome. So breathe, it will all work out in the end.
Best wishes to you all,
Anya Aidun
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MAY 2019
TRAVEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY Map by Carter Hanson
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FHSROYALBANNER.COM
GRADUATING
‘19!
Logan Abbottt Briana Agnew Annalyse Aguirre Melissa Aguirre Anya Aidun Kanoe Aiu Roxy Alexaner Jackie Allen Stephany Almeda Solis Emi Ambory Pace Anderson Robert Annear Perla Arciniega Garcia Flor Arellano Martinez Joes Leonel Arrellano Ordaz Josh Arvesan Madison Ausley Jonathan Austin Ruben Avila Aidan Bach Tyler Banks Reid Baran Weston Barnhill Ellen Bartels Arthur Bartholomew Catalina Bastías Díaz Andrew Bastres Ureña Zulal Batan Margaret Beard Alexis Beggan Augustin Belin Sarah Bennett Zoe Bennett Brooke Berdan Lillian Berets Tiffany Berg Jaron Berman Seth Berman Michael Berry Chonzie Bhota Blaine Biediger Nick Biesterfeld Lucy Blickensderfer Mattie Blickensderfer Yao Boguhe Baile Bolger Jacob Bondy Natalie Bonesteel Anthony Bottagaro Sara Bottome Ian Boye Chloe Brasket Natalie Brent Gabriel Brenza Caleb Brown Elili Brown Emika Brown Cayo Browning Grace Bryant Lucy Buchanan Hailey Calcagno Grace Calderoni Cristina Calixto Gongora Zoe Callicoatt Will Calvert Maya Cantor-Shapiro Ian Capdevielle Cole Carpenter Blake Carter Emma Carter Joe Casebolt Seraphin Castelino Joe Castillo Argumedo Piper Catlin Mary Cerceda De Santiago Jonathan Cervantes Alex Chamberlin Benjaman Chastain Grace Cheval Beck Chrisbens Nyree Christianian Emily Ciserella Katherine Codrescu Journey Colberg
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MAY 2019
Gap Year CU Boulder Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Stanford University University of Oregon Syracuse University Unknown CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Front Range CC Metropolitan State Denver Metropolitan State Denver CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown University of San Diego Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Missouri CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Lehigh University Santa Clara University Auburn University Carleton College Unknown Georgetown University Northeastern University Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Lewis & Clark College Unknown Kent State University Unknown CU Boulder Unknown University of Northern CO CU Boulder Vanderbilt University CU Boulder Northeastern University UC San Diego Virginia Tech Unknown Unknown Tufts University Unknown Dartmouth College University of Santa Cruz Seattle University Indiana University Unknown US Air Force Academy Gap Year Unknown Unknown Metropolitan State Denver Front Range CC Unknown Cal Poly San Luis Obispo MIT Unknown Middlebury College Front Range CC Unknown Gap Year Unknown University of Kentucky Syracuse University Northeastern University Unknown Unknown Unknown
Marcos Compean, Jr. Manuel Compean Gomez Grace Conroy Wyett Considine Omar Contreras Flores Gabby Cook Allison Cooke Chloe Cope Lilibeth Cortes Grayson Cotrell Skylar Cotter Corben Cox Ryon Crandall - de Mar Miles Crawford Alex Curtis Joe D’Souza Ben Daecher Anna Dahlstrom Thy Dang Autumn Davidson Luke Davis David Dayan Lisa Dayan Hannah DeAngelo Sammy Denninger Bryce DesJardins Isabelle Dever Cem Dincer Mark Dolan Aidan Dolbeare Annika Dombrowski Manuil Doukhnine Mya Drost-Parra Keana Du Bridget Duncan Lauren Eckhardt Adam Eckler George Eisenlau, IV Myles Ellis Zachary Ellis Marshal Epps Grace Evans Leroy Fagan Alyssa Feinberg Jacob Fenton Jordan Finney Amy Fishman Jayden Flores Kevin Flores Isabella Flynn Una Forsythe Kyle Franklin Gray Freeman Izzy Friedman Olivia Fross Talia Frost-Belansky Cali Fuller Anna Funke Ty Galey Lily Gallagher Mateo Gallegos Maddie Gallop Nate Gann Maia Garby Maxwell Garby Eduardo Garcia Diaz Didac Garcia-Grau Fabian Garcia Torres Christopher George Patrick George Ilana Gersten Benjamin Gibson Zander Gilbert Graham Gilchrist Avery Gillespie Liddia Gilstrap Kimberly Giron-Fuentes Anna Glass Meirav Goldman Daniel Gomez Vincent Gordon Elia Gorokhovsky Daniel Gould Henry Graf Brock Granberg Jaedyn Grant Ian Greene Matt Greenwald William Griffith Benjamin Groover Natalia Grossman Kalliyan Gurmendi Melisa Gutierrez Cervantes
Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Hamline University Unknown Northwestern University CU Boulder Gnomon School of VE U of New Hampshire CU Boulder Unknown Gap Year Colorado School of Mines CU Boulder Rice University Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Unknown CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Indiana University Claremont Mckenna Cal Poly CU Boulder Nebraska Wesleyan CU Boulder George Washington Unknown Tulane University Unknown Cal Poly San Luis Obispo UC Santa Barbara Unknown Unknown University of Minnesota University of San Diego CU Boulder Colorado State University Western Washington UC Berkeley Lehigh University Colorado State University University of Denver Unknown Unknown University of Oregon University of Miami Unknown Rice University Sarah Lawrence College University of Puget Sound Western Washington CU Boulder Washington U St. Louis CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Middlebury College Montana State University Carleton College Unknown Unknown Duke University Unknown CU Boulder Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Northeastern University Unknown CU Boulder Wesleyan University CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Military Unknown University of Arizona CA Insitute of Technology Unknown Gap Year Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Boise State University Unknown Whitworth University Unknown Unknown Unknown
Julianna Haensly Vanessa Haggans Carson Hall Nathanael Hambacher Jackson Hammond Phoebe Hanscom Carter Hanson Jaella Hardaway Summer Hardy Elena Harllee Cooper Harmon Cassandra Harper Rowan Harper Zachariah Harpool Talia Hatami Anna Hendricks Mahri Hereid Yuri Hernandez Betsaida Hernandez Cornelio Jasmin Herrera Gutierrez Jodi Hester Maggie Hildebrandt Skylar Hill Patrick Hillmeyer Sean Hinds Evan Hintsa David Hirschhorn Mary Ho Kelly Hoag Zoe Hoepfinger Cameron Holland Jeremy Hook Lily Hoppert Nora Houseman Eliza Howard James Howard Sam Howard Savanna Howell Rebecca Hoyt Sarah Huang Thomas Huebler Coburn Humphrey Ismail Hussein Stas Irisov Avery Jackson Dalia Jaime Raudales Connor Jansen Samuel Jarvis Ethan Jeannette Curran Jett-Moore Parker Jewell Olivia Jobson Chayce Johnson Michael Johnson Theodore Johnson Mencimer Sydnee Johnston Emma Jones Oliver Jones Kate Jordan Lesley Juarez Shreyas Kadekodi Alex Kang Kenton Kaplan Kathryn Kelley Caitlin Kessner Gigi Keziah Soha Khadem Charlie Kim Adriana Kirkman Mia Kirlan-Stout Ayako Kiyota Brock Klomhaus Caleigh Kneale Emma Kochenderfer Raegan Koebler Greta Koenig Django Kolb Kyle Komarnitsky Jackson Kopp Luca Lajeunesse Camille Lamarque Kate Lampert Kimberly Lanaghen Adam Lang Sabrina Lasica Maria Latorra Brigid Lavender William Lawrence Tanner Leach Sami Leal Jack Leddon Sydnie Leeson
Middlebury College Dartmouth College Unknown Unknown University of Notre Dame Unknown Gettysburg College Florida State University Cornell University Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Missouri Unknown CU Boulder Gap Year Otero Junior College Unknown Front Range CC CU Boulder Gap Year Texas Christian University Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Cornell University University of Michigan Unknown CU Colorado Springs Unknown Unknown Gap Year George Washington U UC Santa Barbara Unknown Unknown Gap Year Unknown UC Los Angeles Unknown Unknown CU Boulder University of Manchester Unknown Unknown Carleton College Carleton College Gap Year Unknown University of Vermont Unknown CU Boulder Unknown CU Boulder Grand Canyon University Unknown Unknown University of San Diego CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Georgetown University University of Vermont Front Range CC Duke University Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Cornell University Brigham Young University Unknown Unknown Montana State University CU Boulder CU Boulder University of Alabama CU Boulder CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Unknown CU Boulder University of San Diego University of Nebraska Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Hawaii Work U of Indiana Bloomington
James Legendre Mariana Lemus Chavez Perrin Leslie Amelie Lessing Desiree Lester Julia Lewitt Aidan Lieb Jeremy Lieber Jack Lilley Cynthia Lin Jason Lin Niklas Linder Kenyon Litt James Little Quan Liu Lisa Livingston Mary Lopez Flores Zayda Lopez Garcia Nicole Love Mario Luna Grace Machen Rigoberto Macias Cardoza Laird MacLeod Keaton MacMillan Seari MacMillan Alex Madden Gabriel Madden Hannah Maersk Moller Kassidy Maggitti Nikaash Maheshwari Andrew Maisnik Riley Maitland Meenakshi Manoj Trenton Marbois Allie Marcoullier Oz Markman-Raffeld Cassie Marquis Enzo Marshall Kate Martin Patricia Martinez Shaily Martinez Hernandez Antonio Martinez Robles Fatima Martinez Varela Lea Martinson James Masciarelli Aracely Mata Olivares Lucia Matthews Joshua Mayber Tuscany McCann Katy McCutchan John McDonald Alice McGill Carson McGowan Maria McMillan Ian McNice Maxene McNice Seattle McVicker Erin Medler Katie Megerle Logan Melton Mariah Menaker Patricia Mendoza-Anselmi Kristine Mengel Jose Meraz Banuelos Tia Merheb Lukas Mills Lex Minniear Jared Mizner Sophia Moellenberg Connor Monette Oliver Monkman Cynthia Montes Zavala Brian Moreno Carla Morquecho Marcoantonio Morquecho Rya Muller Aria Mundy Izzy Murray Sydney Myers Sarita Narayanswamy Darya Navid Cory Nelson Cameron Nesmith Tony Ngo Sally Nguyen Ashton Nichols Bennett Nickell Luke Nicol Stella Noble Fiona Nolan James Noland Ariana O’Brien
Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Kansas Unknown Western Washington U Unknown CU Boulder American University Yale University University of Michigan Colorado College Unknown Unknown UC Berkeley Empire State University Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Aims Community College CU Boulder University of Northern CO University of Oregon Metropolitan State U Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Richmond Unknown Colorado State University Knox College CU Boulder Swarthmore College Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Pepperdine University Unknown Front Range CC CU Boulder Unknown CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown U of Southern California Unknown Montana State University Unknown Gap Year CU Boulder Gap Year Gap Year CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown University of San Diego Colorado State University Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Northwestern University CU Boulder University of Oregon CU Boulder CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Brown University
Colin O’Brien Yitzhak Ocampo Jackson Okada Kendra Oklesh Ethan Olander Quinn Olsson Javier Ordaz Portillo Rachael Osborn Diana Owen Katie Owen Julian Pagnotta Brian Park John Parker Abbey Parkes Connor Parkes Hollyn Patrick Astrid Patten Kira Patton Luke Patton Nathan Pawlak Skyler Payton Sam Pearce Sophie Pearson Nicolas Pedersen Bridger Pedriana Bauman Malaika Pervez Carly Peterson Karl Peterson Kyle Pfromer Olivia Phillips Sophia Piatnitski Kyler Piech Lindsay Pierce Deisy Pinto Lopez Miranda Pittman Amos Plenty Wolf O’John Kaitlyn Plutt Tallyn Pollack Henry Potter Marlena Preigh Maria Preobrazhensky Hannah Pritchard Sofia Prizemin Quinn Pruett Rachel Pudalov Sid Puntambekar Katie Quezada-Valles Kat Quijada Leon John Quinn Lillian Raduziner Charlie Ramirez Sanchez Araceli Ream Spoorthy Reddy Sahaj Regmi Forrest Reilly Teige Renfrow Sarah Rey Kaia Reznicek Kirill Reznik Massimo Ricci Arturo Rios Pablo Rivero Fiona Robinson Megan Robinson Soren Robinson Henry Rock Eddie Rodriguez Laysha Rosales-Jimenez Abigail Roser Miles Ross Ben Rothstein Riley Rouland Lila Rubin Laura Ruby Davis Rudge Jakob Rundell Lilian Runkel Isabelle Rusk Sarina Russ Adam Russell Dora Ryan Olivia Ryan Anastasia Rye-Kirova Sarah Sakellaris Austin Salas Wyatt Sales Aria Saless Tania Sanchez-Cruz Daisy Sargeant Alex Scatena Zachary Schindler Ryan Schirmer
Unknown Unknown Unknown CU Boulder CU Boulder Beloit College CU Boulder Colorado Christian U Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Michigan State University Unknown Stanford University Unknown CU Boulder Case Western Reserve U Unknown Unknown University of Puget Sound Unknown Unknown Unknown Western Washington U UC San Diego Front Range CC Unknown CU Boulder University of Northern CO Lewis & Clark College Unknown University of Oregon Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown University of Washington Metropolitan State U CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown University of Michigan CU Boulder Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Unknown CU Boulder Unknown Dartmouth College Arizona State University Florida State University Unknown Unknown McGill University Unknown Stanford University University of Denver Front Range CC Unknown Denison University Cornell College Colorado College CU Boulder University of Washington Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Unknown Unknown Unknown Occidental College U of Texas San Antonio Emerson College CU Boulder CU Boulder Unknown University of Arizona Montana State Texas Christian University CU Boulder Unknown Unknown University of Wisconsin Unknown Unknown
Lauren Schlageter Northwestern University Trevor Schlieman SD School of Mines Cara Schmidt Unknown Keneth Schneider Unknown Natalie Schuler U of Wisconsin Madison Alex Schwier US Air Force Academy Lucy Scriggins Unknown Mikayla Seigal University of Wisconsin Joseph Sembower Unknown Reid Shaffer Unknown Camila Shannon UC Santa Barbara Arlee Shelby Unknown Malia Shen Unknown Maximilian Shen Unknown Leo Sheng Unknown Shiqi Sheng University of Michigan Katelyn Shepard Unknown Kendall Shepherd CU Boulder Jaeyoung Shim Cornell University Samuel Siewierski Unknown Morgan Simon University of Chicago Nicholas Sims Bard College Sajjan Singh Unknown Graciela Smet Stanford University Elaine Smith Gap Year Elena Smith CU Boulder Zoë Smith University of Arizona Nick Snow Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Alden Soto CU Boulder Benjamin Spicer Unknown Jake Starsky Montana State University Spencer Steed Unknown Anna Steere Unknown Shin Steinbarth Unknown Olivia Steinberg New York University Caleb Stevens Duke University Alison Stewart Loyola University Chicago Joseph Stewart Unknown Olivia Stewart SCAD Kathryn Stone CU Boulder Denny Stong Unknown Max Story Fort Lewis College Axel Strynar University of Alberta Andrew Swanback Purdue University Gernene Tan Unknown Carr Tancig CU Boulder Riley Tapley San Diego State University Cole Teegarden California State U Chico Gwen Tilmes University of Washington Marissa Timmons Unknown Riley Todacheene Fort Lewis College Christina Tong UC Los Angelos Saurabh Totey Unknown Hannah Trainor Unknown Elizabeth Troller Unknown Kadin Tucker Unknown Sean Vlasity CU Boulder Sonia Volgunin University of Oregon Ahnia Volkman Red Rocks CC Kohlor Von Eschen Unknown Noah Vrencur Unknown Will Waldrip Brigham Young U Hawaii Samuel Wallis Unknown Devon Walsh Unknown Kyra Walsh Colorado State University WenKai Wang Unknown Coco Wang University of Michigan Nora Want CU Boulder Elijah Watson Unknown Elli Weber CU Boulder Barbara Wein Unknown Avery Westfall University of Pennsylvania Charles White Berklee College of Music Aidan Wiemer CU Boulder Noah Williams Colorado School of Mines Shanya Williams Unknown Lauren Wilson Unknown Jenna Wind Unknown Andrew Wolsey Unknown Devin Wong CU Boulder Sophie Woods CU Boulder Alicia Wu CU Boulder Caleb Wu Unknown Aaron Yang U of California Berkeley Youngbin Yoon Brown University Daniel Young Brigham Young U Idaho Katya Yudina U of California Berkeley Jacqueline Zavala-Velazquez Unknown Charles Zhang Unknown Sarah Zhang Purdue University Jake Zickerman Unknown Eric Zuniga Unknown Cooper Zurn Colorado State University
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SPORTS
CAUSING A RACQUET An look into 2019 Women’s Tennis Team By Sara George
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wish. A tennis ball flies across the court as the crowd looks on. The ball whizzes across to the other side, hitting the court with a loud whack. The crowd erupts into cheers as the player easily strikes the ball back across the court. Our school’s tennis program is extremely popular, with many playing it at diverse ranges of ability and skill. This year, the women’s tennis team is looking to place in the state championships. “I really like the team spirit, and going to state,” said senior Sophie Pearson. “I definitely think state is [...] the best part of the entire season.” Last year, the team placed 5th in the state championships. This year, they are hoping to put their best effort towards the 2019 state competition. “This season, we want to do better than last year. I think we can definitely do that,” said sophomore Alexis Bernthal. “Last year, we had a really good team and it was some really great teamwork, but in the end, we didn’t finish as high as we wanted to, and I think this year we can finish a little bit higher.”
and cheer on everyone else, and that’s always helpful because it’s always kind of fun to have someone behind you.” There are several different tennis teams, accommodating all girls with a variety of past experience. “I would like to be able to provide the opportunity for all girls, no matter what their experience level, no matter what their level of athleticism,” said coach Susan Eide-Stensrud. “I want to make sure that every girl has the opportunity, while in high school, to play a sport.”
“Even if I’m having a bad day, the exercise is fun” This season, the team is composed of many underclassmen, such as Bernthal, that will continue to bring their talent in the upcoming
years. “We don’t have that many upperclassmen on the team this year,” said junior Joy Ma. “So I think it’s just really great to set an example and really get the freshmen hyped for the season and be able to be leaders next year.” While tennis is competitive, with only eleven girls making the varsity team, it is a no-cut sport. Thus, there’s a significant emphasis put on a sense of enjoyment when playing tennis. “Even if I’m having a bad day, the exercise is fun,” said Eide-Stensrud. “It’s great fun, there’s great comradery. You can play your whole life.” Many students enjoy tennis because of its ability to integrate the qualities of both team and individual sports into the game. “You get to challenge yourself personally since you’re playing your own match, but then you also have a team,” said Ma. “And the girls are generally really nice on the tennis team and it’s a sport where you have a lot of freedom to make whatever you want out of it.” Students should keep their eye on the women’s tennis team as they approach the state championships on May 9-11.
“I really like the team spirit, and going to State” Bernthal and Pearson are two of the team’s best singles players. Like many spring sports this year, the tennis team was set back by the unpredictable weather and ensuing school cancellations that resulted in less practices. “I think it’s hard with [the] girl’s season because we have to deal with all the weather and it’s been snowing so we’ve had to reschedule,” said senior Ellen Bartels. “Sometimes we have a match every single day of the week.” Yet the women’s team is pulling through the difficulties of the missed practices and coming together as a team with a sense of great friendship and community. “The team spirit is really good,” said Bernthal. “[The tennis coach] Stensrud makes sure that we all stay after we play our matches
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MAY 2019
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HEIN
Senior Sophie Pearson swings during a tennis practice.
OPINION AND POLITICS
CAPITULATION OF MERIT Rethinking the SAT and ACT in today’s America By Carter Hanson
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he American education system is internationally regarded as one of the best in the world—and rightfully so. But if a collegiate structure is intended to be an egalitarian meritocracy that determines opportunity purely on an individual’s ability and diligence, our American institution falls fatally short. The problem lies in how we connect the most talented and smart people in the country with opportunities that realize their potential.
“We must end retakes for the SAT and ACT, making them a one-time exam.” The past few months have made this very clear with the scandals regarding celebrities bribing, buying and cheating their kids’ way into American universities. However, this scandal is only a sympton of a much bigger problem: it is a small part of how the wealthiest in America are driving opportunity back to themselves. One of the most predominant issues we need to address regarding college admissions is the problem with how the SAT and ACT are organized. Currently, 24 states and Washington, D.C. require high school students to take either the ACT or SAT. This is up from only seven states ten years ago, meaning that, as Common Core tests are declining, the popularity of these two tests is increasing. In fact, according to the New York Times, in 2018 around 2 million students took one of the two tests. And as more students are taking them, their importance in the college admissions process is also increasing. However, all those states only pay for students to take the test once. This makes sense practically, since the state government can only afford it that way. Nonetheless, students can retake the SAT and ACT as many times as they want on their own penny.
Retaking can greatly improve their score: according to the ACT, retakes improve students’ scores by an average of 2.9 points. Furthermore, the retake improved scores by 187.7 points on average for the old SAT on a 2400 scale. This translates to an increase of about 58.5 points on today’s 1600 point scale SAT test. Often students improve their score by meeting with a tutor to better understand the way the test functions rather than to actually better their mastery of math and language arts. This in itself is not a problem: I commend those who take the initiative to meet with a tutor. However, many people cannot afford to pay for a tutor, let alone pay to take the test a second time. By establishing an economic barrier to the retake, we are defeating the entire point of the tests: to give the brightest and most brilliant students an opportunity to demonstrate their merit to colleges. Just as in the bribery scandal, this loophole, which allows the most wealthy to retake the SAT and ACT however many times they want, is by design. It maintains the hegemony of wealth, even in the most merit-based of institutions. The solution is, first, for us, as the students who have the means to take advantage of retaking the SAT and ACT, to acknowledge our
place in the problem: it is important to realize that we have opportunities others don’t have access to. More importantly, we must end retakes for the SAT and ACT, making them a one-time exam. We should also, in order to make the single test an effective measure of academic adroitness, prepare students in school for the test, as it is such a vital determiner for colleges. Retakes are just the first in a multitude of compounding issues. First, the problem of legacy, a method for the top echelons of America to make the process of determining acceptance to universities hereditary rather than based on individual faculty. Second, the fact that simply being able to pay full tuition can earn students a spot in a prestigious university. And, finally, add all the inequities of poverty, and it’s a small wonder that celebrities even had to bribe their children’s way into UCLA in the first place. For generations, the wealthiest of American society have maintained a monopoly on opportunity in this country. Through segregation, economic supremacy, and legal control of access to educational latitude, wealth has kept the smart poor kid out of Harvard: not through direct refusal, but instead by crowding low-income people out of the field and by forcing a capitulation on the very idea that they can have their fair share of the American dream.
GRAPHIC BY CARTER HANSON Data collected from The College Board. FHSROYALBANNER.COM
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STUDENT NEWS
STAFF FAREWELLS Talking with the five staff members retiring this year
By Lindsay Cox, Daniel Young, Wyatt Sales, Ben Dacher and Kira Patton
Lisa Navarre This year concludes a 33 year teaching career for World History and Psychology teacher, Lisa Navarre. She not only taught here at Fairview High School but also taught at Broomfield High School and Southern Hills Middle School. Navarre always preferred teaching high school and clearly recounted the feeling she got when she first came to Fairview. When Navarre first walked through the halls she sensed a feeling of community. She immediately knew it was where she wanted to be. Many of her students would be surprised to know the person behind their teacher. “I think my students would be surprised to know I’m a mountain girl, I chop wood and got ran over by moose,” Navarre said. She grew up in a family of teachers, and she always thought it was the career meant for her. Navarre shared how important it was to make such amazing and authentic connections with other teachers and especially the students, through sharing knowledge and being a trusted resource of support. “What other job do you get to do that in? None,” said Navarre.
PHOTOS BY: JAKE ALOIA, LOGAN MELTON AND WYATT BOWLAND
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MAY 2019
Del Ebadi
Del Ebadi has been teaching mathematics at Fairview for 18 years. After teaching in both Indiana and Kansas, he found his calling in the far end of the math hall at Fairview. During his career at Fairview, he has changed many students’ lives for the better, not only by teaching very high level math but by continuing to inspire them to work hard and persevere. Ebadi’s plans for retirement consist of teaching a couple classes at CU and going to the gym, but there’s plenty he will miss about Fairview. “Every time I walk into a class is a gratifying moment for me. The caliber of students we have here at Fairview, you cannot find them anywhere else. I give them the toughest tests in Calc BC, and when they leave they thank me for it,” said Ebadi. His love for our school is evident, but his retirement comes with bittersweet feelings. “I am looking forward to [retirement],” says Ebadi. “But in the meantime, looking back I am going to miss a lot of things. Fairview’s a unique place and I love my kids, BC students especially.” Ebadi says that his favorite part about teaching is waiting for the AP scores to be released every summer. “I am always anxious to see how my students did compared the the rest of the nation. They’ve made me very proud in the past,” said Ebadi.
Hal Burns
There’s a reason his name is Mr. Burns, he brings the heat! And... that’s just his name. Hal Burns is an amazing person. His presence and personality emanate throughout the school, and he will be incredibly missed in the future years of Fairview. As for Burns, he has years of experience under his belt and has been beneficial to many students. Why has he worked here for so many years? “Because I like my job,” says Burns. Anyone could tell you that he was always happy, and was willing to help with a purpose, because he wanted the best for everyone and so much more. “I enjoy what I do, working with kids, keeping them focused while supporting their dreams,” says Burns. “The worst part of my job is just getting here.” The great community and staff at this school is a testament to the fact that we can have someone so great stay at Fairview for so long. “I never feel bad about getting up in the morning and coming to work,” says Burns. Luckily, because Burns plans to do some volunteer work at the school after retirement, students will be able to enjoy him for a little while longer.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
RUN, MARLENA, RUN
SPORTS
Marlena Preigh’s Race to the Top By Chloe Cope
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n May 2018, senior Marlena Preigh, then a junior, sprinted across the finish line of the girl’s 800 meter race at the state track and field meet in first place, narrowly edging out an athlete who was a year older and the favorite of the race. Her heart pounding wildly, her lungs screaming for air, she tried to absorb the fact that she had just achieved a goal that she had been working towards for a year, ever since the 800 meter race at state the previous year. “I mean, I was pretty tired, but I was really really happy,” said Preigh. “I’d been thinking about it and visualizing it and how it might feel to win all year, so it was really amazing to actually do it.”
“I was really really happy” Preigh’s state title is far from her only notable accomplishment as a runner. She broke the meet record for the 800 at the Simplot games in February 2018 and ranked fourth in the entire nation for the 800 at the end of the winter indoor track season. Next year, she will be running track for the University of Washington, a very reputable D1 track program. But Preigh hasn’t always been a runner. She started Irish step-dancing in second grade, becoming a very skilled and competitive dancer, even attending Worlds when she was in middle school. She ran track for fun in middle school, participating in both activities for a while before deciding to fully focus on running at the end of her freshman year. “Near the end of dancing, I just outgrew it,” she said. “I had a lot of fun with it, and by the end I was pretty intensely committed to it, but it just stopped being fun, so I decided to try running.” But Preigh’s moment of realization, when it became apparent that she could be a great runner, came when she won the 800 at the Mullen invite in the spring of her sophomore year. “I was hoping to run a fast time for me but I ended up winning the race and that was a big realization and that pushed me forward a lot,” said Preigh. “It was kind of hard to
believe because I didn’t think that I was capable of doing that well. But it was a big surprise and really motivating.”
“You get to see people at their worst and at their best” Preigh is excited to continue running in college, although she realizes that “nothing’s going to come easy.” She anticipates building bonds within a more close-knit col-
legiate team. “It’s more team-oriented than you would think,” she said. “Most of it is who you do your workouts with … that builds a lot of closeness because you’re all suffering together and you get to see people at their worst and at their best. You get to know them well. You know how they operate.” More than anything, though, Preigh is simply excited to continue doing the sport that she loves. “It’s very fulfilling to overcome the challenges it poses because it is a lot of pain during the races,” she said. “That’s kind of just what it is, and it just feels really good to run faster than you’ve ever run before and know that you were able to push through that.”
Senior Marlena Preigh running in a track meet. PHOTO BY DAVE ALBO
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OVERHYPED & SLEEPY Analyzing rising star Billie Eilish’s album
By Ronan Heisten
T
een star Billie Eillish’s album “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” is a fulllength commercial debut and it sounds pretty much exactly as anyone familiar with the young artist’s sound could’ve predicted. Eilish is a polarizing figure, with a devoted fan base willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for concert tickets on one end, and detractors who find everything she does insufferable on the other. Above all, she seems like a 17 year old kid a little out of her depth and struggling to live up to the immense hype she’s generated. The album opens with a snippet of behind-thescenes “found footage” of Eilish with her brother in the studio, making sure to take out her Invisalign before recording. There’s two options: the moment was spontaneous and real, or it was a planned recording for whatever purpose. Either way, it comes across as a painfully forced attempt to humanize the siblings and create some relatability between Eilish and her fans - sort of an “I’m just like you!” type of thing. The bottom line is that less than 20 seconds into the album I have a bad taste in my mouth.
“Unsure what it wants to be” Eilish spends a decent chunk of the album retreading the same ground she covered on her first EP, “don’t smile at me.” Besides the cliche name, “all the good girls go to hell” sounds like a rip off of past track “my boy,” cloning both the bassline and the tem-
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po, along with Eilish using a very similar vocal style. While “all the good girls go to hell” is the best example of this, there’s a sense of familiarity with all the tracks on “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP,” as if you’ve already heard the album a few times. The one aspect of the album that feels fresh is the faster-paced tracks that were absent on “don’t smile at me.” The lead single
“you should see me in a crown” features distorted horns and spazzing vocal samples around the hook, with lyrics highlighting her newfound celebrity confidence and solidifying that whether we like it or not, she’s here to stay. On the other hand, “bad guy” falls apart around itself, unsure what it wants to be. It goes from a minimalist kick drum and bass-centered beat to what sounds like Wii music, and ends with a 808-heavy trap-style outro, reminding me of other mu-
sic I’d much rather be listening to. Lyrics like “Make your mama sad type/Make your girlfriend mad tight/Might seduce your dad type” sound like they were written by a 14-year-old who doodles pentagrams and knives in their geometry textbook.
“Completely unlistenable” By far the best song on “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO” is the somber “when the party’s over,” featuring Eilish’s most compelling vocals to date. The heartbreak in her voice is one of the rare moments on the album that feels completely authentic. Not all of the slower tracks reach the same success of “when the party’s over.” “ilomilo” makes use of chopped up vocals and a synth-centered instrumental to create a track that stands out, but nothing about it feels like it has much lasting power. “8” is completely unlistenable, the first 40 seconds featuring Eilish singing in a painful baby voice and playing beginner ukulele chords. It’s not hard to see why the album appeals to a lot of people, since it’s basically Eilish doing a watered-down impression of the songs that got her famous. Eilish has the potential to come back in three years or so and release something truly innovative and interesting. In the meantime, we’re stuck with songs about teen emotions and songs sampling “The Office” so many times I have to press skip. CENTER: Cover art for “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”
ENTERTAINMENT
IS SHE BAD ENOUGH?
Dylan Muzny and Daniel Knowles listen to Billie Eillish’s controversial song “bad guy” By Darya Navid
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illie Eilish made headlines back in 2017 with her hit single “Ocean Eyes.” Since then, she has been taking the music industry by storm. Her latest release, and her first studio album “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”, released earlier this year, debuted No.1 on Billboard’s top 200 chart. The album’s fifth single “bad guy,” which peaked at No. 7 in the US, is a daring piece about not giving a f---. in today’s modern society. Her edgy sound and daring music, though extremely out there, are what make her so relatable to today’s younger population. Although science teachers Dan Knowles and Dylan Muzny agree, their analysis of the work digs a little deeper than that. “I experienced the same amount of shock and awe that you experience the first time you see a cow up close,” said Muzny regarding his first impressions of the song and its corresponding music video.
“Sporting true chops and true originality”
The beat and sound of the song is undeniably catchy and unique and is probably what drew so many kids’ attention. But not many of us can say that the song shocked us to that
same extent. “Anyone can kind of do that [make music on the internet],” Knowles said. “And if you think of how talentless the Soundcloud rapping community is, thank God she is actually sporting true chops and true originality.” The overall underlying tone of the song, a modern portrait of teen angst, is something that many teens around the world have related heavily to. It’s also something that our teachers picked up on. “It’s the divide between the teenage world and the adult world,” said Muzny. “If you held up a mirror of the media’s portrayal of teen angst.” However her relatable mood is still a cause for concern among the adults of this world. “I would say that as an adult and as an educator she definitely worries me because she is pretty morbid,” Knowles said. Eilish has become one of the few singers
in today’s day and age to which kids truly relate. She is blunt and honest and sings about how many people feel.
Daniel Knowles analyzes modern music. PHOTO BY: SARAH SMITH
UPPER RIGHT: Graph of Billie Eillish’s “bad guy” music video PROVIDED BY DYLAN MUZNY FHSROYALBANNER.COM
“She definitely worries me”
“You can see the different ideas she is going for. Now there aren’t too many ideas going on in total. She is pretty much presenting that she is the bad guy,” said Muzny. “I have graphed it out very clearly.” Muzny went on to add: “she says she’s that bad guy quite often, but she isn’t giving very much proof to that. Except in the music video when she has, like, heads in bags.” The music video itself, although hard to digest, is a unique and definitely eye grabbing representation of the song itself. “I really enjoyed her use of pigeons in the music video. I’m going to go back to that. As you can see in my graph, it’s really a high point of the music video for me,” Muzny noted. Compared to some of the other artists we are listening to, Billie Eilish proves to be a promising creator, straying from what could make her repetitive and like every other pop singer to date. “She is trying to be bad, but like mainstream bad enough,” said Muzny.
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Stumped? Find the answers at www.fhsroyalbanner.com
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Can you find the 10 differences in these two photos?
The former and new Co Editors-in-Chief pose for a photo.
By Henry Larson
PHOTO BY WYATT BOWLAND
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GOODBYES... When I first walked into the newspaper classroom as a freshman, I wanted to turn around and walk right out. I didn’t recognize anyone in the class, I had no idea how to write newspaper articles and I was just generally afraid to try something new. Four years later, I am very glad that I stayed. The many skills that I have gained are invaluable, and I know that they will aid me throughout my life. I have enjoyed both the highs and the lows, from walking up to strangers to ask for interviews to staying with David and Doc Z at school late into the night, slowly going crazy as we try to fill up a fractional amount of white space. I am so grateful that I was able to work with Doc Z, David and our wonderful (if slightly distracted) staff, and I am proud of the magazine that we produced. Thank you to everyone who read the Royal Banner this year, and good luck next year! - Chloe Cope Graduating Co-Editor in Chief
Yes, I somehow was appointed Co Editor-in-Chief of The Royal Banner. The past three years have gone by in a blur. One day you’re walking into Room 339 as a scared sophomore and the next you’re writing an EIC goodbye letter. I have learned so much over the last three years in this class. From epically failing at creating a crossword to dealing with the harshest critics (Carter Hanson), I am incredibly grateful for all of the lessons that I have learned. I want to say thank you to my fellow Editor-in-Chief, Chloe Cope, for putting up with all of my craziness, for catching all of my grammatical errors and for working with me to help create amazing content for everyone to read. I want to thank Doc Z, for all of the advice and help. I am beyond excited to see what The Royal Banner produces next year! - David Hirschhorn Graduating Co-Editor in Chief
STAFF
ROYAL BANNER 2018-19 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Henry Larson Ava Svolos Chloe Cope David Hirschhorn
SECTION EDITORS Student News: Sara George Opinion & Politics: Carter Hanson Entertainment: Anya Aidun Sports: Ben Daecher Humor: Darya Navid Social Media: Emi Ambory Photo Manager: Jivan West Copy Editor: Samuel Pearce Audio Editor: Sonny Cortez
CONTRIBUTORS Cameron Hunt, Jivan West, Will Griffith, Logan Melton, Lindsay Cox, Daniel Young, Wyatt Sales, Wyatt Bowland, Sa Steinbarth, Tessa Moskoff, Ilana Baum, Ronan Heisten, Jake Aloia
BUSINESS Adviser Sarah M. Zerwin For Subscriptions: Send $25 to Royal Banner, Fairview High School, Room 339,
...AND HELLOS
Sometimes you’re not sure just what exactly you’re getting yourself into. This year, construction, new school start times and the loss of beloved community members changed our school forever. For The Royal Banner, change meant welcoming new staff, adapting to some curveballs thrown our way and having to triple check to make sure the crossword actually made sense. It seems that every year something changes, and every year we have to adapt to that change. It can almost seem daunting at times, trying to cope with the unexpected. No matter the hardships and challenges we all face, we still have the power to create change ourselves. So when things change next year, you can count on The Royal Banner to bring you stories on the places, ideas and people, just like you, who drive the change that affects us all. We’re looking forward to the changes coming to The Royal Banner next year, and hope that you are too. - Henry Larson and Ava Svolos
Co-Editors in Chief 2019-2020
1515 Greenbriar Blvd, Boulder, CO 80305, or contact us at fhsroyalbanner.com/contact
ABOUT US The Royal Banner is a 16-page news magazine. The Banner is written primarily for the over 2,400 students attending Fairview High School and is distributed free of charge to all members of the school community. Accurate reporting of fact is the goal of the staff. Commentaries, opinion columns and letters to the editor are the expressed opinion of the author and not of The Royal Banner and its Editorial Board or its adviser. *Disclaimer: Under Colorado law, no expression made by students in the exercise of free speech or freedom of the press shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy. No school district, employee, legal guardian or official of such a district shall be held liable in any criminal action for any expression made or published by a student. The Royal Banner sells advertisements for publicity and to pay for printing costs. We reserve the right to refuse to run any advertisement deemed inappropriate to the Fairview community.
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Vickie Rishel
Vickie Rishel is one of a kind. She joined the Fairview counseling office in 2007, where she spent almost four years as a counseling office administrative assistant before becoming the school registrar. Rishel has been an unforgettable member of the Fairview family, filling the office with funky 70’s music and wearing silly glasses to relieve the stress of finals week. “I’ve never worked with a greater group of people,” said Rishel. “We’ve had a good time [at Fairview], and I can’t say that about everywhere I’ve worked.” Throughout the year Rishel maintains each student’s most important school records, such as birth certificates and graduation credits. “I’ve always thought of myself as the bulldog for [the counselors],” she said. “I’m just very protective of this group of people.” Rishel will remember fondly moments she’s shared with students and colleagues. “There have been what we call ‘the high school hoedowns,’” she said. “We all made up our own [lyrics] and we started standing and stomping our feet like a hoedown.” After many fun, meaningful and busy years - the three words Rishel used to describe her time here - she has plenty to look forward to during retirement. “I want to play golf, take some trips to Britain, Ireland, Scotland and go back to Italy again - I loved it when I was there. And I have grandchildren I want to spend more time with,” she said.
Carla Davis
The entertaining students - yes, she said entertaining - wonderful colleagues and achievements of students who are learning to love Spanish will be missed greatly by Carla Davis. Davis described her twenty one years--one year off when her son was a baby--as busy and sumamente (enjoyable). Moments were “funny, hilarious, entertaining things [that she] probably shouldn’t repeat,” she said. The achievements in “winning national Spanish awards and [students] doing well on their AP, IB tests” made her career that more rewarding. Davis looks forward to hopefully learning to play the bass, to add to her family of musicians, as well as learning Italian and sewing a large quilt. “My grandmother can make and do anything so that’s a goal for me too,” she said.
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