Issuu

The Rampage 2270 Highway 133 Carbondale, CO 81623

December 2016

Volume 10 Issue 4

RFHS Students Participate in Pilot Capstone Project -Illiana Castillon

Students that are a part of the Roaring Fork School District’s class of 2018 and future generations will now be required to complete a Capstone project in order to graduate. Seven members of the Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) class of 2017 are completing a Capstone project this year as part of the pilot program. Students can complete the project based on a topic they’re passionate about and will present the project towards the end of their senior year. There aren’t a lot of parameters around Capstone projects, which means that they can be individual to each student. According to Kelsey Been, the Roaring Fork School District Capstone coordinator, the project is “an authentic project, product, or performance that allows for exploration of a passion or curiosity and prepares students for further work or study. The learning and reflection required by a Capstone is documented via journals, blog posts, or other artifacts, and, upon completion, is presented in a meaningful way. ” Those participating in the pilot program this year are doing projects outside of school, but juniors will have time to complete the project during school hours. Around January, the class of 2018 will begin to work on proposals for their projects during Crew. According to Kelly Donnelly, a counselor at Roaring Fork High School , “students can do a project on areas of studies they will need to do in college and in their senior year of college they will

most likely have to complete a similar project to show that they can apply their learning. It’s a great idea to do the project on areas of study the student may want to major in, so that they will be reassured that they do like the profession or find out that they don’t.” Students are highly encouraged to find a mentor(s) outside of school that is an expert on the topic of the student’s project, but there is not a requirement. Donnelly states “it is always a good idea to create another adult relationship in a student’s life. This will be a professional relationship with someone who is an expert in their field. Finding a mentor will also help students realize that teachers are not experts in every area and mentors could give insight that teachers can’t.” According to Been, Capstones are the result of countless conversations that took place as part of a community-wide visioning process in 2013. Through 16 community meetings, the district heard from 1,400 parents and community members that their expectations for a well-rounded student learning experience requires a dual commitment to academic excellence and character development. Capstone projects are a response to the community’s expectation that students demonstrate competency in core subjects, develop critical thinking and reasoning, and enhance 21st century skills so that they are prepared for college, modern careers, and adult life. Maeve O’Donnell Pax, a student at Roaring Fork High School, is creating a manual for the

Girls’ Summit club for future years with new members. O’Donnell is one of the founders of the Girl’s Summit at Roaring Fork High School and wants to make sure that the club lives on after she’s graduated. She states, “I think the Girl’s Summit united and connected so many different girls that perhaps would have never really met and became friends if it wasn’t because of the club.” The projects’ topics range according to the students’ interests. Elle Derby is working on improving the Rampage Layout, while Emily Henley is working on incorporating theater programs into schools that currently don’t have them. Julia Lee is establishing a writing magazine for RFHS as Nick Penzel is building a boat,. Carlton Phelps is building a computer, and Tavia Teitler is creating promotional material for the Aspen Santa Fe Folklorico company. Donnelly thinks the new graduation requirement will be very beneficial for students. She states, “We want students to have post secondary skills and be flexible, as well as have them be able to advocate for themselves, be self starters, make professional phone calls, basically skills that all students will need in their life whether they go to college, do an internship, apprenticeship, or get a job, and the nice thing is that students will have school support while doing it.” The district is hopeful that the Capstone project will prove successful with its first group of students.

What’s Inside

Increased Internet security Page 2

Aspen Ski Mountain Review Page 3

Christmas Traditions pages 4-5

Courtesy photos. Pictures on the left: Katelyn Krehbiel is learning to highline as her senior Capstone project. Picture on the right: Tavia Teitler is creating promomotional matierals for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklorico for her senior Capstone project. Pictured above is the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklorico group in Cartago, Costa Rica.

RFHS Cheerleaders Page 7

Feature

Rampage December 2016

Velkommen Til Roaring Fork High School -Lilly Peery

Photo by Eryn Doherty

Camilla Wilkum is one of three exchange students at Roaring Fork High School for the 2015-2016 school year. Wilkum is from Bergen, a city on the southwestern coast of Norway. She decided to apply for the Education First exchange program and will be here for 10 months, which is the entire school year. “I always wanted to live in America. It always looks so cool and it’s different. I’ve always wanted to travel

here, and I wish I was born here!” She says when asked why she decided to apply for the exchange program. In Norway, Wilkum lives with her mother, father, and two younger siblings: her brother Jorden, (15), and her sister Sandra, (9). So far, Wilkum has really enjoyed her stay in the Roaring Fork Valley with her host family, the Teitlers, whose two daughters attend Roaring Fork High School as sophomores and Seniors. “I’m really looking forward to the ski season,” Wilkum says. “Everybody is so nice to me and I like staying with my [host] family and the soccer season has been really fun. I like that it’s a small town and everyone knows each other and I really like the school spirit,” she continues. Although she is far from home, Wilkum feels excited and fortunate rather than homesick. “I miss it sometimes, but I miss the food. And the people at home a little, but I don’t really miss [home].” According to Wilkum, there are some differences between RFHS and her home school. She says that at RFHS people show more school spirit and more support towards school sports teams. Out in the community, Wilkum feels that there are many other differences, ranging from the food to how people act. “People are really nice here,” she says. Wilkum also noted differences in the structure of the town and the

items sold in stores. She feels the biggest difference is the way people act. Wilkum feels that her classes are going well. So far, her favorite class has been art with Mrs. Keery. The hardest classes for her have been Spanish and Zoology. Wilkum says that meeting new people has been her favorite experience. “My soccer team was pretty fun,” she says. “And also starting a new school is pretty exciting.” Wilkum will return home with many memories, friends, experiences, and a newfound love for pumpkin bread! She has also enjoyed celebrating Halloween in America because it is a much bigger holiday in the US. Wilkum says she also enjoyed Thanksgiving and the school’s annual feast that was held. Wilkum expects to learn significantly from this experience in America. “I think I will learn a lot about myself and other people and the difference [between] living in another country.” She has enjoyed learning how to be self sufficient, more independent, and how to introduce herself to new people. She claims that, “Everything that I’ve experienced will be an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.” Overall, Wilkum is looking forward to being in the states, and being able to enjoy this amazing and unique experience.

Roaring Fork’s New Internet Security System -Marianna Cortez

With the recent 1:1 Chromebook initiative, students at RFHS have experienced changes in approaches to learning throughout the school day. The new initiative, which provides each student with a Chromebook, allows students to be more technologically prepared for the world outside of school. The initiative aims to focus students on using technology appropriately to work and learn as the students continue to increase productivity. Although students appreciate the opportunity to have Chromebooks and to be able to use technology regularly throughout their learning, some students have been complaining about the increased internet security which blocks them from accessing certain websites and videos. The district increased the level of internet security as a direct result of the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Because of the increased internet security, all students now have the opportunity to take their Chromebooks home. Without this security increase, the law would require that the district not allow students to take their Chromebooks home with them, thus preventing some students from completing homework that requires technology and internet access. In response to questions about the increase in internet security, technological supervisor of the Roaring Fork Schools, Kevin Goscha states, “I hope that in the future we will be better able to help students learn more about Digital Citizenship, or how to behave ethically online, which may allow us to rely less on Internet filters. I also think that it is key for students to understand the purpose of the 1:1 Chromebook initiative.” The aforementioned Children’s Internet Protection Act was created to protect students from harmful content over the internet. Because the district receives

federal funds to provide internet service, the district is responsible for adhering to the Children’s Internet Protection Act, which has resulted in technology supervisors blocking certain websites on Chromebooks. Goscha explains that “Taxpayers funded this program to increase learning, not to support student gaming or socializing. If educational resources are being inadvertently blocked, they will be opened, but having a Chromebook is a privilege and is not a personal gaming device.” When the district decided to allow RFHS students to take Chromebooks home, the supervisors had to install additional filters that would block harmful content on and off campus. The technology department blocked websites that they deemed harmful, distracting or inappropriate for students, including websites that allow pornography, gambling, hacking, chat/messaging, hate, non-educational games. The increased security has led to the blocking of some websites which students need to access for learning purposes. The technology department has made several efforts to circumvent the issue with these blocked websites. When necessary, teachers are allowed to provide students access to specific sites. In addition, students can request a page to be opened directly from the block page, and sometimes the site will open. “If a teacher would like a page opened, they can send a technology support request and the site will usually be opened. Internet filters are not perfect and sometimes educational content is accidentally blocked. In the future the internet security will depend on students,” explains Goscha. RFHS English teacher Carmen McCracken agrees that the increased security on internet access has impacted many. “With websites being blocked I

have to figure out ways for students to get access to YouTube when it is assigned,” states McCracken. McCracken feels that being able to unblock websites for students is beneficial; however, students have different permissions than teachers, so it is difficult for teachers to know when a website will be blocked or not. If a teacher learns that a website is blocked, it can negatively impact the lesson plan and take up valuable class time as it forces the teacher to figure out a way to continue with his or her instructional plan in the moment. The increase of the internet security has kept many students focused on using technology as a tool to learn, but many students hope for more internet freedom in the future.

Phto by Eryn Doherty

Feature

Rampage December 2016

Creative Writing Students Participate in NaNoWriMo

-Ruby Fuller

What does it take to write a novel? Most people would think writing a novel takes many years, but people throughout the nation have proven otherwise as they participated in National Novel Writing Month, commonly known as NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is an event in which people commit to writing a novel of 50,000 words or less within the month of November. RFHS creative writing students participated in NaNoWriMo last month. NaNoWriMo is a way for creative writers to challenge themselves, get their ideas on paper, and become more comfortable with writing within a specific period of time. The first step of participating in NaNoWriMo is to set a word goal and determine how many words will need to be written each day in order to meet this goal. Meeting your word count each day is a serious time commitment and students with busier schedules or students who have a difficult time generating ideas could opt for a lower word count. A system RFHS has for students participating in NaNoWriMo is students track their progress on a poster hanging in the high school’s library. The poster includes each student’s word goal and how far the student is in the process each day. Creative writing teacher, Adam Carballeira, has participated in NaNoWriMo for four years and also encourages

other students participate. Carballeira explains how the challenge is a great way for writers to practice. He feels that through NaNoWriMo ¨[students] gain a lot of confidence as writers. They also gain a lot as readers because trying

Courtesy Photo.

to write a book makes you have a higher appreciation for people who write good books.¨ Carballeira also finds NaNoWriMo beneficial because he says, “I think students up to the challenge get a lot out of it and feel really proud of themselves, but kids who don’t commit to it end up feeling kind of bad about

it because they spend the whole month wishing they were doing better than they are.¨ So, what do the students think about participating in NaNoWriMo? Travis Ochko is a student that attends Carballeira´s creative writing class. As a first-time participant in NaNoWriMo, Travis Ochko, a 9th grade student at RFHS, is enjoying the experience. Ochko said, ¨I think NaNoWriMo is really good because it gives me a chance to express myself in a way almost school doesn’t really allow. There’s not a certain prompt I have to write to. I really just get to do what I want.¨ NaNoWrimo allows writers to have all the freedom they would like as long as they meet their word goal and have fun writing their story. An obstacle that Ochko has encountered is finding the time to work on his novel. Nonetheless, because of the amount of time Ochko has gotten to spend writing, he concludes that he has, without a doubt, grown and learned as a writer. Although it is now too late to start Nanowrimo in 2016, we here at Roaring Fork Rampage encourage everyone to give it a try next November. NaNoWriMo is a fun challenge for people to push their creative abilities and express themselves. Could you take it on? For more information visit http:// NaNoWriMo.org/

Student Review of Aspen Ski Mountains

-Frankie Harrington

Snowmass Mountain

Courtesy Photo of Apen Mountain.

Aspen Mountain Overall rating: 4/5 Difficulty rating: 4.5/5 Aspen Mountain gets a 4/5 rating because it lacks easier terrain. (Aspen mountain has no beginner terrain, which means beginners are suggested going to Snowmass or Buttermilk instead.) Aspen Mountian consists of mainly steep groomed runs and backcountry -- like hard runs. Aspen has a vertical rise of 3,627 feet, which is very steep considering how much smaller this mountain is than Snowmass. Unfortunately, Aspen lacks the number of restaurants throughout the mountain, with the only restaurant being the Sundeck located at the very top of the mountain. If you visit Aspen Mountain, prepare for difficult terrain and maybe bring your own lunch! Aspen Mountain gets a difficulty rating of 4.5/5 because there is no beginners terrain, which means beginners might consider going to Buttermilk instead.

Overall rating: 5/5 Difficulty rating: 2.5/5 With four mountains, Snowmass has something for skiers and boarders at all levels. The largest of the four mountains has a great number of beginner trails with lessons available right by the mountainside. Snowmass also has some great skiing for people with more experience.This includes challenging lifts such as High Alpine and The Cirque. Snowmass has a vertical rise of 4,406 feet with 94 trails. It consists of around 53% of easier terrain, making Snowmass the ideal destination for a little bit of everything, whether that is hitting up the terrain park before skiing High Alpine, or vacation with the family. Snowmass also features top tier dining with an abundance of amazing restaurants throughout the mountain. These restaurants include Gwyn’s High Alpine, Ullrhof, Up 4 Pizza, and Sam’s Smokehouse. Snowmass gets a difficulty rating of 2.5. This is because it has a perfect mix of both easy and difficult terrain. As of November 23rd, Snowmass has a base of 13 inches, not enough to ski quite yet.

Courtesy Photo of Snowmass Mountain.

Courtesy Photo of Highlands Mountain.

Aspen

Highlands:

Overall rating: 4.5/5 Difficulty rating: 4/5 Aspen Highlands gets a 4.5/5 rating because it offers great difficult terrain, and it also offers some easier terrain, but not a lot. Highlands is known for its difficult skiing, with the Bowl being the main attraction, as well as Deep Temerity. Easier terrain is found lower on the mountain, but overall easier terrain is not as available. Only 18% of runs are the easiest terrain. Aspen Highlands’ vertical rise is 3,635 with the longest run being 3.5 miles. Highlands has two restaurants on the mountain, Merry Go Round and Cloud Nine. The restaurant options may not be as good as other mountains. Highlands gets a difficulty rating of 4/5 because it has the most difficult terrain but it also has some easier terrain. As of November 23rd, Highlands has a base of 6 inches, which is not enough to ski yet.

Christmas 4

Rampage | December 2016

FOC

Christmastime is a favorite season for many people. Christmas is celebrated all across the traditions. Both RFHS and the Carbondale community have many wonderful Christmas

Roaring Fork High School Christmas Traditions On the last Friday before Christmas, RFHS holds an ugly sweater contest. Students and staff all wear their best ugly Christmas sweaters to school and winners are chosen at the end of the day. The abundance of ugly sweaters in the hallways on this day helps increase the holiday spirit before break. On that same Friday, the annual teacher breakfast is put together by the members of Student Council. These members wake up a bit earlier on this day to cook breakfast for their beloved teachers, a tradition that was created as a way for students to demonstrate their appreciation toward faculty members. Another tradition that has been around for quite a while is the Christmas assembly on the Friday before winter break. This is a tradition consisting of friendly class competitions like trivia and lip sync battles. It offers yet another opportunity to show school unity through the performance of the 12 Days of Christmas song as a whole student body. StuCo members though, also receive gratitude themselves by attending breakfast put together by the sponsor of the extracurricular activity. What follows breakfast is the much more interactive part: a suspenseful, yet laughter-evoking game of White Elephant where gifts range from a piece of toast to jewelry. For Christmas, the competitive hallway decorating contest amongst grades has been occurring for almost a decade, a tradition where students show their creativity by utilizing recycled materials to convert the RFHS hallways into a winter wonderland. The competition is judged by a panel of of teachers who ultimately determine a winner based on creativity, materials used, and best execution of This Christmas my, the theme that is chosen by My parents and I, and the Hallway Decoratmy sister and her new ing committee. Photos by Sue Rollyson.

husband are going to cut down christmas trees for their new house and our house. -Corey Johnson

Every year w waffle brea raspberry sa we open ou ents, and ev open one p christm - Carley M

We do traditions with all the family, each person gives and receives gifts, we have exchanges, and we make food of all kinds and the whole family comes together and celebrates the special occasion. -Johan Anchondo

My family celebrates Christmas on Christmas eve- Itâ€™s a hispanic tradition, and we open gifts at 12:00 am. -Cindy Salinas

CUS

Traditions Rampage | December 2016

world and by many different families. Each culture and each family has its own Christmas traditions. The ornaments on the tree describe traditions of some RFHS students.

we have a big akfast with auce before ur our presvery year we present on mas eve. Moravek

Christmas Traditions all Around the World

When we were younger, we would write letters to Santa. We would seal the letter and put it in a shoe near a window. After sometime, Santa took our letters. - Lorenzo Andrade

Every year after thanksgiving, my friend and I make gingerbread houses, and we use a ton of candy, but we don’t eat them. This year we made a log cabin using pretzels. - Maeve O’Donnell Pax

The Mexican tradition of “Las Posadas” originates from a story in which Joseph and Mary search for a home to have their baby. In the story, Mary and Joseph ask for sanctuary in eight houses before being accepted into the ninth. Today, many Mexicans and South Americans reenact this by gathering to walk to 9 houses. The travelers sing songs to ask for hospitality, and are turned away, until the last house in the procession, where they stay to eat food and say a prayer. A popular christmas tradition in Germany is the use of Advent Calendars. Advent calendars feature 25 bags or boxes or pockets each with a date or every day of december until Christmas. Children open one box/bag/pocket each day a little present inside. This tradition which is practiced in many places throughout the world was started by the German Protestants in the mid 1800’s. Dia De Las Velitas, on December 7th, is one of the most widely celebrated traditions in Columbia. On this day, Colombians celebrate by lighting candles and torches, symbolizing peace, family, and community throughout the country. Beginning in 1854, Dia De Las Velitas, or Day Of The Candles, is a holiday in which Colombians enjoy time with family, party, and pray. In Norway, instead of milk and cookies, children leave bowls of porridge for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. They also have “blanisse” a kind of blue Santa Clauses that live in caves in the mountains and aren’t allowed to be seen. During christmastime in Norway, people leave barrels of wheat outside of their houses to feed the birds. A traditional Norwegian Christmas meal consists of salted lamb and mashed kohlrabi (a type of root vegetable). The rampage recognizes that the content of this focus does not represent all of the holiday celebrations and traditions observed and practiced in this valley and around the world. If you have a special tradition or holiday that you would like to see mentioned in the paper next year, please email us at rframpage@gmail.com. Every Christmas, my family skis into a hut. -Nick Penzel

News

6 Rampage December 2016

Advanced Opportunity Funding for RFHS - Solana Teitler

At the start of the school year each school in the Roaring Fork School District receives a fluctuating amount of funding dedicated toward Advanced Learning Opportunities. This funding can be allocated toward supplies, teachers, and curriculum for college and higher-level classes. Depending on a school’s student count, the school receives different funding, for the purpose of giving small schools more opportunities. Schools with fewer than 400 students receive $89.25 per student, while schools with more than 400 students receive only $44.63 per student over 400. Glenwood High School, with its 900 students, receives 64 dollars per student, and dedicate this funding towards Colorado University’s Political Science and Algebra, along with eighteen other Advanced Placement classes. Basalt High School, with its 416 students, receives 88 dollars per student, and their funding is used for their ten AP classes, and for ten Colorado Mountain College classes. Roaring

Fork High School, which offers eight AP and two CMC classes to its 372 students, receives 90 dollars per student, and uses the funding to pay AP teachers, purchase AP materials, pay for AP training, and offset the cost of AP tests. On the surface, Roaring Fork appears to have fewer AP classes, and more funding per student, which may seem contradictory; however, Roaring Fork, as a much newer school, has its own plan. Principal Drew Adams has spoken with CMC and, over the course of a few years, he has “negotiated out the price so we used to have to pay but now we are able to pay out all of our concurrent enrollment classes.” This allows for students to receive high school, AP, and college credit for a single class, taught by one of Roaring Fork’s own teachers. Adams’ negotiations have also made these dual credit classes much less expensive for Roaring Fork High School. There are several different disadvantages to this system, one being Roaring Fork High School’s inabil-

ity to pay students’ fees for the CU Political Science class. CU classes are much more costly than CMC classes, and no matter a student’s economic situation, a CU class is difficult to pay for without the school’s help. Despite this, however, Roaring Fork’s system allows the school to have a greater building fund and less expensive AP classes. Roaring Fork School District will pay for the first two college level classes, but the money, if not used, can go toward building. As a newer school still making renovations, Roaring Fork uses all the money it can for building, and has created an efficient system that allows the school to do so. Looking forward, Adams hopes to introduce more CMC classes to accompany the already existing Language and Composition and Biology classes. Many other courses from CMC, including outdoor sports, Computer Science, and other Social Study classes are a future possibility for Roaring Fork High School.

December 2016 Upcoming Events December 2016 - January 2017 27

6:00pm - 9:00pm 9:00am - 12:00pm Prospective Parent Meet- 5:00pm - 8:00pm Brenda Patch JV Basket- Brenda Patch Basketball Brenda Patch JV Basketing at RFHS Library Tournament ball Tournament ball Tournament 1:00pm - 7:00 pm Brenda Patch Tournament

5:00pm - 8:00pm 6:30pm - 7:30pm 3:00pm - 6:00pm DACA/ASSET night for RF Basketball @ Aspen RF Basketball @ Weld (C-Team) students and families Center

3:00pm - 6:00pm RF Basketball @ Weld Center

9 9:00am - 2:00pm

RF Basketball Boys C-TeamTournament @ Grand Valley, Girls @ Coal Ridge

12 4:00pm - 8:30pm

5:00pm - 8:00pm Teacher Breakfast 7:30am - 9:00pm RF Basketball vs. Aspen RF Basketball vs. Basalt Student Council Retreat 5:30 - 7:30pm (C-Team) RF Holiday Assembly Capstone Parent Information Session

WINTER BREAK 25

End of Winter Break Back to School School Resumes

3:00pm - 9:00pm RF Basketball @ Delta

Sports

7 Rampage December 2016

The Brenda Patch Tournament: Honoring a Local -Lucas Schramer

The Brenda Patch Basketball Tournament began December 1st at Roaring Fork High School. The tournament is held annually in the memory of former RFHS student, volleyball player, and basketball player, Brenda Patch. The tournament tradition started in 1987 after the tragic death of Brenda Patch. “Brenda was an outstanding student athlete at Roaring Fork High School who was killed in a car accident during her junior year on Thanksgiving Day of 1986,” stated Larry Williams, a long time teacher at RFHS and a former coach and family friend of Brenda. “The tournament is important to remember and honor Brenda. It is a reminder of the legacy she left, which includes her outstanding character and spirit.” Not only does the Brenda Patch Basketball Tournament serve to honor and remember Brenda Patch herself, but also the proceeds of the tournament go towards college scholarships given out to two RFHS basketball players. Brenda was an excellent student athlete, as well as an involved member of her school and community, and her death took its toll on the people around her. To this day, her basketball number has been retired, and only her relatives can wear it. When asked

what impact Brenda had on her school and community, Marcia Villarreal, Brenda’s best friend growing up, replied by saying, “Brenda was a great person who many looked up to because of her kind and gentle spirit, but also because of her drive to be the best she

Courtesy Photo of Brenda Patch.

could be, on and off the court. After her death, she continued to shape the hearts and minds of those who were close to her.” Former RFHS basketball player Jade Bath, who is now the athletics assistant and girls’ basketball coach, explained that the Brenda Patch Tournament wasn’t just any normal game for her, and she hopes

tournament players and coaches understand that. “When I was in high school, I loved playing in the Brenda Patch Tournament; it was an honor and it was more than just another basketball game to me,” said Bath. “It’s important to honor and remember Brenda and who she was as a student athlete at Roaring Fork.” “The tournament honors not just an individual, but the entire Patch family, whose roots run deep in Carbondale,” said Williams. The Patch family didn’t only lose Brenda Patch that Thanksgiving day in 1986, but also Brenda’s mom, Loretta Patch, was killed in the same car accident. Five Years previous to the accident, Brenda’s Father, Ron Patch, was killed in the 1981 mid-continent mine explosion. “The tournament is very near and dear to my heart,” voiced Larry Williams. “Brenda and the entire Patch family are special to me and the community.” “It has been years since the death of Brenda Patch,” Villarreal comented, “Few people today actually had the honor of knowing her, her commitment, love of the game, and desire to be the best she could be, [and she] should live on in the hearts and lives of current and future generations at Roaring Fork High School.”

Spreading Good Cheer, All Throughout The Year -Daniela Rivera

Courtesy Photo.

This year has been a very exciting year for the RFHS cheer team. The team, led by coaches Denise Gianinetti and Carol Farris, has 12 members ranging from freshmen to seniors. Together they have competed at the Western Colorado Spirit Regionals and will soon be competing in the state competition on December 9 in Denver. At the Western Colorado Spirit Regionals on Saturday, November 9th, the RFHS

cheer team placed 2nd, just behind Glenwood Springs High School. The pressure was on for the RFHS team, especially because it was the first competition they had ever competed in, and they had changed their entire routine just two days before the competition. At the competition, the team was missing two very important members, but they still managed to succeed and bring home a trophy. Gianinetti and Farris work tirelessly to teach the team cheers and prepare them for competitions. The team's practices are held on Wednesday in the gym at GSHS where the team members get helpful tips and tricks from the GSHS cheerleaders and their coach Jody Jordan. Jordan has played a key role in the team's success; she choreographed and helped the cheerleaders prepare and improve their state and regional routines. The team has recruited three new members this year, Sophie Hoffman, a junior on exchange from Germany, as well as freshmen

Daniela Rivera and Ciara Brannigan. The cheerleaders practice five to six times a week for two hours in the gyms of Bridges High School and Glenwood Springs High School. Ariana Castillon, a sophomore at RFHS and member of the cheer squad, finds cheer to be a gratifying, while difficult sport. Unlike other sport seasons, the cheerleading season is year-round, and the cheer team practices an average of six days a week. The team is especially active during football season, spending afternoons on the mat, practicing both routines for football games, and rehearsing routines for their competitions. These competition routines usually range from one to three minutes, and must contain components of tumbling, dancing, jumping, cheering, and stunting. The team is looking forward to their upcoming competition in Denver on December 9th, and will soon begin preparing for basketball season cheer.

Entertainment Gems of the Valley

-Ruby Fuller

Baby Graves: If you’re looking for a fun or maybe spooky adventure the baby graves are an excellent place to visit. Not only is the area beautiful to be in, but also the drive is delightful. It is fun to venture around the woods finding each unique and intriguing grave. Visiting the area is especially exquisite in the winter time because of its location in the mountains, as it is almost a winter wonderland with all the surroundings trees covered in snow.

photo by Lillian Peery

How to get there: Drive up county road 106, passing Colorado RockyMountain School (CRMS), then go past three speed bumps and a cattle guard. Make sure you drive past dry park road, which is the first right turn on the road, and continue up until you reach another dirt road off the right in the spring gulch area and continue up to the top of road until you reach the end. What to do: Go out in the wilderness and search for the graves! There’s small trails which may help you in your journey to find them, but also use your inner explorer and adventure the woods to find them. Words to the wise: Make sure you bring a friend so you don’t get too scared being alone! Also don’t forget to wear proper shoes for the occasion!

December Horoscopes

-Tyler Gruel

Aquarius Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Today you will see millions of dotted lines tattooed upon your body. DO NOT connect the dots, Aquarius. You won’t like what you see.

Pisces Feb. 19 - Mar. 20 Do you ever wonder what dirt tastes like? Warm earth in the middle of the night filling your mouth and lungs? Be careful what you eat, Pisces.

Aries Mar. 21 - Apr. 19 You have a lot to do and not much time to do it in. Sleep often and invest in a healthy dose of denial and desperation. Take time to remember childhood friends.

Taurus Apr. 20 - May 20 Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going, and that’s okay. Sometimes all you really need to do is keep going and you can figure out the future as it becomes the present

Gemini May 21 - Jun. 21 You are so small, clinging to a tiny orb hurtling incredibly fast through space. Embrace the abyss, Gemini, as it will help you in the days to come. Keep your pets with you at all times.

Cancer Jun. 22 - Jul. 22 I’ve gotta pay my phone bill, and also get some more milk. That wasn’t me talking; that is what the stars say today. Interpret it as you will. Don’t forget to lock your doors at night, Cancer.

Leo Jul. 23 - Aug. 22 Keep your family close. Your family is now one living, breathing entity. Consider ruling yourself with democracy. Give all of your parts a vote. Do not invest in textile based products.

Virgo Aug. 23 - Sep. 22 That tingling at the back of your neck... as if you’re being watched? It’s your own constant over analysis boring into your every action as you pick apart your entire life one moment at a time.

Libra Sep. 23 - Oct. 22 Learn from your mistakes this month. Or don’t. It won’t change much, Libra. Your fate was predetermined by a fortune cookie when you last ordered Chinese take out.

Scorpio Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Don’t be scared of the future. Become the future. Become all conceivable aspects of the future and the past and the present as you envelope the entire universe into you.

Sagittarius Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 The stars want you to watch that Nicolas Cage movie with the bees. Apparently it’s their favorite and they think you’d like it. They also wanted to warn you that you have at least three allergies.

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 TODAY ONLY: YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF 9,999.99! DON’T MISS OUT, CALL TODAY! 555-5555

Heard in the Hallways

Guess the RFHS Staff

“But I thought if you were a nun you couldn’t be a mom, like you can’t be doing that stuff!”

8 Rampage December 2016

Rampage Staff Editors in Chief Elle Derby Tavia Teitler

Editorial Staff Feature Editor Eryn Doherty News Editor Kloe Lee Focus Editor Elle Derby Tavia Teitler Sports Editor Liam Laird Solana Teitler Entertainment Editor Iliana Castillon Trinity Potter Copy Editors Iliana Castillon Tyler Gruel Liam Laird Solana Teitler

Journalists Ruby Fuller Lizzeth Gallegos Sandra Grijalva Frankie Harrington Lily Peery Daniela Rivera Lucas Schramer Theo Stryker Policy Statement:

“That man-buns got dreams and aspirations and I just feel like you’re making fun of it.”

Published 8 times a year, the student newspaper of Roaring Fork High School is a public forum, with its students editorial board making all decisions concerning its content. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.

“When you say caucus, the only thing I can think of is a bird.” “I’m suprised you haven’t tried to start a rap career” “No I tried, it just didn’t work out, so now I’ll be a photographer.”

Answer from November Rampage issue: Jade Bath