2270 Highway 133
Carbondale, CO 81623
May 2015
Volume 8 Issue 8
The Rampage
Riot Grrrl:
-Tavia Teitler and Emily Bruell
Riot Grrrl, a feminist movement which started in the 1990’s, has spread across the world using zines (mini self-published magazines) as its vehicle for female empowerment and change. In the past months, senior Ember Bell has brought Riot Grrrl to RFHS, publishing zines of her own and spreading her message through the halls. Riot Grrrl has quickly become influential at RFHS, initiating important conversations and creating controversy among members of the student body and the staff. Bell’s zines, created from cleverly folded pieces of copy paper, are designed to empower girls and help bring unspoken inequalities to the public eye. Her zines, with the intent of breaking down gender roles in our society, focus on the use of derogatory terms directed at women and the lesbian/ gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) community. Bell’s objective is to make people realize the illegitimacy and implications of these words and encourage people to stop using language in harmful and unjust ways. Bell feels that the message she is sending is extremely important. “No one else is talking about it,” she commented, adding that “putting it in ink makes it more real.” The reaction to Riot Grrrl has been wide-ranging. Many members of RFHS love Riot Grrrl and find her message unique and important. “It’s the raw truth,” commented sophomore Jenny Rios. Barbara Mason, a teacher at RFHS, described the message and content of Bell’s zines as “education that needs to happen.” However, some students and staff are less enthusiastic about the zines. Sophomore Emily Henley believes that Bell’s zines have a ”really good message, but it’s portrayed a little aggressively so people don’t take it seriously.” Junior Lyle Luckett, while agreeing with Henley about the aggression in the zines, claimed that “because it’s so aggressive... it gets people’s attention.” Principal Drew Adams says that, while he hasn’t seen any ef-
Rude rant or fierce feminism?
fects from the zine, positive or negative, he’s worried about the potential offensiveness of the zines. “Concerns [arise] when any [vulgar] words are used in a publication...I don’t think that’s a good representation of a voice that we want to see in our school,” Adams stated. Bell admitted that at first her zines were very angry, containing a great deal of profanity. She has since decided to change the content of her zines to be slightly less aggressive, carrying the punch of her message with more eloquence and less swearing. There is one aspect of the zines, however, on which Bell refuses to compromise. On the bottom of each Riot Grrrl publication’s back cover is the line, “Pass me around like a slut.” Some staff members have found this line to be offensive, and its use in Bell’s zines is one of Adams’ main concerns. According to Bell, however, this language is by no means intended to offend girls; it is intended to do the exact opposite. “Every girl has been called a slut,” Bell claimed, “[The line] is a nongraceful way of taking back the word…. I feel like it’s a word that’s not taken seriously when a girl is called that, but then it starts to become serious when I use it in this context.” Junior Kelly Walgren confirmed that this intention is not lost on her. “It’s not offensive [to me], it’s just people standing up for something,” she said. The administration has told Bell that she is not allowed to print the phrase “Pass me around like a slut.” Because Bell refuses to print her zines without this phrase on the cover, her publication of these zines has been prohibited. New copies of the zine, however, continue to circulate throughout the school. Bell knows that her zines will continue to evoke controversial reception, but feels that these difficult conversations are part of what makes the zines so important. “Riot Grrrl makes people mad because they have to start seeing the truth even if it’s not something they noticed or thought was a problem.” Riot Grrrl is Bell’s way to “say what needs to be said, even if it’s uncomfortable sometimes.”
Whatʼs Inside:
Why We “Like” (Page 3)
Seniors! (Pages 4 & 5)
RFHS Says Goodbye to Teachers (Page 6)
Upcoming Dates: Awards Night: May 18 7:00pm - 8:00pm Spring Concert: May 19 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Seniors’ Last Day: May 22 Baccalaureate: May 26 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Graduation: May 30 10:00am - 12:00pm
Application Overload (Page 7)
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Rampage | May 2015
Blast from the past: RFHS history reflected in vintage yearbooks
-Jonny Aranda
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efore “swag” and Snapchat, there was a time at Roaring Fork High School that was a lot different than today. At RFHS, looking at the h o w photos on the wall, its easy to see the student population has evolved not only in fashion and hairstyles, but also in race and ethnicity. In fact, RFHS has grown from a class of only 20 in 1963 to a senior class of 60 people. Before the 1960s, Roaring Fork High School was actually called Carbondale Union High School. Along with a different name came a different mascot and also different school colors, which have an interesting story of their own. In the early 1960s, the state made a decision to move all of the Basalt students to Carbondale. The school changed its name to Roaring Fork High School to be inclusive of both towns and took the blue from the Bulldog (prior mascot of Carbondale Union High School) and the yellow from the Longhorns to eventually become the blue and yellow Rams. Teachers like Laura French, Larry Williams, Barbara Mason, and Ralph Young have been at RFHS long enough to witness the changes throughout the years. Mason, previous Assistant Principal and now Special Education teacher, shared that although the diversity has definitely changed, what she found interesting is the higher rate of Latino students at Crystal River Elementary School as opposed to Roaring Fork High School. Cathleen McCourt, art teacher, says that the biggest change she has seen is the dependability of teachers. In the past, many teachers only stayed for one year, and now, some of the teachers have been here for a long time. If you want yearbooks from the following years, 1965, 1967, 1961, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1999, or 2008, contact The Rampage at rframpage@gmail. com to pick up your desired copy.
Feature
Outstanding students thrive at RFHS -Hayden Bernot Students at Roaring Fork High School have great personalities and are constantly coming up with new and creative ways to express themselves. The Rampage asked around and found multiple people from different grades who have outstanding personalities, along with exceptional ideas and wisdom. Chelsey Serrano, freshman Chelsey Serrano is said to be one of the most compassionate and caring people at Roaring Fork. She is hard worker and very dedicated to her class work. Outside of school, Chelsey participates in many extracurricular activities. Q: What do you strive for at Roaring Fork? A: “I think that all I really strive for is success, not just academically but in general; I want to build something for myself with the people I care about. ” Q: What is your passion? A: “I don’t really know what my passion is. I’m just kind of going with things, and if I come to like them, then I guess that’s good!” Q: Who inspired your passion? A: “I would think that my brother affects me the most.” Lorenzo Andrade, sophomore Lorenzo Andrade is one of the most friendly kids you will ever meet. Andrade not only excels in the classrooms, he shines on the court as well. Q: What do you strive for at Roaring Fork? A: “I strive to prepare myself for for a higher level of education. This is because I will be a first-generation college student, and I really want to be successful.” Q: What is your passion? A: “Playing sports and staying in shape for soccer and basketball.” Q: Who inspired your passion? A: “My family members and everyone who has helped me.” Conrado Dolores, junior Conrado Dolores is a great athlete and student at RFHS. He has really made a comeback with his studies this past year. He is hoping to do well his senior year. Q: What do you strive for at Roaring Fork? A: “I really strive to reach my full learning potential.” Q: What is your passion? A: “My passion is to be more friendly and meet new people. I also want to reach my full potential in sports.” Q: Who inspired your passion? A: “When I look in the mirror, I see a young Larry Fitzgerald.”
Pre-Collegiate challenges students at Roaring Fork -Katie Weimer
Pre-Collegiate (PCP) is a program supported by the Roaring Fork School District that offers opportunities to students looking to pursue post-secondary education. 36 students at Roaring Fork High School are a part of PCP. “Pre Collegiate is a program that helps guide ten particular students in each grade on their way to college,” shared sophomore Pre-Collegiate member Jensen Platero. Junior member Kimberly Guzman added, “Pre-Collegiate is a program for first-generation students who need help getting educated about college and financial aid. It helps us network with the people around us.” The diverse group of ten students from each grade attend a mandatory meeting once every other week. The meetings consist of discussing community service, applying for colleges, taking college classes in high school, etc. The Pre-Collegiate program focuses on giving back to the community because the majority of colleges require at least some hours of community service. Students involved in Pre-Collegiate are expected to accumulate many individual community service hours. To support their students, “Pre-Collegiate offers a variety of programs where you can volunteer,” explained Platero. Another aspect of the PC experience is the Summer Academic Camp required for each of their students. Sophomore Cindy Salinas described the purpose of the summer program as offering high school students “the full college experience [including] staying in dorms and having classes outside of the school year. Salinas explained that the ninth and tenth graders visit the Colorado Mountain College campus in Glenwood Springs for five days, and the upcoming eleventh and twelfth graders spend two weeks at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. Platero considers the summer experience from a different perspective. “It is totally worth it because you gain much more knowledge that you can apply further on in your life.” Along with the coursework during the summer program, the Pre-Collegiate groups spend time on small trips together with their mentors. Their assigned mentors help guide them through the post-secondary school process.
Feature
Rampage | May 2015
3
The meaning behind a “double tap”
-Grace Brown
A
s a high school student, you hear it everywhere: “Can you believe she liked his status?” “Look! He liked my picture!” “Go like my video!” Although we all know that “to like” is to express enjoyment, but since the social media boom, a “like” can be an actual noun and sometimes, it’s worth a thousand words. Social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr all have some type of way for followers to show their concurrence (or not) on a post, whether it’s a picture, video, or status. One can like, comment, retweet, reblog, and share things from the people they follow. According to Larry Rosen, Ph.D, in Psychology Today, “an amazing 52% of the teenage Facebook users of the iGeneration (born in the 1990s) clicked “Like” several times a day.” Facebook’s help center explained how they view “likes”: “A “Like” is a way to give positive feedback or to connect with things
you care about on Facebook. You can like content that your friends post to give them feedback or like a Page that you want to connect with on Facebook.” For most students, the motivation to like a post or picture comes from personal relation to the subject or interest in the content or person. “I will like things if they’re clever and entertaining or make me laugh,” said freshman Alexa Fiscus. There are some people who are explained as “like-thirsty,” and will use hashtags such as “#lfl” (like for like), or ask to get mentions from more popular users in order to gain more followers, resulting in more likes on what they post. For the determined user, there is a way to buy fake followers through apps, such as Famousgram or Crowdfire. If you buy the love you get, is it really love? What’s the value of a like, anyway? Society has created a media culture wrapped around acceptance and approval. The more likes we receive, the more people we believe are supportive of us. We feel that we always need that reminder, so we keep posting! The booming ob-
session with giving and receiving likes can be explained by people’s desire to give and receive attention: liking a post has started to reflect less on the actual content of the post itself and more on the person who posted it. “You can tell if someone is into you if they like every one of your pictures, regardless of what they’re of,” said Fiscus. This may or may not had been the original intention of most social media sites, though this type of acknowledgment is common among the younger generations who have grown to know nothing else. Because most social interaction happens online, unspoken rules for “liking behavior” have developed:
1. If a friend tags you in one of their photos, you should probably “like” it even if you don’t actually like it. 2. Be careful when Instagram stalking because it’s not hard to accidentally like a picture from 38 weeks ago. Most will find this creepy. If this happens to you, find a way to play it off by saying, “That was my friend”. 3. Don’t like your own pictures. Duh.
Tips on surviving the end of the school year
The end of the year can be rough. These tips will result in a successful completion of the school year. Stay safe out there, Rams. -Elle Derby
Problem: You can’t seem to focus. Anytime you try to do something, you get distracted and cannot get any work done to save your life. Solution: Hit yourself with a Nike shoe, and just do it. But really: Turn off any distracting electronics, clear your workspace, take a shower, or do jumping jacks to get your blood flowing. Then get started.
Problem: Class sucks. You know your teacher could not get more boring if he or she tried. Solution: Hit up Mr. Williams for a Big Gulp. That extra kick of caffeine just might be able to get you through the torture. But really: Take notes. As boring as class may be, notes keep you engaged. You’ll be thanking yourself later when finals come around.
Problem: You couldn’t care less at the moment. There is nothing that can get you out of bed in the morning. You always show up late to class (when you do show up). Solution: Burn the school down. But really: Reward yourself for the small things. You went to math? Great! Eat a donut. You got out of bed? That deserves a new pair of shoes.
Problem: Seniors have a lot of homework that they are expected to do at the same time scholarship applications are due. Solution: Fake a deadly sickness and then you won’t have to go to school anyway. But really: Talk to your teachers! They understand the stress you are under. If you talk to them, they might give you an extension.
Problem: Too much to do, so little time. Solution: Disregard all your responsibilities and binge-watch Netflix. (We recommend some Gossip Girl.) But really: Take a deep breath, and get yourself together. Make a set schedule based on the urgency of the task. This is a good way to remember all of your responsibilities and stay organized.
Problem: Summer fever has struck! You can’t stand another day indoors wearing jeans. You need to get outside and take a nap in the sunshine. Solution: Saw a circle in the ceiling of the school: instant sunroof! But really: Go do something outside after school. Doing something active like running or hiking will get you your daily dose of vitamin D.
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FOC
Rampage | May 2015
Congratulation
Jonny Aranda, Reporter
From the very beginning of his time on staff, Jonny wanted to make a difference, and he chose to cover stories that would do just that. Jonny never shied away from difficult topics, embracing all sorts of articles from the Dream Act’s impact on undocumented immigrants to Share Your Story month.
Every year, the Rampage says goodbye to ou “most likely to” do in the future. Here is what we ca
Yazmin Castillo
Briana Boland
Adrian Chavez
Emily Bruell
Design all the art in her pediatrician’s office
Become a motivational speaker What I learned on staff: “Journalism is an excellent after winning the Medal of Honor opportunity to get out there and put your social skills in action! Also, interviews are a very important part for his service in the Marines to an article because they are what adds personal experience from the community, which makes an article much more fun to read.”
Kayla Derby, Copy Editor “What does Kayla think?” has become our goto question throughout the year. Combating writer’s block? Talk to Kayla. Struggling to fit all your content on one page? Talk to Kayla. Having a bad day and want to cry? Talk to Kayla. As part of her legacy, Kayla helped spearhead the “Focus” addition of The Rampage and planned, created, and designed the content for each month’s centerspread. What I learned on staff: “There are always things going on that you wouldn’t necessarily know about unless you were looking for them, and people are entitled to know about these things. Basically, I’ve learned that journalism is tremendously important to our society.”
Emily Bruell, Reporter If only The Rampage had snagged Emily a year or two (or three!) earlier! This young woman has a way with words, and she has proved immensely helpful with last-minute copy edits. Emily is open to just about any story topic and has already written a variety of articles ranging from the silly to the serious. Favorite staff memory: “Seeing the first published Rampage that I’d been a part of; it was such a neat feeling to be a part in the production of a paper, from start to finish. I also loved getting to write the jump rope article for April’s issue. I don’t know any other class where I’d find myself in the middle of a parking lot full of kindergartners, trying to interview kids and avoid my camera being whacked by wayward jump ropes at the same time.”
Roy Benge, Editor in Chief
Juan Clemente
Most likely to start an organization called S.P.E.W. (Society for the Protection of Endangered Wombats)
Kayla Derby
Be a famous slam poet and tour middle and high schools
Start a soccer camp for underpriviledged youth Solve The Problem that saves humanity (but give the credit to someone else)
Broderick Erickson Start a webcam show
Wyatt Farris
Become a crime scene investigator
Favorite staff memory: “Having newsroom debates and votes over how we should print something.”
Gloria Candela Ben Carpenter
Be the next Michael Kors
Erik Carrillo
Most likely to use his engineering degree to create the field of Soccerology (the science of scoring goals)
Steele Featherstone
Play video games professionally
Emily Fisher
Be the lady you don’t know but always see running
Raymundo Acuna
Crete a brand name for his famous quesadillas
Mario Alverde
Start a revolution from his longboard
Jonathan Aranda
Become the next George O’ Malley (minus the dying part)
Ember Bell
Become famous for her thirdwave feminist blog, books, and zines
Roy Benge
Publish a 1000-page autobiography about beginning his own As one of the veteran members on staff, Roy’s opinion is paramount to fantasy football franchise the production of each issue of The Rampage. Not only does Roy have an impeccable eye for clean layout and design, but he also understands his moral responsibilities as a journalist. We can always rely on Roy to support the other staff members in creating the most newsworthy and engaging content each month.
Be a translator for the United Nation
The Rampage would like to honor the memory of Jenny Nevarez who would be graduating this year. We miss you, Jenny!
Beck Fisher
Star as Shaggy in the movie “Scooby Doo Goes Snowboarding”
Victor Dominguez
Break the weightlifting world record while showing zero emotion (then breaking into a huge smile afterwards)
Jacqueline Jacquez
Illustrate a best-selling children’s book called “How to Have Sass”
Shay Gianinetti
Save a friend from marrying the wrong woman by shouting, “I object!” during their wedding
CUS
Rampage | May 2015
ur seniors by agreeing on what each senior is Eduardo Meraz ame up with for the Class of 2015. Good luck, seniors! Be a pro on Dancing with the
Jesus Sanchez
5
ns, Class of 2015 Stars
Kristen Joiner
Emily Fuller
Be the first female governor of Colorado
Crash a G-Wagon driving around her own golf course
Anali Garcia
Become an immigrant rights activist who helps to pass the Dream Act
Yunira Gomez
Become a pediatrician who publishes a groundbreaking book on child medical care
Jackson Hardin
Ruby Lang
Shut down Sea World with a crew of activists (while smiling the whole time)
Andrew Legersky
Become a herpetologist and work to change people’s negative opinions of snakes.
Ariel Murphy
Laura Needham
Break the world record for highest number of selfies taken
Be a food critic on the Food Network
Coral Servin
Star on “The Real Housewives of Carbondale”
Chering Sherpa
Become a millionaire by the time he turns 21
Tanner Spence
Beat Usain Bolt’s records
Lesley Platero
Esmeralda Lopez
Abraham Hernandez
Become a neonatal nurse who specializes in twins
Make a lot of money through new indutries
Adjoa Hursey
Alfonso Jose Lopez
Be an undercover cop who takes down a drug czar
Become a model featured in Vogue
Eduardo Martinez
Be a comedian and laugh at her own jokes.
Carlos Martinez Palma
Design a safer football helmet and decrease annual concussions.
Abril Mendoza
Live in LA and write the script for a hit comedy show
Make Nepalese fashion popular in America
Eber Silva
Jose Lopez
Be “Miss Congeniality”
Victoria Schlueter
Move to NYC and star on Broadway
Be the next Hugh Hefner
Sheila Hernandez
Edgar Vega
Marry his high school sweetheart
Raul Leyva
Become the next (more stylish) Morgan Freeman
Arnold Garcia
Makir Moreno
Become the CEO of “Chewy” granola bars
Help people fall in love through his poetry.
Areli Tapia
Be the next Miss America
Kendra Quezada
Start her own taekwondo academy for girls
Misael Ramos
Start an after-school mentoring program for first-generation students
Arely Reza
Marry rich, collect every Apple product, and create art in her free time
Ian Rothman
Tote his lacrosse stick to a meeting with the President and proceed to interrupt him
Marry Justin Bieber
Start a flash mob
Drop his kids off for school in “the van” then go pick up “the boys”
Maria Lucy Uribe
Become a police officer and work toward creating a more equitable (and fashionable!) police force
Edgar Villasano
Become the father that all of his kids’ friends wish they had
Maite Nieblas Be the next, much more fashionable, Jerry Springer
Kristen Joiner, Editor in Chief Jacky Jacquez, Reporter Equal parts cheerleader, mother, and bulldog, Kristen is the one who keeps everyone on point. Kristen’s optimism and ability to connect with reporters and editors alike has helped make this year’s Rampage staff feel more like a family. With her practiced insight into great story ideas, strong writing, and eye-catching layout, Kristen is an essential part of each issue of our newspaper.
Favorite staff memory: “The J-Day trips and bonding with people I normally wouldn’t hang out with.”
Jacky may seem quiet at first, but her shy facade conceals a sassy, confident, and passionate young woman. When Jacky first joined The Rampage, she refused to conduct interviews by herself. Now, Jacky is an independent reporter who knows what and how she likes to write. Jacky’s favorite story topics are those connected to her love of art; she also channels her passion by creating cartoons and comics for The Rampage.
Favorite staff memory: “When I wrote my article about poetry…. It was my first year being on staff, and a substitute at school told me my article was really good. I felt so proud.”
CrossFit Teens Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 4:15pm 1629 EAST DOLORES WAY CARBONDALE CO, 81623 (970) 948-8989 kids@sopriscrossfit.com
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Rampage | May 2015
News
End of the year, end of teaching at Roaring Fork -Kristin Page Roaring Fork staff and students are saying goodbye to a few teachers at the end of this school year, includPhoto by Lusy Stevens ing Span- English Teacher Laurel Henderson ish teacher Stephanie Alzamora, English teachers Laurel Henderson and Krystal Wu, and math teacher Ralph Young. Henderson will be leaving Roaring Fork to pursue teaching the International Baccalaureate curriculum at Aspen High School. Wu is moving to Moscow, Idaho with her fiance. Ralph is taking a medical leave but will be staying in the valley. Although she has only been at Roaring Fork for one year, Henderson wants to return to teaching a more international curriculum, which is what she taught in Ecuador. Henderson described her fondest memory of her time here at Roaring Fork: “One day in Advisory, one of my students brought me flowers, and it was really sweet and made my day,” she said. Hen-
derson will “miss the students the most” when the school year is over. Henderson has become a part of the Roaring Fork family and will be missed by students. Ralph Young will also be widely missed. He plans to stay in the valley, as he is only taking a medical leave to focus on improving his health. After he sees how his physical health improves, he said he could return to teaching at RFHS in 2016. Young’s best memory at Roaring Fork? “Seeing the growth every year with my students. I’m going to miss [them],” Young said. Krystal Wu is heading off to Moscow, Idaho with her fiance, Matt Miller, as he has been offered a position to begin a design and build program at the University of Idaho. Photo by Lucy Stevens Wu is going English Teacher Krystal Wu to miss “running into students and their parents at the grocery store and the
dog park,” as well as the feeling of being “dropped into a community and knowing a lot of people just from teaching here.” Wu described her fondest memory: “Last year, the English teachers decided to participate in Share Your Story in our classes. Every one of my English III Photo by Lucy Stevens Math Teacher Ralph Young students shared a vulnerable story that created this amazing community that I felt very lucky to be a part of.” Wu is sad to leave Carbondale and many of the students she has gotten to know. She wants to visit Carbondale during the summers and for the graduation of next year’s class. The Roaring Fork High School community is going to have a hard time seeing her leave. Stephanie Alzamora was contacted but was unavailable for an interview.
California drought drains our Colorado summers
- Eryn Doherty
Here in Colorado, we are spoiled -- about 300 days of sunshine per year, nice temperatures, the mountains... What more could we ask for? However, there’s something that may change our crisp conditions. If you’ve heard about the drought that is dangerously affecting California, you must know it is slowly, but surely, affecting the rest of the United States. The Roaring Fork Energy Club is trying to promote water awareness throughout the school. Energy Club advis-
er and math teacher, Wendy Boland said, “Drought is truly a natural disaster for all: wildlife, agriculture, tourist industry, and forest health.” She added that this summer will be one the driest we’ve ever experienced, so any moisture we get now will help immensely. Snowpack in the mountains provides water that many ecosystems rely on. That’s why water conservation is so important. The Energy Club’s goal is to reduce nonrenewable energy use which contributes to
climate change. Boland continues, “As climate change is causing unstable weather throughout the globe, the more we do to reduce our
lieves awareness comes through discussions in schools and at home. She later added, “I believe change starts on the individual level.
“Drought is truly a natural disaster for all: wildlife, agriculture, tourist industry, and forest health.” -Wendy Boland contribution to greenhouse gases, which accelerate climate change, the more we help reduce this problem.” The Energy Club is working hard to promote these ideals throughout Roaring Fork. English teacher L a u r e l Henderson added her opinion on the matter: “We need education and community discussions to bring a w a r e ness to the problem.” She be-
When enough people start making individual changes, a wide scale change can be facilitated.” According to High Country News, last year’s forecasts predicted that as many as 2.5 million Colorado citizens could be without sufficient water. “Although I’m not a water expert, I believe Colorado’s potential drought is a big deal,” Henderson shared. Mark Webber, father of junior Megan Webber, is a water treatment operator for the town of Aspen. He said communities need to get accustomed to using less water and developing new ways to live.
“There will need to be a change in agricultural ways and how we use our water. General consumers have gotten used to using it freely,” Webber said. Because of the increase in population, people have begun to compete for a diminishing amount of water. Webber shared that although drought is a natural occurrence, because of the amount of people there are on the planet, the small amount of water Earth has left is no longer enough to sustain us. The only way to resolve the issue and prevent devastating droughts is to keep talking about it and doing everything we can to conserve water.
Opinion
Rampage | May 2015
7
An overly narrow-minded selection process?
-Maeve O’Donnell Pax
School is about creating opportunities for students to succeed, encouraging them to try new things and testing their boundaries. This has become seemingly impossible for many students, now that the competition for positions in academic-based organizations and classes is at an all-time high. The highly selective atmosphere that these organizations create is caused by the applications that require students’ previous academic standing to determine their acceptance. Opportunities in high school are only given based on the path set by your academic placement. Most programs rely on applications to choose who is worthy
of acceptance. But, how much do you know about a person by looking at a form with their “personal” information on it, or by reading an essay that fits their narrow prompt and expectations? Are you supposed to understand what kind of person that student is after reading the little information on their application? There are so few ways to express yourself in these applications that they are left to select you based on how good you look on paper. National Honor Society excludes students with a GPA below 3.5. Students can’t afford to make mistakes. Since when is human life made from paper? Recently, I had to apply to both National Honors Society (NHS)
and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, both things that I believe provide students with amazing chances to challenge themselves. However, as I’m being accepted to participate in these opportunities, I don’t know how I am supposed to feel happy when so many of my peers weren’t accepted. For an AP class that I signed up to take next year, there is a huge waiting list. The class is already full of students who were in Advanced Placement this year and are expected to keep going with AP. Many of the students on the wait list are students who were not in Advanced Placement classes this year but understand the benefits of the classes and want to join a class that expects even more
of them. This is not fair. Every person deserves a chance. Limiting acceptance to students who have previously taken AP classes percludes the students who may have struggled in previous classes, but see the benefit in challenging themselves in the future. Again, this same phemomenon occured with NHS. I fully understand that NHS is a selective and honorable award, but I don’t believe you can trust an application to decide which students are the ones the organization is “looking for.” Besides that, many students don’t even bother applying because the application acts as a deterrent. An application can cause students to begin questioning if they want to
be accepted, and that there must be other students who are more qualified than them. In the end, students oftenfigure it will be a waste of time to apply. Others might get picked before them, and students are left wondering why they even bothered or if they ever stood a chance. However, not all applications are bad. Applications for Student Council and Links are more accepting and not based solely on students’ prior academic performance. The application is mostly there to make sure you care about the position and that you are willing to put in the effort. These applications ask you to interpret what being a part of the group will mean to you and answer a variety of ques-
tions that give insight into who you are as a person: what you value, what you like to do, and what you can do for the group. Although our future opportunities -- including college and jobs -- require filling out applications, we don’t need to begin this process when students are in high school. Now should be the time when we are allowing students to have ample opportunities to excel, no matter what their past includes. We should not be excluding students by using an overly narrow-minded process. We need to focus less on making students look good on paper, and more on improving students’ education and learning in real life.
An open letter regarding the word “slut” To my fellow students: “Slut”: I’m sure you’ve heard it said a time or two in conversation, or maybe you’ve even said it yourself. I personally get called a slut multiple times a day, both by my classmates who think they know me well and by students who don’t know me at all. It’s common sense (at least, I would hope) that name-calling hurts. At first, when people started calling me a slut, I brushed it off. As the namecalling continued, though, the rumors began that I had slept with a number of guys one weekend and some other guys the next. Whenever I’m with a guy alone, people assume we are hooking up. What’s worse is that I started questioning myself and truly started believing that I actually am a slut. I may laugh it off and act like it’s not a big deal, but it hurts when people call me a slut, plain and simple. Sometimes I ask people why I have the reputation of being a slut, and they usually respond, “It’s your personality. You’re just really outgoing.” I will never understand why that’s a reason for me to be called a slut. I actually don’t understand why any-
one deserves to be called a slut. Even if a girl at school wears a low-cut shirt and short-shorts, she shouldn’t be called a slut. Guys who flirt and talk about sex are “players,” but when girls are simply outgoing and have male friends, they are called sluts. It is an unfair double standard that girls are treated so differently than boys for the same behavior. I think we should be a little more educated about the words that are coming out of our mouths. There are many words I believe should be removed from the vocabulary of this generation and “slut” is one of them. The definition of a slut is “a woman who has many casual sexual partners.” Even if I did have many casual sexual partners, it’s nobody’s business but my own, so you shouldn’t be throwing around this word like it’s nothing and in such a negative way. The words you use casually to play a joke on me are anything but funny -- your words hurt. Sincerely, That girl who laughs when you call her a “slut”
Cartoon by guest contributer Chloe Brand
The Parent Accountability Committee and The Rampage would like to thank these businesses for their generous donations to help us honor our teachers and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Entertainment
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Rampage | May 2015
Heard in the Hallways “I’ve worked for four years of my life only to get a paper and a handshake.” “How’d you do on the ACT?” “Well, considering I found out about the most important test of my school career the day before, I wouldn’t say great.”
Rampage Staff Editors in Chief Roy Benge Kristen Joiner Managing Editor Finn Featherstone
Photo by Tsenovich
Gems of the Valley
“Summer: the time where you work and raise money, only to spend it all on food during school.”
-Jake Rusby
If you feel up to it, and wish to see memories of the first people in these mountains, you can travel up the Crystal River Valley to its furthest reach at over 10,500 feet, to the very beginnings of the Crystal River. This is where the town of Crystal resides, and the first place that the water of the Crystal River comes into contact with man, and where one of the 10 most mysterious structures in the U.S. still barely stands: The Crystal Mill. The town has fewer than 20 people. Due to heavy snowfall and extreme terrain, the Crystal Mill is accessible only by select 4-x-4 vehicles and by foot. Once there, it is a place of beautiful solitude in the mountains. How to get there: From Carbondale, drive up to the town of Marble off Highway 133. Once in Marble, follow the paved road until you get to Beaver Lake; you can’t miss it. Then, continue on that road and up Daniel’s Hill (4x-4 is required from here up). Once at the top of the hill, there is a crossroads. Go RIGHT, (if you don’t you’re on your own out there). Continue on this road to Crystal, and be careful; that road has had its share of casualties. What to do: Hike anywhere, bike anywhere, camp anywhere (within reason), play in the river, dirt bike, ride ATV’s, drive, take a Jeep tour, anything. Other than the road, it’s all untouched wilderness.
“We don’t have one-quarter of a page left in the newspaper.” “Then, we’ll shrink it down to a third.” “What’d you do after prom?” “Sleep.” “That’s boring...” “By your standards.”
Whoopers • • • • • •
Less than a month of school is left. Spring football is starting up. The baseball team won some games. We get to go from working for school, to working for money once summer starts. It’s now warm enough to go camping. We are at the top of the water shed... suck it, California.
Bloopers • • •
Word to the wise: Be careful. People die and disappear up there. • Much of the road is on a cliffside, and it’s a yearly happening for a Jeep, truck, or ATV to go off the road with negative outcomes. If you are hiking, biking or on horse-back, don’t get cocky or reckless; nature will bite you back whether it be a cliff, rockslide, wildlife, or rough terrain. Keep in mind that a simple fall can end a good day, and the nearest hospital is a long way away, as well as any helicopters to pick you up. Bottom line, caution, preparation, and knowing the dangers are all you need to have fun out there.
Several cops were invited to prom and proceeded to make it rain with MIP’s. Mr. Roney broke his tooth on a walnut and then swallowed it (the tooth, not the walnut). Danimals bottled yogurt is served in way too small of a bottle. Cop cars are getting exceptionally sneaky.
The Rampage would like to thank the RFHS Booster club and the Town of Carbondale for generously supporting our newspaper.
Photographer Lucy Stevens Editorial Staff Grace Brown Kayla Derby Jake Kelley Fiona Laird James Long Caitlin O’Gorman Jake Rusby Tavia Teitler Journalists Jonny Aranda Bella Bailey Hayden Bernot Emily Bruell Elle Derby Eryn Doherty Jacky Jacquez Carley Moravek Maeve O’Donnell Pax Edgar Reyna Beymar Silva Kristin Page Katie Weimer Policy Statement: Published eight times a year, the student newspaper of Roaring Fork High School is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its content. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. Questions? Concerns?
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“You are more loved than you will ever know. There is no failure, only unfinished success. Be the change. Be the hero of your own story.” - Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence