The Lake - October 2019

the lake

Standley Lake High School | 9300 W 104th Avenue | Westminster, CO 80021 | USA | Planet Earth | Milky Way | Volume 31 | Issue 1 October 2019

Who We Are Editors-in-Chief | Jackson Kessel Aimee Yan

the lake The

Formalities Opinions or expressions made by students in this publication are not expressions of board policy. The district and its employees are immune from any civil action based on any expression made for or published by students. The Lake is an open forum for and by the students, faculty, and community of Standley Lake High School. The Lake is willing to accept and print any appropriate articles submitted by the students of SLHS and reserves the right to edit any of these articles. We will not print letters sent to us without a name and signature. Submit letters to standleylakenewspaper@gmail.com.

2 October 2019 | Issue 1

Staff Editors | Ben Bird Grant Hoskins Jay Keodonexay Kiana Miska Riley Ruff Megan White Staff Writers | Jane Ababei Brooklym Galba Zoe Garrimone Sejal Goud Elaina Madrill Kaitlyn Pierce Alyssa Romero Features | Amelia Carlblom Sarah Hesser Anthony Hill Sarah Hoskins Maya Merta Macy Mohlenkamp Artecia Moreno Olivia Overton Emilia Phillips Kylie Rold Bridget Ronning Tie Sober Isabella Tucker-Sandoval Kaylynn Tran Cartoonist | Milo Stunes Adviser | Lynn Schwartz

Social @thelakenewsmag facebook.com/standleylakenewspaper @thelakenewsmag thelakenewsmag

Can’t get enough? thelakenewsmag.wordpress.com

Table of Contents

14

16

13

26 12

22

3

4 October 2019 | Issue 1

HOW’VE YA BEEN?

At this very moment, chances are you’re flipping through this issue of The Lake during a lull in class or mindlessly looking at the pictures during passing period.

Maybe you are reading this on your couch at home as you procrastinate doing your homework. The rare individual may read every word, however, The Lake is aware that the visuals are much more enticing. Regardless, here you are, complex and unique in every facet of your being. Each person who reads this magazine will take something away from it that we could never have intended or imagined and, in more ways than one, that is beautiful.

Walking through the hallways of this school, it is easy to forget that we are constantly surrounded by individuals who are so drastically different from ourselves that they may seem otherworldly. The people around us are invaluable in the sense that they offer perspectives other than our own and understanding these perspectives is a requisite for self-growth.

In this issue, we chose to discuss some of the most controversial and exciting topics in the current newscape. We travelled across the state and gathered testimony from those who believe in extraterrestrials—the die-hard alien enthusiasts who spend their days with necks craned towards the stars. We then focused on our warming planet, the implications of climate change, and the students who double as social-justice warriors and are taking activism into their own hands. Finally, we looked inwards into our own school and examined the ways in which teachers can empower LGBTQ+ students through their own self-expression.

As you read, we hope that you are able to embrace the varying perspectives that are included in this magazine and understand that we are all, really, one interconnected being. Through the Earth that we must work together to repair, the galaxy that is so vast in its emptiness, and the people around us who can be the support in times of instability, we are all connected in one way or another.

Right now is an exciting time to be alive; we have our entire lives ahead of us and the invaluable opportunity that is available to us to make change. We challenge you all to the following: fight for what you believe in, explore the unknown, and strive to make a difference in somebody’s life.

THANKS FOR READING,

AiJa

A.K.A. Aimee and Jack, The Editors-in-Chief

5

The Right Angle

INVISIBLE STUDENTS Closing the Gap Between “Advanced” and “Average” Students

T

here tends to be a focus in high schools on students who excel academically. However, for students who don’t participate in advanced classes, it can be easy to feel as if they are being pushed to the sidelines. Students attempt to set up a strong future in programs like IB and AP classes, pushing themselves to their academic limit to ensure success. Consequently, the kids that take AP and IB classes typically receive increased opportunities and praise for their actions. For those who don’t, successes often go unrecognized; many students feel invisible in an education system that they feel has left them behind.

While the standard curriculum poses a sufficient challenge to the majority of students, there are those few who decide to take on the challenge of IB or AP, and push themselves to be better.

The work that comes with this option is no understatement; it is meant to be a difficult task and to elevate learning in exchange for college credit or an additional diploma.

The perks of IB stretch past college credit and into other realms like ceremonies, rewards, and praise for their efforts. While this may seem unfair, it ultimately requires a high degree of dedication.

However, the students who do not take these courses still work plenty hard, and the satisfaction of graduation is no less than the kid next to them who decided to tackle an advanced courseload.

A school’s intent should be to make everyone feel welcome and equal, so why are non-academic talents not being celebrated just as equally as academic ones? The question arises: who is school really for?

Mr. Sargent, an assistant principal at Standley Lake, stated, “They take more classes than other students and must pass them in order to remain in good standing with IB. So there is this specific set of requirements that you must have to graduate high

school. IB has a different set of requirements that a person has to go in and do and they have to make sure that those meet both standards.”

IB is certainly a massive undertaking and deserves no less respect than it is given; however, the amount of recognition that other students receive for their work is often lacking.

Many students who do not wish to take IB still struggle with academics. While some students are capable of handling additional work, the majority of people already feel their limits are pushed to the maximum. The rationale that students in on-level classes don’t take on challenges or want less from their future is simply untrue for the majority of students.

Ms. Hayashi, an AP teacher at Standley Lake, stated, “There’s a mindset that IB and AP kids want to learn and want to be there but the on-level kids don’t necessarily want to be there. And I think changing that intellectual mindset shifts us towards the conversation we need to be having.”

The students that don’t take on these added challenges are still pursuing a vast and progressive future even if they choose a less intensive path in high school. One path features extensive difficulties for those who wish to take them on and another path provides for those who still strive for success, just in a different way.

The belief that one pathway is superior to the other is damaging to students. At the end of the day, whether students are enrolled in AP, IB, honors, or standard curriculum, we are all striving for the same goal of constructing a happy, successful future for ourselves. | Grant Hoksins | Alyssa Romero | Tie Sober

“Changing that intellectual mindset shifts us toward the conversation we need to be having.”

- Ms.Hayashi 6 October 2019 | Issue 1

DECODING THE DEMOCRATS

A Look at the Candidates’ Stances on Climate Policy A s the Presidential primaries race into relevance again with the approach of the 2020 election cycle, top contenders are beginning to publish their unique visions for a Post-Trump America. One issue that unequivocally rises to the zeitgeist of US politics is the existential threat of climate change. All candidates intend to attack this issue with a high sense of urgency, however, some call for more drastic policies relative to others.

Though climate change stands as one of the most pressing issues of our time, the politicization of the topic has created mounting gridlock in Washington, resulting in little action. As climate change has increasingly been defined along partisan lines as being a leftwing policy, big business interests have perceived regulations as a threat to their bottom lines. Therefore, large corporations in the oil and natural gas industry actively work to dispute climate science and lobby politicians to stifle government intervention.

players in the fossil fuel industries, although she has stockpiled money from her senate campaign. She has also opposed pipelines such as the Keystone XL due to both environmental impacts and the intrusion of native lands. Her goals include the achievement of domestic zero net emissions through the encouragement of sustainable agricultural practices, incentivizing foreign nations to reduce their emissions and a $1.5 trillion subsidy to ease the consumer transition to clean living. Investments in green research regarding manufacturing and other business-related processes would total $2 trillion under a Warren Administration, initiated through her The Green Apollo Program.

“One issue that unequivocally rises to the zeitgeist of US politics is the existential threat of climate change.�

The frontrunner in the polls as of October 1, former Vice President Joe Biden, has set forth a plan spearheaded by a major investment amounting to approximately 5 trillion dollars combining the public and private sectors to tackle climate change head-on, financed by reversing the Trump tax cuts. By creating over 10 million new, well-paying, clean-energy jobs, a Biden Administration would be well equipped to help at-risk communities and communities of color. On his website, Biden claims he aims to reach 100% clean energy by the year 2050, whereas other candidates are pushing for more ambitious goals outlined by the Green New Deal.

Elizabeth Warren, a progressive Democratic senator from Massachusetts, distances herself from Biden ideologically. She has prided herself on being the first of 18 candidates who have signed the No Fossil Fuel Pledge, declaring that their campaigns will not accept contributions from major

Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist senator from Vermont, has established himself as a proponent of the Green New Deal. Sanders has emphasized the overwhelming impacts of climate change on minorities and other historically disadvantaged groups. His plan includes transitioning energy ownership to the government, the construction of a smart grid, and the declaration of a national emergency regarding the climate crisis. As Sanders would push the economy away from reliance on fossil fuels, he plans to support workers in these industries through safety nets. These aims would be achieved through a 16.3 trillion dollar investment, resulting in the creation of 20 million jobs assisting in the transition toward renewable energy, with the long term goal being renewable energy by 2030 and decarbonization by 2050.

As the candidates continue to fight for the Democratic nomination, their plans will increasingly be revealed through debates and shaped by public opinion, particularly as the climate crisis grows ever more pressing.

Sejal Goud | Grant Hoskins | Jay Keodonexay | Aimee Yan

7

The Right Angle

PERIOD POWER P

Over 90% of people who get periods say they experience symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as bloating, headaches and moodiness

Stigmas Staining History and Underwear Since the Beginning of Time

eriods have always been a subject to avoid at all costs, as many opt to ignore their existence altogether. With the true power of the period cloaked behind the thick veil of stigma and misconception, the struggle to incorporate this taboo into routine discussion remains. The period stigma stems far beyond a soul taboo; its roots remain embedded deeply into heteronormative gender roles and sexism.

Although it’s a natural process in the body, many associate shame, and discomfort with experiencing their period. A Standley Lake sophomore who wished to remain anonymous spoke about her experience getting a period for the first time and the fear associated with that.

“I got my first period when I was in sixth grade, I was 10 [and] nobody had spoken with me about it, leaving me completely unprepared and shocked. I thought I was dying, my only possible solution was that something was wrong with me.”

Adults and adolescents alike struggle to recognize what’s happening when it comes to periods, regarding both symptoms and biological causes.

Sex education in schools is typically abrupt and vague, often failing to spend time conveying the proper information to students.

This same student talked about the shame associated with periods: “People believe that periods are gross or weird and it’s horrible that that’s what we are taught.

I don’t feel comfortable in my own body, I feel like I can’t talk about my period without being shamed, and I feel like I have to agree or I get thrown out there as weird and gross also.”

Information concerning the subject of periods stems from gossip circles rather than a classroom, making distinguishing period facts from fiction impossible. People are afraid of a bodily function because of a lack of education. When an individual doesn’t understand the wonders of their own body, much less someone else’s, an idea is created that is often misunderstanding towards the recipient.

Historically, the concept of periods has been used to justify keeping people from gaining power, using the symptoms caused by them, such as rapid mood swings, to prove that they are too unpredictable to handle high-stress situations.

Everything down to the vocabulary surrounding menstruation adds to these centuries worth of stigmas, including the eventual dubbing as “The Curse” in the 1900’s.

8 October 2019 | Issue 1

As the title suggests, “The Curse” is viewed as something unnatural and disgusting, eventually pressuring people to hide it from their friends and family. Individuals are made to feel uncomfortable in their bodies and the process it endures, thus perpetuating and justifying notions of the inferiority they face.

Many homeless people who experience periods resort to unsanitary practices as they compensate for the lack of sanitary products. As a result, substituting tampons for toilet paper and pads for socks is common.

According to Reuters Health, a study conducted of low-income women in the United States found that nearly 2/3 could not afford to purchase menstrual products the previous year

Destigmatizing periods should be approached constantly, meticulously, and with complete disregard for the flawed logic that has resulted in false information in the first place. As with many issues, ignorance can be pinpointed as the root cause with centuries worth of misguided and baseless speculations continually perpetuating toxic falsities.

However, destigmatizing menstruation and reproductive health, in general, should centralize around allowing people to make informed and responsible decisions regarding their health and body by providing them with the proper resources to do so. This also should include affordable and safe options through which to maintain suitable health and hygiene. Education surrounding periods needs to be inclusive and respectful of each individual’s experience and focus on accurate and relevant information, rather than stereotypes.

On average, a person only loses about 60 milliliters, or 2.7 ounces, of blood during each period

Experienced by many all around the globe, periods are a normal bodily function that has been shunted to the background due to its bloody past and a refusal to change its perception in the present. Take India for example. In India, women and girls aren’t allowed in the kitchen or to cook food while on their period since some people believe it will cause food to go bad or rot. In Bangladesh, they have to bury their menstrual clothes because if they don’t they believe it will attract evil spirits.

Across the world, an estimated 100 million young people lack access to adequate menstrual products

| Kylie Rold | Bridget Ronning | Riley Ruff

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN- damental rights

Suppo

rt yo Sister ur s N ot ju st yo u r cis-te rs

The Future is Female

Acccording to a Rochester Institute of Technology report, the average person uses between 12,000 and 15,000 pads, tampons, and panty liners over their lifetime

WHY IS TEEN HUMOR SO DARK? Because of the Problems You Are Creating For Us

O

h nO, AnOtHeR sChOoL sHoOtInG! Growing up as members of Generation Z, humor has been the go-to reaction for events that make us uncomfortable. With their ever growing access to the internet, social media platforms such as Reddit, Instagram, and Tumblr have flourished because of users’ abilities to comment on issues facing the society in a comical way.

Generation Z is surrounded by the constant reminder of traumatizing events such as mass shootings, climate change, and politics while being told they need to do something about it now.

For Generation Z, humor enables youth to find a positive side to an otherwise terrible situation.

As the newest generation continues to grow into young adults, and eventually adults, the amount of pressure for them to change past generations’ mistakes increases, and the only way they know how to release that stress is through jokes. The generation has also found a way to come together through these events and the posts that follow.

Meme accounts have used dark humor to get more followers, and those followers are sharing those posts on their own pages. All of these events can lead to extra stress, and humor allows us to release the pessimism that increases each day. For some people, laughing is their natural response to bad news, so seeing memes on the internet about the bad news gives them a way to connect to others that have the same reaction as they do.

But this is their way of coping, and generations before us don’t understand it. Generation Z is not taken seriously because all that is put out onto social media by them is jokes about issues and people forget that they are actively trying to clean up the mess that past generations have created for us.

If you go on the internet you will find endless memes with dark humor on any new sensitive subjects, and when you see these “memes,” you will also find a news article written by someone who is not in Gen-Z talking about how insensitive it is, and how it is only making the problem worse.

The worst part of these coping mechanisms Generation Z use, is that no one approves of them, sometimes not even their own generation. Other than jokes on tragic events such as school shootings, there are many “memes” that focus on serious subjects that other members of Gen-Z deal with, such as jokes about sexism or involving situations and members of the LGBTQ community. When people see these “memes” on their social media feed, they think to themselves, “Wow, these kids really think that is funny? Our country really is falling apart”.

That’s not the case. When you really think about it, using humor to cope and destress is good in how it allows us to deal with the problems, and even better when Gen- Z uses platforms such as social media to share these coping mechanisms, because they are able to connect with other people through it. This generation understands how sensitive and important these issues really are, and many Gen-Z members are standing up and fighting against these issues. At the same time, everyone needs a way to destress, and in the world today, it seems there is no other way to do so but laugh about it.

“As the newest generation continues to grow into young adults, and eventually adults, the amount of pressure for them to change past generations’ mistakes increases, and the only way they know how to release that stress is through jokes.”

| Anthony Hill | Macy Mohlenkamp

9

The Right Angle

Standley Lake’s Play: The Realm

S

tandley’s take on the dystopian drama, The Realm, by Sarah Myers, follows two teenagers, Kansas and James, as they struggle to preserve both their friendship and their identity in an excessively stifling society. The pair can only rely on each other as they strive to reject the toxic regime. The story juggles defiance, repression, and friendship in a chilling exploration of the power of language, and its ability to forge new worlds. Wesley Woodcock ‘20, a longtime participant in Standley’s theatre program, weights in on the challenging tale while expressing his palpable excitement.

“I am excited about the ability to explore drama as opposed to just humor,” Woodcock said. “We’ve done a lot of dramas in the past and this one specifically is so different. This is a weird play but it’s really powerful and moving.”

The play alternates between the thrilling escape from the plastic-coated, slogan-filled society and a woman, ostracized and alone, thrown to the outskirts of civilization with only scraps of words to defend herself. This play offered a new facet of drama to Standley Lake’s theatre scene and Mrs. Reed, a longtime educator and mentor of the performing arts, describes this year’s edition as interesting and different.

“This play is set in the future where there is a water shortage and people have moved to live in underground tunnels and so our set design is completely new and unique,” Reed said.

Students have worked diligently to ensure the successful production of the drama-filled presentation, creating underground set designs and embracing individual characters as well as stylistic fine points. Emily Isaacson ‘20 expressed that there are also more difficult aspects when creating the new world and characters of the play, however, there are also positive moments as well.

10 October 2019 | Issue 1

“Memorizing all of the stuff is pretty difficult, I actually have to spend a lot more time working on my lines because it’s in one ear and out the others some days,” Isaacson said.

“The cast this year is incredible though, it’s great because everyone is nice to each other [and] accepting. The people are great and fun to be around I love going to [rehearsal] everyday.

This year’s cast list includes: Student Director: Autumn Baker ‘21 Kansas: Emily Isaacson ‘20 James: Wesley Woodcock ‘20 Laura: Amelia Carlblom ‘21 Mr. Father: Ezekial Reyna ‘20 Mrs. Mother: Shelby Iverson ‘20 Ms. Analyst: Robyn Darnell ‘22 Ensemble: Marcus Rubin ‘22, Jasmine James ‘22, Alisyn Arnone ‘22, Kylee Allen ‘23, Alec Main ‘20, Maddie Castillo ‘21, Payton Halverson ‘23, Deziree Smith ‘22.

“We have never done a dystopian drama here at Standley Lake. When I announced the play to the students at auditions, they were really excited, they love the word dystopian. Certainly, they read a lot of dystopian fiction,” says Reed. “Just the fact that we’re doing something completely different is really exciting and the kids have really embraced it.” | Amelia Carlblom | Sarah Hoskins | Bridget Ronning

STYLES AT STANDLEY

11

The Right Angle

CROSS COUNTRY CLOUT This Year’s Team Dominates Like Never Before S

tarting off the season strong, the Gator Cross Country team is already making waves at competitions.

With a large senior presence on the team, there’s a lot to look forward to this season and a lot to be proud of already.

The team began the season with two back-to-back meets, a new challenge for everyone.

Following strong performances there, the next chance to compete was on home turf at the Gator Invite where the boys took 12th and girls took 3rd. This was followed by a span of eight days during which the team competed in four meets, performing well above the coaches’ expectations at all of them.

Kade Gannon ‘22

One of the most exciting

parts of this particular season was the trip to Arizona for Nike Desert Twilight, a highly competitive meet drawing hundreds of teams from across the US. After considering going for the last few years, the team finally committed and the girls came away with a first place trophy in the Championship race, the boys took 25th in the Varsity race, and the Gators also took home five individual medals for those placing in the top twenty in their respective races.

The team has their eyes set on bringing home a banner at leagues this year, especially because Standley Lake will host the Jeffco League Meet. It serves as a final hurrah for the seniors to race on the home course one last time, and a celebration before the team turns their focus to placing at regionals, qualifying for state, and placing better than last year’s performance of 12th for the girls and 18th for the boys.

These successes spawn out of a bottom-up mentality and creating an encouraging environment for everyone on the team. Since each athlete starts at a different fitness level, it can be challenging to create cohesion among so many skill levels but this part is integral to the success of the team. For Ryley Darnell ‘20, the new runners propel the team to heights.

Lucy Stienmier ‘21

Sejal Goud ‘21

Julianne Pelletier and Kaitlyn Pierce ‘20 12 October 2019 | Issue 1

“The new group definitely has this energy and fire which I think is really cool. They’re coming in here with this fresh feel and shaking up the team a little bit,” Darnell said.

Beyond the performance oriented successes, the team is working

Timothy Shivers ‘23

to improve runners’ mental ability to keep pushing when it gets tough and on promoting a team dynamic in which everyone feels supported. Aspen Tolman ‘20, said the team dynamic of the sport helped her find a passion for it.

“I can’t run 10 miles every day and some people can’t run a mile every day—it just depends on where you are at. Honestly, I’d join it for the chocolate milk and the team [bonding] days and having fun,” Tolman said.

Jeremy Kregar ‘20, agrees with Tolman, stating that, “I want us to be able to go out on a team dinner and everyone is laughing and having a good time and it’s not so...sectioned off.”

For Kregar, a journey that started as a way to make friends has blossomed into a success story. Once a slow runner, he has earned a captain position and become one of the fastest members of the team.

“I’ve been one of the slowest kids on the team so I bring a good sense of being able to relate because I had never run before I got to high school… so I can relate to the kid who hasn’t run a mile in his life who is just deciding to come out and do it,” Kregar said.

Running is a mentally and physically challenging sport and competing at the level the gator cross country team does can be exhausting but being part of the team makes it all worth it. It’s been a good run and the team is prepared to finish it out strong, wishing the seniors all the best as they take what they’ve learned through running and use it beyond the end of this season. | Grant Hoskins | Kaitlyn Pierce

Sophie Abernethy ‘21

SETH’S LEGACY

IN HONOR OF SETH STRICKLAND

O

n May 1st at 2:11 pm, Standley Lake lost an important member of our community. Seth Strickland passed away after 18 years of battling Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA. Seth was a kind, joyful and determined student who enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. Seth reached out to whoever he could and made new friends wherever he went—whether it was a teacher, student, teammate or a stranger, Seth had the unique ability to make anyone smile. His sister, Madeline (Kaela) Smith remembers how infectious his positivity was.

“He was always happy. When he had a rough day, it was a rough day. But he was always happy...He was always able to see the good side in everything,” Smith said.

SMA is a genetic disease affecting the part of the nervous system that allows muscle movement. This resulted in Seth living in a wheelchair; However, Seth never let this affect the way he lived his life.

“Seth always said that if he wasn’t in a wheelchair he would be playing soccer or basketball. He dreamed of being a statistician for sports and coaching his own team,” Smith said.

As the Manager for the Boys’ Soccer team, Seth dedicated himself completely to the position. Sawyer Bundgaard, Captain of the Boys’ Soccer, remembers how committed Seth was to the team.

“Seth was really dedicated, more dedicated than any of the rest of us. He’d show up every day for soccer, even if he wasn’t going to play just because he wanted to be there more than anyone else,” Bundgaard said.

The little things seem to be the most important memories his loved ones have.

“I always saw him in the hallway and it was always fun to just jump on the back of his scooter car and ride around the school. He was just a great guy,” Bundgaard said.

Kaela still misses going to lunch with her brother every day. Seth made every moment count and all the little moments became a big collection of wonderful memories.

The boys’ soccer team is still remembering Seth by raising money for SMA. His sister, Kaela Smith is also remembering Seth through soccer by taking on the role of team manager. She wears his jersey every game day.

Seth Strickland, without a doubt, left an indelible impact on our community and touched the hearts of many. He fiercely loved his parents, siblings, friends, teammates, and teachers. He taught us that the only thing that can stop you in life is yourself. Seth’s life was by no means perfect, but he made each and every day worth it.

He lived more in 18 years, more than most do with SMA. Seth will always and forever be remembered at Standley Lake High School. | Kiana Miska | Aimee Yan

13

Short-Form

FAR FROM HOME Giving a Voice to the Immigrant Experience

I

n 1995, my mother immigrated from Poland—a country of crumbling politics and oppressive ideals— with only a backpack and her ambition to succeed.

Not even a year later, she had enough money to bring my brother and father over. They might have escaped Communism and a failing economy, but the strong reach of oppression followed them across the Atlantic and into their new lives.

At six years old, I realized that my parents were not Americans. We were citizens, but we weren’t a part of this country; we were foreigners in this community of BBQ block parties and celebrations of patriotism. We lived from paycheck to paycheck, keeping the wolves from our door. Our livelihood was a game of surviving the month and ignoring the omnipresent bigotry against our family.

As a child, I felt as if we didn’t belong - foreign aliens playing the part of an American. My mother was relentless in her pursuit of financial stability, working long hours and enduring racist employers. Even though she missed choir recitals and sport competitions, she did it for us. My father strived to provide me with an education, burning the midnight oil to make sure I could afford to go to a good school. I didn’t get to see him that often, but I always knew he was there, working for us.

They walked with their heads high, through the humiliating insults, the degrading, malicious comments, the constant fear of falling behind. They lived in an idea,

14 October 2019 | Issue 1

chasing a dream that kept getting farther and farther away from them. But nonetheless, they dreamed.

The years went on and the pit became more shallow, a sky that looked so far away before now looked close enough to touch. However, the bar set by our parents was not. High expectations grew into tension, and tension boiled into an emotion incomprehensible by the rest of our peers. School was a competition to be first and best, sports were gateways into a future we couldn’t afford, and the idea of doing something “just for fun” was just as unfamiliar as we were.

My brother and I survived a different war, hanging by threads woven from another culture. We spoke English at school and Polish at home. There was a distinct barrier between our real lives and the ones we created to fit in.

By the time my brother and I realized our mistake, it was too late. We had designed two different lives with very different goals. From our clothes to our voices, we were living in the same idea our parents had.

My brother left for college, the leftovers of his Polish heritage trailing behind him. I took the pieces of his moving on and made my own destiny, my own ambitions.

In 2019, my parents are pursuing a different path, separately. The American dream remains a fantasy, a fictional ambition that continues to linger in our desires.

There is no longer the strain of survival, but the fight is not over. | Maya Merta

THE NEW FRONTIER Love and Opportunity in a New Country

M

y mother’s voice always had a certain serenity in it, a ring that was benevolent and sweet, yet misunderstood in a land remote—unacknowledging of the baggage she carried under her drowsy eyes and in her wistful heart.

Today was the day my mother, Mariana, would leave behind the only world she’s ever known to give me an opportunity of a better life, a life she was never able to grasp herself.

Alone on a plane of foreign whispers and alone in new surroundings, my mother immigrated to Orlando, Florida in 2003 by using the green card lottery. This is known as the “golden ticket” to immigrants for straightforward entry into the U.S. with 50,000 immigrant visas granted annually.

After arriving, she gave birth to me, the absence of her loved ones as a woeful reminder that this was not going to be easy.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, my mother’s home country of Moldova was left to fend for itself. With inflation and poverty rising, desolation was devouring a nation. My mom used to have to battle through crowds of snarling people with empty stomachs just to get a loaf of bread. She had to fight for the privileges that Americans take for granted everyday.

I experienced this revelation for myself when I went with my parents to Moldova for an entire month during

the summer of 2016. It had been over seven years since my mother or I had been back there. Every month my mom sends my Aunt Victoria money to help her pay for an apartment, food, and caring for my cousin, Artur, amidst a broken economy. Victoria only makes $250 US dollars a month, while the average American makes $2,750 per month. We stayed with her during our time on Moldova.

Although I had actually lived there from the time I was around 10 months old up until around 3 years old with my father and grandparents, I never fully assimilated into Moldova’s culture. A shattered world of muffled chaos with remnants of crumbling towers was never home to me.

My mother inspires me everyday because she has come a long way on her own. She never wanted me to endure the same obstacles she had to survive through. When I really sit and ponder I find it peculiar that my life could be so drastically different. Who would I be? Would I pursue the same interests I have now? If my mother didn’t make that journey I would still be living in Moldova. I wouldn’t have the same extensive amount of opportunities that America provides. Everyone deserves a chance at a more irradiant future.

I still come from the same aching blood of tenacious women. This strength has been instilled within me and circulates throughout my body; I have hope that this prosperity my mother fought for will become a reality in this new frontier. | Jane Ababei

15

16 October 2019 | Issue 1

NO PLANET B Breaking Down Climate Change & What Can Be Done

Although perhaps one of the most relevant and time-sensitive narratives to portray, the situation surrounding the climate is often overlooked in popular media, in politics. and in the corporate agenda. As the next generation who will inherit the Earth, the responsibility to avoid climate catastrophe falls onto students and young people. Living in a landlocked state, it can be difficult to envision the ways in which climate change impacts the daily life of a Coloradoan. Scientific findings often focus on the negative impacts of climate change on coastal regions, rather than that of areas far removed from the ocean. Recent resurgence of the climate movement has helped to convey the severity of the issue; national and international organizations backed by people of all ages are leading the charge to incite change on a political and social cultural level.

G

reenhouse gases. Global Warming. Pollution. All of these words are so often tossed around to describe the various issues plaguing the planet. These terms can be so easily misconstrued and warped in their general understanding even though each refers to a small part of a bigger whole: the destruction of the environment. Climate change is an expansive umbrella that incorporates a wide variety of interconnected issues that all impact the planet.

Global warming is a term to describe the process in which fossil fuels are burned, and subsequently, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are energy sources that are finite in their amount and must be extracted from the Earth and refined to be used. This extraction process not only releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect, but damage the ecosystems and communities surrounding them. The gasses trap heat, ultimately causing the average surface temperature of the planet to increase. This warming and its subsequent impacts can be defined as climate change. Such warming negatively impacts the land, sea, and air integral to life. Over the past 20 years, the impacts of climate change have become more and more evident throughout the world. Increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, increased rates of species extinction, polar ice melt, and widespread evidence of pollution are all evidence of such changes.

Russ Schumacher, state climatologist since 2017, director of the Colorado Climate Center and associate professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, emphasizes the importance of broadening our perspectives to include a larger world view.

“I think we all have the tendency to focus on the here-and-now, and what’s happening in our own neighborhood or city or state. [It] requires a willingness to take a bigger-picture perspective,

not just focusing locally or in the present, but on effects that are happening to people all around the world, and will in all likelihood only continue to get worse.”

Although Colorado may not have direct access to an ocean, the state as a whole relies heavily on snowmelt to avoid drought every summer. The increasing impacts of climate change have the potential to reduce snowfall and thus runoff to the point where Colorado could face detrimental and irreversible drought.

“If we focus on Colorado, the biggest concern is going to be related to water. If, as is projected, [our] population continues to grow significantly, and we [could] end up having a bad multi-year drought,” Schumacher said.

The impacts of climate change disregard any arbitrary border humans have denoted; regardless of the someones location, the effects of climate change will inevitably be felt. The implications don’t just stop with humans, either. Biodiversity, the variety of species living in a specific area that make up an ecosystem, is also at risk, particularly in areas that host a large array of life such as the rainforests.

Miranda Glasbergen, a volunteer with 350 Colorado, a climate advocacy organization, talked about the gravity of the situation and its implications on wildlife. “[A] United Nations report released in May projects that one million species on the planet are at risk of extinction from the combined effects of climate change, habitat loss and invasive species, among other things. Quite apart from the heartbreak of losing so much biodiversity, just think how the loss of so many species would threaten our food and water security. That should be enough to keep anyone focused on the urgency of finding solutions.”

17

Small Changes, Big Impact Social media has contributed greatly to the development and spread of information about living more sustainably and intentionally being more environmentally conscious.

From simple swaps to full dietary changes, there are a variety of ways any individual can take action to reduce their carbon footprint.

Reusable bags have been commonplace in society for years and continue to be a simple way to reduce the waste an individual produces on a daily basis. According to Reuse This Bag, the estimated life of a plastic bag is 12 minutes; 12 minutes between when groceries are placed it into when it is discarded. That same plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill. Cities across the United States have implemented plastic bag bans, with California, Hawaii, and New York banning them on a state-wide level. These bans are only the beginning in implementing legislation to protect natural areas and the species that inhabit them.

Although it has the potential to be an outlet for the spread of false information and negativity, social media can be instrumental in raising awareness for environmental initiatives. #stopsucking took social media by storm, urging people to ditch plastic straws in favor of their metal alternatives.

The movement was successful in raising awareness for the dangers plastic poses to

marine life; however, the message that there are bigger, more prominent problems plaguing the planet outside of straws can be overshadowed by smaller issues.

The idea of zero waste has been around for almost 20 years and steadily evolved from a movement incited by recycling activists to something people from all walks of life have adapted to fit their lifestyles. Now, the movement has transitioned from one of recycling to one of reducing waste in the first place. From people on Instagram sharing photos of their mason jars and reusable straws to students here at SLHS, each individual has the capacity to make a difference in the movement.

Polly Torian ‘22 shared her experience with Zero Waste and her motivation for starting zero waste. “[The] whole climate change thing stresses me out immensely, especially with pollution [and] the fact that no one’s really doing [anything]. I figured that I’m gonna at least contribute as little [waste] as possible...

[Every] piece of plastic you use is still out there.”

These movements are crucial for raising awareness about human impacts on the

environment and its inhabitants, as well as providing simple ways for people to reduce their environmental impact. Many students have begun integrating different aspects of environmentally conscious movements into their everyday life. Students are using metal straws, reusable water bottles, and beginning to bring reusable tumblers to their favorite coffee shops. Other students have made the switch to zero waste products and have gotten their friends involved too.

“[The] whole climate change [crisis] stresses me out immensely. I figured that I’m gonna at least contribute as little [waste] as possible... [Every] piece of plastic you use is still out there,” Torian said.

20% of the Earth’s oxygen comes from the

Amazon Rainforest 18 October 2019 | Issue 1

Power to the Students

Standley Lake Students at the Strike

Katie Brunk ‘20 and Emmy Lewan ‘20 at the Climate Strike on September 20th Perhaps the most accessible avenue for students to be involved with climate activism is the climate strikes. Started and spread by Greta Thumberg, a 16 year old from Sweden, students across the world rally in front of their capitol buildings and march through their cities nearly every Friday.

And have been for over a year.

The culmination of over a year’s worth of youth mobilization and activism was realized during The Global Climate Strike that took place on September 20th. The strike was the largest gathering of people demanding climate action in history, with 4 million people worldwide coming together to advocate and rally around the cause of climate action. The strike in Denver had over 7,500 people in attendance, including a number of Standley Lake students, marching down 16th Street and rallying on the steps of the Capitol Building. One student, Emmy Lewan ‘20, talked about the atmosphere of the event.

“It was really encouraging to see so many people trying to make a difference, instead of the pessimism that overrides everything any other time I think about climate change,” Lewan said.

These movements were not started by adults; they were started by students who had a vision of what needed to be done and were passionate enough to make it happen.

The voices of young people are often disenfranchised in politics and business, and overlooked by those in charge. The strikes offer a mechanism for students to be involved and work towards creating real change on a national.

Lewan offered advice for any student who wants to get involved in the climate movement, but is unsure how.

“Start with research, have a reason why you are supporting these changes, know what the issues are and try to make your own personal difference by supporting sustainability and reducing your waste,” Lewan said.

Attending strikes is not the only way to participate in climate advocacy; it can start with something as simple as refusing single waste plastic or educating a fellow student about a certain climate issue. As the necessity to take initiative regarding the global climate crisis increasingly falls into the hands of youth, it is important to understand why.

“Today’s youth are likely to see and experience the worst impacts of the climate emergency first hand, by the simple fact that they will live long enough to see the scientists’ prognoses come true. Youth have everything to lose, and everything to gain by creating a more equitable, more sustainable world with a chance for a stable climate,” explained Glasbergen.

19

CLIMATE CHANGE

BY THE NUMBERS

July 2019

The

was, globally, the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

concluded that there’s

hottest

scientists predict that there will be

that human activities over the past 50 years have warmed the Earth

more plastic than fish

in the ocean.

99% of plastic is produced using

fossil fuels

95% chance

The concentration

of CO2 in

Earth’s atmospere is higher than it has

been in 3

million years

Arctic Sea ice was recorded to be

726,000 square miles below

20 October 2019 | Issue 1

2

By 2050,

over a

CO

month ever recorded

the previous 30 years’ average.

What you can do to help Often times, saving the planet is perceived to be a daunting task that can only be completed by one singular individual. This misconception has the potential to prevent people from taking the smaller actions in their daily lives. Change requires a collaboration between people from all backgrounds and walks of life; however, while governments continue to overlook the gravity of the situation, initiative must originate from grassroots movements.

“[There] are a lot of different ways that people can make a difference depending on their capabilities or expertise or experience, but we can all talk about it and keep this subject as an important topic of conversation,” Schumacher says.

Each individual taking smaller-scale action to reduce their waste, take public transportation, or support sustainable businesses all converges to eventually incite change on a large scale. The global organizations and movements occuring would be impossible without the local and individual activism occuring on interpersonal and communal levels.

With the urgency to make a change that increases everyday, many don’t realize the simple things they can do to help. While not everyone has the opportunity to eliminate single-use plastics from their lives and using one’s voice to speak out about climate change is not an opportunity afforded to everyone, most people can instead vote with their dollar.

Purchasing from companies that are certified in their environmental commitments such as B-corporations can also be a simple way to promote climate health. In addition, avoiding those which practice ‘greenwashing’, in which a company makes false claims regarding the eco-friendliness of a product.

Bringing reusable shopping bags and produce bags to the grocery store and swapping plastic dog waste bags for biodegradable ones all cut down the amount of wasted plastic. Choosing bamboo toothbrushes in-

stead of plastic ones or a shampoo bar over liquid shampoo are other great ways to reduce plastic consumption. Transitioning to a partial vegetarian or vegan diet is the single greatest way to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint, as the agriculture industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. When dining out, bringing a reusable container in which to pack away leftovers can also have immense benefits for the planet, as traditional takeout boxes are often lined with plastic and can be slow to decompose.

Climate change is a massive issue that, if not acted upon, will continue to have detrimental and irreversible impacts across the globe. Although daunting, there are a variety of things each individual can do to make an impact. From simple swaps to taking part in climate strikes, each individual has the capacity to make a difference. Get educated, have conversations and take action; no change is too small and it is only together that the climate crisis can be reversed. | Sejal Goud | Sarah Hesser | Anthony Hill Maya Merta | Kaylynn Tran Macy Mohlenkamp | Riley Ruff

21

LIGHTS IN THE SKY

A Culture of Extraterrestrial Belief

L

ife outside of Earth has long been a topic of debate and discussion; if it exists, the form it takes, and what impact it might have on human history. As things stand, there are no definitive answers to these questions, because there is no certainty as to the existence of alien life. Regardless of the lack of certainty, there is still a community of belief that life exists; that belief has in itself has had an impact on the world.

Countless people have seen what they believe to be aliens, claiming to see spots in the sky, or a few even claiming to be abducted. Most of these sightings are focused around unidentified flying objects, commonly referred to as UFOs, which many believe to be alien spaceships. Claims of alien sightings have been recorded throughout history but rose in frequency throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.

22 October 2019 | Issue 1

Some of these stories come from a place called the UFO Watchtower, a hub for alien belief in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. The Watchtower’s owner Judy Messoline described her first experience with the extraterrestrial.

been phenomenal results from people just asking for people asking for help. So I don’t care if its aliens, angels, or God himself that helps people, it’s good.”

But above all else, the tower is a place where alien believers and those open-minded to the possibility of life beyond Earth gather to gaze up at the sky. The tower has become a pseudo repository for sighting stories. A book held in the tower contains handwritten stories and photos taken and brought by visitors to were so high up the watchtower. Many sightings have been made at the watchtower itself over the years, seen at varif she [a guest at the tower] ious points over the day and night by both visitors, hadn’t pointed them out I and Messoline herself.

“[The UFO,] I call it a cigar-shaped, it was narrow, really long, and went zip like that. (Messoline quickly dragged her finger in a line across the sky) It was eleven o’clock at night.” Messoline added, “We had over a dozen people, and everybody saw it, which makes it nice because then you know you’re ‘‘[The UFOs] not hallucinating.”

Messoline’s watchtower has been the host of alien sightings for over 19 years, having opened Memorial Day, 2000. Before becoming an alien watchtower, the property started as Messoline’s cattle ranch; but after four years of struggling with her cattle and the barren terrain, she had to sell the herd.

“I was working at the gas station up in Hooper and one of the farmers was in one day and I told him, I said I’ve got all that land, now what’ll I do? And he said ‘You need to put up that UFO watchtower, you’d have fun.’ Well, I’ve had fun. What do you say, I’ve had fun. That’s how it got started.” Messoline mentioned.

wouldn’t have seen them.

Teeny tiny dots, there was one here and one here (Messoline pointed at two points in the sky) and they were moving really fast towards the north, but all of a sudden the one in the front stopped and it waited for the one behind to catch up, and when that one caught up, the two of them took off and there was a streak of light across the sky,” - Judy Messoline

Since it’s opening, the watchtower has attracted thousands of visitors, averaging 1500 visitors a month throughout the summer. The watchtower has also grown to include a ‘garden.’ After multiple psychics have claimed to see portals around the watchtower, a garden was created as a way to give people a space to meditate and think. In the garden, visitors are encouraged to leave small trinkets or parts of themselves to become a part of the garden, so that the energy of the supposed portals is carried with them.

This garden has, regardless of genuine psychic energy, become something magical; hundreds of objects, from beer cans, hand-scrawled notes, and old I.D. cards, to clothing, jewelry, handcrafted pieces of art, and awards and trophies have been left throughout the garden, all by different visitors, slowly gathering over the years.

Messoline noted that “The other thing that the psychic said was that there are two large beings here who protect the entrances to the vortexes, but they are also here to help.” continuing, “There have

T

he following is a direct transcript of an interview with Judy Messoline, owner of the UFO Watch Tower located just outside of Hooper, Colorado, in the infamous San Louis Valley.

Do you believe in the existance of extrateresstrial life?

JM

I definitely believe there is something out there besides us, there has to be. This cosmo’s just too huge for there not to be other intelligent life. So I guess the answer is yes.

Why do you think there has been a rise of people who are becoming more comfortable with sharing the idea and belief in UFOs? JM

I think they want something better than what we have. And… and like I sit out here daily saying ‘beam me outta this place, Scotty I’ve had enough.’ But the American people… they’re something.

They are something. They um, most of it’s been the younger generation. They’ve been into it more so than the older people, and yet the older generation, when you ask them if they’ve ever seen anything, most of them say yes. So, I don’t know. I don’t know.

Besides sightings, there are a number of reasonings for people’s belief in aliens, but a couple of main theories always seem to arise. Some of the theories are straightforward, crop circles and geoglyphs, which are symbols only visible from the sky, are theorized to be messages to and from aliens. Some theories are less straightforward, such as the cattle mutilation theories; theories that state that cattle killed in unusual circumstances are the work of aliens. But one of the simplest reasons for alien belief is also among the most common.

“I definitely believe there is something out there besides us, there has to be.” Messoline said, “This cosmo’s just too huge for there not to be other intelligent life.”

This idea was echoed by Paige Lindemann, class of 2021 who said, “They [aliens] have to be real; like we can’t be the only things in the universe that like lives like we do.”

Stereotypical belief in aliens involves little green men, flying saucers, and abducting humans to study them, however, a significant amount of alien believers have a more reserved set of beliefs. In the search for life beyond Earth, nothing conclusive has been found; but there have been discoveries of planets where conditions for life could exist. NASA has found evidence of multiple planets similar to Earth’s size in the habitable zone around stars, and theorize there could be billions of these planets throughout the galaxy, many of them hospitable to life. This creates a scientific basis for life outside in the wider universe, of course, no one knows.

Do you believe that aliens have previously visted the Earth?

JM I think they’ve been to Earth. I honestly do. And not just in this day and age, they’ve been here for eons so… I feel they’re in a different dimension than we are, and therefore they can pop in and out of worlds. That’s what I think.

What’s the message or what do you hope people take home from here whether they come in believing, come not believing, what do you hope people get out of this?

JM Um, I hope they remember it and I hope they remember it with an open mind, and um and I hope that it is help helped some, you know? There’s so many people that need help and and I want them to take from here the energies that will help them.

So what’s your mission with this place? Is it just to give people a place or?

JM “Its to educate. Education. I want them to come in and and look at all the material with an open mind and then they can make up their own mind, is it real or is it not?.

23

Even if life exists, it might only be at a microbial level. A number of scientists theorize that life may even exist within the solar system, on a moon orbiting Jupiter, Europa. The surface is inhospitable, but many believe life exists in a subsurface ocean; this potential life is most likely no more than bacteria, but would still be the first discovery of life outside of Earth. Believing that aliens exist in some form is no longer a very controversial standpoint, believing that aliens visited Earth is where the controversy starts.

“I think that it is likely that another life exists in the universe besides just us,’’ Mrs. Cassady, a Science teacher at SLHS said “As far as whether they visited the Earth, I’m not convinced they have” It has been apparent in the belief that aliens have partaken in many different aspects of human history and it’s accomplishments. Different people may believe in different things but the belief in aliens has influenced religion, monuments, history, space, and culture across the world. One of the places where alien belief is most ingrained in culture is the U.S. American fascination with aliens has existed for a long time, with some early settlers describing UFOs. But alien fascination in the United States really started gaining traction in 1947 following the Roswell incident; when an unknown object which the government claimed to be a weather balloon, and which some speculate to be an alien spaceship crashed in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico.

Since then, American culture has been fixated on alien existence, with aliens appearing as a staple of both media and local culture. According to polls done by Insider and Newsweek, belief in aliens is relatively common with anywhere from one in five to one in three Americans believing that aliens have visited Earth. This speaks to how ingrained UFOs and extraterrestrials are in contemporary American folklore.

Fascination with aliens has persisted and grown over the years, creating a rich culture of belief and speculation on their existence. Alien culture doesn’t easily conform to a single belief set but instead takes a different form based on the beliefs and ideas of each person who believes. Often belief in aliens is seen as being in opposition to other belief systems, such as religious beliefs, but the belief in aliens doesn’t necessarily exist in opposition to other belief systems.

One Watchtower employee, Candace Knowlan add-

ed, “Don’t put a lid on your God. If you believe God created everything including you and including all of this, why didn’t He create that [the aliens]?”

A recent rise in the discussion of alien culture can be attributed to the proposed ‘raid’ on Area 51, an air force base is located in Lincoln County, Nevada. Area 51 has become iconic in it’s associations to alien life, but the idea that Area 51 held alien life first emerged in 1989, after Bob Lazar, a man who claimed on a Nevada radio show to work at Area 51 described alien technology supposedly held at the base.

After the now-infamous interview, his credibility was debunked with it being found that he had never worked at a military installation, and he had never attended the colleges he claimed to have degrees from. Regardless of his credibility, the conspiracy that aliens are held there has remained.

As millions of people pledged on Facebook to attend the raid, and thousands more planned to go to Alienstock, a festival celebrating the event in the nearby town of Rachel, Nevada; many worried that the event would be disastrous.

Rachel, a town with a population of around 50 people, warned that they did not have the facilities, or the desire to host these Area 51 raiders. This mixed with warnings from the US military caused many individuals ingrained in the alien culture to have attempted to distance themselves from the army of meme-lords planning on naruto running their way into Area 51.

“What can I say, it’s a big mistake you know? Area 51 has been going for how many years?” Messoline said, “if they [the raid attendees] go beyond what they’re supposed to, I think they’re going to regret it.”

When the raid occurred, only a small number of people attended, with between 50-150 people outside the gates of the facility at its height. These individuals held picket signs demanding the truth but didn’t actually attempt to illegally enter the government military base. There have been no reported arrests for individuals trespassing on the base, although there was one arrest for public urination. Most of the excitement was at the Alienstock festival held in the nearby town of Rachel. An estimated 3,000 people gathered, and with a relatively small number of both attendants and arrests during the festival, it went relatively smooth.

The event was not the humanitarian crisis many had feared; due to planning by the festival’s organizers and the Rachel’s sheriff, there were sufficient resources for the event. However, in the wake of the festival, the town was left swamped in trash from the festival, which according to Rachel’s website, was left to blow over the valley.

There may never be a definitive answer to if extraterrestrial life has visited Earth, and there’s just as much uncertainty if life exists outside of Earth at all. Regardless of this lack of definitive information around the subject, the belief in alien life has been a monumental part of history and a mainstay within culture. The community of alien believers offers a fascinating insight not only into the possibility of the cosmos but the realities found in human society as well.

24 October 2019 | Issue 1

| Ben Bird| Brooklyn Galba | Sarah Hoskins| | Jenna Kirschenbaum| Emelia Phillips| Megan White|

Roswell, 1947

Outside of Roswell, New Mexico, a rancher discovered unidentifiable debris in his sheep pasture. Officials from the local Air Force base claimed it was a crashed weather balloon, but many believed it was the remains of an extraterrestrial aircraft.

Project Blue Book, 1948-1969

An Air Force oriented project which investigated reports of UFO sightings between the late 40s and 60s. The project was defunded in 1969 and no further investigations have been known to be made sense.

Lubbock Lights, 1951

In Lubbock, Texas, three respected men of science saw about 30 luminous beads race across the sky in a 30 degree arc. 12 more accounts were made by th same men between August and November.

Tehran, 1976

In Tehran, Iran, an F-4 fighter jet was sent out to investigate reports of bright lights in the sky. As it neared the object, its instruments blacked out. A second F-4 took its place and experienced similar equipment failure.

Iran then contacted the United States to further investigate.

Newton Ligts, 1987

On a clear May night in Newton, Connectitcut, a man named Randy Etting looked in the sky to find orange and red lights. Within an hour of his sighting, over 200 people reported a UFO sighting.

25 25

The LGBTQ+ Story The One Where We All Come Out

The LGBTQ+ community, historically pushed to the margins of society, has been brought to the center of attention exponentially more in recent years, particularly since the beginning of the internet. Sometimes negative, disrespectful, and unaccepting—but other times, nothing short of powerful, positive, and loving.

Despite the endless backlash the community has faced, LGBTQ+ people have never stopped existing.

Teachers can play one of the most influential roles in one’s high school career.

Apart from their main goal of helping students achieve academic success, teachers have the power to facilitate copious amounts of personal growth. The struggles teachers have faced in their own lives make them the best-suited mentors for guiding teens to work through their own experiences. This is especially true with LGBTQ+ teens, who often are unable to open up about their issues with their family. Having teachers who are willing to talk to students about the hard parts of life can be transformative for teens who are struggling.

Mr. Long, a new teacher at Standley Lake who identifies as a queer trangender male, described his struggles with his gender identity as a teenager, how being a teacher has impacted him, and how his openness has impacted the students as well as how the students have impacted him.

Although he was focused on his studies most of his life, Long has also found ways to get involved with his local LGBT community, such as being part of The Mile High Freedom Band, a 35 year old concert marching band that began in a time when other community bands refused admittance to LGBT people. Long emphasized that his involvement with them has been a great experience.

“Growing up is hard for everyone, but I think for me, one of the things that made it hard was trying to transition at the same time... It’s important for young people to be exposed to a lot of different people while they’re growing up.” Long said, continuing “But, knowing students and seeing them in their most vulnerable parts of their lives while they’re trying to figure out who they are and what they’re doing has taught me a lot about people,” Having the privilege of getting to know students, Long understands how important being inclusive is, and does his best to bring that inclusivity to the classroom.

“Biology is studying living things, and historically it hasn’t included a certain kind of living thing, which is people that have diverse genders and sexualities. I see biology as a big opportunity to cover more of that and to do so from a different angle because it is a part of living things and diversity in gender and sex is present in not just humans but in animal species,” Long stated.

“Growing up is hard for everyone, but I think for me, one of the things that made it hard was trying to transition at the same time.” - Mr.Long The acceptance of gender and sexuality studies in the sciences is something that a lot of teachers across the United States are working towards. Long began training other teachers on how to make their lesson plans more inclusive as well, pushing for the use of gender inclusive language when talking about the differences between sex and gender.

Long has been pushing inclusivity at Standley Lake, and his presence as an advocate and member of the LGBTQ+ community creates a more welcoming teenage environment at school.

Around the SLHS community we have many other teachers open about their identities and how it affects their lives.

Mr. Long, a new science teacher at Standley Lake, in his old classroom.

26 October 2019 | Issue 1

Social studies teachers at Mandalay Middle School, Ms. Koch and

Ms. Schaefer, shared their personal stories of growth with The Lake “I think it’s evolved a lot. When I was first hired, I was told that you can’t talk about your personal life, you can’t talk about your private life, you can’t mention people, things like that. And now, it’s a lot better than it used to be. It’s hard because I think we can see students struggling with either their identity or in general, and that makes it difficult to figure out how can we help, and so now, it seems more okay to open up about how we can help students with that. But before,, seventeen years ago, you did not even talk about it,” Koch said.

Although sexual orientation could be a large part of day to day life, it certainly doesn’t make up the entirety of someones personality. One’s existence or personality outside of who they are attracted to is just as important as sexual orientation and can be hard for everyone to figure out. Figuring out sexual orientation throughout life is just a journey, not a personality trait.

“I don’t feel like whom I happen to be attracted to is ev-

“I don’t feel like whom I happen to be attracted to is everything about who I am.”

- Ms.Schaefer

erything about who I am. Like there are so many elements of every person’s personality and who they become as adults and how I continue to grow even as an adult, that it’s one element of my life, and it’s an important element of my life, but just because the person I’m with is a woman doesn’t mean that that’s everything about who I am, or I would ever want to be judged just on that one thing,” Schaefer stated.

Echoing Shaefer, Koch recognizes the importance of considering others as people rather than limiting them to a sexual or gender identity.

“Your sexual identity, preference, whatever you want to call it, is part of you, but that doesn’t mean it’s all of you. And some people weigh their ancestry as more of who they are, or their language as who they are, and so it is just a piece, but it’s such a personal piece that... because it’s been criticized before, and discriminated against before, it’s been labelled as not okay.”

Having both LGBTQ+ identified teachers and LGBTQ+ teacher allies in a student’s everyday life creates a safer, more open environment. Seeing adults in a school setting that have faced the same struggles with their identity and that are open to helping reminds students that they are not alone. Mr. Cohara, an open ally and teacher at Standley Lake, believes that it’s a very simple path to being supportive.

“It’s important to not suck at being human. We all need to support each other. We obviously need more love. More compassion. More understanding. More empathy. It’s so hard to think that there’s still people out there [and in our own school] who take issue with someone else’s orientation or

how they identify, but, unfortunately, we know that’s the reality,” Cohara continued, stating that, “It’s pretty simple--if you’re not in the LGBTQ community, be an ally. Share your love and support.”

Being an advocate for his students has had a serious impact on students at SLHS with Mr. Cohara described this impact specifically in regards to his creative writing class.

“It’s an outlet for some students, even a platform, in a safe, comfortable environment. It helps students discover and develop their voices,” Cohara stated.

In order to be an ally, one must openly show support for the community to make the environment more welcoming and friendly towards LGBTQ+ people. This can take many forms but one of the most powerful ways that a person can convey their support is with their words.

Making sure you say the right words can make a massive difference, according to Cohara, and many others in and out of the community.

“I always talk with my students about their own diction and how their words can and do affect others. I try to educate myself and share what I learn with other students who may say things that they don’t even realize are offensive. I’m not perfect--I make mistakes, but I’m constantly trying to help people think about what they’re actually saying, you know. So many little things--too, I think, can make a huge difference,” Cohara said.

Both at school and throughout their lives, LGBTQ+ teens face discrimina-

27

tion and bullying. Allies often witness acts of aggression towards people in this community and have the power to help others out.

“Oftentimes when I call a kid out for saying something lame, they’ll get all defensive and say something like, “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I have lots of gay friends.” Like that’s an excuse or something. It’s really sad when people change who they are and how they act around different groups of people to be “cool” or fit in,” Cohara stated.

There is no excuse for the hurtful actions of other students towards their own peers. Allies can advocate for LGBTQ+ students, and are essential to creating a safe space for those teens.

“It’s pretty simple—if you’re not in the LGBTQ community, be an ally. Share your love and support.” - Mr.Cohara

like me, like teenagers, in various stages of trying to figure out how this works into their life because their families and them had never really seen that as a path.”

Many teens use social media as an outlet, documenting their journey as they find their identity. Whether these stories are heartbreaking or inspiring, many teens find comfort in the fact that someone else has been dealing with the same issues as them.

Unfortunately, media can spread negative messages just as quickly and easily as the positive ones. As fake news becomes a bigger and bigger issue in our society, discriminatory and anti-LGBTQ+ messages can spread like wildfire. These messages can drastically harm the mindsets of teens who are working to accept their own identities as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

At the end of the day, it’s all about what the media decides to present about the community that will shape the public’s opinion about it. That’s why it’s essential that students advocate for the positive messages, create accounts to support the community, and speak out against any false and discriminatory messages being spread over social media.

If there was one thing the various teachers agreed on, it’s that the students are the ones who create the community and drive the culture of inclusivity both at school and in their larger communities. Long states that, “I think students do the majority of the work, whether they’re aware of it or not, in creating the community,” and that the LGBT community is, “all built on the foundation of the students.”

While having the support of teachers and GSAs or GSRMs at schools are incredibly important to creating a safe LGBTQ+ community at school, students are the core of these organizations and need to be the voice for larger change. It’s essential for the students to work to make a community at school.

One important area in which growth has been seen is in the media representation and normalization of the LGBTQ+ community. Being apart of a generation so closely intertwined with technology allows for a significantly larger outreach than what was capable in the past. Through social media and digital entertainment, people, especially students, are being exposed to topics that were previously not up for discussion.

While representation in movies and TV shows has become increasingly more inclusive, an even more impactful component of media representation has been seen in the open discussion and information about LGBTQ+ related topics on social media and websites in general. Having access to that information and the opportunity to interact with and see people who embrace their sexual and gender identities can completely change the attitudes of teens who are questioning themselves and of people in general who haven’t been exposed to the community in any real capacity. Growing up in a community where it’s common to see people embrace this part of themselves and openly have conversations about their identities, many teens are much more willing to explore this topic further.

For many LGBTQ+ teens, social media has become a safe space—a place where they can find many other individuals experiencing similar struggles. Mr. Long, stated that, “The internet was (...) a primary resource that I used. There were people making personal websites about their transition, people talking on [social media] giving advice to one another, and there were a lot of pretty young people,

28 October 2019 | Issue 1

Schaefer believes that, “the more [the students] want that community to exist and be supportive of one another, the more it does exist.”

Marches and protests for equality will always be a form of activism that helps empowerment happen. More important than large scale protests though is the day to day support and kindness students can offer to others. Protests bring awareness to the issues faced by LGBTQ+ people but they don’t really fix anything unless people internalize inclusivity and exercise it in real life every day.

The student body is the catalyst for change. While the world around us, like teachers and media, play a major role in the thought process of a student, it is ultimately up to us to shape our school community and world. | Jay Keodonexay | Kaitlyn Pierce | Kylie Rold | Bella Tucker-Sandoval

Advice from Teachers to Students Cohara

Long

Love yourself. Love others. Know that you are loved. Be proud of who you are. Continue to help educate people and lean on all the people who support you.

Know who your allies are. In the world, diversity is more the norm than the exception.

You’re the only one that determines who you are and what’s best for you.

Schaefer

Koch

There are people who you can talk to, and who will listen. Although my experience might not match your experience, I can listen and share my experience, and so far, things have been really good for me, so I would like to think that it can be good.

It’s definitely the process of life, and things change all the time, and the [only thing] we can do is accept that you are not going to be the same ten years from now.

I would say that it takes time to figure out who you are, and you don’t have to define anything, and that’s okay. And there’s this societal pressure to know who you are or what you want to be. My advice is just experience things, and travel, and meet people, and ask questions, and know there are resources out there. But don’t ever feel like you have to identify with any label, period. Enjoy the journey, and then figure it out along the way.

The Colors of the Flag: What Does Each Stripe Mean?

The pride flag we have known to associate with the LGBT community today was created in the late 70’s by Gilbert Baker. The original pride flag had eight colors: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo, and violet. Nowadays, the flag has been simplified so it has the standard rainbow colors. Each color represents a different aspect of the LGBT community. Red is for life, orange is healing, yellow is sunlight, green is nature, blue is harmony, and violet represents spirit.

The light blue, pink, and white are representative of the transgender flag. Blue indicates the people who identify as trans-masculine, pink is the indicator of people who identify as trans-feminine, and the white is an indicator of people who identify as nonbinary or gender non-conforming.

The black and brown colors on the pride flag were put on the flag to symbolize inclusion of people of color in the LGBT community.

29

JUST BREATHE

I’m a Rape Survivor, Not a Victim Just breathe.

I have been struggling immensely these past few years, but today I thank God because I am living proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel; that recovery is possible if you really want it.

I was raped and I am a survivor, not a victim.

I can not grasp What has happened And I can not forget That I will not be Defined by It They say I should be fine But I feel somewhat lost It constantly cuts into me Like a sharp knife, it cuts with precision It’s an immoral action caused by A vile decision It takes a while to see But when you do It’s a labyrinthine of Blurred emotions and It all seems to slip through My fingers like fine sand I’ve barely scratched the surface I’m trying to understand All I can ask is ‘why?’

Why have I been dealt this imperfect hand?

Some things can change With the blink of an eye Anything familiar Will crumble away Take down this wall The fabric and framework All seems to fall I’m back to learning How to crawl Piecing vast things back together I will not stay silent Every moment I stay quiet Is a moment I hold my breath I want to breathe again.

30 October 2019 | Issue 1

A “sorry” didn’t save me from the pain; it’s always present. As soon as everything happened, people started to vanish, blaming me for my body’s vulnerability. I felt as if I became a stray to society. I have forgiven those who hurt me, but I will never forget.

No one could possibly understand why someone would take advantage of someone else; stealing their youth and the power of their own life. I can’t keep quiet anymore. I want to share my story; I am a student-athlete, I have amazing friends and a great family supporting me through anything.

Everything was perfect; until he took that all away. Not knowing that one incident; one person’s actions could make it so difficult to breathe.

I finally found the power within myself to report the incident a few hours after everything happened, but I was still in shock. It seemed as if it was a normal procedure in the ER, as a nurse began to process a rape kit. I felt so vulnerable, stripped down to my bare skin, feeling the plastic covers under my feet, as I faced a white wall. They captured swabs of DNA off my bruised skin; I felt the cot-

ton rub the inside of my dry mouth, having my body photographed as if I didn’t already feel so vulnerable. After going through all the paperwork, the procedures and talking with detectives, it came to the point where pursuing justice didn’t seem like it was worth it anymore.

“Rape and sexual assault happen every day and takes about 6 years to process,” the police told me. It seemed as if rape had became normalized in our society. No matter how I felt, how much any other survivors or I wanted closure, nothing would help us through this pain. I felt as if I had no say anymore over what happens to my own body.

The next few days the peers and parents around my community started calling me a ‘whore’ and ‘a lying bitch,’ saying, “Why would she accuse someone like him just for attention? She probably wanted him, and if she didn’t, she shouldn’t drink. This should have taught her a lesson.” But what is the true lesson we should learn after getting raped? Am I the guilty one; did I beg for this to happen to me?

I can still feel the marks he had left on my body, where he touched me and the bruises lay on my skin. I can still remember wondering how anyone could ever love me again. I blamed myself for the incident that happened. However, I have learned to love myself again and to find love again.

They say, “It’s just boys being boys.” All I wanted was justice, simply for them to admit what they did so I could find peace.

I can finally breathe. | Elaina Madrill | Olivia Overton

The Greatest Lesson My Teacher Ever Taught Me Was .

WHEN IN DOUBT, HANDSTAND it out The greatest thing my teacher ever taught me was that headstands are appropriate for every occasion. Being in high school and IB in particular, it can be really easy to lose sight of the love for learning that brought me to the program in the first place. I have always enjoyed spanish class, but taking two years of it with Ms. Follett turned it from one of my favorite classes to one of my passions. I learned that school isn’t just about getting assignments done and studying for the next exam, it’s about connecting with people and having fun and making the most of the time that we have on the planet. I learned that some teachers have really epic taste in music and drawings cats on every test helps me remember that one vocab word I forgot. So, here’s to two years of Twenty One Pilots and Panic! at the Disco and a life-long love of Spanish. Thank you. | Riley Ruff

To love English teachers have an interesting way of seemingly gazing into one’s soul and finding the perfect thing to say.

Ever since freshman year, I have never had an English teacher who falls short of incredible and over these past years, I have garnered an immense love for others and for myself by means of the meta-therapeutic vibe of english class.

Ms. Mortell, Ms. Burns, Mr. Cohara, and Ms. Schwartz have undoubtedly changed me as a person. When I look around at the world, I see the endless beauty that has been ingrained into me; I also see the flaws, however, I see the ways in which I can make a difference.

Regardless, my english teachers have taught me to hope, to observe, to appreciate, and to love. Thank you all. | Jackson Kessel

...HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS? Coraggio was there when I crashed my car on top of a boulder during a snowstorm. He was there when I counted pennies trying to make a profit off of a free trip to our nation’s capital. He was there when I wrote my first journalism article, a patient sounding board with whom I could share ideas and find inspiration. He’s the type of teacher who laughs with you about AP Human Geography memes, the type of teacher whose class you simultaneously cry over and look forward to, the type of teacher who knows more about history than any human should be physically capable of remembering. Coraggio taught me how to question every source, laugh at every meme, and live off of $3.37 for a week in DC. He has been the most increible mentor and last-minute letter of recommendation writer. The lessons you have left me with go far beyond the puke pink walls of your classroom, and for this I am forever grateful. | Aimee Yan

SELFACCEPTANCE The greatest lesson my teacher has taught me is that you won’t ever know exactly who you are, and that’s okay.

As we grow up, we become surrounded by so many different paths that we can take, and it’s seriously overwhelming. But my teacher always reminded us that sometimes you have to wander a path for a while before realizing it’s not the one for you, and even though having to start over going a different way might feel like moving backwards, it’s really just progress on a journey to become your best self. | Kylie Rold

PERSEVERANCE The greatest lesson my teacher ever taught me was that no matter what life happens to throw at you, the outcome will always be worth the struggle. A teacher at my old school, Mrs. Mitchell, helped me with the problems I had at my old school, Jefferson Academy. During my time there, I experienced a lot of mental health issues. One day, when she picked up on my mood, I opened up to her about it. Once she told me that it will all be worth it in the end, I immediately started crying and gained trust for her. I would always go to her whenever I was struggling. When I decided to leave Jefferson Academy, it was incredibly hard for me to say goodbye to her. She helped me become the person I am today by listening to me when no one else would. | Sarah Hesser

31

YOU’RE OUT OF THIS WORLD ;)