In this issue, we explored many aspects of student life in Vol.high VIII NO. 3school. February 2014 Th school year is now halfway through and seniors are facing adulthood, along with the struggles and excitement that comes with it. We looked a some of the culture that defines us, the purpose of why we’re here, the r sponsibility that comes with choices we make and the passion that fuels our individual and collective spirit. Just a few years ago, we were all lit tle kids sitting through elementary school with no worries in mind. Then we went to middle school and onto high school. We’ve changed and we’ve grown, but not without facing the challenges that come with getting ol -- drugs, alcohol, tobacco, driving and more. How we handle them largel determines who we will be. We’re much different than our parents’ gene ation, and becoming an adult is only part of that. Each student has an ide of fun. It might be watching old ‘90s cartoons or speaking in slang. It cou be living your passion or designing your art. As high schoolers, fun is a b part of life, sparking our individuality and the smiles we need every day school is a revolving door for thousands of kids each year -- seniors rol out and freshman run in. Seniors look back and reminisce on good times, look forward to even better ones. And we all question “What’s the point school?” The real world is almost here, but right now, high school is the most important part of our lives. vSports are important around the glob from our athletics to those of the Olympics. We have a star diver in our s dent body. But other students worry their sports aren’t being recognize And, according to some people, our school might be lacking in spirit. In th issue, we explored many aspects of student life in high school. The scho year is now halfway through and seniors are facing adulthood, along w the struggles and excitement that comes with it. We looked at some of t A Castle View High School Publication 5254 N. Meadows Dr. Castle Rock, Colo. 80109
Special
Edition
Operation
H G I H l o o h sc
C Vol. VIII NO. 2 December 2013
5 young wild and me 6 Fashion Passion 7 90’S COMEBACK 8 Kissable
9 Behind the Scenes 10 Swaglicious Slang 12 the choices we make 13 Chewing your life away
14 Weed like to inform you 15 Consequences 16 drunk driving
18 Distracted driving 19 Opinion 21 living in the now 22 CastlE vIEW aLUMni 23 Little things in life
24 Why do we even need high school? 25 brave Travelers 26 reminiscing 28 finding your own spirit 29 gymnastics to diving
30 Olympians Unknown 31 What’s the point?
undown R I think Every Girl wants to be
Kissed In the Rain Page 8, Dominique Blache, ‘15
i’m definitely not a stoner or a pothead Page 14, Anonymous Student, ‘14
The point of High school Is to prepare you for your future Page 24, Maddie Dietrich, ‘16
I love to be a part
Of our school and
show off my school pride Page 31, Christian Kennedy, ‘14
Accelerate Your Future
YOUNG
WILD
Each student has an idea of fun. It might be watching old ‘90s cartoons or speaking in slang. It could be living your passion or designing your art. As high schoolers, fun is a big part of life, sparking our individuality and the smiles we need every day.
AND ME
CULTURE
W h at ’ s u p Olivia with
How did you become Involved with fashion and what started your love for it? Well, I went on this trip to London and we were walking around in the city in this mall and I just saw how well people were dressed and how good it looked. And I wanted to be a part of that, so I changed my whole look. I changed my whole style and I decided I wanted to be a part of making that and doing that. What do you plan on studying when you attend college? I’m actually majoring in costume design in college so for movies and for plays and magazines, so more along those lines rather than designing clothes to sell. What would be your dream job? My dream job would be being the photo shoot stylist for Vogue. That would be a lot of fun, like picking out all the ple wear. But my backup dream job, I guess, would be a designer for differ- ent movies, like bigger movies, bigger directors and companies. What is your job at Castle View Wgar I’m the costume designer for all the plays so I either make or style everything you see on stage for the shows. I also do freelance styling for different photographers, so I worked with Elisha Knight. I’ve worked on it, doing different stylings, like picking out what people wear, so I’ve done a couple cool things like that.
Wgar is your dream jobWhat are your plans for the near future?
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I’m working to go to school in Chicago. I guess thats a cool fact, that’s where my dream school is -- to get involved in the fashion team there at DePaul University. I’ve also designed some clothes like different dresses, homecoming dresses, prom dresses.
Photo courtesy of Olivia Engobar. Drawings done by olivia.
90’s
ARE YOU A Cassie Thompson
Chemistry teacher Kyle Erlenbeck, 26, remembers the ‘90s as “the absolute best time to grow up.” “The cartoons and TV were awesome . . . a golden era of TV,” he said. “ ‘Ninja Turtles,’ ‘Recess,’ ‘Animaniacs,’ ‘Doug,’ ‘Power Rangers,’ ‘Full House.’ The best of the best, though, was ‘Fresh Prince.’ ” Add to those “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “Boy Meets World,” the Addams Family, the music of the Spice Girls, *N Sync, the Backstreet Boys, Madonna and the fashion trends of scrunchies, high tops, overalls I remember a ton of stuff from -- the cool kids all had the ‘90s. The cartoons and TV one shoulder undone were awesome . . . a golden era -- crimped hair, slap bracelets, jelly shoes, of TV. Ninja Turtles, Recess, Animaniacs, Doug, Power Rang- shell necklaces. The list goes on and ers, Full House. The best of the on. You were one cool best, though, was Fresh Prince. cat if you had a TomaTeacher Kyle Erlenbeck gotchi and a JanSport backpack, and if your skirt was actually a skort so you could play Pogs at recess. People on social media may have noticed the growing trend of the “‘90s kids” -- those born early enough in the decade to remember much of what made the ‘90s so special. Recently, however, a debate over what really makes a teenager or person in their early to mid-20s a true kid of the ‘90s is taking place. Born in 1996, senior Natalie Sabin said she does not consider herself a ‘90s kid. “I only lived in the ‘90s for a few years,” Sabin said. “I think that a ‘90s kid is someone who spent their teen years or the majority of their young life during the ‘90s.” So, what exactly might someone have to remember to be included in what seems an exclusive group? Humanities teacher Manser Kierstead remembers numerous events from that decade.
“Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky,” said Kierstead, referencing the well-known affair of the 42nd commander-in-chief. “Princess Diana died, I watched Nickelodeon (in the early ‘90s, slime); I watched the Simpsons when it was actually good; and my family got our first computer.” Counselor Heather Golden also remembers the death of England’s popular princess and, too, “Columbine happened.” “I remember Michael Jordan being an absolute boss,” said Erlenbeck. Teacher Stephanie Hill, who works with special needs students, remembers spending a lot of time riding her bike with chimes on the wheels, playing foursquare, hopscotch, using the old Macintosh computers with the rainbow apple, and using floppy discs to save information. Despite the age difference, senior Jordan Osburne considers herself a ‘90s kid, because she “experienced classic television,” she said. However, junior Kimmy Smith doesn’t know if she would consider herself a ‘90s kid. “I do like some stuff that was popular, like Rugrats and Spongebob, and some music,” she said. “But I was born in ‘97, so I wasn’t really aware of the ‘90s.” When asked whether the teachers who got to live through the actual decade itself like the fact that it is now a trend, opinions vary. ““I think culture is an important part of being a human being,” said Erlenbeck. “Culture evolves through time and goes through fads, but I loved growing up in the culture that I did.” “I think trends always come and go,” said Golden. “The ‘70s came back when I was in high school, the ‘80s were in when I was in high school. Things always come back around that were popular before.” Hill, however, might need persuading to return to those ‘90s years: “I’m not sure if I’m ready to relive the fluffy bangs, overalls, jellies era just yet . . . ”
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KID?
7
What ’s your kind of
KISS?
Just when you’re
alone
Classic
Michael Marx ‘16
I like it slow & not rushed Like one of those
in the moment things Dominique Blache ‘15
wild
NOT someone else’s As long as it’s
You have to be
Ryan Gosling -slash-
girlfriend Zac Efron Nick Mares, ‘14 Dewi Heinselman, ‘15
glow moonlight Under the
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8
OF THE PALE
Reilly Miller ‘15
Romantic
Star Behind the Scenes
Parker Sorley builds the set for ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ backstage. Photos by BAiley Garner and Jackson Chase
and musicals a year, each one lasting about two hours. But what students can’t see for the $8 admission price is what is happening behind the red curtain. From creating sets to synchronizing the music, the tech team is always working behind the scenes to create a masterpiece. They are responsible for the lights and music, and for the building of the sets, props and costumes. Whether big or small, a lute or a wooden tower, the tech team is at the helm of the building process. “Without the tech team there wouldn’t be a play at all,” sophomore Parker Sorley said, “just people talking on an empty stage.” -
“
“
This is my life -- I love coming here and building.
technical theater.
friend,” Sorley explained, “was in theater and he was the one who got me inParker Sorley, ‘16
Sorley is master carpenter for the theater company, the high-
the production. is the most dedicated member of the tech team,” Tech Director Lizzie Paige said. Wayne South, a teacher of the tech team, agreed. “Parker is always working hard and doing his best to build the best,” he said. “This” he said, gesturing enthusiastically to the auditorium,
day after school students practice roles and build props for almost holidays. With the huge effort that goes into the production of each play, the theater company counts on a large audience to turn out. don’t think that most students appreciate the amount of work that we all put in to create these plays.” Working for the theater company isn’t about applause and recognition for Sorley, though, it’s about impressing the audience with his creations.
grants him control of all building done by the tech team. The set for “Once Upon a Mattress,” the show opening in March, has been nition,” Sorley said. “We build to see the faces of the audience in built by Sorley and his team, including the four large wooden awe of our work.” towers.
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Alec Hernandez
9
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The
Choices we
make Just a few years ago, we were all little kids sitting through elementary school with no worries in mind. Then we went to middle school and on to high school. We’ve changed and we’ve grown, but not without facing the challenges that come with getting older -- drugs, alcohol, tobacco, driving and more. How we handle them largely determines who we will be. We’re much different than our parents’ generation, and becoming an adult is only part of that.
12
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DECISI
ON
Jackson Chase One day, during the summer of his eighth-grade year, a friend offered him some chewing tobacco. He had been thinking about trying it – all his friends were using it – so he said yes. He’s 16 now and doesn’t want his name used because he says people will give him a hard time and he will get in trouble. “I usually throw in a dip
who chews daily and also didn’t want his name used for privacy reasons. He started chewing when he was in high school. “I spend too much money on it and I should really quit.” Studies also show that similar to cigarettes, chewing tobacco will seriously harm a person’s mouth and body. Anonymous 16-year-old
I know im not at risk. PEople who get cancer do it 24/7. every three to four hours,” he said, “anywhere where there aren’t parents or judgmental people.” In recent years, smokeless tobacco use in teens has risen rapidly. According to KidsHealth.org and the Centers for Disease Control, as many as 20 percent of high school boys and 2 percent of high school girls use smokeless tobacco. Of the 12 to 14 million American users, one-third are under age 21 and more than half of those developed the habit before they were 13. According to cancer.org, teens are Internet, advertising and peer pressure by their friends.
was fond of dipping. He died at 52 of an oropharyngeal tumor, which is a cancerous tumor in the back part of the throat caused by chewing tobacco. And according to cancer.org, chewing tobacco has many harmful effects, including different kinds of cancer and gum disease. Although the 16-year-old said he is aware of the risk, he continues to chew smokeless tobacco. “I know I'm not at risk,” he said. “People who get cancer do it 24/7.” didn’t want his name used to protect his privacy, tried it a couple of times in college “just to see what it was because all my friends did it.”
An average cost of a can is about $2 to $6 depending on the brand. “I spend wasn’t for him. usually $10 to $15 a week on Copen“It was very nasty,” he said, “and the hagen Long Cut,” the 16-year-old said. “I really don't recommend chewing,”
How to quit Chewing Tobacco G e t i n v o lv e d i n h e a lt h i e r a c t i v i t i e s , s u c h as lifting weights, shooting baskets, or going for a swim. Plan ahead and use substitutes such as t o b a c c o - f r e e , m i n t- l e a f s n u f f, s u g a r l e s s g u m , h a r d c a n d y, b e e f j e r k y, s u n f l o w e r s e e d s o r d r i e d f r u i t. M a k e t h e d e c i s i o n t o q u i t. P i c k a Q u i t D ay and make a Quit Plan.
Mouth, tongue, cheek, gum, and throat cancer Cancer in the esophagus (the swallowing tube that goes from your mouth to your stomach) Stomach and pancreatic cancer Possible increase in risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke Sources: CDC and Cancer.org
Photos by Jackson Chase
Addiction to nicotine, which can lead to smoking Receding gums anD gum disease Cavities and tooth decay Stained and discolored teeth Bad breath
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Consequences of Chew
13
Weeding out Student views on marijuana use
Jett Goldsmith On Nov. 6, 2012, Colorado’s Amendment 64 -- a statewide bill legalizing the recreational use of marijuana -- passed with 55 percent of the population voting in favor. ing marijuana opened to the public. Their
Despite that, marijuana still remains illegal for those under the age of 21 -- and that includes high school students. So what effect does this statewide legalization have on school culture, and on CVHS as a whole? A number of students, who for pri-
It’s bad; it’s bad for you, and it corrupts the community. Castle View Junior
be named, weighed in on the issue with their opinions, experiences and beliefs. One student, a senior, said he had used
step to embracing this trust.” Other students disagreed.
environment.” Another student, a junior, said he doesn’t
which doesn’t interfere with their school
that,” he said. “It’s not the government’s Still, some students oppose the drug alties for using marijuana should increase, where people get this belief that marijuana
that it interfered with school.
a stigma which comes along with it. Sure,
Although he wouldn’t use the drug, he believed penalties for teen users should be worse than for adults.
life, and I follow that.” Trust, he said, is important. “We should
Effects of marijuana on the teen brain Theviewnews.com
14
Top: Cannabis plants grow indoors in CAlifornia. Middle: Hash is being stored in a container. Bottom: behind a display case sits various strands of medical marijuana. All photos courtesy of mctcampus.com.
One in four (25 percent) of teenagers who use cannabis will develop an abusive or dependent relationship with the drug. The chemical compounds in marijuana affect the adolescent brain by interacting with the brain’s areas that govern decision-making, motor function and learning. Harmful personality traits -- such as psychosis, depression and anxiety -- are exacerbated by long-term use.
Top: A medical marijuana patient smells a jar of buds in Denver, CO. Bottom: Marijuana trimmings are packed into a pipe in California.
Penalties for using pot in school Megan Kemper 19.4 percent for 12th graders, respecdoes expect its use to increase among
Exact numbers on CV student infractions with marijuana were unavailable before press time.
safe, he said. newest car, people have to have it,” West said. “This is the case with marijuana.” Marijuana became legal in Colorado
marijuana infractions haven’t risen
health, relationships or legal standing,”
Just like the new iPhone or the newest car, people have to have it. This is the case with marijuana. to purchase it, but that doesn’t mean
also can have serious school and legal
have access to it. “What people forget is that when
Facts about the marijuana law The law allows any adult over 21 to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana, and up to six plants. It is still illegal to consume marijuana while in public, and to drive while under the influence of marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal for those under 21-- but those between the ages of 18 and 21 who are caught with marijuana will only face a fine as opposed to jail time. Source: CO Amendment 64
es of teens using marijuana don’t just involve health
depending on whether a student is using or dealing the drug, or how much a stu-
West said. “When the stuff is left out, expulsion. in the cabinet or the fridge.” when incidents involve drugs or alcohol. among high school students seemed to ijuana became legal in 2000,” he said. “Because of the ease of access in our
at criminal past, school incidents and there is teen court, municipal court, and
use amongst teens.” According to the National Institute agers has been on the rise since the earof 10th graders and 22.7 percent of 12th graders reported having used marijuana
tion, drug classes and jail time. cation about the dangers of marijuana decisions.
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’t
15
‘He ’s a s Grad overcomes accident caused by drunk driver seven years ago Nick santulli
Devin Butler wheels himself through a crowd of protesters arguing over abortion, trying to get to his college class on a Denver campus. He passes a priest who thinks Devin is on the pro side and yells at him: “You abomination! God did this to you!” But Devin’s not on either side. And he just laughs, because others tell him God saved his life. A 2009 CVHS graduate, Devin, 22, does almost everything an able-bodied person can do -- except walk and feel three-quarters of his body. But he has almost complete use and range of his arms and hands. At 15, he was riding his bike to Riverton High School in Utah when a car driven by a man drunk and high on cocaine hit him. The man drove off and “left me for dead in half a foot of snow,” Devin says, “but someone else saw and they’re the reason I’m alive today.” Devin is one of many youth affected by drunk driving. On average, there is one teen death from accidents involving drinking every 51 minutes -- 10,322 in 2012 alone. In 2011, 226 children were killed by drunk driving crashes, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. But luckily for Devin, he survived. It took paramedics an hour to stabilize him for the 15-minute Flight for Life to the University of Utah hospital. Doctors put him into a drug-induced coma and gave Devin less than a 50 percent chance of survival within 72 hours. blackness, just pure blackness,” he says. “And I was in pain and then I open my eyes and it was the typical bright white light. My dad stood over me. I looked up into his blue eyes,
Why do teens drink? They see friends drinking alcohol so they think it is the in-thing. If they are having difficulty coping with the daily grind, they will oftentimes turn to alcohol because alcohol acts as a depressant and helps them to escape troubles. It makes them feel older. Source: DUI Process Blog
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He’s a survivor. He wants to share and he wants to give back to the community,
Teacher Sally Graham
Photos courtesy of Devin Butler
but I couldn’t recognize him as my father. And you know something’s wrong, but you can’t tell what.” Seven years and 20 surgeries later, he considers himself “recovered.” “To get through everything that I have, I learned a long time ago to separate my emotions from my choices,” Devin says. In recent years, he has spoken at numerous Mothers Against Drunk Driving events and Police Academy DUI training sessions. He judges high school speech and debate tournaments and studies accounting at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He even drives his 2010 Subaru Outback, equipped with hand controls, which allows him to pursue his interests independently. “I would like to go into speaking,” he says. “I have a very unique past and I can put a lot of emotion into them (speeches). I’m also going to school for an accounting degree. So those are my two main goals.” year when he joined her debate class. “He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t let anything get him down,” she says. “His attitude is a good one -- he feels like nothing is going to stop him.” And nothing does. Devin’s activities include mono-skiing, swimming, biking, rock climbing and wake boarding, which he also teaches to children with physical disabilities over summers. “My biggest concern over the years has been Devin’s involvement in extreme sports (the paralympic version),” Graham said, “during which he has fallen off of mountain sides and sustained additional injuries. But that’s Devin.” He even takes his wheelchair where few dare to go. “Once you get wheelies down, you can blaze down the stairs, hop up on curbs and hop back down.”
That attitude doesn’t surprise Graham. “He’s a survivor,” she says. “He wants to share and he wants to give back to the community.” Besides his supportive family, Devin calls Graham his “major he says, “how to structure an argument and how to see situations from multiple sides.” Two years ago, school administrators invited Devin to speak to the CVHS senior and junior classes at an assembly right before speeches. He gets incredible joy out of “inspiring others.” He still gets nervous before a speech. “I get a little twitter, but as soon as I start speaking, I enter the memories of my past and I’m stuck there.” Those memories of the accident and his recovery motivate him to continue his public speaking. In August 2013, he was honored by the Colorado Department of Transportation in front of 40,000 attendees at Coors Field for his community contributions to stop drinking and driving. His happiness, these days, is driven by the ability to laugh and make jokes. He can twist his leg 180 degrees, so he likes to mess with people: “It’s always funny to watch a guy get pale and puke after seeing my leg.” He laughed. “I even fall out of my wheelchair in public to mess with people.” Devin takes his situation in strides, along with smiles, but he knows what happened isn’t a joke. He sees it as a way to make a difference and teach others. “I cannot change my past,” Devin says. “I used to think about it quite a bit -- what if? What if? I try to use my past to teach others. And when I can make 150 people cry because of my experiences, it’s powerful. It’s very unique to share my story and watch them cry, then smile, learning of what I’ve done since my accident.”
Teen Drinking and
Driving Statistics One in 10 teens in high school drinks and drives. Young drivers, ages 16-20, are 17 times more likely to die in a crash when they have a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent than when they have not been drinking. The percentage of teens in high school who drink and drive has decreased by 54 percent since 1991. There is one teen death from accidents involving drinking every 51 minutes -- 10,322 in 2012. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Mothers Against Drunk Driving
In 2011, 226 children were killed by drunk driving crashes. The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, during the past 30 days: 39% drank some amount of alcohol. 22% binge drank. 8% drove after drinking alcohol. 24% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
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?
survivor’
17
THE DAnger of TExting and Driving Nick Puckett Spanish teacher Robin Handy is running late. Rushing down Sante Fe, she pulls out her phone to text her daughter to let her know where she is. She glances at the phone for a second, only to be plunged back into reality by the rumple strip on the shoulder of the road. “I took my eyes off the road just a second too long,” said Handy. “I felt the bumping and I jerked the car back. I almost went off the road.” For Handy, the dangers of texting and driving are all too real. “I knew better,” said Handy. “When people say it only takes a second, they’re not kidding. You think ‘Oh, it can’t happen to me,’ but it could--very easily.” Handy learned her lesson quickly. The ads warning of the dangers are all over TV, giant billboards and magazines. Yet, texting and driving continues to be an ongoing issue, especially among teens. Texting and driving became the leading cause of death in teen drivers -- driving being the leading cause of death -- in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While reported incidences of drinking and driving among teenagers has decreased more than 50 percent since 1991, CDC reports the number of teenagers who text and drive has actually skyrocketed in the past five to seven years with almost half of high school students admitting to have done it. Several studies have tried to pinpoint the reason why teenagers, or people in general, text and drive. According to several Castle View students, they text and drive simply because they feel they can. “I feel like I’m a good enough driver (to text and drive) that I’m not going to hit anything,” said junior Jake Henderson. “When I drive in places I’ve driven before, I feel like I know my surroundings.” However, students like Henderson, do not text and drive because they are bored or just to do it, as some drivers education sites suggest. “People I would text back when I’m driving are the people I
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18
text when I am driving,” said Henderson. Others say they do it as almost a necessity. “(I text and drive) usually just to tell my mom I’m leaving,” said senior Drew Feagans, who added he texts only when the car is not moving.
Student poses, showing that texting takes your eyes off the road, making you unaware of your surroundings. Photo by Bailey Garner When people do text and drive, more often than not, it happens at red lights or stop signs, rather than highways and city streets, surveys show. That’s when Feagans said he texts. “I can’t wreck when I’m not moving.” Although several students at Castle View confess to texting at a stop light, few think it is the same as texting while driving. “You aren’t putting anyone in danger,” said Feagans. “You’re just sitting.”
Texting while driving not only creates dangers from the inherent risks of getting into an accident, but teenagers, specifically, are subject to ignore other safe driving habits. The CDC released a study in 2011 showing that students who admit to texting and driving were 40 percent more likely to not wear their seatbelts while driving and five times more likely to drink while driving.
Under Colorado law, it is illegal for all ages to text while driving. It is also illegal for anyone under 18 or with a learner’s permit to use a cellphone while driving.
VIEW POINT
The View Opinions
Our View
The Trashy Truth The bell rings. The cars of the school parking lot scatter within minutes, leaving behind a desolate asphalt wasteland of Taco Bell wrappings and McDonald’s to-go bags. The
and anything else brought back from the daily student lunch run. This happens everyday and has become routine. The remaining pieces of paper and plastic are picked up by the breeze and pushed around the blacktop like tumbleweeds, eventually getting caught in the chain-link fence surrounding the lot. The trash littering the school parking lot later, will end up having to pick up the trash. Littering shows students couldn’t care less if
the trash gets cleaned up, as long as he or she doesn’t have to do it. Although the scattered fast-food wrappings provide a nice color and attract local wildlife to the otherwise bleak asphalt, what we see is a student body that disrespects the school it attends enough to litter within 100 feet of a up the the school’s image, it also hurts the
actually do the right thing and pick up trash when they see it. For some, the trash can may just be a little out of the way. Maybe the Coke from the super-sized McDonald’s cup is leaking through and might get their hands sticky. Or maybe the students meant to throw it away, but he or she just accidentally dropped it and decided not to pick it up because he or she was late to class.
they live in. The problem is, however, the trash rarely may have taken care of their own trash think “Oh, that’s not my trash, so why should I pick it up? I shouldn’t have to pick up after somebody else’s mess.” Few people want to
doing things they don’t want to do. This is why the parking lot is a perfect depiction of our culture as a school and student body. Everybody is looking out for themselves. The trash says it all.
T h e f a u lt i n m a i n s t r e a m e d u c at i o n students. one right answer. A student’s knowledge in a a test score or a grade-point average. In many schools, our education system is set up to grade a student’s ability to spit out dates and facts or formulas, but rarely the material they learned and how to apply it. All a 4.0 GPA means anymore is that the student perfected Pablo Freire’s “banking method” more than anything. Castle View, however, has been progressive in trying to change the way students learn by, for instance, introducing the controversial Integrated Math Program and, most recently, the Mosaic academy, which will be piloted this coming fall. Mosaic was created for students who may not thrive in the traditional education system. It replaces grades with credits -- a yes or no to whether or not the student showed understanding -- and no time limits to allow students to work without deadlines. Studies show most students have an extrinsic motivation when it comes to learning, meaning their motivation is more grade-oriented. Mosaic is designed for those students who have an intrinsic motivation to learn -- a desire to learn based on personal interest for the subject. The idea of incorporating areas of student interests to learning is revolutionary. Extrinsic
motivation can only take a student so far. A student can spend night after sleepless night studying and practicing, and in the end he might get a good grade. But what happens to that valuable information stored in his brain? Many regurgitate dates or facts on the test and seldom remember what they learned afterwards -- but they don’t need to for a good grade. Teaching material a student likes and is interested in to that student will result in not only good grades, but an ongoing knowledge on the subject as well as a hunger to learn more. Our education system needs to work towards sharpening already impressive skills and hone students’ focus to something they will experience in their career as adults everyday. By using project based learning that revolves around problem-solving as its curricular centerpiece, the Mosaic is perfect for a student. Except it won’t work in reality -- at least not to its full potential. Even though allowing students to work on interests without deadlines and in their own way are the muscles of the Mosaic academy, it is also its biggest weakness. After talking with several teachers planning Mosaic, I believe the program is attractive for two main reasons: No deadlines. No grades. And that’s risky. Will students have the responsibility and accountability to succeed in a much less structured environment? I’m not sure I would have. There’s too much leeway for slacking off. Then comes the question of what happens to basic school subjects that could be lost. Students in the Mosaic academy are given access to teachers when help is needed and required to select a project that not only focuses on the student’s area of interest, but also covers the basics of math, science and English.
Again, though, students may not use advanced subject matter in everyday life, or in all-inclusive projects. But I see subjects like calculus, literature and history being lost in these projects. The founders of the Mosaic program say it isn’t for everybody. That’s where they’re wrong. The essence of it is for everybody. What student wants to sit in a lecture hall and learn about things they don’t care about? We all want to learn about what interests us. And the idea of using project and interest-based learning in education shouldn’t become only a part of a separate academy, rather it should be incorporated in every classroom. Students can only have intrinsic motivation if they have a true desire to learn what is being taught. That means teachers also should work more towards motivating students to learn rather than teaching only what’s expected. Perhaps the most important lesson a teacher could teach students is to have the desire to learn, to strive for something bigger than them-
Nick Puckett
already know. Students, for their part, should go into these four years excited to learn and discover new interests, along with a willingness to hold themselves accountable to expectations. That should be the foundation in every classroom.
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The way our education system is designed is brilliant -- in theory. In my four years of high school, I was expected to step into each classroom with a driving passion for trigonometry or chemistry or American history -- whatever the case may have been. I’ve seen student teachers waltz in, boasting master’s degrees in sociology, but naively trying and failing
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VIEW POINT Living with ‘culture o f fear’ Colorado has a storied history with violence. In the past decade, the state has seen two major events: The Aurora Theater shooting in 2012 and, most recently, the shooting at Arapahoe High School by an apparJett Goldsmith ently disgruntled student who police said wanted to injure the school’s librarian. But even before those incidents, Colorado was host to an event that changed the nation’s dynamic as we know it. More than 11 years ago in the spring of 1999, the Columbine massacre at Columbine High t in Littleton brought the issue of mass shootings into the national spotlight. Thirty-six students and teachers were injured or killed in the shooting, a number at that point unheard of. A years-long policy war was subsequently waged on its behalf on issues of gun control to video games and television violence to anti-bullying campaigns. Although these events served to bring the community together in the wake of tragedy, it also ignited a more ominous uprising -- the rapid expansion of an unwarranted culture of fear. Since the Columbine affair, the topic of mass shootings has been on the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. According to CNN,
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as a mass shooting occurred. Some garnered major coverage, such as the ones to Virginia Tech, Fort Hood and Sandy Hook Elementary. Others, like the Binghamton shootings at an immigrant center in New York, or the Carthage nursing home shooting in which eight died, went largely unnoticed. Most of the widely reported shootings occurred at schools, universities and other institutions of learning. The reasoning for the media’s expansive coverage of these events was simple: As social creatures, we are inherently designed to feel a sense of protection towards our young, and nothing pulls on America’s heartstrings more than deaths of innocent children. That’s why the Sandy Hook shooting, the second deadliest mass shooting in United States’ history, revived a debate and a sense of frenzied urgency not felt since 1999. Not only did this societal state affect debate, it affected policy. On a large basis, schools increasingly tightened security measures , implemented armed security guards, ran more safety drills and kept
ed, location and actions closely monitored, and punishments for violating any of these newfound rules more severe. At Castle View, these increased security restrictions have manifested themselves in a similar manner. Students can enter only through a select few doors during different times of the day. Side doors are locked -- except for certain hours each day, when they are monitored by security -- and students cannot open them to let in other students or teachers, even those they know. To an extent, it seems as if our fear was impacting our productivity and affecting our learning environment. As a group, we were becoming more and more afraid of what could happen -- the possibility of tragedy, the chance that something could go wrong.The reality was becoming more and more visible, seemingly that America was wrought with an epidemic of shootings. But what if this reality was nothing more than a Matrix-like illusion, presented to the public in a way that disrupted our historic sense of pride and safety in lieu of a sense of vulnerability? The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports publication reported 758 cases of violent crime -- murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- per population of 100,000 in 1991. In 2012, there were 386 cases. This statistic, which includes mass shootings, represents what is close to one of the lowest violent crime rates in U.S. history. And it’s only getting lower. During 2012 in Colorado, the violent crime rate was similarly close -- 308 crimes per population of 100,000, marking the lowest rate since 1969. The reality of the situation is this: Not only are we becoming safer as a nation, we’re the safest that we’ve ever been, at least in the lifetimes of many. Homicide rates have fallen nearly 50 percent since 1991, and mass shootings make up only about 1 percent of total homicides. The true rate of mass shootings, according to a Time magazine report, could be easily which at least four people are killed. On this scale, there were close to 600 mass shootings between 1980 and 2010. More importantly, it showed the rate of mass shootings hasn’t increased. This all leads up to an even scarier trend than the imagined increase in mass shootings. An increase in all-encompassing fear and the illusory sense of safety. Our culture of fear isn’t a fault of anyone.
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Rather, it’s a fault of itself. The snowball effect is in good employment here and, sadly, it’s at the expense of the common population. As policy-makers cater legislation to this culture, we only end up traveling further and further into the rabbit hole. On a smaller level, we are uniquely affected. Perhaps next year a mentally ill person will shoot up a shopping mall or a subway terminal or, God forbid, another school. What will happen at that point? Will we continue to tighten our security restrictions despite no imminent threat and an all-time low in violence? Will the incoming wave of freshmen be forced to undergo mandatory pat-downs before every class? And when security eventually becomes a disruption, how much further will we allow it to progress before it undermines the entire concept of school itself -- an environment dedicated to learning and knowledge.
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Reporters/Photographers Andrea Alfano Jackson Chase John Conger Sydney Dean Mark Dowsey Jett Goldsmith Alec Hernandez
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LIVING
IN THE NOW High school is a revolving door for thousands of kids each year -- seniors roll out and freshman run in. Seniors look back and reminisce on good times, and look forward to even better ones. And we all question “What’s the point of school?” The real world is almost here, but right now, high school is the most important part of our lives.
e s o p r u P
Alumni Lauren Gresh Spencer Traut
On a social level, what did you learn from high school?
“A strength that I learned from Castle View was how to build relationships with your teachers.” The sheer amount of students at a university can prevent you from getting to know the teacher, “but if you make the effort you so much in the long run.”
What’s the key to a successful transition to college?
Graduated and moved on to bigger and better things. With all of the excitement promised by college, it’d be alma mater perched in The Meadows of Castle Rock -or how big of an impact you had on it. Although that couldn’t be said for Lauren Gresh, class of 2011, now a junior at University of Colorado, Boulder, which she loves. "Not only is the school amazing, but the town is perfect. You just can't beat the view of the Flatirons every day on your walk to class," she said. "Life has been but I couldn't be happier with where I currently am." During her time at CV, Gresh was a cheerleader, homecoming queen, junior class president and then student body president her senior year.
How did Castle View prepare you for academics after high school? Theviewnews.com
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“Castle View prepared me through the academy structure the most I think. I was in the MSE, now STEM, academy at CV and I came to CU studying engineering. It had me used to taking classes with kids that were interested in the same type of school work as me rather than just taking classes with my friends.”
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Get involved. “If you don’t know how to get involved in high school, you’ll have no idea how to approach it in college. It is the best way to meet people in a brand new environment.” (Gresh was elected vice-president of the Engineering Council and will be running for president of the council in April.)
You find out who you are, what makes you, and how you are meant to live out your day to day. Lauren Gresh, CV Alumni
What challenges did you encounter? “I have had to learn how to become a lot more independent. I remember in high school my friends and I would always do homework together, or study together, and going into CU none of my friends were going to be in the engineering school. I had to learn to just be proactive in getting my work done on my own time.”
What’s been your favorite thing about college? “Finding out who I really am. You go into college with your best friends expecting it to all be the same with simply added independence. It really isn’t, though. you are meant to live out your day to day. You really see who you are meant to be one day.”
It’s the little things
Many people overlook the little things, especially when those little things are the big things that make a difference in somebody’s life. During the morning, the day before Valentines day, students walked out to their cars to find heartshaped notes with the message, “you are loved” -- simple reminders that others care. Students may walk by not noticing the artwork hanging throughout the school, such as the globe in the main hallway, a reminder that we are part of something bigger than just our high school. Every day we use our computers to learn, to socialize, to make our lives easier -- technology has become so common we take it for granted. We walk past doors, In the LGC pod, decorated to represent the cultures of different languages taught here. But do we see them? Sometimes, it really is the little things in high school that mean the most. photos by bailey garner
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Bailey Garner
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The Point of High School Sydney Dean Five times a week, many students come home with hours of homework from at least four classes, drop back-
really great school because the academies help you to learn
Sometimes, the stress is too much. Kids get jobs to help pay for college, join extracurriculars to help get into
tion for the future, but said there could be improvements.
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not really focusing on what you want to do with all of the classes required to
Yo u r f r e s h m a n a n d so p h o m o r e y e a r o f high school is kind of - not pointless - but I d o n ’ t k n o w, h a r d ?
Still, Junior Ellen Sweeney said, she feels fortunate to be receiving what she considers a great education. would like classes to move more quickly than they do to offset the choice of classes in this high school
Photo by Jackson Chase
of high school, no one can deny the
The 2004 High School Survey of Student Engagement, which surveyed students across the country, asked why they attended school: 73 percent responded with “I want to get a degree and go to college.” 68 percent said “because of my peers/friends.” 47 percent said “because I want to acquire skills for the workplace.” And 39 percent said “because of what I learn in classes.”
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college, and take AP classes with ridiculous amounts of homework to help prepare for college. Some may to expect from a generation whose motto is
But when it comes to deciphering the meaning of the high school years, several students say it helps to look at the big picture.
social aspect. the really great friends from the not-so-great ones. -
one environment will prepare you for another environment,
Seniors offer their insight into what they are taking away from their four years.
Sweeney
The world at our doorstep Rachel Deyoe
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I want to learn the culture, what they are like in their daily lives, how they are in their family and what they do with their friends.
This experience, while challenging, led Thomas to a greater understanding of his own host brother, Patrick Thieme Hack, when Thieme Hack came to the U.S. for this school year. “When you are overseas, you are always tired or hungry,” said Thomas. “So when Patrick said he wasn’t hungry or tired, I knew he really was. You just have to know when to cut him some slack.” Sophomore Ann Stephanie Rogel is excited to experience the global scene for herself. She will spend part of this summer on a trip to Japan, during the Japanese school year. Along with other Japanese-language students from CV, Rogel will stay with a host family and attend a Japanese school for seven days. “I want to learn the culture,” she said, “what they are like in their daily lives, how they are in their family and what they do with their friends.” Some students get an overseas experience even before high school. Sophomore Jerod Quintana grew up moving from country to country. “My mom is a medic,” he said, “and she moved all six of us kids around to 36 countries before we decided to settle down.” While his father was in the military and his mother conducted research about the severity of illness depending on geographic location, Quintana was collecting a huge repository of cultural experiences. “Moving around as much as I have really set the tone for how I feel about certain things,” he said. “We were present during riots in Spain for acceptance of gay marriage, which we were in support
a set of Guatemalan children. “He went for just over a month,” said Kellar, “and ended up doing more than he ever imagined.” Even if it doesn’t result in stepping in as a teacher, living or studying abroad is a sought-after and eye-opening experience for many. Jasmin Bina Khahi, an exchange student from Germany, explains why she chose to study abroad in the U.S. “I was always really interested in the American culture,” she said. “We think we see a lot of it because of all the (American) movies and music. I just wanted to see what the culture was like when you are really in it and not just looking from outside.” For Bina Khahi, studying abroad is a great way to become more independent. “You’re on your own,” she said. “Even if you were independent to begin with, it is a whole new level. It makes you more open because you have to go on your own to talk to people.” of. We are all really accepting of people in different standings.” His eclectic cultural background, including residences in seven where no one shares her nationality or cultural background, Bina Third World countries, has also helped him build compassion for Khahi said. “In my own country, you already have a connection. the less fortunate, Quintana said. Here, you do not have that connection.” “America provides a country that is not needy in general,” he Senior Seth Thomas, who hosted another German exchange said. “Your economy is going down but you can still go to the student earlier this year and has studied abroad previously, knows grocery store and get what you need. But I have seen kids living about forging that connection from two perspectives. “When I went to Germany, I didn’t have them cook or do laun- fering has made me . . . see the bigger picture.” dry for me because I didn’t want to be a burden,” he said.
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For some students, the home range is plenty. For others, it’s nowhere near enough. According to Aaron Kellar, who coordinates many students’ study abroad experiences in addition to being the BHS counselor, it takes a special kind of student to study abroad during high school. “During the high school years a lot of students aren’t ready for it,” he said. “A lot of students have this romantic vision of it, but it takes a very mature student to live in a foreign country.” One such student Kellar worked with was Andrew Sophmore, Ann Stephanie Rogel Bunker, a senior last year who spent about a month studying at a language school in Guatemala. According to Kellar, Bunker “wasn’t a traditional high school kid” and “loved to help people.” During his month in Guatemala, Bunker found a group of young students who wanted help learning English. He rode the bus
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Seniors remember their highschool years Andrea Alfano
In a few months, the class of 2014 will graduate. The day they have been looking forward to since they were freshmen is fast approaching, so now is a time of reflection. When looking back, some will see great memories while others see difficult ones.
But many will recall both. Below, some seniors shared their best memories of high school and what they would do differently if they could experience these four years again.
If you were a freshman again, what would you do differently in your high school experience? “Do my homework and have a better work ethic.” Caroline Kiyan “Take harder classes to have an easier junior and senior year.” Jesse Burkhardt “Get more involved.” Katherine Umbach
What is your best memory of high school? “I have too many, but if I had to choose, I love Japanese class. It’s the awesomest class to ever take. I love Mr. K.” Caroline Kiyan “Adventure experience was a fun class. Or lunch.” Jesse Burkhardt “My senior internship at CHSSA. I like it because it’s not busy work, it’s project-based stuff.” Katherine Umbach. “Playing the first DC game last year in basketball, and the experience with the crowd.” Matt Dowsey “Photoshopping teacher’s faces. Teachers here are relatable and funny so you can mess with them.” Jake Brostuen “My entire AP Gov class, a good group of kids and the teachers were good and interesting. I learned a lot.” Emma McLaughlin
What advice would you give to a new freshman? Theviewnews.com
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“Freshmen come scared. Be yourself, have fun. Get involved, try to make high school what you want.” Matt Dowsey “Don’t take high school so serious, because then you’ll lose fun.” Asia Hall
FINDING YOUR OWN
SPIRIT Jolene Martinez
Walking into the bright lights of the CV gym, you hear the crowd roaring and cheering. People shouting and clapping in the bleachers. People standing, calling your name. You stride into the center of the gym, waving furry paws. Take a deep breath, the excitement is about to begin: Meet Rowdy, Castle View’s one and only Sabercat mascot, whose job is to make the spirit of CV visible. A school mascot “brings school spirit and an opportunity for everyone to show pride and enjoy education more,” said Rowdy, a student whose identity remains secret until he completes his stint as mascot. “It’s a rallying point for everybody and something we can relate to really easily,” English teacher Emily Cave said of the mascot. “It’s one word and one image in our head that ends up bringing everyone together to have a
common goal and a common picture.” Rowdy shows his school spirit best by dancing and interacting with as many people as he can. He passes “He’s a good visual and kids love taking pictures with him,” said Kristy Morrison, the attendance secretary and mascot sponsor. “It really gets people out of their comfort zone.” Librarian and coach Ryan Whitenack agreed. “It’s really depressing when you see a mascot who’s in his uniform just standing around watching the world go by, hesitant,” he said. “But when they let loose in there, it’s pretty cool.” And the secret mascot identity, Whitenack said, inspires people to think, “I kinda wanna be that person who's behind the mask.”
Passion Photo by Jolene Martinez
Newfound glory Kameron Kimes
Kaitlin Costello started doing 2 Diving” or “T2D” for short. After gymnastics at the age of four in an three months, Costello had learned accelerated program for gifted gym- so much the club put her on a pre-senasts in Cincinnati. From there, she nior team, basically the B-team. jumped to other top gyms over the “After one year of diving, I years, eventually training more than 30 hours a week. summer -- two years after I started By the summer before her freshman year, Costello’s body was some Olympians do,” she said. “It seriously starting to hurt -- from shin was so cool to be able to progress so splints and hairline fractures in her quickly.” arms to muscle and tendon injuries Her gymnastics experience to a hernia to nearly breaking her helped greatly with the transition ankles. to diving, Costello said. And “it’s After a seven-month break to let a lot easier on my body. It’s not as her injuries heal, she re-evaluated much impact and I’m not in pain all her passion. the time, so that’s also a really good “I realized that that I needed to thing.” stop,” Costello, a senior, said, thinking back to that moment. “I thought recruiting trips, including to the about it every day for a month -- I've universities of Missouri, Kentucky, done it for 10 years; it was practiI’m better than a lot of people, cally my life. but I’m not the best of the best Everybody and I’m still going to one of the thought of me as the best programs in the country. gymnast -Kaitlin Costello, ‘14 that was what I did, that’s who I was. When I decided to quit, I North Carolina at Chapel Hill and told my parents and they didn't sleep Duke, before deciding on the Unifor a week.” versity of Arizona. Two weeks later, though, she was “I’m better than a lot of people, diving into the water. but I'm not the best of the best and Literally. I’m still going to one of the best proAnd now, Costello’s decision has grams in the country,” Costello said. proven her right: She placed second “But that’s good because there are at the state 5A diving championships kids better than me and that pushes last weekend and also was named me to get better.” Diver of the Year for 5A. She is During her junior year, Costello heading to University of Arizona on a diving scholarship next year. “I think it’s been really cool being senior nationals, one of the largest able to progress and see how my meets in the country. ability in gymnastics has helped me “I’m going to dive throughout my in diving,” Costello said. “That was entire college career and my goal is the coolest thing.” to go to the Olympic trials for Rio,” Costello was a freshman when Costello said. “I just have to see she switched to her new sport. She where that takes me.” joined a program called “Transition
Kaitlin Costello dives at a meet during the swim season. Photos courtesy of Kaitlin Costello.
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Doing it for yourself John Conger
Top: George schultz hits the mountains. Right: Spencer rowlette Skates across the ice. courtesy photos. Spencer Rowlette, there’s nothing better than ice hockey. And for George Schultz, also a junior, shredding down a mountain on a snowboard is exhilarating. They do what they do -- not for attention or even glory -- but for themselves.
Ice Hockey
“I do believe that hockey should get more credit because it is just as, or even harder, than football, which is worshipped,” said Rowlette, who plays u16 AAA for the Pikes Peak Miners. Jake Felser, a u16AA player for the Littleton Hawks, concurred with Rowlette. “It can be very hard and is always exciting,” he said. A well-known quote from a former National Hockey League player Brendan Shanahan, who played for multiple teams during his time in the
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use clubs to try and kill us. Oh, yeah, did I mention that this whole time we’re standing on blades one-eighth-of-an-inch thick? Is ice hockey hard? I don’t know, you tell me. Next question.” Some students may be surprised to learn Castle View has a hockey team, although it isn’t part of the Colorado High School Sports Association. The school also participates in a spring hockey league called the High Plains Hockey League. The team’s name is “DCCV” because it combines players the game in his response to the from Douglas County and Casquestion “Is hockey hard?” tle View high schools to form “I don’t know, you tell me,” a 21-man roster. Felser and Shanahan said. “We need to Rowlette play on the varsity have the strength and power of DCCV team. a football player, the stamina of “Hockey,” Rowlette said, “is a marathon runner, and the con- part of my life, in my blood.” centration of a brain surgeon. But we need to put all this together while moving at high speeds on a cold and slippery
Snowboarding
Even more hidden than ice lated to the winter Olympics and hockey in high school in terms the X Games because they proof recognition, believe it or not, vide a connection to people who is snowboarding. share the same interests with the Schultz visits the mountains sport. Just over 100,000 people to snowboard almost every sin- attended the winter X Games in gle weekend. Aspen this year -- a record high. “I totally feel like snow“I love the adrenaline and enboarding gets pushed aside when joyment I get out of it,” Schultz you’re talking about what sports said. are popular and get the most attention,” Schultz said. “It seems like wrestling, soccer and football are more of the thing here at Castle View.” But that doesn’t bother Schultz. He is passionate about his sport. George Schultz, ‘15 “Nothing feels better than mobbing down a mountain at, like, 30 Some athletes play sports for miles per hour,” he said. “I do the fame that comes along with it for myself and the enjoyment them. But others, like Rowlette, of it.” Felser and Schultz do it simply He also notes that it feels for enjoyment. good to be a part of a sport reThey do it for themselves.
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Nothing feels better than mobbing down a mountain at, like, 30 miles per hour
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Football grabs all the attention. Even basketball, wrestling, volleyball and baseball -- though they draw few fans -- are well-recognized sports, the ones you hear students talking about in the halls. But many teens participate in sports that rarely receive much notice. For junior
How Much Do We Care? Mark Dowsey
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I love to be a part of our school and show off my school pride.
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the Crowd cheers for a home men’s basketball game against Mountain Vista. Photo by Jackson Chase
Several students had some ideas on how to motivate more student support. “I think we should improve school cheers at the games, because the ones we do are not good,” sophomore Zach Moore said. Freshman Abby Haneke said the school needs to advertise events better and all students should participate in cheers at games. “If we have more assemblies, spirit days, and stay at the school for the games, we would have better spirit at our school,” freshman Ty SteChristian Kennedy, ‘14 phenson said. For junior Josh Wilson and Kennedy, spirit motivates players and connects students to one another. The two show up to games of many of the school’s sports, such as basketball, football and volleyball. They stand at the bottom of the bleachers, turn to the students there and lead cheers. “I love being an idiot,” Wilson said. “I love being relied on.” When Wilson and Kennedy yell, students yell. When they move, students move. When the crowd brings energy, Kennedy said, the team gets pumped up and spirit “expands.” That’s what school spirit is all about. “I just try to get the crowd turnt,” Wilson said. “Our athletes work hard and they deserve all the support they can get.”
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At a recent home basketball game against Legend High School, forward Christian Kennedy, intent on fueling school spirit, led a roller coaster cheer as he sat on the bench. “I love to be a part of our school and show off my school pride,” Kennedy, a senior, said. But that spirit is often missing, depending on the sport and event, many students say. Although football games draw large crowds, many other sports, such as volleyball, softball and soccer, are lucky to get more fans than just family and good friends. “I felt like everybody cared about football and other sports, but not soccer,” senior Drew Bertron, a striker on the varsity soccer team, said about the handful of students who watched some of his soccer games. To try to increase school spirit, student government is starting a group called The View Crew. The group’s goal is to promote the activities that happen throughout the school. Its job is to draw more people to activities that generally have low attendance. “It’s a group of kids that would like to coordinate the fan support a little bit better and have fun at each of the games,” student government adviser Bob Sutterer said. The idea of having this View Crew started before the December break. “High school is a big part of a child’s life and the more positive things we get out of it, the better your memories will be,” Sutterer said. Spirit also is important because athletes need the support, Kennedy said. They work hard in practice to be ready to perform in front of a student section. But that vital support from fans is often lacking, as it was in Alexis Kagan’s softball game. “It makes me feel awful, because no one showed up,” said Kagan, a freshman on the softball team.
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