Chowing down at MHS 'Throwdown' - My High School Journalism
Chowing down at MHS 'Throwdown' - My High School Journalism
Chowing down at MHS 'Throwdown' - My High School Journalism
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Zak Attack<br />
PC: Politically<br />
correct or<br />
poorly cultured?<br />
by Zak Griffler<br />
Howler Staff<br />
I was enjoying the<br />
beautiful holiday decorum<br />
<strong>at</strong> the mall, letting<br />
the religiously neutral<br />
music flow through my<br />
body, and w<strong>at</strong>ching the non-denomin<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
winter wonderland about me, when I…<br />
Wait a minute. None of th<strong>at</strong> actually happened.<br />
I’m sure you all notice the giant Christmas<br />
tree th<strong>at</strong> takes up three stories of the<br />
Fl<strong>at</strong>irons Crossing Mall as a symbol to begin<br />
the blitz of the holiday season. It’s a Christmas<br />
tree. No wait, th<strong>at</strong> might be insulting<br />
to… someone. It’s a Holiday tree. God forbid<br />
I mistake it with a Chanukah Bush.<br />
Does anyone else feel like political correctness<br />
has gotten just a tad out of hand in<br />
the holiday season? Well, I can understand<br />
“holiday season.” There are multiple holidays<br />
to celebr<strong>at</strong>e in the holiday season. But<br />
when someone starts to relish in their lighting<br />
of the holiday candles (all nine of them),<br />
or placing gifts around the holiday shrub, it<br />
gets a bit stupid.<br />
I asked five students about their views<br />
about political correctness. First, I showed<br />
Photo provided by Sean Welch<br />
Monarch thespians<br />
compete in Denver.<br />
Page 3<br />
CONTINUED PAGE 4<br />
Volume 11 * Issue 3 * December 8, 2008 * Monarch <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> * 329 Campus Drive * Louisville, CO 80027<br />
Photo by Collin Walentine<br />
Junior Elliot Porter, left, and sophomore Ryan Muller e<strong>at</strong> their chicken <strong>at</strong> Monarch’s Thanksgiving Throw<strong>down</strong>. Their team, “The Pir<strong>at</strong>es,” which included seniors Timo Provosty and Dan<br />
Zawacki, took fifth place <strong>at</strong> this year’s holiday themed version of Grande Fest.<br />
<strong>Chowing</strong> <strong>down</strong> <strong>at</strong> <strong>MHS</strong> ‘Throw<strong>down</strong>’<br />
by Collin Walentine<br />
Sports Editor<br />
During the November holidays, Americans<br />
tend to over-indulge on turkey with<br />
mashed pot<strong>at</strong>oes and gravy along with<br />
other delightful dishes. However, the competitors<br />
of Monarch’s Thanksgiving Throw<strong>down</strong><br />
took the term “stuffing your face” to<br />
a new level.<br />
On Nov. 20, teams of four came to<br />
the MoHi cafeteria to consume an entire<br />
Thanksgiving meal consisting of a whole<br />
chicken, a can of cranberry sauce, a pl<strong>at</strong>e<br />
of mashed pot<strong>at</strong>oes, and cornbread. But<br />
INSIDE...<br />
Why Monarch seniors must<br />
“get dry.”<br />
Page 5<br />
they didn’t have any time to enjoy it because<br />
they had to e<strong>at</strong> it as fast as they<br />
could.<br />
In previous years, the annual e<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
contest was called Grande Fest and possessed<br />
a completely different feel to it.<br />
With Grande Fest, teams of four would e<strong>at</strong><br />
a fiesta pl<strong>at</strong>ter from Taco Bell, containing<br />
an assortment of tacos, burritos and rice.<br />
However, since the time of the contest was<br />
in close proximity to Thanksgiving, student<br />
council decided to make the food consistent<br />
with the holiday.<br />
Photo by Morgan Kozin Photo by Asia Kennebrew<br />
Feeling flummoxed<br />
this finals season?<br />
Page 8<br />
CONTINUED PAGE 6<br />
More Thanksgiving Throw<strong>down</strong><br />
pictures and inform<strong>at</strong>ion inside!<br />
See Page 6<br />
INDEX<br />
News: 2-3<br />
Opinions: 4-5<br />
Fe<strong>at</strong>ures: 6-7<br />
A&E: 8-9<br />
Sports: 10-11<br />
Fun & Games: 12<br />
Photo by Collin Walentine<br />
Seniors Ethan Hodgson and Collin Wooldridge e<strong>at</strong> until<br />
they’re full-and then some-<strong>at</strong> the Thanksgiving Throw<strong>down</strong>.<br />
Their team took fourth place.
Page 2 News<br />
Meeters and Greeters: Monarch adds to the front entrance<br />
by Megan Chu<br />
Howler Staff<br />
In many cases, a school’s environment<br />
can be confusing, especially for visitors. It<br />
is easy to get lost in the mazes of hallways<br />
and difficult to find the correct destin<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
To elimin<strong>at</strong>e this confusion and add security<br />
to the front entrance, the administr<strong>at</strong>ors and<br />
parents <strong>at</strong> Monarch have put into place a volunteer<br />
table to greet visitors.<br />
Loc<strong>at</strong>ed just through the main doors by<br />
the cafeteria, the table is in a central spot to<br />
intercept those who are unfamiliar with the<br />
school and direct them where they need to<br />
go. There are currently 34 parent volunteers<br />
who have taken it upon themselves to help<br />
the school by becoming greeters and working<br />
the volunteer table.<br />
“I think [the volunteers] are here to encourage<br />
a more welcoming and friendly environment,”<br />
parent volunteer Melinda <strong>My</strong>rick<br />
said.<br />
Assistant Principal Julie Wheeler agrees.<br />
“It’s a nice way to get parents to be connected,<br />
but not in their kids’ space,” she<br />
said.<br />
by Chrissy Lowe<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Anna Van Stelten, a 2003 gradu<strong>at</strong>e from<br />
Monarch, has dedic<strong>at</strong>ed her first published<br />
article about an acid she designed to the<br />
<strong>MHS</strong> Science department and all its teachers.<br />
Van Stelten’s article will be printed in the<br />
Applied and Environmental Microbiology<br />
Journal. The article will come out in the December<br />
issue of 2008.<br />
“I basically designed a genotyping acid th<strong>at</strong><br />
detects virulence, <strong>at</strong>tenu<strong>at</strong>ing mut<strong>at</strong>ions in a<br />
gene in a food borne listeria monocyclogen,”<br />
Van Stelten said.<br />
And for those who don’t speak the science<br />
lingo, she designed an acid th<strong>at</strong> will find mut<strong>at</strong>ions<br />
in bacteria in food. This way food can<br />
When a visitor signs in <strong>at</strong> the table, the<br />
volunteer will radio the front office to let<br />
them know th<strong>at</strong> somebody is coming. Volunteer<br />
Lana Fauver says th<strong>at</strong> most people have<br />
NHS check ceremony: Student organiz<strong>at</strong>ion fights cancer<br />
Photo by Evanne Montoya<br />
Senior NHS officers (from left) Alyssa Chrisholm, Morgan Kozin, Erin Brophy, Varun N<strong>at</strong>raj and Kelsey Prestes<strong>at</strong>er receive the<br />
check from Monarch treasurer, Shirley Nemanic (center).<br />
Photo by Megan Chu<br />
Parent volunteer Lana Fauver helps a visitor sign in <strong>at</strong> the front table. The welcome table is a new addition to the front entrance.<br />
This new addition will provide safety, get people connected, and will give a more comforting feel to the front of the building.<br />
be detected for any mut<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
Van Stelten felt th<strong>at</strong> she owed the Science<br />
department a big thank you for preparing her<br />
for such a tough field. She especially wanted<br />
to thank Monarch teacher Lazlo Vass.<br />
“I wouldn’t be where<br />
I am today without Mr.<br />
Vass,” Van Stelten<br />
said. “He really cares<br />
and is an amazing<br />
role model.”<br />
Van Stelten said<br />
Vass was the one per-<br />
son th<strong>at</strong> guided her into science and inspired<br />
her to major in molecular genetics.<br />
“Every time I accomplished something, I<br />
always thought [Vass] would be proud,” she<br />
said.<br />
been very friendly about it and don’t mind<br />
signing in and out.<br />
The other reason for the greeters is to<br />
keep the school safe. Although this is a good<br />
Van Stelten took every AP science class the<br />
school offered: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP<br />
Biology, An<strong>at</strong>omy, and Research Seminar.<br />
“Monarch definitely helped me prepare for<br />
college,” Van Stelten said. “It really helped<br />
my first year. I recommend th<strong>at</strong> anyone interested<br />
in science take all the [AP] classes<br />
offered [<strong>at</strong> Monarch].”<br />
Currently, Van Stelten is <strong>at</strong> Colorado St<strong>at</strong>e<br />
University working on new research. She<br />
hopes to continue on her voyage into the science<br />
research realm and succeed beyond<br />
the limits th<strong>at</strong> stand in front of her.<br />
For all those who wish to succeed in the<br />
science world or wish to be apart of any type<br />
of research, Van Stelten is the perfect<br />
role model for students to admire.<br />
fingle.chrissy@gmail.com<br />
by Evanne Montoya<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
Monarch’s N<strong>at</strong>ional Honor Society mailed<br />
a $500 check to the American Cancer Society<br />
Nov. 18. The money was raised by last<br />
year’s chapter of NHS through the Prelay for<br />
Life.<br />
NHS is an organiz<strong>at</strong>ion designed to recognize<br />
outstanding high school students<br />
who have demonstr<strong>at</strong>ed excellence in the areas<br />
of scholarship, leadership, service, and<br />
character. There are more than one million<br />
members between NHS and its middle school<br />
counterpart, N<strong>at</strong>ional Junior Honor Society.<br />
“Last year so much was going on <strong>at</strong> the<br />
end of the year th<strong>at</strong> the previous NHS wasn’t<br />
able to don<strong>at</strong>e the money, so we are finishing<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> they started,” said NHS secretary<br />
Kelsey Prestes<strong>at</strong>er.<br />
Seniors and NHS Co-Presidents Erin Brophy<br />
and Varun N<strong>at</strong>raj thought sending the<br />
check would be a good way for the club to<br />
start the year. They expect th<strong>at</strong> the group will<br />
be more effective this year due to changes<br />
cause, some students are not convinced th<strong>at</strong><br />
the volunteer table will be th<strong>at</strong> helpful.<br />
“I really doubt th<strong>at</strong> it’s going to make the<br />
difference between whether we’re safe or<br />
not,” senior Taylor Kennedy said.<br />
Sophomore Caellagh Morrissey agrees, to<br />
some extent.<br />
“I appreci<strong>at</strong>e the school looking out for us,<br />
but some of the safety precautions are excessive,”<br />
she said.<br />
Often the volunteers have a difficult time<br />
differenti<strong>at</strong>ing between the students and<br />
other visitors.<br />
“Sometimes it’s hard,” Fauver said. “A lot<br />
of the students look so old and I’ll ask them<br />
to sign in by accident.”<br />
“One day I was wearing clothes th<strong>at</strong> made<br />
me look older and I got stopped by a volunteer,”<br />
Kennedy said.<br />
Despite minor challenges, the parents<br />
enjoy being connected with the learning<br />
environment and are glad to know they are<br />
making a difference in the safety of their students’<br />
school.<br />
meganchu@earthlink.net<br />
<strong>MHS</strong> gradu<strong>at</strong>e student thankful for experiences in high school<br />
Van Stelten<br />
th<strong>at</strong> have been made to the organiz<strong>at</strong>ion of<br />
the group.<br />
“Something new we did this year was to<br />
split the members into four sub-committees<br />
so people have more of a chance to get projects<br />
done,” Brophy said.<br />
Each group is in charge of one of the traditional<br />
events, as well as coming up with new<br />
projects to complete.<br />
This year NHS has already organized a<br />
blood drive and begun a fundraiser to provide<br />
money to finance the club for the year<br />
and buy a senior gift for the school. They will<br />
also organize other events throughout the<br />
year, including school improvement projects<br />
as well as a second blood drive and the Prelay<br />
for Life, both of which will take place in<br />
spring.<br />
One event th<strong>at</strong> NHS is organizing for the<br />
first time is the Teddy Bear Drive which will<br />
take place Dec. 9-19. They will be collecting<br />
new and gently used stuffed animals in<br />
boxes around the school to be don<strong>at</strong>ed to the<br />
Salv<strong>at</strong>ion Army.<br />
evy224ever@juno.com<br />
Photo provided by Anna Van Stelten<br />
Anna Van Stelten dedic<strong>at</strong>ed her first published article to the<br />
<strong>MHS</strong> science department.
News Page 3<br />
Early gradu<strong>at</strong>ion: students decide to finish up sooner than most<br />
by Lorne Fultonberg<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
While the majority of Monarch’s student<br />
body scrambles to study for finals in May<br />
and <strong>at</strong>tempts to fight the urges of “senioritis,”<br />
there are several students each year why<br />
don’t have to worry about it.<br />
Typically, 15 to 20 seniors gradu<strong>at</strong>e <strong>at</strong><br />
semester each year but only 11 are doing so<br />
this year.<br />
“Some students really are ready to move<br />
on with their lives, and for all the right reasons,<br />
it’s the right decision for them,” said<br />
Monarch Counselor Janice Dempsey. “It’s<br />
very individual. There’s a lot of discussion<br />
with [the students] and their parents to make<br />
sure it’s the right decision.”<br />
Senior Jordan Bornstein is one of the 11<br />
students gradu<strong>at</strong>ing after first semester this<br />
year.<br />
Bornstein says th<strong>at</strong> ever since his brother<br />
gradu<strong>at</strong>ed early from Monarch he began<br />
thinking about doing it himself. Now th<strong>at</strong> he<br />
has gotten his mand<strong>at</strong>ory credits out of the<br />
way, he feels th<strong>at</strong> gradu<strong>at</strong>ing early will prepare<br />
him better for his life after high school.<br />
“<strong>My</strong> availability <strong>at</strong> work can increase dras-<br />
by Cheyenne Michaels<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Forty-eight Monarch thespians <strong>at</strong>tended<br />
the Colorado Thespian Conference in Denver,<br />
on Dec. 4-6, for three days of workshops,<br />
competitions and fun. The conference was<br />
open to all dedic<strong>at</strong>ed high school the<strong>at</strong>re<br />
students from Colorado, Wyoming, and New<br />
Mexico and is an annual event th<strong>at</strong> the Monarch<br />
thespians have <strong>at</strong>tended every year<br />
since the school opened.<br />
For the first time in Monarch’s history, its<br />
fall production was entered to perform <strong>at</strong><br />
the conference. The fall play, “Dracula,” was<br />
judged during its Friday and S<strong>at</strong>urday night<br />
performances, without the cast and crew’s<br />
knowledge, by a represent<strong>at</strong>ive from the<br />
Colorado Thespians. Although they were not<br />
selected to perform on the main stage <strong>at</strong> the<br />
conference, they put on wh<strong>at</strong> some are calling<br />
Monarch’s best play to d<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
“If we had been selected, we would have<br />
performed in front of the whole st<strong>at</strong>e deleg<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
of Colorado Thespians, which is about<br />
3,000 people,” said Gwendolyn Lukas-Doctor,<br />
the head director of “Dracula.” “If they<br />
liked us there we could have potentially been<br />
entered to perform <strong>at</strong> a n<strong>at</strong>ional level in Lincoln,<br />
Nebraska over the summer.”<br />
Having never entered to perform a fullstage<br />
production <strong>at</strong> the conference, the cast<br />
tically, and I will be able to make a decent<br />
amount of money before college,” Bornstein<br />
said. “Having the chance to relax one last<br />
time before college and my entire professional<br />
future will help me in the long run.”<br />
Senior Taylor Hughes also looks forward to<br />
having a little <strong>down</strong> time before college.<br />
“You have a lot of free time. If you want to<br />
work, you can make a lot of money. It’s like<br />
summer,” she said.<br />
The majority of the time, students decide<br />
to gradu<strong>at</strong>e early to get a job so they can<br />
begin saving money for college, though th<strong>at</strong><br />
certainly isn’t always the case.<br />
“I’ve had students gradu<strong>at</strong>e <strong>at</strong> semester<br />
because they want to accomplish a personal<br />
goal like climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and I have<br />
had students really truly do th<strong>at</strong>,” Dempsey<br />
said.<br />
So, if practically every student has an opportunity<br />
to get out of school early, why don’t<br />
more gradu<strong>at</strong>e early?<br />
“The biggest disadvantage is th<strong>at</strong> rite of<br />
passage th<strong>at</strong> really happens,” Dempsey said.<br />
“I believe ‘senioritis’ is real and you don’t get<br />
to really experience it until after spring break;<br />
a lot of students who finish <strong>at</strong> semester will<br />
tell you there’s no pomp and circumstance.<br />
and crew of “Dracula” put in extra time and<br />
energy to make their show worthy of performing<br />
for such a large audience by including pyrotechnics<br />
and increasing funding, and vintage<br />
set pieces. Technical Director Brian du<br />
Fresne and the crew of “Dracula” spent l<strong>at</strong>e<br />
evenings working on the technical aspects<br />
of the show. If chosen, the technical work in<br />
its entirety would have needed to have been<br />
transferred to Denver.<br />
“To be honest, it would have been a headache<br />
because if we had been selected, we<br />
would have had to transport our entire set<br />
to <strong>down</strong>town Denver and everyone needs to<br />
register for the conference. It’s a lot of work<br />
but it’d be worth it,” Lukas-Doctor said.<br />
Registering became an issue when the<br />
judges announced their decision l<strong>at</strong>er than<br />
was expected. The scheduled d<strong>at</strong>e of announcing<br />
was postponed until Nov. 14, which<br />
was four days after the registr<strong>at</strong>ion for all <strong>at</strong>tendants<br />
was due.<br />
Students can also compete in individual<br />
c<strong>at</strong>egories against other thespians from<br />
around Colorado. The areas of competition<br />
include monologue, duet acting, solo/duet<br />
musical the<strong>at</strong>re, group musical the<strong>at</strong>re,<br />
group acting, mime, costume design and<br />
construction, the<strong>at</strong>re marketing, and scenic,<br />
lighting, and sound design.<br />
Many Monarch thespians particip<strong>at</strong>ed in<br />
the competitions, including senior and Mon-<br />
There’s no celebr<strong>at</strong>ion going on <strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> time, so<br />
it feels a little empty.”<br />
Though some seniors choose to leave the<br />
school early, they are not completely separ<strong>at</strong>e<br />
from their class. All gradu<strong>at</strong>ing seniors walk together<br />
to receive their diplomas <strong>at</strong> gradu<strong>at</strong>ion,<br />
regardless of when they gradu<strong>at</strong>ed. Early gradu<strong>at</strong>es<br />
are also allowed to <strong>at</strong>tend the school’s<br />
prom.<br />
The school offers the opportunity for a potential<br />
gradu<strong>at</strong>e to change their mind up until<br />
the very end of the semester.<br />
Pros Cons<br />
There is less time to feel senioritis. Students may feel isol<strong>at</strong>ed from other<br />
students in their gradu<strong>at</strong>ing class.<br />
You will have time to save money and<br />
earn money.<br />
Thespian Conference: Monarch the<strong>at</strong>er students strut their stuff<br />
arch Thespian Secretary Rachel Briggs.<br />
“Competing <strong>at</strong> the thespian conference is<br />
my favorite part. I really love getting to show<br />
everyone th<strong>at</strong> acting is something th<strong>at</strong> I’m<br />
passion<strong>at</strong>e about,” Briggs said.<br />
This year, she competed in the monologue<br />
c<strong>at</strong>egory, which required her to perform two<br />
contrasting monologues.<br />
Actors receiving an “outstanding” grade<br />
are given the honor of qualifying to compete<br />
<strong>at</strong> the n<strong>at</strong>ional level or showcasing, where<br />
they get to perform in front of all of the <strong>at</strong>tendants<br />
<strong>at</strong> the conference on the final night.<br />
You don’t get the same<br />
second semester senior-year<br />
experiences.<br />
There is more time to relax. You can’t particip<strong>at</strong>e in school<br />
activities/<strong>at</strong>hletics.<br />
Photo provided by Sean Welch<br />
The thespians take a group photo after the thespian conference of 2007.<br />
The decision to gradu<strong>at</strong>e early is very individual<br />
and is certainly not for everyone,<br />
but those who do gradu<strong>at</strong>e <strong>at</strong> semester<br />
usually have few regrets and are typically<br />
s<strong>at</strong>isfied with their decision.<br />
“I definitely do not regret gradu<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
early,” said 2008 Monarch gradu<strong>at</strong>e Allie<br />
Mohar. “If you feel you’ve done your best<br />
for four years of high school and you want<br />
to reap the benefits early, go for it. I loved<br />
my second semester off, and I wouldn’t go<br />
back and change anything.”<br />
Photos provided by Amanda Graninger<br />
Although they no longer <strong>at</strong>tend classes <strong>at</strong> Monarch, seniors can still <strong>at</strong>tend things like gradu<strong>at</strong>ion and prom despite their decisions to gradu<strong>at</strong>e early. However they cannot particip<strong>at</strong>e in <strong>at</strong>hletics or other activities. For reasons ranging from working toearn<br />
money to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, approxim<strong>at</strong>ely 15 to 20 students gradu<strong>at</strong>e early each year. The decision is largely an individual one, and students have varying regrets about their decision to gradu<strong>at</strong>e early.<br />
Last year, 2008 Monarch gradu<strong>at</strong>e M<strong>at</strong>t<br />
Cantwell showcased his solo musical the<strong>at</strong>re<br />
song. He also qualified for n<strong>at</strong>ionals in<br />
the duet musical the<strong>at</strong>re c<strong>at</strong>egory with fellow<br />
Monarch gradu<strong>at</strong>e Devyn Cordes.<br />
“Even though I wasn’t competing, I learned<br />
a lot through the workshops,” said sophomore<br />
Desiree Garneau, who <strong>at</strong>tended the<br />
conference both this year and last year.<br />
Some of the optional workshops were<br />
Playwriting, Acting on Film, Yoga for Actors,<br />
Improvis<strong>at</strong>ion, Swing Dancing, and Stage<br />
Comb<strong>at</strong>.<br />
“The thespian conference<br />
is a time for thespians<br />
to get together with<br />
other people from around<br />
the st<strong>at</strong>e so they can meet<br />
new people and go to<br />
workshops taught by professionals<br />
th<strong>at</strong> vary in different<br />
topics,” Monarch<br />
Thespian President Josh<br />
Hickernell said.<br />
The thespian conference<br />
is an opportunity for the<br />
thespians to be educ<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
in workshops, show off<br />
their talents, and observe<br />
the<strong>at</strong>re in action.<br />
cmichael1656@bvsd.org
Page 4 Opinions<br />
Griffler: Political correctness of holiday spirit<br />
Photo provided by Cre<strong>at</strong>ive Commons<br />
A Christmas tree? A holiday bush? A Chanukah shrub? Regardless of name, a decor<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
pine symbolizes winter celebr<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
Is summer fashion really worth the frostbite?<br />
By Asia Kennebrew<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Dressing appropri<strong>at</strong>ely<br />
during the colder months<br />
of the year comes n<strong>at</strong>urally<br />
to most. Our mothers<br />
tell us to layer and<br />
put on our gloves and mittens during our<br />
youth. But somehow as we grow older, we<br />
seem to lose this common sense ingrained<br />
in us <strong>at</strong> an early age. It’s a teenage phenomenon.<br />
Whether it’s wearing short skirts in<br />
winter, or sandals in the snow, some deem<br />
winter jackets and snow boots unnecessary.<br />
Of course it is not for me to say who can<br />
wear wh<strong>at</strong>, or criticize those who choose to<br />
walk out of their house in shorts, flip-flops<br />
and a T-shirt when it’s 20 degrees outside.<br />
Clothing is a personal choice and everyone<br />
has the right to put on wh<strong>at</strong>ever they feel like,<br />
th<strong>at</strong> is not my business. It does become my<br />
problem when these people begin to complain<br />
during a fire drill in the snow, or when<br />
they’re waiting outside for the bus. It is a personal<br />
choice they made, so why should fellow<br />
classm<strong>at</strong>es suffer the long complaints of how<br />
cold it is in the classroom? Of course it’s going<br />
to be cold if you are wearing shorts in the<br />
middle of December.<br />
It is not as though wearing more clothing<br />
and covering up during the long winter<br />
months has to be unfashionable, uncool or<br />
ugly. There are many different options students<br />
have th<strong>at</strong> can save toes from being<br />
frostbitten or legs from freezing in the winter<br />
chill.<br />
“I’m not stupid,” junior Angelica Greene<br />
said. “I don’t want to get sick.”<br />
Although not dressing warmly doesn’t run a<br />
risk of giving one a cold, hypothermia and the<br />
more common frostbite are risks involved.<br />
Sophomore Liz Long agrees, though she<br />
herself admits to sometimes wearing these<br />
types of things.<br />
“If I don’t think it’s too cold I might wear<br />
shorts or short sleeves,” Long said.<br />
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)<br />
them the picture as portrayed <strong>at</strong> left.<br />
Upon the unanimous response of “A<br />
Christmas tree,” I asked them their<br />
opinion about the tree if it were, on<br />
the contrary, a holiday shrub.<br />
“I’d say you’re trying too hard,”<br />
senior Eliza Brennan said.<br />
“I would laugh,” sophomore Megan<br />
Dunlop said.<br />
Senior Walker Christian was none<br />
too pleased.<br />
“It’s a Christmas tradition, so why<br />
should it be anything other than a<br />
Christmas tree?” he said. “Are there<br />
Kwanzaa trees?”<br />
When I asked him if he’d alter the<br />
amount of political correctness surrounding<br />
the holidays, he seemed<br />
to feel less than concerned about<br />
the subject.<br />
“Has anyone ever been offended<br />
by a Christmas tree?”<br />
Sophomore DJ Fries was also a<br />
little put off by the euphemistic intentions<br />
of being politically correct.<br />
“Beliefs don’t need to be ‘correct,’”<br />
he said.<br />
But wh<strong>at</strong> exactly is too cold? It’s subjective,<br />
of course. Students should wear wh<strong>at</strong>’s<br />
right for them. They should dress appropri<strong>at</strong>ely<br />
for themselves so they won’t be cold.<br />
Other students were a bit less<br />
passion<strong>at</strong>e about their choice of<br />
words.<br />
“I believe ‘ap<strong>at</strong>hetic’ would be a<br />
good word,” said junior Riley Walker,<br />
when asked about how he felt<br />
about political correctness and the<br />
holidays.<br />
And perhaps th<strong>at</strong> is the best<br />
word in all this. I asked the students<br />
whether they’ve personally been<br />
offended by a lack of political correctness<br />
surrounding the holidays.<br />
Nobody interviewed seemed to care<br />
too much. But seriously now, it’s OK<br />
to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy<br />
Chanukah” or “A most bodacious<br />
Solstice” once in a while, I promise.<br />
In fact, it shows respect if you took<br />
the time to know wh<strong>at</strong> someone<br />
celebr<strong>at</strong>es in the first place, r<strong>at</strong>her<br />
than blanketing them in a stifling<br />
remark of “Happy Holidays!”<br />
Wh<strong>at</strong>ever you’re celebr<strong>at</strong>ing this<br />
holiday season, have a good one.<br />
notzak@gmail.com<br />
Photo by Asia Kennebrew<br />
A melange of flip-flops, ski jackets, swe<strong>at</strong>shirts and tank tops are seen around Monarch even through the winter season. Poor<br />
choices in dress have often left students complaining of cold during class.<br />
And if they just have to wear th<strong>at</strong> T-shirt, they<br />
should bring a jacket.<br />
regalprettiness@gmail.com<br />
The Howler<br />
Editors in Chief...................................................................Lorne Fultonberg and Evanne Montoya<br />
News editor....................................................................................................................Molly Olson<br />
Opinions editor.........................................................................................................Veronica Baker<br />
Fe<strong>at</strong>ures editor........................................................................................................Colleen Sherman<br />
A&E editor................................................................................................................Megan Moran<br />
Sports editor...........................................................................................................Collin Walentine<br />
Staff members...........................................Alexis Acosta, Megan Chu, Leah Fultonberg, Zak Griffler,<br />
..............................................................Asia Kennebrew, Morgan Kozin, Ariel Lewis, Chrissy Lowe,<br />
.......................................................................Cheyenne Michaels, Brock Millington and Ashley Ward<br />
Business manager.......................................................................................................Chrissy Lowe<br />
Advisers................................................................................Elaine Grace and Brandon Gullicksrud<br />
The Howler is the official student newspaper of Monarch <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. Opinions expressed in the Howler are solely those<br />
of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Monarch <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, its employees, faculty members,<br />
teachers or students, or the Boulder Valley <strong>School</strong> District.<br />
The staff welcomes suggestions, articles, letters and editorials, which may be dropped off to Room L205B or emailed to the<br />
Howler <strong>at</strong> mhshowler@yahoo.com.<br />
Some m<strong>at</strong>erial courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Newspaper Service.<br />
Question of<br />
the month<br />
by Veronica Baker<br />
Opinions Editor<br />
“Wh<strong>at</strong> do you<br />
think of the<br />
‘09 Get Wet’<br />
controversy?”<br />
Photo by Veronica Baker<br />
Senior Alex Maxfield<br />
“I think it’s stupid, and since everyone’s<br />
made a big deal out of it,<br />
it makes us look childish.”<br />
Photo by Veronica Baker<br />
Junior Devin Romano<br />
“Well, they’re just setting the bar<br />
for ‘1-0 Get Low!’”<br />
Sophomore DJ Fries<br />
“More power to ‘em.”<br />
Photo by Veronica Baker<br />
Photo by Veronica Baker<br />
Language arts teacher<br />
Gwendolyn Lukas-Doctor<br />
“I think there are far gre<strong>at</strong>er things<br />
to be worried about than fighting the<br />
man and/or fighting the students<br />
about a T-shirt.”
Opinions Page 5<br />
Get wh<strong>at</strong>?! Monarch seniors cre<strong>at</strong>e t-shirt controversy<br />
by Morgan Kozin<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Each year the senior<br />
class comes up with a<br />
chant. Two years ago,<br />
it was “007” and last<br />
year’s was “’08 Feelin’<br />
Gre<strong>at</strong>.” This year’s, however, has cre<strong>at</strong>ed a<br />
rush of controversy— not only <strong>at</strong> Monarch,<br />
but also in the Denver-Metro area.<br />
I’ve waited three long years to be a senior,<br />
playing with possible slogans since sophomore<br />
year. Never, though, had I imagined<br />
“’09 Get Wet” would be wh<strong>at</strong> I heard <strong>at</strong> pep<br />
assemblies, football games, in the halls and<br />
especially on the news. I haven’t waited three<br />
years to be remembered as the “Get Wet”<br />
class <strong>at</strong> our 10-year reunion.<br />
Maybe the claim th<strong>at</strong> there was no meaning<br />
intended to go with the phrase is true,<br />
but in reality, the word “wet” has multiple<br />
meaning— a majority of which I cannot go<br />
into detail about in a high school newspaper.<br />
Definitions range from being covered in w<strong>at</strong>er<br />
to having sexual and/or drug references.<br />
Whether or not it was intended to have sexual<br />
or drug-rel<strong>at</strong>ed connot<strong>at</strong>ions, “Get Wet” is<br />
one of those phrases th<strong>at</strong> is open to crude<br />
interpret<strong>at</strong>ions, particularly in a high school<br />
setting.<br />
Senior Sen<strong>at</strong>e President Olivia Heel makes<br />
a valid point when she asks wh<strong>at</strong> the point<br />
of wearing the shirts and chanting “Get Wet”<br />
<strong>at</strong> school events is if there is no meaning to<br />
it. A senior chant is supposed to have significance.<br />
In addition to making a st<strong>at</strong>ement about<br />
the seniors, these chants are meant to unify<br />
the class. Aside from the vulgarity, “Get Wet”<br />
has done just th<strong>at</strong>. This year’s senior class<br />
has struggled with unific<strong>at</strong>ion through the<br />
years, and the controversy has brought us<br />
together with something to fight for. Not ev-<br />
eryone agrees with the slogan, but it’s given<br />
us an excuse to stand together as one.<br />
When senior shirts promoting the slogan<br />
were distributed <strong>at</strong> school without permission,<br />
Monarch administr<strong>at</strong>ion called all seniors<br />
wearing the shirts to the auditorium.<br />
Each student’s parents were called and they<br />
were told to replace the shirts with schoolappropri<strong>at</strong>e<br />
<strong>at</strong>tire. Some students were upset<br />
with how the administr<strong>at</strong>ion handled the<br />
situ<strong>at</strong>ion and encouraged local newspapers<br />
and st<strong>at</strong>ewide news shows to fe<strong>at</strong>ure the issue,<br />
thus cre<strong>at</strong>ing more controversy between<br />
the senior class and the <strong>MHS</strong> faculty.<br />
“Honestly, if the administr<strong>at</strong>ion hadn’t<br />
reacted like they did and simply said, ‘Hey,<br />
could you take them off,’ it probably would<br />
have been over pretty fast,” senior Sean<br />
Graninger said. “But because of the harsh<br />
way they reacted, it upset a lot of the seniors.<br />
The ‘’09 Get Wet’ movement has just begun,<br />
and it’s only getting bigger.”<br />
In the past, Monarch students have felt<br />
completely disrespected by the administr<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
The “Get Wet” crusade has become a<br />
sort of rebellion. Wh<strong>at</strong> we need to realize is<br />
th<strong>at</strong> the administr<strong>at</strong>ion this year is new to<br />
Monarch. Principal Jerry Anderson and As-<br />
sistant Principal Scott Cawlfield are being<br />
punished for wrongs they didn’t commit and<br />
histories they can’t change, so give them a<br />
break.<br />
I completely understand where the supporters<br />
of “Get Wet” are coming from, but as<br />
seniors, we have to realize th<strong>at</strong> we represent<br />
Monarch more than anyone else and are supposed<br />
to be role models to the underclassmen.<br />
While this may be a joke right now, do<br />
we really want to be remembered as the “’09<br />
Get Wet” senior class for years to come?<br />
mkozin13@yahoo.com<br />
Un-deck the halls and cut out the lights on the holiday season<br />
by Leah Fultonberg<br />
Howler Staff<br />
One of the best parts<br />
about the holidays is to<br />
drive or walk through the<br />
neighborhood and look<br />
<strong>at</strong> the decor<strong>at</strong>ions, but<br />
sometimes, they can get a little extreme. I<br />
admit th<strong>at</strong> I enjoy seeing how bright the decor<strong>at</strong>ions<br />
are, but I think some people can go a<br />
little crazy.<br />
I remember one year, on a sunny October<br />
day, I was walking home from a friend’s<br />
house and my neighbor asked me to help him<br />
set up his Christmas lights and various other<br />
decor<strong>at</strong>ions. I politely refused and kept walking,<br />
wondering why he wanted to set up his<br />
Christmas decor<strong>at</strong>ions in October. L<strong>at</strong>er on<br />
in the month, I walked by again <strong>at</strong> night and<br />
the house was practically glowing. It was ridiculous<br />
for the house to be th<strong>at</strong> bright and<br />
decked out th<strong>at</strong> early.<br />
I find it a little absurd to start setting up<br />
before Thanksgiving, but also I think people<br />
waste so much time and money setting up<br />
decor<strong>at</strong>ions. Really, someone goes all out to<br />
decor<strong>at</strong>e for the holiday, and it only lasts for a<br />
day. I mean, come on. Wh<strong>at</strong>’s the point?<br />
Photo by Morgan Kozin<br />
Seniors Ari Liston, Taylor James, Shane Wheeler, and Sean Graninger hang out <strong>at</strong> Heritage Park in Louisville wearing the spirit shirts and headbands banned <strong>at</strong> Monarch. Administr<strong>at</strong>ors warned<br />
th<strong>at</strong> any student wearing a “Get Wet” shirt to school would recieve a two-week suspension.<br />
Freshman Ali Laouar believes th<strong>at</strong> people<br />
express their feelings for the holiday with how<br />
much or how little they decor<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
“If people put up a lot of decor<strong>at</strong>ions, they<br />
have a lot of love for the holiday. If people<br />
don’t, they don’t have as much love for it,” he<br />
said.<br />
Junior Zach Steinbaugh also thinks decor<strong>at</strong>ions<br />
play a major role in holidays.<br />
“[Decor<strong>at</strong>ions] are very essential to celebr<strong>at</strong>ions…<br />
especially the lights,” he said.<br />
Th<strong>at</strong> being said, decor<strong>at</strong>ions are gre<strong>at</strong> in<br />
moder<strong>at</strong>ion. But if I’m not mistaken, I’ve<br />
heard th<strong>at</strong> Christmas is the time of giving.<br />
Wh<strong>at</strong> are people giving to the rest of the community<br />
by setting up extravagant displays in<br />
their yards? Sure, they give holiday cheer and<br />
st<strong>at</strong>e th<strong>at</strong> the holidays are coming, but some<br />
houses scream it to the heavens. Th<strong>at</strong> can<br />
be too much. If people own a calendar, they<br />
don’t need any help figuring out th<strong>at</strong> the holidays<br />
are coming.<br />
Christmas falls into the c<strong>at</strong>egory of crazy<br />
decor<strong>at</strong>ions, and if Laouar’s specul<strong>at</strong>ion is<br />
correct, then people must have a lot of love<br />
for Christmas. The blinding lights, giant Santas<br />
and reindeer situ<strong>at</strong>ed on rooftops and infl<strong>at</strong>able<br />
Frosty the Snowmen and snow globes<br />
are a little over the top. Often, people get so<br />
into the holidays th<strong>at</strong><br />
families have problems.<br />
“One year, my dad<br />
fell trying to put up our<br />
Christmas lights. He was<br />
ok though,” Steinbaugh<br />
said.<br />
Sibling rivalry occurs<br />
as well.<br />
“Every single year, my<br />
brother and I decor<strong>at</strong>e<br />
the tree together. I always<br />
want it my way.<br />
He always bunches the<br />
ornaments together so<br />
I have to go and spread<br />
them out. I can’t remember<br />
a year we haven’t<br />
fought,” senior Erin Brophy<br />
said.<br />
I think decor<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
can be fun, but in moder<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
There’s always<br />
room for some holiday<br />
spirit, but sometimes it<br />
just needs to be toned<br />
<strong>down</strong>.<br />
lfultonb7731@bvsd.org<br />
Photo by Leah Fultonberg<br />
Before the turkey was even served up on Thanksgiving, the trees of Superior are aglow.<br />
Town decor<strong>at</strong>ions were seen as early as the beginning of November.
Page 6 Fe<strong>at</strong>ures<br />
‘Tis the season to not be shaving: November’s furry reign of terror<br />
by Colleen Sherman<br />
Fe<strong>at</strong>ures Editor<br />
Leonardo da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo<br />
Buonarroti and Albus Dumbledore<br />
are all considered gre<strong>at</strong> men, and they all<br />
seem to be linked by one uniting force: gre<strong>at</strong><br />
facial hair, something which has recently been<br />
seen around the halls of Monarch. The first<br />
week in November marked the beginning of<br />
scruffy faces, the hallmark of an annual tradition<br />
known as No Shave November.<br />
No Shave November is a mar<strong>at</strong>hon of manliness,<br />
a strike on shaving for the entire month.<br />
Some people do it for a sports team, such as<br />
Week 1<br />
Week 1<br />
<strong>MHS</strong> football players for the st<strong>at</strong>e playoffs.<br />
Others particip<strong>at</strong>e for <strong>at</strong>tention. According to<br />
NoShaveNovember.org, this annual holiday<br />
was actually dedic<strong>at</strong>ed to Darfur genocide<br />
awareness this year. No m<strong>at</strong>ter wh<strong>at</strong> the reason<br />
for particip<strong>at</strong>ing, this November was a<br />
razor-free spectacle to see.<br />
Unfortun<strong>at</strong>ely, No Shave November is only<br />
an option for a few m<strong>at</strong>ure students who have<br />
the ability to grow facial hair.<br />
“It’s kind of like asking a bald man to have<br />
long hair; if you’ve got it you can flaunt it. But,<br />
if not, then you might try choosing something<br />
else,” history teacher Andrew Buhse said.<br />
Buhse is a noted member of the bearded com-<br />
Students throw up <strong>at</strong> ‘Throw<strong>down</strong>’<br />
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)<br />
Many teams felt this<br />
contest wouldn’t come<br />
<strong>down</strong> just to a team’s<br />
ability to e<strong>at</strong>, instead,<br />
they thought whoever<br />
had the best str<strong>at</strong>egy<br />
would be victorious.<br />
“We are going to mix<br />
the cranberry sauce with<br />
the mashed pot<strong>at</strong>oes to<br />
combine the two nasty<br />
foods into one,” junior<br />
Tyler Slade said.<br />
Some of the better<br />
teams in this year’s<br />
contest included Team<br />
Boss, the Dilfers, Tyler<br />
and the Ph<strong>at</strong>ies and The<br />
Taylor Swift Groupies, who all finished the<br />
meal in around seven minutes.<br />
However, their cre<strong>at</strong>ive names and uniforms<br />
Sophomore Ryan Muller finds out th<strong>at</strong> mashed pot<strong>at</strong>oes<br />
look as good coming up as they do going <strong>down</strong>.<br />
Week 2<br />
Week 2<br />
Photo by Collin Walentine<br />
couldn’t overcome the<br />
sheer e<strong>at</strong>ing ability of<br />
the Big Boiiis. Freshmen<br />
Adan Morquecho,<br />
Travis Schlueter, Kenny<br />
Dienst, and Ian Steele<br />
<strong>at</strong>e the entire meal in<br />
an astonishing time of<br />
5:37.<br />
“I kinda want to go<br />
again so I can e<strong>at</strong> some<br />
more,” Schlueter said<br />
after his turn.<br />
This year’s contest had<br />
everything an e<strong>at</strong>ing fan<br />
could want. There was<br />
food e<strong>at</strong>en off the floor,<br />
faces crammed full,<br />
and plenty of vomit. It’s<br />
all part of the unique<br />
Monarch e<strong>at</strong>ing tradition known as theThanksgiving<br />
Throw<strong>down</strong>.<br />
buffboy1991@yahoo.com<br />
Monarch <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Final Exam Schedule<br />
(Good Luck) Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday<br />
7:30-<br />
9:00<br />
9:05-<br />
11:20<br />
11:20-<br />
12:05<br />
12:10-<br />
2:25<br />
2:30-<br />
3:00<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 1<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 2<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 3<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 4<br />
Exam<br />
Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch<br />
Period 5<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 6<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Period 7<br />
Exam<br />
Tutor<br />
Time<br />
Make-up<br />
Exams<br />
Make-up<br />
Exams<br />
munity <strong>at</strong> Monarch who strives for a Chuck<br />
Norris look.<br />
Seniors Alex Puldy and Chris Contini are two<br />
students who pride themselves on their ability<br />
to grow full beards. Contini is a No Shave<br />
November veteran, but this was Puldy’s first<br />
year particip<strong>at</strong>ing. They turned the event into<br />
a full-on competition, Puldy aiming for a Jack<br />
Sparrow look and Contini <strong>at</strong>tempting a Sean<br />
Connery appeal.<br />
“It’s nice knowing th<strong>at</strong> I can grow facial hair<br />
a lot better than my friends,” Contini said.<br />
Undisputedly, there is a sense of pride within<br />
the male, beard-growing community when<br />
it comes to who can grow the best facial hair.<br />
Week 3<br />
Week 3<br />
Teacher fe<strong>at</strong>ures: Weird science<br />
by Leah Fultonberg<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Have you ever wanted to know more about<br />
some of the members of the Monarch Science<br />
department? Well, here’s your chance.<br />
Laszlo Vass, Dave Thomas, Kristin Donley, John<br />
Stillian, Peter Shannon, and Kevin Lowe admit<br />
th<strong>at</strong> <strong>at</strong> one point, they were in high school…<br />
just like you.<br />
Q: Was science your favorite subject<br />
in high school?<br />
Vass: Drama was my favorite. I was<br />
in all the plays.<br />
Thomas: Most definitely not. I had<br />
the most evil science teachers in<br />
high school…so I became one!<br />
Donley: Science, of course! Genetic<br />
engineering.<br />
Stillian: English. I didn’t take any<br />
serious science until college.<br />
Shannon: Science.<br />
Lowe: M<strong>at</strong>h and science.<br />
Q: Wh<strong>at</strong> were you like in high school?<br />
Vass: The same as now, just weirder and<br />
younger. Outgoing, less gray hair, well known.<br />
Thomas: I was completely messed up freshman<br />
year. Typical freshman boy problems. Then<br />
I got good grades and tried to hang out with the<br />
honors crowd.<br />
Donley: I was just weird. I did sports and was in<br />
lots of social groups. Oh! I cloned a geranium<br />
plant in high school!<br />
Stillian: I ran cross-country.<br />
Shannon: I played football, track, volleyball,<br />
Week 4<br />
“The beards here <strong>at</strong> Monarch are pretty<br />
good,” Buhse said. “I’d be curious to see of<br />
all the students who have beards here <strong>at</strong> Monarch,<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> their love life is like.”<br />
Contini and Puldy agree th<strong>at</strong> women aren’t<br />
usually <strong>at</strong>tracted to the facial hair which has<br />
been gracing the faces of particip<strong>at</strong>ing students.<br />
However, this is a tradition th<strong>at</strong> g<strong>at</strong>hers<br />
fresh, m<strong>at</strong>ured faces every year, and with<br />
a cult following it doesn’t seem like it will be<br />
going away any time soon.<br />
“I just hope no one tre<strong>at</strong>s me differently because<br />
I have a crusty-ass beard on my face,”<br />
Puldy said.<br />
collsherman@aol.com<br />
Week 4<br />
Photo provided by Kristin Donley<br />
<strong>MHS</strong> science teacher Kristin<br />
Donley’s high school photo.<br />
and was NHS president.<br />
Lowe: I don’t know. I had hair.<br />
Photos by Colleen Sherman<br />
Q: Wh<strong>at</strong>’s something few people know about<br />
you?<br />
Vass: I’m from Transylvania.<br />
Thomas: I’m kind of, like, into de<strong>at</strong>h metal.<br />
Donley: I was a Def Leppard groupie.<br />
Stillian: I was in the Air Force in Vietnam.<br />
Shannon: I ski a lot. I’m from Breckenridge.<br />
Lowe: I coached wrestling for over<br />
20 years. I coached track for 15<br />
years.<br />
Q:Experiment gone wrong?<br />
Vass: I had a girl throw up during<br />
a video. She had a good healthy<br />
breakfast. It was very stinky.<br />
Thomas: <strong>My</strong> friend who was a doctor<br />
brought in a human brain to<br />
show in biology. A kid passed out and his head<br />
landed in the full recycling bin. Had he been<br />
standing anywhere else, he would’ve cracked<br />
his head open.<br />
Donley: One time, I set my projector on fire in<br />
class accidentally. All the kids were like, ‘Do it<br />
again!’ and the projector was all melted.<br />
Shannon: A kid had an explosion once. He<br />
only read the first direction of the lab and then<br />
skipped to the sixth step. The sixth step said,<br />
‘stick it in the flame.’ It exploded, but nobody<br />
was hurt.<br />
Lowe: It was a radioactivity lab in college. I<br />
measured the radioactivity and got knocked<br />
out of the shield.<br />
Fe<strong>at</strong>ures Page 7<br />
Invisible Children inspire <strong>MHS</strong><br />
a school, they can’t go to school. They don’t<br />
have the opportunity to complain,” said<br />
junior Max Stanford, co-president of Monarch’s<br />
Invisible Children Club.<br />
This school year, Monarch students have<br />
become more involved in the crisis in Uganda.<br />
Co-presidents Stanford and senior Jennifer<br />
Spear run the Invisible Children Club<br />
with the help of Donley. They meet every<br />
Photo provided by InvisibleChildren.com<br />
The children of the Ugandan crisis wonder if peace will come.<br />
by Morgan Kozin<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Three years ago, seniors in the 2007 gradu<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
class, Jason Cashdollar and Hayley Schneider,<br />
brought the Invisible Children organiz<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
to <strong>MHS</strong> as a Future Business Leaders<br />
of America project, and each year the organiz<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
has gained momentum and popularity<br />
within the Monarch community. This year, the<br />
club is bigger than ever. The movement has<br />
begun to reach even those who know little<br />
about the crisis in Uganda.<br />
Since the early 1980’s, northern Uganda<br />
has been in the midst of a civil war between<br />
the corrupt Ugandan government (GOU) and<br />
the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Twenty-two<br />
years ago, Joseph Kony cre<strong>at</strong>ed the LRA saying<br />
th<strong>at</strong> he wanted to fight the GOU to end<br />
prejudices against an ethnic group called the<br />
Acholi people. However, most of his <strong>at</strong>tacks<br />
have been towards this group.<br />
The LRA has terrorized the Ugandan popul<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
through harassment of suspected symp<strong>at</strong>hizers<br />
of the GOU by cutting off their hands,<br />
ears, or lips. In addition, Kony has supplied<br />
his army with mostly child soldiers th<strong>at</strong> have<br />
been violently abducted and forced to enlist.<br />
Young boys are trained to fight, while girls are<br />
used as sex slaves for the older LRA soldiers<br />
and officers.<br />
In 2002, the LRA killed 48 people in a<br />
northern Ugandan town. Elderly people and<br />
adults were brutally killed with machetes and<br />
spears. According to informaworld.com, an<br />
online d<strong>at</strong>abase and reference website, babies<br />
were thrown against trees.<br />
Ugandan families have been torn apart by<br />
this civil unrest. Many parents, if they haven’t<br />
succumbed to the violence or disease, fear<br />
for their children’s lives. Young boys and girls<br />
roam the streets <strong>at</strong> night to try to find a safe<br />
place to sleep and avoid being kidnapped by<br />
the LRA, risking never seeing their families<br />
again.<br />
This viol<strong>at</strong>ion of human rights is a forgotten<br />
crisis due to the world’s lack of involvement.<br />
The GOU is morally corrupt and not doing<br />
nearly enough to protect its own citizens.<br />
Since Invisible Children’s involvement, the<br />
number of child abductions has decreased in<br />
Uganda but have become more frequent in<br />
the Democr<strong>at</strong>ic Republic of Congo (DRC). The<br />
problem now is the gre<strong>at</strong> influx in the displacement<br />
camps from both Ugandan refugees<br />
as well as those from the DRC. These camps<br />
are cities of people crowded together in huts<br />
with little or no resources. People die daily<br />
from malnutrition, disease, abuse and rape.<br />
Children can’t afford to go to school, which<br />
prevents them from escaping the camps and<br />
danger.<br />
“We take for granted our educ<strong>at</strong>ion, but<br />
then when you look <strong>at</strong> it, these kids don’t have<br />
Wednesday afternoon in room B111. So far,<br />
they have sold boo grams for Halloween,<br />
particip<strong>at</strong>ed in the penny war alongside Junior<br />
Sen<strong>at</strong>e and recently finished a book drive.<br />
They aspire to raise $4,000 to $5,000 this<br />
year to contribute to the cause.<br />
“We can all make a difference. If we all don<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
a dollar, th<strong>at</strong>’s $2,000. You can make<br />
a big difference with a lot of little people,”<br />
Spear said.<br />
Spear also wants the Monarch student body<br />
to know th<strong>at</strong> 99 percent of all profits go to<br />
help the children in Uganda. None of it goes<br />
to the government, so every dollar really does<br />
help those th<strong>at</strong> can’t help themselves.<br />
For more inform<strong>at</strong>ion on the crisis in northern<br />
Uganda or to get involved with Invisible<br />
Children, visit www.invisiblechildren.org or <strong>at</strong>tend<br />
a meeting on Wednesday after school. It’s<br />
not required to <strong>at</strong>tend all meetings or events,<br />
the officers simply want the awareness spread<br />
throughout the school.<br />
The brutal injustices in Uganda are ongoing,<br />
and now, thanks to Invisible Children, Monarch<br />
students can contribute to ending this<br />
horrible war.<br />
mkozin13@gmail.com<br />
Photo provided by InvisibleChildren.com<br />
Children and adults alike live in crowded refugee camps<br />
like this one in Uganda due to displacement.<br />
Brightening a winter’s night<br />
by Ashley Ward<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Each year on the first Friday in December,<br />
a dark winter night in Louisville is illumin<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
with holiday spirit. Bright flo<strong>at</strong>s<br />
covered in lights come by the dozen through<br />
Old Town, accompanied by bands playing<br />
festive music and costumed children giving<br />
out candy.<br />
The Parade of Lights is scheduled for<br />
Dec. 5 <strong>at</strong> 7 p.m. Much of the Louisville<br />
community g<strong>at</strong>hers along the sidewalks of<br />
Main St. to w<strong>at</strong>ch this holiday tradition.<br />
“The Parade of Lights is one of the only<br />
events the community does together,”<br />
junior Arlene Brugal said. “I’ve gone for<br />
three years and the lights are always nice<br />
and bright. It’s so fun!”<br />
Senior Sara Paine experiences the parade<br />
from a different point of view. She is<br />
in Monarch’s color guard and has been in<br />
the parade for four years.<br />
“I love seeing the cute, small children<br />
and their happy little faces as they w<strong>at</strong>ch<br />
all the flo<strong>at</strong>s go by,” Paine said.<br />
For more inform<strong>at</strong>ion, email the Louisville<br />
Chamber of Commerce <strong>at</strong><br />
chamber@h2net.net.<br />
award4313@bvsd.org<br />
Portraits showcase student talent<br />
by Evanne Montoya<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
Forget those expensive professional photographers,<br />
Monarch photo students are well<br />
on their way to becoming experts. For the second<br />
year, students in<br />
levels two and above<br />
had the opportunity to<br />
work with models and<br />
professional lights in<br />
a portrait studio loc<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
in a room off of<br />
the art room.<br />
Jenna Kendall was<br />
a Photo One student<br />
last year, and her<br />
mother works for a<br />
Photo by Evanne Montoya<br />
Junior K<strong>at</strong>elynn Johnson poses with a plant prop for<br />
junior Megan Cousins as she takes a photograph.<br />
company th<strong>at</strong> sells<br />
lights. Monarch photography<br />
teacher<br />
Claudia LaStella, was<br />
able to purchase an entire set of professional<br />
lights <strong>at</strong> half-price.<br />
“The value of [the project] is learning to<br />
deal with lights, learning to deal with models<br />
in a much stricter sense than ‘here is my friend<br />
posed,’ and seeing wh<strong>at</strong> different lights do,”<br />
LaStella said.<br />
The class learned about different lighting<br />
methods and got tips on posing models from<br />
professional photographer Rick Christie.<br />
From there, they brainstormed ideas, enlisted<br />
classm<strong>at</strong>es as models and found props.<br />
This was a favorite project for senior Blakely<br />
Farrow.<br />
“When I was little I had a<br />
bunch of ballerina pictures<br />
and paintings in my room<br />
and I thought it would be<br />
cool to remake them,” Farrow<br />
said.<br />
Junior Lilly Moody found<br />
coming up with ideas to be<br />
difficult, but she really felt<br />
th<strong>at</strong> the project improved her<br />
skills.<br />
“It taught me about using<br />
lighting and how to look <strong>at</strong><br />
things and find the beauty in<br />
them,” Moody said.<br />
LaStella plans to continue to include this proj-<br />
ect in the class’ curriculum.<br />
“It has been very successful, and I have high<br />
hopes for this semester’s pictures,” LaStella said.<br />
Pictures from the portrait studio will be displayed<br />
around the school the week of Dec. 15.<br />
evy224ever@juno.com
Page 8 A&E<br />
Ask<br />
Brock:<br />
Wh<strong>at</strong> do<br />
I do if I<br />
get stuck under<br />
the mistletoe with<br />
someone I don’t<br />
like?<br />
by Brock Millington<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Picture this: You’re <strong>at</strong> a Christmas party<br />
enjoying yourself and the company of your<br />
friends. You’re busy enjoying your eggnog<br />
and Christmas cookie when, all of a sudden,<br />
you’re staring <strong>at</strong> the one person you dislike<br />
the most <strong>at</strong> the party, and they’re holding<br />
mistletoe! Now, you may be asking yourself,<br />
“Wh<strong>at</strong> do I do?” Don’t worry, take a deep<br />
bre<strong>at</strong>h, and choose one of these escape<br />
routes to avoid the dreaded mistletoe.<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
Pretend th<strong>at</strong> you are getting an<br />
important call and get out of there<br />
before they come in for the kiss.<br />
As he or she walks up to you, become<br />
extremely “clingy” and say<br />
you want to start a rel<strong>at</strong>ionship.<br />
This will make the person uncomfortable<br />
and change his or her<br />
mind about kissing you.<br />
When you see the person start to<br />
walk over, fake an asthma <strong>at</strong>tack or<br />
start coughing uncontrollably. No<br />
one wants to make out with a sick<br />
person.<br />
Say th<strong>at</strong> you’re involved in a serious<br />
rel<strong>at</strong>ionship and can’t kiss the<br />
person because it would cross the<br />
boundaries of your other rel<strong>at</strong>ionship.<br />
If you are around some finger<br />
foods, grab as many as you can<br />
and stuff them all in your mouth.<br />
Then, start chewing with your<br />
mouth open. Th<strong>at</strong>’s <strong>at</strong>tractive!<br />
Run. It may seem rude, but wh<strong>at</strong>ever<br />
will get you out of this situ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
is a risk worth taking.<br />
Take control of the situ<strong>at</strong>ion. Grab<br />
his or her’s head and kiss them on<br />
the cheek. They may seem “put<br />
out” or discouraged but let it be.<br />
So, if this situ<strong>at</strong>ion ever appears in your<br />
life, just remember these useful tips. You’ll<br />
know exactly wh<strong>at</strong> to do in order to avoid a<br />
kiss from th<strong>at</strong> unpleasant someone and the<br />
dreaded mistletoe.<br />
Do you need Brock’s advice?<br />
Drop your question off in the<br />
box outside of Ms. Grace’s<br />
room, L205B, and he will<br />
answer it in the next issue.<br />
How to prepare for finals<br />
by Asia Kennebrew<br />
Howler Staff<br />
As the week<br />
of finals<br />
approaches,<br />
m a n y<br />
Monarch<br />
students are<br />
scrambling<br />
to study.<br />
Students<br />
are trying<br />
to cram<br />
four months<br />
worth of<br />
inform<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
into their<br />
heads and<br />
stressing<br />
themselves<br />
out until they<br />
break. But<br />
excessive<br />
stress won’t help, and neither will a l<strong>at</strong>e<br />
night cramming session the night before the<br />
final. These tips will help prepare you for the<br />
dreaded week ahead.<br />
Studying for exams is important, of course,<br />
but pacing your study time is crucial. No<br />
one can recall a semester’s m<strong>at</strong>erial in one<br />
night. Start preparing ahead of time, and<br />
take advantage of all the resources <strong>at</strong> hand.<br />
Splitting the inform<strong>at</strong>ion into small, digestible<br />
chunks will assist the memoriz<strong>at</strong>ion process<br />
and will be beneficial to your mental health.<br />
Planning study groups with friends (who<br />
will remain focused) can be a relaxing and<br />
rewarding way to prepare for tests as well.<br />
But studying isn’t everything. Students<br />
need to remember to take some time off for<br />
themselves. Doing something you love can<br />
be an awesome stress reliever. Some options<br />
New film class rolling <strong>at</strong> <strong>MHS</strong><br />
by Zak Griffler<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Photo by Asia Kennebrew<br />
Studying for several different finals can bring stress to many Monarch students.<br />
Students needing to fill their schedules<br />
next year have a new class to take. Film<br />
Production, not to be confused with Film<br />
Liter<strong>at</strong>ure, will be on the class roster. This<br />
wasn’t a spur of the moment addition; the<br />
class has been in the planning stages for<br />
over seven years.<br />
According to language arts teacher, and<br />
prospective teacher of the course, Chris<br />
Weber, many factors led to the cre<strong>at</strong>ion of<br />
the class.<br />
“About seven to eight years ago, we held<br />
a survey to see wh<strong>at</strong> classes students would<br />
be interested in,” he said. “Film Production<br />
was highly marked among students.”<br />
The department is planning on setting up a<br />
permanent room for the class, complete with<br />
a surround-sound system and projector for<br />
student film viewings, as well as a computer<br />
system dedic<strong>at</strong>ed to film production.<br />
The Language Arts department has also<br />
had to request extra funding from the district<br />
to purchase cameras and other technology<br />
for the class.<br />
“We know th<strong>at</strong> a lot of kids have their own<br />
cameras, but we wanted to make sure ther’s<br />
be enough technology for everyone,” Weber<br />
said.<br />
The current plan is th<strong>at</strong> the class will<br />
include reading books like Social Studies<br />
teacher Andrew Buhse or listening to music<br />
like freshman Tia Cooper.<br />
“I ride my<br />
horse,” junior<br />
Parry Allen<br />
said. “It’s<br />
relaxing.”<br />
Taking<br />
time out of<br />
the day to do<br />
an activity or<br />
hobby you<br />
enjoy reduces<br />
stress levels<br />
and cre<strong>at</strong>es<br />
more focus<br />
when it’s time<br />
to study.<br />
“I’m<br />
worried,” said<br />
employ Windows Movie Maker for editing, as<br />
it’s already installed on the school computer<br />
network. Though some film students may<br />
balk <strong>at</strong> its more simplistic functionality, the<br />
staff finds it a good introduction into the<br />
world of film editing.<br />
The class is going to be taught or assisted<br />
by current Language Arts teachers P<strong>at</strong>rick<br />
Miskella, Taryn Gillespie, Mike Kugler<br />
and Weber. It’s been specul<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> Film<br />
Liter<strong>at</strong>ure is going to be a pre-requisite<br />
course to Film Production, but this has<br />
been up for deb<strong>at</strong>e amongst the staff. The<br />
main reasoning is due to the filmmaking<br />
vocabulary taught in Film Liter<strong>at</strong>ure. Some<br />
feel th<strong>at</strong> the knowledge learned in Film<br />
Liter<strong>at</strong>ure would assist students in their Film<br />
Production projects.<br />
Senior Ben Fraser, a prospective film<br />
production major, disagrees with the need<br />
for Film Liter<strong>at</strong>ure as a pre-requisite course.<br />
“I’d say Film Lit. shouldn’t be a<br />
requirement. It’s probably better suited as a<br />
recommend<strong>at</strong>ion for the sake of background<br />
knowledge,” Fraser said.<br />
There has not yet been a final decision<br />
regarding a pre-requisite course. The class is<br />
scheduled to be available for students in the<br />
fall of 2009.<br />
notzak@gmail.com<br />
f r e s h m a n<br />
Anna Mickel,<br />
who has<br />
never taken finals before.<br />
The truth is many students are worried<br />
about doing well on their semester finals,<br />
under- and upperclassmen alike. But the key<br />
is to stay calm. If you find yourself panicking,<br />
take a few deep bre<strong>at</strong>hs and let them<br />
out. If you still can’t relax, try a technique<br />
called progressive muscle relax<strong>at</strong>ion. This<br />
technique is used by tensing the muscles for<br />
a few seconds, then releasing the tension,<br />
causing your muscles to relax.<br />
Worrying obsessively about the final won’t<br />
do any good. Taking an <strong>at</strong>titude like Cooper<br />
has, who says she’s not worried and plans to<br />
study, is the best way to ace your final exams.<br />
Have a healthy amount of stress, but don’t<br />
stress yourself out. Take time to do the things<br />
you love, but don’t procrastin<strong>at</strong>e until it’s<br />
impossible to do well.<br />
Finals Checklist<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Join a study group. Sometimes<br />
studying with friends can help<br />
you feel more prepared. They<br />
can help you figure problems<br />
out and can prepare you for the<br />
test.<br />
Prepare study m<strong>at</strong>erials well<br />
in advance. Know wh<strong>at</strong> you’re<br />
going to study so you’re not<br />
scrambling around <strong>at</strong> the last<br />
minute.<br />
Ask teachers for help. Go into<br />
the study sessions teachers<br />
offer in the mornings and<br />
afternoons during the week.<br />
Sometimes they’ll ask the<br />
same questions in the review<br />
as they will on the actual final.<br />
Get plenty of sleep. Go to<br />
bed <strong>at</strong> a reasonable hour the<br />
night before so you can feel<br />
energetic and well-rested for<br />
the exam.<br />
E<strong>at</strong> a balanced meal. Test<br />
taking on an empty stomach<br />
won’t help you grade. Have a<br />
healthy and filling breakfast to<br />
make sure you won’t get hungry<br />
during the test.<br />
Take your time! Remember it’s<br />
not a race. You’re probably not<br />
going to get extra points for<br />
being the first one finished.<br />
Be positive. If you go into<br />
exam day thinking you won’t<br />
do well, you probably won’t.<br />
Be confident in you test taking<br />
skills.<br />
Take time to do the things<br />
you love. Don’t forget to take<br />
breaks every once and a while<br />
to do something fun.<br />
Photo by Megan Moran<br />
The upstairs computer lab in A wing is one of the prospective<br />
loc<strong>at</strong>ions for the Film Production class starting next year.<br />
Photo by Megan Moran<br />
Language Arts teacher Chris Weber is one of the teachers<br />
who might be assisting the Film Production class.
Page 9 A&E<br />
Concert Calendar<br />
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday S<strong>at</strong>urday<br />
Dec. 8<br />
Oasis, Ryan<br />
Adams, The<br />
Cardinals<br />
Broomfield<br />
Events Center<br />
9<br />
Michael W.<br />
Smith<br />
Wells Fargo<br />
The<strong>at</strong>re<br />
10<br />
Shwayze<br />
Bluebird<br />
The<strong>at</strong>er<br />
14 15 16 17<br />
Martin Sexton,<br />
Brett Dennen,<br />
Tift Merritt<br />
Fox The<strong>at</strong>er<br />
11<br />
Disney’s <strong>High</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong><br />
Musical: The<br />
Ice Tour<br />
Denver<br />
Coliseum<br />
12<br />
Born In the<br />
Flood<br />
Bluebird<br />
The<strong>at</strong>re<br />
18 19<br />
Squirrel Nut<br />
Zippers<br />
Cervantes’<br />
Masterpiece<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
28 29<br />
Flobots<br />
Gothic The<strong>at</strong>er<br />
30<br />
Widespread<br />
Panic<br />
Pepsi Center<br />
31<br />
Flogging Molly<br />
Fillmore<br />
Auditorium<br />
4 5 6 7 8<br />
Reel Big Fish<br />
Ogden The<strong>at</strong>re<br />
Garage band<br />
corner: The<br />
Stone<br />
by Brock Millington<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Photo by Brock Millington<br />
(Left to right) Bassist M<strong>at</strong>t Bristol, drummer and singer Alex<br />
Spear, guitarist Elric Deeter, and Guitarist Chris Jonaitis sit<br />
and discuss their music .<br />
The Name: The Stone<br />
The Lineup: Seniors M<strong>at</strong>t Bristol– Bass<br />
Guitar. Alex Spear– Drums & Vocals. Elric<br />
Deeter –Guitar. Chris Jonaitis– Guitar.<br />
Brock Millington: How would you describe<br />
your music?<br />
Chris Jonaitis: I think we play kind of like<br />
the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a way.<br />
BM: Does “The Stone” have a meaning, or<br />
do you guys just like the name?<br />
CJ: The Stone is the source of all positive<br />
energy.<br />
BM: How long have you been playing<br />
together?<br />
CJ: We started practicing together about<br />
two months ago and we realized we had<br />
something together.<br />
BM: Wh<strong>at</strong> are is your main goal as a band?<br />
CJ: To rock you so hard your face melts.<br />
BM: If you could meet any musician, who<br />
would it be and why?<br />
CJ: I would have to say either Tom Morello<br />
from Rage Against the Machine or Jimi<br />
Hendrix.<br />
BM: Anything else you would like to add?<br />
CJ: Support The Stone!<br />
Jan. 1 2 3<br />
13<br />
Colorado<br />
Symphony<br />
Orchestra<br />
Boettcher<br />
Concert Hall<br />
20<br />
Cheech and<br />
Chong<br />
Paramount<br />
The<strong>at</strong>re<br />
9 10<br />
The Wailers<br />
Fox The<strong>at</strong>re<br />
Venue loc<strong>at</strong>ions<br />
Fox The<strong>at</strong>re: 1135 13th St.<br />
Boulder, CO 80302, (303) 443-3399<br />
Broomfield Event Center: 11450 Broomfield<br />
Ln. Broomfield, CO 80021, (303)<br />
410-0700<br />
Gothic The<strong>at</strong>re: 3263 S. Broadway,<br />
Englewood, CO 80113, (719) 520-9090<br />
Fillmore Auditorium: 1510 Clarkson St.<br />
Denver, CO 80218, (303) 837-0360<br />
Pepsi Center: 1000 Chopper Cir.<br />
Denver, CO 80204, (303) 405-1100<br />
Ogden The<strong>at</strong>re: 935 E. Colfax Ave.<br />
Denver, CO 80218, (303) 832-1874<br />
Bluebird The<strong>at</strong>re: 3317 E. Colfax Ave.<br />
Denver, CO 80206, (303) 377-1666<br />
Wells Fargo The<strong>at</strong>re: 700 14 th St.<br />
Denver, CO 80207, (303) 228-8000<br />
Paramount The<strong>at</strong>re: 1621 Glenarm Pl.<br />
Denver, CO 80202, (303) 623-0106<br />
Boettcher Conncert Hall: 950 13th St.<br />
Denver, CO 80204, (720) 865-4220<br />
Cervantes’ Masterpiece: 2637 Welton<br />
St. Denver, CO 80205 (303) 297-1772<br />
Fresh to The Howler: Mo Coloring Contest!<br />
Particip<strong>at</strong>e in “The Howler’s” first ever coloring contest! Color the above picture of Mo and place in the box outside L205B with your name,<br />
grade, and seventh-period class written on the back of the entry. The winner of the contest gets their entry printed in the next issue of “The<br />
Howler” and wins a special prize! Entries are due Jan. 9.
Page 10 Sports<br />
Monarch has a ski team, but where’s the love for boarders?<br />
by Ariel Lewis<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Do the number of skiers outnumber<br />
boarders <strong>at</strong> Monarch? According to a poll<br />
conducted randomly <strong>at</strong> Monarch, the r<strong>at</strong>io<br />
of skiers to snowboarders is even. Half of the<br />
students ski and half of them snowboard, so<br />
why only a ski team?<br />
“I have no idea why there’s not a snowboarding<br />
team,” junior Kristen Stanley said.<br />
“CU has a snowboarding team, why can’t<br />
we?”<br />
The Monarch skiers train <strong>at</strong> Nederland <strong>High</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> every Tuesday, Thursday, and S<strong>at</strong>urday<br />
and on Fridays they race. They train Alpine<br />
and Nordic skiing. Alpine skiing is also<br />
referred to as <strong>down</strong>hill skiing because of the<br />
inclined slopes of the ski resorts. Nordic skiing,<br />
on the other<br />
hand, is a ver-<br />
country skiing.<br />
Cross-country<br />
skiing races are<br />
based on distances<br />
normally taking place off of the <strong>down</strong>hill<br />
slopes.<br />
There are four events in Alpine skiing: Slalom,<br />
Giant Slalom, Downhill and Super-G.<br />
Slalom and Giant Slalom are the technical<br />
events in Alpine skiing and Downhill and<br />
Super-G are the speed events. In Slalom, a<br />
racer skies between g<strong>at</strong>es spaced close together<br />
causing quick and short turns.<br />
In Giant Slalom, the g<strong>at</strong>es are spaced<br />
much further apart than in Slalom. There are<br />
about 40-70 g<strong>at</strong>es depending on venue and<br />
the gender of the racer. The point of the race<br />
is to ski around g<strong>at</strong>es quickly, and the fastest<br />
wins. The Nederland ski team only competes<br />
in two Alpine events, Giant Slalom and Slalom.<br />
Freestyle skiing also takes place on Alpine<br />
slopes but isn’t considered an Alpine event.<br />
Freestyle skiing is separ<strong>at</strong>ed into two events,<br />
Moguls and Aerials. In Mogul skiing, there<br />
are three sections of moguls and two jumps.<br />
The event is judged on speed and quality of<br />
turns and jumps. Aerialists ski off jumps and<br />
propel 40 to 50 feet into the air performing<br />
tricks. Nederland <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> does not offer<br />
sion of “<br />
It takes a lot more talent to do the more<br />
”<br />
cross- extreme stuff. On the ski team we can have<br />
beginners or less talented skiers because<br />
it’s a safe and learnable sport.<br />
-Senior Kylie Digman<br />
these events.<br />
The Nederland<br />
ski team doesn’t<br />
have any snowboarders<br />
on it<br />
because the<br />
slalom poles are<br />
problem<strong>at</strong>ic for them. Snowboarders have<br />
difficulty because it’s too hard to ride around<br />
poles. Snowboarders also have a higher<br />
probability of getting hit by skiers’ poles.<br />
Snowboarders and skiers don’t compete<br />
in the same events. Snowboarders typically<br />
compete in terrain-park events. Also, Alpine<br />
Poms and Cheer provide pep for <strong>MHS</strong><br />
by Molly Olson<br />
News Editor<br />
Performing <strong>at</strong> pep assemblies, basketball<br />
games and football games, the Cheer and<br />
Poms teams applied for regionals and st<strong>at</strong>e<br />
and are making their way towards those two<br />
competitions.<br />
MoHi Cheer<br />
Coach C<strong>at</strong>hy<br />
G r e e n e ’ s<br />
goals were to<br />
go to regionals,<br />
qualifiy<br />
for n<strong>at</strong>ionals<br />
<strong>at</strong> the competition<br />
on Nov.<br />
5 and also<br />
qualifiy to go<br />
to st<strong>at</strong>e on<br />
Dec. 5.<br />
“At the<br />
st<strong>at</strong>e competitions,<br />
I hope<br />
to get the<br />
cheer team to<br />
be <strong>at</strong> top six,”<br />
Greene said.<br />
Senior<br />
Blakley Farrow is enjoying<br />
her last year on the Monarch Cheer team<br />
and has been on the Poms team for all four<br />
years while <strong>at</strong>tending high school<br />
“I think our biggest goals as a team are to<br />
qualify for n<strong>at</strong>ionals, be top six <strong>at</strong> st<strong>at</strong>e and<br />
to hit our routines <strong>at</strong> competitions,” Farrow<br />
said.<br />
On Dec. 5, the team danced their routine<br />
to the song “When Doves Cry” by Prince <strong>at</strong><br />
the 2008 st<strong>at</strong>e competition.<br />
Senior Hannah Snyder, a four-year member<br />
of the Poms team, is also striving to make<br />
the final year of her Poms career the very best<br />
yet.<br />
“I’m sad to leave because Poms has been<br />
a huge part of my life. I have loved it,” said<br />
Snyder, who plans to join dance team in college.<br />
Sophomore Dana Wait also aspires to per-<br />
Photo provided by Samantha Schuller<br />
The Monarch Poms squad performs during halftime <strong>at</strong> a Monarch varsity football game.<br />
form to the best of her ability while also improving<br />
the performances of her team.<br />
“I want to have a lot of fun and do better<br />
than last year. We are more than just a dance<br />
team, we are also good friends,” Wait said.<br />
The Poms and Cheer teams hope to perform<br />
well <strong>at</strong> both the regionals and st<strong>at</strong>e competitions.<br />
They will also perform their routines<br />
<strong>at</strong> the upcoming home varsity basketball<br />
games.<br />
molann@msn.com<br />
Provided by Peter Lewis<br />
2004 Monarch graduade P.J. Lewis performs a tailgrab while skiing <strong>at</strong> Winter Park during the 2007-08 ski season.<br />
courses are typically icy; without a proper<br />
edge it’s too dangerous. Snowboards aren’t<br />
designed for Slalom courses.<br />
A snowboarding team would normally stay<br />
more in the terrain park. Terrain-park riding<br />
is characteristically more extreme than Alpine<br />
and Nordic skiing.<br />
“It takes a lot more talent to do the more<br />
extreme stuff,” senior Kylie Digman said. “On<br />
the ski team we can have beginners or less<br />
talented skiers because it’s a safe and learnable<br />
sport.”<br />
Many students believe there is no snowboarding<br />
team because it’s dangerous and<br />
the school doesn’t want to deal with the li-<br />
by Chrissy Lowe<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Sure, the wrestling guys are in gre<strong>at</strong><br />
shape and know how to throw it <strong>down</strong>, but<br />
they aren’t the only aspect of the team.<br />
Wrestling managers also contribute to the<br />
sport.<br />
The managers go to the practices and<br />
games. They are like the stage crew of a<br />
play; they do all the necessities behind<br />
the scenes.<br />
“We get everything set up <strong>at</strong> practice<br />
and keep score <strong>at</strong> m<strong>at</strong>ches,” said manager<br />
and <strong>MHS</strong> junior Kaylyn Ferrera. “We<br />
also videotape all the m<strong>at</strong>ches so the<br />
guys can see themselves.”<br />
Managers are also responsable for providing<br />
w<strong>at</strong>er for the wrestlers.<br />
ability. Th<strong>at</strong> is not true. The reason the school<br />
doesn’t have a team is th<strong>at</strong> snowboarding<br />
isn’t a Colorado <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Activities Associ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
approved sport.<br />
“We do not approve snowboarding because<br />
no one has proposed th<strong>at</strong> it be a<br />
sport,” CHSAA represent<strong>at</strong>ive Paul Angelico<br />
said. “Another reason is because we do not<br />
sanction sports th<strong>at</strong> schools do not pass.”<br />
The Nederland Alpine and Nordic team<br />
is a gre<strong>at</strong> opportunity for skiers of all abilities.<br />
If snowboarders want a team, the first<br />
thing students must do is propose a team to<br />
CHSAA.<br />
alweis4095@bvsd.org<br />
Off the m<strong>at</strong>s: A behind the scenes<br />
look <strong>at</strong> MoHi wrestling managers<br />
Senior Mel Pinto is a dedic<strong>at</strong>ed manager for the MoHi<br />
wrestling team.<br />
a result, there are college scholarships<br />
available for managers.<br />
“Managing is definitely a way for girls to<br />
The man-<br />
I’ve always loved the sport. You have to be rea<br />
g e r s<br />
ally commited. Managing is defin<strong>at</strong>ely a way<br />
c o m m i t<br />
to the<br />
for girls to get closer to the sport.<br />
sport of<br />
wrestling<br />
-Senior Mel Pinto<br />
as much as the wrestlers. They are required<br />
to be <strong>at</strong> every practice, game and<br />
tournament.<br />
“I’ve always loved the sport,” senior<br />
and manager Mel Pinto said. “You have to<br />
be really committed.”<br />
Managing isn’t the same as playing<br />
the sport, but it allows girls who like wrestling<br />
to get involved. Managers are a vital<br />
part to the success of the team. Without<br />
the help of the managers, it is nearly impossible<br />
for a team to have success. As Fingle.Chrissy@gmail.com<br />
“ ”<br />
Photo by Chrissy Lowe<br />
get closer to<br />
the sport,”<br />
Pinto said.<br />
But the<br />
s p o r t<br />
d o e s n ’ t<br />
discrimi-<br />
n<strong>at</strong>e against girls. Any girl who wants to<br />
compete on the varsity-level wrestiling is<br />
more than welcome to join. If interested,<br />
contact the Monarch <strong>at</strong>hletic office or<br />
wrestling coach Ezra Paddock.<br />
“I think girls don’t join the team because<br />
of comfort,” said senior Grant Medina,<br />
a Monarch wrestler of four years.<br />
“We’re open to anyone who wants to<br />
join.”
Page 11 Sports<br />
Girls swimming dives into a new season<br />
by Cheyenne Michaels<br />
Howler Staff<br />
After winning the league title last year, the<br />
Monarch girls swimming and diving team will<br />
be swimming through uncharted w<strong>at</strong>ers.<br />
The 36 <strong>at</strong>hletes find themselves in a new<br />
Front Range league this year, including rivals<br />
Fairview and Boulder. With the new additions,<br />
they can expect harder workouts and a<br />
tougher season overall.<br />
Traditionally, Fairview and Boulder have<br />
finished in the top 10 in the st<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
Previously, Fairview and Boulder were in<br />
the Centennial League. But, the Centennial<br />
League wanted to be a strictly South Denver<br />
league, and Fairview, Boulder, and Mountain<br />
Senior Audie Balue dives into the Lousiville Recre<strong>at</strong>ion Center pool during a morning practice.<br />
All Monarch<br />
Slope-goers<br />
Skiers<br />
50 %<br />
Snowboarders<br />
Range are more northern. Therefore, they will<br />
be moving into the Front Range League this<br />
year. For the Monarch swimmers, this means<br />
more aerobic base workouts and a lot of longdistance<br />
swimming to start out the season <strong>at</strong><br />
their 5 a.m. practices, Monday-Friday.<br />
“Swim team physically kills us,” junior<br />
swimmer Kaity Wegen said. “I’m dreading<br />
the really hard workouts.”<br />
Head coach Jay Weerman says the swimmers<br />
and divers are working harder to get a<br />
leg up on the tougher competition.<br />
“It’s going to be a really tough league<br />
champions meet,” Weerman said. “Four of<br />
the top 10 teams in the st<strong>at</strong>e are going to be<br />
there.”<br />
Monarch’s team goal , according to Weer-<br />
50 %<br />
Of all the students surveyed 47 said they were snowboarders<br />
and 47 said they were skiers.<br />
Photo by Cheyenne Michaels<br />
The war between skiers<br />
and snowboarders<br />
has waged since<br />
the cre<strong>at</strong>ion of snowboards.<br />
But which<br />
side are <strong>MHS</strong>’s students<br />
fighting for?<br />
man, will be to place in the top<br />
two <strong>at</strong> leagues and top 10 <strong>at</strong><br />
st<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
“Our girls are excited to defend<br />
the title. Th<strong>at</strong> will be a huge driving<br />
force for the team,” Weerman<br />
said.<br />
The swimmers and divers have<br />
a wide variety of outlooks on the<br />
coming season.<br />
“Our new league makes me<br />
sad. I have the faintest glimmer<br />
of hope,” Wegen said.<br />
Other swimmers have a more<br />
optimistic view of the upcoming<br />
season.<br />
“I think we have a good chance<br />
in our league this season. We<br />
have a lot of swimmers and divers<br />
this year,” said senior Whitney<br />
Fletcher, who will be both<br />
swimming and diving for the<br />
first time for Monarch this season.<br />
“Maybe with the new freshman class and<br />
the coach’s str<strong>at</strong>egy, we can be<strong>at</strong> Fairview<br />
and Boulder,” sophomore swimmer Caellagh<br />
Morrissey said.<br />
The team has nine new members, including<br />
Blair Kacynski, a club swimmer who already<br />
has st<strong>at</strong>e qualifying times, as well as<br />
freshman swimmer Teylor Greff.<br />
“I already know lots of the other new swimmers<br />
and divers, and the ones I don’t know<br />
seem really outgoing and friendly,” Greff<br />
said. “The upperclassmen are really encouraging<br />
and throughout the season we’ll get to<br />
know them better.”<br />
“I really love how close we all have become<br />
to one another,” Wegen added.<br />
Photo by Cheyenne Michaels<br />
A Monarch swim coach explains the next workout set to the Monarch swimmers.<br />
The family n<strong>at</strong>ure has always been a trademark<br />
of the Monarch girls swimming and<br />
diving team. Spaghetti dinners before home<br />
meets, team cheers, and a “Big Fish/Little<br />
Fish” tradition where upperclassmen are<br />
paired with underclassmen to cheer for each<br />
other and exchange gifts help cre<strong>at</strong>e this environment.<br />
“I remember thinking, ‘I’m never going to<br />
fit into this group,’ but everyone warmed up<br />
really quickly and it became a gre<strong>at</strong> experience,”<br />
Morrissey said.<br />
With a friendly environment, a strong set<br />
of returning swimmers, a talented bunch of<br />
newcomers and a rough workout plan ahead,<br />
the girls swimming and diving team is ready<br />
for an exciting season.<br />
To ski or not to ski? Do Monarch students ski or snowboard?<br />
Freshmen<br />
Both<br />
3%<br />
Neither<br />
26%<br />
Snowboard<br />
42%<br />
Ski<br />
29%<br />
Sophomores<br />
Neither<br />
17%<br />
Both<br />
13%<br />
Snowboard<br />
22%<br />
Ski<br />
48%<br />
Neither<br />
21%<br />
Juniors<br />
Both<br />
12%<br />
Snowboard<br />
29%<br />
Ski<br />
38%<br />
Neither<br />
37%<br />
Seniors<br />
Both<br />
9%<br />
Ski<br />
37%<br />
Snowboard<br />
17%<br />
The newspaper staff administered<br />
this survey to 100 students<br />
in November 2008. The results of<br />
this survey are not valid or reliable<br />
nor do they reflect the opinions of<br />
the newspaper staff or BVSD employees.<br />
Poll results compiled by<br />
Howler staff member Ariel Lewis.
Page 12 The Fun Page<br />
Horoscopes<br />
Sagittarius<br />
November 22 - December 21<br />
When major embarrassments come your<br />
way, simply maneuver around them. It’s<br />
ok to laugh <strong>at</strong> yourself! The best part is<br />
th<strong>at</strong> no one will even remember the next<br />
day.<br />
Capricorn<br />
December 22 - January 19<br />
It’s time to meet new people. Say “hi” to<br />
someone th<strong>at</strong> you’ve never looked <strong>at</strong> twice<br />
before. Who knows? Maybe you’ll become<br />
the best of friends.<br />
Aquarius<br />
January 20 - February 18<br />
At times you can be slightly emotionally<br />
unstable. Try to control your emotions and<br />
you’ll find many situ<strong>at</strong>ions much more enjoyable.<br />
Pisces<br />
February 19 - March 20<br />
All you have to remember when you fall on<br />
your face is to get back up and keep moving.<br />
This tends to happen a lot, but you<br />
always find a way to work through it. Keep<br />
up the positive <strong>at</strong>titude.<br />
Aries<br />
March 21 - April 19<br />
Take a break from studying! You don’t<br />
have to be a perfectionist all the time.<br />
You deserve to have some fun before the<br />
semester ends.<br />
Taurus<br />
April 20 - May 20<br />
Even if you manage to get yourself into difficult<br />
situ<strong>at</strong>ions, just stay calm. Things will<br />
work out in the end. All you have to do is<br />
get past the road blocks.<br />
by Megan Chu<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Gemini<br />
May 21 - June 20<br />
Rel<strong>at</strong>ionships can be hard sometimes.<br />
Just be conscious of others and everything<br />
will be fine. Try to connect with someone<br />
th<strong>at</strong> you haven’t been close to for years.<br />
Cancer<br />
June 21 - July 22<br />
You’ve been working hard l<strong>at</strong>ely. Now it’s<br />
time to relax and take it easy. Tre<strong>at</strong> yourself<br />
to something you’ve been eyeing for a<br />
long time!<br />
Leo<br />
July 23 - August 22<br />
The semester is almost over. Step it up<br />
so th<strong>at</strong> you can sail into a well-deserved<br />
winter break on a good note. Then it will<br />
be time to make a fresh start for the new<br />
year.<br />
Virgo<br />
August 23 - September 22<br />
Sometimes you can get a little caught up<br />
in your love life. Tone it <strong>down</strong> and focus<br />
on other aspects of your life th<strong>at</strong> might be<br />
falling slightly behind.<br />
Libra<br />
September 23 - October 22<br />
You are such a gre<strong>at</strong> friend, but sometimes<br />
others might try to take advantage of th<strong>at</strong>.<br />
Remember, you don’t have to do anything<br />
th<strong>at</strong> you don’t want to do.<br />
Scorpio<br />
October 23 - November 21<br />
Now is the time to make the change you’ve<br />
always wanted to make! You know you’re<br />
capable of doing it, but it’s just a m<strong>at</strong>ter of<br />
getting it done.<br />
Think you know Monarch?<br />
Where is this loc<strong>at</strong>ed?<br />
If you think<br />
you know where in<br />
the school this is<br />
displayed, drop<br />
the answer off<br />
Photo by Megan Moran<br />
in the box outside<br />
Ms. Grace’s<br />
room, L205B. The<br />
winner will receive<br />
a prize.<br />
by Asia Kennebrew<br />
Howler Staff<br />
1. Wh<strong>at</strong> ancient civiliz<strong>at</strong>ion celebr<strong>at</strong>ed the<br />
S<strong>at</strong>urnalia festival Dec. 17-23?<br />
A. Roman B. Grecian<br />
C. Babylonian D. Incan<br />
2. How many sides are there on a dreidel?<br />
A. Eight B. Four<br />
C. Two D. Six<br />
3. Wh<strong>at</strong> is the most popular Christmas tree<br />
species used in the U.S.?<br />
A. Evergreen B. Maple<br />
C. Fraser Fir D. Blue Spruce<br />
4. The Jewish festival Chanukah is celebr<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
on the 25th day of wh<strong>at</strong> Jewish month?<br />
A. Tevet B. Kislev<br />
C. Cheshvan D. Shev<strong>at</strong><br />
Heard in the Halls<br />
by Ashley Ward<br />
Howler Staff<br />
Apple Jacks are BA!<br />
5. Which Iranian festival is celebr<strong>at</strong>ed during<br />
the Winter Solstice?<br />
A. Festival of Yalda<br />
B. Festival of Mehr<br />
C. Shabe Chelle<br />
D. Festival of Fire<br />
6. On Dec. 8, Buddhists celebr<strong>at</strong>e wh<strong>at</strong><br />
holiday to commemor<strong>at</strong>e the day Buddha<br />
reached enlightenment?<br />
A. Bohdi Day B. Vesak<br />
C. Sangha Day D. Ancestor Day<br />
7. Wh<strong>at</strong> does the first candle on the Kinara<br />
(the Kwanzaa candelabra) represent?<br />
A. Nia - Personal goals<br />
B. Umoja - Unity<br />
C. Kuumba - Cre<strong>at</strong>ivity<br />
D. Imani - Faith<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
“ ”<br />
Do you think the Count on Sesame Street ever bit any girls?<br />
Dang, those are some bangs you got, girl!<br />
He plods…Th<strong>at</strong>’s a vocab word, you know.<br />
The metal hurt me, Mommy.<br />
Would you want a girl who goes ‘Laaa’ or a girl th<strong>at</strong> goes ‘Pffft’?<br />
It’s colder than a penguin’s bollocks!<br />
If there is no God, then who pops up the next Kleenex?<br />
Why is ‘abbrevi<strong>at</strong>ion’ such a long word?<br />
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown, too?<br />
I’d explain it to you, but your brain would explode.<br />
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.B 5.A 6.A 7.B