Chowing down at MHS 'Throwdown' - My High School Journalism

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Page 2 News Meeters and Greeters: Monarch adds to the front entrance by Megan Chu Howler Staff In many cases, a school’s environment can be confusing, especially for visitors. It is easy to get lost in the mazes of hallways and difficult to find the correct destination. To eliminate this confusion and add security to the front entrance, the administrators and parents at Monarch have put into place a volunteer table to greet visitors. Located just through the main doors by the cafeteria, the table is in a central spot to intercept those who are unfamiliar with the school and direct them where they need to go. There are currently 34 parent volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to help the school by becoming greeters and working the volunteer table. “I think [the volunteers] are here to encourage a more welcoming and friendly environment,” parent volunteer Melinda Myrick said. Assistant Principal Julie Wheeler agrees. “It’s a nice way to get parents to be connected, but not in their kids’ space,” she said. by Chrissy Lowe Howler Staff Anna Van Stelten, a 2003 graduate from Monarch, has dedicated her first published article about an acid she designed to the MHS Science department and all its teachers. Van Stelten’s article will be printed in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology Journal. The article will come out in the December issue of 2008. “I basically designed a genotyping acid that detects virulence, attenuating mutations in a gene in a food borne listeria monocyclogen,” Van Stelten said. And for those who don’t speak the science lingo, she designed an acid that will find mutations in bacteria in food. This way food can When a visitor signs in at the table, the volunteer will radio the front office to let them know that somebody is coming. Volunteer Lana Fauver says that most people have NHS check ceremony: Student organization fights cancer Photo by Evanne Montoya Senior NHS officers (from left) Alyssa Chrisholm, Morgan Kozin, Erin Brophy, Varun Natraj and Kelsey Prestesater receive the check from Monarch treasurer, Shirley Nemanic (center). Photo by Megan Chu Parent volunteer Lana Fauver helps a visitor sign in at the front table. The welcome table is a new addition to the front entrance. This new addition will provide safety, get people connected, and will give a more comforting feel to the front of the building. be detected for any mutations. Van Stelten felt that she owed the Science department a big thank you for preparing her for such a tough field. She especially wanted to thank Monarch teacher Lazlo Vass. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Mr. Vass,” Van Stelten said. “He really cares and is an amazing role model.” Van Stelten said Vass was the one per- son that guided her into science and inspired her to major in molecular genetics. “Every time I accomplished something, I always thought [Vass] would be proud,” she said. been very friendly about it and don’t mind signing in and out. The other reason for the greeters is to keep the school safe. Although this is a good Van Stelten took every AP science class the school offered: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Biology, Anatomy, and Research Seminar. “Monarch definitely helped me prepare for college,” Van Stelten said. “It really helped my first year. I recommend that anyone interested in science take all the [AP] classes offered [at Monarch].” Currently, Van Stelten is at Colorado State University working on new research. She hopes to continue on her voyage into the science research realm and succeed beyond the limits that stand in front of her. For all those who wish to succeed in the science world or wish to be apart of any type of research, Van Stelten is the perfect role model for students to admire. fingle.chrissy@gmail.com by Evanne Montoya Editor in Chief Monarch’s National Honor Society mailed a $500 check to the American Cancer Society Nov. 18. The money was raised by last year’s chapter of NHS through the Prelay for Life. NHS is an organization designed to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. There are more than one million members between NHS and its middle school counterpart, National Junior Honor Society. “Last year so much was going on at the end of the year that the previous NHS wasn’t able to donate the money, so we are finishing what they started,” said NHS secretary Kelsey Prestesater. Seniors and NHS Co-Presidents Erin Brophy and Varun Natraj thought sending the check would be a good way for the club to start the year. They expect that the group will be more effective this year due to changes cause, some students are not convinced that the volunteer table will be that helpful. “I really doubt that it’s going to make the difference between whether we’re safe or not,” senior Taylor Kennedy said. Sophomore Caellagh Morrissey agrees, to some extent. “I appreciate the school looking out for us, but some of the safety precautions are excessive,” she said. Often the volunteers have a difficult time differentiating between the students and other visitors. “Sometimes it’s hard,” Fauver said. “A lot of the students look so old and I’ll ask them to sign in by accident.” “One day I was wearing clothes that made me look older and I got stopped by a volunteer,” Kennedy said. Despite minor challenges, the parents enjoy being connected with the learning environment and are glad to know they are making a difference in the safety of their students’ school. meganchu@earthlink.net MHS graduate student thankful for experiences in high school Van Stelten that have been made to the organization of the group. “Something new we did this year was to split the members into four sub-committees so people have more of a chance to get projects done,” Brophy said. Each group is in charge of one of the traditional events, as well as coming up with new projects to complete. This year NHS has already organized a blood drive and begun a fundraiser to provide money to finance the club for the year and buy a senior gift for the school. They will also organize other events throughout the year, including school improvement projects as well as a second blood drive and the Prelay for Life, both of which will take place in spring. One event that NHS is organizing for the first time is the Teddy Bear Drive which will take place Dec. 9-19. They will be collecting new and gently used stuffed animals in boxes around the school to be donated to the Salvation Army. evy224ever@juno.com Photo provided by Anna Van Stelten Anna Van Stelten dedicated her first published article to the MHS science department.
News Page 3 Early graduation: students decide to finish up sooner than most by Lorne Fultonberg Editor in Chief While the majority of Monarch’s student body scrambles to study for finals in May and attempts to fight the urges of “senioritis,” there are several students each year why don’t have to worry about it. Typically, 15 to 20 seniors graduate at semester each year but only 11 are doing so this year. “Some students really are ready to move on with their lives, and for all the right reasons, it’s the right decision for them,” said Monarch Counselor Janice Dempsey. “It’s very individual. There’s a lot of discussion with [the students] and their parents to make sure it’s the right decision.” Senior Jordan Bornstein is one of the 11 students graduating after first semester this year. Bornstein says that ever since his brother graduated early from Monarch he began thinking about doing it himself. Now that he has gotten his mandatory credits out of the way, he feels that graduating early will prepare him better for his life after high school. “My availability at work can increase dras- by Cheyenne Michaels Howler Staff Forty-eight Monarch thespians attended the Colorado Thespian Conference in Denver, on Dec. 4-6, for three days of workshops, competitions and fun. The conference was open to all dedicated high school theatre students from Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico and is an annual event that the Monarch thespians have attended every year since the school opened. For the first time in Monarch’s history, its fall production was entered to perform at the conference. The fall play, “Dracula,” was judged during its Friday and Saturday night performances, without the cast and crew’s knowledge, by a representative from the Colorado Thespians. Although they were not selected to perform on the main stage at the conference, they put on what some are calling Monarch’s best play to date. “If we had been selected, we would have performed in front of the whole state delegation of Colorado Thespians, which is about 3,000 people,” said Gwendolyn Lukas-Doctor, the head director of “Dracula.” “If they liked us there we could have potentially been entered to perform at a national level in Lincoln, Nebraska over the summer.” Having never entered to perform a fullstage production at the conference, the cast tically, and I will be able to make a decent amount of money before college,” Bornstein said. “Having the chance to relax one last time before college and my entire professional future will help me in the long run.” Senior Taylor Hughes also looks forward to having a little down time before college. “You have a lot of free time. If you want to work, you can make a lot of money. It’s like summer,” she said. The majority of the time, students decide to graduate early to get a job so they can begin saving money for college, though that certainly isn’t always the case. “I’ve had students graduate at semester because they want to accomplish a personal goal like climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and I have had students really truly do that,” Dempsey said. So, if practically every student has an opportunity to get out of school early, why don’t more graduate early? “The biggest disadvantage is that rite of passage that really happens,” Dempsey said. “I believe ‘senioritis’ is real and you don’t get to really experience it until after spring break; a lot of students who finish at semester will tell you there’s no pomp and circumstance. and crew of “Dracula” put in extra time and energy to make their show worthy of performing for such a large audience by including pyrotechnics and increasing funding, and vintage set pieces. Technical Director Brian du Fresne and the crew of “Dracula” spent late evenings working on the technical aspects of the show. If chosen, the technical work in its entirety would have needed to have been transferred to Denver. “To be honest, it would have been a headache because if we had been selected, we would have had to transport our entire set to downtown Denver and everyone needs to register for the conference. It’s a lot of work but it’d be worth it,” Lukas-Doctor said. Registering became an issue when the judges announced their decision later than was expected. The scheduled date of announcing was postponed until Nov. 14, which was four days after the registration for all attendants was due. Students can also compete in individual categories against other thespians from around Colorado. The areas of competition include monologue, duet acting, solo/duet musical theatre, group musical theatre, group acting, mime, costume design and construction, theatre marketing, and scenic, lighting, and sound design. Many Monarch thespians participated in the competitions, including senior and Mon- There’s no celebration going on at that time, so it feels a little empty.” Though some seniors choose to leave the school early, they are not completely separate from their class. All graduating seniors walk together to receive their diplomas at graduation, regardless of when they graduated. Early graduates are also allowed to attend the school’s prom. The school offers the opportunity for a potential graduate to change their mind up until the very end of the semester. Pros Cons There is less time to feel senioritis. Students may feel isolated from other students in their graduating class. You will have time to save money and earn money. Thespian Conference: Monarch theater students strut their stuff arch Thespian Secretary Rachel Briggs. “Competing at the thespian conference is my favorite part. I really love getting to show everyone that acting is something that I’m passionate about,” Briggs said. This year, she competed in the monologue category, which required her to perform two contrasting monologues. Actors receiving an “outstanding” grade are given the honor of qualifying to compete at the national level or showcasing, where they get to perform in front of all of the attendants at the conference on the final night. You don’t get the same second semester senior-year experiences. There is more time to relax. You can’t participate in school activities/athletics. Photo provided by Sean Welch The thespians take a group photo after the thespian conference of 2007. The decision to graduate early is very individual and is certainly not for everyone, but those who do graduate at semester usually have few regrets and are typically satisfied with their decision. “I definitely do not regret graduating early,” said 2008 Monarch graduate Allie Mohar. “If you feel you’ve done your best for four years of high school and you want to reap the benefits early, go for it. I loved my second semester off, and I wouldn’t go back and change anything.” Photos provided by Amanda Graninger Although they no longer attend classes at Monarch, seniors can still attend things like graduation and prom despite their decisions to graduate early. However they cannot participate in athletics or other activities. For reasons ranging from working toearn money to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, approximately 15 to 20 students graduate early each year. The decision is largely an individual one, and students have varying regrets about their decision to graduate early. Last year, 2008 Monarch graduate Matt Cantwell showcased his solo musical theatre song. He also qualified for nationals in the duet musical theatre category with fellow Monarch graduate Devyn Cordes. “Even though I wasn’t competing, I learned a lot through the workshops,” said sophomore Desiree Garneau, who attended the conference both this year and last year. Some of the optional workshops were Playwriting, Acting on Film, Yoga for Actors, Improvisation, Swing Dancing, and Stage Combat. “The thespian conference is a time for thespians to get together with other people from around the state so they can meet new people and go to workshops taught by professionals that vary in different topics,” Monarch Thespian President Josh Hickernell said. The thespian conference is an opportunity for the thespians to be educated in workshops, show off their talents, and observe theatre in action. cmichael1656@bvsd.org
Page 1: Zak Attack PC: Politically correct
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