Eagle Eye Newsmag. Issue 4

eagle eyeeeMountain Vista High School10585 Mountain Vista Ridge

Highlands Ranch, Colo. | 80126Issue 4 | Vol. 11 | February 16, 2012

www.vistanow.org

ScottMoldenhauer moves to Vistato play hockey

Stuff ThatTicks Me Off:Problems with “great literature”page | 6Caleb Williams Erica Rasquinha

page | 31NEXTTHE VOICES OF

Photo by Cody Enboden

Photo by Sammy Linares

Photo by Kyle Waters

Photo by Taylor Atlas

Aksel Campbell, senior, hurls a ball

during the dodgeball tournament for Hero Week Jan. 25. “We

just got tatted up and played,” Campbell said.

Photo by Trevor Zalkind

2

Dodge, Duck, Throw, Repeat.

BEFORE WE

BEGINWhat you need to knowright here right now

February2012

ee www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012 3

THREETWEETS

Molly Millingtomsenior

“Learning about fi shies today in aquatic biology. #MVHSEagleEye”

Senija Paichsenior

“I was hoping Ms. P would ask what a bugle was in this poem we’re analyzing so I could say ‘a delicious cornucopia shaped cheesy treat.’ #MVHSEagleEye”

Emily Lesenior

“I just emailed my teacher about somthing not related to school. Is that sexual harrassment? I hope not! #MVHSEagleEye”

CONTENTS4

THE FUTURE FOR VISTA

After learning of the potential cuts

for next year, a new block schedule may

be in the works.

10NEXT

Nineteen people and two clubs

in our community detail their

passions and talents, and what

lies ahead.

29KIARAN

STEWARTFreshman Kiaran Stewart traveled

to Indonesia to compete in a robotics tournament.

31HERE

TO PLAYAfter transferring

to Vista solely for hockey, senior

Scott Moldenhauer fi nds success

with new team.

ON VISTANOW.ORGReview of new horror fi lm Woman in Black | A teacher’s thoughts

on Rachel’s Challenge | Holocaust survivor Jack Adler visits Vista

IF YOU HAVE...

ONE HOUR | Check out My Favorite Muffi n at 2201 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway (page 12).

ONE AFTERNOON Visit the senior art show to see pieces by Vista students at the Castle Rock Outlets Feb. 25-March 3.

THINGS TO DO

THINGS TO WATCH

PROM FASHION SHOWFeb. 17, 6:30 p.m., commons1

CREATIVE WRITING CLUBThursdays after school, U318

2 ATTEND A HOCKEY GAMEFeb. 17, 6:30 p.m. Colorado Sports Center

3

UNIFIED BASKETBALLFeb. 22, 6:15 p.m., aux. gym

1 MEN’S BASKETBALLFeb. 16, 7 p.m., main gym

2THE SKIN OF OUR TEETHMarch 8-10, 7 p.m.3

What will you do to keep Rachel’s Challenge?

ELIJAH VALDEZ

“I’m going to try and be nicer to everyone, not just my close friends, and I’ll try and put a smile on someone else’s face every day.”

4 www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012

ee

ee

SSuperintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen’s promise to explore new and innova-tive ways of scheduling is the district’s main strategy for enduring the budget cuts brought about by the failure of Proposition 103 and ballot measures 3A and 3B.

“The biggest thing that we’re pretty sure of is moving to what they call the six-of-eight schedule,” Principal Michael Weaver said.

Right now, teachers are responsible to teach fi ve out of seven classes, with two planning periods. Weaver provided an example: if there are six teachers in a department, each teaching fi ve classes, there will be a total of 30 sections being taught.

“When you go to a six-of-eight schedule then every teacher is required to teach six,” Weaver said. “So, you can eliminate one teacher and have fi ve teachers teaching six sections and you keep the same amount of sections for kids, but you reduce it by one teacher.

“The district has asked that all high schools in the district go to a six-of-eight schedule, in order to reduce the number of staff necessary, therefore, saving money.”

For this new schedule to work, the school will have to change its existing, seven-period schedule, to, most likely, a block schedule. This would require having extended classes, about an hour-and-a-half, for four classes per day, alternating which four classes you have each day. Most likely, Friday or Monday would become an eight period day, each class lasting approximately 40 minutes.

Initial reactions by both students and teachers vary, fi nding both positive and negative aspects of the proposed schedule.

“On one hand it would be advantageous because we would have more block periods, which I prefer over the shorter, seven-period day,” sophomore Dylan Ingram said. “On the other hand, I don’t really like the idea because I’m personally adjusted to the schedule and I’d rather not have to readjust.”

Balancing the new budget will require a new schedule which would allow for the laying off of teachers and retaining the same number of classes. The amount of money that would be saved by laying off one teacher from each department would near perfectly fi ll the gap left in the budget, which is nearly $700,000.

“(The cuts) will be effec-tive, but they’ll still have to lay off teachers and other staff,” technology teacher Timothy Padjen said. “I’m in favor of block days and single days. Going over-board in either direction is not a good idea.”

By changing the sched-ule from a seven-period day to an eight-period day, teachers retain the same amount of planning peri-ods, but requires one more class to teach. To make this a viable schedule, the block class periods will most likely be used. Think of a schedule similar to the current Wednesday and Thursday schedule, even classes one day, odd classes the next. This would be for four days a week and the fi nal day an eight period day.

“It would get rid of some of the positive aspects, like having every class on Monday and

Wes | Edwards

“Six-of-Eight” schedule planned for 12-13

Mountain Vista High SchoolPossible Schedule

2012-2013 School Year

Monday WednesdayTuesday Thursday Friday

Period 1

block Period

Period 3

block Period

Period 5

block Period

Period 7

block Period

Period 2

block Period

Period 4

block Period

Period 6

block Period

Period 8

block Period

Period 1

block Period

Period 3

block Period

Period 5

block Period

Period 7

block Period

Period 2

block Period

Period 4

block Period

Period 6

block Period

Period 8

block Period

Period 1regularPeriod








Lunch

Per Pupil Revenue for2,041 students last year

LAST YEAR’S BUDGET Interview with Principal Michael Weaver

$3,216“That gives us $6.563 million to work with. They then add some other costs in here that they pay you for, an additional $2.963 million, so our overall working budget last year was $9.526 million and then you start taking out for costs of everybody, for cost of teachers, for cost of classified counselors, secretaries, and then Special Education, general supplies, and you get down and your goal is to break at zero.”

REDUCING STAFF“You never like to have to re-duce staff. I’m really curious, as is every principal, what February 17 will show us for site-based budgeting. That’s my apprehension because you’re talking about people. You look at this and you can just look at the human resources side of it and say it’s just numbers and money, but when you actually have to sit down and say, ‘(Mark) thank you for your service but we’re reducing your department and you’re the one’, that’s the apprehen-sion, when you start involv-ing (and) start impacting people.”

word

MVHSEagleEye 5

Friday, to go over material at the beginning and end of each week which I really appreciate,” Ingram said.

To create the time for a new block period, SOAR and CONNECT would most likely disappear and be changed into the new eighth period.

“I would like CONNECT to be gone, but I definitely wouldn’t appreciate SOAR disappearing because having every teacher available at a certain time is re-ally advantageous,” Ingram said.

Padjen said this proposed schedule change would also affect each teacher’s ability to perform to the highest level, as well as the students’ ability to learn.

“In order to be the same teacher that I am now, I will have to use some of my planning period to help students who need extra assistance,” Padjen said.

Despite these sacrifices, teach-ers are still optimistic to find the positive aspects of this schedule change.

“The pros are that there, most likely, won’t be cuts in the classrooms themselves,” Padjen said. “(The students) won’t see less computers or any old tech-nology. The students won’t see the cuts.”

According to Superintendent Fagen, the district is committed to upholding the high standard of education that (Douglas County) is known for.

Interview with Principal Weaver conducted by Riley McCloskey and Shannon Van Dok

Photos by Cody Enbodenand Trevor Zalkind

MICHAEL WEAVER

WHAT WORRIES WEAVER

“What We’re doing right noW is building various models based on different reduction amounts.”

MODERATE SCENARIO$200 (reduction) x 2,074 (students) = $414,800 budget cut

WORST-CASE SCENARIO$500 (reduction) x 2,074 (students) = $1,037,000 budget cut

2012-2013 Projected Enrollment: 2,074 — Source: Michael Weaver

6

STUFF THAT

TICKS ME OFF

Caleb Williams | [email protected]

ee

www.vistanow.orgee february.16.2012

Our society often con-fuses age with quality when it comes to creative works. The fact that Johnny Mc14thCentury wrote an uninteresting novel back before man had discovered the concept of walking upright does not solidify his place as a literary great. Here, take this: “Mar-tin and Carrie took an afternoon stroll down the terrace, the daisies were in bloom, and for a moment, the most dominating sound was the light tap of his cane against the trail.” Now print it, bury it in the back of a library until my youngest future grand-child starts fi ling for social security, and then bring each high school teacher and scholar a copy of this mish-mash. Now, watch as they dissect it like a cop show autopsy, and start drawing insane conclusions: Well, Martin’s cane must symbolize some form of tempo-rary power. Why are the daises in bloom? Are they hiding the true sorrow of the situation? Is their stroll really a metaphor for the tightrope walk which Ameri-cans took part in during Vietnam 2.0 (The future’s politically correct term for the current War on Terror)? No. None of it symbol-ized or represented any-thing else. It was a painfully boring tale that I made up in about nine seconds.

Williams’ opinion on the determination of ‘great literature’

Taylor Blatchford | [email protected]

Anyone can do this. Many people have. Is it such a blasphe-mous thought to state that maybe “The Alchemist” wasn’t that incredible of a story? Would it really be so shocking if we discovered that “As I Lay Dying” is really just a confusing and asinine account of one Jerry-Springer-worthy southern family — toothless father, pregnant 17-year-old daughter, son with an inter-esting fetish for his horse — as they drag their mother’s dead corpse halfway across the state? Let’s take a look at some classic poetry: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Okay, modern-day trans-lation: “Shawty hot like July.” Is mention in a history book the only thing that en-sures one’s greatness? Is age the equivalent of quality? The implication with such a claim is that only the well-known has value, and what is yet to be discovered might as well not ever be. Forget anyone who started writing after the invention of the wheel. The up-and-coming writer’s works are useless and pedantic next to William Faulkner’s brilliant “My mother is a fi sh.”

Dear Taylor,

Assuming you actually wrote the story in the Hub today, I’d have to say the educational sys-tem is doing ok. If your parents or one of your teachers wrote it for you, then maybe not.

Not too long ago the annual budget for DCSD was near 500 million dollars. Due to the econ-omy present in this country everyone has to give a little and the DCSD is no different. When the economy is better, people will be better, and then schools will also be better.

It’s unfortunate that class sizes have to be big-ger due to less teachers, but I’m not convinced that’s true. The district has to spend valuable tax dollars wiser. If the district eliminated some of the administrative positions that pay exorbitant salaries and put some of that money into teachers, you wouldn’t even see the differ-ence. The district has to stop building schools that don’t cost eight million dollars but are eight million dollars over budget.

I could easily afford another $45 on my tax bill if that’s actually what it would be. But, why should I. I’ve been paying property taxes in Douglas County for 45 years and I haven’t had a student in a Douglas County school for 25 years. What have I received for my tax dollars? One more school in Castle Rock, three more in Parker, and four more in Highlands Ranch. If the budget cuts are so bad, schools are so over-crowded, and teachers are being laid off, why would anyone be interested in moving to Doug-las County? The reason is that it’s not nearly as bad as you think and things are so bad in California that half of that state has moved to Highlands Ranch. There’s always Valor.

Hang in there, you’ll get your high school diploma, get a scholarship to an Ivy League school, and go to work for an organization whose agenda is to complete the socialization of America, me paying for your education.

P.S. Is one of your parents a teacher?

Editor Taylor Blatchford received a letter about a commentary she wrote on the recent Douglas County election and budget situation. It was published in the Highlands Ranch YourHub paper, a local supplement of The Denver Post. A few days later, she received the anonymous letter below. Here, she shares the experience of recieving an anonymous letter.

❃As I read the letter, I began to feel angry. The author insulted my education and intel-ligence by questioning if I had even written the article in the fi rst place.

❃In the last paragraph, he/she seemed to as-sume that I am a whin-ing, spoiled Highlands Ranch high school student who just wants to complain about how bad I have it, which is not the case at all.

Really? Last time I checked, I was the one in a public school di-rectly experiencing the effects of budget cuts, not him/her.

❃

I’m in the public school system, and not going to Valor, because no matter how privileged the author seems to think all Douglas County students are, not everyone can af-ford $14,000 per year tuition.

❃

What frustrated me the most was the fact that the author had not included his/her name with the letter, so I had no opportunity to respond in any way to have an intelligent con-versation. As a journal-ist, I am at least proud enough of my work to put my name on what I write.

❃

“THERE’S ALWAYS VALOR”

W When we look at society today, one aspect of the way that we live stands out. As we advance through middle school, high school and college, as we grow older, as we embark on dif-ferent paths of life, we fall into a routine, a fl ow that takes us from day to day, then year to year. Life as defi ned by our society maintains a neces-sity to constantly move forward, to always try to advance to the next thing. Though it seems like we have so much time, so many years to enjoy life, it goes quickly — some of us have already signed to college or graduated early last semester, ready to start our lives as adults. And for everyone else, it is only a couple years away. We no longer have the opportunity to just daydream about our futures every day, all day — when we were four and fi ve years old, we all wanted to be fi remen and professional

athletes and presidents, and perhaps we’ve maintained those particular goals, but the time to actually pursue them is upon us. Whether that goal is to play lacrosse, become a musician, embrace your religious identity, enter the military or start a chain re-action, we must indulge in our individual talents and passions. It is these things that widen the gap between one’s life and a life of rou-tine, of endless pattern. When we grow older, we don’t want to fall into the drab rituals of eat, work, sleep. We want to live life, and fi nd success in the endeavors that best utilize what we have to offer the world. If your talent is skateboarding, embrace it; if your passion is music, indulge in it; if your goal is to be a mother, do it. Looking to what’s next for us does not necessarily have to be simply college, or work or growing up — such attributes of the typi-

POLICY Eagle Eye, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published six to nine times a year by the Newspaper class for students of Mountain Vista High School. Expression made by students in the exercise of freedom of speech or freedom of press is not an expression of Douglas County school board policy. The views expressed in Eagle Eye do not nec-essarily represent the views of the entire staff, adviser, MVHS administration or the Douglas County School District administration. Board policy regard-ing student publications (JICEA and JI/JIA) is available in the journalism/publications room (Room U328) or in the principal’s offi ce.LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Eagle Eye welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. This is a chance to express your viewpoint on important issues. Letters should be limited to 250 words. Letters will be edited for space and legal consider-ations, but not for inaccuracies, grammar or spelling. Letters must contain information pertinent to the students of MVHS. The staff retains the right to not publish any letter not meeting these requirements. Unsigned letters will not be published. Please submit typed letters in person to Room U328 or via mail or e-mail.CONTACT Eagle Eye, Mountain Vista High School, 10585 Mountain Vista Ridge, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. Phone: 303- 387-1500. FAX: 303-387-1501. Adviser e-mail: [email protected]. Publication e-mail: [email protected] COST Single copies are free. Where available, additional copies of this paper are available for purchase for 50 cents each. Contact Eagle Eye for more infor-mation. Taking more than one copy of this paper with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading this edition of the paper is prohibited (C.R.S. 18-4-419). Violators, subject to prosecution and penalty under C.R.S. 13-21-123, will be prosecuted. OPEN FORUM CONTENT Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service and Creative Commons licens-ing. ©2012 Eagle Eye/Mountain Vista High School. All rights reserved.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Joanie Lyons

Macy Morgan

Erica Rasquinha

EDITORS

Taylor Blatchford

Gabi Capocelli

Riley McCloskey

Jack Reeves

Pamela Shapiro

Caleb Williams

PHOTO EDITOR

Trevor Zalkind

ADVERTISING

Jordan Laeyendecker

REPORTERS

Michael Collins

Marilyn Cosson

Wes Edwards

Cody Enboden

Zane Johnson

Gabe Rodriguez

Lyndsey Trujillo

Shannon Van Dok

Cesco Viola

PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Taylor Atlas

Jason Colbourne

Sammy Linares

Tommy Ryan

Kyle Waters

GRAPHICJOURNALIST

David Orser

WEBMASTER

Abhi Sharma

ADVISER | Mark Newton, MJE

vista eeSTAFFEDITORIAL

7MVHSEagleEye

cal American lifestyle do not have to limit us and our abilities. We are each given unique characteristics and talents that are unlike those of anyone else, so use them to your greatest advantage and take the opportunities to enjoy life in a different way, your own way. Yes, society often expects us all to follow the same road to success, but it’s more about the little things along the way, such as the relationships you build and the risks you take and the lessons you learn. In the end, it’s the things that we love to do that truly defi ne us and allow us to enjoy life. Whatever it is you’re passionate about, use it, and don’t lose sight of it going into the future. Don’t be afraid to be uncommon, to be outstanding, and allow your passion to take you places, to see what lies in store — and see what’s next.

Utilizing passions to move forward

Taking advantage of what’s next

Photos by Taylor Atlasand Jason Colbourne

8 www.vistanow.orgfebuary.16..2012

ee

ee

F A R M E R S

Shelley RodriquezCustomer Service RepresentativeDarin Sier Insurance Agency Inc

8061 s broadway #dlittleton, co 80122bus: 303-978-1770fax: 303-978-0019

[email protected]

Auto • Home • Life • Business

2011 - 2012 DRIVER’S EDUCATION SCHEDULE

Thanks Douglas County for Our Best Summer Ever!

The best choice for the most elite comprehensive driving school in Colorado! Over 25 Instructors! • Over 20 newer vehicles! • 12 years in business!

Start as early as 14½, get your permit at 15, and become eligible for your license on your 16th birthday!

Program Description: Total 42 hours driver’s education, including 30 hours of classroom and 12 hours of driving instruction (six hours driving and six hours observation); written permit test included and the driver’s license test available. We use dual-controlled cars and our instructors are approved and regulated by the

Division of Motor Vehicles.

Homestudy Course: Homestudy classroom plus driving instruction with American Driving Academy, Inc. only $375).

Benefits: Our programs qualify students for hundreds of dollars in insurance reductions with most insurance companies. All testing can be done by our instructors and the student does not have to test at the DMV.

Saturday Class Times & Locations 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Oct. 1 - Oct. 29 · Nov. 5, 12, 19 - Dec. 3, 10 · Jan. 7 - Feb. 4 Feb. 11 - March 10 · April 7 - May 5

Chaparral • Denver Christian • Douglas County • Highlands Ranch

Legend • Mountain Vista • Rock Canyon • Ponderosa • Thunderidge

(Complete Classroom Instruction in only one week!)

Fall Break Christmas New Year Spring Break

Nov. 21, 22, 23, 26 December 19 - 22 December 27 - 30 March 26 - 30

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Turned 14½? Start Today!

Register by calling 303-623-1404 or online at

www.AmericanDrivingAcademy.com

Driving Academy, Inc.Driving Academy, Inc.

Payment is due the first day of class.

Our classes take place in leased district facilities and the activities are not supported by tax dollars, the board of education or the districts. Locations and times of classes may be subject to change.

Private Adult / Teen Third Party StateDriving Exams Only $40 (no waiting)Driving Improvement Classes · Beginners to

Advanced · Rehabilitation Training] u

6 Hours of Driving LessonsOnly $300!

visit us on

Available as low as

$95

Cost

$375

Ooo lala NailsPedicure

$21Full Set

White Tip

$21Mani/Pedi

$30

20% off of regular price for all middle school and

high school students

Thanks to our sponsorsEdward Coll insRenee WatersVinayaka HunasekoppaDavid CossonVickie Cosson

ee

advertisements

MVHSEagleEye 9

•Connect 100s of computers together to watch the same presentation•Use the phonewith over a hundred participants•Use for sales, marketing, training and much more.•Phone, web and video conferencingis better than travel, but like being there!

Visit www.m3k-conferencing.com call 720-339-1760 for more!

MCC

WHY TRAVEL?

Kelly Stanek, Emily Stowall and Kiah Bradley, seniors,

create paper chains with the goals presented

by the Rachel’s Challenge assembly in their Marketing II class

on Jan. 25. “Even though I may just be

a girl from Colorado, I can make a difference,”

Stanek said.Photos by Cody Enboden

10

Rachel’sChallenge

NEXTTHE VOICES OF

11MVHSEagleEye

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE UNCOMMON

AND SEE WHAT LIES IN STORE - WHAT’S NEXT

Seh-Kai Liao

Paa Adu

Dylan Schleuber

Jewish Student Union

Logan Clark

Dylan Whittier

John Sagefi x the economy

Marcela Mendoza

Daniella Mendoza

Rebecca Mendoza

Kara Shepherd

Holly Billet

Meagan Oberle fi x the economy

Ray Whittiker

Kelsey Adams

Nadia Carroll

Halie Conroy

Miranda Griffi n

Tailor Smith

Susie White

EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS GIFTED WITH TALENTS AND PASSIONS, THINGS TO EMBRACE AND TO BUILD UPON, THINGS THAT MAKE US UNCOMMON.

THESE TALENTS AND PASSIONS ARE NOT ONLY WHAT TAKE US FORWARD, BUT ALSO ALLOW US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO WE

ARE. THE EAGLE EYE HAS GATHERED 19 PEOPLE AND TWO CLUBS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE PURSUIT OF PASSION AND THE LOOKING AHEAD

TO WHAT’S NEXT.

The Movement

12 www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012ee

The Movement which supports To Write Love On Her Arms is having a benefi t concert Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Vista. The leaders of the club, Edyn Schwartz and Eric Wilson, are required to host monthly events to raise money for the organization. Vista is one of the “test schools” for The Storytellers, a high school campaign that branches off of the organization. Student performers like seniors Sierra Seydel and Courtney Dover will be singing. Faculty members like Meg Blaze and Rachel Matthews will be performing as well. Vista Idol win-ner, Anyssa Walker’s next time on Vista’s stage will be for the benefi t concert. “(Performing) means a lot to me because it is to support people who are struggling with suicide and cutting,” Walker said.

Photo by Taylor | Atlas

T

NEXT

Marcela, senior, Daniela, sophomore and Rebecca, freshman Mendoza came to Highlands Ranch in November of 2011 from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Their sister, Andrea, owns the My Favorite Muffin in Highlands Ranch, where Marcela, senior works.

scope

MVHSEagleEye 13

MARCELA, DANIELLA AND REBECCA

MENDOZA

Three sisters leftbehind a life in

Honduras to pursue their educations,so what’s next?

Wes | EdwardsPhoto by Jason | Colbourne

Three new faces at Mountain Vista may not appear to be anything out of the ordinary; however, when you consider the lives they left behind and the future they plan to live, their story

becomes unique. Sisters Marcela, Daniella and Rebbec-ca Mendoza first joined the student body at Vista on Nov. 21, 2011 after moving from the capitol, Tegucigalpa, Honduras in Central America. Along with leaving their friends and distant family, the Mendoza family also left behind an unstable and dangerous life. “Our oldest sister (Andrea, 22 at the time) was kidnapped,” Daniella, senior, said. “Our parents were getting calls for money and threats.” After 23 days, Andrea was returned to her family without harm in exchange for the ransom money. According to the sisters, this is not an uncommon occurrence in Honduras due to the fact that gangs run rampant throughout Central and South America. “She wasn’t hurt, but we still don’t know who did it,” Daniella said. “Sadly, it hap-pens a lot.” Their older sister, Andrea, 24, moved to Colorado just after the incident two years ago, to be with her husband who was studying to obtain his Master’s degree nearly one year ago. The couple now owns a franchise of My Favorite Muffin in Highlands Ranch. The rest of the Mendoza family fol-lowed hoping to leave behind the danger

of living in Honduras. The parents espe-cially wanted to improve their daughters’ education. All three sisters agreed parent’s were looking out for their safety when they made the decision to move to the United States. Without the fear of violence and in-stability interfering in their lives, Daniella said, the entire family is looking to the future to make it as prosperous as possible. “I would like to go to Metro State to get higher grades and get scholarships to maybe study in Europe,” Daniella Mendo-za said. “I would like to get my Master’s in business.”

Rebbecca and Marcela said they are still undecided if their family will stay in Colorado for the remainder of their high school careers, yet are still determined to enjoy the time they have here. Ten years from now Marcela and Rebbecca said they can see themselves starting a family after finishing college. “I really like business,” Marcela Mendoza said, “maybe go into marketing.” The sisters say the opportunities in the United States are much greater than those in Honduras. “For studying, it’s a better opportunity,” Daniella said. “I always wanted to go to colleges here but we didn’t have the opportunity before.”Rebbecca finds another, more important advantage: “Here, we are safe.”

After leading Mountain Ridge Middle School to suc-cess, Principal Kara Shepherd is saying goodbye to the school she founded ten years ago.

From the school’s humble start in the base-ment of Mountain Vista High School to its current position as a leader of the middle edu-cation philosophy, Shepherd has brought her passion for kids into every aspect of the school. Shepherd said she founded Mountain Ridge with a vision to provide opportunities to every child, regardless of their interests. She said every decision made by herself or faculty is made with the kids in mind. The school’s success, she said, stems from a love for working with adolescents. From a vast number of clubs and activities, to advanced programs such as STEM, Shep-herd ensures that the child’s interest is sparked and they are prepared for what lies ahead in high school. Seventh grader Madison Decker said it is Shepherd’s involvement in her students’ lives that has made the difference. Decker said Shepherd takes a hands-on approach to her job, talking to students in the halls and provid-ing help if they should need it. “She challenges

us, and lets us be original” Decker said. Decker went on to say that students at Mountain Ridge are allowed to organize their own after-school clubs and take an active role in their education. While there is clear focus on making learn-ing creative and fun, the practical preparation students need for high school is not overlooked. Eighth grader Zoe Blandon said she feels confi dent that she is ready for what lies ahead. “(Shepherd) makes sure that teachers pre-pare us in the fourth quarter for high school,” Blandon said. Eighth grader Jordan Waller said Shepherd emphasises the importance of a positive at-titude. “Everyday on the announcements she tells us to have a positive day and to remember that the choice is always ours,” Waller said. Shepherd has introduced programs such as FISH and weekly anti-bullying meetings to en-courage positive relationships among students. In these times of fi nancial crisis in educa-tion, Shepherd has continued to provide these vital opportunities to her students despite cuts at the district level. Social Studies teacher Deb Fox-Gliessman said that Shepherd has been a master of sched-uling and budgeting. At a time when many teachers are losing their jobs, Fox-Gliessman says it is phenomenal that Shepherd has held

onto staff. Fox-Gliessman, who is a member of the selection committee in place to hire a new principal, said she is most worried about losing Shepherd’s fi nancial expertise and commit-ment to middle level education. Language Arts teacher Russell Loucks said he appreciates Shepherd’s dedication to middle education. “Throughout her decisions, the focus re-mains on the whole child, socially, emotionally, and academically,” he said. Loucks said he believes Shepherd’s vision will stay with the school even after she has retired. He added that Shepherd has worked to engrain the ideas that have brought success to the school in the minds of all the staff. While he said that change is inevitable, the staff at Mountain Ridge will carry Shepherd’s torch. Shepherd, too, sees a bright future for the school she begun. When asked what affect she believes her retirement will have on the school, Shepherd merely smiled and replied that nothing will change. She said she feels confi dent the mindset of creativity and opportunity is well established, and teachers and students will continue even after she is no longer in the principal’s offi ce.

A B r g h t F u t u r e

Marilyn | Cosson

Students, teachers, and administrators remember Kara Shepherd’s work and get readyfor what’s next as she prepares to end her fi nal year as the principal of Mountain Ridge

Photo by Taylor | Atlas

NEXTee


A

NEXT

Billett’s cupcakes and personalized cakes can be order at her website,www.slapshotbakery.webs.com. Prices vary based on the desired decorations, fi llings, and icings. Delivery is free to any-where in Highlands Ranch. Billett says that her most popular fl avor is Vanilla, but customers have a total of ten fl avors to choose from. Whether embracing hockey, baking, or business, the future is bright for this young entrepeneur.

Marilyn | CossonPhoto by Jason | Colbourne

The hefty price tag on a college educa-tion can seem daunting for students and families. While parents often begin compil-ing savings and

students spend hours applying for scholar-ships, freshmen Holly Billett is taking a sweeter approach to her college savings. Last year, Billett opened Slap Shot Bakery, selling cupcakes and tiered cakes to customers. What begun as a hobby, morphed into a viable business for Billet when she brought some of her homemade cupcakes to a friend’s birthday party. “Everybody tried them and loved them,” says Billett. She credits her friends with giving her the idea to turn her pas-sion for baking into a profi table business. A good student already in her fresh-man year, Billett says, “I’ve always wanted to go to college, and this is a good way to save up for it.” All of Billet’s profi ts from Slap Shot Bakery go directly in her college fund, helping her save up for her future. Between playing AAA hockey, prepar-ing for varsity lacrosse tryouts, and main-taining her GPA, Billett manages to stay busy. She says that the biggest challenge of starting her own business has been fi nd-ing the time to juggle all these things. When asked about college, Billett is leaving her options open. While she may not have her eyes set on a dream school yet, Billett says that she plans to continue pursuing hockey and the culinary arts, and her plans don’t stop there. Looking several years ahead, Billett says she wants to move to France and open a bakery. For now, Billett business thrives on word of mouth. She describes her busi-ness plan as a chain reaction. “I sell to friends and family, and they tell their friends and family,” she says.

T

scope

Photo courtesy of Holly Billet

MVHSEagleEye 15

HOLLY BILLETOwner of SlapShot Bakery

Owner of her own company as a

freshman, what’s next?

www.slapshotbakery.webs.com

NEXT

Eagle Eye: What have you missed most about teaching this year? Meagan Oberle: I miss the

students and the fresh perspective they brought to my life on a daily ba-sis. I also miss feeling inspired by my students’ creativity and intelligence. I loved reading those brag worthy projects and pieces of writing.EE: Has it been hard to be away from students and colleagues for so long? MO: It has been hard, especially this semester; however, I have great colleagues who are also friends. They came to visit me when I fi rst had Beau, and we’ve been able to continue to get together throughout the school year.EE: How do you like being a mom? MO: I like it. It’s defi nitely been a big change. My whole world’s become about him versus anything else. It’s wonderful — it’s really fun. He (was) six months on the 31st (of January).EE: Has he been doing all right these past six months? MO: In the beginning, he was colicky and he has acid refl ux. It was tough, he cried all the time. It was really hard because he was in pain and I was trying to fi gure out what was wrong, but he’s doing a lot better now.EE: So everything has been going normal besides that? MO: Every-thing has been going well besides that. I just moved down to Highlands Ranch. I used to live in Denver, and I’m enjoying the convenience of the suburbs.EE: Do you have any goals in the near or extended future? MO: Oh gosh, I should have goals. I don’t know, be a good mom, be a good teacher, be able to do it all. I’m so

Cody | EnbodenRiley | McCloskeyPhoto by Cody | Enboden

W

eeMEAGAN OBERLE

Mother | Teacher

English teacher hopes to return next year

focused on him that I don’t really think about anything else. I don’t even read books anymore. I mean, I only read parenting books, My husband’s like ‘You gotta get a good book and get parenting off of your mind for a little while’. I have four or fi ve parenting books I’m reading.EE: Did you have a hard time pick-ing a name? MO: Yes, it was terrible. His full name is Beau Thomas Thu-mel. Beau was my brother’s nickname

when we were growing up. Thomas is my dad’s fi rst name. I was convinced, I wanted to name him Sawyer and Tucker, but he’s a total Beau.EE: Have you been able to leave the house? MO: I don’t leave that much, like here and there, but when I’m gone, I can’t relax, which I didn’t expect. I look forward to having a moment to my-self and then when I’m gone, I’m like ‘Oh gosh, what’s going on?’Is it shocking you how fast he’s growing? Yes. Even right now, like this, he never really is that vocal. It’s crazy.


NEXTscope

Sophomores Seh Kai Liao (right) and Paa Adu (left) study in the library. “Having Paa in my classes lets me relate concerning matters of stress and inside jokes,” Liao said. “I have always been relatively motivated, but not as much as I have been in the past year or two,” Adu said.

I

PAA ADUSEH KAI LIAOAP Calculus AB, European History, Computer Science, Chemistry and Psychology (Liao)

Four or fi ve AP classes as sophomores, what

about next year?

Photo by Kyle | WatersGabi | Capocelli

I was born in Ghana and lived there the fi rst seven years of my life. I have grown up around intelligence all my life, so it would be remiss of me

not to try my hardest when it comes to education. My parents have al-ways told me the reason we moved to the U.S. was for my education. I thank my parents for blessing me with genes and an aptitude for learning. My parents positively infl uence me by urging me to work as hard as I can. My parents met while working on their doctorates: my mom, psychology; my dad, kinesi-ology. My parents want me to do well. They didn’t pressure me into taking these classes. In seventh grade, I nearly failed Algebra I. Sad thing was, I didn’t care. Learning is effective in broadening one’s perspective. Learning shouldn’t be just learning about the French Revolution, the formation of com-plex ions or defi nite integration. Learning should be learning how to learn. I have always been relatively motivated, but not as much as I have been in the past year or two. I’ll probably forget the fundamen-tal theorem of calculus by the time I graduate. The best way to get things done is by working fast and effi cient. It’s not that I’m even that smart. I’m just good at learning a lot of things in a small amount of time. I work hard to make the most of the

educational system presented to me. I don’t have a great work ethic. It’s terrible, really. Learning a few facts may appear to be insignifi cant, but in accumulation, knowledge will help in future jobs and situations. I put nearly all of my time into things that will further myself. My time is mainly separated between schoolwork, FBLA and TSA activities. I have priorities — homework, friends, research, writing, reading, photography, poker. It varies. My workload appears to be overwhelm-ing, but I stay motivated and eventually complete the task. My passion in life is doing what I want to do, not what other people want me to do. If you want it done right, do it yourself. I’m passion-ate about music, reading and playing tennis. Having one static, all-or-nothing goal is unrealistic. Try to avoid procras-tination, because in the end it will all come back to you. It’s not the end that matters, it’s the journey. When life gives you lemons, you should try to make the most out of it, hopefully lemonade. Intrinsic motivation and determination are the most powerful forces in the world, in my opinion. Life will throw obstacles that can be conquered through per-sistence and hard work. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” | Helen Keller. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for

tomorrow.” | Albert Einstein. My dream is to be happy 100 percent of the time. Persever-ance. I’m 16, not naive. Seh Kai and I have known each other since fi fth grade. We have four classes together. Having Paa in many of my classes lets me relate concern-ing matters of stress and inside jokes. It’s a really good thing to have someone who cares just as much about you — maybe even more — as a friend. It might sound a bit cli-ché, but I value my family and friends most. Life is a series of years strung together that ends with death. I believe that God has, and will continue to, give me opportunities that I will strive to make the most of. If I’m going to die anyways, I might as well have a good time while I can. I try not to dwell on the thought of failure. I know that God will open up another path for me in one form or another. I’d love to author a few books before I graduate. I want to travel the world and visit outer space, but most of all, enjoy life. All I can hope for is that I don’t become too lazy. I want to change the world in engi-neering and technology advancements. If I had to go to college, I would go to Oxford or Cambridge. I don’t really want to go though. I want to go to MIT in the business and engineering sector. If I don’t strike it rich as an author, I’ll go and be a beach bum. I hear that the weather’s nice around this time of year. I guess I’ll just work harder, take harder classes, stay motivated and get into a good college.

EDITORS’ NOTE: The bold is Paa Adu and the italic is Seh Kai Liao. All of the following are direct quotes.

MVHSEagleEye 17

NEXTee

Dylan Schleuber, senior, kneels with the shovel that his great-grandfather used in the Korean War. He also is holding a picture of his great-grandfather and his platoon when they were in the war.

“I’m nervous for basic training, but I’m also excited at the same time to be broken down and toughened up.”

“The basic training program takes about nine weeks and there is individual job training that takes 9-13 weeks, depending on the job.”

“The military will pay for me to take college classes at Colorado School of Mines, where I hope to take some classes to help me out.”

“What’s appealing to me about the military is the way of life. There’s a whole different set of goals that I can acheive, instead of regular college.”

“I’m looking for a sense of pride in myself. With enough hard work put in, it will be accomplished.”

“I’m looking to acheive the highest rank possible, which for me would be Command Sergeant Major like my great-grandpa.”

“My great grandfather was command sergeant major in the Korean War. He was great at what he did and I hope to follow in his footsteps.”

18 www.vistanow.orgee february.16.2012

7DYLAN SCHLEUBERSeven things you should know

about Dylan’s road to joining the military and what’s next.

Jack | ReevesPhoto by Kyle | Waters

NEXTscope

MVHSEagleEye 19

Faith. Kendall Weistroffer, one of seven iconic members of the newly formed Jewish Student Union (JSU) at Mountain Vista High School, has recently discovered

PositiveRole ModelRabbi Michael Sunshine talks with members at the fi rst JSU meeting Jan. 31. “The environment that we want to create should be inviting to all, Jewish or not,” said Sunshine. He works with JSU’s all over the state, from Longmont to Highlands Ranch. Mountain Vista High School is his southernmost location.

her renewed devotion to the Jewish religion, which has helped her further her aspirations of becoming involved in the Jewish community as well as connecting with other Jewish teens.

Over the past fi ve months, Weistroffer has exchanged letters with her uncle to discover the Jewish origin of her relatives. “I’ve learned a great deal about my family history, includ-ing their immigration from Poland in the early 1900’s.”

With this new discovery of her faith, Weis-troffer and other students have formed the Jew-ish Student Union at Mountain Vista, which held their fi rst meeting Jan. 31 at the school.

In the meeting, Rabbi Michael Sunshine talked about what the union does. “A large part of what we like to do is based around commu-nity service,” he said.

Another student heavily involved in the Jew-ish faith is junior Matt Sabel, who said the club is off to a strong start. “I like knowing the Jew-

F

To read more about the JSU, check out more of member Matt Sabel’s story at www.vistanow.org.

Jack | ReevesGabe | RodriguezPhotos by Kyle | Waters

THE MEMBERS

“I’m not Jewish, but the JSU is a great way of get-ting outside my bubble.”

Greg Marxen, 12 Matt Sabel, 11“It’s a safe atmosphere and a great way to meet other Jews.”

Anastasia Gladkina, 12“We can do group projects and celebrate Jewish traditions.”

With only a fewin the group so far, current members explain why students should join the JSU.

ish side of the school and creating a place for the Jews to feel comfortable and spread aware-ness of what it’s like to be Jewish,” he said.

There are over 300 JSU’s in the country with over 12,000 members. Sunshine said it’s a great way for Jewish teens to meet and even if they are not Jewish, then it is still fun to get involved.

“I feel that the Jewish Student Union will be successful,” said Weistroffer. “We have some ideas of how we can contribute to the MVHS community involving food and clothing drives, responses to world challenges and natural disas-ters and speakers to visit local events.”

But it was a battle to get the club started. With only seven members and no immediate sponsor, it was diffi cult to generate the popular-ity seen with other school clubs. But with an e-mail from her counselor, Weistroffer was able to fi nd the club sponsor, Amy Kahn, a jewelery teacher at MVHS.

Sabel said, however, that the JSU is not just a strictly isolated group. “We are not a cult, and I mean that in a serious way; a lot of people think that Judaism is demonic or evil, which is ridiculous,” Sabel said. “That is why it is so important for us to be involved with community services.”

And now the group is offi cially in the heat of club activity at Vista. Encouraging new members to join, the JSU hopes to grow in size as well as popularity in the school.

Meetings are held every-other Tuesday after school in room L600. The JSU was also involved on Feb. 8, when Holocaust survivor Jack Adler, 83, came to speak with students about respect for other cultures, as well as his struggles.

With the club in only the early stages of its founding, Weistroffer sums it up best: “We are looking forward to the opportunity to be mean-ingful in the community.”

In the midst of the newly formed Jewish Student Union at Mountain

Vista, juniors Matt Sabel and Kendall Weistroffer explain the purpose

of the JSU, and that anyoneis welcome, Jewish or not.

What’s next?

JEWISH STUDENT UNION

NEXTee

Want More?

The music blasting from Soundcloud.com/Basux might sound like a professional DJ, but it is really the sound of sophomore Logan Clark. Clark began

producing electronic music, a type of music made with electronic instruments and electronic music technology, last May. Since then he has signed a record deal with GIO Records. “Hi there! you have very good talent and I really would like to ask you if you’re interested in being part of a label called ‘GIO Records’?” producer Carlos Molina said in an email to Clark. He has also been signed by 8-Track Records. “Sup man, absolutely brilliant tunes. You deserve fame! So, I want to help you out. If you want a label I’m inviting

the very beginning. “Ever since I met him, I’ve been listening to his music,” Gerry Lopez, junior, said. “I didn’t like dubstep before, but his mixes are really good and different.” Lopez said he has high hopes for Clark’s future. “Once he gets live equipment I’m going to help him set up gigs. I think he’s going to do great,” he said. “Logan’s going to blow up in this music industry.” Unfortunately, he said his parents disagree with his music-making and tell him the music sounds like “a bunch of screaming girls.” This does not seem to bother Clark. “I just don’t really care what they think,” he said. “It’s just annoying that they don’t understand how serious I am about making music.” Clark said he has big dreams for his future. He is hoping to be playing at venues in a couple months like The Roxy Theatre and said he is constantly looking up to artists that have inspired his music making. “Deadmau5 is so cool,” Clark said. “It would be pretty sweet if I could play music like Deadmau5 and become famous, too.”

you to mine, Protocol Records. If you would like to know more just message me back and I’ll be happy to tell you more.” CEO Cal Davies said in an email to Clark. He is currently working on a mini-album of four songs. The album will be released in one month on beatport.com and he recently released the “Brute Force EP.” He has been the Dubstep.net featured artist and has also released more than 20 tracks on SoundCloud.com. Clark said he is still not entirely sure of his future, but he wants to attend the University of Denver or Colorado State University and enroll in music programs. “I sort of want to do it as a hobby when I’m older and make some money on the side,” Clark said. He began mixing dubstep, a type of electronic music with a heavy bass infl uence, in FL Studio software and now has a scratch pad and synthesizer. The scratch pad allows him to implement a unique sound into a rhythm. Clark said his next big investment will be a turntable and more equipment for his studio at home. Clark has been synthesizing and creating music for the past eight months but has been playing the piano for 10 years. If you listen closely to his music, the sounds of his piano can be heard in the background of the mix. Clark said he enjoys making music. “I can just set my mind to something and get away from everything. It’s been a passion of mine for a while now,” he said. Clark’s fans have been supporting him from

Shannon | Van DokPhoto by Taylor | Atlas

20 www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012 ee

LOGAN CLARKDubstep DJ

What’s next for this maniac mixer?

Check out Logan’s newest

tracks, original music and make

comments by scanning the QR code to the right.

T

NEXT

DYLAN WHITTIERDownhill Skateboarder

Where will his passion take him next?

Senior Dylan Whittier has a passion for downhill skateboarding unlike anyone at Mountain Vista High School. Whittier says downhill skateboarding

consists of many riders each racing on a board longer than a skateboard in order to reach maximum speeds. During races Whittier reaches speeds up to 40-60 mph. “It is really fun even though races can get hectic and people bump into you very often,” Whittier said. “About once a month competitions are held on public roads where some of the best downhill skateboarders come to compete.” At races Whittier says he enjoys the experience and looks forward to competing in front of crowds. “There are usually rad crowds

that come out and support the large amount of racers that compete,” Whittier said. Although Whittier competes in these competitions, he says winning is not the most important thing for him. He enjoys getting out on the courses and riding with some of his best friends. “I mainly do it to have fun because it’s something I really enjoy,” said Whittier. “If I get sponsored by Logic Skateboards that would be great, but I do it mostly for the fun of it.” Whittier is going to Utah State University and will continue to downhill skateboard. “You can do it at any age,” Whittier said. “It is cool to see 50-year-old men going down the mountain at 80 mph, and I would love to still be doing it at that age.” With racers reaching 40-60 mph while cars are on the road, downhill skateboarding can be very dangerous, but Whitter says he embraces this danger and continues to skateboard. With all the risk that Whittier takes, he has not had many major injuries while riding. “The fear of being hurt is always there but if you constantly worry about it, you won’t get to have very much fun,” said Whittier. “It’s all about pushing yourself and having fun while you’re doing it.” Many police offi cers disagree with what Whittier does but he continues to downhill skateboard. “Cops are what we call ‘fun suckers’, and they hate what we do, but I think they just don’t understand how much fun it is.” Along with cops many people think long boarding is unlike any other sport they have seen and do not know how to react to seeing it in action.

Mike | CollinsPhotos by Sammy | Linares

scope

MVHSEagleEye 21

Senior Dylan Whittier zooms down the path, wind in his face, as he executes a perfect ride with satisfaction.

S

“I think other people look at the downhill scene as very crazy, especially the drivers who witness us getting rad on the many roads that we skate,” Whittier said. “It’s actually not that different from other sports. We have organized competitions, practice a ton and love doing what we do.”

NEXT

JOHN SAGE, 11Lacrosse Player: Defense Strives to do better both

on the field and in class, but what’s next?

Eagle Eye: Are you prepared for what the Air Force has in store? Difficulty of classes? Juggling military life with lacrosse? John Sage: I’ve already been up to the Air Force Academy for my first unof-ficial visit and after talking to Coach Bill Wilson, one of the assistant coaches for lacrosse, I learned that being at the Air Force Academy is all about balancing your life: time for lacrosse, time for the military and, of course, school. He said that if you can figure out how to balance all of those things you will be able to succeed at the Air Force Academy. I think that just getting used to the school after a couple of months, I’ll get into the swing of things and do well in my classes. EE:What do you want to do after you graduate from the Air Force Academy? Do you know what you would branch in? JS: During the extent of my service, I will probably do something involved with business where I would order plane parts or something of that degree. After I graduate, I will again probably do some-thing in business.EE:What is one word to describe your feelings about your future? Explain why you chose that word. JS: I think that one word would be intrigued because I like knowing what’s available and I think that if I finish my time at the Air Force Academy, there will be a lot of opportunities. So, I’m very interested to see what I can accomplish after the Air Force Academy. EE: Do you have any other interests other than the Air Force Academy? Have any other schools contacted you for lacrosse? JS: If I were to go to any other school, I would want to go on a (full-ride scholar-ship) for lacrosse. Some schools that I have been thinking about are George-town, Dartmouth, Air Force, of course, a couple of Division 2 schools and Division 3 schools and even some club teams have talked to me about lacrosse. I would prefer to go to a Division 1 school that is a good school if Air Force doesn’t play out, but at

this time the Air Force Academy is one of my top priorities and best opportunities. EE:Why the Air Force Academy? JS: At first when they contacted me, (the AFA) wasn’t even in my mind at all mainly because of the grey aspect and I didn’t think it would exactly be the best fit for me. Then, I went up to the school and I talked to people who have gone through the school. I talked to a couple of players, graduates and the coaches. A lot of the players said that it was a great experience and even though you don’t get that regu-lar college aspect, the outcome in total will be a lot better. You get to meet a lot of great people. As an athlete, I can connect with teammates who I technically will be fighting with in the near future. At first it didn’t seem like it was out there for me until they really started to pursue me. EE:What is your hopes for this lacrosse season at Mountain Vista? What about the next season, your senior year? JS:This year and next year I really want our team to win against our rivals, which we should be able to do, win our confer-

Joanie | LyonsPhoto by Sammy | Linares

ee

ence against multiple teams and win state if the opportunity arises. If (state) is not a possibility, then I just hope we play better and better each year. We finished 8th in the state last year, so hopefully we will do better than that.EE: Do you hope to become more prepared in all aspects within the next year-and-a-half before you jump into new territory of juggling the Air Force Academy with other life aspects? JS: I would say that with lacrosse, I’m ready. I train a lot for my season. But school has not always been my direct fo-cus. When the Air Force Academy started talking to me and after I noticed the pos-sibility that I could go there, I started to really buckle down and focus a lot more in the classroom. Last semester I raised my GPA a lot and got the highest GPA I had ever gotten. This semester I’m just going to keep on doing my best and hopefully I can raise my GPA a little bit more. For next year, I’ve signed up to take physics and a lot of other classes that will set me ahead for what the Air Force Academy teaches me.22 www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012ee

NEXTscope

Lyndsey | TrujilloPhoto by Kyle | Waters

RAY WHITTIKER, 11 Professional Scooter Rider

To learn more about Rider Friendly Clothing, visit: www.facebook.com/RFClothing

MVHSEagleEye 23

Eagle Eye: Why did Rider Friendly Clothing sponsor you? Who is Rider Friendly Clothing?Ray Whittiker: They saw me scooter at a skate park and liked me. They thought I was good. I signed a

Driven and passionate about riding scooters,

but what’s next?

Ray’s 2012 goalsGet on a pro team

Learn new tricks

Become a better rider

Find new places to ride

Wcontract that basically says that I show off their products. It’s a com-pany that gives me stuff like shirts, pants and hats to wear. I wear their products when I go to parks to scooter. I basically just show off their brand. They chose me to sponsor because I brought something new to the team. EE:When did you start riding? RW: When I was 8-years-old, my friend Victor first showed me how to scooter. EE:How is scooter riding unique to you? RW: Not a lot of people in Colorado scooter. Most people (who) scooter (live) in California and Australia. I get made fun of a lot, but you just have to blow it off. EE:What kind of scooter do you use?RW: I have a $700 scooter, which is the same style as a Razor except a lot better. It’s called a Phoenix. EE: What is your favorite trick to do on your scooter?RW:My favorite trick is the buttercup. It’s a tailwhip, briflip, tailwip. The deck goes all around, then you throw the scooter above your head and then when the scooter comes back down you make the scooter go all the way around again. EE: What are competitions like? What do you contribute to them?RW: I have never been to a

competition, but it is just like you take turns going and you get judged. I contribute by just being on it. There are only three scooterers on the team. EE:Where do you scooter?RW: There’s a new skate park in Ar-vada, but the one I go to is in High-lands Ranch at Red Stone. EE:What’s the name of your pro team? RW: Vertex Scooters.

NEXT

Senior Girls SoccerKelsey Adams, Nadia Carroll, Halie Conroy, Miranda Griffin, Kortney Hix, Tailor Smith and Susie White talk about their next future college endeavours and their goals to play collegate soccer.

With one state championship under their belt, the Vista women’s soccer senior players have high aspirations to play soccer in college. The seven senior varsity players are: Kelsey Adams, Nadia Carroll, Halie Conroy, Miranda Griffin, Kortney Hix, Tailor Smith and Susie White. Smith is excited about playing next year at the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign. “I’ve only been there twice, and so far I really like it,” Smith said. While she goes east, teammate White is heading north to Washington

W

ee

State University, where she is ready to start as well. “My sister played soccer in college, and so it has been my dream to do so too,” White said. “I also just love playing soccer.” Carroll is still undecided. She hopes to go to St. Louis University, but still might go to to the Colorado School of Mines, where she will study to become a biomedical engineer to design prosthetics. “I have wanted to play soccer in college ever since I was a little tyke,” she said. Also going east to Illinois is Hix, who will attend Augustana College in Rock Island. “I love how small the school is,” she said. “When I visited everyone was so welcoming, the campus is so pretty, the soccer team is really good, plus the coach is really cool. It’s everything I look for in a college.” Conroy will attend West Virginia University. “It has always been a goal

24

Nadia Carroll

center-defense

Halie Conroy

center- defense

Taylor | AtlasPhotos by Taylor | Atlas and Spencer | Godfrey

Kelsey Adams

outside-mid.

www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012ee

NEXT

Girl’s soccer 2012 goals

Have a close-knit team

Win state

Have a good season

Above, left to right: Seniors, Kelsey Adams, Nadia Carroll, Halie Conroy, Kourtney Hix, Tailor Smith and Suzie White. (Not pictured Miranda Griffin)

scope

of mine to play D1 soccer and it’s finally coming true,” she said. Griffin is planning to attend Georgia State and become a physical therapist. She has always dreamed of playing soccer in college. Adams, who hopes to walk on to the team at whichever college she decides to go to, says it is hard to imagine her life without soccer because it is a large part of her life right now, but says that to her, education always comes first. This is the case for all of the girls, as all said education is going to be a prior-ity. Smith plans on studying something in business; White to become a teacher; Hix wants to major in pre-med and minor in psychology; and, Adams wants to do something in the field of economics. Before they head off to their next destinations, they have one final season left to play at Vista. And they all have one common dream for this season: to leave Vista once again holding the state championship trophy.

Kourtney Hix

center-mid.

Tailor Smith

center-mid.

Suzie White

defense 25MVHSEagleEye

26 www.vistanow.orgfebuary.16.2012ee

Megan Whetstone, senior, successfully shoots a free throw during the girls basketball game against Regis Jan. 24. Though

successful in the free throw department, the Golden Eagles lost, 37-27. “When the crowd gets crazy, I smile to myself and say there

is no way that I am going to miss this shot,” Whetstone said. Photo by Jason Colbourne

Swish.

ee advertisements

MVHSEagleEye 27

WE WANT YOU FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP

PICK UP APPLICATIONS IN THE COUNSELING OFFICE

AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 6TH

ALL APPLICATIONS DUE FEBRUARY 24TH TO DOREEN SMITH IN L508

PICK UP APPLICATIONS IN THE COUNSELING OFFICE,

AVAILABLE NOW.

ALL APPLICATIONS DUE FEBRUARY 24

TO MRS. DOREEN SMITH IN L508.

28 www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012

soulee

ee

From the beginning of the week, HERO Week brought the school together to support a great cause. A moving assembly presented by Rachel’s Challenge pushed students to start a chain reaction of acts of kindness. Vista Idol on Jan. 23,

CritiqueTaylor | Blatchford

Props & FlopsPROPS to the“Rafting” boys for coming up with the parting of the green sea.

PROPS to DCSD fi nally getting it right by calling a snow day.

FLOPS to moving the Sadie’s dance to the commons.

FLOPS to seniors only getting onesenior breakfast so far this year.

Hallway Talk

“It was likefreaking Narnia until this morning.”

“Every day is like a white-out for me,except for when I got a really bad sun-burn.”

Entering its 11th season, reality competition show “American Idol” is continuing to draw mil-lions of viewers and tens of thousands of aspiring musicians.

Hosted by over-dra-matic host Ryan Seacrest, the show is continuing to showcase both contestants with touching personal stories and those with ter-rible voices.

Ever since iconic judge Simon Cowell left in 2010, taking his deadpan mock-ery and harsh criticisms with him, the other judges have been struggling to

Despite living in Colo-rado my whole life, before this season I had never really cared much about the Broncos. I stayed that way through their 1-4 record at the beginning of the season with Kyle Orton as quarterback, and then became mildly interested, along with most of Amer-ica, when Tim Tebow was named the new starting quarterback. As the team progressed to a six-game winning streak with Tebow at the helm, I started to watch at

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press/MCT

Bleast the fourth quarter of each game with growing in-terest, wondering each time if Tebow and kicker Matt Prater would be able to pull off another last-minute win. Like many other bandwagon fans, I had my doubts when the team was outscored 88-40 in the last three games of the season, but then was astonished by the thrilling overtime win as huge underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fi rst round of the AFC playoffs. Though the turbulent season ended with a disap-pointing, though almost expected, thwarting by the New England Patriots, I think the Denver Broncos ended up having a better season than many people, including myself, originally expected.

was full of amazing perfor-mances both by singers and the class dance groups. On Jan. 25, the second dodgeball tournament of the year fi nished with a surprising upset by the Sophomore Class beating the juniors. The student body continued to show

great spirit throughout the week for various dress up days, culminating in school Spirit Day and the pep as-sembly. Though the boys basketball team lost, 73-67, at the ThunderRidge rivalry game Jan. 27, it was defi nitely a game to

remember, especially the now infamous “parting the green sea” and the green to whiteout. As a whole, HERO Week unifi ed Mountain Vista and brought back the school spirit that sometimes seems to be lacking.

fi ll his shoes. Currently, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler try to let contestants down gently, but rarely give actual constructive criticism.

Though the audi-tion rounds showed some promising talent as usual, in my mind, there were not many contes-tants who really stood out. “American Idol” is becoming repetitive and predictable, and it is not worth my time anymore.

A

C

Photo by Trevor Zalkind

Photo by Jason Colbourne

Photo by Cody Enboden

“Strangling someone as a way of murder is more intimate than sex.”

Photos courtesy of Oakland Tribune/MCT

soul

29

eeQ & A With Kiaran Stewart, 2011International Robotics Contestant

Eagle Eye: How were you chosen for the competition?Kiaran Stewart: We had a tournament (last year) at Mountain Ridge (Middle School) and I won and it was a two-day tournament.EE: What did you do at the tourna-ment at MRMS?KS: Program and design robots that we could use to dance.EE: Where did you go for the actual competition?KS: Jakarta, Indonesia.EE: What did you do at the actual competition?KS: We had to do two things. One was a challenge, and the other was to program a robot to do a pre-done dance.EE: Can you tell more about the pre-done dance you had your robot do?KS: We had to synchronize a robot to do a dance of our choice.EE: What was the challenge?KS: The challenge was we had to pro-gram and synchronize a Bioloid GP to a given dance. The robot cost $3,000.EE: Can you explain more about the Bioloid GP?KS: It’s a self-atomic robot. It’s a robot that you tell to move and it moves.EE: What are your future plans? Will you be competing in the compe-tition again next year.KS: I will compete again this year in the 2012 International Robot Olympiad in Seoul, South Korea. Then, I will be a coach in the 2013 International Robot Olympiad.EE: How will you be competing in 2012?KS: I will be participating in the creative category where I try to make robots that can help mankind.EE: What are some of your best memories of the competition?KS: There were so many robots. They were life size and they could dance, play instruments and do puppet shows. That was very cool. Some could literally paint. They could paint better than me.EE: You kept a journal during the event, could you describe one of you entrees?KS: Yeah, on one of the days we landed I wrote about how it was (really) hot. It was 90 degrees in a massive place with no air conditioning. My MacBook Air died on me.

Stewart, freshman, tinkers with the robot he used in the 2011 International Robotics Competiton.

Cesco | Viola

Photos by Trevor Zalkind

E

A TEACHER’SPERSPECTIVEEagle Eye: How does it feel to have Kiaran go to the event?David Larsen: Awesome. I think it’s a great experience. He is also only one of seven people to get selected and only one out of two

people in our district.EE: Would you like to see Kiaran continue in this fi eld?DL: Absolutely I love to see kids get inspired by something.EE: What are some of your memories from the

event?DL: There was a big emphasis on synchronizing robots to dance. There were also a lot of choices on various levels.

EE: How do you see Kiaran’s work on robots continuing in about ten to fi f-

teen years?DL: Maybe he will come up with a robot to improve health care. I’m really not sure.

Teacher, David Larsen, talks about working with Kiaran

www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012ee

pulse


ee Qualifi ersSwimmers refl ect on the state championships February 10-11

Karissa Dahlquist | junior“I was ecstatic when I learned I had qualifi ed for state. I can’t express how happy I was. The top ten in the state meet qualify for all state. It was a great year and the whole meet was exciting. The best part was fi nally getting a school record for the 4x100 freestyle relay.”

Brianna Salanitro | freshman“It is really cool to be one of two freshmen on the state team. I have been working very hard for a long time and it’s very rewarding. I love having my sister’s (sophomore Gianna Salanitro) support. We always congratulate each other. The upperclassmen have treated me like I’m one of them. I would also like to thank the Dahlquist sisters. They have helped me a lot. I had a really good time at state and did pretty well.”

Lauren Alfi no | sophomore“It feels amazing to be in state. I like that I can push my body to go farther and farther each day. Swimming is like taking a break from school. We are undefeated besides one tie.”

Gianna Salanitro | sophomore “I’m happy to see my sister (above) go, too. I think some of us can make it to the top eight and we can win some challenges. I really like the team. We all get along so well. The best part was getting a record in the 4x100 freestyle relay.”

Paula Stoddard | senior“I have been on the state team since fresh-man year, but I remember then I was really excited. As a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect or what the competition would be like. We’re undefeated, so I think we have gotten a lot faster. It was a really fun experience and one of the fastest state meets in Colorado history.” Stoddard placed eighth in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the 500 freestyle.

Jenny Penneck | freshman“It feels really cool to be going to state as a fresh-man because a lot of the team isn’t going. It’s fun to get to know people in other grades who have the same interests as you. I practice in my club team along with the team at Vista for 15 hours a week. I have to race Missy Franklin, who’s going to the Olympics and has the world record for the 200 backstroke. It was really fun. I didn’t do as good as I wanted but I had a good time.”

Kara Stockton | sophomore“I came from Valor and I had never been to state before. We work really hard and to accomplish that is really cool. I got a personal best (at state) in the 100 freestyle, and I was really happy.”

Julia Jesse | sophomore“I felt really happy (when I learned that I qualifi ed. I qualifi ed in the 200-freestyle relay. I’m really proud of the team and what we were able to accomplish. I also got to know the other girls a lot better.”

Ashley Peterson | junior“I’m new this year so it was great. The other team members have been very kind. I train six days a week and with my club, Mile High Dive club. It’s great and I have great coaches. At state, the team did great and we defi nitely accomplished what the coach wanted.” Peterson placed eighth in diving.

Kaaryn Dahlquist | senior“I’ve been on the state team since fresh-man year but it’s pretty exciting. I fi nally got both of my legs completely fi xed. I still got hurt but I have been doing the best I have ever done. We’re pretty close to breaking a school record for the 400 freestyle. It was amazing and the fastest state meet in the last eight years. It was great to see our team do well with the meet being so fast.”

Photos by Cody Enboden and Kyle Waters

Gabe | Rodriguez & Cesco | Viola

pulse

31www.vistanow.orgfebruary.16.2012ee

Balancing School and hockey

Here to Play:

Senior Scott Moldenhauerdescribes his move across the country to enhancehis hockey career

geles. With his demanding sched-ule, Moldenhauer said it is hard to manage his time between school, hockey, homework, traveling and friends. “This year is easier than last year because that was the year to really focus on school,” he said. Last year Moldenhauer played for the Hurricanes in North Carolina, which is a junior AAA team.

Since he travels frequently, Moldenhauer gets to see his parents about every three weeks at the team’s main showcase tourna-ments. “I defi nitely miss my family, and sometimes I do get homesick,” he said. Moldenhauer’s mother, Tamara said she is very proud to watch him at his games. “Even though it was really diffi cult to let him go, I knew that I wouldn’t have let him go if I didn’t trust judgement,” Tamara said. “It’s been a really positive experience for him.”

As for his time at Vista, Mold-enhauer was able to attend the new student orientation day in August before school started, which he said made his transition easier. “I like Vista a lot better than my old school. I like the environment and people here,” he said. Adding he especially enjoys Catherine Ayer’s Advanced Placement Psychology class.

Moldenhauer said he came to Colorado for exposure to col-lege and junior teams. His coach Paul DePuydt said he thinks Scott made a good decision to move to Colorado for hockey. “I’m sure it was a diffi cult decision for Scott leave home from his family friends, but he is a bright and likable young man who has made this sacrifi ce to further his hockey career, ” said DePuydt.

Another option for Molden-hauer after high school instead of the traditional route of college is to play on a junior team, which could involve another move and a new family. “It may not be the path for most sports, but it’s normal for hockey players,” Moldenhauer said. “I like it.”

ee

B

Photo used with permission from Georgia Renee Photography

Back in August when most students at Vista were wrapping up their summers, senior Scott Moldenhauer was trying out for a hockey team that would take him away from his family and four acre home in North Carolina.

“I fi gured I would give trying out for the team (the Colorado Thunderbirds, a AAA team) a shot,” Moldenhauer said.

After making the team, the next step was fi nding a temporary home for Moldenhauer in Colorado. “The manager just came in and said he found a family for me, and then my parents, the Hollingshads, and I went out for dinner, so I could get to know them, “ Molden-hauer said.

Moldenhauer, 17, made the more than 1,500-mile trip from Greensboro, North Carolina, to stay with the Hollingshad family: parents Kelly and Jen, 12-year-old Brett and his sisters Makenna and Brooklyn who are 10 and eight,respectively.

“This is a hockey family, so they understand my schedule and they are really good people to live with, “ Moldenhauer said.

Mountain Ridge student Brett Hollingshad plays hockey for the Littleton Hawks. His dad, Kelly, coaches his team, and played hockey at the University of Den-ver. “It’s been a great experience having Scott here, and I’m glad I got to do this because I know how valuable the experience was when I did it,” Kelly Hollingshad said. Brett added that it is great having someone (like Scott) to hang out with and talk to.

As Moldenhauer got settled as a Thunderbird he said he likes it out here and the team is good.

Now Moldenhauer’s schedule is school until it is time to be at practice at 3:45 p.m. “We have a dry-land (off-the-ice) practice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thurs-days, and on the weekends we usually travel for games,” Molden-hauer said.

During Feb. 4-5, Moldenhauer traveled with his team to Los An-

Don’t cry!

Students purchasing a yearbook beginning Feb. 1 will be placed on a waiting list. From Feb. 1 to April 30, the price is $85 to get on the wait list. Beginning May 1, if there are any books left, the price is $95.

If no books are available, all wait-list payments will be refunded.See Mr. Newton in U328.

advertisements

32 www.vistanow.orgee febuary.16.2012

ee

Eagle Eye Newsmag. Issue 4

Documents

Transcript of Eagle Eye Newsmag. Issue 4