EQ (Feb 2014)

EAGLECRESTNEWSMAGAZINE

Eaglecrest 5100 S Picadilly St Centennial, CO 80015 - EQextra.com - FEBRUARY, 2014 - Volume 22 Issue 4 - [email protected]

YOUTH GROUPS: MANY GO. FEW TALK ABOUT IT

BOOKS AREN’T ALWAYS BETTER

THAN THE MOVIES

JAKE DUGAN IS A WRESTLING STAR

NEWS

ARTS

SPORTS

LOOK WHAT’S INSIDE5 Senior Jamie Stoner

is in a tough spot, and so is the girls basketball team as they struggle with a losing season with an overall record of 4-15, but they hope to pick themselves up in the future.

14 Reporter Jake Skoglund

tells of his M.I.A. trip that worried friends and family, hoping to explain why he did it.

COMPLEX TEXTS ARRIVE

3Each subject upgrades the complexity of the texts that are taught to the students, aiming to up the passing percent-age of standardized test scores.

BURGERS FACE OFF

NEWS ARTS

9With each burger joint appealing to the same type of consumer, it’s hard to tell which is the right one for you. We look to solve that issue.

NOT ANOTHER TEEN WITH ANGST

13Arts Editor Brandon Diener shares his insights into the mind of the typical angsty teenager.

OPINIONS

Photo by Dilkush Khan (above), and photo illustration by Beau Jamieson (right).

Cover photo by Cristina TrimpeIllustration by Beau Jamieson

FEB 2014 | EQextra.com | PAGE 3

NEWS

BY CRISTINA TRIMPE AND MAGGIE O’ DONNELL

Nearly everything is talked about in the halls of a public high school. But for some reason, you rarely hear people talk about religion.

But students do talk about religion, just not at school. Many students participate in church activities but it seems to be something they typically keep to themselves. To the surprise of many, over one-third of Eaglecrest students ded-icate free time to a religious youth group, acording to an EQ survey of 268 students. Between Bible studies, youth groups, mission trips, retreats, seminary, confirmation and the usual church service, many students devote hours of their week to their faith. Freshman Hanna Kaplan spends an average of seven and a half hours per week dedicated to activities hosted by her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It strengthens faith and gives us a better chance in life to help people grow in faith,” Kaplan said. Freshman Javant Franklin, a Jehovah’s Witness, devotes over five hours per week to meetings and Bible study. “[I go] to show respect for my family,” he said. Freshman Lauryn Allen, a Lutheran, spends about four hours per week going to Wednesday youth groups and services on Sunday. “It’s nice to be around people who know how you feel,” Allen said. “Beliefs connect you.” But many students don’t talk about their beliefs at school for fear of being ridiculed and not wanting to offend peers. “It’s a touchy topic,” junior Stephanie Steiner said. “People need to

be careful not to impress upon or offend anyone.” Some students aren’t hesitant at all, though. “People are scared to offend everyone, but I’m not. If someone asks me about it, I will tell them,” Kaplan said. “I think people should know more about different [religions] because they’re a huge part of a person’s culture,” sophomore Lauren Slaughter said. Students say that they hear religion talked about occasionally. De-pending on how the question is introduced and who it’s coming from, a student will be open about it, but other times “people just blow it off,” sophomore Austin Long said. Though not all students experience judgment directly, some can feel a sense of ridicule aimed at religious kids. “People look at you different,” Steiner said, when they know that you’re religious. There is also a stereotype about “religious kids” that some find frustrating. “People think I’m supposed to be a perfect person just because I go to church,” Allen said, “but I’m not, no one is.” The students involved in religion also worry that they are seen as arrogant. “I hear things like ‘good little Christian boy’ and dumb, annoying stuff like that,” Long said. But in the end, they say it’s worth it because of the comfort and enjoyment from the people they connect with as they grow in their religion. As Steiner put it, “It’s my happy place.”

One-third of EHS students are part of a religious youth group

IN GOD WE TRUSTWHO IS GOD?: (Above) members of The Well youthgroup explore all the names that God is called in the Bible. (Right) Freshmen Ty Keesen, Nicole Younit, and Senior Anisa Sepulveda write their sins on sand, then wipe them away.

PHOTOS BY CRISTINA TRIMPE

PAGE 4 | EQextra.com | FEB 2014

[Insert Complex Text Here]BY STEVEN TIBBITTS

S enior Emily Mills was a little confused when she was given a reading in Anatomy that

had nothing to do with the current unit. “It was weird reading something about cancer cells when we weren’t even learning about it,” Mills said. The reading was a complex text, the poster boy of a new push to improve students’ reading abilities. The reason is that administration is intensely focusing on raising

students’ ability to read complex texts in con-junction with Common Core Stan-

dards. “For our school

unified improve-ment plan, we have a greater focus this

year on read-ing,” Principal Gwen Han-sen-Vigil said. The goal is to have 60% of Ea-glecrest juniors to get a reading subscore of 21 on the ACT. To achieve this, the school is having every department put an emphasis on com-plex texts that push students to interact with the writing. Much of the school’s decisions were based off a College Board study about college success.

“What the study found out is that what makes kids most successful in college is their ability to read and understand complex texts,” English Coordinator Keith Proctor said. “Common Core has kind of embraced that and said we need to do a good job teaching that. They’ve really focused on careful close reading of texts, lots of text evidence.” Common Core, a set of educational standards the state has ad-

opted, places an emphasis on non-fiction writing and complex texts. The new PARCC test, which will replace TCAP, also has these focal points. “The Common Core very deliberately spells out what level of complexity a kid should be reading at in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, and that’s new for us as a nation,” Hansen-Vigil said.

“[There is] more emphasis on analytical writing, more emphasis on non-fiction reading, not to say that we’re going to get rid of fiction, but Common Core definitely emphasizes that students need to be able to read and analyze non-fiction to be successful in college,” Proctor said. How does that translate into the classroom? Teachers now have their students analyze complex texts, and they then show examples to the administration. This includes every discipline. Math teacher Ron Paulucci sees these new requirements as just an extension of what teachers already do. “My responsibility as a math teacher is not just to teach math. It’s to teach everything we do teach. We read in math, we have words we have to deal with in math, we have problems that we need to under-stand in math,” he said. Librarian Kristin Mckeown is involved with reminding teachers about the library database resources. “My primary role is to help teachers to essentially locate complex texts, and typically the way that we direct them to do that is using all the different databases we subscribe to,” she said. “It’s really one of the best things that has happened in a while in terms of educational changes, because there’s an authenticity to the task, and it’s not just about teaching students about how to respond to a very limited cir-cumstance like a standardized test.” Proctor credits English teacher Jennifer Murrin-Loomis with teaching a once-a-week class about complex texts for eight weeks to teachers and administration. Those teachers, he says, disseminate the information to other teachers in a continual learning circle. It is hoped that this new reading push will help students meet the established goal and also help to close the racial achievement gap. While much is unknown as the school switches to this new system, teachers are confident that it will pay off and that the school will adapt as the program evolves. “It’s helping us figure out what ‘good struggle’ is in the classroom,” Proctor said. “Students should be struggling at times with some of the readings that we do, but a ‘good struggle’ in that the teacher is there to support, [is valuable], and then it helps us figure out what that support looks like.”

“For our school unified improvement plan, we have a greater focus this year on reading.” - Principal Gwen Hansen-Vigil

EHS GOAL:For 60% of juniors to meet the reading benchmark of college readiness on the ACT (21)STATE AVG: 49%

FEB. 2014 | EQextra.com | PAGE 5

Jack Fenimore, an extremely outgoing junior, became one of the few to qualify to compete in Student Congress at the

National Speech and Debate Association’s National Tournament. Fenimore was the only qualifier from the district tournament who doesn’t attend Cher-ry Creek High School. Fenimore has been working hard for the kind of recognition that comes with qualifying for Nationals. “It feels like a big relief,” Fenimore said. “I’ve been trying since freshman year.” Congress is a form of debate where students pretend to be representatives to Congress; they debate and vote on different resolutions and gain points for giving speech-es. The National Qualifiers tournament, held at Cherry Creek, determined the five people going to the National Tournament. Qualifying for the national tournament gave a great sense of accomplishment to Fenimore, as well as his teacher, Ashley McCulloch.

“It’s really exciting,” McCulloch said. “I knew how badly he wanted it, and I am incredibly proud.” Jack is known by his peers to be hard-working and industrious. “He’s a phenomenal competitor when it comes to Congress,” Sophomore Dante Falco said. “He’s always striving towards excel-lence.” Fenimore is known for his involvement in basically everything, including Speech and Debate, NEHS, SNHS, JNHS, lacrosse, Super-crew, and Council of Clubs. “I love being involved, love to experience as much as possible, and allow myself a lot of opportunities,” he said. One such opportunity was the Mr. EHS pageant last month, which he won with a skit with the cheerleaders. “I’ve always known all the cheers, I would do it with the cheerleaders during the games, and thought why not take it to the next level,” he said. Fenimore has taken it to the next level

by qualifying for the National Tournament, but to do well in competition, he needs to research intensely. “I’m just researching different political topics, improvised speeches, just finding the topic,” he said. Jack’s success translates into higher team morale. “It shows a better reputation knowing one of your teammates is making it. He’s been able to compete with the big leagues,” Falco said. It all started in Raptor 101 freshman year, when Jack saw that Speech and Debate was an option for the club requirement. From there, it’s been a long road of success, culmi-nating with this achievement. Fenimore is ecstatic that he gets to repre-sent Eaglecrest. “It’s such an honor to be recognized for the work I’ve done, Eaglecrest has had one other national qualifier in the past six years so I’m very blessed,” he said.

JACK-JACK ATTACKBY JEVONNA CANADA

RAPTOR PRIDE: Junior Jack Fenimore practices his debate for Nationals in June. PHOTO BY DILKUSH KHAN

PAGE 6 | EQextra.com | FEB 2014

BY BRANDON DIENER

PHOTO BY CRISTINA TRIMPEPHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BEAU JAMIESON


Every generation has a unique trend and as time goes on these trends evolve and change in certain ways; some good, some bad. One of these trends, the use of hookah pens, is on the rise among youth.

E-cigarettes are electronic devices that use a battery to turn a flavored solution into a vapor that the user then inhales. These solutions can be nicotine-free or have fairly high doses of nicotine. Senior Mike Bruno sees them in school four or five times per week, especially during assemblies or be-hind the school. “I’m not that surprised” Bruno said, whenever he sees them. A Washington Post article from November states that from 2011 to 2012, e-cigarette use among middle schoolers and high schoolers nearly doubled. In September 2012, the CDC released figures showing that an estimated 1.78 million students have tried electronic cigarettes What makes hookah pens unique is their stealth factor. They’re small, quiet, and practically odorless. At first glance, they could be mistaken for regular pens or some other innocent thing. There are even some that are designed to look like everyday items, like pens or USB drives. Add it all up and you have a smoking device that can be used with a good chance of nobody noticing. Since November, three teachers have reported e-cigarettes in class and seven e-cigarettes have been confiscated. The deans office could not release the names of the teachers who have reported it. One anonymous student shared his experience of smoking hookah pens on school grounds. He uses it regularly, has yet to be caught, but he doesn’t seem to worry about getting caught because “all they can do is take it away.” When people can consistently get away with some-thing, it builds up confidence. When someone builds up a lot of confidence they make bold decisions. In the case of e-cigarettes, this means smoking them in the middle of class or in the hallway or any other place not meant for smoking. Senior Jeremy Ford also often sees them in the courtyard or back parking lot. “They shouldn’t be on school grounds,” he said. “People are careless.” The only real indication of e-cigarette use is a slight odor and then the cloud of smoke. The smell typically corresponds with the flavor being used at the time. For example, if someone is smoking a cherry flavor, the mist will have a slight smell of cherries. Senior Cathleen Tidemann also sees it around school fairly often. “What’s the point in inhaling flavored smoke?” she said. One of the biggest issues is that regulators and con-sumers do not know what is in e-cigarettes. “[E-cigarettes] are better than cigarettes. There’s nothing bad about them,” Hartung said. That may not be necessarily true. The FDA is

concerned about how poorly regulated these devices are, and also warns that carcinogens and toxins have been found in e-cigarettes. Concerns about nicotine addiction have also been raised. As of right now, hookah pens are treated the same as any other tobacco product by both the school dis-trict and the federal government. The higher amount of people using them may encourage stricter regula-tions on their use. According to a December 2013 Time Magazine article, New York City has begun regulating e-ciga-rettes in the same way as any other tobacco smoke products, meaning they have been banned from any place where regular cigarettes are already banned. Los Angeles and Chicago are considering similar regulations. New Jersey, Utah, and North Dakota have already passed similar legislations. While the political battle begins, the larger question is what students think about the new trend. Senior Hayley Knoph believes that e-cigarettes are “a fad” and that “it’s still inappropriate to use them.” Clearly, some students do not agree.

WHAT IS A

A Hookah Pen is a smaller, compact version of a hookah, which is a waterpipe used to smoke sweet, often flavored smoke.

10%-25%Of young adults have used e-cigarettes in the last month.

E-cigarettes or Hookah pens can contain up to 20mg of nicotine.

Risks of E-Cigarettes*Smoke contains: significant amounts of can-cer-causing ingredients (arsenic, lead, cobalt), generates carbon monoxide.*Have addictive qualities if nicotine is included*Sharing Hookah pens can increase the risk of getting diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, or meningitis.

Sources include cancer.org and no-smoke.org

1.78 MillionTeenagers have tried e-cigarettes.

7 e-cigarettes have been confiscated this year by EHS deans.

In New York, e-cigarettes are being regulated the same as normal tobacco products.

PAGE 8 | EQextra.com | FEB. 2014

DID YOU KNOW?Some people have been known to use their e-cigarettes to smoke concentrated hash oil rather than nicotine.

ARTSFEB. 2014 | EQextra.com | PAGE 9

BEST BURGER IN TOWN

When I go to burger places I get a plain cheeseburger. Just the meat, cheese, and the bun. Call me crazy but I don’t like all the extra fluff. Most burger places need all the condiments to make their burgers taste amazing, but not Red Robin. For burger purists like myself, Red Robin uses other things such as spices and quality meat to make their burger tasty. Another perk of this burger place is the fact you can choose how well done you want the meat cooked, so your experience is personalized to your tastes. I like my burger well done. Their secret is their Red Robin signature seasoning, which they also sprinkle on their endless fries. Red Robin advertises their burgers as juicy, with cheese melting off the bun, and that is exactly what you get.

For a burger that is truly “fast food,” Good Times is the place to go. Compared to places like McDonald’s and Burger King, you’ll get a more satisfying burger and more enjoyable experi-ence. Good Times is a fairly local restaurant, located only in Colora-do, Wyoming, and North Dakota, which gives the eatery a more personable feel. The burger is fine, but nothing special. The only thing that separates it from the average fast food burger is that eating one burger leaves you feeling full. At most cheap burger joints, guests usually need to eat about three or four burgers to feel satisfied. What truly distinguishes Good Times from other fast food places is their wild fries. The blend of spices on these crispy bites of grease is addicting. The spices sizzle onto the fries and create an almost caramel-ized coating on the outside. This adds another level of flavor to the already distinctive taste. If you’re in a hurry and have no time to sit down, then let the Good Times roll.

Countless quotations of praise from publications around Amer-ica cover the inner walls of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, remind-ing customers that their burgers are the real deal. The burger I ordered was a Bacon Cheeseburger (Two Pat-ties) with lettuce, grilled onions, tomatoes, Bar-B-Q Sauce, and

hot sauce, as well as a large fry. The burger itself is

mouthwatering. The 80/20 ground chuck-

high quality ground beef

patty is so juicy and satisfying, it could be eaten by itself. The goo-ey cheese smothers those patties and blends the crisp lettuce and sweet grilled onions perfectly with the spicy hot sauce and tangy spiced Bar-B-Q sauce. The bun is soft and delicate, but holds up nicely against the intense weight of the inner ingredients. The experience of Five Guys Burgers and Fries is worthy of a visit, and perhaps the title of best burger in Aurora.

BY LUKE MEACHAM

BY LUKE MEACHAMBY ONNIE LUMSDEN

THEBOOK V.S.

THEMOVIE

BY BEAU JAMIESONIt is a common belief that the book is always better than the movie, but that is not always the case. Here are a few comparisons between several famous books and movies and how they stack up next to each other.

HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY FIGHT CLUB FORREST GUMP

THE GODFATHER THE GREAT GATSBY

LORD OF THE RINGS

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

TWILIGHT

Fans of the novel love Harper Lee’s characters and attention to subject matter, but the film accom-plishes the goal of matching those traits through Horton Foote’s screenplay, and Gregory Peck’s powerful performance as Atticus Finch.

Most of you probably didn’t know that this beloved Oscar-winner was based on a book. No, you’re not alone as only having the film in your head that might actually be for the better.

Thought of as a sci-nerd’s Bible, this novel’s cinematic adaptation failed to entertain or provoke thought.

This film has inspired many filmmak-ers despite coming from problematic material. Even the author himself admits this.

Mario Puzo’s novel was a respect-able page-turner, but any legacy it may have had was halted by Fran-cis Ford Coppola’s superior film.

This Fitzgerald masterwork is taught in English classes for being fantastic. To watch Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film is akin to having your teacher yell the novel at you while blasting Jay-Z.

Tolkien’s vision is one of the richest fantasies in history. Peter Jackson’s film applied new standards to filmmaking.

Don’t do either. Please.


For the first time in four years, Eaglecrest sent girl swimmers to the Coaches Invitational. With the help of coaches Jordan Allen and Jillian Fehringer, seniors Lauren Woodyard, Kori Brenner, Alicia Hudson, and freshman Mckenzie Jenkins qualified in the 200 medley relay. The time needed to qualify for the Invitational was 2:06.5 and they made it with a 2:05. “It’s a giant swim meet. It’s almost like state, but it’s not state,” Woodyard said. The girls went in with a rank of out of 62 and coming out they were 48th out of 62. The girls all had their “in awe” moments being at the Invitational. “There was a bunch of fast swim-mers, and you just watch them and you’re just like ’Wow,’” Brenner said. Woodyard had a similar reaction. “It was really intimidating too. Like everyone’s fast and you’re just like ‘Should I be here?’” Woodyard said. Overall, the girls considered going a privilege. “It was an honor,” Hudson said.


SPORTS

SWIMMERS MAKE COACHES INVITATIONAL

1.

2.

3.

1. A swimmer’s dive is meant to achieve maximum distance with a powerful push off the block. A swimmer starts by crouching on the block, dominant foot at the edge with the toes curled around it. The back foot is cocked like a spring and will help propel the swimmer.

The swimmer tucks her head to prevent belly-flopping. Her arms grasp the edge of the block. 2. When the starting signal goes off, the swimmer immediately pushes forward with arms and her legs. Her angle is slightly aimed up, but it is at a low enough trajectory to go farthest. Her head comes up for a split second to look farther down the lane, and then immediately puts it back down. The swimmer brings her legs together and keeps them straight. Her arms, which push off the block behind them, come forward to make a V shape, with her

head tightly tucked between them. 3. When she enters the water, the swimmer should essentially be a straight line from head to foot. Her head should be tucked and her legs should be straight. Depending on the race, she will then do underwater kicking until she breaks surface with her first stroke.

ARTWORK BY LUKE MEACHAM

BY EMILY ATWELL

FRESH WATER: Amongst a group of seniors, Mckenzie Jenkins is the only freshman on the team to qualify in the 200 medley relay.

-STEVEN TIBBITTS

ANOTAMY OF A PERFECT DIVE

The varsity girls basketball team has had a rocky start. “We started off really rough,” hybrid guard and forward Charissa Johnson said. “We need to get it going.” The team, which is ranked 194th in the state, and has an overall record of 4-15, hope to pick themselves up. Coach Alex Moore, who is in his second year as head coach, thinks the numbers are misleading and an unfair representation of the girls’ hard work. “We’re a program that’s emerging,” Moore said. “The seniors have worked hard.” Many of the players agree, finding the numbers to be motivating rather than hindering. “[It] doesn’t seem like a bad outcome,” team captain and post player QiQi Brockman said. “It isn’t representative of what we’ve accom-plished.” In order to make it to the playoffs they must win three more games out of the upcoming six . “We’re looking to have success in the second half of the season,” said guard Taylor O’Brien said, who swings from JV to varsity. Many players have had to sit out due to injuries, including Brock-man, who has had surgery on both her knees. Since so many starters had to sit out, they recruited several fresh-men, but they haven’t had the chance to bond with the current varsity team yet. “[The] flow isn’t as good because we had to pull in young, inexperi-enced players,” shooting guard Jamie Stoner said. “We’re going up against teams that have known each other longer,” O’Brien said. As the new players are still adjusting to varsity’s games and prac-

tice, Moore is working on keeping the girls in shape and building their confidence. “Our lack of experience at varsity level puts them in situations that are uncomfortable and adverse,” Moore said, “but we learn from it.” With a losing record, it’s been hard for the girls to stay motivated. “When we get frustrated and not focused, we don’t perform well,” Stoner said. As for playoffs, if we make it, it’ll be a triumph for not just the players and the coach, but for the school. “We want the playoffs not to be our goal but our expectation,” Moore said.

Wrestlers are thought of with the preconceived notion that they’re all testosterone driven men who only participate in the sport to satisfy their instinctual need to fight people. Jake Dugan epitomises that stereotype. “I just like to throw people around,” Dugan said. Aggression is what best describes Dugan as an athlete. He relies on brute strength and forceful, offensive maneuvers to wear down his opponents, rather than using finesse and mind games. “My style is just being aggressive. Heavy hands, really beating up a guy. Other wrestlers use more technique; I like to stick to just a few moves,” Dugan said. Dugan has been wrestling since he was about 9 years old. “I started because my old man told me I should try it, and I tried it out and liked it.” Now Ranked 16th in the state, Dugan looks to advance to State at the Regional meet on Feb. 14 in Arvada. Wrestling has helped Dugan with many aspects of his life other than athletics. The coaches were an integral part of getting Dugan out of that rut and turning him into a successful student and wrestler. “Coach Ronan helped me a lot. I was getting in a lot of trouble freshman year with some stuff. He straightened me out and pushed me to be the best I could be.” “Dedication” defines Dugan as a student athlete. He takes the strict dieting seriously and his commitment keeps him going.

DON’T GET IN JAKE DUGAN’S WAYBY LUKE MEACHAM

GIRLS VARSITY UNDER PRESSUREBY DILKUSH KHAN


MOORE WORK TO DO: Coach Moore draws up a game plan during a 62-22 loss against Mullen on Jan. 17.

PHOTO BY DILKUSH KHAN

This is how you do it: Jake Dugan (right) practicing his technique on Feb. 4 in the wrestling room

PHOTO BY BEAU JAMIESON

OPINIONSFEB. 2014 | EQextra.com | PAGE 13

I’M JUST ANOTHER WHINY TEENAGERBY BRANDON DIENER

People always assume that teenagers are incapable of making decisions. Don’t get me wrong, I know they all aren’t upstanding mature people, but putting absolutely zero faith in them isn’t going to make them any less obnoxiously angsty.

Seventeen is a pivotal age for anyone regardless of circumstances. The transition from high school to college, from home life to campus life, from childhood to the real world, is stressful. This isn’t made any easier when dozens of people will try to tell you what’s best for you, what you think, and why it’s wrong. I know what this sounds like. I sound like every other whiny mil-lennial going on about how life is so hard in a safe, stable environment surrounded by people who care about me and only want what’s best for me. Boohoohoo. But the only person who truly understands every-thing that I’m thinking is me. All these people just want me to succeed and be happy in my life. They want me to live a life free of the mistakes they made, but it’s still my life. I have the right to have faith in my own decisions and if they turn out to be the wrong one, so be it. These people act like they know exactly where I am in life and what’s to come, but we whiny, entitled millennials live in a different world than they do. So much has changed since they were going off to college and into the real world. They think with age comes wisdom, but how are we supposed to find that same wisdom if we do every-thing we’re told? For some people there’s more to life than being “successful”. Ev-

eryone wants something different out of life. All I want is to sur-round myself with people who make me happy. Everything else, the high-paying job, the big house in the suburbs, the silly little routines, is all circumstantial. As long as I have a roof over my head and people who make me happy nearby I’ll consider myself a success. Just because I’m seventeen doesn’t mean it should be wrong to think that way.

THEY DRIVE ON THE LEFT BUT THEY’RE RIGHTBY ZACH PARKER

We Americans believe we are the best country, with the best culture, the best history, the best citizens. I am here to tell you this: we are not. I have been out of the country and experienced other cultures, and only returned to America because I had to.

It was disappointing to come back. America is a skewed nation, both politically and culturally. In the political arena, our government is the laughing stock of the world. One of the largest democratic governments in the world has trouble passing the smallest of bills. Our presidents are judged more for their looks than for their policies. Culturally, our greatest contribution to the world might be Mc-Donalds. We spend more time stuffing our fat faces with yummy genetically engineered fast food than trying to improve the nation, or even ourselves. We cannot even take credit for inventing our own national sport of baseball anymore (it is now considered to have been invented in

Surrey, England in the 18th century). The British are a very proud people, but they don’t flaunt their ethnocentrism in the faces of other, weaker nations. Now that the sun has set on the British empire, they are still a strong, respected country internationally. They do not need to go to war every five years to exhibit their military might. I have been to Britain and loved every moment I was there. From the small port town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight to the industrial city of Birmingham, to the finest capital city in existence, London, I noticed something. I noticed a culture. They are British and you could tell, and not just from their spectacular accents. Britain is a country that is united not by their love of guns but by their love of being themselves and not trying to spread their ideas all over the globe forcefully, anymore. I just find it hard to love a country that can’t even pass laws on requiring background checks to purchase a gun, even after the tragic events of Aurora and Sandy Hook in 2012. It’s fine if you’re “proud to be an American.” I am proud to be from a country that is not torn apart by terrorism or religious wars, but when I wake up, I tell myself I’m proud to be part British.

ART BY LUKE MEACHAM

I ’ve always wanted to live my life to the fullest, with no regrets. I never saw my life as being exciting, daring, or thrilling.

Then I went M.I.A. for 120 hours. That’s five days. Five days with no communication to my family. My friends, teachers and peers were all

wondering the same question: Where is Jake? Within the days prior to my “adventure” I had been fighting and arguing with my parents, girls I like, and some friends of mine as well. I felt lost, troubled, and scared. I was stressed out with school, work, and thinking about college and my future. In literally seconds I decided to take my dad’s car and go to a friend’s birthday party. I knew in my heart and mind it was a bad decision, but I was mad at the world, and nothing was going to get in the way of my own happiness. The birthday party was fun but I left before most people did because I felt awkward and wanted to just drive. Drive. Drive. And drive more. That’s all I could think about. Getting away. It was this urge and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I wanted to isolate myself. I wanted to go home, but not to my house. Being a Fort Collins native, and moving here last April, I was homesick for months. So I hit the open road. I cruised around town for a little bit before heading to Fort Collins on I-25. The drive there didn’t seem to take as long as I remembered. I rolled into town about 3:30 a.m., and my hometown was dead as dirt. I ended up in Laramie, Wyoming after heading north on Highway 287 for another hour. Why’d I go to Wyoming? No particular reason; I just wanted to drive. I had nothing but open road and my thoughts. Throughout the course of my trip I was thinking about how I could deal with my issues. I was always the guy to offer people help when they needed it. I’d say things to friends like, “Ya dude if you need anything, just gimme a call or a text. I’m here if you need to talk about anything at any time.” I guess after three and a half years of people coming to you with their problems in high school, you forget how to deal with your own issues in a responsible manner. There’s really no telling what made me do it, other than I just needed to escape and be myself and “do me” for a while. Going out, being away and getting away from everything worked for me. In all honesty it did. However, I wouldn’t advise anyone to make the same mistakes I did. I was at my breaking point, and going

AWOL was a last resort for me. If I hadn’t taken that car, I might have had a mental breakdown. Coming back from Wyoming, I stopped at Redfeather Lakes and Horsetooth Reservoir. Being there in the wilderness, in solitude for a few hours, had me deep into my thoughts. I don’t want to sound like a transcendentalist, but I did connect with nature. I could hear people calling me back home in my head as I sat at the summit of Horsetooth. The person I could hear most clear and the most was my Grandpa John, who passed away some years ago now. His voice was just clear as day in my head. It almost seemed like he was standing right there next to me with his arm around my shoulder. “Be the man you want to be. Be the man you know you can be. You’re always Grandpa’s boy,” he said without actually being there.Then I could hear other voices calling me back too. I heard my mom, my dad, ex-girlfriends, and friends say all of these things. It was eye-opening. I saw how many people cared. “Jake, come home. Please. I miss you. I need you. Everyone needs you. Jake we love you. We adore you.” I’m known as a very social, loud, talkative person. But in the weeks before I left, I hadn’t been myself. People seemed to notice. But the one set of people who didn’t notice - the people who know me best - were my parents. I’m not throwing any blame on my parents at all. I had some dis-agreements with them, yes, but what teenager doesn’t? It was more of the stress build up that caused me to break. I could’ve talked to a counselor, in fact I probably should have done so. I could’ve talked to my friends. There’s a lot I could’ve done.There’s a little voice in everyone’s head and mine was screaming at me. I couldn’t stand it any longer. Would I recommend doing what I did to anyone? No way. Why not? It’s not a smart or safe thing to do. I realize how much could’ve happened and how lucky I was only after I got back and talked with my parents, family, and friends. Really, what I want you to get from reading this is that anyone could break. I didn’t think I would ever be one of those people and here I am writing about it. Give anyone and everyone support. If you need support or help, reach out for it. Nobody’s going to know what you need if you keep quiet and stay smiling.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY YANN ROPARS. http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchista/5297383356/ (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BEAU JAMIESON

WHY I RAN AWAY FROM HOMEBY JAKE SKOGLUND



OUR PERSPECTIVE ON:

We all love Mr. Eaglecrest. Filling the theatre seats

to cheer on the guys lucky enough to compete is a blast, and the experience seems like a lot of fun for them as well. We all do this while promoting school spirit, which is a good thing, but let’s face the fact that the event has a weird air to it for one particular reason. Sexism. Now, we aren’t saying that those who put on the show every year are sexists, and we by no means intend to imply that sexism is being purposefully promoted. But isn’t it just a little unfair that girls can’t compete as well? Sure, the event is called Mr. Eaglecrest, but the fact that there isn’t even an event that’s the female equivalent shows that the boys in the halls have an unfair leg up in the high school food chain. What makes this even weirder is that even

the most vocal of student feminists don’t wseem to take note of this. Perhaps this is because girls can still look forward to being named Prom Queen, competing in school sports, and performing at other events such as the talent show. However, each of those ex-amples are common in schools everywhere, and there’s either always a guy equivalent, or guys can just participate in them anyway. Admittedly, the idea of a possible Ms. Eaglecrest wouldn’t come without its own problems either. The Mr. Eaglecrest compe-tition follows a standard pageant format, and if applied to a strictly female event, it would immediately be criticized for focusing less on academic purposes in favor for how a chosen girl presents herself. But then why are we okay with the guys doing this? Some may say that girls would take an event like this more seriously then necessari-ly is needed, but this statement itself is sexist. At the end of the day this is still an event that

girls can’t compete in. “It’s funny” would be a believable an-swer as the irony of putting males through a pageant is appealing, but an even funnier twist would be to have a girl win a competi-tion amongst a group of guys, and it would be even funnier if they still called her “Mr. Eaglecrest.” And that’s how we could begin to fix this problem: simply let girls compete. We know it’s an obvious solution, but then why hasn’t it been tested out before? The event name wouldn’t even have to change; just simply give a girl the same title as we’ve been doing for many years. That wouldn’t exactly fix the “weird” factor, but at least it would be a little more acceptable.

SCHOOL PAGEANTS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ADVERTISINGBusinesses may advertise in EQ Magazine. Please E-mail [email protected] for more information

RESPONDING TO EQLetters to the editor are accepted and can be submitted to Yoni Fine in his mail-box; his office, W337; or the EQ magazine E-mail, [email protected]. Letters may not be anonymous, and they may be edited for clarity.

PURPOSEThe EQ magazine is a student publication distributed to the students, faculty, and staff of Eaglecrest High School. The paper serves as an information source and a two-way com-munication forum for both the school and the community. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of Eaglecrest High School or the Cherry Creek School District.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFBEAU JAMIESON

NEWSDILKUSH KHAN

IN-DEPTHEMILY ATWELL

ARTSBRANDON DIENER

SPORTSZACH PARKER

OPINIONSONNIE LUMSDEN

BUSINESSCRISTINA TRIMPE

COPYSTEVEN TIBBITTS

WEBVALDI SMIT

ADVISORYONI FINE

REPORTERSJEVONNA CANADALUKE MEACHAMMAGGIE O’DONNELLJACOB SKOGLUND

I just read through this month’s EQ and I wanted to extend a congratulations on a job well done. You write about an array of topics and clearly have a true passion for reporting. I especially wanted to bring notice to Steven Tibbitts’s article on the Arapahoe Shooter. What he wrote was extremely personal, but I believe that stories like these help us make sense of a tragic situation. Unfortunately he is correct in realizing that these shootings can occur from students that are not that different than ourselves or our friends and that we need to take some time to focus on the mental health of students. I was a student at Vir-ginia Tech when the shooting occurred and I can share with you that it is truly a tragedy that sticks with you, but how you move forward, reflect, and cope can change your whole perspective on living. I hope that everyone can learn to “treat every person as a person who deserves respect and appreciation” and that we can support one another when our friends (or classmates) are going through a tough time and help them deal with their emotions in a healthy way.-Katie Valentine, math teacher

CONTACT INFOWebsite: EQextra.comEmail: [email protected]/EQextraInstagram: eq_mag


PHOTO FINISH

LOOKING BRIGHT: Senior Jaisean Jackson runs through a tunnel of cheering from his fellow classmates as they cheer the basketball team on during the game against Overland High School on Jan. 30. “In that moment it felt great beating them on my home court that bad,” Jackson said.

PHOTO BY JEVONNA CANADA

Documents

EQ (Feb 2014)