2270 Highway 133
Carbondale, CO 81623
March 2015
Volume 8 Issue 6
The Rampage
The road less traveled:
Alternative post-high school paths
-Emily Bruell
Roaring Fork 2014 graduate Ticah Burrows wanted to make the most of her time right after high school. “I was honestly tress is practically tangible for seniors all over the country kind of sick of school,” she admitted, adding that “I really had this time of year. For many, the college acceptance letters no idea what I wanted to study.” Rather than wasting time and they receive–or not, as the case may be–will determine the money in college figuring out what she wanted, she chose to course of their future, at least for the next four years. However, take a gap year and fill it with new experience and adventure. four years of high school followed by immediate college enrollIn the summer, she spent five to six days a week in a local ment isn’t the only option for students. internship for permaculture, or sustainable ecology and agriculture. This internship pushed her to open herself up to more Tony Landy, a relative of Roaring Fork Student Beymar Sil- experiences, Burrows said, such as sculpting a giant face using va, graduated early from his Mexico high school, and says it was a mixture of clay, water, sand, and cow manure. definitely the right choice. Because he wasn’t feeling challenged “Once I was knee-deep [in the mixture], I kind of got over enough in school, he decided to gather credits as quickly as pos- it,” Burrows said, adding that it ended up being one of the sible. highlights of her experience. UlPutting in extra effort to timately, this internship inspired gain more credits was definitely her to go to college, majoring in worth it, Landy says. By the time a similar field. he graduated, he was two years “I got to experience my pasahead of schedule with many sion firsthand,” she recalled, more than the requisite number “and I fell in love with it. So of credits. much so, I’ve decided to major After graduation, Landy in biology.” moved to the United States and Her internship is over, but entered the workforce. It was Burrows is still knee-deep in adthere that he learned English, venture, making the most of her which he counts as one of his time before college. She’s travmost valuable experiences to eled to Europe (highlights indate. It’s opened up numerous cluded watching a Shakespearemployment opportunities, inean play in the Globe Theatre, cluding the future possibility exploring abandoned castles in of becoming an English teacher Ireland, and finding an elf school back in Mexico. Burrows looked into alternative options after high school and ended in Iceland) and has further plans Although Landy hasn’t been up having great experiences that gave her clarity in terms of her to visit friends in Uganda and able to go to college, his early future plans. This photo of Burrows was taken during her travels in Nova Scotia. graduation has, he believes, kept Iceland. What advice would Burrows that door open for him should give for other students in her he ever wish to go back to school. “If colleges see that you have situation? She would say, “If you are unsure about what path more credits than needed and graduated at sixteen, they can see you want to take, wait, search out real-life experiences, do evthat you’re determined,” he said, adding that this impressive aca- erything you can because you will never be less tethered in your demic track record could pave the road to scholarships. life than you are when you graduate high school.”
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Foreign places, eager students
who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, enrolled in RFHS in February. He will live with junior Chloe Brand’s family while he studies here for a year. Junior Megan Webber will jet off to New Zealand in August. Cortina chose to study abroad in Colorado partly for its mountains, which are known around the world. So far, he enjoys Carbondale because it is “safer here than where I come from” and the U.S. is “fancy,” just like it appears in the movies. -Kristin Page Not everything is what Cortina expected here. For instance, the education system in the U.S. has many different qualities Many students have taken the opportunities the foreign exchange program, Rotary International, has offered. Among other than schools overseas. “Schools in Argentina are very small and only have around things, the Rotary Club funds exchange programs and offers seven classrooms and not a lot of students” described Corscholarships to help improve the lives of others in many different tina. Fortunately, Cortina knew how to speak English fluently countries. before he moved to the U.S. because he had taken four years Although many members of the RFHS community benefit of English in Argentina. from Rotary’s foreign exchange program, a few have been person(Continued on page 2) ally transformed through the experience. Junior Manuel Cortina,
What’s Inside: RFHS Alumni (Page 2)
Achievement Gap (Pages 3 & 4)
Healthy Eating with Hentschel (Page 6)
Baseball: New Field, Team, and Year (Page 6)
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Foreign places, eager students (continued from front) To continue practicing his English, Cortina is living with Chloe Brand’s family, who has hosted exchange students in the past. Brand shared that “it’s hard sometimes” getting to know the students she welcomes into her home. Although Cortina just began his experience here, Brand has already noticed that “he’s funny, easygoing, and nice to be around.” Her favorite part about hosting exchange stu-
Feature
dents is “sharing pieces of our town and culture” because she believes “our valley still has interesting things to show others, even when we’re used to them.” Webber is on the other side of the journey, as she will be traveling as part of Rotary International to New Zealand for 11 months of her senior year. She is “looking forward to meeting people from all over the world.” Webber is excited to experience a different educational system, to live mostly on her own, and to “have experiences that most of my friends won’t have.” The application process was long and tedious but worth it in the end for the opportunity to study abroad, which many students never have
the opportunity to experience. International exchange programs give students opportunities to make once-in-a-lifetime memories. Cortina would recommend the program to other students because “it’s very nice [that] you get to know a lot of different cultures.” Brand “would love to go” in the future and hopes to have the opportunity in college. Former exchange student, Anika Klemmer, studied at RFHS during the 2013-2014 school year. She lived with two families during her stay in Carbondale, and she refers to them as her “second family.” Klemmer misses all the friends she made here and plans to visit Carbondale for a few weeks this summer.
The secret lives of Roaring Fork students
-Eryn Doherty Some adults may think that Roaring Fork students don’t have much of a life outside of school, yet some students have alter egos and secret passions that hold their attention more than most classes. The Rampage wanted to see if Diana Prince or Clark Kent roamed the halls at Roaring Fork with secret lives as Wonder Woman or Superman. Here is a look into two students’ alter egos... Lyle Luckett: There is much more to junior Lyle Luckett despite that he may appear like only a Colorado skier who does well in school and runs the sound system during school assemblies. Luckett is very involved in music and plays drums for two bands.. Here’s his story: Luckett has been a musician from an early age. When Luckett was growing up, his parents always played music like Santana and Bruce Springsteen. “My parents finally got me a drum set because I kept banging on anything and everything that was in the house,” Luckett says. He started playing the drums when he was six years old. Luckett is now the drummer for two bands: Big Dog and the Midnight Badgers and The No Joes. The No Joes began when he was 10 years old when his friend and her dad formed a little band and asked Lyle to join as the drummer. Three years ago, Lyle’s friend from CRMS met another band member from school and recruited Luckett to play the drums for their band, Big Dog and the Midnight Badgers. “We clicked -- that’s how it started,” Luckett said. Luckett loves the adrenaline of performing in front of people and says it is a way of expressing himself and his creativity. “I also love the whole community aspect of music and how you can bring together a total group of strangers by just playing a couple of songs together.” Playing the drums helps Lyle escape from stress and allows him to focus on something other than school. Hannah Bingaman: Hannah Bingaman may seem like a quiet, hard-working, and patient student. Who would have ever thought that she rides horses after school and on
weekends? Bingaman participates in jumper and equestrian shows and has been riding horses since a very young age. Here’s Bingaman’s story: A freshman at Roaring Fork, and a horse enthusiast, Bingaman continues to feed her passion of riding horses. Bingaman rides English and competes in jumper and equestrian shows and also enjoys trail rides and “riding outside the ring.” Bingaman says she has always been interested in horses but never fulfilled her interest until she got old enough to ride one at age five. When asked how riding horses affects the rest of her life she replied, “It definitely takes up a lot of time, but I don’t mind. Sometimes during the school year gets harder.” As for her parents, Bingaman says it’s hard on her family at times when they’d rather go camping or spend the weekend doing something else, they have to take her to shows and practice. In addition, shows, gear, horses, and lessons cost a lot, but her parents are always there to support and watch her compete no matter what. Despite her passion, even Bingaman has moments of doubt. “There are definitely days where I am not very motivated, and I doubt myself, but it’s really the only thing [outside of school] that I put effort into and want to continue doing,” Bingaman shared. Bingaman plans to improve and keep showing horses for as long as she can. She may even pursue a career in it.
RFHS alumni: Where are they now? -Edgar Reyna
How far have RFHS alumni made it in life? Do they do what they said they wanted to do, or are they stuck doing something they never thought of pursuing? No matter how unexpected their paths may have been, many former Rams seem to be living happy and successful lives. Dan Self (Class of ‘94) said he enjoyed his time at Roaring Fork:
“RFHS had a big impact on me...It helped me figure out the person I was meant to be.” Dan explained that the mentors he had helped him succeed to his fullest potential. “They prepared me beyond my expectations,” he said. Self grew up knowing what he wanted to pursue, and that’s exactly what his career is based on: psychology and biblical studies. Self loved what his
father preached on the weekend. Now, he has followed in his father’s footsteps and become the new pastor at local church, The Orchard. Janae Huck, another graduate (Class of ‘99), is also satisfied with the outcome of her life. Not only is she grateful for RFHS, she also thanks the mentors she had throughout her high school experience. “It amazed me how Roaring Fork had a huge impact on who I
am today... [my peers and teachers] showed me the way of right from wrong,” Huck said. Huck is now the Director of Nursing at Grace Health Care in Glenwood Springs, and has three kids of her own, whom she calls “my motivation to succeed in life.” Beyond supporting her family, Huck plans to enjoy every single minute of her life. “I don’t want to look back
and regret anything,” she said. Other RFHS graduates, like Monica Grijalva (Class of 2012) are still working towards where they want to be in life. In an interview through Facebook, she said her plans include “being done with school, and having my Master’s degree.” After receiving her degree in Sociology and Criminology, Grijalva wants to work in a field of social science.
Grijalva considers her Roaring Fork High School education an important step toward her future. “RFHS made me the person I am today,” she said. “It also showed me the value of networking and finding the right people to talk to.” Advice these past graduates have for current RFHS students include being yourself, refusing to be discouraged and not being afraid to ask for help.
Musicians, not misfits
-Carley Moravek
“Music is a world within itself.” That’s a quote from Stevie Wonder and is certainly true in my experience. Since I was young, I have loved to sing, but I had a difficult time expressing myself through music, especially when I moved to a new school where all of my friends were very athletic. As I approached the end of eighth grade, I finally started to realize that music was a great way of expressing myself and using my energy. When I entered high school, I joined the RFHS Choir, and I began to feel more confident singing in front of groups. Now, I’m a sophomore, and I love to sing the National Anthem at sporting events, and to perform at community meetings. But I’m not the only student at Roaring Fork High School who has found joy in music. Junior Emily Mata describes how she couldn’t picture her life without music, even though she doesn’t think she will make a career out of it. Mata explained how her family, friends and cello teacher are immense supporters of her music. Her sister, 2014 graduate Izzy Mata, has been especially motivating because she’s always encouraging her to practice. Mata has also been a member of Choir since her freshman year.
Feature Roaring Fork Choir teacher Shanti Gruber gave some very good advice to high school students about how to express yourself through art, find your passion and use it, and sing, dance, and enjoy your youth. Gruber, who grew up in the Valley and attended Glenwood Springs schools, has had a passion for music since she was very young. “Music is one of my earliest memories.” Gruber said. “I would strum along on my mini-guitar while exploring my father’s wonderful record collection.” She fell in love with music in her early years, and continued throughout middle and high
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school. She couldn’t have made it to where she is now without her mentors and inspirations. This year, more students have joined Choir, and more students are dedicated to singing with passion. Gruber explains that they have an adept group, with a particularly strong group of boys. To come support RFHS Musical Programs: - Watch the annual Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow Talent show at GSHS on March 20. - Stop by the RFHS Auditeria on May 7-9 at 7pm and May 10 at 2pm to watch our musical, “Flapper.”
Uncovering domestic violence -Caitlin O’Gorman
According to the American Psychiatric Association, domestic violence is “the control by one partner over another in a dating, marital or live-in relationship.” Domestic violence includes sexual and emotional abuse and occurs in every culture, country and age group, including right here at RFHS and in Carbondale. The recently released 2013 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey sheds light on RFHS students who have been affected by domestic
violence. 7.6% percent of the 273 students who took the survey have experienced domestic violence firsthand in the last 12 months. 4.3% percent of students at RFHS have been pressured into having sexual intorcourse. In Carbondale, the police reported 57 domestic calls in 2014, 26 of which resulted in cases which led to arrests. Mental health therapist Andrea Pazdera explained how family violence can affect teenagers in the short term with symptoms of depression, sleep
problems, hypervigilance, and some forms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Long-term effects include a greater chance of the teen growing up to be in an abusive relationship. Pazdera, who works at RFHS five days a week as part of the Aspen Hope Center, has worked with teenagers who have experienced abusive relationships or have family members who are abusive. Pazdera works to ensure students in abusive situations do not stay silent. “Silence is the tool of the perpetrator,” Paz-
dera explained. In other words, if Pazdera doesn’t report the abuse, then the student could continue being harmed by a family member or partner. If a student tells Pazdera he or she is being abused, Pazdera has to report it to help end the cycle of abuse and help the families rebond. “We contact Child Protective Services (CPS) when it is a family member, but I call law enforcement when it is someone else that is hurting them,” said Pazdera. CPS tries to keep the family together and
work with the parents to resolve or release stress. To help them feel safe, CPS interviews teens without their parents around. When a student has brought to her attention that they are getting abused at home, she tries to make them feel safe and to make sure that they understand the abuse is not their fault. Local officer Michael Zimmerman shared his perspective on how to deal with situations of domestic violence. When the police receive a call that there is a domestic situation, the dispatcher either
lets them know if it is a domestic violence call or a disturbance call, so the police officers are able to prepare themselves for either case. At the scene, the officers immediately attempt to separate the parties to calm the situation. “We speak calmly and quietly most often to help them react the same, but sometimes there is no other way to break through someone’s agitation than to get loud and direct” Zimmerman said. When police officers respond to a domestic violence call, they firstmake sure all are safe.
Remember: - If you find out you that one of your friends has been a victim of abuse, remember that s/he has a right to stand up against how people treat him/her and to understand that what the abuser is doing to them is not okay. Encourage them to speak up, no matter what the consequence is. - Whether you call law enforcement or Child Protective Services, their systems are designed to protect you, make you feel safe, and to let you know that you’re not alone. - There are safe people in the world. You have a road to get there.
RESOURCES:
The Aspen Hope Center (970) 925-5858
Andrea Pazdera RFHS counseling office
Helping Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Crisis: (970) 925-7233 Admin: (970) 920-5357
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Throughout the United States, a stark disparity in academic achievement exists betw the achievement gap at Roaring Fork High School and in the Roaring Fork Scho the achievement gap negatively affects all of us, many students do not acknowledg
RFHS Enrollment: 350 Students Enrollment in AP classes broken down by race Latino Black
Racial Breakdown:
Students enrolled in TWO OR MORE Advanced Placement classes
Students enrolled in ONE Advanced Placement class
Asian Native American Anglo
1.5% 1.5% 1.5%
4%
Although there are numerous reasons why the achievement gap continues to exist in our school and across the country, The Rampage chose to focus on a few schoolrelated factors that may affect how well students perform academically.
FACTORS
RFHS (2014) Teachers and staff members sometimes lack the cultural competency needed to reach—and challenge— students of color. All you have to do is peek inside classrooms at RFHS to observe that while half our student body is Latino, almost every one of our teachers is white. That the teaching and administrative staff is mostly white at RFHS—and throughout RFSD—reflects national trends. The Center for American Progress released a study in 2014 showing that students of color make up 44% of the school-age population while teachers of color comprise only 18% of the workforce. Despite this disparity, many teachers make little to no effort to understand their students’ different cultural backgrounds. Pair distant teachers with curricula and textbooks that may ignore, compartmentalize, or otherwise negate their cultural and familial contexts, and many students of color become wary of buying into an education that requires adopting unfamiliar, and sometimes hostile, cultural values and beliefs. Regardless of race, all teachers and staff members can work to respond to their students’ cultures instead of ignoring them. In “Closing the Culture Gap,” the National Education Association’s Tim Walker describes cultural competency as “helping students make the link between what they learn in the classroom and the life they know outside of the classroom.” Culturally responsive teachers and staff members work to understand the strengths of their students, instead of looking at students of color, or academically struggling students, as lacking in some way. For instance, an English teacher may ask a bilingual student to use his knowledge of Spanish to understand new vocabulary words based on Latin roots. The student’s home language becomes an asset, rather than an impediment, to his second-language growth. Teachers should remember that they are learners, too. As Devon Alexander told Walker, “Educators have to learn about their students’ culture—from their parents, from the students, from their peers and, yes, books can help too.”
4%
4%
Compared to white students, black and Latino students are disporportionately disciplined in school. Across the nation, students of color are disciplined more harshly than their white counterparts. According to Teaching Tolerance, although black children constitute 18 percent of students in the U.S., they account for 46 percent of those suspended more than once. Similarly, the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed that 70 percent of all students who were involved in “in-school arrests” or referred to law enforcement were black and Latino. The punishment for offenses at school often involves a removal from the classroom (e.g. going to the principal’s office, in- or out-of-school suspension, and expulsion), which can result in a student falling behind academically and feeling further alienated from school. Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, based in Denver, released their “School Discipline Report Card” in March of 2014. The report card highlights the different school discipline policies in the state and scores schools based on how equitable their disciplinary procedures were for the 2012-2013 school year. One of the scores they give is the “Racial Inequality Index,” which indicates how many times more likely students of color are to be suspended, expelled, or referred to law enforcement, compared to white students. According to the report card, RFSD is one of the 25 districts with the highest racial disparities in Colorado with a Racial Inequality Index of 2.3. What this means is that in 2012-2013, students of color were more than twice as likely as white students to be suspended, expelled, or referred to law enforcement. Changing the inequitable discipline referrals and procedures in high schools could help students of color feel more accepted by, and less alienated from, teachers, administrators, and fellow students.
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CUS
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een white students and students of color. Unfortunately, ool District is consistent with national trends. Although ge or discuss this academic discrepancy.
National (2011)
National (2014)
Students enrolled in AT LEAST ONE Advanced Placement class
RFSD (2014)
: 57% Hispanic and 43% Anglo
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College Readiness as Determined by ACT Scores English: 18 and above Math: 22 and above Reading: 22 and above Science: 22 and above
Total students achieving college readiness
Anglo students achieving college readiness
Students of color achieving college readiness
49.0%
71.1%
28.7%
Total students achieving college readiness
Anglo students achieving college readiness
Students of color achieving college readiness
39.0%
49.0%
23.0%
Teachers have different expectations for different students which causes a gap in levels of achievement. Many studies that have shown how a teacher’s expectation of a student can shape how successful the student will be. One reason expectations are so significant is because they affect a person’s behavior. This can be explained through the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy which is defined by Wikipedia as “an expectation that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true due to positive feedback between belief and behavior.” This means that expectations, however high or low, placed on students will become reality because the student will behave how s/he is expected to, confirming the expectations of the teacher. For example, if a teacher expects a student not to perform well in their class, the teacher will give them less attention and support, which will lead to the student not doing well in their class, then confirming the expectation. In a study conducted by Robert Rosenthal, he found that “expectations affect teachers’ moment-to-moment interactions with the children they teach in a thousand almost invisible ways. Teachers give the students that they expect to succeed more time to answer questions, more specific feedback, and more approval: they consistently touch, nod and smile at those kids more.” A teacher’s expectations of a student can affect their behavior towards the student, which, in turn, affects how successful a student will be.
Tracking and stereotype threat can prevent some students from enrolling in higher level classes. At Roaring Fork High School, 25% of Anglo students are enrolled in Advanced Placement classes while only 12% of students of color are enrolled in AP classes. There could be many reasons for this discrepancy, but two major reasons are tracking (the separation of students based on academic ability) and stereotype threat (a fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one’s own group). Tracking at RFHS causes students to be with the same people for many of their classes. For example, when students are placed in everyday math classes or English Lab classes, it limits their scheduling options, and many times they end up in all of the same classes and travel as a group. It is the same with AP classes. The tracking of students prevents people in everyday math classes and English Lab classes from enrolling in AP classes because many of the classes do not work with their schedules. It is also hard for these students to integrate themselves into a group different than the one they are usually in classes with due to stereotype threat. According to the American Psychological Association, “group stereotypes can threaten how students evaluate themselves, which then alters academic identity and intellectual performance.” There is the stereotype that students of color don’t perform as well in school, and the fear of confirming this stereotype can deter students from enrolling in higher level classes especially when the majority of students in these classes is white.
What Can We Do to Narrow the Achievement Gap? •
•
•
• •
•
Create an Ethnic Studies class that empowers students of color and increases conversation around issues of equity. Provide training for teachers and staff to increase their cultural competency and provide spaces for teachers to acknowledge their own privilege. Research high schools that have narrowed the achievement gap, and implement their teaching practices in our district. Recruit more culturally responsive teachers and/or more teachers of color. Allocate more funding, training, and time for teachers to increase the academic achievement of students of color. Research more equitable ways of disciplining students, including restorative justice and positive behavior modification.
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Rampage | March 2015
Sports
Better eating equals better thinking Spring Sports Preview:
Track and Baseball
-Bella Bailey
As teenagers, our bodies are growing and changing, which makes healthy eating and ex-Beymar Silva ercise habits important in creating and maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle. These are Beginning in January, dedicated Roaring Fork students have the years when we are creating habits, both good and bad, and some of these habits can stick been staying after school to get in shape for the upcoming around for the rest of our lives. What we eat--and if we eat--affects not only our bodies, but track and field season by running, practicing their throwing, also our brains and performance. and completing other workouts. Skipping meals: P.E. and Health teacher Ken Woodard, who joined RFHS If you are one of the many high school stulast year and has been coaching for the past 10 years, said he dents who doesn’t eat breakfast or lunch, you are is “excited to get more people to go out” for track this year and not alone. RFHS recently took the Healthy Kids commented that the team will be “more competitive” than last Colorado Survey, and only 44.9% of students said year. they ate breakfast all seven days of the week. Track isn’t just about going out and running or throwing. For You may be skipping meals for one of two reasome students, it is a way to relieve stress. Benjamin Romero, sons: you don’t have time to eat or to prepare a RFHS junior, has been going out for track every spring since meal before you leave for school, or you are skiphis seventh grade year. “It makes me feel safe and makes me ping meals because it is one of the newest and most forget things,” Romero commented. popular forms of losing weight. Skipping meals is For other students, track and field is a way to show their true a lot more unhealthy than you might think. potential. Senior Jose Lopez said “It’s an individual sport [so] An anonymous student at Roaring Fork High you get to show your talents.” School, who has been struggling with skipping meals, admits, “When I’m with bigger groups I’ll -Elle Derby eat, but when I’m alone, I don’t find an interest in RFHS baseball started another season on Monday, Februeating. Even though I realize it’s bad, I still do it.” Hadley Hentschel, RFHS sciary 23. The team is young in age, but head coach Marty Madsen She confessed that she has been skipping meals to ence teacher, told The Rampage is very optimistic and believes that they “will surprise people try to lose weight. via email about his daily eating with their abilities.” He said that although the team is still deShe shared that what helps her “is surrounding and exercise habits. “I eat a lot veloping their skills, they are yourself with people who will help you.” and pretty regularly. Breakfast eager to learn. The biggest reason skipping meals is so bad for around 7 [is] a pretty set rouMany key players on the you is its results on your blood sugar. “When you team graduated last spring tine,” he explained. eat a meal, your body breaks up the food. Some of leaving a lot of room for unthis food is stored as fat, while other parts of it enderclassmen on varsity. Alter your bloodstream as sugar, and work to provide Breakfast: though the team is primarily you with energy throughout the day. When you Monday = Cereal freshmen and sophomores skip a meal, your blood sugar drops dramatically,” Tuesday = Pancakes (with the exception of a few Fit Day states. Wednesday = Eggs seniors) many of the other Skipping a meal can make you feel “sluggish Thursday = Oatmeal teams in the 3A league are and tired, and can further cause problems with Field before rennovations made up of underclassmen Friday = No set schedule your body.” as well. Teams like Gunnison Weekends = Whatever he feels If you are trying to lose weight by skipping and Olathe, however, have many returning seniors, so Roaring meals, you are actually doing the complete oppolike making Fork may need to “step up,” in order to play at their level. site. Skipping meals can wreck your metabolism. The program received a new field and Booster booth that Your metabolism works to break down the food After Breakfast: was set up by players, volyou consume into smaller usable parts. When you “I then have some kind of unteers and coaches last are not eating, your metabolism has nothing to do, breakfast-y snack between first fall in hopes of attracting and it begins to slow down. Then, when you actu[period] and second [period] more spectators to the ally eat something, your metabolism is not able to (either banana bread, fruit or games. “We are hoping break down the food as quickly, so it is then stored that these changes will yogurt).” as fat. make the ball games more Unhealthy eating habits: enjoyable -- so that [fans] Lunch: Hot Cheetos, popcorn chicken, Munchies, Dr. will come back,” Madsen Pepper: these are some of the things RFHS stu“Lunch is usually leftovers from said. Make sure to come dents regularly buy for lunch at 7-11 or City Marthe night before, and I try to Field after rennovations out and support your ket. Although you should be eating regularly, you make it my biggest meal of the Rams this baseball season. Photos by Marty Madsen should also be paying attention to what you’re eatday.” ing. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Snacks: unhealthy food can result in effects such as poor “I’ll snack on a nut mix brain function. In order for your brain to run, it throughout the afternoon.” needs glucose, vitamins, minerals and other essential chemicals. If you are not consuming the right nutrients, your brain will not work properly. Dinner: Another outcome of unhealthy eating habits is “We have dinner around 6:00. mood problems. The chemicals in your brain that It’s always home-cooked and give out “positive moods” depend on food and nutypically heavier on vegetables trients for proper function. than meat and carbs.” Junk food consists of large amounts of fat which can accumulate in your body, resulting in weight gain and, perhaps, obesity. As you gain more Dessert: weight, you are at greater risk for having chronic “I typically finish off with a illness such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. bowl of ice cream just before Also, high levels of sodium in processed foods can bed.” cause high blood pressure or hypertension.
Mr. Hentschel’s Exceptional Eating Habits
News
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Panorama Surveys prove there’s room to grow - Katie Weimer
In December of 2014, randomly selected K-12 students throughout the district took the mandatory Panorama Education Student Perception survey reflecting on the overall environment of their school. The results from the RFHS overall school data, released on February 3, showed that students’ favorable perception of their school was almost 10 percent lower than the rest of the district in the three main categories of Grit, Learning Strategies, and Sense of Belonging. For example, when asked the question, “How often do you check to make sure you understand the material you are learning in class?” with the option of five multiple-choice answers (almost never, once in a while, sometimes, frequently, almost always), 57% of RFHS students answered favorably whereas the district averaged 66% favorable responses. One of the questions that particularly caused concern among staff members and students was this one: “At your school, how accepted do you feel by other students?” Roaring Fork’s percentage, 57%, was significantly lower than the district’s at 67%. With only 43% of students giving favorable responses, “How much do you matter to others at this school?” was the question with the lowest percentage as compared with the district’s 51%. The RFSD data is averaged across all of the district’s schools, including elementary and middle
schools. Students from elementary schools tend to have more favorable attitudes toward school, which could explain part of the difference between the RFHS and district data. For instance, for grades three through five across the district, students’ overall perception of their schools was 78% favorable, compared with 60% favorable for grades six through twelve across the district. When comparing RFHS to other RFSD high schools, however, RFHS’ numbers are still lower. For instance, the Sense of Belonging category RFHS earned 49% favorable responses as compared with the area high schools’ 58% average. Assistant Principal Kelsie Goodman explained that the survey results provide the opportunity for staff members to consider how they can “be the best that we can be for each student.” She explained that a highly effective teacher
has the greatest impact on student learning. Just as teachers ask students to push themselves to “ask the hard questions,” she said students should also be able to challenge their teachers to improve. “We need to have a growth mindset, too,” Goodman said. According to the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) newsletter, the purpose of the Panorama survey was to encourage teachers to reflect on and improve their practice. “The surveys are not used as a formal part of teacher evaluations, but instead as a feedback tool for learning and improvement,” the newsletter stated. On their website, Panorama Education states that the survey, “measures student perceptions of teaching and learning.” This was the district’s first year implementing this particular survey.
Opinion
RFHS needs to work toward “common goal” -Wes Engstrom, guest contributor The results of the 2014 Panorama Student Perception Survey prove that we are a student population divided in our attitudes regarding the general climate of our school. Close to half of all students surveyed responded with favorable responses (between 43 and 57 percent). Frankly, I am not surprised by these results. The survey results prove that my own perception of my school climate differs from that of about half of my classmates. I am one of the students who would have responded favorably to most of the questions posed by the survey. The fact that other students feel negatively towards this school is apparent to me every day. I refuse to give the survey too much credibility because I think these results are slanted by fellow students who thrive on negativity and judgment. Students blame staff members for their own shortcomings and seem to be shortsighted as to the reality of the environment at RFHS. Complaining about the school is rampant and seems to just feed into and perpetuate the negativity. I am aware that my experience is not going to be that of everyone. There is always room for improvement, and we should make an effort as a school to capitalize on the positive and become more proactive about addressing the negative. Incessant complaining needs to stop. Those students that truly feel that our school climate does not embrace them deserve validation, while those that just want to capitalize on their rebellious attitude towards all things school need to realize that their negativity is toxic for our environment. The real question becomes how we can all work together for a common goal when some individuals don’t seem to want a positive outcome. I wish there was a way to identify those student that are truly seeking a positive experience and not finding it here at RFHS. I, for one, am willing to meet this challenge head-on. I want my classmates to appreciate all of the good things we have here while at the same time identifying what we can all
Illustration by guest contributor Justice Bouchet
do to make things better for those not quite feeling the same level of comfort as others. Perhaps taking this survey a step further and really asking our student population for more details about their perceptions could be a starting point for getting to the bottom of this and then implementing some positive changes. We should not let this survey just drop by the wayside but let it start a discussion.
Entertainment
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Photo by Ruby Lang
Gems of the Valley
-Roy Benge
As an ongoing column, “Gems of the Valley” will feature Rampage staff picks of the best outdoor spots where we think our Rams should stomp their hooves.
When it was looking like spring might come a few months early, as the snow around Carbondale melted and 60 degrees and sunny became the norm, many people from the valley donned sunglasses and t-shirts
and headed out to hike. But where’s the best place to go when spring weather leaves most trails muddy until as late as May? Mushroom Rock. The south-facing hill means that it dries out quickly, and once you reach the top and walk out onto “The Mushroom,” one of the best views in the valley greets you. From up high, the town of Carbondale, Mt. Sopris, and the Roaring Fork River extend out in front of you. How to get there: Driving from Carbondale, head down Highway 133 towards Highway 82, and then proceed straight through the intersection and into the dirt parking lot at the bottom of Red Hill.
Heard in the Hallways “I never have any homework because I do it all in class,” “When do you find time to do it in class?” “Normally the day it’s due... In conclusion, I don’t have the best grades.” “Stromboli is just a greasy clump of meats in no particular manner, and its more attractive than anyone in the world.” “I’ve grown content with the fact that I’m going to hell.”
“Yo, what’s the answer to number 12?” “Yes?” “Dude, its an equation.” “The ESPN publicity is turning from sports to gossip so much that I’m scared.” “It’s so great when you eat some food and then look down and there’s more and it’s just for you.”
The Rampage would like to thank the Booster Club and the Town of Carbondale for generously supporting our newspaper.
Park at the bottom of the road and then hike up towards the trailhead, which is about a quarter mile up on the left. What to do: Hike or bike! There are three main trails leading up into a larger trail network as you get higher up. The main routes all lead to the top, where you will find the main view. Here, you can leap out onto a mushroomshaped rock which was once used as a Native American lookout. The trails are perfect singletrack, and they’re amazing to
Rampage | March 2015 mountain bike when it gets dry enough. The photo ops are prime, and it’s hard to beat the nice evening sunshine on Mushroom Rock. Word to the wise: This time of year, stay on the most south-facing routes as they will be the driest. When walking up the road towards the trail, stay on the side because cars come up and down, and most of the corners are blind. Also, keep your dog on a leash and pick up after them! Most importantly, have fun and stay safe.
Whoopers
• All the snow finally moved back over to us from the East. • Skiing conditions are really good now. • We are three-quarters of the way through school! • Seniors are finding out what colleges they got into. • Spring sports are starting.
Bloopers
• The roads are horrible right now. • The new snow already killed a skier. • A dress that nobody owns ruined friendships worldwide. • March is a month consumed by standardized tests and depression. • Ralph (math teacher) confirmed that he’s not coming back next year.
Rampage Staff Editors in Chief Roy Benge Kristen Joiner Managing Editor Finn Featherstone Photographer Lucy Stevens Editorial Staff Grace Brown Kayla Derby Jake Kelley Fiona Laird James Long Caitlin O’Gorman Jake Rusby Tavia Teitler Reporters Jonny Aranda Bella Bailey Hayden Bernot Elle Derby Eryn Doherty Jacky Jacquez Carley Moravek Maeve O’Donnell Pax Kristin Page Edgar Reyna Beymar Silva Katie Weimer
Policy Statement: Published eight times a year, the student newspaper of Roaring Fork High School is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its content. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. Questions? Concerns?
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“You are more loved than you will ever know. There is no failure: only unfinished success. Be the change. Be the hero of your own story.” - Sue Edelstein and Bill Spence