P20 Campus

     The next instillation of Aurora’s P-20 Campus change to APS is coming with the boundary changes for the nearby schools. There were several open houses around APS to look at the six boundary plans, one of which will be chosen for the final decision. The open houses at Clyde Miller Elementary, Rangeview High School, Murphy Creek, and Aurora Frontier gave parents and students a chance to review the plans and give feedback to the boundary committee through surveys.

     The six scenarios displayed at the open houses in both English and Spanish so all of APS’s residents could give an opinion. Each board contained maps, tables of school attendance over future years, and what neighborhoods will attend what schools. Guests at the open houses also had a chance to talk to creators of the plans, members of the Board of Education, and other influential figures involved with APS.

     Parents and students can go to http://www.aps.k12.co.us/boundary and look at all the plans. Feedback was analyzed until early December, and then the East Aurora Attendance Area Committee made a final recommendation.

     “The East Aurora Attendance Area Committee considered input from parents, community members and instructional leaders and thoroughly reviewed enrollment, transportation and facility data to develop a final attendance area recommendation. After careful deliberation, the majority of the committee favored recommending scenario 4 to the Superintendent’s Leadership Team and the Board of Education.” As posted on www.apscms.net/enews/, “A final survey of the committee showed eight members preferred scenario 4 compared to five members who preferred scenario 3. The committee feels that both scenario 3 and scenario 4 have similar advantages, and all members indicated they would be satisfied with either scenario.”

     “The boundary committee made up of parents, teachers, school administrators, and other important people involved with the campus spent about six months weeding through nearly 20 plans until we got to what we felt was the best,” said Shannon Bingham, “The committee’s goals were to open schools with enough enrollment to support programs, to ensure all facilities are used effectively, preserve neighborhoods when possible, and to maximize bus efficiency.”

     “We never would have needed this committee, but the current developments around P-20 are not yet big enough to fund all the students needed,” Bingham went on to say. “In this spirit, I think the best plan is plan 4. It will especially help to integrate Clyde Miller Elementary into the APS community, and right now it’s rather isolated.”

     Each plan included changes to elementary and high school attendance, but some plans were more drastic than others. Plans for Rangeview High school are most drastic with 1A and 2A, both of which would take Rangeview’s population down to nearly 1600 students by 2015. Plan 3 and 4 changed the RHS population much less, with an effort to only bring the attendance down to capacity.

     “With that few students, it would give us many empty class rooms, and that would give us a lot of interesting options,” said RHS Principal Pam Turner, “Most notably, it would allow open enrollment in RHS, something we haven’t been able to do in recent years. We’ve had to deny a lot of students due to overcrowding, and all plans would help to bring us to our 2,000 student capacity. If people want the STEM pathway, I want to be able to give that to them.”

     The committee is also looking at APS’s current open enrollment policies, because each school will have a different pathway. Rangeview and Gateway will house the Galaxy Pathway which prepares students to enter science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions. Conversely, Aurora Central, Hinkley, and William Smith have a LIGHTS Pathway that prepares students for careers in the health sciences.

     “Changing our open enrollment policy would give more choice and opportunity to parents and students. We’re trying to decide on a policy that will best fit our district, and make the most of our new campus,” said Mary Lewis, a member of the Board of Education.

     Parent Nancy Reid said, “I’m pretty neutral on all plans. None of them affect my neighborhood, but they did a really good job of communicating the changes to us. It’s great they included us in this monumental decision.”

     Everyone is holding their breath to see what plan is chosen, and what the change will bring in years to come. The P-20 campus is truly becoming the dinosaur of APS’s future development, and is the most influential item for Aurora’s future.

 
-Jake Schmied

The Law(s) of Attraction

Who’s Attractive? Guys argue about it, girls obsess over it, and scientists cannot figure it out. Throughout the years the definitons have changed and the theories have clashed, but the debate still remains: what makes us attracted to each other? (By Jill Schumacher, Jessica Wise, & Erika Short)

What classifies something as being beautiful or attractive? Is it what is on the inside or the outside that matters most? Some people attract mates by their physical traits and pheromones, while others have unique or desirable personality attributes. Some say that one is considered attractive if they come close to what society has labeled as the ideally beautiful woman or man, and others think it’s the science behind attraction that makes people attracted to others. So what is it really that creates an attraction toward somebody?


The truth is there is no one thing that creates an attraction. Scientists have done experiments over and over to test face symmetry, body shape, pheromones, and still don’t know what it is exactly causing attraction in the world. So this brings us to the conclusion that there are numerous things causing attraction that people are both aware of and things that are pushing us subconsciously towards infatuation.

What a person is specifically seeking for also contributes to what points them in a certain persons’ direction. If a serious relationship is the desire then personality traits are going to have a bigger impact than the physical, but if someone just wants some fun the looks department will be more important.

Some many things come together to create an attraction between two people it is hard to just narrow it down to one thing. So it seems “Attraction is beyond our will or ideas sometimes.”—Juliette Binoche.
 
The Science


Behind

Attraction

“It feels like there are butterflies running wild in my stomach, I’ve felt twitter pated all day,” she said. At this point in time there is no one at RHS who can say that this has never happened to them, the feeling of just pure happiness, even if only for a moment. It happens every time that special person walks by, and there is no point in trying not to blush. What most people don’t really stop to think about is why this happens and why different people are considered “more attractive” then others.

It is said that men and women will decide who is attractive within the first ten seconds. Which means when your parents tell you to make a good first impression, they are giving you good advice. Scientists have done a plethora of studies on this topic, which means that there are a plethora of theories.

One of the theories states that people aren’t necessarily attracted to only looks, but to the pheromones that one gives off. Pheromones are an odorless chemical that a person’s body gives off, though it sounds disgusting, one’s pheromones are given off more when he/she sweats.

Another theory is that we are attracted to people that have the opposite immune systems and blood types. Scientists think that this may be true because a person wants to make healthy babies, with the opposite blood type and immune system, then one could create a super baby.

Studies show that attractiveness varies when it comes to environment and culture. In the environment of RHS, if you ask boys in around the same age group what they find attractive, most will probably give you an answer like, thin, nice body, good smile, and something about their eyes.

Attraction also depends on the girls “cycle.” When it is that time of the month for a girl she is likely to be more attracted to a man with more testerione, meaning a guy with a deep voice and more pungent pheromones. Face shape can also play a role in what makes someone good looking. It comes down to preference, some people prefer guys/girls with baby faces. When it comes to a guy they might not be drawn to a girl with more testerione, the amount of testerione a girl has effects the shape of a girls face. A girl with more testerione might have a more masculine face, and square jaw bone. Then again a girl may appear more inviting when she is on her menstrual cycle because she seems to have a glow to her.

A lot of scientists do focus on a persons smell when it comes to what others find attractive, but on the other hand it also comes down to physical attraction. In a recent study, it was shown that people find others with symmetrical faces attractive, little imperfections don’t make as much of a difference as it would if someone had a crooked nose or one eye that was smaller then the other. Judging a face size plays a major role in what makes the face attractive. If ones nose is too small compared to their mouth then that person is said to not be as attractive as someone who has the perfect ratio of nose to mouth.

According to a study hosted at www.fac-and-emotion.com it is said that there is someone out there for everyone, whether it is physical attraction or it is your body telling you that it has found someone to make healthy babies with. Next time you walk by someone that catches your eye, yes it might be physical attraction but on the other hand it might be your body saying that it has found that perfect person.

-Jill Schumacher
-Jessica Wise
-Erika Short

The Science Department

The Science Department of R.H.S. is known for having exceptional teachers, not only excelling in scientific merit but in creative ways to teach and connect with students. A good quality teacher in general has specific traits like: good humor, significant knowledge in their subject, and things like humor and connections with their students. However, the question is what is it that makes a high school science teacher great?


"I think what makes a good high school Science Teacher is that they teach because it's their passion, not just a job," said senior Isaiah Pak. "They make students ready for college and for their life after high school."

"A good science teacher must have good people person skills, they must be open minded, and they must work well with students," said senior Matthew Kotarbinski.

As for specific teachers, many at Rangeview have these qualities. “Mr. Bird doesn't deal with crap yet he also makes class fun," said junior Jodi Ward. "Mr. Barron explains concepts in the simplest ways: he conveys their meanings into jokes and examples," said senior Katie Scott.

The science department is made up of fourteen individual teachers. Each teacher has their own specific way of teaching, their own specific subject to teach, and their own personal background. The courses all range from classes like 9th grade Physical Science to Advanced Placement Chemistry and Biology, which are highly difficult in academic merit. With this wide range of courses to take, the Rangeview student can expand and personalize according to the class and their teacher’s education and background.

As proof of the greatness, Mr. Kramer has been given the 2009 High School Science Teacher of the year award. This award was given to Kramer for his excellence in teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry. He has also been recognized for being an adjunct professor at the Community College of Aurora.

The educators of the Science department of Rangeview High School have a certain legacy about them. Their qualities are not only above par in both knowledge and skills, but their connections with students make them all the more respectable in the halls and classrooms. "The well-rounded humor, diversity, and background is what makes the Science Department great at Rangeview," said Kotarbinski.

-Connor Donohue

The next instillation of Aurora’s P-20 Campus change to APS is coming with the boundary changes for the nearby schools. There were several open houses around APS to look at the six boundary plans, one of which will be chosen for the final decision. The open houses at Clyde Miller Elementary, Rangeview High School, Murphy Creek, and Aurora Frontier gave parents and students a chance to review the plans and give feedback to the boundary committee through surveys.


The six scenarios displayed at the open houses in both English and Spanish so all of APS’s residents could give an opinion. Each board contained maps, tables of school attendance over future years, and what neighborhoods will attend what schools. Guests at the open houses also had a chance to talk to creators of the plans, members of the Board of Education, and other influential figures involved with APS.

Parents and students can go to http://www.aps.k12.co.us/boundary and look at all the plans and take a survey. Feedback will continue to be analyzed until sometime in December, and by the new year APS Superintendent John Barry and the Board of Education will make the final boundary decision. Then, on August 4th of 2010 students will attend their possibly new K-8 schools and then high school with the P-20’s freshman class in 2011.

“The boundary committee made up of parents, teachers, school administrators, and other important people involved with the campus spent about six months weeding through nearly 20 plans until we got to what we felt was the best,” said Shannon Bingham, “The committee’s goals were to open schools with enough enrollment to support programs, to ensure all facilities are used effectively, preserve neighborhoods when possible, and to maximize bus efficiency.”

“We never would have needed this committee, but the current developments around P-20 are not yet big enough to fund all the students needed,” Bingham went on to say. “In this spirit, I think the best plan is plan 4. It will especially help to integrate Clyde Miller Elementary into the APS community, and right now it’s rather isolated.”

Each plan included changes to elementary and high school attendance, but some plans were more drastic than others. Plans for Rangeview High school are most drastic with 1A and 2A, both of which would take Rangeview’s population down to nearly 1600 students by 2015. Plan 3 and 4 changed the RHS population much less, with an effort to only bring the attendance down to capacity.

“With that few students, it would give us many empty class rooms, and that would give us a lot of interesting options,” said RHS Principal Pam Turner, “Most notably, it would allow open enrollment in RHS, something we haven’t been able to do in recent years. We’ve had to deny a lot of students due to overcrowding, and all plans would help to bring us to our 2,000 student capacity. If people want the STEM pathway, I want to be able to give that to them.”

The committee is also looking at APS’s current open enrollment policies, because each school will have a different pathway. Rangeview and Gateway will house the Galaxy Pathway which prepares students to enter science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions. Conversely, Aurora Central, Hinkley, and William Smith have a LIGHTS Pathway that prepares students for careers in the health sciences.

“Changing our open enrollment policy would give more choice and opportunity to parents and students. We’re trying to decide on a policy that will best fit our district, and make the most of our new campus,” said Mary Lewis, a member of the Board of Education.

Parent Nancy Reid said, “I’m pretty neutral on all plans. None of them affect my neighborhood, but they did a really good job of communicating the changes to us. It’s great they included us in this monumental decision.”

Everyone is holding their breath to see what plan is chosen, and what the change will bring in years to come. The P-20 campus is truly becoming the dinosaur of APS’s future development, and is the most influential item for Aurora’s future.

-Jake Schmied

Fighting in RHS

No matter what the circumstances are the school policy against fighting remains the same as it has always been. The school policy against two students fighting mainly depends on the situation though the ending consequences are the same. But the consequences do in some cases depend on the nature of the fight and what offense it is.

Though the school policy has some reasoning to consequences and the nature of the fight. For example, if two students are caught fighting it is an automatic suspension and it doesn’t matter what the situation of the fight is. If a second offense occurs, it is an automatic expulsion for both students (same conditions apply). It is in fact different for students who are victims of a fight and don’t involve themselves in it whatsoever. If a student were to be attacked by another it is considered assault, same if the student walks away to exert from fighting. But if a student tries to defend themselves by throwing a punch for instance it varies (depending on the situation) as far as consequences go.

Some students wonder if they can still get in trouble for fighting off-campus and the answer is yes, you can still get an automatic suspension for fighting off-campus. “If it is anything involving students from the school they can still get suspended, because anything off-campus will come back to the school,” said Dean of Students Mr. Severtson.

Another side to fighting at RHS involves teachers. Consequences for fighting with a teacher or showing any physical aggression towards a teacher or any other school employee will result in an automatic expulsion for a full school year. Which some kids don’t realize but an expulsion forbids a student from attending any APS school.

Other things that RHS as well as any other school takes seriously is students encouraging fights. Encouraging a fight could include several different factors, such as setting up a fight, telling someone to fight another person, and as well as neglecting to notify authorities. Even though it is school policy for students to avoid any conflict, leave the scene rather than stay to watch a fight, and seek the help of a teacher, school administrator, campus monitor or any other employee of RHS.

The consequence for not doing any of the following is an immediate suspension of up to three days. It seems that many of our students don’t take any of these policies seriously but maybe some might after realizing what could happen to them and or their reputation as a high school student.

-Vanessa Betz

Presidents Councle

Many people do not know about or have not even heard of the Presidents Council. That is because it is specifically for the presidents of all the clubs and the captains of the sports teams. People may find no interest in the council for those reasons alone but truly the Presidents Council is very important for the clubs and sports at Rangeview High School and the events they partake in which effect the rest of the school.


In 2004, the Presidents Council was created by Mrs. Strouse, one of the performing arts teachers, so that presidents and captains could communicate and help each other out. With all the presidents and captains speaking to each other on a monthly basis everyone knows what everyone else is doing and how to help each other out. They coordinate with each other that way there are no overlaps and they can work together. For example, in the past Student Leadership and SIC have worked together. Another way they have joined together is through group community service projects that have been done in the past. One of the bigger ones was Project Cure which raised an amazing amount of money for the Rwanda Genocide a few years ago. A more current example is the Benefits Concert DECA and Student Leadership put on last year and will be doing again this year.

Mrs. Strouse and the council’s sponsor, Assistant Principal Osterhaus are working on reorganizing the Presidents Council this year. Mrs. Osterhaus said, “The Presidents Council meets on one Tuesday of every month and all the presidents of clubs and captains of sports teams are welcome to attend.” The Presidents Council is extremely beneficial to the clubs and teams who participate. The president of the council and the Student Body President, Mitchell Marshall said, “The Presidents Council is a really good opportunity for students to be able to convey their ideas to administration.” Being able to speak with someone from administration their ideas can become reality sooner because of administrative approval. The Presidents Council will make school events, fundraising, and charity opportunities more enjoyable and efficient.

-Brittany Diemer

No Place for Hate

No place for hate what does it mean to you? To a lot of kids they don’t even know why we have it for others its very clear why but they don’t know where its going and no one really does know where its going just yet. RHS has a banner and a group but is that enough? Do they need to get into the school and find out what they are really targeting in this school? A lot of seniors wish that they would’ve been able to see where the act is going but they are scared that they won’t be able to before they leave Rangeview. Is that what you feel? Do you think that you won’t be able to see the actions of this group before you leave even if you are a freshman? You should look into how things are working at Rangeview just look at the things going on around you and think for yourself whether we need it or not and if you think that you are doing the best you can with not “hating” on people and judging kids on how they walk what they look like and instead of judging why don’t you go up and ask how their day was who knows you might be the one person who completely changed their lives kept them from doing something that could’ve ruined the lives of everyone who is close to them.


“No Place for Hate” it means many different things to many different people in Rangeview. To the Anti-Defamation League its life to the kids of Rangeview it’s a little bit more than a poster that they signed. There are more than just Rangeview included in the No Place for Hate® movement. Cherry Creek High School, Congregation Beth, Durango High School, Eaglecrest High School, East High School, Greeley West High School, Manhattan Middle School, Miller Middle School, Nevin Platt Middle School, North Valley Middle School, Pine Creek High School, Rangeview High School, Sand Creek High School, South Valley Middle School, Southern Hills Middle School, University Schools, West Middle School, Wheatland High School, Whiting High School.

Mr. Small said, “We have a student group. As far as teachers, we are continuing to have our once a month training on how to increase achievement. Our major goal is to build relationships in the community. Teacher Trainers conferences like the N.A.M.E (National Association Multi-Cultural Educators). Rangeview High school has encouraged other schools, we are being ‘models’ at this point in the community. We have been chipping away at it but it is a struggle for some people. Reflecting on one’s self and acknowledge that is something negative. It’s difficult for people to come to grips with it.”

-Meghan Marcoux

Closing Libraries

Ballot measure 4A, which would have staved off closing 4 Aurora libraries, failed 54 to 46 percent last month. The measure, a property-tax hike, would have generated $12.5 million annually and cost the owner of a home valued at $200,000 an extra $5.69 a month. The wording of the measure also said the amount could be increased in future years if needed.


The Aurora City council has already approved the 2010 budget, and with the failure of 4A the closure of the Mission Viejo, Iliff Square, Hoffman Heights and Chambers Plaza libraries is going to come at the beginning of 2010. The city simply doesn’t have enough money to keep them open. The Central, Martin Luther King Jr. and Tallyn's Reach libraries will remain open, however.

Not everyone is sad about the closings, however. A spokesman for the Citizens for Responsible Aurora Government (CRAG) organization said that the failure of the ballot issue was about more than libraries.

“This is not a referendum on libraries. The citizens of Aurora don't want to be poor simply because the City Council is ignorant in terms of economics. If the city tries to raise taxes, the Colorado Union of Taxpayers is going to be there to stop them,” Greg Golyansky, the spokesman for CRAG, said. “We see this as blackmail.”

“I knew it would be a tough election year,” Karen Middleton, the Save Aurora Libraries chairwoman, said. “We gave it everything we had, and voters had a choice.”

Middleton said she was disappointed, but said it was an important issue to put before the voters. Supporters of Aurora libraries gathered at the Central Library, where hope turned into the stark realization that more than half of the city's libraries will close at the end of the year.

The decision to close the libraries breaks the hearts and routines of many, especially those who often visit the Mission Viejo library, near Hampden and Chambers.

“My heart is broken,” Jane Kriner said. She and her son visit the library every week.

“Sometimes I walk over here with my dog. It's always crowded. Computers are always full. It's always full in here and you see people with their kids. That's just a tradition of kids being able to come to the library,” said Cathy Sanderson; another Aurora Citizen.

Aside from keeping the libraries slated for closure open, the extra tax money would have allowed 154 library hours per week to be restored. Databases would have been added and more books purchased, in addition to more offerings of English-language and computer classes to the libraries.

“I think it's a really difficult time. I think it's reflective of the difficult economic circumstances everybody is going through as well as the city,” a city of Aurora budget officer, Jason Batchelor said.

Some Aurora citizens are even willing to pay out of pocket to keep the libraries open—but that’s just not an option. "Under state laws in order to meet the definition of a public library, you can't charge for fees for those services," Batchelor said.

In addition to the closings, 40 full time and part time jobs will be cut.

Councilwoman Renie Peterson said she thought the ballot issue’s failure had much to do with the way that ballot diction.

“I believe that part of it was the wording,” Peterson said. “It should have stated clearly that this funding will be held in a separate fund other than the general fund to be used specifically for libraries — library maintenance, library restock, library facilities. I think that was a mistake.”

-Jake Schmied

H1N1 and Influenza

A huge thing going on that is not only affecting Rangeview and the community around but the whole world is the H1N1 virus and influenza. These two viruses have hit the United States and the world as a surprise because it is not flu season just yet. The seasonal flu and H1N1 are closely related when it comes to symptoms that people may be experiencing.


The staff and students not only at Rangeview but all of the Aurora Public Schools have been notified by the district about the H1N1 virus and the flu and have been told what to do in the event of illness. The district has decided that they will not inform the public if there are any flu like illnesses in the schools and that students and staff with symptoms will be sent home. While waiting to be taken home the infected sick person is to wear a disposable mask or stay in a separate room. This is so that the virus will not be spread throughout the building and keeps them from affecting others.

The students or staff members that get ill are highly recommended to stay home and away from other people while they are sick up until they have had twenty four hours of no symptoms and no fever without the use of medications. Student’s parents should also call their student in everyday that they are sick to the attendance line. It is highly stressed that the parent/guardian is specific about the illness their child is experiencing and the symptoms. Parents/guardians will also need to inform the school if their child has a fever, cough or sore throat.

There are many preventative measures that staff, students, and families can do to prevent the virus from occurring more and/or spreading. Such measures include washing hands frequently, cover coughs and sneezes, stay home when sick, remain home until fever has been gone for 24 hours without Advil or Tylenol, stay away from people who are sick, keep hands away from eyes, nose and mouth and to also get the H1N1 vaccine when it is available.

It is best to stay away from the sick person if you can but if you cannot then try to be at least six feet away from them. Aurora Public Schools and the Tri-County Health Department have joined together to inform students, parents and staff members about early and most common signs of the H1N1 virus. Some of those signs are a temperature of 100 F and either a cough or sore throat. Other symptoms and signs may include headache, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea.

The people that are most targeted towards the H1NI virus and the flu are; children and young adults from 6 to 24 years old, pregnant women, health care workers, adults who care for infants younger than 6 months and adults 25 to 64 with chronic disease such as asthma or diabetes. It is important for these age groups to make sure that they get vaccinated so that way the can reduce their chances of getting sick.

Most places that offer the flu shots and H1N1vaccinations will allow the age groups listed above to get the shots first and then they will allow anyone else in the public to receive them. Right now it is said that there is a shortage in the flu shots and H1N1 vaccination, but there really is not a shortage. Although there is a limited supply of vaccinations available of the H1N1 be sure to get one as soon as it becomes available.

-Erika Short

CSAP Vs. ACT

The two main tests Colorado high school students take are the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) and the ACT (American College Testing). Both are important in their own ways but are very different evaluators. The CSAP is important for determining if students meet the academic standards. The ACT on the other hand determines high school students’ ability to do college-level work. Students generally think the ACT is of greater importance than the CSAP and worry more about that performance indicator. Though students worry more abou the ACT they often feel they are less prepared for the ACT than they are for the CSAP. However, schools and teachers are doing many things to prepare students for both tests.


Ever since the third grade students have been taking the CSAP and teachers have been preparing students for them. In class, teachers often give practice CSAP questions to get their class ready for the test. Teachers also give quarterly Interim Assessments in Math, English, Social Studies, and Science to deteremine where the students are so the teacher knows where imporvement is needed. This helps the teachers assist students in strengthening their skills in the subjects they need help with. With how many times students have done the CSAP it is only expected that they feel more prepared for that test than the ACT.

There are many different preparations Rangeview has taken for the ACT. The obvious preparation is the Practice ACT. It gives students a direct taste of what the real thing is going to be like. Another great thing about the practice ACT is that students get results back. Since they get their results their teachers can often go over questions with students and help them figure out what they did wrong on the questions they missed. Rangeview has also put together a commitee to find other ways to help kids be more prepared for the ACT. Like the CSAP, teachers can also give practice ACT questions in class.

On January 30th, the Princeton Review will be coming to Rangeview to give the students yet another shot at the Practice ACT. Then, on February 20th the Princeton Review will return to report how well the students did and give information on provided classes to help prepare students even further for the ACT.

There are several things students can be doing independently as well to better prepare for the ACT so that they do not feel cheated when it is harder than they expected. The college preparatory program, Naviance, which is provided through many Colorado high schools, has a section on ACT preparation that students find useful. Another helpful website is www.studentACT.org, which gives many options to help students prepare. For more help students can speak with their counselors who have even more information on ACT preparation. Students can find many websites and books that have helpful hints and practice questions for the ACT.

There are also special ACT tests that students can take outside of school. “I learned a lot of new and good techniques that helped me on the act the second time I took it and it helped on other tests as well,” said Senior Johann Duran who took an ACT class after school. Many other seniors have had to take the ACT twice because they did not prepare in advance the first time for it. Plenty of them bought a book or took a class to help them improve the second time.

Though students do not always realize it, Rangeview prepares for the ACT a lot more than for the CSAP and for good reason. Students take the CSAP multiple times regardless of their score, but they are lucky if they only have to take the ACT once. These preparations are not just busy work; they are ment to help students feel they are equipped to do their best on the CSAP and the ACT. However, students seemingly take the preparations for granted or are unaware of them. Students should embrace both different test preparations for when they go in to take the exam they are testing at their full potential and are more likely to succeed.

-Brittany Diemer

Pincing Pennies

I remember on my sixteenth birthday a family friend handed me a heavy present. To my surprise when I opened the box it was filled with coins. Much to my dismay I had to count all of it to find out how much it was. By the time I was done I had around seventy dollars in coins. My friend told me he had emptied the pockets at the end of everyday of all the extra change he had for several months. Not only did I get money for my birthday, I also got a valuable lesson.


Ever since that day I have started to collect my extra pocket change in a jar. Once I filled that jar I was pleased to find over one hundred dollars inside. I always had a problem saving money but putting my pocket change in a jar was unknowingly doing that for me because I could not tell how much there was and I was too lazy to count it at the time I wanted to spend it.

So the next time you get your change back from the drive through, save it. Get a jar and start emptying the change out of your pockets or purse every day you get home and put it there. They even have jars now that count your coins for you. You will be surprised how fast the money adds up. I saved over one hundred dollars within less than a year just from having around fifty cents to a dollar in my pocket every day.

You can spend the money you save like I have done or you can open up a bank account and put the money in there. If you save enough money you can put it in a checking account so the money can be pulled when needed. But if you want your money to benefit you in the long run, then put it in a savings account because with interest your money will grow over time. It is a simple way to start saving for a car or college or smaller investments.

Saving your extra change has to be the easiest way to save money. Many people just throw their change away or put it somewhere in their car or their room and forget about it. When you save your coins you are not really giving up spending money, just the leftovers from the money you have already spent.

-Brittany Diemer

Bicycle on The Road

In Colorado, the law states that a bicycle on the road is to be considered as a vehicle. In my opinion and many other drivers, this is a load of crap. The road is made for vehicles that have engines and go faster than thirty miles per hour. As far as I’m concerned the mopeds that are less than fifty cc (cubic centimeters) and do not go faster than thirty miles an hour do not belong on the road as well. There are reasons the state put sidewalks in, that’s where the bicyclist are supposed to be along with pedestrians and non-vehicular modes of transportation.


Recently, Governor Bill Ritter passed a “Bicycle Safety Act” to help the bicyclists on the road and supposedly help drivers make the road a safer place for both. What the safety act does is make drivers give the bicyclist three feet to pass them. This is in no way safe; for one, moving into other lanes of traffic to pass a bicycle is complete idiocy and if one can’t make the three foot lee-way then the driver cannot pass the bicyclist. Therefore causing slow downs in traffic and holding back the driver that cannot pass. Also, if the driver is to pass too close or be rude, reckless, or aggressive, then there is a hot line for bicyclists to call where they can report the license plate number and everything. Honestly, if they weren’t on the road to begin with there wouldn’t be a need for these petty rules and stupid hot lines.

When mopeds drive on the roads they become moving speed bumps. As they move onto higher speed limit roads, they cannot keep up with traffic and therefore become hazards to the roads, themselves and the drivers on the road. There have been incidents where mopeds have been driving on faster roads such as Arapahoe, and have become speed bumps to the cars that drive on the roads. And every one of these accidents has been fatal to the diver of the moped.

For a driver, whether it is a truck, car, or motorcycle, the bicyclist or moped driver on the road is an unpredictable hazard. Not only are they dangerous, they are annoying, time consuming and in the way. Bicyclists are not vehicles on the road. They cannot go faster than thirty miles an hour, are not considered to have a motor (anything fewer than fifty cc is considered a motor assisted bicycle) and are not shielded from other vehicle such as a truck or car. A motorcycle on the other hand can go faster than thirty miles an hour and the riders usually wear helmets and eye protection which is more than moped drivers. If either the moped or bicyclist were to get into an accident with a real vehicle they would lose and probably more than just the bike.

-Austin Bolinger

Do NOT Wear Bluetooth Headsets!

Bluetooth headsets, worn by the elderly and the businessmen on the go, are supposed to be a convenient way of talking on the phone without actually having to do anything on the phone itself. But instead of being an innovation in the cell phone industry, they are just an annoying piece of technology that has no place in today’s society.


The headsets were originally made to be used in cars to make sure drivers keep their eyes on the road while driving. This is actually a bad thing because it encourages people to use their phones in the car, increasing their chances of getting in an accident. You can still be distracted from the road by an emotional conversation or shocking news given over the phone.

After being around for a few years, they have adapted to be used at socially inappropriate times. Examples of these inappropriate times are, standing in the line at the grocery store, ordering food at a restaurant and talking to somebody while talking on a Bluetooth at the same time. It is impossible to have a conversation with someone wearing a Bluetooth headset, and trying to do so makes the person without the headset look like a complete idiot and makes the Bluetooth headset user look like a rude and inconsiderate person. While talking on a Bluetooth headset, a person’s voice is amplified by a tenfold, interrupting all of the conversations and activities that may be happening around the headset user. A normal conversation over the phone is transformed into a yelling contest over the noise of a Boeing 747.

Not to mention wearing a Bluetooth headset makes the user look like a complete idiot. Contrary to the popular belief, walking around with a weird device jutting out of your ear does not look cool. People need to understand that using a Bluetooth doesn’t make you cool or technological; it just turns you into an obnoxious person who everybody wishes would get off of the phone, indefinitely. A word of advice for anyone who wants to be successful and get far in life is this, DO NOT WEAR BLUETOOTH HEADSETS!

-Kevin Morin

Go Green

Going Green…what does this mean? It does not mean buying, painting or wearing things that are green. It is a calling to save our ever-dwinding natural resources and prevent our planets death. If you have not already noticed our planet is slowly turning to a cesspool of trash dumps, dead forests, strange weather, melting ice caps and loss of natural habitats. HELLO! We need to do something people.


Yeah, we all talk about how we need to save our planet and "Go Green," but really, who actually does what they preach so strongly about? Sure there are the few people who are passionate enough to do small things here and there, but those few people are not going to save the planet. We are running out of time to try and reverse what our loving ancestors have done to us.

A lot of the systems we use today for fuel, water, paper, energy, clothes, light, etc. were developed long ago and have led to of the destruction of Earth. But by keeping them around today, we are just making the problem worse. All of those Trucks, Hummers and SUVs that guzzle gas like you and I drink water are not the smartest ideas. Yeah, you look “tough” or “gangsta”, but really, are you going to look tough in 30 years when the world is dead and it's nearly impossible to survive. Personally, I would prefer a healthy, safe environment to looking cool in my ride.

What about all that fast food I constantly see people with. Fast food lovers are wasting tons of paper, plastic and food everyday. All that trash has to go somewhere and that somewhere is your lovely neighborhood landfill. So maybe those people can learn to pack a lunch a little more often instead of buying it from a clown.

The polar ice caps are melting like ice cream on a hot day in July. This messes with the sea levels and is ruining the habitat of countless animals like polar bears and penguins. If the ice caps completely disappear then there could be catastrophic results that could kill millions of humans and animals. Places like New York and London would be almost completely covered in water and we would lose a lot of land to the oceans new water level.

The usual excuse we hear when people are asked why they refuse to go green is “oh, well all those environmental things are really expensive.” This is true for the initial cost of most green products, but they do end up saving you money in the long run. Those “twisty light blubs” also know as compact fluorescent blubs are a great value and they take thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air and last about five years long than regular blubs.

The end is approaching and we have to do something now. Every little thing helps and we can all contribute to the fight for our planet. If we all sit around saying “oh, other people will take care of it so I don't have to” then nothing will get done and we’ll all be on a slow boat to destruction. Just doing small things like cutting your shower time, changing blubs, and recycling can help so much. We all need to step it up while we still have time.

-Daniel Isaacs

Teens and Their Cell Phones

Today not too many students in RHS go without having a cell phone. These days it’s hard not to have one, or people “out of the loop,” says Mrs. Kastens.


Many think that they couldn’t live without them, that with no cell phone their social lives would go down the tube.

According to a study done by pewresearch.org, the percentage of teens that have cell phones have gone up by 26% since 2004. This study was done in 2008; it states that in 2004 45% of kids 12-17 had a cell phone. Looking at the 2008 statistics, teens are up to 71%. This is almost as much as how many adults had cell phones, adults stood at a whopping 77%.

It seems that in today’s society kids are getting cell phones younger and younger. 22% of kids 6-9 have a cell phone, 60 percent of kids who are 10-14 years old have a cell phone. Since pewresearch.org did their study in 2008 the percent of teens that have cell phones has increased to 84%.

In order for the cell phone companies to get parents to buy phones for their younger children they have made phones that can help parents monitor whom their kids call and whom they receive calls from. Some say that giving younger kids cell phones is a great way to keep an eye on them; however, others say that it is a good way…for predators to keep an eye on them. These phones also have a tracking device on them so that the parents always know where their kids are.

Cell phones give people a great way to communicate with each other. If a parent has children that do after school activities and their kids get out of practice early then they have a way to get a hold of there mom or dad to tell them and their not waiting. It also comes in handy if a parent is running late to pick their kids up from something like daycare.

“Well in our household all except the baby got cell phones their ninth grade year because of their extra curricular activities,” states Mrs. Kastens.

In today’s society everyone has some sort of technology, they are becoming addicting. When one opens another’s phone and looks at how many contacts are in their phone some may have up to two or three hundred. Out of all of the contacts in ones phone a person might know two or three phone numbers without looking. Phones are starting to affect our society as well. Children are the future but everyone has become dependent on phones that it is actually affecting kid’s memory. Children don’t seem to remember as much as they used to.

It comes down to when is the right time to give children a phone, and why are teens so obsessed with their phones that they don’t know what to do without them? Phones seem to be affecting more then just the future leaders, but the society in general.

-Jessica Wise

Parental Paranoia

Every student, from kindergarten to college, knows what it feels like to have a parent or guardian of some sort go completely crazy over the most random, and in their minds, pointless subjects. Sometimes, they are valid arguments that are brought on by curfew violations and ignored phone calls, however other times parents do exactly what they constantly tell their over-zealous teens not too; they have absolutely no trust.


Some students have their parents trust. They aren’t hassled about the possibility of them doing wrong because they have yet to do anything wrong. Other students aren’t so lucky. Whether or not they are truly as innocent as their parents would like to believe, some teenagers have the misfortune of having guardians that are victims of “Obsessive Worrying Syndrome” which for now we will refer to as “OWS.” If you have ever dealt with someone experiencing OWS then you know that listening to it can be long, loud and, if you get into it with a mother, ludicrously emotional.

Unfortunately for teens, the group that is most frequently affected by this behavior, OWS can be triggered by the simplest things without any prior warning. And now, more frequently than not, the main contributor to an adolescent’s biggest headache is none other than the television. The thing is, it isn’t just the depressing information that is brought in by the local news station. Oh no, everything from PBS to MTV has the ability to create a three hour long conversation about why what your parents just watched on a fictional show is bad and why if you have already done it you should stop and if you haven’t, you never should. Other times, when the show isn’t about a fictional adolescent’s sexual fiascos or brief endeavors within the drug world, parents are watching movies like “Taken” where the child is abducted. This edge-of-your-seat action flick will soon have you ready to throw your seat out of the window as you pull your hair out trying to explain that: 1. You have never been to Europe, 2. You aren’t stupid enough to jump into a car with a complete stranger, and 3. It is JUST a movie. Sure, it is possible for something like that to happen in the real world, but it is also possible to have someone break into or to get into a car crash. The point is that there is a fine line between safe planning and paranoia and lately far too many parents are crossing that line.

Just to be perfectly clear, it is important that teens listen to their parents. They are much older, (which is apparent by their music choices,) therefore, as painful as it is to admit, they know much more about life. Contrary to popular belief, they do not make rules and set boundaries just because they enjoy watching their precious children wallow in self pity. They want nothing more than to keep their loved ones safe from the evils of this world, but when does protection turn into suffocation? Yes, every parent is entitled to an occasional bout of OWS– worrying is basically a parents’ second nature– however they need to have a little faith in their children. Yes, some statistics are bad and yes, teenagers do some very idiotic things, but teens know that they aren’t invincible. They know that there is always a possibility for everything and they know that this world is usually more dangerous than it is safe. It seems as though the only difference is that teenagers see life as an adventure still waiting to happen as they walk around with their glasses half full whereas their overbearing parents mourn their half empty cups as they dwell on the evils this world has to offer.

-Kristina Smith

Sex Acts in School

Do you know about what is happening behind closed doors at schools? There have been many documented cases of students being caught having sex in school. These cases involved all ages from elementary to high school students who have been caught committing sex acts on school property.


A five year old boy assaulted two girls in a uni-bathroom in Australia, three high school boys and a girl were caught in the act of oral sex in the auditorium while other students watched in Tennessee, and middle schools are beginning to have gender split lunches because students were caught having sex.

Students at Rangeview seem to be unaware of sex acts in schools. When they were asked the question “Do you know about sex acts in school?”; most said “No”. However, when they were asked “If they knew people who had sex in school?” most said “Yes.” Though many adults would think that this is a major problem students tend to disagree. Senior Tiffany Swearingen said “It’s your choice. What others do is up to them just don’t brag or talk about it. Keep it to yourself.” It seems that students don’t mind sex acts as long as other students keep it to themselves. There are some students, however, who find sex acts in school to be a repulsive idea. Senior Demitra Mouroutsos said, “It’s not ok, if you’re willing to have sex in school you should feel obligated to get your dignity back.” Junior Irma Ferrufino stated, “Personally, I’m not in favor of it.”

This is not a local problem or even a national problem, it is a world problem. Students are caught all over the world having sex at school ranging from the innocent young age of five to high school students. The students are usually caught in bathrooms or auditoriums; however there have been incidents where the students were caught committing sex acts in class. This happens when a teacher steps out of the room or even with the teacher in the room. When the acts are committed in class with the teacher present it is usually blocked by another student cutting off the teachers view.

The punishments for sex acts in schools vary with age and severity of the act, punishment is often in the form of suspension or expulsion. Students are suspended and then removed to another school, each child involved is sent to a different school in the hopes of giving them a new start and eliminating the undesirable behavior. Middle school students are suspended and possibly expelled. The school administration will usually send a letter home telling parents about the sex act. Schools are required by law to involve the police if the sex act is filmed because it is then considered child pornography.

In many middle schools this problem is so severe that the administrations have begun to separate their lunches by gender. Many of the incidents reported have happened at middle schools during the lunch hour. The administrations of many schools chose to separate the lunches as a precautionary measure. However others made this policy because a sex act happened and was caught at the school.

When a sex act is dealt with at an elementary school it is viewed as a serious problem and also many times as not the child’s fault. Though the child performed the sex act it is blamed on things the child has seen on the internet or parental influence. Some elementary schools have sent home CDs that tell parents how to watch what their child sees on the internet and how to block it so that the problem is lessened.

At Rangeview, sex acts are less prevalent. There have been no reports of sex acts at Rangeview that the deans know of. The punishment if a sex act is caught at Rangeview is suspension for the first offense anywhere from three to five days and expulsion after the second offense. When Dean Cunningham was asked what her opinion was on sex acts in school she replied, “Definitely inappropriate and uncalled for in any school setting.”

-Chris Black

World of 2025

What will the world look like in fifteen years? Whose economy will be thriving? Will the environment become healthier? Or will it take a turn for the worse? There are many different scenarios proposed for what the future can possibly hold for us and who knows which will come true. The following are possible events that is predicted from the National Intelligence Council’s (NIC) global trends review, Global Trends 2025: A World Transformed (written in November 2008).


Economy of 2025

The NIC predicts that the US will become less dominant in the world saying “that over the next two decades the multiplicity of influential actors and distrust of vast power means less room for the US to call the shots without the support of strong partnerships". It states that global wealth and economic power is shifting from West to East due to increases in oil and commodity prices, and lower costs combined with government policies that shifted the locus of manufacturing to the East. By 2025 it is expected that China will have the most impact over the world in the next 20 years than any other country. If current trends continue, by 2025 China will have the second largest economy and will be a leading military power. The NIC predicts that India probably will continue to enjoy relatively rapid economic growth and will strive for a multipolar world, and Russia will have the potential to be richer, more powerful, and more self-assured in 2025. Developments in the rest of the world, including internal developments in a number of key states—particularly China and Russia—are likely to be crucial determinants of US policy in 2025.

Climate of 2025

Climate changes will depend on region, but many will suffer from severe effects, such as water scarcity and loss of agricultural production, especially countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the NIC. Agricultural losses will have a big impact by late this century. For the developing countries, this impact will be devastating since agriculture accounts for a large share of their economies.

Technology in 2025

New technology can offer alternatives for fossil fuels and means for overcoming food and water constraints; however, new energy technologies most likely will not be commercially viable and widespread by 2025. The pace of technological innovation is what matters most since the transition to new fuels will be slow. The greatest possibility for a relatively quick and inexpensive transition during this period comes from better renewable generation sources (photovoltaic and wind) and improvements in battery technology.

Odds for Conflict in 2025

Conflicts that haven’t appeared in awhile can reemerge, like over resources. Perceptions of energy scarcity will drive countries to take actions to assure their future access to energy supplies. The worst case is this could result in interstate conflicts if government leaders deem assured access to energy resources. Buildups of different countries naval capabilities can lead to increased tensions, rivalries, and counterbalancing moves.

The risk of nuclear weapon use is likely to be greater than it is today, although still remaining very low. A future use of nuclear weapons probably would bring about significant geopolitical changes as some

states would seek to establish or reinforce security alliances with existing nuclear powers and others would push for global nuclear disarmament.

-Jill Schumacher

Principal Turner

She strolls through her workplace with a pleasant smile and business like demeanor as operations at her corporation are running smoothly as usual. Pam Turner seems at ease as CEO, principal, and leader of RHS.


Turner went to several colleges, including South Eastern Oklahoma State, UCD and UNC where she received her Bachelors, Masters, and Administrative degrees. She lived in Oklahoma until ’76 when she decided to move out here to Colorado. Before coming to RHS Turner taught Biology/AP Biology at Gateway for 23 years and was a Dean there for one year.

After staying at Gateway for so many years Turner said, “I was ready for a change and heard Rangeview had exciting programs.” Which lead to her becoming the principal of RHS.

Though Turner reflects on some great memories from her teaching, like going to a cadaver class and a dolphin lab in Florida with her biology class and said, “I thought I would retire as a teacher,” she now says, smiling, “I cannot even imagine retiring.” Now being a principal, Turner never gets bored and has new things to do everyday. Turner said enthusiastically, “I get to know a little about everything.”

Turner loves having influence over the entire school and wanted to make RHS a full of school spirit, since her herself had such a phenomenal time in high school. Since being Principal at RHS, school spirit has indeed increased dramatically because of Principal Turners efforts. Even Senior Kristi Grawe noticed and said, “I always see her at school events-its nice to have her so involved.”

Making RHS a “No Place for Hate” has also brought RHS students closer together making RHS a better, more respected school. Senior Nathan Shepard said, “Since my freshman year I have noticed Rangeview transforming into a better place to be and I think Principal Turner has a lot to do with that.”

As the principal of RHS Turner is always looking towards the future to see what is going to be the schools next move, “I don’t know what is next exactly, but we are headed towards better preparing students for after high school and for their future careers.” The first attempt at this goal is the Galaxy program, and other programs can come along after it to try and prepare students for their lives.

“Principal Turner has students’ best interests in mind I think, because she is helping to prepare us for the next step in our lives,” said senior Lucky Pann.

Turner has this advice for students, “Never stop learning and don’t be afraid of change,” emphasizing the importance of “keeping your eyes open to see what is going on around you”, which shows how she wants the best for her students not only in school, but long after it.

-Jill Schumacher

First Impressions

Before an important job interview or blind date you get butterflies in the pit of your stomach and repeatedly change outfits to find the perfect look, and you do all of this for one sole purpose; to make a great first impression. But does your first encounter with someone really matter? It actually does because within 1/10 of a second someone has an opinion of you and within a second or more after that, their impression of you most likely will not be changed, they will only be more confident in their judgment.


“I feel that when people make a judgment about me right away without knowing me they are in a way judging a book by its cover and not really getting to know the real me,” said Senior Kaila Mills, so are first impressions getting in the way of really getting to know someone?

Senior Matt Kortarbinski said, “When I see someone for the first time, I try not to judge them based on their first impression, but sometimes I judge them based on how they represent themselves.”

According to most psychologists first impressions leave a "polaroid picture" in someone’s mind after they are done interacting with somebody, and that picture will be how the person remembers the other one, whether it is bad or good. Not only do clothes play a part in first impressions, facial appearances are the key factors in how others see different people. Psychologists have found that people with more mature facial features are judged more severely than baby-faced people are.

“First impressions are a huge deal and last a long time and are very important for any situation,” said Senior Cole Erickson.

Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov found that having a face that appears competent matters a lot for someone wanting to get ahead in the public office or at work. In an experiment conducted by Willis and Todorov, the two found that certain traits make a great first impression right off the bat. Trustworthiness is the most important sought out trait when someone is first meeting another person and creates a good picture of you in someone’s mind. Also, attractiveness, which is assessed more quickly, can help make someone make a better impression. The two psychologists suggest that the ability to judge trustworthiness in a person as soon as possible may have evolved as an important survival mechanism.

When preparing for your next date or job interview spend more time in preparing your good traits instead of a nice outfit, since you will make an impression in no time at all.

-Jill Schumacher

Pregnant Teens

Not too many people pay attention to the news and events going on in the world anymore, but when it comes to a teenager being pregnant then the whole school knows about it. It is becoming to be something that is seen more and more throughout the high schools not only in APS and schools in Colorado, but as well as the schools in different states.


Girls and boys are starting to become more sexually active at younger a age, which gives a lot of them more of a chance of becoming a young mother or father while they are still in high school or even middle school. Having a baby and being pregnant is, “such a life changing event,” said Ms. Tuner the principal here at Rangeview. Young mothers do not always know or are unaware of the opportunities and help for them that their schools may have. In the APS school district they do offer support and help for the young mothers and parents that need it.

One thing that girls should know is if they are pregnant is that it is a good idea to talk to the school nurse about it. This way the nurse can help you throughout the day if it is needed.

Some options that RHS offers teen mothers a support group, and there are two classes that are offered at Gateway called Baby Basics and Positive Parenting. The support group for pregnant and teen mothers meets every Wednesday at 3:30 with Mrs. Grant, the nurse, and Ms. Shamburg.

The Baby Basics class at Gateway is offered to students who are pregnant; this class will help students become more responsible and effective parents through parenting skills and practices to help assist them. The Positive Parenting class is for those who are already young parents and helps them build an independent lifestyle for them and their child. It also helps them learn how to manage their money and provides them with their legal rights. These classes are not only offered for the young mothers but as well as the young fathers.

These two parenting skills classes are only offered at the following APS schools; Gateway, Hinkley and Central and RHS will provide bus transportation to Gateway if needed. The main focus and goal that the schools want to give the girls is the support and care that they need. As well as making sure that they graduate and finish high school.

At William Smith they have a daycare service that allows parents to have the aid of daycare service. The cost for the daycare is pretty little the young parent or parents will have to only pay seven dollars a week for childcare. Once the kids become older there is a daycare service at Pickens Technical College that becomes available to those.

Other options for the young mothers to finish high school are to take online classes to get their GED or finish the classes they need to, so they can graduate. These options sometimes work better for those who wish to stay home and that way they can manage school work to fit around their schedule.

There are so many options for young mothers they are just not always aware of them but they should not feel like they are alone because they have support all around. “Until you have a child you don’t know how hard and how much responsibility it is,” said Ms. Turner. This is so true because people will judge and criticize all they want but if they were in the same situation as these young parents they would then see things very differently.

-Erika Short

DaSpot

DaSpot is a successful cyber café coffee shop for students that Mrs.Reiser, the Business teacher, started two years ago. The in-school enterprise sells coffee, hot chocolate, tea, Vitamin water, Kool-aid mix-ins, Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, Big Texas cinnamon rolls, and Easy Mac. All of these items are sold at low prices and usually get a good amount of attention.


DaSpot is open during first period, second period, and after school until four o’clock. There are tables left out for students at DaSpot after school and laptops are provided if students want to stay after school and work. If you are sitting at Da Spot and are drinking or eating something after school you are not sent home. Students wonder why DaSpot is not open all day. The reason is because of Federal Regulations. The Federal Regulation is that a food store cannot be open thirty minutes before, after, or during breakfast or lunch. DaSpot Manager Senior Keven Quiñonez said, “The reason behind this is because many students receive free or reduced lunch and DaSpot simply cannot provide the same benefits.”

DaSpot’s prices are very low. Everything is a dollar except for Vitamin water and Easy Mac, which are a dollar and fifty cents. The coffee flavors are French Vanilla, Kona Blend, Hazelnut, French Roast, and French Decaf. You can add indulgences to any coffee. Indulgences cost an extra dollar and they are Milky Way Swirl or Creamy Copping. Da Spot has hot tea either Green or Chai Tea. The Kool-aid mix-ins flavors are Cherry, Grape, Fruit Punch, and Orange. Senior Keven Quiñonez said, “Most people do not even know we have Kool-aid! But it is there for everybody to enjoy and is only a buck.” Each Kool-aid mix-in comes with a bottle of water. The types of muffins offered are Blueberry, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Banana Nut. The Easy Mac is cooked for you at DaSpot; there is a three-minute cook time wait.

DaSpot has been doing well and each week it makes around one hundred and fifty dollars after DECA members minus expenses. The money raised by DaSpot is used for many of the DECA activities such as competitions, fundraisers, donations, and many other operating costs. DaSpot is DECA’s primary fundraiser along with RHS Apparel and the DECA business center, which provides posters, banners, and laminations. DaSpot has good food, great prices, amazing drinks, and great service.

-Chris Black

Wrestling Preview

Roll out the mats and pull out the bleachers, the RHS Wrestling season is about to begin. With a few key wrestlers graduating last year, and a few hidden gems returning this year, the RHS Wrestling season puts out good vibes of success.


“There are a lot of Seniors on the team this year, hopefully all of that experience will lead to success,” Varsity head coach Tim Corby says.

Some key returning Seniors for this season are Hunter McGinnis, who went to State last year, Derek Solomon, Austin Bolinger, Rashad Shadi-Kingsley and Stefan Johnson. This will be their last chance to prove themselves before they graduate in May. They will be the leaders of the team and will set an example for all of the other underclassman wrestlers. But the team isn’t made up of just Seniors, there is a full arsenal of Juniors as well and a couple of Sophomores.

“The Varsity team is made up of mostly Juniors and Seniors, but there are two Sophomores as well,” Coach Corby says.

A shining star in the success for the varsity squad is the returning 2 year letter-man Donovan Montoya.

“He came late into the season, but I have no doubt that he will do well this year,” Coach Corby says.

Also, a first-time wrestler, Daymeon Vaughn, seems to have promise for this year.

“He’s a new wrestler, but I expect a lot out of Daymeon,” Coach Corby says.

The Freshman team is expected to be small this year. But small size doesn’t mean lack of experience. Both the Freshman and JV teams have won league championships for 2 years running.

“We didn’t have a big turnout for the Freshman team, but the Freshman on the team are training hard and combined with the Sophomores, should have a good season,” Corby says.

The Junior Varsity squad is expected to see some Varsity action as the season progresses.

“The Junior Varsity team is expected to compete at the varsity level in some of the matches this year,” coach Corby says.

All of the innovation, experience and new-blood will make this wrestling season an exciting one, get out there and cheer for the Rangeview Raiders wrestling team!

The first match will be held on Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 at Douglas County, and the season will continue on through February. The State Tournament will be held on February 18th at the Pepsi Center; the time is still being decided. Hopefully Coach Corby and the Raiders will place this year.

“It’s a long season, but we’re defiantly hoping for it,” Corby says.

-Kevin Morin

Soccer Review

The Rangeview boy’s soccer team’s season came to a close with a second round loss to number one seed Cherry Creek. Leading the team was Senior Davey Armstrong with ten goals and five assists and Junior Martin Nindih leading the team in goals with 17 and was seventh overall in goals in the 5A Division. Armstrong the senior leaves RHS with the all time goal scorer in RHS with 52 goals and winning his 4th MVP in his historic career at RHS.


“Playing with my best friends, and for Coach Strouse, who’s an amazing coach, I'm going to miss it,” said Armstrong

With blowout wins including a 7-2 pounding against Palmer and shutouts against Highland Ranch and Mountain Vista, RHS was one of the leading teams in scoring with 51 goals in the division. Averaging three goals per game and only giving up one per game RHS had a tough defense this year but could not beat Cherry Creek losing 2-0.

Grinding out victories was the Achilles heel for the raider team with losing all of their games by two goals or less and losing in upsetting fashion against Arapahoe, Littleton, Ponderosa, and Heritage, RHS has only allowed 17 goals this season.

Finishing the regular season with a shutout against Regis ending with a record of eleven wins and four losses, three of these losses were in conference games with two overtime losses that the Raiders could not squeeze out.

“We’ve been outplayed in only one game we just need to score goals to win and the one thing we lacked was maturity,” said Coach Strouse

In the end of last year RHS lost 13 seniors from the varsity team and the beginning of this year had 8 new starters including Coach’s Award winner Sophomore Connor Campbell, “It felt great, it was an honor winning the award. It was fun, we had a great team and starting made it even better,” Campbell said after winning the award.

All-league nominees include: Davey Armstrong, Thomas Broeker, James Rucker, Matt Taphorn, Christian Mbasi, Miles Payne, and Connor Campbell. With the exception of Davey Armstrong most of the starters returning next year RHS has high hopes with more experience to go farther than the 2nd round of the playoffs and maybe becoming league champs once again. Coach Strouse said “This is a team of underachievers; we played as good then any team in Rangeview history”

-Kennedy Ynclan

Palmer Goes to Africa

When people hear that an organization is going to Africa to help kids, they would never expect a teacher from their own school was going. As a matter a fact a teacher from Rangeview High School went to this very place. Mr. Palmer from the math department or also known as Coach Palmer to the basketball team, left October 21st for a long thirty hour trip to the capital of Niger, Niamey. Having to go through the pre-trip process was not as easy as most think. The Palmer family had to go to the doctors and receive vaccinations and take medications to prevent coming down with an illness while in the other countries that they will be traveling through. Also, with a ten thousand dollar price tag, this trip was not exactly all easy. “Friends and family helped support our way. I was really thankful,” said Mr. Palmer. Thanks to everyone’s help he was able to go.


Mr. Palmer is traveling under his Church’s name and nonprofit organization. A while back, the church set up a school there to help the kids; the name of it is Penneil School. It was set up so that the kids could earn a free education. In a country with a literacy rate of less than twenty percent this comes as a good thing. Once there the eighteen people going will help teach the kids things that American kids do. “I wish I could teach the kids basketball but they don’t have hoops or anything that we could use to teach them,” said Mr. Palmer. Along with teaching them to play soccer, he will also be teaching them how to play Frisbee. All these things and more were donated to the kids through various organizations. They received sandals, computers, sports equipment, medical supplies, and many more things. Mr. Palmer said, “All eighteen people are coming with two stowaways and a carry on that are just loaded with supplies.” They plan on giving the kids soccer jerseys and soccer balls. Mr. Palmer’s wife also intends on teaching the kids music using recorders that were donated to their cause. They also are going to have a few people sing for the kids to see other types of music. Along with the music teachers and the recreational teachers, they brought computer technicians to help set up the computers. “This is just a trial period, it’s easy to send more computers if it works. We are seeing if we can link the school to the internet and have it beneficial to them,” said Mr. Palmer. “We don’t know what we are getting ourselves into, but either way there will be a good outcome for these kids.”

When Palmer returned he was very satisfied with his achievements. The group that went over to Africa performed over 300 physicals, went to three schools, had outreach concerts and helped dedicate a well that was making people sick. The Internet lab was set up and also a success. “The things we saw there we will never forget,” said Palmer. “We mostly treated kids with mal-nutrition, kids that are just skin and bones, but they always had a smile on their face and that is something that I will never forget."

-Austin Bolinger

Football Season Review

At the end of the Rangeview Football season, there were low spirits and a lot of boys that wish they could have gone on. With a six and four record the Raider Football team walked away with a winning season and friends that will last forever. The seniors that will be departing this year will be missed dearly for they have left a legacy that has not happened in a long time to the Rangeview Raider Football team. To the non-senior group, this year is going to be one of the hardest times to break up the team. All the boys have bonded and are sad to see each other go, but it is an inevitable event that everyone hates to see come. This is what the coaches hate to do every year. “It’s so hard to let the seniors go, especially such a good group of boys. I always hate to see my seniors go,” said Football Coach Gonzales.


This year the Raider Football team got twelve first team All League players and both Offensive and Defensive MVP awards. Linebacker Enrique Gonzalez received the defensive MVP as well as running back Jonathan Mathews receiving the offensive MVP for Rangeview. QB Jaleel Awini, RB JB Mathews, WR Alec Maybin, TE Pedro Esparza, OLs Dan Huddleston and Sean Melton, DLs Austin Bolinger and DJ Holmes, LBs Enrique Gonzales and Sam Fifita, S Sammie Smalldon, and ST John Tidwell were the first team selections for the Central Metro League. Coach Gonzales also received the Coach of the Year award. With all these awards Coach Gonzales was very pleased with what his piers had to say about his team. “See how it works is we can only nominate them for the position, but we can’t vote for them. By voting for the boys like this, it really shows what the other coaches think of our program,” said Coach Gonzales. With five linemen, two line backers, and a handful of back-fielders, Rangeview was the team to beat. The Raider Football team of the 2009 season was the first team to get a home play-off game in twenty years. That is the legacy that the seniors will leave to their friends and more than that, brothers.

The team as a whole ended on a pretty good note in the state. The defense was ranked top ten in 5A and was a defensive power house. With seven seniors leading the defense there was little that could stop them. Having a backbone like this was good for the offense because they could count on the defense to get the ball back when they needed it and when they asked for it. Also having an All League MVP in the backfield didn’t hurt the raiders either. Jonathan Mathews rushed for 1393 yards in his junior year season with fourteen touch downs. He was a key part in the Raiders’ winning season. The defensive MVP, LB Gonzalez, had a total of 104 tackles with a blocked punt and field goal. As a whole, the defense had 410 tackles and only 137 points during the whole season. That is what kind of team the Rangeview Raiders had.

Through the four years that boys have been together, there have been people that have come and gone, but there were the ones that stuck through it. They get to see what they left behind and walk out knowing that the legacy is in the capable hands of the teams to come. With the more than capable Mathews and Awini, the offense is in good hands. The offense next year will be a run down the throats, keep on hitting the hole offense. With the returning Tidwell, Holmes, Melton, and Smalldon, the defense is going to be rocking next seasons’ teams with a hard hitting, high paced, cut-throat defense.

-Austin Bolinger

New League

Starting next year Rangeview sports teams will be switching conferences from Continental league a new conference. This new conference has old foes of Rangeview like rival Gateway, Aurora Central, and Brighton; pending schools include Ft. Lupton, Ridgeview, and Skyview. “The teams have a better fits Rangeview and has a better strength of schedule then the Centennial league” said RHS Boys Basketball coach Mr. Sullivan.


The boys soccer team has high hopes in this new league facing the same teams from this past season like Gateway and Aurora Central and combined 2:1 in goal ratio most other schools from the Continental league (mostly from the Douglas County area) will also make their own because of the growth of the Douglas County schools.

Most schools from the new conference will come from the APS area with some teams from the former Skyview league and is the first time that Hinkley and Central will be played regularly instead of non-league matches. Athletic Director Mr. Strouse said “I have mixed feelings going into the new league the Continental league was highly respected and it will be hard to leave but the girls programs will have a better challenge for them and it’s a better demographic and social economic place for RHS”

New rivalries could be made with the new conference with the addition of most APS schools if RHS had one team that were fighting for the League championship it could heighten the rivalry and each game RHS plays, RHS will play with more passion. “This is a strong league and all Aurora schools will be dominant” Strouse said

For RHS athletes this could be a new beginning to start anew, with the excitement of facing new schools students could be rowdy as ever. Even for three-sport athlete Junior Jaleel Awini who plays football, basketball, and baseball, “I’m excited for the new league it gives the team new challenges,”

The only sport that is not going to the new league is football; Rangeview's league in football is East Metro and includes: Adams City, Aurora Central, Gateway, Hinkley, Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster. Only four Aurora schools in East Metro, the other schools from the league are in the Plains and other leagues. “I’m sad to leave the Continental league; the only reason why I took this job was for the Continental league with this league Rangeview produced a great girl’s basketball program. The good news of switching to this new league is that we can win; the bad news of switching to this league is that we are facing weak sister teams and not a great team like Highlands Ranch but in the long run it will build this Girl’s Basketball program” Said Girl’s Basketball Coach Mr. Dennis

With the new league name to be announced sometime in December, Rangeview will be ready for the new challenges that RHS will face starting next year.

-Kennedy Ynclan

Basketball Preview

In the 2007/2008 season, the R.H.S. Boys Basketball team went 22-4 and finished in the top eight in the state. For the 2009/2010 season, Coach Palmer and the new varsity team hope to pick up the pace as they did two years ago.


To help achieve this, the team now has Coach Sullivan to help out. “Coach Sullivan is a basketball fanatic; he is a former head coach and he knows a lot of great preparation.” said Head Coach Palmer. “Coach Sullivan brings out the leaders in people,” said senior captain Yoshio Allen.

As for the upcoming season, Palmer looks forward to working with the boys in the program who have been under him for a while. “They understand my expectations and they could be the best they could be,” said Palmer.

“Coach Palmer really gives us the confidence we need to win games and be our best every game,” said Allen. “The confidence that we can break .500 and go to the playoffs.” Coach Palmer has high hopes for his new team and his key players in the new season.

“There are three guys that will step it up for us: Yoshio Allen, Jamal Wright (junior), and Jeffery Solarin (junior),” said Palmer. Allen had a combined 157 points last season, 11 blocked shots, 35 offensive rebounds, 68 defensive rebounds, 9 steals and 56% from field-goal range last season. The 6’5” center is intended to be the Raider’s leading scorer in the 09/10 season. “I think I have great leadership on the court and I hope to help score and block shots,” said Allen. Jamal Wright, a junior guard had a 67% free-throw percentage and helped last year as a sophomore. “Jamal brings a different energy to the court, we need that,” said teammate Allen. Other starting varsity players include senior point guard Nick Hawkins, junior Jaleel Awini, and senior Alec Maybin.

Last season was a struggle for the Raiders. It included close losses to Aurora Central, Montbello, Littleton, and Gateway. To make a better season this year, the boys must make some changes. “We need to improve defensively, be more physical, and have a more balanced attack to be more successful this year,” said Palmer.

As for their main competitors, teams like Regis Jesuit and Gateway are at the top of the list. “Regis hasn’t lost any of their starters, they won 5A last year,” said Allen. Palmer agreed and also said that Gateway and Highlands Ranch will be big competitors in the division.

With all these things in mind, the R.H.S. boys basketball team has impressed and will for many years to come. The teams base on leadership and fundamentals is what makes great young men and will continue to. “We need to get back to how we were two years ago,” said Palmer. “The fast pace and up tempo basketball is what wins games.”

-Connor Donohue

Romeo and Juliet

On October 15th, 16th and 17th the thespians of Rangeview performed the classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. They did a wonderful job of taking one of most boring plays in history and made it an enjoyable experience to watch. Mr. Randy Mills did an absolute wonderful job directing this play, he should be very proud of what he accomplished. The technical aspects were also very professional and complimented the performance very well. The set was stunning and the costumes were amazing and everything just seemed to fit together very well.


Jon Rivera played Romeo and Kristi Grawe played Juliet, together on stage their chemistry was very believable and one of the key factors to the show. Together Romeo and Juliet had near 10,000 words to memorize and they both were able to accomplish that and also act extremely well, making the audience believe that they were real on stage not just Jon and Kristi in make-up and costumes.

This play was the Rangeview debut of Mr. George Coker and he did an outstanding job and it was very entertaining to see him on stage. Mr. Coker played the all-powerful-Prince of “Fair Verona” and while he was only on stage three times he did excellent each time.

Romeo and Juliet was full of new actors and actresses to the Rangeview stage no one would have ever guess they were new if the program had not said so. Everyone did an excellent job of looking professional and making their characters believable. Sergio DeLaRosa was a new actor that stood out because of how important his role was to the story, and how well he handled Friar Lawrence, one of the biggest characters after Romeo and Juliet.

The Tech for the show was outstanding, the set, sound and costumes all worked together well. The set was absolutely amazing and it looked like a real town with the vines on the walls, flame lamps on the wall and realistic bricks. The costumes were very realistic and fun to look at and went well with the story. All of the scene changes went well and the stage crew could not be noticed behind the scenes.

The audience was very two-faced. They laughed at things like Mercutio’s and Paris’ death when those are obviously very far from funny. Yet, they appreciated the show and all that it was worth. During the kisses there people whistling and shouting things like “you go girl!” All the while they would clap politely at the end of a scene letting the actors know how much they were enjoying the show. Laughing is extremely insulting and rude to actors and directors when things are clearly not funny and shouting things made them look stupid and it is rude to the other audience members. Yet, they did seem to thoroughly enjoy the show and they let the performers know.

Although the audience went back and forth between rude and appreciative, the show definitely made up for it and was one of the best shows Rangeview’s had. The thespians of Rangeview did a wonderful job with the performance, tech, Mr. Mills’ directing and just overall; it is a play to be remembered for a long time.

-Daniel Isaacs

Xbox Vs. Ps3 Vs. Wii

Since the prices dropped on video game systems this year, many people are buying them for this holiday season. It’s important to know, however, that you are buying the right system to fit all of your gaming needs. For example, people who want a family based system that’s fun for people of all ages might consider buying a Nintendo Wii. But for people, who are hardcore gamers and enjoy first person shooters and intense online play, the X-Box 360 is a better choice.


There are many pros and cons to buying each system. People with different taste in games and different technological needs all can be accommodated by the diversity in video game consoles. The more expensive, but more versatile Playstation 3 doubles as a blue-ray player and a video game system. Platform gaming is much better on the PS3, and the PS3 looks sleeker and more elegant than the X-Box 360, making it the perfect addition to your living room. But the cheapest model costs $299 dollars and the most expensive model costs $350 dollars. Buying a PS3 will burn a huge hole in your pocket. The X-Box 360 is a cheaper alternative, but the downside to it is that X-Box Live, the online game play, costs $60 per year compared to the PS3’s free online gameplay. First-person shooters are more abundant and better on the X-Box 360, so if you like to stick to games like Halo, then the X-Box 360 would be a sound investment. The Wii is a very good console to have for diverse families. People from 3-103 will like the excitement of the interactive games that make the player move instead of staying sedentary on the couch. It is the cheapest console on this list, at $199.99, it is a lightweight in the price category. But the lack of a stable online play limits the amount of fun you can have on a Wii. Plus, many of the games on the Wii are similar, there isn’t really any originality in the way the controller and movement is used.

So, if you are considering buying a video game system this season, make sure you don’t make the wrong choice and find yourself disappointed when Christmas Day comes.

-Vicente Nevares

New Songs Vs. Old Songs

“Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And after all, you’re my wonderwall,” from the famous song Wonderwall, by Oasis. These are the type of lyrics that songs used to have meaning. Since the 2000’s songs have completely lost their meaning, songs from the 70’s through the 90’s used to have a story behind them. The songs now days are like the economy, all downhill.


Back in the day, around the time when most of RHS was born, 1990’s, there were singles being put out by artist such as, Nirvana to The Goo Goo Dolls. Though each has its own style, each song also had a meaning even if the listener didn’t know that’s what they were singing along to in the radio.

“Jeremy spoke in class today, clearly I remember, pickin’ on the boy,” one of the most meaningful songs of the 90’s seems to be Jeremy by Pearl Jam. This song comes from a true story about a boy named Jeremy Delle who was 16 years old; he killed himself in front of his English class as revenge on the students who tormented him at his school in Texas.

“I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day, take me to the place I love,” most people have probably heard this song Under the Bridge by the hit group Red Hot Chili Peppers When listening to the lyrics you never would guess that this song is about the lead singer when he was a heroin addict, it talks about his loneliness that came along with his addiction. The bridge that he talks about in the song is a place where he would sometimes go to buy drugs and to get high.

“Shorty sent a twit pic sayin come and get this, l-o-l smiley face l-o-l smiley face,” after the 90’s music just started to regress into songs like You’re a jerk, Crank the (soulja boy), and Drop it Likes it’s Hot. These songs are completely meaningless, oh let’s talk about moving your butt down to the dance floor and moving from one city to the other, wow there’s an exciting song! If you turn on the radio all you here is “soulja boy up in this hoe, watch me crank it, watch me roll,” I bet if you asked the student body at RHS that not even half of them would know what the song is even about. But I will admit that some newer songs do have meaningful lyrics, such as songs like Watcha Say, and Love Drunk. Both of these songs are about relationships in which everyone can relate to at one time.

Songs used to have meaning; they were something that everyone could relate to: break-ups, finding love, and that person who saves you from yourself. Lyrics that not only meant something to the writer but to the people that listened and related to the music. Whatever happened to the music that got you through all of the hard times, 2000 was the year when the music died.

-Jessica Wise