Thursday, February 11, 2010

Garcia Fights On

Alex Tipton
Design Editor

Unfortunately Janitor Tony Garcia recently found out he has a brain tumor. He has had to stop working at Rangeview for the time being, but the school is still doing a lot for him and trying to help him get through his problem. RHS managed to raise $1700 for Garcia in two days through donations, a fund raiser, and through the Choir Concert held in December of 2009. ”It was incredible and helped him pay rent and medical bills,” said Principal Turner.
Garcia plans on returning to RHS to at least to visit, as Principal Turner said “He will hopefully be coming to visit soon,” but returning to work at RHS may not be an option. “He hopes to return, at this point however, that does not seem to be possible,” said Mr. Fey.
Garcia was close to many of the upper classmen at RHS. Senior Christian Mighell stated, “He was a really cool person to have around the school he was always happy and always was willing to have a conversation with you.” The loss of his presences at the school seems to have an impact on some of the other students. “I am close with Tony,” said Senior CJ Anderson who continued to say, “It is sad to see him go like this.” He also had relationships with the staff at RHS “He was a great friend, I wish him the best,” said Hall monitor Don Roberts.
Everything that happens here on out with Garcia’s tumor is unpredictable. Mr. Fey said that “Saying anything about how he is doing or what is going to happen is all speculation and cannot be verified.” RHS seems to hope Tony Garcia the best and wish for him to see a recovery, and him returning back to work. Junior Brooke Maxson said, “Any time where someone is in a life or death situation is sad, I just wish him the best.”

Even the Toughest Situations can be Overcome

Brittany Diemer
Staff Reporter

Prom is full of dancing, dinners, laughter, youthful exuberance, and for unforgettable memories that last a lifetime. For most young women, those memories are ones to be cherished, not for senior Marlee Hofer.
Marlee’s unforgettable moment went like this according to the Aurora Sentinel: “An Aurora woman died Saturday night after crashing her SUV near East Yale Avenue and South Elkhart Street, police said.”
Marlee’s night started out with the traditional prom moments, but it became quite different soon enough.
Most kids would love to hear their name announed at prom, but not in this particular situation, she was at the after prom being held at Amazing Jake’s when she heard her name being called on the intercom. She met her dad at the front of the place. “He told me, ‘We need to go, your mom was in a car accident,’” Marlee said.
Sophia Hofer, 44, was driving a GMC Yukon east on Yale when she hit a curb around 11 p.m. Saturday, police said. When Hofer tried to regain control, police said, she over-corrected and the SUV rolled once.
“At the time he hadn’t told me she had died,” said Marlee.
After that things were different for her. Her parents were previously separated and she lived with her mom, she had to get used to living with her dad again. One of the biggest differences about living with her dad was there were no more of her mom’s home cooked meals. “She was an amazing cook,” Marlee said.
It was weird for Marlee to be living without her mom. There was no more girl talk or shopping trips to the mall. Hofer finds it different having to plan her graduation party without her mom while she sees other moms planning her friends.
The sadness of the loss of her mother of course will never be fully gone. For her and her family it was helpful for them to have close friends and family with them during the first few days after Sophia Hofer’s death. “Talking about it was the best thing because I never want to forget the part she played in my life,” Marlee said. “You can’t just bottle everything up or it will eventually explode. I bring her up in daily conversations all the time.”

The Rangeview senior takes a very good approach to grieving and living without her mom. Even though Marlee is strong she still sometimes can seen tearing up about it if a conversation gets too deep on the subject.
Despite the absence of her mother Marlee’s senior year has been going great. She has kept herself busy with homework, youth group, her job at Dalton Elementary and hanging out with her great group of friends and boyfriend. Hofer is involved in DECA and is their Treasurer. She even was a part of the Executive Internship the first semester of this year. Marlee enjoys laughing with her friends and always seems to make any situation fun. Friend Patrick Carr said, “Marlee is the most pure hearted person I have ever met. Dane Hodges and I say she is our ticket into heaven just because we know her.”
She plans on going to South Dakota State University and majoring in pharmacy to be a clinical pharmacist.
It has almost been a year since her mom died on prom night, April 25th of last year, and she seems to be doing well considering the circumstances. “It’s not necessarily that it has gotten any easier, I have just created a new norm. I have my days and my nights that are harder than others, but I just can’t roll over and give up,” Marlee said.
Her mother was an amazing woman that was well liked by all of Hofer’s friends. Hofer and friend Samantha Jackson both said, “She taught us not to take anyone’s crap and stand up for what we believe in.”
Sophia Hofer was a great influence on her daughter and her friends. “She was strong. Even in the worst situations she always had faith and kept on going,” Marlee said. Her mother’s words spoke volumes as she remembered them and used them to help herself continue with her life.
For anyone who has or may unfortuntaly experience a loss of a parent or any loved one, Marlee’s story is a great example of how such a loss can be best dealt with. With her mother’s guidance and words of wisdom Marlee has been able to continue her life and keep her head up. As advice to anyone who has experienced a loss or may in the future Marlee said, “Don’t let it make you give up on life, have faith and keep going.”

The Long Arm(s) of the Law

Conner Donohue
Lounge Editor

At 6’4” he stands tall in the hallways of Rangeview, but on the basketball court he looks like any other vertically superior human being, until he spreads his wings. Then 32 unleashes hell.
Thirty-two is graceful and dominating all at once on the hardwood. Opponents can’t block his shot, shoot over him, or keep him off the glass; simply put, Jeff Solarin is a freak of nature.
“I’m 6’4” but I have the wingspan of someone who is 7’2”,” said Solarin.
Those long arms make him devastating on the offensive glass, leading one coach to call Solarin the best offensive rebounder in the state.
“He is excellent at rebounding and doing defensive fundamentals the right way,” said Coach Shawn Palmer. “He is at the top of rebounds and double-doubles in the state.” As of January 27th, the junior forward’s averages of 17.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game led the Raiders.
Along with these impressive accomplishments, a 6’4” 188 pound Solarin has still not lost his drive and team-centered focus.
“Jeff has some great positive energy along with his basketball skills,” said senior and fellow Captain Yoshio Allen. “He won’t stop until we win.” His leadership and drive make him a key player on the Rangeview team and is a reason why he is a captain as a junior.
Combined with the physical presence of Allen, Solarin has given opponents fits inside on the way to an 11-4 record.
“My role as a captain is to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing,” said Solarin. “That everyone keeps up their intensity.”
“He is a gym rat, very coachable, and is always willing to change and improve his game,” said Palmer. Solarin added that the most important part of his basketball career at Rangeview is practice.
“I try to be as prepared as possible before a big game,” said Solarin. “I eat a pre-game meal, listen to music, get hyped, then its game time.”
“Coach Palmer is my biggest influence,” said Solarin. “He encourages me to do my best every day.” Perhaps the biggest factor in Solarin’s work ethic and leadership is his passion for the game of basketball.
“It is one of the biggest factors in my life, it keeps me active, it keeps me from not running the streets,” said Solarin.
Solarin has been a consistent performer scoring in single digits only once (9 pts vs. Highlands Ranch), but could stand to improve at the foul line where he is only making 65-percent of his free throws.
Solarin and those similar to him in both a mixture of skill and leadership ability will again and again prove as great examples for athletes in the future.
“My words of advice for any upcoming basketball players would be to do well in class and practice hard and you will be successful,” said Solarin.
“I like to hang out, listen to music, and play basketball,” said Solarin. He is a Colorado native, and he idolizes superstars like dunk-master Dwight Howard. Solarin even donned a Dwight Howard superman shirt and cape for a dunk contest at the winter sports assembly.
Maybe his long arms don’t help him solve math problems easier and maybe they just make it easier for him to reach the top shelf, but one has to think Solarin would succeed regardless
But the fact of the matter is that Solarin is exceptional both on and off the court and not just because of his wide-winged nature.

Perky Cups not so Commonly Run Business

Would you ever consider a coffee shop and Hooters to be similar? Most people do not, but Jason and Jamie Bernal, the owners of Perky Cups did.
In this scandalous coffee shop, girls serve in bikinis and other skimpy outfits. Perky Cups is located off of Peoria and Iliff; where Peaberry Coffee used to be. “My husband got the idea from a Seattle based coffee shop that also had Bikini Baristas serving coffee,” said Co-Owner Jamie Bernal.
To apply for a job at Perky Cups it is important to have a back ground in the food industry but they are mainly hired as Bikini Models. Jason Bernal does the hiring and likes to call himself “CBI”, or Chief Bikini Inspector. Guys can also apply for a job at Perky Cups, but they will be hired as Bikini Models as well which makes it a little interesting and has kept guys from applying so far.
The shop itself looks like a typical coffee shop except for a few innuendos. The drink sizes are bra sizes and range from A-D cup. On the menu there are several theme fitting drinks such as Crunch Babe and the Frozen Hottie. They also sell breakfast burritos, muffins, and t-shirts.
Perky Cups is mainly busy in the mornings, and they received a good amount of service from the nearby high school, Overland. Ironically and fortunately the girls do not get hit on or receive any harassment according to Mrs. Bernal.
There are many mixed feelings about this coffee shop. For some people it does not bother them that they are being served by girls wearing close to nothing. But for other it is insulting and unbecoming. Freshmen Ashlee Hardten said, “It is pretty offensive, it is degrading, that the name is “Perky Cups” and the girls are working in bikinis.”
Other reasons people dislike the idea the Perky Cups gives off is because it is one step below “Adult Entertainment”. The similar coffee shops in Everett, Washington are more extreme and have possibly crossed the line, but Perky Cups knows its limit.
Perky Cups is more about making coffee fun rather than just making coffee. They have theme days where the baristas dress in different attire such as Military Monday, School girl Thursday, and Fantasies Friday.
“Of course we are going to have people coming in that have problems with the bikinis, we are going to try to make them feel more comfortable because this is not in any way offensive as far as we are concerned. We just wanna have fun,” said Elizabeth Webb, one of the baristas. Even though people find this coffee shops theme questionable, it is still a typical coffee shop like Starbucks, just with a little flair.

February Facts "You Can't Handle the Truth"

-During the 2004 tsunami, elephants who had broken free from their handlers rescued 42 people. (False)
http://snopes.com/critters/defender/defender.asp
-One of the women from the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only, used to be a guy. (True)
http://snopes.com/movies/films/films.asp
-Mariah Carey once said, “When I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry. I mean, I’d love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.” (False)
http://snopes.com/quotes/quotes.asp
-Disneyland used to deny admission to long-haired male guests. (True)
http://snopes.com/disney/parks/parks.asp
-Cut flowers and potted plants suck the oxygen from sickrooms. (False)
http://snopes.com/oldwives/oldwives.asp
-Historically, more collect phone calls are made on Father’s Day than any other day of the year. (True)
http://snopes.com/holidays/fathersday/collect.asp
-Iraqi militant web site displays image of action figure toy identified as a captured American soldier. (True)
http://snopes.com/media/goofs/goofs.asp
-The White House obtained its name because it was repainted after the British burned it in 1814. (False)
http://snopes.com/history/american/american.asp
-The week after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the game show The Price is Right aired an episode where the contestants could win a trip to New Orleans. (True)
http://snopes.com/katrina/humor/humor.asp
-Coca-Cola became carbonated by accident. (False)
http://snopes.com/cokelore/cokelore.asp
-Blood from KISS members was mixed with the red ink to print the first KISS comic book. (True)
http://snopes.com/music/artists/artists.asp
-Entering one’s PIN in reverse at any ATM summons the police. (False)
http://snopes.com/business/bank/bank.asp
-The design of the California state flag was the result of a mistake. (True)
http://snopes.com/lost/lost.asp
-Cher had a pair of ribs removed to achieve an ultra thin waist. (False)
http://snopes.com/horrors/vanities/vanities.asp
-The FDA issued a warning about the possible connection between Hepatitis A and green onions. (True)
http://snopes.com/food/tainted/tainted.asp
-Fortune cookies come from China. (False)
http://snopes.com/food/origins/origins.asp
-The Chinese are raising St. Bernard’s for food. (True)
http://snopes.com/food/culture/culture.asp
-Chewing gum takes several years to pass through one’s digestive system. (False)
http://snopes.com/oldwives/oldwives.asp
-President Richard Nixon used the wrong “Wilson Desk” at the White House. (True)
http://snopes.com/history/american/american.asp
-A proposal to make German the official language of America was defeated in Congress by one vote. (False)
http://snopes.com/language/apocryph/apocryph.asp
-Dr. Seuss wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” after being challenged by an editor to write a children’s book using less than 50 different words. (True)
http://snopes.com/language/literary/literary.asp
-The Kentucky Fried Chicken chain changed its name to KFC to eliminate the word “fried” from its title. (False)
http://snopes.com/lost/lost.asp
-Vitamin C users who eat shrimp risk death from arsenic poisoning. (False)
http://snopes.com/medical/toxins/toxins.asp
-Ingesting hand sanitizer by children can result in death from alcohol poisoning. (True)
http://snopes.com/medical/toxins/toxins.asp
-Bananas will be extinct within ten years. (False)
http://snopes.com/food/warnings/warnings.asp
-JELLO brand is made from bone and hides
http://snopes.com/food/ingredient/ingredient.asp

Monday, February 1, 2010


Calendar for RHS






February 2010

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2
Girls b-ball vs. Regis @ Regis-- V

Girls b-ball vs. Regis @RHS --JV
3
Parent/ teacher conferences
4
Teacher in-service-no classes

Wrestling vs. Highlands Ranch @ Highlands Ranch-V & JV
5
Parent Conference exchange day-no classes

Girls b-ball vs. Mt. Vista @ RHS--V & JV

Girls swimming-League Meet @ Heritage

Wrestling-League Championship @ TBA-- JV

-Dear John
-Frozen
6
Girls swimming-League Meet @ Heritage

Wrestling-League Championship@ TBA-- JV
7
8
9
Girls b-ball vs. Douglas County @ Douglas County-V & JV
10
11
12
Girls b-ball vs. Ponderosa @ Ponderosa-V & JV

Wrestling-Regional Tournament @ TBA-V

-Valentine's Day (the movie not the holiday)
-My name is Khan

13
Girls swimming-State Championships @ TBA

Wrestling-Regional Tournament @ TBA-- V
14
Girls swimming-State Championships @ TBA

Valentine's Day!
15
President's Day- no classes
16
Girls b-ball vs. Chaparral @ Chaparral-V & JV
17
18
Girls b-ball vs. Gateway @ RHS-V & J

Wrestling-State Tournament @ Pepsi Center-- V
19
Wrestling-State Tournament @ Pepsi Center-V

-Shutter Island
20
Wrestling-State Tournament @ Pepsi Center-- V
21
22
23
24
25
26
-Cop out
-The Crazies
-The Yellow Handkerchief
27
28