Friday, December 14, 2012 www.mhshowler.com

The HowlerVolume 14

A STORY OF COMING OUT

PAGE 2

by Katie Ciaglo

In wake of Barack Obama’s recent pres-idential victory, many people have been quick to express their discontent with the

election outcome. Citizens from all 50 states have now filed petitions for their states to secede from the Union on the Obama Admin-istration’s website, We the People. This site allows for citizens to add petitions online, and if the petition gets 25,000 digital signatures in 30 days starting from the day it’s posted, the White House will review it. “The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution,” reads the We the People website. “We the People provides a new way to petition the Obama Administra-tion to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. We created We the

People because we want to hear from you. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the ap-propriate policy experts, and issue an official response.” Many people were eager to take advan-tage of this system after the election. As of December 1st, seven states have reached the required 25,000 signatures within the set time-period. These states include Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, all of which voted for Romney in 2012, and also Florida, whose electoral votes went to Obama. Of these states, Texas is in the lead with a whopping 118,352 signatures. So what does this mean? Will our flags now only fly with 43 stars? Not quite. As Yahoo news reporter Mike Krumboltz stated, “The odds of the American government granting any state permission to go its own

way are on par with win-ning the lottery while getting hit by a meteor while seeing Bigfoot while finding gluten-free pizza that tastes like the real thing.” These petitions will be much more sym-bolic than effective, as the White House staff reviewing a petition does not mean anything will become of it. Similar petitions have been brought to the public’s attention after both the 2004 and 2008 elections, and many other times as well, reaching all the way back to the Civil War. These appeals have come up before, and they will surely come up again, but for now, it is extremely unlikely that any-thing will come of the “successful” petitions in those seven states or any others that may

reach the required number of signatures.

Though nothing may happen with these secession attempts, the people have spoken. Visit https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/ to view any of the hundreds of petitions currently open for signatures, and let your voice be heard. It is, after all, your constitutional right.

Celebrity doppelgangers

Page 10

Preparing for the end of the world

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A student publication of Monarch High School since 1998 Issue 4

One Nation, Indivisible?All 50 states now have secession petitions on fi le

Screenshot from https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/

Image courtesy of wikimedia commons and designed by Aleiya Evison

The HowlerThe HowlerVolume 14 A student publication of Monarch High School since 1998

One One Nation, Nation, Nation, Nation,

A student publication of Monarch High School since 1998 Issue 4

One One Nation, Nation,

OPINIONS

2

COMING out

by Dalton Valette

I was a very sheltered child in terms of understanding what it was to be gay or les-bian. I mean, I had never even heard of the

word gay except for that song “I Feel Pretty” in West Side Story, and even then I thought of it in the old sense of the word meaning to be happy or merry. I have gay neighbors living down the street from me and for the longest time I thought that they were just really, real-ly close brothers. It wasn’t until middle school that I really heard the more modern usage of the word gay, and it came from bullies. “Hey, watch it, gay.” “Faggot.” “AIDS f---er.” What did these awful people mean? I thought to myself. I actually had to look up online the definition of gay and when I found that it was someone who was attracted to someone of their own gender, I was flabbergasted. Gay?! I thought. I’m not gay! I have a girlfriend! (We have since broken up.) Why would people say that? So all of sixth grade, I just thought ev-eryone else was getting this sort of hazing at school but it would end when I got into seventh grade, right? Nope. People still called me gay, queer, and faggot. Some would shove me up against lockers and trip me as I walked to class. Sometimes, the name calling would get to me so much, I would sit in the bathroom and eat lunch alone, crying. I’m not gay. I’m not gay. I’ve had girlfriends. (Emphasis on had.)

The bullying continued all throughout middle school. Some days were better than others, but a lot of the time I didn’t feel comfortable being at school. Then high school rolled along. The bullying lessened significantly, to my relief, but it was still there. I slowly began to question my sexuality. (Not that I’m saying that bullies are right. But in my case, they happened to be.) And then, I started watch-ing this show called Being Human. I still remembered when I saw the guy who plays a vampire pop onto the screen. In my gut and in my heart, I thought, “Dang, he’s hot.” And then I had an epiphany: I’m gay. For me, and I know this isn’t the same with a lot of people, it was really just like that. I realized I was gay. One sexy looking actor helped me see… I like men. I wasn’t in the closet long, probably two weeks tops, and when I came out, all of my friends said the same thing: “Dalton, we all knew.” Well I hadn’t! This was a big deal for me! I came out to my friends first and then to my parents. I told them I was gay and of course I thought of all the horrible reactions that they would have if I came out. When I told them, they didn’t say much initially about

The story of finding myself

it. A week passed and then my parents sat me down to talk. “Dalton, we’ve known you were gay since you were in second grade. When you asked for that Polly Pocket dream mansion for your birthday, we just knew.” (And I got it and it was awesome!) “I mean,” my parents continued, “Your favorite show as a kid was Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” The biggest dilemma when I was coming out was telling my grandparents. They are both very conservative and fairly Christian, so I was understandably nervous. My grand-ma cried a bit but then they left it at that. A while later they said, “Dalton, we’re going to take you out for dinner so we can have a little chat.” Oh no, this is going to be bad, I thought. And my grandparents pulled up into the parking lot of the restaurant, and my jaw dropped as neon orange lettering glared down at me. Hooters. My eighty something year old grandparents took their gay grand-son to Hooters. If going to Hooters with your grandparents isn’t awkward enough, try being gay. And seeing my grandpa flirting with the double DD sized waitresses and my grand-ma saying “people always come here for the food, not the atmosphere,” is to this day one of the most scarring experiences in my life. So, yes, coming out was a big deal and it was a surprise for me, even though it wasn’t for my friends, family, or even some of my teachers. (“Well we always just assumed,” said my seventh grade language arts teacher.) Regardless, coming out was, and still is a great moment in my life. And the thing about it was, afterwards, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could walk with my head held high and feel confident with who I was. I’m proud of who I am, but for a long time I didn’t know who I was, which is very confusing; I don’t recommend being in that conundrum for long. For me at least, the bul-lying receded once I was out. I guess people realized you can’t bully someone who knows who they are. If anyone out there is closeted, feel free to talk to me. I know exactly what you are going through, and I know how cheesy this is, but I’m going to say it anyway: it gets better. It really does. And, even if it might take some time, the people that really love you will ac-cept you for who you are.

One Family, Two Homes

by Arika Rooney

Despite popular belief, you do not get

twice the presents for Christmas when you have divorced parents like mine. Especially around the holidays, having a divorced family can be challenging. As a child, it is dif-ficult to understand why you cannot have both parents there at the same time when you open your presents on Christmas morn-ing. As you grow older you begin to see the reality of it all and in some ways it chips away at the magic that the holidays create. Holidays are not about the gifts and the money. Holidays are about family. Growing up with divorced parents is not that uncommon nowadays. According to the Journal of Marriage and the Family (2000), 40% of American children will witness the divorce of their parents before turning 18. But that doesn’t make it any less hard to deal with-- particularly when there is an empty chair at the table on Christmas Eve. The holidays are supposed to be a time to spend with family playing board games and sharing laughs. Sadly, I feel like I’ve missed out on some of that family bliss. Not to say my family experience has been lacking, but it is just different than the traditional holiday dinners and times I feel like many of my

Holidays not always simple bliss for divorced families friends have. I spend Christmas Eve with my

dad and Christmas Day with my mom. So I spend every Christmas Eve thinking about

how my mom is alone and every Christmas Day thinking about how my dad is alone. It’s not right for anybody to be alone on Christmas especially when they still have family that wants to be with them and share that special time. It is not that I feel bad for them, it is just

that I wish I was with them-- both of them, together. Instead of Christmas morning being the time when I jump around in my pajamas and play with my new gifts, I have to leave one house and go to the other, which is hec-tic enough on regular days. The perks of getting to experience two of each holiday are almost as easy to spot as the difficulties. I know that I am lucky to see each of my parents around the holidays. It was always hard growing up seeing my half sister get nothing more from her dad at Christmas than a small card. Because of all of this I am able to appreciate the simple things that those times bring: the breaks from work and school, the small acts of kindness from strangers and above all, the time I get to spend with the people that I love, even if I see them separately. Not to mention that I get to decorate two trees.

Cartoon Credit: Terran Fox

I spend Christmas Eve with my dad and Christmas Day with my mom. So I spend

every Christmas Eve thinking about how my mom is alone

and every Christmas Day thinking about how my dad is

alone.

Follow this QR to watch the “It Gets Better” videos on YouTube

3

proud to be a coloradanA teenager’s move from the humidity of Texas to Coloradoby Will Petersen

Colorful Colorado, as it is called, is a beautiful place to live. Some take it for granted; we wake up to see the radiant

Flatirons of The Rocky Mountains every morning, we have some of the most ‘rad’ ski resorts in the United States, and it’sall backed by being the ninth healthiest state in the United States with the lowest obesity rate according to The United Health’s Foundation Health Rankings System. Coloradans are quite lucky to have these titles, as many other

states can’t say the same. Colorado is a phenomenal place to be if you’re a skier or snowboarder. According to skinet.com’s 2011-2012 Best Ski Re-sorts rankings, in the US, Vail, Snowmass, Beaver Creek, Steamboat, Breckenridge and

Telluride all placed within the top ten. I’ve been getting the Five Mountain Ski Pass ever since I lived here, and this year I have the Epic Local Ski Pass. I moved here from Texas when I was nine years old, and the snow was a whole new discovery. After my first time in the mountains skiing, I was immediately stoked on it. Because the ski resorts are so close, skiing and snowboarding is almost like a lifestyle for people who do it. Novice or experienced, Colorado is no doubt the best state to be skiing/riding in. The weather in Colorado is simply beauti-ful if you like to experience four true seasons. The summers are hot and dry, the light rain makes its way in during the fall and the winter is chilly while the spring feels fresh as it starts to warm up again for the summer. I moved here in early August right before school started, and I was going into the fourth grade. As soon I moved here I had noticed many things

that were different about Colorado com-pared to Texas as far as weather: it was much more dry, the elevation was higher, so it was bizarre to get used to breathing in the air; and I didn’t break a sweat sitting outside for a few minutes. Colorado is the ninth healthiest state in the US and boasts the lowest obesity rate. Coloradans are hard workers; after working at the office, they usually try to make their way

outside to either ride a bicycle or go on a light jog. So if you aren’t driving your 4X4 vehi-cle, then you’re either cycling or jogging to your destination. Growing up in Colorado has been a drastic change from what it was and could have been in Texas. But being honest on the subject,

According to skinet.com’s 2011-2012 Best Ski Resorts rankings, in the US, Vail, Snowmass, Beaver Creek, Steam-boat, Breckenridge and Telluride all placed within the top ten.

I think that the move was for the better. The reason for my family’s move here was because of a job that my dad had found, as the job market was much better up here. The move opened my eyes to what I had been missing out on. The superb Rocky Mountains, this peculiar phenomena called ‘snow’, and being able to experience four seasons year by year. We don’t have to have overpopulat-ed cities like California or New York do to be considered the best state. For me, it is somewhat inexplicable and hard to pinpoint exactly why Colorado is the best state to reside in, but I think that all Col-oradans can agree that it hits you once you have experienced Colorado’s many luxuries, and believe me, the luxuries that we have in Colorado are numerous and heavily outweigh what we don’t have, so don’t ever take them for granted.Photo Credit: www.colorado.gov

Photo Credit: MCT Campus

the drug of the internet

by Ashley Litoff

Have you ever been tweeting on your phone and only half listening when someone is talking to you in person?

Does your homework take you twice as long because of the constant distraction of Twitter or Facebook? Do you have difficulty perform-ing daily tasks, such as walking, because you’re reading all of your friend’s newest status updates? Do you have more friends on Facebook than in real life? If you answered yes to any of these, you might have an addic-tion to social networks. An addiction is a habit that you have no control over. More commonly discussed addictions include drug and alcohol abuse. An addiction is defined as reward-seeking behavior that is no longer a choice. Someone who has an addiction uses substances like drugs and alcohol to cope with the reality of daily life. Because social media is not a mind-alter-ing substance, it’s not usually the first thing

that comes to mind when someone thinks of an addiction, but it is quite possible to be addicted to social media. The University of Chicago published a study in the journal Psychological Science concluding that social media may actually be more addictive than smoking or drinking. People who are addicted to substances use those substances for a variety of reasons; a way to escape reality, something that is fun or rewarding in the moment, or a way to feel good about themselves. Social media is used in similar ways. We use it to escape reality

Social networking proven more addictive than common drugs

66% of online adults say they use Facebook

92% of adults ages 16-29 use social network-

ing sites

Since February, 2005, the rate of people 18-29 year olds using Social Networking have gone up 83% up until August, 2012

Statistics: http://pewinternet.org

or to avoid actual physical social interaction. I’ve seen people who automatically reach for their phones because they don’t know anyone in the room. Similarly, I have sent a Facebook message to escape an awkward conversation. And who doesn’t feel good when another person likes their profile picture or follows them on Twitter? The rewards of drugs/alcohol are not so different from the rewards of social networks. Although people can have an addiction to both social media and illegal substances, it may seem that the addiction to social media is safer. However, even though you can’t over-dose on Facebook or Twitter the way you can with other substances, it can still be danger-ous. For example, driving under the influence impairs your driving, but so can your addic-tion to social networks, if you are driving and checking one of these sites. Similarly, alcohol and social media can impair your perception of other people. When you’re drunk, often some-one may seem more attractive or funnier than they actually are, just like how social media can make someone look better or seem friendlier than they are in person.

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ggodec@yahoo.com

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Be Here NowGodec Designs

4

two sides: crisis in the middle east

by Malachi Dray

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolutioninevitable.”-John F. Kennedy, 1962

There is an unfortunately violent revolution underway right now, and it seems that

America is guiltily involved in its prolif-eration. I’m referring to the situation in Palestine,or Israel as it is recognized by the United States. While the rockets have stopped flyingfor now, a great injustice remains in which our government remains shamefully involved. From November 14th to the 21st Israel executed “Operation Pillar of Defense”, anexcessively violent assault on Palestine de-signed to hinder the activities of Palestinianmilitants from the Gaza Strip against Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launcheda barrage of rockets for a week into the small sliver of land of 1.5 million inhabitantshugging the eastern edge of the Mediterra-nean Sea. It is greatly unfortunate that sixIsraelis lost their lives as a result, but even more shocking and disgraceful were the 167Palestinian fatalities that resulted. What exactly prompted this barrage? It is easy to blame the Gaza militants, theHamas Party, as it is factual that the Israelis were acting in response to rocket attacks on theircities. However, it is necessary to look at this troubling conflict in somewhat more depthbefore assuming the Palestinians are guilty of inciting violence. In the wake of World War II and the unspeakably tragic Holocaust, the United Nations contemplated the possibility of es-tablishing a Jewish state in Palestine, where hundreds ofthousands of Jews had arrived over the past decades. In truth, they were returning to theirancient home, after millennia of exile caused by the Diaspora, or the forced removal ofthe Jewish people from Israel by Babylon and the Romans. It seems that the horrendousness of this unwilling relocation was forgotten in part atleast. On November 29th, 1947, the Gener-al Assembly of the United Nations adopteda resolution urging the British government, currently occupying Palestine, to partitionthe land into two states, one Jewish, one Arab. As the British reign over Palestine expired and the UN Partition plan took ef-fect, Zionist David Ben-Gurion declared the Jewish state of Israel into existence within the Jewish-designated zone. Almost immediately, the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 broke out, with armies from Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq invading Israel. They were defeated by the newbornJewish state. During this war a great crime was committed by Israel, however justified they were in the defense of their new nation. Over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs left their homes, chiefly forced by armed Israeli sol-diers. They were never to return. The 1948 Palestinian Exodus, known in Arabic as the Nakba (“catastrophe”or “cataclysm”) was a great wrongdoing often forgotten to the world. But the troublesdid not end there. Over the next half-century, Israel would forcibly snatch up almost all ofthe land partitioned to Arabs in a series of wars. Today the Arab Palestinians are pent up in small chunks of land occupied by Israel,namely the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. In the Gaza Strip inparticular conditions are dismal. Israel main-tains a land, air, and sea blockade of Gaza,and has full control over its borders. The na-

val blockade has prevented ships frombringing humanitarian aid to Gaza, while the people of the Gaza Strip suffer fromendemic poverty. Recent estimates place the unemployment rate in Gaza at adevastating 40%, roughly five times the rate in the United States. Yet even this is not the end of the suffering the Palestinians must endure. Israeli citizensfor decades have been settling on Arab land, in turn pushing them from what little scrapsof their home they retain. Right in the after-math of this recent deadly blowout, the Israeligovernment has authorized the development of an additional 3,000 Jewish housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, which it annexed after the 1967 Six Day War (illegally according to the U.N.), as well as future construction in the West Bank. I cannot condone violence in any circum-stance, but I am not quite sure what elsePalestinians should do in response to these injuries. I am hard pressed to find analternative solution for these oppressed peo-ple, although I wish there was such anoption. Hamas is certainly not acting righ-teously when they launch rockets at Israel,but what level of submission to external dom-inance is realistic before arms are raised inopposition? How does America play into this? The Unit-ed States is one of Israel’s largest allies,and its primary military benefactor. For 25 years Israel has received an average of $1.8billion annually from the U.S. for military pur-poses. The U.S. paid almost entirely forthe construction of the “Iron Dome”, an an-ti-missile system that protects Israel fromrockets while Palestinians must suffer the barrages undefended, resulting in countless

unnecessary deaths. The United States has also agreed to fund the construction of anIsraeli air base at the cost of $100 million over the next two years. As congressmen kick and scream about the impending fiscal cliff and how to balancethe budget, perhaps a good place to start would be our costly sponsorship of blatantmurder and injustice in the Palestinian terri-tories. The deaths of those 167 Palestiniansshould not have been facilitated by anyone, much less a country deeply in debt andthousands of miles away. Secondly, the United States should actively work towards a two-state solution, which would give Arab Pal-estinians their own state rather than armed occupation. If peaceful concessions are not made to a people disenfranchised by their strong-armedneighbors, it is certain that violent revolution will continue, along with the inexcusabledeaths, injuries, and relocations that result.

by Jonathan Ansell

For the Jewish people asylum is a neces-sity. Around the world an-ti-semitism runs rampant

and there isn’t a lot that can be done about it. This was even more evident in the late 1940s after the Holocaust, where over 6 million of the 13 million fatal-ities were the deaths of Jewish people. Because of this, the U.N. voted to divide the British piece of land, now called Israel, into an Arab state and a Jewish one. Despite the U.N.’s vote and the support from the Russia and the U.S., the Arab League denied Israel’s right to exist. The day after it was declared a state, Israel was at-tacked by Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Israel stood strong and was able to

not only fight off the attack but also gained some land. This all hap-pened 60 years ago and it still pretty much sums up Israel’s exis-tence.

The small country is in a constant struggle to be recognized by the belligerent states surrounding it while it has to simultaneously suppress the attacks upon itself. Stopping the attacks by using force causes the hos-tile states to get more aggressive, forcing Israel to suppress attacks with more military responses. Its the political equivalent of “he started it.” What matters is the situation in the last few years, not the last century. And that situation is Hamas relentlessly firing at Israeli citizens. Israel is backed into a corner. Left-wing Zionists and Palestinians would say that Israel has backed Gaza into a corner. This claim isn’t groundless; however, realistically Gaza backed itself into a corner. In 2006 Israel returned the Gaza Strip to Palestinian control in an attempt to stop the Qassam rocket attacks being launched by Hamas since 2005. Over 9,000 Israeli citizens were forced to move out. Ironically, instead of this stopping the rockets, the new citizens democratical-ly elected the group that had been firing rockets in the first place. According to the US government, Hamas is a terrorist group, but its political opposition-the Fatah-who controls the West Bank, is not. After being elected to power, Hamas continued to send suicide bombers and fire rockets out of Gaza instead of into it. In response to the attacks, Israel started treating the borders between it as well as Gaza like a border. According to 60 Minutes, the walls, border checks and security reduced terrorism by 90 percent. If there was no terrorism, would these expensive measure be worth the trouble? No they would not be. And what makes the situation worse is that the desperate attacks do not accomplish anything. The Hamas attacks are the equiv-alent of me going to Poland to find my great grandmother’s house (where the Nazi regime, technically the Polish government at the time, took her and the rest of my family living there

and shot them) and demand the owners who live there now give me the house back be-cause my family lived there 60 plus years ago

and it was taken from them. If they refuse, it’s okay if I shoot rockets at these innocent civilians under

the reasoning that the Polish government is oppressing me. Especially if they try to make me stop attacking. It is ridiculous to keep attacking. Unfortunately this has not stopped Hamas despite the “Gaza Massacre” or Oper-ation Cast Lead in 2009 (the Israeli response Hamas’ rockets). The current Israeli prime minister even said “[i]f Palestine were to lay down their guns tomorrow, there would be no war. If Israel were to lay down theirs, there would be no Israel”. Another way Hamas attacks Israel is through the news. The media likes to depict a soulless Israel that ignores the impoverished Palestinians in Gaza, however while Hamas is buying rockets Israel is sending aid into Gaza. “Gaza is not experiencing food scarcity. Israel is not blocking entrance of goods into Gaza, except for weaponry and dual-use materials. Construction materials can be imported to Gaza under the supervision of internation-al organizations... Israel is continuing the yearly supply of five million cubic meters (1,320,860,250 gallons) of water to Gaza, despite the rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns... UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) reports (17 Nov 2012) that despite some dis-placement of families due to hostilities, ‘there hasn’t been any need to provide emergency humanitarian assistance or to open UNRWA facilities as emergency shelters.’”- Israel Min-istry of Foreign Affairs. This article goes on to talk about the medical and electrical aid that Israel gives regardless of the rocket attacks on its people. One of the biggest grievances is the amount of civilian deaths in Gaza. I would like to say that no Zionists I’ve met support these deaths. But the media like to conveniently forget the attempts on the lives of Israeli citizens. Remember the rockets that have been fired since 2005. Just because Israel has a great defense system does not mean that it is morally acceptable to fire rockets into it instead of firing at the IDF soldiers who are actually doing what the government says, unlike the innocent residents of Israel. Israel actively warms the civilians around the target with phone calls, leaflets, loud noise makers to warn of an attack, pinpoint strikes and aborted strikes. Hamas hides their leaders in mosques, schools and civilian areas actively trying to make the news. They also give no warnings to the Israelis and aim at normal people instead of their “suppressors”. I don’t support everything the Israeli gov-ernment does, but do I recognize the need for a Jewish state. Part of why Israel acts the way it does it to protect the Law of Return. This law is the only thing that gives 100% guaranteed asylum to any Jewish person. Based on the democratic election of Hamas and the influence of other Arab countries, this law would be abolished if there wasn’t a Jewish majority, thereby rendering the establishment of Israel purposeless. Not ev-erything done to protect this law is good, but the potential amount of lives it can protect is invaluable.

For 25 years Israel has re-ceived an average of $1.8 billion annually from the U.S. for military purposes.

Our modern apartheid: Israel’s oppression of The Gaza Strip

Can terrorism result in peace?:the controversy between Israel and Palestine

In response to the attacks, Israel started treating the borders be-tween it and Gaza like a border. According to 60 Minutes, the walls, border checks and se-curity reduced terrorism by 90 percent.

Photo Credit: MCT Campus

Photo Credit: MCT Campus

5

Mind the GapLocal graduate advocates for post-grad gap years in her new book

by Joy Wineman

Louisville’s very own Monika Lutz has taken the scenic route to discovering her purpose, and she wouldn’t have it any

other way. She spent three years at Monarch K-8, including a French class at the high school campus. She then went on to Fairview for grades 9-12. Lutz spent her high school years participating in varsity sports, serving

as Fairview’s senior class president, and maintaining a stellar GPA. She thought she was on track to an Ivy League education, and by association, fulfillment. Admissions day came that April of her senior year. She sat with her parents opening letter after letter only to discover that she had not been admitted to a single college that she had wanted to attend. “There I was in Boulder, Colorado crying myself to sleep

on admission day because everything that I had worked for was suddenly worth noth-ing. There I was, completely unsure of who I was and where I was going. So I set out to find something that would actually bring me fulfillment,” said Lutz. That something was a totally different path than most of her classmates were taking. For Lutz, fulfillment did not await her in a dorm room, not yet at least. Rather than attending

a university that next fall, Lutz embarked on a gap year where she interned in a variety of fields, wearing out her passport. Well known media sources such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Boulder’s Daily Camera took notice of her bold leap. She was featured in articles in all of them and has since used her time in the public eye to suggest the possibility of another option besides college for seniors upon graduation. “I found my dream career, my best friend, my academic specialization, and myself”, said Lutz of her experience. She beams when discussing her gap year, so much so that she decided to write a book elaborating on her experience. Now What? by Monika Lutz is appropriate-ly titled as that was the exact phrase rever-berating through her mind on that fateful admissions day. She has completed the book and is currently working on publicizing it to prove to a publisher that there is a market for her book. Lutz is publicizing Now What? through kickstarter.com. This website has a page set up for her book with 13 different financing options that backers can choose from for in-vesting. Her project has until December 21st to raise the full funding, and to therefore be up for consideration by a publisher. For more information on this project and for links to her articles in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Daily Camera, refer to the Howler’s website (mhshowler.com) in the features section.

Lutz poses in Vietnam during her gap year. (Photo courtesy of Monika Lutz)

ups and downs of the month of decemberby Joy WinemanIcons by Natalie Forman

December is a good month for chimneys as it is the one month a year that the chimney will receive a thorough sweep free of charge. This is, of course, referring to Santa’s sliding down the chimney on the night of December 24th in order to deliver his presents for the 25th. According to The International Business Times, Santa travels down 832 chimneys per second that night in order to reach every

December is a bad month for mankind as certain interpretations of the Mayan calendar predict the world to end on December 21st, 2012. Many people are being forced to put their bucket lists on hyperdrive just to finish in time, while others are enjoying multiple ‘personal health days’ from work and school. This is logical because if the world really does end, their attendance will not be the most pressing matter facing the universe.

The Turkey population is steadily rising this month after November’s steep plummet. These feathered friends can look forward to eleven months of peace, until next year’s traditional reaping. By that time they will most likely have forgotten about this year’s massacre, and will therefore be, yet again, caught off guard. Turkeys’ memory spans, on average, are no longer than a few days.

Energy bills have spiked this month, as they usually do. This is due to sizeable increases in decorative lights, heating systems, cookie baking contraptions (sometimes known as ovens), and inflatable yard decorations. As all of these energy drains are unavoidable and completely necessary, it would be wise to allow for more spending on energy bills in your December budget.

Solar energy is typically down in December. This is because December is the month with the least amount of daylight each year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is caused by daylight savings and the tilt of the earth’s axis. Conspiracy theorists even go so far as to suggest that it is an intricate plot orchestrated by oil companies to sabotage their competition. Coming from the people who suggest that Liz-ard-People run the world, it is at least worth considering.

The smoking population at CU is decreasing due to recent events. The Boulder campus reviewed a proposal made by the university’s student government and is seriously considering making CU a non-smoking campus. This is forcing many students to consider quitting, as if Boulder drivers weren’t agitated enough as it is.

6

Affording College: Tips on FAFSA and Other Aidby Charlie Light

In anticipation of the January 1st release of the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the counseling department

hosted “Navigating Financial Aid.” Monarch counselors Mary Power and Alex Cyr aided the main speaker of the night, Erick Aguirre of CU Boulder’s Office of Financial Aid. The FAFSA asks students and parents about their general information such as their address, a list of the colleges the student is applying to, student and parent income, untaxed income, and assets. While filling out the FAFSA can help stu-dents receive a considerable amount in aid, Aguirre advises to not count primarily on it for assistance. “Apply for as many scholarships as you can,” he said. “Federal aid is Plan B.” According to Aguirre, some of the best places to look for scholarships are local busi-nesses; civic, religious and non-profit orga-nizations; and essay contests. “There are so many places you should look for scholarships that you wouldn’t think to look,” said Aguirre. Aguirre advised students to submit scholarships as early as possible. He says many scholarships are given on a first-come, first-serve basis, so applying early increases a student’s chances of receiving assistance. Even for scholarships that aren’t first-come, first-serve, there is an advantage in apply-ing as soon as possible. “Get your materials together early in case there’s a hiccup.” Whether applying for aid or scholarships, the FAFSA is still a vital part to the financial aid process. “Lots of scholarships ask for your FAFSA, so fill it out anyway,” Aguirre said. He

also advises that students should always find out the aid they’re eligible for. “My recom-mendation is fill out the FAFSA; you never know what you’ll qualify for.” To fill it out, both the student and parent need to get a pin number from www.pin.ed.gov, then proceed to www.FAFSA.gov to fill out the application. Aguirre warned about many scam websites that offer to fill out the FAFSA on behalf of the student for a fee. “I promise you can fill it out on FAFSA.gov for free,” he said. Aguirre also advises families to not be hesitant about filling out the application. “Filling out the FAFSA does not obligate you to take out loans. It’s only to see what you qualify for.” Because many families will fill out the FAFSA before they file taxes for 2013, Aguirre says that parents should use their best estimates if they are unsure about their exact income. “Once taxes are filed for that year you can go back and update the information” by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which will link a family’s financial information from the IRS straight to the FAFSA organization. If a family realizes they made mistakes on the application after submitting, they can either log-on to fix them or contact the financial aid offices of the schools they are applying to.In addition to FAFSA, students in Col-orado are eligible for more govern-ment assistance. The College Oppor-tunity Fund sets aside $62 per credit hour for every Colorado resident

attending any public college in Colorado or one of three eligible private colleges (Colora-do Christian, Regis, and Denver). These funds are given automatically to every qualifying student that applies. In addition to FAFSA, students may be asked to fill out the CSS (College Scholarship Service) Profile, especially from competitive private schools. Power says it is “similar to FAFSA, it just digs deeper into your family’s finances.” Aguirre’s powerpoint presentation is available on the Monarch Counseling website, https://sites.google.com/site/monarchhigh-schoolcounseling/home. Students are also encouraged by counselors to use resources in the Post Grad Center, such as books on scholarships and counselors themselves.

interimSecurity Guard Helping aroundMonarch

by Anna Blanco

Have you noticed the new face occupy-ing the golf cart by the bus loop in the morning? Or the parking lot during

lunch? This is the face of Monarch’s tempo-rary security guard, Roxy Rivera. Rivera will be filling in for Jim Wilpot while he is out recovering from surgery. As soon as the administration was notified that Jim would be leaving, Assistant Principal Mark Sibley called the district and let them know that Monarch would need a temporary security guard. Then the district notified the temporary agency. Thus, Rivera was sent to fill in. “I started the week before Thanksgiving Break,” explained Rivera. There are two security jobs that take place outside that have to be taken care of. This is where Rivera comes in. “I have to make sure that there aren’t any parents trying to drive in where the buses go [before and after school], and I monitor the parking lot [during lunch],” said Rivera. At lunch Rivera checks off-cam-pus passes for students leaving during the day and makes sure that students park where they are supposed to. Monarch currently has two security guards. “The ideal would be three to four,” explained Assistant Principal Eric Moroye. Even though Monarch would like to have more than two security guards on the campus, it is not pos-sible at the moment due to the budget and scarce resources. “We manage very well with the two,” adds Moroye. The duties of the two security guards are generally split into indoor and outdoor. Rivera is usually stationed outside in the parking lot or by the bus loop, while Steve Abeyta, the other security guard, normally keeps an eye on security inside the building. But depend-ing on the day’s activities, the plans may be changed accordingly. The next time that you see Rivera in the golf cart patrolling the school grounds, or Steve around the building make sure you wave hello, and remember that Monarch is very fortunate to have people like this pro-tecting the school.

Rivera uses her golf cart to help do her job every day. (Photo credit: Anna Blanco)

Types of Aid:Self-Help:

-Work-study: students work jobs for the college. The jobs are specifically designed for

students at the college, so this isn’t a large hassle according to Aguirre.

-Federal Stafford loans: Loans taken out and paid back by students.

-Federal PLUS parent loans:Loans taken out and paid back by parents.

-Private Student or parent loansGift Aid:

-Scholarships-Grants (Need-based aid)

De-Coding the Fiscal Cliff

by Conner Lund

The fiscal cliff is one of the biggest issues in the United States, yet students simply don’t know the ramifications of this is-

sue, or even what it is. Here’s an explanation to clear any misconceptions. The fiscal cliff refers to the expiration of massive tax cuts created in the Bush era. This will create massive tax increases and spend-ing cuts after January first of 2013, unless Obama and the republican dominated Con-

gress can create an alternative plan. The name for this issue was created by the head of treasury, referring to

the “cliff we will fall off of” if the government does not create a new compromise. Right now, the democrats and republi-cans have very different stances on the issue, which makes compromise extremely difficult. President Obama’s proposed plan is to allow the middle and lower classes to keep the tax cuts they have had since introduced, while the wealthiest 2%, which is families making 250,000 dollars or more, will have to pay more in income tax. The Republican Party believes this will not work, and that taxing the wealthy is not an option because it will hurt our economy. They want to simply extend the tax plan, so everyone will still share the same

tax cuts they have had for the past years. This is because of the main republican plat-form on the economy. Republicans believe that the main solution to the economic recession is cutting spending in govern-ment programs. This is another huge issue surrounding the cliff. Would spending cuts or increased taxes benefit our economy more? If the two parties cannot come to an agreement on the issue before January 1st, then everyone in America will have to face severe tax increases. The democrats have said that this would be fine with them. The question is, is this simply a negotiation strategy to get republicans to compromise, or is it the truth? If the democrats are fine with going over, then it’s because of the massive spending cuts that would happen if the tax cuts are extended. The democrats believe that spending cuts are detrimental to the economy, and voice that tax increas-es would help our economy more than spending cuts. The republicans must provide a viable option soon, because they think that if the tax cuts expire, then everyone would have to pay more taxes to the government, which, in their opinion, would send our economy into a deep economic recession. A third option is to extend the tax cuts until 2014, so Obama and Congress can have more time to figure out the best option. This is a huge situation with disastrous consequences if Congress and Obama ei-ther choose wrong, or can’t agree with each other, then the taxpayers dollars and the economy is in peril.

(Photo credit: Drew Sheneman, MCT 2012)

Top ten study tips for finalsby Mia Mulvahill

Are you feeling stressed, flustered and all-around unprepared for the fast-ap-proaching final exams? Don’t freak out.

By following these tips, you should arrive at finals week with no worries!

1. Don’t procrastinate: Finals are stressful enough on their own without waiting until the last minute to study for them. If you only crack open your textbook on the night before the test, you will run into some serious problems. First, you may be surprised at how long the material takes to cover and run out of time to cover everything. Second, you won’t retain the information as well if you cram ev-erything into your brain in too short of a time.

2. Allow yourself time to get feedback and ask your teachers questions: This tip comes from Connie Williams, who can most often be found in the Monarch Forum: “If your test is an essay, make sure you get a practice essay written ahead of time, and then go in and have your teacher proofread it, so you can get feedback and fix the essay,” suggested Williams. This tip also applies for other subjects. If there’s a specific topic in any of your classes that you feel foggy about, ask your teacher for clarification. Teachers are there to help you, so make sure to take advantage of the time you have with them.

3. Take advantage of tutor time: Aside from the regular Wednesday morning tutor times leading up to finals, during the week of final exams, tutor time is offered every morning from 7:30-9:25 and again in the afternoon from 2:20-3:00. This is a great time to talk with teachers about any questions you may have, or just take some time to study in a quiet place.

4. Study in the same format as the test: “If your test is going to be an essay, write a little practice essay. And if, for a class like Spanish, you have an oral exam, then practice speaking,” said Williams. Practicing this way will help ingrain the information in your brain so you can access it later, during the test.

end of the worldCrazy superstition or harsh reality?

5. Take ad-vantage of extra credit opportuni-ties: Many teachers offer opportunities for extra credit right before final exams. Although studying for the exam should be your main priority, if you have enough extra time to complete these assignments they can really boost your grade. As a bonus, many extra credit assignments are review problems or packets that can help you study while gaining extra points on your test. If you don’t know if extra credit is offered in one of your classes, ask your teacher.

6. Organize your materials: “Read the study guide. Go through [your] notebooks and organize [them]. Anything that isn’t on the final you can recycle, but any kind of notes or resource/reference materials [you] have, [you] need to keep them in a neat packet,” said Williams. Not having to search through piles of papers should streamline thestudying process.

7. Use flashcards: Using flashcards, or any other methods like rewriting notes or taking practice quizzes, can help you remember the things you need to study. Also, by carrying flashcards around, you can turn any downtime in other classes into study time. For some people, the act of rewriting can help imprint the information in their brains.

8. Don’t just read your notes: According to Williams, only rereading notes, as opposed to really studying them, is a common mistake

students make. “It’s easy to read, but students need to study,” said Williams. While reading may be helpful for some, most people need to study the information in a more interactive way for the information to stick.

9. Eat a good breakfast: “Basically, foods are like pharmaceutical compounds,” said Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a physiological science professor at University of California, Los Angeles, according to an article on eHow, written by August McLaughlin. “You put all the studies together and I think there is no ques-tion that the function of the brain depends almost absolutely on the type of foods you eat.” According to Joy Bauer, nutrition expert for The Today Show, some of the best foods to eat are scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, oatmeal, a protein smoothie, or fruit, yogurt and granola.

10. Don’t over-stress: Finals may be im-portant, but they are not the end of the world. Sometimes stressing out can make you so nervous that you do worse on a test than you would have if you hadn’t been so stressed out. If you are properly prepared and try your best, you are on your way to success.

by Conner Lund

The Mayan calendar has predicted the end of the world down to the day: December 21st, 2012. Since then,

this myth has gained huge press, attract-ing the attention of the movie industry, which has made numerous movies about the end, the newest one being 2012. But this isn’t the first warning of the end of the world. Numerous organizations have predicted the end before, but none have come true. What do you believe? Monarch students voice their ideas on the demise of humanity:

“I believe the world will end, but not anytime soon. There’s no proof that it will end, and people have been wrong in the past.” Caden Feenstra, 9th grade

“I don’t think the world will end. Peo-ple have predicted it before and they were wrong, so how is this different?” Anna Bradford, 10th Grade

“The world won’t end, or at least not in December. They don’t have a scientific reason for it to end, so it’s all speculation.” Ethan Knight, 9th grade

“I think the world will end. The Mayan calendar predicted it, so it has to hap-pen. When it ends, I would want to find everyone I love and tell them my feelings, so I could die peacefully.” Seth Widner,

11th grade

Seniors Michael Maulsby, left, and Jack Shanahan, right, work on their math homework together in the library. (Photo Credit: Mia Mulvahill)

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Dreaming of FlyingWhy one Monarch student has chosen to join the military

said Hahm. Hahm has considered this career option since 8th grade. “I got introduced to the service academy at school in 8th grade, and since then I’ve been subscribing to their letters, [learning] more about it, researching what they do, [and] what I can do after the school. I still think it’s a great option for me.” While all the men in his family have served in the South Korean Army, Hahm sees his desire to have a challenging academic career as the true reason behind his decision. “It’s kind of in my blood, but it’s not because of [my family that] I’m joining, it’s because I have an intrin-sic desire to go to a service academy”. Hahm plans on having a career in the mil-itary for up to 20 years. “I’m thinking of going full out military career, if I do get accepted to a service academy”, said Hahm.

by Jack Howard

Monarch senior Chang dae Hahm has applied to various service academies including the United States Air Force

Academy and United States Military Acade-my at West Point with the hopes of having a military career lasting in excess of ten years. Hahm cites the Air Force as his most desired choice since the service academy is in Colo-rado and because he felt a personal connec-tion to the school at a summer seminar he attended. Hahm cites the moral, physical, and academic challenges that the U.S. service academies provide as incentives for him to attend these schools. Hahm’s future career as an officer upon graduation is also an incen-tive, providing a platform where he can serve his country. “I think it’d be an honor to serve my country as well as honor my desire to have an excellent academic education in college,”

(Mark Crosse/Fresno Bee/MCT)

(Photo Credit: Jack Howard)

Howling about the holidays

8 Fun Facts About Hanukkah by Natalie Forman

1. The candles are put in the menorah from right to left, but lit from left to right to honor the newest candle first.

2. There is no correct spelling of Hanukkah. Common forms are: Hanukah, Hannukah, or Chanukah.

3. The word Hanukkah means dedication.

4. The four letters on the dreidel make up the phrase a “great mira-cle happened there”.

5. Chocolate coins, called gelt, are betting tokens in the spinning top game of Dreidel.

8. Fried foods such as latkes and jelly-filled donuts are popular to celebrate the oil that burned for eight days.

6. The middle raised candle on the menorah is called the shamus and is used to light the other candles.

7. Due to its close proxim-ity to Christ-mas, gifts are now a part of the Hanukkah tradition.

Seeing is believing

When high schoolers stopped trusting in the magic of Santa Claus

by Ellie Oliver

Grace Clark-Rabinowitz (12): I think I was eight or nine and I went into the basement and it was about two weeks before Christmas and I really, really, really wanted a piano. So I went downstairs and I saw a piano and that was when I definitely realized Santa wasn’t real and

my parents bought me the presents. I was just so excited that I was getting the piano that I really didn’t care much and to this day my parents still keep up the charade of Santa Claus and they still call them Santa presents.

Rachel Vidak (11): My mom still won’t tell me that Santa Claus doesn’t exist and she still wants to hold on to the “magic makes dreams come true,” that kind of thing. I think I made her cry once because I was like, “Mom, he’s not real.” But I have a sister, she’s six years older than me, and it was one of those things Christmas morning she’d be like, “Santa” all sarcastically and that kind of stuff. She obviously knew since she was older and I was like, “Wait, is he not real?” at a young age there was something in the back of my mind because of that I was like yeah, he’s not real. I’m a very factual person so definitely toward fifth grade I was like,

“That is physically impossible. That is not going to happen ever” and then sixth grade it was completely out because sixth grade is when everyone found out he wasn’t real, at least at my school. So sixth grade is when you just knew that he wasn’t real. No denying it.

Erik Senteno (12): I found out Santa wasn’t real in third grade. I sort of had a suspicion. I had a lot of questions and [my parents] didn’t have a lot of answers. So I kind of put it together. My parents stopped trying to enforce it when I started asking the right questions.

My parents were not sneaky enough.

AJ Biffl (9): I was like eight. I was walking into my mom’s room and I was looking for something. But I opened up her closet and on the floor there were these boxes and they were wrapped in wrapping pa-per and they had these little labeling cards on them. They said to either AJ or to Natalie, which is my sister, and they said ‘from Santa Claus’. Then I was like, wait,

these don’t actually come from Santa Claus they come from my mom’s closet? No! They come from my mom! Oh no! But I still pretend to believe in Santa.

Ringing in the new yearby Katie Berohn

5... 4... 3... 2... 1! When the ball drops in Times Square this year at exactly 12 AM on New Year’s day, there’s sure to

be hugging, kissing, crying, and the clinking of glasses. After the initial madness, there’s always the question: what’s your New Year’s resolution? Monarch students and teachers weigh in about the ways they plan to improve their lives in 2013.

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

“To be on the basketball team.” -Brian Su

“To be more focused and effi-cient with schoolwork.” -Brady Mills

“To learn how to snowboard and be Christian Barr’s girlfriend.” -Bree Emma

“To never have a girlfriend.” -Christian Barr

“To learn more about fashion.” -Drew Turner

“To get a snowboard scholar-ship.” -Carl Holdt, senior“To be nicer.” -John Pham

“To make a New Year’s resolu-tion.” -Melissa Duplechin

Ella Stephens (11): I was probably seven or eight years old when I stopped believ-ing in Santa Claus. I asked my mom if the Easter Bunny was real, she said no, and after that the Tooth Fairy and Santa just went out the window.

make your own holiday gifts

by Tori Ganahl

The holiday season is a time for giving, which people interpret as buying (sometimes expensive) gifts for loved ones and friends. High school students usually aren’t swimming in money, most of them without jobs and without a consistent amount of cash flow. So how do you please your friends and family with little to no money? Do-it-yourself gifts!

Homemade Bath Crayons

What You’ll Need: -Glycerin soap ($20 at Hob-by Lobby)-Food Coloring-A Microwave-*Optional* Oils to add scent

What To Do:1. Melt the glycerin soap in a microwave (use a micro-wavable bowl or dish).2. Add food coloring (and scents if you want to).3. Pour into a mold (ice cube trays are great!).4. Cool for an hour, pop out of the mold and voila, you have crayons!

Sparkle Starbucks Cup

What You’ll Need: -Clear Starbucks cold cup (Usu-ally $10 at Starbucks)-Glitter-Spray Glossy Finish

What To Do: 1. Remove the inside layer of the cup.*Steps 2-4 must happen quickly so the spray doesn’t dry before you insert the glitter!2. Spray the inside of the out-side layer with the spray glossy finish.3. Add a medium amount of loose glitter.4. Put a lid (just cardstock paper is fine) and shake the cup so the glitter spreads to where you just sprayed. Dump the excess glitter onto an appro-priate surface (the rest of the cardstock is a good option). 5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you’re happy with the amount of glitter in your cup.6. While everything is drying, put the inside layer back into the cup (make sure it fits and if it doesn’t, then just rub off glitter until it does). 7. Spray an even layer of the spray glossy finish on the glitter (this will seal it so it won’t

Lego Belts

What You’ll Need: LegosBelt with flat belt buckleSticker Foam PaperE-6000 or any type of hardware Super Glue

What To Do:1. Design the Legos in a the way you want them to be on the belt (make sure it will fit the format of the belt).2. Trace the Lego piece onto the foam paper and cut it out. 3. Stick the back of the Lego to the sticky side of the foam. Then use E-6000 to stick the non-sticky side of foam to the belt. Let it dry overnight and then you have a snazzy Lego Belt!

Custom Mugs

-What You’ll Need: -Mug-Sharpies of any color

What To Do: 1. Draw or write WHATEV-ER you want on your mug.2. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Let it cool in the oven before removing, it’ll be very hot!)

Yummy Dog Treats (for cats too!)

What You’ll Need:-two cups 100% organic whole wheat flour-two jars of pureed baby food (4 oz - make sure there is NO ONION OR ONION POWDER!)-Parchment paper and cookie sheet

What To Do:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Mix ingredients together to make a firm dough and then roll it out so it is about ¼ inch thick (cut into cool shapes like dog bones and toys with any type of cookie cutter or knife). 3. Place on parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes.

FOR FRIENDS OR SIBLINGS

fall off later). Make sure to not get any of the spray or glitter on the outside!*Splitting Step 7 into a few sections is more effective. 8. Let it dry and you have a fashionable starbucks cup! (Glitter may fall out when you wash it, but not to worry... That’s normal!)

FOR BELOVED PETS

FOR ADULTS

FOR YOUNG KIDS

icon by Natalie Forman

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Juniors Christian Barr, right, and Bree Emma, left, have very diff erent ideas about the future of their relationship. (Photo Credit: Katie Berohn)

(MCT 2011)

(MCT)

(Wikimedia Commons)

(MCT)

(Wikimedia Commons)

artsANDentertainmentDOUBLE TAKEStudents that look like celebrities

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Who do people say you look like? They tell me that I look like Jet Li.Why do you think people say that? We have similar eyes.What is your favorite Kung Fu movie? The back kick, the back kick [gives off a lot] of force, especially when hitting with the balls of the feet.How do you feel about being compared to him? When I look in the mirror I see Changdae, I don’t see Jet Li.What other similar traits do you have? Really he tries to work for the good of the people. I am all about service, I want to serve people.If there was a Kung Fu move named after you, what would it be called? The AppleDo you like Jet Li? Yes, I do like Jet Li. His appearance in The Expendables is awesome.

by Natalie Forman

changdae hahm/JET LI

Natalie rudd/anne hathaway

(Photo credit: Natalie Forman)

(Photo credit: Natalie Forman) (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

(Eugene Garcia/Orange County Register/MCT)

Who do people say you look like? Everyone always says that I look like Anne Hathaway or Miranda Cosgrove from iCarly.Why do you think people say that? I’m pale and I have dark hair. I see Anne Hathaway more [than Miranda Cosgrove] because we have the same jaw structure and the same nose.Do you like these actresses? Yeah, I have like the biggest woman crush on Anne Hathaway. Which sounds kind of conceited because people say I look like her, but I just think that she is really talented and I love her movies.What is your favorite movie they have been in? For Anne Hathaway , Devil Wears Prada. But, Les Miserables is coming out soon and that will probably top it.

maggie fuller /kate hudson

(Photo credit: Natalie Forman) (Photo credit: MCT Campus)

Who do people say you look like? Kate Hudson, I really don’t see it.Why do you think people say that? We both have blonde hair and we kind of both have the same personality as well. I think we are both strong individuals.Do you like being compared to her? I am okay with that because she is pretty.Do you ever get tired of being compared to her? No, I just get it a lot.

KEEGAN DAVIS/JOSH HUTCHERSON

(Photo credit: Natalie Forman) (Lionel Hahn/Abaca Press/MCT)

Who do people say you look like? I guess Josh Hutcherson. I have been compared to Taylor Lautner too for some reason.Why do you think people say that? Dark hair I guess.Do you like being compared to them? Yah, it’s a pretty good compliment.Do you ever get tired of being compared to him? Not really, it’s a compliment.

JACOB OLIGSCHLAEGER/airEdale TERRIER

(Photo credit: Natalie Forman) (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

What do people say you look like? They say I look like an Airedale.Why do you think people say that? Because I have curly hair and a long face.Do you like being compared to them? I don’t mind it.Have you ever met an Airedale Terrier? I have seen one, at a Frisbee game a [team mate] said I looked like one.

WINTER ACTIVITIES THAT SUIT YOUTake this quiz to see the best way for you to have fun this winter!

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by Natalie Forman and Arika Rooney

nontraditional holiday traditionsStudents share their personal spin on the holidaysby Olivia Coleman

With Winter Break coming up, although it’s a time off from school, many people celebrate different holidays and follow traditions. Whether they are fun things with friends or a meaningful time with families, everyone has somewhat of a tradition around the holiday season. Because of all the diversity at Monarch, there is a wide range of holidays that the students cele-brate. “Every year I have a latke party at my house”, said Jacob Oligschlae-ger, “All my friends like eating latkes so we decided to just have a party.” Like Oligschlaeger, junior Marisa Sobczak also celebrates Hanukkah, but has a different tradition when

it comes to friends. “I celebrate ‘Friend Christmas’ with my friends,” explained Sobczak. “They said, ‘have you ever celebrated Christ-mas?’ and I said no and they said, “Well that’s a bummer,” so we start-ed celebrating all together.” As important as friends are around the holiday time, the best people to surround yourself with are members of your family. “We read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and drink egg nog by the Christmas tree on Christmas eve,” said senior Emma McConville. Mackenzie Bloom also shared a fun tradition. “Every Christmas Eve we order pizza, build a fort, and we all sleep in the fort. We stopped cel-ebrating Christmas at my Grandpa’s house when my family got too big. So me, my brother, and my sister wanted to make up our own tradi-

tion so we started building a fort out of sheets every year. Although win-ter break might be focused a lot around holidays, there’s always other fun win-ter activities people partake in. “I love going ice skating with my friends,” Bloom said. “I guess just spend-ing time with family,” Sobczak said when asked about her fa-vorite break activities. With Winter Break approaching, it’s that time to start thinking about what traditions you might have and

(Graphic by Katie Berohn)

preparing for those. Winter Break is all about spending time with the people who mean the most of you, so make the most out of it!

CARTOON CORNER: FRAT CAT by Jack Howard

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JANUARY HOROSCOPESAstrologist in residence: Narcissa LunaAfter waking up one day, I, Narcissa, felt that I had obtained all the knowledge of the stars that I could ever need, despite the fact that I have never read a single book or taken a single class on anything space-related. My calculations are taken simply through observation, intuition and a small bit of guessing. Enjoy.

Capricorn: (December 22-January 19)Make sure to bundle up this month, Capricorn! The chilly winds of the western dream stars bring chronic frostbite in the fingers for you this January.

Although it may impair your texting abilities, it is only temporary. Mittens will serve you well during this frigid period.

Aquarius: (January 20-Febru-ary 18)As an Aquarius you tend to be very emotional, and January will elevate your sensitivity to a whole new level. The color orange will make you especially teary-eyed

this month, and any type of poultry could push you into a fit of rage.

Pisces: (February 19-March 20)For you Pisces, this month will bring you nothing but smiles... literally. As the tides begin to flow backwards in early January, your facial muscles will tighten up until you’re practically in full rigor! So

just sit back, whiten your teeth, and enjoy the month!

Aries: (March 21-April 19)Keep your purse closed in January, Aries. Your urge to gamble may get the best of you as the silver dollar moon circles your aura. Slot machines and street games may especially draw your eye, so be-

ware, because as soon as you place your bets, you will lose all your money.

Taurus: (April 20-May 20)Taurus tend to be incredibly stubborn, but this month you will find yourself as soft as a freshly-blow-dried kitten. All month, you will be at the mercy of others’ suggestions. Choose your com-

panions wisely, or you may find yourself in a quite sticky situation.

Gemini: (May 21-June 20)This month, your attractiveness will be at an all time high! As the voluptuous moon of Mars enters your orbit, you will become irresistible to the mate of your choosing. With a simple bat of

your eyelashes and a flip of your hair, the world will be at your feet. You lucky dog, you!

Cancer: (June 21-July 22)I see love in your future, Cancer. However, fate has decided your love interest this month. The kid in the back left corner of your math class and you will fall hopelessly in this month.Whether

that is a good thing or a bad thing, the spell will be broken at midnight on January 31st.

Leo: (July 23-August 22)January will be a month of am-nesia for you as the fogs of Pluto intensify. Reminders on sticky notes and helpful friends should be valued this month as you walk around in a daze of confusion.

Where are your keys, Leo?

Virgo: (August 23-September 22)Your creative juices should be flowing at a rapid pace this month. Put them to good use and redecorate a friend’s bed-room without their permission!

With the rainbow moon of Venus orbiting back-wards, your surprise renovation should make them ecstatic!

Libra: (September 23 -Octo-ber 22)Unfortunately, this month is looking bleak for you, Libra, literally. Due to the shifting of the sun’s rays in January, your ability to see colors will vanish! I highly suggest avoiding

driving through stop lights this month as well as purchasing any new outfits- no one looks good in puke-green pants.

Scorpio: (October 23-Novem-ber 21)Take a spontaneous trip this month, Scorpio! Experiencing new foods, people, and places are a great way to start the new year. However, if you fly, your

plane will experience technical difficulties, so stick to safer transportation like kayaks, rollerblades, and unicycles.

Sagittarius: (November 22-December 21)January will bring an unquench-able craving for avocados for you, Sagittarius. So stock up on chips for the coming month, and pile them high with gua-camole!

DALTON’S CINEMASPOT: HITCHCOCKby Dalton Valette

PG-13, 98 minutesStarring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson3.5/ 5 Stars

First and foremost, this is basically a period set romance film that just so happens to be between the famed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock (Hopkins) and his wife Alma (Mirren.) This romance takes place in 1960 when Hitch is trying to make the movie Psycho, a movie that executives at the time predicted would be a flop and would ruin Hitchcock. Adding onto the pressures of making Psycho, the Master of Suspense also struggles to reconcile a long lost passion he once felt towards his wife. The majority of the film is enjoyable, with excellent acting from the entire cast. Hopkins, as he usually does, steals the show in the titular role. The chemistry between Hopkins and Mirren is great, old pros doing a fine job of setting the mood that shows despite their differences, Alfred and Alma balance each other out. The story is simple and easy to follow and watch which can make for a relaxing viewing. However, I wish that more time of this movie was spent on the actual set of Psycho. There was a lot of potential at the beginning of the movie with meeting famous 1960’s celebrities, but then the excitement slowly fizzled out as hardly any of the film is spent seeing the filmmaking of Psycho. Plus, throughout the movie, Hitchcock converses with the spirit of serial killer Ed Gein, the inspiration for Psycho, and all these scenes are very bizarre and could have been excluded from the rest of the film since they don’t add to anything in particular. But, overall this was a fairly satisfying film. Hitchcock is enjoyable, but could have been more so.

Sports

13

O-Line an anchOr in 2012 state titLe rundiscipline, leadership prove invaluable to Coyote squadby Charlie Light

The Monarch football team’s offense has never been conventional. Monarch’s backs carried the ball more often than any other high school team in the state (679

attempts). The dominant rushing attack helped the Coyotes to their first state championship in ten years, but the running game also had its own help. The Coyotes’ seven-member offensive line was an anchor of the team and helped make the difference this year for Monarch. “I almost feel the offensive-line leads the team,” said senior guard Levi Ensign. “All but one of us are returning starters. Four captains are linemen. I think that speaks to the kind of linemen we have.” Six of the seven linemen were seniors: tight ends Andrew Dorsey and Conor Fitzgerald, guards Ensign and Henry Oliver, and tackles Josh Hurst and Austin Beswick. Center Logan Shapiro was the sole junior. The most important quality the line’s leadership brought was discipline. Talk to any of these players and they’ll repeat-edly emphasize their dedication to perfection. ““We follow our blocking principles and we just practice it so much that we’ve got it down,” said Shapiro. “We execute well because we’re so disciplined.” Unlike conventional offenses, Monarch’s line has one play that it runs virtually all the time. “We can run that one play with our eyes closed,” said Ensign. In a regular pass offense, linemen have to drop back to protect the quarterback. In a run-oriented offense, the line-men can fire right off the line and carry their momentum to hit the defensive players, which makes Monarch’s run-only style a perfect fit for the starting linemen. “We’re not that big. If we went anywhere else we wouldn’t be as good,” said Oliver. To be successful despite their lacking size, Oliver says his team-mates can “hit [opponents] in the hip. We can just fire off and be aggressive.” Because of this, Ensign said, “size doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.” Because the opposing defense basically knew the run was coming against Monarch, the team had to rely much more heavily on their linemen than other teams. “Other offenses, if they miss a block they can still get a pass off, but without us [our offense] really can’t do anything,” said Ensign. Even with a dominant offensive line, Monarch’s success still had alot to do with the powerful Ethan Marks and the speedy Logan Soole in the backfield. Ensign says that when the line missed a block, the running backs could compensate and still manage a sizeable gain. “Ethan’s going to have to

From left to right: TE Conor Fitzgerald, OT Josh Hurst, G Levi Ensign, C Logan Shapiro, G Henry Oliver, OT Austin Beswick, and TE Andrew dorsey pose with 4A State Championship trophy following their 17-14 victory over denver South on december 1st, 2012 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Photo courtesy of MoHi T.d.C.

From left to right: G Levi Ensign, C Logan Shapiro, QB Cole Watson, G Henry Oliver, OT Austin Beswick, and TE Andrew dorsey huddle around head coach Phil Bravo on the sideline during Monarch’s 4A State Championship victory on december 1st. Photo credit: david Andrews

make a move or run someone over,” he said. The line also gives a lot of credit to senior quarterback Cole Watson. “Cole’s one of the best quarterbacks Monarch’s had in awhile. He’s big, he can block, and he can pass.” Beswick attributes much of the offensive line’s, and as an

extension the team’s, success to the closeness of the team. “Off the field we’re probably the tightest line in the state of Colorado,” he said. “It’s probably why we’ve had so much success, because we hold each other accountable.”

14

Carving turns

in obsCurityPeskind, Trenka take skiing careers to next level

Jordan Eisler: a true CatamountEisler to continue career at University of Vermont

by Joy Wineman

One does not have to look farther than a two hour drive from Louisville for pristine ski slopes. It’s only logical that many students ski recreationally, but what options

are there for those students who want to take it to the next level? Junior Nick Peskind asked this question of himself two years ago before he joined the BVSD ski team. “We practice two or three times a week [at Eldora], and we get to leave school at two o’clock, so that’s pretty cool, and then there’s a race every Friday where you miss the whole day,” said Peskind of his rigorous skiing schedule. Peskind feels that even though skiing is a big commitment, it is more than worthy of his time. The team competes in giant slalom and slalom skiing. Peskind describes these types of racing as “going through a bunch of gates down the hill. Giant slalom is much faster...and then slalom is a series of quick turns.” Giant slalom is also much more downhill than slalom skiing. Peskind skied for upwards of a decade of his life prior to joining the team, but is glad he decided to join because he describes the BVSD ski team as “ [a cool way] to meet kids from a bunch of different schools because it’s not just the Monarch team, it’s the Nederland team, so there’s kids from Nederland High School, Boulder High, and Fairview, and a couple other schools.” While he is not on the ski team, freshman Michael Trenka was able to step up his game on the slopes by participating in Winter Park’s Volunteer Junior Ski Patrol program. This is

by Bridget Anthony

On November 14th 2012, at 2:30 pm, senior Jordan Eisler signed a contract to the University of Vermont agreeing to play basketball for their team after she

graduates high school. She has been playing basketball for as long as she can remember and still truly loves the game. She is very enthusiastic about continuing to do something that she enjoys every day. “[My parents] put me in a ton of sports and basketball just ended up being my passion,” said Eisler. “I’ll be sitting in class and I just want to dribble a basketball. I love everything about the game.” Eisler transferred to Monarch from Legacy High School for her junior and senior years of high school and her coaches and teammates at Monarch could not have been more thrilled. “I think she has been a really nice addition to our program. It’s hard to come in as a transfer student because you don’t know how you are going to fit in or how your teammates are going to take you, and I think she is a very coachable kid with a great basketball IQ,” said Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Gail Hook of Eisler. Eisler also made a very positive impression on her teammates as well. Sophomore and teammate forward Kelly O’Flannigan said, “She plays at a fast pace and it is fun to fast break with her because if I am running hard, she is going to reward me for it.” While Eisler has been a positive impact on the team, she admits that the team has had the same impact on her, “Coaches and teammates have a huge effect on your men-tality, but I have amazing teammates so that’s not really an issue for me.” When asked if she was enjoying Monarch more than Legacy, she immediately responded that she is “so much happier it is unbelievable.” Her skill is not her only contribution to the team, her atti-tude and intensity have seemingly rubbed off on her team-mates. “She really wants to win and has a huge passion for the game,” said sophomore guard Raegen Rohn. Coach Hook agreed, “In the point guard position, I think she’s got a really good steady demeanor. I don’t see her getting flustered or too overly emotional. I think she has a calming effect for the team.” What can we expect from Eisler in the future? “Nothing but great things”, said junior guard teammate Lauren Mendicino. “She is really smart too. I think she could play professionally or do something in a different field.”

When Eisler was asked the same question, she said that academics have always come first in her family. “I want to do physical therapy,” said Eisler, “but I am really nervous. Going to high school and being a freshman is completely different than going to college and being a freshman because you are on your own and it is scary.” In just one year at Monarch High School Eisler has made a positive impact on the school and has proved that she can accomplish almost anything she sets her mind to. “There are things I saw her do out on the court last year that truly

There is an air of uncertainty surrounding the team as Eisler has discovered she has a mid-foot sprain and has to immobilize her foot for at least four weeks. The starting guard will miss around 5 games in her time out. Photo credit: Kristen Anthony

Eisler: By the Numbers

a program where young skiers aid the resort staff in tasks ranging from teaching lessons to upkeeping the facilities. Similarly to Peskind, Trenka has skied ever since he could walk and while he doesn’t have twice weekly practices, he does get on the mountain forty to fifty days per season. He even said he’ll squeeze in some time on the mountain on school days “if there is a lot of snow.” He spends those days mogul, freestyle, and park skiing, of which mogul is his favorite due to “just the feel

of going down the hill”, said Trenka. Mogul skiing consists of molded mounds of snow located uniformly down the slope such that the racer must maneuver between them. Freestyle skiing encompasses ski-cross, halfpipe, and slopestyle. The Olympic principles for this classification are very similar to those of BMX and inline skating. Lastly, park skiing is much more stunt-oriented and involves many apparatuses such as boxes and rails. He said spending so much time skiing is worth it to him because it involves spending time with his family and friends, as they are skiers as well. Trenka’s long term aspiration with skiing is to he-li-ski. Heli-skiing involves the skier accessing unchart-ed, ungroomed, off-trail slopes by helicopter rather than with a ski lift. In the meantime, Trenka competes in mogul freestyle skiing at Winter Park. Last winter, Trenka took second in a mogul freestyle competition. He described the premise of the competition as “where you went down, hit a jump, and then you go down another [set] of moguls, hit another jump, and then you finish”. Trenka said he would have been willing to join the BVSD ski team, had he known about it. Just like Trenka, many Monarch students are unaware of the ski team’s existence, probably because its members spend more time on the mountain than they do at school, at least from November to January.

There is no denying that skiing is a hefty time commitment, how-ever, it seems to pay off tenfold in relationships, experiences, and general fun. Trenka and Peskind testify to this, so for student skiers looking to ski at higher levels while meeting new people, it seems that the BVSD ski team could be a good option.

Junior Nick Peskind (left) and freshman Michael Trenka (right) have both taken their skiing careers to the next level. Peskind races on the B.V.S.D. ski team while Trenka competes in mogul freestyle skiing at Winter Park. Photo courtesy of Jack Rivolta, NYC Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project

6.6points per game

37.392 pt. field goal percentage

30.773 pt. field goal percentage

483 pt. field goals attempted, only se-nior Alexus Johnson attempted more (57)

88steals, highest on the team

2blocks

22-6Overall record on the season for the Coy-otes. The team lost to Legacy 58-51 in the 5A state champi-onship game

80assists

The iconic Rocky theme song reminds me of the first time I watched the movie, when I was 12. The image of Rocky Balboa jogging through the streets of

Philadelphia to the unforgettable Rocky theme music gets my blood pumping to this day. I felt a strong connection, as many do, to the underdog story of Rocky Balboa. Bal-boa’s main talent is his tenacity and will to win. He is not a physical beast nor extremely intelligent. He is an archetypal underrated, underappreciated athlete. When renowned heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia for an exhibition fight Balboa is suggest-ed as someone for Creed to fight as he is a “nobody,” an easy victory. The fight is Balboa’s one chance at fame and success. His family doubts him and doesn’t even want him to continue fighting. Rocky knows that despite his previous struggles as an amateur fighter, he truly is a champion. A relatively unsuccessful boxer up until this point, Balboa seizes the chance at making something of himself, and pulls off a split decision in the fight with Creed. Bloody and battered after 15 rounds of tolling fighting, Balboa raises his arms in triump and calls out for his girlfriend, Adrian.

The movie ends, not with Rocky as a champion but as someone who followed his dream and by some miracle of

tenacity and perseverance survived against a world heavyweight champion. I find the movie so inspirational because Rocky is following his dream for himself, and himself only. Despite his incredibly long odds Balboa pulls off the unthinkable in the fight. Rocky’s ultimate underdog status and consequent success really puts this one at the top of the list. Hearing those distinc-tive trumpets play at the start of the Rocky theme song makes me want to wake up early in the morning, throw back a raw egg, go running, throw some jabs at the air, and fight someone

Opinions differ on Will Ferrell as an actor, but regard-less of how much you like Will Ferrell, it’s hard to ar-gue that Blades of Glory is not a hilarious movie. It’s

not family friendly humor, but Jon Heder and Will Ferrell provide countless hysterical moments as a figure skating pair that really hate each other at first. Ferrell plays Chazz Michael Michaels, a haughty self-cen-tered showman, and Jon Heder plays Jimmy MacElroy, an orphan who was adopted by a billionaire champion-maker, Darren MacElroy. Formerly bitter rivals in the figure skating world, the two team up after being exiled from the sport for brawling on national television. The pair manage to win the World Championship de-spite their conniving competition Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) and their sister Katie Van Waldenberg (Jenna Fischer.) The hilarity of the movie arises from one to one interac-tion between Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy. As the older and more vulgar of the two Michael Michaels embarasses MacElroy with his crude jokes and constantly

says things that are so idiotic they seem funny. For exam- ple, as they leave a competition in Denver he shouts, “I love

you Denver, city by the bay!” or when talking about his favorite comb, made of whalebone, he says “I love this brush more than a human child.” Overall the humor is rather crude and childish in Blades of Glory, and if you’re looking for complex humor you’re not going to find it here, or in any other Will Ferrell movie. Bottom line though, Blades of Glory provides countless hilarious moments and is off the charts funny.

15

Best Of the Best: spOrts MOviesby David Andrews

Sports movies hold the unique power of conveying deeper messages about life through the lens of unforgettable stories

that travel far beyond the court, rink, race track, or field. Sports are emotional, and a great sports movie channels this raw energy of sports onto the screen. They transport the watcher into the movie, making their heart

race, making them cry, and occasionally making them laugh to the point of tears. I have seen many sports movies in my life and I have created four categories to rank my all-time favorites. Not only did I enjoy the action and actual sports in these movies, but their heartwarming, inspirational, and sometimes hilarious plot lines reminded me of the adversity people are capable of overcoming. Watching the characters in these

Overall Quality

Best Comedymost inspirational rocky Blades of Glory

remember the titans

Remember the Titans is the perfect example of a movie that conveys a deeper message through the telling of

an inspirational story. Remember the Titans also succeeds in creating dynamic, interest-ing characters and portrays the raw emotion behind sports that I love so much. The story follows the desegregation of T.C Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia and is based on real events. Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to coach alongside a local coaching legend Bill Yoast (Will Patton). Yoast and Boone experience tension at first as Boone is black and Yoast is white. However, together the two mold a band of brothers on the football team through team bonding exercises and shared physical pain at summer football practices. Once the team returns to reality and the normal world at the beginning of the school year they see that racial prejudices are still alive and well in their town and high school. Boone is notified that he can’t lose one game

or he will be fired by the largely white athletic department at the school. Boone’s team trav-els to the championship game without losing, a feat in itself. Boone’s assistant Bill Yoast is offered a spot in the High School Football Hall of Fame if the team loses and Boone is fired. In the semifinal game the refs are being obviously unfair and Yoast threatens to expose the scandal if they do not start calling the game fairly, sacrificing his own well being for the good of his now-friend Boone, and team. To further the drama involved after the semifinal win, team leader, Gerry Bertier is in a car accident and is hospitalized for the state championship game. All of the players on the team rally around him and go on to win the state championship in dramatic fashion. They inspire their entire town and act as a model of racial cooperation and equality. While I loved the storyline and Denzel Washington was excellent as always, it is the individual characters that make this movie

movies struggle with their own shortcomings and adversity gives me perspective on how insignificant my struggles really are. I draw strength from the extraordinary feats of the characters in these movies. My challenges pale in comparison to the obsta-cles that N.F.L. offensive lineman Michael Oher overcame, for example. Having to stay up late to study is quite pathetic compared to overcoming homelessness and a crack-ad-

dicted mother on your way to the N.F.L. While most genres of movies attempt to detach their viewer from reality and provide an escape, sports movies act to heighten our awareness of our world and through their characters provide inspiration for the every-day person.

great. At first the steely Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) hates Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) just because Campbell happens to be black and Bertier is white. By the end of summer training camp the two have bonded and act as an example for the rest of the team. The gigantic lineman Louie Lastik (Ethan Suplee) provides comic relief on many occasions trying to assimilate into his teammate’s black culture. By the end of the movie you can’t help but root for the team

Honorable Mentions: We Are Marshall, Invincible, The Blind Side, Soul Surfer, Glory Road

Honorable Mentions: Talladega Nights, Caddyshack, Kicking and Screaming, Dodgeball, Hot Rod

Honorable Mentions: Field of Dreams, Seabiscuit, Hoosiers, Chariots of Fire

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International

Photo courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Production Company

Photo courtesy of Dreamworks S.K.G.

16

Howler Staff

Print Editor-in-Chief Aleiya EvisonOnline Editor-in-Chief Charlie LightOpinions Will PetersenNews Bridget AnthonyFeatures Katie CiagloArts and Entertainment Katie Berohn Sports David AndrewsCopy Mia MulvahillBusiness Tyler DebordReporters Anna Blanco Olivia Coleman Natalie Forman Tori Ganahl Jack Howard Ashley Litoff Conner Lund Ellie Oliver Christina Rodie Arika Rooney Dalton Valette Joy WinemanAdvisor Bonnie Katzive

The Howler strives to inform, educate, and entertain the student body of Monarch High School as a monthly student-produced newspaper and open forum for student free expression. The paper will also provide a forum for community opinions.

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