ISSUE 4

IS THIS THE END?

The CatalystVolume 17, Issue 4

December, 2012

1102 Wildcat Ave.

Fruita, CO 81521

Fruita Monument

High School

News Pg. # 3

Amendment 64The afterthoughts of passing Amendment 64.

A&E Pg. # 5

HoroscopesWhat will be happening to you this month?

Winter-wonder brandsYour favorite winter clothing brands.

Managing Editors: Alyssa Urban and Jennifer Robinson. News Editor

and Business Mannager: Keaton Brown. Commentary Editor: Taylor

Scoield. Features Editor: Alyssa Urban. Sports Editor: Eden Laase.

Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jennifer Robinson. Photography Edi-

tor: Madison Wittman. Reporters: Kate Andersen, Adrienne Chiapuzio,

Megan Corisdeo, Taylor Eatwell, Sydni Hart, Randy Hurshman, Melissa

Murphy, Josephene Owens and Brionna Sonnier.

Staff Adviser: Trent Wuster [email protected] (970) 254-7280

The Catalyst is a publication of Fruita Monument

High School, 1102 Wildcat Avenue, Fruita, Colorado. The

Catalyst is published twice per quarter and is distributed

free to Fruita Monument High School students and staff.

Advertising rates and deadlines are available via e-mail at

[email protected].

Content of the student newspaper is an expression

of 1st amendment freedom of speech and press rights and do

not represent the position or policies of Mesa County School

District #51 or of Fruita Monument High School’s adminis-

tration or staff.

As stated in School Board policy, school-spon-

sored publications are a public forum for students as well as

an educational activity through which students can

gain experience in reporting, writing, editing and

more in the effort to promote responsible journalism.

Content of school publications may relect all areas of student interest, which may include topics about

which there may be dissent or controversy.

Comments, questions, suggestions, or

letters to the editor are welcome. Unsigned editorials

will not be printed. Letters may be edited for length

and grammar.

Some material courtesy of American

Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High

School Newspaper Service.

The Catalyst Staf:

The FMHS climbing wall is open Tuesday-Thursday after school.

Hurricane Sandy

How an East Coast tragedy afected FMHS students

2013 FMHS seniors gather together for their class picture.

Commentary Pg. # 13

Is this the end?Thoughts on the end of the world.

Christmas in NovemberEarly decoration, shopping and celebration.

Features Pg. #8

SantaA better look at who Mesa Mall’s Santa is.

Christmas de-lightsA photo essay on the best light houses.

1 Million BonesHow FMHS students are contributing to a greater cause.

Life of a wrestlerThe dedication of FMHS wrestlers

Sports Pg. # 15

What mountains are made for

Reviews of Colorado ski slopes

In search of ice

Hockey players pursuing their passion

Photo courtesy of Landon McIntyre

Photo courtesy of Landon McIntyre

Cover photo credit to MCT campus.

To ind out more about “Is this the end?” visit pages 10-11.

Schools throughout the world

look for different ways to commu-

nicate through students and parents

using the 21st century technology.

Bob Corneille is friends with the

counselor at Palisade and got on

the subject of wanting to create an

app for FMHS like the one Palisade

already has ; that’s where the idea

came from.

The app should be available after

Christmas break for both students

and parents. It will be available to

all smart phones and users will be

able to do everything that can be

done on the school website.

“It will be another way to com-

municate with parents and students.

It will have everything you can ind on the school website and more,”

said Bob Corneille a counselor at

FMHS.

The app will do multiple things

to help keep students on track. It

will have the school calendar and all

upcoming events; this includes the

athletic schedule. It will also send

you push notiications to inform you of the events so you won’t forget.

“More people would use it

because it’s on a smart phone and

easier to access,” said Chris Mat-

lock a student at FMHS.

The app will also have an area

for the school newspaper. This

means you can ind the school newspaper and read it from your

phone. It will have a link directly

to the Catalyst website making ev-

erything available to you over your

phone or app device.

It’s going to have a photo gal-

lery also. All photos submitted will

have to go through the counseling

ofice to be approved, but once approved you can ind them on the app. This makes a great way to see

athletic events and other events

throughout the school. “This is

another way to communicate with

parents and students it will have all

upcoming events to help beneit the school to try to remind students to

go and support our school. It will

also have the photo gallery which

you can upload photos to me and

once approved can go on the photo

albums,” said Corneille.

This will also beneit parents be-

cause the parent newsletter will be

sent to it, and it gives you access to

Parent Bridge. It will have a speciic area for everything and will have a

link directly to Parent Bridge.

“All counselor information will

be available through the application;

anything you can ind in our ofice will be able to access on the app. It

will show when colleges are visiting

and days the counselors have set up

to help seniors and juniors prepare

for graduation,” said Corneille.

The app will beneit the school with its push notiications to remind students on and off campus when

events are or if something major is

going on.

“If there was a security problem

they can send out a notiication to all students letting them know what

they need to do,” said Corneille.

To help pay for the application,

counselors are approaching busi-

nesses and asking them to sponsor

the app which will get the com-

pany name advertised on the app.

The app is should be available to

download after Christmas break and

won’t cost anything.

Wildcat AppBy Josie Owens, Reporter

Photo by Madison Wittman

Rocky Mountain high just took

on a whole new meaning… On

November 6, 2012, Colorado vot-

ers decided to legalize the use of

marijuana.

Colorado has always been popu-

lar for skiing, the beautiful Rockies,

outdoor recreation, and now drug

recreation.

The use of marijuana or “pot”

has always been around illegally,

but now those 21 years and older

can freely smoke it… to a point that

is.

The law will state that one

can grow up to six plants in their

household, and can smoke up to one

ounce at a time. Use of marijuana

publically will remain illegal.

Federally the use of marijuana

is still illegal. It will be another six

months to a year before people can

legally use it because it has to be

passed and signed off federally. So

for now “pot” is still an illegal drug

in the state of Colorado.

“If you are caught smoking be-

fore the legalized date, you will be

caught, and you will be charged,”

Mesa County district attorney Pete

Hauzinger said on KJCT news 8.

Some opinions of the public are

still remaining optimistic about the

situation of marijuana use.

“I don’t see why people keep

making such a big deal out of it,

because it will stop underground

crime from occurring,” Nicolle

Moss, sophomore said.

“If people can stop sneaking it

around, I think our crime here in

Colorado will go down.”

According to Colorado polls, the

average age of voters who voted yes

to Amendment 64 were between the

ages of 18 and 28.

One reason given for voting for

it was that it would help get the

economy back on its feet. But there

was a separate part of the commu-

nity who saw it differently.

“The way I see it, the legaliza-

tion of marijuana will have no

positive effect on Colorado or the

economy,” Lindsey Cookson, junior

explained.

It is a natural plant that is

grown and then rolled up into what

is known as a “joint”, and then

smoked.

For those not aware of what

marijuana actually does, it is a feel-

ing described as getting high. It’s a

feeling that makes you lose control

of your senses and makes you feel

like your loating. “Getting high can’t be healthy,

it’s not a good thing,” Tristan Fre-

drickson, junior said. Because

so many people use it and believe

there is nothing wrong with it, sci-

entists and health oficials are on the hunt to ind any deadly side effects.

"Although the use of marijuana

is not harmless, the current knowl-

edge base does not support the

assertion that it has any notable

adverse public health impact in rela-

tion to mortality," Stephen Sidney

M.D. concluded. (Medical answers.

com)

Health oficials agreed that short term use is not terminally damag-

ing, but long term use is not healthy.

They say that just like chewing

tobacco, or smoking, marijuana is

an addiction that is not the healthi-

est decision to make.

“I haven’t seen any side effects

that are harmful to me,” classic

country singer Willie Nelson told

the Today Show.

An avid user for over twenty

years now, Nelson believes that it is

an enjoyable recreational activity.

Those that are avid users such as

Nelson don’t want to believe it is a

bad thing to do recreationally. But,

there are a large number of people

who are disgusted by Amendment

64.

“Smoking marijuana is a nasty

habit,” Cookson said.

Whether you like it or not,

the Amendment 64 in Colorado

has been passed and eventually,

marijuana will probably be legal to

smoke recreationally.

Ready or not, Colorado will

have to except the consequences of

Amendment 64. Rocky Mountain

high is about to get a whole lot

higher.

Rocky Mountain HighBy Melissa Murphy, Reporter

Photos courtesy of MCT Campus

December 2012

3The Catalyst

News

The Catalyst4News

December 2012

Sandy Slams East CoastBy Sydni Hart, Reporter

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Millions have been swept off

their feet along the East coast, lit-

erally and iguratively, by the mas-

sive hurricane Sandy. It’s damage has started to become clear, and the results have been devastating.

“We are looking at the highest

storm surges ever recorded,” said a meteorologist for a private forecast service. This storm is no doubt a storm for the record books.

It’s become the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km)). Losses such as damage and business inter-ruption have added up to be about $6.56 billion, making it the second most costly hurricane on the Atlan-

tic coast. The only hurricane more costly was Katrina.

Samantha Gardner, a sopho-

more, has a sister that lives in Boston. “When I irst heard about Sandy and how close it was to Boston I got really scared for my sister Erika and everyone up there. I was relieved when it didn’t hit Boston as badly as it could have!” she said.

“I lived in New York when I was little. It’s weird to think a lot of this has happened where I used to live,” said sophomore, Melaine Storheim.

46 people were killed in the

United States. 23 of them were in New York including eight of them in New York City. Six of them were from New Jersey, ive of them from Pennsylvania, two a piece in Maryland, Virginia, and

West Virginia, and one in both

North Carolina and Puerto Rico. 68 deaths were also reported in the Caribbean, said KUTV.

Three of the deaths were chil-dren, one only eight years old.

Many tourists, citizens, and even hospital patients were sent

to ind safety in the chaos of the hurricane.

“I really feel bad for those peo-

ple who have lost their homes and practically everything they have,”

said sophomore, Conner Harmon.Even before the hurricane made

land fall, the crashing waves de-

stroyed a 50 foot piece of Atlantic City’s world famous boardwalk. Skyscrapers leaned and creaked in the wind that mostly toppled a crane 74 feet above Midtown, according

to Hufington Post.6.6 million homes and business-

es, two-thirds being in New York and New Jersey, were left without electricity. The number of people that were left without heat, light, refrigeration, and transportation

were very likely much higher, said msnbc.com

More than 18,000 lights were cancelled in the days following the

hit of hurricane Sandy.New York University’s Tisch

Hospital had to evacuate 200 patients when the backup generator failed. Patients had to be evacuated from the hospital and carried down staircases to dozens of waiting am-

bulances. Among the patients were 20 babies in neonatal intensive care on battery powered respirators.

“Insured losses alone will run from $7 billion to $15 billion,” according to an estimate made by AIR Worldwide, a catastrophe mod-

eling irm.“It’s devastating to hear about

what’s happening over there. I don’t know what I’d do if I was stuck in a situation like that. I’m really glad we live in a place that doesn’t have to worry as much about big natu-

ral disasters,” said junior, Hailey Hinton.

People are recovering and damage is being repaired. The loss-

es this hurricane has caused though might be incalculable. There’s damage it’s caused inancially to the cities, and emotionally to the people who have lost loved ones in this

tragic event. It will be dificult for those

on the East coast who have been

knocked off their feet to stand back

up and gain back what they have lost.

As Christmas approaches people are becoming more and more frantic to inish their holiday shopping. Many of people got most of their shopping done on the biggest

shopping day of the year, Black

Friday. Millions of people around the nation crowded doors of malls and stores. Many people spend time prepping for this even and compete with each other to get into the store,

get everything they want and need

and get out. This year, Black Friday sales

reached $1.04 billion, besting last year's amount by 28 percent accord-

ing to the popular online shopping critics Practical Ecommerce.

Sophomore Samantha Terry is one of the many people who partici-pate in Black Friday shopping.

“I don’t know anyone who goes crazy about it but my mom usually goes and gets pretty excited about it,” said Terry. “We have gone every year except for this one year.”

Most stores usually have a big ppulation waiting outside on this day, but big places and stores

seem to catch the most attention from shoppers.

“Usually stores like Target, Walmart and Best Buy are most crowded. Big stores like that are the most crazy,” said Terry.

Cyber Monday is also a big day of shopping as well. Online shop-

pers raid the internet in search of

the best sales and deals. They place bids to beat out other people and purchase anything and everything that they didn’t already get on Black Friday.

“Online shopping is usually re-

ally slow because so many people are on those sites during the day, it just gets annoying, and shopping in a real store is always more fun,” said Terry.

According to the digital tracking irm comScore, online sales reached $1.47 billion, up 17 percent over last year. The most items bought were digital items, like cell phones, IPod’s, computers, and cameras. Jewelry was the lowest selling item because most of the time their sales don’t change too much from the ac-

tual price. Tools and hardware were top selling items and stores had sales on tools called “Doorbuster’s for Dad’s.”

Sites like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target and J.C Penney were the most visited. They ranged from 5 million visitors to 35 mil-lion visitors according to Practical Ecommerce.

There are various sales going on throughout many stores before Christmas day. Sales and deals including free shipping, 30% up to 80% off of certain items. Hol-lister has a 25% off of your entire purchase.

Many other stores have their own

unique sales. TJ Max just opened up recently, and Barnes and Noble has good deals and clearance sales.

Christmas is coming fast and sneaking up on people. But to all those out there still trying to get their last minute shopping done, don’t worry, the sales haven’t ended yet. Some are only just beginning.

Shopping for Christmas

By Adrienne Chiapuzio, Reporter

The Top News Stories of 2012By Megan Corisdeo, Reporter

Throughout the 2012 year, a number of events have taken place. Many of these have impacted us in one way or another. Hurricane Sandy came and went along with the Election, and the shooting that

took place in Aurora. One major event that occurred

was that occurred was the election on November 6. The candidates were Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and Gary Johnson. Many people have different opinions on this elec-

tion.“I think it is crazy how high

schoolers freak out about it, because the majority of the people com-

plaining, can’t even vote,” said Alyssa King, sophomore.

Not only did Obama get re-elected, but Amendment 64 passed in Colorado, making it the irst state to end marijuana prohibition in the United States. Amendment 64 will allow people twenty-one and older

to purchase it from dispensaries and grow it in their homes.

“I do not think that amendment 64 passing was a good thing. People will misuse it and use it even when there is an age on it for a reason,” said Kristina Crider, junior.

One tragic event that took place

was Hurricane Sandy. It claimed many people, their homes, and all their treasured items. When this took place, there was no good way

to prepare for it. People tried to collect all their items and get out of town, but some people were very unfortunate. An estimated 50 billion dollars in damage was done, leaving people without anything to hold on to.

Along with Hurricane Sandy, a very drastic event that took place

was the shooting is Aurora, Colo-

rado at a midnight showing of the “The Dark Knight Rises”. James Holmes ended up injuring ifty eight people, and killing twelve.

“I think it is crazy that someone would do such a thing and harm in-

nocent people,” said Jordan Eatwell, junior.

One of the most surprising events that happened on August 25, 2012, was when Neil Armstrong had died. He was the irst person to walk on the moon, a test pilot, an aerospace engineer, and an Ameri-can astronaut.

Lance Armstrong, an American Cyclist, was banned for life by the cycling’s governing body as a result of a report from the U.S Anti-

Doping agency, which accused him of having a doping program on his teams.

“I do not think it is right to ac-

cuse people of things that you are unsure of,” said Mackenzie Niskala, junior.

Next, the Space Shuttle En-

deavor moves to California Sci-ence Center, Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion was expected to reach its inal stop on October 13th. Those people who go and see the Endeavor begin the

experience in the Endeavor, an ex-

hibit attributing images and artifacts relating to the shuttle events.

“I think it is really cool that they gave people the option to come and check this out,” said Kailey Shabel-ski, junior.

Lastly, tornadoes have occurred in the Midwest throughout the 2012 year, leaving many people with nothing. These tornadoes caused millions dollars in damage, but there is no way to prepare for these

kinds of things.2012 has been a year of great

accomplishments and sorrowful tragedies.

Holiday entertainment is often a

popular way to gather with friends

and family. There are so many

holiday ilms to watch, so MSN.com narrowed it down to the top holiday monvies to watch. Each of these movies has a unique story

line, making it a must see for the season.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” – 2007

James Stewart stars as a suicidal man about to jump to his death, before a mysterious guardian angel takes him on a journey which shows him that his existence has been far from unimportant since the beginning. This movie is a must see, putting it at number one on the list.

“The Muppet Christmas

Carol” – 1992

An older man could really care less about Christmas. After visit-ing the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future, he then decides to change his ways and become someone who is very cheerful and loves celebrating.

“Miracle on 34th Street” –

1947

This is a Christmas tale about a kindhearted man who claims to be the real Santa. People begin to think he’s insane, and a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing that he’s the real thing.

“Holiday Inn” - 1942

This is a movie based on a musi-cal ilm illed with year-spanning song and dance story. Being that this hotel is only open on Holidays

they attempt to make it beautiful for the upcoming performer.

“Scrooge” – 1951

This movie features a power-

house performance from Alistair Sim in the main role. An old, bitter, stingy man is given a chance for

rescue when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve.

“The Nightmare Before Christ-

mas” – 1993

This is a movie about Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town who is no longer

interested in doing the same routine

every year for Halloween. One day

he staggers into Christmas Town, and is so captured with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls and goblins of Halloween town to help him put on

Christmas instead of Halloween. “Scrooged” – 1988

This is a movie about a spirit-less selish TV executive who gets haunted on Christmas Eve, resulting in him learning a lesson.

“Die Hard” – 1988

Ranked number eight out of all the Christmas movies out there, it must be really good. It is about a New York City detective who goes to Los Angeles to visit his wife

for Christmas. Once he arrives, he comes to the realization that quite a few terrorists are holding people

hostage, and it is up to him to get them all out.

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rein-

deer” – 1964

This is a movie that takes inspi-ration from the famous kid’s song. An oddball reindeer and his friends are searching for a place that will accept them for who they are.

“The Santa Clause” – 1994

When a very ordinary man at-

tempts to get on Santa’s sleigh to help the reindeer inish their route, he comes to terms that he acciden-

tally killed Santa Claus on Christ-mas Eve. After this big disaster, he has unintentionally committed him-

self to taking over Santa’s identity.

By Megan Corisdeo, Reporter

Must See Holiday MoviesDecember 2012

5The Catalyst

A&E

The Catalyst 6A&E

December 2012

As the end of 2012 draws near,

the “Best of the Year” awards are

being decided. The winners aren’t

much of a surprise, but here’s a look

at the top according to statistics

from websites.

Top visited websites (Business

Knowledgebase):

1. Google

2. Facebook

3. Yahoo!

Top selling books (Barnes and

Noble):

1. Fifty Shades Trilogy by EL James

2. Hunger Games Trilogy by Su-

zanne Collins

3. No Easy Day by Mark Owens

Top grossing ilms (IMDb):

1. The Avengers – 623m

2. The Dark Knight Rises – 448m

3. The Hunger Games – 408m

Top artists (Billboard Music):

1. Adele (12 awards)

2. LMFAO (6 awards)

3. Lil Wayne (4 awards)

4. Cold Play (4 awards)

5. Lady Gaga (2 awards)

6. Jason Aldean (2 awards)

Top TV series (IMDb):

1. The Walking Dead

2. The Big Bang Theory

3. Dexter

Top of

2012By Jenn Robinson,

Co-Managing Editor

FMHS Student Votes:

Top Websites:1. Google2. Facebook

Top Books:1. Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Top Films: 1. 21 Jump Street2. The Dark Knight Rises

Top Music Artists:1. Rihanna2. Adele

Top TV Series:1. The Big Bang Theory2. The Walking Dead

With the switch of warm to cold

weather, many students are looking

for quality winter brands to help

them stay warm.

There are many warm brands

to buy but many of them seem to

be very expensive at the time of

purchase.

“I look for clothing that will

keep me nice and warm but is also

affordable,” said Sonya Lopez,

sophomore. “I have a Columbia

jacket and I wear it all the time

because it is just so comfortable.”

With winter arriving so soon,

there are many brands for many

people including snowboarders.

Some of these brands are Never

Summer, Columbia, North Face,

Neff and Loki.

Even though these brands do not

come cheap, they last throughout

the entire winter season and often

through more than one skiing

season.

“When I go snowboarding, Bur-

ton is the best brand to wear. I like

the design and quality,” said Monica

Burdett, Sophomore.

Not many students like the bulky

jacket look and feel, so they try to

ind something lightweight, yet still well insulated.

North Face jackets are very

durable and lightweight, yet still

provide warmth.

“North Face is probably my

favorite winter brand because I hate

those jackets where they are so big

you don’t know what to do with

them. When I ind a thin, warm jacket I get so excited,” said Megan

Hunter, Sophomore.

Neff has many different styles

that it almost anyone. From solid colored jackets to multi-colored,

they have everything. Neff doesn’t

just have jackets; they sell hats,

shirts, bags and sunglasses.

“The design for Neff really drew

me in and the material was just a

bonus. There are so many designs

to choose from that it is hard to de-

cide,” said Alyssa King, sophomore.

Loki has been around since 1994.

The irst design made by Loki was a hat that could be pulled down the

face for protection that could also

be used as a neck gaiter.

Even though there are many great

things about all of these brands,

each of them have something they

need to improve. Whether it is the

price, design or the way it its. “They are all very good brands

but sometimes it is hard because I

can never ind the money to afford it,” Said Kiana Bell, Sophomore.

It seems that you may have to put

aside the cost and look at the quality

of the materials instead.

Walking in a Winter Wonder-Brand

By Taylor Eatwell, Reporter Photos by Madison Wittman

By Taylor Scoield, Commentary Editor

HOROSCOPESARIES (March 21-April 20)

You are so boring Aries. You are so mind-nummingly dull

that people intentionally gash themselves with pencils to have

an apropriate excuse to leave your presence. It may be too

late for you to become interesting, but that is your choice.

Find something new to do. Learn to ly, join a new sport or organization, and when your speaking, have a point; it makes

it so much more interesting for everyone else. If you cannot change

your ways, the world may just put you in a soundproof bubble. Your quote of the month: “Between two evils, I always pick the one

I never tried before.” -Mae West

TAURUS (April 21-May 21)

Things are changing for you aren’t they? You’re about to come

to a major fork in the road; down one road leads security and comfort down the other leads lonliness and depression. You have

lived a decidedly indecisive life up to this point but not this time.

Kudos to you for stepping outside of your comfort zone. Don’t

be nervous, I have a feeling you know how to make this decision.

Your quote of the month: “A lot of people are afraid of heights.

Not me, I’m afraid of widths.” -Stephen Wright

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

You think that you are smarter than the average person. This

leads to you taking great risks in your life that the normal person

would shy away from.. This becomes a curse because your intel-

legence is actually quite average. You think you like those 6 AP

classes? Wait until your doing 6 hours of homework every night.

You have completly underesimated how much work you can do.

You have the work ethic of a toddler after an energy drink. Take

it easy Gemini!

Your quote of the month: “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing

sound they make as they ly by”. -Douglass Adams

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

You can’t shake the feeling that you could do a better job sur-viving in the wild than any of those reality TV shows. So your

friend drives you out into the woods, spins you around a few

times, and leaves you with nothing but a knife. As dark falls,

you begin to form a new respect for those TV survivormen.

The rescue team inds you a week later sleeping under a tree. You are embarrased to realize that you were not even in the wild. You

were just in the city park. No wonder you were able to survive on food you dug out of trash cans. Sleep tight Cancer.

Your quote of the month: “These Horoscopes are horo-ble” -Taylor

Scoield

LEO (July 23-August 21)

You may or may not start a new religion that is centered com-

pletly around a doll llama. Hold on, this will make sense in a

minute. You have always been a seeking person. This time,

you were seeking religion. You asked around and were told to

worship the Dalai Lama. Unfourtunatley, you COMPLETLY

misunderstood what this meant. The good news is that you will

actually ind some sort of peace and happiness this month (wether it’s due to your new religion or not).

Your quote of the month: “Have you ever noticed that anybody

driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than

you is a maniac?”-George Carlin

VIRGO (August 22-September 23)

Have some fun with your life, Virgo, the world’s gonna end any-

ways. Rob a bank, start a cult, basically whatever you want.

Your quote of the month:

YOLO

LIBRA (September 24-October 23)

We know you love ‘The Hobbit’ but changing your name to Bilbo

is a little too much. And putting glue on your feet when you cut

your hair doesn’t make you look like you have Hobbit feet, its just disgusting. Remember that time when your girlfriend thought you

were proposing to her but you were really just showing her the ring of power; wasn’t that embarrassing? And that man in a white robe

with a deep voice wasn’t Sauruman was he? No, he was just a very confused and a very lost old man; and you tackled him. It’s time to

let go of the ring (Mr. Frodo). Your quote of the month: “What would men be without women?

Scarce, sir … mighty scarce.”-Mark Twain

SCORPIO (October 24-November 22)

Legend has it that there is a way to jump into the pool from the school ceiling. It has only been done once in school history and

that was long ago. The problem is that no one knows the route to

take anymore because it has been out of use for so long. You will

ind this route and restore the ancient Fruita Monument tradition. Don’t belly lop mate. You will become something of a school legend in your own right.

Your quote of the month: “Avoid fruits and nuts. You are what you

eat.”-Jim Davis

SAGITTARIUS (November 23-December 22)

You awake one morning and decide to take a stroll through the

park. In the middle of your walk you come across a group of 5

muggers beating up Russel Brand! You are of course shocked and

barely notice the group of people begining to gather around the

ight. No one knows how it started or how it will end but Russel is a very wiley ighter. Another onlooker turns to you and asks you, “Shouldn’t we do something?” You simply reply, “No, 5 should be enough.”

Your quote of the month: “I know that’s the sort of thing people say

and I really hate it when people say the sort of things people say.”-

Russel Brand

CAPRICORN (December 23-January 20)

For Christmas you recive two presents: a pellet gun, and 7 tiny

mice. These two presents came from opposite pairs of grandpar-

ents from different ends of the country and were in no way meant

to be used together. The connection is unmistakeable though and

you will have fun playing with both presents for a few weeks until

the mice all die....from choking on the extra pellets while you were

shooting at plastic army men. Wait, did you think that...no! No one is cruel enough to shoot mice with a pellet gun you sicko.

Your quote of the month: “It matters not whether you win or lose;

what matters is whether I win or lose.” -Steven Weinberg

AQUARIUS (January 21-February 19)

New Years resolutions bug you don’t they? So this year you will resolve to never make a New Year’s resolution again. You will be satisied with this solution for a while until you realize that you have created quite the paradox. In resolving never to resolve you

have resolved and have broken your resolution never to resolve.

(Its kinda like that stupid Disney song that says “Never say Never.” You are saying ‘never’ you stupid bird!) Anyway, you will either

go crazy or forget about this resolution depending on how mentaly

tough you are.

Your quote of the month: “I became insane, with long intervals of

horrible sanity.” -Edgar Allan Poe

PICSES (February 20-March 20)

You are going to have alot of luck this month Pices. Buy a lottery

ticket, head to vegas, audition for the Voice. Whatever you do, you

will most likley suceed. Just don’t milk it boss.

Your quote of the month: Luck? I don’t know anything about luck.

I’ve never banked on it, and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to

me is something else: hard work -- and realizing what is opportu-

nity and what isn’t.”- Lucille Ball

7The Catalyst December 2012

A&E

The Catalyst 8Features

December 2012

Mexico, which is the country

closest to the United States, cel-

ebrates Christmas a little different

than America.

“We normally have a big Christ-

mas dinner on the 24th, and then

open presents at midnight,” said

junior Catalina Salgado, who is

from Mexico.

There are all kinds of various

traditions when it comes to Christ-

mas. In Denmark (above Germany)

there are traditions throughout the

whole month of December. Some

families get small presents every

day, and at night there is a special

show on TV. It is kind of like a

‘Christmas Calendar’ that the entire

family sits together to watch every

day until Christmas Eve. The show

is usually different every year, but

with the same concept of inding the Christmas Spirit. They often eat

homemade treats, cookies and nuts

during the show which lasts about

an hour.

Meals are prepared for

both humans and elves. Rice por-

ridge is eaten with cinnamon and

butter on top and a bowl can be put

in the attic for the house elf. This

gesture is believed to keep his jokes

within limits.

Every Sunday in Advent, the

Danes gather to light the four

candles on the Advent crown, which

is a circle with spruce.

The 24th is when Denmark cel-

ebrates Christmas and people open

Charities in the makingCharity can be deined as the pri-

vate or public relief of unfortunate

or needy people. Most people think

of abandoned or neglected children,

veterans and homeless people.

There are many of different charity

organizations around the world, but

we also have quite a few in our

area. There is the Treehouse

Foundation, The Salva-

tion Army, the Ameri-

can Cancer Society

and

many more. Around FMHS we also

have our own small organizations

such as One Million Bones, the

annual clothing drive, and Warm

Hearts. Each of these organizations

plays a key role in helping

charities

around us.

The

Tree house

Founda-

tion is a

small nonproit organization spe-

ciically centered on children. This foundation has taken in thousands

of children suffering from neglect

or abuse; all of the children in

these situations are eligible for this

program. Donations of toys, clothes,

shoes, books and instruments are

made to the foundation every day.

“We know what we do works.

Academic success, combined with

social and recreational enrich-

ment, is the key to opportunity for

children coping with the effects

of abuse and neglect. Treehouse

serves kids in foster care with six

programs: The Warehouse, Little

Wishes, Summer Camp, Education-

al Advocacy, The TLC and Credit

Retrieval, Education Engagement,

and Holiday Magic,” said Tree-

house President Alexandra

Brookshire.

The Salvation

Army is also a large orga-

nization that is sponsored

worldwide. They collect

food and clothes for needy

and homeless people. The

Salvation Army does not

just help the homeless;

they also help many people

in our neighborhoods and

communities. Good, hardwork-

ing people who run into problems

who just need a little help around

By Brionna Sonnier, Reporter

the holidays are some of those that

they assist.

FMHS also takes part in differ-

ent charity type events, a few are

the clothing drive, Warm Hearts,

and one million bones. Warm

hearts, started by Caitlyn True, has

continued in her memory, spreading

warmth to those who are in need.

Caitlyn started with the ‘pay it for-

ward’ method. By doing something

good for someone, they’ll in turn

do something good for someone

else. The Warm Hearts program

was started out of the desire that

Caitlyn had to help those around

her; always putting others before

herself. Today her legacy still holds

true. This year was the third annual

warm hearts coat drive and it was a

huge success, collecting blankets,

coats, gloves, and sleeping bags to

charities in our areas.

“She was just one of those kids

that always thought a lot about

other people,” said her mother Dana

True. “So I think it’s really itting. Somebody said it was her legacy,

and I thought ‘You know, that’s a

neat way to put it.’”

One Million Bones is also

another known organization that is

currently taking place in the school.

One Million Bones is a collabora-

tive art instillation designed to rec-

ognize the millions of people who

have suffered and died by humani-

tarian crisis and ongoing in Sudan,

the Democratic Republic, Somalia

and the Congo. For each bone that

is made one dollar is donated to the

foundation to help in the awareness

of genocides.

Charities are year round organi-

zations that are highlighted specii-

cally during the holidays. Millions

of people donate and volunteer in

these organizations and help people

in need. Whether it is a large organi-

zation like the Salvation Army, or

a smaller one like the Warm Hearts

Foundation, each plays a signiicant role helping needy people around

us.

Photo by Madison Wittman

presents. Like in Mexico, there is

a big dinner, but then people eat a

special dessert. This is like a ‘rice-

pudding’ with chopped almonds

with only one whole almond in it,

and whoever inds it, gets an extra present. Afterwards the decorated

tree is put out in the middle of the

room. People dance around it sing-

ing Christmas Carols. The presents

can then be opened, and Christmas

is over.

Where Americans and Danes

get a Christmas Break, Thai-

land does not. The 25th of

December is not a public

Holiday, so school and

work is on as normal.

Some families will

give their kids

presents on Christ-

mas morning, even

though the main

religion is Buddhism and

Christmas is a Christian

Holiday.

The Thai’s also

usually share an

evening meal,

but it is more

likely to be Thai

curry rather than

the traditional

Christmas meal of

roasted turkey.

Santa Claus also

greets the public

with his palms pressed

together in a Wai, the tra-

ditional Thai greeting.

It is not often real-

ized that a next door

neighbor might have

an alternative way of

celebrating Christmas.

Bringing the different

traditions together can

make the month of

December a lot more

exciting instead

of just staying

with the old

habits.

Christmas around the worldBy Kate Andersen, Reporter

“He even carries a handful of candy canes year round.”

It is nearly impossible to in-

troduce a person that everyone in

America knows so well already.

From the

very mo-

ment of

birth, Ameri-

cans are led

to believe

that a rosy-

cheeked,

robust, jolly old man climbs down

their chimneys and gives them

presents once a year. As outlandish

as this sounds, everyone chooses

to believe it until their age catches

up with their ignorance. No one

knows exactly why, but it may just

be because this world needs Santa

Claus.

So meet Claus. He would

not disclose his real name to us.

Maybe it was because he genuinely

believes he is Santa Claus (at least

supericially), or maybe he would rather not disturb the almost god-

like mystique that surrounds him

when he has his red suit on. Either

way, his beard is real, he is well

over 6 feet tall, he is robust, jolly

and he adores children, “even the

kickers and the screamers,” said

Claus.

As a 1700 year-old man, the

Mesa Mall Santa Claus is as much

the real Santa as any. He enjoys

The secret life of Santa

making toys and tinkering with

things in his free time. He even car-

ries a handful of candy canes year

round.

Claus has

been enjoying

his job for 20

years now. Claus

was devoting

his own time

as Santa to

handicapped

children. The

most amaz-

ing

part?

2012

is

Story and Photo By Taylor Scoield, Commentary Editor and Keaton Brown, News Editor

Humans are different from other

creatures in countless ways. For

instance we have empathy, compas-

sion and the ability to think past

ourselves and reach out to others.

The One Million Bones project is

meant to remind us, that although

we are made of skin and bones, we

have the ability to feel the pain of

people that are half a world away

from us.

This project is using hands-on art

making, to raise awareness of geno-

cides and atrocities going on all

over the world. People from across

America are crafting clay bones

and sending them to Washington

D.C. for a collaborate installation

of 1,000,000 bones on the National

Mall. The Bezo’s Family Founda-

tion is donating $1 for every bone

made, up to $500,000, to CARE

(Cooperative for Assistance and

Relief Everywhere) for their work on the ground in Somalia and the

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The coordinator of this project sent

emails out to schools across the

nation, including one to Mrs. Wid-

hammer, a FMHS art teacher.

Genocide is the act to destroy in

part or whole an ethnic, racial or

religious group. It was deined and became a term after the Holocaust

with Jews being executed and

treated unfairly, starting back in the

1930s.

Taylor Belleville is a FMHS

student that has really stepped up

through the process of this project.

“Not only is it raising money for

a great cause, but it’s informing

people that this is a problem to this

day,” said Belleville. “It’s a big

social issue that just doesn’t have a

lot of awareness.”

The art program at FMHS chal-

lenged students and the community

to help make a difference. There

were a few ways to get involved.

All it took was a couple of minutes

of your time to sit down and craft

a clay bone. It was ine to do this on your own, but there were also

14 workdays in the art room where

students gathered to make them

together. People from all around the

the irst year Claus has been paid. However, it is blatantly apparent

that Claus does not need any form

of inancial compensation to enjoy his job.

So can he name

all 9 reindeer?

Well, he can

list eight

claiming

that,

“I always forget about one.”

When asked about the favorite

part of his job, he simply replied,

“The kids.” Usually, they ask for the

stereotypical Christmas presents:

iPods, computers, and the latest

Barbie and Ken mansion. The most

unusual thing a child

ever asked him

for was for

“everyone to

enjoy Christ-

mas.”

He

works

from 10 to 8:30 with short breaks

in between. However, he could not

stress enough how much he enjoys

doing his job. Claus said,“ All I

want for Christmas is to do what

I’m doing now,” with a faint choke

in his voice.

As we get older, we tend to lose

our belief in this ictional character that brought us so much joy and

happiness as children. Lately, it

seems like everyone could use more

joy and happiness. Christmas is

becoming more and more of a com-

mercial holiday, but if nothing else

can revive the holiday spirit, per-

haps this will. “Being able to take

the best gift you’ve got, and giving

it to someone else.” That is Claus’

deinition of the Christmas spirit. So, if the commercialism of

Christmas seems to be closing in

on you and the holiday begins

to lose it’s true meaning in

your mind, stop by the Mesa

Mall Santa Station, because

both Santa Claus and the Christ-

mas spirit is very real there.

Taylor Scoield and Keaton Brown meet with the Claus of Mesa Mall.

community were encouraged to go

to these workdays, not just students.

“There were quite a few people

from the community coming out.

Some students even brought their

parents to the work nights,” said

Savannah Ashmore, junior.

There was an alternative option

of donating $5, and a bone would

be made in your name. FMHS set

a goal of at least 1,000 bones in

the beginning and exceeded it in a

matter of weeks. Students involved

weren’t satisied and decided to push their goal to 2,000 while still

encouraging everyone to participate.

“It is awesome to see so many

people take interest in this project,”

said Ashmore. She personally

constructed around 50 of these

clay bones. They were made in all

shapes and sizes including any-

where from ribcage bones to skulls.

The bones made here will be in-

stalled into a piece and will be open

for viewing on January 9th and 10th

in the FMHS auditorium. They will

then be shipped to Denver for an

installation piece before moving on

to Washington D.C. The bones will

be laid out to make a visible move-

ment and help raise awareness for

this ongoing problem.

One Million BonesBy Randy Hurshman, Reporter

December 2012

9

The Catalyst

Features

December 21, 2012; the end of the

world as we know it and the beginning of

the New World Order.

The New World Order will be a one-

world government where the leaders ulti-

mately control all aspects of society. This

is all planned by the illuminati, a Lucifer-

ian group.

Albert Pike, a 33rd degree Mason and

top leader of the KKK, received a “vi-

sion” and describes it in a letter written

in August of 1871. The letter graphically

Living in Colorado, we have always

been protected from natural disasters like

tsunamis, tornados and hurricanes, but

with December 21 fast approaching; we

may need to start preparing.

Keisha Cunningham, junior, is ready

for anything to come her way. Stocking up

on candy and plotting to take a jet to the

top of the highest mountain, Cunningham

seems to have it all planned out.

But what exactly is she planning for?

No one knows what is to come or when

it will strike. Should we be hiding out

underground waiting for the “Wizard of

Oz” tornado? Will we need life boats and

other lotation devices to keep atop the looded lands? West coasters may not even be a part of

The sun exploding may not seem like a

logical way the world could end as seen

in the movie, “The Knowing,” but solar

lares and solar storms are close possibili-ties.

The 2009 ilm “The Knowing” helped sparked the theory of massive solar lares reaching the Earth and ending all life

on the planet. Although the sky may not

catch ire and burn away the atmosphere as shown in the movie, there is a chance

that the sun could send solar energy

particles through the magnetosphere of

the Earth at whopping 1 million miles per

hour.

The sun is currently in a solar cycle

that has its “peak” in 2012 which could

cause solar storms and lares. The fact is that solar lares have occurred in the past causing loss of electricity and ire break-

outs, but this one is 2012 is predicted to be

30-50% stronger than any before.

What is a solar storm exactly? This is

when the sun’s magnetic ield releases a great amount of energy sent towards

Earth and could possible alter our plan-

et’s gravitational pull and send satellites

crashing into Earth.

The worst case scenario is that the solar

storm could be so strong that Earth’s

magnetic poles would lip causing volca-

noes around the world to explode with

massive amounts of force. The ash from

the explosions would then ill the sky and cover the sun which would result in

a drastic drop in temperature, possibly

leading to a second ice age.

If the solar lares simply caused loss of electricity around the world, the damage

would be equally death defying as civiliza-

tions would lose vital everyday necessities

such as air conditioning/heating, phone

service, transportation services and any-

thing else electronically ran.

Because of the mass chaos that would

cause and months of repair time it would

take to ix the electricity loss, the economy would then face an enormous downfall.

Solar storms may not seem like the

most likely theory to fall through during

2012, but it could, perhaps, be one of the

most deadly possibilities.

With December 21, 2012 right around

the corner, people are concerned that the

world may come to an end. There are

many theories about how this will occur

including the breakout of World War III.

According to Fruita Monument teacher

Chris Wehner, everyone should be pre-

paring for World War III because it could

save the economy.

“Just like before, WWI and WWII the

economy is in a bad place. Both of those

wars ixed the inancial crisis and WWIII would do the same,” said Wehner.

There are several main places that

World War III could begin.

North and South Korea are the main

concerns according to Wehner.

“The Korean War never ended, it just

came to a ceaseire and America still has

No one has ever seen a zombie before.

Not one person. Yet everyone knows

what they look like and exactly what to do

when one is found.

Up until the 1950s, people in Papua

New Guinea ate their dead. When they

would eat the brains, they could contract

a disease known as Kuru, where micro-

scopic prions would basically make the

people lose sense of emotion and turn into

zombies. They would soon die, however,

and they wouldn’t come back to life.

This is as close as the disease has comet

the United States after December. Cali-

fornia, being on a major fault line, could

break off of North America and disappear

into the salty waters of the Paciic. So you might want to get used to hearing about

the forty nine states.

Whatever disaster may hit Colorado,

historical patterns are not too reassur-

ing. The weather seems to work in cycles.

From the ice age to the global warming

we have gone from one extreme to the

other. Although these patterns are visible

throughout the past, they somehow re-

main unpredictable.

Humanity has gone through waves of

success. Now, studies show that the pres-

ent day population is at a low point, pre-

paring to sky rocket into something good.

They say “it has to get worse before it

can get better,” so is that what 2012 is all

about? Will it take a natural disaster wip-

ing civilization to get us to that point?

Illuminati?By Jen Robinson and Brionna Sonnier

Solar Flares?By Alyssa Urban and Josphene

Owens

Natural Disasters?By Madison Wittman and Megan

Corisdeo

to ‘zombifying’ people. If, somehow, a

new disease turns people into living zom-

bies, here is what you need to do.

In the case of a zombie apocalypse,

your best bet is a baseball bat. It doesn’t

need ammunition, and you look impres-

sive to other zombie hunters; they’ll stay

away from you.

It’s best to travel in groups of four or

ive, and even better to make sure you are faster than at least one of the people

in your group. As the Native Americans

used to say, “You don’t need to outrun

the bear; you just need to outrun your

friend.”

In order to survive, there are a certain

number of rules you need to follow:

1. ALWAYS double-tap; it’s never dead

until you hit it twice.

2. Zombie until proven human.

3. Dark rooms with lickering light bulbs are a no-go.

4. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless

it’s a sprint, then sprint.

5. Your ex-girlfriend is not growling at

you seductively (refer to rules one and

two).

6. Be the main character (or the hot

Zombie Apocalypse?By Taylor Scoield, Keaton Brown and Randy Hurshman babe) and you will never die.

7. Don’t be a hero (unless it’s for the hot

babe, then DEFINITELY be the hero).

8. Headshots are worth double-points.

9. Check the back seat.

10. If it comes down to this, remember;

all for one, and one for one!

In the end, there are two types of zom-

bie apocalypses. The “I am Legend” one

where you are the only person left in the

world and you are very lonely, and the

“Zombieland” one where you go around

killing zombies with a ine woman. Whichever one happens, follow these

rules, and you may just make it out alive.

20,000 troops stationed on the border. Be-

cause North Korea is starving a war could

easily breakout soon.”

The Middle East could also start a war

because of Iran’s effort to get nuclear ca-

pabilities. According to the Chicago Tri-

bune the United States and Israel are not

against using military action to stop Iran.

This would surely lead to a massive war.

Another one of Wehner’s theories is

that Japan or Russia will get fed up with

the United States and attack their people.

Japan, Russia and the United States have

a history of war disagreements, dating

back to previous World Wars.

While many people remain skeptical of

WWIII actually occurring, it is hard to

deny that several WWII theories are very

plausible. With so many countries gain-

ing access to nuclear weapons, an attack

on virtually any country could send the

world into a downhill spiral.

World War III?By Eden Laase and Taylor Eatwell

described outlined plans for three world

wars necessary for the New World Oder

to occur. It accurately predicted events

that have already taken place in WWI

and WWII.

It’s quite possible that these wars were

caused because of this letter. Maybe Pikes

thoughts were that if he were to write this

letter to expose the idea of World Wars,

then those around him would be inlu-

enced to make it happen.

The letter describes that WWIII will be

triggered by a disagreement between Ju-

daism and Islam. Eventually, the war will

spread through the entire world, causing

every nation to choose sides. After ighting to the point of physical, moral, spiritual

and economical exhaustion, citizens will

be obligated to defend themselves.

At this point in time the Illuminati and

their leader will form a mass surveillance

system and continue on to control popula-

tion and minds of the civilians.

It sounds as though only three vital

steps can get you through this New World

Order, end of the world ordeal.

Start with divine timing; be in the right

place at the right time on the same team

as all the right people.

Secondly, God-guided vision is impor-

tant. If you don’t have a superior to guide

you, you’ll never come out ahead of the

game.

And last but not least, you must be deter-

mined to commit to action. You must get

started before your window of opportu-

nity closes.

So when the time comes for you to

choose, we hope you make all the right

decisions. It could mean life or death.

How do YOU

think the

world will

end? Flip to

the back to

see what some

students said!

The Catalyst 12Features

December 2012

By Josephene Owens, Reporter

What would you do?2012 Edition

Imagine being put into a situation that you never thought possible or

never thought would truly happen and consider what you would do. The

answer is the very irst thing that comes to mind, no thought behind it; it is simply what you would do in that exact moment of time.

WWYD… if the world

went into a zombie apoc-

alypse?

• “Run and ind an underground bunker and ind everything I need,” -Jessie Ward.

• “Hit the hills and wait till every-

thing dies off,” -Megan Bryant.• “Go to church; then hit up Ca-

bela’s,” -Ben Kerrigan.• “Hide in my room,” -Chris

Matlock.• “Go hunting,” said Lacey Ma-

honey.

• “Chop zombie heads off,” -Trent Kortz.

• “Go to Wal-Mart and just camp out in Wal-Mart because they have everything,” -Patrick Jeffries.

WWYD… if electron-

ics completely crashed?

• “Go play more sports; who needs electronics when you have

sports?” -Chris Matlock. • “Be kind of upset but it could

be kind of good because then people

wouldn’t always be on their elec-

tronic devices,” -Breanna Hoover.• “Die,” -Lacey Mahoney.• “Go back to the way it was

when I was irst born,” -Megan Bryant.

WWYD… if aliens

invaded earth?

• “Be an alien,” -Lacey Mahoney.• “High jack their air craft,” -Vida

Jaber.

• “Go hide, unless they were nice, then I would go talk to them,” -Breanna Hoover.

• “Join them,” said Jessie Ward.• “Steal a Ferrari,” -Ben Ker-

rigan.

• “Rob a bank,” -Chris Matlock.• “Try to ind a way to communi-

cate with them,” -Patrick Jeffries.

WWYD… if a deadly

disease started to spread

throughout the world?

• “Probably die,” -Megan Bryant.• “Get all my family and lock us

inside so we couldn’t get the deadly

disease,” -Breanna Hoover.• “Want it named after me,”

-Chris Matlock.• “Dig a hole and die in it,”

-Lacey Mahoney.• “Go to the moon,” -Patrick

Jeffries.

WWYD… if a volcano

exploded?

• “Go to an island because it’s

conined,” -Breanna Hoover.• “Run for my life,” -Aaren Fox.• “Stay in the valley because it

would be the last place for all the

volcanic ash to go,” -Megan Bryant. • “Go lava suring,” -Chris Mat-

lock.

WWYD… if you had

less than a month to live?

• “Complete the bucket list,” -Chris Matlock.

• “Yolo,” -Vida Jaber.• “Go to the Oceanside,” -Aaren

Fox.

• “Thanksgiving every day,” -Jes-

sie Ward.

• “Go mudding for the last time,” -Lacey Mahoney.

• “Do a bunch of stupid stuff that

I wouldn’t do unless I was dying,” -Patrick Jeffries.

Christmas De-LightsBy Madison Wittman, Photography Editor

Christmas is about more than just the decorations, but isn’t that the most recognizable and festive part? Before Thanksgiving is even over, stores already have their Christmas paraphernalia out and the extreme decorators are stocking up. Whether you hang only a

single strand, or go all out like these houses, it really is just about the holiday spirit.

By Brionna Sonnier, Reporter

Christmas is the most “won-

derful” time of the year, where

you can watch chestnuts roast-

ing on an open ire, and so on. Most Americans love Christmas

whether it’s secretly or whether

we let the whole world know. But when is the proper time

to start decorating for Christ-

mas? This may not seem like a

controversial issue but when you

put it into perspective, how early

is too early to decorate for this

joyful holiday?

All around the United

States, small and large busi-

nesses alike begin decorating

for Christmas in October. The big question loating around today is, why try to ‘shove’ one

holiday down our throat when

in reality we have two holidays

before Christmas? Is it too early

for businesses and other public

places to decorate for a holiday

that’s not supposed to be here

until winter? When Americans

see businesses around them start

decorating for Christmas, in the

back of their minds they think,

“Time to get the decorations

out,”even if it is two months in

advance.According to Christmas ‘ex-

perts,’ the irst day of December is the most ideal time to start the

decorating process. I say start at the beginning of the month

so you can enjoy it the whole

month. Others say that you can start the day after Thanksgiving. I say that if you start feeling the

Christmas cheer, feed it. Deco-

rate like you’ve never decorated

before, even if it ends up being

a month or two in advance. If it makes you feels good, then do it;

besides, there isn’t a law saying

when you can and can’t decorate

your home. Or is there? Actu-

ally there are a few depending

on where you live, like a housing

group or a gated community. So please feed you Christmas cheer,

but do so without being ined. My family and I normally

start the day after Thanksgiv-

ing, but sometimes a few days

before. We deck the halls fairly early because we like to enjoy

the holiday before it’s gone. Decorating together gives us a feeling of togetherness I guess

you could say. Although the tree doesn’t get put up until the

irst of December, the inside and outside of the house is

decked out with holiday ap-

parel. In the end, you have

the right to start decorating

whenever you feel the gump-

tion. I just ask you, please don’t start too early. How early is too early? Well that’s for you

to decide. Again, if you get your Christmas cheer earlier

than everyone else around you,

don’t be afraid start sharing it

with the world. Don’t forget to enjoy it along the way.

Christmas in November?

Photo by Madison Wittman, Photography editor

We’ve been waiting years for

December 21, 2012, and now here it is; right in our face. As the last day of the semester, it seems al-

most too coincidental that the day

we sit, preparing to fail our inals, the world is preparing to fail us.

At the age of 16, I can’t even keep track of how many times

I’ve survived the end of the world. I’ve lived through the turn of the

century, a major scare, and most

recently, the May 27, 2012 sup-

posed world expiration date. And yet, here I am, still alive.

Predictions of the end of the

world can be traced back farther

than 600 BC and to every con-

tinent. Between 2000 and 2012, there have been approximately 50 end of the world dates, most of

which we’ve never even heard of,

and all of which we’ve survived. But since when can the Mayans

predict the future? You’re telling

me that after marking +2000 years on a calendar, it’s not at all pos-

sible they just got tired, or I don’t

know, ran out of rocks to mark up. It seems every time these dates

come and go, we take a deep

breath and set another one. It’s an endless cycle. I’m not saying the world will never end, but why does

it have to be right now? And why

do we want to know when it will

be?

Apparently “research shows”

that this year, the year the Mayans

predicted, is the real end. The hu-

man race, according to some, has

lived in waves of success. With to-

day’s population at a low point, we

are on the verge of skyrocketing to

the top. They hypothesize that in order for this wave to come to an

end, and a new one to begin, the

current population must be com-

pletely eliminated. And of course I, as a US citizen, should believe it because research has never been

wrong before. Tobacco still has no negative effects on your body and

the Titanic is still unsinkable. So, there was a hurricane in

the beginning of “2012”, and a hurricane now, what are the odds?

Honestly, have we never experi-enced such a natural disaster until

now? Hurricane Katrina, possibly the most devastating hurricane to

hit the US, is completely unre-

lated, but because Sandy hit seven

years later in 2012, it’s a sign. Now if the world really was to

end, and I was proven wrong, well

then so be it. I guess that means no more homework; and no winter

break…

I mean sure it’s exciting to

imagine yourself ighting off zom-

bies, but would you really want

to live on your own? Would you

really choose the life of a zombie slayer like in “I Am Legend,” or

worse yet, willingly be beamed up

an taken aboard an alien space-

craft like in “The Knowing”? It’s movies like these that have fueled

the 2012 ire.After surviving so many

ends, it’s hard to believe

that this will really be it. Don’t be surprised when you wake

up December 22, and be ready

to set

a new

date for

“the

end.”

IS This The End!?Photo and story by Madison Wittman, Photography Editor

What artist should you

be listening to?

December 2012

13

The Catalyst

Commentary

By Alyssa Urban, Features editor

First of all, it doesn’t matter

whether you have a serious relation-

ship or a playful one, you can never

go wrong with a nice date. Time

really is the best present anyone can

give. It’s one of the only gifts that

can keep giving and a great memory

will never go away.

Playful relationships are a lot

different and don’t need gifts or

movies. Guys don’t care what you

are doing; they just want to hang out

with their girlfriends. A nice hike in

the monument along with a picnic

on the trail is cheap and makes for

a good time. Disc golf would be

another great activity to do together.

Maybe you’ve been dating for

two months, possibly two years, but

the fact is that every girl will expect

some sort of Christmas present from

her boyfriend over the holidays.

Deciding what to give your girl,

though, may be one of the hardest

choices you will have to make during

the relationship. Offering the wrong

gift could result in a minimum of

a three-day argument at the very

least, or even worse, an

end to your shortly

lived fairy tale

with “the girl

of your

dreams.”

Some guys go for the very irst idea that pops into their head of

what they would enjoy receiving,

and we all know what that is. Sorry

to break it to all you gamers out

there, but your girlfriend will not

enjoy unwrapping a present with

hopes of inding a DVD of “The Notebook,” only to ind a copy of the new Black Ops 2.

As you now have probably

lost all faith for your relation-

ship at hand, there may be a small

chance of hope left. Girls are not

as demanding as they seem, and a

successful Christmas present can be

found with just a small amount of

common sense.

Clothing could be one of the

easiest gifts to make your girlfriend,

but one must go about this process

carefully. The store, style, pattern

and color are all aspects that

come into play. I would sug-

gest going with one of

her friends to “assist”

you in choosing

the right article

of clothing.

If this

journey is to be undergone solo, one

golden rule must be followed: al-

ways go with the smaller size. How

do you think your size 4 girlfriend

is going to feel when you give her

a size 8 pair of jeans? You might

as well have given her a scale and

subscription to Weight Watchers if

that is going to be the case.

No matter if you think the pres-

ent is perfect or not, a gift receipt

is always necessary. Trust me, you

do not want to run into that awk-

ward conversation on why you have

never seen her wear the purple and

orange striped sweater you bought

her, only to have to hear a story

about how it “had a mysterious hole

in it and had to be thrown away.”

Save yourself from the disappoint-

ment and include a receipt. It’s bet-

ter to just feel successful knowing

that you gave her that wonderful

in-store credit to Wal-Mart.

Although they may not be as

thought provoking as other ideas,

gift cards are always a safe bet. Just

be sure it is from a quality store (or

at least of partial quality from the

looks of Mesa Mall). Let’s be hon-

est, what girl is going to be excited

about getting free money to shop at

Ross when she can already dress

for less there?

If money is tight,

another option is to

write a letter

to your

It is relaxing and gives you time to

chat about your drama illed high school life. Even for those that

don’t like chucking discs, there are

many outdoor activities that guys

will love. Whatever that may be,

just get off that couch cushion and

go do something.

For a serious relationship, a

romantic dinner followed by a

movie is always a great way to go.

Christmas is a big deal so fast food

is not an option. Try a steak din-

ner, but be sure to stay away from

Mexican food. We don’t want upset

stomaches to ruin a pleasant night.

Boys aren’t too picky but they

girlfriend. You don’t have to profess

your love and all your deepest feel-

ings, but a simple reminder of why

you care for your signiicant other will always bring a smile to her

face.

Are you wanting to cuddle with

your girlfriend in the cold win-

ter months, but don’t know how

to make the move? Have no fear

anymore, and give her a nice, fuzzy

blanket for the holidays. It is cheap,

warm and a good excuse to get

close to your woman.

If you are still having trouble

coming up with a gift idea, a

good strategy is to think of

something that you and

your girlfriend can do

together. Any girl would

enjoy a nice night

out in the town or

a stroll through

downtown Main

Street hand in

hand with

the one

she

cares

most about (that would be you).

All you really want is for your

girl to be happy, right? If all goes

wrong, just know that you tried

your best and she will understand.

After all, Christmas is the season of

giving, and the most you could give

your girlfriend is affection in your

relationship.

What a girl wants (for christmas)

want to know they are loved too. If

your boyfriend really loves you, a

chick lick is ine, but the safe bet is an action movie. If a guy doesn’t

like an action movie there has to

be something wrong with

him. You may hate action

movies, but think about

how much he sacriices for you. If only one of you

actually cares, you may as

well spend your money on

something else.

If you are a girl that has

to get a real gift, you have to

think ahead. Buying a nice frame

for a picture of you guys may not

be the best idea. Keep in mind you

may not be the girl in that picture

in a year. Go for something like a

nice hoodie. When the relationship

comes to an end your boyfriend is

still going to want to stay warm.

Almost all boys like video games;

you can only get it for them if you

like to play them too. Otherwise,

you won’t hear from your boyfriend

for months as he sits in his man

cave gaming away. There goes your

money down the drain and your

boyfriend with it.

Presents aren’t always a bad

thing, just be very careful on what

you choose. A toy that will even-

tually break probably isn’t ideal

though. Remember the best gift

anyone can get is something that

will never go away. What are you

waiting for? Grab your boyfriend

and give him a memory he can

always look back on with a smile.

What

to get

your

boyfriend

for

ChristmasBy Randy Hurshman, Reporter

Come on

science!

1912 1967 Present day

Illustration by Taylor Scoield, Commentary editor

Taylor

The Catalyst 14Commentary

December 2012

Hagerman was forced to sit out during foot-ball season, but he is excited to be back and ready to compete in basketball and lacrosse.

By Randy Hurshman, Reporter

Student ights more

than just injury

Sports can take a toll on the body

after years of playing but not many

people think about how not play-

ing can affect an individual. Gage

Hagerman, a sophomore at Fruita

Monument High school, had his life

impacted by a debilitating injury.

In the 2011 football season, a

Grand Junction player drove his

helmet straight into Hagerman’s

back while he went for a loose ball.

All the coaches could tell he was in

pain immediately. After a week of

rest, Hagerman found himself back

on the ield, but with a lingering soreness in his lower back.

This eventually proved to be the

start of a miserable year for Hager-

man.

“It was constantly getting worse,

but I refused to give up any of

my sports,” he said. By the time

basketball season came around,

Hagerman was far from 100% with

this injury getting worse by the day.

“Big players are supposed to be

physical in the paint, the injury was

preventing me from playing at my

full potential,” Hagerman said.

He continued playing into the la-

crosse season with these back pains

still hindering his ability. With the

injury still getting worse and worse,

it made it harder to suit up for each

game.

“I was having to take extra time

off just to feel good enough to

play each week,” said Hagerman.

Finally, his body had taken enough,

and he decided it was time to seek

medical advice.

This process included many

visits to a back specialist, who did

a battery of tests including X-rays,

cat scans and MRI’s. With all of

these tests coming back negative,

there wasn’t much else the doc-

tor could suggest, other than rest

and physical therapy, “which just

felt like a big waste of time,” said

Hagerman.

All through the summer, the

back specialist deemed it necessary

that Hagerman stay completely

inactive for more than just sports.

“My parents wouldn’t even let

me lift a cooler at lake Powell,” he

said. Feeling helpless, he sat back

and watched everyone else enjoy

their favorite summer activities.

For the 2012 football season,

Hagerman found himself still

unable to play, since even taking

a routine hit continued to send a

wave of pain up his spine. To make

matters worse, this injury was now

starting to affect him more than just

physically. Hagerman was experi-

encing anger issues in his daily life,

with his temper getting the best of

him at school and home.

“Sports had always been a way

for me to take all my frustrations

out. Not playing just let everything

build up inside of me, and I would

just ind myself exploding several times a week,” Hagerman said.

Along with these unwanted rages,

came some spurts of depression.

“I would feel that same empti-

ness you get when you lose some-

one that meant a lot to you.”

Basketball season was rapidly

approaching with Hagerman dread-

ing missing yet another sports

season. Yet, it was around that time

when everything started to take a

turn for the better. His back special-

ist had suggested acupuncture and

with everything else seeming to fail,

he gave it a shot.

“I couldn’t believe the instant

improvement. Who would of

thought all I needed was a few

needles in my back,” Hagerman

chuckled.

With his body feeling normal for

the irst time in over a year, Hager-man attended a basketball practice.

With thrilling success, he soon

found himself in action for his irst career varsity game.

“It was great to inally see the big guy back on the court,” said Colton

Snyder, one of Hagerman’s close

teammates.

He’s close to 100% and fully

intends on being on the ield for the upcoming lacrosse season as well.

Photos from Flickr.com

December 2012

15

The Catalyst

Sports

The Catalyst16Sports

December 2012

Photos by Madi Wittman

Junior basketball player, Matt Story strikes a

pose

By Eden Laase, Sports Editor

Scoring a

Scholarship

Applying to colleges is stressful

and time consuming no matter who

you are, but for the college- bound

athlete, the process is completely

unique. Not only do they have to

worry about academics, but they

also have athletic clearance, perfor-

mance and recruiting looming over

their heads.

Spencer Fair, senior, is being

recruited for both football and

basketball and the stresses and time

commitment of the process have not

gone unnoticed by him.

“It’s a long, drawn out process.

Starting in your junior year, you

want to get cleared by the eligibility

board so that coaches can contact

you. It’s important to keep your

GPA high and get a decent ACT

score.”

Former Fruita student and current

Colorado Mesa University basket-

ball player, Taylor Johnson had her

share of problems with recruiting.

“Sometimes I got calls from

random coaches, so [it’s important

to do some] research and not get

sweet talked into signing, or giving

a verbal commitment.”

While there are many things to

watch out for, according to Mallory

Paulson, Senior, being recruited is

also an enjoyable experience.

“The recruiting process was

fun. I play on a softball team out

in Denver, and we travel all over

to showcase tournaments where

college coaches can watch you

play.”

Playing high school sports is

much different than playing col-

lege sports and even Fruita’s top

athletes have their concerns about

the next level.

“To be honest, I wanted to

pee my pants on the irst day of practice, [but it’s just] basketball.

Everything is the same; the only

difference is the speed. The game

is faster than it is in high school,”

said Johnson.

Fair also has concerns about

playing in college.

“Lots of people say it’s hard to

make the jump in terms of speed,

strength and the thought process

of the game.”

Paulson’s thoughts about tak-

ing her game to the next level are

similar to any regular high school

student heading off to college for

the irst time. “[I’m excited to get] away and

experience something different,

[but I’m worried about] missing

my family too much.”

Perhaps one of the most dificult things about beginning college as

an athlete is the change in roles that

many players experience. When

in high school, these players were

most likely the best on their team.

In college they may ind themselves in the middle of the pack, or even

at the bottom in terms of talent and

athletic ability. Or, players that

spent their high school career as

team captains have to give up their

leadership roles.

“My favorite part of playing in

high school was being a leader.

When you are a leader, you dictate

how your team will practice and

play,” said Johnson

As Fair and Paulson get ready to

enter the world of college sports,

Johnson offers them, as well as any

other college bound athletes a bit of

advice.

“Always be ready to learn. You

don’t know everything. College ball

will test your limits; one day you

will be at the top of your game and

the next you will want to quit. There

is always going to be someone bet-

ter than you, so be ready to learn

from them and [allow them to]

guide you.”

•College for softball: Dixie State

•Considered :University of Northern Colorado, Colorado Mesa University, Dartmouth College, Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, Portland State University

•Potential majors: Nursing or radiogra-phy

Mallory Paulson

•Considering for football: University of Colorado, Northern Colorado University, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa University, Western State, Adams State

•Considering for Basketball: Airforce, Ari-zona Christian University, Colorado Mesa University, Western State

•Potential majors: Biology or chemistry

Spencer Fair

Basketball season started a

few weeks ago, and these ath-

letes are ready to get their head

in the game. From the freshman

team to varsity, they all work

together to try to make the Fruita

Monument basketball team better

than it’s ever been.

“This season I’m looking

forward to working hard and

rebuilding our team for suc-

cess. I think it’s going to be a

great season,” said junior, Devin

Winstanley.

The players all practice

hard every day to become better

than they were before. They

practice every day after school

and even over breaks to earn

their success.

“I like basketball because

it’s fun and it’s a sport I’m

good at. I like my team a lot. I

especially like winning. No other

sport compares to basketball,”

said Sawyer Robinson.

“Basketball is the best- I

love playing it anywhere. If it’s

at school or at home it doesn’t

matter to me, I just love the

sport. I’m excited for this season

to play ball and to work with my

team,” said James Stagg.

Not only do they practice

basketball, but they also practice

supporting each other and build-

ing each other up.

“I look up to Matt Story. Not

only because he’s a great ball

player but he supports all of the

team, even the freshman,” Stagg

said.

Sophomore Grant Stagg

and Winstanley said they looked

up to Story as well.

“It’s nice being looked

up to as a leader and a guy that my

teammates can talk to and feel like

they can trust and follow. It’s really

a privilege,” said Story.

“I look up to Matt Story and

Donny Thornhill, because they are

both really good basketball play-

ers and are good teammates,” said

Robinson

The players of the basketball

team have set goals and standards

for themselves individually and as a

team.

“My goals for the season are to

make it to the SWL Championships

with my team and to work hard to

be a better basketball player,” said

Winstanley.

“My goals are the SWL cham-

pionships and a playoff birth,” said

Story.

“My goals for the future are to

start on varsity and keep getting

better as a basketball player and a

teammate,” said Robinson.

On the Fruita Monument website

there’s a calendar of upcoming

games. There are games on January

15, 18, 19, 22, 25. In February there

are games on the 1, 5, 15, and 22.

Make sure and check the website to

see what times they play, and come

ready to support the team and to

show your Wildcat spirit!

They travel quite a bit during the

season. “We travel about twice a

month,” said Robinson.

“I’ve always loved bas-

ketball, and this team this year is

full of great guys that would do

anything for one another. We all get

along really well and it’s a joy. This

season really marks the age of a

new era in basketball that I’m proud

to be a part of,” said Story.

Its game time!

By Sydni Hart, Reporter

By K

eato

n B

row

n,

New

s E

ditor

In s

earc

h o

f ice

With winter coming up and no

ice rink to skate in, many hockey

players are in search of something

to do.

The Glacier Ice Arena, Grand

Junction’s only ice rink, closed

several years ago due to mechanical

issues. They offered skating,

broomball and hockey. When

it closed, hockey fanatics had

a bunch of hockey gear and

nothing to do with it, so they

took to the streets.

Canyon View Park cur-

rently offers an outdoor

street hockey arena (made of

cement) free of charge, open

anytime, any day. Several

FMHS students have started

a street hockey league to

maintain their passion for the

sport.

When they started the

league, they had checked the

Grand Junction Parks and

Recreation website to ind that there wasn’t any ama-

teur street hockey groups, so they

decided to form their own. They

are hoping that more people will

join so they can make it a city-wide

league.

“We started it a couple

months ago, in September I think,

and we have ten or 12 people now

which is enough to play games,”

said junior Jake Gulden.

At Canyon View Park, no one

is usually

at the rink, so they can always play

there without ever having to worry

about someone using it.

“It’s nice for now but playing

the same people over and over gets

Many students here at Fruita

Monument take an interest in skiing

and snowboarding. Some do it just

for fun and some do it as a recre-

ational sport. They master their

skills and learn

new ones and

master those

too. There are

many places

to go, but

students and

people around

Colorado want

to know the

best.

There are

many resorts

available but

if you want

to ski through

deep pow-

der and ly in between

perfectly

spaced trees,

Steamboat Springs is the resort you

should hit. Based on the website

Ski Bums, they have extreme runs

that are for experienced skiers and

snowboarders, intermediate runs

and easy bunny hills for beginners.

A well-known intermediate run is

Tomahawk; a fast paced but easy

run that is the perfect thigh burner.

“I don’t go skiing much, but

when I do, I like to hit Steamboat

Springs because they have great

runs for beginners,” said sopho-

more Jennifer Lesko.

Another popular resort is Aspen

Highlands. It’s not a mountain for

beginners; it’s hardcore and “has

extreme runs with steep pitches and

enough powder a snorkel could be

required,” according to Ski Bums

representatives.

Snowmass is known for its

perfect terrain and versatile runs.

It’s located in between Glenwood

and Aspen and is a target for perfect

powder. There are many runs and

slopes to choose from. They range

from really easy to extremely dif-

icult.Vail is known for its ski resorts,

with their endless powder and

cluster of trees that you can snake

through. Blue Sky Basin in Vail

is popular for a lot of people

looking for a fun run.

A coach for the Western Colo-

rado Volleyball Club,

Dane McCabe, likes

to spend some time

on the slopes during

the winter while he’s

not coaching.

“Vail is a pretty

good mountain to

hit; it’s a good slope

for all different

skill levels,” said

McCabe.

“If you

want to

become a

pro, that’s

a good

place to

start,”

McCabe

joked.

Wolf Creek has 80

inches more snow than

any other resort. WC

has hard, intermedi-

ate and beginner level

runs, so after a rough

run on a hard slope,

you can take a breather

and cool down on an

intermediate run.

Beaver Creek has terrain of

the highest caliber and nothing

else. The few intermediate runs

they have are nothing compared to

their hardest slopes. The powder is

perfect and ready to go.

“I like to snowboard at Beaver

Creek because, to me, it’s a perfect

resort. Probably one of the best.

It has many different terrains, and

runs. I like to board down the in-

termediate runs because they aren’t

too hard and not too east either,”

said sophomore Emilio Crespin.

The Winter Park Resort has

perfect skiing weather. It’s not too

windy and it’s not too hot. The

bumpy terrain makes the downward

way extra fun and challenging.

Copper Mountain is an extreme-

ly popular resort to Coloradans. It’s

known for the deadly Copper Bowl

that is for very experienced skiers

boring,” said junior Adam Klaich.

On the street, it would seem to

be a lot less dangerous, but the

group says there’s just as much

action. They’ve had bruised ribs,

many sprained (and broken) in-

gers, and most importantly, ights. “Fights are deinitely the best

part of hockey to watch,” said Gul-

den.

They use pads, but when the

gloves are dropped, it doesn’t make

much of a difference. There’s only

been a couple, they said, and they

never get too serious; they just let

them go for a while and break it

up when they want to start playing

again. They still have a hos-

pital-free irst season, so they aren’t worried about anything

serious happening for now.

The group uses plastic street-

hockey pucks and their own

hockey net to try and make it

as close to actual hockey as

possible.

“It’s not the real deal, but it’s

as close as you can get to it,”

said junior Bram Heberle.

They don’t have a set

practice or game schedule but

it seems to work out. They usu-

ally have games on the week-

ends and practice whenever

they feel like it.

For now, their amateur

hockey league will continue.

Hopefully, though, the old

hockey fanatics of Glacier Ice

Arena will join in soon.

and snowboarders. Many beginners

crumble in fear when looking at it.

Its bowl shape and extremely steep

drops cause even the best of skiers

to quake.

Keystone Resort is also a good

place for intermediate skiers and

snowboarders who are looking for a

fun, relaxing time.

A lot of students go to Powder-

horn as well. It’s relatively close

to Grand Junction and has diverse

terrain.

A vast number of students at

Fruita Monument trek and conquer

these mountains, taking up the ma-

jority of their

Christmas

break.

“The

mountains

are vicious

and relentless

sometimes,

they can either

favor you or

you can favor

them,” said

Crespin. Stu-

dents either

look to this

activity as a

fun, entertain-

ing sport to

do, but some

take it to extremes: perfecting their

skills and mastering tricks. Those

students show exactly what moun-

tains are made for.

What Mountains are

made for...By Adrienne Chiapuzio, Reporter

Photos by Madi Wittman and Flickr.com

December 2012

17

The Catalyst

Sports

The Catalyst18Sports

December 2012

Story by Alyssa Urban, Co-Managing Editor

Life of a Wrestler

The feeling of hunger is con-

stantly eating away the energy they

might have left. Exhaustion haunts

them and sleep becomes not only

a necessity, but a priority. Practice

every Monday through Friday from

3-5:30 is a grueling time requiring

immense intensity and focus. In-

season wrestlers at FMHS may be

some of

the most-

com-

mitted

athletes

to their

sport.

“The

fact that

[the

season]

pretty

much

dictates

your life

for the next few months is one of

the hardest things,” said senior

Aidan Woomer, third year wrestler

and team captain.

The season starts long before

scheduled practices begin with

cutting weight by running, making

healthy choices and lifting. Accord-

ing to Woomer, if a player is not in

shape, then they should not hope for

being successful during the season.

Maintainingaspeciicweightiscrucial in wrestling as the players

compete against others in their same

weight class. Exercising is not the

only way they lose weight. Adjust-

ing eating habits and meal portions

is also common.

“I don’t eat as much during the

season and have to keep my por-

tions pretty small,” said senior Matt

Bishop, seventh year wrestler and

team captain. “We can’t have the

absence of food, though, because

then we won’t have any energy to

compete.”

If a wrestler is over his compet-

ing weight he is not allowed to

wrestle

that

day.

When

kids are

trying

to lose

extra

weight,

then

con-

tinuing

to work

out

after

practice

each day is an option. Extra practice

is not required, but many will go

on runs and lift even more after

practice with their teammates.

“If you do a little after practice

then you are just getting that much

better,” said Bishop.

The two hour practices each day

after school consist of warming-up,

drilling, technique, conditioning

and other live-wrestling training.

“When we condition, we will do

anything from 15 minute non-stop

running to core work,” said sopho-

moreIsaacRodriguez,ifthyearwrestler.

Having

100%

focus at

practice

is part of

what helps

the play-

ers excel

with their

technique

and wres-

tling skills.

Along

with being

physi-

cally strong, players are taught to

be mentally strong during their

matches.

Mental strength is a commonly

talked about aspect at practice by

coaches Dan Vanhoose and Justin

Seely.

As the

coaches

push

players

to their

limits

with the

condi-

tioning

at prac-

tice, they

teach

their

wrestlers

how

their

mindset should be.

“The mental part of [wrestling]

is one of the hardest things,” said

junior Ian Konrad, thirteenth year

wrestler. “If you’re not committed

to it,

then

it gets

harder

to be

hungry

and

tired

but still

keep

going.”

The

com-

mit-

ment

is huge

for wrestlers during the three to

four month long season. Weekends

are made up of tournaments and

holiday breaks involve practices

most days. Safety during free time

becomes essential, so just as any

other sports coach would say, being

cautious of actions and continuing

to make good decisions outside of

practice is encouraged.

Before a match, each player has

a different way they prepare them-

selves as they get ready to go out

on the mat. Some wrestlers prefer

to get loose while others will pump

themselves up by getting angry. All

players, though, are taught to go out

conident,butnottothepointofcockiness.

“You have to think that you’re

going to beat everyone because

if you don’t think that, you really

don’t even have a chance of win-

ning,” said sophomore Jacob Seely,

tenth year wrestler.

Once a wrestler steps in the

white circle printed on the mat, a

whole new mind level is met. Fac-

ing their opponent when the match

starts, wrestlers look for any open

moves, what strategies can be used

and how they are going to be able to

manipulate the other player.

The intensity that occurs inside

the small circle that contains them

isilledwithanimmenseamountof adrenaline during a competition.

Woomer

describes

that he

believes

all a player

should be

thinking

about is

how they

are going

to win.

“I just

tell myself

that no

matter if

I win or

lose, the

person that I wrestled will know he

went against a good wrestler,” said

Woomer.

Thinking too much, though,

will result in hesitation and loss of

focus. By then, the time to make a

certain move will be too late.

A common goal for wrestlers on

the FMHS team this year is to make

it to state, place in state and have a

good win/loss record. Bishop, Kon-

rad, Woomer, Seely and Rodriguez

all agreed that placing in state is the

main objective of the season.

Being a wrestler does show to

be an incredible challenge, but the

players have grown to show an ap-

preciation for the sport. The compe-

tition is intense and wrestlers like to

see how they match up against other

kids in their weight class. By testing

themselves mentally, players allow

their bodies to be taken to different

levels.

“My favorite thing about being a

wrestler is that the competition is all

on you,” said Seely. “Your success

lies on your shoulders.

Photos by Josie Owens

An in-depth look at everything related to wrestling

Playing with

style By Taylor Eatwell, Reporter

“TheystoodouttomethemostandthestylereallyitswhoIam.I like bright colors and I like to be outgoing sometimes,” said Megan

Hunter, sophomore.

Many people choose styles to express themselves and to show who

they are. With athletes, they can really only express themselves with

their shoes. The Fruita Monument girls’ basketball team has many

differentstylesofshoestoitthieruniquepersonalities.

“I wanted a change from my previous basketball shoes. I wanted

them to match the Fruita colors compared to the bright blue ones I

had in middle school,” said Mikealy Thomas, sophomore.

“I was going with the entire blue and white color scheme. I had

white with a blue Nike swoosh last year and this year I went oppo-

site,” said Sonya Lopez, sophomore.

“I bought them because they represent my style along with the

school I play for,” said Octavia Martinez, sophomore.

So how do you

think the world

will end?

Documents

ISSUE 4