Rock Out:Students Find Their Groove

Volume XL, Number 3

“Whoever fears failurelimits opportunity”

December 16, 2015Kent Denver School, 4000 East Quincy Avenue, Englewood, CO 80110

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Photo by Madison WhiteSenior Conner Chyung jams on the trumpet for the Quincy Avenue Rhythm Band.

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On Nov. 24, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane after it saying the plane ignored re-peated warnings after entering Turkish airspace from Syria. The event came after months of in-creased tensions between NATO and Russia in both Syria and Ukraine.

Russia supports the Assad Regime in Syria, while the NATO coalition is against it. Russia also supports rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine; NATO backs the Ukrainian government. A NATO member hasn’t downed a Russian jet in almost 50 years and the event marks a turning point in Russian-NATO relations.

Fierce debates have occurred over whether the warplane was actually flying in Turkey or not. Russia argues that since the plane was shot down in Syria, and the pilots were killed by Syrian rebels, therefore must have been flying in Syrian airspace. Turkey argues that it was flying it Turkish airspace and gave Russian pilots 10 verbal warnings before shooting the plane down.

Russian president Vladimir Putin called the move a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ ac-complices,” and said that there would be “sig-nificant consequences.” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu argued his country has the right to take “all kinds of measures” to protect their border.

NATO and the U.S. sided with Turkey. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO “stands in solidarity with Turkey and supports the territorial integrity of our NATO ally, Turkey.”

President Barack Obama said that Turkey “has a right to defend its territory and its air-space.”

Russia moved heavy anti-aircraft missiles into Syria last week, and emplaced economic sanctions on Turkish imports.

Recently, Moscow declared Turkey’s mo-tive as a desire to protect their illegal oil trade with the terrorist group ISIS. Putin said,“We have recently received additional reports that confirm that oil from ISIL-controlled territo-ries is delivered to the territory of Turkey on an

industrial scale,” and that “the decision to down our plane was motivated by the inten-tion to secure these routes of delivering oil to ports.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo-gan denied those claims, arguing that where Turkey sources its oil is widely know and that they would never deal with terrorist or-ganizations.

Relations between Russia and Turkey have been extremely strained, with no coun-try ready to back down.

by Henry Quinn

A Self Study For Kent Denver

As the Kent Denver students begin their self-reflections for winter-semester comments, Kent Denver as a whole is going through a sim-ilar period of reflection as it gets reaccredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS).

School reaccreditation is the process where Kent Denver looks at the school as a whole, creates a “self study” to assess its strengths,

challenges, plans and priorities, and then has a team of educators from outside the school ex-amine that evaluation.

Reaccreditation is an opportunity for Kent Denver “to think about and evaluate itself, to consider its recent past, to take stock of where it presently stands, and to plan for what it wants to do for the future,” said Dr. Chandler, director of the Upper School.

Reaccreditation is an important part of the educational process, not just for private schools,

but also for public high schools, universities, and colleges that take part in accreditation and reaccreditation processes. Reaccreditation, in the words of Dr. Chandler, helps make schools “review everything, and the visiting team” of educators chosen by ACIS “keeps us honest.”

Throughout Kent Denver, this processes of self-reflection, both at the student level and with the school as a whole, will make the school bet-ter. It’s an excellent opportunity to refocus, and take what’s good and make it great.

Tensions Escalate Between Russia And Turkey

by Jarrek Holmes

Graphic by Pierson Lund

The 2015 Sun Devils’ Advocate Editorial staff gathers for a picture. Thank you Ms. Brophy, and good luck to next year’s staff!

Photo by Lesley Brophy

A Fond Farewell

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A Self Study For Kent Denver

Tensions Escalate Between Russia And Turkey

Photo by Lesley Brophy

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On Nov. 5, three speakers, Colorado Pub-lic Radio (CPR) reporters Andrea Dukakis and Jenny Brundin and former Denver Mayor Fed-erico Peña, spoke to the Kent Denver commu-nity during two separate events.

Dukakis and Brundin, who have both con-tributed to CPR’s ongoing coverage of pov-erty in Colorado, presented for Breakthrough Learning Lab, a new program designed “to cre-ate a platform for other people outside of the Breakthrough community to come and speak and share stories and different experiences,” according to Kyle Bobrick, Breakthrough Kent Denver’s communication director.

Peña spoke at a question-and-answer ses-sion organized by Kent Denver’s Student Union for Diversity Awareness (SUDA).

Speaking in the Dining Hall, Dukakis and Brundin shared segments of their recent radio reports and discussed the growing problem of poverty in both urban and rural parts of the state. Dukakis defined poverty as a family of four earning $23,500 or less annually. She also noted that poverty is spreading into Denver’s suburbs, including Douglas County, one of the

richest counties in the United States per capita. Brundin presented on poverty within Denver, noting the emotional impact felt by children when their parents suffer financial trouble. She also stated that as a matter of “necessity,” many high school students are taking on jobs.

Bobrick was responsible for publicizing the event to other nonprofit educational programs and the larger community through social me-dia, email, and newsletters. Because Dukakis and Brundin are reporters who cannot affiliate with specific groups, Bobrick ensured the event was a discussion, rather than an endorsement of Breakthrough.

“When you say poverty in Colorado, a lot of people just think homeless,” Bobrick said, adding that poverty affects additional demo-graphic groups. Bobrick relayed that there was one student whom he worked with, “who came to Breakthrough so tired that he would fall asleep in first and second period because he had been working on his dad’s newspaper route that morning at 4:30.” Despite the student suf-fering academic consequences, Bobrick noted, that there were “a lot of things outside of our control [and] his control. It [was] not an issue of misbehavior, as much as it [was] just an issue of

circumstance that’s worth understanding.”According to Bobrick, Breakthrough Learn-

ing Lab intends to host additional speakers who will discuss a variety of community issues.

Senior Alex Yoshida, one of the leaders of SUDA, helped plan Mr. Pena’s visit. “We in-vited Mr. Peña,” who also served as Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Transportation for President Clinton, “to speak because of his ex-perience as the first Latino mayor of a major U.S. city and his recent work regarding immi-gration reform in the United States.”

Yoshida added, “Mr. Peña spoke to us about how he believes the existence of walls doesn’t show a country’s strength; it actually shows its weaknesses. He brought up the fact that all walls come down at some point, and that we need to think before we put up a wall on our border.”

Peña gave the Great Wall of China and Ber-lin Wall as examples of barriers that have fallen and said he has urged the U.S. to act with open-ness when addressing immigration.

Both events were open to students and fac-ulty, providing multiple outlets for the Kent Denver community to discuss these pressing topics.

Speakers Address, Challenge Studentsby Jon Ort

The Boathouse, the wooden structure along the shore of the Upper Reservoir, has func-tioned as a field lab for seventh grade science students for 23 years, storing meteorological, geologic, and environmental equipment in the process. This year, its floor space is being more than doubled in area.

Originally, the Boathouse was built to store canoes, and students were al-lowed to take them out on the lake dur-ing lunch. In 1973, two members of the Kent Denver faculty and a group of Upper School students constructed the Boathouse during a weeklong interim, or period without academic classes. The group ran into a major problem: the ground was frozen from a recent snowstorm. Instead of giving up, they decided to melt the soil by setting old newspaper, wood, and coal on fire. Foundational concrete, a deck, and a dock were then added.

In the late 1970s or early ’80s, the

canoes disappeared, leaving the boathouse empty and apparently useless.

In 1992, Steve Newman, a Middle School science teacher, decided to use the boathouse as a field station for seventh grade earth sci-ence classes. The plot project, in which stu-dents measure and record the reservoir’s pH levels, thickness of ice, and ever-changing

temperature on a weekly basis, was created shortly thereafter.

The Boathouse is now undergoing reno-vations, including the construction of a new garage-like room to house the boats, to ac-commodate eight 17.5-foot Old Town canoes. With the canoes, seventh grade earth science classes will conduct a comprehensive depth

survey of the Upper Reservoir. Students will place North-South lines every 10 meters and measure the depth of water every five meters along the lines.

Then, the earth science students will create a computer-contouring map and 3-D model of the reservoir. In addition, new field equipment will be added to the Boathouse’s stock to help further students’ knowledge of the lake.

Newman said he hopes the new construction can be completed before winter break. Not only will this newly renovated building be for the earth sci-ence classes, but it will be used for the Middle School outdoor educational pro-gram as well.

Boathouse Undergoes Renovationby Hannah Hayes

Photo by Andrew Goldblatt The Boathouse gets a much needed face-lift.

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This year at Kent Denver, students from the AP Economics, AP Statistics, and Business Economics and Ethics classes are participat-ing in a five-week simulation in which the en-tire school is able to participate. There are nine teams composed of mostly juniors and seniors, each playing the role of a company that owns a breakfast food item.

First, the students work together on their teams to come up with their products, the in-gredients, and their selling price. The Statistics class students do market research throughout the school to figure out the best product and selling price.

Students can advertise their product by “owning” different advertising locations around

the Upper School. Some of these advertising locations available for purchase each week in-clude the Upper School hallway, Yates Pavilion, Bogue, and even commercials during assembly.

With help from Photoshop students, the products are advertised using posters, flyers, and catchy slogans to market the products to students.

For four of these five weeks, a survey is sent out to the students with a menu, including the item description and prices, where students can select their favorite option. Approximately 575 to 650 students have been voting to decide which product the school favors that week.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of votes that were cast the first week of sales,” said Mr. Klein, an AP Economics teacher.

The purpose of this project is to teach the

students organizational development and what it is like to work on an interdisciplinary team of various students, each doing different jobs while selling their product together.

The goal is also to teach the AP Econ stu-dents about monopolistic competition while they study different market structures. The Breakfast Wars is simulating a competitive mar-ket similar to the one that students experience in their daily lives.

The AP Stat students learn about market re-search and are able to put their data studies to practice every Tuesday when they receive vot-ing results from the school.

“I think it’s been phenomenally successful,” Mr. Klein said. “Everybody in the school feels like they get to participate. And that’s just fun for Kent Denver.”

by Reagan Haecker

Breakfast Wars Project Engages Students

Photo by Alie Goldblatt

Photo by Alie Goldblatt

A team of AP Economics students advertises its “Mile High Smoothie” during an Upper School assembly.

Graphic by Pierson Lund

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A little over a month ago, Drake released a video for his new single Hotline Bling and it left Kent Denver students in shock. The dancing featured in the video was like nothing anyone at Kent had ever seen. It became the subject of millions of memes and Vines and caputured the hearts of music fans everywhere. Senior Pierson Lund is one of these fans. When asked about the video he said, “I’ve spent hours in front of the mirror trying to imitate the dances he does, but I never can. I don’t have the talent Drake does. I will never be as good as he is.”

Senior Tillie Newcomb also feels strognly about the song, saying, “When Drake starts

singing in the song I feel it in my soul. Even if the lyrics are a bit mysogensitic I can’t help but love the dancing in the video.”

Hotline Bling has captivated Kent for the last month, but only time will tell if Drake’s song will last in the minds and hearts of Kent’s students.

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Evan Gaffney, the revolutionary new phys-ics teacher, started working at Kent Denver this year. He graduated from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania and has since taught at schools in New Jersey, Steamboat, and, now, Denver.

At age 29, he is already a very accomplished physicist. In college, he built an electromagnet-ic rail gun so powerful that he had to be in con-tact with the CIA, FBI, and other government organizations to get approval for it. Every day, he spends at least two hours in the black hole of the Internet, in order to keep himself educated and on top of new scientific discoveries.

The Sun Devils’ Advocate sat down with Mr. Gaffney to learn about his experiences.

Did you experience a culture shock when you moved to New Jersey?“Yeah, I grew up in Steamboat Springs, a pretty small town, so moving was definitely a change. New Jersey is crowded, fast paced, and every-one there is angry for some apparent reason…”

How was your experience on the first day of high school? Did you get any flashbacks coming here, to a new school?“So, I was a late bloomer, barely 5’3 at begin-

ning of 8th grade, but the first day of 9th grade, I was 6’1”. My experience of the first day of high school was simple: new body, new school, and no idea what was going on. I was not nervous, but incredibly awkward. So, coming to Kent Denver was a comfortable transition for me.”

What is your stance on the current policy on snow days?“We definitely need more. When I used to teach in New Jersey, a light dusting would call for a snow day. And, getting the call minutes before your alarm clock goes off is the best feeling ever.”

How do you feel about Kanye West running for president in 2020?“He couldn’t possibly be worse than Donald Trump.”

Do you like Kent Denver? What has been different?“Kent is great. In general, teaching is finding balance between managing a classroom, the cell phones, the students’ behavior and the actual teaching. I, like many teachers, don’t like as-signing seats, and having to be a disciplinarian. At Kent, I don’t have to deal with that. The stu-dents are attentive and focused and genuinely

excited to learn about physics, which makes the majority of my job being able to teach!” Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “I want to be here in 10 years. You know, they always tell you that whatever you say you’d do if you won the lottery, you should make a ca-reer out of it. Well, I’ve made my career around something I love: physics.”

Burning Questions With Mr. Gaffney

Kent Denver Catches Hotline Bling Feverby Nick Fotopulos

Mr. Gaffney at his desk.Photo by Alie Goldblatt

Drake jams out during his all new music video. His dance moves were featured on Saturday Night Live and his music video already has more than 200,000 views.

Graphic by Josaleigh Powers

by Isabel Haifleigh

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When Meagan Johnson and the Sodexo staff who serve lunch to the Kent Denver community decided to partner up with Sodexo to contribute to World Kindness Day, they relied on harnessing the kindness of the Kent Denver community, which extends far beyond common courtesy. This year, Sodexo has decided to donate 1 million meals, and Johnson personally thought that Kent Denver would play a role in making this goal a reality for Sodexo.

On Nov. 13, the Kent Denver community determined to meet the goal of making 2,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches over the course of two hours. All of the sandwiches were to be donated to homeless people living at the Samaritan House downtown. Samaritan House is a shelter that accommodates women, men, and children who currently live on the streets. Each night, this shelter takes in 325 people and provides a bed, food, clothing, medical attention, and opportunities for these underprivi-leged people to become employed. The Sodexo staff wanted to donate to the Samaritan House because of their desire to make a positive impact on a community in need.

The dining hall staff set up three tables with jars of peanut butter, jelly, and loaves of bread. In all, 296 students and faculty volunteered to create the sandwiches in assembly line fashion. Students with allergies were allowed to eat outside if they felt concerned about having an al-lergic reaction to the peanut butter. Students were able to make a total of 2,174 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in less than two hours.

“The Kent community stepped up big time!,” John-son said. “I never doubted that we would reach that goal of two sandwiches per student here at Kent. I knew you all would step up and help. I was much more concerned we would run out of peanut butter!” She added, “Kent Denver students are incredibly helpful in a lot of different ways, and I think when you call them to do something that’s helping the community... they really step up, and they certainly did so on this day.”

Kent Denver was not alone in its efforts to feed the homeless on World Kindness Day this year. A total of 15 schools contributed a total of 11,367 sandwiches for 25 unique charities.

Johnson promised that celebrating World Kindness Day would be-come a new Kent Denver tradition, and next year, volunteers may be able to prepare even more sandwiches.

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KDS Makes 2,000 Sandwiches On Kindness Dayby Ashley Capoot, Adelaide Hanson and Justin Reeves

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The Kent Denver community came together to make over 2,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. which were donated to the homeless at the Samaritan House downtown.

Photos by Alie Goldblatt

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Club Of The Month: Rock-Climbing Club

For the first time ever at Kent Denver, stu-dents have the option of joining a rock-climbing club. Senior Gunnar Autterson created the club to allow students to go outdoors and learn about something new and different. He wanted to share his passion of the sport with others.

During Autterson’s year abroad in France, he was advised to find something outside his schoolwork that would immerse him further into the French community and interact with new people. After finding a gym where he could

rock climb, Gunnar said he began to climb once a week and met many more motivated, passion-ate climbers who were easy to bond with.

Eventually, he started training with a coach seven times a week and formed an entirely new friend group through the gym. “This commu-nity helped me realize how cool this sport is because it is more than just a sport, it is a fam-ily,” Autterson said. “No matter where you are in the world, you can always find climbers who are welcoming and motivated.”

In Autterson’s opinion, rock climbing is an amazing sport due to the fact that it is enjoyable

at many different competency levels. Addition-ally, he said he loves the mental aspect of rock climbing; in order to be successful, the climber must be acutely aware at all times.

Because of Autterson’s enthusiasm about the sport, students at Kent Denver can now learn different techniques and other cool aspects of climbing. During the club’s meetings, members watch impressive videos of professional climb-ers. Autterson said he hopes to inspire many stu-dents to pursue climbing in the future and even aspires to find a few dedicated climbers to help start a Kent Denver rock climbing team.

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Riddle Of The Monthby Kevin Adams and Rob Casey

Gunnar Autterson hangs out with the Rock-Climbing Club while teaching them about the incredible history of the sport.

Photo by Kayla Tuchman

Ans: Your age

by Grace Hawkey

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Aziz Ansari claimed, “Every single person, pretty much, is taught what they’re supposed to do: go to school, get a job, find someone to love, get married, have kids, raise the kids, and then die.” Nobody questions that. What if you want to do something different?”Ansari has.

Born in South Carolina to two parents who immigrated to the U.S. from India, Ansari went to college at New York University. While do-ing stand up comedy, he got his first big job on the show Parks and Recreation. Playing the assistant to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the deputy in a small town’s parks and recreation department, Ansari displayed his wit, likabil-ity, and undeniable humor.

While doing so, he also wrote and per-formed in two stand-up comedy performances released on Netflix. With his fame mounting and his comedy gaining a following, it was with finding someone to love that he began to

Ansari Keeps It Real With Modern RomanceArgonautika Amazes Audiences

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The stage of Anschutz Theatre was trans-formed into a Greek sailing vessel, the Argo, for three days in early November. Similar to years past, this year’s Upper School Fall Play, Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika, did not dis-appoint.

The play follows the story of Jason and the Argonauts in their attempt to capture the pre-cious Golden Fleece. Jason, played by senior Mark Wittmer, and his Argonauts go out on an adventure of epic proportions. In the first act of the play, danger lurks at every turn as

the Argonauts encounter sea monsters, water nymphs, ruthless kings, a city of women, and more incredible sights.

Along the way, love interferes when an arrow carried by Aphrodite (junior Ashley Hernandez) strikes a girl, Medea (sophomore Jessica Mitchell), daughter of King Aeëtes (se-nior Stephen Hanley). Unlike the first act, the second act of the play focuses on the love story between Jason and Medea.

From love to betrayal, to adventure and hu-mor, Argonautika has a little bit of everything.

When asked about the experience of being part of the play, senior Sebastian Sun said, “Ev-eryone in the cast came together like one big family, and we had a lot of fun with what we were doing, what we were able to accomplish. The last few days were really nothing short of magical, the way we laughed and loved each other, cried with each other... It’s something that the play really brings out in people that’s truly special.”

He added: “I’m really going to miss the whole experience now that it’s all said and done, but I know that I’ll be able to look back fondly on it.”

by Alex Yoshida

Argonautika took the stage of Anschutz Theatre on November 5th, 6th, and 7th. It follows the story of Jason and the Argonauts, in their quest for the Golden Fleece.

Photos courtesy of Alie Goldblatt

Animal Collective? More Like Animal Cool-ective

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One of the things that make the Baltimore experimental pop group Animal Collective re-markable is the fact that they have never made two albums that sound the same. They have avoided getting too comfortable with one par-ticular style, and it has left them with one of the strongest discographies in modern music.

Animal Collective’s new single “FloriDa-da” off their upcoming album Painting With carries on this tradition of experimentation. In a recent interview with the band, Noah

Lennox, one of the two vocalists in the band, said that in a way he wanted Painting With to be like a Ramones album and be filled with short songs with a homogenous energy. “Flori-Dada” seems like it fits perfectly with Len-nox’s vision. The song’s four minute running time is short by Animal Collective standards, even for a single, and it speed creates a happy, exciting feel.

Gone are the reverbed ambient sounds that Animal Collective used on their records in the past; the song is one of the most straight-forward and poppy songs in the group’s his-

tory. The vocal layering gives it a lush, almost Beach Boys-ish feel. The chorus of the song is catchy, to the point that even on your first listen, you feel like singing along.

It’s impossible to be sure what Painting With will sound like, but if “FloriDada” is any sign of things to come, Animal Collective’s new project is something to look forward too.

Painting With will be released Feb. 19, and Animal Collective will be performing at the Ogden Theater on March 1.

Aziz Ansari claimed, “Every single person, pretty much, is taught what they’re supposed to do: go to school, get a job, find someone to love, get married, have kids, raise the kids, and then die.” Nobody questions that. What if you want to do something different?”Ansari has.

Born in South Carolina to two parents who immigrated to the U.S. from India, Ansari went to college at New York University. While do-ing stand up comedy, he got his first big job on the show Parks and Recreation. Playing the assistant to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the deputy in a small town’s parks and recreation department, Ansari displayed his wit, likabil-ity, and undeniable humor.

While doing so, he also wrote and per-formed in two stand-up comedy performances released on Netflix. With his fame mounting and his comedy gaining a following, it was with finding someone to love that he began to

question himself and do something different. In his stand ups, Ansari focuses in on the

absurdity in today’s dating world, comparing romance in the past to modern romance. An-sari says his interest in modern romance comes from his fascination with his parents’ arranged marriage.

In his acts, he explains how bizarre it is that in the time his parents talked before getting married, 30 minutes, he could watch an epi-sode of How I Met Your Mother. Or how ab-surd and unlikely it was that his friend met his future wife while leaving Bed Bath & Beyond.

Ansari asks his audiences to share other outrageous situations they have found them-selves in while single and dating, and in return shares some of his own.

Combining his immense interest in how people fall in love today with his own expe-riences and his ability to make people laugh, Ansari has published a book focusing on to-day’s love, Modern Romance. With the help of

sociologist Eric Klinenberg, Ansari organized focus groups to learn what people are looking for today in a soul mate, how they go about do-ing it, and just how much love is changing in the modern world.

With Ansari’s humor and compelling, re-latable focus, Modern Romance has received glowing reviews.

Just as Ansari has written a book combin-ing his humor and observations of today’s love life, he has also written and starred in a Netflix original series, Master of None. Utilizing his experience of growing older and more mature (or less mature), Ansari has written a hilarious comedy of a man navigating a time when some of his friends are settling down and making a family, while he is continuing a fun, free, sin-gle, independent life in New York.

Whether it’s on TV, in a book, or streaming on Netflix, Aziz Ansari continues to find ways to make us laugh, leaving his audience want-ing more.

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Ansari Keeps It Real With Modern Romanceby Caroline CaseyWhen asked about the experience of being

part of the play, senior Sebastian Sun said, “Ev-eryone in the cast came together like one big family, and we had a lot of fun with what we were doing, what we were able to accomplish. The last few days were really nothing short of magical, the way we laughed and loved each other, cried with each other... It’s something that the play really brings out in people that’s truly special.”

He added: “I’m really going to miss the whole experience now that it’s all said and done, but I know that I’ll be able to look back fondly on it.”

Animal Collective? More Like Animal Cool-ectiveby Nick Fotopulos

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Hits Theaters

On Dec. 18

Graphic by Sienna Fite

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Kent Denver students gathered at Dicks Sporting Goods Field on Nov. 14 to see their undefeated boys’ soccer team play in the 3A state championship against Peak to Peak. The crowd was dressed in white, holding signs, and cheering loud to support the players. Through-out the first half, Kent Denver was controlling the game, but the score did not reflect that dominance. Going into the second half, the score was still 0-0.

Dr. Chandler led the school in cheering and got the crowd motivated for an exciting sec-ond half. With a foul on junior Max Gottesfeld in the box, Kent Denver received a PK. When Gottesfeld scored the first goal of the game, the crowd went wild. All of his teammates hugged him in a celebratory embrace. This goal sparked the energy the team needed to take complete control of the game. With 12 minutes left in the game, junior Rory Buck scored a header on a cross by senior Tyler Nowak. Af-

ter this point, the boys knew they could secure the win. The last minutes were spent in excited anticipation for the end of the game. When the buzzer went off, the players flooded the field to congratulate and celebrate with their team-mates, coaches, and the school.

“This year was a special year because of how close and determined our team was,” said senior captain Davis Oudet. “After last year’s win, we knew from the beginning of preseason that this year was going to be different, and we would have to work as hard, if not harder than last year to win another state championship. It’s such a great feeling to see that all of our hard work has paid off.”

The thrill of winning state did not end af-ter the championship game, as multiple play-ers and even coach were given well deserved awards. Oudet, senior Quinn Wagner and Got-tesfeld were all named to the Colorado Boys’ 3A First Team All-State, and Gottesfeld was named player of the year. Outdet will continue his accomplished soccer career at Middlebury

College this coming fall. Coach Arty Smith was recognized for his admirable coaching skills and was named the 3A Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

But the boys did not win this champion-ship without hard work and dedication. They trained everyday and battled through injuries and setbacks. However, their eyes were always on the prize: back-to-back state champion-ships.

The dedicated Kent fans showed their de-voted spirirt and support throughout the season for their peers, with many of them showing up to almost all the games.

Their support during the state champion-ship was impressive, with all of them creating a tunnel and cheering the team on while they ran through their arms at the end of the game. The boys were ecstatic about their second con-secutive state championship victory.

“We played as more than a team,” said ju-nior Max Sanson. “We played as a family!”

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Another Year, Another State Championship

Photo by Madison WhiteThe boys’ soccer team celebrates a second state title.

by Sophia Rase and Claire Hutchison

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Volleyball Makes Kent Denver HistoryAnother Year, Another State Championship

The Kent Denver volleyball team had a very successful season that ended with them in the Kent Denver record books. With team-work, dedication, and talent, the team made it to the post-season playoffs; an accomplish-ment that no volleyball team at Kent has been able to achieve in 16 years.

Making it to the playoffs took hours of training and developing skills for every indi-vidual player and setting goals to achieve as a team. The team spent every practice doing drills, team building activities and becoming mentally and physically tough. According to Junior Mary Kate Highum, being mentally prepared for playoffs is just as important, if not more than being physically prepared. Junior captain, Mary Kate Highum, says “the team has been preparing since the beginning of the season and going into the year we had to make personal and team goals.” Highum also added that “everyone wanted to be successful this season and understood what it would take to

get there.” This year we pulled off both of our goals. We are also young team and have a lot of potential for next year! I know everyone on the team is willing to work and wants to work to make it even farther.”

The success of the season was no doubt extremely rewarding for the young team. Ju-nior captain Mallory Garner expressed her excitement for the team’s achievement saying, “I was really excited and felt really accom-plished!” Her teammate, Mary Kate Highum, had a similar reaction to making it into play-offs saying, “I knew that if any team deserved it, we did. There is just something amazing about our team this year. There was so much talent and we worked well together on and off of the court. Everyone on the team put more than 100% effort into every practice and game, which shows that our team this year was differ-ent than any other.”

In order to make it to the playoffs, the 36 teams first had to qualify for regionals where there are 12 pools with 3 teams. There is a mini-tournament and you have to win your

pool to advance to state. Then at state it is a normal tournament bracket. The first day is pool play where there are 4 pools with 3 teams. And once again you have to win your pool to make it to semis and then to finals.

This accomplishment for the team was exciting considering the team is very young. There is only one senior, Christine Anderson, who helped lead the younger, but talented team members and prepare them for successful sea-sons to come.

As the team went into their match Mary Kate states, “As a team we went into playoffs knowing that anything could happen and that we could make an amazing underdog story! Unfortunately we didn’t, but we are ready to make it next year! As a team we just practiced really hard the week before and knew that all we could do was play and leave our hearts on the court!” Even though the team didn’t have the outcome they all worked so hard for, they still loved every moment of the season!

by Madi Wifall

The Kent Denver football team completed an excellent season, full of major accomplishments and great memories. The boys finished the year as league champions, and had an amazing 11-1 record.

Some highlight wins include beating Eaton and Alameda, according to junior Mo Pinto and senior Willis McKissick. “Beating Alameda was really exciting, because the players were mean and thought they were better than us, so it was re-ally satisfying to beat them,” McKissick recalled.

In addition to clicking on the field, the team was very close knit, and McKissick said this helped them play better.

“Nobody on the team got too serious about winning games, which in the long run helped us overcome setbacks, and ultimately play better,” McKissick said.

In Pinto’s opinion, the team was successful because the players were all passion-ate about the sport. “We are all brothers who fight for the same thing day in and

day out,” he said, adding that the best part of the season was seeing the younger players step up and help the team earn wins.

For McKissick, the best part of the season was seeing Coach Yates get his 300th win. Coach Yates is consistantly seen as one of the best coahces in the state, and the Kent Denver community feels very fortunate to have him as part of their athletic department.

“I’m going to miss the coaches, the team, practicing in the rain and snow, and team dinners,” McKissick said.

Unfortunately, the season ended earlier than the team had hoped, with a loss to Platte Valley during the play-off semi-final game. While the team was dissapounted with their shortened playoff season, the players are proud of their overall performace during each game.

Senior Rob Casey says, “Even though we ended ear-lier than we wanted to, I feel so lucky to have been a part of the program that Coach Yates and Coach Boat have built.”The Kent Denver foot-ball team has a bright future ahead with the talent of the strong underclassmen.

Football Misses State Finalby Mallory Garner

Photo by Caitlin VickersSun Devils celebrate after a touchdown.Photo by Madison White

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Athletes Of The Month

As the fall season comes to a close, the Sun Devils’ Advocate rec-ognizes two athletes in particular who have made their mark on athlet-ics since freshman year. They are recognized for their hard work, good teamwork skills, and success as athletes. Senrios Christine Anderson and Niyi Kelani have been chosen as December’s athletes of the month.

Senior Christine Anderson has been playing volleyball for four years, since she moved to Colorado. Her team made it to regionals for the first time since 2005 this fall.

Senior Niyi Kelani is a lineman on the varsity football team who started playing football in 7th grade. The football team recently wrapped up an amazing season, losing in the state semifinal game.

These two seniors have had impressive athletic careers at Kent Denver and have consistantly been involved in the Sun Devil athletic program. Both were part of teams that were extraordinarily successful over their career and have contributed to the Kent Devner athletic record books. Kent Denver will miss them on the court and field in the coming years but their legacy will continue.

The Sun Devils’ Advocate sat down with both players to get real about their experience with sports at Kent.

What has been your biggest success?NK: I would say that my biggest success has been the progression of

my character throughout my years playing football at Kent. I have spent a lot of time playing this sport with my fellow classmates and coaches, and it has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Coach Yates and the rest of the coaching staff have helped turn me into a young man. Football is so much more than just a game. It has helped me personally grow, and that is why I love it.

CA: While there have been many successes and failures throughout the season, I think my biggest success would be simply doing everything I could to contribute to my team and help us go farther than we’ve gone in a long time. We also happened to beat CA for the first time in 15 years, so I’m incredibly happy to say I had a hand in that.

How do you feel knowing your high school athletic career is com-ing to an end?

NK: Knowing that my high school foot-ball career is coming to an end is a little bit-tersweet. I’m going to miss playing football at Kent, especially with this group of guys. I’ve been with them for years, and it has created friendships and bonds that I don’t think I would have had without football. On the other hand, I’m excited to move forward with my life, and tackle the next big stage. I will forever be grateful for all of the experi-ences that football has provided for me.

CA: I am sad that my high school vol-leyball career is officially finished, but I’m happy to know that there will still be times I can play with my team before I leave.

Do you plan to play in college?NK: I hope to continue playing football

in college. I’ve done lots of research and I’ve been looking at a few schools that I’d like to play at. If the feeling is right, I think I’ll end up in the right place, doing the right thing.

CA: I’m not going to college to play volleyball specifically, but I definitely want to continue playing. I’ll probably join a club team, and maybe even try to join a Division 3 team. Volleyball is not going any-where anytime soon for me!

Any last thoughts you’d like to share? NK: One thing I’d like to say is that football has been a lot more than

just a game for my peers and me. I am thankful for all of the opportuni-ties it has given me, and all of the pathways it has showed me. I will miss playing with my brothers, and I wish them all the best luck moving forward.

CA: I just want to wish my team good luck for next year! They are an amazing group of girls, and they have nowhere to go but up. I’ll still be cheering for them long after I’m gone!

News EditorsJarrek Holmes.................jholmes16@kentdenver.orgJon Ort..................................jaort17@kentdenver.orgCommentary EditorsMariah LeBeau.................mlebeau16@kentdenver.orgTillie Newcomb...........mnewcomb16@kentdenver.orgFeatures EditorsMaddie Billings.................mbillings16@kentdenver.orgFahim Choudhury...........fchoudhury17@kentdenver.orgArts and Entertainment EditorsNick Fotopulos.................nfotopulos16@kentdenver.orgAlex Yoshida.......................ayoshida16@kentdenver.org

Sports EditorsLilly Hanson........................lhanson16@kentdenver.orgCaroline Kawula.............ckawula16@kentdenver.orgPhotography EditorsAlie Goldblatt..................agoldblatt17@kentdenver.orgMadison White....................mwhite16@kentdenver.orgGraphics EditorPierson Lund...........................plund16@kentdenver.orgFaculty AdvisorLesley Brophy.........................lbrophy@kentdenver.org

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is a monthly publication of Kent Denver School,

located at 4000 E. Quincy Ave., Englewood, Colorado 80110

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Editors in ChiefKevin Adams.....kadams16@kentdenver.org

Rob Casey....rcasey16@kentdenver.org

by Sibel Fite

Anderson

Kelani

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How do you feel knowing your high school athletic career is com-ing to an end?

NK: Knowing that my high school foot-ball career is coming to an end is a little bit-tersweet. I’m going to miss playing football at Kent, especially with this group of guys. I’ve been with them for years, and it has created friendships and bonds that I don’t think I would have had without football. On the other hand, I’m excited to move forward with my life, and tackle the next big stage. I will forever be grateful for all of the experi-ences that football has provided for me.

CA: I am sad that my high school vol-leyball career is officially finished, but I’m happy to know that there will still be times I can play with my team before I leave.

Do you plan to play in college?NK: I hope to continue playing football

in college. I’ve done lots of research and I’ve been looking at a few schools that I’d like to play at. If the feeling is right, I think I’ll end up in the right place, doing the right thing.

CA: I’m not going to college to play volleyball specifically, but I definitely want to continue playing. I’ll probably join a club team, and maybe even try to join a Division 3 team. Volleyball is not going any-where anytime soon for me!

Any last thoughts you’d like to share? NK: One thing I’d like to say is that football has been a lot more than

just a game for my peers and me. I am thankful for all of the opportuni-ties it has given me, and all of the pathways it has showed me. I will miss playing with my brothers, and I wish them all the best luck moving forward.

CA: I just want to wish my team good luck for next year! They are an amazing group of girls, and they have nowhere to go but up. I’ll still be cheering for them long after I’m gone!

Sports EditorsLilly Hanson........................lhanson16@kentdenver.orgCaroline Kawula.............ckawula16@kentdenver.orgPhotography EditorsAlie Goldblatt..................agoldblatt17@kentdenver.orgMadison White....................mwhite16@kentdenver.orgGraphics EditorPierson Lund...........................plund16@kentdenver.orgFaculty AdvisorLesley Brophy.........................lbrophy@kentdenver.org

Printer................................Southeast Denver Graphics

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Advocate Editorial: Lessons Of A Little SisterAs a senior, one quickly realizes that you have a lot of people to

thank. Parents, teachers, and coaches often top my list of gratitude. This is for good reason, because all of the aforementioned groups of people have made me who I am today. They have been elder role models, pushing me to be my best for 18 years. One person often gets inexplicably left off this list. My little sister never seems to make it onto my Grammy-acceptance-speech-thank-you-list. And the more I think about it, the worse I feel.

Caroline Casey, a Kent Denver freshman, deserves a Nobel Prize for putting up with me. She actually puts up with more of my bad moods than anybody else. She beats me in Ping-Pong (sometimes), DJs our car rides, and keeps me in line when I get a little too big for my britches. But what I love about Caroline more than anything is that she is her own per-son. She is strong, independent, and sometimes stubborn. She’s taught me a lot, even when she doesn’t get the credit she deserves. For those readers who were not blessed with a little sister, here are some of the best lessons you missed out on (and can hopefully learn from now):

1. Don’t conform (or sit on couches)If Caroline is good at one thing, it is binging on Netflix shows. From Grey’s Anatomy to New Girl, she always seems to find a new series to watch in mere days. What is most impressive to me, however, is where Caroline chooses to watch these shows. On the stairs, on the floor, curled around (not on) a couch, in front of the fire, in front of the door, under the bed. The list literally never ends. It’s infinite. What this has taught me, though, is actually very specific: don’t limit yourself to regular stuff. Yeah, that’s vague, but what I’m saying is that nobody should ever feel obligated to sit on the couch. Sit under the couch if your heart so desires. Sit on the counter, or next to the washing machine. Caroline, you insert creativity into everything you do. Nobody can tell you where to sit, and that’s awesome.

2. Jam to some good music (preferably of the British folk variety)George Ezra, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons. Turn the tunes up and dance. Then, when you have “Budapest” sufficiently stuck in your head, sing that sh*t enough to make sure that everybody around you gets it stuck in their heads, too. There are two overarching lessons to take from in this scenario: 1. A good speaker system is a solid investment. 2. Never be quiet. While I can often be caught telling Caroline to hush, she very rarely listens. Usually, this applies to some sappy-yet-catchy Ed Sheeran line. However, for Caroline, it applies to everything else as well. It has

actually been scientifically proven that if Caroline has something to say, she will say it. Caroline, whether you’re jamming to Ed or defending a peer, your voice carries above the crowd.

3. Time is relativeWhen most people are hitting the hay for a sufficient night’s sleep, Caro-line is cranking away at her computer, stressed about a history paper or biology assignment. At midnight, 1 a.m., and even 2 a.m., I’ve walked downstairs to find Caroline furiously taking notes at the kitchen counter. Now, I don’t really recommend staying up this late unless you want to sometimes fall asleep on the way to school (as Caroline does). However, what I’ve taken away from Caroline’s display of sheer work ethic this semester is that if you ignore what the clock on the microwave is telling you, you can do great things. If there is work still to be done, you can count on Caroline to be doing it regardless of the time. Caroline, you set unbelievably high standards for yourself, yet you always seem to achieve your goals. Just when I think that I’m working hard, I look over at you and you’re working harder. You inspire me to procrastinate less and study more. For that, my calculus grade thanks you.

I think sometimes we don’t recognize the people who are most im-portant in our lives. Sometimes we don’t thank the people who bring out the best in us as much as we should. So to do my part in combatting this phenomenon of ingratitude: thank you, Caroline. Take it easy on Mom and Dad the next few years.

Photo courtesy of Bob Casey

Rob and his sister Caroline get psyched for the Women’s World Cup last summer.

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Is It Second Semester Yet?

As the first semester comes to a close, many Kent Denver students are anxiously awaiting the well-deserved two-week winter break that is just around the corner. While most students plan their vacations and holi-days, seniors are sitting down from an exhausting semester. My fellow seniors and I have battled through first semester and will hopefully be able to relax over break.

“I feel like this semester has been so overwhelming at times, that I am so ready to be a second semester senior already,” said senior Molly Tracey. “This semester has been very stressful, but also very rewarding.”

It’s true; the promise of second semester is what has really been driv-ing a lot of seniors through these last few weeks.

In addition to struggling against some of the hardest academics of our Kent Denver careers, many seniors are also battling against the dreaded college process. I have definitely felt the stress of college waiting behind me at times during the semester. The constant dread of leaving your fu-ture in the hands of someone else is a bit terrifying. Even though we will still have to continue to apply next semester, the idea of “second semes-ter” is so tantalizing that we can’t help but buy into the myth. As a senior myself, I can’t help but know that all the answers lie in second semester.

Even though this semester has been tough, there are some positives to the college process. In addition to finding out where they will spend the next four years of their life, many seniors come to realize the support they have from the Kent Denver community.

“I don’t think I could have gotten through this semester without the

constant support of my teachers, peers, and college counselor,” said se-nior Sarah Lawrence. “It also didn’t hurt to know that everyone was in the same place.”

She is right; it is hard not to recognize how amazing everyone has been this semester. There must be a humungous thank you to Mrs. Thom-as, who seems like a college genie. Constantly bombarded with ques-tions and concerns, Mrs. Thomas seemed to float above it all and help us with everything we needed. Personally, I cannot think of a time that Mrs. Thomas didn’t try to make herself available to us.

We must also take the time to acknowledge all of the hard work our college counselors do. Taking the time to labor over college essays, lists, and freak-outs, our college counselors take care of us.

“My college counselor, Mrs. Park, has been my savior this year,” Tracey said. “I feel like I could tell her about anything, and she would be supportive. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Last, thank you to our friends and family. This semester has been ridiculously crazy. I can’t even remember half of it, it went by so fast. Thank you to our parents who put up with us drastically changing our college lists, and for paying the ridiculous amount of applying to dozens of schools. We must thank you for keeping us sane when we might get bad, or good news. Thank you to our friends and peers for respecting our choices.

As Lawrence said, we have all been in the same place this semester. Whether we knew where we were going, or not, us seniors have battled through this semester and come out victorious. All I can hope is that next semester brings wonderful news and less stress!

You have all heard about the shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs a few weeks ago. You have heard about the bill that has been proposed to shut down the organization, and you have heard all about the controversial and juicy details concerning the bill. How-ever, have you heard why this bill should not be passed?

Two weeks ago I went to Washington, D.C., with my confirma-tion group from Temple Emanuel. In D.C., we lobbied for a number of important issues including gender equality, hunger, LGBTQ rights, and Planned Parenthood. I lobbied on behalf of Planned Parenthood in attempt to prevent the defunding of the very important organization that provides healthcare everywhere.

Currently, the government is trying to eliminate the funding of Planned Parenthood. The government has provided the majority of the group’s funding, and if they stop donating then Planned Parenthood will no doubt be forced to shut down. Planned Parenthood is an organi-zation that provides healthcare for those who cannot afford it, or are in situations where they cannot obtain it. They offer birth control, cancer screenings, counseling, and much more. If Planned Parenthood is shut down, people will not have a place to go for help and basic healthcare.

One of the reasons that the government is attempting to shut down Planned Parenthood is because they offer abortions, and some politi-cians do not believe in this. Planned Parenthood, however, offers so much more than that. In fact, abortions are only three percent of what Planned Parenthood provides.

When I was in D.C., I lobbied for Senator Michael Bennett and Representative Diana Degette. I gave a speech about the importance of Planned Parenthood. I went onto “The Hill” and into their offices to speak about this issue. I spoke about how if Planned Parenthood is shut down, there will be more cases of STD’s, cancer, and unwanted pregnancies and births.

Since Planned Parenthood helps people who cannot provide for a baby not become pregnant, without it there would be an increase in the need for welfare, and food stamps, and the government would end up paying more for these than it would funding Planned Parenthood. I discussed a story about a girl who was raped when she was 12, and if Planned Parenthood did not offer her the help she needed she would have been kicked out of her home with a newborn child, being only a child herself. I concluded with how Planned Parenthood saves the lives of teens, adults and sometimes even children who are abused and in need of help and if we shut it down, these lives could be lost.

Both Michael Bennett and Diana Degette said they agreed on the points about this issue, and I learned a lot. I learned that if you really believe in something you should fight for it and stand up to try to make a difference. I do not know if Planned Parenthood will be defunded. I do know, however, that my actions, lobbying, may have made what seems like a small difference, and could actually end up saving lives and the foundation of Planned Parenthood.

If you believe in something, fight for it. Lobby to the people who represent you, fight for what you want, and do not give up until you’ve achieved your goal.

by Emma Adelstein

A Lesson On Lobbying

by Matilda Newcomb

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constant support of my teachers, peers, and college counselor,” said se-nior Sarah Lawrence. “It also didn’t hurt to know that everyone was in the same place.”

She is right; it is hard not to recognize how amazing everyone has been this semester. There must be a humungous thank you to Mrs. Thom-as, who seems like a college genie. Constantly bombarded with ques-tions and concerns, Mrs. Thomas seemed to float above it all and help us with everything we needed. Personally, I cannot think of a time that Mrs. Thomas didn’t try to make herself available to us.

We must also take the time to acknowledge all of the hard work our college counselors do. Taking the time to labor over college essays, lists, and freak-outs, our college counselors take care of us.

“My college counselor, Mrs. Park, has been my savior this year,” Tracey said. “I feel like I could tell her about anything, and she would be supportive. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Last, thank you to our friends and family. This semester has been ridiculously crazy. I can’t even remember half of it, it went by so fast. Thank you to our parents who put up with us drastically changing our college lists, and for paying the ridiculous amount of applying to dozens of schools. We must thank you for keeping us sane when we might get bad, or good news. Thank you to our friends and peers for respecting our choices.

As Lawrence said, we have all been in the same place this semester. Whether we knew where we were going, or not, us seniors have battled through this semester and come out victorious. All I can hope is that next semester brings wonderful news and less stress!

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Just 15 months removed from the shooting of Mi-chael Brown in Ferguson, the state of Missouri again has become the focal point of ra-cial tensions. The University of Mis-sour i -Columbia made headlines in November due to student protests against school Pres-ident Tim Wolfe.

Mizzou students felt that Wolfe did not take appropriate action after several racist inci-dents on campus. A hunger strike by graduate student Jonathan Butler, plus a threat by the entire Mizzou football team to not play in an upcoming game (which would have cost the university over $1 million), led to the resigna-tion of Wolfe as well as the school’s Chancel-lor, R. Bowen Lofton.

The protests at the University of Missouri demonstrate that students can wield a tre-mendous amount of power when they come

together and stand up for something in which they believe. Unfortunately, with all the great work that was done at Mizzou, students and faculty decided to forcibly remove members of the media unless they reported the story

solely from the perspective of the protesters. Although Missouri students had a right to be mad at the administration, protesters had no right to try and control the media and put them in a position to choose sides in a dispute that they were supposed to be covering objectively.

A protest at Yale University also made na-tional headlines earlier this fall. In anticipation of Halloween, the administration sent an email reminding students to be culturally sensitive when choosing their costumes. Controversy stirred when a Yale faculty member, Erika Christakis, sent an email applauding Yale’s goal of cultural sensitivity, but encouraging students to feel free to express themselves, adding “American universities were once a safe space not only for maturation but also for a certain regressive, or even transgressive, ex-perience; increasingly it seems, they have be-come places of censure and prohibition.”

Christakis’ husband Christopher, also a faculty member, added, “If you don’t like a costume someone is wearing, look away, or tell them you are offended. Talk to each other. Free speech and the ability to tolerate offense are the hallmarks of a free and open society.”

Yale students protested the contents of the Christakis emails and demanded that the University fire them. In an attempt to ease the protesters, Christopher Christakis voluntarily came to talk with the student protesters.

A video of the talk shows a student saying, “Walk away. He doesn’t deserve to be listened to.” Christakis remained calm and respectful throughout the exchange, even with a student yelling “Why the **** did you accept the po-sition? Who the **** hired you? You should step down!” Then, finally, “You’re disgust-ing!”

These personal attacks by students intensi-fied a few days later at an event intended to highlight the importance of free speech. There, protesters spit on attendees as they left the event.

The issues of racism, prejudice and cul-tural sensitivity are important, and student protesters can achieve positive change. But personal attacks and refusal to listen and ex-change opinions are generally counterpro-ductive to the movement they are trying to achieve. President Obama addressed this issue when he said, “Anybody who comes to speak

to you and you disagree with, you should have an argument with them. But you shouldn’t silence them by saying, ‘You can’t come be-cause I’m too sensitive to hear what you have to say.’ That’s not the way we learn.”

Too often students, politicians, and every-one else in between, shut down the possibility of discussion without hearing the other side out. No one changes their mind when another insults them or spits at them.

In a free society, it’s essential that we toler-ate opposing viewpoints, and respect the right of someone to disagree with us.

The Issue With College Protests

A Lesson On Lobbying

Alex YoshidaCommentary

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The Sun Devils’ AdvocateKent Denver School4000 East Quincy AvenueEnglewood, CO 80110

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The renovation of our Boathouse is yet another example of Kent’s dedication to the education of future students.

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