o&b issue 7 2011

orange&black

Grand Junction High School 1400 N. Fifth St., Grand Junction, Colo. 81501 Volume 93 • Issue 7 April 2011

the

photo issue

Staff

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News Devan Thibodaux • Josh Shettler

Student Life Maria LeFebre • Jenna Maneotis

Features Jillian Arja • Jacob Meyer

Opinion Ben Peterson • Hannah Kimmel

Sports Alex Proietti • Kyleigh Larson

Health Madison Gurley • Alex Tennant

Photography Editor Haleigh Jacobson

Advertising Manager Gillian McLean

Advertising Assistants Izzy Trinklein • Bettina Bostelman

Webmasters Phoenix Boyd • Dylan Arvig Web Editor Claire Cooper

Web Staff Spencer Pendry • Chrissi Gillispie Ashley Funke • James Osmundsen

Graphics Editor Chelsea Shetler

Graphic Artists Jasmine Waples • Kyle Klements Kaleigh Bell

Reporters Nicole Arja • Zac Barger Katherine Gibson • Paul Harmon Tessa Kester • Erin Lielkoks Holly Meer

Photographers Stephanie Skinner • Jade Smith Aubri Wiley • Lacee Kilgore

Video Cory Casselberry • Kiana Atencio Dillon Ragar

Copy Editors Regina Papas • Carson Laudadio

Editors-in-Chief Kim Horwitz • Kimberlyn Bennett

Adviser Rick Jussel

orange&blackthe

PolicyThe Orange & Black, a legally recognized public forum for student expression, is published six to nine times a year by the Newspaper Class for students of Grand Junction High School. Expression made by students in the exercise of the freedom of speech or freedom of press is not an expression of District 51 school board policy. The views expressed in The Orange &Black do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, adviser, GJHS administration or the School District 51 administration. Board policy regarding student publications (JICE, JICE-R) is available in the journalism room (Rooms 140-141) or in the principal’s office.

Letters to the EditorThe Orange & Black welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. This is a chance to express your viewpoint on important issues. Letters should be limited to 250 words. They will be edited for space and legal considerations, but not for inaccuracies, grammar or spelling. Letters must contain information pertinent to the students of GJHS. The staff retains the right to not publish any letter not meeting these requirements. Unsigned letters will not be published. Please submit typed letters in person to Room 130 or via mail or to [email protected] copies free. Where available, additional copies of this paper are available for purchase for 50 cents each. Contact The Orange

& Black for more information. Taking more than one copy of this paper with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading this edition of the paper is prohibited (C.R.S. 18-4-419). Violators, subject to prosecution and penalty under C.R.S. 13-21-123, will be prosecuted.ContactThe Orange & Black, Grand Junction High School, 1400 N. Fifth St., Grand Junction, CO 81501. Phone: 970-254-6929. FAX: 970-254-6973. Web site: GJHSNEWS.com. Adviser e-mail: [email protected] material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service. © 2009 The Orange and Black Grand Junction High School. All rights reserved.Cover Photo Illustration By Haleigh Jacobson and Maria LeFebre

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Letter from the editor

april 2011 o&b | 03

you know you go to

when...

To be a Tiger means to be-come something bigger than yourself.

There are more than 1,700 students at GJHS who you pass in the hallway, share your lunch with and create memo-ries that will last forever.

Being a Tiger means more than attending GJHS and going through the mo-tions; being a Tiger is an at-

Haleigh JacobsonPhotography Editor

titude, a spirit and a fire that lives inside all of us and cannot be captured with words alone.

The spirit with which we sing our fight song, the noise level at pep assemblies, the number of parent bridge log-ins and the eagerness we feel at reading our school newspaper are only several examples of the pride we feel knowing that we are Tigers.

As we take pictures of ourselves decked out for a big game or fighting to win our sport, we preserve a moment in time that serves as a lasting reminder of the spirit we feel in orange and black.

Being a Tiger means having a place to belong, a home away from home

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, and though that could not be enough to capture the true essence of a Tiger, this issue is all about what makes us who we are, because in the end, it’s the little things that make our school GJHS.

april 201104 | o&b

you know you go to GJHS when...

Fruita is the biggest rival

Photos by Stephanie Skinner

Every new school year brings students with “kill Fruita” painted on their bare chests during foot-ball games and crowd wars during basketball games. The community rivalry between FMHS and GJHS is ongoing.

“My favorite part about beating Fruita is that there is so much sup-port from the community, so when you win, the win is meaningful to someone other than your team,” junior Jamie Derrieux said.

No matter the sport, fans gather for one of the biggest games of the season. Every person in the crowd is there to support their favorite cat and watch a game that is bound to be exciting.

“Everyone is excited to play Fruita because we know all the kids and the rivalry is a part of Junction tradition and history,” junior Zach Lebsock said.

From left to right: Juniors Jake Ritter, Zach Lebsock and Hutten Veatch show off their hand-made Tiger t-shirts.

Students get ‘sandwiched’ while trying to go to class

april 2011


Photos by Maria LeFebre and Lacee Kilgore

School hallways are an infamous place for students to cluster, stop and gossip, text and show public displays of affection. However, GJHS students have a difficult time getting through the clumps and little time to talk to their friends.

Along with the crowding problem, comes shoving and pushing, and many find themselves attempting to dodge fellow students while weaving through the crowds.

“I feel overwhelmed by the amount of people in the hallways and how incredibly rude some people can be,” senior Cassie Walker said.

Despite the allotted five minutes to get from class to class, the overcrowding problem leaves students stuck waiting for the mass amount of others to filter through.

Junior J.D. Boulware tries to get to class on time but has trouble because of the people in the halls.

“I’m always in a rush, but I can’t get to where I want to because everyone is just standing around in one big group,” said Boulware.

The hallways are not the only host to the overcrowding issue our school faces. Some temporary solutions are to use paths that include going outside whenever possible for more walking space and avoid areas such as the commons, the East side stair-well, the big calendar and the gym when in a time-crunch.

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april 201106 | o&b

Wednesdays are a mixed bag of adviceyou know you go to GJHS when...

Every Wednesday at 8:57 a.m., students report to their assigned classes for advisory, but a large portion of the GJHS students choose not to attend.

“I’d rather do other stuff instead, like go get Starbucks,” junior Andrew Murdock said.

Some students do not mind attending the mandatory class. “I go to advisory because I can’t miss any classes for sports, and it’s all

right. It’s a short class and it’s not too bad,” sophomore Kacie Jay said. Next year, advisory will be altered to be included in the late start Monday

schedule. “(The) long-term vision for advisory is to support students as they pre-

pare for their ICAP,” assistant principle Jamie Moore said. The ICAP, Individual Career and Academic Plan, is a new state require-

ment for future GJHS graduates that will be fulfilled in advisory. “Advisory has it’s place. If teachers and students use it correctly it has a

good place in the school,” art teacher Veronica Haddock said. The state requires it because advisory provides students with a teacher

they can bond with over four consecutive years and an easy access to impor-tant information that would other-wise interrupt classes.

Attending ... ... Or not

Many GJHS students choose not to attend advi-sory. “I go and check in, grab the paper-work and leave to work on classes,” junior TJ Downey said.

Photos by Lacee Kilgore

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Lunch becomes a time for more than foodyou know you go to GJHS when...

Photos by Haleigh Jacobson and Jade Smith

april 2011

Lunch is not merely a midday meal for GJHS students. As freshman, lunch means walking to Taco Bell and dodg-

ing the unforgiving sodas of seniors. By senior year, lunch is an hour of sweet freedom granted at 10:40 a.m. every day. For GJHS students, lunch is a rite of passage.

With so many lunch options located near campus, lunch is a major daily event for GJHS students.

“We get more variety, and we aren’t forced to eat PB & J’s every-day like kids eat at Fruita,” junior Garrett Harrison said.

Many students take advantage of off-campus lunch.“I love going off campus but think lunch should be longer.

I would rather go to Junction because there are a lot more choices,” junior Briana VandenHuevel said.

Teachers also reap the benefits at lunch time. However, some are not as happy with the off-campus rule as the students are.

“Going off campus is okay to a certain extent, but students aren’t responsible. They make poor choices with their time. A

better system would be good so we can get (stu-dents) back on (campus) on time,” school liason Denise Sundquist said.

For now, students are able to savor the free-dom of off-campus lunch and experience the

quick cuisine that Grand Junction has to offer.

A story is brought to life

Photos by Stephanie Skinner and O&B Staff


The largest auditorium from Denver to Salt Lake has lit the stage each year with a musical performance. GJHS is known for the esteemed drama program.

Each year the student body gathers to support their fellow classmates as they perform on stage. “I like seeing how everyone’s hard work pays off,” junior Nikki Scott said.

Of the four other schools in the valley, GJHS never ceases to surprise their audiences with colos-sal set pieces, booming voices and elaborate costumes. The program stands apart from the other programs across the valley.

“Our actors and tech crew seem much more dedicated, and plus our auditorium is way bigger,” Scott said.

However, the audience only sees a glimpse of the work and time put into each production.“My favorite part about drama is being able to experience being someone else without feeling

any judgement,” junior Gabrielle Ziola said.The actors become extremely close over the process of each performance.This years program brought a new director as well as more young talent. Three sophomores and one junior landed the four lead roles of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow

and Lion in the production The Wizard of Oz. Sophomore Elle Gossage is shown to the left singing the classic song: “Somewhere Over the

Rainbow,” while playing the timeless role of Dorothy. Sophomore Tate Hegstrom (right) played the role of the Tin Man.“The musical was fun because the four of us became close throughout the whole process. We ate

together, we acted together and we are together,” Hegstrom said. Hegstrom took on an interesting character and commented that he liked playing a role com-

pletely opposite of himself. “I was no longer human flesh. I was tin,” Hegstrom said. The production was a monumental success. Sean Clingman, this year’s new Drama Department

Director set the bar high for years to come. “I enjoyed the wonderful cast, and I felt they all represented their various roles impeccably,”

Clingman said. The Drama Department holds itself to a high standard at GJHS. Although the auditorium has

more seats than all other theaters in the valley, the seats quickly become filled come musical time each year.

april 201110 | o&b


Seniors run the school

Photos by Aubri Wiley and Haleigh Jacobson

The power and freedom that comes with being a senior is what many juniors look forward to. Seniors often have the attitude that they run the show around school.

“This is my school,” senior Cory DeRush said.The experience that comes with age allows seniors to know the ropes and be able to find

ways to cheat the system.“I like the freedom that comes with being at the top,” DeRush said.Senior Santana Martinez has a different outlook on her final year of high school. “I am looking forward to the new journey after senior year,” Martinez said.The three years leading up to senior year allow students to get to know the teachers and

to make friends. Having the support of teachers who understand the type of students that they have is a great advantage when things get tough inside and outside of the classroom. The relationships built throughout high school allow students to be surrounded by people they are comfortable with which makes going to school less stressful.

“I like that being the top dog means you don’t have to worry about the little things like parking or getting a ride to lunch,” senior Brandon Thompson said.

“It’s been a long time coming, but well worth the wait,” senior Victoria Rentie said.

april 2011 o&b | 11


Brains are used to obtain awards

The GJHS Academic Team spends a thousand hours each year on competi-tions and in practice.The team has taken both first and third place titles at the national competition in recent years.

For many students it becomes a key part of their high school career.“I’ve done Academic Team for four years because it has always been fun

and exciting. I have simply enjoyed being with the team and playing the game,” senior Patrick Thornton said.

While participating can be a fun experience, students also gain knowledge.“It’s really interesting to me, it’s like a puzzle to try to find the answer,”

senior Emma Rieves said.Many find Academic Team to be a good way to hang out with friends.“It’s a great time to get together with friends and just have some fun,” senior

Parker Hegstrom said.After a recent loss at regionals, the Academic Team has begun to prepare

for state.“We’re all pushing harder than ever to try to win state,” Hegstrom said.

State championships14

24 National competitions

years of Academic Team at GJHS

hours of practice each week

264

Photos by Lacee Kilgore

april 201112 | o&b


Students are not punished for texting or tweeting

Photos by Jade Smith

“At school it is fine to use cell phones but in class is a different story,” social studies teacher Tom LeFebre said.

Have you ever texted in class? Seems like a stupid question, right? Everyone does. When walking through the halls, into classes or anywhere at school, everyone’s eyes are glued to their cell phones.

“I won’t go anywhere without my cell phone because it is a good way to stay connected with other classmates,” sophomore Ashlie Wilson said.

Some teachers agree that cell phones are necessary but with limitations.“I think phones are technology we need to allow students to use responsibly, and in some cases they can do really cool

educational things with them. I don’t like it when kids abuse their privi-leges, like texting,” english teacher Ms. Megan Read said.

While teachers at GJHS under-stand the importance of technology, students should also understand the importance and use their cell phones responsibly.

“Most students abuse cell phones. Some teachers don’t care, some do. Cell phones are seen as their life instead of just an object,” junior Josh Wickry said.

Students enjoy using cell phones at school, unlike many other schools.

“For the most part, teachers are okay with students using cell phones. Junction is a little more lenient com-pared to other schools,” sophomore Marshall Lee said.

april 2011 o&b | 13

that as they went further and further down the tunnel the bouncing grew fainter and fainter.

The teacher was forced to call his parents who then contacted the authorities. The police then came to the school to search for the boy and found nothing.

The teacher was fired from his job and the boy was never found.

In 2008, after the notorious flood in the Boiler room, an old blue ball was found and said to be little Timmy’s.

Legend says that when people come to school around the same time of his disappear-ance at 11pm they hear the bouncing of the blue ball.”As told to the O&B by Justin Whiteford, So-cial Studies Teacher

“There was a freshman Timmy Haring who was a the-ater student in 1976.

Timmy was at the school late one night practicing for the play he was performing in.

He was outside the auditorium in the hallway bouncing a blue ball and reciting his lines to himself. Then a group of theater students came up to Timmy and stole his ball and threw it into the boiler room. There are tunnels under the school where the students threw the ball. Timmy went down to the boiler room to find his ball and the students left.

When the teacher asked the students where Timmy had gone, no one knew and said that he had gone down to the boiler room to get his ball. The teacher had the students go down to find him, but when the students went looking, they saw no one but heard the ball bouncing.

As students told the teacher they couldn’t find him and

you know you go to GJHS when...The notorious ghost stories come to life

Photo illustrations by Aubri Wiley and Haleigh Jacobson

The hallways of GJHS are known for being erie and full of mystery. Kids and teachers who have been in the school

hallways have experienced encounters of the unknown. Band kids swear that the Band room is haunted. The door hidden by lockers across from room 222 in the Upper U is said to be where a student hanged himself and leg-end says he now walks the Upper U at night. People see a shadow of a person walking along the catwalk in the auditorium. Many students and teachers go into the auditorium alone and come out saying that they had seen someone standing on the stage. With the oldest high school in the valley and tunnels connected to a morgue the school is bound to have countless ghost stories.

april 201114 | o&b


Students can find a place to belong

No matter our skin color or beliefs, we all bleed Orange and Black.

GJHS has people of all races and religions, and yet there is a place for all of them. No one gets left

out. This is a community of tigers, and we are experiencing life with one another, growing and creating friendships that will last a lifetime.

“Junction has a lot of pride, and they definitely do care for each other,” study hall teacher Mrs. Kim Bohrer said.

There are still schools that are segregated by race or religion, and the students fight this battle everyday. GJHS is different. Our school is diverse, with many races and religions, and the students embrace this diversity. New students are welcomed with open arms. Students willingly branch out among different groups.

Community is a defining aspect of the school that the stu-dents and faculty are proud of.

“I think Junction is pretty good compared to the other schools, because we have many other races and we handle it very well,” junior Morgan Atchley said.

GJHS has a sense of community in which students learn life lessons that prepare them for the real world.

Photos by Jade Smith and Aubri Wiley


april 2011 o&b | 15

Starting with the senior class of 2002, football games were forever changed. In the fourth quarter, all of the boys in the student section took off their shirts, starting the tradition now commonly known as the “Fourth Quarter Naked Quarter.”

“It was the best tradition we had, and it was only GJHS’s. All the while we were freezing we were still cheer-ing,” 2007 graduate Sam LeFebre said.

Senior Kody Adcock has partici-pated in the tradition for the past four years.

“It’s an amazing tradition that should never be lost,” Adcock said.

But when the seniors graduate and leave, this tradition will be leaving, as well. According to CHSAA rules, patrons are not allowed to attend a sporting event when not wearing a shirt or shoes.

“We aren’t so much ‘banning’ it,” activities director Ned Pollert said, “Just enforcing the rule. Why should

Fourth quarter is naked quarterwe be the only school to break that rule?”

If the rule is broken, an official could penalize teams with an unsportsmanlike penalty. In football, this is a loss of 15 yards.

If students do not comply with the rule being put into place, they will be asked to either put their clothes on or leave. More information will be offered at the beginning of next year.

“It’s just a rule,” Pollert said. “We have to enforce it.”Junior Chandon Rose is upset about the new change. “It takes away from the school spirit but it’s not only taking

away from school spirit but tradition also,” Rose said. “I don’t see why they chose to ban ‘Fourth Quarter Naked Quarter’ for the class of 2012.”

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