May, 2012 Pb.

1
1
INAUGURAL PUBLICATION
Celebrating Success,
Saluting Summer!
You did it again Ospreys!
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Editor-in-chief: Ian Bowers
Editors: Jamie Wanzek (Sports)
Aiyana Anderson (Copy)
Cori Gianniny (Feature)
Hank Stowers (Op-Ed)
Hannah Williams (News)
Associate Editor: Emily Wieser
Photo Editor: Jerrica Crosby
Layout Editor: Brodie Hall
Ads/Business Manager: Levi Andersen
Reporters: Ian Bowers
Aiyana Anderson
The Quill Crew
Cori Gianniny
Hank Stowers
Hannah Williams
John Rhoades
Elijah Gutt
Izzy Klarer
Ty MacGufe
Cora Kilgo
Aitor Barrantes
Columnists: Emma Donharl (advice)
Hank Stowers (student life)
Izzy Klarer (gaming)
Classifed: Ty MacGufe
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May xx, 2012 Pb. 1
DEAR ANIMAS HIGH
SCHOOL: We are thrilled to
bring you the frst edition of
Animas High Schools monthly
publication The Animas Quill, a
student-run newspaper dedicated
to bringing its community only the
fnest news, feature, and editorial
pieces. In keeping with the AHS
culture, The Animas Quill intends
to keep its fnger on the pulse of
the schools community and to
represent the students and faculty
in the most accurate and articulate
way possible. This newspaper will
contain a wide variety of stories
including everything from standard
news briefs and in-depth features to
quirky columns. We will also run
an Op-Ed section in which students
will be given the opportunity to
voice their own opinions. Thus, we
strongly encourage that students and
faculty maintain communication
with the newspaper staff so that
we may always be improving our
product according to the desires of
the AHS community.
We will also be online,
so be sure to check your social
networking site for our page, The
Animas Quill. This will also be the
place to submit your opinion and
entertainment pieces (i.e. comic
strips, political cartoons, etc.). Ask
an editor for more details.
The staff is honored to represent
AHS through this publication.
As Editor in Chief, it is my
duty to not only help oversee the
operation and successful execution
of the publication, but also to
maintain a continuous connection
with students and faculty. Therefore,
should you have any concerns about
the newspaper, please let me know
one on one or in an email*, and I
will reply promptly.
Sincerely,
Ian Bowers
Editor in Chief,
The Animas Quill
Introducing The Quill
Yearbook Needs
Spring Sports
Photos
By Emily Weiser
Roxy McKnight is
requesting all students to send in
2012 spring sports photos for the
upcoming yearbook of 2013. All
photos should be labeled with frst
and last name of the student, and
the sport. These should be emailed
to animasyearbook@gmail.com,
(preferably high resolution) by the
end of this school year.
Thanks to Roxy McKnight
and the Yearbook SIG, we will have
our frst publication of the Animas
High School Yearbook.
Animas High
School Starts
Garden Club for
2012-2013
By Emma Donharl
Animas High School has
started the Garden Club for 2012.
This club consists of students and
Animas faculty with a common
interest in gardening. The garden
will be moved to the front of the
school soon and will remain there
for the duration of the summer.
Teacher Jessica McCallum
started the garden last year as a
project for the freshman. I wanted
the students to have a rewarding
experience. Its slow, and its not
instant gratifcation, but theres
something magical about seeing
plants grow and nurturing them into
food. Students are encouraged to
join and help out over the summer.
For more details, talk to Jessica
McCallum or Sharon Scott.
News Briefs
4
AHS Bonanza is
a Unique Hiring
Prerequisite
By Hannah Williams
To get hired at for a normal
job, you send in a resume, go to
an interview, and wait for a call.
At Animas High School, its not
quite that easy. For three years now,
our teacher candidates have gone
through a process called Bonanza,
a day of interviews, lessons, and
seminars. This year, Bonanza
happened on April 25th, and over
ten applicants went through the
process. In a Bonanza day, there are
fve tasks each candidate must go
through. They must teach a sample
lesson in a class they would be
teaching next year, go through an
interview with members of the AHS
AmBadAssadors, do an interview
with the Head of School and Dean
of Students, and engage in a loosely
structured interview with the faculty.
New this year, the candidates were
put under the spotlight with a
seminar on beautiful work.
The interview process is
simple. With the Head of School
and the Dean of Students, (Michael
Ackerman and Jake Lauer,) the
meeting is fairly standard. After the
school day ended, all the teachers got
together and had a decompression
time to chat with candidates and
the teachers that already work
at our school. The most unique
interview was the one with the AHS
AmBadAssadors, a group of select
Animas students. The students
were divided into teams and each
group had two or three candidates.
Questions were generally guided,
but could sway to one direction or the
other, depending on the candidate.
Some candidates blew the students
away, while others disappointed.
The sample lesson is generally
taught in a classroom where the
teacher could potentially be. This
year, the classes in question were
Spanish, Humanities, and Advanced
Physics for seniors. The sample
lessons were meant to teach a
concept that had to do with their
class and give the students a taste
for their style and content. After
the sample lessons, the teachers
generally had an hour or two to
walk around and peek into classes,
observing the teachers, students,
and everything we do here at AHS.
Over the lunch hour, the
candidates had to seminar on a piece
of writing about beautiful work.
As students here, we participate in
seminars all the time, and generally
have a few days to prepare. The
candidates didnt quite get off so
easily they were thrown into the
seminar about ten minutes after
being handed the piece. After
asking the candidates what they
thought about it, they all said it was
so challenging to balance listening
and talking, getting your ideas in
but not monopolizing, and trying to
be remembered by the observers.
The Bonanza process is a
process very unique to our school,
and as of right now, our teachers
have only made two decisions on
who to hire.
The Campfre
(1st Edition)
by Hank Stowers
I sit here, eyes glazed over, a
blank word document looming in
front of me. A cursor slowly clicks
on and off, begging for words to
appear on the screen. Ive just been
appointed columnist for the Animas
Quill, and writers block has left me
utterly lost for words.
How does anyone get writers
block in a place dedicated to ideas?
Every morning, fve days a week for
nearly three years, I have devoted
my life to thinking, to listening, and
to creating. Yet here I am, writing
about nothing, waiting for an idea
to miraculously burst from my
fngers and onto the computer. Then
it occurs to me. The column has no
voice, its nothing but a blank box
on a sheet of paper. And to make a
column speak, it needs a name.
This corner of The Quill
is meant to entertain. To cause
a laugh, a tear, or a moment in
refection on the beauty of everyday
human experiences. Poetry, a story,
whatever may come knocking at the
tips of my fngers, it will most likely
fnd its way into your hands, reader.
And now I have to fnd a name, a
title to justify the insanity that will
surely appear here with every issue.
My mind drifts off to a night
outdoors, surrounded by friends. It
wasnt by any means signifcant;
there was no cause to celebrate, and
no great effort in reaching a beautiful
Cont. on page 5...
May, 2012 Pb. 1
5
AHS Students
fnd Local and
National Literary
Success
By Aiyana Anderson
Over the past year, Animas
High School students have revealed
their affuence for writing. In just
the past semester, our students have
claimed both frst and second place
at the Durango High School Poetry
Slam, won frst and second place
in the Durango Public Librarys
Teen Writing Contest, and secured
a position at a the prestigious
Iowa Young Writers Studio. The
fascinating thing about writing,
especially fction and poetry, is that in
those seemingly distant separations
or intangible creations, there exist
fragments that probe the core of
humanity and human emotion,
says junior Ian Bowers. Our legacy
is being made, even as we speak, by
the students surrounding us.
In the dark theatre at the
Durango Arts Center on Wednesday,
April 18
th
, sophomore Geoy Fisher
climbed the steps up to a dim stage
where he wowed the judges of
the Durango High School Poetry
Slam with his poem Famous Last
Words, inspired by John Greens
frst novel Looking for Alaska.
His passion could be felt throughout
the theater during his frst poem,
and it catapulted him into the semi-
fnal round and then on to a battle
with fellow sophomore Deanna
Hutton, who won second place, for
the championship.
The poetry category in the
Durango Public Librarys Teen
Writing Contest was won by
sophomore Martina Pansze. Her
poem was written for the Poetry
Project in Lori Fishers humanities
class. I personifed war to be
something greater than all of us,
part of the earth or almost a deity of
sorts, and described wars different
encounters with humans, said
Pansze of her poem, which was also
performed at the recent exhibition.
Lacey Meek, also a 10
th
grader,
won second place in both the poetry
and short story categories of the
Durango Public Librarys Teen
Writing Contest. Her winning
story, Ice Eternal, was inspired by
mythology and folklore. I wanted
to explore descriptive language and
imagery, said Meek. Overall,
the most infuential writer to me is
Tamora Pierce. Meeks poem, which
she wrote for a Humanities project,
discussed her incomprehension of
war and her perception of No Mans
Land, a part of the battlefeld.
Ian Bowers was recently
accepted to the Iowa Young Writers
Studio, a summer program for
passionate, creative writers of all
kinds: poetry, fction, creative non-
fction, etc. The camp is very
much centered around critique
and workshopping our writing,
practices in which Ive become
profcient thanks to AHS focus on
refnement, says Bowers. While
at the camp, he will be focusing
on poetry, but is also excited to
be around other passionate writers.
The way all those diverse ideas and
concepts fy around is so energizing
and inspiring.
As the school year comes to an
end, it is important to look back and
see all of what our student body has
done this year. Literary successes
such as these have marked our
journeys as students and as a school,
and they will continue to do so on
into the future.
campsite. As a matter of fact, we
had situated ourselves neatly in my
dads backyard, circled around a
small fre that wasnt supposed to be
lit. We sat in a circle, gazing at the
stars, exchanging stories, laughs,
and an out of tune rendition of Free
Bird. Thinking back on that night,
something about it just felt special.
There was a sense of comfort, the
serenity of the woods coupled with
the cheer of conversation. I look
back on that night, and realize that
in essence, that night is what I want
from this column. A familiar, warm
feeling. A blazing fre, acting as a
forum for both recalling memories
and making new ones. Stories,
laughs, and deep thoughts. Abruptly,
it occurs to me: the furious typing at
my keyboard comes to a halt, and a
hint of a smile tugs at the corner of
my mouth. The name of my column.
The Campfre.
The Campfre Cont....
6
Past Years New
Teachers Find
Challenges &
Rewards at AHS
By Jerrica Crosby and Cora Kilgo
Animas High School acquired
four new teachers this year. To learn
about their frst year, we interviewed
each one. While interviewing these
teachers, we explored how they felt
about this past year and also other
personal thoughts. Steve Smith,
Becca Katz, Jennifer Snead, and
Matt Hughes decided to take on
the challenge of guiding Animas
students in creating a healthy, vibrant
culture. Each of these teachers has
positively impacted this school and
we are very happy to have them.
Matt Hughes took the position
at Animas as a Humanities and
the junior class elective, Global
Issues Now. This years projects for
Matt included the identity masks,
reading Brave New World, and
Model United Nations. Matt had a
hectic but rewarding frst year at
Animas High School, noting that
he, affrmed a lot of things that I
believed to be true about students
and teachers that I had not been able
to explore and have not been able to
do in other schools.
Steve Smith was the newly
acquired Chemistry teacher! Boom,
squash, bang! When he describes
this year he uses his trademark
superlative, Awesome. He is
a teacher that enjoys connecting
with his students and cherishes the
opportunity he has earned to teach
with more curricular freedom. Steve
says that he is happy to be working
with students that are happy to be
here.
Becca Katz has done a great
job this year in the ever-challenging
position of full-time, multi-level
Spanish instructor. She stated her
relationship with the students as
being Goofy but I am also a
task master. She gets stuff done;
dont mess with Becca when she
has things to do! I think we are all
happy to be able to say, See you
next year.
Jennifer Snead was a new
math teacher this year. Teaching
subjects ranging from Algebra
1 to Pre-Calculus. Jennifer has
not only been a great addition to
the math program but has also
connected with the students. She
describes her relationships with
the students as knowing them
beyond the classroom. In addition
to cultivating fruitful relationships
with her students, she also feels
that, [she has] gotten some students
excited about math.
Name: Marlene Jensen
From: Norway
Grade: 11
Age: 17
What was your favorite class?
My favorite class has been World
News.
What was your favorite thing
about America?
How available everything is
from online shopping to the super
market.
What was the best experience
you had this year?
Either New York or California.
They were both awesome and also
the White Rim.
How did you decide to do a
foreign exchange this year?
Because I wanted to do something
more with my year and experience
things outside Europe.
How was your overall
experience?
It was awesome. I never regretted
it for a second.
What did you do while you were
here, outside of school?
I did different activities and
tried to do as many new things as
possible.
Coming to America: Exchange Students Refect
May, 2012 Pb. 1
7
Name: Aitor Barrantes
From: Spain
Grade: 10
Age: 16
What was your favorite thing
about Animas?
How close the teachers and
students are, and how the project
based learning helps us.
What was your favorite thing
about America?
The generosity of the people.
When I decided to shave my head I
got around 500 dollars!
What was the best experience
you had this year?
Running Cross-Country. I enjoyed
how close the team is.
What did you do here that you
had never done before?
I ate McDonalds fve days in a
row. I had never done that before.
How did you choose to do a
foreign exchange this year?
I had some friends that did this
last year and it really helped their
English, so I decided to do it too!
What did you do while you were
here, outside of school?
I ran cross country and track. I
skied, hiked, and mountain biked. I
did a little bit of everything!
Name: Eonki Kim
From: South Korea
Grade: 10
Age: 16
What was your favorite thing
about America?
Lots of free time to watch TV,
play games, and sleep. Ice cream
for dessert!
What was the best experience
you had this year?
I learned how to snowboard at
Durango Mountain Resort. I visited
the famous city of Las Vegas,
Nevada.
What did you do here that you
had never done before?
I had never driven in a car for
three days straight before. My host
family traveled from Durango to
Seattle over winter break.
How did you decide to do a
foreign exchange this year?
I had the opportunity to visit
and study in America and to learn
English and for the change of
pace.
What did you do while you were
here, outside of school?
I did a lot of traveling to places
like Seattle, Portland, Reno,
Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Lake
Havasu City, and Las Vegas. I also
participated in volunteer work.
Is there anything else that
you want to share about your
exchange here?
I lost 200 dollars! I was robbed
at the Rec Center. I thought
Americans were kind, but they are
not.
8
Name: Laurin Bucheim
From: Germany
Grade: 10
Age: 17
What was your favorite class?
It depended on the day.
Sometimes I hated Chemistry
because of a project and sometimes
it was the same with Humanities.
On other days I would love
those classes. But overall I think
Humanities was my favorite
because I enjoyed all the topics
we did and was always completely
awake as I had it the frst thing in
the morning.
What was your favorite thing
about America?
Okay, I do have a straight answer
for that one. Free freakin reflls!!!
What did you do here that you
had never done before?
I rode on the hood of Sams jeep!
It was dark and it was cold!
What did you do while you were
here, outside of school?
I hung out with friends a lot,
originally I meant to try and do
sports but, well, Im lazy.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss all the people that have
become really close friendsand
free reflls.
Name: Tatsuya Utsumi
From: Japan
Grade: 10
Age: 17
What was your favorite thing
about Animas?
HOS Talk, and the people.
What was your favorite thing
about America?
The people, the neighborhood,
and the weather.
What was the best experience
you had this year?
Skiing, and being friends with a
lot of people.
How did you decide to do
foreign exchange this year?
I thought it would be a great
experience to learn the culture of a
diferent country at a young age.
How was your overall
experience?
Bloody fantastic!
What will you miss the most?
The school as well as the friends.
May, 2012 Pb. 1
9
Name: Marisa Mueller
From: Switzerland
Grade: 10
Age: 17
What was your favorite thing
about America?
The frozen yogurt, free reflls, and
the people.
What did you do here that you
had never done before?
Seeing and visiting the Grand
Canyon. It was wonderful!
How did you decide to do a
foreign exchange this year?
First for my apprenticeship
next year as an IT (Information
Technology). They use a lot of
English and I wanted to experience
a new culture.
What did you do here while you
were outside of school?
Going to the Grand Canyon, Fort
Collins, and Albuquerque, New
Mexico and watching the coloring
of the trees and going on the
Silverton train.
What will you miss the most?
My friends, the school, the food,
youth group and all of the other
stuf that I dont have in my
country.
Anything else that you want to
share about your exchange here?
That I had the most wonderful
experience and time here and I
didnt regret to be a part of Animas
and came to Durango. Thank You!
By John Rhoades
In the past year Student
Advisory Council (STAC) put on
a dance, improved student to staff
communications, worked at making
Student Interest Groups (SIGs) the
interests of the students, looked into
internet security, and tried to enact
an overall positive change in the
school. After a shaky start trying to
deal with the lockers, STAC found
its groove. As Junior and Chair of
STAC Hank Stowers put it, STAC
this year kind of took off.
STAC was created as a way
for the students of Animas High
School to be represented by their
peers. It is intended to be a bridge
between the students and the staff
on large issues that the students may
not be able to face on their own.
Stowers perspective on the matter
was, There have been student
government bodies in the past years,
but this is the frst year that its been
recognized, and the students have
had a voice.
STAC started out the year by
trying to give each student his or her
own space for personal belongings.
This began with delegating the
lockers, which then led to the
creation of cubbies; in the end
these attempts came to naught. The
current standing of the lockers is that
any student may have one so long
as they talk to Michael Ackerman
frst.
Following this initial debacle
STAC moved onto the issue of
SIGs. A poll was conducted that
found what interests the students
had in X-Blocks and SIGs. This list
was shown to the teachers, and they
then chose the classes of the fnal
trimester. It is the hope of STAC that
this feedback loop will be continued
next year.
After the work with the SIGs,
STAC moved onto putting on a
dance. The dance was held at the
fairgrounds, and Junior Cooper
Stowers was the opener with DJ
Benjamin K following. AHS has
had dances in previous years, but in
comparison this one was much more
in the cultural vein of Animas. As
Junior and member of STAC Aiyana
Anderson said, We tried to up the
stakes this year. We contracted a
professional DJ, we fostered a more
eclectic atmosphere, had a better
turnout, and the experience on the
whole was very fun and unique to
Animas.
Finally, STAC has been
working with the Internet security...
..that is currently in place and trying
to create a list of academic websites
that will always be accessible.
S.T.A.C.s Year in Review
Cont. on page 10...
10
Also, they have been sending
an ambassador to various staff
meetings in an attempt to line up the
goals of the students with those of
the faculty.
STAC is made up of elected
students from each advisory. Every
student is encouraged to talk to his
or her Advisorys offcial STAC
representative about any ways to
improve the culture and environment
of Animas.
Durango in the
Summertime
Abounds with
Activities
By Jamie Wanzek
The days are getting warmer,
the grass is green, and the students
are counting down the days. These
are all sure signs that summer is
around the corner. For most Animas
High School students, they will fnd
themselves spending it in Durango.
So how about making your summer
as unique as our little town? These
are the top 5 activities to get into
this summer. (Note: They are not in
any particular order.)
1. Durango is situated in a
premier place to get out and explore.
What better way to do so than going
for a hike? Engineer Mountain
is an easily accessible hike 35
miles north on highway 550. This
distinctive peak is a 13er that is an
intermediate challenge. Gaining
2,300 vertical feet in only 2.6 miles,
this climb has many rewards. From
the high altitude wildfowers to the
panoramic views on top, youll be
glad you endured it. Similar hikes
include Spud Lake, Hogs Back,
and Animas Mountain.
2. The river is also an obvious
activity in the summertime. Your
options are endless! Take the classic
tube run, boogie board smelter rapids,
get your tan on at Paradise Island,
paddle board, have a skipping stone
contest, take a stab at kayaking, rent
a ducky, take a swim, build a rope
swing, dont jump off high objects
into the river, go fshing, try skim
boarding, go snorkeling, or even
take a river trip. Whatever it is, be
sure to stay safe and use your PFDs
when necessary.
3. Durango is a great
community, so why not give back
to it? Summertime is an excellent
opportunity to get involved and
to open your arms. Manna Soup
Kitchen and the Durango Humane
Society are great places to start. Also
look for opportunities in local non-
proft organizations. They always
love involvement from the youth in
the community.
4. Try a new sport! Durango is
known for its variety of activities,
so take advantage of it. Get some
friends together, and you can all
learn together. For whichever sport
you decide to try, it is guaranteed
that Durango has a club or
organization there to support it.
To name a few: Mountain biking,
golf, lacrosse, tennis, soccer,
baseball, longboarding, swimming,
baseball, skateboarding, kayaking,
rollerblading, road biking, and rock
climbing.
5. Get a job! Getting a job
is not only a great way to meet
new people and make money, but
also hone your abilities with a
valuable work experience. Jobs are
everywhere it is just a matter of
fnding them. A great place to start
when scouting for the perfect job is
going to places you want to work,
and simply leaving your resume and
flling out an application.
S.T.A.C.s Year in Review Cont....
Students enjoying DJ Cooptown, DJ Duke, and DJ Slackerman's
tunes at the STAC-organized spring Again? Again! dance.
May, 2012 Pb. 1
11
Student Inquiry: Summer Plans
By Aitor Barrantes
Question: The summer is coming up! What will you do?
Aiyana Anderson (Jr.): I will be interning with the city, learning about the diferent departments of it.
Hannah Williams (Jr.): I will be going back to Mexico to stay with the host family that had me during my
internship. I will miss the people and how Animas seems like a family.
John Rhoades (So.): I will visit Aitor in Spain.
Martina Pansze (So.): Dinosaur excavation.
Laurin Bucheim (So.): I will go to a Green Day concert back in Germany!!! It sounds so exciting!
Tatsuya Utsumi (So.): I will go to schoolnoooooooooo.
Dear Homegurl
Your source for daily life advice from one of Animas own

Dear Homegurl,
Im over Justin Bieber. Ive been a Belieber from
the beginning, but my interest is running out. I need a
new idol, but Im tired of searching. Any suggestions?
- Frantic Fanatic
Dear FF,
I can empathize with your situation. My
obsession with Ke$ha has run its course. No longer does
her greasy hair and glitter appeal to me. Her trashy lyrics
dont strum my heartstrings either. But who can we turn
to, to fll this empty gap in our lives? My answer, dear
reader, is Sophia Grace and her sister Rosie. If you watch
Ellen DeGeneres, then you know about these two. They
have all of the criteria to be big in the United States:
theyre cute, theyre young, theyre talented, and most
importantly theyre British. Just like your old J, Biebs,
we can watch these two young ladies grow up.
- Homegurl
Dear Homegurl,
Im disgusted with the boogers smeared all
over the bathroom walls. Every time I glance at those
mucus droppings I feel like hurling. What can I do?
- Booger Blamer
Dear BB,
We need to hunt the culprit down. The easy
answer is to politely glance away and choke down
your lunch. Unfortunately, unless you are the booger
leaver, we cant do anything about it. If you are, please
stop. As a school, we beg you! Its hard enough to do
our stuff while looking at your stuff. Luckily, spring
cleaning is coming up and well hose those little
boogers away.
- Homegurl
Are you sick with all of your burning questions
that you dont know who to ask or how to ask? Turn to
your schools Homegurl, the one with all your answers.
Send questions to ask.homegurl@gmail.com
12
And We Danced!
Have a really, really, really
good summer!