The Good, Bad, and Annoying

The Good, Bad, and Annoying

An in depth look at the behavior teachers manage by Harmony Beck

They teach you how to solve exponential functions, where to put a conjunctive adverb, and that Alexander the Great’s dad was King Philip, but they never tell you what their opinion of ideal behavior involves. You could assume that all teachers are the same when it comes to their opinion of the perfect student or their preference for behavior; although, they may surprise you. Whether it is because of their experience, subject or their personality, each teacher creates his or her own classroom environment and expectations. As a student, wandering aimlessly in their own empty mind, they are guaranteed to wonder what a teacher thinks of his or her students and what the teacher’s pet peeves are. Teenagers are self conscious and insecure when it comes to what people think of them, and imagine if the teacher is judging them by their learning habits, appearance, or personality.

You may think that when it comes to perfection, teachers want a student that does their work, pays attention, and listens when the teacher is talking; you’re right these are all qualities that teachers want in a student, but they also want a diverse group of kids. Each teacher said, when it comes to students they are looking for how they respect their peers and their teachers. Mr. Otteson said that, on the first day of school, the appearance of a student doesn’t influence him it’s how the students interact. Otteson’s pet peeves don’t include asking too many questions or sleeping in class but, kids bullying each other, if a student has a class related problem and doesn’t tell him, and when students lie to him. His pet peeves are based on serious matters that affect the students emotionally, and most teachers would over look this. A student doesn’t need to change what makes them an individual to impress a teacher; furthermore, all they need to do is focus on learning and what that consists of. A teacher will not even care about your personality as long as you are paying attention and turning in your homework. Nevertheless, all teachers have their idea of a perfect student. Some teachers may classify a perfect student as someone with gumption, this means they don’t just sit in their desk like a robot they do their work with flare and personality. Others may say that the perfect student is engaged in learning and is excited to learn anything about the unit. It is safe to say that perfect students aren’t made, they’re born. If you qualify as a perfect student it isn’t because you changed to be that student, it is because that’s who you are, and to a teacher that makes you a perfect student.

When it comes to experience with teaching, how teachers rank the school depends on the overall behavior of the students. Ms. Erdle said, “The best school I taught at was a University because they wanted to be there, but best high school would I guess be this school.” One of the schools Ms. Erdle taught at was South Park, so PC isn’t that diverse then the other mountain school. A few teachers have only taught at this school and say that this school has a higher level for disrespect because of the students’ ages. Other, more experienced, teachers may disagree. All teachers have different levels of tolerance because that depends on individual. There are methods to keeping a class under control or to not send kids to Mr. Herschfeld, but overall it depends on the students. An out of control class is basically all the same to teachers: walking around the class room, talking while the teacher is lecturing, and chatting with other peers while you are supposed to be working. Despite the fact that a student may be disrupting the class, a teacher would rather try to keep this student under control then send him/her to the office because of the paper work it involves. Overall the behavior of this school is actually balanced, but there is always room for improvement.

Contemplating the idea of school, it is to gain an education the process creates attachments to teachers. Should we go to school, learn, and go home without having a relationship with teachers? If a student has a non-school related problem should they confront the teacher or is that too personal? The majority of teachers believe that students should have a friend association with their teacher, while others believe that teachers should have separate lives from students.

Teachers take the high road when it comes to their students problems. They try to make the process as painless as possible; unlike their peers, teachers will try not to draw attention to the matter. Several approaches can be used when managing the situation. Most teachers will confront the student to solve the issue; however, others will confront a qualified staff member, the nurse or councilor. In high school, personal hygiene can be an issue for some students and teachers will take the less embarrassing route.

Despite the popular belief teachers are not out to get their students. All they wish for is that their students succeed and take some experience away from high school. For those students out their, try to keep in mind that a perfect student acts likes themselves but follows the rules. High school can be a judgmental place, so for all you students don’t waste time thinking about if teachers are making judgments, because all they care about is gumption, retaining information, and behavior.

What Happened to the Old Frontier?

What Happened to the Old Frontier?

By Nigel Kelly

During the 1960s the USA glorified its image in the midst of the cold war by achieving the near impossible: landing human beings on the moon. The Soviets, during this time, were having technical difficulties with their rockets. By doing this, the USA achieved its goal of outsmarting the USSR. But for some reason in the ensuing decades, expeditions to this orbiting body have ceased to exist. The last time mankind set foot on the moon was in 1972 in the Apollo 17 mission, marking the completion of USA’s exploration on the moon.

In the years following, the many space shuttle missions have explored the orbiting space around Earth, but it has been 36 years since mankind has set foot on the moon. Surely we would be past this by now. The next planned mission to set down on the moon is the Orion 15 expedition set for no later than 2020. Now that is a long time to wait. My question is: If we could land on the moon thirty-six years ago, why haven’t we sent any more manned expeditions out of the primary Earth orbit. Why isn’t our focus more spaceward? Does it cost too much to fund these kinds of missions to space? If not for this costly war, a feat of this kind wouldn’t be so hard to accomplish. Many important people think the exploration of our solar system is insignificant, but there are many advantages to building up industry in outer space. For instance, the asteroids and comets drifting in the asteroid belt offer many rich mining opportunities which may yield materials very rare on Earth. Space station hotels also present a romantic feel for tourists. Of course, there is more important things to attend to such as ‘The War on Terror’ or ‘politics’. What about the big picture though? If the human race does not expand to the space surrounding it, then eventually Earth will become a tomb for mankind due to a plague, asteroid impact, nuclear war, etc. Anything can happen, and that’s why people should stop squabbling over the planet’s resources.

Evidently, asteroid mining and space hotels seem more like science fiction than science fact. Though technology pales in comparison with the possibilities available in the future, there is much to be exploited with the technology we currently have. For example, the technology exists to expand the infrastructure of space-based industries. The moon can be used for ore to build more space-stations, while sunlight uncorrupted by a planet’s atmosphere would power them. Space-stations can be used for a variety of things. Hotels, mining facilities, solar-collecting facilities, etc. can all be constructed and help mankind reach outer-space that much faster. Because Earth’s human population is growing exponentially, there won’t be enough resources to sustain mankind for long. Space stations could be used as colonies to help ease the high-population problem. Though only science fiction writers dream of it, in fifty or so years concepts like space-colonies and moon-bases will no longer be concepts. They will be real.

Already more and more countries across the globe are funding space programs. China intends to land a manned mission to the moon by the year 2017, three years before the USA’s planned manned landing. While only the USA, China, and Russian government have space agencies that have launched humans into space, the actual list of countries with space programs is vast. Spanning from Argentina to the United Kingdom, approximately 45 countries have a space-related agency of some kind, with India and Iran being the most important. It seems quite likely the USA will lose its dominance over space and more countries will develop the ability to explore the void. So what will become of us? Will we lay back and watch while other countries lay claim to space? Or will we take advantage of the endless resources available out there. The first step is the moon. But achieving this first step seems to disagree with the priorities of our current government…

What is a leap year?

What is a leap year?

By Dylan Rompf

This year’s extra day has raised a few questions from the old and young alike. Why must we add another day to an already tedious year? The answer is in the orbit of the Earth. It may surprise you to learn that that one revolution around the sun (which defines a year) is not actually 365 days, but rather 365.2425 days. It would be very difficult to observe a fourth of a day every year, so instead every four years a single day is added to the month of February to keep down confusion and maintain a steady calendar.

In other calendars the errors can be more confusing as the calendar becomes more accurate. For example, the Gregorian calendar is off by a mere 27 seconds a year, however this adds up to an entire day if left alone for 3236 years. The present generation wouldn’t know the difference, but generations down the line would begin to notice an earlier sunrise. Midday would slowly become midnight and back again, making a new meaning to Day and night. The effects are similar for the Julian calendar as well, although quicker. Off by eleven minutes, an extra day adds up in a meager 128 years. If you find this month’s extra day to be confusing just think of the perplexing issues we could be facing with a more accurate calendar year.

When is the Subdivision Coming?

Hey, when is that Subdivision Coming?

By Evan Campbell

A long time ago, news came out about a subdivision that is going in by Wandcrest and across US Highway 285 called Tanglewood Reserve. The subdivision consists of 450 houses in a 279 acre area, with 18 acres for commercial development and 153 acres of open space. Houses will be a quarter to a third of an acre. The developer also plans to put in an overpass on Highway 285 for entrance to the subdivision, paid for by the developer with help from C-DOT (Colorado Department of Transportation). A planned date for completion is yet to be determined.

The issue right now is the water. A 1041 application to obtain fresh water and waste water removal must be approved first by the board of county commissioners. Will-O-Wisp Metropolitan District wants another 570 new water taps for houses and commercial buildings in the new development. They currently serve 119 homes from a groundwater well. To be able to accommodate the subdivision’s needs for water, the district plans to put a diversion from Elk Creek to meet its needs. The plan is al so not to rely on ground water wells to supply water. The district has water rights to 0.7 cubic feet or 328 gallons per minute of Elk Creek.

The commissioners, however, have two objections. One is that a diversion from Elk Creek must not impact aquatic life in the area surrounding the diversion. The other is that the district must have the property rights to the land for a diversion to be able to be constructed. Until those demands are met and the Colorado Division of Water Resources or the State Water Engineer's Office has approved that the new location is less than 200 feet, approval of the 1041 is on hold. What impact will this have on the school district?

The Platte Canyon School District student body is currently getting smaller and smaller in each grade level down from this year’s 8^th grade class. The school district receives about $6,500 per student each year, and at about 120 students per class, that’s a lot of money. With a class of 85 students, that sum of money drops dramatically compared to a class of 120. This means that not as many classes are offered and staff is reduced. However if this subdivision is put in, it means class sizes may increase significantly, and the school district will gain money from new students that may move in and attend a school in the district.

However, those opposed to the project say that the water diverted from Elk Creek may cause their shallow wells to go dry. A petition was created by Elk Creek Coalition that opposes the 1041 for Will-O-Wisp Metropolitan District to divert water from Elk Creek. The status of the petition is unknown.

Obama Beats Clinton.... It's not what you think

Obama Beats Clinton

By The Big Grabowski

This is not some weird political article or prediction, at the 2008 Grammy Awards, the audiobook for Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream beat out Bill Clinton’s Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World for the Best Spoken Word Album. The award is Obama’s second, following his 2006 award for Dreams From My Father. Since 2005, President Bush’s first official year in his second term, a Democrat has won the award for Best Spoken Word Album every year (Bill Clinton won in 2005, Obama in ’06, Jimmy Carter in ’07, and Obama again in ’08). The Audacity of Hope focuses primarily on outlining Obama’s policies and views for the 2008 presidential election. Its title is drawn from the keynote address Obama gave at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which focused on the fact that America isn’t just a land of white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant males, but for “laves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs”, “immigrants setting out for distant shores”, and “a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him.” Clinton’s book talks about the efforts off the Clinton Foundation and the charitable contributions of famous people such as Oprah and Andre Agassi. The significance of this win for Obama will be felt in November. A total of 17.5 million people watched the Grammys this year, so 17.5 million people have already seen that Obama is superior to one of the Clintons which will stick in the minds of voters. On top of that, President Bush has a grand total of zero Grammys, then again he probably never will be known for his skill with words. Since leaving office in 2000, Clinton has been preoccupied with many humanitarian efforts such as tsunami relief and childhood obesity. The fact that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences can pick change over helping people says a lot about where they stand and the direction they want America to go in. What direction that is remains up to you to decide.

Valentines Day is a Day of Love and Death

Valentines Day is a Day of Love and Death

By: Cassie Whitt

On February 14, 1929 a man named Al Capone vacated his fifth floor suite at Lexington Hotel in Chicago , which he used as his official headquarters. He was the most infamous crime buff and this event was one of the most spectacular mob hits in gangland history, it known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. There was a building called the S-M-C Cartage Company that was located on Clark Street . The events that led to the massacre began on the morning of the 14th. A group of men had gathered at the warehouse for a meeting., set up by a gang member from Detroit who told Moran that a truck was on its way to Chicago . One of the men Johnny May was an ex-safecracker who had been hired by George "Bugs" Moran as an auto mechanic. He was working on a truck that morning, with his dog tied to the bumper, while six other men waited for the truck of stolen whiskey to arrive. The men who where waiting, went by the names of Frank and Pete Gusenberg, who were supposed to meet Moran and pick up two empty trucks to drive to Detroit. James Clark, who was Moran's brother-in-law, Adam Heyer, Al Weinshank, and Reinhardt Schwimmer, who were very optimistic individuals who befriended Moran and hung around the liquor warehouse just waiting for chance of rubbing shoulders with gang members. While the seven men waited inside of the warehouse, they had no idea that a police car had pulled up outside, or that Moran had spotted it and didn’t say a word. He quickly got under the car and took cover. Five men got out of the police car, three of them in uniforms and two in civilian clothing. They entered the building and a few moments later, the sound of machine gun fire broke the silence of the morning. May's dog, still tied inside of the warehouse, was barking and howling and when neighbors went to check and see what was going on... they discovered a bloody murder scene. Moran's men had been lined up against the rear wall of the garage and had been shot with machine-guns. The men disguised as cops killed all seven of them but missed Bugs Moran. When the men fired the machine guns for a second round, Moran left quickly. The murders broke the power of the North Side gang and Moran correctly blammed Al Capone. No one will probably ever know who the actual shooters were, but one of them was probably Machine Gun McGurn, one of Capone's most trusted men. This incident just proves that a day that is usually filled with love and gifts can turn into something more deadly.

That's Extreme! Handicapped Sports

That's Extreme!

By Tyler Graves

Many people seem to believe that when someone is born without an arm, leg, body part, or even lack of something, such as hearing or eyesight, they will not be able to keep up with a “normal” person. Not anymore, I see tons of people doing things I never thought possible with disabilities. When I go up snowboarding at Loveland , the chair suddenly stops at 5-minute intervals. I used to just keep thinking that another beginner getting on where they’re not supposed to. Well I’ve come to find out there was a guy getting on who was in a sit ski. About two chairs later, I actually see this guy jumping off of stuff and shredding double diamonds! Imagine this, a person in a sit ski, grinding rails…… now that’s saying something. Under different circumstances, there are people that have one leg and are doing Giant Slalom and Vert. I see an occasional deaf skier when I go up, and the cool part about it is most people who do snow sports tell me that they need to be able to listen to what is going around them to be able to perform at the top of their game.

I just recently found out that there are many other extreme things that a disabled person can do. If a person has one or no legs they can choose to go rock-climbing with or without prosthetics. Another alternative would be water sports, like waterskiing or wakeboarding. If that were the case, people with leg disabilities would be put onto a sit ski like object except on a wakeboard and do some more extreme stuff. Even kayaking is available to the leg impaired.

Rock crawling is another recreational activity that any disabled person can pursue. It involves building up a truck that can withstand extreme off road conditions. I think that it is one of the coolest sports because it takes physical endurance and a lot of reasoning and strategy. I mean, you have to know what you are doing and how you are going to do it before you precede. There are so many things out there that a disabled person can do, its just up to them to pursue it.

Get Ready..... Set..... Run!

Get Ready…Set…Run

By: Jalene Stringfellow

The winter sports are starting to come to an end. PC’s upcoming track and field season is about to start. The coaches are Mr. Larson, Mr. Hendricks, Mr.Gunkel, and Mrs. Boymel. The mandatory practices start on Monday, February 25, 2008. You need to have all your paper work, sports physical, and activity fee turned in or you will not be allowed to practice until your stuff is turned in. I took the time to set down with Coach Mr. Larson to ask him a few questions about this upcoming track season.

Q: “What are your goals for the team this year?”

A: “To have many people improve from when the season started to when the season ends. Also, letter as many people as possible, get in excellent physical shape, gain a sense of achievement and accomplishment, set person records at the end of the season, show that hard work creates success, win the Frontier league relays and league championships, and win the regional championship. ”

Q: “What do you expect out of the team and individuals?”

A: “Have people there who want to improve and to be very competitive to beat other teams and be competitive as a team as well as individually.”

Q: “What should people be doing to get ready for the season?”

A: “Start running, weight lifting, eating healthy, and be active in anything.”

Q: “How did you do last year?”

A: “The boy’s were second in state and regional and league champs. The girls were fifth in state and also regional and league champs.”

Q: “Any advice you want to give to people?”

A: “Be open to many different events.”

If you are interested in running track come out on Tuesday February 25, 2008 dressed and ready in the gym at 2:45 p.m. If you want to get in shape, enjoy running, love being competitive, and you like to have fun then track is the sport for you! Good luck to all you runners who are going out this year. Have a great season.

Vote 2008

Vote 2008

By: Jalene Stringfellow

As you all probably have heard by now the presidential election is coming soon. The date for when everyone votes is Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Most teens these days don’t seem to pay a lot of attention about politics, but what they don’t know is that their opinion really does matter and so does their vote. One vote can make a difference. They can have a say in who they believe should be our next president. The main issues for topic of discussion are abortion, housing, economic stimulus, immigration, education, Iran, Iraq, energy, environment, same-sex marriage, free trade, social security, guns, stem cell research, health care, taxes, and homeland security. The Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton who is a senator from New York, Barack Obama who is a senator from Illinois, and Mike Gravel who is a lecturer. The Republican candidates are John McCain who is a senator from Arizona, Mitt Romney was in but decided to drop out on February 7, 2008, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul who is a representative from Texas, and Alan Keyes who is an author and a speaker. The Democratic National Convention is going to be here in our own state of Colorado. It will be August 25 through the 28, 2008. The Republican National Convention will be September 1 through the 4, 2008 in Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota at the Rivercentre/ Excel Energy Center. The 2008 election is a huge topic of discussion right now. Many teens do not take the time to watch or read the news about the politics. What some don’t understand is that their vote can make a difference. If they want change in their society then they need to vote. Teenagers need to understand the consequences of standing on the political sidelines. They need to start realizeing that if they don’t take a stand, they’ll be the ones paying the price. If you are interested in finding out who you would be aligned with on the issues for the election, you can go to http://www.wqad.com and http://www.speakout.com to take a quiz and it will show the results of which you are most aligned with based on the issues.

Valentines Day uncovered

Valentines Day: Uncovered

By: Cassie Whitt

As we know, February is the month of love where all across the world we spoil our loved one with flowers, cards, and candy, but do we honestly know the history behind February 14 or why it’s known as St. Valentines Day? Well, Valentines Day was originally celebrated by Christians and Ancient Roman traditions, where they honor a saint by the name of Valentine or Valentinus a very mysterious and romantic character.

St. Valentine was said to be a priest who served during the third century in Rome, when the Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers then man with wives and children. The emperor made decision to outlaw young marriage for his potential soldiers that he could use during the war; Valentine, who greatly disagreed with the emperor’s decision, went against Claudius wishes and continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers secretly. When Emperor Claudius found out about Valentines secret marriage ceremonies for his young potential soldiers; Claudius sentenced Valentine to death.

During his time in prison, he was brutally beaten and tortured, because he tried to help Christians escape their harsh punishments. This mysterious man wasn’t in jail because he really did anything wrong, but because he believed it wasn’t fair to take the freedom of love away form a person that my never get to the chance to experience it due to dying from war. He very well kept to himself and took every brutal punishment they gave him and never uttered a word to anybody. While sitting there living out his lonely days he noticed a radiant, beautiful girl coming and going from the prison. He wondered who this beautiful creature happened to be and why of all places she was in this place. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to give a simple hello.

Later he over heard the mysterious lovely girl that he had his eye on for quite some time talking to a man, but not just any man it was Valentines jailor. He wondered, are they lovers? Are they friends? Then he heard the words “but father” spilled out of her mouth and he said “no excuses.” It was a shock to him that someone so beautiful could come from someone so hateful. He still couldn’t believe she was the daughter of his own jailor. She walked past his cell on her way out; it was love at first sight, but she new that because of his situation at hand he was awaiting his death penalty. She came to visit him during his confinement at any chance she could. The more they talked and spent time together, the more they fell madly in love with each other. Well months passed and their secret love grew stronger, but his day finally came. Valentine sat down a wrote a letter to his lover; telling her of his love and that he would wait for her forever. She looked down at the bottom and there it was the famous phrase we still use today “Your Valentine.”

Nobody really knows why we still celebrate Valentines Day or give flowers and candy, after all St. Valentine him self only left a single letter declaring his love . We will most likely continue to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day for many years to come in honor of St. Valentine’s death and his love and determination to make sure that every body got a chance to love and be loved before their day comes to leave this earth. So make every Valentines Day a special one with the ones you love.

What is a Democratic/Republican Convention for?

What's the point?

By Evan Campbell

What is a Democratic/Republican Convention for? By Evan Campbell Every time the United States votes for a new president, a long process of elimination occurs to decide the candidate for each side. The process starts with the caucuses and primaries at the beginning of the election year. During these votes, delegates from every state are awarded to each candidate that wins that state’s vote. Those delegates go to a convention in a city selected by each political party to hold the convention. This year it happens to be Denver, Colorado for the Democratic convention and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area of Minnesota for the Republican convention. At these locations all the delegates come together to select their party’s candidate for presidential office. Normally, the nation knows who the candidate is the nominee is before the convention; however, the convention is the political correct politically proper way to decide who the nomination will go to. But how do these delegates get selected to represent the candidate who wins in the primary?. The caucuses are a long process from precinct, to county, to state, and then the trip to the national convention. The process of voting in a caucus is different compared to the primary. Unlike a private primary, vote the caucus is strictly all Republican or all Democratic registered voters in a room talking about the issues each candidate stands on in their political party. When all the talking is done, a vote is cast to see who the delegates are going to be for the county caucus and what candidate they will vote for. Then at the county caucus, the delegates that were selected at the precinct get together to see what candidates which candidate has the most delegates, and then those delegates cast a vote is taken to see who will go on to the state caucus. At the state level the process is similar to the county, but it has all the county selected delegates together deciding on who will go to the national convention. At the national convention, all the delegates from every state meet to cast their votes to find determine who the presidential and vice-presidential nominees and vice-president will be for the Republican or Democratic Party. At the great gathering of delegates, the candidate who has obtained 1,191 delegates gets the nomination for the Republican Party. The Democratic nominee and the Democratic Party needs 2,025 delegates to win. This year, however, will be a history making event. The Democratic convention may make history because there is no candidate standing out from the rest. Why is this it important that the convention still occur if we usually know who the nominee will be before the convention takes place? Well the primaries mean nothing, for they do not actually pick the nominee because of the middle man, the delegate. All the primaries do is say who the delegates must vote for in the state they represent. That is why the convention takes place. So the majority of states delegates will finally say determine the nominee who for each party that will run for president in November, 2008.

Strange Wilderness

A Strange Review on Strange Wilderness
By: Kyle Grabowski

A wilderness show’s plummeting ratings cause the parent network to cancel it. In order to save their show, the crew goes on an expedition to South America in search of Bigfoot. Dimwitted crew members and a lack of funds are added to this recipe to create the wonderful film, Strange Wilderness. Unfortunately, many critics have given Strange Wilderness less than satisfactory reviews. On rottentomatoes.com, 0 out of the 20 critics have given the film thumbs up. Good thing I’m not a professional film critic. Strange Wilderness was cast in the mold of Superbad and stands to carry on the quotable comedy excellence. If you enjoyed Superbad, this film is for you. Jonah Hill (Seth) even makes an appearance as part of the crew. Many of the vulgar jokes stem from the same comedic veins along with the excellently placed classic physical comedy. On the other hand, if you didn’t like Superbad, there are a few questions you have to ask yourself. First of all: what is wrong with me? If you didn’t like or at least appreciate Superbad your American card should be immediately revoked. It is a generation-defining film that fills many with an unfortunate dream of a crazy quest. Secondly: are animals funny? If animals are funny this film will inherently make you laugh due to the nature show portions in which facts are butchered and personal space is violated. Finally: can you recognize the value of a good adventure? The crew of Strange Wilderness (the show) must perform incredibly illegal and extremely amoral acts all in the name of a common goal: saving their jobs. What’s bad about that? That brings me to the disclaimer: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SEE THIS FILM IF YOU ARE OFFENDED IN ANY WAY BY LANGUAGE, NUDITY, DRUG REFERENCES AND USE, and VIOLENCE. Strange Wilderness pushes even the mightiest of constitutions to the edge with nonstop assaults of vulgar language and drug references. I may endorse the viewing of this film, but only by those over 17 years of age or accompanied by an adult guardian. If you go the adult guardian route, however, sit as far away as possible from them because they will probably be offended within the first ten minutes and walk out. Don’t let them take you with, for you will have just wasted $7.25 and missed the first great comedy of 2008.

PC Rivalries

GO VOTE! PC Rivalries

By: Brittany Mapes

For the past few years PCHS hasn’t had an actual school rivalry. When you go to most schools and ask them to tell you who their rival is they’ll be able to answer immediately. We, on newspaper, put up a poll on who you think is Platte Canyon’s school rival. We encourage you to vote! So far, Clear Creek is winning. Every time we have a competition against Clear Creek it turns into a battle of the crowds. The last boy’s basketball game at Clear Creek was intense. Their crowd actually got kicked out of their own gym! That goes to show how much our teams are against each other. Bennett and Platte are usually neck and neck in basketball, not football. They are a candidate because there is always a hard competition between our schools. Conifer is another candidate for being our school rival. It’s obvious why. We are neighboring schools and we always are compared to each other. It’s a constant competition of who is better. Conifer and Platte are very different in many ways and it can stir up issues, especially when we have games against each other. Our last candidate is Sheridan. Platte Canyon’s basketball teams are always playing close games with them and it’s a toss up between us on who is better. Those are the four schools picked out to be Platte’s rival so go and vote at our poll on the school you think is our biggest rival.

Sweeten it up a bit

YUM!

By: Brittany Mapes

Chocolate Lava Cakes, a perfect Valentine’s Day treat!

Ingredients

· 5 squares (1 oz./28 g each) semisweet chocolate

· 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter

· 2 eggs

· 2 additional egg yolks

· 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

· 2 tsp. (10 mL) vanilla

· 1 tsp. (5 mL) instant coffee powder

· 1 tbsp. (15 mL) all purpose flour

· whipped cream and berries as an accompaniment

Cooking Instructions

1. Grease four 3/4 cup (175 mL) custard cups or individual souffle dishes.

2. In a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

3. In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, additional egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee powder until very thick, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to form a ribbon when you lift the beater from the bowl. Gently fold in the flour and the chocolate mixture, mixing just until combined.

4. Pour batter into prepared baking dishes, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about one hour before you're planning to serve dessert. (You can prepare the batter as much as 24 hours before serving -- great for do-ahead entertaining.)

5. Remove baking dishes from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

7. Arrange baking dishes on a large pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the top is just barely set. (A toothpick poked into the center of one of the cakes will come out with batter attached.) Let cool for 5 minutes, then very carefully loosen the sides of the cakes by running a knife blade around the inside surface of the dish and turn them out onto individual serving plates.

8. Serve immediately with whipped cream and, if desired, fresh strawberries or raspberries.

What's Going on at Platte. Feburary Calendar