Stress: An overwhelming feeling that controls a person for a period of time. Pulling everyone into the black whole of stress is what school is known to do. Trying to avoid stress is much easier said than done, but fellow students are here to offer some extra advice in tackling stress. Sophomore, Connor McIntosh and freshman, Logan Green agree that the most stressful classes at Longmont High School are science and history classes. When the history and science classes push the limits McIntosh and Green sugest exercising and not procrastinating to limit stress, but when sweating out stress and doing the work early doesn’t solve your problem, Health Line.com suggest other ways:

Top Ten Simple Ways to Relieve Stress:

1. Listen to music

2. Call a friend

3. Talk yourself through it

4. Eat right

5. Breathe easy

6. Laugh it off

7. Try tea

8. Be mindful

9. Exercise

10. Sleep Better

So whether your sipping down tea or sleeping better at night, stress comes and goes, but with tips of simple stress relievers one can ward away stress during the worst of times, and sometimes a minute to yourself is definitely needed.

Melissa Hickey

“I try to see each new season as a new challenge because I have a new team to work with, new opponents to encounter, and often new ideas and theories to try” stated coach Mike Krzyzewski, an American basketball coach and former player. 

During the heat of a game many feel as if the game is not fair. Trojan News asked two sport fanatics, Miles Rivera and Ryan Jacques,  both sophmores, about the sports their lives revolve around and sportsmanship that comes with the sport. Both Rivera and Jacques consider themselves ‘good sports’, meaning their sportsmanship is good, but not everyone they have played against or played with have shown the same sportsmanship. Rivera shared the worst sportsmanship he has seen while playing football, “I have seen a player on the opposing team yelling at the ref then punching a player on my team”. Jacques stated the worst sportmanship he has seen playing football as well, “I have seen a player on my team kick a player on the opposing player in the groin”.
Every sport has referees in order to avoid any large conflicts, but sometimes the referees cause the most problems. People yell, spit, and try to attack referees not realizing why the referees are there. Referees are there to protect players, coaches, and bystanders. Believe it or not, referees are not there to ruin a undefeated season or to give the best players penalties because they are just too good.

By being good sports Rivera and Jacques both admit they do not challenge referees when they feel the sport has become unfair. Challenging referees may feel like the right thing to do, but usually there is a logical reason for their calls, challenging them is pointless. So the next time a referee calls something instead of complaining, remember there is logic behind it all and in the end, it is only just a game.

Trojan News Staff
Melissa Hickey

In the words and lyrics of Kayne West, a famous singer and songwriter, ”The prettiest people do the ugliest things, for the road to riches and diamond rings”.  Everyone can point out the ‘suck-ups’ or the ‘brown nosers’. They are the people baking cookies or being overly nice to those that possess some something of their desire. At Longmont High School the ‘suck-ups’ and ‘brown nosers’ don’t hesitate and others may be bitter toward the ‘suck-ups’ and ‘brown nosers’ because they get what they want, when they want. Trojan News asked students on their feelings towards these brown nosed beauties, “Suck-ups are annoying and I hate when teachers pick favorites”, stated Maddie Precht, sophmore. More students such as Heather Trent, junior, and Sabrina Stranger, sophmore, felt similar to Precht’s thoughts. The idea that all should be treated fairly within the classroom environment is a common thought with among students. Is being a ‘brown noser’ or ‘suck-up’ really that bad? According to Stranger, “Brown-nosing can be good or bad, it just depends. It is good if it’s your normal personality, bad if your looking to ‘suck-up’ for a grade”.
In the end how does one identify a ’brown noser’? Urban Dictionary defines a ‘brown noser’ as someone who says nice things which usually aren’t true to another person for their own benefit. No, this does not mean that someone who is nice to people is a ‘brown noser’, although this judgement is often passed. Truely only onself can call themselves a ‘brown noser’, because the only judgement that can be trusted is one’s own.

Trojan News Staff
Melissa Hickey

Ever heard a friend or family member say, “They are a bad influence”? What does influence really mean? Influence is defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself”. It is seen every day; in the hallways,at home, at the store– people are being influenced. Trojan News asked sophomores Laura Jenkins and Amanda Givens about how they believe they are influenced. Both Jenkins and Givens agreed that their influences came from their friends and family, but Givens had a different idea of the influences she receives from her parents. “I think that my friends and family influence me, but I think my parents are more controlling than influencing”. No surprise students feel as if their parents are controlling them, but when there is a chance to be around friends’ influences remain strong whether they are good or bad. “My influences have been good and bad. In a way throughout time I have become more relaxed and less uptight because of my influences,” Givens said, “but I can also get into sticky situations through my influences”.

It’s no secret high school is when many mistakes and bad habits start, but with changes of different influences, mistakes can be mended and bad habits can be broken, but not without some form of change within people. “My influences have changed me because I have grown up and experienced the real world,” Jenkins said, “With experiences I have been able to fit in with everyone around and I have adapted to society”.

So the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself, leaves influence in a worded sense, but it is one’s job to define it for oneself. Don’t always be influenced by those around, find a way to be different, for the differences are what make everyone come together in the end.

Melissa Hickey
Trojan News Staff

Sixteen long weeks. Weeks of ongoing homework, tests, and enough lectures to keep a student going for days on end. With the begining of the school year everyone has the same goal, get this school year over with as fast and painless as possible. Starting in elementary school, the end of semester may be seen as a fun time. Movies are shown in celebration of the holidays and songs are sung in the sweet falling snow. As a student contiunes in the world of education the end of semester becomes more difficult. Howeve,r when it comes to High School, the end of the semester is somewhat dreaded. Trojan News asked students about the unwanted finals on their way. Sophmores Keaton Gaibler and Taryn Hargash responded to the mention of finals in the same way, “Oh boy!” and “Study Time”. Finals are just that, the complete semester full of work packed into one test for each class, and to go into these finals there is much needed studying that must occur.”My best study tool is sitting in my room and reviewing all my notes,” Hargash shared, but when sitting staring at your notes doesn’t work, Gaibler said, “My number one study tools are using my old study guides and text books”.

Fortunatly, right after a long week of finals there is an extended holiday break and as students return after the break they are ready to take more. So before crumbling at the thought of semester’s end, remember there is a door to freedom on the other side.

Melissa Hickey

Trojan News Staff

“I am most looking forward to not having finals!”

“I am most looking forward to having a fresh start next semester!”

These are the big years. Decisions made during these four critical years of high school could make or break your future. The thought of high school ending seems unknown to those who are just in the middle of it, but in reality it will end. Trojan News asked students from Longmont High School about their “bucket list” of high school needs. ”Before I walk out of  high school I want to make a difference in a persons life in every class I encounter. I look up to a lot of upperclassmen and I want others to look up to me as well as I become an upperclassmen,” Elizabeth Cameron, a sophmore said. While only in the middle of high school Cameron has clear insight into what she wants to remember. “I want to keep the many memories I shared with many people,” Cameron explained. “High school is special when you share memories with a people.”

Throughout high school, memories are made, drama shakes things up, people fall in and out of love, and young students grow into adults.  Although these four years may seem like a drag they’re the foundation for the rest of your life and as much as you don’t want to admit it, these years impact your future and someday it will end.  So live through the drama, ace and bomb some tests, stress yourself out, or let loose a little, but always remember, it’s only high school.

Melissa Hickey

Trojan News Staff

Whether in favor of medical marijuana or dislike it, the business is increasing at an unstoppable rate. The federal government has announced that it will be cracking down on the medical marijuana industry in California. Colorado, one of sixteen states that medical marijuana is legal, is paying close attention to changes that may be happening within the industry. Trojan News asked students about their opinions on the medical marijuana industry.

“I don’t think medical marijuana is actually necessary, some people make up things to get marijuana without the need for actual medical help” Sam Schreiber, sophmore said, “If you need medical help, in my opinion, there are plenty of other drugs that you can take other than marijuana”.

In Colorado alone there are 4, 515 reported users of medical marijuana according to procon.org. Throughout the United States there are more than 260,000 people reported to being on medical marijuana. As these changes in the federal government occur the reported amount of medical marijuana users will be expected to drop drastically, but will the users result in illegal use of marijuana? ”Only time will tell,” Schreiber said.

Melissa Hickey

Trojan News Staff

America started very small. We were the rebelious little country of  Great Britain who broke out and formed the thirteen colonies. In our strive for independence we fought war after war, expanded and found intellectuals who brought us our constitution. This history has made us united, but being united was not always the case. Trojan News interviewed Christopher Barnes,  history teacher, on his thoughts of the defining moments in American history.  ”Every generation has its defining moments. Pearl Harbor and Kennedy have, in my opinion, united us as a country. But I feel at this time we are divided”.

Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, famously said: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. The irony of heartbreaking wars and terror attacks is that they are meant to divide us as a country, but American people know that those defining moments in history have only united us. In regards to 9/11, the quote from Friedrich Nietzsche rings true. All the death and heartbreak 9/11 caused made America stronger in the end. Even when it feels like America has been divided we still have history to remind us that it is possible to be united, making us, the one, and only, United States of America.

Melissa Hickey

Trojan News Staff