“Whoever fears failure limits opportunity” Volume XL, Number 3 Kent Denver School, 4000 East Quincy Avenue, Englewood, CO 80110 December 16, 2015 Rock Out: Students Find Their Groove Senior Conner Chyung jams on the trumpet for the Quincy Avenue Rhythm Band. Photo by Madison White !"#$%&$'() +$,,)-,$./ !2.'6)7288#" *$"' 0"123$4(5%$ 9$%#')7($(# See Page 4 See Page 8 See Page 10 ;#<' Tensions Escalate Between Russia And Turkey Russian president Vladimir Putin called the President Barack Obama said that Turkey by Henry Quinn move a “stab in the back by the terrorists’ ac- “has a right to defend its territory and its air- complices,” and said that there would be “sig- space.” On Nov. 24, Turkey shot down a Russian nifcant consequences.” Turkish Prime Minister warplane after it saying the plane ignored re- Russia moved heavy anti-aircraft missiles Ahmet Davutoglu argued his country has the peated warnings after entering Turkish airspace into Syria last week, and emplaced economic right to take “all kinds of measures” to protect from Syria. The event came after months of in- sanctions on Turkish imports. their border. creased tensions between NATO and Russia in Recently, Moscow declared Turkey’s mo- both Syria and Ukraine. NATO and the U.S. sided with Turkey. tive as a desire to protect their illegal oil trade NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Russia supports the Assad Regime in Syria, with the terrorist group ISIS. Putin said,“We reporters that NATO “stands in solidarity with while the NATO coalition is against it. Russia have recently received additional reports that Turkey and supports the territorial integrity of also supports rebels fghting in eastern Ukraine; confrm that oil from ISIL-controlled territo- our NATO ally, Turkey.” NATO backs the Ukrainian government. A ries is delivered to the territory of Turkey on an NATO member hasn’t downed a Russian industrial scale,” and that “the decision to jet in almost 50 years and the event marks down our plane was motivated by the inten- a turning point in Russian-NATO relations. tion to secure these routes of delivering oil to ports.” Fierce debates have occurred over whether the warplane was actually fying in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo- Turkey or not. Russia argues that since the gan denied those claims, arguing that where plane was shot down in Syria, and the pilots Turkey sources its oil is widely know and were killed by Syrian rebels, therefore must that they would never deal with terrorist or- have been fying in Syrian airspace. Turkey ganizations. argues that it was fying it Turkish airspace Relations between Russia and Turkey and gave Russian pilots 10 verbal warnings have been extremely strained, with no coun- before shooting the plane down. Graphic by Pierson Lund try ready to back down. A Self Study For Kent Denver challenges, plans and priorities, and then has a but also for public high schools, universities, by Jarrek Holmes team of educators from outside the school ex- and colleges that take part in accreditation and As the Kent Denver students begin their amine that evaluation. reaccreditation processes. Reaccreditation, in self-refections for winter-semester comments, Reaccreditation is an opportunity for Kent the words of Dr. Chandler, helps make schools Kent Denver as a whole is going through a sim- Denver “to think about and evaluate itself, to “review everything, and the visiting team” of ilar period of refection as it gets reaccredited consider its recent past, to take stock of where educators chosen by ACIS “keeps us honest.” by the Association of Colorado Independent it presently stands, and to plan for what it wants Throughout Kent Denver, this processes of Schools (ACIS). to do for the future,” said Dr. Chandler, director self-refection, both at the student level and with School reaccreditation is the process where of the Upper School. the school as a whole, will make the school bet- Kent Denver looks at the school as a whole, Reaccreditation is an important part of the ter. It’s an excellent opportunity to refocus, and creates a “self study” to assess its strengths, educational process, not just for private schools, take what’s good and make it great. A Fond Farewell The 2015 Sun Devils’ Advocate Editorial staff gathers for a picture. Thank you Ms. Brophy, and good luck to next year’s staff! Photo by Lesley Brophy -$1#):!"#$%"&'(")%*+,&-".)*/0.#%!")1213415"67!"896: ;#<' Tensions Escalate Between Russia And Turkey Speakers Address, Challenge Students richest counties in the United States per capita. circumstance that’s worth understanding.” by Jon Ort Brundin presented on poverty within Denver, According to Bobrick, Breakthrough Learn- noting the emotional impact felt by children On Nov. 5, three speakers, Colorado Pub- ing Lab intends to host additional speakers who when their parents suffer fnancial trouble. She lic Radio (CPR) reporters Andrea Dukakis and will discuss a variety of community issues. also stated that as a matter of “necessity,” many Jenny Brundin and former Denver Mayor Fed- Senior Alex Yoshida, one of the leaders of high school students are taking on jobs. erico Peña, spoke to the Kent Denver commu- SUDA, helped plan Mr. Pena’s visit. “We in- nity during two separate events. Bobrick was responsible for publicizing the vited Mr. Peña,” who also served as Secretary event to other nonproft educational programs Dukakis and Brundin, who have both con- of Energy and Secretary of Transportation for and the larger community through social me- tributed to CPR’s ongoing coverage of pov- President Clinton, “to speak because of his ex- dia, email, and newsletters. Because Dukakis erty in Colorado, presented for Breakthrough perience as the frst Latino mayor of a major and Brundin are reporters who cannot affliate Learning Lab, a new program designed “to cre- U.S. city and his recent work regarding immi- with specifc groups, Bobrick ensured the event ate a platform for other people outside of the gration reform in the United States.” was a discussion, rather than an endorsement of Breakthrough community to come and speak Yoshida added, “Mr. Peña spoke to us about Breakthrough. and share stories and different experiences,” how he believes the existence of walls doesn’t according to Kyle Bobrick, Breakthrough Kent “When you say poverty in Colorado, a lot show a country’s strength; it actually shows Denver’s communication director. of people just think homeless,” Bobrick said, its weaknesses. He brought up the fact that all adding that poverty affects additional demo- Peña spoke at a question-and-answer ses- walls come down at some point, and that we graphic groups. Bobrick relayed that there sion organized by Kent Denver’s Student Union need to think before we put up a wall on our was one student whom he worked with, “who for Diversity Awareness (SUDA). border.” came to Breakthrough so tired that he would Peña gave the Great Wall of China and Ber- Speaking in the Dining Hall, Dukakis and fall asleep in frst and second period because he lin Wall as examples of barriers that have fallen Brundin shared segments of their recent radio had been working on his dad’s newspaper route and said he has urged the U.S. to act with open- reports and discussed the growing problem of that morning at 4:30.” Despite the student suf- ness when addressing immigration. poverty in both urban and rural parts of the fering academic consequences, Bobrick noted, state. Dukakis defned poverty as a family of that there were “a lot of things outside of our Both events were open to students and fac- four earning $23,500 or less annually. She also control [and] his control. It [was] not an issue of ulty, providing multiple outlets for the Kent A Self Study For Kent Denver noted that poverty is spreading into Denver’s misbehavior, as much as it [was] just an issue of Denver community to discuss these pressing suburbs, including Douglas County, one of the topics. Boathouse Undergoes Renovation by Hannah Hayes canoes disappeared, leaving the boathouse temperature on a weekly basis, was created empty and apparently useless. shortly thereafter. The Boathouse, the wooden structure along In 1992, Steve Newman, a Middle School The Boathouse is now undergoing reno- the shore of the Upper Reservoir, has func- science teacher, decided to use the boathouse vations, including the construction of a new tioned as a feld lab for seventh grade science as a feld station for seventh grade earth sci- garage-like room to house the boats, to ac- students for 23 years, storing meteorological, ence classes. The plot project, in which stu- commodate eight 17.5-foot Old Town canoes. geologic, and environmental equipment in the dents measure and record the reservoir’s pH With the canoes, seventh grade earth science process. This year, its foor space is being more levels, thickness of ice, and ever-changing classes will conduct a comprehensive depth than doubled in area. survey of the Upper Reservoir. Students Originally, the Boathouse was built will place North-South lines every 10 to store canoes, and students were al- meters and measure the depth of water lowed to take them out on the lake dur- every fve meters along the lines. ing lunch. In 1973, two members of Then, the earth science students will the Kent Denver faculty and a group of create a computer-contouring map and Upper School students constructed the 3-D model of the reservoir. In addition, Boathouse during a weeklong interim, new feld equipment will be added to or period without academic classes. the Boathouse’s stock to help further The group ran into a major problem: students’ knowledge of the lake.