![Minutes before the Activities Fair in the gym, president Abhi Gowda ‘26 prepares the stall for his club Helping Hands, Sept. 4. A relatively new club, Helping Hands was co-started by Gowda and focuses on assisting the homeless, and just last year they succeeded in raising a couple hundred donations to send to shelters. This year, they have goals to expand, with hopes to increase volunteer opportunities and take in-person trips to shelters, as well as extend their help beyond just homeless people. “The Activities Fair gives a lot of underclassmen the opportunity to really get to know the Canyon culture, and it gives them many opportunities for service and volunteering,” Gowda said. “[Through the Activities Fair,] I hope to find a bunch of new and passionate members about our club and just get our name out there and spread awareness to the cause that we’re fighting for.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-2-1200x885.jpg)
![The winter guard team makes fifth place at the state championship finals in the Denver Coliseum, March 30. The team performed to Barnes Country's “Glitter and Gold,” lead by coaches Margo Sanford, Blair Bickerton and Anna Orgren. In their class there were a total of nine groups participating, and the top five who made it to finals received a plaque. “[Walking onto the stage] is very nerve-wracking, but also very exciting as well. When you first start color guard there's a lot of anxiety and uncertainty when you first perform in front of an audience, but once you've done it for a while, it starts to become the best part of the season,” Ella West ‘25 said. “It's very fulfilling to see an audience react to something you've put your heart and soul into.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Both-socal-media-nd-website-main-1-1200x846.jpg)
![April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). This month is to spread awareness of the harassment, assault and abuse that happens around the world. The symbol that represented the month was a teal ribbon; however, some survivors of assault create different symbols and movements like the TikTok trend in 2022, where survivors would tattoo Medusa on their body, in honor of her backstory in Greek Mythology. “I don't think [this month is known] at all. I rarely see anybody talk about it. I rarely see much of an emphasis on posting it online, or much discussion about it, and I feel like there needs to be way more discussion,” an anonymous source said. “I think just validating every experience that a person has gone through, regardless of the degree of it, the severity, is an essential step into making sure that people are aware that this is a very real problem in a society and that we need to do better in addressing it.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0011-1200x900.jpg)
![Lesbian Visibility Day is April 26, and it’s a holiday to celebrate the lesbian community of the world. Lesbian Visibility day was established in 2008 by many queer activists and organizations who sought to raise more awareness for lesbian history and culture. “So this is why during Lesbian Visibility [Day] we celebrate and center all lesbians, both cis and trans, while also showing solidarity with all LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people,” Linda Reily, in an article written by her, said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lesbian-Visibility-day.jpeg)
FRIDAY FACULTY FEATURE: Grace Sims’ Escapades in Athletic Training
A glimpse into the life of Athletic Training teacher Grace Sims.
media by Elly Brooks
Athletic Training teacher Grace Sims adjusts the leg of the athletic training skeleton Feb. 22. She explained how special the human skeleton is. “I love it because it shows all different parts of the body, bones, muscles, and blood vessels,” Sims said.
March 10, 2023
You walk into Athletic Training and sit at your desk. Grace Sims walks in with a smile, greeting you, then asks about your day. She immediately starts talking about her crazy adventures as the athletic trainer and what kind of injuries she’s dealt with.
Q: What do you teach?
A: I teach Athletic Training One and Two.
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: I have been working here since I started teaching, which was eleven years ago.
Q: How did you decide you wanted to teach athletic training?
A: When I was in high school and I took it as a PE elective, I’d never heard of the profession. But, I liked it so much that I ended up going into college with that as my major.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Yes, I had two Shelties. One’s name is Quincy. Then, I unfortunately lost one. Her name was Riley.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: I love “Chronicles of Narnia,” the music is amazing. It’s just one of those movies that when I watch it, I’m filled with happy thoughts. I love “Tangled,” it is so funny I will just sit there and laugh every time I watch it.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: I like a lot of foods. My dad is a really good cook. So, whenever he makes anything, it’s amazing. His latest thing that he’s been making is a lot of Greek lemon chicken, it’s phenomenal.
Q: What is your least favorite food?
A: Okra is nasty, it’s slimy and disgusting. Unless you fry it, then it’s not that big of a deal. I don’t like lima beans, which some people find weird.
Q: What is your craziest student story?
A: I’ve had several students have medical episodes in my class and I feel really bad for them. But, if you’re going to have a medical issue, my class is probably the best place to do it. Several years ago, we had an individual who went to a neighboring high school who got transferred to Rock Canyon, and when we got into our ankle-taping unit, they had a broken leg that they were recovering from. So they were like, “hey, I can’t have anybody tape this ankle because I just had surgery.” And I was like, “okay, well, that’s fine, we can use your other ankle.” And they go, “well, I actually have a parole bracelet on that ankle.” I was like, “oh.” So the story is, they actually broke their leg hopping over a fence running from the cops. So as a result, they could not participate in being a taping model.
Q: What is your craziest family story?
A: My dad drove a tow truck from Chicago to Colorado to propose to my mom because that was the only way he could get home.