![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)
American Sign Language is an accessible form of communication widely used by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. More than just a language, ASL acts as a way of self-expression. How does language open new opportunities, change perspectives, or encourage confidence? Through a visual language, ASL teacher Michelle Greene teaches her students that silence can speak volumes.
Before Greene’s teaching career, she worked as a social worker and had no desire to be an educator. However, as she began to deepen her appreciation for ASL and gained a new perspective, she aspired to share it with others. Now, with passion for the beauty of ASL, she teaches her students about Deaf culture and language.
“When I first started teaching, oh my goodness, I just realized at that time how beautiful this language is,” Greene said. “It really woke me up to my own language.”
That realization didn’t come easy. Long before she was an educator, Greene grew up in classrooms that didn’t have the Deaf students in mind. Without any clear communication with her teachers or peers, Greene was left to fall behind academically.
“Growing up, the education and the teachers, they were all just so focused on the hearing population,” Greene said. “They really had no knowledge of Deaf, how to teach us, what to do, and that seriously impacted my education in a negative way.”
Greene’s parents ultimately decided to send her to Washington, DC, to enroll in a school for the Deaf. Her education improved tremendously, as this new school opened many opportunities she hadn’t had before.
“If my parents hadn’t sent me to Washington, DC, my life would be totally different,” Greene said. “I would not be who I am now. Maybe I would have ended up with a different job, maybe washing dishes or cleaning homes. I mean, I don’t know, but I know my life would be totally different. I’m so grateful that my parents finally let me go and sent me to Washington, DC.”
Despite challenges while growing up, that first step away from home helped to develop her deep appreciation for ASL. Her connection to the language ultimately led her to Gallaudet University, a renowned institution for the Deaf, where she earned her teaching degree. Gallaudet University was a supportive environment for the Deaf community, offering her a sense of connection, purpose and pride in who she is. Through her degree in education, Greene became a valued staff member at RCHS, where she provided students the opportunity to attend ASL courses in levels one through four.
“Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to language. But teaching ASL made me really see it, embrace it, and invest in it.” Greene said. “I fell in love with my own language.”
