![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)
Feature Teacher Friday: Social Studies Teacher Hailey Johnson
Rock Canyon gained many new teachers this year and we are taking the time to get to know them. We asked a few simple and abstract questions to help you get to know the staff who is dedicated to helping you learn. This week’s Feature Teacher is Social Studies teacher Hailey Johnson.
media by E. Wilson
Social Studies Teacher gives quiz directions to student Liesl Brauch ’21 in room 3700 during access Sept. 10.
September 13, 2019
What subject(s) do you teach and why did you decide that subject?
“I teach Social Studies. Specifically freshman World Geography and American Government. Honestly, Social Studies was the open position, but both of those subjects are big passion subject of mine. Especially government. It’s so exciting to teach that course right now. Geography is just fun and I love teaching freshman.”
What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
“The kids and making the connections with the students is probably my favorite part. It’s just really fun. I try my best to discover what they are participating in whether it is a part of Rock Canyon or not, and try to support them. But making those relationships with my students is the main reason why I teach.”
Favorite memory from teaching?
“My first year of teaching when I was at Regis Jesuit, the freshman class voted me as the best teacher. The reason I was really honored about that wasn’t just because they liked me, but because the award was about teachers that go above and beyond to take care of the students as a whole, not just academically but also social emotionally. The fact that that was the reason why I was chosen was a big honor. That has kind of been a big motivator to keep me going on the tougher days.”
How long have you been teaching?
“This is my third year of teaching and my first at Rock Canyon. I like it a lot. It’s been really supportive and a lot of fun. It is very different than where I was at before, so I’m excited to be back in the coed setting, but it’s amazing and I love it.”
Is a hotdog a sandwich? Why or why not?
“I do believe a hot dog is a sandwich because you can put many toppings on a hot dog much like you would a sandwich and there are the two pieces of the bun. However, if you remove the bun, it is no longer a sandwich.”
What is your least favorite song? Why?
“I really am not a fan of that song Gangnam Style. It’s fun for like a second and then it gets very old very quickly. It’s like I hate myself for bopping along and then I have to turn it off.”
Do you prefer books or movies? Why?
“If it’s Harry Potter, then the books, everything else, movies. I really like A League of Their Own. It’s like an old movie about softball teams during the war.”
If you could give your 10-year-old self advice, what would you say?
“Don’t participate in everything. Don’t overwhelm yourself.”