![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)
T-Shirt Countdown
Staff and administration promote this year’s Wish Week by wearing their previous Wish Week shirts starting from the year they began teaching at Rock Canyon.
February 21, 2020
Honors Biology and Biotech teacher Susanne Petri wears her 2017 Wish Week shirt Feb. 19. Petri started working at Rock Canyon in 2014. “As a teacher, Wish Week is one of my favorites. Seeing the students participate and all the variety of activities provided to raise money to support this organization,” Petri said.
Biotech teacher Shawndra Fordham wears her 2015 Wish Week shirt in room 5200 Feb. 19. Fordham has been working at Rock Canyon since the beginning of its construction (2003). “I love Wish Week because you get to see the hearts of the Rock Canyon students,” Fordham said.
Athletics Secretary Lori Rommel stands outside of the Learning Commons in her 2014 Wish Week shirt in from of the Learning Commons Feb. 19. Rommel has been working at Rock Canyon for sixteen years. “This is my favorite shirt because it’s one of the originals when we first started with Wish Week,” Rommel said.
Kitchen Assistant Brenda Clark eats lunch with Penny Williams in her 2011 Wish Week shirt in the commons Feb. 19. Clark has been working at Rock Canyon for thirteen years and has every shirt starting with the first Wish Week.”It brings everybody together and I think it sets as example to bring everyone together as a community and you all are working for the same result,” Clark said.
Educational Assistants Kathy Gallo and Kandi Hedges sport their 2013 Wish Week shirts outside of the 3000s Feb. 19. This is Gallo’s first year at Rock Canyon and Hedges’ seventeenth year. “The change that I see in our students when we get to Wish Week and everybody comes together for a cause that’s bigger than we are individually is really heartwarming and uplifting and I really want that for our freshmen every year,” Hedges said.