![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)
Audacious and amazing autumn reads
As autumn passes by, here are some novels that you can enjoy.
media by Grace Uhrain
Sophia Miller ’25 reads Percy Jackson and the Olympians before school on Oct. 7.
October 15, 2021
Imagine flipping through the pages of a book, magazine, or comic book. The soft pages brush against your fingers. The faint smell of printed ink fills your lungs. You hear the soft whisper of pages turning. Here is a guide from fellow students on what to read this fall.
Wonder by RJ Palacio – Recommended by Anne Colette ‘24
Wonder is a realistic fiction story about a ten year old boy with a facial anomaly. He is bullied and seen as different from the other kids, and the story reflects issues in society, according to a book review on The Guardian.
“It’s a good story and it gives the perspective of someone who isn’t seen as ‘normal’,” Colette said.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau – Recommended by Dannesh Allappan ‘24
The City of Ember is a sci-fi book about a city that was built underground in order to ensure the survival of the human species, according to Goodreads.
“It keeps me reading. I generally don’t read books, but I was surprised that I finished it in three days,” Alkappan said.
The Selection by Kiera Cast – Recommended by Hansika Lakireddy ‘25
“For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels,” according to Goodreads.
The Selection is a fictional romance mixed with insights into the life of royalty.
“It is a different world and it’s not just a typical royalty book and it showcases the hardships of royalty as well as the glamour,” Lakkireddy said.
The Martian by Andy Weir – Recommended by Ryan Sprengel ‘23
“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there,” according to Goodreads.
The Martian is a science fiction book about an astronaut’s sojourn on Mars.
“The Martian is a good book. It’s a fun read, there’s a lot of high stakes in that situation, it keeps you reading, and the characters are really interesting too,” Ryan Sprengel ‘23 said.
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Recommended by Addyson Shuffield ‘24
One of Us Is Lying is a murder mystery about five students who get detention. When one does not make it out alive, the students turn against each other, knowing that one of the others committed the murder, according to Goodreads.
“I like it because it has a little suspense and it’s a fun story that makes you think,” Shuffield said.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – Recommended by Cam Buie ‘24
“They are an unlikely pair: George is ‘small and quick and dark of face’; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation,” according to the Tattered Cover website.
Of Mice and Men is a story about two friends who labor alongside each other.
“It was interesting how George kept up with Lenny for his entire life and it’s a good fiction book,” Buie said.
Legend by Marie Lu – Recommended by Kaley Kingman ‘25
“What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles,” according to Goodreads.
Legend is a dystopian fiction that contemplates social issues.
“It is a cool dystopian world book and the issues it looks into [are interesting],” Kingman said.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Recommended by Ian Gruszczynskn ‘24
“Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard,” according to Goodreads.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first of seven books in a fantasy series.
“It’s mysterious, has good foreshadowing elements, and it’s easy to get sucked in,” Gruszczynskn said.
