![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: Benjamin Dale’s Love For Music
This week’s glimpse at Orchestra and Guitar teacher Benjamin Dale’s life and love for music.
media by Grace Uhrain
Orchestra and guitar teacher Benjamin Dale stands with his guitar near the Jimi Hendrix painting in the orchestra classroom Oct. 14. Dale developed his love for guitar early on. “Before I taught guitar at Rock Canyon, I had a guitar and love to explore different genres of music and learn songs that I heard on the radio and that kind of thing. But then when I started teaching at Rock Canyon and they needed a guitar teacher, it was an amazing experience to actually start teaching instruments because generally students who play the guitar have a real passion for it,” Dale said.
October 14, 2022
As you walk into the Orchestra room, students tune their instruments and practice their music pieces. Some are classical, with a fast and intense rhythm, while others grace the air slowly and melodiously.
Q: Can you say your name?
A: My name is Benjamin James Dale.
Q: What do you teach?
A: So here at Rock Canyon I teach three different orchestras: Orchestra, String Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. I also teach Guitar One, Guitar Two, and Guitar Three.
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: This is my nineteenth year teaching here.
Q: How have you been liking Rock Canyon?
A: Of all the schools that I’ve taught at, it is my absolute favorite. Not only because I get to work here with my lovely and talented wife, and the performing arts department is dedicated to an exceptional group of teachers and students, but also the student body here is one of the most extraordinary, motivated, and ambitious groups of young people that I’ve ever encountered. And, I really appreciate the leadership style of Mr. Abner.
Q: I heard that you got the music teacher awards last year. How did you feel about that?
A: Yes. I did get an award last year. I was overwhelmed by the support from the school community. The support that I received from the school community was exponentially greater than the actual significance of the award itself. It was actually a really small award, but I was just floored by the support from staff and students, and humbled because there are, as you know, some extraordinary and exceptional teachers here, and I was honored to be recognized in a small way.
Q: Nice. Final question, what’s your favorite instrument to play?
A: Well, I’m sitting in front of a violinist and violist, but I will say that the cello is my favorite instrument to play, mostly because it’s the one I’m best at. So, I’m not very good at the other ones. Cello is the one I started when I was four years old. And that’s the one that’s been closest to my heart. Literally, physically, since then, and so cello would be my answer.