LEARNING FROM OUR HIGHLIGHTS. October 2014 Volume 10, Issue 1

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1 GEAR UP gazette October 2014 Volume 10, Issue 1 LEARNING FROM OUR FAVORITE CHARACTERSby Lisa Brown I love to read. My favorite thing in the world is to curl up on a cold rainy day under blankets getting lost in another world through a great book. I enjoy the exciting stories and joining in on the adventures of my new friends. Whenever I m reading, I imagine what I would do if I were in their situation. I like to think that I can be as daring at Tris Prior, as strong as Katniss Everdeen, as loyal as Harry Potter. I dream of being able to live in a world like the stories that I love so much, but I realize that will probably never happen. Who knows, something crazy could happen but until then I look for ways that I can at least be like my favorite characters. Hopefully none of us will start a revolution, or battle a powerful enemy, but we can learn from these stories and characters and apply their strong characteristics to our everyday lives. As I read books I admire the characters and think of ways I can try and be more like them. There are common themes that I find in all of my favorite books and important characteristics that the main characters portray, which make them strong and admirable. Here are a few of my favorites and the lessons I have learned from them. Harry Potter: I grew up with the Harry Potter books and I m still waiting for my acceptance letter from Hogwarts. (I m sure it just got lost in the mail.) While I wait however, I will just keep working on being prepared to enter the halls of Hogwarts by taking pointers from Harry himself. Throughout the books Harry shows extreme loyalty and strength. He has taught me that loyalty is one of the greatest traits a person can have. He is always there for his friends and will stick up for what he believes is right. When Dumbledoor is questioned or others doubt him, Harry remains loyal and defends him. In return, Harry gains lasting friendships and help when needed because people can count on him. Through all of his difficult times, Harry never gives up, never turns his back on what he believes in or the people he cares about, and stays true to himself. The Hunger Games: The idea of a world like Panam in the Hunger Games is terrifying to me. I was horrified reading about the games and the Capitol. I did however admire and respect Katniss for her responsibility, compassion, and her ability to keep her sense of identity and integrity. Even before Katniss volunteers in place of her younger sister to fight in the games, she shows responsibility and a deep sense of love for her family by providing for them and making sure they wouldn t starve. She is dedicated and a hard worker, something that I have tried to learn from her. While in the games Katniss shows her compassion by her ability to still take care of Rue and be kind even in such horrendous circumstances. She does not kill unless out of necessity or defense for her life. She is able to stay true to who she is even when she is thrown into a situation to make her a harsher person. It takes great strength to not waver in your beliefs when faced with such difficult trials, but Katniss teaches us that it is possible. Divergent: Tris Prior is one of my favorite book characters. I really appreciate how strong and determined she is to learn and try new things, no matter how hard they are. She teaches great determination and selflessness that I hope I can learn from and portray as well. When Tris changes factions from Abnegation to Dauntless she never gives up becoming one of the best. She works extra hard when the cards are stacked against her to make sure she will succeed. She also always stands up for her friends and for what she believes is right. When a dauntless leader is picking on one of her friends she stands up for him and won t accept treating people poorly. She puts herself in jeopardy by speaking up, but decides to do what is right over what is comfortable. I hope that if I am ever in a situation like that, that I will be selfless and brave enough to do what Tris did. All of these books have been so fun to read while also teaching me valuable lessons on how to be better. I hope we all can learn how to be more loyal, strong, responsible, compassionate, determined, and selfless. All these stories also taught me how to be resilient. With all three of these characters they never give up, no matter how hard a situation gets. They keep going and end up stronger in the end for it. So pick up a book and see how you can learn from our favorite characters! HIGHLIGHTS GEAR UP Focus Event 2 Birthday Box 2 School of the Month 3 Money, Money, Money!!! 4 GEAR UP Happenings 4 Steph s Fitspot 4 College Spotlight 5 Parents Piece 5 Meet the GEAR UP Staff 5 Calendar 6 Lisa s Pantry 6

2 Road Trip! College or Bust GEAR UP FOCUS EVENT Join GEAR UP for a trip to Denver, Colorado where we will tour Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, attend the Denver National College Fair, and prepare for college! We will be departing on Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 at 4 p.m. and returning Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 around 10 p.m. Parents and students must attend the trip orientation on Monday, Oct. 6, 2014 at 5 p.m., and dinner will be provided! Please call to RSVP by Monday, Oct. 6, BIRTHDAY BOX Chance Sletten, Oct. 5 Dominic Gomez, Oct. 6 Parker Jacobs, Oct. 11 Gage Fisher, Oct. 13 Nicole LaPointe, Oct. 13 Shaylinn Davis, Oct. 14 Kenneth Smith, Oct. 18 Sierra White, Oct. 20 Harley Syvertson, Oct. 22 Adrian Watkins, Oct October Johnathan Ericson, Oct. 23 Breana Rockvam, Oct. 23 Natalee Virachack, Oct. 23 Shakeyah Brown, Oct. 24 Zachary Kamber, Oct. 26 Reede Coppock, Oct. 27 Elena Garcia, Oct. 27 Breann Nelson, Oct. 30 Dustyn Silveira, Oct. 31

3 October 2014 SCHOOL OF THE MONTH School Name: Kelly Walsh High School School Mascot: Trojan School Motto: Everybody Counts Mission Statement: Preparing all students for their next step. The four pillars of KWHS include: Academic Excellence Activity Excellence Athletic Excellence Acceptance GEAR UP Connection: We would like to give a special thank you to John O Connor and Amy Covington for working with GEAR UP to more effectively serve our students. School Song: Stand Up and Yell You Trojans, Hail to Green and White. We ll Show Those Brave Trojans That We ll Back Them and Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight. Trojans of Kelly Walsh, Forever True We ll Be. We ll Stand, Shout and Holler Out For Victory! Highlight: Kelly Walsh High School is located in Casper, Wyoming with approximately 1500 students grades Kelly Walsh is known for an outstanding academic tradition. Since the school opened in 1965 it has consistently produced National Merit Finalists, state and national academic competition winners, and a large number of seniors graduating each year with college credit and advanced placement (AP) course work. In addition to an excellent academic tradition, the school has an outstanding athletic history. Kelly Walsh offers 22 varsity athletic teams that compete in the largest Wyoming classification. Quote: It s not the bricks and concrete that make Kelly Walsh great. It s the people that show up here everyday. - Brad Diller, Principal A special thank you to Keefe s Flowers for honoring Kelly Walsh High School by donating a bouquet of flowers! 3

4 MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! By Andrea Covert All the research says that creating a realistic budget is the first step to financial fitness! As students who are in college or preparing for college it is important to keep track of your spending and know where your money is going! The first step to creating a budget is to track your spending habits. This month keep a close eye on where you spend your money. Once you have determined where you spend your money, prioritize! Ask yourself Is this a want or a need? If it is a want start to limit your spending on those items! Look out for next month s money tip to get even better at managing your money! GEAR UP HAPPENINGS Team GEAR UP having a little photo-shoot fun! STEPH S FITSPOT As we are on the road to getting in or staying in shape, there are some quick rules we should follow: 1. Hydrate! This means to drink plenty of water every day. This helps your body in endless ways. A good rule of thumb with hydration is to take your body weight and divide it by two, this is the amount of water in ounces that you need to drink each day. This amount does not include soda, coffee, juice, etc. (example: 120lbs/2 = 60 ounces of H2O per day) 2. Plant Picks! I challenge you to try choosing a fruit or vegetable for at least one of your snacks each day. There are unlimited healthy benefits to adding more plants to your diet. Instead of grabbing fries next time, choose carrots or an apple. By Stephanie Marker 3. 3 Miles or 30 Minutes! This doesn t mean you need to go out and run three miles or for 30 minutes. It means try and be active for about 30 minutes each day or get about three miles of distance in. You can run/walk/jog/swim. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Take your dog for a walk or go on a nice walk with a friend. Here is an example of a quick 30-minute workout you can try: 50 squats 30 walking lunges 20 jump squats 30 side lunges 50 bridges *Repeat this three times throughout your day to meet 30 minutes, or combine with a short walk or jog to reach your goal! 4

5 COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT October 2014 Location: Campuses are located in Cheyenne, Laramie, Pine Bluffs and on Warren Air Force Base Population/Class Size: 3,859 students/student to faculty ratio,14:1 Tuition and Fees: $1,416 (Wyoming resident), $1,908 (Western Undergraduate Exchange) $3,408 (out-of-state), one year (excluding summer), full-time status (12 credits) Room and board: Range from $6,952 to $8,950 per year depending on room preference Website: lccc.wy.edu Fun facts: LCCC offers more than 70 associate degrees, and 25 certificates of completion PARENTS PIECE Hey Parents! We still have our text messaging services! Do you want an easy way to stay on top of GEAR UP events and important dates? With all the exciting activities we have planned, you don t want to miss out! Through Remind101 you can receive text messages from GEAR UP staff reminding you when we have events. It is free to join and all your information will remain confidential. However, standard text message rates will still apply. You will be able to discontinue the text messages at any time. By joining you can expect to receive about two messages a By Stephanie Marker month from us to keep you up to date on current activities and events. Our hope is to find an easy and convenient way to keep you updated on activities happening at GEAR UP. Joining is easy! All you have to do is text the number and in the message MEET THE GEAR UP STAFF From left to right: Stephanie Marker (Student Success Advisor), Anna Skimbova (GEAR UP Assistant), Ray Pacheco (GEAR UP Regional Director), Andrea Covert (Student Success Team Lead), and Lisa Brown (Student Success Advisor). facebook.com/caspercollegegearup also on Pinterest com/gearupcasper CASPERCOLLEGE.EDU/GEARUP FACEBOOK.COM/CASPERCOLLEGEGEARUP 5

6 OCTOBER Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday College fair trip orientation CC midterms Freshmen Learnin noon CC fall holiday campus closed Afternoon Book Club (NCPL) College fair in Denver Teen Book Club (NCPL) First quarter ends (NCSD) Halloween No school (NCSD) ACT Test LISA S PANTRY by Lisa Brown OCTOBER 2014 Pumpkin Cookies with Carmel Frosting Ingredients cookie: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1 tsp milk 1 large egg Directions cookie: 1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil. 2. Add egg, milk, canned pumpkin, and vanilla. Blend well. 3. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Ingredients frosting: 3 tbsp butter 1/4 cup heavy cream Directions frosting: 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar Pinch of salt 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. 2. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar. 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. 5. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. 6. Bake at 375 degrees for minutes. Allow to cool before frosting. 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 3. Let frosting cool to room temperature and stir in powdered sugar to make frosting consistency you want. 4. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies. Recipe and photo from: tastesbetterfromscratch. com/2014/08/pumpkin-cookies-caramel-frosting.html