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THE WATERMARK

WATERSHED & LOCAL NEWS

Google XLab: Fostering Sparks of Curiosity
Engagement in schools is lacking. A recent study of
over 900,000 public school students in the United
States found that in 5th grade, 75% of students feel
engaged—but by the time they reach high school,
that number drops to around 33%. High school
students today are unmotivated, uninterested, and
uninspired.
GOOGLE XLAB On November 9, Google software
engineer Brian Brewington gathered students,
teachers, parents, and entrepreneurs of the local
community to unpack why. Dubbed “Saturday
Sparks,” the community design event, as Brewington
described, set out to “work together to uncover
sparks of learning, and create solutions based on the
needs we find.”
INVESTIGATION 8 “Lightning Talks”—rapid-fire
presentations by one or two people—were given on
subjects ranging from weather balloons to travel
experiences at the Watershed School.
A School of Mines student described how a curiosity
about drones led them to their current career
trajectory. A student from Monarch High School
outlined an app that they designed that would allow
teachers collaborate in scheduling assignments and
tests to avoid concentrated student workloads.
teachers, or companies that can foster this “spark” of
Erica Fine from Thorne Nature Experience described
her work as the E Movement program manager. E
Movement, heavily backed by Boulder County, seeks
to make nature and outdoor experiences accessible
for every child in Boulder County. The program hopes
to promote environmental literacy through adulthood
in every graduate of schools within Boulder County.
Beyond environmental knowledge, environmental
education has been shown to improve critical thinking
and leadership skills, academic performance, and civic
engagement in K-12 students.
Watershed’s Million-Dollar Ideas
THE INNOVATIVE ”Uncook food (raw energy).” “Planting trees when certain videos are watched.” “A million
dollar bill.” “Dude skirts (Kilts?).” “Tax fraud.”
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL “LaKeg…Kegs of LaCroix.” “Chopsticks, but each one is a mini fork.” “Communism (we
all share the million dollars).” “Bagged pickles (individually wrapped pickles).”
THE ABSURD “Mini pet giraffes (Large pet giraffes).” “Celery pizza.” ”Cat skis.” “Create a new species of ferrets.”
December 2019
MIIKAI TILTON 

Hundreds of inquiries structured around the phrase
“how might we…?” were drafted in response to the
problems, solutions, and outcomes described in these
talks, among them:
“How might we open the time and space for
exploration and creativity in schools?” “How might we
create more time and flexibility for educators to plan?”
“How might we create, support, and validate
unstructured time?” “How might we break down the
barriers of inequality in order for everyone to
experience tailored learning?” “How can we connect
learners to mentors in their community?”
Patterns soon emerged in questions posed; most
notably were themes of promoting meaningful
community relationships, re-imagining traditional
school structures, equity in education accessibility,
and creating a platform to foster everyday curiosities.
NEXT STEPS Led by Brian, a group began drafting
the interface, target user profiles, and advertising of a
platform where those with inquiries can connect with
teachers, experts, and or organizations to explore or
solve them. The app is structured so that one person
can ask a question and work together to pursue an
answer with a community of certified experts,
curiosity. Unlike existing apps or websites, the app
hopes to be able to steer away from a black-and-
white question-and-answer format and instead
encourage learners to work together with mentors.
Ultimately, the goal is a community that can rely on
and work with each other to do “work that matters.”
The first step of this process—a general platform
objective and trajectory—are set; likely next steps are
more detailed user interface concepts and piloting the
website or app inside of a school or organization.
THE WATERSHED COMMUNITY

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM December 2019

College Essay Excerpts THE CLASS OF 2020

Painstakingly crafted to reflect an entire identity in under 650 words, the CommonApp’s personal essay
section is a notorious quandary most students must eventually face. As application deadlines approach, we
invite you to glimpse into the mundane, the life-altering, and the profound of Watershed’s 2020 class.

Dancing requires minimal conscious thought for me. It is an act of permission, allowing my temporal lobe to process
the music, causing my motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum to send signals through
my nervous system leading to the contraction and release of my muscles to the beat. I imagine this process as a
multitude of little balls of light racing through a web of tunnels underneath my skin. The process is miraculous and
incredibly fascinating. I will forever be grateful to live in a body in which—at least so far—all of the many facets
function properly together to create movement.

As I travel the barren path and peer upon the windswept peak I scream “this land is my land!” For the rocks are
jagged, the cold is sharp, the legs grow weak and the mind faint. Still, the summit persists, maintains the space
where I witness the earth's curvature and the carelessness of the ever-changing clouds. As the leaves fall, the snow
and resilient wind sting my face, I remind my blistered lips and my bare chest that warmth is inevitable. I whisper in
the ear of my love, you make me question my mind and my looks, you cause me heartache when I feel you are upset,
however you kiss me softly and brush my cheek with your long dark lashes. Be that as it may, the fire cracks-n-pops
its secret language and I imagine the impossibility of the stars above. As I dance to my favorite song and watch my
paint evolve the canvasses vast nothingness I insist, “I am here now! This land is my land!”

Heavy flakes of ash drift up the crumbling mountainside, wafting over us and through our shuffling legs, leaving
streaks of chalky grey on our nylon pants. The sun is harsh, but a light breeze dilutes the heat. Stepping awkwardly
to the left, my Nikes just miss some mud. Stones and tattered shoes hold tarp roofs, from lifting off in the wind, so
they flutter against the mud and brick walls instead. I will call them houses for absence of a word to describe the
dwellings in rural Xela. They were more tarp than roof, more dirt than floor, and more heart than home.

We wandered around trailer parks, streets, stores, and restaurants to ask average women for interviews, phones in
hand. All we got were uncomfortable silences, averted glances, awkward laughs, and fidgeting hands. Interviewers
and interviewees alike tiptoed around the controversy. Up until then, my only exposure to right-wing politics had
come from vitriolic politicians. But here in Sterling, Colorado, we were determined to be kind, and, likewise, we found
our interviewees to be thoughtful and caring. It seemed we had all made a commitment to understanding each other
and recognizing our similarities. The hope of mutual compassion grew with each passing question.

A young boy’s scream rings out against a dissonant circus melody and the thuds of wooden props. A life-sized
marionette, face painted white, staggers toward him on its knees. An older boy—his brother, maybe—steps back for
a moment, seemingly unimpressed.

“She’s not real,” he says, smirking. “Also, they’re legally not allowed to touch you.”

The short, haunting tune pauses, loops back, and repeats.

They hurry towards the next room as it crawls closer, the older boy holding back the young one by his arm. “Slow
down!” he hisses as they round the corner.

As they step out of the room, the marionette backs up to the wall and slumps. We share unamused looks. I’ll spend
the rest of their time in this haunted house tiptoeing around in the shadows behind them, handing out painkillers,
band-aids, and water to a beaten crew.

Before my 8th grade year I actively shunned physically difficult activity, and paid no attention to what I was eating. I
was overweight and on the path to becoming obese. My parents tried to get me moving, but outside a once-a-week
swim class I was uninterested. My science teacher, Mr. Trasky, was the 8th grade basketball coach. As he was one of
my favorite teachers, my parents tried again and signed me up to play. I was pudgy and out of shape, and although
the two hour daily practices totally wiped me out, I always felt accomplished and happy afterwards.

From that time on, I slowly changed my life around health and exercise. I have adapted my eating habits from
careless consumption to foods that help my body grow and function. My exercise habits changed from nonexistent
(playing video games every chance I could) to waking up at 5 AM to complete workouts before school. In the past 4
years, my entire lifestyle has changed because of a whim of my parents to try basketball.

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Bicycle Has A Niche ZHENREN MILLER MENG
In 1817, the first bicycle was invented. Since then, it
has undergone multiple drastic changes over the
years. Once the safety bicycle—the basic template
nearly all modern bicycles are built off of—was
invented, it diverged into road bikes and mountain
bikes. However, it was quickly overtaken by the car
since that was faster and more convenient. Now, it is
mostly used as a mode of recreation. It is,
nevertheless, an underrated mode of transportation;
its cheap short distance convenience and relatively
low need for infrastructure makes it perfect for use in
places in which other mechanized transportation is
inconvenient or impossible. It is not, however, limited
to such places—and in many cases, the benefits of
using a bike outweigh the downsides.
C O N V E N I E N C E T h e b i c y c l e’s l a c k o f f u e l
requirements, along with its size, makes it a much
more versatile mode of transportation than nearly any
other. They don’t drip oil or hydraulic fluids and they
produce no significant pollution. The previous points
notwithstanding, it’s easier to find space to lock one’s
bike, especially in crowded cities. Bikes also reduce
road wear, saving tax dollars for more productive
things. And if one can’t use a car or has to go farther
than normal bikes allow, electric bicycles are an
option. They are more expensive than bikes, but still
much less expensive than cars. If one can’t qualify for
a driver’s license, and it’s hard to get places easily,
bikes are a more direct way to get where one is going
than public transportation, and electric bikes extend
the effective range even farther. They can even be
used in conjunction with buses since they can carry
bicycles. If one lives in a dense city where congestion
and traffic are common, bikes can be faster than cars;
even if one doesn’t, they can be just as fast as cars in
distances under 5 miles. However, the need for long-
distance transportation exists and is something that
bikes are less well suited to. Even so, in situations
where the distance isn’t too far, electric bicycles cost
little to charge. Further, the family car costs $1.26 per
December 2019
mile to operate (Cycling Benefits). The estimated cost
of congestion is $305 billion in the U.S. Biking
reduces congestion since it doesn’t add any cars. If
one lives under conditions that make it undesirable to
bike long distances, using a bike for close-range
situations still brings many of the benefits associated
with it.
HEALTH Cycling is a very good form of exercise. It
engages all of the major muscle groups of the leg
with one pedal, as well as being an easy-to-learn
form of exercise. Biking increases cardiovascular
fitness, stamina, and can improve navigational skills,
as well as handling and spatial awareness. To add to
that, the intensity of exercise while biking is nearly
entirely self-directed, and it improves strength,
balance, and coordination. Riding a bike regularly can
reduce mental health conditions like depression,
stress, and anxiety; plus, it reduces the risk of
cardiovascular disease and cycling for more than 30
minutes per day decreases the risk of developing
diabetes by 40%. Moreover, a study by the University
of Glasgow found that cycling to work can cut a
rider’s risk of developing heart disease or cancer in
half. The exercise also improves sleep. Health
professionals recommend at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity physical activity each day, and
bicycling is a good way to incorporate that into one’s
day, even if it’s broken up into 10-minute segments.
Bicycles have their niche, and right now, cars and
public transportation are filling it (and not very well)
which is leading to undesirable consequences. Using
bicycles for short-distance city travel is much more
efficient and sometimes more convenient—not to
mention the various health improvements gained
from biking than using cars or public transportation.
Used properly, a bike can improve both physical and
mental health, mitigate pollution, and lower
transportation costs without great consequence
against time and speed. The perceived convenience of
cars is not worth the downsides.

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM December 2019

ARTS & CULTURE

The Truth of Today’s Student MICHELLE MCCONNELL

Une Vie d’Étudiante Aujourd’hui

The Truth of Today’s Student

Que voulez-vous que je fasse avec ma vie ?

What do you want me to do with my life?

Voulez-vous que je sois mathématicienne ?

Do you want me to become a mathematician?

Où peut être ingénieure ?

Or maybe an engineer?

Au lieu de me dire quoi faire,

Instead of telling me what to do,

Pourriez-vous me guider ?
Could you please help guide me?

Je suis perdue et seul.

I am lost and alone.

Perdue et seul.
Lost and alone.

Pourquoi est-ce que je travaille si fort ?

Why do I work so hard?

Pour une raison inutile :

For a sole and useless reason:

Je veux être intelligente et respectée.

I want to be intelligent and respected.

Notre société nous a dicté d’être cela

Our society has burdened us with this

Tous les mêmes, tous impressionnants

To be the same, to be impressive

Mais un beau jour,

But one day.

Je serai fière de moi-même

I will be proud of myself

Mais pour une raison complètement différente...

But for a completely different reason...


Park Scenes, Portsmouth Park MIKAI TILTON

Locals of Chinatown often gather in Portsmouth Park to read, talk, exercise, sing, and play card games. An
estimated 500 families live in the 6,343 SRO (Single-Room Occupancy, one small room to sleep, eat, and
spend time) units in Chinatown. As SROs are so small and the park is so accessible, it’s been dubbed by
many as the “living room” of Chinatown. The atmosphere is thriving. At most times, there is someone singing
traditional Chinese music, accompanied by many on various instruments. Chinese elders slap down cards
and read daily newspapers. Throughout the 11/12’s San Fransisco trip, we saw many of the same elders
come back every day, presumably working the park into their daily routine. Elders, new immigrants, and
others with significant time to spend throughout their day (because they are not working) use the park to
find community and relax.

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM December 2019

Mosaic: Where Did My Legs and Hand Go? LIRAN DOR

As I continue to make more observations about the people around me, the more I see the similarities and
blandness that surrounds me as well. Everyone does the same thing but in a different way. I believe that this is
what makes us human. By trapping ourselves in a cycle of wanting to be like those who surround us, it also
makes us boring and unhappy. This mosaic is the story of a man, who, like most of us, has gotten trapped in
his need to be the same as everyone else. The man is being cured of this need to be the same as everyone else
by the the most colorful part of the piece—the glasses. These glasses
are showing him the path to actual happiness. The reaction that you can
see in his eyebrows shows that he is learning something, that his entire
perspective is changing, and that now he can actually see.

This piece also represents me, stuck in the mindset of wanting to be

happy but not knowing how. This semester, in my Expedition class, we
studied Chinese culture and its most influential philosophies:
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Buddhism stuck out to me in
particular because of its emphasis on personal happiness. The entire
religion is based on making yourself happy. A Buddhist teaching that I
thought a lot about in particular was the belief that detaching oneself
from all sentimental items will bring bliss, because without attachment
you have nothing to lose and nothing to fear of being lost. I wanted to
test this as it seemed silly not to test something that could potentially
make me happy. In order to detach myself from my work, when I
finished my mosaic, I dropped it on the floor and watched as the
pieces that I spent hours gluing down flew off the artwork like birds
being freed from a cage. It felt good, and it felt sad, but the sad feeling
lasted the day and the good feeling lasted a week. I then painted the
exposed background black and wrote “I See” on every surface I could
find, because I felt I could really see what life could be like. I caught a
small glimpse of the potential happiness I could have if I detached
myself from unnecessary sentiment—at least, I think so.

I cut tessera (tile parts) into small pieces and placed them in the shape of a body, head and hair and assigned
certain colors to each section. The background was made up of opus tessellatum, a basic, linear pattern
designed to not draw attention. The scatteredness of the pieces that make up the man himself against the
plain background makes the him pop out of the piece, drawing all attention to his key details: his mustache, his
eyebrows, and his sunglasses.

The goal of the piece was to evoke some curiosity in the person looking at it. It is designed to make you
wonder what this man is feeling and/or actually seeing in this snapshot of his life. The process that I went
through building him was long and I had to make many artistically questionable decisions, such as trying to
grout the frames of his sunglasses and accidentally ruining some of it, deciding how large his head would be in
comparison to his body to make him pop out even more, and of course, throwing him to the ground. I believe
this process left me with an amazing mosaic and an even better message that I am truly proud to share with
whoever reads this statement: sentiment is truly overrated.

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM December 2019

JUST FOR FUN

Heard in the Halls: Quips and quirks from the halls of Watershed

“I will eat a flax field!” - Marrion B.

“Wherever you give someone advice, it’s always sound because you have to speak it.” - Jack B.

“Don’t teens flirt with trickery and evil?” - Emily G.

“I will not REST until this dog is fried!” - Cameron H.

“Circles are the bane of my existence.” - Jillian T.

“What if we actually barbecued a chip?” - Jack B.

“I’m gonna yoge in this ball, man!” - Cameron H.

“If the Earth gets hit by a comet, is that the Earth’s comet section?” - Jack B.

Watermark Snack Reviews WATERMARK STAFF

SmartFood White Cheddar Popcorn

Stauffer’s Animal Crackers

PACKAGING An overarching theme among the
Watermark staff was a general dissatisfaction with
the company’s rebranding efforts. The new bag
features a new logo, a wedge of cheese, and a couple
pieces of popcorn. It should be noted that the included
PACKAGING Writers of the Watermark found
Stauffer’s Animal Crackers’ red and blue packaging
off-putting. “This looks dangerous,” one writer
commented, “it’s like firework packaging.” “It’s too
flashy,” said another.

images of the popcorn was a “bad interpretation” and TASTE Stauffer’s Animal Crackers carry a weird
that the photo of real cheese was off-putting. “This aftertaste distinct to animal crackers. The taste of
packaging induces the wrong emotions. I feel scared animal crackers, to many, takes us back to our
and lonely,” claimed one writer. Others, by a childhoods.

significant unpopularity, disagreed. “I like the black

“A lot of the crackers do not look animals,” one
with the pop of yellow,” said another writer, claiming
Watermark staff member expressed, defeated, “this
that they felt “intrigued” by this new look.

could be useful in activating childrens’ imaginations

TASTE SmartFood White Cheddar Popcorn, upon but ultimately, make them very frustrating to eat.”

initial impression, has a tangy smell. Though one NUTRITION The small bag contained 240 crackers,
party-sized bag, costing a pricey four dollars, was proving that the bag was extremely efficient as the
consumed entirely in one forty-five-minute meeting, company did not waste any space with air. “That is a
its taste was met with harsh scrutiny. One critic lot of crackers,” one writer declared. The 240 crackers
lamented the inconsistency of the cheese flavor from were repor tedly a good source of iron and
kernel-to-kernel; another alleged that it tasted like carbohydrates.

styrofoam. “The thing I do not like is if you eat too This snack contains a shocking amount of thiamine
many of them you get the weird creamy rim on your mononitrate, containing more of this ingredient than
mouth,” declared one writer. Others agreed, noting sugar or baking soda. In fact, it is the third largest
that the snack was also hard to consume without ingredient. “Why is there so much thiamine
water because the kernels “stick to the roof of your mononitrate in here?” we all asked. The empty
mouth.”
hallways did not provide a compelling answer.

NUTRITION Nutrition-wise, Smar tFood White TAKEAWAYS? “I love grinding off their little heads
Cheddar Popcorn is commendable. In addition to a with my teeth.” - Ari Dor

very large serving size, true to its name, SmartFood

White Cheddar Popcorn has very few calories. It is a
good source of sodium, a local nutrition source
disclosed, but “maxes out your saturated fat intake.”

TAKEAWAYS? “I do not like cheddar popcorn.” - Ari

Dor

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The Watermark | WSWATERMARK.COM December 2019

Mikai Tilton

Allie Corradino, Azilee Ball, Liran Dor

Jack Baugh, Zhenren Miller Meng, Michelle

McConnell, Theresa Dooley, Maia Wheeler,
Ari Dor, Freddy Campbell, Xavier Encina,
Scout Sherman, Ben Sisenwein, Grace
Sissom, Watershed Class of 2020