GJHS Grad and her Supreme Court Possibilities

     Monica Marquez, a GJHS graduate, will have the opportunity to serve on the highest judiciary in the state: The Colorado Supreme Court.

      The new Justice did not grant interviews to any other news sources than the Orange and Black.

The class of 1987 co-valedictorian graduated from Stanford University and she later earned her law degree from Yale Law School.

      An opening on the court was created after Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey announced her desire to retire and Marquez was one of three nominated by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission to replace the longtime Justice.

      The other two nominees were Front Range Judges David Prince and Robert Russel.

 Marquez was born on Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas but grew up in the Grand Valley. 

     At GJHS, Marquez credits Counselor Norma Shulz and teachers Jacquelyn Palmer, Dennis Kiefer among others for helping her to pursue her dreams.

     “They were really instrumental,” she said. “They taught me to dream big.”

     Her father, retired Judge Jose D.L. Marquez, worked on the Mesa County District Court and then became the first Latino on the Colorado Court of Appeals.

     “It was certainly interesting to grow up with a judge [as a father]” Marquez said. “It doesn’t make you especially popular.”

     Still, insists the soon-to-be sworn in Justice, having a father as a Judge helped her to pursue law.

     “Getting to work with two judges plus my dad got me inspired to be a judge [myself],” Marquez said.

      Marquez, who currently serves as a deputy attorney general under Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, brings an extensive resume to the bench.

      Earlier this year, Marquez won the Richard Marden Davis Award, a prestigious accolade.  Only one other state-employed attorney has ever won the aforementioned accolade: current Governor and former prosecutor Bill Ritter.

     Marquez also spent time abroad, gaining perspective and knowledge in countries such as Germany and Poland.

     “I had a kind of weird high school experience because I spent my entire junior year in Germany,” she said.  Marquez spent time in Germany after college as well, during which time the Berlin Wall came down and the Iron Curtain began to crumble.

      “Everything went haywire,” she said.  “It was a really cool experience.”

Marquez also brings experience working with at-risk kids in places such as Camden, NJ, for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.  She worked as both a teacher and a community organizer before attending law school.

     Now, she’ll rule on the most important judicial decisions in the state.

For high school students, the road to the top may seem like a long one, but Marquez insists it is not impossible.

     “Obviously work hard,” she said. “Take school seriously.  At the same time, do what you love do, because if you enjoy it you’re going to shine.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Story by Paul Harmon

GULF COAST, NATION RECOVER FROM OIL SPILL by Paul Harmon

GULF OF MEXICO– Many are hoping that the end of the worst oil spill in the history of the United States is imminent after British Petroleum, BP, installed a cap on the damaged well that gushed oil since springtime. Now, political leaders, oil-industry executives, and consumers are all asking the same question.

What now?

The spill began at the Deepwater Horizon well on April 20 after an explosion that killed 11 and opened up the floodgates for incomprehensible amounts of oil to spew into the Gulf.

                Oil spilled at a rate of somewhere between 35 to 60 thousand barrels a day until July 15, when a temporary cap was placed on the damaged well.  

As a result of the mess, Americans can expect to see the Obama administration lead a push towards more stringent oil rig safety regulations after investigations have found that both BP and the Government played a role in creating the problem. 

The Deepwater Horizon rig was allowed to be managed unsafely, an investigative report by the Associated Press says. 

 The report alleges that “the federal Minerals Management Service conducted at least 16 fewer inspections aboard the Deepwater Horizon than it should have,” and also points out that “the rig was allowed to operate without safety documentation.”

Political fallout has only just begun.

 The MMS was reorganized into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, or BOEMRE in June in order to more effectively manage oil drilling operations.  However, more regulatory measures can be expected on Capitol Hill’s docket.

“In a perfect world, the feds would be able to regulate oil rigs,” Senior Joey Frampton said. “People in charge of domestic drilling need to be held accountable.”

Investigations into the causes of the spill have only begun, and controversy is now rampant over the President’s role in the process.

Junior Caden Gaurmer wasn’t impressed.

“It took so long for the federal government to do anything about the oil spill,” he said. “[They didn’t] allow the Louisiana Governor to put up barriers in the ocean to stop the oil from spreading to the coast.”

            Whatever happens will be sure to ignite controversy in Washington as Democrats expect to push for more regulatory measures to bar such problems against a strong GOP resistance.

“A lot of Republicans have their hands deep in oil money,” Frampton said.  “It’s clear that Republicans don’t want to [work] with Dems and vice-versa.”

However,  Washington D.C. is not the only area in the limelight.  Aside from this largely political drama is the tragic plight of Gulf Coast’s people, many of whom have suffered economically.

Oil has infiltrated nearly the entire Gulf coast ranging from Texas to Florida, obscuring vast areas of seawater, washing up on beaches, and causing all sorts of trouble.  The fishing industry, which plays a major role in the economy of the area, has been devastated.

Frampton visited the Eastern coast of Texas earlier this summer and saw the damage firsthand.

 “I had a conversation with a shrimp salesman who said that it’s amazing how much the shrimp industry has been affected.  A lot of fishermen have to find other jobs,” he said. 

The commercial fishing industry was closed down by the Food and Drug administration in an endeavor to avoid contaminated seafood ending up on consumer’s plates.   However, the agency has not given a timeline for re-opening the Gulf, and with each day that passes, the 600 million dollar industry employing thousands of people loses valuable revenue. 

In response, BP has started a 20 billion dollar claims fund to repay Gulf-area workers whose incomes have been affected.

A press release by BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward states, “we have fully accepted our obligations as a responsible party…our top priority is to contain the spill, clean up the oil and mitigate the damage to the Gulf coast community.  We will not rest until the job is done.”

“BP should step in and compensate these people,” Frampton said. “They need to be held responsible.  That isn’t the [federal government’s] job.”

Junior Brandon Mills agreed, saying, “It should probably be paid by B.P.  My tax money doesn’t deserve to get wasted because of [the spill].”

Regardless of what happens as the process of cleaning up ensues, the spill is sure to have long-lasting effects on American oil industry and on its people, including students at GJHS.  

“It did not give oil a good reputation,” Gaurmer said. “I do think that this accident is going to be used as an example that oil should no longer be a part of the nation. I have faith in the American people that they won’t let that happen.”