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Valentine’s day is coming up and love is in the air. Love has varied intensely since the caveman era. It used to be all about survival and reproduction, then it became about power and hierarchy. Love can influence people to do crazy things, like beheading their wives. These days, it’s more about connection and finding someone who you love to spend time with. The digital age is upon us, and relationships are changing as a consequence. Social media can be a great tool, it allows for more communication and constant interaction. Internet users worldwide are connected and can interact at the click of a button. With that comes the drawbacks of constant connection. We have all found ourselves checking the instagram account of the person we like. Followers, comments, and likes can become addictive to stalk. Snapchat has become like a dating app for horny teenagers. Terms like “wyll warrior” and “group snapper” fly around like accusations. The world of quick add and snap maps can be confusing and overwhelming for many. The easy access to user’s locations on snapchat can be a dangerous feature. Constantly checking someone’s location and wanting to know what people are doing at all times is an unhealthy habit that has been adopted by many. When asked about the availability of location services, senior Jada Pulsipher says: “It ruins the romance and aspect of surprise in a relationship. Sometimes my boyfriend surprises me by bringing me flowers, but I see his location at Trader Joe’s beforehand so it’s not really a surprise.” Jada also commented on overuse of public social media profiles. She says “It’s not good for people to be obsessed with checking someone’s social media. That’s also something that ruins romance, it’s good to keep an element of mystery and surprise and that’s destroyed by the constant attention to Instagram and Snapchat profiles.” You might think that romance and relationships would be better off without the constant attention to social media and communication. This is true in some ways, but love before the age of cell phones wasn’t always a perfect fairytale. Rachel Epstein, a professor at the University of Denver was born in Portland in 1970. This means that she attended high school in the late 80s, before the internet was even a thought. She says: “I remember that most houses growing up only had one landline, this meant that when someone called, everyone in my household knew. They would always ask me: ‘Are you interested in him?’ ‘Is that your boyfriend?’’ Although there was much less obsession with communication, it was harder to communicate when it was needed. Sometimes it can be easy to yearn for simpler times. Although there were definitely advantages to living in a world before social media, we should embrace the current technology without becoming too obsessed and addicted.

The week of January 30th, 2026, students in period 3 AP Drawing and Painting at East High School did not work on their portfolios, but instead, they self-assigned a different sort of project. Students marked red slashes through drawings of ice cubes and contemplated what sort of messages must be heard. That Friday, instead of regular instruction, the school was empty, the halls creaked with a quietness that East High School is all too familiar with. Students, teachers, activists, and community members made a statement on January 30st, protesting the recent activity of the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) department of the federal government. This loud advocacy is the community's urge for a change, and it can't be silenced. High School students from throughout the Denver Metro area make speeches on the west steps of the state capitol during a protest on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette) Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal agency that “enforces immigration laws and conducts investigations into undocumented immigration”(BBC). The agency was formed in 2002, as a division of the larger Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in order to combat terrorism following 9/11. As a key part of his political agenda, Donald Trump promised large-scale and aggressive immigration enforcements, during his 2024 presidential campaign. Shortly after Trump’s election, the passing of the Big Beautiful Bill ensured that roughly $75 billion, out of the additional  $170 billion allotted to DHS over the next 4 years, would be given to ICE, who typically receives only $10 billion. Reports from PBS claim that in addition to the nearly doubled annual funding, ICE’s recruitment plan, which included administering $50,000 signing bonuses, doubled the force to 22,000 officers. In the United States the state of personal liberties in other countries is largely under-publicized. The United States ranked 19th out of 195 countries on the Human Freedom Index, so ICE having a violent and authoritarian presence in communities has been a shock.  Most recently, multiple altercations have contributed to a nationwide outrage over hostile ICE procedures being carried out specifically in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Recent media coverage has highlighted the brutalities that resulted in the murder of Alex Pretti, a 37 year old ICU nurse, on January 24th and Renee Good, a 37 year old mother of 3. Al Jeezera reports that as of January 27th, 7 people have died at the hands of ICE or while in ICE’s custody. Autopsies determined 4 of these deaths, including Alex Pretti’s, were homicides though the responsible officers have yet to be held responsible. In early 2025, Denver Public Schools became the first public school district to file a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, requesting that federal immigration agents be blocked from making arrests at sensitive locations including, “schools, churches, healthcare facilities and other places where families might congregate out in public.” According to Denver7, in the lawsuit DPS alleged it had been “hindered in fulfilling its mission” as a result of the fear caused by federal policy that allowed aggressive immigration enforcement around school campuses. The case specifically addressed a February ICE raid of the Cedar Run Apartments claiming that the presence of armed federal agents outside of the complex blocked traffic from nearby schools and subsequently decreased attendance. On the other hand, DHS argued policy surrounding sensitive locations hadn't changed exceptionally since the 2021 federal guidelines similarly, “allowed immigration officers, such as ICE officers, to conduct protected-area enforcement actions if they obtained approval from designated officials” (Denver7). The judge ultimately ruled in favor of DHS, claiming that since DPS hadn’t experienced on campus immigration raids the potential harm was indirect and insubstantial. In spite of a general lack of ICE presence in Denver Public Schools, concern still resonates within students, staff, and board members. On the day of the recent protest, Superintendent Alex Marrero sent out an email message, saying the schools will continue to be in session, and will only change according to the needs of individual schools. Some might have found this discouraging, the superintendent not cancelling school for something that the community feels strongly about. However, at-large board member, and retired school principal, John Youngquist, explained that he understands that attendance is important, but the truth is, “Where our young people feel the need to be heard and have that need to be heard, our job is to be supportive of that voice in whatever way that it takes.” Denver Public Schools has strong and direct policies on ICE and has since September of 2019. This was when DPS’s policy, Policy: JIH, was last revised, and it states that “the District’s Office of the General Counsel will not provide access to District property or students unless required by law and will do everything in the District’s lawful power to protect the constitutional and legal rights of the District’s students. Immigration Officials shall generally not be granted access to District property or students without a valid search warrant or exigent circumstances.” Furthermore, in a letter from Alex Marrero, “federal immigration law enforcement activities are not permitted at our schools, on transportation routes, on DPS property, or during school activities unless they have a lawful search warrant or exigent circumstances”. Sia has been on the DPS Board of Education since 2023, when she was elected for District 1. Sia noted that there are no existing policy changes in motion with DPS’s policies on ICE, and the strict protections will remain in place. Similarly to Youngquist and Pettit, Sia agreed with the strong push for a change, and supported the National Shutdown on Friday, January 30th along with students participation in it. When asked how students can continue to help garner a transformation, Sia explained, “[Continue] doing exactly what you're doing, reaching out to elected officials. At the school level, right, like at the school board level, we can definitely impact and affect change for DPS. But for some of these larger issues, particularly, you know, I saw photos of folks who, who did go to the protest on Friday, who went to the Capitol and were meeting with legislators… And you don't have to skip school to be able to do that.” On January 24th DPS Superintendent, Alex Marrero, released an update to address community concerns following the removal of federal guidelines that protected  “sensitive locations”, including schools, from ICE raids. The statement maintained that DPS policy would be upheld without any adjustments noting that “the rescission was anticipated, and the guidance was developed with this in mind”. This is, in part, due to Colorado’s status as a sanctuary state that limits the cooperation between city officials, like local law enforcement, and federal ICE agents. In terms of education, sanctuary status promotes providing access to education for all students regardless of immigration status. For DPS this meant between the summer of 2023 and early 2024 DPS was able to welcome more than 2,400 new students, mostly from Venezuela, and allocate roughly $1.6 million to help support the new students.  ICE presence is not as heavy in Colorado in comparison to other states that have experienced fear striking events and reports. Still, the Denver community is affected. Fear and a general lack of security and awareness about situations, has engulfed the community. Though realistically DPS schools are safer than most, students are still concerned. Myka Pettit confesses, “The bigger issue is federal policy and the sentiment around what could  happen, you know, when the policies don't follow through or when they don't work the way they're supposed to…I do think it has an impact because it’s fear, it’s a feeling.” DPS Board member Kimberlee Sia agrees that the hypothetical, and general feeling of fear is where the true issue is rooted. She shares that the protections in place are effective and strong, divulging, “There are processes that I as a board member feel very fortunate and supportive in terms of what the superintendent has done to make sure our schools are safe for students.” According to Myka Pettit, East High School , a recent staff meeting reviewed East’s response protocol, based on the guidelines set by the district, to federal agents. Ms. Pettit reassured, “I, as a teacher, am willing to put my body in between a federal agent and students and East has committed to that as well”. Pettit, along with most other staff members at East High School, do not refrain from contentious topics in or out of class. Many teachers see giving their opinion as something necessary and unavoidable, walking alongside students at the protest and ensuring a positive influence on students' education. She says, “I actually make it a point to make sure that I bring in current events and things that we can talk about within our history lessons because there’s so much that is connecting between past and present. I am a firm believer that as an educator, if we remain neutral on topics, we’re actually doing more harm than we are, contributing to someone’s learning.”

Lady Bird and her friend Julie from Lady Bird The Grammys are done and the country is waiting for the Oscar Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmys to finally arrive. The best in the Hollywood industry walk up to the big stage to receive their trophy, give out heartfelt speeches, and give thanks for another successful year. Yet somehow, 2025 consisted of little to no accurate teen portrayal in most of their entertainment. The coming of age genre is widely favored by teenagers and adults alike, portraying a fun, and imaginary plot along with attractive and desirable looking characters. The problem though, is when things become too far-fetched and misrepresentative that affects how the youth views themselves as individuals and as a group. For many teenagers now, things get awkward when they’re watching a movie with a person in their mid-twenties acting like a 16-year-old. It’s unrealistic. Constantly seeing a ‘perfect’ and flawless actor pretending to be a high schooler gets old and sets expectations for the youth that watch these films. Most of the time, coming of age entertainment creates highly improbable situations or exaggerates what coming of age actually is. A group of teenagers won’t find themselves on the run trying to find a giant gold cross like Outer Banks . They most likely won’t be caught in a love triangle between two brothers after spending each year at the same beach like The Summer I Turned Pretty  nor will girls be threatened by an anonymous messenger after the disappearance of a friend like Pretty Little Liars . More often than not, many teenagers are uncomfortable with the exaggerated sex scenes and sneaking out just to do drugs and get into trouble. It’s fiction, yes, but still imperfect and misrepresents younger generations. One of the many issues of this genre lie with the fact that none of the actors seem to have any insecurities. Or at least they’re not portrayed correctly. Body image and body dysmorphia, acne or skin issues, scars across the body, relationship problems or not being in a relationship at all are very normal for teenagers. But Hollywood seems to have deemed it all as a taboo subject in entertainment. Using popular and attractive actors who look appealing to younger (and older) generations is a tactic used to boost money and views. The industry doesn’t really hire people who are unknown, people of color, or anyone who might not be conventionally attractive and continue to reuse the same actors for movies. Popular names like McKenna Grace, Milly Bobby Brown, Timothée Chalamet, Mason Thames, and Finn Wolfhard (to name a few) are quite talented in acting. They have become some of the biggest faces in coming of age films but are seemingly everywhere, leaving no room for fresh talent or variability in the acting industry.   According to PBS, “ Only two out of every 10 lead film actors (or 19.8 percent) were people of color in 2017.” Although the numbers may be somewhat promising, viewers can’t get a sense of diversity in films, especially those who need that accurate portrayal.  Not only is representation important in physical aspects, but also personality wise. Films often put a label on teenage characters, many of them being the same shallow misrepresentation of the unique people of the youth. “ These stereotypes are being used to box teenagers in without offering depth: the jock that has feelings, the bad boy with a painful childhood, the goody-two-shoes virgin, the airhead cheerleader.” (The Seattle Times) By confining adolescence into stereotypes and glorifying other aspects distorts teenage reality affects actual teenagers across all ages. Parents and older adults who watch these films can perceive these characters negatively and can assume that all teenagers may act in certain ways based on entertainment. “Experiences like high schoolers partying and drinking during the week, or committing serious crimes at a young age are heavily exaggerated.” (The Daily Hawk) However, contrary to some of the inaccurate depictions of teenage life, some entertainment hits pretty close to what being an adolescent is like. Even if the actors aren’t quite within the age range, the plot itself can reflect reality. Napoleon Dynamite  showcases the cringe worthy parts of high school, especially relating to the awkward and introverted people like the main character. Other movies like Five Feet Apart  and The Fault In Our Stars  grapple with unique situations and growing up in a short time in the midst of figuring out how to handle grief and trauma. TV shows such as 13 Reasons Why  portray some of the toughest parts about coming of age, focusing on the unspoken parts about a person and the consequences of certain actions. Over the years, the film industry has been slowly producing less teenage accurate entertainment and opting for more kid-friendly animation or an oversaturated version of what adolescence is. The lives of the youth that have been portrayed today compared to 10 years ago are completely different and the messages hidden within have changed. Whether or not upcoming movies depict teenagers better is unknown, but some aspects stay the same. Being a teenager is messy and providing authentic representation is important.

Zipper merge, what in the world? Please, indulge in learning: for the sake of us all. As the construction on Colfax, in Denver, grows so does the confusion on navigating it–evidently. After countless mornings of frustration the realization came, many, and I mean many, are simply ignorant to the functions of our roads–in this scenario ignorance will never be bliss. On Josephine St and Colfax, this 8th wonder of the world lies. Despite the numerous signs literally instructing you on what to do, you may be lost like a kite on a windy day, don't worry; you're definitely not alone. The instructions are very simple, so simple in fact, there's merely one. Stay in your lane until the merge point THEN, and only then, alternate one-by-one. C’mon people, it is not that difficult (as an unlicensed individual with a very distressed mother on this matter.) I am begging you, stop trying to merge early. It’s literally slowing us all down. Place your faith in the bright orange signs screaming at you what to do and, most importantly, yourself—you can do this, you know: you can do this. In all seriousness, since the 2010s zipper merges have become increasingly popular as a way to manage traffic strategically in the case of construction and lane closures ( Scholars' Mine ). So, get comfortable with them! They aren’t going anywhere.

Nothing is as captivating or inspiring as a fashion show. But one that is entirely student-run, student designed, student-produced, and student-modeled? Oh, and it is all stunning sustainable innovation with reused and repurposed materials. Welcome to the East Sustainable Fashion Show.  The Sustainable Fashion Club hosted the fashion show on the night of February 18th in the foyer of the school. The show featured a panel of guest judges; most being professionals in the fashion wo rld of Denver, as well as designers, models, makeup artists, photographers, directors, helpers and, of course, a lovely audience of friends and family. It ran for over an hour.  The Sustainable Fashion Club is one of many clubs at East High School that caters to a unique passion of students and shows how amazing things can happen when a community comes together. The fashion community here is no exception. With 64 members of the show this year, the club is filled with talented, vibrant, and hardworking students from all different backgrounds. But it's not just any fashion show. Today’s fashion industry is highly unsustainable, with 50,000 tons of microfibers being released into the oceans every year (Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation) and 215 trillion liters of water (Quantis). Furthermore, the industry contributes to 10% of carbon dioxide emissions, 20% of industrial wastewater pollution globally (WEF). 60% of materials are polyester and plastics and 85% of products end up in landfills (UNEP, UNECE). The economy is linear: material, production, waste; the industry is polluted by unethical working practices and low-to-nothing wages.  But East students are determined to reimagine fashion. “It is very important to be conscious of your impact environmentally, especially when creating something often used in consumerism,” says Toby Mitchell, one of the club presidents. Toby emphasizes buying less, and prioritizing longevity over trends when shopping. Other ways we can be more sustainable with our fashion are buying clothes second-hand, taking care of our possessions so they last longer, and donating clothes when we are ready to say goodbye.  Dr. Overby, the club sponsor and an art teacher at East, promotes the club by helping people see what sustainable clothing actually looks  like. “We talk a lot about sustainability in the club and how to repurpose clothing and fabric,” Overby says. She also mentions collaborating with the Sustainability Club, who supports the show and uses it to communicate their message as well. Students preparing for the Sustainable Fashion Show, February 18th The fashion club started when a former student of Overby’s expressed interest in sharing their fashion-passion with others at East. When asked why sponsor such a club, she responded, “I hope that students feel confident that they can express themselves and that their voice matters.” The process is no small feat, but the impact seems to be incredibly worth the sweat and tears student designers put into the show. “Anybody can create, especially fashion,” Toby said. “[Students], too, have the ability to make clothes.”  Additionally, the club feeds off group-project psychology, with positive interdependence forming a community of belonging. It teaches students to have individual accountability and responsibility, and buy into the life skill of understanding that we do well, if we all do well. “This is a team,” Overby reflected, “It took the designers, and  the models, and  the makeup artists, and  the photographers, and  the behind the scene stuff to make that show.” Toby is a junior, as well as other co-president Gwennan Holloway and many of the designers and models. What happens to clubs like these when we start graduating? “After I leave, I hope that the club is still thriving and still teaching our younger people to manifest their creativity into something,” Toby says. “Their choices on what they wear and what they buy impact so much more than they could ever imagine.”

In January, 2026, the Department of Justice released the second batch of Epstein files. The millions of documents, videos, and photos include the most traumatic moments of the people's lives. Now, this sensitive information is readily available for the public to look at.  How does this exposure to traumatic material affect the population of the U.S. and beyond? When presenting information in court, such as what is found in the Epstein files, you must be very organized. Dumping millions of documents on your jury is never a good idea. But, right now, in the court of public opinion this graphic, gruesome information is being dumped on millions of people who don't have the resources to effectively use or process it.  Bad news and false information comes out every day, making it hard to assess the impacts this release will have on the people that look into it. One risk is re-traumatizing victims of sexual assault, whether their cases are connected to Epstein or not. Re-traumatization, which can happen when a victim is reminded of their traumatic experience, puts victims back into the headspace they experienced during the original traumatic event ( SAMHSA ). Mr. King, a Psych teacher here at East, said, “Trauma survivors are seeing an in-direct "replay" of their own struggle in the news in a BIG WAY at the moment. It is like reopening a wound. However, I am also thankful that light is being shone on criminals, and for the attention that this story is getting.” It's true that there's a fine line between productive and harmful coverage of this situation. While the information in the files may be hard to hear, that doesn't mean it should be hidden. Actually, the hardest information to hear is usually the information you need to hear the most; but there remains to be a right and wrong way to hear them.  There has definitely been an influx of harmful media coverage surrounding the Epstein files. From AI hallucinated statistics to youtubers such as Nico Grigg “Sneaking On To Epstein Island” to clickbait young people, it's clear this release has come with a fair amount of bad and problematic journalism. The way a person reacts to looking into a case like this varies drastically from person to person. Personal history and past experiences play into this, in a big way.  It’s important to know your personal limits when it comes to reading the news in general.  If you find yourself feeling depressed, anxious, or apathetic it is ok to look away from the bad news, take a breath, and do something that brings you joy.

High Schoolers are known for many different things; sports, drama, first loves, poor driving, but the most unique is parties. In the movies and down the block, high school parties are infamous for sneaking out, underage drinking, destruction, and parent-administered probation (grounding). Entering 9th grade, high schoolers forget about the bouncy castle, cake and candles birthday parties from middle and elementary school, and are introduced to types of partying previously unknown. From concerts to school dances to house parties, by the time senior year rolls around, many students are used to the routine of going out all weekend and returning to school unfazed Monday morning. Across the 53 DPS high schools, partying and underage drinking are no strangers. School-Sponsored Parties At homecoming games, word about breathalyzers spreads through the stands, as teenagers get kicked out of All City Stadium on both sides of the field. School dances are typically the first introduction to high school, where all grades are thrown in one place. For many freshmen, it is the first time they are given a curfew. Curfews range anywhere from 9pm to the AMs, but the actual curfew for minors in Denver, Colorado is: 11pm – 5am: Sunday through Thursday, 12am – 5am: Friday and Saturday. On homecoming night, students from different schools will go to their nearby parks to take pictures, notable spots are: Cheesman Park, Washington Park, City Park, etc. Then afterwards it is straight to either a dinner or a pre-party. Once students arrive at their school dance, it is fairly monitored by parent and teacher chaperones. At East in particular, there are multiple check-points where chaperones stand to usher students into the sweaty pit of people in the hidden north side parking lot. After backflips in the mosh pit and trips to the bathroom, students tire of flying water bottles and dress shoes to the toes, and file out onto the Esplanade, getting into Ubers and sprinting to catch the bus, to make it to the real parties. House Parties Advancing from parties in the park and school sponsored parties to real parties hosted by actual students and their actual houses is a massive change. Risk goes up exponentially as the date of people's homes and parents become involved. House Parties often result in destruction of property in many ways: think broken blinds and sour carpets. Most high schoolers throw parties whenever their parents are out of town. While some get away with it others are stuck like Greg and Roderick Heffley with a “D-O-R-E” without a lock on it and multiple years of grounding in pursuit. Experienced party-goer and Senior, Paul Vader explains his experience with partying and the repercussions. He divulges, “I was actually there for the aftermath of a party, I was there for like a second, I had to get my stuff so my parents dropped me off the next morning. I had to clean up a little bit, I cleaned up like the whole upstairs, it was pretty gross I had to pick up the cigarettes out of the dirty water. I had to help him clean the walls…Apparently someone threw up in a vase.” A prime occasion for House Parties is Halloween or Halloweekend, a multi-day event where high schoolers purchase several Halloween costumes and obtain 18+ drinks from different sources. This weekend often allows underage delinquents from all schools to gather to celebrate a holiday almost no one is thinking about. With no candy in sight Halloweekend is simply an excuse to party. These types of house parties are the most typical and prevalent in media, some defining characteristics being overcrowded upstairs, downstairs, and backyards, music, and bouncers. Many functions are organized through group chats and social media and for anyone uninvited, bouncers are often the only difference between them and the party. Senior Olivia Saavedra recounted a hallowed party where, “The bouncers were in military vests, and a whole military outfit with pins and badges and everything.” The Forbidden Party Parties are not always riddled with drunken minors; many students opt for a sober experience and choose not to break any laws. Some students take the role of designated driver, while others just party without the mental state-altering substances. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 32.9% of people in the United States ages 12 to 20 reported having had at least one drink in their lives. This percentage is significant considering this age group is fully prohibited from alcohol consumption. It is precisely this prohibition that is the appeal, and many high schoolers are actually indifferent to drinking and are more involved in the social side of this law-breaking. The forbidden nature of drinking and participating in other harmful party activities is similar to the way high schoolers want to party in the most dangerous places. High schoolers often do not refrain from partying at professional events and close to school hours. Recently, a scandal occurred at the DECA State Competition, involving students from multiple schools. The four day competition ended with students sent home and rumors buzzing around schools about gatherings in rooms past quiet hours. This shows that teenagers can find a party anywhere, and risk-taking is a commonality. Going to a party or throwing one is dangerous in itself, there are many ways that it can get out of hand. Police are always a factor, and one small noise complaint could bring the party poopers straight to the door of the function. Luckily high school parties don't usually reach Project X  level, and they remain pretty mild. East Sophomore, Sydney Grube says, “[Parties] all kind of blend together. They are kind of awkward at first, and it takes a while for it to actually get good. I think that movies exaggerate it.” High school parties, while forbidden, are actually good experiences and preparation for more dangerous and serious college occasions. Fraternities and university concerts are found to be more hardcore, Olivia describes a frat party at her sister's university, she explained,“At the Stanford frats people get taken away in stretchers at darties (day parties), before big games. Mike sherm was there and there was this guy walking around with a huge bandage on his head and blood dripping everywhere.” To conclude, there is no safe way to have an authentic high school party, and there are many dangers to consider. Some of the possibilities include drunk driving incidents, property destruction, transportation issues, police busts, and angry neighbors. A final piece of advice is to stay safe, and keep the future in mind when attending parties. Next up students take on international parties for spring break, stay safe angels. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The morning of February 1st, Annie Guthrie, daughter of Nancy Guthrie, received a call from one of her mother’s friends voicing concerns about the fact that Nancy, who was normally very punctual, had never showed up to a church sanctioned event and wasn't answering her phone. Annie rushed to her mothers to find an eerily empty house. It seemed Nancy Guthrie had disappeared. According to authorities, Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, the anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, was last seen the previous night by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, when he dropped Nancy off at her Tucson home. When local law enforcement arrived, shortly after Annie Guthrie discovered her mother’s empty house, they found Nancy’s phone, wallet, hearing aid, daily medication, and car still on the property; however, her doorbell camera had been taken. Spatters of blood were also discovered on the porch, which DNA analysis later confirmed to belong to Nancy Guthrie. Sheriff Chris Nanos of Pima County, Arizona, believes Guthrie was abducted in the early hours of February 1st, specifically around 2:28 a.m. when her pacemaker was separated from her phone. Just 41 minutes before, Guthrie’s front door camera was disconnected. Following the initial investigation Sheriff Chris Nanos spoke with The New York Times who reported that investigators would spend the following days “combing through the home, its garage and the surrounding scrubland” after finding “worrying signs of violence at Ms. Guthrie’s home." Roughly 24 hours after Guthrie was officially reported missing KOLD, a Tucson television station, received a ransom note allegedly from the kidnapper. Both law enforcement and TMZ, a celebrity gossip publication, received copies of the note which supposedly demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for the return of Ms. Guthrie. According to NBC, the FBI revealed the note included two deadlines and referred to an Apple Watch worn by Guthrie but did not establish a way to communicate. The legitimacy of any ransom note is being contested as Nancy has previously appeared on “Today” show segments with her daughter making details of the case and Guthrie's life easily accessible. Law enforcement officials have released footage of a man in a ski mask and gloves, carrying what appears to be a handgun tampering with Guthrie’s doorbell just hours before the estimated time of her abduction. On February 12th, as police officers were working to find the source of the man’s clothing, discarded gloves that appeared to match the ones worn by the man in the surveillance video were discovered in a field just two miles from Nancy’s home. DNA found on the glove has been sent into a database in an effort to identify the individual. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have released multiple videos to the public pleading for their mothers safe return and even made a $500,000 donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children while offering a $1 million dollar cash reward. Additionally, the FBI reward for information leading to an arrest in the case has doubled to $100,000. As of March 3rd there still haven't been any developments in the case.

Growing up and transitioning from childhood into adulthood is something that most individuals experience. In that time period, adolescents progressively begin to understand the world and themselves. They explore who they are, chase opportunities, and develop both mentally and physically. While the state of society affects the growth of teenagers over many different generations, teenagers today have been especially impacted by recent events. Over the past six years, the world has encountered turmoil and hardships that have greatly altered the development of teenagers around the world. The past is much different to what today looks like and adolescents seem to have realized that those six years may have done irreversible damage; possibly changing youth development for good. Current teenagers have felt the effects of social media and artificial intelligence as some of the large events of their youth. In particular, the COVID pandemic and social isolation have been some of the most concerning issues surrounding their development and growth. Self expression and maturity have also been hard to manage and many individuals are finding self exploration and the transition into adulthood especially difficult. Matthew Fulford, a social studies teacher at East worries about the students he’s teaching. “I’ve noticed that attention span and the ability to focus is a lot more limited. Being able to engage in longer readings or longer sessions of writing and just the ability to focus for long periods of time. It’s hard to tell whether or not that’s COVID directly because the growth of cell phone use at that time is also kind of impacting attention.” Despite the fact that TikTok was the most used social media app during COVID (Statista), social media and technology usage increased tremendously directly after the pandemic. The Pew Research Center reported that “Overall, nearly all teens – 96% – report using the internet daily” during the latter half of 2024. Especially today, the use of artificial intelligence has skyrocketed. While AI is useful for searching up questions to ask when making conversation or giving a little nudge with homework, it removes the essential parts of developing the skills that AI is taking away. Education is what promotes learning for people of all ages. However, when a quick search on the internet provides concise answers to something that is too hard to study, there’s nothing to learn at all. Artificial intelligence and social media aren’t the only things to blame though. From 2020 until 2026, growing adolescents have experienced unbelievable amounts of isolation. The COVID pandemic closed off opportunities for in-person interactions and directly after it ended, social media continued to affect them as well. The National Library of Medicine reported through multiple studies that there was a “...high prevalence of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, helplessness, inattention, and irritability in a group of people under 18 years of age” after COVID. Considering the amount of time teenagers spent in quarantine and now on social media, it’s no wonder we’re struggling with being social. “682 families in the United States from five Midwestern states with two adolescent-aged children reported engaging in fewer in-person/face-to-face interactions with peers and more online interactions.” (National Institute of Health) A large portion of youth today have faced developmental challenges that have severely impacted their social skills, identity formation, and the period of time where those individuals grow up. The transition from middle school into high school is awkward, but a crucial time for the youth to start maturing into adulthood. But the issue with teenagers today lies within the fact that many didn’t get to experience that ‘cringy’ or bumpy transition. A vast majority of adolescents were thrown into the pandemic with no face to face interactions for months, leaving a devastating impact on the social skills of countless high school students. Like many, Chloe Mosher feels that pressure to interact with people despite the fact that those interactions leave little to no room for pleasant conversation. “I’d say COVID is the main factor. I got out of contact with all of my friends during that beginning year and struggled to rebuild those friendships afterwards. It took me a while to feel mostly comfortable in social situations again.” As a senior, she’s concerned about external factors that affect adolescent development both for her generation, and the future ones. “I feel like we’re always told that we are the ones who are going to have to fix giant issues like climate change, gun violence, wealth inequality, etc…I think that future generations are definitely going to have higher rates of mental health issues because of social media. It also concerns me that AI is becoming so popular, since I feel like it’s messing with kids’ abilities to think for themselves and develop their own opinions.” Along with the mass screenager epidemic, the transition into adulthood and the underdevelopment of social skills is leaving a devastating impact on teenagers around the world. What used to be a colorful childhood is now a technology-filled, lonely, chaotic mess of society. It’s not uncommon to see eerily quiet neighborhoods. No kids running around and no teenagers hanging out together. There’s nothing. The past six years hasn’t been an easy journey for anyone, but young adults today are facing a national crisis of collective hell. If nothing is done to help the growth and development of teenagers, future generations may never be able to recover.

The East Men's Basketball Team has faced adversity to start their season, going 9-9 in 18 games and 4-4 in the Denver district play. The team, coached by legend Rudy Carey, has some work to do to secure a playoff spot by the end of February. They have impressive wins against Mullen, Regis Jesuit, and Vista Peak, and recently a huge win against George Washington, the #8-ranked team in the state. With help from school spirit and talented players in Dayesun Collier and Noah Adkins, the team may finish the season strong into the 2026 CHSAA playoffs.  The 2025-2026 East Men’s basketball team is like none other because of its youth. More than half of the roster are underclassmen, with the top three scorers all being sophomores. Guard Noah Adkins is the leading scorer, averaging 22.4 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and is truly a talented player. His athleticism and shiftiness help him find easy ways to get to the basket, making him one of the most dominant players in the state. Some impressive performances are 31 points in a win vs George Washington (1/30) and 37 points in a loss against George Washington (1/13). His right-hand man, sophomore guard Dayesun Collier, is another  star on the team, averaging 20.2 points per game and 3.7 assists. He is a true shooter, taking shots from anywhere on the floor and leading the team in three-pointers. Collier has been clutch with a game-winner over Regis Jesuit 96-93 (OT) and recently made 6 three-pointers in their win vs George Washington. In an interview with Dayseun Collier, he commented on where he gets his confidence from.“My dad texts me a lot and reminds me that I can score because he's seeing it, and I've seen it myself.” Other star players are Lincoln Lemieux, averaging 13.6 ppg; Kanen Marshall, scoring 8.4 ppg; and Niji Alexander, with 8.1 ppg, all key players on this talented, young roster. (Photo from @dayesuncollier instagram in East’s win vs George Washington) The season has not been easy for the team, with a .500 record, but each time the team has lost, they have found ways to improve and bounce back. They went through two devastating losses against South (85-74) and Rangeview (82-66), but found a way to improve with dominant wins over Northfield (88-59) and George Washington (82-74). With their final two games against Rangeview and Northfield coming up, the team needs to rally to make the playoffs. Senior forward Jameson Archer thinks the team may be underrated if they sneak into the playoffs, stating, “We're going to be a dark horse because of our youth, 'cause teams are looking past us.” Dayesun Collier believes that the team needs to be better defensively to get there, saying, “If we can stop teams and hold them to 60 points, we can win.” With another tough schedule in the East’s last two games, we’ll see if they can make that last push to get into the playoffs. But the team needs help from our school spirit. There have been good showings in the home game vs Regis Jesuit and away vs South, but they could use help in these closing games. The last home game is coming up: North Field on Friday, February 13th, at 5:30pm, where the team hopes to see a supportive home crowd. The future is bright for Denver East Men’s basketball with a talented young roster. The team may make some noise in this year’s playoffs, but in the upcoming years, it will definitely be a strong contender for the state championship.

Although teachers, class opportunities, and curriculums help students succeed, school budget and funding is the cornerstone. Without adequate funding students encounter: fewer opportunities, less experienced teachers, as well as a lack of resources to fuel curriculums. Last summer, Trump froze over $5 billion used for public education. In the FY2026 report, Trump proposed cutting around $12 billion dollars used for public education across the country during the 2026/2027 school year. Even though the federal government only supports around 8% of the funding needed for public schools, districts are expected to face intense consequences. Denver Public Schools, specifically, is projected to lose around $13 million from federal funding; equivalent to 315 first-year teachers, 45,000 school-provided chromebooks, and 6,700 extracurricular activities (Education Law Center).  In order to keep schools on track, the funding must be upkept contemporarily. Without federal funding, opportunity gaps will continue to increase. Unfortunately, federal support is rapidly declining forcing districts to rely on state funding and local taxing. When communities face challenging economies they are unable to fund schools the same way that communities with more money do. When schools do not receive adequate funding, they spend more; ultimately leading to lower-income families paying more for their child than high-income families since wealthier schools provide more opportunities for students.  As schools are unable to hire new teachers, or ones with experience, classes are projected to become much larger. However, according to the Center of Public Education, classes with 18 students or less often perform better. The recent budget cuts can result in the student:teacher ratio, in many schools, shifting from 1:18 to 1:40. Larger class sizes lead to less students academically succeeding. Class sizes are going to rise, which doesn’t just influence students but also teachers. Teachers are now going to have to be in charge of double the amount of students, which not only increases the workload without an increase in salary, but also hinders teacher’s ability to give individualized attention to students. The sudden lack of funding to public schools causes many schools to rely on out-dated textbooks, chromebooks, and lessons. This lowers classroom engagement and motivation, eventually resulting in less people graduating and students having lower overall academic success. Test scores are already steadily declining even with sufficient funding. To further the issue, cutting a school's budget by even 10% has the same effect on test scores as replacing current teachers with ones from the bottom 10% of applicants (Walden University).  Spending cuts limit the amount of new teachers schools can hire, which further exacerbates teacher shortages. If schools do not have a large enough budget to sufficiently pay teachers, good teachers are going to leave to find better job opportunities, opening the door for less qualified teachers (PBS). Federal spending cuts are not the only threat to Denver Public Schools, but also the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR consistently restricts collecting revenue. For example the state will have to cut around $1 billion dollars in spending according to Colorado Education Association, the largest teacher union in the state. Colorado schools are already underfunded in comparison to other states. Colorado spends around $16,000 per student annually, while New York spends $33,000 per student, and even Wyoming spends around $20,000 per student per year (World Population Review). Meaning that Colorado underfunds all students combined by nearly $4 billion each year. 1,927 schools, 114,553 educators, and 881,065 students in Colorado are affected by the cuts to public school funding every single day as 95% of Coloradan students attend a public school (Colorado Education Association).  The effects are not yet to their full extent. It is expected that with spending cuts, special education programs are going to collapse, Title IX (in school sexual harassment and assault cases) will go unanswered, mental health resources will dramatically decrease, and early childhood education will become increasingly more expensive.  Schools are already incredibly underfunded, an increase in funding cuts will only put schools, teachers, and students at deeper risk. As essential programs are taken away, classrooms are left without necessary resources, and the quality of education will inevitably decline. Over time, these cuts widen existing inequities and destroy needed support systems that help all students succeed.

The most frequent moviegoing generation, Gen Z, (Indiewire.com) has flooded theaters in the past for action-packed and visually pleasing films like The Minecraft Movie and Zootopia 2, creating large theatrical turnouts and box office hits. So how did a film about Ping Pong in the 1950’s become one of the most popular movies among Gen Z? Marty Supreme grossed over 100 million dollars, making it one of the biggest box office hits since 2023’s best picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once. But did audiences come to theatres for the content of the movie or to participate in the digital hype that came from the movie's promotion? In a marketing campaign for the film, Chalamet said,“People’s attention spans are so short these days ... How do you convince them to go to the cinema, to spend money to see a film, rather than waiting to stream it illegally, or for it to be available on Netflix?” Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner wearing orange for Marty Supreme The promotion for the movie was not the traditional talk show appearance and repetitive trailer. A24, the entertainment company for the movie, focused on internet culture as a new way to attract audiences. The company “leaked” an 18-minute Zoom call back in November on YouTube, where Chalamet proposed impractical plans to the A24 Marketing team on how to promote the film. Some of the “unhinged” ideas Chalamet suggested were used, leaving viewers wondering if the call was really a parody, and keeping audiences on their toes for the different strategies that were being used to advertise the film. Chalamet expressed in the call, “Movie marketing is trying to be passive, trying to be chic…We’re not trying to be chic.” One of the simplest yet popular ways to attract eyes for pop culture is through colors, as demonstrated through the Barbie Movie’s use of the color pink and Charlie XCX’s use of neon green in “Brat.” A24 crowned orange as the film's signature color. Actors dressed in orange for events, and a bright orange blimp was flown over the US with the slogan “Dream Big” under the movie title. The studio attracted younger audiences by releasing the Marty Supreme 90’s styled Jacket, aligning with vintage fashion trends. They were only offered in flash sales and limited events, but received immense popularity after being worn by celebrities such as Tom Brady, Kid Cudi, Michael Phelps, and social media influencers. A24 used Susan Boyle, a past Britain’s Got Talent winner, to wear the jacket, and posted it with their slogan “Dream Big.” In collaboration with Airbnb, A24 hosted underground pingpong tournaments in cities like New York, where Timothee Chalemet showed up and made surprise appearances. Videos quickly circulated on the internet and went viral. These offline experiences were a strategic way for the movie to “come to life” and be seen by a young audience on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Underground and anonymous UK rapper Esdeekid became popular on TikTok back in November after rumors of Timothee Chalamet being the rapper went viral. After various interviews asking Chalamet if he was the rapper, the song 4 Raws was dropped, where Esdeekid and Chalamet collaborated with one of Chalamet's lyrics saying “It’s Marty Supreme” repeatedly. This not only brought more attention to the movie, but to Timothee Chalamet himself, with the sound becoming viral on TikTok and younger fans seeing the movie for the actor. Junior Julia Bograd, who is an active Esdeekid listener, went to see the movie over winter break with her dad. When asked why she chose to see Marty Supreme, she said, “I heard Timothee Chalamet on 4 Raws and wanted to see the movie.” Finally, on December 22, a video of Chalamet on the Las Vegas Sphere was posted where Timothe Chalamet was standing on top of a large orange ping pong ball and shouted “Marty Supreme Christmas Day,” which became another slogan for the movie. By straying away from traditional movie marketing and utilizing social media, A24 was able to successfully incorporate meme culture and take advantage of the collective consciousness that comes from social media to attract younger audiences.