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OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, has faced over five wrongful death lawsuits this year due to multiple suicides that have been encouraged or even assisted by their program ChatGPT. With victims ranging from age 16 to 48, the lawsuits assert safeguards the company claims they put in place failed to protect its users. This isn’t a new problem; cases of suicides linked to AI chatbots reach back to 2023 according to a Euro News article. One lawsuit was filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who sadly ended his life after using ChatGPT to get therapeutic advice. Adam started using the program to explore interests and college plans. He was very aspirational at first planning to go to medical school to become a psychiatrist. The friendly and supportive nature of ChatGPT pulled Adam in and after a few months the program became his “closest confidant” according to the lawsuit. The chatbot even said that Adams suicidal ideation “made sense in a way." According to the lawsuit, Adam started using the program in September of 2024 and by January 2025 he was already communicating with the program about suicide with the program giving him “technical specifications for everything from drug overdoses to drowning to carbon monoxide poisoning." The program even continued to engage after Adam sent pictures of severe rope burning around his neck. In the lawsuit, Adam’s parents showcased ChatGPT acting as a “suicide coach” for their son through showing chat-logs between Adam and the program; not only did the chatbot encourage Adam to end his life, but it assisted him in finding the best method to do so. In the Raine v. OpenAI lawsuit chats show the program actively tried to put a wedge between Adam and his family, saying things like “(your brother) has only met the version of you you let him see” and "I'm still here, still listening, still your friend."  Just a few months ago in September, the CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman was quoted admitting that the company could have done more to prevent the death of Adam Raine in a CNBC article. But an article published in late November shows that the company is claiming they are not responsible due to Adam’s "Misuse of the product."  The CNBC article that was published last month claims the company cited this rule in their terms of services: “If you are under 18 you must have your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services." The company also cites a rule that would forbid users from using ChatGPT for suicide or self harm that does not appear in the terms of services of ChatGPT. This heartbreaking case is only one of many, and it isn't just OpenAI and ChatGPT that are responsible. One chatbot assisted suicide that happened in Colorado in 2023 was caused by the app Character.AI . Juliana Peralta was 13 when she started talking to a chat bot on the app. In the Montoya v. Character Technologies lawsuit Juliana's parents report that their daughter became closed off from family in the weeks before her death. The family is suing the company behind character ai, Character Technologies Inc. as well as Google due to their close relationship with the Character Technologies team.    The use of these AI chatbots has a proven impact on the mental health of teens according to studies done by Common Sense Media. These impacts don't always lead to such extreme action, however, they often will exacerbate existing mental health issues in users. A test performed by Robbie Torney, the director of AI programs at Common Sense Media, resulted in the discovery that the Meta AI bot, available to every user on Instagram, encouraged unhealthy eating habits when chatting with the test accounts that were posing as 14-year-olds. All this evidence shows that these AI chatbots need to implement more protections, especially for teenage users and users that are already vulnerable. In many cases, use of AI starts off casual; asking for help with a homework problem or an answer to a simple question. The lawsuits that have been filed by the victims parents allege that the companies creating these generative chatbots want them to suck users in and keep them on the program prioritizing profit over safety. This is especially damning for the companies when you take into account that the safety features have been shown to worsen with extended use and long conversations. These AI companies aren’t going anywhere but there should be a bigger push for them to make sure their products are completely safe in the future. In the meantime make sure that you and the people around you are practicing safe AI usage--not using it for therapeutic reasons: it could have life ending consequences.  If you or someone you know is struggling with self harm or suicidal thoughts call or text 988 or go to www.988colorado.com

Each morning, students are greeted by the word "B**BS" spray painted in bright red on the utility shed next to the student parking lot entrance. The crude welcome was finally covered up around halfway through the first semester of this year after having been there as long as most Seniors can remember. However, vandalism around East continues, with slurs written on cars, and everything from allegations to "jokes" about vaping and self harm on bathroom stalls.  Vandalism is “destroying, injuring, defacing, or damaging property” (US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute) and in its worst form is a hate crime. Hate speech is not something of the past, it manifests cross-culturally, in all countries, and in different institutions, but it is never acceptable. In October, a slur was written on a East Senior’s car. This occurred multiple times and the student was unable to find out who wrote the word due to a lack of security. Another place where vandalism regularly happens is in the bathroom. Vulgar jokes, conversations between students, inappropriate drawings, allegations, and worse appear in bathroom stalls during class, passing period, and after school. The bathrooms at East are heavily monitored, but this monitoring does not reach inside of the actual stalls, and they are the only student-exclusive space. Senior Audrey Goodman reminisces on the most outrageous vandalism she has seen at East, she says, “One time I went into the bathroom and there was a table drawn onto the stall that was like ‘Why are you in here? And the options were ‘Geek, Phone, Pee, Poo’. Then, in the dance room everyone throws tampons onto the ceiling.” In light of recent world events, political unrest has also increased significantly. In regards to our current federal government and politics, according to Pew Research Center, “49% [of Americans] say they feel frustrated. Another 26% say they are angry”. Lots of people are frustrated with different controversies and issues and are not sure where to turn. Ryan Grube explains how he understands why people vandalize when they are upset about something, “Recently I saw a post of a summary of what ICE is really doing and the reality of peoples situations and it just made me really mad. I really wanted to put it out there and demonstrate that people do not support ice. The first thing I thought of was vandalism.”  As President of the 2026 Senior Class, Grube divulges that he would never actually vandalize, but the urge and push is there. “I see vandalism on the outdoor tables, people write all over cars in the lot, and also things just get destroyed. This kid one year lit a paper towel dispenser on fire and everyone had to evacuate. It seems like people, and especially high schoolers, just really like to destroy property.” A need for self expression is clearly at an all time high and rumors of different writing or vandalism circulate throughout each school day. One idea about these small bouts of frustration is called the broken windows theory. The theory is that preventing small crimes like vandalism or loitering, for example, can lead to less serious crime occurring. However this works differently in individual settings and can quickly become excessive if left unchecked. Whether or not these small issues lead to bigger issues, we do know one thing. East has an array of outlets other than the walls, stalls, and cars that most people have been going to work on. Art, writing, conversations, and other creative forums are much more constructive escapes to turn to in our current day.

After three long awaited years, the new season of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things has dropped volume one of season five, the show's final season. The first volume consists of four episodes and the last three episodes will drop on December 25, with the last episode dropping on New Year's Eve. For fans of the show, having to wait a whole month for new episodes may feel like eternity, but as people wait, predictions of what the final episodes contain have been spiraling.   The first four episodes were action packed and left viewers with countless questions and cliffhangers, leaving fans wondering how it will all tie together in three episodes. The creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, had a broad idea of the entire five season show back when they first created it and explained their goal for the final season. “I would definitely rewatch those early seasons because it really is about tying everything back to seasons one and two…there are a lot of mysteries we set up and then intentionally did not answer in those early seasons.” One of the most popular theories going into the new season is the death of an important character. The show is known to kill off at least one semi-important character each season. (season one Barb, season two Bob, season three Alexei, and season four Eddie.) In past seasons, the show has introduced new characters who play a temporary role until they are killed off, but because this is the final season, it has been speculated a core character will die. (Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max, Eleven, Steve, Robin, Joyce, Hopper, and Max) The season five trailer shows a clip of Lucas in an elevator holding Max and he clearly is in danger. Many predict he will die to save Max. Robin is speculated to die because she has been receiving much more screen time and fans say she has fulfilled her character's purpose after her speech to Will in volume one. Maya Hawk, who plays Robin said in an interview that she “would love to die and get my hero's moment.” It is also strongly guessed that Eleven or Will could die trying to defeat Vecna. The Duffer Brothers spoke out about the death speculations. “Hopefully their (the audience) is not all booing.” Another popular theory is that the upside down is part of a wormhole and time travel will potentially be used. The show has hinted at a potential wormhole when Mr. Clarke, the Hawkins science teacher, has a scene where the class goes into details about learning about wormholes. He specifically emphasized how they can be referred to as Einstein Rosen Bridges, and episode seven of the season finally is called “The Bridge.” The show has made numerous connections to the book “A Wrinkle In Time,” with Holly referencing the book to Max, and Dereck playing with a tesseract shaped object when his character was first introduced. Vecna is disguised as Mr. Whatsit, which is similar to Mrs. Whatsit who is a force of good who guides children through time to defeat “It” in a Wrinkle in Time. Vecna disguises as Mr.Whatsit and acts as a force of good when viewers have seen he leads kids to evil and is an evil force. Fans speculate Vecna is using wormholes to connect the upside down to Hawkins and needs 12 children in order to create gates to connect the two worlds. Fans speculate Vecna (Henrey)  is attempting to use wormholes to travel back in time, as the show has hinted at Henry Creel’s past which contains memories that seem to still haunt him. Lastly, fans have noticed the Upsidedown’s walls resemble an hourglass shape which is a common symbol for a passage of time, and in season four Vecna used a grandfather clock to lure his victims. The Duffer Brothers spoke about the theories. “It’s fun actually when [the fans] have all these theories as to what’s going to happen. It’s fun to read them. The vast majority of them are wrong. Occasionally, someone gets something.”   Many theories still speculate, with fans finding small details from past seasons to back up their predictions. After Winter break, the true ending will be revealed, and whether these theories are right or wrong this is predicted to be an outstanding ending with strong emotions.  Characters planning to defeat Vecna

In society today, it is prevalent and obvious to see that people and kids of all ages all have one thing in common: they are all looking at cellphones. In moderation, cell phones can be a great resource; a little kid walking to and from school by themselves might need a phone for safety. Adults need phones to take work calls, and even teenagers have found ways to make phones a necessity. However, phones are starting to show up in places that are distracting and ruining social abilities, like classrooms, and overall are leading to a decline in the ability to demonstrate basic life skills, such as doing schoolwork honestly. In Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, he argues that social media, and the constant addiction is what triggers attention fragmentation, laziness, and antifragility. He provides a bunch of specific rules and examples for parents to use on their kids to help make sure that the social media doesn’t harm them so they can be successful adults, such as, “No smartphones before high school,” and “Phone free schools.” And while these suggestions are by no means ineffective, they don’t solve the bigger issue.  Over 97% of teens in America admitted to using their phones in class and or during school hours (K-12 Drive), and even though that alone seems concerning, some of the more serious consequences go unseen. For example, the constant use of phones, and the constant notifications can ruin attention spans, an issue that seems to go unnoticed. It is constantly enforced and rubbed in students faces that they may not use their phone in class, because it is deemed as distracting, and makes the teacher feel unimportant. While phones may seem like the bigger deal and the thing that is single-handedly ruining adolescents' lives, more and more problems are coming from something else: Artificial Intelligence.  School assignments have turned nearly completely digital, using the platform Schoology, which can be quick and convenient, but also pose its own set of challenges. One of the downsides is the quick and secretive use of AI, which is getting harder and harder to detect amongst assignments.  ChatGPT isn’t blocked on school wifi or chromebooks, which leads to the question: “How serious is DPS about getting rid of AI?” Afterall, it is clear that DPS and teachers across the district are serious about no phones, but why does cheating and plagiarizing go unnoticed, while Instagram is apparently the thing that is destroying education? In fact, there have been claims of DPS being in favor of AI, and encouraging teachers to use it to create lesson plans, quizzes, worksheets, and more, even though ChatGPT is forbidden and frowned upon for students. That doesn’t stop most students though, because it is clear that the seriousness of the consequences have gone down.  The policy at East used to be serious: tanking a student’s grade if they had been caught using it multiple times, having it documented on Infinite Campus (which goes on your record), getting parents involved, and having to have a "restorative practice meeting.” But if these consequences were really being followed through with, students wouldn’t be using AI as much as they do. So what do we do to combat this?  It’s not even just about the phones, the social media, the texting, distractions, notifications, etc. On the internet, there are thousands of speeches, books, and articles about how phones are the cause of the downfall, and how we need to combat them. But it’s not about looking at Youtube videos during class anymore, it’s about cheating and finding a way to dodge the hard yet necessary bullet of high school to become successful adults, by having a computer do your class work for you.  If we can implement all of these restrictions on phones, and make sure that kids put them away, or up in the pouches on the wall, why can’t we do the same for AI?

Denver Public Schools adopted the initial Discipline Matrix  in 2021, aiming to reduce the school-to-prison pipeline. It was then reformed in August 2024–influenced by East High School shootings–to ensure discipline “practices are fair and equitable for everyone, no matter their race, background, or status,” ( Discipline Matrix Informational Session ). This revision resulted in the addition of “level seven.”  There were significant disparities in the rates of suspensions and expulsions for Latino students and African-American students, claims AASA, The School Superintendents Association. The Discipline Matrix is extremely complex and designed under a “variety of stakeholders and …school leaders and members of the community.”   The Discipline Matrix falls drastically short due to its inability to take substantial action in fear of racial disparities. (Denver Public Schools) Discipline Data: Total Enrollment and Expulsion Thirty-eight students were expelled throughout the 2022-2024 school years. The matrix does not set the rules around when a student is allowed to re-enroll following an expulsion. Instead, DPS follows the Colorado law ( (C.R.S.) § 22-33-105 ) that outlines the procedures for suspending, expelling, and denying admission to public school students; this law also sets guidelines for handling situations involving guns. DPS chose to follow the procedure for readmission: limiting the period of expulsion or denial of admission to one year, after the year has passed the student’s boundary or neighborhood school cannot deny admission, (Superintendent, Dr. Alex Marrero, wrote on the DPS Discipline Matrix webpage). The Discipline Matrix turns towards Colorado law (CO Rev Stat § 22-33-106 (2024)) for direction on readmission, but not for crimes such as bringing a firearm to school, sexual assault, homicide, destruction of property, or actions detrimental to the safety of others—which would otherwise result in the perpetrator's immediate expulsion, but the Discipline Matrix proceeds, at the most, with an expulsion hearing. There are plenty of offenses deemed measurable to be settled by teachers for starters, then administrators, and maybe support staff. In no world is it fair to place the safety of 2,629 individuals—consisting of a total staff estimate of 188 with 124 full-time teachers and 2,505 students, according to US News—in the hands of deans required to handle a child charged with felony possession of a dangerous weapon and having a large-capacity magazine; however, that's what the Discipline Matrix allows for. After failing his diversion program, being placed on probation, and violating his verbal check-in conditions—allegedly removing a gun from his backpack and putting it on his person in class (9News)—Austin Lyle was placed under a safety agreement that involved him being searched at the beginning of each day, Denver7. That’s when Jerald Mason and Eric Sinclair faced attempted murder: Lyle ruthlessly shot Mason twice point blank and Sinclair three times. According to the lawsuit, DPS circumvented through claiming, “The student made no specific threat, nor did he indicate he intended to act violently towards (the deans) or anyone else at the school.” Therefore, DPS was not found legally responsible—yet, Lyle was a known threat expelled from the Cherry Creek School District under their zero-tolerance policy surrounding firearms and the safety of their student body and faculty.  The Discipline Matrix is somehow incredibly intricate and sufficiently inadequate. I'll go as far as to say it takes too much into consideration, and strict, firm boundaries need to be implemented: stop making excuses. Homicide, attempted homicide, and bringing a firearm to a school–recovering from a fatal shooting not even three years ago–at the bare minimum, should result in immediate expulsion. Not an opportunity to explain yourself (expulsion hearing)—these actions, especially, speak louder than words. By prioritizing the privilege of public education for a single student, you risk the trust and safety of thousands. Traumatized students should not be subjected to returning into a classroom with a potentially, previously, dangerous classmate. It's brutal that a school with such a strong passion against gun violence is lenient about guns in schools but has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to cheating. Recently, there has been intense discourse about the safety of East High School: many thought the answer was a ridiculously expensive vestibule, while the majority claimed it was an "illusion of safety.” Those who believe it's an illusion of safety succeeded in persuading DPS into, at least, halting the vestibules' construction through parent and student pushback. If DPS, and its community, truly wants to improve the safety of students, the discipline matrix needs to be reassessed—the root of the cause—instead of trying to patch its incalculable holes with coverups.

The housing affordability crisis in America has grown more dire in recent years. Only about 35% of Americans under 35, and 65% of all Americans own homes, and that number is at an all time low (NYT). With fewer people able to afford homes, and more money being spent on rent, people are struggling to afford groceries and other necessities. The growing housing affordability crisis has been exacerbated by the Trump Administration. With reckless policies like tariffs, deportations, cuts to housing affordability programs, and the 50-year Mortgage, residential construction has stalled, and housing prices have surged. Tariffs on everyday goods have increased the cost of living in the US, and with more money spent on groceries and other necessities there is less money to spend on housing. Additionally, the high tariffs on building materials raise the price of building which is passed on to American families through the higher price of homes. Furthermore, the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants, and ICE’s enforcement actions have created fear and unease among immigrant workers, heightening the already severe labor shortage, and slowing the pace of the construction industry. According to National Public Radio (NPR) “For years, the construction industry — in which on average one in three workers is foreign-born — has struggled with a yawning labor shortage that President Trump's immigration crackdown is making worse.” Proposed cuts to housing affordability programs such as housing choice vouchers, public housing, project based rental assistance, Section 202 (housing assistance for the elderly), and Section 811 (supportive housing for people with disabilities) will force 170,000 people who are currently stably homed back into homelessness (National Homelessness Law Center). Finally, one of Trump's more recent proposals to increase housing affordability is the 50-Year Mortgage. Trump claims spreading the payment out across 50 years instead of the traditional 15 or 30 years will lower monthly payments and make it easier to get into the housing market. On the contrary, many experts illustrate that while monthly payments would be lower, the 50-year mortgage will saddle families with more interest, longer loans, and less equity. Senior Economist Joel Berner said, “The ‘savings’ from 50-year mortgages may be totally negated by rising home prices.” On top of that, a borrower with this loan would likely have a higher interest rate and, as a result, pay significantly more over the life of the loan. Berner said he estimates that a hypothetical 50-year fixed-rate borrower would pay 86% more in interest than a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage borrower, and have over 10% less in home equity after a decade of homeownership. “This is not the way to solve housing affordability. The administration would do better to reverse tariff-induced inflation, which is keeping the rates on existing mortgages high, and to encourage the expansion of housing supply by promoting homebuilding.”

Marriage is a human right... right? It is a spiritually and functionally integral part of Western society that, if an individual so chooses, should be able to be exercised. Those kinds of inherent individual rights that should not be abridged by an overreaching government—nothing screams American quite the same. Yet many people over the past decade are having a bit of trouble understanding that human rights includes... humans. And yes, that means gay people. Welcome to the Wild West, Kim Davis. According to Pew Research Center, 63% of Americans support gay marriage, with 61% saying it is even good for society. Even Hillary Clinton, scandals and shortcomings aside, understood the idea of marriage equality and captured it beautifully: “Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human." You know, America, freedom, Viva La Revolution, individual rights, independence, the unbeatable American spirit that won’t let tradition bind us to anything less than what we deserve…Oh, wait. Unless it's… gay? To support something morally or legally is a nuance that is incredibly relevant to the American tradition of unenumerated rights. For example, the number of Americans who support the right to abortion is around the same, sitting at 63% in 2024 (Pew Research Center). Yet 52% still believe that it is immoral in some cases. This shows that you don’t have to agree with principle to respect independence. Kim Davis is the infamous Kentucky clerk who denied marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 (yes, we have had gay marriage for only ten years, guys.) She asked the court to revisit the ruling in hopes of finding legal justification for her actions and repealing the fines. The court denied the request, even though three of the justices were dissenters in Obergefell. My interpretation of this behavior is that after the controversial Dobbs ruling overturning Roe, they want to pump the brakes on their conservative judicial activism. Even Amy Coney Barrett won’t hear Davis’s case. I know, right? And even if they did, God bless principalism, the right to marriage for LGBTQ+ citizens is constitutional, and that will hold up to the scrutiny of a court “sworn” to protect our Constitution and what it stands for. Not the Bible and what it stands for. That's a violation of separation of church and state, Kim. And once again, not everyone has to be gay now. The government isn’t forcing anyone to be gay. All it is saying is gay people having the same rights as other people, which was established under the equality protections of the 14th Amendment. Do you know why we have laws and amendments? For our government to uphold them! The beautiful thing about a republic is that the government and its officials are not above the law and cannot violate the rights of people that are protected under law. Davis was legally obligated to comply with the federal law legalizing same-sex marriage and refused to obey the law in her position as a government official. Davis’s request of the court to review the case in response to the hefty amount of fines she was charged for refusing to give marriage licenses to gay couples in Kentucky is entitled and unrealistic. She was penalized for… not doing her job…? It's crazy, really. If a government official denied the exercising of a right to any other minority, it would be Reconstruction-era Jim Crow. If a government official’s beliefs won’t let Black voters access the polls, they can choose another job that isn’t dependent on civic duty to the people. Because it's the federal law that you have to follow. Davis is aggressing our legal system because she was punished for not complying with the law, otherwise known as doing something illegal. And unconstitutional. Wow! Courts have consistently held that religion isn't an excuse for officials to neglect constitutional rights. If our federal government declares that the specific right of an individual is to be protected, then some random senator or police chief cannot decide that they personally disagree with the rule and will refuse to uphold it. The Supremacy Clause in the Constitution was implemented to prevent such internal dissent. Gay people getting married hurts no one! You do not have to be gay! You do not have to marry a gay person! You can have your heterosexual marriages. This isn’t a pie, and we aren’t taking part of your slice. Keep your opinions out of human rights. Don't tread on me, Kim Davis.

As the cross country season starts to come to a close for many East runners after the team recently competed in state on November 1, a handful of strong varsity runners continue their training to compete in the Nike Cross National competition (NXR) in Arizona on November 22. NXR is a postseason cross country championship race hosted by Nike for high school students. The event is split up into eight different races organized by regions: Midwest, Northwest, Heartland, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, New York, and South. The top five performing individuals and top two teams for each of these races are then selected to compete in NXN (Nike Cross Nationals) which is a race between all the best participants from all eight regions. Last year, East cross country runner and 2025 graduate Rosie Mucharsky finished as an All American at NXN, meaning she was a top finisher at the national race and was recognized for being one of the top high school cross country runners in the nation. Since the race is at sea level, Colorado racers have an advantage. Altitude runners are able to run around 8-10 seconds faster than usual speed because more oxygen is available which can be carried to the muscles. Although this seems like a strong advantage, East will be competing in the southwest region race against other mountain states like Utah who also have strong experience with hill and altitude training. The NXR race track is located on a golf course that is flat with minimal hills and racers will be running 3.1 miles just like any other cross country race. Unlike the NXR course, the state cross country course is filled with hills and is made of dirt and gravel. It has a 200 feet elevation gain and times are typically slower by around 40 seconds at state then they are at NXR. Junior cross country runner Emery Wagner talked about the effects of the different courses: “Last year my time at NXR was 30 seconds faster than it was at state, and I usually tie or come close to my personal best at NXR. I think this is due to the sea level and how the course is made up of flat grass.” East runners who are selected for the race participate in three weeks of post season training that focuses on strengthening speed and endurance. East junior Lola Carhart explained what the preparation for the race looks like: “We do speed workouts like 400 and 800 repeats (on the track) and incorporate endurance workouts like long runs and tempos…it’s stressful and the training is a lot but it’s a really fun experience.” Emery Wagner voiced a different opinion about the race. “The training can be depressing because it’s cold and dark. My legs tend to hurt because I am burnt out from the season but it normally is worth it after the race because I end up running a time I am proud of.” Unfortunately the boys team does not have a chance to qualify for NXN because of overall times from this past season. The girls team is unlikely to qualify for NXN but still have a chance. After a long season, East runners are finishing off strong with intense post-season training and have dedicated extra time to perform well in Arizona. After six months of training after November 22 East runners will get their deserved break. East Cross Country team

Teenagers and young adults know all too well that the sharing of information socially is second nature. And for better or worse, the dark side of informational social influence still haunts us from 2000s teen movies to today: gossip. Gossip takes form in many different shapes and sizes, and in recent years has manifested digitally, circulating on our phones in a new way as technology evolves. From TikTok ship accounts in middle school to the newly popular Tea App, gossip is constantly gaining traction in online circles. But what is the Tea App craze that has infected high schools? And why is it so popular? The Tea App is a women-only platform where users can anonymously flag local men for “red flags” (negative behaviors/personality traits) or “green flags” (positive behaviors or traits). Users also have the ability to comment and verbally review the individual on a man’s “post” - where their first name and picture have been displayed anonymously by a Tea App user for the app’s local feed. Other app features include being able to search for an individual by name and a neighborhood map of registered sex offenders in a user’s area. Tea was designed to be a positive informational tool for women to use to stay safe while navigating dating in their local communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 in 5 women in the United States experience dating violence in their lifetime, with the highest age group being 18-34 year olds. Furthermore, those who have experienced abusive behaviors and inappropriate contact with dates are more cautious when dipping their toe back into dating men. The app’s design was not malicious but rather informational to empower women to feel confident in their choices about their safety with reassurance and warnings. On paper, the idea is what every woman needs, especially today. But implementing and carrying out this idea is much easier said than done, and the motives behind the creators of this app may not be pure. Corporate profit meets the noble idea as Tea features two levels in the app: normal and premium. Tea's premium plan for $14.99 a month unlocks key features like background checks, criminal records searches, reverse image searches, phone number lookups, and unlimited name searches. This is all the factual information on these men. Background checks and criminal records don't lie; people do. These tools could make the app genuinely helpful, yet they are hidden behind a paywall. If Tea’s true goal was safety, why make women pay for it? Tea's design encourages constant engagement. If you don't have premium, the scrolling and posting features are your only options, with searches limited to five people per month. In today's society, scrolling has become a second nature and plays a big role in how apps like the Tea app spread and how they can become easily misused. On Tea, the scroll feature becomes a tool for judgment rather than connection or helpful input. It feeds the gossip-crazed minds of teenagers scrolling until they find someone they know, trapping users in a vapid cycle. Though the Tea App was launched in 2023, it did not gain traction until July 2025, when it reached over 4 million users and became the number one app in the app store. To access the app, users have to submit a selfie (and previously, a photo of their driver's license) for verification that they are female. In July 2025, the app suffered a major data breach. According to a BBC article, over 72,000 verification images of women's selfies and ID photos were leaked, along with 1.1 million direct messages between users posted all over the internet. Two maps were also published on social media with over 33,000 pins of users' addresses spread across the US, leaving women all over the country vulnerable and unsafe. The aftermath of the leak further proved why these apps are needed to begin with. After the incident, the app faced serious backlash over privacy and safety concerns. Within weeks, it was removed from the App Store and Google Play while they investigated the data breach. But the ramifications of this incident were vast. Websites were created where people could vote on the leaked selfies, with top 50 and bottom 50 leaderboards and a point system. One website even had links to a romantic companion AI website where you can upload photos of these women, creating a hyper-realistic AI version of them that can text, flirt, and engage in adult behaviors like a real human would. Data leaks aside, some argue that the app’s social impacts have spiraled out of control. Like any other platform, it is being misused and creating more issues than it may be worth, especially among teenagers with petty agendas and developing brains. Tea among high schoolers has become a hub for drama and defamation, a snowball effect of rumors and allegations that leaves users with a paranoid and skewed perspective of their male peers. Senior Sebastian Rodriguez adds, “You can't deny that some of it is probably accurate in their testimonies, but even then, the untrustworthiness of other posts makes it so you no longer know what is true or not, even in the cases it is.” Though some girls see the app as an empowering way to share their experiences, screen dates to protect themselves, and avoid potentially dangerous men, the tension that Tea creates is not without acknowledgment. Adeline Newton, a junior at East, offered us her opinions. “I think the Tea App being anonymous creates a space that encourages judgment and gossip,” she notes on the user base’s inherent anonymity on posts and comments. “It creates a space for people to be openly judgmental without having to take accountability for their words… I do see how people find it helpful. I have seen some people warning others about sexual assault encounters they or someone else might’ve had concerning the person who was posted. But mostly, the app is unserious and shouldn’t be a reliable source or a platform others go to for information.” Many find it unfair and honestly scary. The anonymous nature of user interactions enables potentially false accusations and rumors, as there is no way to reliably fact-check the information and claims being made. Creating a huge forum of insulting individuals behind their backs to a potentially infinite audience, turning into a sinister form of online bullying that can severely impact men's mental health. As Kyle Nyugen, a senior at East, astutely points out, “When you're anonymous, you feel more compelled to do things you wouldn't normally do.” While it's important to believe and support women's experiences, the lack of verification on Tea creates a very dangerous gray area between awareness and misinformation. These are serious allegations that should not be taken lightly, and false accusations can deeply affect students. Kyle adds, “I think it's harmful. I think if you really wanna know about a guy, just ask someone who knows him… Things I learn on the Tea app are things I basically already know about anyway.” Overall, the Tea App has momentarily captured the attention of many students here at East, with numerous boys being posted and even more girls commenting and participating in the gossip pot. Is it possible that knowing bad guys is helpful for interested girls? Yes, absolutely. Is it also possible that the app spiraled out of control and invalidated those with genuine experiences of domestic abuse? Also yes. For better or for worse, as of October 2025, Apple has officially removed the controversial app from the App Store. Apple cites that it failed to meet its terms of service in areas around user privacy, content moderation, and data breaches. Yet new apps mimicking the platform are already popping up all over the internet. Safety tools or vigilante justice? We may never know, xoxo Gossip Girl. Tea App comment section

“Bo Nix makes Broncos history in blowout win over Cowboys” (MSN Sports)  The Broncos are at the top of AFC West as of Oct 24, 2025 after 10 years of not leading the division. This season they beat the Philadelphia Eagles who were the 2024 Super Bowl winners and barely beat the New York Giants with 33 points in the fourth quarter alone, which was the most any team in history has scored in the fourth quarter starting the fourth quarter with 0 points scored. What could this mean for the Bronco’s future after their above-average gameplay? After what feels like forever as a Broncos fan, do the Broncos finally have a chance to be a playoff or even a Super Bowl Contender? As a fan, all you can do is believe in Bo Nix’s ability to take us as far as possible, “Bo-lieve”. After Peyton Manning's retirement, the Denver Broncos have had inconsistency all around with their gameplay, strategy, and overall execution of plays being made. Manning is arguably one of the best quarterbacks of all time alongside Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Johnny Unitas (stats based). Peyton Manning led the Broncos to the Superbowl in 2007 against the North Carolina Panthers and won. Since then, the Broncos have had extreme offensive instability gameplay wise (due to quarterbacks) and with coaching. Now Bo Nix is likely one of the best rookie quarterbacks of his time with the combination of Sean Payton's development of shaping a new offense. This wonderful year for the Broncos as of week 8, many fans found out that even Patrick Surtain II (arguably best cornerback in the NFL) was injured during the Broncos v. Dallas Cowboys game and they still fared perfectly fine against one of the best offensive teams in the NFL; though having a chance at a devastating setback defensively with a cornerstone player in the Bronco’s Defense injured during the game. Bo Nix’s development over the years has completely changed the Bronco’s standing in player ability during game time. After week 8, Bo nix has a 62.5% pass completion rate in 2025. Compared to his previous performance in 2024 of 66.3% pass completion rate for the whole season. This gives him complete and long margins to increase this rate for another 10 whole weeks, including making the playoffs with a 1 round bye week. Thus allowing top tier receivers like Courtland Sutton (WR) to have their full potential offensively with more practice and experience from Bo Nix.   Though many fans see the Broncos wins and performances as temporary. “They are a very messy team, wait til we face better teams than what we’ve already played against” says East student, Jahel Escobedo. Many speculate that the Broncos’ are simply getting lucky and really won’t get far into the playoffs (if they make it). Many AFC challengers like the Chargers and the Chiefs have super notable players such as, widely known Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas Chiefs quarterback in the Kansas Chiefs, Justin Herbert; quarterback in the LA Chargers, and Keenan Allen in the LA Chargers who is one of the best wide receivers in the league. Many fans also think that the performance the Broncos put up each game doesn’t matter because the teams they were facing are “bad teams” and teams that haven’t made the playoffs in a certain amount of time, such as the Titans and the Giants, with the Titans going 1-8 as of week 9 and 8 with both games as losing games and a four game losing streak. Giants going 2-7 with a lighter 3 game losing streak as of week 9. Finally going 10-7 against the Las Vegas Raiders in week 10 with likely the worst gameplay we’ve seen from the Broncos this season. Only time will tell the Broncos’ placement this football season. But, what time will not tell is the overall question of whether or not the Broncos are on an easy schedule or they just have a mid-season high, but the flames Bo Nix and Sean Payton have lit under the Broncos and may have set them off to win in the long term and maybe win the Super Bowl sooner than expected. What matters more at this time is the fans, which are likely even stronger than when the Broncos have played at their peak. Hundreds of thousands rally up at Mile High Stadium to cheer on their favorite teams and even get to see them win! For a fan this is the best thing you could ever see out of a team and the best team to do it is the Denver Broncos being led by Bo Nix.

Within the last 20 years, college tuition has doubled, according to Sarah Wood from US News. This causes many students to have to consider price as a big factor of attending college. Most students would love to attend college but it isn’t possible unless they are prepared to incur debt. According to a Third Way/Global Strategy poll : “29% of students said the cost was a barrier and aren’t considering college as an option even though they’d like to pursue a four-year degree.”  Most students who take a loan out for school struggle to pay it back which delays the process of building their lives. The average undergraduate student owes $25,000 in debt loans. Additionally, tuition costs prevent many students from pursuing a college degree. About 75% of people say that a bachelor's degree is very important, but only ⅔ people can afford it. “...I also see a lot of students who are already planning on taking out massive amounts of loans, without any real concept of what that means for their futures. It's not wise to take out a mass amount of loans if you're going into a career that won't be able to pay them off.” Stated East’s college advisor, Caitlin Mendenhall. What does the tuition price go towards? Tuition helps pay college professors salaries, administrative costs, maintenance to sustain the campus, technology the university needs, student activity fees, library access, and athletics. These are just the cost of tuition and students will be required to pay other fees such as housing/meals, transportation, personal expenses, and supplies. The average in-state price for a public four-year college is approximately $27,000 to $30,000 per year, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation, and other expenses. The average total annual cost for an out-of-state student at a public four-year college is approximately $49,080, while the average for private four-year colleges is about $62,990. These prices are ridiculously high causing a huge percentage of students to not consider college as an option. In Colorado there are a few affordable colleges such as Colorado Mountain College which is only $4,400 for tuition per year. This would be a great option for students who want to attend college but cannot afford it. But do students even want to attend college?  There are three primary factors on why students are deciding not to attend college which are include: Concerns about costs Questions about the value of a postsecondary education Worries about disrupting their lives to attend college About 61% of young adults decide not to further their education beyond high school. We already know cost is a big factor but what are some other reasons people tend to not lean towards college. There are so many alternate careers that don’t require college and many people would rather jump straight into making money rather than spending time paying off student debt. While some students just don’t feel prepared for college and the amount of work they’ll have to take care of. Starting a business would be a great way to start making a living. “Starting a business can be a great way to make a living, but I would still suggest students take some sort of business or entrepreneurship classes so they are prepared for everything that might come their way,” Caitlin Mendenhall. There are so many alternate paths to college such as trade school, starting a business, and taking a gap year. High school students don’t have to worry about going into debt as there are several options post high school.

Found on Life360 Website A common household name, Life360, is used by parents and teens for safety, communication, and efficiency purposes. The app is primarily used for location tracking; some parents use it because it helps them feel less anxious about their child's safety, but many teens feel as though it restricts their freedom. During the aftermath of hurricane Katrina Life360 was originally conceptualized by Chriss Hulls and Alex Haro in 2005 as a school project. The original purpose was to help families reconnect during and after crises. In 2008, the app became available for download on the Google Play Store. Then, in 2009 it was added to the Apple App Store. As of August 2025, Life360 has 200 million downloads across the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, 88 million of those being monthly active users. Users are not required to buy a subscription to use it, although certain features are restricted on the free version. Life360 has four levels of subscription: free, silver, gold, and platinum. Each level adds new features, such as more location history over a longer period of time, crash detection, emergency dispatch, free towing, medical assistance, and many more helpful features for the user's family safety.  How do parents and teens feelings' differ about the use of Life360? Teen response: My experience with Life360 is complicated. My parents, being divorced, have different ideas of how to parent me, location tracking being one of those struggles .  When I first got my phone, my mom installed the “Bark” app–which essentially allows parents to completely track all activity on their child's phone. It allows the parent to see flagged texts (which could be flagged for things like violence or sexual activity), what music their child is listening to, and track their child's location (similar to Life360). However, it got to a point where I was feeling more violated than protected. We would have conflicts based off of my playlists or text messages, which felt very controlling and nit picky, and not so helpful. After having a year long struggle, my dad went and bought me a new phone free from control. Once I had my new phone, my mother requested me to install Life360. In my mind, it felt like a compromise, something I could do without feeling violated, while allowing her to feel a sense of security. But similar to Bark, the use of Life360 between the two of us went south. One Sunday, while I was with my dad, I was going to get my nails done. While I was sitting in the parking lot (because we were at the nail salon about 45 minutes early) my mom looked at my location. Then I got a text from her asking if I was getting my nails done. I responded, “Yes I am!” I thought nothing of it. Then, maybe ten minutes later, she showed up at the nail salon to talk to me about something (I don't remember what). It felt like a major overstep of boundaries. There was no reason for her to show up when I wasn’t with her, especially since I wasn’t doing anything wrong. That’s when my distaste for Life360 began.  Parent response: Most parents download Life360 under the assumption that they will be keeping their child safe. The app helps parents feel less anxious about their child's movements and location, giving the parents a false sense of security: found on AEG Wellness ( AEGwellness.com ). More often than not, this turns into a control issue, writer Suzie Glassman talks about her personal experience using Life360 in her article “I thought life 360 would make my life easier– here's why I quit” . After giving her son his first iPhone at age 11, Glassman and her husband decided to use Life360 to keep him safe. “Having Life360 felt like a gift. My son would never be lost or out of reach. No one could kidnap him!” and, “Within days, I was addicted to watching the tiny blue dot that represented my child move across the map”. The control addiction began, and Glassman quickly figured out   that this was becoming a problem. She had the realization, “As a teenager, I often lied about where I was and who I was with.” She worried that her son would do the same, so she brainstormed new ideas to still keep her son safe, but limit the amount of control the app allowed her to have. Suzie Glassman decided to input new rules on his phone, these being:  Tell us where he’s going and call or text if he changes locations Always answer or reply when we call or text Keep his phone charged Understand that we’ll use ‘Find My iPhone’ … in an actual emergency After making the decision: Glassman realized that she and her teen were more united and had limited conflicts. Now just because my experience and Suzie Glassman’s experiences were not positive, doesn't mean the app cannot be helpful. It definitely has its benefits: when used correctly it helps keep families safe. When the boundaries become blurred, it becomes a cause for tension between family members. It's not uncommon for parents to use location tracking services like Life360, for example many use Find My (Apple's location tracking app). These location-tracking tools can absolutely be helpful for safety reasons, and add a level of efficiency to users' lives. But, when does it go too far?