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For the past 109 years, the Head Angels have been a notorious tradition at East High School. Since the early 1920s, this student-run election has played a pivotal role in the school's culture. This election has previously been seen as an opportunity for students to elect peers that will represent them and spread school spirit. This year’s newly elected head angels, Cristina Youngquist and Declan McDonald, have been interviewed and plan to bring commitment, passion, and excitement to East. The election process was relatively the same as it has been in past years, where students make a video and a short speech to present to the student body. Later, students filled out a Google Form to vote for student council. Cristina Youngquist notes, “It all moves very quickly and can be easy to fall behind without making the election a top priority.” The election process goes much deeper than most students would know. The process involves teacher and Dean recommendations, interviews, and even gathering 200 student signatures. Declan McDonald echoes this sentiment, saying that “the process is fun, but it is also stressful.” The biggest challenge for him came on election day; “...not a lot of us are comfortable or familiar speaking in front of large crowds… I felt like that was the main challenge for me specifically.” Despite the nerves, Cristina and Declan both embraced the challenge with confidence. Looking forward, Cristina and Declan have set clear intentions for their goals in the 2025-2026 school year. For Cristina, it’s mainly about creating joy and inclusion for all she says, “as simple as it sounds, being able to have fun is a core value and I think we lose sight of that as busy highschoolers.” She later describes that she hopes to create a fun space where people are able to “be their authentic selves and feel valued.” Declan is mainly focused on rebuilding something that he believes East has lost; “My primary goal is to bring back the school spirit East is known for. In my opinion, since Covid the school spirit has taken a drastic hit.” Declan acknowledges that it is not a one year fix, but it is a main goal for this upcoming school year to contribute to the change for future students. Representation of the whole student body will always be a very difficult subject for head angels to tackle as East is such a big community. Declan emphasizes the strength of the student council is in diversity saying ,“East is a very diverse place… Our job is to make sure all groups of people feel recognized and supported.” Cristina agrees stating that their goal is to “urge people from all sectors of the school to get involved… to create a collusive community, where everyone has a spotlight.” Although representation remains a difficult task for just two people to achieve, Declan and Cristina are committed to making an effort to do the best they can. As they step into their roles, Cristina and Declan aren’t just aiming to lead, but to help East progress into the best community they can make it well while still having fun. As Cristina put it: “I’m most excited to see everyone have lots of fun together.” Declan agreed saying, “making senior year fun for everyone and hopefully making changes that last a long time after I graduate that’s what I’m most looking forward to.” Picture by: Cristina Youngquist

On February 13th, 2023, 16-year-old East Student Luis Garcia was shot in his car on the north side of the Esplanade. He would succumb to his injury a few weeks later. No one has been arrested for the shooting, however, a lawsuit against DPS and the DPS Board claims to know who is responsible for the shooting. (9News) Luis was a beloved member of the East community as well as the East soccer team, having helped the Angels to the 2022 state title. “Luis was an incredible teammate,” explained Senior Captain Liam Klossner. “He was the first guy on varsity that I had met, and immediately welcomed me and made me feel a part of the team. That’s the kind of person he was.” On October 12, 2023, Luis was honored at a soccer game between East and the Far Northeast Warriors. Following the game, a banner, as well as a very visible display reading “Luis 11” appeared on the west fence of the field. However, this year marked a change, with neither the banner nor display being visible on the field due to district policy. In the fall of 2024, East and Athletic Director Mr. Browne was informed that the small banner and signage on the fence was in violation of DPS policy FFA-R, which pertains to “Commemorative Activities and Memorials.” The policy states that “Temporary memorials shall be limited to flower arrangements, banners, pictures, notes and locker or student or staff desk displays.” While the memorial did fall within these regulations, it did violate the time constraints that the policy outlines. DPS policy FFA-R states that:  “All temporary memorials shall be thoughtfully removed within two days of the date of the funeral (or other service celebrating the life of the deceased) or within two weeks following the death of the student or staff member.” The policy that DPS used to remove the signage was quite bothersome to the team, with the sign simply serving as a reminder of their dear friend. Klossner explained he felt  “very confused.” It is difficult to justify the removal of a small memorial, especially when it pertains to someone that was so close to the entire East community. “The sign wasn’t affecting anyone and it was remembering and honoring a teammate, friend, and classmate that we lost.” Klossner continued. However, despite the sudden removal of the sign, the Angels remained as focused as ever. “I think it briefly affected the team,” said Goalkeeper Trey Wilhoite, “but in the end, we were playing for Luis in our hearts and we didn’t need a sign to show that.” The Angels would continue to fight through adversity, making yet another playoff appearance before bowing out to Cherry Creek in the quarter-finals last November. While the team continued to play for Luis in their hearts, the reality of another type of memorial became difficult. Despite hopes of another way to commemorate their beloved teammate, they were informed that DPS would not permit anything remembering Luis to be constructed or placed on campus. The policy the district used to remove the banner also explains that “Permanent memorials shall be limited to student or faculty awards, donations, collections of books or other donated items of educational significance; or plantings.” The most they could do to remember Luis was bring a single banner to the bench with them during every game. Luis will continue to be remembered for years to come, whether that be in the physical form or simply in the hearts of the East community. For now, the cherished memory of Luis must live in the hearts of the players each and every time they take the field.

Denver Public Schools (DPS) is the largest school district in the state of Colorado, with a total of 207 schools that support roughly 90,000 students and 14,000 staff. Especially in recent years the district has been marked by disruption and contention. According to CBS News there were 144 “high level threats” in the 2023-2024 school year many of which were reportedly investigated inadequately. Since then those incidents have manifested into court cases that aim at holding DPS financially responsible for its alleged leniency.  In March 2023, Eric Sinclair-former East dean- began a routine search as a part of a safety plan for a student who was on parole and had been expelled because of confrontation concerning dangerous weapons. Prior to the incident, Sinclair had radioed for an assistant principal (AP), who was expected to conduct the search, multiple times without a response. Once Wayne Mason, another former dean, was radioed and arrived on scene it was clear a weapon had been discovered and a struggle ensued. Between 2 and 5 shots were fired leaving Sinclair in critical condition and Mason in stable condition. In response DPS superintendent, Alex Marerro, made a statement claiming that DPS schools “ have always been safe, our response has been incredible, but we can’t foresee the unexpected”. Since then Mason and Sinclair have filed similar lawsuits specifically naming East and former AP Shawne Anderson as defendants. Both cases are seeking damages of around $5 million for medical expenses, physical and mental pain, and loss of wages. The pair allege that the district “provided inadequate training and policies/protocols on student searches and building access control” in addition to hastily removing SROs. When discussing the students affinity for weapons the case specifically cites the Claire Davis Act which holds public schools accountable for protecting staff and students from “reasonably foreseeable violence”.  Roughly a month prior to the aforementioned incident a student named Luis Garcia was fatally shot while waiting in his car on the Esplanade. Since his passing the Garcia family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the DPS board and 2 unnamed defendants- often referred to as A.A and B.B. Although an arrest has yet to be made in connection to the murder A.A is the male juvenile, who the lawsuit claims, shot and killed Garcia. B.B is named as a defendant in the case because as A.A’s mother she “knew or should have known” that her son was in possession of dangerous weapons especially considering evidence found by police in their home and on A.A’s social media. This lawsuit is another that cites the Claire Davis act claiming that the board “subverted and weakened the security and safe environment” when they removed SRO’s leading “potential shooters to believe they would be able to execute an attack”. The Garcia family is seeking financial compensation of more than $1 million for damages including medical expenses, funeral arrangements, and grief. As a result of the policies associated with the new presidential term DPS went to a federal judge to request a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would ultimately block ICE (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids. In the case the district essentially argued that the new policy enforcing ICE at “sensitive locations”- such as schools- was “lacking a clear justification and failing to adequately consider the potential harm” especially to attendance, funding, and budget. The lawsuit mentions a February 5th raid at the Cedar Run Apartments claiming that the consistent presence of armed ICE agents outside of the complex blocked traffic from a handful of nearby schools and subsequently decreased attendance. The judge, Daniel Domenico, decided to deny the request claiming that in this instance “sufficient harm” had not been demonstrated. Shortly after DPS became the 1st to file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s new immigration policies. The case names the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, as the defendant, and maintains that DPS is "hindered in fulfilling its mission” due to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) unnecessarily aggressive approach towards sensitive areas. At the same time US Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have taken additional action to reintroduce legislation that would protect these sensitive locations. In total these cases will incur millions of dollars in expenses and will substantially impact an already strained budget. In Colorado revenue from property and ownership taxes is used to cover the majority of the difference should a school district need a larger budget; essentially local taxpayers will be the ones to cover a considerable portion of the cost for these lawsuits. As a result many DPS families are looking towards the board for some kind of explanation but DPS has made it clear that it will not comment on any pending litigation. Wayne Mason at a rally Luis Garcia’s family at a (May 19th) Press Conference

Perhaps hidden by the chaos this school year entailed, it was a unique year for East Athletics. The Angels battled through the adversity, giving us much to celebrate with two state championships and multiple league and district titles. The Boy's Soccer team brought home the first title of the year, far from home at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. The team led by top goalscorer Gus Sundstrom, and Senior captains Charlie Scott and Ezekiel Lubin boasted an impressive 18-1-1 record, highlighted by an impressive victory over Valor Christian in the semifinals. The Angels capped off the season with a 1-0 win over Fairview to claim the school's 4th state championship. On March 11th the Boy's Basketball team provided the second state championship of the year in a thrilling 82-61 victory over Fossil Ridge. Following a 0-2 start to the season, the Angels led by Gatorade player of the year D’Aundre Samuels went on a 26-0 win streak to close out the season. The victory was nothing short of historic as the Angels captured a record-tying 12th state championship, and hoisted Coach Rudy Cary to legendary status with the most wins (897) and state championships (10). Hockey looked to build on last year's fairytale success with a respectable 74% win rate. Despite knowing the season would be one of immense difficulty, the boys left their all on the ice. The Angels captured the second seed with an overtime victory over Regis and would make it to the Semifinals before bowing out to Ralston Valley. Girl's Soccer made a great bid for the state championship with a 10-3-1 record, highlighted by a victory over Denver South to bring home the 5A Denver League championship. Despite falling short in the playoffs with a 2-0 defeat against Arapahoe, the team led by Coach Ryan Short left their all on the field during their impressive season. On February 4th at Hinkley high school, the girl's swim team defended their league title. Winning eight of the twelve events swam at the City “A” League Championships was enough to bring the title back to the halls of East. Despite the difficult circumstances the year had to offer, the athletes gave their all representing East to the best of their ability. They gave the Angels much to cheer about and brought the East community together in a time of need.

Most people are clueless when it comes to politics and are in oblivion to our government’s functions. For educational purposes, this article will cover the most severe and important laws in Colorado. First up, Colorado has multiple prohibitions against riding animals drunk on the roads. Specifically, it is illegal to ride a horse under the influence. When asked Junior Sasha Bull for her opinion, she instead responded “what's an influence?” Each county has its own eccentric legislation. Abiding by this inconsistency, it is possible for residents in Boulder to get a DUI for riding a bicycle, but not for riding a horse. For another random law, it is illegal to throw a missile at a car. In an effort to prevent “harassment” and maintain peace, this law exists under Title 18 of the 2016 Colorado Revised Statutes. When asked by Junior Sofia Saavedra for her opinion, she responded, “no sh—”. This was an unappreciated response, and Sofia obviously felt embarrassed that she is not up to date on our own state’s legislation. In Aspen, catapults may not be fired at buildings. This law was passed in an attempt by lawmakers to cover all of their bases in terms of civilian safety despite the law’s concept being inherently ridiculous. To continue the absurdity, residents in Louisville may not own chickens, but may own up to three turkeys in their backyard. Sofia, when made aware of this law, responded, “well Liska owns chickens.” But does Liska live in Louisville? No. Furthering on, according to the law C.R.S. § 18-3-408 in Logan County it is illegal for a man to kiss a woman while she is asleep. Sofia responded, “that's good”, and Sasha asked “what if you are married?” Good question Sasha, but this law is enacted for the primary purpose to protect a person’s right to consent, and would most likely be inapplicable to a couple which decides to be together. Another unique law is in Section 5-4-16 of Boulder’s municipal code which prescribes that placing furniture out on a front porch is illegal. Evidently, this law was enacted for the sole reason of preventing an eyesore. I n the Switzerland of America, these unnecessary and laughable laws decorate a beautiful state: Colorado.

East High, a public school in Denver, Colorado, has prided itself on its responsiveness to student needs, however, it still holds on to a major flaw: the amount of time teens spend in “seats.” Forbes, a global media company, cites that roughly 13 percent of high school students skip school on a daily basis. With 2,581 students enrolled at the beginning of the 2022/23 school year, at least 336 kids are not present on any given day; this does not include excused absences for illness or travel. Now, unexcused absences could be allocated to irresponsible and delinquent teens, although many teens skipping are still passing. If every teen who skipped didn’t pass, the graduation rate at East wouldn’t be 96 percent as of 2022 (U.S. News). So how are teens graduating high school if they aren’t attending class? It comes down to the quality and usefulness of class times. The ratio of students per teacher at East is reported at 22:1 (U.S. News). The National Center for Educational Statistics reports that the recommended ratio is 16:1 in the United States. Considering every individual's needs, skills, and interests, one teacher is not nearly enough to cultivate 22 students. Additionally, the ratio is inferably inflated due to a higher number of teachers in special education classes. A typical class has an average of 35 students to one teacher. However, an important thing to note is that public schools are already underfunded and teachers are overworked. So what is a factor that is more accessible in changing? Measuring the number of days and minutes students spend in classes is definitely one. Teens at East High are expected to attend seven (50-minute) class periods on three days of the week, four (90-minutes) class periods on one day of the week, and three (90-minute) periods on another. If the average attention span of a teenager is 36-48 minutes, how are they supposed to make it through an entire school day? With only a 50-minute lunch break and 5-minute passing periods, students don’t get much time to decompress between classes, let alone pee. Many teachers give the same spiel at the beginning of every class: I don’t need you all to be passionate about this subject, but I do need you to give me your attention for the entirety. We are only here for 50 minutes, so let's make it worth our time. Classes also frequently end in a rush, with teachers hurrying through their last google slides crammed with information. They reiterate: I’m sorry I’ve been talking for so long, I just have ten more minutes of notes left for you. If this happened in one class, it would be acceptable. But when seven different teachers are all absorbed in their own teachings, the content becomes a priority over the students: one can see why teens are beginning to think that their presence in class isn’t missed, let alone time well spent. Especially when the lecture and content are posted online later that day. Now, allowing teens to skip school is not the answer. Instead, a reevaluation of how schools measure mastery might help. The forever-growing “absent days” counter and attendance percentage are clearly declining in effectiveness. Students that have a high amount of absences are still passing with acceptable grades, and students that have a perfect attendance rate are still struggling in some classes. Skipping has gotten so out of hand, that East has threatened to take away parking spots for anyone with an attendance rate lower than 90 percent; but they have not yet acted on it. Deans and school counselors can be found during most passing periods, yelling at teens to “get a move on” when their intentions seem questionable. So what seems to be the real motive to get students to class? To encourage their learning in a rushed, crowded environment? Or to keep the school’s statistics and administrators satisfied? Encouraging and allowing teens to skip is not the answer, however, an increased amount of breaks, less lecture time, and prioritizing the essential content can maximize student’s time. Now some teachers might openly admit their understanding of their pupils, while others positively recoil at a student skipping their class. Just understand, when a student ditches, it’s not a personal attack. It’s unreasonable expectations, unfair conditions, and fed-up teenagers.

East High School is the 6th largest school in Colorado, with a size of 2,581 students. The sheer size of East is one of the main things it is known for, along with the diversity and liveliness of the community. However, after all the recent events East has suffered lately, enrollment rates could be decreasing. Many parents have thought about disenrolling their kids from East, which is now thought of as a violent place. It’s not just the students who might not be coming back, many teachers are considering leaving as well. There are no current statistics on the enrollment rates for the 23-24 school year, but in an informal poll, 85.7% of students surveyed said they knew someone not coming back to East next year. An East English teacher has said that four freshmen in her class have already left East this year. Furthermore, many parents have voiced their worries about sending their children back to East, as shown in the Parents Safety Advocacy FaceBook Group as well as the large number of parents at the DPS safety meeting after the March shooting. East English teacher Charlie Gaare also feels concerned about returning. She feels that the violence that has occurred this year could happen at any school, and for her, that violence is too much. “I don't think East is different from any other school, so I am looking for jobs outside of teaching high school altogether,” Gaare says. She explains that she still loves East the same amount as always, as it has been her home for a decade. “It’s heartbreaking that it is currently struggling the way it is,” Says Gaare. Based on how many new teacher job openings there are listed in the East newsletter, it seems as if other teachers are also considering leaving. In the most recent news letter from Friday May 12th, there was an opening position for an English teacher as well as a Student Support Liaison (Dean). But how do the current East students really feel? A sophomore who attends East says, “My parents are hesitant about me coming back to East, but I don’t have a lot of fear of returning. I feel like to an extent, I have been desensitized from the shootings." Students in the survey also express support for East, as 100% surveyed are planning to return. Incoming freshman Mia Davis says she had second thoughts about attending East. She felt scared and almost went to Regis instead, but then decided she wanted to come to East to be part of the change. There are a variety of feelings in the East community about returning in the 23-24 school year. Many agree that it’s up to the students to make East the place they want it to be. As Gaare says, “There is a lot of opportunity to make the school a better place if the students are inclined to do so. They have the ability to create the culture.”

What is the true equitable grading model? Each teacher and student has their own idea. Striving for equity in our society has extended into our education system. However, equity means creating an even playing field for each person’s individual circumstance. Which is why we see so many different variations of what people think is an equitable model. Everyone has their own reality that would make certain grading practices harder or easier for them. How can a widespread equitable grading system be established if there is no widespread solution to accommodate everyone? Joe Feldman, professor and author of “ Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms ” explains the three main criteria for an equitable grading system are, “accuracy, bias-resistance, and intrinsic motivation” (Harvard.edu). Feldman claims grading with these in mind is the best way to evaluate the academic standing and success of a student. Megan Leich teacher and guest on “Grading for Equity” by Modern Classrooms Project Podcast explains how she began to evaluate her standard grading system. She began seeing grades from her students either being inflated or worse than she noticed in the actual knowledge and competence of her students. She began to change her grading system to meet the standards of this three-pillar system. To improve accuracy, Leich recommends only putting grades in that reflect actual student knowledge and therefore stopping grading things such as attendance, participation, and homework. These grades do not reflect actual knowledge of the content or skill. However, this does mean all grades will come from tests and classwork. Those who tend to have test anxiety or don't do well on tests could be negatively impacted by such a grading system. To help remedy this, retakes and corrections have to be made available. These measures could help create a grade that accurately represents a student's knowledge. To help limit the impact of bias when grading Leich suggested making students’ electronically submitted work anonymous while grading it, so if teachers had any negative - or even positive— interactions with students that could not affect bias while grading. To foster intrinsic motivation Leich argues for a flexibly paced work course. Intrinsic motivation is motivation through actual interest, not seeking external reward. More intrinsically motivated people are proven to have more long-term success and are less prone to burnout. Which is why trying to promote intrinsic motivation in schools is important. It's impossible to make students genuinely interested in all of their coursework, however, there are ways through grading practices that can help tailor learning to students needs and interests through a flexibly paced schedule. Leich explains how she understands the parameters in which things must be learned but offers different activities to practice and learn. If learning different concepts takes different times for everyone, they are given some flexibility to figure out what they need. One thing we find teachers doing sometimes is telling students that grades don't matter. Megan Leich explains how this is damaging because it loses students trust in their teacher. In the society we live in today grades are important. If a student is trying to get into college it's a fact that grades matter, if they are trying to get a job, grades impact their chances. Another mistake teachers can make in their grading policy is not setting clear standards on how grading is done. For example some teachers may accept late work until a specific date, but that date must be specified and clear or saying it depends when regarding late work is also confusing for students. A student may think it is fine then see a deflated grade due to late work. Or a student can ask for an extension but the amount of time till the next strict deadline is not explicit and clear. Much of this confusion may not even be because of a specific teacher but just the difference in grading systems between each teacher. For example if a student has six teachers that means they have to now memorize six different grading systems. It is important to remember when on this journey to improve our grading systems to not blame possible inequitable practices on teachers. Thinking teachers should adjust some of their criteria to fit one's idea of equity is naive when there are many others who would disagree if it's even equitable or realistic. Remember, equitable grading doesn't just mean easier it means fair and just. Using this three-pillar approach, teachers can try to align their grading system to be more equitable, Leich recommends teachers find a community to discuss grade reform. As an East community we could begin to implement these standards by creating an equitable grading conversation that includes teachers as well as students. It’s important to remember that creating an equitable system takes time and effort but we can begin to reform our education system. However this equitable grading model using the three pillar system and Leich’s modifications only works if the purpose of school is just to teach content. Is the goal of school to also teach and assess participation, effort, and attendance? Is equitable grading not sufficient in preparing students for reality after high school? Or is equitable grading even possible because everyone has such a different circumstance? If teachers want to teach these skills to students then assigning a grade for these skills may be the only way to motivate students to improve upon them. In order to create an equitable grading model the goals of what is being graded for must be established. After highschool effort, participation, and work at home can be important skills to have, but is Math or English the best place to learn these skills? Maybe, but to even begin creating equity in grading there must be clear standards on what skills are even being assessed.

The lives of Columbine students Steven Curnow, John Tomlin, and Kelly Flemming were not enough and neither were the 338,000 students in the U.S. who have experienced gun violence at their schools. Now, in February 2023, that number is now 340,579 students because of East High School. On Monday, February 13th, a student was shot outside East High School. While it technically wasn’t Denver Public Schools’ property, it was only steps away. “I will never be able to unsee the student or unhear the gunshots,” Sadie Bercovitz, a senior at East says. Many students made their way to their cars between class periods when the shooting happened. Not only did students hear multiple gunshots, but some witnessed the victim shot in their car. Fear: “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.” School: “An institution for educating children.” According to Virtual College, the best learning environment is a positive one with minimal distractions. Side conversations and kids running in the hallway can always add distractions to a student's environment, but so can the sound of gunshots and the fear in your mind that someone could come in at any minute. “I have witnessed fights, COVID, bomb threats, and protestors, but never in my four years have I been afraid to go to school.” Says Ellie McGoldrick, a senior at East High School. Students continuously hear about it on the news and learn about it in their classes but as a student, you never expect to have something like that happen at your own school. The bubble you live in pops and the evil reality of gun violence spatters into your daily life. I posted a poll on my personal Instagram story asking students to reply honestly. The results revealed that 84 out of 119 students said they do not feel safe at school and 102 out of 118 students said they do not feel heard by their school's administration. The question is what are DPS and East administrations going to do to keep their students safe? They cannot change gun laws but they can help more students feel safe to walk into the school building. They canceled school and had us wear masks to keep us safe during the pandemic, but what is protecting us from this epidemic happening right outside our school? Junior Anna Boyle expresses, “They seem to make all these promises about safety and improving mental health, yet don’t follow through.” Where are the improvements in counseling that DPS promised we would receive after taking away the SROs that kept us safe?

Music has grown up alongside us. From the queen of pop Madonna in the 90s, to the crown being taken by Taylor Swift, music grows and changes each year. 2022 was full of artists' comebacks like Adele along with new artists like Noah Kahan taking the spotlight. Hundreds of artists and bands walked into the music studios this year ready to leave their mark. I chose the top twelve of the biggest albums of 2022 and let my fellow angels choose their top 5 favorites. Here are the ones that left their mark the most… 1. Midnights- Taylor Swift Midnights quickly took the highest record of Spotify streams in one day when it hit 186 million streams. The next day every tiktok was a song from the album and you could not escape it. Anti-Heros lyrics about self-hatred and criticism left a mark after the first listen and hit the number-one song on the album. 2. Stick Season- Noah Kahan 2022 was Noah Kahan's best year yet. Noah Kahan started his career a lot earlier than people would expect but the album that finally made his dreams come true was Stick Season. Noah wrote stick season about his hometown in Vermont and little did he know the song would hit home to over 60 million people and it would be one of the top songs in 2022. Sometimes the unexpected is the best. 3. Harrys House- Harry Styles Harry's House was a little bit more expected to come out. On May 20th the artist dropped his third album in his solo career. Unfortunately, this album did not pass his past album Fine Line but even if the album was not as strong as his others, excitement still flooded the world. 4. Gemini Rights- Steve Lacy As a newer artists, Steve Lacy has definitely shown the world what he is capable of. From his Apollo XXI album released in 2019 to his most recent album Gemini Rights, Steve has only been going up in his career. It seems that each album gives his audience a little bit more. His unique and funky voice finally got the attention it deserved this year. 5. Brightside- The Lumineers Although The Lumineers have many great albums Brightside has definitely left its mark. People believe that this has to be their greatest musical achievement so far. Even though they started as a smaller band that formed in Denver they have become one of the worlds favorite bands. Tickets for their recent tour sold out in thirty-seconds and left every crowd in tears. This is definitely a band hard to dislike.

The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the East High School community. We lost an East student, Luis Garcia, after a horrific act of gun violence near the school, and in the same week, A student was found with a gun on campus. In our own school, we don't feel safe anymore. A place meant to be for learning has turned into a place full of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Families and staff have to make the difficult decision of whether it's worth staying at a school where events like this are frighteningly common. Understandably, people are angry. There’s good reason to be. Amid everything the school has had to deal with after the shooting on February 13th, two of the events meant to address gun violence were canceled. DPS is once again ignoring the East community. After all, we've been through this before. Just six months earlier, after the school was swatted, administrators promised to fix the biggest failures of September 19th. During the safety meeting in September, the DPS head of security Michael Eaton said they would try to alert parents to a lockdown within five minutes of it happening. And yet, on the day Luis was shot, information was only sent out by email well after the school was placed on a secure perimeter. Instead of making the effort to implement changes that would’ve improved communication, like was promised, administrators quietly waited for anger and frustrations to die down, all without ever really doing anything. There is room for improvement in the responses to crises, both by the school and DPS, in communication, helping to return to a state of normalcy, and providing support. But at the end of the day, only so much can be done. Ultimately, it highlights a bigger issue in the country on a broader scale. Gun violence is an issue the United States struggles with at far higher than any other developed nation, with a rate of 4.12 firearm homicides per 100,000 people (see left graph). No matter what you stand for politically, we should all be able to agree that this is a problem that needs to be fixed. We shouldn't have to accept this. It needs to change. To bring about that change, we need to fight for it. Don't let legislators or DPS administration sit on their hands. The livelihoods of so many students, and so many people are at stake. You have the power to make a change, use it.

Vaping is a newer concept that has been around since 2003. It was created as an alternative to smoking cigarettes - but in reality, it is much worse than cigarettes. An average vape has the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes - 2 packs, explains The National Institutes of Health. According to the FDA, 14.1% of high schoolers vape, which is about 2.14 million students across the world. In 2021, Cross River Therapy counted 55 million e-cigarette users worldwide. Vapes are marketed directly toward younger people such as teenagers. With the bright colors and fruity flavors like banana ice, strawberry, watermelon, candy, youth are more attracted to buying nicotine products. Zyn’s are also a problem in high schools; they are capsules of nicotine that are inserted between the lip and gum and they contain 6 milligrams of nicotine in a single pouch. Since there are 8 milligrams of nicotine in a single cigarette, as claimed by BioMed Central, putting one Zyn in your mouth is considered not as bad as smoking one cigarette. Although, since the capsule goes straight on the gum, people who use them have a higher susceptibility to gum disease. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the effects of vaping vary for adults and teenagers. In adults, vaping or ingesting nicotine in any form can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to the heart, and a narrowing of the arteries. But in teenagers, nicotine harms the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. So the effects can differ depending on age, and teenagers are already more prone to addiction than adults due to the development of the brain, and addiction can impact the ability to focus. Vaping has become a significant issue among high schoolers in recent years. As explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021, one out of four high school students reported using “e-cigarettes” in the past 30 days. Vaping can be particularly harmful to young people, as their brains are still developing and are more liable to the negative effects of nicotine. Some of the many negative effects of vaping include nicotine addiction, harmed brain development, respiratory problems, and the increased risk of using other drugs. I asked Mrs. Nichols, the drug and alcohol specialist in the clinic, some questions about e-cigarettes at East… What is the concequence of being caught vaping at East? Students get nicotine products taken away, and get their backpacks searched. Parents are called, you get a referral to an education program to learn about laws and effects of vaping for the first time being caught and for the second time being caught, a nicotine help group referral, if you comply the referrals come off your record, however, if you refuse then the referral stays on the record. - Do you think the consequence should be more or less strict? Or is the consequence now good enough? - I feel like we have a good system in place, less than 4% of students get caught a second time. - Why do you think students vape even though it is so harmful to a young brain? - Often times its because of natural curiosity, curiosity about flavors and it seeming to be fun, nicotine just being around them in their everyday lives. Other things you want students to know? Nicotine is an extermemly addictive and powerful drug. And if you want to quit vaping, or atleast try, you do not have to get in trouble to work in the health office with me.