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East High School has recently (over winter break) replaced the 2nd-floor girls’ bathroom with an all-gender bathroom. Controversy surrounds this new change; although it's important to make space for all groups, is it okay to take away from some to give to others?  East High School is an objectively inclusive school that actively works on giving students the recognition they deserve. It’s not perfect, but then again, nothing is. Gender-neutral bathrooms have been proposed to DPS in the past in hopes of allowing students to feel more comfortable and respected in their daily lives during school. In 2020, DPS mandated all-gender bathroom access in high schools. Regardless of the prior three all-gender single stall restrooms, one of the girls bathrooms has been converted into an all-inclusive bathroom.  Through accessing information given to staff, students, and parents regarding the all-gender bathroom it was noticeable that most of this information is very “because I said so.” This article isn't meant to attack, harm, or offend any group involved, truly, this article is intended to allow everyone to understand each other. The new change in our building has caused tension between students, parents, and the school. As a community we should work towards cooperating with others instead of being upset at them. Hopefully through doing this, we can find a solution that caters to everyone's needs. Before adding opinion pieces, I will provide the information behind the situation so you have the opportunity to formulate your opinion before being influenced into one. Currently, there are three all-gender, single-stall bathrooms; one multi-stall, all-gender bathroom; two all-girls’ bathrooms located on the north side of the first and third floors; and three all-boys bathrooms located on the west side of the first, second, and third floor. The girls' bathrooms are known for long wait times and lines out the door; in a social media post made by @denvereaststuco on Instagram, it was claimed the all-gender bathrooms “can also help reduce wait times since anyone can use them.” This reasoning seems flawed, as they removed a bathroom that previously had extensively long lines and replaced it with a bathroom open for anyone. Essentially, the boys have four bathrooms to their access while girls remain at a deficit with three. Opening a bathroom to anyone means opening it to everyone, which easily increases wait times. In addition, the girls bathrooms have been constantly monitored throughout this current school year. They have been fully closed, doors propped open, deans monitoring who's going in and out, and it even went so far that deans were placed at a desk inside of the girls bathroom. This prompts the question of whether or not the boys' bathrooms are receiving the same treatment. It has been discovered that girls' bathrooms have become a very common spot for many people to group together and often smoke and/or vape, which has caused fire drills to occur (false fire alarms were claimed to be the reason behind the closed bathroom, if this wasn't the reason then the school failed to communicate). However, this isn't only limited to the girls; the boys bathrooms are also well known to exhibit the same behavior. They have vandalized and destroyed their resources and space, so why has the school decided to give them more? Not to say the girls haven’t treated the bathrooms the same, vandalism is damaging them as well, but there are rarely any large, substantial damages. These are the cultural factors that contribute to the controversy surrounding this subject.  Now to talk about the scientific factors, the average person goes to the bathroom 6-7 times in a day, found on B&B community. Females at birth (FAB) are prone to experiencing “progesterone levels peaking during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and may cause the need to urinate more frequently,” National Library of Medicine. In addition, menstruation. Because of this, females often need more accessibility to bathrooms in order to most efficiently take care of their needs.  Total staff estimate: 188; 124 full-time teachers; and 2,505 students, US News . Therefore, the projected total of people who are in the building is 2,629, which means the all-gender bathroom is open to around more than two and a half thousand people. To put those numbers into better perspective, East High is the largest highschool in Denver Public Schools, according to 9News. To put it into context, DPS contains 203 schools and 87,883 students. Through these statistics it's found that the 6 main restrooms in our building are used roughly 9,707 times in a 7-hour period.  All of that time and space usage is spread across two girls bathrooms, four all-gender bathrooms (three single stalls), and three boys bathrooms. Easts enrollment statistics indicate that the student population is 50% FAB (female at birth) and 50% MAL (male at birth). Until recently, all three groups, composed of females, males, and non-gender conforming people, were given exclusive access to three restrooms. The only disadvantage was that the all-gender bathrooms were single stalls; however, they were located in less-populated areas as it would be more convenient for any student or staff member to go there instead of the front or main hallways of the school, so it wasn't intended to be smaller or singled out, but instead it was intended to be convenient and private. Females are at an access deficit. If a female student or staff member feels uncomfortable using the all-gender bathroom, they will have to either go upstairs, downstairs, or to the back hallways during class time and/or passing period. For students, this risks receiving consequences from deans as a result of being on a different level than their pass indicates they have access to, on top of taking a greater amount of time out of class for both staff and students. Finally, despite all of these reasons behind why I believe the all-gender bathroom was not well thought out. East’s reasoning behind this was conveyed through assistant principal Jackie Coppola sending out an email to students and staff (guardians excluded), proclaiming that “ after reviewing each restroom in our building and in collaboration with the district facilities team, the best option was selected based on the structural makeup of the second floor women’s restroom. More specifically, the men’s restroom has a wall and urinals that would have needed to be removed and would have pushed us outside of the construction budget for this project.” and “ t his choice was made for practical reasons only.” If this bathroom was made to give “the opportunity to foster a more inclusive environment at East” then why does this choice seem to be made out of convenience?  I am asking East, as a 15 year old female sophomore student, to hear me the same way they have heard whoever initiated this change. I am not opposed to accessibility for all, instead I am opposed to justice for some at the expense of injustice for others.

2022 reports from the Asian American Foundation  hghave found that Asian hate mostly relates back to the start of COVID, as many Asian kids have stated getting called names such as “Chinese virus” or “bat eater.” At the outset of the pandemic, Kaila Nghiem, a junior at Overland High School in Aurora, was roaming the aisles of a grocery store when another shopper coughed the phrase “bat eater” as she walked by. Her father told her to keep quiet because he didn’t want anything worse happening (The Colorado Sun, 2021). Asian discrimination can lead to negative effects on youth’s mental health, The Center for American Progression found that 2 in 5 Asian youth who also are a part of the LGBTQ community chose to skip school or choose online school instead. In Cal­i­for­nia, which is home to most of the Asian youth in the coun­try , Asian stu­dents are more like­ly to expe­ri­ence race-based bul­ly­ing at school than stu­dents of oth­er races or eth­nic­i­ties, accord­ing to the lat­est data from the Cal­i­for­nia Healthy Kids Sur­vey  (2017–2019). Another report from Breunlin (2021) noted that Asian American students in Colorado have long been the target of racism. They’ve been mocked for the shape of their eyes. They’ve been bullied about their skin color. They’ve been asked if they eat dogs. They’ve been verbally abused, called “chink” and “Jap.” This information represents national events of discrimination against AA and NHPI populations, but what is happening locally? Does such discrimination on this level exist across Colorado high school environments in Denver and other Colorado communities?     Erica Breunlin, an education writer for the Colorado Sun, focused on this question in 2021 while the pandemic was still prevalent.  She documented the experiences of Asian students in Denver and the Ft. Collins area and found that such discrimination does exist. She interviewed a total of 5 students from Denver DSST: College View, Overland, and Ft. Collins Fossil Ridge high schools. Breunin found multiple examples of how these students had experienced discrimination, racial slurs, bullying, threats, and feelings of fear due to being of Asian heritage.  For  example, Kaila, 17, said “it’s as though I live in a world that literally was created for me to not succeed.  And as a woman and a member of the LGBTQ community, in addition to being a minority, she said she faces even more barriers to success and to creating systemic change. Interviews with two Denver area Asian students– Jayden Lin, sophomore at East, and Preston Lee, sophomore at Regis Jesuit High School, both stated they noticed fewer incidents of bullying, discrimination and threats than the students in the Breunlin article.  Why do Lin and Lee think this?  Lee said, “Since Regis is located closer to a suburban white neighborhood, Asian students face less discrimination as Regis has fewer Asian students.”  He went on to say, “Asian discrimination is seen more as a challenge that you can overcome.”  Lin made similar observations about East, stating, “it is because the Asian community at East is smaller compared to other races at the school.”  Lin also thought the smaller Asian community could explain why Asian discrimination at East “goes unnoticed” or “has become normalized.”   However, both Lin and Lee agreed discrimination towards Asians has increased since the COVID pandemic. Lin said, “I have noticed how discrimination towards Asians has risen since COVID, since everyone wanted to blame Asians for causing the virus.”  Sadly, Lin noted, “since first being called out on a stereotype, I have gotten used to hearing words like “Chink” and “Bat Eater.” Seeing discrimination as a form of a joke can be a coping strategy: a way to discount the hurtful aspects of discrimination. During Lee's interview he stated “Most of the time I hear kids joking about it.”  Lin noted, “Most racial jokes are more normalized because of social media apps like Twitter, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Instagram. ” Kelly, a junior at DSST: College View High School in 2021 remembered telling herself that making jokes about acts of discrimination had become her go-to coping mechanism.   A nother coping strategy is to not report events or pretend it didn’t happen. The 2021 Act To Change survey  (The Center for Public Integrity)  noted in their research, “ . . . the majority of bullied Asian students didn’t tell an adult about their experience. The reverse was true of bullied students from other racial groups.”  Therefore, Asian acts of bullying are less likely to be reported and recorded, making them appear less frequent than they actually are.  Lin stated that “East has less Asian students than other minorities, which is why discrimination towards Asians might go unnoticed.”   He also thought fewer Asian students at East could explain why Asian discrimination has become normalized. While there is little doubt Asian hate has increased since the COVID pandemic, students at East and Regis may be less likely targeted than others.  However, only two students were interviewed and other Asian students might have different experiences.

East High School's very own DECA team is state-bound! DECA is a class that connects students to a variety of business-type projects. DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America and is part of the business curriculum at East. State for East DECA is from February 25th to the 27th at the Broadmoor Resort where they will face schools from all over Colorado. DECA inspires kids to follow their dreams of owning a business or being part of the business world.              The two DECA teachers are Kirsten Kahn and Logan Breen. Ms. Kahn has been teaching DECA at East for two years. Ms. Kahn remains one of the best business teachers here at East due to her enthusiasm and kind personality when working with students. Before Ms. Kahn became a teacher at East, she was a teacher in her 20s for four years then went into the private sector Elearning space and worked with a tech company launching a 20-year career. This led to two successful tech startups and two global media companies. Ms. Khan has two kids who have participated in DECA, Lulu Kahn and Alden Kahn who did entrepreneurship roleplay and financial literacy roleplay. DECA doesn't mean that you have to go into business, it is also helpful for presentations or in-class projects. When asked why she teaches DECA Ms. Kahn responded by saying "I appreciate being able to draw on business experience to make meaningful content and experiences for students. I wished I had this type of learning experience in high school. Something that is unique here at East is that I am able to work with them more than once, which is very unique. Many East students thrive on the competitive aspect of DECA and it's exciting to support their success."              Before coming to East Mr. Breen graduated from SMU with a marketing degree in 2018 and worked in marketing for one year for Greystar which is a property management company. However, he decided to change careers and started as a sub at East in 2021 and got his masters in curriculum and instruction from DU in the summer of 2022. Mr. Breen has been given multiple nicknames by the students like "Breen Dog" or "Breenster". Mr. Breen has been teaching DECA for two years, he's been considered one of the kindest teachers here at East due to his calm demeanor and being able to connect with students on a personal level. @MrBreentoks is the tiktok account Mr. Breen makes with students in order to further his bond with them, connecting with them in a modern way. Mr. Breen was asked why he continues to do DECA and he responded by saying "I wanted to be a teacher later in life but decided to do it now because of covid and there being a teacher shortage. It's also really fun working with younger people." Both of these teachers have done an excellent job with students and showing their love for business and their students' business projects, sending over 40 out of 109 kids to Nationals last year alone and after getting past both Districts and State.              So what does DECA mean to students? Holland Burkett is in 11th Grade and has been in DECA for two years and competes in a startup business plan. He is an exemplary student in DECA and finished 4th in the state his first year and went on to Nationals in Orlando Florida. When asked what DECA has done for him he said, "It has helped me with my leadership, presentation, and problem-solving skills.” When asked what his favorite thing about DECA is, he said “ I enjoy working together with my teammates and being creative with everything we can do with our business." Holland's start-up business plan includes a written document that outlines his financial, marketing, competitive advantage, and product overview. All of these are important pieces of evidence that he has to transform into a presentation that is given to the judges. While Holland carries the stress of such a large project, he has been a great role model for those who are just starting DECA, offering to help with presentation skills and practice sessions. Holland has continued to show over and over why he is one of the best Denver East DECA has to offer.          Gabriel Casteneda is a first-year DECA student who just transferred from South, and discussed coming into the program and its challenges for those interested in the class. Gabe commented, "I've never done a project this big before so the sheer amount of writing was a lot of work." Gabe was later asked "What have been some highlights of doing DECA your first year? He responded by saying "Going to districts and study groups with my friends. I'm also excited to go to state and show the results of my hard work." Gabe has done a great job in his written events attending workshops that have been hosted by Ms. Khan. Gabe has also sought help from others who are doing the same event. He hopes to place in the top five at state this year and go on to Nationals.       DECA at East High School is for everybody and even if you don't want to pursue a career in business you can still learn very important and valuable life skills. You learn about a community of people you can connect with and make new friends with while also picking up skills like how to present or how to talk to a large group of people. So the question remains will you do DECA next year?

On Thursday November 21, 2024, as students walked into East High School they were confronted by protesters outside. Three men with body cameras, flyers, and posters of fetuses were set up outside protesting abortion. As students arrived at school on the 21st they were confronted by these men. Teachers, deans, and SRO’s came outside and seemingly asked the men to leave, but to no avail. This sparked many questions among students, like, can they be here? Is this legal? Why do they have body cameras? What is allowing them to disrupt our education like this? Why are they here?  The divide between church and state prohibits the government from establishing or favoring any particular religion. This means public schools, which are government entities, cannot endorse, promote, or require participation in religious activities. Students are allowed to express their religious beliefs, through clubs, wearing religious clothing, or participating in voluntary prayer. However, this must occur outside of class time or in a way that does not disrupt the school environment. If students and teachers are held to these standards why aren't others, after all this is one of many reasons that parents send their children to public schools in the first place. Church and State is sacred and showing up outside with posters inflicting another belief seemingly takes it away.  It is all well and fine to express your opinion but there should be a certain amount of respect especially for students' education. We come to school to learn, and protests like what was exhibited on the 21st can be quite disruptive and can take away from students' learning.  The debate of whether or not abortions should be legal has been one that we have seen time and time again, nationwide and statewide. One of the great things about America is the right to freedom of speech.  As seen in the mock election, the student body and teachers at East tend to hold more left-leaning opinions and views with 91.2% of students voting to pass Amendment 79, the amendment that would preserve the right to have an abortion in Colorado, and that would lift the ban on using government money to pay for abortions. We are a liberal bubble, and that is exactly why these protestors have targeted East, as one of the protestors, Mark, stated, “People that don't have the same beliefs as me, we love them, that's one of the whole points we’re here because obviously everyone doesn't have the same beliefs as I do, if everyone had the same beliefs as I do we wouldn't be here. We want to encourage them and those who do have the same beliefs as we do to be bold.”  These protesters aren't going to protest abortion outside a right winged school, they are going to come to the people who they believe are misled. Later in an interview Mark was asked what he was hoping to get out of this protest and what was the point of all of this? He responded saying, “I am a Christian and the two strongest tenets of my faith is to love your God with all of your heart mind soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself, so living that out compels me to come here to young people, that aren't receiving truth in there, they are receiving many lies in schools, and try to combat that to reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.” It is his personal opinion that abortion is wrong, so in supporting the right to have an abortion we are incorrect in their eyes, and vice versa. Despite personal beliefs they are fighting for what they believe is right. That doesn't mean they are correct, nor incorrect in their beliefs or opinons, but at the end of the day they are entitled to them. This may be disrupting, but that is the point. No matter what you are fighting for, you'll never create change without disruption. As a student body … the best way to deal with these protesters is to simply ignore them, as hard as that may be. At the end of the day they won’t have a platform without an audience.

Coffee has been a savior of the sleep deprived, tired, and depressed students. All those who drink it have a shrine in which they receive the brown water from the heavens. For some that shrine is a manufactured chain coffee shop of sugar and ok coffee like Starbucks. For those of us, however, that require only the best and most local coffee experience, our place of choice must be one of the five best Denver coffee shops near East High. St. Mark’s is the most conveniently located on this list to East. Additionally, having great hours, open from 6:30am to 10:00pm every day. These hours attract not only the morning people but also the notably under-represented night person. However, this joint is a paradoxical addition to this list, because their coffee and other drinks are mediocre. Their espresso is prepared with an imperceptibly shoddy technique, and their drip is notorious for being sour and muddy. The place also struggles to make a good chai or any other freshly made teas. What St Mark’s struggles with in drink quality they make up for it in unbeatable ambiance. A homage to Michelangelo paints a halo on the ceiling above the register, and the disjunct assortment of marbled tables and blueberry blue benches create a totally unique environment. Whether that be in the morning or dead of night, St. Mark’s vibe is unmatched. When someone tells you about a small coffee shop in their quaint little town you should be thinking about Café Miriam. As soon as you approach, you get a feeling few other coffee shops elicit. Most local places struggle to capture both style and vibe. The art, the mediterranean styling, and the inviting staff. The only thing that might not be homegrown about Miriam’s is the drinks. But even the coffee and tea options still somehow manage to elicit that wonderful feeling while still being great. Miriam's continues to impress by having a great outdoor patio set up, making it feel a part of the neighborhood. More than any other coffee shop in Denver, Café Miriam feels like home. Great coffee, Solid food, and a convenient location. Only one place on our list checks all the boxes of a great local coffee shop. The main gimmick about Hooked is its great vibe and dual basements. As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by great music, fun decorations, and the beautiful natural light. On the other hand,their east basement offers an eerie and totally unique victorian design. Hooked as a whole has been a bastion of my time at East and is most deserving of the top spot on this list.

As of June 2021, DPS resolved that all students, starting in the class of 2027 and above, would be required to take a comprehensive health class to receive a high school diploma. All sophomores must take a half semester of health along with a half semester of an elective. The DPS Board of Education claims that the class is meant to teach lifelong skills and equip students with knowledge of physical health, mental health, and substance abuse. But as the end of the semester approaches and the first semester of health comes to a close, sophomores have formed their own opinion on the class and have spoken out about what they want it to look like in the future.       Students have complained about the class, claiming it's repetitive with most of the information already taught in middle school. Sophomore Lola Carhart explained how “It’s annoying and it limits my credits and opportunities…It's just common knowledge.” 10th grader Jaden Marx added to that saying, “I don't think this information is new because most people just know the information and also most middle schools teach this.”       Sophomore and student council representative Abby Forsberg took the class this semester and decided to take action in an attempt to improve the course and its curriculum. “The motivation I had was how little engagement was in the class and how much the students hated it. I felt like the curriculum was making them feel like preschoolers and I just wanted to help the student body.” She created a short survey and petition for students taking health in the first semester. 100 students filled out the survey with 85 students saying they wanted to get rid of the class, 9 who said they didn't care, and 6 who wanted to keep it. Additionally, she talked to 8 health classes explaining what the survey was for and encouraging students to fill it out. But even with a student-signed petition and survey, what can be done to improve the class?      Abby described how she believes the root of the issue isn’t the teaching but the overall curriculum. Health teacher Lisa Smith explained earlier in the year how “The material they want us to teach them is a bit redundant and there might be a better way to teach it.” Some ideas have been suggested like incorporating the class into freshman academy, making it a short unit in biology, or making it an elective choice for students who are curious to learn more about health. That way students wouldn't have to sacrifice an elective of their choice to take the class. 10th grader Julia Bograd who is taking health next semester vocalized how she feels about the upcoming class. “I'm just disappointed because there were so many electives I wanted to take and now I can't experience them.”       Although health may seem like a burden to many, health teacher Abby Olsen  brought to light how the curriculum teaches lifelong skills. Over 60% of students in the U.S. struggle with stress and anxiety ( transformingeducation.org ) and the class teaches students how to manage it. Mrs. Olsen explained how the class “is not information students get in other classes and will be valuable now and in the future.”       The introduction of health has provoked questions among East students that shadow the curriculum's overall purpose. Although at first glance the class seems beneficial for high schoolers, some students have come to question its benefits. The East community is concerned about the newness of the curriculum and longevity of the class, but despite concerns, the class teaches relevant information that is critical for high schoolers to learn.  For now, health is here to stay until we can find a way to improvise the class to make it better for the East community.

Flipped classrooms are a concept that East High School has recently implemented into many advanced math classes. The idea of a flipped classroom is that lectures and homework are flipped around: homework is done in class, and lecture is done at home through a video recording. There are downsides and upsides to this new idea, but that will all be unpacked along with what effect this has on students. Teachers and students have different opinions on this new concept and if it is something that should be continued or stuck down for future years.  Benefits: Many high schools and notable colleges use flipped classrooms in their schools. Harvard University, Boston University, the University of California, and many others use this concept of a flipped classroom in their STEM departments. This teaching technique was made popular in 2012 by John Bergman who wrote a book explaining the many benefits of flipping a classroom in this way.  According to the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, from Harvard, the benefits of a flipped classroom are that, “Students can learn at their own pace”, “instructors and TFs work more closely with students, getting to know students better and providing better assistance”, and there is “increased collaboration between students”. When the lecture is happening outside of the classroom then the teacher gets the chance to work with students individually, and cater their teaching style to the needs of that student. Kristy Skarphol is an AP Precalculus teacher whose math class is flipped, “I think a flipped classroom is beneficial…”, “It gives me more time to answer students individual questions…I feel like I can make closer relationships with students because I am able to check in with every student everyday.” Audrey Goodman, a junior in a flipped math classroom, explains that, “because we learn the lesson at home it makes me more motivated to do it, and in class I can work with my friends and collaborate on the assignment.” Collaborative learning can be very important and make the class more engaged with the material and each other. Drawbacks: When instruction is not occurring in class, this lowers students' likelihood to participate in the class and keep up with the material. Students can be a whole unit behind but go unnoticed because they have the ability to work individually and be ignored. This can be especially detrimental in the AP classes that this model has been applied to because AP classes move at a much faster pace then a normal classroom. Student-athlete Declan McDonald agrees,“I think it's tough to have an entire AP class be self paced and I believe it's more engaging to do all of the learning about the individual topics in class.” Having the ability to work at your own pace in a math class at East is not beneficial. East High School also has a huge population of students which makes class sizes up to 40 people.  It's almost impossible for a teacher to serve the needs of each student with this new flipped method. “It takes away from the personal part of teaching, I understand the teachers are teaching in a video but you [students] can't stop and ask questions when you need to as you could in a regular classroom”, Theresa McDonald, activities director and teacher, asserts, “so I disagree with it wholeheartedly.” Are flipped classrooms good or bad? According to a study from CBE Life Sciences Education, “The overall pass rates for flipped and non-flipped sections were not significantly different: 63.5% of students from flipped sections passed the course with an “A”, “B”, or “C” grade, compared with 60.2% of students from non-flipped sections”. Flipped classrooms have not yet proven to be beneficial or harmful, but with their increasing use more results of this teaching style will become apparent.

East’s football team is on the brink of making state playoffs, thanks to their impressive performances and hard fought games throughout the season. The team has shown resilience, defeating difficult teams and bouncing back from setbacks. As the season comes to a close, the Angels will face some of their most challenging opponents, which will decide their fate for playoffs. This season has been one of East’s most successful yet. With a 5-2 record, the Angels have overcome teams such as Sand Creek, Vista Peak, and Liberty, putting over 40 points on the scoreboard. The Angels have faced two tough losses against highly ranked teams. Columbine, ranked fourth in the state, defeated East 34-9 in an intense battle. Similarly, they faced an early setback in a 17-7 loss against Eaglecrest.  The Angels secured a homecoming victory for the first time in years, dominating Montbello in a 62-0 shutout. East’s talent was on full display, with nine different players contributing points in the big homecoming game. Deion Giles-Ray and Sean Campbell led the team with two touchdowns each. East’s defensive strength was showcased, with 48 total tackles and 2 sacks.  Their recent win against Chatfield, who is ranked fifteenth in the state, was a testament to their determination this season. Down 7-14 at halftime, East made a remarkable comeback and finished the game with a 29-26 win, a crucial victory for potentially securing a spot in the playoffs. Sean Campbell was a standout player, rushing fourteen yards for one touchdown and thirty yards for the game winning score. East’s tactical strategies gave them an edge on Chatfield, highlighted by their successful two-point conversion with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter. This underdog victory will serve as a significant boost to East’s confidence as they approach the end of their season. Gavin Eure, a senior on the team, believes that this win could be just what the Angels needed. “We saw for ourselves that we could beat top ranked teams in Colorado, and it motivates us to work even harder.” Coming back from a halftime deficit and securing a win against a highly ranked opponent shows their resilience and skills to overcome challenges. The win has potential to energize the players and reinforce the belief in their abilities as they push towards a spot in playoffs.  A crucial element to a successful team is unity. Gavin highlights the strong bond the Angels have this year, seen through their team dinners, bus rides, and game preparation. Gavin states that their preparation is consistent; “We meet almost four hours before every game to go over plays and spend time together. Then, we all take a bus and warm up as a team, which helps build our chemistry going into a game.” As the Angels face challenging obstacles, their unity becomes stronger, helping them support each other and overcome barriers as a team. Over the past two years, the Angels have been on an upward trajectory after gaining skillful players and a committed coaching staff. Last year East went 9-3, making it to the state playoffs. Unfortunately, after beating Mullen and advancing to the second round, they lost 24-41 to Pine Creek. This year, fans are eager to see what the future holds for the Angels. In order to make the playoffs, the team needs results in their last three games of the season against Arvada West, Ralston Valley, and East’s rival: Denver South.

By Mattie Nunez On October 3rd, Latino Students United (LSU) not only organized but also performed a phenomenal Hispanic Heritage Month assembly at East High School. From the incredible Aztec dancers, Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca, to the impactful words of keynote speaker and executive director of the Latinas First Foundation, Elena Mendoza, it educated East students about Hispanic and Latino culture, ae well as getting to see and hear the varieties Latin and Hispanic culture brings to East’s very own melting pot. With such a significant performance representing the second largest demographic at East (Hispanic students making a sum of 22.8% of the student body)  one would imagine that pillars of support would also be there to aid the LSU club throughout the duration of the celebratory month.  Principal Walker vocalized, “I would think that people would want to feel seen and feel supported through the things that make their particular group special.” However, LSU club President Kim Lopez, expressed her disappointment with East’s support systems for the Hispanic community saying, “I feel like East definitely leaves the responsibility of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month onto the LSU club and the language and culture teachers.”  After asking what East sponsored events were being hosted at the school during Hispanic Heritage Month, Ms. Ariel, the Dean of Culture, mentioned, “We do Noche de Familias night,” but briefly paused to take a quick moment to correct herself, “nope, not during this month. It’s November 15th, so a month after Hispanic Heritage Month.” The only events that were announced by East were in the Friday Newsletter that was shared on September 27th that showed what Anythink Library was doing for Hispanic Heritage Month. However, all the locations for the library are not near the school. The scarcity of representation for the Hispanic and Latino community doesn’t stop there. During the ethnic celebratory month, there were no announcements made over the PA. Principal Walker stated, “I thought about including announcements over the PA and I was like, ‘I wonder if [LSU] would be interested’, and that’s totally my fault because I thought about it and by the time I realized I needed to act on that, it was October 7th.” In addition to the absence of announcements, there were also no posters hung in the hall that celebrated influential Latino or Hispanic people either.  The LSU sponsor, Mrs.Tenorio, also expressed her hope for change stating: “ I hope that we can get Hispanic Heritage Month recognized at the same level of Black History Month. I think that would ultimately be the goal, so I think that is something our school should shoot for. ”  While it isn’t possible to please everyone, not accurately representing the second largest demographic at East, and the largest minority group at that, is inexcusable. There has to be a change not only in how Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated and approached, but also in the support that the Hispanic community should receive. It isn’t fair to the Hispanic community that other cultures get their time to fairly be represented and be proud of their culture while Latinos and Hispanics are left with the responsibility to be fairly represented by themselves. It should not be up to the Language department or any Hispanic staff, for that matter, to carry the slack that others can not pick up themselves. The biggest obstacle separating the ability for change is the collaborative environment that needs to be made between supporting admin and the Hispanic faculty that produce Hispanic Heritage Month and the LSU assembly. Principal Walker said it best that we need to do more “collaboration in terms of thinking what Hispanic Heritage Month can look like.” One group of people, whether admin or staff, should not be left with the burden to construct a domain where the Hispanic community can finally feel seen and heard by our school.

What’s It Like Being An Ultimate Athlete?  Senior Captain Perry Honey-Hochstadt has been on the East Frisbee team for four years, and he has improved immensely over that time. He has been learning everything he can about Ultimate Frisbee since joining as a freshman. Perry is one of the captains, -he has been for two years- and for a good reason. His goals are focused on creating an inclusive and fun environment, as well as winning games and playing his best. As a captain, he has many responsibilities, and that includes being a leader for the team as well as balancing his own school-athletic life. He states that, “Most days I wake up, go to the gym during my first because I have it off, go to school. Then I have practice from 4-6, eat dinner afterwards, do homework, stretch, and go to sleep.” In order to balance school, practice, and separate training, it takes work and there’s a need to prioritize the important things in day-to-day life. Not only has Perry improved his own playing and athleticism, but he has helped so many other athletes improve as well. Being team captain means he always gives tips and encouragement anywhere he can.  What is Ultimate? So what even is Ultimate? It is actually an incredibly unique sport, with many exciting and distinct features. Some say it's like soccer or basketball but with a frisbee, though it’s much more complex than that. The field positioning is similar to soccer but has its own set of rules, strategies, and scoring mechanisms. The sport has no referees –it’s self-officiated– meaning the players implement and enforce the rules. This proves both challenging and rewarding and leads to one thing so many people love about Ultimate: the Spirit of the Game. To every person on a team -players, coaches, families- the Spirit of the Game represents such a significant part of Ultimate Frisbee. One of the coaches, Coach Brixey declares that, “We care about people on the field as human beings and we respect our competitors just as much as we want to be winning the game.” As athletes and people, having good spirit is one of the most important virtues. Being on the team has been an incredible place to meet people and build community, as well as improve skill. “ Everybody passes to each other and everybody is family on this team, ” says Sophia Natale, a spirit captain. Ultimate at East High East has had a Frisbee team for years, but it’s never been so big. Our school is one that excels in sports, and Ultimate is no exception. When Ultimate started growing as a sport, so did East’s team. It has always had many players and been a great community, but this year has over 60 players registered, 13 of them being female players; last year, we only had 5-6 female players and about 35-40 male players. With the hard work of many past players and coaches (many of whom are volunteers), we are able to have endless opportunities and options to build and grow. Austin Green, one of the Senior captains, states that, “One of my favorite feelings during the season is the first day, and walking up and seeing like 50 new people… All these people want to do my thing and do my passion. ”  Head coach Thomas Echols has been in love with the sport for 15 years now. “I was an 8th grader who got to play with a really senior heavy team, but I felt really included with them.” Thomas is one of the best players and coaches out there, and we are so lucky he is coaching us and is here to help East grow and build in the best way possible.  East is an athletic heavy school, with many great teams and players who are excited about their sport - Ultimate is no different. With a large number of championship wins in past years, East is dominating the sport and is on track to continue. East is a 9x State Champion team, and has also won the Western US Championships once. This season, we have won games against New Vista (10-5) and Northfield (12-4) as well as 4 wins and 2 losses at the MoHi Tournament.   Ultimate Frisbee is an important part of people who play, and is an incredible sport that I love being part of. In this sport, everyone is free to be themselves and in a community, working together with a team that cares about each other and strives to engage and improve. Frisbee is a diverse and inclusive sport, with people of many ages, heights, skill levels, genders, and races. “ Ultimate is a game for everyone…  You can be an athlete here” says Perry Honey-Hochstadt. The impact this sport has on people's lives extends far past a high school sport. There are professional, competitive youth, college, and competitive teams for every age group from 20 to 60 with opportunities to play in the future. Parents pass it on to their kids too; many players have picked up the sport and fallen in love with it because of their parents who play. Multiple coaches on East also have kids who play for the team. Perry explains, “ I’ve been playing frisbee since I could throw a disc. ” Ultimate is an easy sport to fall in love with and to get interested in, and there’s so many people to thank for all the growth the sport has had.

By Avah Hill It is said by several teachers at East High School that there are ghosts roaming the halls and classrooms. A teacher in particular, Mr. Jason Castellano, claims that there is a haunting hour at the historic school in which strange things have been reported. At 5:30 A.M., before the sun lights the darkened sky, is the time Castellano said ghost encounters are most prevalent.  He described the chilling experience he had 14 years ago, and said it is one he has never forgotten:“I would arrive at 5:30 in the morning back then to go over my lessons,” he explained, adding that the school was always quiet. He said that he would always run into the facility manager at the time, Lafayette Rockette. One morning however, as Mr. Castellano arrived at the school, it seemed extremely quiet. Even more odd, he did not see Mr. Rockette anywhere, and thought that it was very strange. The halls were dark and the lights were all turned off as he continued making his way to his classroom #310.  “I thought it was another normal day, getting work done before school,” Mr. Castellano recalled. “Then I started to hear a door open and close in the room next door. I heard scratching as if someone was using their fingernails on the chalkboard in the classroom next to mine.” He continued saying that he thought the teacher next door, Mr. Noah Geisel, was playing around and trying to scare him.“Haha Noah, very funny,” he remembers yelling from his classroom, but there was no response. He felt a chill down his spine and went next door to see if Mr. Geisel was there. The door to the classroom next door was locked, and the lights were turned off. Mr. Castellano realized there was no one in the school but him. Who could have made those noises he clearly heard coming from Mr. Geisels classroom? In order to try and find an explanation, let's look into the history of East High School. First opened in 1924, East is the very first high school in Denver. It is also notable to mention that it is located close to Cheesman Park. According to LEGENDSOFAMERICA.COM , Cheesman Park once served as a graveyard, and an estimated 2,000 bodies are buried there. Not only have ghost sightings been reported on park grounds, but in the neighborhoods as well. So naturally, it is not surprising that some ghosts may have found their way inside the school, especially when several teachers at East have reported ghost sightings.  Just as there are ghost believers, there are some teachers at East that say it is all a bunch of bologna. Todd Madison, who teaches AP Literature and Film as Lit, told me that there is no evidence to support the ghost claims made by teachers, or by anyone. “Whenever people try to prove the evidence of ghosts, they fail every time,” he said. “People can have strange experiences, but it's hard to make the leap that the only explanation is the spirits of dead human beings.” When asked about what his fellow teachers have seen at the school, Mr. Madison replied, “I think people are just having fun with fantasies or they are mistaken. I love ghosts in fiction. In Hamlet  and in The Shining , they're sensational. But in real life, they are absent.” Whether you believe in ghosts or not, Mr. Castellano and other teachers were pretty sure about the ghosts at East High School. And if you would truly like to see for yourself, try to visit the school at 5:30 A.M. on a Sunday morning when no one but you will most likely be there.

As it is halfway through the girl’s field hockey season, the players are hoping to build off  their success from last year and make it back to the state playoffs. The team is currently 5-6-1. The season began to improve rapidly with their recent game against Palmer Ridge ending in a 4-0 win. The team is currently ranked as #6 in the state of Colorado. Their triumphs include beating Palmer Ridge twice, Saint Mary's Academy twice, and Cheyanne Mountain. The girls ended up tying Cherry Creek at a rivalry game (this was the team they lost to in the semi-finals last year). Another game to mention was against Colorado Academy, where East lost 1-2. This was the closest game that Colorado Academy has had, as they are ranked #1 in the state and #56 in the nation.  The girls are being led by coach Clare Kavanagh, who played division 1 field hockey at Johns Hopkins University. This is her 6th year coaching at East; she uses her experience from the collegiate level to greatly influence her coaching style, emphasizing skill development, strategic thinking, and a strong work ethic. Her dedication to the team is evident, as she works tirelessly to help each player reach their potential and continuously shows them that they can achieve great things both on and off the field. Community support has played a crucial role in the journey of this team. Family and  friends coming out to every game helps create a lively atmosphere that gives the players another reason to continue to work hard. Junior, Ainlsey Oliver, said; “It feels amazing to have our community behind us, their support gives us the extra push we need to continue to work hard.” It is evident that this is a common belief for all the players. This girls field hockey team does wear the East colors, but is technically a DPS team. This means that many players on the team are not East students, such as one of the captains , Saide Sutton, a senior at South High School. Despite Sutton not being an Angel, she is welcomed to the team with open arms. Saide Sutton expressed, “I love how welcoming all the east girls are even though I don’t go here.” This sense of community and support is a testament to the team's spirit, making everyone feel included, regardless of where they come from.  Player and captain, Sasha Pogaloff, has been on varsity since her sophomore year, and she is currently a senior. She models the true responsibilities of being on a team by giving her best effort to all she does. Pogoloff said, “The highlight of my season has been seeing how hard we work and how determined we all are. Every day we put in the energy to work as hard as we can, no matter how good the other teams are we all try our hardest at every game.” This is just one example of how dedicated this player is to the team. They want to not just win, but to play a good game.  The girls have only two weeks left in their season and they will continue to push for their chance of winning state. With a strong team and a community that supports them, the team is ready to take on the remainder of their season with optimism and a strong work ethic.