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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.

By Claire Farrell One of the most popular parks in Denver is Cheesman Park due to its beautiful greenery and the historic neighborhood that surrounds it. But from 1858-1890 Cheesman went by a different name: The Mount Prospect Cemetery. Many locals don't realize when they are at the park that the ground they walk on is home to over 2,000 bodies.      The Mount Prospect cemetery was Denver's first graveyard and was four times the size it is today. Residents of all different races, religions, and backgrounds were buried there and soon enough, the cemetery became the most popular cemetery in Denver. As the city industrialized, more cemeteries started opening up and residents began moving to the Capitol Hill area. Over time, Cheesman became more and more rundown, until eventually it was abandoned. Around the 1880’s it was realized that the graveyard sat on federal land, so it completely shut down. The people of Denver pleaded with Congress to make it a park, and on January 25, 1890, Congress agreed to the demands. The city hired E.P. McGovern to remove all the bodies for $2 per coffin. To make more of a profit, McGovern ordered children's coffins and dismembered the bodies so they would fit inside. This way he had about four coffins for one body which meant he would make more money than originally anticipated. The city fired McGovern and instead of moving the rest of the bodies, they removed the headstones. Soon enough, graverobbers flooded the area and left bits and pieces of people's bodies all over the park. This is when strange paranormal sightings first started being reported.      Cheesman Park ghost tour guide Will (no last name) talked about how over decades there have been countless sightings of paranormal activity.“They reported in the mirrors that there would be an apparition of someone standing beside them or an apparition of someone knocking on the door but no one was there. There would be wails, cries, and screams all across the graves.”  The first sighting of strange activity happening at Cheesman Park was reported by one of E.P. McGovern's own men, Jim Astor. He claimed that someone had knocked everything out of his hand and slapped him so hard that he vowed to never return to the park. After that, more sightings and stories were being reported, especially by residents who lived in the neighborhood next to Cheesman. Will the tour guide claimed to have his own experiences with the park. “I've experienced my own things there like when you're riding your bike or just walking through I’ll feel hot and cold areas.”  Back when the park was still a graveyard, there was a hospital next to it called the pet house. Patients with tuberculosis, smallpox, and other diseases came to the pet house, and it was known to be the final destination before people died and were buried underground. It was located on what is now York and Race St. and is considered the most haunted area of the park. When asking Will about it, he shared his family's own experience when visiting it.   “So it was 2019 and my ex-wife was there… She went to get a drink of water and she felt a very heavy weight on her body. The weight was so heavy that when she tried to move she couldn't. She came back running in the house screaming freaking out, and I'm thinking the whole time she fell asleep and got sleep paralysis. Now we had a lady on our tour that said she was a medium and that we were close to the pet house when this happened and a ghost was telling my ex-wife that she was a tuberculosis patient and she had to sleep and rest. So you can say what you want but each individual has their own experience.”    There is of course controversy on if the park is haunted, but whether it is or not, Cheesman Park has an interesting past that plays a huge role in contributing to the history of Denver. Will explained how many bodies still remain underground at the park and underneath all the homes in the area.“Most people don't know that when you die you think you're never gonna be disturbed and your bodies forever buried and all that but the truth is that's unfortunately not true.”  Remains of Cheesman Park's past life are still scattered along the park. For example, every shrub and tree is planted in an open casket. Small things like this serve as a reminder of Cheesman Park's past and rich history.

Students and staff alike at East are familiar with “the vaping issue”. During passing periods, at lunch, and even during class time, students use the bathrooms as a smoking area. Almost weekly, a fire alarm is set off at East and oftentimes these can be attributed to students vaping in the bathrooms. The extent to which vaping has become an issue in our school and nationwide is a little ridiculous. According to the Center for Disease Control, 5.9% of teens use e-cigarettes across the U.S. This is a large amount of the population, but realistically in our school it is a select group of students occupying the bathroom for this unhealthy practice. So should all students be punished for the acts of a few?  Anonymous Junior Girls Interviews: Have you had any significant experiences or issues surrounding any bathroom or hallway policies? “Deans have told me I couldn’t go into the bathroom 1 minute after passing period ended and I was literally bleeding through my pants.”  -Female, Junior 1 “A dean came into the bathroom and told people vaping to leave, I was the only one in the bathroom and the dean waited a whole 7 minutes while I was in the stall taking care of a feminine hygiene problem, it was so awkward and uncomfortable.” -Female, Junior 2 “Some classes only have one hall pass and people take forever so I never get to go. Also, the teachers say that we should go during passing period but there is never enough time.” -Female, Junior 3 “Expected to be skipping (gets yell at for no reason) I could have an off or just have to pee” -Female, Junior 4 Vaping in the bathrooms is an inconvenience for staff as well as other students. Unfortunately, this has brought deans (and even the principal herself) into the bathrooms to monitor them. Sitting inside and outside the bathroom, deans deny students without a pass, opening the door fully to ensure their awareness of vaping or other smoking in the bathroom. Recently this hardcore monitoring has curtailed, but vaping is still an issue and administration continues to keep a close eye on students.  Students feel uncomfortable using the bathroom when anyone can see in and with a dean sitting right in the doorway. This decision brings forth questions about privacy and what is appropriate. Students struggle with the ever-changing rules, regulations, and policies at East. In the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year, bathrooms and hallways have been the focal point of admin. Especially in these past few years, these rapid changes have made a significant impact. Last year, the most pressing issue was the new concept of Saturday School and tardies. This year, many new rules have been implemented around plagiarism, and with AI taking a hold on education, there are new rules about chat gpt and rules around the late policies. Along with these, in the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year, bathrooms and hallways have been the focal point of admin. New rules exist, but many of them are left unwritten. The girls’ bathroom is a reflection of the administration's views on students. There is this idea that students can't be trusted and need to be kept on close watch. The hallways are vigorously monitored and the environment has become tense. Walking in the hallways students feel the frantic checks for passes, ids, and other validations by deans who say it is their job. A lot of the time the demeanor and actions of deans and other staff is almost unnecessary. Students do need guidance and discipline, but doing this in a disrespectful manner breaks trust and relationship. Nadine Barrientos has been a dean at East for the past two years. She explains, “We try to put our presence in there not to impede on anyone using the bathroom, but to impede on those pulling out their vapes. We’ve caught, I think, 15 people today vaping, that is so significant. There is blatant disregard for any authority by many of these kids because like today, one student got caught and blew smoke into Ms. Walker's face.” This incredible disrespect may contribute to the hostility some deans have displayed towards students, and possibly be a cause for the supervision of the bathrooms. Although, it was made clear in speaking with Ms. Nadine that few solutions, other than the invasion of privacy, have been provided to solve the vaping issue. The question emerges, how can we (students and administration alike) foster a safe and respectful environment while maintaining the privacy of students? The best way to go about this is by building a stronger community overall. East has such a large population with diverse subsets of people and it can be complicated to forge a strong community as a unit. Students and staff alike must put compassion and respect over the unusual power dynamic at hand. Through the compliance of all parties any issue can be combated and the student-administration relationship can overcome anything.

After the presidential election of 2024 which resulted in President elect Donald Trump, now is a good time to take a look at strategies that were potentially beneficial or harmful to the campaigns of both candidates. Which strategy did each candidate use and how did it affect the outcome for them? What are the contrasting differences between their campaigns and how did that add to Trump's victory over harris?  In his victory, President Trump emmassed 76 million votes from the American people, and 312 electoral votes. According to usnews.com , the majority of registered voters consisted of white men from rural areas between the ages 45-65. Surprisingly enough, he did increase the diversity of his voters, but by very little. His promises for his presidency include to “strengthen and modernize our military,” “seal the border and stop the migrant invasion”, and “end inflation.” ( donaldjtrump.com .) He plans to lower the amount of people who have immigrated into the country by having the biggest mass deportations in history. He also promises to protect firearms and religion, implement tax cuts that he will make permanent, and close the Department of Education in Washington D.C. (an organization responsible for establishing policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education.)  He spread his messages by canvassing using an app called 10xVotes, an app that tells voters where unreliable conservative voters in the area, and encourages people to go to their house and convince them to vote for Donald Trump. His marketing team is also incredibly active on the social media platform ‘X’ (formally Twitter), posting almost every hour. The posts span from voter engagement to talking about bitcoin, then to reporting endorsements from Elon Musk, one of his number one supporters. It's also important to mention his famous slogan: “make America great again”, or simply MAGA. This slogan has been used since 1980 during Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign, but gained major popularity in 2016 when Trump first ran for president. The use of MAGA allows him to spread his message by putting it on merchandise such as hats, hoodies, flags, and pretty much anything imaginable. The “make America great again" following has obviously grown, and with that it gained a negative reputation of being racist. His strategy to market to people in person, rather than online, definitely benefits him in gaining the support of the audience he desires, that being white people who are closer to middle age.  Looking at Kamala Harris’ overall campaign, it can be seen she catered towards younger voters and lower/middle class Americans with emphasis on social issues. Some key points of her plan included tax cuts for middle class families, bringing down costs of healthcare, protecting and restoring reproductive rights, reducing gun violence, and attacking the opioid and fentanyl crisis. With this, she was able to gather votes from the majority of women ages 18-44 (leading over Trump 55% - 43% ). Harris was able to win over the majority of Black voters with 83% to 16%. She also won over most Latino voters, however, she did not hit the mark when it came to the mass of young voters (ages 18-29). On Harris’ campaign website ( kamalaharris.com ), she explains little of her foreign policy positions compared to her position on social justice issues. Her plan for border control includes bringing back the bipartisan border security bill and signing it into law. This bill was introduced in 2023 and proposed increased border security and limits on asylum eligibility. Though no specific plan was mentioned, she made promise to “end the war in Gaza, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination” and at the same time, “stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and she will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.”   When it comes down to marketing their campaigns on social media, Harris took a unique approach on TikTok. The TikTok page, @kamalahq, went viral on multiple occasions. Viewers were shocked to see the official Kamala Harris page posting viral trends and funny memes pertaining to the presidential election. In a video posted taking part in the “Symphony trend”, a fake picture of dolphins leaping out of the water with a colorful background of rainbows and a sunset is shown with a text box that reads, “Donald Trump’s Project 2025 is a threat to our democracy” with the song “Symphony” by Zara Larsson playing. Another video shows a thirst trap edit of clips of former president Barack Obama to the song “Killshot” by Magdalena Bay and a caption that reads “period Obama.” Harris also made the advertising move of bringing trending artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Gracie Abrams on stage. This garnered plenty of support from people on TikTok. With this strategy, she attempted to advertise to Gen Z who are now starting to become of voting age. The 2024 presidential race was influenced by contrasting campaigns from presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Trump's campaign relied heavily on traditional marketing tactics, like in-person canvassing and a strong, recognizable slogan. Harris used more modern platforms, such as TikTok and other social media in order to persuade younger and more diverse groups of voters. While Harris had success with women, Black, and Latino voters, Trump had major support from older, white, conservative voters. The overall outcome of this election was greatly impacted by the campaign marketing strategies of each candidate which influenced important aspects of a voter's decision.

Every year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, 90 million people rush into stores or onto their computers to get the best deals from big companies or locally owned businesses. Whether it's to get holiday shopping done, purchase something for fun, or buy necessities, Black Friday is considered the official start to the holiday shopping season. For many retail stores, it extends through the weekend. But 90 million people all shopping on the same day has devastating consequences. Are the big savings on Black Friday worth the irreversible effects it has on the planet?  Black Friday originated in the 1960s when struggling stores could earn a solid profit off large crowds of tourists in Philadelphia who came into the city to get holiday shopping done. Philadelphia police started using the term Black Friday to describe the chaos of all the shoppers. All stores started discounting items for the crowds, and the day became an annual event. It’s now a day for retail stores to unload overstocked inventory and for the government to track the country's economic growth from that year. The day is great for local small businesses to make themselves more known to the community and to make a strong profit.  When shopping on Black Friday, many consumers are unaware of the harmful effects it has on the planet. According to cleanhub.com , an estimated 429,000 tons of greenhouse gasses are generated into the environment every year because of Black Friday, and 80% of purchases end up in landfill. These numbers are predicted to rise due to sales growing rapidly by 5% yearly. In 2023, nine billion dollars were spent on Black Friday, and by 2028 it is predicted that consumers will spend 12.3 billion dollars.( Climatenews.org ) President of the sustainability club Charlotte Goldstein expressed, “The real problem with Black Friday is it encourages a lot of consumerism, so everything you just want more and more of.”  Companies like REI, Patagonia, and IKEA advertise themselves as being green on the busy shopping day. All of the profits Patagonia earns on Black Friday are donated to an environmental charity, REI closes, and IKEA implements Green Friday where customers can bring in a used piece of furniture in exchange for a voucher. Charlotte vocalized how these green policies don't make much of a difference. “I think it's really a form of greenwashing… I absolutely think they do it just for popularity. They don't really care about all of these issues. If you look historically in the past a lot of these companies didn't appeal to sustainability at all and now that it's such a big issue, I feel like companies just try to appeal to that.”  Black Friday has negative effects, but isn’t going away anytime soon, and with people not being informed of the harm the shopping causes; it’s likely consumerism is only going to increase. So how can local shoppers in Denver enjoy Black Friday while maintaining sustainable habits?    When talking to East students, the majority said they spend around $100 and prefer to shop online so they can skip the crowds and get the best discounts. Sophomore Lola Carhart says: “I usually shop online on Black Friday just because it’s easier and the deals are better.” But while shopping online may be more convenient, consumers are encouraged to shop at local small businesses because the materials online companies use to ship items can be non-biodegradable, and packaging materials contribute to 1.8 billion tons of carbon emissions annually. Small businesses use less material in their items, and shopping in person reduces the amount of returns, which decreases the amount of landfill that comes from Black Friday.  While Black Friday may have devastating consequences, it’s not too late to make a change. The negative effects it contributes to can be reduced by shopping at small businesses more, buying items in person rather than online, and trying to avoid companies that promote fast fashion like Shein, Zara, and H&M. When shopping, looking for things with longevity rather than cheap items that will last no more than a year will contribute to reducing the amount of landfill Black Friday generates. Be aware of retailers who tend to greenwash their products by making sure they practice sustainable habits like green packaging if they claim to be eco-friendly. These small tweaks in shopping habits can contribute to a more sustainable future.

Everyone has been through a time where they realize their generation is getting outdated at least once. Clothing styles evolve, technology advances, people invent new things, life-changing events occur, school curriculum gets modified, and understanding of the world changes. In the education industry, teachers are able to see the generational differences between the waves of students as well as themselves. So what are some of the most noticeable distinctions between teachers and students, both in the classroom and in their free time? Generational differences can range from smaller things like slang and haircuts to much bigger changes including ideal careers or fashion. One of the biggest changes that is evident between teachers and students is the concept of technology and how experienced people are with it. Most teachers grew up with the very first iPhone 2G or the clunky office computers that took forever to boot up and had to adjust to the fancy new technology. Compare that to most students who probably can’t remember life without their iPhone 15s, Airpods, and 12-inch iPads. Kristen Hosek, a science teacher at East, states “The use and the reliance of social media I think is a massive difference.” While it’s obvious that teenagers use technology mostly for Instagram reels or TikToks, some of the time spent is used for looking up answers to math problems or having AI write an essay before it’s due in 10 minutes. According to the National Library of Medicine, their data findings during experimental interviews concluded that “ Newer generation students prefer straightforward approaches towards learning resulting from increased use of technology and speedy access to knowledge.” Not only do students and teachers feel the contrast between them during school hours, but outside of the classroom as well. For a schedule to function, it requires a balance between leisure or activities and parts of the day spent on productive work. Each generation will have their own idea of what having a life outside of work looks like, whether it be going on an adventure to nowhere or staying at home and baking cookies. Dylan Fehrman, one of the Social Studies teachers at East, remarks on his free time saying “I coach cross country and I enjoy running for fun as well. I like to hike, get outdoors and also build furniture as a side hobby”  Although his leisure time is spent on being in nature and less technology focused, his perception of what students do on their own time is much different. He thinks of a stereotypical teenager doing “A lot of video gaming, spending time on social media, hanging out with friends, going out to eat or going to the mall, things like that.” However Junior, Jovani Espejo claims otherwise with more ‘out of the box’ activities commenting “I do Ultimate Frisbee and I’m an actor, I also enjoy reading and learning about history.” His thoughts on what a teacher would do in their free time would look like “Spending time with family or if they don’t have any nearby, then with a significant other and probably grade papers too.” What’s interesting is that teachers and students have completely different impressions of each other and what hobbies they have, some that are true and some that are completely wrong. While these gaps between generations are easily noticeable in school or during leisure time, they can also appear in political issues, life changing events or personal opinions too. The Pew Research Center claims that “Majorities among Gen Z and the Millennial generation say increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. is a good thing for society, while older generations are less convinced of this. And they’re more likely to have a positive view of interracial and same-sex marriage than their older counterparts.” It’s common for people to view the elderly as not being able to change their perspective due to them having their older and more traditional ways, but like most things in life, they change. In the recent presidential election this month, CNN states that “ Democrats lost some support among the youngest voters, a group that overwhelmingly votes for them. But Harris also made gains among the oldest voters, a group that traditionally leans Republican. ” Changes like these leave the country wondering how different the government will be run and what will happen to our economy.  Although the differences between Gen Z and Gen X or Millennials and Boomers might be surprising at times, it’s important to remember that changes will continue to happen to generations of the future and the world will keep spinning.