March 2025 USJ

C I

C C E F AT I L

A hands-on version of high school, CCIC offers modern choices to support future careers

Cherry Creek High School 9300 E. Union Ave. Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Vol. 10 Issue 3 March 2025

PLAY IT LOUD: Senior Theo Doot, a member of Creek’s Jazz A band, plays the trombone for “Admiral’s Horn” at a Feb. 20 Jazz Band concert. “It was lots of fun to play, a really ballad-y feel but it goes into this double time, and it’s just a really good arrangement,” Doot said.

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

Table of Contents News

4

Features

4 - News Bites 5 - All Course Workbooks Free for Students 6 - Bond Construction Enters Concept Design Stage

7 - Spanish Native Speaker Classes Allow Students To Learn In Their Language 8-9 - Remembering Sheletha Anderson

In-Depth

10 - Ingenuity Excels At The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus. But What Is The Program?

Sports

14

7

A&E

17

10

Opinions

20

14-15 - The Freshman Take Over: Girls’ Swim & Boys’ Basketball 16 - What Athletes Do During The Offseason

17 - Are The New RedBull Flavors Worth It 18 - Separating The Art From The Artist 19 - Choose Your Fighter: PC v. Console

20 - Patient Over Parent 21 - Break A Bone, Break The Bank 22 - New Age Romance Sucks 23 - Staff Editorial: Legacy Is Undue Advantage

On The Cover

Letter From The Editor

I had never been to the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus until we decided to cover it for our InDepth this issue. But as I walked around the campus, I realized that the school was underappreciated, and less understood than it should be. This was our goal with this InDepth, to describe how the school is growing, meeting more demand from students, and to discuss some of its most popular programs.

In this magazine, we also decided to focus on a more sorrowful subject, the passing of Security Specialist, Sheletha Anderson, who passed away in December. We spoke with her coworkers, friends, and those who were close to her to

paint a picture of how she impacted Creek. Our writers found that she’d been incredibly intertwined with Creek, and that she’d made a huge difference to those around her.

We discussed some other changes at Creek too; the shocking successes of some freshman athletes, new workbook policies and new clubs, and students’ video game equipment preferences. Our Staff Ed focuses on an issue many upperclassmen might be thinking about; whether or not legacy-based admissions are truly fair, and how the process isn’t fair for all students applying to college.

To the staff of the USJ, your work and dedication to this issue, and everything you do, is always impressive. Congratulations on another incredible magazine!

- Editor-in-Chief, Quinn Rudnick

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

Staff Editor-in-Chief Quinn Rudnick

Asst. Features Editor Serenity Hurtado

Managing Editor & Design Editor Izzy Krauss

Chief Artist Angela Xu

News Editor & Outreach Coordinator Peter Philpott

Letter To The Editor The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from forcing you to practice a certain religion.

It identifies that the government must be impartial to all beliefs, but it doesn’t call for the elimination of religious references.

The Pledge doesn’t compel you to believe anything, but instead, to acknowledge a historical context and suggest, not force, a unifying power.

The phrase “separation of church and state” means that the government cannot be involved in religion or demonstrate religious practices. However, that idea isn’t in the Constitution; therefore, we don’t follow it.

The Pledge reflects national unity, not a religious obligation, and doesn’t infringe on individual rights. It’s a moment of appreciation for the freedoms America offers, which enable me to stand for the Pledge and others to sit.

- Senior Lindsay List

Marketing Manager Evelyn Laughlin

Chief Photographer & Asst. Sports Editor Briana Flores

Staff Writers Cristal Garcia Havana Amanlou Emily Lambert Angie Wang Clay Biskner Rayna Moon Berkeley Bowler IV Collier Rue Minar Kazie Siegel Oliver Scala Elise Dougherty Jackson Sloan Peyton Champion Vera Costa Keagan Hong Aleena Gopalani Mae Murphey

Asst. Design Editor Ollie Scala

Advisor Seth Fine

A&E Editors Dhanya Rajendiran Avery Exley

Re:: The Pledge of Allegiance Does Not Belong In Classrooms (Dec. 2024)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Our Founding Fathers believed that our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” were granted by G-d. America’s foundation is intertwined with religious values; without them, the country would not be what it is today. References to G-d in historical documents are not to force religion on anyone but instead to underline the motivations for America’s creation, setting it apart from governments where power is granted by imperfect people.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that “Under G-d” symbolizes patriotism, not religious endorsement. America was founded on religious values, but freedom of religion still exists.

Creek junior Chris Tautz learns how to use a reciprocating saw on a piece of PVC pipe in CCIC’s Construction 1 class on Feb. 7. Tautz and other students in the class learn how to operate tools, and participate in building a house for Habitat For Humanity. For many students, opportunities like these allow them to develop career experience, and even earn certifications for future jobs.

Experiences like these aren’t uncommon at CCIC. The school allows students to participate in hands-on learning to prepare for careers after high school; things like nursing, construction, psychology, hospitality, and more. The school aims to provide students with more options than just a college education after graduation, based on the presence of a growing workforce that isn’t based on a degree, but skills learned through certifications and work programs.

Opinions Editor Jude Gorden Sports Editors Andrei Machado Kellen Ringland Features Editor Sophia Hady

Purpose:

The Union St. Journal is the official online and print news source for Cherry Creek High School. We are a student-run publication distributed to the students, faculty, and staff of Creek, and serve as an information source and two-way communication forum for both the school and community. We welcome guest opinion writers. Content does not necessarily represent the views of Cherry Creek High School or the Cherry Creek School District. Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the overall views of The Union St. Journal, CCHS, or CCSD. Letters to the editor are accepted and can be submitted via email to usj.editorinchief@gmail.com Letters may be edited for clarity.

Crochet Club Comes To Creek

news bites

BY EVELYN LAUGHLIN

C

Marketing Manager

rochet Club welcomes all skill levels and forms of creativity. It was formed in

October, providing a community for crocheters across Creek. Their first meeting was in late October and attracted few members. But the group substantially grew as they began to advertise with flyers across campus.

Senior Isabel Rodriguez, with a bag full of multicolored skeins of yarn and different sized hooks, finds herself crocheting whenever and wherever she can. Senior Angela Sen, saw Rodriguez’s talent and was inspired by her creativity. Sen purchased a crochet kit and began her journey. However, Sen began to tackle her crochet project, she

found the experience difficult without any guidance. So, together they founded the club.

“You read it and you try to copy it, but you don’t have anybody to help you,” Sen said.

According to Rodriguez, newcomers to crochet often feel intimidated without any guidance they can become overwhelmed by terminology, techniques, and diagrams.

“Honestly I gave up 20 times when I was just starting,” she said. “I didn’t learn how to make a circle for a year because I was too intimidated,” Granny squares teach beginners foundational stitches such as slip stitches, chains, and double crochets.

They can be joined into a blanket, which will eventually be donated to charity.

“People who are totally new to

Math Curriculum

crocheting attempt to make the square so hopefully they can progress from there, but also donate to the project at the same time,” Sen said.

Students appreciate the club’s guiding atmosphere.

“The community is so helpful and always willing to help you progress. It really keeps you busy and it feels so rewarding once you finish something no matter how little or big it is,” senior Illona Grenier said.

“The community is so helpful and always willing to help you progress.”

-Senior Illona Grenier

Passed Back to Teachers

BY ELLA FISHMAN

G

Staff Writer

eometry teachers are confirming a switch back to teacher-tailored curriculums next year, and Algebra classes are considering the same switch.

4 | News

Last year, CCSD bought a new curriculum for math classes for middle and high schools for the 2024-25 school year and mandated that everyone use it. The old curriculum had lessons more developed and personal by teachers. The current curriculum isn’t the usual mix of lessons then homework, but a more direct method solely with homework. According to teachers, they had little time to pivot, which led many teachers and students to struggle to catch up with the changes.

When the district changes courses, they set curriculum packages via textbook to teach information.

CCSD’s current curriculum includes more word problems while the teacher observes. “[CCSD] put an emphasis on group discussion and figuring it out,” CP Algebra 1 and Geometry teacher Timothy Peterson said, “It’s more facilitated versus the old way where teachers present the examples, the concepts, how we use it, ‘here’s different ways we use the problem.’”

Teachers and students alike faced

CCSD Math teachers standardized many made their classes. own curriculums.

Some course curriculums are returning to teachers.

ART BY ANGELA XU

challenges about less face-to-face teaching, and some teachers are also concerned about the possible impact the change could have on their students.

“Some students don’t learn like that, it doesn’t work. They can’t just ‘be handed a friggin packet yo,’” AP Statistics senior Arlo Martin said, referencing a popular meme. “The teacher-student connection is something you can’t replace.”

Practicing the work has changed to mostly papers and fewer lessons in class, and for some classes, homework each night. Students rely on individual study to practice their ability for quizzes and tests.

“In pre-calc this year, we have fewer lessons but more ‘do the homework in class [days] and if you have questions, you ask the teachers,” junior Sydney Dattilo said.

“I feel like I personally gravitate more towards actual lessons and broader understanding.”

INFOGRAPHIC BY PETER PHILPOTT

news

All Course Workbooks Free For Students

BY ALEENA GOPALANI Staff Writer

S

ince 2003, students have been buying workbooks in the school store, and using them to complete class work, to supplement their learning, or to complete their homework. But as of Dec. 9, 2024, a new policy

has been adopted, making workbooks free district-wide.

Moving forward, only elective class workbooks will cost money. “The school board approved that schools, not just Cherry Creek, are not allowed to sell or charge for core classes,” Bear Necessities Coordinator Beth Adolphi said. “It’s an equity issue so that all kids have access.”

According to official board policy, students will still be charged for lost, damaged or defaced books, except those who have financial needs.

The main reason for the policy change is because of those needs. Ultimately, the financial struggle some students face can impact their ability to purchase workbooks each semester.

Prior to the policy change, there was a form that students could fill out so that they wouldn’t have to pay for workbooks. To be able to do this form, students had to meet the free lunch requirement. To qualify for that, students’ families income have to be less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level.

Students also reported, while able to pay for books, the overall process of needing to pay for workbooks was frustrating. “I never had an issue with buying textbooks but it was annoying, $5 here, $5 there, it adds up throughout the years,” senior Lana Nokochi said.

Though an issue that will still be seen with out without the new policy is the problem of

not having enough workbooks for students.

“Typically when workbooks run out of stock in the store, it’s because teachers ordered enough for enrolled students,” Adolphi said.

“If originally 180 kids were going to take Algebra, and then after level changes 20 of them dropped, those 20 books are gone.”

Students like the policy because it can help them financially. “There are some textbooks that are $30, some that are $3, but for those $30 textbooks that some

“It was annoying, $5 here, $5 there, it adds up throughout the years.”

Senior Lana Nokochi

CLASS ACT: A student reaches out to pick a math workbook off the wall at Bear Necessities. Previously, class workbooks cost money, but now they are free because of a school board policy.

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

March 2025

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

Bond Construction Enters

PROGRAMMING: Project Leaders Jennifer Song-Keoppe (left) and Adele Wilson talk over ideas for the future athletics facilities with Athletics Director Jason Wilkins.

Concept Design Stage

BY PETER PHILPOTT & OLLIE SCALA News Editor & Asst. Design Editor

C

reek’s campus reconstruction project has now entered the programming and concept design stage, where the community contributes ideas for the future campus, so the project leaders can figure out natural and building spaces.

The reconstruction project is in partnership with Ratio Design and HCM architects. Ratio Design architect Jennifer Song-Koeppe serves as the day-to-day manager of Creek’s reconstruction project.

“Per our schedule, February to March is what we call programming and concept design,” Song-Koeppe said. “That’s the first thing we need to figure out. What [will be] in the new school, how big are the spaces, how do they relate to each other, that’s what we would call programming.”

The architects of Creek’s reconstruction believe that student and staff input is vital for a good architectural design that works for every department. HCM Managing Principal Adele Wilson has contacted and interacted

6 | News

with teachers and other staff members in order to get a good understanding of what they need. “[Educators and coaches] understand what they need [in terms of] space,” Wilson said. “Our job is to interpret that, and try to lay out a space that will work for what they are trying to do educationally, something that fits in the budget and fits on the site.”

Athletics Director Jason Wilkins is invested in the design of his new department.

Among other ideas, he seeks an expansion of the lap pool and a bigger basketball gym, inspired by Indiana high schools.

“Right now we have an eight-lane pool.

We’d like to have a bigger deck space,” said Wilkins. “My idea would be to have the gym sunk into the ground, so when you walk in, you’re at ground level, and everything goes down.”

Students are also given the opportunity to have a say in the design of the new campus, through the Principal’s Advisory Committee (PAC), where leaders around campus meet to bring up issues and ideas from different clubs and activities.

Even though most current students will graduate before the new campus will be realized, Senior Class Vice President Grayden Robb

thinks that it is imperative to include the voices of current students. He was impressed with the amplification of student opinions on the part of the design team.

“They have lived all of the good and the bad at Creek. Their voice is [important] to ensure that all of the best aspects of the campus are kept for future students,” Robb said.

As of now, construction is targeted to begin in spring after the 2025-2026 school year, and would begin with the demolition of district administrative buildings on the west side of the campus while the other buildings are to remain operational and won’t be affected.

And although Creek is getting a facelift, the people in charge of the project hope to create beneficial changes for the people who are here daily by listening to the student and staff bodies.

“Because [the architects] are getting the opinion of the people who have lived on the current campus, they can easily point out what things were good about it,” PAC member senior Sophia Eison said. “This is their home. This is our work environment. When you go to work every day, this should be somewhere where you feel comfortable and where you can do the best job you can.”

features

Spanish Native Speaker Classes Allow Students To Learn In Their Language

BY BRIANA FLORES

F

Chief Photographer & Asst. Sports Editor

or students who struggle to learn English, many can find comfort in a classroom that feels like home.

In classrooms taught in Spanish that focus on improving vocabulary, literacy, and grammar, while also immersing students further into their native languages, students can begin to fully learn Spanish without extra pressure. These classes, titled ‘Native Speakers’ courses, were brought to Creek four to five years ago, and are taught by world language teachers.

“My favorite part of [native speakers] so far is going in depth and learning about different cultures,” junior Janelly Gallardo said.

“What has really surprised me is how there are completely different views of how words are spoken and their meaning.”

There are also different paths for people who just want to learn Spanish through its three CP level classes, which then transition into more advanced classes: Spanish 4 Honors, and then AP Spanish Language and Literature. Native speaking students can take a test to place into either Spanish 3 for Native Speakers or Spanish 4 Honors for Native Speakers, and then move into AP classes.

Spanish 3 for Native Speakers is a class that is recommended to students who don’t speak English very well and want to take the

course at a more simple level.

Often, the class allows native Spanish speaking students to have a class that they can feel comfortable in. “[I have] many favorite memories, but one of them would be when my students came in at the beginning of the year during my lunch hours to learn extra English from me,” Rebekah Lee said. “It was interesting because I didn’t think I would be teaching English when I signed up to teach Spanish.”

While the class primarily aims to develop students’ ability to speak and write at the college prep level, many students also enjoy the class just for their connection with the teacher.

“They are motivated to learn and tend to understand my humor and sarcasm,” Spanish teacher Susan Mosby said. “I feel like we can laugh and have fun together plus we tend to develop strong and close relationships. They are a delightful group of mature and fun people.”

Spanish 4 Honors for Native Speakers is a class that was brought to Creek this 20242025 school year, for people who are fluent, advanced, and want to take Spanish at a higher level. Students who take this course are able to learn beyond just the language and dig deeper into the different cultures and how different words are used in other countries. “[Spanish] is my first language and there are a lot of [different] cultures that you can learn from within the Spanish culture,” Wilmer Barrera said. “I like to see the native

What’s the difference?

Native Speakers

Standard Class

Taught primarily in Spanish Students test in For students whose primary language is Spanish

Taught primarily in Engilsh

Focus on grammar, literacy, and culture

speakers that I teach be able to make it to the next level,” Because the class is an honors course, students are held to a higher standard and their grades are weighted. Students often engage in class discussions and talking amongst each other throughout the time of the class.

“My favorite memories are when kids come to tell me about their adventures with Spanish,” Spanish teacher Jennifer Jones said.

“Whether they were able to help someone or they traveled and used it, they are always so excited.”

These courses accommodate different levels of learners and provide an academic outlet for many students. “The class has helped me not only expand my knowledge in cultures but also the understanding of different phrases and the correct ways to use them,” Gallardo said.

There are many different teachers around Creek who love Spanish and want to be able to share as much about the culture and language as they can with students. For them, these courses provide the opportunity to do just that.

“One of my favorite parts of teaching is that it gives me the opportunity to constantly learn,” World Language Department Coordinator Jaime Hofmeister said. “My students teach me new things, too.”

SETUP: Spanish 4 Honors for Native Speakers teacher Wilmer Barrera helps students register for an upcoming national Spanish test.

PHOTO BY BRIANA FLORES

Students can take classes from middle school and up For English speakers Focus on grammar, literacy GRAPHIC BY QUINN RUDNICK

March 2025

“She Always Had the Biggest Smile” Sheletha Anderson Will Be Remembered For a diabetes-related health issue.

Now, as faculty members and students reflect on her life and work at Creek, they’re Asst. Features Editor & A&E recognizing the parts of her personality that Editor they’ll miss. “I’m going to miss her smile, she riend. Mentor. Auntie. Family always had the biggest smile,” Security Specialist April Garcia said. member. Supporter. Loving coSecurity Specialist Joe Rosales, who gradworker. Security specialist. uated from Creek in 2004, and then returned Many people described Sheletha Anderto the school later as a security specialist, inson as bright and with a lovely, comforting teracted with Anderson while he was growsmile. For some students at Creek, security ing up and as a coworker. For him, the expespecialists serve to protect the school, check rience solidified his perspective of Anderson visitors in, direct traffic, make deliveries, and as someone who cared about her job deeply drive students around on golf carts. But to and wanted to bring joy to others. many, Anderson was so much more.

“She found the best part of every worst day “She was actually made and always made you smile of sugar and butterflies and at the end of it,” Rosales “She was really a part all of these good things,” said. “Even if you were of our community.

Security Specialist Joy Garhaving a tough [day,] she cia said.

She was a true Cherry would always find a way to Through her 23-year bring you back.”

Creek Bruin.” tenure, Anderson saw genRosales was very close erations of students in and with Anderson - he loved out of Creek, and both stu- Assistant Principal their interactions and both dents and faculty alike reKevin Uhlig knew each other’s family garded her as a staple of the inside and out. Their closeschool’s day-to-day life. She ness allowed their bond to formed close relationships with both staff and be even stronger, and they maintained close students, and she went above and beyond her friendships even out of work. “Everything duties at Creek. with her just felt like such an honest flow that But on Dec. 31, many people were left it was just unremarkable,” he said. heartbroken by her shocking passing, which Security specialists like Rosales often reaccording to Principal Ryan Silva was due to member shared moments with Anderson,

BY SERENITY HURTADO & AVERY EXLEY

F

8 | Features

those where they’re laughing together and doing their morning building checks, or talking about their lives and getting to know each other.

One of the security specialists’ main jobs is to begin each day at Creek by making sure everything is prepared for the students’ arrival, and Rosales said that Anderson “set the tone for the day.”

In the mornings, Anderson often sat with her coffee or visited people when she had a chance. Many members of Creek noticed that she cared deeply about the community and provided companionship to everyone who met her.

Anderson’s impact stretched beyond the security team as well. Administrators, like Activities Director Kelly Devitt-Prevost, noticed how she worked with care, and how she fostered relationships with students.

“I loved talking with her and sharing amazing stories about what kids were doing and just catching up on our lives,” Prevost said.

As part of her effort to connect with the school, Anderson would make it a part of her everyday routine to stop in and say hello to different faculty members. Often, she would walk all around the campus and stop to talk and hear about everyone’s day.

“It was crazy the [amount of] faculty and staff she had relationships with,” Assistant Principal Kevin Uhlig said. “She would just stop by their office and say hello every day at a certain time.”

Anderson impacted extra-curriculars as well; she was one of the original founders of Creek’s step team. She built the team and while she may not still be here, she was able to mentor students and have an impact on their performances.

“She was the perfect person to do it because she could mentor the kids who wanted to do it, make sure that they had supervision, but also just mentorship too,” Silva said.

LASTING MEMORIES: Security Specialist April Garcia placed photos of Anderson in her security kiosk after her passing.

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

“Her presence was everywhere and sometimes you expect to walk around the corner and still see her there. Her presence will be missed.”

-Assistant Principal Kevin Uhlig

Her Constant Joy Anderson was not only a coworker, but she was also like a family member to many people she worked with. For specialists like Rosales and Joy Garcia, their bond often felt more like that of a sibling. April Garcia named Anderson as the godmother to her child, and described that their bond felt a lot like Anderson was an ‘auntie’ to her.

Like her bond with April and Joy Garcia, Anderson was also friends with Silva’s mother and stepdad. She’d often visit and would check up on them, building a different kind of connection between coworker and family member.

“Whether it was connecting with students or staff or parents, she had this ability to make people feel like they were seen and heard and valued, and not everybody’s able to do that,” Silva said.

In order to preserve her memory around campus, security specialist have hung up ‘In Memory Of ’ posters in kiosks around the school. “She’s a pillar here for a lot of people who have already come, people who are currently here now, and people who hopefully are going to come in the future,” Joy Garcia said.

Anderson’s honesty was also very admirable, according to faculty members. She was a truthful person who knew the difference between right and wrong, and her honesty was an extremely important asset. “​​She was not afraid to say, ‘dude, what are you doing?’ And she’d call you out. Faculty Assistant Lori Ferguson said. “And I miss that because there are a lot of people here that would listen to her,” No matter what student it was, Anderson made connections. “There was no hierarchy of who was popular, who was not popular, what group was cool, what group wasn’t cool,” Rosales said. “She just always made every single kid at [events] feel like they were there for a reason.”

After her passing, many remember Anderson as someone who truly embodied the Creek spirit.

“She worked hard, she cared about everyone here, faculty, staff, students alike,” Uhlig said. “She was really a part of our community. She was a true Cherry Creek Bruin.”

BIGGEST SMILE: After Sheletha Anderson’s passing in December, security specialists, faculty, and students collected photos of their memories with her, and shared them with the Union Street Journal.

INFOGRAPHIC BY SERENITY HURTADO & QUINN RUDNICK PHOTOS COURTESY OF MALLORY CLEVELAND

“She was somebody [that made] Creek a happier and fun place and was just one of the bright spots.”

-Principal Ryan Silva

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

“One of the most loyal, loving, caring people with the most amazing sense of humor.”

-Activities Director Kelly Devitt-Prevost

“She was somebody who was there for me in every moment. I mean every moment.

She was my biggest cheerleader, she cried the hardest with me. She didn’t miss anything.”

-Security Guard Joy Garcia

March 2025

Ingenuity exceeds at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus. But what is the program?

BY QUINN RUDNICK

A

Editor-in-Chief

ll students at Creek understand the school’s daily setup. Eight periods of desk-based learning, notes, lectures, tests, and quizzes.

But at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, students are in more hands-on, future career based settings. The school is designed to allow students to fully immerse themselves in whatever they choose to study, and help them learn techniques, receive certifications, and more things that will help them on their path to a career, trade school, or college.

“I think it’s really important to understand that for a long time, we were all about college.

Schools were college, college, college,” CCIC Principal Steve Day said. “And the dynamics of employment have shifted significantly… nowadays there’s so many careers as a mechanic, there’s so many careers in machining, there’s so many careers in healthcare, where the college degree is either not important or less important.”

Other administrators, like Career & Technical Education administrator Lawson Miller, who works to organize programs like those in CCIC, agreed with Day’s sentiments. “A

student could come to the CCIC, take a conAcross the district, students in grades 10struction class, get a certification credential, 12 can apply to CCIC through an online porstart working for a company in the construc- tal that opens in the spring. Not every student tion industry and do one of two things with is accepted, not because of grades, but bethat,” Miller said. “They can start their career cause there are too many students interested right then and there, or they can be working in CCIC. Most years, the school sees around part time while they’re putting themselves 300 students on the waitlist. through school.”

When students apply to CCIC, they’re CCIC is organized in a vastly different way able to select one of seven pathways that the than Creek is. Each day is school currently offers. organized into an afternoon “It feels like an industry (See next page for new and a morning session, and course updates.) Within space, maybe a bit like then days where students the building, students can college, and then like attend classes alternate. take courses in the AeroInevitably, this means that Manufacturing, high school, in terms of space students alternate days of Criminal Justice, Health classes.” attendance, and either at& Wellness, Infrastructure tend CCIC classes in the Engineering, Transpormorning or afternoon, and tation, Business Services, -CCIC Principal continue learning at their Future Educator, HospiSteve Day original highschool when tality & Tourism, and IT done at CCIC. & STEAM pathways.

Students who attend CCIC often find this For students, the fact that there are multischedule to be extremely effective. “I go to my ple pathways that have students in them from home school on my B days, and for half the across the district allows them to find friends time I’m here during my A days,” Eaglecrest who have similar interests as them. “We are culinary student Jon King said. “It’s really all about choice. Our students will describe good to build my exploration on my pathway that they love the fact that now they’re makto purpose and [build] what I’m really trying ing friends from Eaglecrest, even though to do as a career later in life.” they’re from Creek,” Day said.

What’s the history behind CCIC? The concepts for CCIC began in 2015, through a committee of administrators dreaming about what the space could be. In 2016, its construction was approved

by Colorado voters in a bond referendum, and ground was broken that same year.

10 | In-Depth

CCIC opened in 2019, and its’ 117,000 square foot campus housed 1,100 students from across the district. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen something like this; it’s so exciting,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said upon its opening.

GRAPHIC BY QUINN RUDNICK

The school now currently holds around 1,500 students, dispersed throughout seven pathways. However, demand is growing; the school sees 300 students on the waitlist every year. “There’s so much interest. The positive part is this allows us to expand,” CCIC Principal Steve Day said.

What does the future hold for CCIC?

O

ver the course of its life, the CCIC program has seen extreme success, but also extreme demand.

Each year, there’s an application open for students to apply for, but it’s highly selective, and the school only offers its current seven pathways. But in the coming years, the program is about to change.

“The positive part is, there’s so much interest,” CCIC Principal Steve Day said.

“The positive part is this allows us to expand. We’re going to double the size of the building in the next 18 months, and all sorts of different pathways.”

After the 2024 Mill & Bond Election in November, the CCIC campus was granted 100 million dollars to expand its campus, and introduce nine new pathways: Veterinary Medicine, Welding, Heating and Air Conditioning, Film and Motion Design, Aerospace Engineering, Advanced Electronics, Baking and Pastries, Emergency Medical Technicians, and an expansion of the existing Auto Mechanics and Manufacturing program.

For many students, this expansion provides new opportunities to study the subjects they love, outside of a standard school setting. Applications for the 202526 school year are already open, and closed on Feb. 28, but students can apply to the nine new pathways in the spring of 2026.

“I’m interested in doing the veterinary program because I’ve always loved animals and always wanted to be a vet, so if being a nurse doesn’t work out I have a backup plan,” junior J Ryan said. “Even the baking program looks cool, [because] I can’t even bake a cookie without burning it.”

The new pathways offer a more focused view of study areas; things like aerospace engineering, emergency medicine, and baking. As programs tend towards specific career paths, more students can study

niche subjects that have previously been touched upon in other pathways, something the school had been planning to do from the beginning.

“There are probably new pathways coming in [that] students would choose if they could,” Day said. “There are probably actually students who aren’t even applying now that will, because now we have these new pathways.”

Construction began in January, and the building will be open for students in August 2026, meaning that this years’ freshmen and sophomores will be able to attend the school. It will build off of the existing campus, adding two new wings to the building, which will open up new spaces for the new pathways’ classrooms, study spaces, a coffee shop, and more.

Planning began a while ago, as admin began to see what students would want from a larger school. “We spent the last two and a half years meeting with students, understanding what they would want to see,” Day said. “We met with teachers. We met with the industry.”

Day highlighted some of the newer additions going into the building, things like a student-run coffee shop, kennels for rescue dogs in the veterinary programs, and immersive 3D rooms.

“We’ll have a coffee shop, and that coffee shop is going to be cool, because it straddles the line between our building, between where the students are, and a large event center that our students will be running,” Day said.

As the opening approaches, students are looking forward to the new areas the school will provide. “It’s important to have these opportunities through CCIC because the campus offers classes not offered at schools or at levels highschools couldn’t reach,” Ryan said. “They give each student a chance no matter their background or financial issues.”

NEW PROGRAMS Aerospace Engineering Advanced Electronics Creative: Film, Production Veterinary Medicine Expansion: Automotive Baking & Pastries Heating & Air Conditioning Emergency Medical Tech Welding A MODERN BUILD: The CCIC campus, which is about a fifteen minute drive from Creek, has a modern design feel, with multiple seICK prate branches for each of UDN INN R Y QU B it’s pathways.

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BY PE

March 2025

POPULAR PROGRAMS

BY IZZY KRAUSS & PETER PHILPOTT Managing Editor & News Editor

Transportation Teaches Creative Engineering Students, in the Transportation pathway, can take several classes that put them handson with real automobiles and aircraft, giving them the opportunity to learn professional mechanical, servicing, and maintenance skills.

“I like being able to work on something that I think about all the time,” junior Khy Lefevre said. “A lot of what I do is related to cars, so being able to have a class where that’s all you do, I think that’s pretty nice.”

The automobile program comes in three separate classes, from beginning to advanced.

Automotive Technology I and II focuses on terminology, diagnosis, and basics of electronics, braking systems, and suspensions. III is far more advanced, where students study speed, modifying a car to maximize performance.

All offer ASE certification, enough to enter the workforce, along with CTE and STEM credits.

Eaglecrest junior Nour Mathlouthi says the hands-on work separates it from traditional education. “You’re able to get up and move

For students who attend CCIC, the array of pathways to choose from, but there are four programs that stand out from the rest, and often see the highest rates of application. The USJ chose these paths to focus on for this issue.

around and be able to have the feeling of accomplishment when you fix something,” she said. “A lot of people could get into it even if you don’t know much about cars.”

Aviation isn’t as centric on one program. Each half, Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Flight, has its own set of classes. Smoky Hill junior Jason Jaster loves the aviation class for how different it is to everyday school. “I really like this program because I feel like it gives us the creative freedom to do a lot of things that I would definitely never get to experience at my home high school,” he said. “I love learning about airplanes and fixing them, and it’s really fun.”

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

Health & Wellness Establishes Medical Basics

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

12 | In-Depth

The Health and Wellness Pathway is separated into different courses including Advanced Studies in Health Care, Behavioral Health, Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), Physical & Occupational Therapy, and Pharmacy Technician. These courses support students who plan on pursuing a career in physical or occupational therapy, behavioral health, nursing, or pharmaceuticals.

The Certified Nursing Assistant, which is arguably the most popular program, prepares students for entry-level nursing roles and the Colorado State Nurse Aide Certification (NNAAP) exam.

Training includes nursing fundamentals, patient care,

communication, safety, ethics, and regulations. Students gain hands-on experience through clinical rotations in local long-term care facilities.

The behavioral health technician course covers behavioral health principles, therapeutic communication, and skills needed to become a Behavioral Health Technician. Students gain experience in psychiatric care, psychoeducational therapy, and human behavior.

“I’ve learned a lot and there’s skills that have definitely helped me in my own life,” junior Eileen Zheng said.

“When my friends talk about certain situations, I know how to actually help them and I have the specific skills to do it.”

As students take these courses at CCIC, they’re able to experience medical scenarios that typical med students and even practiced doctors would see. Because of this, their preparation for careers later in life continues to grow. “[The information learned] is applicable in every stage of life even if you don’t go into healthcare,” CNA teacher Chrystal Thomas said. “It teaches [students] communication skills, humility, humanity, respect, and general human connection.”

Culinary Introduces Future Life Skills Culinary Management, one course within the Hospitality pathway, offers studies in lodging and culinary arts, along with credentials and experience in food service and hospitality within the CCICafe, the facility’s own food counter, serving dishes made in the Prostart I-III classes.

“It’s pretty cool that we come together and just make meals for each other every day,” Prostart I junior Ivory Brown said.

“The students are very fun to be around.

They’re very open minded. They’re very creative in different ways.”

Brown said the class is helpful even for those who aren’t planning a future in the food industry. “I can definitely see cooking being in my future…as a hobby,” she said. “Because if I PHOTO do want to, live on my own, having a good cooking

BY PETER PHILPOTT background will help me get through life.”

And even though many might choose it as a hobby over a career, Prostart I teacher Christina Runyan is happy to be the first teacher in that process.

“I love that I get to teach the intro class, because I feel like students are always learning something new and helping students figure out whether they want to do this for a career,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun and you get to eat every day and just learn all of the different cooking basics that you can use later in life.”

Infastructure Provides Career Learning Opportunities The Infrastructure Engineering program at CCIC supports students in exploring different areas of building trades by teaching them how to operate cranes and/or forklifts, pour concrete, and frame buildings, as well as skills they may need in the field. The program is split up into multiple classes; Construction 1 covers topics like structural framing, tools, applied math, blueprint reading, and industry safety.

“There’s a lot I can take away from this class, aside from the actual work I learned skills like teamwork and general building PHOTO BY QUINN skills,” senior at Elevation Lev Kennedy said.

RUDNICK Construction 2 goes more in-depth, while also allowing students to work with Associated General Contractors of Denver, for a year-long homebuild project. The students work to build a three bed, three bathroom house for Habitat for Humanity.

After building the house, many students find that it gives them practical experience with carpentry, electrical, and plumbing.

“It’s so hands-on, and the teachers really show you the nitty gritty of things,” Kennedy said. “[The teachers] give us our tasks but they show you in-depth how it would work in the real world and real world applications.”

What other programs are offered?

Criminal Justice Students are introduced to criminal proceedings, historical proceedings, and democratic founations. They then move into lessons on crime scenes and law.

Aerospace Manufacturing Students learn about aerospace construction through hands-on learning about manufacturing basics, numerical control, and materials processing equipment.

Business Services In a start-up sytle of learning environment, students practice entrepreneurial skills, learn about a digital market, customer service, and sales.

Future Educator Students can become hired, district empolyees who act as teacher aides at elementary and middle schools during the school day in order to earn certifications.

Hospitality & Tourism While focusing on leadership, students learn about the management and marketing of food services, hotels and resorts, and can also work in on-campus cafes.

IT & STEAM Students practice building cutting-edge technologies, programs, and other IT systems. In hands-on classes, they learn to troubleshoot issues, network, and build VR environments.

March 2025

THE FRESHMEN Freshmen continue to dominate the rankings in girls’ swimming, boys’ basketball

BY QUINN RUDNICK & KELLEN RINGLAND Editor-in-Chief & Sports Editor

Kate McKinnon

F

reshmen in high school are never known to be the star players on the girls’ varsity swim team.

sports

They’re likely seen as the up-andcomer swimmer, and people believe their success will show as an upperclassman. But freshman Kate McKinnon has placed first 28 times at 10 meets and in 9 different events over the season.

McKinnon is described by her peers and coaches as an outstanding talent in the water; she brings a new tone to the varsity girls’ swim team. “quote ------------------------------------------------------------------------” For the 5A State Championship, McKinnon qualified for five events, the

can you go while swimming this long,” McKinnon said. “I’ve always taken it as you get better at training by doing your best in practice and at meets. I’ve always given it my all.”

well. “I’m not going to lie. I didn’t think I was going to make the team,” she said.

“I looked at the email, and it said varsity, but I thought it was talking about JV. But I was very excited and super shocked.”

Her teammates have also recognized Paterson’s dedication. “Clara has made a huge impact on the team by comforting her friends and teammates,” senior Flynn Maguire said. “She has been so sweet and such an amazing person to everyone and deserves all the success she has had.”

Paterson has been swimming since she was young; following in the footsteps of her parents, who are both athletes. For Paterson however, neither parent pushed her into swimming, but supported whatever path she chose.

“What I love about my parents is that they were both successful athletes, but they have fully supported me in whatever I want to do, and they have no inclination towards the sports that they played to have me do,” Paterson said.

In order to improve her swimming, Paterson enjoys having a consistent practice routine, something that she’s found helpful in qualifying for state.

“It’s not always easy, especially when you’re taking into account, as you get into high school, wanting to hang out with friends more,” she said. “But I think I found a way to quickly transition which allowed me to maximize my time so that I still can fit all those things and still feel successful in each area.”

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK ABOVE: Freshman Kate McKinnon stands on the podium at the state championships.

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

Clara Paterson

S

eeing a freshman qualify for multiple state championship events in one of her first meets of the season isn’t something you see every day.

But when varsity and freshman swimmer Clara Paterson got in the pool during the first home meet of the season, she qualified for her first state championship event, followed by two relay qualifiers.

“It was super shocking,” Paterson said. “I was not expecting that. And I think that on that second meet, that realization had just sunk in, like I could actually do it. So I worked super hard to try to get [a state time.]”

In the state championships, Paterson placed 8th in the 50 Freestyle, and 10th in the 100.

Shock didn’t just come after qualifying for state, it came when Paterson made the varsity team as a freshman as

14 | Sports

50, 100, and 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 fly; five out of the chamionship’s eight events. In addition to the five, she also qualified for the 200 Medley relay, although once swimmers have qualified, they can be switched in and out of the event.

“I just like winning, and I always, I never want to feel like I have to lose to something,” McKinnon said.

At the state championships, McKinnon placed first in all of her events. But regardless of her results, many members of the team regard McKinnon as an incredibly strong swimmer with a bright future ahead of her. “quote --------------------------------------------------------------------” McKinnon’s talent stretches out of the water as well.

“I’m a sprinter, and our coach, Karin, she has us do a lot of longer distance stuff of endurance and how hard

ABOVE: Freshman Clara Paterson cheers at the State Championships.

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

TAKE OVER

BY CLAY BISKNER

community in training with upperclassmen. “[Junior] Jeremiah Hammond and n the past five basketball sea- Zander Schiff have been helping me with sons, four freshmen played on my leadership, with my play on the court, the varsity team. and how to contribute to the team,” freshThis year, five freshmen have made man guard Montae Johnson (#1) said. the team with two or three starting on a As freshman players like center Dylan game-to-game basis, and they’re bringing Betts (#15) and forward Kayden Patrick a bright future to Creek basketball. (#23), begin cooperating with and learning Head coach James with the teams’ older memHartsfield sees the future bers, the upperclassmen are “These guys are very demonstrating that they of Creek clearer than talented, and we’re anyone. “The talent is can have a lasting effect on amazing, and we have a very excited about the the freshmen. lot of young kids. These With lasting effects future,” guys are very talented, coming to the players by and we’re very excited players, the coaches do about the future,” Hartstheir part in developing the Head Coach James field said. future of their program.

Hartsfield Said While the coach has Hartsfield knows it takes faith in the freshmen, he skills, but encouragement wants to make it easier for upperclassmen and the mental part of the game are just as to buy into the freshmen too. And after important. seeing their talent on the court, older playFor the coaches, their main goal is to ers start seeing their value. encourage the new players. “Keeping their “They bring a good attitude. It’s fun courage and helping them build their IQ. practice. We have a place for them,” junior That’s the biggest piece,” Hartsfield said. forward Aleks Birkans (#0) said.

Hartsfield builds trust with the freshMaking a varsity roster as a freshman men as he helps them grow in parts of the is difficult on its own, but many believe game that they could be weaker in, but he building chemistry with a team is harder. also keeps the mental aspect a top prioriThe freshmen have seen how hard it is to BELOW: Freshman center Dylan Betts plays build that level of community, even with defense in a game against Eaglecrest. Creek help. However, the freshmen have found

I

Staff Writer

ty. Assisting freshmen to develop is a part of the job from a coaching standpoint, but freshmen appreciate the work the coaches do as they help them upgrade the level of play.

While working at practices helps to improve and upgrade gameplay, many freshmen also try to get work in at home. “I work on my form every day. When I’m at home, I never stop playing basketball. I’m always shooting,” Patrick said.

Players and coaches believe that working every day brings the future of Creek basketball better chances, and hopefully reach new levels as a team. “They have a bright future, you know, great kids, great academics,” Hartfield said.

Meet The Freshmen Montae Johnson (#1): Games played: 23 Points per game: 8.4 Height: 5’11

Tristan Robinson (#2) Games played: 14 Assisted FG %: 52 Height: 6’1

lost the game 55-48.

Darian Proctor (#4) Games played: 21 Points per game: 3.9 Height: 5’11

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

Dylan Betts (#5) Games played: 15 Blocks per game: 3.4 Height: 7’2

Kayden Patrick (#23) Games played: 23 3 PT %: 50 Height: 6’6 PHOTOS BY BRIANA FLORES

December 2024 March 2025

Staying Fit: What Creek Athletes Do During Their Off-Seasons

BY ANDREI MACHADO

A

Sports Editor

fter the school season ends, athletes still need to stay in shape during their off-season.

Whether they choose to play for a club team, play a different version of their sport, or go into a completely different sport altogether, there are many different options to choose from during their off-season.

One of the most common ways that athletes practice during their time off is by continuing to play their sport outside of school for a club.

However with the differences between club teams and Creek teams it can create a very different playing and learning experience. “Club coaches really don’t care about how you feel at practice, whereas Creek coaches seem more down to earth,” junior tennis player Elliot Depew said. “Especially Coach Zuercher, he’s not just a tennis coach, he’s also a mentor.”

Club sports can also pose some challenges that don’t exist for high school sports due to the difference in each of their focuses.

“I would say creek tennis is more fun because you’re around people with the same values as you,” Depew said. “For your club is very individual, there’s no other teammates, and there’s not a team.”

With the extra challenges posed by playing for a club, some athletes make the decision of starting away from playing for a club. Instead, some choose to play a different variation of their sport.

Senior soccer player Kiran Sitaula went down that path by joining an indoor 6v6 soccer league for the winter.

With the league only having 20 minute halves, fewer players, and a smaller field it helps train different aspects of the game than a regular season.

“Cardio is really key to soccer, and especially on a small field, you get tired out quicker,” Sitaula said. “Even people who’ve been playing and are in great

16 14 || Sports Sports

shape have said the same thing, So I think it’s just a good way to really work on my conditioning,” Doing something outside of club or school can also add a bigger sense of freedom and fun into the sport.

“A group of friends, they thought it’d be a fun idea to get some of us together and create this team and just play, kind of like for fun, recreationally,” Sitaula said.

For some sports, however, it’s not easy to find something else to do during the off-season, so some people opt for playing a different sport instead.

Trying to balance both sports and school can be very challenging and time consuming for athletes “During the season, both sports can get pretty hectic and sometimes it’s a bit hard to balance sports and school,” senior lacrosse and field hockey player Grace Manning said.

Playing a sport that isn’t your main sport can be useful for getting into shape and prepared for your main sport later on.

“Field hockey is a fall sport so it keeps me very well rounded to be prepared for lacrosse in the spring.” Manning said.

Whatever it is that an athlete does do during their off-season, a similarity between most is consistently going to the gym.

“Over the summer that’s when I would also try to go to the gym when possible,” Sitaula said. “Lifting during the season and also keeping up with all your schoolwork is hard.”

Staying fit during the off-season can be hard for athletes so it’s important for them to find something that could help them.

“If you’re not working on your physical health, once the creek season comes, you’re not gonna do well. So you have to be very disciplined and have responsibility for your own,” Depew said.

GRAPHIC BY ANDREI MACHADO

a&e

Red Bull Released New Flavors: Are They Worth The Hype?

BY BRIANA FLORES Chief Photographer & Asst. Sports Editor

A

As a senior in high school, the overload of being tired all the time is reaching its peak.

Caffeine has been what gets me through the day, especially energy drinks. I drink a Red Bull almost every day or two. I can’t lie, this is the best thing invented for people who have busy days all the time, like me.

Winter Edition

Pink Edition

Zero Sugar

The Winter Edition was the first release to come out in late Oct. of 2024 and it was definitely the best one out of these three latest releases.

This drink has a combination of vanilla and blueberry with some hints of eucalyptus which is used to calm your nerves.

As soon as this drink hit the shelves, it was not long before those shelves became empty.

The first time I bought one it was two 12oz cans, and that was probably the last time I was able to get my hands on this drink. I have been on the search to get my hands on these drinks again but it’s been a hard journey.

I’ve been to many stores to find one, but I will continue until I’m able to get it again.

This drink is supposed to be temporary, but I’ve heard rumors that they might make it stay permanently.

If they do, there will hopefully be a chance for me to get this drink again.

The Pink Edition was released in Jan. of this year and this drink deserves second place out of these three releases.

This drink combination contains raspberry and hints of verbena which is a plant that is used so people don’t get any type of heart condition. This one hasn’t been too hard to find in stores.

I put this one in the middle because I am a big fan of fruity drinks and this one just has a mix of berries. That’s boring and when it comes to having a Red Bull in my hand, I need to have the best one and this one just doesn’t meet those standards. It has to taste good in order to be good. If this drink had some better combination of flavors I’d consider it to be higher on my list.

I’m a big fan of different combinations in a drink so with this one just having berries, it just seems so bland like I’m drinking water. If this were to stay permanently, I wouldn’t mind it but I would still reach towards other flavors that Red Bull offers.

The Zero Sugar version was also released in Jan. of this year and this drink is either at the top or the bottom. For people who enjoy zero sugar drinks, this might be the right move, but this one just isn’t for me.

This drink contains Monk Fruit, which is a no calorie sweetener for drinks so they still have flavor, but it’s so gross.

Ever since this drink was released, I haven’t heard any reviews about it and that might be either because this drink tastes horrible or it just hasn’t had enough public attention like the other releases.

When you first take a sip of this drink, it doesn’t taste like anything which makes it very exciting.Once you get the after taste, then you finally get a slight taste of the monk fruit. I hope this one doesn’t last too long, it takes the space of a possible new drink that could taste better than this one.

ART BY ANGELA XU

The Correct Red Bull Rankings

#1 #2 #3

The Winter Berry Edition is the best and really stood out to me. The Pink Edition is kind of mediocre and needs some new additions to it to make it better. The Zero Sugar is very much the worst and needs to be thrown off the shelves as soon as possible.

GRAPHIC BY BRIANA FLORES

March 2025

WANTED: Canceled or not?

W

BY SOPHIA HADY

“I do not think, without repercussion and accepting the crime, you cannot separate the art from the artist.” - Sophomore Cyprus Jimenez

Features Editor

e as a society are willing to never listen to a pedophiles music ever again, but what about an attempted murder? Or a racist? Or abuser?

PHOTO BY BRIANA FLORES

At what point do we no longer separate the art from the artist, and instead acknowledge their problems and finally stop streaming?

Here are four controversial artists, and some thoughts on their accusations.

“I think it’s important that we know the context of who the music is made by and whether or not we want to support that.”- Junior Chloe Morrris PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

GRAPHICS BY SOPHIA HADY

It’s not often that a musician posts a shirt with a Swastika on it for customers to buy. But, Ye, the musician formerly known as Kanye West, has been receiving flack for his extremely anti semitic views for years.

Recently, Ye posted many anti semitic posts on X before If you listen to Zach Bryan you would think of him as extremely romantic; given how much he talks about love, dreams, and all sorts of hopeful stuff.

Contrary to popular opinion, Bryan actually has various accusations ranging from emotional abuse of his girlfriend to ho-

deleting his account, and now, his aforementioned t-shirt has reached two million sales (yes, that’s two million self-declared Nazis.) This is not the first time Ye has brought up his anti semitic views, he’s been saying ‘strange’ things like his 2022 tweet about “going defcon 3 on

mophobic rhetoric. If he’s writing such nice lines about romance, maybe he shouldn’t be awful to his girlfriend. And to make it worse, he was recently caught on camera saying a homophobic slur after losing a game of pool at a bar.

It goes on: he was also arrest-

Jewish People” for insanely long.

While his music may be good, can people really ignore these actions? “Some of his music is good but you don’t want to support him because he’s a bad person, and listening to his music is supporting him,” junior Chloe Morris said.

ed, and received a viral mugshot to go along with it. He was arrested mainly because he got out of his car after being pulled over, and argued with the arresting oforem ipsum dolor sit amet, conficer.

“When you start doing physisectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent cal crimes that’s when I draw the odio non enim hendrerit feugiat line,” senior Jay Bey said. posuere. In hendrerit scelerisque tellus

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Drake claims that he isn’taliquam, a penisi vitae consectetur faucibus, nibh nibh luctus ante, sit amet euismod nibh Generally speaking, coloring with knives and other aggressive In 2017, Heller tweeted thatnibh Mar-at ipsum. Aliquam dui felis, lobortis in accumsan in, faucibus at sem. books do not contain images activities. tinez had raped her. Martinez facilisis est sit amet leo semvaguely referring to child abuse.

Although the book was not claimed that HellerAliquam had “never per eu adipiscing ipsum posuere. Sed However, Melanie Martinez re- advertised for children, lots of said no” to their activities. ac iaculisher ipsum. Suspendisse tristique leased a coloring book based on the images represent child abuse. “[I stopped] streaming her songs, and it contains many If that wasn’t bad enough, she music on Spotify because I don’t fermentum lacus, ac ullamcorper neque violently suggestive images, in- faced rape allegations from her wanna give money lacinia to a rapist, ” Ut tellus urna, ultricies vitae. cluding many depicting children former friend, Timothy Heller. junior Tobias Walkersodales said. iaculis quis, tincidunt vel diam.

Maecenas et tortor quis orci 18 | A&E

U

ELA X

Y ANG

ART B

BY DHANYA RAJENDIRAN & ANGELA XU A&E Editor & Chief Artist

• • • • • • • •

•

$600 to $3000 Easier upgrades Massive library of games “PCs are easier to control,” sophomore Armand Verreire said Lacks exclusive games Solo gaming Lots of games can be incompatible “A part of the game will run slowly and be laggy,” said senior Valentin Martí Versatile: school, work, and video games

• • •

• • • •

$300 to $700 Multiplayer experience “It’s a really efficient way of playing wherever you need,” said Alejandra Valentin Martí Don’t need to upgrade every few years Longer life span Restricted amount of performance and graphics “With a console, you have to deal with a lot of storage space,” said sophomore Cameron Robb

PREFERS CONSOLE

38%

PREFERS PC

62%

GRAPHIC BY DHANYA RAJENDIRAN DATA FROM USJ POLL OF 40 STUDENTS

March 2025

Patient Over Parent

Doctors Must Treat Minors With Respect

BY JUDE GORDEN Opinions Editor

S

ymptoms: nervous tremble in voice, loss of confidence, forgetting your name.

ART BY ANGELA XU

Causes: getting talked down to by the adults in white coats while your mom tries, and fails, to explain your illness for you.

Treatments: doctors need to actually listen to all their patients.

I like to call this condition doctor brain.

But it’s not just me, I bet every high schooler has experienced at their yearly checkup.

A kid ends up in the presence of a doctor and suddenly forgets everything they’ve ever known. But there’s a reason for it. The way that many doctors interact with minors has led to a power imbalance, making kids and teens alike fear that yearly checkup.

“How old are you?” Well, I know that one - I think. Cue the look towards mom. She’ll answer better. “How have you been feeling re-

20 | Opinions

cently?” That’s a hard one, what if I jumble my words? Better to let mom handle it.

At my pediatrician’s office, and most doctor’s offices, conversations take place between the doctor, the patient (kid), and the parent.

Intentionally or not, many doctors tend to favor the perspective of the parents over the patient themselves. That makes sense in the case of the six-month old who can’t speak up for themselves, but loses validity quickly after toddlerhood.

Most parents don’t intend to speak ‘for’ their kids, but that’s what it becomes. And, sorry to say, no matter how much of a mama’s boy you are, your mom does not share your symptoms. The miscommunication between a minor’s firsthand account and the parent’s interpretation can lead to misdiagnosis and undue pain.

But this isn’t just a problem at that once a year appointment for many.

A National Library of Medicine study from 2019 found that out of 1,253 children ages 5-9, 20 percent had at least one chronic illness.

Chronic illness in minors can keep them coming back to the doctor’s office or hospital multiple times a month. And when it goes misdiagnosed, or isn’t looked into the same way it would in an adult’s case, that can be dangerous.

According to a National Health Statistics Report, between 2017 and 2019, 107.3 million emergency department visits were made annually by adults, with almost sixty percent of those coming from adults with at least one chronic condition.

By listening to kids the first time, we might have a chance to decrease that 107.3 million through education and treatment.

Lots of teens can’t hop in the car and drive themselves to the hospital. Lots of kids can’t find the words to speak up the second symptoms reappear. Lots of Creek students can’t spend precious class time going down to the nurse’s office. And because of this, lots of students, like me, are left standing behind their parent’s shoulders at a doctor’s office, scared to bring up how they actually feel.

But it’s not just parents overstepping that’s the issue. In my experience, many doctors don’t take minors’ accounts at face value like they would an adult. Sure, kids lie to get out of school. Sure, kids embellish to get attention.

And sure, some kids still think “A Bad Case of the Stripes” was a true story. But newsflash, doctors - adults aren’t much different. I just turned 18, and I feel just as immature and dishonest as I did at 11.

So, what’s really the difference between a minor and an adult? Besides being able to purchase lottery tickets, adults generally control the purse strings.

I have a good relationship with my pediatrician, yet I’m still scared to start going to appointments on my own. Without my mom there, will my word be taken at face value, or will I be met with “let’s wait and see”?

But this larger problem with doctor-patient interactions stems far beyond just kids. There’s a dark history of medical mistreatment of people of color in America, and many are still affected by it. A 2022 Pew Research Center Study found 55 percent of Black Americans have had bad experiences too, like having to speak up to receive proper care or not being taken seriously.

Though I’ve seen all 21 (and counting) seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, I could never be a doctor. All I’m suggesting is that we pay just as much attention to the stressed-out kid as we do to their hovering parent, that doctors offer the same respect and level of care to all patients, regardless of things like age or race.

I know firsthand how hard it is to advocate for yourself. I was in and out of doctors’ offices my junior year for a health issue, and it felt like no matter how much I pushed, no one could help. Sure, it can be frustrating to repeat yourself, or easier to let your parents speak for you, but the more that we prove we can advocate effectively at the doctors, the more credit we’ll be given in the first place.

So speak up more, don’t let yourself be intimidated by those crisp white jackets, and don’t feel discouraged at the first shove-off or misdiagnosis.

Break A Bone, Break The Bank

Healthcare Is Too Money Motivated

BY ELISE DOUGHERTY

T

Staff Writer

hey want your money. That’s all insurance companies want.

That’s the reason why Luigi Mangione allegedly killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood. I am in no position to talk about the ethics of murder, but I do know that Mangione’s act brought awareness to millions of Americans.

The healthcare industry in America is virtually incomparable to that of any other country in the world. While our Canadian neighbors enjoy the luxury of universal healthcare, we Americans are still spending more money on insurance than citizens of any other country, according to CBS news.

Shockingly, even though American healthcare is immensely more expensive, it is not better than other countries.

The healthcare services in America aren’t generally bad. Even though citizens pay out of pocket for these services, the government spends millions a year too. However, this spending doesn’t result in improvements.

And with the amount of money being spent, American citizens want care that matches the price they are paying.

This creates a bigger systemic problem that starts when citizens are afraid to get the care they need because it costs them extra out-ofpocket money. On average Americans visit a doctor 4 times a year, which is less than most other high-income countries.

Avoiding care that could be beneficial isn’t healthy for us, and the problem gets worse when care is vital.

A few months ago, I had to go to the hospital because I got hurt at my lacrosse practice.

BY ART

ELA

ANG

It felt like the entire time I was there, extra expenses were being tacked on. I knew in the back of my mind that the screening, X-rays, and medicine were costing my parents hundreds of dollars, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Even with a decent insurance company and a minor injury, I was still aware of the money I was “wasting.” At the end of the visit, I got nothing but a diagnosis and a doctor’s note that exempted me from practice for the next week.

That happened in November. Even now, my parents haven’t received all of the charges from my visit. No one should ever be in a situation where the expenses they are paying for their safety are obscure and not presented up front.

The problem is that our system is based on profit. America is the only major economy in the world that has made healthcare into a business. These insurance companies rarely show any remorse, setting prices as high as they want.

Why should these companies be able to make a profit off of the well-being of American citizens? Healthcare is something so essential to the people that it shouldn’t be available for big companies to exploit.

The horrors of the healthcare industry have been overlooked for decades. Even though we know corruption is occurring, nothing is ever done about it. We watch the people at the top get millions and millions of dollars from suffering patients while we continue to provide them with the money they need to keep abusing the system.

This is a system that we Americans are forced to buy into - quite literally, because there is no other option.

You can get medicare if you are over 65 and have paid into the Social Security system.

You can get Medicaid if you have low income.

Other than that, you’re either paying a private insurance company or in crippling debt (or both!)

Former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2010 to give 40 million American citizens access to healthcare. This program has been expanding since it first developed, and it was a big step in the right direction.

However, as President Donald Trump has mentioned attempting to repeal this act, we might be back to square one, with insurance companies being an even more indomitable force in our system.

When a firefighter risks their life to save someone from a burning building, they don’t ask the victim how they’re going to pay them back before being saved. But as soon as that person steps into a nearby ambulance, that’s essentially what happens.

The difference between a fire rescue and an ambulance ride? Firefighters are publicly funded by taxes, and health care companies have the ability to take advantage of the misfortunes of other people to make a profit.

They barely let patients breathe before shoving fee, after fee, after fee down their throats.

The American healthcare system enables these corrupt companies to continue profiting off of vulnerable people, because our country can’t figure out how to establish a system that benefits the people.

It’s hard to believe that a nation that claims to be so developed and educated can’t step away from the need to profit from its citizens.

XU

March 2024 2025 January

Modern Romance is Simply Unromantic

BY BERKELEY BOWLER

F

Staff Writer

rom a very young age I have always admired the idea of romance. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve found it much less appealing.

As a child, I watched romance movies with my mom, creating the image that the person you spend your life with is meant to yearn for you and express their love in actions. Movies like “The Notebook,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “Serendipity” created my conceptions of love, and threw me into a dreamland of what my future romances would look like.

Then I got to middle school.

My perspective entirely changed once I experienced modern romance for myself, in a talking stage. That’s a period right before

ART L NGE

BY A A XU

22 | Opinions and Staff Editorial

dating where two people are almost dating but not yet. We talked constantly for three years online, and barely spoke in person.

This wasn’t the idealized image I’d imagined as a child, as I’d done since the age of five.

This talking stage was rough, awkward, and even painful - it was nothing like what I’d imagined.

Online he was the sweetest person in the world, but then in person he wouldn’t even talk to me and was super dry. And the worst part is that he was one of my closest friends. I didn’t just lose a talking stage I lost a friend. But now I feel like I don’t have that burden any more.

I’d hoped to experience cute, little dates like going to the park and watching the stars.

A pure connection. Not the normalized version of sitting in a restaurant, ignoring each other and scrolling endlessly. Of course relationships of the past were not perfect, but they seem much better than todays’ to me.

Meeting online was not always a thing.

According to Child Trends, during the 1990s, very few adult couples met online.

That amount jumped to 39 percent of couples meeting online in 2017. Maybe that’s not the majority, but from virtually zero to almost 40 is a big jump, and that was still eight years ago.

There are so many other variables that go into modern age romance being unromantic. Talking stages over Snapchat aren’t romantic. Only wanting to be physical isn’t romantic. Never meeting up in person isn’t romantic. Doing the bare minimum isn’t romantic.

We’re all familiar with “what do you look like” warriors, a term that’s plagued our generation, solidifying the prominent lack of romance. They are random people who add anyone who breathes on Snapchat. Their only intention is to see pictures of people’s bodies and faces and give them false hope of any real feelings. They consistently normalize prioritizing looks over personality, neglecting to introduce themselves or ask about your day. What matters to them is what you look like and what you’re wearing, so you can forget how many siblings you have or how your day is going. Simply, these people are just a waste of molecules and precious phone battery.

According to the National Library of Medicine, (NLM) it’s estimated that about

GRAPHIC BY JUDE GORDEN

Snapchat: Josh sent you a virtual rose 70 percent of people reported having had sexual intercourse by their late teens.

Hookup culture is so normalized that everywhere I go, I hear people talking about the most bombastic things like how they went on a “four man.” That’s where four guys and four girls go on a group “date,” looking to only hookup. Can people not have actual romantic feelings anymore? Why do we only care about sex? Also, so many people go on two man after two man. A “two man” is when you and your friend go hook up with two other people. At the ripe age of 14, how on Earth are you getting this many people to hook up with you? And why?

Social media has absolutely blown up relationships because you can see if your significant other is online and not answering you. It gets toxic, especially when there is an increase in jealousy and insecurities around followers and those they follow. This leads to unhealthy relationships and situationships, like the classic on-again-off-again couple we all know.

According to the NLM, the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study found that 44 percent of young adults reported multiple periods of breaking up and getting back together with their intimate partners.

That shouldn’t be normal, but it is. The emotional pain that comes with unstable relationships is very familiar to many teens nowadays.

Now people need to change romance.

Here’s my suggestions. Do the little things, walk people to their doors, get “just because” flowers, and please, go on cute little dates: arcade, aquarium, picnics in the park, painting dates, bowling, drive in movies, dinner dates, every now and then, and instead of going on “two mans” go on double dates.

Also instead of sending Snapchat streaks, talk in person.

c

Legacy Needs To Go Now

A

dents.

pplying to college is painfully stressful, and it feels like a universal struggle for most stu-

But the stark reality is that it isn’t - getting into college is easier for students who have connections. This process is the exact opposite of fair; if we all have to go through the heinous experience of applying to schools, shouldn’t we all have the same odds of getting in?

According to an article by US News and World Reporting, “legacy preference ” refers to the boost to a prospective student’s chances of admission if they are related to an alumnus, often a parent or grandparent.

Legacy preference puts students who come from lower income backgrounds at a severe disadvantage and rewards students whose parents were able to afford college, especially expensive colleges like the Ivy Leagues, neither of which should be considered when discussing college admissions. Most colleges consider things such as GPA, extracurricular, test scores, and letters of recommendation, all of which require some effort and are what should be looked at rather than things out of peoples control such as generational wealth and privilege.

A 2023 study from the National Bureau of Economic research found that legacy students are far more likely to come from families in the one percent income level. And with around 88 percent of the “one percent” in the United States being white, colleges considering legacy are significantly increasing the chances of a white dominant student body.

By using legacy, universities are putting students who are part of a racial minority in challenging positions with unfair chances.

Affirmative action, which allows race-conscious admissions in the name of allowing more African American and Asian students to attend college, was banned in June 2023 by the Supreme Court. For minority groups, the

program was extremely important because it allowed for higher levels of diversity to exist in historically white-majority schools. Now that precedent is gone, and coupled with the practice of legacy admissions, diversity levels in colleges are looking grim.

Legacy does not automatically mean a student is accepted into a university, but it does increase chances. But how is it fair to place a student higher up on a list simply because their parents or grandparents were smart?

Why shouldn’t the students who deserve the spot at the university based on GPA and extracurriculars be granted it rather than those with generational wealth and privilege?

Not all colleges consider legacy, but according to a Forbes article, within the 100 highest ranked colleges, 70 percent of private colleges gave at least some consideration to legacy and public colleges showed at least 15 percent. While 15 percent may not seem that bad for public universities, for students who are aiming for private colleges or Ivy Leagues where there are lower acceptance rates and more tense requirements - their chances of acceptance decrease even more without legacy.

According to the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Colorado public universities are no longer allowed to consider legacy in the admissions process. While this is good for Colorado and good for students planning on staying in state, this does nothing for stu-

STAFF-EDITORIAL This is an opinions piece written by the Editorial Staff of the Union St. Journal. Staff-editorials serve as a way for members of the magazine to give commentary on a community wide issue. The views expressed represent the opinions of the editorial staff, not those of CCHS or CCSD.

0-0

dents who plan on going out of state for college. Maryland, Virginia, and California have also banned legacy admissions for public schools. Some private schools have done this, ABSTAINED but because private schools have different requirements, they can’t be required to remove legacy consideration in the same way state schools are.

While not much can be done to change private universities’ processes with legacy, all public schools should remove legacy during the admissions process. All students should have a fair chance at acceptance without relying on generational wealth and white privilege.

STEPPING STONE: Prospective students with alumni in their family get an unfair leg up over other students. Legacy admissions also often have greater advantages for those with generational wealth.

ART BY PEYTON CHAMPION

13 - 0

IN FAVOR

OPPOSED

The USJ’s Editorial Board voted on the subject of this Staff Editorial.

March 2025

BOYS’ HOCKEY FIGHTS FOR DUBS

PHOTO BY QUINN RUDNICK

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

ON THE PUCK: Senior Centers Logan Samador (#3, above) and Garret Linville (#6, left) skate against Regis defensemen on a Jan. 24 game.

BARNBURNER: Junior Left Winger Shotik Badashyan (#27, below) shoots at the Regis net at a Feb. 25 playoff game that Creek won 5-1.

RECORD:

11-6-2

*

7-5 JAN. 25 OVER VALOR BIGGEST WIN:

SEEDED

4TH

IN THE PLAYOFFS

MOST POINTS: AUSTIN

KATZ

22

MOST GOALS: GARRETT

LINVILLE

12

#14, SR. #6, SR.

*STATS AS OF FEB. 28. INFOGRAPHIC BY PETER PHILPOTT PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

PHOTO BY PETER PHILPOTT

COAST-TO-COAST: Senior defenseman Cooper Huang (#10, above) rushes the puck against Mountain Vista on Feb. 5.