The Royal Banner January 2023

The Royal Banner Royal Banner

January 2022

Boulder dinner theater shuts down

Story by Lily Nobel p. 14-15

The Marshall Fire - one year later

Story by Addison Washburn and Elliot Pease p. 16-17

Winter Hiking in Boulder, Colorado

Story by John Kowalski p. 12

The Royal Banner

by lily nobel

by eliana knode

by john kowalski

by lily nobel

by addison washburn and elliott pease

Psilocybin: A NEw Perspective

Psilocybin: A NEw Perspective

Albert Hoffman, a Swiss chemist, was the first person to isolate psilocybin from a mushroom, twenty years after his discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as the powerful psychedelic LSD. While LSD slipped into malpractice in the hands of the US government, Hoffman was busy experimenting with a new kind of psychedelic.

The psychoactive properties in

tobacco use.

Before research could be conclusive, psilocybin mushrooms were listed as a Schedule One substance in the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, labeled as a “highly addictive” drug while there was little to no evidence to support accusations of addiction. Although mushrooms had a bad label to them, people still tried them for recreational benefits.

In this year’s election, Proposition 122 aimed to bring psychedelic mushrooms back to the medical stage.

mental health conditions.

According to the Natural Medicine Colorado website, “Pioneering research from leading medical research institutions [...] finds that some psychedelic therapies can be twice as effective as antidepressant medications in treating depression and anxiety.”

However, opposition groups like Protect Colorado’s Kids cited concerns that psychedelic drugs would be sold in communities, leading to underage access.

While the bill decriminalizes personal use for people over the age of 21, the bill doesn’t permit the retail sale of the drug, and distributing psilocybin to those under 21 will still carry the same

psilocybin mushrooms were originally discovered by Robert Heim in 1956 and identified by Hoffman in 1958. Previously, it was found to be used in ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations for medical and ceremonial purposes. In the next few decades, thousands of clinical trial patients were given doses of psilocybin, from microdoses to those with the goal of inducing a “trip.”

The “magic mushrooms” were found to have high rates of success in rehabilitating those with obsessivecompulsive disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and severe depression in terminally ill cancer patients. Psilocybin was also successfully used to treat patients with addictions such as alcoholism and

The proposition, which decriminalized the use, possession, and growth of psilocybin and several similar mushrooms with psychedelic effects, passed on the state level with a 9% margin. The measure also created the “Regulated Natural Medicine Access Program”, which will license centers to administer services involving psilocybin. Groups including Natural Medicine Colorado and Citizens for Natural Medicine cited research from universities like UCLA, NYU, and Johns Hopkins as evidence that psilocybin could effectively treat a variety of

legal consequences.

Following the decriminalization, many opinions and anecdotes emerged from the community.

“If [psilocybin] helps people, why wouldn’t it be legal?” said a Fairview senior, who wished to remain anonymous.

Many students, citing positive experiences, agreed that decriminalization is a step in the right direction.

“I changed spiritually,” said another anonymous senior. “I’ve become more

story and desgin by holly auerbach and madi arnold

After a New Measure, Shrooms Step Into the Medical Spotlight

“I’ve become more sensitive to what other people are feeling, and I’m more conscious of other people’s emotions. I was able to fight my demons.”

“some psychedelic therapies can be twice as effective as antidepressant medications in treating depression and anxiety.”

PsilocybiN FUN Facts

Since Magic Mushrooms grow in the wild, it will come as no surprise, but animals feel the effects of this psychedelic drug

There are several rock paintings in Tassili n’Ajjer in Algeria created during the Mesolithic period depicting the ritual and ceremonial use of mushrooms.

Over 200 species of Psilocybin mushrooms exist.

sensitive to what other people are feeling, and I’m more conscious of other people’s emotions. I was able to fight my demons.”

Multiple students stressed that these mushrooms should be used in “moderation” and steps should be taken to guarantee safety.

“You don’t want it to be a norm, but you don’t want there to be a stigmatism to it. There needs to be balance,” said an anonymous junior. “[Mushroom experiences] made me look at the world from a different perspective that I’d never seen before.”

Legalizing these mushrooms will make therapy choices range larger, making it easier for people with trauma, illness, and mental health conditions to access.

“You feel everything you don’t

usually feel, everything you hide, it’s all coming out,” said another anonymous student, talking about their experience on shrooms. “I feel like that’s a good way to therapeutically heal from your trauma.”

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Separating the Art From the Artist

Amid Hollywood’s storm of cancel-culture and political controversy arises a moral conflict: should art be separated from its artist? A prime example of this ethical dilemma is Kanye West. Rapper and fashion guru Kanye West has over 51 million monthly listeners on Spotify, but has also been facing heavy controversy from the media and his fans.

In late October, West posted an anti-Semitic tweet, writing: “I’m going death con 3 on Jewish people.” He also appeared at several events in White Lives Matter apparel. In addition to this, West publicly questioned the cause of the death of George Floyd, a black man murdered by the police and an inspiration for the Black Lives Matter Movement. In his apology, he then proceeded to say he “knows how it feels to have a knee on [his] kneck.” The effects of West’s behavior have already been seen throughout America; a banner stating “Kanye is Right About was hung over a freeway in Los Angeles. His blatant antisemitism continues

to stem further with time. More recently, West tweeted a photo of a swastika, and even went so far to praise both the Nazis and Hitler in an interview with far-right commentator Alex Jones, saying “I like Hitler… Hitler has a lot of redeeming qualities.” He lost his billionaire status after Adidas, Balenciaga, and other brands canceled their partnership with him over his offensive remarks. As someone who is a part of the Jewish community, this controversy is close to me. By no means is the

Kanye as an excuse for hate speech is both frustrating and terrifying. It’s quite apparent most of Kanye’s quotes are openly said to anger and shock the Jewish community. Being a member of this community, hearing Kanye praise the leader of a genocide on entire religion was gutwrenching.

However, should Kanye’s behavior dictate whether his fans should continue to listen to his music? Kanye is indubitably one of the most influential rappers of our time, and his unique lyricism and artistic vision are unlike any other artist currently in the music industry. His art should be separated from his actions and thoughts as a person. No one person is perfect or unflawed, and placing famous individuals, especially those with extreme mental health conditions such as bipolar (the disorder Kanye suffers from), under the public microscope magnifies the outlash to his actions. Any person with a disease causing mania and depression put under constant scrutiny would be bound to cause controversy.

I am completely morally against everything Kanye is currently standing for, as are most of his listeners. However,

Kanye’s recent political stances force fans to consider if the artist is seperate from their art story and design by julia perian

Art MIDNIGHTS: THE CULMINATION

Artist

Kanye’s music and lyrics speak to greater, universal themes. These themes are what attract his large audience to him and what separate his songs from himself as a person. Kanye would not have achieved such great fame and success without good music and genuine talent. Although a lot of his songs are upbeat and rap based, Kanye addresses ideas such as racism, heartbreak, poverty, the high school experience, the issues of wealth and fame, ego and self consciousness, and mental health. The Fairview student body has undoubtedly listened to Kanye’s Graduation, and related to the epics and emotions that come with being a high school student.

Humans are inherently flawed and prone to lapses in judgment. No human is perfect or perhaps not even truly good. However, art is beyond the bounds of human flaws and prejudice. The reason art is so universal and valued is that it rises above both the humans who create it and the problems associated with the time of its creation. Art can be valued, and stretched, and interpreted so differently throughout time and depending on the period and environment in which it is appreciated. Kanye’s lyricism and song messages rise above himself as a person, or

On midnight of October 21st, Taylor Swift dropped her tenth album, Midnights. At 2 am on the 22nd, she dropped an extra 13 tracks. As expected, listeners had a range of opinions on the album.

Swift announced this album during the MTV Music Awards in her acceptance speech for winning Video of the Year for her short film All Too Well. This album was going to be “the stories of thirteen sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” according to Swift. In her speech a NYU, Swift included a lot of lines from her songs in her speech. Due to this and other easter eggs, many fans were anticipating an album before it was announced.

She brought along Lana Del Rey for her song “Snow On The Beach”, a collaboration that many fans were very excited about. However, this song received negative reviews as people were upset at how Rey only sang for the background vocals.

In “Mastermind”, Taylor makes herself sound like the villain, having lyrics like “I have been scheming like a criminal ever since.” The song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” is about Swift going back to her hometown and feeling like a kid again. This album is interesting because each song has different vibes and in every song, Swift depicts herself as something else. In some she is the villain, in others, she is a child, and in others, she is a woman in love.

While many people enjoyed this album, others were underwhelmed by it. Elsa Corn (11) states that she thinks the album was “good, but didn’t stand out to me at first. Then it grew on me a lot.”

Olivia Shaw (11) agreed with Corn saying, “overall it’s not my favorite album, but it’s still better than Evermore. My favorite song on the album is ‘Maroon’.”

Despite the mixed reviews, Swift once again broke records with this album. Notably, she became the only artist ever to take all top ten spots on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Swift has also been gradually releasing music videos for the songs. Her “Anti-Hero” music video received a lot of negative attention as fans were upset with Swift for a scene in the video that some argued was fat shaming. In the scene, Swift weighs herself, then camera pans onto the scale which reads “FAT.”

Ultimately, the album performed very well and left fans satisfied with beloved new songs. performed very well and left fans satisfied with beloved new songs.

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A review of Taylor Swift’s newest album Midnights story by farah ahmadova design by julia perian

Librarians Celebrate Recent Measure

Ameasure to create a new library district, which proponents claim will ensure stable funding for the Boulder County library system, passed in the election earlier this month.

Fairview librarians Maura Rhodes and Elizabeth Lott believe the measure is a step in the direction to fuel local libraries during recent financial struggles.

The bill passed by a narrow margin of less than 7%. Oppositional groups like Keep Our Libraries focused on the tax increases (taxes will be increased $23 per $100,000 of property value per year) and whether or not the libraries were already adequately funded within the current system. However, Rhodes disagreed with claims that the libraries were

already well enough funded.

“The funding for the libraries has stayed the same over the last years. Similarly to a household, when the income stays the same and the costs increase and increase, you have to cut back on things,” said Rhodes.

other opponents of the bill cited the library’s achievements as proof the library didn’t need further funding:

“The City of Boulder Library System has won national and state awards. Why fix something not broken?” wrote Lisa Morzel in the Daily Camera. “In 2009, Boulder Public Library was named a four-star public library. In 2016, the Boulder Public Library won Colorado Library of the Year.”

According to Lott and Rhodes, some librarians were pressured into early retirement during financial challenges, and services like BLDG 61 (the Main Branch’s makerspace) operated with reduced hours to cut back on costs.

“I hope they can continue to expand and have more programs with more tax

revenue,”

Rhodes said.

Proponents of the library measure are thrilled by the measure’s passing. “Libraries are uniquely vulnerable in our community-it’s why they struggled with underfunding for more than 20 years,” wrote Claudia Hanson Thiem on the Boulder Library Champions website. “Now that the voting is over, we expect our elected leaders to appoint trustees with the skills and vision to help the new district succeed.”

Librarians share their opinions on a recent measure and discuss library funding. story by lily nobel design by eliana knode

Fairview High School’s library

photo by lily nobel

How Has your Education shaped you? How Has your Education shaped you?

Teachers at Fairview share how their educational futures and backgrounds have made them who they are now. story and design by eliana knode

Everyone has a different history and background; part of that history is education. Whether that be where someone went to high school, or where they went after. Fairview has so many different educational backgrounds within the staff. So how have their educational decisions shaped who they are today?

Many teachers and staff at Fairview didn’t originally plan on working in a high school. Clerical staff member

that table because people say all kinds of stuff.” One of the main reasons Ferfache considered working at Fairview was that her mother used to be the registrar. Since she was familiar with the school and wanted to be able to help people it seemed like a good idea. Although, working with high school students was nerve-racking at first “I was honestly nervous about high school because I was not popular, but (the students) are my favorite part about working here.” said Ferfache.

Kristine Ferfache originally got a psychology degree and was a massage therapist for 18 years. “I really like helping people, and I care a lot about people. I think the human brain is interesting and things that guide choices, whether good or bad”

Ferfache said “After I had a small child, I couldn’t really afford or have time to go to school, so I did massage therapy because I was still helping people, and wouldn’t you know…I still used my psychology [...] while they were on

Many staff members at Fairview have personal ties to the school along with Ferfache. “I think because I had kids go through Fairview it gave me that little advantage of knowing what high school kids experience and where they will be going.” said health para Judy Stephens. Stephens went into college with little advice and support, being the nurse at Fairview gives her an opportunity to guide high schoolers in a way she wasn’t given access to. “Even though (I had a) counselor tell me how well I did on my SATs and I could go anywhere, in those days you had to hand do your applications [...] I could have used help, and I think I would’ve gone in a different direction with more support.” said Stephens “That’s probably why I’m in high school. I would like to help kids maximize their potential…whatever it is.”

Spanish teacher Javier Romero originally studied in Spain before studying abroad in Belgium. “I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to apply everything that I was learning next to my hometown. So I decided to try a

different culture, different language, and different experiences. It was one of the best memories that I have from my college.” said Romero. Eventually ending up in Chicago after receiving a degree in first elementary education and a master’s in teaching Spanish as a second language, it wasn’t until 2018 that Romero started teaching at Fairview. “My wife got accepted at CU for a PhD program. So we decided to move here.[...] I was actually planning to teach elementary education because that’s what I always taught.” Romero said “But then I applied to different schools and I was eventually hired at Fairview, which eventually turned out to be something really special and amazing.” The transition from teaching elementary schoolers to high schoolers was “an adjustment” for Romero.

With Fairview being such an academically rigorous school it comes as no surprise that many of its teachers

“That’s probably why I’m in high school. I would like to help kids maximize their potential…whatever it is.”

“I was honestly nervous about high school because I was not popular, but (the students) are my favorite part about working here.”

received more than one degree. Language arts teacher Susan Bean received a bachelor’s degree in arts of Spanish and English and a minor in communications. “(I knew) I’d probably be a teacher but wasn’t sure what I wanted to teach. And I just really liked the communications department. (So) I thought in case I didn’t become a teacher, I might do something with business and use that.” said Bean. Originally planning on staying in San Antonio when she first graduated it wasn’t until Bean realized they needed a job that they moved back to Colorado, where they grew up. “I’d

High School. They trusted me enough to do it, because they knew me and so I ended up staying here, being closer to my parents and then all of that.” Living with their parents while they worked at Thornton High School they felt “immature and unprepared” to be

a high school teacher. But even though it was a tough transition “I’m glad I’m a teacher. it’s a great job. It is not without its challenges lately, but the actual teaching part I really like.” said Bean.

Educational backgrounds are always a pivotal point in people’s lives, they shape where you will go in the future and what you will do. Although things can always change, high school and college are foundations that build people’s interests and passions. Many people aren’t happy with some of their choices and if given a redo would make different decisions, but since that isn’t an option it is important to consider what options you may possibly have in the future.

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“(I knew) I’d proabably be a teacher but wasn’t sure what I wanted to teach.”

Kristine Ferfache has a conversation with assistant principal Nicolas Kosovich

photo by eliana knode

Susan Bean organizes her file cabinet in her office photo by eliana knode

Javier Romero goes through his email photo by eliana knode

As more snow starts to fall around Boulder, the high peaks of Boulder County beckon adventurous hikers to explore their ice covered reaches. Here are some winter hikes located in and around Boulder, with starting points located within 2030 miles of Fairview.

Bear Peak Meadow, Boulder Mountain Parks

Rating: Easy

Distance: 4.2 miles

Begin at the Shanahan Cragmoor Trailhead, located at the end of Cragmoor Road in Boulder, Colorado. Follow the Cragmoor Connector Trail to it’s intersection with the North Fork Shanahan Trail. Continue on this trail, hiking onwards until you reach an intersection with the Mesa Trail. Take a left at this point, and follow the Mesa Trail for roughly 0.4 miles. Eventually, you’ll reach the edge of a large open meadow. This is Bear Peak Meadow, an area which allows you to see various flatiron formations rising 1,000-2,000 feet on the mountain above.

Brainard Lake, Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Rating: Medium

Distance: 6 miles

Begin at the Brainard Lake Winter Trailhead, located off of the Peakto-Peak Highway in western Boulder County. Walk along Brainard Lake Road, open and free of cars due to snow. Follow the road for approximately 2.5 miles, winding in and out of the frozen forest. Eventually, you’ll reach the namesake lake, offering stunning views of five 13,000 foot peaks, or 13ers. To make this hike into a semi-loop, walk around the entire lake on the road, taking in more of the stunning scenery.

South Arapaho Peak/Old Baldy Peak, Indian Peaks Wilderness

Rating: Difficult

Distance: 17.5 miles

This route has you gain the summit of two 13ers in the winter. Begin at the Hessie Trailhead, located at the end of the town of Eldora in western Boulder County. Walk up the Fourth of July Road, which is closed due to snow. Hike the road for 4 miles, gaining elevation for a good while before reaching the Fourth of July Trailhead. At this point, snowshoes are most definitely a necessity, as the terrain will be filled

with many feet of snow. Continue on, following the Arapaho Pass Trail as it makes its way through the forest. Go by the Diamond Lake cutoff, switchbacking further upwards into a basin located below South Arapaho Peak. Follow the trail for a while, taking a sharp right at the Arapaho Glacier Trail turn off. Hike along the Glacier Trail as it climbs steeply up the lower slopes of South Arapaho Peak. Eventually you’ll reach a saddle between both South Arapaho Peak and Old Baldy. Head west, scrambling up the peak’s rugged slopes. Reach the 13,397 foot peak, offering up stunning views in all directions. If you want a bit more of a challenge, you can head back down the mountain and climb Old Baldy, the 13,038 foot peak directly to the east of South Arapaho, completing two 13ers in a single day.

WARNING:

It is in your best interest to look at the Colorado Avalanche Center for information on winter hiking.The Royal Banner is not responsible for any injuries that occur while hiking or mountaineering in the mountains. Your safety is your responsibility.

The high peaks of Boulder County are open for winter exploration.

northern Wilderness, as summit of kowalski.

northern Wilderness, as summit of kowalski.

As Curtains

the boulder Dinner

After 45 years, the Boulder Dinner Theatre (BDT), a longtime home for some of Fairview’s theater alumni, is closing its curtains for the last time. Though the theater’s close may have been rushed by financial difficulties created by COVID, the company’s time in the building was also coming to a natural close, according to Seamus McDonough, the producing artistic director and a Fairview graduate.

“Our owners are getting older in

years [...] and they didn’t just want to go and hand the thing off to anybody [...], so they decided they were going to sell the land and the property,” said McDonough. The company itself is still owned separately from the building, but the trope’s future is uncertain. “It’s mostly just that it’s been 45 years. We’ve had a really good run of things, and it’s just time, for this location at least.”

BDT Stage functions differently from most companies, where actors sign on to a contract for one 6-8 week production. When Ros Hailey founded the company, his goal was to keep talented actors on stage at BDT, so when a person was cast, they were

going to be there in each show.

“It didn’t matter if you were a lead or in the ensemble, you were going to be cast in the show,” said McDonough. The actors also work waiting tables, maintaining the “dinner” part of “dinner theatre.”

“Something that I really love about working here is because we wait tables, we get to know each other on a very personal level,” said Tracy Warren, who both graduated from Fairview and has returned to the school to direct musicals and plays. “[We’re] not just paling along on stage, we get to work together back here, in the trenches.”

Cindy Lawrence, another Fairview alumni, has worked at BDT since 1983. She also noted the intimacy present between company members.

“You become such a family. Back when this theatre first started, [...] we were doing seven shows a week. You spend so much time together-naturally, you become family,” said Lawrence. “Everybody knows everybody so well. We all love each other.”

This feeling of family was elevated by company members who made their entire careers at BDT, such as Wayne Kennedy, Alicia Myers, Joni Rubald, Scott Bayett, and Bob Hoppi. These actors who returned for show after show further built a sense of community with the theatre’s patrons.

“Because the actors also serve the patrons for the show, the relationships [the patrons have] established with the actors is really incredible. An actor will come in and ask about one of [the patron’s] kids and the person they’re waiting on can also ask about their family. That sense of community that’s

been there for so long is something that’s been truly, truly special to them, and also, I believe, to the patrons that’ve been coming for so many years. That’s something I think you really don’t see every day,” said McDonough.

BDT’s last season is ongoing. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, which is running

October 21st through January 28th, ends with a “giant party”, with all of the actors playing the band members performing on their own instruments.

“No one leaves without dancing,” said McDonough.

Next, BDT will put on Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas, showing November 14 through December 28, 2022.

“[Putting on Away in the Basement] very fun for us because we have Barb Reeves, who was one of the original cast members in our first production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, that we put on back in 1977 [is in the show],” said McDonough. “Alicia Myers is actually getting to act

The Boulder Dinner Theater shuts down after 45 years. story by lily nobel design by eliana knode

“You become such a family. Back when this theater first started, [...] we were doing seven shows a week. you spend so much time together-naturally, you become family,”

“It didn’t matter if you were a lead or in the ensemble, you were going to be cast in the show.”

Curtains Close,

Dinner Theatre Celebrates

with her daughter in the show, and, of course, Wayne Kennedy is in the show. If you’ve seen a show here in the past 20-30 years, you’ve seen Wayne on stage.”

Church Basement Ladies will be followed by Something Rotten (February 25 through April 21), the last show the company will put on that they haven’t done before.

Finally, curtains will close with The Sound of Music, the BDT’s most requested show, with the first performance on April 29th. The closing night of the last show ever to be performed at the theatre will be August 19th, marking exactly 46 years from the day the theatre opened.

“It’s hard,” said Lawrence. “I don’t know what else to say besides it’s hard. It’s definitely a heartbreak. [...] When you step in, you kind of relive everything you’ve been and done here.”

Lawrence and Warren both believe the theatre is an asset the community will miss.

“One of the biggest memories I have [from childhood] is when my dad took me to my first musical. It was like ‘oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever’. There’s so much you can get out of theater, and being in the moment with people,” said Lawrence. “Each show has a point to it. It’s up to you to take away whatever you can from that show.”

Still, McDonough, Lawrence, and Warren agree the company’s last season is a celebration of the last 45 years above anything else.

“The shows that we’re doing are not as important as that I get to be with my friends for the remaining time. I think the last few months are just a

celebration of what has happened. Rather than dwelling in the sadness of it, really living in the moment and getting to celebrate while we’re here,” Warren said.

“It’s about having everyone being able to come in one more time and make one more memory, one more time in this space before it’s gone,” said McDonough. “I don’t want it to be a sad story. It’s the Winnie the Pooh adage: ‘don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’”

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“Our owners are getting older in years [...] and they didn’t just want to go and hand the thing off to anybody [...], so they decided they were going to sell the land and the property,”

One Year Later...

Soon, winter break will begin, marking the one year anniversary of the Marshall Fire. Presumed to have started in the Twelve Tribes compound, the fire tore through Southeastern Boulder County, causing 513 million dollars worth of damage and destroying over 1,000 homes. The effect that this had on Fairview is still felt to this day, both within the student body and the staff, raising a myriad of questions within the school. What are students’ current situations? How long will it take for homes to be rebuilt? What do students need from the community? What does BVSD need to do and what specifically have they done?

Many believe that the issues raised by this event have been solved, seeing as it’s been a full year since the fire. However, this is not the case. There are still disadvantages that students within Fairview without a home or a stable place of residence have to deal with. Not even teachers are aware of the full scale of impact that this has on their classroom, and students who still need aid.

“We have other students that are waiting for their houses to be rebuilt and [are] living, you know, not in their homes,“ said Dr Darrell Billington, a teacher at Fairview. “I teach freshmen, and because [the fire] happened last year, we don’t know where they live and we haven’t asked.”

The process of rebuilding has been seen as a long task, because it takes a long time for these

construction projects to even get approved. As of November 2022, only 23 building permits have been authorized for the rebuilding of homes lost in Boulder County, according to their official website. Out of the 157 homes destroyed in the fire within the unincorporated county, 143 have had their lot cleared, 21 building permits have been issued and zero homes have a certificate of occupancy. No homes within Boulder County as of November 2022 have been rebuilt to county standards of livability.

“[Students] probably may never get to their home while they’re [still] in school,” said Dr Billington.

One of the causes of this low number is lack of insurance.

Student names within this article have been replaced with pseudonyms for privacy.

Looking back on the Marshall Fire. story by addison washburn and elliott pease design by john kowalski

View from Lafayette. photo by addison washburn.

View from Broomfield. photo by addison washburn.

“I think a big piece [of rebuilding] is going to be funding for each family, because there was a large number of people who are underinsured, because there’s a confluence of things such as the supply chain, as well as COVID and labor, and all those things became more expensive to actually rebuild,” said Jerry Garcia from the Marshall Fire ROC, a volunteer organization working to provide aid to survivors of the fire. “Home values have extraordinarily jumped in Boulder County, particularly that there is a challenge with making sure that there’s enough that they are able to pull together all the different types of funding to be able to rebuild their home.”

Funding is actually a severe issue. The housing market in Boulder has risen astronomically high over the past decade, and the aftermath of the fire has drastically raised the demand that simply can’t be supplied. As a result, costs have gone up even further, and even fewer families can afford to rebuild. Students whose houses burned down or suffered long-term damage still cannot move back to a housing situation similar to what was present before the fire. These students still need help, and a possible source of this should be the district.

According to the federal legislature, school districts such as BVSD legally have to provide aid. The McKinneyVento Act decrees that “any displaced

child or youth experiencing the following [living situations] has educational rights under the McKinneyVento Act.” These educational rights include transportation, free school meals, educational services, full and equal opportunity to succeed in school, dental and mental health care, the ability to go to a different school temporarily, and more. This applies to students who have been displaced and are currently residing in hotels, apartments, etc. In other words, every student displaced by the Marshall Fire possesses the right to be provided these accommodations.

“Our McKinney Vento team did a lot of outreach to families, because at that time we had a lot of families that all of a sudden were considered homeless. And so I believe that it helped,” said Tami Lawrence, Director of BVSD Student Support Services. “It’s challenging, when we have a crisis of that magnitude, to know exactly what everybody needs. But if we didn’t have what was available for people, we at least had people that were trying to find those resources for folks.”

Despite BVSD’s attempted assistance, there are still challenges that those impacted by the fire face, and some students feel that Fairview hasn’t done enough. It’s hard to simply go back to normal after something like this, but when winter break ended, school resumed nonetheless. “Directly after

the fire, BVSD and Fairview expected students who didn’t have anything to just ‘jump back into it,’” said Lucia Lukson, a student at Fairview.

The majority of BVSD’s efforts were mental health driven, providing access to third-party resources. Unfortunately, with Fairview being as competitive and academically inclined as it is, this assistance had little effect on some students. “We’re so driven by academics that people who didn’t have that happen to them wanted to just keep learning and were like, ‘What’s wrong? It’s over. That happened two months ago. You know, shouldn’t you be over it by now?’ We still have students, I think, living in a hotel room and are still displaced,” said Dr Billington. “And we have other students that are waiting for their houses to be rebuilt and living, you know not in their homes? And they probably may never get to their home while they’re in school.”

It’s been almost a full year since this horrific event, but many people don’t realize that some still feel the impact of it to this day. To most, the fire is just a distant memory, but unfortunately this isn’t the case for all. There are still students that don’t live in a house that they can call their own. There are still students who lost everything that they owned. There are still students dealing with the mental and emotional impact of the fire, and the simple passing of time can’t change that reality.

“I wish we [teachers] had flags or a list that kept going around about who was influenced by the Marshall Fire. I know that they’re very aware and are now

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Graph from Boulder County’s officlal website.

View from Greenbriar. photo by elliott pease.

ona l g?

Albert Handorean

Jingle Bells Rock: Growing up the original Jingle Bells was one of my favorite Christmas songs because it was easy to follow the rhythm and understand as a kid. When I got older I heard Jingle Bells Rock which was just like Jingle Bells only more complex with rhythmic details and instrumentals.

Sophia Zhang

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” is definitely my holiday jam because the first few seconds of the song are so magical and it feels like you’re in a winter wonderland, which is such a nice vibe to start off the Christmas season. The melody played by violins also gives off a main character moment feeling by the way the notes are graciously played!! I also like the song because of the lyrics; I think they really reflect the essence of the Christmas spirit and it encapsulates your excitement for the

Rocking Around The Christmas

I like this song because I always think of the scene in Home Alone where the kid faked a party in his house so the burglars thought he wasn’t home alone. I also like it because I think it’s a rather different Christmas song, some get really repetitive. I also think it’s funky and upbeat.

Addison Washburn

Christmas at Ground Zero: Christmas at Ground Zero is likely the greatest holiday song of all time. The instrumentation is beautifully mixed and mastered, and the lyrics are illustriously articulated by the one and only “Weird Al” Yankovic. Sure, there’s holiday tunes by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin, but Yankovic takes the cake and eats it too.

julia perian

Baby it’s cold outside: It is super well sung and I just enjoy listening to it!

Overall Staff Favorite

Out of everyone in Fairview publications the overall favorite seasonal song is All I Want For Christmas. “It’s just a classic...” Sam Schwalbach (10). With the runner up being It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. “I used to listen to this song a lot as a kid and it brings back a ton of memories.” Albert Handorean (10). And...yes, Albert did have more than one favorite.

Wesley Schlachter

Run Rudolph Run: I mean there are a lot of good Christmas songs, but I think this one is my personal favorite. It is just a really good song. I like the lyrics and the rhythm a lot. It is kind of like a mix of Pop, R&B and the Blues all combined.

Collin Henderson

Jingle Bells: Its just the best classic Christmas song you can never go wrong with some jingle bells it hits the spot.

Ellie Landau

Underneath the Tree: I like underneath the tree by Kelly Clarkson because it reminds me of Christmas whenever I hear it and that makes me really happy.

Editors-in-chief

staff contributors

Eliana Knode

Eliana is a senior, and this is her third year with The Royal Banner. She is proud to be an Editor-in-Chief, and also to encourage student activism within the Fairview and larger Boulder community. Eliana loves spending time with her friends and her three amazing dogs.

Lily nobel

Lily is a senior, and this is their third year with The Royal Banner. They’re excited to explore the Banner’s possibilities this year and to foster a spirit of excitement and curiosity within the paper. Lily enjoys writing and hiking in our beautiful city.

About the Cover

This issue's cover was photographed by John Kowalski. The Third Flatiron is front and center in this photo, with Bluebell Canyon lying in the foreground. This was photographed from Sentinel Ridge.

Business Business Manager:

Claire-Maria Broaddus

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Website Feature School Lunch to Become

Free: Lunch, But at What Cost (Part 3)

About Us

The Royal Banner is a 20-page news magazine. The Banner is written primarily for the over 2000 students attending Fairview High School and is distributed free of charge to all members of the school community. Accurate reporting of fact is the goal of the staff. Commentaries, opinion columns and letters to the editor are the expressed opinion of the author and not of the Royal Banner and its Editorial Board or adviser.

*Disclaimer

Under Colorado law, no expression made by students in the exercise of free speech or freedom of the press shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy. No school district, employee, legal guardian or official of such a district shall be held liable in any criminal action for any expression made or published by a student. The Royal Banner sells advertisements for publicity and to pay for printing costs. We reserve the right to refuse to run any advertisement deemed inappropriate to the Fairview community.

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Madi Arnold p. 4-5

Holly Aurebach p. 4-5

Julia Perian p. 6

Farah Ahmadova p. 7

Elliott Pease p. 16-17

John Kowalski p. 12

Addison Washburn p. 16-17