MUSIC MUSINGS Inspiration for your fall playlist
vol. 59, no. 1 oct. 2018
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HIGHS AND LOWS
Fall sports recap
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ABIGAIL ROSER: CHANGEMAKER How one student uses her voice to call for change
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TABLE OF CONTENTS HIGHS AND LOWS Fall sports recap
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CUPID’S COMEDY CABARET
Anya Aidun gives her opinion on the student-led comedy performance
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MUSIC MUSINGS
Looking for addtions to your fall playlist? Check out these music reviews for inspiration.
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A CHANGING PERFORMANCE
Students and teachers adapt to changes in the theater program due to the construction
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ABIGAIL ROSER: CHANGEMAKER How one student uses her voice to call for change
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PARTISAN POLITICS
Carter Hanson discusses how changing Colorado politics will affect the midterm elections
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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE AND COMICS Check out our brand new comics section!
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COVER PHOTO BY JOHN ZERWIN
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MATTGREENWALDSCORESATOUCHDOWNATTHEBOULDER-FAIRVIEW FOOTBALL GAME PHOTO BY JIVAN WEST
Fairview High School 1515 Greenbriar Blvd
FAIRVIEW FOOTBALL By Will Griffith // Staff Reporter
S
ince the late 19th century, the tradition of high school football has been passed down from generation to generation, player to player. For spectators, the football season begins with the first game’s opening kickoff. To the players, however, the season starts in the summer. Whether it is for optional workouts, individual workouts or mandatory team practices, student athletes’ summers are cut short by the arrival of football season. At Fairview, football is a major part of school spirit. “The games are intense when we have a big crowd. The energy that we get from the students is amazing. When they are loud, our team feeds on that and it really amplifies our game,” said senior Ashton Nichols. Whether it is a rivalry game or a playoff game, everybody on the team has invested their time to be part of something special, meeting lifelong friends along the way. A large part of the football team’s culture comes from the seniors’ respect for all of the younger players. “The young guys do so much for the team, and we can’t thank them enough,” said Nichols. “Not a lot of people see them on Saturday at the JV game and they don’t get all the attention but they
come every day of practice and make us better.” In early September, the team took this bond all the way down to Florida to square off against Evans High School. The Knights played extremely well, winning 43-0. Many students have never seen high school football in a different state, and wonder what it’s like outside the “Boulder Bubble.” “It was kind of terrifying,” said Tyler Banks, senior. “They were bigger and faster than us and at the start of the game I was very nervous. But when the game started it was a completely different story, we became confident in our ability to beat them and it showed on the scoreboard.” The trip to Florida, however, wasn’t all about football. It was an opportunity for players to bond, have new experiences and visit a different part of the country. “The hardest part about [the trip] was the climate,” said Nichols. “I have never sweat harder in my life.” After the game on Thursday night, the team had a couple of days to mess around and spend time with each other. “The trip to Florida was one I won’t forget,” said junior Henry Blackburn. “We had a lot of fun spending time with each other and running around the theme parks.” But the team does not want a trip to Florida for one game to be the highlight of the season. There are much bigger plans in store. Whether it be a personal or team goal, there is one common agreement. “Our goal for this season is to win state. It has been on my mind since sophomore year, and unfortunately we have come up short the past couple seasons. I really think we can do it this year and I trust all my guys that each one of them has what it takes,” said Nichols. When a team comes up short, it is easy for a player to put his head down and feel pity for himself, or he can count on someone in a leadership role to help rebound and improve. “We have a great leadership group of varsity players on the team, we push the team to be better but Mac does the same thing,” said Nichols. “He is the best head coach to have because of his enthusiasm about football; he loves it. He gets all the players fired up.” FHSROYALBANNER.COM
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Highs and Lows Fall Sports Recap By Ben Daecher // Sports Section Editor
Tennis
After winning the state championship in 2017, expectations for the tennis team were incredibly high going into this season. The Knights exceeded those expectations, entering the playoffs 7-0 overall and 4-0 in league. They narrowly defeated Cherry Creek by a score of 4-3 earlier in the season, cementing themselves as a top team in the state. The Knights excelled in doubles play, with No. 2 doubles partners Hall Humphrey (12) and Reid Schaffer (12) undefeated at 6-0 and No. 3 doubles partners Ryan Grayson (11) and Adam Heilbronner (11) at 6-1. The team finished third in the state tournament with 29 total points. While the Knights were unable to repeat as state champions, they can be proud of an excellent season.
Softball
The softball team had a great start to the season, beginning with a 4-1 record. However since then they struggled to piece together consecutive wins. The Knights’ offense was extremely productive all season. Senior Gabby Cook and freshman Jaidyn Studebaker hit .500 and .435 respectively, and the team as a whole had a .333 batting average. While the pitching struggled this season, it has been a better showing than in seasons past overall. The Knights finished the season 8-14.
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Cross Country
The cross country boys and girls teams have recorded several impressive finishes during their first two races of the year. Captain Vanessa Haggans is encouraged by the team’s start and its overall potential.
AMELIA DIGIANO (10) RACING PHOTO BY NOGA MARGALIT
“We’ve been pretty strong so far. We’re excited because we have a lot of depth this year and a lot of new runners.” Several Knights placed within the top 50 in the boys and girls races at the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational on Aug. 31. They also found success a few weeks later at the Liberty Bell Invitational on Sept. 8 with Marlena Preigh (12) finishing 17th in the girls race with a 18:40.30 time and John Parker (12) and Henry Murphy (10) finishing 31st and 32nd in the boys race with 16:10.20 and 16:10.30 times respectively. Haggans said that Marlena Preigh’s excellent performances this year have rallied everyone on the team. “She’s one of the top runners right now in the nation and in the state so its really cool kind of following by her example and feeding off of it.” The state competition is Oct. 27.
Golf
The golf team had an extremely successful season in both individual and team competitions. The team earned a victory over Valor Christian in the 5A Central Regional Tournament on Sept. 17, claiming the team regional title with a score of 233 on the par 72 Legacy Ridge Golf Course. Additionally, four of the Knight’s top players—Brett Reamon, Ryder Heuston, William Chadwick and Noah Vrencur— qualified individually for the 5A state tournament. The team finished sixth overall. and Heuston tied for seventh overall. Chadwick also tied for 19th.
Football
Fairview football is having another strong season carried by its strong defense and explosive offense led by phenomenal quarterback Aidan Atkinson (11). The team enters week nine ranked 12th the MaxPreps.com state rankings. For more on the football team’s season, visit the football team feature on page three. Playoffs begin on Nov. 3.
QUARTERBACK AIDEN ATKINSON (11) THROWS A PASS AGAINST BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO BY JIVAN WEST
SPORTS
MYLES ELLIS (12) SCORES THE WINNING GOAL IN DOUBLE OVERTIMES AGAINST BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO BY JAKE ALOIA
Volleyball
GOLFERS MOVING ON TO THE STATE TOURNAMENT. PICTURED (LEFT TO RGHT) NOAH VRENCUR, BRETT REAMON, RYDER HEUSTON, WILLIAM CHADWICK PHOTO BY JOHN ZERWIN
Mountain Biking
After winning the state championships in 2017, the mountain bike team has placed well in each of its first three regular season races, positioning itself for another strong state tournament run. The team placed second in each of its first two races of the season. At the Frisco Bay Invitational on Aug. 25, Fairview’s 7227 total points was only bested by Boulder High School, who finished with 7724 points. The Knights again finished second to Boulder High School at the Showdown at the Boat tournament in Steamboat, Colorado on Sept. 9. Although two straight second place finishes aren’t something to celebrate for the reigning state champions, team captain Alden Soto (12) is optimistic about the team’s state tournament chances. “I think that we can step it up if we really try hard,” said Soto. “I think we can definitely take [the championship] back if we really put a lot of effort in.” Although winning consecutive state championships is never easy, the team is expecting another great run. “We now have kind of a record to keep and we definitely do want to win states again. It would be super nice to make it a trend,” said Soto. The state competition is on Oct. 20-21.
After a rough start to the season with four consecutive losses, Fairview volleyball rebounded with multiple crucial victories, including a 3-2 win over rival Monarch High School, to finish the first half of the season 3-5. Because of its recent strong performances, the team’s confidence is high going into the final month of the regular season. “We’ve played a lot of hard teams recently and we’re getting a lot better because we’re learning how to work together,” said setter Sarah Huang (12). The Knights have challenging matchups in the second half, particularly against Fossil Ridge and Rocky Mountain. Regular season ends Oct. 28. The state competition takes place Nov. 8-10.
Soccer
The soccer team is having the best season in its history, entering the final week of the regular season undefeated at 13-0. The Knights are ranked first in the Front Range league and fifth nationally (as of Oct. 12), as they look to maintain their dominance in the playoffs. They have excelled on both sides of the ball, averaging 2.5 goals per game and a mere 0.23 goals against. Striker Cooper Harmon (12), who leads the team with 11 goals on the year, credits their success to the midfielders’ ability to maintain ball control and consistently create space downfield. “Our midfield is probably the best in the state, so being a striker and playing with a midfield that can pass the ball so well, it’s easy to find the ball in front of the goal,” said Harmon. Defensively the team has been just as dominant, allowing only three goals on the entire year. Goalkeeper Carter Melton (11) has 36 saves and just one goal allowed in 785 minutes. The Knights have been unbeatable so far, and Harmon does not expect this to change anytime soon. “We feel like we can’t lose right now. Even though we still have a couple of pretty hard games coming up, we feel super confident going into it and we just feel like there is no way for us to lose this year,” said Harmon. The team looks to continue its dominance and win its first ever state championship. Regular season ends by Oct. 20, then the boys begin their playoff run.
GRACE ANDREWS (11) AND KIA VEENENDALL (11) REACH FOR THE BALL PHOTO BY JIVAN WEST
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Cupid’s Comedy Cabaret Anya Aidun gives her opinion on the student-led comedy performance By Anya Aidun / / Enterainment Section Editor
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he school’s only student-written comedy performance, Cupid’s Comedy Cabaret, took place Sept.
27-29. Cabaret is a student-run comedy show, where students write and create and perform all of their own sketches,” said science teacher Dylan Muzny, one of the advisors for the cabaret. “Think of it sort of like a student-run Saturday Night Live week.” Set in the choir room with students acting as close as a few feet away from the audi-
“Think of it sort of like a studentrun Saturday Night Live week.”
ence, the show provided an intimate setting. During some acts, like “Let It Grow” and “Thirsty,” the close proximity resulted in water being splashed on audience members
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but added to the cabaret’s playful mood. Some of my personal favorites included “Brotein Shake” where juniors Michelle Lee and Nils Edfors drank a raw fish smoothie on stage, and “Staph Meeting” where the cast skillfully portrayed selected members of faculty and administration in a witty enactment of a staff meeting.
Every joke, every line and every skit was written by students. With only a few weeks to produce Cupid’s Comedy Cabaret, both the students and faculty members involved did a wonderful job putting together a cohesive and well-oiled performance. The real magic of the evening was knowing that every joke, every line and every skit was written by students. “To me, Cupid’s is one of the most unique opportunities for students learning how to observe the world around them
and deal with difficult things through humor,” said choir teacher Zachary Strand,
[It] has once again earned a place...in Fairview history. another faculty advisor for the show. Other highlights of the night were “Bless Their Heart,” “Meet the Parent” and “YOLO.” To me, Cupid’s Comedy Cabaret has once again earned a place among the top performances of Fairview history.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ALLISON STEWART, DREW KENDALL, ADAM RUSSELL AND NILS EDFORS PERFORM A SKETCH PHOTO BY ANYA AIDUN
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Music Musings
ENTERTAINMENT
Inspiration for your fall playlist By Ronan Heisten / / Staff Reporter
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ravis Scott’s expansive “ASTROWORLD” sounds like a carnival of the modern trap scene. It’s lush, expansive and unashamedly commercial, but still manages to retain some of the artistry and exceptionalism that Scott showed on past projects such as Rodeo. Album opener “STARGAZING” was a hit right off the bat, while still managing to sound fresh with high-pitched distorted vocals from Scott and a 180-degree beat switch. “SICKO MODE” pulls a similar stunt, taking advantage of a decent Drake feature and Travis debuting a killer flow. But where some of his pop hits succeed, some of Scott’s others fall predictably short. Migos feature on the bland “WHO? WHAT!” with each member stumbling over their standard tropes of ice and shooters. “YOSEMITE” is equally boring: an uninteresting flow from Scott, a mediocre feature from Gunna and an awful four-bar verse from Nav. The album begins to lose steam towards the end, most tracks ranging from okay to forgettable. “ASTROWORLD” begins to feel less like an album and more like an attempt at a collection of chart-toppers. Still, earlier tracks such as “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD” show that Travis hasn’t lost his taste. Both “5% TINT” and “NC-17” sound almost like a haunted amusement park, similar to older cuts like “Mamacita.” “ASTROWORLD” doesn’t reach the same heights as Travis’ older works, but is still a strong representation of the modern hip-hop sound.
ALBUM ART FOR “TABOO” AND “ASTROWORLD” IMAGE CREDIT TO RESPECTIVE RECORD LABELS
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enzel Curry’s “TABOO” is easily one of the most refined projects to come out of the South Florida rap scene. Over the album’s 13 tracks, split loosely into three acts, Curry discusses the darker aspects of fame and the music industry. The acts dropped over three days, with Act 1 being the lightest, Act 2 getting drearier and Act 3 being the darkest. Denzel’s three acts aren’t as tight as he’d like them to be. The first three tracks of Act 1 have a vastly different sound than the fourth. However, intro track “TABOO” is one of the darkest on the album, discussing themes of molestation and trauma. Act 2 is also inconsistent, with tracks “SUPER SAIYAN SUPERMAN” and “MAD I GOT IT” touching on lighter topics like being the greatest and making money, not quite following the theme of Act 2 being the “gray” part of the album. Act 3 follows Denzel’s vision the closest: all four tracks are quite grim. Even if the concept wasn’t perfectly executed, “TABOO” still works well as a cohesive album. The tracklist flows well, and for the most part gets darker both lyrically and sonically as the album progresses. Closer “BLACK METAL TERRORIST” is an explosion of Curry’s bottled up anger, mixing lightning-fast verses with a simple hook (giving him time to catch his breath while performing the song live) over rapid 808s and distorted synths. Denzel’s hooks on the album are his best to date. “BLACK BALLOONS” is a prime example: excellent singing, an earworm melody and the memorable “let it float let it float let it float by me” refrain accented by jazzy, rich production sounding akin to Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly.” The hook on “SUMO” revels in its own self-aware ignorance, Curry bellowing “pockets too big they Sumo” to illustrate how much money he has. FHSROYALBANNER.COM
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A Changing Performance
Students and teachers adapt to changes in the theater program By Sam Pearce and Syndie Leeson / / Staff Reporters
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ccording to Principal Stensrud at a press conference with FHS Publications, Principal Stensrud said that the auditorium is undergoing a complete overhaul, including “brand new lights and sound,” as well as a mobile wall that can open and close to close off the upper auditorium. The old stage and spring-heavy seats are (finally) being renovated. “Our auditorium is getting an entire facelift,” said Sarah Halstead, pottery teacher and technical theater coordinator. However, at the cost of these large-scale alterations, Fairview has temporarily lost use of its largest performance space, which has taken a toll on a number of theater activities, most notably the Spring Play, or, more accurately, the Fall Play, since it has been moved forward to the middle of first semester.
“Everything that held us together as performers is gone.”
For this reason, Sword in the Stone Productions will be undertaking a task that has not been done here for quite a while taking the show on the road. The show this year (“The Boys Next Door” by Tom Griffin) will be performed at Broomfield High School, Summit Middle School and Monarch High School in mid-October. “Being able to travel the show is going to be a neat opportunity,” Halstead said. “It is forcing us out of our comfort zones a bit in order to figure out how we can do more of a general plot and a more general design with everything.” Along with the opportunities presented, traveling the show will also result in a number of unique challenges for the cast and technical theater crew. “Everything that held us together as performers is gone,” said senior Jaella Hardaway, who plays Arnold. “Normally
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STUDENT NEWS
we’d get a tech week in the auditorium and now we don’t. So we’re just kind of thrown into a room and told to ‘make it work.’” According to junior Evelyn Murphy-Welconish, the scenic designer for the fall play, the main issue will be unfamiliarity with the locations and spaces available there. “If we did have the auditorium, I would be able to know all of the measurements and what kind of space we would be using,” she said. “I’ll be honest, it’s really nerve-wracking,” said senior Sam Howard, who plays the part of Lucien. “The idea that we’re traveling, with new audiences and new stages every time.”
“I’ll be honest, it’s really nervewracking.”
In addition to the new locations, the cast and crew will have to overcome other trials resulting from the scale of the play. The play has a cast of only 14, as opposed to the much larger and more technically ambitious production of “She Kills Monsters” last year. In addition to being very difficult to cast only 14 parts from the im-
mense talent present at Fairview, the crew has had to be much more selective in terms of its cast and set design. “Props are going to have a big [part] in this production we’re doing because we can’t do much with set,” said Howard. Set-building will be very minimal because the set needs to be transportable, so the cast and crew are hoping to be able to tell a story through the available props and their acting talents. The set will largely consist of basic framework for a home, containing a small kitchen and dining room, a couch and a room for smaller scenes on either side of the stage. This set design will be highly portable, and though much smaller than shows in the past, will put much more of an emphasis on the actors and the characters they play. “We have to dig really deep into the character work this time,” said Howard. All these factors and more will certainly make this play a challenge like no other the theater department has had to face in the past. However, those involved feel more than ready to face any issues that may arise. “I actually don’t have a lot of nerves,” said Halstead. “I really trust in the team that we have that’s going to be traveling. I think everyone is very prepared. This is
something new for us, but I think it’s an opportunity to embrace something different.” Mr. Boyer, theater and film teacher and director of the play, also remains confident that the production will be a success.
“We have to dig really deep into the character work this time.”
“Everything we’ve been working towards and building for the last half decade has led us to this moment,” he said. “We’re uniquely qualified to make this production a success for the Fairview Fine Arts department.” The show opens on Oct. 19 at Broomfield High School.
TOP - JUNIOR KENDALL BALDWIN, SAM HOWARD AND TEACHER LANNY BOYER DISCUSS IN THE CHOIR ROOM LEFT - THE AUDITORIUM DOOR MARKED WITH A TRESPASSING SIGN. PHOTOS BY ARI SOTO
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Abigail Roser: Changemaker How one student uses her voice to call for change By Ava Svolos // Student News Section Editor
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mong the many fliers stapled to the walls of the school, you might have stopped to notice the ones with RAINN in big blue letters along the side of it. If you haven’t, they promote a new club, created by senior Abigail Roser, whose main goal is to raise money and awareness for the organization RAINN and local safehouses, and the issues they deal with. RAINN stands for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. According to their website, they have helped more than 2.4 million people since 1994 by operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline and carrying out programs to prevent sexual violence, helping survivors, and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice. They also work with students to draw attention to issues of sexual violence prevention and recovery on campus. “I’ve heard horrific things, just passing in the hallway, about girls and their experiences, and it was just kind of heartbreaking, so I was like, this needs to be talked about, it shouldn’t be shied away from anymore,” said Roser. “We want to label it as a problem, because some people, I mean, from the stories I've heard, some people don't see it that way.” Roser believes that learning about these
“It was just kind of heartbeaking.” issues from a young age is important, especially for teen who are entering college where these problems are pervasive. The club plans to raise money and awareness for the Denver Safehouse and RAINN, and intends to host events including fun runs in both fall and spring. Another project in the works is a fashion event, where the club will ask local businesses to loan clothing for a fashion show. They will also have bins outside of the event so people can donate specific things that the safehouses ask for, such as clothes or toys for kids. “It is a national organization, it’s like, Red Cross or National Suicide Prevention,” said Roser. “It’s a safe source and we just want people to know it’s out there, and we also just want to raise money, so they can do a better job at what they do.” The club is sponsored by language arts
STUDENT NEWS teacher, Jaime Rodrigues. “He’s such a feminist and it’s so great,” said Roser. “I was really happy to find a male that’s a feminist, and I thought that would be really important for our club because it shows that it’s not just girls, and I think he’s really passionate about these issues too.” Mr. Rodrigues is aware of RAINN and has been donating money for 5 or 6 years. He
“Which I think is an incredible injustice.” believes these issues are incredibly relevant. “I think it’s often victims of rape and incest and sexual abuse [who] find themselves in a position of having to prove themselves, having to prove that what was done to them was done to them, which I think is an incredible injustice, and so I think having a chapter in our school is super important,” he said. The club is aware that these topics are sensitive to talk about, so their plan is to stand for what RAINN stands for. They are not the resource to go to for help, they just want to raise money and consciousness for the organization and safe houses. “It’s a very touchy topic so people don’t like to bring it up. They don’t like to show awareness to it, because it is so sensitive, and that’s okay but it also needs to go to people, people need to understand the issue,” said Roser. “We’re not asking anything of anyone, I think we’re just trying to say like, ‘Hey, this is an issue, let’s raise money to give to organizations so they can really address it.’” However, Rodrigues states that he hopes that, in time, the club could be an outlet for students in need.
“It’s a very touchy topic so people don’t like to bring it up.”
“I know that there are a bunch of students in this building who are victims of that kind of abuse, and it would be nice for them to have a resource, curated and run by their
peers for support that isn't counseling or the interventionist or the psychologist,” he said. “Having a resource that is run by peers and really helps a young person, certainly a teenager, relocate themselves in an important way… I’d be remiss if I didn’t hope for that. ” Rodrigues has full confidence that this club will be a success because he has taught Abigail Roser in past years and believes in her. “I think Abby is an incredibly capable human being,” Rodrigues said. “I think she has an excess amount of compassion and empathy in her heart, and she’s got a lot of energy and a lot of gumption and I think if anybody is going to get this thing off the ground, she’ll do it.” Roser said that the club is open to everyone. “Guys, girls, it doesn't matter. People that want to make a difference around Fairview and make a difference in the whole,” said Roser. “Because this doesn't just happen here, it happens in every high school.” Rodrigues hopes that many students will come to the club and find out more about what RAINN is, and become more educated on the issues they handle. “Even if it hasn’t happened to them, the ability to recognize that in somebody else could be the difference between somebody
“If we don’t do something, then nothing gets done.”
opening up or not,” said Rodrigues. “If we don’t do something, then nothing gets done. The nothing part seems completely lazy and irresponsible to me.” The club meets on Wednesdays during block lunch in room 309A. They welcome anyone who has an interest in the issue and wants to learn more about the cause.
ABIGAIL ROSER TALKS TO HER CLUB MEMBERS ABOUT UPCOMING PROJECTS PHOTO BY ARI SOTO
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Partisan Politics
How changing Colorado politics will affect the midterm elections By Carter Hanson // Opinion & Politics Section Editor
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or the past five election cycles, most people have considered Colorado to be a swing state. Indeed, in a survey conducted earlier this month, 73% of Fairview students surveyed agreed that this was the case. However, with midterm elections fast approaching, and many of our own school community participating in it for the first time, it is imperative that we question this foregone conclusion and verify its truth. “Colorado was a seriously red state in 2000,” said history teacher Scott Peoples. “It went for Bush by five or six points.” Colorado was very Republican back in 2000: Bush beat Gore by eight points, only half of the congressional delegation was Democrats, we had a Republican governor and both senators were Republicans. However, Colorado politics have changed, just like the nation at large. Colorado is now
an undeniably swing state, one that has recently had a slight blue streak. Hillary Clinton won Colorado in 2016 by only five points, the congressional delegation is split nearly evenly and we have a senator from each party. “But in 2004 things really shifted, and I think we’re at least in the status of a purple state, if not a kind of light blue state,” Peoples said. Two major factors caused this shift from a red state to a light blue one: a pointed effort by the Democratic Party to turn the state and a continuous shift in demographics over the past 20 years. “In 2004 it was the deliberate efforts of a handful of wealthy Democrats, three or four of them–Polis was one of them,” said Peoples. “They decided to make a concerted effort to turn Colorado blue.” These wealthy Democrats poured money
Student Opinions: Is Colorado a Swing State?
into local races, eventually succeeding in opening up the possibility of making Colorado a swing state. The Democratic activists’ efforts in 2004 were largely successful, gaining ground across the board on the local and state level. Though not giving their electoral votes to John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for president that year, Coloradans decided in favor of Bush by a mere four points in a year where Bush won convincingly and Republicans solidified their control of the House and Senate. “In a year where John Kerry got pretty much buried under the presidential election — Bush in the middle of a war— Bush’s party ended up losing in Colorado,” said Peoples. Democrats flipped a Senate seat, gained a House seat, and took control of both houses of the state legislature. It was a remarkable turnaround for a state once thought to be solidly Republican. This set the stage for an ongoing battle to definitively turn Colorado blue.
“At this point, Colorado’s status as a swing state is greatly dependant on what kind of candidates are running on both sides… I mean to say that Colorado is, in my experience, still leaning—it seems like we’re leaning Democratic. That might be backlash from Trump, so I can’t tell if this trend will continue.” –Elia Gorokhovsky, 12
Yes No Don’t Know/No Opinion
“I would consider, yeah. We have a lot of—I mean in the last election I’m pretty sure that it was pretty close between Republicans and Democrats, kind of voting for your different presidential elections. So I’m pretty sure it was pretty close, and I recall it was a Democratic state in the last election. I think it could be considered a swing state.” –Oscar Pedersen, 9 “I think it’s both, especially with places like Denver and Boulder where we’re very progressive and Democratic in a way. But we still have a little bit of these, like, rural places like the mountains or whatever.” –Emma Kettering, 11
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In the three presidential elections since then— 2008, 2012 and 2016— the Democratic candidate has been able to defeat the Republican one each time, even in a year like 2016 where Republicans were able to take the presidency by a large electoral margin, and solidify control over both houses in Congress. In fact, in the short 14-year period since the Democratic gains of 2004, the Republican Party has lost 8% of registered voters to other parties and the unaffiliated vote, a staggering number in a short time. Though the Democratic offensive in 2004 got the ball rolling, the composition of Colorado’s population has changed significantly in the past couple decades, having an incredible impact on the political environment of the state. “I think that because of the influx of population— I mean our population has grown a lot since I’ve been here— and because people are moving predominantly from the coasts, I think things have become more liberal,” said Amy Paa-Rogers, a social studies and economics teacher. Colorado’s population is growing extremely fast, increasing in population by 1.37% each year, making it eighth nationally in terms of population growth per year. Additionaly, those people who are moving here aren’t coming from very conservative places in the United States. “The divide is between rural Colorado, which tends to be more conservative, and urban, which tends to be more liberal,” said Paa-Rogers. “Since people who are moving here are mostly moving to urban areas… I think we’re seeing more liberals.” As a result, traditionally Democratic voters have increased as a share of the state electorate. Since the 2000 census, Hispanic voters comprise 4% more of Colorado’s population. In addition, the number of residents with a college degree has increased by 6% in the same period of time, another group that statistically votes for Democrats. “A lot of people have been moving into the state. And the people that are moving in are not retirees. They’re younger people that want to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle,” said Peoples. “And younger people tend to be liberal.” All of this matters when looking towards the future. In the November midterm elections, the governor’s mansion, both houses of the state legislature and the entire house delegation is up for grabs, and Democrats are in a great position to make gains.
OPINION & POLITICS
Part of this is because of the mood of the whole nation: since the 2016 election, there has been an anti-Trump fallout with Democrats prevailing in special elections. Democrats have an 81% chance of taking the House (according to FiveThirtyEight.com) despite pro-Republican gerrymandering and Republican incumbency advantages. “I do think the Democrats will take the House and I think there’s a better chance than average to take the Senate,” said Peoples. In Colorado, just like the whole country, Democrats are set to gain House seats. In the Colorado Sixth District, Democrat Jason Crow has a 5-in-6 chance (538 again) of unseating Republican Mike Coffman, a fixture of Colorado politics. Coffman has held a number of state political positions, and has been generally involved in Colorado politics since the 1990s. It’s astonishing that he could now lose his seat despite an incumbency advantage. “Coffman may well go down this cycle, finally. You know, he’s been there a long time,” said Peoples. The governor’s seat is also up for grabs this year, pitting Democrat Jared Polis against Republican Walker Stapleton. However, this race is less competitive from an impartial perspective. Stapleton is a bad
candidate: he doesn’t stand out and is unable to get people to advocate for him like Polis can. “Because I’m in Boulder County House District 2, which is what Polis represented, I’m going to go with Polis,” said Paa-Rogers. There hasn’t been a Republican governor of Colorado in a decade, and it seems unlikely that there will be another anytime soon. Colorado has changed: Democrats look ready to take a majority in the House delegation, maintain a majority in the state house, take control of the state senate, and retain the governorship. Those Democratic inroads may be, albeit, limited by the large increase in independent voters over the past couple decades, but many of those voters elect Democrats, increasingly so every year. Colorado is still a swing state with a slight liberal tilt, but only for the time being. If the trends of the last 20 years hold, which they probably will, Democratic candidates will not be locked into hard-fought races: they will be a commandeering force in Colorado politics, one that will be unrivaled on a statewide level.
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