Lego League: AMS Elite Robotics
Hailey Ward, Staff Writer Lego League, is starting up this season after school Monday-Thursday kids have been working super hard in the library preparing for the competition season in November. George Helfenstine and Will Gilmore run this program kids of all ages can join the season next year. The competitions are happening Nov. 11th and 9th in Denver and Grand Junction. This After-school program consists of four categories robot game, innovation project, core values, and robot design that you compete in. Each competition team can consist of two minimum and ten or more maximum people. This year Aspen Middle School has three teams Steep’ N Deep, Lightning Strikes, and Poached Gears. This year the theme is submerged which means all the missions are underwater themes.
George Helfenstine is one of the
AMS robotics coaches and he is also a science teacher in the 7th grade. He thinks the teams are good so far “I think we have a high level of interest a lot of students have chosen to participate in the non-competition level.” Helfenstine said that the board is very interesting “as a landlocked state because oceans aren’t really something that we get to go deep on exploring.” Helfenstine said. The board this year is harder than previous years, “The board seems much more challenging than previous years many of the missions require multiple actions and the delivery of objects which have been collected at various locations. It’s much more difficult to use a color sensor there are numerous objects or obstacles that you’re trying to avoid. And many of the missions require multiple actions to be taken.” Helfenstine said
Sam Gilmore is a 7th grader at Aspen
Middle School he is on the team Lightning Strikes and has been competing in robotics for three years and is planning to compete this year and hopefully make it to worlds. He thinks the season is good so far “Good. I think all the competition teams are sorted out. I think our team is doing well. I think if we continue to do good productive work
“We could make it to states or beyond,” Gillmore said, Gilmore’s team is not ready yet but will be soon he said, “Not right now, I don’t think our team would be ready yet, but if we continue working at this pace our team will be ready for regionals,”Gillmore said
The robotics season is going great so far with three competing teams. the Lightning Strikes, Steep’ N Deep, and The Poached Gears. Please wish any competing teams good luck for the competition in November.
SNEAK PEAK Teen Trends and the
Dress Code
Sloane Alexander, Staff Writer
Throughout time people have put care into the clothes they wear. From cave woman pelts to the modern pants suit, clothes influence our world and the way we are perceived. A common debate across middle and high schools nationwide is the dress code. From the ideas of sexism to unfairness, dress codes seem to, and always have been a controversial topic, but are the dress codes the problem or the clothes and the brands themselves?
To truly understand the conflict, take a look at teen clothes through the ages. Contined on Pg.4
Courtesy of Molly Gilmore
The AMS 2024-25 Lego League posing with thier trophy after winning their state competion.
7th Grade Volleyball at AMS
Avea Spears, Staff Writer
Why volleyball?
Sunny Morehouse says, “I love volleyball because of my friends, and playing is so much fun! I think volleyball is an incredible attribute of our school because it is fun and easy to stay athletic. It also shows us how to mentally and physically overcome challenges to work with a team and even builds our confidence.
I asked how a few players felt about the red and black teams. On the red team, Ella Yaw says, “I do not care. There are people who are better and people who are not as talented yet,” but is that the point? Sunny Morehouse says, “I like it because it allows some people to play at their best while allowing others to learn and grow. The different teams appreciated the concept of a black and red team because there are players not yet ready to play with as much pressure as the black team brings while also allowing black team players to play at their very best lastly now that the season is over let us talk about how the season went both black and red team did very well they,l played some. However, the teams unfortunately lost a few hard-fought games; on the other hand, we won many games, showing how much we have improved thanks to Alex Farmer and Hannah Baker, our beautiful coaches. In conclusion, if you are debating trying out volleyball, take this a sign! Do not worry about the teems and have fun.
AMS Football: A Fall Sports Recap
Colt Sisneros and Henry Nottingham, Staff Writers
The Aspen 8th Grade football team has had highs and lows this season, including winning against Glenwood and Rifle and losing against Riverside. They have been to 5 games so far this season, as of October 2nd, their record is 2 -3.
The team has done well this season, with Quarterback Colt Sisneros saying:
“I think I’ve done pretty well so far this season, but there is always room for improvement.” Our team can achieve great things, but we have power throughout adversity.”
“So far I think we’ve had good and bad games, our defense could overall improve, and we could be tougher as a
team also. Our offensive line could also improve, so could our passing game.”
In their game against Rifle, the defense really shined through, not giving up a single touchdown. Especially being at an away game, the tension was high. With the final score being 20-0; With their running back, Josue Soleis getting a touchdown. Their passing game was also good, with their tight end, Thomas Mcdowell, also getting a touchdown. With their quarterback, Colt Sisneros, getting the passing touchdown.
They’ve had highs and lows this season, but we can only hope that they will continue to win games.
The Aspen 7th-grade football team has performed exceptionally well this sea-
son, boasting a 4-1 record as of October 2nd. In their recent game against Rifle, they secured a 21-0 victory. The passing game against Rifle was quite impressive, with Ben Berro scoring a receiving touchdown, and the rushing game also excelled, with Graham Eydenberg scoring two rushing touchdowns.
Here is an exclusive interview with Jaylen Ayiola, the starting nose guard for the 7th-grade team. Jaylen shared his thoughts on the season, saying, “It’s been a fantastic season, and playing in front of our home crowd for our three home games has made it even better.” The Skier’s home field has been the loudest venue the 7th-grade team has played on this season.
Lacrosse in Aspen: The Then and Now
Ella Yaw, Staff Writer
Since lacrosse is a relatively new sport people often wonder why it’s enjoyable. Lacrosse is the fastest sport played on two feet. The quick changes in the sport cause an adrenaline rush for players and watchers making the game way more pleasing.
“It gives me a chance to push myself farther and challenge myself,”. Said an Aspen lacrosse player. People face challenges all the time, and fighting through them and learning how to do so at a young age can turn a small child into a wonderful adult who can keep strong relationships.
Although lacrosse is mainly known in northeast and mid-Atlantic areas like the districts of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and more, it is slowly spreading throughout the U.S.A. Taking first place for the state in which lacrosse is most popular is New York. It’s good that lacrosse is spreading so far and so fast. It is proven that lacrosse strengthens your
mental and physical health. Kids, teens, and adults who play lacrosse benefit from it because it develops cardiovascular fitness, hand-eye coordination, and muscle strength. Mental health has been a big problem globally due to social media. Social media can significantly make a teen feel lonely
Interest in lacrosse has grown a lot over the past three years. The Aspen Lacrosse Club started as a small group yet has grown significantly year over year. Aspen funders, like Alpine Bank and other foundations, rarely looked at the club. During the 2022-23 season, more athletes joined and funded the club. Through Aspen Lacrosse, strangers became buddies, and buddies turned into lifetime friends.
Some athletes question the purpose of the different rules for women and men in the sport. “I would want lacrosse to be way more aggressive,” An anonymous Aspen player said, “I think some of the rules are a little excessive!”
The Boy’s rules are way different. They can check the body more and more the older the players get. Boys is a a contact sport. The more advanced and older players get, the harder they can hit their bodies.Also, Men wear pads and helmets because there is more contact, Due to these rules, there is little or no need for pads and helmets in women’s lacrosse. Woman’s/girl’s lacrosse is a non-contact sport. Legal checks must be made away from the attacker, and a defender’s stick may not enter the attacker’s “sphere.” Checking is when the defender hits the head of the offense stick to attempt to get it out. Checks towards the head/body, pushes, blocks, etc., are prohibited. A defender may not cross-check or use the shaft of her stick to push an attacker. Sports like lacrosse and many more can make teens and old kids feel less lonely, stressed, and isolated. National Institutes of Health said that sports decrease mental health issues by 12%.
Photo Courtesy of Aspen Lacrosse Club
Aspen Girls lacrosse players posing for a photo with their medals.
Water Fountains at AMS
Annabella Maupin, Staff Writer
You’ve drank dirty water at AMS at least once and haven’t even known about it. Here is how you can identify if the water fountains are safe to drink out of or not. You can look in the top left corner for the filter status. Here is the guide to all of the colors:
Green: Green means that the water is safe to drink from the fountain and that the water is filtered.
Yellow: Yellow means that the water is partially filtered, and you can drink out of it. However, you still have a chance of getting some disease.
Red: Red means that this water is unsafe to drink. It has different things, like microbes, which could mean you have a higher chance of getting a disease.
Student Hailey Ward is a 7th grader at AMS, and she was a student who was concerned about the water fountains when they were red.
“I think water fountains are important because if you don’t have water at home or you cannot bring a water bottle to school, and after recess or gym class, most kids want water,” Ward said. Ward also said that she is happy because the water fountains seem safer to drink out of.
“I didn’t like the water fountain filters being red because bad water could make you sick, which not many people want,” Ward said.
Student Sloane Alexander is an 8th grader at AMS, and she is a student who drinks a lot of water due to all of her activities.
“I think the water fountains are important because in between classes, the sink can disrupt people, but you can go to the water fountains. And in sports, people will want to have clean water to drink during and after a hard practice.” Alexander said. She thinks
that green means good to go, yellow means she might get sick, and red means she will get Giardia or another disease.
Water in Aspen
The water we drink comes from Castle and Maroon Creeks, some of the cleanest water in the nation. However, it could have some gunk because of the piping system, the filter warranty limit, and natural resources that are around those creeks. The school uses the brand ELKAY for the water fountains, and the filter brand is ELKAY 51300c, which costs about between $71.65 dollars to $119.99 dollars. The typical warranty on any water filter is about six months at a time.
According to the City of Aspen, there were some sightings of Giardia back in 2017; however, now they must disinfect their water daily at all times, meaning there aren’t any signs of microbes that can spread sickness. The consequences of drinking contaminated water can cause rashes, upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some everyday things that cause contamination are natural resources, industrial and agricultural products, and human and/or animal waste. You’ve drank dirty water at least once without knowing about it. People worldwide contract diseases such as giardiasis, dysentery, and coli infections from drinking contaminated water, and you could be a victim as well.
Besides the point, the water fountains at AMS have all been restored to green, so it is safe to drink out of. However, problems caused by contamination are happening everywhere. So, wherever you are, check your water and stay hydrated.
Sister Cities 2025
Ember Lapena, Staff Writer
Sister Cities is an incredible program for Aspen Middle School students interested in learning about Japan’s, Argentina’s, or Italy’s culture and making new friends. This year, Bariloche, Argentina; Abetone, Italy; or Shimukappu, Japan are all options. The sister cities program is an incredible experience in which students can learn more about culture, architecture, art, and more while they live in the house of their host family. There are unique foods to try, languages to learn, and people to meet. Hopefully, students are able to have this life-changing experience for themselves, and when they do, they are fully prepared to travel to a whole new world.
Skyla Kennedy, a freshman at Aspen High School, a close neighbor and friend who has traveled to 18 different countries in her lifetime, said that her favorite trip she had ever gone on was to Shimukappu, Japan.
Kennedy stayed with a Japanese family that she hadn’t met prior to their hosting her, and participated in several rituals with them, including all sharing the same bathwater each night, starting with the parents and ending with the
youngest child, and praying in temples. According to Kennedy, all the people that she met were kind and neat. She also said that they were very accommodating towards her. After a family hosts you, their children will go home with you and your family.
Kennedy was lucky enough to get to go on a sister city trip to Shimukappu, which she got to do by writing an essay comparing and contrasting Shimukappu and Aspen. After that, Kennedy was interviewed about her personality and needs in order to find a suitable family able to host her. For instance, Kennedy was a pescetarian at the time and had to switch families in order to accommodate that. Kennedy was thrilled with this experience and is planning another trip to Shimukappu in the near future. If students currently in 7th grade are interested in doing the trip next year, the application process is going to be announced in November. Anyone can look on the AMS homepage for more information regarding the trips, interviews, and deadlines. Also, it is strongly recommended that students learn the language of their chosen trip before going.
Book Recommendations From the Library!
Tsarina Anderws Staff Writer
Are you looking for a good book? I have that information! Kassandra, our lovely librarian, has been checking out many books lately, and you have checked out most of those books. All the books in the library are lovely. Still, some fantasy books are fantastic, like Avatar the Last Airbender graphic novels, Last Comics on Earth #2, Wings of Fire graphic novel #7, Winter Turning, and The Other Side. Then there are just some books that blow it out of the park. Inicsampol Avatar, Last Kids On Earth, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Demon Slayer, Last Kids On Earth, The Sum-
mer I Turned Pretty series, and Wings of Fire. The most amazing books that people want to have in the library we don’t have.
The saddest thing ever! Here are The books that we don’t have. Avatar, Last Kids On Earth, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Demon Slayer, Last Kids On Earth, Wings of Fire, The Summer I Turned Pretty series. If you want these books in the library, then see Kasondra today. Are there just those books you are curious about in the Nonfiction section? Diary of Anne Frank, Into the Wind, Radium Girls, Shoe Dog. These books are in the library, so if you are interested,
2 Perfect Days in Aspen Enjoy This Lively Ski Town
Alex Brands, Staff Writer
Aspen is a small ski town packed with history and charm, and worthy of any tourist, whether you’re looking for a luxurious vacation in the mountains or a great place to ski to your heart’s content.
I started my day in Aspen, walking to Paradise Bakery, the most popular place for baked sweets for the locals. From iced teas to ice cream, the bakery boasts a wide selection of baked goods, including coffee and cakes. I settled on a black diamond cookie on the green benches outside in the cool Aspen breeze.
After breakfast, I wandered to the Aspen Art Museum for a free look at
quality art. The museum has a rotating art system, with its current exhibit being The House of The Trembling Eye, curated by Allison Katz. The exhibit holds three floors of artwork, each with various art styles and media.
On my second day, I had a walk in Aspen’s mall. With breakfast, I enjoyed a nearby violinist and cellist playing classical duets.
Later that morning, I wandered down to the Historical Society, where I learned about Aspen’s deep history. Aspen was originally a mining town until the 10th Mountain Division founded the ski resort we know today.
Aspen is a history-packed yet modern town with some authentic ski-town cha rm. Photos on Pg. 4
Photo By Annabella Maupin
A picture of a water fountain filter at the color yellow downstairs by the gym and band room
The New IB Grading System:
What’s the Difference? Do Others Like it or not?
Alina Semenova,
Staff Writer
This year, a lot has changed. Second’s fees at lunch, new teachers, but what changed the most was our school changing to an IB learning school.
The Ib system includes our outdoor education, the time school starts and ends, the transition from Google Classroom to Toddle, and what attracts most of the students’ and teachers’ attention, the new grading system.
The new grading system is more than just number grades from 1 to 8
instead of A’s and F’s. It changes the rules of the grading.
For example, “Imagine, at the beginning of the year, you take a test. You don’t remember much from last year and get an F. But at the end of the year, you take the same subject test and get an A. But, since you got an F at the beginning of the year, your end grade will be a C, which is your average score. But if you get a 2 in the new grading system at the beginning and a 6 at the end, your end grade will
be a 6, forgetting about the old grade and showing your progress throughout the year. It is more fair for the student.” Said Sarah After, an AMS Staff member.
There are many new rules about the grading system, such as separating the way you behave in class and the way you do in class into two separate grades. One grade for behavior and the other for your work. That is why teachers think it is more accurate. But students believe the whole opposite. “
Lorelei LaPenna, Staff Writer
Don’t have any strong feelings about it, but it is confusing and vague; I mostly don’t like it.”Ember LaPenna, a 7th-grade student, said, “It is annoying, and Toddle is confusing, so I don’t enjoy it.” From Sloane Alexander, an 8th grade student. It’s just that the students don’t fully understand how it works because they are used to the old As and F’s, but we all hope they will one day understand the good sides of our new Ib school.
Teen Trends and The Dress Code Disrespecting the Library
Sloan Alexander, Staff Writer
Throughout time people have put care into the clothes they wear. From cave woman pelts to the modern pants suit, clothes influence our world and the way we are perceived. A common debate across middle and high schools nationwide is the dress code. From the ideas of sexism to unfairness, dress codes seem to, and always have been a controversial topic, but are the dress codes the problem or the clothes and the brands themselves?
To truly understand the conflict, take a look at teen clothes through the ages. In the 80s, pastels and neons along with bold statement pieces inspired by MTV were common, but the 90s were a dramatic change. Taking inspiration from grunge and skater chic, darker colors were a staple, and Y2K, lowrise jeans, and mini-skirts dominated the early 2000s. Now in 2024, we start to see new trends, from Stanley’s to Pink Palm Puff hoodies, becoming a must-have for many teens. Things are changing quickly, but the dress code policies aren’t changing with them,.in fact, they haven’t been changed since 2013 and our fashion choices and standards most certainly have.
For one, owl necklaces, and clip-in feathers aren’t as popular (thankfully). And more importantly, Tiktok and popular influencing platforms didn’t exist. These platforms heavily control what teenagers decide to wear every day, and according to our principal “They (Tiktok and Pinterest) are big culprits of fashion evolution,” and “people wanna copy the clothes they see so that they can gain popularity points”. The clothes that often cause dress code violations have content that is inappropriate or don’t cover things like bras or underwear. Inappropriate content can be anything from I love hot moms to inappropriate messages advertising alcohol or drugs. The principal also at the start of our year
instructs students to cover the 4 b’s, belly, butt, breast, and back. This phrase “makes students uncomfortable and we don’t like it” says an anonymous student. Students do also have the power to make our trends more comfortable and appropriate to other students too. In theory students could be their own individual people without following a crowd of trends, if anyones brave enough to try. Throughout time one thing has always been true, being fashionable does go hand in hand with modern popularity and social success. The clothing items that often fit that pattern are brands like Lululemon, Aviator Nation and Zara. “Those brands aren’t necessarily inappropriate, but others like Addicted and Skims are more revealing,” says an anonymous 7th grade student. Tank tops and flowy shorts were summer staples, but now “we are transitioning into street style or stockholm aesthetic more now” according to the same student. All of these clothes and trends don’t necessarily have to be inappropriate, but the age old argument of “why does it matter?” still applies. To our principal, it’s that “we don’t want clothes to take away from learning”, but do clothes really distract that much? The answer is most likely not, unless clothes are to the extremes, but that doesn’t stop the grossness of how clothing companies are making clothes shorter and more revealing each year.
Its undebateable that it’s important that we are mindful of the clothes we wear, but also watching how social media influences us. Although the dress code is outdated, we also have the power to change the trends that define our era. Shoulders aren’t necessarily distracting, but some trends can be, such as short-shorts and crop tops. In the end, corporations don’t care about teens and our learning, so we have to.
Did you know that over 135 library books are missing from our library? 135 books and 80 of those books have been missing since the end of last school year. The library exists for the sole purpose of giving students resources, so why “lose” all the books the library has provided? The lost books must be purchased from the small library budget, which means there is no budget for new books. Another big issue is that students are disrespecting the library. For example, If you return a book that was already marked lost, the library will have already replaced that missing book. Now the library will have two of the same books on the shelf, which causes mass confusion. Another way that the library is being abused, is that students don take care of the books they check out. Imagine this, you check out a book and bring it home, only to return it, slobbery and gross, with water-stained pages and a ripped-up cover. It looks as if you
2
gave it to your dog as a chew toy! If you can’t read it, because you destroyed it, neither can anyone else. Placing unsavory substances, like moldy salami in your book as a bookmark, is seriously gross!
Please don’t use deli meat as bookmarks, and please refrain from vandalizing our books (rewriting passages, or adding your own comments). There is a very good reason why food is not allowed in the library. Leftovers snacks attract rodents. Who wants to snuggle up with a good book in the library next to a rat?
People don’t bring their plates down, or sometimes people disrespect the library by playing volleyball inside wheeling around the stools very fast, running and grabbing the flag or the globe, or hiding behind potted plants. The library is just trying to help you so please help stop the disrespect of the library.
Perfect Days in Aspen Enjoy
Photo by Alex Brands
An inside peek at the Aspen Art Museum.
Photo By Alex Brands A playful art installation located in the front of the Aspen Art Museum.