The Skier Scribbler - February 2023

SKIER SCRIBBLER the

Pipes Burst Over Winter Break Jon Sallinen X - Games Debut

Stella Iverson, A&E Editor

AHS’ plumbing issues are known to cause disgusting smells and freezing cold science rooms. On December 18th, Sunday morning, a broken pipe caused Kate Corn’s classroom to flood.

Why has this become an ongoing problem? John Martinez, Aspen School District Director of Facilities, goes indepth on what exactly is happening.

“The boilers start heating the building, which in turn is heated by air handlers, which controls the flow of the air that’s inside. We didn’t realize that it wasn’t working, so it opened up,” Martinez said.

The school is starting to rack up charges with new expensive plumbing in the High School.

“It was gonna cost me about $100,000 to fix the pipe that broke,” Martinez said. The high school isn’t the only one experiencing plumbing issues. “It also happened in middle school. The exact same thing almost, but same concept,” Martinez said.

Many students are concerned with the heating in the building as it is often too hot or cold.

“You have all the heat now; we have all we need, everything in that system is working,”

Martinez said. There are three systems that work with that system. “There’s the heat exchange, which is for the domestic hot water, showers, and bathrooms. The kitchens all have boosters. They’re all sanitized, so I don’t have to worry about them as

much as I worry about trying to take a shower.” Martinez explained.

Although the events over winter break flooded teacher Kate Corn’s room, her room has since been cleaned, and it is back to its full classroom potential. We as a school owe a tremendous thank you to all the workers who took their time to take care of the school and made it a place we, as students, can learn.

Lexi Munro, Staff Writer

Jon Sallinen, a Finnish halfpipe skier and alumni of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) in Carbondale, received his first invitation to the 2023 X-Games, and will compete this Friday, January 27th.

Jon Sallinen is the youngest competitor and only European in the 2023 X-Games men’s Ski Superpipe and is in reach of his goal of winning the Games. The difference between the X-Games and other competitions is that instead of qualifying, you need to be invited–it is so exclusive that only eight men are invited to ski Superpipe each year.

Jon Sallinen started skiing halfpipe when he was about 12 years old, and trained with the Aspen Valley Ski Club (AVSC) while he was in highschool. Ever since then has dreamed of receiving

the praised letter of invite.

“I have wanted to go [to the X-Games] as soon as I started skiing freestyle, that’s the main event you always look up to and see it on the TV in our sport [halfpipe] it’s almost as big as the Olympics,” Jon Sallinen said.

The process of preparing the X-Games is significant in its own right. Behind the scenes of their demanding performances, being a professional athlete is no easy feat, with rigorous, constant training. Yes, there may not be snow in the summer, but that does not mean it is time for a break.

“We mostly strength train during the summer–three times a week we do strength–but then we do other stuff on different days, so I’d say I train 6 days a week,” Sallinen said.

In previous years, the X-Games had 11,000 TV viewers, many of them being the younger generation aspiring to compete in the Games. 17 year old AVSC halfpipe athlete and AHS student Owen Nelson trained with Stallinen while Stallinen was in high school, and has dreams for the games himself. Nelson expressed how he enjoyed being in the presence of Sallinen. “Jon is one of the craziest skiers I’ve ever gotten to ski with, he’s really cool to see ski,” Nelson said.

Update: Sallinen finished 3rd during the X-Games Halfpipe final Sunday, January 29th.

Truth in Politics: Congressman George Santos

Océane Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Congressman George Santos was sworn in as a member of the 118th Congress on January 7th, representing the third congressional district of New York. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, truth was also a major theme of our nation’s founding. However, Congressman Santos is an enlightening example of how corruption and mistruth have infiltrated the government. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina reported that “nothing” that the New York City Republican has said is true, according to an interview with the Independent.

Santos is currently being investigated for his background, credentials, as well as allegations concerning his campaign finances. The Congressman has made claims about his ties to the Holocaust, declaring that he is a descendant of survivors, and later correcting this notion by asserting he is “Jew-ish” rather than Jewish. Additionally, his college graduation status has been questioned, as Santos claims to have been on a volleyball scholarship for Branch College, yet

no evidence supporting this assertion has come to light. He has also claimed that his mother was working in the World Trade Center on 9/11, however, records state that she was actually abroad. Congressman Santos is being investigated for allegedly raising money for a veterans’s service dog, and using the money for personal expenditures.

According to NBC News, federal prosecutors have reported, “Nothing he has ever said has turned out to be true,” while investigating irregularities pertaining to Congressman Santos’ loans and financial disclosures.

However, it seems that Mr. Santos is enjoying the attention he’s receiving from media outlets. He has reportedly left out food such as doughnuts and Chick-Fil-A for reporters stalking his office, and has even been spotted taking selfies with reporters at the DC restaurant Hill Country BBQ.

In an interview for CNN with Santos’ alleged ex-boyfriend, Pedro Vilarva, Vilarva comments that he is not surprised that Santos secured a seat in Congress.

‘“What he always looked for was fame and power,” Vilarva explains, “That’s all he cared about and he got it.”’

Although Mr. Santos failed to provide commentary on the majority of these accusations, he admitted to “embellishing” his resume according to The New York Times. However, the newly-elected Congressman urges people to stay away from his personal life, stating that these accusations are merely distractions and that the focus should be on delivering results.

As Santos said in his website press release, “Now is the time to put political differences aside, stop the finger pointing, and start delivering results. The work of Congress is not about my personal life, this is about delivering results for my constituents, finding bipartisan solutions, and reversing abysmal policies that have caused some of the worst inflation and crime in our nation’s history.”

Nonetheless, some congress members, such as Republican Congresswoman, Nancy Mace, argue that Santos has committed voter fraud, and should resign, asserting he was elected on false

pretenses. Others continue to support the New York Representative, such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Santos is also the Nation’s first openly-gay republican congressman, and currently holds positions in both the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and the House Small Business Committee. Santos’ attorney Joseph Murray believes the allegations against Santos are rooted in the Democratic Party’s fear of Santos’s power.

“Santos represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by — a gay, Latino, immigrant and Republican who won a Biden district in overwhelming fashion by showing everyday voters that there is a better option than the broken promises and failed policies of the Democratic Party,” stated Murray in a CNN interview.

Only time will tell what impact Congressman George Santos will have on the United States. But one thing is for certain: politics is modernizing and as our country continues to divide, agreed-upon truth becomes few and far between.

Lindsay Waldeck

Kate Corn’s room after the pipe break.

The boilers start heating the building, which in turn is heated by air handlers, which controls the flow of the air that’s inside.

-John Martinez, ASD Director of Facilities

AHS Alpine Team Newcomers and Their 2022-23 Season

Addy Chrisensen, Staff Writer

“5, 4,” the starter counts down and a shiver runs down your spine, “3, 2,” you breathe in and out suddenly aware of everyone who’s watching you, “1.” And you’re off. You skate through the starting gate and then tuck your poles close into your ribs. The crunch of icy snow hits your ears as your skis glide across the course, the ski edges grip hard into the pitch. You make your first turn and speed down the hill. You look down preparing for the delay, going faster and faster until you finally cross the finish line. Friends and coaches cheer you on and rush to give you your coat. “Racer 535, time 1:05,” blares out of the speakers as you smile.

This has been the experience for Aspen High School’s Alpine Ski Team this season, with many students joining in hopes of experiencing the thrills of ski racing and learning along the way. Students from all grades who joined the Alpine team have been able to try both the Giant Slalom and Slalom disciplines. The AHS ski team has participated both GS and Slalom races almost every weekend since January 6th and have had the opportunity to travel to places such as Keystone, Steamboat, and Ski Cooper, among other places across the state. The team’s final races are approaching up with their home GS race this Friday, February 3rd, and States in Copper the following week for qualifiers.

AHS junior, Kristine Hvolbaek, has been able to compete on this team this

year. Hvolbaek is an exchange student from Denmark and has never had the chance to try ski racing.

“I wanted to try something new, since I am only here in Aspen for a year, and wanted to ski as much as possible. A

highlight for me this season was getting better and better as the season went on, and also not getting disqualified. I think that a highlight for the team was placing in the top five every race, it is almost always someone from Aspen who wins,”

Hvolbaek said.

Having an opportunity to join the ski team has allowed for many people, not only this year, but also in past years, to discover their love for the sport and to improve immensely within the duration of a season. Athletes on the AHS team this season have been able to demonstrate their skills and help new members along the way. Olivia Ferrera, a Aspen High School Sophomore, is another student who joined the team for the 2022-23 season. Ferrera loved traveling to and from the races with all the team members, and was able to learn some valuable skills about skiing from the team, as well as the coaches, Jennifer Morandi-Benson, Charlie Laube, and Brad Randel.

“The things I learned from doing ski racing and from the ski team are to push myself to try new things. I also learned that it is okay to make mistakes when you are trying something completely new, the most important thing is to keep trying and work hard,” Ferrera said.

Students have been able to learn lessons that not only apply to skiing, but also apply to other sports, clubs, school, and more. The coaches and members of the team are supportive and encourage each other in races and practice.

“The coaches are there because they want to teach you and enjoy what you’re doing. They want you to be there even if you have never tried ski racing before,” Ferrera said.

Changes to the 2022-23 AHS Hockey Team

Sara Michelin, Staff Writer

As of September, Aspen eliminated their varsity hockey team for the 2022-23 season due to eleven seniors on the team graduating in the summer of 2022.

AHS now only has a junior varsity Hockey team. Aspen varsity players have the option to try out for our rival team, Glenwood Springs. Colorado High School Activities Association’s, or (CHSAA) rules will prevent Aspen from considering a varsity team for the next two seasons. Players from Glenwood Springs traveled to Aspen to play for the Skiers before Glenwood Springs got a varsity team in 2018. The Glenwood Demons and Aspen Skiers will play together once again. John Castrese, AHS’ athletic director, and contributor to this decision signed it was a difficult decision to make.

“It’s not just Aspen that has this obstacle,” Castrese signed. “There are schools going through the same thing in various sports.” Aspen faced a similar situation with their

girl’s varsity basketball team during the 2021-22 season. There was only a junior varsity and a C team.

“As far as I’m aware, we did not

send any of our varsity players to other programs,” Castrese signed, “All players were on the junior varsity team.” Because it takes

nearly an hour to get to Glenwood Springs from AHS, players often leave school early to get to practice on time. Nolan Balmat, a junior French exchange student at AHS, plays on several teams in the valley, including Glenwood’s Club, varsity, and junior varsity team, as well as Colorado’s mountain select team, an AA, hockey program that provides a high- level of competition for youth hockey players.

“I have to leave at 2:50 to 3:00 on days I have practice just to get there on time,” Balmat said.

Practice takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Balmat says it is difficult to miss class often. This season’s Glenwood varsity team has a total of twenty-six players, a combination of one freshman, 10 sophomores, six juniors, and nine seniors. Overall, the Glenwood demons have won one game out of six, but there are many more to come.

“I feel like we have a pretty good team this year,” Balmat said, “I think we can go far in the playoffs.”

Adelaide Ryerson

Glenwood Demons varsity hocky team playing in a competition against

Addy Christensen

Addy Chrisensen taking a selfie with Olivia Ferrera, Kristine Hvolbaek, Zala Smalls, and Charlie Laube at the ski Cooper race.

The Benefits of a Gap Year

Rylee Smith, Staff Writer

To many, college may seem like the obvious and inexplicably clear choice following our foundational years of education. College holds an abundance of both academic exploring and extracurricular experience that can shape a person and help prepare them to move into their choice of future. To others, the immediate passage into the work industry, apprenticeships, or alternative options could be appealing. Equally remarkable, the choice of a gap year is a time to break from school for a proclaimed period of time in order to decide on either option.

A gap year, essentially, is a year-long break that students may take either prior to or after attending a university or college. Gap years allow students to grasp well-needed academic breaks through the means of various experiences such as travel, work, or other pursuits. Additionally, this year allows individuals to further align their focus regarding their future and experience once in a lifetime time opportunities.

Gap years often provide additional

time to reevaluate life decisions through the lens of a new optimal perspective regarding the world. Possible factors such as the study of a new language, community work, and established environmental or urban travel contribute to the intangible earnings within the gain of these new perspectives. According to Amigos, studies have noted that “students who take a gap year often have higher GPAs and are more involved in campus life,” compared to other students. This discovery could be a result of the extended time within this year to mature and process a newfound engagement within other cultures.

According to ‘The Gap Year Association,’ respondents acknowledged what they regarded as the most significant impacts of their year. 85% of respondents said ‘travel, experiencing other cultures’ held significance and 92% recognized their ‘personal growth and gain in life experience.’ This is alongside a multitude of other benefits such as work experience, exploration of career/study opportunities, voluntary tasks, and more time to process within the break from an

academic track. These incentives are found in various gap year programs, given as a list of possibilities by ‘Career Guide’ which details the different programs students can participate in. These programs include the Global Citizen Year, Seamester on the ocean, the High Mountain Institute, Pacific Discovery, and other options that help students experience valuable, personal encounters beyond range of the past. Additionally, ‘WhereTherebeDragons’ provides international programs in order to enhance self-awareness, leadership, and global engagement. Gap years are distinguished apart from normal travel as they are usually taken in the duration of a college period when there are less responsibilities and more time to focus on what you want your future to look like based upon the broad expanse of the world, within interactive homestays. There are a substantial amount of programs worldwide that allow students to take part in these immersive opportunities and impactfully influence the world around them.

On the other hand, this academic

break could pose possible challenges to students who might feel behind compared to peers alongside the potential travel expenses, and a tedious transition back into the student/work life. Taking a year off can take students off from their progressive track yet, according to ‘Post University’ research suggests that 90% of students who go through a gap year prior to studies end up attending college afterward.

Overall, the choice of plans following high school deeply depends upon the individual and the best possible decision for them personally. Within a gap year and immersive travel, there is a chance to establish more knowledge regarding the world as well as present opportunity to prepare one’s self proceeding into a pervasively optimistic future. Whether it be college, a gap year, or any other decision following our years at Aspen High School, there is no doubt that there is room everywhere to individually grow through any circumstance. This positive influence is created through the essence of uniquely acquired experience shared with one another.

Life-Changing Literacy

Greta Holton, Staff Writer

Today in America, there are frightening low levels of literacy affecting the population’s ability to participate in and contribute to the world around them. Literacy can be a great equalizer, leveling the playing field across education. It plays a significant role in testing when it comes to advancing in primary and secondary school. The primary years of establishing the basic skills of reading have been lost in the commotion of the pandemic.

According to the Department of Education’s 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as NAEP or “the Nation’s Report Card”), only 34% of eighth graders read and write at a proficient level.

A gradual decline in test scores of the U.S. population has been noticed in past decades. The younger generations are not the only ones experiencing a detrimental loss of literacy.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 130 million American adults read below a sixth grade level. This statistic represents more than half of the adult U.S. population.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a growing “digital divide” in all ages after spending almost two years in front of screens. U.S. citizens are lacking the skill of turning the page in a book while excelling with the skill of swiping on a phone.

Reading is not only an important

factor in improving test scores, but it has shown many benefits such as lowering blood pressure and the heart rate improves sleep and brain connectivity quality. It is a good exercise for the brain which has been proven to support humans in everyday life. On an economical level, illiterate people are at a disadvantage when meeting job requirements. Many U.S jobs involve continuous reading on a daily basis. It is fair to say that literacy is life changing.

In the Roaring Fork Valley, efforts have been made to support the population of struggling readers. The nonprofit organization known as The Aspen Little Library has gathered retired books throughout the town of Aspen as a sustainable way to reuse books. The little red boxes have been placed at multiple Roaring Fork Transportation Association (RFTA) bus stations, prompting those with a long bus ride to grab a book and stimulate their minds.

This will not completely fix the problem, but it is a step in the right direction. As a country, we need to come together and prioritize helping the younger generations with reading skills. With the right techniques and dedication, a turning curve will be seen in literacy levels.

Editorial: Multicultural Integration

Since its inception, America has been built on the back of oppression, whether that be ethnic or religious persecution. While the endemic, medieval-like slaughter of oppressed groups such as Mexicans during the Mexican-American War, has lessened severely in the US, systemic problems plague our nation.

America celebrates multiculturalism through holidays and designated times of the year during which people celebrate the history of many minority groups. However, this fails to truly educate and commemorate the struggles of oppressed groups throughout American history. The basis of our education system and governmental structure fails to adequately address the massive issues at play. The idea of holidays or months like Black History Month attempt to celebrate and support minorities, however, more inclusive and effective methods are abundant. Florida recently banned AP African American Studies, a new course being piloted around the country, citing that it, “severely lacked educational value.” America’s educational system needs reform to be more effective in educating younger generations and inciting reform in the future. Banning necessary classes is a step in the other direction.

With America’s history being wracked with violence and genocide, especially of ethnic minorities, there is much to be taught in schools and to the American populous about their history and what their lives are built on. Much of America’s history, especially that of our major injustices dealt to minorities, is glazed over in the state curriculum. Atrocities have been committed by Americans all over the world to almost every group of people. The US history curriculum covers some, the big names mostly; the purging of Native Americans, and major names and events in African American history are covered to some extent, but many massive persecutions are barely glazed over if they are mentioned at all.

Tameira Wilson, an AHS social studies

teacher notices the lack of inclusivity in AHS curriculum specifically.

“I think that there just has to be intentionality on making sure we are highlighting the stories of all, and I think that goes across the board,” Wilson said. Several months of the year have been designated to celebrate and teach about minority groups and their history. However, the goal is not well executed. A more robust and extensive education of minority groups across the board would be a far more effective way to educate younger generations, leading to better awareness in the future.

“The idea of having months that celebrate groups is important so that groups are not forgotten in history until we become a more equal and equitable society,” Wilson said. “The goal should be to have one history that incorporates all of the people that actually contribute to that history. But until that curriculum is promoted nationwide, there’s a necessity to have special months. I think the difficulty with having special months is that ‘does that give people permission to only care about those groups during that month?’”

Locally, people struggle with understanding the ideas put forward in multicultural education. Living in a bubble like Aspen, people can experience a culture shock only by traveling to more diverse parts of the US. Aspen lacks a minority voice being almost 89% white.

“The other problem is that we’re not a very diverse community and I do mean ethnic diversity…however, in general, we’re not a very diverse population and when you lack that diversity, you lack any connection to those cultures whatsoever,” Wilson said. “So it seems very foreign, when it really shouldn’t. Hispanic Heritage Month, African American History Month, Asian American, Pacific Islander month shouldn’t feel like a foreign experience.”

The Real Problem with Mental Health and Gun Violence

Ava Cherry, Editor-In-Chief

In January of this year, at least 44 mass shootings occurred in the United States. Despite efforts made throughout 2022, gun violence continues to spike.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research database, mass shootings may be defined as occurrences in which four or more people are injured or killed. Last year, state legislatures allocated more than 860 million dollars to gun violence prevention and passed 51 gun safety laws in 2022. Alarmingly, mass shootings failed to decrease afterward.

25 states currently protect the right to carry a firearm either openly and/ or concealed without requiring gun owners to obtain a permit or license. Additionally, access to guns accelerated during the pandemic. Tracking the sale of firearms proves difficult as the United States does not track gun sales to civilians, but rather, uses checks performed by the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System, as an unvalidated representation of firearm sale numbers. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine between January 2019 and April 2021, an estimated seven and a half million adults became “first new gun owners,” the majority of whom had not previously lived with a gun in their home. In addition, 11 million others, 5 million of whom are children, are now exposed to household firearms.

The shooting of a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia on Jan. 6, by a 6-year-old, who used a gun legally purchased by his mother, highlights the need for education on responsible gun ownership and storage.

Politicians and news outlets continue to focus on mental health as a

root cause of mass shootings. This is problematic in its distraction from the actual issue of access to guns for those with serious mental illness: suicide. Suicides account for more than half of the (approximately) 45,000 firearm deaths that occur in the U.S. each year. Swanson et al concluded that the apparent link between mental illness and violent behavior toward others is theorized to be attributed to economic and social risk factors such as poverty, childhood exposure to trauma, neighborhood crime, and involvement in drug use and/or trade. Additionally, participants in this study who had a diagnosis of a serious mental illness, but no history of alcohol/drug abuse, neighborhood crime, or violent victimization have a two percent annual rate of violence, which is on par with that of the general population. Furthermore, Epidemiological studies assert that the majority of people with mental illness are never violent.

Those who struggle with mental illness, however, are associated with an increased risk of suicide. The availability of lethal means significantly contributes to this risk. Additionally, the theory of coupling asserts that decisions such as that of committing suicide are coupled to a particular place or means. Thus, when a person’s preferred method is no longer accessible it is possible that they will not attempt suicide by different means. This is perhaps supported by studies such as one conducted by Thomas Reich, Timur Steffen, Astrid Habenstien, and Wolfgang Tschamer, which found that only one-fifth of prevented gun suicides resulted in the substitution of suicide by alternate means.

Parking Wreaks Havoc Among AHS Students

Lauren Kinney, Social Media Editor

Over the past few months, it feels as if school starts at 7:55 a.m. rather than 8:45 a.m. The sole reason is the parking debacle. Juniors that drive to school must leave early enough to park outside of the AMS parking lot on the rim, which is owned by the city. Although the city permits 15-minute parking on the rim, it is the only place students can park without getting a large, green embarrassing sticker, or even worse a boot followed by a 75-dollar fine. If students arrive too late to get a spot, they must resort to either the ARC or the AMS lot which both end in a ticket.

This is not only an issue for the juniors, but also the seniors. This school year, AHS only handed out sixty parking passes to the seniors. This leaves the remaining 68 seniors to hunt for parking as well.

Personally, I am fortunate enough to live in Snowmass, but I still leave at 7:45 a.m. in order to get a spot on

the rim. Prior to the strictly enforced rules, I left at 8:20 a.m. As the rim fills up earlier and earlier everyday, many juniors and seniors are getting annoyed with this issue. On countless occasions, my peers receive the green stickers and even boots. I am aware that this is not a quick fix, but the first step is raising awareness of the parking issue.

Sleep is critical to a teens ability to focus. According to the Sleep Foundation, “Without enough sleep, children and teens can have problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Sleep deprivation can also contribute to emotional issues and behavior problems that may affect academic achievement.” The hard course load at AHS forces students to stay up late in order to finish their assignments for the next day. Going to bed late and waking up earlier to attempt to secure a parking spot is unreasonable.

Students already have constant stress about school, homelife, after high

school plans, sports, etc. Parking should be the least of their worries. The weight a student is carrying should not be walking down to their car and seeing a neon color on their vehicle. Stress as it is is a lot to handle and an aspect that could go away rapidly is a secure parking spot.

Whenever this issue is addressed lightly with a teacher or admin, the answer is always the same. Bus. Taking the bus is not as easy or accessible as some think. Some students do not live near a bus stop, and have working parents that cannot drop them off or pick them up in the morning and afternoon. Another drawback is for the students that live down valley. The school bus does not go anywhere near El Jebel or Basalt. This results in an accessibility issue. Getting to school is as large of an issue as leaving school is. Students have work after school starting as early as 4 p.m. The RFTA and school buses often do not leave until 4 p.m. Our school is

very athletic and the practice schedules are all over the place. Practices are at a different time each day, and the bus system does not work around our students.

Teachers should be able to empathize with the students, instead of giving us a one word “solution” that would not work for most.

The school could offer a carpooling/ HOV pass. If you carpool with other peers you can apply for a carpool pass. This would minimize the amount of cars in the parking lot, but also have the cars be full of students. Not only would it minimize the amount of cars, but the 75 dollar fee could also be reduced. With many of your peers working together to pay the fee would make it more affordable for all. From personal experience, most of my peers in the junior class drive with at least one other student. By creating this pass, it eliminates the amount of tickets and fines, and students can drive without a big stress factor on their minds.

Fluorescence in Snowmass Village

Bringing the Jazz Back to JAS Aspen in 2023

Elsa Tullar, Staff Writer

The lineup for Labor Day 2023 is breathtaking: The Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, and–drum roll, please…The Lumineers!

JAS gives a unique opportunity to enjoy these artists. Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) was founded in 1991 with a mission to “present and preserve jazz and related forms of music through worldclass events, performances, and education programs”. Entering its 32nd year of bringing famous artists into this small mountain town, JAS is one of the most anticipated events each year here in the Aspen/ Snowmass community.

JAS originally started out as a three-day event in Aspen to showcase popular artists and bands. From there it has grown exponentially to a complex set of multi-day festivals throughout the Aspen/ Snowmass area. Along with three days of incredible performances located at the Snowmass town park, JAS now offers year-round music education programs, a summer academy for jazz students, and the new addition of the JAS Cafe. This cafe features jazz musicians in venues around Aspen.

The Labor Day Experience is an

outdoor concert featuring genres such as pop, R&B, rock, funk, blues, world, and soul. Every year fans of attending bands travel to Aspen in order to listen to outstanding music, with the stunning backdrop of the Elk Mountain

announced three of the attending bands, with more on the way.

AHS junior Sophie Genshaft has been attending the JAS concerts since she was young. Having the opportunity to grow up in an environment that supports musical

embracing the last few days of summer. I love the energy and all of the activities to do,” Genshaft said.

Since the JAS community has grown, the program has been able to bring more popular artists and bands to Snowmass Village. In the past, this organization has flown in many extravagant artists such as Earth, Wind, and Fire, Stevie Wonder, The Killers, Train, and Stevie Nicks. This is only a handful of the talented artists that have performed here. The list of bigname artists who have traveled to Aspen Snowmass to perform at the Snowmass Town Park is endless.

Freshman Eleanor Carroll has also been coming to these concerts since childhood. She has enjoyed the easy access to a musical environment and all of the memorable experiences she has developed over the years through JAS.

Range. As Labor Day approaches, selected bands across the nation are preparing for their big night. Leading up to the JAS concerts, the Luminears are performing across Europe in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and many more. So far, JAS has

interests in the outdoors has greatly benefited Genshaft’s character and has influenced her interest in pursuing music herself.

“My favorite part about attending JAS concerts is the environment. I love being able to walk around a community of people just

“I’m looking forward to going to the concerts this year with my friends because as I get older, I start to remember it more. So I’m excited to experience things I didn’t experience as much as when I was younger,” Carroll said.

Photo by Elsa Tullar

Stevie Nicks preforming at the 2022 JAS concerts.

Madelyn McAllister, Head Photographer

After a long day of skiing and being on the mountain, it’s nice to walk to view the Luminescence at the base of Snowmass Mountain.

A triangle walkway lights the path to the entrance of the Viewline hotel in Snowmass Village.

A closeup of a small lit-up walkway in front of the Elk-Camp gondola.

This is a full photo of the walkway right below the Elk-Camp walkway leading towards four mountain sports and the Limelight.

These bright Christmas lights brighten up the empty area of Base Village.

As you stand at the base of Snowmass, you get a beautiful view of the lit-up mountain leading up to the mall.

Red Rocks: Much More Than Mu sic

Quintessa Frisch, Opinion Editor

Sitting at approximately 6,450 feet of elevation and located 15 miles outside of Denver, Colorado lies Red Rocks amphitheater. Many well-known artists have performed live at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre such as Stevie Nicks, The Beatles, and John Denver. Although Red Rocks deserves to be recognized for much more than its extraordinary concert venue, it is the heart of music in Colorado.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre opened in 1941 to the public. 50,000 cubic feet of rocks and dirt were removed in order to create the current seating. With a seating capacity of over 9,500 people, there isn’t a single seat with a bad view of the stage. Burnham Hoyt, the architect of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, claims to be one of Colorado’s most respected architects. As impressive as Red Rocks Amphitheatre is, it is especially unique as it is one of

few places where you can feel tucked away in nature and still enjoy spectacular live music.

When addressing the challenge, Hoyt said, “To do a minimum of architecture; to preserve in full where possible the great assets of the site: the view and the extraordinary acoustic properties.”

Not only is the amphitheater impressive, but the rest of the park holds many attractions. There is a wide variety of trails that can be enjoyed on foot,

bike, or horse including The Trading Post Trail, The Funicular Trail, The Red Rocks Trail, The Geological Overlook Trail, and more. Depending on what you are looking for, these trails range from a short walk to a multiple-mile hike with much higher intensity. Additionally, there are different exercise groups such as yoga that you can participate in throughout the day.

If exploring the outdoors of Colorado isn’t your cup of

tea, don’t worry. Red Rocks offers attractions past outdoor activities. Public art exhibits can be found at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. An additional highlight of the indoor attractions is that Red Rocks is home to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Billy Murray, John Denver, and members of Earth, Wind, and Fire are a few of the many famous inductees of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. In addition to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, the Red Rocks Hall of Fame is located at Red Rocks as well. This features artists and bands such as U2, The Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, The Beatles, and many more. Whether the trails, museums, or live music draws you in, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre should be a destination on everybody’s bucket list. There aren’t many places where you can go on a hike in the morning, visit the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, then listen to your favorite artist live surrounded by beautiful scenery.

What Happened to Adam Sandler?

Haley Schmela, Staff Writer

Adam Sandler, a man who once brought utter happiness into the lives of anyone with a good sense of humor. His movies, being incredibly stupid, seem to have taught me more life lessons than any bump in the road I have experienced firsthand. For example, That’s My Boy taught me to let go of past mistakes and forgive others for their wrongdoings. Grownups taught me to surround myself with people who make me feel good, while Hubie Halloween taught me how to properly use the mute button on my tv remote. I could go on and on about the greatness Sandler achieved, I mean, not many people have the bone structure, nor the courage, to play both a boy and a girl in the same movie. That being said, what happened to such a legend?

While Hussel is one of the best movies

I have seen in a while, and Uncut Gems had me biting my nails for hours, there never seemed to be a moment where I found myself uncontrollably laughing or even wanting to quote something he said like I have in his past works. I was confused why his movies took such a turn. They went from comedy and satire to what feels like a documentary on why the wheel was invented. I thought hard for a moment about why this was happening; was it something someone did, or said? I quickly got working to discover why the sudden drastic change of genre. I began reading reviews from his movies.

As I scrolled on my computer there were only happy and positive reviews regarding Adam Sandler. I was almost certain there were no haters. But then, I got to a review page with many

comments coming from a man named Alonso Duralde; “Vulgar, trite, sexist, misogynist, hacky, tackey, gross, sentimental and stupid, with occasional flourishes of racism and veiled homophobia thrown in the boot,” Alonso wrote. I quickly sent a Mr. Duralde an email - in my head, “a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline.” Because I was under the impression he watched the movie without knowing the definition of a joke. “I felt like it was crushing the soul out of me. But it’s still better than Grown-Ups 2,” I strongly believe Alonso woke up one morning and chose violence. Maybe he wrote such negative things because his life is so miserable; assuming he is living in his moms basement with a diet of hot pockets and the daily routine of playing

warzone and screaming into the mike when he fails to win for the 30th time that day. Don’t forget, hurt people hurt people.

While there are many others in the world that share the same ignorant opinion that Alonso has, it is important to remember the memories and magic that came from Adam Sandler movies. His ability to make jokes and bring smiles to faces worldwide will be hard shoes to fill, especially with a name like Alonso. So I believe it is important as a generation to continue to carry out the legacy he created for comedy and flood Adam Sandler’s comment section with kindness. So maybe then maybe he will come out of hiding and back onto our movie screens to remind us what laughter feels like.

Photo Curtisy of Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre Map of Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre