The Mix - Volume 25, Issue 4

the editor

Change. It’s always happening around us in the world.

Whether it’s people, places, things, or ideas, everything is always changing and evolving But for change to happen, someone or something has to rise up and make an impact. Take special education teacher and soccer coach Katy Wood for example. Wood has dedicated a great deal of her life to helping others and creating connections that will last longer than a lifetime.

From starting a group home to founding a school in Afghanistan, Wood has always found a way to stand up for people who need it the most. She’s creating change.

For students like Minna Most ‘23 and Elena Medina ‘23, using their voices is their way to make change happen.

Along with many of their other peers, Most and Medina took charge of a nationwide school walkout against gun violence in schools. They spoke out to the student body and rallied with their fellow classmates. They’re creating change.

Then we come to the evolution of technology. With the popularity of the chatbot ChatGPT increasing among students, changes in education and the future are inevitable.

For people like language arts teacher Sean Duncan and Owen Reid ‘23, that change could have major consequences, but for people like Tyler Rock ‘23 that change could be for the better. Either way, ChatGPT is creating change.

As we seniors take on our last few weeks of our high school years, it excites me to see where both myself and my peers will go in life and what change we will make in the future.

We were all put on this earth for a reason, and that reason was to make change in some sort of way.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Maeby Aleo

MANAGING EDITOR

Arianna Bergman

DESIGN EDITORS

David Maxwell

Brenna Severson

COPY EDITOR

Zoey Perrine

OPINIONS EDITOR

Minh Anh Le

SPORTS EDITOR

Zoey Perrine

MEDIA MANAGERS

Brianna Sandoval

Matthew Spratlin

SOCIAL COORDINATORS

Abbey Elalouf

Ben Lehman

STAFF WRITERS

Sofia Blair

Cas East

Abbey Elalouf

Maren Holecek

Josh Huyg

Ben Lehman

Zach Mirviss

Clay Mustoe

Alex Randle

Brianna Sandoval

Mars Smith

Matthew Spratlin

Maya VanVleet

ADVISER Ben Reed

MAEBY M. ALEO

Opinions or expressions made by students in this publication are not expressions of Boulder Valley School District Board policy. The district and its employees are immune from any civil action based on any expression made for or published by students. The Mix is an open forum for and by the students, faculty, and community of Monarch High School. The Mix is willing to accept and publish any appropriate articles. We will not print letters sent to us without a name and signature.

the mix-up

NO MORE silence

STUDENTS RALLY AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE IN NATIONWIDE WALKOUT

By Brianna Sandoval

All across America, students are scared to go to school. There have already been 27 shootings in Colorado schools in 2023, and many are fed-up with being afraid and seeing no change in gun legislation.

Students Demand Action, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to end gun violence in schools, urged high schoolers across the country to hold a walkout on Wednesday, April 5th to show that people want change from lawmakers.

“It was a national thing organized by Students Demand Action, and I think the gist was if every high school has this protest, hopefully, it’ll get some attention,” Minna Most ‘23 said, who spoke out at the protest.

Many students shared the walkout on social media and told anyone they could about the protest, encouraging them to participate. Spreading the word about the protest to the rest of the school also meant telling people what it meant if they showed up.

Gun violence is a deadly issue in America that has many people uniting to put an end to it.

“It’s about drawing attention to this issue by standing together and showing that we’re unified, showing that students aren’t going to continue to let it slide,” Most said. “Say, ‘I have a voice and I’m going

to use it and find a way to do that.’ That can’t be so easily ignored.”

Although some students used the protest as an opportunity to skip class, the leaders of the walkout felt their words left a mark on those who listened.

“For people who did stay and watch, even if they were there just to get out of class, they got to hear what people had to say,” Elena Medina ‘23, another speaker at the protest said. “They got to see their classmates get angry and upset, and rightfully so because our lives are being flipped upside-down every single time we walk into this building.”

Those who spoke out wanted people to know how they were feeling and their opinion on a matter that is important to them.

“I was not planning on speaking, but then no one else was, and I wanted to say one thing, which was about voting, so I stood up,” Most said. “I didn’t step down and I kept talking.”

They let their voices be heard and gave others the chance to do the same. Medina wasn’t the organizer behind the walkout, nor did she plan to talk, but she knew that she had to let out the anger she felt.

“It’s important that you recognize that your silence can harm others,” Medina said. “When you use your voice to speak for people who are too afraid, you’re helping so many more people than just yourself.”

Students chant “No more silence, end gun violence” in front of the school. Elena Medina ‘23 and Minna most ‘23 stood with their peers and used their voices.

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WHAT IS THE WORST DATE YOU’VE BEEN ON?

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“We went to a movie and she left early to go to another guy’s house.”

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HOW TO STUDY EFFECTIVELY USING STUDENT ADVICE

“Start studying earlier than you think you need to because it helps to not feel stressed in the long run.” – Mia Talocco ‘24

“I made flashcards, and I’ve also studied with friends.”

– Alex Berryhill ‘26

“Don’t review the things you already know.

Starbucks 1 2 3

– Leah Buck ‘23 4

“Do it as close to the test as possible, even the night before, because it will help you remember the info.”

– Maya Zamir ‘25

“We went to the movies and his brother awkwardly sat behind us and watched us watch the movie.”

“The first time this girl came to my house, my baby sister called her by my ex-girlfriends name.”

“He told me I had to pay for him and I wasn’t expecting it so I was short with him for the rest of the date.”

Blake Lehrer ‘26

Courtney Shelby ‘25

Areli Calderon ‘23

Tazmin Espinosa ‘24

MEMORABLE mu sic

STUDENTS CAPTURE THEIR FAVORITE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES

put-together PROFESSIONALS

TEACHERS SHOW OFF THEIR OUTFITS

Overalls are my favorite. They’re very comfortable and they have lots of pockets where I can keep my phone and my keys. I like oversized long-sleeve shirts a lot.

– Miranda Lee, Language Arts

I love this style of shirt because the back is longer than the front, and I just think it’s flattering. And I like classic black pants.

– Amanda Sharrow, Math

I went with overalls because I love them. I used to wear a lot of high heels, and I can’t do that anymore. Now it’s tennis shoes and Birkenstocks.

– Kristin Kerr Gannon, Social Studies

Kid Cudi concert. Photo courtesy of Sophia Margolis ‘23

The Weeknd concert. Photo courtesy of Vivi Ruiz ‘24

Olivia Rodrigo concert. Photo courtesy of Anna Craze ‘23

“Basic white girls but in a good way because they actually look cool.”

–

WITH

style

WHAT DO YOUR SHOES SAY ABOUT YOU?

CONVERSE

“Goth and the coolest people you’ll ever meet.”

– Skyler Friar ‘23

DR. MARTENS

NIKE BLAZERS

“Super chill and don’t care what you say about their dirty white Converse.”

“Slightly less basic than people who wear Air Force 1s.”

– Elijah Shigeta ‘25

“Clean and probably collectors.”

– Lily Baskins ‘23

AIR JORDANS

CROCS

“Athletic or just don’t care.”

–

NIKE AF1

Caitlin Philips ‘24

Talia Rupert ‘26

– Aishika Kolla ‘26

bl m

MUST

APRIL SHOWERS may flowers

SENTIMENTAL FLOWERS AT MONARCH

“Magnolia because my dad used to have a magnolia tree at our house when I was little.”

“Irises because I had a dog named after them.”

ANTI-SMOOTHIE

TEAGAN LEAR ‘25 SHARES QUICK, EASY SLUSHY RECIPE ingredients

Mixed berries

Minute Maid Limeade

Four ice cubes

Chia seeds

Unflavored protein powder

Spinach (If you want to be healthy)

Fill it to the line on your blender. Blend it all together and you’re done!

&mix matches

LACROSSE GIRLS SOCCER

“A lot of us have been playing together since we were in fifth grade. Also one of our coaches is a coach we’ve had since we were little too. We’ve all grown up together.”

“We talk about our ‘PGPs’ too much as a team. And I’m not going to elaborate on what that is because people are going to read this.”

BASEBALL GIRLS GOLF GIRLS TENNIS

“Our favorite thing to do is eat out of Ms. Dixon’s snack box.”

“At every tournament we all eat Nerds Gummy Clusters.”

“People think we’re not good because last year we weren’t. We started off 6-3 and I think people will think we’re underrated once the season goes on.”

Photo courtesy of Mia Seguin

Grace Smith ‘23

Grasyn Trobaugh ‘25

Annabelle Thrash ‘23

Charlie Pearce ‘25

Dylan Huettl ‘23

right ON track

MONARCH TRACK ATHLETES STRIVE FOR STATE

By Maren Holecek and Maya VanVleet Hurdles

Catherine Campbell ‘25 leaps over a hurdle at full speed, spikes catching as she lands and times her steps for the next hurdle. Only a sophomore, Campbell already has ambitious plans for this season.

“I’d like to make it to State in the 300 meter hurdles and I’d like to help get the relay team to State as well,” Campbell said. She attributes her success to the coaching and weight training in the track program.

“Our lifts are designed to help us and they’re based on the practices that we’ve had,” Campbell said.

Long Jump

Sand scatters as long jumper Levi Hoenninger ‘23 lands in the sand pit.

During Hoenninger’s final season for Monarch, he hopes to make a mark in more than one event.

“I want to try to break some of the school records hopefully, and I want to make State for the long jump and for the 400 meter dash,” Hoenninger said.

Sprints

Noah Holmberg 23’ explodes out of the blocks, gaining momentum with every stride.

“I wanted to get into a community that was also as athletically competitive as I am,” Holmberg said.

Holmberg encourages all athletes to join the track program.

“Every other sport should run track because it helps with your explosiveness, endurance, and agility,” Holmberg said. “It just strengthens every part of your body in ways that you don’t really think about.”

Pole Vault

Tyler Rowan ‘24 is determined to be successful this season.

Even when Rowan reaches an important goal, there’s always a new one for him to aim for.

“Every time I get a PR or a goal that I’m trying to achieve, I’m happy for a second, and then I’m onto the next one,” Rowan said.

To Rowan, the best part of pole vaulting is the unlimited potential to grow and the infinite goals to reach.

“I love never being satisfied,” Rowan said.

Tyler Rowan ‘24 practices his pole vault after school. He hopes to make it to state this season. Photo courtesy of Emmett Walsh

Catherine Campbell ‘25 works hard at track practice. She placed third in the 300 meter hurdles at her race that weekend.

STUDENT ATHLETES LEARN LIMITS TO MANAGE PHYSICAL HEALTH

through THE pain

By Maeby Aleo and Brianna Sandoval

Every athlete has one worst nightmare: a season-ending injury. The sprain of an ankle. The break of an arm. The tear of an ACL.

According to P.E. teacher Alex Esposito, younger athletes are more prone to injuries as they tend to not know their limits or work on injury prevention.

“A lot of kids these days have knee problems and are predisposed to injuries,” he said. “They don’t do any injury prevention programs before they’re in season.”

Some coaches at Monarch hold indoor training in the off-seasons in order to keep their athletes in shape and help with injury prevention by strengthening vulnerable muscles.

“A lot of coaches here are doing a good job and have been getting athletes in the weight room before the season, but sometimes not,” Esposito said.

Esposito sees injuries like ACL tears and sprained ankles becoming more and more common among young athletes, players have to be more aware of their limits when competing in a sport.

“You have to be really in tune with your body and know what’s too much and what’s not,” he said.

For soccer player Avery Messman ‘23, knowing her limits is vital to her own athletic wellness.

“I’ve probably sprained my ankle seven times, and I get it taped up whenever I need it,” Messman said. “When I feel like I can’t go anymore, I can’t push anything. So, I take myself out of the game or practice.”

Grace Smith ‘23, another soccer player, also has outlets to prevent injuries and keep her physically healthy.

“I would meet with my club’s strength trainer once a week,” Smith said. “They would have me do different types of movements and exercises targeted towards the hip flexor I had injured.”

The girls’ soccer team uses their off-season to do winter workouts and strength training in the weight room to continue to keep players in shape before the spring season begins.

“Coach Katy Wood has us do these

workouts and she always tells us we have to get past the crap and keep going,” Smith said. “We’ll be in the middle of a tough workout and I’ll be wanting to throw my guts up. But once you’re able to push past it, you feel this clarity.”

Mentality goes hand and hand with physical fitness and wellness. Athletes have to be mentally sharp to keep themselves from getting accidentally injured.

“Because I play midfield, it just comes down to running back and forth and eventually getting tired,” Smith said. “It’s exhausting to your legs and especially your mind when you feel like you can’t do it. I think it’s just the reality of sports. You feel like you’ve done everything you can and it’s still not enough.”

Playing through the pain isn’t necessarily something athletes should live by, but if they know their limits, they can try to push themselves to finish a game or a practice stronger.

“I have to realize I can actually flip it around and do it,” Smith said. “That realization is what really gets me through during games when I’m getting tired.”

TIPS FOR A healthy ATHLETE

1. Drink lots of water and fluids.

2. Have a balanced diet with protein, fats, and carbs.

3. Stretch before and after an activity.

4. Let your body recover when it needs it most.

Soccer player Emma Fassora ‘25 gets her ankle taped by the athletic trainer before a game. The tape helped keep her ankle supported for the match.

STICKING out

SOPHOMORE STANDS OUT ON HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE TEAM

By Abbey Elalouf

It all started for Flynn Leonard ‘25 at the age of six. With a Maverick Kinetic lacrosse stick in hand, 6-year-old Leonard faced fourth graders. Despite his size, Leonard had the skill and talent to follow and play with the older kids for four years.

Because Leonard was so young, playing against older kids caused him to get hurt more often. Despite the injuries, he believes it helped grow and develop him into the player he is today.

After four years, Leonard dropped a few age categories and only played one year above him. “I played a year up all the way until I was in eighth grade, and then I went down to my own grade level,” Leonard said.

Leonard now plays for three teams. Two national teams and Monarch’s combined team.

“You get selected for national teams,” Leonard said. “You don’t really get to try out for them. There are kids from all over the country, mostly on the East Coast, and we travel for tournaments to places like Maryland, California, and Florida.”

Playing on three teams leaves Leonard with little to no free time. When high school lacrosse is not in season, Leonard finds himself practicing just as much to stay on top.

“I have practices three times a week, and then my own training every morning before school, five days a week,” Leonard said. “Most

of the time I’m traveling for tournaments on the weekends, and I’ll leave on Fridays halfway through school and get back late on Sundays.”

With his days full of lacrosse, Leonard finds himself spending the majority of his time with offensive coordinator, coach Doug Jolly.

“He’s been coaching me since freshman year,” Leonard said. “He’s the offensive coordinator and is more focused on me and the offense.”

Coach Jolly feels Leonard has talent and is extraordinary.

“He immediately stood out,” Jolly said. “His skill level was off the chart as a freshman, and now that he’s put the time in physically, he’s where he needs to be. Mentally, he has a really high IQ as far as the process goes and he’s an incredible teammate.”

On top of his good attitude and strength, there’s one thing Leonard has that differs him from other top players. His number.

“I’ve had 23 for my whole life,” he said. “It was my dad’s number when he played, and I’ve had it since I was little.”

Ever since Jolly saw number 23 from the first day at tryouts, he saw a player bursting at the seams with potential and dedication.

“He’s a kid who can play D1 in college if he wants,” Jolly said. And that’s exactly what Leonard dreams of doing.

Flynn Leonard ‘25 takes his helmet off to cool down at halftime against Cherokee Trail. He scored three goals and had two assists during the game.

“His skill level was off the chart as a freshman, and now that he’s put the time in physically, he’s where he needs to be.”

KATY WOOD DIGNIFIES THE VOICE OF THE UNDER-SERVED YOUTH

DARE todignify

By Sofia Blair, Cas East, Minh Anh Le, Zoey Perrine, Brenna Severson, and Maya VanVleet

Chapter 1: YOUNG Katy

When special education teacher and soccer coach Katy Wood was younger, everything seemed cool.

As a two-year-old, she swung and climbed from monkey bar to monkey bar with reckless abandon.

“I was like a daredevil,” Wood said. “I was always willing to try stuff and things didn’t ever really scare me.”

This spirit of being daring, of taking chances, has led Wood to places her two-

work as a teacher.

“She’s a very comfortable person to talk to. I love having her as a teacher,” Kai Nelson ‘25 said.

Even before her time at Monarch, Wood has always been a listener. From the grassroot initiative to connecting many kids to education, she has moved from chapter to chapter of her life diligently. A savior to wayward girls. A makeshift mom. The founder of a school.

qualities translate into her

Katy Wood assists students with their school work. Her classroom is a comfortable environment for them to get their work done.

Young Katy Wood smiles proudly for the camera.

Girls as young as 12 were put in the hands of Katy Wood. She owned a group house where beds were offered to girls at risk.

A group house is a small residential space that simultaneously provides support and therapy for those in need.

“I worked with different girls that had been in trouble with the law or their parents prostituted them out,” Wood said. “While they were in my house, a lot of them didn’t really have parents or parents who were a good fit.”

Girls were put in this house per judges order.

“They were from all over the state of Colorado and definitely traveled quite a while to come to the house.” Wood said. She became the girls’ parent, and their friend.

“While we were there, I watched them 24/7 and looked over their cases, went to court with them, took care of their medicines and

HELPING

really just became like their family,” Wood said. “It was really important that they had people that lived and cared for them.”

Even in milestones in the girl’s lives, Wood was eager to help them in any way she could.

“This girl got asked to Homecoming and had never been shopping before, so we decided, ‘I’m going to take you shopping and get your nails done and get your hair done,’” Wood said.

But eventually the group house was put to an end.

Because of how the foster care system works, these girls were taken out of the group house and put back with their original guardians. Wood finds it hard to part with the girls.

“It’s really difficult because you fall in love with these people, they become your family,” Wood said.

Chapter 3:

The children sweat under the hot sun in Afghanistan, working to make ends meet for their family. Wood saw another problem to solve. “Kids as young as three live on the streets and they work to sell pieces of gum, and that’s how they survive,” Wood said. Wood visited Afghanistan with the purpose of donating water to students in need. After getting to know the children, Wood saw a greater impact in building them a school. With the financial support from investors, she rendered this a reality.

“The kids said, ‘Katy before you get us water, can we have a school?’ So that started our school, and now they have wells, a playground, and a bunch of different things,” she said. “My kids are all the way from 3 to 20 years old and they go to school. The school is the only place they get one meal a day.”

Beyond a place of warmth and comfort, she says these students are elated to learn new

SCHOOL founder

things at the school.

“These girls are so thirsty for knowledge,” Wood said. Despite the support, their struggles perpetuate. Within ten years of the school being operated, the people have undergone many challenges.

“We’ve been through three bombings, and we’ve closed several times,” Wood said. “I’ve had several kids pass away due to being bombed.”

It’s a continuous effort for Wood to assist these unfortunate children, grounded in a commitment to empower their education.

“They just want to know everything, they’re always just so willing to listen, try hard and they just suck in information and they’re always so happy to show you what they know,” she said.

Students in Afghanistan wait for Wood to hand them their lunch after their class.

Katy Wood poses with a girl from the group home. They went shopping together for the first time.

MOTHERLY instincts

At the age of twenty four, Katy Wood was touring a school in Afghanistan, and all of a sudden, a 3-year-old little girl came up to Wood and started singing.

“Suddenly, she starts singing the A, B, Cs, and I’m like, what! She knows the ABCs.”

Nangina was the little girl’s name. She was 3. Wood instantly felt the bond between her and the little girl and soon became so close that she wanted to be a part of her life more. “From then on, we were best friends and knew we had a good bond,” Wood said.

Wood met Nangina’s six other siblings and knew there was more to this family

that Wood wanted to be a part of.

“Nangina’s mom and I started talking, and we became close, so it just happened that I became a part of their family,” Wood said. “They called me sozobaby, which means sozo meaning seek and save.”

Wood is now another mother figure of Nangina because of how much she has taken care of her.

“When I went to Afghanistan, they were like, ‘Nangina’s mom is here.’ Everybody just acts like I’m her second mom,” Wood said.

THE NEXT chapter

Katy Wood is more than a teacher. She steps into peoples lives when they need help most. What sets her apart from everyone else is how deeply she cares for others.

She choses not to watch. She takes action. She steps in. Just the way that she stepped into the lives of the young girls at her halfway house, and into Nangina life, she has stepped into the lives of Monarch students. Her soccer players, her students, and people simply looking for comfort find themselves spending time in her classroom. By simply being herself she has found a way to make everyone feel like they belong. And that’s a hill she’ll die on.

Nangina stares up at the camera. She was only three years old when she met Wood for the first time.

Katy Wood takes a silly selfie with a girl from the group home.

WITH THE CONSTANT EVOLUTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CHATGPT RAISES QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INFLUENCE IT WILL HAVE ON LEARNING AND EDUCATION

by Oil Painting of Monarch High School

All images in this story are generated by DALL-E 2 a software made by open AI. No images can be generated twice.

By Maeby Aleo, Ben Lehman, David Maxwell, Zach Mirviss, Clay Mustoe, and Alex Randle

CHATTING WITH CHAT ABOUT CHAT

How will ChatGPT affect education positively?

ChatGPT can serve as a personalized tutor, provide access to a vast amount of knowledge, and help teachers create more engaging and interactive learning experiences, thus revolutionizing the way we approach education, making it more accessible, engaging, and effective for learners of all ages and backgrounds.

How will ChatGPT affect education negatively?

ChatGPT may replace human teachers, provide inaccurate or biased information, reduce critical thinking skills, and raise concerns about data privacy breaches.

Can copy and pasting from ChatGPT be considered plagiarism?

Copying and pasting information from ChatGPT without proper citation could be considered plagiarism, as it involves using someone else’s work without giving them credit. It is important to properly cite any information obtained from ChatGPT or any other source to avoid plagiarism.

How often is information provided by ChatGPT inaccurate?

The accuracy of information provided by ChatGPT depends on the quality of the data it was trained on. While it is generally reliable, there is always a risk of providing inaccurate information, particularly on controversial or highly subjective topics. It is important to verify information from multiple sources before accepting it as true.

How does Chat GPT affect how students critically think?

ChatGPT’s effect on students’ critical thinking skills is uncertain. While it can provide access to a wealth of knowledge and promote interactive learning experiences, students may become overly reliant on the technology, potentially hindering their ability to think critically and solve problems independently.

How does ChatGPT encourage academic dishonesty?

ChatGPT could encourage academic dishonesty if students use it to generate complete assignments without understanding the material. Additionally, students may try to exploit ChatGPT’s limitations by asking leading or vague questions to obtain desired answers without engaging in genuine learning.

As the use of artificial intelligence continues to expand in education, concerns have been raised about the abuse of ChatGPT as a cheating tool, with students increasingly relying on the sophisticated language model to generate plagiarized content and answer exam questions, posing significant challenges for educators tasked with maintaining academic integrity.

Wait. Stop and read that sentence again. Notice anything strange about it? Probably not. That last sentence was written by the artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT.

The use of Artificial Intelligence programs in education has become a challenge for educators. They offer new tools for learning, but also a gateway to cheating.

Language arts teacher Sean Duncan feels frustrated with students who use ChatGPT for their schoolwork.

“I despise ChatGPT. I think it’s the worst thing in the world,” Duncan said. “This is a tool where you have to do literally nothing to cheat.”

Duncan’s frustrations are shared by students and teachers alike. Owen Reid ‘23 finds ChatGPT to be an up-and-coming problem among students.

“Kids don’t realize the severity of using the AI,” Reid said. “They think it’s a nifty tool. They don’t really consider it to be plagiarizing. Kids need to learn that it’s not okay to use it.”

Say you are in a crunch the night before your big summative language arts essay is due. You can easily hop onto ChatGPT and give it one simple task:

Write me a 600 word essay about the symbolism in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

In less than five minutes, the chatbot will generate a well written essay, and all you had to do was type one sentence. It’s that easy.

Although Reid understands ChatGPT does not actively produce plagiarized content, he feels its use by students is a violation of academic honesty.

look at what AI can do

Edit your writing and add suggestions

Pass the bar exam 90% of the time

Write newspaper articles and answer essay prompts

Play text-based games like trivia and choose your own adventure

Generate educational materials such as quizzes, tests and other learning materials

Translate text

“If you copy and paste from Google, that’s considered plagiarism,” he said. “Whereas ChatGPT already has the text reorganized for you.”

Monarch’s Language Arts Department has its own policy regarding plagiarism on essays and other assignments with serious consequences.

It states that if a student uses words or fragments from other works and they are caught, they receive a 0% on the assignment, with the option to re-do it for a new grade of up to 50%. The student will also receive a Discipline Referral Form on their student record.

However, the current policy doesn’t

include any language regarding the use of AI programs. With the rise of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, the Language Arts department is beginning to revise their cheating policy to accommodate for the new technology, according to Duncan.

“There are AI catchers now that can supposedly identify it, but they’re not 100% accurate,” he said. “AI is constantly getting smarter, so I think it’s always going to be one step ahead of us trying to catch it.”

AI might constantly be getting more intelligent, but in Duncan’s eyes, it doesn’t make the people who use it smarter.

“I’ve heard some people try to make the argument that it’s an educational tool, and I

Colorado Mountains colored pencil drawing

Gold coyote

pixel art

don’t think that could be any more wrong,” Duncan said. “I think it’s only going to have bad repercussions as far as education.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Tyler Rock ‘23 feels he benefits from ChatGPT by using it as an additional source for information.

“It can scan websites and things like that so you don’t have to go read a bunch of information,” he said. “It can summarize information for you.”

Lauren Hall ‘24 also considers ChatGPT an educational tool rather than a cheating device.

“It can be helpful to kick start you into understanding whatever you’re confused

A

3D render of a purple pencil

Beautiful landscape Van

Gogh painting

about and help you to start your homework,” she said.

Social studies student teacher Daniel Petschauer notices the efficiency of ChatGPT when using it for schoolwork.

“It could save people a lot of time,” Petschauer said. “ChatGPT has a lot of potential for deceiving people, especially teachers.”

Rather than trying to keep students from using ChatGPT for work once they’re at home, something that is nearly impossible, Petschauer thinks there are more solutions to monitor its use.

“Assigning less homework and giving more in class assignments lets teachers monitor

what a student is actually doing,” he said. “This is opposed to just having them go home where they can use it freely.”

There may not be a permanent way to block ChatGPT in schools, as students will almost always find ways around it. Finding alternative ways to work around the evolving system may be the only option for educators who are opposed to it.

“People are going to have to adapt for sure,” Rock said. ChatGPT could write great about anything. So there’s definitely gonna be a cultural change. I think it’s going to be something people are going to have to get used to.”

A FALSE THREAT AS REAL AS IT GETS

BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL SWATTING TRAUMATIZES COMMUNITY

By Arianna Bergman, Maren Holecek, Josh Huyg, Mars Smith, and Matthew Spratlin

WHAT IS SWATTING?

Steam rose from Boulder High School Assistant Principal Scott Cawlfield’s coffee mug as he leaned back in his office chair, peering out his office window into the snowy Wednesday morning.

As Arapahoe Avenue slowly filled with students on February 22, a police cruiser suddenly veered into the campus parking lot. Dozens of officers emerged from their cars and stormed towards the entrance.

“I ran to the front office door to greet them, and it was at that time that they let us know that they had gotten a call,” Cawlfield said. “The caller had said they were at Boulder High School with a gun, and they were going to go in and cause harm.”

In under three minutes, the school was surrounded and infiltrated by 50 police officers.

“We immediately went into lockdown,” he said.

SWATTING INCIDENTS ON FEB. 22

Ortega Middle School 8:24 a.m.

False active shooter threat.

Aspen Elementary School 8:25 a.m.

False threat of shots fired.

Boulder High School 8:33 a.m.

False armed individual threat.

Brighton High School 8:41 a.m.

False threat.

Cañon City High School 9:00 a.m.

False bomb threat.

Durango High School 9:16 a.m.

False active shooter threat.

Englewood High School 9:19 a.m.

False threat of shots fired.

Estes Park High School 9:23 a.m.

False active shooter threat.

Fort Morgan High School 9:38 a.m.

False threat of active shooter and guns fired.

Grand Junction High School 10:05 a.m.

False active shooter threat.

Glenwood Springs High School 10:18 a.m.

False bomb and shooter threat.

Gilpin County High School 10:41 a.m.

False incident threat.

Littleton High School 1:45 p.m.

False armed shooter threat.

The intentional act of reporting a nonexistent crime or situation to provoke law enforcement, often a SWAT team, to a target location with a malicious intention.

EMT vehicles and police stand outside Boulder High School on Feb. 22. Police were called to the school with information that a person was entering the school with a gun. The call was a hoax called “swatting.”

Photo courtesy of John Herrick from Boulder Reporting Lab

swatting calls to police

At 8:56, Cawlfield began coordinating with officers and the district security team about how to follow protocols for the emergency.

“They needed to know the building, so I handed out maps so they knew where to go and mark off what was searched,” he said.

At the same time, science teacher Johnathon Evans led a book study with five other teachers in his classroom. After hearing the lockdown announcement echo through the school speakers, Evans barricaded his classroom doors.

“We were texting our wives and our children and developing a plan,” Evans said. “I was ready to grab a desk and throw it while the other folks were going to charge. I was hiding in a room ready to risk my life if it came to it.”

For over an hour, the six teachers in room 2607 sat in complete silence, until a knock sounded at the door.

“When they knock on the door and say, ‘Hey, we’re the police,’ we’re trained not to believe them,” Evans said. “The whole door was barricaded, so we had to peek through a part of the window to verify they were definitely police.”

Six officers from the Boulder SWAT escorted the teachers toward the main office, equipped with rifles and body armor.

“They had us in the middle of their circle, and we went through the main halls that they had deemed safe,” he said. “They relocated us to the main office hall, the designated safe zone.”

At 10:30, Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado was set up as a reunification site for staff and students.

“We got students and any of their parents out on the first bus, and then teachers took a second bus,” he said. “We were at Macky Auditorium for what felt like forever.”

What felt like forever to Evans turned out to be only half an hour. When the lockdown was lifted at 11 A.M., the community found out that there had been no shooter, or any real threat toward the school.

Boulder High School had just been swatted.

“It’s frustrating that somebody is preying upon a school, which is typically a safer environment,“ Cawlfield said. “They’re targeting us just for their own pleasure.”

man in Boston, Matthew Weigman, sent a SWAT team into a

On Feb. 22, Boulder High School was one of 19 schools in 15 Colorado school districts to receive similar swatting calls.

“These threats carry so much power due to the potential of it being real,” Evans said. “How do we do a better job of filtering these calls, especially as criminals and terrorists become more savvy?”

With the rise of swatting incidents across the country, victims experience an emotional toll, causing anger and frustration.

“My emotions felt invalidated,” he said. “I discussed with my coworkers that it is okay to be traumatized. Even though we learned what we experienced wasn’t real at the end, it felt real.”

While Monarch wasn’t affected that day, science teacher Courtney Van der Linden has concerns about swatting in the community.

“It’s definitely in the back of your mind, and it’s always something to think about,” Van der Linden said. “The reason we do drills and practice is so that our brains are ready

in that case.”

With practice, panic turns into procedure, so school staff members and police officers know how to handle the situation.

With the recent history of shootings fresh in the minds of the community, the bravery of the Boulder Police Department deeply impressed Van der Linden.

“The swatting incident at Boulder High was very unfortunate and traumatic, but it was also great how quickly the officers responded,” she said.

Evans agreed.

“It was literally minutes,” he said. “Being two years removed from the King Soopers shooting where one of their officers died, they don’t wait, they just go protect people.” While the Boulder Police Department acted quickly, the impact of these swatting events will last within the community.

“It’s the trauma essentially, that people went through that day, not knowing if it was real or not,” Cawlfield said. “For those of us who were there, it was as real as it gets.”

“I hope we are not going to keep getting calls like this. I sincerely hope not. Because it is not a joke. It’s a crime. And it’s very traumatizing and it’s something that the Boulder Police Department takes very seriously.”

– Dionne Waugh, Public Information Officer of the Boulder Police Department

A heavily armored SWAT BearCat sits parked in a container yard. Vehicles like this responded to schools all across Colorado on Feb. 22 even though there were no real threats.

icks ...

Being a jeep girl myself, I do not consider myself a car expert. However, I do love my Sir Edmond. I like to see him in tip top shape. As a young adult, I do not own much besides a car and my room. Nevertheless, they are both pristine and are ready for show at any given moment. Nothing gives me the ick more than a dirty car. You should cherish your vehicle—it is your freedom. I do not want to see your most recent edible indulgences such as 7-Eleven slurpees and Mcdonald’s wrappers decorating your car like a dumpster fire decorates an alley. Some diligent cleaning and a tree-scented air freshener would go a long way. I want to be able to worry about what my shoes will do to your car and not the other way around. Now say it with me, “Let’s all get classy and clean our chassis.”

iktok slang

irty car ustache

— David Maxwell

D T M

I can understand the occasional slip of words or subconscious conversation, but if I hear you use “TikTok slang” in a reallife conversation, I will throw up. I don’t care what’s going on, no one will ever take you seriously if you say, “side eye,” in the middle of class. If you use the word “rizz” as a full grown high school student, you have no hope for gaining a personality. If I’m trying to have a conversation with you, and you respond to every sentence with, “slay,” I will leave you. I strongly believe TikTok is lowering the IQ of our generation. The attention span of kids my age is humiliating and disturbing. It fills me with rage knowing someone spends eight hours a day flooding their brain with useless information. If your entire sense of humor and vocabulary comes entirely from TikTok, you will never grow anything meaningful about yourself.

— Mars Smith

My nerves spiral as my date arrives at my house. As I open the car door, a rancid smell comes from the boy sitting in the front seat. He blasts rock music, desperately trying to impress me, but sings every word incorrectly. We get food, and as he shoves a hot dog down his throat, I notice the pubescent mustache he’s trying to grow. He then chews with his mouth open, bits of meat spewing from his lips. Later while we shop, he runs up the stairs on all fours. Then, he decides he wants new sneakers. When he tries them on, he skips up and down the aisle. My breaking point occurs when he asks me to feel the fit of his toe in the shoe. I internally gag at what I’m seeing, losing any hope I had that things would turn around.

— Arianna Bergman

aggy pants

I would love to know why people let their pants sag. It’s gross. If you’re going to wear them that low, why wear any at all? My worst nightmare is someone with baggy pants staring over my shoulder. If I wanted him to see what I was typing, I would show him. If we go to a restaurant and he’s rude to the waiter, it shows me all I need to know. When I try to say something about it, he interrupts me and tells me to calm down. Unsurprisingly, I’m angry and not calm. It’s so easy to stop and let me finish. Then the subject of my ADHD comes up. He tries to tell me things I should do to “fix it.” What makes him think he’s qualified to tell me how to live with my frustrating problem? My life is already hard enough. Please don’t try to cure me, ‘Baggy Pants Boy.’ Thanks.

— Alex Randle

I like listening to other people’s problems because I can guide them towards solutions. A complaint every once in a while about school work is good for the soul. However, constant complaining about classes gets old fast. It’s called whining. Toddlers whine when they don’t get their way and we tell them to stop because it’s annoying. It shows a lack of maturity and critical thinking because these problems often have easy solutions. We’re in high school, and we’re learning and being tested to solve complex problems. Finding the theme of Romeo and Juliet isn’t relevant to day-to-day life, but finding solutions to answer the question is a necessary and important skill school teaches us. Whining about not being able to solve a slightly difficult question doesn’t solve anything.

— Josh Huyg

hiners

Sometimes, I can be a bit too picky, but there are icks that I feel are justified. Exaggerated self-importance, despite being mediocre, makes me cringe. Please, spare yourself the embarrassment of calling yourself “alternative” when your favorite bands are Slipknot, Korn, and Motley Crue. You’re just corny. And, seriously, if your driving ability compares to that of a 50-year-old drunk driver with an oversized truck that speeds inside school zones, we probably aren’t going to be a very good match. That may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. The only thing that could be worse is if you demand to be driven everywhere, despite having the option to drive yourself. And please, for the love of God, stop trying to please everyone. It’s okay to be at odds with others, hold yourself with a little bit of dignity.

— Clay Mustoe

Let me introduce you to Kevin. Kevin is a fictional character whose entire personality consists of icks. Kevin used to have a buzz cut, but now he’s growing it out into a mullet. In his free time, Kevin listens to either country music or Kanye West while flipping bottles in his messy room and playing Fortnite. Kevin always has noticeably chapped lips and a perpetually runny nose, which he often wipes on the sleeve of his neon red T-shirt. He wears mostly oversized gym shorts and tall socks with beat-up high tops. Kevin drives a Subaru with seats stained with old Chick-fil-a sauce and sprinkled with mystery crumbs. The car usually smells either like dirty socks in the backseat or the mostly empty milk carton rattling around in the trunk. So, now that you’ve met Kevin, what’s the key takeaway here? I’ll give you a hint—don’t be like Kevin.

— Maren Holecek

BREAKING the bank

TEENAGERS SHOULDN’T BE TAXED ON SALARIES

By Maeby Aleo

Every other Friday, I anxiously check my FirstBank mobile app for the bright green numbers displaying the mass amount of money I earned working at my minimum wage job over the last two weeks.

We all know why we teenagers have jobs. We want money. The dough. Chump change. Dead white presidents on pieces of paper.

We’re not working jobs in high school to give back to our country by joining the workforce. We’re working for the money.

$8 drinks from Starbucks.

$17 burrito bowls from Chipotle.

$35 swimsuit tops from Target.

$50 gas tanks from 7-Eleven.

$35,000 college tuition per year.

As a senior in high school, about to go to the University of Colorado in the fall of this year, it’s hard to ignore that in-state tuition price after factoring in the unsaid fees regarding room and board.

Life is expensive, and it only gets more pricey after college. Working a job in high school only gets you a couple of dollars ahead.

And to be honest, most of us work our butts off for money. In the summer, we

work full-time, 40-hour weeks. The rest of the year, we work after-school jobs, working six-hour shifts almost daily, leaving barely enough time for school work, sports, or sanity.

So, if we’re working this hard, why is the government taking a percentage of our money as taxes and putting it towards things like Federal Income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax?

I would personally like the 10.4% of my paychecks from last year back in my bank account

Because it’s what citizens of the United States voted on.

A vote people under the age of 18 did not have a say in.

I think we’ve all learned about taxation without representation in our history classes. The thing that essentially started the American Revolution.

Now, I’m not saying that Gen Z needs to start a revolution.

What I am saying is that I would personally like the 10.4% of my paychecks from last year back in my bank account.

What I’m saying is that it’s not fair to me, or to any teen in the working industry, to get no say in where the government takes our hard-earned money.

What I’m saying is that minors shouldn’t be taxed on money made at a formally employed job, as we have no vote when it comes to taxes. It’s plain, old taxation without representation.

Not to mention taxes are used to benefit other groups of people who may be in need of it, and eventually, you might benefit from working generations of the future.

Notice how I said “might”?

Yes, that’s right.

You might benefit from the taxes you pay now. But if those government programs go bankrupt, which is what they seem to be heading for at the moment, say goodbye to your money.

Do we really want to surrender our money to the dead white presidents and lawmakers of the future?

BRING BACK

towels

By Clay Mustoe

It’s a passing period on a slow Monday, and you gamble on using the restroom hoping on the off chance you’ll be able to make it to class on time. Only, after you step out, does the realization hit you. You’ve just missed the bell.

Maybe if you hadn’t been stuck hunched over the bathroom air dryer violently shaking your hands you would have made it there on time.

Anyone who regularly washes their hands has almost certainly had this universal experience in one form or another, but there’s a bigger issue. Although the bathroom air dryers may seem gimmicky at best and inconvenient at worst, they are a mistake that is putting our health in jeopardy.

It’s a common misconception that hand drying only serves the purpose of getting water off your hands, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The bathroom will always be a safe haven for germs, and it should be a priority to keep it as clean as possible. Unfortunately, Boulder Valley School District’s solution was rather to completely eliminate the use of paper towels in favor of brand new hand air dryers. Although there have been air hand dryers installed since the school was built, they have slowly taken over the restrooms of the school.

The district does have a reason for the change. “The Facilities department has removed paper towel dispensers because of vandalism caused by people needlessly flushing paper towels down toilets & urinals and causing sanitary sewer back ups,” BVSD director of facilities, Carey Jensen, said. Although studies have shown that the effectiveness of air dryers and paper towels are about the same in eliminating germs from wet hands, air dryers have one unforeseen downside--the influx of airborne germs during and after use.

PAPER TOWELS ARE BETTER THAN HAND DRYERS

According to the University of Leeds, “Jet air and warm air dryers result in increased bacterial aerosolization when drying hands. These results suggest air dryers may be unsuitable… as they may facilitate microbial cross-contamination via airborne dissemination to the environment or bathroom visitors.”

The use of electric hand dryers creates an environment ripe with cross-contaminated surfaces.

The study, Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot Air Hand Dryers, proves, “hand dryers with HEPA filters reduced bacterial deposition by hand dryers 4-fold.”

However, our school currently uses the brand World Dryer model RA5, a hand dryer which fails to incorporate a HEPA filter in any form.

Even if paper towels require more maintenance to restock and empty the trash, the solution shouldn’t be air hand dryers, but rather to expand janitorial staff. If the janitorial staff do not have the staff or the time to empty and restock paper towels, it exposes the underlying issue, the lack of actual manpower. In no way should the blame fall upon our custodial crew.

With the size of our school and the frequency at which bathrooms are used, it should be a no-brainer that we put the health of students and staff first. Not only does this require action from the school, but the students themselves have to be responsible to not cause unnecessary problems for janitorial staff.

Although air dryers may be viable for larger, low traffic restrooms, they have no place in a school. Even if the reintroduction of paper towels is logistically impossible, the very least that could be done is to install hand dryers with integrated HEPA filters.

It takes responsibility from all of us to bring back the paper towel for good!

WHAT DO THE STUDENTS THINK?

Hand dryers are the best for the environment.”

— Elijah Shigeta ‘25

I like the hand dryer because the towels get all soggy from people trying to rip the old ones.“

— Ava Mason ‘25

Hand dryers suck. Air dryers are so unsanitary.”

— Carmen Vigil ‘24

what’s your CALIBER?

GUN OWNERSHIP SHOULD REMAIN A PART OF SOCIETY

By Alex Randle

Icome from Jacksonville, Fla, a place where people will break into your car in the middle of the day, I have seen things like this firsthand. I have seen a man tried to pick the lock off my front door. Late one night, a noise came from our front door. Knowing my dad wasn’t off of work yet, my mom peeked around the corner to see a strange man trying to pick the lock. In just a bath towel, she came fully around the corner holding my dad’s Glock 45.

I could see the dread on the man’s face the moment he saw my mom with her gun. He made a run for it. I was proud of my mom and felt safe knowing that my parents could defend us.

People think rifles are involved in most violent crimes and that rifles are a huge problem. However, according to the FBI database, the reality is, most people in shootings are killed by pistols that are easy to carry and conceal.

The FBI database shows that fewer than 500 people were killed by a rifle in 2019. Out of 331.9 million people in the whole country.

According to the FBI Crime Database, you have a higher chance of being beaten to death by someone’s fist and feet than you are being killed by a rifle. Roughly 178,965 people died from being punched and kicked.

Guns are more important to society than people think. Dangerous cities exist and people need to protect themselves.

Nine times out of ten, criminals don’t get

their weapons legally. There will always be ways to get guns, legal or not.

Now you have a bunch of law-abiding citizens who are unarmed and unprotected. It is like if there was a herd of sheep (unarmed citizens) with sheepdogs (armed citizens) mixed in with the wolves (criminals) just waiting nearby for those sheepdogs to leave.

It’s better to be a sheepdog than a sheep. Because once those dogs are gone, the wolves move in and hurt the whole herd. People need to be able to defend themselves. Home and family defense is incredibly important. It’s always good for people to at least know the basics. It’s better to know a little than be completely defenseless because you can’t always rely on the police.

It’s a scary reality, but unfortunately, it’s the world we live in. Humans are innately selfish and will always be willing to steal, and harm. There will always be people willing to ruin someone else’s life for money, even if that means hurting or killing someone. The important thing is to protect yourself and your family.

That being said, living in fear of guns only harms you. While you are entitled to your own opinion, gun control will rarely prevent gun violence and criminal activity in the future.

It’s not worth being scared of the gun, it makes more sense to be scared of the person behind it.

STUDENT OPINIONS: DO YOU SUPPORT GUN CONTROL?

No, but I do believe that there should be more measures put in place for purchasing firearms.”— Elle Pitts ‘25

Yes. I do support it. For no reason should a 15-yearold be able to get access to military grade weapon.”

— Phoenix Dorninger ‘25

staff editorial

ARTIFICIAL ingenuity

You’ve seen it plenty of times on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming has been introduced into these creative spaces. In a matter of seconds, a program can transform an image or a few keywords into a picture or essay. With a few hiccups, AI can create news stories, poems, songs, art, and essays instantaneously.

These programs hold both benefits and downsides when it comes to its reliability, speed, and humanity. Things like essays and articles can be written and blur the lines of what constitutes cheating. AI can produce signatures in art as if it was their own piece.

There are definitely problems with AI. Chat logs for Chat GBT and other websites aren’t publicly available or good for anonymity, but a threat to possible plagiarism or false claims. Companies are creating AI programs to go through resumes for employment, which have begun to show biases. They take information from previous employees, leading to a correlation between male employees and what the AI deems a “good candidate.”

Repetitive and tedious tasks can be almost eradicated from the workplace with the use of AI. While manual labor will still have human demands in factories and such, online and internet tasks will be simplified for a human employee.

Outside of the workplace, AI holds more ambiguity in its purposes. News, art, and music should be kept out of AI control However, it’s one of the easier tasks to program.

AI art specifically holds an interesting weight. AI is not able to perfect certain things, such as drawing hands or consistent perspective. For a quick concept, AI proves a good tool to get an image across.

Then, what makes human art and writing, well, human?

Then, what makes human art and writing, well, human?

AI lacks the mortality and context that is engraved into our minds as humans. No song, essay, painting, or image will ever be “human” when an AI produces it.

OF CREATIVITY

37% businesses and organizations employ AI

However, AI is not a threat. Despite what Sci-fi movies tell us, it’s unlikely that AI will “replace” humanity. Even if AI can mimic the fine arts and creation of humanity, they lack context and the perception of mortality. Instead, AI should be embraced for our future in the right way.

AI essays are avoidable. We believe it’s moving in the right direction. With the internet being an area of plagiarism and lies, more discussions and communities verbally will be utilized in classrooms in place of essays.

AI holds too much potential for us to shut it down. If we fix the bugs and start smoothing things out, AI can be the jump in the right direction this world needs.

85 million jobs can be replaced by AI by 2025

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ART, WRITING, AND PICTURES CREATES MANY QUESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE