​After this week's major shooting in Orlando, I just felt the need to reflect over it.  I was heartbroken when my dad turned on the tv on Sunday morning and the caption read the worst shooting in American History after 9/11. I could feel my heart drop and just think about all those people who lost their lives. As I heard more about this major event, one idea would not get out of my head. This idea was the restriction over gun control. 
I think the Orlando shooting along with many other massacres that have happened bring a strong need to talk about gun control laws. The other day I heard Trump on the radio say that if others in the club had had guns with them there wouldn't have been so much damage. Although Trump makes me completely crazy, his idea could potentially be true but, not necessarily. Imagine this man coming in and everyone having a gun shooting in random places. That could be very unsafe and hectic. I think it is more reasonable to think that if the gunman had no gun in the first place then there could have not been this massacre. 
I believe there needs to be a way tighter control on gun laws. There is no reason that just any person especially with any mental problems or any suspicion toward them should be able to get a gun. I’m not saying that all people who are mentally ill will kill someone but it's better to be safe than sorry. It should be much harder to get a gun.
In the case of the Orlando shooting, even though there isn't a lot of information out about if the gunman was mentally ill yet, his ex-wife did say she thought he wasn't mentally stable. Those who sell guns need to find away to find out this information before giving people guns. If they had known this I’m sure he wouldn't have had the chance to get his hands on a gun. On another note, why would anyone need such a huge assault weapon. If a person feels the need to have a gun to protect themselves the huge rifle the gunman had seems a little much. Also, I read that some gun shops had suspicion about him. I just don't understand how he got the gun if there were those suspicious toward him.
 Gun control laws have stayed pretty much the same for way too long. There has been so many terrible shootings and it’s time that we stop waiting. We need to act now and prevent things like this from happening again.

​College is an extremely important decision in a student's life that affects not only academic aspects, but also social aspects and other activities. However, before a student can decide which college they will attend, they must first apply to colleges. Although I have yet to apply to college, I am a high school student and have to make a lot of decisions now so that I can be prepared to apply to colleges and so that I can be accepted to my most desired colleges.

As the standard of education continues to improve, so does the competition that exists between students. This means that students continue getting smarter and smarter, more involved in their schools and communities, and more well-rounded. Therefore, I think that there are three extremely important factors that contribute to a student's college acceptances or university related decisions; the three factors being academics, activities, and community involvement. 

A student's grades and their academic record will be one of the first things a college looks for. Students are expected to have a strong G.P.A, high test scores, and more. When colleges are assessing a student's GPA, they are not only looking at grades earned in certain classes, but the difficulty of the classes. To colleges, it is important to see that a student took the highest level classes available to them, because they want to see that the student is willing to work hard and challenge themselves. Colleges want to accept students who are going to be motivated to study and pursue a career that will lead them to have a successful life. 

Colleges are also going to look at the activities that a student has been involved in. Activities demonstrate a student's well-roundedness and how a student is able to balance sports or clubs with academics as a priority. This is an important factor for colleges because they want students who will be involved at the university and not easily become overwhelmed. 

Finally, it is important for students applying to colleges to show how they have been involved in their community. This is because colleges accept students from all around the world, and they want to see how a student has made an impact on their community, and how the students will continue to positively change the environment around them. 

All of these factors are necessary for students to present to colleges to achieve success in their lives. 

By Bianca Lewis

​Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how quickly time seems to fly. Of course, there is the cliché phrase, "time flies when you are having fun." But then again I always find myself thinking about how everybody continues getting older, and how time cannot be reversed. These odd thoughts almost seem to haunt me as I think about how I will never be as young as I am in this moment, but at the same time, I am the oldest I have ever been. 

I see people around me getting older, and I am right there with them. It seems like just a little bit ago, I was in elementary school, a young girl with not much to worry about. I remember when I didn't know the difference between a sophomore and a junior in high school, and here I am, about to end my freshman year of high school, and enter my sophomore year. In just 3 short years, I will be on my way to college. And after college... That is what scares me the most. Because once I am finished with my education, I will be on my own; out in the world, as an adult. Sometimes I wish I could remain a student forever, and not have to reach the point where  I will no longer be as dependent on people, as people will be dependent on me. 

And to think that time is relative. In relation to physics, this applies to the theory of relativity, but at the same time, the time we spend in our lives is relative to how we view the time spent. Has time really gone by that quickly? When you think about years that have passed, in some ways it can seem like a short time, but at the same time, a year is made of 365 days, with each day filled with 24 hours. This is quite simply, a concept that I just cannot put into words. 

There is nothing that can be done about the passing of time, except to soak in every single second of each and every day, and truly enjoy it; to discover something new and amazing at least once a day. Instead of always looking forward to the next big event and counting down until that day to do something incredible, start living more in the 'in-between days', that come before and after the big events. Don't just float through life but define your purposes and fall in love with everything you do. 

By Elizabeth Resendiz

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week and a half, you have heard the news that swept the nation the night of Sunday, February 7: The Denver Broncos are the Super Bowl 50 champions.
Although not everyone watches, or even cares, about professional football, it cannot be denied that Denver is a football city. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, the Denver Metro Area hummed with anticipation. For radio shows, news programs, magazines, and the over 650 thousand Denver residents, it seemed that football was all anyone could talk about. It is a magical thing, the community that arises from having a sports team in the world championship. It was as if we all understood just how special it was to have our very own Denver Broncos playing in Super Bowl 50. Not only is making it to the Super Bowl an incredible achievement for a team, it is worth even more when that Super Bowl is the 50th anniversary of the game. The city was alight with the shared joy, tension, and pride shared by its many football fans. Crowds were seas of orange and blue. Grocery stores displayed Broncos sweets and inflated balloons. Schools and workplaces declared the Friday before the game an “orange day.” Friendly football conversations were started between fans pretty much everywhere, and people were just generally happier. Denver was truly united in orange.
And then, the big day came. Going out on February 7, you would find yourself surrounded by fans picking up last minutes food and gear, shops people murmuring excitedly, and the streets all but cleared by 4 pm. The city was under a spell of disbelief, hope, and companionship, and to be a part of that spell was an amazing experience.
The excitement and feeling of Denver could hardly compare to the days after the Broncos’ win over the North Carolina Panthers.The following Tuesday, the Super Bowl parade was held downtown, ending at Civic Center Park. Players and coaches road on fire trucks through crowds the exceeded one million people. The streets of downtown Denver were rivers of orange and shared wonder at being home to the team that just won Super Bowl 50. Not everyone appreciates football, but all can appreciate the companionship and unity that football, and all other sports, can bring.

I describe myself as a feminist and I am not afraid to say so. Throughout the past year 

I have really gotten to know what it truly means and currently feel a great sense of connection 

to what is stands for and how it shapes and defines the person I am. Nevertheless, there are still 

others who might be scared, intimidated, and worried about the repercussions that come along 

with identifying as a feminist. In this way I have recently found myself having more courage 

standing up to be a voice that brings awareness to fellow peer’s stereotypes and biases. As I am 

getting older and more exposed to how to talk about controversial and “hidden” aspects of the 

culture we are exposed to. I see how the more informed I am the better and more empowered 

I feel in expressing to others how to be more thoughtful about what they say, think, and do to 

make the biggest impact. 

Just this past week for instance there was a boy in my class who kept calling his friend 

a bitch. The friend was horsing around and irritating the other boy, and after hearing the word 

for about the fourth time I couldn’t handle it anymore. I told the boy to stop using the word to 

describe his friend and he told me how he would never say that to a girl but somehow it was 

ok to call a boy that instead. This struck me as an odd response, but I proceeded to explain 

to him that no matter who he is speaking to, the word is hurtful and shouldn’t be used in any 

circumstances to describe someone. After I had talked to him, I noticed a sense of understanding 

not immediately but gradually. 

The experience made me notice how if you educate someone they begin to see the world 

a little bit different. Gradually influencing people in small settings can be the spark that inspires 

people to hold others accountable for times when they might be unaware of what they are saying 

and how that impacts others around them. Lastly, you never know who is listening and to have 

that small victory it made me feel as though I could change the world because I had the bravery 

to say something instead of just accepting what was going on in front of me. Whenever you feel 

as though you’re witnessing injustice in your community just remember “speak the truth even if 

your voice shakes.”