Chairs skidded over the floors and backpacks were zipped shut as hundreds of students left Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) on Jan. 30 during lunch, a customary practice, yet nothing was customary on this occasion. In mere minutes, hundreds of students filled what was empty space along the roundabout near 7/11 in Carbondale. They raised […]
Sopris Stars
Posted inYouth News
Infatuation to inflation
Every February, Valentine’s Day comes around. It’s 24-hours filled with love — both platonic and romantic — but the cost of the holiday can add up. In 2009, spending on Valentine’s Day reached $14.7 billion nationwide, according to Statista, a global data analysis company. Since then that figure has increased steadily, with $29.1 billion spent […]
Posted inColumns
Big brother or the e-hall pass?
There is a new epidemic sweeping across local schools, and it isn’t the flu, a new variant of COVID or any type of sickness. It is the e-hall pass. As a senior at Basalt High School, I have a few thoughts on the matter. The e-hall pass system was first introduced at Glenwood Spring High […]
Posted inColumns
What makes a fur jacket any different from a leather one?
I keep coming back to the same question every winter. What makes a fur jacket any different from a leather one? Both are sourced from an animal’s exterior, both have a place in our culture’s history, and both are praised for their quality and visual appeal. Yet, why does one invite more backlash while the […]
Posted inYouth News
Reticent but hopeful: A conversation with Venezuelans
Editor’s Note: The source living in Venezuela is referred to by alias initials (FA) to help ensure anonymity and safety. “Its culture is incredible. I don’t think there is a culture that has more joy in life and incredible charisma,” Mike De La Rosa, a Roaring Fork Valley resident originally from Venezuela said of his […]
Posted inYouth News
Confronting vaping across schools
With the stress that modern life presents to the youth, it is no surprise that many have turned to controversial sources for relief. Throughout the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD), tobacco and vaping use in schools appear to be a large problem. According to Joel Hathaway, executive director of schools at RFSD, there have been […]
Posted inYouth News
The fact and fiction behind teen caffeine use
Teenage caffeine related hospital visits are rare, but the number of visits have roughly doubled over the past six years. That’s according to Indiana University’s Riley Children’s Health hospital, which analyzed over 223 million hospital visits of patients ages 11 to 35, from 2017 to 2023. According to a 2024 national poll by C.S. Motts […]
Posted inYouth News
Aperture of Hope makes teens feel seen
Aperture of Hope, an organization operated by Cath Adams, focuses on community building and exploration for teenagers. Through the Glenwood Community Center, Adams runs teen-centered events and workshops intended to build hope for young people who may be struggling or just trying to figure life out. The organization, an offshoot of Adams and her husband’s […]
Posted inYouth News
Raging Grannies impart the power of peaceful protest
This article comes by way of The Sopris Stars, a monthly youth publication powered by The Sopris Sun. Editor’s note: Illene Pevec is Anna Sophia’s grandmother. “It’s not about having a singing voice, it’s about having a voice that wants to sing out,” said Illene Pevec, the woman who formed a local chorus group. The Raging […]
Posted inYouth News
Topping out as a team at CRMS
This article comes by way of The Sopris Stars, a new monthly youth publication powered by The Sopris Sun. Halfway through its season, the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) climbing team is building momentum. Numbering over 50 participants in 2025-2026, the team prioritizes not just individual improvement but also the formation of a community — one […]