Our world often threatens to swallow us whole. Even in our small town, with just enough people to fill a single section in a stadium, the bustling around us is constant and consuming. Our phones demand our attention with relentless notifications and rumors littering our “for-you” pages.
But tucked away in unit 26 at the Third Street Center is a space where the noise ceases for a while. Our news room here at the Sopris Stars is littered with the clicking of keyboards, the scratching of pens and the murmurs of the voices of writers, photographers, artists and editors. Here, we speak slowly, but with no lack of excitement.
We pause for a moment and look at not just what we see when we open Instagram, but the story behind that photo. Here we speak freely about anything and everything, from political hierarchy to the dating life of Sopris Stars alum Gus Richardson. And then, when we’ve run out of things to say, we take a step back and write it all down. We apply the ethics of journalism and trust in the power of information.
The news room is, for me, like a bubble — overflowing with kindness, knowledge and intention. A place where it feels like what we have to say is important.
My colleagues never cease to amaze.
Anna Sophia Brown, Boettcher scholar and soon to be freshman at Colorado College, drives us to chase the hard-news stories. The controversial ones. Anna Sophia is not afraid of a punchy letter to the editor, but hasn’t received one yet due to the factual nature of her writing and insights from both sides of every argument.
Giselle (Gigi) Rascon brings consistency with her effortless statement pieces, making us think a little longer before we get dressed in the morning. Her critiques are honest and her words bring light and dynamism to our paper.
“At school, it’s like, okay, you have to write this and about this … here, it’s just, like, speak,” she said, adding that our Wednesday meetings at The Sopris Sun office are “the best part of my week.”
Hana Creyts, who’ll attend the University of Oklahoma in the fall and minor in journalism, has chased a variety of stories, and might be the only intern who turns stories in on time.
“It was a little strange at first because I didn’t know how I would fit in here, but it’s a very accepting environment and I love it here,” she said. “It’s a positive place where you get to learn a lot and write a lot about things you care about.”
Kate Ott observes the world through a camera lens, but her perspective is nowhere near tunnel vision. Aside from giving us a glimpse into the culture at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, she arrives with snacks to share every week. Kate brings levity, which we’ve learned is important in this line of work, and delivers exceptional visuals time and time again.
“I also got to expand into more writing, which I was definitely nervous about because I’m not the most eloquent writer out there. But I’m really glad I did,” she said. Kate wrote four pieces this past year and took countless photos, including partnering with professional reporters, such as The Sopris Sun’s John Stroud on sports coverage.
Aurora Egan is compassionate and determined, her power of observation is essential. Aurora has a talent for maintaining artistic integrity while writing hard news. Her words flow from the page like she’s having a conversation with the reader.
“By doing this program, I’ve definitely found a larger passion for journalism,” she said. “Its definitely a little scary at first, like, especially if you don’t have a background in journalism, but if you feel a passion for spreading news and writing about important stuff, I think it’s definitely really important and fun.”
Arthur Cherith does it all, from reporting to creating art to cohosting Everything Under the Sun, The Sopris Sun’s radio program airing every Thursday on KDNK. It is a privilege to work with Arthur at The Stars.
“The Sopris Sun has always been a really great place for me to build a sense of autonomy and have a place where I feel genuinely supported and pushed to accomplish things I didn’t think I could,” he said. Finishing his second year at The Stars, Arthur believes what we do here is becoming more and more important. “Especially right now, I think a lot of the youth feel very hopeless and [don’t] realize that there are these communities out there to support them and their growth,” he said. “I have a place to go and I’m valued.”
Penelope (PJ) Mathis, one of my fellow freshmen at Roaring Fork High School, is a passionate artist, musician and writer. She jumped on board midway through the semester, but left her mark. PJ allows for a glimpse into more rugged lifestyles, pulling her readers into the room she is describing — often a garage. As Sopris Sun editor James Steindler likes to say, “PJ is very punk rock.”
Lou Gall, our youth editor, is the heartbeat of our paper. Writing impactful pieces while keeping the paper fun and engaging for our team and readers, Lou ties all of our strengths together and ensures cohesion and accountability. The way she crafts sentences is truly an art, filled with intention, originality and wisdom. We could not be luckier to have Lou as our guiding star.
We are thrilled for our seniors (Anna Sophia, Gigi and Hana) to pursue their dreams, and count ourselves lucky to have been part of their stories, but find ourselves tearing up at the thought of spending the next couple of, to a few, years without them. Their futures may be unknown, but lives full of discovery are inevitable.
This past year I’ve had the opportunity to delve into everything that goes into creating our paper each week. I’ve pitched stories to a room full of people, chased those stories, taken photos and conducted interviews with everyone from my 8-year-old neighbor to Roaring Fork School District Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole. I found myself cold-calling people who would previously make me shake in my boots, and formed connections with individuals who I would never have met without The Stars. I have had the opportunity to do something I hadn’t known was possible: see the world through eyes that weren’t my own, and vicariously live new lives outside of the ones stacked on my nightstand. I have spoken up, I have spoken out and I have found that voices can be heard without sound at all.
I intend on continuing to write into the abyss, except, for the first time in my life, the abyss has ears.
This summer, I get to attend The School of the New York Times Summer Academy. And one day, if I’m lucky, I might create a program like the Sopris Stars, and change a student’s life as much as this has changed mine.
To our editors and teachers, Skyler Stark-Ragsdale and James Steindler, you have created a space that is loved and loves back, where knowledge is a gift and words hold weight. And for that, I am forever grateful.
As always, feel welcome to reach us youthnews@soprissun.com, and we’ll get back to you next semester. Have a great summer!