We are proud to introduce The Sopris Stars, a youth publication funded by The Sopris Sun newspaper and dedicated to delivering news relevant to tweens, teens and young adults throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. Seven Gen-Z interns have come together in the noble pursuit of journalism and to curate this new publication, which will print within The Sopris Sun every last Thursday of the month during the school year.
Some say that print journalism is a dying industry, but here at The Sopris Stars we have poured our hearts into keeping it alive and ensuring its presence in the ever-changing future.
While TikTok and the rise of artificial intelligence go unchecked, The Sopris Stars will be a reliable source of information. When and if we make a mistake, we’ll be the first to let readers know. The Sopris Stars will be a place for the exchange of ideas and information, particularly among young people. If you want to respond to an article, send a lead on a story or give a shoutout to someone, the community can always reach us at youthnews@soprissun.com
The team behind this new resource includes: Aurora Egan, a sophomore at Glenwood Springs High School (GSHS), who aims to make a lasting impact through storytelling; Arthur Cherith, a junior at GSHS, who does everything from cartooning to writing to co-hosting Everything Under The Sun, the newspaper’s weekly radio program, every Thursday at 4pm on KDNK Community Access Radio; Giselle “Gigi” Rascon, a senior at GSHS, who intends to explore the humanism behind each story; Vivienne Shapiro, a freshman at Roaring Fork High School (RFHS), who is excited to gain a wider perspective through reporting, as well as the extra academic stimulation; Anna Sophia Brown, a senior at RFHS, who has always been passionate about communications and believes The Sopris Stars offers a unique opportunity to help young people be heard; Kate Ott, a junior at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, who plans to fine-tune her photography skills and contribute the fruits of visual storytelling; and myself, Lou Gall, a junior at GSHS, who is proud to take the helm as the first editor of The Sopris Stars.
The high school internship program at The Sopris Sun isn’t new, however. It launched in 2021 and has trained participants whose work was previously interspersed throughout the weekly newspaper. As interns, we continue to receive instruction from professionals in the industry, many of whom volunteer their time and are some of the best in the business. Every Wednesday afternoon, the youth team gathers at the Sopris Sun office in Carbondale, a supportive learning environment where mentors offer academic and practical guidance — both inside and outside of the office — while we chase stories.
We can only do this work thanks to the wonderful community, including every single one of our readers and supporters. Thank you for picking up the first issue of The Sopris Stars and being a part of this work. A special thanks to Sopris Stars instructors James Steindler and Skyler Stark-Ragsdale for their support, leadership and efforts to make this youth publication possible. We are very grateful.
The Sopris Stars, at its core, is youth-based. So this message goes out to every young person in the Valley who has something to say: This is your newspaper! We want to hear from every reader. What do you want to see in The Sopris Stars newspaper? What issues need to be addressed? We are here to listen.
This message goes out to every young person in the Valley who has something to say: This is your newspaper!
The Sopris Stars team is beyond thrilled to continue journeying through the world of journalism and making sure that youth voices remain a prominent force.
Readers can reply with feedback and suggestions by sending a letter to the editor, story ideas or shoutouts to youthnews@soprissun.com