![On Oct. 30, 24 Eco Club members took a tour of the school’s solar panels on the roof. They were guided and taught by an employee from E Light Electric, the company that maintains the school’s solar panels, and learned about how the panels are maintained and cared for. “I was definitely very excited about being on the roof in general,” Eco Club member Olivia Fang ‘26 said. “[It was exciting to] learn more about solar panels and how they work and how they supply energy to our school.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/RCH_2632-1200x800.jpg)
![Ice and snow make it difficult for drivers on the road. During snowstorms, drivers have poor visibility, and frozen roads make it difficult to stay in control. “Driving home from Denver [on Friday], the neighborhoods weren’t plowed. By the time we got back they were only plowing highways. We spun out, nearly got stuck and fishtailed a few different times,” Connor Pugh ‘26 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Untitled_Artwork-e1732045465987.jpg)
![Varsity girls soccer midfielder Leah Sheahan ‘24 hugs a friend during the Senior Night celebrations before the home game against Mountain Vista High School (MVHS) at Echo Park Stadium April 29. During Senior Night, seniors were given flowers and the opportunity to walk out and take pictures with their family as their future plans and favorite memories were announced over the speakers. The Jags tied 0-0, losing the Continental League Championship. “We were obviously the stronger team but just couldn’t find a way to score, but otherwise our connection and our intensity was really high so I’m proud of that. We just have to find the net,” defense midfielder Clara Geuzaine ‘24 said. “[Losing League] wasn’t the best. It’s better than last year and like, I know our team and we are doing really good. I don’t want to jinx it but like hopefully [we’ll do] good [in playoffs].”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Copy-of-DSC_4277-1-1200x868.jpg)
![In room 4101, Natalie Patterson ‘26, Ariana Magor ‘25 and Celina Salazar ‘25 create a poster in science teacher Kerry Reilly’s Chemistry Honors April 18. The three completed a worksheet and drawing to explain the implosion of a tank for their unit on gas laws. “At the start of class, we watched a video of the tank imploding,” Patterson said. “I think [making a drawing] is something new. I like more artsy activities.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5019-1200x900.jpeg)
24 Years Later: The Lasting Impacts of a Tragedy
The 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting took place April 20.
media by Grace Uhrain, Abigail Wood
A graphic displays the Rocky Mountain Columbine flower, often used to honor or remember Columbine High School after the school shooting that took place 24 years ago.
April 20, 2023
Today, April 20, marks the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School (CHS) shooting.
On April 20, 1999, students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris walked into Columbine, both carrying guns and bombs. At 11:19 a.m., they opened fire on campus. Both boys had made videos prior to walking into the school stating what they intended to do and apologizing to their parents.
The shooting ended with 12 students and one teacher killed and 24 injured. After the SWAT team arrived, Klebold and Harris took their own lives at 12:00 p.m. the same day in the school library. The school has since been remodeled.
These traumatic shootings have not only affected the members of the Columbine Shooting but also the 349,000 students that have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine, according to an article from the Washington Post.
School nurse Stephanie Walter was a junior at Columbine when the shooting occurred. The effects of that day have followed her and others throughout their lives.
“I definitely have [post-traumatic stress disorder]. I went through a lot of therapy, learning how to live with it. It definitely affects you. You can go months without having anything upsetting you, then, April comes around or other shootings happen and it brings everything back. So, I’m just learning how to work through that,” Walter said.
There have been 377 school shootings in the U.S. since Columbine, according to the Washington Post, and 158 have occurred since 2018, according to Education Week.
Many organizations, such as Preventing Gun Violence and March For Our Lives, have since been created with goals of spreading awareness, preventing future incidents and more.
“I feel like there’s definitely more awareness about the shootings, along with more procedures and training. It’s unfortunate–I feel since Columbine, 24 years ago, it’s only gotten worse,” Walter said. “From the shooting standpoint, I think we’ve now gotten to the point where we have to live every day through lockdown drills. The awareness of trying to make everybody safe is better, but I don’t feel like the shootings have [decreased].”