![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)
School Resource Officers and their Impact on Public Schools
With the recent shootings at Denver East High School and other schools around the country, take a look at the role School Resource Officers play in schools and their impact on student safety.
media by Claudia Llado
Campus Security Specialists Jeaninne Nicol, Daniel Wrona and Jerome Adams review hallway security footage in their shared office April 14. The security office hallway is directly attached to the main entrance upstairs, with a security-specific desk located outside of the 9000s hallway downstairs. “My favorite part of my job is working with the students and ensuring their safety,” Nicol said.
April 26, 2023
The class quietly concentrates as students complete their test when, all of a sudden, shots are fired in the hallway.
Students hastily go into full lockdown, shaking with fear as they recognize the sound echoing through the classrooms. School Resource Officers (SROs) quickly contact police and go to investigate the halls, making sure every student is safe.
Denver East High School didn’t have this luxury, as there were no SROs present on campus during their shooting.
Just a few weeks ago, the public high school located in Denver experienced a shooting. The incident happened March 22 at around 10 a.m., with two wounded–Dean of Culture Eric Sinclaire and Restorative Practice Coordinator Jerald Mason–and the suspected shooter, 17 year old Austin Lyle, dead.
“I feel like it’s kind of hard to talk about the [shooting] because it’s so close by and it’s really scary that something like that could happen at school,” Lena Opala ‘26 said.
The elected school board in Denver voted in 2020 to remove SROs in the district, arguing that their presence harmed schools and students of color or students with disabilities, as there was an increase in school violence and unnecessary arrests. However, the controversy continues as other research has shown in different districts that they actually reduce student suspensions, arrests for assault and weapon charges and crime in surrounding areas.
“I will say that I like having our security officers because it’s just extra safety and you can never be too sure,” Georgia Howey ‘25 said. “It’s nice just in case anything happens and they can always help with other things too.”
Students, families and faculty at Denver East have been protesting for stricter gun control laws and getting SROs back in their school since their last shooting this year in February, as they frequently faced countless threats and lockdowns since then.
According to the Denver Post, two officers will be stationed at East for the rest of the school year, even though it will still be violating the district’s policy.
After several incidents at East, parents and students have reported no longer feeling safe. In support, other surrounding districts, including Douglas County School District (DCSD) have protested against gun violence in hopes for a change.
How safe is our school? Rock Canyon’s SRO Deputy Mark Adams shares his views on what it’s like for law enforcement on the academic side.
Q: How long have you been an SRO and what is your background in law enforcement?
A: I’ve been at Rock Canyon for about four years and I used to be a detective in the crimes against children unit. After doing that, I figured I needed something else to give back to the community more and help the youth, so the best route for me was an SRO, bridging the gap between schools and law enforcement.
Q: Do you think SROs are important to RCHS and other high schools?
A: I do, I think they’re valuable just because SROs have different resources and views when it comes to overall school security and providing students with that level of safety and security.
Q: What can you tell me about the safety of Rock Canyon?
A: Overall, we are a pretty safe school. Between myself, the security team and the administration and counseling office, we are very aware of anything that pops up. [We] do a great job at keeping everyone’s safety in mind. There’s never any situation with zero risk, but we are great at mitigating it as much as possible.
Q: How many SROs does DCSD have?
A: Every high school and middle school has an SRO, and they usually break it up between elementary schools. In this county, we have one SRO per five elementary schools. In Douglas County, we have roughly 24 to 25 SROs.
Q: How do you feel about the shooting at East High School? What are your thoughts on it?
A: I know that they’ve added some SROs to East after everything went down, but especially in the Denver area, we really need SROs to bridge that gap and work with the students. If you talk to a lot of students and other SROs that have gone through that, they actually cherished and really enjoyed having those SROs there. It isn’t just your job or just law enforcement in schools, but it’s making that connection with students. The best part of my day is talking to SSN (Significant Support Needs) kids or other students in general. It’s just really about making those connections and supporting them whilst taking into account their safety.