![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)
![Isabelle Piche '24 and Collin Naibauer '24 smile at the top of Red Rocks Amphitheatre after completing the Red Rocks 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Sept. 11. The two students and their Fire Science peers joined hundreds of citizens in doing nine laps around the amphitheatre to complete a distance similar to the 110 floors first responders climbed up the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks. "Others should definitely consider doing the climb because it’s a very eye-opening experience with the amount of adults, children, firefighters, paramedics, police and other people [who] come together to honor something so tragic," Piche said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9374-e1694495989417.jpg)
22 years after Sept. 11, 2001, the events of that day have not been forgotten.
According to 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the 9/11 terrorist attack occurred Sept. 9, 2001, performed by the terrorist group “Al-Qaeda.” Four commercial airline planes flew into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, a field in Pennsylvania and both of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York.
In total, the attacks killed 2,977 people. According to CBS News, 343 of those were New York firefighters–with hundreds more dying over the years due to health complications, such as cancer, caused by the toxins and dangerous conditions first responders were exposed to on 9/11.
Every year since the terrorist attacks took place, many U.S. citizens have found ways to honor and recognize the victims, survivors, first responders and others involved in the incident.
Fire Science students took part in the annual Red Rocks 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Dressed in their firefighting gear, the hike was equivalent to the 110-story climb of the World Trade Center, meant to honor victims of the tragedy, specifically the first responders who made the climb. According to CBS News, over 1,400 individuals participated in the Red Rocks climb.
“This stair climb hits home for me because I not only walk for the souls we lost on 9/11, but for the men and women we lose every day to the job [of firefighting],” Fire Science student Isabelle Piche ’24 said. “ I grew up in a law enforcement family with a father who is also a firefighter, so I walk for all the men and women I have personally known who have been laid to rest. The climb is about coming together as a community to honor and remember the ones who served us.”
After completing the climb, participants received pizza and a chance to socialize.
“Everyone gets pizza and hangouts for music and just a celebration,” Piche said. “The morning and start of the climb is always quite and sad, so it’s nice to celebrate afterwards.”
