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The Week In Photos: August 14-22
The Week In Photos: August 14-22
Three, Two, One - We're Done
Three, Two, One – We’re Done
As of May 2025, College Board will be changing 28 AP exams to either hybrid or fully digital tests. 13 of the school's offered AP exams will be fully digital, and 11 will be hybrid digital.
Time’s Ticking
Spring arrived on March 20 and warmer temperatures are expected in April and May. According to nbcnews.com in Spring the sun's rays are more concentrated than they are during winter, which creates warmer temperatures and less snow. “Spring is my favorite season because the temperatures get warmer but not too hot so its a great temperature,” Sienna Russo ‘27 said.
Do Not Fear, Spring is Here
From Feb. 14 through March 8 three French exchange students attended classes.
The Exchange Experience
State President Medha Kuntamukkla ‘25 gives out a backpack at the HOSA Store Feb. 18. Backpacks and water bottles were free for SLC attendees and exchanged for red tickets given to students at the beginning of the conference. Other HOSA merchandise was available for purchase and could be bought throughout the conference. “I had to make sure everything was running smoothly and be there as support for the members,” Kuntamukkla said. “If they had any questions, I would direct where to go, and also just helped out with registration, making sure all the chapters were checking in okay and they were all getting their rooms.”
Healthcare of Tomorrow
The Highlands Ranch Co-op Swim & Dive team poses for a photo after competing in the Continental League championship May 1. The team secured their 12th league championship within 14 seasons, and had multiple swimmers place within the top ranks of individual events. (Media by courtesy of Melissa Krol and Erin Backman)
Co-op boys swim team Jags bring home commendations and wins
The winter guard team makes fifth place at the state championship finals in the Denver Coliseum, March 30. The team performed to Barnes Country's “Glitter and Gold,” lead by coaches Margo Sanford, Blair Bickerton and Anna Orgren. In their class there were a total of nine groups participating, and the top five who made it to finals received a plaque. “[Walking onto the stage] is very nerve-wracking, but also very exciting as well. When you first start color guard there's a lot of anxiety and uncertainty when you first perform in front of an audience, but once you've done it for a while, it starts to become the best part of the season,” Ella West ‘25 said. “It's very fulfilling to see an audience react to something you've put your heart and soul into.”
Shining and Spinning Through the Season
Graphic depicts the NCAA Tournament bracket.
The Final Four Showdown: March Madness
Varsity Guard Brooke Harding ‘25 goes up against Cherry Creek High School Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. Harding finished off this season with a total of 380 points and will be attending Colorado Mesa University next year for basketball. The game ended in a 69-55 L. “Every win is definitely a team win. No game is won because of one person. We all need each other, and it’s amazing that we are all close because it definitely helps our chemistry,” Harding said.
Day in the Life of a Varsity Girls Basketball Player
During girls tennis tryouts Feb Anika Kaja ‘28 hits the ball while working on her forehand hits. “I thought the tryouts were really fun and I got to show my talents,” Kaja Said.
Girls Tennis Tryouts 2025
Graphic for podcast episode Insights Unfiltered: A Conversation with Nick Artinger
Insights Unfiltered: A Conversation with Nick Artinger
Thirty-nine French students participated in Le Grand Concors, a National French Contest sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French, showcasing their skills in various aspects of the French language from Feb.14 to April 8. The annual competition evaluates participants on their oral proficiency, written expression and listening comprehension abilities.“I like to practice French outside of school and get practice quizzes, then I do the extra practice that my teacher assigns. I feel really good and proud of myself for getting first place and it's like one of my bigger accomplishments for the school,” Keren Bantshi ‘26 said.
French Students ranked nationally in Le Grand Concours
This picture depicts the symbol representing Autism Spectrum Disorder according to Autism Learning Partners.
It Really is a Spectrum
Varsity Guard Brooke Harding ‘25 goes up against Cherry Creek High School Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. Harding finished off this season with a total of 380 points and will be attending Colorado Mesa University next year for basketball. The game ended in a 69-55 L. “Every win is definitely a team win. No game is won because of one person. We all need each other, and it’s amazing that we are all close because it definitely helps our chemistry,” Harding said.
Day in the Life of a Varsity Girls Basketball Player
At the 2024 AAU Junior National Championships in Orlando, Florida, Riva Linga ‘28 takes the court as a middle blocker for Relentless Volleyball Club (RVC) on the 14 Z’s Nationals team, which proudly secured 64th place out of 186 teams nationwide.
Overcoming the Struggles: How Injured Students Navigate the Challenges of School
Half night sky and half day sky with clock, cloud sun and moon.
Spring Forward or Spring Fail?
Discrete Math/Prob & Stat, Geometry and Algebra 1 math teacher Rachel Carmody grades her fourth period students’ quizzes during access Feb 11. Carmody has been teaching for 19 years in total, but she started here in 2019-2020 during the pandemic. “I don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t like math, it's not everybodys’ jam,” Carmody said.
Math, Motherhood and Movement with Rachel Carmody
The Night Aspect, a boss from Elden Ring Nightreign, cuts through the night sky. This boss is highly praised for its aesthetic and game design.
Pixel Perfect: As Night Falls
Episode XI, The Summer Spiel, covers various new hot topics, being the first episode of the 2025-2026 school year.
The Glitch Podcast Episode XI: The Summer Spiel
Episode X covers various new hot topics, being the last episode before Summer vacation.
The Glitch Podcast Episode X: Delays, Doom, Departure
Three, Two, One - We're Done
Three, Two, One – We’re Done
This quiz makes you question which book genre you are. Take this quiz to find out.
What Book Genre Are You?
This episode covers the fine details of Mario Kart World, discussions about “A Minecraft Movie” as well as game remakes and adaptations.
The Glitch Podcast Episode Nine: Mario Kart, Minecraft and More
The Night Aspect, a boss from Elden Ring Nightreign, cuts through the night sky. This boss is highly praised for its aesthetic and game design.
Pixel Perfect: As Night Falls
This image depicts the area of “Limgrave” from Elden Ring. This is one of the first vistas that players see as they start their journey through the “Lands Between”.
Pixel Perfect: By the Grace of Gold
April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). This month is to spread awareness of the harassment, assault and abuse that happens around the world. The symbol that represented the month was a teal ribbon; however, some survivors of assault create different symbols and movements like the TikTok trend in 2022, where survivors would tattoo Medusa on their body, in honor of her backstory in Greek Mythology. “I don't think [this month is known] at all. I rarely see anybody talk about it. I rarely see much of an emphasis on posting it online, or much discussion about it, and I feel like there needs to be way more discussion,” an anonymous source said. “I think just validating every experience that a person has gone through, regardless of the degree of it, the severity, is an essential step into making sure that people are aware that this is a very real problem in a society and that we need to do better in addressing it.”
Not My Fault
Lesbian Visibility Day is April 26, and it’s a holiday to celebrate the lesbian community of the world. Lesbian Visibility day was established in 2008 by many queer activists and organizations who sought to raise more awareness for lesbian history and culture. “So this is why during Lesbian Visibility [Day] we celebrate and center all lesbians, both cis and trans, while also showing solidarity with all LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people,” Linda Reily, in an article written by her, said.
Lesbihonest About Lesbian Visibility Day
This graphic depicts the stress and responsibilities of students who are taking on more than they can handle. Whether it’s a job, a sport, an activity, volunteering, school or home life, there are a plethora of things that students are expected to handle, even if it affects their mental and physical health.
How Much Is Too Much?
This is a generative AI image made by Adobe Express depicting colorful flowers emerging from a tissue box, a sunset and another tissue box.
Bring Tissues, Spring Sneezies on the Rise
Episode XI, The Summer Spiel, covers various new hot topics, being the first episode of the 2025-2026 school year.
The Glitch Podcast Episode XI: The Summer Spiel
Episode X covers various new hot topics, being the last episode before Summer vacation.
The Glitch Podcast Episode X: Delays, Doom, Departure
April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). This month is to spread awareness of the harassment, assault and abuse that happens around the world. The symbol that represented the month was a teal ribbon; however, some survivors of assault create different symbols and movements like the TikTok trend in 2022, where survivors would tattoo Medusa on their body, in honor of her backstory in Greek Mythology. “I don't think [this month is known] at all. I rarely see anybody talk about it. I rarely see much of an emphasis on posting it online, or much discussion about it, and I feel like there needs to be way more discussion,” an anonymous source said. “I think just validating every experience that a person has gone through, regardless of the degree of it, the severity, is an essential step into making sure that people are aware that this is a very real problem in a society and that we need to do better in addressing it.”
Not My Fault
This episode covers the fine details of Mario Kart World, discussions about “A Minecraft Movie” as well as game remakes and adaptations.
The Glitch Podcast Episode Nine: Mario Kart, Minecraft and More
This episode covers the fine details surrounding the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, featuring English teacher Peter DeFilippo
The Glitch Podcast Episode Eight: Direct Deep Dive
This episode of the Glitch Podcast covers recent BAFTA awards nominations and charitable actions by Bethesda.
The Glitch Podcast Episode Six: BAFTAs and Bethesda
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online

The Week In Photos: August 14-22

Snapshots of activities from the first (long) week as the new school year unfolds
by Staff
August 27, 2025
Student Council Member Bella Robison ‘26 paints a car in the lower lot in senior row Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. The student council held five-dollar car paintings for all seniors to raise money for the school year. “I feel like the car painting got the senior class very excited and brought the senior spirit up before even the first day. The money will be used for other events for the school. It’s important for student council to get people excited so that we have good school spirit throughout the year,” Robison said. (media by Quinn Barton)
Black team cornerback Cameron Walker ‘28 tackles Grey team wide receiver Cayden Aragon ‘27 during the Black and Grey scrimmage at Echo Park Stadium on Aug.16 at 10 a.m. ended with a victory for the Black team with a final score of 12-0. “In the locker room everybody’s energy was through the roof. Everyone was ready to go out there ball out and try their hardest,” Evan Diebold ‘26 said. (media by Zari Jensen/Brynn Gosnell)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hansika Mechineni ‘26 listens to the pulse of Harper Bezemek-Aguilar ‘26 during Mathew Rice’s period four Fundamentals of EMT (Emergency Medical Technology) class Aug. 18. The EMT program, offered to students across the district in partnership with ACC (Arapahoe Community College), consists of five courses that students take throughout their senior year. The pathway trains students to enter the medical field through hands-on clinical training, with the goal of preparing them for the National Registry of EMTs exam. “I’m most excited to do the clinicals and learn how to actually save lives,” Mechineni said. (media by Dee Lee)

 

 

Together, seniors Chase Carland, David Mondrus, Aiden Karr, Evan Beuther, Jack Glenn, Owen Bissell and Nicolas Stuart watch the sunrise at the Red Rocks Amphitheater during Senior Sunrise Aug. 19. An annual tradition organized by Student Council, Senior Sunrise is a chance for students to kick off their final year of high school by watching the sunrise as a class. The event began at 5:30 a.m., and seniors were requested to wear comfortable attire. Donuts were provided by Student Council, and the Flippin’ Flapjacks Breakfast was later held in the courtyard during access. “My favorite part about Senior Sunrise is definitely the view here at Red Rocks,” Carland said. “It’s nice that everyone is here together as an entire class. It’s been a while since everyone’s been able to do that.” (media by Bella Lin)

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Duong ‘26 pours syrup on his pancake stack at the Senior Breakfast event during Access Aug. 19. Every year, StuCo (Student Council) hosts a breakfast with food truck Flippin’ Flapjacks after Senior Sunrise, with plates of pancakes provided for free. “I actually didn’t realize that there was a flapjack thing until a lot later, but it was really good and a lot of fun,” Duong said.  “Just spending time eating pancakes with friends was a really big highlight.” (media by Dee Lee)
The back-to-school assembly, Nolan Freivogel ‘26 and Grayson Cole ‘26 celebrate in confetti and streamers as seniors are announced Aug. 22. The assembly started at 10:30 a.m. with students being released by grade, starting with freshmen up to seniors. There were performances from both the dance team and cheer, along with chants from JT, Science Teacher and Girls Basketball Coach Payton Holloway and the Golden Boys. This was all used to lead up to the glow-in-the-dark back-to-school dance that went from 8-11 p.m. in the gym. “It feels good, it’s a lot of fun and I love having the opportunity to go and do cheers in front of everybody and bring everybody’s school spirit up. I think this year is gonna be a good one, we just need everybody to show up and be as loud as we possibly can,” Freivogel said. (media by Rosie Benson/Quinn Barton)
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Three, Two, One - We're Done
Three, Two, One - We're Done
As of May 2025, College Board will be changing 28 AP exams to either hybrid or fully digital tests. 13 of the school's offered AP exams will be fully digital, and 11 will be hybrid digital.
Time’s Ticking
Spring arrived on March 20 and warmer temperatures are expected in April and May. According to nbcnews.com in Spring the sun's rays are more concentrated than they are during winter, which creates warmer temperatures and less snow. “Spring is my favorite season because the temperatures get warmer but not too hot so its a great temperature,” Sienna Russo ‘27 said.
Do Not Fear, Spring is Here
From Feb. 14 through March 8 three French exchange students attended classes.
The Exchange Experience
State President Medha Kuntamukkla ‘25 gives out a backpack at the HOSA Store Feb. 18. Backpacks and water bottles were free for SLC attendees and exchanged for red tickets given to students at the beginning of the conference. Other HOSA merchandise was available for purchase and could be bought throughout the conference. “I had to make sure everything was running smoothly and be there as support for the members,” Kuntamukkla said. “If they had any questions, I would direct where to go, and also just helped out with registration, making sure all the chapters were checking in okay and they were all getting their rooms.”
Healthcare of Tomorrow
After earning a position on the State Officer team, Jonathan Duong ‘26 hugs Sen Yakandawala ‘26 following the conclusion of the closing ceremony Feb. 15. Duong will serve as the 2025-2026 State Treasure and aims to provide more resources and connections to small TSA chapters as well as improve navigation for members at events like the state conference. “I was so glad and proud to be there with him,” Yakandawala said. “It was easily one of my favorite moments of the state conference.”
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