By Aubrey B. and Adali V. Mountain Range High School has an inspiring dynamic in its social studies department: a father son duo teaching the same subject. Mr. Jim Mason and his son, Mr. Jacob Mason, bring both experience and a fresh perspective to the classroom, creating a unique environment for students. Jim Mason, a veteran teacher with 29 years of experience, shares his journey with pride. “I was inspired to become a teacher because I really loved history in high school,

By Vinny D. As March arrives, so does one of the most exciting events in American sports. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness. The 2026 tournament is officially underway, bringing together 68 college teams from across the country, all competing for a national championship and to cement themselves in history. The tournament began on Tuesday and Wednesday with the “First Four” where teams battled for the final spots to make it into the officia

By Azamaya A The military can change a lot of things about a person. Everyone leaves the military with a story to tell , a different experience and a different realization that makes them appreciate  the little things and maybe change their outlooks on a lot of things. Such was the case for Chemistry and Physics teacher Jacob Burr. Burr  served in The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 8 years, 6 years active duty and 2 years inactive serving as an electrician. He learned very

By Lilah G Nicotine is one of the most commonly used addictive substances in the United States, especially among teenagers. Most people think of cigarettes when they hear the word nicotine, but it is also found in vapes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and nicotine pouches. In Colorado, nicotine use has become very common, especially in high schools, which makes it an important issue to talk about. Nicotine is a stimulant, which means it speeds up how the brain and body communicate.

by Francesca M Benchwarmers are players who show up to practice, dress for games, and sit on the sideline when competition begins. They are on the roster and officially part of the team, but rarely see the court or field. Their families often arrive excited to watch them compete, only to end up watching them watch the game from the bench instead. Starter to bench player ratios look different on every team, but the sideline role is still familiar across most sports programs. T

by Anabella V Meat and pepper chili? Turkey chili? Chili verde? Vegetarian? All of these options were made with determination, spirit, and pure competitiveness at Mountain Range High School’s 17th annual Chili Cook-Off Contest. This year’s competition took place on February 26th, various chili’s made for MRHS staff to taste and pick out their favorites. The Chili Cook-Off Competition is an exciting and popular community event for staff and students that is not only a chance t

By Angelina G. Not Quite Dead Yet is a murder mystery involving a girl who is attacked in an attempt at murder, but she manages to survive in a medical miracle quickly turned into a false blessing when it's revealed she has a week to live due to a brain injury. The author Holly Jackson may be more well known as the author of the acclaimed A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series, which heightened my expectations.  The book focuses on the town of Woodstock, Vermont, a rural town w

By Heidi B Youth around the United States are interacting with AI friends and chat rooms like Character AI. These ‘friends” are tempting young people to commit or attempt suicide. These AI Bots need to be stopped. The biggest app for chatting with AI chat bot is Character AI. This app was released 3 years ago and since then have had over 40 million downloads. The creators of this app are Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas. Character AI was originally part of Google but when t

by Grace J and Isabelle K. Across all schools, ranging from college to high school to even middle school, student energy drink consumption has become a pressing concern. Adults and young students alike are facing the subsequent consequences of overindulgence in energy drinks. We can see these issues even at MRHS and it makes us wonder: Will the massive consumption of energy drinks be the downfall of Gen Z’s health? Sophomore Kayla G. claims she consumes energy drinks the most

By Mark S. and Wyatt W. The 2026 Olympic games in Milan Cortina just wrapped up and with the United States winning their most gold ever in a Winter Olympics, one event stood out from the rest: the United States have not won a gold medal in men's hockey since the "Miracle On Ice” Olympics in 1980. Now, and of the Russians, the US has a new rival, the Canadians.   The Olympics are starting to get routine for the United States. This one stands out because  the US team was undoub

By Vinny D  As MRHS Spring Sports are underway, there is one team to keep an eye out on. With a new coach, a very fresh and new roster, and very high expectations, Mountain Range’s baseball team has a big season to look forward to.  The 2024-2025 season, the Mustangs finished 4-19 without winning a single league game. (0-12) being led by 9 seniors. This team had pitching struggles with an average ERA ( Earned Runs Allowed) of 9.58. “We just didn’t have a consistent rotation,

by Kamlia A-F High school is the transition period going from a teenager to adulthood, which means it is when students decide whether they want to go to college, the workforce, a gap year or even the military after graduation.  While getting advice from parents or previous generations is important in terms of forming the best plan for a future college student, it's best for this generation to focus on the changes that have occurred. What universities are looking for in applic

By Adali V. and Aubery B. At Mountain Range High School, our teachers are the heart of our educational community. They bring passion, experience, and dedication to their classrooms, shaping the future of students everyday. Recently, we had the opportunity to interview several fantastic teachers to gain insight into their journeys, philosophies, and experiences. Here’s what they had to share. Hannah Kaiser, 9th & 11th Grade English Teacher Mrs. Kaiser, MRHS’ enthusiastic Eng

By Dawn H. The other day I had the most spectacular opportunity: l was given the chance to use the restrooms at Mountain Range High School. Let's just say it was fabulous and is paving the way for the future of restroom technology, atmosphere and decor. Technology These restrooms at Mountain Range High School are making the bathrooms fun and more sanitary. They have a mere shell of a soap dispenser rather than a whole soap dispenser so now rather than you getting pathogens of

By Heidi B. The Mustang Merc is a resource room for families in need and a place for kids to feel a sense of belonging. Ellie Baker is the director of the program and her main goal is to provide healthy nutritious food to all Mustang families as well as other families in the district. She also wants to create a  safe place for kids who need it. Every week there are 200+ families that come to the Merc to pick up a box full of food. These families are truly in need and apprecia

By Mark S. Preston Brunton is a Senior at Mountain Range High School whose name has been tossed around in the halls lately, mainly because he has just achieved a huge milestone in basketball, reaching 1000 points in his High School basketball career. Preston has been on the basketball team for 4 years and has been a dominant force on the team.. Preston's basketball journey is still young and barely getting started but this is a remarkable way to start his journey and end one

By Anabella V. A common and recurring issue that is consistently seen at Mountain Range High School is the inconsiderate treatment of our custodial staff. This is assumable because walking around MRHS, there are multiple spots that students have treated carelessly, whether it be the bathrooms, classrooms, or even stairwells. Splatters of mystery liquids, wrappers left scattered across floors, lunch trays shoved in toilets, and what’s really supposed to be in toilets left on t

By Cooper M. and Austin R. This year's Super Bowl halftime show performed by Puerto Rican musical star Bad Bunny brought a lot of controversy and mixed opinions around the world. This is what Mountain Range students and teachers had to say about it.  In a recent survey with a random sample of 150 Mountain Range students and teachers these were the results.  Out of all the responses 83% of people actually watched the Super Bowl halftime show with 17% of the responses not watch

By Eric D. and Austin R. The Mustangs track season is underway and many athletes are getting antsy. With Preseason workouts happening every week(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays)  Senior and team captain Vinny D is ready to take on this upcoming track season and is ready to be around his friends and be able to connect with others on the team. “I enjoy the relationships you build with others on the teams, the friendships and being around people from other schools all the time”. Wit

By Lilah G Despite school assemblies, health classes, and warning labels, alcohol continues to be part of many teenagers’ lives. While not every teen drinks, alcohol remains present at parties, hangouts, and even casual get togethers. For some students, it’s seen as a rite of passage. For others, it’s a choice they actively avoid. Either way, teen drinking is a topic that keeps resurfacing in high schools across the country. To protect privacy, the students referenced in this