The Mustang class of 2026 is out the door! As a tribute to those we leave behind, we present our Last Will and Testament: I, Paul Hanus, do hereby leave to Victoria Stoffle all my love for LB Baby and Chick-fil-a. I, Mary Mook, do hereby bequeath to Blyss Hamm, the need to cut her hair every time that something goes wrong and the right to boss around any freshman you want. I, Rowan Snyder, hereby leave to Diego Perez and Elias Pimentel any and all of my old running shoes that

By Lilah G. Every morning, alarms go off way too early, and students across the school drag themselves out of bed. The question is: should schools start later to help students get more sleep? Many students say yes, between homework, sports, jobs, and trying to have some kind of social life, it’s hard to get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Ava R. says, “I usually don’t fall asleep until after midnight because I’m finishing homework. Waking up at 6 just feels impossible

By Adali V. and Aubrey B. As the final weeks of high school pass by, a noticeable mix of excitement and nervousness fill the halls of Mountain Range High School. For the graduating class of 2026, this is a time of significant change, marked by the bittersweet realization that their high school years are drawing to a close. Teachers too are working through many emotions as they prepare to send their students out into the world. The feeling among seniors is one of eager anticip

By Vinny D. As everyone at MRHS knows, Prom is this Saturday at Church Ranch Event Center with a lot of hype and chatter around it. Along with this comes Prom Spirit week and the student favorite day by far is Wednesday “Anything But a Backpack Day, “ People gave their opinions on the day and what they planned on bringing. “ Anything but a backpack day is one of my favorite spirit days we've ever done. I’ve honestly waited all 4 years of High school for this.” Says Senior La

By Kamila A-F. Teenagers rely on money just like any other adult, however a regular job isn’t always easily accessible. Therefore, high school students find various other ways to make a little extra cash to satisfy their needs and wants. One of the most popular methods at Mountain Range is selling snacks and treats, regardless of school policy. Many times during off hours or lunch periods, you can get approached by a student with a plastic bag or tupperware with cookies, chip

By Cooper M. and Austin R. With the seniors year coming to a close, many seniors have been looking forward to Senior Assassin. Senior Assassin is played among the students at the school with everyone competing for a prize. The way the game works is every week each team gets another team as their targets and they have to assassinate them by using water guns. There are certain times like from 6am-8pm where students can wear goggles or floaties and they would keep them safe. Bu

By Angelina G On March 11th, MRHS psychology students aimlessly roamed the halls wearing brown paper bags on their heads whilst being guided by a partner. They went up stairs, down halls, and ran into several walls. The students (working in partners) were instructed to make it from the starting point in the middle of the main hall to a location they chose while one person wore a paper bag on their heads. While it simply seems like a fun and ridiculous activity, Psychology te

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 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 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 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