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

By Vinny D. A Senior Class Trip is something almost all seniors look forward to. From going to places such as Florida, California, or even Mexico. It is something that has been done for decades. Unfortunately MRHS Class of 2026 doesn’t have a trip planned for their Seniors.  Class trips are supposed to benefit the seniors and help bring them closer together. ” Our class doesn’t really bond as a class anymore. We just all have our own groups but if we had a trip it would bring

By Francesca M. A lot of teachers are loved. Even more are respected. But the word about some gets thrown around in the hallways like it is nothing: “I hate her.” “He’s the worst.” “I’d rather just skip that class.” Students use the word “hate” casually, almost automatically, even. But what is it really about when a student says they hate a teacher? Is it actually about personality, strict rules, too much homework, or something deeper? We don’t spend enough time asking why th

By Azamaya A and Anabella V After months of hard work and lengthy rehearsals, the Wizard of Oz has hit the stage. The Wizard of Oz  is a worldwide known story–the 1939 movie being a significant part of cinema history. The musical was announced as MRHS’s winter performance during early October. Since then, anticipation grew steadily, especially within the cast members of the show. River S, a sophomore, performing as the Scarecrow, shared her experience of growing and understan

By Kamila A-F Around the MRHS campus, one can find a colorful poster promoting an opportunity to travel around Asia on most hallways. As someone who went on a European trip in June of 2025, I can tell you how accurate the poster is to the actual experience.  One of the main focuses of EF tours is to make it affordable for students to travel. I do think that is true, as it's set up to be monthly payments and the sooner you sign up for it, the less money you owe every month. Ho

By Adali V and Aubrey B Our Mountain Range School Mercantile is stepping up to make a difference. This school food bank is not just about food, it’s about providing our families with essential items like hygiene products and clothing. It’s a place that truly cares about our community. The Mountain Range School Mercantile believes that no student should have to worry about their next meal or go without basic essentials. Studies show that a healthy body leads to a happier mind

by The Range Staff Welcome back, Mountain Range Students! We hope everyone had a safe and fun new year. As we start a new semester and head into 2026, The Range Staff is excited to continue sharing the stories, news and moments that matter to our school. To kick off the new year let's see what The Range staff did over break and their plans for 2026 What did you do over break? " I hung out with friends and family but got sick so I had to relax a lot." Cooper M. (12th) "I we

By Adali V. Ms. Armijo, MRHS Counselor Mountain Range High School is thrilled to introduce Rae Armijo as its new student counselor. With a strong commitment to student well being and a passion for mental health advocacy, Armijo is poised to make a significant impact on the school community. Armijo’s path to school counseling was driven by a desire to support young people. “I was pretty impressed and thankful for the interactions that I had between the counselors and seeing ho