The Student News Site of Dakota Ridge High School

The Cord News
The Student News Site of Dakota Ridge High School

The Cord News
The Student News Site of Dakota Ridge High School

The Cord News
Sara Pfitzer

Sara Pfitzer, Editor

Sara Pfitzer is a second-year writer for the Dakota Ridge Cord News. She joined the team to further her skills in writing. Outside of school, Sara enjoys spending time with friends.

All content by Sara Pfitzer
Final Editors Picks

Final Editors Picks

Sara Pfitzer and Payton Tanner
May 13, 2024
Seniors take one last photo with Mrs. Keller to celebrate their final days.

[Photo] Dakota Days

Aimee Aguilar
May 8, 2024
Hastert’s desk is in the middle of the main office and always includes a bowl of sweets on her desk. One of her major responsibilities is sending communications to the DRHS families when necessary.

Meet the Staff: Jennifer Hastert

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
April 25, 2024
April Editors Picks

April Editors Picks

Payton Tanner and Sara Pfitzer
April 10, 2024
Dakota Days

Dakota Days

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
April 2, 2024
Ms. Cooper is always right in the middle of the office with a bowl of candy for any student who comes to say hi. “My desk is in the middle of the main office, so I get to interact with all of the students and staff who come through and help them in any way that I can,” Cooper said.

Meet the Staff: Peggy Cooper

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
March 28, 2024
March Editors Picks

March Editors Picks

Payton Tanner and Sara Pfitzer
March 12, 2024
DRHS holds blood drives twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. According to PE teacher Amy Ziegler, the number of volunteers was great in the fall.

Give the Gift of Life: Donate to the DRHS Blood Drive

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
February 26, 2024
Jennifer Kelley proudly displays her Michigan State flag. She majored in English with a minor in psychology. Michigan is also where she received her teaching certification.

Meet the Staff: Jennifer Kelley

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
February 16, 2024
February Editors Picks

February Editors Picks

Sara Pfitzer and Payton Tanner
February 11, 2024
Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” album art. Boone will soon be going on a tour worldwide. All dates are available on his website.

Benson Boone Truly is a “Beautiful Thing(s)”

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
February 5, 2024
Mr. Legault is a graduate of Colorado Mesa University where he earned a degree in Physical Education.

Meet the Staff: Jeff Legault

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
January 19, 2024
Mr. Heckel in his office. Heckel is commonly in the main hallway by the front entrance talking to students as they pass by before their next class.

Meet the Staff: Matt Heckel

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
December 15, 2023
December Editors Picks

December Editors Picks

Sara Pfitzer and Payton Tanner
December 9, 2023
Jefferson County superintendent, Tracy Dorland, holds her annual discussion with Jeffco community members at Dakota Ridge on November 14, 2023. Dorland started as Jeffco superintendent in April of 2021 after holding many different titles over her career in education: an elementary school teacher, reading interventionist, instructional coach, principal, chief academic officer, and deputy superintendent of Adams 12 Five Star Schools, principal supervisor, Executive director of educator effectiveness, and deputy superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

Jeffco Superintendent Tracy Dorland Visits Dakota Ridge

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
November 30, 2023
Mr. Dougherty, his three daughters, and his wife during their family photos. Dougherty is at the stage where he “Can’t do no wrong” with his daughters.

Meet the Staff: Michael Dougherty

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
November 15, 2023
October Editors Picks

October Editors Picks

Payton Tanner and Sara Pfitzer
November 3, 2023
The town of Creede, Colorado is located above 8,000 feet in elevation, so pack extra water when visiting!

Creede, Colorado is a Hidden Gem

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
October 30, 2023
Coffee on the Fly is located at 13 S. Main St., Creede, CO 81130.

Rachel Parker poses in the Eagle conference room, wearing a Dakota Ridge branded shirt that ironically states, “Property of Eagles Athletic Department.”

Meet the Staff: Rachel Parker

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
October 13, 2023
Coach Zeman noted that the girls played well during the game specifically due to their relaxed attitude during the plays. "Volleyball is a tricky game because if you're afraid of making mistakes, then you usually make mistakes...to play free and fun is the only way to play," Zeman said.

Eagles Sweep the Wolves in Volleyball

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
September 19, 2023
Students and staff regularly look at the clock while adjusting to the new times.

Dakota Ridge Switches it Up

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
September 16, 2023
This image was posted on Ms. Keller’s Instagram (@dakota_ridge_principal).

Meet The Staff: Kim Keller

Sara Pfitzer, Editor
September 8, 2023
The one and only Dr. Jim Jelinek poses next to the statue of an eagle in the DRHS main hall. He is wearing the t-shirt created for the graduating class of 2022 on their last school day, May 13, 2022.

[Photo] The Final Q&A With Dr. J

May 19, 2022
On Saturday, April 30, the Dakota Ridge varsity baseball team played against Valor on their home field. They celebrated their seniors who are graduating this year by winning the game 5 to 4.

DRHS Varsity Baseball Takes the Win Against Valor

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
May 5, 2022
“We had a very good, high energy game, and that energy lasted the whole game,” sophomore Aidan Purtill (OF | 8) said. “You could tell we really wanted to win that game from how we hit and pitched.”

“Valor was one of the best games of the year because they are one of the top teams in the state and very tough to beat. Gavin Kaiser was the winning pitcher and threw a great game. Josh Ezell had three hits, one run, and one RBI, Cade Collins also had three hits, one run, and one RBI.” Coach Jeff Legault said.

“The team is getting better each week and can win the League Championship with a win over Chatfield this Saturday. We want to continue to improve and see how far we can advance in the state,” Coach Legault said.

“The biggest play of the day was Max Hertel who hit a home run in the third inning and had three RBIs in the game,” Coach Legault said.

The human brain is filled with questions about life, other people, and itself. No one truly knows what happens in the brain and new information is being discovered all the time.

Mental Health Awareness Gains More Acceptance

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
May 5, 2022
“We should be nice every day, but that deeper message is very important for students,” English teacher Aerin Bender said. “Hating other people is a form of violence and so is hating ourselves.” Max Hemsky, a sophomore at DRHS said, “I liked how the assembly connected all of the students at DRHS.”

[Photo] Day Without Hate Unites DRHS

Daniel Hampton, Staff Writer
May 3, 2022
The states in yellow have a bill or are thinking about creating a bill similar to the one from Florida, according to a CPR News article “Not Just Florida. More Than a Dozen States Propose So-Called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills” by Jonathan Franklin.

What Is the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” and What Do Students Think?

Sara Pfitzer
April 17, 2022
Top 5 Unknown Facts About Mrs. Keller

Do his tattoos seem to be preventing him from working in an office building?

Tattoos in Corporate America

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
February 28, 2022
Mr. Paul Tschuor, a chemistry teacher at DRHS, has kept a count down on his whiteboard until the mask mandate is lifted. “Rest in peace masks,” Tschuor said.

Jeffco Lifts the Mask Mandate

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
February 17, 2022
Many people choose to eat healthier as a resolution. For most, this is the start of a healthier lifestyle that they want to obtain due to the 21st century expectations on how life should be.

New Year, New Me! Or Maybe Not?

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
February 8, 2022
Ralston Valley High School's varsity basketball team at the DRHS large gym on January 28. Students from both Dakota and Ralston showed up to the game, filling the space with cheers and support.

Mustangs Beat the Eagles 38-40

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
February 2, 2022
The DRHS Cheer team brought cheerleaders-in -training to the halftime show. "They had a ton of fun. We’ve been practicing it a lot. You know they all went out there with happy faces, and I think it was super good. The crowd loved it!” Cadence Stubblefield (11) said.

“I think we did great, the boys played great, they played tough. Ralston Valley is a really good team, so the boys did what we asked them to do, and it came down to the second, which is all you can ask,” Nathan Jerome, the associate head coach of the boys DRHS basketball team said.

Currently, the team is the 3rd 5A team in Jeffco, standing at a 2-1 league, according to MaxPreps.

The Eagles' varsity basketball team plays again on February 11th at 7:00 p.m. against Valor High School at DRHS. The girls varsity and boys JV games are at 5:30 p.m., girls in the large gym and boys in the small gym.

Dakota Ridge lost the game by 2 points. The boys played hard in the second half of the game scoring multiple points back-to-back getting the score to 38-40 Ralston Valley. “We played good defense the whole game,” Carson Evans (11) said.

January 6th, 2021 near the Capitol in Washington, D.C. during the riot. The crowd carried their Trump and American flags as they marched forward.

Biden Crossed the Line in January 6 Speech

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
January 17, 2022
An image of Dever International Airport main terminal from the 13th floor of the Westin Hotel. Many love the white tents used as roofs, others are annoyed by the birds and squirrels that find their way inside.

What to Expect at DIA This Holiday Season

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
December 14, 2021
“I enjoy drawing -- I haven’t been as much lately. I also like reading and stuff, but also playing soccer,” Maegan Smay (10) said. Smay shared an image of a tiger that she finished in February.

How Do DRHS Students Cope?

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
December 10, 2021
“I like to do things that are in my control if I feel out of control. I like to dye my hair a lot or I find a new hobby that I like, like… arts and crafts,” Quinn Schroeder (10) said. She recently got into origami as a hobby.

Nick Sullivan (9) normally talks to his friends to unwind. “I just relax and try to find something that I like doing,” Sullivan said. According to a 1991 study by Carnegie Mellon University, many people use social groups as a “stress-buffer.” The study showed that the subjects’ well-being increased when they used social support.

Lauren Seifert (10) uses music to help her unwind because it's always there. “If you meditate, or if you… burn candles and stuff like that, that’s temporary. But music’s years and generations -- it’s not like it’s going to stop one day,” Seifert said.

Dr. Jim Jelinek during the September 22, 2021 BLT meeting. “For the most part, my best hope would be that people feel like they were at least heard and know that there is a process.” Dr. Jelinek said.

Dress Code Changes at DRHS

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
November 28, 2021
Elise (right) and Lauren (left) before school starts on November 3, 2021. Clearly, they are identical twins, which they said “freaks them out” at times. “You know how everybody is curious sometimes about how they look when they’re talking to people? You never truly see that,” Lauren said. Elise added to Lauren’s statement by explaining how talking to a twin allows her to almost see how she looks when talking to people. “It’s like a mirror image.” Elise said.

Isn’t it Obvious?

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
November 12, 2021
Seifert during the practice prior to her game. She watches the other team as they practice their techniques. “We just kind of watch the other teams just to support them too,” Seifert said. “It was fun, I mean I don’t know, just the excitement of the game and everything.”

Elise Seifert’s Journey as a DRHS Swing Player

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
October 18, 2021
Jeremiah Behrendsen’s Algebra 2 class. As the class works, students chat with their neighbors, and laughter fills the room, along with the sound of pencils scraping at the paper.

The Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
October 13, 2021
Science teacher Dave Long discusses possible solutions and potential complications to the code and any changes.

Dress Code Debate Results in Student Survey

Sara Pfitzer, Staff Writer
September 22, 2021
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