Hi, my name is Wryn and I am a senior! I am the Chief Photographer for the USJ and this is my second year doing so! I love writing, reading, and taking pictures. I am a freelance photographer in my spare time and I love teaching photography and creating impactful photos that tell stories!
![Sophomore Addison Beck finishes up homework at the Starbucks on Bellevue Square, which closed for business on Oct. 13. For students like Beck, this Starbucks location was part of their daily routine. “I come here like almost every day after school because that's where my mom picks me up,” Beck said before the closure. “And it’s great because [it has] free Wi Fi and I just get my work done.”](https://unionstreetjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Starbies2-1200x800.jpg)
![On Monday, senior Raegan Knobbe (pictured) and juniors Coco Katskee and William McDavid hosted a livestream for Cherry Creek Sports Network, aiming to raise funds for Bags of Fun and celebrate Power Week’s kick-off. The livestream featured special guests like senior Blake Purchase and 9News reporter Scotty Gange. “The importance of hosting this livestream is to raise money for Bags of Fun,” senior Sam Pemberton, who participated in the live stream, said. “[It] impacts the students by getting them ready for the events, [the] dress up days to come, and to raise money to support Bags of Fun.”](https://unionstreetjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CCSN1-900x600.jpg)
![Students perceive each other in highly critical ways.
This is only magnified when the person being observed is transgender. Sophomore Aram Bazarian sat with a trans pride flag for our cover in an all too familiar position. As a trans person at Creek, Bazarian often feels isolated from students around him, not only because of his identity, but also because of the possible hate he could experience for being himself. “Some [students] have never met a trans person before,” senior Karter LaBarre said. “So I sometimes have some educating to do.” Educating their peers is the tip of the iceberg for these trans students. Name-changes, basic respect, and deadnaming are all part of the trans experience.](https://unionstreetjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/USJOpt5Edit-696x900.jpg)
