Colorado

Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2024

Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country

At nearly 6 years old, I remember the feeling of the living room carpet under me as I sat in front of a monitor displaying Barack Obama’s determined face during the 2012 presidential election debates. As the smell of a dinner in progress wafted in from the kitchen, the speakers slightly warbled his voice.

My eyes concentrated on Obama’s face and I noticed that with every word he uttered, he did it with grace and an overbearing belief that instilled confidence in me. As a voice called me to join them for dinner, I reluctantly pulled myself from my spot in front of the TV, eyes still stuck on the screen. Leaving the room, I still remember feeling a thick aura of hope hanging in the air.

From that point forward, politics and government have been an integral part of my life. For as long as I can remember, it has been a family tradition to sit over steaming hot food at the dinner table and hear my parents and siblings — and when I got older, even me — debate and discuss what was happening in the world. Sometimes we would argue loudly at a divided table, but that was all a part of another lesson my parents taught me, that passion was a good thing, especially in politics.

Day after day at the dinner table, I would gather little bits of information that would help me realize what was most important to me as an American, a Muslim, a woman and a human.

Being part of a politically aware family, I have always known that the 2024 election would be the first I would be eligible to vote in. However, the weight of that decision only dawned on me recently with November 5th looming.

My parents and communities have always instilled in me the knowledge that contributing to society through civic and political engagement is the best way to be a good American, and the epitome of that is voting. As a young kid, seeing the colorful red, white and blue “I Voted” stickers that came with my parents’ ballots, I eagerly looked forward to earning one of my own.

I am inspired by people like Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King Jr., and I recognize and believe in the immense opportunity that voting gives to our hope-ingrained Republic.

Besides at home, my social studies classes have been instrumental to my learning about the importance and privilege of voting.

Last year, one of the most influential ways I learned to see current events through the eyes of history was in my American Government class. My teacher explained the importance of voting through the perspective of those who dedicated their lives to gaining the right to vote and tried to put us in their shoes.

He impressed upon us the fact that had we been alive before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a majority of us would not have been allowed to vote. After giving us a moment to think about this, he asked why any of us would be unwilling to vote when we have that right.

Still, it is hard not to feel like voting is like having all the world’s power while also having none. Being just one person in a country with millions can be intimidating and make you question the importance of just one vote. In close elections, local or national, one vote can make the difference in electing an individual who is fit to serve the people and one who isn’t.

I know that when I vote, even if the outcome is not what I want, I make the decision to let my voice be heard and that is what voting is all about.

I often feel at a loss between frustration and worry about how our current government functions and where it is headed. However, there is always the possibility of a better world fueled by the fundamentals of democracy, which at its core is voting. Voting is not only a vehicle of hope but also a tool to empower our society.

Of all of the emotions I have around voting for the first time, the most prevalent is the feeling that I can make a difference in my country. Most of all, I want to embrace this feeling and celebrate the freedom to vote in order to work toward creating a better future on Nov. 5 along with my fellow Americans.

I hope that every eligible young adult joins me in voting and embraces the opportunity to help shape this country to uphold the values we hold dear.

Ayah Al-Masyabi lives in Aurora and is a student journalist and creative who attends Branson School Online. Ayah was part of The Colorado Sun’s Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop for high school students.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.

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Colorado

Immigration officer charged after shoving protester to ground in Colorado

Published

12 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Immigration officer charged after shoving protester to ground in Colorado

A Colorado district attorney on Tuesday announced criminal charges against a Customs and Border Protection officer who was recorded yanking a protester by her hair and pushing her to the ground last fall.

CBP Officer Nicholas Rice was charged with assault in the third degree and criminal mischief, District Attorney Sean Murray for Colorado’s 6th Judicial District, said in a news release. The charges are a misdemeanor and a petty offense, respectively.

Murray said he decided to file charges after “a thorough investigation conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.”

The incident took place in late October outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Durango, a small left-leaning town in southwestern Colorado, where hundreds of people gathered to protest the arrest of a Colombian father and his two children.

Rice was recorded on video snatching a phone out of 57-year-old Franci Stagi’s hands and then grabbing her hair and shoving her down an embankment. Stagi told The Colorado Sun at the time that she had been recording the officer and asked him, “You’re a good Christian, aren’t you?” which she said set him off.

The Durango Herald reported that federal officers used physical force against protesters and deployed pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

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Colorado

Avalanche vs. Kings Game 2: Key takeaways as Colorado wins OT thriller, takes 2-0 series lead

Published

24 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Avalanche vs. Kings Game 2: Key takeaways as Colorado wins OT thriller, takes 2-0 series lead

DENVER — When getting good looks but failing to finish against a locked-in goalie, it’s not easy to stick to a game plan. But instead of pressing, Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar’s group showed maturity, even after the Los Angeles Kings’ Artemi Panarin scored what could’ve been a back-breaking first goal of Game 2 late in the third period.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog buried a perfect pass from Martin Nečas three minutes after Panarin scored. Then Nicolas Roy scored the game-winner, giving Colorado a 2-1 win and 2-0 series lead.

“I liked our mentality again tonight,” Bednar said, adding that he was pleased with his team’s defensive effort. “That’s how we have to win. It’s good practice. It’s something we’ve been talking about all year, the importance of defending, and I’m happy with the commitment that we’re getting from our guys.”

The Avalanche led the league in goals scored this season, but they also were stingy defensively, allowing fewer goals than any other team. Through two games, they’ve shown a willingness to play tight-checking, low-scoring games and get the results they need.

“We have absolutely no problem playing this way,” said Landeskog, who scored from the slot after Nečas caught the previously-impenetrable Anton Forsberg out of position and set his captain up for an open look. “If you get a little impatient with it, you start forcing plays. And I thought tonight, we just kind of kept it going. Kept trusting our forecheck, and finally, we ended up getting rewarded for it.”

Colorado has controlled the series at five-on-five. The Kings’ only two goals have come on power plays, and Colorado had 79.05 percent of the expected goal share at five-on-five Tuesday, per Natural Stat Trick.

It was an odd night that included a broken glass delay, a choppy first period and a waved-off goal after a puck got lodged in the side of the net. Let’s dig into all of it.

Roy plays hero

With goalie Patrick Roy and forward Peter Forsberg’s retired numbers hanging in the Ball Arena rafters, it was probably a bit disorienting seeing a Roy score on a Forsberg in overtime. But that’s what happened when trade deadline addition Nic Roy backhanded a loose puck past Anton Forsberg’s left pad, punched the air and jumped into the glass in celebration.

The goal was Roy’s second overtime goal in his career. He scored the Game 4 winner for the Vegas Golden Knights in their 2021 conference final series against Montreal. That goal also came at the net-front.

“I like to be in (that) area, and a lot of those (overtime) goals are scored there,” Roy said. “So I try to be there as much as I can.”

“He’s a really smart player,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “It might not be everyone’s first pick (to score), but it takes a full team to win in the playoffs.”

Josh Manson fired a shot from the point to create chaos around the net ahead of Roy’s goal, and Bednar also credited Nazem Kadri with making a slick play to get the puck to his defenseman.

Physicality and a penalty parade define the first

D.J. Smith didn’t quite get his exact wish of his players hitting Colorado’s defensemen more in the first half of the first period, but he did get big hits. Shortly after Colorado’s Josh Manson laid a massive body check on Scott Laughton, Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson hit Martin Nečas in the neutral zone, seemingly catching him in the head.

Nečas went down, bloodied, and chaos ensued. Brett Kulak went after Anderson. Scrums broke out next to the Kings net. Sam Malinski brought down Quinton Byfield, and Mathieu Joseph did the same to Artturi Lehkonen. Anderson did not get a penalty for the hit, though he and Kulak were handed matching roughing minors. Kulak got an extra penalty for a cross check. (Nečas briefly left the game, presumably because he was pulled by a concussion spotter, but returned.)

“There were big hits,” Bednar said. “We gave some. We took some too, but it’s all right. That’s what’s going to happen this time of the year. You’re playing a big, strong, physical team, and sometimes I like it. Can wake some guys up if they’re not going, and you can ramp up your competitive spirit.”

It was the most dramatic stretch of a rugged first period that included seven minor penalties. The string of infractions slowed some of the momentum Colorado gathered from a furious start. The Avalanche led 9-0 in shots through the first 6:04. The period ended with Colorado leading 14-6 in shots.

After Anderson’s hit, scrums broke out after seemingly every whistle. At one point Jeff Malott caught Cale Makar with an elbow. Nečas also took a chance to hit Anderson toward the end of the period.

“There were a bunch of melees on the ice today,” Bednar said. “It felt like playoff hockey, which is the way you want it to feel. It tests your team, and it’s why it’s the most fun time of the year to play in the playoffs.”

In total, the period took around 45 minutes. The Kings got big saves from Anton Forsberg, allowing them to stay in the game and shift it into a rugged style that favored them, at least temporarily. It wasn’t enough in the end.

“To a man, this team’s playing hard,” Kings coach D.J. Smith added. “We have to find a way to win, though.”

Goalies continue strong start to the series

Darcy Kuemper started the year as Kings starter, but Anton Forsberg became their go-to goalie during their late-season playoff push. He has continued his strong play into the first round. In Game 1, he made 30 saves on 32 shots. He was sharp again Tuesday, helping the Kings withstand Colorado’s early onslaught of shots. Colorado gave him a tough look early in the second. Kadri fed Landeskog on the slot, and Forsberg managed to parry it away. Late in the second, he got in front of turnaround shots from both Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche eventually beat him in the third when he overcommitted to Nečas, who instead passed to Landeskog in the slot.

He finished the night with 34 saves. He wasn’t quite able to make a 35th, giving up the game-winner to Roy.

“We’re right there, playing well,” Forsberg said. “We’re fighting hard. We just have to stick with it and turn this around.”

Across the ice, Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves. Panarin beat him with a dangerous shot from the slot for the lone goal he allowed in regulation, but overall he continued to give Colorado the dependable goaltending expected of him. His highlight came when he stopped Quinton Byfield on a penalty shot. He robbed Byfield again in overtime, making a glove save on a shot off the rush.

A penalty, a penalty shot and a long wait

Jeff Malott took an ill-advised boarding penalty on Artturi Lehkonen in one of many instances of the Kings’ fourth line toeing the line of too much physicality. The Avalanche were in position to gain the lead — or at least some momentum — but Cale Makar mishandled a puck at the blue line, leading to a Quinton Byfield breakaway. Makar got called for a hook as he raced back to catch the forward, and the referees awarded a penalty shot.

Byfield tried to beat Wedgewood glove side, but the goalie made the save. The crowd erupted in excitement, but that came with an unexpected drawback. Fans banged on the glass behind the Kings’ bench, and a pane of it shattered. Kings coach D.J. Smith got smothered with shards. It caused a 19-minute stoppage for clean up.

If the Wedgewood save was going to serve as momentum for the Avalanche power play, the delay stopped that. Nathan MacKinnon got called for interference on Alex Laferriere shortly after play resumed.

“I think the flow would kind of come and go a little bit,” MacKinnon said. “Not ideal with the glass, but it was the same for both teams.”

“They just handled it better coming out of that,” Bednar added.

MacKinnon and Bednar both felt the Avalanche were able to push the pace more in the second half of the second period.

Another waved-off goal

Sam Malinski fired a shot toward the net to start the third period. It got caught in the side of the net, but not on the inside. Malinski thought he scored, and the goal horn went off. After review, though, it was clear the puck was lodged on the side of the cage.

It was the second Avalanche goal waved off in as many games. Logan O’Connor had a goal waved off for goaltender interference last game.

Panarin shows why Kings traded for him

The Kings acquired Artemi Panarin from the Rangers to bring a gamebreaking offensive talent into a lineup that lacked it. He validated their trust late in the third period. He played his normal shift with the top power-play unit, then stayed on with the second grouping. Trevor Moore found him with a pass in the slot, and he buried it.

Colorado’s top skilled players had more chances than Los Angeles’, but Panarin came through when he got his best look of the night. He also scored the Kings’ only goal of Game 1.

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