CHS Today

The Voice of Conifer High School

CHS Today

CHS Today

Kanin Cadam, Editor in Chief/Photographer

Kanin Cadam is a photographer and the Editor in Chief of CHS Today. A senior at Conifer High School, they have received three Best of SNO awards for articles in the past year. In CSMA’s Best of Colorado competition, they have placed second twice for photo essays and received an honorable mention for in-depth news coverage. They have also won best school and community photo of 2024 from Headliners in Education, in addition to being published in the Conifer-285 Living magazine. Their motivation is to capture the fleeting moments of everyday life, sharing and reminiscing upon the details that make up the world and people around them. Outside of school, Kanin loves to play pinball, take photos, travel, kayak, play games, and spend time with friends.

All content by Kanin Cadam
Senior Evelyn Seevers speaks to rallied students in the Staples parking lot as part of a statewide walkout against gun violence in schools. Seevers organized the protest for September 17, where over 400 students attended. During the walkout, Seevers spoke to the crowd of students, addressing gun violence statistics and rallying a collective voice. "It's time for us to use our voices together to bring the beginning of the end," Seevers said.

Mountain Strong

Kanin Cadam, Editor in Chief/Photographer
September 29, 2025
Junior Sophie Kramer prepares a throw during practice before the 2024 softball state championships. Contrasting with last year’s sixteen player team, Conifer’s softball team is starting this year with only nine players, the minimum amount required for a varsity team, leaving seniors with the chance of being unable to play a varsity season at Conifer this year. “I’m really hoping we can get a few more girls and keep playing varsity, especially for senior season,” senior player Giada De Manna said.

Conifer Curveball: The Future of Softball

Kanin Cadam, Editor in Chief/Photographer
August 25, 2025
Devotion embering, troubles burning, campfire flames burn against a low dusk at Deer Creek Campground in Bailey, CO.

Embering Devotion

Kanin Cadam, Photographer/Editor in Chief
August 25, 2025
La Sintra Townscape: Various buildings in Sintra, one of the most urbanized and densely populated municipalities of Portugal. For their second day in Portugal, Conifer High School’s travel group of 42 students and 7 chaperones traveled to various locations within the Lisbon district, seeing historical towns and buildings like the National Palace of Sintra, which was a location of Portuguese royalty that incorporated town celebrations into its walls.

Beyond the Mountain Barrier – Photo Essay

Kanin Cadam, Reporter/Photographer
May 15, 2025
Transitioning out of Conifer High School (CHS), the Conifer Jefferson County Public Library will be giving CHS around 5,000 books for its own library. Karen McIntosh, the Digital Teacher Librarian at CHS, is working with school and JCPL staff members and communities to expand the collection for the upcoming school year. The school has and will accept donations of books that are suitable for high school audiences. “We've already accepted book donations from families. We also had other schools, Chatfield has donated books to our library,” McIntosh said. “I will gladly accept donations.”

Boutique of Books

Kanin Cadam, Reporter/Photographer
April 17, 2025
Cassidy Vallin (Left) and Bryan Connolly (Right) from Circus Foundry dance as a part of their show during the opening ceremony of Conifer High School’s 9th annual Peace Day. Circus Foundry is a Denver-based contemporary circus that formed to share their art, help others in the process, and support local under-represented demographics in community gatherings. “Our main goal with your show was to be able to share the excitement of what the circus brings to people throughout the world,” Vallin said.

Kaleidoscope of Perspective – Photo Essay

Kanin Cadam, Reporter/Photographer
April 10, 2025

Human Genetic Modification: Why and How We Should Use It

Kanin Cadam, Alaina Faler, and Declan Tilly
April 7, 2025
Ms. Svigel working a stand to help the Class of 2024 leave their fingerprints on the finished mural. She offered a variety of colors for the seniors fingerprints as a part of the mural, allowing them to leave a part of them with the school before they step out into the next chapter of their life. “I do not have much say in how it will look other than there needs to be a place where the seniors will place their fingerprints, and that it needs to be to represent the school as a whole body, and not just a few students,” said Svigel.

[Photo] Another Year, Another Coat of Paint

Dylan Combs, Reporter
March 13, 2025
Cassidy Vallin (Left) and Bryan Connolly (Right) from Circus Foundry dance as a part of their show during the opening ceremony of Conifer High School’s 9th annual Peace Day. Circus Foundry is a Denver-based contemporary circus that formed to share their art, help others in the process, and support local under-represented demographics in community gatherings. “Our main goal with your show was to be able to share the excitement of what the circus brings to people throughout the world,” Vallin said.

Kaleidoscope of Perspective

Kanin Cadam, Reporter/Photographer
March 10, 2025
Students in the yoga workshop engage in guided meditation. On Peace Day, Cara York came to help students practice mindfulness and relaxation through peaceful meditation. [Quote]

Teacher Owen Volzke exits the bouncy house-race course during lunch on Conifer's Peace Day. Students spent their on-campus lunch eating from food trucks, spending time with friends, and racing through the bouncy house which had dozens of racers. “I think it’s an opportunity to learn about stuff they don’t even know they don’t even know, and that offers this new perspective of the world,” Volzke said.

Sophomore Skylar Knight listens to Chuck Bierly's workshop about his experience in the Vietnam War from #### - ####.

Unknown - Body Image Foundation

Seniors Sidney Rogozinski, Rosie Gumina, and Sydney Aikin sing their 'Peace Day Rap' during the Peace Day opening ceremony. The seniors are all part of the peer ambassadoring program, a Conifer-exclusive program that has juniors and seniors be directly involved in school and community activities, spirit, and organization. "We live in a pretty small community where there's not a lot of diversity, so I really enjoy getting to hear other people's perspectives," Gumina said.

Keynote speaker Sarah Thomas shares with Conifer her experience with being an ultra-marathon swimmer and cancer survivor. Thomas holds the current world record for the longest continuous (unassisted, non-wetsuit) swim done in current-neutral conditions; She swam 104.6 miles over 67 hours in Lake Champlain (USA) in 2017. At 35 years old, she was diagnosed with a serious form of breast cancer, and soon after her treatments she became the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel in 54 hours and 10 minutes. On July 10, 2022, she became the first person to complete the 69-km double crossing of the North Channel between Britain and Ireland, in 21 hours 46 minutes 38 seconds, the freezing water having numerous stinging jellyfish.

Principal Greg Manier delivers his opening speech on the morning of Conifer's Peace Day. Thanking everyone for their attendance, he described the importance of the day and what it would do for the students. "You recognize things that don't necessarily engage you. Right? You're learning something in that moment," Manier said.

Junior Maggie Sullivan paints a clown design on junior Quincy Partington's face during lunch. For Peace Day, NAHS (National Honor Art Society) set up a face painting table for students to attend at lunch, which ended up garnering a large line of students. "I just really like that energy of a whole school just doing something fun, being at school without it being school," Sullivan said.

Brazilian Top Team (BTT) member helps sophomores Lucius Johnsen and Skylar Knight learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BTT has locations across the country, founded in April 2000 to develop and create new training methodologies for sports jiu-jitsu, submission & grappling, wrestling and mixed martial arts. They have locations in both the Conifer and Evergeen Safeway centers, allowing those in the mountain community to learn a range of martial arts. [Quote]

Senior Kendall Crosby sharing her sources of strength in the workshop, 'Project Kynd' on Peace Day. Project Kynd is an organization that aims to help those in need by providing kits packed with snacks, toiletries, positive messages, and other self-care products. It also aims to help individuals recognize what empowers them. "I just think it's always better to help someone out," Crosby said.

Peace Day speaker Johnny Nichols Jr. introduces his workshop to the Denver Gay Men's Chorus and establishes the rules that will be practiced in the room. Founded in 1982, the 140-member ensemble performs in the Rocky Mountain region in order to entertain, educate, inspire, and empower audiences to form acceptance and diversity throughout the Colorado area. [Quote]

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