From Arielle Roberts:

Today we drove from Dodge City to Denver. When we first got to town, we walked around the Lo-Do area and do some shopping and get a feel for downtown Denver. That night, we went to Folsom Field at the University of Colorado in Boulder to celebrate the 4th of July and see fireworks.

On July 5th, we spoke with Tom Mauser, whose son was shot and killed at Columbine High School.

He told us about his journey toward being an activist on the issue of gun control and how he copes with the tragedy that happened to his son. After that meeting, we went to Columbine High School and took a look around. It was a shock to many on our trip that Columbine High School looks a lot like their own school. We wondered how people could still go back after such a horrific experience. Is it better to remember it and grieve the past or move on and try to put the past behind you? Where’s the balance?

While at Columbine, we spoke with Scott Fried. He is an AIDS educator and motivational speaker for teens.

He reminded us that the boys responsible for the shooting could have been anybody and that we all have our pain but that we must learn to deal with it and not hurt ourselves or others.

That evening we went to Colorado Springs and hiked up the Garden of the Gods, where we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and each others thoughts about the day. The day was full of emotions and realization. We were reassured that we can always find help in each other and the true meaning of Etgar 36.