Boba Spotlight: Colorado Tea Station

By: Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

Nestled just on the border of Denver’s bustling downtown district, Colorado Tea Station is the first pick for our Boba Spotlight and for obvious reasons. More than just a boba shop, Colorado Tea Station serves everything from takoyaki (Japanese octopus), instant ramen, and bingsu (Korean shaved ice) to mochi donuts and cake slices. Their menu truly lives to serve any type of craving you might have.

Overwhelmed by the sheer variety? Don’t worry! Their staff is always incredibly friendly and helpful, and service is quick even during rush hours. While waiting for your drinks and food, you can admire the Instagram-worthy interior and the zither they have on display in the drinking area. Their Korean music playlist is nothing to sneeze at either. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean that their boba is anything to sleep on. Having been there a couple times now, my experience has been consistently wonderful. The boba is chewy and soft, and you really can’t go wrong with any drink that you decide to pair it with. Colorado Tea Station also offers a variety of different toppings if you’re not particularly fond of the classic tapioca boba. They have a wide selection of jellies to add to your drink including lychee, mocha, and crystal jelly, and anybody feeling more adventurous can try out their taro and sweet potato balls. 

For their drinks, they offer the classic milk teas and fruit teas, but also some non-caffeinated choices for anybody who likes their boba late at night. As a person who prefers non-caffeinated drinks, I’ve gotten their strawberry milk slush and peach yogurt drinks, both topped with boba and incredibly tasty. Not a fan of cold drinks? They also offer a wide selection of hot traditional Chinese brewed teas such as jasmine and rose oolong. 

Their desserts are equally tasty and appetizing. My friends have boasted of their chocolate cakes and mochi donuts. Having tried their mango snow ice myself, I can’t say I’m surprised. Colorado Tea Station strives to only put out the best of the best, and they deliver on that promise. 

For our overall Boba Spotlight rating, this place deserves a 10/10. 

Photo Credit: Sandra Vo, Strawberry Milk Slush with Pudding and Boba

Photo Credit: Sandra Vo, Peach Yogurt Drink with Boba

Notable Opinions the Editor Shares: Paper Stationery Favorites

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

In my last article, I discussed my favorite writing utensils. As promised, I am continuing my editor series with my paper-based stationery favorites, so you have something to write on with my established favorite utensils. Among my favorites are my top notebooks, as well as sticky notes and notepads. After all, where would an editor be without a plethora of sticky notes and notebooks? 

Top Notebook Recommendations: 

Bullet journal: Archer and Olive A5 Dot Notebook

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

I cannot rave about this journal enough. It is such high quality, and so elegantly crafted. Some of my personal highlights include the ultra-thick pages (so there is no ghosting or bleeding from pens/ markers), lays flat when opened (ideal for any form of journaling), and features a pen loop! From an aesthetic perspective, its hardback cover is lovely (not to mention the countless other design options to choose from, including faux leather), it comes with an ampersand charm page marker. Furthermore, the box it comes in is wonderful, so it is like opening a present for yourself. I truly admire this company, so if you are looking to treat yourself to an exquisite notebook, look no further. 

Multi-section notebook: Opalhouse 3 Section Notebook

This is my official editor notebook that I use for anything related to the Highlander, since I have a lot to keep track of. It combines different types of notebooks into one, which is handy. For instance, it has three tabs that separate the sections (WITH divider pockets might I add) that make it easy to separate different types of notes. Not only that, but it also features different kinds of notebook paper, like to do paper (so you can create lists and check off tasks as you complete them), regular lined paper, and dotted paper. It unfortunately isn’t currently on the Target website, but you can find it in the notebook section. 

Personal journal: Leatherette Storage Journal

I like this notebook for journaling since it has a dating system on the top for journal entries, featuring the months of the year and numbers you can circle to indicate which day you are writing. It also has cute pockets on the front for pens and can even fit a phone, making it possible for everything you need to journal contained in this cute notebook that you can throw in a bag or purse. 

Small monthly notebooks: Composition Notebook Set Unruled Affirmation

I think this notebook set can be a cute gift for someone, or even yourself. There are twelve notebooks for each month of the year, each including a positive affirmation on the front. They are each small and handy to carry with you anywhere you go. The possibilities are endless: you can carry one with you for random thoughts, to have some paper handy, or you can use it for daily journals according to the monthly theme. Sometimes it is nice to just have a notebook you can keep with you in your pocket! 

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

Noted: Sticky Notes and Notepads

I am a sucker for packaging, like in the case of Noted, a series by post-It. They are beyond normal blank sticky notes, featuring different shapes and designs including circles, notes with tabs, lined notes with check boxes, and more. There are weekly notes, to do list notes, and even a self-care notepad for habit tracking. Plus, how cute are they? They come in an array of aesthetic colors in notes, pens, and pads, and even stickers to choose from. If you are looking to upgrade your sticky note game, check out Noted.

Chase Atlantic Concert Experience

By Madie Paskos, Staff Writer

Photo by Madie Paskos

The Chase Atlantic Concert that was on October 4th was phenomenal. It was a general admissions concert, so everyone was packed like sardines in a can, but it elevated the buzz in the music hall. Our opening act was Niko Rubio. She brought dramatics and powerful music to the stage. It was the perfect mix of hard-hitting lyrics and playful beats. Niko was the perfect choice for opening because she brought the exact music needed to prepare Chase Atlantic fans for the experience that was about to occur. Intermission was about a thirty-minute break, and you could feel the anticipation building in the air. Finally, the drummer of the band stepped on stage. 

My ear drums felt like they were bursting due to the overwhelming cheers that were surrounding me. As the rest of the band trickled out of the roar of the crowd grew louder and louder. The band didn’t wait for it to become silent, but instead they just started to play. Soon everyone in the music hall was jumping and screaming the lyrics. People were being tossed in the audience and stepped on, but I have never seen a group of individuals more exhilarated. As the songs bled into one another the feelings of freedom rose and more people lost themselves in the emotion of the music. Dancing, jumping, and all around letting loose was seen throughout the audience. I don’t think there was one person who was standing still. Progressing through the night the mood never dropped. As the show came to an end the crowd only got louder. Chanting “one more song” over and over again hoping for one last taste of the music. Luckily, the chants became loud enough to draw the band back out on stage. Two more songs were performed before the show really ended. Even though it was over, you could still feel the overwhelming emotion pouring out of the people leaving the venue. 

As I was leaving my ears were ringing and I felt like I was floating. The cool air kissed my skin as it swirled around the gathering of fans trying to get one last glimpse of the band. Getting back in the car and driving home the mood never broke. The anticipation of seeing Chase Atlantic finally spilled over and I was on cloud nine. It was a wonderful start to the week and extremely stress relieving.