diff --git a/routes/events.js b/routes/events.js
index bebf381..d81270c 100644
--- a/routes/events.js
+++ b/routes/events.js
@@ -12,18 +12,18 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
         var auth_token = req.get('Authorization');
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(err, userId) {
             if (err) {
-                console.log(err);
-                res.sendStatus(500);
+                console.log('Error verifying auth token:', err);
+                res.status(401).send(err);
             }
             User.findById(userId, function(error, user) {
                 if (error) {
-                    console.log(error);
-                    res.sendStatus(500);
+                    console.log('Error finding user by ID:', error);
+                    res.status(500).send(error);
                 }
                 eventServices.createEvent(req.body, user.tier, function(createErr, event) {
                     if (createErr) {
-                        console.log(createErr);
-                        res.sendStatus(500);
+                        console.log('Error creating event:', createErr);
+                        res.status(500).send(createErr);
                     } else {
                         console.log('New event created: ' + event);
                         res.json({
@@ -39,18 +39,18 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
         var auth_token = req.get('Authorization');
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(err, userId) {
             if (err) {
-                console.log(err);
-                res.sendStatus(500);
+                console.log('Error verifying auth token:', err);
+                res.status(401).send(err);
             }
             User.findById(userId, function(error, user) {
                 if (error) {
-                    console.log(error);
-                    res.sendStatus(500);
+                    console.log('Error finding user by ID:', error);
+                    res.status(500).send(error);
                 }
-                eventServices.findAllEventsInTier(user.tier, function(err, events) {
-                    if (err) {
-                        console.error(err);
-                        res.sendStatus(500);
+                eventServices.findAllEventsInTier(user.tier, function(errEvents, events) {
+                    if (errEvents) {
+                        console.error('Error finding all events in tier:', errEvents);
+                        res.status(500).send(errEvents);
                     } else {
                         console.log(events);
                         res.json({
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
     app.post('/events/:id/rsvp', function(req, res, next) {
         var auth_token = req.get('Authorization');
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(error, userId) {
-            if (error) res.status(500).send("User not logged in: " + error);
+            if (error) res.status(401).send("User not logged in: " + error);
             eventServices.rsvpToEvent(req.params.id, req.body.rsvp, userId, function(err, evnt) {
                 if (err) res.status(500).send("Could not rsvp to event: " + err);
 
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(error, userId) {
             eventServices.findOneEvent(req.params.id, function(err, evnt) {
                 if (err) {
-                    console.log(err);
-                    res.sendStatus(500);
+                    console.log('Error finding one event:', err);
+                    res.status(500).send(err);
                 } else {
 
                     var expandUser = function(userId, cb) {
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
 
         eventServices.findAllEvents(function(err, events) {
             if (err) {
-                console.log(err);
-                res.sendStatus(500);
+                console.log('Error finding all events:', err);
+                res.status(500).send(err);
             } else {
                 // not logging here since data might be massive
 
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
 
         eventServices.findAllEventsInTier(function(err, tier, events) {
             if (err) {
-                console.log(err);
-                res.sendStatus(500);
+                console.log('Error finding all events in tier:', err);
+                res.status(500).send(err);
             } else {
                 res.json({
                     events: events
diff --git a/routes/post.js b/routes/post.js
index eb342f9..22ecbe6 100644
--- a/routes/post.js
+++ b/routes/post.js
@@ -6,25 +6,27 @@ var postServices = require('../services/postServices');
 
 module.exports = function(app) {
 
-    // Expects form data in the form of:
-    // {
-    //   authorId: String,
-    //   content: String
-    // }
+    /* Expects form data in the form of:
+       {
+         authorId: String,
+         content: String
+       }
+	*/
     app.post('/posts/create', function(req, res, next) {
         var auth_token = req.get('Authorization');
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(error, userId) {
             User.findById(userId, function(error, user) {
-                if (error) {
-                    res.status(500).send(error);
+				if (error) {
+					console.log('Error finding by ID:', error);
+					res.status(500).send(error);
                 } else if (user) {
                     req.body.authorId = user._id;
                     postServices.createPost(req.body, user.tier, function(err, post) {
                         if (err) {
-                            console.log(err);
-                            res.sendStatus(500);
+                            console.log('Error creating post:', err);
+                            res.status(500).send(err);
                         } else {
-                            User.findById(post.authorId, function(error, author) {
+                            User.findById(post.authorId, function(errorById, author) {
                                 var newPost = post.toObject();
                                 newPost.displayName = author.firstName + " " + author.lastName;
                                 res.json({
@@ -46,17 +48,18 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
         var lastTimestamp = req.query.lastTimestamp;
         jwt.verify(auth_token, app.get('superSecret'), function(err, userId) {
             if (err) {
-                console.log(err);
-                res.sendStatus(500);
+                console.log('Error verifying auth token:', err);
+                res.status(401).send(err);
             } else {
                 User.findById(userId, function(error, user) {
                     if (error) {
-                        console.log(error);
-                        res.sendStatus(500);
+                        console.log('Error finding by ID:', error);
+                		res.status(500).send(error);
                     }
                     postServices.findAllPosts(user.tier, limit, lastTimestamp, function(err, posts) {
                         if (err) {
-                            res.status(500).send(err);
+							console.log('Error finding all posts:', err);
+							res.status(500).send(err);
                             return;
                         }