Photographer captures chic candids
By Mia Folkers, James Bowie High School
January 17, 2020
It was the middle of a warm day when she took the photo. She had the camera positioned just right, and all the settings of the camera were perfect. In just a few minutes she would capture pictures of all sorts of smiles and laughs. These moments captured in many images would be shared with family and fr...
Checks and Balances
By The Tom Tom Staff, Antioch Community High School - IL
January 17, 2020
The Tom Tom staff has spent the last several weeks analyzing the inner workings of Community High School District 117 and the surrounding high school districts within the Lake County area. During our time researching, one thing became apparent: it is difficult to understand the mechanics of a sch...
One year anniversary of car accident outside school brings reflection for juniors Michaela Linden and Jessie Crawford
By Zoe DeYoung, Parkway West High School
January 17, 2020
Besides four inches of snow covering the ground, the walk home from school Jan. 15, 2018 was mundane for juniors Michaela Linden and Jessie Crawford. “It was a normal day,” Jessie said. “You wake up, go to school; nothing was wrong, nothing felt off.” Just into their walk down Clayton...
Scarsdale High School Senior Wolf Cukier Discovers Planet and Makes National Headlines
By Ariel Weinsaft and Leah Breakstone
January 17, 2020
While interning at NASA this past summer, Scarsdale High School student Wolf Cukier ’20 discovered a planet 6.9 times larger than Earth. Cukier is a part of the Science Research program here at SHS. The summer before senior year is busy, to say the least. With supplements to write and the colleg...
Bras uplift the spirits of some but not all
By Kasey Liu, Carlmont High School
January 17, 2020
Breasts. Breasts are typically covered by bras, which are then covered by shirts. However, many have different opinions on which of these layers should go into their daily outfits. The typical modern bra was created by Ida Rosenthal in 1921 when she opened a bra shop in Manhattan called “Maiden ...
Twisting into a new hobby
By Anna Velazquez, Lewisville High School - TX
January 17, 2020
The lights are dim as she steps onto the stage. She takes a deep breath, taking a couple moments to focus on her breathing and get in the right mentality. As the music fills the auditorium, she forgets about everything causing her stress. She channels all her emotions into her act. After watching...
Bridging the gap: The challenges of transitioning from an international school
By Celina Fratzscher, Walt Whitman High School
January 16, 2020
Junior Abbie Hall has been moving her whole life. When she was only three months old, her family moved from the U.S. to Sweden for her father’s job. But her Scandanavian adventure proved short-lived; at the age of four, Hall moved back to Bethesda for three years. From there, off to Kathmandu, Nepal...
World War III memes suggest insensitivity
By Allison Raisner, Carlmont High School
January 16, 2020
You open up your phone and start to scroll through your feed on social media. You like his post. Like that meme. Comment on her post. Follow that TikToker. You then stumble across a meme about the possibility of the conflict dubbed as World War III. While you find it hilarious, and you want to...
Social media provides a new outlook amid conflicts with Iran
By Leah Schroeder, Parkway West High School
January 16, 2020
A student scrolls mindlessly through Instagram. Liking posts from the past weekend, pictures of celebrities, photos of food, they come across a meme that jokes about the possibility of World War III. Many opinions have been circulating social media after President Donald Trump ordered the killing...
“Jeepers Creepers:” Whitman teachers have lots of catchphrases
By Ethan Wagner, Walt Whitman High School
January 16, 2020
If you walked by a teacher’s classroom, you’d see nothing but the standard — a teacher standing at the front, lecturing from the Promethean board or a teacher grading quizzes. But, inside the classroom, students learn so much more about a teacher’s personality and funny quirks — including catchphrases....
How politics flood social media
By Anita Beroza and Chelsea Chang
January 15, 2020
You scroll through your timeline. Dog video. Funny meme. Political post. A friend’s birthday party. Political ad. Rinse and repeat. If you agreed with the political post, you might have liked it. Maybe you even shared it with a friend. But if you disagreed with it, did you discuss that? Did you leave a comment explaining your views and raising questions about the part you found dubious? Did you leave a comment at all? In recent years, politicians have taken to broadening their reach over social media, and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and...
Behind the Ink – Student Tattoos in Wauwatosa
By Victoria Lopez, Wauwatosa West High School
January 14, 2020
Tattoos. They are everywhere, on people's arms, legs, and necks. If you look around the halls of Wauwatosa West you don’t have to look hard to see a tattoo. Despite the law in Wisconsin banning minors from getting tattoos many students find a way around it. Others wait until they are 18. “I...
Overcoming obstacles in foster care
By Isabelle Nunes, Carlmont High School
January 14, 2020
Every morning at 7 a.m., Ariana Diller* begins her two-hour journey to school. However, it’s not the anticipation of a test or build-up of homework that occupies her mind on the way there. It’s the apprehension of returning home. Diller is a part of the foster care system and faces struggles...
How vaping trends threaten teen health
By Julia Smith, St. John's School - TX
January 14, 2020
Additional reporting by Kennedy Black *The names of the students interviewed for this story have been changed to protect their privacy. The students are all in high school or college and may or may not be affiliated with St. John's. Courtney was in seventh grade the first time she vaped. Her ...
Baby Bumps
By Kathryn Case, Blue Valley Northwest High School
January 14, 2020
Teaching while pregnant, business teacher Meghan Trader said requires asking a lot of her body. This drastic change is not made any easier as the teachers in the Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission School District are only given an unpaid 12 weeks for maternity leave. Currently there are four...
“Ok Boomer”: How One Meme Proves New Generational Divide
By Kara Peeler, Clarksburg High School
January 14, 2020
Years pass and younger generations stray further and further from their predecessors; be it Millennials or Boomers, Gen. X or Gen. Z, each age group bears unique qualities. These generational differences are clear to see for all on a country-wide scale and even in the Clarksburg community itself in the...
Cultural appropriation: no one wants to talk about it
By Kayla Estrada, Kings High School
January 14, 2020
Timothy Hicks’s AP Language and Composition wrestles with philosophy, the American dream, and systematic oppression. Hicks talks about these topics in such a way that no student feels uncomfortable. Laughter typically breaks up serious conversations. Tuesday afternoon’s class was different. Unsettling....
Students shed light on the significance of individual change when considering the environmental impacts of the food industry
By Amanda Bartolovic, Forest Hills Central High School
January 13, 2020
Approximately one year ago, senior Olivia Throop sat amid her peers in AP Environmental Science (APES), learning about ecological processes and interrelationships in the natural world. As a part of these studies, Olivia also learned about the impact humans have on the environment. In a documentary...
Adolescent Addictions
By Claire Jackering, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
January 13, 2020
Addiction. Craving. Dependence. Habit. Obsession. Fixation. All of these describe drug addiction. Anyone at any age can become addicted to any type of drug, whether it’s prescribed or bought off the street. For teenagers, addictions from drugs are even more impactful as it will have an effect on their...
#23WearBlueDay to bring awareness to human trafficking Jan. 11
By Blake Loria, Canyon High School - TX
January 13, 2020
Students and teachers are encouraged to wear blue on #WearBlueDay Saturday, Jan. 11 for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Participants can take photos of themselves and others wearing blue clothing and post the photos on social media platforms with #WearBlueDay. The event started after the U.S. D...
The Power of Makeup
By Cecile Bendera and Emily Martinez
January 13, 2020
In recent years, the makeup community has expanded greatly from what its origins on YouTube in early 2005. It’s spreading onto bigger social media platforms, primarily Instagram and YouTube. But wearing makeup comes in different shapes and forms for every person who picks up a brush, and can be used...
Service academies: Risk vs. Reward
By Cori Nicholson, Carlmont High School
January 10, 2020
It's Shuaib Khan's senior year. Khan is sitting in his counselor's office, flipping through a U.S. News and World Report college edition magazine. Colleges such as Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, and USC fill his head. Not only does Khan wonder whether he can get in, but how he will to pay the tuition....
Training life vs. Teenage life
By Allison Raisner, Carlmont High School
January 10, 2020
Junior year can be stressful. College looms in the near future, SAT and ACT tests seem to happen every other weekend, and extracurriculars repeat day after day. Being an athlete can be stressful. Coaches yell, practices are every day, sometimes twice a day, and competitions are every week. Morgan...
Bus driver celebrates students’ birthdays
By Sofie Geretz, St. Louis Park High School
January 10, 2020
According to bus driver Jay Wolkenbrod, being a bus driver for four years has enabled him to stay with students throughout their academic career. “I went through training and I've had the same route for four years and have seen some of my kids go from elementary to middle school and middle school...
Huskies after hours
By Natalie Policky, Blue Valley Northwest High School
January 10, 2020
Marlee Volmer Marlee Volmer gets paid to try on dresses and promote them on Instagram, one of the perks of working at Natalie M., a dress store at 127th and Metcalf. Volmer earns money by posting dresses she tries on in the store. Volmer also helps customers in-store, Volmer’s boss Li...
Student to Student: Three juniors teach others what it is like to be Jewish
By Zoey Womick, Parkway West High School
January 10, 2020
Placing Challah and a Shofar on a table in front of them, juniors Joe Rosenberg, Ella Seigel and Sara Marks stand in front of a classroom of strangers waiting for their presentation to begin. The three participate in Student to Student, a program in which Jewish high schoolers around St. Louis present ab...
Behind the scenes: Alumna Kim St. Onge shares her journey to becoming a broadcast journalist
By Makinsey Drake, Parkway West High School
January 10, 2020
Covering stories from the Iowa Caucuses to the Joplin Tornado, 2008 alumna Kim St. Onge can now be seen on KMOV Channel 4. St. Onge studied public relations at Mizzou until she found her passion for journalism. “One of my best college friends introduced me to broadcast journalism. I instantly f...
Living After Loss
By Ryland Mallett, Mansfield Legacy High School
January 9, 2020
Josh Powell didn’t know what to think. The surprise, three-hour drive to College Station gave him a long time to think bad thoughts. As the car sped 1 mile at a time closer to the site of the accident, it started to settle in for Josh that this could actually be something real. In 1999, when Josh...
Toxic Masculinity
By Marisa Salazar, James Bowie High School
January 9, 2020
Societal stigma surrounding stereotypical male behavior challenges the definition of masculinity On the brink of a new decade, traditional gender norms may be regarded as having undergone major progressions in the past ten years. While there continues to be a divide between those who embrace new libera...
Student Band Gains Traction, Plans First Album Release
By Alex Levy, Rockville High School - MD
January 9, 2020
Odyssey, an up and coming psychedelic rock band made up of RHS students, dropped their first single on December 13, 2019 on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud, among other music streaming services. Now that they feel that they have established a name for themselves, they plan to release an album in...
Inspiring a new generation
By Anna Velazquez, Lewisville High School - TX
January 9, 2020
He sits on his bed with a pencil in hand, a piece of paper in front of him and headphones over his ears. He listens to the rhythm of the music, tuning out every other sound as thoughts race through his head. The pencil moves quickly across the notebook as he attempts to scribble down lyrics before they...
The Slump: How Annie Hoang Faces Depression Through Filmmaking
By Dakota Canzano, La Salle Catholic Preparatory High School
January 9, 2020
The following article contains a short film with explicit content. High school can be rough. There are many ups and downs that can occur between the start of freshman year and the end of senior year. Many students might find their high school experience becoming flooded with constant worries and st...
Isabel Wallace-Green (ʼ15) performs in Radio City Christmas Spectacular
By Abigail Poag, St. John's School - TX
January 9, 2020
The first time she stepped foot on the Radio City Music Hall stage, Isabel Wallace-Green’s heart skipped a beat. “In that moment, I felt like I had made it,” Wallace-Green said. “I realized this whole opportunity was a dream turned reality—a dream that I didn’t even believe I was capable...
South choir is an outlier in the choral world, yet still has far to go with gender inclusivity
By Graham Doyle, Minneapolis South High School
January 9, 2020
South is known for its accepting culture of trans and non binary students. The school has made big strides to be inclusive, including creating a gender neutral bathroom and adopting gender neutral language. The choir program at South is regarded as a safe space for students to express their concerns...
Fighting for change: examining the combative culture at West High
By Alex Carlon and Joe Goodman
January 8, 2020
It starts with a loud shriek. Shortly after, the pounding of shoes racing down the linoleum hallway can be heard from inside the main floor classrooms. Teachers seal off their class from the outside noise in fear of the anarchic riot ensuing in the hallways, where the order is determined by the masses. Eager...
Stop and Listen
By Cary Robbins, St. George's Independent School
January 8, 2020
Memphis is a majority-minority city. According to the United States Census Bureau, 63.9% identify as Black or African American. However, just because there is such a large minority group, that doesn’t mean all people feel included or treated equally. People who identify as Hispanic and Latinx make u...
Sisters by chance, teammates by choice
By Ava Duggin, Kirkwood High School
January 7, 2020
6:30 a.m.: Isabella Knopfel’s, sophomore, alarm goes off. 7 a.m.: Olivia Knopfel’s, senior, alarm goes off. 7:20 a.m.: Isabella eats oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, and goes to school. 7:20 a.m.: Olivia eats cereal (or a protein bar depending on time) for breakfast, and goes to school 9:43...
Sophomores perform at White House
By Katie McClellan, Vandegrift High School
January 7, 2020
Surrounded by Christmas trees, lights and the faint whispers of passerby, sophomore Anna Zavelson’s voice fills the air of the grand White House hallway as sophomore and pianist Joey Painter accompanies her, and a hush goes over the crowd gathered in front of them. Anna and Joey, who together...
Dancing across the world: senior Natalie Larsen’s post-graduation plans take her to Australia
By Zoe DeYoung, Parkway West High School
January 7, 2020
She knew her plan. Senior Natalie Larsen would go to a four-year university straight out of high school; she would use her childhood experiences from mission trips with her family to study social work. This is how she planned to make a difference. “It wasn’t until the very end of last year that...
Q&A with ABC’s season 20 “The Bachelor” Ben Higgins
By Ally Navarrete, Walt Whitman High School
January 7, 2020
Ben Higgins placed third on season 11 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” in 2015 and then starred as the lead on season 20 of “The Bachelor” in 2016. Higgins grew up in Warsaw, Indiana, attended the University of Indiana and moved to Denver, Colorado, when he was 24 years old. From a standard desk ...
BSM fields new drone racing team
By Connor Rahill, Benilde-St. Margaret's School
January 7, 2020
This year, BSM’s drone racing club has made its debut and joined the school’s long list of extracurricular activities. Led by coaches Anne Dougherty and Joe Creer, the team plans on competing in three meets in January, February, and March. Drone racing first came to Minnesota high schools when...
Teacher makes a difference in students’ lives
By Gracia Lantis, North Platte High School
January 7, 2020
Morning people, non-morning people, meet Scott King, an NPHS science teacher. He may be a part of your daily morning routine without you realizing it. On a Monday morning, King clenches a whiteboard between two gloved hands. He pulls his stocking cap over his ears, smiles, and says, “Hi, how are...
“Helping others, righting the wrongs”
By Jocie Mintz, Walt Whitman High School
January 6, 2020
Mike Manatos (‘86) goes to work every day wearing the same pin on his lapel. Every morning, he fastens it on his suit jacket or sports coat in the hopes that people will ask about what that little gold wishbone with a ribbon tied around it means. “It’s the logo for the Make-A-Wish Foundation,”...
Wall of fame
By Morgan Weir, Millard West High School
January 6, 2020
As high schoolers gear up for college prep season and start thinking about their post-high school plans, one Millard West teacher has found a unique way to inspire them. When walking down the halls upstairs, students and staff may notice a display by room 203. If they look closer, they’ll see the faces...
Professional modeling gives students an inside look at the industry
By Steven Curto, Mill Valley High School
January 6, 2020
After performing in a show at the University of Kansas during his freshman year, senior Tripp Star met his modeling agent who was in the audience of the show. The agent approached Star after the show and told him that they had high hopes for his future career in the entertainment and modeling industry...
How I See Me: Students battle their insecure body images
By Steven Curto and Tanner Smith
January 6, 2020
Social pressures to 'look pretty' are part of the problem With constant pressure to look a certain way from advertisers perpetuating the myth of a “perfect body”, it is no wonder that many students have dealt with body image issues. In addition, the increasing importance of social media has ...
Gaming levels up
By Jessica Maldonado and Leah Luedeman
January 6, 2020
Obsessed With Gaming Sitting in his bedroom in front of a CyberPower PC with components he added on his own, all of Senior Sergio Alcala’s attention is on the League of Legends tournament he and his team of four is playing. Alcala plays up to seven hours a day on his computer and up to 10 hou...
Downtown Tyrone: Open for Business
By MacKenzie Hyde and Cody Harpster
January 6, 2020
Like many small towns across America, Tyrone's downtown business district had been in a steady decline since the 1970s. Where there were once movie theatres, department stores, and specialty shops, there were only empty storefronts and eyesores. But as Tyrone rings in the new year, the once-vacant ...
10 stories that shaped the 2010’s
By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Shalhevet High School
January 6, 2020
As a disclaimer, I was only eight years old at the onset of the 2010’s and live in America, so there is a degree of bias in my selections. But I try to keep well-informed, and embarked on some retrospective research to try and make a list as accurate as possible. So without further ado, I present...
A Welcome Presence
By Sam Chen, Francis Howell Central High School
January 6, 2020
He enters the patient’s room. He's the only other person in the room, besides the patient. He sits down by the patient, and listens intently as the patient talks, keeping the patient company where they wouldn’t have had any otherwise. He goes from room to room, checking in on each patient and making...