Lake Bluffer is Youngest to be Diagnosed with Rare Genetic Disorder
By Ben Rosa, Lake Forest High School
February 21, 2020
A Lake Bluff family is finding support in fellow community members after its youngest member became the youngest patient ever diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder characterized by weakening and wasting in muscles. Three-month-old Peter O’Rourke received his SMA Type 1 diagnosis...
For Whitman Drama alumni, the show goes on
By Jack McGuire, Walt Whitman High School
February 21, 2020
Nearly every actor, professional or amateur, will tell you that theatre is a cutthroat environment. Every acting choice is subject to scrutiny, and the competition is fierce. Despite the challenges and the pressure, many Whitman alumni have thrived in the cruel world of professional theater. They’ve...
Dancing into debt?
By Alianna Torres, Cathedral Catholic High School
February 21, 2020
As a Cathedral Catholic High School senior, Lauren Lee ‘20 knows the drill regarding Winter Formal, but the expenses preceding the dance still leaves her in disbelief. “My dress was probably $50 this year, my ticket was $50, my nails and hair are done by my aunt, and my makeup is done by my cousin,...
Living for the Music
By Jack Lewellyn, Mansfield Legacy High School
February 21, 2020
With the echoes of the Choir Room booming in his ears, senior Cyle Brown contemplates the values of the music he holds dearly. The choir room became a safe place for Brown to share his feelings, and connect with his peers. Using music to help him overcome the loss of his parents, Brown has become...
The face behind FearTheIndian
By Spencer Goldstein, Pascack Valley High School
February 21, 2020
FearTheIndian, created in 2012, remains a staple within the Pascack Valley student body seven years later. Primarily utilized as a Twitter account, it currently has over 2,600 followers and provides updates and insight into all Valley sports teams. However, out of the thousands of Valley students and a...
Emma Zimmerman, the Chef
By Jaden Shemesh, Hillsborough High School
February 21, 2020
Cutting boards clang against metal worktables. Steam wafts off sizzling pans and the smell of steak sandwiches across the room. The clamor of voices and whizz of knives and bread marks the beginning of A Lunch. Over 100 orders today. Despite the heat, junior Emma Zimmerman doesn’t break a sweat. She...
Homeless to Homage
By Carter Van Buskirk, Marquette High School
February 21, 2020
What does homelessness look like? Is it the man begging for money on the side of the road? Is it the impoverished family living in a homeless shelter? Or is it the boy who aced his biology test right next to you? Joe Stazzone, senior, is homeless. Stazzone attended MHS his freshman and sophomore...
Music to Mac’s ears
By Madelynn Niles, McCallum High School
February 21, 2020
Slow jazz spilling softly from the record store down the street. A violinist, case open for tips, pouring melodies onto the sidewalk. That monthly summertime magic of Blues on the Green on the cool grass of Zilker Park and losing your voice as you scream the lyrics along to your favorite artist under...
Taking the next step: senior Mollie Wright gets engaged at 18
By Charlotte Zera, Parkway West High School
February 20, 2020
In the 1960’s, the median age of marriage for American women was 20. Now, with only 2% of American women getting married at the age of 18, it is a rarity to see a classmate commit to their lifelong partner. This is the case for senior Mollie Wright, who got engaged at 18 years old over winter b...
Divided on Diversity
By Murryum Farooqi, Troy High School - MI
February 20, 2020
When the 2020 presidential elections kicked off late last year, the American populace was met with candidates like Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. With this, the typical status quo category of older white male candidates was filled. One category that hasn’t ever been filled until the 2...
Local baker competes in Hallmark Channel baking competition
By Charlotte Turner, Ronald Reagan High School - NC
February 20, 2020
On Nov. 13, the Hallmark Channel presented their “Christmas Cookie Matchup.” The baking competition is shown every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel. This is the first time Hallmark Channel has ever aired a competitive bake-off. The winner of the competition wins $25,000. Anna Simeonides,...
Eating on the edge
By Aylin Salahifar, Carlmont High School
February 20, 2020
Sleep tugs at your eyelids, beckoning you back into your warm bed, but the beeping of your alarm makes you shake it off. Groggily, you get ready and walk to the kitchen to make breakfast. Oatmeal sounds good. But wait, first you have to check the back of the packet. Two hundred and fifty calories, 25...
A world of protests
By Jack Hansen, Carlmont High School
February 20, 2020
One million, two hundred thousand. That’s how many people protested in the 2018 March for Our Lives. Two million. This is the number of people protesting in Hong Kong on June 16, 2019, according to the Civil Human Rights Front. These two events are some of the many demonstrations taking...
A Gloomy Place
By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos, Iowa City High School
February 20, 2020
Ann* started smoking marijuana in the winter in junior high. Ann continued to use drugs throughout junior high and high school, eventually she was using hard drugs once a month. What started off as curiosity lead to an overdose of cocaine on August of 2018. She woke up in the hospital the day after the...
Spinning at school: Teachers jam out to hits as they get a workout in
By Brinda Ambal, Parkway West High School
February 20, 2020
If you happen by the fitness center after school, you might hear a subdued pulsing of Major Lazer’s “Know No Better.” No, someone didn’t forget to turn off Z107.7. Teachers Emily Lovercheck, Katelyn Arenos, Jeff Chazen and Jessica Wheeler created their own workout class, a spin class, flush with...
Moving Around
By Bianca Barretto and Sean McCray
February 20, 2020
When people think of a traditional high school experience, they think of Friday night football games, school dances, pep rallies and prom. Wondering how you’re going to get your next meal, where you’re going to have your next shower, or how you’re going to relieve from a stressful day of school...
Knight in shining armor visits the Quad Cities
By Cecilia Zavala, Pleasant Valley High School - IA
February 19, 2020
Once upon a time, a knight in shining armor wanted to bring joy and happiness to everyone and give them their night to shine. That knight in shining armor is Tim Tebow and his foundation. Every year at the beginning of February, churches all around the world host a prom for people with disabilitie...
Life at Home: Four families share how their culture influences their lives
By Hannah Chern and Quinn Franken
February 19, 2020
The Kaushals Freshman Amit Kaushal's family blends American and Indian cultures Growing up speaking three languages has always been normal to freshman Amit Kaushal. Kaushal speaks Punjabi and Hindi with his family, and English with most everyone else. Both of Kaushal’s parents immigrat...
Happily Ever After
By Mandy Huynh, Rider High School
February 19, 2020
Once upon a time, Anthony Glassburn was a senior walking down the halls alone when he noticed Nancy Garcia, a junior at the time. He smiled at her every day just like he would one year later when she walked down the aisle on their wedding day. The couple started dating last year, and on Nov. 11 Anthony...
Sailing to a new land
By Harshita Avirneni, Vandegrift High School
February 19, 2020
They sat in a circle, anxious for class to begin. All they knew was their competition play had been chosen. They waited as director Celeste Schneider stood in front of the class and made the big announcement, “I've been talking to an author.” And at that point, the cast knew what she was going to...
Small-town rodeo history provides basis for CHS mascot
By Akansha Singh, Coppell High School
February 19, 2020
Bucking bulls, the whinny of horses, bright lights and commotion - a typical 1960s Friday night at the Coppell Junior Rodeo. Today, Coppell is a rapidly expanding modern suburb. It is easy to overlook Coppell’s humble beginnings as a rural town in favor of its bustling suburban nature today, but...
Woody Faircloth a CNN Hero
By Madison Hepler, Ronald Reagan High School - NC
February 19, 2020
The 2018 California wildfire or “The Camp Fire”, named after its origin, was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire so far in California. Almost 14,000 homes were burned beyond repair. The fire left many people homeless and desperate for somewhere to sleep. Woody Faircloth saw these horrors...
The power of community
By Calista Shohet, Carlmont High School
February 19, 2020
While Latinx immigration has been a significant discussion across the U.S., one town in Northern California fosters a welcoming community. In Redwood City, immigrants find a safe haven. The town offers many resources, and people can find a home in a new country. "It has been a hub for most of our...
Boys don’t cry
By Isabella Wesson, Carlmont High School
February 19, 2020
Your bare knees are on the hot concrete, eyes tearing up under the scorching sun. Taking your training wheels off was a mistake. Your dad — who swore he wouldn’t let you go — runs over to help you get back up. “C’mon. Boys don’t cry,” he says. You are grounded for the D on the test...
Decade recap: How DGS has changed throughout the 2010’s
By Luc Alvarez, Downers Grove South High School
February 19, 2020
The past decade in the US has been one of great change, with social media becoming a defining force in the lives of most Americans and the polarization of American politics through the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The past 10 years have been no different for DGS, including everything...
Works of Heart
By Morgan Kasel, Cedar Park High School
February 18, 2020
For years, the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition has given high school students a chance to demonstrate their creativity through artistic and written pieces. There are many categories within the competition, and students can submit anything from photography, ceramics, or short stories. After...
Inked up
By Ryan Stanley, Prosper High School
February 18, 2020
'Be brave' are the two words written on a faux leather bracelet once owned by teacher Natalie Merrill. While the bracelet was lost forever, the words were not. Merrill, an audio-video instructor, along with computer science teacher Elise Calhoun and senior Alaistair Hernandez, have at least one tattoo....
“Good morning, Whitman!”
By Eva Levy, Walt Whitman High School
February 18, 2020
At the sound of the bell, all the students in room A303 burst into the halls. But while senior Lucas Folio’s classmates shuffle to their second period, he takes a detour to the main office. There, he casually lays down his backpack and begins sorting through a thick pile of pink sheets, weeding...
Representation: How minorities see themselves reflected in society
By Tanner Smith and Ben Wieland
February 18, 2020
Representation in Politics Despite recent strides, minority students and teachers feel underrepresented in politics Imagine looking up at your community leaders, at your representatives or even looking at the president and seeing someone who doesn’t look like you. Think of how discoura...
Calm with Kalaa: Managing Stress with Dance
By Micheline Jasinski, Middleton High School - WI
February 17, 2020
Shruti Parthasarathy, founder of Calm with Kalaa, sought out dance at an early age to manage the troubles she faced daily: “I would come home from school, I would be very sad because of microaggressions that occurred, I’d be sobbing, I’d go downstairs, I would dance, and then I would come upstairs...
Passion for fashion
By Madelynn Niles, McCallum High School
February 17, 2020
“Scrapbook.” To many, images of heart stickers and seasonal stamps may flash by. Thoughts of double sided tape galore and zig-zag-cutting scissors may flood in. But, in this case, what we are talking about is far from Aisle 7 at your local Hobby Lobby. The annual McCallum Fashion Show is seen...
TikTok famous people of Manual
By KC Ciresi, duPont Manual High School
February 17, 2020
TikTok seems to be the most recent social media fad, and Manual is no stranger to the app. While much of the student body finds themselves scrolling through and liking the short, usually humorous videos for a ridiculous number of hours of the day, a few students have made it big in a different way ー...
From students to colleagues
By Bess Frerichs, West High School
February 17, 2020
Having taught at West High for 34 years, social studies teacher Gary Neuzil has had thousands of students. Some of which have gone on to be teachers themselves. An even smaller number, just four, have gone on to teach at West. Neuzil remembers them all clearly: art teacher Christian Aanestad, scienc...
Underage substance abuse can lead to lifelong struggle
By Ian Sullivan, Pittsburg High School - KS
February 17, 2020
Some teens may use their $20 to buy dinner or go to the movies, but Tom, a junior boy who drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana recreationally, decides to spend his money differently. Tom has requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject. “Usually I get it from older friends...
Sophomore experiences discrimination founded in her Muslim heritage
By Aiden Burke, Mill Valley High School
February 17, 2020
When sophomore Deema Rashid moved to America from Iraq, she felt alienated and left out by an imaginary idea, something that separated her from everyone else. She felt isolated and alone because she was different, because she wasn’t from the U.S. and because she didn’t look like everyone else. This...
Homegrown film incorporating topical issues into emotional storyline
By Shravya Mahesh, Coppell High School
February 14, 2020
DALLAS - Tears well in his eyes as the credits roll. The light from the big screen flashes across his features, accentuating the pride clear on his face. At last, his project of over a year has come to life. On Monday, Coppell producer and Sidekick staff designer Kaylee Aguilar’s father Danny Aguila...
CCPA: Privacy, anonymity and equality
By Sloka Suresh and Teresa Arisawa
February 14, 2020
Collected, bought and sold. For decades, personal data has been used by businesses to learn everything about their consumers — from names to shopping preferences and addresses — and commodified for greater profit at the price of consumer privacy. However, as of Jan. 1, the California Consumer Privacy...
U of M conducts study on the emotional well being of White Station students
By Caitlin Tate, White Station High School
February 14, 2020
On Jan. 17, White Station participated in a University of Memphis study, which was partially developed by White Station’s own alum Allyson Topps. The main goal of the study according to Psychology assistant professor Xu Jiang was to discover how “psychological strengths predict better social-emotional...
Behind the burrito buddies
By Marta Leira, West High School
February 14, 2020
Chicken or steak? Rice? Beans? These are just the first in a series of many difficult decisions you must make as you order your burrito. Lettuce? Cheese? Guacamole? (It’s extra by the way.) But what if your order could show more about you than just tonight's dinner? That's how Julian Wemmie ’20 and...
Not da Vinci but Devine: Taking On the Career He Once Dreamed of as a Child
By Dakota Canzano, La Salle Catholic Preparatory High School
February 13, 2020
For the students at La Salle who know Mr. Brian Devine, they know him as the Vice Principal of Student Life. But, that’s not the only title that he holds. He is also an artist. “I’ve been an artist my whole life,” Mr. Devine said. When Mr. Devine was younger, he took art classes in grade...
In Memory of Kyle Thibodeau
By Gabrielle Daley, West Springfield High School - MA
February 13, 2020
In the winter of his sophomore year, Kyle Thibodeau went on a ski trip and got a concussion after going straight into a tree. That night he went to the hospital, and early the next morning he showed up at the state wrestling championship, which was two hours away. Coach Kendziera recalled, “When I...
Marin tours with ‘The Book of Mormon’
By Simon Beach, Harrisonburg High School
February 13, 2020
Josh Marin is a 2008 graduate from Harrisonburg High School who is living his dream: being on the road with the National Broadway Tour of “The Book of Mormon.” “First of all, [being in this show] is epic. It’s a great show, I think working on a show that has that kind of humor and the diff...
Uncovering the truth about the hijab: students share their experiences
By Ulaa Kuziez and Tasneem Nasufovic
February 13, 2020
Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. In Islam, it is not only interpreted in its literal meaning, but exemplifies the principle of modesty, which includes both behavior and dress for males and females. The most visible form of hijab is the head covering worn by many Muslim women in publ...
The terror of the times
By Clarisse Bell and Kaylene Lin
February 13, 2020
Since 2012's Sandy Hook, the United States hasn't gone more than 231 days without a school shooting. That’s the 2000s: a time when gun violence frequents the news so much so that it’s become a constant reality where students have to worry about whether or not their classmates will pull a gun out...
Looking ahead to joining the workforce
By Katia Stavropoulos and Jacqueline Fitzpatrick
February 13, 2020
The year is 2024, and this year’s seniors are graduating from college and getting ready to join the workforce. What will their work life look like compared to millennials? Is work in 2024 being a YouTuber or a professional TikToker? Is everything run by robots? Or are our jobs just the same as they ...
Freshman triplets take on competitive mathematics
By Faith Fuller, Tomball Memorial High School
February 13, 2020
Three freshmen. Six medals. One set of talented triplets. Unfazed by their status as underclassmen, Kaylee Caudle, Zachary Caudle and Aidan Caudle kicked off their first high school University Interscholastic League (UIL) season with a victory. The triplets competed in their first high school-level...
Play ball
By Jackson Posey, Smithson Valley High School
February 13, 2020
The heart monitor flatlines. A sharp buzz echoes throughout the room, piercing the ears of weeping witnesses. The lights go out on stage left. Caleb Mosley plays varsity basketball, but his biggest accomplishments come two hallways and a flight of stairs away, in the auditorium. “My favorite...
Keep the dream alive
By Jai Uparkar and Swara Tewari
February 13, 2020
Living Undocumented "You need to pack all your things. Your notebooks, all your school stuff.” Fremont HS English teacher Onette Zabinski vividly remembers her parents telling her this when she was 7 years old. She recalls packing her belongings into the car and thinking to herself, If w...
The Life of a Bus Driver
By Da'Jai Wesson, Atlantic High School
February 13, 2020
It’s just before 6 a.m. when Steve Andersen walks into the Atlantic Community School District bus barn and is welcomed by a familiar garage smell and freshly-brewed coffee. While some people are still sleeping, he and his fellow bus drivers are already fueled up and ready to start their day, picking...
Kerry Walther: A High Schooler Playing in National Orchestras
By Nancie Huang-Ball, Sage Creek High School
February 12, 2020
While other students head off to clubs, sports or home after school, junior Kerry Walther heads off to rehearsal, walking diligently with her viola case in one hand. Whether it be at school, at Mira Costa or somewhere else around California, it’s all the same: Walther joins the orchestra and gets out...