After much deliberation, the judges have decided on the winner of the Pollinators Committee's 2024 Nature Photography Contest: UmaSofia Srivastava '25! According to the three teachers on the panel, "Winter's Last Miracle" is not only beautifully composed, but also perfectly fits this year's theme of "farewell, winter." However, the choice was not simple. One judge writes "This was tough....there are many beautiful photographs." Like last year, the contest received submissions from members of all four grades. There were 15 submissions total, all of which captured a different facet of the natural world. The submissions were viewed completely anonymously, so the judges did not know whom they selected until the decision was finalized. Yet, UmaSofia's submission stood out among the rest for the depth of color and purposeful framing. Reflecting on the photograph--- which was taken at Hopi...

In a world that revolves around social media, it can be hard to find peace. We are constantly inundated by new information, some of it damaging. When we react to a single piece of negative contact, we begin the domino effect of the internet’s negative messaging. However, we do not live our lives are on the internet, so there are many steps we can take to prevent negative spirals and keep our positivity up!   1. Journal! Vent...

Recently, my friend and I went to see the newest superhero movie, Madame Web. Madame Web tells the journey of a clairvoyant woman named Cassandra Web who is forced to explore her past while protecting a group of 3 young women from an unknown villain.  Now, this movie is notoriously known for its bad reviews by critics. But is the movie truly that bad? Below I am going to give you my opinion. *** Slight Spoilers below**** Like...

Over the summer, I attended the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. Over 5,000 high schoolers from all over the country traveled to Boston, Massachusetts to listen to various renowned speakers share their stories and advice, guiding our generation towards our future as leaders in science and medicine. There were over 20 unique speakers, but one of them stood out to me: Gitanjali Rao.  When Rao was in seventh grade, she...

The screaming and squirming of children never gets Katie Wong down. An aftercare worker at Mountain Way Elementary School, Wong shares how children continuously change her perspective on her own life.  Like most teenagers, initially she viewed...