Meet Mr. Phillips-Cary
by Sidney Brant McCaskey students take an obligatory chemistry course as sophomores. By the end of the school year, two camps of people emerge–those who forget 6.02 X 1023 and go on with their lives, and those who are left desperate for more knowledge to explain the deceivingly complex processes that compose our entire existence. From the latter emerges a fringe group of students, loyal … Continue reading Meet Mr. Phillips-Cary
Meet Moustafa Hamed
By Nemari Morales Fighting an unjust government isn’t on your typical middle schooler’s roster, but for Moustafa Hamed, a 12th-grade electronics student at McCaskey, a nightmare became a reality. Moustafa was just 13 years old when his mother, Reem Desouky, was accused of running a Facebook page that criticized Egypt’s president. Desouky was immediately arrested on charges including “promoting a terrorist group and publishing false … Continue reading Meet Moustafa Hamed
Meet Mr. Johnston
By Ada Kessler It was a warm June day when I first met John Johnston, McCaskey’s new band director. With a smile on his face, he was eager to begin McCaskey’s 2023 marching band season. Johnston was introduced to McCaskey’s band during the last away game of the 2022-2023 football season at Wilson High School. At the time, he worked at Wilson Middle School and … Continue reading Meet Mr. Johnston
Meet Mr. Wilson
By Gabriel Brogan On a Tuesday morning, I walk into Mr. Wilson’s unassuming lost wing classroom. Flags of several nations hang on the walls, joining a 2008 Obama poster and a joke about chickens crossing the road. While his room may seem typical for a history teacher, the man inside is anything but. On that particular day, Mr. Wilson was dressed in this year’s red … Continue reading Meet Mr. Wilson
Meet Mrs. Cashdollar
By Ariana Martinez Those who frequent McCaskey’s libraries know the generous and amiable Mrs. Cashdollar. You can find Jaymie Cashdollar, one of our kind-hearted librarians, in the library of JP and East. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for books, studying, or just hoping to build a puzzle. She can often be found at the front desk ready to make your experience in the library … Continue reading Meet Mrs. Cashdollar
Meet Hector Martinez
By Logan Bjerklie There are so many words you can use to describe Hector. Bright, funny, and charismatic don’t even start to describe who Hector is as a person, let alone the goal that he wants to accomplish in high school. “I want to show other people they can [be a positive influence in somebody’s life], it doesn’t just have to be doing something funny, … Continue reading Meet Hector Martinez
Understanding McCaskey’s recent lockdowns
by Tiyya Geiger During the week of October 16, 2023, McCaskey was under lockdown three separate times. As national investigations regarding the links between increased access to assault weapons and increased violence continue, it is important to understand what lockdowns are and how they impact McCaskey as a whole. Lockdowns at McCaskey are characterized by the coexistence of dissipating anxiety and increasing desensitization to violence, … Continue reading Understanding McCaskey’s recent lockdowns
What’s up with all the TVs in McCaskey’s hallways?
By Ariana Martinez At McCaskey High School, everyone has already noticed all the new TVs placed in teachers’ classrooms and others lingering in the halls on the walls. For the TVs in the classrooms, most would agree that the teachers’ classrooms needed an upgrade from their aged projectors, but what about the hallway TVs? These TVs started appearing in September of 2023. What are the … Continue reading What’s up with all the TVs in McCaskey’s hallways?
The optics war underlying the Israel-Hamas conflict
by Sidney Brant A father, pulling his bleeding child out of a pile of rubble; a woman, the crotch of her pants bloodied, being forced into a jeep and taken hostage. The images, videos, text blurbs, and news stories that barrage our screens don’t provide information about the war–they are the war. The most recent iteration of the century-old struggle between Israel and Palestine began … Continue reading The optics war underlying the Israel-Hamas conflict
Should we start school an hour later?
by Nora Schindler First period here at McCaskey starts at 7:50 in the morning, but sometimes you might not even be able to tell. Lots of students can tell you that by the first bell some classrooms are half empty and by the second period bell the classrooms are almost always full. While lots of parents and teachers attribute the tardiness to just plain laziness, … Continue reading Should we start school an hour later?
McCaskey’s Voices of Freedom fall showcase
by Caroline Ponticelli On Friday, November 3, McCaskey’s Voices of Freedom gospel choir performed their annual fall showcase. The show’s setlist included “Go Down Moses,” an African-American Spiritual song with an amazing solo by Yarelis Perez. Other songs included “How Much Can We Bear,” by Hezekiah Walker, “I Pharadisi,” a South African folk song, “Praise your Name,” by Cedric Ford, “Soon and Very Soon,” Andrea … Continue reading McCaskey’s Voices of Freedom fall showcase
Does “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” live up to its iconic counterpart?
by Ada Kessler It’s no secret that 2023 has been an incredibly successful year for Taylor Swift. One of the most notable achievements thus far is her newly achieved billionaire status following her tour success. Her song “Is It Over Now” dethroned her other song “Cruel Summer” as number one on the charts and she released two re-recorded albums this year alone. Swift embarked on … Continue reading Does “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” live up to its iconic counterpart?
McCaskey nutrition: the pros and cons of the bread & cheese diet
by Gabriel Brogan Bread and cheese, cheese and bread, all the time. Anecdotally, I noticed this pattern among McCaskey’s school lunches, but wondered if my observation was just confirmation bias after a few extra-cheesy days in a row. Digging deeper into the SDOL website’s lunch menus section, I discovered that I was not mistaken. The amount of bread and cheese served and eaten by the … Continue reading McCaskey nutrition: the pros and cons of the bread & cheese diet
There’s a new speaker in the House
by Logan Bjerklie On October 25th, Congressman Mike Johnson (R-La) was elected to be the 56th Speaker of the House. Johnson was elected after there was a 22 day deadlock to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif). McCarthy has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016 and represents the fourth congressional district in Louisiana. Before his terms in the house, Johnson … Continue reading There’s a new speaker in the House
IB Marine Sciences: A New Class For McCaskey’s Ocean Lovers
By Yisbel Morales Among McCaskey’s vast variety of courses to choose from, many science-related classes are offered. This not only includes high school subjects such as Chemistry and Biology, but also college courses such as the Group 4 sciences — IB Biology, IB Chemistry, IB Physics, and the recently added IB Computer Sciences. As the course lists grow longer and longer, a new course has … Continue reading IB Marine Sciences: A New Class For McCaskey’s Ocean Lovers
