This winter, the U.S. has been facing the most intense flu season in at least 15 years. And the flu season continues until May.
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Through her commitments to Castilleja volleyball and her ACE Org, Brushbook, Claire Sun ’25 is a true leader on campus.
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Last February, 19 students and two teachers were killed in a Texas elementary school shooting.
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By Maddie Park ’27
It has been two months since the Los Angeles wildfires erupted. While the wildfires have been completely eradicated since then, families who have been affected— which include Castilleja families—continue to seek a sense of normalcy, especially with the schools and homes that have burned down.
An example of this is Zoe Frank’s ’26 family. “They lived in the Palisades, and my little cousins are 13 and 10, and their house was burned down, and the elementary school was burned down,” Frank said. “The middle school was okay, but their house and things burned and a lot of their friends’ houses and their neighborhood all burned down too.”
When the wildfires first started, Casti students felt a range of emotions. Lila Cole ’25 felt worried for her grandparents, who live in Hollywood Hills. “When the sunset fire started, that was really close to where they lived, and it was pretty scary,” Cole said. “Some of the places I’ve gone hiking with them were shown to be on fire. They had to evacuate and were gone for a couple of days.”
Cole said that her mom and aunt had an app called Watch Duty, which helped their family keep track of wildfire developments and support her grandparents accordingly. “[My mom] was mostly the one who was responsible for keeping up with the news,” Cole said. “Being at school, I try not to be too distracted. But at the same time, I was pretty worried, and I was
getting a lot of notifications from my family.” Cole said that she checked the news more often during this time.
Frank and Juliet Schmeltzer ’26 were both on their Global Investigator Trips (GIT) when they found out about the wildfires. “Obviously, nobody in Morocco was talking about it,” Schmeltzer said. “It was weird to be in a different place where it wasn’t as big of a deal and then to come back here where it’s such a huge deal and all the news was about it.”
Frank, Schmeltzer and Cole all found the politicization of wildfire aid to be frustrating, disappointing and worrisome. “Ultimately, it’s just challenging to see an event that is very near and dear to the hearts of many people around you being turned into a political game piece, while you’re mostly just worried about the individuals who are actually involved,” Cole said.
Cole’s family also faced difficulties when communicating with Cole’s grandparents: “Culturally, they didn’t want to feel like they were imposing, so it was like that bùhǎoyìsì mindset [the notion of not wanting to inconvenience others or embarrassment].” For Cole, the hardest part was “trying to make sure that they really understand that it’s of critical importance that they evacuate, that they are not in their home and that while they may feel like they’re imposing, the best thing for their safety would be to go stay with [their] other relatives.”
The loss, worry and frustration felt by Casti students have reinforced the importance of climate action. “I’ve always been
relatively passionate about climate change, but now it’s just personally impacted me and my family,” Frank said. “It’s definitely becoming more and more real that it can impact anyone.”
Cole said that these wildfires have allowed her to recognize the importance of climate action. Similarly, Schmeltzer said that the L.A. wildfires have led her to better understand the measures she can take towards climate action.
To allow us to continue to remember the long-lasting impacts of the wildfires, Cole said that Castilleja “could think about having a wider range of [resources] and always ensure that they have sources that are focusing on these issues that are especially significant to California and the Bay Area.”
Cole said that “it was really interesting to learn about the history of redlining in L.A. and how Altadena is this neighborhood where there’s a really large Black community,” a topic she learned about during a DEILC meeting.
Moving forward, Schmeltzer said that we should check in with wildfire victims and ask them what support they need. When donating to drives, she said that we shouldn’t “just [send] in really worn-out clothes or anything that [we] wouldn’t personally want.”
Last, Cole said that we have a responsibility to educate ourselves on those affected by the wildfire, as it “create[s] a more personal connection” and “ensure[s] that people see that the impact of the aid they’re giving is really important.”
By Chloe Chiang ’27
This winter, the U.S. has been facing the most intense flu season in at least 15 years. At Castilleja, Athletic Trainer Torie Dawson sent home eight students in January and 11 students in February for undetermined sicknesses. Jessie Surface, Director of Health Services and Safety, said that the week before February break was the most rampant time for illnesses.
As a result, almost the entire basketball team became sick, affecting their practice schedule during the second half of league play. Many students also reported prolonged symptoms such as coughing and nasal drip.
Noor Maraqa ’26 said she was the first person infected on the basketball team. Her initial symptoms included sore throat, congestion, stomachache, headache and other body aches. “That was the determiner for me that it was more than the cold,” Maraqa said. In rapid succession, everyone except Landry Agnich ’26 contracted the flu. Taryn Johnston ’27 was one of the few who tested to determine her respiratory virus. The test confirmed that it was Influenza A.
“Noor had a crippling stomachache, and then when I came into contact with her, then I had an inexplicable crippling stomachache. One day later, I got the flu,” Johnston said. However, Maraqa claimed that it is hard to pinpoint her as the only infector. “If it wouldn’t have been me, I think everyone would have still gotten it because the whole school got it,” Maraqa said. A few weeks after recovering from the flu, Maraqa caught the cold. Overall, she
By Abigail Kim
Dear Abby,
How do you hold onto people before they leave, especially when time feels like it’s moving so fast? And why does it feel so hard to get close to people in other grades-what helped you get closer to people, and how’d you deal with that?
- Anonymous Friend
***
HELLO ABBY!
Now that it’s second semester of senior year, I’d really like to spend some more time with my friends, given that we all are a little less stressed! How do you recommend I go about this?
Signed, Friendly Senior ***
believes her immune system has been weakened by the progressively shortening recovery times between her intervals of sickness.
Naya Sangoram ’25 was infected with the flu twice, once after the semi-formal in February and again during the wave of sickness that struck the basketball team. Her symptoms included congestion and itchy ears. “We were running up and down [the court], and suddenly, I just felt this different sensation. Suddenly, I was just out, and I couldn’t sprint. And then I went home and just laid in my bed until three days later,” Sangoram said.
With members of the team falling in and out of sickness, Agnich said that one day only three people came to practice. Maraqa added how this was poor timing as basketball was entering its second round of league play. “Basketball is a contact sport. There’s no way for us to practice and not be touching each other,” Maraqa said. Canceling practice meant losing valuable time to prepare for tough opponents, but the spread of sickness was inevitable in this environment.
Agnich was the one exception: It was miraculous that she didn’t get sick, especially as her sister (who is also on the team) did. “I was very scared the entire time because every single person for two and a half weeks straight - it would be like ‘oh no someone else got it,’” Agnich said. Agnich did take one precaution that may have played a key role in her immunity: a lot of ginger shots.
Outside of the basketball team, Michaela Miller ’27 said she has bronchitis as a result of contracting the flu. “My nose has been dripping ever since.
Dear Anonymous Friend and Friendly Senior,
Looks like friendships are a topic of concern throughout all grades. For sure, something that I’ve learned over my seven years at Casti is that friends are the fuel that will take you through all of the hardest of times, and they are the gift you will enjoy during the best of times. Whether they are in your grade or not, it’s important you have someone to rely on.
Admittedly, it was only in my senior year that I truly began feeling comfortable making friends with people in different grades. Especially with older grades, I know the intimidation that precedes a friendship all too well. However, in my experience, there were others around me who extended a hand first, making me feel so comfortable around them that one moment we weren’t friends, and the next, we were. I encourage you, Anonymous Friend, to take advantage of these people around you, too. They may be in the same ACE Org, Enrichment, affinity group, or interest club as you—when you see them trying to come closer to you, simply open the door and let them in. And, on the other side, to all those who aren’t afraid to make new friends, I encourage
I’m not congested, but I’m constantly [sniffling],” Miller said. Additionally, she has a dry cough, and her respiratory system is still compromised. “Sometimes when I workout really hard for two and a half hours, I feel a little bit more out of breath,” Miller said.
Miller also tested positive for Influenza A, though she has not confirmed her bronchitis with a doctor due to medical insurance issues. She explained that this is the second time she dealt with bronchitis immediately following a flu infection. Miller also suspects that the key factor of this pattern (along with the flu) is her asthma. So, she has been using her inhaler to help.
Miller believes she got sick from an international convention with 5,000 people in Denver, Colorado. The admission was a nonrefundable $2000; “Some people [still] went with COVID and the flu,” Miller said. According to Miller, they didn’t wear masks.
There are many obligations that keep students from only having to worry about their health, such as school, sports, or events. Unfortunately, as a result, flu complications are lingering. The flu season is staying until May.
you to be that person who knocks on someone’s door first, especially when they seem closed-off and quiet.
For me, seeing people reach out truly helped me to open up and do the same for others as I rose through the grades. In each interaction with someone—even if it’s my first time talking to them—I simply act as if we’re already friends, partly for them to open up to me, but also partly to gaslight myself into not being nervous in front of them.
Now, when it comes to friends who leave, I have some more controversial advice. I’ve had friends leave to go live in war zones and pursue their passions halfway around the world. Though I don’t think that could be considered ideal in any situation, through these experiences I’ve learned that the best thing you can do when you’re afraid of losing someone is to simply let them go naturally. The fact that you’re worrying about this tells me that you will probably make an effort to remain close to your friends, and usually, that’s enough to sustain a relationship. However, if it isn’t, I wouldn’t fret too much. When you let a friend go, there will still be the occasional message or DM on your birthdays, or random replies to Instagram stories, but maybe that friend just is not meant for more than that. Usually, if someone is important enough that you are dreading your separation, they’ve already had a large impact on your life; they’ve already made their mark and it’s time for a new chapter. Of course, there’s always the chance that you guys will come back to each other again. If that’s meant to happen, it’ll happen without you
Here are some helpful reminders from Ms. Surface to avoid the spread of respiratory illnesses:
- Stay up to date on vaccines
- Stay home if you’re sick
- Test and treat for COVID-19 and flu if you have symptoms (like fever, cold, cough, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell)
- Consider wearing a mask
- Wash your hands
- Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow, arm, or disposable tissue and then wash/sanitize your hands
stressing about it.
Now, before your friends leave, it’s always a great idea to make the most out of the time you have left together. This is what second-semester senior year is all about! I guess the best place to start is break and lunchtimes! We’re all at school at the same time, so we should make the most of that. Go use your senior privileges and eat out, go get a boba, whatever floats your boat. Try to live with a “yes, and” mindset, only saying no to things when you’re already scheduled during that time, or when you’re really burnt out. Listen to yourself and your needs so that you can fully enjoy your friends’ presence. Make use of your weekends—whether you’re going out or staying in, it’s always nice to have someone with you. Even if you’re busy and have piles of work to do, just do it together! That’s what friends are for. Spend so much time with your people that by June, you’re sick of them. I think that will set you up nicely for the bittersweet goodbye that will inevitably come as you all go off to college.
Hope that was helpful, abby
By Amelie Bellemans ’27
Through her commitments to Castilleja volleyball and her ACE Org, Brushbook, Claire Sun ’25 is a true leader on campus.
As Sun noted, Castilleja volleyball has greatly impacted her: “It’s such an unusual environment — I feel like [I’m] completely immersed. It’s been a really great way to get good cross-grade bonding.”
When asked about her most memorable moments at Castilleja, Sun instantly went to the fan-favorite Casti traditions: “Opening day was really cool. There’s so much going on. From senior sunrise to driving around the circle to tying the ties, it all just goes by so fast.”
Sun also enjoys the regular day-to-day of Castilleja, expressing that “there’s no other place where I can literally walk from one end of campus to the other and talk to or say hi or stop and have a conversation with so many people.”
More recently, Sun has enjoyed working with her ACE Org, where students connect with senior citizens through art, and Channing House, a retirement community in Palo Alto. Working with individuals living at Channing House has been very meaningful for Sun: “Getting to share experiences with them and hear their voices is pretty cool.”
Sun experienced an injury in the middle of her high school career, putting a halt to her athletic pursuits for the time being. She was unable to play volleyball, so she spent that time focusing on her other interests: “I was coaching a lot, but I put more time into my ACE org and started volunteering with the [United Nations] film festival, which I really liked doing.” She also spent time resting, training and connecting with friends and family. “It just gave me a lot of insight into who I am outside of volleyball or in addition to volleyball,” Sun explained.
By Ella Cohen ’28
Since her first year at Castilleja in sixth grade, Briana Perez ’25 has learned to, as she puts it, “just go for it.” Her self-discovery journey started in her sophomore year when she got a severe concussion at a party she went to with her cousin. Going back to
PHOTO BY BRIANA PEREZ
school after such a serious injury was difficult, especially being as shy as she was. She tended to assume that teachers would help her if she seemed to be struggling, but Perez had to learn self-advocacy and how to reach out to teachers if she needed extra help consistently.
By Ella Cohen ’28
SENIOR PROFILE
Sun’s biggest challenge throughout her time at Casti has been managing the pressure of saying “yes.” “When I was younger, because I had such limited time, I would say yes to everything. I was always doing something, ” Sun shared. But with all the pressures that come with being a senior, Sun forced herself to “take a step back, enjoy [her] time here and spend time doing
This new Counterpoint column celebrates the experiences of graduating seniors in the Class of 2025.
Perez said that up until her sophomore year, she had the same set of friends, which held her back from coming out of her shell. But that summer, she ended up doing lots of camps and programs where she was able to make new friends and find her voice.
the things that [she] finds interesting.”
If Sun could give advice to her younger self, she would say, “Don’t stress so much. It’s all gonna be okay. Don’t take life so seriously.”
As college inches closer, Sun’s passion, open mind and fun-loving attitude are going to take her far.
her science class. She enjoyed biology because of how it relates to and affects the real world.
In college, Perez plans on majoring in biology and psychology because of how much she’s enjoyed those classes in high school. Another class Perez has come to adore is photography. In her free time, Perez likes to explore abandoned buildings with her friends, which she says is perfect for taking photos.
Other significant extracurriculars Perez participated in at Castilleja include Gatorbotics as well as helping out in the library as a TA. Although Perez only did Gatorbotics her junior year, she’s been a TA since her sophomore year. She has also
“Step out of your shell. Things don’t matter as much as you think they do.”
At Castilleja, Perez has explored many different subjects, but her favorite has been bioethics. Although Perez used to struggle in science, it’s always been a class she’s enjoyed. Since sixth grade, she’s considered science the most interesting class. However, she began to realize her love for biology in her junior year, when she took biology as
been a part of the LatinX affinity group since sixth grade and is now a leader.
Looking back on her younger self and how much she’s grown as a person, Perez said if she could go back and tell her younger self something, it would be, “Step out of your shell. Things don’t matter as much as you think they do.”
Florencia Correa Agazzi ’25 walks through the world with an artistic, creative mind. When asked what makes her happy, her response was making art: “Art is a way to express myself and have fun. It’s something I’ve loved since birth.” She likes to think of everything creatively, but it hasn’t always been this way. Correa Agazzi said that throughout her years at Castilleja, she has learned to grow out of her shell and become more extroverted. She finds herself excited to talk to new people, which has helped her reach out for help when she needs it in all aspects of her life. With this new mindset, she found her academic practices improved as well.
“Art is a way to express myself and have fun. It’s something I’ve loved since birth.”
Correa Agazzi has especially chosen to dedicate her time to Casti Fasti, Castilleja’s cross country team. She started running in ninth grade because her parents forced her to, but she ended up loving it. Her passion grew accidentally, stemming from the healthy team dynamic: “Working hard made me feel proud of myself and others too.” Correa Agazzi said that after strenuous three-mile races, she feels pride for her teammates.
When asked about her most memorable moment at Castilleja, Correa Agazzi didn’t hesitate to talk about her GIT trip in junior year, when she went to Indonesia.
The group she went with, along with the trip itself, was so enjoyable that she said it was her favorite trip she had ever gone on. On this trip, not only did she bond with her peers and learn about herself, but she was also able to interact with the world in ways she had never experienced before. She said being able to thrive and live in the
culture of another country made her feel good.
If she could give any advice to her younger self, Correa Agazzi would say, “Try absolutely everything and know when to stop.” Correa Agazzi has appreciated her time at Castilleja, trying new things and finding her passions.
By Deeksha Venkat ’27 and Kaycie Nuckles ’27
Instagram is an extremely popular app meant for curating perfect feeds and posting your favorite pictures. At Castilleja, Instagram is so much more than that—it helps students bond and share what they’re passionate about, with numerous accounts supporting different organizations, clubs and more.
While Castilleja has its official account, with over 3,000 followers, an athletics account, a library account and a Bourn Lab account, one of the best ways to experience and get to know Casti’s students is through the many miscellaneous and “non-affiliated” Instagram accounts. These accounts stretch from sports to other extracurriculars to accounts that are “just for fun.”
@castillejashoesaccount (57 posts, 213 followers): The Castilleja Shoes Account was founded in November 2021, though the creator kept their identity hidden for three years. Recently, in her senior speech, Briana Perez ’25 revealed that she had created the account as a way to gather the community together. As you can imagine, dealing in the art of shoe-posting requires lots of careful consideration, as many students may not agree with having their shoes posted. However, many students felt positively impacted by this account. Noelle Madden ’25 shared,“Castillejashoesaccount changed my life and made me a better person.”
@castiwopo_dabs_on_em (383 posts, 410 followers): One of the main uses of Castilleja Instagram accounts is sports! Madden said that the Castilleja water polo account has been a staple of both the water polo team and Castilleja community for years, and they hope to continue its legacy. “This account has been around for a really long time, probably since before I was born. It’s timeless,” Madden said. This account has also improved the overall team culture of the water polo team. “The account really brings up the mood of Castilleja water polo. Because, sometimes, we’ll take pictures of our game, and I’ll post every bad photo and say,
‘Look how happy we are’ as the caption. So I think that really affects [team members] positively,” Madden added.
Alongside this plethora of Castilleja sport Instagram accounts, the app has sparked competition between sports teams.
“One day, out of the blue, the newly formed Castilleja basketball account, completely unprompted, posted to their story asking, ‘Who’s the bigger ballers—Castilleja water polo, or Castilleja basketball?’”
This competitiveness has brought out the best in the water polo team, making them play harder and building their confidence.
“We didn’t engage [with Castilleja basketball] because we know that we’re the bigger ballers [and] we don’t need other people’s validation,” Madden said.
@Casti_2027 (8 posts, 153 followers): Instagram accounts are also a big way for students to show off their grade’s spirit and pride, with an account for the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and many other graduated classes. These accounts capture the unique essence of each grade through field trips, holidays, retreats and other exciting events!
Emma Ping ’27, the sophomore class archivist and runner of the Casti_2027 account, said that the account helps shape the community and serves as a way to look back at high school: “I think that it’s beneficial for our community to have an archive of our activities.” The account truly reflects the sophomores, featuring nearly everyone in the grade.
@ringuscallie (18 posts, 160 followers): One of the most infamous uses for Instagram accounts within the Castilleja community is ringing! In the fall of every school year, Instagram accounts are made for almost every senior in honor of ringing season. On these accounts, the seniors’ ringees post old or embarrassing pictures among other anecdotes to celebrate their ringer. However, along with many other Instagram accounts, such a large movement of users can bring a sense of pressure.
Anna Kocher ’26 shared that creating posts could be stressful or tiring at times: “I feel like at the beginning of the year I was really excited and the ringers were really excited. So I really tried to
By Chloe Chiang ’27
Each Castilleja student’s inbox contains a dozen Google Forms for events like Beyond the Circle, Global Week and student government elections. However, you may not know about the manual placement process behind the scenes and the derivation and theory of the ranked voting method.
make good posts, but I kind of trailed off a little bit; it was a really long ringing season.” However, she explained that the ringing account also made her closer to her ringers, helping coordinate gift drop-offs and furthering her personal connection with them. “It allowed me to interact with them while still keeping my identity a secret. I think the ringing accounts also made the whole experience more fun for both the ringer and ringee—I had fun making the content, and my ringers always commented on my posts or replied to my stories,” remarked Kocher.
@livelaughlairs (15 posts, 122 followers): Steven Lai, geometry honors teacher and frequent Taylor Swift-lover, has a personal fan account on Instagram dedicated to his advisory. Lai believes that while the account is just for fun, one of its most important traits is that “it strengthens connections in our advisory.” Mars Scott ’27, one of the founders of the account, commented that it “adds unseriousness into life, something that’s really needed.”
@callywallyhan (1 post, 28 followers): Similarly, Matthew Callahan has a fan account of his own. Callahan touched on how the many Castilleja Instagram accounts, including his own, show the special community Castilleja has: “It reflects the kind of culture of our school. We have a certain kind of closeness here that you might not have at other schools, and I’m okay with people poking fun at me.”
While these two accounts may spark a debate about which account is better, they both reflect the unique bonds and relationships that students have with their teachers at Castilleja. However, not all Castilleja accounts have received the same positive reception from the school.
Niva Himatsingka ’27, co-lead of the
Upper School Rock Band, mentioned that many rock band members were interested in starting an Instagram account to “promote the band and give other people who can’t [or don’t] want to be a part of the band insight into what we do.”
However, Himatsingka received slight pushback from administrators, with some expressing slight hesitation.
As a member of multiple groups around Castilleja, Himatsingka understands the power and importance of Instagram accounts for building community and sharing interests. “It’s fun to see what other groups are doing. I’m also part of Mock Trial, and it’s really entertaining to see [our] videos. I think [Gatorbotics’ account] gives people an opportunity to share what they like about robotics, which I think is really nice,” Himatsingka said.
However, these accounts bring up the question of privacy, as students in advisories and clubs may not consent to having their images posted online. Scott shared that sometimes members of their advisory will ask for photos to be taken down, and she emphasized, “You want to respect people’s boundaries.” It’s important for account leads to toe the line between privacy and school spirit, something that they factor into every post they make. It’s this careful consideration and eagerness that furthers Casti’s instagram accounts.
Whether it’s fans of teachers, grade representatives, clubs, secret shoes or ringers, Castileja’s different Instagram accounts clearly have a long-lasting effect on our school and community, serving as one of the hallmarks of Casti culture. So get out your phone, open up Instagram and follow as many accounts as possible—because they aren’t just accounts: they’re the spirit of Castilleja!
In Angela Price’s Introductory Calculus class, she outlined two main voting systems: plurality and ranked choice. She explained that plurality only looks at the first- place choice.
Let’s say there are four choices: A receives 20 votes, B receives 15 votes, C receives 31 votes and D receives 27 votes. C is declared the winner. However, if you
sum up A, B and D’s votes, 62 people don’t get what they want, and only 31 people do get what they want; this is not an accurate majority.
In the fall semester of the 2024-2025 school year, the Class of 2027 faced issues with this system in their government elections. Jeff Mayfield, class dean, stated that there was voter fatigue as several ballots needed to be sent out because no winner stood out. “It was just ‘vote for one of the candidates,’ and I just gave it to [the class of ’27] again, and people started leaning towards other people,” Mayfield said.
Several other teachers used this plurality system last semester, including the Class of 2026 Dean Rigile Ortega. According to Mayfield, this sudden shift was due to former Dean of Students Eve Kulbeida’s proposal that the presidential candidate must receive more than 50% of the votes. “Ms. Kulbeida was adamant about the notion that the president should get 50% of the vote or more than 50% of the vote,” Mayfield said. The previous method was a rank voting process, where each ballot considers each choice, and then the winner can be arrived at through elimination, a points system or pairing, as explained by Price.
“I was trying to stay in alignment with something that Ms. Kulbeida had proposed when she was dean of students, and that went against what we had been doing prior to that, when Ms. Bagnola was Dean of Students,” Mayfield said. According to Mayfield, Kimberly Bagnola created a handbook on how to conduct the ranked voting process for student governments.
However, starting the spring semester of this year, Mayfield decided to use a modified version of the tried-and-true ranked voting system; he modified it so that the final runoff vote would require a single candidate to receive more than 50% of the votes as Kulbeida proposed.
By Emma Siegel, Deeksha Venkat, and Leela Mudumbai ’27
Though all Academy Awards are extremely competitive and prestigious, the majority of casual film-watchers mainly tune in for the “Big 5”: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Previous award ceremonies such as the BAFTAs and the SAG awards are used to predict the Academy’s choices beforehand. Most watchers of the Oscars predict their choices beforehand, and these three are no different. Having made their award predictions in early January, let’s see how Leela, Deeksha and Emma hold up for correct guesses!
“Anora” was the clear-cut winner, sweeping Best Picture easily. All three predicted this correctly, alongside nearly every guess people secured for this win. The “Anora” win is a landmark for independent studios: Not only did the movie sweep through every award, but it also discussed topics that have been previously censored in the movie industry. The movie isn’t just funny—it’s poignant, completely original and kind of heartbreaking. Discussing the perpetual cycle of atrocities committed throughout the sex worker industry, Anora is simultaneously neon (literally), glamorous and tragic. As lead actress Mikey Madison said: “I just want to say that I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally and I implore others to do the same.”
Sean Baker has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, focusing on taboo topics in pictures like “The Florida Project” (2017) and “Tangerine” (2015). His acceptance speeches this awards season have acted as a voice for the independent film industry, particularly advocating against streaming giants like Netflix from entering the awards space. He emphasized the importance of in-person moviegoing and remarked that “watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can nod together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together.” Deeksha, Leela and Emma were all pleased with this outcome, though they all believe Denis Villeneuve truly deserved the win, or at least nomination.
Adrien Brody’s Best Actor win has been controversial, to say the least. In late January, Brody was revealed to have used AI to hone his accent for the film, causing backlash from viewers who thought it to be ‘cheating the system.’ However, the movie’s editor, Dávid Jancsó, claimed, “It is controversial in the industry to talk about AI, but it shouldn’t be.” Unfortunately, this isn’t the first strike against Brody. He’s been under fire for years, starting with being banned (for life) from SNL, an extremely long (and possibly disrespectful) Oscars speech and being close friends with Roman Polanski, a convicted sexual assaulter of a minor. Deeksha predicted this one correctly (though her top pick would have been Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing”), but Leela had hopes for someone else—Timothée Chalamet. After Chalamet won the SAG award a week prior, the buzz was ignited. Many believed that he would break Brody’s record as the youngest Best Actor winner, but after his loss, some speculated he would receive the “DiCaprio
treatment” and would only get his rightful win later in his career. Emma predicted Sebastian Stan to win for his performance in “The Apprentice,” while conceding that Adrian Brody would likely win due to his previous achievements at the Oscars. However, Emma, Leela and Deeksha think Brody is still a phenomenal actor who belongs amongst the greats.
Best Actress was a shock to nearly everyone tuning in to the awards, but not an unpleasant one. Madison won for her stellar performance as a stripper—Cinderella in “Anora.” This surprised many, as Demi Moore in “The Substance” was the clear favorite (and all three guessed it for the winner). Many people have commented on the parallels between “The Substance,” where older celebrities take dangerous drugs to attempt to stay young, and the Oscar results themselves. Madison, who’s only 25 years old, swiped it away from 62-year-old Moore, who’s worked in the industry for decades. If it had been any other actress to win, the world would have been revolting, but Madison’s performance was so phenomenal that everyone has been appeased.
The Oscars have doubles for screenplay: best original and best adapted. Both Deeksha and Leela were optimistic for the respective categories, hoping that “Nickel Boys” would win Best Adapted and “A Real Pain” would take home Best Original, respectively. Unfortunately, the clear-guessed winners won both categories: “Conclave” stole Best Adapted, and “Anora” continued its rampage and grabbed the Best Original title. Though the hopeful winners didn’t manage to rise from the ashes and garner a win, “Anora” and “Conclave” are still brilliant movies that deserve as many awards as possible!
You may be asking yourself, “Why is this category so debated? Why must we discuss a smaller category?” This wouldn’t have been an issue had the Oscars not committed one of the worst snubs in its history and forgotten to nominate “Challengers” as the best soundtrack of the year. “Challengers” isn’t just a score written by previous Academy-Award winners and Nine-Inch-Nails band members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—it’s one of the most evocative, fun and fresh soundtracks ever created. Its combination of synth-pop beats and ‘90s rave music adds raw tension to the film and strings along the viewer. Unfortunately, instead of being hilarious, niche and interesting, the Academy decided not to nominate “Challengers,” instead giving the win to “The Brutalist,” which is still good, but not nearly as groundbreaking as the adrenaline rush given by the former. “Challengers” was completely shut out from the awards this year, without any nominations in categories like Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Screenplay or any actor/actress category. RIP “Challengers”: you were flirty, fascinating and new— you will be mourned. Leela predicted the “Brutalist” win, while Deeksha held out a string of hope for a “Conclave” sweep. Emma refused to submit a prediction for this award due to the aforementioned snub of the film “Challengers.”
The “I’m Still Here” win is a landmark in every imaginable way, but its biggest achievement is being the first ever Brazilian film to win an Academy Award. The movie follows the life of a mother, played by actress Fernanda Torres, and her family during the military dictatorship in 1971 Brazil. Her performance is one of the most incredible of this year, being nominated for the Best Actress award, and the work of the cast and crew on this film is undeniably poignant and special. In his acceptance speech, director Walter Salles dedicated the award to Eunice Paiva, “a woman who, after a loss suffered during an authoritarian regime, decided not to bend and to resist.” Here, Salles referenced the fact that this movie is based on an incredible true life story of Paiva, who is an influential human rights lawyer and activist in Brazil and endured hardships under the former regime.
“Flow” and “The Wild Robot” were the predicted winners of this category, with a slight edge given to “The Wild Robot,” as it was widely released in theatres and heavily marketed by Warner Brothers. But “Flow” made history by winning, becoming the first Latvian film to win an Oscar. The silent 86-minute film, which is also known under the Latvian title “Straume,” was also nominated for Best International Feature Film. “Flow” follows a cat working with a capybara, a lemur, a bird and a dog to escape the peril of their home being flooded, leaving them homeless. In his speech, director Gint Zilbalodis stated, “I hope that it will open the doors to Independent animation filmmakers around the world. We’re all in the same boat. We must overcome our differences and find ways to work together.” Emma and Leela had predicted this underdog win, both enthusiastic supporters of this film due to its brilliant animation. Deeksha had picked “The Wild Robot” to take home the Oscar, taking a more realistic approach while still rooting for the film “Flow.”
“No Other Land” winning this award is by far the best thing to come out of this year’s Academy season. With absolutely zero theatre screenings and no pickups by distributors, the film had to claw its way to its rightful position. “No Other Land,” created by both Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, tells the story of Palestinian activist Masafer Yatta’s unlikely friendship with Israeli Journalist (and film director) Yuval Abraham amidst the destruction of
the West Bank of Gaza. The film has been described by Abraham as an act of unity. “We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger,” shared Abraham. Despite controversy and disparaging comments from the Israeli Cultural Minister, the film’s core message of pure harmony is unsilenceable. All three predicted this award, and its win is exactly what it deserves. If there’s one film to watch from 2024, “No Other Land” is the easy pick.
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña winning supporting actor and actress respectively came as no surprise considering their sweep throughout the award season. Culkin’s familiar, awkward and dead-pan humor shined through once again as he gave a rambling acceptance speech but also gave a loving nod towards his wife, Jazz. Saldaña got emotional and tearyeyed, dedicating the award to her grandmother who immigrated to the U.S. in 1961. All three predicted Culkin’s win, though Deeksha stood out and hoped for a Jeremey Strong win (RIP “The Apprentice”deserved more than it got). Felicity Jones and Monica Barbaro were hopeful guesses from Deeksha and Emma, but Leela accurately predicted Saldaña’s win.
All things considered, this was an average year for film and the Academy Awards. Despite some saddening snubs and best actor backlash, fan-favorite films won in their respective categories and independent films and media got their shoutouts. There will always be controversy, but this year, film fanatics managed to steer away from any crazy Big 5 wins. Here’s to more movies, ceremonies and wins in the years to come.
EDITORIAL TEAM Dear Reader,
Caitlyn Lee
Priscilla Chan
Editors-in-Chief
Sara Flexer
Zoë Friedman
Managing Editors
Abigail Kim
Editor of Special Projects & Editor of Arts & Entertainment
Amelia Yuan
Editor of News
Nola Doorley
Editor of Photography
Maddie Park
Editor of Opinions
Vienna Farano
Editor of Features
Matthew Callahan
Faculty Adviser
WRITING STAFF
Alana Ma
Alice Tolland
Amelie Bellemans
Anaika Walia
Ananya Nukala
Anh-Khue Nguyen
Anne Kelley
Annika Agrawal
Anya Dalal
Candy Fu
Chloe Chiang
Deeksha Venkat
Emma Siegel
Erin Gunawan
Isabelle Chen
Kaycie Nuckles
Lauren Jene
Leela Mudumbai
Lizzie Ren
Maddie Park
May Chen
Mili Reddy
Natalie Goler
Nyx Patel
Poppy Scott
Rachel Jiang
Saige Sefcik
Saina Priyadarshi
Sarah Zhou
Taarini Kadambi
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chloe Redon
Lila Cole
Nola Doorley
Stella Tenta
ARTISTS
Allison Prakalapakorn
Chloe Cheng
Lizzie Ren
Michelle Huang
Sabrina Wallgren
We are delighted to bring you the second print edition of the 2024-2025 school year.
The Counterpoint team has been working hard all year, remaining committed to being the voice of the student body. This semester, our paper has added new multimedia sections, and we have continued our focus on capturing more features around the Circle.
Our student writers are dedicated to exploring topics that are meaningful to our community, seeking to uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity and transparency. We invite you to engage in these discussions thoughtfully as a reader, and we look forward to continue expanding our reporting next year.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this new print edition of Counterpoint.
Sincerely,
Sara Flexer and Zoe Friedman, incoming Editors-in-Chief Caitlyn Lee and Priscilla Chan, outgoing Editors-in-Chief
Castilleja School
1310 Bryant Street Palo Alto, CA 94301
By Lauren Jene ’25
2. “_____ workers, happy-hearted...” (song lyrics)
6. Chapter of a play in AT English: Shakespeare (for example)
8. Jr/Sr Fall tradition
10. Counterpoint dating show
11. Chatbot tech
12. Jr/Sr Spring tradition
16. Stolen goods
19. Casti Counterpoint website host (SNO ___ )
20. Rare Casti dessert
22. Math teacher
23. Sushi tuna
26. Old-school
27. Casti outfit
29. Our school (informally)
33. What wearing sweatpants might get you
34. What seniors drive around the circle on the first day of school
35. Currency used in Italy
37. What students do at a pep rally
38. New Casti math teacher
39. Web address
40. One piece of the Founder’s Day quilt
42. Father
44. 1/2 of Casti motto (minus the “-ing”)
45. Junior year trip
46. Senior privilege uniform item
48. Classic Casti dessert
1. What the school had in
before classrooms 2. Incredibles Mode
3. Outdoor goods store
4. The chicken or the ___?
5. Peer _____ (academic service)
6. Influential family (campus building namesake)
7. Off-campus destination (abbr.)
9. Casti is “In the company of _____”
13. http://slither.____
14. German car brand with Bug (abbr.)
15. Word to describe sixies
17. Anxious condition (abbr.)
18. Center of campus
19. Spring tradition at Casti
21. Upper School (abbr.)
22. Mary in Casti History
23. Off in the distance
24. What Santa might say
25. Castilleja history / social-science class (abbr.)
28. Greek M
30. Stent this year
31. Classroom helper (abbr.)
